cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pentacyclic ingamine alkaloids, a new antiplasmodial pharmacophore from the marine sponge Petrosid Ng5 Sp5.

Two new pentacyclic ingamine alkaloids, namely 22(S)-hydroxyingamine A (2) and dihydroingenamine D (3), together with the known ingamine A (1), have been isolated from marine sponge Petrosid Ng5 Sp5 (family Petrosiidae) obtained from the open repository of the National Cancer Institute, USA. The structures of compounds 1–3 were determined using 1D and 2D NMR, and HRESIMS techniques. The absolute configuration of both the C9 and C22 of 2 was determined as (S) using a modified Mosher esterification method. Compounds 1 and 3 showed strong antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and -resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum with IC50 values of 90 and 78 ng/mL and 72 and 57 ng/mL, respectively, while 2 was found to be less active (IC50 values of 200 and 140 ng/mL, respectively). Compounds 1–3 were found to be devoid of in vitro cytotoxicity against human solid tumor cells of breast (BT-549), ovary (SK-OV-3), and epidermoid (KB) carcinomas and skin melanoma (SK-MEL), as well as against noncancerous monkey kidney fibroblasts (VERO) and pig kidney epithelial (LLC-PK11) cells, up to a maximum concentration of 10 µg/mL. Compounds 1–3 also displayed weak antimicrobial and moderate antileishmanial activities against Leishmania donovani promastigotes. These polycyclic ingamine alkaloids represent the first example of antiplasmodial leads without a β-carboline ring, which is known to be responsible for the cytotoxicity of the well-known manzamine class of marine alkaloids related to 1–3.
Treatment of drug addiction; preliminary report.

1. In this preliminary report, 16 cases of drug addiction are here presented. Eight of these were treated with calcium gluconate alone. Seven were treated with a combination of calcium gluconate and barbiturates, and one with calcium gluconate and nicotinic acid—separately, but both intravenously. Calcium gluconate with the barbiturates was preferred in that it had more lasting effects. 2. All patients received relief in a few minutes from symptoms caused by withdrawal of morphine and its derivatives. The return of symptoms was treated with repeated doses, with the same results, until the symptoms completely subsided. 3. Morphine, or its derivatives, was withdrawn completely in 14 cases, and continued for a while in two, because of previous experience of the house physician. His instructions were, however, soon changed to abrupt withdrawal of the drug. 4. While no conclusion is drawn here as to exact dosages desirable, this study does show that the withdrawal symptoms of drug addicts who are willing to accept treatment in a general hospital, and who are not wanted for crimes by the police, could be treated in the general hospital effectively and well with the intravenous use of calcium gluconate and the barbiturates, combined according to individual variations.
Laboratory suggestion: rapid visual counting by means of a variable-speed impulse generator.

A simple, low-cost device for counting particles by directing the output of a continuous-impulse generator into a tally counter is described. This process eliminates individual enumeration by the operator during the scanning process. A variable-speed adjustment allows the operator to increase the counting rate at will. Results from such counting compare favorably in accuracy and precision with conventional methods, while counting speed is increased and operator fatigue is reduced.
Free will perceptions and psychiatric symptoms in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia

Accessible summaryWhat is known on the subject? Some research suggests that holding a free will perspective may offer mental health and physical health benefits. What this paper adds to existing knowledge? This study is the first to examine links between free will perceptions and psychiatric symptoms in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. What are the implications for practice? Study results suggest that helping people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia to recognize situations where they do have some freedom of choice over their actions and emotional reactions (free will) may assist them in improving their experiences and better managing their symptoms. AbstractIntroduction Some research indicates that having a strong sense that one possesses free will may be associated with better psychological and physical health. This study is the first to examine the relationship between free will perceptions and psychiatric symptoms in patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Method Thirty-two participants were interviewed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale to assess symptom severity and the Free Will Subscale of the Free Will and Determinism Scale to assess free will perceptions. Results As hypothesized, a negative association was found between free will perceptions and total symptom severity, though it appears that this was mainly accounted for by positive symptoms. A content analysis was also conducted to qualitatively examine how patients conceptualize the construct of free will and its role in coping with their own mental illness. Discussion Study results suggest that holding a free will perspective may mitigate psychiatric symptoms in patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Thus, psychiatric nurses and other mental health clinicians may improve current treatments for schizophrenia by helping patients recognize situations where they do have some freedom of choice over their actions and emotional reactions (free will) to stressful life events.
Link-State Optimized Decode-Forward Transmission for Two-Way Relaying

We establish a novel link-state regime result for a composite decode-forward (DF) two-way relaying scheme with a direct link. During transmission, our scheme combines block Markov coding and an independent coding scheme that resembles network coding at the relay. A developed novel approach optimizes the composite technique by analyzing the dual variable space to identify link-state regimes in which a particular combination of transmission techniques is optimal. Our results expose an interesting trend: when the user-to-relay link is marginally stronger than the direct link, independent coding is optimal and the relay can conserve power. However, for larger user-to-relay link gains, the relay must use full power and supplement independent coding with block Markov coding to achieve the largest rate region. For Rayleigh fading links, we demonstrate that relay power savings are achievable in most node configurations. The link-state regimes are further applied to perform link adaptation in fading to illustrate significant data rate gains over direct transmission even under a more practical, long-term link state information. These link-state regime results are useful for the application of two-way DF relaying in practice.
Analysis of high risk factors and nursing strategies for nosocomial infections in NICU

OBJECTIVE To investigate relevant high risk factors and nursing strategies for nosocomial infection in neonatal intensive care unit(NICU). METHODS A case-control study was performed.Clinical data from patients with nosocomial infection in NICU of our hospital from Jun.2006 to Jun.2009 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS A total of 147 cases of infants with nosocomial infection were retrieved from 2100 case files.The nosocomial infection rate was 7.00%,4.10% in males and 2.90% in females.There were 137 premature infants(93.20%).The average gestational age was(32.24±3.21)weeks and the average birth weight was(1725.81±738.35)g;the average time of nosocomial infection was(12.56±9.00)d;the mortality of nosocomial infection was 6.12%.Nosocomial infection in NICU was related to multiple factors,such as invasive operation(tracheal intubation,peripherally inserted central catheter(PICC)),very low birth weight,underlying diseases and iatrogenic transmission were the high risk factors of nosocomial infection in NICU. CONCLUSION Strengthening management,enforcing the sterile operation,and doing basic nursing should be enhanced to reduce nosocomial infection rate in NICU according to those high risk factors.
Reusing Data Reorganization for Efficient SIMD Parallelization of Adaptive Irregular Applications

Applying SIMD parallelization to irregular applications with non-continuous and data-dependent memory accesses is challenging. While an application involving a static pattern of indirect accesses (across iterations) can be accelerated by data transformations, such techniques are no longer feasible if the indirect access patterns change over time. In this paper, we propose an indexing method that facilitates the reuse of data reorganization for efficient SIMD parallelization of dynamic irregular applications. This indexing approach is first applied on a class of vertex-centric graph algorithms where the set of active vertices varies over the execution -- the indexing method helps maintain the set of active edges. Next, we focus on unstructured particle interaction applications in which the edges change adaptively, and present an incremental indexing method. In our experimental evaluation, the speedups achieved by utilizing SIMD on graph applications range from 3.04× to 7.19×, and between 2.54× to 4.43× for molecular dynamics.
Treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease

The pathogenesis, risk factors, microbiology, sequelae, diagnosis, and treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) are reviewed, and factors associated with the selection of effective, safe, and economical drug therapy are discussed. PID is an acute clinical syndrome not related to surgery or pregnancy that is caused by the spread of microorganisms from the vagina and cervix to the endometrium, fallopian tubes, and other adnexal structures. Primary PID, the most common form of the disease, is the result of the ascent of sexually acquired or endogenous lower genital tract microorganisms to the upper genital tract. Presence of a sexually transmitted disease is the most common risk factor for PID, but a previous episode of PID, multiple sexual partners, intrauterine device use, and young age are also risk factors. PID is classified as gonococcal or nongonococcal (i.e., caused by anaerobic and aerobic pelvic organisms). The long-term consequences of PID are the most devastating aspects of the disease; infertility remains the most common sequela. Therapy of PID is aimed at preserving fertility, preventing long-term consequences, and relieving acute clinical symptoms. In areas in which penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae is endemic, therapy that is effective against penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae is necessary. Gonococcal PID that is not penicillin resistant may be treated with a single intramuscular or oral dose of a penicillin; penicillin-resistant infection may be treated with a cephalosporin or ciprofloxacin. If chlamydia is a diagnostic consideration, a one- to two-week course of oral tetracycline or doxycycline (injectable-drug therapy is an alternative) should be added to the regimen. Single-agent therapy is a cost-effective alternative to combination regimens. Ampicillin-sulbactam is a cost-effective alternative to the more costly injectable cephalosporins or the combination regimens of an aminoglycoside plus clindamycin or metronidazole. With the increasing prevalence of PID in the United States, the selection of cost-effective antimicrobial therapy has important implications for the hospital pharmacist and the pharmacy and therapeutics committee.
Graphene as an Efficient Interfacial Layer for Electrochromic Devices

This study presents an interfacial modification strategy to improve the performance of electrochromic films that were fabricated by a magnetron sputtering technique. High-quality graphene sheets, synthesized by chemical vapor deposition, were used to modify fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates, followed by the deposition of high-performance nanocomposite nickel oxide electrochromic films. Electrochromic cycling results revealed that a near-complete monolayer graphene interfacial layer improves the electrochromic performance in terms of switching kinetics, activation period, coloration efficiency, and bleached-state transparency, while maintaining ∼100% charge reversibility. The present study offers an alternative route for improving the interfacial properties between electrochromic and transparent conducting oxide films without relying on conventional methods such as nanostructuring or thin film composition control.
41 Steps for Amadou Diallo

February 4, 1999, 23-year old Guinean son Amadou Diallo is shot to death in a hail of bullets. He is reaching for his wallet to show his papers as a police officer stumbles backwards. He dies at 1157 Wheeler Avenue in the Bronx. I have a son in New York. He is a musician and plays late into the night. I see him reaching for his wallet to prove he is more than his black body. I see myself falling backwards with the news that his beautiful body has been opened by 41 bullets. I can see his wife and children falling backwards from the hail of news. February 12, 1999, I wake suddenly. My body is jarred before my soul can return to it properly. I am not myself.
Investigation of the molecular interactions between β-lactoglobulin and low methoxyl pectin by multi-detection High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography

Abstract To achieve controlled physiochemical, structural, and consequently, functional properties of interacting systems containing β-lactoglobulin (βLG) and commercial standardized low methoxyl pectin (LMP, DE 36.8%), solution conditions were established and studied at the weight ratio of 3:1 (w/w), pH ∼6.50. Online multi-detection High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC) was used to characterize the physicochemical properties of the interacting biopolymer fractions in detail. Results showed that upon direct mixing, ∼6.1% (w/w) of native dimeric βLG molecules formed complexes with LMP molecules of two sizes, namely [Mw] ∼ 250 and 55 kDa. The interactions produced complexes of altered shapes and hydrodynamic properties compared to those of βLG and LMP controls. Heat-induced (80 °C, 10 min) denaturation of βLG greatly increased its participation in the complexes as aggregates, to ∼10.4%, which appear to favor the LMP molecules of higher [Mw]. Pre-heating LMP, however, impeded its binding to βLG and increased the amount of unbound βLG as a result. The effect of sucrose on the interactions between βLG and LMP was also investigated using a set of similarly treated samples but with sucrose removed from LMP. These studies demonstrated that sucrose greatly facilitated the complex formation, notably between the pre-heated βLG and LMP. The structures of the complexes were found to be less flexible and less open in the presence of sucrose than its absence. It is suggested that sucrose contributed greatly to the stabilization of the heat-induced βLG aggregates as they interact with LMP through a preferential exclusion mechanism.
Psychological Treatment of Epilepsy

Three children, ages 12-15, with frequent refractory seizures were treated by behavioral intervention techniques in the Depts of Medical Rehabilitation and Clinical Neurophysiology, Orebro Medical Center Hospital, Orebro, and Dept of Clinical Psychology, University of Uppsala, Sweden.
Role for Chemokines in the Vasculopathy Associated with Sickle Cell Dsease and Pulmonary Hypertension

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hemolytic disorder characterized by transient vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). Moreover, there is a high prevalence of SCD-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), indicated by a tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity (TRV) ≥ 2.5 m/sec, leading to increased risk for early mortality. Monocytes have been proposed as pivotal cells in vascular inflammation in animal models of SCD. Preliminary studies in our group have shown a potential role for monocyte chemokines in the vasculopathy of SCD. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of two chemokines: regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β) in SCD and SCD-associated PAH. Plasma samples were collected from patients with SCD at steady state and from healthy African-American control subjects. Plasma levels of RANTES and MIP-1β were measured using an enzyme immunoassay system. Patients with SCD exhibited significantly higher levels of both MIP-1β (median 465.3 vs. 398.5 pg/ml, p 2.9, p<0.05). These findings suggest that 1. both chemokines, RANTES and MIP-1β, are associated with the vasculopathy of SCD, and 2. whereas MIP-1β does not appear to be associated with SCD-associated PAH, RANTES levels are inversely correlated to the severity of PAH. RANTES merits further investigation as a potential marker in PAH, and for a possible role in its progression.
Aldehyde Detection in Electronic Cigarette Aerosols.

Acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde are the principal toxic aldehydes present in cigarette smoke and contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease and noncancerous pulmonary disease. The rapid growth of the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has raised concerns over emissions of these harmful aldehydes. This work determines emissions of these aldehydes in both free and bound (aldehyde–hemiacetal) forms and other carbonyls from the use of e-cigarettes. A novel silicon microreactor with a coating phase of 4-(2-aminooxyethyl)-morpholin-4-ium chloride (AMAH) was used to trap carbonyl compounds in the aerosols of e-cigarettes via oximation reactions. AMAH–aldehyde adducts were measured using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to analyze hemiacetals in the aerosols. These aldehydes were detected in the aerosols of all e-cigarettes. Newer-generation e-cigarette devices generated more aldehydes than the first-generation e-cigarettes because o...
Diagnostic Trait Variability in the Imperiled Freshwater Turtle, Graptemys flavimaculata

Abstract: Considerable difficulty has been associated with the taxonomy of the genus Graptemys (Map Turtles and Sawbacks) over the last 50 yr, likely attributable to the relatively recent divergence of lineages and morphological variation within species. One trait that has been inconsistently defined has been the costal scute pattern of Graptemys flavimaculata, with many authors describing various blotch or ring patterns, or both. This study seeks to describe and quantify costal scute pattern via ring presence throughout the range of G. flavimaculata using both contemporary (field-captured) and historical (museum specimen) sources. Comparisons were made for contemporary individuals and historical specimens of both sexes throughout the geographic range. The pattern of all blotches dominated both sources (89.8%), whereas historical specimens had a higher rate of ring presence (15.1%) compared with contemporary individuals (8.6%). For contemporary data, ring presence was lower in headwater reaches (4.1–4.8%...
/sup 2/H(d-italic-arrow-right,. gamma. )/sup 4/He reaction at E/sub d/ = 95 MeV

The tensor analyzing power A/sub y//sub y/(theta), vector analyzing power A/sub y/(theta), and cross section sigma(theta) of the /sup 2/H(d-italic-arrow-right,..gamma..)/sup 4/He reaction have been measured for the angular range of 55/sup 0/--149/sup 0/ in the center of mass system at an incident deuteron energy of 95 MeV. The reaction is dominated by the transition involving the S-state component of /sup 4/He, as indicated by the approximately sin/sup 2/2theta angular distribution of the cross section. The observed deviation of sigma(theta) from this shape is due to either M2 strength, tensor force effects, or both. The tensor analyzing power A/sub y//sub y/(theta) is nearly isotropic, with a typical value of approximately 0.3 +- 0.1. The vector analyzing power A/sub y/ is zero within the statistical precision (typically +- 0.2) of this data set, indicating a reduced contribution from E1 and M2 transitions compared to lower energies. Direct capture calculations in the plane-wave Born approximation do not reproduce even the sign of A/sub y//sub y/.
Working Capital Management and Profitability of Manufacturing Sector of Bangladesh: A Causal Relationship

This paper explores the causal relationship between working capital management and corporate profitability of manufacturing sector of Bangladesh. Sample data is composed of 21, Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) listed companies of Bangladesh, of four different industries from the year 2011 to 2015. A multivariable model has been developed to examine the association between profitability and the working capital management. In the analysis, current ratio and debt ratio have been used as control variables. The findings clearly indicate a negative relationship between working capital management and profitability in the overall manufacturing sector as well as in each of these four industries and significance level varies from industry to industry.
Aldose Reductase Inhibitor Protects against Hyperglycemic Stress by Activating Nrf2-Dependent Antioxidant Proteins

We have shown earlier that pretreatment of cultured cells with aldose reductase (AR) inhibitors prevents hyperglycemia-induced mitogenic and proinflammatory responses. However, the effects of AR inhibitors on Nrf2-mediated anti-inflammatory responses have not been elucidated yet. We have investigated how AR inhibitor fidarestat protects high glucose- (HG-) induced cell viability changes by increasing the expression of Nrf2 and its dependent phase II antioxidant enzymes. Fidarestat pretreatment prevents HG (25 mM)-induced Thp1 monocyte viability. Further, treatment of Thp1 monocytes with fidarestat caused a time-dependent increase in the expression as well as the DNA-binding activity of Nrf2. In addition, fidarestat augmented the HG-induced Nrf2 expression and activity and also upregulated the expression of Nrf2-dependent proteins such as hemeoxygenase-1 (HO1) and NQO1 in Thp1 cells. Similarly, treatment with AR inhibitor also induced the expression of Nrf2 and HO1 in STZ-induced diabetic mice heart and kidney tissues. Further, AR inhibition increased the HG-induced expression of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and catalase and activation of AMPK-α1 in Thp1 cells. Our results thus suggest that pretreatment with AR inhibitor prepares the monocytes against hyperglycemic stress by overexpressing the Nrf2-dependent antioxidative proteins.
Donor-fullerene dyads for energy cascade organic solar cells

Abstract Organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells require broad absorption of the incident solar spectrum by the donor and acceptor in the blend. Fullerene derivatives with covalently linked dyes, referred to as dyads, were designed to have strong optical absorption and appropriate electronic levels for electron transfer with common donor polymers in BHJs. Dyads with dyes based on diketopyrrolopyrrole and benzothiadiazole were synthesized using either a methanofullerene or a fulleropyrrolidine linkage. The performance of these dyad acceptors in BHJ solar cells with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and a low optical gap co-polymer of thiophene and diketopyrrolopyrrole (PDPP2FT) were examined. Although the solar power conversion efficiencies were low, charge generation from the molecular dye in the dyad could be observed in BHJs with PDPP2FT. The low power conversion efficiency was attributed to the morphology of the BHJs based on grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering patterns. Density functional theory was used to examine the charge transfer states between the donor and the dyad. The lowest energy charge-transfer state was found to be a transition from the donor polymer to the fullerene portion of the dyad.
Racial differences in nocturnal dipping status in diabetic kidney disease: Results from the STOP‐DKD (Simultaneous Risk Factor Control Using Telehealth to Slow Progression of Diabetic Kidney Disease) study

While racial variation in ambulatory blood pressure (BP) is known, patterns of diurnal dipping in the context of diabetic kidney disease have not been well defined. The authors sought to determine the association of race with nocturnal dipping status among participants with diabetic kidney disease enrolled in the STOP-DKD (Simultaneous Risk Factor Control Using Telehealth to Slow Progression of Diabetic Kidney Disease) trial. The primary outcome was nocturnal dipping—percent decrease in average systolic BP from wake to sleep—with categories defined as reverse dippers (decrease <0%), nondippers (0%–<10%), and dippers (≥10%). Twenty-four-hour ambulatory BP monitoring was completed by 108 participants (54% were nondippers, 24% were dippers, and 22% were reverse dippers). In adjusted models, the common odds of reverse dippers vs nondippers/dippers and reverse dippers/nondippers vs dippers was 2.6 (95% confidence interval, 1.2–5.8) times higher in blacks than in whites. Without ambulatory BP monitoring data, interventions that target BP in black patients may be unable to improve outcomes in this high-risk group.
Dissociated Vertical Deviations: Current Research

(1981). Dissociated Vertical Deviations: Current Research. American Orthoptic Journal: Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 40-46.
Fear of Cancer Recurrence: What Radiologists Should Know

OBJECTIVE. Fear of cancer recurrence is both more common and more complex than many radiology personnel may suspect. CONCLUSION. By gaining a deeper understanding of such fears, radiologists and ot...
The State of Affairs Near the Crack Tip

Pedagogically speaking, a crack tip is the end point of two intersecting lines. In reality, the tip region is irregular and highly influenced by material inhomogeneity and imperfection at the microscopic level.1 Its contour may follow the pores within a single grain or the broken segments of many grains. In the continuum model, however, the crack tip is assumed to follow a smooth contour so as to reduce the mathematics to manageable proportions. The influence of material microstructure cannot be decided by geometric consideration alone. Attention should be focused on the rate of local energy transfer that is governed by specimen size and loading rate. The trade-off between these two effects is pertinent to analyzing damage of the crack tip region.
Workplace violence against K-12 teachers: implementation of preventive programs

Decreasing both workplace and school violence needs to be a priority of individuals, families, communities, and workplaces for the effort to be successful. Key factors associated with school and workplace violence such as parental influences, school staff and police involvement, peer pressure, student influences such as drug and alcohol abuse and a preoccupation with weapons, and the mass media have all been identified as possible factors associated with violence against teachers. In addition, individual student characteristics such as gender, socioeconomic status, and a history of prior violence may play a role. However, none of these factors can be identified or singled out as the reason for violence. Violence against teachers occurs as a result of a combination of these factors. Understanding how these factors interact should be a goal of every community and school. Occupational health nurses have the unique opportunity to partner with communities, school nurses, and the school system to develop effective violence prevention programs. Working in schools is an area of expansion for occupational health nurses. They have the expertise to perform worksite assessments and to identify key areas of weakness throughout the facility. Their expertise in reviewing and analyzing workplace injury data and developing cost effectiveness analysis for proposed interventions is unique. Occupational health nurses also have the skills to network with school officials and other key stakeholders to develop interventions to impact the substantial implications of violence in the schools. Language: en
Interleukin-2-transduced lymphocytes grow in an autocrine fashion and remain responsive to antigen

The maintenance of T lymphocytes in vivo after adoptive transfer for immunotherapy requires the systemic administration of interleukin-2 (IL- 2), but prolonged administration of IL-2 is associated with substantial toxicity. The constitutive production of IL-2 by T cells may be an alternative method to prolong T-cell survival and potentially augment antitumor responses. To study the effects of constitutive production of IL-2 on the growth and antigen reactivity of a murine T cell, the sperm- whale myoglobin (SWM) specific T-cell line 14.1 was retrovirally transduced with the cDNA for IL-2. Cells that were transduced with vectors without an internal promoter were able to proliferate in the absence of exogenously added IL-2, and to grow in an autocrine fashion. These vectors used an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) to allow translation of the neomycin phosphotransferase (neor) gene. In contrast, the cells transduced with an IL-2 vector in which the neor gene was under the transcriptional control of an internal SV-40 promoter failed to proliferate or grow in the absence of exogenously added IL-2. The proliferation of the cells growing without IL-2 could be inhibited with antibodies to the IL-2 receptor or to human IL-2, indicating that they were still IL-2 dependent. Despite their autocrine growth, no tumor formation was observed in syngeneic mice injected subcutaneously with the transduced cells, and the cells retained their antigen reactivity and specificity. These results suggest that autocrine growth of T cells for therapy will not interfere with effector function.
His-Cys Box Homing Endonucleases

Homing endonucleases are often grouped into four families based on distinct sequence motifs. One of these families is known as the His-Cys box homing endonucleases and contains two clusters of conserved histidine and cysteine residues over a central 100 amino acid region. At last count, 23 members of this family had been identified. The open reading frames (ORFs) of these proteins are contained within mobile group I introns found in nuclear rDNA genes of several protists. The nuclear location of these introns and ORFs is currently unique among the homing endonuclease families and poses an intriguing puzzle regarding their expression from non-coding rRNA transcripts.
A Multi-Method Examination of Buyer-Seller Interactions among Japanese and American Businesspeople:

Edward T. Hall (1976) and others have told us that status and role are more important considerations in Japan than in the United States. Specifically addressed in this study is the moderating effec...
Effect of suvorexant on event-related oscillations and EEG sleep in rats exposed to chronic intermittent ethanol vapor and protracted withdrawal

Study objectives Insomnia is a prominent complaint in patients with alcohol use disorders (AUD). However, despite the importance of sleep in the maintenance of sobriety, treatment options for sleep disturbance associated with a history of AUD are currently limited. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that suvorexant, a dual Hct/OX receptor antagonist, normalizes sleep in patients with primary insomnia; yet, its potential for the treatment of sleep pathology associated with AUD has not been investigated in either preclinical or clinical studies. Methods This study employed a model whereby ethanol vapor exposure or control conditions were administered for 8 weeks to adult rats. Waking event-related oscillations (EROs) and EEG sleep were evaluated at baseline before exposure and again following 24 hr of withdrawal from the exposure. Subsequently, the ability of vehicle (VEH) and two doses (10, 30 mg/kg IP) of suvorexant to modify EROs, sleep, and the sleep EEG was investigated. Results After 24 hr following EtOH withdrawal, the ethanol-treated group had increases in waking ERO θ and β activity, more fragmented sleep (shorter duration and increased frequency of slow wave (SW) and rapid eye movement [REM] sleep episodes), and increased θ and β power in REM and SW sleep. Suvorexant induced a dose-dependent decrease in the latency to REM and SW sleep onsets but also produced REM and SW sleep fragmentation and increased β energy in waking EROs when compared with VEH. Conclusions Taken together, these studies suggest that suvorexant has overall sleep-promoting effects, but it may exacerbate some aspects of sleep and EEG pathology.
Secure Internet of Things (IoT)-Based Smart-World Critical Infrastructures: Survey, Case Study and Research Opportunities

The widespread adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies has drastically increased the breadth and depth of attack surfaces in networked systems, providing new mechanisms for the intrusion. In the context of smart-world critical infrastructures and cyber-physical systems, the rapid adoption of the IoT systems and infrastructures without thorough consideration for the risks and vulnerabilities has the potential for catastrophic damage to the privacy, safety, and security of individuals and corporations. While the IoT systems have the potential to increase productivity, accountability, traceability, and efficiency, their potential weaknesses are also more abundant. In this paper, we provide critical consideration of the security of the IoT systems as applied to smart-world critical infrastructures. Particularly, we carry out a detailed assessment of vulnerabilities in IoT-based critical infrastructures from the perspectives of applications, networking, operating systems, software, firmware, and hardware. In addition, we highlight the three key critical infrastructure IoT-based cyber-physical systems, namely the smart transportation, smart manufacturing, and smart grid. Moreover, we provide a broad collection of attack examples upon each of the key applications. Furthermore, we introduce a case study, in which we assess the impacts of potential attacks on critical IoT-based systems, using the smart transportation system as an example. Finally, we provide a set of best practices and address the necessary steps to enact countermeasures for any generic IoT-based critical infrastructure system.
PTO Panel Stacking: Unblessed by the Federal Circuit and Likely Unlawful

In recent years, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) sought to control results in adjudication by its Patent Trial and Appeals Board (“PTAB”) through a process commonly described as “panel stacking.” In a “strong form” of this practice, the PTO Director or Director’s delegee generated a new panel of administrative judges to conduct rehearing proceedings after an initial panel produced a decision with which the Director or delegee disagreed. This Essay contends that this strong-form practice raises constitutional concerns under the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause. Consequently, the doctrine of constitutional avoidance instructs that courts should understand the Patent Act to preclude strong-form panel stacking. Judges and commentators have repeatedly erred by citing a plurality opinion on panel stacking in In re Alappat as if the plurality opinion authoritatively held that the Patent Act authorizes panel stacking. This Essay seeks to correct that misconception and shows that, once one takes account of constitutional concerns, the Alappat judges’ recognition of statutory ambiguity effectively condemns strong-form panel stacking, rather than “blessing” it.
Effect of Magnetic Resonance Imaging on Surgical Approach and Outcomes in the Management of Subaxial Cervical Fractures.

Background In the initial evaluation of suspected cervical fracture, computed tomography (CT) is the gold standard for assessing bony anatomy and fracture morphology with high sensitivity and specificity. However, CT is relatively insensitive to ligamentous, discogenic, and myelopathic injury, leading to supplementary use of MRI, which is more sensitive and specific to these diseases. Here, we assess whether preoperative cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) affects surgical management of subaxial cervical fractures. Methods The National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried for MRI use, surgical approach, rate of operative intervention, all-cause mortality, days from admission to surgery, discharge disposition, length of hospital stay, and total hospital charges among those with closed subaxial cervical spine fractures from 2012 to 2015. The effect of MRI on these End points was evaluated, controlling for significant baseline differences in demographics, comorbidities, and presentation. Results A total of 820 patients met inclusion and exclusion criteria; 255 (31.1%) were assessed with MRI and CT, 565 (68.9%) were evaluated with CT alone. After 1:1 propensity score matching based on severity of presentation, preoperative MRI was not significantly associated with surgical approach, in-hospital mortality, discharge disposition, length of stay, or total hospital charges. Segregating patients by functional status group shows MRI use among patients presenting with moderate loss of function associated with a shorter length of time between admission and surgery (1.50 vs. 2.59 days; P = 0.027). Conclusions The addition of MRI to CT in the evaluation of subaxial cervical spine fractures does not seem to affect surgical management.
Patient with Lung Transplant

Lung transplantation has become the standard of curative surgical care for several causes of end-stage chronic respiratory failure. There have been numerous advances in the perioperative management of lung transplantation over the last several decades. Despite this, for many reasons, the median survival rate lies far below that of recipients of other solid organ transplants. Morbidity and mortality is multifactorial and includes sequelae of graft rejection, reperfusion injury, infection, anastamotic breakdown, fluid overload, renal failure and pain. The contribution of pain to morbidity cannot be overemphasized. Pain control is essential for adequate postoperative ventilation and participation in rehabilitation, helping to reduce the incidence of prolonged mechanical ventilation, atelectasis and infection. At various stages of recovery, the analgesic considerations vary and should always be centered on a multimodal approach to management.
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in a Patient with Disseminated Histoplasmosis

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare condition characterized by an overwhelming inflammatory cascade activation which is often associated with rapid progression and high mortality. It may be familial with an underlying genetic mutation or triggered by infection, malignancy, and autoimmune disease. Disseminated histoplasmosis caused by histoplasma capsulatum is a granulomatous fungal disease seen typically in immunocompromised patients with varied clinical manifestations and requires long-term antifungal therapy. We present the case of a 61-year-old immunocompromised female with significant travel history who came with fever, pancytopenia, and liver failure raising suspicion for HLH that prompted a bone marrow biopsy procedure. Hemophagocytic figures consistent with HLH and numerous encapsulated fungi resembling histoplasma were visualized. She was treated with intravenous (IV) liposomal amphotericin B. Etoposide chemotherapy and interleukin-1 (IL-1) antagonist anakinra were deferred in order to limit her immunosuppression, and treatment was focused on antifungal therapy.
Does rTMS Targeting Contralesional S1 Enhance Upper Limb Somatosensory Function in Chronic Stroke? A Proof-of-Principle Study.

BackgroundSomatosensory deficits are prevalent after stroke, but effective interventions are limited. Brain stimulation of the contralesional primary somatosensory cortex (S1) is a promising adjunc...
A Data-Driven Multi-Fidelity Approach for Traffic State Estimation Using Data From Multiple Sources

Accurate estimation of traffic state is crucial in the successful implementation of advanced traveler information systems and advanced traffic management systems. Currently, traffic data from various sources such as GPS, cell phones, and connected vehicles are increasingly available. Consequently, efforts have moved from estimating traffic using a single source of data to incorporating heterogeneous data, i.e. data from multiple sources, for traffic estimation. In these works, data from different sources are mostly considered to have the same level of fidelity or accuracy. This is while, in reality, different data sources may contain different levels of noise. In this work, we propose using multi-fidelity Gaussian processes to exploit data with different fidelities for traffic estimation. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach using a simulation study, where the results show that accounting for multi-fidelity nature of data can significantly improve the accuracy when multiple data sources are used for traffic state estimation.
Electrophoretic Transfer of High- and Low-Molecular-Weight Proteins to Membranes Using Heat

This chapter describes a method developed for the electrophoretic transfer of high- and low-molecular-weight proteins to nitrocellulose membranes following sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel. The transfer was done using a heated (70–75 °C) transfer buffer without methanol. One can transfer all high- and low-molecular-weight antigens (molecular weight protein standards, a purified protein, and proteins from a human tissue extract) in 10 min for a 7% (0.75 mm) SDS-polyacrylamide gel. It took 15 min to completely transfer proteins from 10% and 12.5% gels (0.75 mm). Thicker gels (1.5 mm gels) took longer to transfer, taking 20 min to ensure complete transfer of proteins from 7%, 10%, and 12.5% gels. Heated buffer increases the gel’s permeability and enables proteins trapped in the polyacrylamide gel matrix to transfer efficiently to the membrane. Compared to the heat-mediated transfer method, a conventional transfer protocol carried out under similar conditions transferred minimal low-molecular-weight proteins while retaining the bulk of the gel’s high-molecular-weight proteins. Thus, this technique is principally useful for the transfer of high-molecular-weight proteins. The transfer process is swift and avoids the use of the toxic reagent methanol.
An Overview of the Tumor Microenvironment and Response to Immunotherapy in Gastrointestinal Malignancies

The activity of the immune system under homeostasis and disease states is governed by complex interactions of cells both through direct cell–cell contact and the secretion of soluble immunomodulatory factors. In cancer, the tumor microenvironment is increasingly being recognized as a key mediator of these interactions. The tumor microenvironment consists of a diverse milieu of malignant and stromal cells that typically constitute the tissue, as well as both tissue-resident immune cells and those that infiltrate from the circulation. It is now clear that defining factors that govern the balance between heterogeneous cell populations within the microenvironment can advance our understanding of disease progression across different malignancies. In addition, this knowledge can be leveraged to improve clinical outcomes in patients with tumors that are traditionally refractory to immunotherapy. As the development of immunotherapeutic anticancer modalities has accelerated over the past decade, it has become abundantly clear that we must investigate and understand these interactions to rationally design effective treatment regimens. In this chapter, we will outline the major players within the tumor microenvironment across prevalent gastrointestinal malignancies. Emphasis will be placed on cell types, such as fibroblasts, that play a substantial role in shaping the dynamic microenvironment of gastrointestinal cancers. We will also describe the differential response of selected gastrointestinal cancers to immunotherapy and illustrate how the microenvironment influences these responses. This chapter will provide the reader with a fundamental overview of the tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy in gastrointestinal malignancies.
Detoxifying chemotherapy with genetics-guided stem cell modeling: A personalized affair.

Doxorubicin chemotherapy causes cardiotoxicity in some patients and spares others. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Magdy et al. (2021) use genome-edited iPSCs to establish a common RARG coding variant as a causal risk factor, pointing to a pharmacogenomic application and to RARG-targeting treatments to protect patients from cardiotoxicity.
Novel Agents in Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an uncommon B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, comprising approximately 6–8 % of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas. MCL is biologically and clinically heterogeneous, and there is no standard treatment for MCL. Although untreated MCL often responds well to frontline combination chemotherapy, relapsed, refractory MCL can be challenging to treat and traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy is typically not highly effective. In recent years, increased insight into the molecular and genomic diversity of MCL and the pathogenesis of the disease has given rise to the development of many new biologically targeted therapies. Ibrutinib was recently FDA approved for relapsed, refractory MCL and will likely have a significant impact on treatment paradigms for MCL. In addition to ibrutinib, there are many classes of novel agents that are currently in development. This review focuses on recent developments in the management of relapsed, refractory MCL, describing the growing armamentarium of novel agents available to combat this disease.
The Role of Nitric Oxide in Inflammation

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the multiple roles that nitric oxide (NO) may play during the inflammatory response. The majority of data implicating a role for NO in inflammation is based on experiments using nitric oxide synthase inhibitors. Inflammation results from increases in vascular flow, alterations in endothelium that can lead to plasma protein and leukocyte extravasation, and finally, the emigration of leukocytes from the circulation to the site of injury with resultant activation of effector cell mechanisms. There is evidence that NO can play a role during each stage of inflammation; the chapter discusses NO in the context of each of these stages. Conflicting data exist in the literature regarding the role of NO during inflammation. Some conflicts arise because of differences in the experimental systems studied such as in the animal species used or in the type of inflammatory stimulus. However, other differences may represent distinct physiologic and pathologic effects of NO during different phases of inflammation. NO plays a multifaceted role in all phases of the inflammatory immune response depending on the source and quantity of NO produced. It is important in the development of therapeutic modalities based on NO biochemistry and biology to take all roles of NO into consideration when designing potential treatments.
Presumed immune-mediated hemolytic anemia in two foals with Rhodococcus equi infection.

Objective – To describe the clinical presentation, case management, and outcome in 2 foals with Rhodococcus equi infection associated with presumptive severe immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. Series Summary – Two foals diagnosed with R. equi pneumonia on the basis of tracheal wash cultures, thoracic radiographs, and thoracic ultrasonography were concurrently diagnosed with hemolytic anemia. Both foals required whole blood transfusions, and were treated with the antimicrobial combination of rifampin and a macrolide (eg, clarithromycin, erythromycin, or azithromycin). Dexamethasone was used to prevent further hemolysis in both foals, and to treat acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome in 1 of the foals. Both foals survived, and required prolonged antimicrobial therapy. New or Unique Information Provided – Although extra-pulmonary disorders are commonly diagnosed in foals infected with R. equi, hemolytic anemia is rarely described. Dexamethasone is considered the treatment of choice for immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, but may be contra-indicated in foals with severe bacterial infections. In these foals, a relatively low dose and short duration of dexamethasone was utilized in an attempt to minimize immune suppression, although early discontinuation in 1 foal precipitated a second hemolytic crisis.