cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
X-ray diffraction patterns and alpha-beta transformation of a protein extracted from the human epidermis.

X-Ray Diffraction Patterns and Alpha–Beta Transformation of a Protein extracted from the Human Epidermis
Adopting the sensemaking perspective for chronic disease self-management

Display Omitted Health self-monitoring technologies call for new theories of health behaviors.The sensemaking perspective is adopted to chronic disease self-management.We conduct meta-synthesis of qualitative studies of diabetes self-management.The meta-synthesis provides ample empirical support for the framework.We draw implications for the design of informatics interventions. BackgroundSelf-monitoring is an integral component of many chronic diseases; however few theoretical frameworks address how individuals understand self-monitoring data and use it to guide self-management. PurposeTo articulate a theoretical framework of sensemaking in diabetes self-management that integrates existing scholarship with empirical data. MethodsThe proposed framework is grounded in theories of sensemaking adopted from organizational behavior, education, and human-computer interaction. To empirically validate the framework the researchers reviewed and analyzed reports on qualitative studies of diabetes self-management practices published in peer-reviewed journals from 2000 to 2015. ResultsThe proposed framework distinguishes between sensemaking and habitual modes of self-management and identifies three essential sensemaking activities: perception of new information related to health and wellness, development of inferences that inform selection of actions, and carrying out daily activities in response to new information. The analysis of qualitative findings from 50 published reports provided ample empirical evidence for the proposed framework; however, it also identified a number of barriers to engaging in sensemaking in diabetes self-management. ConclusionsThe proposed framework suggests new directions for research in diabetes self-management and for design of new informatics interventions for data-driven self-management.
Supernova Remnants at High Energy

Many shell supernova remnants are now known to radiate synchrotron X-rays. Several objects have also been detected in TeV gamma rays. Nonthermal X-rays and gamma rays can be produced in shell remnants by extremely energetic ions and electrons due to decay of π0 mesons produced in inelastic collisions between ions and thermal gas, or by electron synchrotron, bremsstrahlung, or inverse-Compton radiation. Thus observations at X-ray and gamma-ray wavelengths constrain the process of particle acceleration to high energies in the shock waves of supernova remnants. This review examines the relevant characteristics of Type Ia and core-collapse supernovae, the dynamics of their evolution through the Sedov blast-wave phase, the basic physics of diffusive shock acceleration, and the physics of the relevant radiative processes. It also reviews the current status of observations of shell remnants from X-rays to TeV gamma rays, and summarizes what we can learn about particle acceleration.
Self-assembled silicon-germanium nanostructures for CMOS compatible light emitters

To be commercially valuable, light emitters based on SiGe nanostructures should be efficient, fast, operational at room temperature, and be compatible with the CMOS technology. Also, the emission wavelength should match the optical waveguide low-loss spectral region of 1.3–1.6 μm. Among other approaches, epitaxially-grown Si/SiGe quantum dot/quantum well complexes produce efficient photoluminescence and electroluminescence in the required spectral range. Until recently, the major roadblocks for practical applications of these devices were strong thermal quenching of the luminescence quantum efficiency and a long carrier radiative lifetime. The latest progress in the understanding of physics of carrier recombination in Si/SiGe nanostructures is reviewed, and a new route toward CMOS compatible light emitters for on-chip optical interconnects is proposed. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada [2011]. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Industry
Loss of FHIT expression in breast cancer is correlated with poor prognostic markers.

Objective: The fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene is a putative tumor suppressor gene that is thought to be involved in the carcinogenesis of breast cancer. Loss of FHIT expression has been observed in up to 72% of breast cancers and has been associated with increased p53, a high proliferation index, and increased tumor size and grade. However, loss of FHIT expression has not been investigated in association with apoptosis and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in breast cancer. Furthermore, expression of FHIT in primary breast tumors and their metastatic axillary lymph nodes has also not been previously described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of FHIT, COX-2, bcl-2, and p53 in primary breast tumor tissue; correlate their expression with known clinical and pathologic markers; and in cases when tissue was available, evaluate the expression of FHIT and COX-2 in the corresponding metastatic axillary lymph node in the same patient. Methods: Primary breast tumor specimens from 80 patients were examined for the presence of FHIT, COX-2, bcl-2, and p53 expression by immunohistochemistry using standard methods. When tissue was available, the expression of FHIT and COX-2 was also evaluated in the corresponding metastatic axillary lymph node specimen. Results: FHIT expression in primary breast tumors was 56%. There was a significant correlation between FHIT expression in primary breast tumor and bcl-2 expression (P = 0.017). We also observed a significant inverse correlation between FHIT expression in primary breast tumor tissue and p53 expression (P = 0.023) in lymph node – negative cases. A significant inverse correlation between FHIT expression in the primary tumor and Ki-67 (P = 0.009) was also observed in lymph node – negative cases. FHIT expression in primary tumors correlated with FHIT expression in the metastatic lymph node (52.5%; P = 0.001). FHIT expression in primary tumors did not correlate with COX-2 expression. Conclusion: Our results suggest that loss of FHIT expression in breast cancer is associated with poor prognostic features. Furthermore, loss of FHIT expression is also seen in metastatic axillary lymph node. The prognostic and predictive value of these findings needs to be further evaluated in larger trials with longer follow-up. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005;14(7):1681 – 5)
Virus-Vector Interactions Mediating Nonpersistent and Semipersistent Transmission of Plant Viruses

Most plant viruses are absolutely dependent on a vector for plant-to-plant spread. Although a number of different types of organisms are vectors for different plant viruses, phloem-feeding Hemipterans are the most common and transmit the great majority of plant viruses. The complex and specific interactions between Hemipteran vectors and the viruses they transmit have been studied intensely, and two general strategies, the capsid and helper strategies, are recognized. Both strategies are found for plant viruses that are transmitted by aphids in a nonpersistent manner. Evidence suggests that these strategies are found also for viruses transmitted in a semipersistent manner. Recent applications of molecular and cell biology techniques have helped to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the vector transmission of several plant viruses. This review examines the fundamental contributions and recent developments in this area.
A comparison of PML for TVFEM and FDTD

SUMMARY The development of the PML has resulted in a signi"cant number of publications on its use in "nite methods. It is interesting to note that the PML is more widely used in FDTD than FEM. In fact, many researchers "nd that there are larger re#ections in FEM than in FDTD. In this paper we explain the reasons for this and show that the knowledge we gain from FDTD does not necessarily apply to FEM. Copyright ( 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An extended read model for grain boundaries in GaAs

Abstract The space charging properties of grain boundaries in GaAs are discussed using an extended Read dislocation model. Model calculations for medium to high angle grain boundaries show: (1) the core-site occupational probability for a dislocation at the grain boundary is at least an order of magnitude lower than would be expected on the basis of simple Read theory; (2) due to the strong core-core interaction of the dislocations, the depletion width W decreases with an increase in tilt angle θ: and (3) W is approximately independent of θ in highly doped ( N D ≅ 10 17 /cm 3 ) material. Comparisons between model predictions and experimentally determined depletion widths of grain boundaries in GaAs are presented.
A random DEM technique with minimal element transition rate for high-speed DACs

This paper presents a random dynamic element matching (DEM) technique for current-steering digital-to-analog converters (DACs). It randomizes the element selection process, and keeps the number of transitions to minimum. As a result, it does not introduce extra dynamic errors caused by inter-symbol interference (ISI). This technique also alleviates the impact of linear gradient errors due to the fabrication process. A behavioral Matlab model for 12-bit segmented current-steering DAC is developed. Simulation results proves that the proposed algorithm improves the DAC linearity effectively.
Risk factors associated with peripherally inserted central venous catheter-related large vein thrombosis in neurological intensive care patients

Using Virchow’s triad as a framework, we sought to identify risk factors independently associated with symptomatic peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC)-related large vein thrombosis (PRLVT) in neurological intensive care patients. A retrospective cohort study and detailed chart review were performed for 431 consecutive PICCs placed in patients admitted to our neurological intensive care unit between March 2008 and February 2010. Variables theorized to potentially increase the risk of PRLVT were abstracted from the medical record. Each variable was then tested for its independent association with PRLVT. During the study period, 431 PICCs were placed with an incidence rate for symptomatic thrombosis of 8.4%. In adjusted analysis, catheter placement in a paretic arm (OR, 9.85; 95% CI, 4.42–21.95), surgery longer than 1 h during dwell time of the catheter (OR, 3.26; 95% CI, 1.48–7.17), a history of venous thromboembolism (OR, 6.66; 95% CI, 2.38–18.62), and mannitol use (OR, 3.27; 95% CI 1.27–8.43) were independently associated with the development of thrombosis. Alterations in blood flow and consistency, but not vessel injury, appear associated with symptomatic thrombosis following placement of PICCs in neurological intensive care patients. Mannitol use and placement in a paretic arm are potentially modifiable risk factors. Given the high incidence rate of symptomatic thrombosis, future studies should focus on comparing cumulative complications of centrally inserted venous catheters and PICCs in intensive care patients.
Poisoning of Mitochondrial Topoisomerase I by Lamellarin D

Lamellarin D (Lam-D) is a hexacyclic pyrole alkaloid isolated from marine invertebrates, whose biologic properties have been attributed to mitochondrial targeting. Mitochondria contain their own DNA (mtDNA), and the only specific mitochondrial topoisomerase in vertebrates is mitochondrial topoisomerase I (Top1mt). Here, we show that Top1mt is a direct mitochondrial target of Lam-D. In vitro Lam-D traps Top1mt and induces Top1mt cleavage complexes (Top1mtcc). Using single-molecule analyses, we also show that Lam-D slows down supercoil relaxation of Top1mt and strongly inhibits Top1mt religation in contrast to the inefficacy of camptothecin on Top1mt. In living cells, we show that Lam-D accumulates rapidly inside mitochondria, induces cellular Top1mtcc, and leads to mtDNA damage. This study provides evidence that Top1mt is a direct mitochondrial target of Lam-D and suggests that developing Top1mt inhibitors represents a novel strategy for targeting mitochondrial DNA.
Pituitary Tumor Apoplexy: Pathophysiology, Clinical Manifestations, and Management

Pituitary tumor apoplexy represents a rare clinical syndrome caused by hemorrhagic infarction of an existing, often previously unrecognized, large adenoma. We present our approach and experience in the field, and we provide a summary of pertinent published literature addressing diagnosis, management, and pathophysiology of the clinical manifestations of pituitary tumor apoplexy. Although many precipitating factors are known, most episodes occur spontaneously and present clinically with relatively sudden onset of severe headache, visual field defects, and ophthalmoplegia. Either computed tomography (nonenhanced and enhanced) or magnetic resonance imaging in a symptomatic patient can define pertinent anatomical changes and aid in establishing diagnosis. Immediate treatment with corticosteroids is necessary. Patients with the mild form of the syndrome respond quickly to steroids and can be managed conservatively with continued glucocorticoid therapy. Most patients with persistent neural deficits require urgent trans-sphenoidal decompression. Unless surgery is delayed, results of trans-sphenoidal decompression are usually very good, and improvements in neurological symptoms and endocrine function are noted within hours to days of the procedure. Patients need to be closely followed up after the episode because a large number continue to have residual tumor requiring additional therapy, or they have pituitary hormone abnormalities that need treatment. Close interaction between neurosurgeons and endocrinologists in the management of patients with pituitary tumor apoplexy is essential for optimal outcome.
Use of large animals to assess human safety of heart valves and other medical devices.

ABSTRACTThe use of large animals are critical for the evaluation of safety of human valves and other medical devices. Preclinical assessment includes many factors oriented at maximizing safety and performance. The final step of the device approval for patient's use goes through an exhaustive regulatory process to prevent clinical complications or any other close or distant injuries.The development of reproducible animal models, the better understanding of the implantation of medical devices and the follow through with specific clinical trials will complete the significant steps required for the evaluation of safety of human heart valves and other medical devices.
Functional Connectivity Disruption in Neonates with Prenatal Marijuana Exposure.

Prenatal marijuana exposure (PME) is linked to neurobehavioral and cognitive impairments, however findings in childhood and adolescence are inconsistent. Type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R) modulate fetal neurodevelopment, mediating PME effects on growth of functional circuitry sub-serving behaviors critical for academic and social success. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of prenatal marijuana on development of early brain functional circuitry prior to prolonged postnatal environmental influences. We measured resting state functional connectivity during unsedated sleep in infants at 2-6 weeks (+MJ: 20 with PME in combination with nicotine, alcohol, opiates, and/or SSRI; -MJ: 23 exposed to the same other drugs without marijuana, CTR: 20 drug free controls). Connectivity of subcortical seed regions with high fetal CB1R expression was examined. Marijuana-specific differences were observed in insula and three striatal connections: anterior insula – cerebellum, right caudate – cerebellum, right caudate – right fusiform gyrus/inferior occipital, left caudate – cerebellum. +MJ neonates had hypoconnectivity in all clusters compared with -MJ and CTR groups. Altered striatal connectivity to areas involved in visual spatial and motor learning, attention, and in fine-tuning of motor outputs involved in movement and language production may contribute to neurobehavioral deficits reported in this at-risk group. Disrupted anterior insula connectivity may contribute to altered integration of interoceptive signals with salience estimates, motivation, decision-making, and later drug use. Compared with CTRs, both +MJ and -MJ groups demonstrated hyperconnectivity of left amygdala seed with orbital frontal cortex and hypoconnectivity of posterior thalamus seed with hippocampus, suggesting vulnerability to multiple drugs in these circuits.
Ultralow power energy harvesting body area network design: a case study

This paper presents an energy harvesting wireless sensor network (EHWSN) architecture designed for use within an astronaut's space suit. The contribution of this work spans both physical (PHY) layer energy harvesting transceiver design and low power medium access control (MAC) solutions. The architecture consists of a star topology with two types of transceiver nodes: a powered gateway radio (GR) node and multiple energy harvesting biosensor radio (BSR) nodes. To demonstrate the feasibility of an EHWSN at the PHY layer, a representative BSR node is implemented. The BSR node is powered by a thermal energy harvesting system (TEHS) which exploits the difference between the temperatures of a space suit's cooling garment and the astronaut's body. It is shown that, through appropriate control of the duty cycle in transmission and receiving modes, it is possible to operate with less than 1 mW generated by the TEHS. This requires ultralow duty cycle which complicates MAC layer design because a BSR node must sleep for more than 99.6% of overall operation time. The challenge for MAC layer design is the inability to predict when the BSR node awakens from sleep mode due to unpredictability of the harvested energy. Therefore, a new feasible MAC layer design, GRI- (gateway radio initialized-) MAC, is proposed and analyzed.
2 – THE POSTULATES OF EQUILIBRIUM THERMODYNAMICS

A thermodynamic system is characterized in terms of its extensive properties. In addition to the directly measurable extensive parameters such as the volume or the number of moles complete characterization requires two additional extensive thermodynamic parameters—the internal energy and the entropy. These cannot be measured directly and are introduced through postulates. Five postulates have been discussed in this chapter that completes the postulatory basis upon which the discussion of equilibrium thermodynamics is based. This includes existence of an internal energy, conservation of the internal energy, existence of entropy, nonconservation of entropy, and limit of entropy.
Risk-Taking Under a Punishing Bailout

A fund manager knows that he will receive a bailout by the government, but on harsh terms: he will pay a penalty rate of interest and must sacrifice a fraction of the fund's equity. I show that as the value of the fund declines, the manager actually reduces risk in order to avoid a government rescue, unless a bailout is imminent. In that case, he dramatically increases risk to profit from no further loss. This behavior makes it more likely the bailout will happen. The government's equity and interest rate terms do little to change this behavior for the better, suggesting that additional terms for a bailout, such as contingent portfolio constraints, are required to mitigate the extreme risk-taking.
Abstract A133: Time-dependent gene expression changes in a human colon polyp cell line induced by a clinically relevant concentration of atorvastatin

Abstracts: Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research 2008 A133 The identification of biomarkers for chemopreventive agent efficacy in cell cultures from relative target tissues is of great importance. We have utilized a cell line from a human precancerous colon polyp cell line, VACO-235, to evaluate the changes in gene expression following continuous exposure to a clinically relevant concentration of atorvastatin (0.3 nM). The changes were monitored relative to the time matched controls at 48 and 96 hours of continuous exposure. The total RNA was isolated from three replicate cultures for each time point and from four replicate cultures of the time matched controls. The RNA was analyzed using Affymetrix human genome U133 plus 2 arrays. The data were analyzed using Genespring GX (Agilent Technologies) software to determine agent induced changes and to determine significant changes (P< 0.05) that occurred at either 48 or 46 hours (2613 genes) or at both 48 and 96 hours (334 genes). The data were further analyzed using Ariadne Pathway Studio. A number of pathways showed responses that suggest possible changes in the regulation of proliferation and apoptosis. The tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 1a pathway also showed important changes. Caspase 3 was induced by 5.4 fold at 48 hours and 2.4 fold at 96 hours. Pak1(P21 activated kinease 1), caspase 8, caspase 2, and caspase 4 were also induced. The p38 MAP kinase pathway showed inhibition with MAP3K4 (MAP/ERK kinase kinase 4), which showed a 5 fold inhibition at 48 hours and 2 fold at 96 hours. Changes in the p38 MAP kinase pathway suggested inhibition of multiple kinase genes. As could be predicted, the most significantly modified pathway was LRP5 (low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5) which regulates low density lipoprotein. This finding suggests that atorvastatin was evaluated at a concentration that was similar to in vivo . Longer term exposure studies are currently underway to determine the effect of continuous atorvastatin exposure on the culture morphology and growth of VACO 235 cells. These data suggest that the use of a clinically-relevant concentration of atorvastatin can modify the expression of several key potential biomarkers for colon cancer prevention. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):A133.
Important Issues in Ecologically Sound Integrated Pest Management

Most graduate programs require students to participate in a course or seminar that allows them to develop skills in scientific presentation. Few programs, however, prepare students to locate, read, analyze, and critique the types and sources of information that so frequently underpin the public debates that precede most policy decisions. Still fewer programs allow students to practice using incomplete or contradictory information to formulate and defend arguments on policy, ethics, or related issues. Increasingly, entomologists find themselves involved in a public arena, using such information to discuss matters that have broad consequences for science and society. Scientists who enter the workplace with debating skills will be more prepared to shape effective policy, prioritize research agendas, defend their discipline against budgetary cutbacks, and/or confront allegations of ethical or other misconduct. This being the case, providing opportunities in graduate education for students to debate timely and important issues will benefit not only the students but also their discipline and society as a whole (Carroll et al. 1993).
Imported Fire Ant Toxic Bait Studies: Evaluation of Carriers for Oil Baits

Wheat bran, puffed barley grits, corncob grits, corncob pith, okra and kenaf hurds, sawdust, vermiculite and various clay granules were evaluated as carriers for oil baits for the imported fire ant, Solenopsis saevissima richteri Forel. While satisfactory baits were made with several of the carriers, the corncob grits baits were the most practical and the easiest to formulate and distribute with conventional equipment. The most effective formulation tested consisted of corncob grits 85%, soybean oil 14.925%, and mirex, formerly called GC-1283, (dodecachlorooc-tahydro-1,3,4-metheno-2 H -cyclobuta [ cd ]pentalene), or Kepone® (decachlorooctahydro-1,3,4-metheno-2 H -cyclobuta [ cd ]pentalen-2-one) 0.75%. Field tests with this bait consistently gave more than 95% control at rates of 5 to 20 pounds per acre (1.7 to 6.8 gm. of insecticide per acre). Other tests showed that this bait did not lose its effectiveness when aged up to 48 days and that peanut oil, tallow, tallow oil, yellow grease, and grease oil compared favorably with soybean oil as the food attractant.
Abstract 5110: RNA helicase p68 is a new marker for breast cancer heterogeneity

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Two major challenges in diagnosis and therapy of breast cancer lie in its heterogeneity and drug resistance. RNA helicase p68 (DDX5) has been shown to be involved in all aspects of RNA metabolism and serves as a transcriptional co-regulator. However, its functional role in breast cancer remains elusive. We utilized an integrative biology approach strategy to further define the role of p68 in breast cancer. Specifically, we determined the expression pattern of p68 at both mRNA and protein levels for a panel of ∼50 breast cancer cell lines. We performed immunohistochemistry of p68 using tissue microarrays containing a total of over 200 cases of primary human malignant breast cancer (various grades and stages). We knocked down p68 in a panel of representative breast cancer cell lines (e.g., SKBR3 and MDA-MB-231) and investigated the functional consequences such as their proliferation and responses to Lapatinib after the p68 knockdown. Finally, we carried out SILAC-based proteomic profiling of these breast cancer cells after p68 knockdown and identified p68-targeted proteins and networks contributing to the drug responses. We found that p68 expression pattern is distinct among different subtypes of breast cancers. More aggressive basal subtypes have predominantly high p68 protein expression while low p68 expression is predominantly associated with the luminal subtype. Knockdown of p68 inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer cells and sensitizes them to cancer drugs such as Lapatinib. We demonstrated that p68 is a new marker for breast cancer heterogeneity in addition to ER, PR, and Her2. Importantly, we identified p68-regualted cytoskeletal reorganization as a new mechanism in controlling breast cancer proliferation and drug resistance. In summary, RNA helicase p68 may serve as a new marker for breast cancer heterogeneity, as a predictor for drug resistance, and as a target for a combinational therapy to circumvent drug resistance of aggressive tumors. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5110. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5110
On Dislocation Reactions and Hardening Mechanisms in 3D Dislocation Dynamics

A 3D dislocation dynamics (DD) model for plastic deformation, which connects the macroscopic mechanical properties to the basic physical laws that govern dislocation mobility and related interaction mechanisms, has been under development. In this model there is a set of critical reactions that, basically, determine the overall results of the simulations. These reactions are annihilation, formation of jogs, junctions, dipoles, and cross-slip. In this paper we discuss these reactions and the manner in which they influence the predicted stress-strain behavior in bcc metals. In particular, the formation (zipping) and strength of dipoles and junctions, and effect of jogs, using the dislocation dynamics model are examined. The strengths (unzipping) of these reactions for various configurations are determined by direct evaluation of the elastic interaction forces.
Adoption And Use Of Electronic Health Records Among Federally Qualified Health Centers Grew Substantially During 2010–12

Federally qualified health centers play an important role in providing health care to underserved populations. Recent substantial federal investments in health information technology have enabled h...
Monitoring and Early Warning Analysis on Rape Industry Injury of Hunan Province in 2012

Based on the summary of the basic condition and the new trends of rape industry in Hunan Province in 2012,the reasons and the existing problems of Hunan rape industry were analyzed.The corresponding measures and suggestions were put forward.The development trend of Hunan rape industry in 2013 was forecasted.
Tracking Personal Data Use: Provenance and Trust.

In the era of Big Data, every individual is the target of intensive data collection by parties from the government to grocery store chains. Anecdotal evidence suggests that opting out of the data collection process is effectively impossible [3]. A recent report commissioned by the White House revealed a broad public concern about the collection and use of personal data by untrusted agencies and businesses [1]. As a result, we have seen an effort to improve the transparency of data collection and use. Due to legislative and public pressure, many data collectors now publish privacy policies that explain what personal data is stored and how it is processed. For example, Google’s policy [2] states that “We may combine personal information from one service with information, including personal information, from other Google services [...]. We will not combine DoubleClick cookie information with personally identifiable information unless we have your opt-in consent.” Such policies are useful but have shortcomings; as English-language documents, they are both too confusing for novice users and too vague for experts, and they require human effort to create and maintain. A better solution is to create technological tools that empower individuals to track what happens to their data. The same problem has been addressed in scientific data processing through abstractions and algorithms for workflow provenance [5]. It is time to apply these techniques to the problem of personal data use; just like scientists can trace what happens to individual data points from a dataset, individuals should have access to a “Personal Data Use Workbench”, where they can browse how a company or government agency is using their data.
Tutorial 3: models and languages for describing and discovering eservices

E-services are business functions made available via the Internet by service providers, and accessible by clients that could be human users or software applications. The main benefit of the e-services environment is that clients are able to dynamically discover the available e-service that best meets their needs, to examine its properties and capabilities, and to determine if and how to access it. However, in order to deliver e-services to clients, service providers are faced with several challenges. In particular, they need to describe e-services in a way that is accessible and understandable by the clients and to advertise them in web directories, so that they can be discovered by brokers as well as by end-users. In this tutorial we discuss the main requirements for models and languages for service description and discovery, and we present relevant approaches proposed by standardization consortia.
Defining and Debating the Common “We”

In September 2014, a Scottish Independence Referendum was held, asking voters to answer “yes” or “no” to the following question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” In what was one of the highest recorded turnouts in Scottish electoral or referendum history, the tallied votes revealed that just less than half (44.7%) of the population voted in favor of the proposal, while 55.3% voted “no.”
CD133-targeted oncolytic adenovirus demonstrates anti-tumor effect in colorectal cancer

// Mizuho Sato-Dahlman 1 , Yoshiaki Miura 1 , Jing Li Huang 1 , Praveensingh Hajeri 1 , Kari Jacobsen 1 , Julia Davydova 1, 2 and Masato Yamamoto 1, 2, 3 1 Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA 2 Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA 3 Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Correspondence to: Masato Yamamoto, email: yamam016@umn.edu Keywords: oncolytic adenovirus, targeting vector, colorectal cancer, CD133, cancer stem cells Received: November 04, 2016 Accepted: April 19, 2017 Published: June 02, 2017 ABSTRACT Oncolytic Adenoviruses (OAds) are one of the most promising anti-cancer agents that can induce cancer specific cell death. Recently, we generated infectivity-selective OAd, and the resultant OAd tumor-specific binding shows strong efficacy and mitigates toxicity. In this study, we applied this strategy based on adenovirus library screening system for generation of CD133-targeted OAd, and examined their oncolytic activity against colorectal cancer (CRC) in vitro and in vivo . CD133 (Prominin-1) is an important cell surface marker of cancer stem (like) cells (CSCs) in various cancers, including CRC. Elimination of CSCs has a high likelihood to improve CRC treatment because CSCs population in the tumor contributes to recurrence, metastases, chemotherapy resistance, and poor survival. The OAd with CD133-targeting motif (AdML-TYML) selectively infected CD133 + cultured cells and lysed them efficiently. Treatment with AdML-TYML prior to tumor inoculation inhibited the establishment of tumor of CD133 + CRC cell lines in nude mice. AdML-TYML also showed strong antitumor effect after intratumoral injections in already established CD133 + CRC subcutaneous xenografts. Our results indicate that CD133-targeted OAd selectively infected CD133 + CRC, and exhibited anti-tumorigenicity and therapeutic effect in established tumors. This novel infectivity selective virus could be a potent tool for the prevention of metastases and relapses in CRC.
East African Glaciers and the Global Tropics

Exploration in the course of a century has drawn attention to the existence of glaciers near the Equator and has brought to light evidence of variations in ice extent in the geological past. A wealth of field evidence of former glaciations is accumulating from the various high mountain regions of the tropics, but absolute dates to confirm spatial correlations are few. Concerning the modern glaciation, a preliminary global inventory of ice extent is being created and the need for the monitoring of glacier fluctuations is recognized. During the very interval with repeated visits to the peak regions of the East African mountains since the late 1800s a drastic ice recession is borne out by historical documentation, in good spatial consistency. A similar secular glacier behavior is now known from the other two glaciated high mountain regions under the Equator, New Guinea (Hope et al., 1976) and the Ecuadorian Andes (Hastenrath, 1981). The study of East African glaciers shall here be placed in perspective with the ice and climate variations in the global tropics.
Aging and the Kidney: Clinical and Pathophysiological Issues

Abstract The aging kidney undergoes structural and functional phenotypic changes with time. There is a decline in glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow, and tubular function, characterized histologically by glomerulosclerosis, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and atrophy. These changes appear to be influenced by the environment, genetic factors, and gender and result in a profibrotic, proinflammatory, apoptotic state. These adaptations may increase the elderly's susceptibility to acute and chronic kidney disease (CKD), allograft failure, and be responsible for the higher mortality rates frequently seen in the elderly. Modification of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying age-associated renal changes, with various medications, transcription factor inhibitors, or caloric restriction may modify or attenuate these changes and prevent progression to CKD.
Comparison of machine learned approaches for thyroid nodule characterization from shear wave elastography images

Various Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems have been developed that characterize thyroid nodules using the features extracted from the B-mode ultrasound images and Shear Wave Elastography images (SWE). These features, however, are not perfect predictors of malignancy. In other domains, deep learning techniques such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have outperformed conventional feature extraction based machine learning approaches. In general, fully trained CNNs require substantial volumes of data, motivating several efforts to use transfer learning with pre-trained CNNs. In this context, we sought to compare the performance of conventional feature extraction, fully trained CNNs, and transfer learning based, pre-trained CNNs for the detection of thyroid malignancy from ultrasound images. We compared these approaches applied to a data set of 964 B-mode and SWE images from 165 patients. The data were divided into 80% training/validation and 20% testing data. The highest accuracies achieved on the testing data for the conventional feature extraction, fully trained CNN, and pre-trained CNN were 0.80, 0.75, and 0.83 respectively. In this application, classification using a pre-trained network yielded the best performance, potentially due to the relatively limited sample size and sub-optimal architecture for the fully trained CNN.
The impact of sleep disorders on driving safety-findings from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program naturalistic driving study.

Study objectives This study investigated the association between driving safety and seven sleep disorders amongst 3541 participants of the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) naturalistic driving study. Methods SHRP 2 collected naturalistic driving data from participants between 16 and 98 years old by instrumenting participants' vehicles. The analyses used logistic regression to determine the likelihood of crash or near-crash involvement, Poisson log-linear regression to assess crash or near-crash rate, and ordinal logistic regression to assess driver maneuver appropriateness and crash or near-crash severity. These analyses did not account for any medical treatments for the sleep disorders. Results Females with restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease (RLS/WED), drivers with insomnia or narcolepsy, are associated with significantly higher risk of crash or near-crash. Drivers with shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) are associated with significantly increased crash or near-crash rate. Females with RLS/WED or sleep apnea and drivers with SWSD are associated with less safe driver maneuver and drivers with periodic limb movement disorder are associated with more severe events. The four analyses provide no evidence of safety decrements associated with migraine. Conclusions This study is the first examination on the association between seven sleep disorders and different measures of driving risk using large-scale naturalistic driving study data. The results corroborate much of the existing simulator and epidemiological research related to sleep-disorder patients and their driving safety, but add ecological validity to those findings. These results contribute to the empirical basis for medical professionals, policy makers, and employers in making decisions to aid individuals with sleep disorders in balancing safety and personal mobility.
California Chaparral and Its Global Significance

Chaparral ecosystems represent the iconic vegetation of California, and in particular southern California, where it forms the dominant vegetation cover over broad areas of the foothills of the Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular ranges. Evergreen sclerophyll shrubs which makeup the characteristic component of chaparral communities parallel a similar dominance of this life-form in the Mediterranean Basin, central Chile, the Cape Region of South Africa, and Southwest Australia, regions of the world with a Mediterranean-type climate of warm dry summers and cool wet winters. The Mediterranean Biome comprised of these five regions are biodiversity hotspots that contain about one-sixth of the vascular plant species in the world in just 2.2% of the world’s land area. Despite this global significance, these regions continue to be heavily impacted by urbanization, land-use change, climate change, and invasions by non-native species. Chaparral floras include not just the dominant woody shrubs but a diverse assemblage of annual and herbaceous perennial species, many of which have life histories linked to postfire succession. Fire is a natural component of the disturbance regime of chaparral and burns broad portions of the landscape in a coarse-grained manner, but with fine-grained differences in fuel composition and slope aspects. Short fire-return intervals of less than 10–15 years present an increasing threat to chaparral ecosystems by eliminating shrub regeneration and leading to type-conversion to non-native annual grasslands. Water availability and associated adaptive traits of drought tolerance are major factors in partitioning chaparral community composition. Nutrient availability is also important, as are, to a lesser extent, extremes of winter temperature. Although often maligned as a useless or even dangerous because of concerns over fire hazard, chaparral ecosystems provide critical ecosystem services through their roles in erosion control, hydrology, biomass sequestration, and preservation of biodiversity.
Quantitative Analytical Methods: Development and Clinical Considerations

Accurate and precise data on drug concentrations is critical for anticancer drug development. The ability to measure anticancer agents is essential throughout the drug development process, and numerous analytical assays are typically developed—from initial purification and assessment of impurities, to in vitro transport and metabolism studies, through large-scale pharmacokinetic studies to therapeutic drug monitoring. To ensure that data generated from collected samples is representative of the actual drug concentration, it is crucial that method optimization begins early in the process and that a number of clinical considerations, including selection of analytes and matrices, sample collection volumes, and processing requirements, be evaluated prior to the start of sample collection. This chapter will focus primarily on the development process and clinical considerations relevant to quantitative analytical assays for small molecule anticancer agents with HPLC, LC-MS, or LC-MS-MS, though some considerations are applicable to all molecules under development.
On mapping class groups from a homotopy theoretic point of view

The mapping class group for a fixed oriented surface is the group of pathcomponents for the group of orientation preserving diffeomorphisms of the surface. These groups are traditionally encountered in the realms of low dimensional topology, classical algebraic geometry of curves, complex analysis and elsewhere. In a somewhat different direction, there are intimate connections to both classical non-stable and stable homotopy theory from several points of view. These connections in turn inform on the mapping class groups. It is the purpose of this article (1) to explain some of these connections and (2) to obtain some new results.
Synthesis and molecular structure of a novel ring-fused borane derivative [(PhC)8C2H5]B

Reaction of 1,4-dilithiotetraphenylbutadiene with boron bromide affords the novel organoborane derivative [(PhC)8C2H5]B (1) as yellow crystals characterized by 1H, 13C NMR, elemental analyses, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The title compound (1) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n, with cell parameters a = 15.519(10) A, b = 12.240(6) A, c = 25.497(16) A, β = 95.369(10)°. Refinement converged at R = 0.0718. The average B–C bond distance in the title compound is 1.560 A. An unusual structural feature of the title compound is the presence of an ethyl group that was probably abstracted from the diethyl ether solvent.
The accuracy of implant master casts constructed from transfer impressions.

The accuracy of master casts fabricated from three impression techniques commonly used with the Branemark System was measured. Points placed in a metal surrogate model and onto master abutments were compared after abutments were transferred to stone casts using splinted and unsplinted impression coping techniques. The mean values and standard deviations of each of the reference points on 12 total casts were compared with the values for each point from the surrogate model. Values from techniques using splinted and unsplinted squared polymer copings as well as unsplinted tapered hydrocolloid copings were not significantly different from values recorded from the master surrogate model. Tapered hydrocolloid copings yielded a higher correlation to coordinate values on the master than unsplinted squared polymer copings or splinted squared copings.
Unique Populations with Episodic Migraine: Pregnant and Lactating Women

Migraine is a disabling and prevalent neurological disease, commonly affecting women during their reproductive years. It is crucial for providers to be able to adequately counsel women who are pregnant, planning pregnancy, or nursing, regarding preventive and abortive treatment options for episodic migraine. This review will discuss (1) the expected course of migraine during pregnancy and the post-partum period, (2) recommended preventive therapies for migraine during pregnancy and lactation, and (3) recommended abortive medications for migraine during pregnancy and lactation. Recent research has indicated safety for triptan use during pregnancy and ibuprofen use during the first trimester of pregnancy. Considerations for use of emerging migraine-preventive treatment, such as non-invasive neurostimulators, are discussed. For clinical decision-making and patient counseling, it is important to understand both the limitations in determining teratogenic effects in humans and the principles affecting medication transmission from mother to breast milk.
EFFECTS OF ANESTHESIA ON INNATE IMMUNE COMPONENTS IN ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY

Objectives: The present study was carried out to evaluate the possible role of anesthetics and surgery on innate by measuring the levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interferon gamma (IFNγ) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Flow cytometry was used to determine MCP-I and CD16. Methods: Serum level of TNFα and IFNγ cytokines was measured using ELISA technique. Flow cytometry was used to determine MCP-I and CD16. White blood cell count and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined. Results: There was a highly significant rise in CRP blood level postoperatively when compared with pre-operative blood level (p 0.05).
Commonplace Witnessing: Rhetorical Invention, Historical Remembrance, and Public Culture

Public memory and its various manifestations – monuments, memorials, museums, commissions, memory tourism, political address, memoirs – is a persistent and contested topic in contemporary U.S. and ...