cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Life threatening pericardial and neurologic presentations in systemic lupus erythematosus

Background: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is characterized by altered mental status, visual perception abnormalities and seizures. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a rare etiology of PRES and affects less than 1% of SLE patients. We present a unique case of a new-onset SLE patient presenting with borderline cardiac tamponade requiring emergent pericardiocentesis and hospital course complicated by intractable seizures found to have PRES on imaging. Case presentation: A 21-year-old female underwent outpatient evaluation for new-onset SLE presenting to the emergency room with dyspnea. She was found to have a large circumferential pericardial effusion with borderline tamponade features requiring emergent pericardiocentesis. On her fifth hospital day, she developed generalized motor seizure (tonic-clonic) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealing bilateral parieto-occipital edema consistent with a radiographic diagnosis of PRES. Induction therapy with mycophenolate was started and follow-up studies showed improvement in the cortical and subcortical regions on MRI with no evidence of recurrent pericardial effusion. Conclusions: PRES is a rare complication of lupus and has been infrequently described in literature. It is thought that the association is secondary to the effect of SLE on endothelial dysfunction and the effect of cytotoxic medication on the loss of autoregulation of systemic hypertension. It is important to recognize this condition and its significant associations as early detection and intervention often lead to favorable outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of SLE with associations of both PRES and circumferential pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology, both of which are rare in the SLE patient population.
Ultrasonic Detection of Abdominal Abscesses and Verification by Percutaneous Aspiration

This paper will present our experience in the detection of abdominal abscesses by ultrasound B-scanning and their confirmation by ultrasonically guided fine needle aspiration. The results from 104 pathologically proven cases will be discussed. Of these patients, surgical exploration alone.
Calvin’s political theology and the public engagement of the Church: Christ’s two kingdoms

In an age of increasing uncertainty about the place of orthodox Christians within a liberal pluralist political order, many ethicists are returning to earlier Christian political thinkers for insig...
Traumatic Brain Injury and Sexually Offensive Behaviors

Sexually offensive behavior is known to be one of many consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This article provides a brief review of research to ascertain the effects of TBI in childhood and adulthood as related to cognitive, behavioral, social, and sexual behaviors. Brain impairment is also identified as a result of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Individuals with sexual offending histories are found to have experienced high numbers of ACEs. Sexually offensive and sexual offending behaviors post-TBI appears to occur in between 3.5 and 9% of affected adults (Simpson, Blaszczynski & Hodgkinson, 1999; Simpson, Sabaz & Daher, 2013). It is recommended that treatment providers make themselves aware of the relationship between TBI, ACEs, and sexually offensive behavior and how this may affect the treatment process.
Opportunities for improving cancer care management through primary care-oncology relationships.

80Background: Improvements in the management of care transitions between primary care and oncology are critical for achieving optimal care quality and outcomes for cancer patients and survivors. We examine relationships between innovative PC practices and oncologists to inform and strengthen PC-oncology interfaces in diverse healthcare settings. Methods: Comparative case studies of 14 innovative PC practices throughout the United States examined strategies for providing cancer survivorship care. Field researchers observed each practice for 10-12 days, recording fieldnotes and conducting key informant and formal, semi-structured interviews with clinicians and staff. We extracted all data related to PC-oncology relationships and then collaboratively identified patterns to characterize these relationships through an inductive “immersion/crystallization” analysis process. Results: Nine of the 14 practices discussed either formal or informal PC-oncology relationships. Nearly all practices with existing formal ...
Organic anion transporting polypeptide 2B1 - More than a glass-full of drug interactions.

Abstract The importance of uptake transporters in determining drug disposition is increasingly appreciated. While the focus of regulatory agencies worldwide has been on the hepatic organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs)—1B1 and—1B3, there is another isoform of the OATP sub-family, OATP2B1, which should be considered equally relevant. Unlike the other members of the OATP sub-family, OATP2B1 is expressed in multiple organs in humans, including in the intestine and the liver. Similar to other OATPs, OATP2B1 mediates the hepatic and intestinal uptake of many drugs and endogenous compounds. The importance of OATP2B1 in the disposition of many drugs is highlighted by the growing recognition of its role in significant in vivo drug-drug or food-drug interactions. The dramatic changes in drug exposure attributable to inhibition of OATP2B1 highlight the importance of developing a better understanding of the clinical role of OATP2B1. This review aims to provide a thorough summary of the current understanding of the pharmacogenetics, regulation, expression and abundance of OATP2B1 in humans, as well as its clinical relevance in drug-drug and food-drug interactions.
Prader-Willi Syndrome

The major features of this multisystem disorder include prenatal and neonatal central hypotonia causing poor suck and infantile failure to thrive, characteristic facial appearance, developmental delay/generally mild mental retardation, childhood-onset obesity, short stature for the family, hypogonadism causing genital hypoplasia and pubertal insufficiency, and a characteristic behavior disorder. Obesity-related complications are the major cause of morbidity and mortality. The cause of Prader-Willi syndrome is absence of paternal contribution at chromosome 15q11-13, a region involving genomic imprinting, through deletion, maternal uniparental disomy, or an imprinting defect. The specific genes involved are not yet definitively delineated. Clinical diagnostic criteria for Prader-Willi syndrome have been published, but confirmation requires diagnostic testing, which is clinically available. Management is mostly supportive since no definitive treatment is known. Special feeding techniques are usually required to avoid or treat failure to thrive in infancy. Early infant stimulation followed by special educational resources can optimize developmental outcome. Obesity can be avoided or treated through appropriate nutrition, exercise, and environmental controls. Growth deficiency and abnormal body composition (high fat:lean body mass) respond well to growth hormone replacement. Sex hormones can be given to replace the deficient ones. Behavioral problems are treated through parenting skill enhancement, behavior modification, or psychotropic medication. Treatment of abnormal saliva secretion and sleep disturbance are also possible. Keywords: Prader-Willi syndrome; hypotonia; obesity; hypogonadism; failure to thrive; growth hormone deficiency; mental retardation; developmental delay; dysmorphic features; sleep disturbance; diagnostic criteria; imprinting; deletion; chromosome 15; uniparental disomy
Modeling and Analysis of the Anti-Jamming (AJ) Spread Spectrum System Using Quantized Chaotic Sequence with LDPC for Reliable Data Link

Due to the capability of interference rejection and low probability of interception (LPI), the spread spectrum technique is widely used in modern data link. However, its wideband, low power spectral density (PSD) signal may result in the degradation of the reliable data communication. To compensate this drawback, utilization of low density parity check (LDPC) can significantly reduce the required signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per information bit for fixed bit error rate (BER), while quantized chaotic sequence makes the fixed energy-per-bit Eb for the quality of reliable data communication. In this work, toward an appropriate anti-jamming (AJ) spread spectrum system using chaotic waveform against possible jamming scenarios, the 1-bit quantized chaotic sequence generated from the chaotic waveform using the Logistic Map is utilized as the spreading code as well as the differential chaos shift keying (DCSK) as the modulation scheme. The simulation results shows that, under single-tone jamming (STJ), the power requirement of the spread spectrum requires only about -5 dB power for the fixed BER of 10-6 in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). Obviously, it shows that SNR per information bit requirement of the system for the targeted BER has been greatly reduced due to the use of LDPC and quantized chaotic sequence.
Treatment of Tourette Syndrome: Medical Therapy

Tourette syndrome (TS) is characterized by the onset of motor and phonic (vocal) tics in childhood that persist greater than 1 year. Tics are patterned, repetitive, nonrhythmic movements performed with varying levels of awareness, sometimes in response to premonitory urges or sensations. Comorbid conditions including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are common. Treatment is symptomatic, based on functional impairments. The first-line pharmacological treatment for tics is alpha-2 adrenergic agonist medications guanfacine and clonidine, which may also reduce ADHD symptoms. Behavioral therapies have also been proven effective. For refractory tics, dopamine 2-receptor blocking agents may be considered.
Serial Changes in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction and Outcomes in Outpatients With Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Limited data exist on the course of left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) among outpatients with heart failure (HF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and its impact on outcomes. We evaluated 322 consecutive outpatients with confirmed HF, LVEF >40%, no previous LVEF ≤40%, and no specific cardiomyopathies or primary right-sided or valvular heart disease. Median age was 73 years (interquartile range: 63 to 82); 57.1% were women, 50.3% White, and 45.0% Black; median LVEF was 55% (50% to 60%); and 45.6% had coronary artery disease. After a median of 37 months (32 to 38) and 4.5 follow-up echocardiograms (4 to 6) per patient, 11.4% of patients (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.2% to 17.7%) developed LVEF 130 mm Hg was associated with more LVEF decline. During follow-up, 50 patients died (3-year mortality 15.3%) and 67 additional patients were hospitalized for HF (3-year death plus HF hospitalization 35.6%). Development of LVEF
Personalized models of personality disorders: using a temporal network method to understand symptomatology and daily functioning in a clinical sample.

Background An ongoing challenge in understanding and treating personality disorders (PDs) is a significant heterogeneity in disorder expression, stemming from variability in underlying dynamic processes. These processes are commonly discussed in clinical settings, but are rarely empirically studied due to their personalized, temporal nature. The goal of the current study was to combine intensive longitudinal data collection with person-specific temporal network models to produce individualized symptom-level structures of personality pathology. These structures were then linked to traditional PD diagnoses and stress (to index daily functioning). Methods Using about 100 daily assessments of internalizing and externalizing domains underlying PDs (i.e. negative affect, detachment, impulsivity, hostility), a temporal network mapping approach (i.e. group iterative multiple model estimation) was used to create person-specific networks of the temporal relations among domains for 91 individuals (62.6% female) with a PD. Network characteristics were then associated with traditional PD symptomatology (controlling for mean domain levels) and with daily variation in clinically-relevant phenomena (i.e. stress). Results Features of the person-specific networks predicted paranoid, borderline, narcissistic, and obsessive-PD symptom counts above average levels of the domains, in ways that align with clinical conceptualizations. They also predicted between-person variation in stress across days. Conclusions Relations among behavioral domains thought to underlie heterogeneity in PDs were indeed associated with traditional diagnostic constructs and with daily functioning (i.e. stress) in person-specific networks. Findings highlight the importance of leveraging data and models that capture person-specific, dynamic processes, and suggest that person-specific networks may have implications for precision medicine.
Mitral annular calcification predicts coronary artery disease in end-stage renal disease patients on hemodialysis

Background Mitral annulus calcifi cation ( MAC) is a chronic, degenerative process of the fi brous support structure of the mitral valve. The reported prevalence of MAC is between 8 and 15%, but it signifi cantly increases with age and in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors or chronic kidney disease. Aim The aim of this study was to determine whether MAC predicts coronary artery disease in a group of end-stage renal disease patients. Patients and Methods Twenty-three patients with ESRD on hemodialysis referred for coronary angiography were prospectively studied. Results This study included 23 patients, MAC was seen in nine patients (39%). Seven patients had significant coronary artery disease (CAD) (30%). Ten patients had impaired left ventricular function (LVEF Conclusion MAC occurs in a proportion of patients with ESRD and is associated with increased mortality and the presence of significant CAD.
Abstract P255: Moderate Alcohol Consumption and the Risk of Acute Ischemic Stroke and All-Cause Mortality: The Million Veteran Program

Introduction: Moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with lower risk of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the general population, but this relation has not been examined among U.S. Veterans....
AcademH, a lineage of Academ DNA transposons encoding helicase found in animals and fungi.

DNA transposons are ubiquitous components of eukaryotic genomes. Academ superfamily of DNA transposons is one of the least characterized DNA transposon superfamilies in eukaryotes. DNA transposons belonging to the Academ superfamily have been reported from various animals, one red algal species Chondrus crispus, and one fungal species Puccinia graminis. Six Academ families from P. graminis encode a helicase in addition to putative transposase, while some other families encode a single protein which contains a putative transposase and an XPG nuclease. Systematic searches on Repbase and BLAST searches against publicly available genome sequences revealed that several species of fungi and animals contain multiple Academ transposon families encoding a helicase. These AcademH families generate 9 or 10-bp target site duplications (TSDs) while Academ families lacking helicase generate 3 or 4-bp TSDs. Phylogenetic analysis clearly shows two lineages inside of Academ, designated here as AcademH and AcademX for encoding helicase or XPG nuclease, respectively. One sublineage of AcademH in animals encodes plant homeodomain (PHD) finger in its transposase, and its remnants are found in several fish genomes. The AcademH lineage of TEs is widely distributed in animals and fungi, and originated early in the evolution of Academ DNA transposons. This analysis highlights the structural diversity in one less studied superfamily of eukaryotic DNA transposons.
Chemical imaging in food authentication

Abstract The authenticity of foods is an age-old problem. Food authenticity issues, especially adulteration, have been existed as long as food has been made and sold. Now it has become more sophisticated and widespread all over the world. Major food adulteration events seem to occur regularly, for example, Sudan Red dye adulteration with spices in 2003, melamine adulteration with milk powder in 2008, dioxins adulteration in pork in 2008, detergent, fat, and urea adulteration in milk in 2008, horse meat adulteration in processed beef in 2013, and many more. These are just a few of the major incidents, and the full scale of adulteration is not well known because most incidents go undetected or unreported. Moore and Lipp documented over 1300 cases of food adulteration occurred from 1980 to 2010. The occurrence of fraud is not natural to evaluate without using highly sophisticated analytical tools. Detecting adulteration is difficult, as most of the cases, the adulterants are very usually similar to the authentic product.
Mechanical and Durability Properties of Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) Incorporated with Nano Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)

Despite lower environmental impacts, the use of Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) concrete has been limited due to its reduced later age strength and compromised durability properties. This research evaluates the effects of nano calcium carbonate (CaCO3) on the performance of PLC concrete. The study follows a series of experiments on the fresh, hardened, and durability properties of PLC concrete with different replacement rates of nano CaCO3. Incorporation of 1% nano CaCO3 into PLC concrete provided the optimal performance, where the 56 days compressive strength was increased by approximately 7%, and the permeability was reduced by approximately 13% as compared to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) concrete. Further, improvements were observed in other durability aspects such as Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) and scaling resistance. Additionally, nano CaCO3 has the potential to be produced within the cement plant while utilizing the CO2 emissions from the cement industries. The integration of nanotechnology in PLC concrete thus will help produce a more environment-friendly concrete with enhanced performance. More in-depth study on commercial production of nano CaCO3 thus has the potential to offer a new generation cement—sustainable, economical, and durable cement—leading towards green infrastructure and global environmental sustainability.
Usable climate science is adaptation science

The author argues that in the present historical moment, the only climate science that is truly usable is that which is oriented towards adaptation, because current policies and politics are so far from what would be needed to avert dangerous climate change that scientific uncertainty is not a limiting factor on mitigation. The author considers what implications this might have for climate science and climate scientists.
Inventory Control involving Unknown Censored Demand and Convex Inventory Costs

We study inventory control involving lost sales and hence censored demand. In a long-run average framework, the demand distribution is largely unknown. As long as the stationary inventory costs are truly convex to the extent that the second lost item costs strictly more than the first lost item, the regret would be $\Omega(T^{2/3})$. We propose a policy that deliberately orders up to very high levels in designated learning periods and in the remaining doing periods, uses base-stock levels tailored to empirical distributions formed over the learning periods. A matching $O(T^{2/3})$ upper bound can be achieved by the policy. When inventory costs assume the special $V$-shaped form in which all holding cost rates are the same and so are all the lost cost rates, the bound could be extended to the case where items are nonperishable. Our numerical study indicates the $V$-shape restriction to be potentially relaxable. It also confirms the advantage of our policy over a slew of others from the literature.
Remote Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) Training in Pre-Clinical Medical Students

Study Objective To pilot a remote learning Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) elective to pre-clinical medical students. Design Due to COVID-19 restrictions, pre-clinical medical students were required to strictly quarantine for two weeks upon arrival to their clinical rotation sites, during which they would engage in an elective of their choice. Medical students enrolled in the Remote Learning FLS Elective received a laparoscopic training box (Task It) with supplies prior to traveling around the continental United States for clinical rotations. Students also received instructions to access publicly available FLS modules and videos to introduce instruments and tasks. Each learner engaged in self-guided practice with coaching available via a live-streaming platform to assist with refining their skills during the course. Setting While quarantined in three different locations (Bethesda MD, San Antonio TX, and San Diego CA) learners utilized space in their living quarters to set up the Task II trainer and computer. Patients or Participants Three pre-clinical medical students enrolled in a 2-week distance learning FLS elective. Interventions Learners participated in a 2-week distance learning elective that utilized self-directed learning and practice, use of available FLS modules and videos, and individual coaching sessions with instructor. Measurements and Main Results All learners were true novices with no prior FLS or laparoscopic experience, and minimal to no experience with surgical skills. Learners practiced individually and timed themselves practicing each skill. Each was able to attain facility with object transfer, depth perception. Conclusion All learners improved from their baseline skills level. Remote coaching of FLS with true novices is a viable alternative to traditional face to face learning with motivated learners.
The Evolutionary Psychology of Sibling Conflict and Siblicide

Conflict between siblings is common, not only in humans, but also in a wide variety of other species. It is also an unsurprising phenomenon, as offspring compete for dominance as well as food resources (in birds and many mammals, as well as other species) and, in the case of human siblings, for parental attention, affection, and monetary resources. While the majority of sibling conflict has no long-lasting deleterious effects in humans, in several animal species (and occasionally in humans) it can be violent and lead to physical injury and even death. When such conflicts are fatal, they are referred to as siblicides. An evolutionary perspective would predict that, even though siblicide is quite rare, when it does occur, it is likely to be influenced by some of the same factors that influence milder sibling disputes. The human and nonhuman research on the role of sex of sibling, resource availability, birth spacing, and relatedness in siblicide and sibling conflict is discussed.
NICKEL-IRON-SELENIUM HYDROGENASE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the metabolic role and characterization of nickel–iron–selenium (Ni–Fe–Se) hydrogenase. The enzyme hydrogenase catalyzes the reversible oxidation of molecular hydrogen and plays a vital role in anaerobic metabolism. It is a key enzyme for both hydrogen uptake and hydrogen evolution in sulfate-reducing anaerobic bacteria, in fermentative anaerobes, in facultative anaerobes, and in aerobic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in symbiosis with Rhizobia, photosynthetic bacteria, and cyanobacteria. Nickel–iron–selenium hydrogenases contain a nickel center coordinated to selenium as well as two [4Fe-4S] centers. The nickel center in hydrogenase is additionally coordinated to nitrogen or oxygen in the first ligand sphere, and is thought to be the locus at which hydrogen binds and [Fe-S] clusters function as secondary electron carriers. The magnitude of protein concentration determination influences the calculation of the number of iron atoms per molecule, which in turn can influence the assignment of [Fe-S] cluster type, especially at the preliminary stage of characterization. It can also affect the assignment of molecular weight and extinction coefficient of metalloenzymes.
Social Anxiety and Romantic Relationships

Adolescent romantic involvement is statistically normative and makes important contributions to relational development. Social anxiety is a prevalent problem in adolescents and is likely to interfere with the development of healthy romantic functioning. In the current chapter, we first review the nature of adolescent romantic relationships and their implications for social development. We then discuss associations between romantic processes in adolescence and social anxiety. We note that social anxiety impairs peer processes that are likely to impact romantic functioning and review research drawn from the adolescent and adult literatures, showing that social anxiety predicts low engagement in romantic relationships and dysfunction in existing relationships. Finally, we discuss possibilities for future research and implications for treatment and prevention programs.
Unconstrained Paving & Plastering: A New Idea for All Hexahedral Mesh Generation

Unconstrained Plastering is a new algorithm with the goal of generating a conformal all-hexahedral mesh on any solid geometry assembly. Paving[1] has proven reliable for quadrilateral meshing on arbitrary surfaces. However, the 3D corollary, Plastering [2][3][4][5], is unable to resolve the unmeshed center voids due to being over-constrained by a pre-existing boundary mesh. Unconstrained Plastering attempts to leverage the benefits of Paving and Plastering, without the over-constrained nature of Plastering. Unconstrained Plastering uses advancing fronts to inwardly project unconstrained hexahedral layers from an unmeshed boundary. Only when three layers cross, is a hex element formed. Resolving the final voids is easier since closely spaced, randomly oriented quadrilaterals do not over-constrain the problem. Implementation has begun on Unconstrained Plastering, however, proof of its reliability is still forthcoming.
Money and Monetary Policy in Less Developed Countries: A Survey of Issues and Evidence

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses money and monetary policy in less developed countries (LDCs). The purpose is to survey many of the issues that have been dealt with both by academic economists and policymakers, to throw light on some of the important issues still remaining to be explored, and to show the extent to which some of the core ideas are supported by the empirical evidence gathered for several LDCs. The chapter discusses the role of money and the financial sector in the economic development process, and the policy objectives suggested by that role. The emphasis is on the problems of implementing these policies. It begins with the behavior of the money supply. The chapter describes the factors affecting that monetary aggregate's supply and demand and their empirical estimation. The central bank's monetary control instruments such as refinancing, bank rate, open market operations, and reserve requirements are then examined in the LDC setting.
The Dirichlet Problem

In this chapter, approximation of solutions of Laplace’s equation requires the study of sequences of harmonic functions, making use of the integral representations and averaging properties of harmonic functions. The latter property is used to incorporate a larger class of functions called superharmonic functions that are used to approximate solutions. Such approximate solutions culminate in Wiener’s theorem that associates with each continuous boundary function a solution of the Dirichlet problem. Theorems due to Poincare and Zaremba ensure that a solution will take on the prescribed boundary value at points of the boundary.
The adriamycin-iron(III) complex is a potent inhibitor of protein kinase C

Using Triton X-100/lipid mixed micellar methods, we observed that the adriamycin-iron(III) complex was a potent inhibitor of protein kinase C while uncomplexed adriamycin itself was a poor inhibitor in the absence of heavy metal contaminants. The 3:1 adriamycin-iron complex was more potent than 2:1, 1:1, and 1:0 complexes. Inhibition of protein kinase C was reversible, and 50% inhibition occurred at 13 microM (adriamycin)3Fe3+. Both the catalytic and the regulatory domain of protein kinase C were affected by adriamycin-iron(III). Adriamycin-iron(III) was a competitive inhibitor of the catalytic domain of protein kinase C with respect to MgATP but not with respect to magnesium (IC50 350 microM). The predominant interaction of adriamycin-iron(III) with native protein kinase C was as a competitive inhibitor with respect to diacylglycerol. Inhibition was not competitive with respect to phosphatidylserine, calcium, magnesium, MgATP, or histone. Interaction with the regulatory domain was demonstrated by the ability of adriamycin-iron(III) to inhibit phorbol dibutyrate binding. Other adriamycin transitional metal complexes showed little inhibition of protein kinase C activity. Acetylation of the amine on the daunosamine moeity of adriamycin did not preclude the formation of a ferric complex but resulted in total loss of inhibitory activity. These results suggest that the presence of free amines in a highly structured adriamycin-iron complex is necessary for inhibition. The implications of inhibition of protein kinase C by adriamycin-iron(III) are discussed.
Automated detection of noninvasive magnetic resonance markers

An image processing technique is developed that automatically identifies noninvasive magnetic resonance (MR) markers in tagged cardiac MR images. The algorithm uses correlation images. As the value of each pixel in the correlation image reflects the likelihood that an MR marker is present, marker locations appear as high intensity regions in the correlation image. These regions are isolated using knowledge of tag grid spacing and a threshold of lowest acceptable correlation. The accuracy of the algorithm is demonstrated using images from human volunteers and from a specially designed rotating phantom. The technique has the advantage of removing subjective bias and realizes a substantial savings in time over manual analysis methods. >
The economic trajectoryof Puerto Rico since WWII

This is a review essay that discuss the behavior of the Economy of Puerto Rico. It centered in the transformation of the economy after World War II.
PD-1 Blockers

Nivolumab and pembrolizumab are monoclonal antibodies that block the programmed death-1 receptor (PD-1, CD279), resulting in dis-inhibition of tumor-specific immune responses. Both are recently approved for use in the treatment of metastatic melanoma, and nivolumab as well for non-small cell lung cancer.
Nonlinear constructive interference in electrical lattices.

We analyze the constructive interference of input signals in nonlinear, discrete, two-dimensional media. The media consist of inductor-capacitor lattices with saturating, voltage-dependent capacitors. We find that nonlinearity significantly boosts the ability of such media to generate large-amplitude output signals from small-amplitude inputs. To understand this boosting, we develop a general perturbative method suitable for finding the steady-state solution of a damped $N\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}N$ nonlinear lattice that is driven at a single frequency. We verify our theory using extensive numerical simulations.
Automatic mapping of nested loops to FPGAS

This paper present a framework for automatic mapping of perfectly nested loops with constant dependences onto regular processor arrays, suitable for direct implementation on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). The problem is modeled as that of finding a suitable completion procedure for a full-rank linear transformation on the iteration space. The approach enables extraction of necessary degrees of communication-free and pipelined parallelism to optimize performance under the resource constraints of limited logic resources and I/O bandwidth available on an FPGA. The generation of control signals for the custom processing elements is also addressed. Examples of automatic derivation of parallel designs for some common nested loops are provided. Experimental results on the Cray XD1 show that an FPGA-based matrix-multiplication design obtained using the framework attains significant speedup on the XD1's attached FPGA, when compared to execution on the XD1 CPU.
Hydroxide Attack on Acetylene: Theoretical Structures and Energies

Several C2H3O- species resulting from the interaction of acetylene and hydroxide have been characterized with ab initio calculations. MP2 geometry optimizations were performed with augmented, correlation-consistent, polarized-valence, double-ζ basis sets. The total energies of the most crucial structures were also recalculated at the QCISD(T) level with MP2-optimized geometries. Nine structures corresponding to local minima have been found at the MP2 level, their stability decreasing in the following order: acetaldehyde enolate anion > acetyl anion ≈ ethynide−water complex > ethenyloxy anion ≈ vinyloxy anion. The ethynide−water complex is either the most stable product of the reaction of hydroxide with acetylene or at least an initial stable intermediate.
Relationships between glucose, insulin and glucagon during fasting in late gestation in the rat.

Abstract Plasma glucose, insulin and glucagon were measured in pregnant and age-matched virgin rats in the fed state and after fasting 6, 48 or 120 hours during day 16–21 of gestation. The fed state in pregnancy was characterized by a metabolic setting favoring anabolism. The lower plasma glucose in the fed pregnant rats was associated with higher insulin, slightly lower glucagon and higher insulin/glucose and insulin/glucagon ratios than in virgin rats. During fasting, glucose fell to sustained hypoglycemic levels in the pregnant animals whereas glucose declined but did not achieve hypoglycemia at any point in the virgins. Despite the hypoglycemia, greater levels of plasma insulin persisted in the pregnant throughout the 120 hours of fasting and insulin/glucagon ratios did not differ significantly from the euglycemic virgins. Thus, “accelerated starvation” in pregnancy cannot be ascribed to relative glucagon excess. Rather, the preservation of normal insulin/glucagon ratios despite prevailing hypoglycemia, may provide a mechanism during fasting in pregnancy for restraining maternal protein catabolism in the face of the added fuel demands of the conceptus.
ORGANOCHLORINE CONCENTRATIONS AND EGGSHELL THICKNESS IN FAILED EGGS OF THE CALIFORNIA CLAPPER RAIL FROM SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO BAY

Abstract In 1992 we collected 22 failed California Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) eggs from four tidal marshes of south San Francisco Bay for organochlorine analysis and determination of eggshell thickness. Mean eggshell thickness of these eggs (262 microns) was not statistically distinguishable from that of pre-1932 museum eggs (271 microns). Total PCB concentrations in eggs ranged from 0.65 to 5.01 μg g−1 on an adjusted fresh wet weight basis, with a geometric mean concentration of 1.30 μg g−1. DDE concentrations were extremely low at a geometric mean of 0.11 μg g−1. Geometric mean concentrations of all other organochlorines detected were below 0.10 μg g−1. The concentrations of all organochlorines except PCBs appear to have declined in California Clapper Rails since the mid 1980s. PCBs may still be high enough in some rail eggs to produce embryotoxic effects but additional work to quantify the more toxic PCB congeners in rail eggs is needed. Concentraciones de Organocloros y Espesor de lo...
Journal of Liposome Research: a Journal Born Again

(1992). Journal of Liposome Research: a Journal Born Again. Journal of Liposome Research: Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. iii-iii.
Quantitative morphological and compositional evaluation of laboratory prepared aluminoborosilicate glass surfaces

Abstract Surface finishing techniques including polishing, etching and heat treatment can modify the topography and the surface chemical composition of glasses. It is widely acknowledged that atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be used to quantify the morphology of surfaces, providing various parameters including average, peak-to-valley, and apparent root-mean-square roughness. Furthermore advanced power spectral density (PSD) analysis of AFM-derived surface profiles offers quantification of the spatial homogeneity of roughness values along different wavelengths, resulting in parameters including equivalent RMS, Hurst exponent, and fractal dimension. Outermost surface (∼8 nm) chemical composition can be quantitatively measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In this paper, we first developed a series of surface finishing methods for an aluminoborosilicate glass system by polishing, etching or heat treatment. The chemical composition and environment of prepared glass surfaces were quantified by XPS and topographical analysis was carried out by fractal and k-correlation model fitting of PSD profiles derived via AFM. The chemical environment of elements, as determined via XPS, present on the prepared surfaces are similar to those within the pristine bulk glass. The compositional evolution of polished and melt surfaces are discussed in context of corrosion phenomena associated with the grinding, polishing, and etching of surfaces and the thermal heat treatment utilized for processing, respectively. Good correlation between surface finishing methods, chemical composition and topographical parameters were observed. More importantly, extensive discussions on topographical parameters including equivalent RMS, Hurst exponent, and fractal dimension are presented as a function of processing method.
Effects of disinfectants on wastewater effluent toxicity

Wastewater disinfection is most commonly achieved by halogenation, ozonation or ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. All of these processes are known to be capable of inducing chemical changes among non-microbial aqueous constituents, which can lead to changes in effluent toxicity behavior. Undiluted effluent samples from seven wastewater treatment facilities were exposed to commonly-applied disinfectants (chlorination/dechlorination, ozonation and UV irradiation) and assayed for their toxicity behavior; Ceriodaphnia dubia survival and reproduction were used as measures of chronic toxicity. The results of these assays confirmed the ability of all the disinfectants to alter toxicity response behavior. The toxicity responses demonstrated site-specificity and strong temporal variations. In general, when undisinfected effluent did not display toxicity, no toxicity was observed following any of the disinfection procedures; when toxicity was displayed in the undisinfected effluent, all disinfectants demonstrated the ability to alter toxicity, in most cases resulting in an increase. The changes in toxicological response attributable to disinfectant exposure followed the trend: chlorination/dechlorination > ozonation > UV irradiation, but substantial variations from this trend were evident in individual samples.
From crazed to focused: Designing user interfaces for effective group collaboration and awareness

Todaypsilas information workers are characterized by their ability to easily handle interruptions, to multi-task, task switch on a dime and make sense of enormous amounts of information in high pressure situations. In addition, current and future technologies, including various wearables and sensing devices, ensure that robust communications and information transmissions can occur just about anywhere, at any time, and to anyone. Finally, our ability to log, collect and visualize event data becomes ever more sophisticated, allowing us to analyze trends and identify patterns across many areas of individual and group behavior. How do we use these technological trends to ensure that we are designing tools that improve productivity, insight, and an overall sense of user control in groups of users? In this talk, I will discuss our research approach to the group-centered design of advanced user interfaces, and I will describe a few of our more recent research projects by way of example.
A fast and accurate numerical tool to model the modal properties of photonic-bandgap fibers

We describe a finite-difference numerical method that allows us to simulate the modes of air-core photonic-bandgap fibers (PBF) of any geometry in minutes on a standard PC. The modes' effective indices and fields are found by solving a vectorial transverse magnetic-field equation in a matrix form, which can be done quickly because this matrix is sparse and because we reduce its bandwidth by rearranging its elements. The Stanford Photonic-Bandgap Fiber code, which is based on this method, takes about 4 minutes to model 20 modes of a typical PBF on a PC. Other advantages include easy coding, faithful modeling of the abrupt discontinuities in the index profile, high accuracy, and applicability to waveguides of arbitrarily complex profile.
Myocardial Protection from Ischemic Preconditioning is Mimicked by Transgenic Overexpression of A1 Adenosine Receptors ♦ 127

“Preconditioning” the heart with brief periods of ischemia protects it from sustained ischemia such as can occur during surgical correction of congenital heart disease. One possible mechanism of this protection involves the activation of A1 adenosine receptors. To investigate the role of A1 adenosine receptors in ischemic preconditioning, wild-type and transgenic mouse hearts with increased A1 receptors were studied. The effect of preconditioning on recovery from sustained ischemia was examined in isolated Langendorff hearts in each group. Myocardial injury was assessed by postischemic functional recovery (% of baseline developed tension,% DT) and quantitation of enzyme markers of cell death in coronary effluent (creatine kinase, CK and lactate dehydrogenase, LDH; u/L/gm for both). Transgenic overexpression of A1 receptors resulted in greater recovery of developed tension (45% vs 26% p<0.05, ANOVA) and nearly undetectable levels of CK and LDH compared to wild-type (table). Preconditioning wild-type hearts improved recovery of developed tension similar to A1 receptor overexpression (38% vs 45%, n.s.) and also resulted in very low levels of CK and LDH. Interestingly, preconditioning in transgenic hearts caused no further improvement of function (39% vs 45%, n.s.). In summary, both preconditioning and transgenic overexpression of A1 adenosine receptors result in similar improvement of functional recovery and decreased cell death following ischemia. The inability of preconditioning to further enhance the functional recovery in transgenic mice suggests that hearts with A1 adenosine receptor overexpression may already be preconditioned.
Plastic responses to limited food availability and spine damage in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson)

Abstract The purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson) has been shown to exhibit phenotypic variation that is dependent on habitat. The interaction of two common conditions existing in the intertidal zone; viz., food limitation and wave action resulting in spine damage, were explored under laboratory conditions. Changes in overall size, test weight, and jaw length were determined as urchins were subjected to different food levels and spine damage. Results indicate that food availability influences overall growth to a greater degree than does spine damage. An increase in the length of the jaws begins almost immediately following a reduction in the amount of food. Animals that were subjected to spine damage, in addition to repairing spines, appeared to allocate a greater amount of material to the lanterns and tests, which suggests that spine repair may stimulate overall calcification. Reinforcement of the test clearly has survival value for sea urchins of exposed rocky shores.
Signature amino acid changes in latent membrane protein 1 distinguish Epstein-Barr virus strains.

Sequence variations in the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 gene have been described in numerous EBV-associated tumors with some of these variations, most notably a 30-base pair deletion in the cytoplasmic carboxyl-terminal domain, suggested as associated with an increase in tumorigenicity. In this study, EBV DNA sequence was determined from 92 tissue specimens or cell lines, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma, oral hairy leukoplakia, post-transplant lymphoma, post-transplant without pathology, mononucleosis, Burkitt's lymphoma, parotid tumor, and normal from distinct geographical regions. The amino- and carboxyl-terminal sequences and, in some cases, the full-length sequences of latent membrane protein 1 were determined. Characteristic sequence patterns distinguished strains, with the carboxyl-terminal sequence being the most informative in distinguishing among the strains. Phylogenetic relationships between strains were determined, as were signature amino acid changes that discriminate between them. A correlation between strain and disease or strain and geographic location was not detected. The sequence variation and signature sequences identified at least seven distinct strains, as well as hybrid strains that apparently result from recombination.
A graphics toolkit based on differential constraints

This paper describes Bramble, a toolkit for constructing graphical editing applications. The primary focus of Bramble is improve support for graphical manipulation by employing differential constraint techniques. A constraint engine capable of managing non-linear equations maps interactive controls and constraints to object parameters. This allows objects to provide mathematical outputs that are easily composed, rather than exposing their internal structure or requiring special purpose interaction techniques. The model of interaction used with the differential approach has a continuous notion of time, which provides the continuous motion required for graphical manipulation. Bramble provides a LISP-like extension language and support for other application features such as windows and buttons. The paper concludes with examples of interaction techniques defined in Bramble and applications built with Bramble.
About conditional masking probability models

We study the existing models for right-censored competing risks data and with masked failure cause. By introducing a new random variable hidden behind the current models, we give a practical interpretation of the symmetry assumption made by almost all researchers in this field. We further point out that the drawback of the symmetry assumption is that it has a strong restriction on the underlying distribution function to be studied. Moreover, we correct an assumption in the current models.