cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Cytopathology of Baculovirus Infections in Insects

Baculoviruses are the most widely investigated of the viruses which infect insects. More than 320 of them have been isolated, mainly from insects and a few other arthropods such as mites and crustaceans. These viruses contain closed, circular, double-stranded DNA enclosed within rod-shaped, enveloped nucleocapsids. They are placed in the family Baculoviridae (Matthews, 1982) which is separated into two recognized subgroups: A, nuclear polyhedrosis viruses, and B, granulosis viruses. Two other subgroups have been proposed: C, nonoccluded, rod-shaped nuclear viruses, and D, nonoccluded nuclear viruses with a polydisperse DNA genome. In the nuclear polyhedrosis viruses (NPVs), numerous enveloped virions are occluded in occlusion bodies, called polyhedra, in the nuclei of infected cells (Figure 1), whereas in the granulosis viruses (GVs), the enveloped virions are occluded singly or rarely two or more in occlusion bodies called capsules which develop in the nucleus or cytoplasm (Figure 2). In subgroups C and D, the virions are not occluded in occlusion bodies.
A multi-institutional analysis of peritransplantation radiotherapy in patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation.

Background No consensus exists regarding the use of radiotherapy (RT) in conjunction with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDC/ASCT) for patients with relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The objectives of the current study were to characterize practice patterns and assess the efficacy and toxicity of RT at 2 major transplantation centers. Methods Eligible patients underwent HDC/ASCT from 2006 through 2015 using the combination of either carmustine (BCNU), etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (BEAM) or cyclophosphamide, BCNU, and etoposide (CBV). Results For the cohort of 189 patients, the 4-year overall survival rate was 80%, the progression-free survival rate was 67%, and the local control (LC) rate was 68%. RT was used within 4 months of ASCT for 22 patients (12%) and was given more often for disease that was early stage, primary refractory, or [18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-avid at the time of HDC/ASCT. Disease recurrence occurring after HDC/ASCT was associated with primary refractory disease and FDG-avidity at the time of HDC/ASCT. RT was not found to be associated with LC, progression-free survival, or overall survival on univariate analysis. In a model incorporating primary refractory HL and FDG-avid disease at the time of HDC/ASCT, RT was found to be associated with a decreased risk of local disease recurrence (hazard ratio, 0.3; P = .02). In patients with primary refractory HL and/or FDG-avid disease at the time of HDC/ASCT, the 4-year LC rate was 81% with RT versus 49% without RT (P = .03). There was one case of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade ≥ 3 RT-related toxicity (acute grade 3 pancytopenia). Conclusions In patients undergoing ASCT for relapsed/refractory HL, peritransplantation RT was used more often for disease that was early stage, primary refractory, or FDG-avid after salvage conventional-dose chemotherapy. RT was associated with improved LC of high-risk localized disease and was well tolerated with modern techniques. Cancer 2017;123:1363-1371. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
The effect of esophagogastroduodenoscopy probe insertion on the intracuff pressure of airway devices in children during general anesthesia.

Given the size of the esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) probe and the compressibility of the pediatric airway, the EGD probe may increase the intracuff pressure (IP) of an airway device. The current study evaluated IP changes during EGD examination under general anesthesia in pediatric patients. Following the induction of anesthesia, a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) or endotracheal tube (ETT) was placed without neuromuscular blockade. The IP was measured at baseline, during EGD probe insertion, while the EGD probe was in place, and after probe removal. The study cohort included 101 patients (mean age 11.3 years). The airway was secured with an LMA and an ETT in 88 and 13 patients, respectively. The IP increased from 27 ± 15 cmH2O at baseline to 34 ± 17 cmH2O during probe insertion (p < 0.001), remained at 33 ± 16 cmH2O while the probe was in place, and decreased to 26 ± 14 cmH2O after probe removal. The IP of the LMA or ETT increased during EGD probe insertion and remained elevated while the probe was in place. High IP may compromise mucosal perfusion resulting in a sore throat when using an LMA or the potential for airway damage if an ETT is used. Removal of air from the cuff and titration of the IP should be considered after EGD insertion.
MUSE: Microscopy via UV excitation for rapid histology

MUSE (Microscopy with Ultraviolet Surface Excitation) is a novel method for rapid histology which relies on the micron-scale penetration of UV light into the tissue and requires no fixation, paraffin-embedding, or physical thin sectioning, and generates images within a minute of obtaining a tissue sample.
Hands in the dough: bread and/as a pedagogy of performative remembering

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we consider our experiences in a community bread-baking project, part of the international Bread Houses Network. We explore the performative and narrative power of food memories – as recounted and created during Bread House gatherings – to serve as sites where inter/cultural identities, differences, and dis/connections are made and negotiated. We propose the processes of food remembering and creation that we facilitate at the Bread House as a performative and critical pedagogy that “enables and encourages us to form solidarities, address current problematics, and build a better future in a more concrete sense” (Alexander, Bryant Keith, et al. “Identifying Key Intercultural Urgencies, Issues, and Challenges in Today’s World: Connecting Our Scholarship to Dynamic Contexts and Historical Moments. ”Journal of International and Intercultural Communication 7.1 (2014): 38-67. Print).
Changes in the wettability of polymer electrolyte fuel cells components during cationic contamination and mitigation

Abstract Foreign cations are shown to cause mass transport losses, in particular due to wettability changes in the micro-porous layers (MPL) and the carbon paper substrate, and have a major impact on the durability and the performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells. We studied the effects of cationic impurities on fuel cell system performance, especially on the water management by employing in-situ and ex-situ contamination methods. Changes in the wettability of the carbon paper surface following the in-situ contamination injection were quantified using the Wilhelmy plate method. The CaSO 4 precipitation on the macro-pores of the carbon paper substrate after the contamination injection causes a higher wettability leading to increased flooding of the carbon paper substrate and consequent mass transport losses. An ex-situ cleaning with an acid solution is shown to be very effective in removing the salt deposits of the carbon paper substrate. During the mitigation, the highly hydrophobic MPL acts as a barrier to the transport of the recovery solution into the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA), therefore isopropanol (IPA) was added to both the contaminant solution and the recovery solution to increase the wettability of the MPL. Wetting force measurements confirm that the added IPA can alter the wettability of the MPL and can render it fully hydrophilic, enabling the transport of the recovery solution into the MEA.
Pharmacodynamic Effects of an Angiotensin II Receptor-Antagonist in Phase I: Comparison between Healthy Subjects and Patients with Hypertension

Biomarkers are increasingly used to provide decision making data early in phase I by showing Proof of Mechanism or Proof of Concept (PoM/PoC). For antihypertensive agents, the administration of multiple doses (md) to hypertensive patients is assumed to be necessary for an early go/no-go decision. We compared the effects of an Angiotensin II receptor antagonist (ARA) on Plasma Renin and blood pressure (BP) following an oral single dose (sd) and once daily md for seven days to healthy volunteers and patients with essential hypertension (diastolic BP 95 mmHg to 114 mmHg; systolic BP 130 mmHg to 200 mmHg). Methods: 5–12 healthy male subjects/dose received 10 mg to 300 mg ARA sd and 50 to 300 mg md for 7 days; patients (9–10/dose) received 20 mg–400 mg ARA for 7 days. The studies were designed as randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, group comparison or crossover dose-escalation studies. Plasma Renin and BP were monitored up to 24 hours after dosing. Results: Plasma Renin showed a high interindividual variability in both healthy volunteers and patients. Healthy subjects showed a dose- and time-related increase in plasma Renin after sd from 40 mg to 300 mg and md of 50 mg to 300 mg (p < 0.05 for doses of 200 mg and 300 mg). In patients, increases in plasma Renin occurred at 8 hours and beyond starting at sd of 100 mg and md of 50 mg (p < 0.05 for the dose of 400 mg). While healthy volunteers showed no relevant decrease in BP, in hypertensive patients a reduction in BP in doses of 100 mg to 400 mg occurred (p < 0.05); effects were more pronounced after md compared to sd. Conclusion: Early PoM for an antihypertensive agent can be shown by use of laboratory biomarkers following sd to healthy subjects. PoC can be achieved after sd in hypertensive patients. Administration of sd to healthy volunteers is sufficient for an early go/no-decision.
Plenary lecture 9: computationally recognizing causality in an imprecise world

Causal reasoning perceptions play an essential role in human decision-making. Recognizing and developing causal relationships is essential for reasoning; it forms the basis for acting intelligentially in the world. Causal knowledge provides a deep understanding of a system; and, the potential control over a system that comes from being able to predict action's consequences. Relationships with a known cause/effect relationship have a high decision value. Causality description must necessarily be imperfect as knowledge is imperfect and limited. Commonsense understanding of the world tells us that we have to deal with imprecision, uncertainty and imperfect knowledge. Consequently, knowledge of at least some causal effects is inherently imprecise. A difficulty is striking a good balance between precise formalism and commonsense imprecise reality. Causality is imprecisely granular in many ways. Causal complexes are groupings of smaller causal relations that make up a large grained causal object. Usually, commonsense reasoning is more successful in reasoning about a few large-grained events than many fine-grained events. However, the larger-grained causal objects are necessarily more imprecise as some of their constituent components. A satisficing solution might be to develop large-grained solutions and then only go to the finer-grain when the impreciseness of the large-grain is unsatisfactory.
Biochemistry and Regulation of Nonmuscle Actins

Actin is a component of virtually all eukaryotic cells. In cells of many types, it is the most abundant protein species. Moreover, many of its physical and chemical properties have been absolutely conserved throughout evolution. These observations underscore the critical nature of the contractile and cytoskeletal functions ascribed to actin. It is essential, therefore, in understanding cell motility and shape determination to address the regulation of actin polymerization, the intracellular distribution of actin, and the interaction of actin with myosin. It is the thesis of this chapter that substantial further insights into the regulation of actin in nonmuscle cells can be obtained only by a multifaceted approach involving biochemical, ultrastructural, and genetic techniques. Of course, the single common denominator in all such studies is actin itself. Hence, such studies can be built only on a solid foundation: a broad, quantitative characterization of actin purified from each organism selected for study.
Coregulation of Promoters in the T-DNA and Virulence Region of the AgrobacteriumTumefaciens Plasmid pTIC58

The ros chromosomal mutation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4301 causes increased expression of two promoters in the Vir region and three promoters in the T-region of the plasmid pTiC58. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of two of these promoters has revealed the presence in both of a region of dyad symmetry containing the sequence ATTG-A. The results suggest that certain promoters in pTiC58 are subject to a form of negative regulation that is inactivated by the ros chromosomal mutation.
Modes of Convergence

Let \((X,\mathcal {M},\mu )\) be a measure space. Consider L1(μ) the space of integrable functions and let $$\displaystyle d(f,g)=\int |f-g|d\mu . $$ For all f, g, and h in L1(μ) it is easy to check that d(f, g) ≥ 0, d(f, g) = d(g, f), and $$\displaystyle d(f,g)\leq d(f,h)+d(h,g). $$
Defending Internet of Things Against Malicious Domain Names using D-FENS

Malicious domain names have long been pervasive in the global DNS (Domain Name System) infrastructure and lend themselves to undesirable activities such as phishing or even DNS-based attacks like distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) and DNS rebinding. With the rise and explosive growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), adversaries are exploiting these devices which typically lack security measures to launch DNS-based attacks through malicious domain names. Typical countermeasures against such malicious domain names employ blacklists and whitelists to determine which domain names should be resolved. While these domain lists offer fast lookup times, they require carefully curated and up-to-date information which tends to fall short of detecting newly-registered malicious domain names. In this work, we present a system called D-FENS (DNS Filtering & Extraction Network System) which works in tandem with blacklists and features a live DNS server and binary classifier to accurately predict unreported malicious domain names. The D-FENS classifier model operates at the character-level and leverages the use of deep learning architectures such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory networks (LSTM) for real-time classification which forgoes the need for feature-engineering typically associated with traditional machine learning approaches. Sourcing from free and open datasets, we evaluate our system and achieve a 0.95 area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for binary classification. By accurately predicting unreported malicious domain names in real-time, D-FENS prevents Internet-connected systems from unknowingly connecting to potentially malicious domain names.
AN OPRD1 VARIANT PREDICTS CONTINUED OPIOID USE IN AFRICAN-AMERICANS UNDERGOING BUPRENORPHINE TREATMENT

Background Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a significant public health issue in the United States and globally. FDA-approved treatment for OUD includes Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) with medications such as methadone and buprenorphine. While OST has been shown to be effective, a meta-analysis of outcome data from OST studies indicated that a significant percentage of opioid dependent patients treated with OST do not sustain abstinence or reduce their illicit opioid use. Understanding the factors that predict reductions in illicit opioid use during treatment would allow clinicians to make more informed therapeutic decisions, selecting medications that are most likely to benefit individual patients. Methods The START trial was a 24-week open-label randomized trial of methadone and buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD. Weekly urine drug screens were performed. Treatment efficacy was defined by the proportion of opioid positive urine tests. A Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) was used to determine if variants in the OPRD1 gene were associated with treatment efficacy in African-Americans (AA; n=77). A replication population (n=75) was collected from AA patients who had previously participated in OST trials in Baltimore. Urine drug screens were performed three times per week. For a meta-analysis, weeks 21–24 were analyzed since they represent the last month of data available for both data sets. Responders were defined as patients who a) were retained in treatment until at least week 21 and b) were opioid positive for less than 50% of their urine drug screens in weeks 21–24. For in vitro analysis, 15 bp regions surrounding the C or T allele of rs678849 were cloned into luciferase vectors and transfected into neuroblastoma cells. Luciferase activity was measured by dual-luciferase reporter assay system. Results In the START trial, rs678849 was associated with the efficacy of methadone (p=0.001) and buprenorphine (p=0.008) in treating OUD in AA patients. The pharmacogenetic effect on buprenorphine (p=0.01), but not methadone (p=0.23), was replicated in the independent AA population from Baltimore. In a meta-analysis of weeks 21–24 of both data sets, patients with the C/C genotype had a significantly higher proportion of opioid positive urine drug screens (59%) than T allele carriers (26%, p Discussion These data suggest that a variant in the OPRD1 gene has a large pharmacogenetic effect on buprenorphine efficacy in the AA population and that the variant may have effects on expression. We hypothesize that the C allele of rs678849 functions as a silencer element, binding transcriptional repressors and downregulating OPRD1 expression. We also hypothesize that the T allele of the variant is an enhancer element and upregulates OPRD1 expression through interactions with a unique group of transcription factors. Further in vitro studies will be needed to dissect the complete mechanism and a prospective clinical trial that confirms this pharmacogenetic effect will be necessary before rs678849 can be used to guide treatment decisions.
Grandes coisas vêm em pequenos embrulhos: Por que limnologos devem se preocupar com pequenos lagos

Ha bastante evidencias de que as pequenas lagoas de agua doce sao grandemente importantes em diversas paisagens ao redor do mundo, fornecendo habitat, processando carbono e controlando fluxos hidrologicos e de nutrientes para aguas superficiais maiores (rios, lagos e aguas costeiras). Tambem sao entre os recursos de agua de superficie mais abundantes em muitas areas do mundo. Em nosso planeta com grande indice de urbanizacao, os servicos ecossistemicos fornecidos pelas lagoas pequenas podem se tornar ainda mais importantes. No entanto, eles tem sido historicamente negligenciados pelos limnologos e exatamente como inclui-los em analises globais ainda e problematico. Nos propomos que mais limnologos deveriam incluir pequenas lagoas em programas de pesquisa; e sugerimos que estes sao tambem ecossistemas ideais para ensinar a proxima geracao de limnologos, bem como envolver e informar o publico sobre nosso trabalho.
Mach 5–3.5 Morphing Waverider Accuracy and Aerodynamic Performance Evaluation

This paper investigates a morphing hypersonic waverider concept and determines the morphing surface accuracy and control requirements required to achieve Mach 5 to Mach 3.5 on-design operation. Hyp...
Discrete-Time Poisson Optical Wiretap Channel with Peak Intensity Constraint

This paper addresses the discrete-time Poisson wiretap channel (DT–PWC) in an optical wireless communications system based on intensity modulation and direct detection. Subject to nonnegativity and peak intensity as well as bandwidth constraints imposed on the channel input, we study the secrecy-capacity-achieving input distribution of this wiretap channel and prove it to be unique and discrete with a finite number of mass points. Furthermore, we establish that every point on the boundary of the rate-equivocation region of this wiretap channel is also obtained by a unique and discrete input distribution with a finite support. In general, the number of mass point of the optimal distributions are greater than two. This is in contrast with the continuous-time PWC where the secrecy capacity and the entire boundary of the rate-equivocation region are achieved by binary distributions when the signaling bandwidth is not restricted. Additionally, we shed light on the asymptotic behavior of the secrecy capacity in the low intensity regime and observe that the secrecy capacity scales quadratically with the peak intensity constraint. Finally, Our numerical results indicate that there is a tradeoff between the secrecy capacity and the capacity in the sense that both may not be achieved simultaneously.
Parallel Causation in Oncogenic and Anthropogenic Degradation and Extinction

We propose that the onset and progressive destructive action of cancer within an individual bears a profound and striking similarity to the onset and progressive human-engendered destruction of global ecosystems and the extinction of entire species. Cancer in the human body and our human role in planetary, especially biotic, degradation are uncannily similar systems. For starters, they are the only two known complex systems where a discrete component changes its normal ecological role and function—turning on and potentially killing its host, and in so doing, itself. Both are “hostile takeovers.” Clearly, humans are integral to both systems. With cancer we are the host and victims of the rogue behavior of what starts out as a normal, healthy, and functionally important part of our bodies. With the biodiversity crisis, we are the part of the system that has changed, expanded, and proven so destructive to the system in which we live. We argue that given that these threats to our bodies and Earth are both essentially ecological diseases, understanding the critical role of ecological interdependencies for avoiding both cancer’s and humankind’s destruction of their respective homes should hopefully promote better stewardship of both by the only animal capable of recognizing the problems—us.
Parasitic (Helminthic) Infection While on Asthma Biologic Treatment: Not Everything Is What It Seems

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway that is characterized by bronchial hyperresponsiveness and variable airflow limitation. Approximately 235 million people are affected by asthma worldwide and 5-10% are considered to be refractory to standard asthma treatment. These patients are known to have repeated exacerbations requiring multiple courses of systemic corticosteroids and as a result, are at risk for increased adverse effects (i.e., osteoporosis, infections). Several new medications known as biologic agents have been approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthmatics. These biologic agents target essential parts of the cell-mediated allergic and to a lesser degree non-allergic immune response (IgE, IL-5, and IL-4/IL-13). They are gaining more favor in the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma due to their efficacy and excellent safety profile. Despite the most common adverse events being minor, such as injection site reactions, upper respiratory infections, or headaches, these agents carry a small risk of more severe complications such as anaphylaxis and decreased defense against parasitic infections (PI). The incidence of PI compared with other rare adverse events is not well reported, and there are no consensus guidelines for risk prevention of PI in asthmatics undergoing evaluation for, or currently using, biologic therapy. Thus, this article sets out to review the incidence of reported PI and other rare adverse events among asthmatics using current FDA-approved biologic therapies. Secondly, we discuss the clinical implications for the importance of risk prevention of PI with the use of biologic therapies in asthmatics. Lastly, we share an educational handout to assist providers in informing their patients of behaviors that could potentially increase their risk of PI while being on a biologic agent.
Efficiency and Thermal Analysis of Si and SiC-Based Bidirectional DC-DC Converters for Transactive Energy Systems

As the smart-grid realization is becoming more pragmatic, the analysis on transactive energy systems (TESs) is also getting more substantial. Bidirectional DC-DC converter (BDDC) is the energy flow driver for a TES connected electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESSs). In this work, we have performed a detailed thermal and efficiency analysis of Silicon (Si), Silicon Carbide (SiC), and Si-SiC hybrid half-bridge commercial power modules for BDDC. Considering the power modules' operating junction temperature as 85% of the rated maximum value, the optimum switching frequency (OSF) for Si, hybrid, and SiC modules is evaluated as 4, 10.5, and 27.5 kHz, respectively. For the full load OSF operation, the required heatsink maximum thermal resistance is estimated as 0.037, 0.040, and 0.080 °C/W, respectively and the SiC MOSFET module shows the highest efficiency of 99%. The BDDC simulation is performed in PLECS, which comprises a control block for bi-directional power operation and the estimated thermal management.
Distilling the Interplay Between Corporate Environmental Management, Financial, and Emissions Performance: Evidence From U.S. Firms

This article investigates the relationship between firms’ carbon intensity, carbon management practices, and their financial performance. The extant literature on firms’ financial performance and their environmental performance has mostly considered a single dimension of firms’ environmental performance leading to restricted, and often, mixed outcomes. With panel data collected on financial statements and climate change related activities from 136 corporate firms in the U.S. between 2011 and 2018, this article integrates a process dimension based on an environmental management score with an outcome dimension represented by firms’ carbon emissions intensity. A regression model is employed to investigate the relationships between corporate environmental performance and corporate financial performance. We find evidence of a nonlinear relationship between corporate firms’ environmental performance and financial performance across both high and low-carbon intensive sectors. Specifically, we find that for firms in the high-carbon intensive sector, a U-shaped relationship exists between firms’ corporate environmental performance outcome dimension and their financial performance while for the low-carbon intensive sector, the converse is the case. The results show that the interaction between the outcome dimension of environmental performance and financial performance is moderated by the process dimension of environmental performance for firms in the low- and high-carbon intensive sectors.
The cost of private debt over the credit cycle

Abstract We identify global and regional fluctuations in international private debt flows to emerging and developing countries using data on cross-border loans and international bond issuance over 1993–2009. We use micro-level data on syndicated cross-border loans and international bond placements to estimate the effects of individual borrower characteristics as well as macroeconomic conditions on the cost of foreign borrowing and test whether these effects differ across phases of the lending cycle. First, we find that borrower characteristics associated with lower loan spreads are not necessarily associated with lower bond spreads. Second, we find differential effects of borrower characteristics between cycle phases for loans and bonds separately. Third, we find strong reductions in the cost of debt finance during periods when international debt flows are more than one standard deviation above their mean, but not for expansionary periods, when the growth rate of debt flows is increasing. We also find that higher trade ratios in the borrower's home country raise loan spreads more in periods of high credit flows but have no effect on bond spreads. At the same time, borrowers residing in countries with high investment ratios pay lower spreads on bond issuance particularly during periods of high credit flows, but we find no similar effect for loan spreads. Inflation rates, real exchange rates and previous banking crises have small impacts on loan and bond spreads.
Introductory Study of a Broadband, High-Efficiency Nanoloop Optical Communications Platform

A variety of different geometries for building an optical wireless link have been investigated. Here a new study showing the promise of a nanoloop antenna is presented. The surprising broadband, high gain radiation pattern that can be achieved by a nanoloop antenna makes it an ideal candidate for such an application. Further, by addition of lumped loads, this pattern may be steered or its polarization altered, enabling a highly capable communication platform.
Development and applications of selective hydroesterification reactions

The catalyzed addition of carbon monoxide to unsaturated compounds has drawn considerable attention over the past decade where more structurally complex molecules are made with high selectivities. In this review, we highlight some of the recent contributions that have significantly broadened the scope for the selective hydroesterification of alkenes and alkynes with alcohols to give esters. Key mechanistic features that drive linear or branched selectivity and how proper ligand choice plays an essential role are discussed. As a result, the utility for hydroesterification has expanded to new applications, which have also been highlighted.
Modeling change in public sentiment with nonlocal reaction-diffusion equations

In this article, we introduce the notion of nonlocal diffusion as a means to describe the change, and possible polarization, that occurs in some public sentiment.
Mineralized Peyronie's plaque has a phenotypic resemblance to bone.

Abstract Mineralized Peyronie's plaque (MPP) impairs penile function. The association, colocalization, and dynamic interplay between organic and inorganic constituents can provide insights into biomineralization of Peyronie's plaque. Human MPPs (n = 11) were surgically excised, and the organic and inorganic constituents were spatially mapped using multiple high-resolution imaging techniques. Multiscale image analyses resulted in spatial colocalization of elements within a highly porous material with heterogenous composition, lamellae, and osteocytic lacuna-like features with a morphological resemblance to bone. The lower (520 ±179 mg/cc) and higher (1024 ± 155 mg/cc) mineral density regions were associated with higher (11%) and lower (7%) porosities in MPP. Energy dispersive X-ray and micro-X-ray fluorescent spectroscopic maps in the higher mineral density regions of MPP revealed higher counts of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), and a Ca/P ratio of 1.48 ± 0.06 similar to bone. More importantly, higher counts of zinc (Zn) were localized at the interface between softer (more organic to inorganic ratio) and harder (less organic to inorganic ratio) tissue regions of MPP and adjacent softer matrix, indicating the involvement of Zn-related proteins and/or pathways in the formation of MPP. In particular, dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP-1) was colocalized in a matrix rich in proteoglycans and collagen that contained osteocytic lacuna-like features. This combined materials science and biochemical with correlative microspectroscopic approach provided insights into the plausible cellular and biochemical pathways that incite mineralization of an existing fibrous Peyronie's plaque. Statement of Significance Aberrant human penile mineralization is known as mineralized Peyronie's plaque (MPP) and often results in a loss of form and function. This study focuses on investigating the spatial association of matrix proteins and elemental composition of MPP by colocalizing calcium, phosphorus, and trace metal zinc with dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP-1), acidic proteoglycans, and fibrillar collagen along with the cellular components using high resolution correlative microspectroscopic techniques. Spatial maps provided insights into cellular and biochemical pathways that incite mineralization of fibrous Peyronie's plaque in humans.
A case report: Steroid-induced mania in the context of COVID-19: The compounding impact of treatment on mental health

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively affected people's day-to-day lives, especially those with mental illness. We present a case of a manic episode with psychotic features induced by dexamethasone administered as part of COVID-19 treatment. The patient had underlying depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder, but was stable before contracting COVID-19. The implications of quarantine and social stress on mood stability are also discussed. We call for better patient education on the risks of steroid-induced mania and psychosis as well as increased attention to mental illness screening and treatment during this unprecedented pandemic time.
Quantitation of Testosterone Propionate in an Injection Using High-Performance Liquid chromatography.

A high-performance liquid chromatography assay method for the quantitation of testosterone-cypionate-in-oil injection has been developed. The assay method is very simple, accurate and precise, with a percent relative standard deviation of 1.2 based on five readings. The extraction procedure is very simple compared with a very tedious and time-consuming procedure given in the United States Pharmacopoeia/National Formulary. The USP-NF assay method is based on gas chromatography. The benzyl alcohol (preservative) did not interfere with the assay preocedure. The newly developed method could not be applied to the quantitation of testosterone enanthate since the results were consistently low (-87%). The average recovery of testosterone cypionate from a commercial dosage form was 98.7%.
The Jack-in-the-Green: A May Day Custom (Second Edition)

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Roy Judge Year: 2000 Pages: x + 200 Publisher: FLS Books
Compositional Redistribution in Coherent ${\rm Si}_{1\hbox{-}x}{\rm Ge}_{ x}$ Islands on Si(100)

Coherent Si1-xGex island growth by molecular beam epitaxy is studied for a fixed growth temperature but for different Ge concentrations in the range 0.37 lesxles 0.56. A combined transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy characterization of the samples showed that during growth the Ge migrates towards the center of the large islands to minimize the strain energy, while maintaining epitaxial growth, and that the most uniform structures are obtained at higher Ge composition when the built-in strain is also higher
Less‐known botanical cosmeceuticals

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become increasingly popular in the United States during the last 10-15 years. The use of oral and topical supplements falls within this framework. Most oral and topical supplements are based on or include several botanical ingredients, many of which have long histories of traditional or folk medicine usage. Several of the available products derived from botanical sources are touted for their dermatologic benefits. The focus in this discussion will be on a select group of botanical compounds that have been used for dermatologic purposes or show promise for such applications, including: rosemary, polypodium leucotomos, propolis, oatmeal, olive oil, grape seed extract, lavender, mushrooms, and coffeeberry. Other more commonly used products of botanical origin, such as arnica, bromelain, caffeine, chamomile, ferulic acid, feverfew, green tea, licorice, pomegranate, and resveratrol, are also briefly considered.
A Low Sample Size Estimator for K Distributed Noise

In this paper, we derive a new method for estimating the parameters of the K-distribution when a limited number of samples are available. The method is based on an approximation of the Bessel function of the second kind that reduces the complexity of the estimation formulas in comparison to those used by the maximum likelihood algorithm. The proposed method has better performance in comparison with existing methods of the same complexity giving a lower mean squared error when the number of samples used for the estimation is relatively low.
MANAGEMENT OF INTERFERON THERAPY NONRESPONDERS

Despite improvements in the therapies for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) over the past several years, many patients still fail to become hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid (HCV-RNA) undetectable during treatment and are classified as nonresponders. Providing treatment recommendations for these patients requires that the likelihood of achieving any benefit from another course of therapy be balanced with the natural history of chronic HCV. The management of nonresponders represents the most challenging of all aspects in the care of patients with chronic HCV. Retreatment of interferon non-responders with interferon and ribavirin has yielded a long-term virologic benefit in only 10% to 25% of patients. The efficacy of peginterferon and peginterferon with ribavirin for nonresponders has yet to be defined.
Toxicity and compliance of subcutaneous amifostine in patients undergoing postoperative intensity-modulated radiation therapy for head and neck cancer

Standard conventional radiation therapy for advanced head and neck tumors typically involves administering high radiation dose to the major salivary glands bilaterally. In most cases, this causes a marked reduction in oral saliva output. Xerostomia is one of the most prevalent late side effects of radiation for head and neck malignancies, and patients cite it as the major cause of decreased quality of life. The degree of xerostomia has been reported to depend on the radiation dose and volume of salivary gland irradiated. Several studies show dose-volume-response relationships in the salivary glands, suggesting the possibility of significant improvement in saliva production postradiation, as well as quality of life, if radiation techniques can spare the salivary glands. A growing body of literature supports the premise that intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) allows irradiation of tumor targets in the head and neck while sparing substantial portions of salivary glands. Early clinical experience has shown substantial sparing of salivary flow following IMRT, and suggests at least equal tumor control but improved xerostomia compared with patients receiving standard radiation techniques. We hypothesize that the addition of a radiation protector, such as amifostine (Ethyol; Medimmune Inc, Gaithersburg, MD) may further improve salivary function over that obtained with IMRT alone. To test this hypothesis, we have initiated a pilot clinical trial to compare unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rates 6 months and 1 year after IMRT + amifostine with historic controls treated with IMRT alone. Twenty-seven patients have been accrued onto this trial, and the toxicity and compliance data are reported herein.
Enhancement of Fetal Lung Surfactant Production by Aminophylline

Aminophylline (A) administration to pregnant rabbits prior to premature delivery was previously shown to enhance fetal survival. We have now studied effects of maternally administered A on incorporation of labeled glucose (G) and palmitate (P) into phospholipids in rabbit fetal lung slices. Mean incorporation ± SD for 10 paired litters, A treated and controls (C) was as follows:
The fluorescence of delta 4-3-keto-11-deoxysteroids. I. Optimal conditions for the measurement of 11-deoxycortisol.

Abstract The presence of an oxygen function on C11 usually is regarded as necessary for the fluorescence of adrenocorticosteroids in acid-alcohol media. Conditions are described under which 11-deoxycortisol can be made to fluoresce in quantities as low as 0.05 μg, demonstrating that 11-deoxycortisol can be as fluorogenic as cortisol.
Availability of dental services for patients with blood-borne viruses:

Dental practitioners were surveyed, using a self-completed postal questionnaire, to assess their attitudes to managing patients with blood-borne viruses (BBV) and to identify dental services available for such patients in North Nottinghamshire. Questionnaires were completed by 79 (65.3%) of the 121 practitioners from 43 (82.7%) of the 52 study practices. Previous BBV experience was reported by 44 (55.7%), 31 (39.2%), 20 (25.3%) respondents for hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), HIV, respectively. Over two-thirds would maintain existing patients with subsequently diagnosed BBV on their lists, approximately one-third would accept new BBV patients. Risk factors for BBV of homo/bisexuality and injecting drug use were not asked by 71 (89.9%) and 49 (62.0%) practitioners, respectively. Universal precautions were employed by 67 (84.8%) practitioners regardless of the patient's status and by seven practitioners for known BBV patients. The advice of the General Dental Council, British Dental Association, and the use of universal precautions are discussed.
Diagnosis and management of iliac vein compression syndrome

Iliac vein compression syndrome (IVCS) is the most probable cause of iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis (DVT). One half to two thirds of patients with left-sided iliofemoral DVT have intraluminal webs or spurs from chronic extrinsic compression of the left iliac vein at the crossing point of the right common iliac artery. Approximately 2% to 5% of those with chronic deep venous insufficiency of the left leg may have IVCS. IVCS occurs when compression of the common iliac vein is severe enough to inhibit the rate of venous outflow. In its more severe manifestation, IVCS is known to cause acute iliofemoral DVT. IVCS is caused by the combination of compression and the vibratory pressure of the right iliac artery on the iliac vein that is pinched between the artery and the pelvic bone. With the advent of catheter-directed thrombolytic therapy for patients presenting with iliofemoral DVT, the underlying cause has been unveiled and IVCS is gaining recognition. Patients presenting with symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency often fail conservative treatment, and because of their crippling symptoms, they may have a high rate of work absence or are on permanent disability. If IVCS can be identified as the cause and corrected, the patients' quality of life would improve. With the advent of endovascular stenting, the underlying cause can be easily corrected, and long-term patency is acceptable. Diagnosis can be made by being highly suspicious when patients present in either the acute or chronic state and selecting the best diagnostic tool to confirm the diagnosis. This article discusses the prevalence of IVCS, its significance for the affected population, and the relevance of recognition, and reviews the best methods of its diagnosis and treatment. Special emphasis is placed on diagnostic tools and their efficacy, and our results to date are reported.
Ghost Cell Pattern

Many problems consist of a structured grid of points that are updated repeatedly based on the values of a fixed set of neighboring points in the same grid. To parallelize these problems we can geometrically divide the grid into chunks that are processed by different processors. One challenge with this approach is that the update of points at the periphery of a chunk requires values from neighboring chunks. These are often located in remote memory belonging to different processes. The naive implementation results in a lot of time spent on communication leaving less time for useful computation. By using the Ghost Cell Pattern communication overhead can be reduced. This results in faster time to completion.
Kinetic energy dependence of molecular and dissociative reactions of CO+ with a Ni(III) surface in the range 3–20 eV

Abstract UPS and XPS are used to show that the reactions of 3–20 eV CO + beams with a Ni(III) surface in a UHV system produce surface carbonyl at 3 eV, atomic oxygen and carbon surface species at 20 eV, and a mixture of these products at intermediate energies. The yields of these products as a function of kinetic energy are derived and potential energy diagrams are used to discuss the energetics of CO reactions on Ni.
Analysis of a dynamic, decentralized exchange economy☆

Abstract A model of a dynamic exchange economy is presented. Similarly to the Walrasian equilibrium problem, each consumer is characterized by a feasible set and by an instantaneous demand function, that depends on the price vector, time, and the commodity holding. The commodity holding of each consumer varies, at each moment, according to this instantaneous demand function. We show that the market can choose prices that keep the commodity holding of each consumer within his consumption set, while ensuring that the aggregate commodity holding satisfies the scarcity constraints of the market.
New methods for the identification of finite state systems

This paper develops a set of new algorithms for the identification of various classes of finite state systems. The new algorithms are designed to be much more efficient than the previously available methods. However, since they are based on the use of a heuristic, they are not guaranteed to produce the optimum model for a given data system for a given number of states. A set of experiments was conducted to verify that the new methods are, indeed, more efficient. The experiments also indicate that the new algorithms are able to identify satisfactory models for the data systems, although perhaps requiring more states than the optimum.
Recent Strategies for Retrieving Chemical Structure Information on the Web.

Abstract The ability to search and display chemical structures is as important as to search journal articles by authors or by titles. This paper discusses various structural searching methods available on the web. Some databases such as the Brookhaven Protein Database use keyword searching which does not provide the desired substructure search capabilities. Others like CS CheinFinder and MDL's Chemscape use graphical plug-in programs. Although plug-in programs provide more capabilities, users first have to obtain a copy of the programs. Due to this limitation, Tripos's WebSketch and ACD Interactive Lab adopt a different approach. Using JAVA applets, users create and display a structure query of the molecule on the web page without using other software. In short, chemical substructure searching has entered a new era. This new technique will likely extend itself to other electronic publications.
Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines induce broad immunological reactivity to both internal virion components and influenza surface proteins

There are a number of related goals of influenza vaccination, including elicitation of protective antibodies and induction of cellular CD4 and CD8+ T cell responses. Because CD4+ T cell expansion and functionality are influenced by peptide specificity and T cell gene expression can be modified by repeated re-stimulations, it is important to evaluate how frequent influenza vaccinations affect CD4+ T cell dependent functions in protective immunity to influenza. Trivalent influenza vaccines (TIV) have production of neutralizing antibodies to HA as their primary goal and main criteria for efficacy. Accordingly, they are not characterized for any other viral components. In the current study, we evaluated whether other influenza virus proteins were present in commercial TIV at levels sufficient for immunogenicity in vivo. Mice that differed with regard to their expressed class II molecules were used in concert with peptide-stimulated cytokine ELISPOT assays to comprehensively evaluate the CD4+ T cell antigen specificity induced by the TIV. Our studies revealed that NA, NP, M1 and NS1 were present in sufficient quantities in the TIV to prime and boost CD4+ T cells. These results suggest that in humans, the broad CD4+ T cell repertoire induced by live infection is continually boosted and maintained throughout life by regular vaccination with licensed intramuscular split vaccines. The implications raised by our findings on CD4+ T cell functionality in influenza are discussed.