cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 316: FTY720 enhances the efficacy of paclitaxel and of carboplatin in drug-resistant ovarian cancer cells

Objectives: Our long-term goal is to develop effective therapies for ovarian cancer by targeting molecules that contribute to drug resistance in this tumor type. Preliminary RNA-seq data were generated using a patient-derived xenograft model. These data identified the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling pathway as one of the pathways most affected by carboplatin and paclitaxel, the current standards of care for ovarian cancer. We then examined whether a synthetic analog of sphingosine, FTY720, enhanced the cytotoxicity of platinum and taxane resistant ovarian cancer cell lines. Methods: To assess the efficacy of FTY720 + carboplatin and of FTY720 + paclitaxel, we exposed three pairs of parental and drug resistant human ovarian cancer cell lines to each combination. The cell lines used were: SKOV3-ip1 and SKOV3-TR (taxane resistant), A2780 and A2780-CP20 (platinum resistant), and HeyA8 and HeyA8-MDR (taxane-platinum resistant). We used alamarBlue cell proliferation assays to determine the efficacy of FTY720 as a single agent or in combination with paclitaxel or carboplatin, and immunoblots to assess the expression of proteins involved in the S1P pathway. Results: FTY720 as a single agent decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner in all three pairs of cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 5 to 8 μM. When cells were exposed to the IC50 of FTY720 + a range of concentrations of carboplatin or paclitaxel, FTY720 had little effect in any of the three parental cell lines and in SKOV3-TR cells. Interestingly, however, FTY720 decreased the IC50 of carboplatin 15- to 16-fold and the IC50 of paclitaxel 20- to 90- fold in A2780-CP20 and HeyA8-MDR cells, respectively. We also observed that FTY720 altered the expression of sphingosine kinase2, S1P lyase, and acid ceramidase, each of which contributes to the ceramide-sphingosine-S1P rheostat that tightly regulates expression of S1P pathway proteins. Conclusions: Our data show that FTY720 sensitized drug resistant ovarian cancer cell lines A2780-CP20 and HeyA8-MDR to carboplatin and to paclitaxel 15- to 90-fold. The data suggest that the S1P pathway may contribute to carboplatin and paclitaxel resistance in this cell type. We propose that proteins of the S1P pathway merit further study as effective molecular targets in drug resistant ovarian cancer cells. Citation Format: Kelly M. Kreitzburg, Ronald D. Alvarez, Charles N. Landen, Karina J. Yoon. FTY720 enhances the efficacy of paclitaxel and of carboplatin in drug-resistant ovarian cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 316.
RNA sequence analyses of r-Moj-DM treated cells: TXNIP is required to induce apoptosis of SK-Mel-28.

RNA sequencing of untreated and r-Moj-DM treated SK-Mel-28 cells was performed after 6 h, to begin unraveling the apoptotic pathway induced by r-Moj-DM. Bioinformatic analyses of RNA sequencing data yielded 40 genes that were differentially expressed. Nine genes were upregulated and 31 were downregulated. qRT-PCR was used to validate differential expression of 13 genes with known survival or apoptotic-inducing activities. Expression of BNiP3, IGFBP3, PTPSF, Prune 2, TGF-s, and TXNIP were compared from cells treated with r-Moj-DN (a strong apoptotic inducer) or r-Moj-DA (a non-apoptotic inducer) for 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, and 6 h after treatment. Our results demonstrate that significant differences in expression are only detected after 4 h of treatment. In addition, expression of TXNIP (an apoptotic inducer) remains elevated at 4 h and 6 h only in r-Moj-DN treated cells. Based on the consistency of elevated TXNIP expression, we further studied TXNIP as a novel target of disintegrin activation. Confocal microscopy of anti-TXNIP stained SK-Mel-28 cells suggests nuclear localization of TXNIP after r-Moj-DM treatment. A stable TXNIP knockdown SK-Mel-28 cell line was produced to test TXNIP' role in the apoptotic induction by r-Moj-DM. High cell viability (74.3% ±9.1) was obtained after r-Moj-DM treatment of TXNIP knocked down SK-Mel-28 cells, compared to 34% ±0.187 for untransduced cells. These results suggest that TXNIP is required early in the apoptotic-inducing pathway resulting from r-Moj-DM binding to the αv integrin subunit.
The Flipped Classroom: A Brief, Brief History

This chapter uses a chronological perspective to examine the pedagogical practice of “flipping” a class, reminding all that this practice existed many years before it was named. The chapter also discusses the variations one sees of flipped class models. It concludes by addressing some common concerns instructors have with respect to the flipped classroom.
19.5 A 2.4GHz RF fractional-N synthesizer with 0.25f REF BW

The loop bandwidth of conventional RF fractional-N synthesizers has been limited to about f REF /10 despite the use of methods that suppress the ΔΣ-modulator quantization noise [1–4]. The trade-off between the loop bandwidth and the ΔΣ noise peaking becomes more serious if the synthesizer employs a ring oscillator to achieve multiband operation, less unwanted coupling, and greater design flexibility than LC oscillators [5].
Gemeinsamkeiten von Anlagen- und Lagerbuchhaltung

Das Krankenhaus unterschied sich in der Vergangenheit hinsichtlich seiner Kostenstruktur wesentlich von den Betrieben im allgemeinen, aber auch von den dienstleistenden Betrieben durch seine Personalintensitat. Neben den Personalkosten erschienen andere Kostenarten bedeutungslos. Hierin hat sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten ein grundlegender Wandel vollzogen.
Abstract B203: Heterogeneity in androgen receptor and IL-1beta expression by prostate cancer cells in skeletal metastases

Bone metastases are a prevalent complication of advanced prostate cancer (PCa). The current standard of care for advanced PCa patients is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which fails within approximately two years and patients progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). CRPC presents with additional metastasis in soft tissues and is incurable. We have found that in PCa patients, bone metastases have heterogeneous androgen receptor (AR) expression, and that cells lacking AR are the only cell type that secretes the cytokine Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β). Furthermore, preclinical work in our lab has revealed the role for IL-1β in promoting bone colonization by AR+ PCa cells and generation of heterogeneous skeletal metastases. A significant barrier to studying tumor heterogeneity in PCa metastasis has been the lack of an animal model to study the interaction between multiple PCa phenotypes in the bone microenvironment. By engrafting a suspension containing both AR− and AR+ cells directly into the left cardiac ventricle of mice, our lab has developed an in vivo model that allows us to study the progression of both AR− and AR+ cells in skeletal and soft tissue metastases. AR− and AR+ cells were genetically engineered to express two different Luciferase constructs (630 nm Red-shifted Luc and 540 nm Luc2, respectively) thereby allowing the progression of AR− and AR+ cells to be independently tracked and quantified. We used this model in combination with histologic and radiographic analyses to assimilate the pathologic features of our in vivo mixed AR+/AR− metastases to the human clinical scenario. Finally, we used castrated mice to determine whether IL-1β secreting PCa cells could support the growth and survival of IL-1β-/AR+ cells in androgen-deprived conditions. Coinjection of AR− (PC3-ML) and AR+ cells (LNCaP, VCaP, and 22Rv1) leads to increased establishment of soft tissue metastases as compared to injecting AR− cells alone. Unlike the metastases generated by PC3-ML cells alone, which show exclusively osteolytic activity, AR−/AR+ mixed metastases are both osteosclerotic and osteolytic, thereby recapitulating clinical pathology. Finally, preliminary results suggest that coinjection with IL-1β-secreting AR− cells enables the growth of androgen-dependent AR+ cells in castrated mice. This animal model of metastasis heterogeneity recapitulates human pathology and enables further interrogation of the mechanism by which IL-1β supports survival of AR+ cells and the potential role for AR− in evading AR-targeted therapy during CRPC. Citation Format: Asurayya A. Worrede-Mahdi, Alessandro Fatatis. Heterogeneity in androgen receptor and IL-1beta expression by prostate cancer cells in skeletal metastases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B203.
Natural Disasters and Human Trafficking: Do Disasters Affect State Anti‐Trafficking Performance?

Despite the oft noted negative connection between natural disasters and human trafficking, no quantitative study has been performed. Natural disasters, like conflict, can destroy homes and the economic security of individuals forcing them to migrate and making them targets for traffickers. This article tests the link between a state's ability to address trafficking and natural disasters, testing the popular prediction that a state's capabilities will be strained as increased natural disasters occur thus producing a negative effect. The findings though demonstrate that states are actually more likely to perform better in their efforts to confront trafficking. I argue that this is because natural disasters actually strengthen and enhance the state, and particularly its security institutions, in responding to these events. I place these findings in the context of other recent quantitative studies of trafficking that have also produced contradictory results when compared with the field's qualitative studies.
Contraindications with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in acute ischemic stroke population

Abstract Background Most of the exclusion criteria in a stroke population are attributed to demographic, more specific or relative contraindications indicating that thrombolysis maybe beneficial more to a stroke population with less restrictive criteria. Methods We analyzed a three year data set from a large stroke registry on rt-PA administration based on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) package insert, explicitly for the use of tissue-type plasminogen activator in acute ischemic stroke. We identified absolute and relative contraindications including specific clinical rationales for exclusion. Results A total of 663 ischemic stroke patients were eligible to receive rt-PA. Out of the 663 acute ischemic stroke patients, 241 received rt-PA and 422 were excluded based on specific absolute and relative exclusionary contraindications. Patients older than 80 years and those with mild or rapidly improving stroke symptoms, and higher NIHSS significantly influenced the decision to exclude stroke patients from rt-PA. Conclusion Contraindications differ with individual patients’ representing commonly encountered clinical situations that support most of the exclusion criteria in both the old FDA package insert and AHA guideline.
Photoacoustic signal amplification of methylene blue via aggregation (Conference Presentation)

We recently described a technique to monitor heparin anticoagulation therapy in real-time using methylene blue and photoacoustic imaging. The photoacoustic signal of methylene blue was significantly amplified in the presence of heparin, but the exact mechanism underlying this novel photoacoustic behavior remains unclear. Here, we showed that the signal amplification was due to the aggregation of methylene blue. Methylene blue formed different aggregates in water and phosphate buffered saline (PBS). In water, the absorbance maximum of methylene blue with heparin from 0 to 3 U/mL blue shifted from 660 to 570 nm and the corresponding fluorescence intensity decreased 6-fold, which indicated the methylene blue aggregated from monomer to dimer and eventually to high order aggregates. Furthermore, the corresponding 0.04 ppm chemical shift of the proton in the phenothiazine ring of methylene blue from the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum suggested the electron delocalization and self-aggregation of methylene blue. The coupling of methylene blue molecules results in extra vibrational relaxations within the split exciton states, and this causes enhanced photoacoustic signal. In PBS, we observed the aggregation of methylene blue/heparin complex using transmission electron microscopy (size=150.5 nm), but the absorbance maximum reversed back to 660 nm. This suggested the methylene blue formed monomer bound to heparin—the heparin could not self-aggregate due to electrostatic repulsive forces. The methylene blue bound monomers experienced less degree of freedom than free monomers and therefore caused excess photoacoustic signal.
Sensitivity Analysis Applied to a Matrix Model of the Hudson River Striped Bass Population

ABSTRACT Given a set of age-specific fecundities and survivals for the Hudson River striped bass resulting in an equilibrium population, the effects of simulated increases in mortality of 2, 5, 10, and 20% on five young-of-the-year life stages, taken alone and in various combinations, are examined in terms of several population parameters defined for this purpose. The results indicate similar responses of the simulated population to additional mortality applied to any of the early life history stages taken individually. Additional simulated mortality applied to the same life history stages in various combinations resulted in greater reductions in the adult population. The relative insensitivity of the dominant latent root of the population matrix in comparison to four derived parameters is demonstrated for the simulated perturbations.
The matrix representation of fuzzy rough set model in intuitionistic fuzzy ordered information system

Considering fuzzy phenomena are universal and the classical rough set can not well describe the uncertainty contained in the fuzzy information, we study the rough approximate matrix representation method of fuzzy sets in the intuitionistic fuzzy ordered information system. First, the operation between the dominance relation matrix and the fuzzy set matrix is proposed. Then rough approximate matrix representations of fuzzy sets and basic properties of matrix expressions are further studied. Furthermore, the matrix representation algorithm is designed to speed up the solution. Finally, the feasibility and superiority of the matrix method that reduces computation time while ensuring accurate operation are verified by numerical experiments. The matrix representation method is an effective tool for knowledge discovery in the era of big data.
Abstract 1471: Genomic drivers differ across 33 tumor types, but factors regulating hallmarks of cancer are similar

The unique complement of genes expressed in a given cell type modifies the response to a specific somatic mutation. Thus, each tumor type would present with a different set of mutations that modulate the activity of common factors regulating genes which influence the cancer phenotypes (e.g. the hallmarks of cancer). We assessed the validity of this hypothesis by applying the SYstems Genetics Network AnaLysis (SYGNAL) pipeline to the ~10,000 multi-omic profiles across 33 tumor types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The SYGNAL pipeline synthesizes correlative approaches with mechanistic knowledge to construct a gene regulatory network. A basis of the SYGNAL approach is the discovery of biclusters: gene modules that are both co-expressed and co-regulated over subsets of tumors, by specific transcription factors (TFs) and miRNAs. On top of the biclusters we discover potential mechanistic influences of somatic mutations modulating the activity of these regulators. We discovered 284 somatically mutated genes modulating the activity of 187 transcriptional regulators (175 TFs and 12 miRNAs) which regulated 7,786 significantly co-expressed biclusters that were significantly associated with patient survival. The discovery of 1.5 fold more somatic mutations than transcriptional regulators is consistent with our hypothesis that mutations will be unique to tumor types while the regulation of the genes involved in the hallmarks of cancer will be common across tumor types. We also find that only 15% of causal flows (mutation->regulator->gene) are observed across multiple tumor types. We observed only four causal flows across three tumor types (NFE2L2->BCL6B->HSPG2 for BLCA, ESCA, and HNSC tumor types; TP53->ERG->MTX1 for BRCA, LUAD, and STAD tumor types; TP53->ZNF511->NAA38 for LUAD, PRAD, and READ tumor types; and TP53->AEBP2->THOC6 for COAD, KICH, and READ tumor types). There were no causal flows observed across more than three tumor types. Using our top-down systems approach we are able to catalog the impact of somatic mutations on the transcriptional regulatory network across 33 tumor types. We are working to replicate the co-expression and survival relationships we discovered in independent cohorts for each tumor type. In addition, we are working to identify potential therapeutic targets at both the regulator and gene level. Future studies will use predictive models based on our detailed transcriptional regulatory networks to identify transcriptional regulators driving cancer phenotypes that won9t have general toxicity in normal cells. Citation Format: Christopher L. Plaisier. Genomic drivers differ across 33 tumor types, but factors regulating hallmarks of cancer are similar [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1471.
Mobilization of Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells for Autologous Transplantation Using Pegfilgrastim and Plerixafor: Efficacy and Cost Implications

ABSTRACT Filgrastim (FIL) is the most common growth factor combined with plerixafor for autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell mobilization, but requires daily, multi-injection administration. We adopted a standardized mobilization regimen with pegfilgrastim (PEG) and upfront plerixafor, allowing for a single injection given the long half-life and slow elimination of PEG. Between 2015 and 2017, a total of 235 patients with lymphoma or plasma cell dyscrasias underwent mobilization with PEG 6 mg on day 1 and upfront plerixafor 24 mg on day 3, followed by apheresis on day 4 regardless of peripheral blood CD34+ cells. The median CD34+ cells/mm3 in peripheral blood on first day of collection was 48 and median collection yield was 7.27 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg (range, 0.32 to 39.6 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg) after a mean of 1.6 apheresis collections. Overall, 83% of patients achieved the mobilization target, and 95% reached the minimum necessary CD34+ cell yield to proceed with transplantation (2 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg). Because FIL is weight-based and dosed daily, the cost comparison with PEG is influenced by patient weight and number of apheresis sessions required. A cost simulation using actual patient data indicates that PEG is associated with lower cost than FIL for the majority of patients. Autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell mobilization with PEG and plerixafor is practical, effective, and not associated with increased cost compared with FIL mobilization.
Kirigami Strain Sensors Microfabricated From Thin-Film Parylene C

A kirigami-based strategy was investigated for strain transduction, using serpentine gold traces embedded in thin-film Parylene C. Multiple kirigami slit designs were evaluated via COMSOL simulation and mechanical force testing; sensors having tightly packed slits stretched up to 17.5 mm (350% strain) before mechanical failure and 9 mm (180% strain) before electrical failure. Strain transduction was achieved by monitoring DC resistance changes during stretching. DC resistance linearly increased with strain, with sensitivities up to 0.16 $\Omega$ /mm (gauge factor = 0.007) and minimal hysteresis. High-frequency trace impedance and inter-trace capacitance were also investigated during strain cycling. Capacitance increased with strain and high-frequency impedance show a nonlinear strain relationship. The biocompatible construction and extremely low profiles (20 $\mu \text{m}$ thick) of these sensors are attractive for minimally invasive in vivo strain sensing applications. [2018-0130]
Screening and optimization of potential injection vehicles for storage of retinal pigment epithelial stem cell before transplantation.

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are highly specialized neural cells that have several functions essential for vision. Progressive deterioration of RPE cells in elderly individuals can result in visual impairment and ultimately the blinding disease age-related macular degeneration. Subretinal transplantation of stem cell-derived RPE cell suspensions is being explored as a strategy to recover the damaged retina and improve vision. This approach may be improved by developing a vehicle that increases postinjection cell viability and distribution and integration of RPE cells. In this study, Food and Drug Administration-approved natural polymers, including alginate, methylcellulose, and hyaluronic acid (HA), were examined for performance as cell vehicles for adult human RPE stem cells (RPESCs). We compared the effect of RPESC storage as a cell suspension in these delivery vehicles for 1-96 hr at different temperatures on subsequent cell performance in a cell culture model. RPESC survival, attachment, distribution, proliferation, and differentiation into RPE cells were monitored by microscopy over the course of 8 weeks. Our in vitro results demonstrate that RPESC suspension in a 0.2% HA solution promotes better initial cell distribution, proliferation, cobblestone formation, and expression of RPE cell markers (microphthalmia-associated transcription factor and orthodenticle homeobox 2) after 96 hr of storage. These data suggest that HA addition to the vehicle can significantly enhance RPESC performance in vitro and is a promising strategy to pursue an improved delivery vehicle supporting in vivo RPE cell transplantation.
Energy performance evaluation of variable-speed packaged rooftop units using field measurements and building energy simulation

Abstract Packaged air-conditioning units are widely used in commercial buildings. Most packaged units in the field are equipped with constant-speed supply fans and constant-speed compressors. Many efforts have been made to increase the operational efficiency of packaged air conditioners by retrofitting existing units with improved controls or developing innovative products with advanced designs. This paper evaluates the energy performance of a packaged unit with all variable-speed components, including the supply fan, the compressor, and the condenser fan. Both a field test and energy simulation are used to quantify the potential of energy savings from the variable-speed unit (VSU) against reference units. In the field test, the reference is a six-year-old existing unit. It was determined through monitoring for one year that the VSU had a 31% higher cooling efficiency than the reference unit. In the simulation, a retail building model was used to compare the performance between the VSU and two reference units—one representing existing units in the field and the other representing units meeting the latest energy code requirements by ASHRAE Standard 90.1. Simulation results showed that depending on the climate, the VSU can save electricity consumption (including both cooling and fan) by 45%–54% relative to the first reference and by 22%–29% relative to the second reference. These findings are valuable for building designers and contractors in selecting packaged rooftop units for both new constructions and retrofits.
The Differences between Internationalization of SMEs with Brand Names and those without Brand Names: An Abstract

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expand into international markets either with brand names (OBM, original brand manufacturing) or without brand names (OEM, original equipment manufacturing). OEMs and OBMs have different core competitive advantages: OEMs offer low-cost production, while OBMs provide advanced design and branding (Lee et al. 2015). According to the resource-based view (RBV), brand name is an imperfectly imitable asset (e.g., Barney 2001) that enhances SMEs’ competitive advantages. While the international activities associated with OBMs and OEMs differ, the impact of brand names on internationalization is limited in the literature. Built on the RBV, this study examined the differences between OBM and OEM in terms of SMEs’ commitment to marketing and technology, activities (speed, scale, and scope), and performance in international markets. The hypotheses were tested by examining SMEs in South Korea due to the ample existence of OEM and OBM among SMEs as a result of the country’s export-led global growth.
Searching by grant number: comparison of funding acknowledgments in NIH RePORTER, PubMed, and Web of Science

Objective: Several publication databases now index the associated funding agency and grant number metadata with their publication records. Librarians who are familiar with the particulars of these databases can assist investigators and administrators with data gathering for publication summaries and metrics required for renewals of and progress reports for National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants. Methods: Publication lists were pulled from three main indexers of publication-associated funding information (NIH RePORTER, PubMed, and Web of Science), using iterative search strategies. All discovered variations for the cited grant number of interest were recorded and tested. Publication lists were compared for overall coverage. Results: A total of 986 publications citing the single grant number of interest were returned from the given time frame: 920 were found in PubMed, 860 in NIH RePORTER, and 787 in Web of Science. Web of Science offered the highest percentage of publications that were not found in the other 2 sources (n=63). Analysis of publication funding acknowledgments uncovered 21 variations of the specific NIH award of interest that were used to report funding support. Conclusions: This study shows that while PubMed returns the most robust list of publications, variations in the format of reported funding support and indexing practices meant no one resource was sufficient to capture all publications that cited a given NIH project grant number. Librarians looking to help build grant-specific publication lists will need to use multiple resources and be aware of the most frequently reported grant variations to identify a comprehensive list of supported publications. This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program .
Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction GCMS as a Potential In-Situ Method for the Early Detection of Fusarium Head Blight in Barley

The presence of Fusarium head blight on barley impacts beer quality and can have a significant financial impact on the brewing industry. In this work we investigate the use of a portable GCMS instr...
The relationship between pitch velocity and shoulder distraction force and elbow valgus torque in collegiate and high school pitchers.

Background The relationship between pitch velocity, shoulder distraction force, and elbow valgus torque is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine the association between baseball pitch velocity and shoulder distraction force and (2) determine the association between baseball pitch velocity and elbow valgus torque. A subpurpose was to determine these same associations within subgroups of college baseball and high school baseball pitchers. Methods Collegiate and high school baseball pitchers were biomechanically analyzed; variables extracted from the pitching reports included fastball pitch velocity, shoulder distraction force, and elbow valgus torque. Linear regression was performed to analyze the relationship between fastball velocity and shoulder and elbow kinetics. Subgroup analyses were then performed for college and high school pitches. Coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated, with R squared (r2) used to assess model fit. Results A total of 70 pitchers (college: n = 23; high school: n = 47) were included in this study. There was a positive weak linear relationship between pitch velocity and shoulder distraction force (3.24 %body weight [BW] [95% CI: 2.07, 4.40], r2 = 0.32, P Discussion Pitching velocity exhibited a weak positive linear relationship with both shoulder distraction force and elbow valgus torque. However, only high school pitchers were observed to have a weak positive linear relationship between pitch velocity and shoulder distraction force, whereas both college and high school pitchers exhibited a weak positive relationship between pitch velocity and elbow valgus torque. These findings suggest that older pitchers may attenuate shoulder forces with increased pitch velocity due to physical maturity or increased pitching mechanical skill in comparison with younger pitchers.
Primary Care and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Services in Publicly Funded Family Planning Clinics in the Southern United States.

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is underutilized by US women. Cost and resource concerns are barriers to PrEP delivery in settings that see men. Family planning clinics may be ideal PrEP delivery settings for women, but as they are not uniform in their clinical services, cost and resource concerns may vary. We examined factors that influence perceptions of costs and resources related to PrEP delivery in Title X–funded family planning clinics in Southern states, which overlaps with high HIV-burden areas. We conducted a web-based survey among a convenience sample of clinicians and administrators of Title X clinics across 18 Southern states (DHHS regions III, IV, VI). We compared cost- and resource-related survey items and other clinic- and county-level variables between clinics by whether their clinics also provided other primary care services. We analyzed interviews for cost and resource themes. Title X clinic staff in the South. Among 283 unique clinics, a greater proportion of clinics that also provided primary care currently provided PrEP compared with those that did not provide primary care (27.8% vs. 18.3%, p = 0.06), but this difference was not statistically significant. Among 414 respondents in clinics that were not providing PrEP, those in clinics with primary care services were more likely to respond that they had the necessary financial resources (p < 0.01) and staffing (p < 0.01) for PrEP implementation compared to those without primary care services. In interviews, respondents differed on concerns about costs of labs and staffing based on whether their clinic had concomitant primary care services or not. Among publicly funded Southern family planning clinics, current PrEP provision was higher among clinics with concomitant primary care. Among clinics not providing PrEP, those with concomitant primary care services have lower perceived cost and resource barriers and therefore may be optimal for expanding PrEP among women.
DiAG: a dataflow-inspired architecture for general-purpose processors

The end of Dennard scaling and decline of Moore's law has prompted the proliferation of hardware accelerators for a wide range of application domains. Yet, at the dawn of an era of specialized computing, left behind the trend is the general-purpose processor that is still most easily programmed and widely used but has seen incremental changes for decades. This work uses an accelerator-inspired approach to rethink CPU microarchitecture to improve its energy efficiency while retaining its generality. We propose DiAG, a dataflow-based general-purpose processor architecture that can minimize latency by exploiting instruction-level parallelism or maximize throughput by exploiting data-level parallelism. DiAG is designed to support any RISC-like instruction set without explicitly requiring specialized languages, libraries, or compilers. Central to this architecture is the abstraction of the register file as register 'lanes' that allow implicit construction of the program's dataflow graph in hardware. At the cost of increased area, DiAG offers three main benefits over conventional out-of-order microarchitectures: reduced front-end overhead, efficient instruction reuse, and thread-level pipelining. We implement a DiAG prototype that supports the RISC-V ISA in SystemVerilog and evaluate its performance, power consumption, and area with EDA tools. In the tested Rodinia and SPEC CPU2017 benchmarks, DiAG configured with 512 PEs achieves a 1.18x speedup and 1.63x improvement in energy efficiency against an aggressive out-of-order CPU baseline.
A cross-cultural examination of college students’ knowledge of aging and their experiences with older adults: China, Japan, and the United States

The current study compared responses from college students on a survey questionnaire about aging knowledge, aging attitudes, aging anxiety, experiences with older persons, and other related experie...
Factors Influencing the Use of Ceramic Materials in Deep-Submergence Applications

Analytical and experimental research conducted on ceramic materials in order to evaluate pertinent material properties in the deep-ocean environment is presented. Areas investigated include evaluation of brittle material failure criteria, determination of meaningful material properties, fortification of ceramics by rubber, ductile or induced compressive layers, modification of graphites by high temperature-high pressure infiltration, corrosion resistance of ceramic materials, and vehicle fabrication feasibility. Results of the various investigations are compiled and evaluated with regard to deep-ocean requirements and recommendations are offered for future research.
Aged gametes, adverse pregnancy outcomes and natural family planning. An epidemiologic review.

Abstract Unconfirmed epidemiologic studies suggest a possible increased risk of birth defects associated with Natural Family Planning (NFP) use, and an increased incidence of spontaneous abortion or frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in abortuses associated with conceptions outside the most “fertile period”. The risk is approximately two- to four-fold, but the evidence is by no means conclusive. The implication for NFP depends on the frequency of method failures in user populations, but is not likely to constitute a major hazard. Further research could utilize a data bank of NFP charts.
The Struggle to Define Jihad: A Religious Belief or Secular Philosophy?

This paper briefly examines the evolution of the jihad doctrine within Sunni jurisprudence. More specifically, the paper analyzes the most recent manifestation of the jihad doctrine by Islamist organizations and jurists, and the considers the question of whether or not this interpretation of jihad warrants protection under the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Through the tests as enumerated in Stevens and Yoder this paper argues that the jihadi Islamist doctrine of self-annihilation is a secular geo-political militant ideology shrouded in religious, specifically Islamic, doctrine that does not rise to the level of First Amendment protection under the Free Exercise clause.
Acupuncture for low back pain: ritual healing or medicine?

Background Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent and costly condition that is poorly amenable to medical care. Both patients and clinicians occasionally resort to non-medical healing such as acupuncture. Objectives The aim of this narrative review is to evaluate acupuncture's claim of efficacy as an adjunct or alternative therapy for the treatment of non-specific, non-inflammatory LBP with no neurological symptoms. Methods Evidence was collected from clinical trials, meta-analyses and systematic reviews conducted in the USA or in Europe. Studies were all published in English, conducted within the last 10 years, and identified exclusively from PubMed, CINAHL and the Cochrane Collaboration. Results Collectively, recent RCTs and systematic reviews provide consistent evidence that acupuncture according to its traditional theories is no more effective for LBP than various forms of non-invasive controls, including pricking the skin with a toothpick at non-acupuncture points. This finding not only undermines the traditional tenets of acupuncture, but also discredits its claim of specific effects for LBP. Conclusions If the effects of acupuncture on LBP are mainly due to the treatment ritual or to other psychological factors, then the placebo nature of the treatment must be fully disclosed; otherwise, patients will not be making an informed medical decision. Moreover, the use of acupuncture for LBP might directly conflict with the current positions of the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Pain Society and the American Society for Pain Management Nursing on the use of placebo for the treatment of pain.
In search of new worlds: NASA's astronomical search for origins

A curiosity for who we are..., where did we come from..., who else is out there..., has been a motivation for exploration from ancestral gatherings around the tribal fire to sophisticated musings at the "electronic hearth" of our computers. NASA's Astronomical Search for Origins (ASO) science theme has brought together a broad array of scientific investigations and technological means to address these most challenging questions. ASO's goals are to understand how galaxies formed in the early universe, to understand how stars and planetary systems form and evolve., and to determine whether habitable or life-bearing planets exist around other stars in our solar neighborhood. This last goal, to find and to characterize planets and planetary systems around other stars, perhaps to image that "pale blue dot" that will tie the "new world" of humanity's next era of exploration, this is the purpose of NASA's Navigator Program: In Search of New Worlds. This paper describes the missions, the scientific endeavors, and the network of technology investments that are the Navigator Program, and which are at the heart of the Astronomical Search for Origins.
Effect of implantation site and growth of hepatocellular carcinoma on apparent diffusion coefficient of water and sodium MRI.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver metastases are an increasing problem worldwide. Non-invasive methods for the early detection of HCC and understanding of the tumor growth mechanisms are highly desirable. Both the diffusion-weighted 1H (DWI) and 23Na MRI reflect alterations in tissue compartment volumes in tumors, as well as physiological and metabolic transformation in cells. Effects of untreated growth on apparent diffusion coefficient of water (ADC), single quantum (SQ) and triple quantum-filtered (TQF) 23Na MRI were compared in intrahepatically and subcutaneously implanted HCCs in rats. Animals were examined weekly for 4 weeks after injection of N1S1 cells. ADC of intrahepatic HCC was 1.5-times higher compared to the nearby liver tissue, and with growth, the ADC did not increase. ADC of subcutaneous HCC was lower compared to intrahepatic HCC and it increased with growth. Untreated growth of both intrahepatic and subcutaneous HCCs was associated with an increase in SQ and TQF 23Na signal intensity suggesting an increase in tissue Na+ and intracellular Na+ (Na+i), respectively, most likely due to an increase in relative extracellular space and Na+i concentration as a result of changes in tissue structure and cellular metabolism. Thus, SQ and TQF 23Na MRI may be complementary to diffusion imaging in areas susceptible to motion for characterizing hepatic tumors and for other applications, such as, predicting and monitoring therapy response. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Response to Comment on “Germinal Center Helper T Cells Are Dual Functional Regulatory Cells with Suppressive Activity to Conventional CD4+ T Cells”

It seems that Drs. Focosi and Petrini ([1][1]) classify T cells as helpers for B cells only when they are able to promote B cell proliferation. It is common knowledge that there are at least two different types of Th signals during T-dependent Ag-driven B cell activation and differentiation: 1)
Telegraph Messenger Boys: Crossing the Borders between History of Technology and Human Geography*

Historians of telegraphy have traditionally focused on the system-builders who invented wire communications technologies and incorporated them into profit-making enterprises. Geographers of communi...
The MCI Takeover Battle: Verizon versus Qwest (CW)

SUBJECT AREAS: Bids, Board of directors, Capital markets, Corporate governance, Financial strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions, Takeovers, Valuation. MCI's board of directors is considering competing bids from Verizon and Qwest. Qwest, a smaller company with a weaker balance sheet, is offering almost a billion dollars more. But Verizon, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world, has a history of successful mergers and acquisitions.
Turnagain Slide Stabilization, Anchorage, Alaska

The Turnagain Slide was a large area of retrogresslve translatory sliding, resulting from the earthquake-induced liquefaction of soft sensitive Bootlegger clay including sand lenses. A slope-stability chart, derived from analysis of bluffs in the Anchorage area, indicated marginal earthquake stability of the area after sliding. Extremely low clay strengths under the toe of the slide along the seaward sloping surface indicated loss of this toe and the stabilization it provided in another earthquake. Stabilization model studies on blast remolding with sand drainage and later with electro-osmosis treatment were conducted. Tests conducted in early 1966 showed that soil strength under the seaward toe of the slide was of a magnitude such that the toe would not fail in an equivalent future earthquake. Recommendations were made to protect the slide toe against future erosion so that stability of the slide could be maintained. Investigation showed a pre-earthquake erosion rate of 2 ft to 10 ft per yr. Ice rafting of soil is believed to be a primary cause of erosion. Recommended erosion protection is a 1 on 3 rock-protected slope placed slightly seaward of the present high water elevation.
Factors Correlating With Lymph Node Metastases in Patients With T1 Breast Cancer

Background: Identification of reliable predictors of axillary metastases (ALNM) may be useful in selecting appropriate management for patients with T1-size breast cancer. This study was undertaken to determine the degree of correlation between ALNM and several variables, including age, race, menopausal status, palpability, tumor size, positive margin on initial excision, histology, grade, lymphatic invasion (LI), estrogen receptor status (ER), progesterone receptor status, S-phase, and ploidy.
Linewidth enhancement factor simplified

The dependence of laser linewidth on the laser power without taking into considerations of the laser AM-FM coupling effects, namely the Schawlow-Townes linewidth, can be derived by taking the laser as a self-consistent feedback system. Without employing a full quantum statistical analysis of the semiconductor laser noises, we extend this intuitive approach to include the effects of the laser AM-FM coupling on the laser amplitude noise as well as the laser phase noise. Then by using Fourier transform arguments, we arrive at the laser linewidth and the linewidth enhancement factor which agree with the results from the authoritative quantum statistics theory. This fully classic presentation simplifies the derivation of the laser linewidth enhancement factor and is suitable for undergraduate teaching of laser electronics.
The production of glomerulonephritis by immunologic methods.

Abstract 1. 1. Specific antikidney, antiglomerular, or antiplacenta serum, when injected in the rat or dog, produces acute glomerulonephritis, which may be fatal within a few days, may heal, or may progress to chronic nephritis resulting in death from renal failure months or years later. Duck antirabbit-kidney serum injected in rabbits produces a similar result. 2. 2. The clinical course and pathologic lesions of this experimental disease resemble those of human nephritis. 3. 3. In the rat, high-titered specific antisera may produce a nephrotic syndrome characterized by edema, hypercholesterolemia, hypoproteinemia, and massive proteinuria. 4. 4. Between the clinical picture of acute nephritis and the onset of chronic nephritis in the rat, there may be an interval of several months during which time the animal appears normal. 5. 5. Nephritis produced in rats, rabbits, or dogs by the injection of specific duck or chicken antikidney serum often has a latent period of several days. 6. 6. Evidence has been presented that, at least in the rabbit, the onset of nephritis after a latent period is the result of a reaction between the injected antikidney foreign protein (fowl gamma globulin) attached to kidney parenchyma and the antibodies produced by the rabbit to this antigen. 7. 7. The lesions of delayed nephritis in the rabbit, rat, or dog are similar to those which occur in nephritis with no latent period. 8. 8. Evidence has been developed from chemical and histochemical studies of the glomerulus of the dog and rat which indicates that the basement membrane of the glomerulus may be the source of the antigen inciting production of the nephrotoxic antibody. 9. 9. The new immunologic and histochemical techniques which have been used in the study of experimental nephrotoxic nephritis may in the future give data on the mechanism of human nephritis.
Antigen specific and concanavaiin A‐induced lymphocyte blastogenesis responses during the course of Plasmodium berghei infection in rats

Summary Antigen specific and concanavaiin A (Con A)-induced lymphocyte blastogenesis responses were monitored in the spleens of rats infected with Plasmodium berghei. Con A responses were depressed only at the time of peak parasitaemia. The antigen specific blastogenesis response was either not in evidence, or at a low level during the periods of patent or subpatent infection (up to 8 weeks after infection). Higher levels of blastogenesis were seen from 8 to 12 weeks after infection, which correlates with clearance of subpatent infection. Fractionation of immune spleen cell suspensions on nylon wool columns indicated that purified T cells did not respond to parasite antigen.
Tactile sensing array based on forming and detecting an optical image

Abstract The spatial distributions of normal and transverse forces applied at the surface of a deformable sheet can be made visible by supporting the sheet on an illuminated, transparent light-conducting plate. At points of contact between the sheet and the plate, the total internal reflection of light is spoiled, and a high-constrast image of the contact area is formed. This image can be detected with an inexpensive solid-state camera, and then stored, displayed and analysed by a commercial microcomputer. We discuss the following issues related to using this principle to make practical tactile sensing arrays for robotic or prosthetic applications: the formation and sensitivity of variously-shaped deformable layers, the hysteresis of several candidate layer materials, layer casting techniques for making intricate shapes, a memory management system for rapid image acquisition, and the design of an experimental sensing unit for test on a commercial robot in out robotics laboratory.