cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anaesthesia of germ-free rabbits and rats with halothane

SUMMARY A simple and effective method for anaesthetising germ-free rabbits and rats for the collection of heart-blood samples is described. The anaesthetic agent, a mixture of 2 or 4 per cent halothane in oxygen, was passed into the germ-free isolators through a tube sealed into the wall and fitted at each end with a high-efficiency gas line filter. 101 During studies concerning the immunological responses of germ-free rabbits and rats, it was necessary to collect samples of blood (2 ml) from all the animals in the experimental and control groups every 7 days. Each animal was anaesthetised with a 2 or 4 per cent halothane in oxygen mixture, and the blood collected by heart puncture. The rats were first bled when they reached 150 g bodyweight and the rabbits when they were 6-8 weeks old. Each animal was bled 6-8 times, with an interval of 7 days between each bleeding.
Increased Overnight Fluoride Concentrations in Saliva, Plaque, and Plaque Fluid after a Novel Two-solution Rinse

Recent studies showed that salivary, plaque-fluid, and whole-plaque fluoride were significantly higher 120 min after subjects rinsed with a novel two-solution rinse than after they rinsed with a NaF rinse of the same fluoride concentration. In this study, the persistence of these increases was investigated overnight, a period of time that is more clinically relevant. Improved analytical techniques for the ultramicro determination of whole-plaque and plaque-fluid fluoride from the same sample are also described. Thirteen subjects abstained from toothbrushing for 48 hrs and rinsed for 1 min with a 12 mmol/L (228 ppm) NaF or the two-solution rinse before bedtime. Samples were then collected the following morning before breakfast: (1) Saliva samples were either clarified by centrifugation or acid-extracted with 1 mol/L HClO4; and (2) single-site molar plaque samples were centrifuged to obtain plaque fluid and/or extracted with 1 mol/L HC1O4. Results showed that, compared with NaF, the two-solution rinse produ...
Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis in Association with Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia: A Case Report

A two-year-old girl with congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA) acutely developed fever, tachypnea, and increased oxygen requirement. Chest X-ray revealed bilateral interstitial infiltrates and mild cardiomegaly. Blood cultures grew no infectious agents, while pulmonary specimens grew cytomegalovirus (CMV). Treatment with intravenous ganciclovir was initiated but without response. Final cytologic preparations of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid revealed eosinophilic amorphous material consistent with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP). CDA and PAP are extremely rare disorders in pediatrics. PAP should be considered in patients with hematological disorders who present with acute interstitial pneumonia, after infectious causes are ruled out.
Self-Monitoring and Idiographic Measures of Behavioral Variability Across Interpersonal Relationships.

Sixty-five subjects were assessed by a computer program that asked them to list the primary people they interact with, the situations they inhabit with these people, and the traits and behaviors they typically show with these people The program stored these data as a tree of information Subjects also kept detailed behavioral diaries over a 10-day period and completed Snyder's (1974) Self-Monitoring Scale The consistency of subjects' behaviors and settings over interpersonal relationships was computed from the computer data and from behavioral diaries Results indicated that consistency as assessed idiographically from computer data, consistency as assessed idiographically from diaries, and self-monitoring were intercorrelated These results illustrate the possibility of wedding idiographic and nomothetic approaches in research on the consistency and variability of behavior
Macrophage-Mediated Cardiac Fibrosis

See related article, pages 637–644 Both clinicians and investigators have long tended to consider cardiac fibrosis as a hopelessly unavoidable “final common pathway” of tissue injury. We are painfully familiar with the serious consequences of myocardial fibrosis, including diastolic dysfunction and promoting reentry dysrhythmias,1 but we seem to accept that diseased myocardium eventually develops fibrosis. However, only the most advanced fibrotic tissues are lifeless; in fact, dynamic matrix turnover in fibrosing tissues is easily demonstrated, whereas the matrix of normal tissues is, in comparison, remarkably quiescent. That we can potentially steer matrix metabolism beneficially to reduce dysrhythmias or improve ventricular function is reason enough to try to understand cardiac fibrosis. In addition, as we will briefly touch on here, recent excitement in cardiac regeneration offers us yet another important reason to unravel fibrosis, because myocardial scarring may be standing in the way of successfully repairing the heart. Treatment options to prevent cardiac fibrosis are limited and include angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors2 and aldosterone blockade.3 Matrix metalloproteinase inhibition may also reduce fibrosis.4,5 The effects of metalloproteinase inhibition on cardiac fibrosis do not appear to be attributable to changes in collagen degradation, and there has been little recent progress on using metalloproteinase inhibition clinically. With so few weapons against cardiac fibrosis, it is therefore important to develop new strategies through understanding basic molecular pathways of matrix metabolism. There are different types of cardiac …
Applications and Limitations of Nuclear Archaeology in Uranium Enrichment Plants

The uranium-235 content of a uranium enrichment plant’s product is related to the uranium-234 content of its waste, allowing one to check with tails measurements consistency with a plant’s declared past production. Verification works best with known feed material, but with unknown feed isotopics the production of low and high enriched uranium may still be distinguished based on tails measurements. Estimating product masses is harder, and concealment scenarios are discussed. With traditional nuclear accounting, relationships between product and waste isotopics, or “nuclear archaeology,” can increase confidence in the accuracy of declarations of past fissile material production.
Meeting Seniors' Information Needs: Using Computer Technology

This article discusses the design and development of a program to integrate computer technology into two Nurse Wellness Centers located in low-income minority high-rise facilities. The goal of the program is to teach residents how to use the computers and the Internet to locate health information and to take a more active role in their own health care. Previous research shows that low-income seniors have had limited access to a personal computer and the Internet, therefore creating a digital divide between those individuals having Internet access and those who do not. By teaching minority seniors how to locate Internet-based health information, it is hoped that they will seek more information regarding their health conditions, proposed treatments, and current medications. This article describes the training format, barriers to implementation, and initial qualitative findings.
Commentary on Szmukler: Mental Illness, Dangerousness, and Involuntary Civil Commitment

Prof. Cohen and I answer six questions: (1) Why do we lock people up? (2) How can involuntary civil commitment be reconciled with people's constitutional right to liberty? (3) Why don't we treat homicide as a public health threat? (4) What is the difference between legal and medical approaches to mental illness? (5) Why is mental illness required for involuntary commitment? (6) Where are we in our efforts to understand the causes of mental illness?
Increased Frontal Response May Underlie Decreased Tinnitus Severity.

Objectives The overall goal of the study was to identify functional and behavioral differences between individuals with higher tinnitus distress and individuals with lower tinnitus distress. Subsequent exploratory analyses were conducted to investigate the role physical activity may have on the observed results between high and low distress groups. The purpose of the experiment was to identify brain regions to be targeted in future intervention studies for tinnitus. Design A total of 32 individuals with varying levels of tinnitus severity were recruited from the Urbana-Champaign area. Volunteers were divided into higher tinnitus distress (HD) and lower tinnitus distress (LD) groups. Note that these groups also significantly differed based on physical activity level and were subsequently stratified into higher and lower physical activity level subgroups for exploratory analysis. While in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner, subjects listened to affective sounds classified as pleasant, neutral or unpleasant from the International Affective Digital Sounds database. Results The HD group recruited amygdala and parahippocampus to a greater extent than the LD group when listening to affective sounds. The LD group engaged frontal regions to a greater extent when listening to the affective stimuli compared to the HD group. Both higher physical activity level subgroups recruited more frontal regions, and both lower levels of physical activity subgroups recruited more limbic regions respectively. Conclusion Individuals with lower tinnitus distress may utilize frontal regions to better control their emotional response to affective sounds. Our analysis also suggests physical activity may contribute to lower tinnitus severity and greater engagement of the frontal cortices. We suggest that future intervention studies focus on changes in the function of limbic and frontal regions when evaluating the efficacy of treatment. Additionally, we recommend further investigation concerning the impact of physical activity level on tinnitus distress.
Volterra Integral Equations

It was stated in Chapter 2 that Volterra integral equations arise in many scientific applications such as the population dynamics, spread of epidemics, and semi-conductor devices. It was also shown that Volterra integral equations can be derived from initial value problems. Volterra started working on integral equations in 1884, but his serious study began in 1896. The name sintegral equation was given by du Bois-Reymond in 1888. However, the name Volterra integral equation was first coined by Lalesco in 1908.
Cardiac effects of injections of epinephrine into the spinal intermediolateral column.

Small doses of epinephrine (0.008, 0.05, and 0.1 pmol, i.e., 20-nl volumes of 0.40, 2.5, and 5 microM solutions) produced a dose-dependent increase in heart rate when micro-injected into the right intermediolateral column (IML) at T2 spinal level. These effects were mediated via alpha 1-adrenergic receptors because prazosin blocked them. The presence of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors at this site was confirmed by microinjections of phenylephrine (a specific agonist for these receptors); phenylephrine elicited tachycardia. Larger doses of epinephrine (320, 2,000, and 3,200 pmol, i.e., 20-nl volumes of 16, 100, and 160 mM solutions) caused bradycardia when microinjected into the IML. These effects were mediated via alpha 2-adrenergic receptors because idazoxan blocked them. The presence of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors at this site was confirmed by microinjections of clonidine (a specific agonist for these receptors); clonidine elicited bradycardia. Injections of the vehicle (20 nl of normal saline containing 0.3% ascorbic acid, pH 7.4) did not evoke a response. Epinephrine, prazosin, or idazoxan did not alter the responses to L-glutamate. None of the doses of epinephrine elicited any response when injected intravenously. The aforementioned results provide pharmacological evidence for the presence of alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors in the IML at T2. Thus a basis is provided for investigating the role, if any, of alpha-adrenergic receptors in the IML in mediating cardiovascular responses elicited by the stimulation of different brain stem areas.
A Biomechanical In Vitro Comparison of Open Versus Percutaneous Repair of Tendon Achilles

A study was undertaken to compare the in vitro strengths of percutaneous Achilles tendon repair to open Achilles tendon repair. Ten fresh frozen cadaver below-the-knee specimens underwent Achilles tenotomy. The specimens were divided into two groups of five specimens each. Group I specimens underwent open Achilles repair using a Bunnell suture technique. Group II specimens underwent percutaneous repair. Each specimen was placed on an apparatus which produced progressive ankle dorsiflexion. Measurements of anastomotic gap were correlated with angle of dorsiflexion. Group I anastomoses were able to resist almost twice the amount of ankle dorsiflexion compared to Group II anastomoses (P less than .05). Entrapment of the sural nerve occurred in three out of five specimens in Group II. Percutaneous anastomoses were malaligned in four out of five specimens. Based on this study, percutaneous repair of Achilles tendon ruptures provides approximately 50% of the initial strength afforded by open repair. Percutaneous repair places the sural nerve at risk for injury.
The role of CAP in standardisation of pathology practice, including our laboratory accreditation program, predictive markers (HER2, ER, PR) and pathology report standardisation

Proficiency testing: The College of American Pathologists (CAP) Surveys Program began in 1949, two years after the founding of the College and the first Board initiative to establish a national proficiency testing program. The program was very well received by the US laboratory community and since that time the numbers of laboratories and product offerings have grown steadily. Currently 25000 laboratories are enrolled and test for approximately 1000 analytes. The Surveys Program is primarily peer group based, however, there are considerable educational efforts devoted to establishing best practices to encourage harmonisation in the field. Harmonisation is roughly defined as a narrowing of variability for tests. Proficiency testing in anatomic pathology was initiated in 1990 for gynaecological cytopathology and will soon be rolled out for HER2, ER and PR. Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP): The CAP is unique in laboratory accreditation services utilising peer review for the vast majority of inspections. This assures that the inspectors are up to date and also ‘in the trenches’ in modern laboratory practice. The requirements of CAP’s LAP program are the most stringent in the industry and are recognised widely as the gold standard. Currently, the CAP certifies over 6500 laboratories in the USA and worldwide. Standardisation of practice and reporting: The first foray of the CAP into standardised reporting came with the development by CAP of the cancer protocols in 1986. These protocols and checklists have become the gold standard in cancer reporting and are now required by the American College of Surgeons (USA) and the American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC) for accredited cancer programs. Recently, the CAP has or will publish (in Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) guidelines for pathology reporting in areas of molecular pathology, surgical pathology and non-gynaecological cytopathology.
Difference in Susceptibility to Ak Leukemic Agent Between Two Substrains of Mice of G3H Line.

Summary1. Of 320 C3H mice (substrain Bittner), inoculated with filtered Ak leukemic extracts, 28% developed leukemia. Of 162 C3H mice (substrain National Cancer Institute) inoculated simultaneously with the same extracts, only 4% developed leukemia. 2. The incidence of parotid gland tumors, induced with the leukemic extracts in these 2 groups of C3H mice, was 10% vs. 6% respectively. 3. Newborn C3H mice of the Bittner substrain are, therefore, substantially more susceptible to leukemogenic action of the Ak leukemic agent, than those of the National Cancer Institute substrain, of the same line.
A Pleistocene Deposit of the Free-Tailed Bat in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Remains of the free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis , were recovered from a guano pile in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. This guano has been radiocarbon dated at more than 38,000 years. This species does not live in Kentucky at the present time. The fossil Tadarida is larger than modern forms of T. brasiliensis . It is closest in taxonomic status to T. b. cynocephala which lives in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana. It is thought that the bats occupied Mammoth Cave during the Sangamon interglacial stage. They apparently were driven south when temperatures dropped during the Wisconsin glaciation, and have never returned to Kentucky.
Endoscopic Laser Treatment: II. Comparison of the efficacy of high and low power photocoagulation in control of severely bleeding experimental ulcers in dogs

The coagulative efficacy of a “high power” argon laser which delivers 6.5 ± 1.0 w was compared to that of a “low power” argon laser which delivers 1.0 ± 0.1 w. The waveguide angle of divergence was 8°. For the high power laser, the distance between the wave-guide tip and the mucosa varied from 1.0 to 1.5 cm with a delivered power density range of 160 to 487 w per cm2. For the low power laser, the distance between the tip and mucosa varied from 0.7 to 1.3 cm with a power density of 35 to 146 w per cm2. Group A consisted of acute experiments in 6 heparinized dogs in which 51 standard-sized acute gastric ulcers extending into the submucosa were made at laparotomy via a large gastrotomy. Ulcer bleeding rates were quantified into three categories of severity. Within each category, ulcers were randomized to high power, low power, or untreated control. All 19 low power-treated ulcers and 16 untreated controls continued bleeding; 13 of 16 high power-treated ulcers stopped bleeding completely. Representative ulcers were examined histologically. Group B consisted of chronic experiments on 31 ulcers in 7 unheparinized dogs. These ulcers were either treated with high power or left as untreated controls. Dogs were killed and the ulcers were examined histologically at 7, 14, and 28 days. Only rarely did the laser injury penetrate into the muscularis externa. There were no perforations. By 14 days, all lesions were covered with normal surface epithelium. These data encourage further development of ≃ 7.0 w argon laser photocoagulation for eventual clinical use in man.
Substrate and inhibitor binding and translocation by the platelet plasma membrane serotonin transporter

The Na+ and Cl- dependence of imipramine binding and dissociation were determined in platelet plasma membrane vesicles. Equilibrium imipramine binding affinity depends on Na+ binding to two non-interacting, low-affinity sites. Binding of a single Cl- ion also enhances imipramine affinity. Imipramine dissociation is inhibited by Na+ and Cl-, indicating that both ions can bind after imipramine. Of the two Na+ ions required for imipramine binding, only one is involved in slowing imipramine dissociation, indicating that imipramine binding makes the two Na+ ions non-equivalent. The initial rate of imipramine association is strongly Na(+)-dependent, suggesting that Na+ binds prior to imipramine. Cl-, however, affects imipramine dissociation but not association. Thus, while Na+ and Cl- can bind either before or after imipramine, kinetic considerations impose a most likely binding order of first Na+, then imipramine and finally Cl-. We have confirmed and extended these conclusions using serotonin exchange and efflux measurements. Efflux of radioactivity from vesicles preloaded with [3H]serotonin is stimulated by both external K+ and external unlabelled serotonin. K+ acts to accelerate a step that is rate-limiting for net efflux but that does not involve Na+, Cl- or serotonin translocation. Unlabelled serotonin accelerates radioactivity efflux by exchanging with intravesicular label. This serotonin exchange requires external Cl-, but not external Na+. These results suggest that first Na+, then serotonin and finally Cl- bind from the external medium. Although serotonin exchange requires external Cl-, internal Cl- is not required. These results suggest that translocation does not disturb the spatial order of bound substrates, which dissociate internally in a first-in-first-out order.
MIT’s Project Athena: Distributed Computing Realized

MIT’s Project Athena has evolved into a fully-functioning, stable, operational model of distributed computing.
Biomass co-firing technology with policies, challenges, and opportunities: A global review

Abstract The urgency of reducing Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission is increasing and countries around the world have begun investing a substantial amount of resources into renewable energy sources. Biomass co-firing can have a very influential role in achieving this new energy target as it can reduce the potential environmental impacts associated with the combustion of fossil fuels. Greenhouse gases such as CO2, NOx, and SOx emissions can be reduced by replacing a portion of coal with biomass during co-firing. The purpose of this article is to review major policies that have promoted biomass co-firing around the world. Furthermore, this article investigates the existing co-firing plants with technologies and availability of biomass resources in different countries of the world. Finally, this paper summarizes the major global biomass co-firing initiatives and the prospects of biomass co-firing in securing renewable energy target.
Radio Evolution in High Redshift Clusters

In this project we try to follow the evolution of the Radio Luminosity Function (RLF) with redshift by observing a set of galaxy clusters with known spectroscopic redshifts. This method has the advantage over previous studies, based on general radio surveys, that most of the redshifts are accurately known, that intrinsically weaker sources are well represented, and that the parent sample of galaxies is well defined. The chief disadvantages are that, because the sample is optically selected, there are few high luminosity radio sources, and that we cannot examine differences between cluster and field populations.
Comparing climate-growth responses of urban and non-urban forests using L. tulipifera tree-rings in southern Indiana, USA

Abstract Urban forests have many positive effects on human health and recreation. However, urban areas can create stressful environments for native trees, leading to increased mortality and an altered ecosystem. Here, we compare growth variability and the climate response from old (>200 years) L. tulipifera growing in an urban forest in Bloomington, IN to surrounding non-urban sites in southern Indiana using dendrochronological techniques. We found that L. tulipifera growing in the urban forest responded similarly with small differences to climate compared to the non-urban sites. Radial growth from urban L. tulipifera had statistically similar correlation values with temperature, soil moisture, and precipitation compared to the trees in non-urban forests. Growth variability between the urban and non-urban L. tulipifera trees showed good agreement through time with the exception of the 20th century, where the urban forest experienced a stand-wide release from competition. Our results indicate that some urban forests may function similarly to non-urban forests from an ecological perspective. These findings suggest management practices from non-urban old-growth forest could be useful for management of rare urban old-growth forests.
Negative simulation, spectacle and the embodied geopolitics of tourism

This paper builds on recent work on the embodied geopolitics of tourism to investigate the Titan Missile Museum (TMM), a Cold War-era underground nuclear missile silo and command bunker in the southwest USA. In examining how visitors are not only persuaded to adopt certain attitudes towards the weaponry, but are enrolled in an embodied experience that is active in the formation of subjectivity that emerges from such an encounter, the paper draws on the philosophy of Jean Baudrillard and other nonrepresentational theorists to argue that this tourism encounter is a negative simulation that can be informed by a better understanding of "hyperreal" spectacle. This spectacle, however, does not simply fall in the realm of representation but is one that engages affect and emotion as important for the emergence of geopolitical subjectivity. While the TMM works to produce what Baudrillard might call a "non-event" out of nuclear geopolitics, it also takes the risk of getting too close to the bomb by simulating its launch. These dynamics are encapsulated in the highlight of the standard one-hour tour: the simulation of a missile launch, something that never took place. Drawing on our experience at the TMM and visitor comments left online at Yelp.com, as well as the broader archive of journalism and scholarship on the site, we also sense the possibility of something else emerging out of the embodied and performative materialities that constitute this site of "dark tourism".
Minimizing pathogen growth and quality deterioration of packaged leafy greens by maintaining optimum temperature in refrigerated display cases with doors

Abstract Retail display of packaged fresh-cut leafy greens is a critical stage of cold chain management and is prone to temperature fluctuations when produce is displayed in open cases, due to infiltration of ambient air into the case. Previous studies demonstrated that retrofitting open display cases with doors is the most effective solution to bring produce temperatures into compliance with FDA Food Code (
Toxicology and Pathology of Citrinin

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of filamentous fungi or molds that may colonize crops in the field or feeds or foodstuffs during storage. Production of mycotoxins is influenced by a variety of environmental factors, and different strains of fungi are capable of producing different, and often multiple toxins (Pier, 1981). Some toxic effects of fungi have been recognized in man and animals for centuries, while investigations continue on other suspected or potential effects (Butler, 1984; Pier, 1981). Factors influencing the occurrence of mycotoxicoses are complex, including interactions among multiple contaminating fungi, multiple opportunities at which contamination of foods or feeds may occur, environmental factors, plant genetic factors, influence of agricultural biocides on toxin formation, and synergistic action of multiple toxins (Moss, 1984).
The local hospital milieu and healthcare-associated vancomycin-resistant enterococcus acquisition.

Summary Background Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) causes 4% of all healthcare-associated infections in the USA. The process by which the local hospital milieu contributes to VRE acquisition is not fully understood. Aim To determine the importance of specific factors within the local hospital environment for healthcare-associated VRE acquisition. Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients admitted to six intensive care units at an academic medical centre from January 2012 to December 2016 with negative rectal VRE cultures on admission. VRE acquisition was defined as a positive surveillance swab performed at any time after the initial negative swab during the index hospitalization. The exposures of interest were VRE colonization pressure, VRE importation pressure, and use of vancomycin. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modelling was performed, with patients followed until VRE acquisition, death, or for up to 30 days. Findings Of 8485 patients who were initially VRE negative, 161 patients acquired VRE. On univariate analysis, patients with VRE acquisition were more likely to have received vancomycin, to have had a neighbouring patient who received vancomycin, to have high VRE importation pressure, or to have high VRE colonization pressure. On multivariable analysis, only high VRE colonization pressure was an independent predictor of VRE acquisition (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.79; 95% confidence interval: 1.19–2.70). Conclusion VRE colonization pressure was the most important risk factor for healthcare-associated VRE acquisition, regardless of VRE importation pressure. Interventions seeking to reduce VRE acquisition should focus on minimizing transmission between patients with known VRE and the local hospital environment.
African American Elders: The Support Network of Generational Kin:

The informal support networks of African American elders have an important impact on the effectiveness of social service interventions. The author identifies and discusses critical functions perfor...
Control of Hexamerization, Assembly, and Excluded Strand Specificity for the Sulfolobus solfataricus MCM Helicase.

A growing body of evidence supports a steric exclusion and wrapping model for DNA unwinding in which hexameric helicases interact with the excluded single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in addition to the encircled strand. Interactions with the excluded ssDNA have been shown to be mediated primarily by electrostatic interactions, but base stacking with surface-exposed tyrosine residues is an alternative hypothesis. Here, we mutated several external tyrosine and positively charged residues from full-length Sulfolobus solfataricus MCM along the proposed path of excluded strand binding and assessed their impact on DNA unwinding. Four of the five tyrosine residues had significant decreases in their level of unwinding, and one, Y519A, located within the α/β–α linker region of the C-terminal domain, had the most severe perturbation attributed to the disruption of hexamerization. The Y519 mutant exhibits an enhanced and stabilized secondary structure that is modulated by temperature, binding DNA with a higher apparent aff...
An Increasing Need for Formality (Keynote)

The talk will touch on a number of practical opportunities for formal modeling and methods that Intel sees in HW security research including: instruction sets; the proliferation of programmable agents within SoCs; and negative space testing.
Time to Relapse and the Patterns of Relapse Are Prognostic for Post-Relapse Survival after CD34+-Selected Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT), defined by its underlying graft-versus-multiple myeloma (MM) effect, is a potentially curative approach for high-risk pts. However, relapse remains the main cause of treatment failure. Predictors for post-relapse survival after HCT are not well characterized, and we hypothesized that the time to relapse and the patterns of relapse are prognostic for post-relapse survival. Methods: All pts with MM who underwent a CD34+-selected alloHCT at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on protocol (NCT 01131169/01119066) or off study from 01/2010 to 12/2017 and progressed after alloHCT were included. Pts were conditioned with busulfan (0.8 mg/kg x 10), melphalan (70 mg/m2 × 2), and fludarabine (25mg/m2 × 5). The K-M method was used to estimate OS post-HCT relapse. Significant predictors were considered in a Cox model. Results: Of the 115 transplanted pts, 60 (52%) relapsed and were analyzed. The median age was 56 yrs (35- 66), 62% male and 82% with high-risk cytogenetics (CG). KPS was ≥ 80 in 100% and ≥ 90 in 52%. Pts received a median of 4 lines of therapy pre-HCT (1-10), with 88% achieving at least a partial response (PR) prior to alloHCT. All pts had received at least one autoHCT. Of the 38% who received a planned or preemptive post-HCT therapy, 13 received DLI and 10 other strategies. Relapse was characterized as very early ( 24 mo, 22%). At relapse, 27% presented with extramedullary disease (EMD). Median post-relapse OS was significantly different for pts who relapsed very early, early, or late; 4 mo, 17 mo, and 72 mo, respectively (p = 0.002). Age ≥55, relapse with EMD, lower KPS, Conclusion: For this very high-risk group of MM pts, differences in time to relapse after alloHCT define very distinct post-relapse survival patterns. Very early relapses were associated with greater chemoresistance and dismal prognosis. In contrast, the median post-relapse OS for late relapses was 6 yrs, suggesting different underlying disease biology and/or host/donor characteristics. Similar to the post-auto setting, relapse with EMD conferred poor prognosis. Of note, post-relapse OS was superior for pts who received a DLI as planned post-HCT therapy prior to relapse. Efforts to characterize optimal post-relapse therapeutic strategies and mechanism(s) driving relapses are ongoing.
A Model-Based Human Activity Recognition for Human–Robot Collaboration

Human activity recognition is a crucial ingredient in safe and efficient human–robot collaboration. In this paper, we present a new model-based human activity recognition system called logical activity recognition system (LCARS). LCARS requires much less training data compared to learning-based works. Compared to other model-based works, LCARS requires minimal domain-specific modeling effort from users. The minimal modeling is for two reasons: i) we provide a systematic and intuitive way to encode domain knowledge for LCARS and ii) LCARS automatically constructs a probabilistic estimation model from the domain knowledge. Requiring minimal training data and modeling effort allows LCARS to be easily applicable to various scenarios. We verify this through simulations and experiments.
Analytical solution of telegraph equations by variational iteration method

In this paper, the variational iteration method (VIM) is utilized for the solution of telegraph equations, which emerge in the propagation of electrical signals along a broadcast line. The suggested method is progressively effective and simpler to deal with as contrast with the decomposition method. Numerical outcomes demonstrate the effectiveness and exactness of the proposed VIM.
Immigration Rhetoric and Public Discourse in the Construction of Anglo-Indian Identity in Britain

Exactly 40 years since Member of Parliament for Labour, Enoch Powell made his infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech in Birmingham that set the tone for the political rhetoric surrounding immigration to the UK, the time is ripe to reassess the situation regarding British immigrants in general and Anglo-Indians in particular as a pioneering ethnic minority. Over the past 70 years, attitudes towards settlers from former Third World countries have fluctuated dramatically. Anglo-Indians have been caught in the crossfire of perceptions and have braved deeply opposing notions of assimilation and integration as they have staked their place within the multicultural mosaic that is the modern British nation-state. Through extensive ethnographic field work carried out in the UK over almost a decade, I argue that Anglo-Indians manifest what Clifford Geertz calls “mosaic identities—an observation that the individual has multiple, ‘nested’ identities that are centered on one’s location in social-political/religious spacetime.”
Text Classification for AI Education

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become increasingly prevalent in our lives. Because of this, individuals of all ages need to be aware of how AI works. To introduce middle school students to AI concepts, we built a text classifier extension into a block-based programming interface that allows students to train custom machine learning models. To make the extension more accessible, a translator was incorporated where the language of each input is automatically detected and translated to English. Our classifier's accuracy was comparable to similar classifiers such as Machine Learning for Kids' text classifier and Uclassify's text classifier, and its effectiveness was tested against these classifiers with two test datasets. We piloted the classifier with middle school students in an online AI course. The students first learned the concepts behind the classifier which consisted of word embeddings, K-Nearest-Neighbors, and classification bias. They were then able to use the text classifier to create their own projects. Some of the projects were a snake identifier, a TV show suggester, a chat robot, and a healthcare robot. With this extension, students were able to engage in project-based learning to become more knowledgeable about the ever-growing field of AI and raise their awareness about applications of AI within their own lives.
The type 2 diabetes factor methylglyoxal mediates axon initial segment shortening and neuronal network activity changes

Recent evidence suggests that alteration of axon initial segment (AIS) geometry (i.e., length or position along the axon) contributes to CNS dysfunction in neurological diseases. For example, AIS length is shorter in the prefrontal cortex of type 2 diabetic mice with cognitive impairment. The key type 2 diabetes-related factor that alters AIS geometry is unknown. Here, we tested whether modifying the levels of insulin, glucose, or methylglyoxal, a reactive carbonyl species that is a metabolite of glucose, changes AIS geometry in mature cultures of dissociated postnatal mouse cortex using immunofluorescent imaging of the AIS proteins AnkyrinG and βIV spectrin. Neither insulin nor glucose modification appreciably altered AIS length. Elevation of methylglyoxal produced reversible AIS shortening without cell death. Multi-electrode array recordings revealed a biphasic effect of methylglyoxal on neuronal network activity: an immediate, transient ~300% increase in spiking and bursting rates was followed by a ~20% reduction from baseline at 3 h. AIS length was unchanged at 0.5 h or 3 h after adding methylglyoxal, whereas development of AIS shortening at 24 h was associated with restoration of spiking to baseline levels. Immunostaining for the excitatory neuron marker Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha revealed AIS shortening in both excitatory and inhibitory neuron populations. This suggests that complex mechanisms maintain neuronal network operation after acute exposure to the disease metabolite methylglyoxal. Importantly, our results indicate that methylglyoxal could be a key mediator of AIS shortening during type 2 diabetes.
Waiting to Choose: The Role of Deliberation in Intertemporal Choice

We study the impact of deliberation on intertemporal choices. Using multiple experiments, including a field study in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we show that the introduction of waiting periods—a policy that temporally separate information about choices from choices themselves—cause substantially less myopic decisions. These results cannot be captured by models of exponential discounting nor present bias. Comparing the effects of waiting periods to making planned choices over future time periods, the former has a larger impact on reducing myopia. Our results highlight the role of deliberation in decision-making and have implications for policy and intervention design.
Incorporating Patients' Values and Preferences Into Decision Making About Transplantation of HCV-Naïve Recipients With Kidneys From HCV-Viremic Donors: A Feasibility Study

Introduction. While use of (hepatitis C virus) HCV-viremic kidneys may result in net benefit for the average end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patient awaiting transplantation, patients may have different values for ESKD-related health states. Thus, the best decision for any individual may be different depending on the balance of these factors. Our objective was to explore the feasibility of sampling health utilities from hemodialysis patients in order to perform patient-specific decision analyses considering various transplantation strategies. Study Design. We assessed utilities on a convenience sample of hemodialysis patients for health states including hemodialysis, and transplantation with either an HCV-uninfected kidney or an HCV-viremic kidney. We performed patient-specific decision analyses using each patient's age, race, gender, dialysis vintage, and utilities. We used a Markov state transition model considering strategies of continuing hemodialysis, transplantation with an HCV-unexposed kidney, and transplantation with an HCV-viremic kidney and HCV treatment. We interviewed 63 ESKD patients from four dialysis centers (Dialysis Clinic Inc., DCI) in the Cincinnati metropolitan area. Results. Utilities for ESKD-related health states varied widely from patient to patient. Mean values were highest for -transplantation with an HCV-uninfected kidney (0.89, SD: 0.18), and were 0.825 (SD: 0.231) and 0.755 (SD: 0.282), respectively, for hemodialysis and transplantation with an HCV-viremic kidney. Patient-specific decision analyses indicated 37 (59%) of the 63 ESKD patients in the cohort would have a net gain in quality-adjusted life years from transplantation of an HCV-viremic kidney, while 26 would have a net loss. Conclusions. It is feasible to gather dialysis patients' health state utilities and perform personalized decision analyses. This approach could be used in the future to guide shared decision-making discussions about transplantation strategies for ESKD patients.
Rheological Behavior and Processing of Unvulcanized Rubber

Publisher Summary The purpose of this chapter is to elucidate the rheological behavior and processing of unvulcanized rubber. The study of the rheological properties and processing of elastomers and their solutions and compounds dates to the origins of the industry in the 1820s. The first 40 years of the 20th century saw an enormous increase in the production of rubber products, especially in the tire industry. The earliest successful rubber-processing technology was devised in the 1820s, which prepared solutions of rubber in a volatile solvent and coated it onto textile fabrics for the purpose of waterproofing. Until the 1980s, most simulations of polymer operations related to thermoplastics problems. The fabrication of rubber parts generally involves the mixing and processing of bulk unvulcanized compounds, and sometimes solutions and emulsions, through complex equipment. The ease or difficulty of fabrication depends on how these rubber systems respond to applied stresses and deformations, their rheological properties. This chapter aims to describe rheological properties and the processing of unvulcanized elastomers and their compounds. This chapter also elucidates some of the implications of rheology for processing.
The VISION program: an opportunity for a partnership in education

VISION is a teacher-enhancement program which helps bridge the gap between the technological capabilities of secondary school students and the technological requirements for the work force. In this program, middle and high school teachers participate as a group. Local industry personnel familiarize participants with methodologies and with applications of mathematics, science, and technology. University faculty assist teachers in translating these industry experiences into the classroom. An ongoing community partnership results, which continues to address local education and technology issues. >
Essais en centrifugeuse et technique de la modélisation

This paper first makes a review of the different full-scale geotechnical tests that can be or have been carried out in order to examine which of them are appropriate for centrifuge experiments. Then the discussion is centered on scaling relations and requirements for similarity of model and prototype behaviour. From postulates based on the Camclay rheological model, a method is proposed by which 1 g reduced scale model tests may represent properly the behaviour of prototype problems.
Critical Functions of the Educational Administrator: Perceptions of Chairpersons and Deans

Morsink identifies the functions that higher education administrators have in common with educational adminis trators in school districts and educa tional agencies; then she identifies those contex...
Scanning probe microscopy of organics, an update

Abstract Scanning probe microscopy as applied to organic materials has evolved from the original demonstrations that the technique could successfully and non-invasively image these soft samples [1]. One evolutionary pathway has been to switch from qualitative to more quantitative measurements. Among those studies are measurements of adhesion [2–5], elasticity [6], friction [7], and quantification of individual bonding interactions [8–11]. The use of this technique to derive absolute values for these properties is still limited by uncertainties such as the degree to which the instrument itself contributes to the measured signals, an exact knowledge of the geometry of the interface between sample and probe, and which intermolecular interactions are contributing to measured signals. In this overview, we will address these issues, with particular attention to the “two-body” (or “many-body”) nature of the tip-sample interaction. These multi-body interactions will be discussed in the contexts of adhesion, delamination, friction, and bio-specificity.
Droplet Deposition from a Mist Flow on a Parallel Vertical Wall

A primarily experimental investigation of the deposition of droplets from a turbulent two-phase suspension flow on a parallel vertical wall has been found to be closely related to the ratio of fluctuation velocity of the droplets to that of the flow and the size of the droplets. Data are obtained for an air-water mist flow parallel to a vertical flat plat at Re = 1.54 × 105 to 4.2 × 105 by the use of a particle-sizing two-dimensional reference-mode laser-Doppler anemometry technique. Although no rigorous theory can be formulated at present due to the complexities involved, however, an analytical attempt is made in the hope of providing an explanation to the physics of the phenomenon. It is based on an apparent turbulent viscosity of the fluid as felt by the moving particles in a turbulent two-phase suspension flow and the most energetic eddy frequency of the flow.
Petroclival and foramen magnum meningiomas: Surgical approaches and pitfalls

The management of petroclival and foramen magnum meningiomas has been revolutionized by the techniques of cranial base surgery. However, these tumors are still among the most difficult cranial base lesions to treat. In this report, we discuss the classification, presenting symptoms, preoperative investigation, treatment indications, operative approaches and technique, postoperative complications and care, and results of surgery of petroclival and foramen magnum meningiomas. Careful analysis of tumor- and patient-related factors has helped us to predict which features can lead to postoperative problems in patients allowing surgeons to appropriately modify their behavior. The application of cranial base tecniques - combined with new knowledge about the limitations of microsurgical resection - can greatly reduce postoperative morbidity in these patients.
Freud, Darwin, and the Holding Environment

Freud's hypothesis of the neonate, derived from the data of adult psychoneurotic patients, was of a supremely narcissistic being who lived in a dreamlike state of hallucinatory satisfaction. A corollary hypothesis was that the neonate's drive to attach was learned and emerged only after the failure of wish fulfillment. These hypotheses provided the ground for Freud's theories of regression, dream, primary process, and pleasure principle. Darwin's data of the neonate, collected from his observations of a variety of mammals, led him to the conclusion that attachment in mammals is innate. Until 1969 and the work of John Bowlby, psychoanalytic thinking faithfully followed Freud. If psychoanalysis is to survive, then it must attach itself to data and discard any theories that are based on unproveable hypotheses, even if those hypotheses are Freud's.
The Daphnia Genomics Consortium Meeting: The Genome Biology of the Model Crustacean Daphnia

The fourth Daphnia Genomics Consortium Meeting was held from July 7th through July 9th, 2007 at Indiana University (Bloomington, IN, USA). This year’s meeting was entitled The Genome Biology of the...