cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Production of Bright Greenish Yellow Fluorescence in Figs Infected by Aspergillus Species in California Orchards

The relationship of bright greenish yellow fluorescence (BGYF) of dried figs under longwave UV light to colonization by Aspergillus fungi was determined. BGYF in naturally infected figs was associated with decay by only four fungal species: the aflatoxin-producing species Aspergillus flavus (both L and S strains) and A. parasiticus, and the aflatoxin nonproducers A. tamarii and A. alliaceus. BGYF was more likely to be visible internally (after cutting open the fig) than externally. For all four species associated with BGYF, some infected figs did not show BGYF. The absence of fluorescence is probably not associated with the fungal strain or isolate involved, since isolating Aspergillus spp. from nonfluorescent figs followed by inoculating other figs with these isolates resulted in BGYF. Many of the nonfluorescent figs had small fungal colonies (<7 mm in diameter), even though some figs with large colonies were also nonfluorescent. The additional colonization of figs by other fungi did not affect the occurrence of BGYF in figs colonized by fungi in Aspergillus section Flavi. Figs infected with A. flavus or A. parasiticus and showing no BGYF were occasionally contaminated with aflatoxin, while other figs showing BGYF and infected with A. flavus or A. tamarii had no aflatoxins. Although not as promising as originally hoped, BGYF might be of use to remove aflatoxin-contaminated figs for certain specific situations in California.
SAFER, BETTER SEX THROUGH FEMINISM: THE ROLE OF FEMINIST IDEOLOGY IN WOMEN'S SEXUAL WELL‐BEING

Feminists have argued that traditional gender norms can obstruct women's sexual well-being (Amaro, 1995; Morokoff, 2000; Tolman, 2006; Walker, 1997). Therefore, we expected feminist ideology, by vi...
Control of reed canarygrass promotes wetland herb and tree seedling establishment in an Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest.

Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) is recognized as a problematic invader of North American marshes, decreasing biodiversity and persisting in the face of control efforts. Less is known about its ecology or management in forested wetlands, providing an opportunity to apply information about factors critical to an invader’s control in one wetland type to another. In a potted plant experiment and in the field, we documented strong competitive effects of reed canarygrass on the establishment and early growth of tree seedlings. In the field, we demonstrated the effectiveness of a novel restoration strategy, combining site scarification with late fall applications of pre-emergent herbicides. Treatments delayed reed canarygrass emergence the following spring, creating a window of opportunity for the early growth of native plants in the absence of competition from the grass. They also allowed for follow-up herbicide treatments during the growing season. We documented greater establishment of wetland herbs and tree seedlings in treated areas. Data from small exclosures suggest, however, that deer browsing can limit tree seedling height growth in floodplain restorations. Slower tree growth will delay canopy closure, potentially allowing reed canarygrass re-invasion. Thus, it may be necessary to protect tree seedlings from herbivory to assure forest regeneration.
Parents' Aspirations and Investment: The Role of Social Class in the Educational Experiences of 1.5- and Second-Generation Chinese Americans.

In this article, Vivian Louie examines how social class influences Chinese immigrant parents' expectations, strategies, and investment in their children's education. Her findings suggest that, across social class, Chinese immigrant parents have high expectations for their children, reflecting both immigrant optimism and immigrant pessimism about their children's outcomes. However, Louie finds significant differences in the resources and educational strategies pursued by working-class parents and their middle-class counterparts. Louie concludes that the role of the immigrant family is more multifaceted than suggested by previous theories on Asian American educational performance. (pp. 438–474)
EFFECTS OF A BACTERIAL POLYSACCHARIDE (PIROMEN®) ON THE PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS: CORTISONE BLOCKADE OF PIROMENINDUCED RELEASE OF ACTH

The bacterial polysaccharide, Piromen, stimulates the pituitary to release ACTH. The intensity of the response varies with the dose of the drug employed. Certain aspects of the increased adrenal activity following Piromen are somewhat atypical, e.g., failure of the thymus to involute in animals, and positive nitrogen balance in humans. An attempt was made to determine whether the ACTH-rcleasing effects of this drug could be blocked by pre-existing levels of steroid. Male, 100 gm. rats were pre-treated with cortisone, desoxycorticostcrone, followed by a triggering dose of Piromen known to cause ACTH release. When adequate time was given to effect complete absorption of cortisone (pre-injection) the response to Piromen was completely blocked. Desoxycorticosterone had no effect. It is concluded that the pituitary-stimulating effects of Piromen are largely governed by pre-existing levels of circulating steroids especially of the glucocorticoid variety.
Myelolipomas of the liver in captive wild Felidae.

Myelolipomas of the liver were reported in 7 captive wild Felidae, 4 of which also had microscopic myelolipomatous lesions in the spleen. Out of approximately 25,000 animals examined, these were the only myelolipomas of the liver to be found. Previously unreported in either man or animals, myelolipomas of the liver are comparable to those in the human adrenal.
Extremal optimization: heuristics via coevolutionary avalanches

The extremal dynamics of the Bak-Sneppen model can be converted into an optimization algorithm called extremal optimization. Attractive features of the model include the following: it is straightforward to relate the sum of all fitnesses to the cost function of the system; in the self-organized critical state to which the system inevitably evolves, almost all species have a much better than random fitness; most species preserve a good fitness for long times unless they are connected to poorly adapted species, providing the system with a long memory; the system retains a potential for large, hill-climbing fluctuations at any stage; and the model accomplishes these features without any control parameters.
A game theoretic approach for power optimization during behavioral synthesis

In this paper, we describe a new methodology based on game theory for minimizing the average power of a circuit during scheduling and binding in behavioral synthesis. The problems are formulated as auction-based noncooperative finite games for which solutions are proposed based on the Nash equilibrium. In the scheduling algorithm, a first-price sealed-bid auction approach is used while, for the binding algorithm, each functional unit in the datapath is modeled as a player bidding for executing an operation with the estimated power consumption as the bid. Further, the techniques of functional unit sharing, path balancing, and register assignment are incorporated within the binding algorithm for power reduction. The combined scheduling and binding algorithm is formulated as a single noncooperative auction game with the functional units in the datapath modeled as players bidding for executing the operation in a particular control cycle. The proposed algorithms yield power reduction without any increase in area overhead and only a slight increase in the latency for some of the benchmark circuits. Experimental results indicate that the proposed game theoretic solution for binding yields an improvement of 13.9% over the linear programming (LP) method, while the scheduling and the combined scheduling and binding algorithms yield average improvements of 6.3% and 11.8%, respectively, over the integer-linear programming (ILP) approach.
Atmospheric correction for two classes of hyperspectral imaging sensors

The High-accuracy Atmosphere Correction for Hyperspectral Data (HATCH) algorithm retrieves surface reflectance from imaging spectrometer data in the 350-2500nm wavelength region with resolutions of 5nm or greater. A key feature of HATCH is that it derives calibration for the sensor spectral response functions (band centers and FWHMs) from the data themselves. This is approached by utilizing known atmospheric absorption features (e.g. water vapor and oxygen bands) and the application of a new technique dubbed the© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Prostate MRI Can Reduce Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment of Prostate Cancer

The contemporary management of prostate cancer (PCa) has been criticized as fostering overdetection and overtreatment of indolent disease. In particular, the historical inability to identify those men with an elevated PSA who truly warrant biopsy, and, for those needing biopsy, to localize aggressive tumors within the prostate, has contributed to suboptimal diagnosis and treatment strategies. This article describes how modern multi-parametric MRI of the prostate addresses such challenges and reduces both overdiagnosis and overtreatment. The central role of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in contributing to MRI's current impact is described. Prostate MRI incorporating DWI achieves higher sensitivity than standard systematic biopsy for intermediate-to-high risk tumor, while having lower sensitivity for low-grade tumors that are unlikely to impact longevity. Particular applications of prostate MRI that are explored include selection of a subset of men with clinical suspicion of PCa to undergo biopsy as well as reliable confirmation of only low-risk disease in active surveillance patients. Various challenges to redefining the standard of care to incorporate solely MRI-targeted cores, without concomitant standard systematic cores, are identified. These include needs for further technical optimization of current systems for performing MRI-targeted biopsies, enhanced education and expertise in prostate MRI among radiologists, greater standardization in prostate MRI reporting across centers, and recognition of the roles of pre-biopsy MRI and MRI-targeted biopsy by payers. Ultimately, it is hoped that the medical community in the United States will embrace prostate MRI and MRI-targeted biopsy, allowing all patients with known or suspected prostate cancer to benefit from this approach.
Manipulating MDD relaxations for combinatorial optimization

We study the application of limited-width MDDs (multivalued decision diagrams) as discrete relaxations for combinatorial optimization problems. These relaxations are used for the purpose of generating lower bounds. We introduce a new compilation method for constructing such MDDs, as well as algorithms that manipulate the MDDs to obtain stronger relaxations and hence provide stronger lower bounds. We apply our methodology to set covering problems, and evaluate the strength of MDD relaxations to relaxations based on linear programming. Our experimental results indicate that the MDD relaxation is particularly effective on structured problems, being able to outperform state-of-the-art integer programming technology by several orders of magnitude.
Dacrystic Seizures: A Multicenter Video-EEG Study

Researchers at Children’s Hospital, Boston; Boston University; Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Northwestern University, Chicago; and the Cleveland Clinic in the USA; and centers in Germany and Spain studied the frequency of dacrystic seizures (DS) identified in video-EEG long-term monitoring units and the relationship of their clinical presentation to the underlying pathophysiology and etiology.
Undergraduate Education in Law and Psychology

Larry Wrightsman’s textbook, Psychology and the Legal System, is the longest-lived, best-selling, and arguably most influential text read by students in law and psychology courses across the country. This chapter focuses on Larry Wrightsman’s considerable contributions to undergraduate education in law and psychology. With subsequent editions of his text, we have the uncanny ability to trace the growth in the field throughout the years and take note of the changes that have occurred through Wrightsman’s eyes. It is important to describe the organizing framework featured in every edition of Psychology and the Legal System, namely the broad psychological and philosophical issues that Wrightsman termed “dilemmas” at the intersection of the two fields—and we drill down on two of them: rights of individuals versus the common good, and equality versus discretion. The chapter illustrates the evolution of these two themes and provides exemplars from various editions of the textbook. In particular, the chapter comments on the psychological science, case law, and legal policies relevant to those issues. One of the objectives is to use Wrightsman’s significant contribution as a vehicle for examining ongoing and vibrant debates in the field of psychology and law. Another is to illustrate how the two disciplines have independently and jointly examined topics of broad societal concern and provided complementary perspectives on their resolution.
Directory of Soviet Institutions Engaged in Psychological, Psychophysiological, and Psychiatric Research

The following abbreviations are used in this Directory, and in the following Directory of Soviet Scientists Engaged in Psychological and Psychophysiological Research.
Bionomics of Euxesta stigmatis (Diptera: Otitidae) on Sweet Corn

The bionomics of Euxesta stigmatis Loew were studied in the field and laboratory. Different features of life stages of this insect are described. Eggs were laid on the tip of corn ears inside silks, and larval development took place inside corn ears. Abundance of E. stigmatis eggs was lower in June than in other months in 1989, and higher in April than in other months in 1990. The sex ratio of adult flies on corn ears favored females, whereas the sex ratio did not vary significantly on other plant parts.
Fabrication and Microstructure Evolution of Single Crystalline Sm2Co17 Nanoparticles Prepared by Mechanochemical Method

In this work we report fabrication and microstructural characterization of single crystalline Sm2Co17 nanoparticles with an average size of 103.7 nm. These particles are fabricated using mechanochemical method and can be used for fabrication of high performance permanent magnets due to their high coercivity (20 kOe). Microstructure analysis reveals the inhomogeneity and defects in the nanoparticles. The origin of these defects was analyzed and discussed by systematic microstructural investigation of the as-milled, annealed, and washed samples. On the basis of these results, by further optimizing the processing parameters, properties of the nanoparticles can be improved.
Selection for Body Weight at Eight Weeks of Age 5. Embryonic Stage at Oviposition and Its Relationship to Hatchability

Abstract HAYS AND NICOLAIDES (1934) observed variation in stages of embryonic development at oviposition. Kosin (1956) and Becker and Bearse (1958) found that certain preincubation warming treatments had a beneficial effect on the hatchability of avian eggs. This provided evidence that eggs are not necessarily laid in a stage optimum for preincubation storage. Siegel (1962) reported a two-way selection experiment in chickens for body weight at eight weeks of age. A correlated response in embryonic development was observed in these lines by Coleman et al. (1963). They found that embryos from the low weight line had approximately four more somites at 42 hours of incubation than embryos from the high line. Arora and Kosin (1964) observed that 43.6 percent of the embryos in a line of turkeys selected for large mature body size were early gastrula at oviposition. In a line selected for small mature body size the percentage of early …
Feeding the Organization Man: Diet and Masculinity in Postwar America

In 1958, the renowned historian and cultural critic Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. publicly lamented the decrepitude of American masculinity. "What has happened to the American male?" he wondered. "For a long time, he seemed utterly confident in his manhood, sure of his masculine role in society, easy and definite in his sense of sexual identity." But now he was a harried, sexualiy indeterminate refugee from the affluent society, seemingly in flight from everything that had once made him forceful and individual. How to resolve this "crisis"? Schlesinger favored reengagement with the political process, which he termed "virile" democratic exertion, but whatever the remedy, reform from within struck him as particularly crucial: "the achievement of identity, the conquest of a sense of self.... [T]hese will do infinitely more to restore American masculinity than all the hormones in the test tubes of our scientists."1 In his own way, the exuberant television health guru Jack LaLanne was ad' dressing exactly the same malaise. "You gotta get down to the masculinity!" he bellowed to one interviewer while discussing the American man's dangerous lack of interest in dieting. "He's losing his manhood! They just sit and overeat and overdrink and they won't do anything until it becomes a status symbol!"2 To LaLanne, at least, dieting offered a way for the American man to reverse the ebbing tide of manhood. Throughout the early postwar era, a variety of white middle-class men who agreed with his diagnosis, ranging from social critics Vance Packard and John Gunther, from advertising executive Elmer Wheeler to the "ordinary people" profiled in popular magazines, publicly explored the implications of male weight loss. Both critiquing and accommodating themselves to the nation's affluence, they responded to the "crisis" Schlesinger had identified by producing diet narratives. By adapting what had typically been tales of female self-discovery, and by relocating the fulcrum of masculinity from exercise to diet, such narratives rewrote masculinity to fit a "soft" age of organization and suburbanization. In so doing, they articuiated a new consumerist masculinity whose renewed authority resided in the ability to control consumption. Few today might associate thinness, especially male thinness, with the 1950s. Given the popularity of cookbooks that extolled dinners prepared by can-opener, the pastel creativity of suburban cuisine, and the almost institutionalized threemartini lunch and cocktail hour, middle-class American males, at least, spent more time filling their stomachs than worrying about what they ate. Indeed, public-opinion polls consistently revealed that far more women than men de? scribed themselves as dieters. (Nor do average weight figures suggest any drastic change in men's weights.) In 1955, Science News Letter even resorted to adver? tising for a "motivating force, social, fashion or otherwise, to make men 'strive for slimness' the way women have. If found, this motive might lead to progress against that major health problem, obesity, or, in less polite terms, fatness." As
Hypothermia. IV. Study of hypothermia induction time with various pharmacological agents.

Summary and conclusionsThirty-one dogs were cooled down to 80°F and the ability of various pharmacologic agents to facilitate hypothermia induction was observed. 1) Chlorpromazine and the “lytic cocktail” accelerate hypothermia induction time. 2) Chlorpromazine is apparently the only effective agent in the “lytic cocktail.” 3) Chlorpromazine accelerates hypothermia induction by a central action. 4) Pentobarbital anesthesia is essential for production of the chlorpromazine effect.
Chemical synthesis of all-trans-[11-3H]retinoyl β-glucuronide and its metabolism in rats in vivo

All-trans-[11-3H]retinoyl beta-glucuronide (RAG) was synthesized in a single step from all-trans-[11-3H]retinoyl fluoride, with a 24% yield. After its intraperitoneal injection into rats, RAG was detected in the blood, liver, intestine and kidney during the following 24 h period. Although the concentration of radiolabelled metabolites decreased with time, RAG predominated at nearly all times in nearly all tissues. Small amounts of retinoic acid (RA) were also universally present, together with unidentified polar metabolites and small amounts of non-polar esters of RA. The major excretion products of RAG in faeces and urine were RA and polar metabolites. Thus RAG, although converted in part to RA in vivo, persists as a major component in blood and tissues for at least 24 h. These observations support the concept that the retinoid beta-glucuronides might serve a physiologically significant role in the function of vitamin A.
Does Infection Site Matter? A Systematic Review of Infection Site Mortality in Sepsis

Purpose:Sepsis treatment protocols emphasize source control with empiric antibiotics and fluid resuscitation. Previous reviews have examined the impact of infection site and specific pathogens on m...
Development of High Voltage Discharge Quick Break Equipment

The discharge voltage of some equipment like trigatron spark gap and so on in series compensation project is extremely important.To make sure that every time the discharge environment of the sample is almost the same,every time the discharge time should be as short as possible.This paper gives out the principles and improving schemes of transformer discharge equipment and resonance booster discharge equipment.By detecting the current in the main circuit,the gap’s breaking-down can be identified,and the single chip micro-computer will send out corresponding control signal to make the IGBTs to switch off or cut off the input voltage,by this mean,we can make sure that every time of the experiment,the sample will discharge only once.The paper also introduces the principle of the protection circuit.At last,the experimental waveforms were listed,which prove the feasibility of the high voltage discharge fast switch-off device.
Action-specific judgment, not perception: Fitts’ law performance is related to estimates of target width only when participants are given a performance score

Proponents of the action-specific account of perception and action posit that participants perceive their environment relative to their capabilities. For example, softball players who batted well judge the ball as being larger compared to players who did not hit as well. In the present study, we examined this issue in the context of a well-known speed-accuracy movement task that can be examined in the laboratory, repetitive Fitts aiming. In the Fitts task, a performer moved as quickly and as accurately as possible between two targets, D units of distance apart (between 2.5 and 20.0 cm) and of W width (1.0 cm or less). In the Fitts task, we posited that individuals do not have access to performance quality. Thus, we asked whether individual differences in Fitts task performance was related to perception of target width. If Fitts task performance is related to perception of target width, then the action-specific effect on perception does not require explicit knowledge of performance and, furthermore, these effects reside during on-line visual control of the task. We show that only when subjects were provided with a performance score was there a relation between Fitts task performance and target width judgment error. We interpret this result to mean that action-specific effects do not occur during perceptual processing of the task, but action-specific effects are the result of postperformance evaluation processes.
Male hormones and men's quality of life

Purpose of reviewMale hormones can significantly impact a man's quality of life. Recently, there has been controversy with the use of testosterone and its impact on a man's quality of life. These controversies include testosterone's effect on cardiovascular disease, benign prostatic hyperplasia, pro
Development and validation of Teacher Intentionality of Practice Scale (TIPS): A measure to evaluate and scaffold teacher effectiveness

Abstract Teacher evaluation instruments frequently fail to support teacher growth and improvement—particularly in critical constructs surrounding pedagogical content knowledge that promote student growth and achievement. The current study details the development and validation of the Teacher Intentionality of Practice Scale (TIPS), an observational protocol designed to measure intentional teaching practices and provide support for teacher growth over time. Findings suggest that TIPS provides a valid and highly reliable research-based teacher observational instrument that also serves as a professional development model to help scaffold the growth and improvement of K-12 educators. This paper details the theoretical foundations of TIPS, reports reliability and validity measures (including both Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses), and discusses applications and implications of TIPS for teacher evaluation and professional development.
Abstract 5108: Glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP1) up-regulation in hypoxic and nutrient deprived microenvironment promotes neuroblastoma cell survival

Introduction: Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) an incretin has demonstrated to increase insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner and is shown to be neuroprotective. GLP1 also promotes angiogenesis. Hypoxia, a common feature in solid tumors including neuroblastoma, promotes tumor progression by upregulation of hypoxia responsive factors. Little is known about alterations of GLP1 expression in neuroblastoma under hypoxic condition. GLP1 is rapidly inactivated by dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) mediated enzymatic cleavage. Previously we have shown that DPPIV suppresses neuroblastoma survival and angiogenesis. In this study, we examined whether GLP1, its receptor GLP1R, and DPPIV expressions are altered after exposing neuroblastoma cells to hypoxic conditions of oxygen and nutrient deprivation (OND). We then examined the direct effects of GLP1 on neuroblastoma proliferation and survival, and evaluated if DPPIV modulates GLP1 mediated functions. Methods: We used Neuro-2a, a mouse neuroblastoma cells as a model. In vitro experiments were performed exposing these cells to conditions mimicking tumor areas that display oxygen and nutrient deprivation, followed by re-oxygenation. Immunofluorescence staining was used to analyze the protein expression of GLP1, GLP-1R, and DPPIV. RT-PCR was used to measure mRNA levels. Effects of DPPIV on GLP1 mediated Neuro-2a cell proliferation and survival was evaluated by MTT and live/dead cell assay. Levels of PI3K/AKT were determined by western blot analysis. Results: Neuro-2a cells subjected to OND showed about 2 fold increase in the GLP1 protein and mRNA levels at four hours of re-oxygenation after 4 hours of OND. However, GLP1 protein levels decreased drastically after one day of re-oxygenation, while DPPIV levels were highly upregulated. GLP1R was also downregulated at one day of re-oxygenation. At this time point, cell viability was decreased by 30-40%. Pre-treatment with DPPIV inhibitor rescued the protective effects of GLP1. Furthermore, exogenous GLP1 stimulated cell proliferation and increased Neuro-2a cell viability by 2-3 fold. GLP1dependent action was mediated via increased levels of phosphorylated AKT, a pro-survival signaling molecule. The effects of GLP1 were suppressed in presence of DPPIV. Conclusion: The results indicate an inverse correlation between DPPIV and GLP1 levels in Neuro-2a cells. Together, these studies indicate that GLP1-DPPIV interaction may play an important role in promoting neuroblastoma cell proliferation and survival. Citation Format: Umadevi V. Wesley, Nausheen Singh, Robert J. Dempsey. Glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP1) up-regulation in hypoxic and nutrient deprived microenvironment promotes neuroblastoma cell survival. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 5108.
Simulation of a microstrip bandstop filter having an equivalent T-Shaped line

A microstrip bandstop filter (BSF) is presented. The series connecting line in a conventional open-stub BSF is replaced by an equivalent T-shaped line. Simulations show this filter generates a wider stopband with a slight increment in the overall circuit size, compared with the conventional BSF.
REFINEMENT OF THE COOKEITE R STRUCTURE

The rare two-layer "r" structure of Iaa cookeite from Little Rock, Arkansas, was refined in space group Cc to R = 7.1%. Mean T-O bond lengths of 1.654(1) Aa and 1.657(1) Aa in one tetrahedral sheet vs. 1.659(1) Aa and 1.685(1) Aa in the other sheet indicate a partly ordered but asymmetric distribution of tetrahedral Si and Al. The two tetrahedral sheets within the 2:1 layer have different compositions and charges. The Al-rich, higher-charge tetrahedral sheet is thicker and has a closer approach to the interlayer sheet than does the Si-rich, lower-charge sheet. Two Al cations occupy the cis octahedra in the dioctahedral 2:1 layer. Mean M-O,OH bond lengths of 1.946(1), 1.946(1), and 2.110(1) Aa in the trioctahedral interlayer sheet indicate a partly ordered distribution of octahedral Al and Li. The Li-rich, lower-charge octahedron in the interlayer is located on a vertical straight line between an Al-rich tetrahedron and a Si-rich tetrahedron. The two higher-charge interlayer Al are located vertically between a Si-rich tetrahedron and the center of a six-membered ring. This pattern of ordering minimizes the cation-cation repulsion inherent in a Iaa structure and gives the best local charge balance. The protons of the six surface OH groups tilt away from the two Al-rich interlayer sites toward the lower-charge Li site. The details of the interlayer hydrogen bond contacts are influenced by the ordering patterns and the structural distortions present.
SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION USING EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF DESIGN PERFORMANCE

This paper presents a method of system design based upon the multi-univariate method of global optimization. Due to the fact that the method requires a relatively small number of trials to converge upon a multivariable global solution, it is practical to use experimental evaluations of the system performance as the basis of the optimization rather than a mathematical model or simulation of the system. This is advantageous since the errors inherent in a mathematical model are eliminated. Experimental results are presented for the design of a PID controller for a servo-motor control system and the optimization of robot cycle-time via link control design.
Structure and Function of a Prostate Cancer Dissemination Permissive Extracellular Matrix

Purpose: The poor prognosis of metastatic prostate cancer continues to present a major challenge in prostate cancer treatment. The tumor extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in facilitating metastasis. Here, we investigated the structure and function of an ECM that facilitates prostate cancer metastasis by comparing orthotopic tumors that frequently metastasize to poorly metastatic subcutaneous tumors.Experimental Design: Both tumors were derived from a human prostate cancer PC3 cell line engineered to fluoresce under hypoxia. Second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy was used to characterize collagen 1 (Col1) fiber patterns in the xenografts as well as in human samples. MRI was used to determine albumin-Gd-diethylenetriaminepenta-acetate (alb-GdDTPA) transport through the ECM using a saturation recovery MR method combined with fast T1 SNAPSHOT-FLASH imaging. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) were also quantified in these tumors.Results: Significant structural and functional differences were identified in the prometastatic orthotopic tumor ECM compared to the less metastatic subcutaneous tumor ECM. The significantly higher number of CAFs in orthotopic tumors may explain the higher Col1 fiber volumes in these tumors. In vivo, alb-GdDTPA pooling was significantly elevated in metastatic orthotopic tumors, consistent with the increased Col1 fibers.Conclusions: Developing noninvasive MRI indices of macromolecular transport, together with characterization of Col1 fiber patterns and CAFs can assist in stratifying prostate cancers for aggressive treatments or active surveillance. These results highlight the role of CAFs in supporting or creating aggressive cancers, and the importance of depleting CAFs to prevent metastatic dissemination in prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 23(9); 2245-54. ©2016 AACR.
PIK3CA mutation in a mixed dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor and rosette forming glioneuronal tumor, a case report and literature review.

Abstract Background Rosette forming glioneuronal tumors are rare, World Health Organization (WHO) grade I novel tumors frequently affecting the fourth ventricle or posterior fossa with typical neuronal pseudorosettes. RGNTs have been described as possessing additional histologic features of DNETs or pilocytic astrocytomas. Activating PIK3CA mutations have been identified as recurring genetic event in RGNTs. Methods We report a 35 year old man who presented with binocular diplopia, headache, and was found to have a third ventricle tumor. Tumor pathology and oncogene evaluation were conducted. Results The tumor demonstrated histologic features consistent with mixed RGNT/DNET. Genetic studies revealed a PIK3CA mutation in exon 9 (E545K, C. 1633G > A) without IDH1, p53, 1p19q chromosomal co-deletion, or BRAF mutations. A literature search revealed six cases of PIK3CA mutations in RGNTs and seven cases of mixed RGNT/DNET. No cases of mixed RGNT/DNET with a PIK3CA mutation have been described. Conclusion This is the first documented case of an RGNT/DNET with an activating PIK3CA mutation. The presence of a PIK3CA mutation aids histologic classification in the setting of mixed histology, and may have implications for targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in this tumor type.
Should you screen nursing home residents for cancer

When considering screening for early cancer detection physicians should anticipate how they plan to follow up a screen detected cancer. Geriatric oncology research has developed validated functional assessments to estimate the balance of risk and benefit for treating cancers in the elderly. Robust elderly can benefit from treatment and therefore might benefit from screening. However the majority of elderly in long term residential care (LTC, or "the nursing home") would not benefit from cancer screening. The 1.4 million elderly people who reside in U.S. nursing homes represent the oldest and frailest segment of the aged population. On average, LTC residents have less than 5years estimated remaining life expectancy (RLE.) E.U. figures are similar. The majority have multiple functional deficits that would result in geriatric oncology screening scores in the frail range, at very high risk for severe toxicity from standard chemotherapy or extensive surgery. Therefore screening for asymptomatic cancer is not likely to benefit and has the potential to harm elderly nursing home residents.
Anthropology in farm safety

I have taught anthropological and ethnographic research design to both undergraduate and PhD students for many years, striving to cultivate their capacity to think expansively about ways anthropolo...
Maternal folate deficiency and pregnancy wastage. I. Placental abruption.

Abstract There is ample evidence that folate requirements are considerably increased during pregnancy and as the consequence some degree of folate deficiency is more apt to be found in pregnant than in nonpregnant women. When folate deficiency is of such intensity and duration as to cause maternal anemia, plasma folate levels are quite low, marrow cytomorphology is megaloblastic, and neutrophil nuclear hypersegmentation usually is apparent. These changes characteristic of maternal folate deficiency were neither more frequent nor more intense in women with placental abruption than in apparently healthy women during late pregnancy. Consequently these observations do not support the contention of some that placental abruption results from maternal folate deficiency.
High versus standard dose caffeine for apnoea: a systematic review.

Background Placebo-controlled trials have shown that caffeine is highly effective in treating apnoea of prematurity and reduces the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI). Objective To identify, appraise and summarise studies investigating the modulating effect of different caffeine dosages. Methods A systematic review identified all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing a high versus a standard caffeine treatment regimen in infants with a gestational age Results Six RCTs including 620 infants were identified. Meta-analysis showed a significant decrease in BPD, the combined outcome BPD or mortality, and failure to extubate in infants allocated to a higher caffeine dose. No differences were found in mortality alone and NDI. The quality of the outcome measures were deemed low to very low according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation guidelines. Conclusions Although this review suggests that administering a higher dose of caffeine might enhance its beneficial effect on death or BPD, firm recommendations on the optimal caffeine dose cannot be given due to the low level of evidence. A large RCT is urgently needed to confirm or refute these findings and determine the optimal dose of caffeine.
Bilingual and monolingual children’s articulation rates during nonword repetition tasks:

Aims and objectives:We know little about how the rate of speaking develops in bilingual children. The purpose of the current investigation was to explore the second language (L2) articulation rate ...
Absolute electronegativities as determined from Kohn-Sham theory

Recent developments in the density functional formalism of absolute electronegativities are presented. The electronegativity has been obtained from the Kohn-Sham Lagrange multipliers via a transition state method and a non-transition state method. The calculations discussed here have employed both non-spin-polarized and spin-polarized approximate Kohn-Sham theory to obtain the Lagrange multipliers.
The Cardiovascular System

Birds have evolved a high-performance cardiovascular system to meet the rigorous demands of running, flying, swimming, or diving in a variety of environments, some of them extreme. Sustained high levels of activity in these environments place severe demands on the cardiovascular system to provide adequate delivery of oxygen to working vascular beds and to provide efficient removal of metabolic products. Furthermore, birds are endothermic organisms and the cardiovascular system plays a major role in conserving or removing body heat. The descriptions of the component parts of the circulatory system in this chapter illustrate that these transport requirements are met in a variety of ways in birds inhabiting particular environmental niches. This chapter describes the morphological and functional aspects of the avian heart, circulatory hemodynamics, and the vascular tree. A common thread running through this discussion is that the component parts of the circulation must function in an integrated fashion to ensure tissue oxygen delivery matches tissue demands. This is accomplished through the integrative control of circulation by autoregulatory, humoral, and neural mechanisms. Since the last edition of this book, a significant number of studies have examined the development of cardiovascular control in avian embryos which has expanded our understanding of this system throughout ontogeny. Finally, this chapter examines how the cardiovascular system functions within a complex animal, interacting in complex environments.
How many technology types are there? Preliminary results from the technology acceptance literature

To investigate a generalizable moderating effect of the type of technology tested upon its acceptance, a classification of technologies is needed. This study aims to develop a preliminary framework to describe information technologies based upon 200 randomly selected technology descriptions taken from a comprehensive TAM meta-analysis effort currently in progress. We report on the use of a classification method involving both human judgment and statistical techniques. A manual sorting process is followed by multidimensional scaling (MDS) and cluster analysis to aggregate the individual interpretations of the sorters into hierarchical cluster structures. The results of this method reveal several potential technology grouping solutions, one of which was selected for further discussion. Limitations and future research are also discussed.
Soluble PD-1 ligands regulate T-cell function in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia

Although immune checkpoint molecules regulate the progression of certain cancers, their significance in malignant development of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM), an incurable low-grade B-cell lymphoma, remains unknown. Recently, cytokines in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment are shown to contribute to the pathobiology of WM. Here, we investigated the impact of cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-21, on immune regulation and particularly on the programmed death-1 (PD-1) and its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2. We showed that IL-21, interferon γ, and IL-6 significantly induced PD-L1 and PD-L2 gene expression in WM cell lines. Increased PD-L1 and PD-L2 messenger RNA was also detected in patients' BM cells. Patients' nonmalignant BM cells, including T cells and monocytes, showed increased PD-L1, but minimal or undetectable PD-L2 surface expression. There was also very modest PD-L1 and PD-L2 surface expression by malignant WM cells, suggesting that ligands are cleaved from the cell surface. Levels of soluble ligands were higher in patients' BM plasma and blood serum than controls. Furthermore, IL-21 and IL-6 increased secreted PD-L1 in the culture media of WM cell lines, implying that elevated levels of soluble PD-1 ligands are cytokine mediated. Soluble PD-1 ligands reduced T-cell proliferation, phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase and cyclin A levels, mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate production, and spare respiratory capacity. In conclusion, we identify that soluble PD-1 ligands are elevated in WM patients and, in addition to surface-bound ligands in WM BM, could regulate T-cell function. Given the capability of secreted forms to be bioactive at distant sites, soluble PD-1 ligands have the potential to promote disease progression in WM.
Exploitation of nuclear functions by human rhinovirus, a cytoplasmic RNA virus

Protein production, genomic RNA replication, and virion assembly during infection by picornaviruses like human rhinovirus and poliovirus take place in the cytoplasm of infected human cells, making them the quintessential cytoplasmic pathogens. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that picornavirus replication is promoted by a number of host proteins localized normally within the host cell nucleus. To systematically identify such nuclear proteins, we focused on those that appear to re-equilibrate from the nucleus to the cytoplasm during infection of HeLa cells with human rhinovirus via quantitative protein mass spectrometry. Our analysis revealed a highly selective re-equilibration of proteins with known mRNA splicing and transport-related functions over nuclear proteins of all other functional classes. The multifunctional splicing factor proline and glutamine rich (SFPQ) was identified as one such protein. We found that SFPQ is targeted for proteolysis within the nucleus by viral proteinase 3CD/3C, and a fragment of SFPQ was shown to migrate to the cytoplasm at mid-to-late times of infection. Cells knocked down for SFPQ expression showed significantly reduced rhinovirus titers, viral protein production, and viral RNA accumulation, consistent with SFPQ being a pro-viral factor. The SFPQ fragment that moved into the cytoplasm was able to bind rhinovirus RNA either directly or indirectly. We propose that the truncated form of SFPQ promotes viral RNA stability or replication, or virion morphogenesis. More broadly, our findings reveal dramatic changes in protein compartmentalization during human rhinovirus infection, allowing the virus to systematically hijack the functions of proteins not normally found at its cytoplasmic site of replication.
Heat transfer and exergy analysis of a novel solar-powered integrated heating, cooling, and hot water system with latent heat thermal energy storage

Abstract A thermal network model is developed to study the performance of a solar thermal-powered heating, cooling and hot water system comprised of evacuated tube collectors, a latent heat thermal energy storage unit and related heat exchangers, and an absorption chiller/heat pump. The system performance is studied for a residential building in a hot climate zone (Phoenix, Arizona) on two typical solar days representative of a relatively cold day and a relatively hot day. A systematic sizing methodology is presented to minimize the phase change material mass and the output temperature fluctuations. An exergy analysis is also performed to quantify the second law efficiency of the system. Analysis of the energy performance of the system shows that more than 80% annual energy saving can be achieved by using a solar collector area of 10 m2 coupled with a 29 kWh latent heat thermal energy storage system. The effect of the heat transfer design of the thermal energy storage system, in particular the number of condenser pipes of the input heat pipe and evaporator sections of the output heat pipes embedded within the phase change material, on the thermal and exergetic performance of the system is also investigated. It is shown that increasing the number of pipes decreases the temperature fluctuations and increases the exergy efficiency due to minimized temperature drops. Quantitatively, increasing the number of pipes from 60 to 112, decreases the maximum temperature drops across the latent heat thermal energy storage system from about 30 °C to 15 °C, and increases the exergy efficiency from about 75% to 90%. This study demonstrates the capability of a solar thermal-powered heating, cooling and hot water system integrated with latent heat thermal energy storage to significantly reduce the auxiliary energy input needed to meet the demands of a residential building located in a hot climate zone.
Associations of calcium and dairy product intakes with all-cause, all-cancer, colorectal cancer and CHD mortality among older women in the Iowa Women’s Health Study

Ca and dairy product intakes may be inversely associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality, and non-Ca components of dairy products, such as insulin-like growth factor-1, may be independently associated with mortality. We investigated associations of Ca and dairy product intakes with all-cause, all-cancer, colorectal cancer (CRC) and CHD mortality among 35 221 55- to 69-year-old women in the prospective Iowa Women’s Health Study, who were cancer-free in 1986. We assessed diet using a Willett FFQ, and associations using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. We estimated residuals from linear regression models of dairy products with dietary Ca to investigate total and specific dairy products independent of their Ca content. Through 2012, 18 687 participants died, including 4665 from cancer (including 574 from CRC) and 3603 from CHD. For those in the highest relative to the lowest quintiles of intake, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI for total Ca (dietary plus supplemental) were 0·88 (0·83, 0·93; P trend=0·001) for all-cause mortality, 0·91 (0·81, 1·02; P trend=0·34) for all-cancer mortality, 0·60 (0·43, 0·83; P trend=0·002) for CRC mortality and 0·73 (0·64, 0·83; P trend <0·0001) for CHD mortality. The corresponding HR for associations of whole milk, whole milk residuals, and low-/non-fat milk residuals with all-cause mortality were 1·20 (95 % CI 1·13, 1·27), 1·20 (95 % CI 1·13, 1·28) and 0·91 (95 % CI 0·86, 0·96), respectively. These results suggest that Ca may be associated with lower risk of all-cause, CRC and CHD mortality, and that non-Ca components of milk may be independently associated with mortality.