cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 4600: IL-22 is specifically required for malignancy in breast cancer: A potential target to control cancer metastasis

IL-22 is important for proliferation and progression of various epithelial cancers. However, in breast cancer, the current knowledge of IL-22 function is based on cell line models and lacks information on stage-specific involvement of IL-22 in multistage pathogenesis of disease. Here, we investigated whether IL-22 expression in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a stage-specific requirement and if its inhibition can affect that specific stage of cancer progression. We show that the absence of IL-22 in TME did not hinder the initiation and proliferation of cancer but inhibited the invasion and metastasis of cancer. The influence of IL-22 on hyperplasia, adenoma, early carcinoma and late carcinoma stages of cancer was investigated using IL-22 -/- /MMTV-PyMT spontaneous breast cancer mouse model. IL-22 levels were evaluated at these stages of cancer progression and validated in stage-specific specimens of human breast cancer. A variety of histopathological, in vivo and in vitro proliferation, migration, invasion and gene expression assays were performed on tumor tissues and purified epithelial cells. Results showed that IL-22 was absent in TME during initiation and hyperplasia stages of breast cancer. It was expressed during early carcinoma and significantly increased as tumor progressed to malignant stage. In human samples, IL-22 was poorly expressed in high and low grade ductal carcinoma in situ . However, it was significantly higher in invasive or metastatic carcinoma compared to ductal carcinoma in situ . Histological examinations revealed an inhibition in the malignant transformation of epithelial cells during invasion stage in IL-22 -/- tumors. No difference was observed in initiation and hyperplasia stages of cancer between IL-22 -/- and control mice. Ex vivo treatment of IL-22 increased the migration and invasion, but not the proliferation, of purified epithelial cancer cells. RNAseq analysis of premalignant stage epithelial cells revealed down regulation in genes associated with EMT (Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition) pathway in IL-22 -/- mice. These results show that, in breast cancer, IL-22 is not essential for cell proliferation but it is necessary for malignant transformation of cancer cells which is the critical stage for metastasis. Inhibition of IL-22 can hinder cancer cell malignancy and therefore, it can be an effective therapeutic target to control breast cancer metastasis. Citation Format: Gajendra K. Katara, Arpita Kulshrestha, Sylvia Schneiderman, Safaa Ibrahim, Mahmood Bilal, Valerie E. Riehl, Kenneth D. Beaman. IL-22 is specifically required for malignancy in breast cancer: A potential target to control cancer metastasis [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 4600.
Implicit gender biases in professional software development: an empirical study

It has been well-known that the software development profession lacks gender diversity, particularly in the technical leadership positions. Researchers and practitioners have spent tremendous efforts on identifying the problems and finding solutions. However, most of the existing software engineering literature focuses on the explicit gender biases but ignores implicit gender biases. To fill this gap, the study sought to empirically investigate whether professional software engineers hold implicit gender biases related to women in the software development profession, and examine whether these implicit biases predict discriminatory decision-making. Using data from 142 professional software engineers in seven organizations, our study yields a rich set of concerning findings. First, we find that implicit biases were pervasive-both male and female software engineers implicitly associated software development professions, particular technical leadership roles, with men, not women, and also associated women with the home and family. Besides, people often cannot resist their implicit gender biases and make decisions in gender-neutral ways while they do well in resisting their explicit gender biases.
Risk of Infection Associated With Ibrutinib in Patients With B-Cell Malignancies: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Abstract Introduction B-cell malignancies confer an increased risk of infection due to associated immune defects. Conflicting evidence exists on the risk of infection in patients receiving ibrutinib. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate relative risk of infection with ibrutinib in B-cell malignancies. Methods A systematic search of Embase, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, European Union Clinical Trials Register, and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed through January 15, 2019, to identify randomized controlled trials comparing ibrutinib with other agents or placebo in B-cell malignancies. We pooled point estimates using the Der Simonian and Laird random-effects model. Statistical analyses were performed by Stata/SE 15.1. Results Seven studies randomizing 2167 patients were included in the final analysis. Treatment duration in studies ranged from 9.4 to 38.7 months. Ibrutinib was associated with a significantly increased risk of infection (any grade and grade 3-5) in patients with B-cell malignancies [pooled risk ratio (RR) = 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.69, P = .015; and RR = 1.35, 95% CI, 1.05-1.74, P = .018, respectively]. In patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a significantly increased risk of grade 3-5 infection was noted in the ibrutinib group [pooled RR = 1.24, 95% CI, 1.02-1.50, P = .028]. Incidences of pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infection were not significantly different between groups. Conclusion Our meta-analysis found that ibrutinib was associated with significantly higher risk of infections in patients with B-cell malignancies. Occurrence of major individual subtypes was not different between groups, possibly as a result of inconsistent reporting across studies.
Midline unifocalization for pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries

Background: Pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (PA/VSD/MAPCAs) is a relatively rare and extremely heterogeneous form of congenital heart disease. Despite vast improvements in the surgical management of this disease, there is still an ongoing controversy regarding the optimal treatment. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the surgical algorithm used at Stanford University with a special focus on midline unifocalization. Methods: We have an experience with well over 300 patients undergoing primary surgical treatment of PA/VSD/MAPCAs. There were three pathways employed to accommodate the various forms of this heart defect. The dominant pathway is midline unifocalization, which was utilized in 80% of all patients. Less frequently employed strategies included creation of an aortopulmonary window (15%), and other approaches (5%). Results: For the patients who underwent a midline unifocalization, 85% had a single-stage complete repair while 15% had a unifocalization and shunt. The operative mortality was 1.5% for the single-stage complete repair group vs . 8% for the unifocalization/shunt group. Ultimately, 97% of the midline unifocalization patients were repaired. However, the mean right ventricle to aortic pressure ratio was lower in patients who had a single-stage complete repair compared with an initial unifocalization/shunt (0.36±0.09 vs . 0.42±0.07). Conclusions: The surgical treatment of PA/VSD/MAPCAs is made more complicated due to heterogeneity of MAPCA and pulmonary artery anatomy. The algorithm utilized at Stanford takes into account the anatomic heterogeneity and the results demonstrate that a high percentage of patients achieve full repair.
Psoriasis in pregnancy: A review

Psoriasis is a complex autoimmune disease, most commonly characterized by silvery scale erythematous plaque. During pregnancy, there is a physiologic change of immunology status, which shifts from an inflammatory state to an anti-inflammatory state, in order to avoid fetal rejection. As a result of this immunomodulatory changes, the majority of pregnant patients experience improvement of their psoriasis. The treatment of psoriasis in pregnancy can be challenging, mainly because there is only a few evidence-based studies. The objective of this paper is to review the relevant data on psoriasis in pregnancy and its treatment.
Evolution of Anion Relay Chemistry: Construction of Architecturally Complex Natural Products

Multicomponent union tactics in which three or more fragments are rapidly connected are highly prized in the construction of architecturally complex natural products. Anion Relay Chemistry (ARC), a multicomponent union tactic, has just such potential to elaborate structurally diverse scaffolds in a single operation with excellent stereochemical control. Conceptually, the ARC tactic can be divided into two main classes: "Through-Bond," by the relay of negative charge through the bonding system of a molecule; and "Through-Space," by the migration of negative charge across space by a transfer agent. "Through-Space" Anion Relay Chemistry, the focus of this Account, can be further subdivided into two types: Type I ARC, originated from the Tietze-Schaumann-Smith coupling reaction, which for the first time permits controllable Brook rearrangements to construct unsymmetrical adducts, and as such has been successfully employed in the total syntheses of diverse natural products, including the mycoticins, bryostatin 1, spongistatins, rimocidin, indolizidine alkaloids, and enigmazole A; and Type II ARC, central to which is the design of novel bifunctional linchpins that enable rapid assembly of linear and cyclic fragments with diverse architectural features, ranging from polyols, spiroketals, and polyenes to polypropionate scaffolds. Recently, the Type II ARC tactic has been exploited as the key construction tactic in the total syntheses of the spirastrellolides, the cryptocarya acetates, secu'amamine A, mandelalide A, and nahuoic acid Ci (Bii). This Account will present the evolution of both the Type I and Type II Anion Relay tactics, in conjunction with some prominent applications.
Determinants of stigma among patients with hepatitis C virus infection

Stigma around hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important and understudied barrier to HCV treatment and elimination. The determinants of HCV-related stigma, including the impacts of stage of HCV treatment (ie spontaneously cleared; diagnosed, untreated; previously treated, not cured; currently being treated; and treated, cured) and coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), remain unknown. To address these gaps, we conducted a cross-sectional study among patients with a history of HCV infection (n = 270) at outpatient clinics in Philadelphia from July 2018 to May 2019. We evaluated stigma using the validated HCV Stigma Scale, adapted from the Berger HIV Stigma Scale. Associations among HCV-related stigma and hypothesized demographic, behavioural, and clinical risk factors were evaluated by multivariable linear regression. Most participants (95.5%) experienced HCV-related stigma. Mean stigma scores did not differ significantly between HCV-monoinfected and HIV/HCV-coinfected participants (P = .574). However, we observed significant interactions between HIV status and multiple determinants; therefore, we stratified analyses by HIV status. Among HIV/HCV-coinfected participants, previous HCV treatment without cure, female gender, Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity and some college education were significantly associated with higher HCV-stigma scores. An annual income of $10 000-$40 000 was associated with significantly lower stigma scores. No significant associations were observed among HCV-monoinfected participants. We found that most participants experienced stigma associated with HCV diagnosis. While stigma scores were similar between HCV-monoinfected and HIV/HCV-coinfected participants, the determinants associated with HCV stigma differed by HIV status. Understanding how experiences of stigma differ between HCV-monoinfected and HIV/HCV-coinfected patients may aid in the development of targeted interventions to address the HCV epidemic.
Data analytics and performance: The moderating role of intuition-based HR management in major league baseball

Abstract We propose that due to the decreased spectrum of available strategies (i.e., social simplicity) and simplified mechanisms of value creation (i.e., causal clarity) associated with a greater reliance on data-driven decisions in highly competitive and specialized industries, the positive effects of social capital for data analytics on firm performance will diminish when firms predominantly adopt data-driven decision-making in deploying human resources. Alternatively, the positive effect associated with social capital in data analytics is more profound when moderated by intuition-based (i.e., idiosyncratic knowledge) decision-making for managing HR selections. To test our hypotheses, we observed 30 major league baseball (MLB) teams over 6 years from 2009 to 2014 as the early phase of the ‘big data era’ that began as a result of PITCHf/x tracking systems in all MLB stadiums being implemented. Our findings suggest that the introduction of the system to all ballparks and resulting dispersion of specialized human capital across this industry facilitates firm specificity of data analytic knowledge to become generic overtime.
Mathematical modeling of N-803 treatment in SIV-infected non-human primates

Immunomodulatory drugs could contribute to a functional cure for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Interleukin-15 (IL-15) promotes expansion and activation of CD8+ T cell and natural killer (NK) cell populations. In one study, an IL-15 superagonist, N-803, suppressed Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) in non-human primates (NHPs) who had received prior SIV vaccination. However, viral suppression attenuated with continued N-803 treatment, partially returning after long treatment interruption. While there is evidence of concurrent drug tolerance, immune regulation, and viral escape, the relative contributions of these mechanisms to the observed viral dynamics have not been quantified. Here, we utilize mathematical models of N- 803 treatment in SIV-infected macaques to estimate contributions of these three key mechanisms to treatment outcomes: 1) drug tolerance, 2) immune regulation, and 3) viral escape. We calibrated our model to viral and lymphocyte responses from the above-mentioned NHP study. Our models track CD8+ T cell and NK cell populations with N-803-dependent proliferation and activation, as well as viral dynamics in response to these immune cell populations. We compared mathematical models with different combinations of the three key mechanisms based on Akaike Information Criterion and important qualitative features of the NHP data. Two minimal models were capable of reproducing the observed SIV response to N-803. In both models, immune regulation strongly reduced cytotoxic cell activation to enable viral rebound. Either long-term drug tolerance or viral escape (or some combination thereof) could account for changes to viral dynamics across long breaks in N-803 treatment. Theoretical explorations with the models showed that less-frequent N-803 dosing and concurrent immune regulation blockade (e.g. PD-L1 inhibition) may improve N-803 efficacy. However, N-803 may need to be combined with other immune therapies to countermand viral escape from the CD8+ T cell response. Our mechanistic model will inform such therapy design and guide future studies.
Understanding a Modeling State Stability: Exploiting System Dynamics

The potential loss of state stability in various parts of the world is a source of threat to U.S. national security. Every case is unique, but there are common processes. Accordingly, we develop a system dynamics model of state stability by representing the nature and dynamics of ‘ loads’ generated by insurgency activities, on the one hand, and by articulating the core features of state resilience and its ‘ capacity’ to withstand these ‘ loads’, on the other. The problem is to determine and ‘ predict’ when threats to stability override the resilience of the state and, more important, to anticipate propensities for ‘ tipping points’, namely conditions under which small changes in anti-regime activity can generate major disruptions. On this basis, we then identify appropriate actionable mitigation factors to decrease the likelihood of ‘ tipping’ and enhance prospects for stability.
When is it Worth Working for Water? A Utility Maximization Theory

Time and energy are limited, so animals must be efficient about allocating effort. Motivation to work is positively correlated with reward magnitude. In nature, however, the ease of gaining resources can vary slowly. Animals may therefore need to expend the most effort when rewards are smallest. To study this, we maintained rats in an environment where work was required to earn water. We varied the reward magnitude in long blocks and measured voluntary effort and water consumption. The rats did more trials per day when the reward per trial was smaller, yet consumed more water per day when rewards were larger. We propose an analytic model based on utility maximization which can account for these behavioral observations. The model is based on per-day trial rates, but further explains the timing of trials and suggests a candidate neural substrate. The model spans descriptive, quantitative, normative, algorithmic and mechanistic levels of explanation and makes testable quantitative predictions.
Surgical Management of Occipital Neuralgia: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background Occipital neuralgia (ON) is a primary headache disorder characterized by severe, paroxysmal, shooting or stabbing pain in the distribution of the greater occipital, lesser occipital, and/or third occipital nerves. Both medical and surgical options exist for treating headaches related to ON. The purposes of this study are to summarize the current state of surgical ON management through a systematic review of the literature and, in doing so, objectively identify future directions of investigation. Methods We performed a systematic review of primary literature on surgical management for ON of at least level IV evidence. Included studies were analyzed for level of evidence, therapeutic intervention, study design, sample size, follow-up duration, outcomes measured, results, and risk of bias. Results Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. All 22 studies used patient-reported pain scores as an outcome metric. Other outcome metrics included complication rates (7 studies; 32%), patient satisfaction (7 studies; 32%), quality of life (7 studies; 18%), and analgesic usage (3 studies; 14%). Using the ROBINS-I tool for risk of bias in nonrandomized studies, 7 studies (32%) were found to be at critical risk of bias, whereas the remaining 15 studies (68%) were found to be at serious risk of bias. Conclusions Greater occipital nerve decompression seems to be a useful treatment modality for medically refractory ON, but further prospective, randomized data are required.
Controlling 3D printed metal properties using tailored laser beams

LASE Hot Topics presentation on Controlling 3D printed metal properties using tailored laser beams
Preference of Fertilizer Manufacturers in Pune Region about Structural Form of Raw Material Require for Organic Fertilizer Manufacturing.

In recent years the role of the Organic fertilizer sector has been substantial as people came to know disadvantages of chemical fertilizers. This sector is rapidly growing because consumer wants organic food only also increasing number of cancer patients in India changing perspective of consumers. The push towards organic farming methods - no chemicals, better soil management and more biodynamic methods -isn't new. Organic farming began long back, and is more of a resurgence of how things used to be, although with advanced equipment, streamlined supply chains, and the benefit of modern marketing strategies and retailing techniques over the last few years there has been a sudden and rapid increase in demand for organic products all over the country. Objectives of this study is to learning the manufacturer preference regarding humic acid, flake fulvic acid, amino acid.Also, to study the various parameters which helps to forecast the demand for raw material. It is a survey in which researchers conducted in depth interviews of manufacturers to know the requirements, problem suggestions and primary data is collected through structure questionnaire.
Transient degradation and recovery of CdS/CdTe solar cells

Changing the bias voltage, light intensity and temperature during stress can induce transient degradation or recovery in V/sub OC/ of CdTe solar cells. Simulated day/night cycles leads to daily degradation in the light and recovery in the dark. Greater recovery in the dark and less bias dependence is correlated with better overall stability. These transients complicate the correlation between cell (indoor) and module (outdoor) performance. Results are consistent with changes in electronic states and recombination. No single stress protocol is likely to identify all instability mechanisms.
The Woody Allen puzzle: : How ‘authentic alienation’ complicates autonomy

Theories of autonomy commonly make reference to some form of endorsement: an action is autonomous insofar as the agent has a second-order desire towards the motivating desire, or takes it to be a reason for action, or is not alienated from it. In this paper I argue that all such theories have difficulty accounting for certain kinds of agents, what I call ‘Woody Allen cases’. In order to make sense of such cases, I suggest, it is necessary to disambiguate two distinct forms of endorsement, both of which contribute to autonomy
Phase stability in the Cd-Mg system

This paper reports on results of a theoretical study of solid-state phase equilibria and short-range order in Cd-Mg alloys. Results of first-principles linear muffin-tin orbital method total-energy calculations for seven hcp-based superstructures have been combined with cluster-variation-method calculations of thermodynamic properties in order to compute the Cd-Mg phase diagram. Effect on the calculated phase diagram of contributions to the alloy free energy arising from atomic vibrations and structural relaxations are assessed using available experimental information for ordered and disordered alloys in the Cd-Mg system.
Human use and small mammal communities of Araucaria forests in Neuquén, Argentina

Small mammals were sampled in five closed, humid, Araucaria araucana for- ests that differed in the degree of anthropogenic disturbance in southwestern Neuquen province. Nine species were captured in 3416 trap nights. Abrothrix longipilis and Oligoryzomys longicaudatus made up 88% of all captures. Small mammal relative abundance was 52 times higher where grazing was absent compared to a site with intense grazing pressure. Seed predation, primarily by livestock and feral exotic mammals, varied from 59.7% to 15.1% of marked seeds per day. Small mammal community productivity and composition were corre- lated with understory structure (Mantel test, r = 0.529, p = 0.04), and with rates of seed predation (r = -0.91, n = 4, p = 0.08). Forests with less complex understories had fewer captures and lower mammal diversity. Exotic large mammals appear to affect native small mammals by simplifying the structure of the forest understory and by competing for seeds. Four native species (Abrothrix longipilis, Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, Chelemys macronyx, and Irenomys tarsalis) ate Araucaria pinones. Anthropogenic changes in small mammal communities indicate that management of feral and domestic mammals needs to be a prominent part of the conservation of these majestic forests.
Dermal fibroblasts from Down's syndrome patients share a cycloheximide-induced deficiency in collagen adhesion responses with normal aging cells

Human skin fibroblasts from three different Down's syndrome patients (trisomy 21) of very different ages have been tested for their adhesion responses on tissue culture substrata coated with type I collagen, fibronectin (FN), and their combination after or during treatment of cells with cycloheximide to evaluate limitations in specific responses. It was shown previously that in vitro-aged papillary and reticular dermal fibroblasts from normal individuals do not generate F-actin stress fibers when pretreated with cycloheximide on collagen substrata but do so on FN substrata, a deficiency linked to limiting amounts/function of collagen-specific receptors in aging cells. In these studies, all three Down's fibroblast populations demonstrated a similar deficiency in stress fiber formation, evaluated by rhodamine-phalloidin staining, upon cycloheximide treatment at all passage levels. They remained competent for stress fiber formation on FN substrata and for reorganization of microtubule and intermediate filament networks on all substrata, demonstrating the specificity for the collagen matrix and for the F-actin cytoskeleton in this deficiency. The cycloheximide-induced deficiency could be readily reversed in all three cell populations by further incubation of cells in drug-free medium and, in some cases, by prior growth of cells in ascorbate-supplemented medium to stimulate collagen and possibly collagen receptor production. However, several pieces of evidence indicate that reduced amounts of FN and collagen synthesized by fibroblasts do not contribute to the cycloheximide-induced deficiency, including the inability to reverse the effect by treatment of cells with TGF beta. Several conclusions are suggested from these studies: (a) Down's dermal fibroblasts become deficient in collagen-specific receptor(s) upon cycloheximide treatment, which leads to altered transmembrane signaling and inability to reorganize F-actin into stress fibers; (b) Down's dermal fibroblasts at all passage levels have matrix adhesive phenotypes similar to those of aging fibroblasts from normal individuals; and (c) these studies provide further support for cells from Down's patients as a genetic model of aging in normal populations.
The Earnings Forecast Accuracy of Financial Analysts Who are CFA Charterholders

This article examines the earnings forecast accuracy of financial analysts who have earned the right to use the CFA designation. Given the extensive rigor of the three-level CFA examination along with the substantial work experience requirements and required adherence to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, it is hypothesized that CFA charterholders will provide more accurate earnings estimates than other financial analysts not holding the CFA charter. Our estimation results support this hypothesis. We find that, on average, financial analysts who hold the CFA charter provide 3.78% (2.70%) “tighter” forecast accuracy than non CFA charterholders for annual (quarterly) data respectively over the 1986 through 2002 time period. This is important information to the investment community as investors use financial analyst earnings forecasts in making assessments of correct security valuation.
Diagnosing a School Board's Interactional Trouble: Theorizing Problem Formulating

Communication, Craig (1989, 1995a, 1995b; Craig & Tracy, 1995) argues, is and should be a practical discipline: a field whose scholarly work would be helpful in improving the communicative practices it studies. Following explication of Craig's notions of practical theory and communication as a practical discipline, this paper analyzes the interactional trouble in one community's school board meetings. Drawing upon 3 theories relevant to this school board site - proposals about argumentative processes, rhetorical action, and moral conflict - we show how each theoretical lens leads to a different diagnosis of the community's ‘school board problem’. The second part of the paper inverts the analytic focus. Based on study of this school board's troubles, we critique the usefulness of the 3 theories. In the conclusion, we reflect about the often-invisible task of labeling the problem that a group is facing.
Modeling of FM broadcast signals with applications in bistatic radar imaging

The purpose of this project is threefold: To determine the optimum range-Doppler characteristics of an FM broadcast, to characterize a typical FM broadcast signal in terms of the properties of the ambiguity function, and to develop a model for the FM broadcast signal as a band-limited multi-tone FM stochastic process. The way to achieve these objectives is to analyze the response of a matched filter at the receiver by considering two modulating input signals. The inputs are a band-limited white Gaussian noise and a segment of a typical broadcast. The analysis of these signals is performed in the range-Doppler domain by observing the behavior of the ambiguity function. The results of the analysis show that the band-limited white Gaussian noise yields an optimum ambiguity function with a narrow mainlobe and low sidelobes evenly distributed over the range-Doppler plane. In contrast, the ambiguity function of a typical broadcast will exhibit a wider mainlobe and higher sidelobes. By adjusting parameters of the multi-tone FM stochastic process, a good match to the observed characteristics of an actual FM broadcast can be obtained. Thus, the signal model can be used to estimate the limitations in the detection of moving targets by means of a radar system that exploits FM signals of opportunity.
Test of a Structural Equation Model of Comorbidity Among Homeless and Domiciled Military Veterans

ABSTRACT This exploratory study of 600 Vietnam era military veterans was designed to test a hypothesized theoretical model of comorbidity (substance abuse and depression) among domiciled and homeless persons. The model tested represented an integration of stress process and social support models found in the literatures on substance abuse and on depression. Caregiver attachment and early abuse also were used to elaborate on the integrated stress-social support theoretical model. Using structural equation modeling, all relationships in the hypothesized model were supported by data from domiciled veterans, except attachments to caregivers were not related to peer associations with substance users, and these associations were not related to depression. In contrast, all 24 relationships hypothesized in the model tested were supported among homeless veterans. Conceptual and practice implications of the findings were discussed.
Self-Healing Bilayer Lipid Membranes Formed Over Synthetic Substrates

Biological systems demonstrate autonomous healing of damage and are an inspiration for developing self-healing materials. Our recent experimental study has demonstrated that a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM), also called a black lipid membrane, has the ability to self-heal after mechanical failure. These molecules have a unique property that they spontaneously self assembly into organized structures in an aqueous medium. The BLM forms an impervious barrier to ions and fluid between two volumes and strength of the barrier is dependent on the pressure and electrical field applied to the membrane. A BLM formed over an aperture on a silicon substrate is shown to self-heal for 5 pressurization failure cycles.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Adaptive flight control surfaces, wings, rotors, and active aerodynamics

This study outlines active flight control materials, structural arrangements, and several new active flight control methods for rotorcraft, airplanes and missiles. A system-level comparison shows that flight control actuator systems using materials like piezoceramics have approximately double the mass-specific energy and 4 to 6 times the volume specific energy of conventional actuators. New fabrication techniques centered on the principal of directional attachment allow wings and rotor blades to become twist active. Using these new methods, directionally attached piezoelectric (DAP) actuator elements were built into graphite-epoxy sandwich structures. When compared to conventionally attached piezoelectric (CAP) elements, twist deflections (important for flight control) of DAP plates were an order of magnitude greater. By using such twist-active elements in a torque-plate configuration, an active helicopter rotor was built. This Froude-scaled solid state rotor was whirl-stand tested and showed steady blade pitch deflections in excess of plus or minus 8 degrees with good correlation between theory and experiment rates up to 42 Hz (which corresponded to 2.5/rev) and no degradation in deflection as RPM was increased. DAP elements were also used in high aspect ratio subsonic and supersonic wings, demonstrating static twist deflections of plus or minus 2 degrees and plus or minus 6 degrees respectively, with good correlation between experiment and finite element results. The final section compares all-moving active stabilator structural arrangements and pitch deflections, which range up to plus or minus 12 degrees, generating lift coefficient changes in excess of plus or minus 0.8.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Proximal and distal influences on project creativity in international marketing teams

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents of project creativity in international marketing teams. The proposed framework includes both proximal (characteristics that impact the everyday functioning of the team) and distal (characteristics associated with the team's organizations that are relatively remote to the everyday functioning of the team) factors as antecedents of project creativity. Specifically, the authors investigate the influence of three proximal factors, namely, collaboration with foreign counterparts, autonomy, and international experience as well as two distal factors, namely, organizational encouragement and innovative organizational culture. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 156 executives from publicly traded firms in the manufacturing sector in South Korea and tested using hierarchical regression. Findings – Collaboration with foreign counterparts and autonomy exert direct positive influence on project creativity. International experience ex...
When I grow up, I want to be successful like daddy: I just don’t want to be a doctor

I want to thank Bill Flinn for that wonderful introduction. I appreciate your efforts, Bill, and, more importantly, as my professional neighbor, your friendship and camaraderie over the years. It’s a great honor for me to stand before you as the 20th president of the Eastern Vascular Society. There is no greater reward than to be recognized and respected by one’s peers. There are so many outstanding vascular surgeons in this Society who merit such recognition and who are more deserving than I to hold this office, so that I am truly humbled, and I sincerely thank you. I wouldn’t be standing here today without the help of a lot of people, too many to mention, but a few I must. My family has always been supportive and tried to understand the professional drains on my time. I’ve probably spent more waking hours being a vascular surgeon than a husband and father—I am an imperfect soul. Fortunately, my kids have a wonderful mother at home, a true multitasker, who manages to keep it all together. That’s important to me because I’ve always believed that there is nothing any of us do that is more important than to be a proper role model for our children. My kids are the stars of my universe and the light of my life, and I hope that they understand, if not today, if not tomorrow, at some point down the line that I work hard at what I do because I believe it is our moral obligation to do some good in this world, to try to make a contribution, and because I want to set that example for them. I wasn’t educated or trained at Johns Hopkins. But I’ve now spent more years at Hopkins than all my time in high school, college, medical school, residency, and fellowship
Discrimination between synthetic and natural ethyl alcohol in spirits and fortified wines

Summary Synthetic alcohol from petrochemical sources has a low 14C content as compared to fermentation alcohol produced from contemporary carbohydrates. The 14C contents of seventy-eight samples of potable spirits and fortified wines are reported and discussed in relation to their usefulness in detecting the use of synthetic alcohol. The importance of correcting for the effects of congeners during the 14C-assay is discussed. The 14C level at which the use of synthetic alcohol might be presumed will vary according to the methods employed in producing the beverage.
A novel fluorescent method for direct visualization of neurofibrillary pathology in Alzheimer's disease.

Methods currently available for detecting neurofibrillary pathology are indirect and depend on staining with exogenous chemicals or antibodies. In the present study, we report a novel method named intrinsic fluorescence induction (IFI), which allows direct visualization of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), neuropil threads (NTs), and neuritic plaques (NPs) in tissue sections of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. The IFI method is based on both induction of a red intrinsic fluorescence and quenching red background autofluorescence. The IFI procedure includes sustained hydrophobic treatment, protein secondary structure enhancement and incubation in high concentration of phosphate buffer. Following this procedure, a unique red fluorescence is generated from the structures of NFTs, NTs, and NPs in brain sections from AD patients. Sequential application of mild permanganate oxidation and 1% sodium borohydride selectively removes the red background autofluorescence, while the latter enhances the intrinsic fluorescence of neurofibrillary pathology. Comparative studies reveal that the IFI method is as sensitive as Gallyas silver staining, and more sensitive than Bielschowsky silver staining or PHF-1 immunostaining in detecting NFTs in the pre-α layer of entorhinal cortex and the pri-α layer of the entorhinal/transentorhinal cortex. Furthermore, the IFI method is sensitive in displaying plaque neurites and threads, but not NFTs in the hippocampus. This novel finding provides a direct method for detecting neurofibrillary pathology in particular regions of AD brain and a novel tool for AD research.
Mexico's development strategy for the 1980s☆

Abstract In examining the problems and prospects of the Mexican economy in the 1980s. the main concern of this paper is whether Mexico will use its new found wealth to correct some of the major deficiences of past policies or whether the development of the energy sector will further increase the dualism between the modern and traditional sectors. This paper surveys the major problems now facing the economy (poverty and unemployment, declining agricultural production, a weak industrial base, inflation) and then discusses the framework in which Mexico proposes to deal with these problems, in particular the priority allocated to development of oil and gas. The policies are then compared briefly with the experience of Japan and Iran. The conclusion takes a critical view of current Mexican policies and suggests that a more equity-oriented and efficient growth strategy is required.
Ion channels as a source of behavioral diversity: doing more with less in ‘simpler’ organisms

Abstract Invertebrates often use the properties of their excitable membranes to coordinate complex behaviors within a body plan composed of relatively few types of cells. In these relatively simple animals, the coordinated expression of an ensemble of ion channels may tailor cells or tissues for a particular behavioral function. This report is prompted by a recent publication by Bilbaut, Hernandez-Nicaise, Leech and Meech 1 , which points out a novel way in which the contractile characteristics of ctenophore smooth muscle-cells are established. Below I discuss this system, and also describe the control of swimming in a jellyfish by two action potential-generating systems that function within the same axon. These cases illustrate strategies of local control and integration that are adaptations to a simple body plan. Behaviors in more complex animals tend to be coordinated more centrally Nevertheless, locally coordinated electrogenic activities within vertebrates, such as the myogenic heartbeat and integration on single cells in the central nervous system, are common and important. Patterns of ion channel use shared by multi-cellular invertebrates and vertebrates may have originated in our common ancestors.
The Relationship of Phthalocyanine 4 (Pc 4) Concentrations Measured Noninvasively to Outcome of Pc 4 Photodynamic Therapy in Mice

The ability to noninvasively measure photosensitizer concentration at target tissues will allow optimization of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and could improve outcome. In this study, we evaluated whether preirradiation tumor phthalocyanine 4 (Pc 4) concentrations, measured noninvasively by the optical pharmacokinetic system (OPS), correlated with tumor response to PDT. Mice bearing human breast cancer xenografts were treated with 2 mg kg ―1 Pc 4 iv only, laser irradiation (150 J cm ―2 ) only, Pc 4 followed by fractionated irradiation or Pc 4 followed by continuous irradiation. Laser irradiation treatment was initiated when the tumor to skin ratio of Pc 4 concentration reached a maximum of 2.1 at 48 h after administration. Pc 4 concentrations in tumor, as well as in Intralipid in vitro, decreased monoexponentially with laser fluence. Pc 4-PDT resulted in significant tumor regression, and tumor response was similar in the groups receiving either fractionated or continuous irradiation treatment after Pc 4. Tumor growth delay following Pc 4-PDT correlated with OPS-measured tumor Pc 4 concentrations at 24 h prior to PDT (R 2 = 0.86). In excised tumors, OPS-measured Pc 4 concentrations were similar to the HPLC-measured concentrations. Thus, OPS measurements of photosensitizer concentrations can be used to assist in the scheduling of Pc 4-PDT.
HIV-1 Clade B and C Isolates Exhibit Differential Replication: Relevance to Macrophage-Mediated Neurotoxicity

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) continue to be a consequence of HIV-1 infection among clade B-infected individuals. In contrast, the incidence of severe neurological impairment is lower among clade C-infected patients in regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and India. Biological aspects such as replication, cytopathicity, inflammatory response, and neurotoxicity unique to each clade influence neuropathogenicity and ultimately affect the clinical outcome of the disease. We hypothesize that productive infection by clade C isolates leads to macrophage-mediated neurotoxicity, although to a lesser extent than clade B isolates. Using a panel of primary isolates of clades B and C we demonstrated that clade B has higher replication efficiency in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) through reverse transcriptase activity assay and HIV-1 p24 antigen ELISA. To test the neurotoxicity of clades B and C, we used an in vitro neurotoxicity model. Conditioned medium from clade B-infected MDM was neurotoxic to rat and human neuron cultures. In contrast, clade C isolates mediated neurotoxicity when a higher initial viral titer was used for MDM infection. Furthermore, neurotoxicity mediated by isolates of both clades correlated with virus replication in MDM. Together, these results suggest that in comparison to clade B, primary isolates of clade C have slower replication kinetics in primary MDM, leading to lower levels of macrophage-mediated neurotoxicity. Elucidating the differences in replication and macrophage-mediated neurotoxicity between isolates of HIV-1 clades B and C will provide important insights needed to clarify the disparity seen in HAND incidence.
Cloning and analysis of a Borrelia burgdorferi membrane‐interactive protein exhibiting haemolytic activity

We cloned the gene encoding a membrane-interactive protein of Borrelia burgdorferi by means of its haemolytic activity in Escherichia coli. The haemolytic activity was erythrocyte-species specific, with progressively decreasing activity for erythrocytes from horse, sheep, and rabbit, respectively. Genetic analysis of the haemolytic determinant revealed two borrelia haemolysin genes, blyA and blyB, that are part of a predicted four-gene operon which is present in multiple copies on the 30 kb circular plasmid(s) of B. burgdorferi B31. blyA encodes a predicted alpha-helical 7.4 kDa protein with a hydrophobic central region and a positively charged C-terminus, which is structurally homologous to a large group of pore-forming toxins with cytolytic activity. blyB encodes a soluble protein which stabilized BlyA and enhanced haemolytic activity. While the majority of BlyA in E. coli was membrane-associated, only soluble protein was haemolytically active. The haemolytic activity was shown to be highly protease sensitive, heat labile, independent of divalent cations, and extremely dependent on protein concentration, consistent with a requirement for oligomerization as the mechanism of action. BlyA was highly purified from E. coli in a single step utilizing Triton X-114 phase partitioning. Genetic analysis of blyA and blyB mutants indicated that the stability, membrane association, and activity of BlyA was dependent on subtle changes in its sequence and on the BlyB protein. The bly genes were found to be expressed at a very low level in cultured B. burgdorferi.
The sales process and the paradoxes of trust

This essay explores a major ethical variable in personal sales: trust. By analyzing data drawn from life insurance sales, the essay supports the thesis that the role of the agent and the exigencies of personal sales create certain antinomies of trust that compromise the sales process. As a result, trust occupies a problematic and apparently paradoxical position in the sales process. On the one hand, success in personal sales is held to depend upon trust. On the other hand, because the techniques required to form trust in personal sales nullify the conditions under which trust is possible, these instruments of trust formation are self-defeating.
Mass transport of ATP within the motile sperm.

Mathematical models are developed to determine if molecular diffusion is an adequate mechanism for transport of ATP from the sperm midpiece along the length of the tail where it is consumed to produce the necessary energy for motility. Previous work in this area has been based on steady state assumptions and assumed reaction kinetics for the consumption of ATP along the length of the tail. In this work, the reaction kinetics are deduced indirectly from the expenditure of elastic and viscous energy as a function of time and position; these deductions are made from fundamental concepts of fluid mechanics and beam mechanics applied to sperm waveforms experimentally determined by others. The models are tested for bull sperm and sea urchin sperm of the genus Psammechinus miliaris, for which the waveform was mathematically characterized. The model results indicated a concentration of ATP that was positive over the entire flagellar length for all times. Whether molecular diffusion is an adequate transport mechanism to supply the required ATP can be reduced to the computation of a dimensionless parameter developed here.