cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lanreotide for the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The prevalence of gastropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), a largely sporadically occurring group of neoplasms, has rapidly increased. NET diagnoses often occur late and entail treatment challenges; treatment beyond surgical resection is typically required. Somatostatin analogs (SSAs), the cornerstone of GEP-NET therapy, target somatostatin receptors on NET cell surfaces and can ameliorate NET-related symptoms and prevent tumor progression.Areas covered: This expert review summarizes the development of the SSA lanreotide and its role in treating NETs. Key lanreotide preclinical and clinical findings in acromegaly, carcinoid syndrome, and NETs are discussed, along with future treatment goals and therapeutic prospects.Expert opinion: The role of SSAs in NET treatment was historically one of symptom management. Although this is a critical therapeutic component, ideal treatment would include prevention of tumor progression. As GEP-NETs are biologically diverse, progression prev...
Spectral Properties of Hankel Operators

This chapter is an introduction to spectral properties of Hankel operators. Here we present certain selected results. Note that we do not include in this book some other known results on spectral properties of Hankel operators, and we give some references at the end of this chapter.
Hyperpedagogy: Intersections among poststructuralist hypertext theory, critical inquiry, and social justice pedagogies

i Acknowledgements ii List of Tables ix List of Figures vii Hyperpedagogy: Intersections among poststructuralist hypertext theory, critical inquiry, and social justice pedagogies.
On Storage Behavior Under Imperfect Competition

This paper investigates the economic implications of storage behavior under imperfect competition. It evaluates the economic dynamics implied by a storage firm under alternative market structures. This includes perfect competition as well as imperfect competition under Cournot behavior. The conceptual analysis is used to specify and estimate a model of storage behavior, with an econometric application to the US American cheese market. The empirical results provide statistical evidence of non-competitive storage behavior. They show that the exercise of market power contributes to reduced stock fluctuations and increased price instability in the US cheese market.
Thinking About Context: Design Practices for Information Architecture with Context-Aware Systems

The ubiquity of low-cost, sensor-rich, mobile computing devices has meant that designing context-aware systems is now a common concern in Information Architecture. Because of how prevalent context-aware systems have become, the way in which practitioners design context-aware systems is of great importance. While design frameworks and models have been proposed for context-aware computing systems, there has not yet been research that focuses on how designers’ views of context influence Information Architecture practices. To address this, we present an empirical analysis of 11 in-depth interviews with designers of a variety of context-aware systems. Our analysis of these interviews, along with a review of the artifacts produced during the design of these systems, uses the theoretical lens of professional vision to illuminate how designers view, use, and account for context in the design process. Our analysis of the artifacts and interviews reveals that designers’ perspectives on context adapted as they addressed the most salient and timely constraints. This results in the designer shifting between representational and interactional views of context rather than having one fixed perspective. This finding suggests that the methods of information architects for context-aware systems need to accommodate shifting perspective on context. We present details of this activity to contribute insight into the practice of information architecture for context-aware systems.
The Structure of the Methanospirillum Hungatei Flagellum as Determined by Cryo Electron Microscopy

While the archaeal flagella (also called the archaella) provides motility in a manner similar to the bacterial flagella, their expression and structure are superficially more similar to bacterial type IV pili. Our near atomic resolution cryo electron microscopy structure of the M. hungatei flagellum allows for more in depth structural characterization of the archaeal flagella and comparison with their bacterial counterparts. Comparisons of the M. hungatei flagellin protein to existing structures of bacterial type IV pili elucidate some similarities in the hydrophobic core of the filaments, while highlighting differences in the overall structure of motility apparatus between the two domains of life.
Abstract 523: Persistent Disrupted Mitochondrial Adaptation in Primary Vascular Cells from a Diabetic Model

People with diabetes (DM) have an excess burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Impairments in vascular contractility predict poor CVD outcomes, and mitochondria are essential for arterial contraction and relaxation. Mitochondrial dysfunction is observed with DM and insulin resistance. Our laboratory has reported failed vascular mitochondrial adaptation to exercise in DM rats. We hypothesize that repairing vascular mitochondrial function could restore contractility in DM. We employed primary aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC) from a lean, insulin resistant DM rat, Goto-Kakizaki (GK), and the Wistar (W) control to test mitochondrial adaptation to metabolic stress. SMC were exposed to low glucose (LG, 5 mM glucose) or high glucose (HG, 25mM) treatments for 1, 4 and 24 hours. Mitochondrial respiration, superoxide and dynamics (fission and fusion) were measured. Respiration in W SMC exposed to HG was unchanged compared to the LG control, but was decreased after 4 hours of HG treatment in the GK SMC (p≤0.05). GK SMC have significantly increased whole cell production of H2O2 as compared to W SMC, but not mitochondrial superoxide after 4 hours of HG treatment. In contrast, W SMC exposed to HG significantly had increased superoxide relative to LG control (p<0.05). No differences in total mitochondrial complex expression were seen in baseline W and GK SMC comparisons; phosphorylated eNOS and PGC-1α, direct upstream regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis, were increased and decreased, respectively, in the GK SMC as compared to the W SMC (p<0.05). Preliminary quantitative immunohistochemistry shows a significant mitochondrial biogenesis and fusion response to the initial hour of HG treatment in the W SMC; conversely, GK SMC showed a decrease in mitochondria after 4 hours of HG treatment. Fis 1 was significantly decreased at 1 hour in W and increased at 24 hours in the GK (p<0.05). Significant changes in fusion included decreased OPA1 and mfn1 in W SMC and increased OPA1 and decreased mfn1 in the GK. Overall, these data reveal that distinct mitochondrial adaptation to a hyperglycemic state is persistent in DM cells ex vivo. Primary SMC can be used as a model to define signaling events determining these changes and development of therapeutic targets to repair contractility.
Wireless: Strategically Liberalizing the Telecommunications Market: Brian J.W. Regli, Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1997. 296 pp.

(1999). Wireless: Strategically Liberalizing the Telecommunications Market. American Journalism: Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 156-157.
Voter Decision-Making with Polarized Choices

In 1950, members of the American Political Science Association’s Committee on Political Parties argued that voters could exercise greater control over government if the two major political parties adopted clear and ideologically distinct policy platforms. In 2015, partisan polarization is a defining feature of American politics and extreme parties have maintained support elsewhere. This article investigates voter decision-making with ideologically divergent electoral choices and argues that ideological conflict reduces citizens’ responsiveness to candidates’ ideological locations by increasing the role of motivated reasoning in political decision-making. Results from two observational studies and a survey experiment support this account, and the findings are robust across a range of models. These results have important implications for accountability and democratic decision-making in an age of partisan polarization.
Abstract 5018: Transcriptional and functional analysis of the CHD5 gene in Colorectal Cancer

Background: CHD5 is a family member of chromatin remodeling factors that functions as a tumor suppressor in neuroblastoma and ovarian cancer. The transcriptional activity of CHD5 is silenced by hypermethylation. It has been found that CHD5 is a biomarker in colon carcinogenesis. In this study, we have investigated the transcriptional regulation and function of the CHD5 in CRC. Methods: The transcriptional activity of CHD5 was tested by reporter luciferase assay. The 1kb large fragment upstream of CHD5 transcription start site (TSS) showed luciferase activity; while the 400 bp subfragment upstream of TSS was inactive in both RKO (CHD5 endogenous non-expressing) and HCT116 (CHD5 endogenous expressing) cell lines. This suggests that the transcriptionally active sites of CHD5 are located within −400 to −1000. There are two consensus TCF binding sites in the 1 kb promoter region. In order to investigate whether Wnt pathway affects the CHD5 transcriptional activity, we treated the RKO and HCT116 cell lines with 6-bromoindirubin-3′oxime (BIO), the GSK-3a inhibitor, which activates the β-Catenin. We tested the Wnt pathway activity in RKO and HCT116 cell lines by using the TCF/LEF responsive luciferase construct. Methylation profiles of CHD5 in 51 CRC and 6 adenomas from African Americans analyzed by MSP. Microdeletion analysis of the CHD5 region (1p36) was performed by aCGH. Results: The activity of TCF/LEF responsive element increased by 17.5 folds in RKO cell line and by 7.3 in HCT116 cell line after BIO treatment. Interestingly, the luciferase activity of 1kb CHD5 promoter increased after treating with BIO, and no changes were observed in activity of the 400 bp fragment. This suggests that the TCF/LEF and β-Catenin might act as coactivators for CHD5 transcriptional regulation. We also analyzed the proliferation of the RKO cell line after stably transfecting with CHD5 expressing plasmid (pcDNA). The results showed that the exogenous expression of CHD5 reduces the proliferation of the RKO cell line by two folds compared to the wild type and the mock controls. CHD5 was hypermethylated in 78% of the tested patients samples and deleted in 36%. Conclusion: The function of CHD5 is not well understood in CRC. Here, we suggest that the wnt/β-catenin pathway may be involved in the transcriptional regulation of CHD5. In addition in vivo CHD5 microdeletion and methylation excrement suggest that CHD5 act as tumor suppressor in CRC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5018.
Abstract 3710: Targeted inhibition of arginase-1 may underline the suppression of the development of colonic neoplasia in a transgenic APC Min mouse model.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-leading malignancy in the United States. This year alone, about 141,210 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed and more than 49,380 people will die from the disease. Strategies have focused on early screening practices and the prevention of the development of colonic adenomas that serve as precursors of invasive colon cancers. We have recently showed that chloroquine (CQ) an anti-malarial and anti-rheumatoid agent has the capacity to competitively inhibit intracellular arginase-1 (ARG-1) and that this inhibition increases the nuclear localization of the cell cycle regulator p53 protein in colon cancer cell lines. However, the mechanism of CQ-induced inhibition of ARG-1 that results in the up-regulation of p53 is unclear. The goal of the current study was to examine the chemopreventive efficacy of CQ in the development of colonic neoplasia and to further evaluate the possible mechanism(s) of action. In this regard, six weeks old Apc(Min/+) mice were treated daily (except Saturdays and Sundays) with 0-50 mg CQ/kg body wt. via oral gavage for forty days. Post-treatment, mice were sacrificed and jejunum and colon were retrieved and preserved in 10% formalin for observation of any gross pathological changes. The results of this study showed an increased in prevalence of colonic adenomas in untreated mice compared with treated mice ( Citation Format: Efe W. Iyamu, Mohammad S. Niaz, Aramandla Ramesh, Amos Sakwe, Kieosha Williams, Billy R. Ballard, Samuel E. Adunyah. Targeted inhibition of arginase-1 may underline the suppression of the development of colonic neoplasia in a transgenic APC Min mouse model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3710. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3710
Top-down effects of syntactic sentential context on phonetic processing.

Although much evidence suggests that the identification of phonetically ambiguous target words can be biased by preceding sentential context, interactive and autonomous models of speech perception disagree as to the mechanism by which higher level information affects subjects' responses. Some have suggested that the time course of context effects is incompatible with interactive models (e.g., TRACE). Two experiments examine this issue. In Experiment 1, subjects heard noun- and verb-biasing sentence contexts (e.g., Valerie hated the... vs. Brett hated to...), followed by stimuli from 2 voice-onset time continua: bay-pay (noun-verb) versus buy-pie (verb-noun). Consistent with prior research, identification of phonetically ambiguous targets was biased by the preceding context, and the size of this bias diminished in slower compared with faster responses. In Experiment 2, tokens from the same continua were embedded among filler target words beginning with /b/ or /p/ to elicit phonemically driven identification decisions and discourage word-level strategies. Results again revealed contextually biased responding, but this bias was as strong in slow as in fast responses. Together, these results suggest that phoneme identification decisions reflect robust, lasting top-down effects of lexical feedback on prelexical representations, as predicted by interactive models of speech perception. (PsycINFO Database Record.
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in a Changing World

Integrated water resources management (IWRM) is an approach enjoying wide international acceptance and is considered a contribution to sustainable development. The governments of the vast majority of countries are in the process of implementing it or preparing to do so with the support of intergovernmental organizations and of numerous NGOs. However, the vision of what IWRM comprises and where it leads might not be clear to stakeholders and practitioners. This chapter reviews the concepts and evolution of IWRM; it points out that the historical and even the formal precursors go farther back than described in usual treatises on the matter. The chapter focuses on the related intergovernmental processes, primarily those in the UN system, as they have proved of fundamental importance in lending thrust to IWRM. It examines the principles and definitions of IWRM and points out that the IWRM platform is considered by many authors and practitioners not a blueprint, but more of a guide or philosophy that has to be adapted to the particular settings and needs – that is, IWRM could be a normative guide but not an implementation plan. The status of the adoption and application of IWRM at an international scale is examined, and the most common objections to IWRM are noted and discussed. The practical utility of IWRM as a provider of a common platform for discussing water resources management issues and sharing experiences is noted.
Study on AIDS health services system responsiveness of rural region in henan province

Aim:To investigate and evaluate the AIDS health services system responsiveness of rural region in Henan Province.Methods:705 HIV/AIDS and 726 general people from Shangcai and Sui counties in Henan province were sampled by method of stratified sampling and questionnaired the responsiveness of different township health services system.Results:The evaluation score of responsiveness was 67.2 in AIDS health services and the general health services was 50.In the total evaluation to responsiveness,seven aspects were rowed from low to high in order:respect,confidentiality,environmental,communication,timely concerning patients waiting for the doctor,the level of inquiring the charges,and complaints needs of health services.Conclusion:The responsiveness of AIDS health services system in rural areas in Henan were better than general health services.
Dear ICU Nurse The Letter I Wanted to Send

When my dad returned home from the hospital after surgery, I felt that I needed to release all of the frustration and anxiety I experienced as a result of the care we received from a particular intensive care unit (ICU) nurse by writing a letter to her. I needed to respect my dad’s wishes and not confront her at the time, so the letter was put aside as I was consumed by the daily tasks of caring for him. But now that it has been 3 months since my father’s death, I feel compelled to share the experience to help others learn from his challenges and honor the memory of his incredible strength to overcome such difficult circumstances with a positive attitude and compassion for his nurse.
The Scott-bradley-timm Artificial Urinary Sphincters

AbstractThe results are presented for 12 patients with the AS721 sphincter, 10 with the AS761 and 8 with the AS742. While followup of patients receiving the AS742 device is short it is anticipated that the improved design of this model will result in a low incidence of mechanical problems.
Modulation classification of MIMO-OFDM signals by Independent Component Analysis and Support Vector Machines

A modulation classification scheme based on Independent Component Analysis (ICA) in conjunction with proposed for MIMO-OFDM signals over frequency selective, time varying channels. The method is blind in the sense that it is assumed that the receiver has no information about the channel and transmitted signals other than that the spatial streams of signals are statistically independent. The processing consists of separation of the MIMO streams followed by modulation classification of the separated signals. While in general, blind separation of signals over frequency selective channels is a difficult problem, the non-frequency selective nature of the channel experienced by individual symbols in a MIMO-OFDM system enables the application of well-known ICA algorithms. Modulation classification is implemented by maximum likelihood and by an SVM-based modulation classification method relying on pre-selected modulation-dependent features. To improve performance in time varying channels, the invariance of the is exploited across the coherence bandwidth and the time coherence. The proposed method is shown to perform with high probability of correct classification over realistic ITU pedestrian and vehicular channels.
Bandstructure and orientation effects in ballistic Si and Ge nanowire FETs

Using a semi-empirical, sp3d5s* tight-binding approach and a 'top-of-the-barrier' ballistic FET model, we report full-band simulations of ballistic Si and Ge nanowire FETs with various channel orientations and wire diameters. We find that the nanowire FET performance displays a strong orientation and diameter dependence, and [110] is the optimum orientation for both Si and Ge nanowire FETs
A Balthasarian ‘Ecclesiology’: Apprehending the Church with an Ecclesial Aesthetics

Ecclesiology might have put the center of its gravity on the modern rationality. As a result, this kind of ecclesiology might overlook the mystical yet beautiful side of the church, which seem to have a more unifying character to the already divided church. This article wants to explore with Hans Urs von Balthasar’s theology of aesthetics the origin and the characteristics of the church from the people around Jesus, the event of the cross, the form of revelation, the Eucharist, the sacrament, and the way of love. This sort of an ecclesial aesthetics is one of the different ways of apprehending the church. This way might contribute to the traditional understanding of the church that has been characterized with modern logical concepts. Balthasar is offering the way of apprehending the church through the pulchrum toward the more unifying engagement with the mystery of God, the revelation of God through Jesus Christ. Keywords: *Ecclesiology, *rationality, *beauty, *mystical theology, *form of revelation, *the way of love, *ecclesial aesthetics, *bonumet verum
Complete Genome Sequences of Bacillus Phages DirtyBetty and Kida

We report here the genome sequences of two bacteriophages of the Bacillus cereus group, DirtyBetty and Kida. These bacteriophages are double-stranded DNA-containing Myoviridae isolated from soil samples using Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki as their host bacteria.
A comparison of method-of-adjustment and forced-choice procedures in frequency discrimination

Reported estimates of the frequency difference limen (DL) for tones show considerable variability. To determine the extent that the differences are dependent on psychophysical method, three estimates of the DL at 1,000 Hz were obtained from the same subjects for each of three psychophysical procedures. The three estimates were: (1) the standard deviation of final settings in a methbd of adjustment, (2) the average of several reversals in an adaptive two-interval forced-choice procedure, and (3) the 76%-correct point in a two-interval forced-choice procedure using constant stimuli. The two forced-choice procedures yielded very similar DLs. The adjustment procedure yielded significantly smaller estimates. Possible reasons for the different values produced by adjustment procedures and the nature of the underlying decision process are discussed.
A National Survey of Medicaid Beneficiaries’ Experiences and Satisfaction With Health Care

This study analyzes a newly released government survey examining Medicaid beneficiaries’ experiences with and opinions of the Medicaid program.
The Consistency of TOEIC® Speaking Scores Across Ratings and Tasks

This report briefly reviews the design and scoring procedure for the TOEIC® Speaking test and summarizes existing evidence about the consistency of TOEIC Speaking test scores. It then describes several analyses conducted using generalizability theory to provide additional information about the consistency of scores across different aspects of the scoring procedure. The results of these analyses provide more robust information about consistency of TOEIC Speaking scores with respect to important facets of the assessment procedure, such as tasks and ratings. Specifically, the results provide evidence to support claims about the consistency of ratings across different levels of the scoring procedure: tasks, claims, and scale scores.
Linking Habitat Use and Trophic Ecology of Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) on a Restored Oyster Reef in a Subtropical Estuary

Predicting population- and ecosystem-level benefits of habitat restoration minimally requires an understanding of the link between the trophic ecology of a species and their use of a habitat. This study combined novel, non-lethal natural tracers of trophic ecology with acoustic tagging techniques to examine spatial and temporal patterns of habitat use of spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus on Half Moon Reef (HMR), a recently restored oyster reef in Matagorda Bay, Texas. Forty-one spotted seatrout (408 ± 25 mm total length) were captured at HMR, surgically implanted with acoustic transmitters, and monitored by an array of underwater listening stations from December 2015 to August 2016. Patterns of presence-absence on HMR were strongly influenced by water temperature, and to a lesser extent, salinity and tidal height. Overall, spotted seatrout residency to HMR was low, with fish being present on the reef 24% of days. When present, individual fish exhibited strong site-attachment to small portions of the reef. Residency to HMR increased significantly with size, while scale stable isotope analysis revealed fish exhibiting high residency to HMR occupied significantly smaller isotopic niches. If indeed smaller fish with decreased residency rely upon a wider range of prey items across multiple habitats than larger, more resident individuals, restored oyster reef habitat may be expected to primarily benefit larger spotted seatrout.
Comparison of the Time Course, Dose Response, and Mediators of Chemically Induced Skin Irritation in Three Species

Following topical application to the skin of mice, methyl salicylate, croton oil, and ethyl phenylpropiolate (EPP) produce irritant inflammation by different mechanisms. The time course, dose response, and mediator involvement in responses to methyl salicylate, croton oil, and EPP in mice, rats, and rabbits were compared. Solutions of the irritants in acetone were applied to one ear of ICR mice and Sprague-Dawley rats and to the shaved back of New Zealand white rabbits. Ear thickness measurements in mice and rats were used to quantitate the degree of inflammation; reactions in rabbits were evaluated visually for erythema and edema. Both qualitative and quantitative species differences in response were observed. Rats were less reactive to methyl salicylate and EPP than mice or rabbits. EPP-induced inflammation was maximum at 8 h after application to rabbits, at 1–2 h in rats, and was biphasic in mice with peaks at 1 and 8 h. Comparison of histologic sections of mouse and rat ears dosed with EPP showed that rats do not develop the cellular infiltrate characteristic of the 8-h response in mice. The degree of suppression of inflammation produced by antagonists, synthesis inhibitors, and depleting agents used to study mediator involvement varied by species. These results suggest that differences in potency of irritants in different species are due in part to amplification of differences in mechanisms of inflammation.
The consignment mechanism in carbon markets: A laboratory investigation

Abstract Unlike other auction-based carbon emission markets, California's carbon market (AB32) utilizes a consignment auction design in which utilities are allocated a share of emissions permits that they must sell into the uniform-price auction. Auction revenue is returned to the consignee, which creates an incentive to increase the auction clearing price through strategic bidding. In a numerical example, we identify the incentive that consignees have to overstate their quantity demanded in the auction, since this increases the probability that the auction clears at a higher price. This results in inefficient allocations and inflated auction prices. We test this effect through a series of laboratory experiments and confirm these predictions. Findings indicate that short-run firm profits are lower in a consignment auction than in a non-consignment auction market, and that firms are more likely to not receive the quantity of permits they need for program compliance in the auction. We conclude with implications for the design and modification of future Coasian markets.
Optimal coinsurance rates for a heterogeneous population under inequality and resource constraints

Although operations research has contributed heavily to the derivation of optimal treatment guidelines for chronic diseases, patient adherence to treatment plans is low and variable. One mechanism ...
Genomic predictors of recurrence (R) or progression (P) in high grade T1 (HGT1) non-muscle invasive (NMI) bladder cancer.

4539Background: HGT1 NMI tumors have a 40% risk of R and 21% risk of P. Distinguishing aggressive versus indolent HGT1 disease is critical to decide which patients will benefit from early cystectom...
Structural dynamics and transcriptomic analysis of Dehalococcoides mccartyi within a TCE-Dechlorinating community in a completely mixed flow reactor

A trichloroethene (TCE)-dechlorinating community (CANAS) maintained in a completely mixed flow reactor was established from a semi-batch enrichment culture (ANAS) and was monitored for 400 days at a low solids retention time (SRT) under electron acceptor limitation. Around 85% of TCE supplied to CANAS (0.13 mmol d-1) was converted to ethene at a rate of 0.1 mmol d-1, with detection of low production rates of vinyl chloride (6.8 × 10-3 mmol d-1) and cis-dichloroethene (2.3 × 10-3 mmol d-1). Two distinct Dehalococcoides mccartyi strains (ANAS1 and ANAS2) were stably maintained at 6.2 ± 2.8 × 108 cells mL-1 and 5.8 ± 1.2 × 108 cells mL-1, respectively. Electron balance analysis showed 107% electron recovery, in which 6.1% were involved in dechlorination. 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed a structural regime shift between ANAS and CANAS while maintaining robust TCE dechlorination due to similar relative abundances of D. mccartyi and functional redundancy among each functional guild supporting D. mccartyi activity. D. mccartyi transcriptomic analysis identified the genes encoding for ribosomal RNA and the reductive dehalogenases tceA and vcrA as the most expressed genes in CANAS, while hup and vhu were the most critical hydrogenases utilized by D. mccartyi in the community.
APRV: A Comparison of APRV/BiLevel, PC-APRV, BiLevel and BiVent

Background: Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) is a pressure controlled mode of ventilation that ventilates the patient with a long Time High (Thigh) and short Time Low (Tlow) to intentionally create auto-PEEP. APRV may improve oxygenation and increase alveolar lung recruitment. The purpose of this bench study was to evaluate APRV on the Carefusion Avea (Avea) in APRV/BiLevel, Drager V500 (V500) in PC-APRV, Medtronics PB 980 (PB 980) in BiLevel, and Maquet Servo-I (Servo-i) in BiVent using the IngMar Medical ASL 5000 (ASL) electronic lung simulator set at three levels of static compliance (Cst) to simulate three severities of ARDS. Methods: An extended self-test was performed on each ventilator using oxygen and air. ASL settings: Cst 40 mL/cm H2O (mild), 30 mL/cm H2O (moderate), and 20 mL/cm H2O (severe); inspiratory resistance 12 cm H2O/L/s, expiratory resistance 14 cm H2O/L/s, and Pmus 0 cm H2O (apneic). The ASL was connected directly to the ventilator y-piece with a 22 mm adapter. Ventilator settings: Pressure High (Phigh) 17 and 22 cm H2O, Thigh 6 seconds, Pressure Low (Plow) 0 cm H2O, Tlow was adjusted to achieve a release point at 75% of Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR), Pressure Support 0 cm H2O, and Tube Compensation off. PEFR was measured directly from the ventilator flow waveforms. The ASL was ventilated for one minute to stabilize and one minute for data collection, first ventilating at Phigh 17 then 22 cm H2O. Data were recorded directly by the ASL and the parameters evaluated include: PEFR, peak inspiratory pressure (Ppeak), mean airway pressure (Pmean), total PEEP (PEEPtot), and expiratory tidal volume (exp VT). Results: Phigh 22 cm H2O resulted in an increase of all evaluated parameters. As Cst decreased, exp VT decreased. In severe ARDS, the Avea and the V500 exhibited the greatest exp VT . In severe ARDS the V500 and the Servo-I exhibited the greatest PEFR. Overall pressures (Ppeak and Pmean) were highest on the Avea. The Avea exhibited the highest level of PEEPtot while the V500 exhibited the lowest. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that all ventilators provided an increase in PEEPtot, exp VT, Pmean, PEFR, and Ppeak at Phigh of 22 cm H2O. The ventilators provided a different level of PEFR and PEEPtot at 75% PEFR. Further research is needed to compare APRV in patients to determine the amount of Auto-PEEP remaining in the lung at 75% PEFR in order to prevent derecruitment of the lung.
Evaluating Alternative Designs of Internship Programs

College degrees used to be evaluated primarily by their academic content and intellectual depth, when graduating from a university was sufficient to ensure gainful employment. However, as the economy has changed, so too have the requirements for entering the working world and graduate professional schools. Internships have become a key for post-graduation employment, and often an important means for improving the quality and significance of early professional placement. Internships give students an opportunity to acquire useful work experience, and perhaps more importantly, an understanding of the type of career they might wish to pursue after graduation. Although most undergraduates tend to think of all internship programs in similar terms, not all internship programs are the same. This paper examines three different internships programs offered at the University of Southern California, compares the organizational and process components of the programs, and assesses the impact of the programs on the student participants.
Characterization of NbTi busbar for HL-LHC Interaction region quadrupoles

The US Accelerator Upgrade for the HiLumi-LHC (US-HL-LHC AUP) project and CERN are designing and fabricating superconducting quadrupole magnets for the interaction regions of the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC). The triplet is made of three optical elements: Q1, Q2, and Q3. The Nb3Sn quadrupole magnets operate in superfluid He at 1.9 K with a nominal field gradient of 132.6 T/m. The three inner triplet elements are connected together with superconducting buses. The design and fabrication of the through and local buses is carried out at Applied Physics and Superconducting Technology Division (APS-TD) at Fermilab (FNAL). This paper reports the characterization of the bus-bar thermo-electric properties. The bus was tested with a short Nb3Sn magnet (MQXFS1e) in the vertical test facility of the APS-TD at FNAL. The test demonstrated that the bus design is adequate since no spontaneous quench took place up to 17.89 kA current value. Quench propagation velocities were investigated over a range of currents that is typical for accelerator superconducting magnets. Temperature margins were found above that required for the Hi-Lumi triplet bus. The design guarantees the protection of the bus at operational current value according to the quench detection voltage threshold (100 mV) established for the Hi-Lumi LHC interaction region.
Lessons in Scholarship

This article pays tribute to Professor Robert Lusch and his fine career as a scholar of Marketing. One prime element of Bob’s career is that he took on some very fundamental issues in the field of ...
Reply: Relevance of Circulating Extracellular Vesicles Carrying Sphingolipid Cargo in Alcoholic Hepatitis: Need for more validation!

We thank Arora et al. for their interest in our study. They comment on the limitations of our study which proposes the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and associated sphingolipid cargo as a novel biomarker for alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and reiterate our own conclusion for the need of validation of our findings in a larger cohort.
Institutional Combinations and the Creation of a New Higher Education Institutional Landscape in Post-1994 South Africa

The institutional change agenda for higher education in South Africa post-1994 was extensive in its foci, ambitious in goals, and far-reaching in nature. There was a wide array of transformation-oriented initiatives aimed at institutional change. These included the definition of the purposes and goals of higher education; extensive policy research, policy formulation, adoption, and implementation in the areas of governance, funding, academic structure and programmes and quality assurance, and the enactment of new laws and regulations. There was also a major restructuring and reconfiguration of the higher education institutional landscape and of institutions that included the mergers of institutions and the incorporation of some institutions into others. These initiatives tested the capacities and capabilities of the state and higher education institutions and affected the pace, nature and outcomes of change. In this paper we examine one aspect of institutional change: mergers, addressing the context, determinants, dynamics and outcomes of mergers, or more generally institutional combinations, and the overall restructuring of the higher education institutional landscape post-1994.
A Changing Agenda for International Development

The international development agenda is currently undergoing a disruption that will reshape development practices into the foreseeable future. There are two major reasons behind the emerging new approach. First, the issues that traditionally have set the agenda, such as poverty and malnutrition, are increasingly concentrated in nations characterized by violent conflict and fragile state institutions. By 2030, the World Bank predicts that almost 90 percent of the people living below the international poverty line will reside in just 31 countries. Of these countries, 24 have been classified as fragile states, and 13 of them are either embroiled in civil war or have recently seen high levels of conflict and violence. Second, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in 2015, seek to create inclusive, peaceful, resilient and prosperous societies in a sustainable manner. Since no country—whether low or high income—has found a path to sustainable development, an important element of the SDGs is the idea that the goals are universal for all states, not just the developing nations. The chapter explores the impact of the emerging development agenda, and discusses some of the obstacles to development efforts created by the new approach.
iefieldkit: Commands for primary data collection and cleaning:

Data collection and cleaning workflows implement highly repetitive but extremely important processes. In this article, we introduce iefieldkit, a package developed to standardize and simplify best ...
Common Treatment, Common Variant: Evolutionary Prediction of Functional Pharmacogenomic Variants

Pharmacogenomics holds the promise of personalized drug efficacy optimization and drug toxicity minimization. Much of the research conducted to date, however, suffers from an ascertainment bias towards European participants. Here, we leverage publicly available, whole genome sequencing data collected from global populations, evolutionary characteristics, and annotated protein features to construct a new in silico machine learning pharmacogenetic identification method called XGB-PGX. When applied to pharmacogenetic data, XGB-PGX outperformed all existing prediction methods and identified over 2000 new pharmacogenetic variants. While there are modest pharmacogenetic allele frequency distribution differences across global population samples, the most striking distinction is between the relatively rare putatively neutral pharmacogene variants and the relatively common established and newly predicted functional pharamacogenetic variants. Our findings therefore support a focus on individual patient pharmacogenetic testing rather than on clinical presumptions about patient race, ethnicity, or ancestral geographic residence. We further encourage more attention be given to the impact of common variation on drug response and propose a new ‘common treatment, common variant’ perspective for pharmacogenetic prediction that is distinct from the types of variation that underlie complex and Mendelian disease. XGB-PGX has identified many new pharmacovariants that are present across all global communities; however, communities that have been underrepresented in genomic research are likely to benefit the most from XGB-PGX’s in silico predictions.
Exploring the effects of genomic testing on fear of cancer recurrence among breast cancer survivors

OBJECTIVE Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is the greatest unmet psychosocial need among breast cancer survivors (BCS). The Oncotype Dx® test predicts the 10-year risk of distant recurrence and benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy among women with early stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Despite the test's clinical utility, psychosocial responses are poorly understood. METHODS A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to explore associations between Oncotype Dx® test results (Recurrence Score [RS]) and FCR, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), distress, anxiety, depression, illness representation and perceived risk. Bivariate analyses were used to examine the associations between variables followed by multiple linear regression to examine predictors of FCR. RESULTS Greater FCR was associated with higher distress, anxiety, depression, illness representation and poorer HRQOL. BCS's with a high Oncotype Dx® RS reported higher overall fear (p = 0.013) and greater perceived consequences of their cancer (p = 0.034) compared to BCS's with a low RS. Using multiple linear regression, anxiety ( β = 0.21, p = 0.016), greater emotional response (β = 0.45, p < 0.001) and perceived consequences ( β = 0.18, p = 0.039) of illness explained 58% of the variance (p < 0.001) in FCR. CONCLUSION BCS's with higher risk of recurrence may experience higher FCR. However, for FCR, modifiable factors such as anxiety and illness representation (greater emotional response and perceived consequences of illness) may be more important than non-modifiable factors such as Oncotype Dx® test results and age. Further research is needed to develop personalized interventions to improve BCS's outcomes.
The Online Use of the Newest Vital Sign in Adolescents.

Seventy percent of premature adult deaths are caused by adolescent behaviors. Data suggests that health literacy may influence adolescent behaviors. However, adolescent health literacy research is ...
Impact of technology scaling on the tuning range and phase noise of mm-wave CMOS LC-VCOs

The impact of CMOS technology scaling, on the tuning range and phase noise performance of mm-wave LC voltage controlled oscillators (LC-VCOs) is presented. As a preliminary step, the fundamental LC-VCO elements (i) tank inductor, (ii) fixed and variable capacitor elements, and (iii) cross-coupled transistor pair are analytically modeled across the frequency range 10-50GHz. These models are then exploited to analyze the tuning range and phase noise revealing the ultimate performance bounds for simultaneously achieving low phase noise and wide tuning range in mm-wave CMOS LC-VCOs across the CMOS technology scaling (from 130nm down to 45nm) are explored. The analysis demonstrates the improvement of the maximum achievable tuning range, phase noise, and figures-of-merit (FoM and FoMT) with the technology down scaling. Finally, the performance trend of the mm-wave CMOS LC-VCOs implemented using both thin and thick gate cross-coupled pair is compared. The analysis indicates that thick gate cross-coupled pair VCOs achieve better phase noise at the expense of power consumption and maximum tuning range. HighlightsMotivations and challenges of mm-wave CMOS LC-VCOs.Study of the limitations imposed by the LC-VCO elements across the CMOS processes.Tuning range quantitative analysis and minimum bounds for phase noise, FoM, FoMT.Comparing thin and thick gate cross-coupled pairs LC-VCOs across the CMOS nodes.
Expression of the Viral Thymidine Kinase Gene in Herpes Simplex Virus-Transformed L Cells

Abstract In these studies, the expression of thymidine kinase (TK) in normal and herpes simplex virus (HSV)-transformed L cells has been compared. In asynchronously dividing cultures of L cells, the TK activity rose and declined rapidly and coordinately with DNA synthesis. When net cell increase stopped, TK activity was at a minimum. In contrast, TK activity of HSV-transformed cells remained at a minimum during rapid DNA synthesis and gradually increased as the rate of DNA synthesis decreased. When net cell increase stopped, TK activity was at a maximum. In synchronous cultures of L cells, TK activity rose and fell coordinately with the rate of DNA synthesis. In synchronous cultures of HSV-transformed cells, no increase in TK activity was observed during the period of rapid DNA synthesis, i.e., the S phase. These findings indicated that the viral TK gene in HSV-transformed cells was not placed under the control of the cellular mechanisms which normally modulate the host cell TK gene. Lytic infection of HSV-transformed cells with a TK− mutant of HSV-1 induced a four-to fivefold increase in viral TK. The TK of HSV-1 was induced in the HSV-1-transformed cells and HSV-2 in the HSV-2-transformed cells by this TK− mutant. The same infection of normal L cells decreased the cellular TK activity by 80%. This stimulation, rather than inhibition, suggest that the viral gene in HSV-transformed cells retain some of its original viral characteristics.
Exploring the Impact of Information on Preferences Toward Federal Indian Policy in America

Studies suggest that information can have an influential effect on the preferences of mass publics, especially in cases where individuals lack existing knowledge or attitudes on an issue. Federal Indian policy is one such issue area that many Americans are generally unfamiliar with and have little exposure to in their everyday lives. Scholars argue that public support for the rights of tribes would be greater if individuals were better informed about the unique relationship that exists between Native nations and the federal government. Using data from a randomized survey experiment, we test the effects of information concerning U.S.-tribal relations on support for tribal sovereign rights and federal Indian programs and services. We observe the importance of both information and ideology across issue areas, with information increasing support for the rights of tribes to self-govern, but political ideology and other individual attributes dominating attitudes toward federally administered programs (in a way that renders information effects nonexistent). These preliminary observations reveal important differences in the extent to which information alone can influence public opinion on racial policies in America.
Haptic interface prototype for feedback control on robotic integration of smart sensors

A haptic interface is a device for operators to touch, feel and manipulate virtual environments. It senses the contact forces and gives operators a sensation of interacting with a real physical environment. Force feedback can improve the quality of the haptic feedback control in virtual reality applications. In this paper, a real time haptic interface is developed via control models in the Labview virtual environment, which is a combination of a touch force measurement haptic interface and a vibro-tactile CyberGlove serial haptic interface. The haptic interface is a prototype for real time feedback control on robotic integration of smart censors. This approach is easy to apply on various types of sensors, such as acoustic wave sensors, ultrasound array, etc., which will enhance the ability to communicate between the operators and the virtual environment. The flexiforce sensor and tactile sensor based haptic interface in force feedback systems will improve traditional robot visual sensing systems by a virtual feel.
“It's Just Too Theoretical”

(1980). “It's Just Too Theoretical”. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 51, No. 9, pp. 64-66.
The Impact of Nuclear Power on the Public: The American Experience

It is useful to examine the so-called “nuclear controversy” in the light of American experience, since it is here that it has been manifest in the protracted debates by scientists, laymen and the press over the pros and cons of this relatively new source of energy. I shall attempt, in the short time available, to review this experience and indicate the direction in which the overall course seems to be moving. In so doing, I wish to recount briefly, in approximately chronological order, the events as they have occurred and are ocurring. Although the specific issues have changed, the “controversy” is by no means over in the United States, and it is difficult at this point to predict with any degree of confidence what course will eventually be pursued.