cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management Education Drifts into the 21st Century

* breadth of curriculum and pedagogical techniques to broaden the scope of the interests of business school students; * greater attention to the external environment (e.g., government relations, societal trends, legal climate, and international developments) of business and management; * serious, intensive consideration of the international dimensions of business education; * recognition that our society is increasingly service and information driven; * integration of curricula across functional areas; and * additional education in interpersonal and communication skills.
The Follicular Occlusion Triad

Acne conglobata, chronic hidradenitis suppurativa, and dissecting cellulitis of the scalp make up the follicular occlusion triad. A brief review of the literature is followed by a discussion of treatment.
Analysis of health status among middle school students in villages and towns of Qinnan district of Qinzhou city in 2013

Objective To study health status among the middle school students in Qinnan District of Qinzhou City.Methods Cross-sectional survey and the cluster sampling method was adopted for investigating health status of 15 384 middle school students from 15 township middle school in Qinnan District of Qinzhou City. Results Totally healthy rate is41.68%,that of lower height is 19.08%, lower body weight rate is 23.93%, malnutrition rates 25.46%, the overweight rate was 0.99%, obesity rate was 1.49%, rate of low vision is 27.24%, trachoma rate is 0.29%, dental caries prevalence rate is40.76%. Conclusion Many physique and health indicators among the students are better than the national average in2010, and it is necessary to improve the level of students' constitution and health.
Current Status and Strategic Planning of Sinkhole Collapses in China

Karst land covers a total of 3,650,000 km2 area in China and 600,000 km2 of those areas are at high risk of sinkhole collapses. Sinkhole collapse has increasingly becoming a major geo-hazard in many karst areas in China. With support from China Geological Survey (CGS), we have started conducting investigations on sinkholes in many areas impacted by collapsing events. More than 1,500 karst collapsing events were recorded in China and these events formed more than 45,000 sinkholes. These sinkholes were mainly distributed in covered karst areas in southern, southwestern, and central regions of China. The majority of these collapses were cover-collapsed sinkholes. More than 30 metropolitan and large cities, over 40 mines, 25 railways, and hundreds of dams were severely impacted by sinkhole collapses. Nearly 75 % of all sinkholes were triggered by human activities. Human induced sinkholes are mainly caused by drastic water level fluctuations in karst aquifers. These activities include water pumping, mine drainage, foundation engineering, and tunnel constructions. This paper introduces current status and techniques involved in sinkhole investigations as well as strategic planning for future research and assessment of sinkhole hazards.
Algorithm Complexity: Two Simple Examples

We start in this first lesson with the concept of algorithm complexity and use two simple examples to illustrate the applicability of continuous mathematics.
Safety from personal violence

Face aux agressions et autres abus graves, en particulier a l'encontre des enfants, l'A. considere qu'une des meilleures protections consiste a etablir en toutes circonstances des echanges verbaux avec des proches. En effet, les agresseurs choisissent souvent leur victime parmi les personnes qu'ils sentent les moins entourees, donc les plus vulnerables. Il vante les vertus synergiques de l'echange d'information. Il met en evidence deux approches opposees face a la violence : faire la guerre aux agresseurs ou faire la paix aux victimes. Il privilegie cette deuxieme approche qui requiert la vertu de l'ecoute, qui seule peut renforcer l'environnement et les defenses des victimes ou victimes potentielles. L'ecoute implique egalement que l'on laisse a la victime la possibilite de decider de la direction que doivent prendre les debats.
Sovereignty and Territorial Temptation: The Grotian Tendency

This powerful book stands on its head the most venerated tradition in international law and discusses the challenges of scarcity, sovereignty, and territorial temptation. Newly emergent resources, accessible through global climate change, discovery, or technological advancement, highlight time-tested problems of sovereignty and challenge liberal internationalism's promise of beneficial or shared solutions. From the High Arctic to the hyper-arid reaches of the Atacama Desert, from the South China Sea to the history of the law of the sea, from doctrinal and scholarly treatments to institutional forms of global governance, the historically recurring problem of territorial temptation in the ageless age of scarcity calls into question the future of the global commons, and illuminates the tendency among states to share resources, but only when necessary.
Social status level and dimension interactively influence person evaluations indexed by P300s.

ABSTRACTFunctional neuroimaging research suggests that status-based evaluations may not solely depend on the level of social status but also on the conferred status dimension. However, no reports to date have studied how status level and dimension shape early person evaluations. To explore early status-based person evaluations, event-related brain potential data were collected from 29 participants while they indicated the status level and dimension of faces that had been previously trained to be associated with one of four status types: high moral, low moral, high financial, or low financial. Analysis of the P300 amplitude (previously implicated in social evaluation) revealed an interaction of status level and status dimension such that enhanced P300 amplitudes were observed in response to targets of high financial and low moral status relative to targets of low financial and high moral status. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of our current understanding of status-based evaluat...
AML patients with IDH1 or IDH2 mutations treated with hypomethylating agents: A case series.

6576 Background: Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and IDH2 mutations play a significant role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), yet optimal treatment for AML patients with IDH mutations remains uncl...
Accurate and precise ab initio anharmonic free-energy calculations for metallic crystals: Application to hcp Fe at high temperature and pressure

A framework for computing the anharmonic free energy (FE) of metallic crystals using Born-Oppenheimer ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulation, with unprecedented efficiency, is introduced and demonstrated for the hcp phase of iron at extreme conditions (up to $\ensuremath{\approx}290$ GPa and 5000 K). The advances underlying this work are: (1) A recently introduced harmonically-mapped averaging temperature integration (HMA-TI) method that reduces the computational cost by order(s) of magnitude compared to the conventional TI approach. The TI path starts from zero Kelvin, where it assumes the behavior is given exactly by a harmonic treatment; this feature restricts application to systems that have no imaginary phonons in this limit. (2) A Langevin thermostat with the HMA-TI method that allows the use of a relatively large MD time step (4 fs, which is about eight times larger than the size needed for the Andersen thermostat) without loss of accuracy. (3) AIMD sampling is accelerated by using density functional theory (DFT) with a low-level parameter set, then the measured quantities of selected configurations are robustly reweighted to a higher level of DFT. This introduces a speedup of about 20--$30\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}$ compared to directly simulating the accurate system. (4a) The temperature ($T$) dependence of the hcp equilibrium shape (i.e., $c/a$ axial ratio) is determined (including anharmonicity), with uncertainty less than $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.001$. (4b) Electronic excitation is included through Mermin's finite-temperature extension of the $T=0$ K DFT. A simple FE perturbation method is introduced to handle the difficulty associated with applying the TI method with a $T$-dependent geometry and (due to electronic excitation) potential-energy surface. (5) The FE in the thermodynamic limit is attained through extrapolation of only the (computationally inexpensive) quasiharmonic FE, because the anharmonic FE contribution has negligible finite-size effects. All methods introduced here do not affect the AIMD sampling---results are obtained through post-processing---so established AIMD codes can be employed without modification. Analytical formulas fitted to the results for the variation of the equilibrium $c/a$ ratio and FE components with $T$ are provided. Notably, effects of magnetic excitations are not included and may yet prove important to the overall FE; if so, it is plausible that such contributions can be added perturbatively to the FE values reported here. Notwithstanding these considerations, FE values are obtained with an estimated accuracy and precision of 2 meV/atom, suggesting that the capability to compute the phase diagram of iron at Earth's inner core conditions is within reach.
Slices, Embeddings and Cancellation

The Zariski Cancellation Problem can be viewed as a descendant of Zariski’s cancellation question for fields; see Sect. 1.1.2 . It can be stated as follows.
Enlightened Sexuality: Exploring the Implications of Sacred Sexuality:

For many Christians spirituality and sexuality are kept in separate compartments of life, limiting both spiritual formation and adult sexual development. This study explored a concept of sacred sex...
Trust liable for hypoxic birth injury and psychiatric injury caused to mother and grandmother: RE v Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust [2017] EWHC 824 (QB) (High Court, 12 April 2017 – Goss J):

In this case concerning a hypoxic birth injury, the High Court awarded damages for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to two “secondary victims” (the mother and grandmother) caused by the events in que...
Tradeoffs between immune function and childhood growth among Amazonian forager-horticulturalists

Immune function is an energetically costly physiological activity that potentially diverts calories away from less immediately essential life tasks. Among developing organisms, the allocation of energy toward immune function may lead to tradeoffs with physical growth, particularly in high-pathogen, low-resource environments. The present study tests this hypothesis across diverse timeframes, branches of immunity, and conditions of energy availability among humans. Using a prospective mixed-longitudinal design, we collected anthropometric and blood immune biomarker data from 261 Amazonian forager-horticulturalist Shuar children (age 4-11 y old). This strategy provided baseline measures of participant stature, s.c. body fat, and humoral and cell-mediated immune activity as well as subsample longitudinal measures of linear growth (1 wk, 3 mo, 20 mo) and acute inflammation. Multilevel analyses demonstrate consistent negative effects of immune function on growth, with children experiencing up to 49% growth reduction during periods of mildly elevated immune activity. The direct energetic nature of these relationships is indicated by (i) the manifestation of biomarker-specific negative immune effects only when examining growth over timeframes capturing active competition for energetic resources, (ii) the exaggerated impact of particularly costly inflammation on growth, and (iii) the ability of children with greater levels of body fat (i.e., energy reserves) to completely avoid the growth-inhibiting effects of acute inflammation. These findings provide evidence for immunologically and temporally diverse body fat-dependent tradeoffs between immune function and growth during childhood. We discuss the implications of this work for understanding human developmental energetics and the biological mechanisms regulating variation in human ontogeny, life history, and health.
Early life stress, stress-resilience/susceptibility and oxidative stress

Adverse experiences during early life contribute to the development of psychiatric conditions later in life. In fact, young children who experience stressful traumatic event(s) during early life, a sensitive developmental period, are considered highly vulnerable to psychiatric disorders in adult life. Interestingly, not all children who experience stressful events are equally at risk of developing later life psychiatric disorders. Some are resilient in spite of being exposed to the same risk factors, while others are susceptible. The mechanistic basis for resilience/susceptibility is not clear. Using an early life stress model of Sprague Dawley rats, the mechanisms governing this phenotype segregation were revealed. Depression-susceptible phenotype is associated with high oxidative stress, low antioxidant status, defective redox-sensitive Nrf2 transcription factor and hyperactive NF-KB transcription factor, selectively in the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) area of the brain. The resistant phenotype displayed low oxidative stress, high antioxidant status, activated Nrf2 and inactivated NF-KB pathways.
Combined Lid Crease and Endoscopic Approach to Lateral Frontal Sinus Disease With Orbital Extension.

Introduction Functional endoscopic sinus surgery for frontal sinus disease has obviated the need for external approaches. Special circumstances such as acute infection with orbital involvement or significant lateral sinus disease frequently require adjunct access. We describe the clinical outcomes of a combined upper eyelid crease and endoscopic approach for lateral frontal sinus disease with orbital extension. Methods A retrospective case series of 7 patients who underwent a combined lid crease approach for frontal sinus disease with orbital extension between April 2012 and October 2016 was performed. All patients had the presence of lateral frontal sinus disease as well as orbital extension as seen on a preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan. Patient demographics, indications for surgery, and perioperative findings were examined. Results Six of the 7 patients were male. Mean age was 61 years, and the indication for surgery was primarily drainage of mucopyocele and inverting papilloma (IP) in 1 patient. The frontal sinus and orbit were successfully accessed, and the respective pathology was addressed in both locations. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were encountered. There was no postoperative or cosmetic complications. Conclusion The combined lid crease and endoscopic approach is a safe and effective technique for accessing the lateral frontal sinus and orbit.
The Seismic Reflection/Refraction Method: Wide Aperture Data Obtained in Multiship Experiments

Multiple ships equipped with multichannel seismic receiving arrays and sound sources can be used in a variety of configurations to acquire wide aperture seismic reflection and refraction data. One experiment, the Expanding Spread Profile, acquires Common Midpoint data as two ships steam on opposite tracks away from the midpoint of the profile. Source-receiver separations of 100 km or greater are achieved with a maximum seismogram separation of 100 m. Source-receiver offsets are accurately measured using Raydist ranging. The density of the recorded data make it possible to transform the data acquired to the domain of intercept time and ray parameter for analysis. This experiment provides detailed velocity-depth information at a fixed geographic location for deep ctustal and subcrustal studies. In a second two-ship experiment both ships steam on the same track at a fixed separation selected to track arrivals from target horizons. By alternately firing their sound sources and recording the arrivals from both sources, the two ships can acquire Wide Angle Common Mid-point data at a constant offset. Since the offsets of interest are typically less than 30 km, range can be determined using a Miniranger type ranging unit. These data can also be interpreted in terms of vertical delay time and ray parameter along the track traversed.
Planning for Your Child’s Higher Education

We now move to the last step in the PADD process of wealth accumulation and management: distributing your wealth. Toward that end, this section of the book focuses on the distribution of wealth during your lifetime and considers the common financial goals of saving and planning for your child’s higher education and your own retirement. It also discusses how to save and plan for other lifetime financial goals you may have, such as starting your own business. Then, the last section of the book takes up the process of distributing your wealth at death.
A software engineering approach to the documentation and development of an international decision support system

This paper provides an overview of how software engineering techniques can be applied in decision support systems courses. Specifically, this paper describes a systematic course of action for documenting and developing a decision support system for a dynamic application. The course of action is grounded in the software engineering research methodology (SERM) as well as the waterfall software development lifecycle. A case study on the documentation and development of a web-based cost estimator for application for the Al-Sawaf Trading Establishment (ATE) is presented. The paper concludes with lessons learned and recommendations for applying software engineering techniques in other computing courses.
Smoke and mirrors: reflecting files at a geographically remote location without loss of performance

The Smoke and Mirrors File System (SMFS) mirrors files at geographically remote datacenter locations with negligible impact on file system performance at the primary site, and minimal degradation as a function of link latency. It accomplishes this goal using wide-area links that run at extremely high speeds, but have long round-trip-time latencies--a combination of properties that poses problems for traditional mirroring solutions. In addition to its raw speed, SMFS maintains good synchronization: should the primary site become completely unavailable, the system minimizes loss of work, even for applications that simultaneously update groups of files. We present the SMFS design, then evaluate the system on Emulab and the Cornell National Lambda Rail (NLR) Ring testbed. Intended applications include wide-area file sharing and remote backup for disaster recovery.
Role of the Depolarizing GABA Response in Epilepsy

The term “seizure” underscores two fundamental characteristics of epileptic phenomena: they are sudden and unexpected deviations from the normal function of the nervous system. Thus 2 important criteria for a candidate convulsant mechanism are that the mechanism is compatible with normal neural functioning, and that the mechanism can produce rapid deviations from normal function. For example, the blockade of GABA-mediated inhibition is a robust and frequently studied experimental convulsant mechanism,26,28 but is unlikely to underlie human epilepsy because it is not compatible with normal function nor is it capable of sudden transitions from normal function. Of course, we can modify the GABA-block hypothesis to incorporate the “sudden and unexpected” criterion by proposing that the sudden and unexpected features arise from the condition that imposes the reduction in GABA efficacy.
Multi-antenna Techniques

Rayleigh fading converts an exponential dependency of the bit error probability on the average received bit energy-to-noise ratio into an inverse linear one, yielding a very large performance loss. Diversity is a very effective remedy that exploits the principle of providing the receiver with multiple independently faded replicas of the same information bearing signal. This chapter concentrates on antenna diversity techniques, although the mathematical concepts will readily apply to other types of diversity as well. Diversity systems consisting of a single transmit antenna and multiple receiver antennas are first considered. Various diversity combining techniques are treated including selective combining, maximal ratio combining, equal gain combining, switched combining, and differential detection with post-detection equal gain combining. Afterwards, optimum combining is considered which is useful for combating both fading and co-channel interference. The chapter then considers classical antenna beam-forming. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels are introduced and, afterwards, various MIMO techniques are considered including the Alamouti transmit diversity scheme and spatial multiplexing and detection. Spatial modulation is considered next, where only one antenna in an array is activated. Finally, the chapter wraps up with a treatment of massive MIMO.
A Review on The Role of VEGF in Tamoxifen Resistance

Background Certain molecular deviations can lead to the development of breast cancer. For instance, estrogen and estrogen receptors play a significant role in inducing tumor proliferation. However, the efficacy of endocrine therapy through the administration of anti-estrogen drugs, such as Tamoxifen, is challenged by acquired resistance. Methods Relevant articles were retrieved from Medline and google scholar. All were screened to select the ones discussing the molecular mechanisms of angiogenesis and Tamoxifen resistance. The molecular interactions contributing in the resistant network were studied from the eligible articles. Results Tamoxifen resistance occurs as a consequence of over-activated signal transduction pathways such as RTK s dependent cascades. It has been shown that microvessel count was greater in Tamoxifen resistant tissues than in responsive ones. Conclusion In this review, the interaction between estrogen, Tamoxifen, VEGF, and VEGF receptors (VEGFRs) in Tamoxifen resistant cells has been discussed. VEGF and estrogen-independent growth cascades, especially MAPK have a positive feedback loop in Tamoxifen resistant cells. It has been proposed that over-activated pathways in Tamoxifen resistant cells induce pin1 mediated VEGF over-expression, which in turn result in enhanced activation of MAPK.
Evaluation of Bio-relevant Mouth-Throat Models for Characterization of Metered Dose Inhalers

For inhalation drug characterization, the traditionally used USP induction port provides limited in vivo predictive capability because it does not adequately mimic airway geometry. In this study, various bio-relevant mouth-throat (MT) models, including Alberta Idealized Throat (AIT), and 3D printed large/medium/small-sized VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) models were evaluated using two metered dose inhaler (MDI) drug products: a solution MDI containing beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP-MDI) and a suspension MDI containing fluticasone propionate (FP-MDI). For BDP-MDI, use of VCU large and small MT models resulted in a significantly higher MT deposition and lower fine particle fraction (FPF) compared with the other MT models. In the case of FP-MDI, the three VCU models resulted in higher MT deposition and lower FPF compared with the USP induction port and AIT. Overall, the in vitro testing results for the suspension MDI were more sensitive to geometric differences of the MT models than those for the solution MDI. Our results suggest that in vitro characterization of MDI products can be influenced by many factors, including the type of formulation, the MT geometry, shape, internal space volume, and the material used to make the MT models.
Relation Between Cigarette Smoking and Heart Failure (from the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis)

We studied the association between cigarette smoking and incident heart failure (HF) in a racially diverse US cohort. We included 6,792 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis with information on cigarette smoking at baseline, characterized by status, intensity, burden, and time since quitting. Adjudicated outcomes included total incident HF cases and HF stratified by ejection fraction (EF) into HF with reduced EF (HFrEF; EF ≤ 40%) and preserved EF (HFpEF; EF ≥ 50%). We used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors and accounted for competing risk of each HF type. Mean age was 62 ± 10 years; 53% were women, 61% were nonwhite, and 13% were current smokers. A total of 279 incident HF cases occurred over a median follow-up of 12.2 years. The incidence rates of HFrEF and HFpEF were 2.2 and 1.9 cases per 1000 person-years, respectively. Current smoking was associated with higher risk of HF compared with never smoking (hazard ratio [HR], 2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36 to 3.09); this was similar for HFrEF (HR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.27 to 5.25) and HFpEF (HR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.15 to 5.49). Former smoking was not significantly associated with HF (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.56). Smoking intensity, burden, and time since quitting did not provide additional information for HF risk after accounting for smoking status.
Photopumped laser operation of MO‐CVD AlxGa1−xAs near a GaAs quantum well (λ≳6200 Å, 77 °K)

Data are presented showing that AlxGa1−xAs (x∼0.42) grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MO‐CVD) will operate as a photopumped laser to wavelengths as short as ∼6200 A (77 °K). From the different spectral behavior of two separately photopumped epitaxial AlxGa1−xAs (x∼0.36) confining layers (1 and 0.3 μm thick) with an 80‐A (and a comparison 200‐A) GaAs quantum‐well center layer, the recombination of hot electrons with holes collected in the quantum layer is used to estimate ΔEv.
Blood transfusion for deep space exploration.

Background Astronauts on exploration missions may be at risk for traumatic injury and medical conditions that lead to life threatening hemorrhage. Resuscitation protocols are limited by the austere conditions of spaceflight. Solutions may be found in low-resource terrestrial settings. The existing literature on alternative blood product administration and walking blood banks was evaluated for applicability to spaceflight. Study design and methods A literature review was done using PubMed and Google Scholar. References were crosschecked for additional publications not identified using the initial search terms. Twenty-seven articles were identified, including three controlled trials, six retrospective cohort analyses, 15 reviews, one case report, and two experimental studies. Results Solutions to blood transfusion in austere settings include lyophilized blood products, hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs), and fresh whole blood. Many of these products are investigational. Protocols for walking blood banks include methods for screening and activating donors, transfusion, and monitoring for adverse reactions. Microgravity and mission limitations create additional challenges for transfusion, including baseline physiologic changes, difficulty reconstituting lyophilized products, risk of air emboli during transfusion, equipment constraints, and limited evacuation and surgical options. Conclusion Medical planning for space exploration should consider the possibility of acute blood loss. A model for "floating" blood banks based on terrestrial walking blood bank protocols from austere environments is presented, with suggestions for future development. Constraints on volume, mass, storage, and crew, present challenges to blood transfusion in space and must be weighed against the benefits of expanding medical capabilities.
Sorting the News: How Ranking by Popularity Polarizes Our Politics

Most people receive political news from social media platforms. Unlike traditional media, these platforms algorithmically determine the order in which news is presented, in part relying on an artic...
The fate of a transitional chief in colonial Acholiland: Iburaim Lutanyamoi Awich, 1850s–1946

This article examines the life and career of Chief Iburaim Lutanyamoi Awich, arguably the most influential and controversial chief at the dawn of colonial rule in northern Uganda. When Acholiland w...
1-O-Alkylglycerol accumulation reveals abnormal ether glycerolipid metabolism in Sjögren-Larsson syndrome

Abstract Sjogren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is an inherited metabolic disease characterized by ichthyosis, spasticity, intellectual disability and deficient oxidation and accumulation of of fatty aldehydes and alcohols. We investigated whether excess fatty alcohols in SLS are diverted into biosynthesis of ether glycerolipids (eGLs) by measuring the 1-O-alkylglycerol (AG) backbone of eGLs in stratum corneum, plasma and red blood cells (RBCs). In all tissues, saturated and monounsaturated AGs were detected. In stratum corneum from SLS patients, saturated AGs (C15-C20) were increased 97-fold (range: 86- to 169-fold) compared to controls. AGs were largely (67 ± 9%) derived from neutral esterified eGLs (i.e. alkyl-diacylglyerol) and free non-esterified AGs (28 ± 10%), but very little from plasmalogens (3 ± 5%). Plasma from SLS patients had 2-fold more C18:0-AG (p
Global computational alignment of tumor and cell line transcriptional profiles.

Cell lines are key tools for preclinical cancer research, but it remains unclear how well they represent patient tumor samples. Direct comparisons of tumor and cell line transcriptional profiles are complicated by several factors, including the variable presence of normal cells in tumor samples. We thus develop an unsupervised alignment method (Celligner) and apply it to integrate several large-scale cell line and tumor RNA-Seq datasets. Although our method aligns the majority of cell lines with tumor samples of the same cancer type, it also reveals large differences in tumor similarity across cell lines. Using this approach, we identify several hundred cell lines from diverse lineages that present a more mesenchymal and undifferentiated transcriptional state and that exhibit distinct chemical and genetic dependencies. Celligner could be used to guide the selection of cell lines that more closely resemble patient tumors and improve the clinical translation of insights gained from cell lines. The determination of whether cancer cell lines recapitulate the molecular features of corresponding patient tumours remains essential for the selection of appropriate cell line models for preclinical studies. The method developed here, Celligner, integrates cancer cell line and tumour RNA-seq datasets and reveals large differences in their concordance across cell lines and cancer types.
Natural and Synthetic Saponins as Vaccine Adjuvants.

Saponin adjuvants have been extensively studied for their use in veterinary and human vaccines. Among them, QS-21 stands out owing to its unique profile of immunostimulating activity, inducing a balanced Th1/Th2 immunity, which is valuable to a broad scope of applications in combating various microbial pathogens, cancers, and other diseases. It has recently been approved for use in human vaccines as a key component of combination adjuvants, e.g., AS01b in Shingrix® for herpes zoster. Despite its usefulness in research and clinic, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of QS-21 and other saponin adjuvants are poorly understood. Extensive efforts have been devoted to studies for understanding the mechanisms of QS-21 in different formulations and in different combinations with other adjuvants, and to medicinal chemistry studies for gaining mechanistic insights and development of practical alternatives to QS-21 that can circumvent its inherent drawbacks. In this review, we briefly summarize the current understandings of the mechanism underlying QS-21’s adjuvanticity and the encouraging results from recent structure-activity-relationship (SAR) studies.
Soccer League Tired of Getting Kicked Around

The NASL originally filed an antitrust suit against U.S. Soccer in September 2017. The league alleged the federation and three co-conspirators — Major League Soccer, Soccer United Marketing and the United Soccer League — unlawfully prevented the NASL from competing with MLS as a Division I pro soccer league. The NASL also asserted that U.S. Soccer sought to illegally revoke the NASL’s Division II status in favor of MLS’ minor league, the United Soccer League, so that it could become the sole Division II league. Thus, the NASL argued it required an injunction to prevent U.S. Soccer from classifying leagues by division. Without further judicial intervention, the survivability of the NASL is at risk.
An enhanced inverted encoding model for neural reconstructions

Abstract Inverted encoding models (IEMs) have recently become a popular method for investigating neural representations by reconstructing the contents of perception, attention, and memory from neuroimaging data. However, the standard IEM procedure can produce spurious results and interpretation issues. Here we present a novel modification to IEMs (“enhanced inverted encoding modeling,” eIEM) that addresses key issues inherent in the standard IEM procedure, improves the flexibility and interpretability of stimulus reconstructions, and provides trial-by-trial stimulus predictions and goodness-of-fit estimates. Our modifications are advantageous due to our decoding metric taking into account the choice of population-level tuning functions and employing a prediction error-based metric directly comparable across experiments. Our modifications also allow trial-by-trial confidence estimates independent of prediction error which can be used to threshold reconstructions and improve neural decoding performance and brain-behavior correlations. We validate the improved utility of eIEM across three fMRI datasets and offer a Python package for easy implementation.
Beyond overwhelmed: A new measure of the functional impact of toxic stress on parents of young children

Abstract This study investigates the reliability and construct validity of the Functional Impact of Toxic Stress for Parents (FITS-P) measure in an online crowdsourced pilot sample (n = 202) and a pediatric clinic sample (n = 889). The objective of the FITS-P is to provide a low burden (i.e., four items) measure for capturing aspects of the parental side of the toxic stress equation, specifically defining toxic stress as being severe enough to go beyond feelings of overwhelm to functional impairment in major domains of life. Patterns of item endorsement were analyzed in both samples, and construct validity was assessed in the clinic sample in relation to a series of measures of parental stress and psychological resources also administered to parents. Overall, analyses supported reliability and validity, and suggest utility of this new measure. Most importantly, it was found that only a single FITS-P item endorsed was sufficient to produce a significant increase in risk for most of the construct validity measures. This suggests that, as hoped, functional impact may capture parental variance in the toxic stress constellation more efficiently and effectively than typical methods such as life event stress, adverse childhood experiences, or perceived stressfulness of only the parenting role. Results are discussed in terms of the promise of the FITS-P as a low-burden assessment that can be used in two-generational approaches to ameliorating toxic stress.
Tics and tremors.

Tics are the most common movement disorder of childhood. The single tic, or habit spasm, is benign and self-limited. Complex tic disorders include other features such a multiple tics, vocal tics, and complex stereotyped movements. Tourette syndrome represents the most-severe end of a spectrum of tic disorders. The basic features are multiple tics and vocalizations with a changing repertoire over time. Severity waxes and wanes spontaneously. Treatment with haloperidol is effective but associated with a high incidence of side effects. Some cases undergo remission in late adolescence. There is a strong genetic component. Sympathomimetic drugs may precipitate the syndrome. Tremors are less common in children. Essential tremor is a benign but troublesome condition which frequently is familial. Treatment with propranolol is effective. The majority of tremors in the pediatric age group are due to underlying metabolic, endocrine, or heredodegenerative disorders. Treatment is that of the underlying biochemical abnormality.
Chapter 13 Immunotherapy of Infectious Diseases

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the current research on immunomodulating agents and their role in the immunotherapy of infectious diseases, in particular. The ever expanding clinical application of the immunosuppressive drugs has led to a significant increase in the number of opportunistic (nosocomial) infectious diseases. The latter, coupled with the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex, and a large population of immune compromised cancer patients is turning the effective treatment of opportunistic infections caused by both bacteria and fungi into a major challenge for scientists at all levels of drug research. The immunomodulating activity of various drugs including their mode of action and application in veterinary medicine has been the matter of interest. A novel method for the assay of immunomodulating drugs and its application to culture broths of microorganisms is developed along with a new procedure for screening of immunomodulators by injection of laboratory animals and subsequent isolation of the peritoneal macrophages and evaluation of their 5′-nucleotidase activity. One of the vital functions of the immune system is to provide defense against infectious diseases. Several populations of phagocytic and lymphoid cells and a number of soluble factors, as a part of the immune system, play an important role in providing such defense by either directly participating in the inflammatory response or by regulating the intensity of the immune response and augmenting the potency of the phagocytic cells.
MO-G-304-04: Generating Well-Dispersed Representations of the Pareto Front for Multi-Criteria Optimization in Radiation Treatment Planning

Purpose: To present a novel multi-criteria optimization (MCO) solution approach that generates well-dispersed representation of the Pareto front for radiation treatment planning. Methods: Different algorithms have been proposed and implemented in commercial planning software to generate MCO plans for external-beam radiation therapy. These algorithms consider convex optimization problems. We propose a grid-based algorithm to generate well-dispersed treatment plans over Pareto front. Our method is able to handle nonconvexity in the problem to deal with dose-volume objectives/constraints, biological objectives, such as equivalent uniform dose (EUD), tumor control probability (TCP), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), etc. In addition, our algorithm is able to provide single MCO plan when clinicians are targeting narrow bounds of objectives for patients. In this situation, usually none of the generated plans were within the bounds and a solution is difficult to identify via manual navigation. We use the subproblem formulation utilized in the grid-based algorithm to obtain a plan within the specified bounds. The subproblem aims to generate a solution that maps into the rectangle defined by the bounds. If such a solution does not exist, it generates the solution closest to the rectangle. We tested our method with 10 locally advanced head and neck cancer cases. Results: 8 objectives were used including 3 different objectives for primary target volume, high-risk and low-risk target volumes, and 5 objectives for each of the organs-at-risk (OARs) (two parotids, spinal cord, brain stem and oral cavity). Given tight bounds, uniform dose was achieved for all targets while as much as 26% improvement was achieved in OAR sparing comparing to clinical plans without MCO and previously proposed MCO method. Conclusion: Our method is able to obtain well-dispersed treatment plans to attain better approximation for convex and nonconvex Pareto fronts. Single treatment plan can be achieved when given bounds on the objectives.
Supersymmetric QCD corrections to Higgs-b production: Is the Δb approximation accurate?

The associated production of a Higgs boson with a $b$ quark is a discovery channel for the lightest MSSM neutral Higgs boson. We consider the supersymmetric QCD contributions from squarks and gluinos and discuss the decoupling properties of these effects. A detailed comparison of our exact $\mathcal{O}({\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s})$ results with those of a widely used effective Lagrangian approach, the ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{b}$ approximation, is presented. The ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{b}$ approximation is shown to accurately reproduce the exact one-loop supersymmetric QCD result to within a few percent over a wide range of parameter space.
An XML-Based cross-language framework

We introduce XMLVM, a Turing complete XML-based programming language based on a stack-based, virtual machine. We show how XMLVM can automatically be created from Java class-files and .NET’s Intermediate Language. While the programmer is never directly exposed to XMLVM, we provide tools based on XMLVM for tasks such as cross-language functional testing or code migration.
Inhibition of NAD(P)H oxidase reduces apoptosis and avascular retina in an animal model of retinopathy of prematurity.

Purpose To study the mechanisms of action of the antioxidants, n-acetylcysteine (NAC), and the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAPDH) oxidase oxidase inhibitor, apocynin, on intravitreous neovascularization (IVNV), and retinal avascularity in a rat model of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
Anomaly of total pulmonary venous connection: report of a case with survival for 31 years.

Abstract 1. 1. An unusual case of anomaly of total pulmonary venous connection is reported because of the following features: (a) freedom from symptoms for 25 years; (b) survival for 31 years (the longest yet reported); (c) characteristic diagnostic features which were not fully appreciated ante mortem; and (d) a large interatrial septal defect, measuring 21 by 36 mm. at autopsy. 2. 2. It is suggested that the unusual longevity is due to the optimal size of the atrial defect.
Effect of Proteolytic Enzymes on Transfection and Transformation of Streptococcus lactis Protoplasts.

Abstract With both chymotrypsin and mutanolysin used to form protoplasts, consistent transformation frequencies of 104 to 105 transformants and transfectants per μg of DNA were achieved. The procedure was used to transform protoplasts of Streptococcus cremoris CS224 at low frequency (5 transformants per μg of DNA).
Faunal Record From West Central Texas and Its Bearing On Late Holocene Bison Population Changes in the Southern Plains

A faunal record from archaeological site 4JTG91, Tom Green County, Texas, contains good evidence for late Holocen bison population changes in the west central portion of the state. The prehistoric ...
A new methodology for fast development of multilevel metallization for ULSI technology

A methodology has been developed for fast process development and integration of multilevel metallization systems for ultra large scale integration technology. This methodology defines a set of primitive processes, which are then arranged in the required configuration to build or develop multilevel metallization systems. Each primitive process will have a predictive model and process control and calibration strategy including a set of test structures. This paper will describe how the methodology defined above has been applied to develop contacts and vias for multilevel metallization.
Light-dark cues entrain oviposition time in the chicken hen.

Single Comb White Leghorn hens, entrained to a 24-h light-dark cycle (LDC), were maintained under 16L∶8D and 20L∶4D LDC for studying LD cues affecting oviposition time. A shift in the onset of darkness (74% response) had two times the effect on timing the oviposition in a LDC compared to a shift in the onset of light (35–38% response). An effect of over 94% response shift in time of oviposition was found when both LD cues were shifted together. A shift in oviposition time followed the same direction of a displacement of the dark period in a LDC. The longer dark period in a LDC delayed the time of oviposition when counted from the onset of darkness (9.32–9.58 h for 20L∶4D and 10.50–10.98 h for 16L∶8D cycles). Data indicated that the onset of light and of darkness, the daily position and length of the dark period all determined the time of oviposition during a LDC.
Economic agendas old and new and chinese administrative reform

Facing new agenda economic development issues, China like other developing states is forced to coordinate policies regionally. As need for decentralization “downward” stretches to include delegation “outward,” Beijing must find its best response to the new trend. Four tests reveal no reason for China to stay aloof from simple Membership in Pacific-Asian regional organizations. Three tests reveal no problem with China taking an Activist role in such regional organizations. Three final tests reveal potential costs China would pay for seeking a regional Leadership role, especially before Beijing's post-succession direction is determined.
Interpretation of Airphotos and Remotely Sensed Imagery

With the proliferation of easily accessible remotely sensed imagery over the last several years, image analysts from a wide variety of working environments are in high demand. These analysts do not always have advanced technical backgrounds in science. Robert Arnold's useful and timely laboratory manual serves as an adequate introduction to interpreting remotely sensed photographs and imagery. The book poses a graduated set of examples and questions with a generally increasing but low level of sophistication. It is easy to read, and considerable care has been exercised in the layout of the subject index and overall organization of the manual.
Lectin‐induced blockage of developmental processes in preimplantation mouse embryos in vitro

This study attempts to assess the developmental importance of cell surface glycoconjugates of preimplantation mouse embryos. This was done by incubating early embryos in various lectins and analyzing subsequent development. If specific cell surface glycoconjugates (lectin receptors) are linked to specific developmental processes, such as cell division, compaction, and blastocyst formation, then different lectins should block these different developmental processes. The results show that wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA; N-acetyl-D-glucosamine-specific) at 50 μg/ml prevents the cell division of four-cell embryos. However, this effect of WGA occurs only in embryos with intact zonae pellucidae. Concanavalin A (Con A; α-D-glucose and α-D-mannose-specific) treatment, 20 μg/ml, of four-cell or early eight-cell embryos prevents compaction, the first major change in cell shape in early mouse embryogenesis. Divalent succinly Con A does not affect development, suggesting that the Con A effect is due to crosslinking of cell surface glycoconjugates. Exposure of four-cell or early eight-cell embryos to 10 μg/ml Lotus Tetragonolobus puprureas agglutinin (LTA; α-L-fucose-specific) or 25 μg/ml Limulus polyphemus agglutinin (LPA; sialic acid-specific) allows compaction or development to the morula stage, but blocks blastocyst formation. All lectins tested retard cell division to some extent. Late morulae and early blastocysts are more resistant than earlier stages to all of the lectins studied. This study demonstrates that very low concentrations of these lectins affect different developmental processes, presumably based upon their sugar specificities.
Cell-cycle signaling: Atm displays its many talents

The discovery of multiple signaling cascades downstream of Atm may lead to a clearer understanding of the diverse defects seen in ataxia-telangiectasia. These pathways - which include evolutionarily conserved Chk1 and Atr, and non-conserved p21, p53 and AbI - guard genomic integrity after DNA damage.