cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial variations in pancreatic cancer

A20 Introduction: The incidence and/or mortality rates for the major cancers in the US are significantly higher for African Americans (AA) than for Whites. Herein we report a descriptive epidemiologic study on the racial variations seen in the trends, incidence, age specific rates, and survival of pancreatic cancer. Methods: Data were obtained from NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) for the years 1973-2004. Using SEER Registry 9, there were 8,245 cases of pancreatic cancer in AA and 63,903 in Whites. Cases were compared by linear and by log-log plots of the age of diagnosis and age specific incidence rates. Log-log plots represent a mathematic transformation that provides insight into age dependent tumor development. Similar graphical patterns imply similar mechanisms of transformation or a similar carcinogenic process. The two main histological tumor types of the pancreas -- ductal epithelial carcinomas and neuroendocrine tumors -- were considered. Incidence rates are expressed as number of cases per 100,000 persons. Only invasive tumors were included. Summary: Of the two main pancreatic tumor types, ductal epithelial carcinomas that arise in the ducts comprise >97% of all pancreatic carcinomas and neuroendocrine tumors
Subclinical Atherosclerosis, Cardiac and Kidney Function, Heart Failure, and Dementia in the Very Elderly.

Background Heart failure (HF) and dementia are major causes of disability and death among older individuals. Risk factors and biomarkers of HF may be determinants of dementia in the elderly. We evaluated the relationship between biomarkers of cardiovascular disease and HF and risk of dementia and death. Three hypotheses were tested: (1) higher levels of high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T, N‐terminal of prohormone brain natriuretic peptide, and cystatin C predict risk of death, cardiovascular disease, HF, and dementia; (2) higher levels of cardiovascular disease biomarkers are associated with increased risk of HF and then secondary increased risk of dementia; and (3) risk of dementia is lower among participants with a combination of lower coronary artery calcium, atherosclerosis, and lower high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T (myocardial injury). Methods and Results The Cardiovascular Health Study Cognition Study was a continuation of the Cardiovascular Health Study limited to the Pittsburgh, PA, center from 1998–1999 to 2014. In 1992–1994, 924 participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. There were 199 deaths and 116 developed dementia before 1998–1999. Of the 609 participants eligible for the Pittsburgh Cardiovascular Health Study Cognition Study, 87.5% (n=532) were included in the study. There were 120 incident HF cases and 72% had dementia. In 80 of 87, dementia preceded HF. A combination of low coronary artery calcium score and low high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T was significantly associated with reduced risk of dementia and HF. Conclusions Most participants with HF had dementia but with onset before HF. Lower high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T and coronary artery calcium was associated with low risk of dementia based on a small number of events. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00005133.
Aging and the Social Ecology of Everyday Interpersonal Perception: What is Perceived, in Whom, and Where?

Objectives Despite a proliferation of research in interpersonal perception and aging, no research has identified the nature of the social and emotional perceptions made by aging individuals in everyday life. In this study, we aimed to identify the social ecological features that characterize everyday interpersonal perception across the adult lifespan. Method Three studies were conducted. Study 1 identified and compared the targets and locations of young, middle-age, and older adults' everyday interpersonal perceptions; these perceptions were categorized into types in Study 2. Study 3 applied these categorizations to identify and compare the social ecology surrounding aging individuals' interpersonal perceptions. Results Everyday interpersonal perceptions were directed toward familiar others and occurred in familiar locations, although the specific familiar targets and locations sometimes varied significantly with age. However, the types of perceptions made in everyday life did not vary significantly between age groups. Discussion Aging individuals make similar types of interpersonal judgments, but the targets and locations of these judgments may change with age. Future studies on interpersonal perception and aging will need to account for these features of the aging individual's social ecology to provide an accurate assessment of the aging process.
Embedded in the Crowd: Creative Freelancers, Crowdsourced Work, and Occupational Community:

Although scholars are beginning to examine the experience of crowdsourced work, the extant literature and popular accounts paint an undersocialized picture of the labor process. This study explores...
Screening for Chronic Disease

Screening is one of the most common chronic disease care activities in primary care practice. After careful shared decision-making, properly implemented screening can identify preclinical states that have the potential for treatment with a resultant reduction in adverse health events. If improperly used, screening can potentially cause harms and lead to wasteful healthcare expenditures. Clinicians should understand the general tenets of screening and clinical recommendations for counseling patients regarding the benefits versus harms of screening. The US Preventive Services Task Force is a trusted and reliable source of screening recommendations for various diseases.
Does Your Pay Determine My Satisfaction? Pay Structure and Pay Level Satisfaction in Groups

Affective responses in groups are an important factor in long-term group membership stability. In this paper, we investigate a specific affective response, pay satisfaction, in a group context. We ...
A 1.8 GHz–2.4 GHz SAW-Less Reconfigurable Receiver Frontend RFIC in 65nm CMOS RF SOI

This paper presents a tunable single-ended two-port switched-RC 8-path filter followed by a low-noise amplifier (LNA). The 8-path filter is driven by a novel on-chip tunable 8-phase LC oscillator. The integrated multi-phase oscillator is tunable from 1.8 GHz–2.4 GHz; enabling the tuning of the center frequency of the 8-path filter and consequently the receiver frontend. The architecture of the receiver frontend is of "filter-first" type, where the 8-path filter precedes the LNA; similar to the current state-of-the-art RF frontend circuits in mobile wireless devices, where the SAW/BAW filter precedes the LNA. The circuit exhibits an end-to-end power gain (S21) of 12.2 dB, and an out-of-band rejection of 23 dB at 80 MHz from the center frequency while maintaining better than −15dB of in-band S11 and S22. In-band and out-of-band IIP3 of −3.4dBm and +13.4dBm, respectively, are measured. Power consumption is 31.6mW for the 8-path filter+LNA while it is 64.4mW when the 8-phase oscillator is included. The circuit is fabricated in a 65nm CMOS RF SOI process, and occupies an active area of 0.59mm2 for the n-path filter+LNA and 5mm2 when the 8-phase oscillator is included.
Synthetic molecular evolution of hybrid cell penetrating peptides.

Peptides and analogs such as peptide nucleic acids (PNA) are promising tools and therapeutics, but the cell membrane remains a barrier to intracellular targets. Conjugation to classical cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) such as pTat48-60 (tat) and pAntp43-68 (penetratin) facilitates delivery; however, efficiencies are low. Lack of explicit design principles hinders rational improvement. Here, we use synthetic molecular evolution (SME) to identify gain-of-function CPPs with dramatically improved ability to deliver cargoes to cells at low concentration. A CPP library containing 8192 tat/penetratin hybrid peptides coupled to an 18-residue PNA is screened using the HeLa pTRE-LucIVS2 splice correction reporter system. The daughter CPPs identified are one to two orders of magnitude more efficient than the parent sequences at delivery of PNA, and also deliver a dye cargo and an anionic peptide cargo. The significant increase in performance following a single iteration of SME demonstrates the power of this approach to peptide sequence optimization.
Context and Value of Biomedical and Health Informatics

Public health informatics (PHI) is one branch of the larger field of biomedical and health informatics (BMHI) (Hersh, BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 9:24, 2009). In this chapter, we will define the terminology of BMHI and identify where other branches of the field can inform the science and practice of PHI. We will also discuss the value of BMHI in all health-related disciplines.
Moral Expertise: A Comparative Philosophical Approach

Discussion of moral expertise typically ask whether knowledge of moral theory allows someone to make better moral judgments than those unversed in such theories, or at least to make sound judgments more reliably. This paper challenges a common assumption that real world moral judgments can be best understood as applications of a specific area of theoretical knowledge, rather in the way that engineering can be understood as a kind of applied physics. I challenge this assumption by drawing on the work of the comparative philosopher Thomas Kasulis to argue that a) moral wisdom is best understood as embodied in practices that do not readily admit of explicit discursive analysis, and b) such practices are themselves embedded in specific cultural traditions, so that c) moral expertise is realized in expertise and familiarity with culturally embedded behaviors. Consequently, moral expertise—even in an applied setting such as bioethics—is more akin to understanding classical ballet than knowing the principles and applications of a theoretical science. As an illustration, I then consider the classical Confucian idea of li, or ritual propriety, and its role in defining moral wisdom. I end by arguing that the appeals to specific cultural practices in this account does not entail relativism or subjectivism.
A preliminary investigation on supplemental food and predation by birds

Birds that are active in the winter must continually meet their metabolic needs to survive many months of cold temperatures. Overwintering insects inhabiting trees provide an important food source for these birds. The objective of this study was to test whether or not winter birds present in the deciduous forest surrounding the Saint Francis University campus would forage more on tree-dwelling insects if there was a supplemental food source provided in the area. We used frozen mealworms placed in trees as surrogate overwintering insects and measured the foraging success of birds on these insects during a three-week period in the winter of 2014. Mealworm predation was compared across three sites differing in supplemented food sources: sunflower seeds, suet, and no provided food (control). Each site had four mealworms placed in holes drilled in 16 surrounding trees for a total of 64 mealworms per site. The consumption of these mealworms was measured during the experiment to analyze whether provided food sources influence the foraging behavior of birds in the winter. Observations after three weeks indicated that the predation rates were 78%, 72% and 69% at the seed, control and suet sites, respectively. The bird counts reveal a greater number of birds visiting the suet site compared to the control and the seed site. Birds appear to prey on insects inhabiting trees independently of foraging on supplemental food sources, or perhaps different species of birds forage on tree insects compared to those that visit feeders.
Impact of Experience on Emotional Well-being and Loyalty

ABSTRACTThe spa and wellness industry is a growing multi-trillion dollar a year global business. Research is lacking regarding motivations to patronize a spa along with the benefits and outcomes fr...
Pediatric intraocular pressure measurements: Tonometers, central corneal thickness, and anesthesia

Measuring intraocular pressure (IOP) is the cornerstone of a comprehensive glaucoma examination. In babies or small children, however, IOP measurements are problematic, cannot often be performed at the slit lamp, and sometimes require general anesthesia. Therefore, it is essential for an ophthalmologist who examines a pediatric patient to be aware of the different tonometers used in children, as well as the effects of central corneal thickness and anesthesia on IOP measurements. Goldmann applanation tonometry is the gold standard for IOP assessment. Most alternative tonometers tend to give higher IOP readings than the Goldmann applanation tonometer, and readings between different tonometers are often not interchangeable. Similar to Goldmann tonometry, many of these alternative tonometers are affected by central corneal thickness, with thicker corneas having artifactually high IOP readings and thinner corneas having artifactually lower IOP readings. Although various machines can be used to compensate for corneal factors (e.g., the dynamic contour tonometer and ocular response analyzer), it is important to be aware that certain ocular diseases can be associated with abnormal central corneal thickness values and that their IOP readings need to be interpreted accordingly. Because induction and anesthetics can affect IOP, office IOPs taken in awake patients are always the most accurate.
Teach-Back Method: Using a Nursing Education Intervention to Improve Discharge Instructions on an Adult Oncology Unit

Background Transitions from acute clinical care to the outpatient setting can be daunting. Clear explanations of discharge instructions from nurses and assessment of the patient's understanding can have a positive impact. Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of an education intervention on nurses' use of the teach-back method, as well as the effects on patient satisfaction at discharge. Methods The setting was a 20-bed adult oncology unit. Nurses' understanding of the teach-back method pre- and posteducation intervention was assessed using the Conviction and Confidence Scale. The effect of the intervention on patient satisfaction was assessed using the Press Ganey survey three months before and after teach-back education. Findings The results of this study indicated that nurses were more confident in their ability to use the teach-back method and integrated many teach-back competencies into clinical practice. Although few follow-up surveys were received, longer-term data indicated continued improvement in patient satisfaction and understanding of discharge instructions.
Reproductive Systems and Dynamic Management of Genetic Resources

My approach to the above topic will be based on Dobzhansky’s well-known dictum that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” My thesis is that genetic resource conservation, as well as the deployment of genetic resources in plant breeding, are evolutionary processes and that understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for the genetic progress that has occurred over time will provide the most certain guide to future progress. I turn now to empirical data to examine the genetic changes that have occurred in three species groups in response to many generations of natural and man-guided selection for high performance in agricultural environments. These species groups are: cultivated barley and its conspecific wild ancestor Hordeum vulgare, ssp. spontaneum; corn, Zea mays and its wild ancestor teosinte (Zea species); and the tetraploid slender wild oat, Avena barbata and its diploid ancestor, the A. birtula-A. wiestii complex. The Hordeum and Avena species groups are heavily self-pollinated whereas the Zeas are outcrossers.
On the Definition of Lens Distortion Reference Data with Odd-Power Polynomials

Odd-power polynomials were determined for all lens distortion reference data ever included in the various editions of the Canadian Specification for Aerial Survey Photography. The degree of polynom...
Implementing Congestion Tolls on Currently Free Highways With Public–Private Partnerships: What Are the Financial and Economic Benefits?:

A trillion dollars in Interstate highway improvement and modernization work has been deferred due to lack of funding. More than half of Interstate and other freeway and expressway lane miles are cl...
Reflections on the New School's Founding Moments, 1919 and 1933

This essay relates the New School’s situation of receiving European refugees and creating the University in Exile in 1933 to its founding period after 1919. From its very beginning, the New School wrestled with the consequences of unfreedom, fear, and insecurity. Two years after its founding, the University in Exile was chartered as the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science, having become an established American doctoral institution, with the “fundamental belief in the great tradition that thought and scholarship must be free” (Alvin Johnston). In drawing parallels and contrasts between 1919 and 1933, the chapter underlines some basic tensions, but also chronicles the great impact that the arrival of a substantial number of European social scientists as emigres had in reshaping the project of the New School.
Survival with Follicular and Hurthle Cell Microcarcinoma Compared to Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma: A Population Study of 84,532 Patients.

This study compares survival in patients with the rare subtypes of follicular (FTmC) and Hurthle cell (HCmC) microcarcinoma compared to that of papillary thyroid (PTmC) microcarcinoma. Patients with FTmC and HCmC were selected from the National Cancer Database 2004–2015 and compared with PTmC. Patient clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression analysis evaluated binary outcomes and predictors of survival. A propensity score matched analysis using age, gender, race, extrathyroidal extension (ETE), nodal status, distant metastasis, radiation, and operation was performed to evaluate the difference in OS with FTmC, HCmC, and PTmC. We identified 858 FTmC, 476 HCmC, and 82,056 PTmC. FTmC was less likely to have macroscopic ETE compared to PTmC (2.6% vs. 3.1% p = 0.03), but more likely to have distant metastasis (2.3% vs. 0.2%, p < 0.01). FTmC and HCmC were less likely to have nodal metastasis (2.7%, 2.5% vs. 10.9%, p < 0.01). Ten-year OS was decreased in patients with FTmC (91.4%, p = 0.04) and HCmC (89.8%, p < 0.01) compared to PTmC (93.5%). On multivariable analysis, histology was not associated with OS. With HCmC, older age (OR 1.13, p < 0.01) and male gender (OR 2.72, p = 0.03) were associated with decreased OS. In propensity matched analysis, there was no difference in 10-year OS with FTmC and PTmC (91.4% vs. 93.7%, p = 0.54), but HCmC had decreased OS compared to PTmC (89.8% vs. 94.3%, p = 0.04). Patients with FTmC have comparable OS to those with PTmC, but HCmC has decreased OS especially in older and male patients.
How do state Medicaid programs determine what substance use disorder treatment medications need prior authorization? An overview for clinicians

The process by which state Medicaid programs develop their preferred drug lists, and determine which medications require prior authorization, is opaque to many clinicians. This process is a synthesis of cost and clinical information. For cost, the federal Medicaid Drug Rebate Program establishes mandatory rebates that pharmaceutical manufacturers must pay state Medicaid programs. In addition, state Medicaid programs may also negotiate supplemental rebates whereby, in exchange for a preferred position on the preferred drug list, manufacturers pay an additional rebate. These supplemental rebates are most important in therapeutic classes with multiple brand competitors (e.g., medication treatments for opioid use disorder). For clinical information, state Medicaid programs convene pharmaceutical and therapeutics committees, drug utilization review boards, or both, composed of a variety of stakeholders such as practicing clinicians. Cost factors such as federal rebate calculations and supplemental rebate negotiations may lead to counterintuitive preferred drug lists, for example, a state Medicaid program requiring prior authorization for a generic medication but not for its brand equivalent (e.g., buprenorphine/naloxone products). Because of states' reliance on rebates, mandates to remove prior authorization may have the unintended consequence of increasing costs significantly through the loss of rebate negotiating power. In the face of high and rising medication costs, state Medicaid programs are also implementing innovative policy approaches to maintain access and control costs, such as targeted rebate negotiation and value-based pricing. Through participation in state Medicaid program clinical advisory committees, individual clinicians can have a powerful voice. Interested clinicians should consider joining to inform policy and help ensure their patients' needs are met.
The Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS) Is One of the Effectors by Which Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)/Anti-VEGF Controls the Endothelial Cell Barrier

Leakage of retinal blood vessels, which is an essential element of diabetic retinopathy, is driven by chronic elevation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF quickly relaxes the endothelial cell barrier by triggering signaling events that post-translationally modify pre-existing components of intercellular junctions. VEGF also changes expression of genes that are known to regulate barrier function. Our goal was to identify effectors by which VEGF and anti-VEGF control the endothelial cell barrier in cells that were chronically exposed to VEGF (hours instead of minutes). The duration of VEGF exposure influenced both barrier relaxation and anti-VEGF-mediated closure. Most VEGF-induced changes in gene expression were not reversed by anti-VEGF. Those that were constitute VEGF effectors that are targets of anti-VEGF. Pursuit of such candidates revealed that VEGF used multiple, nonredundant effectors to relax the barrier in cells that were chronically exposed to VEGF. One such effector was angiotensin-converting enzyme, which is a member of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Pharmacologically antagonizing either the angiotensin-converting enzyme or the receptor for angiotensin II attenuated VEGF-mediated relaxation of the barrier. Finally, activating the RAAS reduced the efficacy of anti-VEGF. These discoveries provide a plausible mechanistic explanation for the long-standing appreciation that RAAS inhibitors are beneficial for patients with diabetic retinopathy and suggest that antagonizing the RAAS improves patients' responsiveness to anti-VEGF.
Tissue Morphogenesis: A Cellular View of Adhesion-Dependent Cell Sorting.

Summary Cells from different germ layers — endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm — can spontaneously segregate within a cell aggregate, and differential cell–cell adhesion has been proposed to explain this behavior. New observations at subcellular resolution suggest a more nuanced view.
Effectiveness of a decontamination procedure in a pharmacy buffer room contaminated by 5 antineoplastic agents.

PURPOSE Healthcare facilities are obligated to implement strategies to protect healthcare workers from exposure to hazardous drugs, including any real or potential risk from contaminated surfaces. Guidelines are broad and lack sufficient detail for healthcare facilities to establish clear effectiveness targets for their decontamination procedures. Our goal in this analysis was to measure the effectiveness of a decontamination procedure in a pharmacy buffer room contaminated with 5 antineoplastic drugs. METHODS Six rounds of contamination, decontamination, and wipe sampling were performed in a pharmacy buffer room designated for hazardous drug (HD) compounding. Ten locations in the buffer room were contaminated with 5-fluorouracil, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, and doxorubicin. Pharmacy staff were blinded to contamination sites. After contamination, 3 pharmacy technicians following the same decontamination procedure decontaminated the buffer room. To assess the impact of decontamination, residual hazardous drug levels were assessed after contamination and after decontamination using a commercially available wipe sampling product. RESULTS The mean (SD) residual contamination levels for the 239 wipe samples taken before and after decontamination were 63 (60) ng and 3.9 (8.2) ng, respectively, representing a 94% reduction in residual HD contamination. Residual contamination was not detectable (<5 ng) in 221 (~93%) of the samples after decontamination. CONCLUSION The employed decontamination procedures effectively reduced residual HD surface contamination.
Mitochondrial Enzymes of the Urea Cycle Cluster at the Inner Mitochondrial Membrane

Mitochondrial enzymes involved in energy transformation are organized into multiprotein complexes that channel the reaction intermediates for efficient ATP production. Three of the mammalian urea cycle enzymes: N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS), carbamylphosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1), and ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) reside in the mitochondria. Urea cycle is required to convert ammonia into urea and protect the brain from ammonia toxicity. Urea cycle intermediates are tightly channeled in and out of mitochondria, indicating that efficient activity of these enzymes relies upon their coordinated interaction with each other, perhaps in a cluster. This view is supported by mutations in surface residues of the urea cycle proteins that impair ureagenesis in the patients, but do not affect protein stability or catalytic activity. We find the NAGS, CPS1, and OTC proteins in liver mitochondria can associate with the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) and can be co-immunoprecipitated. Our in-silico analysis of vertebrate NAGS proteins, the least abundant of the urea cycle enzymes, identified a protein-protein interaction region present only in the mammalian NAGS protein-"variable segment," which mediates the interaction of NAGS with CPS1. Use of super resolution microscopy showed that NAGS, CPS1 and OTC are organized into clusters in the hepatocyte mitochondria. These results indicate that mitochondrial urea cycle proteins cluster, instead of functioning either independently or in a rigid multienzyme complex.
Life is a mobius strip

If you cut a mobius strip in half, the edges form a Trefoil Knot, which can be untied to form a circle, proving it's a true mathematical knot. The cell is a homologue of the mathematical knot since it, too, must be able to unknot itself to form the egg and sperm meiotically in order to reproduce. The homology between a knot and a cell is thought-provoking biologically because the Trefoil Knot is a metaphor for the endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm, the three germ layers of the gastrula that ultimately produce the embryo, beginning with the zygote. Upon further consideration, the cell membrane is like a mobius strip, forming one continuous surface between the inner environment of the cell and the outer environment. However, it is not formed by taking a circular surface, cutting it, twisting it and attaching the two ends as you would conventionally to form a mobius strip. Conversely, David Bohm's Explicate Order forms a boundary with the Implicate Order. That lipid boundary is the prima facie mobius strip that divides the infinite surface of the Implicate Order into inside and outside by 'recalling' its pre-adapted state as lipid molecules before there was an inside or outside.
Iris yellow spot virus (Tospovirus: Bunyaviridae): from obscurity to research priority

SummaryTaxonomy Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) is in the genus Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae, with a single-stranded, tri-segmented RNA genome with an ambisense genome organization. Members of the other genera in the family infect predominantly vertebrates and insects. Geographical distribution IYSV is present in most Allium-growing regions of the world. Physical properties Virions are pleomorphic particles of 80–120 nm in size. The particle consists of RNA, protein, glycoprotein and lipids. Genome IYSV shares the genomic features of other tospoviruses: a segmented RNA genome of three RNAs, referred to as large (L), medium (M) and small (S). The L RNA codes for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) in negative sense. The M RNA uses an ambisense coding strategy and codes for the precursor for the GN/GC glycoprotein in the viral complementary (vc) sense and a non-structural protein (NSm) in the viral (v) sense. The S RNA also uses an ambisense coding strategy with the coat protein (N) in vc sense and a non-structural protein (NSs) in the v sense. Transmission The virus is transmitted by Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Order: Thysanoptera; Family: Thripidae; onion thrips) and with less efficiency by Frankliniella fusca Hinds (tobacco thrips). Host IYSV has a relatively broad host range, including cultivated and wild onions, garlic, chives, leeks and several ornamentals. Some weeds are naturally infected by IYSV and may serve as alternative hosts for the virus. Symptoms IYSV symptoms in Allium spp. are yellow- to straw-coloured, diamond-shaped lesions on leaves and flowering scapes. Diamond-shaped lesions are particularly pronounced on scapes. As the disease progresses, the lesions coalesce, leading to lodging of the scapes. In seed crops, this could lead to a reduction in yield and quality. Early to mid-season infection in bulb crops results in reduced vigour and bulb size. Control Resistant varieties are not available, but a limited number of accessions with field tolerance have been identified. Integrated disease management tactics, including sanitation, crop rotation, thrips management, maintenance of optimal plant vigour, soil fertility, irrigation and physical separation of bulb and seed crops, can mitigate the effect of the disease. Virus code: 00.011.0.85.009 Useful link: http://www.alliumnet.com/
Shared elements of host-targeting pathways among apicomplexan parasites of differing lifestyles

Apicomplexans are a diverse group of obligate parasites occupying different intracellular niches that require modification to meet the needs of the parasite. To efficiently manipulate their environment, apicomplexans translocate numerous parasite proteins into the host cell. Whereas some parasites remain contained within a parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) throughout their developmental cycle, others do not, a difference that affects the machinery needed for protein export. A signal-mediated pathway for protein export into the host cell has been characterized in Plasmodium parasites, which maintain the PVM. Here, we functionally demonstrate an analogous host-targeting pathway involving organellar staging prior to secretion in the related bovine parasite, Babesia bovis, a parasite that destroys the PVM shortly after invasion. Taking into account recent identification of a similar signal-mediated pathway in the coccidian parasite Toxoplasma gondii, we suggest a model in which this conserved pathway has evolved in multiple steps from signal-mediated trafficking to specific secretory organelles for controlled secretion to a complex protein translocation process across the PVM.
Abstract 832: Pre-clinical development of EC1456: A potent Folate targeted Tubulysin SMDC

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Folate targeted small molecule drug conjugates (SMDC) have shown promising results in early stage clinical trials with Vintafolide now being evaluated in a phase 3 trial in FR-positive ovarian cancer patients. We have now developed a new group of folate conjugated Tubulysins, of which EC1456 has emerged as a lead candidate for clinical development. Treatment of nude mice bearing folate receptor (FR) positive human xenografts with EC1456 led to complete remissions (CR's) or cures in 100% of the mice at various doses and schedules. The observed activity was not accompanied by any noticeable weight loss or major organ tissue degeneration. In contrast, no significant anti-tumor activity (0 % CR's) was observed in EC1456-treated animals that were co-dosed with an excess of a benign folate ligand, thus demonstrating EC1456's target-specific activity. The enhanced therapeutic index due to folate conjugation was also evidenced by the fact that the un-targeted free drug (tubulysin B or its hydrazide form) was found to be completely inactive even when administered at highly toxic dose levels. Furthermore, when challenged with larger tumors, EC1456 again displayed remarkable anti-tumor activity with 100% cures in tumors up to 750 mm3. Complete cures were also observed in other FR positive models such as MDA-MB-231 TNBC and M109 lung tumor models. In support of our clinical strategy to treat drug resistant FR-positive cancer patients we have also shown that EC1456 was highly active against FR expressing paclitaxel and cisplatin-resistant cell lines. Taken together, these studies demonstrated that EC1456 has significant anti-tumor growth activity and tolerability, thus lending support to the ongoing Phase 1 clinical evaluation of EC1456 for advanced malignancies. Citation Format: Joseph A. Reddy, Alicia Bloomfield, Melissa Nelson, Ryan Dorton, Marilynn Vetzel, Christopher P. Leamon. Pre-clinical development of EC1456: A potent Folate targeted Tubulysin SMDC. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 832. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-832
Quality Control of Radiopharmaceuticals

Since radiopharmaceuticals are intended for human administration, it is imperative that they undergo strict quality control measures. Basically, quality control involves several specific tests and measurements that ensure the purity, potency, product identity, biologic safety, and efficacy of radiopharmaceuticals. All quality control procedures that are applied to nonradioactive pharmaceuticals are equally applicable to radiopharmaceuticals; in addition, tests for radionuclidic and radiochemical purity have to be carried out. Often these quality control tests are carried out by the manufacturers from the beginning of production all the way up to the finished product. However, the introduction of kits, the increasing use of short-lived radionuclides such as 99mTc and 113mIn, and the on-site preparation of many radiopharmaceuticals require that most, if not all, quality control tests be performed on all in-house preparations before dispensing these agents for human administration.
QoS-supported energy-efficient MAC (QEMAC) protocol based on IEEE 802.11e for Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks

The handiness of low-cost modest and tiny imaging sensors fostered the emergence of Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSN) applications i.e. traffic congestion avoidance, video surveillance, localization, telemedicine, and industrial process control systems. The above applications require not only guaranteed-support of QoS but also the energy efficient multimedia processing in the WMSN, which necessitates appropriate sensor MAC protocol. Since the need to minimize the energy consumption has driven most of the research in sensor networks so far, mechanisms to efficiently deliver application-level QoS, and to map these requirements to network-layer metrics such as latency and jitter, have not been primary concerns in mainstream research on sensor networks. In this paper, we propose an energy-efficient MAC protocol (QEMAC) that caters the Quality of Services for the multimedia heterogeneous environment with fairness feature. QEMAC is based on the latest IEEE 802.11e standard and enhances it for energy-conservation and fairness without violating QoS constraints to the wireless multimedia sensor networks. Simulation results reveal that QEMAC provide fairness and suffer low delay and jitter with efficient energy consumption as compare to the other QoS-aware sensory MAC protocols.
A novel method to measure regional muscle blood flow continuously using NIRS kinetics information

This article introduces a novel method to continuously monitor regional muscle blood flow by using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS). We demonstrate the feasibility of the new method in two ways: (1) by applying this new method of determining blood flow to experimental NIRS data during exercise and ischemia; and, (2) by simulating muscle oxygenation and blood flow values using these newly developed equations during recovery from exercise and ischemia. Deoxy (Hb) and oxyhemoglobin (HbO2), located in the blood ofthe skeletal muscle, carry two internal relationships between blood flow and oxygen consumption. One is a mass transfer principle and the other describes a relationship between oxygen consumption and Hb kinetics in a two-compartment model. To monitor blood flow continuously, we transfer these two relationships into two equations and calculate the blood flow with the differential information of HbO2 and Hb. In addition, these equations are used to simulate the relationship between blood flow and reoxygenation kinetics after cuff ischemia and a light exercise. Nine healthy subjects volunteered for the cuff ischemia, light arm exercise and arm exercise with cuff ischemia for the experimental study. Analysis of experimental data of both cuff ischemia and light exercise using the new equations show greater blood flow (four to six times more than resting values) during recovery, agreeing with previous findings. Further, the simulation and experimental studies of cuff ischemia and light exercise agree with each other. We demonstrate the accuracy of this new method by showing that the blood flow obtained from the method agrees with previous data as well as with simulated data. We conclude that this novel continuous blood flow monitoring method can provide blood flow information non-invasively with NIRS.
Excitons Surf Along Conjugated Polymer Chains

The energy carriers in an organic polymer semiconductor stay in phase when they move along a single polymer chain at room temperature.
Progestin-Only Oral Contraceptives

Progestin-only pills (POPs) are often referred to as mini-pills. POPs contain about 35–75% of the progestin dose contained in combination oral contraceptives (OCs) but they are taken continuously without a pill-free interval. Their effectiveness is generally similar to combination OCs. It is critical that POPs be taken at the same time every day; failure to do this may explain the higher typical-use failure rates reported in some studies. They are associated with more breakthrough spotting and bleeding but fewer serious side effects. Although not as well-studied as combination OCs, POPs are thought to have many of the same non-contraceptive health benefits.
Analysis and functional annotation of expressed sequence tags from the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda

Little is known about the genome sequences of lepidopteran insects, although this group of insects has been studied extensively in the fields of endocrinology, development, immunity, and pathogen-host interactions. In addition, cell lines derived from Spodoptera frugiperda and other lepidopteran insects are routinely used for baculovirus foreign gene expression. This study reports the results of an expressed sequence tag (EST) sequencing project in cells from the lepidopteran insect S. frugiperda, the fall armyworm. We have constructed an EST database using two cDNA libraries from the S. frugiperda-derived cell line, SF-21. The database consists of 2,367 ESTs which were assembled into 244 contigs and 951 singlets for a total of 1,195 unique sequences. S. frugiperda is an agriculturally important pest insect and genomic information will be instrumental for establishing initial transcriptional profiling and gene function studies, and for obtaining information about genes manipulated during infections by insect pathogens such as baculoviruses.
MANET: tracing evolution of protein architecture in metabolic networks

Cellular metabolism can be characterized by networks of enzymatic reactions and transport processes capable of supporting cellular life. Our aim is to find evolutionary patterns and processes embedded in the architecture and function of modern metabolism, using information derived from structural genomics. The Molecular Ancestry Network (MANET) project traces evolution of protein architecture in biomolecular networks. We describe metabolic MANET, a database that links information in the Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP), the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and phylogenetic reconstructions depicting the evolution of protein fold architecture. Metabolic MANET literally 'paints' the ancestries of enzymes derived from rooted phylogenomic trees directly onto over one hundred metabolic subnetworks, enabling the study of evolutionary patterns at global and local levels. An initial analysis of painted subnetworks reveals widespread enzymatic recruitment and an early origin of amino acid metabolism. MANET maps evolutionary relationships directly and globally onto biological networks, and can generate and test hypotheses related to evolution of metabolism. We anticipate its use in the study of other networks, such as signaling and other protein-protein interaction networks.
Statistically Based Air-Quality Indices

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is, under sponsorship of the NSF, studying the development of air quality or air pollution indices. We have examined a number of ways for combining measured information about several pollutants into a single number that reflects the overall state of the air quality within a given area. A number of these index systems have been strictly mathematical relationships that tended to give the index itself desirable qualities, that is, the desired response as values of the measurements changed. As this work progressed, however, we have come to believe that some sort of statistically based index is probably the ultimate answer. We feel this way for several reasons, one of which is that there seems to be some truth in the belief that air quality measurements follow a definable statistical distribution. More importantly, the hazard or harm that results from air pollution is usually measured — when it is measured — in statistical terms, that is, the frequency of effect. So it seems that if we could devise a valid statistically based indexing system, it should be compatible with the damage information or data that is available or that will become available in the future. Accordingly, such an index may have something to say about how standards are set or at least point the way to a valid assessment of standards. In this paper, we wish to present some of the assumptions and rationale and flaws associated with this approach. This work is not complete.
Single-Portal Arthroscopy of the Central Compartment of the Hip

Since hip arthroscopy has become a standard of orthopaedic practice, the indications have continued to expand as it has proved to be a helpful diagnostic, as well as therapeutic, tool. Access to the hip joint, however, remains challenging for the orthopaedic surgeon who does not routinely perform hip arthroscopy. We present a single-portal arthroscopic technique, showing the feasibility of single-portal arthroscopic access to the hip joint, as well as describing basic indications and instrumentation for single-portal hip arthroscopy. Single-portal hip arthroscopy is ideal for the patient who needs to undergo diagnostic hip arthroscopy or for treatment in patients with simple hip pathology (e.g., removal of loose bodies or debridement).
A control structure for time dependent reasoning

In many domains it is important to reason about processes that change over time. Unfortunately, in many situations relevant data may not be available when the reasoning is done; there may be corrections to the data; or the state of the process may be changing. These problems are particularly evident in the reasoning involved in patient management. Physicians tend to reason about the patient state as a series of states. Therefore, a system attempting to capture their expertise must be able to find the appropriate time intervals in which to do the reasoning, handle incomplete data and handle changes to data even when the data relates to a state that has since changed. We present a data-driven control structure for reasoning processes in a domain in which updating or changes can occur. This mechanism implements two abstractions for these processes: the abstraction of data from a continuous process and the abstraction of decision making in a static state context. We will illustrate the use of the system with an example from a medical expert system for patient assessment, but the techniques are also applicable to other domains such as business decision making with result tracking and sensor interpretation.
The climate–wildfire–air quality system: interactions and feedbacks across spatial and temporal scales

Future climate change and its effects on social and ecological systems present challenges for preserving valued ecosystem services, including local and regional air quality. Wildfire is a major source of air-quality impact in some locations, and a substantial contributor to pollutants of concern, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are regulated to protect public and environmental health. Since climate change is expected to increase total area burned by wildfire and wildfires affect air quality, which is regulated, there is a need to define and study climate, wildfire, and air quality as one system. We review interactions and feedbacks acting across space and time within the climate–wildfire–air quality system, providing a foundation for integrated modeling and for assessing the ecological and social impacts of this system and its broader ecological, social, and scientific implications. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. How to cite this article:
The lysosomal localization of sphingolipid hydrolases

Abstract The distribution of three sphingolipid hydrolases was studied in subcellular fractions of rat liver and kidney tissue. Lysosomes contained the highest specific activity with regard to glucocerebrosidase, galactocerbrosidase, and sphingomyelinase. Considerable sphingomyelinase activity is also found in mitochondria and microsomes which is probably not attributable to lysosomal contamination.
Noninvasive subthreshold auricular electrical stimulation reduces the severity of precipitated and abrupt opiate withdrawal

The objective of this study was to use noninvasive, subthreshold auricular electrical stimulation (AES) as a treatment to reduce the severity of precipitated and of abrupt opiate withdrawal. Sixty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups. The first three groups were used to study the effects of AES on naloxone-precipitated withdrawal; the other three groups were used to examine the influence of AES on abrupt withdrawal. Morphine dependence was induced by multiple injections of the drug on an incremental staircase dosage regimen for 6 days. The results obtained from first three groups show that AES reduced the severity of the withdrawal signs precipitated by naloxone injection (0.5 mg/kg SC) by more than 75% (p < 0.01). The observations obtained from the other three groups show that AES reduced the severity of abrupt withdrawal for at least 4 h as assessed by measuring the locomotor behavior of the animals. This study demonstrates that noninvasive subthreshold AES is effective in reducing the severity of precipitated and of abrupt opiate withdrawal.
Effect of feeding high levels of androgens on the sex ratio of Oreochromis aureus

Abstract An experiment in which Oreochromis aureus fry were fed ethynyltestosterone (ET) at levels of 60, 90, 120, and 240 mg/kg of feed for 22 days at 27 to 32°C produced 100% male fish. Feeding methyltestosterone (MT) at levels of 60, 90, and 120 mg/kg of feed produced 96–99% males. Accidental overdosing of O. aureus fry with ET or MT (to the extent of 300% of recommended doses) should not hamper practical-scale production of monosex males.