cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
827 Elucidating the roles of PIK3IP1/TrIP immune regulation on distinct T cell subsets in the context of cancer

Background The signaling pathways involving phosphoinositide-3-kinases (PI3Ks) are highly conserved and tightly regulated to influence the activation, proliferation, and survival of all cell types. PI3K signaling plays a major role in T cell responses to antigen due to its position directly downstream of T cell receptor (TCR)/CD28 ligation. Our lab has recently shown that the cell surface protein TrIP (Transmembrane Inhibitor of PI3K, gene name: Pik3ip1) is capable of downregulating PI3K signaling in CD4+ T cells and can act as a negative regulator of T cell immune responses.1 This negative immune regulation was just recently reported to promote anti-tumor immunity, implicating TrIP as a potential immunotherapy target.2 Interestingly, although all effector subsets re-express TrIP to varying degrees, public expression data shows that Treg cells maintain higher TrIP message than other T-effector subsets.3 Methods Using a conditional TrIP knockout mouse model developed in our lab, we have begun to interrogate how TrIP expression regulates the opposing activities of CD8+ T cells vs. Treg and how these affect the overall tumor immune landscape. With Treg-specific TrIP KO, we assessed the effects on syngeneic tumor growth in vivo, as well as analyzed primary and tumor-derived Treg phenotypes ex-vivo. Results Thus far, we have found that TrIP knockout in the Treg compartment leads to no detectable differences in tumor burden. However, the lack of TrIP expression on Treg does have some effect on the effector phenotype of Treg cells isolated from the tumor. Conclusions We describe preliminary data on the role of TrIP in Treg function and phenotype and have begun to explore its effects on the tumor microenvironment. To build on this work we are currently developing TrIP over-expressing lentiviral constructs to compliment the knockout approaches described here. We have also now obtained mice with tamoxifen-inducible TrIP KO in Treg, so we will determine whether the timing of TrIP deletion affects the impact of TrIP deficiency. References Uche UU, Piccirillo AR, Kataoka S, Grebinoski SJ, D’Cruz LM, Kane LP. PIK3IP1/TrIP restricts activation of T cells through inhibition of PI3K/Akt. J Exp Med 2018;215:3165–3179. doi:10.1084/jem.20172018. Chen Y, Wang J, Wang X, Li X, Song J, Fang J, et al. Pik3ip1 Is a Negative Immune Regulator that Inhibits Antitumor T-Cell Immunity. Clin Cancer Res 2019;25:6180–6194. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-18-4134. Heng TSP, Painter MW, Immunological Genome Project Consortium. The immunological genome project: networks of gene expression in immune cells. Nat Immunol 2008;9:1091–1094. doi:10.1038/ni1008-1091.
Pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome

COVID-19 has involved numerous countries across the globe and the disease burden, susceptible age group; mortality rate has been variable depending on the demographical profile, economic status, and health care infrastructure. In the current clinical environment, COVID-19 is one of the most important clinical differential diagnoses in patients presenting with respiratory symptoms. The optimal mechanical ventilation strategy for these patients has been a constant topic of discussion and very importantly so, since a great majority of these patients require invasive mechanical ventilation and often for an extended period of time. In this report we highlight our experience with a COVID-19 patient who most likely suffered barotrauma either as a result of traumatic endotracheal intubation or primarily due to COVID-19 itself. We also aim to highlight the current literature available to suggest the management strategy for these patients for a favorable outcome. The cases described are diverse in terms of age variance and other comorbidities. According to the literature, certain patients, with COVID-19 disease and spontaneous pneumothorax were noted to be managed conservatively and oxygen supplementation with nasal cannula sufficed. Decision regarding need and escalation to invasive mechanical ventilation should be taken early in the disease to avoid complications such as patient self-inflicted lung injury (P-SILI) and barotrauma sequelae such as pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum Recent systematic review further supports the fact that the use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in certain patients with COVID-19 pneumonia may give a false sense of security and clinical stabilization but has no overall benefit to avoid intubation. While invasive mechanical ventilation may be associated with higher rates of barotrauma, this should not mean that intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation should be delayed. This becomes an important consideration when non-intensivists or personnel with less experience provide care for this vulnerable patient population who may rely too heavily on NIV to avoid intubation and mechanical ventilation.
What factors influenced online social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic?

An online survey (N=709) explores correlates of use of new online meetings and changes in use of social media during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.A. The motivation for this study is that the pandemic presented an opportunity to assess the degree of use of online communication technologies when faced with new risks and other options are severely limited. The survey context was set by first probing worries about the virus and the degree of social distancing being practiced. Coping mechanisms reported included connecting more with friends and family on social media, including about 2/3 who had joined an activity that moved online during social distancing. Extent of social distancing and age were significantly related to degree of online engagement in a new meeting activity during the early stages of the pandemic. Age and gender were significantly related to changes in level of use of social media. © AMCIS 2021.
Standpoint cosmology

An unorthodox cosmology is based on a notion of “standpoint,” distinguishing past from future, realized through Hilbert-space representation of the complex conformai group for 3+1spacetime and associated coherent states. Physical (approximate) symmetry attaches to eight-parameter complex Poincare displacements, interpretable as growth of standpoint age (one parameter), boost of matter energy-momentum in standpoint rest frame (three parameters) and displacement of matter location in a compact U(1)⊗O(4)/O(3) spacetime attached to standpoint (four parameters). An “initial” condition (at “big bang”) is characterized by a huge dimensionless parameter α that breaks dilation invariance. Four major length scales are recognized, called “Planck,” “particle,” “lab,” and “Hubble,” with separations controlled by α; all physical concepts, including spacetime, depend on wideness of scale separation.
Linear and nonlinear dynamic analysis by boundary element method

An advanced implementation of the direct boundary element method (BEM) applicable to free-vibration, periodic (steady-state) vibration and linear and nonlinear transient dynamic problems involving two and three-dimensional isotropic solids of arbitrary shape is presented. Interior, exterior, and half-space problems can all be solved by the present formulation. For the free-vibration analysis, a new real variable BEM formulation is presented which solves the free-vibration problem in the form of algebraic equations (formed from the static kernels) and needs only surface discretization. In the area of time-domain transient analysis, the BEM is well suited because it gives an implicit formulation. Although the integral formulations are elegant, because of the complexity of the formulation it has never been implemented in exact form. In the present work, linear and nonlinear time domain transient analysis for three-dimensional solids has been implemented in a general and complete manner. The formulation and implementation of the nonlinear, transient, dynamic analysis presented here is the first ever in the field of boundary element analysis. Almost all the existing formulation of BEM in dynamics use the constant variation of the variables in space and time which is very unrealistic for engineering problems and, in some cases, it leads to unacceptably inaccurate results. In the present work, linear and quadratic isoparametric boundary elements are used for discretization of geometry and functional variations in space. In addition, higher order variations in time are used. These methods of analysis are applicable to piecewise-homogeneous materials, such that not only problems of the layered media and the soil-structure interaction can be analyzed but also a large problem can be solved by the usual sub-structuring technique. The analyses have been incorporated in a versatile, general-purpose computer program. Some numerical problems are solved and, through comparisons with available analytical and numerical results, the stability and high accuracy of these dynamic analysis techniques are established.
Corporate environmental management

INTRODUCTION References ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT LINES OF INQUIRY ASSESSMENT MODEL AND ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK Assessment Model Analytical Framework Program vs. Project Management Environmental Risk Management INTERNAL SURVEY Corporate Headquarters Operations CORPORATE COMMITMENT Senior Management Commitment Corporate Environmental Policy Performance Track Corporate Leaders Strategic Environmental Planning COMMUNICATION External Communication/Public Relations Internal Communication Issue Management FUNCTIONAL IMPLEMENTATION Organization and Staffing Internal Integration Operational Systems Environmental Risk Management Waste Minimization Programs The Emission Reduction Program MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS Audit Program Environmental Management Information System (MIS) Environmental Cost Management Environmental Asset Management Environmental Financial Management BENCHMARK SURVEY Environmental Management-Based Benchmarking Survey Approach Technical-Based Benchmarking Survey Approach External Survey External Scan Assessing Global Impacts of Sustainable Development Project Life Cycle Analysis1 Activist Group Alliances Independent Technology Scan NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT OF PROACTIVE STRATEGIES ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT ISSUES General Discussion Population Risk Analysis References EMERGENCY RESPONSE ANALYSIS Contingency Plans Up-the-Stack Emergencies General Emergency Management Concepts References CORPORATE HEALTH AND SAFETY SYSTEM Overview Establishing Hazards and Safety Control Measures References ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT AT BANKING INSTITUTIONS Practices for Commercial Banking Community Practices for Equity Banking Community Integrating Environmental and Financial Performance References GLOBAL WARMING Brokers Global Climate Profile Global Climate Summary References ASSESSMENT OF INTERNATIONAL TRENDS OECD/EIRIS Study Results Survey on the State of Global Environmental and Social Reporting Emerging China and India Environmental Issues Kyoto Protocol Debates State of the U.S. Environmental Policies Greenwash versus Green Machine References SUMMARY Introduction Environmental Management Framework Assessment Model and Analytical Framework Internal Surveys Corporate Commitment Communication Functional Implementation Measurement Systems Benchmarking Surveys External Technical Surveys Environmental Risk Assessment Issues Natural Resource Damage Assessments Emergency Management and Planning Establishing Hazards and Safety Control Measures Environmental Risk Management Issues for Banking Institutions Emerging Global Warming Issues Summary Index
Statistical evaluation of voting rules

We generate synthetic elections using two sources of survey data, two spatial models, and two standard models from the voting literature, IAC and IC. For each election that we generate, we test whether each of 54 voting rules is (1) non-manipulable, and (2) efficient in the sense of maximizing summed utilities. We find that Hare and Condorcet–Hare are the most strategy-resistant non-dictatorial rules. Most rules have very similar efficiency scores, apart from a few poor performers such as random dictator, plurality and anti-plurality. Our results are highly robust across data-generating processes. In addition to presenting our numerical results, we explore analytically the effects of adding a Condorcet provision to a base rule and show that, for all but a few base rules, this modification cannot introduce a possibility of manipulation where none existed before. Our analysis provides support for the Condorcet–Hare rule, which has not been prominent in the literature.
Regulated Emissions from Biodiesel Tested in Heavy-Duty Engines Meeting 2004 Emission Standards

Biodiesel produced from soybean oil, canola oil, yellow grease, and beef tallow was tested in two heavy-duty engines. The biodiesels were tested neat and as 20% by volume blends with a 15 ppm sulfur petroleum-derived diesel fuel. The test engines were the following: 2002 Cummins ISB and 2003 DDC Series 60. Both engines met the 2004 U.S. emission standard of 2.5 g/bhp-h NO{sub x}+HC (3.35 g/kW-h) and utilized exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). All emission tests employed the heavy-duty transient procedure as specified in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. Reduction in PM emissions and increase in NO{sub x} emissions were observed for all biodiesels in all engines, confirming observations made in older engines. On average PM was reduced by 25% and NO{sub x} increased by 3% for the two engines tested for a variety of B20 blends. These changes are slightly larger in magnitude, but in the same range as observed in older engines. The cetane improver 2-ethyl hexyl nitrate was shown to have no measurable effect on NO{sub x} emissions from B20 in these engines, in contrast to observations reported for older engines. The effect of intake air humidity on NO{sub x} emissions from the Cummins ISB was quantified.more » The CFR NO{sub x}/humidity correction factor was shown to be valid for an engine equipped with EGR, operating at 1700 m above sea level, and operating on conventional or biodiesel.« less
Microsurgical anatomy of the posterior median septum of the human spinal cord.

The aim of this study was to analyze the topographical anatomy of the dorsal spinal cord (SC) in relation to the posterior median septum (PMS). This included the course and variations in the PMS, and its relationship to and distance from other dorsal spinal landmarks. Microsurgical anatomy of the PMS was examined in 12 formalin-fixed adult cadaveric SCs. Surface landmarks such as the dorsal root entry zone (DREZ), the denticulate ligament, the architecture of the leptomeninges and pial vascular distribution were noted. The PMS was examined histologically in all spinal segments. The PMS extended most deeply at spinal segments C7 and S4. This was statistically significant for all spinal segments except C5. The PMS was shallowest at segments T4 and T6, where it was statistically significantly thinner than at any other segment. In 80% of the SCs, small blood vessels were identified that traveled in a rostrocaudal direction in the PMS. The longest distance between the PMS and the DREZ was at the C1–C4 vertebral levels and the shortest distance was at the S5 level. Prevention of deficits following a dorsal midline neurosurgical approach to deep-seated SC lesions requires careful identification of the midline of the cord. The PMS and septum define the midline on the dorsum of the SC and their accurate identification is essential for a safe midline surgical approach. In this anatomical study, we describe the surface anatomy of the dorsal SC and its relationship with the PMS, which can be used to determine a safe entry zone into the SC. Clin. Anat. 28:45–51, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Optimization of Fluorescence Assay of Cellular Manganese Status for High Throughput Screening

The advent of high throughput screening (HTS) technology permits identification of compounds that influence various cellular phenotypes. However, screening for small molecule chemical modifiers of neurotoxicants has been limited by the scalability of existing phenotyping assays. Furthermore, the adaptation of existing cellular assays to HTS format requires substantial modification of experimental parameters and analysis methodology to meet the necessary statistical requirements. Here we describe the successful optimization of the Cellular Fura-2 Manganese Extraction Assay (CFMEA) for HTS. By optimizing cellular density, manganese (Mn) exposure conditions, and extraction parameters, the sensitivity and dynamic range of the fura-2 Mn response was enhanced to permit detection of positive and negative modulators of cellular manganese status. Finally, we quantify and report strategies to control sources of intra- and interplate variability by batch level and plate-geometric level analysis. Our goal is to enable HTS with the CFMEA to identify novel modulators of Mn transport. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J BiochemMol Toxicol 27:42-49, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/jbt.21457
Allergy to protamine.

Recent advances in medicine, such as cardiac catheterization, phoresis, dialysis, and cardiopulmonary bypass technology, have increased the need for heparin anticoagulation. To antagonize heparin's effect and prevent hemorrhagic complications after the procedure, protamine has likewise been used more frequently. With its increased use have come increased reports of adverse protamine reactions consisting of rash, urticaria, elevation of pulmonary artery pressure, systemic hypotension, and, at times, death. The elevation of pulmonary artery pressure, which appears to be a rather common occurrence in animals, may be an isolated finding without clinical consequences in humans. However, this pulmonary vasoconstriction may, when severe, lead to acute right-sided heart failure and systemic hypotension. Other protamine reactions involve a decrease in systemic vascular resistance and systemic hypotension without changes in pulmonary artery pressure. Causes of acute protamine reactions may involve the generation of anaphyatoxins and prostanoids either from protamine-heparin complexes or complement-fixing antiprotamine IgG antibodies, from inhibition of plasma Carboxypeptidase N, from crosslinking of cell-surface antiprotamine IgE on mast cells and basophils with subsequent mediator release, or from potentiation of IgE-mediated release of histamine through a polycationin-recognition site. Although we have come a long way in understanding the mechanisms by which protamine can cause its ill effects in humans, more work is clearly needed to define, in prospective studies, the incidence of and risk factors for protamine reactions in various patient groups, and to delineate more clearly which mechanisms are involved in each clinical type of acute protamine reaction. Hopefully, this will lead to strategies and protamine alternatives that will prevent or diminish, in frequency or severity, adverse protamine reactions. Alternatively, a clearer picture of the risk factors important for protamine reactions and the predictive value of diagnostic tests (e.g., protamine IgE antibody) can also minimize the clinical impact of this increasingly common adverse event.
Patterns of subspecific anthropogenic introgression in two salmonid genera.

Introgressive hybridizations have often been observed between native and introduced trouts of North America (Oncorhynchus spp.) and Europe (Salmo spp.), including some lineages that have been isolated for more than a million years. These observations have suggested that introgression is the expected result between introduced and indigenous conspecific salmonids. However, an examination of published information reveals a high variability in such anticipated gene flow. Many studies have noted the relative ease of translocating freshwater over anadromous salmonids, and this difference has been related to the more complex adaptations of anadromous populations (e.g., freshwater and marine residence, smoltification, juvenile and adult migration) that obstruct their translocation to conspecifically colonized areas. This contrast extends to introgressive capabilities where examples of introgression among freshwater populations predominate. Despite intensive introductions of non-native salmonids, indigenous anadromous populations commonly resist introgression. However, within major lineages, anadromous populations appear to be more susceptible to introgression. Measuring the extent and dynamics of such introgressions remains challenging because subgroups within major lineages lie on or below the threshold for detection by molecular genetic markers. These substructures appear to reflect the more rapid evolution of directional selection promoting, for instance, temporal or microgeographic divergence within a population unit defined by genetic markers. Consequently, management that assumes panmixia within a particular region based on even intensive molecular genetic analysis will inevitably erode and prevent reformation of this substructure to the detriment of the overall genetic variability and productivity.
Combined autophagy and HDAC inhibition: a phase I safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic analysis of hydroxychloroquine in combination with the HDAC inhibitor vorinostat in patients with advanced solid tumors.

We previously reported that inhibition of autophagy significantly augmented the anticancer activity of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor vorinostat (VOR) through a cathepsin D-mediated mechanism. We thus conducted a first-in-human study to investigate the safety, preliminary efficacy, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) of the combination of the autophagy inhibitor hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and VOR in patients with advanced solid tumors. Of 27 patients treated in the study, 24 were considered fully evaluable for study assessments and toxicity. Patients were treated orally with escalating doses of HCQ daily (QD) (d 2 to 21 of a 21-d cycle) in combination with 400 mg VOR QD (d one to 21). Treatment-related adverse events (AE) included grade 1 to 2 nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, anemia, and elevated creatinine. Grade 3 fatigue and/or myelosuppression were observed in a minority of patients. Fatigue and gastrointestinal AE were dose-limiting toxicities. Six-hundred milligrams HCQ a...
New Therapeutic Options: Management Strategies to Optimize Glycemic Control

Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can be challenging. Patients frequently present with poor glycemic control despite therapy. Other patients may be nonadherent or resistant to continuing their treatment when confronted with undesirable adverse effects, such as weight gain, that are associated with many conventional therapies. Incretin-based therapies developed to treat patients with T2DM, including oral dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor agents or glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, offer the potential of sustained glycemic control for many patients without the adverse events associated with other classes of antihyperglycemic medications. Available safety data from clinical trials indicate that incretin-based therapies have weight-neutral or weight-reducing effects, with no apparent adverse impact on other important safety parameters, such as cardiovascular disease. The integration of these therapies into treatment algorithms, as highlighted in three case presentations, will increase treatment options for patients with T2DM.
A closed-form method for finding source locations from microphone-array time-decay estimates

The linear intersection (LI) estimator, a closed-form method for the localization of source positions given only the sensor array time-delay estimate information, is presented. The array is constrained to be composed of 4-element sub-arrays configured in 2 centered orthogonal pairs. A bearing line in 3-space is estimated from each sub-array and potential source locations are found via closest intersection of bearing line pairs. The final location estimate is determined by a probabilistic weighting of these potential locations. The LI estimator is shown to be robust and accurate, to closely model the ML estimator, and to outperform a representative algorithm. The computational complexity of the LI estimator is suitable for use in real-time microphone-array applications.
The UI System in the HOO 2012 Shared Task on Error Correction

We describe the University of Illinois (UI) system that participated in the Helping Our Own (HOO) 2012 shared task, which focuses on correcting preposition and determiner errors made by non-native English speakers. The task consisted of three metrics: Detection, Recognition, and Correction, and measured performance before and after additional revisions to the test data were made. Out of 14 teams that participated, our system scored first in Detection and Recognition and second in Correction before the revisions; and first in Detection and second in the other metrics after revisions. We describe our underlying approach, which relates to our previous work in this area, and propose an improvement to the earlier method, error inflation, which results in significant gains in performance.
Massive gauge theories in three dimensions (= at high temperature)

Gauge theories in three dimensions provide interesting case studies of gauge invariant quantum field theoretic phenomena. Also they are physically relevant: a field theory on a 3-dimensional [Euclidean] space summarizes the high-temperature behavior of a theory in four-dimensional space-time. Recently it has been established that the special topological properties of odd-dimensional space allow the construction of a gauge i invariant mass term in three dimensions. Moreover, for non-Abelian gauge groups, the configuration space of the quantum theory is not simply connected, and as a consequence the mass must be quantized, somewhat analogously to Dirac's monopole quantization condition. While all this appears to be a peculiar feature of 3-dimensional theories, it is an interesting phenomenon, whose certain aspects have 4-dimens±onal analogs. Also there may be a direct physical [high temperature] significance to the mass. For these reasons it is profitable to study 2 the subject, and I shall report here on this research.
Oblimersen in the treatment of metastatic melanoma.

Oblimersen (Genasense®) is a Bcl-2 antisense compound that selectively targets Bcl-2 RNA for degradation by RNase H and thereby decreases Bcl-2 protein production. Bcl-2 protein plays a major role in preventing apoptosis and has been linked to chemotherapy resistance in melanoma. Preclinical studies with oblimersen in melanoma cell lines and xenograft models of melanoma have demonstrated downregulation of Bcl-2 protein, induction of apoptosis and enhanced tumor response when combined with chemotherapy. Results of a Phase I/II study have shown that reducing Bcl-2 with oblimersen coincident with the administration of dacarbazine may amplify apoptosis and improve therapeutic outcome. A subsequent Phase III trial showed that the addition of oblimersen to dacarbazine significantly improved multiple clinical outcomes relative to dacarbazine alone based on an intent-to-treat analysis of progression-free survival and response rate (overall, complete and durable), as well as overall survival in patients with norma...
Is the Faroe Bank Channel Overflow Hydraulically Controlled

Abstract The overflow of dense water from the Nordic Seas through the Faroe Bank Channel (FBC) has attributes suggesting hydraulic control—primarily an asymmetry across the sill reminiscent of flow over a dam. However, this aspect has never been confirmed by any quantitative measure, nor is the position of the control section known. This paper presents a comparison of several different techniques for assessing the hydraulic criticality of oceanic overflows applied to data from a set of velocity and hydrographic sections across the FBC. These include 1) the cross-stream variation in the local Froude number, including a modified form that accounts for stratification and vertical shear, 2) rotating hydraulic solutions using a constant potential vorticity layer in a channel of parabolic cross section, and 3) direct computation of shallow water wave speeds from the observed overflow structure. Though differences exist, the three methods give similar answers, suggesting that the FBC is indeed controlled, with a...
Control of Pattern Specific Corrosion During Aluminum Chemical Mechanical Polishing

A pattern specific corrosion of aluminum wires was found during aluminum chemical mechanical polishing process. This paper presents and discusses the particular pattern dependency of the corrosion behavior and effective control methods in order to reduce the corrosion. An aluminum single damascene structure on silicon dioxide thin film was prepared and the effects of process variables and pattern configuration on corrosion behavior were extensively explored. The corrosion behavior was quantitatively analyzed using sheet resistance of corroded line. It was demonstrated that corrosion of aluminum wire was associated with cleaning media and pattern configuration. The area ratio between sub-micron size line and pads was the most important factors to determine the corrosion behavior. A post cleaning chemical including corrosion inhibitor couldn’t prevent the corrosion perfectly. It was found that sacrificial dummy lines could reduce the aluminum corrosion, which suggests that the aluminum corrosion could be controlled by the structural consideration in aluminum damascene.
Polymerizable surfactant design for transmission electron microscopy

Abstract Polymerized liposomes and vesicles are under close scrutiny as long-lived, stable substitutes for their natural and synthetic unpolymerized counterparts. The monomer surfactant, which contains one or more polymerizable groups, is dispersed in water at the proper temperature and concentration to form the lyotropic liquid crystalline phase of interest and polymerized while in the liquid crystalline state. In addition to their applications to slow-release and site-specific drug delivery, membrane-mediated chemistry, artificial photosynthesis, etc., polymerized surfactant liposomes and vesicles hold great promise as model systems for TEM investigations of lamellar liquid crystal structure. One such model polymerizable surfactant is DBPAl, or N,N -dimethyl- N,N -bis(1,3-pentadecadienyl-carbonyloxyethyl) ammonium iodide. Polarized light microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirm that DBPAI forms lamellar liquid crystalline liposomes in water. The DBPAI liposomes were polymerized while in the liquid crystalline state by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The DBPAI liposomes were shown to be identical in structure before and after polymerization by a combination of X-ray diffraction and freeze-fracture TEM. However, turbidity measurements showed that the polymerized DBPAI liposomes were much more stable in acetone and ethanol than the monomer DBPAI liposomes, demonstrating that the chemical nature of the surfactant in the liposome had changed. The combination of structural preservation and enhanced chemical stability makes DBPAI a natural choice for TEM thin-sections. A method of preparing DBPAI liposomes for thin-section TEM is outlined and bilayer resolution images of the DBPAI liposomes are presented. Polymerized bilayers in thin-section TEM promise the enhanced resolution required to answer many important structural questions left unresolved by freeze-fracture TEM.
Endogenous growth theory: An introduction

Abstract This essay introduces a collection of articles that deal with a series of topics in the area of new or endogenous growth theory. The introduction provides an overview of the collection and summaries of individual articles.
Feminist Issues in Couple Therapy

Abstract The authors reviewed the feminist couple therapy literature from 1995 to 2006. They summarized this large body of work into several key themes. The first revealed that feminist couples therapists are continuing to discuss and deconstruct gender issues in couple therapy. The second showed that feminists believe that therapists should be educated both academically and personally about culture and diversity so as to support couples in their therapy around their own issues of diversity as well as learning to deal with issues of social justice as a couple. In the third theme, the authors introduced readers to feminists' emphasis on connection and empathy within couple and sex therapy. And, in the fourth, the authors explored feminists' work with power in couple therapy as they applied to couple therapy in general as well as around the specific topics of: balancing family and work and therapy for familial violence.
The delayed long-term effects of chemicals following neonatal exposure in laboratory animals.

Abstract The increased sensitivity in neonates to the effects of certain chemicals is attributable to the immaturity of detoxifying and excretory processes as well as to the interference of the chemical with postnatal development. An adverse effect of a chemical may appear in adulthood, even though it was induced in the postnatal period, because of the late development of the function affected, e.g. reproduction or slowly progressing pathological changes. Examples of neonatally acquired effects that have been transmitted to the next generation are presented. Adaptation of the protocol for reproduction toxicology studies is suggested for the detection of these delayed and persistent toxic effects.
High-fidelity physics-based simulation of a UGV reconnaissance mission in a complex urban environment

Physics-based simulations of autonomous unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) present unique challenges and advantages compared to real-time simulations with lower-fidelity models. We have created a high-fidelity simulation environment, called the Virtual Autonomous Navigation Environment (VANE), to perform physics-based simulations of UGV. To highlight the capabilities of the VANE, we recently completed a simulation of a robot performing a reconnaissance mission in a typical Middle Eastern town. The result of the experiment demonstrated the need for physics-based simulation for certain circumstances such as LADAR returns from razor wire and GPS dropout and dilution of precision in urban canyons.
Positive Surgical Margin Trends In Patients With Pathologic T3 Prostate Cancer Treated With Robot Assisted Radical Prostatectomy.

Abstract Introduction: We analyzed the trends of positive surgical margin (PSM) location in patients who had pT3 disease at robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). We aimed to describe our changing incidence of PSMs in the largest series to date of patients with pT3 disease who were treated by RARP. Methods: A single-institution, single-surgeon review was performed of all patients who underwent RARP from 2005 to 2011. Perioperative data were collected for all patients with pT3 prostate cancer from a prospectively maintained RARP database. The PSM incidence and rates were stratified by location. The PSM rates per location were trended over time. Results: In total, 2478 consecutive patients underwent RARP between July 2005 and December 2011. Of these patients, 555 were found to have pT3 disease. The PSM rate for patients with pT3 disease was 47%. The PSM rate for patients with pT3a and pT3B disease was 42.8% and 60.6%, respectively. Over the duration of this study, the PSM rate in patients with pT3 dis...
The effect of alternative staff time data collection methods on drug treatment service cost estimates.

Abstract Although a limited number of service cost estimates exist, no study has evaluated how differences in the method used to collect the staff time allocation across treatment services contribute to differences in service cost estimates. Three alternative data collection methods for estimating service-level costs in methadone treatment programs were evaluated: key informants, staff surveys, and staff diaries. We analyzed data from 25 methadone clinics across the United States. Results indicate that for the three primary services offered at methadone clinics—individual counseling, group counseling, and methadone dosing—no statistically significant differences exist in the mean estimates of costs per session across programs. Of the other five services analyzed, we found no statistically significant differences in two of the mean costs per session and a small but statistically significant difference in another service. We found large and statistically significant differences in mean costs for two services, initial patient assessment and initial medical services. Although there is no gold standard available to judge which method is the best to use, we concluded that the key informant method yields more reliable cost estimates compared with the staff methods and is less burdensome to both the treatment programs and to researchers. Our findings suggest that the key informant method is the preferred method for costing substance abuse treatment services.
Pete/Repeat Tweet/Retweet Blog/Reblog: A Hoax Reveals Media Mimicking

The Journal of Mass Media Ethics publishes case studies in which scholars and media professionals outline how they would address a particular ethical problem. Cases are drawn from actual experience...
The closed 2-cell embeddings of 2-connected doubly toroidal graphs

Abstract A closed 2-cell embedding of a graph embedded in some surface is an embedding such that each face is bounded by a circuit in the graph. The closed 2-cell embedding conjecture says that every 2-connected graph has a closed 2-cell embedding in some surface. In this paper, we prove that any 2-connected doubly toroidal graph G has a closed 2-cell embedding in some surface. As a corollary, such a graph has a cycle double cover, i.e., G has a set of circuits containing every edge exactly twice.
An infrared study of crystallization in sodium-disilicate glasses containing iron oxides

The infrared absorption spectra of sodium-disilicate glasses containing various amounts of Fe2O3 ([Na2O · 2 SiO2]1−x [Fe2O3]x, where x = 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2) were investigated in the wavenumber range from 200–2000 cm−1. The addition of Fe2O3 to the sodium-disilicate glass does not seem to introduce any new absorption band as compared with the spectrum of a pure sodium-disilicate glass; nevertheless, a general shift of the existing absorption bands toward lower wavenumbers is observed. The amount of shift is, in fact, proportional to the content of Fe2O3 in the glass. This observation is consistent with the recently proposed structural model for the bonding of Fe3+ ions in the iron-sodium-silicate glass system. Annealing of 20 mol% iron oxide glasses at 550 and 580°C produced an extra sharp infrared absorption peak at about 610 cm−1 wavenumber. This new peak is believed to be related to the crystallized particles of the glass as concluded from both a scanning electron micrograph and an electron diffraction pattern.
Surgical management of lower urinary mesh perforation after mid-urethral polypropylene mesh sling: mesh excision, urinary tract reconstruction and concomitant pubovaginal sling with autologous rectus fascia

Introduction and hypothesis We present our management of lower urinary tract (LUT) mesh perforation after mid-urethral polypropylene mesh sling using a novel combination of surgical techniques including total or near total mesh excision, urinary tract reconstruction, and concomitant pubovaginal sling with autologous rectus fascia in a single operation.
Analysis of 2-ferrocenylethanol by NMR, cyclic voltammetry and X-ray crystallography

Abstract Ferrocenylethanol has been prepared and characterized by 1 H and 13 C NMR, cyclic voltammetry and X-ray crystallography. The electrochemical data were compared to ferrocene and related compounds. The lattice constants for ferrocenylethanol (C 12 H 14 FeO) are a =17.291(2) A and α =118.590(0)°. The crystal exists in R3 and there are six formula units per rhombohedral unit cell.
Nitroarene reduction and generation of free radicals by cell-free extracts of wild-type, and nitroreductase-deficient and -enriched Salmonella typhimurium strains used in the umu gene induction assay.

Abstract Studies of the enzymatic properties of cell-free extracts prepared from overnight cultures of the normal, and nitroreductase-deficient and -enriched strains of Salmonella typhimurium, designed for use in the umu gene induction assay of Oda et al. (1992), were undertaken in an effort to clarify the nature of nitroreductase deficiency in relation to mutagenicity. The ability of these strains to promote oxygen consumption and free radical intermediates of representative nitroarene substrates was measured, respectively, by oxygen polarography and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The substrates 4-nitropyridine N -oxide (4NPO) and 4-nitroquinoline N -oxide (4NQO) stimulated the rate and extent of NADH-dependent oxygen consumption catalyzed by cell-free extracts prepared from wild-type, and nitroreductase-deficient and -enriched strains. The extent of oxygen consumption was greater than stoichiometric with respect to the amount of nitroaromatic substrate, which implied one-electron reduction of 4NQO by these bacterial extracts and subsequent redox cycling with oxygen. ESR spectroscopy confirmed the production of free radical metabolites of the nitroarene substrates, which were inferred by the oxygen consumption studies. At equal protein concentrations the cell-free extracts of each strain catalyzed univalent reduction of 4NPO yielding the 59 line signal characteristic of the 4NPO nitro anion radical. This ESR signal was potently inhibited by the flavoprotein inhibitors CuSO 4 and PCMB, albeit a twofold or higher concentration of both inhibitors was required to inhibit the signal produced by extract from the nitroreductase-deficient strain than that produced by the other strains. The results indicate that the nitroreductase-deficient strain of Salmonella typhimurium developed for use in the umu gene induction assay is not deficient in either one-electron nitro group or quinone reductase activity.
Transactions, Community, and International Political Integration

One of the most confused issues in the theory of international political integration remains that of the role of transactions—whether community bonds among peoples can be used as indicators or predictors of political integration. This chapter reviews the nature of integration and the role of transactions. It is clear that much remains to be done in refining theory about political integration. These efforts must attend both to deductive theory-building and to empirical testing.
Palaeoanthropology: a precious little bundle.

The three-million-year old skeleton of a three-year-old child provides an outstanding resource to understand the development of a human ancestor that seems to have both walked upright and climbed through trees.
Temporal patterns of communication: media combos

Today's employees are expected to be adept at the usage of multiple communication mediums. With secretaries now regarded as a frivolous luxury, people have essentially become professional "secretaries" of their own interactions. A large body of research in the HCI and CSCW literature has examined how information workers have appropriated certain communication mediums in order to accomplish work. However, how people must combine and integrate a multitude of media adroitly throughout a limited workday (approximately 8 hours) has been relatively ignored. Namely, I propose to examine through a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques the temporal and sequential interdependence of different kinds of media. I will examine how/why such media combos arise and their psychological affects in the workplace.
New cytochrome P450 mechanisms: implications for understanding molecular basis for drug toxicity at the level of the cytochrome

Importance of the field: Cytochrome (CYP) P450 is a collective name for a very large group of heme enzymes, which catalyze largely oxidative reactions, including those of pharmacological and toxicological importance. Their efficient operation requires coupling of specific electron donor and O2 consumption and substrate hydroxylation. Many drug oxidation reactions are partially uncoupled, leading to the formation of highly toxic reactive oxygen species, which can cause unpredictable toxic effects on the cell. Rational approaches to avoid uncoupling require knowledge of the underlying mechanisms.Areas covered in this review: In this communication, attempts have been made to bring together past as well as present information indicating that i) the P450 active site has two differently accessible allosterically interacting subsites geared for entirely different types of functionally relevant interactions; and ii) substrate binding to the specific protein residues (Site I) forming the reducible high-spin comple...
The use of amitriptyline in patients with urinary frequency and pain

Abstract Objective. To evaluate the usefulness of amitriptyline (AMI) in the treatment of patients with urinary frequency or genital, pelvic, or suprapubic pain syndromes. Methods. Charts of 22 patients (12 male and 10 female) without interstitial cystitis and having vague nonspecific urinary and pelvic or genital complaints were reviewed. All were treated with AMI in doses ranging from 25 to 100 mg. Results. Eleven patients became symptom-free, six showed significant improvement and five did not respond. Four of the five could not tolerate the medication. Fifteen patients attempted tapering off the medication after 6 months, and 11 experienced an early return of symptoms. A therapeutic response was again seen with retreatment. Conclusions. AMI is therapeutically useful in vague voiding dysfunctions, especially in the presence of urinary frequency or genital, pelvic, or suprapubic pain. It is effective for the treatment of both men and women. The response is durable, but the dose of the medication must be maintained.
1-Sulfonylindazoles as potent and selective 5-HT6 ligands

Abstract As part of our continuing efforts to identify therapeutics for CNS diseases, such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), we have been focused on the 5-HT6 receptor in an attempt to identify ligands as a potential treatment for cognitive dysfunction. Herein we report the identification of a novel series of 1-sulfonylindazole derivatives as potent and selective 5-HT6 antagonists. The synthesis and SAR of this class of compounds are reported. Several potent compounds in both binding and cyclase functional assays also display good selectivity, microsomal stability, solubility, and brain penetration as well as low cytochrome P450 inhibition. One compound exemplified in this series showed 24% oral bioavailability and in vivo efficacy in a NOR cognition model at 10 mg/kg following an oral administration in rats.
Production testing of large D-C apparatus

ACCURATE ELECTRICAL TESTING for maintenance of quality control of d-c machines is highly desirable. To achieve this with the conventional load-run test methods necessitates that a good brush fit on the commutator be first established. Such fitting involves brush sanding, seating, and running under load until stability is obtained. This is a time-consuming and expensive process. The test here described offers a practical means of controlling the quality of the product in repetitive production. However, it neither obviates the necessity of load-testing in development work, nor of periodic load-testing as a check on quality in general production.