cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The structure and peroxidase activity of myoglobin in alcoholic solvents

Abstract We present data on the peroxidase activity of equine skeletal myoglobin in water, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, and 1-pentanol. For experimentation in non-aqueous solvents the protein structure was stabilized through lyophilization from a solution of a buffer and 98% (dry weight) KCl. Myoglobin showed some solubility in methanol and its structure was probed with circular dichroism and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopies. Peroxidase activity of myoglobin toward the oxidation of o-phenylenediamine to 2,3-diaminophenazine was observed and measured in each of the listed solvents. The system in methanol showed the fastest initial rate of reaction. This initial rate in the other organic solvents was similar to the rate in water. However, myoglobin showed stable catalysis for a longer period of time in water. These results provide a first step forward in guiding the utilization of re-engineered myoglobin variants in non-aqueous solvents.
Human surfactant protein B: structure, function, regulation, and genetic disease

Elucidation of the structure and function of the hydrophobic surfactant protein (SP-B) and the SP-B gene has provided critical insight into surfactant homeostasis and control of respiratory epithelial cell gene expression. Surfactant protein B, in concert with surfactant protein A (SP-A), surfactant protein C (SP-C), and surfactant phospholipids, contributes to the structure and function of surfactant particles, determining surface activities and pathways by which surfactant phospholipids and proteins are processed, routed, packaged, and secreted from lamellar bodies by type II epithelial cells. After secretion, SP-B plays an essential role in determining the structure of tubular myelin, the stability and rapidity of spreading, and the recycling of surfactant phospholipids. The biochemical and structural signals underlying the homeostasis of alveolar surfactant are likely mediated by interactions between the surfactant proteins and phospholipids producing discrete structural forms that vary in size, aproprotein, and phospholipid content. Distinctions in structure, protein, and size are likely to determine the function of surfactant particles, their catabolism, or recycling by alveolar macrophages and airway epithelial cells. Analysis of the genetic controls governing the SP-B gene has led to the definition of DNA-protein interactions that determine respiratory epithelial cell gene expression in general. The important role of SP-B in lung function was defined by the study of a lethal neonatal respiratory disease, hereditary SP-B deficiency, caused by mutations in the human SP-B gene.
Effect of Selenium, Vitamin E, and Antioxidants on Testicular Function in Rats

Active spermatogenesis was observed in some of the seminiferous tubules of seleniumdeficient rats born to females on a selenium-deficient diet,and only a very few spermatozoa could be recovered from the cauda epididymis of these animals. The motility of spermatozoa from these males was invariably very poor and the majority of the sperm cells showed breakage near the middle piece or principal piece of the tail. Vitamin E supplementation, even at highly elevated levels (d.a-tocopherol acetate, 1000 ppm) did not alleviate these selenium-deficiency symptoms. Rats receiving selenium-deficient diets with antioxidant supplementation also produced semen, which contained, in most cases, nonmotile spermatozoa. The role of selendiulil on spermatogenesis in rats is apparently specific and cannot be substituted either by vitamin E or by the antioxidants tested in this study.
Land use, land use change and soil carbon sequestration in the St. Johns River Basin, Florida, USA

Land use change is widely recognized as a net source of greenhouse gas emissions at the global scale. Most of these emissions are attributed to losses from aboveground terrestrial pools such as deforestation. However, much less is known about the effects of land use change on soil carbon pools at regional scales. To address this problem, relationships between soil organic carbon (SOC), land use/land cover (LULC) classes, and LULC change were investigated at the regional scale. A legacy soil survey was used in conjunction with a new, contemporary sampling campaign to determine SOC change through time. Together, the two datasets cover an approximate 40-year time period (1965 to 2009). The greatest densities of SOC were documented in wetland classes. Specifically, soils of Hardwood Swamp, Cypress Swamp, and Mixed Urban consisted of both residential Wetland Forest contained 9.8, 9.5, and 7.8 g C m− 2. In regard to absolute storage, or SOC stocks, Hardwood Swamp, Pineland, and Urban ranked highest and contained 14.4, 13.3, and 9.9 Tg C, respectively. The effect of LULC change was mixed, and resulted in both gains and losses of SOC at the field scale. At the regional scale, median SOC increased by 16.9 g C m− 2 yr− 1. Urbanization of natural landscapes resulted in the largest rate of sequestration, which increased SOC by 37.1 g C m− 2 yr− 1. The largest losses were documented in LULC classes converted from Improved Pasture to Rangeland, which decreased SOC by 8.5 g m− 2 yr− 1.
The Essential Properties of Yoga Questionnaire: Development and Methods

Yoga interventions have considerable heterogeneity, are multi-dimensional, and may impact health in different ways. However, most research reports regarding the effects of yoga on health and wellbeing do not adequately describe the components of the yoga interventions being used. Thus, drawing comparisons across studies or understanding the relative effects of specific aspects of a yoga intervention are rarely possible. To address this problem, we created the Essential Properties of Yoga Questionnaire (EPYQ) Project, an NCCAM-funded set of studies to develop a translational tool for yoga researchers. Here we describe the methods and developmental processes used in the EPYQ Project in detail. The project consists of four main phases. Phase I was designed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the relevant aspects of yoga by conducting a comprehensive systematic literature review and conducting focus groups with stakeholders including a wide variety of yoga teachers and students. In Phase II, a pool of po...
This time it’s different: lithium extraction, cultural politics and development in Bolivia

AbstractAs governments throughout Latin America have increased their dependence on resource extraction, the debate around extraction-based development has been reinvigorated. This article argues that, despite historical failures and recurrent conflicts associated with extraction-based development, the way in which development is experienced and conceptualised at the subnational level demonstrates why extraction continues to be perceived as a legitimate means for development. These findings show that, as resource extraction continues to play a critical role in the overall development transition of Latin America, the process must be understood and theorised in relation to the experiences and expectations of actors at multiple scales.
Near-field Mediated Plexcitonic Coupling and Giant Rabi Splitting in Individual Metallic Dimers

Strong coupling between resonantly matched localized surface plasmons and molecular excitons results in the formation of new hybridized energy states called plexcitons. Understanding the nature and tunability of these hybrid nanostructures is important for both fundamental studies and the development of new applications. We investigate the interactions between J-aggregate excitons and single plasmonic dimers and report for the first time a unique strong coupling regime in individual plexcitonic nanostructures. Dark-field scattering measurements and finite-difference time-domain simulations of the hybrid nanostructures show strong plexcitonic coupling mediated by the near-field inside each dimer gap, which can be actively controlled by rotating the polarization of the optical excitation. The plexciton dispersion curves, obtained from coupled harmonic oscillator models, show anticrossing behavior at the exciton transition energy and giant Rabi splitting ranging between 230 and 400 meV. These energies are, t...
Intrapelvic wilms’ tumor - report of two cases and review of the literature

Wilms’ tumor is the most common solid tumor in children and often presents as an abdominal mass. In most cases, it involves the renal parenchyma and in later stage invades renal pelvis. Two cases of renal tumor filled entirely of the renal collecting system without parenchymal invasion are reported. Case 1 was a 4 month old male baby who was found to have large abdominal mass. Echogram revealed a left lobulated renal mass, measuring 10 × 7.2 × 5.2 cm without calcification or necrosis. Bisection of the renal mass revealed a markedly dilated renal pelvis and calices filled by a glistening and delicate renal pelvic tumor with yellow granular appearance. The entire tumor can be lifted away from the attenuated renal parenchyma from which a thin stalk is noted at midportion. Case 2 was a 9 year old boy who was noted to have gross hematuria and right flank pain off and on for several months. Echogram revealed that the right kidney is (12.3 × 6.5 cm) slightly larger than the left (10.2 × 5.3 cm). However, a hyperechoic mass measuring 8.3 × 5.4 × 6.1 cm was noted occupying the dilated renal pelvis. Histologic examination disclosed that both tumor masses are composed of epithelial, stromal and blastemal components. The surface is covered by transitional epithelium. The renal parenchyma is not involved by the tumor. The renal cortex is extremely attenuated in one case. In reviewing the literature, there are less than 10 cases of Wilms’ tumor occurring entirely in the renal pelvis. With the aids of echogram, CT and MRI, differentiation from other renal neoplasm can be achieved. It is important to note that unnecessary surgical exploration of the renal pelvis before nephrectomy should be avoided in order to prevent tumor spillage.
Using ground-penetrating radar to re-evaluate the Chetro Ketl field area in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

Abstract Recent remote sensing investigations conducted in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico have included studies at the “Chetro Ketl field” area. This area is widely interpreted as gridded agricultural fields, though a lack of other gridded fields in the canyon have led some to question whether the Chetro Ketl “field” served an agricultural function. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys indicate a complex series of buried components at different depths within this area. The integration of the GPR images with historic aerial photos reveals that many of these buried features have an overall structure and orientation that is distinct from the grid patterns visible on the surface and therefore may reflect chronological changes in local land use patterns. It is not possible to determine whether the collective features in this area were actually agricultural fields, but the methods and analysis reported herein can provide important tools for discovering whether similar buried complexes exist in other parts of the canyon.
Surgical Alternatives in Subcutaneous Mastectomy Reconstruction

The approach to subcutaneous mastectomy is presented, with emphasis on individualization of surgical technique. The operation is based on breast size as well as nipple-areolar complex location. Reconstructive alternatives include a mammary prosthesis, tissue expander, and autologous tissue.
Effect of okadaic acid on elastin gene expression in interstitial lung fibroblasts

Okadaic acid (OA), a specific serine/threonine protein phosphatase inhibitor, downregulated tropoelastin formation and elastin mRNA levels in a dose-related and cycloheximide-sensitive fashion in c...
Modernism and the Materiality of Texts

Modernism and the Materiality of Texts argues that elements of modernist texts that are meaningless in themselves are motivated by their authors' psychic crises. Physical features of texts that interest modernist writers, such as sound patterns and anagrams, cannot be dissociated from abstraction or made a refuge from social crisis; instead, they reflect colonial and racial anxieties of the period. Rudyard Kipling's fear that he is indistinguishable from empire subjects, J. M. Barrie's object-relations theater of infantile separation, and Virginia Woolf's dismembered anagram self are performed by the physical text and produce a new understanding of textuality. In readings that also include diverse works by Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas, P. G. Wodehouse and Conan Doyle, J. M. Barrie, George Herriman, and Sigmund Freud, this study produces a new reading of modernism's psychological text and of literary constructions of materiality in the period.
Amplified effect of mild plastic anisotropy on residual stress and strain anisotropy

Abstract Axisymmetric indentation of a geometrically axisymmetric disk produced residual stresses by non-uniform plastic deformation. The 2024 aluminum plate used to make the disk exhibited mild plastic anisotropy with about 10% lower strength in the transverse direction compared to the rolling and through-thickness directions. Residual stresses and strains in the disk were measured with neutron diffraction, slitting, the contour method, x-ray diffraction and hole drilling. Surprisingly, the residual-stress anisotropy measured in the disk was about 40%, the residual-strain anisotropy was an impressive 100%, and the residual stresses were higher in the weaker direction. The high residual stress anisotropy relative to the mild plastic anisotropy and the direction of the highest stress are explained by considering the mechanics of indentation: constraint on deformation provided by the material surrounding the indentation and preferential deformation in the most compliant direction for incremental deformation. By contrast, the much larger anisotropy in residual strain compared to that in residual stress is independent of the fabrication process and is instead explained by considering Hookean elasticity. For Poisson's ratio of 1/3, the relationship simplifies to the residual strain anisotropy equaling the square of the residual stress anisotropy, which matches the observed results (2 ≈ 1.4^2). A lesson from this study is that to accurately predict residual stresses and strains, one must be wary of seemingly reasonable simplifying assumptions such as neglecting mild plastic anisotropy.
Particle size effect in porous film electrodes of ligand-modified graphene for enhanced supercapacitor performance

Abstract Graphene-based electrodes for high performance supercapacitors are developed by taking advantage of particle size control, large mass loading, and surface functionalization of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets. Two controlled sizes of graphene sheets (100 nm vs. 45 μm average lateral dimensions) were prepared to study two-electrode system performance. The nano-size graphenes led to the formation of mesoporous films, resulting in higher capacitance, better capacitance retension and lower equivalent series resistance (ESR), indicating better surface usability for diffusion and accessibility of electrolyte ions by shortening transport paths (compared with horizontally stacked films from micro-sized graphenes). For studies using an aqueous electrolyte, the maximum specific capacitance of nano-rGO film was 302 F/g (at 1 A/g with 4.3 mg/cm2 of mass loading), which was ∼2.4 times higher than micro-rGO film, and achieved a ∼67% reduced ESR. With an organic electrolyte, the nano-rGO delivered ∼4.2 times higher capacitance (115 F/g at 2 A/g with 4.3 mg/cm2), 4.0 times lower IR drops, and an order-of-magnitude lower charge-transfer resistance with an energy density of 18.7 Wh/kg. The results of this work indicate that the size control of graphene sheet particles for film deposit electrodes can be a simple but effective approach to improve supercapacitor performance.
Cavity expansion in strain hardening frictional soils under drained condition

Summary A rigorous semianalytical solution for the drained expansion of a cylindrical cavity in frictional soils is presented. Following the restrict material (Lagrangian) description approach recently developed by the authors, the cavity analysis has been extended to the 3-invariant plasticity soil model, which is governed by the Matsuoka-Nakai yield criterion combined with the friction angle hardening depending on the development of deviatoric plastic strain. The 4 desired first-order ordinary differential equations are subsequently derived, which enable the 3 stress components, volumetric strain, and plastic shear strain in the plastic zone to be readily calculated through the standard numerical procedure. Numerical examples illustrate how the major constitutive parameter, in situ stress state, and the third stress invariant impact the overall response of the cavity as well as its ultimate pressure. Specific consideration is given to the influence of the plastic hardening parameter on the stress path of a soil element at the cavity wall.
Cycloaddition reactions of enoldiazo compounds

Enoldiazo esters and amides have proven to be versatile reagents for cycloaddition reactions that allow highly efficient construction of various carbocycles and heterocycles. Their versatility is exemplified by (1) [2+n]-cycloadditions (n = 3, 4) by the enol silyl ether units of enoldiazo compounds with retention of the diazo functionality to furnish α-cyclic-α-diazo compounds that are themselves subject to further transformations of the diazo functional group; (2) [3+n]-cycloadditions (n = 1–5) by metallo-enolcarbenes formed by catalytic dinitrogen extrusion from enoldiazo compounds; (3) [2+n]-cycloadditions (n = 3, 4) by donor–acceptor cyclopropenes generated in situ from enoldiazo compounds that produce cyclopropane-fused ring systems. The role of dirhodium(II) and the emergence of copper(I) catalysts are described, as are the different outcomes of reactions initiated with these catalysts. This comprehensive review on cycloaddition reactions of enoldiazo compounds, with emphasis on methodology development, mechanistic insight, and catalyst-controlled chemodivergence, aims to provide inspiration for future discoveries in the field and to catalyze the application of enoldiazo reagents by the wider synthetic community.
Fatty acid binding protein deletion prevents stress-induced preference for cocaine and dampens stress-induced corticosterone levels.

Genetic and pharmacological manipulation of endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling has previously been shown to have an important role on the rewarding properties of drugs of abuse, including cocaine. Recently, fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) have been proposed as intracellular transporters of the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) as well as other bioactive lipids to their catabolic enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). The role of these transporters in modulating the brains reward system has yet to be investigated. This study examined the effects of genetic deletion of FABP 5/7 on cocaine preference, as assessed by the Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) paradigm. Male and female wild type (WT) and FABP 5/7 KO mice showed similar acquisition of cocaine CPP, with no differences found in overall locomotor activity. In addition, while male and female WT mice showed stress-induced CPP for cocaine, male and female FABP 5/7 KO mice failed to show a stress-induced preference for the cocaine-paired chamber. Additionally, serum corticosterone levels were analyzed to explore any potential differences in stress response that may be responsi-ble for the lack of stress-induced preference for cocaine. Serum samples were obtained in animals under basal conditions as well as following a 30-min tube restraint stress. Male and female FABP 5/7 KO mice showed reduced corticosterone levels under stress compared to their WT counter-parts. The reduction in corticosterone response under stress may mediate that lack of a stress-induced preference for cocaine in the FABP 5/7 KO mice. Thus, the role of FABPs may play an important role in drug-seeking behavior under stressful conditions.
Control and Stabilization of Unmanned Helicopter with Suspended Payload

Unlike fixed wings aircrafts, helicopters are the one of the most attractive aerial vehicles for carrying suspended load due to their capabilities of hovering and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). In spite of their better maneuvering and payload transporting abilities, when carrying slung load they are more prone to vibrations. Load behaves as pendulum causing disturbances in helicopter which adversely affects its control and stabilization. If vibrations are not controlled they may cause fatal accidents. Linear matrix inequality based sliding mode control is developed to stabilize payload in presence of air disturbances. Simulations are performed during hovering operation for helicopter. Due to the rapid response and robustness of SMC payload and helicopter states are achieved with the help of proposed control scheme.
Chaos, Noise and Biological Data

In the recent past there has been a torrent of papers concerned with data processing, see e.g., Casdagli and Eubank [1]. In large part this flood of interest has been associated with the realization that irregular time series, long thought to contain signal and noise, may in fact be chaotic. Noise is produced by the coupling of a signal to an infinite dimensional environment, e.g., the billions of neurons in the brain producing the erratic EEG signal. Chaos on the other hand is produced by the intrinsic deterministic dynamics of a low-dimensional nonlinear system. Difficulties arise when one attempts to discriminate between colored noise and chaos in erratic time series. The difficulties are associated with how one interprets the erratic nature of the time series. If it is noise, the random character of the data masks the underlying signal. If it is chaos, the statistical fluctuations contain information and can not be conveniently suppressed as one would noise. However, since quantities such as the correlation or information dimension of the time series can not distinguish between the two, the development of new measures are important and new methods of data processing required.
Characterization of pigment epithelial cell plasma membranes from normal and dystrophic rats.

Retinal pigment epithelial cell plasma membranes were isolated from the eyes of normal and RCSdystrophic rats by binding glass microbeads to the intact pigment epithelial cell layer, removal of the bead-bound cells from the eyes and subsequent sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Plasma membranes were recovered from the gradients in identical yields and characterized by membrane marker enzymes, lipid analysis and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Membrane purification by alkaline phosphodiesterase I and 5'nucleotidase activities averaged 8-fold for normal rats and 5.5 for the dystrophic rats. The ratio of cholesterol per microgram protein indicated 6 to 7-fold purification for both types of plasma membranes. Na + K + -ATPase in the normal and mutant rat plasma membranes was purified 5- and 3.5-fold, respectively, but the specific activities of both Na + K + -ATPase and 5'nucleotidase were higher in the dystrophic rat membranes than in normal. Subcellular organelle contamination was low and relatively uniform in both types of membranes, while opsin contamination was less than 1%. By electrophoretic analysis the plasma membrane proteins were similar, with 30-40 identifiable bands present in each membrane type. The plasma membranes both contain high levels of cholesterol, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine and low levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, the dystrophic rat membranes had significantly hgher levels of docosahexaenoic acid than normal, and significantly lower levels of arachidonic acid. The differences in these plasma membrane fatty acids and in the membrane-bound enzymes may affect the ionic balance of the interphotoreceptor matrix or otherwise contribute to degenerative changes in dystrophic rat photoreceptors. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 29:1066-1075,1988
Growth of Inoculated Psychrotrophic Pathogens on Refrigerated Fillets of Aquacultured Rainbow Trout and Channel Catfish

Aquacultured rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fillets were inoculated with the psychrotrophic pathogens Listeria monocytogenes and Aeromonas hydrophila: cell populations were monitored during refrigerated storage at 2 to 4 degrees C. Fillets of both species were placed individually in sterile plastic bags and inoculated with cell suspensions (10(4.7) CFU/100 g of fish) of either A. hydrophila or L monocytogenes or of both A. hydrophila and L. monocytogenes, for a total of three treatments for each species of fish. Each inoculum and fillet were mixed to ensure uniform distribution and then stored at 2 to 4 degrees C. A. hydrophila, L. monocytogenes, and aerobic cell populations were determined on days 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 13, and 15. Individually inoculated A. hydrophila and L. monocytogenes grew on catfish and trout fillets during the 15-day study. There was no inhibition of either pathogen by the natural flora on the fillets. Both psychrotrophic pathogens grew equally well in catfish and trout fillets inoculated with a combination of A. hydrophila and L. monocytogenes. In all three treatments, the counts of the psychrotrophic pathogens were lower than the aerobic plate counts. The growth of the psychrotrophic pathogens L. monocytogenes and/or A. hydrophila during refrigerated storage on aquacultured fish fillets could increase the food hazard risk, particularly where there is a possibility of cross-contamination with ready-to-eat food products.
A hydrogen fuelled internal combustion engine designed for single speed/power operation

Abstract Sandia National Laboratory is developing from first principles a hydrogen fuelled internal combustion engine for driving an electrical generator that can be utilized either as a stationary power set or the auxiliary power unit in a hybrid vehicle. The intent is to take advantage of hydrogen's unique fuel characteristics and the constant speed characteristics of generator sets to maximize thermal efficiency while minimizing emissions. The current experiments utilize a flat cylinder combustion chamber shape with two ignition points at high (14:1) compression ratio. Emissions and indicated thermal efficiency measurements with fuels of hydrogen, natural gas and a blend confirm low emissions and high thermal efficiency. CFD modelling done by Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos, NM) using their KIVA code is helping to further direct variations in the experimental design space.
101 Case Studies in Construction Management

This book provides 101 real-life construction management case studies from an author with over 40 years’ experience in the construction industry and as a lecturer in construction management. Over 14 chapters, Len Holm has included case studies from real jobsites that cover organization, procurement, estimating, scheduling, subcontractors, communications, quality and cost control, change orders, claims and disputes, safety, and close-outs. Other hot topics covered include BIM, sustainability, and lean. Each case is written in straightforward language and designed to test the reader’s independent and critical thinking skills to develop their real-world problem-solving ability. The cases are open to interpretation, and students will need to develop their own opinions of what’s presented to them in order to reach a satisfactory solution. The cases are ideal for use in the classroom or flipped classroom, for individual or group exercises, and to encourage research, writing, and presenting skills in all manner of applied construction management situations. Such a broad and useful selection of cases studies cannot be found anywhere else. While there is often no "right" answer, the author has provided model solutions to instructors through the online eResource.
A Model for Understanding Recognition Validity

In most decision-making domains, people recognize some stimuli but not others. The validity of recognition as a basis for making decisions about the stimuli is empirically unclear, but has strong implications for the development of theories and models of decision-making. Following the framework used to motivate the recognition heuristic (Gigerenzer and Goldstein, Psychological Review, 103(4), 650–669, 1996), we identify two possible sources of failures in the connection between the signal provided by recognition and the criteria by which stimuli are judged. One is a failure of sending, in which the mediating information environment does not provide recognition signals that follow the criterion. The other is a failure of receiving, in which there are individual differences in the way people use environmental signals to learn to recognize stimuli. We test these two hypotheses, with a new model of individual-level recognition based on the concept of Guttman scales and the Rasch model from psychometrics, using seven new data sets. The data sets cover various real-world domains, including domains involving prediction, and span a range of levels of overall recognition and correspondence between recognition rates and criterion values. We show that the model is able to describe the patterns of recognition across people and stimuli very well and thus provides a capability to measure the noise inherent in sending and receiving recognition signals. These modeling results lead to a clear conclusion that, across all of the data sets, there are at best small individual differences in receiving environmental signals, but often large differences between recognition rates and criterion values in the signals the environment sends.
Analysis of tumor-infiltrating CD103 resident memory T-cell content in recurrent laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Recurrent laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas (LSCCs) are associated with poor outcomes, without reliable biomarkers to identify patients who may benefit from adjuvant therapies. Given the emergence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) as a biomarker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, we generated predictive models to understand the utility of CD4+, CD8+ and/or CD103+ TIL status in patients with advanced LSCC. Tissue microarrays were constructed from salvage laryngectomy specimens of 183 patients with recurrent/persistent LSCC and independently stained for CD4+, CD8+, and CD103+ TIL content. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was employed to assess combinations of CD4+, CD8+, and CD103+ TIL levels for prediction of overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with recurrent/persistent LSCC. High tumor CD103+ TIL content was associated with significantly improved OS, DSS, and DFS and was a stronger predictor of survival in recurrent/persistent LSCC than either high CD8+ or CD4+ TIL content. On multivariate analysis, an “immune-rich” phenotype, in which tumors were enriched for both CD103+ and CD4+ TILs, conferred a survival benefit (OS hazard ratio: 0.28, p = 0.0014; DSS hazard ratio: 0.09, p = 0.0015; DFS hazard ratio: 0.18, p = 0.0018) in recurrent/persistent LSCC. An immune profile driven by CD103+ TIL content, alone and in combination with CD4+ TIL content, is a prognostic biomarker of survival in patients with recurrent/persistent LSCC. Predictive models described herein may thus prove valuable in prognostic stratification and lead to personalized treatment paradigms for this patient population.
Complication of solar branding: Report of a case and the review of the literature

Branding is a type of scarification, a body modification that permanently transforms the skin by causing a visible scar. For centuries, it has been used on the skin of animals and slaves as well as criminals to convey ownership and also as a proof of guilt. More recently (in the 20th and 21st centuries), branding has become a symbol of personal identity, rites of passage, spiritual beliefs, and body decoration in some particular microcultures. Different means have been classically used to perform the desired branding designs including electrocautery, laser, chemicals, freezing, or a heated metal stencil. Solar branding is a new concept that involves using a focusing lens and a light source, usually the sunlight, to induce thermal injury. It is an emerging technique to perform body modifications and tattooing. As with other types of branding, solar branding also has its complications which may require surgical excision and grafting. We present a case of an acute skin infection following solar branding body modification, which to our knowledge is the first case reported in the literature.
Converting plasmonic light scattering to confined light absorption and creating plexcitons by coupling a gold nano-pyramid array onto a silica–gold film

This report presents a facile microfabrication-compatible approach to fabricate a large area of plasmonic nano-pyramid array-based antennas and demonstrates effective light management by tailoring the architecture. First, a long-range ordered gold nano-pyramid array is fabricated, which exhibits strong light scattering. The maximum electric field enhancement (|E|/|E0|) of 271 is achieved at the corner but decays rapidly away from the pyramid bottom. After the gold nanopyramid array is coupled to a gold film, strong light scattering is converted into strong light absorption due to the excitation of a spectrally tunable plasmonic gap mode, where an intense electric field enhancement of 233 and a strong magnetic field enhancement (|H|/|H0|) of 25 are simultaneously excited for a 10 nm silica gap. The electric field decays much slower away from the pyramid bottom while the magnetic field keeps almost constant. In addition, both experiments and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations have confirmed that strong plasmon–exciton coupling between the plasmonic gap mode and the J-aggregates can take place when quantum emitters such as J-aggregates are embedded in the gap, creating plexcitons. This can overcome the problems of high energy loss and weak nonlinearity, which are typically associated with surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) supported on plasmonic metallic nanostructures. The coherent plasmon–exciton coupling (plexciton) generated by the film-coupled nano-pyramid nanostructure is expected to find promising applications in light-emitting devices, photodetectors, photovoltaics and photoelectrochemical cells.
Inhibition of fascin in cancer and stromal cells blocks ovarian cancer metastasis.

Abstract Objective Ovarian cancer (OvCa) metastasis requires the coordinated motility of both cancer and stromal cells. Cellular movement is a dynamic process that involves the synchronized assembly of f-actin bundles into cytoskeletal protrusions by fascin. Fascin directly binds f-actin and is an integral component of filopodia, lamellapodia and stress fibers. Here, we examine the expression pattern and function of fascin in the cancer and stromal cells of OvCa tumors. Methods Fascin expression was evaluated in human cells and tissues using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The functional role of fascin in cancer and stromal cells was assessed with in vitro functional assays, an ex vivo colonization assay and in vivo metastasis assays using siRNA/shRNA and an inhibitor. The effect of fascin inhibition on Cdc42 and Rac1 activity was evaluated using GTPase activity assays and immunofluorescence. Results Fascin expression was found to be higher in the stromal cell, when compared to the cancer cell, compartment of ovarian tumors. The low expression of fascin in the cancer cells of the primary tumor indicated a favorable prognosis for non-serous OvCa patients. In vitro, both knockdown and pharmacologic inhibition of fascin decreased the migration of cancer and stromal cells. The inhibition of fascin impaired Cdc42 and Rac1 activity in cancer cells, and cytoskeletal reorganization in the cancer and stromal cells. Inhibition of fascin ex vivo blocked OvCa cell colonization of human omental tissue and in vivo prevented and reduced OvCa metastases in mice. Likewise, knockdown of fascin specifically in the OvCa cells using a fascin-specific lentiviral-shRNA also blocked metastasis in vivo. Conclusion This study reveals the therapeutic potential of pharmacologically inhibiting fascin in both cancer and stromal cells of the OvCa tumor microenvironment.
Mitigation Techniques to Resolve Radiated Emission Failures due to HDMI Interconnects on a PCB

This paper presents a deep-dive analysis of common HDMI related EMI violations at the board-level. A robust design solution is detailed for improving performance in major areas of a customer reference board plagued with emission levels significantly over the CISPR-32 limit. The emission level violation was causing customer ship-hold and significant schedule slip. The combination of these design enhancements is shown to result in a notable EMI noise level reduction of over 10 dB in the regulatory frequency range of 30 MHz to 1 GHz.
Faster Confined Space Manufacturing Teleoperation Through Dynamic Autonomy With Task Dynamics Imitation Learning

Confined space manufacturing tasks, such as cleaning pilot holes prior to installing fasteners during aircraft wing assembly, currently require human experts to be inside ergonomically-challenging environments. Small rapidly deployable robots can substantially improve manufacturing safety and productivity. However, relatively rapid full automation remains elusive due to high-level of uncertainty in the environment, lack of cost-effective programming for low volume production, and difficulty of deploying adequate number of sensors in the confined space. Moreover, currently, teleoperation (remote human control of a robot via a force-reflection device) with typical levels of training and limited transparency of hardware is too slow for manufacturing applications, requiring experts to spend more time for each task to achieve the same cleaning quality. In this context, the main contribution of this article is to reduce cycle times for remote manufacturing by learning statistical dynamic autonomy from higher quality expert demonstrations in an ideal offline scenario. During the task, to keep cycle times low, the dynamic autonomy imitates the faster expert demonstrations when certain, and employs the slower human teleoperation when uncertain. A user study (n = 8) with an experimental robot platform shows that for the same cleaning quality, the dynamic autonomy reduces process completion time by 54.0% and human operator energy expenditure by 80.5% as compared with teleoperation without dynamic autonomy.
Metabolic regulation of endothelial SK channels and human coronary microvascular function.

Abstract Background Diabetic (DM) inactivation of small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channels contributes to coronary endothelial dysfunction. However, the mechanisms responsible for this down-regulation of endothelial SK channels are poorly understood. Thus, we hypothesized that the altered metabolic signaling in diabetes regulates endothelial SK channels and human coronary microvascular function. Methods Human atrial tissue, coronary arterioles and coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) obtained from DM and non-diabetic (ND) patients (n = 12/group) undergoing cardiac surgery were used to analyze metabolic alterations, endothelial SK channel function, coronary microvascular reactivity and SK gene/protein expression/localization. Results The relaxation response of DM coronary arterioles to the selective SK channel activator SKA-31 and calcium ionophore A23187 was significantly decreased compared to that of ND arterioles (p Conclusions Diabetes is associated with metabolic changes in the human myocardium, coronary microvasculature and HCAECs. Endothelial SK channel function is regulated by the metabolite pyridine nucleotides, NADH and NAD+, suggesting that metabolic regulation of endothelial SK channels may contribute to coronary endothelial dysfunction in the DM patients with diabetes.
Positron emission tomography imaging of novel AAV capsids maps rapid brain accumulation.

Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are typically single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) encapsulated within 25-nm protein capsids. Recently, tissue-specific AAV capsids (e.g. PHP.eB) have been shown to enhance brain delivery in rodents via the LY6A receptor on brain endothelial cells. Here, we create a non-invasive positron emission tomography (PET) methodology to track viruses. To provide the sensitivity required to track AAVs injected at picomolar levels, a unique multichelator construct labeled with a positron emitter (Cu-64, t1/2 = 12.7 h) is coupled to the viral capsid. We find that brain accumulation of the PHP.eB capsid 1) exceeds that reported in any previous PET study of brain uptake of targeted therapies and 2) is correlated with optical reporter gene transduction of the brain. The PHP.eB capsid brain endothelial receptor affinity is nearly 20-fold greater than that of AAV9. The results suggest that novel PET imaging techniques can be applied to inform and optimize capsid design.
Incidence and Timing of Thrombosis After the Norwood Procedure in the Single‐Ventricle Reconstruction Trial

Background Thrombosis is common in infants undergoing staged surgeries for single‐ventricle congenital heart disease. The reported incidence and timing of thrombosis varies widely, making it diffic...
Handling Tool Holder Collision in Optimal Tool Sequence Selection for 2.5-D Pocket Machining

Significant cycle time saving can be achieved in 2.5-D milling by intelligently selecting tool sequences. The problem of finding the optimal tool sequence was reduced to finding the shortest path in a single-source single-sink directed acyclic graph. The nodes in the graph represented the state of the stock after the tool named in the node was done machining and the edges represented the cost of machining. In this paper a novel method for handling tool holder collision in the graph-based algorithm for optimal tool sequence selection has been developed. The method consists of iteratively solving the graph for the shortest path, validating the solution by checking for tool holder collisions and eliminating problematic edges in the graph. Also described is a method to intelligently build the graph such that in presence of tool holder collisions, the complexity of building the graph is greatly reduced.© 2002 ASME
“So Glad to Be Home”: Money Follows the Person Participants’ Experiences After Transitioning Out of an Institution:

This study examined qualitative data from participants who transitioned from institutional to community living through the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstration in Connecticut. A...
Headprint – person reacquisition using visual features of hair in overhead surveillance video

In this paper, we present the results of our investigation of the use of the visual characteristics of human hair as a primary recognition attribute for human ID in indoor video imagery. The emerging need for unobtrusive biometrics has led to recent research interest in using the features of the face, gait, voice, and clothes, among others, for human authentication. However, the characteristics of hair have been almost completely excluded as a recognition attribute from state-of-the-art authentication methods. We contend that people often use hair as a principal visual biometric. Furthermore, hair is the part of the human body most likely to be visible to overhead surveillance cameras free of occlusion. Although hair can hardly be trusted to be a reliable long-term indicator of human identity, we show that the visual characteristics of hair can be effectively used to unobtrusively re-establish human ID in the task of short-term recognition and reacquisition in a video-based multiple-person continuous tracking application. We propose new pixel-based and line-segment-based features designed specifically to characterize hair, and recognition schemes that use just a few training images per subject. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, which we hope can form a basis for further research in this area.
Patent Strategies for Companies Doing Business in Nigeria

In the U.S., and indeed in most parts of the world, many large companies understand that smart investors make decisions whether or not to invest in a company, after carefully considering the company’s technology and conducting extensive due diligence. This due diligence usually entails the determination of what technology the company owns and what technology it does not own. The situation is no different in other regions of the world such as Africa, Asia and South America, where measured steps are being taken to underscore the crucial role of patents in both domestic and international economic development.This paper will examine the current patent legal system in Nigeria and some of the challenges to the development of patent rights. The paper will also look at the reasons why companies doing business in Nigeria implement patent strategies, the effectiveness or lack thereof of these patent strategies, and steps companies may undertake to further protect their patents and encourage development in emerging technologies.
Optimizing through Co-evolutionary Avalanches

We explore a new general-purpose heuristic for finding high-quality solutions to hard optimization problems. The method, called extremal optimization, is inspired by "self-organized criticality," a concept introduced to describe emergent complexity in many physical systems. In contrast to Genetic Algorithms which operate on an entire "genepool" of possible solutions, extremal optimization successively replaces extremely undesirable elements of a sub-optimal solution with new, random ones. Large fluctuations, called "avalanches," ensue that efficiently explore many local optima. Drawing upon models used to simulate far-from-equilibrium dynamics, extremal optimization complements approximation methods inspired by equilibrium statistical physics, such as simulated annealing. With only one adjustable parameter, its performance has proved competitive with more elaborate methods, especially near phase transitions. Those phase transitions are found in the parameter space of most optimization problems, and have recently been conjectured to be the origin of some of the hardest instances in computational complexity. We will demonstrate how extremal optimization can be implemented for a variety of combinatorial optimization problems. We believe that extremal optimization will be a useful tool in the investigation of phase transitions in combinatorial optimization problems, hence valuable in elucidating the origin of computational complexity.
Intra-industry specialization : a cross country analysis

This paper tests various hypotheses as to the determinants of intra-industry trade in thirty-eight developed and developing countries exporting manufactured goods. The econometric estimates for the entire group of countries show that the extent of intra-industry trade increases with the level of economic development (GNP per head), the size of domestic markets (GNP), and the openness of national economies. The existence of trading partners with common borders and geographical proximity further contributes to intra-industry trade. These hypotheses have also been confirmed for the developing country group, and while similarities in regard to trade orientation and the existence of border trade, as well as intercorrelation between the gross national product and per capita GNP, have reduced the statistical significance of the regression coefficients for these variables for the developed country group, this equation also has a high explanatory power.