cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Drosophila Female Sterile Mutation twin peaks Is a Novel Allele of tramtrack and Reveals a Requirement for Ttk69 in Epithelial Morphogenesis

The Drosophila gene tramtrack (ttk) encodes two transcriptional repressors, Ttk69 and Ttk88, which are required for normal embryogenesis and imaginal disc development. Here, we characterize a novel female sterile allele of tramtrack called twin peaks (ttk(twk)) that, unlike othertramtrack alleles, has no effect on viability and produces no obvious morphological defects, except during oogenesis. Females homozygous for twin peaks produce small eggs with thin eggshells and short dorsal respiratory appendages. Complementation analyses, immunolocalization, and rescue data demonstrate that these defects are due to loss of Ttk69, which is expressed in the follicle cells and is required for normal chorion production and dorsal follicle-cell migration. Analyses of phenotypes produced by mutations in other loci that regulate eggshell synthesis suggest that the chorion production and follicle-cell migration defects are independent. We present evidence that twin peaks disrupts a promoter or promoters required for late-stage follicle-cell expression of Ttk69. We hypothesize that loss of Ttk69 in all follicle cells disrupts chorion gene expression and lack of function in dorsal anterior follicle cells inhibits morphogenetic changes required for elongating the dorsal appendages.
Beyond ‘Boring, Meaningless Shit’ in the Academy: Early Childhood Teacher Educators under the Regulatory Gaze

In the USA, many young children are being subjected to a largely irrelevant, fragmented, meaningless curriculum in the name of school reform and meeting state and/or national standards; it is the authors' view that teacher educators also increasingly have to endure the same. The authors use their own recent experiences with licensing and accrediting bodies, the New York State Department of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education respectively, to argue that everyone is being subjected to a disempowering, regulatory (and potentially punitive) gaze in the name of higher standards. Drawing on their own and others' stories, they raise some issues to ponder, as well as posit possible courses of action linked to the notion of teachers as social justice activists. They address why resistance to the standards movement is so crucial, and share their ideas regarding the forms their resistance has taken and might take in the future. They try to articulate a hopeful path of possibilit...
Seasonal trends in nesting leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) serum proteins further verify capital breeding hypothesis

Serum protein concentrations provide insight into the nutritional and immune status of organisms. It has been suggested that some marine turtles are capital breeders that fast during the nesting season. In this study, we documented serum proteins in neophyte and remigrant nesting leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea). This allowed us to establish trends across the nesting season to determine whether these physiological parameters indicate if leatherbacks forage or fast while on nesting grounds. Using the biuret method and agarose gel electrophoresis, total serum protein (median = 5.0 g/dl) and pr otein fractions were quantified and include pre-albumin (median = 0.0 g/dl), albumin (median = 1.81 g/dl), α1-globulin (median = 0.90 g/dl), α2-globulin (median = 0.74 g/dl), total α-globulin (median = 1.64 g/dl), β-globulin (median = 0.56 g/dl), γ-globulin (median = 0.81 g/dl) and total globulin (median = 3.12 g/dl). The albumin:globulin ratio (median = 0.59) was also calculated. Confidence intervals (90%) were used to establish reference intervals. Total protein, albumin and total globulin concentrations declined in successive nesting events. Protein fractions declined at less significant rates or remained relatively constant during the nesting season. Here, we show that leatherbacks are most likely fasting during the nesting season. A minimal threshold of total serum protein concentrations of around 3.5–4.5 g/dl ma y physiologically signal the end of the season’s nesting for individual leatherbacks. The results presented here lend further insight into the interaction between reproduction, fasting and energy reserves and will potentially improve the conservation and management of this imperiled species.
Hereditary paraganglioma targets diverse paraganglia

Paragangliomas are highly vascularised and often heritable tumours derived from paraganglia, a diffuse neuroendocrine system dispersed from skull base to the pelvic floor. The carotid body, a small oxygen sensing organ located at the bifurcation of the carotid artery in the head and neck and the adrenal medulla in the abdomen, are the most common tumour sites. It now appears that mutations in SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD, which encode subunits of mitochondrial complex II (succinate dehydrogenase; succinate-ubiquinone oxidoreductase), are responsible for the majority of familial paragangliomas and also for a significant fraction of non-familial tumours. Germline mutations in complex II genes are associated with the development of paragangliomas in diverse anatomical locations, including phaeochromocytomas, a finding that has important implications for the clinical management of patients and genetic counselling of families. Consequently, patients with a paraganglioma tumour, including phaeochromocytoma, and a complex II germline mutation should be diagnosed with hereditary paraganglioma, regardless of family history, anatomical location, or multiplicity of tumours. This short review attempts to bring together relevant genetic data on paragangliomas with a particular emphasis on head and neck paragangliomas and phaeochromocytomas.
Submillimeter diameter interstitial microwave hyperthermia applicators: preclinical testing

Interstitial hyperthermia applicators as small as 0.20 mm in diameter have been fabricated using ultraminiature coaxial cable. Animal studies show less local tissue trauma than with commercial 1.1-mm-diameter applicators with equivalent heating. precise nonsurgical hyperthermia of deep-seated tumors may be achievable with these applicators. It is concluded that the submillimeter applicators show considerable promise for clinical application. They produce heating patterns equivalent to those of larger devices currently available, and they appear to have sufficient ruggedness and power handling capability. >
The earliest-generated neurons of the cat cerebral cortex: characterization by MAP2 and neurotransmitter immunohistochemistry during fetal life

The earliest-generated neurons of the cat cerebral cortex have been studied here during development using a combination of 3H-thymidine birthdating with immunohistochemistry for the neuron-specific protein MAP2 or for several neuropeptides/transmitters. These neurons are the first postmitotic cells of the cortex, with birthdates during the 1-week period preceding the genesis of cells of the adult cerebral cortex (Luskin and Shatz, 1985a; Chun et al., 1987). However, they are transient and the majority disappear by adulthood (Luskin and Shatz, 1985a; Chun and Shatz, 1989). When autoradiographic birthdating is combined with MAP2 immunostaining during fetal life, the entire population of these early-generated neurons appears to be stained, resulting in labeled bands above and below the cortical plate. The band above the cortical plate (in the marginal zone) contains early-generated neurons with horizontal morphologies, while the thicker band beneath the cortical plate (within the intermediate zone) contains the somata of early-generated neurons and their elaborate processes that are frequently directed towards the ventricular surface. In view of the correspondence between the location of the early-generated neurons and the MAP2-immunostained band beneath the cortical plate, we suggest that this combined approach can be used to define accurately the subdivision of the intermediate zone known as the subplate. The early-generated neurons are also immunoreactive for GABA, neuropeptide Y (NPY), somatostatin (SRIF), and cholecystokinin (CCK) during fetal life. While GABA, NPY, and SRIF immunostaining could be detected by embryonic day 50 (E50), that for CCK was not found until E60. Moreover, there is a relationship between neuropeptide immunoreactivity and location within the cerebral wall. The marginal-zone neurons are immunoreactive only for CCK. The subplate neurons are immunoreactive for CCK, SRIF, and NPY. Most of those immunoreactive for SRIF tend to be clustered within the upper part of the subplate, while those immunoreactive for NPY tend to be located more deeply. Cells immunoreactive for GABA are more uniformly distributed throughout the cerebral wall. These observations demonstrate directly that the marginal zone and subplate contain peptide- and GABA-immunoreactive neurons that belong to the earliest-generated cell population of the cerebral cortex. The presence of these early-generated neurons, which achieve a remarkable degree of maturity during fetal life, suggests that they perform an essential, yet transient, role in the development of the cerebral cortex.
Measuring wind speeds and turbulence with a wave-front sensor.

We analyze wavefront sensor (WFS) measurements taken with the 1.5-m telescope at the Starfire Optical Range in Albuquerque, N.M., of wind speeds in the turbulent atmospheric layers that cause seeing. The frozen-flow hypothesis suggests that atmospheric turbulence is located in thin horizontal layers and that turbulent features do not change over short time scales but are drawn along by the prevailing wind. Exploiting autocorrelation properties of the WFS data that result from these characteristics of atmospheric turbulence, we are able to measure the movements of individual layers. We also test the validity of the frozen-flow hypothesis.
Fourier Domain Mode Locking (FDML): Three-dimensional OCT imaging at 906 frames per second

Fourier domain mode locking is a new operation regime of lasers. Highly chirped frequency swept waveforms rather than short pulses are generated. The mechanism and its application for ultrahigh-speed biomedical OCT imaging are discussed.
Mycobacterium xenopi: Innocent Bystander or Emerging Pathogen?

Mycobacterium xenopi is a recognized cause of smoldering pulmonary disease in patients with chronic lung disease. This organism is frequently isolated from respiratory specimens from individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and is often considered nonpathogenic. Cases of pulmonary and disseminated M. xenopi disease have been described in patients with HIV infection and other immunodeficiencies. Many physicians are unaware of the clinical significance of M. xenopi isolation. Whether this organism represents a commensal or a pathogen capable of causing considerable morbidity and mortality is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the clinical significance of M. xenopi isolation and explored the clinical spectrum of M. xenopi disease. Clinical illness occurred both in elderly people with chronic lung disease and in young individuals with HIV infection. The repeated isolation of M. xenopi in association with pulmonary lesions suggests significant infection and mandates further workup and therapy.
Failures and Successes in a Stroke Program

The activities toward stroke prevention and improving stroke care at Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center of Portland, Oregon, for the past ten years are described. The program was multifaceted and included a stroke clinic, a stroke care unit, a course for nurses from throughout the state of Oregon and southwestern Washington, panel discussions and exhibits about stroke care, an educational program for families of stroke patients and satellite clinics at two small communities in Oregon. The presence of this program changed the percentage of patients with strokes of equal severity going home from 13% to 58% at Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center and no similar trend could be detected in five other hospitals in Portland during a comparable period. The evaluation of the program revealed that a team approach to stroke care in a special unit improved the care of stroke patients throughout the hospital and was effective in bringing the family into an active role in rehabilitation and patient care. ...
Practical Bayesian Density Estimation Using Mixtures of Normals

Abstract Mixtures of normals provide a flexible model for estimating densities in a Bayesian framework. There are some difficulties with this model, however. First, standard reference priors yield improper posteriors. Second, the posterior for the number of components in the mixture is not well defined (if the reference prior is used). Third, posterior simulation does not provide a direct estimate of the posterior for the number of components. We present some practical methods for coping with these problems. Finally, we give some results on the consistency of the method when the maximum number of components is allowed to grow with the sample size.
Why is liberal education so incoherent? An anthropological perspective

Purpose – This paper's purpose is to account for liberal education's characteristic incoherence. Design/methodology/approach – Its approach is to sketch a dilemma created by cultures being inherently conservative, while nations, in order to be internationally competitive, need to be innovative. The definitional and systemic bases of culture's conservatism offer no point of attack; but a third base is enculturation, which does. Findings – Shortly after puberty, society's more promising young people are strongly urged to leave home for an extended period, and be exposed to ways of acting and thinking that often clash with how they have been brought up. They are encouraged to explore new subjects and indulge their curiosity; they are encouraged to “think outside the box” of their own enculturation. The incoherence of liberal education leaves them not with a sense of closure, but in a state of constructive confusion conducive to innovation in all aspects of life. Liberal education thus serves the social funct...
An integrated SAR/GIS approach for investigating urban deformation phenomena: a case study of the city of Naples, Italy

Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DIFSAR) data have been integrated in a Geographic Information System (GIS) for investigating deformations occurring in urban areas. The proposed approach is based on an extension of the Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) method that allows a proper combination of a large number of DIFSAR data. The obtained deformation measurements are accurately geocoded to achieve an easy merging of DIFSAR products relative to different acquisition geometries and the integration of such products into a GIS. This allows the detection and analysis of displacements of single structures and buildings in the investigated zone. The effectiveness of the approach has been tested on the SAR data acquired by the European Remote Sensing (ERS) satellites relative to the Vomero hill, a district of the city of Naples, Italy.
Th1 type lymphocyte reactivity to metals in patients with total hip arthroplasty

All prostheses with metallic components release metal debris that can potentially activate the immune system. However, implant-related metal hyper-reactivity has not been well characterized. In this study, we hypothesized that adaptive immunity reaction(s), particularly T-helper type 1 (Th1) responses, will be dominant in any metal-reactivity responses of patients with total joint replacements (TJAs). We tested this hypothesis by evaluating lymphocyte reactivity to metal "ions" in subjects with and without total hip replacements, using proliferation assays and cytokine analysis. Lymphocytes from young healthy individuals without an implant or a history of metal allergy (Group 1: n = 8) were used to assess lymphocyte responses to metal challenge agents. In addition, individuals (Group 2: n = 15) with well functioning total hip arthroplasties (average Harris Hip Score = 91, average time in-situ 158 months) were studied. Age matched controls with no implants were also used for comparison (Group 3, n = 8, 4 male, 4 female average age 70, range 49–80). Group 1 subjects' lymphocyte proliferation response to Aluminum+3, Cobalt+2, Chromium+3, Copper+2, Iron+3, Molybdenum+5, Manganeese+2, Nickel+2, Vanadium+3 and Sodium+2 chloride solutions at a variety of concentrations (0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 10.0 mM) was studied to establish toxicity thresholds. Mononuclear cells from Group 2 and 3 subjects were challenged with 0.1 mM CrCl3, 0.1 mM NiCl2, 0.1 mM CoCl2 and approx. 0.001 mM titanium and the reactions measured with proliferation assays and cytokine analysis to determine T-cell subtype prominence. Primary lymphocytes from patients with well functioning total hip replacements demonstrated a higher incidence and greater magnitude of reactivity to chromium than young healthy controls (p 2 fold stimulation index response, p 10 mM). The differential secretion of signature T-cell subsets' cytokines (Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes releasing IFN-gamma and IL-4, respectively) between those total hip arthroplasty subjects which demonstrated metal-reactivity and those that did not, indicated a Th1 type (IFN-gamma) pro-inflammatory response. Elevated proliferation and production of IFN-gamma to metals in hip arthroplasty subjects' lymphocytes indicates that a Th1 (vs. Th2) type response is likely associated with any metal induced reactivity. The involvement of an elevated and specific lymphocyte response suggests an adaptive (macrophage recruiting) immunity response to metallic implant debris rather than an innate (nonspecific) immune response.
Calculation of the relative metastabilities of proteins using the CHNOSZ software package

Proteins of various compositions are required by organisms inhabiting different environments. The energetic demands for protein formation are a function of the compositions of proteins as well as geochemical variables including temperature, pressure, oxygen fugacity and pH. The purpose of this study was to explore the dependence of metastable equilibrium states of protein systems on changes in the geochemical variables. A software package called CHNOSZ implementing the revised Helgeson-Kirkham-Flowers (HKF) equations of state and group additivity for ionized unfolded aqueous proteins was developed. The program can be used to calculate standard molal Gibbs energies and other thermodynamic properties of reactions and to make chemical speciation and predominance diagrams that represent the metastable equilibrium distributions of proteins. The approach takes account of the chemical affinities of reactions in open systems characterized by the chemical potentials of basis species. The thermodynamic database included with the package permits application of the software to mineral and other inorganic systems as well as systems of proteins or other biomolecules. Metastable equilibrium activity diagrams were generated for model cell-surface proteins from archaea and bacteria adapted to growth in environments that differ in temperature and chemical conditions. The predicted metastable equilibrium distributions of the proteins can be compared with the optimal growth temperatures of the organisms and with geochemical variables. The results suggest that a thermodynamic assessment of protein metastability may be useful for integrating bio- and geochemical observations.
Visions, Values, Valuation, and the Need for an Ecological Economics

Practical problem solving in complex, humandominated ecosystems requires the integration of three elements: (1) active and ongoing envisioning of both how the world works and how we would like the world to be, (2) systematic analysis appropriate to and consistent with the vision, and (3) implementation appropriate to the vision. Scientists generally focus on only the second of these steps, but integrating all three is essential to both good science and effective management. Subjective values enter in the vision element, both in terms of the formation of broad social goals and in the creation of a preanalytic vision, which necessarily precedes
Evading the immune response upon in vivo gene therapy with viral vectors

Gene therapy has the potential to provide minimally invasive and long-term treatment for many inherited disorders that otherwise have poor prognoses and limited treatment options. The sustained therapeutic correction of genetic disease by viral gene transfer has been accomplished in patients with severe immune deficiencies, or by the transduction of an immune privileged site for the treatment of ocular disease. For other diseases and target tissues, immune responses to vectors or transgene products often present major obstacles for therapy. Innate and adaptive immunity, sometimes including pre-existing or memory responses, may contribute by varying degrees to immune-mediated rejection and immunotoxicity. This review provides an overview of the immune responses to in vivo gene transfer with the most commonly used viral gene therapy vectors, and discusses strategies and protocols employed in evading the immune system in order to provide optimal gene therapy.
Medical Instruments and Devices: Principles and Practices [Book Reviews]

This book offers the reader state-of-the-art information on biomedical instruments and devices. This text serves practicing professionals working in the areas of medical devices and instrumentation as well as graduate students studying bioengineering, instrumentation, and medical devices, and it provides readers with a practical foundation and a wealth of resources from well-known experts in the field. An initial impression from the this material was that this text included material from "The Biomedical Engineering Handbook" and included ten new sections. However, a quick check of the contents of the handbook (also published in 2015) revealed that all 20 chapter titles (and authors) in this text are also in the handbook, specifically in volume 2 of the four-part series. While it is recognized that publication of a subsection of a complete four-volume handbook is not uncommon, it does the reader a disservice to call it an “offshoot” rather than a copy of a section of the larger text. Another concern arose when the chapters were reviewed for completeness in terms of being up to date and well referenced. Of the 20 chapters, two chapters have only two listed references, four chapters have only five references, one chapter has six references, one chapter has seven references, and two chapters have eight references, for a median of 9.5 references per chapter. With a publication date of 2015, one might be inclined to suggest that chapters with references up to within, say, ten years prior to 2015 (2005) might be considered “up to date.” It may be of interest to the reader that the median latest date for references in this text is 2003. Several chapters thus do not qualify as “state of the art.”
Solving the Grid-to-Ground Problem when Using High Precision GNSS in Archaeological Mapping

Increasingly, high-precision GPS/GNSS (global positioning system/global satellite navigation system) based real-time-kinematic methods are being used in the mapping of archaeological sites. However, when utilizing high-precision satellite-based methods for archaeological location purposes, there is a significant but usually unanticipated problem that must first be addressed if accurate measurements are to be made. Simply put, unless proper correction methods are used, horizontal distances between two locations determined by the GNSS method will differ from the measurements that are made by traditional survey methods. This difference between the two measurements is often referred to as the grid-to-ground problem. This article provides a process to address this problem.
Flow Conforming Operational Airspace Sector Design

We present Computational Geometry based algorithms for airspace sector design that explicitly model the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) operational requirements in terms of sectorsshape and placement of sector boundaries relative to dominant traffic flows, critical points, and Special Use Airspace (SUA). We extend our method to sectorize in 3D using partitions in the altitude dimension. Finally, we describe a local optimization method for post-processing a given sector design to incorporate the ATC operational constraints.
Application of a Nitric Oxide-Releasing Pro-drug for Halting Growth of Human Breast and Canine Mammary Carcinoma Cells

Breast carcinomas remain one of the most common forms of cancer among women. Likewise, mammary cancers are one of the leading causes of death in dogs. Among the principal challenges in tumor therapies, resistance to cytotoxic therapeutics represents a major bottleneck in the fight against cancer. The development of novel delivery methods for nitric oxide has fueled the re-emergence of nitric oxide as a potential adjuvant for enhancing sensitivity of cancer cells to traditional therapeutics. More importantly, when delivered under the right conditions, nitric oxide exhibits the capacity to reduce or altogether halt tumor cell proliferation. Here, we present a new class of nitric oxide-releasing pro-drugs using non-cytotoxic S-nitrosothiol nitric oxide donors to deliver nitric oxide in a controlled manner to halt the growth of both human breast and canine mammary carcinoma cells. Research Article Open Access
The Role of Hair Cell Regeneration in an Avian Model of Inner Ear Injury and Repair from Acoustic Trauma

The auditory system of young chicks (Gallus domesticus)is an important model for studying the structure and function of the inner ear. For over 20 years this model has gained interest because of the discovery that birds, and perhaps lower vertebrates in general, are capable of generating new hair cells to replace those lost to ototrauma, a capacity that is absent along the mammalian organ of Corti. Accompanying this remarkable capacity is the nearly complete restoration of auditory function to the chick peripheral ear. This article presents a review of findings on the toxic effect of exposure to extremely loud sound on the young chick ear, and the subsequent recovery from inner ear structural damage and accompanying recovery of auditory function. The evidence, surprisingly, suggests that the role of the regenerated hair cells in the latter may be minimal and that multiple other factors play more important roles. There is also a section on the unique problems encountered in using chicks as laboratory animal subjects in experiments designed to understand the consequences of acoustic trauma. The conclusion summarizes some of the issues that need to be addressed in future research.
Sparse attacking strategies in multi-sensor dynamic systems maximizing state estimation errors

In this paper, from the adversary's point of view, the optimal strategy to attack a multi-sensor dynamic system is investigated. It is assumed that the system can perfectly detect and remove sensors once they are corrupted by false information injected by an adversary. The adversary is trying to maximize the covariance matrix of the system state estimate by the end of attack period under the constraint that the adversary can only attack the system a few times over time and over sensors, which leads to an integer programming problem. The exhaustive search algorithm has a prohibitive complexity and greedy algorithms are proposed to find the attack strategies. Examples and numerical results are provided in order to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed attack strategies.
Use of Force Couple Devices for Treatment of PIP Fracture-Dislocations

Successful management of proximal interphalangeal joint fracture-dislocations can be challenging. Patients with unstable joints and intact dorsal column may often be successfully treated with a force couple device. Its application can be performed percutaneously and allows for early range-of-motion while maintaining a congruent joint. This chapter illustrates a case example with management using a force couple device.
Possible Selves Among Urban Youth: A Study of Developmental Differences and the Aspirations–Expectations Gap

The present study investigated developmental differences and stability in possible selves within the educational and occupational domain among a diverse sample of urban youth (N = 319). A secondary...
Rapamycin Enhances the Cytotoxicity of Bortezomib and Rituximab on Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) Cell Lines.

[Background]: MCL is an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with a median survival of 3-4 years. New agents with mechanisms of action different than standard chemotherapy are needed to improve the outcome of MCL. Recent studies have documented single agent activity of bortezomib and rituximab in MCL. Analogs of rapamycin (temsirolimus) have also shown single agent activity in MCL (J Clin Oncol, June 27, 2005 epub). In order to provide rationale for a clinical trial combining rapamycin analogs with bortezomib or rituximab, we performed in vitro studies of the effect of combinations of these drugs on human MCL cell lines. [Methods]: Two human lymphoma cell lines - Granta 519 and M0258 - were incubated with various concentrations of rapamycin, bortezomib, and rituximab to determine the LD50 of each drug alone. For the experiments with rituximab a secondary goat anti-human (GAH) IgG Fc antibody was used to crosslink cell bound rituximab and induce cell killing. Percent viability was assessed after 48 hours using annexin/propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry. Tests for drug synergy used combinations of rapamycin and bortezomib and the Granta 519 cell line. Fixed ratios of the two drugs were tested and the results were evaluated for synergism (combination index [Results]: All three drugs exhibited single-agent activity in vitro against the two cell lines. The LD50 for rapamycin ranged from 17.5 – 25 micromolar for the Granta 519 cell line and 7.5–10 micromolar for M0258. The LD50 for bortezomib ranged from 2–5 ng/ml in both cell lines. Incubation of the cells with various concentrations of rituximab and GAH Fc had mild cytotoxic activity (reduced viability to 50–70% compared to GAH Fc control). This activity was not concentration dependent indicating saturation of CD20 by rituximab; therefore, a fixed concentration of rituximab was used for the combination experiments. When rituximab was added to bortezemib the % viability decreased by up to 37% (compared to bortezomib alone), and the bortezomib LD50 typically decreased to [Conclusion]: In vitro, rapamycin synergizes with bortezomib to enhance its cytotoxicity in MCL lines. Rituximab enhances the cytotoxicity of both of rapamycin and bortezomib. These in vitro studies provide the rationale to test combinations of these active agents in patients with MCL.
Vehicles for Deep Sea Exploration

The technological breakthroughs in deep-sea vehicle design over the last 40 years have resulted in unprecedented access to the deep ocean. For many years, researchers have towed instruments near the seafloor to collect various kinds of data remotely. Since the 1960s, humans have ventured into the deep ocean in submersibles or human-occupied vehicles (HOVs). These battery-operated vehicles allow two to four individuals to descend into the ocean for periods of typically 8–10 h. Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are unoccupied vehicles tethered to the support ship. Similar to HOVs in capabilities, ROVs are controlled by a pilot on board the ship who communicates with the vehicle via a fiber optic cable. The cable also transmits real-time images and data from the ROV to the shipboard control room. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are unoccupied, untethered vehicles preprogrammed and deployed to travel through the ocean without intervention from human operators. They can run missions of many hours or days on their battery power and can travel many kilometers collecting data of various types. Hence, AUVs are frequently used to identify regions of interest for further exploration by HOVs and ROVs. In the future, AUVs will play an important role in the development of long-term seafloor observatories.
“New” Luxury: Examining the Maintenance of Elite Status

The importance of status is well established in research on management and organization theory (e.g., Podolny, 1993; Washington & Zajac, 2005). Despite the benefits associated with high status, its consequentiality to commercial success, and emerging evidence that brings the apparent stability of status orders into question (e.g., Delmestri & Greenwood, 2016), scholars still “know little about how status dynamics occur” (Piazza & Castellucci, 2014: 309). In this study, I consider the possibility that status may be actively maintained and agentically renegotiated over time, even by those in favored, elite positions. I conduct an in-depth, inductive case study of the luxury segment of the U.S. hotel industry from 1985-2015, using both qualitative and quantitative analyses to uncover how members of this high- status segment collectively maintained their industry rank and cultural prestige over time. I show that linguistic efforts at sacralization, emotional recasting, and preservation constituted an extended...
Interleukin-6 Prevents Dexamethasone-Induced Myeloma Cell Death

The effects of dexamethasone on the growth of four human multiple myeloma cell lines were studied. In addition, the effects on the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) genes were investigated by the use of reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Dexamethasone (Dex) concentrations of 10(-7) to 10(-6) mol/L inhibited IL-6 gene expression in three of four cell lines studied, whereas the higher concentration of the hormone inhibited also IL-6R gene expression. Dex effects were modulated through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Dex treatment resulted in killing of sensitive cells associated with DNA fragmentation, which could be reversed by concomitant treatment with IL-6. The reversal of Dex-mediated effects by IL-6 did not result from an inhibition of GR function as measured by receptor nuclear translocation or Dex-regulated reporter gene function. These results indicate that blockage of the IL-6 signaling pathway is essential for effective myeloma cell kill by Dex.
Recruiting and Retaining Patient–Caregiver–Nurse Triads for Qualitative Hospice Cancer Pain Research:

Background:Qualitative pain research for hospice patients with cancer and their caregivers involves recruiting and retaining participants with multiple vulnerabilities and ethical and logistical ch...
Prediction of manganese trihalides as two-dimensional Dirac half-metals

The recent discovery of intrinsic ferromagnetism in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals crystals down to the monolayer limit has sparked intense interest due to their potential applications in spintronics. Here, using first-principles calculations we predict that the 2D pristine ${\mathrm{MnX}}_{3}$ (X = F, Cl, Br, I) is a family of intrinsic Dirac half-metals characterized by a band structure with an unusually large gap in one spin channel and a Dirac cone in the other with carrier mobilities comparable to those in graphene. We demonstrate that the ${\mathrm{MnX}}_{3}$ are dynamically and thermodynamically stable up to high temperatures, and exhibit large magnetic moments of about $4\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ per ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{3+}$ ion, high Curie temperatures, and large in-plane magnetic anisotropy energy. In addition, the gap opening induced by the spin-orbit coupling drives the lighter systems into the quantum anomalous Hall state. The combination of these unique properties renders this class of 2D ferromagnets a promising platform for high efficiency spintronic applications.
Detection and analysis of mycovirus-related RNA viruses from grape powdery mildew fungus Erysiphe necator

The fungus, Erysiphe necator Schw., is an important plant pathogen causing powdery mildew disease in grapevines worldwide. In this study, high-throughput sequencing of double-stranded RNA extracted from the fungal tissue combined with bioinformatics was used to examine mycovirus-related sequences associated with E. necator. The results showed the presence of eight mycovirus-related sequences. Five of these sequences representing three new mycoviruses showed alignment with sequences of viruses classified in the genus Alphapartitivirus in the family Partitiviridae. Another three sequences representing three new mycoviruses showed similarity to classifiable members of the genus Mitovirus in the family Narnaviridae. These mycovirus isolates were named Erysiphe necator partitivirus 1, 2, and 3 (EnPV 1-3) and Erysiphe necator mitovirus 1, 2, and 3 (EnMV 1-3) reflecting their E. necator origin and their phylogenetic affiliation with other mycoviruses.
A Strong Woman: A Psychodynamic Perspective on Religion and Culture in a Grieving Mother:

This is a case report that depicts spiritual integration in grief psychotherapy with a culture-sensitive perspective. Topics addressed by this article include: 1) The impact of death of a neonate o...
The Concept of Corruption in Machiavelli's Political Thought

Famine, flood, fire, disease, conquer, and many other tribulations are to be found among the fortunes that may weaken or destroy states. None of these, however are the greatest of threats to maintaining an enduring state, be it principality or republic. As Machiavelli seeks to educate his reader on the subject of what modes, orders and actions are best for controlling and bringing glory to their state, it becomes clear that the greatest threat to the maintaining of an enduring state is corruption. Albeit, a less often used concept for the Florentine Secretary; corruption (or corruptness, corruptedness, corruptibility, etc.), appears in many different forms, but always as a foil to virtue and an aid to fortune. In order to gain glory and to endure the city must educate its people in virtuous things and encourage them to lead virtuous lives, and even this is no fail-safe. Considering this, I propose that in order to understand Machiavelli’s political thought we must understand his concept of corruption, and its relationship with famous dialectic of virtue and fortune.
Theoretical Issues Concerning the Origin and Causes of Fighting

Occurrence of social fighting in the animal kingdom. Fighting between members of the same species has only been observed in the arthropods and the vertebrates, and not necessarily in all of these animals. For example, it certainly does not occur in butterflies, nor does it occur in the order Amphibia to any great extent. These latter animals are without teeth and claws, and have almost no behavioral means by which they can damage an opponent.
The Hyperbolic Geometric Structure of the Density Matrix for Mixed State Qubits

Density matrices for mixed state qubits, parametrized by the Bloch vector in the open unit ball of the Euclidean 3-space, are well known in quantum computation theory. We bring the seemingly structureless set of all these density matrices under the umbrella of gyrovector spaces, where the Bloch vector is treated as a hyperbolic vector, called a gyrovector. As such, this article catalizes and supports interdisciplinary research spreading from mathematical physics to algebra and geometry. Gyrovector spaces are mathematical objects that form the setting for the hyperbolic geometry of Bolyai and Lobachevski just as vector spaces form the setting for Euclidean geometry. It is thus interesting, in geometric quantum computation, to realize that the set of all qubit density matrices has rich structure with strong link to hyperbolic geometry. Concrete examples for the use of the gyro-structure to derive old and new, interesting identities for qubit density matrices are presented.
Energetics during robot-assisted training predicts recovery in stroke

Clinical investigators have asserted patients should be active participants in the therapy process in stroke rehabilitation. While robotics introduces new tools for measurement and treatment of motor impairments, it also presents challenges for evaluating how much a patient contributes to observed movements during training. Our approach employs established methods of inverse dynamics combined with measurements of human motion and interaction forces between the human and robot. Here, we investigated whether measures of patient active involvement predict the level of upper limb recovery due to robot-assisted therapy. Stroke survivors (n=11) completed “exploration” training with customizable forces that increased their velocities (i.e., negative damping). While our results showed a mild trend between mechanical work during training and expanded velocity capability (Pearson r = 0.57), we found significant correlations with the amount of positive work (i.e., propulsion; r = 0.77), but not negative work (i.e., braking; r = 0.41). This work supports robotic tools that encourage more positive work.
Ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter migration in a patient with breast implants resulting in a peri-implant cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst.

Abstract Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts complications are most often divided into 2 broad categories: mechanical failure and infection. We report a case of a migrated VP shunt with subsequent development of a pseudocyst around the patient's breast implant, a rare complication. We review the literature of VP shunt complications, including the increasing number of reported breast-related complications, and discuss proposed mechanisms by which migration may occur. With the increase in patients with breast augmentation procedures, there is potential for an increase in the number of reported cases of VP shunt migration.
New Connection Details to Connect Precast Cap Beams to Precast Columns Using Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) for Seismic and Non-Seismic Regions

Several connection details have been developed for the connection of precast cap beams to precast columns in AcceleratedBridge Construction (ABC) applications. Currently, the suggested details involve some form of either reinforcement or portion of the precast column to penetrate inside the cap beam. Such details present many challenges in the field, such as necessitating bundling of reinforcement in the cap beam or creating a congested reinforcement arrangement. Furthermore, closer inspection of some of the test data indicates that for currently used details, cap beams could sustain some minor damages during major seismic events, whereas they are designed to be capacity protected. Additionally, construction of such details demands precision. To overcome these challenges, two new connection details for seismic and non-seismic regions are envisioned. Both details completely eliminate penetrating of column into the cap beam. In the first detail, the rebar of the cap beam and the column are spliced in the column and joined with a layer of Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC). The use of UHPC in the splice region allows the tension development of reinforcing bars over a short length. High workability of UHPC and large tolerances inherent with the suggested details can facilitate and accelerate the on-site construction. In the second detail, to confine the plastic hinge with a limited length in the column, two layers of UHPC were employed. Confining the plastic hinge is achieved by sandwiching desired length of the column, using normal strength concrete (plastic hinge region) in between two layers of UHPC. The most interesting aspect of this detail is the exact location and length of the plastic hinge. The primary goal of this research is to provide a description of the newly developed details, verifying their structural performance and recommendation of a design guide. These goals are achieved through a diverse experimental and numerical program focused on the proposed connections. Results show that both details are equally applicable to seismic applications and able to achieve adequate levels of ductility. Lack of failure in splice region indicated that UHPC can provide a good confinement and shear capacity even when confining transverse reinforcement was not used.
Preemptive Hemodynamic Transesophageal Echocardiography after Continuous Flow Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

Purpose We prospectively evaluated the impact of preemptive hemodynamic transesophageal echocardiography [hTEE] on early postoperative management of an implanted continuous flow left ventricular assist device [CF-LVAD]. Methods Simple cardiac imaging utilizing an FDA-approved miniaturized monoplane TEE probe has been demonstrated to impact hemodynamic decision-making in a variety of situations in the intensive care unit [ICU]. Invariably the probe is placed in response to a hemodynamic perturbation. We performed an IRB-approved prospective evaluation of 68 hTEE exams in 30 consecutive patients after CF-LVAD implantation who had the probe placed preemptively immediately after ICU admission. Each exam included superior vena cava [SVC], midesophageal 4-chamber [ME4C] and transgastric short axis [TGSAX] views to assess volume status, left and right ventricular [LV, RV] filling, RV function, septal position and pericardial fluid. Documentation at each exam described whether [a] image quality allowed interpretation, [b] imaging confirmed adequate RV output and LV filling, or [c] imaging prompted a change in clinical management. Results Devices placed in the 30 patients included HeartMate II [21], HeartMate III [4], Jarvik 2000 [1], and CentriMag [1]. Imaging quality allowed adequate interpretation in 66 of the 68 hTEE exams [97%]. Of these, 36 exams [53%] confirmed the adequacy of RV output and LV filling, and 2 of these also ruled out pericardial tamponade. Twenty exams [29%] revealed abnormal findings: RV dysfunction [7], LV and RV over- or underfilling [7] or an incipient suction event [6]. Management changes in response included fluid loading or restriction, an increase or decrease in device speed, alterations in pulmonary vasodilator therapy and changes in vasopressor dosing. Another 10 exams confirmed the benefit of the changes made based on the abnormal hTEE findings. Conclusion In this series we observed that preemptive hTEE imaging on admission to the ICU assisted postoperative CF-LVAD management in 97% of exams. In 29% of these hTEE imaging prompted interventions that enhanced VAD function or prevented potentially dangerous events. Our findings warrant consideration of this modality as a standard component of initial hemodynamic monitoring in these patients.
[Cr(pincer2-)]2 as an electron shuttle for reductively promoted hydrazine disproportionation.

We describe here delivery of hydrazine to a reducing, low oxidation state chromium bound to a proton responsive ligand which has already been deprotonated. Reaction of PhHNNH2 at a 4 : 1 mole ratio with the bis-(pyrazolate)pyridyl pincer ligated reducing agent [CrIIL]2 gives prompt conversion to [CrIII2L2(PhNH2)2(μ-PhHNN)], with release of NH3 and C6H6, a new disproportionation of the hydrazine, with trapping of PhHNN as its dianion, bridging the two chromium centers. The redox balance of the reaction is discussed, and participation by Bronsted basic sites on the bis-(pyrazolate)pyridyl pincer ligand L2− is suggested, but no hydrazine protons remain on the pincer in the product.
Rare occurrence of Tetralogy of Fallot in dizygotic twins conceived via in vitro fertilisation

An increased incidence of CHD has been noted in twin gestations and in infants conceived using assisted reproductive technologies. However, CHD in these populations remains understudied and the mechanisms underlying these phenomena remain unclear. We present the case of twins conceived via in vitro fertilisation both with Tetralogy of Fallot and additional cardiac and extracardiac malformations.
Air Monitoring Stations Far Removed From Drilling Activities Do Not Represent Residential Exposures to Marcellus Shale Air Pollutants. Response to the Paper by Hess et al. on Proximity-Based Unconventional Natural Gas Exposure Metrics

In their study "Assessing Agreement in Exposure Classification between Proximity-Based Metrics and Air Monitoring Data in Epidemiology Studies of Unconventional Resource Development" [...].