cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breast Milk CD4+ T Cells Express High Levels of C Chemokine Receptor 5 and CXC Chemokine Receptor 4 and Are Preserved in HIV-Infected Mothers Receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

Background. Transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to the infant through breast-feeding is a major problem worldwide; however, the biological circumstances of such transmission remain unclear. Little characterization of breast milk CD4 + T lymphocytes has been done so far. Methods. We performed a detailed immunophenotypic analysis of T lymphocytes in the breast milk, compared with the blood, of HIV-uninfected (n = 9) and HIV-infected (n = 10) women receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy, by use of multiparameter flow cytometry. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric comparisons were performed using SAS software (version 9.1; SAS Institute). Results. In uninfected women, 44%-78% of breast milk CD4 + T cells expressed the C chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), whereas 26%-73% of cells coexpressed CCR5 and CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). In contrast, only 7%-20% of peripheral blood CD4 + T cells expressed CCR5 and 1%-20% coexpressed CCR5 and CXCR4. The level of CCR5 expression in CD4 + T cells in breast milk was higher than in blood. In HIV-infected women, the high frequency of CD4 + CCR5 + T cells in breast milk was preserved. Conclusions. A majority of CD4 + T cells in breast milk express high levels of CCR5 and CXCR4. Unlike other mucosal immune sites, in which CD4 + CCR5 + T cells are rapidly eliminated by HIV, these cells are preserved in breast milk during HIV infection.
The prenatal developmental profile of expression of opioid peptides and receptors in the mouse brain

Abstract Although the postnatal development of opioid systems of mammalian brain has been well studied, little is known about the ontogeny of and relationship between embryonic (E) opioid peptides and their receptors. Moreover, a simultaneous assessment of levels of the 3 classes of opioid peptides and their putative receptors during embryonal development has not been made. To this end, the ontogeny of opioid peptides and receptors in mouse brain were examined during the period E11.5 to postnatal day 1 (P1). Met-enkephalin, dynorphin and β-endorphin immunoreactivity were detected before their putative opioid receptors. β-Endorphin can be discerned as early as E11.5, whereas μ binding was first observed at E12.5. Although dynorphin and Met-enkephalin were measurable at the same time as β-endorphin, κ-receptors were not detected until E14.5 and δ sites were not found at all prenatally. Differences in immunoreactivity levels of the 3 peptides occur with dynorphin being lower than Met-enkephalin and β-endorphin, consistent with a low Bmax for κ binding. Expression of the 3 opioid peptides as well as μ and κ opioid receptors rapidly increase in parallel from E14.5 to E18.5. Interestingly, levels of β-endorphin diminish by P1, the stage at which a sharp rise of μ receptors occurs. In a comparative study of the binding of β-endorphin1–31, its truncated form (1–27) and their N-acetyl derivatives to E14.5 brain membranes, β-endorphin1–31 exhibited the highest affinity.
Ageing, Meaning and the Allocation of Resources

Different scenarios for an ageing society presume different approaches to the meaning of old age. One scenario anticipates a Prolongation of Morbidity, where quality of life concerns might permit active euthanasia or suicide as a means of saving money. Those who believe in a Compression of Morbidity opt for health promotion to delay morbidity in favour of productive ageing. Optimists look to a scenario of Lifespan Extension, where scarce health resources are not expended for incremental gains in life expectancy but rather for basic research to postpone or eliminate ageing. Finally, those who emphasize Voluntary Acceptance of Limits identify the meaning of old age with voluntary acceptance of finitude, where claims of future generations might limit longevity for any one generation. Thus, contrasting meanings such as quality of life, productive ageing, indefinite survival and voluntary limits entail very different consequences for the allocation of scarce resources across age-groups and among sub-groups of the elderly population.
Conductivity and complex permittivity of langatate at high temperature up to 900°C

There are a large number of high-temperature sensing and frequency control applications that can be addressed using acoustic wave devices capable of operation at high-temperatures. For those applications, it is important to characterize the acoustic properties of the piezoelectric crystal used as substrate at elevated temperatures. Langatate (LGT) is one of the crystals which allow the fabrication of SAW devices at elevated temperatures. In a previous work, the authors measured and discussed the LGT elastic constants up to 900°C. This paper reports the langatate complex dielectric permittivity and conductivity from 25 to 900°C. The constants were extracted from impedance measurements of parallel-plate capacitors fabricated with Pt/Rh/ZrO 2 electrodes on LGT wafers aligned along the X and Z crystalline axes. The real permittivities, έ 11 and έ 33 , were found to change significantly in the range from 25 to 900°C with a 38% increase and a 49% decrease of their room temperature values, respectively. Thus, it is important to include the extracted high temperature permittivities when designing LGT acoustic wave devices and not simply to use extrapolated low temperature data. Both LGT conductivity and imaginary permittivity are necessary to quantify the electrical losses of sensors, signal-processing, and frequency-control devices operating with this substrate at high-temperatures.
METHYL SALICYLATE FLUORESCENCE AS A PROBE OF THE GEOMETRY OF COMPLEXATION TO CYCLODEXTRINS

Methyl salicylate (MS) is found to form complexes with α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins in aqueous solution. The fluorescence of the complexes differ dramatically from that of MS in pure aqueous solution in the case of α- and γ-cyclodextrin, but is similar to that of MS in pure aqueous solution in the case of β-cyclodextrin. The binding constants for the complexes have been evaluated and the fluorescence of the complexes has been employed to infer the geometry of the complexes.
Effect of Total Body X-Irradiation on the Tryptophan Peroxidase Activity of Rat Liver

SummaryTotal-body x-irradiation produces within a few hours a dose-dependent increase in the tryptophan peroxidase-oxidase system of rat liver. The increase does not occur in adrenalectomized rats, and hence cannot be construed as a direct effect of x-irradiation.
Development of a Particle-Bubble Collision Model for Flotation columns

Particle-bubble collisions in bubble swarm systems have been modelled based on previous work on single bubble systems and bubbly flow characterization. This approach relates the overall collision probability to bubble and particle sizes, gas holdup, column height, and other operating parameters, thus providing a theoretical basis for column design and analysis of particle collection in flotation columns. The simulated results indicate that the existing collision models based on single bubble systems cannot be accurately applied to actual flotation columns for analysis of the particle-bubble collision process. This is mainly due to the effect of gas holdup, bubble interaction, and multi-layers of bubbles in a swarm. For column flotation of fine particles under normal operating conditions, a recovery zone of about 10 meters is sufficient to ensure that the collision probability approaches unity. For bigger particles, higher gas holdups, and smaller bubble sizes, much shorter recovery zone heights can be used to achieve the same high collision probability.
Asymmetric synthesis of β-lactams and n-benzoyl-3-phenylisoserines via the staudinger reaction

Abstract Reaction of benzaldimine 5 derived from 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-galactoseamine with acid chloride 6 yields cis β-lactam 7 as a single diastereoisomer. Hydrolysis of β-lactam 7 followed by N-benzoylation provides access toward N-benzoyl (2S,3R)-3-phenylisoserine 9. N-Benzoyl-3-phenylisoserines are important building blocks for the semi-synthesis of the anti-cancer agent taxol.
Heat stress and the fitness consequences of climate change for terrestrial ectotherms

Summary Climate change will increase both average temperatures and extreme summer temperatures. Analyses of the fitness consequences of climate change have generally omitted negative fitness and population declines associated with heat stress. Here, we examine how seasonal and interannual temperature variability will impact fitness shifts of ectotherms from the past (1961–1990) to future (2071–2100), by modelling thermal performance curves (TPCs) for insect species across latitudes. In temperate regions, climate change increased the length of the growing season (increasing fitness) and increased the frequency of heat stress (decreasing fitness). Consequently, species at mid-latitudes (20–40°) showed pronounced but heterogeneous responses to climate change. Fitness decreases for these species were accompanied by greater interannual variation in fitness. An alternative TPC model and a larger data set gave qualitatively similar results. How close maximum summer temperatures are to the critical thermal maximum of a species – the thermal buffer – is a good predictor of the change in mean fitness expected under climate change. Thermal buffers will decrease to near or below zero by 2100 for many tropical and mid-latitude species. Our forecasts suggest that mid-latitude species will be particularly susceptible to heat stress associated with climate change due to temperature variation.
A Fifty-Year Follow-up of Terman's Youngest College Students and IQ-Matched Agemates:

The 19 youngest college students in Terman's classic longitudinal study were compared with others of the same approximate age and IQ on academic and career progress and psychosocial adjustment. The...
Review of Duane Elgin's Book: The Living Universe: Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?

A close look at Elgin analysis shows that science has been unable to get beyond the three-fold archetype (receiving, sending, and middle-term), and it is this archetype that hints at Elgin`s conclusion. Elgin gives the false impression that most scientists will welcome his conclusion (or rediscovery). No, only some will have the level of maturity to find something significant in Elgin`s work. Many will accuse Elgin of being pseudo-scientific, but they are wrong. True, Elgin`s account is less about science as it is known traditionally, but his interpretation of the evidence is the correct one (in my view). Elgin presents a philosophical and spiritual treatment that recognizes the scientific evidence that is found beholding to the three-fold archetype. And this is not to say that all presented evidence is valid enough to give its support to Elgin`s thesis. For example, Elgin (page 103) mentions sting theory: "the particle nature of matter gives way to unimaginably small, vibrating loops of non-material strings." But string theory remains a wild speculation, and it adds little value to Elgin`s worthy insights. You can find this book at Amazon: The Living Universe: Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?
Lost in a labyrinth of workstations

Two efforts at descriptive name service for workstations are discussed. The Networked Resource Discovery Project proposes to use signposts to locate resources. This approach is effective in the search for one of many instances of a service. Nomenclator is a system that combines maps with signs. Early Nomenclator results indicate that there are significant performance advantages to be had by using a combination of signs and maps to locate resources. If this approach to descriptive name services is pursued, it is argued that users will not become lost in a labyrinth of workstations. >
Role of isoprene in secondary organic aerosol formation on a regional scale

The role of isoprene as a source of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is studied using laboratory-derived SOA yields and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional-scale Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system over a domain comprising the contiguous United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. Isoprene is predicted to be a significant source of biogenic SOA, leading to increases up to 3.8 μg m^(−3) in the planetary boundary layer (PBL, defined as 0–2.85 km) and 0.44 μg m^(−3) in the free troposphere over that in the absence of isoprene. While the addition of isoprene to the class of SOA-forming organics in CMAQ increases appreciably predicted fine-particle organic carbon (OC_(2.5)) in the eastern and southeastern U.S., total OC_(2.5) is still underpredicted in these regions. SOA formation is highly sensitive to the value of the enthalpy of vaporization of the SOA. The role of isoprene SOA is examined in a sensitivity study at values of 42 and 156 kJ mol^(−1); both are commonly used in 3-D aerosol models. Prediction of ambient levels of SOA in atmospheric models remains a challenging problem because of the importance of emissions inventories for SOA-forming organics, representation of gas phase atmospheric chemistry leading to semivolatile products, and treatment of the physics and chemistry of aerosol formation and removal.
Structural consistency of behavioural syndromes: does predator training lead to multi-contextual behavioural change?

Behavioural syndromes are suites of behaviours that are correlated across multiple contexts. Syndromes may occur in populations because behaviours are tightly linked by underlying mechanisms, such as genetics or physiology, which constrain flexibility and preclude multi-contextual plasticity. Alternatively, correlated behaviours may not share a common mechanism and may be able to change independently, allowing for potentially maladaptive combinations of traits to be broken apart. We tested these two hypotheses by training Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) which possessed a behavioural syndrome encompassing three contexts, to avoid a potential predator. While we found no difference in magnitude of behavioural change between the trained and control groups, we did find that all subjects generally became shyer toward a potential predator following training and hypothesise that this resulted from sensitization and a predisposition to quickly recognize and adjust behaviour to predator-like stimuli. Importantly, behavioural changes in response to a potential predator did not generate changes in ‘general activity’ or ‘exploration’, and a tri-contextual syndrome broke apart. Our results suggest that in this population of guppies, individuals differ in behavioural plasticity in terms of their response to experience with predation risk and behaviours across contexts are domain specific and are able to change independently of each other. Future research should focus on populations that evolved in high predation environments and, therefore, may possess more rigid syndromes, to determine whether behavioural flexibility is limited.
Improving data quality on low level mercury wastewater analysis

In order to compare treatability test results evaluating low-level mercury (Hg) removal from oil refinery wastewater, improvements in Hg analytical methods were conducted at two US EPA certified analytical labs. The revisions in the analytical protocols improved Hg recoveries and hence enabled more reliable data interpretation and comparison for the specific wastewater tested. Nevertheless, significant differences between results from the two laboratories were identified in a split-sample experiment.
Technology and the Wage Structure: Has Technology's Impact Accelerated Since the 1970s?

This paper assesses the role of technology in generating the growth of wage inequality in the 1980s and 1990s. Much of the existing literature fails to adequately address this issue for two reasons. First, most of the literature fails to examine whether technology's impact on skill demands was greater in the 1980s and 1990s than in the 1970s, which we refer to as the question of acceleration. Since technology is complementary with skill in any given time period, the question which must be answered is whether technology's impact on wage inequality was greater in the 1980s or 1990s relative to earlier periods, i.e., is there evidence of acceleration? Second, the literature fails to adequately address the trends in within-group wage inequality or overall wage inequality; rather, the focus is on the narrower question of skill and education differentials. Also, there has been little examination of employment and wage trends in the 1990s, an important omission since these trends tend not to be consistent with a technology story. We present estimates of technology's impact which incorporate changes in skill-technology complementarities as well as the pace of technological change. Our results show no acceleration of demand for education relative to the 1970s, casting doubt on the technology explanation of growing education differentials and wage inequality. Using an even broader measure of skill (employment by wage levels) we find technology's impact more, not less, favorable on low- and middle-wage men in the post-1979 period. Technology's impact on women workers also does not fit the conventional technology story. Last, there is evidence that technology's skill bias may be neutral in the 1990s.
Relationship of gross appearance of vas fluid during vasovasostomy to sperm quality, obstructive interval and sperm granuloma.

AbstractTo study its intraoperative significance the gross appearance of the vas fluid found during vasovasostomy was compared to the quality of sperm in the fluid, obstructive interval and presence or absence of a histologically proved sperm granuloma. Data were obtained from 648 vasa in 340 patients. As the gross appearance increased in opacity, there was a small decrease in the proportion of morphologically normal, motile sperm (23 to 7 per cent) and a corresponding small increase in the proportion of sperm without tails (2 to 12 per cent). These minor trends had statistical but no intraoperative surgical significance. There was no variation in the proportion of vas fluid azoospermia with gross appearance. There was no significant difference in the gross appearance of the vas fluid with increasing obstructive interval. Finally, the presence or absence of a sperm granuloma had no effect on the gross appearance of the vas fluid, and the appearance had no predictive value relative to sperm granuloma. We c...
Application of Steepest-Entropy-Ascent Quantum Thermodynamics to Predicting Heat and Mass Diffusion From the Atomistic Up to the Macroscopic Level

Conventional first principle approaches for studying non-equilibrium or far-from-equilibrium processes all depend on the mechanics of individual particles or quantum states and as a result, require too many details of the mechanical features of the system to easily or even practically arrive at the value of a macroscopic property. In contrast, thermodynamics, which has been extremely successful in the stable equilibrium realm, provides an approach for determining a macroscopic property without going into the mechanical details. Nonetheless, such a phenomenological approach is not generally applicable to a non-equilibrium process except in the near-equilibrium realm and under the limiting local equilibrium and continuum assumptions, both of which prevent its application across all scales. To address these drawbacks, steepest-entropy-ascent quantum thermodynamics (SEAQT) can be used. It provides an ensemble-based, thermodynamics, first principles approach applicable to the entire non-equilibrium realm even that far-from-equilibrium and does so with a single kinematics and dynamics able to cross all temporal and spatial scales. Based on prior developments by the authors, this paper applies SEAQT to the study of mass and heat diffusion. Specifically, the study focuses on the thermodynamic features of far-from-equilibrium state evolution. Two kinds of size effects on the evolution trajectory, i.e., concentration and volume effects, are discussed.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Hormones and sex differences: changes in cardiac electrophysiology with pregnancy

Disruption of cardiac electrical activity resulting in palpitations and syncope is often an early symptom of pregnancy. Pregnancy is a time of dramatic and dynamic physiological and hormonal changes during which numerous demands are placed on the heart. These changes result in electrical remodelling which can be detected as changes in the electrocardiogram (ECG). This gestational remodelling is a very under-researched area. There are no systematic large studies powered to determine changes in the ECG from pre-pregnancy, through gestation, and into the postpartum period. The large variability between patients and the dynamic nature of pregnancy hampers interpretation of smaller studies, but some facts are consistent. Gestational cardiac hypertrophy and a physical shift of the heart contribute to changes in the ECG. There are also electrical changes such as an increased heart rate and lengthening of the QT interval. There is an increased susceptibility to arrhythmias during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Some changes in the ECG are clearly the result of changes in ion channel expression and behaviour, but little is known about the ionic basis for this electrical remodelling. Most information comes from animal models, and implicates changes in the delayed-rectifier channels. However, it is likely that there are additional roles for sodium channels as well as changes in calcium homoeostasis. The changes in the electrical profile of the heart during pregnancy and the postpartum period have clear implications for the safety of pregnant women, but the field remains relatively undeveloped.
Las voces de la resistencia: una lectura sobre tres cuentos fuenmayorianos

Este articulo examina los personajes principales de tres cuentos de la coleccion La muerte en la calle (1967), de Jose Felix Fuenmayor: “Utria se destapa”, “Con el doctor afuera” y “La muerte en la calle”. Este analisis se propone ilustrar como el lenguaje de sujetos campesinos y marginales se constituye en una herramienta propicia no solo para registrar las tensiones ideologicas entre dos visiones de mundo, la urbana y la campesina, sino tambien para efectuar simbolicamente una resistencia frente al dominio cultural urbano
EMG Evaluation of a Bed Assistive Device for Patients

Limited research is available in understanding or evaluating the physical benefits of self-transfer devices for patients following major surgery. The objective of this study was to quantify muscle activity while using an assistive device during bed-rise exercises. Twenty participants (9 males, 11 females) participated. A laboratory study using a repeated measures design was used to test the effects of bed rise condition (manual, assisted), device (ABNOSTRAIN™, Bed Pull-Up), device anchor height (7“, 13” above bed surface), and head elevation angle (0°, 30°) on mean and peak muscle activity of the upper and lower rectus abdominus and external oblique. Results indicated that the use of a device significantly reduced muscle activity at all three muscle sites evaluated compared to unassisted bed rising. Also, having a higher anchor height or bed elevation angle further significantly reduced muscle activity.
Where Can Open Collaboration Thrive? A Model of Performance

Patterns of collaboration once observed mainly in open source software have mushroomed beyond it, constituting an important part of the informal economy. As the economic impact of, and the interest...
Improved Efficiency and Reduced Cost in Marketing

Substantial progress has been made in reducing the costs of production and manufacturing activities. But similar cost reductions in marketing activities—particularly those associated with physical ...
How the heart failure picture has changed.

HAVE YOU EVER BUMPED into someone you haven't seen for years and noticed how much he's changed? Take that thought and apply it to how you view heart failure (HF). In the past 10 years, advances in understanding HF have dramatically altered the approach to managing patients with this common syndrome. Beliefs and therapies that once were gold standards are now obsolete and in some cases considered dangerous. In this article, i'll give you an overview of the evolving trends in under-standing, recognizing, and managing HF.
Developing Latent Semantic Similarity in Initial, Unstructured Interactions: The Words May Be All You Need

We investigated how same-sex strangers develop latent semantic similarity (LSS)—that is, how they come to use words in the same way—in their initial interactions. In a previous study, Babcock, Ta, and Ickes found evidence suggesting that dyad members’ talking, looking, and acknowledging are important behaviors for the development of dyad-level LSS. Using a different sample of initial interactions, we replicated the major findings of Babcock et al., but found that, in both data sets, only those behaviors that introduced words into the conversation were uniquely predictive of LSS. These findings suggest that “the words may be all you need,” and that LSS might develop as effectively in non–face-to-face (i.e., computer-mediated) conversations in which only words are exchanged as in face-to-face conversations in which nonverbal behaviors are exchanged as well.
A comparative analysis of the photobiology of Zooxanthellae and Zoochlorellae symbiotic with the temperate clonal anemone Anthopleura elegantissima (Brandt) I. Effect of temperature

Throughout its geographic range, the temperate-zone anemone Anthopleura elegantissima is the host of one or both of two distinctively different symbiotic microalgae: a dinoflagellate Symbiodinium (zooxanthellae, ZX) and a chlorophyte (zoochlorellae, ZC). Given the broad vertical intertidal and latitudinal range of this anemone, we investigated the role of temperature in determining whether A. elegantissima supports one algal symbiont over the other and whether temperature regulates the observed distributions of natural populations of ZX and ZC. Temperature appears to be a key factor in regulating both the photophysiology and metabolism of this algal–cnidarian association. In anemones containing ZX, neither algal densities nor chlorophyll content varied with temperature (6–24 °C); in contrast, anemones with ZC displayed reduced densities and chlorophyll content at the highest temperature treatment (24 °C). Both ZX and ZC photosynthetic rates were directly related to temperature, as were anemone respiration rates. The higher photosynthetic rates, maintenance of a stable algal density and chlorophyll content, and higher potential contribution of algal carbon toward animal respiration (CZAR) suggest that the ZX are the more viable symbiont as temperature increases, but we suggest alternative reasons why ZC are preserved in this symbiotic association. Elevated temperatures reduce ZC densities and chlorophyll, suggesting that higher temperatures affect this relationship in a negative fashion, presumably due to a higher cost of maintaining ZC by the association; alternatively, these costs may be affiliated with the deterioration of the ZC themselves. These results suggest that temperature may be one of the most significant environmental parameters that sets the intertidal microhabitat and latitudinal distribution patterns of the two algal taxa observed in the field.
Black Families and Black Identity Development : Rediscovering the Distinction Between Self-esteem and Reference Group Orientation

The revisionist liteťature on Black family was then summarized and it was concluded that the Frazier Model must be rejected for the new literature indicates that between the end of slavery up to the most recent times, the vast majority of Black children were being raised in intact households embedded in a kin-network. Given this new historical view of Black household composition, the identity literature was re-examined. The re-examination revealed that while allegedly studying the same phenomenon, i.e., self-concept, researchers involved in the study of Black (and white) identity development have relied on two distinct assessment strategies. One appears to have been assessing reference group orientation and the other, personal identity. When the two types of studies were separated and analyzed, neither offered evidence of negative identity in Blacks, rather it was found that (1) the personal identity of Black children matched that of white cohorts, and (2) Black people have shown a dramatic shift in reference group orientation subsequent to the Black Power Phase of the Black Social Movement.
Cost Effective Modification of a Supine Exercise Bicycle for Arm Ergometry

A quick, cost-effective modification of a supine bicycle table that enables patients to exercise with their upper extremities is described. This modification makes available thallium exercise scintigraphy to the patient population that is unable to perform conventional treadmill or bicycle exercise. Replacement of the bicycle footpedals with hand grips is both inexpensive and easily accomplished. Arm ergometry has been well received by patients, and good quality thallium images have been obtained without significant chest muscle artifact.
Suitability of NFC for Medical Device Communication and Power Delivery

Near Field Communications (NFC) is a 13.56 MHz inductively coupled power delivery and communication protocol that extends the ISO 14443 RFID standard. Low cost NFC scanner subsystems are anticipated to be widely incorporated in coming generations of commodity cellular phones. We consider the potential of this emerging infrastructure to provide convenient and low cost power distribution and communication channels for a range of medical devices. For example, an NFC device within a cell phone could relay measurements collected from a defibrillator-pacemaker to a monitoring physician, remotely control an insulin pump, or activate an implanted neural simulation system. NFC devices pose similar bio-compatibility challenges to other implanted electronics without requiring the provisioning of battery power to support communication. Furthermore, an NFC communication subsystem's power-independence provides a measure of defense against potential denial-of-service attacks that consume power in order to discharge a capacity-limited power source. The 13.56 MHz band has minimal interaction with human and animal tissues. We conducted several successful proof-of- concept experiments communicating with with ISO 14443 tags implanted at multiple locations within a human cadaver. Magnetic field strength decays with the cube of distance-to- antenna, limiting limits the range of potential eavesdroppers. At present, NFC protocols do not provide an appropriate set of privacy properties for implanted medical applications. However, NFC devices are implemented using embedded general purpose processors and thus only software modifications would be required to support protocol extensions with enhanced privacy.
Time domain dielectric spectroscopy of plant stems

Measurement of the dielectric properties of biological materials is important for many reasons. One in particular is the comparison of the properties of living systems with each other and with inorganic materials. Such studies can lead to a better understanding of the various conduction and polarization processes in living systems exposed to applied fields and perhaps to the development of models for non-thermal electromagnetic bioeffects. Unfortunately the in-vivo determination of the dielectric properties of biomateriale is often complicated by electrode effects. This paper describes two time-domain methods used to eliminate the contribution from electrodes and then obtain the intrinsic dielectric properties of plant stems.
Cost and energy demand of producing nickel manganese cobalt cathode material for lithium ion batteries

Abstract The price of the cathode active materials in lithium ion batteries is a key cost driver and thus significantly impacts consumer adoption of devices that utilize large energy storage contents (e.g. electric vehicles). A process model has been developed and used to study the production process of a common lithium-ion cathode material, lithiated nickel manganese cobalt oxide, using the co-precipitation method. The process was simulated for a plant producing 6500 kg day −1 . The results indicate that the process will consume approximately 4 kWh kg NMC −1 of energy, 15 L kg NMC −1 of process water, and cost $23 to produce a kg of Li-NMC333. The calculations were extended to compare the production cost using two co-precipitation reactions (with Na 2 CO 3 and NaOH), and similar cathode active materials such as lithium manganese oxide and lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide. A combination of cost saving opportunities show the possibility to reduce the cost of the cathode material by 19%.
Unrelated Donor (URD) or Partially Matched Related Donor (PMRD) Peripheral Stem Cell Transplant (PSCT) with CD34+ Selection and CD3+ Addback for Pediatric Patients with Leukemias.

Abstract PSCT is becoming increasingly more common, as large doses of PSCs may result in faster engraftment than bone marrow, and high PSC doses may be advantageous in decreasing graft rejection. PSCs contain several logs more T cells than bone marrow, and most studies have shown an increased risk of extensive chronic GVHD with unmodified PSCs. However, purified CD34+ cells may be associated with increased graft failure (Bornhauser, et al. Br J Haematol 118:1095, 2002) or relapse. To decrease the risks of both chronic GVHD and graft failure, and maintain potential graft vs. leukemia effect, we used CD34+ selection with a defined dose of CD3+ cells in the product at the time of infusion for URD or PMRD PSCT. We report on the first 23 patients (pts) on this IRB approved study. Conditioning was thiotepa 10mg/kg, cyclophosphamide 120 mg/kg and TBI 12 Gy/6 fractions. Lung shielding after 8 Gy and methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg at day+8 were initiated when it became apparent that engraftment syndrome was being observed in the first 10 patients. GVHD prophylaxis was cyclosporine, followed by oral tacrolimus, which was weaned by 120 days in the absence of GVHD. CD34+ selection was accomplished with the Isolex 300i device and resulted in an average T cell depletion of 4.2 logs. The positive fraction had an average purity of 94%, and T cells obtained from the negative fraction were added to the positively selected product at the time of infusion to achieve the defined T-cell dose of 5 x 105/kg CD3+. The remaining portion of the negative fraction was cryopreserved in multiple aliquots for DLI, if needed. There were 12 males; median age was10 yrs (range, 3–22). Diagnoses included: ALL: 6, AML/MDS:12, CML: 3, JMML: 2. URDs were used for 22 patients, and related donor for 1. This was the second transplant for one pt with MDS. Donors were matched by high resolution typing for13 pts; mismatches included A for 5 pts, B and C loci for 3 pts, DQB1 for 2 pts. The median CD34+ dose infused was 6.6 x 106/kg (1.3–12.4). Engraftment occurred in all pts, with ANC>500 at a median of 14 days (10–19), and platelets >20K in 15 pts at a median of 22 days (13–33). Eleven patients (48%) are alive in remission 7–25 months post SCT (med, 18). Grades I-II GVHD occurred in 15 pts, grade III in 1, and grade IV in association with HHV6 in 1 pt. Limited chronic GVHD occurred in 8 of 12 evaluable pts (67%), and has resolved in all but one. Two pts with AML relapsed at 3 and 18 months. Ten pts died at d 32–85 from CMV (2), ARDS (5), HHV6/infection (2), bacterial sepsis(1). Both pts who developed CMV pneumonitis were seropositive, with seronegative donors; one developed pneumonitis at day +20, with negative antigenemia. Pts with CML were negative for bcr-abl by PCR
Abstract 391: Both STAT3 Activation and Cholesterol Efflux Contribute to the Anti-inflammatory Effect of ABCA1/apoa-interaction

Macrophages play a central role in atherogenesis through accumulation of lipids and production of inflammatory cytokines. ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), a cell membrane protein that is essential for HDL synthesis and reverse cholesterol transport, appears to protect against cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by several mechanisms that include removal of cholesterol from arterial wall macrophages and suppression of inflammation. We have shown that in addition to its cholesterol export activity, ABCA1 functions as an anti-inflammatory signaling receptor through activation of the STAT3 pathway independent of its cholesterol export activity. Several studies have suggested that altering cholesterol content of macrophages can affect their inflammatory activities as well. To dissect the role of lipid export and STAT3 activation on the anti-inflammatory effect of apoA-I or its mimetic peptides /ABCA1 interactions, we created an ABCA1 mutant, ABCA1/Y924F-Y1990F with normal lipid export activity but lacking STAT3 activation, and an ABCA1 mutant, ABCA1/W590S, which has normal STAT3 activation capacity but lacking lipid export activity. We transfected ABCA1/WT, ABCA1/Y924F-Y1990F and ABCA1/W590S using lentivirus techniques back into peritoneal macrophages isolated from mice lacking ABCA1. We found that activation of the STAT3 pathway by the apoA-I or its mimetic peptides/ABCA1 interaction without cholesterol efflux is sufficient to significantly decrease inflammatory cytokines expression. Interestedly, increasing cholesterol efflux by the interaction of ABCA1 with apoA-I or its mimetic peptides without STAT3 activation can also decrease the inflammatory response in macrophages. The maximal anti-inflammatory effect of ABCA1/apoA-I interaction appeared only when STAT3 pathway was activated and cholesterol efflux was increased. Taken together, those studies suggest that both STAT3 activation and cholesterol efflux contribute to the anti-inflammatory efflux of ABCA1/apoA-I interaction by in a synergistic manner. Identifying apoA-I mimetic peptides and small molecules to activate both cholesterol efflux and STAT3 may be a new strategy in the development of therapeutic agents that target ABCA1 pathways for treating CVD.
Limited distal organelles and synaptic function in extensive monoaminergic innervation

Organelles such as neuropeptide-containing dense-core vesicles (DCVs) and mitochondria travel down axons to supply synaptic boutons. DCV distribution among en passant boutons in small axonal arbors is mediated by circulation with bidirectional capture. However, it is not known how organelles are distributed in extensive arbors associated with mammalian dopamine neuron vulnerability, and with volume transmission and neuromodulation by monoamines and neuropeptides. Therefore, we studied presynaptic organelle distribution in Drosophila octopamine neurons that innervate ∼20 muscles with ∼1500 boutons. Unlike in smaller arbors, distal boutons in these arbors contain fewer DCVs and mitochondria, although active zones are present. Absence of vesicle circulation is evident by proximal nascent DCV delivery, limited impact of retrograde transport and older distal DCVs. Traffic studies show that DCV axonal transport and synaptic capture are not scaled for extensive innervation, thus limiting distal delivery. Activity-induced synaptic endocytosis and synaptic neuropeptide release are also reduced distally. We propose that limits in organelle transport and synaptic capture compromise distal synapse maintenance and function in extensive axonal arbors, thereby affecting development, plasticity and vulnerability to neurodegenerative disease.
Using Homomorphisms to transfer options across continuous reinforcement learning domains

We examine the problem of Transfer in Reinforcement Learning and present a method to utilize knowledge acquired in one Markov Decision Process (MDP) to bootstrap learning in a more complex but related MDP. We build on work in model minimization in Reinforcement Learning to define relationships between state-action pairs of the two MDPs. Our main contribution in this work is to provide a way to compactly represent such mappings using relationships between state variables in the two domains. We use these functions to transfer a learned policy in the first domain into an option in the new domain, and apply intra-option learning methods to bootstrap learning in the new domain. We first evaluate our approach in the well known Blocksworld domain. We then demonstrate that our approach to transfer is viable in a complex domain with a continuous state space by evaluating it in the Robosoccer Keepaway domain.
Fatigue crack propagation of aerospace aluminum alloy 7075-T651 in high altitude environments

Abstract Fracture mechanics fatigue testing of 7075-T651 in environmental conditions pertinent to high altitude airframe operation established the fatigue crack growth behavior over a wide span of stress intensity range (ΔK). Two distinct methods were used to control the environmental severity parameter of water vapor pressure over frequency (PH2O/f): (1) at 23 °C the PH2O value was controlled by an ultra-high vacuum system into which purified water was leaked, and (2) the testing temperature was decreased to temperatures as low as −65 °C allowing an equilibrium PH2O over ice at a given temperature to be maintained. Decreasing PH2O at 23 °C (at a constant f) results in a drastic reduction in the fatigue behavior, strongly suggesting that the reduction in moisture is a primary mechanism controlling the retarded fatigue crack growth behavior observed at low termperatures. Additionally, studies conducted at a corresponding PH2O/f with various testing temperatures down to −15 °C show that fatigue crack growth rate (FGCR) behavior is consistent with data generated at 23 °C. However, at temperatures below −30 °C, low T tests exhibit crack growth rates below the 23 °C results despite having the same PH2O/f value. This suggests that the strong role of environmental moisture reduction is augmented by a separate temperature dependent effect on either the inherent dislocation behavior and/or a separate aspect of the Hydrogen Environment Embrittlement (HEE) process. Mechanisms based purely on temperature dependent dislocation behavior fail to fully describe the experimental observations. Temperature dependent impacts on the HEE process (apart from the reduction of the PH2O) via influencing the surface reaction process to generate atomic H at the crack tip or the diffusion of the H within the crack tip process zone do not adequately describe the observed experimental data. Furthermore, a dip in the crack growth rate at −30 °C suggests that molecular flow of H2O from the bulk to the crack tip is in part responsible for the temperature dependent behavior. Such behavior is hypothesized to be caused by the preferential onset of a rough crack wake morphology (likely slip band cracking) at low temperatures, that impedes molecular flow from the bulk to the crack tip. This behavior strongly suggests an important temperature dependence of the dislocation motion or H-dislocation interactions on the observed FCGR behavior.
Programmable Flow Injection. Principle, methodology and application for trace analysis of iron in a sea water matrix

Abstract Automation of reagent based assays by Flow Injection is based on sample processing, in which a sample flows continuously towards and through a detector for monitoring of its components. There are three drawbacks to using this approach. The constant continuous forward flow: continually consumes reagents and generates chemical waste and necessitates a compromise when optimizing the performance of the reagent based assay. The reason is that individual steps of an assay protocol, i.e., sample and reagent metering, mixing, incubation, monitoring and efficient washout are carried out most efficiently on different time scales and therefore at different flowrates. Programmable Flow Injection (pFI) eliminates all three drawbacks and permits the execution of optimization of the assay protocol by means of a computer. This paper details this novel approach to method development by optimization of an assay of iron at nanomolar levels and its application to its determination in a sea water matrix. The pFI method was developed in two variants: Stop in Holding Coil (SHC) and Stop in Flow cell (SFC). The SHC method has a Limit of Detection (LOD = 3.1 ppb or 55 nM Fe, precision of 1.9% r.s.d. at ~ 90 nM, and sampling frequency of 90 samples/h. The SFC method had LOD = 0.57 ppb or 10 nM Fe, precision of 0.8% r.s.d. at ~ 90 nM, and sampling frequency of 40 samples/h and its sensitivity is independent of the salinity of the matrix. The SFC method, and its manual equivalent, was used for the determination of dissolved Fe (II) that had been spiked into several samples of seawater that had been diluted with various volumes of deionized water to mimic coastal seawater. The results showed good agreement between both the SFC and the manual methods.
Transmission Fault Diagnosis With Sensor-Localized Filter Models for Complexity Reduction

This paper presents the results of development, implementation, and test of a sensor-defined partition algorithm of a transmission network, and its application to real-time diagnosis of transmission circuit faults using a multiple-model filter (MMF) method. The partitions are bordered by the measurement nodes of an advanced sensor network overlaid on the power transmission network. The partition aims to reduce the complexity growth of computation and communications from exponential to linear with respect to the system size, while fulfilling high-speed and high-precision diagnosis. The diagnosis is a part of a secondary protection designed to cost-effectively mitigate primary protection misoperations and to deal with new power flow patterns of the evolving power grids. The paper delineates the sensor network requirements that guarantee the transmission networks dynamic observability necessary for high-precision diagnosis with MMFs. A full set of diagnosis filters are built for the 68-bus test system based on the partitioned dynamic models of the transmission network under normal, short-circuited, tripped, and falsely tripped modes, where the partition is defined by a PMU-like sensor network. Diagnosis performance is evaluated through hybrid-simulations, and the reduction of complexity as a result of partition is quantified.
Abstract 456: Rage Suppresses Angiogenesis and Blood Flow Recovery After Hind Limb Ischemia in Diabetic Mice Through Modulation of Macrophage Inflammation and Macrophage-endothelial Interactions

Peripheral vascular disease is a condition characterized by atherosclerotic narrowed arteries distal to the aorta which triggers an acute or critical limb ischemia. Development of ischemic PVD has ...