cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple Approaches To Enhance the Cultivability of Bacteria Associated with the Marine Sponge Haliclona (gellius) sp.

Three methods were examined to cultivate bacteria associated with the marine sponge Haliclona (gellius) sp.: agar plate cultures, liquid cultures, and floating filter cultures. A variety of oligotrophic media were employed, including media with aqueous and organic sponge extracts, bacterial signal molecules, and siderophores. More than 3,900 isolates were analyzed, and 205 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified. Media containing low concentrations of mucin or a mixture of peptone and starch were most successful for the isolation of diversity, while the commonly used marine broth did not result in a high diversity among isolates. The addition of antibiotics generally led to a reduced diversity on plates but yielded different bacteria than other media. In addition, diversity patterns of isolates from agar plates, liquid cultures, and floating filters were significantly different. Almost 89% of all isolates were Alphaproteobacteria; however, members of phyla that are less commonly encountered in cultivation studies, such as Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Deltaproteobacteria, were isolated as well. The sponge-associated bacteria were categorized into three different groups. The first group represented OTUs that were also obtained in a clone library from previously analyzed sponge tissue (group 1). Furthermore, we distinguished OTUs that were obtained from sponge tissue (in a previous study) but not from sponge isolates (group 2), and there were also OTUs that were not obtained from sponge tissue but were obtained from sponge isolates (group 3). The 17 OTUs categorized into group 1 represented 10 to 14% of all bacterial OTUs that were present in a large clone library previously generated from Haliclona (gellius) sp. sponge tissue, which is higher than previously reported cultivability scores for sponge-associated bacteria. Six of these 17 OTUs were not obtained from agar plates, which underlines that the use of multiple cultivation methods is worthwhile to increase the diversity of the cultivable microorganisms from sponges.
CANDIDATE GENE ANALYSIS FOR LOCI AFFECTING LITTER SIZE AND OVULATION RATE IN SWINE

A candidate gene approach was used to determine whether specific loci explain responses in ovulation rate (OR) and number of fully formed (FF), live (NBA), stillborn, and mummified pigs at birth ob- served in two lines selected for ovulation rate and litter size compared with a randomly selected control line. Line IOL was selected for an index of OR and embryonic survival for eight generations, followed by eight genera- tions of two-stage selection for OR and litter size. Line C was selected at random for 16 generations. Line COL, derived from line C at Generation 8, underwent eight generations of two-stage selection. Lines IOL and C differed in mean EBV by 6.1 ova and 4.7 FF, whereas lines COL and C differed by 2.2 ova and 2.9 FF. Pigs of Generation 7 of two-stage selection lines were geno- typed for the retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4 ,n = 190) and epidermal growth factor (EGF ,n = 189) loci, whereas pigs of Generations 7 and 8 were genotyped for
Regulated expression of matrix metalloproteinases, inflammatory mediators, and endometrial matrix remodeling by 17beta-estradiol in the immature rat uterus

Background Administration of a single physiological dose of 17beta-estradiol (E2:40 microg/kg) to the ovariectomized immature rat rapidly induces uterine growth and remodeling. The response is characterized by changes in endometrial stromal architecture during an inflammatory-like response that likely involves activated matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs). While estrogen is known as an inducer of endometrial growth, its role in specific expression of MMP family members in vivo is poorly characterized. E2-induced changes in MMP-2, -3, -7, and -9 mRNA and protein expression were analyzed to survey regulation along an extended time course 0-72 hours post-treatment. Because E2 effects inflammatory-like changes that may alter MMP expression, we assessed changes in tissue levels of TNF-alpha and MCP-1, and we utilized dexamethasone (600 microg/kg) to better understand the role of inflammation on matrix remodeling.
Cushing’s Syndrome during Pregnancy: Personal Experience and Review of the Literature

Cushing's syndrome (CS) occurs rarely during pregnancy. We investigated and treated four patients with pituitary-dependent Cushing's syndrome during pregnancy over a 15-yr period at the National Institutes of Health. Except for preservation of menses before conception, our patients presented with typical clinical features, increased urinary free cortisol, and loss of diurnal variation of cortisol. The diagnosis was facilitated, without complications, by the use of CRH testing and inferior petrosal sinus sampling in three women. Transsphenoidal pituitary surgery achieved remission in three women, but there were two fetal/neonatal deaths. This experience and review of 136 previous reports suggest that: 1) urinary free cortisol in CS patients overlaps the normal pregnant range; 2) ACTH levels are not suppressed in adrenal causes of CS, which may be identified by the 8-mg dexamethasone test; 3) inferior petrosal sinus sampling and transsphenoidal pituitary surgery, the optimal diagnostic test and treatment for nonpregnant patients with pituitary-dependent Cushing's syndrome, can safely facilitate the management of pregnant patients; and 4) surgery may achieve remission during pregnancy, but the prognosis for the fetus remains guarded. It is likely that earlier recognition and treatment would improve outcome. There is a need for development of criteria for interpretation of diagnostic tests and increased consideration of CS in pregnancy.
SECRETION OF PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR BY STIMULATED MACROPHAGES

Cultured thioglycollate-stimulated peritoneal macrophages synthesize, accumulate, and continuously release high levels of plasminogen activators for at least 4 days whereas cultures of unstimulated macrophages do not; the higher specific catalytic activity of released vs. cell-associated enzyme suggests that the plasminogen activators are actively secreted. The major macrophage plasminogen activator is a serine protease of mol wt 48,000, and thus resembles the comparable enzyme released by virally transformed fibroblasts. Macrophages release a second plasminogen activator of mol wt 28,000 that is also a serine enzyme. The secretion products released by stimulated and unstimulated macrophages have been compared by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after chemical labeling with 3H-DFP or biosynthetic labeling with 14C-amino acids. These procedures show that some proteins are formed in both cultures, whereas others are uniquely secreted by each type of macrophage. The serine enzymes released by the two kinds of macrophages differ in specificity and electrophoretic mobility.
Paget's disease in the era of sentinel lymph node biopsy.

Abstract Background Paget’s disease of the breast is an uncommon cancer. “Breast cancer” management has evolved to include sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Our objective is to determine utilization of SLNB in the surgical algorithm of Paget’s disease. Methods After institutional review board approval, a database review of patients with Paget’s disease was conducted. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment including use of SLNB, and survival were reviewed. Patient characteristics and outcomes were analyzed by using contingency table chi-square, pooled t tests, and log-rank tests for comparisons. Results Fifty-four patients with Paget’s disease were identified and divided into 2 cohorts (18 no SLNB and 36 SLNB). The mean age was 66 years for the no-SLNB group and 60 years for the SLNB group ( P = .17). Paget’s disease only was present in 33%, Paget’s disease + DCIS in 41%, and Paget’s disease + invasive cancer in 26%. The mean invasive tumor size was 1.62 cm in the no-SLNB group and 1.59 cm in the SLNB group ( P = .96). For invasive disease, ER/PR status was similar, but Her2 was more likely to be overexpressed in SLNB ( P = .04). Surgery choice ranged from “no surgery” to lumpectomy to mastectomy. Axillary staging was performed in 45 of 54 patients, with 11% in both cohorts having nodal disease. A sentinel lymph node was identified in 97% of patients. Five-year overall and disease-free survival was 100% in the no-SLNB group and 88% in the SLNB group ( P = .97) and 76% in the no-SLNB group and 84% in the SLNB group ( P = .88), respectively. Conclusions Paget’s disease remains rare but should be treated similar to other “breast cancer.” SLNB should be performed to evaluate the axilla when invasive disease is identified or a mastectomy is planned.
The effect of constitutional debt limits on state governments' use of public authorities*

The results of this empirical analysis support the literature's claim that governments use public authorities to circumvent state constitutional debt limits. The effects of a constitutional debt limit are especially prevalent in states that have a debt limit that applies to both GO and revenue debt. These states have a larger number of public authorities, have more functions that are addressed by public authorities, rely on authorities to issue a larger percentage of the state's public infrastructure debt, and are much more likely to have a public building authority.
Algorithms for parallel addition and parallel polynomial evaluation

This paper presents two related algorithms for implementing parallel n-bit binary addition and evaluating n-th degree polynomials, respectively. The approach taken makes use of an iterative construction, the computation tree. The algorithms are particularly effective for moderate values of n and are in accord with well-known asymptotic bounds. In the case of n-bit addition, the implementations constitute look-ahead tree circuits of r-input standard logic elements. Extensions to modular tree structures for lookahead adders are also considered. In the case of parallel polynomial evaluation, the operations of ordinary addition and multiplication are assumed with the capability to employ r arguments simultaneously.
VCG-Based Time-Slot Auctioning in IEEE 802.16 OFDM/TDMA Wireless Mesh Networks

In this paper, we study the problem of bandwidth resource allocation in a non-cooperative IEEE 802.16 OFDM/TDMA based wireless mesh network, and propose an auction based framework in which the gateway, equipped with the precious high speed Internet connection, serves as the auctioneer while the first-level mesh routers (MRs) (i.e., those with direct wireless connections to the gateway) act as bidders competing resources among each other. We then present Vickrey-Clarke-Groves (VCG) based auction approaches to allocate time-slots among MRs. Through simulations, we find that the proposed VCG algorithms can achieve much better throughput and connection blocking probability performance than traditional resource allocation approaches in a non-cooperative environment.
Quality of the assessment of primary and secondary endpoints in claudication and critical leg ischemia trials.

Clinical trials in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) require an accurate definition of the disease for inclusion; they typically use treadmill testing, question- naires and hemodynamic measures as primary and secondary endpoints. Trials of new pharmacologic therapies for PAD often employ multiple clinical sites with presumed expertise in the diagnosis and management of PAD as well as in clinical trials. However, considerable variability has been observed in the assessment of endpoints used in PAD trials, as well as a marked placebo response with treadmill testing. This variability and placebo response impact adversely on overall trial integrity, necessitate an inflated sample size, and may contribute to the large number of recently negative claudication trials. We hypothesized that site monitoring visits for evaluating testing methods would identify and characterize several critical issues that would contribute to poor testing quality. One hundred sites participating in three claudication trials for which peak walking time on the treadmill was the primary endpoint, and 16 sites participating in a critical leg ischemia study for which transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2) was the primary endpoint were evaluated. Each site was visited one or more times by a clinical monitor trained in conducting a 'site endpoint evaluation visit' focusing on equipment, physical set-up of the room in which testing was to be conducted, and the site staff's ability to conduct each of the specific measurements. Full reports were generated that covered a number of technical issues for each measurement and data were extracted from these reports to summarize the testing problems encountered at each site. Problems with treadmill testing were common. For example, 92% of sites had prob- lems with their treadmill equipment, 58% did not perform proper treadmill familiariza- tion, 24% did not start the treadmill test appropriately, 24% did not conduct the test properly, and 15% did not properly conclude the test to determine the peak walking time of the participant. Similar problems were encountered with the ankle- brachial index test, the administration of questionnaires and measurement of the TcPO 2. Major deficiencies were identified at the majority of sites in the assessment of primary and secondary endpoints in PAD trials. These errors and improper testing provide a potential explanation for the wide variability and placebo responses observed in claudication and critical leg ischemia trials. Site interventions need to address these deficiencies in measurement to improve the quality of PAD trials.
60 channel WDM transmitter using multiwavelength modelocked semiconductor laser

The simultaneous generation of 60 discrete wavelengths, with a 75 GHz interwavelength spacing, from a modelocked semiconductor diode laser is reported. The individual wavelengths are emitted as mutually synchronised 898 MHz return-to-zero pulse trains. Optical spectra and temporal diagnostics are provided.
Gravity and Dynamic Response of Vertical Beams

The influence of the gravity forces upon the steady state and transient dynamic response of vertical beams is examined. Both the shear and Euler-Bernoulli (moment) type of beam models are reformulated with the gravity load included. The calculated response of such models show that the gravity effect lowers the resonant frequencies of the system. For transient excitations with predominant frequencies less than the fundamental frequency of the beam, the frequency response of a beam including gravity can be approximated from the nongravity response curve.
Nanophotonic cavity optomechanics with propagating acoustic waves at frequencies up to 12 GHz

Strong coherent interactions between colocalized optical and mechanical eigenmodes of various cavity optomechanical systems have been explored intensively toward quantum information processing using both photons and phonons. In contrast to localized modes, propagating mechanical waves are another form of phonons that can be guided and manipulated like photons in engineered phononic structures. Here, we demonstrate sideband-resolved coupling between multiple photonic nanocavities and propagating surface acoustic waves up to 12 GHz. Coherent and strong photon–phonon interaction is manifested with electro-optomechanically induced transparency, absorption, and amplification, and phase-coherent interaction in multiple cavities. Inside an echo chamber, it is shown that a phonon pulse can interact with an embedded nanocavity for multiple times. Our device provides a scalable platform to optomechanically couple phonons and photons for microwave photonics and quantum photonics.
A Generalised Program for Transforming Relationship Values into Plan Layouts

Expansion of the original RUMOR* program was made possible by a grant from Perkins and Will, Architects, White Plains, New York. Mr. Howard Juster and Mr. David Ginsberg represented Perkins and Will on the Project.
Classic Papers Symposium: Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring and Hypertensive Target Organ Damage

Despite tremendous advances in detection and treatment, including both non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic methods, hypertension continues to be a major health concern. In addition to efforts at reducing mortality, recent clinical and research attention has been focused on reducing morbidity from hypertension. Therefore, such efforts are focused on the effect of an elevated blood pressure on individual target organs and in particular on the heart, brain, and kidney. Although the role of blood pressure reduction alone in preserving target organ damage from hypertension is intensely debated, there is little debate that reducing blood pressure is important. The primary manner in which the blood pressure level is determined in the clinical setting continues to be the casual office measurement of blood pressure. However, the clinical use of ambulatory blood pressure determinations, including 24-hour automated blood pressure monitoring, is increasing. Recent data suggest that the determination of ambulatory blood pressures may be a better predictor not only of mortality but also of target organ damage from hypertension. This article will review recent key clinical studies addressing the role of ambulatory blood pressure on certain cardiac, cerebral, and renal manifestations of hypertension.
Abstract 5455: Antitumor activity of death receptor agonists for prostate cancer therapy

Clinical trials on TRAIL and death receptor (TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2) agonist antibodies are being carried out through out the world. Until today, there are no small organic molecules that bind to TRAIL-death receptors, and induce apoptosis mainly in cancer cells. Through molecular and biological approaches, we have identified novel death receptor agonists (small molecular weight organic compounds). Death receptor agonists termed as “DRAs” inhibited cell viability and colony formation, and induced apoptosis in androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and -independent (PC-3) human prostate cancer cell lines, but had no effect on human normal prostate epithelial cells and hepatocytes. The combinations of DRAs with TRAIL had additive effects on apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Commonly used anticancer drugs further enhanced the apoptosis-inducing potential of DRAs. DRAs recruited FADD and activated caspase-8, and thus formed active TRAIL-DISC (death-inducing signaling complex) similar to that of TRAIL. DRAs inhibited the growth of PC-3 and LNCaP xenografts in nude mice, and prostate cancer growth in TRAMP mice. In vivo, DRAs inhibited tumor cells proliferation (Ki67 staining) and induced caspase-3 activity and apoptosis (TUNEL staining). Pharmacokinetics data demonstrate that DRA is stable, possesses a long terminal half-life, and meats the criteria of clinical trials. Our data suggest, for the first time, that DRAs are specific activators of death receptor pathway of apoptosis, and can be used to treat human prostate cancer. Further studies are underway to assess their clinical significance for the treatment of prostate cancer. (Funding Support: Department of Defense, US Army) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5455.
COMPARISON OF VARIOUS CONTROLLER-REDUCTION METHODS: SUBOPTIMAL VERSUS OPTIMAL PROJECTION

Several s uboptimal approaches to reduced-order controller design are compared with the new optimal projection formulation of the quadratically optimal fixed-form compensator problem. The substantial similarities and significant differences among the various design techniques are highlighted by placing the design e quations of all methods within a common notation. Basically, all methods characterize the reduced-order controller by a projection on the full state space. The suboptimal methods construct this projection on the basis of balancing considerations while the optimal projection equations define
The Formal Representation of Joint Campaign Decision

The military requirements of automatic joint campaign decision-making are analyzed. Based on EATI (entities, actions, tasks, interactions) method and XML technology, the paper constructs the formalizing description template of joint campaign decision after constructing the templates of entity, action, task that need to describe in the decision-making. The description can be used to develop the system of automatic joint campaign decision-making.
Bacteriophage Transduction in Staphylococcus epidermidis

The genetic manipulation of Staphylococcus epidermidis for molecular experimentation has long been an area of difficulty. Many of the traditional laboratory techniques for strain construction are laborious and hampered by poor efficiency. The ability to move chromosomal genetic markers and plasmids using bacteriophage transduction has greatly increased the speed and ease of S. epidermidis studies. These molecular genetic advances have advanced the S. epidermidis research field beyond a select few genetically tractable strains and facilitated investigations of clinically relevant isolates.
A meta-synthesis of team members’ voices: what we need and what we do to support students who use AAC

The ultimate goal of AAC provision is to promote students' active participation across settings through interactions involving a variety of partners and functions. To achieve such outcomes, educational teams must collaborate and consider the characteristics of students, their families, and relevant environments during AAC assessment and intervention. To date, AAC team collaboration has rarely been evaluated collectively outside intervention or case study research. In this investigation, a meta-synthesis was conducted to review qualitative studies of perspectives of team members on supporting students who used AAC, ranging in age from kindergarten to post-secondary, in public schools in the United States. Analyses yielded three primary themes necessary for effective AAC services; inputs, activities, and outcomes. Implications and recommendations for service providers and future researchers are described.
Cooperative Routing via Overlapping Coalition Formation Game in Cognitive Radio Networks

Cooperative relaying in cognitive radio networks offers time and space diversity and thereby, provides a useful technique to improve spectrum utilization. Most of the existing research has adopted this technique in single hop communication which may not fully exploit the benefits of cooperative transmissions. So, the essence of multi-hop cooperative relaying cannot be realized from the existing research and needs further investigation. In this work, we consider a network of coexisting primary and secondary users in which their intention to improve throughput via mutual cooperation is formulated as an overlapping coalition formation game. Based on the analysis of the game, we devise mcRoute, a distributed multi-hop coalition based cooperative routing and scheduling algorithm that forms stable coalitions satisfying users' mutual interest. A primary user constructs its routing path in the form of a coalition with secondary users relaying its packet. A secondary user takes part in one or more coalitions by relaying corresponding primary packets and accessing their channels for its own transmission. Finally, we analyze the performance of the algorithm through extensive numerical simulations.
Hereditary Amyloidosis with Recurrent Lung Infiltrates

BACKGROUND Amyloidosis is a protein conformational disorder characterized by extracellular deposition of amyloid fibrils in extracellular tissue. Lung involvement is most commonly caused by secondary AL amyloidosis. The familial autosomal-dominant senile transthyretin (ATTR) disease manifests mainly as polyneuropathy and restrictive cardiomyopathy denoting the name familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP). Rarely, this form manifests with clinical and radiologically relevant respiratory tract symptoms and lung involvement. CASE REPORT A 51-year-old male former smoker presented with progressive lower-extremity weakness of several months' duration. He was ultimately diagnosed with chronic demyelinating polyneuropathy and treated with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Subsequently, he was admitted with heart failure symptoms and pulmonary infiltrates and his echocardiogram showed a 'myocardial speckled pattern', prompting an endomyocardial biopsy, which showed transthyretin amyloid deposition. He was started on diflunisal. Additionally, serial radiographic imaging of his chest over 3 different admissions for cough, dyspnea, hypoxemia, and lethargy demonstrated recurrent pulmonary infiltrates. A fiberoptic bronchoscopy with trans-bronchial biopsies revealed amyloid deposition in the lung tissue. CONCLUSIONS The clinical presentation of recurrent or persistent pulmonary symptoms and fleeting infiltrates on imaging in a patient with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy is not common; when present, it should raise the suspicion of respiratory tract involvement.
Form and Substance in the Fusion of Law and Equity

This essay considers the fusion of law and equity through the lens of translation. It begins by showing that translations vary along two dimensions. First, a translator might follow the lead of the original, translating it closely; or a translator might try to creatively remake it. Second, a translator might carry over only the substance of the work, or the substance as well as the form. Now the relevance for law: Just as translations vary along these two dimensions, so do views of equity. Some scholars urge an exact translation from equity’s past; others want a creative remaking of equity in the present. Some scholars care only about the substance of equity; others think the substance and the form are both valuable (and indeed interlocking).Two implications emerge. First, many of the debates about fusion that seem to be about how closely we should follow equity’s past are in fact about something else entirely: they are debates about whether it is only the substance of equity that is valuable, or also its form. Second, for the future of fusion, there are more possibilities than has been appreciated.
Immune-mediated cytokine storm and its role in severe dengue

Dengue remains one of the most important mosquito-borne diseases worldwide. Infection with one of the serologically related dengue viruses (DENVs) can lead to a wide range of clinical manifestations and severity. Severe dengue is characterized by plasma leakage and abnormal bleeding that can lead to shock and death. There is currently no specific treatment for severe dengue due to gaps in understanding of the underlying mechanisms. The transient period of vascular leakage is usually followed by a rapid recovery and is suggestive of the effects of short-lived biological mediators. Both the innate and the adaptive immune systems are activated in severe dengue and contribute to the cytokine production. We discuss the immunological events elicited during a DENV infection and identify candidate cytokines that may play a key role in the severe manifestations of dengue and possible interventions.
Fluorescence lifetime estimation using a dynamic vision sensor

A current focus of art conservation research seeks to accurately identify materials, such as oil paints or pigments, used in a work of art. Since many of these materials are fluorescent, measuring the fluorescence lifetime following an excitation pulse is a useful non-contact, quantitative method to identify pigments. In this project, we propose a simple method using a dynamic vision sensor to efficiently characterize the fluorescence lifetime of a common pigment named Egyptian Blue, which is consistent with x-ray techniques. We believe our fast, compact and cost-effective method for fluorescence lifetime analysis is useful in art conservation research and potentially a broader range of applications in chemistry and materials science.
Abstract B42: Combination of liquid chromatography-surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify SUMOylated proteins due to nutrient restriction in colorectal cancer

Nutrient restriction, also known as caloric restriction, has been extensively examined for its positive impact on lifespan, immune system boost, and aging. Nutrient restriction, defined as providing essential nutrients but restricting total caloric intake, has shown to decrease disease rate in humans. In addition, nutrient restriction is implicated in decreasing cancer initiation and progression. We have previously established three dimensional cell culture models, known as spheroids, in the HCT 116 colorectal cancer cell line as a high throughput model for studying the proteomic changes associated with nutrient restriction. We found that SUMOylated proteins are up regulated in colorectal cancer 3D cell cultures when subjected to metabolic stress. The attachment of the SUMO protein leads to changes in subcellular location, DNA repair, transcriptional regulation, and mitosis. We will explore SUMOylated in response to nutrient restriction via a novel technique to detect biomolecules using LC-SERS. This method allows the can detection of chemical differences associated with biomolecule structure. We first will enhance this system to detect and quantify metabolites in a more complex matrix, such as a cell lysate. Once the methodology has been optimized we use LC-SERS to identify and quantitate SUMOylated proteins in response to NR. When compared to available MS methods to identified SUMOylated proteins, we hypothesize our novel LC-SERS methodology will be able to surpass the limitations found with MS methods. Nutrient restriction has overwhelming effects on cancer and this study will provides further evidence that SUMOlyation, in response to metabolic stress, has a role in cancer progression. Citation Format: Monica M. Schroll, Zachary D. Schultz, Amanda B. Hummon. Combination of liquid chromatography-surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify SUMOylated proteins due to nutrient restriction in colorectal cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Translational Control of Cancer: A New Frontier in Cancer Biology and Therapy; 2016 Oct 27-30; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B42.
Interstitial lung disease: the diagnostic role of bronchoscopy.

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) form one of the most fascinating fields in pulmonary medicine. They also pose one of the greatest challenges for accurate diagnosis and proper treatment. Even within the recommended and warranted multidisciplinary approach, differentiating between one disease and another may lead to frustration, especially when proper lung tissue is not available for adequate pathological review. A surgical lung biopsy (SLB) might render enough tissue for histopathology, but this could come at the expense of high morbidity and even mortality, as in the case of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). Could bronchoscopy and its various techniques offer a safer and higher yield alternative? Since the very late 19th century, efforts have been made to better examine the airways, obtain tissue and treat various conditions. This resulted in the successive emergence of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), endobronchial and transbronchial forceps biopsies, until recently when transbronchial cryobiopsy surfaced as a nascent technique with much promise. The use of endobronchial ultrasound revolutionized the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer, while adding to the yield of other conditions such as sarcoidosis. Ongoing research, efforts and studies have continuously scrutinized the roles of various techniques in the approach to ILDs. For example, BAL seems to serve mostly to eliminate infection as an etiology or a complicating factor in the acute worsening of a fibrotic lung disease, while a predominant cellular component might be diagnostic, such as eosinophilia in eosinophilic lung disease, or lymphocytosis in hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). On the other hand, endobronchial biopsy’s (EBB) role appears limited to sarcoidosis. As for transbronchial biopsy by forceps, the small sample size and related artifact appear to be limiting factors in making an accurate diagnosis. Recently, however, the use of cryotherapy via employing a cryoprobe in obtaining transbronchial lung biopsies is unfolding into a refined interventional method which might transform indefinitely our approach to the pathological diagnosis of the various ILDs.
APPLICATION OF PARAMETRIC GEOMETRY TO SOLID MODELING

ABSTRACT Representation of real-world objects in computer data bases in ways adequate and appropriate for engineering applications is one of the present challenges in solid modeling. Although there is widespread use of wireframe, boundary representation, and constructive solid geometry modeling, all have advantages and disadvantages when the user interface, versatility, accuracy, compactness, and numerical content are considered. Three parametric geometry systems-parametric cubic (or Hermite), Bezier, and B-spline, appear to be the strong choices for development of advanced solid modeling systems. Not only do these systems provide for a hierarchical relation among curves, surfaces, and solids, but they also provide highly accurate representations with the minimum of data. The features of the three parametric geometry systems are compared from the standpoint of use in computer-aided mechanical engineering design and production.
Fish Tuberculosis, Mycobacterium marinum, in a Group of Egyptian Spiny-Tailed Lizards, Uromastyx aegyptius

ABSTRACT In ectothermic fish, tuberculosis is a systemic, inflammatory disease typically caused by Mycobacterium marinum and characterized by granulomas in the internal organs. In homeothermic man, the same bacterium generally affects only the extremities. This is thought to be because, in culture, Mycobacterium marinum, grows well in cool temperatures and poorly in warm temperatures. However, Mycobacterium marinum has also been shown to cause debilitating systemic infections in other homeotherms. Here it is reported that Mycobacterium marinum infected a collection of ectothermic Egyptian spiny-tailed lizards, Uromastyx aegyptius, and did so peripherally. These animals were at one time housed in a large, dry, but unsterilized tank previously used for fish. As chronicled here, for nearly a year, members of the collection progressively suffered debilitating disease. Individuals were treated symptomatically, but, in the absence of specific indicators, treatment and diagnosis were difficult. Necropsies of aff...
Critique of black reason, by Achille Mbembe

Achille Mbembe's Critique of Black Reason advances an argument familiar to scholars of critical race theory with respect to the advent of modernity, namely that the invention of blackness as a raci...
How Does Web Personalization Create Value for Online Retailers? Lower Cash Flow Volatility or Enhanced Cash Flows

Abstract This study examines the performance consequences of web personalization (WP), a type of personalization in which web content is personalized and recommendations are offered based on customer preferences. Despite the growing popularity of personalization, there is a dearth of research at the firm level on whether and how web personalization creates shareholder value. We develop and test a conceptual model that proposes that the impact of WP on shareholder value is mediated by (1) cash flow volatility and (2) premium price. The hypotheses are tested based on 603 firm-quarter observations spanning 80 firms over six years in the online financial services industry. The results suggest that while WP lowers the volatility of cash flows, it only enables firms to charge premium prices when online trust is high. Additional tests reveal that the reduction in cash flow volatility is because of lower churn as opposed to acquiring new customers or greater cross-buying. Finally, online trust positively moderates the relationships between WP and cash flow volatility and price premia. Practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Effect of Change Orders on Cost and Schedule Overruns of School Building Renovation Projects

AbstractChange orders are common problems in construction projects, and the effect of change orders on cost and schedule have been studied. However, few studies have considered the effect of change...
An Immunochemical Approach to the Isolation of Human Melanoma-Associated Antigens

“One of the principal hopes of the control of cancer lies fundamentally in a knowledge of the chemical nature of the malignant cell, and in successful development of chemotherapeutic approaches which must depend upon this knowledge.” So wrote Dr. Jesse P. Greenstein in his book, The Biochemistry of Cancer in 1947 (Greenstein, 1947). The enormous complexity of this task is apparent when one considers that thirty-three years later many attempts are still in progress to characterize neoplastic cells biochemically. Although the general literature on cancer research and the publication of this volume per se indicate that a great deal of progress has been made, the search for relevant tumor markers continues.
Health Care Information Technology: Securing the Electronic Health Record with Biometric Technology

The principal focus of this paper is to examine the integration of biometric technology into healthcare’s information technology systems. Biometric technology, a rapidly evolving mechanism, analyzes specific anatomical and physiological features of an individual for identity verification (Perrin, 2002). Moreover, as the federal government has mandated all health records to be electronic in 2014, the implementation of biometrics has become a prevalent means of security. In an effort to adhere to the patient privacy laws authorized by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), biometric recognition is currently used to restrict access to verified health care providers and detect fraudulent account access. This paper considers the advantages, disadvantages, and ethical consequences of utilizing biometric technology to secure the electronic health record in regards to cost, usability, accessibility, and accuracy. In addition to evaluating the primary application, the essay acknowledges the potential use of biometric technology to identify patients by vasculature scanning in the future. This article is available in The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research: http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/ur/vol15/iss1/4 Health Care Information Technology: Securing the Electronic Health Record with Biometric Technology
The Permanent Refugee Crisis in the Federal Republic of Germany, 1949—

This article puts forced migration at the center of the Federal Republic's history. Forced migration to Germany has often been understood as an unprecedented crisis, but, far from being an aberration, such migration has been a necessary component of the classic legitimating narratives of the Federal Republic and a crucial support for its postwar “economic miracle.” The official reception of forced migrants has been structured by a categorical distinction between genuine refugees and ersatz “economic refugees.” The former are lauded for their economic contributions to Germany, whereas those alleged to have migrated mainly for economic reasons are condemned as fraudulent opportunists. These categories have been continually transposed onto new groups of forced migrants, whose arrival is invariably grasped as a crisis. The unfolding of refugee “crises” and their resolutions have continually shown the artificiality of the distinction between genuine and economic refugees—while simultaneously redrawing it.
Synthesis and characterization of hydrogen peroxide activated estrogen receptor beta ligands.

Abstract The development and evaluation of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) is of interest because of the complex and significant role of estrogen receptors in normal tissues as well as disease states. In neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis, estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) seems to provide a protective anti-inflammatory response. Due to the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) in these diseases, we have masked ERβ ligands, including diarylpropionitrile (DPN), as boronate esters that release the active estrogen in the presence of H2O2. Here we demonstrate their synthesis, decreased binding affinities, kinetics of release, and selectivity toward ROS. The most promising ligand can be unmasked in the presence of pathological H2O2 to modulate ERβ transcription in cells.
Making a Positive Impression About the Mission of an Urban, Catholic University: Gender, First-generation College, and Religious Preference Comparisons

This study investigates how research participants’ desire to make a positive social impression may affect their responses to survey questions. Specifi cally, participants may react in socially appropriate ways to create a positive social impression for those persons reviewing their responses. This concept is termed “impression management,” or more commonly, “social desirability.”1 At an urban Catholic university, students (1,070 women, 616 men: M age = 21.61, SD = 5.49) completed measures of impression management and perceptions of the school’s mission identity and mission-related activities. Impression management scores were found to be signifi cantly related to survey responses, and were then entered as a covariate in subsequent analyses of gender, fi rst generation college student status, and religious preference. Controlling for impression management tendencies, student responses on mission identity and mission-related perceptions showed signifi cant differences related to gender, fi rst-generation status, and religious preference. For administrators at Catholic universities interested in students’ perceptions of their institutions’ mission and values, the present study suggests the utility in examining social desirability infl uences among different groups of students.
Goodbye, “post-pill paradise”: Texturing feminist public memories of women's reproductive and rhetorical agency

Oral contraception (e.g., “the pill”), an iconic technology and everyday object, has shaped women's embodied experiences and notions of self. Feminist remembrances of the pill often credit it with ...
Academic discourse surrounding college students with disabilities in the United States

The attainment of a college degree is an opportunity for upward social and economic mobility. The benefits of a college degree are wide-ranging and include lower rates of unemployment, higher incom...
Admission Physiology vs Blood Pressure: Predicting the Need for Operating Room Thoracotomy after Penetrating Thoracic Trauma.

Background Approximately 15% of patients with penetrating thoracic trauma require an emergency center or operating room thoracotomy, usually for hemodynamic instability or persistent hemorrhage. The hypothesis in this study was that admission physiology, not vital signs, predicts the need for operating room thoracotomy. Study design We conducted a trauma registry review, 2002 to 2017, of adult patients undergoing operating room thoracotomy within 6 hours of admission (emergency department thoracotomies excluded). Demographics, injuries, admission physiology, time to operating room (OR), operations, and outcomes were reviewed. Data are reported as mean (SD) or median (IQR). Results Of the 301 consecutive patients in this 15-year review, 75.6% were male, mean age was 31.1 years (11.5), and 41.5% had gunshot wounds. The median Injury Severity Score was 25 (range 16 to 29), time to operating room was 38 minutes (interquartile range [IQR] 19 to 105 minutes), and 21.9% had a thoracic damage control operation. Mean admission systolic blood pressure was 115 mmHg (SD 37 mmHg), with only 23.9% Conclusions Shock characterized by acidosis, but not hypotension, is the most common presentation in patients who will need operating room thoracotomy after penetrating thoracic trauma. Survival rates are excellent unless a pneumonectomy or damage control thoracotomy is required.
Alternative, complementary medicine and cannabinoids for gastroparesis

Abstract For some patients with gastroparesis, symptoms of nausea, vomiting, early satiety, and dyspepsia may be debilitating and not satisfactorily resolved by conventional medical treatments. Others feel that conventional treatments trigger undesirable side effects or have concerns about their long-term use. “Alternative” therapies, such as acupuncture, psychotherapy and behavioral interventions, dietary change, herbal remedies, and cannabis, remain attractive options. This chapter is written to prepare the practitioner who is approached by patients curious about the efficacy and safety of these therapies. These approaches are highlighted in social media, may be used alone or in conjunction with standard conventional care. Research on the application of complementary medicine in this patient population is encouraging; however, more studies are needed to clearly elucidate the benefits and potential harms.
Selective Enablement of Dual Dipoles for Near Bandedge Multi-Vt Solution in High Performance FinFET and Nanosheet Technologies

We report that n-dipole and p-dipole (dual dipoles) can be co-integrated to provide a more flexible volumeless multiple threshold voltage(multi-Vt) solution in FinFET and Nanosheet (NS) technologies. The p-dipole process for dual dipoles co-integration is identified. When the Vt shift is less than 100m V, the mobility is slightly degraded, but other properties are not clearly affected. The improved pFET performance is from the Vt reduction. The dipole co-integration also provides a novel method for Vt definition via dipole Vt compensation. Our selective dipole enablement can implement near bandedge (BE) multi- Vt for high performance application.
Who Leaves the Line, Anyway? A Study of Who Leaves Polling Place Lines, and Why

In this article, I ask two questions: Under what circumstances are voters most likely to leave the polling place line? Who is most likely to leave the polling place line? I present findings from a ...