cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repression of autocrine transforming growth factor beta 1 and beta 2 in quiescent CBS colon carcinoma cells leads to progression of tumorigenic properties.

Previous work has shown that repression of negative autocrine transforming growth factor (TGF) $� did not alter the growth rate of a human colon carcinoma cell line, but the time required for the cells to enter exponential growth from bagphase was reduced (S. P. Wu, D. Theodorescu, R. Kerbel, JK. V. Wilbson, K. M. Mulder, 1. E. Humphrey, and M. G. Brattain, JCell Biol., 1 16: 187-196, 1992). These results have bed to the hypothesis that the tumor suppressive activity of autocrine TGF-�91was directed at quiescent nondividing cells rather than activeby dividing cells. In order to test this hypothesis, a weakly tumorigenic, well- differentiated human colon carcinoma cell line designated CBS, which expressed autocrine TGF-�1 and �2 activity in quiescent celbs,but not in exponential growth phase cells, was identified. This cell bine was stably transfected with a full-length TGF-�91antisense complementary DNA. Constitutive expression of TGF- flu antisense mRNA in CBS cells resulted in repression of autocrine TGF-$1 and -j�� protein activity in quiescent cells of approximately 10-fold. TGF-fl2 repression could have been due to interaction with TGF-fl1 antisense mRNA, since these two isoforms have a high degree of homology, or it could have been indirectly due to TGF-$1 repression, since this isoform has been shown to affect transcriptional and posttranscriptionab control of TGF- /12. Removal of autocrine TGF-fl1 with a specific neutralizing antibody did not alter TGF-�2 mRNA expression, therefore indicating a direct interaction with TGF-�91 antisense mRNA. TGF-$1 and �2 mRNA levels were repressed in quiescent cells by more than 2-fold. Duplex RNA formation between TGF-fl1 antisense mRNA and sense TGF-191or TGF-�92 mRNA was not observed. TGF-fi1 and �fl2 mRNA decay was compared in control and TGF-$1 antisense transfected cells. TGF-�1 mRNA showed a
Modulation of expression of innate immunity markers CXCL5/ENA-78 and CCL20/MIP3α by protease-activated receptors (PARs) in human gingival epithelial cells

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are G-protein-coupled receptors with an active role in host defense. The two most highly expressed members of the PAR family in gingival epithelial cells (GECs) are PAR1 and PAR2. The major virulence factors of periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis are its proteases which can activate PAR2. However, little is known about the function of PARs in GECs when they are activated by their endogenous agonist enzymes. The purpose of this study was to characterize how the expression of innate immune markers is modulated when PAR1 and PAR2 are activated by their agonist enzymes, thrombin and trypsin, respectively. Here, we report that activation of PAR1 and PAR2 induces cell proliferation at low concentration. Activation of PAR via proteolytic activity of thrombin and trypsin induces expression of CXCL5/ENA-78 and CCL20/MIP3α in a concentration-dependent manner. Induction of CXCL5 via PAR1 was inhibited in the presence of PAR1 cleavage blocking antibodies and by PAR1 siRNA. The induction of CXCL5 and CCL20 via PAR2 was inhibited by PAR2 siRNA. These findings indicate an active role in innate immune responses by PAR1 and PAR2 in GECs. Modulation of innate immunity by PARs may contribute to co-ordinated and balanced immunosurveillance in GECs.
Hypothalamic programming of systemic ageing involving IKK-β, NF-κB and GnRH

Ageing is a result of gradual and overall functional deteriorations across the body; however, it is unknown whether an individual tissue primarily works to mediate the ageing progress and control lifespan. Here we show that the hypothalamus is important for the development of whole-body ageing in mice, and that the underlying basis involves hypothalamic immunity mediated by IκB kinase-β (IKK-β), nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and related microglia-neuron immune crosstalk. Several interventional models were developed showing that ageing retardation and lifespan extension are achieved in mice by preventing ageing-related hypothalamic or brain IKK-β and NF-κB activation. Mechanistic studies further revealed that IKK-β and NF-κB inhibit gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) to mediate ageing-related hypothalamic GnRH decline, and GnRH treatment amends ageing-impaired neurogenesis and decelerates ageing. In conclusion, the hypothalamus has a programmatic role in ageing development via immune-neuroendocrine integration, and immune inhibition or GnRH restoration in the hypothalamus/brain represent two potential strategies for optimizing lifespan and combating ageing-related health problems.
GroundCam: A Tracking Modality for Mobile Mixed Reality

Anywhere augmentation pursues the goal of lowering the initial investment of time and money necessary to participate in mixed reality work, bridging the gap between researchers in the field and regular computer users. Our paper contributes to this goal by introducing the GroundCam, a cheap tracking modality with no significant setup necessary. By itself, the GroundCam provides high frequency, high resolution relative position information similar to an inertial navigation system, but with significantly less drift. When coupled with a wide area tracking modality via a complementary Kalman filter, the hybrid tracker becomes a powerful base for indoor and outdoor mobile mixed reality work
Joint transmitter-receiver optimization for multi-input multi-output systems with decision feedback

The joint transmit-receive optimization problem for multiuser communication systems with decision feedback is investigated. It is shown that minimization of the geometric mean-squared error (defined as the determinant of the error covariance matrix) leads to a tractable transmitter optimization problem for general multi-input multi-output decision-feedback systems. Several computational results are included that highlight system performance for a variety of useful transmission scenarios. >
Transcript Levels of Androgen Receptor Variant AR-V1 or AR-V7 Do Not Predict Recurrence in Patients with Prostate Cancer at Indeterminate Risk for Progression

Purpose: AR-V7, a ligand independent splice variant of androgen receptor, may support the growth of castration resistant prostate cancer and have prognostic value. Another variant, AR-V1, interferes with AR-V7 activity. We investigated whether AR-V7 or V1 expression would predict biochemical recurrence in men at indeterminate (about 50%) risk for progression following radical prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: AR-V7 and V1 transcripts in a mixed grade cohort of 53 men in whom cancer contained 30% to 70% Gleason grade 4/5 and in a grade 3 only cohort of 52 were measured using a branched chain DNA assay. Spearman rank correlations of the transcripts, and histomorphological and clinical variables were determined. AR-V7 and V1 levels were assessed as determinants of recurrence in the mixed grade cohort by logistic regression and survival analysis. The impact of TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion on prognosis was also evaluated.Results: Neither AR-V7 nor V1 levels in grade 3 or 4/5 cancer in the mixed grade cohort were...
Robust Tolerance Design With the Integer Programming Approach

The quality loss function incorporates the cost of tolerances, however, it does not consider the manufacturing cost and design constraints. In this paper, a stochastic integer programming (SIP) approach is presented for simultaneous selection of tolerances and manufacturing processes. A direct link between the minimum manufacturing cost and the required level of manufacturing yield is established through the process capability index C pk . As the tolerances in SIP are discrete, the solution generated is acceptable for manufacturing. It is shown that the integer programming models are applicable in the quality loss function and six sigma design approaches. The SIP approach is illustrated with a classical example of nonlinear tolerance design. The comparison of the proposed SIP approach, the Taguchi method, and the conventional mathematical models in tolerance synthesis is presented.
IkappaBalpha degradation is not a requirement for the X-ray-induced activation of nuclear factor kappaB in normal rat astrocytes and human brain tumour cells.

Purpose: To investigate the mechanism of NF kappa B activation by X-rays in normal primary rat astrocytes. Materials and methods: Primary cultures of type I astrocytes generated from the cortex of neonatal rats were exposed to X-rays with and without various kinase inhibitors and a protease inhibitor. The nuclear or cytoplasmic protein extracts were collected at specified times after treatment and analysed for NF kappa B-DNA binding activity and I kappa B protein levels. Results: The NF kappa B-DNA binding activity was induced by X-rays in a dose- and time-dependent manner in the absence of I kappa B protein degradation in astrocytes as well as in the human glioma cell line U-373MG. Whereas a protease inhibitor (calpain inhibitor 1) and a protein kinase C inhibitor (CGP-41251) did not affect X-ray-induced NF kappa B-DNA binding, treatment of astrocytes with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (erbstatin) completely prevented the increase in NF kappa B activity after irradiation. Erbstatin also reduced the phosp...
Characteristic differences in cephalic arch geometry for diabetic and non-diabetic ESRD patients

Background. Fistula access in chronic haemodialysis patients is recommended. The first and second choice for location of fistula placement is radial-cephalic followed by thebrachiocephalicfistula.Fistulaaccessusingthecephalic vein often results in cephalic arch stenosis that is less common in diabetics for unclear reasons. The objective of the current study is to determine if geometry of the cephalic arch differs between diabetics and non-diabetics. Methods. In a retrospective design, 57 patients with brachiocephalic fistula access had radiology films of the cephalic arch reviewed for geometric analysis. Twelve patients were excluded from final analysis because of stent placement in the cephalic arch. Measurements made included diameter of the cephalic vein, minimum radius of curvature and angle of the arch. Demographics were statistically analysed to determine the association with the geometric measurements. Results. Global and local measurements showed evidence of two arch types. Wider arch angles and larger R/d were associated with diabetes by univariate (P < 0.05) and multivariate analyses (P < 0.05). A wider arch angle was also associated with a history of right permcath access by multivariable analysis (P = 0.042). Conclusions. Based on this study, it was found that there are two distinct types of cephalic arch geometries. Patients having diabetes mellitus show a significant probability of having a larger R/d ratio and wider arch angle. This study has given insight into structural alterations in geometry of the cephalic arch of diabetics with brachiocephalic fistula access.
PERRY, PERSONAL IDENTITY AND THE “CHARACTERISTIC” WAY

Some who attempt to analyse or define personal identity solely in terms of memory are making two claims about persons. First, they are claiming that a person is essentially non-bodily. More specifically, they say that a person is a temporally extended totality (series) ofmental states or experiencesconnected in a certain way. Second, they are claiming that the relation that connects all the mental states that are members of the same person is memory. The idea is that A and B are states of the same person if and only if A contains, or would contain under given conditions, a memory of some experience which is an element in B.’ Others who appeal to memory to understand personal identity claim that a suitable body (or brain) is necessary for memory and thus that a person is essentially a bodily thing2 One of the most serious objections to both versions of the memory theory is Butler’s claim that “memory presupposes, and so cannot constitute, personal id en tit^".^ In a recent paper John Perry has attempted to vindicate the memory theorist from the charge of c i r c~ la r i ty .~ I shall argue, however, that either Perry does not avoid the problem of circularity, or he avoids it as the cost of giving an analysis of memory that is inadequate as an account of personal identity. I shall proceed by first explaining what is involved in calling the memory theory “circular” and by then criticising Perry’s attempt to avoid that allegation.
Should pancreaticoduodenectomy be performed in octogenarians

As the population in the United States ages, an increasing number of elderly patients may be considered for pancreaticoduodenal resection. This high-volume, single-institution experience examines the morbidity, mortality, and long-term survival of 727 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy between December 1986 and June 1996. Outcomes of patients 80 years of age and older (n = 46) were compared to those of patients younger than 80 years. In these older patients, pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (n = 25; 54%), ampullary adenocarcinoma (n = 9; 20%), distal bile duct adenocarcinoma (n = 5; 1 l%), duodenal adenocarcinoma (n = 2; 4%), cystadenocarcinoma (n = 2; 4%), cystadenoma (n = 1; 2%), and chronic pancreatitis (n = 2; 4%). When compared to the 681 concurrent patients younger than 80 years who were undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy, the two groups were statistically similar with respect to sex, race, intraoperative blood loss, and type of pancreaticoduodenectomy performed. Patients 80 years of age or older had a shorter median operative time (6.4 hours vs. 7.0 hours; P = 0.02) but a longer postoperative length of stay (median = 15 days vs. 13 days; P = 0.01) and a higher complication rate (57% vs. 41%; P = 0.05) when compared to their younger counterparts. Pancreaticoduodenectomy in the older group resulted in a 4.3% perioperative mortality rate compared to 1.6% in the younger group (P = NS). In the subset of patients undergoing pancreati-coduodenectomy for periampullary adenocarcinoma (n = 495), patients 80 years of age or older (n = 41) had a median survival of 32 months and a 5-year survival rate of 19%, compared to 20 months and 27%, respectively, in patients younger than 80 years (n = 4.54; P = 0.77). These data demonstrate that pancreaticoduodenectomy can be performed safely in selected patients 80 years of age or older, with morbidity and mortality rates approaching those observed in younger patients. Based on these data, age alone should not be a contraindication to pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Static logic implication with application to redundancy identification

This paper presents a new static logic implication algorithm. An improved implication procedure that fully takes advantage of the special context of static implication, the iterative method, and set algebra is described. The algorithm discovers at low cost many indirect implications which are not discovered by dynamic learning without tremendous time cost. The experimental results show that a very large number of indirect implications are found by our algorithm. The static implication procedure has many useful applications, one of which is static redundancy identification. Use of the static implications obtained from the algorithm in static redundancy identification for ISCAS85 combinational circuits resulted in a larger number of redundant faults identified than in previous methods.
Black Patriots and Loyalists: Fighting for Emancipation in the War for Independence. By Alan Gilbert. (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2012. Pp. xvi, 369. $30.00.)

Historians have long understood that there were two American Revolutions, the triumphant one that culminated in political independence for the thirteen British mainland colonies and the far less su...
The Power of Dialogue: Consequences of Intergroup Dialogue and their Implications for Agency and Alliance Building

Phenomenological investigation of a community intergroup dialogue program reveals that participation in the program promoted complex thinking about diversity, feelings of self-efficacy, and changes in communicative action. Agency in the interest of social change, however, depended on both access to resources such as cultural capital, and incentives to recognize a need for change. The results suggest that dialogue has important potential for intercultural understanding, alliance building, and social change, but also that the indeterminacy implied in open systems prohibits assurance that change will be in the direction intended by program organizers.
Parsing low-resource languages using Gibbs sampling for PCFGs with latent annotations

PCFGs with latent annotations have been shown to be a very effective model for phrase structure parsing. We present a Bayesian model and algorithms based on a Gibbs sampler for parsing with a grammar with latent annotations. For PCFG-LA, we present an additional Gibbs sampler algorithm to learn annotations from training data, which are parse trees with coarse (unannotated) symbols. We show that a Gibbs sampling technique is capable of parsing sentences in a wide variety of languages and producing results that are on-par with or surpass previous approaches. Our results for Kinyarwanda and Malagasy in particular demonstrate that low-resource language parsing can benefit substantially from a Bayesian approach.
Synthetic biology: the many facets of T7 RNA polymerase

Split T7 RNA polymerase provides new avenues for creating synthetic gene circuits that are decoupled from host regulatory processes—but how many times can this enzyme be split, yet retain function? New research by Voigt and colleagues (Segall-Shapiro et al, 2014) indicates that it may be more than you think.
Spawning Distribution of Bering Ciscoes in the Yukon River

AbstractBering Ciscoes Coregonus laurettae are anadromous salmonids with known spawning populations only in the Yukon, Kuskokwim, and Susitna rivers in Alaska. A commercial fishery for the species was recently initiated at the mouth of the Yukon River, inspiring a series of research projects to enhance our understanding of the exploited population. This study was designed to delineate the geographic spawning distribution of Bering Ciscoes in the Yukon River. One hundred radio transmitters per year in 2012 and 2013 were deployed in prespawning Bering Ciscoes at a site located 1,176 km upstream from the sea. A total of 160 fish survived fish wheel capture and tagging, avoided harvest and predation after tagging, and continued migrating upstream to their spawning destinations. Approximately 79% migrated to spawn in the upper Yukon Flats, upstream from the mouth of the Porcupine River, and 21% migrated to spawn in the lower Yukon Flats. Locating the Bering Cisco spawning area, which is almost entirely encompa...
Prototyping and verifying distributed database systems using executable high-level Petri net models

In a distributed database system (DDBS), the users and the copies of the data items are distributed over the nodes of a computer network. The design of such a system requires precise concepts for the correct concurrent processing of user transactions, for the data access concurrency control (CC) and for the representation and manipulation of data. We model a generic DDBS as a parameterized formal executable high-level Petri net whose database is specified as abstract data types (ADT). A particular DDBS is generated by initial declarations (for the configuration of the network and the distribution of users and data items over its nodes) and parameters (for the chosen CC method and data types). The correctness of the model can be verified rigorously by means of formal analysis methods and by inspecting the occurrence graph. The model constitutes a (rapid) prototype whose simulation can demonstrate the functionality to the designers and the man-machine interface to prospective users. Moreover, the execution of the model allows to derive performance figures for particular applications that can be used for tuning.
EFFECTIVE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF LITHIUM CERAMIC PEBBLE BEDS FOR FUSION BLANKETS: A REVIEW

The use of lithium ceramic pebble beds has been considered in many blanket designs for the fusion reactors. Lithium ceramics have received a significant interest as tritium breeders for the fusion blankets during the last three decades. The thermal performance of the lithium ceramic pebble beds plays a key role for the fusion blankets. In order to study the heat transfer in the blanket, the effective thermal conductivity of the lithium ceramics pebble beds has to be well measured and characterized. The data of effective thermal conductivity of lithium ceramic pebble beds is important for the blanket design. Several studies have been dedicated to investigate the effective conductivity of the lithium ceramics pebble beds. The objective of this work is to review and compare the available data, presented by various studies, of effective conductivity of lithium ceramic pebble beds in order to address the current status of these data.
Influence of Prescribed Burns on the Abundance of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Missouri Ozarks

ABSTRACT The increasingly widespread use of prescribed burns to manage oak (Quercus spp.)-hickory (Carya spp.) forests in the Missouri Ozarks, USA, has considerable potential to alter the abundance of Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae), the lone star tick, an important vector of several emerging pathogens. In particular, responses of important tick hosts, primarily white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), to fire management and the resultant changes in the distribution and abundance of A. americanum are largely unknown. Using several large burn units (61–242 ha) within the Ozark ecosystem, I measured the effect of the time elapsed since sites were burned on the density of white-tailed deer and the larval life stage of A. americanum. Larval tick densities were highest in areas that were 2 yr postburn and were >6 times higher than tick densities in control units. Deer densities were highest in sites that were burned in the same year as this study and decreased significantly with time since burn....
Mast and Weather Influences on Population Trends of a Species of Concern: the Allegheny Woodrat

Abstract Over the past 20–30 y, northern and western populations of the Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) have experienced large declines, whereas populations in the core of the range are assumed to be stable. We examined population trends at two study areas in northcentral West Virginia along the western ridge of the central Appalachian Mountains. Temperature and precipitation parameters along with mast production were examined to determine if these environmental variables impacted the population. Based on a 5 y dataset, our results indicate a yearly decrease in the overall population, with adult females most affected. Hard and soft mast availability related to adult female capture rates, whereas temperatures significantly affected juvenile, adult female and overall capture rates. Juvenile summer capture rates increased with warmer temperatures the preceding winter. Female summer capture rates decreased with warmer temperatures the preceding spring suggesting that effects of warming should be added as...
Globally Unified Monsoon Onset and Retreat Indexes

Abstract Different criteria have been used in the past to define the monsoon onset and retreat over different monsoon regions and even over different parts of the same monsoon region. Here an objective criterion is proposed to define, for the first time, globally unified summer monsoon onset (or retreat) dates using a single meteorological variable (i.e., the global daily 1° × 1° normalized precipitable water data) with the threshold value being the Golden Ratio (0.618). Results are found to be consistent with those determined using long-term rainfall data over most monsoon regions. The precipitable water data have also been used to refine the definition of monsoon regions on a grid-cell-by-cell basis. The objective definitions of these basic monsoon characteristics would provide one of the necessary foundations for global monsoon research. They, along with the onset/retreat data over a 10-yr period (1988–97), would also facilitate the diagnostics and validation of global monsoon simulations.
Wetting behaviors of Sn-based solders on Cu and Pd surfaces

We have studied the surface morphology and wetting reaction of eutectic SnBi, eutectic SnPb, and pure Sn on Cu and Pd surfaces. In the case of Pd, the reactions were so fast that no quasi-equilibrium wetting angle could be measured. The compound formation has changed not only the interfaces but also the surfaces. Due to the formation of a reaction band outside the solder cap, the SnPb solder is no longer wetting the Cu surface but rather the Cu-Sn compound surface. In the wetting interface between eutectic SnPb and Cu, the morphology of the scallop-like Cu-Sn compound grains shows that we may not apply the classical model of layered compound growth to analyze the rate of soldering reactions.
The Impact of the St. Lawrence Seaway on Marketing Patterns

The utilization of the newly improved and expanded St. Lawrence Seaway will occasion major changes in economic activities. It is possible, and indeed has become almost a parlor game, to make differ...
Soil Fertility Status of Soils in Illinois

Our objective was to survey the phosphorus (P), potassium (K), pH, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and organic-matter (OM) levels of soils in Illinois, including the degree of nutrient vertical stratification. Soil samples were collected from depths of 0–8 and 8–18 cm in 547 randomly chosen fields throughout Illinois and analyzed for nutrients, pH, and OM. Forty-six percent of samples were below the critical range for K (130 to 150 mg K kg−1), and 59% of samples were above the soil P levels, requiring no additional fertilization. Soil pH ranged from 4.7 to 8.1. Mean Ca and Mg levels were nonlimiting for crop production, and OM was correlated (R2 = 0.690) with corn grain yield. Vertical stratification (surface/subsurface ratio) was 2.4:1 for P and 1.5:1 for K. Many fields with greater than needed P levels and less than suggested levels for K present opportunities for improvement in fertilizer management.
Utility Function of Alliance Number and Its Solution under Project Cooperation Based on Resources

In this paper,from the angel of project,it is first assumed that alliancing members' work together to process a project with equipment,labor force and capital.The greatest output of project could be forecasted.Afterwards,on the basis of constructing utility function of profit,resources constraint,resources input risk,asynthetical utility function is obtained.With above work,another utility function model is established under the condition of many cooperate members.Finally,using one kind of new neural network,we have carried on the imitation resolution as the variable value of the latter model.
Management of a rapidly enlarging new adnexal mass: a rare case of desmoplastic small round cell tumor of the ovary arising in pregnancy.

Background Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is an extremely rare sarcomatous tumor, which is most commonly seen in men. Clinicians managing a patient with a rapidly enlarging mass in pregnancy should be aware of the risk for malignancy.
Smearing Fingerprints: Changing the Game of Web Tracking with Composite Privacy

As web browsers have become more sophisticated at blocking unauthorized attempts to track users' online activities incognito mode, Do Not Track, so too have trackers evolved to trump those protections. In many cases, these new forms of tracking have turned features designed to improve the web experience against user privacy. We focus on browser fingerprinting as a testbed for proposing a novel approach to fighting back for user privacy. By intercepting and obfuscating the information generated by browser fingerprinting scripts, the user not only frustrates the attempt to track their movements, but, more importantly, wider usage degrades the quality of trackers' databases, reducing the effective entropy of their metrics, thereby yielding privacy gains for all users, not just those employing this method of obfuscation.
Interpenetrating polyaniline-gold electrodes for SERS and electrochemical measurements

Abstract Facile fabrication of nanostructured electrode arrays is critical for development of bimodal SERS and electrochemical biosensors. In this paper, the variation of applied potential at a polyaniline-coated Pt electrode is used to selectivity deposit Au on the polyaniline amine sites or on the underlying Pt electrode. By alternating the applied potential, the Au is grown simultaneously from the top and the bottom of the polyaniline film, leading to an interpenetrated, nanostructured polymer-metal composite extending from the Pt electrode to the electrolyte solution. The resulting films have unique pH-dependent electrochemical properties, e.g. they retain electrochemical activity in both acidic and neutral solutions, and they also include SERS-active nanostructures. By varying the concentration of chloroaurate used during deposition, Au nanoparticles, nanodendrites, or nanosheets can be selectively grown. For the films deposited under optimal conditions, using 5 mmol/L chloroaurate, the SERS enhancement factor for Rhodamine 6G was found to be as high as 1.1 × 10 6 with spot-to-spot and electrode-to-electrode relative standard deviations as low as 8% and 12%, respectively. The advantages of the reported PANI-Au composite electrodes lie in their facile fabrication, enabling the targeted deposition of tunable nanostructures on sensing arrays, and their ability to produce orthogonal optical and electrochemical analytical results.
Sweat patterns differ between tilt-induced reflex syncope and tilt-induced anxiety among youth

Profound sweating can occur with reflex-syncope and with emotional distress, but little is known about the similarities and differences between these sweat responses when they occur during orthostatic challenge. We sought to characterize and compare the sweat patterns related to tilt-induced syncope, presyncope, anxiety, and normal tilt testing. In a prospective observational study, quantitative sweat rate was measured from the abdomen, forearm, ankle, and thigh during head-upright tilt. Sweat characteristics were compared across tilt diagnoses of syncope, presyncope, anxiety, and normal testing. When anxiety and syncope/presyncope occurred during the same study (separated by ≥6 min), both were diagnosed. Our cohort comprised150 patients (15.1 ± 2.3 years; 82.9 % female) with 156 diagnoses: 76 with reflex-syncope, 31 with presyncope, 23 with anxiety, and 26 with normal results. All syncope/presyncope patients and 20 (87 %) of the anxiety patients had corresponding sweat responses. Minimal or negligible sweating occurred among patients with normal tests. Neither basal sweat (19.4 ± 4.7 versus 18.3 ± 3.7 versus 18.5 ± 3.7 nL/min/cm2) nor peak sweat (171 ± 47.4 versus 149.4 ± 64.4 versus 154.4 ± 59.2 nL/min/cm2) differed between patients with syncope, presyncope, or anxiety, p = .32 and p = .12, respectively. However, the qualitative sweat patterns related to syncope/presyncope (diffuse, smoothly contoured, symmetrical, single peaks) differed considerably from the sweat patterns related to anxiety (heterogeneous, asymmetrical, roughly contoured single-peak, multi-peak, or progressive sweat changes). The sweat patterns related to syncope/presyncope are distinguishable from the sweat patterns related to anxiety. Recognition of the different sweat patterns can inform how signs and symptoms are interpreted during clinical orthostatic challenge.
Disgrace-full: Adapting J. M. Coetzee’s Racial Revenge Novel for the Screen

The publication of Disgrace (1999) set off shockwaves of racial recriminations against Coetzee for his depiction of revenge-seeking black rapists. There followed a tidal surge of scholarship on Disgrace that has led, surprisingly, to its canonization. The first shock of negativity may have prompted Coetzee’s decision to leave South Africa for Australia, which also happens to be the country responsible for the film adaptations Disgrace (2008), starring John Malkovich, and Dust (1985), the adaptation of In the Heart of the Country, a 1977 novel that also centered on the rape of a white woman. This chapter compares the two adaptations to their sources, providing a close reading of scenes that capture, in cinematic terms, the guilt-induced angst and racial resentments that still afflict South Africa.
Solving Differential Equations in the Laplace Domain

The Laplace transform is a particularly elegant way to solve linear differential equations with constant coefficients. The Laplace transform describes signals and systems not as functions of time, but as functions of a complex variable s s . When transformed into the Laplace domain, differential equations become polynomials of s s . Solving a differential equation in the time domain becomes a simple polynomial multiplication and division in the Laplace domain. However, the input and output signals are also in the Laplace domain, and any system response must undergo an inverse Laplace transform to become a meaningful time-dependent signal. In this chapter, the Laplace transform is introduced, and the manipulation of signals and systems in the Laplace domain explained. Tools to find time-domain and Laplace-domain correspondences are presented.
Stimulants and First-Onset Tics With ADHD

A meta-analysis of studies concerning first-onset tics in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treated with stimulants is reported from the University of Goettingen, Germany.
Are the Current Guidelines for the Surgical Management of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms of the Pancreas Adequate? A Multi-Institutional Study

Background Controversy persists regarding the management of patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN). International consensus guidelines stratify patients into high-risk, worrisome, and low risk categories. Study Design The medical records of 7 institutions were reviewed for patients who underwent surgical management of IPMN between 2000 and 2015. Results There were 324 patients included in the analysis; 60.4% of patients had main-duct/mixed type, and 39.7% had branch-duct IPMN. The median cyst size was 2.65 cm, invasive cancer (IC) or high-grade dysplasia (HGD) was present in 42% (n = 136); 68.9% of patients with high-risk, 40.0% of patients with worrisome, and 24.6% of patients with low risk features exhibited HGD/IC. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that only 1 of 3 high-risk features and 2 of 7 worrisome features predicted the presence of HGD/IC. Positive predictive values for HGD/ IC in patients with obstructive jaundice and lymphadenopathy were 0.83 (95% CI 0.65 to 0.94) and 0.69 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.91), respectively. In the absence of high-risk features, HGD/IC was still present in 57.4% of patients with 2 or more worrisome features. Regression analysis demonstrated that each additional worrisome factor present was additive in predicting HGD/IC in a linear fashion (odds ratio 1.39; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.80; p Conclusions These data demonstrate that the current consensus guidelines for surgical resection of IPMN may not adequately stratify and identify patients at risk for having HGD or invasive cancer. Patients with multiple worrisome features, in the absence of high-risk factors, should be considered for resection.
The kinetic and kinematic stability measures in healthy adult subjects with and without flat foot

Abstract Background Flat foot problems are associated with impaired mobility and postural stability. The purpose of this study was to compare the kinematic and kinetic indices during one leg standing between subjects with and without flat foot. Methods Forty-four participants enrolled in the study, including 22 subjects with flat foot and 22 control subjects. The measurements included kinematic stability on the trunk as well as kinetic stability from a force plate. All participants were asked to maintain one leg standing with the contralateral hip and knee flexed to approximately 90° for 25 seconds. Results The kinetic index decreased in the flat foot group (t = −5.08, p = 0.001) during one leg standing without visual input. There were strong correlations between kinetic and kinematic stabilities (0.75–0.86) with visual input and moderate correlations (0.49–0.67) without visual input in the control group. Discussion The flat foot group exhibited a significantly decreased kinetic index without visual input. The more effective postural stability in the control group might be due to efficient compensatory strategies utilized without visual input to maintain one leg standing. These outcome measures could help to develop a practical test leading to kinematic postural changes.
Abstract P5-13-05: Effect of aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy on sleep and activity patterns in early stage breast cancer

Background: AIs are commonly used for treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer for 5-10 years. However, women often experience side effects including musculoskeletal pain and sleep disturbances that lead to treatment discontinuation and worse healthcare-related outcomes. There is a need to understand the impact of adjuvant AI therapy on sleep and activity patterns in treated patients and associations with treatment adherence. This study examines objective and subjective changes in sleep patterns and daytime function in patients starting AI therapy using actigraphy and questionnaires. Methods: 49 postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who completed local surgery and chemotherapy and were planning to start AI therapy were enrolled. Patients completed 10 consecutive days of actigraphy and validated questionnaires to assess pain, sleep quality, fatigue and physical function at baseline and after three months of AI therapy. Changes in actigraphy parameters after 3 months of AI therapy were examined using paired T-tests and associations between actigraphy measures and patient-reported outcomes were examined using Pearson9s correlations. Results: 42 patients completed the baseline assessment and 22 patients completed the 3 month assessment. 20 patients were excluded due to incomplete actigraphy data (n=3), discontinuation of AI therapy (n=5) or withdrawal from the study per patient preference (n=12) prior to the 3 month assessment. Total 24 hour activity, average activity per minute and maximum activity over a 24 hour period worsened after 3 months of AI therapy (all p-values Conclusions: Daytime activity and sleep patterns are negatively affected by AI therapy and are associated with worsening fatigue. Future research is needed to better understand the relationship between fatigue and daytime activity, which may lead to interventions to improve tolerance and adherence to AI therapy. Citation Format: Bhave MA, Kidwell K, Lyden AK, Alsamarraie C, Henry NL. Effect of aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy on sleep and activity patterns in early stage breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-13-05.
The East Bank of the Tiber below the Island: Two Recent Advances in the Study of Early Rome

Two recent discoveries on the east bank of the Tiber are of major significance to the study of early Rome: the discovery that the sixth-century BC riverbank was in a different position to the modern bank, and the finding of a Late Bronze Age site deeply buried adjacent to Sant'Omobono church, the latter reported by Brock and Terrenato (2016). This article reconsiders the Sant'Ombono data in an environmental context, questioning both the previous interpretation of site usage and the provenience of the dating evidence. This reappraisal is placed within a recently developed research theme, namely the transformation of the landscape of early Rome into a cityscape, which involved large-scale encroachment on the east bank.
Differences in emotion regulation difficulties among adults and adolescents across eating disorder diagnoses.

OBJECTIVE:Although much empirical attention has been devoted to emotion regulation (ER) in individuals with eating disorders, little is known about ER across a wide age range and among different ED subtypes. The current study sought to examine ER in a sample of eating disorder patients. METHOD:A total of 364 adults and adolescents with anorexia nervosa restricting subtype (AN-R), anorexia nervosa binge/purge subtype (AN-BP), or bulimia nervosa (BN) were assessed with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). RESULTS:Older ages were associated with higher DERS total, nonacceptance, goals, and impulsivity scores. When controlling for age, patients with BN and AN-BP had higher overall DERS scores than those with AN, and there were some differences among diagnostic subtypes on specific facets of ER. CONCLUSIONS:These results indicate that treatments for emotion dysregulation may be applied across eating disorder diagnoses and ages, and inform how these strategies apply to different diagnostic groups.
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in bovine lens and its stimulation by insulin and IGF-1.

PURPOSE. To identify and characterize phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) in the lens and to study its involvement as a signal mediator in lens epithelial cells exposed to insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, which are known to induce lens epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation into fiber cells. METHODS. Concentric fiber cell layers from single bovine lens were prepared by dissolution in buffer. PI-3K activity in capsule-epithelium and fiber cell layers was determined after immunoprecipitation with antibodies against p85, the regulatory subunit of PI-3K. High-performance liquid chromatography on an ion exchange column (Partisil-SAX; Whatman, Maidstone, United Kingdom) was used to identify PI-3K reaction products. Cultured bovine lens epithelial cells were stimulated with insulin or IGF-1, and PI-3K activity was determined after immunoprecipitation with antibody against phosphotyrosine. Association of p85 with other proteins after stimulation was determined in anti-p85 immunoprecipitates by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western immunoblot analysis using anti-phosphotyrosine antibody. RESULTS. PI-3K activity was found in both lens epithelial cells and fiber cells. The highest specific activity was found in the capsule-epithelium, but there was considerable activity in other fiber cell layers. Insulin and IGF-1 stimulated the PI-3K activity in epithelial cells in culture by more than 100%, and activation of the enzyme resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation of the p85 subunit. After stimulation, the p85 subunit of PI-3K was associated with 100- and 180-kDa tyrosine phosphorylated proteins. CONCLUSIONS. The activation of PI-3K and its association with specific tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins may be important in insulin and IGF-1 signal transduction in lens epithelial cells. The presence of significant PI-3K activity throughout the lens further suggests that this signal transduction enzyme is sustained in fiber cells.
Abstract 2543: Concurrent chemotherapy and temozolomide-resistant CAR-T immunotherapy enhances glioblastoma clearance in experimental animals

Dismal long-term progression-free survival of glioblastoma (GBM) patients, who are concurrently treated with radiation and chemotherapy, demands development of alternative strategies for management of this disease. Recent clinical success of chimeric antigen receptors expressing T cells (CAR-T) in GBM patients, interest in tumor-directed immunotherapy has been reinvigorated. However as per standard care, immunotherapy must be concurrent with or following the standard care protocol for glioma therapy, which includes Temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy. Concurrent chemotherapy with TMZ reduces the efficacy of adoptive T cell immunotherapy by inducing severe lymphopenia, while post-chemotherapy treatment minimizes the window of opportunity for effective immunotherapy, because of inherent tumor heterogeneity resulting in an altered antigenic profile in recurrent GBMs. To address this, we have created a TMZ-resistant CAR-T cell directed against IL13Rα2+ GBM tumors by introducing a mutated O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) moiety in the existing IL13CAR backbone. This specific mutation in MGMT (P140KMGMT) blocks the interaction of TMZ to MGMT and therefore protects the rapidly proliferating anti-GBM CAR-T cells from TMZ-induced lymphopenia. Activated P140KMGMT-IL13CAR-T cells were protected from TMZ-induced cytotoxicity in vitro without any loss of anti-tumor effects of these modified CAR-T cells. Experimental xenograft animals treated with P140KMGMT-IL13CAR-T cells and concurrent TMZ therapy showed 2-fold increase in median survival over groups that were treated with TMZ alone, and 2.8-fold increase in overall survival over groups that were treated with TMZ-sensitive second generation IL13CAR-T cells and concurrent TMZ. These encouraging results point us strongly in the direction of developing this CAR-T technology towards a promising future of concurrent chemotherapy and immunotherapy of GBM. Citation Format: Sadhak Sengupta, Mansour Gergi, Prajna Guha, Sudarshana Sengupta, Richard P. Junghans, Prakash Sampath. Concurrent chemotherapy and temozolomide-resistant CAR-T immunotherapy enhances glioblastoma clearance in experimental animals [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 2543.
Word-of-Mouth in Social Media Advertising: 'Likes' on Facebook Ads

Social media platforms such as Facebook show ads with popularity or general endorsement signals such as “likes”. Additionally, these ads can display social endorsement from friends (i.e., friends’ “likes”). This paper examines the effectiveness of displaying these different signals on social media ads in generating user attention and actual conversions in the form of app installs through field experiments on Facebook. We partnered with a mobile app company and conducted an ad campaign on Facebook to randomly target unique user groups to install the mobile application. We find that the overall “likes” associated with the ad do not help the user’s decision on clicking the ad and the app-installing decision conditional on clicking. Further, ads endorsed by friends have a lower clicking and install performance as compared to the ones without such endorsement. However, the negative effect of “likes” on the app install performance conditional on clicking is attenuated if displayed simultaneously with social endorsement. We confirm our results using an ad campaign for another app. Further analysis, using an Amazon Mechanical Turk experiment and field experiment, suggests that a low similarity between users and their social connections likely result in the negative effect of social endorsement. Our results have implications for the design of ads on social media platforms.
Should antibiotics be administered before arthroscopic knee surgery? A systematic review of the literature

Should antibiotics be administered before arthroscopic knee surgery? A systematic review of the literature