cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Advanced Imaging in Assessing Response to Definitive Chemoradiation Before Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation in Limited-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract Introduction Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) improves survival for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Evidence for PCI in limited-stage SCLC largely derives from studies requiring only chest x-ray (CXR) to determine remission status. We analyzed thoracic chemoradiation therapy (TCRT) outcomes according to imaging modality to determine which patients benefitted most from PCI. Patients and Methods All limited-stage SCLC patients who received TCRT as well as PCI at our institution were reviewed. Imaging between TCRT end and PCI start was characterized as complete (CR), partial (PR), or other response. Results Thirty-eight consecutive patients were assessed for TCRT response before PCI with CXR (n = 21), chest computed tomography (CT; n = 27), and/or positron emission tomography (PET)/CT (n = 11). CR was identified on 71% of CXRs, 41% of CT scans, and 18% of PET/CT scans. Median survival was 28.3 months for the entire cohort and did not differ for patients who had CXR alone versus CT and/or PET/CT for restaging (P = .78) or those with PR using any modality versus CR using all modalities (22.6 months vs. 45.5 months; P = .22). CT CR patients had numerical but not statistically significant improved 2-year (P = .18) and 3-year (P = .13) survival compared with CT PR. Conclusion CXR remains an appropriate modality to assess TCRT response before PCI in limited-stage SCLC. Advanced imaging did not inform the decision to offer PCI in this study. Because of similar excellent survival profiles independent of imaging modality and TCRT response, this analysis suggests limited-stage SCLC patients with PR using any modality should not be denied PCI, akin to standards for extensive-stage SCLC.
Properties of composite time to first event versus joint marginal analyses of multiple outcomes

Many clinical studies (eg, cardiovascular outcome trials) investigate the effect of an intervention on multiple event time outcomes. The most common method of analysis is a so-called "composite" analysis of a composite outcome defined as the time to the first component event. Other approaches have been proposed, including the win ratio (or win difference) for ordered outcomes and the application of the Wei-Lachin test. Herein, we assess the influence of the marginal and joint distributions of the component events, and their correlation structures, on the operating characteristics of these methods for the analysis of multiple events. The operating characteristics are investigated using a bivariate exponential model with a shared frailty, under which these properties are obtained in closed form. While the composite time-to-first-event analysis provides an unbiased test of the hypothesis of equality of the distribution of the time to first event, we show that it can provide a biased test of the joint null hypothesis of equal marginal hazards when the correlation of event times differs between groups. The same applies to the win ratio. However, the operating characteristics of the Wei-Lachin or other tests of the joint equality of the marginal hazards are unaffected. Furthermore, when the correlations are equal, the Wei-Lachin test is more powerful to detect a difference in marginal hazards than the composite analysis test. Careful consideration of the properties of the various methods for analysis of composite outcome measures are in order before adopting one as primary analysis in a clinical study.
Nomura's Global Growth: Picking Up Pieces of Lehman

What issues commonly arise in international financial management? Kenichi Watanabe and Takumi Shibata, CEO and COO of Nomura Holdings Inc., one of the leading investment banks in Asia, have the opportunity to expand their firm internationally through the acquisition of various parts of Lehman Brothers, an insolvent global investment bank. In evaluating this opportunity, students must consider the complexities of such expansion, including the challenges posed by a multinational insolvency, the difficulties of post-merger integration in a cross-border acquisition, and more general issues related to currency hedging and international taxation.
Molecular biology of plant cell transformation.

Recent advances in plant tissue culture techniques, recombinant DNA technology, and bacterial genetics, have made it feasible to isolate specific genes, manipulate them in vitro, and introduce them into plant cells. This not only opens up the exciting possibility of genetically manipulating crop plants, but also provides a powerful tool for studying regulation of plant gene expression and, possibly, for molecular cloning of selectable plant genes from gene libraries. Transformation, in this review, refers to the stable introduction of foreign genetic material into cells. There are several potential plant transformation vectors, DNA vehicles required for the efficient introduction and replication of foreign genes in cells (reviewed by Howell 1982). However, only the Ti-plasmid, the casual agent of crown gall tumorigenesis and, to a much more limited extent, the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) have been successfully used to propagate foreign sequences in plants.
Operational Aspects of the Mechanics of Deforming Porous Media: Theory and Application to Expansive Soils

The analysis of transport processes in expansive porous media generally involves the use of some form of a referential, or material, coordinate transformation. The most commonly used of these relationships involves a ratio of two macroscopic bulk densities, that associated with the configuration of the soil at a reference time (e.g., t = 0) and that associated with its configuration at a later (arbitrary) time. This coordinate transformation is traditionally derived in a conceptual framework that entirely disregards the interactions between the observer and the porous media being observed. The purpose of the present chapter is to show that an operational coordinate transformation may be derived in a conceptual framework, called relativist, that takes the measurement process explicitly into account. Even when there is no solid phase production in the system, this generalized coordinate transformation still differs from its traditional counter-part by the presence of an additional term in the numerator of the bulk density ratio. This additional term vanishes identically when the measuring instrument used has space-and timeinvariant properties. Measuring techniques are considered for which this stringent condition appears to be met, in first approximation. In particular, it is argued that such is the case with the dual-energy gamma-ray probe commonly used to study the deformation of soils in laboratory columns and in situ. Another method routinely used to measure bulk densities in situ in expansive soils, based on the simultaneous use of gamma-ray and neutron probes, is analyzed from the same perspective. It is argued that insufficient information is available at present about the characteristics of its volume of influence to conclude whether or not this method is incompatible with the operational constraints inherent in the traditional coordinate transformation.
Some Considerations of Boundary Conditions in Dynamic Testing

Often times, tests are performed on structures to attempt to simulate a built in condition at the attachment point on the structure – or at least some type of fixity is desired. The actual implementation of this type of connection is not always easy to achieve. The use of a “large attachment stiffness” is one approach and is a possibility when only the lower order, first few modes are of interest and the fixture/attachment stiffness is much higher than the lower order modes of interest. But when this is not possible, then the use of a “large mass attachment” is another approach but when the structure does not have a low center of gravity (such as wind turbine blade applications), the mass inertia can be significant to simulate a built in fixed condition.
Family Poverty, Unemployment Rates, and AFDC Payments: Trends among Blacks and Whites:

The author examines the relationships among the value of AFDC payments, unemployment rates, and family relationships in black and white poor families between 1973 and 1988. The study found that mor...
The Death and Life of the State and Local Tax Deduction

The new $10,000 cap on the deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) has proven to be one of the most controversial aspects of the December 2017 federal tax law. Four states have sued the Trump administration alleging that the cap is unconstitutional. Those four states and several others have moved to establish arrangements that mitigate the deduction’s impact on their residents. The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service have published proposed regulations that seek to stop those states in their tracks. Battles over the deduction and the state workarounds will likely move to the courts in the coming months. Viewed from one angle, the December 2017 tax law strikes the most serious blow to the SALT deduction in the century-and-a-half since the provision first emerged. Yet the new $10,000 cap also has the potential to give the SALT deduction new life. One state, New York, has responded to the $10,000 cap by adopting a payroll tax arrangement that could extend the SALT deduction to workers who never claimed it before. And the intensely partisan attack on the SALT deduction from the right has managed to transform the provision into a cause celebre among progressive activists and politicians, making it all the more likely that the deduction will be revived if Democrats retake control of Congress and the White House. This article considers the state and local tax deduction's history and its future. It casts the new $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction as the culmination of a seven-decade trend of successive SALT limitations, which even before 2017 had put the deduction effectively out of reach for more than two-thirds of the taxpaying public. It then evaluates the normative arguments against the deduction and in favor. The article goes on to examine the strategies that states are pursuing to ensure that their residents can pay for public goods and services with federally deductible dollars. Some of these strategies stand a strong chance of succeeding; others will likely flounder. What the ongoing SALT battles most certainly have done is to mobilize a constituency in support of a provision that, just a few years ago, looked like it had few friends. Ironically, the attack on the SALT deduction as part of the partisan December 2017 tax law might well have saved the provision from the dustbin of tax history.
“Raced” Organizations and the Academic Success of Underrepresented Minority Faculty Members in Sociology:

The purpose of this research is to determine whether participating in “raced” organizations benefits underrepresented minority (URM) faculty members in their quest for tenure and promotion to assoc...
Protein and RNA dynamical fingerprinting

Protein structural vibrations impact biology by steering the structure to functional intermediate states; enhancing tunneling events; and optimizing energy transfer. Strong water absorption and a broad continuous vibrational density of states have prevented optical identification of these vibrations. Recently spectroscopic signatures that change with functional state were measured using anisotropic terahertz microscopy. The technique however has complex sample positioning requirements and long measurement times, limiting access for the biomolecular community. Here we demonstrate that a simplified system increases spectroscopic structure to dynamically fingerprint biomacromolecules with a factor of 6 reduction in data acquisition time. Using this technique, polarization varying anisotropy terahertz microscopy, we show sensitivity to inhibitor binding and unique vibrational spectra for several proteins and an RNA G-quadruplex. The technique's sensitivity to anisotropic absorbance and birefringence provides rapid assessment of macromolecular dynamics that impact biology.
Fundamental Limits, Bandwidth, and Information Rate of Electrically Small Antennas: Increasing the Throughput of an Antenna Without Violating the Thermodynamic Q-Factor

The fundamental limits of antennas tie its electrical size to its quality factor (Q-factor) and radiation efficiency. The Q-factor is linearly proportional to the inverse of the instantaneous bandwidth for a narrow-band antenna. However, the thermodynamic definition of the Q-factor is equal to the ratio of stored energy to the dissipated power per cycle multiplied by 2p. In this definition, the frequency and type of stored energy are not considered; therefore, one can transmit information by modulating the frequency and/or type of stored energy, while maintaining the total stored energy with a rate higher than that which is restricted by fundamental limits. In this article, we show that instantaneous bandwidth does not necessarily define the maximum information rate of an antenna. Different techniques for transmitting a high-information-rate signal using a narrow-band (high-Qfactor) antenna are presented from an energy balance and thermodynamic point of view. A few examples are presented as proof of concept. To help with understanding this concept, we have applied some of the proposed modulation schemes to a pendulum system as a second-order mechanical resonator. Finally, the proposed modulation techniques are confirmed using simulations.
Using texture analysis of head CT images to differentiate osteoporosis from normal bone density.

Abstract Objectives To investigate the use of texture analysis for the detection of osteoporosis on noncontrast head CTs, and to explore optimal sampling regions within the craniofacial bones. Methods In this IRB-approved, retrospective study, the clivus, bilateral sphenoid triangles and mandibular condyles were manually segmented on each noncontrast head CT, and 41 textures features were extracted from 29 patients with normal bone density (NBD); and 29 patients with osteoporosis. Basic descriptive statistics including a false discovery rate correction were performed to evaluate for differences in texture features between the cohorts. Resuls Sixteen texture features demonstrated significant differences (P Conclusion The results of this investigation suggest that specific texture analysis features derived from regions of interest placed within multiple sites within the skull base and maxillofacial bones can distinguish between patients with normal bone mineral density compared to those with osteoporosis. This study demonstrates the potential utility of a texture analysis for identification of osteoporosis on head CT, which may help identify patients who have not undergone screening with traditional DXA.
A Method for Conceptualizing and Classifying Feasting: Interpreting Communal Consumption in the Archaeological Record

This article contributes to an ongoing critical examination of feasting by developing a classification scheme that emphasizes the variable contexts in which feasts have occurred. Many recent archaeological and ethnographic accounts have focused on the political and economic roles feasts play in creating power and status differences among participants, while others have highlighted how they build community and increase solidarity within a group. My scheme reconceptualizes the term by giving two independent variables—group size and level of sociopolitical competition—equal roles in determining whether a given eating event is a feast; in turn, my dual-dimensional model facilitates more sophisticated interpretations of archaeological remains. After outlining its utility for describing and comparing eating events, this article evaluates the evidence for feasting at a precontact Native American mound site in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Botanical, faunal, and ceramic analyses of materials from the Feltus mounds (AD 750–1100) reveal fairly typical food-related assemblages, whereas the sheer amount of material, speed with which it was deposited, and size of individual specimens are exceptional. The resulting interpretation emphasizes feasting's role in creating and maintaining group solidarity at Feltus and advances understanding of noncompetitive outcomes of feasting behavior in the precontact American Southeast.
Impact of montelukast and fluticasone on quality of life in mild pediatric sleep apnea

Abstract Objectives Research has shown improvement in apnea-hypopnea index in children with mild obstructive sleep apnea treated with anti-inflammatory medications. Data on quality of life outcomes in children receiving these medications is lacking. We aim to assess quality of life in children with mild obstructive sleep apnea treated with montelukast and fluticasone. Methods Children between 3 and 16 years old with mild sleep apnea (apnea-hypopnea index > 1 and ≤ 5) presenting to a pediatric otolaryngology clinic were recruited prospectively and treated with 4 months of montelukast and fluticasone. Subjects’ caregivers completed the OSA-18, a validated quality of life survey, at baseline and 4 months. Children with ongoing obstruction at follow-up underwent adenotonsillectomy. Results Thirty-one patients were included. Mean (SD) age was 6.8 (3.9) years. Most subjects (54.8%) were black and 48% were obese. Mean (SD) apnea-hypopnea index of the subjects was 2.8 (1.0). The mean (SD) baseline OSA-18 score was 60.2 (18.5), indicating a moderate impact of sleep disturbance on quality of life. Following treatment, there was significant improvement (p Conclusions Children with mild obstructive sleep apnea treated with montelukast and fluticasone experience significant improvements in quality of life. Further research is needed to determine optimal duration of therapy.
When Was the Decision to Annihilate the Armenians Taken

Bahaettin Sakir, the head of Teskilat-i Mahsusa, wrote in a letter on 3 March 1915 that the Central Committee of Union and Progress had decided to exterminate the Armenians, giving the government w...
Burden of care in families of patients with early onset scoliosis.

Early onset scoliosis is a complex manifestation of a heterogenous group of disorders, often necessitating multiple medical and surgical interventions to address the spinal deformity and its accompanying comorbidities. Current literature documents decreases in the health-related quality of life of these patients; however, there is a distinct lack of published data examining the burden on their caregivers. The purpose of this study is to compare burden on caregivers of children with early onset scoliosis and those on caregivers of age-matched healthy peers. A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted by querying a national registry for patients with early onset scoliosis diagnosed before 10 years old whose caregivers completed the caregiver burden (CB) and financial burden (FB) domains of the Early Onset Scoliosis Questionnaire (EOSQ-24) before their treatment. Scores were compared by etiology and planned treatment. The study identified 503 patients categorized by etiology and eventual treatment type. Overall, FB and CB scores for patients with early onset scoliosis were ≥10% worse than those of their age-matched peers, greater than the minimal clinically important difference for the EOSQ-24 (P 0.05) had caregivers who reported greater burdens compared to those of healthy peers. This study suggests burdens on caregivers of patients with early onset scoliosis of nearly all etiologies are greater than those imposed on caregivers of healthy children, even before the additional stress of treatment is imposed. Level of evidence: II.
MIMO Radar and Cellular System Spatial Coexistence using Channel Modeling

Spectrum sharing between radars and cellular systems is an emerging area of research. In this paper, we model channel between a seaborne MIMO radar and MIMO cellular system. We model a two-dimensional (2D) channel to capture the azimuth aspect of the spectrum sharing scenario. Our channel modeling methodology allows MIMO radar to place accurate nulls in the azimuth location of base stations, thus, protecting them from harmful radar interference. We use a projection based approach, where radar waveform is projected onto null space of channel, for mitigating radar interference to BSs. This is also known as an approach based on eigen-nulling which is different from spatial-nulling commonly employed by radars. We show through simulations that the proposed spatial channel model allows eigen-nulling which performs superior to traditional spatial-nulling for interference mitigation. The proposed channel model can be leveraged to use eigen-nulling that enhances target detection and beampattern resolution of MIMO radar while mitigating interference to BSs.
Into the Storm

How do the wheels come off in a venture? Often in multiple ways. It was the end of 1997 and with $2 million already cut from our budget, many of the technical groups at MCNC were starting to feel the pressure from the State subsidy curtailment. At the same time, Shelby’s short circuiting of good risk management practices in support of the networking group’s full court press into gaming networks began to show signs of impending doom. Proserve would have been an incremental, low-cost step towards commercial activity for the networking group. In contrast, the gaming network was becoming an increasingly high-cost, all-or-nothing adventure into the unknown. Things got eerily quiet in the fishbowl.
Evaluation and Management of Suspected Early Chronic Pancreatitis (ECP)

Chronic pancreatitis in the advanced stages leads to significant health care utilization because of the associated complications. Early-stage diagnosis could prevent the development of these complications by appropriate management. In this article, we reviewed the recent evidence pertaining to the diagnosis and management of early chronic pancreatitis (ECP). The working group for the International Consensus Guidelines for Chronic Pancreatitis has published consensus-based statements to streamline the diagnosis of ECP. There is no international consensus on the definition and diagnosis of ECP. The Revised Japanese Diagnostic Criteria for ECP based on clinical features and endoscopic ultrasound findings have been proposed. Large prospective cohort studies are needed to develop and validate internationally acceptable diagnostic criteria. ECP is recognized as a distinct stage in the development and progression of CP. Consensus-based definitions and diagnostic criteria need to be developed.
Of Life and Limb: Surgical Repair of the Arteries in War and Peace, 1890-1960. Justin Barr. University of Rochester Press, 2019

In his book, Of Life and Limb: Surgical Repair of the Arteries in War and Peace, 1890-1960, Dr. Justin Barr provides a comprehensive historical account of the evolution of open arterial repair for vascular injuries over a 70-year period. The historical and chronological description takes into account both the technical challenges that surgeons experienced with regard to successful primary repair of arterial injuries and the environmental influences that influenced the delay and acceleration of this surgical intervention.
Monosomy X in Female Mice Influences the Regional Formation and Augments the Severity of Angiotensin II–Induced Aortopathies

Objective: Turner syndrome women (monosomy X) have high risk of aortopathies consistent with a role for sex chromosomes in disease development. We demonstrated that sex chromosomes influence region...
Three dimensional cluster analysis for atom probe tomography using Ripley's K-function and machine learning.

Abstract The size and structure of spatial molecular and atomic clustering can significantly impact material properties and is therefore important to accurately quantify. Ripley’s K-function ( K ( r ) ), a measure of spatial correlation, can be used to perform such quantification when the material system of interest can be represented as a marked point pattern. This work demonstrates how machine learning models based on K ( r ) -derived metrics can accurately estimate cluster size and intra-cluster density in simulated three dimensional (3D) point patterns containing spherical clusters of varying size; over 90% of model estimates for cluster size and intra-cluster density fall within 11% and 18% error of the true values, respectively. These K ( r ) -based size and density estimates are then applied to an experimental APT reconstruction to characterize MgZn clusters in a 7000 series aluminum alloy. We find that the estimates are more accurate, consistent, and robust to user interaction than estimates from the popular maximum separation algorithm. Using K ( r ) and machine learning to measure clustering is an accurate and repeatable way to quantify this important material attribute.
Foundations of variational discrete action theory

A new variational theory is proposed, based on the sequential product density matrix (SPD) ansatz, which is characterized by an integer and monotonically approaches the exact solution. The authors introduce the discrete action theory to evaluate the SPD, yielding the variational discrete action theory (VDAT). VDAT can be exactly evaluated for the multiband Anderson impurity model and the multiband Hubbard model in infinite dimensions. This provides an unprecedented combination of efficiency and precision within a single framework.
Cross-Sectional Association Between Exclusive and Concurrent Use of Cigarettes, ENDS, and Cigars, the Three Most Popular Tobacco Products, and Wheezing Symptoms Among U.S. Adults.

Introduction This study assessed the association of exclusive and concurrent use of cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and cigars with ever and past 12-month wheezing symptoms among a nationally representative sample of US adult current tobacco users. Methods Cross-sectional data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 3 (W3) were used. The weighted prevalence of self-reported ever and past 12-month wheezing symptoms for noncurrent users compared with users of cigarettes, ENDS, cigars, and any combination of these products (polytobacco use of these tobacco products) were presented for 28 082 adults. The cross-sectional association of tobacco use with self-reported wheezing symptoms was assessed using weighted multivariable and ordinal logistic regression with consideration of complex sampling design. Results Significantly higher odds of ever had wheezing or whistling in the chest at any time in the past were observed among current cigarette (adjusted odds ratio: 2.62, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 2.35, 2.91), ENDS (1.49, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.95), and polytobacco users (2.67, 95% CI: 2.26, 3.16) compared with noncurrent users. No associations were seen for cigar use. Polytobacco use was associated with a higher odds of ever wheezing when compared with exclusive ENDS (1.61, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.17) and exclusive cigar use (2.87, 95% CI: 1.93, 4.26), but not exclusive use of cigarettes. Conclusions Ever wheezing is associated with the use of cigarettes, ENDS, and polytobacco use of cigarettes, ENDS, and/or cigars, but not cigar use. The association of polytobacco use and wheezing appears to be driven by cigarette use. Implications Cross-sectional associations with ever and past 12-month wheezing symptoms were found to be the strongest among cigarette users, exclusively or in combination. Future longitudinal research is needed to better understand how cigarette use interacts with other tobacco and nicotine products and contributes to respiratory symptoms.
Conflict Resolution in the Clinical Setting: A Story beyond Bioethics Mediation:

Because ethics consults are often more about conflict than moral puzzlement, the skills of conflict resolution and communication facilitation are now deemed a core competency for ethics consultants. Those skills range beyond the traditional ambit of "bioethics mediation," as illustrated here by a recent mediation regarding a difficult discharge. As conflict permeates healthcare, often spawning downstream ethical issues, conflict resolution services might be deemed a genre of preventive ethics suitably offered by ethics committees. If so, a strong distinction must be made. "Bioethics mediation" as historically defined is a curious amalgam between a consultant who recommends, and a mediator who facilitates consensus among the parties at the table. On closer examination this approach is problematic, particularly in the clinical setting. A mediator who acts as consultant, telling parties what they should do or directly circumscribing the limits of an "acceptable" decision, quickly becomes just another pair of fists in the fight. At that point the odds for reaching genuine agreement, as opposed to a transient acquiescence, diminish markedly. Accordingly, those who undertake conflict resolution in the clinical setting need to distinguish quite sharply between facilitative mediation, versus a consultant's role.
Persistent Conductive Hearing Loss After Tympanostomy Tube Placement Due to High‐Riding Jugular Bulb

High-riding jugular bulb (HRJB) is a rare condition not often observed in the clinical setting that occurs in 1% to 3% of cases. The jugular bulb is not present at birth, and the precise size and location likely depends on a myriad of postnatal events. This report describes the case of a male adolescent who experienced persistent conductive hearing loss (CHL) unilaterally following bilateral tympanostomy tube placement. Subsequent workup included computed tomography, which identified a very high jugular bulb eroding the posterior semicircular canal and occluding the round window niche. The patient had no hearing or vestibular symptoms aside from CHL and continues to be observed on a regular basis. HRJB is a rare disorder that has been known to erode the posterior semicircular canal, resulting in possible tinnitus, vertigo, dizziness, and/or sensorineural hearing loss. CHL has been reported in HRJB cases, although it is uncommon. HRJB may result in CHL through a third-window defect shunting hydromechanical energy away from the round window or due to middle ear blockage. Imaging is useful in ascertaining rare causes of CHL, such as HRJB. Because HRJB is not easily fixable, it is important to recognize it as a rare cause of CHL for appropriate patient counseling. Possible interventions should be tailored to the patient after careful consideration of contralateral anatomy and likely benefits. Laryngoscope, 131:E1272-E1274, 2021.
Metabolic modulation by CDK4/6 inhibitor promotes chemokine-mediated recruitment of T cells into mammary tumors

Summary Inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6i) delay progression of metastatic breast cancer. However, complete responses are uncommon and tumors eventually relapse. Here, we show that CDK4/6i can enhance efficacy of T cell-based therapies, such as adoptive T cell transfer or T cell-activating antibodies anti-OX40/anti-4-1BB, in murine breast cancer models. This effect is driven by the induction of chemokines CCL5, CXCL9, and CXCL10 in CDK4/6i-treated tumor cells facilitating recruitment of activated CD8+ T cells, but not Tregs, into the tumor. Mechanistically, chemokine induction is associated with metabolic stress that CDK4/6i treatment induces in breast cancer cells. Despite the cell cycle arrest, CDK4/6i-treated cells retain high metabolic activity driven by deregulated PI3K/mTOR pathway. This causes cell hypertrophy and increases mitochondrial content/activity associated with oxidative stress and inflammatory stress response. Our findings uncover a link between tumor metabolic vulnerabilities and anti-tumor immunity and support further development of CDK4/6i and immunotherapy combinations.
Mild SARS-CoV-2 Illness Is Not Associated with Reinfections and Provides Persistent Spike, Nucleocapsid, and Virus-Neutralizing Antibodies.

Uncertainty exists whether mild COVID-19 confers immunity to reinfection. Questions also remain regarding the persistence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 after mild infection. We prospectively followed at-risk individuals with and without SARS-CoV-2 for reinfection and monitored the spike and nucleocapsid antibodies. This prospective cohort study was conducted over two visits, 3 to 6 months apart, between May 2020 and February 2021. Adults with and without COVID-19, verified by FDA EUA-approved SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assays, were screened for spike and nucleocapsid antibody responses using FDA EUA-approved immunoassays and for pseudoviral neutralization activity. The subjects were monitored for symptoms, exposure to COVID-19, COVID-19 testing, seroconversion, reinfection, and vaccination. A total of 653 subjects enrolled; 129 (20%) had a history of COVID-19 verified by RT-PCR at enrollment. Most had mild disease, with only three requiring hospitalization. No initially seropositive subjects experienced a subsequent COVID-19 infection during the follow-up versus 15 infections among initially seronegative subjects (infection rates of 0.00 versus 2.05 per 10,000 days at risk [P = 0.0485]). In all, 90% of SARS-CoV-2-positive subjects produced spike and nucleocapsid responses, and all but one of these had persistent antibody levels at follow-up. Pseudoviral neutralization activity was widespread among participants, did not decrease over time, and correlated with clinical antibody assays. Reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 was not observed among individuals with mild clinical COVID-19, while infections continued in a group without known prior infection. Spike and nucleocapsid COVID-19 antibodies were associated with almost all infections and persisted at stable levels for the study duration. IMPORTANCE This article demonstrates that people who have mild COVID-19 illnesses and produce antibodies are protected from reinfection for up to 6 months afterward. The antibodies that people produce in this situation are stable for up to 6 months as well. Clinical antibody assays correlate well with evidence of antibody-related viral neutralization activity.
Found Down Extremity Compartment Syndrome Secondary to Substance Use: An Observational Multicenter Study.

With the worsening opioid epidemic in America, more patients are developing found down extremity compartment syndrome (FDECS). The purpose of this study was to describe this patient population, including their presenting symptoms, laboratory test results, and clinical outcomes. Methods We performed a 2-center retrospective review of adult patients who developed FDECS secondary to substance use from January 2006 to December 2019. Patients were managed operatively or nonoperatively at the surgeon's discretion. Data on patient demographic characteristics, laboratory values, hospital course, and clinical outcomes were collected from electronic medical records. Results In this study, 91 patients were included: 85 patients were managed operatively, and 6 patients were managed nonoperatively. Most patients were male, and the mean patient age (and standard deviation) was 37 ± 11 years. Opioids were the most common substance used. Patients managed operatively underwent a mean of 4 ± 3 surgical procedures, 44% received a skin graft, 25% developed a wound infection, and 11% underwent limb amputation. Patients managed nonoperatively did not undergo a subsequent fasciotomy or amputation. At a mean follow-up of 2.3 years, persistent weakness (66%), pain (78%), persistent sensory deficits (53%), and contractures (18%) were common. Conclusions Patients who develop FDECS secondary to substance use have high surgical complication rates and poor clinical outcomes. We found high rates of wound infection, revision surgical procedures, and amputation, often leaving young adults with lifelong disability. Level of Evidence Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Ruxolitinib As a Salvage Therapy for Acute and Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease in Children and Young Adults: a single institution experience

Background Ruxolitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK)-1/JAK-2 inhibitor that reduces T-cell activation and proliferation leading to a potent anti-inflammatory effect, was recently approved to treat steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) and is under study for chronic GvHD (cGvHD). However, there are few reports on its use in pediatric and young adult patients with GvHD. Methods We retrospectively report our single center experience with ruxolitinib in 15 patients aged 11-29 years: 5 patients with steroid refractory/steroid dependent aGvHD and 10 patients with cGvHD who had failed at least one systemic therapy. Results In the aGvHD group, ruxolitinib led to an overall response rate (ORR) of 40% at day 28 and 80% with longer follow-up (complete response, CR 60%), with a median of 21 days (5-74) to achieve a response. In the cGvHD group (9 evaluable patients), we observed an ORR of 67% and a CR of 22%, with a median of 78 days (35-180) to achieve a response. Adverse events included cytopenias, gastrointestinal symptoms, infections, and an allergic reaction attributable to ruxolitinib. Conclusions Overall, our results show that ruxolitinib is an effective salvage therapy for severe GvHD in pediatric and young adult patients. The toxicities noted warrant adequate antimicrobial prophylaxis and close monitoring of blood counts.
Op zoek naar de juiste prikkel

Meedoen met anderen en betrokken zijn bij je omgeving is voor iedereen belangrijk. Dementie maakt dat moeilijker. Maar zelfs bij mensen met gevorderde dementie in het verpleeghuis kan participatie worden bevorderd, zo blijkt uit recent onderzoek. Het is allemaal een kwestie van de juiste prikkels vinden.
On the Role of Amino Groups in the Structure and Function of Glutamate Dehydrogenase: II. EFFECT OF ACETYLATION ON MOLECULAR PROPERTIES

The concentration-dependent reversible association-dissociation reaction of beef liver glutamate dehydrogenase is found to be affected by treatment with acetic anhydride. Under different conditions, acetylation in Tris-acetate buffer yields either a fully active or inactive species which can no longer undergo association. As determined by light-scattering and equilibrium sedimentation, the molecular weight of the acetylated enzyme, either active or inactive, is 400,000 ± 25,000, the same as observed for native enzyme when reversibly dissociated. In this paper, association of the enzyme is considered as a monomer-polymer process with monomer being defined as enzyme of molecular weight 400,000, even though the monomer itself consists of eight peptide chains of molecular weight 50,000. Acetylation of partially associated native enzyme at low concentrations of acetic anhydride decreases enzymatic activity by 80% with little change in the weight average molecular weight. At higher acetic anhydride concentrations, the molecular weight drops sharply to that of the monomer, and the activity is completely lost. It is concluded that different functional groups are responsible for catalytic activity and for monomer-tetramer association. Further, as measured by ninhydrin, only one amino group per peptide chain of molecular weight 50,000 is responsible for the changes in catalytic activity and regulatory properties, and one to two different amino groups per peptide chain are involved in the monomer-tetramer association. The reactivity of these latter groups, but not the former, is influenced by the state of association of the protein. The mode of association of the enzyme is different when adenosine diphosphate plus reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide are present since a pentamer (containing 40 peptide chains) rather than a tetramer (with 32 peptide chains) is formed at high enzyme concentrations. From the effect of acetylation on activity and molecular weight in the presence and absence of ADP and DPNH, it is concluded that pentamer, but not tetramer, formation involves the same functional group as that involved in over-all catalytic activity and regulatory properties. The results obtained concerning the kinetic and molecular properties are discussed in terms of a minimum of four different types of interactions. These are intrapeptide chain, interpeptide chain, monomer-monomer interactions in the absence of, and monomer-monomer interactions in the presence of, ADP and DPNH. Tyrosyl and sulfhydryl groups are not involved in the changes which are observed upon treatment with acetic anhydride. The advantage of performing acetylation experiments in Tris-acetate buffer is discussed.
The space particle environment

The energetic charged particle environment in the Earth's magnetosphere was studied. An overview is provided of trapped particle morphology, the geometry of the trapping regions, the radiation environmental models, the current status of these models, and future modelling requirements.
INTERACTION OF AN INTERFERON WITH L CELLS.

Lockart, Royce Z., Jr. (The University of Texas, Austin) and Barbara Horn. Interaction of an interferon with L cells. J. Bacteriol. 85:996–1002. 1963.—Data were presented on the effect of time of exposure and concentration of an interferon in provoking viral inhibition in L cells. Populations of L cells which made reduced amounts of Western equine encephalomyelitis virus as a result of treatment with interferon did so at reduced rates proportional to the concentration of interferon used. Virus yields were maximal, however, 25 hr after challenge regardless of the amount of virus produced. Such populations of cells contained a proportion of cells no longer able to produce infective virus, while the average maximal yield of the remainder of the cell population was reduced. It was suggested that only cells which made new virus underwent cytopathic effects. The rate of viral inhibition in monolayers of L cells was dependent on the concentration of interferon added, but inhibition was nearly maximal at 8 hr, regardless of the interferon concentration. Viral inhibition was shown to persist in multiplying cells, but it gradually diminished. The amount of inhibition after either one or two cell divisions was greater in those cultures treated with greater amounts of interferon. Viral inhibition could be passed through cell division with no loss when cells were incubated with a sufficient concentration of interferon. A model of interferon action based on the preceding data was presented.
Robinson, K., & Harris, A. L. (2014). The Broken Compass: Parental Involvement With Children's Education

Improving education for students in the U.S. is a concern for many stakeholders, including parents, teachers, policy makers, and the social scientific community. This is the audience for Robinson a...
Clean Water Act, US

The US Clean Water Act (CWA) was intended to direct environmental attention/protection to surface waters in the United States and specifically to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters.” This article briefly reviews the CWA and selected, associated, environmetric issues. Keywords: water quality; environmental law; environmental policy and regulation; natural resources; clean water acts
Recurrent seizure activity after epidural morphine in a post-partum woman.

Purpose We report on a primiparous woman who suffered recurrent seizure activity after repeated small doses of epidural morphine to highlight the neuroexcitation potential of neuraxial opioids in the epileptic patient.
Imaging Solar Flares in Hard X Rays and Gamma Rays from Balloon‐Borne Platforms

Hard X-rays and gamma rays carry the most direct evidence available for the roles of accelerated particles in solar flares. An approach that employs a spatial Fourier-transform technique for imaging the sources of these emissions is described and plans for developing a balloon-borne gamma ray imaging device (GRID) based on this instrumental approach is presented. This instrument, GRID on a balloon, would enable observations with a 1.6 arcsecond angular resolution, 10 millisecond time resolution, and whole-Sun field of view on long-duration balloon flights during MAX 1991.
Creatively designing socially intelligent robots

What role does creative design theory and practice play in the mechanical and technical design of socially intelligent robots? It may be true and evident that creative design theory and practice can play a variety of roles since some socially intelligent prototype robots already exist. The question then becomes: What future role(s) should creative design theory and practice play in the mass production of socially intelligent robots? In order to answer this question we may need to view socially intelligent robots not just as a mechanical amalgamation of complex scientific theories, computer programs and technical parts, but as a creative design form that in itself communicates (or will communicate) with a counterpart (that may be human) in a future time and in a predetermined or target social context. We may also need to view the process of designing socially intelligent robots as a social process that warrants audience input. Therefore, the function and form of a mass produced SIR may need to depend on the way that a multidisciplinary design team (that includes the engineers, social scientists, creative designers and especially the target audience) wants it to be aesthetically and technically designed to behave in its target social context.
Endothelium-derived nitric oxide reduces baseline venous tone in awake instrumented rats

To determine whether nitric oxide, which is likely endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), modulates baseline venous tone, the effects of intravenous NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) (3–25 mg/...
Evidence for existence of tissue-specific regulation of the mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

Tissue distribution and kinetic parameters for the four isoenzymes of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK1, PDK2, PDK3 and PDK4) identified thus far in mammals were analysed. It appeared that expression of these isoenzymes occurs in a tissue-specific manner. The mRNA for isoenzyme PDK1 was found almost exclusively in rat heart. The mRNA for PDK3 was most abundantly expressed in rat testis. The message for PDK2 was present in all tissues tested but the level was low in spleen and lung. The mRNA for PDK4 was predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle and heart. The specific activities of the isoenzymes varied 25-fold, from 50nmol/min per mg for PDK2 to 1250nmol/min per mg for PDK3. Apparent Ki values of the isoenzymes for the synthetic analogue of pyruvate, dichloroacetate, varied 40-fold, from 0.2 mM for PDK2 to 8 mM for PDK3. The isoenzymes were also different with respect to their ability to respond to NADH and NADH plus acetyl-CoA. NADH alone stimulated the activities of PDK1 and PDK2 by 20 and 30% respectively. NADH plus acetyl-CoA activated these isoenzymes nearly 200 and 300%. Under comparable conditions, isoenzyme PDK3 was almost completely unresponsive to NADH, and NADH plus acetyl-CoA caused inhibition rather than activation. Isoenzyme PDK4 was activated almost 2-fold by NADH, but NADH plus acetyl-CoA did not activate above the level seen with NADH alone. These results provide the first evidence that the unique tissue distribution and kinetic characteristics of the isoenzymes of PDK are among the major factors responsible for tissue-specific regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity.
Goals and Concerns

Until recently children’s social competence has been defined as children’s ability to accomplish their goals in interaction with others (e.g., Combs & Slaby, 1977; O’Malley, 1977). Thus, for example, researchers have studied the ways in which children join groups (Corsaro, 1981; Putallaz, 1983; Putallaz & Gottman, 1981) or the ways in which they maintain relationships and resolve interpersonal conflicts (e.g., Asher & Renshaw, 1981). This approach to defining and studying social competenc, although valuable and productive, neglects an important aspect of the social world, namely, that social situations are inherently ill-defined and unstructured (Greene, 1976; Renshaw & Asher, 1983) and that a fundamental task confronting a child is to discern which goals should be pursued in social situations.