cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ingestion of Plasmodium Falciparum Sporozoites during Transmission by Anopheline Mosquitoes

We investigated the process of sporozoite transmission during blood feeding for Anopheles gambiae and An. stephensi experimentally infected with Plasmodium falciparum. When infective mosquitoes were fed 22-25 days postinfection on an anesthetized rat, sporozoites were detected in the midgut of 96.5% of 57 An. gambiae (geometric mean [GM] = 32.5, range 3-374) and in 96.2% of 26 An. stephensi (GM = 19.5, range 1-345). There were no significant differences between species either in salivary gland sporozoite loads or in the number of ingested sporozoites. There was a significant linear relationship between sporozoite loads and the numbers of ingested sporozoites for both An. gambiae (r = 0.38) and An. stephensi (r = 0.69). Subsequently, An. gambiae were tested for sporozoite transmission by allowing them to feed individually on a suspended capillary tube containing 10 microliters of blood. A total of 83.3% of 18 infective mosquitoes transmitted a GM of 5.9 (range 1-36) sporozoites. The same mosquitoes contained a GM of 23.4 (range 2-165) ingested sporozoites. The number of ingested sporozoites was related to sporozoite loads (r = 0.42) but not to the number of sporozoites ejected into capillary tubes. Ingested sporozoites remained in the midgut up to 10 hr after feeding. The comparable numbers of sporozoites ingested by infective mosquitoes in both experiments indicates that the actual number of sporozoites transmitted to the vertebrate host during blood feeding is significantly reduced by the blood ingestion process.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Robotic Esophagectomy for Cancer: Early Results and Lessons Learned

Minimally invasive esophagectomy with intrathoracic dissection and anastomosis is increasingly performed. Our objectives are to report our operative technique, early results and lessons learned. This is a retrospective review of 85 consecutive patients who were scheduled for minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (laparoscopic or robotic abdominal and robotic chest) for esophageal cancer. Between 4/2011 and 3/2015, 85 (74 men, median age: 63) patients underwent robotic Ivor Lewis esophageal resection. In all, 64 patients (75%) had preoperative chemoradiotherapy, 99% had esophageal cancer, and 99% had an R0 resection. There were no abdominal or thoracic conversions for bleeding. There was 1 abdominal conversion for the inability to completely staple the gastric conduit. The mean operative time was 6 hours, median blood loss was 35ml (no intraoperative transfusions), median number of resected lymph nodes was 22, and median length of stay was 8 days. Conduit complications (anastomotic leak or conduit ischemia) occurred in 6 patients. The 30 and 90-day mortality were 3/85 (3.5%) and 9/85 (10.6%), respectively. Initial poor results led to protocol changes via root cause analysis: longer rehabilitation before surgery, liver biopsy in patients with history of suspected cirrhosis, and refinements to conduit preparation and anastomotic technique. Robotic Ivor Lewis esophagectomy for cancer provides an R0 resection with excellent lymph node resection. Our preferred port placement and operative techniques are described. Disappointingly high thoracic conduit problems and 30 and 90-day mortality led to lessons learned and implementation of change which are shared.
Addressing diverse learner preferences and intelligences with emerging technologies: Matching models to online opportunities

This paper critically reviews various learning preferences and human intelligence theories and models with a particular focus on the implications for online learning. It highlights a few key models, Gardner’s multiple intelligences, Fleming and Mills’ VARK model, Honey and Mumford’s Learning Styles, and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model, and attempts to link them to trends and opportunities in online learning with emerging technologies. By intersecting such models with online technologies, it offers instructors and instructional designers across educational sectors and situations new ways to think about addressing diverse learner needs, backgrounds, and expectations. Learning technologies are important for effective teaching, as are theories and models and theories of learning. We argue that more immense power can be derived from connections between the theories, models and learning technologies. Resume : Cet article passe en revue de maniere critique les divers modeles et theories sur les preferences d’apprentissage et l’intelligence humaine, avec un accent particulier sur les implications qui en decoulent pour l’apprentissage en ligne. L’article presente quelques-uns des principaux modeles (les intelligences multiples de Gardner, le modele VAK de Fleming et Mills, les styles d’apprentissage de Honey et Mumford et le modele d’apprentissage experientiel de Kolb) et tente de les relier a des tendances et occasions d’apprentissage en ligne qui utilisent les nouvelles technologies. En croisant ces modeles avec les technologies Web, les instructeurs et concepteurs pedagogiques dans les secteurs de l’education ou en situation educationnelle se voient offrir de nouvelles facons de tenir compte des divers besoins, horizons et attentes des apprenants. Les technologies d’apprentissage sont importantes pour un enseignement efficace, tout comme les theories et les modeles d’apprentissage. Nous sommes d’avis qu’en etablissant des liens entre les theories, les modeles et les technologies d’apprentissage, il est possible d’obtenir un resultat plus puissant. This article has been translated to Armenian. Click here for the translation.
Limitations to the capacity to love

This paper is a meditation on the potential and problems of establishing and maintaining loving and passionate relationships, drawn from a lifetime of struggling with these issues in the course of doing analysis. It describes interferences with the capacity for mature sexual love as reflecting various psychopathological conditions. These limitations include a variety of psychological restrictions determined most frequently by masochistic, narcissistic and paranoid personality features. Clinical case material illustrates both mature and disturbed capability for love relations.
Diabetes Reduces Glutamate Oxidation and Glutamine Synthesis in the Retina

Retinas of diabetic individuals develop early functional changes measurable by electrophysiological and psychometric testing. Using a rat model of diabetes, we previously identified diabetes-induced alterations in metabolism of the neurotransmitter glutamate which may ultimately lead to accumulation of glutamate in the retina (Diabetes, 47: 815, 1998). We therefore investigated the function of enzymes that mediate the synthesis and breakdown of glutamate in retinas from rats made diabetic by injection of streptozotocin. De novo synthesis of nitrogen-containing amino acids including glutamate, glutamine and aspartate was assessed by measuring the rate of carbon fixation in freshly dissected retinas, and was unchanged by diabetes. In contrast, the oxidation of glutamate was significantly reduced in retinas from diabetic rats (62%, P < 0.05). Furthermore, diabetic retinas were less susceptible to inhibition of glutamate oxidation by the transaminase inhibitor aminoxyacetate (80%, N.S.), compared to the significant decrease seen in control rats (61%, P < 0.001). The activity and content of glutamine synthetase were also significantly reduced in retinas from rats diabetic for 2-6 months [range of 48% (P < 0.005) to 83% (P < 0.05) compared to control]. The activity of glutamine synthetase was normalized by acute injections of insulin, but not by reducing blood sugar levels with injections of phlorizin. These results indicate two enzymatic abnormalities in the glutamate metabolism pathway in the retina during diabetes: transamination to alpha-ketoglutarate and amination to glutamine. The reduced flux through these pathways may be associated with the accumulation of glutamate. These results are also consistent with the possibility that some of the glial changes in the retina during diabetes may be caused by hypoinsulinemia rather than hyperglycemia.
Long term culture of primary rat pituitary adrenocorticotropin/endorphin-producing cells in serum-free medium.

Insulin, transferrin, and serum albumin were found to be essential additives for maintenance of primary rat pituitary ACTH/endorphin cells in complete serum-free defined medium (CSFM). Primary anterior pituitary cultures maintained in CSFM exhibited a 3- to 5-fold increase in cell content of ACTH/endorphin-related peptide during the first 2 weeks in culture, and this level remained stable for at least the next week. Immunocytochemical and morphometric studies indicated that the number of corticotropes increased only slightly, so that hormone content per corticotrope increased. Anterior pituitary cultures maintained in CSFM exhibited a basal secretory rate of 0.3-0.4% of cell hormone content/h throughout the 3-week period in culture, and total hormone production increased 6- fold. Primary anterior pituitary cultures maintained chronically in CSFM containing 10 nM CRF demonstrated a 15- to 20-fold increase in total ACTH/endorphin production over 3 weeks in culture. Chronic treatment with CRF brought about a...
Outlook for Interest Rates and Japanese Banks’ Risk Exposures Under Abenomics

This paper examines how Japan’s long-term interest rates and Japanese banks’ interest rate risk exposures may evolve under Abenomics. Results from a panel regression analysis for major advanced economies shows that long-term government bond yields in Japan are determined to a large extent by growth and inflation outlook, fiscal conditions, demography, and the investor base of government securities. A further deterioration of fiscal conditions would push up long-term rates by about 2 percentage points over the medium term, but the rise is partly offset by higher demand for safe assets amid population aging and increased purchases by the Bank of Japan. At the same time, illustrative scenarios suggest the interest rate risk exposure of Japanese banks could decline substantially over the next two years. However, if structural and fiscal reforms are incomplete, both long-tem yields and interest-risk exposures of Japanese banks could increase over the medium term.
Challenging the clinical utility of the 14-3-3 protein for the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Background Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no noninvasive and disease-specific test for premortem diagnosis. Previous studies have suggested that, in the proper clinical context, the 14-3-3 protein in cerebrospinal fluid is a reliable marker for sporadic CJD. Objective To assess the sensitivity of the cerebrospinal fluid 14-3-3 protein test among patients with definite sporadic CJD. Design and Setting We reviewed cases of sporadic CJD referred to our institution that were ultimately proved by pathological examination and on which cerebrospinal fluid 14-3-3 testing had been performed. Participants Patients with CJD referred to our institution for clinical and/or pathological evaluation (biopsy- or autopsy-confirmed diagnosis) from January 1, 1998, through July 15, 2002, and on whom 14-3-3 testing had been performed. Thirty-two such patients with definite sporadic CJD were identified. Main Outcome Measure The 14-3-3 test results, from various laboratories, in these 32 patients. Results Seventeen of the 32 patients had a positive result for the 14-3-3 test, yielding a sensitivity of only 53%. A positive 14-3-3 result was significantly correlated with a shorter time between disease onset and the lumbar puncture for the 14-3-3 test. Conclusions Testing for the 14-3-3 protein is only modestly sensitive to sporadic CJD, and we caution against ruling out a diagnosis of the disease on the basis of a negative 14-3-3 result.
The role of dendritic cells in food allergy

In recent years, our understanding of the initiation of T H 2-type immunity has increased significantly, yet the mechanism behind the induction of T H 2 responses and allergic sensitization to food antigens largely remains an enigma. Dendritic cells (DCs) were first described almost 4 decades ago and have since been recognized as the most important antigen-presenting cells and crucial in the induction of T-cell differentiation. Here we discuss our current knowledge of the role of DCs in food allergy. In both murine models and allergic patients, characteristics of DCs have been identified that might play a role in sensitization to food and enhance susceptibility to food allergy. In addition, it has now been shown that several allergens, including some from foods, can directly activate DCs to induce T H 2 skewing. Other cell types with innate immune functions, such as epithelial cells and basophils, might also be involved in sensing of food allergens in human subjects, and interaction of DCs with these cells might facilitate sensitization. DCs appear to play an important role in allergen-specific immunotherapy and could be an attractive target for tolerance induction in patients with food allergy. Further characterization of differences in DC responses between human food-allergic and nonallergic subjects is necessary to gain a better insight into the role of DCs in sensitization and tolerance to food allergens.
A colour test for the measurement of antibody to certain mycoplasma species based upon the inhibition of acid production.

A fermentation-inhibition test for the measurement of growth-inhibiting anti-body to acid-producing mycoplasmas was performed in microtitre plastic plates. M. pneumoniae, M. fermentans and the Negroni agent were selected for study. Antibody could be titrated since specific antiserum inhibited mycoplasma growth and the concomitant production of acid, thus preventing a change in colour of phenol red which was incorporated in the growth medium. It was essential to use unheated horse serum as a component of the growth medium. The inhibitory effect of specific antiserum was much decreased when the horse serum was heat-inacti-vated, indicating the need for a heat-labile accessory factor. The additional use of unheated guinea-pig serum was essential for demonstrating the growth-inhibiting effect of specific antiserum on the Negroni agent. The test was reproducible, specific and sensitive. Sixteen-fold or greater antibody rises were demonstrated in paired sera from volunteers infected with M. pneumoniae. Tests with ninety-five random adult sera showed that 22% had antibody to M. pneumoniae at a titre of 1/5 or more and 13–5% had antibody to M. fermentans.
Observation of Accelerating Airy Beams

We report the first observation of Airy optical beams. These wavepackets have been realized in both one- and two-dimensional configurations. It is demonstrated experimentally that these non-diffracting Airy beams tend to freely accelerate during propagation.
U.S. Operating-Asset or Whole-Business Securitization: An Effective New Financing Technique

In the past several years, a new variant of structured finance transactions has been developed that has the promise of growing into a major new area of finance. Variously labeled “whole-business” or “operating-asset” securitization, this new financing technique straddles a broad area between traditional corporate finance and structured finance. Transactions in this asset class have been focused primarily in the intellectual property arena, including fast food, licensing, music, and film and drug royalties. More recently, a broader area of transactions including leased containers and timber have been securitized using newly created whole-business or operating-asset techniques. Among the advantages of this new form of finance are attractive economic terms and less restrictive covenants than generally found in bank financings and high-yield bond deals. Since these deals involve the transfer of an ongoing business instead of passive assets like mortgages and credit cards, the role of the issuer is crucial. In virtually all of the relevant transactions to date, the issuer has retained the sponsor as the servicer or manager of the assets after they have been deposited into the issuer. Probably the most significant legal challenges accompanying whole-business securitizations or securitizations of operating assets are bankruptcy related. Because of the operating nature of the issuer and its affiliates after the completion of the securitization, these transactions have been alleged to have a heightened risk of substantive consolidation.
High-throughput Raman chemical imaging for evaluating food safety and quality

A line-scan hyperspectral system was developed to enable Raman chemical imaging for large sample areas. A custom-designed 785 nm line-laser based on a scanning mirror serves as an excitation source. A 45° dichroic beamsplitter reflects the laser light to form a 24 cm x 1 mm excitation line normally incident on the sample surface. Raman signals along the laser line are collected by a detection module consisting of a dispersive imaging spectrograph and a CCD camera. A hypercube is accumulated line by line as a motorized table moves the samples transversely through the laser line. The system covers a Raman shift range of -648.7-2889.0 cm-1 and a 23 cm wide area. An example application, for authenticating milk powder, was presented to demonstrate the system performance. In four minutes, the system acquired a 512x110x1024 hypercube (56,320 spectra) from four 47-mm-diameter Petri dishes containing four powder samples. Chemical images were created for detecting two adulterants (melamine and dicyandiamide) that had been mixed into the milk powder.
Naloxone-induced antagonism of Mayer waves

Abstract The effects of intravenous naloxone and morphine on third-order blood pressure waves (Mayer waves) was investigated in chloralose-anesthetized cats. Naloxone (1–5 mg/kg) reduced effectively the amplitude of Mayer waves and caused a slight reduction in frequency of oscillations. In animals with labile blood pressure, morphine sulfate (1 mg/kg) induced Mayer waves. Naloxone antagonized morphine actions. These results suggest an involvement of endogenous opiate peptides in the pathophysiology of third-order blood pressure waves.
Patch or mosaic: bat activity responds to fine-scale urban heterogeneity in a medium-sized city in the United States

Many recent studies have suggested that cities are spatially heterogeneous. Only limited research has investigated whether urban heterogeneity influences the distribution of bats in a city. Between 2010 and 2012, we acoustically surveyed bats in Waco, Texas, a medium-sized city in the United States. Seven species were detected, five in adequate quantity for analyses. Three distinct distribution patterns were evident (Mexican free-tailed bats; red bats and evening bats; big brown bats and cave myotis), reflecting the distinct functional guilds of these species. Bayesian conditional autoregressive models indicated that tree-dwelling red bats and evening bats were influenced by variables describing heterogeneity of urban vegetation. Big brown bats and cave myotis were associated with variables related to water sources. Mexican free-tailed bat distribution could be explained well by variables related to urban buildings and other constructions. Our modeling also suggested that urban socioeconomic heterogeneity influenced bat distributions. Distributions of tree-dwelling bats corresponded to income level. Distributions of Mexican free-tailed bats, big brown bats, and cave myotis related to human density. These results support the idea that a city comprises a mosaic of habitats as perceived by various species of bats and likely by other species of wildlife in urban settings.
Improved multivariate calibration models for corn stover feedstock and dilute-acid pretreated corn stover

We have studied rapid calibration models to predict the composition of a variety of biomass feedstocks by correlating near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic data to compositional data produced using traditional wet chemical analysis techniques. The rapid calibration models are developed using multivariate statistical analysis of the spectroscopic and wet chemical data. This work discusses the latest versions of the NIR calibration models for corn stover feedstock and dilute-acid pretreated corn stover. Measures of the calibration precision and uncertainty are presented. No statistically significant differences (p = 0.05) are seen between NIR calibration models built using different mathematical pretreatments. Finally, two common algorithms for building NIR calibration models are compared; no statistically significant differences (p = 0.05) are seen for the major constituents glucan, xylan, and lignin, but the algorithms did produce different predictions for total extractives. A single calibration model combining the corn stover feedstock and dilute-acid pretreated corn stover samples gave less satisfactory predictions than the separate models.
Genitourinary complications of inherited epidermolysis bullosa: experience of the national epidermylosis bullosa registry and review of the literature

ABSTRACTPurpose: We determined the frequency with which 6 genitourinary tract complications (urethral meatal stenosis, urinary retention, bladder hypertrophy, hydronephrosis secondary to ureteral s...
Overview of a Function-Based Approach to Behavior Support Within Schools:

While the majority of students in schools tend to respond to effective general academic instruction and proactive schoolwide discipline systems, some continue to exhibit intense and chronic problem behaviors, even in the best schools. For these students, schools are highly variable in their ability and capacity to provide accurate and durable specialized academic and behavioral supports. In these schools, frequent requests are made for assistance to address the specialized needs of these students. The intent of this article is twofold: (a) to provide an overview of the features that characterize a function-based approach to student support, and (b) to introduce the main articles within this special issue, which offer a variety of perspectives and practices related to function-based support at the classroom, school, and district level.
Optimal design of controlled multibody dynamic systems for performance, robustness and tolerancing

The multidisciplinary design approach has gained increasing popularity in recent years due to its ability to deal with conflicting design requirements imposed by discipline-specific objectives. The traditional design process involving multiple disciplines is typically a sequential process where the design objectives are met one at a time in a sequence of designs. However, in doing so, unnecessary limitations are imposed on the design parameters and the final design is far from being optimal. The effectiveness of integrated design methodology has been proven and such designs are being obtained in many applications. However, most of the work in this area has been problem and/or system specific and does not address important manufacturing considerations, such as tolerance allocation, robustness with respect to machining tolerances, etc. The results presented in this paper are intended to contribution towards filling these gaps. In particular, the new approach will help designers avoid a common known pitfall of performance optimization, i.e. the fact that designs that are optimized for performance alone are notoriously sensitive to deviations from the nominal design. Thus, optimizing for performance alone leads to designs that fall below acceptable standards of robustness; they are also expensive to manufacture because the tolerances must be kept very tight to ensure acceptable performance. The approach presented here will allow the user to systematically tradeoff performance versus robustness and tolerancing concerns. A proof-of-concept example that was solved to evaluate this methodology is also presented in this paper. This example provides a convincing demonstration of the fact that small sacrifices in performance can yield huge benefits in the other areas, provided a methodology is available for making these tradeoffs in a systematic way. This especially can be used by designers in various fields such as automotive, aerospace, deployable structures, machine tools (including hexapods), robotic systems, precision machinery, etc.
Glycated albumin modified by Amadori adducts modulates aortic endothelial cell biology.

Increased protein glycation has been mechanistically linked to accelerated vascular pathobiology in diabetes. To test the influence of protein modified by Amadori glucose adducts on vascular cell biology, we examined the effect of glycated albumin on replicative capacity and basement membrane collagen production by aortic endothelial cells in culture. Relative to carbohydrate-free albumin, which supported cell proliferation and Type IV collagen synthesis, glycated albumin significantly inhibited3H-thymidine incorporation and Type IV collagen production. The glycated albumin-induced effects were prevented by monoclonal antibodies (A717) that specifically react with Amadori-modified albumin, but not by IgG that was unreactive with glycated albumin. A717 had no effect on thymidine incorporation or collagen synthesis by cells cultured in the presence of nonglycated albumin. The findings indicate that the interaction of glycated albumin with endothelial cells, which have been shown to display dose-responsive, saturable receptors, limits cell replication and triggers maladaptive biosynthetic programs, which may contribute to degenerative macrovascular disease in diabetes.
Touch sensation in Caenorhabditis elegans

The nematode C. elegans exhibits a variety of responses to touch. When specific sets of mechanosensory neurons are killed with a laser, specific touch responses are abolished. Many mutations that result in defective mechanosensation have been identified. Some of the mutations define genes that specify the fate of a set of mechanoreceptors called the touch cells, which mediate response to light touch to the body of the worm. Genes specifying touch cell fate appear to regulate genes that encode touch-cell differentiation proteins, including apparent subunits of a touch-cell-specific ion channel, rare mutant forms of which lead to swelling and lysis of the touch cells. Molecular attachments of the ion channel, both to extracellular matrix components and, intracellularly, to a special large-diameter microtubule, may be required for mechanical gating of the channel. A mechanoreceptor-interneuron-motorneuron reflex circuit for response to light touch has been proposed.
The Specific Treatment of Syphilitic Aortitis

Penicillin has made the specific treatment of cardiovascular syphilis easy to give and easy to take and has all but abolished dangerous treatment reactions. Just as the curative therapy of acute syphilis with penicillin is simple and feasible, so is the prophylactic treatment of cardiovascular syphilis in individuals with latent syphilis and uncomplicated syphilitic aortitis simple and feasible. In spite of the fact that the effectiveness of such treatment has not been conclusively established, the prospects seem bright that the incidence of cardiovascular syphilis will decrease sharply in the immediate future. Cardiovascular syphilis may be treated, with or without preliminary bismuth and iodide "preparation," by the administration of 4.8 to 6 million units of penicillin in a period of 8 to 10 days. Larger doses and longer periods of treatment have been employed. Experience thus far does not indicate that penicillin therapy of established complications of syphilitic aortitis will be any more successful t...
Reductive Degradation of Organic Compounds Using Microbial Nanotechnology

Members of the genus Clostridia can reduce Pd(II) ions to form metallic Pd nanoparticles (bio-Pd). Cultures of C. pasteurianum BC1 were used to generate bio-Pd, which is primarily formed on the microbial cell wall. Batch experiments using C. pasteurianum BC1 cells loaded with bio-Pd showed efficient reduction of the organic azo dyes, methyl orange and Evans blue, while little reduction of dyes was observed in control experiments using Pd-containing heat-killed microbial cultures or Pd-free viable bacterial cultures. Degradation of azo dyes was found to occur via reductive hydrogenation of the azo-linkage. Molecular hydrogen, which is concomitantly generated by C. pasteurianum, is used in the reduction reaction. The process described in this study is a potentially viable alternative to current groundwater and wastewater treatment technologies that fail to adequately degrade the large quantities
Expanding knowledge about women through grounded theory: introduction to the collection.

(2001). EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WOMEN THROUGH GROUNDED THEORY: INTRODUCTION TO THE COLLECTION. Health Care for Women International: Vol. 22, No. 1-2, pp. 7-9.
Intervening in Atherogenesis: Lessons from Diabetes

Age-related atherogenesis resembles diabetes, a model in which glucose looms as an important culprit. Within the body, the sugar becomes a glue able to harden and obstruct blood vessels while also activating such cells as macrophages and T lymphocytes. A new discovery is that large quantities of glycation endproducts may arrive preformed in foods prepared by routine cooking methods.
Legal Issues Affecting Mentally Disordered and Developmentally Delayed Youth in the Justice System

This article provides a review of the ways in which the legal system affects youth with mental disorders and developmental delays. Youth who suffer from mental disorders present a special challenge to the justice system, both in terms of identification and treatment. First, a brief history of the juvenile court is provided, with a special emphasis on the conflicting missions of the court. Then, the ambiguity surrounding legal definitions of mental illness is briefly examined. Next, case and statutory laws and other legal provisions for addressing mental health issues for juveniles are reviewed for each stage of justice system processing – intake/pretrial proceedings, waiver of jurisdiction, adjudication, disposition, and treatment/monitoring of placement. Policy recommendations include a mandated right to treatment for juveniles suffering from severe mental disorders, a nd the extension of competence requirements and the insanity defense to the juvenile court. Suggestions for future research are also iden...
Localized oncolytic virotherapy inflames distant tumors and synergizes with immune checkpoint blockade leading to systemic tumor rejection

Meeting abstracts Preexistent tumor inflammation is associated with superior clinical benefit from immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoints, calling for development of strategies that can induce tumor immune infiltration. To this end, therapy with oncolytic viruses (OV) presents an attractive
ASC deficiency suppresses proliferation and prevents medulloblastoma incidence

Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) is silenced by promoter methylation in many types of tumors, yet ASC's role in most cancers remains unknown. Here, we show that ASC is highly expressed in a model of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant pediatric brain cancer; ASC is also expressed in human medulloblastomas. Importantly, while ASC deficiency did not affect normal cerebellar development, ASC knockout mice on the Smoothened (ND2:SmoA1) transgenic model of medulloblastoma exhibited a profound reduction in medulloblastoma incidence and a delayed tumor onset. A similar decrease in tumorigenesis with ASC deficiency was also seen in the hGFAP-Cre:SmoM2 mouse model of medulloblastoma. Interestingly, hyperproliferation of the external granule layer (EGL) was comparable at P20 in both wild-type and ASC-deficient SmoA1 mice. However, while the apoptosis and differentiation markers remained unchanged at this age, proliferation makers were decreased, and the EGL was reduced in thickness and area by P60. This reduction in proliferation with ASC deficiency was also seen in isolated SmoA1 cerebellar granule precursor cells in vitro, indicating that the effect of ASC deletion on proliferation was cell autonomous. Interestingly, ASC-deficient SmoA1 cerebella exhibited disrupted expression of genes in the transforming growth factor-β pathway and increased level of nuclear Smad3. Taken together, these results demonstrate an unexpected role for ASC in Sonic hedgehog-driven medulloblastoma tumorigenesis, thus identifying ASC as a promising novel target for antitumor therapy.
MEMS-based testing stage to study electrical and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline metal films

We have developed a MEMS-based testing stage that can quantitatively characterize both the electrical and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline metal films. This stage, which is SEM and TEM compatible, is a modified version of an earlier MEMS-based tensile testing stage (M. A. Haque and M. T. A. Saif, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 101(17), 6335-6340 (2004)). This modified stage requires a simpler fabrication procedure, involving fewer lithography and etching steps, and has higher yield compared to the earlier version. It allows for 4-point electrical resistivity measurement, and in-situ tensile testing in SEM and TEM of free-standing nano-scale metal films. The stage was used to perform a tensile test on a 100-nm-thick aluminum film and electrical resistivity measurement on a 110-nm-thick aluminum film, the results of which are described.
HLA-DR and -DQ polymorphism in Cameroon.

: HLA-DRB1, -DQA1 and -DQB1 allele frequencies were determined by high-resolution polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR-SSOP) and/or DNA sequencing in 126 healthy individuals in Cameroon. Eighteen DRB1, 11 DQA1, and 18 DQB1 alleles were observed. The most common alleles at each locus were DRB1*1503 (29%), DRB1*1301 (13%); DQA1*0102 (38%), DQA1*0302 (11%), DQA1*0401 (11%); and DQB1*0602 (31%), DQB1*0301 (13%), DQB1*0501 (12%). Forty-four different haplotypes were identified including 12 novel haplotypes demonstrating the HLA class II diversity resulting from allele combinations in this population. A single predominant DRB1*1503-DQA1*0102-DQB1*0602 haplotype was observed with a frequency of 27%. In summary, this study of HLA class II polymorphism in Cameroon demonstrates the extent of diversity in this population.
Brief Versions of the NEO-PI-3

Abstract. Self-report (Form S) and observer rating (Form R) versions of two short forms of the NEO Personality Inventory-3 (NEO-PI-3) were evaluated. The NEO Five-Factor Inventory-3 is a 60-item instrument that assesses the five factors. The NEO-PI-3 First Half consists of the first 120 items of the NEO-PI-3, selected to optimally assess its 30 facet scales. Internal consistencies were systematically lower for the brief scales than for the parent scales, but both brief instruments replicated the factor structure and showed cross-observer validity. They appeared to work well in both adolescent and adult samples, and adequately in a middle school-age sample. Norms for the NEO-FFI-3 are provided and it was shown that NEO-PI-3 norms can be used for NEO-PI-3 First Half scores if they are simply doubled. Uses of the NEO-PI-3 First Half are discussed.
Factors affecting stimulus visibility for horses

Abstract Eleven Morgan horses ranging from 1 to 14 years of age participated in two experiments assessing the relative contributions of stimulus size, contrast, and environmental illumination to visibility of stimuli on the ground. Natural outdoor illumination was used and the horses were tested unconstrained and freely walking. Repeated measures analyses of variance found that both the size and contrast of stimuli had significant, additive, non-interacting effects on the distance at which a stimulus on the ground was first noticed by a horse approaching at a walk, ranging from 15.2 cm (6 in.) away for a low-contrast, 1.27 cm (0.5 in.) wide stripe to 2.30 m (7.6 ft) for a high-contrast, 10.2 cm (4 in.) wide stripe. Similar effects of stimulus characteristics were found for a time delay measure of the amount of slowing in a horse's walk, with the narrowest, low-contrast stimulus adding only 0.2 s (5% increase) to a 4 s control walk while the widest, high-contrast stimulus added 6 s (150% increase). The possibility of using the more easily obtained time delay measure for clinical assessments and multi-condition, large-sample testing was discussed. A 2.54 cm (1 in.) wide stimulus seen on a overcast day was found to be more visible than a 5.08 cm (2 in.) stripe encountered on a sunny day, suggesting that bright daytime conditions may be less favorable to the equine rod-dominated eye. Stimuli underfoot appeared to be less visible to younger (
Sex comparison of hamstring structural and material properties

Abstract Background Musculotendinous stiffness provides an estimate of resistance to joint perturbation, thus contributing to joint stability. Females demonstrate lesser hamstring stiffness than males, potentially contributing to the sex discrepancy in anterior cruciate ligament injury risk. However, it is unclear if the sex difference in hamstring stiffness is due to differences in muscle size or to inherent/material properties of the musculotendinous unit. It was hypothesized that hamstring stiffness, stress, strain, and elastic modulus would be greater in males than in females, and that hamstring stiffness would be positively correlated with muscle size. Methods Stiffness was assessed in 20 males and 20 females from the damping effect imposed by the hamstrings on oscillatory knee flexion/extension following joint perturbation. Hamstring length and change in length were estimated via motion capture, and hamstring cross-sectional area was estimated using ultrasound imaging. These characteristics were used to calculate hamstring material properties (i.e., stress, strain, and elastic modulus). Findings Stiffness was significantly greater in males than in females (P 0.05). Stiffness was significantly correlated with cross-sectional area (r = 0.395, P = 0.039) and the linear combination of cross-sectional area and resting length (R2 = 0.156, P = 0.043). Interpretation Male’s hamstrings possess a greater capacity for resisting changes in length imposed via joint perturbation from a structural perspective, but this property is similar across sex from a material perspective. Females demonstrate lesser hamstring stiffness compared to males in response to standardized loading conditions, indicating a compromised ability to resist changes in length associated with joint perturbation, and potentially contributing to the higher female ACL injury risk. However, the difference in hamstring stiffness is attributable in large part to differences in muscle size.
Multiparticle coherence calculations for synchrotron-radiation emission

We have used Monte Carlo calculations to verify the classical electrodynamics result describing the multiparticle coherent enhancement at long wavelengths for synchrotron-radiation emission. In addition we show the derivation of the result that, for a bunch of electrons in a storage ring, the synchrotron-radiation emission has a multiparticle coherent enhancement that is given by the square of the Fourier transform of the longitudinal spatial distribution function of the electrons. The result has been verified for Gaussian and sinusoidal distributions. For a Gaussian distribution of particles in a bunch, this is seen to have an effect only at wavelengths close to the bunch length. For a sinusoidal distribution as in the transverse optical klystron, the enhancement can easily be seen to occur at one specific wavelength.
Glutamine synthetase, an enzyme characteristic of vertebrate systems in invertebrate tissues.

Nachweis eines Invertebraten-Enzyms, das bei Vertebraten insbesondere im Nervengewebe eine wichtige Rolle spielt. Diese Glutamin-Synthetase wurde vor allem im optischen Ganglion in der Retina und im Gehirn zweier Tintenfischarten gefunden und uberdies in sehr geringer Menge bei Crustaceen und Echinodermen.
Observations on the pathology of the trisomy 17-18 syndrome.

The clinical and postmortem findings in 2 infants with trisomy 17–18 syndrome aredescribed. Of particular interest is the cardiac malformation which consists of (1) a high posterior membranous interventricular septal defect and (2) a moderate degree of valvular pulmonic stenosis with gross redundancy of leaflet tissue between fixed bicuspid commissures. The occurrence of this otherwise rare defect complex in both patients suggests that it may be uniquely associated with trisomy 17–18 syndrome. Other defects not previously reported in this syndrome are described.
Systemic sclerosis induces pronounced peripheral vascular dysfunction characterized by blunted peripheral vasoreactivity and endothelial dysfunction.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) vasculopathy can result in a digital ulcer (DU) and/or pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We hypothesized that bedside brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) testing with duplex ultrasound could be used in SSc patients to identify features of patients at risk for DU or PAH. Thirty-eight SSc patients were compared to 52 age-matched healthy controls from the VAMC Utah Vascular Research Laboratory. Peripheral hemodynamics, arterial structure, and endothelial function were assessed by duplex ultrasound. A blood pressure cuff was applied to the forearm and 5-min ischemia was induced. Post-occlusion, brachial artery vascular reactivity (peak hyperemia/area under the curve [AUC]), shear rate, and endothelial function (FMD) were measured. SSc patients had smaller brachial artery diameters (p 5.40 %) had less than 15 % chance of DU. All brachial artery FMD measurements were similar between SSc patients with and without PAH (all p > 0.05). Compared to healthy controls, SSc patients had significantly smaller brachial artery diameter and blunted peripheral vascular reactivity and endothelial function. SSc patients with DU have even greater impairments in endothelial function compared to those without DU. FMD testing has clinical utility to identify SSc patients at risk for DU.
CARRIER-GAS DESALINATION ANALYSIS USING HUMIDIFICATION- DEHUMIDIFICATION CYCLE

Abstract Analysis of data from a staged humidification-dehumidification desalination process, using air as a carrier-gas (Dewvaporation process), reveals that the energy reuse factor, f and molar production flux, Pf (kgmoles/m2hr) are quantitatively related to the maximum temperature of saturated evaporation and the number of stages employed, N. The data spanned 3 <f< 25 with 1 < Pf< 4. The f*Pf relationship identifies a hyperbolic form for the case of realistic but large number of stages, N. The relationship can be used to elucidate the effective dry gas heat transfer coefficient from data and, in another form, predict the number of stages needed to satisfy a design after selection of the, f Pf, and the maximum temperature of water saturation. In all cases, the number of stages must exceed the desired energy reuse factor, f by an order of magnitude in order to reduce the detrimental effect of the number of stages on the f*Pf product to only 10%. For water containing up to 7000 ppm total dissolved solids ...
Analysis on the structural, vibrational and defect states of chlorine treated polycrystalline cadmium telluride structures grown by e-beam evaporation

Temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurements are performed in order to study the defect states in cadmium chloride treated polycrystalline cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films grown by e-beam evaporation technique. Three luminescence bands are observed including a double peak emission at 1.577 eV and 1.573 eV corresponding to free electron-to- acceptor transition and a donor–acceptor pair (DAP) transition, respectively, along with a broad peak at 1.45 eV. This broad band emission is related to A-center chlorine based complex and also includes longitudinal (LO) phonon emission lines for CdTe spaced by ∼21 meV. Investigation into grain sizes revealed grains of 0.2 μm for as-grown films and ∼2–3 μm for chlorine activated films shown by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Raman analysis indicates that the films have been grown with excess of Te leading to p-type conductivity in the structure, whereas LO phonon mode of polycrystalline CdTe reveals quasi phonon modes nature.
DEBT, DEFICITS, AND LONG‐TERM RATES

This paper investigates the relationship between government borrowing and long‐term interest rates utilizing a loanable funds framework to describe the interest rate determination process. Three measures of government borrowing are examined. The results indicate that there is not a significant relationship between government borrowing and long‐term interest rates.
Quantitative residual stress imaging of multicrystalline, quasi-mono, and thin kerfless silicon wafers by infrared birefringence and sectioning

One of the parameters with highest impact on photovoltaic module cost is manufacturing yield during solar cell production and handling. This work presents a method to quantify residual stress in silicon wafers, through a combination of infrared birefringence imaging (IBI) and sectioning. We spatially resolve and decouple in-plane residual stress components in silicon wafers produced by four different growth methods.
Weighted Gram Bigenvalue Characterization of Sum Capacity of Overloaded S-CDMA

By using a Gramian matrix approach and majorization theory, a complete eigenspaces characterization of those sequences which maximize the sum capacity of the single cell overloaded S-CDMA is given. The main result of this paper is a procedure of testing the eigenvalues of the weighted Gram matrix associated to spreading signature in order to characterize the sum capacity. In contrast to the previous results, we prove that the sum capacity of overloaded S-CDMA systems is maximized when all users belong to only one eigenspace: the linear dependent one. Illustrative numerical examples are provided to support our analysis.
Internal tibial rotation during in vivo, dynamic activity induces greater sliding of tibio-femoral joint contact on the medial compartment.

Purpose Although extensive research has been conducted on rotational kinematics, the internal/external rotation of the tibio-femoral joint is perhaps less important for protecting joint health than its effect on joint contact mechanics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate tibio-femoral joint contact paths during a functional activity (running) and investigate the relationship between these arthrokinematic measures and traditional kinematics (internal/external rotation).
Raman Studies of the Solution Structure of Univalent Electrolytes in Water

This paper reports results of analysis of the OH stretch Raman spectra of aqueous solutions of electrolytes. Error analysis supports the view that the environment of the electrolyte in the liquid is that of a liquid crystalline hydrate. Fitting error analysis for a two-state model further suggests that the presence of the hydrated electrolyte perturbs the structure of the bulk water in the solution. This perturbation is consistent with the results of previous studies of the apparent density of water in aqueous solutions of electrolytes. The previous studies showed that electrolytes increase the hydrogen bond strength of the bulk water and thereby cause a shift in the water equilibrium, which results in a change of the apparent density of water in the solution.
An adaptive tracking controller for multiple-phase permanent-magnet machines

Using the integrator back-stepping approach, we develop full state feedback, adaptive position tracking controllers for the permanent-magnet stepper motor and the brushless d.c. motor turning robotic loads. The proposed controllers ensure global asymptotic position tracking despite parametric uncertainty throughout the entire electromechanical system. In addition, the overparametrization problem commonly associated with back-stepping-type controllers is greatly reduced. Experimental results are used to validate the performance of the proposed approach.