cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 850: Evaluating preclinical efficacy of anti-HER2 drug combinations using ER+/HER2 mutant models

Targeting HER2 is one of the greatest successes in oncology, and has resulted in the generation of a wide array of HER2-targeting agents. Our genomic approaches are revealing other mechanisms of HER2 activation, such as our discovery of activating HER2 mutations in different cancer types. From initial breast cancer and SUMMIT trial data, the pan-HER drug neratinib as monotherapy showed initial clinical response in ER+ breast cancer, but with frequent early relapse. This study investigates the preclinical efficacy of anti HER2 agents alone or in combination with endocrine therapy agents or in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors using ER+/HER2 mutant cell lines and ex vivo HER2 mutant patient derived xenograft (PDX) model. ER+ breast cancer cell lines (T47D and MCF7) stably expressing HER2V777L, and ER+/HER2 mutant PDX model (HER2G778_P780 dup) were used to examine HER2 signaling. We found that MCF7/T47D cells expressing HER2V777L and HER2G778_P780 dup PDX tumors showed strongly activated autophosphorylation of HER2 and increased expression of CDK4, CDK6, phospho-Rb, and cyclin D1 as compared to MCF7/T47D cells expressing HER2WT or ER+/non-HER2mut PDX model, suggesting that HER2 mutations preferentially depend on CDK4/6 signaling for cell growth. Additionally, we showed that activating MCF7 HER2V777L cause resistance to endocrine therapy treatment (fulvestrant IC50 >5μM). Further, we show that neratinib alone is effective at higher concentrations (IC50 Citation Format: Vaishnavi Devarakonda, LaTerrica Williams, Sinem Seker, Jonathan T. Lei, Purba Singh, Airi Han, Meenakshi Anurag, Kimberly R. Holloway, Alana L. Welm, Matthew J. Ellis, Shyam M. Kavuri. Evaluating preclinical efficacy of anti-HER2 drug combinations using ER+/HER2 mutant models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 850.
β-Technetium trichloride: formation, structure, and first-principles calculations.

A second polymorph of technetium trichloride, β-TcCl(3), has been identified from the reaction between Tc metal and Cl(2) gas. The structure of β-TcCl(3) consists of infinite layers of edge-sharing octahedra, similar to its MoCl(3) and RuCl(3) analogues. The Tc-Tc distance [2.861(3) A] between adjacent octahedra is indicative of metal-metal bonding. Earlier theoretical work predicted that β-TcCl(3) is less stable than α-TcCl(3). In agreement with the prediction, β-TcCl(3) slowly transforms into α-TcCl(3) (Tc(3)Cl(9)) over 16 days at 280 °C.
Effects of Occlusion on Dermal Drug Delivery: Implications for Bioequivalence Measurement

Occlusion of the skin can cause changes in the pH and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, as well as transepidermal water loss (TEWL). It can also have an impact on the composition of the microbiological skin flora, and has been demonstrated to increase the number of bacterial colonies. Histologically, skin occlusion has been shown to increase the intracellular space with a widening of the stratum spinosum and to precipitate the formation of keratinocytes within the cytoplasm and the perinuclear zone.
Metabolomics-based pathway changes in testis fragments treated with ethinylestradiol in vitro.

Background There is a need to develop in vitro models to test drugs and chemicals that induce toxicity in the male reproductive system. We have evaluated an in vitro mouse testis organ culture model capable of producing viable, fertilization-proven sperm as a possible toxicity test model. Although this in vitro model was limited to round spermatid differentiation, histopathology observations could still be performed. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis (LC/MS)-based metabolomics was used to measure metabolome changes of chemically treated in vitro testis fragments. Methods On Postnatal Day 5, C57BL/6J mouse testes were divided into four fragments, which were placed onto a 1.5% agarose gel cube and cultured in α-MEM including 0.4% AlbuMAX I (Day 0). On Day 1 of culture, testis fragments were treated with 0 (control), 0.01, or 1 nM ethinylestradiol (EE). On Day 20 of culture, the testis fragments were collected for LC/MS and histology analysis. Results Several metabolites involved in glycogen metabolism and glycolysis pathways (uridine diphosphate-glucose, glucose phosphate, and pyruvate), in the tricarboxylic acid cycle pathway (oxaloacetate and aspartate), and in the arginine and proline metabolism (arginine and spermine) were significantly altered in the 1 nM EE treated group compared to the control group. The metabolite changes were associated with an increase in percentage of seminiferous tubules with round spermatids as well as dose-dependent dead cells. Conclusion These findings suggest that EE treatment may cause testicular toxicity by affecting glycogen metabolism and energy pathways. To confirm these findings, further experiments will be necessary using other testicular toxicants.
Healthcare Workers’ Strategies for Doffing Personal Protective Equipment

Background Personal protective equipment (PPE) helps protect healthcare workers (HCWs) from pathogens and prevents cross-contamination. PPE effectiveness is often undermined by inappropriate doffing methods. Our knowledge of how HCWs approach doffing PPE in practice is limited. In this qualitative study, we examine HCWs' perspectives about doffing PPE. Methods Thirty participants at a Midwestern academic hospital were recruited and assigned to 1 of 3 doffing simulation scenarios: 3 mask designs (n = 10), 2 gown designs (n = 10), or 2 glove designs (n = 10). Participants were instructed to doff PPE as they would in routine practice. Their performances were video-recorded and reviewed with participants. Semistructured interviews about their doffing approaches were conducted and audio-recorded, then transcribed and thematically analyzed. Results Three overarching themes were identified in interviews: doffing strategies, cognitive processes, and barriers and facilitators. Doffing strategies included doffing safely (minimizing self-contamination) and doffing expediently (eg, ripping PPE off). Cognitive processes during doffing largely pertained to tracking contaminated PPE surfaces, examining PPE design cues (eg, straps), or improvising based on prior experience from training or similar PPE designs. Doffing barriers and facilitators typically related to PPE design, such as PPE fit (or lack of it) and fastener type. Some participants also described personal barriers (eg, glasses, long hair); however, some PPE designs helped mitigate these barriers. Conclusions Efforts to improve HCWs' doffing performance need to address HCWs' preferences for both safety and expediency when using PPE, which has implications for PPE design, training approaches, and hospital policies and procedures.
Measuring the welfare effects of forests: an application of the travel cost model

In this paper, a travel cost model was applied to the case of firewood collection to assess how the inclusion of household fixed effects and how assumptions regarding conditions in the local labor market impacted resulting welfare estimates. To assess these impacts, a unique household panel data set from Kagera, Tanzania was used. It was estimated that, under the assumption of constrained labor markets, households in the Kagera region of Tanzania are willing-to-pay, on average, $120 per year (2016 USD) for access to local forests. These estimated figures were nearly 50 per cent higher when household fixed effects were excluded and nearly 10 per cent higher under the assumption of perfect labor markets. In addition, these results support previous research showing that, in many developing countries, households' demand for firewood is inelastic and that households would be willing to spend a significant amount of their resources on forest access.
Synthesis of a protected 2-aminocyclobutanone as a modular transition state synthon for medicinal chemistry

Abstract The hydrochloride salt of ɑ-aminocyclobutanone protected as its dimethyl acetal 2,2-dimethoxycyclobutan-1-aminium chloride (3) has been prepared as a modular synthon for convenient access to cyclobutanone-containing lead inhibitors of hydrolase enzymes including serine proteases and metalloproteases. Protected ɑ-aminocyclobutanone 3 was converted to representative amide and sulfonamide-functionalized 2-aminocyclobutanone derivatives. Reaction of the amino acetal 3 with phenyl isothiocyanate afforded the bicyclic urea 1-hydroxyl-2,4-diazabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-3-thione (9) as confirmed by a single crystal X-ray structure.
Initial experience with the T-Clamp for temporary fixation of mechanically and hemodynamically unstable pelvic ring injuries.

Abstract In polytrauma patients with unstable pelvic ring injuries, pelvic binders interfere with femoral arterial access and are frequently removed for emergent endovascular and abdominal procedures. The ‘trochanteric C-clamp’ (T-clamp) is a novel technique described for rapid stabilization of the pelvis without fluoroscopic imaging, while ensuring adequate access to the groin. This case series reports the feasibility and safety following T-clamp application for unstable pelvic ring injuries in patients requiring simultaneous endovascular intervention. Between May 2018 – May 2019, seventeen patients with unstable pelvic ring injuries were treated with a T-clamp in conjunction with other emergent endovascular or intra-abdominal procedures. Nine presented with unstable APC injuries, seven with unstable LC injuries and one with a vertical shear pattern. Complications related to the T-clamp were prospectively collected. Following T-clamp application, there were two cases of intraoperative over-reduction, one of which required exchange for an anterior external fixator. This was the result of a concomitant acetabulum fracture leading to iatrogenic acetabular protrusion secondary to the T-clamp. Twelve cases maintained the T-clamp fixation postoperatively ranging from 1–3 days. One postoperative loss of reduction was noted and required exchange for anterior external fixator. In hemodynamically unstable patients who require emergent endovascular procedures, such as pelvic angiography and REBOA, T-clamp application offers a reasonably safe and effective method for expeditious stabilization of the pelvis while allowing unimpeded access to the abdomen, groin and pelvis. Caution should also be applied in patients with concomitant acetabulum fracture for risk of malreduction. Additionally, its prolonged postoperative use should be limited to patients who are not immediately suitable for fixation of the pelvis.
The myocardial protective effects of L-carnitine in infants undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass

Objective To investigate the effects of L-carnitine on myocardial enzymes in infants with congenital heart disease undergoing open cardiac operation with cardio pulmonary bypass (CPB).Methods From Mar.2011 to Nov.2012,there were 60 infants with ventricular septal defects,whom were divided randomly into the test (n =30) and control (n =30) groups.L-carnitine was put in the cold crystal cardiac arresting liquid in the test group (6 g/L),other experimental conditions were the same between two groups.Before CPB,at 1 h,24 h,7 d after the pump-off,venous blood was drawn to test the level of serum creatine kinase (CK),CK-MB isozyme,cardiac Troponin I (cTnI).Blood samples were taken at different time points for the analysis of tlymphocyte and its subtype by flow cytometry.Observing the dopamine and other vasoactive drug 8 hours and 24 hours after the pump-off,using data obtained from the t-test done statistically.Results The levels of CK and CK-MB and cTnI had no difference between two groups before operation.From the end of CPB,the levels of CK and CK-MB and cTnI were significantly lower in the test group than that in the control group (P ＜0.05).The automatic jump higher rate (95％ vs 70％,P ＜ 0.05) and the amount of dopamine were significantly less than the control group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions L-carnitine improved obviously microcirculation of ischemic cardiac reperfusion injury undergoing open cardiac operation under CPB and heart function.It had a good protective effect on myocardium in infants. Key words: Carnitine/therapeutic use ; Extracorporeal circulation; Infant; Myocardial reperfusion injury/prevention & control
Probability and proximity in surprise

This paper proposes an analysis of surprise formulated in terms of proximity to the truth, to replace the probabilistic account of surprise. It is common to link surprise to the low (prior) probability of the outcome. The idea seems sensible because an outcome with a low probability is unexpected, and an unexpected outcome often surprises us. However, the link between surprise and low probability is known to break down in some cases. There have been some attempts to modify the probabilistic account to deal with these cases, but as we shall see, they are still faced with problems. The new analysis of surprise I propose turns to accuracy (proximity to the truth) and identifies an unexpected degree of inaccuracy as reason for surprise. The shift from probability to proximity allows us to solve puzzles that strain the probabilistic account of surprise.
Standing cough test stratification of moderate male stress urinary incontinence.

ABSTRACT Purpose: Patient-reported history of pads per day (PPD) is widely recognized as a fundamental element of decision-making for anti-incontinence procedures. We hypothesize that SUI severity is often underestimated among men with moderate SUI. We sought to compare patient history of incontinence severity versus objective in-office physical examination findings. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our single-surgeon male SUI surgical database from 2007-2019. We excluded patients with incomplete preoperative or postoperative data and those who reported either mild or severe SUI, thus having more straightforward surgical counseling. For men reported to have moderate SUI, we determined the frequency of upgrading SUI severity by recording the results of an in-office standing cough test (SCT) using the Male Stress Incontinence Grading Scale (MSIGS). The correlation of MSIGS with sling success rate was calculated. Failure was defined as >1 PPD usage or need for additional incontinence procedure. Results: Among 233 patients with reported moderate SUI (2-3 PPD), 89 (38%) had MSIGS 3-4 on SCT, indicating severe SUI. Among patients with 2-3 PPD preoperatively, sling success rates were significantly higher for patients with MSIGS 0-2 (76/116, 64%) compared to MSIGS 3-4 (6/18, 33%) (p <0.01). Conclusions: Many men with self-reported history of moderate SUI actually present severe SUI observed on SCT. The SCT is a useful tool to stratify moderate SUI patients to more accurately predict sling success.
Effects of platelet-rich fibrin on human gingival and periodontal ligament fibroblast proliferation from chronic periodontitis versus periodontally healthy subjects.

Background Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), an autogenous blood concentrate, contains multiple growth factors and is used as an adjunct in the periodontal regeneration and implant site development procedures to stimulate wound healing. Patient-related factors such as chronic periodontitis may affect the quality of PRF. Objectives This study aimed to investigate and compare PRF's effects from patients diagnosed with generalized moderate or severe chronic periodontitis to patients who presented with intact periodontium on human gingival fibroblast (HGF) and human periodontal ligament fibroblast (HPLF) proliferation. Materials and methods A total of 33 ml of whole intravenous blood was collected from each subject and centrifuged at 2700 rpm for 12 min in three 10 ml tubes, and 3 ml of blood was used for Complete Blood Count analysis. Three PRF clots were compressed to produce the membranes and liquid exudate. PRF membrane and 10% liquid exudate were exposed to 20,000 HPLFs/well or 25,000 HGFs/well in triplets from each subject in a 48 cell well plate. After 72 h of incubation, the conditioned media were evaluated by Water Soluble Tetrazolium-1 assays to determine fibroblast proliferation. Controls included cells alone and media without cells. Complete blood counts were measured. Results Subjects in both groups were age and gender-matched (intact 46.7 ± 11.4 years and periodontitis 54.8 ± 10.4 years, p-value = 0.1344). Body Mass Index and White Blood Corpuscles in the periodontitis group was significantly higher than the intact group (p = 0.0176 and p = 0.0038) whereas no differences were seen for Red Blood Corpuscles (p = 0.2020), Hemoglobin (p = 0.2290) and Platelets (p = 4,094). There were no significant differences in the HGF and HPLF proliferation with PRF exudates and membranes between intact periodontium and periodontitis groups (all p > 0.05). However, PRF exudates in both groups induced significant more cell proliferation when compared to PRF membranes. Conclusions PRF exudates induced significant proliferation of fibroblasts and can play a vital role in wound healing. The current study concluded that PRF membranes, in combination with PRF exudates, can be utilized for their therapeutic and wound healing potential, not affected by the periodontal condition of the patient.
HIPAA Gets New Privacy Rules

Also included are initiatives to improve health care quality, safety and efficiency through better health information technology. A central component of those initiatives is new requirements to enhance the security and privacy of health information under the HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. These requirements appear to strengthen security and privacy rights of health care consumers, but may increase the compliance challenges of health care providers and the health care information industry. The economic stimulus package addresses a number of these issues as part of a $19 billion package of health care technology enhancements. The package extends many of HIPAA’s security and privacy provisions to “business associates” of covered entities. Business associates are companies or persons that provide data management, administrative, legal, accounting, and/or financial services to the health care industry. These companies often handle and process extensive health care records as part of the services that they provide, but were not required to comply with HIPAA’s privacy and security standards. Under the new rules, they will be required to meet most of HIPAA’s compliance, security and reporting standards in their management of health information.
On Time Inhomogeneous Stochastic Itô Equations with Drift in LD+1

We prove the solvability of Ito stochastic equations with uniformly nondegenerate bounded measurable diffusion and drift in Ld+1(Rd+1). Actually, the powers of summability of the drift in x and t could be different. Our results seem to be new even if the diffusion is constant. The method of proving solvability belongs to A.V. Skorokhod. Weak uniqueness of solutions is an open problem even if the diffusion is constant.
X-ray Nanoimaging of Crystal Defects in Single Grains of Solid-State Electrolyte Li7-3xAlxLa3Zr2O12.

All-solid-state lithium batteries promise significant improvements in energy density and safety over traditional liquid electrolyte batteries. The Al-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) solid-state electrolyte shows excellent potential given its high ionic conductivity and good thermal, chemical, and electrochemical stability. Nevertheless, further improvements on electrochemical and mechanical properties of LLZO call for an in-depth understanding of its local microstructure. Here, we employ Bragg coherent diffractive imaging to investigate the atomic displacements inside single grains of LLZO with various Al-doping concentrations, resulting in cubic, tetragonal, and cubic-tetragonal mixed structures. We observe coexisting domains of different crystallographic orientations in the tetragonal structure. We further show that Al doping leads to crystal defects such as dislocations and phase boundaries in the mixed- and cubic-phase grain. This study addresses the effect of Al doping on the nanoscale structure within individual grains of LLZO, which is informative for the future development of solid-state batteries.
Making Privacy Injuries Concrete

In recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly said that the doctrine of Article III standing deprives the federal courts of jurisdiction over some lawsuits involving intangible injuries. The lower federal courts are carrying out the Supreme Court’s instructions, and privacy injuries have borne the brunt of the Court’s directive. This Article identifies two incoherencies with the Court’s recent intangible injury decisions and builds on the work of privacy scholars to fashion a solution. The first incoherency is a line-drawing problem: the Court has never explained why some intangible injuries create an Article III injury in fact but others do not. The second problem is more fundamental: the Court has never provided a justification for using counter-majoritarian constitutional standing to deprive plaintiffs of a remedy against companies engaged in abusive informational practices. These incoherencies have sparked much confusion in the lower courts and have invited curious arguments that the Constitution prohibits courts from adjudicating all but the narrowest sliver of privacy disputes. To address the limiting-principle and counter-majoritarian problems, this Article builds on Helen Nissenbaum’s contextual integrity framework. Contextual integrity observes that privacy is context specific and that privacy violations are the byproduct of practices that violate entrenched informational norms. Constructing a legal framework based on contextual integrity solves both problems: contextual integrity provides courts with a principled way to distinguish between informational practices that are injurious from those that are not, and contextual integrity supplies courts with a persuasive justification for dismissing cases divorced from shared conceptions about abusive informational practices. The legal framework proves useful in understanding the statutes and circumstances that create justiciable privacy injuries. It’s too late to undo all of the havoc wrought by the Court’s constitutional standing cases. This Article proposes a mechanism for cabining the doctrine’s most extreme implications and provides courts with a consistent and coherent way to protect privacy.
Associations Between Social Media, Bedtime Technology Use Rules, and Daytime Sleepiness Among Adolescents: Cross-sectional Findings From a Nationally Representative Sample.

Background: Social media use is associated with poor sleep among adolescents, including daytime sleepiness, which affects adolescents’ mental health. Few studies have examined the associations among specific aspects of social media, such as frequency of checking and posting, perceived importance of social media for social belonging, and daytime sleepiness. Identifying whether certain adolescents are more at risk or protected from the effects of social media on sleepiness may inform future interventions for social media, sleep, and mental health. Objective: This study aims to examine the association between social media use frequency and importance, daytime sleepiness, and whether the perceived importance of social media for social interactions and parental rules around bedtime technology moderated these relationships. Methods: This cross-sectional survey study was conducted with a sample of 4153 adolescents from across the United States. Qualtrics was used to collect data via panel recruitment from a national sample representing the US demographics of teens aged 12 to 17 years. Participants completed measures of daytime sleepiness, frequency of social media checking and posting, and the importance of social media for social interactions. Parents reported whether they had a household rule around bedtime media and screen use. Hierarchical regressions and moderation analyses were conducted, covarying for age, gender, and age at first smartphone use. Results: Participants had a mean age of 14.64 (SD 1.66) years in grades 6 to 12, 46.45% (1929/4153) identified as female, and 67.93% (2821/4153) identified as White. The results indicated that adolescents who posted (B=0.70, SE 0.04; P<.001) or checked (B=0.76, SE 0.04; P<.001) social media more frequently or who perceived social media to be more important for social belonging (B=0.36, SE 0.02; P<.001) had higher levels of daytime sleepiness. Moderation analyses indicated that the relationship between social media use frequency and daytime sleepiness was exacerbated by higher levels of perceived social media importance (B=0.04, SE 0.01; P<.001). Adolescents without household rules around bedtime technology use were more likely to be affected by social media checking (B=−0.34, SE 0.09; P<.001) and importance (B=−0.16, SE 0.04; P<.001) on daytime sleepiness. Conclusions: The findings suggest that social media use frequency and perceived importance of social interactions are associated with daytime sleepiness among adolescents. It is important to consider youth’s perceptions of social media when assessing the potential effects of social media use frequency on youth well-being. Furthermore, youth who did not have parental rules around bedtime technology use were most likely to be affected by social media use and perceived importance. The findings may extend to other mental health outcomes and may guide future prevention and intervention programs designed to improve social media use, sleep, and mental health.
National Laws on Seabed Exploitation: Problems of International Law

Since the beginning of United Nations' efforts to establish an international system to regulate the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources of the seabed lying beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, considerable legal controversy has arisen regarding the rules of international law and their effect on the activities of interested states. Two basic theses have been enunciated in that discussion. The
Regularity of Nonlinear Waves Associated with a Cusp

We consider local solutions to second order partial differential equations of the form Pu = f(x, u), for which u is smooth on the complement of a characteristic surface with a cusp singularity. If P is strictly hyperbolic and u is assumed to be regular in the past with respect to differentiation by a natural family of smooth vector fields, then u is regular in the future, and “conormal” with respect to a larger family of vector fields which are nonsmooth at the singularity of the cusp. If P is a Tricomi operator associated with the cusp, and the natural initial data (Dirichlet or Cauchy) are conormal with respect to a hyperplane, then u is again shown to be conormal with respect to the cusp.
"The impact of depression on social economic decision making": Correction to Harlé et al. (2010)

Reports an error in "The impact of depression on social economic decision making" by Katia M. Harle, John J. B. Allen and Alan G. Sanfey (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2010[May], Vol 119[2], 440-446). In the article, the last revision received date printed on the final page of the article was incorrect due to an error in the production process. The correct publication dates are as follows: Received April 14, 2009; Revision received November 6, 2009; Accepted November 9, 2009.(The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2010-08841-020.) Although the role of emotion in social economic decision making has been increasingly recognized, the impact of mood disorders, such as depression, on such decisions has been surprisingly neglected. To address this gap, 15 depressed and 23 nondepressed individuals completed a well-known economic task, in which they had to accept or reject monetary offers from other players. Although depressed individuals reported a more negative emotional reaction to unfair offers, they accepted significantly more of these offers than did controls. A positive relationship was observed in the depressed group, but not in controls, between acceptance rates of unfair offers and resting cardiac vagal control, a physiological index of emotion regulation capacity. The discrepancy between depressed individuals' increased emotional reactions to unfair offers and their decisions to accept more of these offers contrasts with recent findings that negative mood in nondepressed individuals can lead to lower acceptance rates. This suggests distinct biasing processes in depression, which may be related to higher reliance on regulating negative emotion.
Dimerization and Other Chemical Changes in Amphibian Hemoglobins during Metamorphosis

Abstract Electrophoretic separations and amino acid analyses of the multiple hemoglobins of Rana grylio tadpoles and frogs are reported which show that major changes in the primary structures of these hemoglobins are taking place during metamorphosis. Amino acid compositions of adult Rana pipiens and Rana catesbeiana hemoglobins are also presented. Studies in the ultracentrifuge showed that the hemoglobins of two bullfrog species dimerize in vitro to the extent of 70 to 80%. The ability to form dimers is a function of the stage of metamorphosis. Mercaptoethanol was the only reagent tested that reconverted all of the dimer molecules to monomers. The molecular weight of the dimer was found to be 130,000. The mechanism of dimer formation involves the disappearance of reactive sulfhydryl groups in frog hemoglobins after hemolysis. The rate at which these —SH groups were lost was related to the rate at which the dimer was formed in the ultracentrifuge. The rate of —SH disappearance in the dimerizing systems was significantly faster than in the nondimerizing hemoglobins, and corresponded to a loss of two —SH groups per 65,000 g of hemoglobin. Two assay methods were used for measuring sulfhydryl content, p-chloromercuribenzoate titrations, and mercury orange determinations. A model for dimer formation was also proposed. The oxygen binding properties of hemoglobin monomer and dimer were determined with the use of fractions isolated by starch block electrophoresis.
Long-term and high-temperature storage of supercritically-processed microparticulate protein powders

Purpose. The long-term and high-temperature storage of dry, micron-sized particles of lysozyme, trypsin, and insulin was investigated. Subsequent to using supercritical carbon dioxide as an antisolvent to induce their precipitation from a dimethylsulfoxide solution, protein microparticles were stored in sealed containers at -25, -15, 0, 3, 20, 22, and 60°C. The purpose of this study was to investigate the suitability of supercritical antisolvent precipitation as a finishing step in protein processing.
Detecting local immunoglobulin E from mucosal brush biopsy of the inferior turbinates using microarray analysis.

Background It has been previously demonstrated that local, antigen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) can be detected using a standard in vitro assay of lysed epithelial cells in saline, harvested via nasal mucosal brush biopsy (MBB). However, compared to surgical biopsy or serum, smaller amounts of IgE are harvested using MBB, making detection much more difficult. Microarray analysis (MA) requires less IgE for detection, making this an attractive option for MBB. The goals of this study were to compare MA to a standard IgE assay for detecting antigen-specific IgE from MBB and to test the association between the presence of multiple positive components on MA with specific IgE on standard assay and skin-prick testing (SPT) grade. Methods MBB samples from 18 allergic rhinitis patients, which were previously tested for antigen-specific IgE to common airborne allergens using a standard IgE assay, underwent MA for antigen-specific IgE to multiple components of airborne and food allergens. Fisher's exact probability testing was used to measure the strength of association between the 2 testing modalities for Timothy grass, ragweed, cat, Alternaria, and D. farinae. Results MA correlated very highly with standard assay (p < 0.0001) and 50% of positive antigens on MA detected multiple components to that antigen. The presence of multiple components was not associated with specific IgE levels on standard assay or SPT grade. Conclusion This is the first demonstration that antigen-specific IgE in saline samples can be measured using MA. The ability of MA to measure smaller amounts of IgE, with similar accuracy, may give it a potential advantage for MBB analysis in the future.
Collaborative Resource Management for Video Over Wireless Multi-Hop Mesh Networks

In this paper, we consider the problem of real-time multimedia transmission among several peers (users). The peers use a heterogeneous wireless multi-hop mesh network for the delivery of these high-bandwidth streams. One of the main challenges of the considered problem is the division of the scarce wireless resources among the various peers. To address this problem, we propose an efficient, distributed and collaborative framework for wireless resource exchanges that enables peers to divide available wireless resources among themselves based on their quality of service (QoS) requirements, the underlying channel conditions and network topology. The scalable coding of the video content and decomposition of video flows into various sub-flows (priorities) allow peers to transfer the video at different quality levels, depending on the network load. Users collaboratively decide which of their sub-flows to admit, and which paths these sub-flows should be transmitted on in order to maximize a system defined utility. Our results show that with user collaboration, these distributed algorithms provide system and user performance comparable to a centralized exhaustive implementation.
Predictors of length of stay following colorectal resection for neoplasms in 183 Veterans Affairs patients.

There is increasing pressure to reduce the length of stay in hospital (LOS) after colorectal surgery. The aim of this study was to identify factors that prolong LOS after colorectal surgery in a population of veterans. Retrospective analysis was performed of all patients undergoing colorectal resection for a neoplasm at a single Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital (2002–2007). Data collected included demographics, co-morbidities, operative management, postoperative morbidity and mortality, nutritional status, and LOS. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, and multivariate analysis. A total of 186 patients were identified. Three patients had an LOS of more than 100 days and were omitted from the analysis. The median LOS was 8 days. Multivariate analysis showed only two variables: coronary artery disease (CAD) and postoperative complications were predictive of prolonged LOS. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the only preoperative morbidity predictive of complications. The aim of this study was to identify factors that prolong LOS after colorectal surgery in a VA population. We found that CAD and postoperative complications were the only variables predictive of prolonged LOS after colorectal resection, and COPD was the only factor predictive of postoperative complications.
Body image satisfaction in homosexual and heterosexual women

This study examined the relationship between sexual orientation and eating disorders inwomen using a non-clinical sample of 45 homosexual and 64 heterosexual women, Subjects completed two self-report inventories composed of questions regarding weight, body image satisfaction, eating attitudes, and eating behaviors. Homosexual women were significantly heavier than heterosexual women, desired a significantly heavier ideal weight, were less often concerned with weight and appearance, and had less drive for thinness. Homosexual women of normal weight were more satisfied with their bodies than heterosexual women. Homosexual women's greater body satisfaction and lower concern with weight and appearance may contribute to their lower rates of eating disorders.
Radiation-induced coloring of erbium-doped optical fibers

The radiation-induced coloring of erbium-doped optical fibers (EDF's) is reported. The radiation hardness of the EDF's is observed to be strongly dependent on composition. The implications for erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) performance is modelled.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Aligning the top-level of SNOMED-CT with Basic Formal Ontology

Effective translational research requires automated analysis of large datasets collected by multiple researchers working at multiple locations. Reliable, machine interpretation of-—and reasoning with—-large datasets assembled at different times and places by different researchers requires standard representations of data. These representations are controlled, structured vocabularies also known as ontologies. By far, the most successful ontology is the Gene Ontology (GO), used by bioinformatics researchers to annotate genomics data. However, to address the phenotype side of translational research will require annotation of electronic medical record data and clinical research data with a clinical-phenotype ontology analogous to GO. One leading candidate for this ontology is SNOMED-CT (SNCT). However, GO and SNCT are incompatible representations. GO is based on an upper level ontology called Basic Formal Ontology (BFO). In this work, we aligned the upper level of SNCT with BFO to enhance its suitability for translational research. Most (14/19 or 74%) of the top-level concepts of SNCT can be fitted into the framework of BFO, but only after significant reorganization. An important concept that does not align is Clinical Finding, which is intended to comprehend diseases and signs and symptoms of disease. However, a finding of disease (epistemology) is not the same thing as a disease (ontology). This discrepancy between SNCT and BFO is important to consider further. Another key result is that children of the top-level concepts do not necessarily follow their parents into BFO, and thus one must align each SNCT concept independently. Future work is to align the next level of SNCT (345 concepts) with BFO.
Incompleteness of the Critical Exponent Description for Ferromagnetic Systems Containing Random Impurities

We consider the magnetic properties and spin correlation functions of a two-dimensional Ising model with random impurities near the critical temperature and find that the usual parametrization provided by the exponents $\ensuremath{\gamma}$, $\ensuremath{\delta}$, and $\ensuremath{\eta}$ and the correlation length $\ensuremath{\xi}$ for $T\ensuremath{\gtrsim}{T}_{c}$ does not describe our results. Experimental implications of this breakdown of the critical exponent forms are discussed.
Weak interaction matrix elements with staggered fermions. I: theory and a trial run

Abstract We present results of a preliminary study of the matrix elements of weak interaction operators using staggered fermions. We describe our method for transcribing the weak interaction hamiltonian onto the lattice. This method preserves exact Ward identities analogous to those of the continuum. The calculation uses operators involving 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 gauge links. We present results for all these operators obtained on 83 × 16 lattices generated both with the Wilson action (β = 5.6) and an improved action.
Non-crystallographic symmetry in the crystal dimer of wheat germ agglutinin.

Abstract Three isomorphous heavy atom derivatives of wheat germ agglutinin crystals, KAu(CN) 2 , K 2 Pt(NH 3 ) 2 (NO) 2 and mersalyl, have been examined at high resolution. Heavy atom sites were located from difference Patterson maps in three dimensions at 2.15 A resolution for the gold and platinum derivatives and with less certainty in the centrosymmetric [010] projection for the mersalyl derivative. These sites are distributed in the crystallographic asymmetric unit such that one half of them can be related to the other half by a 180 ° rotation about an axis parallel to a , and an additional translation of about 6.35 A along that axis. It is suggested that the two subunits of the wheat germ agglutinin dimer, which represent the asymmetric unit of the C 2 unit cell, are related by the same symmetry axis, causing heterologous subunit contacts due to the 6.35 A translation of one relative to the other subunit.
Comparison of Seclusion and Restraint Prevalence between Hearing Patients and Deaf or Hard of Hearing Patients in a State Hospital Setting

The present study is an effort to obtain preliminary data to assess the validity of the long-standing claim that the rate of seclusion and restraint is higher among deaf and hard of hearing individuals than among hearing individuals. This difference has been claimed repeatedly despite there being no research to support it. The sample was comprised of 22 deaf or hard of hearing individuals who had been committed to a large state hospital, all but three of whom had been discharged prior to data collection. The deaf and hard of hearing subjects were matched to subjects with no hearing loss on factors believed to be associated with behaviors that can result in seclusion or restraint. Archived clinical records of both groups of subjects were reviewed to determine the rates of seclusion and restraint for the two groups, as well as to assess the length of time each group was in seclusion or restraint. The results indicate a significantly higher frequency of seclusion and restraint for the deaf and hard of hearing group than for the hearing group. Of note is that the hearing individuals spent longer in seclusion and restraint than did the deaf and hard of hearing. The hypothesis of a higher rate of restrictive events among deaf and hard of hearing individuals is supported. The results of this study suggest that further research be undertaken to determine the generalizability of these results as well as possible sources of the differences between these two groups.
Degradation of gamma D- and gamma s-crystallins in human lenses.

The aim of this study was to determine age-related degradation of γD-crystallin and the cleavage sites in the connecting peptide regions of the two domains of γD- and γs-crystallins. The water-soluble (WS) proteins from lenses of donors of different ages and a purified γ-crystallin fraction were analyzed for the fragments of γD-crystallin by the Western blot method. Four site-specific antibodies (Ab) raised to the four regions of human γD-crystallin, i.e., anti-γD-N-Ab to the N-terminal end (residue nos. 1–9), anti-γD-C-Ab to the C-terminal end (residue nos. 165–173), and two to the middle regions, anti-γD-M1 Ab (residue nos. 78–86) and anti-γD-M2 Ab (residue nos. 87–95), were used. The γ-crystallin fragments were also separated by a preparative SDS–PAGE method prior to Western blot analysis. The two-dimensional gel electrophoretic method (first dimension of isoelectric focusing followed by the second dimension of SDS–PAGE) was used to separate crystallin fragments and desired fragments were analyzed for their partial N-terminal sequences. The Western blot results showed seven major γD-crystallin fragments of about 4, 5, 11, 14, 15, and 17 kDa with intact N-termini but cleaved C-termini. In contrast, only three fragments withMrs of about 5, 9, and 11 kDa were observed with intact C-termini but cleaved N-termini. Similar analysis also identified fragments withMrs of about 5, 9, 11, and 14 kDa that originated via cleavage in the middle region of the molecule. The partial N-terminal sequencing results of the 9- to 10-kDa fragments showed cleavage in the connecting peptide region, i.e., two cleavage sites at D73-S74and G86-S87in γD-crystallin whereas four such sites at R83-A84, A84-V85, H85-L86and G90-G91in γs-crystallin. Together, the results suggest that the degradation in the γD-crystallin mostly occurs at the C-terminal region with repeated cleavage of certain sites during aging. In addition, the major fragments withMrof 9–10 kDa were produced via cleavages within or close to the connecting peptide regions of γD- and γs-crystallins at the two and four cleavage sites, respectively, as described above.
AMPHOTERICIN B IN THE CHEMOTHERAPY OF EXPERIMENTAL SCHISTOSOMIASIS MANSONI IN SWISS MICE.

IN May 1963, Gordon, St. John and Olsen1 reported the prolongation of life in Swiss mice experimentally infected with a Puerto Rican strain of Schistosoma mansoni, when treated for 5 days with ‘Fungizone’ (amphotericin B made soluble with deoxycholate ; E. R. Squibb). In the foregoing experiment, treatment began at a level of 0.5 mg of ‘Fungizone’/kg body-weight of mouse a day. The dosage was increased in two daily increments of 0.5 mg/kg to a final level of 1.5 mg/kg a day, which was maintained for three days. Treatment began twelve weeks after infection (approximately 6 weeks after the parasite had begun producing ova). By one week subsequent to the termination of treatment, 80 per cent of the untreated but only 27 per cent of the treated animals had died. A χ2 test showed that the experimental results fit to a confidence limit of 98 per cent the hypothesis that treatment influenced survival.
High Speed Weigh-in-Motion Calibration Practices

This paper provides a summary of the weigh-in-motion (WIM) calibration practices used by state highway and load enforcement agencies in the United States. The detailed statistical data presented were collected through a web-based survey questionnaire. It covers three common WIM calibration practices, namely utilizing multiple passes of test trucks, utilizing traffic stream vehicles of known static weight, and employing only WIM data quality control (QC) techniques. To put the actual practice in perspective, an overview is provided of the current WIM calibration standard (ASTM E1318-02) and the new provisional standard for quantifying pavement roughness at the approach to WIM systems (AASHTO MP 14-05). Most agencies use a combination of two or more of these methods for WIM system calibration. The majority of agencies uses WIM data QC on a routine basis and they resort to one of the other two calibration methods when WIM data quality deteriorates. Test truck calibration typically involves one or two Class 9 trucks running at several speeds. Few of these agencies, however, perform actual pavement roughness measurements on the approach to the WIM sites. Agencies that use traffic stream vehicles of known static weight for WIM calibration obtain static weights manually using permanent static scales. The method involves up to 100 trucks selected by class, speed or both class and speed. Agencies use a variety of traffic elements and formulas for computing calibration factors. Similarly, a variety of traffic data element errors are computed and various approaches are used for computing calibration factors. In the light of these findings, the paper provides a number of recommendations for improving current WIM calibration practices.