cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatio-temporal network databases and routing algorithms: a summary of results

Spatio-temporal networks are spatial networks whose topology and parameters change with time. These networks are important due to many critical applications such as emergency traffic planning and route finding services and there is an immediate need for models that support the design of efficient algorithms for computing the frequent queries on such networks. This problem is challenging due to potentially conflicting requirements of model simplicity and support for efficient algorithms. Time expanded networks which have been used to model dynamic networks employ replication of the network across time instants, resulting in high storage overhead and algorithms that are computationally expensive. In contrast, proposed time-aggregated graphs do not replicate nodes and edges across time; rather they allow the properties of edges and nodes to be modeled as a time series. Since the model does not replicate the entire graph for every instant of time, it uses less memory and the algorithms for common operations (e.g. connectivity, shortest path) are computationally more efficient than those for time expanded networks. One important query on spatio-temporal networks is the computation of shortest paths. Shortest paths can be computed either for a given start time or to find the start time and the path that leads to least travel time journeys (best start time journeys). Developing efficient algorithms for computing shortest paths in a time varying spatial network is challenging because these journeys do not always display greedy property or optimal substructure, making techniques like dynamic programming inapplicable. In this paper, we propose algorithms for shortest path computations in both contexts. We present the analytical cost models for the algorithms and provide an experimental comparison of performance with existing algorithms.
Variance Spectrum Analysis of Doppler Radar Observations in Continuous Precipitation

Abstract A continuous record of precipitation falling through a fixed volume in space was obtained by means of a vertically-pointing pulsed-Doppler radar during a period of continuous precipitation. The range gate was held fixed at an altitude of 910 m above the ground. The output of the radar gave the power returned in several adjacent velocity intervals, from which the drop size distribution and liquid water content were calculated. Variance spectra for power in selected velocity channels, total liquid water, and reflectivity were computed. The results revealed that despite the uniformity of radar reflectivity at elevations much below the melting layer, a good deal of structure was still evident in the time (space) variations in number of drops of given size. The variance spectra for concentration of drops falling at 7 m sec−1 (about 2 mm drop diameter) revealed significant modes at wavelengths of 2–3 km, and about 350–800 m, which support other evidence of organized atmospheric activity at these scales.
Sleep-disordered breathing advances cognitive decline in the elderly

Objective: To examine whether the presence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with an earlier age at mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer disease (AD)-dementia onset in participants from the Alzheimer9s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort. We also examined whether continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) use is associated with delayed onset of cognitive decline. Methods: From the ADNI cohort, 3 subsets with progressively stringent criteria were created in a step-wise manner. Age at MCI or AD-dementia onset was the main outcome variable. Analyses were performed separately for each subset in untreated SDB+ vs SDB− and untreated SDB+ vs CPAP+ groups. Chi-square and t tests were performed to examine between-group differences. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan–Meier method, compared by the log-rank test, and assessed by multivariate Cox regression adjusting for potential confounders. Results: SDB+ patients had a younger age at MCI onset in all subsets (MC1: 72.63 vs 83.67; MC2: 72.15 vs 83.45; MC3: 77.40 vs 89.89; p p p Conclusions: Consistent with our hypothesis, the presence of SDB was associated with an earlier age at cognitive decline. Our findings in CPAP+ participants suggest that CPAP treatment of SDB may delay progression of cognitive impairment.
Interactions of Heat Stress and Bovine Somatotropin Affecting Physiology and Immunology of Lactating Cows

During summer, 34 cows received daily injections of placebo or 25 mg of bST and were placed in a thermoregulated or a heat stress environment. Heat stress increased rectal temperatures, respiration rates, and plasma cortisol concentrations and decreased milk yield. Four of 9 bST-treated cows and none of 8 control cows became atactic on the 1st d of heat stress. When exposed to heat stress, cows treated with bST experienced higher rectal temperatures throughout the trials than cows treated with placebo. Nonetheless, bST increased milk yields in both environments. The major effect of heat stress on immune function was decreased migration of leukocytes to the mammary gland after chemotactic challenge. This effect of heat stress was not altered by bST. In summary, hyperthermia induced by heat stress and associated changes were greater for cows treated with bST. Detected effects of heat stress on the immune system were few and were not alleviated by bST. Use of bST during summer in subtropical climate zones requires careful management to avoid overexposure of bST-treated cows to heat stress.
Improved Breast Cancer Care Quality Metrics After Implementation of a Standardized Tumor Board Documentation Template.

The addition of a documentation template to multidisciplinary breast cancer conferences resulted in increased recorded adherence rates to national guidelines.
A cross-sectional survey of Plasmodium falciparum pfcrt mutant haplotypes in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Abstract. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), artesunate-amodiaquine is first-line therapy for falciparum malaria; little is known about the prevalence of molecular markers of parasite drug resistance. Across the DRC, we genotyped 166 parasites in Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. Of these parasites, 73 (44%) parasites were pure wild-type CVMNK, 55 (31%) parasites were chloroquine-resistant CV IET , 35 (21.1%) parasites were mixed CVMNK and CV IET , and 3 parasites were other genotypes. Ninety-two infections (55.4%) harbored the pfcrt K76 T substitution that is highly correlated with chloroquine failure. The amodiaquine-resistant S VMN T haplotype was absent. Geographically, pfcrt haplotypes were not clearly clustered. Chloroquine accounted for 19.4% of antimalarial use, and amodiaquine accounted for 15.3% of antimalarial use; there were no associations between drug use and mutant haplotype prevalence. In the DRC, our molecular survey indicates that resistance to chloroquine is substantial but that resistance to amodiaquine is absent. These contrasting findings highlight the need for molecular surveillance of drug resistance to inform malaria control policies.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in patients with COPD.

Background COPD is a common comorbidity in heart failure. The efficacy of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy has not been determined in patients with heart failure and COPD. Methods We examined the incidence of ICD shocks and mortality in 628 consecutive patients who underwent defibrillator implantation at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center from 2006 to 2010. Results The mean age of the patients was 67 ± 10 years, and 99% were men. Patients with COPD (n = 246 [39%]) were functionally more limited ( P P = .04) than those without COPD. Over a median 4.1 years (interquartile range [IQR] 2.2-5.7) of follow-up, patients with COPD had a higher incidence of appropriate shocks than those without COPD (29% vs 17%; P P = .61). In multivariable analysis, COPD was associated with a twofold increase in the odds of an appropriate ICD shock (95% CI, 1.3-2.9; P = .001). Incidence of ICD shocks did not vary with severity of COPD. Although all-cause mortality was higher in patients with COPD than in those without COPD (29% vs 21%, P = .029), 1-year mortality (5.3% vs 2.6%, P = .08) and the average time from first appropriate ICD shock to death was comparable (median, 2.3 [IQR, 1.2-4.4] vs 2.8 [IQR, 1.4-5.3] years; P = .29). Conclusions Patients with COPD have a higher incidence of ICD shocks than those without COPD and appear to benefit from ICD therapy.
ECOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON MARRIAGE IN RURAL IRELAND

Abstract Behavioral ecological studies of cooperatively breeding birds suggest that delayed dispersal and reproduction are caused by ecological constraints on independent breeding opportunities. Here we use census data on marriage and reproduction among the 19th and 20th century rural Irish to determine if the ecological constraints hypothesis can be extended to humans and what modifications might be required. We focus specifically on the following predictions: (1) marriage rates for farmers varied directly with the availability of farms; (2) the incidence of celibacy among male heirs increased as size of farm decreased; (3) emigration increased as economic opportunities in rural Ireland decreased; (4) emigration rates were inversely related to farm size; and (5) emigrants improved their chances for marriage by leaving Ireland. Despite important differences between humans and other species, we conclude that the rural Irish fall within the scope of ecological constraints theory. Unmarried siblings who remained on the home farm potentially gained some indirect fitness benefits because (1) the labor of unmarried siblings probably enhanced farm wealth; and (2) heirs of wealthier farms had higher reproductive success. The latter prediction implies that increased wealth, whether due to siblings or other causes, was reproductively valuable.
Immunologic recovery following autologous stem-cell transplantation with pre- and posttransplantation rituximab for low-grade or mantle cell lymphoma.

Background: Rituximab may improve transplant outcomes but may delay immunologic recovery. Patients and methods: Seventy-seven patients with low-grade or mantle cell lymphoma received autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) on a phase II study. Rituximab 375 mg/m2 was administered 3 days before mobilization-dose cyclophosphamide, then weekly for four doses after count recovery from ASCT. Immune reconstitution was assessed. Results: Sixty percent of transplants occurred in first remission. Actuarial event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 60% and 73%, respectively, at 5 years, with 7.2-year median follow-up for OS in surviving patients. Median EFS was 8.3 years. Older age and transformed lymphomas were independently associated with inferior EFS, whereas day 60 lymphocyte counts did not predict EFS or late infections. Early and late transplant-related mortality was 1% and 8%, with secondary leukemia in two patients. B-cell counts recovered by 1–2 years; however, the median IgG level remained low at 2 years. Late-onset idiopathic neutropenia, generally inconsequential, was noted in 43%. Conclusion: ASCT with rituximab can produce durable remissions on follow-up out to 10 years. Major infections do not appear to be significantly increased or to be predicted by immune monitoring.
Facies Analysis of A Probable Large-Fluvial-Fan Depositional System: The Upper Triassic Chinle Formation At Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, U.S.A.

Abstract The Upper Triassic Blue Mesa Member and the overlying Sonsela Member of the Chinle Formation consist of paleosol-bearing alluvial strata whose characteristics vary markedly. Strata exposed within a 4 km2 study area at Petrified Forest National Park were evaluated using sedimentologic, stratigraphic, paleopedologic, and petrographic criteria to formulate potential depositional models that may account for varying alluvial deposition. The study succession records a progressive up-section increase in grain size, increase in channel depth and width, increase in lateral and vertical connectivity of channel deposits, decrease in overbank preservation and crevasse-splay and/or sheetflood deposition, and increase in overbank drainage. Mean annual precipitation from the CALMAG paleosol weathering proxy suggests precipitation averages approximately 1300 mm/yr (1.3 m/yr) throughout the succession despite changing paleosol drainage. These features are consistent with deposition in a progradational fluvial system such as a large fan or splay complex. Sediment accumulation rates in the study interval suggest decreased subsidence in the upper Blue Mesa Member. Reduced rates of accommodation gain may have promoted progradation of the fluvial system. An up-section decrease in sandstone mineralogical maturity may be related to increasing sediment bypass in proximal fan positions or increased rates of erosion and sedimentation. Increasingly better drained paleosols are attributed to deposition in more upland positions during fan or avulsion-complex progradation, rather than changing climate.
Upregulation of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 at Atherosclerosis-Prone Sites on the Endothelium in the ApoE-Deficient Mouse

Focal recruitment of monocytes and lymphocytes is one of the earliest detectable cellular responses in the formation of lesions of atherosclerosis. This localized accumulation of leukocytes is a multistep process in which the endothelium remains intact and may regulate leukocyte recruitment by expressing specific adhesion molecules. To examine the relationship of adhesion molecule expression to initiation factors and the sites of lesion formation, we analyzed the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) en face on the aortic endothelium of control mice and homozygous apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE -/-) mice that develop complex lesions of atherosclerosis similar to those in humans. In control mice, VCAM-1 staining was weak and limited to sites of altered blood flow. In contrast, in the ApoE -/- mice, VCAM-1 appeared to be localized over the surface of groups of endothelial cells in lesion-prone sites. Expression of VCAM-1 preceded lesion formation, and increased expression above control levels appeared to be correlated with the extent of exposure to plasma cholesterol. Although ICAM-1 was the most prominent adhesion molecule in lesion-prone sites, its expression appeared to be independent of plasma cholesterol levels and was upregulated in both ApoE -/- and control mice. At lesion-prone sites associated with altered blood flow, ICAM-1 was located over the surface of each endothelial cell and on microvilli, whereas VCAM-1 was confined to the cell periphery in non-lesion-prone sites. PECAM-1 was localized at the cell periphery throughout the aorta, and its expression did not appear to be regulated. Thus, the levels, localization, and characteristics of expression of VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and PECAM-1 appear to be differentially regulated. Upregulation of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 is associated with sites of lesion formation.
Review of hair follicle dermal cells

Hair follicle stem cells in the epithelial bulge are responsible for the continual regeneration of the hair follicle during cycling. The bulge cells reside in a niche composed of dermal cells. The dermal compartment of the hair follicle consists of the dermal papilla and dermal sheath. Interactions between hair follicle epithelial and dermal cells are necessary for hair follicle morphogenesis during development and in hair reconstitution assays. Dermal papilla and dermal sheath cells express specific markers and possess distinctive morphology and behavior in culture. These cells can induce hair follicle differentiation in epithelial cells and are required in hair reconstitution assays either in the form of intact tissue, dissociated freshly prepared cells or cultured cells. This review will focus on hair follicle dermal cells since most therapeutic efforts to date have concentrated on this aspect of the hair follicle, with the idea that enriching hair-inductive dermal cell populations and expanding their number by culture while maintaining their properties, will establish an efficient hair reconstitution assay that could eventually have therapeutic implications.
Constraints on Moving Strong Discontinuity Surfaces in Dynamic Plane-Stress or Plane-Strain Deformations of Stable Elastic-Ideally Plastic Materials

For dynamic deformations of compressible elastic-ideally plastic materials in the practically important cases of plane stress and plane strain, we investigate the possible existence of propagating surfaces of strong discontinuity within a small-displacement-gradient formulation
Motion and Appearance Contexts for Tracking and Re-Acquiring Targets in Aerial Videos

In this paper, we use motion and appearance contexts for persistent tracking of objects in aerial imagery. The motion context in a given environment is a collection of trajectories of objects which are representative of the motion of the occluded or unobserved object. It is learned using a clustering scheme based on the Lyapunov characteristic exponent (LCE) which measures the mean exponential rate of divergence of the nearby trajectories. The learned motion context is then used in a regression framework to predict the location of the unobserved object. The appearance context of an occluded (target) object consists of appearance information of objects which are currently occluded or unobserved. It is incorporated by learning a distribution of interclass variation for each target-unobservable object pair. In addition, intra-class variation distribution is constructed for each occluded object using all of its previous observations. Qualitative and quantitative results are reported on challenging aerial sequences.
Vapor-liquid equilibrium: Part II. Correlations from P-x data for 15 systems

Pressure versus composition data for 15 binary systems in vapor-liquid equilibrium at 30°C form the basis for correlation of the excess Gibbs function and the activity coefficients for these systems.
Environmental control of deep convective clouds on Titan: The combined effect of CAPE and wind shear on storm dynamics, morphology, and lifetime

Titan has deep convective clouds driven by the release of latent from methane condensation. As on Earth, the presence of convective available potential energy (CAPE), which quantifies the amount of energy available through condensation, is required for storms to develop. While CAPE is a requirement for storms, the dynamics, morphology, and longevity of storms on Earth is controlled by both CAPE and wind shear, often expressed as a ratio in the form of the bulk Richardson Number. The impact of CAPE and wind shear on storms in a Titan-like environment are explored through numerical simulation. Model results indicate that Titan storms should respond to changes in the Richardson Number in a manner similar to storms on Earth. Very long-lived storms (>24 h) propagating for 1000 km or more might be possible on Titan when CAPE and wind shear are properly balanced. Some of the simulated storms exhibit dynamics similar to squall lines. Varying amounts of shear in the Titan environment might explain the variety of convective cloud expressions—varying from short-lived single cell storms to longer-lived linear features and large cloud bursts—identified in Cassini orbiter and ground-based observations. The varying amounts and spatial distribution of precipitation, as well as surface winds associated with storms, should have implications on the formation of fluvial and aeolian features and on the exchange of methane with the surface and lakes.
Cytokine overproduction and crosslinker hypersensitivity are unlinked in Fanconi anemia macrophages

The Fanconi anemia proteins participate in a canonical pathway that repairs cross-linking agent-induced DNA damage. Cells with inactivated Fanconi anemia genes are universally hypersensitive to such agents. Fanconi anemia-deficient hematopoietic stem cells are also hypersensitive to inflammatory cytokines, and, as importantly, Fanconi anemia macrophages overproduce such cytokines in response to TLR4 and TLR7/8 agonists. We questioned whether TLR-induced DNA damage is the primary cause of aberrantly regulated cytokine production in Fanconi anemia macrophages by quantifying TLR agonist-induced TNF-α production, DNA strand breaks, crosslinker-induced chromosomal breakage, and Fanconi anemia core complex function in Fanconi anemia complementation group C-deficient human and murine macrophages. Although both M1 and M2 polarized Fanconi anemia cells were predictably hypersensitive to mitomycin C, only M1 macrophages overproduced TNF-α in response to TLR-activating signals. DNA damaging agents alone did not induce TNF-α production in the absence of TLR agonists in wild-type or Fanconi anemia macrophages, and mitomycin C did not enhance TLR responses in either normal or Fanconi anemia cells. TLR4 and TLR7/8 activation induced cytokine overproduction in Fanconi anemia macrophages. Also, although TLR4 activation was associated with induced double strand breaks, TLR7/8 activation was not. That DNA strand breaks and chromosome breaks are neither necessary nor sufficient to account for the overproduction of inflammatory cytokines by Fanconi anemia cells suggests that noncanonical anti-inflammatory functions of Fanconi anemia complementation group C contribute to the aberrant macrophage phenotype and suggests that suppression of macrophage/TLR hyperreactivity might prevent cytokine-induced stem cell attrition in Fanconi anemia.
Locoregional Radionuclide Therapy of Primary and Metastatic Cancers

Locoregional radionuclide cancer therapy (LRCT) has been applied to treat human cancers with increasing frequency because of better understanding of loculation and biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals and translation of radiobiology from external beam radiotherapy. It is aided by radiation dosimetry derived from simulation of anthropomorphic models and imaging of radiopharmaceuticals. Theoretical advantages of LRCT include higher delivery efficiency, larger therapeutic windows, less radioactivities required, lower systemic toxicities, and simpler radiation dosimetry models. Other potential advantages include suppression of locoregional immunologic resistance so that immune recognition and amplification may be recruited for current therapy (analogous to the rare Ascopal effect) and prevention of recurrence. Since the main requirement is radiopharmaceutical proximity to the tumor for geographic targeting, requirement for chemical specificity is less stringent as long as the radionuclide is retained by the tumor for ablation by radioactive emissions. In practice, many commercially available radiopharmaceuticals may be contemplated to overcome some of the regulatory hurdles for productions and distribution. The disadvantages mostly stem from shorter range of emissions to eradicate larger tumors and inability to treat distant metastases which are nevertheless treated by other cancer therapy modalities such as surgery, external beam radiation, and chemotherapy. This chapter reviews theoretical aspects of LRCT along with examples of current practice of LRCT in different human tissues and organs, including interstitial, intracavitary, intrathecal, interstitial, pericaradial, peritoneal and peripleural spaces and tumors. The main goal is to shine light on what is possible and what is in practice in the real world and what can be done to bring these realms together.
Relation Between P-Aminohippuric Acid Synthesis and Amino Acid Incorporation into Protein.∗:

SummaryActivity of the enzyme system concerned with synthesis of the peptidic link in p-aminohippuric acid was studied simultaneously with rate of uptake of isotopically labelled glycine and lysine into the protein of rat liver slices. The synthetase system increased by 40% in the hyperthyroid state. Incorporation of labelled amino acids, on the other hand, was uninfluenced in the same situation.
Familial Factors in Breast Cancer and Their Implications

A profile of the woman most likely to develop breast cancer on a hereditary basis is beginning to emerge from a long-range study of families having two or more members with the disease. Of great potential value for early detection, the study has shown that there are at least two distinct familial types, marked by significant differences in age of onset, incidence of bilaterality, and ABO blood groups.
Making Policy Public: Portals of Democracy in American Bureaucracy

“[K]nowledge is no longer an immobile solid; it has been liquefied; it is actively moving in all the currents of society itself.” John Dewey “Advisory committees can be of great value. They contribute to the “openness” of Governmental decision-making, and provide advice and information not otherwise available to the Government. Their functions range from providing policy advice on major national issues, to providing technical recommendations on particular problems.” Federal Advisory Committees: Sixth Annual Report of the President, 1978 “Imagine planning your day around your life, instead of your osteoarthritis pain,” enticed Merck’s advertising campaign for Vioxx, its blockbuster arthritis drug. The drug Merck promoted “for everyday victories” soon became a symbol of regulatory failure as evidence emerged linking Vioxx with serious cardiovascular side effects and deaths. At the beginning of Senate hearings convened in 2004 to investigate Vioxx’s withdrawal from the market, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) alleged that the FDA had “allowed itself to be manipulated by Merck” and, more broadly, that “the FDA has a relationship with drug companies that is far too cozy.” The remedy for coziness with industry and for regulatory failure, Senator Grassley continued, would include “changes inside the FDA that [would] result in greater transparency and greater openness.” In its 2007 review of American drug safety, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) similarly claimed, “the FDA’s reputation has been hurt by a perceived lack of transparency and accountability to the public.” As part of its package of proposals to improve the agency’s impaired reputation, the Institute of Medicine called on the FDA to make greater use of its public advisory committees – groups of nongovernmental medical practitioners, researchers, and stakeholder representatives that the FDA consults on matters such as drug approval and labeling – to supplement agency expertise and to enhance transparency in the drug approval process. These proposals suggested public engagement could render FDA decisions both more accountable and less prone to regulatory failure.
Solution of Equations

This chapter focuses on solution of equations. The solution of systems of equations, both linear and nonlinear, occupies a central role in numerical analysis. The solution of a system can be a subsidiary calculation, where an approximate solution of a differential equation requires the solution of a nonlinear system, which in turn requires repeated inversion of a linear system. In such a case, it is important to do each inversion as quickly as possible; however, a medium accuracy can be sufficient as the dominant error is made when the differential equation is replaced by a difference equation. The primary problem can be the inversion of a single matrix as accurately, and as conveniently, as possible. If the nonsingular matrix A has a triangular decomposition, it is uniquely determined by the diagonal elements of L, and can be obtained by Gaussian elimination. The elements of the approximate inverse can be sensitive to small changes in the matrix as it is in the machine.
An Isogenic Human ESC Platform for Functional Evaluation of Genome-wide-Association-Study-Identified Diabetes Genes and Drug Discovery

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have increased our knowledge of loci associated with a range of human diseases. However, applying such findings to elucidate pathophysiology and promote drug discovery remains challenging. Here, we created isogenic human ESCs (hESCs) with mutations in GWAS-identified susceptibility genes for type 2 diabetes. In pancreatic beta-like cells differentiated from these lines, we found that mutations in CDKAL1, KCNQ1, and KCNJ11 led to impaired glucose secretion in vitro and in vivo, coinciding with defective glucose homeostasis. CDKAL1 mutant insulin+ cells were also hypersensitive to glucolipotoxicity. A high-content chemical screen identified a candidate drug that rescued CDKAL1-specific defects in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting the FOS/JUN pathway. Our approach of a proof-of-principle platform, which uses isogenic hESCs for functional evaluation of GWAS-identified loci and identification of a drug candidate that rescues gene-specific defects, paves the way for precision therapy of metabolic diseases.
A feedback mechanism between PLD and deadenylase PARN for the shortening of eukaryotic poly(A) mRNA tails that is deregulated in cancer cells.

ABSTRACT The removal of mRNA transcript poly(A) tails by 3′→5′ exonucleases is the rate-limiting step in mRNA decay in eukaryotes. Known cellular deadenylases are the CCR4-NOT and PAN complexes, and poly(A)-specific ribonuclease (PARN). The physiological roles and regulation for PARN is beginning to be elucidated. Since phospholipase D (PLD2 isoform) gene expression is upregulated in breast cancer cells and PARN is downregulated, we examined whether a signaling connection existed between these two enzymes. Silencing PARN with siRNA led to an increase in PLD2 protein, whereas overexpression of PARN had the opposite effect. Overexpression of PLD2, however, led to an increase in PARN expression. Thus, PARN downregulates PLD2 whereas PLD2 upregulates PARN. Co-expression of both PARN and PLD2 mimicked this pattern in non-cancerous cells (COS-7 fibroblasts) but, surprisingly, not in breast cancer MCF-7 cells, where PARN switches from inhibition to activation of PLD2 gene and protein expression. Between 30 and 300 nM phosphatidic acid (PA), the product of PLD enzymatic reaction, added exogenously to culture cells had a stabilizing role of both PARN and PLD2 mRNA decay. Lastly, by immunofluorescence microscopy, we observed an intracellular co-localization of PA-loaded vesicles (0.1-1 nm) and PARN. In summary, we report for the first time the involvement of a phospholipase (PLD2) and PA in mediating PARN-induced eukaryotic mRNA decay and the crosstalk between the two enzymes that is deregulated in breast cancer cells.
An Extubation Protocol for Angioedema

Angioedema-nonpitting edema of the mucous membranes and skin-most commonly occurs as a complication from the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. At our institution, the otolaryngology department has incorporated the use of the endotracheal tube cuff-leak test and bedside direct laryngoscopy to aid in timing for extubation of angioedema patients. Prospective data collection of patients presenting to the emergency department with angioedema was performed. Of 76 patients with angioedema, 9 required fiberoptic intubation. Intubation was performed at a median of 73 hours (range, 44-118). An endotracheal tube cuff-leak test was performed in 7 patients prior to extubation, and bedside direct laryngoscopy was also performed in 3 of these 7 patients to document resolution of laryngeal edema. The use of the endotracheal tube cuff-leak test and bedside direct laryngoscopy is an easy and inexpensive method to help determine eligibility for extubation in patients intubated for angioedema.
Third-Year Pharmacy Students’ Work Experiences and Attitudes

Objectives. To describe pharmacy students’ work experience for pay; examine student attitudes towards work; examine student perceptions of how pharmacist preceptors feel about their jobs; and determine how pharmacy student work environment influences career aspirations and whether or not gender or academic pathway have any influences. Methods. An electronic survey was administered to third-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students at a Midwestern school of pharmacy over five consecutive years. Results. Four hundred eighty nine students (response rate = 61.0%) completed the electronic survey instrument. Over 90% reported working in a pharmacy by the time their advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) began. Of these respondents, 67.4% reported working in a community pharmacy while 23.0% reported working in hospital inpatient pharmacy. Students working for independent pharmacies were most likely to feel that this type of practice site would offer an optimal work schedule and work environment for their career. Conclusions. Most students are working in community pharmacy practice. Having a fulfilling career and a desirable work schedule was the variable most strongly associated with optimal career choice. Conflict of Interest We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties. Type: Original Research
Exercise-induced changes in stress hormones and cell adhesion molecules in obese men.

Purpose The current study examined the relationship between exercise-induced changes in stress hormones (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol) and vascular inflammatory markers (soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 [sICAM-1], soluble endothelial selectin [sE-selectin], and soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 [sVCAM-1]) in obese men over a 24-hour period following exercise at lower and higher intensity. Patients and methods Fifteen physically inactive, obese, college-aged men performed a single bout of cycling exercise at lower and higher intensities (lower intensity: 50% of maximal heart rate, and higher intensity: 80% of maximal heart rate) in random order. Overnight fasting blood samples were collected at baseline, immediately postexercise (IPE), 1-hour PE (1-h PE), and 24-hour PE. Changes in stress hormones and inflammatory markers were analyzed with a repeated-measures analysis of variance using Bonferroni multiple comparisons and a linear regression analysis (p Results sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, epinephrine, and norepinephrine did not change over time, while sE-selectin was significantly lower at 1-h PE (10.25±1.07 ng/mL, p=0.04) than at baseline (12.22±1.39 ng/mL). Cortisol and sICAM-1 were negatively related at 1-h PE following lower-intensity exercise (r2=0.34, p=0.02), whereas cortisol and sVCAM-1 were positively related at IPE following higher-intensity exercise (r2=0.36, p=0.02). Conclusion Regardless of intensity, an acute bout of aerobic exercise may lower sE-selectin in sedentary obese men. Responses of cortisol are dependent on exercise intensity, and cortisol may be a key stress hormone playing a major role in regulating sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1.
Combination immunotherapy and radiation therapy strategies for pancreatic cancer—targeting multiple steps in the cancer immunity cycle

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly disease, with its mortality rate approaching its incidence rate every year. Accordingly, much interest has been generated in harnessing the immune system in order to improve survival outcomes for these patients. Pancreatic cancer is not thought to be as immunogenic as other cancers that have seen promising results with immune checkpoint inhibitors alone, therefore likely several targets within the cancer-immunity cycle will need to be employed for successful treatment. We sought to investigate both the current state of the field in immunotherapy in PDAC with a special emphasis on combined approaches with radiation therapy (RT). We also summarized ongoing clinical trials that are examining the use of radiotherapy with other immune-stimulating agents in the treatment of PDAC. A PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov search was conducted using the following search terms, either alone or in combination: "pancreatic cancer", "immunotherapy", and "abscopal effect". Open clinical trials were reviewed and included if they involved both RT and other immune-stimulating agents. Pancreatic cancers tend to reside within immune-suppressive tumor microenvironments (TME), express PD-L1, and secrete several immuno-suppressive agents, such as TGF-B, IL-10, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, galectin-1. Whole-cell vaccine therapies, peptide and protein vaccines, dendritic cell vaccines, and vaccines with micro-organisms have been investigated by themselves with promising results. Open clinical trials are currently investigating the use of these vaccines, which increase antigen presentation, with treatments that stimulate release of tumor antigens including RT. There are currently at least 21 open clinical trials investigating the combination of RT with other immune-stimulating agents. The combination of RT and immunotherapy may be a promising avenue for PDAC treatment and deserves further research.
Franchising with Kodak in China

China, as a whole, also benefited from Kodak’s operations. Aside from the tangible rewards of jobs and tax revenues, Kodak has helped China streamline its market into the global economy by encouraging entrepreneurship and introducing Western-style work processes, procedures and conditions. The company has also participated in the “creative destruction” of the economy, which increases the efficiency and productivity of its resources. The mutual interdependence of Kodak and China is likely to foster a deeper and closer relationship between the two entities for years to come.
SynBioSS-Aided Design of Synthetic Biological Constructs

We present walkthrough examples of using SynBioSS to design, model, and simulate synthetic gene regulatory networks. SynBioSS stands for Synthetic Biology Software Suite, a platform that is publicly available with Open Licenses at www.synbioss.org. An important aim of computational synthetic biology is the development of a mathematical modeling formalism that is applicable to a wide variety of simple synthetic biological constructs. SynBioSS-based modeling of biomolecular ensembles that interact away from the thermodynamic limit and not necessarily at steady state affords for a theoretical framework that is generally applicable to known synthetic biological systems, such as bistable switches, AND gates, and oscillators. Here, we discuss how SynBioSS creates links between DNA sequences and targeted dynamic phenotypes of these simple systems.
Ultrasonics in Thick Anisotropic Materials

Conventional ultrasonic inspection techniques assume a straight path of ultrasonic energy propagation determined by the application of Snell’s Law for refraction. Typically a transducer is coupled to some sample and then scanned in a raster fashion across the sample. Data, typically amplitude or time of flight information, is recorded during the scan at predetermined spatial increments. This data is then presented in an image format.
PRODUCTIVE AGING: WORK AND ITS RELATION TO CAREGIVING AND SELF-EMPLOYMENT

AbstractAs one of the major domains of productive engagement, this symposium focuses on work. The research papers use diverse designs and data sources across the U.S. to explore the intersectionality of work and caregiving, as well as characteristics of self-employment. The first paper focuses on the work-caregiving conflict among employed daughters caring for older parents in a sample of 89 intergenerational family caregivers. The findings show preparedness for caregiving and perceived stress were significant predictors of work strain. The second paper examines the relationship between employment benefits and retirement savings among both male and female care-giver employees (ages 50–57 in 2014) using the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) (1994–2014). Findings suggest those with more paid vacation days and access to flexible work hours have higher retirement savings. The third paper examines the effect of a Paid Family Leave program in California (CA-PFL) on employment among older female caregivers with data from multiple years (2000‒2014) of the Current Population Survey (CPS). Results show a significant increase in the likelihood of working and decrease in the likelihood of being not employed for those covered by paid family leave. The final paper documents the characteristics of self-employed older adults using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Results indicate age, being male, volunteering, risk tolerance, and reporting better health, earnings and wealth were positively associated with self-employment. These studies identify barriers and facilitators in employment and self-employment, and suggest how public programs, organizational and policy level supports enhance productive engagement in work
Correcting nonlinearity and mass-bias in measurements by Inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry

Abstract A two-parameter modeling formula is proposed for quadrupole ICP-MS (ICP-QMS) data, which corrects for nonlinearity with a “dead-time” function and makes subsequent weighted mass-bias corrections to normalize isotope ratio data to pertinent isotopic reference materials. The methodology improves the short-term and long-term precision as well as accuracy of the measurements. Applying the model to isotopes spanning a wide mass range revealed that values for the parameters describing nonlinearity and mass bias do not conform to expectations based on conventional interpretation. Within a single analysis run for a specific element, nonlinearity and mass-bias corrections can be evaluated to very tight tolerances and the model fits the data to within a few parts per thousand. However, in a different run or with a different element, the values of the parameters might change. A comprehensive strategy for conducting measurements of isotope ratios or trace-element concentrations is described, which takes advantage of the model's strengths and accommodates the observed run-to-run variations. Supporting data is presented to demonstrate improved precision and accuracy with the widely available ICP-QMS system.
Who Chooses What Is Taught

This chapter explores the range of issues related to educational and school choice focusing most keenly on choice within the field of curriculum. We examine the history and trends of curriculum choice over the late nineteenth to twenty-first centuries. The chapter argues that there is no one-size-fits-all approach in deciding what is fair for all students when it comes to school choice. The debates operate with important questions including the difference in the purpose of education between public education and private or religious sectors. The sources provide glimpses into curriculum choices relating to early twentieth-century Catholic schools, the public schools of Los Angeles Unified School District in the late 1960s cutting music programs due to budget cuts, and the introduction of whole language curriculum highlighted in Rethinking Schools in the 1980s.
A qualitative analysis of caregiver perceptions of pediatric dental surgery under general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND Dental surgery under general anesthesia (GA) is a common treatment for severe childhood caries and thus may serve as an event to motivate behavior change. The frequency of recurrent caries, however, indicates opportunities within current practice to change a child's oral health behaviors. AIM To assess caregiver experiences related to their child's dental surgery to inform development of a behavioral intervention. DESIGN Semi-structured interviews with caregivers of children receiving GA for dental surgery. Transcripts (n = 19) were analyzed using qualitative thematic methods. RESULTS Children were 2-5 years of age, mean 3.8 years. Limited access to GA services was a source of caregiver frustration and a barrier to caries treatment. Surgical events elicited emotional reactions including guilt, anxiety, and a sense of caregiver accountability for development of severe caries. There was variation in caregiver awareness and/or motivation to change oral health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS A child's dental surgery under GA is an emotionally challenging event yet may inspire hope and expectations for improvement. Surgery offers an opportunity to implement interventions at a time when caregivers may be open to assistance with behavior change, though stress and anxiety may create barriers. Behavioral interventions should be tailored to individual caregiver needs/barriers and stage of developmental readiness.
Dynamic Safe Operating Area (SOA) of Power Semiconductor Devices

This paper investigates the effect of aging on the safe operating area (SOA) of a semiconductor device. SOA is a wellknown device parameter, which indicates the device’s ridethrough-capability against over-voltage and over-current situations. The mean time to failure (MTTF) represents the expected lifespan of the device although it cannot adequately predict the failures. When designing a power converter, we assume a fixed SOA value, and the overall reliability of the circuit simply becomes the probability of an abnormal condition to occur, and the probability of other device failures. However, our experimental results reveal that SOA of any semiconductor device is age-dependent rather than static as considered in reported literature to-date, and this age-dependent SOA is the underlying reason for device failure especially when the device is subjected to accidental over-voltage/current. When a device undergoes aging, it suffers from reduced SOA, which decreases the mean time to failure (MTTF) of the device as well as the overall converter reliability. Therefore, by knowing the aging level, it is possible to estimate the dynamic or real-time SOA of a device, and thus, the overall reliability of the circuit can be determined. By doing this, the scheduled maintenance can be performed more accurately, which is expected to reduce unwanted downtime.
Developing the Juramento into an Evidence-Based Brief Intervention: A Brief Report.

Introduction:This brief report recommends how the effectiveness of the juramento, a practice found in Mexican Catholicism, can be enhanced by combining it with Screening, Brief Intervention, and Re...
Dilute nitride GaPN x as potential top cell candidate for Silicon based multijunction solar cells

This work reports on the growth of dilute nitride GaPN x lattice-matched to Si as a pathway for Si-based multijunction solar cells. GaPN x layers were grown using a plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy with varying N concentrations. High resolution X-Ray ray diffraction analysis revealed high structural quality of the grown thin-film layers including the successful integration of GaPN x with a GaP buffer layer on Si substrate. Low temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy results showed the peak position to be around 1.94eV at 100K for the lattice-matched case. This value is close to the ideal bandgap for independent connection with Si bottom cell in a tandem configuration.
The Higher-Order Map Theory of Consciousness

I begin by developing a challenge for the Higher-Order Thought variant of Higher-Order representational theories of consciousness. The challenge is to account for the distinctive phenomenal charact...