cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocyte-like Cells: A Tool to Study Infectious Disease.

Liver disease is an important clinical and global problem and is the 16th leading cause of death worldwide and responsible for 1 million deaths worldwide each year. Infectious disease is a major cause of liver disease specifically and overall is even a greater cause of patient morbidity and mortality. Tools to study human liver disease and infectious disease have been lacking which has significantly hampered the study of liver disease generally and hepatotropic pathogens more specifically. Historically, hepatoma cell lines have been used for in vitro cell culture models to study infectious disease. Significant differences between human hepatoma cell lines and the human hepatocyte has hampered our understanding of hepatocyte pathogen infection and hepatocyte-–pathogen interactions. Despite these limitations, great progress was made in the understanding of specific aspects of the life cycle of the canonical hepatocyte viral pathogen, Hepatitis C Virus. Over time various specific drugs targeting various proteins of the HCV virion or aspects of the HCV viral life cycle have been created that enable almost complete elimination of the virus in vitro and clinically. These drugs, direct-acting antivirals have enabled achieving sustained virologic response in over 90–95 percent of patients. Despite the development of direct-acting antivirals and the extreme success in achieving sustained virologic response, there has only been limited success elucidating host–pathogen interactions largely due to the poor nature of the hepatoma platform. Alternative approaches are needed. Pluripotent stem cells are renewable, can be derived from a single donor and can be efficiently and reproducibly differentiated towards many cell types including ectodermal-, endodermal-, and mesodermal-derived lineages. The development of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells (iHLCS) changes the paradigm as robust cells with the phenotype and function of hepatocytes can be readily created on demand with a variety of genetic background or alterations. iHLCs are readily used as models to study human drug metabolism, human liver disease, and human hepatotropic infectious disease. In this review, we discuss the biology of the HCV virus, the use of iHLCs as models to study human liver disease, and review the current work on using iHLCs to study HCV infection.
Analysis of Oxygen Delivery to Tissue by Microvascular Networks

Theoretical modeling of oxygen delivery to tissue provides a means to obtain information about oxygen concentration fields in tissue at the scale of individual capillaries. Such information is difficult or impossible to obtain with available experimental techniques. Theoretical models can provide insights into the relationship between perfusion and metabolic demand in tissue, and also contribute to the understanding of metabolic mechanisms of blood flow regulation. The value of theoretical analyses was recognized in the classic work of Krogh (1918) on oxygen diffusion from parallel arrays of capillaries, and since then most models of oxygen delivery to tissue have been modifications and extensions of the Krogh model (Middleman, 1972). Generally, these models have retained the assumption that each point in the tissue receives oxygen only from the nearest capillary. However, this assumption was relaxed, for the case of multiple parallel capillaries, in studies by Popel (1978, 1980), Salathe (1982) and Klitzman et al (1983).
Abstract A22: Development and characterization of an oral cancer cell line resist to the cytotoxic effects of the green tea catechin, (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant polyphenol in green tea (Camellia sinensis). Although many studies have demonstrated its cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects, the potential for development of EGCG resistance in cancer cells has not been well-studied. The purpose of this study was to develop and characterize an EGCG-resistant oral squamous carcinoma cell line to understand potential mechanisms of resistance to the cytotoxic effects of EGCG. Exposure of oral squamous carcinoma (SCC-25) cells to gradually increasing concentrations of EGCG (10 – 75 μM) resulted in emergence of an EGCG-resistant phenotype (SCC-25E75R). SCC-25E75R cells were significantly resistant to EGCG-induced growth inhibition compared to SCC-25 cells (IC50=157 μM vs 70 μM). Treatment of SCC-25E75R cells with 75 μM EGCG caused a 34% increase in apoptosis compared to a 200% increase in SCC-25 parental cells treated with the same concentration. Microarray analysis showed that under untreated conditions, 73 genes were differentially expressed (≥4 fold change, p Citation Format: Ling Tao, Jennifer W. Chen, Jong-Yung Park, Sudathip Sae-tan, Joshua D. Lambert. Development and characterization of an oral cancer cell line resist to the cytotoxic effects of the green tea catechin, (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr A22.
Assessing reVITALize: Should the Definition of Postpartum Hemorrhage Differ by Mode of Delivery?

Background Obstetrical hemorrhage is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, yet is inconsistently defined. In 2014, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reVITALize program redefined postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) as greater than 1,000 mL blood loss regardless of the mode of delivery (MOD). Objective We sought to assess the reVITALize definition's validity by understanding whether the definition of PPH should, as proposed by ACOG, be one value regardless of MOD. Study Design This is a retrospective study of all women who delivered at the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from October 15, 2013 through December 15, 2013. Results A total of 592 of the 626 (95%) women were included. The average reported estimated blood loss (EBL) for vaginal delivery (VD) was significantly lower than for cesarean delivery (CD) ([350 ±170 mL) and [880 ± 360 mL]; p Conclusion Likely based on historic perceptions, obstetric providers estimate blood loss for VD as less than half that of CD. However, using objective measures, blood loss is more similar than perceived between VD and CD, supporting the ACOG reVITALize single definition of PPH regardless of MOD.
Pulsed-xenon ultraviolet light disinfection in a burn unit: Impact on environmental bioburden, multidrug-resistant organism acquisition and healthcare associated infections

Portable pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection (PPX-UVD) may reduce healthcare associated infections (HAI). There is limited data to inform use in burn intensive care units (BICU), where multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO), especially gram negative rods (GNR), commonly cause disease. We evaluated PPX-UVD effects on environmental bioburden and rates of HAI and MDRO acquisition in a BICU. PPX-UVD was used for 3 months after standard cleaning of patient and operating rooms (ORs). Settle and touch plates in patient rooms and ORs were obtained after standard cleaning, pre-and post-PPX-UVD. HAI and MDRO acquisition were evaluated 1year prior to and for 3 month periods before, during, and after PPX-UVD. 110 touch and settle plates (33 pre- and 30 post-PPX-UVD) were obtained after standard cleaning, pre- and post-PPX-UVD. After PPX-UVD, environmental samples with any growth decreased (48% vs 31%, p=0.02), as did mean colony count/sample (2.8 pre- vs 1.6 post-, p=0.03). The 379 colonies largely represented skin commensals, without identified MDRO. Following PPX-UVD, no changes in device-associated infections, overall MDRO, or MDR GNR were seen, though a prolonged interval without healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection was observed. PPX-UVD in a BICU reduced overall environmental bioburden, without a statistically significant impact on HAI or MDRO.
5 nitro 2 (3 phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid

5 nitro 2 (3 phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB) is a chloride channel blocker derived from anthracene-9-carboxylate …
Identification of Brucella spp. in feral swine (Sus scrofa) at abattoirs in Texas, USA.

Summary Various tissues, nasal swabs, urine and blood samples were collected from 376 feral swine at two federally inspected abattoirs in Texas during six separate sampling periods in 2015. Samples were tested for Brucella spp. by culture and serology. Brucella spp. were cultured from 13.0% of feral swine, and antibodies were detected in 9.8%. Only 32.7% of culture-positive feral swine were also antibody positive, and 43.2% of antibody-positive feral swine were culture positive. Approximately, the same number of males (14.0%) and females (12.1%) were culture positive, and slightly more males (10.5%) than females (8.7%) were antibody positive. Our results indicate that serology likely underestimates the prevalence of feral swine infected, and that those who come in contact with feral swine should be aware of the symptoms of infection with Brucella spp. to ensure prompt treatment.
Preliminary Satellite Radiation Climatology for the Monex Region

Earth-atmosphere radiation budget data derived from the scanning radiometers on board the NOAA polar orbiting operational satellites were produced for the period June 1974 - March 1978. Monthly averages of satellite derived albedo and outgoing radiation for the monsoon periods (June - September) for 1974 through 1977 are examined. These data clearly indicate that the monsoon was very active during 1975, compared with the other three years. For the first time, preliminary climatological maps of various radiation budget parameters for this region have been developed.
Anti-Effeminacy Moderates the Relationship Between Masculinity and Internalized Heterosexism Among Gay Men

ABSTRACTInternalized heterosexism (IH) is linked to negative mental health outcomes among people who are lesbian, gay, and bisexual. This study examined whether anti-effeminacy moderates the relationship between masculinity and IH among gay men in the United States. The participants were 239 gay men who completed measures of masculinity, anti-effeminacy, and IH. Results indicated that anti-effeminacy and masculinity predicted IH and that anti-effeminacy moderated the relationship between masculinity and IH. These findings suggest that, to reduce IH and its deleterious mental health effects, counselors should work with their male clients who are gay to reduce their anti-effeminacy and sexism.
A low-cost bioprosthetic semilunar valve for research, disease modelling and surgical training applications.

Objectives This paper provides detailed instructions for constructing low-cost bioprosthetic semilunar valves for animal research and clinical training. This work fills an important gap between existing simulator training valves and clinical valves by providing fully functioning designs that can be employed in ex vivo and in vivo experiments and can also be modified to model valvular disease. Methods Valves are constructed in 4 steps consisting of creating a metal frame, covering it with fabric and attaching a suture ring and leaflets. Computer-aided design files are provided for making the frame from wire or by metal 3D printing. The covering fabric and suturing ring are made from materials readily available in a surgical lab, while the leaflets are made from pericardium. The entire fabrication process is described in figures and in a video. To demonstrate disease modelling, design modifications are described for producing paravalvular leaks, and these valves were evaluated in porcine ex vivo (n = 3) and in vivo (n = 6) experiments. Results Porcine ex vivo and acute in vivo experiments demonstrate that the valves can replicate the performance of clinical valves for research and training purposes. Surgical implantation is similar, and echocardiograms are comparable to clinical valves. Furthermore, valve leaflet function was satisfactory during acute in vivo tests with little central regurgitation, while the paravalvular leak modifications consistently produced leaks in the desired locations. Conclusions The detailed design procedure presented here, which includes a tutorial video and computer-aided design files, should be of substantial benefit to researchers developing valve disease models and to clinicians developing realistic valve training systems.
Avian Malaria, Body Condition, and Blood Parameters In Four Species of Songbirds

ABSTRACT Avian malaria is a common disease in songbirds, caused by protozoa in the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon. These parasites can negatively impact bird health, survival, and reproductive success. Four species of songbirds were sampled for blood parasites during the reproductive season; the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), the Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), the Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum), and the Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus). The study aimed to determine parasite prevalence in these species, as well as to explore a relationship between infection and bird health, measured by body condition and blood parameters. We also tested whether age and sex had an effect on this relationship. Results detected a high parasite prevalence across all species using PCR (94%) but a much lower one using microscopy (37%), suggesting that parasite prevalence is high while parasitemia is low. Red-eyed Vireos were the only species with high prevalence and parasitemia. Parasit...
Intratissue DNA Methylation Heterogeneity in Aging

Abstract DNA methylation is a critical epigenetic marker involved in development, differentiation, and cell fate diversity. Here we discuss the possible role of adaptive and stochastic changes in DNA methylation in aging. We describe recent progress in studying stochastic changes in DNA methylation, most notably alterations at the level of the single cell. We show that fidelity of individual CpG sites is several orders of magnitude lower than the fidelity of DNA sequence integrity. At this high level of instability, age-related methylation changes could well be a cause of the gradual loss of specific cell fate or differentiation status and, therefore contribute to loss of function and increased disease risk at old age. However, the current lack of a complete understanding of the relationship between DNA methylation patterns and gene expression essentially constrains definite conclusions about the impact of DNA methylation changes on the aging process.
Fine-tuning the normal tissue objective in eclipse for lung stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to characterize the effects of the normal tissue objective (NTO) on lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) dose distributions. The NTO is a spatially varying constraint used in Eclipse to limit dose to normal tissues by steepening the dose gradient. However, the multitude of potential NTO setting combinations challenges optimal NTO tuning. In the present study, a broad range of NTO settings are investigated for lung SBRT treatment planning with volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT). Ten prior lung SBRT cases were replanned using NTO priorities of 1, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 999 in combination with fall-off values of 0.01, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.30, 0.50, 1.00, and 5.00 mm−1 and the automatic NTO. NTO distances to planning target volume (PTV), start dose, and end dose were 1 mm, 100%, and 10%, respectively, for all 600 plans. Prescription dose covered 95% of the PTV. The following metrics were recorded: conformity index (CI), ratio of the 50% prescription isodose volume to PTV (R50%), maximum dose 2 cm away from PTV (D2cm), lung volume of ≥20 Gy (V20Gy), maximum PTV dose (PTVmax), and monitor units (MUs). Differences between prior plans and NTO plans were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Different combinations of NTO settings resulted in wide-ranging plan quality metrics: CI (1.00 to 1.54), R50% (3.95 to 7.57), D2cm (33.4% to 67.9%), V20Gy (1.66% to 2.75%), MU (1.81 cGy−1 to 4.69 cGy−1), and PTVmax (118% to 175%). Although no settings were optimal for all metrics, a fall-off of 0.15 mm−1 and a priority of 500 best satisfied institutional criteria. Compared with prior plans, NTO plans resulted in significantly lower R50% (4.00 vs 4.35, p = 0.002), lower V20Gy (1.22% vs 1.32%, p = 0.006), and higher PTVmax (138% vs 122%, p = 0.002). All of the prior and well-tuned NTO plans met Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0813 guidelines. Lung SBRT dose distributions were characterized across a range of NTO settings. NTO plans with well-tuned settings compared favorably with prior plans.
Examining the utility of social control and social learning in the radicalization of violent and non-violent extremists

AbstractResearch on radicalization to accept extremist ideologies has expanded dramatically over the last decade, particularly attempts to theorize pathways to violence. These models are complex, and contain aspects of key criminological frameworks including social learning and social control theories. At the same time, they do reconcile the inherent differences in these frameworks, requiring research to examine how these models could be combined and the utility in using an integrated model to account for radicalization as a whole. This analysis uses four case studies developed from two of the most well-known open-source terrorism databases to assess these frameworks, using two far-right and two jihadist perpetrators, with one engaged in violence and the other non-violent activity in each ideological grouping. The implications of this analysis for our understanding of radicalization and the utility of criminological theories are considered in depth.
Influence of felodipine on left ventricular hypertrophy and systolic function in orthotopic heart transplant recipients:: Possible interaction with cyclosporine medication

Abstract Background: Concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy develops early in orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) recipients. To compare the effects of a calcium channel blocker, felodipine, versus diuretics on LV hypertrophy and LV systolic function repeated magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed in OHT recipients. Cyclosporine levels and neurohormones were also measured to explore potential interactions with treatment. Methods Twenty-two patients were randomized at baseline (2 months after OHT) to receive felodipine or diuretic treatment. Before and after 4 months of treatment ( n = 19), LV dimensions and LV mass (Simpson’s rule) were measured. The relationship between circumferential fiber shortening (two-shell cyclindrical model) and end-systolic wall stress was used as a measure of load-independent LV contractility. Neurohormones were measured at the beginning and end of the treatment period, and cyclosporine levels and blood pressures were additionally measured during treatment. Results At baseline, the felodipine and diuretic groups did not differ in LV mass, wall stress, and fiber shortening. During felodipine treatment LV mass decreased ( p p = 0.06). Afterload-corrected fiber shortening did not change during felodipine treatment, but decreased ( p r = 0.70) in the diuretics group, but not in the felodipine group. Conclusions In OHT recipients during diuretic treatment, progression of LV hypertrophy occurs in relation to cyclosporine plasma levels and is accompanied by impairment of systolic contractile function. Felodipine induces regression of LV hypertrophy, while systolic contractile function is preserved. During felodipine treatment, regression of LV hypertrophy is unrelated to cyclosporine levels. Thus, felodipine seems to attenuate the hypertrophic effect of cyclosporine on transplanted hearts.
Tooke, John Horne (1736–1812)

John Horne Tooke (1736–1812) was a cleric, political agitator, and philologist famous for writing Epea Pteroenta (The Diversions of Purley). It outlines his theory of language and uses etymologies, which were quickly superseded, to reveal the ‘true’ meanings of words. He was highly influential, particularly in England.
Men Who Have Sex with Men and HIV/AIDS Prevention in China

Men who have sex with men (MSM) worldwide are among the most vulnerable groups that are at high risk for HIV infection. Between 1989 and 1992, three nationwide studies found that 8 to 16 of university students in Beijing and Shanghai had had various homosexual experiences (Zhang, 2003), and another large-scale study from 1998 to 2001 showed that 10 to 15 of male adults reported homosexual behavior (Zhang, 2003). Based on the data from these studies, the number of homosexuals in China is estimated to be between 30 and 48 million (Li, 1998).
Using agile methods to scaffold team projects in an it ethics course

We describe an effort to revise the scaffolding used for a final group project in a technology ethics course. In past semesters, groups usually produced a good final product, but often with much chaos, drama, and intervention from the instructor. We discuss the use of Agile methods to revise the project scaffold in an effort to improve the group project experience for students and instructors. The application of Agile to a wider range of projects also offers an opportunity for computing educators to share their knowledge of Agile with peers in other fields.
15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 promotes phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α and activates the integrated stress response.

Stress granules (SGs) are cytoplasmic RNA–protein aggregates formed in response to inhibition of translation initiation. SGs contribute to the stress response and are implicated in a variety of diseases, including cancer and some forms of neurodegeneration. Neurodegenerative diseases often involve chronic phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), with deletions of eIF2α kinases or treatment with eIF2α kinase inhibitors being protective in some animal models of disease. However, how and why the integrated stress response (ISR) is activated in different forms of neurodegeneration remains unclear. Because neuroinflammation is common to many neurodegenerative diseases, we hypothesized that inflammatory factors contribute to ISR activation in a cell-nonautonomous manner. Using fluorescence microscopy and immunoblotting, we show here that the endogenously produced product of inflammation, 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15-d-PGJ2), triggers eIF2α phosphorylation, thereby activating the ISR, repressing bulk translation, and triggering SG formation. Our findings define a mechanism by which inflammation activates the ISR in a cell-nonautonomous manner and suggest that inhibition of 15-d-PGJ2 production might be a useful therapeutic strategy in some neuroinflammatory contexts.
2-Dopyl-1,4-di(2-dopylpropanoyl)benzene, an effective phosphorus flame retardant

Abstract Organophosphorus compounds provide great potential as replacements for traditional organohalogen flame retardants. Compounds containing the 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) unit may be especially important. 2-Dopyl-1,4-di(2-dopylpropanoy)benzene contains three dopyl units (>10% P) all bound through carbon. It displays excellent flame retardancy in DGEBA epoxy resin.
Modeling Porous Dust Grains with Ballistic Aggregates I: Methods and Basic Results

We investigate the scattering and absorption of light by random ballistic aggregates of spherical monomers. We present a general measure for the porosity of an irregular particle. Three different classes of ballistic aggregates are considered, with different degrees of porosity. Scattering and absorption cross sections are calculated, using the discrete dipole approximation (DDA), for grains of three compositions (50% silicate and 50% graphite; 50% silicate and 50% amorphous carbon; and 100% silicate), for wavelengths from 0.1 micron to 4 micron. For fixed particle mass, increased porosity increases the extinction at short wavelengths, but decreases the extinction at wavelengths long compared to the overall aggregate size. Scattering and absorption cross sections are insensitive to monomer size as long as the constituent monomers are small compared with the incident wavelength. We compare our accurate DDA results with two other approximations: the analytical multi-layer sphere (MLS) model and effective medium theory (EMT). For high porosity and/or absorptive materials, the MLS model does not provide a good approximation for scattering and absorption by ballistic aggregates. The EMT method provides a much better approximation than the MLS model for these aggregates, with a typical difference less than 20% in extinction and scattering cross sections compared with DDA results, for all types, compositions and wavelengths probed in this study.
Disposition and metabolism of sulfolane in Harlan Sprague Dawley rats and B6C3F1/N mice and in vitro in hepatocytes from rats, mice, and humans.

AbstractSulfolane has been found as a ground water contaminant near refining sites. These studies investigated the in vitro hepatic clearance and in vivo disposition of [14C]sulfolane in rats and m...
The origins of the Lacto-Bolo reflex: the mythology of lactate in sepsis

The use of lactate as a marker of the severity of circulatory shock was popularized by Dr. Weil in the 1970’s. Dr. Weil promoted the idea that blood lactate concentration increased in circulatory shock due to anaerobic metabolism following decreased oxygen delivery. This concept becomes entrenched with 1992 ACCP/SCCM consensus conference definition of sepsis. Since then, the central role of lactate in the definition and management of septic shock has only been expanded and become more ingrained. This review will discuss the wisdom of such an approach, an updated model describing the origins of hyperlactatemia in sepsis, and how such improvements in our knowledge of the underlying physiology should change our approach to resuscitation in patients presenting with septic shock.
In hot water: effects of climate change on Vibrio–human interactions

Sea level rise and the anthropogenic warming of the world's oceans is not only an environmental tragedy, but these changes also result in a significant threat to public health. Along with coastal flooding and the encroachment of saltwater farther inland comes an increased risk of human interaction with pathogenic Vibrio species, such as Vibrio cholerae, V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus. This minireview examines the current literature for updates on the climatic changes and practices that impact the location and duration of the presence of Vibrio spp., as well as the infection routes, trends and virulence factors of these highly successful pathogens. Finally, an overview of current treatments and methods for the mitigation of both oral and cutaneous exposures are presented.
Testing, Identifying, and Serving Gifted Children With and Without Disabilities: A Multi-State Parental Perspective:

Early identification of gifted children, including those twice-exceptional, allows schools and parents to support these children’s needs, but little is known about this early identification process...
Characterizing and Utilizing the Interplay Between Core and Truss Decompositions

Finding the dense regions in a graph is an important problem in network analysis. Core decomposition and truss decomposition address this problem from two different perspectives. The former is a vertex-driven approach that assigns density indicators for vertices whereas the latter is an edge-driven technique that put density quantifiers on edges. Despite the algorithmic similarity between these two approaches, it is not clear how core and truss decompositions in a network are related. In this work, we introduce the vertex interplay (VI) and edge interplay (EI) plots to characterize the interplay between core and truss decompositions. Based on our observations, we devise Core-TrussDD, an anomaly detection algorithm to identify the discrepancies between core and truss decompositions. We analyze a large and diverse set of real-world networks, and demonstrate how our approaches can be effective tools to characterize the patterns and anomalies in the networks. Through VI and EI plots, we observe distinct behaviors for graphs from different domains, and identify two anomalous behaviors driven by specific real-world structures. Our algorithm provides an efficient solution to retrieve the outliers in the networks, which correspond to the two anomalous behaviors. We believe that investigating the interplay between core and truss decompositions is important and can yield surprising insights regarding the dense subgraph structure of real-world networks.
Influence of Inverter Controller Parameters on the Small-signal Stability of LCC-HVDC System Based on a Practical Project

Unreasonable control parameters of the Line Commutated Converter based High Voltage Direct Current (LCC-HVDC) system may induce small-signal instability. This paper studies the impact of inverter controller parameters on steady response of the LCC-HVDC system under weak AC grid condition. Firstly, according to a practical project, the small-signal model of LCC-HVDC system is established based on the switching function. Then, the eigen-analysis method is adopted to study the impact of the controller parameters on the inverter side on the oscillation mode and damping characteristics of the LCC system, and the correctness of results is verified by PSCAD/EMTDC simulation. The conclusion shows that reasonable controller parameters can improve the stability margin of the system.
Therapeutic Strategies to Target Activating Estrogen Receptor α Mutations

Breast cancer is a hormone-dependent disease. Despite great strides, estrogen receptor α (ER)-positive breast cancer remains a challenging disease. About 60–70% of breast cancers are ER positive, which is predictive of response to endocrine therapies, including selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs). However, many patients will still develop therapeutic resistance. One mechanism of resistance is the development of gain-of-function mutations in the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of ER. Mutant ER exhibits ligand-independent, pro-metastatic activity, and higher concentrations of antiestrogens are required to inhibit its activity. Fulvestrant, currently the only FDA-approved SERD, possesses dose-limiting pharmacological properties and promotes only partial degradation of ER. New orally bioavailable SERMs and SERDs are being developed to overcome the shortcomings of current mainstay treatments but are challenging classes of drug to develop. Taking a ligand-binding domain-independent approach by modulating molecular chaperones and E3 ligases that control ER stability could be an alternative approach to circumvent endocrine resistance and could also be used to target additional oncogenic drivers in mutant ER tumors.
Taxpayer Participation under the Registered Retirement Savings Program

The Registered Retirement Savings Plan,' adopted in 1957, afforded Canadian taxpayers a new deduction from assessable income under the individual income tax. Qualified participants in this program may reduce current tax liabilities by their contributions to personal retirement savings accounts. This tax-inducement scheme was somewhat unusual, and "representative" taxpayer response would therefore occur only after a time lapse for individual evaluation of program advantages. Sufficienit time has now expired, however, to permit a study of program performance. Taxpayer response should be judged by reference to program objectives. Parliamentary discussions indicate that the measure had two objectives. The first was to restore an element of fairness, or uniform treatment, to the taxation of retirement funds. The second was to reinforce the social policy of fostering retirement saving in tlhe private sector. The particular construction of the retirement saving scheme and the consequent taxpaper response seem, however, to have led to a failure to achieve either objective. Taxpayer participation in 1962 is analysed in this article. Registered retirement savings deductions in that year were declared on only 1.49 per cent of all taxable returns filed by individuals under 65 years of age. Few taxpayers, then, utilize this deduction, and those who do are concentrated in the higher income classes. Different factors may contribuite to this disappointing performance: imperfect taxpayer knowledge; limited planning horizons; the impact of other formal pension programs; and uncertainties over future government action to provide income maintenance during old age. But the tax incentive itself must be evaluated for effectiveness and differential impact. Clearly the tax element is a distinguishing feature of the Registered Retirement Savings Plan. An understanding of the mechanics of income tax incentives and consequent taxpayer respionse is critical to an evaluation of the scheme.
Studies on human triosephosphate isomerase. I. Isolation and properties of the enzyme from erythrocytes.

A procedure for the isolation of crystalline triosephosphate isomerase from human erythrocytes is described. The isolated enzyme, after a 4500-fold purification has a specific activity of approximately 8000 μmoles of d -glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate converted to dihydroxyacetone phosphate per minute per milligram. The enzyme is judged to be homogeneous by the criteria of analytical ultracentrifugation, zone electrophoresis, and rechromatography. Molecular weight determinations by sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation and gel filtration yield a value of 56,000 daltons. The amino acid composition of the enzyme has also been established. The enzyme from human erythrocytes has been resolved into three catalytically active components by isoelectric focusing. The major peak containing 76% of the triosephosphate isomerase activity has an isoelectric pH of 6.0. The two minor peaks with isoelectric pH values of 5.5 and 6.4 contain 22 and 2% of the enzyme activity, respectively. Several possible explanations for this multiplicity are discussed.
Activated Macrophages Infected with Legionella Inhibit T Cells by Means of MyD88-Dependent Production of Prostaglandins

To understand how macrophages (Mφ) activated with IFN-γ modulate the adaptive immune response to intracellular pathogens, the interaction of IFN-γ-treated bone marrow-derived murine Mφ (BMφ) with Legionella pneumophila was investigated. Although Legionella was able to evade phagosome lysosome fusion initially, and was capable of de novo protein synthesis within IFN-γ-treated BMφ, intracellular growth of Legionella was restricted. It was determined that activated BMφ infected with Legionella suppressed IFN-γ production by Ag-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells. A factor sufficient for suppression of T cell responses was present in culture supernatants isolated from activated BMφ following Legionella infection. Signaling pathways requiring MyD88 and TLR2 were important for production of a factor produced by IFN-γ-treated BMφ that interfered with effector T cell functions. Cyclooxygenase-2-dependent production of PGs by IFN-γ-treated BMφ infected with Legionella was required for inhibition of effector T cell responses. From these data we conclude that activated Mφ can down-modulate Ag-specific T cell responses after they encounter bacterial pathogens through production of PGs, which may be important in preventing unnecessary immune-mediated damage to host tissues.
Optimizing radar waveforms using generalized alternating projections

The radar ambiguity function, described as an autocorrelation of shifts in time and frequency, is useful for determining a waveform's accuracy at detecting targets in certain range-Doppler combinations. An algorithm is proposed which uses a generalized method of alternating projections to synthesize waveforms with desired ambiguity function properties. In practice, it is often desirable to minimize the magnitude of the ambiguity function at range-Doppler combinations where targets other than the detection are likely to cause interference. The algorithm alternates between projections in the time, frequency, and range-Doppler domains until an optimal solution which fits desired ambiguity function properties is found. This work provides a computationally intelligent methodology to dynamically optimize detection in radar applications and a foundation for future work in joint circuit optimization for spectral compliance.
The Community Reinvestment Act: A Regression Discontinuity Analysis

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) is the most important federal legislation addressing the credit needs of low-income families and neighborhoods. Enacted in 1977 in response to concerns about redlining, CRA established "continuing and affirmative obligations" for lenders to meet the credit needs of low- and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods. Advocates point to nearly $1 trillion in CRA-eligible lending and rapid growth in credit for minority and LMI borrowers as evidence that the act has had a significant impact on its intended communities. However, critics counter that other factors, such as technological changes and market restructuring, account for the growth in lending to LMI markets, making CRA irrelevant. Existing empirical studies have not disentangled convincingly the effects of the law from other social and economic trends, and the controversy over CRA continues. In this paper, we apply regression discontinuity analysis, a design that arguably is stronger for causal inference than any other except a randomized experiment, to identify the effects of CRA on lending to LMI individuals and neighborhoods. Specifically, the regulation uses a strict cut-off of 80 percent of metropolitan area (MSA) median income to identify LMI neighborhoods and individuals, loans to which count toward a lending institution's CRA performance rating. Using this RD design and a data set comprising millions of mortgage applications from 1993 to 2003, we are able to distinguish the causal effects of CRA from other (observable and unobservable) variables correlated with residential lending rates. To preview our results, we find vanishingly small effects of CRA on the outcomes we examine.
Theoretical thermochemistry of the C60F18, C60F36, and C60F48 fluorofullerenes

Relative energies of C60FN fluorofullerenes are reproduced reasonably well at the B3LYP/6- 311G** level of theory employed in conjunction with isodesmic transfluorination reactions, although overestimation of steric repulsions among non-bonded atoms is evident for species with larger values of N. On the other hand, the MNDO method is found to be less suitable for studies of fluorofullerene thermochemistry. The gas-phase standard enthalpy of formation of the C60F18 species is predicted to lie between −1500 kJ mol−1 and −1400 kJ mol−1.
Directional filterbank for texture image classification

Summary form only given. We present a rotation invariant texture classification method using a special directional filter bank (DFB) and support vector machine (SVM). This method extracts a set of coefficient vectors from directional subband domain, and models them as multivariate Gaussian densities. Eigen-analysis is then applied to the covariance metrics of these density functions to form rotation invariant feature vectors. Classification is based on SVM, which only takes non-rotated images for training and uses images at various rotation angles for testing. Experimental results have shown that this DFB is very effective in capturing directional information of texture images, and the proposed rotation invariant feature generation and SVM classification method can in fact achieve relatively consistent classification accuracy on both non-rotated and rotated images.
Dipstick albuminuria and acute kidney injury recovery in critically ill septic patients.

AIM Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication of sepsis, a pro-inflammatory state that alters tubular handling of filtered albumin. We hypothesized that dipstick albuminuria (DA) is associated with a lower rate of AKI recovery in septic patients. METHODS This was a single-centre, retrospective cohort study of adults with sepsis-associated AKI in an urban academic intensive care unit (ICU). Patients with unknown baseline serum creatinine (SCr), absent urinalysis, and those with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <15 mL/min per 1.73m(2) or receiving chronic renal replacement therapy (RRT) were excluded. The independent variable was DA (negative or trace, 30 mg/dL, and ≥100 mg/dL) within the first 72 h of ICU stay. The outcome variable was AKI recovery at 30 days following hospital discharge, defined as the last SCr returning to a level less than 1.5 times the baseline SCr level and independence of RRT. RESULTS A total of 988 patients were included in the study. The median length of hospitalization was 11 days. The patients with higher degree of DA had worse critical illness scores. After adjustment for several confounders, DA ≥30 mg/dL was independently associated with "no AKI recovery" at 30 days post-discharge (adjusted OR 1.40, 95% CI, 1.01-1.95 for DA =30 mg/dL and 1.67, 1.15-2.42 for DA ≥100 mg/dL, P = 0.02). Other independent predictors of "no AKI recovery" were cumulative fluid balance, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, exposure to diuretics, and the need for mechanical ventilation. CONCLUSION Dipstick albuminuria ≥30 mg/dL is independently associated with lower rate of AKI recovery at 30 days post-discharge. Our findings emphasize the potential utility of a simple routine test of DA in the risk-stratification of AKI recovery in ICU septic patients.
Living with dementia: An interdisciplinary, experimental seminar for medical, nursing, and social work students

All too often, dementia remains an abstraction for students in the health professions. Although social work students focus on environmental and family influences, nursing and medical students usually encounter a strong educational focus on hospital care, which limits the opportunity to understand the full impact of a dementing illness on patient and family. An interdisciplinary, experiential course was designed to include an opportunity to spend time with dementia patients and their caregivers in non-medical settings. This course had two goals. The first was to allow students to witness first hand what it is like to live with dementia. The second goal of the course was to match students of different disciplines and provide opportunities for these students to experience an interdisciplinary approach to patient education.
Contrast MR of the brain after high-perfusion cardiopulmonary bypass.

PURPOSE To study the efficacy of contrast MR imaging in the evaluation of central nervous system complications in the cardiopulmonary bypass patient and attempt to explain their pathophysiology based on the MR appearance and the cardiopulmonary bypass protocol. METHOD Nineteen patients were prospectively studied with contrast MR examinations the day before and 3 to 7 days after cardiopulmonary bypass, to determine the nature, extent, and number of new postoperative MR abnormalities. Cardiopulmonary bypass parameters used in our institution included: membrane oxygenation, arterial filtration with a pore size of 25 microns, and a relatively high perfusion rate to produce a cardiac index of 2.0 to 2.5 L/min per m2. RESULTS The preoperative noncontrast MR examination showed age-related changes and/or signs of ischemia in 60% of patients on the day before surgery. However, there was no abnormal enhancement or new T2 abnormalities on any postoperative MR examination to suggest hypoperfusion or emboli. None of the 19 patients developed overt neurologic deficits postoperatively. Review of the cardiopulmonary bypass protocol used indicated significant variations in technique at different institutions. CONCLUSION Contrast MR imaging demonstrated no new abnormalities in patients after cardiopulmonary bypass performed with strict in-line arterial filtration and relatively high perfusion. MR imaging is feasible in the early postoperative period after cardiopulmonary bypass and may offer a convenient method for evaluation of the neurologic impact of technical factors associated with cardiopulmonary bypass.
Multiple connections of medial hypothalamic neurons in the rat.

The responses of 700 single neurons in the hypothalamus to electrical stimulation of the preoptic area, limbic structures, and midbrain were studied to determine the location of neurons with multiple inputs and to identify by antidromic activation the projection areas of those neurons.
Biophysical and Structural Characterization of a Robust Octameric β-Peptide Bundle

Proteins composed of α-amino acids are essential components of the machinery required for life. Stanley Miller's renowned electric discharge experiment provided evidence that an environment of methane, ammonia, water, and hydrogen was sufficient to produce α-amino acids. This reaction also generated other potential protein building blocks such as the β-amino acid β-glycine (also known as β-alanine); however, the potential of these species to form complex ordered structures that support functional roles has not been widely investigated. In this report we apply a variety of biophysical techniques, including circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry, analytical ultracentrifugation, NMR and X-ray crystallography, to characterize the oligomerization of two 12-mer β3-peptides, Acid-1Y and Acid-1Y*. Like the previously reported β3-peptide Zwit-1F, Acid-1Y and Acid-1Y* fold spontaneously into discrete, octameric quaternary structures that we refer to as β-peptide bundles. Surprisingly, the Acid-1Y oct...
Culture as an influence on breast cancer screening and early detection

Objectives: To explore how culture may play a part in breast cancer screening, early detection, and efforts to decrease breast mortality. Data Sources: Journal articles published in the past 20 years on cultural aspects of cancer prevention and control. Conclusions: Research seems directed more at discovering cultural differences than at identifying similarities on how culture influences breast cancer screening and early detection. The influences of poverty and lack of educational opportunities account for much of what is termed cultural difference. Implications for Nursing Practice: Improving practice through an informed understanding of culture calls for considerable self-education and a fundamental refinement of care delivery.