cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection using occasional spermatozoa in the ejaculate of men with spermatogenic failure.

Purpose: Men with spermatogenic failure so profound that they are considered as having nonobstructive azoospermia occasionally have spermatozoa in the ejaculate. We compared intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes following the injection of ejaculated or surgically retrieved spermatozoa from these men.Materials and Methods: A study was performed of intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles with no spermatozoa on initial semen analysis and 100 or fewer following centrifugation (cryptozoospermia). Only 16 couples that underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles with ejaculated spermatozoa and cycles with testicular spermatozoa were included.Results: Initial analysis was done to compare outcomes between the 2 semen origins. There was no difference in the rate of normal or abnormal fertilization between the 2 groups. The rate of clinical pregnancies seemed to favor testicular spermatozoa (47.4% vs 20.8%), although results were not significant. When a comparison was performed between the first testicular...
Depressive mania versus agitated depression: Biogenic amine and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical function

The existence of mixed affective states challenges the idea of specific biological abnormalities in depression and mania. We compared biogenic amines and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) function in mixed manic (n = 8), pure manic (n = 11), agitated bipolar depressed (n = 20), and nonagitated bipolar depressed (n = 27) inpatients (Research Diagnostic Criteria). Mixed manics met Research Diagnostic Criteria for primary manic episodes and also met criteria for major depressive episodes except for duration. The norepinephrine metabolite methoxyhydroxy phenthylene glycol (MHPG) was higher in cerebrospinal fluid from mixed manic than from agitated depressed patients, consistent with differences previously reported between the overall samples of depressed and manic patients. Similarly, patients in a mixed state had higher urinary excretion of norepinephrine (NE) and elevated output of NE relative to its metabolites. HPA activity was similar in mixed manic and agitated depressed patients. These data suggest that mixed manics combine certain biological abnormalities considered to be characteristic of mania and of depression.
Effects of selected repeated intravitreal chemotherapeutic agents

The toxic effects of repeated intravitreal injections of selected chemotherapeutic agents were studied in female albino rabbits. Three groups of eyes participated in each therapeutic regimen. Agents studied were doxorubicin (dox), 3 and 5ug; 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), 0.375 and 1.0 mg; bleomycin (bleo), 15 ug; thiotepa (thio), 12 ug; etoposide (VP-16), 150 ug; and methotrexate (MTX), 600 ug. Toxicity was evaluated using electroretinography (ERG) in 66% and histopathology in 100% of eyes 5 weeks following the initial injection and at least 2 weeks after the final injection of each series. Eyes receiving 2 doses of dox 3 ug showed no toxicity. Eyes receiving 3 or more doses of dox 3 ug and those treated with 2 or more doses of dox 5 demonstrated toxicity proportional to the number of doses received. Eyes treated with 5-FU 0.375 or 1.0 mg showed no toxic reaction. Successive intravitreal injections of 5-FU, 0.375 mg and dox 5 ug, and 5-FU, dox, and bleo produced no toxicity. Eyes treated with successive intravitreal injections of 5-FU, dox, bleo, and thio displayed decreased ERG response. The addition of VP-16 and MTX resulted in further loss of ERG response and more severe histologic retinal changes.
Induction of Floor Plate Differentiation by Contact-Dependent, Homeogenetic Signals

The floor plate is located at the ventral midline of the neural tube and has been implicated in neural cell patterning and axon guidance. To address the cellular mechanisms involved in floor plate differentiation, we have used an assay that monitors the expression of floor-plate-specific antigens in neural plate explants cultured in the presence of inducing tissues. Contact-mediated signals from both the notochord and the floor plate act directly on neural plate cells to induce floor plate differentiation. Floor plate induction is initiated medially by a signal from the notochord, but appears to be propagated to more lateral cells by homeogenetic signals that derive from medial floor plate cells. The response of neural plate cells to inductive signals declines with embryonic age, suggesting that the mediolateral extent of the floor plate is limited by a loss of competence of neural cells. The rostral boundary of the floor plate at the midbrain-forebrain junction appears to result from the lack of inducing activity in prechordal mesoderm and the inability of rostral neural plate cells to respond to inductive signals.
The Fallacy of Replacing an a Priori Significance Level With an a Posteriori Significance Level

In an effort to "improve" experimental results, many researchers may be tempted to replace an a priori significance level with an a posteriori significance level. There are, however, at least four reasons why such a replacement is incorrect procedure. First, the probability under the null hypothesis that the observed probability level is less than the a posteriori significance level is not, as is thought by many researchers, generally equal to the a posteriori significance level. Second, this probability cannot be interpreted as the probability of a Type I error. Third, an a posteriori significance level cannot be interpreted as an a priori significance level. And fourth, replacing an a priori significance level with an a posteriori significance level is unethical procedure. Some comments are made on current APA reporting procedures for significance levels.
Behavioral modeling and performance evaluation of microelectrofluidics-based PCR systems using SystemC

Composite microsystems that incorporate microelectromechanical and microelectrofluidic devices are emerging as the next generation of system-on-a-chip (SOC). We present a performance comparison between two types of microelectrofluidic systems (MEFS): continuous-flow systems and droplet-based systems. The comparison is based on a specific microelectrofluidic application-a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system. The behavioral modeling, simulation, and performance evaluation are based on a SystemC design environment. The performance comparison includes the system throughput, system-correction capacity, system-processing capacity, and system-design complexity. By using our system-performance evaluation environment, we demonstrated that the droplet-based MEFS provides higher performance, as well as lower design and integration complexity.
Comparison of two methods of quantitative assessment of hypoxemia in patients with sleep disorders

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the validity of two methods of quantifying oxygen saturation during sleep: saturation impairment time (SIT) index and percentage of time spent below various levels of oxygen saturation (%T). Background: Although many methods of reporting nocturnal hypoxemia in sleep have been utilized, no ‘gold standard’ has been identified to report in conjunction with frequency of breathing pauses. We compare two such methods. Methods: Prospective, non-randomized, double-blind, controlled trial on 298 patients referred to a sleep-disorders center. In-laboratory recording of nocturnal polysomnography with the data from the pulse-oximetry channel stored in a computer for subsequent analysis. SIT index and %T data were compared for each patient, as were values between patient groups. Raw and logarithmic transformed data were analyzed using regression and non-parametric methods. Results: SIT index and %T data correlate well, but deviations exist between the results of these tests in individual patients and between some patient groups. Conclusion: SIT index, combining time and severity of desaturation, may provide additional useful data in the study of oxygen desaturation in sleep, compared to %T calculations. Such data may be important in future studies of physiological variables.
Viable Designs Through a Joint Probabilistic Estimation Technique

Presented at the 4th World Aviation Congress and Exposition, San Francisco, CA, October 19-21, 1999.
Racial differences in adiponectin and leptin in healthy premenopausal women

The aim of this article is to longitudinally investigate racial differences in serum adiponectin and leptin in European-American (EA) and African-American (AA) women in the overweight and weight-reduced states. Sixty-two EA and 58 AA premenopausal women were weight reduced from body mass index (BMI) 27-30 kg/m(2) to BMI ≤ 24. Fasting serum adiponectin and leptin were determined; body composition and intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT) were measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography, respectively. In repeated-measure MANOVA, there was a significant race effect for IAAT and total fat mass; compared to AA women, EA women had higher IAAT and total fat mass (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.027, respectively). In the mixed-model for adiponectin that adjusted for IAAT, limb fat, and total fat, race was significantly associated with adiponectin (p = 0.046). AA women had significantly lower adjusted adiponectin compared to EA women at baseline [7.67 (6.85, 8.60) vs. 9.32 (8.34, 10.4) μg/ml, p < 0.05] and following weight loss [9.75 (8.70, 10.9) vs. 11.8 (10.6, 13.2) μg/ml, p < 0.05]. In a mixed-model for leptin that adjusted for insulin, estradiol, and fat mass, race was significantly associated with leptin (p < 0.0001). AA women had significantly higher adjusted leptin compared to EA women at baseline [24.7 (22.3, 27.4) vs. 19.9 (18.1, 21.8) ng/dl, p < 0.05] and following weight loss [11.7 (10.2, 13.3) vs. 8.48 (7.50, 9.57) ng/dl, p < 0.05]. Despite having a more favorable body fat distribution, AA women had lower adjusted adiponectin and higher leptin. Differences in body composition and fat distribution do not appear to be significant factors in explaining lower adiponectin and higher leptin in AA women.
Critical modeling issues for successful feedforward control of blood glucose in insulin dependent diabetics

Accurate modeling of the effects of nutrient and activity variables on blood glucose can make a major impact in reducing the complications of diabetes for insulin dependent type 1 and 2 diabetics. These models can be used to design feedforward controllers that can revolutionize blood glucose control. However, to achieve this objective, there are several critical issues in measurement, data collection, and modeling that need to be resolved. This work discusses and presents solutions to resolving these issues.
Effects of Individualized and Standardized Interventions on Middle School Students with Reading Disabilities

This study reports the effectiveness of a year-long, small-group, tertiary (Tier 3) intervention that examined 2 empirically derived but conceptually different treatments and a comparison condition. The researchers had randomly assigned all students to treatment or comparison conditions. The participants were seventh- and eighth-grade students from the previous year who received an intervention and did not meet exit criteria. The researchers assigned them to one of two treatments: standardized (n = 69) or individualized (n = 71) for 50 min a day, in group sizes of 5, for the entire school year. Comparison students received no researcher-provided intervention (n = 42). The researchers used multigroup modeling with nested comparisons to evaluate the statistical significance of Time 3 estimates. Students in both treatments outperformed the comparison students on assessments of decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Intervention type did not moderate the pattern of effects, although students in the standardized treatment had a small advantage over individualized students on word attack. This study provides a framework from which to refine further interventions for older students with reading disabilities.
Inventory control of by‐products

The system to be controlled produces n products simultaneously in fixed proportions every time it is activated. Demands for the products in any period are components of an n dimensional vector random variable with known distribution function. Cases of excess demands backlogged and excess demands lost are considered. In the former the notion of k convexity can be generalized to guarantee relatively simple form for the optimal policy in an n decision problem. In the latter, this generalization was not successful although when there is no setup cost, a convexity argument can be used to show that the optimal policy has a simple form.
Orthogonal parameters with censored data

Orthogonal parameters possess inferential, numerical and interpretational conveniences. Many practical models require transformation of the natural parameters to obtain orthogonal parameters. This paper explores properties, construction and interpretation of orthogonal parameters for location-scale distributions under censoring of data.
Outsourcing unit dose packaging.

The need for reliable machine-readable unit dose packaging in health systems continues to expand as hospitals adopt bar-code-dependent technology in the pharmacy and at the bedside. In fact, nearly 40% of hospitals with 200 or more staffed beds have implemented bar-code-assisted medication
The negative side of positive psychology.

This article explores three ways in which the positive psychology movement’s construction and presentation of itself are negative. First, the negative side is construed as the negative side effects of positive psychology’s dominant, separatist message. Second, the negative side is construed as the negativity that can be found within the positive psychology movement. Here the author elaborates on the negative or dismissive reactions of some spokespersons for the movement to ideas or views that run counter to the movement’s dominant message: (a) negativity about negativity itself, which is explored by way of research in health psychology and coping styles; and (b) negativity about the wrong kind of positivity, namely, allegedly unscientific positivity, especially that which Seligman purports to find within humanistic psychology. This constitutes an epistemological position that contributes to “reality problems” for positive psychologists. The author concludes with the implications of positive psychology’s “...
LEU3 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a factor for control of RNA levels of a group of leucine-specific genes.

Abstract Although the majority of genes for amino acid biosynthesis which have been examined are under general amino acid control, LEU1 and LEU2 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae respond specifically to leucine. We report here an analysis of LEU3, a putative leucine-specific regulatory locus. We show that LEU3 is necessary for expression of wild-type levels of LEU1- and LEU2-specific RNAs and, further, that the levels of LEU4-specific transcripts are also affected by LEU3. We cloned LEU3 and showed by DNA sequence analysis that it contained an open reading frame of 886 amino acids. A striking feature of the predicted LEU3 protein was a cluster of acidic amino acids (19 of 20) located in the C-terminal half of the coding region. The protein also had a repeated cysteine motif which was conserved in a number of other yeast proteins implicated in gene regulation. We show that whole-cell extracts contained a LEU3-dependent DNA-binding activity that interacted with the 5' region of LEU2. Subdivision of the LEU2 5' region established that the LEU3-dependent DNA-binding activity interacted with the segment which had the previously reported homology with LEU1.
ACM SIGGRAPH Asia 2008 papers

ACM SIGGRAPH, the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Graphics, has sponsored an annual general conference since 1974. Over the past 35 years, the Technical Papers programme of the SIGGRAPH conference has become known throughout the world as the premier international forum for disseminating new scholarly work in computer graphics. Beginning this year, ACM SIGGRAPH is sponsoring a second general conference, SIGGRAPH Asia. These proceedings contain the 59 technical papers selected for SIGGRAPH Asia 2008, the first of this new series of annual conferences.
The Role of Peace Organizations During Peacemaking Processes: The Case of the Jewish-Israeli Society

Conflict resolution requires a peacemaking process that will challenge and change societal beliefs regarding the conflict, its roots and goals. Peacemaking includes three distinctive phases in which alternative beliefs emerge, become legitimized, and are finally internalized into societal institutions. Alternative beliefs must be disseminated and accepted by large segments of society, in order to support a negotiated settlement. Such a process is generally initiated through bottom-up grassroots mobilization, which is followed by a top-down phase, put into motion by the national leadership (Bar-Tal, Landman, Magal & Rosler, Societal-psychological dynamics of peace-making process: A conceptual framework. Paper presented at the "Resolving Societal Conflicts and Building Peace: Socio-psychological dynamics" conference, Jerusalem, 2009.). Therefore, an initial challenge for the peacemaking process is to create popular mobilization in support of conflict resolution, which will lead to the establishment of a peace movement (Zartman (Ed.), Peacemaking in international conflict: Methods and techniques. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2007.; Bar-Tal, Intractable conflicts: Socio-psychological foundations and dynamics. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2013).
Recombinant AAV Vectors for Enhanced Expression of Authentic IgG.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has become a vector of choice for the treatment of a variety of genetic diseases that require safe and long-term delivery of a missing protein. Muscle-directed gene transfer for delivery of protective antibodies against AIDS viruses and other pathogens has been used experimentally in mice and monkeys. Here we examined a number of variations to AAV vector design for the ability to produce authentic immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecules. Expression of rhesus IgG from a single single-stranded AAV (ssAAV) vector (one vector approach) was compared to expression from two self-complementary AAV (scAAV) vectors, one for heavy chain and one for light chain (two vector approach). Both the one vector and the two vector approaches yielded considerable levels of expressed full-length IgG. A number of modifications to the ssAAV expression system were then examined for their ability to increase the efficiency of IgG expression. Inclusion of a furin cleavage sequence with a linker peptide just upstream of the 2A self-cleaving sequence from foot-and-mouth disease virus (F2A) increased IgG expression approximately 2 fold. Inclusion of these sequences also helped to ensure a proper sequence at the C-terminal end of the heavy chain. Inclusion of the post-transcriptional regulatory element from woodchuck hepatitis virus (WPRE) further increased IgG expression 1.5–2.0 fold. IgG1 versions of the two rhesus IgGs that were examined consistently expressed better than the IgG2 forms. In contrast to what has been reported for AAV2-mediated expression of other proteins, introduction of capsid mutations Y445F and Y731F did not increase ssAAV1-mediated expression of IgG as determined by transduction experiments in cell culture. Our findings provide a rational basis for AAV vector design for expression of authentic IgG.
Dropping Behavior in the Pea Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae): How Does Environmental Context Affect Antipredator Responses?

The pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a phloem-feeding insect whose antipredator defenses include kicking, walking away, and dropping from the plant. Aphid dropping, a risky and energetically costly antipredator behavior, can be increased by the release of aphid alarm pheromone; there is also evidence that insect density and plant health can affect the likelihood of aphids engaging in this behavior. We investigated whether interactions between alarm cues, insect density, and plant health can alter the dropping behavior of aphids in response to an artificial disturbance. The presence of the alarm pheromone E-β-farnesene resulted in a nearly 15-fold increase in aphid dropping behavior; the other two factors, however, did not affect dropping and none of the two- or three-way interactions were significant. This was surprising because aphids affected plant health: production of new plant biomass after 5 d of exposure to high aphid densities was 50% lower than in the control treatment. This research adds to our understanding of the factors affecting aphid antipredator behavior; the fact that neither aphid density nor feeding period impacted dropping may reflect the high energetic costs of this activity and an unwillingness to use it in any but the riskiest situations.
Collateral Expertise Legal Knowledge in the Global Financial Markets

This essay offers an ethnographically grounded critique of and an alternative to science-studiesinflected approaches to the social studies of finance. The focus on trading as the core of finance and the analysis of trading as an analog of technoscientific practice unwittingly substantiate one of the core ideological claims of finance, that it is a discrete world whose activities are protoscientific. A focus on the legal, regulatory, and documentary practices that instantiate the world of traders, in contrast, presents a very different conception of finance. Finance, in this view, is an explicit politics (not a hidden politics masked as epistemological practice), a purposeful and stated compulsion of self and others, a realm of must, shall, and will, albeit one always defined by certain temporal limits. Attention to the temporal politics of finance requires an analytical approach that does more than uncover the politics of expertise. The promise of such an approach is that it might help us to apprehend already thriving forms of political response to global capitalism: arrangements of human and nonhuman legal instruments beyond critiques of global capitalism on the one hand and alternatives to global capitalism on the other. One such arrangement is what I term the placeholder.
Critical analysis of a no-nicotine hiring policy

This critical analysis examines the human resource (HR) policy of no-nicotine hiring at a healthcare organization in the United States. The paper begins with a history of tobacco use and the smoking trends in the U.S. The social acceptance of tobacco use declined once the harmful effects of the product were scientifically proven. The paper discusses the attempts of workplaces, specifically that of a U.S. healthcare organization, to reduce nicotine use among employees. The organization’s policy of a smoking ban is explained, as well as the later policy of refusal to hire a candidate who tests positive for nicotine. Employee reactions to the policies are shared.
Frontline Science: CXCR7 mediates CD14+CD16+ monocyte transmigration across the blood brain barrier: a potential therapeutic target for NeuroAIDS

CD14+CD16+ monocytes transmigrate into the CNS of HIV-positive people in response to chemokines elevated in the brains of infected individuals, including CXCL12. Entry of these cells leads to viral reservoirs, neuroinflammation, and neuronal damage. These may eventually lead to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly improved the lives of HIV-infected people, the prevalence of cognitive deficits remains unchanged despite ART, still affecting >50% of infected individuals. There are no therapies to reduce these deficits or to prevent CNS entry of CD14+CD16+ monocytes. The goal of this study was to determine whether CXCR7, a receptor for CXCL12, is expressed on CD14+CD16+ monocytes and whether a small molecule CXCR7 antagonist (CCX771) can prevent CD14+CD16+ monocyte transmigration into the CNS. We showed for the first time that CXCR7 is on CD14+CD16+ monocytes and that it may be a therapeutic target to reduce their entry into the brain. We demonstrated that CD14+CD16+ monocytes and not the more abundant CD14+CD16- monocytes or T cells transmigrate to low homeostatic levels of CXCL12. This may be a result of increased CXCR7 on CD14+CD16+ monocytes. We showed that CCX771 reduced transmigration of CD14+CD16+ monocytes but not of CD14+CD16- monocytes from uninfected and HIV-infected individuals and that it reduced CXCL12-mediated chemotaxis of CD14+CD16+ monocytes. We propose that CXCR7 is a therapeutic target on CD14+CD16+ monocytes to limit their CNS entry, thereby reducing neuroinflammation, neuronal damage, and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Our data also suggest that CCX771 may reduce CD14+CD16+ monocyte-mediated inflammation in other disorders.
Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiences Using Ecosystem Microcosms

Self-sustaining ecosystem microcosms, called ecosystem jars, can easily be collected from local ponds, streams, or lakes. Sealed and exposed to sunlight, these miniature ecosystems can sustain themselves for a decade or more. Unlike Winogradsky columns, ecosystem jars are optimized for protist, animal, and plant observations and experiments, and are not altered by addition of sulfur, carbon, or cellulose sources, more accurately representing natural ecosystems. Ecosystem jars can support a variety of inquiry-based experiments, including student-designed projects, from middle school to college levels. Students, with instructor assistance, formulate hypotheses, design experiments, observe and catalog organisms by microscopy, then record their data in tables and graphs and draw conclusions. Students present their data in a paper or poster format or as oral presentations to the class. Potential experiments include examining biotic changes over time, the effects of added pollutants or nutrients, biotic differences between watershed types, or seasonal changes in biota. These investigations not only provide students with cooperative learning, inquiry-based lab experiences, but also help them gain appreciation for the effects of pollution or nutrient runoff on ecosystems.
Effect of Intensive Therapy on the Microvascular Complications of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

The purpose of this report is to summarize and integrate the findings of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), a randomized controlled clinical trial, and the succeeding observational follow-up of the DCCT cohort in the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study, regarding the effects of intensive treatment on the microvascular complications of type 1 diabetes mellitus. The DCCT proved that intensive treatment reduced the risks of retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy by 35% to 90% compared with conventional treatment. The absolute risks of retinopathy and nephropathy were proportional to the mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level over the follow-up period preceding each event. Intensive treatment was most effective when begun early, before complications were detectable. These risk reductions, achieved at a median HbA1c level difference of 9.1% for conventional treatment vs 7.3% for intensive treatment have been maintained through 7 years of EDIC, even though the difference in mean HbA1c levels of the 2 former randomized treatment groups was only 0.4% at 1 year (P<.001) (8.3% in the former conventional treatment group vs 7.9% in the former intensive treatment group), continued to narrow, and became statistically nonsignificant by 5 years (8.1% vs 8.2%, P = .09). The further rate of progression of complications from their levels at the end of the DCCT remains less in the former intensive treatment group. Thus, the benefits of 6.5 years of intensive treatment extend well beyond the period of its most intensive implementation. Intensive treatment should be started as soon as is safely possible after the onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus and maintained thereafter, aiming for a practicable target HbA1c level of 7.0% or less.
The Role of Phosphorylation in Growth Control and Malignant Transformation

Experiments with cultured cells suggest that the growth of mammalian cells is regulated largely by growth factors and inhibitors acting at the G0/G1 border in cell cycle. Growth factors are mostly polypeptide in nature (e.g. EGF, PDGF, FGF, IGF-1, bombesin) and range in mass from 2,000 to 70,000 daltons. Cells responsive to a given growth factor have specific cell surface receptors, usually numbering between 103 and 106 per cell, with a high affinity (Kd 10-8 to 10-11) and specificity for their ligand. Occupancy of these receptors results in the transduction of a signal across the membrane to the cytoplasm, the nature of which will be discussed below. Bona fide growth inhibitors have only recently been purified to homogeneity (e.g. TGF-β, interferon), although their existence had been surmised for many years. Their mode of action is not understood, but, like the polypeptide growth factors, growth inhibitors have specific high affinity surface receptors, which presumably transduce signals to the cytoplasm. Another external component essential for cell growth is the extracellular matrix, comprised of proteins like fibronectin, laminin, and collagen, and the glycosaminoglycans. Adherent cells will not grow in the absence of an extracellular matrix, but most cells are capable of elaborating their own matrix. There are specific surface receptors for these matrix proteins, but it is not yet known whether the binding of ligand to this type of receptor causes a signal transduction event.
Immunomodulation Mechanisms in Disease and in the Surgical Patient.

Modulation of the immune system plays a critical role in management of health and disease processes within humans. The importance of the immune system stems from the need to eliminate and modulate ...
The Ghost of Pistoia: Evocations of Auctorem Fidei in the Debate over Episcopal Collegiality at Vatican II:

This article explores the evocations of the Synod of Pistoia (1786) at Vatican II, arguing that Pistoia was a “ghost” on the council floor, that is, a key moment in the Church’s collective memory w...
A review of small incision lenticule extraction complications

Purpose of reviewAs a flapless procedure, SMILE brings benefits to refractive surgery, such as lower corneal biomechanical impact, less dry eye risk and less stromal bed exposure. However, the longer learning curve can be a risk factor for complications. This article aims to discuss SMILE complicati
Single institution experience of sorafenib for advanced HCC in a US tertiary care hospital.

Background: Sorafenib is first line chemotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). There are little real-world experiences with sorafenib done on US population except for the US arm of the GIDEON study, a phase IV multi-national study. In this context, we present a single institution experience with sorafenib for HCC in a tertiary inner-city safety-net hospital of Chicago. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed electronic medical records of patients with HCC (confirmed with radiographic criteria and/or biopsy) who received sorafenib from 2009 to 2016. We collected data regarding the demographics, characteristics of tumor, liver cirrhosis, duration of treatment with sorafenib, reported adverse effects with sorafenib and laboratory investigations done at the time of sorafenib initiation. Overall survival was calculated from the time of sorafenib initiation and cases were censored at the date of last follow up, if date of death was not known. Kaplan-Meier curves were estimated to evaluate the prognostic significance of various clinical variables. Results: Fifty-nine patients received sorafenib in the study period and the median overall survival was 7 months (25–75 percentile =3–15 months). Alcohol was the leading cause of cirrhosis, 64% of them had Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class A cirrhosis or did not have cirrhosis and 73% had Barcelona stage C HCC at the time of sorafenib initiation. Close to half of them suffered from adverse effects of sorafenib, most common being those involving skin and gut. Patients with CTP class A cirrhosis or no cirrhosis (median OS 39 vs . 16 months, log rank test 3.913, P=0.048), absence of extrahepatic spread (EHS) (median OS 39 vs . 9 months, log rank test 5.632, P=0.018) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (median OS 39 vs . 9 months, log rank test 5.015, P=0.025) had better survival. Conclusions: Overall survival of patients with HCC treated with sorafenib in US is lower than those observed in cohorts from Europe or Japan. HCV infection could be a marker of benefit in those treated with sorafenib for HCC. Further studies to confirm this association and understand it’s pathophysiologic basis could be useful in development of other therapeutic options for advanced HCC.
An examination of Job's rule: protection and repair of the proteins of the translational apparatus in seeds

The proteins produced just prior to maturation desiccation in the developing, orthodox seed, are stored in the desiccated state and recruited as the functional proteome upon imbibition. For the resumption of protein function, these stored proteins must be protected from permanent denaturation while dehydrating, throughout desiccation, and during rehydration. For some forms of damage there is the possibility of repair following imbibition potentially coordinated with de-aggregation into monodispersed polypeptides capable of refolding into a functional configuration. While studying aspects of the natural protection and repair mechanism in seeds, evidence has accrued that those proteins directly involved in translation are particular targets of both protection and protein repair. Such a phenomenon was first described by Rajjou et al. (2008) examining the frequency with which proteins involved in translation were identified as differentially abundant between aged and un-aged Arabidopsis seeds and the translational competence of aged versus un-aged seeds. The inference drawn from these observations was that, of all the stored proteins, it is imperative that those involved in translation endure desiccation, quiescence and rehydration in a functional state if the seed is to survive. Proteins involved in any other process other than translation can be replaced from the stored transcriptome or by de novo transcription but no mRNA is of value without the translational machinery. This has become known as ‘Job's rule’ in honour of the laboratory from which this hypothesis was first put forward (Rajjou et al., 2008). We review in this manuscript the evidence accrued to date on which Job's rule is based.
Investigation of photosynthetic cytochromes c by high resolution NMR spectroscopy.

Abstract The high-field NMR spectra of the reduced c-type cytochromes of four photosynthetic organisms are reported. All exhibit a resonance at −3.0 to −3.4 ppm which closely corresponds to the familiar methionine S-methyl peak of mammalian cytochromes c . Both bacterial cytochromes c 2 , however, show an additional resonance in the range of −1.9 to −2.4 ppm which is tentatively assigned to the alkyl side chains of a particular leucyl and valyl residue, respectively. The most probable positions of these residues within the linear sequences of these cytochromes are discussed.
Generation, local receptive fields and global convergence improve perceptual learning in connectionist networks

This paper presents and compares results for three types of connectionist networks on perceptual learning tasks: [A] Multi-layered converging networks of neuron-like units, with each unit connected to a small randomly chosen subset of units in the adjacent layers, that learn by re-weighting of their links; [B] Networks of neuron-like units structured into successively larger modules under brain-like topological constraints (such as layered, converging-diverging hierarchies and local receptive fields) that learn by re-weighting of their links; [C] Networks with brain-like structures that learn by generation-discovery, which involves the growth of links and recruiting of units in addition to reweighting of links. Preliminary empirical results from simulation of these networks for perceptual recognition tasks show significant improvements in learning from using brain-like structures (e.g., local receptive fields, global convergence) over networks that lack such structure; further improvements in learning result from the use of generation in addition to reweighting of links.
Role of Mouse Cytochrome P450 Enzymes of the Cyp2abfgs Subfamilies in the Induction of Lung Inflammation by Cigarette Smoke Exposure

Background Many constituents of tobacco smoke (TS) require bioactivation to exert toxic effects; however, few studies have examined the role of bioactivation enzymes in the adverse effects of TS exposure. This knowledge gap is a major source of uncertainty for risk assessment and chemoprevention efforts. Objectives Our aim is to test the hypothesis that cytochrome P450 (P450) enzyme mediated bioactivation is essential to the development of TS exposure-induced lung toxicity, by determining the contributions of P450 enzymes in the mouse Cyp2abfgs gene subfamilies to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)-induced lung inflammation. Methods Adult female wildtype (WT) and Cyp2abfgs-null mice (both on C57BL/6J background) were exposed to filtered air or ETS, intermittently, for 1 or 2 weeks. Lung inflammation was assessed by quantification of inflammatory cells, cytokines, chemokines, proteins in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and histopathological analysis. Glutathione (GSH) conjugates of two ETS constituents, naphthalene (NA) and 3-methylindole (3MI), were measured in mice exposed to ETS for four hours. Results Persistent macrophagic and neutrophilic lung inflammation was observed in ETS-exposed WT mice; the extent of which was significantly reduced in ETS-exposed Cyp2abfgs-null mice. Levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, along with the total protein concentration, were increased in cell-free BALF from ETS-exposed WT mice, but not Cyp2abfgs-null mice. Additionally, GSH-conjugates of NA and 3MI were detected in the lungs of WT, but not Cyp2abfgs-null, mice following ETS exposure. Conclusions These results provide the first in vivo evidence that the mouse Cyp2abfgs gene cluster plays an important role in ETS-induced lung inflammation.
Aeromonas and Plesiomonas Species

Recent studies have identified previously unknown Aeromonas virulence mechanisms that may contribute significantly to human pathogenicity. This chapter reviews existing knowledge of Aeromonas virulence factors and host responses and future directions that may provide a more detailed understanding of Aeromonas-associated human diseases. Aeromonas extraintestinal diseases (peritonitis, endocarditis, pneumonia, conjunctivitis, and urinary tract infections) are more common and varied than those caused by Plesiomonas shigelloides (cellulitis, arthritis, endophthalmitis, and cholecystitis). Aeromonas spp., therefore, may produce different types of cytotonic enterotoxins that are functionally similar. It is plausible that the expression of various virulence factors of Aeromonas may be controlled by quorum sensing. The major signal molecule synthesized by the ahyI locus in A. hydrophila was N-(butanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (BHL), also referred to as C4-HSL, with N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) synthesized in relatively smaller amounts. At present, it is not possible to identify the disease-causing strains because of our incomplete understanding of Aeromonas virulence mechanisms. Some of the confusion surrounding Aeromonas enterotoxins has been resolved, and several new virulence factors have been described. The case for Plesiomonas’s being an enteric pathogen is less convincing than that for Aeromonas spp. Although Plesiomonas species has been isolated from diarrheal patients and has been incriminated in several large water- and foodborne outbreaks, no definite virulence mechanism has been identified in most strains associated with gastrointestinal infections.
Spawning periodicity and synchrony of bluehead chub (Nocomis leptocephalus) and a nest associate, yellowfin shiner (Notropis lutipinnis), across local streams

We studied daily spawning periodicity of a nest‐building species, bluehead chub (Nocomis leptocephalus), and a nest associate, yellowfin shiner (Notropis lutipinnis), in three streams in the upper Piedmont region of South Carolina, USA. Field observations were conducted for 89 consecutive days in 2016 by recording the number of active nests and environmental variables. A total of 71 nests were located across study streams; bluhead chub and yellowfin shiner spawned between April and June. Spawning was observed periodically at intervals of 4–6 days within the same stream and across different streams, indicating broad‐scale influences of the same environmental factors leading to synchrony. A generalized linear auto‐regressive and moving average model showed that the periodic spawning pattern was likely caused by changes in water temperature, with effects of water level varying by stream. Specifically, spawning was triggered by a short‐term (2‐day) increase in water temperature and was observed under stable flow conditions (i.e. a lack of precipitation). This study showed that spawning periodicity of bluehead chub and yellowfin shiner tracked daily variation in in‐stream conditions, indicating that their reproduction might be affected by anthropogenic disturbances that affect the rate of change in thermal and flow regimes at the fine temporal scale (e.g. hydroelectric dams and impervious cover).
Reduction of NO by CO on PdO-MoO 3 /γ-Al 2 O 3 of low molybdena loading

The catalytic activity for the reduction of NO by CO of five PdO-MoO3/γ-Al2O3 catalysts is compared in the presence of varying amounts of oxygen at reaction temperatures from 25 to 550 °C. The samples were prepared by different methods and contain about 2% of Mo and 2% Pd. Results are compared with the activities and selectivities of PdO/ γ-A12O3 and PdO-MoO3/γ-Al2O3 containing 2% Pd and 2% Pd + 20% Mo, respectively. All catalysts showed appreciable activity at temperatures between 300 and 550 °C and at stoichiometric ratios,R, of the oxidizing to reducing gases of 0.1 <R < 1.1. The activity of three PdO-MoO3/ γ-A12O3 catalysts with low concentrations of Mo and Pd was found to be significantly higher than the activity of PdO/γ-Al2O3 at 1.1 <R < 1.3 and at temperatures between 300 and 500 °C. The improved activity is ascribed to the interaction of the active metals.
Edaravone-Loaded Mesoscale Nanoparticles Treat Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury

Cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a significant co-morbidity of chemotherapeutic regimens. While this condition is associated with substantially lower survival and increased economic burden, there is no pharmacological agent to effectively treat CI-AKI. The disease is hallmarked by acute tubular necrosis of the proximal tubular epithelial cells primarily due to increased oxidative stress. In our prior work, we developed a highly-selective kidney-targeted mesoscale nanoparticle (MNP) that accumulates primarily in the renal proximal tubular epithelial cells while exhibiting no toxicity. Here, we found that MNPs exhibit renal-selective targeting in multiple mouse models of tumor growth with virtually no tumor accumulation. We then evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of MNPs loaded with the reactive oxygen species scavenger edaravone in a mouse model of CI-AKI. We found a marked and significant therapeutic effect with this approach as compared to free drug or empty control MNPs, including improved renal function, histology, and diminution of oxidative stress. These results indicated that renal-selective MNP edaravone delivery holds substantial potential in the treatment of acute kidney injury among patients undergoing cisplatin-based chemotherapy.
Low-Cost Remote Supervisory Control System for an Industrial Process using Profibus and Profinet

In this paper we demonstrate two applications of a low-cost remote supervisory control and data acquisition system in two models. The first model is demonstrated with a Profibus-DP protocol based system in which a master Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) unit with control inputs and display outputs controls the speed and monitors the overload condition of a DC motor that is connected to a slave PLC in real time. In the upgraded model, a Profinet protocol is used to connect PLCs, and a power-line communication link is used to remotely connect the control HMI to the network. In both models, remote Supervisory control is achieved using user-defined control functions that act altogether as a block-oriented function library or toolbox. High levels of performance are achieved in real time control and data acquisition in both models.
Positive Youth Development in Education

Positive youth development (PYD) is an approach to child and adolescent education that provides resources in the school and community to enable youth to reach their full potential and to flourish in a democratic society. The approach draws on various disciplines and legacies in its practices and approaches, ranging from school curricula to out-of-school activities that have long traditions, such as scouting and 4-H clubs. We take note of the philosophical tradition stemming from Aristotle that prioritized acquiring various virtues as the path to human happiness and how virtues of justice, temperance, courage, and prudence are the focus for many present-day programs under the umbrella of PYD. We review the dominant theories of PYD as well as school programs that have been developed to encourage PYD, including social-emotional learning, character education, civics education, and service learning. We also examine the effects of out-of-school programs on PYD outcomes. We conclude with the prospects for PYD and the challenges that remain for its future development.
Retrospective. Frederic M. Richards (1925-2009).

A pioneer of biochemistry and structural biology overturned conceived wisdom about protein structure.
Valuation Discounting Techniques: Terms Gone Awry

Fair market value is defined in the section 2031 Regulations. For its validity, that definition of fair market value relies on the normal definitions of its significant terms: a seller is someone who is seeking the highest price for her product and a buyer is someone who wants to obtain the lowest price for his purchase. It is only that tension that creates the realistic, and fair, market value of that asset. Indeed, without that conflict, the definition is comprised of hollow words. In the context of family limited partnerships, terms have been misused. By utilizing the limited partnership shell, liquid assets become illiquid in order to discount those assets and to pay less transfer tax. There are already regulations in the income tax loss context that deny losses for the intentional destruction of property values. They can serve as models for Treasury to refine the fair market value definition to conform to a more realistic and public policy supported meaning of value when terms in the general definition of fair market value have gone awry.
Theory of Flux-Flow Noise in Superconductors

It has been known for over 40 years that the voltage along a magnetic flux-containing superconductor subjected to a sufficiently large current has a fluctuating, noisy component [1]. Most of the development of our modern understanding of the origin of the voltage, however, occurred during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s [2], so that by about 1965 it was becoming accepted that the voltage in type-II superconductors is due to the motion of quantized flux vortices [3–7].
A Psychiatrist in Paradise: Treating Mental Illness in Bali

. Psychiatrist in Paradise: Treating Mental Illness in Bali. Denny Thong. Bangkok: White Lotus, 1993. 216 pp. $27.50 (cloth).