cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social Media Users’ Interpretations of the Sandra Bland Arrest Video:

On July 10, 2015, Sandra Bland, a Black woman, was pulled over by Officer Brian Encinia for failure to signal a lane change in Prairie View, TX. An altercation ensued and Bland was arrested and jai...
Making Freedom: Apartheid, Squatter Politics, and the Struggle for Home by Anne-Maria Makhulu

Makhulu, Anne-Maria. Making Freedom: Apartheis, Squatter Politics, and the Struggle for Home. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2015. Review by Zeb Larson.
Lipophilic indocarbocyanine conjugates for efficient incorporation of enzymes, antibodies and small molecules into biological membranes.

Decoration of cell membranes with biomolecules, targeting ligands and imaging agents is an emerging strategy to improve functionality of cell-based therapies. Compared to covalent chemistry or genetic expression on the cell surface, lipid painting (i.e., incorporation of lipid-conjugated molecules into the cell bilayer) is a fast, non-damaging and less expensive approach. Previous studies demonstrated excellent incorporation and retention of distearyl indocarbocyanine dye DiI in membranes of cells in vitro and in vivo. In order to exploit the membrane stability of DiI, we synthesized an amino-DiI derivative, to which we subsequently conjugated an antibody (cetuximab), an enzyme (superoxide dismutase), and a small molecule (DyLight 800). Red blood cells have long been used as drug delivery vehicles so they were utilized as a model to study the incorporation of DiI conjugates in the plasma membrane. All the DiI constructs demonstrated fast and efficient ex vivo incorporation in the membrane of mouse RBCs, resulting in millions of exogenous molecules per RBC. Following an intravenous injection into mice, the molecules were detected on circulating RBCs for several days. DiI anchored molecules showed longer residence time in blood and significantly higher area under the curve (AUC) compared to free non-conjugated molecules. Thus, cetuximab, SOD and DyLight painted on RBC showed 5.5-fold, 6.5-fold and 78-fold increase in the AUC, respectively, compared to the non-modified molecules. Lipophilic indocarbocyanine anchors are a promising technology for incorporation of biomolecules and small molecules into biological membranes for in vivo applications.
Association between psychological distress and elevated use of electronic devices among U.S. adolescents: Results from the youth risk behavior surveillance 2009-2017.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to provide updated information about the prevalence and temporal trends of elevated use of electronic devices (EUED) in leisure time (i.e., 3 h or more on an average school day) in nationally representative samples of U.S. adolescents in recent years and to determine whether there is a significant association between EUED and psychological distress. Methods We used the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data from 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 (N = 75,807). Propensity score matching was used to reduce selection bias due to potential confounding factors with EUED. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed for the matched samples to predict the association between EUED and psychological distress. Results The prevalence of EUED in U.S. youth has substantially increased from 24.9% in 2009 to 43.1% in 2017 (p Conclusions The prevalence of U.S. youth with psychological distress and EUED has increased simultaneously in the past several years. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to examine causal and/or reciprocal relationship between the two.
Orthogonal function extension to enclosure theory

Abstract Enclosure theory is widely used to solve radiative heat transfer problems. This paper proposes a mathematical model to handle radiative heat transfer between spatially inhomogeneous surfaces and volumes by using sets of orthogonal functions to represent the spatial variation of surface and volume radiative intensities and properties. This method facilitates development of finely tuned solvers to exploit the properties of the basis functions while providing an improved pedagogical framework behind Hottel’s zone method. Additionally, this interpretation provides insight into error analysis for these types of computations. A simple case study is performed on a two-dimensional empty box with homogeneous, diffuse-gray emissivity, utilizing indicator functions, Fourier series, and Legendre polynomials as sample function bases. An additional proof-of-concept study with participating media was performed with the orthogonal functions using a ray tracing solver in a Monte Carlo wrapper. The studies show that this orthogonal function method can be practically used to mitigate truncation error without any increase in the amount of run-time calculations compared to standard zonal methods.
Early clinical trials of Toca 511 and Toca FC show a promising novel treatment for recurrent malignant glioma

INTRODUCTION Glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma are two of the most aggressive and common glioma malignancies in adults. These high-grade gliomas (HGG) universally recur despite aggressive treatment modalities and have a median overall survival (mOS) of approximately 14 months from initial diagnosis. Upon recurrence, there is no standard of care and these patients have a dismal prognosis of around 9 months at time of recurrence. Areas covered: In this article, we assess the newly published phase I data of Toca 511 and Toca FC, a two-drug combination therapy for recurrent HGG (rHGG) tumors, for effectiveness and safety. Expert opinion: These early studies provide very encouraging results for Toca 511 and Toca FC in rHGG. This therapy had a response rate of 11.3% and a mOS of 11.9 months in 56 patients, an improvement compared to historical controls. Furthermore, all responders were complete responses after extended follow-up. The drug is well tolerated for most patients. Responders tended to be young and have high-performance scores prior to beginning therapy, but more studies are necessary to understand the patient profile that receives the most benefit. Randomized-controlled trials are warranted for Toca 511 and Toca FC to confirm drug efficacy.
Defining and Designing Computer Science Education in a K12 Public School District

Computer science is poised to become a core discipline in K12 education, however there are unresolved tensions between the definitions and purposes of computer science and public education. This study's goal is to explore how logistical and conceptual challenges emerge while designing a comprehensive K12 computer science program in a public school district. While the policy infrastructure for K12 computer science education is rapidly developing, few districts have yet implemented computer science as a core discipline in their K12 programs and very little research has explored the challenges involved in putting ideas into practice. This study reports on a committee designing a comprehensive K12 computer science education program at a small public school district in California. Through a grounded-theory qualitative interpretation of committee-member interviews and board meeting transcripts, we surfaced three themes which were the primary points of tension: how computer science is defined, how it ought to be taught, and what process ought to be used to answer these questions. Grounding these tensions in the academic discourse on K12 computer science education, this study offers recommendations to other districts designing comprehensive computer science education and suggests future directions of computer science education research that will be most useful to stakeholders of these processes.
Species characteristics affect local extinctions.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Human activities threaten thousands of species with extinction. However, it remains difficult to predict extinction risk for many vulnerable species. Species traits, species characteristics such as rarity or habitat use, and phylogenetic patterns are associated with responses to anthropogenic environmental change and may help predict likelihood of extinction. METHODS We used historical botanical data from Kalamazoo County, Michigan, USA, to examine whether species traits (growth form, life history, nitrogen-fixation, photosynthetic pathway), species characteristics (community association, species origin, range edge, habitat specialization, rarity), or phylogenetic relatedness explain local species loss at the county level. KEY RESULTS Across Kalamazoo County, prairie species, species at the edge of their native range, regionally rare species, and habitat specialists were most likely to become locally extinct. Prairie species experienced the highest local extinction rates of any habitat type, and among prairie species, regionally rare and specialist species were most vulnerable to loss. We found no evidence for a phylogenetic pattern in plant extinctions. CONCLUSIONS Our study illustrates the value of historical datasets for understanding and potentially predicting biodiversity loss. Not surprisingly, rare, specialist species occupying threatened habitats are most at risk of local extinction. As a result, identifying mechanisms to conserve or restore rare or declining species and preventing further habitat destruction may be the most effective strategies for reducing future extinction.
Design and analysis of thin optical lens composed of low-index subwavelength structures.

We design a polarization-insensitive subwavelength optical lens capable of focusing plane waves of visible wavelength using traditional optical materials such as glass. Using analytical effective medium theory and finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, the phase of transmission of arrayed subwavelength inclusions is studied with respect to their size and shape. It is shown that the phase relations can be accurately predicted using an analytical method, simplifying the design process. A guideline is established for selecting a set of subwavelength inclusions so that complete phase coverage can be achieved. Analytical calculation of focal length using diffraction equations (Fresnel or Rayleigh–Sommerfeld) along with effective medium approximation is done and compared with FDTD and experimental results, showing high accuracy. Large-scale optical lenses with subwavelength thickness are designed and their performance analyzed using an analytical approach. The optical lenses show high focusing efficiency at small numerical apertures, insensitivity to polarization angle, and robustness to uncertainty in their structural parameters. This work shows that using an analytical method, thin optical lenses with subwavelength structure can be designed and studied.
Afatinib and Temozolomide combination inhibits tumorigenesis by targeting EGFRvIII-cMet signaling in glioblastoma cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor with universal recurrence and poor prognosis. The recurrence is largely driven by chemoradiation resistant cancer stem cells (CSCs). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its mutant EGFRvIII are amplified in ~ 60% and ~ 30% of GBM patients, respectively; however, therapies targeting EGFR have failed to improve disease outcome. EGFRvIII-mediated cross-activation of tyrosine kinase receptor, cMET, regulates GBM CSC maintenance and promote tumor recurrence. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of pan-EGFR inhibitor afatinib and Temozolomide (TMZ) combination on GBM in vitro and in vivo. We analyzed the effect of afatinib and temozolomide (TMZ) combination on GBM cells U87MG and U251 engineered to express wild type (WT) EGFR, EGFRvIII or EGFRvIII dead kinase, CSCs isolated from U87 and U87EGFRvIII in vitro. The therapeutic utility of the drug combination was investigated on tumor growth and progression using intracranially injected U87EGFRvIII GBM xenografts. Afatinib and TMZ combination synergistically inhibited the proliferation, clonogenic survival, motility, invasion and induced senescence of GBM cells compared to monotherapy. Mechanistically, afatinib decreased U87EGFRvIII GBM cell proliferation and motility/invasion by inhibiting EGFRvIII/AKT, EGFRvIII/JAK2/STAT3, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling pathways respectively. Interestingly, afatinib specifically inhibited EGFRvIII-cMET crosstalk in CSCs, resulting in decreased expression of Nanog and Oct3/4, and in combination with TMZ significantly decreased their self-renewal property in vitro. More interestingly, afatinib and TMZ combination significantly decreased the xenograft growth and progression compared to single drug alone. Our study demonstrated significant inhibition of GBM tumorigenicity, CSC maintenance in vitro, and delayed tumor growth and progression in vivo by combination of afatinib and TMZ. Our results warrant evaluation of this drug combination in EGFR and EGFRvIII amplified GBM patients.
Effect of ingested snakeweed (Gutierrezia microcephala) foliage on reproduction, semen quality, and serum clinical profiles of male rats.

To examine the effects of ingested snakeweed foliage (SW) on male fertility and reproduction, SW collected at prebloom stage was dried, ground, and mixed with ground commercial rat feed (CRF) as 0, 12.5, and 25% of total diets. Male rats fed SW for 20 d impregnated females as successfully as did dietary controls, but males fed 12.5 or 25% SW for 40 d had seemingly impaired fertility and apparently increased mortality of offspring. Males fed SW for an additional 30 and 42 d showed no differences (P > .05) in serum testosterone or LH concentrations after a GnRH challenge compared with controls. Semen samples collected from the vas deferens revealed that total sperm concentrations were similar (P > .10) between rats fed 12.5 or 25% SW and controls. The percentage of abnormal sperm was higher (P < .01) in rats fed 12.5 or 25% SW for 102 d, compared with the percentage of abnormal sperm in controls (11.5 and 17.8 vs 10.4%), and weight of testes was decreased (P < .05). Dietary SW increased (P < .01) activities of alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase over those in controls at d 20 (but not at d 98) and hepatomegaly was evident at d 50 and 98. Ingestion of snakeweed foliage by male rats increased abnormal sperm counts, impaired reproduction, and caused hepatotoxicosis.
Implementation of a post discharge video visit telehealth initiative.

274Background: Telehealth is increasingly used as a means to influence four domains of healthcare: access, cost, experience, and effectiveness. The medical oncology service at Thomas Jefferson Univ...
Pairwise Attention Encoding for Point Cloud Feature Learning

Compared to hand-crafted ones, learning a 3D point signature has attracted increasing attention in the research community to better address challenging issues such as deformation and structural variation in 3D objects. PointNet is a pioneering work in introducing learning 3D point signature directly by consuming raw point cloud as input and applying convolution on each one of these points. Ground-breaking as it is, PointNet has limited capability in capturing local structure when learning visual features from each individual point. Recent variants of PointNet improved the quality of 3D point signature learning by taking neighbourhood information into account, but typically do so through hard-coded mechanisms (e.g. manually setting 'k' for k-Nearest Neighbour search, radius 'r' for Ball Query, etc). In this paper, we developed a novel point signature learning approach by considering pairwise interaction between every two individual points that moves beyond hard-coded neighbourhood exploitation, which further improves the quality of 3D point signature learning by encouraging the model to be aware of both neighbourhood information and global context. Specifically, we first introduce a novel pairwise reference tensor (PRT) in the original input point space to represent the influence of every two individual points that have on each other. Then, by passing the pairwise reference tensor through a multi-layer perceptron (MLP), we obtain a high-dimensional attention tensor that encodes pairwise relationships in high dimensional space that acts as an attention mechanism. Next we further fuse learned point features with the attention weights to obtain global visual features. Our proposed method has demonstrated superior performance on various 3D visual recognition tasks (e.g. object classification, part segmentation and scene semantic segmentation).
Investigations into the accuracy of the light damping approximation

This presentation surveys a variety of representative case studies in an effort to better understand and predict the accuracy of the light damping approximation. For viscously damped systems, the light damping approximation ignores the off-diagonal elements of the transformed damping matrix. When the approximation is valid, it presents profound advantages for numerical simulations. The most obvious of these is uncoupling of the equations of motion. A less obvious advantage is the ability to estimate the viscous damping matrix from a knowledge of the modal loss factors and undamped eigenvectors. The presentation begins by defining error metrics for quantifying the accuracy of the approximation in time and frequency domains. Next, case studies are designed to understand how statistical properties of the structure control the accuracy of the approximation. These investigations make two fundamental contributions. The first contribution is the knowledge required to estimate the accuracy of the approximation without significant computational expense. The second contribution is identification of statistical properties that are important to the construction of model libraries used in training machine learning algorithms.
Polyethyleneimine-modified biochar for enhanced phosphate adsorption

Biochar, a low-cost porous carbonaceous adsorbent, has low adsorption capacity for anion contaminants. The objective of this study was to improve biochar's ability to adsorb phosphorus (P) through polyethyleneimine (PEI) modification to form an amine-functionalized biochar. Biochars prepared by pyrolysis of bamboo biomass, before and after PEI modification, were characterized using the Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), elemental analysis, and batch sorption experiments. The effects of pH, coexisting anions, and ionic strength on P adsorption by PEI-modified biochar were also investigated. Results indicated that PEI was successfully grafted onto biochar which resulted an increase in surface amine group and in P adsorption. The peak of P adsorption occurred at pH of three and adsorption of P was decreased with increasing of ionic strength and when coexisting ions, such as HCO3-, SO42-, NO3-, and Cl-, were coexisted. The electrostatic interaction between P and surface functional groups of PEI-modified biochar served as the primary mechanism controlling the adsorption process. These results indicate that chemically functionalized biochar with amine groups can enhance P adsorption.
Chapter 15 – INDICES

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on indices. An index is a number or statistic that can be used to summarize or aggregate several measurements. There is no standard method of creating an index. Creating an index is as much art as it is science. There are certain guidelines in the creation of indices. The most important guideline is that one should not spend most of his time on the details of the quantification system at the risk of obtaining precise rankings of the wrong criteria. An index is developed to combine into one variable several factors that measure some aspect of what is being investigated. The factors that are combined into a single index value may be measured in different units and different scales of measurement. It simplifies the comparison of cases that involve multiple factors. The chapter presents examples of creating indices for need for home heating assistance funds for Wisconsin counties, for new business starts for the 20 largest U.S. cities in 1986, technological innovation for countries, and groundwater pollution potential.
Bridges to the Ancestors: Engaging Students with Ethnographic Performances in the Classroom

The important concepts from the Turner’s work that continue to inform my students’ performances of ethnographic material include an understanding of “framing,” “social drama,” “communitas,” and the danger and power inherent in a “liminal” time. Liminality emerges while performing ethnography in the classroom as students are asked to step outside of a traditional classroom environment and explore new ways of learning. When students have spent time learning about the ethnographic contexts for the performance and when they are provided with the means to develop an understanding of the contemporary culture and people who live it, the performance provides a successful tool through which to better appreciate the cultures they read about and to better comprehend their own position in the world. This includes a discussion of the problems of cultural appropriation and ethnocentrism, making them central both to inquiry and to the analysis of the performance itself. This chapter includes two specific examples of ethnographic performance in the classroom along with student responses to their experiences of each: a Muk’ta ʔilel or “Great Seeing” healing ceremony from Zinacantan, Chiapas, and a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a Mexican and Mexican American tradition.
Modeling eco-industrial networks—A representative literature review and design requirements

The development of industrial clusters has, until recently, been guided solely by economic considerations. Recent advances in measuring and assessing the environmental and social consequences of industrial production have revealed the impact of human activity on the environment and society. Eco-Industrial Networks (EINs) are being viewed as a possible solution for reducing the environmental consequences of industrial production. In this paper, we review existing approaches used for analyzing and designing EINs. Based on salient works, design requirements for models to facilitate the organization of EINs are presented and discussed.
Capitalismo, pandemia y crisis global: reflexiones sobre la covid-19 y nuevas formas editoriales

espanolEnsayo bibliografico Sopa de Wuhan. Editado por Pablo Amadeo. ASPO (Aislamiento Social Preventivo y Obligatorio), 2020. 188 pags. La fiebre. Editado por Pablo Amadeo. ASPO (Aislamiento Social Preventivo y Obligatorio), 2020. 262 pags. EnglishBibliographical essay Sopa de Wuhan. Edited by Pablo Amadeo. ASPO (Aislamiento Social Preventivo y Obligatorio), 2020. 188 pp. La fiebre. Edited by Pablo Amadeo. ASPO (Aislamiento Social Preventivo y Obligatorio), 2020. 262 pp.
The Problem of Critique: Triangulating Habermas, Derrida, and Gadamer Within Metamodernism

This essay argues that Hans-Georg Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics, Jurgen Habermas's communication theory, and Jacques Derrida's deconstruction all fit together within one philosophical paradigm: metamodernism. Metamodernism, as defined, is opposed to both modernism and radical forms of postmodernism. Within metamodernism, a political conundrum provides the key clue for understanding the relations among Gadamer, Habermas, and Derrida as well as for elaborating the contours of the paradigm. Specifically, the political implications of the three philosophies are intransitive: they seem to shift around rather than being in fixed relations to each other. So, for instance, Gadamer sometimes seems to the political right of both Habermas and Derrida, but then, at different times, he stands between them, and then again, at other times, he seems to be to the left of both. This political paradox suggests that the traditional (modernist) political categories of liberalism and conservatism do not suitably reflect the critical positions within metamodernism. Gadamer, Habermas, and Derrida are far more concerned with explaining the possibility and techniques of interpretive and social critique, while remaining true to the metamodernist paradigm, rather than fitting themselves into the traditional liberal or conservative political camps.
Development of Novel K-band Beam Steerable Reflectarray for CubeSat Internet of Space

The vision of providing global network coverage with a CubeSat constellation to enable Internet of things has escalated the demand for beam steerable antennas that are compatible with the tight form factor and limited power budget on CubeSats. In this work, we conceptualize a circularly polarized beam steerable reflectarray for CubeSat applications in K-band. The reflectarray unit cell consists of four Archimedean spiral arms and can be switched by PIN diodes to provide four discrete phase states. Beam scan in the desired elevation and azimuth angle can be obtained by appropriately addressing the diodes in each unit cell. Reflectarray prototypes were measured and RHCP beam scan up to 60° in elevation over the frequency band of 17.8 - 20.2 GHz has been achieved.
The Linewidth Enhancement Factor in a Microcavity Brillouin Laser

Amplitude-phase coupling can enhance the linewidth of regenerative oscillators and lasers. Here, in Brillouin lasers, the coupling is shown to originate from phase mismatch. Linewidth enhancements as large as 50× are measured.
Deep learning image analysis of optical coherence tomography angiography measured vessel density improves classification of healthy and glaucoma eyes

Abstract Purpose : To compare convolutional neural network (CNN) analysis of en face vessel density images to gradient boosting classifier (GBC) analysis of instrument provided, feature-based optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) vessel density measurements and OCT RNFL thickness measurements for classifying healthy and glaucomatous eyes. Design : Comparison of diagnostic approaches Methods : 130 eyes of 80 healthy individuals and 275 eyes of 185 glaucoma patients with optic nerve head (ONH) OCTA and OCT imaging were included. Classification performance of a VGG16 CNN trained and tested on entire en face 4.5 mm x 4.5 mm radial peripapillary capillary OCTA ONH images was compared to performance of separate GBC models trained and tested on standard OCTA and OCT measurements. Five-fold cross-validation was used to test predictions for CNNs and GBCs. Areas under the precision recall curves (AUPRC) were calculated to control for training/test set size imbalance and were compared. Results : Adjusted AUPRCs for GBC models were 0.89 (95% CI = 0.82, 0.92) for whole image vessel density GBC, 0.89 (0.83, 0.92) for whole Image capillary density GBC, 0.91 (0.88, 0.93) for combined whole Image vessel and whole image capillary density GBC, and 0.93 (0.91, 095) for RNFL thickness GBC. The adjusted AUPRC using CNN analysis of en face vessel density images was 0.97 (0.95, 0.99) resulting in significantly improved classification compared to GBC OCTA-based results and GBC OCT-based results (P ≤ 0.01 for all comparisons). Conclusion : Deep learning en face image analysis improves on feature-based GBC models for classifying healthy and glaucoma eyes.
Low-shear Sodding of an Implantable Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Scaffold with a Rat Adipose-derived Stromal-vascular Fraction

Impaired wound healing occurs in various pathologies and is characterized by diminished substrate delivery, inadequate cellular proliferation and tissue fibrosis. The adipose-derived stromal-vascular fraction (SVF) cell population – primarily adipose-derived stem cells, fibroblasts and endothelial cells – is uniquely suited to rescue impaired wound healing and tissue regeneration. The SVF cells have been shown to inhibit tissue fibrosis, improve local cell proliferation and induce neomicrovascularization, which improves substrate delivery. One of the challenges of using adipose-derived SVF cells to improve wound healing is finding a reliable, reproducible method of delivering this cell population into the target tissue bed. A possible approach entails attaching the cell population to an implantable porous scaffold. In this study, we isolated the SVF by harvesting the epididymal fat pad of male Sprague Dawley rats. This fat was then minced, digested with .075% collagenase and centrifuged to isolate a cellu...
Ideal cascade theory applied to carbon monoxide isotope separation by pressure swing adsorption

A three-step design methodology was developed for applying ideal cascade theory to separate a dilute binary gas mixture by pressure swing adsorption (PSA). This methodology was tested via simulation and applied to the enrichment of 14CO from 1 to 20 ppm in a mixture of its own isotopes. It was assumed that the presence and slight enrichment of 13CO did not affect the performance of 14CO throughout the cascade. An 8 stage cascade was analyzed, with 3 stages in the stripping section, 5 stages in the enriching section and the feed fed to stage 4. Each stage consisted of a 3-bed 3-step PSA process of varying size, all utilizing feed pressurization/feed, heavy reflux and countercurrent depressurization steps of equal duration, and the same total cycle time. The performance in terms of overall 14CO recovery from an ideal cascade of PSA units was compared to that from a single PSA unit operating with the same overall 14CO enrichment and same overall throughput as the cascade. The results showed that the cascade of PSA units compared to the single PSA unit exhibited increasingly higher overall recoveries as the overall enrichment decreased; the performance of both systems became identical at an overall enrichment of about 18; and at overall enrichments higher than 18 the single PSA unit exhibited only slightly higher overall recoveries than the cascade of PSA units. The better performing separation process in either case always required more power to operate. In general, this analysis showed how to design an ideal cascade of PSA units for binary isotope separation and that a cascade of PSA units may be more advantageous than a single PSA unit, depending on the desired performance and as long as the capital and operating costs are acceptable.
Trends in Human Gene Patent Litigation

Fears surrounding human gene patents have, for the most part, yet to manifest themselves in patent litigation.
The forgotten French: The 'heroic' era of kidney transplantation.

The efforts in the late 1940s to 1960s of two Parisian pioneers in kidney transplantation, Rene Kűss, a surgeon, and Jean Hamburger, a nephrologist, have largely been forgotten. Kuss developed the operation that is basically unchanged today. Both groups initiated clinical transplant programs in January 1951, and both were among the first to carry out kidney transplantation (i) without immunosuppressive therapy, (ii) between living-related and unrelated donors, (iii) with organs from deceased donors, (iv) with irradiation and immunosuppressive drugs, and (v) with long-term survival. In the opinion of many, the French did not receive full credit for their work internationally.
Growth kinetics of planar binary diffusion couples: ’’Thin‐film case’’ versus ’’bulk cases’’

It is proposed that interfacial reaction barriers in binary A/B diffusion couples lead to the absence of phases predicted by the equilibrium phase diagram, provided that the diffusion zones are sufficiently thin (thin‐film case). With increasing thickness of the diffusion zones the influence of interfacial reaction barriers decreases and the simultaneous existence of diffusion‐controlled growth of all equilibrium phases is expected (bulk case). Selective growth of the first and second phases and the effect of impurities are discussed with the influence of interfacial reaction barriers and with references to the known cases of silicide formation.
Transitioning Adolescents and Young Adults With HIV Infection to Adult Care: Pilot Testing the “Movin’ Out” Transitioning Protocol

Background Advances in care and treatment of adolescents/young adults with HIV infection have made survival into adulthood possible, requiring transition to adult care. Researchers have documented that the transition process is challenging for adolescents/young adults. To ensure successful transition, a formal transition protocol is needed. Despite existing research, little quantitative evaluation of the transition process has been conducted. Purpose The purpose of the study was to pilot test the "Movin' Out" Transitioning Protocol, a formalized protocol developed to assist transition to adult care. Method A retrospective medical/nursing record review was conducted with 38 clients enrolled in the "Movin' Out" Transitioning Protocol at a university-based adolescent medicine clinic providing care to adolescents/young adults with HIV infection. Results Almost half of the participants were able to successfully transition to adult care. Reasons for failure to transition included relocation, attrition, lost to follow-up, and transfer to another adult service. Failure to transition to adult care was not related to adherence issues, X2 (1, N = 38) = 2.49, p = .288; substance use, X2 (1, N = 38) = 1.71, p = .474; mental health issues, X2 (1, N = 38) = 2.23, p = .322; or pregnancy/childrearing, X2 (1, N = 38) = 0.00, p = .627). Conclusions Despite the small sample size, the "Movin' Out" Transitioning Protocol appears to be useful in guiding the transition process of adolescents/young adults with HIV infection to adult care. More research is needed with a larger sample to fully evaluate the "Movin' Out" Transitioning Protocol.
p-adic numbers in physics

Abstract The boundary of the ordinary open string world sheet is the real line. Along with the usual open string, one can consider p -adic open strings whose world sheet has as boundary the p -adic line instead (the points on this boundary are labelled by p -adic numbers rather than real numbers). The world sheet itself is then no longer a continous manifold but becomes a discrete homogeneous Bethe lattice, or Bruhat-Tits tree of incidence number p + 1. The p -adic strings thus correspond to specific discretizations of the world sheet. Studying all these discretizations (one for each prime p ) together, as suggested by number theory, sheds new light on the ordinary string, via adelic product formulae. One is also led this way to a new type of string, the adelic string. These issues and their generalization to closed strings are discussed after a self-contained mathematical introduction. Other physical systems with natural p -adic counterparts are considered and in their context the connection between p -adic theories and quantum groups is explored.
Impact of temperature on the time required for the establishment of primordial biochemistry, and for the evolution of enzymes.

All reactions are accelerated by an increase in temperature, but the magnitude of that effect on very slow reactions does not seem to have been fully appreciated. The hydrolysis of polysaccharides, for example, is accelerated 190,000-fold when the temperature is raised from 25 to 100 °C, while the rate of hydrolysis of phosphate monoester dianions increases 10,300,000-fold. Moreover, the slowest reactions tend to be the most heat-sensitive. These tendencies collapse, by as many as five orders of magnitude, the time that would have been required for early chemical evolution in a warm environment. We propose, further, that if the catalytic effect of a “proto-enzyme”—like that of modern enzymes—were mainly enthalpic, then the resulting rate enhancement would have increased automatically as the environment became cooler. Several powerful nonenzymatic catalysts of very slow biological reactions, notably pyridoxal phosphate and the ceric ion, are shown to meet that criterion. Taken together, these findings greatly reduce the time that would have been required for early chemical evolution, countering the view that not enough time has passed for life to have evolved to its present level of complexity.
Syntheses of [14C]BAY 59-7939 and its radiolabeled metabolite M-4

BAY 59-7939 is a novel, oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor in clinical development for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic diseases. Radiolabeled BAY 59-7939 was required for drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME studies). The BAY 59-7939 was labeled with carbon-14 in the carboxamide group in one step in an overall radiochemical yield of 85% starting from 4-{4-[(5S)-5-(aminomethyl)-2-oxo-1,3-oxazolidin-3-yl]phenyl}mor-pholin-3-one and 5-chlorothiophene-2-[14C]carboxylic acid. The radiolabeled metabolite M-4 was prepared in 77% yield starting from [1-14C]glycine and 5-chlorothiophene-5-carboxylic acid. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of the heart rate response to the Valsalva maneuver

Abstract A study has been made of the heart rate (HR) response to the Valsalva maneuver in five different groups of normal white males and two groups of male coronary heart disease (CHD) patients using non-invasive methods. By means of the analysis of variance the effects of age, posture, Valsalva phase and CHD on the HR response were assessed. Both age and CHD were factors that reduce the HR response. Further analysis indicated that the HR change from Phase 3 to Phase 4 in the Valsalva was the preferred discriminator between normals and cardiac patients. We have derived a “Valsalva score” that can be used to identify HR changes that deviate from the expected average normal response for a given age, control HR and Phase 3 HR. HR assessment of the Valsalva maneuver is a simple safe non-invasive test. An abnormal response suggests altered functioning of hemodynamic or autonomic cardiovascular mechanisms governing HR control.
Physiological Roles for Two Periplasmic Nitrate Reductases in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.3 (ATCC 17025)

The metabolically versatile purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.3 is a denitrifier whose genome contains two periplasmic nitrate reductase-encoding gene clusters. This work demonstrates nonredundant physiological roles for these two enzymes. One cluster is expressed aerobically and repressed under low oxygen while the second is maximally expressed under low oxygen. Insertional inactivation of the aerobically expressed nitrate reductase eliminated aerobic nitrate reduction, but cells of this strain could still respire nitrate anaerobically. In contrast, when the anaerobic nitrate reductase was absent, aerobic nitrate reduction was detectable, but anaerobic nitrate reduction was impaired. The aerobic nitrate reductase was expressed but not utilized in liquid culture but was utilized during growth on solid medium. Growth on a variety of carbon sources, with the exception of malate, the most oxidized substrate used, resulted in nitrite production on solid medium. This is consistent with a role for the aerobic nitrate reductase in redox homeostasis. These results show that one of the nitrate reductases is specific for respiration and denitrification while the other likely plays a role in redox homeostasis during aerobic growth.
Motor axon sprouting in frog sartorius muscles is not altered by contralateral axotomy.

Sartorius muscles of the frogRana pipiens were used to study the incidence of motor nerve sprouting in normal unoperated muscles, in experimental muscles contralateral to axotomy of the sartorius nerve, and in sham-operated control muscles. Muscles were stained with either a combination of nitroblue tetrazolium nerve terminal stain and cholinesterase stain or with a combination of silver nerve terminal stain and cholinesterase stain. Each endplate that could be clearly seen was classified into one or more of the following categories: normal endplates without sprouts, three types of terminal sprouts, preterminal sprouts, nodal sprouts, sprouts of unknown origin and destination, and doubly innervated gutters. A quantitative study of 318 endplates from nine unoperated muscles, 779 endplates from 45 experimental muscles, and 694 endplates from 41 control muscles showed that all muscles had a high incidence of motor nerve sprouting and other forms of remodelling (20–28% of all endplates). There were, however, no significant differences between experimental, control, and unoperated muscles when results obtained with the same stains were compared. Results obtained with the two different stains were only slightly different. We conclude that sprouting is a very common but highly variable feature of normal frog neuromuscular junctions, and in the sartorius, contralateral axotomy does not alter this ongoing remodelling.
Plane wave scattering response of a unidirectionally conducting screen immersed in a bi‐isotropic medium

Reflection and transmission of plane waves by a unidirectionally conducting screen immersed in a bi-isotropic medium is explored.
ESR study of reactions of cellulose initiated by the ceric ion method

The ESR spectra of microcrystalline cellulose and purified cotton cellulose reacted with ceric ammonium nitrate in nitric acid were determined. The effects of the concentration of ceric ion, atmosphere, temperature, and graft copolymerization with acrylonitrile on the rates of formation and decay of radicals in the cellulose molecule were determined under both static and dynamic conditions. Under static conditions, after the desired conditions of reaction, the samples were frozen at –100 or –160°C., and then the concentration of free radicals was determined. Under dynamic conditions ceric ion solution was continuously flowed through the celluloses while these determinations were being made at 25°C. In the presence of oxygen the rate of decay of free radicals was decreased. On initiation of copolymerization reactions with acrylonitrile, there was an increase in radical concentration, then a decrease. Apparently, during graft copolymerization the radical site initially on the cellulose molecule was retained on the end of the growing polymer chain. Then additional ceric ion coordinated with the hydroxyl groups of the cellulose, leading to the formation of additional radical sites. An Arrhenius interpretation of the effect of temperature on the formation of these additional radical sites gave apparent activation energies for radical formation on cotton cellulose as 34 kcal./mole and on microcrystalline cellulose as 29 kcal./mole.
The Persistence of Experience: Prior Attentional and Emotional State Affects Network Functioning in a Target Detection Task

Efficient, adaptive behavior relies on the ability to flexibly move between internally focused (IF) and externally focused (EF) attentional states. Despite evidence that IF cognitive processes such as event imagination comprise a significant amount of awake cognition, the consequences of internal absorption on the subsequent recruitment of brain networks during EF tasks are unknown. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study employed a novel attentional state switching task. Subjects imagined positive and negative events (IF task) or performed a working memory task (EF task) before switching to a target detection (TD) task also requiring attention to external information, allowing for the investigation of neural functioning during external attention based on prior attentional state. There was a robust increase of activity in frontal, parietal, and temporal regions during TD when subjects were previously performing the EF compared with IF task, an effect that was most pronounced following negative IF. Additionally, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was less negatively coupled with ventromedial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortices during TD following IF compared with EF. These findings reveal the striking consequences for brain activity following immersion in an IF attentional state, which have strong implications for psychiatric disorders characterized by excessive internal focus.
Influence of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride on anandamide brain levels and pharmacological effects.

The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide produces cannabimimetic effects similar to those produced by delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC), but has a much shorter duration of action due to its rapid metabolism to arachidonic acid and polar metabolites via action of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Our earlier observations that anandamide's effects persisted after brain levels of anandamide itself had substantially dropped prompted us to examine the influence of the irreversible amidase inhibitor, phenylmethyl sulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), on the brain levels and pharmacological effects of anandamide. As shown previously, pretreatment with PMSF resulted in a leftward shift of the anandamide dose effect curves for antinociception and hypothermia in male mice. Brain and plasma levels of anandamide, arachidonic acid and polar metabolites peaked at 1 min after i.v. injection with 3H-anandamide and remained high at 5 min post-injection, with levels falling sharply thereafter. Pretreatment with PMSF (30 mg/kg, i.p.) prior to an injection of 1 or 10 mg/kg 3H-anandamide resulted 5 min later in enhanced brain levels of anandamide compared to those obtained with 3H-anandamide plus vehicle injection. Levels of arachidonic acid and polar metabolites in brain were not significantly increased. The clear correspondence between brain levels of anandamide following pretreatment with PMSF and pharmacological activity suggests that this parent compound is responsible for the antinociception and hypothermia that occurred 5 min after injection. These results further suggest that metabolite contribution to anandamide's effects, if any, would occur primarily at later times.
Deployment Stressors of the Iraq War Insights From the Mainstream Media

A comprehensive understanding of the stressors of the Iraq War is needed to ensure appropriate postdeployment assessments and to inform empirical inquiries. Yet we are unaware of any published studies that address the range of stressors experienced by this cohort. Thus, in the present study, we report the results of an interpretive literature review of mainstream media reports published from the beginning of the Iraq War in March 2003 to March 2005. This literature revealed a combination of stressors associated with traditional combat, insurgency warfare, and peacekeeping operations. The increasing deployment of National Guard/Reservist personnel, older soldiers, and women highlights additional stressors associated with sexual harassment and assault, preparedness and training, and life and family disruptions. This is a cause for concern as war-zone stressors have been implicated in postdeployment health outcomes, including intimate partner violence and child maltreatment, immediate physical and mental health, and long-term adjustment.
The Effect of Approach and Avoidance Referents on Academic Outcomes: A Test of Competing Predictions

In an academic setting, we tested competing predictions derived from two conceptual models about the effects of approach and avoidance referents (e.g., goals and role models) on student performance. One model suggests a main effect such that focusing on approach referents leads to better outcomes than focusing on avoidance referents, regardless of personality (e.g., A. J. Elliot & K. M. Sheldon, 1997). Another model suggests an interaction such that focusing on either approach or avoidance referents can lead to positive outcomes, but only when people are promotion focused or prevention focused, respectively (e.g., P. Lockwood, C. H. Jordan, & Z. Kunda, 2002). Findings supported the main effect model. The more prevention focused participants were, the more avoidance goals they generated, which led to poorer grades.