cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2312: Anti-CS1 x anti-CD3 bispecific antibody (BiAb)-armed anti-CD3 activated T cells (CS1-BATs) specifically kill CS1+ myeloma cells and release type-1 cytokines

Although advances in multiple myeloma (MM) therapy such as stem cell transplantation and newly approved biological agents have shown promising results, MM remains a terminal disease. Thus, new strategies to eliminate or control MM cells are needed. Elotuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody approved for treatment of MM, targets myeloma cells expressing CS1/SLAMF7. We heteroconjugated anti-CD3 (OKT3) and elotuzumab to develop a BiAb, CS1Bi, to target activated T cells (ATC) to CS1+ MM cells. To examine the potential therapeutic activity of BATs against MM, we tested the ability of ATC armed with CS1Bi to bind to MM cell lines, specifically kill MM cells lines expressing different levels of CS1, and produce Th1 cytokines upon engaging MM tumor targets. Initial studies showed that CS1-BATs bound to MM cells by flow cytometry and specifically killed CS1+ targets as measured in a 6 hour 51Cr-release assay. Cytokine secretion by CS1-BATs vs. unarmed ATC (n=2) of interferon-γ (IFN- γ: 512 pg/mL vs. 260pg/mL), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF- α: 450pg/mL vs. 110pg/mL), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF: 217 pg/mL vs. 135 pg/mL), macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α: 8250 pg/mL vs. 400 pg/mL), macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β: 14750 pg/mL vs. 600 pg/mL), and RANTES (3550 pg/mL vs. 2600 pg/mL) were induced when CS1-BATs were co-cultured with CS1+ cell line, L-363 for 24h at E:T of 25:1. A more sensitive quantitative flow cytometry-based cytotoxicity assay was developed based on comparing of the number of eFluor 450-labeled target cells pre- and post-incubation with either CS1Bi-BATs or unarmed ATC prepared from healthy donors, or culture media alone. The number of eFluor450+/7AAD- viable cells/unit volume post-incubation were compared to the number of viable cells in untreated wells to calculate the percent cytotoxicity. This assay reproducibly demonstrated significant killing of five MM cell lines by CS1-BATS (armed with 50ng CS1Bi/106 ATC at an E:T ratio of 1:1) ranging up to 60%, depending on the target line, (n=8). Between 78- 95% of MM.1S cells were eliminated at an E:T ratio of 3:1 (n=2). These data demonstrate the clinical relevance of this anti-MM strategy for use in a Ph1/II clinical trial in patients with relapsed and/or refractory MM. Citation Format: Manley Huang, Archana Thakur, Lawrence G. Lum. Anti-CS1 x anti-CD3 bispecific antibody (BiAb)-armed anti-CD3 activated T cells (CS1-BATs) specifically kill CS1+ myeloma cells and release type-1 cytokines [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2312.
Automated Urinalysis for Evaluation of Microscopic Hematuria: Current Options and Revising the Gold Standard

Introduction:Urinalysis is the defining test for microscopic hematuria and has traditionally been performed via microscopy. In recent years automated urinalysis machines, which use different techno...
Knowledge and the Many Norms on Action

If there is pragmatic encroachment in epistemology, whether a person knows that p can vary with normative facts about her actions—including facts that do not bear on the truth or likelihood of p. This paper raises an underappreciated question for defenders of pragmatic encroachment: which of the many norms on action are distinctively connected to knowledge? To the extent that contemporary defenders of pragmatic encroachment address this question, they do so by citing norms of ‘practical rationality.’ I show that this approach can only be made to work on the assumption that all immorality involves some form of incoherence. I then suggest a pluralist strategy for pragmatic encroachers who seek to answer my question without making this heavyweight metaethical assumption: they should agree that multiple distinct norms on action play a difference-making role in epistemology. I close the paper by sketching three ways in which pragmatic encroachers might pursue this strategy.
Glycosylation Profiles of Airway Epithelium After Repair of Mechanical Injury in Guinea Pigs

Glycosylated structures on the cell surface have a role in cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation. Repair of the airway epithelium after injury requires each of these processes, but the expression of cell surface glycosylation of airway epithelial cells after injury is not known. We examined cell surface glycosylation using lectin-binding profiles of normal and repairing epithelia in Hartley guinea pigs from 0 to 14 days after mechanical injury. The epithelium regenerated completely over 7 days. In normal trachea, galactose- or galactosamine-specific lectins (14 of 20 tested) labelled epithelial cells, but fucose, mannose, and other sugar-specific lectins (15 tested) did not. GSA-2, a glucosamine-specific lectin, labelled epithelial cells weakly in uninjured tracheas, but intense labelling was noted in basal and non-ciliated columnar cells adjacent to the injury site over 3 h to 14 days after injury. Labelling of these cells peaked at 12 h and 5 days after injury respectively. Similar patterns were seen with lectins AlloA and HAA but not with CPA during repair. The binding of the lectin DSA to proteins collected from primary cultures of airway epithelial cells decreased substantially after treatment for 24 h with either transforming growth factor-β or interleukin-1β, but that of the CPA lectin did not. We demonstrate changes in glycosylation profiles of airway epithelial cells coordinate with repair after mechanical injury. These changes may be useful to study mechanisms by which repair is regulated.
Gearing Up the Human Ankle-Foot System to Reduce Energy Cost of Fast Walking.

During locomotion, the human ankle-foot system dynamically alters its gearing, or leverage of the ankle joint on the ground. Shifting ankle-foot gearing regulates speed of plantarflexor (i.e., calf muscle) contraction, which influences economy of force production. Here, we tested the hypothesis that manipulating ankle-foot gearing via stiff-insoled shoes will change the force-velocity operation of plantarflexor muscles and influence whole-body energy cost differently across walking speeds. We used in vivo ultrasound imaging to analyze fascicle contraction mechanics and whole-body energy expenditure across three walking speeds (1.25, 1.75, and 2.0 m/s) and three levels of foot stiffness. Stiff insoles increased leverage of the foot upon the ground (p < 0.001), and increased dorsiflexion range-of-motion (p < 0.001). Furthermore, stiff insoles resulted in a 15.9% increase in average force output (p < 0.001) and 19.3% slower fascicle contraction speed (p = 0.002) of the major plantarflexor (Soleus) muscle, indicating a shift in its force-velocity operating region. Metabolically, the stiffest insoles increased energy cost by 9.6% at a typical walking speed (1.25 m/s, p = 0.026), but reduced energy cost by 7.1% at a fast speed (2.0 m/s, p = 0.040). Stiff insoles appear to add an extra gear unavailable to the human foot, which can enhance muscular performance in a specific locomotion task.
Physical therapy in the emergency department: surveying primary care practitioners' perceptions and recommendations

Background/aims Little is known regarding the impact that physiotherapists can have on patients in the emergency department. A study was carried out to explore attitudes of physicians, physician as...
COSMIC TRAIN WRECK BY MASSIVE BLACK HOLES: DISCOVERY OF A KILOPARSEC-SCALE TRIPLE ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS*

Hierarchical galaxy mergers will lead to the formation of binary and, in the case of a subsequent merger before a binary coalesces, triple supermassive black holes (SMBHs), given that most massive galaxies harbor SMBHs. A triple of SMBHs becomes visible as a triple active galactic nucleus (AGN) when the BHs accrete large amounts of gas at the same time. Here, we report the discovery of a kiloparsec-scale triple AGN, SDSS J1027+1749 at z = 0.066, from our systematic search for hierarchical mergers of AGNs. The galaxy contains three emission-line nuclei, two of which are offset by 450 and 110 km s{sup -1} in velocity and by 2.4 and 3.0 kpc in projected separation from the central nucleus. All three nuclei are classified as obscured AGNs based on optical diagnostic emission line ratios, with black hole mass estimates M{sub .} {approx}> 10{sup 8} M{sub sun} from stellar velocity dispersions measured in the associated stellar components. Based on dynamical friction timescale estimates, the three stellar components in SDSS J1027+1749 will merge in {approx}40 Myr, and their associated SMBHs may evolve into a gravitationally interacting triple system in {approx}< 200 Myr. Our result sets a lower limit of {approx}5 x 10{sup -5} formore » the fraction of kiloparsec-scale triples in optically selected AGNs at z {approx} 0.1.« less
Where There's Smoke, There's Fire: A Case Report of Turbulent Blood Flow in Lower Extremity Point-of-care Ultrasound in COVID-19

Author(s): Nelson, Mathew; Shi, Dorothy; Gordon, Miles; Chavda, Yash; Grimaldi, Christina; Bajaj, Tanya | Abstract: Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may predispose patients to increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) due to various pathophysiological mechanisms, including but not limited to endothelial injury, inflammation, cytokine-mediated microvascular damage, and reactive thrombocytosis. A high risk of vessel thrombosis correlates with disease severity, making early identification and treatment of prime consideration.Although identification of a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism warrants immediate treatment with anticoagulation, trying to predict which COVID-19 patients may be at increased risk for developing these pathologies is challenging.Case Reports: We present two cases of patients with COVID-19 who had ultrasonographic findings of turbulent blood flow within the deep venous system, without clear evidence of acute proximal DVT, who were subsequently found to have significant VTE.nn Conclusion: Point-of-care lower extremity ultrasound has become one of the core applications used by emergency physicians. Typically we perform compression ultrasound for DVT evaluation. This novel finding of turbulent blood flow, or “smoke,” within the deep venous system, may serve as a marker of increased risk of clot development and could be an indication to consider early anticoagulation.
Optical control of the valley Zeeman effect through many-exciton interactions

Charge carriers in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), such as WSe2, have their spin and valley-pseudospin locked into an optically addressable index that is proposed as a basis for future information processing1,2. The manipulation of this spin–valley index, which carries a magnetic moment3, requires tuning its energy. This is typically achieved through an external magnetic field (B), which is practically cumbersome. However, the valley-contrasting optical Stark effect achieves valley control without B, but requires large incident powers4,5. Thus, other efficient routes to control the spin–valley index are desirable. Here we show that many-body interactions among interlayer excitons (IXs) in a WSe2/MoSe2 heterobilayer (HBL) induce a steady-state valley Zeeman splitting that corresponds to B ≈ 6 T. This anomalous splitting, present at incident powers as low as microwatts, increases with power and is able to enhance, suppress or even flip the sign of a B-induced splitting. Moreover, the g-factor of valley Zeeman splitting can be tuned by ~30% with incident power. In addition to valleytronics, our results could prove helpful to achieve optical non-reciprocity using two-dimensional materials. Many-body interactions amongst interlayer excitons in a WSe2/MoSe2 heterobilayer give rise to a strong and tunable effective magnetic field enabling the control of the valley pseudospin.
Neural Network Surrogate Models for Absorptivity and Emissivity Spectra of Multiple Elements.

Simulations of high energy density physics are expensive in terms of computational resources. In particular, the computation of opacities of plasmas, which are needed to accurately compute radiation transport in the non-local thermal equilibrium (NLTE) regime, are expensive to the point of easily requiring multiple times the sum-total compute time of all other components of the simulation. As such, there is great interest in finding ways to accelerate NLTE computations. Previous work has demonstrated that a combination of fully-connected autoencoders and a deep jointly-informed neural network (DJINN) can successfully replace the standard NLTE calculations for the opacity of krypton. This work expands this idea to multiple elements in demonstrating that individual surrogate models can be also be generated for other elements with the focus being on creating autoencoders that can accurately encode and decode the absorptivity and emissivity spectra. Furthermore, this work shows that multiple elements across a large range of atomic numbers can be combined into a single autoencoder when using a convolutional autoencoder while maintaining accuracy that is comparable to individual fully-connected autoencoders. Lastly, it is demonstrated that DJINN can effectively learn the latent space of a convolutional autoencoder that can encode multiple elements allowing the combination to effectively function as a surrogate model.
An 8kb spin-orbit-torque magnetic random-access memory

We’d built 8kb spin-orbit-torque (SOT) MRAM chips to evaluate our cell design and the process recipes to integrate them on CMOS wafer. For the SOT cell, the switching threshold is well correlated to the tungsten channel resistivity. We will show the cell design, integration process to CMOS wafers and the cell properties and array statistics. In this cell and array designs, we show the low switching current capability for the low power application and good thermal stability.
Neurological Considerations for the Care of Patients With Severe Obesity

Patients with severe obesity tend to have higher rates of morbidities which can complicate and even lengthen their hospital admission course. Hospitals which do not have the resources to efficientl...
A Pull-up VCSEL Driver With a Shunt RC Load in 65-nm CMOS

This paper presents a pull-up common-cathode VCSEL driver which consumes less power than the traditional voltage-mode driver and does not require the complex impedance calibration circuitry. A shunt RC load is proposed to mitigate the resonance caused by the package and bond-wire parasitic of the VCSEL. This approach decreases the Q-factor of the complex conjugate poles produced by parasitics. Using a behavioral model of a VCSEL and a 65-nm CMOS technology, simulations show that the proposed scheme increased the vertical eye opening by 13.5% at a data rate of 20 Gb/s.
Passive synthetic aperture radar imaging based on low-rank matrix recovery

We present a novel image formation method for passive synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging. The method is an alternative to Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) based backprojection method. The TDOA based backprojection works under the assumption that the scene is composed of a single or a few widely separated point targets. The new method overcomes this limitation and can reconstruct heterogenous scenes with extended targets. We assume that a scene of interest is illuminated by a stationary transmitter of opportunity with known illumination direction, but unknown location. We consider two airborne receivers collecting back-scattered data from the scene. We correlate the fast-time measurements from both receivers at each slow-time. The correlation process removes the transmitter dependency from the phase of the forward model under the small scene and far-field assumptions. We then define a linear model that maps the tensor product of the scene reflectivity with itself to the correlated measurements. The resulting inverse problem involves recovering a rank-one matrix from correlated measurements. We reconstruct the scene reflectivity by low-rank matrix recovery techniques. Numerical simulations show that the new method is superior to TDOA based backprojection for realistic SAR scenes.
Biochemistry of the dog hookworm: III. Oxidative phosphorylation☆

Abstract Mitochondria isolated from the dog hookworm Ancylostoma caninum were capable of esterifying inorganic phosphate when succinate was oxidized. P O ratios ranging from 0.1 to 0.7 were observed. 2,4-Dinitrophenol at a concentration of 10−4M uncoupled the phosphorylation. The mitochondria lacked respiratory control. NADH-amytal-sensitive respiration was observed in hookworm mitochondria. The NADH respiration was not coupled to phosphorylation. 3-OH-butanoic acid was not oxidized by A. caninum mitochondria. Isolation of hookworm mitochondria in 10−4M EDTA and 5 × 10−3M phosphate buffer stabilized the phosphorylating properties of the mitochondrial suspensions.
THE PROCESS OF LESBIAN IDENTIFICATION

INTRODUCTION Lesbianism "is a way of life, encompassing the whole personality, one facet of which, of course, is sexuality. For her it is the expression of a way of feeling, of loving, of responding to people." (Martin &Lyon 1972) When is a woman a lesbian? On the basis of a single sexual act with another woman? On the basis of an emotional preference for another woman with or without sexual involvement? On the basis of self definition? Identity as "lesbian" can be a complex issue.
Analysis of a PWM-resonant DC-to-DC converter

When a parallel resonant tank is excited by a bipolar current pulse train a sinusoidal voltage develops across the tank whose amplitude depends on the duty cycle of the pulse train. An isolated secondary can be derived by applying the tank voltage to an isolation transformer whose magnetizing inductance acts as the resonance inductor of the tank circuit. A DC output voltage is obtained after rectification and filtering of the sinusoidal secondary voltage and regulation is achieved by controlling the duty-cycle of the pulse train. The sinusoidal nature of the voltage across the isolation transformer alleviates some of the noise problems associated with parasitic capacitances of an isolation transformer when operated with square voltage waveforms. The DC and small-signal analysis of the power converter is given and an equivalent small-signal circuit model is derived. Experimental results which confirm the validity of the model are presented. >
EGFR mutation status in Middle Eastern patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung carcinoma: A single institution experience

Abstract Background Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) represents an important molecular target in the treatment of lung adenocarcinomas; many anti-EGFR therapies are approved as first line and second-line treatment in patients having metastatic lung adenocarcinomas. The occurrence of this mutation varies in terms of race; it is around 10% in Caucasians and can reach 30% in Asians. Its prevalence in our Middle Eastern region is not well known. Methods Patients diagnosed with non-squamous non-small cell lung carcinomas between March 2013 and March 2015 were included. This study was conducted at Hotel-Dieu de France University Hospital, a tertiary medical center in Lebanon. EFGR mutations were analyzed using real time PCR technique on the Rotor-Gene Q using Scorpions and ARMS technologies. The following data was collected: the patients’ characteristics (age, gender, smoking status, stage), the samples’ characteristics (histology subtype, TTF-1 and Napsin A immunostainings, the site and the adequacy and the type of the sample), and the mutational EGFR status (presence and type of mutation). These variables were analyzed using SPSS 20. Results 201 patients were included. The mean age was 65.2 years [31–87]; 40.2% were females. 78.1% of the included patients were smokers or ex-smokers. 12.9% of patients had a localized disease, 17.4% a locally advanced disease and 69.7% a metastatic disease. Adenocarcinoma was the main histologic subtype found in 90.5% of patients, followed by large cell carcinoma (3.5%), adenosquamous carcinoma (3.0%) and non-small cell carcinoma not otherwise specified (3.0%). 11.9% of patients had an EGFR mutation: 48% of them presented a deletion on exon 19, 40.0% a L858R mutation on exon 21, 4.0% a G719X mutation in exon 18, 4.0% an insertion in exon 20, and 4% a T790M mutation in exon 20. The presence of an EGFR mutation was significantly associated with the female gender (two-third) (p Conclusions The prevalence of EGFR mutation (11.9%) detected in our Lebanese population is similar to that observed in the Caucasian population. This mutation is also significantly more frequent in females and non-smokers.
Bioluminescent imaging of Borrelia burgdorferi in vivo demonstrates that the fibronectin-binding protein BBK32 is required for optimal infectivity.

The etiologic agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted via infected Ixodes spp. ticks. Infection, if untreated, results in dissemination to multiple tissues and significant morbidity. Recent developments in bioluminescence technology allow in vivo imaging and quantification of pathogenic organisms during infection. Herein, luciferase-expressing B. burgdorferi and strains lacking the decorin adhesins DbpA and DbpB, as well as the fibronectin adhesin BBK32, were quantified by bioluminescent imaging to further evaluate their pathogenic potential in infected mice. Quantification of bacterial load was verified by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and cultivation. B. burgdorferi lacking DbpA and DbpB were only seen at the 1 h time point post-infection, consistent with its low infectivity phenotype. The bbk32 mutant exhibited a significant decrease in its infectious load at day 7 relative to its parent. This effect was most pronounced at lower inocula and imaging correlated well with qPCR data. These data suggest that BBK32-mediated binding plays an important role in B. burgdorferi colonization. As such, in vivo imaging of bioluminescent Borrelia provides a sensitive means to detect, quantify, and temporally characterize borrelial dissemination in a non-invasive, physiologically relevant environment and, more importantly, demonstrated a quantifiable infectivity defect for the bbk32 mutant.
Invariance and discrimination properties of the optical associative loop

Experimental results are reported for an optical associative memory previously described by the authors (1987). This system is a single-layer neural network architecture simulating a 2D array of approximately 10/sup 5/ neurons on which images can be represented. This array is fully interconnected by holograms, and the system is organized as an autoassociative memory with feedback. An external image projected into the system causes one of the stored images to become a stable state of the system. The ability of the system to recognize distorted version (e.g. rotated, shifted, or scaled) of a stored image depends critically on the gain of the system as the light goes around the loop. High gain provides invariance to distortions but ultimately it also leads to a loss in discrimination against unfamiliar images. Thus there is an optimum choice of parameters of the system that yields optimum performance. A description is given of how the parameters affect the performance of the memory, and the performance (in terms of discrimination vs. invariance) obtained by the experimental system is reported. >
Nuclear factor-kappa B and cancer: its role in prevention and therapy

Cancer is a hyperproliferative disorder in which invasion and angiogenesis lead to tumor metastasis. Several genes that mediate tumorigenesis and metastasis are regulated by a nuclear transcription factor, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB). A heterotrimeric complex consisting of p50, p65, and IkappaBalpha, NF-kappaB is present in its inactive state in the cytoplasm. When NF-kappaB is activated, IkappaBalpha is degraded and p50-p65 heterodimer is translocated to the nucleus, binds the DNA (at the promoter region), and activates gene. Research within the last few years has revealed that NF-kappaB is activated by carcinogens, tumor promoters, inflammatory cytokines, and by chemotherapeutic agents. The activation of NF-kappaB can suppress apoptosis, thus promoting chemoresistance and tumorigenesis. Interestingly, however, most chemopreventive agents appear to suppress the activation of the NF-kappaB through inhibition of NF-kappaB signaling pathway. These chemopreventive agents also sensitize the tumors to chemotherapeutic agents through abrogation of NF-kappaB activation. Overall, these observations suggest that NF-kappaB is an ideal target for chemoprevention and chemosensitization. This article reviews evidence supporting this hypothesis.
Nerve-derived transmitters including peptides influence cutaneous immunology

Clinical observations suggest that the nervous and immune systems are closely related. For example, inflammatory skin disorders; such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, rosacea and acne; are widely believed to be exacerbated by stress. A growing body of research now suggests that neuropeptides and neurotransmitters serve as a link between these two systems. Neuropeptides and neurotransmitters are released by nerves innervating the skin to influence important actors of the immune system, such as Langerhans cells and mast cells, which are located within close anatomic proximity. Catecholamines and other sympathetic transmitters that are released in response to activation of the sympathetic nervous system are also able to reach the skin and affect immune cells. Neuropeptides appear to direct the outcome of Langerhans cell antigen presentation with regard to the subtypes of Th cells generated and neuropeptides induce the degranulation of mast cells, among other effects. Additionally, endothelial cells, which release many inflammatory mediators and express cell surface molecules that allow leukocytes to exit the bloodstream, appear to be regulated by certain neuropeptides and transmitters. This review focuses on the evidence that products of nerves have important regulatory activities on antigen presentation, mast cell function and endothelial cell biology. These activities are highly likely to have clinical and therapeutic relevance.
A retrospective evaluation of chemotherapy dose intensity and supportive care for early-stage breast cancer in a curative setting.

Early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) is commonly treated with myelosuppressive chemotherapy, and maintaining full-dose chemotherapy on the planned schedule is associated with improved patient outcome. Retrospective analysis of patients with ESBC treated from 1997 to 2000 showed that 56 % of patients received a relative dose intensity (RDI) <85 % (Lyman et al., J Clin Oncol 21(24):4524–4531, 2003). To determine current practice, we evaluated treatment patterns at 24 US community- and hospital-based oncology practices, 79 % of which participated in the previous study. Data were abstracted from medical records of 532 patients with surgically resected ESBC (stage I–IIIa) treated from 2007 to 2009, who were ≥18 years old and had completed ≥1 cycle of one of the following regimens: docetaxel + cyclophosphamide (TC); doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide (AC); AC followed by paclitaxel (AC-T); docetaxel + carboplatin + trastuzumab (TCH); or docetaxel + doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide (TAC). Endpoints included RDI, dose delays, dose reductions, grade 3/4 neutropenia, febrile neutropenia (FN), FN-related hospitalization, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) use, and antimicrobial use. In this study, TC was the most common chemotherapy regimen (42 %), and taxane-based chemotherapy regimens were more common relative to the previously published results (89 vs <4 %). Overall, 83.8 % of patients received an RDI ≥85 %, an improvement over the previous study where 44.5 % received an RDI ≥85 %. Other changes seen between this and the previous study included a lower incidence of dose delays (16 vs 25 %) and dose reductions (21 vs 37 %) and increased use of primary prophylactic G-CSF (76 vs ~3 %). Here, 40 % of patients had grade 3/4 neutropenia, 3 % had FN, 2 % had an FN-related hospitalization, and 30 % received antimicrobial therapy; these measures were not available in the previously published results. Though RDI was higher here than in the previous study, 16.2 % of patients still received an RDI <85 %. Understanding factors that contribute to reduced RDI may further improve chemotherapy delivery, and ultimately, patient outcomes.
The upper and general epidermal cytoplasmic immunofluorescent patterns.

The morphology of the upper epidermal cytoplasmic (UEC) and general epidermal cytoplasmic (GEC) immunofluorescent patterns was compared with that found with anti-stratum corneum (ASC) antibodies employing indirect immunofluorescence on human normal skin cryostat sections. With UEC, GEC, and ASC, stippled chains were seen in the granular and keratin layers, the stippled components being Jess numerous with ASC. ASC probably also reacted, although more weakly, at similar epidermal cytoplasmic sites as UEC. Both were usually unreactive with the basal cell layer but reacted with the cytoplasm of the rest of the epidermis. Possibly ASC antibodies represent incomplete types of UEC- inducing antibodies. Both UEC- and GEC-inducing sera appear to be more reactive with the inner part of the epidermal cytoplasm in that there were usually a few places of bright rings of cytoplasmic fluorescence surrounded by a weaker fluorescing rim of outer cytoplasm or by apparent large gaps. This suggested that the cytoplasmic antigens are at least in part intracellular. Although UEC was found in many different conditions, titers of 640 or greater were confined to patients with dermatologic diseases, suggesting that epidermal antigens, including the cytoplasmic antigens which appear to be partially intracellular, become more available to the immune system as a result of pathologic conditions of the skin. There was a greater affinity for skin rather than spleen cytoplasm demonstrated by UEC- inducing sera. GEC-inducing sera were equally reactive with skin and spleen cytoplasm.
Tax reform in economies in transition : a brief introduction to the main issues

The transition from a command to a market economy requires profound reforms of the tax system. Such a transition will put downward pressures on the level of taxation at a time when public expenditure remains high. This paper outlines the main characteristics of the tax systems in centrally-planned economies. It describes recent changes in those tax systems. Finally, it discusses the major difficulties that will be faced, and the errors that must be avoided, during the transition.
Onset of depressive symptoms among adults with asthma: results from a longitudinal observational cohort.

AIMS Individuals with asthma may be at increased risk of depression, but few studies have identified precursors to the onset of depression. The study goal was to identify risk factors for depression onset among a community-based sample of adults with asthma. METHODS Data were obtained from three telephone interviews conducted at 2-yearly intervals on a longitudinal cohort of adults with asthma (n=439). The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CESD) was used to measure depressive symptoms. Multiple regression analyses tested associations of sociodemographic and health-related variables with depression prevalence (cross-sectional analyses) and incident depression (longitudinal analyses). RESULTS 15% of subjects were classified as "depressed" (CESD> or =23) at each interview. Individuals depressed at baseline were more likely to drop out (OR=1.76 [95% CI 1.05, 2.96]). Low perceived control of asthma (measured with the Perceived Control of Asthma Questionnaire [PCAQ]) exhibited the most consistent association with depression. Lower PCAQ was cross-sectionally associated with depression (OR=0.51 per 0.5 SD difference in PCAQ [0.35, 0.75]). Onset of depression was noted in 38 individuals. Decrease in perceived control at follow-up was associated with depression onset (OR=7.47 [2.15, 26.01]). CONCLUSIONS Low perceived control of asthma predicted depression onset among adults with asthma. This risk factor may respond to self-management education.
Low-temperature permittivity of insulating perovskite manganites

Measurements of the low-frequency sf 100 kHzd permittivity s«d and conductivity ssd at T& 150 K are reported for La1˛xCaxMnO3 s0 x 1d and Ca1˛ySryMnO3 s0 y 0.75d having antiferromagnetic, insulating ground states covering a broad range of Mn valencies from Mn 3+ to Mn 4+ . Static dielectric constants are determined from the low-T limiting behavior. With increasing T, relaxation peaks associated with chargecarrier hopping are observed in the real part of the permittivities and analyzed to determine dopant binding energies. The data are consistent with a simple model of hydrogenic impurity levels and imply effective masses m * / me, 3 for the Mn 4+ compounds. Particularly interesting is a large dielectric constant s«0 , 100d associated with the C-type antiferromagnetic state near the composition La0.2Ca0.8MnO3.
Thermochromism in Liquid Crystalline Polydiacetylenes

The thermochromic behavior of diacetylene-containing hydrogen-bonding thermotropic liquid crystalline monomers and a semirigid main chain thermotropic poly(ester-diacetylene) were examined. These materials were successfully designed to undergo dramatic, first-order thermochromic transitions at the onset of their characteristic mesogenic transitions, as exhibited by changes in the shapes and locations of their polydiacetylene absorption bands and the corresponding visually observed color changes. Two different types of chromic response have been observed: one case, the diacid monomer 5,7-DODBA, in which the polydiacetylene chain responds to the liquid crystalline transitions of its host monomeric lattice, and two cases, the 10,12-DHDP monomer and 10,12-DHDP/TC polyester, in which the side chains covalently bonded to the polydiacetylene chain undergo mesogenic transitions that drive the thermochromic transition. It was found that the thermochromic transition is not reversible beyond the melting points of the partially polymerized monomers, whereas the poly(ester-diacetylene) exhibited partial reversibility above the polyester melting point. In all cases, a new absorption curve at higher energies represented the liquid crystalline phase above the mesogenic melt transition.
Positioning within a cultural context: using Ricoeur’s preunderstandings as a heuristic for narrative data analysis in exploring identity, structure, and agency

I argue that Ricoeur’s preunderstandings can be used as a heuristic to aid researchers who collect narratives as data (1) to identify cultural meanings that become resources for participants’ positioning work, (2) to ground the identified cultural meanings in participants’ experiences, and (3) to understand participants’ interpretations of constraint and agency within that context. I outline how the philosophical hermeneutics of Ricoeur is consistent with a sociocultural perspective on positioning and identity, as well as present data analysis questions developed from Ricoeur’s ideas of narrative configuration to explore common cultural meanings used by participants in interpreting their lived experience. These questions provide a strategy to examine how participants may be referring to common cultural meanings but their individual interpretations of these meanings can have different implications for their feelings of agency.
What's new in lymphedema therapy in America?

There is much confusion among American medical professionals regarding the treatment of lymphedema. Much of it has to do with the fact that lymphedema "falls between the cracks" of all standard specialties in modern American practice. Partially for this reason and because of a general misconception among American physicians that lymphedema is not a "serious" problem, the condition has been virtually ignored and deprioritized for many decades. This study is intended to clarify the confusion and reasons for apathy toward the subject of lymphedema and its treatment. Lymphedema, for the most part ignored or poorly treated in the United States, is currently being effectively treated by complete (or complex) decongestive physiotherapy (CDP) in many American facilities. CDP was introduced to the United States by the author in 1989 and is a gentle, effective, cost-effective, safe, and noninvasive treatment. It is and must be performed by specially trained therapists under the supervision of lymphologists with expertise in lymphedema, its diagnosis, treatment, complications, and natural history. This article describes the author's experience in treating 1000 upper and 1000 lower extremity lymphedema patients by the CDP method. These patients were treated between 1989 and 1995 for an average of 25 treatments, each patient returning for a follow-up examination 1 year after the completion of his or her course of treatment. The variables recorded in this study were as follows: the patient's sex, type of lymphedema, and volumetric reduction achieved immediately following treatment and as measured 1 year after treatment. The therapy and follow-up procedures are explained in detail and examples (before and after photos) of actual cases are included. Based on the results of this study and others, it is the author's opinion that CDP therapy is superior to any surgical procedures currently being used and to the pneumatic pump therapies often erroneously recommended for this condition.
Reevaluation of the cause of the wrist ganglion.

The cause of the wrist ganglion is uncertain. We reviewed our experience with rotary subluxation of the scaphoid after ganglion excision. Seventeen patients had triscaphe arthrodesis for treatment of rotary subluxation of the scaphoid at an average of 35 months (range, 6 to 130 months) after ganglion excision. In addition, dynamic or static rotary subluxation of the scaphoid was found in 8 of 10 patients who were examined at an average of 16 years (range, 11 to 19 years) after excision of a ganglion. These patients had no symptoms at the time of review. Only single case reports of rotary subluxation of the scaphoid after ganglion excision have been previously reported. We believe our data supports a hypothesis that the ganglion is a secondary manifestation of underlying periscaphoid ligamentous injury. Persistent symptoms after ganglion excison should lead one to suspect underlying scaphoid instability.
Physical processes impacting passive particle dispersal in the Upper Florida Keys

Physical processes affecting the dispersion of passive particles (e.g., coral larvae, pollutants) in the Upper Florida Keys are investigated through in situ observations (acoustic Doppler current profilers and surface drifters) and numerical ocean circulation modeling (horizontal resolution: 800 m, vertical resolution: 0.1–1 m). During the study period in August 2006 (set to coincide with an annual coral spawning event), Lagrangian trajectories in the vicinity of the reef tract indicate that alongshelf advection was mainly poleward and due to the subtidal flow of the Florida Current, while cross-shelf advection was mainly onshore and due to wind-driven currents. Tidal currents resulted in predominantly alongshelf displacements, but did not contribute significantly to net passive particle transport on a weekly timescale. Typical advection distances were of the order of 10 to 50 km for pelagic durations of 1 week, with significant variability linked to geographical location. In contrast, the direction of transport from the offshore reefs remained essentially constant (i.e., potential dispersion pathways were limited). In addition, Lagrangian trajectories and progressive vector diagrams in the vicinity of the reef tract indicate that alongshelf variations in the cross-shelf velocity gradient associated with the FC are relatively weak on an alongshore scale of ca. 50 km. For August 2006, the highest particle concentrations typically occur inshore of the reef tract, thereby suggesting that onshore transport associated with wind-driven currents contributes significantly to the local retention of passive organisms (and other tracers) in the Upper Florida Keys. Overall, the results illustrate the necessity of conducting targeted in situ observations and numerical model predictions to quantify the physical processes affecting reef-scale advection, especially in an effort to understand local retention and dispersion mechanisms for larval marine organisms.
FRACTIONAL PRECIPITATION OF HUMIC ACID FROM COLORED NATURAL WATERS

Humic acid (HA) is usually defined in the soil and aquatic sciences as that fraction of base-soluble soil organic matter or dissolved organic matter (DOM) which is insoluble in acid. Stepwise titration of bulk DOM from four samples of bog pore water and stream water were undertaken to study the fractional precipitation of HA. Three independent methods: DOC analysis, absorbance measurements at 330 nm, and densitometry of photographic negatives of filters, were used to quantify the precipitation of HA. Half of the HA which would be precipitable at pH 2.0 can be precipitated at pH values from 3.4 to 4.6. These preliminary results have implications for the stability of DOM in waters that experience pH decreases, and for the capacity of DOM to complex metals.
Two-Headed Binding of the Unphosphorylated Nonmuscle Heavy Meromyosin·ADP Complex to Actin

The enzymatic and motor function of smooth muscle and nonmuscle myosin II is activated by phosphorylation of the regulatory light chains located in the head portion of myosin. Dimerization of the heads, which is brought about by the coiled-coil tail region, is essential for regulation since single-headed fragments are active regardless of the state of phosphorylation. Utilizing the fluorescence signal on binding of myosin to pyrene-labeled actin filaments, we investigated the interplay of actin and nucleotide binding to thiophosphorylated and unphosphorylated recombinant nonmuscle IIA heavy meromyosin constructs. We show that both heads of either thiophosphorylated or unphosphorylated heavy meromyosin bind very strongly to actin (Kd < 10 nM) in the presence or absence of ADP. The heads have high and indistinguishable affinities for ADP (Kd around 1 μM) when bound to actin. These findings are in line with the previously observed unusually loose coupling between nucleotide and actin binding to nonmuscle myo...
The Microwave Reflective Properties of Water Surfaces-I: The Reflectivity of Smooth Water at 19.24 and 22.43 GHz as Measured with a Free-Wave Microwave Reflectometer

The reflectivity of smooth water has been measured with a free-wave reflectometer at frequencies of 19.24 and 22.43 GHz and for temperatures between 0/spl deg/ and 40/spl deg/C. Reproducibility of the data for water temperatures below 20/spl deg/C is better than /spl plusmn/ 0.15 percent and the absolute accuracy of the reflectometer is thought to be /spl plusmn/ 0.5 percent. The results deviate significantly from the early reflectivity measurements of Saxton and Lane but agree to within experimental error with values calculated from the absorption cell measurements of Lane and Saxton.
Transfusion-related acute lung injury and pulmonary edema in critically ill patients: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Using the recent Consensus Panel recommendations, we sought to describe the incidence of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) and transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) in critically ill patients. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Consecutive patients at four intensive care units (ICUs) who did not require respiratory support at the time of transfusion were identified with custom electronic surveillance system that prospectively tracks the time of transfusion and onset of respiratory support. Respiratory failure was defined as the onset of noninvasive or invasive ventilator support within 6 hours of transfusion. Experts blinded to specific transfusion factors categorized the cases of pulmonary edema as permeability edema (suspected or possible TRALI) or hydrostatic edema (TACO) according to predefined algorithm. In a nested case-control design, transfusion variables and lung injury risk factors were compared between the TRALI cases and controls matched by age, sex, and admission diagnosis. RESULTS: There were 8902 units transfused in 1351 patients of whom 94 required new respiratory support within 6 hours of transfusion. Among 49 patients with confirmed acute pulmonary edema, experts identified 7 cases with suspected TRALI, 17 patients with possible TRALI, and 25 cases with TACO. The incidence of suspected TRALI was 1 in 1271 units transfused; possible TRALI, 1 in 534 per unit transfused; and TACO, 1 in 356 per unit transfused. When adjusted for sepsis and fluid balance in a stepwise conditional logistic regression analysis, patients who developed acute lung injury (suspected or possible TRALI) received larger amount of plasma (odds ratio 3.4, 95% confidence interval 1.2-10.2, for each liter infused; p = 0.023). CONCLUSION: In the ICU, pulmonary edema frequently occurs after blood transfusion. The association between infusion of plasma and the development of suspected or possible TRALI may have important implications with regards to etiology and prevention of this syndrome.
Fluoroacrylate-bound fluorous-phase soluble hydrogenation catalysts

Fluoroacrylate polymer-bound hydrogenation catalysts are described. N-Acryloxysuccinimide-containing fluoroacrylate polymers were converted into phosphine ligands and subsequently into analogues of Wilkinson's catalyst by amidation of N-acryloxysuccinimide active ester residues and Rh exchange. The resulting catalysts have excellent activity and can be reused following fluorous biphasic liquid/liquid separation and extraction.
Sector Context and Performance A Comparison of Industrial and Government Research Units

Research comparing public and private organizations has become more common, but questions remain as to whether differences in sector are significant or spurious. The research reported here, based on secondary data from a cross-national study of research units, examines differences in the performance of public and private sector units, controlling for a number of potentially confounding variables. Path analysis is used to `factor out "performance differences in public and private sector units. The findings suggest that sector context is not entirely a spurious function of such variables as size and technology, but itself makes a significant contribution to performance differences. It is further concluded that multiple criteria are important when seeking to measure R&D performance by sector. Public sector units appear advantaged with respect to certain activities and private sector ones with respect to others.
Values and the Economics Principles Courses

Every economics teacher has probably wrestled with the problem of how to deal with values, and because of recent student demands for relevance this problem has become more troublesome. Professor Horton believes that economists should teach “only what we believe has been scientifically established” and “should not promote particular values or particular social decisions….” He asserts that values and goals should be considered in economic classes, however, and in this article he suggests a procedure for teaching a unit on values and goals.
Measurement of the p-barp charge-exchange cross section from 0. 119 to 1. 046 GeV/c

Charge-exchange cross section for antiprotons on protons has been measured in closely spaced momentum intervals from 0.119 to 1.046 GeV/c. The regions of the reported resonances at 1936 and 2020 MeV were scanned in 10-MeV/c steps with a typical statistical error of approx. = 1% and an rms mass resolution of +- 1.5 MeV. No enhancements were observed.