cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biobehavioral Influences on Cancer Progression

This review focuses on the contributions of stress-related behavioral factors to cancer growth and metastasis and the biobehavioral mechanisms underlying these relationships. Behavioral factors that are important in modulation of the stress response and the pivotal role of neuroendocrine regulation in the downstream alteration of physiologic pathways relevant to cancer control, including the cellular immune response, inflammation, and tumor angiogenesis, invasion, and cell signaling pathways are described. Consequences for cancer progression and metastasis, as well as quality of life, are delineated. Behavioral and pharmacologic interventions with the potential to alter these biobehavioral pathways for patients with cancer are discussed.
Phase tracking and prediction

In a single second a modern processor can execute billions of instructions. Obtaining a bird's eye view of the behavior of a program at these speeds can be a difficult task when all that is available is cycle by cycle examination. In many programs, behavior is anything but steady state, and understanding the patterns of behavior, at run-time, can unlock a multitude of optimization opportunities.In this paper, we present a unified profiling architecture that can efficiently capture, classify, and predict phase-based program behavior on the largest of time scales. By examining the proportion of instructions that were executed from different sections of code, we can find generic phases that correspond to changes in behavior across many metrics. By classifying phases generically, we avoid the need to identify phases for each optimization, and enable a unified prediction scheme that can forecast future behavior. Our analysis shows that our design can capture phases that account for over 80% of execution using less that 500 bytes of on-chip memory.
A quantitative comparison of reconfigurable, tiled, and conventional architectures on bit-level computation

General purpose computing architectures are being called on to work on a more diverse application mix every day. This has been fueled by the need for reduced time to market and economies of scale that are the hallmarks of software on general purpose microprocessors. As this application mix expands, application domains such as bit-level computation, which has primarily been the domain of ASICs and FPGAs, and need to be effectively handled by general purpose hardware. Examples of bit-level applications include Ethernet framing, forward error correction encoding/decoding, and efficient state machine implementation. In this work we compare how differing computational structures such as ASICs, FPGAs, tiled architectures, and superscalar microprocessors are able to compete on bit-level communication applications. A quantitative comparison in terms of absolute performance and performance per area is presented. These results show that although modest gains (2-3x) in absolute performance can be achieved when using FPGAs versus tuned microprocessor implementations, it is the significantly larger gains (2-3 orders of magnitude) that can be achieved in performance per area that motivates work on supporting bit-level computation in a general purpose fashion in the future.
Relationship between size and mating success in the blow fly Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

Size variation occurs in natural populations of the black blow fly, Phormia regina (Meigen); head width varied from 2.25 and 1.89 mm to 3.68 and 3.72 mm for males and females, respectively. Using these values as a guide, small flies were produced in the laboratory by early removal of larvae from the rearing medium. Mating experiments, pairing flies of various size categories, showed that when small males mated with large females the percentage of successfully inseminated females was significantly reduced compared with the other combinations (42% versus 73–89%). Previous work led us to suspect that small males might have small aedeagi and therefore have a problem in successful sperm transfer when they mate with large females. Measurement of aedeagus size and head width showed that in wild flies the size of the aedeagus is positively correlated with body size.
The Sci-Fi Microbe: Reinforcing Understanding of Microbial Structures and their Significance Through a Creative Writing Exercise

By blending storytelling with topics in biology, a fun activity can be created for students to strengthen their scientific knowledge. The “Sci-Fi Microbe” writing assignment lets students create an altered version of a known microorganism, and write a story describing an unusual observation that leads the characters discovery of their new microorganism. The Sci-Fi Microbe exercise is appropriate for any microbiology course where the instructor has previously reviewed structures, metabolism, and growth conditions of microorgan-isms. Since students are responsible for developing and writing their own stories, the activity allows for the instructor to assess students’ understanding in an exercise where they are required to articulate the connection of the microbe to its environment – thereby discouraging simple memorization of facts.
Aspirin therapy and thromboxane biosynthesis in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Incomplete suppression of thromboxane biosynthesis during aspirin therapy is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Since systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with platelet activation and increased cardiovascular mortality, we compared thromboxane and prostacyclin biosynthesis in patients with SLE and control subjects, and measured inhibition of thromboxane excretion in aspirin-treated subjects. We measured the urinary excretion of 11-dehydro thromboxane B( 2) (TXB(2)) and 2,3-dinor 6-ketoPGF(1alpha) (PGI-M), the stable metabolites of thromboxane A(2) and prostacyclin, respectively, in 74 patients with SLE and 70 controls. In subjects who were not receiving aspirin, TXB(2) excretion was higher in patients with SLE [0.40 ng/mg creatinine (0.26-0.64), median (interquartile range)] than controls [0.31 ng/mg creatinine (0.23-0.44)] (P = 0.04), and in these patients, TXB(2) excretion correlated with disease activity (rho = 0.28, P = 0.03) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (rho = 0.48, P 0.35). Thromboxane biosynthesis is increased in SLE and is associated with disease activity. Additionally, response to aspirin may be attenuated in some patients with SLE.
Shape-optimized electrooptic beam scanners: analysis, design, and simulation

This paper presents the analysis of a general nonrectangular electrooptic (EO) scanner and compare its performance to a rectangular device. Since the scanning sensitivity of an EO scanner is inversely proportional to its width, high sensitivity requires the device contour to be close to the ray trajectory of a beam propagating through the device. Accordingly, a shaped-optimized scanner is designed so that the beam trajectory at maximum deflection is parallel to the device contour. A beam propagation method (BPM) simulation shows the performance agrees well with the analysis.
Potential effects of Laurel Wilt on the flora of North America.

Abstract Laurel Wilt is caused by a recently identified fungal pathogen infecting plants in the Lauraceae. Laurel Wilt is transmitted by Xyleborus glabratus (Redbay Ambrosia Beetle), which was recently introduced to the southeastern United States from Asia. As the insect expands its range in the US, so too has the disease. A query of the NatureServe Explorer database was used to identify the conservation status of native plant species and recognized plant communities that may be affected by Laurel Wilt. Laurel Wilt affects at least nine plant species, and all fifteen species in the Lauraceae currently found in North America may ultimately prove to be hosts for the disease. Four of the twelve native lauraceous species had been identified as vulnerable to extirpation or extinction, prior to the introduction of Laurel Wilt. There are 55 plant communities in the US and Canada that have a member of the Lauraceae as a dominant or diagnostic species. The majority of these plant communities have been identified a...
An empirical study with simulated ADL tasks using a vision-guided assistive robot arm

In this paper, we describe an empirical study with healthy subjects with simulated ADL tasks using UCF-ARM - a 6-DOF assistive robot that is visually guided through a calibrated stereo camera system fitted in the gripper of Exact Dynamics' Manus ARM. The goal of the research is to reduce time to task completion and cognitive burden for users interacting with an unstructured environment via a Wheelchair Mounted Robotic Arm (WMRA). Our WMRA, UCF-ARM, provides access to a multimodal user-customizable human computer interface and accomplishes visual servoing through an in-hand stereo rig as well as adaptive grip force application through force sensing resistors embedded in the fingers of the gripper. Choice of user interface is dependent on the user's functional level and injury. Two level object grasping tasks are used to assess the time to task completion and cognitive burden for users evaluating the system under different tasks, control modes, and interface modalities. Results of the statistical analysis are provided to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the evaluated options.
Conversion of hexaphenylcyclotrisilazane and related materials to infusible polymers and coatings

When hexaphenylcyclotrisilazane was heated above 450°C. at atmospheric pressure, it formed an infusible polymer of exceptional thermal and chemical stability. The polymerization, which was accompanied by elimination of benzene, is represented approximately by the equation: The infusible polymer was a foamed, vitreous, pale yellow solid with a high degree of stability to heat, acids, alkali, and organic solvents. A similar reaction occured with a resein that was obtained as a by-product in the preparation of hexaphenylcyclotrisilazane and with a mixture of silylamines that was obtained from the reaction of methylphenyldichlorosilane with ammonia. Coatings on aluminum and steel prepared by heating the silylamine polymers had good thermal stability and adhesion. Inclusion of a polymeric dimethylsilyl derivative of ethylenediamine improved the flexibility of the coatings.
Remote sensing of atmospheric turbulence and transverse winds from wave-front slope measurements from crossed optical paths

In the theory of atmospheric turbulence, the strength of the spatial variations of the index of refraction n is proportional to a parameter known as the atmospheric-structure constant. The atmospheric-structure constant is denoted Cn2(z) and is a function of position along the optical path z. The characteristics of the temporal variations of the index of refraction are related to both Cn2(z) and to the transverse wind velocity V(z). Current optical techniques for remotely sensing Cn2(z) and V(z) rely primarily on the spatial or temporal cross-correlation properties of the intensity of the optical field. In the remote-sensing technique proposed here, we exploit the correlation properties of the wave-front slope measured from two point sources to obtain profiles of Cn2(z) and V(z). The two sources are arranged to give crossed optical paths. The geometry of the crossed paths and the characteristics of the wave-front slope sensor determine the achievable resolution. The signal-to-noise ratio calculations indicate the need for multiple measurements to obtain useful estimates of the desired quantities.
The social endocrinology of dominance: basal testosterone predicts cortisol changes and behavior following victory and defeat.

Past research suggests that individuals high in basal testosterone are motivated to gain high status. The present research extends previous work by examining endocrinological and behavioral consequences of high and low status as a function of basal testosterone. The outcome of a competition—victory versus defeat–was used as a marker of status. In Study 1, high testosterone men who lost in a dog agility competition rose in cortisol, whereas high testosterone men who won dropped in cortisol. Low testosterone men’s cortisol changes did not depend on whether they had won or lost. Study 2 replicated this pattern of cortisol changes in women who participated in an experimental laboratory competition, and Study 2 extended the cortisol findings to behavior. Specifically, high testosterone winners chose to repeat the competitive task, whereas high testosterone losers chose to avoid it. In contrast, low testosterone winners and losers did not differ in their task preferences. These results provide novel evidence in humans that basal testosterone predicts cortisol reactivity and behavior following changes in social status. Implications for the social endocrinology of dominance are discussed.
Tell-Tale Signs of Perturbed Podocytes

It is well recognized that differentiated cells in solid organs are in constant communication with each other through a variety of signals. Similar to communication with landlines, emails, social media, and texts, cells in the kidney can communicate with each other via hormones, autocoids, growth
The laptop alternative: student reactions and strategic implications

Abstract Designing the technology infrastructure for a college or university is a strategic decision that affects the quality of the educational experience for both students and faculty, and influences an institution’s image and its ability to attract students. This article reports the results of survey research which explored student reactions to a campus-wide laptop initiative at a small liberal arts institution. Student perceptions of the value of the laptop are examined in seven contexts: academic success, study habits, faculty utilization, the development of a learning community, personal use, future plans and cost. The results broaden our understanding of the relationship between technology and learning and will assist institutional decision-makers as they evaluate technology options.
Mixed incontinence and cystocele: postoperative urge symptoms are not predicted by preoperative urodynamics

Introduction and hypothesis Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) frequently presents with urinary incontinence, either urge (UUI), stress (SUI), or mixed (MUI). We sought to determine the effect of high-grade prolapse repair on MUI.
Models for Inelastic Response of Beam-Plate Assemblages

A simplified method to account for inelastic behavior in beam-plate assemblages is proposed. This numerical technique, which is easier to implement, eliminates the need for iterative steps required in similar methods based on flow rule. In addition, two models for determining the progression of inelastic zones in beam and plate type elements are presented. Based on this procedure and models, the nonlinear response of some typical structures subjected to static and dynamic loads are determined. Comparison of the obtained solutions with results, both theoretical and experimental, reported by other investigators demonstrates the validity of the techniques utilized.
Biochemistry of Oxidant Injury

Neutrophils attracted to an area of inflammation are stimulated to produce O2-, the degradation products of which (H2O2, -OH, HOCI, etc.) are potent bactericidal as well as cytotoxic agents. In order to determine the pathways of oxidative injury, target cells were exposed to various oxidizing agents. This report will only be concerned with the effect of H2O2. In order to simplify the determination of kinetics a single bolus of reagent H2O2 was used.
Factors affecting ability to achieve asthma control in adult patients with moderate to severe persistent asthma

AbstractObjective: Despite the use of optimal therapy and guidelines, the rate of asthma control is suboptimal in adult populations. Purpose of this study is to describe factors associated with ability to achieve well-controlled asthma over time for adult patients treated in a tertiary medical center-based asthma outpatient specialty clinic. Methods: Existing clinical data collected for 320 adult patients enrolled in a hospital-based outpatient asthma specialty clinic from July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2011 evaluated time to achieve well-controlled asthma and factors associated with well-controlled asthma such as adherence and lack of previous exacerbations. Results: Adherence to prescribed therapy (p = 0.004) and no previous asthma related ED visits (p = 0.004) were associated with well-controlled asthma for moderate persistent baseline. BMI on a continuous spectrum (p = 0.120) and the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (p = 0.769) were not independently significant. Body-mass-index (BMI) in combination with...
Isometric versus Elastic Surfboard Interfaces for Locomotion in Virtual Reality

Inspired by the “Silver Surfer” cartoons and movies, we designed and developed a surfboard travel interface, which works in either tilt or balance mode. The system supports the comparison of isometric and elastic devices for rate-controlled and position-controlled travel in virtual environments. In this paper, we demonstrate the interface as well as the setup of a complete virtual reality system aimed to evaluate its usability in a future study. We also discuss the device-directed feature of this interface and some potential cognitive overload and confusion incurred by user as were observed in a public demonstration.
An arson spree in college town: community enhancement through media convergence:

Fears of media and technology undermining ‘community’ have persisted for half a century. It is believed that, in the digital age, place-based collectivities of people become isolated and individualized through media and technology, replacing ‘place-based’ communities with placeless ‘communities of interest’. While this greater trend may well exist, it is hardly uniform. This research examines how sufficiently flexible technologies and media can do the exact opposite: reinforce neighborhood ties and affirm a sense of community, particularly in times of crisis. A singular event, an arson spree, can create a bevy of bounded information for analysis. What unfolds is an image of a community enhanced by social media, providing a new perspective for both areas of research. Rather than using broad survey data, this study examines community through the prism of these fires to reinforce findings on community connection and identity and offers new suggestions for research.
Effects of ethylene oxide decontamination and thermal sterilization on insulating materials used in spacecraft

The detection of life forms that may have independently evolved on other planets (particularly Mars), is one of the scientific objectives of planetary explorations. Contamination by Earth organisms would make it hard, if not impossible, to realize such an objective. Regulations by NASA, therefore, require the sterilization of planetary landing vehicles. This requirement necessitates the selection of sterilizable components and materials. Insulating materials are used extensively on spacecraft. This paper concerns an investigation of the effects of sterilization environments on commercial polymeric insulating materials. Most of the products discussed had previous usage in non-sterilized Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) spacecraft, and thus some familiarity was established with them. None were recommended by manufacturers as sterilizable products.
Neonatal intensive care. 2. Design and function of a special unit.

The wide variety of clinical problems in the neonate dictate the basic equipment and personnel requirements of the neonatal intensive care unit. The infant must be provided with a controlled protective environment in which physiologic monitoring, life support systems, and diagnostic facilities are immediately available.
Fluorescent Labeling of Surface or Intracellular Antigens in Whole-Mounts

During the last century, before the advent of microtomes capable of producing thin, even sections, whole-mounts and thick sections were used to study the peripheral nervous system. Tissues were either viewed directly, if sufficiently thin, or further separated into layers by acid maceration (1). Initially, histochemical staining, particularly methylene blue (2), was applied to wholemounts to characterize neuronal cell types, distributions, and innervation of various organs. In more recent times precise innervations were traced through the use of histochemical techniques specific for neuronal components. Histofluorescence techniques were introduced by Falk (3) for the localization of nonadrenaline-containing nerves, and the discovery of neuropeptides led to the application of immunohistochemical techniques in the late 1970s and early 1980s (4,5). Most recently, the application of monoclonal antibody technology has opened a new era in research and diagnosis such that in situ normal and pathological tissue constituents may be detected in whole-mounts ranging from tissues to entire organisms.
Loti the Exploiter

Loti was very much a product of the nineteenth century. He was not an original thinker, and he readily accepted current conventional values. As we have already noted, he subscribed to the notion that women were, by definition, inferior to men. Their function was to serve their masters, making life as comfortable for them as possible. In return, the male would provide food and shelter, and introduce his female companion (or bride) to life’s wider horizons — with which he was familiar, but of which she was necessarily ignorant.
Gynecologic Conditions and Body Image: A Lifetime Perspective

A woman’s body goes through many changes throughout her life beginning with puberty. Each phase of a woman’s life is highly associated with changes in hormone status that directly impacts a woman’s life, mind, and body. In addition, women may be faced with gynecologic conditions that may have internal, external, and psychological effects. In this article, we explore the interplay between body image and physiologic and pathologic gynecologic conditions.
Learning without running in a Y-maze

Seventeen albino rats that had first been trained in a straight runway experiment were subjected to a simple discrimination learning problem in the absence of instrumental responding. A Y maze was moved past a wire cage in which the Ss were restrained. The results indicated that learning does occur in the absence of instrumental responding. The implications of these findings for cognitive and S-R learning theories were briefly discussed.
Optical Technique For Increasing Fill Factor Of Mosaic Arrays

A novel optical technique for improving the performance of focal plane staring arrays by increasing the fill factor ratio is described. The specific mosaics considered are 64 x 32 and 128 x 64 Schottky barrier infrared detectors with charge coupled devices (IRCCD) made from monolithic silicon. The video enhancement is accomplished by means of a refracting silicon faceplate that redirects focused image irradiance from nonsensitive CCD areas to the infrared detector elements. Operational theory and design parameters for this unique faceplate construction are detailed. With the optimum faceplate configuration installed at the IRCCD front surface, a sensitivity increase of at least .200 percent is predicted from the analysis presented here.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Non-pulmonary vein mediated atrial fibrillation: A novel sub-phenotype.

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a mechanistically heterogeneous disorder, and the ability to identify sub-phenotypes (“endophenotypes”) of AF would assist in the delivery of personalized medicine. We used the clinical response to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) to identify a sub-group of patients with non-PV mediated AF and sought to define the clinical associations. Methods Subjects enrolled in the Vanderbilt AF Ablation Registry who underwent a repeat AF ablation due to arrhythmia recurrence were analyzed on the basis of PV reconnection. Subjects who had no PV reconnection were defined as “non-PV mediated AF”. A comparison group of subjects were identified who had AF that was treated with PVI-only and experienced no arrhythmia recurrence >12 months. They were considered a group enriched for “PV-mediated AF”. Univariate and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate clinical associations between the PV and non-PV mediated AF groups. Results Two hundred and twenty nine subjects underwent repeat AF ablation and thirty three (14%) had no PV reconnection. They were compared with 91 subjects identified as having PV-mediated AF. Subjects with non-PV mediated AF were older (64 years [IQR 60,71] vs. 60 [52,67], P = 0.01), more likely to have non-paroxysmal AF (82% [N = 27] vs. 35% [N = 32], P<0.001), and had a larger left atrium (LA) (4.2cm [3.6,4.8] vs. 4.0 [3.3,4.4], P = 0.04). In univariate analysis, age (per decade: OR 1.56 [95% CI: 1.04 to 2.33], P = 0.03), LA size (per cm: OR 1.8 [1.06 to 3.21], P = 0.03) and non-paroxysmal AF (OR 8.3 [3.10 to 22.19], P<0.001) were all significantly associated with non-PV mediated AF. However, in multivariable analysis only non-paroxysmal AF was independently associated with non-PV mediated AF (OR 7.47 [95% CI 2.62 to 21.29], P<0.001), when adjusted for age (per decade: OR 1.25 [0.81 to 1.94], P = 0.31), male gender (OR 0.48 [0.18 to 1.28], P = 0.14), and LA size (per 1cm: 1.24 [0.65 to 2.33], P = 0.52). Conclusions Non-paroxysmal AF was the only clinical variable found to be independently associated with non-PV mediated AF. We demonstrated that analysis of AF ablation outcomes data can serve as a tool to successfully identify a sub-phenotype of subjects who have non-PV mediated AF. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID # NCT02404415.
Criminal ‘folk’ and ‘legal’ lore: the kidnap and castrate narrative in colonial India and contemporary Chennai

Between 2009 and 2011, there was a dramatic re-emergence in Chennai of a nineteenth century colonial narrative that ‘eunuchs’ kidnap and castrate children. Although often framed as a ‘legend’ by LG...
B–N Lewis Pair Functionalization of Anthracene: Structural Dynamics, Optoelectronic Properties, and O2 Sensitization

The judicial placement of main group elements in conjugated structures is emerging as a key route to novel functional hybrid materials. We demonstrate here that the formation of B–N Lewis pairs at the periphery of anthracene leads to buckling of the backbone while also dramatically lowering the LUMO energy. The resulting BN-substituted contorted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons show large bathochromic shifts in the absorption and emission relative to all-carbon analogs. In the presence of light, they rapidly react with O2 without the need for an external photosensitizer, resulting in selective and reversible formation of the corresponding endoperoxides.
Autoclave test parameters for determining alkali-silica reactivity of concrete aggregates

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine appropriate values for alkali loading, autoclaving temperature, and autoclaving duration for alkali-silica reaction testing of aggregates in mortar bars. Alkali loadings between 0.52 and 4.5%, autoclaving temperatures from 105 to 130 °C, and autoclaving durations between 5 and 48 h were used. A total of 72 tests involving eight aggregates of various mineralogies and reactivities were performed. Appropriate values for test parameters were found to be: alkali loadings between 3.0 and 3.5%, autoclaving temperatures between 120 and 130 °C, and autoclaving durations between 5 and 12 h for mortar bars, regardless of aggregate type.
Evaluation of association between degree of background parenchymal enhancement on MRI and breast cancer subtype.

Abstract Purpose Evaluate possible association between BPE and breast cancer tumor type/prognostic markers. Methods IRB approved retrospective study from 1/2010–1/2014 identified 328 patients who had breast MRI and available clinical/pathology data. BPE was categorized according to BI-RADS. The association between BPE and breast cancer molecular subtype/prognostic factors was evaluated. Results No significant association was present between high BPE and the following: HER2+ tumors, basal tumors, tumors with axillary nodal disease, high nuclear grade tumors, high Ki-67 index tumors or larger tumors. Conclusion Patients with high BPE may be at increased risk for breast cancer but not necessarily for those cancer subtypes with a poor prognosis.
The Use of Xenon/CT Cerebral Blood Flow Studies in Acute Stroke

Whether ischemic stroke is due to an embolus from the heart or to closure of a perforating vessel due to chronic hypertension, the final common pathway is a compromise of blood flow. While there is a complex system of hemodynamic mechanisms intended to protect neuronal tissue from less severe reductions of cerebral blood flow (CBF), it is the location, duration and severity of the compromise of CBF that determines the onset of a neurological deficit as well as the transition from reversible to irreversible ischemia [1]. While technologies that examine other physiological variables are all interesting and potentially useful, during the initial hours after an ischemic event the pathophysiology is flow driven with other variables being secondary events. Thus, it should follow that rapidly accessible, quantitative, high resolution CBF information should play a central role in the diagnosis and management of acute ischemic stroke.
Π12 Wadge degrees

Abstract Suppose that any two Π12 sets are comparable in the sense of Wadge degrees. Then every real has a dagger. This argument proceeds by using the Dodd-Jensen core model theory to show that ∀ x ϵ ω ω (x # Ð) along with, say, “0† implies the existence of a Π12 norm of length u2. As a result of more recent work by John Steel, the same argument will extend to show that the Wadge comparability of all Π12 sets implies Π12 determinacy.
A clinical evaluation of a card agglutination test for rheumatoid factor.

The Macro-Vue® Card Test for Rheumatoid Factor (Hynson, Westcott, and Dunning) is a new commercially available card agglutination test designed for qualitative and quantitative procedures. Coded sera from 195 patients, six known positive sera, and two positive serum pools were tested using four commercial kits. The commercial kits evaluated included latex (Hyland RA Test®, Behring-Rapi/tex RF Test®), sheep erythrocytes (Wampole, Rheumaton), and charcoal (HWD-Macro-Vue RF Card Test) as carrier particles. Using the prescribed quantitative procedures, the percentages of positive and negative results for rheumatoid factor detected by each product were determined after the (serum) code was broken. The Macro-Vue test compares well with the Behring and Hyland latex dilution systems, and appears to detect more positive sera than the Wampole test. Titers obtained using the Macro-Vue test were more reproducible day to day with known positive sera than were titers obtained using any of the other kits.
Uncertainty Estimate for the Outdoor Calibration of Solar Pyranometers: A Metrologist Perspective

Pyranometers are used outdoors to measure solar irradiance. By design, this of radiometer can measure the total hemispheric (global) or diffuse (sky) irradiance when the detector is unshaded or sha...
Drugs for Chronic Idiopathic Constipation Are Similarly Effective.

Injectable extended-release naltrexone administered every four weeks is similar in efficacy to daily oral buprenorphine/naloxone for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Patients using extended-release naltrexone reported higher satisfaction with treatment and were more likely to recommend it to others.
Sensitivity of Spectral and Temporal Properties of Accretion and Outflows on Space Time Geometry, Viscosity and Cooling

In this chapter, we describe the development of a radiation hydrodynamic simulation code and discuss the results obtained when we use it to study the dynamics of an accretion disk around a galactic black hole. For the first time, we are able to consider the presence of both the components of the two component advective (TCAF) model, namely, the Keplerian disk and sub-Keplerian halo, in a single simulation. These simulations give us the opportunity to study simultaneously the time dependence of the disk structure and its spectral as well as temporal properties. We prove several of the conjectures that were made earlier based on theoretical studies and other simulations. We also discuss the current developments in this simulation code and the future scopes.
La trama de Víctor: aspectos del arte galdosiano en Miau

En Miau, novela de Benito Perez Galdos, Victor Cadalso lleva a cabo una trama soterrana, en el doble sentido: un complot, al nivel del argumento, y una estructura novelistica que apenas es desvelada al lector. Esta corriente nefaria, Guadiana ponzonoso, contribuye a sugerir un alcance simbolico de esta cruel novela, situandola en la ambiguedad del discurso moderno.
Experimental validation of acoustic valley Hall edge states in a nonresonant topological elastic waveguide (Conference Presentation)

We experimentally demonstrate the existence and the characteristics of acoustic quantum valley Hall edge states in a continuous topological elastic waveguide. The waveguide is obtained by subtractive manufacturing, hence cutting a non-resonant truss-like lattice from an initially uniform aluminum thin plate. The fabricated lattice includes two different domains characterized by broken space inversion symmetry and contrasted with each other in order to create a physical interface (i.e. a domain wall) capable of inducing a topological transition. Guided modes in the waveguide are generated using piezoelectric actuators and are measured using laser vibrometry. Data show the existence of well-confined edge states with negligible backscattering at the sharp corners along the domain wall. A methodology to precisely excite a uni-directional edge state is also demonstrated. In addition to the experiment results, the coupling between valley modes is also further investigated and linked to a chiral flux of the mechanical energy.
Fyn tyrosine kinase, a downstream target of receptor tyrosine kinases, modulates antiglioma immune responses

Background High-grade gliomas are aggressive and immunosuppressive brain tumors. Molecular mechanisms that regulate the inhibitory immune tumor microenvironment (TME) and glioma progression remain poorly understood. Fyn tyrosine kinase is a downstream target of the oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase pathway and is overexpressed in human gliomas. Fyn's role in vivo in glioma growth remains unknown. We investigated whether Fyn regulates glioma initiation, growth and invasion. Methods We evaluated the role of Fyn using genetically engineered mouse glioma models (GEMMs). We also generated Fyn knockdown stem cells to induce gliomas in immune-competent and immune-deficient mice (nonobese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient gamma mice [NSG], CD8-/-, CD4-/-). We analyzed molecular mechanism by RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Flow cytometry was used to characterize immune cellular infiltrates in the Fyn knockdown glioma TME. Results We demonstrate that Fyn knockdown in diverse immune-competent GEMMs of glioma reduced tumor progression and significantly increased survival. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of differentially expressed genes in wild-type versus Fyn knockdown gliomas showed enrichment of GOs related to immune reactivity. However, in NSG and CD8-/- and CD4-/- immune-deficient mice, Fyn knockdown gliomas failed to show differences in survival. These data suggest that the expression of Fyn in glioma cells reduces antiglioma immune activation. Examination of glioma immune infiltrates by flow cytometry displayed reduction in the amount and activity of immune suppressive myeloid derived cells in the Fyn glioma TME. Conclusions Gliomas employ Fyn mediated mechanisms to enhance immune suppression and promote tumor progression. We propose that Fyn inhibition within glioma cells could improve the efficacy of antiglioma immunotherapies.
An improved method for the expression and purification of porcine dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase.

Abstract Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) catalyzes the reduction of uracil and thymine bases with electrons derived from NADPH. The mammalian DPD enzyme is a functional homodimer and has an elaborate cofactor arrangement. Two flavin cofactors (FAD and FMN) reside in two active site cavities that are separated by around 60 A. The flavins are apparently bridged by four Fe4S4 clusters, two of which are provided by the partner protomer of the dimer. The study of DPD has been hampered by modest yield from both native sources and from heterologous expression in E. coli. In addition, minimal active enzyme is obtained when the DPD gene is fused to an N-terminal 6His-tag. This limitation has dictated the use of traditional purification methods that are made more challenging by apparent over-expression of truncated and/or non-active forms of DPD. Here we detail methods of expression and purification that result in a ~4-fold improvement in the yield of active porcine DPD when expressed in E. coli BL21 DE3 cells via the pET plasmid expression system. The addition of ferrous ions and sulfate during induction provide a small increase in purified active enzyme. However, the addition of FAD and FMN during cell lysis results in a substantial increase in activity that also reduces the relative proportion of non-active, high molecular weight protein contaminants. We also describe methods that permit correlation of the flavin content with the amount of active enzyme and thus permit simple, rapid quantitation and evaluation of purified DPD sample.
Design and analysis of optimal pre-cooling in residential buildings

Abstract Existing pre-cooling strategies provide a means of shifting or reducing the peak demand and/or energy cost in residential buildings. However, majority of them are rule-based and therefore may not be optimal in terms of cost saving, leaving room for improvement. In this paper, an integer linear programming problem that accounts for the thermal properties of a specific home, HVAC system capacity, utility rate structure, and weather conditions and makes use of a home thermal model is formulated. This problem determines the HVAC on/off control signal that minimizes the 24-h energy cost while maintaining thermal comfort and calculates the corresponding optimal indoor air temperature. The model is constructed using home thermal properties identified via data training in real-time. Through simulation, the energy performance of the proposed optimal pre-cooling strategy is investigated and compared with three rule-based operation strategies from the literature. It is found that the optimal strategy requires the least energy consumption without sacrificing thermal comfort. The superb energy performance of the optimal strategy is attributed to a longer runtime of the HVAC system in cool outdoor air conditions and to the elimination of deadband in HVAC operation, which is required by the rule-based strategies, to allow the indoor air temperature to stay near the thermal comfort upper bound as much as possible. In terms of energy cost, the rule-based operation strategies require $3.52, $1.90, and $2.79, respectively, while the optimal strategy only requires $1.52. These figures represent a saving of 56.82%, 20.00%, and 45.52%, respectively. The results suggest that the optimal strategy is indeed significantly more effective than the existing rule-based operation strategies.
A descriptive study to assess the depression among geriatric people in selected rural area of district Panchkula (Haryana)

Objectives: To assess the knowledge regarding depression among geriatric people in selected rural area of district Panchkula(Haryana). Methodology: A quantitative study by using descriptive design was used, a sample size of 50 geriatric peoplewere selected by using simple random Sampling technique, Semi structured questionnaire were used to assess the level of knowledge regarding depression among geriatric people in selected rural area of district Panchkula (Haryana). Results: The study revealed that among 50 geriatric people the majority 48% of geriatric communications were in the age group of 60-75 years .88% were male 72% were from rural area. Majority (74%) of families’ monthly income was 0-10,000 had previous history of depression 44% of population was male, 56% of female.
A central role for apathy in the effectiveness of interventions for cancer-related fatigue.

Objective Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) affects a substantial number of cancer patients and survivors. Recommendations for CRF treatments are largely based on results of randomized controlled trials. The interpretability of such results is limited to patients eligible and willing to participate in these trials. We aimed to address this limitation in a retrospective study of patients seen at a CRF clinic in a comprehensive cancer center. The objectives were to (a) determine the effectiveness of clinician-initiated interventions for CRF and identify their mediators and (b) describe the frequency and effectiveness of patient-initiated physical activity (PA) behavior for alleviating CRF and identify determinants of this PA. Methods Data (patient-reported somatic and mood symptoms; clinical data; clinician-documented changes in medication and behavior) from n = 213 patients collected as part of the clinic's standard of care at initial clinical consult and follow-up 4 to 11 weeks later were included. Effects of clinician-initiated interventions and patient-initiated PA on change in fatigue were analyzed using linear models. Results Of all clinician-initiated interventions, only psychostimulant start was recorded frequent enough for further investigation and was associated with reduced fatigue; this association was mediated by a reduction in apathy. PA was also associated with reduced fatigue severity. PA initiation/increase after consult was associated with lower apathy at consult. Conclusions These results demonstrate a major role for patient apathy in the effectiveness and initiation of CRF-targeting interventions. Behavioral therapies focusing on reduction in apathy should be considered as initial treatment of CRF in those with substantial apathy.
Single-Cell Transcriptional Analyses Identify Lineage-Specific Epithelial Responses to Inflammation and Metaplastic Development in the Gastric Corpus

Background & Aims Chronic atrophic gastritis can lead to gastric metaplasia and increase risk of gastric adenocarcinoma. Metaplasia is a precancerous lesion associated with an increased risk for carcinogenesis, but the mechanism(s) by which inflammation induces metaplasia are poorly understood. We investigated transcriptional programs in mucous neck cells and chief cells as they progress to metaplasia mice with chronic gastritis. Methods We analyzed previously generated single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of gastric corpus epithelium to define transcriptomes of individual epithelial cells from healthy BALB/c mice (controls) and TxA23 mice, which have chronically inflamed stomachs with metaplasia. Chronic gastritis was induced in B6 mice by Helicobacter pylori infection. Gastric tissues from mice and human patients were analyzed by immunofluorescence to verify findings at the protein level. Pseudotime trajectory analysis of scRNA-seq data was used to predict differentiation of normal gastric epithelium to metaplastic epithelium in chronically inflamed stomachs. Results Analyses of gastric epithelial transcriptomes revealed that gastrokine 3 (Gkn3) mRNA is a specific marker of mouse gastric corpus metaplasia (spasmolytic polypeptide expressing metaplasia, SPEM). Gkn3 mRNA was undetectable in healthy gastric corpus; its expression in chronically inflamed stomachs (from TxA23 mice and mice with Helicobacter pylori infection) identified more metaplastic cells throughout the corpus than previously recognized. Staining of healthy and diseased human gastric tissue samples paralleled these results. Although mucous neck cells and chief cells from healthy stomachs each had distinct transcriptomes, in chronically inflamed stomachs, these cells had distinct transcription patterns that converged upon a pre-metaplastic pattern, which lacked the metaplasia-associated transcripts. Finally, pseudotime trajectory analysis confirmed the convergence of mucous neck cells and chief cells into a pre-metaplastic phenotype that ultimately progressed to metaplasia. Conclusions In analyses of tissues from chronically inflamed stomachs of mice and humans, we expanded the definition of gastric metaplasia to include Gkn3 mRNA and GKN3-positive cells in the corpus, allowing a more accurate assessment of SPEM. Under conditions of chronic inflammation, chief cells and mucous neck cells are plastic and converge into a pre-metaplastic cell type that progresses to metaplasia.
Heartbeat: time to treat the whole patient, not just the valve, when calcific aortic stenosis is present.

A key consideration in timing of aortic valve replacement (AVR) for patients with aortic stenosis (AS) is whether there is an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) that might be reduced by relief of outflow obstruction. Minners and colleagues1 addressed this issue in a retrospective analysis of outcomes in 1840 patients with mild to moderate AS (aortic maximum velocity 2.5–4.0 m/s) in the Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis (SEAS) study. Overall the annualised rate of SCD was 0.39% per year with 27 events in asymptomatic patients. The most recent echocardiogram prior to SCD showed mild–moderate AS in most (80%) of these patients with no difference in SCD event rates in those who progressed to severe AS compared to those who did not develop severe valve obstruction. On Cox regression analysis, the only independent risk factors for SCD were age (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.11 per year, p=0.02), increased left ventricular mass index (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.32 per 10 g/m2, p<0.001) and lower body mass index (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.97 per kg/m2, p=0.01) but not the severity of valve obstruction (figure 1). Figure 1 Univariate (top) and multivariate (bottom) Cox regression analyses for SCD during 46.1±14.6 months of follow-up in the Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis study. The number of events for each variable is reflected by the dark, horizontal bars with separation at the median for continuous variables. A forest plot visualisation of …
Two sides of the Dlk1-Dio3 story in imprinting.

Loss of imprinting (LOI) at the Dlk1-Dio3 locus is linked to Kagami-Ogata and Temple syndromes, and to cancer, but molecular mechanisms that prevent LOI are under-studied. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Aronson et al. demarcate the bipartite regulation of the Dlk1-Dio3 imprinting control region (ICR) IG-DMR, which maintains locus imprinting.
LIFE: The Case for Early Commercialization of Fusion Energy

This paper presents the case for early commercialization of laser inertial fusion energy (LIFE). Results taken from systems modeling of the US electrical generating enterprise quantify the benefits of fusion energy in terms of carbon emission, nuclear waste and plutonium production avoidance. Sensitivity of benefits-gained to timing of market-entry is presented. These results show the importance of achieving market entry in the 2030 time frame. Economic modeling results show that fusion energy can be competitive with other low-carbon energy sources. The paper concludes with a description of the LIFE commercialization path. It proposes constructing a demonstration facility capable of continuous fusion operations within 10 to 15 years. This facility will qualify the processes and materials needed for a commercial fusion power plant.