cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GROWTH FACTOR REGULATION OF CELL GROWTH AND PROLIFERATION IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM : A NEW INTRACRINE NUCLEAR MECHANISM

This article discusses a novel intracrine mechanism of growth-factor action in the nervous system whereby fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and its receptor accumulate in the cell nucleus and act as mediators in the control of cell growth and proliferation. In human and rat brain the levels and subcellular localization of FGF-2 differ between quiescent and reactive astrocytes. Quiescent cells express a low level of FGF-2, which is located predominantly within the cytoplasm. In reactive astrocytes, the expression of FGF-2 increases and the proteins are found in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. In glioma tumors, FGF-2 is overexpressed in the nuclei of neoplastic cells. Similar changes in FGF-2 expression and localization are found in vitro. The nuclear accumulation of FGF-2 reflects a transient activation of the FGF-2 gene by potentially novel transactivating factors interacting with an upstream regulatory promoter region. In parallel with FGF-2, the nuclei of astrocytes contain the high-affinity FGF-2 receptor, FGFR1. Nuclear FGFR1 is full length, retains kinase activity, and is localized within the nuclear interior in association with the nuclear matrix. Transfection of either FGF-2 or FGFR1 into cells that do not normally express these proteins results in their nuclear accumulation and concomitant increases in cell proliferation. A similar regulation of nuclear FGF-2 and FGFR1 is observed in neural crestderived adrenal medullary cells and of FGF-2 in the nuclei of cerebellar neurons. Thus, the regulation of the nuclear content of FGF-2 and FGFR1 could serve as a novel mechanism controlling growth and proliferation of glial and neuronal cells.
Three dimensional droplet trajectory code for propellers of arbitrary geometry

A three-dimensional droplet impingement code for aircraft propellers has been developed. The code allows the modeling of propellers of arbitrary geometry in three dimensions, but is limited to modeling axi-symmetric spinner / nacelles combinations. The code was used to analyze several 3-D wind tunnel propeller-nacelle models which were experimentally studied. The code was also used to validate a theoretical relationship between two-dimensional and three-dimensional impingement efficiencies for rotating propellers. The effects of the spinner, engine nacelle geometry, contraction of the slipstream, and blade-to-blade interference on the impingement efficiency and limits of impingement were studied. Parametric studies of the effects of the advance ratio J and droplet size on the efficiencies and limits were performed.
Three New Heterobasidiomycetes

During the past few years I have examined a considerable num? ber of tremellaceous fungi of which the characters do not seem to agree with those of any recognized species. Many of these have been collected by my students and myself; others have been sent in by correspondents. The corifused state of the taxonomy of the group and the inadequacy of many of the descriptions make it desirable to use extreme caution in describing forms as new. The three species here presented seem, however, so clearly distinct as to justify description at this time.
Coordinative Strategy of Reactive Power and Voltage Control for Improving Static Voltage Stability of Wind Power Centralized System

In allusion to the reactive power and voltage issue that the integrated wind farm cluster, which is regarded as a weakly connected sending-end system, has to be faced with, the static voltage stability evaluation index for large-scale wind power centralized system is researched, and on this basis a coordinated strategy for reactive power and voltage control to improve the static voltage stability of wind power centralized system is proposed. The prime-dual interior point filter algorithm is used in the proposed strategy to solve the multi-objective optimization control model. Through coordinative control of various reactive power and voltage regulation equipment configured in wind farms and centralized station, the voltage distribution within the wind power centralized system can be equalized while the voltage control instruction of pilot node is satisfied to enhance the reactive power margin of dynamic equipment, thus the static voltage stability of wind power centralized system can be improved. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is validated by simulation results of a certain wind farm centralized system in North China.
Pediatrician preferences, local resources, and economic factors influence referral to a subspecialty access clinic.

Background Pediatric patients seek timely access to subspecialty care within a complex delivery system while facing barriers: distance, economics, and clinician shortages. Aim We examined stakeholder perceptions about solutions to the access challenge. We engaged over 300 referring primary care pediatricians in the evaluation of Access Clinics at an academic children’s hospital. Methods Using an anonymous online survey, we asked pediatricians about their and their patients’ experiences and analyzed factors that may influence referrals. Findings Referring pediatricians reported satisfaction; they provided feedback about their patients’ experiences, physician communication, and referral influences. Distance from the Access Clinic does not correlate with differences in referral volume; living in areas with higher child populations and higher median income is associated with more referrals. Referring pediatricians have strong opinions about referrals, are attuned to patient experiences, and desire bi-directional communication. Multiple factors influence referral to and acceptance of Access Clinics, but external influences have less impact than expected.
Sex differences in cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization.

To further understand how sex differences affect the development and maintenance of sensitization, 48 adult Fischer rats (24 female and 24 male) received chronic administration (14 days) of cocaine (15 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline or a challenge dose (7 days after chronic cocaine administration). Sex differences were observed in the development and maintenance of cocaine-induced total locomotor, ambulatory and rearing activity. Although, overall cocaine administration increased stereotypic activity in both male and female rats, female rats had significantly higher stereotypic activity than male rats across the three behavioral test days (1, 7 and 14). Female rats had statistically significant higher benzoylecognine levels after acute cocaine administration than male rats. However, no differences between male and female rats in benzoylecognine plasma levels were observed after chronic and challenge doses of cocaine administration. Interestingly, after acute and challenge cocaine administration, corticosterone levels were significantly higher in female rats when compared to male rats. This study confirms previous reports that there are sex differences in the behavioral response to cocaine. Moreover, this study expands previous studies by demonstrating that sex differences occur in only certain aspects of cocaine-induced behavioral activation and the development and maintenance of cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization.
Adapted Physical Education in Self-Contained Settings: Planning for Successful Instruction

Nearly 30% of U.S. schools have students with severe disabilities who participate in a self-contained adapted physical education (SAPE) setting, separate from their typically developing classmates. It is imperative that physical education teachers become familiar with pedagogical strategies for planning and teaching SAPE. The purpose of this article is to offer several pedagogical strategies and to provide a detailed sample lesson plan with assessment, goals and a diagram of the setup for students in a SAPE setting.
High-Threshold Low-Overhead Fault-Tolerant Classical Computation and the Replacement of Measurements with Unitary Quantum Gates.

von Neumann's classic ``multiplexing'' method is unique in achieving high-threshold fault-tolerant classical computation (FTCC), but has several significant barriers to implementation: (i) the extremely complex circuits required by randomized connections, (ii) the difficulty of calculating its performance in practical regimes of both code size and logical error rate, and (iii) the (perceived) need for large code sizes. Here we present numerical results indicating that the third assertion is false, and introduce a novel scheme that eliminates the two remaining problems while retaining a threshold very close to von Neumann's ideal of $1/6$. We present a simple, highly ordered wiring structure that vastly reduces the circuit complexity, demonstrates that randomization is unnecessary, and provides a feasible method to calculate the performance. This in turn allows us to show that the scheme requires only moderate code sizes, vastly outperforms concatenation schemes, and under a standard error model a unitary implementation realizes universal FTCC with an accuracy threshold of $pl5.5%$, in which $p$ is the error probability for 3-qubit gates. FTCC is a key component in realizing measurement-free protocols for quantum information processing. In view of this, we use our scheme to show that all-unitary quantum circuits can reproduce any measurement-based feedback process in which the asymptotic error probabilities for the measurement and feedback are $(32/63)p\ensuremath{\approx}0.51p$ and $1.51p$, respectively.
The approach to body dysmorphic disorder

T lecture discusses the importance of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) for those who practice aesthetic medicine. The course will then focus on disorders of self-perception, BDD, including a discussion of the history, epidemiology, symptoms, diagnosis including use of questionnaires, and implications for treating physicians. The lecture will conclude by providing an algorithmic approach to persons with suspected BDD and treatment options. BDD occurs in 1-2% of the general population and 6-15% of dermatology and cosmetic surgery patients. In a BDD cohort, 50% sought treatment from a dermatologist and 33% requested cosmetic surgery. These patients are often unhappy with results with over 90% reporting symptoms unchanged or worsened after cosmetic procedures. This disorder is under recognized and should be approached with both sympathy and empathy given the high rate of suicidal ideation in these patients. Recognition and appropriate referral is key to management.
Arthritis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and Other Sequelae of Campylobacter jejuni Enteritis †.

The most frequently identified cause of gastroenteritis in developed countries is Campylobacter jejuni . In the United States, dairy products are the food sources commonly associated with outbreaks; however, most cases of C. jejuni gastroenteritis are sporadic, with poultry as the major source. Diarrhea, malaise, fever, and abdominal pain are the usual symptoms of C. jejuni enteritis. Lasting only a few days, the illness is generally self-limiting; however, some cases may be more severe. Although several virulence factors have been identified in C. jejuni , their role in disease is currently unclear. C. jejuni has been linked to the acquisition of certain forms of sterile arthritides such as reactive arthritis and Reiter's syndrome and to acute generalized paralytic diseases such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, Miller-Fisher syndrome, and Chinese paralytic syndrome. In addition, C. jejuni may induce diseases affecting the nervous system, circulatory system, and various organs, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Illnesses associated with C. jejuni have been estimated to cost the citizens of the United States several billion dollars annually.
Conjugation in Escherichia coli Biofilms on Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Surfaces with Microtopographic Patterns

Bacterial biofilms are highly tolerant to antimicrobials and play an important role in the development and spread of antibiotic resistance based on horizontal gene transfer due to close cell-to-cell contact. As an important surface property, topography has been shown to affect bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. Here, we demonstrate that micrometer-scale surface topographies also affect horizontal gene transfer through conjugation in bacterial biofilms. Specifically, biofilm formation and associated conjugation on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces with 10 μm tall protruding patterns were studied using fluorescently labeled donor and recipient strains of Escherichia coli. The results demonstrate that square-shaped topographic patterns with side length of 20, 50, and 100 μm and interpattern distance equal to or larger than 10 μm promote biofilm formation and conjugation compared to the smooth control. The vertical sides of these topographic features were found to be the “hot spots” for bacterial ...
Doubling Down on Mutant RAS Can MEK or Break Leukemia

Targeting of the RAS pathway has long been a critical therapeutic challenge in oncology. Burgess et al. examine how the relative expression of mutant and wild-type KRAS modulates clonal fitness and sensitivity to MEK inhibitors in a model of KrasG12D mutant acute myeloid leukemia and propose its use as a predictive biomarker.
Judicial Review and Judicial Supremacy

This paper attempts to identify a particular constitutional evil -- namely, judicial supremacy -- and to distinguish the objection to judicial supremacy from the broader case that can be made against judicial review. Even if one supports judicial review, one ought to have misgivings about the prospect of judicial supremacy. The paper associates judicial supremacy with three distinct tendencies in constitutional politics: (1) the temptation of courts to develop and pursue a general program (of policy and principle of their own) rather than just to intervene on a piecemeal basis; (2) the tendency of the highest court to become not only supreme but sovereign, by taking on a position of something like broad sovereignty within the constitutional scheme (thus confirming Thomas Hobbes in his conviction that the rule of law cannot be applied at the highest level of political authority in a state because any attempt to apply it just replicates sovereignty at a higher level)); (3) the tendency of courts to portray themselves as entitled to "speak before all others" for those who made the constitution, to take on the mantle of pouvoir constituant and to amend or change the understanding of the constitution when that is deemed necessary.
Development of an 8-color antibody panel for functional phenotyping of human CD8+ cytotoxic T cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

The study of CD8 positive cells in peripheral blood has become an essential part of research in the field of cancer immunotherapies, vaccine development, inflammation, autoimmune disease, etc. In this study, an 8-color flow cytometry panel, containing lineage and functional markers, was developed for the identification of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in previously cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy human donors. By studying functional markers in naive and CD3/CD28 activated T cells we demonstrate that the panel is capable of detecting protein markers corresponding to different T cell activation statuses. Data generated by flow cytometry were corroborated by different antibody based assay technologies to detect soluble cytokines. Our findings suggest that there is an inter donor variability in both baseline and activation responses. We have also successfully developed an antibody panel for flow cytometry that could be used to study cytotoxic function of CD8 T cells in clinical immunology research areas.
A Typology of Teacher-Rated Child Behavior for a National U.S. Sample

The purpose of the current study was to build on the emerging effort to produce a meaningful typology of classroom behavior for elementary school age children. The Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) Teacher Rating Scales for Children (TRS-C) norming data were collected for 1,227 six- to eleven-year-old children at 116 sites representing various regions of the United States. The TRS-C has 148 items that are rated by the teacher on a 4-point scale of frequency, ranging from Never to Almost always. The Ward method of cluster analysis was used to identify the initial centroids or cluster seeds. An iterative clustering method, a K-means procedure, was used to refine the Ward cluster solution. A seven-cluster solution was selected based on both rational and empirical considerations. The resulting clusters were named well-adapted, average, learning disorder, disruptive behavior disorder, physical complaints and worry, severe psychopathology, and mildly disruptive. The seven-cluster solution resembles those of Achenbach (1991), Curry and Thompson (1985), and other researchers. The resulting typology points the way toward future cluster studies of child psychopathology by delineating additional research and theoretical questions.
Indocyanine green fluorescence-guided parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism

Abstract Background Our aim was to evaluate the ease and utility of using indocyanine green fluorescence angiography for intraoperative localization of the parathyroid glands. Methods Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography was performed during 60 parathyroidectomies for primary hyperparathyroidism during a 22-month period. Indocyanine green was administered intravenously to guide operative navigation using a commercially available fluorescence imaging system. Video files were graded by 3 independent surgeons for strength of enhancement using an adapted numeric scoring system. Results There were 46 (77%) female patients and 14 (23%) male patients whose ages ranged from 17 to 87 (average 60) years old. Of the 60 patients, 43 (71.6%) showed strong enhancement, 13 (21.7%) demonstrated mild to moderate vascular enhancement, and 4 (6.7%) exhibited little or no vascular enhancement. Of the 54 patients who had a preoperative sestamibi scan, a parathyroid adenoma was identified in 36, while 18 failed to localize. Of the 18 patients who failed to localize, all 18 patients (100%) had an adenoma that fluoresced on indocyanine green imaging. The operations were performed safely with minimal blood loss and short operative times. Conclusion Indocyanine green angiography has the potential to assist surgeons in identifying parathyroid glands rapidly with minimal risk.
Complete mitochondrial DNA genomes for two northeast Pacific mesopelagic fishes, the Mexican lampfish (Triphoturus mexicanus) and black-belly dragonfish (Stomias atriventer).

AbstractMesopelagic fishes are an important component of marine ecosystems, providing an important link between lower and higher trophic levels. This group of fishes is also highly abundant and make up a large portion of the marine vertebrate biomass. Here we report on the full mitochondrial sequences for two common mesopelagic fishes from the southern California bight: the Mexican lampfish Triphoturus mexicanus (Actinopterygii: Myctophidae) and the black-belly dragonfish Stomias atriventer (Actinopterygii: Stomiidae). Triphoturus mexicanus showed previously reported gene rearrangements for the Myctophidae. Phylogenetic analysis grouped S. atriventer with other Stomiiformes and T. mexicanus within the Myctophiformes.
Drawing on Cultural Tradition in Indian Child Welfare Practice

The development of Indian child welfare programs since the passage of the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act has been increasingly influenced by Indian tradition, role models, and natural helping system...
Metabolic Effects of Antipsychotics on Adiposity and Insulin Sensitivity in Youths: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Antipsychotic medications are commonly used to treat nonpsychotic disruptive behavioral disorders in youths. Objective To characterize the metabolic effects of first exposure to antipsychotics in youths using criterion standard assessments of body composition and insulin sensitivity. Design, Setting, and Participants This randomized clinical trial recruited antipsychotic-naive youths aged 6 to 18 years in the St Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area who were diagnosed with 1 or more psychiatric disorders and clinically significant aggression and in whom antipsychotic treatment was considered. Participants were enrolled from June 12, 2006, through November 10, 2010. Enrolled participants were randomized (1:1:1) to 1 of 3 antipsychotics commonly used in children with disruptive behavioral disorders and evaluated for 12 weeks. Data were analyzed from January 17, 2011, through August 9, 2017. Interventions Twelve weeks of treatment with oral aripiprazole (n = 49), olanzapine (n = 46), or risperidone (n = 49). Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcomes included percentage total body fat measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and insulin sensitivity in muscle measured via hyperinsulinemic clamps with stable isotopically labeled tracers. Secondary outcomes included abdominal adiposity measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and adipose and hepatic tissue insulin sensitivity measured via clamps with tracers. Results The intention-to-treat sample included 144 participants (98 males [68.1%]; mean [SD] age, 11.3 [2.8] years); 74 (51.4%) were African American, and 43 (29.9%) were overweight or obese at baseline. For the primary outcomes, from baseline to week 12, DXA percentage total body fat increased by 1.18% for risperidone, 4.12% for olanzapine, and 1.66% for aripiprazole and was significantly greater for olanzapine than risperidone or aripiprazole (time by treatment interaction P P F = 17.38; P P = .003). Behavioral improvements occurred with all treatments. Conclusions and Relevance Adverse changes in adiposity and insulin sensitivity were observed during 12 weeks of antipsychotic treatment in youths, with the greatest fat increases on olanzapine. Such changes, likely attributable to treatment, may be associated with risk for premature cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality. The results inform risk-benefit considerations for antipsychotic use in youths. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT00205699
New Developments in the Management of Cytomegalovirus Infection After Transplantation

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) continues to be one of the most important pathogens that universally affect solid organ and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Lack of effective CMV-specific immunity is the common factor that predisposes to the risk of CMV reactivation and clinical disease after transplantation. Antiviral drugs are the cornerstone for prevention and treatment of CMV infection and disease. Over the years, the CMV DNA polymerase inhibitor, ganciclovir (and valganciclovir), have served as the backbone for management, while foscarnet and cidofovir are reserved for the management of CMV infection that is refractory or resistant to ganciclovir treatment. In this review, we highlight the role of the newly approved drug, letermovir, a viral terminase inhibitor, for CMV prevention after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Advances in immunologic monitoring may allow for an individualized approach to management of CMV after transplantation. Specifically, the potential role of CMV-specific T-cell measurements in guiding the need for the treatment of asymptomatic CMV infection and the duration of treatment of CMV disease is discussed. The role of adoptive immunotherapy, using ex vivo-generated CMV-specific T cells, is highlighted. This article provides a review of novel drugs, tests, and strategies in optimizing our current approaches to prevention and treatment of CMV in transplant recipients.
Immunoglobulin Gene Rearrangements, Oncogenic Translocations, B-Cell Receptor Signaling, and B Lymphomagenesis

Reciprocal chromosomal translocations involving one of the immunoglobulin (Ig) loci and a proto-oncogene are a hallmark of many types of B-cell lymphoma (Vanasse et al. 1999). As a consequence of such translocations, the oncogene comes under the control of the active Ig locus, causing a deregulated, constitutive expression of the oncogene. Examples of such translocations include Bcl-2-IgH translocation associated with follicular lymphoma, Bcl-6-IgH associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, c-Myc translocation associated with Burkitt’s lymphoma, and Pax-5 translocation associated with marginal zone and large cell lymphomas. Dysregulated expression of oncogenes often affects lymphoma growth by altering the expression of key genes that lie downstream of BCR – for example, the ability of Pax-5 to promote lymphomagenesis correlated with expression of components of BCR signaling pathway, including upregulation of Igα and CD19 antigens and downregulation of BCR-negative regulators, such as CD22 and PIR-B (Cozma et al. 2007). Despite translocations involving Ig locus, majority of the B-cell lymphomas retain functional B-cell receptor (Kuppers and Dalla-Favera 2001; Kuppers 2005) and disruption of the B-cell receptor expression inhibited their growth (Gururajan et al. 2006). In addition, somatic hypermutation, a process involving random mutations in the Ig variable regions unique to B cells, generates B-cell receptors of higher affinity even as lymphoma cells continue to divide. The mutated BCRs seem to retain their function as evidenced by hyperactive signaling molecules downstream of the BCR, including constitutive phosphorylation of several key tyrosine kinases and MAP kinases (Gururajan et al. 2005, 2006, 2007). The importance of BCR signaling in B-cell lymphomas in the context of IgH translocations is described below.
Magnetic and spectroscopic properties of Os2(O2CR)4Cl2. Evidence for a 3(δ*π*) ground state

Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements have been made for Os2piv4Cl2 (piv is trimethylacetate). Electronic spectra of Os2(O2CR)4Cl2 (O2CR is piv, butyrate, acetate) in fluid solutions and CsCl pellets have been examined, and polarized single crystal spectra have been measured for Os2piv4Cl2. The measurements have been extended to liquid helium temperature for solid samples. The temperature-dependent magnetic behavior and the presence of a δ → δ* transition in the absorption spectrum near 850 nm (solution e = 70 M−1 cm−1, z-polarized, structured in v(Os2) ∼ 220 cm−1) indicate that the ground state of these molecules is 3Eu(δ*π*). Tentative assignments have made for the z-polarized bands at 1200 nm (solution e = 14 M−1 cm−1, structured in v(Os2) at low temperature) and 394 nm (solution e = 11,600 M−1 cm−1) as, respectively, spin-forbidden δ* → π* and spin-allowed π(Cl) → π*(Os2) transitions. The latter assignment is supported by the observation of a large red-shift to 455 nm (solution e= 12,600 M−1 cm−1) for the analogous band of Os2piv4Br2.
Culture Systems: Air Quality

Poor laboratory air quality is a known hazard to the culture of human gametes and embryos. Embryologists and chemists have employed analytical methods for identifying and measuring bulk and select air pollutants to assess the risk they pose to the embryo culture system. However, contaminant concentrations that result in gamete or embryotoxicity are poorly defined. Combating the ill effects of poor air quality requires an understanding of how toxicants can infiltrate the laboratory, the incubator, and ultimately the culture media. A further understanding of site-specific air quality can then lead to the consideration of laboratory design and management strategies that can minimize the deleterious effects that air contamination may have on early embryonic development in vitro.
How Far Has the Dollar Fallen

It is widely known that the dollar has fallen relative to its peak in 2002. However, the extent of the decline depends upon the composition of the basket of currencies used in calculating the dollar's value. Further, the appropriate index depends upon the question being asked, with the type of price deflators used - if any - dependent upon the question at hand. Various measures of the dollar's value are discussed, and compared, including alternative weights based on liabilities and assets, instead of the standard trade flow weights.
Theatre of Transposition: Charles Dullin and East Asian Theatre

Charles Dullin incorporated the ideas of East Asian theatre in his productions, and more importantly, in the formation of his theory of “theatre of transposition.” Dullin may have perceived the Japanese theatre he saw—although it was not given in the tradition of the old Japanese theatre—and the example of Mei Lanfang as a confirmation of the ideas that had long been fermenting in his mind: his ideas of a theatre of transposition that imaginatively evokes East Asian theatre. However, the examples of East Asian theatre were useful in so far as they were instrumental in Dullin’s struggle against naturalism, in his pursuit of a theatre of transposition that was firmly rooted in Western tradition, or more naturally, in the French tradition, and in his efforts to find in the sources of Western theatre the natural inspiration for the renewal of modern Western theatre.
An Alternate Proof to Derek Robinson’s 1968 Local Characterization Theorem on T-Groups

Define \(\mathcal {T}\) to be the class of groups in which normality is a transitive relation. Define \({\mathscr {C}}_p\) to be the class of finite groups G for which each subgroup of a Sylow p-subgroup of G is normal in the corresponding Sylow normalizer. In [5] Robinson proved that a finite group satisfies \({\mathscr {C}}_p\) for all primes p if and only if it is a finite solvable \(\mathcal {T}\)-group. Here a new proof of this classic and influential result is presented.
Continuous reactive crystallization of β-lactam antibiotics catalyzed by penicillin G acylase. Part II: Case study on ampicillin and product purity

Abstract Continuous reactive crystallization of β-lactam antibiotics can ease shortage and contamination concerns for an important class of medicines. With a model of continuous reactive crystallization catalyzed by penicillin G acylase (PGA), a process is developed to ensure purity of the antibiotic product. Guaranteeing the solid-phase purity of ampicillin and cephalexin is important because PGA produces a slightly soluble byproduct, phenylglycine, which can contaminate the antibiotic crystals. In a single well-mixed reactive crystallizer, productivity is optimized and nearly two-fold greater than the non-crystallizing maximum productivity. Process robustness is essential because multiple steady states, only one of which produces pure ampicillin crystals, exist in the well-mixed reactive crystallizer. By combining well-mixed and plug-flow reactive crystallizers in series, crystallization of phenylglycine can be suppressed while high yield and comparable productivity are still achieved. The reactive crystallizer series demonstrates high purity with uncertainty in model parameter values and variability in operating conditions.
Muslim American Youth and Volunteerism: Neoliberal Citizenship in the War on Terror

This chapter focuses on the possibilities and limits of civic engagement by Muslim American youth in the post-9/11 era and the political implications of volunteerism for Muslim communities subjected to scrutiny and surveillance in the War on Terror. Drawing on ethnographic research on Arab, South Asian, and Afghan American college students in northern California, I explore the ways in which Muslim American volunteer activities are embedded in the regulation of “good” (moderate) or “bad” (radical) Muslim political subjecthood. My research reveals how liberal civil rights, interfaith, and environmental activism projects are sanctioned as forms of civic engagement if they evade challenges to US militarism and foreign policy and uphold the tenets of neoliberal citizenship.
Pre-transplant evaluation completion for Black/African American renal patients: Two theoretical frameworks.

Abstract Objective Black/African Americans (B/AA) are less likely to complete the pre-transplant evaluation for kidney transplantation despite higher prevalence rates of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). To better understand the barriers and motivators to completing the evaluation process, two qualitative studies were conducted to categorize and elucidate the relationships between these factors. Methods In Phase I, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a stratified purposeful sample of transplant professionals (N = 23). Focus groups were conducted during Phase II with a purposeful sample of B/AA patients (N = 30). Results Thematic analyses assessed using grounded theory revealed a multitude of factors at individual and systemic levels, including health and informational/educational-related factors. Two comprehensive theoretical frameworks, a socio-ecological model of barriers and a model of motivators are presented. Medical mistrust is an example of a community factor identified as impeding completion rates. Systemic motivators included compressed time for testing and fewer intervals between doctor’s appointments. Conclusions This study offers a structure for understanding impediments to and facilitators of pre-transplant evaluation completion as seen through the eyes of both B/AA ESRD patients seeking transplant and the providers who work with them. Practice implications Recommendations for intervention and systemic changes to narrow health disparities are discussed.
Challenging the Social Media Moral Panic: Preserving Free Expression Under Hypertransparency

Social media are now widely criticized after enjoying a long period of public approbation. The kinds of human activities that are coordinated through social media, good as well as bad, have always existed. However, these activities were not visible or accessible to the whole of society. As conversation, socialization, and commerce are aggregated into large-scale, public commercial platforms, they become highly visible to the public and generate storable, searchable records. Social media make human interactions hypertransparent and displace the responsibility for societal acts from the perpetrators to the platform that makes them visible. This hypertransparency is fostering a moral panic around social media. Internet platforms, like earlier new media technologies such as TV and radio, now stand accused of a stunning array of evils: addiction, fostering terrorism and extremism, facilitating ethnic cleansing, and even the destruction of democracy. The social-psychological dynamics of hypertransparency lend themselves to the conclusion that social media cause the problems they reveal and that society would be improved by regulating the intermediaries that facilitate unwanted activities. This moral panic should give way to calmer reflection. There needs to be a clear articulation of the tremendous value of social media platforms based on their ability to match seekers and providers of information in huge quantities. We should also recognize that calls for government-induced content moderation will make these platforms battlegrounds for a perpetual intensifying conflict over who gets to silence whom. Finally, we need a renewed affirmation of Section 230 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which shields internet intermediaries from liability for users’ speech. Contrary to Facebook’s call for government-supervised content regulation, we need to keep platforms, not the state, responsible for finding the optimal balance between content moderation, freedom of expression, and economic value. The alternative of greater government regulation would absolve social media companies of market responsibility for their decisions and would probably lead them to exclude and suppress even more legal speech than they do now. It is the moral panic and proposals for regulation that threaten freedom and democracy.
Secondary Extended Mannan Side Chains and Attachment of the Arabinan in Mycobacterial Lipoarabinomannan.

Mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan (LAM) is in an essential cell envelope lipopolysaccharide anchored both to the plasma and outer membranes. To understand critical biological questions such as the biosynthesis, spatial organization of LAM within the cell envelope, structural remodeling during growth, and display or lack of display of LAM-based antigenicity requires a basic understanding of the primary structure of the mannan, arabinan and how they are attached to each other. Herein, using enzymatic digestions and high-resolution mass spectrometry, we show that the arabinan component of LAM is attached at the non-reducing end of the mannan rather than to internal regions. Further, we show the presence of secondary extended mannan side chains attached to the internal mannan region. Such findings lead to a significant revision of the structure of LAM and lead to guidance of biosynthetic studies and to hypotheses of the role of LAM both in the periplasm and outside the cell as a fundamental part of the dynamic mycobacterial cell envelope. Lipoarabinomannan is a carbohydrate expressed on mycobacterial cell surfaces and implicated in host-pathogen interactions, but its structure is not well-characterised. Here mass spectrometry studies of enzymatic digests reveal the presence of secondary extended mannan pendants and indicate a revised structure for the connectivity of the core domains.
Optimal Distribution Automation Switch Placement

In order to improve distribution system reliability, electric utilities can install protective devices as part of a distribution automation scheme. The location of these devices directly impacts the effectiveness of the devices. A tool is presented that determines the location of new devices which maximizes the number of customer interruptions that can be avoided. The optimal location selected by the tool is compared with locations selected using traditional planning methods.
Reviewing Extraditions to Torture

In 1990, the United States ratified the Convention Against Torture (CAT), codifying a global commitment to refrain from transferring any person to a country where she may face torture. While the United States has steadfastly implemented the convention’s prohibition on deportations that result in foreign torture, American courts have failed to enforce CAT in cases involving international extradition, in which the United States transfers an American to a foreign country for criminal prosecution. In these cases, the Secretary of State alone decides, subject to little or no judicial review, whether the foreign country is likely to torture the American. This Note assesses the three-way split that has developed across American courts in the thirty-one years since the United States signed CAT. It asks whether, how, and when courts should review the Secretary’s decision to extradite an individual who claims the extradition would violate the convention. In doing so, this Note identifies two concerning government practices it terms extradition shopping and extradition shuffling. It also connects habeas review in extradition to the immigration context, arguing that the Supreme Court’s recent interpretations of the habeas writ in Department of Homeland Security v. Thuraissigiam and Nasrallah v. Barr may bolster the case for substantive habeas review of extradition claims. It concludes that habeas courts can, and should, review extradition decisions for compliance with CAT, offering a three-pronged theory of habeas jurisdiction rooted in the common law writ of habeas, in extradition statutes, and in CAT itself.
Logogriphes. Réflexions sur l’illisibilité des corps comme stratégie politique

Having established that the body is part of a system of meaning, this article offers a diachronic analysis of several bodies that have been perceived or presented as “unreadable”: the body of Vellini, an independant and mysterious woman who is an essential character of Barbey d’Aurevilly’s novel Une vieille maitresse , the body of the « monsters and marvels » that Ambroise Pare observed in the 16th century, and the body of the philosopher Paul B. Preciado, that is central to his theoretical and political work since 2005. Because they escape the social structures that seek to interpret, classify and nomalize them, these bodies were all designated as monstruous. This article questions the possible political uses of this “illegibility”, and notably its reappropriation by marginalized groups.
Leveraging High Dimensional Spatial Graph Embedding as a Heuristic for Graph Algorithms

Spatial graph embedding is a technique for placing graphs in space used for visualization and graph analytics. The general goal is to place connected nodes close together while spreading apart all others. Previous work has looked at spatial graph embedding in 2 or 3 dimensions. These used high performance libraries and fast algorithms for N-body simulation. We expand into higher dimensions to find what it can be useful for. Using an arbitrary number of dimensions allows all unweighted graph to have exact edge lengths, as n nodes can all be one distance part in a n − 1 dimensional simplex. This increases the complexity of the simulation, so we provide an efficient GPU implementation in high dimensions. Although high dimensional embeddings cannot be easily visualized they find a consistent structure which can be used for graph analytics. Problems this has been used to solve are graph isomorphism and graph coloring.
The effects of ankle loads on balance ability during one-leg stance.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of ankle loads on balance ability and to suggest an appropriate load amount. [Subjects and Methods] The 31 healthy subjects randomly put 0%, 1%, and 2% body weight loads on their ankles using a strap, and limit of stability was measured using a Biorescue system. Limits of stability were measured for 10 seconds using their dominant leg in the left, right, forward, and backward directions. [Results] All values for limit of stability increased significantly with the 1% load compared with the 0% load during a one-leg stance. However, all values except for the backward limit of stability showed a significant decrease with the 2% load compared with the 1% load. There was a significant difference between the 0% and 2% loads. [Conclusion] Application of loads on the ankles can be used as a training method for improving balance ability, and to increase efficiency, it is appropriate to apply 1% of the subject’s body weight.
The Two Lindesmith Center Libraries on Drug Policy Reform: The Traditional Library and the Virtual Library

ABSTRACT The Lindesmith Center is a drug policy reform research institute with both a traditional and a virtual library. The traditional library includes books, government and non-governmental organization reports, periodicals, and vertical files. The virtual library is a collection of over 150 full text documents organized into Focal Points and available in the Lindesmith website.
Abstract MP04: 25 year Physical Activity Trajectories and Development of Subclinical Coronary Artery Disease as Measured by Coronary Artery Calcium: the CARDIA Study

Background: Physical activity (PA) has been shown to be protective against the development of clinical cardiovascular disease. There is paucity of data regarding the association of long term PA patterns and development of subclinical atherosclerosis, as measured by coronary artery calcium (CAC). Studies so far are limited by evaluation of PA only at baseline. The goal of this study was to identify 25 year patterns of PA from young to middle age and its association with development of CAC. Methods: CARDIA is a prospective longitudinal study of black and white men and women, ages 18-30 years at baseline in 1985-86, with up to 7 follow-up exams over 25 years of follow-up. PA was determined at each exam by a questionnaire that assessed typical PA during the past 12 months for 13 types of activities. Men and women who had at least 3 measures of PA during the 25 years of follow up and CAC assessment at the Year 25 exam were included (N= 3178). CARDIA Physical Activity Score > 300 units is approximately equivalent to >150 min/week of moderate or vigorous physical activity and was considered as meeting PA guidelines (MPAG). Latent class modeling was used to identify unique trajectories of PA. Odds ratios for CAC were estimated from a multivariable logistic model controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, hypertension, diabetes, BMI, smoking status and education. Results: Our analyses showed 5 unique PA trajectories (figure). 1. Maintaining-not MPAG (46.5%); 2. maintaining-MPAG (35.6%); 3 increasing-MPAG (8.5%); 4. decreasing-MPAG (6.5%), and 5. maintaining- > 3 fold MPAG (2.4%). Compared with the maintaining-not MPAG, the multivariable adjusted odds ratio for presence of CAC (non-zero CAC score) was 1.02 (95% CI, 0.84-1.24) for maintaining-MPAG, 1.07 (95% CI, 0.78-1.44) for increasing-MPAG , 1.01(95% CI, 0.72- 1.41) for decreasing-MPAG , and 1.37 (95% CI, 0.82-2.27) for maintaining- > 3 fold MPAG. Conclusion: Long-term trajectories for levels of PA through young adulthood are not associated with development of subclinical atherosclerosis by middle age.
Comparision of Treatments for Otitis Media Using Multiple Diagnostic Methods

A study of otitis media is described which requires a special method for treatment comparision because of the lack of a gold standard for disease assessment. In this paper, we investigate the use of two diagnostic procedures to estimate and to test the treatment difference; a byproduct of this maximum likelihood-based procedure is the estimates of sensitivity and specificity of each diagnostic procedure involved. We also investigate, by simulation, the power of the proposed procedure.
Combined asperity contact and fluid flow model for chemical-mechanical polishing

This paper presents, for the first time, a physical model of chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) that combine the effects of polishing pad roughness and slurry hydrodynamic pressure. Recently, the authors introduced a statistical asperity model to analyze contact of wafer and the polishing pad. This model is extended to include slurry flow hydrodynamics. Fluid film thickness between the wafer and pad is first estimated from measured pad roughness. Fluid pressure is then calculated from finite element simulation. The model is used to investigate parametric effects of pressure, platen velocity and pad roughness. >
Bioengineering and the diabetic foot ulcer : basic science review

Diabetic disease is increasing exponentially on a global scale. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputations. The pathophysiological events need to be considered when designing new interventions. Bioengineered skin substitutes (BSS) are accepted in the therapeutic armamentarium for DFU treatment. However, newer designs are likely to offer more targeted approaches to the disease process. This relates to the stimulation of vasculogenesis in particular. This can be achieved by using interactive scaffolds that stimulate endothelial progenitor cells to increase vascular endothelial growth factor production and reverse some of the damage that is caused by glycation end-products that are characteristic of diabetes.