cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of Conflicting Obligations in Self-Protecting Policy-Based Systems

Policy-based management of business systems is increasingly becoming the norm for autonomic computing since these systems can adapt to the changing needs and increasing complexity of the underlying organizations or enterprises. One of the vital characteristics of these systems is self-protection, ie., the ability to secure information and resources, by anticipating, detecting, identifying and protecting against any form of unauthorised access and permitting all authorised accesses based on the users' roles and pre-established policies. In this paper, we focus on one aspect of self-protecting autonomous systems, which is, how to automatically enforce privacy policies related to data handling, for compliance and auditing purposes. The automatic management of privacy sensitive information based on enterprise policies that are driven by a combination of user preferences, internal objectives and external regulations is a key aspect to any enterprise to prevent misuse of this information. These policies extend beyond simple authorization rules, and also mandate obligations to be enforced under certain conditions. One issue in the automatic enforcement of obligations is the presence of conflicts among different obligations which mandate different actions on the same resource, based on different conditions in which the resource is accessed. In this paper we propose algorithms for detecting and resolving conflicts among obligations in both static and runtime environments. We then briefly describe our prototype obligation management system with the conflict resolution module that achieves the automated enforcement of obligations for data-handling based on privacy policies
Are there demonstrable effects of distant intercessory prayer? A meta-analytic review.

Background: The use of alternative treatments for illness is common in the United States. Practitioners of these interventions find them compatible with personal philosophies. Consequently, distant intercessory prayer (IP) for healing is one of the most commonly practiced alternative interventions and has recently become the topic of scientific scrutiny. Purpose: This study was designed to provide a current meta-analytic review of the effects of IP and to assess the impact of potential moderator variables. Methods: A random effects model was adopted. Outcomes across dependent measures within each study were pooled to arrive at one omnibus effect size. These were combined to generate the overall effect size. A test of homogeneity and examination of several potential moderator variables was conducted. Results: Fourteen studies were included in the meta-analysis yielding an overall effect size of g = .100 that did not differ from zero. When one controversial study was removed, the effect size reduced to g = .012. No moderator variables significantly influenced results. Conclusions: There is no scientifically discernable effect for IP as assessed in controlled studies. Given that the IP literature lacks a theoretical or theological base and has failed to produce significant findings in controlled trials, we recommend that further resources not be allocated to this line of research.
Flanker and negative flanker effects in letter identification.

In a speeded choice reaction time task, responses to centrally presented letter targets can be altered by the identity of surrounding task-irrelevant letters (flankers). In the standard flanker effect, flankers associated with the same response as the target lead to faster and more accurate responses, whereas flankers associated with a different response lead to slower and more error-prone responses. B. A. Eriksen and C. W. Eriksen (1974, pp. 143–149) have argued that these flanker effects occur through response competition. We present data from a novel version of the Eriksen task, in which some targets and flankers consist of letter forms that aremorphed versions of target letters. In this paradigm, flankers induce classic flanker effects on well-formed targets. But flankers induce an opposite effect, termed anegative flanker effect on morphed letter targets. For example, targets that are morphs between the letters “A” and “H” are more likely to be identified as an “A” when flanked by an “H.” The interpretation advanced here is that there are two distinct kinds of flanker effects: contrast enhancement in perceptual processes and response competition in response selection processes.
Decreased anxiety in juvenile rats following exposure to low levels of chlorpyrifos during development

Exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPF) during the late preweanling period in rats inhibits the endocannabinoid metabolizing enzymes fatty acid hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), resulting in accumulation of their respective substrates anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG). This occurs at 1.0mg/kg, but at a lower dosage (0.5mg/kg) only FAAH and AEA are affected with no measurable inhibition of either cholinesterase (ChE) or MAGL. The endocannabinoid system plays a vital role in nervous system development and may be an important developmental target for CPF. The endocannabinoid system plays an important role in the regulation of anxiety and, at higher dosages, developmental exposure to CPF alters anxiety-like behavior. However, it is not clear whether exposure to low dosages of CPF that do not inhibit ChE will cause any persistent effects on anxiety-like behavior. To determine if this occurs, 10-day old rat pups were exposed daily for 7 days to either corn oil or 0.5, 0.75, or 1.0mg/kg CPF by oral gavage. At 12h following the last CPF administration, 1.0mg/kg resulted in significant inhibition of FAAH, MAGL, and ChE, whereas 0.5 and 0.75mg/kg resulted in significant inhibition of only FAAH. AEA levels were significantly elevated in all three treatment groups as were palmitoylethanolamide and oleoylethanolamide, which are also substrates for FAAH. 2-AG levels were significantly elevated by 0.75 and 1.0mg/kg but not 0.5mg/kg. On day 25, the latency to emerge from a dark container into a highly illuminated novel open field was measured as an indicator of anxiety. All three CPF treatment groups spent significantly less time in the dark container prior to emerging as compared to the control group, suggesting a decreased level of anxiety. This demonstrates that repeated preweanling exposure to dosages of CPF that do not inhibit brain ChE can induce a decline in the level of anxiety that is detectable during the early postweanling period.
"Operation Helping Hands": Massachusetts health and medical response to Hurricane Katrina.

Introduction: As Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans in August 2005, the city's mandatory evacuation prompted the exodus of an estimated 80% of its 485,000 residents. According to estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 18 states subsequently hosted >200,000 evacuees. Hypothesis/Problem: In this case study, “Operation Helping Hands” (OHH), the Massachusetts health and medical response in assisting Hurricane Katrina evacuees is described. Operation Helping Hands represents the largest medical response to evacuees in recent Massachusetts history. Methods: The data describing OHH were derived from a series of structured interviews conducted with two leading public health officials directing planning efforts, and a sample of first responders with oversight ofoperations at the evacuation site. Also, a literature review was conducted to identify similar experiences, common challenges, and lessons learned. Results: Activities and services were provided in the following areas: (1) administration and management;(2) medical and mental health; (3) public health; and (4) social support. This study adds to the knowledge base for future evacuation and shelter planning, and presents a conceptual framework that could be used by other researchers and practitioners to describe the process and out comes of similar operations. Conclusions: This study provides a description of the planning and implementation efforts of the largest medical evacuee experience in recent Massachusetts history, an effort that involved multiple agencies and partners. The conceptual framework can inform future evacuation and shelter initiatives at the state and national levels, and promotes the overarching public health goal of the highest attainable standard of health for all.
Evaluating an Enterprise Content Management for the Macao Government Agency

Information contained within documents is an essential ingredient of any office operation. A content management application (CMA) is an organization plan for the conception, use, retention, disposal and selective preservation of its data. Using an appropriate CMA framework can greatly help Macao Government agencies, for instance, that are increasingly using electronic means to create, exchange and store a major variety of records daily. By definition, a record is information, in whatever form, for government functions, activities, decisions and other important transactions. As expected, as the volume of electronic information increases, so does the complexity of managing electronic records. This project goal was to evaluate the software capabilities of the Alfresco© Enterprise Content Management (ECM) against a set of functional requirements, aimed by the Macao Government agency. Drawing on the results of this evaluation, the present analysis concludes that Alfresco© ECM is capable of supporting an entire agency needs related to the management of its records content.
Taking Children’s Interests Seriously

This is a chapter from What Is Right For Children: The Competing Paradigms of Religion and Human Rights, M.A. Fineman and K. Worthington Eds. (Ashgate 2009). It explores the implications of the fact that schools have become one of the battlegrounds in American culture wars and parental rights are entangled with religious freedom. Children’s independent interest in education and the obligations the state has to children as individuals are overwhelmed in discussions focused on validating parental rights over their children. Religious beliefs are often offered as justification for removing children from secular public schools, allowing parents to place them in private religious academies or home schooling situations. Any policy pertaining to the education of children should require a balancing of interests. As with many other decisions affecting children and families, the rights and responsibilities of parents and the state must be components of any consideration of what is appropriate for children. The problem is that bringing parents and the state into the discussion often diverts attention away from children. This chapter concludes that perhaps the best way to protect a child’s interests regarding education is by mandating universal public education for all children.
When Arduino Meets Kinect: An Intelligent Ambient Home Entertainment Environment

This paper describes an gesture-based system suitable for use in a party. With the Microsoft Kinect for Windows sensor, LEDs or lamps, Arduino, and a set of Relay Shield for Arduino, our module creates an immersive ambient entertainment environment that is responsive and sensitive to the presence of users reflected by their gestures, feet movements, and can roughly recognize users' mood based on their facial expressions. We use C# to develop Kinect for Windows application to detect a single user (full skeletal) movement and facial expression. In response to the user's feet/leg movement, the external LED spotlight will be turned on via Arduino Uno and its Relay Shield. The facial expression will be transferred into mood detection module. A higher mood will be used to control ambient light and play music at the same time. That said, a USB port will be used to connect the Kinect sensor, and one or two more USB ports will be used to connect to the Arduino kits. A servo-motor will be used to rotate spotlights.
Application of a Spherical Harmonics Expansion Approach for Calculating Ligand Density Distributions around Proteins

Protein–ligand interactions are central to many biological applications, including molecular recognition, protein formulations, and bioseparations. Complex, multisite ligands can have affinities for different locations on a protein’s surface, depending on the chemical and topographical complementarity. We employ an approach based on the spherical harmonic expansion to calculate spatially resolved three-dimensional atomic density profiles of water and ligands in the vicinity of macromolecules. To illustrate the approach, we first study the hydration of model C180 buckyball solutes, with nonspherical patterns of hydrophobicity/-philicity on their surface. We extend the approach to calculate density profiles of increasingly complex ligands and their constituent groups around a protein (ubiquitin) in aqueous solution. Analysis of density profiles provides information about the binding face of the protein and the preferred orientations of ligands on the binding surface. Our results highlight that the spherical...
On-line computer analysis of human lower esophageal sphincter relaxation

Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation is usually interpreted by a subjective, mostly qualitative analysis. We studied sphincter relaxation in humans using a computer program for on-line analysis that provides objective measures of gastric pressure, resting LES pressure, percent of relaxation, residual pressure during relaxation, duration of relaxation, and area of relaxation. The program was validated by comparing computer-analyzed values to mean values obtained from manual readings by five individuals. Excellent correlation was obtained for all standard parameters. The parameters of LES relaxation for both wet and dry swallows were similar using either a carefully placed single recording orifice or a Dent sleeve. The one exception was the duration of LES relaxation, which was significantly shorter with the sleeve. All relaxation parameters and peristaltic velocity were then studied in 10 volunteers during 5 dry and 5 wet swallows under base-line conditions and after both atropine (10 micrograms/kg ...
Antisense antimicrobial therapeutics

Antisense antimicrobial therapeutics are synthetic oligomers that silence expression of specific genes. This specificity confers an advantage over broad-spectrum antibiotics by avoiding unintended effects on commensal bacteria. The sequence-specificity and short length of antisense antimicrobials also pose little risk to human gene expression. Because antisense antimicrobials are a platform technology, they can be rapidly designed and synthesized to target almost any microbe. This reduces drug discovery time, and provides flexibility and a rational approach to drug development. Recent work has shown that antisense technology has the potential to address the antibiotic-resistance crisis, since resistance mechanisms for standard antibiotics apparently have no effect on antisense antimicrobials. Here, we describe current reports of antisense antimicrobials targeted against viruses, parasites, and bacteria.
Web-Scale Discovery: Impact on Library Database Web Page Views and Usage

ABSTRACTWeb page views of databases by title and databases by subject pages, in conjunction with COUNTER Database Report 1 and Journal Report 1 statistics, were examined to determine what impact a migration to Primo, a Web-scale discovery layer, had at Central Washington University Brooks Library. The analysis determined that the first year post-migration (2015) compared to the two years pre-migration (2013–14) saw a decline in Web page views of database Web pages, journal full-text article requests, and database record views and result clicks. The implementation of Primo thus had a noticeable negative impact on both direct database access and overall electronic resource usage during the first year post-migration.
Chapter Twelve – Skin Keratins

Keratins comprise the type I and type II intermediate filament-forming proteins and occur primarily in epithelial cells. They are encoded by 54 evolutionarily conserved genes (28 type I, 26 type II) and regulated in a pairwise and tissue type-, differentiation-, and context-dependent manner. Keratins serve multiple homeostatic and stress-enhanced mechanical and nonmechanical functions in epithelia, including the maintenance of cellular integrity, regulation of cell growth and migration, and protection from apoptosis. These functions are tightly regulated by posttranslational modifications as well as keratin-associated proteins. Genetically determined alterations in keratin-coding sequences underlie highly penetrant and rare disorders whose pathophysiology reflects cell fragility and/or altered tissue homeostasis. Moreover, keratin mutation or misregulation represents risk factors or genetic modifiers for several acute and chronic diseases. This chapter focuses on keratins that are expressed in skin epithelia, and details a number of basic protocols and assays that have proven useful for analyses being carried out in skin.
Squamous carcinomas with glandlike (adenoid) features

Squamous cell carcinomas with a prominent glandlike histologic component are uncommon histologic variants found in the skin and mucous membranes. Although not restricted to the head and neck, they have a predilection for that anatomic area. Lost in the debate over their histogenesis are repeated observations that the carcinomas have an aggressiveness and life-consuming capacity that exceed those of conventional squamous cell carcinomas.
Comment on: "In vitro - In vivo metabolism and pharmacokinetics of picroside I and II using LC-ESI-MS method".

Abstract The letter highlights the difference in the pharmacokinetic profile of picroside II in Sprague-Dawley rats as reported by Upadhyay et al., in two separate studies. Both the studies have been conducted by the same author, in the same laboratory set-up, using the similar animal species and sex as well as the same dose level of kutkin (Dose: 100 mg/kg bodyweight, which was equivalent to 45 mg/kg of picroside I and 55 mg/kg of picroside II). However, the C max and AUC 0-t observed in the first study were 9-fold and 5-fold higher, respectively, as compared to the recently reported study. The only difference between these two studies was the instrument used for analysing the plasma samples. In the first study, the analyses of the plasma samples were done using HPLC-UV whereas the second study used LC-ESI-MS system for plasma sample analysis. The pharmacokinetic parameters shall not change significantly with the change in analytical instrument. In my opinion, the probable cause for the observed higher C max and AUC 0-t values in the first study may be due to the interference of some metabolite(s)/impurity that got eluted at the same retention time as that of picroside II and contributed to the higher values. The future prospects shall focus on identifying the metabolite(s)/impurity that have co-eluted with picroside II during initial HPLC-UV analysis and contributed to the higher C max and AUC 0-t values by performing parallel analysis of plasma samples using HPLC-PDA and LC-ESI-MS.
Combined MCNP/GADRAS simulation of HPGe gamma spectra

The ability to accurately simulate gamma spectra from materials that emit both neutrons and gammas is very important to the analysis of special nuclear materials (SNM), e.g., uranium and plutonium. The approach presented in this paper uses MCNP neutron/photon transport simulations coupled to GADRAS detector response calculations to produce realistic estimates of the full gamma spectrum, including full-energy peaks, Compton continua and other features. The approach is expected to generate more accurate gamma ray spectra for complex three-dimensional geometries than can be obtained from one-dimensional deterministic transport simulations (e.g. ONEDANT) like those currently implemented in GADRAS. Although MCNP simulations are generally more time consuming than one-dimensional deterministic transport simulations, MCNP can handle coupled continuous-energy neutron/photon particle transport through complex geometries in three dimensions, and it obviates the need for approximations employed in deterministic multigroup SN calculations. The main advantage of this approach results from (1) how easy it is to simulate complex three-dimensional geometries in MCNP, and (2) GADRAS's ability to accurately calculate the response of a gamma spectrometer to the incident gamma and neutron field. The approach presented here offers some clear advantages over one-dimensional deterministic transport codes to accurately simulate real-world situations and generate realistic estimates of measured gamma spectra.
NCO-15PREDICTION OF SUBJECTIVE MEMORY ABILITY BEFORE RESECTION OF HIGH GRADE GLIOMA

OBJECTIVE: A significant relationship between subjective reports of cognitive function and objective neuropsychological test data is often absent in medical populations. Sociodemographic and clinical predictors of subjective memory ability are largely unknown in glioma patients. METHODS: Patients (n = 146) with high-grade glioma completed neuropsychological assessment preoperatively, including the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (FACT-Br), and the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II). Linear regression analyses were conducted with sociodemographic (age and sex), clinical (tumor location and lateralization), and neuropsychological variables (HVLT-R and BDI-II) as predictors of subjective memory ability (“I can remember new things”) from the FACT-Br. Three linear regression analyses were conducted to examine differences between the HVLT-R subtests (Immediate Recall, Delayed Recall, Delayed Recognition) in predicting subjective memory ability. RESULTS: FACT-Br subjective memory ability was significantly correlated with HVLT-R Immediate Recall, r(144) = .31, p < .001, Delayed Recall, r(136) = .26, p < .01, and Delayed Recognition, r(136) = .18, p < .05. Better subjective memory ability was predicted by a model (p < .001, R2 = .21) that included younger patient age (β = -.20; p = .018), better HVLT-R Immediate Recall (β = .19; p = .018), and less depressive symptomatology (β = -.24; p = .002). Separate models including HVLT-R Delayed Recall (p < .001, R2 = .20) and Delayed Recognition (p < .001, R2 = .20) did not find these subtests to be predictive of subjective memory ability; however, younger patient age (β = -.24; p = .006; and β = -.26; p = .002, respectively) and less depressive symptoms (β = -.25; p = .002; and β = -.26; p = .001, respectively) were predictive of better subjective memory ability. CONCLUSION: Subjective memory ability and objective memory test performance were modestly correlated in newly diagnosed patients with high-grade glioma. Multivariate analysis highlighted the additional importance of patient age and depressive symptoms in predicting subjective memory ability. Results underscore the importance of considering sociodemographic and clinical variables when patients self-report memory difficulties.
NY-ESO-1 Specific T-Cells Are Spontaneously Present in High-Risk Myeloma and Kill Primary Myeloma Cells.

We have previously reported that the Cancer/Testis antigen NY-ESO-1 is frequently expressed in patients with high-risk myeloma or advanced myeloma characterized by cytogenetic abnormalities. We tested 3 HLA-A*0201 positive MM patients with abnormal cytogenetics for the spontaneous presence of NY-ESO-1 specific CD8 + T-cells in the peripheral blood. We were able to detect 0.1% and 0.6% NY-ESO-1 specific CD8 + T-cells respectively in 2 patients using HLA-A*0201/NY-ESO-1 157-165 specific tetramers prior to any re-stimulation with peptide. The 3 rd patient did not have NY-ESO-1 specific T-cells. This last patient had been very heavily pre-treated and in contrast to the other patients, influenza matrix peptide 58–66 specific T-cells failed to expand indicating that this patient’s immune system may have been exhausted. CD3 + /8 + T-cells were expanded in multiple experiments by re-stimulation with autologous monocyte derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs) pulsed with NY-ESO-1 157-C165V analogue peptide. Substitution of cysteine (C) for valine (V) at position 165 improves binding affinity for HLA-A*0201 and antigenicity by eliminating dimerization of the carboxy-terminus cysteine residue. The lines contained 45–79% tetramer positive T-cells after stimulation. The CTLs were highly specific and lysed NY-ESO-1 positive/ HLA-A*0201 positive primary myeloma cells (50%), the NY-ESO-1 positive/ HLA-*0201 positive myeloma cell line U266 (55%) and autologous PHA-blasts pulsed with NY-ESO-1 157–165 wild-type peptide (75%), but not K562 or patient PHA-blasts pulsed with the HLA-A*0201 binding MAGE-3 112–120 peptide at E:T ratios of 10:1. The CTLs were of Tc1 type (g-IFN positive and IL4 negative) and stained positive for granzymes suggesting killing via the perforin/granzyme pathway. Immunophenotyping showed that the CTLs expressed the IL2 receptor and the integrin VLA-4, which is associated with the ability to transgress endothelial barriers. Further, the CTLs predominantly belonged to the terminal effector compartment (CD45RO + /CCR7 − ). We were unable to detect or expand NY-ESO-1 specific T-cells in HLA-A*0201 positive normal donors or NY-ESO-1 negative MM patients suggesting that pre-existent T-cell immunity to NY-ESO-1 is a prerequisite for the expansion of NY-ESO-1 specific CTLs. It also ruled out the possibility that the use of autologous APC’s induced de novo NY-ESO-1 specific CTL. In conclusion, these data suggest that NY-ESO-1 positive myeloma tumors are able to elicit spontaneous T-cell immunity and that expanded CTLs from these patients can kill primary myeloma cells. These CTLs recognize on the cell surface of myeloma cells naturally processed and presented NY-ESO-1, which is displayed in the context of HLA-A*0201. These results suggest that patients with high-risk NY-ESO-1 positive myeloma have a pool of memory CTLs, which can be exploited for vaccine or other immuno-therapeutic approaches.
Educação Ambiental: a mudança que faz a diferença

Este estudo tem como objetivo evidenciar a importância da educacao ambiental para a vida dos seres humanos. Primeiramente, foram feitas reflexoes sobre a crise ecologica atual. Entao, foram elencados varios problemas ambientais e muitas atitudes ecologicamente corretas que devem ser empregadas. Em seguida, os problemas ocasionados pela producao desenfreada de lixo foram analisados. Para que, assim, pudessem ser expostas as melhores maneiras de amenizar este fato. Por fim, foram feitas algumas consideracoes sobre a importância de se introduzir concretamente a educacao ambiental na sala de aula. Entao, a importância de cada profissional da educacao foi assegurada. Pois, para que haja bons resultados nesse sentido, e imprescindivel a cooperacao diaria de todos os membros da escola. Este trabalho foi executado com a pretensao de contribuir para que a educacao ambiental consiga ser um divisor de aguas na vida das pessoas, transformando projetos de vida em realidade. Esta preocupacao com o meio ambiente e de suma importância para o mundo atual; pois, se nao houverem drasticas mudancas na maneira de se relacionar com o meio, a vida dos seres humanos estara gravemente ameacada.
Predictors of acupuncture use among children and adolescents with cancer

Background Evidence for the application of acupuncture in pediatric oncology is limited. We investigated the acceptance of acupuncture and factors associated with its use among children and adolescents with cancer. Methods Ninety acupuncture-naive children receiving cancer treatment at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) provided consent/assent for participation. Participants could choose to receive or refuse integrative services offered at CUMC. Symptoms were collected for a 6-month period with the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). Acute and delayed adverse events among participants who received acupuncture were recorded. Results Fifty-four percent of the participants elected to receive acupuncture. In total, 252 acupuncture sessions were administered with a median of four sessions per patient (range 1–13 sessions). Pain (56%), nausea (51%), lack of energy (50%), and irritability (43%) were the most frequently reported symptoms in the whole cohort. Determinants of acupuncture use included older age and ethnicity. Acupuncture was more likely than other integrative modalities to be used for gastrointestinal and constitutional symptoms including drowsiness (odds ratio [OR], 3.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.98–5.66; P < 0.0001), lack of energy (OR, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.78–5.87; P = 0.0001), and pain (OR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.46–4.72; P = 0.001). Adverse events were reported by 3% of the participants. There was no increased incidence of adverse events in children with thrombocytopenia (P = 0.189) or neutropenia (P = 0.497). Conclusion Our results highlight the potential use of acupuncture as a safe, adjunctive therapy for symptom management within existing supportive care regimens in pediatric oncology and potential areas to focus research initiatives.
Mothers and deployment: Understanding the experiences and support needs of deploying mothers of children birth to five

ABSTRACTMilitary deployments can demand long separations of service members and their families. The strain of separation is particularly acute for mothers of very young children. This study aimed to better understand the deployment and reintegration experiences of service members who are mothers of young children. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 12 service member mothers who deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan when one or more of their children was younger than age 6. Discussions explored experiences before, during, and after deployment; needs and challenges at each stage; available support resources and gaps in support. Thematic data analysis was conducted, drawing on principles of grounded theory. Disruption and continuity were central themes as participants illuminated the challenges they faced and their profound dedication to sustaining strong family relationships across the deployment cycle. Relinquishing, reassuming, and balancing multiple roles and responsibilities are additional th...
Response patterns of hairy cell leukemia to B-cell mitogens and growth factors

The effect of mitogens and/or recombinant B-cell growth factors (M/GFs) on the in vitro growth of hairy cells was examined. Tumor cells were isolated from the spleens of four patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) by Ficoll-Hypaque sedimentation and E-rosetting. Enrichment for tumor cells was confirmed with intracytoplasmic immunoglobulin (Ig) staining, tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, and staining using monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) directed at B, T, myeloid, and monocytoid antigens (Ags) in indirect immunofluorescence assays. Tumor cells were B1(CD20)+ B2(CD21)- B4(CD19)+ IL-2R(CD25)+ PCA-1 +/- TRAP+. HCLs neither synthesized DNA nor secreted Ig in response to culture with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, or IL-6. However, a proliferative response (stimulation index greater than or equal to 3.0) without Ig secretion was triggered in HCLs by mitogens or combinations of GFs. Specifically, DNA synthesis was induced at 3 days in three of four HCL samples cultured with Staphylococcus aureus Cowan A (SAC) or the combination of phorbol ester (TPA) and the calcium ionophore A 23187 (Ca2+); DNA synthesis was triggered later (day 7) by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or by IL-4 and IL-5. In contrast, the fourth patient, a nonresponder to SAC or TPA/Ca2+, demonstrated increased DNA synthesis at day 3 when cocultured with IL-4 and IL-5. Both autoradiography and staining with antibromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) MoAb conjugated to fluorescein confirmed DNA synthesis by only a minority (5% to 23%) of tumor cells within each patient. Dual staining confirmed that responsive cells were both BrdU+ and TRAP+. DNA synthesis induced by TPA/Ca2+ was blocked specifically by anti-IL-6 Ab; in contrast, the HCL proliferative response to SAC, TNF, or IL-4 and IL-5 was not inhibited by anti-IL-6 Ab. alpha-Interferon inhibited the response to TPA/Ca2+, TNF, or IL-4 and IL-5 without any effect on response to SAC. Finally, peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining demonstrated that HCLs are induced by TPA/Ca2+, but not by SAC, to produce intracytoplasmic IL-6. These data demonstrate IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6 mediated DNA synthesis by HCLs in vitro and suggest a possible in vivo role for these growth factors in the pathophysiology of HCL.
Coarse spectral characterization of warm x-rays at the Z facility using a filtered thermoluminescent dosimeter array

A new collimated filtered thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) array has been developed at the Z facility to characterize warm x-rays (hν > 10 keV) produced by Z pinch radiation sources. This array includes a Kapton debris shield assembly to protect the TLDs from the source debris, a collimator array to limit the field of view of the TLDs to the source region, a filter wheel containing filters of aluminum, copper and tungsten up to 3 mm thick to independently filter each TLD, and a hermetically sealed cassette containing the TLDs as well as tungsten shielding on the sides and back of the array to minimize scattered radiation reaching the TLDs. Experimental results from a krypton gas puff and silver wire array shot are analyzed using two different functional forms of the energy spectrum to demonstrate the ability of this diagnostic to consistently extend the upper end of the x-ray spectrum characterization from ∼50 keV to >1 MeV.
Salvage Chemoimmunotherapy With Inotuzumab Ozogamicin Combined With Mini–Hyper-CVD for Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Philadelphia Chromosome–Negative Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Phase 2 Clinical Trial

Importance The outcome of patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is poor. Inotuzumab ozogamicin, a CD22 monoclonal antibody bound to calicheamicin, has single-agent activity in R/R ALL. Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of inotuzumab ozogamicin plus low-intensity chemotherapy in patients with R/R ALL. Design, Setting, and Participants A single-arm, phase 2 study of adults with R/R B-cell ALL conducted at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. Interventions The chemotherapy used was lower intensity than hyper-CVAD (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin [trade name, Adriamycin; Pfizer], and dexamethasone) and is referred to as mini–hyper-CVD (mini-HCVD: cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone at 50% dose reduction, no anthracycline, methotrexate at 75% dose reduction, and cytarabine at 0.5 g/m 2 × 4 doses). Inotuzumab was given on day 3 of the first 4 courses at 1.8 to 1.3 mg/m 2 for cycle 1 followed by 1.3 to 1.0 mg/m 2 for subsequent cycles. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary end points were the overall response rate and overall survival (OS). Secondary end points included safety, relapse-free survival (RFS), the rate of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT), and the minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity rate. Results Fifty-nine patients (30 women and 29 men) with a median age of 35 years (range, 18-87 years) were treated. Overall, 46 patients (78%) responded, 35 of them (59%) achieving complete response. The overall MRD negativity rate among responders was 82%. Twenty-six patients (44%) received ASCT. Grade 3 to 4 toxic effects included prolonged thrombocytopenia (81%; n = 48), infections (73%; n = 43), and hyperbilirubinemia (14%; n = 8). Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) occurred in 9 patients (15%). With a median follow-up of 24 months, the median RFS and OS were 8 and 11 months, respectively. The 1-year RFS and OS rates were 40% and 46%, respectively. The 1-year OS rates for patients treated in salvage 1, salvage 2, and salvage 3 or beyond were 57%, 26%, and 39%, respectively ( P = .03). Conclusions and Relevance The combination of inotuzumab with low-intensity mini-HCVD chemotherapy shows encouraging results in R/R ALL. The risk of VOD should be considered carefully in patients with previous liver damage and among transplant candidates. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01371630
Anomaly cancellation in effective supergravity theories from the heterotic string: Two simple examples

Abstract We use Pauli–Villars regularization to evaluate the conformal and chiral anomalies in the effective field theories from Z 3 and Z 7 compactifications of the heterotic string without Wilson lines. We show that parameters for Pauli–Villars chiral multiplets can be chosen in such a way that the anomaly is universal in the sense that its coefficient depends only on a single holomorphic function of the three diagonal moduli. It is therefore possible to cancel the anomaly by a generalization of the four-dimensional Green–Schwarz mechanism. In particular we are able to reproduce the results of a string calculation of the four-dimensional chiral anomaly for these two models.
Radical Homemaking in Contemporary American Environmental Fiction

Ursula K. Heise in ‘Ecocriticism and the Transnational Turn in American Studies’ critiques ‘the portrayal of multicultural and sometimes transnational nuclear families as the narrative solution to environmental and political problems’ (Heise, 2008: 383). This essay places Heise’s critique of the ‘ecological family romance’ in conversation with three other ecological domestic fictions: T. C. Boyle’s A Friend of the Earth (2000), Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom (2010), and Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior (2012). Heise’s critique and Shannon Hayes’ Radical Homemakers (2010) frame my close readings of the novels’ interconnected themes of radical homemaking, transnationalism, and environmentalism. My reading of the novels highlights their shared use of marginalized, racially-other characters to develop their entwined romantic and environmental plots (Lalitha in Freedom, several minor characters in A Friend of the Earth, and Ovid in Flight Behavior) and their use of sentimental deaths, especially of key female characters (Lalitha in Freedom, Sierra in A Friend of the Earth, and Dellarobia’s uncertain fate in Flight Behavior). By adopting the sentimental, domestic romance plot for ecological aims, the three novels highlight how environmental aims get stymied when cultural and ecological diversity are relegated to the margins. They also suggest that more is gained than lost through their use of ecological allegory. While the fictions do not offer solutions, they do push their readers to confront the Anthropocene’s ecological realities and their radical domestic-environmental politics.
Opioid exposure is associated with nonunion risk in a traumatically injured population: An inception cohort study.

Abstract Introduction Certain common medications are associated with an elevated risk of fracture and recent data suggests that medications can also increase nonunion risk. Medication use is a modifiable nonunion risk factor, but it is unknown whether risk accrues solely to chronic medication use or whether there is also risk inherent to acute use. Methods Multivariate logistic regression was used in an inception cohort to calculate odds ratios (OR) for fracture nonunion associated with medication use, in context with other risk factors demonstrated to influence nonunion. Patient-level health claims for medical and drug expenses were compiled from a payer database. Patients were included if they had a fracture coded in 2011, with continuous enrollment for 1 month prior to and 12 months after fracture. The database contained demographic descriptors, treatment procedures per CPT codes, co-morbidities per ICD-9 codes, and prescriptions per National Drug Codes. Chronic medication use was defined as ≥30 days of prescription prior to fracture with ≥1 day afterward; acute use was any other prescription. Results Most non-analgesic medications were safe in acute or chronic use, but risk of nonunion was elevated for a wide range of analgesics. Overall, 45,085 fractures (14.6% of fractures) affected patients using chronic opioids. Nonunion OR was elevated for acute and chronic use of Schedule 2 opioids including acetaminophen/oxycodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and acetaminophen/hydrocodone bitartrate, as well as Schedule 3–5 opioids including tramadol (all, p Discussion Most medications do not increase nonunion risk, but acute and chronic use of NSAIDs or opioids was associated with impaired fracture healing. There is particular risk in prescribing opioid analgesics for fracture, though literature suggests that roughly half of opioid-naive patients receive such a prescription. Conclusions Patients evaluated in this study were not a random sample of Americans; they may approximate a random sample of the Emergency Department population in the United States. Thus, trauma patients may represent a population enriched for nonunion risk factors. Opioids impair recovery from injury; if they also predispose to injury, the ongoing opioid epidemic could presage an increase in nonunion prevalence.
Medical evaluation of the sexually abused child

Clearly, there are numerous troubling variations in the medical diagnosis of child sexual abuse. These variations include delays in disclosure; rapid healing; maturational changes; variations in normal congenital findings; the technique of the examiner; patient position, relaxation, and cooperation; and additional medical conditions that mimic abuse. For these reasons, physical evidence is often inconclusive and can be an unreliable source of information in child sexual abuse cases. The reader is logically cautioned against attempts to diagnose child sexual abuse based on a single finding, particularly that of the diameter of the hymenal orifice. Emphasis on the child's history in documenting the abuse is increasing. As physicians, we must develop interviewing techniques that will assist in child protection, and we must listen and believe the comments made by our patients.
Progenitor cells: role and usage in bone tissue engineering approaches for spinal fusion.

Advancement of in vitro osteogenesis, or the production of bone, is a complex process that has significant clinical implications. Surgical intervention of several spinal disorders entails decompression of the spinal cord and nerves which can lead to subsequent biomechanical instability of the spine. Spinal arthrodesis (fusion) is often required to correct this instability and necessary to eliminate the resulting pathological motion of vertebral segments. Therefore, the achievement of proper spinal fusion, is a critical determinant of treatment efficacy. This chapter focuses on the molecular and cellular components that are involved in bone growth and healing. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the precursor cells essential for the formation of the five different types of bone cells: osteoprogenitor cells, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, osteocytes and lining cells. Similarly, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) differentiate into endothelial cells, which are essential in angiogenesis and neovascularization. MSCs tri-lineage potential (osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic lineages) have made them the focus of most experimental approaches. Here, we describe their individual roles, as well as pose novel concepts on how their collective role may be the optimal strategy to improve upon in vitro osteogenesis and whether this could also be translated to improved bone formation in vivo. Further, we discuss the various molecular markers that are available for cell identification and the tissue engineering strategies that could replicate the osteoinductive, osteoconductive and osteoproductive milieu that is available in autograft. Finally, we present a broad primer on the possible integration of cellular, molecular and tissue engineering strategies to improve osteogenesis and the future trends that may bring the promise seen in the laboratory to fruition in preclinical animal models.
Chromatic Mechanisms Beyond Linear Opponency

The current picture of the human color system consists of a series of stages, each with a number of types of mechanisms functioning in parallel. Successive stages are composed of mechanisms that combine the outputs of the previous stage. An extensive account of the empirical and theoretical foundations of the early stages of the color system is given in Zaidi (1990). In brief, the first stage consists of three independent cone mechanisms, L, M and S, that form the substrate for trichromatic color matches (Maxwell, 1860), and whose spectral sensitivities have been derived by psychophysical (Smith and Pokorny, 1975) and electro-physiological (Schnapf et al, 1987) methods. The second stage consists of two chromatic mechanisms RG and YV, and an achromatic mechanism LD. The RG mechanism signals the difference between the responses of the L and M cones, and the YV mechanism signals the response of the S cones minus a sum of the responses of the L and M cones. The independence of the chromatic signals from these cardinal mechanisms are reflected in habituation (Krauskopf et al, 1982) and motion (Krauskopf and Farrell, 1990) experiments. In addition, parvo-neurons of primate lateral geniculate nucleus cluster into two classes with chromatic properties similar to the two chromatic cardinal mechanisms (Derrington et al, 1984).
Aeroacoustics of a rotor ingesting a planar boundary layer at high thrust

Aeroacoustic measurements and analysis have been made for an unshrouded rotor partially immersed in a planar equilibrium turbulent boundary layer at low Mach number. This configuration provides an idealized model of inflow distortion effects seen when a rotor is mounted adjacent to the hull or fuselage of a vehicle. At low and moderate thrust conditions, the rotor produces broadband noise organized into haystacks produced by large eddies of the ingested turbulence being cut multiple times by successive rotor blades. At high thrust, however, the acoustic signature changes and becomes louder and more tonal. This change is accompanied by separation of the boundary layer from the wall in the vicinity of the rotor blade disk. The separation region is highly unsteady and populated by intense vortex structures. Acoustic analysis suggests that blade–vortex interactions with these structures are the source of the additional tonal noise at high thrust.