cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel method to identify and monitor endogenous tumor-reactive T cells by high expression of CD11a (LFA-1) and PD-1 (CD279) as immunologic readout for evaluating the efficacy of PD-1 blockade.

3037 Background: Tumor immunotherapies directed towards enhancing natural or endogenous anti-tumor T-cell immunity in patients with advanced malignancies are currently being implemented in clinic w...
Calibration of Barlat Yld2004-18P yield function using CPFEM and 3D RVE for the simulation of single point incremental forming (SPIF) of 7075-O aluminum sheet

Abstract In conventional sheet metal forming processes, such as stamping, application of a two-dimensional (2D) plane stress yield function is sufficient as the out-of-plane stresses (σzz, σxz, σyz) are negligible and the deformation occurs under plane stress condition. However, in incremental sheet forming (ISF) processes, significant through-the-thickness shears necessitates the use of a three-dimensional (3D) yield function to account for out-of-plane stress components. However, to calibrate the parameters of the non-quadratic anisotropic 3D yield function Yld2004-18p, out-of-plane normal and shear stresses are needed which are very difficult to obtain experimentally. In this study, the out-of-plane stresses were found using a three-dimensional (3D) representative volume element (RVE) developed from Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) images. By applying the crystal plasticity (CP) material model to these 3D RVEs, it was possible to perform computational experiments to generate the out-of-plane stresses required for the calibration of the Yld2004-18p yield function. To simulate the single point incremental forming (SPIF) of 7075-O aluminum alloy sheet, two different yield functions namely; Hill's 1948 and Yld2004-18p were used. A detailed comparison of the two yield functions’ predictions was made with respect to different parameters, such as the tool force and moment, part thickness, development of stress and strain tensor components, and effective plastic strain distribution.
Mutations in GPR143/OA1 and ABCA4 Inform Interpretations of Short-Wavelength and Near-Infrared Fundus Autofluorescence.

Purpose We sought to advance interpretations and quantification of short-wavelength fundus autofluorescence (SW-AF) emitted from bisretinoid lipofuscin and near-infrared autofluoresence (NIR-AF) originating from melanin. Methods Carriers of mutations in X-linked GPR143/OA1, a common form of ocular albinism; patients with confirmed mutations in ABCA4 conferring increased SW-AF; and subjects with healthy eyes were studied. SW-AF (488 nm excitation, 500-680 nm emission) and NIR-AF (excitation 787 nm, emission >830 nm) images were acquired with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope. SW-AF images were analyzed for quantitative autofluoresence (qAF). Analogous methods of image acquisition and analysis were performed in albino and pigmented Abca4-/- mice and wild-type mice. Results Quantitation of SW-AF (qAF), construction of qAF color-coded maps, and examination of NIR-AF images from GPR143/OA1 carriers revealed mosaics in which patches of fundus exhibiting NIR-AF signal had qAF levels within normal limits whereas the hypopigmented areas in the NIR-AF image corresponded to foci of elevated qAF. qAF also was increased in albino versus pigmented mice. Although melanin contributes to fundus infrared reflectance, the latter appeared to be uniform in en face reflectance images of GPR143/OA1-carriers. In patients diagnosed with ABCA4-associated disease, NIR-AF increased in tandem with increased qAF originating in bisretinoid lipofuscin. Similarly in Abca4-/- mice having increased SW-AF, NIR-AF was more pronounced than in wild-type mice. Conclusions These studies corroborate RPE melanin as the major source of NIR-AF but also indicate that bisretinoid lipofuscin, when present at sufficient concentrations, contributes to the NIR-AF signal. Ocular melanin attenuates the SW-AF signal.
Metabolic adaptation to experimentally increased glucose demand in ruminants

Four Dorset wethers were studied in a Latin square design with 72-h periods to determine the metabolic adaptations that occur in support of increased glucose demand in ruminants. Wethers injected at 8-h intervals with excipient or a total of .5, 1.0, or 2.0 g/d of phlorizin excreted an average of 0, 72.7, 97.9, and 98.5 g/d of glucose into the urine, respectively. Both acute (2 to 24 h after the first injection) and chronic (8-h intervals from 8 to 72 h after the first injection) adaptations of plasma variables to phlorizin treatment were assessed. Concentrations of plasma glucose decreased linearly with increasing phlorizin dose during the 1st 24 h of treatment and tended to decrease linearly with phlorizin dose during 8 to 72 h of treatment. Urea N tended to increase linearly during 2 to 24 h and increased linearly during 8 to 72 h. Nonesterified fatty acids increased linearly with phlorizin injection during the entire treatment period. beta-Hydroxybutyrate increased quadratically with phlorizin injection during 2 to 24 h and tended to increase quadratically during 8 to 72 h. The ratio of insulin to glucagon tended to decrease linearly with phlorizin injection during the 1st 24 h but was unaffected from 8 to 72 h. Triiodothyronine, but not thyroxine, tended to decrease linearly with phlorizin injection during 8 to 72 h. Cortisol was not affected by treatment. Digestibilities of energy and N were not affected by treatment. Urinary energy excretion increased with phlorizin injection in proportion to the amounts of glucose excreted into the urine. These data indicate that phlorizin-treated wethers largely adapted to phlorizin treatment by 24 h after the first injection and are a suitable model for further investigations of hepatic adaptation to increased glucose demand in ruminants.
Implications for Growth in Human Twins

The concept of growth as a continuum from conception is vital to its effective study. Realization of this has led, comparatively recently, to intense interest in, and study of, the prenatal period. Thus, the contribution that human twins can make to the study of human growth is considerably enhanced if attention is paid to the conditions of their prenatal growth in relating appropriate factors to their later patterns of growth and development.
Drug-Lipid-Surfactant Miscibility for the Development of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles

This research aimed to study the correlation between miscibility of flutamide (FLT), lipids and surfactant on the particle size of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). Physical mixtures (PMs) of lipids-glyceryl monooleate (GMO), Precirol® (glyceryl palmitostearate, PRE), glyceryl monostearate (GMS), and Compritol® (glyceryl dibehenate, COM) were prepared with surfactant-Gelucire® (stearoyl polyoxyl-32 glycerides, GEL) 50/13 and 44/14. PMs were prepared in 5:2 w/w ratio (lipid:surfactant) and 2:1 w/w (Flutamide (FLT):lipids/GEL 50/13) by co-melting. Miscibility of PMs was investigated using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC). SLNs with and without drug were prepared using GEL 50/13 by the ultra-sonication method and particle size analysis was conducted. PMs of GMO, GMS, and PRE with both surfactants showed a decrease in the melting temperature, no change in melting and crystallization peak was observed with COM-GELs, indicating immiscibility. Similarly, MDSC data suggests good miscibility of FLT in GMO, GMS, and GEL 50/13 but not in PRE and COM. The particle size of drug-loaded SLNs prepared from GMO and GMS with GEL 50/13 was found to be 70.2 ± 5.4 and 92.6 ± 8.5 compared to > 200-nm particles obtained from PRE and COM. On lyophilization, an increase in particles size was observed with COM only. The particle size of SLNs with PRE and COM was prominently increased during stability studies indicating SLNs prepared with GMO and GMS are more stable due to miscibility and ability to reduce the crystallinity of FLT. The results established a good correlation between drug, lipids, and surfactants miscibility to the obtained particle size of SLNs before and after lyophilization.
Mixed-Matrix Membranes Formed from Multi-Dimensional Metal–Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Gas Transport and Plasticization Resistance

Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) formed by incorporating metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into polymers have a general limitation in that the MOFs are typically formed into rather simple dimensionalities (such as 1D, 2D, or 3D). Each design approach has intrinsic-albeit independent-benefits, such as network percolation (1D), access to high-aspect ratios (2D), and ease of processability (3D). However, a design strategy is needed to combine multiple dimensionalities and, thereby, access the full range of transport and compositing benefits of these high-performance materials. Herein, a facile method to form multi-dimensional HKUST-1 nanoparticles is introduced by using a modulator to tune the MOF nucleation and growth mechanism. At 30 wt % multidimensional MOF loading, the MMM shows CO2 permeabilities of approximately 2500 Barrer, which represents a 2.5-fold increase compared to that of a pure polymer without a large loss of selectivity for CO2 /CH4 and CO2 /N2 . Additionally, almost no plasticization pressure response is observed for CO2 up to 750 psi, suggesting an unusual stability to high activity feeds.
FaceSync: Open source framework for recording facial expressions with head-mounted cameras

Advances in computer vision and machine learning algorithms have enabled researchers to extract facial expression data from face video recordings with greater ease and speed than standard manual coding methods, which has led to a dramatic increase in the pace of facial expression research. However, there are many limitations in recording facial expressions in laboratory settings. Conventional video recording setups using webcams, tripod-mounted cameras, or pan-tilt-zoom cameras require making compromises between cost, reliability, and flexibility. As an alternative, we propose the use of a mobile head-mounted camera that can be easily constructed from our open-source instructions and blueprints at a fraction of the cost of conventional setups. The head-mounted camera framework is supported by the open source Python toolbox FaceSync , which provides an automated method for synchronizing videos. We provide four proof-of-concept studies demonstrating the benefits of this recording system in reliably measuring and analyzing facial expressions in diverse experimental setups, including group interaction experiments.
Data-Driven Approximation Schemes for Joint Pricing and Inventory Control Models

We study the classic multiperiod joint pricing and inventory control problem in a data-driven setting. In this problem, a retailer makes periodic decisions on the prices and inventory levels of a product that she wishes to sell. The retailer's objective is to maximize the expected profit over a finite horizon by matching the inventory level with a random demand, which depends on the price in each period. In reality, the demand functions or random noise distributions are usually difficult to know exactly, whereas past demand data are relatively easy to collect. We propose a data-driven approximation algorithm that uses pre-collected demand data to solve the joint pricing and inventory control problem. We assume that the retailer does not know the noise distributions or the true demand functions; instead, we assume either she has access to demand hypothesis sets and the true demand functions can be represented by nonnegative combinations of candidate functions in the demand hypothesis sets, or the true demand function is generalized linear. We assume that the retailer does not know the noise distributions or true demand functions; instead, we assume that she has access only to demand hypothesis sets, while the true demand function is a nonnegative combination of the candidate demand functions in the demand hypothesis set or the true demand function is generalized linear. We prove the algorithm's sample complexity bound: the number of data samples needed in each period to guarantee a near-optimal profit is O(T6e −2 log T), where T is the number of periods, and e is the absolute difference between the expected profit of the data-driven policy and the expected optimal profit. In a numerical study, we demonstrate the construction of demand hypothesis sets from data, and show that the proposed data-driven algorithm solves the dynamic problem effectively and significantly improves the optimality gaps over the baseline algorithms.
Free radical reactions for heterocycle synthesis: formation of keto spiro-γ-lactones and keto spiro-γ«ctams

Abstract A new method for the synthesis of keto spiro-γ-lactones and keto spiro-γ-lactams by intramolecular free radical cyclization is described.
The Tachyon Nexus: An Educational Resource on Tachyons and Time Travel

A web site called The Tachyon Nexus (no relation to Tachyon Nexus Inc) is described. This web site (this http URL) includes much reliable information about the controversial subjects of time travel and faster-than-light particles known as tachyons mostly from a physics point of view. This compendium of various resources should be of great value both to students seeking to learn about these subjects or to high school teachers or college professors wishing to include them in their teaching on special or general relativity.
The Infectious, Alimentary, and Organistic Ecologies of John Ford’s The Broken Heart

This paper focuses on the ways in which characters respond to loss and the threat of corporeal permeability in John Ford’s The Broken Heart. By describing melancholy as an “infection,” the play, I argue, deviates from Galenic understandings of the disease and instead engages with emerging theories of contagion developed by practitioners such as Fracastoro and Paracelsus. Melancholy infects and travels across bodies as Ithocles’s spleen penetrates Penthea’s chest and undesirable sounds invade Calantha’s ears. The play implicates bodies within an unavoidable and infectious ecology in which melancholy destroys the bodies with which it makes contact. I suggest that Penthea’s self-starvation and Orgilus’s phlebotomy, while different modes of suicide—that is, one involves the body’s enclosure while the other involves purgation—dramatize a desire to control the body’s precariously porous borders. Starvation allows Penthea to resist engaging with larger external ecologies, composed of not only human bodies, but also flora and fauna. Orgilus too rejects the vicissitudes of his environment by performing his own phlebotomy and controlling his humoral output. The play’s final act, in which Calantha dances across stage while invaded by the news of death, visually represents melancholic contagion and draws attention to the devastating assault upon Calantha’s unwilling though ultimately permeable body. I argue that in its attention to digestion, bloodletting, and invasive organs, Ford’s play focuses on anxieties about corporeal permeability and illustrates a move toward homo clauses , a more closed conception of the body. Invasive agents exploit the cracks of The Broken Heart , as Ford's tragedy exposes the widening ideological rifts of humoral medicine during the seventeenth century.
The End of Leisure and Retirement, COVID-19: Innovations, Jobs, Pensions, and Keynes: Guaranteed Income or Future Poverty and Redundancy?

The history of the support by society of the aged is discussed in cross cultural and historical context. Various cultural traditions are compared with the forms developed in complex societies from ancient Egypt and Greece and Rome, to China, the Aztec, Inca and Maya, to those of religious organizations, or those developed under different modern ideological systems like capitalism and communism as well as social democratic nations. It is found that the way a society values the aged and views their contribution to society determines largely their willingness to provide for their support. An increasing number of companies have gone bankrupt in recent years following the 2007 credit crisis and stock market collapse. More have raided their pension funds to stay afloat or have closed them and transferred liability to the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Major changes to federal law concerning pensions and the responsibility of corporations to fund them has made under the Pension Protection Act of 2006. World wide workers’ retirement payments are under assault as are investments by pension funds due to laws governing priority of payment in different countries concerning stock holders vs bondholders and liability for pension funds. The need for retirement of some kind in the post-Covid-19 world will require new forms as well as recovery of pre-Covid-19 savings and investments. Changes in the law are proposed to increase the stability of pensions and reliability to workers of pension payments.
Anti-Semitism (Historiography)

Key concepts and enduring narratives in the study of anti-Semitism were established in the formative years when the field was created between the Dreyfus Affair (1894–1906) and the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust (1933–1945). The first historians sought to debunk long-held myths about Jews, along with the idea that Jews were a distinct race. Following World War I, new studies began to focus on the links between nationalism and anti-Semitism and to consider the dynamics of group formation against outsiders. The rise of the Nazis led to the first critical histories of anti-Semitism that insisted that anti-Semites, not Jews, were the proper objects of study. But it was World War II and the Holocaust that was the major crucible shaping the study of anti-Semitism, initiating some of the key debates that persist in the field: contextually specific approaches as opposed to studies of the long hatred against Jews within Western culture; religious versus racial anti-Semitism; medieval versus modern forms; and the uniqueness versus the comparability of anti-Semitism to other forms of racism. This chapter examines the shaping influence of these early studies.
Opioid use following a total shoulder arthroplasty: who requires refills and for how long?

Introduction Pain control following a total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is multifactorial. The current standard of care includes the utilization of a multimodal analgesic approach including breakthrough prescription opioid medication in an effort to provide postoperative analgesia. While this original opioid prescription is sufficient for the majority of patients, some go on to require prolonged opioid use. Our study investigated patient risk factors associated with opioid refill postsurgery. Methods The Truven Marketscan® database was queried for all patients who underwent either a primary anatomic TSA or primary reverse TSA from 2010 to 2017. Opioid data were collected using National Drug Codes (NDC) from outpatient pharmacy claims. Only opioid-naive patients were included. Patients were then grouped into 1 of 3 cohorts based on postoperative opioid use: 1) Patients with no additional refills, 2) patients with a minimum of one additional refill up through 6 months postoperatively, and 3) patients with additional refills and continued opioid use past 6 months. Results Of the total of 17,706 opioid-naive patients that underwent a TSA, 10,882 (61.5%) did not have any additional refills, 4473 (25.3%) required an additional prescription within 6 months after surgery, and 2351 (13.3%) had prolonged opioid use beyond 6 months postoperatively. A dose-dependent relationship was identified between initial opioid prescription quantity and risk for refill and prolonged use. The prolonged use group was prescribed an equivalent of 20.0 more 5 mg oxycodone pills than the no refill group and 12.7 more than the refill group (P < .001). On multivariate analysis, younger age, female gender, and tobacco use, along with the comorbidities of coronary artery disease, clinical depression, diabetes, and rheumatic disease were all found to be predictive factors of prolonged opioid use. Discussion The dose-dependent relationship observed between original opioid prescription data and number of additional refills needed, suggests that initially overprescribing opioids may lead to prolonged dependency. This study also identified several independent risk factors for prolonged opioid use, including younger age, depression, and tobacco use. This study will hopefully help recognize high-risk patient populations and serve as the foundation for future studies into opioid prescription standardization and preoperative opioid education.
Vascular anomalies of the head and neck: diagnosis and treatment

Vascular malformations and vascular tumors comprise the two specific subsets of vascular anomalies that arise as a result of disorganized angiogenesis and neoplasm, respectively. Malformations are separate entities from vascular tumors (e.g., hemangiomas) and are recognized by the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) as such. Vascular malformations are classified into four main groups: simple, combined, anomalies of major vessels, and those associated with other vascular anomalies. Vascular tumors are neoplastic growths of blood vessels and are morphologically and molecularly distinct from malformations but can arise in the head and neck and have syndromic association. Head and neck vascular anomalies are not uncommon in the pediatric population and require special care in the workup, diagnostic imaging and clinical care. The purpose of this manuscript is to discuss the diagnosis and management of the most common intracranial and extracranial vascular malformations and tumors in the head and neck in children and adolescents.
A visual approach to interpreting the career of the network metaphor

Abstract Metaphor has had a prolific presence in sociology: as a subject of empirical study, as a tool for theorizing, and as ideas that live public lives beyond the ivory tower. Despite all this work, tracing the core dynamics of metaphors over time remains a persistent challenge. To address this problem, I propose a systematic analysis of metaphor anchored around four core questions. What do metaphors describe? How do metaphors change over time? What do metaphors do? And how do conventional metaphors emerge? I address these questions in the context of one persistent and prolific metaphor: the network metaphor. To do so, I offer a formal model of the career of metaphor by drawing on cognitive linguistics and sociological theories of public ideas and professional careers. Specifically, I integrate the Google Books Ngram corpus with computational techniques that leverage co-occurrence to visualize and interpret the career of the network metaphor with respect to four areas: its jurisdiction, temporality, ecology, and conventionality. I leverage the network metaphor as both a revelatory case for evaluating my model and a critical case for deepening our historical understanding of the network. My analysis lends validation to the argument that the network metaphor has achieved the status of a broad category for thinking about contemporary life. However, it also demonstrates that the network metaphor had a lively history prior to the twentieth century. This includes significant changes in how it was used in the first half of the nineteenth century, a career standing in for anatomical structures of the body in the mid-nineteenth century, and a predominant expression in simile form prior to the start of the twentieth century.
Shock front behavior during pulsed laser ablation of graphite

Pulsed laser ablation of pyrolytic graphite with a 4-J / cm2 KrF laser in backgrounds of air, argon, nitrogen, and helium at pressures up to 10 Torr was performed to study the plume dynamics. Optical emission imaging with a 2-ns gated intensified charged-coupled device camera was used to determine shock front positions and plume trajectories for characterization by free expansion, Sedov–Taylor (ST) blast, and drag models. The plume expands with initial Mach numbers of M = 55, decreasing to M ∼ 20 as the emission becomes too weak to detect. The plumes begin with a planar shock front and thickness of a few mean free paths, but evolve to higher dimensionality, n, depending on pressure and mass of the background gas. The ST energy released in the sudden ablation is typically 33% the laser pulse energy. Blast energy and plume dimensionality are correlated with stopping distances, which are typically greater than 103 mean free paths. Upper bounds for the mass ablated (1 to 2 μg / pulse) and hole depth (∼88 to 183 nm) are inferred from the shock kinetic energy relative to laser pulse energy. The inferred hole depth ranges from 0.32 to 0.67 percent of the thermal diffusion length as the pressure increases from 1 to 10 Torr for these conditions where the fluence is just above twice the ablation threshold.
Can Cash Flow Expectations Explain Momentum and Reversal

This paper uses the model-implied patterns of cash flow expectations to differentiate among the three most prominent behavioral theories explaining return momentum and reversal. Using analyst earnings forecasts as a proxy for cash flow expectations, I find positive and monotonically decreasing difference in cash flow expectation errors between winner and loser stocks in the momentum and the following reversal phases. This pattern is most consistent with the underreaction hypothesis in Hong and Stein (1999), in which cash flow expectation errors can only explain momentum, and price extrapolation is needed to explain reversal. New predictions of the identified mechanism are verified.
Multicomponent Gold-Linked Glycoconjugate Vaccine Elicits Antigen-Specific Humoral and Mixed T H 1-T H 17 Immunity, Correlated with Increased Protection against Burkholderia pseudomallei

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, a fatal disease with a high mortality rate. The intrinsic resistance to commonly used antibiotics combined with the complex bacterial life cycle has hampered the development of preventive and therapeutic interventions and vaccines. Furthermore, the need of humoral and cell-mediated immunity in protection against B. pseudomallei has complicated the development of effective vaccines. Antigen delivery vaccine platforms that promote humoral and cellular responses while maintaining a safe profile are a roadblock to developing subunit vaccines against intracellular pathogens. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used for the delivery of multicomponent antigens with the goal of inducing vaccine-mediated immunity, promoting protection against melioidosis disease. Different nanoglycoconjugates using predicted immunogenic protein candidates, Hcp1, FlgL, OpcP, OpcP1, OmpW, and hemagglutinin, were covalently coupled to AuNPs, together with the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Burkholderia thailandensis, which acted as an additional antigen. Animals immunized with individually coupled (AuNP-protein-LPS) formulations containing OpcP or OpcP1, together with CpG as an adjuvant, showed a significant increase in protection, whereas a nanovaccine combination (AuNP-Combo2-LPS) showed significant and complete protection against a lethal intranasal B. pseudomallei challenge. Animals immunized with AuNP-Combo2-LPS showed robust humoral antigen-specific (IgG and IgA) responses with higher IgG2c titer, indicating a TH1-skewed response and promotion of macrophage uptake. In addition, immunization with the nanovaccine combination resulted in a mixed antigen-specific TH1-TH17 cytokine profile after immunization. This study provides the basis for an elegant and refined multicomponent glycoconjugate vaccine formulation capable of eliciting both humoral and cell-mediated responses against lethal B. pseudomallei challenge. IMPORTANCE Melioidosis is a complex human disease associated with a wide range of complications caused by the Gram-negative bacillus Burkholderia pseudomallei. The global burden of melioidosis is estimated to have 165,000 cases per year and 89,000 fatal outcomes. The endemicity of B. pseudomallei includes a wide range of tropical regions in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Australia. Therefore, a viable alternative to prevent human infections is the development of an effective vaccine; however, no approved vaccine for human use is available. This study provides a vaccine strategy against B. pseudomallei and an immune-stimulatory platform to induce strong humoral and T-cell-mediated immunity.
Do maternal demographics and prenatal history impact the efficacy of betamethasone therapy for threatened preterm labor

Betamethasone (BMZ) is used to accelerate fetal lung maturation in women with threatened preterm birth, but its efficacy is variable and limited by the lack of patient individualization in its dosing and administration. To determine sources of variability and potential opportunities for individualization of therapy, the objective of this study was to evaluate maternal factors associated with development of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in a cohort of women who received betamethasone. This study prospectively enrolled women, gestational ages 23–34 weeks, who received betamethasone for threatened preterm birth. Maternal demographics, prenatal history, and neonatal outcomes were abstracted from hospital records. RDS was the primary outcome. Associations between RDS diagnosis and maternal demographics, prenatal history, and betamethasone dosing were evaluated in a case-control analysis and multivariable regression adjusted for gestational age at delivery. Secondary analyses limited the cohort to women who delivered within 1 or 2 weeks of betamethasone dosing. Of 209 deliveries, 90 (43 %) resulted in neonatal RDS. Within the overall cohort and controlling for gestational age at birth, RDS was only associated with cesarean births compared to vaginal births (adjusted OR 1.17 [1.06–1.29]). Route of delivery was also the only significant factor related to RDS in the 83 neonates delivered within 7 days of BMZ dosing. However, among 101 deliveries within 14 days of betamethasone dosing and controlling for gestational age at birth, women who experienced preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) had lower RDS rates than those without PPROM (57.9 % vs. 80.2 %, adjusted OR 0.81 [0.67–0.99]). Maternal age, BMI, race, and ethnicity were not associated with RDS in the regression models. Of maternal characteristics analyzed, only delivery by cesarean was associated with neonatal RDS after antenatal betamethasone use.
Resonant amplification of enzymatic chemical oscillations by oscillating flow.

Using theory and simulation, we analyzed the resonant amplification of chemical oscillations that occur due to externally imposed oscillatory fluid flows. The chemical reactions are promoted by two enzyme-coated patches located sequentially on the inner surface of a pipe that transports the enclosed chemical solution. In the case of diffusion-limited systems, the period of oscillations in chemical reaction networks is determined by the rate of the chemical transport, which is diffusive in nature and, therefore, can be effectively accelerated by the imposed fluid flows. We first identify the natural frequencies of the chemical oscillations in the unperturbed reaction–diffusion system and, then, use the frequencies as a forcing input to drive the system to resonance. We demonstrate that flow-induced resonance can be used to amplify the amplitude of the chemical oscillations and to synchronize their frequency to the external forcing. In particular, we show that even 10% perturbations in the flow velocities can double the amplitude of the resulting chemical oscillations. Particularly, effective control can be achieved for the two-step chemical reactions where during the first half-period, the fluid flow accelerates the chemical flux toward the second catalytic patch, while during the second half-period, the flow amplifies the flux to the first patch. The results can provide design rules for regulating the dynamics of coupled reaction–diffusion processes and can facilitate the development of chemical reaction networks that act as chemical clocks.
Original ContributionsIn vitro evaluation of integrity and sterilization of single-use argon beam plasma coagulation probes

Objective: Argon plasma coagulation probes (APC) are currently marketed in the United States as single-use items, and may constitute a significant per-procedure expense. It is unknown whether these probes can be sterilized after endoscopic use and if electrical integrity can be maintained after reprocessing. Methods: Ten probes (2.3 mm diameter, 220 cm length) manufactured by ERBE Inc., (Marietta, GA) were studied using the ERBE APC 300 at 60 watts. Baseline coagulation depth was measured by coagulating a piece of beefsteak for 60 s. Probes were contaminated with 106Bacillus subtilis spores, cultured, and manually cleaned. Culturing involved introducing 10 cc sterile water through the probes; water was filtered, plated onto blood agar, and incubated for 48 h. After ethylene oxide (ETO), the probes were cultured to determine sterilization. Finally, the per-procedure cost of each probe was assessed. Results: Ten of 10 probes completed 10 testing sessions. One probe split at the proximal end but remained functionally intact. Electrical integrity remained intact for all 10 sessions. All probes grew too numerous to count colonies of B. subtilis after inoculation and no B. subtilis was detected after ETO sterilization. Assuming 10 uses clinically, a total per-procedure equipment cost would approximate $24.00, whereas per-procedure probe cost would equal $42.66 if only five uses were obtained in vivo. Conclusions: The combination of manual cleaning and ETO sterilization consistently sterilized APC probes. Ninety percent of the probes showed no sign of physical deterioration and 100% maintained their electrical activity after 10 uses. APC probes can potentially be safely and effectively reused up to 10 times, and a significant procedural savings is possible with reuse.
Measures of aging with disability in U.S. secondary data sets: Results of a scoping review.

Abstract Background There remain significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of aging with long-term disability. It is possible that important advances in knowledge could be gained using existing secondary data sets. However, little is known regarding which of the data sets available to researchers contain the age-related measures needed for this purpose, specifically age of onset and/or duration of disability measures. Objective To better understand the capacity to investigate aging with long-term disability (e.g. mobility limitation) and aging with long-term chronic conditions (e.g. spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis) using extant data. Methods Public use national and regional data sets were identified through existing reports, web-based searches, and expert nomination. The age- and disability-related variables, including age of onset and duration of disability, were tabulated for data sets meeting inclusion criteria. Analysis was descriptive. Results A total of N = 44 data sets were reviewed. Of these, 22 contained both age and disability variables. Within these 22 data sets, 9 contained an age of onset or duration of disability variable. Six of the nine data sets contained age of diagnosis for a single or set of health conditions. Onset of functional limitation is in two, and onset of self-reported and/or employment disability is in four, of the nine data sets respectively. Conclusions There is some, but limited opportunity to investigate aging with long-term disability in extant U.S. public use secondary data sets.
Building a staircase to precision medicine for biliary tract cancer

A new study has conducted a comprehensive exome and transcriptome analysis of a large number of intrahepatic, perihilar and distal cholangiocarcinomas and gallbladder cancers in Japanese patients. This study identifies many new alterations, confirms genetic differences in these distinct subtypes of biliary tract cancer and demonstrates that approximately 40% of described genetic aberrations are potentially targetable.
7 – Aspirations for the Future

This chapter focuses on the absolute photo absorption and the photo ionization cross-sections of transient molecular species such as OH, NH n ( n = 1, 2) and CH n ( n = 1−3). While some data are available recently in limited spectral regions, they are deemed insufficient for significant application of sum rules. For example, experimental absolute photoabsorption cross-sections have been reported for the hydroxyl radical below 10.8 eV, but only relative photoionization cross-sections between the IP (13.02 eV) and 18.23 eV. No experimental polarizability measurements have been cited, and theoretical values differ by as much as 17%. Clearly, much more experimental information is needed. In the realm of theory, there are two domains where additional effort would be desirable. The expectation values of S (−1) and S (+1) obtained from the calculations with correlated wavefunctions are most helpful in assessing absolute cross-sections for the noble gases and alkali elements.
Two-dimensional analysis of interleukin 2-regulated tyrosine kinase activation mediated by the p70-75 β subunit of the interleukin 2 receptor

Abstract The proliferation of activated T lymphocytes is dependent on the interaction of the polypeptide growth factor interleukin 2 (IL 2) with its heterodimeric receptor, which consists of a p55 alpha subunit and a p70-75 beta subunit. Previously, it was shown that IL 2 stimulates rapid serine phosphorylation of several membrane and cytysolic proteins. Here, using anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies to purify phosphotyrosyl proteins and two-dimensional gel analysis, we show that IL 2 stimulates rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of a variety of cellular proteins, including pp180, pp92, and pp42 in activated human T lymphocytes. In addition, we have examined IL 2-induced tyrosine phosphorylation in the human cell line YT2C2 which expresses mostly the beta subunit of the IL 2 receptor and the gibbon cell line MLA-144 which expresses only the beta subunit. In both of these cell lines, IL 2 induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the same proteins phosphorylated in normal human T lymphocytes in response to IL 2. We conclude that the beta subunit is sufficient to induce tyrosine phosphorylation of the normal cellular target substrates involved in signal transduction.
Presentation of the Body: Living and Dead

This study concerns the expression of African cultural practices in the population of enslaved persons interred in the African Burial Ground in New York City during the periods of Dutch and British colonial rule. The African Burial Ground was in use from approximately the midseventeenth century to the end of the eighteenth century and extended over five to six acres containing between 10,000 and 20,000 graves. A small portion of the burial ground was unearthed in 1991, revealing 418 human remains. I undertake an examination of the grave goods and evidence of the burial positions associated with the individuals recovered from the burial ground during the 1991 excavations, with a specific emphasis on the cosmologies and mortuary practices of the Dutch, British, Akan, Igbo, Yoruba and Fon/Ewe cultures from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. By examining these cultural practices in comparison with the findings in the African Burial Ground in New York City, as evident in Perry et. al. (2006) and Medford (2004), this study explores the extent to which members of the enslaved community undertook expressions of particular African cultural practices. The conclusion of this study supports Herskovits’ observations concerning the continuing development of African cultures in America and that enslaved Africans were not stripped of their cultures during the Middle Passage of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. I also contend that new cultural beliefs and practices developed and were expressed at the New York African Burial Ground which included elements of both African and Anglo-European cosmologies and traditions.
Early Childhood Development

Childhood is a culturally defined period in human development between birth and adulthood, and, in a historical perspective, is a relatively new social construction. Appreciation of childhood as a “special” time of life began to develop some 400 years ago, marking the beginning of a gradual move toward recognition of children's rights and their special needs for protection. Definitions of early childhood, an important subperiod of childhood, vary as to the ages that mark its beginning and end. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) includes ages from birth to eight, whereas other sources prefer to view infancy as a separate period or to exclude middle-childhood years (school age) from the definition of early childhood. Emerging classifications consider youth as ages 0 to 25 years.
Double fun with double factorials

The double factorial of n may be defined inductively by (n + 2)!! = (n + 2)(n)!! with (0)!! = (1)!! = 1. Alternatively we may define this notion by the two relations (2n)!! = 2 ·4 · 6 · 8…(2n) =2nn...
A Universal Scripting Framework or Lambda: The Ultimate Little Language

The “little languages” approach to systems programming is flawed: inefficient, fragile, error-prone, inexpressive, and difficult to compose. A better solution is to embed task-specific sublanguages within a powerful, syntactically extensible, universal language, such as Scheme. I demonstrate two such embeddings that have been implemented in scsh, a Scheme programming environment for Unix systems programming. The first embedded language is a highlevel process-control notation; the second provides for Awk-like processing. Embedding systems in this way is a powerful technique: for example, although the embedded Awk system was implemented with 7% of the code required for the standard C-based Awk, it is significantly more expressive than its C counterpart.
The role of team factors in software cost and quality: An empirical analysis

This paper examines the impact of team factors in software development, such as the domain and language experience of the team members and the personnel capability of the team, on the costs and quality of the software products. The measure of the quality of the software products is based on the number of unique field problems that customers reported. The analysis, based on data collected on 37 software projects from a leading firm in the packaged software industry, indicates that software teams with higher levels of personnel capability exhibit significantly higher productivity and quality in the software products they deliver. A case study of one of the most successful package software development efforts at this firm highlights the important aspects of team dynamics in a highly successful software project.
Continuous Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Organic Pesticides from Aqueous Solutions

Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) is considered by most residue analysts to be the best method for quantitative recovery of organic pesticides from aqueous solutions. Continuous liquid-liquid extraction is a logical extension of the process. This paper reviews the LLE process especially the alternative of continuous LLE for the isolation of organic pesticides from aqueous solutions. Trends and user problems are noted. A continuous liquid-liquid extraction apparatus with capabilities for continuous solvent recycling and sample enrichment is described. The principal parts of this design are a helix Teflon coil mixing chamber, a column phase-separator, and an evaporative concentrator. Initial experiments were made to evaluate the design. Extraction efficiencies ranging from 85 to 93 percent were obtained for five organophosphate pesticides extracted from water with benzene under the optimized conditions of coil length, helix diameter, flow rate, and water to solvent ratio. The apparatus is simple and economic to build. It is contamination-free as all parts in contact with water and solvent are made either of Teflon or glass. Complete automation of this apparatus is possible by adding liquid-level controllers, solenoid valves, and electronic relay systems.
Differential outcome of TRIF-mediated signaling in TLR4 and TLR3 induced DC maturation

Recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on dendritic cells (DCs) leads to DC maturation, a process involving up-regulation of MHC and costimulatory molecules and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. All TLRs except TLR3 achieve these outcomes by using the signaling adaptor myeloid differentiation factor 88. TLR4 and TLR3 can both use the Toll-IL-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor inducing IFN-β (TRIF)-dependent signaling pathway leading to IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) activation and induction of IFN-β and -α4. The TRIF signaling pathway, downstream of both of these TLRs, also leads to DC maturation, and it has been proposed that the type I IFNs act in cis to induce DC maturation and subsequent effects on adaptive immunity. The present study was designed to understand the molecular mechanisms of TRIF-mediated DC maturation. We have discovered that TLR4-TRIF-induced DC maturation was independent of both IRF3 and type I IFNs. In contrast, TLR3-mediated DC maturation was completely dependent on type I IFN feedback. We found that differential activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases by the TLR4- and TLR3-TRIF axes determined the type I IFN dependency for DC maturation. In addition, we found that the adjuvanticity of LPS to induce T-cell activation is completely independent of type I IFNs. The important distinction between the TRIF-mediated signaling pathways of TLR4 and TLR3 discovered here could have a major impact in the design of future adjuvants that target this pathway.
Infectious complications of advanced cancer

We present a retrospective study of the frequency, pattern, and management of infections in advanced cancer. Three hundred ninety-three patients were admitted to an acute care palliative medicine unit in an 8-month period for evaluation and palliation of cancer-related symptoms and complications. One hundred fifteen had at least one positive bacteriological culture, and 100 of these patients were evaluable. One hundred fifty-two infections and 192 isolates were identified. Sixty-eight patients had polymicrobial infections. Sixty-six patients had urinary tract infections. Forty-one were found to have multisystemic infections. Eighty-one had invasive devices; 32 had more than one invasive device. Fifty-three were taking corticosteroids at the time of infection. Only 3 were neutropenic. Urinary tract infections were significantly more common in those taking corticosteroids. The median duration of antibiotic treatment was 11 days and the median hospital stay, 14 days. Twenty-eight patients died in the hospital; 10 of those who died had lung cancer, which was a statistically significant observation. In conclusion, infections are an underrecognized but common complication in nonneutropenic hospitalized patients with advanced solid tumors. Urinary tract infections appear to be associated with the use of corticosteroids. Lung cancer patients are at greater risk for fatal infections. Infections increase morbidity in debilitated patients with solid tumors, are a frequent cause of hospital admission, and are associated with significant mortality.