cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biomimetic nanoscale metal–organic framework harnesses hypoxia for effective cancer radiotherapy and immunotherapy

Tumor hypoxia presents a major impediment to effective cancer therapy with ionizing radiation and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Here we report the design of a biomimetic nanoscale metal-organic-framework (nMOF), Hf-DBP-Fe, with catalase-like activity to decompose elevated levels of H2O2 in hypoxic tumors to generate oxygen and hydroxyl radical. The generated oxygen attenuates hypoxia to enable radiodynamic therapy upon X-ray irradiation and fixes DNA damage while hydroxyl radical inflicts direct damage to tumor cells to afford chemodynamic therapy. Hf-DBP-Fe thus mediates effective local therapy of hypoxic cancer with low-dose X-ray irradiation, leading to highly immunogenic tumor microenvironments for synergistic combination with anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade. This combination treatment not only eradicates primary tumors but also rejects distant tumors through systemic anti-tumor immunity. We have thus advanced an nMOF-based strategy to harness hypoxic tumor microenvironments for highly effective cancer therapy using a synergistic combination of low dose radiation and immune checkpoint blockade.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Citizen Science to Complement Traditional Data Gathering Approaches for Medically Important Hard Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the United States

Tick-borne diseases are increasing in North America. Knowledge of which tick species and associated human pathogens are present locally can inform the public and medical community about the acarological risk for tick bites and tick-borne infections. Citizen science (also called community-based monitoring, volunteer monitoring, or participatory science) is emerging as a potential approach to complement traditional tick record data gathering where all aspects of the work is done by researchers or public health professionals. One key question is how citizen science can best be used to generate high-quality data to fill knowledge gaps that are difficult to address using traditional data gathering approaches. Citizen science is particularly useful to generate information on human-tick encounters and may also contribute to geographical tick records to help define species distributions across large areas. Previous citizen science projects have utilized three distinct tick record data gathering methods including submission of: 1) physical tick specimens for identification by professional entomologists, 2) digital images of ticks for identification by professional entomologists, and 3) data where the tick species and life stage were identified by the citizen scientist. We explore the benefits and drawbacks of citizen science, relative to the traditional scientific approach, to generate data on tick records, with special emphasis on data quality for species identification and tick encounter locations. We recognize the value of citizen science to tick research but caution that the generated information must be interpreted cautiously with data quality limitations firmly in mind to avoid misleading conclusions.
Cognitive Reflexivity and Objective Knowledge

What do we know in the way of general principles regarding our knowledge itself? Cognitive reflexivity—knowledge about cognition itself—is a critical issue for the philosophy of knowledge.
Parent and patient perceptions of medical marijuana in the childhood cancer context.

Background Medical marijuana (MM) is legal in 34 US jurisdictions. Yet, little is known about patient and parent perceptions of MM in pediatric cancer care. We examined attitudes, beliefs, and experiences regarding MM among parents of children with cancer and adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients, to help frame future research initiatives. Procedure In this qualitative study, we conducted semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with parents and AYAs at a comprehensive cancer center. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using both descriptive and inductive coding approaches. We used content and framework analysis to identify key themes. Results Fifteen parents and 15 AYAs enrolled. Participants were generally receptive to MM use, concurrently weighing benefits and risks. Participants most often endorsed MM use for relief of nausea, anorexia, and pain. Simultaneously, participants identified concerns about MM, including potential physiologic and psychological effects on children and lack of research. However, concerns were frequently minimized, relative to chemotherapy or supportive care medications with perceived greater side effect profiles. Many participants expressed uncertainty regarding legal access, citing complex processes to obtain MM. Few participants had discussed MM with their oncologist, instead seeking guidance from the internet, family, or peers. Importantly, we elicited several misconceptions regarding MM, including its utility as cancer-directed therapy. Conclusion Patients and families are receptive to using MM, motivated by potential for symptom relief and cancer-directed effects. Yet, lack of empiric evidence is a barrier, underscoring the need for robust clinical trial data to support MM recommendations and use.
Activity labeling in vivo using CaMPARI2 reveals intrinsic and synaptic differences between neurons with high and low firing rate set points.

Summary Neocortical pyramidal neurons regulate firing around a stable mean firing rate (FR) that can differ by orders of magnitude between neurons, but the factors that determine where individual neurons sit within this broad FR distribution are not understood. To access low- and high-FR neurons for ex vivo analysis, we used Ca2+- and UV-dependent photoconversion of CaMPARI2 in vivo to permanently label neurons according to mean FR. CaMPARI2 photoconversion was correlated with immediate early gene expression and higher FRs ex vivo and tracked the drop and rebound in ensemble mean FR induced by prolonged monocular deprivation. High-activity L4 pyramidal neurons had greater intrinsic excitability and recurrent excitatory synaptic strength, while E/I ratio, local output strength, and local connection probability were not different. Thus, in L4 pyramidal neurons (considered a single transcriptional cell type), a broad mean FR distribution is achieved through graded differences in both intrinsic and synaptic properties.
Experimental investigation of turbulent flow characteristics in cross-flow planes of a 5×5 rod bundle with a spacer grid

Abstract This study summarizes experimental investigations of the flow field characteristics in the cross-flow planes of a 5 × 5 rod bundle with spacer grid and split-type mixing vanes. Under the isothermal and atmospheric conditions, the velocity fields in the cross-flow planes are obtained by applying the matched-index-of-refraction and time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) techniques for Reynolds numbers of Re 1 = 14 , 000 and Re 2 = 28 , 000 . The cross-flow planes axially start from the tips of the mixing vanes of the spacer grid and end at 11.73 D h ( D h is the hydraulic diameter of the rod bundle). From the acquired TR-PIV velocity fields, flow statistics such as the in-plane mean velocity and vorticity, turbulent kinetic energy and Reynolds stress are computed and presented for four cross-flow planes of interest axially located at 0 , 2 D h , 5 D h , and 11 D h . Two counter rotating vortices are observed near the spacer grid. After a change in elevation to z / D h = 5 , the vortices merge into a single vortex centered in the middle of the subchannel. In addition, the turbulence flow characteristics at the elevations of interest are discussed through calculations of integral length scales and spectral analysis. No dominant frequency is observed, and the turbulence characteristics are strongly influenced by the proximity to the spacer grid. The mass transfer between the subchannels and the associated turbulent mixing flow rate is calculated for all elevations; hence, this study is a step toward improving the correlations currently used in subchannel codes. Results for secondary flow intensities, lateral velocity profiles and velocity contours are compared with large-eddy simulation results from the literature for Re 1 = 14 , 000 , and a reasonable agreement is observed.
Development of pervious oyster shell habitat (POSH) concrete for reef restoration and living shorelines

Abstract This study investigated the development of a more durable and sustainable cementitious composite substrate for oyster reef restoration using recycled oyster shells and low cement content. The effects of concrete mix proportions (w/c ratio, sand content, and cement content) on the physical properties of the hardened concretes were investigated. Increasing the water, sand, cement, and high-range water reducing admixture content improved both the compressive and flexural strength mostly by improving the coating of cementitious materials around the shells. The proposed material for reef restoration is superior in terms of cost, durability, environmental benefits, and carbon footprint.
Situational awareness of COVID pandemic data using virtual reality

Situational awareness provides the decision making capability to identify, process, and comprehend big data. In our approach, situational awareness is achieved by integrating and analyzing multiple aspects of data using stacked bar graphs and geographic representations of the data. We provide a data visualization tool to represent COVID pandemic data on top of the geographical information. The combination of geospatial and temporal data provides the information needed to conduct situational analysis for the COVTD-19 pandemic. By providing interactivity, geographical maps can be viewed from different perspectives and offer insight into the dynamical aspects of the COVTD-19 pandemic for the fifty states in the USA. We have overlaid dynamic information on top of a geographical representation in an intuitive way for decision making. We describe how modeling and simulation of data increase situational awareness, especially when coupled with immersive virtual reality interaction. This paper presents an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment and mobile environment for data visualization using Oculus Rift head-mounted display and smartphones. This work combines neural network predictions with human-centric situational awareness and data analytics to provide accurate, timely, and scientific strategies in combatting and mitigating the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Testing and evaluation of the data visualization tool have been done with realtime feed of COVID pandemic data set for immersive environment, non-immersive environment, and mobile environment. © 2021, Society for Imaging Science and Technology.
A Physically Reconfigurable Origami Reflectarray Based on the Augmented Square Twist Pattern

This paper proposes a novel mechanically frequency reconfigurable high-gain Reflectarray Antenna (RA) design, which is based on the Augmented Square Twist (AST) origami folding pattern. The RA was designed to operate at two operating frequencies, 20 GHz (lower band) and 40 GHz (upper band) in its unfolded and folded states, respectively. The main beam is directed along φ = 90°, θ = 30° at the lower band and φ = 90°, θ = 20° at the upper band. The RA was excited by a 15 dBi linearly polarized standard gain horn antenna positioned at a focal distance of 9.6λ with a 20° offset angle. The proposed origami RA achieved a gain of 27.0 dBi and 28.6 dBi at its unfolded and folded states, respectively.
Labor demand shocks, unemployment, and suicide: evidence from provinces across Iran

In this paper, we investigate the relationship between the unemployment rate and suicide rate using data from all provinces of Iran and over the years 2009–2015. We exploit the variations in nation...
Patterns of care and outcomes of radiotherapy for lymph node positivity after radical prostatectomy.

Objective To evaluate the use and outcomes of adjuvant radiation therapy (ART) for men with lymph node (LN)-positive disease after radical prostatectomy (RP) using a population-based approach. Patients and Methods Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked data from 1995 to 2007 was used to identify 577 men with LN metastases discovered during RP and absence of distant metastases, of which 177 underwent ART ≤1 year of RP. Propensity score models were used to compare overall mortality and prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) for men that did and those that did not receive ART. Results Men in both groups received adjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy at similar rates after propensity weighting adjustments (33.6% vs 33.7%, P = 0.977). ART was not associated with differences in overall (5.09 vs 3.77 events per 100 person-years, P = 0.153) or PCSM (2.89 vs 1.31, P = 0.090) relative to men who did not receive ART. Conclusions ART after RP in men with LN-positive prostate cancer was not associated with improved overall or disease-specific survival, in contrast to previous single-centre studies. Prospective randomised studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of ART in this patient population.
PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ISOBUTYLAMINE N-HYDROXYLASE FROM THE VALANIMYCIN PRODUCER STREPTOMYCES VIRIDIFACIENS MG456-HF10

Abstract Streptomyces viridifaciensMG456-hF10 produces the antitumor agent valanimycin, which is a member of a family of antibiotics containing the azoxy group. An enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of valanimycin has been purified 360-fold fromS. viridifaciens.This enzyme, isobutylamineN-hydroxylase, catalyzes the oxidation of isobutylamine to isobutylhydroxylamine in the presence of oxygen and a reduced flavin cofactor. Unlike other knownN-hydroxylases, isobutylamineN-hydroxylase cannot carry out the reduction of the flavin cofactor. Rather, the reduced flavin is supplied by a separate flavin reductase that is present in extracts ofS. viridifaciens.The reduced flavin cofactor could also be supplied by the flavin mononucleotide reductase ofVibrio fischeri.The requirement for molecular oxygen and a reduced flavin indicates that theN-hydroxylase is a flavin monooxygenase and that the mechanism for the hydroxylation is likely to proceed via the formation of a flavin 4a-hydroperoxide. IsobutylamineN-hydroxylase exhibited a subunit molecular mass of 40 kDa and existed in dimeric or trimeric form depending upon buffer conditions. The pIof the protein was found to be ca. 5.1 and the enzyme exhibited a sensitivity to thiol-directed reagents.
Chapter 1 Electrical characteristics of bulk-molecule interfaces

Publisher Summary Electron transfer reactions between molecules and surfaces of nanosized clusters and of bulk materials are of paramount importance for the development of new materials for catalysis, sensors, and power source devices. This chapter illustrates, with a few examples, the details of electron transfer at the metal–molecule and semiconductor–molecule interfaces. The effect on the local density of states of Pt and Pt-alloys of the main intermediate species is analyzed, which adsorb on the catalytic surface (H2O2, OOH, O, OH, and H2O) during the oxygen reduction reaction; for comparative purposes, similar examinations are done for the adsorption of H atoms on Pt clusters. Also, a semiconductor–H interface is analyzed with the same methods. In all cases, the molecule-cluster system is embedded in a continuum bulk, thus adding the non-local effects while keeping high accuracy for the local effects. Density functional theory (DFT) is used to study the optimized structures, binding energies, Mulliken charge distribution, and vibrational frequencies of molecule and clusters.
Monolithic integrated resonant tunneling diode and heterostructure junction field effect transistor logic circuits

The use of resonant tunneling diodes in combination with three-terminal gain devices, such as HBTs or FETs, has been successfully realized, and these RTD+HBT and RTD+FET circuits exhibit strong potential for achieving higher integrated circuit densities and speed by exploiting the unique properties of RTDs. Heterostructure junction FETs (HJFETs) have comparable high performance to other heterostructure transistors with greater threshold reproducibility than conventional Schottky-gate heterostructure FETs and are simpler to manufacture than HBTs. We have developed a technology for fabricating monolithically integrated heterostructure junction field effect transistors (HJFETs) and resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) from a single MBE sequence. Using this technology, we have constructed asynchronous logic and multivalued logic building block circuits.
Inventando la civilización occidental

The idea of "civilization" evokes powerful images. We learned from elementary school onwards that a few ancient peoples, like the Egyptians or Greeks, were civilized and that civilization has finally achieved its highest level of development in the United States and other Western countries. Civilization is beneficial, desirable, and definitely preferable to being uncivilized. After all, it brings technological progress, greater productivity, and higher standards of living to a few. Moreover, civilized people are and refined, wealthier, and happier than their uncivilized predecessors or neighbors. The idea of civilization has always had its boosters and critics. Here, I want to explore the similarities and in the two perspectives
Edwardsiella tarda gastroenteritis associated with a pet turtle

Abstract Edwardsiella tarda is an uncommon bacteria that has been primarily detected in cold-blooded animals. Documented cases of human infection in the United States are unusual. This article describes a patient who developed gastroenteritis that was induced by Edwardsiella tarda apparently from exposure to a pet turtle.
Typicality and Notions of Probability in Physics

A variety of notions of probability, playing different roles, are relevant in physics. One crucial notion, typicality, while not genuinely probabilistic at all, is arguably the mother of them all.
A STUDY OF EMOTIONAL EMPATHY AND DELINQUENCY

In their study of personality and delinquency, psychologists have tried to understand the developmental trajectories leading to an antisocial youth. It has been noted that affective arousal in response to others in distress can promote interpersonal responsibility and inhibit harmful acts. It follows that deficits in the capacity to emotionally empathize would be related with delinquent acts, which may have harmful consequences for others.The present study investigated the relation of emotional empathy with delinquency in adolescent boys. The study was conducted on a sample of 125 adolescent boys, with an average age of 16.9 years, S.D. = 1.8 (ages ranging from 16 to 18 years). Participants were administered the Emotional Empathy Scale (EES) (Ashraf, 2004) and the Urdu translated version of Self- Reported Delinquency Scale (SRDSG). which was originally developed by Gibson (1971). Following hypotheses were tested: (a) Emotional empathy will be negatively correlated with delinquency, and (b) EES subscales will be negatively correlated with SRDSG scale. Consistent with expectation, a significant negative correlation coefficient of -.28 (p< .001) was obtained between the scales of EES and SRDSG. In addition, all EES subscales were also found to be significantly and inversely correlated with delinquency (ranging from r = .21 to -.29, p <.001). The negative relation found between the two scales supports the notion that affective empathy inhibits delinquent actions towards others.
Charge pressure effects in kinematic Stirling engines

Recent results showing how the mechanical efficiency of reciprocating kinematic heat engines depends on the relationship between the engine workspace pressure and the external or buffer space pressure are used to determine the effects on the performance of Stirling engines when the workspace is charged with the buffer pressure fixed. Curves showing the response of shaft output to workspace charge are obtained. A general theorem is introduced, proved, and used to show that the description of charge pressure effects given here is complete. The result is a more thorough understanding of pressurization effects in Stirling engines. >
Continuous Counting of Gamma Rays from Hot Radioactive Liquids

A standard NaI (Tl) scintillation crystal is used continuously to count gamma rays from Fe59 which is dispersed in lubricating oil at 270°F. The crystal is mounted in a water-cooled jacket which al...
Therapeutic Regulatory T Cells Subvert Effector T Cell Function in Inflamed Islets To Halt Autoimmune Diabetes

Therapeutic regulatory T cells (Tregs) can reverse pre-established autoimmune pathology. In this study, using a mouse model of autoimmune diabetes, we aimed to determine the means by which therapeutic Tregs control islet inflammation. Islet Ag-specific Tregs infiltrated inflamed islets soon after infusion into prediabetic mice, which was quickly followed by a selective reduction of mRNA associated with effector T cells in the islets. This change was partially due to decreased CD8+ T cell accumulation in the tissue. CD8+ T cells that remained in the islets after Treg treatment were able to engage dendritic cells in a manner similar to that found in untreated mice, consistent with the retention of an activated phenotype by islet dendritic cells shortly after Treg treatment. Nonetheless, Treg treatment abrogated IFN-γ production by intraislet CD8+ and CD4+ T cells at the protein level with minimal effect on IFN-γ mRNA. Sustained expression of IFN-γ protein by effector T cells was dependent on common γ-chain cytokine activation of the mTOR pathway, which was suppressed in islet CD8+ T cells in vivo after Treg treatment. These multifaceted mechanisms underlie the efficacy of therapeutic Treg subversion of effector T cell functions at the site of inflammation to restore normal tissue homeostasis.
Factors affecting the seismic behavior of segmental precast bridge columns

This manuscript discusses the design parameters that potentially affect the lateral seismic response of segmental precast post-tensioned bridge piers. The piers consist of precast circular cross section segments stacked one on top of the other with concentric tendons passing through ducts made in the segments during casting. The bottommost segments of the piers were encased in steel tubes to enhance ductility and minimize damage. An FE model was used to investigate different design parameters and how they influence the lateral force — displacement response of the piers. Design parameters investigated included the initial post-tensioning stress as a percentage of the tendon yield stress, the applied axial stresses on concrete due to post-tensioning, pier aspect ratios, construction details, steel tube thicknesses, and internal mild steel rebar added as energy dissipaters. Based on the data presented, an initial tendon stress in the range of 40%–60% of its yield stress and initial axial stress on concrete of approximately 20% of the concrete’s characteristic strength is appropriate for most typical designs. These design values will prevent tendon yielding until lateral drift angle reaches approximately 4.5%. Changing the steel tube thickness, height, or a combination of both proved to be an effective parameter that may be used to reach a target performance level at a specific seismic zone.
Incorporation of vitamin E into chitosan and its effect on the film forming solution (viscosity and drying rate) and the solubility and thermal properties of the dried film

Abstract Nutrient fortified edible films have been used to improve the health benefit and extend the shelf life of various foods. The effect of vitamin E on the properties of chitosan edible film was evaluated in this study. The edible ingredient solutions were made with 1.0–2.0% chitosan blended with 250 or 500 mg vitamin E by two formats: (1) vitamin E added before lecithin (VE first); and (2) vitamin E mixed with lecithin (VE mixed) then added to the solution. Changes in the drying rate were determined using an OHAUS Moisture Determination Balance, and solubility was determined by dissolving the film in water for 1 min then measuring the weight changes. Results showed that vitamin E additions significantly (p
Quantum-dot cluster-state computing with encoded qubits

A class of architectures is advanced for cluster-state quantum computation using quantum dots. These architectures include using single and multiple dots as logical qubits. Special attention is given to supercoherent qubits introduced by Bacon et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 247902 (2001)] for which we discuss the effects of various errors and present a means of error protection.
Solubility and diffusion of carbon dioxide in polymers

We have measured the solubility and diffusion coefficients of carbon dioxide in four polymer substrates at 313 K and 10.5 MPa. The polymer substrates included poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene), cross-linked poly(dimethylsiloxane), poly(methylmethacrylate), and cross-linked polystyrene. Solubilities were determined from maximum mass gain measurements when a film of each polymer was contacted with carbon dioxide, and diffusion coefficients were determined from timed absorption experiments. The highest solubility and the highest diffusivity were obtained with poly(methylmethacrylate).
How Changes in Students' Goal Orientations Relate to Outcomes in Social Studies

ABSTRACT Do students tend to set similar types of goals throughout the school year, or do their goal orientations shift over time? If students become more oriented toward mastery or performance over the course of the year, do they improve in their academic achievement, have a more positive affect toward class, and develop the cognitive propensities that their teachers might hope for? A diverse sample of 9th- and 10th-grade world history students (N = 917) participated in a study addressing these questions. Substantial changes occurred in students' mastery- and performance-goal orientations. Increases in mastery-goal orientation were positively related, whereas increases in performance-goal orientation were unrelated to the following outcomes: world history knowledge, social studies grade, interest, course satisfaction, social perspective taking, and historical empathy.
Gas-chromatographic study of the reaction of glass surfaces with dichlorodimethylsilane and chlorotrimethylsilane

Abstract The reaction that occurs between glass surface and chloromethylsilanes is essentially one of polymerization. In the case of Me2SiCl2, polymerization results from hydrolysis of the silane by the water adsorbed on the surface of the glass. Me2SiCl itself cannot polymerize, but is transformed on glass surfaces to a polymer or polymerizable intermediate.
Host specificity ofPterolonche inspersa [Lep.: Pterolonchidae] and its potential as a biological control agent forCentaurea diffusa, diffuse knapweed, andC. Maculosa, spotted knapweed

In 1981 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Biological Control of Weeds Laboratory (BCWL, Rome, Italy) started investigating the host specificity ofP. inspersa as a candidate for biological control ofC. diffusa andC. maculosa, and in 1985 the investigation was completed at the USDA Biological Control of Weeds Laboratory at Albany, California. Thirty five species of plants in the familyAsteraceae and 23 other species in 8 related families were tested. Larval survival beyond 1st instar occurred only onCentaurea spp. except for 1 larva found inCnicus benedictus L.P. inspersa is stenophagous onCentaurea, therefore, a good candidate for introduction into North America.
Skin melanoma. Cured fraction and survival time as functions of thickness, site, histologic type, age, and sex

Background. Previously, nonparametric or semiparametric methods have been used to determine the relationship of various prognostic covariates with survival of skin cancer. Unfortunately, these methods do not readily distinguish between factors that modulate cure and those that modulate survival time among uncured patients. Methods. The multivariate lognormal model can be used to detect the association of cured fraction and median survival time with specific prognostic covariates. This model was applied to survival data from 2004 patients with skin melanoma using the following prognostic covariates: thickness, site, and histologic type of the tumor and sex and age of the patient. Results. This analysis revealed that a low cured fraction was associated with thick lesions and location other than trunk or extremity, whereas a short median survival time was associated with thick lesions and tumor located on the trunk. Advanced age was highly associated only with short median survival time. Conclusion. The lognormal survival model offers insight into the biology of skin melanoma by distinguishing the roles played by likelihood of cure and survival time. The differential associations of various covariates with these two parameters suggest that biologic mechanisms that govern cure are not identical to those that govern survival time.
Double-lumen catheter assessment of aortic stenosis: Comparison with separate catheter technique

Hemodynamic assessment of aortic stenosis in the catheterization laboratory accurate determination of the transvalvular gradient. A commercially available double-lumen pigtail catheter can be used to obtain this gradient via a single arterial puncture. The catheter has several advantages over other methods used to measure the gradient in aortic stenosis, but it has not been critically evaluated. In order to assess the performance of this catheter compared to the traditional standard of separate catheters above and across the aortic valve, we studied 10 patients with aortic stenosis using both catheter systems. Aortic valve areas ranged from 0.34 cm2 to 1.1 cm2. Linear regression analysis confirmed excellent correlation between the two methods in measurement of the mean transvalvular gradient (r = 0.98) and calculation of the aortic valve area (r = 0.99) using the Gorlin formula. We conclude that the double-lumen pigtail catheter provides accurate data in the hemodynamic evaluation of aortic stenosis.
Xeroderma Pigmentosum—Progress and Regress

Xeroderma pigmentosum is an autosomal recessive human skin disease whose outstanding clinical symptom is an increased frequency of actinic carcinogenesis. The most common form of XP has a reduced capacity for excision repair of uv damage to DNA; the site of the defect is at the initial stage of the repair pathway. These XP celis are precisely analogous to bacterial strains UVR/sup -/ HCR/sup -/. Two minor variants of the disease with similar skin symptoms are known. One has a similar but complementary defect in excision repair and additional severe neurological symptoms. The other apparently has normal excision repair and normal uv sensitivity in vitro. From considerations of resolution and our experience in one test case, prenatal diagnosis of XP is practicable, and autoradiography (to measure unscheduled synthesis) is the most reliable and sensitive method to use although several other methods are also applicable. Carcinogenesis in XP may develop through the unrepaired damage in DNA which leads to genetic changes (mutations, chromosome aberrations) or viral transformation. (auth)
Functionalization of poly (aryl ether ether ketone): Synthesis of bromomethylated PEEK and its functionalization

Bromomethyl poly (aryl ether ether ketone) has been prepared from methyl poly (aryl ether ether ketone) (MePEEK) and has been used as the precursor to many forms of functionalized PEEK. MePEEK was brominated directly with bromine. Bromination takes place exclusively at the methyl group. The reaction conditions for bromination have been studied. The bromination level can be controlled by the amount of bromine used, up to 90% of the methyl groups can be brominated to mono-bromo and di-bromo methyl PEEK. Modification reactions have been carried out on the brominated methyl PEEK. The bromomethyl group has been converted to different functional groups, such as CH2OH, CH2OCH3, COOCH3, CH2CN, CH2COOH CH2OCOCH3, CH2N+H (CH2CH3)2Br−, CH2N (CH2CH3)2, CH2N+ (CH2CH3)3 Br−. Published 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Presence or absence of periodontal pathogens does not distinguish between chronic and aggressive periodontitis

Data Sources Data sources were Medline, with hand searches of the Journal of Dental Research, Journal of Clinical Periodontology, Journal of Periodontal Research and Journal of Periodontology dated from 1990 up to July 2001, and the reference lists of articles selected for inclusion. Study selection Studies included were cross-sectional or longitudinal with microbiological data from at least two cohorts. Data extraction and synthesis Information regarding quality and study characteristics was extracted independently by two reviewers. Kappa scores determined their agreement. Sensitivity and specificity of the microbiological tests were calculated for each selected study individually, with values being expressed as a Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) diagram. Results The presence or absence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans could be evaluated in 11 papers; of Porphyromonas gingivalis in seven papers; and of Prevotella intermedia in six studies. Bactericides forsythus and Campylobacter rectus were each analysed in two papers. ROC diagrams indicated the limited discriminatory ability of all of the test parameters to identify subjects with aggressive periodontitis. An additional assessment showed that the highly leukotoxic variant of A. actinomycetemcomitans was uniquely associated with patients suffering from aggressive periodontitis. In a high proportion of patients diagnosed with the aggressive form of the condition, however, the presence of this variant could not be detected. Conclusions The presence or absence of A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, B. forsythus and C. rectus could not distinguish subjects with aggressive periodontitis from those with the chronic form.
Outcome of Patients Hospitalized for Complications after Outpatient Liver Biopsy

Objective: To determine the safety of outpatient liver biopsies by analyzing the outcome of patients hospitalized for complications. Design: Retrospective review. Setting: Large clinic referral cen...
Evaluations of community mental health care in low-and middle-income countries : A 10-year review of the literature

Community-based models of providing mental health services are widely considered effective ways of serving individuals diagnosed with mental illness, but more comprehensive literature on these models in low- and middle-income countries is needed. This study is a systematic review of the effects of community-based models on health outcomes of adults with depression, schizophrenia, panic disorder, or bipolar disorders in middle- and low-income countries. PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Reviews were searched, returning 500 articles. The seventeen interventions included in this review in 14 countries show us that community-based mental health services can provide improvements in mental health outcomes, and the limited cost analyses suggest cost savings associated with community models of care. These findings are in line with much of the research on higher income countries. In addition, the studies also point to the gaps in the literature on costs, rural areas, bipolar disorders, and panic disorders, and note the need for further reviews of interventions targeting additional diseases, children, and adolescents as well as studies published in languages other than English. This review of the literature serves as a stepping stone for further research in community-based mental health services in low- and middle-income countries. The works reviewed here provide a base of knowledge that will assist us in taking the important next steps in program implementation and evaluation.
Buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty for anterior urethral stricture repair: evaluation of the impact of stricture location and lichen sclerosus on surgical outcome.

Purpose: We report our experience with buccal mucosa grafts for anterior urethral strictures. We compared outcomes in the pendulous and bulbar urethra as well as the impact of lichen sclerosus on success.Materials and Methods: A total of 53 men underwent buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty from 1997 to 2004 for strictures of all etiologies, including lichen sclerosis in 13. Of the patients 46 underwent 1-stage repair and 7 with full-thickness circumferential disease underwent multistage repair. For 1-stage repair strictures were limited to the bulb in 33 cases and they involved the pendulous urethra in 13. A dorsal onlay was used in 24 cases and a ventral onlay was used in 22. For multistage urethroplasty 2 strictures were in the bulbar urethra and 5 were in the pendulous urethra. Success was defined as no postoperative procedures or complications.Results: The success rate of all urethroplasties was 81% (43 of 53 cases) at a mean followup of 52 months. For bulbar vs pendulous urethroplasty the success rate ...
Effect of the dose and composition of an autologous hapten-modified melanoma vaccine on the development of delayed-type hypersensitivity responses

We have reported that treatment of melanoma patients with a vaccine consisting of autologous tumor cells modified with the hapten, dinitrophenyl (DNP) and preceded by low-dose cyclophosphamide induces delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to autologous, unmodified tumor cells and that this response is a significant predictor of survival. We analyzed the vaccines prepared for 284 patients who were treated following resection of regional or distant metastases to find out whether the dose and composition determined the immunological response. A positive DTH response (≥5 mm induration) to unmodified autologous tumor cells was induced in 57% of the patients (median: 5 mm; range: 0–22 mm). Regression analysis showed no significant association between the magnitude of DTH and the number of live (trypan blue exclusion) melanoma cells per dose over a dosage range of 0.5–25.0×106. Surprisingly, there was a small but significant positive relationship between the mean number of dead cells in the vaccines of a given patient and that patient's maximum DTH to unmodified melanoma cells. Only 37% of patients whose vaccines contained >50% live cells developed DTH, as compared with 69% and 65% of patients whose vaccines contained 26% to 50% or ≤25% live cells, respectively. Thus, it appears that dead tumor cells contribute to the immunogenicity of the DNP vaccine, but other factors such as the administration schedule may be more important determinants of immunological and clinical outcome.
A novel robust algorithm for controlling robotic manipulators

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to present a new technique for controlling complex non-linear dynamical systems. This algorithm is based on Lyapunov stability theory and it guarantees that the trajectories will converge globally-uniformly-asymptotically-stable to their respective equilibrium points. This new controller is shown to be insensitive to unmodeled dynamics and robust with respect to bounded uncertainties. This control law is applied through computer simulations to a robotic manipulator and it promises to be a very useful tool for realtime applications.
CSF Tau and Aβ42: Logical Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease?

THE concept of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) as a clinical diagnosis made only after excluding every other potential cause of dementia and confirmed only by autopsy is obsolete. Clinico-pathologic studies have shown accuracy of clinical diagnosis of 85% or higher (4,10,13,19). Diagnosing AD at an early or very early stage is more difficult, although selective psychometric tests have high sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing AD from elderly normals, and can show abnormalities presymptomatically. These findings originate from expert research centers and use resources exceeding those of routine clinical practice. Viewed against this background, biological markers can find a niche in clinical
Ensembles‐based and GA‐based optimization for landfill gas production

The efficient and economic production of landfill gases (LFG) by optimally adjusting LFG production settings is of high interest as a promising source of biomass energy. A key obstacle in LFG production optimization is the large-scale and complex system with overwhelming uncertainty and heterogeneity. We propose a simplified ensemble-based optimization (EnOpt) method to solve the LFG production optimization problem when constraints are not a concern, where the gradient information is obtained from an ensemble of realizations of the system. For constrained optimization, a novel parameterless genetic algorithm is proposed and successfully applied to the simulated LFG process. The effectiveness of the proposed (EnOpt) method and the parameterless genetic algorithm is demonstrated with the simulation of a landfill and gas generation and transport therein, using a parallel computation strategy. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 2063–2071, 2014
Effective Dissemination Requires Effective Talk: a Comparison of Behavior-Analytic Journals

We explored language used in three behavior-analytic journals (the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA), the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB), and Behavior Analysis in Practice (BAP)) to evaluate differences in factors related to the ease of comprehension. Using a linguistic analysis tool, we compared the first three paragraphs of the introductions of research articles in ten issues of each of the journals. JEAB was found to use language that was less concrete, meaningful, and imageable than the two applied journals. Implications for the field are discussed.
Computer algebra for the calculus of variations, the maximum principle, and automatic control

This paper describes how a computer-algebra system can solve variational optimization problems analytically. For a calculus-of-variations problem, users provide functional integrands and constraints. A program derives corresponding Euler-Lagrange equations, together perhaps with first integrals. Other programs attempt analytic solution of these equations. For an optimal control problem, users provide analytic expressions for the differential constraints on the state variables. A program determines the corresponding Hamiltonian and differential equations for the auxiliary variables, together with solutions to any trivial auxiliary equations. Other programs attempt analytic solution of the remaining equations while maximizing the Hamiltonian.
The anencephalic as organ donor: Whose baby is it anyway?

Should an anencephalic newborn, lacking cerebral hemispheres but possessing a functional brain stem, be eligible for organ donation? The dialectical method is used here to envision how a protagonist and an antagonist might debate the ethics of the issue.
An Improved Reverse Genetics System for Mammalian Orthoreoviruses

Mammalian orthoreoviruses (reoviruses) are highly useful models for studies of double-stranded RNA virus replication and pathogenesis. We previously developed a strategy to recover prototype reovirus strain T3D from cloned cDNAs transfected into murine L929 fibroblast cells. Here, we report the development of a second-generation reovirus reverse genetics system featuring several major improvements: (1) the capacity to rescue prototype reovirus strain T1L, (2) reduction of required plasmids from 10 to 4, and (3) isolation of recombinant viruses following transfection of baby hamster kidney cells engineered to express bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. The efficiency of virus rescue using the 4-plasmid strategy was substantially increased in comparison to the original 10-plasmid system. We observed full compatibility of T1L and T3D rescue vectors when intermixed to produce a panel of T1LxT3D monoreassortant viruses. Improvements to the reovirus reverse genetics system enhance its applicability for studies of reovirus biology and clinical use.
Constitutive Modeling of Phase Transformation and Plastic Yield in SMAs: Application to the S3T-RoundRobin

In collaboration with other researchers contributing to the S3T-RoundRobin eﬀort, this work presents analytical results as generated using the model of Hartl and Lagoudas (Hartl and Lagoudas, 2009; Hartl et al., 2009). The model, which is based on continuum thermodynamics and inspired by experimental ﬁndings, is brieﬂy summarized. Its calibration to the current experimental results is described and predictions generated by the implemented model are compared to the shared data. Some inaccuracies are observed in the uniaxial responses, though good agreement is demonstrated overall, especially with regard to the non-proportional tension-torsion experiments.
Role of intrabursal T cells in infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) infection: T cells promote viral clearance but delay follicular recovery.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) induces an acute, highly contagious immunosuppressive disease in young chickens. We examined the role of T cells in IBDV-induced immunopathogenesis and tissue recovery. T cell-intact chickens and birds compromised in their T cell function by a combination of surgical thymectomy and Cyclosporin A treatment (Tx-CsA) were infected with an intermediate vaccine strain of IBDV (Bursine 2, Fort Dodge). Our data revealed that functional T cells were needed to control the IBDV-antigen load in the acute phase of infection at 5 days post infection. The target organ of IBDV, the bursa of Fabricius, of Tx-CsA-birds had a significantly higher antigen load than the one of T cell-intact birds (P < 0.05). Tx-CsA-treatment abrogated the IBDV-induced inflammatory response and significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the incidence of apoptotic bursa cells and the expression of cytokines such as interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in comparison to T cell-intact birds. T cell-released IL-2 and IFN-γ may have mediated the induction of inflammation and cell death in T cell-intact birds. The IBDV-induced upregulation of tumor necrosis like-factor (TNF) expression was comparable between T cell-intact and Tx-CsA-birds. Tx-CsA-birds showed a significantly faster resolution of IBDV-induced bursa lesions than T cell-intact birds (P < 0.05). This study suggests that T cells modulate IBDV pathogenesis in two ways: a) they limit viral replication in the bursa in the early phase of the disease at 5 days post infection, and b) intrabursal T cells promote bursal tissue damage and delay tissue recovery possibly through the release of cytokines and cytotoxic effects.
A measure of emergent literacy for students with severe developmental disabilities

This study examined the underlying structure of the Nonverbal Literacy Assessment (NVLA), an instrument designed to measure emergent literacy for K–fourth-grade students with severe developmental disabilities. The NVLA was conceptualized as having six constructs that reflected emergent literacy skills: (a) phonemic awareness, (b) phonics, (c) comprehension, (d) vocabulary, (e) listening comprehension, and (f) text awareness. Confirmatory factor analysis using data from 207 student administrations was used to examine the six-factor model and two alternative models. Results suggested that all three models fit the data, but the high corrections coefficients among the constructs suggested that a one-factor model of emergent literacy was the best-fitting model. Implications and limitations are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.