cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plant and Soil Relationships of Uranium and Thorium Decay Series Radionuclides—A Review

The behavior of radionuclides of the uranium (U) and thorium (Th) decay series in terrestrial systems is of interest because of environmental effects of mining and disposal activities related to nuclear power plant fuels. The soil-plant relationships of U, Th, and polonium (Pb), and some other daughter radionuclides, notably radium ({sup 226}Ra), are not well understood. Most studies have been concerned with relative uptake of these radionuclides by various plant species. Plant concentrations have been related to total contents of these radionuclides in the soil as a plant/soil concentration ratio (CR), even though the fraction of these radionuclides, which may be available to plants, is not well known. These CR values have been used to predict transport of radionuclides and other elements of interest through the food chain as well as for other purpose including biogeochemical exploration for U. Little information is available on uptake and transport mechanisms of radionuclides in plants. However, the mechanisms relating to Ca uptake and translocation in plants may be similar to those of some radionuclides, especially {sup 226}Ra. Son chemical reactions of these radionuclides also have not been studied as well as those of plant nutrients, although knowledge of the effects of soil pH,more » soil texture, and organic matter content on uptake, as well as mobility in soil of these radionuclides, has been gained in recent years. 45 refs., 13 tabs.« less
Buyer‐seller relationships: how libraries can make the system work

While there is always the potential for dissatisfaction in any buyer‐seller relationship, some libraries have been more successful than others in negotiating with vendors. Even though there is no one strategy that will work for all situations, five approaches seem to have proven themselves. By employing them, vendor negotiations will be far more successful than not, and major dissatisfaction can be avoided.
Smooth Tradeoffs between Insert and Query Complexity in Nearest Neighbor Search

Locality Sensitive Hashing (LSH) has emerged as the method of choice for high dimensional similarity search, a classical problem of interest in numerous applications. LSH-based solutions require that each data point be inserted into a number A of hash tables, after which a query can be answered by performing B lookups. The original LSH solution of [IM98] showed for the first time that both A and B can be made sublinear in the number of data points. Unfortunately, the classical LSH solution does not provide any tradeoff between insert and query complexity, whereas for data (respectively, query) intensive applications one would like to minimize insert time by choosing a smaller $A$ (respectively, minimize query time by choosing a smaller B). A partial remedy for this is provided by Entropy LSH [Pan06], which allows to make either inserts or queries essentially constant time at the expense of a loss in the other parameter, but no algorithm that achieves a smooth tradeoff is known.In this paper, we present an algorithm for performing similarity search under the Euclidean metric that resolves the problem above. Our solution is inspired by Entropy LSH, but uses a very different analysis to achieve a smooth tradeoff between insert and query complexity. Our results improve upon or match, up to lower order terms in the exponent, best known data-oblivious algorithms for the Euclidean metric.
Resolution of two surface glycoproteins from human parainfluenza-3 virus by crossed immunoelectrophoresis

Abstract The technique of two-dimensional crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) was used to resolve two glycoproteins from purified human parainfluenza type 3 virus. Virus preparations were extracted with Triton X-100 and fractionated by centrifugation in a Beckman airfuge. Two immunoprecipitates were detected by CIE in the supernatant fractions, but were not found in the pellets from extracted virus. Viral glycoproteins labeled with [35]methionine were isolated by affinity chromatography on concanavalin A (Con A) agarose columns, resolved by CIE and detected by autoradiography. Resolution of two glycoprotein peaks from as little as 4.5 μg of protein from extracted virus is consistent with results from polyacrylamide gel patterns showing two unique glycoproteins with molecular weights of 48 kd and 65 kd.
Size of antibody and role of autonomic nervous system in the adjuvant action of endotoxin.

ConclusionsStimulation by endotoxin of the primary antibody response to bovine gamma globulin in rabbits results initially in antibody of the 19S class, and later, in part, of antibody of the 7S class. In some instances, 19S antibody constituted the entire primary response. (2) In the rabbit the sympathetic nervous system did not appear to be involved in the antibody-enhancing effect of endotoxin, in that the adrenergic blocking agent, dibenzyline, did not inhibit antibody enhancement, nor did epinephrine given intravenously potentiate antibody formation. (3) The hemagglutinating antibody titer did not correlate with the precipitating antibody titer.
Project CoEx: a distributed artificial intelligence orientation to the design of a cooperating experts' electronic meeting system

The authors discuss opportunistic avenues for synergizing co-evolution of the DAI (distributed artificial intelligence) and EMS (electronic meeting systems) fields. The focus is on CoEx, an EMS designed to support multiple cooperating experts involved in the task of using/prototyping/maintaining a distributed knowledge-based system. The CoEx system includes an object-oriented interface built on an extended relational DBMS platform implemented on a network of Sun model 386i workstations. CoEx is a shell system for conducting research in the general area of expert-team work. >
Automatic bounding of programmable shaders for efficient global illumination

This paper describes a technique to automatically adapt programmable shaders for use in physically-based rendering algorithms. Programmable shading provides great flexibility and power for creating rich local material detail, but only allows the material to be queried in one limited way: point sampling. Physically-based rendering algorithms simulate the complex global flow of light through an environment but rely on higher level information about the material properties, such as importance sampling and bounding, to intelligently solve high dimensional rendering integrals.We propose using a compiler to automatically generate interval versions of programmable shaders that can be used to provide the higher level query functions needed by physically-based rendering without the need for user intervention or expertise. We demonstrate the use of programmable shaders in two such algorithms, multidimensional lightcuts and photon mapping, for a wide range of scenes including complex geometry, materials and lighting.
Cell Cycle Kinetics and Development of Hydra Attenuata : II. Interstitial Cells

The cell cycle parameters of interstitial cells in Hydra attenuata have been determined. Interstitial cells were classified according to cluster size in which they occur (1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 cells) and morphology using maceration preparations and histological sections. The lengths of G 1 , S , G 2 and M were determined by standard methods of cell cycle analysis using pulse-chase and continuous labelling with [ 3 H]- and [ 14 C]thymidine. Nuclear DNA contents were measured microfluorimetrically. All classes of interstitial cells proliferate but the cell cycle of large interstitial cells occurring singly or in pairs is longer than that of interstitial cells occurring in clusters of 4, 8 and 16 cells. The S -phase is 11-12 h long and G 1 is less than 1 h for all classes of interstitial cells. G 2 is 3-4 h long for interstitial cells in clusters of 4, 8 and 16 cells giving these cells a total cell cycle duration of 16-17 h. In contrast, large interstitial cells occurring as singles and in clusters of 2 have G 2 durations ranging from 4 to 22 h. Two subpopulations can be discerned among these cells, one having a G 1 of about 6 h and a total cell cycle of about 19 h, the other having an average G 2 of 14 h and a total cell cycle of about 27 h. The differences in cell cycle duration appear to be associated with interstitial cell function. Cells having a short cell cycle are probably committed to nematocyte differentiation, while large interstitial cells having long and variable cell cycles appear to be undetermined stem cells responsible for proliferating further interstitial cells. The variable length of G 2 in these cells suggest it as a possible control point.
The implementation challenge of pricing decision support systems for retail managers

There has been an explosion in the availability of data and computing ability in retail management that has led to a new desire on the part of managers to implement demand based management. Demand based management uses statistical models to predict consumer price response using historical information. These models can be used to construct pricing decision support systems for retail managers. Currently, many firms have begun offering software to perform price optimization. This article considers how recent advances in academic research can contribute to the implementation of these systems, and in turn consider the new questions likely to be posed by the developers and users of these new systems. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What is Plan-Implementation and How is It Taught?

Concepts and theories of plan implementa tion that have been presented in the literature are reviewed to provide the basis of comparison for a survey of planning programs carried out in 1981 The survey aimed to find out how planning educators conceptualize plan implementation and how it is taught Responding programs were clustered by program type, and implementation-related courses classified as generic, contextual, or substantive Findings included an association between program type and the type of courses taught, probably attributable to the process of curriculum development While there was a broad consensus among respondents on the importance of plan-implementation, there are conspicuous gaps between their concepts of plan-implementation and the concepts which prevail in the research and literature, and the types of courses through which many programs claim to be teaching plan-implementation. This implies that such existing courses may not be enough Planning educators need to provide their students wit...
Stampede to Judgment: Persuasive Influence and Herding Behavior by Courts

We model appeals courts as Bayesian decision-makers with private information about a supreme court's interpretation of the law; each court also observes the previous decisions of other appeals courts in similar cases. Such 'persuasive influence' can cause 'herding' behavior by later appeals courts as decisions progressively rely more on previous decisions and less on a court's private information. We provide an example drawn from a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision finding unconstitutional a basic provision of a law previously found constitutional by six Circuit Courts. Herding on the wrong decision may remain uncorrected, since review of harmonious decisions is rare.
Cytoplasmic LPS activates caspase-11: implications in TLR4-independent endotoxic shock

Inflammatory caspases, such as caspase-1 and -11, mediate innate immune detection of pathogens. Caspase-11 induces pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, and specifically defends against bacterial pathogens that invade the cytosol. During endotoxemia, however, excessive caspase-11 activation causes shock. We report that contamination of the cytoplasm by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the signal that triggers caspase-11 activation in mice. Specifically, caspase-11 responds to penta- and hexa-acylated lipid A, whereas tetra-acylated lipid A is not detected, providing a mechanism of evasion for cytosol-invasive Francisella. Priming the caspase-11 pathway in vivo resulted in extreme sensitivity to subsequent LPS challenge in both wild-type and Tlr4-deficient mice, whereas Casp11-deficient mice were relatively resistant. Together, our data reveal a new pathway for detecting cytoplasmic LPS.
Large deviations for the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations with multiplicative noise

A Wentzell‐Freidlin type large deviation principle is established for the two-dimensional Navier‐Stokes equations perturbed by a multiplicative noise in both bounded and unbounded domains. The large deviation principle is equivalent to the Laplace principle in our function space setting. Hence, the weak convergence approach is employed to obtain the Laplace principle for solutions of stochastic Navier‐Stokes equations. The existence and uniqueness of a strong solution to (a) stochastic Navier‐Stokes equations with a small multiplicative noise, and (b) Navier‐Stokes equations with an additional Lipschitz continuous drift term are proved for unbounded domains which may be of independent interest. c 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Distribution of calcification in carotid endarterectomy tissues: comparison of micro-computed tomography imaging with histology.

BACKGROUND Calcification in atherosclerotic plaques has been viewed as a marker of plaque stability, but whether calcification accumulates in specific anatomic sites in the carotid artery is unknown. We determined the burden and distribution of calcified plaque in carotid endarterectomy (CEA) tissues. METHODS A total of 22 CEA tissues were imaged with high-resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Total plaque burden and total calcium score using the Agatston method were quantified. The Agatston score (AS) was also normalized for tissue size. Plaque and calcium distribution were analyzed separately for three CEA regions: common segment (CS), bulb segment (BS), and internal/external segments (IES). RESULTS The average CEA tissue length was 40.83 (interquartile range [IQR] 33.31-42.41) mm with total plaque burden of 103.45 (IQR: 78.84-156.81) mm(3) and total AS of 38.58 (IQR 11.59-89.97). Total plaque volume was 21.02 (IQR: 14.47-25.42) mm(3) in the CS, 37.89 (22.59-48.32) mm(3) in the BS, and 54.05 (36.87-74.52) mm(3) in the IES. Of the 22 tissues, 15 had no calcium in the CS compared with three in the bulb and two in the IES. Normalized calcified plaque was most prevalent in the BS, the IES and was least prevalent in the CS. The overall correlation of calcification between histology sections and matched micro-CT images was 0.86 (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Calcified plaque is heterogeneously distributed in CEA tissues with most in the bulb and IES regions. The amount of calcification in micro-CT slices shows a high correlation with matched histology sections.
Accelerated Self‐Healing Via Ternary Interpenetrating Microvascular Networks

Self-healing materials with dual interpenetrating microvascular networks enable two-part healing chemistries and repeated healing of damage in a localized region.1 However, due to slow healing kinetics, multiple days are required between damage events to recover mechanical performance under ambient conditions. By directly writing a third interdigitated microvascular network within these epoxy coating/substrate architectures to enable in situ thermal regulation, the characteristic healing time is reduced by an order of magnitude. Specifically, this third network provides a conduit for circulating a temperature-controlled fluid that rapidly heats the locally damaged region leading to a sharp reduction in the time required for mechanical property restoration.
Does the Visiting Friends and Relatives’ Typology Make a Difference? A Study of the International VFR Market to the United States:

Using data from the In-Flight Survey of International Travelers for 1997, this study analyzed international visiting friends and relatives’ travelers (VFRs) to the United States. Three of the factors in an initial typology of VFRs were tested for their effects on travel expenditures. These typology factors (sector, scope, accommodation used) were found to have a significant influence on the expenditures of international VFRs to the United States. VFRs for whom VFR was the main travel purpose differed in their spending patterns from those for whom it was a secondary purpose. VFRs who used commercial accommodation had different expenditures from those who exclusively stayed in private homes. VFRs from individual countries differed in travel expenditures. Besides partially validating the typology, this study determined that international VFRs made substantial use of commercial accommodation and had significant expenditures on food and beverages, transportation, gifts and souvenirs, and entertainment.
How Henry Hellyer’s Use of Language Foretold His Suicide

Background: Henry Hellyer was an accomplished surveyor and explorer in Australia in the early 1800s whose apparent suicide at the age of 42 has puzzled historians for generations. He left behind several written works, including letters, journals, and reports. Aims: The current study assessed changes in the ways Hellyer used words in his various written documents during the last 7 years of his life. Methods: Hellyer’s writings were analyzed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program. Results: Hellyer showed increases in first-person singular pronoun use, decreases in first-person plural pronoun use, and increases in negative emotion word use. As this is a single, uncontrolled case study, caution is recommended in generalizing from the current results. Conclusions: Results suggest Hellyer’s increasing self-focused attention, social isolation, and negative emotion. Findings are consistent with increasing depression and suicidal ideation. Implications for using computerized text analysis to decode pe...
Study of performance of a tubular membrane reactor for an enzyme catalyzed reaction

A tubular membrane reactor offers many advantages over a solid wall reactor to carry out an enzyme catalyzed reaction. With proper membrane selectivity, the product, may be separated from the reacting stream and the enzyme recycled for continuous reuse. In most cases, enzyme reuse contributes to the economic feasibility of a continuous enzyme catalyzed process. Furthermore, the efficiency and performance of a membrane reactor is greater than that of a solid wall reactor. Continuous hydrolysis of starch by the enzyme β-amylase, carried out in a commercially available tubular membrane unit, is studied at different starch and enzyme concentrations for a given system pressure and inlet flow rate. Results show that the performance of the membrane reactor is in all cases greater than that of the solid wall reactor. A steady state in performance of permeation rate is, however, not reached by the membrane reactor, which shows a continuous decline within the periods examined in this study. This decline is caused in part by the aging of the starch solution, but mostly by the formation of a concentrated, or gel, layer at the membrane surface. This appears to be the main limiting factor for this process since the decline in reaction and permeation rate results in a severe decrease in the amount of maltose in the permeate.
Tau Protein Forms Ion Channels

Tau is a microtubule associated protein that is intrinsically disordered and accumulates in amyloid fibril deposits alone and in combination with other amyloid forming proteins. We have found that Tau 441 can form ion- permeable channels in planar lipid bilayers under conditions of acidic pH. The channels are irreversibly associated with the membrane and exhibit heterodisperse conductances. Acidic phospholipids enhanced channel activity. The channels are only weakly selective for cations. Zn++ does not block the channels. These channels show significant, but incomplete, similarity to the amyloid channels formed by the Alzheimer peptide Abeta, the diabetes associated peptide IAPP, the prion related PrP106-126 ,and other amyloid channel peptides. Channel forming activity may play a pathogenic role in Tau associated diseases such as Lewy Body Dementia, by causing ion leakage in target cell membranes.
Patterns of Mitochondrial Diversity among Desert Firefly Populations (Lampyridae: Microphotus octarthrus Fall)

Abstract The firefly Microphotus octarthrus occurs allopatricallly throughout pinyon-oak and juniper- oak habitats of the deserts of southwestern US. Adult dispersal is limited thus individuals are likely to be genetically isolated by geographic distances. However, during the Pleistocene, habitats may have been contiguous allowing for greater dispersal and genetic continuity. In this study we investigated the patterns of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I haplotypes among disjunct populations of M. octarthrus to determine whether current populations were historically contiguous. A total of 26 mtDNA COI haplotypes was found for 28 individuals from six populations spanning the beetle's range. Cladistic analysis of individuals resulted in 15,500 equally parsimonious trees. Strict consensus of these trees was mostly resolved except for a few individuals within well supported clades. Individuals from the same population were monophyletic and genetic isolation by distance was observed. Mean branch lengths for t...
Stability of attributes of positive functioning and of developmental assets among African American adolescent male gang and community-based organization members.

An analysis is presented of the longitudinal stability over the course of a year of characteristics of positive functioning and of individual and ecological developmental assets, among African American male youth involved in gangs or in community-based organizations (CBOs) serving youth. Evidence is provided for the potential of positive youth development among both groups of adolescents. Language: en
ATPS-96HISTONE DEACETYLASE INHIBITORS REPRESS HYPOXIA SIGNALING THROUGH AFFECTING HSP90

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) are among the most promising recently developed anti-cancer agents. Recent work suggests that HDACis suppress both malignant cell metabolism and progression by interfering with the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) signaling, which plays a key role in tumor progression in both actual and falsely perceived cellular hypoxia (pseudohypoxia). However, the precise biochemical mechanism of HDACis repression of HIFs function remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the class-2 histone deacetylase inhibitor SAHA potently inhibits hypoxia signaling via interfering with heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). HDACis increase in the acetylation of Hsp90, resulting in less HIF-a recognition and nuclear translocation. Accumulated cytoplasmic HIF-a is not transcriptional active and degradaded through proteosomal pathway. Finally, we demonstrated that SAHA remarkably reduce hypoxia signaling and decrease tumor growth in vivo. These findings provide insight into new possible therapeutic strategies for using HDACis in tumors with known HIF pathway aberrations.
Waveform-Controlled Relativistic High-Order-Harmonic Generation.

We consider the efficiency limit of relativistic high-order-harmonic emission from solid targets achievable with tailored light fields. Using one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, the maximum energy conversion efficiency is shown to reach as high as 10% for the harmonics in the range of 80--200 eV and is largely independent of laser intensity and plasma density. The waveforms most effective at driving harmonics have a broad spectrum with a lower-frequency limit set by the width of the incident pulse envelope and an upper limit set by the relativistic plasma frequency.
Assessing drought-induced change in a piñon-juniper woodland with Landsat: a multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis approach

Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, GIScience for Environmental Studies (GEM) Lab, Litvak Lab (UNM Department of Biology), and GPSA
Significance of Complement to the Mechanism of Action of Endotoxin

Bacterial endotoxins are derived from the outer membrane of the complex cell wall of gram negative bacteria (Mergenhagen et al., 1966; Bladen et al., 1967) and are macromolecular structures containing polysaccharide, phospholipid, and small quantities of protein. Over the years much of the interest in bacterial endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides) has arisen because of the diversity of physiopathological and immunological effects these products have on the host. The biochemist has largely been concerned with the chemical and molecular basis for endotoxin action while the immunobiologist has tried to relate biological activity to the well-established fact that endotoxins are potent antigens and may give rise to some as yet ill-defined forms of hypersensitivity phenomena. Several recent symposia and reviews pertaining to the historical, immunobiological, and chemical interests of bacterial endotoxins have been compiled (Landy and Braun, 1964; Zweifach and Janoff, 1965; Nowotny, 1966; Luderitz et al., 1968; Neter, 1969) and it is out of the scope of this discussion to reiterate what has already been well documented in the literature except where certain of these references have a direct bearing on the subject at hand.
Does Early Goal-Directed Therapy Decrease Mortality Compared with Standard Care in Patients with Septic Shock?

Abstract Background Current international guidelines for the treatment of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock recommend that patients receive targeted care to various physiologic endpoints, thereby optimizing tissue perfusion and oxygenation. These recommendations are primarily derived from a protocol published >15 years ago, which was viewed by many as complex and was therefore not widely adopted. Instead, many emergency physicians focused on the administration of early antibiotics, source control, aggressive fluid resuscitation, vasoactive medications as needed to maintain mean arterial blood pressure, and careful monitoring of these patients. The primary goal of this literature search was to determine if there is a mortality benefit to the early goal-directed protocol recommended by current international sepsis guidelines compared to current usual care. Methods A MEDLINE literature search was performed for studies published between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2015. Studies were limited to the English language, human randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, prospective trials, and retrospective cohort trials that met specific keyword search criteria. Case reports, case series, and review articles were excluded. All selected articles then underwent a structured review by the authors. Results Seven thousand four hundred twenty studies were initially screened; after the final application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 studies were formally analyzed. Each study then underwent a rigorous review and evaluation from which a formal recommendation was made. Conclusion There is no difference in mortality between current usual care and the goal-directed approach recommended by current international guidelines for patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.
The Risk Takers: The Support Faculty Participants in Integration Initiatives Say They Really Need

This qualitative study reports the concerns of faculty in three pre-professional programs of one food science department as they integrate communication competencies into their classes. The study found that faculty viewed communication activities through the lenses of their disciplinary traditions, applying scientific frames of reference to communication activities. Two areas of concern that emerged are: first, faculty were challenged by logistical issues such as development assessment instruments and assignments; second the risks they took by teaching an area outside of their disciplinary expertise caused them anxieties. Agents of integration and other participants must be cognizant of the disciplinary frames of reference influencing faculty decisions during integration efforts. This study focused on self-reports from faculty regarding the challenges they experienced (rather than disciplinary content issues) while integrating communication activities into their classes; consequently the results and recommendations are generalizable to integration efforts in other discplines.
76. Transgenic Expression of IL15 Improves Antiglioma Activity of IL13Rα2-CAR T Cells

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in humans, and is virtually incurable with conventional therapies. Immunotherapy with T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) specific for the GBM antigen IL13Rα2 is an attractive approach to improve outcomes. We recently generated the first scFv-based CAR that is specific for IL13Rα2 and demonstrated that IL13Rα2-CARs with a CD28.ζ endodomain had potent anti-GBM activity in preclinical models. However, CAR T-cell persistence was limited, resulting in recurrence of IL13Rα2-positive GBMs. Since IL13Rα2-CARs with other endodomains (41BB, 41BB and OX40) did not improve outcomes, the goal of this project was to evaluate if transgenic expression of IL-15, a cytokine that is critical for T-cell proliferation and survival, enhances persistence and anti-tumor activity of IL13Rα2-CAR.CD28.ζ T cells.METHODS: We generated IL13Rα2-CAR.CD28.ζ T cells expressing IL-15 (IL13Rα2-CAR. IL15 T cells) by double transducing T cells with retroviruses containing expression cassettes encoding i) IL13Rα2-CAR.CD28.ζ or ii) IL-15, ΔNGFR, and iC9 separated by 2A sequences. We determined the effector function of IL13Rα2-CAR. IL15 T cells in vitro using standard assays, and in the U373 GBM xenograft model.RESULTS: Double transduction of CD3/CD28-activated T cells resulted in T-cell lines that expressed both transgenes in 45-50% of T cells. At base line IL13Rα2-CAR. IL15 T cells produced on average 69.5 pg/ml of IL15. Production was significantly increased after CD3 or antigen-specific T-cell stimulation (176.7 pg/ml; n=6; p<0.001). IL13Rα2-CAR. IL15 T cells were as efficient as IL13Rα2-CAR T cells in killing IL13Rα2-positive GBMs in vitro. After intratumoral injection into U373 glioma-bearing mice IL13Rα2-CAR. IL15 T cells persisted significantly longer than IL13Rα2-CAR T cells (p<0.05). This resulted in a significant increase in progression free (98 vs 49 days; p=0.004) and overall survival (p=0.006) of treated mice. Up to date, 4/10 IL13Rα2-CAR. IL15 T-cell treated mice remain glioma free with a follow up of at least 80 days. Recurring U373 gliomas post IL13Rα2-CAR. IL15 T-cell therapy had down regulated IL13Rα2 expression, indicating immune escape. This was specific for the targeted antigen since LL13Rα2-CAR.LL15 T-cell-treated U373 gliomas continued to express other tumor antigens such as EphA2 and HER2 at unchanged levels in comparison to controls.CONCLUSION: Here we demonstrate that transgenic expression of IL15 enhances the in vivo persistence of IL13Rα2-CAR T cells resulting in improved anti-glioma activity. However, enhanced in vivo persistence of T cells also resulted in the development of antigen-loss variants highlighting the need to target multiple antigens in tumors with heterogeneous antigen expression such as GBM.
Exact Fundamental Limits of the First and Second Hyperpolarizabilities.

Nonlinear optical interactions of light with materials originate in the microscopic response of the molecular constituents to excitation by an optical field, and are expressed by the first ($\ensuremath{\beta}$) and second ($\ensuremath{\gamma}$) hyperpolarizabilities. Upper bounds to these quantities were derived seventeen years ago using approximate, truncated state models that violated completeness and unitarity, and far exceed those achieved by potential optimization of analytical systems. This Letter determines the fundamental limits of the first and second hyperpolarizability tensors using Monte Carlo sampling of energy spectra and transition moments constrained by the diagonal Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn (TRK) sum rules and filtered by the off-diagonal TRK sum rules. The upper bounds of $\ensuremath{\beta}$ and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ are determined from these quantities by applying error-refined extrapolation to perfect compliance with the sum rules. The method yields the largest diagonal component of the hyperpolarizabilities for an arbitrary number of interacting electrons in any number of dimensions. The new method provides design insight to the synthetic chemist and nanophysicist for approaching the limits. This analysis also reveals that the special cases which lead to divergent nonlinearities in the many-state catastrophe are not physically realizable.
In vitro and in vivo assessment of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of Xylaria nigripes mycelium

Abstract Xylaria nigripes ( XN ) is used to treat insomnia, trauma and inflammatory diseases. This study demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of XN . Submerged fermentation was applied for production of XN mycelium. For in vitro studies on the anti-inflammation activity, hot water and 70% ethanol extracts of XN mycelia were prepared. Lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells served as the cell culture model to evaluate the effects of XN extracts against disease-related inflammation. The immunomodulatory effects were examined by oral administration of XN mycelium in BALB/c mice. Both extracts effectively reduced the concentration of NO, TNF-α and IL-6 in culture medium, and Cox-2 enzyme activity. The phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells was enhanced upon treatment with XN extracts for 24 h. XN extract exhibited increased anti-inflammation effects, phagocytic activity, and secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. The XN mycelium exhibited immunomodulatory activities by enhancing splenocytes proliferation, cytokine inductions, and the cytotoxicity of splenic natural killer cells.
Urban Impacts of Water Supply Reservoir

Water quality of Lake Houston, a rapidly urbanizing water supply reservoir near Houston, Texas, was characterized in terms of sediments, nutrients, and algal population. Data was collected at five in-lake stations and all the tributaries, on a weekly basis during 1979. Analyses showed major water quality differences between the urbanized tributaries to the lake and the forested tributaries. Frequent storms and silty soils cause very high turbidities in the lake, which in turn limit the algal population by storm wash-out and light restriction. Algal productivity rate is highly controlled by seasonal factors, such as light and temperature. Two equations were developed relating physical factors (i.e., flow rate, turbidity, and water temperature) to biological factors (i.e., chlorophyll a\aM and algal productivity rate). A suggested set of management strategies was also developed.
PERK signaling, but not eIF2α phosphorylation, protects tumor cells from the effects of Fatty Acid Synthase inhibitors.

5071 Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS) expression is upregulated in many tumors to facilitate growth and proliferation. FAS is the sole enzyme responsible for synthesis of the fatty acid palmitate, a primary component of phospholipids in membranes, a critical element for post-translational modification and a precursor for the syntheses of long chain fatty acids. High levels of FAS in tumors correlate with poor prognosis and aggressive disease making FAS an attractive candidate for drug targeting in anti-tumor therapy. In fact inhibition of FAS by orlistat and other inhibitors, such as cerulenin and C75, have been shown to induce cell death in a number of different cancer cell lines and inhibit tumor growth in various models of cancer. The cellular mechanism of cell death has remained elusive however. We have demonstrated that treatment of tumor cells with small molecule inhibitors that target two different domains in FAS, orlistat and cerulenin, triggers activation of all three arms of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. We have also shown that ER stress is activated prior to the onset of apoptosis, supporting the idea that ER stress is an upstream event in the cell death cascade. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) with a homozygous deletion of PERK that are transformed with kRas-V12, and HT-29 cells expressing a dominant negative PERK (ΔC-PERK) are hypersensitive to treatment with FAS inhibitors. Phosphorylation of eIF2α, and subsequent inhibition of protein translation, is the critical event in PERK signaling in response to ER stress. To further investigate the PERK pathway, we obtained MEFs with a homozygous knock in allele of eIF2α (S51A) that is unable to be phosphorylated by PERK. Surprisingly, these cells are not hypersensitive to treatment with FAS inhibitors, suggesting that eIF2α phosphorylation is not the only target of PERK activity when FAS is inhibited. HT-29 tumor cells that express a constitutively active GADD34 construct that facilitates dephosphorylation of eIF2α exhibit the same sensitivity as the S51A MEFs. Because cells with PERK mutations are hypersensitive to FAS inhibitor treatment, but cells with mutations downstream of PERK are not, we hypothesized that another target of PERK activity must be necessary. The only other substrate for PERK that has been identified is the redox sensitive transcription factor Nrf2, thus we hypothesize that Nrf2 is a pivotal player in the cellular response to FAS inhibitor treatment.
Interviewing Strategies, Rapport, and Empathy

The two main tasks of a clinician are to accurately assess client symptoms and then to effectively treat these symptoms. What ties these two tasks together is the clinical diagnosis. Diagnosis has been defined as the “identification and labeling of a psychiatric disorder by examination and analysis” (Segal, Maxfield, & Coolidge, 2008, p. 371). It is essential that clinicians arrive at a reliable and valid diagnosis to successfully treat the disorder and ameliorate client distress. In order to do this, clinicians must be able to effectively interview clients. Effective interviewing involves both technical knowledge, such as what subject areas to cover, and interpersonal skills, such as the ability to create rapport and respond empathically with clients. This chapter will address both areas. Technical knowledge will be addressed by reviewing the main diagnostic interviewing strategies that have been utilized in the field, whereas interpersonal skills will be addressed by reviewing the extant literature on empathy and rapport.
Identification of serines-967/968 in the juxtamembrane region of the insulin receptor as insulin-stimulated phosphorylation sites.

A line of Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing protein kinase C alpha was transfected with cDNAs encoding either the wild-type human insulin receptor or one of two mutant insulin receptors with either Ser-967 and -968 or -974 and -976 in the juxtamembrane region changed to alanine. Both mutant receptors exhibited normal insulin-activated tyrosine kinase activity as assessed by either autophosphorylation or insulin-stimulated increases in anti-phosphotyrosine-precipitable phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. The wild-type and mutant insulin receptors were also examined for serine and threonine phosphorylation in response to insulin and activation of protein kinase C. To visualize Ser/Thr-phosphorylation sites of the receptor better in response to insulin, the receptor from in vivo-labelled insulin-treated cells was first treated with a tyrosine-specific phosphatase to remove all tyrosine phosphorylation. Phosphopeptides from the three receptors were analysed by high-percentage polyacrylamide/urea gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional t.l.c. The mutant receptor lacking Ser-967 and -968 but not the mutant lacking Ser-974 and -976 was found to be missing phosphorylated peptides in response to insulin and, to a lesser extent, after activation of protein kinase C. However, the insulin-stimulated increase in anti-phosphotyrosine-precipitable phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase was inhibited to the same extent by activation of protein kinase C in cells expressing the two mutant receptors as in cells expressing the wild-type receptor. These results indicate that these four serine residues in the juxtamembrane region are not major regulatory sites of the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity of the insulin receptor by protein kinase C, although Ser-967 and/or -968 appear to be phosphorylated in response to insulin.
The Provider’s Body in the Therapeutic Relationship: How Complementary and Alternative Medicine Providers Describe Their Work as Healers

ABSTRACTAlthough the body is central to health outcomes, the provider’s body has been largely absent in the provider–patient relationship. Drawing upon semi-structured interviews with complementary...
COMBINATION OF PHENTERMINE/TOPIRAMATE ER AND LIRAGLUTIDE 3 MG FOR INTENSIVE THERAPY OF SEVERE OBESITY & T2DM: A CASE SERIES AND BRIEF REVIEW

ABSTRACT Objective: Patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes have severe obesity warranting intensive treatment. The medical treatment of obesity can use multiple medications that target different...
An observation regarding Jutla's modes of operation.

Recently, Jutla suggested two new modes of operation for block ciphers. These modes build on traditional CBC and ECB modes, respectively, but add to them masking of the outputs and inputs. Jutla proved that these masking operations considerably strengthen CBC and ECB modes. In particular, together with a simple checksum, the modified modes ensure not only confidentiality, but also authenticity. Similar modes were also suggested by Gligor and Donescu and by Rogaway. In Jutla’s proposal (as well as in some of the other proposals), the masks themselves are derived from an IV via the same block cipher as used for the encryption (perhaps with a different key). In this work we note, however, that the function for deriving these masks need not be cryptographic at all. In particular, we prove that a universal hash function (a-la-CarterWegman) is sufficient for this purpose. ∗IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, P.O. Box 704, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA,shaih@watson.ibm.com
Selective trade-offs maintain alleles underpinning complex trait variation in plants

To understand evolutionary factors that maintain complex trait variation, we sequenced genomes from a single population of the plant Mimulus guttatus , identifying hundreds of nucleotide variants associated with morphological and life history traits. Alleles that delayed flowering also increased size at reproduction, which suggests pervasive antagonistic pleiotropy in this annual plant. The “large and slow” alleles, which were less common in small, rapidly flowering populations, became more abundant in populations with greater plant size. Furthermore, natural selection within the field population favored alternative alleles from year to year. Our results suggest that environmental fluctuations and selective trade-offs maintain polygenic trait variation within populations and also contribute to the geographic divergence in this wildflower species.
Atom probe tomography of nanoscale architectures in functional materials for electronic and photonic applications

Abstract Microscopy has played a central role in the advancement of nanoscience and nanotechnology by enabling the direct visualization of nanoscale structure, leading to predictive models of novel physical behaviors. Electronic and photonic device technologies, whose features and performance are often improved through miniaturization, have particularly benefited from new capabilities in the characterization of material structure and composition. This paper reviews recent applications of atom probe tomography to semiconducting materials with nanoscale architectures that are designed to impart novel properties and device functionality by virtue of their shape and size. A review is necessary because rapid advances in atom probe instrumentation and analysis in the last decade have greatly expanded the utility of atom probe tomography to address scientific questions and technical questions in this area. The paper is organized in terms of the surface topologies of nanoscale architectures. We begin with nominally planar interfaces including thin film heterostructures and superlattices with open surfaces. Distinctive capabilities in the analysis of interfaces are introduced, as are challenges arising from measurement artifacts. We then discuss nanowires and nanowire heterostructures with surfaces that are closed along one dimension, for which atom probe tomography has provided unique and important understandings on the doping processes. Finally, we consider nanocrystals and quantum dots with completely closed surfaces. Along the way, current challenges and opportunities for atom probe tomography are highlighted, and the reader is directed to complementary reviews of more technical aspects of atom probe analysis.
A novel cross-correlation methodology for assessing biophysical responses associated with pain.

Purpose The purpose of this work was to noninvasively detect and quantify microvascular blood flow changes in response to externally applied pain in humans. The responsiveness of the microvasculature to pain stimulation might serve as an objective biomarker in diseases associated with altered pain perception and dysregulated vascular functions. The availability of such a biomarker may be useful as a tool for predicting outcome and response to treatments, particularly in diseases like sickle cell anemia where clinical manifestations are directly linked to microvascular perfusion. We, therefore, developed a method to distinguish the blood flow response due to the test stimulus from the blood flow measurement that also includes concurrent flow changes from unknown origins. Subjects and methods We measured the microvascular blood flow response in 24 healthy subjects in response to a train of randomly spaced and scaled heat pulses on the anterior forearm. The fingertip microvascular perfusion was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry. The cross-correlation between the heat pulses and the blood flow response was computed and tested for significance against the null distribution obtained from the baseline recording using bootstrapping method. Results We estimated correlation coefficients, response time, response significance, and the magnitude of vasoreactivity from microvascular blood flow responses. Based on these pain response indices, we identified strong responders and subjects who did not show significant responses. Conclusion The cross-correlation of a random pattern of painful stimuli with directly measured microvascular flow can detect vasoconstriction responses in a noisy blood flow signal, determine the time between stimulus and response, and quantify the magnitude of this response. This approach provided an objective measurement of vascular response to pain that may be an inherent characteristic of individual human subjects, and may also be related to the severity of vascular disorders.