cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targeting HER 1 and 2 in breast cancer with lapatinib

Numerous clinical trials support the biological relevance of the HER2 oncoprotein in breast cancer. In spite of improved outcomes, overexpression of the receptor is associated with increased risks of disease relapse, even in patients with early, and potentially curable, disease. Until recently, development of resistance to trastuzumab left patients with no therapeutic option other than specifically targeted HER2. This paper provides an in-depth review of lapatinib, a dual HER kinase inhibitor, as well as some insight into three HER family members, in breast cancer.
Reducing power consumption by utilizing retransmission in short range wireless network

Low-power issues become critical when the networked computing devices depend mainly on non-AC power sources such as batteries or self-generated power. In the application of using short-range wireless networks to convey low-speed but important information, low power consumption becomes a top design consideration in wireless design. Traditionally, signal strength level is fixed during the entire time of communication to maintain a certain acceptable error rate. A new approach is proposed in this paper to explore the potential and practicality of decreasing the signal strength, thus reducing the total energy consumption. Although the error rate of one frame at the DLL layer increases, it is compensated by retransmission. And it is shown in this paper both theoretically and experimentally that the power consumed could be lowered, without incurring a higher frame loss rate. An adaptive power-adjusting algorithm is proposed to allow power and energy reduction during signal transmission. Experiments are conducted using GloMoSim, up to 71.3% reduction in power can be achieved.
Drug discovery: Fresh target for cancer therapy.

The Byzantine system for degrading proteins inside cells is already the target of a successful anticancer drug. A compound that inhibits another part of this system also shows promise in models of cancer in mice.
On the gas-particle partitioning of soluble organic aerosol in two urban atmospheres with contrasting emissions: 1. Bulk water-soluble organic carbon

[1] The partitioning of semi-volatile compounds between the gas and particle phase influences the mass, size and chemical composition of the secondary organic aerosols (SOA) formed. Here we investigate the partitioning of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and the formation of SOA in Los Angeles (LA), California and Atlanta, Georgia; urban regions where anthropogenic volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions are dominated by vehicles, but are contrasted by an additional large source of biogenic VOCs exclusive to Atlanta. In Atlanta, evidence for WSOC partitioning to aerosol water is observed throughout the day, but is most prevalent in the morning. During drier periods (RH < 70%), the WSOC partitioning coefficient (Fp) was in proportion to the organic mass, suggesting that both particle water and organic aerosol (OA) can serve as an absorbing phase. In contrast, despite the higher average RH, in LA the aerosol water was not an important absorbing phase, instead, Fp was correlated with OA mass. Particle water concentrations from thermodynamic predictions based on measured inorganic aerosol components do not indicate significant differences in aerosol hygroscopicity. The observed different WSOC partitioning behaviors may be attributed to the contrasting VOC mixture between the two cities. In addition, different OA composition may also play a role, as Atlanta OA is expected to have a substantially more aged regional character. These results are consistent with our companion studies that find similar partitioning differences for formic acid and additional contrasts in SOA optical properties. The findings provide direct evidence for SOA formation through an equilibrium partitioning process.
Epidemiology and clinical aspects of congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is an increasing problem for healthcare systems in all developed countries. The prevalence is increasing partly due to ageing of the population, but also due to improved survival from acute cardiac disease such as myocardial infarction. Advances in diagnostic techniques and better understanding of the pathophysiology offer many opportunities for substantial improvement in the management of CHF. This article reviews the current epidemiology of CHF and the related diagnostic issues.
Utilization of a nitrenium ion cyclization in a synthesis of a photoactive prostaglandin, 17-(4-azido-2-hydroxyphenyl)-18,19,20-trinorprostaglandin F2/ga

Abstract A nitrenium ion cyclization provided access to a suitably substituted arylpropionic ester needed in the synthesis of a potential prostaglandin photoaffinity probe, 17-(4-azido-2-hydroxyphenyl)-18,19,20-trinorprostaglandin F 2 α using the Corey synthesis.
Micropacked capillary nucleic acid analysis

Nucleic acid compositional analysis is discussed, followed by a brief review of the current state of the technology applied in which the benefits and limitations of current methodology are enumerated. An alternative method is presented, namely the use of a micropacked capillary ion exchange column to separate nucleoside monophosphates via an anion exchange mechanism. The separated nucleotides are then quantitated by means of post-column photodiode-array detection. The use of a photodiode array also enables the verification of peak identity and purity by acquisition of UV spectra at any point in the separation. The technique has applications in the compositional analysis of both deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).
Oxaliplatin in Combination With Protracted-Infusion Fluorouracil and Radiation: Report of a Clinical Trial for Patients With Esophageal Cancer

PURPOSE: To identify a dose and schedule of oxaliplatin (OXP) to be safely administered in combination with protracted-infusion (PI) fluorouracil (5-FU) and external-beam radiation therapy (XRT) for patients with primary esophageal carcinoma (EC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligibility included therapeutically naive EC patients with clinical disease stages II, III, or IV. Initial doses and schedules for cycle 1 consisted of OXP 85 mg/m2 on days 1, 15, and 29; PI 5-FU 180 mg/m2 for 24 hours for 35 days; and XRT 1.8 Gy in 28 fractions starting on day 8. At completion of cycle 1, eligible patients could undergo an operation or begin cycle 2 without XRT. Postoperative patients were eligible for cycle 2. Stage IV patients were allowed three cycles in the absence of disease progression. OXP and 5-FU increases were based on dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) encountered in cohorts of three consecutive patients. RESULTS: Thirty-eight eligible patients received therapy: 22 noninvasively staged as IV and 16 noninvasively stag...
In vivo biogenic amine efflux in medial prefrontal cortex with imipramine, fluoxetine, and fluvoxamine.

In vivo brain microdialysis was used to determine the effects of the standard tricyclic antidepressant imipramine and the two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) antidepressants, fluoxetine and fluvoxamine, on extracellular levels of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5-HT) in rat medial prefrontal cortex. When given intraperitoneally (IP), imipramine increased NE in the microdialysis perfusate, and elevated DA and 5-HT to a lesser extent. Similar dose-dependent increases in DA and 5-HT were detected after IP fluoxetine, although NE was less affected. In contrast, IP fluvoxamine produced no change in basal NE nor DA, although a large increase in 5-HT occurred at an intermediate dose. When administered directly into cortex, all three antidepressants increased 5-HT by the same amount in a dose-dependent fashion. Intracortical imipramine and fluoxetine increased NE, and fluoxetine and fluvoxamine both increased DA, with fluoxetine doing so at a lower concentration. These data suggest that the SSRIs are not entirely selective for serotonin in vivo. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Soft gluon effects on lepton pairs at hadron colliders

We consider the Collins-Soper-Sterman resummation formalism, which describes the vector boson transverse momentum ${(Q}_{T})$ distribution at hadron colliders, and extend it for the distributions of the decay leptons by correctly including the effects of the polarization and the width of the vector boson. Numerous aspects of the formalism are reviewed at the $O({\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{S}^{2})$ level, including the matching of the ${Q}_{T}$ distribution and the value of the total cross section. Detailed comparisons of several $O({\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{S})$ fixed order (NLO) and resummed lepton distributions are presented. The total rates and the distributions of the lepton charge asymmetry predicted by the resummed and the NLO calculations are shown to differ when kinematic cuts are applied. We also show how to test the rich dynamics of the QCD multiple soft gluon radiation, among others by measuring the ratio ${R}_{\mathrm{CSS}}\ensuremath{\equiv}\ensuremath{\sigma}{(Q}_{T}g{Q}_{T}^{\mathrm{min}})/{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{total}}.$
Production of Peanut Flour from Microwave Vacuum‐Dried Peanuts

Defatted peanut flours with significantly reduced raw peanut taste and nitrogen solubility of 85+% were produced from field Runner peanuts that had been microwave-vacuum-dried to maximum temperatures of 80°C and 96°C. The flours were prepared from 4.54 kg of peanuts, dried from 25.5% to less than 10% moisture, at 375 Torr absolute pressure and at 1400 and 813 watts microwave power (2450 MHZ). Peanut temperature at end of drying significantly affected the intensity of the raw peanut flavor. Storage at 23.9°C for 14 months had no significant effects on intensity of the raw peanut flavor. Hexane extraction of blanched peanut kernels showed that mass velocity percolation rates increased with increase in final drying temperature of peanuts.
New agenda for committee on seismology

An aggressive agenda was shaped to serve the U.S. seismological community and relevant government agencies as seismology advances into the 21st century at the Committee on Seismology's meeting, held from October 22 to 23 in Washington, D.C., under the new chairmanship of Thomas H. Jordan. The Committee on Seismology is a member of the National Research Council's Board on Earth Sciences and Resources. The committee's mission is to keep track of major trends and developments in seismology and allied fields, provide timely studies for government agencies on special subjects or problems, keep abreast of international seismological activities, advise government agencies on the operation of federally supported seismograph networks and data-dissemination facilities, and coordinate seismological-related activities within the National Research Council, particularly in the fields of engineering seismology, rock mechanics, geodesy, geodynamics, geology, and seismic verification of nuclear test ban treaties.
Equilibrium swelling properties of a novel ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride (EDTAD)‐modified soy protein hydrogel

A novel pH and ionic strength-sensitive protein-based hydrogel was synthesized via cross-linking ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride-modified soy protein isolate (EDTAD–SPI) with glutaraldehyde. Incorporation of ionizable carboxyl groups into soy proteins increased the net negative charge of the protein and caused extensive unfolding of the protein structure. The EDTAD–SPI hydrogel was capable of imbibing 80-300 g water per g dry gel after centrifuging at 214g, depending on the extent of modification, protein structure, crosslinking density, protein concentration during the crosslinking step, gel particle size, and environ-mental conditions, such as temperature, pH, and ionic strength. The protein concentration used during the crosslinking step was found to be the most important factor affecting the water uptake of the gel. The lower the protein concentration, the higher was the water uptake at 214g. The hydrogel was highly sensitive to pH and exhibited reversible swelling when sequentially exposed to water and 0.15M NaCl. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Improving Case Discussion With an Improv Mind-Set

Improvisational comedy emphasizes collaboration over competition. This leads to creative ideas and solutions to problems. By establishing this “improv mind-set” in the business classroom, an instructor may be able to overcome some of the problems associated with the case method (e.g., shy students, dominating students). By doing so, the learning environment of the classroom may be enhanced, and case discussions and learning outcomes may be improved. To frame the issue, the case method and some of its challenges are first discussed. Then the improv mind-set is explained and specific improv guidelines are offered. Finally, the author describes his experiences with trying to establish such a mind-set in a marketing class.
Getting to We Developing a Transformative Urban Teaching Practice

How do beginning teachers experience the complex process of learning to teach in an urban setting? This article contributes to the literature on teaching in urban settings by theorizing the process of learning to teach based on longitudinal interview data generated from practitioners who were viewed by the researcher as critical informants. The author argues that beginning urban teachers' sense of efficacy is enhanced if they develop a transformative teaching practice focused on “we,” highlighting the mutual learning between teacher and pupils. Findings highlight critical components of “getting to we:” bi-directional learning, relational knowing, humanizing pedagogy, and reflective, dialogic discourse.
A new solar fuels reactor concept based on a liquid metal heat transfer fluid: Reactor design and efficiency estimation

Abstract A new reactor concept for two-step partial redox cycles is presented and evaluated by transient simulation that considers heat and mass transfer along with reaction kinetics. The major difference between the reactor described herein and previous designs is that the conversion from solar to chemical energy is divided into two steps: sunlight-to-thermal energy conversion accomplished with a liquid metal based receiver, and the thermal-to-chemical conversion accomplished with a separately optimized array of reaction chambers. To connect these two conversion steps, liquid metal is used as a high temperature heat transfer fluid that feeds the solar energy captured in the receiver to the reactor. The liquid metal also facilitates efficient heat recuperation (∼80%) between the reaction chambers. The overall thermal-to-chemical efficiency from the thermal energy in the liquid metal to the chemical energy in the hydrogen fuel is estimated to be 19.8% when ceria is employed as the reactive oxygen storage material. This estimated efficiency is an order of magnitude higher than previous designs and the reactor concept discussed herein identifies important insights that apply to solar–fuel conversion in general.
Effects of Physical Ability on Working Memory Requirements, Keystroke Rate, and Subjective Workload of Computer Input Devices

A reasonable assumption might be that persons with limited physical ability (persons with cerebral palsy) will experience greater mental effort in performing a physical task. Three computer input devices were used to determine if differences in physical ability result in differences in mental workload estimated by working memory capacity, keystroke rate and efficiency, and subjective workload estimated by the Task Load Index (TLX). The three devices were a voice input system, trackball, and two-degree-of-freedom keyboard with headstick. Subjects with cerebral palsy used the three devices to perform a dual-task and their results were compared with those obtained from a sample of subjects without physical disabilities. Results showed no significant difference in normalized memory capacities between the two groups. However, there were significant differences in Normalized Working Memory Capacity between devices and trials for both groups. As expected, differences in physical ability produced significant diff...
Function and evolution of local repeats in the Firre locus

More than half the human and mouse genomes are comprised of repetitive sequences, such as transposable elements (TEs), which have been implicated in many biological processes. In contrast, much less is known about other repeats, such as local repeats that occur in multiple instances within a given locus in the genome but not elsewhere. Here, we systematically characterize local repeats in the genomic locus of the Firre long noncoding RNA (lncRNA). We find a conserved function for the RRD repeat as a ribonucleic nuclear retention signal that is sufficient to retain an otherwise cytoplasmic mRNA in the nucleus. We also identified a repeat, termed R0, that can function as a DNA enhancer element within the intronic sequences of Firre. Collectively, our data suggest that local repeats can have diverse functionalities and molecular modalities in the Firre locus and perhaps more globally in other lncRNAs. Mammalian genomes contain multiple repetitive sequences such as transposable elements and local repeats. Here, the authors show that the conserved long non-coding RNA Firre contains repeats that act as nuclear retention signals and a DNA enhancer element.
The clinical observation of tripterygium glycosides combined withpuerarin for treating bronchial asthma

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of tripterygium glycosides combined with puerarin for treating bronchial asthma. Methods 88 cases with bronchial asthma were randomly divided into two groups, all patients with treatment of oxygen, antispasmodic, relieving asthma, antibiotic therapy, on this basis of treatment, the observation group was given with tripterygium wilfordii tablets 1.0mg(kg.d), three times after meals, for 4 weeks, and puerarin injection 200 mg, once a day, 20 days for a course. And then observed and discussed the clinical effect andrecurrence rate of two groups. Results The total effective rate of the observation group was 95.5%, the control group was 77.3%. The difference showed statistically significant(P 0.05). However, significant efficiency and recurrence situation within 1 year of observation group were better than the control group, there were significant differences by the statistical analysis(P 0.01). Conclusion The treatment of tripterygium glycosides combined with puerarin for bronchial asthma can effectively shorten the course and prevent recurrence. It's worth to promote in grassroots medical institutions because it's cheap and effective.
Unsupervised EEG Analysis for Automated Epileptic Seizure Detection

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder which can, if not controlled, potentially cause unexpected death. It is extremely crucial to have accurate automatic pattern recognition and data mining techniques to detect the onset of seizures and inform care-givers to help the patients. EEG signals are the preferred biosignals for diagnosis of epileptic patients. Most of the existing pattern recognition techniques used in EEG analysis leverage the notion of supervised machine learning algorithms. Since seizure data are heavily under-represented, such techniques are not always practical particularly when the labeled data is not sufficiently available or when disease progression is rapid and the corresponding EEG footprint pattern will not be robust. Furthermore, EEG pattern change is highly individual dependent and requires experienced specialists to annotate the seizure and non-seizure events. In this work, we present an unsupervised technique to discriminate seizures and non-seizures events. We employ power spectral density of EEG signals in different frequency bands that are informative features to accurately cluster seizure and non-seizure events. The experimental results tried so far indicate achieving more than 90% accuracy in clustering seizure and non-seizure events without having any prior knowledge on patient's history.
The influence of age and other prognostic factors associated with survival of ovarian immature teratoma - A study of 1307 patients.

Abstract Objective To determine impact of age and other prognostic factors on the survival of ovarian immature teratoma (IT) patients. Methods Data obtained from the SEER database between 1973 and 2012. Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariate Cox regression models were used for statistical analyses. Results Of 1307 patients (median: 24years; range: 0–93), 78%, 5%, 13%, 4% were stages I, II, III and IV, respectively. 25%, 35%, and 40% had grades 1, 2, and 3. Whites were less likely to be diagnosed, and Asians had a nearly 3-fold higher proportion of IT compared to the proportion of Asians in the U.S. census. The 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) was 91.2%. Those with stages I, II, III and IV disease had survivals of 99.7%, 95%, 81%, and 71.8% (p 18years died of cancer, with corresponding 5years DSS of 100% vs. 99.6% (p>0.05). Older age (by year, HR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.04–1.06; p Conclusion The outcome of patients with stage I disease was excellent at 99.7%, with children and adults having corresponding survivals of 100% and 99.6%.
Cherenkov detectors for spatial imaging applications using discrete-energy photons

Cherenkov detectors can offer a significant advantage in spatial imaging applications when excellent timing response, low noise and cross talk, large area coverage, and the ability to operate in magnetic fields are required. We show that an array of Cherenkov detectors with crude energy resolution coupled with monochromatic photons resulting from a low-energy nuclear reaction can be used to produce a sharp image of material while providing large and inexpensive detector coverage. The analysis of the detector response to relative transmission of photons with various energies allows for reconstruction of material's effective atomic number further aiding in high-Z material identification.
Distinguishing between Privacy and Security Concerns: An Empirical Examination and Scale Validation

Even though privacy concerns (PC) and security concerns (SC) are acknowledged as separate constructs, many studies argue that they are related or, even worse, confused. Building upon the non-overla...
Engineering VSV-IFN-NIS for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma.

Abstract 378 The need for new and more effective long-term treatments for Multiple Myeloma (MM) has led to the utilization and engineering of replication competent (oncolytic) viruses as potential therapies. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a potent oncolytic agent with several features that make it a favorable choice as a potential myeloma therapy. Specifically, (i) VSV replicates rapidly and can be grown to high titers (for effective clinical use) (ii) VSV undergoes transcription and replication exclusively in the cytoplasm avoiding host genome integration (iii) there is low/absent pre-existing immunity against VSV among the general population, (iv) naturally occurring human VSV infections are generally asymptomatic or result in minimal flu-like symptoms, (v) VSV is not easily transmitted between individuals (natural transmission is by hematophagous insects). Previously we showed weak oncolytic efficacy with an attenuated strain of VSV coding for the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) gene, VSV-D51-NIS, in the immune competent 5TGM1 syngeneic MM mouse model (C57Bl/KalwRijHsd) (Goel at. al. Blood. 2007 Oct 1;110(7):2342-50). Since VSV replication is strongly inhibited by IFN-induced innate immune responses in normal cells, but not in myeloma cells and IFN has known anti-myeloma activity, we hypothesized that the IFN-coding VSVs would be safer and more potent than previously tested VSV recombinants. We therefore constructed and tested the efficacy of VSVs coding for b-Interferon (VSV-IFN) or b-IFN and NIS (VSV-IFN-NIS). Interestingly, all of the newly constructed viruses, including VSV-IFN-NIS, showed greatly superior replication kinetics compared to the previously reported VSV-D51-NIS virus. Furthermore, compared to VSV-D51-NIS, VSV-IFN-NIS vectors induced higher NIS expression in vitro. In vivo therapy studies showed that a single intravenous dose of each of the IFN-coding VSVs promoted tumor regression and significantly prolonged survival of immunocompetent mice bearing subcutaneous or orthotopic 5TGM1 myeloma tumors. Tc-99m imaging studies conducted in mice treated with VSV-IFN-NIS, showed tumor specific virus mediated NIS expression and radio-isotope uptake that increased concurrently with intratumoral viral spread. Most importantly, there was no evidence of neurotoxicity following treatment with the IFN-coding VSVs. These studies indicate that VSV-IFN-NIS has potential as a novel therapeutic agent for multiple myeloma that can be combined with radio-isotopes for both non-invasive imaging of viral biodistribution and radiovirotherapy. A phase I clinical study is currently planned. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Structural and Transport Properties of Tertiary Ammonium Triflate Ionic Liquids: A Molecular Dynamics Study.

Ammonium-based protic ionic liquids (PILs) have shown promising physicochemical properties as proton conductors in polymer membrane fuel cells. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the structural, dynamic, and transport properties of a series of tertiary ammonium triflate PILs. Nonpolarizable all-atom force fields were used, including two different models for the triflate anion. Previous simulation studies of these PILs have yielded poor results for transport properties due to unrealistically slow dynamics. To improve performance, polarization and charge-transfer effects were approximately accounted for by scaling all atomic partial charges by a uniform factor, γ. The optimum scaling factor γ = 0.69 was determined by comparing simulation results with available experimental data and found to be transferable between different ammonium cations and insensitive to both the temperature and choice of experimental data used for comparison. Simulations performed using optimized charge sca...
Universal Design for Learning: Supporting College Inclusion for Students With Intellectual Disabilities

As college becomes an increasingly important prerequisite for employment, it is important that all students have access to postsecondary education (PSE). The passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act has provided students with intellectual disability (ID) a pathway to college, though some barriers in this transition still exist. This article is meant to highlight strategies instructors at the postsecondary level can utilize to support the transition and inclusion of students with ID in college-level courses. The role PSE programs play establishing what college readiness for individuals with ID is also discussed. A specific focus will be paid to how the universal design for learning (UDL) framework can be applied to instructional materials to support the inclusion of students with ID in college, and how these strategies can be modeled for secondary educators to support the transition planning process for students with ID.
Wastewater treatment plant effluent introduces recoverable shifts in microbial community composition in receiving streams.

Abstract Through a combined approach using analytical chemistry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and targeted amplicon sequencing, we studied the impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent sources at six sites on two sampling dates on the chemical and microbial population regimes within the Wissahickon Creek, and its tributary, Sandy Run, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA. These water bodies contribute flow to the Schuylkill River, one of the major drinking water sources for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Effluent was observed to be a significant source of nutrients, human and non-specific fecal associated taxa. There was an observed increase in the alpha diversity at locations immediately below effluent outflows, which contributed many taxa involved in wastewater treatment processes and nutrient cycling to the stream's microbial community. Unexpectedly, modeling of microbial community shifts along the stream was not controlled by concentrations of measured nutrients. Furthermore, partial recovery, in the form of decreasing abundances of bacteria and nutrients associated with wastewater treatment plant processes, nutrient cycling bacteria, and taxa associated with fecal and sewage sources, was observed between effluent sources, which we hypothesize is controlled by distance from effluent source. Antecedent moisture conditions were observed to impact overall microbial community diversity, with higher diversity occurring after rainfall. Finally, the efficacy of using a subset of the microbial community including the orders of Bifidobacteriales, Bacteroidales, and Clostridiales to estimate the degree of influence due to sewage and fecal sources was explored and verified.
Quasi-Unconditionality: Higher Call to the Virtue of Forgiveness

Broadly construed, the book offers a discussion in the philosophical conception of the place of forgiveness in the moral life. The place of forgiveness in the moral life has to do with the issue of how to maintain the flow of the moral life in the aftermath of a moral disequilibrium. Hence forgiveness should function as an instrument of moral interaction, not just a means for the fulfillment of moral duties. Quasi-Unconditionality is a unique form of unconditionality because it functions in a very complex and paradoxical moral order, for instance, where wrongdoing is inevitable, and where forgiveness has no meaning due to extreme wrongdoing. Quasi-Unconditionality is treated both as an obligation and as a true "gift", i.e., as an act of grace. Grace renews the moral life without minimizing the moral burdens therein. Thus grace is a double-edged sword. Grace serves the course of justice while at the same time renewing the moral life, enabling us to transcend the walled-in moral world we would otherwise face.
Vaccination with autologous myeloblasts admixed with GM-K562 cells in patients with advanced MDS or AML after allogeneic HSCT

We report a clinical trial testing vaccination of autologous myeloblasts admixed with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor secreting K562 cells after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with ≥5% marrow blasts underwent myeloblast collection before HSCT. At approximately day +30, 6 vaccines composed of irradiated autologous myeloblasts mixed with GM-K562 were administered. Tacrolimus-based graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was not tapered until vaccine completion (∼day 100). Thirty-three patients with AML (25) and MDS (8) enrolled, 16 (48%) had ≥5% marrow blasts at transplantation. The most common vaccine toxicity was injection site reactions. One patient developed severe eosinophilia and died of eosinophilic myocarditis. With a median follow-up of 67 months, cumulative incidence of grade 2-4 acute and chronic GVHD were 24% and 33%, respectively. Relapse and nonrelapse mortality were 48% and 9%, respectively. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) at 5 years were 39% and 39%. Vaccinated patients who were transplanted with active disease (≥5% marrow blasts) had similar OS and PFS at 5 years compared with vaccinated patients transplanted with <5% marrow blasts (OS, 44% vs 35%, respectively, P = .81; PFS, 44% vs 35%, respectively, P = .34). Postvaccination antibody responses to angiopoietin-2 was associated with superior OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.43; P = .031) and PFS (HR, 0.5; P = .036). Patients transplanted with active disease had more frequent angiopoeitin-2 antibody responses (62.5% vs 20%, P = .029) than those transplanted in remission. GM-K562/leukemia cell vaccination induces biologic activity, even in patients transplanted with active MDS/AML. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT 00809250.
Quality of Care and Health Disparities

Over the past 20 yr there has been a significant evolution in the role of the Federal government in addressing the problem of health disparities in the United States. In this chapter, the nature of health disparities among minorities and underserved populations in this country, and early governmental approaches to the problem are described in brief. A historical and descriptive overview of the government’s efforts, since 1985, to eliminate health disparities in the United States will be concentrated on.
Improved blackwater disinfection using potentiodynamic methods with oxidized boron-doped diamond electrodes.

Abstract Electrochemical disinfection (ECD) has become an important blackwater disinfection technology. ECD is a promising solution for the 2 billion people without access to conventional sanitation practices and in areas deficient in basic utilities (e.g., sewers, electricity, waste treatment). Here, we report on the disinfection of blackwater using potential cycling compared to potentiostatic treatment methods in chloride-containing and chloride-free solutions of blackwater (i.e., untreated wastewater containing feces, urine, and flushwater from a toilet). Potentiodynamic treatment is demonstrated to improve disinfection energy efficiency of blackwater by 24% and 124% compared to static oxidation and reduction methods, respectively. The result is shown to be caused by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOP) and regeneration of sp2-surface-bonded carbon functional groups that serve the dual purpose of catalysts and adsorption sites of oxidant intermediates. Following 24 h electrolysis in blackwater, electrode fouling is shown to be minimized by the potential cycling method when compared to equivalent potentiostatic methods. The potential cycling current density is 40% higher than both the static oxidative and reductive methods. This work enhances the understanding of oxygen reduction catalysts using functionalized carbon materials and electrochemical disinfection anodes, both of which have the potential to bring a cost-effective, energy efficient, and practical solution to the problem of disinfecting blackwater.
Fat spectral modeling on triglyceride composition quantification using chemical shift encoded magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract Purpose To explore, at a high field strength of 7T, the performance of various fat spectral models on the quantification of triglyceride composition and proton density fat fraction (PDFF) using chemical-shift encoded MRI (CSE-MRI). Methods MR data was acquired from CSE-MRI experiments for various fatty materials, including oil and butter samples and in vivo brown and white adipose mouse tissues. Triglyceride composition and PDFF were estimated using various a priori 6- or 9-peak fat spectral models. To serve as references, NMR spectroscopy experiments were conducted to obtain material specific fat spectral models and triglyceride composition estimates for the same fatty materials. Results obtained using the spectroscopy derived material specific models were compared to results obtained using various published fat spectral models. Results Using a 6-peak fat spectral model to quantify triglyceride composition may lead to large biases at high field strengths. When using a 9-peak model, triglyceride composition estimations vary greatly depending on the relative amplitudes of the chosen a priori spectral model, while PDFF estimations show small variations across spectral models. Material specific spectroscopy derived spectral models produce estimations that better correlate with NMR spectroscopy estimations in comparison to those obtained using non-material specific models. Conclusion At a high field strength of 7T, a material specific 9-peak fat spectral model, opposed to a widely accepted or generic human liver model, is necessary to accurately quantify triglyceride composition when using CSE-MRI estimation methods that assume the spectral model to be known as a priori information. CSE-MRI allows for the quantification of the spatial distribution of triglyceride composition for certain in vivo applications. Additionally, PDFF quantification is shown to be independent of the chosen a priori spectral model, which agrees with previously reported results obtained at lower field strengths (e.g. 3T).
Discovering the wave theory of sound: inductive inference in the context of problem solving

This paper describes a program which simulates the discovery of the wave theory of sound, using several kinds of inductive inference that are triggered in the context of problem solving. The most novel of these is conceptual combination, which produces new concepts by combining existing concepts, represented as frame-like clusters of production rules. Combined concepts are not a linear amalgam of existing ones, since the conflicting expectations of the rules in the donor concepts must be resolved by a set of top-down and bottom-up procedures. The theoretical concept of a sound wave is produced by conceptual combination. The rule that sound consists of waves is produced by applications of other kinds of inductive inference: generalization and abduction.
The Drivers of Global Value Chain Participation: Cross-Country Analyses

Building on the work of Jones and Kierzkowski (1990), economists have been writing models that describe how firms are increasingly fragmenting production processes into various stages or tasks and moving them to more advantageous locations (e.g., Deardorff, 2001a, 2001b; Findlay & Jones, 2001; Grossman & Rossi-Hansberg, 2008; Jones & Kierzkowski, 2000, 2001). Most of the models in this literature draw on findings from an earlier literature on FDI, namely that firms will fragment production or tasks across different countries to arbitrage international differences in factor prices (Helpman, 1984; Helpman & Krugman, 1985). The rationale behind most models of fragmentation can be stated in simple terms: in traditional production processes, inputs are organized and combined to generate final outputs in the same location. Where there are many inputs, coordination is normally necessary and proximity helps to lower the costs of coordination and transportation. But if firms could separate the production process into different production blocks and relocate them in places with lower factor prices, the total costs of production could be further reduced. Therefore firms will unbundle their production processes, as long as the resulting reduction in production costs would more than compensate for the additional costs of coordinating remotely located production blocks and moving these production blocks around.
Speculating on a public figure's mental health.

Physicians' opinions on matters of medicine, science, and policy are given extra credence by our educational attainment and trusted social role, whether deserved or not, so physicians must use that status responsibly.
A new approach to vaccine adjuvants. Immunopotentiation by intracellular T-helper-like signals transmitted by loxoribine.

Vaccination with innocuous antigens derived from pathogenic microorganisms is designed to provide protection against the significant morbidity and mortality associated with diseases caused by these pathogens. Vaccination is most important precisely in those patients who are most likely to have difficulty mounting an adequate immune response either to the intact pathogen or to the vaccinating antigen, that is, those patients with acquired permanent or temporary immunodeficiencies. These patients manifest defects in one or more cell lineages that can involve deficient antigen processing, antigen presentation in the context of appropriate major histocompatibility antigen (MHC) molecules, transmembrane signal transduction, signal transmission, cytokine generation, cytokine receptors, and so forth. Among the striking advantages of the compounds discussed in this chapter is the ability to overcome or ameliorate many obstacles to effective immune responses against the epitopes of pathogenic microorganisms. This property appears to be unique to the 7,8-disubstituted guanine nucleosides.
The Chapter 11 Attorneys

Understanding the costs of corporate bankruptcy has importance in a variety of contexts. Most obviously, if the costs of corporate bankruptcy are “excessive” – a term that is surprisingly difficult to define – it has clear policy implications for legislators with regard to the Bankruptcy Code.Less directly, but perhaps of equal importance, the cost of chapter 11 has implications for corporate finance. The famous Modigliani-Miller start in a world without taxes or bankruptcy costs. To extend these theories to practice, measuring taxes and bankruptcy costs becomes rather important.To date all studies of chapter 11 costs, with one exception, have been done in the aggregate. That is, the studies report the total cost of chapter 11, but provide little information on the aspects of chapter 11 that contribute to cost.I use this paper to examine the specific question of bankruptcy attorney cost in chapter 11 cases. Drawing on a new dataset of large chapter 11 cases filed in 2004, I show how the attorneys in these large cases compete in a nationwide market, with attorneys frequently representing debtors outside the attorneys’ home jurisdiction. I also demonstrate how the number of parties in a case influences the overall cost of bankruptcy counsel, as the debtor’s counsel is compelled to interact with additional parties. And finally I show how the creditors’ committee counsel can increase the cost of chapter 11 not only through their own fees, but by also increasing the cost of the debtor’s attorneys.
Protecting the Right to Discriminate: The Second Great Migration and Racial Threat in the American West

Taking advantage of a unique event in American history, the Second Great Migration, we explore whether the rapid entry of African Americans into nearly exclusively White contexts triggered “racial threat” in White voting behavior in the state of California. Utilizing historical administrative data, we find that increasing proximity to previously White areas experiencing drastic Black population growth between 1940 to 1960 is associated with significant increases in aggregate White voter support for a highly racially-charged ballot measure, Proposition 14, which legally protected racial discrimination in housing. Importantly, we find that this result holds when restricting the analysis to all-White areas with high rates of residential tenure and low rates of White population growth. These latter findings indicate that this relationship materializes in contexts where a larger share of White voters were present during the treatment and exercised residential-choice before the treatment commenced, which is suggestive of a causal effect.
Das moderne Welt-System als kapitalistische Welt-Wirtschaft

Die Welt, in der wir heute leben, das moderne Welt-System, hat seine Ursprunge im 16. Jahrhundert. Dieses Welt-System war damals nur in einem Teil des Globus zu finden – vor allem in Teilen Europas und Amerikas. Im Laufe der Zeit dehnte es sich uber den ganzen Globus aus. Es ist und war immer eine Welt-Wirtschaft; eine kapitalistische Welt-Wirtschaft.
Application of Ring-Amplifiers for Low-Power Wide-Bandwidth Digital Subsampling ADC-PLL

A digital subsampling ADC-PLL is simulated using Verilog-A models with ring-amplifier designed in a 65nm CMOS process. The ADC-PLL utilizes a ring-amplifier to relax the design requirements of the ADC. The ring-amplifier provides high open loop gain due to its multi-stage structure while dynamic biasing enables fast settling performance. In the proposed digital subsampling ADC-PLL, the ring-amplifier is operated at a reference frequency of 100MHz and utilizes programmable closed-loop gain from 1 to 100 reducing the quantization noise contribution of the 4-bit flash ADC. The ADC-PLL has an rms jitter of 57.5 fs when only quantization of the ADC and DCO are considered.
Small Business Recovery after Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is precipitating an unprecedented economic downturn, and small businesses are likely to bear the brunt of it The US government has taken
Digital Cardiology: Opportunities for Disease Prevention

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the world’s leading cause of mortality, responsible for 18 million deaths each year. Disease prevention is a critical component to curb the morbidity and mortality due to CVD worldwide, and advances in digital health technologies may facilitate adherence to and effectiveness of preventive measures. In this review, we seek to identify and describe recent developments in the use of digital health for CVD prevention between 2015 and 2019. Promising digital health technologies have emerged in the field of cardiology. In the diagnostics arena, AliveCor has shown to obtain real-time electrocardiograms via smartphones, whereas the Apple Watch proved efficacious to detect atrial fibrillation. In the treatment arena, the Corrie Health Digital Platform may enable myocardial infarction patients to benefit from remote cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention. Emerging technologies such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and machine learning suggest further potential for the growth and clinical relevance of digital cardiology. Digital health technologies have become increasingly popular in the repertoire to prevent CVD. Although caution is warranted given the concurrent surge of unregulated smartphone applications and other technologies, digital cardiology presents important potential to reduce the global burden of CVD.
Identification of Smart Grid Attacks via State Vector Estimator and Support Vector Machine Methods

In recent times, an increasing amount of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) are being deployed to make power systems more reliable and economical. While these technologies are necessary for realizing a cyber-physical infrastructure for future smart power grids, they also introduce new vulnerabilities in the grid to different cyber-attacks. Traditional methods such as state vector estimation (SVE) are not capable of identifying cyber-attacks while the geometric information is also injected as an attack vector. In this paper, a machine learning based smart grid attack identification method is proposed. The proposed method is carried out by first collecting smart grid power flow data for machine learning training purposes which is later used to classify the attacks. The performance of both the proposed SVM method and the traditional SVE method are validated on IEEE 14, 30, 39, 57 and 118 bus systems, and the performance regarding the scale of the power system is evaluated. The results show that the SVM-based method performs better than the SVE-based in attack identification over a much wider scale of power systems
Gendered Paths to Enlightenment: The Intersection of Gender and Religion in Buddhist Temples in Mainland China and the United States:

This study explores how religious adherents construct their ideas regarding gender in Buddhist faith communities. Two temples, one in China and the other in the United States, both affiliated with ...
Shifting Origins Tales and the Construction of Knowledge: Papers from the Method and Theory section of the AAR Southeast Regional Conference

Introduction to the Special Feature Shifting Origins Tales and the Construction of Knowledge: Papers from the Method and Theory section of the AAR Southeast Regional Conference