cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The characterization of SV40-transformed cell lines derived from mouse teratocarcinoma: growth properties and differentiated characteristics.

Mouse teratocarcinoma cells derived from embryoid bodies of 129SVsl mice were cultured in vitro to permit their differentiation. These cells were then infected with simiam virus 40 (SV40) and 31 cloned cell lines (SVTER) were derived from these cultures. All 31 SVTER cell lines contained the SV40 tumor (T) antigen and grew as permanent lines in culture. Mock-infected embryoid body cultures did not give rise to permanent cell lines. The morphology of each SVTER cell line was distinct and did not change during successive subclonings. The growth properties and tumorigenic potential of all 31 SVTER cell lines were investigated. None of these lines produced tumors in 129SVsl mice. Each cell line was tested for its ability to (1) grow in medium containing 1% serum, (2) plate on a cell monolayer, and (3) form clones in methocel suspension. Only three of the SVTER cell lines were transformed with respect to all three of these criteria. Most of these cell lines were minimal transformation. The SVTER cell lines were tested for creatine phosphokinase (CPK), an enzyme activity characteristic of mouse brain and muscle tissue, and the protease, plasminogen activator (PA) which is found in embryoid bodies and several differentiated cell types. Some of the SVTER cell lines contained high levels of CPK, while others had high levels of PA and a third group of cells contained neither enzyme activity. No SVTER cell line was found with high levels of both these enzyme activities. This result suggests that mutually exclusive sets of genes are expressed in these cells as might be expected from the distinct tissue distribution of the two enzyme activities studied. These SVTER cell lines may be useful in reconstructing developmental pathways of differentiating teratomas in vitro.
Underage driving as an indicator of risky behavior in children and adolescents

Driving among children and adolescents below the legal driving age in Texas was examined. There were 4170 accidents between 1995 and 2000 (66.5% involved injury/fatality). Drivers were more often male, and underage driving was greatest during the late afternoon/early evening. Risk of severe injury or death was inversely related to speed and nighttime driving, and was greater in rural areas, in accidents involving passengers and among black children and youth compared with white.
On contour texture

It is suggested that non-smooth or complex boundaries are processed by the visual system so as to obtain a simple abstract description, called contour texture, which contains much less information than that provided by the location of all points of the contour. A discussion is presented of what the nature of the contour texture of a curve is and its relation with two-dimensional texture, which the author contends should be thought of as a separate concept. Several applications are suggested, and an implemented filter-based scheme is presented. >
Less Than 80% of Absorbed Iron Is Promptly Incorporated into Erythrocytes of Infants

Erythrocyte incorporation of an administered iron isotope has been used as a surrogate for iron retention on the assumption (validated in normal and iron-deficient adults) that 80-100% of the retained isotope is promptly incorporated into circulating erythrocytes. This assumption has not been validated in infants or children. The purpose of our study was to determine concurrently in normal infants absorption and erythrocyte incorporation of the stable isotope, (58)Fe. In a preliminary study (Study 1), we demonstrated that fecal excretion of ingested isotope occurs predominantly during the first 4 d after administration but continues beyond 7 d after ingestion, that is, beyond the point at which isotope in feces can be explained either by excretion of isotope that failed to enter enterocytes or by exfoliation of isotope-enriched enterocytes. In Study 2, we administered (58)Fe to nine younger (age 20-69 d) and nine older (age 165-215 d) term infants and collected feces for 11 d. Geometric mean retention of (58)Fe by the younger infants was 31.2% of intake at 4 d and 26.9% at 11 d, and by the older infants, 35.0% at 4 d and 32.5% at 11 d. Erythrocyte incorporation of (58)Fe 14 d after ingestion was 5.2% of the dose by the younger infants and 12.5% by the older infants. Utilization of retained (11 d) isotope thus was 19.8% by the younger infants and 38.3% by the older infants. We conclude that far less than 80% of retained isotope is promptly incorporated into erythrocytes (utilized) by infants.
Attributions for blue-collar and white-collar crime: The effects of subject and defendant race on simulated juror decisions.

Ninety-six undergraduate and graduate students participated in a study that examined the effects of subject and defendant race on attributions made for a blue-collar (burglary) and a white-collar (embezzlement) crime. It was predicted that attributions for race stereotypic defendants (e.g., a white embezzler) would be internal (dispositional), that attributions for race nonstereotypic defendants (e.g., a black embezzler) would be external, and that attributions would be related to jail sentences. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive one of four crime descriptions that varied in terms of defendant race (black or white) and type of crime (burglary or embezzlement) committed. Subjects were subsequently asked to recommend jail sentences and to respond to items regarding the probable cause of the defendant's behavior. As predicted, race stereotypic crimes were perceived as being due to internal factors and the hypothesized relationship between attributions and jail sentences received partial support. The application of attributional models to the study of juror decision- making is discussed.
Mutations that affect flightin expression in Drosophila alter the viscoelastic properties of flight muscle fibers.

Striated muscles across phyla share a highly conserved sarcomere design yet exhibit broad diversity in contractile velocity, force, power output, and efficiency. Insect asynchronous flight muscles ...
Jacking Up the Jackpot: Are Lotto Consumers Fooled by Annuity Payments?

State lotteries typically pay lotto jackpot winners with annuity payments over a 20- to 30-year period. Because lottery associations advertise the jackpot to be the nominal sum of these payments, l...
Religious Persecution in the French Enlightenment

In France, religious persecution outlived Pierre Bayle and nearly outlived Voltaire. Only in the mid-1760's, when the Enlightenment had long been affecting other aspects of their thinking, did Catholics at last accept a measure of religious toleration. Six Calvinist pastors were put to death after 1745, and Jean Calas was condemned as late as 1762. The purpose of this article is to study why the persecution of religions persisted in a non-theological age. Our understanding in this instance requires that we set aside strictly religious categories, and examine what role the secular state played in the thinking of Catholics and anti-Catholics alike; for it was this state to which the last Huguenot victims were sacrificed.
Effects of Antibodies to Progesterone on Early Pregnancy in Rabbits

Effects of antibodies to progesterone on early pregnancy were studied in rabbits. A total of 124 rabbits were employed to determine the effects of active immunization with progesterone-11alpha hemisuccinate couple to bovine serum albumin (P-BSA) on progesterone-dependent responses. P-BSA was administered by multiple intradermal injections in complete Freunds adjuvant. The rabbits were bled immediately after mating to obtain an estimate of the levels of antibodies to progesterone (anti-P) and were sacrificed 1.25 3 5 6 7 or 12 days later. Immunization with P-BSA did not cause marked changes in the numbers of corpora lutea fertilization rate or the weights of corpora lutea adrenal glands and ovaries. Mean serum progesterone levels in rabbits immunized with P-BSA were 8-15 times higher than controls on Days 3 5 and 7 of pregnancy. There was a highly significant positive correlation (r=.85 p less than .01) between levels of anti-P at the time of mating and serum progesterone at necropsy. The elevation in serum progesterone and the correlation with the anti-P levels were not markedly affected by replacement therapy with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). In P-BSA-immunized rabbits uterine weights were significantly lower than controls (p=.05 or less than .01). Inhibition of the progestational response of the uterus in the presence of markedly elevated serum progesterone levels indicates that progesterone bound to antibody was not readily available to target organ cells. Progestational changes in the uteri of P-BSA-immunized rabbits were delayed as compared to controls. Embryo survival in the immunized rabbits was lower (p less than .01) at Days 5 6 7 and 12 and embryo diameters were lower (p less than .01) at Days 5 6 and 7 of pregnancy. Embryo survival rates and diameters at Day 5 6 and 7 were both negatively correlated (p less than .05) with the levels of anti-P at the time of mating. The detrimental effects of P-Basa immunization on progesterone-dependent responses were completely or partially blocked by MPA.
Comparison of high-pass resolution perimetry and standard automated perimetry in glaucoma.

Purpose We sought to ascertain whether high-pass resolution perimetry would provide results comparable to those of standard perimetry. Methods Thirty-four eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma, 37 eyes suspected of having glaucoma, and 36 normal control eyes were matched for age and lens density. We controlled for refraction, pupil size, and learning effects. Standard and ring visual fields were obtained with the Humphrey perimeter and the Frisen ring perimeter, respectively. Each test was judged according to the Glaucoma Hemifield Test (a statistical visual field analysis method) to be outside normal limits (abnormal) or not outside normal limits (normal or borderline). Results Under these conditions, both tests identified 19 of 34 (56%) glaucoma eyes as outside normal limits. High-pass resolution perimetry determined that 34 of 36 (94%) normal eyes were not outside normal limits; standard perimetry determined that all 36 normal eyes were not outside normal limits. High-pass resolution perimetry determined 12 of 37 (32%) eyes that were glaucoma suspects were outside normal limits; standard perimetry determined three of the 37 (8%) glaucoma suspect eyes were outside normal limits. Overall agreement between the two tests was 65%. Conclusion With the Glaucoma Hemifield Test, high-pass resolution perimetry was comparable to standard perimetry in sensitivity and specificity, and identified a slightly higher percentage of patients at risk for glaucoma as abnormal. These results suggest that high-pass resolution perimetry should continue to be explored as an alternative to standard perimetry for the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.
The Impact of Professional Development and Coaching on Early Language and Literacy Instructional Practices

This study examines the impact of professional development on teacher knowledge and quality early language and literacy practices in center- and home-based care settings. Participants from 291 sites (177 centers; 114 home-based) in four cities were randomly selected to: Group 1, 3-credit course in early language and literacy; Group 2, course plus ongoing coaching; Group 3, control group. Analysis of covariance indicated no significant differences between groups on teacher knowledge. However, there were statistically significant improvements in language and literacy practices for teachers who received coursework plus coaching with substantial effect sizes for both center- and home-based providers. Professional development alone had negligible effects on improvements in quality practices. Coursework and coaching may represent a promising quality investment in early childhood.
Action, inaction, and factors influencing perceived decision making.

Two studies examined factors hypothesized to be related to the subjective perception of decision making. A total of 302 introductory psychology students read four hypothetical scenarios that varied on two dimensions: frequency of the behavior and whether the behavior was an action or an inaction (a 2 × 2 design). Subjects rated the scenarios on whether the actor made a decision. In Experiment 1, the frequency of behavior was unrelated to decision making. In addition, actions were given higher decision ratings than inactions in two scenarios, but lower ratings in the other two scenarios. In Experiment 2 the latter discrepancy was explained by ratings of whether the actor behaved thoughtfully rather than reflexively, in that these ratings mediated the action–decision rating relationship. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced expression and activity of Nox2 and Nox4 in the macula densa in ANG II-induced hypertensive mice.

NAD(P)H oxidase (Nox)2 and Nox4 are the isoforms of Nox expressed in the macula densa (MD). MD-derived superoxide (O2−), primarily generated by Nox2, is enhanced by acute ANG II stimulation. Howeve...
Differential regulation of human and murine P-selectin expression and function in vivo

Leukocytes roll on P-selectin after its mobilization from secretory granules to the surfaces of platelets and endothelial cells. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL-1β, and lipopolysaccharide increase synthesis of P-selectin in murine but not in human endothelial cells. To explore the physiological significance of this difference in gene regulation, we made transgenic mice bearing the human Selp gene and crossed them with mice lacking murine P-selectin ( Selp −/−). The transgenic mice constitutively expressed human P-selectin in platelets, endothelial cells, and macrophages. P-selectin mediated comparable neutrophil migration into the inflamed peritoneum of transgenic and wild-type (WT) mice. Leukocytes rolled similarly on human or murine P-selectin on activated murine platelets and in venules of the cremaster muscle subjected to trauma. However, TNF increased murine P-selectin in venules, slowing rolling and increasing adhesion, whereas it decreased human P-selectin, accelerating rolling and decreasing adhesion. Both P- and E-selectin mediated basal rolling in the skin of WT mice, but E-selectin dominated rolling in transgenic mice. During contact hypersensitivity, murine P-selectin messenger (m) RNA was up-regulated and P-selectin was essential for leukocyte recruitment. However, human P-selectin mRNA was down-regulated and P-selectin contributed much less to leukocyte recruitment. These findings reveal functionally significant differences in basal and inducible expression of human and murine P-selectin in vivo.
Probing the cool interstellar and circumgalactic gas of three massive lensing galaxies at z = 0.4–0.7

This work is based on data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, the ESO telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory, and the NASA/ESA HST operated by the Space Telescope Science Institute and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. Additional data were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W.M. Keck Foundation. We thank an anonymous referee for thoughtful comments that helped improve the presentation of the paper, Frederic Courbin for kindly providing the spectra of the lensing galaxies of HE 0047-1756 and HE 0435-1223 (data obtained using the ESO-VLT Unit Telescope 2 Kueyen under programmes 074.A-0563 and 075.A-0377), and Sebastian Lopez for providing the echelle spectra of HE 1104-1805 (data obtained using the ESO-VLT Unit Telescope 2 Kueyen under programmes 067.A-0278 and 070.A-0439). FSZ and HWC thank Sean Johnson for important discussions and comments that helped improve the presentation of the paper. We also thank Rebecca Pierce for helpful comments on an earlier draft of the paper. MR thanks Andy McWilliam for useful discussions and the National Science Foundation for support through grant AST-1108815. MLW and AIZ acknowledge funding from NSF grant AST-1211874 and NASA grant ADP-10AE88G. MLW also thanks the Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) Imaging Fellowship programme for its support. In addition, HWC acknowledges the Aspen Center for Physics, which is supported by National Science Foundation grant PHY-1066293, and the organizers of the workshop on the 'physics of accretion and feedback in the CGM' for a productive visit in 2015 June, during which components of the work presented were accomplished.
Influence of microstructure arrangement on the responses of composites beyond one representative unit cel

In this paper, influence of microstructure on the responses of laminated composites using one representative volume cell and beyond one representative volume cell is studies. The simulations on one representative volume cell show that microstructure has significant influence on the tangential stiffness as deformation increases and maximum strength. To study the responses of composites beyond one representative volume cell, a modified numerical scheme is proposed so that one can use one volume cell to account for various wave vectors. For the same wave vector, phase shift influences the value for the onset of buckling. The buckling load in the composite whose phase shift is 4 mm is the highest value. For the same microstructure, buckling load at short wave vector is smaller than the buckling at long wave vector.
Homothallism in an Undescribed Species of Cochliobolus and in Cochliobolus Kusanoi

A new species, Cochliobolus homomorphus Luttrell & Rogerson, with the imperfect stage Helminthosporium homomorphus Luttrell & Rogerson, differing from C. tritici Dastur in its larger perithecia, na...
Exploring Mechanisms of Biofilm Removal.

Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of a novel anti-plaque formulation on oral biofilm removal. Specific aim was to elucidate the role of 2 potentially complementary mechanisms on dental biofilm removal using EPIEN Dental Debriding Solution (EDDS) like desiccating action leading to denaturation and destabilization of plaque and mechanical removal of destabilized plaque through forceful rinsing action. Materials and Methods: 25 extracted teeth, after routine debriding and cleaning, underwent standard biofilm incubation model over 4 days. Then samples were randomly divided into 5 groups of 5 teeth each, treated and stained with GUM®Red-Cote® plaque disclosing solution and imaged. Samples were subsequently treated with HYBENX® Oral Decontaminant. Group 1 samples were treated with a standardized “static” water dip exposure following biofilm incubation. Samples in Group 2 were given a standardized "dynamic" exposure to a dental high pressure air/water syringe for 20 s. Group 3 samples were exposed to a standardized “static” application of test agent (30 s dip rinse) followed by a standardized “static” water rinse (30 s dip rinse). Samples in Group 4 were given both the standardized “static” application of test formulation followed by the standardized “dynamic” exposure to a dental high pressure air/water syringe. Finally, samples in Group 5 were treated with a standardized “dynamic” application of test agent (20 s high pressure syringe at 10 ml/s) followed by the standardized “dynamic” exposure to a dental high pressure air/water syringe. Results: The MPM images demonstrated that the water dip treatment resulted in the persistence of an almost continuous thick layer of biofilm coverage on the tooth surface. Similarly, test agent dip treatment followed by water dip only removed a few patches of biofilm, with the majority of the tooth surface remaining covered by an otherwise continuous layer of biofilm. Samples exposed to air/water spray alone showed some disruption of the biofilm, leaving residual patches of biofilm that varied considerably in size. Test agent dip treatment followed by air/water spray broke up the continuous layer of biofilm leaving only very small, thin scattered islands of biofilm. Finally, the dynamic test agent spray followed by air/water spray removed the biofilm almost entirely, with evidence of only very few small, thin residual biofilm islands. Conclusion: These studies demonstrate that test agent desiccant effect alone causes some disruption of dental biofilm. Additional dynamic rinsing is needed to achieve complete removal of dental biofilm.
Effect of Common Selfheal for the Treatment of Rats with Bacteritic Vaginitis

Objective:To observe the effect of common selfheal for the treatment of rats with bacteritic vaginitis.Methods:60 female rats were randomly divided into model group,normal control group,ofloxacin group,common selfheal high dosage group,middle dosage group and low dosage group(n=10).Bacteritic vaginitis rat models were established.Treatment group rats were given corresponding medicine through gastric gavage for 14 days,rats in model group and normal control group were given normal saline.2 h after final administration,vaginal discharges were examined by the smear technique under microscope;then rats were sacrificed,vaginal tissues of rats were removed and stained with HE dye for histopathologic evaluation.Results:Total effective rate in common selfheal high dosage group and ofloxacin group was 100%.Conclusion:The curative effect of common selfheal for the treatment of bacteritic vaginitis rats was notable.
Memórias de uma Independência, Memórias de um Filme

Book review of Uhuru. Stamp. Genealogy. Anatomy , de Catarina Simao (Bratislava: Apart Label, 2015) 91p.
An integrative regional resilience framework for the changing urban water paradigm

Abstract The water sector is going through a paradigm shift. Many communities are incorporating decentralized solutions such as water reuse and recycling, stormwater capture, and demand-side management in order to address both short-term and long-term water resources challenges due to population increase, economic growth, intensified climate variability, as well as environmental concerns. For these projects to be sustainable, local characteristics including social and institutional contexts must be incorporated in the planning process. This paper presents a flexible and bottom-up framework that facilitates integration of such characteristics in evaluation of various water resource management strategies. It incorporates various locally-driven factors such as water use efficiency, stress on existing supplies, and adaptation capacity potential, to identify how various local and regional solutions affect resiliency at the utility and regional levels. Rather than defining top-down resilience standards, this framework incorporates quantitative and qualitative assessments that can help decision-makers tailor adaptation measures to the needs and opportunities of a given location or community. A case study application of the framework in the San Francisco Bay Area highlights how community-level characteristics can be used to identify opportunities and adaptation strategies in order to enhance both local and collective water resource resiliency.
Evaluation of a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography design space for sugars and sugar alcohols

Based on a column-screening exercise, a column ranking system was developed for sample mixtures containing any combination of 26 sugar and sugar alcohol analytes using 16 polar stationary phases in the HILIC mode with acetonitrile/water or acetone/water mobile phases. Each analyte was evaluated on the HILIC columns with gradient elution and the subsequent chromatography data was compiled into a statistical software package where any subset of the analytes can be selected and the columns are then ranked by the greatest separation. Since these analytes lack chromophores, aerosol-based detectors, including an evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) and a charged aerosol detector (CAD) were employed for qualitative and quantitative detection. Example qualitative applications are provided to illustrate the practicality and efficiency of this HILIC column ranking. Furthermore, the design-space approach was used as a starting point for a quantitative method for the trace analysis of glucose in trehalose samples in a complex matrix. Knowledge gained from evaluating the design-space led to rapid development of a capable method as demonstrated through validation of the following parameters: specificity, accuracy, precision, linearity, limit of quantitation, limit of detection, and range.
Wildlife crime: a conceptual integration, literature review, and methodological critique

Wildlife crime, including poaching and wildlife trafficking, threaten the existence of particular species. To date, research on wildlife crime has been primarily conducted by those with backgrounds in the biological sciences, however crime scientists, have much to offer in examining wildlife crimes. With this in mind, we aim to highlight general principals of crime science found through an in-depth review of the conservation literature. More specifically, to determine if, and how, different types of wildlife crimes cluster, to identify the existence of interventions for which the mechanisms mirror those found within SCP, and consider their effectiveness. Our review suggests that various types of wildlife crimes concentrate in time and space, among products, along certain routes, and at particular facilities. Further, some overlap exists between mechanisms used to mitigate more traditional crimes and those used to prevent wildlife crimes and protect threatened species. Of note are the attempts by those in the conservation community to increase the risk of crime, remove excuses for non-compliance of rules, and reduce provocations that contribute to particular types of wildlife crime. Given this overlap crime scientists may be able to collaborate with conservationists to draw on the extensive knowledge base of prevention studies to identify potential interventions, analyze their implementation, and evaluate the overall impact of an intervention.
Tutorial II: Fine-grained power delivery and management in SoCs: Advances in control and circuit design

Fine grained spatiotemporal power management in SoCs require DC-DC converters and embedded voltage regulators that are compact, energy-efficient, and able to operate over a large dynamic range. Buck converters, switched capacitor converters and linear regulators have become key IP blocks to delivery power in diverse load circuits. In the first part of the talk, we will introduce the key design concepts and advances in these three converter/regulator topologies. Then we will focus on linear regulators as key enablers for dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) in ultralow power SoCs. Linear regulators, including low-drop out regulators are the popular choice for on-die voltage regulation. Linear regulators have been traditionally designed for supply sensitive analog circuits which typically represent DC loads with small current transients and operate over a narrow operating range. However, an increasing number of power domains, decreasing decoupling capacitance per domain, large current transients and an ever expanding current/voltage dynamic range in digital circuits motivate the investigation of alternative topologies for linear regulators, including all-digital and hybrid analog/digital loops. In this talk we will present some of the recent work on linear regulators suitable for digital load circuits. We will describe models and Silicon measurements of all-digital and hybrid regulators that provide wide operating ranges and high current efficiencies across the entire range. This requires innovation in both linear and non-linear control topologies and their circuit implementations that can address key challenges in power management. We will introduce switched mode control, discrete time and continuous time systems as well as our recent work on unification of clocking and regulation for resilience to large dynamic variations.
Experiencing the cancer of a loved one influences decision-making for breast cancer prevention:

Prior research demonstrates that family history influences breast cancer prevention decisions among healthy women at elevated risk of the disease. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 50 African American and White women, this study reveals an important psychological mechanism of this relationship: exposure to cancer among loved ones. Four distinct categories of cancer exposure (Abstract, Generalized, Practical, and Traumatic), distinguished by the characteristics of women's experiences with cancer among family members and close friends, are associated with differences in knowledge and decisions about breast cancer prevention options. Racial differences and distinct experiences among those with BRCA mutations are also discussed.
Fetal tracheal occlusion in mice: a novel transuterine method.

Abstract Background Fetal tracheal occlusion (TO) is an emerging surgical therapy in congenital diaphragmatic hernia that improves the fetal lung growth. Different animal models of congenital diaphragmatic hernia and TO present advantages and disadvantages regarding ethical issues, cost, surgical difficulty, size, survival rates, and available genetic tools. We developed a minimally invasive murine transuterine TO model, which will be useful in defining how TO impacts lung molecular biology, cellular processes, and overall lung physiology. Materials and methods Time-mated C57BL/6 mice underwent laparotomy at embryonic day 16.5 (E16.5) with transuterine TO performed on two fetuses in each uterine horn. At E18.5, dams were sacrificed and fetuses harvested. The lungs of the TO fetuses were compared with the nonmanipulated counterparts by morphometric and histologic analysis. Results Successful TO was confirmed in 16 of 20 TO fetuses. Twelve of them survived to E18.5 (75%). Fetal weights were comparable, but lung weights were significantly greater in TO (28.41 ± 5.87 versus 23.38 ± 3.09, P = 0.043). Lung to body weight ratio was also greater (0.26 ± 0.003 versus 0.22 ± 0.002, P = 0.006). E18.5 TO lungs demonstrated dilated central and distal airspaces with increased cellularity. DNA/protein and DNA/lung weight ratios were elevated while protein/lung weight ratio was lower in TO compared to control. Conclusions Mice fetal transuterine TO is feasible with comparable outcomes to other current animal models. The increase in the lung weight, lung to body weight ratio and the DNA/protein ratio indicate organized lung growth rather than edema or cell hypertrophy.
Spirituality, Religion and Healthy Development in Adolescents

Adolescents are particularly inclined toward a search for ultimate meaning and transcendence. Research suggests that adolescence may be a period of augmented spiritual awareness and spiritual development. In as much as this developmental period marks the window of the onset of prevalent forms of pathology, such as substance abuse and depression, a growing body of research has examined protective qualities of personal spirituality in the onset of life-time course of disorder. Overall, studies find a highly robust protective effect of spirituality against the onset of psychopathology, particularly with respect to the spiritual dimensions of transcendence and an ongoing daily relationship with the Divine. Parental support for spiritual individuation and peers interested in discussing spiritual concerns can help to strengthen and clarify personal spirituality in adolescence.
Reconfigurable stream-processing architecture for sparse linear solvers

Applications such as electrical power grid operation and planning rely on high-performance linear solvers involving large sparse matrices. Previous custom sparse solver hardware implemented on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) has shown an 8-fold performance gain over state-of-the-art sparse software packages. Generally, the drawback of hardware solvers lies in their design complexity. This paper presents an alternative architecture in which the host CPU software computes the main program and caches data that are streamed to a pipelined hardware, implemented on an FPGA, for part of the computation. With the lower-upper triangular decomposition solver, the hardware computes the sparse matrix row addition operation, called merging. The prototype merge core processes data at the optimum rate, i.e., the FPGA clock frequency. With the proposed triple-buffer bus architecture, the core is projected to attain a data rate of 250 MHz on the Virtex 6 FPGA in comparison to the average 200MHz for the merge software subroutine on a general-purpose processor.
Manufacturing cell formation in a fuzzy environment

Cell formation (CP) has recently received much attention in education and industry be­ cause of its strategic importance to modern manufacturing theory. In this paper, a sophisti­ cated linear programming model is proposed to simultaneously form manufacturing cells and minimize the total costs of dealing with exceptional elements. Also, we will illustrate how a flizzy linear programming (FLP) approach can be used to solve the CP problem in a fuzzy en­ vironment, propose a new fuzzy operator, and examine the impact of different membership functions and operators on computational performance. Our study shows that FLP not only provides a better and more flexible way of representing the problem domain, it also leads to improved overall performance. Introduction Applying mathematical programming models to the solution of real-world problems is a challenging task because decision makers find it difficult to specify goals and constraints ex­ actly and because the parameters used in these models cannot be estimated precisely. Over the past 25 years, fijzzy set theory has been applied to many disciplines, including operations research, control theory, and artificial intelligence/expert systems dealing with situations or
The National 5 a Day for Better Health Program

The widespread enthusiasm for phytochemical research is obvious from the participation in this conference. However, the emerging research findings from this field can be confusing to consumers, who report they are frustrated with conflicting advice from the “experts.” The media’s instant coverage of new discoveries, sometimes without placing the new findings into a broader context, can have a negative impact on consumers’ motivations to change unhealthy dietary behaviors. You, as researchers, can help prevent this deleterious effect when you report your research results by referring consumers to the National Cancer Institute’s 5 A Day for Better Health Program. We do not yet know which combination of phytochemicals confers protection, but there is adequate evidence to recommend that consumers eat 5 or more daily servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Current synthetic pharmacotherapy for treatment-resistant colorectal cancer: when urgent action is required.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a global concern. Fourteen antineoplastics are approved for metastatic CRC (mCRC); however, the 5-year overall survival remains poor for the overwhelmi...
Imaging of blood cells based on snapshot Hyper-Spectral Imaging systems

Snapshot Hyper-Spectral imaging systems are capable of capturing several spectral bands simultaneously, offering coregistered images of a target. With appropriate optics, these systems are potentially able to image blood cells in vivo as they flow through a vessel, eliminating the need for a blood draw and sample staining. Our group has evaluated the capability of a commercial Snapshot Hyper-Spectral imaging system, the Arrow system from Rebellion Photonics, in differentiating between white and red blood cells on unstained blood smear slides. We evaluated the imaging capabilities of this hyperspectral camera; attached to a microscope at varying objective powers and illumination intensity. Hyperspectral data consisting of 25, 443x313 hyperspectral bands with ~3nm spacing were captured over the range of 419 to 494nm. Open-source hyper-spectral data cube analysis tools, used primarily in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications, indicate that white blood cells features are most prominent in the 428-442nm band for blood samples viewed under 20x and 50x magnification over a varying range of illumination intensities. These images could potentially be used in subsequent automated white blood cell segmentation and counting algorithms for performing in vivo white blood cell counting.
Estimating exposure to fine particulate matter emissions from vehicle traffic: Exposure misclassification and daily activity patterns in a large, sprawling region

Vehicle traffic is responsible for a significant portion of toxic air pollution in urban areas that has been linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Most vehicle air quality analyses used for transportation planning and health effect studies estimate exposure from the measured or modeled concentration of an air pollutant at a person's home. This study evaluates exposure to fine particulate matter from vehicle traffic and the magnitude and cause of exposure misclassification that result from not accounting for population mobility during the day in a large, sprawling region. We develop a dynamic exposure model by integrating activity-based travel demand, vehicle emission, and air dispersion models to evaluate the magnitude, components and spatial patterns of vehicle exposure misclassification in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. Overall, we find that population exposure estimates increase by 51% when population mobility is accounted for. Errors are much larger in suburban and rural areas where exposure is underestimated while exposure may be overestimated near high volume roadways and in the urban core. Exposure while at work and traveling account for much of the error. We find much larger errors than prior studies, all of which have focused on more compact urban regions. Since many people spend a large part of their day away from their homes and vehicle emissions are known to create "hotspots" along roadways, home-based exposure is unlikely to be a robust estimator of a person's actual exposure. Accounting for population mobility in vehicle emission exposure studies may reveal more effective mitigation strategies, important differences in exposure between population groups with different travel patterns, and reduce exposure misclassification in health studies.
Breast Reconstruction in the Social Media Age.

BACKGROUND The internet and social media are sources of information regarding breast reconstruction, which can educate and influence patients. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate internet and social media usage by breast reconstruction patients and its impact on patients. METHODS Eighty-six breast reconstruction patients over a 7-month period answered an anonymous survey, which queried demographics, reconstruction type, internet usage, social media usage, expectations, and impact on decisions. Fisher's exact test was performed to evaluate the use of social media. RESULTS Overall, 95% of patients used the internet for breast reconstruction information. The information was found to be easy to understand by 70% of patients, helpful by 76%, and trustworthy by 60%. The information influenced decisions regarding procedure by 23% of patients, regarding surgeon by 23%, and regarding hospital by 22%. Social media was used by 71% of the patients; 62% of patients found it easy to understand, 57% found it helpful, and 48% found it trustworthy. The information influenced decisions regarding procedure by 16% of patients, regarding surgeon by 11%, and regarding hospital by 10%. Twenty-six percent of women expected their final breast reconstruction to look better than their premastectomy breasts, 55% as good or similar, and 12% reported appearance to be unimportant. Women found social media information to be less helpful than internet information. There was no significant association between expectations and social media vs no social media usage. CONCLUSIONS Patients who undergo breast reconstruction use the internet and social media as sources of information. Although the information is generally trusted, it does not seem to heavily influence patient decision-making. Providers remain patients' main source of information, and need to direct patients to high-quality and accessible resources.
Thermal Ablation of Renal Cell Carcinoma in Patients With Morbid Obesity: Assessment of Technique, Safety, and Oncologic Outcomes

BACKGROUND. Obesity is a worldwide problem that impacts patient health as well as the morbidity associated with surgical procedures. Thus, patients with morbid obesity may not be suitable candidates for curative surgery. For this patient population, thermal ablation may be an effective alternative to nephrectomy. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility, oncologic outcomes, and survival of patients with morbid obesity and renal cell carcinoma treated with thermal ablation. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective analysis was performed of 107 patients treated with CT-guided renal ablation for clinical T1 renal cell carcinoma between February 2005 and December 2017. Patients were stratified into two cohorts on body mass index of ≥ 40 kg/m2 (morbidly obese) and body mass index (weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) of ≥ 40 (morbidly obese) and 18.5-24.9 (normal weight). Anesthetic and radiation dosages, procedure time, residual disease, and local recurrence, and adverse events were analyzed between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier statistics were used to evaluate cancer-related outcomes for each group. RESULTS. Thirty-four patients were morbidly obese, and 73 patients had normal weight. Morbid obesity was associated with longer procedural duration (p = .001), sedative doses (p = .002) and radiation exposure (p = .001) than normal weight. Hematomas were more prevalent in patients with morbid obesity than in those of normal weight (p = .01), but treatment efficacy and local recurrences were comparable with those for normal-weight individuals (p = .81 and p = .12, respectively). Cancer-related outcomes were equivalent between the two groups based on 5 years of imaging observation data. CONCLUSION. CT-guided thermal ablation remains technically feasible, well-tolerated, and effective in patients with morbid obesity and renal cell carcinoma, with the caveat of increased risk of perinephric hematoma, anesthesia dose, and radiation exposure. CLINICAL IMPACT. CT-guided thermal ablation can be considered a safe and effective treatment for renal cell carcinoma in patients with morbid obesity.
Robot-Assisted Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Placement: Evaluation of Accuracy of the First 100 Screws and Comparison with Cohort of Fluoroscopy-guided Screws.

Objective Percutaneous pedicle screws (PPS) are used to stabilize the spine after interbody fusion in minimally invasive approaches. Recently, robotic assistance has been developed to improve the accuracy of PPS. We report our initial experience with ExcelsiusGPS and compare its accuracy with our historical cohort of fluoroscopy-guided PPS. Methods We reviewed prospectively collected data from our first 100 robot-assisted PPS. We graded accuracy of screws on computed tomography imaging and compared it with a previous cohort of 90 PPS placed using fluoroscopy. We also analyzed the effect of various demographic and perioperative metrics on accuracy. Results We placed 103 PPS in the first 20 consecutive patients with postoperative computed tomography imaging using ExcelsiusGPS. All screws were placed at L2 to S1. Our robot-assisted cohort had 6 breaches, with only 2 breaches >2 mm, yielding an overall breach rate of 5.8% and a significant breach rate of 1.9%. In comparison, our fluoroscopy-guided cohort had a breach rate of 3.3% and a significant breach rate of 1.1%, which was not significantly different. More breaches occurred in the first half of cases, suggesting a learning curve with robotic assistance. No demographic or perioperative metrics had a significant effect on accuracy. Conclusions Our breach rates with ExcelsiusGPS were low and consistent with others reported in the literature, as well as with other robotic systems. Our series shows equivalent accuracy of placement of PPS with this robotic platform compared with fluoroscopic guidance and suggests a relatively short learning curve.
Looking beyond the Lamppost: Population-Level Primary Prevention of Breast Cancer

Although innovative and impactful interventions are necessary for the primary prevention of breast cancer, the factors influencing program adoption, implementation, and sustainment are key, yet remain poorly understood. Insufficient attention has been paid to the primary prevention of breast cancer in state and national cancer plans, limiting the impact of evidence-based interventions on population health. This commentary highlights the state of primary prevention of breast cancer and gaps in the current literature. As a way to enhance the reach and adoption of cancer prevention policies and programs, the utility of dissemination and implementation (D&I) science is highlighted. Examples of how D&I could be applied to study policies and programs for chronic disease prevention are described, in addition to needs for future research. Through application of D&I science and a strong focus on health equity, a clearer understanding of contextual factors influencing the success of prevention programs will be achieved, ultimately impacting population health.
A Diamond in the Rough: IgA-Seq Signatures Stratify New Onset IBD

Intestinal immunoglobulin (Ig)A binds to distinct commensals and pathobionts, but do these IgA-coated bacterial communities define clinical characteristics of inflammatory disease? In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Shapiro et al. comprehensively analyze IgA-coated bacteria in new onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), revealing their potential in guiding precision therapy and diagnostic stratification.
Comparison of transmission- and reflectance-mode quantitative polarized light imaging (QPLI) for microstructural analysis of collagenous soft tissues

Biomechanical function of musculoskeletal soft tissues is dictated by their hierarchically organized collagen extracellular matrices. Our lab has used quantitative polarized light imaging (QPLI) to evaluate dynamic collagen fiber alignment in soft tissues. However, thinning of tissue for light transmission precludes the use of QPLI in more physiologically relevant scenarios. Reflectance mode QPLI could allow for in situ analysis of collagen microstructure. In this study, signal obtained via reflectance and transmission mode QPLI of engineered soft tissue analogs with prescribed collagen fiber alignment were compared in order to understand differences between modes and to provide context for further orthopedic applications.
A HIGHER-ORDER NONSTANDARD FINITE ELEMENT METHOD FOR ONE-DIMENSIONAL ELLIPTIC PROBLEMS

A third-order nonstandard finite element method is proposed for one-dimensional elliptic problems. A new local finite element approximation is constructed on every element using local linear basis functions with a correction term, which is exact for quadratic functions. Combining this local finite element approximation and Choosing linear finite element space as a test space, a new finite element method is developed. Numerical experiments show that this nonstandard finite element method have three order accuracy while the degree of freedom is the same as the traditional linear finite element method.