cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of treatment for traumatic thoracic aortic injuries

Objective To review the evolution of traumatic thoracic aortic injury (TTAI) treatment at a single institution. Methods Retrospective analysis of all patients included in an institutional trauma registry and vascular surgery database who underwent treatment of TTAI between January 1999 and January 2011. Results Ninety-one patients (69 males) were treated for TTAI. The mean age was 38.5 years (range, 16-79 years). Forty-one patients underwent open repair (OR) and 50 thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR), 37 with thoracic stent grafts (TSG) alone, 11 with infrarenal aortic extender cuffs (AEC), and two with a combination of TSG and AEC. OR was performed exclusively until 2004; the last one was performed in January 2007. All TTAIs have since been treated with TEVAR. The left subclavian artery (LSA) was fully covered in 10 patients (20%) and partially covered in eight patients, with revascularization in only two cases. The use of AEC and avoidance of LSA coverage increased after 2007. Baseline characteristics and injury severity scores were similar between groups. The mortality rate was higher in the OR group (19.5% vs 6.0%; P = .06), although it did not reach statistical significance. The overall incidence of morbidities was similar between the two groups (42% OR vs 50% TEVAR). Two patients developed paraplegia (4.4%) after OR compared with none after TEVAR. In the TEVAR group, a pseudoaneurysm, an iliac artery thrombosis, and a retroperitoneal hematoma developed in one patient each. Overall, eight patients (16%) developed stent graft-related complications (SRC), with two developing early (within 30 days) complications. All complications were related to poor apposition, requiring 10 reinterventions. Four patients underwent open conversions with no mortality. Nine out of 10 SRCs were associated with the use of thoracic stent graft malapposition. No patient treated with AEC had endoleaks or SRC. Conclusions TEVAR for TTAI has superior survival outcomes and has replaced OR. SRC requiring reintervention is associated with malapposition and the use of TSG. Until TTAI-specific endografts become available, use of AEC may minimize malapposition and reduce reinterventions. Routine overstenting of the LSA is not necessary and may increase SRC.
Relationship between oxygen and siderophore synthesis inPseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1, growing in low-iron medium, produces two siderophores, pyochelin and pyoverdin, in massive bursts as the culture shifts from logarithmic phase to stationary phase. Two medium components, oxygen and iron, prolonged the logarithmic phase when they were added to the medium. Oxygen and iron appeared to be in demand during this period because, as heme synthesis increased in response to the low oxygen concentration in the medium, a situation resulting from the high density of bacteria present in the medium during late log phase, the iron content of the bacteria decreased. These phenomena resulted in the production of massive amounts of siderophores late in the log phase to supply iron for the increased heme synthesis.
Healing Wounds: Reflections On Abraham Joshua Heschel And Interfaith Partnership In Poland

Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972) was born in Warsaw, Poland, in a devout Hasidic community and earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Berlin during Hitler's rise to power. He immigrated to the United States in 1940 and became a Judaic scholar, writer, teacher, theologian, and social activist. Heschel influenced the drafting of Nostra Aetate during the Second Vatican Council, and Christians and Jews saw Heschel as an embodiment of a Hebrew prophet. Yet Heschel himself was irremediably wounded by the Holocaust. He remained vulnerable, hypersensitive to other people's pain, bereft of consolation. Long impressed by a web of associations on the role of predominantly Roman Catholic Poles in the destruction of European Jews, I had to confront my own negative "imaginary" during eight days I recently spent in Poland, filled with Jewish content. Participation in an international, interfaith conference on Heschel at the University of Warsaw in June 2007, and in the Jewish culture festival in Krakow, managed to convince me that non-Jews could develop and help foster an authentic understanding of Judaism and the Jewish experience. Despite persistent memories of atrocities, my feelings toward Poland and the Poles underwent a transformation. If Heschel's wounds were not ultimately healed, at least my negative imaginary has begun to give way to a hopeful future.
Adoption of dynamic product imagery for online shopping: does age matter?

This study investigated functional and hedonic roles of dynamic product imagery (DPI) by applying a modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to DPI adoption process and tested model invariance among shoppers in three different age groups when using DPI for shopping seven product categories. The two major roles of DPI (functional and hedonic) are identified in the model. First, DPI has a functional value (perceived usefulness) because it reduces perceived product risks by providing proxy sensory experiences to improve product evaluations online. Second, DPI has hedonic value (perceived entertainment value) as it provides entertainment to shoppers using multimedia DPI to enhance their enjoyment of the shopping process. Both functions will, in turn, impact the attitude, use and subsequent post-use evaluation of DPI. The results provided empirical support for TAM in the context of DPI acceptance for online shopping across seven product categories. In addition, two additional constructs – technology anxiety ...
Electrothermal model for simulation of bulk-Si and SOI diodes in ESD protection circuits

Abstract An electrothermal diode model intended for implementation in a SPICE-like simulator is presented. The model is valid in the high current, forward-bias and reverse-breakdown regimes where diodes operate during ESD events. We also present a procedure for extracting the temperature of an SOI diode from an I–V measurement.
Adolf Fick—Forgotten genius of cardiology

Abstract Adolf Fick, talented in mathematics and physics, gave to medicine and physiology the precision and methodology of the physical sciences. His principle for determining the cardiac output is used many times each day in cardiologic centers. His studies of myocardial mechanics led to the Frank-Starling law of the heart. Strangely, Fick has been forgotten. This precis of his life and work serves to recall an investigator and a period in medicine that deserve remembrance.
A Vibrating Ca2+-selective Electrode Measures Ca2+ Flux Induced by the Neuropeptide FMRFamide in a Gastropod Ventricle

Abstract 1. A vibrating calcium (Ca 2+ )-selective electrode measured Ca 2+ flux across the membrane of trabeculae from the ventricle of the marine gastropod, Busycon canaliculatum. Because the neuropeptide FMRFamide increases both systolic force and rate in the hearts of most mollusc species, the present experiments were conducted to study how Ca 2+ may be mobilized by FMRFamide during excitation-contraction coupling (E-C coupling). 2. Ca 2+ efflux was consistently recorded from the trabeculae in response to FMRFamide. This efflux was the result of the sarcolemma redistributing Ca 2+ into the extracellular compartment after a preceding rapid Ca 2+ influx. Ca 2+ efflux stimulated by FMRFamide was blocked by the l -type Ca 2+ channel blocker verapamil. Conversely, diltiazem potentiated FMRFamide responses. Neither verapamil of diltiazem alone had any effect on spontaneous basal efflux. However, if FMRFamide was present, the membrane was responsive to the action of the Ca 2+ channel blockers, suggesting that a use-dependent mechanism was involved. 3. During spontaneous basal efflux, the Na-Ca exchanger was responsible for only 20% of the total Ca 2+ efflux while during FMRFamide treatment the Na–Ca exchanger may have contributed about 60% to the total Ca 2+ efflux. FMRFamide may not only alter ion channel activity but may also indirectly regulate Ca 2+ extrusion mechanisms during cardioexcitation.
Carbon dioxide flux across a forest-field ecotone

CO2 flux of a deciduous forest and an old-field surface, and the ecotone between these two typical southern U.S. ecological communities, was studied in July, 1989. Rates of CO2 flux were greatest in the old field and least in the forest plots. The ecotone showed the greatest variation in CO2 flux. These differences appear to be due to differences in soil surface temperature, the old field being more exposed to direct solar radiation. The ecotonal community represents a landscape property which should be considered in studies of the transfer of carbon across the soil-atmosphere boundary.
Career Exploration: A Multivariate Analysis of Predictors

Abstract This study examined the multivariate relations between career exploration and its predictors in a sample of 156 female and 162 male college students. Combining all predictors of career exploration accounted for less than one-third of the variance. Results also indicated that the broad construct of ego identity exploration cannot be substituted for the specific construct of career exploration. Future research should consider potential metaconstructs in the prediction of career exploration and search for additional predictors.
Effects of MeV energy titanium ion implants on the oxygen related defects centers in silica

Abstract Silica samples were implanted with 4 MeV Ti2+ ions at nominal doses ranging from 0.1 to 5.0×1015 cm−2. Optical absorption was measured from 3.5 to 6.5 eV and in all spectra a local maximum at 5.0 eV and a shoulder at 5.9 eV were observed. A second series of samples was implanted with 4 MeV Si2+ ions at nominal doses ranging from 0.5 to 3.0×1015 cm−2. Based on the literature we assumed that Gaussian bands at 4.8, 5.01, 5.17, 5.88, and 7.15 eV comprised the observed spectra. Using Gaussian functions as basis states, linear fits to the data were performed yielding amplitudes for each band. Between 3.5 and 5.5 eV the fits were within ±3%. At larger energies the fits were unsatisfactory. Non-linear fits with an additional, fully adjustable Gaussian function yielded a band at 6.4 eV with full width at half maximum ∼0.5 eV and reduced the difference between the fit and the data to
System Justification, Mental Health, and Behavior Among Disadvantaged Mothers and Their Children.

Integrating social psychological research with work in child development, this study explored relationships between system justification (Jost & Banaji, 1994), maternal mental health, and child externalizing behavior among low-income immigrants and racial/ethnic minorities. Dominican, Mexican, and African American families (N = 239) were assessed when children were 14, 24, and 36 months old. Structural equation modeling was used to explore longitudinal relationships between maternal system justification and mental health and associations with child behavior. Earlier mental health was negatively related to later system justification and system justification was negatively related to children's externalizing behavior. Implications for system justification theory, child development, and immigration are discussed.
Pseudosyndactyly and Musculoskeletal Contractures in Inherited Epidermolysis Bullosa: Experience of the National Epidermolysis Bullosa Registry, 1986–2002

Mitten deformities of the hands and feet occur in nearly every patient with the most severe subtype (Hallopeau-Siemens) of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, and in at least 40-50% of all other recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa patients. Smaller numbers of patients with dominant dystrophic, junctional, and simplex types of epidermolysis bullosa are also at risk of this complication. Surgical intervention is commonly performed to correct these deformities, but recurrence and the need for repeated surgery are common. Higher numbers of epidermolysis bullosa patients also develop musculoskeletal contractures in other anatomic sites, further impairing overall function. Lifetable analyses not only better project the cumulative risk of mitten deformities and other contractures but also emphasize the need for early surveillance and intervention, since both of these musculoskeletal complications may occur within the first year of life.
KINETICS AND MECHANISMS OF HALIDE ION CATALYSIS OF CO SUBSTITUTION REACTIONS IN OS3(CO)12 AND RU3(CO)12 METAL CARBONYL CLUSTERS

The results of kinetic studies on ligand substitution in [M3(CO)11X]− complexes (M = Ru, Os; X = Cl, Br, I) are summarized. The [Os3(CO)11X]− complexes react with PPh3 under mild conditions to initially yield monosubstituted products [Os3(CO)10(PPh3)X]−. The rate of CO substitution obeys a first-order equation with respect to the concentration of the complex and does not depend on the ligand concentration. The rates of the reactions decrease in the order Cl > Br > I withΔH≠ values increasing from 15 to 18 kcal mol−1 and ΔS≠ values varying from −19 to −13 cal mol−1 K−1. The enhanced reactivities of these complexes as well as the low activation energies and negative activation entropies are discussed in terms of the effects of μ-X bridge formation on the transition state of the reaction. Reactions of PPN[Ru3(CO)11−x(Cl)] (PPN is the bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium cation;x=0, 1) and PPN[Ru3(CO)9(μ3-I)] with alkynes are also reported. The reactivities of alkynes follow the order BuC≡CH ≥ PhC≡CH ≥ EtC≡CEt ≥ PhC≡CPh. The higher rates of the reactions of monosubstituted acetylenes compared with those of their disubstituted analogs are explained by agostic interaction between the metal atom and the C-H bond in the reaction transition state and by steric effects. The results obtained attest that the reaction with alkynes occursvia intermediates containing halide bridges and that μ3-halide complexes are more reactive than μ2-halide complexes.
Safety of conscious sedation in interventional radiology.

Purpose: To identify rates of adverse events associated with the use of conscious sedation in interventional radiology.
Fast givens transformations applied to the homogeneous optimization method

Considered is an application of fast Givens transformations to the homogeneous algorithm for unconstrained optimization problems. The optimization algorithm is based on a nonquadratic model function. Several numerical test cases illustrate the performance of the proposed version of the method.
Elements of the medical emergency's epistemological alignment: 18-20th-century perspectives.

This paper develops the concept of epistemological alignment as a means of understanding how the medical emergency entered into biomedical classification. The working hypothesis is that the medical...
On the parameterization of algebraic curves

In this paper, by using the concept of resolvents of a prime ideal introduced by Ritt, we give methods for constructing a hypersurface which is birational to a given irreducible variety and birational transformations between the hypersurface and the variety. In the case of algebraic curves, this implies that for an irreducible algebraic curveC, we can construct a plane curve which is birational toC. We also present a method to find rational parametric equations for a plane curve if it exists. Hence we have a complete method of parameterization for rational algebraic curves.
“Collaborating To Success”: An Experimental Study of Group Idea Generation Techniques

Numerous concept generation methods have been developed that can assist an engineer in the initial phases of design. Unfortunately, limited empirical data is available to guide users in selecting preferred techniques. This study systematically investigates underlying factors of four well-used and documented techniques: Brainsketching, Gallery, 6-3-5, and C-Sketch. These techniques are resolved into their key parameters and a factorial experiment is performed to understand how the key parameters affect the outcomes of the techniques. The factors chosen for this study include: how ideas are displayed to participants (all are viewed at once or exchanged between participants, “rotational viewing”) and the mode used to communicate ideas (written words only, sketches only, or a combination of written words and sketches). This study also provides a method for measuring the quantity of ideas generated when the ideas are represented in the form of both sketches and words. A number of interesting findings are produced from the study. First, the study shows that individuals gain a significant number of ideas from their teammates. Ideas when shared, can foster new idea tracks, more complete layouts, and diverse synthesis. Second, the systematic exchange of a set of ideas between participants produces a greater quantity of ideas than having all ideas displayed in a gallery form. This result shows that techniques like 6-3-5 or C-Sketch, where each person views only a subset of all the team’s ideas at any given time, are more likely to produce a larger quantity of ideas than techniques where individuals can continuously view all the ideas the team has generated. Finally, as teams developed ideas, the quality improved. This result is a consequence of the teamsharing environment and, in conjunction with quantity of concepts, validates the effectiveness of group idea generation.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Far-field behavior of injection-locked semiconductor laser arrays

We have developed a computer model of injection-locked gain-guided semiconductor arrays to explain some experimental observations: the creation of a single-lobed far field from a normally double-lobed far field; the increase in the divergence angle of the far-field lobe(s); the shifting of power from one off-axis lobe to the other; and the regression back to a double-lobed far field when the ratio between array power and injection power becomes too large. The model is then extrapolated to look at properties of the index-guided case: inefficient end-element injection but an on-axis single-lobed center-element injection.
Effects of gender and gender role self-perceptions on affective reactions to rock music videos

To evaluate the mediating impact of gender and gender role self-perceptions on affective responses to rock music videos, female and male undergraduates recruited from the predominantly Caucasian population of a southeastern university completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory and then watched and evaluated nine short music video segments. Consistent with previous research, the results highlight the critical importance of gender as a determinant of affective reactions to popular music. Males, in general, showed the strongest positive reactions (i.e., greatest enjoyment, least disturbance) toward hard-rock music videos while females reported the strongest positive reactions toward soft-rock music videos. Furthermore, both genders reported significant misestimations of other-gender peers' reactions. On the other hand, the influence of gender role self-perceptions proved minimal. Some implications of these findings are discussed.
Self-Annealing Effect of Tensile Liner on Thick-Tinv PMOS

Various techniques have been applied in modern CMOS technology to passivate interface traps, thus improving digital performance and reliability. Although these methods are effective, they all clearly add process complexity and cost. In this paper, a novel method, without adding a single extra step, is introduced to reduce thick-Tinv PMOS interface trap density. Experimental results confirm that depositing a tensile liner film first in the dual stress liner process can reduce the interface trap density of thick-Tinv PMOS effectively. The passivation, which is verified by charge pumping results, is believed to be due to the annealing effect of the hydrogen in the tensile liner driven by the UV anneal step used in stress transfer.
Ultra-low-loss, high-Q, four-port resonant couplers

Ultra-low-loss four-port resonant filters (add/drop geometry) using ultra-high-Q toroid micro-cavities on a chip with waveguide-to-waveguide drop efficiency of 93%, and throughput extinction of 33 dB for narrow bandwidth (57 MHz) operation are demonstrated.
Exploring the functional landscape of gene expression

Motivation: The increasing availability of gene expression microarray technology has resulted in the publication of thousands of microarray gene expression datasets investigating various biological conditions. This vast repository is still underutilized due to the lack of methods for fast, accurate exploration of the entire compendium. Results: We have collected Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene expression microarray data containing roughly 2400 experimental conditions. We analyzed the functional coverage of this collection and we designed a context-sensitive search algorithm for rapid exploration of the compendium. A researcher using our system provides a small set of query genes to establish a biological search context; based on this query, we weight each dataset's relevance to the context, and within these weighted datasets we identify additional genes that are co-expressed with the query set. Our method exhibits an average increase in accuracy of 273% compared to previous mega-clustering approaches when recapitulating known biology. Further, we find that our search paradigm identifies novel biological predictions that can be verified through further experimentation. Our methodology provides the ability for biological researchers to explore the totality of existing microarray data in a manner useful for drawing conclusions and formulating hypotheses, which we believe is invaluable for the research community. Availability: Our query-driven search engine, called SPELL, is available at http://function.princeton.edu/SPELL Contact: ogt@genomics.princeton.edu Supplementary information: Several additional data files, figures and discussions are available at http://function.princeton.edu/SPELL/supplement
Discovery of novel isothiazole inhibitors of the TrkA kinase: structure-activity relationship, computer modeling, optimization, and identification of highly potent antagonists

The design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of potent inhibitors of the TrkA kinase is presented. A homology model is created to aid in the enhancement of potency and selectivity of isothiazole inhibitors found during a high-throughput screen. Three different syntheses are utilized to make diverse analogs within this series. Aminoheterocycles are found to be good urea surrogates, whereas bicyclic substituents on the C3 thio group were found to be extremely potent TrkA inhibitors in kinase and cell assays.
TB or not TB: That is no longer the question

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a devastating infectious disease and, with the emergence of multidrug-resistant forms, represents a major global threat. Much of our understanding of pathogenic and immunologic mechanisms in TB has derived from studies in experimental animals. However, it is becoming increasingly clear in TB as well as in other inflammatory diseases that there are substantial differences in immunological responses of humans not found or predicted by animal studies. Thus, it is critically important to understand mechanisms of pathogenesis and immunological protection in humans. In this review, we will address the key immunological question: What are the necessary and sufficient immune responses required for protection against TB infection and disease in people-specifically protection against infection, protection against the establishment of latency or persistence, and protection against transitioning from latent infection to active disease.
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 but not cinacalcet HCl (Sensipar®/Mimpara®) treatment mediates aortic calcification in a rat model of secondary hyperparathyroidism

Background Calcitriol treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients can lead to increased serum calcium and phosphorus, which have been associated as risk factors for vascular calcification. Cinacalcet HCl (Sensipar/Mimpara) {(alphaR)-(-)-alpha-methyl-N-[3-[3-(trifluoromethylphenyl)propyl]-1-napthalenemethanamine hydrochloride} lowers serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, phosphorus and calcium-phosphorous (CaxP) product in stage 5 CKD dialysis patients; however, its effects on vascular calcification are unknown. Methods Cinacalcet HCl (10 or 1 mg/kg, p.o. gavage), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (0.1 microg, s.c, calcitriol) or the combination was administered daily for 26 days in a rat model of secondary HPT [5/6 nephrectomy]. After dosing, aortic calcification was determined using the von Kossa staining method. Serum PTH and blood chemistries were determined on days 0, 26 and 0, 14, 26, respectively, prior to and after dosing. Results Calcitriol-treated rats had moderate to marked aortic calcification, whereas no significant calcification was observed in vehicle- or cinacalcet HCl-only treated groups. Co-administration of cinacalcet HCl with calcitriol did not attenuate the calcitriol-mediated increase in CaxP product or calcitriol-mediated aortic calcification. Both calcitriol and cinacalcet HCl therapy significantly reduced serum PTH levels. Calcitriol significantly elevated serum calcium, serum phosphorous and CaxP product above pretreatment levels, or those seen with vehicle or cinacalcet HCl. Cinacalcet HCl (10 or 1 mg/kg) decreased serum ionized calcium and decreased calcitriol-induced hypercalcaemia. Conclusion Cinacalcet HCl and calcitriol both effectively reduce PTH, albeit via different mechanisms, but unlike calcitriol, cinacalcet HCl did not produce hypercalcaemia, an increased CaxP product or vascular calcification.
Beyond Comprehension: The Role of Numeracy in Judgments and Decisions

When making decisions, people must frequently take into account numerical information, but not all individuals have the ability to understand and use numbers. Less numerate individuals comprehend less numerical information; but numeracy goes beyond comprehension, relating systematically to psychological mechanisms. In particular, greater numeracy has been associated with reduced susceptibility to framing effects, less influence of nonnumerical information such as mood states, and greater sensitivity to different levels of numerical risk. This greater number sensitivity has been linked with number-related affective reactions reported by the highly numerate. I briefly discuss methods to increase number use in decisions and policy implications of numeracy research.
Human cytomegalovirus tegument proteins (pp65, pp71, pp150, pp28)

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a member of the Betaherpesvirinae sub-family of Herpesviridae family, is a widespread pathogen that infects a majority of the world's population by early adulthood. In individuals whose immune systems are immature or weakened, HCMV is a significant pathogen causing morbidity and mortality. There is no effective vaccine and only limited antiviral treatments against HCMV infection to date. A possible target for novel antiviral treatments is the HCMV proteins that localize to the tegument of the virion, since they play important roles in all stages of the viral life cycle, including, viral entry, gene expression, immune evasion, assembly, and egress. The most likely tegument protein candidates are pp65 (immune evasion), pp71 (gene expression), and pp150 and pp28 (assembly and egress). Although the subcellular localization of these proteins has been identified during HCMV infections in vitro, their localization patterns have not been determined when each protein is expressed individually in living cells. Thus, the objective of this review is elucidate the HCMV tegument as well as present current research findings concerning the subcellular localization of the tegument proteins pp65, pp71, pp150, and pp28 as fusions to one of several fluorescent proteins.
X-ray pulse shaping from tungsten-based multi-planar wire arrays

Summary form only given. An exploration of the shaping of x-ray radiation pulses from tungsten-based multi-planar wire array (PWA) z-pinch implosions carried out on a 1.7 MA, 110 ns university-scale generator is discussed, and an investigation of their radiative properties and implosion dynamics is performed. The experiments were performed on Zebra, the pulse power generator located at the University of Nevada, Reno, with data collected using a full suite of diagnostics that include x-ray diodes, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) diodes, optical imaging, shadowgraphy, time-gated and time-integrated x-ray pinhole imagers, time-gated, spatially integrated x-ray and EUV spectrometers, time-integrated, spatially resolved soft and hard x-ray spectrometers, and a Faraday cup. Three load types that showed particularly diverse and useful results are explained in detail. The first consists of double planar wire arrays built from two planes of wires of different materials, specifically tungsten and another lower-Z element such as aluminum. The second are triple planar loads, which consist of three parallel planes of wires. Like double planar loads, pulse shaping with triple planar arrays could be varied by using alternate wire materials, but an analysis of uniform loads in which the mass of the center array was significantly different from that of the outer arrays showed particularly interesting results. Third, we investigate the pulse shaping of skewed wire arrays. These arrays are similar to standard double planar wire arrays, but the wires in parallel rows are set at an angle opposing one another. These three load configurations were used to create a diverse set of pulse shapes, including pre-pulses of various intensities prior to the main x-ray burst, and “steps” on the front of the main pulse. The possible application of these results to inertial confinement fusion and radiation physics experiments is also discussed.
Immunotherapy for Metastatic Solid Cancers

After decades of research on solid tumor immunology, immunotherapy has shown effectiveness in patients with metastatic solid cancers. Immune modulators such as IL-2 and anti-CTLA-4 can mediate tumor regression in patients with metastatic melanoma and renal cancer, two tumor types that appear exceptional in their ability to spontaneously harbor endogenous antitumor immune cells. The responses can be long lasting, but the number of patients who benefit from these molecules remains limited. Combinations of these agents with cytotoxic and biologic agents are being investigated as a means to increase response rates and in an attempt to broaden application to other cancer types. Rare responses to cancer vaccines suggest that a better understanding of the underlying biology and mechanism of actions may lead to wider application in the future. The most effective form of immunotherapy thus far, capable of eradicating large tumor burdens in melanoma patients, is the ACT of TIL given to patients after lymphodepletion. As an alternative, lymphocytes engineered to recognize tumor-associated antigens can be safely infused to patients. With this approach, tumor regression is now being reported for cancers other than melanoma, but success remains constrained by the identification of antigens expressed with high specificity by cancer cells and not by normal tissues.
Interaction between the Drosophila CAF-1 and ASF1 Chromatin Assembly Factors

The assembly of newly synthesized DNA into chromatin is essential for normal growth, development, and differentiation. To gain a better understanding of the assembly of chromatin during DNA synthesis, we identified, cloned, and characterized the 180- and 105-kDa polypeptides of Drosophila chromatin assembly factor 1 (dCAF-1). The purified recombinant p180+p105+p55 dCAF-1 complex is active for DNA replication-coupled chromatin assembly. Furthermore, we have established that the putative 75-kDa polypeptide of dCAF-1 is a C-terminally truncated form of p105 that does not coexist in dCAF-1 complexes containing the p105 subunit. The analysis of native and recombinant dCAF-1 revealed an interaction between dCAF-1 and the Drosophila anti-silencing function 1 (dASF1) component of replication-coupling assembly factor (RCAF). The binding of dASF1 to dCAF-1 is mediated through the p105 subunit of dCAF-1. Consistent with the interaction between dCAF-1 p105 and dASF1 in vitro, we observed that dASF1 and dCAF-1 p105 colocalized in vivo in Drosophila polytene chromosomes. This interaction between dCAF-1 and dASF1 may be a key component of the functional synergy observed between RCAF and dCAF-1 during the assembly of newly synthesized DNA into chromatin.
Evaluation of patients with adrenal incidentalomas.

Purpose of reviewAdrenal incidentalomas are common in this era of ubiquitous imaging. There is a lack of consensus on the mode and extent of evaluation, and follow-up of adrenal incidentalomas.Recent findingsThere is increasing evidence of morbidity associated with subclinical hormone excess from fu
Sitting time and cardiometabolic risk in US adults: associations by sex, race, socioeconomic status and activity level

Background Sitting time is associated with adverse health outcomes including chronic disease and premature mortality. However, it is not known if the association of sitting time with cardiometabolic risk factors varies across sociodemographic or health factors. Methods The sample included 4560 adults (≥20 years) who participated in the cross-sectional 2007–2010 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants self-reported typical daily sitting time. Weight, height, blood pressure, and fasting triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), glucose and insulin were measured. Homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and β cell function (HOMA-%B) were calculated. A subsample of 3727 participants underwent an oral glucose tolerance test to obtain 2 h postload glucose levels. Population-weighted linear regression analysis was used to examine the association between sitting time and each cardiometabolic risk factor, stratified by sex, race, socioeconomic status and activity level. Analyses were controlled for demographics, socioeconomic status, survey cycle, personal and family medical history, diet and physical activity. Results Sitting time was significantly associated with adverse levels of waist circumference, body mass index, triglycerides, HDL-C, insulin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-%B and 2 h postload glucose, but not with blood pressure or glucose level. In stratified analyses, sitting time was most consistently related to cardiometabolic risk factors among low and middle socioeconomic groups and for those who reported no weekly physical activity, but there were few differences between sex or race groups. Conclusions Self-reported sitting time was associated with adverse cardiometabolic risk factors consistently across sex and race groups in a representative US sample, independent of other risk factors. Excessive sitting warrants a public health concern.
The Design Challenge By Tom Peters

Though it has been more than 25 years since Tom Peters wrote about “the notion that design should be considered a valuable corporate asset,” that imperative is even more compelling today. Given both globalization and the rapid advance of technology, a major way that businesses can gain a competitive advantage is through disruptive innovation. To achieve such disruptive innovation, organizations need inspiring leaders who embrace transformational change; who hire and reward creative thinkers and risk-takers; who create and cultivate a compelling vision that obsesses on customer-satisfaction; who nurture a culture in which they create, reinforce, and model values in an environment that enables creativity, experimentation, prototyping, and collaboration. What Peters pointed out then is still true today: Design managers and leaders must make the business case for the strategic value of design upfront and throughout the organization so that the kind of thinking that is based on observation and other data-gathering methods, ideation, and implementation keeps the customers front and center and contributes to the business strategy. For when both business and design leaders understand and share the mindset that design drives business value, then we can move forward with effective human-centered solutions to complex customer, organizational, and societal issues. When Tom Peters makes the case for design as a business resource, he delivers his message with wit, clarity, and a wealth of down-to-earth examples. In the arena of products, he hails perception as “all there is,” and notes how design shapes perception. With respect to being close to customers—be they employees, suppliers, or consumers—design is cited as a bridge to these constituencies. And in the realm of organizational management, design is celebrated as responsive leadership, as loving change, and as being passionate about quality and detail.
A Meta-Summary of Qualitative Findings on the Lived Experience among Culturally Diverse Domestic Violence Survivors

This meta-summary study explores, extracts, and summarizes themes from related qualitative studies on the lived experiences and coping mechanisms among culturally diverse domestic violence survivors. Using Sandelowski and Barroso's meta-summary strategy, a systematic literature review of articles published between 1990 and 2010 was conducted using a qualitative approach. Of a total of 802 studies, nine met the study inclusion criteria. This meta-summary of nine studies confirms the recurring themes in primary qualitative studies in the literature that illustrate women's experiences of domestic violence. These themes include (a) the effects of violence, (b) the cyclical nature of violence, (c) normalizing and tolerating violence, (d) the strength and resilience of victims, (e) barriers to help-seeking, and (f) the role of substance use in domestic violence. The review shows key cross-cultural differences in women's perceptions of abuse and the causes and strategies for responding to abuse. The review also reveals the lack of studies on domestic violence among women from Central Asia and the former Soviet Union.
Concatenative sound synthesis and intellectual property: An analysis of the legal issues surrounding the synthesis of novel sounds from copyright-protected work

Abstract Concatenative sound synthesis (CSS) is only as good as the database from which it draws its sound units. As in concatenative speech synthesis, “good” sound concatenations require databases rich in sound material. How better to satisfy this than by using the world's entire library of sound recordings? As can be expected, this concatenative fodder includes work protected by copyrights; and some of these rights appear to forbid the use of these works in both the databases used by, and the results of, the CSS algorithm. These pragmatic concerns necessitate a discussion of the ramifications of intellectual property for CSS, not to mention the appropriation in its output. This article addresses these issues with reference to intellectual property law and copyright precedent, particularly in the USA, and assesses the defensibility of using copyright-protected material in CSS.
Laparoscopic versus open appendicectomy in children: a UK District General Hospital experience.

Abstract Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential role of laparoscopic appendicectomy in reducing morbidity and length of stay in children compared to open procedures in a UK District General Hospital setting. Methods A three-year retrospective review of children ≤15years with histologically confirmed appendicitis who underwent laparoscopic (LA) and/or open (OA) appendicectomy was performed. Choice of operation was based on individual surgeon's preference and on patient's body size. Data collected included rate of histologically complicated appendicitis, post-operative length of stay (LOS), and collective and differential morbidity rates, i.e., wound infection, intra-abdominal collection, and ileus. Chi-square and Mann–Whitney tests were used for statistical analysis. P Results Eighty children (70% male) were identified at median age 11 (3–15) years. They could be divided into complicated (n=18, 22%) and simple appendicitis (n=62, 78%). Appendicectomy was performed in all as an OPEN (n=53, 66%) or LAPAROSCOPIC (n=27, 34%) procedure. Both groups were comparable in gender distribution ( P =0.11) and rate of complicated appendicitis (30% vs. 19%, respectively; P =0.27). Median age was significantly lower in the OPEN group [10 (3–15) vs. 12 (7–15) years; P P P P =0.14). Conclusion Laparoscopic appendicectomy in children in a UK District General Hospital is safe and was associated with significantly less post-operative morbidity than the open technique.
Tistarite, Ti2O3, a new refractory mineral from the Allende meteorite

Tistarite, ideally Ti_2O_3, is a new member of the corundum-hematite group. It is found as one subhedral crystal in a cluster of micrometer-sized refractory grains along with khamrabaevite (TiC), rutile, and corundum crystals within a chondrule from the Allende meteorite. The mean chemical composition determined by electron microprobe analysis is (wt%) Ti_2O_3 94.94, MgO 2.06, Al_2O_3 1.50, ZrO_2 0.44, FeO 0.24, CaO 0.10, Cr_2O_3 0.06, sum 99.34. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 3 O atoms is (Ti^(3+)_(1.90)Mg_(0.07)Al_(0.04)Zr_(0.01))∑_(2.02)O_3. Tistarite is rhombohedral, R3–c; a = 5.158 A, c = 13.611 A, V = 313.61 A^3, and Z = 6. Its electron back-scatter diffraction pattern matches that of synthetic Ti_2O_3 with the R3–c structure. The strongest calculated X-ray powder diffraction lines from the synthetic Ti_2O_3 data are [d spacing in A (I) hkl]: 3.734 (84) (012), 2.707 (88) (104), 2.579 (90) (110), 2.242 (38) (113), 1.867 (33) (024), 1.703 (100) (116), 1.512 (28) (214), 1.489 (46) (300), 1.121 (20) (226), 0.896 (25) (416). The mineral is named after the composition "Ti" and the word "star," implying that this new refractory mineral is among the first solids formed in the solar system.
When Status Hurts: Dimensions of Women’s Status and Domestic Abuse in Rural Northern India

This study is a multiple logistic regression analysis of the relationship between dimensions of women's status and domestic abuse in rural Uttar Pradesh, India, using the 1998-1999 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2). Findings indicate that the effects of a woman's status on her likelihood of experiencing abuse depend on the social realm within which status operates. Specifically, more "public" dimensions of status are associated with a greater probability of abuse, while "domestic" dimensions are protective. The findings are interpreted in terms of transitioning gender norms in Uttar Pradesh and provide clarity to the literature on the complex relationship between status and abuse.
Somatostatin receptor ligands and resistance to treatment in pituitary adenomas

Somatostatin (SST), an inhibitory polypeptide with two biologically active forms SST14 and SST28, inhibits GH, prolactin (PRL), TSH, and ACTH secretion in the anterior pituitary gland. SST also has an antiproliferative effect inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Such actions are mediated through five G-protein-coupled somatostatin receptors (SSTR): SSTR1-SSTR5. In GH-secreting adenomas, SSTR2 expression predominates, and somatostatin receptor ligands (SRLs; octreotide and lanreotide) directed to SSTR2 are presently the mainstays of medical therapy. However, about half of patients show incomplete biochemical remission, but the definition of resistance per se remains controversial. We summarize here the determinants of SRL resistance in acromegaly patients, including clinical, imaging features as well as molecular (mutations, SSTR variants, and polymorphisms), and histopathological (granulation pattern, and proteins and receptor expression) predictors. The role of SSTR5 may explain the partial responsiveness to SRLs in patients with adequate SSTR2 density in the cell membrane. In patients with ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas, i.e. Cushing's disease (CD), SSTR5 is the most abundant receptor expressed and tumors show low SSTR2 density due to hypercortisolism-induced SSTR2 down-regulation. Clinical studies with pasireotide, a multireceptor-targeted SRL with increased SSTR5 activity, lead to approval of pasireotide for treatment of patients with CD. Other SRL delivery modes (oral octreotide), multireceptor-targeted SRL (somatoprim) or chimeric compounds targeting dopamine D2 receptors and SSTR2 (dopastatin), are briefly discussed.
Effectiveness of UV Exposure of Items Contaminated with Anthrax Spores in a Class 2 Biosafety Cabinet and a Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory Pass-Box

Aims: To determine the effectiveness and limitations of ultraviolet (UV) germicidal lamps in biosafety cabinets and pass-boxes, with particular reference to anthrax spores. Methods and Results: An estimated 50 colony forming units (CFUs) of spores of the Sterne strain of Bacillus anthracis were distributed on blood agar plates and on smooth and rough plastic surfaces, glass slides, galvanized metal strips, squares of writing paper, nitrocellulose/cellulose acetate strips, and membrane filters. After drying these were exposed in triplicate to the UV sources of a Class 2 biosafety cabinet and a biosafety level (BSL) 3 pass-box for various time periods. Viable B. anthracis could not be recovered from hard surfaces at 15 minutes (the shortest time period tested) when fully exposed to UV at intensities of i 3.8 W/m2 (the lowest intensity tested) in a Class 2 biosafety cabinet and a BSL3 pass-box. However, the penetrating ability of the UV was found to be extremely limited with even the microstructural elements of nitrocellulose or similar membranes able to substantially shield the spores. The UV failed totally to penetrate thin (66 µm) paper or Petri dish plastic, although it did penetrate plastic sandwich wrap. Conclusions: The UV from germicidal lamps in biosafety cabinets and pass-boxes is rapidly sporicidal for fully exposed anthrax spores on hard surfaces but is readily nullified by the slightest obstacle to direct exposure. Significance and Impact of the Study: The results fill a major information gap for those devising or following protocols for decontamination of items and materials in biosafety cabinets and pass-boxes. Such protocols need to be written around a full comprehension of the data presented here.
Mechanisms of ammonia and ammonium transport by rhesus-associated glycoproteins

In this study we characterized ammonia and ammonium (NH3/NH4+) transport by the rhesus-associated (Rh) glycoproteins RhAG, Rhbg, and Rhcg expressed in Xenopus oocytes. We used ion-selective microel...