cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MOVE CLICK MOVE: creating an animation DVD

The award winning MOVE-CLICK-MOVE DVD has an interface that is "whimsical" and playful. Aimed at educators and students of animation, the DVD is a retrospective of the work of educator and award wining independent filmmaker/animator Deanna Morse. This presentation will consider the challenges and benefits of using the features specific to DVD technology (multi-angles, non-linear menu access, etc.) to illustrate animation techniques and approaches. There will be discussion of the production process, especially user interface design. Sample content from the DVD will illustrate how the DVD is used in the classroom setting to introduce students to basic techniques of animation. A primary goal of the project is to demystify the animation process. The MOVE-CLICK-MOVE DVD shows viewers that anyone can animate, using simple tools, if they just have the patience.
The Anesthetic Steroid (+)-3α-Hydroxy-5α-androstane-17β-carbonitrile Blocks N-, Q-, and R-Type, but Not L- and P-Type, High Voltage-Activated Ca2+ Current in Hippocampal and Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons of the Rat

High voltage-activated (HVA) Ca2+ current (ICa) was recorded from neonatal rat hippocampal and adult rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. In both cell types, (+)-3α-hydroxy-5α-androstane-17β-carbonitrile [(+)-ACN], a neuroactive steroid, had no effect on nifedipine- (L-type) or ω-agatoxin IVA- (P-type) sensitive ICa. Selective blockade of N-type current with ω-conotoxin GVIA and of Q-type current with ω-conotoxin MVIIC indicated that (+)-ACN inhibits both N- and Q-type current components in both cell types. Current persisting after blockade of all other current components (R-type) was also sensitive to (+)-ACN. Half-blockade of (+)-ACN-sensitive HVA current occurred in the range of 3–25 μm, with N-type current somewhat more sensitive than Q- or R-type. The (+)-ACN enantiomer, (−)-ACN, and pregnanolone were somewhat less effective at inhibiting total HVA current than (+)-ACN, whereas several steroid analogs, including alfaxalone, were relatively ineffective at inhibiting total HVA current. Neither guanosine-5′-O-(2-thio)diphosphate nor guanosine-5′-O-(3-thio)triphosphate altered the ability of (+)-ACN to inhibit HVA current in dorsal root ganglion neurons, indicating that (+)-ACN acts directly on Ca2+channels. The partial selectivity exhibited by (+)-ACN among different HVA current components suggests that manipulations of steroid analogues may be a useful strategy in the generation of more selective, more potent, small-molecular-weight HVA channel blockers.
Hardware and Software for Telephoning Voters En Masse

The authors describe the hardware and software used to telephone voters en masse prior to an election in support of a candidate. They use Dialogic 41 DSP-based voice boards on an Intel 80286 platfo...
Design and Construction of Industrial Robots by Undergraduate Students

This paper describes an ongoing interdisciplinary course at West Virginia University in which a team of senior undergraduate students design and build a fully-functional industrial robot. The project is a collaboration between students in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), and the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE). The course structure and three of the projects undertaken to date are described in this paper.
Adaptive control of left ventricular bypass assist devices

This paper presents a computer-based adaptive control system for left ventricular bypass assist devices consisting of air driven diaphragm pumps. The system provides for 1) synchronization of pumping with ECG signals and 2) control of atrial pressure at desired levels. The system design includes an adaptive control algorithm which is a self-tuning PID-controller based on pole placement. The performance of the system has been demonstrated by in vitro experiments_ on a mock circulatory system. When there is an increase in atrial pressure, the system responds with an increase in stroke volume. Following major changes in the circulatory system, the control algorithm retunes itself and restores the system to the desired state.
Ogilvie Syndrome and Herpes Zoster: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract Background: The very unusual association between herpes zoster and Ogilvie syndrome has received scant attention in the published literature. Objectives: This review discusses the published experience since 1950 and attempts to increase clinical awareness about the co-existence of both conditions. Case Report: An 84-year-old male patient affected by herpes zoster presented with advanced acute colonic pseudo-obstruction and was successfully treated with colonic diversion. Discussion: Twenty published studies (1950–2008) of 28 patients in whom the two conditions co-existed are reviewed. The review included 22 male and 7 female patients (24%) aged 32–87 years (mean, 61 years). Significant co-morbidities were present in 45% of the patients. The majority of patients were observed and treated conservatively (83%). Two patients died (7%), both suffering from respiratory complications and malignancy. Conclusion: Recognition of the combined syndrome may help to avoid unnecessary surgery. Laparotomy should be reserved as a last resort for when the obstruction cannot be successfully managed by endoscopy. A diverting colostomy can be used to monitor the blood supply and thus provide early warning for an impending abdominal catastrophe.
Application of the Guidelines for Effective Elementary Science Teacher Inservice Education

Historically, elementary science teacher inservice has not been an effective means of improving science teaching for most elementary teachers.Guidelines for Effective Elementary Science Teacher Inservice Education were developed by Klein (2001) to address this need. This paper illustrates, through a review of program evaluation documentation, how the guidelines were implemented in an elementary science teacher inservice education program.
Advances in the staging of renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma is increasingly being diagnosed at an earlier stage owing to medical advances. Since the pathologic stage is the most crucial predictor of patient outcome, an accurate and universal tumor staging system is of outmost importance. The TNM staging system, after multiple revisions, has evolved into a more precise system that correlates with cancer specific survival. Renal cell carcinoma staging systems have important clinical implications pertaining to nephron sparing surgery and the need for adrenalectomy or lymphadenectomy.
Repeat length polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene influences pulmonary artery pressure in heart failure.

Background Pulmonary hypertension is common in patients with heart failure (HF); however, for a given degree of left ventricular dysfunction, the range in pulmonary artery pressures (PAPs) is large. Polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene have been implicated in contributing to smooth muscle dysfunction and remodeling of the pulmonary vasculature. This study examined the influence of a repeat length polymorphism in the promoter region of the 5-HTT gene on PAP between patients with HF and healthy control participants. Methods A total of 90 patients with HF (age, 55 ± 14 years; left ventricular ejection fraction, 28% ± 10%; New York Heart Association, 2.0 ± 0.9) and 90 age- and sex-matched controls (CTL) (age, 51 ± 15 years; left ventricular ejection fraction, 63% ± 7%) were recruited. Patients with HF and CTL participants were divided into 3 genotype groups: homozygotes for the short variant (SS), homozygotes for the long variant (LL), and heterozygotes (LS). For both HF and CTL, there are 20 patients in the SS group, 41 in the LS, and 29 in the LL. Pulmonary artery pressure was calculated from the tricuspid regurgitant velocity. Results Age and sex did not differ between the HF and CTL groups. Pulmonary artery pressure was higher in HF patients compared with CTL (38.9 ± 12.5 vs 27.7 ± 8.2 mm Hg, respectively; P P P P Conclusion These results suggest that the LL variant of the 5-HTT is associated with elevated PAP in patients with HF.
The Gestures ASL Signers Use Tell Us when They Are Ready to Learn Math.

The manual gestures that hearing children produce when explaining their answers to math problems predict whether they will profit from instruction in those problems. We ask here whether gesture plays a similar role in deaf children, whose primary communication system is in the manual modality. Forty ASL-signing deaf children explained their solutions to math problems and were then given instruction in those problems. Children who produced many gestures conveying different information from their signs (gesture-sign mismatches) were more likely to succeed after instruction than children who produced few, suggesting that mismatch can occur within-modality, and paving the way for using gesture-based teaching strategies with deaf learners.
An efficient mapping of multilayer perceptron with backpropagation ANNs on hypercubes

This paper proposes a parallel structure, the mesh-of-appendixed-trees (MAT), for efficient implementation of artificial neural networks (ANNs). Algorithms to implement both the recall and the training phases of the multilayer perceptron and backpropagation ANN model are provided. A recursive procedure for embedding the MAT structure into the hypercube topology is used as the basis for an efficient mapping technique to map ANN computations on general purpose massively parallel hypercube systems. In addition, based on the mapping scheme, a fast special purpose parallel architecture for ANNs is developed. The major advantage of our technique is high performance. Unlike the other techniques presented in the literature which require O(N) time, where N is the size of the largest layer, our implementation requires only O(log N) time. Moreover, it allows the pipelining of more than one input pattern and thus further improves the performance. >
Impact of the Inaccuracy of Distance Prediction Algorithms on Internet Applications - an Analytical and Comparative Study

Distance prediction algorithms use O(N) round trip time (RTT) measurements to predict the N2 RTTs among N nodes. Distance prediction can be applied to improve the performance of a wide variety of Internet applications: for instance, to guide the selection of a download server from multiple replicas, or to guide the construction of overlay networks or multicast trees. Although the accuracy of existing prediction algorithms has been extensively compared using the relative prediction error metric, their impact on applications has not been systematically studied. In this paper, we consider distance prediction algorithms from an application's perspective to answer the following questions: (1) Are existing prediction algorithms adequate for the applications? (2) Is there a significant performance difference between the different prediction algorithms, and which is the best from the application perspective? (3) How does the prediction error propagate to affect the user perceived application performance? (4) How can we address the fundamental limitation (i.e., inaccuracy) of distance prediction algorithms? We systematically experiment with three types of representative applications (overlay multicast, server selection, and overlay construction), three distance prediction algorithms (GNP, IDES, and the triangulated heuristic), and three real-world distance datasets (King, PlanetLab, and AMP). We find that, although using prediction can improve the performance of these applications, the achieved performance can be dramatically worse than the optimal case where the real distances are known. We formulate statistical models to explain this performance gap. In addition, we explore various techniques to improve the prediction accuracy and the performance of prediction-based applications. We find that selectively conducting a small number of measurements based on prediction-based screening is most effective.
Effects of the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone on smoking and related behaviors in smokers preparing to quit: a randomized controlled trial.

Aims To determine if naltrexone affects smoking behaviors in smokers preparing to quit, and whether or not such pre-quit responses predict post-quit date outcomes. Design Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study. The current study focused on smoking-related outcomes in the pre-quit phase, which was 1 week prior to the quit date, and these findings were linked with reductions in the same outcomes demonstrated in the post-quit phase published previously for this randomized controlled trial (RCT) in mediation analyses. Setting Community sample of adult smokers desiring to quit in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Participants Participants were 315 smokers randomized to naltrexone (n = 161; mean age = 42.58 years; 60% Caucasian) or placebo (n = 154; mean age = 41.32 years; 55% Caucasian). Measurements The difference from baseline in the number of cigarettes smoked during the pre-quit phase interval was the primary outcome. Secondary pre-quit outcomes were assessed using Likert scales of subjective responses and consumption of cigarettes, alcohol and food. Number of cigarettes smoked, alcoholic drinks consumed and the Brief Questionnaire of Smoking Urges were assessed in the post-quit phase. Findings Relative to placebo, naltrexone decreased the number of cigarettes smoked (−4.21 versus −2.93, P < 0.05), smoking urge (P = 0.02) and numberof alcoholicdrinksconsumed(P = 0.04).Exploratorymediationanalyseslinkingoutcomesof thepre-quitand post-quit phases found that naltrexone’s effects on reducing smoking urge, cigarettes smoked and alcoholic drinks consumed in the pre-quit phase demonstrated full mediation of their respective effects during the post-quit phase. Conclusions Naltrexone taken in the week before a quit attempt reduces cigarette consumption, urges to smoke and alcohol consumption relative to placebo. The size of the effect mediates statistically the size of similar effects after the quit date.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids and decision making: Probability and effort discounting in male rats.

Abstract Anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) abuse is implicated in maladaptive behaviors such as increased aggression and risk taking. Impaired judgment due to changes in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system may contribute to these behavioral changes. While AAS are known to influence dopamine function in mesocorticolimbic circuitry, the effects on decision making are unknown. This was the focus of the present study. Adolescent male Long-Evans rats were treated chronically with high-dose testosterone (7.5 mg/kg) or vehicle (13% cyclodextrin in water), and tested for cost/benefit decision making in two discounting paradigms. Rats chose between a small reward (1 sugar pellet) and a large discounted reward (3 or 4 pellets). Probability discounting (PD) measures sensitivity to reward uncertainty by decreasing the probability (100, 75, 50, 25, 0%) of receiving the large reward in successive blocks of each daily session. Effort discounting (ED) measures sensitivity to a work cost by increasing the lever presses required to earn the large reward (1, 2, 5, 10, 15 presses). In PD, testosterone-treated rats selected the large/uncertain reward significantly less than vehicle-treated controls. However, during ED, testosterone-treated rats selected the large/high effort reward significantly more than controls. These studies show that testosterone has divergent effects on different aspects of decision making. Specifically, testosterone increases aversion to uncertainty but decreases sensitivity to the output of effort for reward. These results have implications for understanding maladaptive behavioral changes in human AAS users.
Deoxygenations of arene oxides. Models for enzymatic deoxygenation

The transfer of oxygen from arene oxides to nitrogen and sulfur-containing substrates is described and the possible biological Significance relative to enzymatic deoxygenation discussed.
Origins of Medical Innovation The Case of Coronary Artery Stents

Background—Innovative medical devices make major contributions to patient welfare, and coronary stents have been among the most important device developments of recent decades. However, the origins of such breakthrough medical technologies remain poorly understood. Methods and Results—Using a comprehensive database of patents, we identified all individuals and institutions that developed intellectual property related to stent technology early in its development process. The patents were categorized and described using a predetermined qualitative coding strategy. We found 245 granted patents related to bare metal coronary artery stents from 1984 (when the first patent issued in this field) to 1994 (after the first stents were approved). Each year showed an increase in the number of patent filings: from 1 in 1984 to 97 in 1994. The largest fraction of patents was issued to private entities (44.9% of the total). Public companies, individual inventors, and nonprofit institutions represented 31.4%, 18.0%, and ...
The theory of asymptotic behavior

The Green’s functions of renormalizable quantum field theory are shown to violate, in general, Euler’s theorem on homogeneous functions, that is to say, to violate naive dimensional analysis. The respective violations are established by explicit calculation with Feynman diagrams. These violations when incorporated into the renormalization group, then provide the basis for an entirely new approach to asymptotic behavior in renormalizable field theory. Specifically, the violations add new delta-function sources to the usual partial differential equations of the group when these equations are written in terms of the external momenta of the respective Green’s functions. The effect of these sources is illustrated by studying the real part, Re Γ(6)(λp), of the six-point 1PI vertex of the massless scalar field with quartic self-coupling—the simplest of renormalizable situations. Here, Γp is symbolic for the six-momenta of Γ(6). Briefly, it is found that the usual theory of characteristics is unable to satisfy the boundary condition attendant to the respective dimensional-analysis-violating sources. Thus, the method of characteristics is completely abandoned in favor of the method of separation of variables. A complete solution which satisfies the inhomogeneous group equation and all boundary conditions is then explicitly constructed. This solution has the following interesting properties: 1) It possesses Laurent expansions in the scale λ of its momentum arguments for all real values of λ2 except λ2=0, where it has a delta-function singularity in λ2 in addition to its Laurent expansions for λ2=0+ and λ2=0−. For |λ2|→∞ and |λ2|→0, the solution’s leading term in its respective Laurent series is proportional to λ−2, so that it behaves canonically in both limits! 2) The limits λ2→0+ and λ2→0− of λ2 RE Γ(6) are both nonzero and unequal. Further, on account of the delta-function singularity at λ2=0, the value of the solution at λ2=0 is not simply related to the value of either of these limits! Apparent divergences in the coefficients in the respective Laurent expansions are removed by the use of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. In this way, the new approach would appear to be operationally established.
Hispanic Poverty: A County Contrast

This study examines Hispanic ethnic poverty rates at the county level. The specific ethnic groups examined are Cubans, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans as well as Other Hispanics and the counties include the Bronx, Los Angeles and Miami-Dade. The primary goal is to separate high Hispanic poverty into an ethnicity factor and a geographic/economic factor. The evidence is clear. Although ethnicity has some influence on the group specific poverty rates of Hispanic-Americans, it is overshadowed by local economies. Location is far more influential than cultural lineage in affecting group poverty rates.
Some observations on the primitive and definitive erythrocytes of the developing chick

The cytological changes in the primitive and definitive erythrocytes of the incubating chick have been followed. Observations have been made on the nucleoli, vital granules, mitochondria,Golgi apparatus, reticulum ofSinigaglia and the reticulation patterns of the basophilic substance. The cells of the primitive and definitive lines are ordinarily readily distinguished from one another. Data are included on the rate of disappearance of the primitive cells from the circulation. They may persist as long as two weeks after hatching. Giant primitive erythrocytes are common during the first week of incubation. The cells have one, two three or four nuclei. The nuclearplasma relationship is maintained somewhere near a constant. These atypical cells are due to aberrations in mitosis. Data on the percentage of mitosis in both types of erythrocytes are also included. The initial activity of the spleen and bone-marrow is reflected in the blood stream. There is a distinct rise in the proportion of young definitive erythrocytes. An attempt is made to correlate the findings ofHall (1934) on the changing affinity of the hemoglobin for oxygen with the changing blood picture. The primitive line does not persist long enough to account for the phenomenon. It is suggested, however, that the hemoglobin of the erythrocytes produced by the yolk sac may differ from that of the cells produced by the spleen and bone-marrow.
Search for Infectious Etiology in Chronic and Subacute Degenerative Diseases of the Central Nervous System

Our interest in slow infections stems from the early work of Gajdusek and Zigas (1957) which provided the first description of a strange new subacute, familial, degenerative disease of the central nervous system, characterized by cerebellar ataxia and trembling, called “Kuru” by the New Guineans who suffer from it. This disease, restricted to some 12,000 natives of the Fore linguistic group indigenous to the Eastern Highlands of New Guinea and to their immediate neighbors with whom they intermarry, accounted for over half of the total deaths that have occurred in their population (Gajdusek and Zigas, 1957; Gajdusek, 1963). The disease was first suspected to be a meningoencephalitis. However, the lack of detectable febrile response, absence of cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis, the general lack of an elevated protein content and the absence of extensive perivascular cuffing or other neuropathological reactions typical of infectious processes did not support the possibility of an acute infectious etiology. Further, the epidemiological pattern of Kuru, restricting its spread in peripheral areas to individuals who are genetically related to the population in the center of the endemic region, suggested some genetic determinent of disease expression. The early hypothesis that the disease might be due to an auto-sensitization reaction was not borne out by neuropathology or by the search for autoimmune antibodies to brain antigen in serum specimens.
Thyrotropin-Releasing Factor (TRF) of Hypothalamic Origin. A Review of Physiological and Biochemical Studies

As requested by the Organizing Committee of this meeting, I will restrict myself in this lecture entirely to a discussion of our studies on the hypothalamic control of TSH-secretion. At this point may I say that in fact, for the last couple of years we have been working almost exclusively on this problem and have practically abandoned our earlier studies of the mechanisms involved in the secretion of ACTH, LH, growth hormone because of the difficulties and what I consider the unreliability of all the assay methods currently available for the study of these problems (1,2). I want to emphasize here the remarkable reliability, reproducibility, and above all specificity of all the assay methods both in vivo and in vitro, that we have been using and that are available to study TSH secretion and the nature of its hypothalamic control (3,4,5). The results which form the basis of this short review have been obtained over the last five years with several collaborators to whom of course all the credit must go: Dr. Sakiz, Dr. Yamazaki, Dr. Gard, and for the early purification studies, Dr. Jutisz while I was in Paris; Dr. Sakiz again, Dr. Burgus, Dr. Ducommun and Mr. Vale in Houston, Texas.
Racial differences in acute kidney injury of hospitalized adults with diabetes

Abstract Objective To determine whether there is a racial difference in the risk of acute kidney injury between hospitalized black and white adults with diabetes mellitus in the United States Research Design and Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from the 2000–2010 National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) to compare the odds of AKI among hospitalized black and white adults with diabetes. After excluding records in which race status was missing, race was other than white or black, discharge status was not provided, or end-stage renal disease was a diagnosis, we identified 276,138 eligible records for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the association between race, AKI, and in-hospital mortality. Multivariable linear regression was used to analyze the association between length of stay and race among discharge records with a diagnosis of AKI. Results In this nationally representative sample of hospitalized U.S. adults with diabetes, blacks had a 50% higher age- and sex-adjusted odds of AKI compared to whites (odds ratio: 1.51; 95% CI 1.37–1.66). The association between black race and increased risk of AKI persisted after additional adjustment for multiple AKI-related risk factors, including chronic kidney disease, sepsis, hypertension, hypotension, length of stay, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, angiography, computed tomography scan, cirrhosis, admission source, payor source, hospital region, and hospital bed size (OR 1.71; 95% CI, 1.31–2.25). Among cases of AKI, there was no racial difference in length of stay or in-hospital mortality. Conclusions Among hospitalized adults in the U.S. with diabetes, black race is associated with a higher risk of AKI compared to white race.
Stimulated release of cholesterol from liposomal membranes by a PEGylated phospholipid.

PEGylated phospholipids are commonly used to increase the blood-circulation time of liposomes by providing a steric barrier around them. This paper documents a fundamentally new property of these lipids—an ability to stimulate the release of cholesterol from phospholipid membranes. Evidence for such stimulation has been obtained by measuring the transport of dehydroergosterol (DHE), a fluorescent simulant of cholesterol, from donor liposomes made from 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)-2000 (DSPE-PEG2000), and DHE to acceptor liposomes made from POPC, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (POPG), and cholesterol. The potential of PEGylated lipids to serve as novel cholesterol-lowering agents is briefly discussed.
Neural Correlates of Congenital Amusia

Magnetic resonance T1-weighted images were analyzed, using voxel-based morphometry (VBM), to detect brain anatomical differences in two independent groups of adults with congenital amusia (or tone-deafness) compared to controls with normal pitch perception and no formal musical training.
Preparation of crosslinked polystyrene microspheres with micron size

Poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) microspheres were prepared by suspension polymerization in water reaction media using polyvinylalcohol(PVA) as a steric stabilizer,benzoyl peroxide(BPO)as an initiator and isoamyl alcohol as a porofor in suitable condition.based on an optimal condition,narrow dispersed microspheres can be synthesized,the partical average diameters was 0.8mm.The effects of concentrations of initiator,porofor and stabilizer and the stirring rate have been investigated.The particle average diameter was determined by scanning electron microscope(SEM).
Alternative economic strategies and the technology treadmill: Beginning vegetable farmers in Iowa

This article describes the specialized technologies and nonmonetary economic strategies used by beginning vegetable farmers in Iowa alternative agriculture. Cochrane's model of the technology treadmill suggests that the newest wave of precision agriculture technology will soon become compulsory on large-scale grain farms in Iowa, but these are not the only technologies driving Midwestern agriculture forward. Beginning farmers in Iowa alternative agriculture seek to establish profitable, small-scale, direct-market farms. In pursuit of these goals, many look to technological solutions, such as specialized cold-storage systems, harvesters, and root washers. However, these technologies are often unaffordable for debt-averse new farmers. To access these solutions, beginning farmers integrate their use of agricultural technologies into a range of alternative economic strategies, including bartering, equipment sharing, and reciprocal labor exchange. This article argues that these nonmonetary strategies effectively allow beginning farmers access to the efficiency benefits of technology while simultaneously providing a buffer to the classic treadmill effect of “get big or get out.”
Immunotoxicity of Tumor Promoting Environmental Chemicals and Phorbol Diesters

ABSTRACT Current studies with the prototype tumor promoter 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol- 13-acetate (TPA) demonstrates that in vivo exposure to TPA suppresses 1) the ability of T and B cells to proliferate in response to appropriate mitogenic stimuli; 2) cell-cell cooperation between T and B cells as measured by the mouse's ability to mount an antibody response to the T-dependent antigen SRBC was depressed; 3) the susceptibility of TPA-treated mice to tumor challenge; and 4) the natural resistance of mice as measured by natural killer cell (NK) activity. Depression of cellmediated immunity (CMI), T-cell function, NK activity or in vivo tumor resistance following TPA exposure is consistent with immune alterations produced by exposure to the environmental chemicals diethylstilbestrol (DES), dimethylvinylchloride (DMVC), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and ethyl carbamate (urethane) which have all been shown to act as tumor promoters. These agents may operate, among other proposed mechanisms, as tumor promoters through alteration of CMI and immune resistance mechanisms.
The Early Years of William Henry Meckling

Some children are born to destiny. To demonstrate anything but brilliance shortly following birth with a family name like Bernoulli would be unimaginable. An academic pedigree opens doors for some that are closed for most others. Their family wealth and position assures them the best education at the most elite schools. From there, they enjoy academic careers at other elite schools that cater to the finest students. Few can overcome the challenge of lack of pedigree but succeed nonetheless. William Henry Meckling is one such exception.
A Framework for a Trans-disciplinary, Translational Research Group for Building Innovation

Abstract This paper outlines a framework for the formation of a research group aimed at promoting innovation in the building industry. The built environment in the United States is failing; economic, social, environmental and technological performance of buildings as well as the industry responsible for their creation has not kept pace with other industries essential to a ensuring a healthy society. While it would appear that research activity is prevalent in academia and, to some extent, in professional practice, the building industry is slow to change. The building industry is examined to identify the barriers currently in place that limit innovation. This paper proposes the formation of a trans-disciplinary group of academics and industry partners focused on translational research aimed at promoting much needed innovation in the building industry. The complexity of the problems needing to be addressed by the building industry is often beyond the scope of knowledge of any one particular field. This framework proposes to move beyond interdisciplinary research, where knowledge is transferred between collaborators, and rather strives for a trans-disciplinary model where team members transcend their own disciplines to inform one another's work. In addition, the research carried out by this group is intended to be translational. Modelled after the successful approach currently implemented in the medical profession, translational research results in a feedback loop where basic research is tested in application. Results become inputs to a new round of basic research, which are then tested again. This cycle continues with new research questions continuously being influenced by the limitations of previous questions. By more directly connecting the efforts of research in academia with the application in practice, the potential exists to make research more visible to both those with the power to implement it, practitioners and industry, and those able to benefit from it, end users.
Comparative biogeographic analysis of planktic foraminiferal survivorship across the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary

It is now widely recognized that a large number of Cretaceous planktic foraminiferal species are commonly found associated with fully Danian faunas in many K/T boundary sections and deep-sea cores. This “Cretaceous” fauna has traditionally been regarded as representing the reworking of older Cretaceous sediments into younger strata, though recent isotopic data from some species indicates that, at least in these instances, the reworking hypothesis is false. To further test this reworking hypothesis the biogeography of this “Cretaceous” fauna is compared to the underlying uppermost Maastrichtian biogeography and to the biogeography of lowermost Danian planktic foraminiferal faunas. Results show that there is no regular decline in species richness, extinction, or faunal co-occurrence values for this “Cretaceous” fauna at progressively higher (=younger) Danian stratigraphic horizons. Moreover, there is no compelling association between the stratigraphic persistence of this “Cretaceous” fauna and shallow depositional settings. Instead, this fauna is characterized by: (1) a close (and predictive) association between “Cretaceous” and indigenous Danian species richness values throughout the lower Danian, (2) a close numerical and geographic correspondence between Danian speciation and the disappearance of “Cretaceous” species from the Danian fossil record, and (3) a pronounced similarity between changes in the general biogeographic structures of the “Cretaceous” and associated Danian faunas throughout the study interval. These data suggest that the K/T planktic foraminiferal extinction event exhibited a marked geographic structure with low and middle latitude faunas experiencing differentially high extinction rates in the lowermost Danian zones P0 and P1a and high latitude survivor faunas persisting more or less unchanged into the overlying zone, P1b and P1c. Taken together, these results challenge the traditional concept of an instantaneous uppermost Cretaceous planktic foraminiferal mass extinction and its proposed causal connection to bolide impact.
Epidemiology of epilepsy

Modern epidemiology of epilepsy maximizes the benefits of advanced diagnostic methods and sophisticated techniques for case ascertainment in order to increase the diagnostic accuracy and representativeness of the cases and cohorts studied, resulting in better comparability of similarly performed studies. Overall, these advanced epidemiologic methods are expected to yield a better understanding of diverse risk factors, high-risk populations, seizure triggers, multiple and poorly understood causes of epilepsy, including the increasing and complex role of genetics, and establish the natural course of treated and untreated epilepsy and syndromes - all of which form the foundation of an attempt to prevent epileptogenesis as the primary prophylaxis of epilepsy. Although data collection continues to improve, epidemiologists still need to overcome definition and coding variability, insufficient documentation, as well as the interplay of socioeconomic factors and stigma. As most of the 65-70 million people with epilepsy live outside of resource-rich countries, extensive underdiagnosis, misdiagnosis, and undertreatment are likely. Epidemiology will continue to provide the necessary information to the medical community, public, and regulators as the foundation for improved health policies, targeted education, and advanced measures of prevention and prognostication of the most common severe brain disorder.
Frequency and Outcomes of Incidental Breast Lesions Detected on Abdominal MRI Over a 7-Year Period

OBJECTIVE. Our aim was to evaluate the frequency and outcomes of incidental breast lesions detected on abdominal MRI examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Abdominal MRI reports for 11,462 women imaged at our institution from November 2007 through December 2014 were reviewed to identify those reporting an incidental breast lesion. Available breast imaging and pathology results were assessed to identify outcomes in these lesions. RESULTS. Incidental breast lesions were described in the MRI reports of 292 (3%) patients who underwent abdominal MRI during the study period; breast imaging was recommended for 192 of these 292 (66%) patients. Sixty-three of the 192 (33%) patients for whom follow-up breast imaging was recommended underwent such imaging at our institution. Twenty-one of these 63 (33%) lesions underwent biopsy or surgery; histologic sampling of these lesions yielded seven incidental cancers (invasive ductal, n = 6; invasive lobular, n = 1) and 14 benign diagnoses. Three additional cancers (invasive d...
A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of a Tablet-based Training Program for Younger Drivers: Addressing Distraction Head On

Driver distraction is a leading cause of crashes, especially among novice drivers. Distraction for novice drivers is especially problematic in the presence of latent hazards (hazards which are not visible but could very well materialize). The current study evaluates the effectiveness of a tablet-based training program called the Engaged Driver Training System (EDTS) that enables novice drivers to navigate through realistic scenarios on a tablet and incorporates an error feedback mechanism to train them on latent hazard detection in high-risk scenarios. This study attempts to assess whether the training has an effect on drivers’ hazard anticipation skills and their willingness to engage in a secondary task in the presence of latent hazards. The secondary tasks include both tasks that require drivers to take their eyes off the road (e.g., operating the defroster) and those which do not (e.g., talking on a cell phone). Participants were assigned either to the EDTS condition or the placebo condition. After tr...
Foxc1 and Foxc2 in the Neural Crest Are Required for Ocular Anterior Segment Development

Purpose The large Forkhead (Fox) transcription factor family has essential roles in development, and mutations cause a wide range of ocular and nonocular disease. One member, Foxc2 is expressed in neural crest (NC)-derived periocular mesenchymal cells of the developing murine eye; however, its precise role in the development, establishment, and maintenance of the ocular surface has yet to be investigated. Methods To specifically delete Foxc2 from NC-derived cells, conditional knockout mice for Foxc2 (NC-Foxc2-/-) were generated by crossing Foxc2F mice with Wnt1-Cre mice. Similarly, we also generated compound NC-specific mutations of Foxc2 and a closely related gene, Foxc1 (NC-Foxc1-/-;NC-Foxc2-/-) in mice. Results Neural crest-Foxc2-/- mice show abnormal thickness in the peripheral-to-central corneal stroma and limbus and displaced pupils with irregular iris. The neural crest-specific mutation in Foxc2 also leads to ectopic neovascularization in the cornea, as well as impaired ocular epithelial cell identity and corneal conjunctivalization. Compound, NC-specific Foxc1; Foxc2 homozygous mutant mice have more severe defects in structures of the ocular surface, such as the cornea and eyelids, accompanied by significant declines in the expression of another key developmental factor, Pitx2, and its downstream effector Dkk2, which antagonizes canonical Wnt signaling. Conclusions The neural crest-Foxc2 mutation is associated with corneal conjunctivalization, ectopic corneal neovascularization, and disrupted ocular epithelial cell identity. Furthermore, Foxc2 and Foxc1 cooperatively function in NC-derived mesenchymal cells to ensure proper morphogenesis of the ocular surface via the regulation of Wnt signaling. Together, Foxc2 is required in the NC lineage for mesenchymal-epithelial interactions in corneal and ocular surface development.
White Paper AGA: Drug Development for Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Since first characterized in 2 small case series in the early 1990s, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has emerged as a commonly identified cause of esophageal symptoms in children and adults.1,2 Although several highly effectively dietary, pharmacologic, and endoscopic therapies have been reported, none is currently approved by either the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European regulatory authorities. Evolving diagnostic criteria have challenged drug development, in particular the recognition of complex interactions with the most prevalent esophageal disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Heterogeneity in the clinical presentations of affected children and adults has created difficulties with uniform inclusion criteria and the development of disease-specific, patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments. Furthermore, controversies regarding the appropriate therapeutic endpoints of EoE have impeded the design of clinical trials. Despite these obstacles, collaborative efforts by investigators, industry, the FDA, and patient advocacy groups have resulted in substantial progress in drug development in EoE over the past 2 decades.3 The purpose of this article is to summarize discussions on EoE based on the 2016 Drug Development Conference sponsored by the Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics of the American Gastroenterological Association.
Selective killing of tumor cells by RNAi-Silencing of BORIS

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA 2700 Background: Brother of the Regulator of Imprinted Sites (BORIS) is an epigenetically acting transcription factor that displaces the tumor suppressor protein CTCF in cancer cells resulting in upregulation of numerous proteins associated with oncogenesis. Previous studies have demonstrated vaccination against BORIS results in the generation of cytolytic immune responses against histologically-diverse tumors. In this study, RNAi induction was assessed as an alternative approach to induction of selective tumor cell killing. Materials and Methods: Short interfering RNA nucleotides targeting either specific zinc finger or non-zinc finger portions of BORIS, as well as scrambled control siRNA, were generated and administered to non-malignant epithelial and endothelial cells, and to several tumor cell lines representing breast cancer, glioma, and hepatoma. BORIS expression, and silencing thereof, was assessed by Western Blot analysis. TUNEL, MTT and Caspase 3/7 assays were performed to ascertain the effects of the siRNAs on proliferation and apoptosis of non-malignant and cancer cells. Results: BORIS expression was found in all cancer cell lines tested, but not control non-malignant cells, with highest expression in the MDA-231 breast cancer cell line. Treatment with 1.7nM of BORIS-specific siRNA, but not scrambled control siRNA, led to a significant reduction in BORIS expression and a profound induction of cell death in MDA-231 cells. Cell death was concentration dependent and peaked between 48 to 72 hours post treatment. Apoptosis was confirmed as the mechanism of cell death by TUNEL staining and Caspase 3/7 activation. Conclusion: This is the first unequivocal validation that the BORIS transcription factor represents an important target in the development of cancer therapeutics.
Multiagent induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation is associated with improved survival in locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND The role of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) is uncertain after multiple randomized clinical trials have yielded mixed results. The authors used the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) to determine whether CRT yields a survival benefit compared with chemotherapy alone (CT). METHODS Patients with nonmetastatic LAPC diagnosed during 2004 through 2014 were identified in the NCDB. Patients who received CT were compared with those who received CRT using chi-square analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to compare demographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics that were predictive of survival. Propensity score matching and shared frailty analysis were done. Subgroup analyses were undertaken to examine patients who underwent pancreatectomy and cohorts of patients who received different CT or CRT regimens. RESULTS In total, 8689 patients with LAPC were identified. CRT was associated with improved survival (median survival [MS], 13.5 months) compared with CT (MS, 10.6 months) on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR], 0.80; P < .001). Induction chemotherapy before CRT (HR, 0.67; P < .001) and multiagent chemotherapy (HR, 0.72; P < .001) were also identified as independent predictors of survival compared with concurrent CRT and single-agent CT, respectively. Patients in the CRT group who received multiagent induction chemotherapy had superior MS and pancreatectomy rates (MS, 17.5 months; HR, 0.70; P < .001; pancreatectomy rate, 10%) compared with those who received multiagent CT alone (MS, 12.4 months; pancreatectomy rate, 3.3%). Patients who underwent pancreatectomy experienced improved survival (MS, 22 vs 10.6 months; HR, 0.39; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS In this NCDB analysis, maximizing systemic chemotherapy before CRT improved survival compared with CT alone in patients with LAPC. Continued analysis of CRT in properly selected patients after maximized systemic therapy is needed. Cancer 2017;123:3816-24. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Keratoplasty and Transplantation Antigens

When the recipient corneal bed is avascular, allograft rejection occurs in about 10% of keratoplasty cases (Khodadoust, 1973; Stark et al., 1972; Chandler and Kaufman, 1974). If the preoperative recipient cornea is heavily vascularized, however, the incidence of immunogenic graft failure can range as high as 65% of cases (Khodadoust, 1973; Batchelor et al., 1976).
Business Strategy Formulation for a Financial Institution in a Developing Country

This paper provides a summary of a project done in 1986 for an organization in a Central American country. The purpose of the work was to develop a global strategy and some functional strategies to improve the organization’s image and to generate new sources of funds.
Cantilever fixed prostheses utilizing dental implants: a 10-year retrospective analysis.

Objective: The dental literature has been unclear about long-term success of fixed cantilever prostheses supported by dental implants. The disappointing results reported when cantilever fixed partial dentures (FPDs) are supported with natural teeth are not directly applicable to implant cantilever FPDs. This article reports on 10 years of implant-retained fixed prostheses primarily in the maxillary arch using the ITI dental implant system. Method and materials: Sixty cantilever prostheses using 115 ITI dental implants on 36 patients were placed and monitored over a 10-year period. Results: No implant fractures, abutment fractures, porcelain fractures, prosthesis fractures, soft tissue recession, or radiographic bone loss were recorded. All 60 cantilevered prostheses remain in satisfactory function. Conclusion: Positive, long-term results, using implant-retained cantilever FPDs can be achieved by: (1) using a rough surface implant of 4.1 mm or greater; (2) using an implant/abutment design that reduces stacked moving parts and reduces the implant-to-crowns ratio; and (3) using a cementable prosthesis design that eliminates the need for occlusal screw retention.