cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electroencephalography in communication research: a review of the past and a glimpse of future possibilities

ABSTRACTThis manuscript focuses on the application of electroencephalography (EEG) in communication science. The hopeful assumption championed here is that EEG elicits curiosity across a broad swat...
Vulnerable Periods: Characterizing Patterns of Sexual Risk and Substance Use During Lapses in Adherence to HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who Have Sex With Men.

Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly efficacious, but some groups of men who have sex with men may have difficulty adhering to daily dosing. Prevention-effective adherence suggests that PrEP's efficacy depends on adherence at the time of HIV exposure; yet, few studies have examined how exposures (ie, high-risk sex) overlap with periods of consecutive missed PrEP doses. Substance use may also play a role in these vulnerable periods. Methods We used digital pill bottles to monitor the daily adherence of 40 PrEP-experienced patients recruited from an outpatient clinic in the Northeastern US over a six-month period. Participants also completed detailed online diaries every 2 weeks during this time that surveyed their sexual behavior and substance use each day. Results Daily adherence was high overall (M = 83.9%, SD = 18.0%), but 53% (N = 21) had a lapse of > 3 consecutive daily PrEP doses over 6 months. Participants' rate of engaging in high-risk condomless anal sex (CAS) did not differ across lapse days versus continuously adherent days. Alcohol use was not associated with engaging in CAS during a PrEP lapse. However, participants reported engaging in CAS significantly more often during a PrEP adherence lapse on days when they also used stimulant drugs. Conclusions Men who have sex with men may have periodic difficulty adhering to PrEP at the specific times when they are at risk. Stimulant drug use could play an important role in increasing HIV risk specifically during adherence lapses.
Diabetes Takes New Steps to Increase Transparency and Reproducibility.

Experimental reproducibility represents an essential component of scientific discourse. To ensure the integrity of the scientific process, we must ensure the ability to accurately replicate studies and to corroborate experimental results. Diabetes seeks to enhance the transparency, trust, and reproducibility of research reported in the journal. To support this effort, the journal has launched three new policies, effective 1 January 2019, to codify expectations for some aspects of data and research resources underlying research published in Diabetes . The first two policies are intended to encourage transparent reporting and sharing of 1 ) underlying data reported in a Diabetes research article and 2 ) the resources used to conduct the reported experiment(s). The third policy, which has been jointly adopted by Diabetes and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes journal Diabetologia , pertains specifically to studies that report on human islet data and will require authors to report important …
Optimizing Donor Cellular Dissociation and Subretinal Injection Parameters for Stem Cell-Based Treatments

Subretinal delivery of stem cell-derived retinal cells as a strategy to treat retinal degenerative blindness holds great promise. Currently, two clinical trials are underway in which human fetal retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) are being delivered to patients by intravitreal or subretinal injection to preserve or restore vision, respectively. With the advent of the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC), and in turn three-dimensional derivation of retinal tissue, it is now possible to generate autologous RPCs for cell replacement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of commonly used cell isolation and surgical manipulation strategies on donor cell viability. iPSC-RPCs were subjected to various conditions, including different dissociation and isolation methods, injection cannula sizes, and preinjection storage temperatures and times. The effects of commonly used surgical techniques on both host and donor cell viability were evaluated in Yucatan mini-pigs (n = 61 eyes). We found a significant increase in cell viability when papain was used for RPC isolation. In addition, a significant decrease in cell viability was detected when using the 41G cannula compared with 31G and at storage times of 4 hours compared with 30 minutes. Although 96.4% of all eyes demonstrated spontaneous retinal reattachment following injection, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) abnormalities were seen more frequently in eyes receiving injections via a 31G cannula; interestingly, eyes that received cell suspensions were relatively protected against such RPE changes. These findings indicate that optimization of donor cell isolation and delivery parameters should be considered when developing a subretinal cell replacement strategy. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2019;8:797&809.
Data-Driven Generalized Integer Aperture Bootstrapping for High-Integrity Positioning

A new method is developed for integer ambiguity resolution in carrier-phase differential global navigation satellite system positioning. The method is novel in that it is simultaneously data-driven, generalized to include partial ambiguity resolution, and amenable to a full analytical characterization of the prior probabilities of correctly and incorrectly resolved ambiguities. The technique is termed generalized integer aperture bootstrapping (GIAB). A full development of the GIAB is provided herein, including sizing its integer aperture to usually produce a higher prior probability of full ambiguity resolution than comparable existing methods. In Monte-Carlo simulations, the GIAB is shown to provide nearly optimal ambiguity resolution success rates of full ambiguity resolution for relevant integrity requirements under strong models while enabling partial ambiguity resolution.
What Does Tolerance Mean for Animal Disease Dynamics When Pathology Enhances Transmission

Host competence, or how well an individual transmits pathogens, varies substantially within and among animal populations. As this variation can alter the course of epidemics and epizootics, revealing its underlying causes will help predict and control the spread of disease. One host trait that could drive heterogeneity in competence is host tolerance, which minimizes fitness losses during infection without decreasing pathogen load. In many cases, tolerance should increase competence by extending infectious periods and enabling behaviors that facilitate contact among hosts. However, we argue that the links between tolerance and competence are more varied. Specifically, the different physiological and behavioral mechanisms by which hosts achieve tolerance should have a range of effects on competence, enhancing the ability to transmit pathogens in some circumstances and impeding it in others. Because tissue-based pathology (damage) that reduces host fitness is often critical for pathogen transmission, we focus on two mechanisms that can underlie tolerance at the tissue level: damage-avoidance and damage-repair. As damage-avoidance reduces transmission-enhancing pathology, this mechanism is likely to decrease host competence and pathogen transmission. In contrast, damage-repair does not prevent transmission-relevant pathology from occurring. Rather, damage-repair provides new, healthy tissues that pathogens can exploit, likely extending the infectious period and increasing host competence. We explore these concepts through graphical models and present three disease systems in which damage-avoidance and damage-repair alter host competence in the predicted directions. Finally, we suggest that by incorporating these links, future theoretical studies could provide new insights into infectious disease dynamics and host-pathogen coevolution.
Abstract 2985: Identifying uptake and biodistribution of liposome nanoparticles associated with secretes phospholipase A2proteins and PLA2receptors within a prostate cancer

Exploiting differences in tumor pathophysiology can enhance the delivery and antitumor activity of chemotherapeutics encapsulated in drug carriers. Long-circulating nanoparticle drug carriers, such as pegylated-sterically-stabilized liposomes (SSL), can stably entrap drug, alter drug disposition, improve antitumor activity and minimize toxicity. However, control of their drug-release kinetics has limited their clinical potential. Secretory phospholipases A2 (sPLA2) are excreted and over expressed in a variety of tumors, e.g., up to 22-fold in prostate. These enzymes degrade phospholipids preferentially and have been hypothesized as targets to control drug release from lipid-based nanoparticles, such as liposomes. While they have shown activity in preclinical models, the clinical performance of these formulations has been limited. The goal of these studies was to gain insights into how sPLA2-targeted liposome formulation (SPRL) alter drug release and uptake, specifically examining the role of sPLA2 and its membrane receptor (PLA2R1). Studies were performed using a metastatic-derived human prostate adenocarcinoma cells (PC-3) and a PLA2R1 knock-down variant (PC-3-PLA2R-KD) while varying supplementation of sPLA2 enzyme isoforms (IIA, X, V). Liposomes (SSL & SPRL) were made as described previously and included DiR, a non-exchangeable near-infrared fluorescent dye. In vitro uptake and deposition of various formulations was determined using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy by measuring DiR and doxorubicin (fluorescent anticancer agent) entrapped within some of the formulations. Biodistribution and circulation times were determined non-invasively on an IVIS Lumina XRMS and iThera Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT) systems in Athymic mouse xenograft models of prostate cancer. Liposomes formulations, SPRL and SSL were 120±1 and 118±2 nm. Circulation half-life and tumor deposition was similar for both formulations, suggesting the enhanced pharmacological activity is related to release/uptake after drug extravasation.. In-vitro studies showed that PC-3-PLA2R-KD cells had greater DiR fluorescence of both formulations than wild PC-3 after 48 hr. Moreover, SPRL had greater uptake than SSL formulation (p Citation Format: Ahmed S. Alnaim, Matthew W. Eggert, Ben Nie, Nhat D. Quanch, Shanese L. Jasper, Joshua Davis, Grafton S. Barnett, Brian S. Cummings, Peter R. Panizzi, Robert D. Arnold. Identifying uptake and biodistribution of liposome nanoparticles associated with secretes phospholipase A2 proteins and PLA2 receptors within a prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2985.
Improving Access and Systems of Care for Evidence-based Childhood Obesity Treatment: Conference Key Findings and Next Steps

Purpose: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends an evidence-based approach to treating pediatric obesity, including obesity screening of all children over the age of 6 years and provision of or referral to a comprehensive, behavioral intervention of moderate to high intensity (> 26 contact hours within 6 months) for children with obesity. Yet the majority of U.S. children with obesity do not have access to these services. The purpose of this project was to advance the translation of the USPSTF recommendations to develop feasible, acceptable, effective, and sustainable …
Fatigue: The Misunderstood Symptom of Heart and Lung Disease

Purpose Fatigue is a common symptom experienced by patients with chronic heart and lung failure that can lead to adverse health outcomes, such as frailty. To better understand the nature of fatigue in heart and lung failure, a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies was conducted to explore patients’ experiences of fatigue while living with heart failure (HF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Understanding the nature and impact of fatigue in these chronic conditions can guide the evaluation and management of fatigue and inform future development of therapeutic interventions to decrease fatigue and improve quality of life. Methods Three databases (Embase, PubMed, CINAHL) were searched for qualitative studies published in the last ten years that describe fatigue in patients with HF or COPD. Studies with descriptions of fatigue, either as the primary focus or as a component to a symptom profile, were synthesized, integrated, and interpreted. Results 13 studies describing the experience of fatigue in HF and COPD across 444 participants were identified and included in the analysis. Across studies, fatigue was described as an all-consuming experience of lethargy, lack of energy, and physical weakness that was refractory to rest and worsened over time. Fatigue was deeply disruptive to daily life, impacting both physical and social activities, and leading to a loss of independence and isolation. This disruption had significant physical and psychological consequences, which further emerged in two sub-themes; co-occurrence of symptoms (e.g. sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression, reduced appetite, and impaired cognition), and feeling that the extent of their suffering and capabilities were either under recognized or misunderstood by both loved ones and clinicians. Conclusion Findings highlight the pervasive experiences of fatigue in chronic heart failure and COPD. Fatigue deeply impacts physical, psychological, and social domains and decreases quality of life. Fatigue is commonly under recognized or misunderstood by family, friends, and clinicians. Assessment and management of fatigue needs to be incorporated in routine clinical care of patients with heart and lung failure. Themes of commonly occurring co-symptoms highlight key physical and psychological elements that mediate or exacerbate fatigue, and may serve as targets in future interventional studies.
Equation-oriented Optimization of Cryogenic Systems for Coal Oxycombustion Power Generation

Abstract Efficient separation systems are essential to the development of economical CO 2 capture system for fossil flue power plants. Air Separation Units (ASU) and CO 2 Processing Units (CPU) are considering the best commercially available technologies for the O 2 /N 2 and CO 2 /N 2 , O 2 , Ar separations in coal oxycombustion processes. Both of these systems operate at cryogenic temperatures and include self-integrated refrigeration cycles, making their design challenging. Several researchers have applied sensitivity tools available in the commercial flow sheet simulators to study and improve ASU and CPU systems for oxy-fired coal power plants. These studies are limited, however, as they neglect important interactions between design variables. In this paper, we apply an advanced equation-based flowsheet optimization framework to design these cryogenic separations systems. The key advantage of this approach is the ability to use state-of-the-art nonlinear optimization solvers that are capable of considering 100,000+ variables and constraints. This allows for multi-variable optimization of these cryogenic separations systems and their accompanying multi-stream heat exchangers. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated in two case studies. The optimized ASU designs requires 0.196 kWh/kg of O 2 , which are similar to a “low energy” design from American Air Liquide and outperforms other academic studies. Similarly, the optimized CPU requires 18% less specific separation energy than an academic reference case. Pareto (sensitivity) curves for the ASU and CPU systems are also presented. Finally, plans to apply the framework to simultaneously optimize an entire oxycombustion process are discussed.
Forecasting the demand of mobile clinic services at vulnerable communities based on integrated multi-source data

Demand forecasting plays an important role in the deployment of mobile clinic services to vulnerable communities such as school zones and census tracts as it can help the service provider to maximi...
Self-Organization Controls Expression More than Abundance of Molecular Components of Transcription and Translation in Confined Cell-Free Gene Expression

At cell-relevant reactor volumes, cell-free expression suffers from excessive variability (noise) such that protein concentrations may vary by more than an order of magnitude across a population of identically constructed reaction chambers. Consensus opinion holds that variability in expression is due to the stochastic distribution of expression resources (DNA, RNAP, ribosomes, etc.) across the population of reaction chambers. In contrast, here we find that chamber-to-chamber variation in the expression efficiency generates the large variability in protein production. We show that chambers self-organize into expression centers that control expression efficiency. Chambers that organize into many centers, each having relatively few expression resources, exhibit high expression efficiency. Conversely, chambers that organize into few centers where each has an abundance of resources, exhibit low expression efficiency. A surprising finding is that diluting expression resources reduces chamber-to-chamber variation in protein production, which provides the means to tune expression noise. These results demonstrate that in cell-free systems, self-organization exerts more influence over expression than the abundance of the molecular components of transcription and translation. These observations may elucidate how self-organized, membrane-less structures emerge and function in cells.
Black and Latinx Community Perspectives on COVID-19 Mitigation Behaviors, Testing, and Vaccines.

importance black and latinx communities have been disproportionately affected by the covid-19 pandemic, yet little work has sought to understand their perspectives. objective to explore the experiences of black and latinx communities during the pandemic to better understand their perspectives on covid-19 mitigation behaviors (eg, mask wearing), testing, and vaccines. design, setting, and participants in this community-engaged qualitative study conducted with 18 community-based organizations and 4 health care organizations between november 19, 2020, and february 5, 2021, in new jersey counties severely affected by the pandemic, group and individual interviews were used to purposively sample 111 black and latinx individuals. a total of 13 group interviews were organized by race/ethnicity and language: 4 english-speaking groups with black participants (n = 34), 3 spanish-speaking groups with latinx participants (n = 24), and 4 english-speaking groups with black and latinx participants (n = 36). to understand the views of health care workers from these communities, 2 additional groups (n = 9) were convened and supplemented with individual interviews. main outcomes and measures description of black and latinx participants’ experiences during the covid-19 pandemic and their perspectives on mitigation behaviors, testing, and vaccines. results the study included 111 participants (87 women [78.4%]; median age, 43 years [range, 18-93 years]). participants described the devastating effects of the pandemic on themselves, loved ones, and their community. their experiences were marked by fear, illness, loss, and separation. these experiences motivated intense information seeking, mitigation behaviors, and testing. nevertheless, vaccine skepticism was high across all groups. participants did not trust the vaccine development process and wanted clearer information. black participants expressed that they did not want to be subjects of experiments. conclusions and relevance the remaining unknowns about new vaccines need to be acknowledged and described for black and latinx communities to make informed decisions. ultimately, scientists and public officials need to work transparently to address unanswered questions and work collaboratively with trusted community leaders and health professionals to foster partnered approaches, rather than focusing on marketing campaigns, to eliminate vaccine skepticism.
Temperature-induced valley polarization in WS2 heterostructures

We investigate the temperature dependence of valley polarization in WS2 heterostructures. WS2 layer is considered as an optically active material. The influence of heterostructures of different materials on the degree of valley polarization is depicted. The results indicate that unlike interaction in WS2 encapsulated with hBN, the interaction between WS2 and graphene has an intense impact on the temperature dependence depolarization. Furthermore, intervalley scattering rates under resonant and non-resonant excitation energy as the crucial parameters to see the temperature dependence by considering Frohlich coupling are calculated. The results show the scattering rate is almost independent of temperature due to large phonon energy. Subsequently, the major contribution of observed valley depolarization should come from the change in the radiative lifetime.
Simulating Ising and Potts models at critical and cold temperatures using auxiliary Gaussian variables

Ising and Potts models are an important class of discrete probability distributions which originated from Statistical Physics and since then have found applications in several disciplines. Simulation from these models is a well known challenging problem. In this paper, we propose a class of MCMC algorithms to simulate from both Ising and Potts models, by using auxiliary Gaussian random variables. Our algorithms apply to coupling matrices with both positive and negative entries, thus including Spin Glass models such as the SK and Hopfield model. In contrast to existing methods of a similar flavor, our algorithm can take advantage of the low-rank structure of the coupling matrix, and scales linearly with the number of states in a Potts model. We compare our proposed algorithm to existing state of the art algorithms, such as the Swendsen-Wang and Wolff algorithms for Ising and Potts models on graphs, and the Heat Bath for Spin Glass models. Our comparison takes into account a wide range of coupling matrices and temperature regimes, focusing in particular on behavior at or below the critical temperature. For cold systems, augmenting our algorithm with a tempering scheme yields significant improvements.
Developing Relational Bonds with Luxury Hotel Guests through Personalization: A Subgroup Analysis of Generational Cohorts

Empirical studies on personalization in the luxury hotel context are lacking. Personalization, financial, social, and structural bonds have been proposed together as a conceptual framework, but hav...
Contribution of CH4 to Multi-Gas Emission Reduction Targets

Weighting indices can be used to express emissions of different greenhouse gases (GHGs) in CO2-equivalent ternis. The choice of a specific weighting index is often thought to determine the emphasis on non-CO2 GHGs in a multi-gas target. Although the choice of a 100-year Global Warming Potential (GWP) for the Kyoto Protocol narrows the range of possible index values, we use the example of CH4 to show that this choice does not constrain the GWP to a single number. Projected changes in atmospheric CH4 concentrations due to interactions with CO, NOx, and OH produce direct GWPs ranging from 12.5–15.5. This increases to 14–24 when the range of uncertainty in indirect effects due to tropospheric ozone (O3) and stratospheric water vapour is included. We examine the impact of the calculated range in GWPs on the optimal contribution of CH4 to U.S. emission reductions up to 1.0 GtCeq. Our results show that for a 100-year GWP there is still significant variation in effective CH4 reductions for a multi-gas target. This has implications for the overall contribution of CH4 and other non-CO2 GHGs to both short-term and long-term strategies focussed on the mitigation of climate change impacts.
Utilization by growing and finishing pigs of raw soybeans of low Kunitz trypsin inhibitor content.

Three trials were conducted to compare acceptance and utilization by growing and finishing pigs of diets containing supplemental protein from either heated, solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM), raw low-Kunitz trypsin inhibitor soybean (LT) or raw commercially grown Williams cultivar soybean with high Kunitz trypsin inhibitor content (HT). In Trial 1, 36 crossbred pigs, averaging 7 kg in weight, were fed 1) corn-SBM, 2)corn-LT or 3) corn-HT diets for 28 d. Diets were formulated to be isolysinic and to have similar calorie:lysine ratios. Average daily gain and gain/feed were higher (P less than .01) for pigs fed the corn-SBM diet than for pigs fed the corn-LT diet; average daily gain and gain/feed were higher (P less than .01) for the corn-LT diet than for the corn-HT. Average daily feed intake did not differ (P greater than .05) among diets. In Trial 2, 48 crossbred pigs averaging 67 kg were fed diets similar to those in Trial 1 but with lower lysine values. The daily gain (.95 kg) of pigs fed the corn-SBM diet was greater (P less than .05) than for pigs fed the corn-LT diet (.87 kg), which in turn was greater (P less than .05) than for the pigs fed the corn-HT diet (.83 kg). Daily feed intake (kg) and gain/feed were 3.27 and .291, 2.97 and .293, and 3.07 and .270, respectively, for pigs fed the corn-SBM, corn-LT and corn-HT diets. In Trial 3, 18 castrate male pigs averaging 12.4 kg were fed cornstarch-based diets with either SBM, LT or HT as the source of protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
4-Hydroxynonenol is present in human milk and related to gestational age at delivery and excessive infant weight gain (247.6)

4-hydroxynonenol (HNE; a protein adduct product of lipid peroxidation) may serve as a novel marker of oxidative stress in human milk (HM). We investigated the determinants of HNE in HM and relationships between HNE and maternal BMI, HM cytokines, and infant growth. Anthropometry was performed on 36 mothers and their healthy term (37-42 weeks) exclusively breastfed infants at T1 (2 weeks), T2 (4 months) and T3 (6 months). HM was collected at T1 and T2 for macronutrient, HNE, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α analysis. Infants gaining more than 0.66 weight-for-length Z-scores from T1 to T3 were considered over-gainers. HNE in HM decreased from T1 to T2 (p<0.01); this decrease was attenuated when controlling for total protein in HM (HNE:PRO) (p=0.09). HNE concentrations at T1 were positively associated with those at T2 (p=0.02, R2=0.16). Gestational age at delivery was inversely associated with HNE:PRO (p=0.02; R2=0.16). HNE:PRO (but not unadjusted HNE) was higher in HM of female infants at T1 (p=0.02) and T2 (p=0.09). ...
Symmetric data objects and remote memory access communication for fortran-95 applications

Symmetric data objects have been introduced by Cray Inc. in context of SHMEM remote memory access communication on Cray T3D/E systems and later adopted by SGI for their Origin servers. Symmetric data objects greatly simplify parallel programming by allowing programmers to reference remote instance of a data structure by specifying address of the local counterpart. The current paper describes how symmetric data objects and remote memory access communication could be implemented in Fortran-95 without requiring specialized hardware or compiler support. NAS Multi-Grid parallel benchmark was used as an application example and demonstrated competitive performance to the standard MPI implementation.
Improving the efficiency of reliability-based hybrid-ARQ with convolutional codes

In this paper, we propose and evaluate the performance of a new adaptive HARQ technique that utilizes the correlation among bit errors at the output of a convolutional decoder. The proposed correlated bit-error hybrid ARQ (CB-HARQ) uses error events encountered in a soft-input soft-output (SISO) decoder to capture the correlation in bit errors. Retransmission is requested for selected coded symbols that have the potential to correct a set of message bits associated with these error events. The performance of the proposed technique is compared to conventional incremental redundancy HARQ that uses rate-compatible punctured convolutional (RCPC) codes and reliability-based HARQ (RB-HARQ) that does not utilize correlation between error events. The fundamental difference between CB-HARQ and RB-HARQ is that CB-HARQ tries to correct error events occurring in a decoder whereas RB-HARQ tries to correct individual bit errors. The results show that the proposed HARQ technique based on correlated bit errors can provide much higher throughput
The Trauma of Moral Injury: Beyond the Battlefield

This article explores moral injury, a concept from military mental health professionals, which refers to the emotional effects on soldiers of actions taken as part of their military obligations that violate the dictates of their moral compass (Boudreau, 2011; Shay, 2011). This article will trace the history and current knowledge of moral injury and apply a social cognitive model of understanding the concept (Litz et al., 2009) to vignettes from the authors' civilian clinical practice, in the hope of raising awareness within clinical social work and other mental health professions of the complexities of moral injury. By brining the concept of moral injury into the mainstream social work arena, it is the authors' hope that clinicians will be able to distinguish it from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and understand the role of shame in the experience of moral injury in their own clients.
Magnetic Actuators Operated by Direct Current

This chapter contains sections titled: Solenoid Actuators Voice Coil Actuators Other Actuators Using Coils and Permanent Magnets Proportional Actuators Rotary Actuators Problems References
Dose-dependent synergy of Th1-stimulating cytokines on bacille Calmette–Guérin-induced interferon-γ production by human mononuclear cells

Successful bacille Calmette–Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy of bladder cancer depends on the proper induction of a T helper-type 1 (Th1) immune response. In this study we investigated the possible involvement of Th1-stimulating cytokines in BCG-induced interferon (IFN)-γ production as well as their potential roles in enhancing BCG-induced IFN-γ from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). BCG efficiently induced IFN-γ production by PBMCs in a dose-dependent manner. Neutralization of endogenous cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12 and IFN-α reduced BCG-induced IFN-γ by 38%, 67% and 49%, respectively. Although single recombinant (r) IL-2, rIL-12 and rIFN-α induced no or a marginal amount of IFN-γ, a combination of any two or three cytokines increased IFN-γ production. When BCG (a subsaturated dose) was combined with mono, dual or triple cytokines, a synergy on IFN-γ production was observed. Such a synergy was readily achievable even when minimal or low doses of cytokines were used. No saturation of IFN-γ production was observed even when a subsaturated BCG dose was combined with very high doses of cytokines. A robust IFN-γ production was also observed when a minimal BCG dose was combined with minimal doses of triple cytokines. In addition, we demonstrated that IL-2- and IFN-α-expressing rBCGs were superior to wild-type BCG for PBMC IFN-γ induction and that combination of both rBCGs showed a synergy in IFN-γ production. Taken together, these results suggest that combination of BCG with certain exogenous or endogenous (expressed by rBCGs) Th1-stimulating cytokines is a rational candidate for further study in bladder cancer treatment.
The effects of second-hand smoke on biological processes important in atherogenesis

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death in western societies and cigarette smoke is among the factors that strongly contribute to the development of this disease. The early events in atherogenesis are stimulated on the one hand by cytokines that chemoattract leukocytes and on the other hand by decrease in circulating molecules that protect endothelial cells (ECs) from injury. Here we focus our studies on the effects of "second-hand" smoke on atherogenesis. To perform these studies, a smoking system that closely simulates exposure of humans to second-hand smoke was developed and a mouse model system transgenic for human apoB100 was used. These mice have moderate lipid levels that closely mimic human conditions that lead to atherosclerotic plaque formation. "Second-hand" cigarette smoke decreases plasma high density lipoprotein levels in the blood and also decreases the ratios between high density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein and triglyceride, and high density lipoprotein and total cholesterol. This change in lipid profiles causes not only more lipid accumulation in the aorta but also lipid deposition in many of the smaller vessels of the heart and in hepatocytes. In addition, mice exposed to smoke have increased levels of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein–1 in circulation and in the heart/aorta tissue, have increased macrophages in the arterial walls, and have decreased levels of adiponectin, an EC-protective protein. Also, cytokine arrays revealed that mice exposed to smoke do not undergo the switch from the pro-inflammatory cytokine profile (that develops when the mice are initially exposed to second-hand smoke) to the adaptive response. Furthermore, triglyceride levels increase significantly in the liver of smoke-exposed mice. Long-term exposure to "second-hand" smoke creates a state of permanent inflammation and an imbalance in the lipid profile that leads to lipid accumulation in the liver and in the blood vessels of the heart and aorta. The former potentially can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and the latter to heart attacks.
Quantifying hyperoxia-mediated damage to mammalian respiratory cilia-driven fluid flow using particle tracking velocimetry optical coherence tomography

Oxygen supplementation [hyperoxia, increased fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO 2 )] is an indispensable treatment in the intensive care unit for patients in respiratory failure. Like other treatments or drugs, hyperoxia has a risk-benefit profile that guides its clinical use. While hyperoxia is known to damage respiratory epithelium, it is unknown if damage can result in impaired capacity to generate cilia-driven fluid flow. Here, we demonstrate that quantifying cilia-driven fluid flow velocities in the sub-100 μm/s regime (sub-0.25 in./min regime) reveals hyperoxia-mediated damage to the capacity of ciliated respiratory mucosa to generate directional flow. Flow quantification was performed using particle tracking velocimetry optical coherence tomography (PTV-OCT) in ex vivo mouse trachea. The ability of PTV-OCT to detect biomedically relevant flow perturbations in the sub-100 μm/s regime was validated by quantifying temperature- and drug-mediated modulation of flow performance in ex vivo mouse trachea. Overall, PTV-OCT imaging of cilia-driven fluid flow in ex vivo mouse trachea is a powerful and straightforward approach for studying factors that modulate and damage mammalian respiratory ciliary physiology.
Body image in recently diagnosed young women with early breast cancer

Objective To assess body image concerns among young women following a breast cancer diagnosis. Methods A total of 419 women with recently diagnosed stage 0–III breast cancer were surveyed following enrollment as part of a prospective cohort study of women age 40 or younger at diagnosis. Body image was assessed using three items from the psycho-social scale of the Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System (CARES). CARES scores range from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicative of greater image concerns. Mean CARES scores were calculated and compared between treatment groups using t-tests and analysis of variance. Multiple linear regression models were fit to evaluate the relationship between physical and psychological factors and body image. Results Mean time from diagnosis to completion of the baseline survey was 5.2 months. The mean CARES score for all women was 1.28. Mean CARES scores in the mastectomy-only group (1.87) and in the mastectomy with reconstruction group (1.52) were significantly higher (p < 0.0001) compared with the scores in the lumpectomy group (0.85), indicating that radical surgery was associated with more body image concerns. Radiation (p = 0.01), anxiety (p = 0.0001), depression (p < 0.0001), fatigue (p = 0.04), musculoskeletal pain symptoms (p < 0.0001), weight gain (p = 0.01), and weight loss (p = 0.02), in addition to surgery type (p < 0.0001), were all associated with more body image concerns in the multi-variable analysis. Conclusion This analysis highlights the impact of treatment, along with physical and psychological factors, on body image early in the survivorship period. Our findings provide targets for potential future intervention and may aid young women in the surgical decision-making process. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Far red/near infrared light-induced cardioprotection under normal and diabetic conditions

Far red/near infrared light (NIR) is beneficial against cardiac ischemia and reperfusion injury (I/R), although the exact underlying mechanism is unknown. Previously we established that NIR enhanced the cardioprotective effect of nitrite in the rabbit heart. Furthermore, we observed that the nitrosyl myoglobin (MbNO) level in ischemic tissue decreased upon irradiation of the heart. Our hypothesis was that protection against I/R is dependent on nitric oxide (NO)-release from heme-proteins, and remains present during diabetes. When mice were subjected to I/R NIR (660 nm) applied during the beginning of reperfusion reduced infarct size dose dependently compared to untreated animals. Similarly, the isolated (Langendorff) heart model resulted in sustained left ventricular diastolic pressure after I/R in NIR-treated hearts. NIRinduced protection was preserved in a diabetic mouse model (db/db) and during acute hyperglycemia. NIR liberated NO from nitrosyl hemoglobin (HbNO) and MbNO as well as from HbNO isolated from the blood of diabetic animals. In the Langendorff model, after application of the nitrosylated form of a hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier as an NO donor NIR induced an increase in NADH level, suggesting a mild inhibition of mitochondrial respiration by NO during reperfusion. Taken together, NIR applied during reperfusion protects the myocardium against I/R in a NO-dependent and mitochondrion-targeted manner. This unique mechanism is conserved under diabetic conditions where other protective strategies fail.
Soluble saturable refractive-index nonlinearity model

Abstract TE modes of an optically linear planar waveguide on a thick nonlinear substrate are described for a model substrate refractive index or dielectric permittivity of the form ϵ= ϵ s + ϵ sat u(2+u) (1+u) 2 , where u= α|E| 2 2ϵ sat , which displays saturation at high guided-wave powers, yet for which wave equation integration and power integrals are elementary. The parameter γ= ϵ sat (ϵ f –ϵ s ) where ϵf is the guiding-layer permittivity, determines the guided-wave behavior. For γ 1, power limiting and interface guiding are observed, similar to the Kerr model except for the saturation effect.
Nonlinear current flow and electric field domains in inhomogeneous superconductors

Abstract We show that both macroscopic planar defects and random inhomogeneities of superconducting properties cause strong local enhancement of electric field, which dramatically changes nonlinear current transport of superconductors. We find that even small planar defects can produce significant voltage peaks, while random inhomogeneities can cause a nonmonotonic dependence of J c ( B ), negative differential conductivity and electric field domains (superconducting Gunn effect).
Development of photonic devices for MMW sensing and imaging

In this paper we present several novel photonic technologies for sensing millimeter-wave (MMW) radiation for the imaging and spectroscopy applications. Based on the optical up-conversion approach, our high-sensitivity MMW imaging system transfers the power of MMW radiation received from a broadband horn antenna to the sidebands on an optical carrier via an electrooptic (EO) modulator. The detection is realized by measuring the transferred optical power of the sidebands. The sensitivity of this detection system is primarily controlled by the conversion efficiency of the EO modulator at the desired MMW frequency. In this paper, we present the design, fabrication, and characteristics of the ultra-broadband LiNbO3 traveling-wave modulator for the MMW detection system working at a frequency of 95 GHz. A numerical model based on the finite element analysis technique has developed to optimize the device geometric parameters and the fabrication processes. A modulation efficiency of ~0.9 W-1 at 95 GHz has been achieved for the optimized modulator, which corresponds to the half-wave voltages of 9 V and 18 V, at DC and 95 GHz, respectively. The detection pixel based on those modulators has shown a high sensibility with a noise equivalent temperature difference of ~17K at a refreshing rate of 30 Hz.© (2006) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Parallel Empirical Pseudopotential Electronic Structure Calculations for Million Atom Systems

We present a parallel implementation of the previously developed folded spectrum method for empirical pseudopotential electronic structure calculations. With the parallel implementation we can calculate a small number of electronic states for systems of up to one million atoms. A plane-wave basis is used to expand the wavefunctions in the same way as is commonly used in ab initio calculations, but the potential is a fixed external potential generated using atomistic empirical pseudopotentials. Two techniques allow the calculation to scale to million atom systems. First, the previously developed folded spectrum method allows us to calculate directly a few electronic states of interest around the gap. This makes the scaling of the calculation O(N) for an N atom system and a fixed number of electronic states. Second, we have now developed an efficient parallel implementation of the algorithm that scales up to hundreds of processors, giving us the memory and computer power to simulate one million atoms. The program's performance is demonstrated for many large semiconductor nanostructure systems.
13C-NMR study of interactions between amylodextrin and neutral salts

13C-Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to study interaction between amylodextrin and alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal salts in aqueous solutions. Ethyl, isopropyl and t-butyl alcohols were used as model compounds. UC-NMR spectra of the alcohols in potassium chloride solutions showed that carbon atoms carrying the hydroxyle groups(-OH) were shifted up-field, whereas those carbon atoms without the -OH groups were shifted down-field. A secondary or a tertiary hydroxyl carbon was shifted to a greater extent compared with a primary hydroxyl carbon. Potassium thiocyanate was an exception. Instead of causing up-field shifts on hydroxyl carbons in amylodextrin and in alcohols, potassium thiocyanate caused down-field shifts of C-1 and C-4 of amylodextrin, a chemical shift pattern that resembled those of amylodextrin-triiodide and other amylodextrin helical complexes. 13C-NMR-Untersuchung der Wechselwirkungen zwischen Amylodextrin und neutralen Salzen. 13C-kernmagnetische Resonanz wurde zur Untersuchung der Wechselwirkungen zwischen Amylodextrin und Alkalimetall- und Erdalkalimetallsalzen in warigen Losungen benutzt. Als Modellverbindungen wurden Ethyl-, Isopropyl- und t-Butylalkohole verwendet. Die 13C-NMR-Spektra der Alkohole in Kaliumchlorid-Losungen zeigten, daα Hydroxylgruppen (-OH) tragende Kohlenstoffatome nach oben verschoben wurden, wogegen Kohlenstoffatome ohne die OH-Gruppen nach unten verschoben wurden. Ein sekundares oder ein tertiares Hydroxylkohlenstoffatom wurden im Vergleich zu einem primaren Hydroxylkohlenstoff starker verschoben. Kaliumthiocyanat bildete eine Ausnahme. Anstatt Aufwartsverschiebungen an Hydroxylkohlenstoff in Amylodextrin und in Alkoholen zu verursachen, bewirkte Kaliumthiocyanat Abwartsverschiebungen von C-1 und C-4 bei Amylodextrin, ein chemisches Verschiebungsmuster, das denjenigen von Amylodextrin-triiodid und anderen Amylodextrin-Helix-Komplexen ahnelte.
Clinically Significant Response to Zolpidem in Disorders of Consciousness Secondary to Anti-N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis in a Teenager: A Case Report

Abstract Background Anti- N -methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis has been associated with a prolonged neuropsychiatric phase that may last for months to years. Patient We report the case of a 16-year-old girl who was diagnosed with anti- N -methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis resulting from left ovarian mature teratoma 2 weeks after presentation with psychosis. Following tumor removal and immunotherapy, recovery from a minimally conscious state was accelerated significantly by zolpidem that was used for her sleep disturbance. Our patient was discharged home 8 weeks after admission with marked improvement in her neurological function. Zolpidem has been reported to improve arousal in disorders of consciousness but there are no previous reports of its benefit among patients with anti- N -methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis. Conclusion Zolpidem would be a reasonable consideration as an adjunctive treatment in anti- N -methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis after tumor removal and immunotherapy to accelerate recovery and rehabilitation.
Price Formation and Market Quality When the Number and Presence of Insiders Is Unknown

In most models of market microstructure tractability requires that all market participants know the number (and presence) of competing insiders. I drop this assumption in experimental asset markets. Outcomes are qualitatively consistent with theoretical models when the number of insiders is disclosed prior to trade. When it is not, insiders use the timing and size of trades interactively to hide from the dealers and each other, dealers have difficulty identifying insider trades, and liquidity patterns do not differ as a function of the number of insiders. In general, insider behavior has strategic dimensions not admitted in Kyle (1985) and extensions. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.
Rationale, design and findings from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study: Toward understanding the total societal burden of sleep disordered breathing

At least 12 to 18 million people are affected by untreated sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which is likely to contribute to increased cases of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression, and mortality. The aims of the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study (WSCS) were to (1) describe occurrence, including age- and sex-specific prevalence; (2) estimate, with longitudinal data, the role of SDB in cardiovascular and behavioral morbidity and mortality; and (3) identify risk factors for the development and progression of SDB. The most relevant findings from the WSCS are described. As the author notes in her summary, the cost of adverse consequences that can be attributed to SDB is likely to be staggering, a burden that could be decreased by risk factor reduction, with weight loss the most likely candidate.
The emergence of WT1-specific T-cell responses following allogeneic T cell-depleted hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and low-dose donor lymphocyte infusions is associated with a graft-vs.- myeloma effect

The development of T-cell responses specific for myeloma-associated antigens correlates with improved clinical outcomes in multiple myeloma patients undergoing allogeneic T cell-depleted hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and donor lymphocyte infusions. Thus, immunotherapeutic strategies that further increase the frequency of Wilms tumor 1 (WT1)-specific T cells may provide clinical benefits to multiple myeloma patients.