cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 5263: The APC tumor suppressor controls epithelial polarization and morphogenesis

Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is a multifunctional tumor suppressor that is frequently mutated or lost in most epithelial-derived tumor types, including colorectal, breast and renal cancer. We have previously demonstrated that germline heterozygous Apc mutation disrupts mammary epithelial integrity. In addition, Apc mutation advances polyoma middle T antigen (PyMT)-mediated mammary tumorigenesis. Interestingly, in both of these models, the effect of Apc mutation was independent of Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation. The objective of the present study was to extend these observations to in vitro models and identify the molecular mechanism by which APC exerts its tumor suppressive function through regulation of epithelial polarity and morphogenesis. Using lentiviral-mediated RNA interference, APC was stably suppressed in non-transformed HC11 mammary and MDCK kidney epithelial cells. Although the APC-knockdown cells did not show any significant morphological or growth differences compared to control vector-only or scrambled shRNA-infected cells on plastic, they showed a dramatic multi-layering phenotype when cultured on permeable supports. Moreover, the polarized localization of basolateral markers, such as Dlg and Scrib tumor suppressor proteins, and apical proteins, including MUC1, was severely disrupted. When the cells were cultured under three-dimensional conditions and compared to controls, the APC-knockdown epithelial cells formed enlarged, non-spherical acini and cysts with filled-in lumens, many of which were invasive into the surrounding matrix. Remarkably, in the MDCK APC-knockdown cells, inverted polarity was observed with the apical marker gp135 localized to the periphery of the cysts. Similar to our previous in vivo studies, these polarization defects associated with APC loss did not appear to require activation of the Wnt signaling pathway but likely involve dysregulation of APC-associated cytoskeletal and polarity complex components. These data indicate that APC is a potent regulator of epithelial polarization and morphogenesis and suggest that one mechanism by which APC loss promotes tumorigenesis is by disrupting epithelial architecture to subsequently drive tumor cell growth, survival and invasion. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5263. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5263
MEASUREMENT OF BRAIN BILIRUBIN IN GUNN RATS AND THE EFFECT OF ASPHYXIA AND SULFADIMETHOXINE

Gunn rat encephalopathy is attributed to the toxic action of bilirubin but the brain bilirubin content of young rats has not been previously measured. Homozygous infant rats are usually healthy and their brains do not show any visible yellow discoloration although extensive neuronal degeneration is constantly present (Rose & Johnson, 1972). Bilirubin contents has been determined by light absorption at 453nm of chloroform: acetic acid (6:1) extracts of the brains in four groups of 14 day old rats: These data show that (a) in Gunn rats the loss of neurons occurs even when only trace amounts of bilirubin are present in the CNS; (b) the increased entry of bilirubin into the brain following injection of sulfadimethoxine is further augmented by asphyxia. (Supported by NIH Grant IROL NS 09064) *100mgs/kg i.p. injection.
An Availability-Based Link QoS Routing for Mobile Ad hoc Networks

With more and more wireless devices being mobile, there is a constant challenge to provide reliable and high quality communication services among these devices. In this paper, we propose an availability-based link QoS (ABLQ) routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks based on mobility prediction and link quality measurement, in addition to energy consumption analysis. The goal is to provide highly reliable and better communication links with energy-efficiency. The proposed routing algorithm has been verified by NS-2 simulations. The results have shown that ABLQ outperforms existing algorithms by guarantying minimal link breakages and thereby reducing the reconnection and retransmission overhead. It also reduces the average end-to-end delay for data transfer and enhances the lifetime of nodes by making energy-efficient routing decisions.
Publish or perish, and pay--the new paradigm of open-access journals.

Objectives The new open-access journal business model is changing the publication landscape and residents and junior faculty should be aware of these changes. Design A national survey of surgery program directors and residents was performed. Results Open-access journals have been growing over the past decade, and many traditional printed journals are also sponsoring open-access options (the hybrid model) for accepted articles. Authors need to be aware of the new publishing paradigm and potential costs involved in publishing their work.
A Corpus for Modeling Morpho-Syntactic Agreement in Arabic: Gender, Number and Rationality

We present an enriched version of the Penn Arabic Treebank (Maamouri et al., 2004), where latent features necessary for modeling morpho-syntactic agreement in Arabic are manually annotated. We describe our process for efficient annotation, and present the first quantitative analysis of Arabic morpho-syntactic phenomena.
A method for determining the magnitude of the Raman scattering matrix element for diamond-type crystals

Abstract : A discussion is presented of the mechanisms for the electric field induced first order infrared absorption band in diamond-type crystals. The strength of the induced band is determined by the dependence of the electronic polarization on relative atomic displacements in the unit cell. A measurement of the absorption constant of the induced band should therefore provide quantitative information about the first order Raman scattering matrix elements. The phenomenon of field induced infrared absorption bands should also exist for Raman active modes in other centrosymmetric crystal structures, and for Raman active impurity modes. (Author)
Development of vertical planar coil inductors using plastic deformation magnetic assembly (PDMA)

This paper presents the results of the development of a vertical planar coil inductor. The planar coil inductor is first fabricated on a silicon substrate and then assembled to the vertical position by using a novel 3-dimensional bath-scale self-assembly process called Plastic Deformation Magnetic Assembly (PDMA). Inductors of different dimensions are fabricated and tested. The S-parameters of the inductors before and after PDMA are measured and compared, demonstrating superior performance due to reduced substrate effects and also increased substrate space savings for the vertical planar coil inductors.
Novel therapeutic targets in chordoma.

Introduction: Chordomas are malignant bone tumors arising from notochordal remnants. They most commonly occur at the sacrum, skull base, and spine. The gold standard treatment for these tumors is a combination of en-bloc resection and radiation therapy. Areas covered: Recent genomic studies have identified duplication of the gene brachyury as a major susceptibility mutation in familial chordomas. Studies on sporadic chordomas have identified several tumor markers, using microRNAs and Comparative Genome Hybridization. In this article, we highlight current advances in research on the molecular characterization of chordomas. Expert opinion: Scientific advances have allowed for the identification of numerous tumor markers involved in chordoma pathogenesis. In the future, chordoma cell lines will be produced that silence or over-express these tumor markers. As we increase our understanding of the mechanism of chordoma tumor proliferation, we can expect the development of targeted drug therapies.
Correlation of juvenile hormone titer changes with reproductive tract development in the posteclosion Monarch butterfly

The posteclosion growth of the reproductive tracts of male and female Monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterflies was quantified over a 30-day period of storage in summer conditions. Concomitantly, the Galleria bioassay was used to quantify hemolymph juvenile hormone (JH) titers in both sexes. The data demonstrated rapid posteclosion growth, lasting for about one week, of the female ovaries and colleterial glands and the male accessory glands, tubular glands, and ejaculatory ducts. This rapid growth was not directly related to increased animal weight, but it was associated with high JH titers. The highest titers observed were found in females on the third day after eclosion. Subsequently, most of the above organs exhibited a reduced growth rate that appeared to depend upon increased body weight. Butterflies examined during this latter stage (from about 8-30 days posteclosion) exhibited significant reductions of hemolymph JH. JH injections into both sexes showed that most organs known to be JH-sensitive retained hormone sensitivity during the period of reduced growth. The growth of female receptacle glands and bursa copulatrix and the male testes and seminal vesicle-vas deferens complex was not directly comparable to those organs discussed above.
Chin-down posture effect on aspiration in dysphagic patients

Use of the chin-down posture during swallowing has been reported to reduce the occurrence of aspiration in some dysphagic patients. This study measured four pharyngeal dimensions in 30 neurologically impaired patients who aspirated before the swallow because of a delay in triggering the pharyngeal swallow, 15 for whom the posture eliminated aspiration and 15 who aspirated despite the chin-down position. Patients who did not benefit from the posture were significantly younger and aspirated material from the pyriform sinus rather than the valleculae when the pharyngeal swallow was triggered. Changes in pharyngeal dimensions with the chin down were not significantly different for both patient groups, except for epiglottic angle, which increased significantly more in the group who continued to aspirate. Changes in pharyngeal dimensions with chin-neutral versus chin-down differed somewhat from those reported in a previous publication. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed.
Exploring the Benefits of Community-based Research in a Sociology of Sexualities Course

The benefits of community-based research (CBR) in the sociology classroom go beyond those associated with traditional service learning. Here, students use their sociological skills to examine and propose solutions to local social problems addressed by community organizations. Through analyzing students’ course reflection journals and the results of pre- and posttests, the authors demonstrate how CBR can help students gain a better command of the research process and enhance student attitudes toward community service. After participating in CBR, the authors find that students indicate greater proficiency in undertaking the entire research process, from creating and implementing a research plan to making data-derived client recommendations. In addition, by showing how CBR can be incorporated into a less obviously applicable course, such as Sociology of Sexualities, the authors hope to encourage its further expansion in sociology.
Prof. James R. Wait and mining production technology-an appreciation

Prof. James R. Wait (1951, 1953, 1967) examined electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation in many situations of interest to mining production, including propagation in tunnels, propagation along extended conductors such as cables and drill stems, and propagation in coal seams. This work remains relevant, both to the mining engineer interested in the EM environment of an operating mine and to the electrical engineer interested in verifying new computational techniques and in extending the scope of EM technology in mining production. Late work in EM focussing in a geological environment is relevant to "next generation" geophysical monitoring equipment.
Theoretical and experimental investigation of space-realizable inertial actuation for passive and active structural control

Inertial reaction devices are investigated for use as passive vibration absorbers and active control actuators for flexible space structures. Absorbers are designed for one- and two-degree-of-freedom structural representations using three parameter optimization techniques. All three yield nearly identical designs and indicate that inertial devices should be tuned to the lowest mode intended to receive increased damping. The optimal passive components of the control actuator are found to be those of the optimal passive vibration absorber. Proof-of-concept laboratory tests were performed on a quasi-free-free beam using inertial reaction devices that are space-realizable, i.e., conceptually capable of functioning in the space environment. The inertial devices were used as both passive absorbers and tuned actuators. Damping was significantly increased using both passive and passive/active techniques. Additional tests indicated the benefits and limitations of actuator tuning and the necessity of performing realistic experiments using space-realizable hardware.
FAST THERMAL ANALYSIS OF VERTICALLY INTEGRATED CIRCUITS (3-D ICS) USING POWER BLURRING METHOD

CMOS VLSI technology has been facing various technical challenges as the feature sizes scale down. To overcome the challenges imposed by the shrink of the conventional on-chip interconnect system in IC chips, alternative interconnect technologies are being developed: one of them is three dimensional chips (3D ICs). Even though 3D IC technology is a promising solution for interconnect bottlenecks, thermal issues can be exacerbated. Thermal-aware design and optimization will be more critical in 3D IC technology than conventional planar IC technology, and hence accurate temperature profiles of each active layer will become very important. In 3D ICs, temperature profile of one layer depends not only on its own power dissipation but also on the heat transferred from other layers. Thus, thermal considerations for 3D ICs need to be done in a holistic manner even if each layer can be designed and fabricated individually. Conventional grid-based temperature computation methods are accurate but are computationally expensive, especially for 3D ICs. To increase computational efficiency, we developed a matrix convolution technique, called Power Blurring (PB) for 3D ICs. The temperature resulting from any arbitrary power dissipation in each layer of the 3D chip can be computed quickly. The PB method has been validated against commercial FEA software, ANSYS. Our method yields good results with maximum error less than 2% for various case studies and reduces the computation time by a factor of ∼ 60. The additional advantage is the possibility to evaluate different power dissipation profiles without the need to re-mesh the whole 3D chip structure.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Pore pressure and oceanic crustal seismic structure

Summary Marine refraction studies during the past decade have found considerable lateral variability in the seismic properties of the upper basaltic regions of the oceanic crust. In many localities, compressional and shear-wave velocities are quite low at the top of the basalt section and velocities increase rapidly with depth. It is concluded that pore pressure may be at least in part responsible for the low upper crustal velocities and contribute significantly to the lateral variability. This is supported by compressional and shear-wave velocity measurements as functions of confining pressure and pore pressure for basalt from the Juan de Fuca ridge and dolerite from the Samail ophiolite, Oman. Within the oceanic crust, regions of overpressure and underpressure will possess anomalous velocities, the magnitude of which will depend upon the porosity and the deviation of the pore pressure from hydrostatic. The influence of pore pressure on velocities is expected to diminish with depth and is unlikely to be significant at lower crustal depths where porosity is extremely low. Of significance, Poisson's ratio is shown to be dependent on pore pressure as well as confining pressure. At constant confining pressure, Poisson's ratio increases with increasing pore pressure. Thus, overpressured regions within the upper oceanic crust are likely to have relatively high Poisson's ratios as well as low compressional- and shear-wave velocities.
Treatment of an articular lesion of the lateral tibial plateau utilizing a tibial "drawer-exposure" osteotomy and osteochondral allograft transplant: a case report.

Articular cartilage lesions of the knee are recognized and treated frequently1. Despite evolving techniques, treatment of cartilage lesions in the knee remains a therapeutic challenge2. The nonoperative management of chondral injuries in young patients is often unsatisfactory for the patient and the surgeon3. Surgical options, such as microfracture, autogenous chondrocyte implantation, resurfacing techniques, and osteochondral allograft transplantation have been developed to treat cartilage defects; however, there is little Level-I or Level-II evidence to inform the decision-making process regarding the various surgical options2,3. Treating cartilage defects of the tibial plateau presents a unique challenge because the tibial plateau is partially obscured by the menisci and the distal part of the femur throughout all knee motion, with resultant difficulty in orthogonal access with instrumentation. Few reports exist on the treatment of tibial plateau chondral injuries with osteochondral grafting4,5. This case report presents a novel technique to treat a cartilage defect of the tibial plateau with use of a “drawer-exposure” osteotomy of the tibial plateau combined with fresh-frozen osteochondral allograft for treatment of an osteonecrotic lesion. The patient and her family were informed that data from this case would be submitted for publication, and they consented. The patient was a thirteen-year-old girl with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis who had a history of chronic prednisone treatment in excess of 60 mg per day, but who at presentation had been managed with Enbrel (etanercept), methotrexate, and Mobic (meloxicam). The patient had multiple concomitant polyarthropathies, predominantly involving the knees and the ankles, and had undergone two previous arthroscopic debridements for osteonecrosis of the left talus. In October 2007, the patient presented to a pediatric hospital with intractable right knee pain, swelling, and difficulty with walking, all of which worsened with activity and improved …
A bioenergetic model for zebrafish Danio rerio (Hamilton)

A bioenergetics model was developed from observed consumption, respiration and growth rates for zebrafish Danio rerio across a range (18–32° C) of water temperatures, and evaluated with a 50 day laboratory trial at 28° C. No significant bias in variable estimates was found during the validation trial; namely, predicted zebrafish mass generally agreed with observed mass.
A uniform approximation to the right normal tail integral

This paper presents two simple formulas for approximation of the standard normal right tail probabilities, and indicates the method of computing approximations of higher order. One of the approximations relies on two simple numerical constants, has absolute error of 0.00071 and relative error 0.023; the other uses four numerical constants, has absolute error of 0.000019, the relative error is 0.005 and gives at least two significant digits for probabilities over the entire range 0=
Idiosyncratically transparent vowels in Kazakh

Idiosyncratically transparent vowels—those that fail to either undergo or trigger harmony in a particular morpheme but do both elsewhere—have not been documented in any language, and have been claimed to be impossible as recently as Mahanta (2012). We present two affixes in Kazakh that contain idiosyncratic vowels, and present evidence from wordlist elicitations and phonetic studies with two native speakers from different regions. We discuss the implications of these findings for constraint-based theories of vowel harmony: we show that they cannot be readily analyzed in conventional strictly-local harmony system, and present analyses in two recent systems that allow for non-local representations. Both Rhodes's (2010) system for vowel harmony in Agreement by Correspondence and Kimper's (2011) Trigger Competition can be made to accommodate lexical specifications that force vowels in particular morphemes to act as transparent, and we show that implementing these lexical specifications in Trigger Competition forces us to make somewhat stronger predictions about the rarity of idiosyncratic transparency.
Conservation and Management of Gray Wolves in the USA: Status, Trends, and Future Directions

Management of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in the United States ranges from complete protection of threatened or endangered populations to efficient wolf control programs designed to benefit domestic livestock or wild ungulates. Extensive research in nearly all locations where wolves occur has clarified their status and provided a biological basis for management. Most U. S. populations have remained stable or increased during the past 10 years, and efforts are underway to restore wolves in suitable areas where they were extirpated during the 20th century. Current management problems include protection of endangered populations from accidental and illegal hunting and trapping mortality, bio-political aspects of wolf restoration, competition between wolves and humans for ungulates, and preservation of vast, wild areas that wolves require in order to persist Management controversies and bitter battles among opposing interest groups will likely continue to characterize wolf management, but recent efforts toward increased public involvement, conflict resolution, and mediation may prove useful.
Measuring the Benefits of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to Consumers: Between De Minimis and Small?

Measuring the benefits to consumers from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac activities has received considerable attention, particularly in recent months. Recently, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan commented in his U.S. Senate Banking Committee testimony on the Government Sponsored Enterprises that the benefits of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as measured by the Jumbo-Conforming mortgage spread was "between de minimis and small." The basis for Greenspan's comment is the seemingly small benefit to consumers in terms of the basis point spread (generally, 20 to 30 basis points). First, the estimates of the benefits may be too low if they fail to consider subsidies to commercial banks. Second, the dollar amount of the benefits to consumers ranges from $6.76 billion based on the Passmore et al (2005) study to quite large ($9.25 billion for the Cotterman and Pearce (1996) study. The adjusted Ambrose, LaCour-Little and Sanders (2004) spread generates benefits in the order of $7.89 billion.
Does downtown office property perform better in live–work–play centers?

Live–work–play (LWP) centers in US metro markets are attracting young workers and employers, and downtowns are the locations often providing LWP. These centers are compact, diverse, mixed-use, and walkable places that improve economic, environmental, fiscal, public health, and social outcomes. This empirical analysis examines the dimensions and features of LWP centers, considers alternative LWP measures, and determines whether real estate performance increases when LWP centers improve. We find that downtown office rents are higher and capitalization rates are lower in better LWP centers ceteris paribus. However, the expected cap rate relationship is not statistically significant.
Diminution of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling inhibits vascular permeability and anaphylaxis.

Background During IgE-mediated immediate hypersensitivity reactions, vascular endothelial cells permeabilize in response to mast cell mediators. We have demonstrated previously that patients and mice with signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) mutations (autosomal dominant hyper-IgE syndrome [AD-HIES]) are partially protected from anaphylaxis. Objectives We sought to study the mechanism by which STAT3 contributes to anaphylaxis and determine whether small-molecule inhibition of STAT3 can prevent anaphylaxis. Methods Using unaffected and STAT3-inhibited or genetic loss-of-function samples, we performed histamine skin prick tests, investigated the contribution of STAT3 to animal models of anaphylaxis, and measured endothelial cell permeability, gene and protein expression, and histamine receptor–mediated signaling. Results Although mouse mast cell degranulation was minimally affected by STAT3 blockade, mast cell mediator–induced anaphylaxis was blunted in Stat3 mutant mice with AD-HIES and in wild-type mice subjected to small-molecule STAT3 inhibition. Histamine skin prick test responses were diminished in patients with AD-HIES. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells derived from patients with AD-HIES or treated with a STAT3 inhibitor did not signal properly through Src or cause appropriate dissolution of the adherens junctions made up of the proteins vascular endothelial–cadherin and β-catenin. Furthermore, we found that diminished STAT3 target microRNA17-92 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells from patients with AD-HIES is associated with increased phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression, which inhibits Src, and increased E2F transcription factor 1 expression, which regulates β-catenin cellular dynamics. Conclusions These data demonstrate that STAT3-dependent transcriptional activity regulates critical components for the architecture and functional dynamics of endothelial junctions, thus permitting vascular permeability.
Multifaceted Prospective Memory Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence

Objectives To test whether a multifaceted prospective memory intervention improved adherence to antihypertensive medications and to assess whether executive function and working memory processes moderated the intervention effects. Design Two-group longitudinal randomized control trial. Setting Community. Participants Individuals aged 65 and older without signs of dementia or symptoms of severe depression who were self-managing prescribed medication. Measurements After 4 weeks of initial adherence monitoring using a medication event monitoring system, individuals with 90% or less adherence were randomly assigned to groups. Intervention The prospective memory intervention was designed to provide strategies that switch older adults from relying on executive function and working memory processes (that show effects of cognitive aging) to mostly automatic associative processes (that are relatively spared with normal aging) for remembering to take medications. Strategies included establishing a routine, establishing cues strongly associated with medication taking actions, performing the action immediately upon thinking about it, using a medication organizer, and imagining medication taking to enhance encoding and improve cuing. Results There was significant improvement in adherence in the intervention group (57% at baseline to 78% after the intervention), but most of these gains were lost after 5 months. The control condition started at 68% and was stable during the intervention, but dropped to 62%. Executive function and working memory moderated the intervention effect, with the intervention producing greater benefit for those with lower executive function and working memory. Conclusion The intervention improved adherence, but the benefits were not sustained. Further research is needed to determine how to sustain the substantial initial benefits.
Rapid analysis of protein farnesyltransferase substrate specificity using peptide libraries and isoprenoid diphosphate analogues.

Protein farnesytransferase (PFTase) catalyzes the farnesylation of proteins with a carboxy-terminal tetrapeptide sequence denoted as a Ca1a2X box. To explore the specificity of this enzyme, an important therapeutic target, solid-phase peptide synthesis in concert with a peptide inversion strategy was used to prepare two libraries, each containing 380 peptides. The libraries were screened using an alkyne-containing isoprenoid analogue followed by click chemistry with biotin azide and subsequent visualization with streptavidin-AP. Screening of the CVa2X and CCa2X libraries with Rattus norvegicus PFTase revealed reaction by many known recognition sequences as well as numerous unknown ones. Some of the latter occur in the genomes of bacteria and viruses and may be important for pathogenesis, suggesting new targets for therapeutic intervention. Screening of the CVa2X library with alkyne-functionalized isoprenoid substrates showed that those prepared from C10 or C15 precursors gave similar results, whereas the ...
The dependence on geomagnetic conditions and solar wind dynamic pressure of the spatial distributions of EMIC waves observed by the Van Allen Probes

A statistical examination on the spatial distributions of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves observed by the Van Allen Probes against varying levels of geomagnetic activity (i.e., AE and SYM-H) and dynamic pressure has been performed. Measurements taken by the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science for the first full magnetic local time (MLT) precession of the Van Allen Probes (September 2012–June 2014) are used to identify over 700 EMIC wave events. Spatial distributions of EMIC waves are found to vary depending on the level of geomagnetic activity and solar wind dynamic pressure. EMIC wave events were observed under quiet (AE ≤ 100 nT, 325 wave events), moderate (100 nT 300 nT, 228 wave events) geomagnetic conditions and are primarily observed in the prenoon sector (~800 3 nPa) correlates to mostly afternoon EMIC wave observations.
Rationale for iloperidone in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder

Multiple controlled efficacy studies are available to support the use of psychotropic medications in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Iloperidone, a recently approved atypical antipsychotic, has yet to be evaluated in such a manner. This unique agent has the highest affinity of all antipsychotics toward alpha-1 receptors. Antagonism of central nervous system alpha-1 receptors has been implicated in certain aspects of posttraumatic stress disorder, as evidenced by the beneficial role of prazosin in treating nightmares. Additional reduction in hypervigilance may occur through blockade of dopamine receptor D2 and serotonin receptors in the 5-HT2 family. Further investigation of iloperidone is warranted in the treatment of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder due to its unique receptor binding profile.
Investigation and analysis on the positive ratio of germiculture of anti-bacterial drugs in clinical trials

There was a requirement in Guidance for Clinical Trials of Anti-bacterial Drugs (1988) in China that positive ratio of germiculture shouldn't less than 80 percent in inclusion criteria,which induced a lot of debate for many years.Base on some literatures and clinical experi- ence,this article is to investigate and analyze the rationality of this re- quirement,and further give some advice for positive ratio of germiculture of anti-bacterial drugs in clinical trials.
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE AND HIV/AIDS STATUS AMONG 403 FEMALE SEX WORKERS IN CHAOYANG DISTRICT,BEIJING

Objective:To investigate HIV and sexually transmitted disease(STD) infection prevalence and the epidemiological characteristics of female sex workers. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among female sex workers in Chaoyang District,Beijing. HIV and syphilis tests were carried out with ELISA. Results: The age range of 403 female sex workers was 16 to 55 years old(25.78 a±s 6.92 a),among which, the age of 20 to 39 (26.58±s 5.16) ranked first (77.66%); graduates from junior middle school and primary school accounted for 45.41% and 33.00%, respectively; 62.28% were unmarried,91.07% jobless; 95.78% were Han people and 96.04% were floating population. Two of them (0.50%) were tested HIV positive, 47 (11.66%) had syphilis positive, and two were drug users. During sexual activities, 73(18.11%) and 71(17.62%) never or occassionally used condoms. Conclusion: Female sex workers in Chaoyang District are mostly middle-aged,poor educated and floating population, who are at the risk of drug abuse and HIV/STD infection. Health education and high-risk behavior intervention should be conducted among them.
Quality Control and Data Mining Techniques Applied to Monitoring Scaled Scores.

For testing programs that provide a large number of administrations each year, the challenge of maintaining comparability of test scores is influenced by the potential rapid accumulation of errors and by the lack of time between administrations to apply the usual techniques for detecting and addressing scale drift. Traditional quality control techniques have been developed for tests with only a small number of administrations per year, and therefore, while very valuable and necessary, they are not sufficient for catching changes in a complex and rapid flow of scores. Model-based techniques that can be updated at each administration could be used to flag any unusual patterns. The basis for the paper is recent research conducted at Educational Testing Service. I will describe an application of traditional quality control charts, such as Shewhart and CUSUM charts on testing data, time series models, change point models, and hidden Markov models to the means of scaled scores to detect abrupt changes. Some preliminary data mining approaches and results also will be discussed. This type of data analysis of scaled scores is relatively new and any application of the aforementioned tools is subject to the typical pitfalls: Are the appropriate variables included? Are the identified patterns meaningful? Can time series models or hidden Markov models be generalized to data from other tests?
Preventing design reverse engineering with reconfigurable spin transfer torque LUT gates

This paper presents a rigorous step towards design-for-assurance by employing the non-volatile spin transfer torque magnetic technology to design reconfigurable Look-Up-Tables logic components (NV-STT-based LUTs). Further, we introduce a novel security-driven STT-CMOS hybrid design flow that ensures the functionality of NV-STT-based LUTs cannot be determined in any manageable time, rendering any design reverse engineering attack ineffective. In addition, the flow ensures that there is minimum or no impact on design parametric constraints including performance, power and area.
Characteristics of an Adopting Unit and Implementation of an Innovation

Much of the research on innovations has considered adoption the end point of the marketing effort. This study focuses on implementation of a product within an organization as the goal. Public radio stations were surveyed concerning their implementation of microcomputers along with characteristics of their organization. Four different measures of implementation were analyzed. The organizational variables related to implementation were consistent across all measures.
Are You “Pewish”? Multiple Assessments of the Landmark Pew Survey

As of June 2014, a Google search of the Pew Research Center’s A Portrait of Jewish Americans yielded no fewer than 197,000 results (in 0.40 s)! An important theme of the discussion surrounding the Pew Survey, released on October 1, 2013, focused around what The New York Times headlined in its account: “Poll Shows Major Shift in Identity of U.S. Jews” (Goodstein 2013, p. A11). As Chap. 16 of this volume suggests, “It came like a thunderbolt out of the blue” and spawned much debate and dialogue. The significance of the survey, based on a probability sample of the US Jewish population, was rooted in its being the first comprehensive study since the 2000–2001 National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS 2000–2001). Recognizing the importance of this landmark effort, we asked a panel of 10 prominent social scientists to comment on the Pew findings from the perspective of their respective expertise. The panel’s results are presented in the chapters following a summary of the report. In Chap. 13, a response is provided by two of the principal investigators at the Pew Research Center. Our hope is that these chapters will shed more light than heat on the topic.
Type 3c (pancreatogenic) diabetes mellitus secondary to chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer

Summary Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases defined by persistent hyperglycaemia. Type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent form, is characterised initially by impaired insulin sensitivity and subsequently by an inadequate compensatory insulin response. Diabetes can also develop as a direct consequence of other diseases, including diseases of the exocrine pancreas. Historically, diabetes due to diseases of the exocrine pancreas was described as pancreatogenic or pancreatogenous diabetes mellitus, but recent literature refers to it as type 3c diabetes. It is important to note that type 3c diabetes is not a single entity; it occurs because of a variety of exocrine pancreatic diseases with varying mechanisms of hyperglycaemia. The most commonly identified causes of type 3c diabetes are chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, haemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis, and previous pancreatic surgery. In this Review, we discuss the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical relevance of type 3c diabetes secondary to chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and highlight several important knowledge gaps.
Ocean acoustic phase shift estimation using strapdown navigation techniques

An underwater navigator system is proposed which will allow a precise measurement of acoustic phase shifts due to the medium stability of the surrounding ocean environment of any suitably instrumented undersea sonar range. The prime components of the system comprise a strapdown inertial measurement unit (SIMU), a shipborne general purpose computer, a sonar transmitter, a geometric array of bottom-mounted hydrophones and a link for sending sonar derived position fixes from a shore-based computer to the shipborne computer. A feasibility study is presented to show that a specified relative positional accuracy goal can be met taking into account the statistical nature of the sonar fix and of the inertial sensors.
Efficient key management for Big Data gathering in dynamic sensor networks

Recent years have shown a huge growth in technology, which led to an explosive growth in the volume of data which is referred to as “Big Data”. Wireless sensors are considered one of the highly anticipated contributor to big data nowadays, therefore, avoiding misleading or forged data gathering in case of sensitive and critical data through secure communication is vital. This can be achieved though cryptography, but due to the limited resources in sensor networks, an efficient security schemes need to be implemented to avoid the resources consumption. Symmetric cryptography is very applicable to sensor networks due to its efficiency, which requires the use of key management for key distribution so that both communicating devices have the same key. To address that in dynamic environments, key distribution needs to be capable of accepting new devices and completing the exchange more efficiently, therefore, in this paper we propose a Centralized Stateful Connection (CSC) that provides efficient key management for dynamic sensor networks. Our scheme will maintain a balance between efficiency and security that is achieved by using public key encryption at the beginning of the node's life in the WSN and later shifts to symmetric encryption for the remainder of the communication.
An equatorward force acting on large floating ice masses: Polfluchtkraft

This study reviews the effects of a force acting upon ice shelves and icebergs arising from the oblateness of the Earth's geoid and the displacement between the center of mass and the center of buoyancy for an object floating on water. The force has been introduced earlier as Polfluchtkraft or ‘pole-fleeing force’ by Alfred Wegener and others in the context of continental drift, but it is here applied to floating ice for the first time. It propels icebergs towards the equator, but also tugs on ice shelves making them more likely to break apart in a warming climate with possible consequences for the entire ice sheet.
In Hospitalized Patients with Influenza and an Infiltrate, Adding Clarithromycin and Naproxen to Oseltamivir Improves Outcomes

Adding clarithromycin and naproxen to oseltamivir significantly lowered all-cause mortality at 30 days and at 90 days. This study was limited by its open-label design. The outcome of mortality would not be subject to observer bias, though, and the groups were balanced.
Degradation and early in vitro activity of healthy hepatocytes onto bicomponent electrospun fibers

ABSTRACTBicomponent electrospun fibers (BEFs) have been designed as building blocks of various biomedical devices, i.e., scaffolds, conduits, grafts, for the repair/regeneration of in vitro and in vivo tissues. With respect to monocomponent fibers, BEF may exert diversified patterns of signals—morphological, chemical or physical—confined at the single fiber level, conferring them a unique ability of self-adapting to local microenvironment and influencing cell/fiber interaction. Herein, an investigation of basic relationships between degradation properties of BEF and in vitro response of healthy hepatocytes to prove their use as in vitro model to predict in vivo liver regeneration is proposed.
Seventeen years of human trafficking research in social work: A review of the literature

The trafficking of persons around the world is a serious violation of human rights and manifestation of social injustice. It disproportionately affects women and children worldwide. Given the values of the social work profession and the prevalence of trafficking, it is essential to understand the current literature on human trafficking in social work journals. Using the PRISMA method, this systematic review (n = 94 articles) of human trafficking in social work journals found the following: more focus on sex trafficking than other forms of trafficking; a lack of a clear conceptualization and definition on the entire spectrum of trafficking; a lack of evidence-informed empirical research to inform programs, practice, and policy; and a dearth of recommendations for social work education. Specific implications for social work policy, research, practice, and education are highlighted and discussed.
A Political Interpretation of Aristotle’s Ethics

In this chapter I take up the question of how Aristotle understood the relationship between the contemplative life and the active life in contributing to human flourishing and to the political regime. While the connections between Aristotle’s ethics and politics are abundant, there exists a prevalent assumption in the inclusive/dominant debate concerning the interpretation of eudaimonia (human flourishing) that Aristotle’s Politics cannot or should not play a prominent role in helping to understand eudaimonia. On the ‘inclusivist’ reading, eudaimonia is understood as being a composite of all human goods or virtues. On the ‘dominant’ reading, eudaimonia is understood as being a single dominant good, theōria (contemplation). With this chapter I offer a competing interpretation which is in some ways similar to the recent ‘all-inclusive’ reading, but which relies heavily on the connection between Aristotle’s ethics and politics in order to explain how theōria fits into humans’ composite and political nature.
Effect of Prostate Cancer Severity on Functional Outcomes After Localized Treatment: Comparative Effectiveness Analysis of Surgery and Radiation Study Results.

Abstract Background Whether prostate cancer severity modifies patient-reported functional outcomes after radical prostatectomy (RP) or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for localized cancer is unknown. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences in predicted function over time between RP and EBRT varied by risk group. Design, setting, and participants The Comparative Effectiveness Analysis of Surgery and Radiation (CEASAR) study is a prospective, population-based, observational study that enrolled men with localized prostate cancer in 2011–2012. Among 2117 CEASAR participants who underwent RP or EBRT, 817 had low-risk, 902 intermediate-risk, and 398 high-risk disease. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Patient-reported, disease-specific function was measured using the 26-item Expanded Prostate Index Composite (at baseline and 6, 12, and 36 mo). Predicted function was estimated using regression models and compared by disease risk. Results and limitations Low-risk EBRT patients reported 3-yr sexual function scores 12 points higher than those of low-risk RP patients (RP, 39 points [95% confidence interval {CI}, 37–42] vs EBRT, 52 points [95% CI, 47–56]; p p =0.03). However, when using a commonly used binary definition of sexual function (erections firm enough for intercourse), no major differences were noted between RP and EBRT at 3 yr across low-, intermediate-, and high-risk disease strata. No clinically significant interactive effects between treatment and cancer severity were observed for incontinence, bowel, irritative voiding, and hormone domains. The primary limitation is the lack of firmly established thresholds for clinically significant differences in Expanded Prostate Index Composite domain scores. Conclusions For men with low-risk prostate cancer, EBRT was associated with higher sexual function scores at 3 yr than RP; however, for men with high-risk prostate cancer, no clinically significant difference was noted. Men with high-risk prostate cancer should be counseled that EBRT and RP carry similar sexual function outcomes at 3 yr. Patient summary In this report, we studied the urinary, sexual, bowel, and hormonal functions of patients 3 yr after undergoing prostate cancer surgery or radiation. We found that for patients with high-risk disease, sexual function was similar between surgery and radiation. We conclude that high-risk patients undergoing radiation therapy should be counseled that sexual function may not be as good as low-risk patients undergoing radiation.
A serious adverse event secondary to rapid intravenous levetiracetam injection in a dog.

Objective To describe a serious adverse event as a result of rapid intravenous injection of undiluted levetiracetam in a dog. Case summary An 8-year-old female spayed Chihuahua was evaluated for cluster seizures and tachypnea. The patient was administered an intravenous dose of undiluted levetiracetam (60 mg/kg) and immediately developed tachycardia, hyperglycemia, hypotension, and a dull mentation. The patient's blood pressure and mentation did not respond to intravenous fluid boluses but improved immediately after administration of epinephrine intravenously. The patient subsequently developed respiratory failure necessitating mechanical ventilation, prior to cardiac arrest. Necropsy examination noted a pulmonary inflammatory cell infiltrate, pulmonary edema, and interstitial pneumonia. New or unique information provided This report documents a serious adverse event associated with intravenous levetiracetam administration to a dog.
Arboreality: Is it Homologous in Metatherian and Eutherian Mammals?

The general question pertaining to the origin of therian mammals is usually pursued from morphological, historical, and functional perspectives. Yet students of evolutionary biology have come to recognize that, for the most plausible evolutionary explanations, the problems of historical biology are inseparable.