cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geometris: A Collaborative Embodied Geometry Game

Motivated to provide 6- to 11-year-old children with a way to experience mathematics as collaborative, tangible, and concrete, we present Geometris, a collaborative embodied geometry game. As shapes are projected onto the floor, players recreate those shapes on a 6x6ft interactive mat. At the end of each level, a geometric pattern - the result of overlaying all created shapes Is displayed. In this paper, we share the hardware and software development work behind our functional prototype. We also share feedback from pilot testing sessions. We seek to continue refining Geometris to meet the needs of young mathematics learners
In vitro and in vivo characterization of integrin targeted nanoparticle probes and small molecule probes

3856 Integrin α v β 3 is a cell surface heterodimeric protein and upregulated on tumor cells as well as angiogenic endothelial cells. Angiogenesis is associated with various pathological conditions like osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, macular degeneration, and cancer. A variety of tumors as well as the endothelial cells associated with the tumors express α v β 3 . Our efforts are focused towards the development of imaging probes targeted to α v β 3 . In this presentation we will describe our efforts with the development of avb3 targeted optical probes for imaging angiogenesis in cancer. We have synthesized integrin targeted low molecular weight optical probe as well as nanoparticle based optical probe. We will present the physico chemical, in vitro, and in vivo characterization of these probes. The in vivo data clearly showed that both probes target tumor however, the nanoparticle probe confined to the vasculature and did not leak out of the vasculature where as the small molecule probe leaks out of the vasculature into the tumor.
Current status of immunotherapy and immune biomarkers in gastro-esophageal cancers

Gastroesophageal (GE) cancers continue to be a significant cause of mortality globally. Despite therapeutic advances in oncology, the prognosis of advanced GE cancer remains exceedingly poor. Immunotherapy has caused a major paradigm shift in the field of oncology. Not all patients benefit from these agents and several studies are trying to identify predictive and prognostic biomarkers to better inform and guide treatment decisions. The potential role of immunotherapy in GE cancers is emerging. These cancer types are molecularly and immunologically heterogeneous, and this heterogeneity influences the tumor microenvironment posing a significant challenge to studying biomarkers of response to immunotherapy. Here in this article, we discuss the need for new therapeutic approaches in GE cancers, review the emerging data on the activity of checkpoint inhibitors and the role of biomarkers in this setting.
Managing change at Urban Affordable Housing

Synopsis Urban Affordable Housing (UAH) Inc. was a real estate asset management syndication firm that sponsored affordable housing to low-income families and seniors across the USA. The case examines the firm’s management of an internal information technology (IT) change initiative. The case follows the firm’s recently hired IT manager, Anthony Bryant, as he works to change a culture while acquiring resources and acceptance for the project he was hired to oversee. Bryant deals with numerous changing priorities, inadequate sponsorship, resistance from various levels, and a dearth of resources as he struggles to get the organization to complete an overdue database conversion. Research methodology This case is based upon the firsthand experiences of the lead author over a seven-year period while working at UAH. Measures have been taken to disguise the firm’s identity, including using a pseudonym, fictitious names for firm employees, a fictitious location, and the alteration of key dates. Key elements of the case have been constructed around semi-structured interviews and the review of archival documentation. Most quotes are verbatim in an attempt to preserve their authenticity, and were drawn from the semi-structured interviews and from historical accounts of actual occurrences and conversations. Relevant courses and levels The UAH case is multi-faceted, as it can be used in a number of environments amid a business school curriculum. A primary use is likely in a course revolving around organizational change and development. It might also be featured as part of the organizational change component in a course on organizational behavior, used to illustrate and analyze organizational culture and change leadership. Furthermore, the case could be used for change-related topics in management information systems or project management courses. The authors suggest the case be assigned at the graduate level, though it could also be suitable for an advanced undergraduate class. Theoretical bases Critical knowledge for successfully analyzing this case includes the following concepts: the change process (Lewin, 1951); leading change (Kotter, 1996); resistance to change (Kegan and Lahey, 2001); and communicating change (Armenakis and Harris, 2002).
African appropriations: cultural difference, mimesis, and media, edited by Matthias Krings: Bloomington and Indianapolis, Indiana University Press, 2015, 328 pp., 30$ (PB), ISBN: 978-0-253-01629-4

Matthias Krings offers a compelling examination of the various ways African cultural producers have engaged in appropriation as a hermeneutic practice. Through case studies spanning a variety of cu...
Factors influencing the successful use of vision-based strategy planning by nonprofit human service organizations

Using an action research method to study the vision-based strategic planning processes of four nonprofit human service organizations, the author identifies factors that influence the successful initiation of the planning process, the formulation of a vision-based plan, and the use of the plan to guide organizational performance. The author identifies transformational leadership and an organizational commitment to cultural change as important to the mobilization of these success factors and to the subsequent achievement of viable vision-based strategic plans.
Pulmonary Complications Associated with HSCT

While outcomes for patients who undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have improved over the past 10–20 years, pulmonary complications after allogeneic HSCT remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Overall, 25–50% of pediatric HSCT patients will develop pulmonary complications. Thus, prevention, early detection, and intervention are key to minimizing the sequelae from HSCT-associated pulmonary complications. HSCT-associated pulmonary complications can be classified as infectious or noninfectious, and they often follow a predictable timeline, occurring during discrete phases of HSCT (pre-engraftment, early post-engraftment, late post-engraftment). However, certain post-HSCT pulmonary complications span the entire post-HSCT course. The most common causes of noninfectious pulmonary complications are related to the conditioning regimen used which can result in varying degrees of acute or delayed lung injury, the degree of recipient–donor HLA histoincompatibility, the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) source, the degree of graft manipulation, and the development of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), both acute and chronic. Infectious etiologies can be caused by any class of pathogen including bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoan. They usually occur during periods of profound and/or prolonged neutropenia and/or impaired or delayed cellular and humoral immune recovery. Immunosuppression used to prevent or treat GvHD also places a HSCT recipient at high risk for developing pulmonary infections that can be life-threatening. This chapter discusses the most common pulmonary complications associated with HSCT by time period post-HSCT.
Design Thinking and Digital Marketing Skills in Marketing Education: A Module on Building Mobile Applications

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how marketing educators can utilize the design-thinking process to create an engaged, high-impact learning experience for students. The guidelines of t...
Quantitative Relationship Between AUEC of Absolute Neutrophil Count and Duration of Severe Neutropenia for G-CSF in Breast Cancer Patients

The aim of the study was to evaluate the quantitative relationship between duration of severe neutropenia (DSN, the efficacy endpoint) and area under effect curve of absolute neutrophil counts (ANC-AUEC, the pharmacodynamic endpoint), based on data from filgrastim products, a human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Clinical data from filgrastim product comparator and test arms of two randomized, parallel-group, phase III studies in breast cancer patients treated with myelosuppressive chemotherapy were utilized. A zero-inflated Poisson regression model best described the negative correlation between DSN and ANC-AUEC. The models predicted that with 10 × 109 day/L of increase in ANC-AUEC, the mean DSN would decrease from 1.1 days to 0.93 day in Trial 1 and from 1.2 days to 1.0 day in Trial 2. The findings of the analysis provide useful information regarding the relationship between ANC and DSN that can be used for dose selection and optimization of clinical trial design for G-CSF.
Smoking and Physical Activity Explain the Increased Mortality Risk Following Marital Separation and Divorce: Evidence From the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Background Marital separation and divorce are associated with an increased risk of early mortality, but the specific biobehavioral pathways that explain this association remain largely unknown. Purpose This study sought to identify the putative psychological, behavioral, and biomarker variables that can help explain the association of being separated or divorced and increased risk for early mortality. Methods Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a representative community sample of aging adults (N = 5,786), we examined the association of marital status and life satisfaction, health behaviors measured 2 years later, biomarkers measured 4 years later, and mortality outcomes from the subsequent 4 years. Results Consistent with prior literature, older adults who were separated/divorced evidenced greater risk of mortality relative to those in intact marriages over the study period, OR = 1.46, 95% CI [1.15, 1.86]. Marital status was associated with lower levels of life satisfaction, β = -0.22 [-0.25, -0.19] and greater likelihood of smoking 2 years later β = 0.17 [0.13, 0.21]. Lower life satisfaction predicted less frequent physical activity 2 years later, β = 0.07 [0.03, 0.10]. Smoking, but not physical activity, predicted poorer lung functioning 2 years later, β = -0.43 [-0.51, -0.35], and poorer lung function predicted increased likelihood of mortality over the following 4 years, β = -0.15 [-0.27, -0.03]. There was a significant total indirect effect of marital status on mortality through these psychological, behavioral, and biomarker variables, β = 0.03 [0.01, 0.05], which fully explained this mortality risk. Conclusions For separated/divorced adults, differences in life satisfaction predict health behaviors associated with poorer long-term lung function, and these intermediate variables help explain the association between marital dissolution and increased risk of earlier mortality.
Performance of a Factory-Calibrated Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring System Utilizing an Automated Sensor Applicator.

Abstract Background: This study assessed the accuracy of a factory-calibrated 10-day real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system (G6), which includes an automated sensor applicator. Method...
Controlled Release and Magnetically Modulated Systems for Macromolecules: Recent Advances

Since the initial report that inert biocompatible polymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer could be used for the controlled release of macromolecules (M.W.> 1000) (1), these systems have been used by different investigators in many areas of research (2–21). Macromolecules such as enzymes (22), antigens (23) and insulin (24) have been released in biologically active form for up to six months in vivo. Extensive studies in vitro have demonstrated that the release rates of drugs from these devices can be adjusted over a 2000-fold range by simple alterations in the fabrication procedures of those macromolecule-polymer matrices (25). Constant release rates have been achieved using appropriate geometric design of these matrices (26) and a method of externally regulating the release rates of these systems using magnetism has been developed (27).
TiO2 Nanoparticles Catalyze Oxidation of Huntingtin Exon 1-Derived Peptides Impeding Aggregation: A Quantitative NMR Study of Binding and Kinetics

Polyglutamine expansion within the N-terminal region of the huntingtin protein results in the formation of intracellular aggregates responsible for Huntington’s disease, a fatal neurodegenerative condition. The interaction between TiO2 nanoparticles and huntingtin peptides comprising the N-terminal amphiphilic domain without (httNT) or with (httNTQ10) a ten-residue C-terminal polyglutamine tract, is investigated by NMR spectroscopy. TiO2 nanoparticles decrease aggregation of httNTQ10 by catalyzing the oxidation of Met7 to a sulfoxide, resulting in an aggregation-incompetent peptide. The oxidation agent is hydrogen peroxide generated on the surface of the TiO2 nanoparticles either by UV irradiation or at low steady-state levels in the dark. The binding kinetics of nonaggregating httNT to TiO2 nanoparticles is characterized by quantitative analysis of 15N dark state exchange saturation transfer and lifetime line broadening NMR data. Binding involves a sparsely populated intermediate that experiences hindere...
Spontaneous Hemorrhage Followed by Paraparesis in a Patient with a Spinal Meningioma

Background Although rare, spinal meningiomas may cause motor and sensory deficits or difficulty with bladder or bowel function due to spinal cord compression. Although hemorrhage of intracranial meningiomas is well documented, there are very few cases of hemorrhage or hematoma associated with spinal meningiomas in the literature. Spinal meningiomas have been reported to be associated with subdural, epidural, intratumoral, and subarachnoid hemorrhage, and usually in the setting of an inciting event such as lumbar puncture or anticoagulation therapy. Case Description A 68-year-old women presented to the emergency room with acute onset of paraparesis in the lower extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging findings were inconclusive for cause but showed spinal cord compression. Intraoperative findings demonstrated an intratumoral hemorrhage and pathology was consistent with meningioma. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in English literature of a patient who first develops symptoms from a spinal meningioma with spontaneous intratumoral hemorrhage presenting with acute paraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging findings in retrospect match surgical intraoperative findings. Prompt surgical intervention can result in complete resolution of neurologic deficits.
Lipid profile is associated with decreased fatigue in individuals with progressive multiple sclerosis following a diet-based intervention: Results from a pilot study

Purpose To investigate associations between lipid profiles and fatigue in a cohort of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on a diet-based multimodal intervention. Methods This pilot study included 18 progressive MS patients who participated in a prospective longitudinal study of fatigue following a diet-based multimodal intervention that included exercise, neuromuscular electrical stimulation and stress reduction. The diet recommended high intake of vegetables and fruits, encouraged consumption of animal and plant protein and excluded foods with gluten-containing grains, dairy and eggs. Fatigue was measured on the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at baseline and every 3 months for 12 months. A lipid profile consisting of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) was obtained on fasting blood samples at baseline and 12 months. Results FSS scores decreased from a baseline of 5.51 (95% CI: 4.86, 6.16) to a mean of 3.03 (95% CI: 2.23, 3.82) at 12 months (p < 0.001). At 12 months, increases in HDL-C (mean change: +6.0 mg/dl; 95% CI: 0.3, 12.0; p = 0.049) and decreases in BMI (mean change: -2.6 kg/m2; 95% CI: -3.6, -2.5; p < 0.001), LDL-C (mean change: -10.4 mg/dl; 95% CI:-19.7, -1.2; p = 0.029), TG (mean change: -29.2 mg/dl; 95% CI: -44.3, -14.2; p = 0.001), TG to HDL-C ratio (mean change: -0.6; 95% CI: -1.0, -0.3; p = 0.002) and TC to HDL-C ratio (mean change:-0.6; 95% CI: -1.0, -0.3; p = 0.003) were observed compared to baseline. Improvements in FSS were associated with increases in HDL-C (β = -0.05; 95% CI: -0.1, -0.0004; p = 0.048) and changes in TC (p = 0.005) from baseline to 12 months. Conclusions Lipid profile variables are associated with improvements in fatigue in progressive MS patients on a diet-based multimodal intervention.
An inner-loop free solution to inverse problems using deep neural networks

We propose a new method that uses deep learning techniques to accelerate the popular alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) solution for inverse problems. The ADMM updates consist of a proximity operator, a least squares regression that includes a big matrix inversion, and an explicit solution for updating the dual variables. Typically, inner loops are required to solve the first two sub-minimization problems due to the intractability of the prior and the matrix inversion. To avoid such drawbacks or limitations, we propose an inner-loop free update rule with two pre-trained deep convolutional architectures. More specifically, we learn a conditional denoising auto-encoder which imposes an implicit data-dependent prior/regularization on ground-truth in the first sub-minimization problem. This design follows an empirical Bayesian strategy, leading to so-called amortized inference. For matrix inversion in the second sub-problem, we learn a convolutional neural network to approximate the matrix inversion, i.e., the inverse mapping is learned by feeding the input through the learned forward network. Note that training this neural network does not require ground-truth or measurements, i.e., data-independent. Extensive experiments on both synthetic data and real datasets demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method compared with the conventional ADMM solution using inner loops for solving inverse problems.
Estradiol regulates daily rhythms underlying diet-induced obesity in female mice

The circadian system is a critical regulator of metabolism and obesity in males, but its role in regulating obesity in females is poorly understood. Because there are sex differences in the develop...
Markets, Corporate Governance and Efficiency or Lack Thereof: Arguments in Favor of Reforms

The untenable volatility of financial markets and fleeting nature of stock ownership on one side and corporate scandals, high-risk managerial whims and empire building attitudes of corporate managers on the other have rekindled a three-decade old debate on whether financial markets, especially stock markets hold efficient mechanisms for investment and resource allocation (Agglieta & Reberioux, 2005; Khachaturyan, 2003; Vitols, 2008; Coffee, 2005). And the recent Nobel prize (for the year 2013) awarded to Robert Shiller, Eugene Fama, and Lars Hansen for their research contributions with regard to functioning of financial markets and price evaluation of stocks has reinforced the importance of efficient resource allocations and the need to regulate stock-market to safeguard the interests of investors and corporations. For instance, the Aspen Institute’s Corporate Values Strategy Group (Aspen Institute, 2009) which has been working on promoting long-term orientation in business decision making and investing has issued a call to end the value-destroying short-termism in financial markets and create public policies that reward long-term value creation, which is endorsed by twenty-eight leaders representing business, investment, government and academia (including Warren Buffett - CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Lou Gerstner - former CEO of IBM, Roger Ferguson - President of TIAA-CREF, and James Wolfensohn - former President of the World Bank). In this light, this article critically reviews the stock-market behavior, its influence on firm management, and the corporate factors that induce market anomalies, and to recommend measures that would curtail stock-market-volatility and corporate practices neglecting long-term investor-interests. The major assumptions of market-efficiency are critically reviewed in light of new evidences pointing to the failures of market mechanisms and corporate governance practices. This article further articulates the need for creating effective regulations and long-term incentives that are of interest to both investors and corporate managers.
On Optimal Orchestration of Virtualized Cellular Networks With Downlink Rate Coverage Probability Constraints

Wireless network virtualization is emerging as a promising technology for next-generation (5G) cellular networks. A key advantage of introducing virtualization in cellular networks is that wireless services can be decoupled from network resources (e.g., infrastructure and spectrum) so that multiple virtual networks can be built using a shared pool of network resources. This paper develops a theoretical framework for optimizing the resource allocation in virtualized cellular networks with heterogeneous coverage requirements. Specifically, we first formulate a chance-constrained virtual resource allocation problem that aims at probabilistically guaranteeing virtual networks’ downlink coverage and rate demand satisfaction while minimizing resource over-provisioning in the presence of uncertainty in user equipment (UE) locations and channel conditions. Thereafter, we derive a closed-form expression for the downlink rate coverage probability of a typical virtual network. With the closed-form expression, we design an efficient algorithm to solve the chance-constrained problem with affordable computation complexity. Furthermore, considering the possibility of lack of sufficient network resources to satisfy all virtual networks’ demands, we design a prioritized virtual resource allocation scheme where virtual networks are built sequentially based on their given priorities. Our results demonstrate that the proposed stochastic virtualization framework outperforms existing deterministic virtualization frameworks in terms of probabilistically guaranteeing virtual networks’ coverage and rate demand satisfaction.
"Nostalgic Elegance": The Enduring Style of the Gibson Girl

This paper offers new perspectives on the sartorial style of the Gibson Girl archetype, the ideal of feminine beauty at the turn of the twentieth century, and its reinterpretation and prevalence po...
Exploring Effects of Auditory Stimuli on CAPTCHA Performance

CAPTCHAs have been widely used as an anti-bot means for well over a decade. Unfortunately, they are often hard and annoying to use, and human errors have been blamed mainly on overly complex challenges, or poor challenge design. However, errors can also occur because of ambient sensory distractions, and performance impact of these distractions has not been thoroughly examined.
Increased Intracranial Hemorrhage Amid Elevated Inflammatory Markers in those with COVID-19 Supported with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

COVID-19-related coagulopathy is a known complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection and can lead to intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), one of the most feared complications of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We sought to evaluate the incidence and etiology of ICH in patients with COVID-19 requiring ECMO. Patients at two academic medical centers with COVID-19 who required venovenous-ECMO support for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were evaluated retrospectively. During the study period, 33 patients required ECMO support; 16 (48.5%) were discharged alive, 13 died (39.4%), and 4 (12.1%) had ongoing care. Eleven patients had ICH (33.3%). All ICH events occurred in patients who received intravenous anticoagulation. The ICH group had higher C-reactive protein (pâ=â0.04), and procalcitonin levels (pâ=â0.02), and IL-6 levels (pâ=â0.05), lower blood pH before and after ECMO (pâ<â0.01), and higher activated partial thromboplastin times throughout the hospital stay (pâ<â0.0001). ICH-free survival was lower in COVID-19 patients than in patients on ECMO for ARDS caused by other viruses (49% vs 79%, pâ=â0.02). In conclusion, patients with COVID-19 can be successfully bridged to recovery using ECMO but may suffer higher rates of ICH compared to those with other viral respiratory infections.
Fechner, Gustav Theodor 1801–1887

Gustav Theodor Fechner was a German experimental psychologist and philosopher. He is also considered by many to be the father of modern psychophysics. Initially, Fechner took a degree in medicine and worked in that area for a while. During that time, he began publishing a series of humorous and satirical articles and poems lampooning the medical profession.
rab-27 acts in an intestinal pathway to inhibit axon regeneration in C. elegans

Injured axons must regenerate to restore nervous system function, and regeneration is regulated in part by external factors from non-neuronal tissues. Many of these extrinsic factors act in the immediate cellular environment of the axon to promote or restrict regeneration, but the existence of long-distance signals regulating axon regeneration has not been clear. Here we show that the Rab GTPase rab-27 inhibits regeneration of GABAergic motor neurons in C. elegans through activity in the intestine. Re-expression of RAB-27, but not the closely related RAB-3, in the intestine of rab-27 mutant animals is sufficient to rescue normal regeneration. Several additional components of an intestinal neuropeptide secretion pathway also inhibit axon regeneration, including NPDC1/cab-1, SNAP25/aex-4, KPC3/aex-5, and the neuropeptide NLP-40, and re-expression of these genes in the intestine of mutant animals is sufficient to restore normal regeneration success. Additionally, NPDC1/cab-1 and SNAP25/aex-4 genetically interact with rab-27 in the context of axon regeneration inhibition. Together these data indicate that RAB-27-dependent neuropeptide secretion from the intestine inhibits axon regeneration, and point to distal tissues as potent extrinsic regulators of regeneration.
Gene Regulation and Expression

A gene is a segment of DNA consisting of codons specifying the amino acids for a protein and of control sequences which regulate gene expression. When a cell divides, the entire human genome, that is, all the DNA stored within the nucleus, must be copied. In Figure 2.1 the replication of DNA is demonstrated. The regulation of a cell’s function is controlled by altering gene expression. The steps in gene expression are (1) transcription of the gene’s DNA to RNA, (2) RNA processing to produce a spliced mRNA, (3) translation of mRNA on a polyribosome to a polypeptide chain, and (4) final protein processing to the functional tertiary form. Figures 2.2 through 2.5 illustrate the steps in this process, which will be covered in more detail later in this chapter.
IMMUNOLOGIC AND BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO RHEUMATIC FEVER III. Complement Titers in Abnormal Conditions

Complement activity of 421 sera from 330 children was determined. Complement activity was not influenced by antecedent illness. Low complement titers were found in approximately 25% of 75 normal children during intercurrent illness. Approximately 25% of 29 patients with active rheumatic fever had low complement titers. No evidence was obtained to indicate that complement activity is a factor in hereditary susceptibility to rheumatic fever.
Interferon-γ-induced activation of JAK1 and JAK2 suppresses tumor cell susceptibility to NK cells through upregulation of PD-L1 expression

Inhibition of JAK1 or JAK2 in human tumor cells was previously shown to increase susceptibility of these cells to NK cell lysis. In the present study, we examined the cellular mechanisms that mediate this effect in hematopoietic tumor cell lines and primary tumor cells. Incubation of tumor cells with supernatant from activated NK cells or interferon-gamma (IFNγ)-induced activation of pSTAT1 and increased expression of PD-L1 without altering expression of other activating or inhibitory NK cell ligands. These functional effects were blocked by chemical JAK inhibition or shRNAs targeting JAK1, JAK2 or STAT1. Inhibition of IFNγ signaling also prevented the upregulation of PD-L1 and blocking PD-L1 resulted in increased tumor lysis by NK cells. These results show that NK cell activation and secretion of IFNγ results in activation of JAK1, JAK2 and STAT1 in tumor cells, resulting in rapid up-regulation of PD-L1 expression. Increased expression of PD-L1 results in increased resistance to NK cell lysis. Blockade of JAK pathway activation prevents increased PD-L1 expression resulting in increased susceptibility of tumor cells to NK cell activity. These observations suggest that JAK pathway inhibitors as well as PD-1 and PD-L1 antibodies may work synergistically with other immune therapies by preventing IFN-induced inhibition of NK cell-mediated tumor cell lysis.
Open Access with Product and Labor Market Failure: The Case of Artisanal Fishing in Indonesia

In many developing countries a lack of property rights leads to unsustainable harvests of traditionally exploited renewable resources. Product and labor market failure due to trans-action costs can either exacerbate or offset this overexploitation. Combining a model of open access fisheries exploitation with a distance-based approach to incomplete markets, this paper explores potential conservation implications from labor and product market developments, such as enhanced transportation infrastructure. The model predicts that resource exploitation decreases in distance from efficient markets if the product price decays more rapidly over space than the opportunity cost of time. An empirical model is developed that distinguishes between product and labor market failure. It describes catch per unit effort across multiple fishing grounds that individually are characterized by open access equilibria with incomplete markets. The econometric model is estimated using data from a cross-sectional household survey of artisanal coral reef fishermen in Minahasa, Indonesia, taking account of fishermen heterogeneity. The effects of labor and product market characteristics are identified, and their impacts are of the expected sign and statistically and economically significant.
Developmental anatomy of the atlas and axis in childhood by computed tomography

Object The CT modality plays a central role in the diagnosis of cervical spine fractures. In childhood, radiolucent synchondroses between ossification centers can resemble fractures, and they can be the sites of fractures as well. Recognition of cervical spine fractures in children requires familiarity with normal developmental anatomy and common variants as they appear on CT scans. Methods A convenience sample of 932 CT scans of the cervical spine accessible on the picture archiving and communications system (known as PACS) at a single children's hospital was examined. Scans were excluded from further analysis if they did not include the atlantoaxial region or were otherwise technically unsatisfactory; if the patient carried the diagnosis of a skeletal dysplasia; or if there were developmental lesions noted at other levels of the spine. No more than 1 scan per patient was analyzed. Synchondroses were graded as radiolucent, not totally radiolucent but still visible, or no longer visible. Their locations a...
Self-timed pipeline with adder

This paper describes the design of an asynchronous pipeline structure comprising a ripple carry adder and registers placed before and after the adder. A scheme was created for monitoring the ripple of the cab through the adder. This scheme provides a means of determining when the addition is complete. The design approach uses transmission gate logic throughout. Results of SPICE simulation on the various building blocks of the circuit are presented. >
Experimental Analysis of IMEP in a Rotary Combustion Engine

A real time indicated mean effective pressure measurement system is described which is used to judge proposed improvements in cycle efficiency of a rotary combustion engine. This is the first self-contained instrument that is capable of making real time measurements of IMEP in a rotary engine. Previous methods used require data recording and later processing using a digital computer. The unique features of this instrumentation include its ability to measure IMEP on a cycle by cycle, real time basis and the elimination of the need to differentiate volume function in real time. Measurements at two engine speeds (2000 and 3000 rpm) and a full range of loads are presented, although the instrument was designed to operate to speeds of 9000 rpm.
3D integration ESD protection design and analysis

A Design of Experiments (DOEs) matrix was created to evaluate probability of fails during a complex 3D integration process as a function of ESD protection level. A detailed set of pass/fail criteria based on circuit performance was established. Based on measured samples, functionality test and leakage test show circuit performance degradation and larger fail rate after chip bonding on designs without ESD protection.
Dehydrated alfalfa prevents scale in sea water evaporators

The most economical method of obtaining potable water from sea water is distillation. This method would be more economical if scale formation in evaporators could be eliminated. The present article suggests a completely new and different approach to the problem of eliminating scale in sea water evaporators.
Ictal patterns of neocortical seizures monitored with intracranial electrodes: correlation with surgical outcome.

Summary: Purpose: Numerous factors have been analyzed in attempts to predict the outcome of surgical resections in patients with neocortical epilepsy. We examined the correlation between surgical outcome and electrocorticographic features of neocortical ictal patterns. Methods: Twenty six patients with neocortical epilepsy underwent monitoring with subdural grid electrodes before surgery. Ictal patterns were analyzed retrospectively and correlated with three types of outcome: seizure free, worthwhile improvement (>75% reduction of seizure frequency), and no worthwhile improvement. The duration of follow-up was 2–5 years. Results: Ictal patterns were divided according to the size of epileptogenic zone (focal, regional, multifocal); velocity and type of seizure propagation (fast contiguous, slow contiguous, noncontiguous); pattern of the onset of ictal activity; part of the cortex involved in the origin of the seizure (frontal, frontocentroparietal, etc.). Spread to medial temporal structures (as assessed by subtemporal strips) also was evaluated in selected cases. Statistically significant correlation with surgical outcome (p = 0.026) was shown for only one variable: type of spread. Patients with slow spread (n = 8) demonstrated the best outcomes (five are seizure free), whereas patients with noncontiguous spread (n = 5) demonstrated the worst outcomes (four did not improve significantly). Patients with fast contiguous spread (n = 13) showed intermediate outcomes. Conclusions: Types of propagation of ictal neocortical activity correlate with surgical outcome. Analysis of ictal pattern during intracranial recordings may help to predict surgical outcome for neocortical epilepsy.
Accumulation of 3H-estradiol in the vaginas and pituitary glands of mice of inbred strains.

SummaryThe sensitivity of the vaginal epithelium of ovariectomized mice of the A and C57 strains to estradiol differ approximately fivefold. The vaginas of the more sensitive C57 strain did accumulate more 3H-E2 at 1 hr in two of three experiments but the retention at 6 and 12 hr was not significantly different. The pituitary accumulation of 3H-E2 by the pituitary-tumor sus-ceptable C57 mice, although not significantly greater than that of the nonsusceptable A strain mice at 1 hr was higher at 6 and 12 hr after the injection. Most of the toluene extractable radioactivity from the pituitary glands and vaginas was estradiol with no strain differences. The accumulation of 3H-E2 in other tissues was not significantly different in mice of the two strains.
Bee flies and bluets: Bombylius (Diptera: Bombyliidae) flower-constant on the distylous species, Hedyotis caerulea (Rubiaceae), and the manner of foraging

Bombylius major and B. pygmaeus visited bluets almost exclusively at several eastern North America sites even though other flowers were abundant, and they were also the most persistent visitors to the flowers. Foragers often visited most of the flowers in a bluets patch in just two days and picked up pollen on their proboscides. Based on the sequences of visits to distylous bluets morphs (pins and thrums), and the time spent by a fly at either morph, Bombylius foraged randomly between morphs. This behaviour was probably a result of both morphs being equally abundant and evenly distributed, and an inability of the flies to distinguish between morphs. It is suggested that pollen handling by the flies has a major effect on Hedyotis pollen flow.
A novel homeobox cluster expressed in repeated structures of the midgut.

Abstract A gene cluster (LOX3-C) containing three duplicated homeobox sequences (Lox3A, Lox3B, and Lox3C) was characterized in the leech Hirudo medicinalis . The leech homeoboxes have a limited homology to those of Antennapedia-class genes, but do not have homologs among currently characterized insect genes. The Lox3 genes belong to a new family, named Xlox, that also includes genes from mouse, rat, frog, and a distantly related leech, Helobdella triserialis. All members of the Xlox family are expressed in specific regions of the embryonic gut, where they seem to affect morphogenesis and cell differentiation. The three homeoboxes of LOX3-C described here are contained within nearly identical direct tandem repeats. The LOX3-C region produces at least two transcripts, one present in both embryos and adults and the other only in early embryos. Early Lox3 expression is restricted to specific regions of the midgut primordium, in 12 segmentally repeated, transverse stripes of fusiform cells found at the positions where the midgut will constrict to form the 11 diverticula of the crop. A role in the development of segmentally iterated structures in an initially homogeneous midgut is proposed for LOX3-C.
Ripening behavior of papaya (Carica papaya L.) exposed to gamma irradiation

Abstract Papaya fruit treated with 250 Gy of γ-irradiation frequently softened more uniformly than non-irradiated fruit. Fruit with less than 25% of their surface colored yellow placed immediately into storage at 10 °C after irradiation developed skin scald. This was prevented by delaying storage by 12 h. Fruit that were irradiated when 30% of the skin was yellowed softened at a slower rate than non-irradiated fruit. There was no difference in softening rate between irradiated and non-irradiated fruit at the mature green stage. Fruit stored for 14 days at 10 °C before returning to 25 °C had a slightly slower rate of softening than fruit allowed to ripen at 25 °C without storage. Premature flesh softening occurred occasionally in fruit that had between 8 and 18% of the skin yellow and 70–90% flesh coloring when irradiated. Premature softening occurred in the tests run on fruit that were harvested during the warmer months; fruit harvested during the cooler months did not show the condition. The conditions of growth that predispose fruit to more rapid softening following γ-irradiation were not determined.
Synergistic effects of chemical enhancers on skin permeability: A case study of sodium lauroylsarcosinate and sorbitan monolaurate

Abstract Certain mixtures of chemicals are known to synergistically enhance skin permeability to drugs. Here, we report on the transport enhancing properties of mixtures of an anionic surfactant, sodium lauroylsarcosinate (NLS) and a non-ionic surfactant, sorbitan monolaurate (S20) in 1:1 phosphate buffered saline (PBS):ethanol (EtOH) solvent. Effect of 44 different compositions of NLS:S20 on skin constituents was probed by Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy while behavior of surfactant molecules in the solvent system was probed by FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy. No aggregation of NLS or S20 alone was observed in 1:1 PBS:EtOH at all concentrations studied (0–2%, w/v). However, mixtures of NLS and S20 resulted in micelle-like aggregates at certain specific compositions. Interestingly, compositions with increased aggregation showed resemblance to those that exhibited highest skin permeabilization.
Pediatric genitourinary tumors.

Purpose of reviewWe will review the 2005 and 2006 literature on pediatric genitourinary tumors.Recent FindingsSurvival continues to improve for primary renal, bladder/prostate and testicular tumors in childhood. The addition of more intensive chemotherapy for anaplastic histology disease, recognitio
The Changing Nature of the Disadvantaged Population Current Dimensions and Future Trends

In this paper we identify the current state of the educationally disadvantaged population in the United States and consider their changing conditions and the implications for U.S. education. We also examine the likely course of sociodemographic changes in the disadvantaged population over the 35-year period between 1986 and 2020, that is, during the course of the working career of the average 35-year-old today. Finally, we consider the challenges likely to be presented to U.S. schools during this period.
Changes in chemistry and aggregation of a california forest soil worked by the earthworm Argilophilus papillifer eisen (megascolecidae)

Abstract Little is known about the functional significance of earthworms in California forest ecosystems. A microcosm study of Argilophilus papillifer Eisen (Megascolecidae), a species indigenous to California, was conducted to ascertain its influence on chemical and physical properties of a California forest soil. Earthworms were incubated for 6 months in microcosms consisting of A-horizon soil and a surface layer of one of two types of litter: conifer needles or a mixture of conifer, oak, and understory leaf residues. Chemical properties, percentage and distribution of water-stable aggregates, and micromorphological characteristics of casts and worm-worked soil were compared with soil incubated without worms. Carbon, N, exchangeable cations and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of casts and worm-worked soils from both litter treatments were enhanced compared to soils from microcosms without worms. Patterns of nutrient enrichment generally followed nutrient concentrations in the litter substrates. The major exception was N, which was significantly greater in casts from the conifer–oak treatment although concentrations of N in the two litter substrates were comparable. Most (90%) of the aggregates in casts were water-stable, with a mean-weight-diameter (MWD) of 2.8 mm, compared to 60% water-stable aggregates with a MWD of 0.6 mm in bulk soil. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectrometry of casts and bulk soil revealed marked differences in micromorphological characteristics. The interiors of casts were heterogeneous and contained numerous voids, many filled with foliate and tube-like microstructures formed by exposed kaolinite domains oriented around filaments, probably desiccated fungal hyphae. Interior surfaces of bulk soil aggregates were dense and featureless, with mineral grains embedded in a plasma of clay- and silt-sized particles. Kaolinite domains were coated with Fe-oxides and Al-hydroxides and were not discernible. Rearrangements of mineral colloids in casts may have contributed to the observed increases in CEC and aggregate stability.
Reflections on the TCP macroscopic model

The current Internet fairness paradigm mandates that all protocols have equivalent response to packet loss and other congestion signals, allowing relatively simple network devices to attain a weak form of fairness by sending uniform signals to all ows. Our paper[1], which recently received the ACM SIGCOMM Test of Time Award, modeled the reference Additive-Increase-Multiplicative-Decrease algorithm used by TCP. However, in many parts of the Internet ISPs are choosing to explicitly control customer traffic, because the traditional paradigm does not sufficiently enforce fair- ness in a number of increasingly common situations. This editorial note takes the position we should embrace this paradigm shift, which will eventually move the responsibility for capacity allocation from the end-systems to the network itself. This paradigm shift might eventually eliminate the requirement that all protocols be TCP-Friendly".
Metabolic response of the caridean shrimp Palaemonetes pugio to infection by the adult epibranchial isopod parasite Probopyrus pandalicola.

Abstract 1. Standard metabolic rates for Palaemonetes pugio and P. pugio parasitized by the epicaridean isopod Probopyrus pandalicola were measured using manometric techniques. 2. Results in most instances show lower rates of oxygen consumption for infected shrimp than for control shrimp of equal size. This effect is generally most pronounced in the smallest sized hosts. 3. It is suggested that the observed results may reflect changes in lipid metabolism as a host response to parasitism. 4. The marked degree of metabolic temperature independence of P. pugio is not significantly altered as a result of parasitism.
Negotiating a “Questionable” Identity: Commuter Wives and Social Networks

This study investigated interactions between commuter wives and their social networks. Five focus groups involving 25 women provided insight into interactions of women in commuter marriages with members of their social networks. The focus-group findings provided the basis for individually interviewing 50 women in commuter marriages. Using interpretive thematic analysis, results revealed that questions were the most common type of message commuter wives reported receiving from others. Question content involved (a) requests for general and logistical information, (b) determination of the reasons for the commuting arrangement, and (c) negative evaluations of commuter marriages. These findings support the interpretation that the term “commuter wife” represents a socially unintelligible identity to many social network members; for women, being a commuting professional and being a wife are incongruent. This study advances our understanding of how individuals in this context negotiate an unconventional identity ...
The Quality of Prospective Teachers: Education vs. Noneducation Graduates

How do education majors compare with noneducation students? Olsen com pares 107 recent education graduates of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside with 1420 noneducation graduates on eleven variables. Subjects in the study completed degrees during the Fall and Spring semesters of 1981, 1982, and 1983. Education graduates were found to be equal to, and in some cases better than, noneducation graduates on all variables. Olsen discusses the impor tance of the findings, and he describes reasons for the results.