cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Palliative radiation therapy for metastatic Ewing sarcoma.

BACKGROUND Although radiotherapy is an accepted component of curative treatment for Ewing sarcoma (EWS), to the authors' knowledge, there are scant data evaluating its use for palliation. The authors reviewed the Duke University Medical Center experience to evaluate treatment response and response durability. METHODS Between 1980 and 2002, 21 patients with metastatic EWS received palliative radiotherapy. Pain was the primary indication for treatment. The majority of patients were male (n = 16 patients), and the median age at diagnosis was 11.6 years (range, 2.7-28.8 yrs). Fifty-two percent of patients had metastases at initial diagnosis. For the others, the median interval from initial diagnosis to metastases was 1.7 years. RESULTS Sixty-three metastatic sites were irradiated (median dose, 30 gray [Gy]; range, 4.5-68.5 Gy), and a median of 3 sites were treated per patient (range, 1-16 sites per patient). At the time of last follow-up, 1 patient with a solitary brain metastasis has been disease free for 3.4 years after resection and cranial radiotherapy; all other patients died of their disease. Censoring this survivor, patients lived for a median of 1.0 year after metastatic diagnosis (range, from 17 days to 6.8 years), 41 days of which were spent in treatment (range, 1-93 days). Of all sites, 55% had a complete clinical response of symptoms, and 29% had a partial response. The median response duration was 4.0 months (range, 10 days to 4.8 years). Only the survivor was noted to have a treatment complication (growth hormone insufficiency). CONCLUSIONS It was possible to treat metastatic EWS effectively with palliative radiotherapy. Because these patients live a median of 1 year after diagnosis of metastases, providing symptom relief without a protracted treatment course is valuable and appropriate therapy. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Three-dimensional 13C-detected CH3-TOCSY using selectively protonated proteins: facile methyl resonance assignment and protein structure determination.

Recent advances in instrumentation and isotope labeling methodology allow proteins up to 100 kDa in size to be studied in detail using NMR spectroscopy. Using 2H/13C/15N enrichment and selective methyl protonation, we show that newly developed 13C direct detection methods can be used to rapidly yield proton and carbon resonance assignments for the methyl groups of Val, Leu, and Ile residues. We present a highly sensitive 13C-detected CH3-TOCSY experiment that, in combination with standard 1H-detected backbone experiments, allows the full assignment of side chain resonances in methyl-protonated residues. Selective methyl protonation, originally developed by Kay and co-workers (Rosen, M. K.; Gardner, K. H.; Willis, R. C.; Parris, W. E.; Pawson, T.; Kay, L. E. J. Mol. Biol. 1996, 263, 627−636; Gardner, K. G.; Kay, L. E. Annu. Rev. Biophys. Biomol. Struct. 1998, 27, 357−406; Goto, N. K.; Kay, L. E. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 2000, 10, 585−592), improves the nuclear relaxation behavior of larger proteins compared to their fully protonated counterparts, allows significant simplification of spectra, and facilitates NOE assignments. Here, we demonstrate the usefulness of the 13C-detected CH3-TOCSY experiment through studies of (i) a medium-sized protein (CbpA-R1; 14 kDa) with a repetitive primary sequence that yields highly degenerate NMR spectra, and (ii) a larger, bimolecular protein complex (p21-KID/Cdk2; 45 kDa) at low concentration in a high ionic strength solution. Through the analysis of NOEs involving amide and Ile, Leu, and Val methyl protons, we determined the global fold of CbpA-R1, a bacterial protein that mediates the pathogenic effects of Streptococcus pneumoniae, demonstrating that this approach can significantly reduce the time required to determine protein structures by NMR.
Direct Measurement of Diffuse Double-Layer Forces at the Semiconductor/Electrolyte Interface Using an Atomic Force Microscope

The forces between a silica probe and an n-type TiO2 single-crystal electrode were measured using an atomic force microscope in an aqueous electrolyte solution. These interactions were a strong function of the solution pH, the presence of specifically adsorbed anions, and the TiO2 electrode potential. For a series of pH values, a strong electrostatic repulsion was seen at high pH and decreased as the pH was reduced. At pH values below 5.5, the interaction became attractive. A series of force measurements between SiO2 and n-type TiO2 showed a repulsive interaction when TiO2 was held at negative electrode potentials, which transformed to an attractive force at positive potentials. The potential at which the interaction passed through a minimum, called the potential of zero force (pzf), corresponded closely to the flat-band potential ( Vfb) of the TiO2 electrode under conditions where the solution pH was held at the isoelectric point (iep) of titania. The Vfb measured by this method gave a value near -0.4 V vs SCE at pH 5.5, which was in good agreement with photoelectrochemical measurements made under similar conditions. At pH values deviating from the iep, the pzf and Vfb were not equivalent. This was illustrated by potential- and pH-dependent force curves taken at the same n-TiO2 electrode in the presence of the polymeric anion hexametaphosphate (HMP), which is known to specifically adsorb on TiO2. An increase in negative surface charge due to adsorbed HMP was observed by an increase in the repulsive force with respect to the silica probe at open circuit for a specific pH value. Potential-dependent force measurements determined that the pzf shifted toward more positive values in the presence of HMP, in direct opposition to the negative shift in Vfb. This apparent discrepancy was caused by the presence of both adsorbed and potential-induced surface charge, which could not be differentiated by simply measuring the diffuse double-layer charge.
IS INCOMPARABILITY A PROBLEM FOR ANYONE

The incomparability of alternatives is thought to pose a problem for justified choice, particularly for proponents of comparativism – the view that comparative facts about alternatives determine what one rationally ought to choose. As a solution, it has been argued that alternatives judged incomparable by one of the three standard comparative relations, “better than,” “worse than,” and “equally good,” are comparable by some fourth relation, such as “roughly equal” or “on a par.” This solution, however, comes at what many would regard as too high a cost – namely, rejection of the transitivity of the relation “at least as good as.” In this paper, I argue that proponents of comparativism need not incur this cost. I defend the possibility of justified choice between incomparable alternatives on grounds that comparativists can accept. The possibility of incomparability has been met with resistance, in part because of the intuitive appeal of comparativism. By defending the possibility of justified choice between incomparable alternatives on grounds that comparativists can accept, this paper supports further inquiry into the subject of incomparability.
8-Hydroxyguanosine repair is defective in some microsatellite stable colorectal cancer cells.

Mutator phenotypes are involved in the carcinogenesis of some cancers, e.g., defects in mismatch repair produce a mutator phenotype that drives carcinogenesis and causes microsatellite instability in hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancers and some sporadic colorectal cancers (CRC). Less understood, however, is the potential role of mutator phenotypes in microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC carcinogenesis. A novel transversion mutator phenotype was reported recently in an MSS CRC cell line. We hypothesized that 8-hydroxyguanosine could be involved and found elevations in 5 of 15 (33%) MSS CRC cell lines analyzed. Repair of an adenine*8-hydroxyguanosine mispair was functionally defective in the same five cell lines. The human MutY homologue transcript and MutY homologue protein levels were also decreased. These findings may reflect a MSS mutator phenotype contributing to the development of CRC.
Effect of a rotating frame on preventing bead aggregation in a microfluidic device

Varying bead concentrations over the course of experiments have been reported by many scientists. A new device was designed and developed to eliminate bead aggregation in a syringe pump prior to flowing through a microchannel. We have modeled the effects of rotation in the absence of longitudinal flow by evenly populating the cross section of a syringe with particles, then tracking their movement due to rotation, gravity, and centripetal forces. We have shown both experimentally and numerically that the concentration of the beads remains constant over the course of experiments once the rotational device is used. However, the concentration of the beads drops significantly once no rotation is applied during the experiment.
Plasmonic antireflection coatings in the infrared

Antireflective (AR) coatings are used in many optical applications such as flat-panel displays, solar cells, lasers and other optoelectronic devices. Until recently, efforts for realizing low surface reflectivity have been concentrated on thin dielectric films, where the structural profile of the film is used to create a gradual change in the refractive index between the air and substrate. As an alternative to this approach, there has been much interest in pushing frequency-selective-surface (FSS) technology, a technology which is well known in the literature for its filtering characteristics at microwave and millimeter frequencies, to infrared frequencies. With FSSs (examples include periodic conducting elements placed on a dielectric substrate or apertures perforating a conducting sheet), the filtering response is realized due to the photon-plasmon coupling associated with the structured periodic surface rather than through an impedance-matching concept. Following along the path of the microwave community, attention in this work is confined to the transmission response of single-layer aperture-array screens, with the goal of ultimately realizing an AR surface with a high angular and frequency bandwidth in the mid-infrared frequency range.
Three-dimensional neural net for learning visuomotor coordination of a robot arm

An extension of T. Kohonen's (1982) self-organizing mapping algorithm together with an error-correction scheme based on the Widrow-Hoff learning rule is applied to develop a learning algorithm for the visuomotor coordination of a simulated robot arm. Learning occurs by a sequence of trial movements without the need for an external teacher. Using input signals from a pair of cameras, the closed robot arm system is able to reduce its positioning error to about 0.3% of the linear dimensions of its work space. This is achieved by choosing the connectivity of a three-dimensional lattice consisting of the units of the neural net. >
QCD at small x: From Color Glass Condensate to Pomerons and Odderons and more

We show that JIMWLK evolution equation [1] for quadrupole, normalized trace of 4 Wilson lines, reduces to BJKP equation [2] for the exchange of 4-Reggeized gluons in the dilute region (weak field limit). We comment on how this may be generalized to the exchange of arbitrary number of Reggeized gluons and how one may derive expressions for multi-pomeron vertices.
Wideband Spectrum Sensing in Cognitive Radio Networks

Spectrum sensing is an essential enabling functionality for cognitive radio networks to detect spectrum holes and opportunistically use the under-utilized frequency bands without causing harmful interference to legacy networks. This paper introduces a novel wideband spectrum sensing technique, called multiband joint detection, which jointly detects the signal energy levels over multiple frequency bands rather than consider one band at a time. The proposed strategy is efficient in improving the dynamic spectrum utilization and reducing interference to the primary users. The spectrum sensing problem is formulated as a class of optimization problems in interference limited cognitive radio networks. By exploiting the hidden convexity in the seemingly non-convex problem formulations, optimal solutions for multiband joint detection are obtained under practical conditions. Simulation results show that the proposed spectrum sensing schemes can considerably improve the system performance. This paper establishes important principles for the design of wideband spectrum sensing algorithms in cognitive radio networks.
Brand Extensions of Experiential Goods: Movie Sequel Evaluations

We examine movie sequels as brand extensions of experiential goods. Study 1 reveals a reversal of the traditional categorization model such that dissimilar extensions are rated higher than similar extensions. This reversal is moderated by the name of the sequel; numbered sequels (Daredevil 2) are influenced by similarity more than named sequels (Daredevil: Taking It to the Streets). Study 2 reveals that the reversal arises because numbered sequels invoke a greater degree of assimilation with the parent movie, thereby increasing consumers’ level of satiation of experiential attributes. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) provides external validity for our results (study 3).
The effect of copper additions on electromigration in aluminum thin films

Copper additions reduce the rate of electromigration in aluminum thin film conductors subjected to dc currents of high density. The results of experiments conducted with the goal of understanding the mechanism of this effect are presented. The relationships between lifetimes and the mode of preparation, the composition, and the heat treatment of the samples are explored. The lifetimes of copper bearing aluminum conductors vary in the same way, with respect to temperature and current density, as conductors made of pure aluminum. Data obtained with an electron microprobe on samples which have failed electrically, after prolonged exposure to current, show the coincidence of crack formation and copper depletion in the surrounding area. Analysis along the length of current stressed samples, also with the microprobe, indicates that under the effect of current, copper atoms migrate at a considerably faster rate than aluminum atoms. Gold and silver additions in aluminum do not have the same effect as copper additions. It is believed that this difference is due to variations in adsorption of different atomic species on aluminum grain boundaries.
Potential Clindamycin Resistance in Clindamycin-Susceptible, Erythromycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Report of a Clinical Failure

The erm gene product confers clindamycin resistance on Staphylococcus aureus. We report a clindamycin clinical failure where resistance developed on therapy in a D-test-positive strain. D tests of 91 clindamycin-susceptible, erythromycin-resistant S. aureus isolates showed that 68% of methicillin-susceptible and 12.3% of methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains were D-test positive.
Coming full circle: Reclaiming the body

This article synthesizes key ideas from the volume, emphasizing the role of embodied knowing in becoming fully actualized human beings.
Parasitism of Dasineura oxycoccana (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in North Central Florida

Blueberry gall midge, Dasineura oxycoccana (Johnson), is a key pest of blueberries in Florida. As a larva, this insect feeds in developing flower and leaf buds. Management of D. oxycoccana relies principally on chemical insecticides; however, efficacy is limited because D. oxycoccana is sheltered within the plant during most of its life cycle. Natural enemies, particularly parasitoids, may play an important role in regulating D. oxycoccana populations. To determine the seasonal dynamics and parasitism rates of eulophid and platygastrid wasps parasitizing D. oxycoccana larvae, we sampled D. oxycoccana larvae by collecting infested blueberry leaf buds from a minimally-managed farm in north central Florida. Midge larvae were examined under a microscope to determine parasitism status of host instars. Parasitism rates ranged from 25 to 40% over the 3-yr study. Percent parasitization was significantly higher in third instars than first or second instars. Midge larvae in the centers of leaf buds were significantly less likely to be parasitized than larvae in outer layers of leaf buds. Thirty-seven percent of midge larvae had been parasitized multiple times, suggesting these parasitoids do not discriminate between parasitized and unparasitized hosts. Implications for pesticide use in relation to the conservation of natural enemies and management of D. oxycoccana populations are discussed.
An analysis of gb/s digital display symbols and clocks and their EMI impact: part I

Digital display frames and their associated symbols present a problem to the EMI engineer. Their spectrums fall somewhere between a purely repetitive symbol sequence such as a clock, and a purely random sequence of a finite set of symbols such as a Pseudorandom bit stream (PRBS). The purpose of this paper is to present a method whereby a selected set of display symbols can be ranked according to the expected EMI impact of their bit structure. The symbol set will be compared against the base clock from which the symbol is derived. The analysis will show that out of a given symbol set a subset of the symbols should be used for highly repetitive sequences such as blanking to produce emissions that can be lower by up to 10 dB. This first paper of 3 parts will discuss single-ended symbols as seen at the input to a spectrum analyzer. Part II will discuss the time derivative spectrums of single-ended symbols. Part III will then discuss differential signals and their radiated emissions.
Inhibition of return in children with perinatal brain injury.

Inhibition of return is a bias in attention that reduces the likelihood of returning attention to previously viewed locations. This attention bias develops during the first 6 months of life and is putatively mediated by midbrain structures. The present study evaluated the effects of perinatal lesions on the development of inhibition of return. Thirty-three children with perinatal injury resulting in spastic diplegic cerebral palsy were grouped based on magnetic resonance exams. Children with anterior (n = 5), posterior (n = 12), diffuse (n = 8), or no apparent (n = 8) lesions were compared with a group of age-matched children without neurologic injury (n = 39) on an orienting task designed to elicit inhibition of return. Short-delay trials demonstrated grossly intact facilitation of attention for all groups. Long-delay trials that produced inhibition of return in the control and posterior injury groups indicated a disruption of inhibition of return in the groups with anterior and diffuse lesions. The findings are consistent with previous reports that anterior regions are important for the developing attention system, and that bilateral injury can result in unilateral disruption of visual attention. (JINS, 2001, 7, 275–284.)
On satisfiability, equivalence, and implication problems involving conjunctive queries in database systems

Satisfiability, equivalence, and implication problems involving conjunctive queries are important and widely encountered problems in database management systems. These problems need to be efficiently and effectively solved. In this paper, we consider queries which are conjunctions of the inequalities of the form (X op C), (X op Y), and/or (X op Y+C), where X and Y are two attributes, C is a constant, and op /spl epsiv/ { , /spl ges/}. These types of inequalities are widely used in database systems, since the first type is a selection, the second type is a /spl theta/-join, and the third type is a very popular clause in a deductive database system. The satisfiability, equivalence, and implication problems in the integer domain (for attributes and constants) have been shown to be NP-hard. However, we show that these problems can be solved efficiently in the real domain. The incorporation of the real domain is significant, because the real domain is practically and widely used in a database. Necessary and sufficient conditions and algorithms are presented. A novel concept of the "module closure" and a set of sound and complete axioms with respect to the "module closure" are also proposed to infer all correct and necessary inequalities from a given query. The proposed axioms generalize Ullman's axioms (1989) where queries only consist of /spl theta/-joins.
The Baker—Tijdeman Theorem

Let αl,...,α r be algebraic numbers, in a number field K. We shall use the notation where the log is taken with principal value. We let We do not assume u j linearly independent over the integers. In the applications, we shall consider questions of uniformity only with respect to the degree of these algebraic numbers, and so we shall not pay special attention to distinguish the absolute from the relative height.
Long-term meteorological and soil hydrology database, Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, Arizona, United States

A 17 year (1990-2006) meteorological and soil hydrology database has been developed for the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed in southeastern Arizona. Data have been acquired at three automated weather stations, 5 soil profile trench sites, and 19 locations dispersed across the watershed colocated with recording rain gauges. Meteorological elements measured at the weather stations include air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, solar radiation, photosynthetically active radiation, and net radiation. Soil hydrology properties measured at the weather stations, trench sites, and rain gauges include soil moisture, soil temperature, soil heat flux, and soil surface temperature. Data are available at http://www.tucson.ars.ag.gov/dap.
The Interactive Media Package for Assessment of Communication and Critical Thinking (IMPACCT©): Testing a Programmatic Online Communication Competence Assessment System

IMPACCT is an online survey covering over 40 self-report types of student communication competency, as well as a test of critical thinking based on cognitive problem-solving. The student nominates two peers who rate the student's interpersonal, computer-mediated, group and leadership, and public speaking communication competence. The student takes the self-report survey at Time 1 (T1), and also at a Time 2 (T2). The system generates a printable profile for the student displaying the following percentiles: (a) T1-Self (i.e., how the student sees self's communication skills in various skill domains at time 1), (b) T2-Self (i.e., how the student's scores changed from T1 to T2), (c) Peers (i.e., how self-rated skills compare to averaged ratings by two peers nominated by the student), and (d) Norms (i.e., how self-rated skills compare to everyone else's self-ratings who has taken the survey). The resulting collective data are available to the department to provide evidence of student self-perceived skill defic...
Type-I cryoglobulinemia-like histopathologic changes in tick bites: a useful clue for tissue diagnosis in the absence of tick parts.

Background: The histopathologic findings of localized reactions to tick bites may present as diagnostic dilemmas, especially if there is no history of a tick bite, or if the tick's mouthparts are not present in the biopsied skin. Objective: Skin biopsies of patients with a clinical history of a tick bite were selected and reviewed with the aim of detecting a common histopathologic denominator which could serve as a useful clue to the diagnosis, especially when the tick's mouthparts are absent. Methods: Hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides of 15 skin biopsies of tick bites were retrieved from three dermatopathology and pathology laboratories. Where additional paraffin-embedded tissue was available, additional sections were also stained with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and phosphotungstic acid-hematoxylin (PTAH). Results: In every case in which adequate tissue was available (13/15 biopsies), the capillaries and postcapillary venules of the superficial and deep vascular plexi adjacent to the attachment's site were filled with thrombi. Fibrin thrombi were seen in association with other more numerous thrombi characterized by homogeneous eosinophilic hyaline material similar to the cryoprecipitate present in type I (monoclonal) cryoglobulinemia. All thrombi were positive for PAS and PTAH; however, the latter staining was minimally present in the hyaline thrombi. In most cases, the site of the tick bite showed ulceration, with an underlying wedge-shaped superficial and deep perivascular and occasionally interstitial mixed lymphohistiocytic infiltrate. In addition, there were eosinophils, numerous neutrophils and extravasated erythrocytes. Other findings included suppurative necrosis (7/15) cases, giant-cell reaction (one case), fat necrosis (one case) and eccrine gland necrosis (one case). Conclusions: Vascular eosinophilic hyaline thrombi were found to be a frequent histologic manifestation of a tick bite. This finding may be related to the secretory products of the tick's saliva during inoculation. We believe that a tick bite should be suspected when focal intravascular hyaline occlusion is observed, and that it should be included in the differential diagnosis of type I (monoclonal) cryoglobulinemia, even if there is no history of a tick bite or if tick parts are not present in the skin biopsy specimen.
Interaction of the EGF Receptor and the Hippo Pathway in the Diabetic Kidney

Activation of the EGF receptor (EGFR) or the Hippo signaling pathway can control cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation, and the dysregulation of these pathways can contribute to tumorigenesis. Previous studies showed that activation of EGFR signaling in renal epithelial cells can exacerbate diabetic kidney injury. Moreover, EGFR has been implicated in regulating the Hippo signaling pathway in Drosophila; thus, we examined this potential interaction in mammalian diabetic kidney disease. Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a transcriptional regulator regulated by the Hippo signaling pathway. We found YAP protein expression and phosphorylation were upregulated in diabetic mouse renal proximal tubule epithelial cells, which were inhibited in diabetic proximal tubule EGFR-knockout mice (EGFR(ptKO)) or administration of an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib. Furthermore, activation of an EGFR-PI3K-Akt-CREB signaling pathway mediated YAP gene expression and YAP nuclear translocation and interaction with the TEA domain (TEAD) transcription factor complex, which led to upregulated expression of two TEAD-dependent genes, the connective tissue growth factor and amphiregulin genes. In a renal proximal tubule cell line, either pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of EGFR, Akt, or CREB blunted YAP expression in response to high-glucose treatment. Additionally, knocking down YAP expression by specific siRNA inhibited cell proliferation in response to high glucose or exogenous EGF. Therefore, these results link the Hippo pathway to EGFR-mediated renal epithelial injury in diabetes.
Post-licensing Specification of Eukaryotic Replication Origins by Facilitated Mcm2-7 Sliding along DNA

Eukaryotic genomes are replicated from many origin sites that are licensed by the loading of the replicative DNA helicase, Mcm2-7. How eukaryotic origin positions are specified remains elusive. Here we show that, contrary to the bacterial paradigm, eukaryotic replication origins are not irrevocably defined by selection of the helicase loading site, but can shift in position after helicase loading. Using purified proteins we show that DNA translocases, including RNA polymerase, can push budding yeast Mcm2-7 double hexamers along DNA. Displaced Mcm2-7 double hexamers support DNA replication initiation distal to the loading site in vitro. Similarly, in yeast cells that are defective for transcription termination, collisions with RNA polymerase induce a redistribution of Mcm2-7 complexes along the chromosomes, resulting in a corresponding shift in DNA replication initiation sites. These results reveal a eukaryotic origin specification mechanism that departs from the classical replicon model, helping eukaryotic cells to negotiate transcription-replication conflict.
Factors Affecting Avian Species Richness and Density in Riparian Areas

Abstract Riparian areas are an important part of conservation efforts directed toward minimizing the effects of habitat loss on birds because riparian areas host a large number of bird species. We compared species richness and densities of breeding songbirds among 3 narrow (55–95 m) and 3 wide (400–530 m) forested-riparian areas with adjacent grassland-shrub buffer strips and 3 narrow and 3 wide forested-riparian areas without adjacent grassland-shrub buffer strips, in northeastern Missouri, USA. More bird species occurred in wide than in narrow forested-riparian areas (mean difference = 8.58, 95% CI = 4.82–12.35). Wide forested-riparian areas with and without adjacent buffer strips had similar numbers of species (mean difference = 0.50, 95% CI = −2.77–3.77). Narrow forested-riparian areas with adjacent buffer strips had more species than narrow forested-riparian areas without adjacent buffer strips (mean difference = 9.67, 95% CI = 5.43–13.90). A mixed model with a fixed effect of width had the most supp...
Comparison of Kinetic Models To Describe High Pressure and Gamma Irradiation Used To Inactivate Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus Prepared in Buffer Solution and in Whole Oysters

Comparisons of different models in inactivation kinetics were conducted on data obtained from high-pressure and gamma-irradiation processing. Vibrio vulnificus (MO-624) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (O3:K6 TX-2103) suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.4, 107 CFU/ml) were exposed to pressures from 207 to 379 MPa for 1 to 20 min. Inoculated whole oysters (106 CFU/g) were exposed to pressure from 276 to 379 MPa for 1 to 15 min. Pure cultures and inoculated oysters (106 CFU/g) also were irradiated (gamma irradiation) at doses of less than 3 kGy. Four mathematical models, the Bigelow model, Arrhenius equation, Fermi equation, and Weibull frequency distributions, were applied to microbial survival data, and performances of the different kinetic models were compared. Weibull frequency distributions can predict the high-pressure inactivation of Vibrio spp. with more accuracy in both pure cultures and inoculated oyster samples. The Fermi model provided a better description of gamma-irradiation inactivation k...
Fast head motion detection using PET list-mode data

1827 Objectives Head motion (HM) is problematic for brain PET. Without extra monitoring devices, HM in PET is traditionally corrected by registering short-frame images. However, short frames are often impractical due to low SNR. Moreover, this cannot capture sudden motion within a frame. Thielemans et al presented a PCA based list-mode (LM) head motion detection (HMD) approach in 2013. One drawback is its requirement for a large number of sinograms (2s/frame), thus might not be suitable for real-time applications. Here we present a fast data-driven HMD technique. Methods An anesthetized monkey was scanned on a Siemens mMR 2h after the injection of 18FDG (4.85mCi). LM was acquired for 300s. HM was introduced at ~180s by pulling a small pillow. Four scalar parameters primarily sensitive to X, Y, Z and angular orientation, respectively, were derived for every 1s of LM. HM was detected when at least 1 parameter exhibited sudden changes. LM was then split when motion was detected. OSEM reconstruction (it=2, sub=8) was performed with motion splitting (MS) based on detected motion and on the entire data set with no MS (NMS). Results Motion was detected at 185s in the LM, matching the timing when motion was introduced, and the LM was split into 2 motion-free frames based on this timing. Prominent image blurring was observed in the NMS image. The two MS images were sharper and without noticeable motion blurring. Conclusions The presented data-driven HMD technique can accurately detect HM. It requires neither sinogram binning, nor knowledge of the entire data set. It also has potential for high temporal resolution using a sliding window. Hence, it could be a useful tool for real-time HMD. Upon detection of significant HM, a trigger can be inserted into LM for frame identification, or MR attenuation map can be acquired again in the context of PET-MR. PET motion correction can then be performed using the reconstructed frames or MR images.
Lipid metabolism in pediatric nutrition.

The abrupt transition from carbohydrate to fat as the main energy source that occurs at birth is not matched by commensurate endogenous fat-digesting capacity in the newborn. Newborn infants are, however, able to digest fat efficiently through the activities of gastric lipase and the exogenous digestive lipase of human milk, which compensate for the low activity of pancreatic lipase. Fat absorption is well-developed at birth and is commensurate with the high fat intake of the infant. Tissue uptake of dietary fat is also adequate, based on sufficient lipoprotein lipase (above 26 to 27 weeks' gestation) and rapid postnatal increase of lecithin: cholesterol acyl transferase, the enzymes that regulate tissue uptake of circulatory lipoprotein triglyceride and cholesterol.
Changes in Brain Resting-state Functional Connectivity Associated with Peripheral Nerve Block: A Pilot Study.

Background: Limited information exists on the effects of temporary functional deafferentation (TFD) on brain activity after peripheral nerve block (PNB) in healthy humans. Increasingly, resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) is being used to study brain activity and organization. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that TFD through PNB will influence changes in RSFC plasticity in central sensorimotor functional brain networks in healthy human participants. Methods: The authors achieved TFD using a supraclavicular PNB model with 10 healthy human participants undergoing functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging before PNB, during active PNB, and during PNB recovery. RSFC differences among study conditions were determined by multiple-comparison–corrected (false discovery rate–corrected P value less than 0.05) random-effects, between-condition, and seed-to-voxel analyses using the left and right manual motor regions. Results: The results of this pilot study demonstrated disruption of interhemispheric left-to-right manual motor region RSFC (e.g., mean Fisher-transformed z [effect size] at pre-PNB 1.05 vs. 0.55 during PNB) but preservation of intrahemispheric RSFC of these regions during PNB. Additionally, there was increased RSFC between the left motor region of interest (PNB-affected area) and bilateral higher order visual cortex regions after clinical PNB resolution (e.g., Fisher z between left motor region of interest and right and left lingual gyrus regions during PNB, −0.1 and −0.6 vs. 0.22 and 0.18 after PNB resolution, respectively). Conclusions: This pilot study provides evidence that PNB has features consistent with other models of deafferentation, making it a potentially useful approach to investigate brain plasticity. The findings provide insight into RSFC of sensorimotor functional brain networks during PNB and PNB recovery and support modulation of the sensory–motor integration feedback loop as a mechanism for explaining the behavioral correlates of peripherally induced TFD through PNB.
Biomechanical properties of infantile hemangiomas: clinical stage and effect of age

Background Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are benign vascular neoplasms with rapid capillary proliferation shortly after birth and slow involution with diminishing capillary proliferative activity, fibrosis, and fatty replacement over 7–10 years. Methods Hemangiomas and contralateral control sites in 88 subjects were measured using a suction device, 6-mm probe and 200 mbar negative pressure. Mechanical properties were assessed vs. controls and effects of body site, depth, clinical stage, histology diagnosis, and time. Results Biological elasticity, overall elasticity, net elasticity, total recovery, and elastic recovery were lower for IH vs. controls (P < 0.001). IH total deformation, elastic deformation, viscoelastic creep, and residual deformation were higher than controls (P < 0.001). Involuting IHs had lower viscoelasticity than proliferating and stable lesions (P < 0.001) and lower viscoelastic creep than stable IHs (P = 0.04). IH viscoelasticity was higher at 2.3 than 12.9, 23.7, and 61.0 months and at 4.9 and 8.1 than 61.0 months. IH elastic recovery varied by body site with larger differences vs. control for abdomen and leg. Elastic recovery differences from control were smaller at younger vs. older ages. Conclusions Measurement of biomechanical properties may be useful to characterize IH progression and treatment response in clinical settings.
The First Main Theorem; Non-exceptional Branch Points; The Non-vanishing of the L th Derivative of Dirichlet’s Energy

Let us state our main goal: Assuming that Open image in new window is a nonplanar minimal surface in normal form having w=0 as a branch point of order n and index m, we want to show that \(\hat{X}\) cannot be a weak relative minimizer of Dirichlet’s integral D in the class Open image in new window . Unfortunately this goal cannot be achieved for all branch points but only for non-exceptional ones and special kinds of exceptional ones. In this chapter we investigate the non-exceptional branch points, while in Chaps. 5 and 6 we deal with the exceptional ones. The main result of the present section – our First Main Theorem – is the following
Small-grid dithers for the JWST coronagraphs

We discuss new results of coronagraphic simulations demonstrating a novel mode for JWST that utilizes sub-pixel dithered reference images, called Small-Grid Dithers, to optimize coronagraphic PSF subtraction. These sub-pixel dithers are executed with the Fine Steering Mirror under fine guidance, are accurate to ~2-3 milliarcseconds (1-σ/axis), and provide ample speckle diversity to reconstruct an optimized synthetic reference PSF using LOCI or KLIP. We also discuss the performance gains of Small-Grid Dithers compared to the standard undithered scenario, and show potential contrast gain factors for the NIRCam and MIRI coronagraphs ranging from 2 to more than 10, respectively.
Glycosaminoglycans as Anticoagulants in Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS I).

MPS IH (Hurler syndrome) is caused by severe mutations in a-L-iduronidase gene, leading to accumulation of complex sugars, termed glycosaminoglycans (GAG), in tissues. The disorder is lethal unless treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). When compared to other recipients of HSCT, MPS I patients are well-known to have an increased incidence of bleeding complications in peri-transplant period. To investigate whether this bleeding propensity is related to the enzyme deficiency and GAG accumulation we evaluated five MPS IH patients (2 females and 3 males, mean age: 1.1 years) prior to any therapy. We observed that three of the five patients had an elevated activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT, normal range 22–35 seconds). As no heparin was used in any of these patients, we reasoned that the accumulation of heparan sulfate, a hallmark of MPS IH, may serve as a heparin-like anticoagulant. Should this assumption be correct, higher levels of GAG would be expected in the three patients with the elevated aPTT. This, in fact, was what we have observed (Figure), suggesting that dose - effect relationship exists between whole body GAG load (assessed as milligrams of urinary GAG normalized to grams of creatinine; x-axis) and level of anticoagulation (aPTT in seconds; y-axis). In this context, it is important to note that the patient with the second highest value of urinary GAG and aPTT experienced pulmonary bleeding on day 12 after HSCT requiring intubation and ventilatory support for 25 days. We hypothesized that endogenous GAG heparan sulfate exerts its antithrombotic effect through antithrombin III-mediated inhibition of factor Xa, as in clinically used low molecular weight heparinoid, danaparoid. To test this hypothesis, we have assessed anti-Xa levels in mice with a-L-iduronidase deficiency, an animal model of MPS IH. As expected, the anti-Xa level were not significantly different in wild type C57Bl/6 mice (N=3) and heterozygous mice (N=6): 0.11±0.005 IU/cc plasma versus 0.10±0.004 IU/cc plasma (p=0.2). Anti-Xa values of MPSI mutant mice (N=14), however, were significantly elevated when compared to the age-matched sex-matched wild type controls (0.19±0.05 IU/cc plasma versus 0.11±0.005 IU/cc plasma; p
An efficient method for validating protein models using electron microscopy data

Cryo-Electron Microscopy is a powerful biophysical technique that is capable of generating 3-dimensional volume images for macromolecular assemblies and machines. De novo protein modeling uses these images to model the biological molecules. In de novo modeling, many candidate structures are generated at intermediate step. The candidates are evaluated conventionally by time-consuming approaches. We introduce an initial version of a geometrical screening method that uses the skeleton of the cryo-EM images to evaluate the candidate structures. A test of ten (10) proteins shows that our method was able to successfully detect good candidates in an efficient way.
Enobosarm and lean body mass in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

9618 Background: Cancer induced muscle wasting is a selective and progressive cancer related symptom that begins early in the course of malignancy. Greater than 50% of NSCLC patients have muscle wa...
Analytic Hierarchy Process and Electricity Supply System Planning

Abstract A hierarchy is an abstraction of the structure of a system. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) operates by using pairwise comparison judgements to consider factors which are not effectively quantified. In AHP the eigenvalue approach to pairwise comparisons provides a way for calibrating a numerical scale, particularly in new areas where measurements and quantitative comparisons do not exist. A brief summary is presented in this paper which includes the intuitive justification of AHP. AHP is compared with Delphi techniques and Fuzzy Sets which can also be utilized for planning with ill-defined parameters. The application of AHP to quantify the interrelationships among electricity supply system planning criteria in a country is shown. System reliability, development in other energy sectors, fuel availability, energy conservation, loss optimization and load growth are the major factors that affect the electricity supply expansion plan in a country. The applicability of the analytic hierarchy process in determining the relative importance of various plausible scenarios that affect the demand for electricity in Bangladesh is shown
Correlative analyses of milieu inflammatory cytokines in preneoplastic oral leukoplakia

1678 Non invasive diagnostic biomarkers in saliva are an attractive area of investigation in oral and other cancers. The human oral carcinogenesis milieu typically contains proinflammatory cytokines stimulated chronically by the genotoxic and pro-inflammatory effects of tobacco carcinogens. Previously, we have demonstrated that proinflammatory cytokines could be analyzed in a variety of oral cavity-derived fluids from patients with oral cancers and other lesions. In the present study, we analyzed correlations between levels of proangiogenic IL-6, IL-8, and VEGF in saliva and serum in patients with preneoplastic oral leukoplakia. Twenty patients with preneoplastic leukoplakia were examined, biopsied, and lesions bi dimensionally measured. Saliva, saline oral rinse and serum were collected and IL-6, 8, and VEGF were analyzed by ELISA. Milieu (salivary) cytokine levels were 3 to 10 fold higher than serum levels for all three proangiogenic cytokines. A significant correlation was found between VEGF levels in saliva compared to levels in saline oral rinse and serum (p= 0.0004 and 0.0496). For IL-8, there was significant correlation between levels in saliva and saline oral rinse (p=0.0142), but not in serum. In this study, IL-6 levels were much lower and no significant correlation was seen between saliva, saline oral rinse and serum levels. IL-8 and VEGF, but not IL-6, were coordinately upregulated in saliva specimens (p
Incarcerated Abdominal Wall Hernias: Tips and Tricks to the Minimally Invasive Approach

Abdominal wall hernias are one of the most frequently encountered surgical diagnoses for acute care surgeons, with surgeons in the United States performing more than 360,000 ventral hernia repairs and 770,000 inguinal hernia repairs annually [1]. Inguinal hernias represent the majority of abdominal wall hernias; as many as one in four men and one in 50 women will require an inguinal hernia repair in their lifetime [2, 3]. The incidence of emergent hernia repairs, however, is increasing with an increase from 16.0 repairs per 100,000 person-years in 2001 to 19.2 per 100,000 person-years in 2010, with the majority of these occurring in patients 65 years and older [2]. Women have higher rates of incarcerated femoral hernias, while men have higher rates of emergent inguinal hernia repairs [2, 3]. As the population ages, incisional hernia repairs are also becoming more frequent, with an annual incidence of 23.5 per 100,000 person-years for women and 32.5 per 100,000 person-years for men [2].
The Law & Policy of Human Shielding

The phenomenon of human shields challenges many of the core tenets of IHL, including its careful dialectic between the imperatives of humanity and military necessity. Although the concepts of distinction, precaution, and proportionality are well-established in the abstract, any consensus on how these rules apply to situations involving human shields is showing signs of fraying. The IHL literature now offers competing approaches for evaluating the legal consequences surrounding the use of human shields for both the party that stands to benefit from the presence of the shields and for the party seeking to engage the military objective being shielded. In particular, the application of the rules of distinction and proportionality has become the subject of intense debate about whether human shields are entitled to the full panoply of civilian protections when it comes to targeting? This emerging legal indeterminacy is being strategically generated and increasingly deployed by a range of implicated actors and norm entrepreneurs in an effort to loosen the restrictions on targeting, to excuse civilian deaths, and to shield armed actors from legal responsibility — all to the detriment of civilian protection. These dilemmas undergird this chapter. After distinguishing various forms of human shielding and setting out the operative legal framework in treaty and customary international law, this chapter evaluates the various legal and policy arguments that have emerged to address the phenomenon of human shielding. These arguments are grounded in theories about what it means to directly participate in hostilities, how proportionality should be calculated when human shields are present in a battlespace, and what role hostile intent as well as actual or apparent agency on the part of the shields themselves should play in targeting decisions. The chapter then recommends a way forward by concluding that the safest course for parties truly committed to the values underlying IHL is to adopt a policy that treats all human shields as civilians when it comes to the calculation of potential collateral damage, unless there is irrefutable proof of willing participation in hostilities.