cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychoneuroimmunology: introductory comments on its physics and metaphysics.

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), as an emerging field of science and medicine, has been challenged, first, by the extraordinary complexity of each of its interacting elements: the central nervous system, behavior, and the immune system. These interactions, in turn, must ultimately be tested empirically in relation to their consequences for physical health and disease. A second, and equally formidable challenge, has extrascientific origins. Psychoneuroimmunologic concepts can be extraordinarily attractive to patients and practitioners struggling to maintain personal autonomy in the face of medical technology and its attendant dehumanization. In their enthusiasm, many have gone well beyond the empirically delineated science of PNI. In the United States, there has been a sense of urgency among the lay public (and among some clinicians) to adopt observations from what is still primarily a patchwork of loosely linked observations to support novel but fundamentally unsubstantiated treatments for disorders such as cancer. Clinical enthusiasm for procedures such as guided imagery, linked initially to the even more primitive base of psychoimmunologic knowledge of 15-20 years ago, engendered a furious scientific backlash. Traditional immunologists and other scientists and physicians were confronted with a discipline that seemed to be promulgated by practitioners of (yet to be legitimized) alternative medicine and, possibly, outright charlatans. In 1984, the journal Nature published an editorial entitled ‘Psychoimmunology: Before Its Time’ (Maddox, 1984). The following year, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article that found no correlation between psychosocial factors and survival in patients with advanced malignant disease, accompanied by an editorial arguing that the influence of the brain and psychological states on immunity and health were likely to be of negligible clinical significance (Angell, 1985). These responses were, at least in part, an attempt to protect patients and families from treatments that were unsubstantiated, expensive and, in some cases, advocated as alternatives to established medical treatments with demonstrated (albeit limited) efficacy. The confrontation that emerged seemed at times to cross the boundary of scientific discourse and dissent, becoming a struggle for the souls of believers and skeptics. Some advocates of science began to lump the science of psychoimmunology with the healers who too enthusiastically embraced and expanded upon its findings. The belief that emotional states (by today’s science, ‘the brain’) can influence the immune system and health runs deep within Western culture and medicine (not to mention that of the East). Galen reportedly asserted that melancholic
Identity synchronization in diode lasers with unidirectional feedback and injection of rotated optical fields

Identity synchronization is observed experimentally and numerically in the chaotic dynamics of a system of two unidirectionally coupled semiconductor lasers. The transmitter and receiver lasers are subjected to polarization-rotated optical feedback and injection, respectively. Numerical and analytical results show that identity synchronization requires parameter matching through a relationship between the injection and feedback strengths, and linewidth enhancement factors of the lasers. Inverse synchronization is also observed experimentally.
The Value of Certifying Software Release Readiness: An Exploratory Study of Certification for a Critical System at JPL

A software release is a decision to deliver code to an organization outside of the development team usually for testing or operational purposes. For critical systems this can be a risky decision where failure to pass a test or holding up the project schedule can have a major impact. The release decision is primarily based on the understanding on the level of quality the software currently has (be it high quality, low quality, or unknown). But for large, complex systems, determining the level of quality with high confidence is a challenge. A poor understanding of the confidence in the quality level increases decision risk leading potentially to a bad release decision that possibly could have been avoided had the confidence in the quality been better known. Certification of release readiness attempts to address this risk by building confidence in the quality level. But this comes at a cost and the relationship between certification and decision risk reduction has not been well understood. This work describes our experience investigating the value of certification and our efforts to improve the mandated software readiness certification record (SRCR) process. A well known critical system at JPL is used as a case study to exemplify this effort.
Cyclooxygenase inhibitory and antioxidant compounds from crabapple fruits.

Crabapple trees belong to the Malus genus (Rosaceae) and bear fruits that are sparingly consumed and used in the preparation of fruit beverages. Cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant bioassay-guided fractionation of the aqueous and methanol extracts of Malus × kornicensis and Malus × Indian Summer yielded (+)-catechin (1), (−)-epicatechin (2), cyanidin-3-O-β-galactopyranoside (3), and amygdalin (4). Pure compounds 1−4 were obtained by HPLC, identified by LC-ES/MS, CD, and NMR spectroscopic methods and evaluated for their COX enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant activities. In COX-1 and -2 enzyme inhibitory assays, compounds 1−3 (all at 80 μM) showed activities of 20.4, 46.3%; 57.6, 47.9%; and 8.2, 13.7%, respectively, compared to naproxen (54.3, 41.3%; 10 μM), ibuprofen (47.5, 39.8%; 10 μM), Celebrex (46.2, 66.3%; 1.67 ppm), and Vioxx (23.8, 88.1%, 1.67 ppm). In the antioxidant assay, the catechins (1−2) and anthocyanin (3) (all at 40 μM) showed activities of 61.3, 62.5, and 60.1%, respectiv...
Effects of nicotine on spontaneous locomotor activity in rats having high and low basal activity levels

Two groups of six rats each, preselected for high and low rates of spontaneous wheelrunning activity, were tested immediately following injections of either distilled water or nicotine hydrogen tartrate. At 0.10, 0.20, 0.40, and 0.80 mg/kg, nicotine depressed wheelrunning significantly in the high-activity Ss during the first 20 min after the injection. The performance of the low-activity Ss was not significantly affected by any dose of the drug. No evidence of tolerance development to the depressant actions of the drug was obtained.
Introduction to the Memphis Restructuring Initiative

*Much of the research reported in this series was supported by a grant from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, to the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk (Grant No. R‐117D‐40005). However, any opinions expressed by the authors are our own and do not represent the policies or positions of the U.S. Department of Education.
Effect of race on outcome of white and black children with acute myeloid leukemia: the St. Jude experience.

Background The association between race and outcome of treatment for childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not been adequately studied. Procedure We compared the clinical characteristics, biological features, and outcomes between white and black children with AML who were treated on five consecutive clinical protocols (1980–2002) at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We used proportional hazards modeling to investigate the relation between race and outcome. Results We observed no statistically significant differences between the 229 white and 58 black patients in clinical characteristics, FAB subtype, cytogenetic features, or outcome. There were no significant differences in event-free survival (EFS) or overall survival (OS) between the two race groups in individual clinical trials or in all studies combined. For the study group as a whole, the 5-year survival estimate was 39.2% ± 3.6% for white patients and 33.8% ± 6.5% for black patients. However, on our most recent trial (AML-97), there was a trend towards inferior outcome among black patients: the 5-year survival estimates were 55.6% ± 12.3% and 27.3% ± 13.5% for whites and blacks, respectively. Conclusions Although we detected no differences in treatment outcome between white and black children with AML over the entire study period, black children appear to have worse outcomes than white children during more recent studies. Improved treatment is needed for all children with AML. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;48:10–15. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Purification of arsenazo III, a Ca2+-sensitive dye.

Commercial preparations of Arsenazo III. (o-(1,8 dihydroxy-3,6-disulfonaphthylene-2,7-bisazo)-bisbenzenearsonic acid), a dye useful for detection of micromolar concentrations of ionized Ca2+, have been found to be grossly and variably contaminated with colored impurities and Ca2+. In this paper, methods are described for detection of the colored impurities using DEAE-cellulose thinlayer chromatography in semiorganic solvents, along with methods for purification of the dye using DEAE-cellulose column chromatography and Chelex-100 ion-exchange resin. The impurities from one commercial lot are shown to exhibit significant absorbances over the range 400–725 nm; some of the impurities exhibit spectral shifts in the presence of Ca2+, implying Ca2+ binding. Thus, use of unpurified dye to quantitate ionized Ca2+ might yield data which vary with the source and batch of dye. The chromatographically pure Arsenazo III obtained from column chromatography is characterized with respect to Na+, Ca2+, and dye content.
Evolutionary Optimization of PowerElectronics Based Power Systems

This paper sets forth and demonstrates an approach to the design of power electronics based power systems using evolutionary computing techniques. Key features of the paper are the use of evolutionary computing in the context of classical control design, construction of appropriate multievent based performance metrics, and the use of multiobjective evolutionary computing in the selection of control parameters based on system performance versus control effort. The proposed approach is demonstrated in a power electronics based power distribution system similar to those being designed for next generation warships.
Temperature-Sensitive Hollow Fibers Containing Phase Change Salts:

Hollow rayon and polypropylene fibers have been modified to change their heat capacity dramatically in an ambient temperature range (270-310 K) by filling them with aqueous solutions of calcium chloride hexahydrate/strontium chloride hexa hydrate capable of producing latent heat gains and losses in the modified fibers during repeated heating and cooling. Both fibers produced large endotherms in the heating cycle (303 K) that were dependent on the relative humidity at which the fibers were previously conditioned; however, only the modified rayon fibers exhibited a significant exotherm in the cooling cycle (282 K). Endotherms and exotherms for modified rayon fibers (previously conditioned at 45% RH) persisted even after 10 heating and cooling cycles. Apparently, hydrophilic differences in the two fiber types require different amounts of water in the salt system of the dried and conditioned fiber to produce reversible latent heat gains and losses caused by heats of fusion and crystallization of the salt syst...
SELECTIVE REINFORCEMENT TO ENHANCE THE STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE OF METALLIC COMPRESSION PANELS

An experimental and analytical investigation of the influence of selective reinforcement on metallic panels with cutouts was conducted. Selective reinforcement was shown to be a weight effective concept for increasing structural performance of panels with cutouts designed to carry loads into the post-buckled regime. For instance, a selectively reinforced aluminum panel under shear load exhibited a 68 percent increase in specificbuckling load as compared to a geometrically comparable unreinforced aluminum panel. In comparison, a quasi-isotropic carbon-fiber-reinforced-polymer composite panel only produced a 45 percent higher specificbuckling load than the same unreinforced aluminum panel. Selective reinforcement offers the potential to tailor structural response through local strengthening and stiffening the structure for a broad range of structural application.
Continuous Hydrologic Models and Curve Numbers: A Path Forward

The suitability of applying the NRCS curve number (CN) to continuous runoff prediction is examined using a new technique of back-calculating CN values from the output of a complex nonlinear hydrolo...
A novel approach to improve noise reduction in the Matrix Pencil Algorithm for chipless RFID tag detection

A chipless radio frequency identification, RFID, tag is a structure that, when excited, scatters a unique signature which is inherent to the structure [1–3]. Data is encoded as natural resonances in the structure and retrieved from the scattered field. Data retrieval is based on Singularity-Expansion-Method (SEM) analysis [4] in the complex frequency domain using target identification techniques.
Married with children: What remains when observable biases are removed from the reported male marriage wage premium

Abstract There is a substantial research literature that discusses and documents a wage premium for married men. Our meta-analysis of 59 studies and 661 estimates finds a marriage premium for US men of between 9% and 13% after misspecification and selection biases are filtered out. Results from this meta-regression analysis cast doubt upon both the ‘selection’ and the ‘specialization’ explanation for the marriage-wage premium but are consistent with the notion that marriage may cause men to become more stable and committed workers.
Exploiting Correlation and Parallelism of Materialized-View Recommendation for Distributed Data Warehouses

Many large enterprises require access to distributed data warehouses for business intelligence (BI) applications. Typically distributed data warehouses are integrated into a centralized data warehouse for the benefit of easy maintenance. However, this approach needs to overcome the complexity of data loading and job scheduling as well as scalability issues. On the other hand, the approach of a fully federated system may not be feasible for data intensive BI applications. The hybrid approach via intelligent data placement is more flexible and applicable than the centralized or full-federation configuration. The current implementation of the hybrid approach to integrating distributed data warehouses is to aggregate selected data from various remote sources as materialized views and cache them at the federation server to improve the performance of complex BI query workloads. In this paper, we propose an improvement that recommends materialized query tables (MQTs) for backend servers for the benefits of load distribution and easy maintenance of aggregated data in conjunction with the current hybrid approach of data placement. Our approach considers the correlation between backend servers and recommends MQTs that are well coordinated among the backend servers and optimized for a given workload. We also exploit the parallelism property among the backend servers to make our approach run almost linearly (in contrast to exponentially) with respect to the number of backend servers, without sacrificing its recommendation quality. Experimental evaluations validate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach.
Phase 1 study of interleukin-12 in combination with rituximab in patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Rituximab is a chimeric murine/human monoclonal antibody that binds to CD20 on B lymphocytes. Although binding of the Fab domain may induce apoptosis, the Fc domain recruits immune effector functions to mediate cell lysis. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) facilitates cytolytic T-cell responses, enhances the lytic activity of natural killer (NK) cells, and induces the secretion of interferon γ (IFN-γ) by both T and NK cells. Therefore, the hypothesis was considered that combining IL-12 with rituximab would augment the immune-mediated cell lysis induced by rituximab. A phase 1 study of IL-12 in combination with rituximab was conducted in 43 adults with B-cell lymphoma to determine the optimal immunologic dose of this combination. Rituximab was administered at a dose of 375 mg/m2 by intravenous infusion weekly for 4 weeks, and IL-12 was given subcutaneously twice weekly. The starting dose of IL-12 was 30 ng/kg and this was escalated to 500 ng/kg. Constitutional symptoms and liver enzyme elevations at 500 ng/kg of IL-12 were dose limiting. A greater than 20-fold increase in the serum levels of IFN-γ and a 2.5- to 5-fold increase in inducible protein 10 (IP-10) levels was seen at IL-12 doses of 100 ng/kg or greater. Objective responses occurred in 29 of the 43 patients (69%), with 8 of 11 complete responses seen at IL-12 doses of 300 ng/kg or greater. The optimal immunologic dose of IL-12 in combination with rituximab was determined to be 300 ng/kg subcutaneously twice weekly starting on day 2. These data suggest that IL-12 and rituximab is an active combination and further studies of this combination in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma are warranted.
History matching using probabilistic approach in a distributed computing environment

The focus of the paper is to present a novel methodology for delineating multiple reservoir domains, for the purpose of history matching in a distributed computing environment. A fully probabilistic approach to perturb permeability within the delineated zones is implemented. The combination of robust schemes for identifying reservoir zones and distributed computing significantly increase the accuracy and efficiency of the probabilistic approach. The information pertaining to the permeability variations in the reservoir that is contained in dynamic data is calibrated in terms of a deformation parameter rD. This information is merged with the prior geologic information in order to generate permeability models consistent with the observed dynamic data as well as the prior geology. The relationship between dynamic response data and reservoir attributes may vary in different regions of the reservoir due to spatial variations in reservoir attributes, well configuration, flow constrains etc. The probabilistic approach then has to account for multiple rD values in different regions of the reservoir. In order to delineate reservoir domains that can be characterized with different rD parameters, principal component analysis (PCA) of the Hessian matrix has been done. The Hessian matrix summarizes the sensitivity of the objective function at a given step of the history matching to model parameters. The eigenvectors obtained during the PCA are suitably scaled and appropriate grid block volume cut-offs are defined such that the resultant domains are neither too large (which increases interactions between domains) nor too small (implying ineffective history matching).
FOLLOWING AT A DISTANCE (AGAIN): GENDER, EQUALITY, AND FREEDOM IN KARL BARTH'S THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

This article explores the possibility of moving beyond the apparent incapacity of Karl Barth's theological anthropology to accommodate gender equality. Barth's theological anthropology is read by critics and appreciative readers alike as confining the basic form of humanity to a binary opposition (I and Thou) from which he then derives a gender-specific, hierarchical account of man and woman, and finally, of husband and wife as a paradigmatic ethical relationship. I first forward a close reading of Barth's account of I and Thou in order to explicate the nature of the normative form that is basic to his account of human being-in-relation. I apply this reading as a lens through which to re-read and re-orient his account of Man and Woman/Husband and Wife. I argue that the inequalities that appear intrinsic to Barth's formal ordering of Man and Woman/Husband and Wife owing to the absence of a standard concept of “equal regard” might be re-oriented, and limitations of his account surpassed, by grasping with greater precision and enunciating the orientational implications of Barth's christologically-anchored conception of freedom as the “root and crown” of human being-in-relation generally, and gendered relationship in particular.
A homogenized multigroup diffusion theory for the neutron transport equation

We consider the steady multigroup neutron transport equation in a spatially periodic medium, with a spatially periodic source, and vacuum boundary conditions. We require (1) the ratio of a cell diameter to the diameter of the entire medium to be small, and (2) the transport operator to have N ≥ 1 eigenvalues which are small in magnitude, and simple. Then we show that the transport equation solution is approximated by the solution of an explicit system of N homogenized diffusion equations. We briefly discuss these equations and their properties.
Coupling of Thalamocortical Sleep Oscillations Are Important for Memory Consolidation in Humans

Sleep, specifically non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, is thought to play a critical role in the consolidation of recent memories. Two main oscillatory activities observed during NREM, cortical slow oscillations (SO, 0.5–1.0Hz) and thalamic spindles (12–15Hz), have been shown to independently correlate with memory improvement. Yet, it is not known how these thalamocortical events interact, or the significance of this interaction, during the consolidation process. Here, we found that systemic administration of the GABAergic drug (zolpidem) increased both the phase-amplitude coupling between SO and spindles, and verbal memory improvement in humans. These results suggest that thalamic spindles that occur during transitions to the cortical SO Up state are optimal for memory consolidation. Our study predicts that the timely interactions between cortical and thalamic events during consolidation, contribute to memory improvement and is mediated by the level of inhibitory neurotransmission.
Reaction time analysis with outlier exclusion: bias varies with sample size.

To remove the influence of spuriously long response times, many investigators compute “restricted means”, obtained by throwing out any response time more than 2.0, 2.5, or 3.0 standard deviations from the overall sample average. Because reaction time distributions are skewed, however, the computation of restricted means introduces a bias: the restricted mean underestimates the true average of the population of response times. This problem may be very serious when investigators compare restricted means across conditions with different numbers of observations, because the bias increases with sample size. Simulations show that there is substantial differential bias when comparing conditions with fewer than 10 observations against conditions with more than 20. With strongly skewed distributions and a cutoff of 3.0 standard deviations, differential bias can influence comparisons of conditions with even more observations.
State Personal Income Tax Issues Raised by Change of Residence

The author considers personal income tax issues raised by change of residence. Not only are there questions of how the taxpayer should be treated in the year that he or she changes residence, but also there are a host of issues that frequently arise in connection with the move itself or as a natural consequence of the move.
Large Scale 3D Silicon Interposer Based Interconnection for Next Generation High Performance Computational Systems

The next few generations of high performance computational hardware and architecture present numerous design challenges. System power must come down, processor to memory and processor to processor bandwidth must go up. To improve performance, distances between components must shrink substantially. Designs featuring the use of large area three dimensional silicon interposer (3DSI) technologies, traditional bare die, and the newest 3DICs of stacked bare die appear able to vastly reduce the size of the electronics of a system as well as reduce power and improve performance. In our view, assembly of bare die on various silicon substrates will play an increasingly important role in addressing many of these issues for exascale computing and other high performance applications that will evolve over the next 5 to 10 years. This article describes how 3DSIs can be used in conjunction with the current generation of available integrated circuits and emerging 3DIC devices to realize this promise.
Parental care and its relationship to social organization in the montane vole (Microtus montanus)

The parental behavior of male and female montane voles ( Microtus montanus ) was evaluated by housing pairs of voles in a semi-naturalistic laboratory environment that provided runways and extensive space and cover. The male and female of each breeding pair occupied different nests, and consequently males rarely interacted with their offspring. Whereas maternal behavior showed a general decrease in frequency and duration from parturition onward, paternal care remained essentially nonexistent throughout the 20-day observation period. Males were less active than females and spent a large portion of their time resting in their nest or sitting in the runways. Despite agreement with field data on the nesting pattern of M. montanus , these results differ from those previously obtained in the laboratory environment. From a comparative perspective, parental behavior in the montane vole is similar to that of the meadow vole and different from that of the pine vole and prairie vole.
The Essene Hypothesis: Insights from Religion 101

General insights from the discipline of religious studies may contribute to a better understanding of the Essene Hypothesis. In its “softer” form, the Essene hypothesis posits a sub-group relationship between the Qumran community and a larger Essene movement as described, above all, by Josephus. This effort to accommodate differences between accounts of the Essenes and the Scrolls can be better understood when contextualized in light of the so-called “insider/outsider” problem. Josephus’s use of the term “Essene” can be productively compared to generalized labels for groups of sub-groups, like “Quaker,” “Mormon,” “Hasidic” and “Gnostic”—terms used more often by outsiders, and frequently by writers of introductory religion textbooks. The Essene Hypothesis makes a greater deal of sense when seen in light of the ways generalized labels are used in a variety of descriptions of religious groups, both ancient and modern.
Audience-Dependent Impact of Category Spanning by U.S. Art Museums

This study presents three core findings that help in understanding the mechanism by which category spanning affects organizational outcomes. First, I showed that audiences of a different nature rea...
Ionized Collisional Flow Model for Atmospheric RF Application

A multi-fluid formulation is implemented to numerically model direct current (DC) and radio frequency (RF) induced plasma wall interaction. The model uses quadratic finite elements to discretize the computational space. Argon gas properties are utilized for collisionless DC glow discharge under fully ionized conditions, and the solution is compared with a theoretical model. The dielectric barrier RF discharge between two insulated electrodes uses partially ionized helium gas. The plasma, together with the charge separated sheath region, is considered collisional. The computed charge densities at the peak discharge current are compared with published numerical results. The solutions predict the ion velocity and the neutral gas density and crossflow velocity distributions. Based on the derived electric field, the transverse gas velocity solution shows the anticipated hump in the near wall profile.
Characterization of an Intermediate in the Ammonia-Forming Reaction of Fe(DMeOPrPE)2N2 with Acid (DMeOPrPE = 1,2-[bis(dimethoxypropyl)phosphino]ethane)

The reactivity of Fe(DMeOPrPE)2N2 with water and acid was explored. (DMeOPrPE is the bidentate phosphine 1,2-[bis(dimethoxypropyl)phosphino]ethane.) The complex reacts with acid to form trans-[Fe(D...
Psychometric Evaluation of the Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test (FIRST) in Early Pregnancy

Study Objectives:To evaluate the construct validity and factor structure of the Spanish-language version of the Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test questionnaire (FIRST-S) when used in early preg...
Recognizing Sun Safety as an Employee Health Issue

This commentary discusses a survey study published in JAMA Dermatology that investigated whether government organizations in Colorado had occupational sun protection policies.
A study of EPA GHG emissions standards for existing power plants in WECC region

This paper studies the 2013 10-year plan of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), and its ability of meeting the emission rate standards for existing power plants proposed by the US Environmental Protecting Agency (EPA) in June 2014. The study represents a 10-year generation planning study. A reduced 240-bus WECC system is used as a test model, and is built on MATPOWER Software. Future energy storage has been considered in the model and is represented by adjustable-speed pumped hydro storage (AS PHS). The option 2 regional approach of the EPA emission rate standards for existing power plants has been chosen for the study. Two cases has been studied; with and without AS PHS. The results showed that considering AS PHS resulted in a significant reduction in gas generation, total system operating cost, and CO2 emissions. The EPA emission constraint was met in both without and with AS PHS cases; however, the result was better with AS PHS. Therefore, the 2013 WECC plan was able to meet the regional EPA emissions standard imposed on the current generators of the reduced WECC model.
The Cross-border Regions of Min,Zhe and Gan as a Geographical Pivot and the Construction of She Minority Community:from the Perspective of Historical Geography

For political and economic reasons,She minority people migrated from the cross-border regions of Fujian(Min),Guangdong(Yue) and Jiangxi(Gan) to the cross-border regions of Fujian(Min),Zhejiang(Zhe) and Jiangxi(Gan) from Yuan Dynasty onwards to the later part of Ming Dynasty.During this longue duree which lasted six centuries,the Ming-Zhe-Gang cross-border regions became the base of She minority people.From the perspective of historical geography,this paper first revisits the migration history of She minority people,analyzes their genealogy,and then explores the uniquelity of She culture which was shaped with the support of policies by the Qing government on the one hand,and through relatively harmonious interaction between She and Han people on the other.The construction of the She community can be better understood only from the perspective of the interaction of space,time and power.
Determination of Polysaccharide Peptides in Ophiocordyceps Sinensis by HPLC-PDA

OBJECTIVE To establish a direct determination method of polysaccharide peptides( PSP) in Ophiocordyceps sinensis by HPLC-PDA. METHODS Chromatographic Column: Atlantis T3( 4. 6 × 250 mm,5μm),column temperature was 35℃; A mobile phase of solution of CH3OH∶ H2 O = 5∶ 95,the flow velocity was 1. 0m L·min-1,the sample size was 10μL,and PDA scanning wavelength was between 190 nm and 460 nm. RESULTS The average recovery rate was 96. 3%,and the relative standard deviation( RSD) was 1. 74%,the content of PSP in sample was16. 8mg·g-1. CONCLUSION The proposed method is simple,rapid,and accurate,and has high recovery,it can be used to offer a reliable method for the determination of PSP in health products of Ophiocordyceps Sinensis.
Survey on Knowledge,Attitude,and Behavior of MSM Toward AIDS in Handan

Objective To find out MSMs'(men who have sex with men) knowledge on AIDS control and their high risk behaviors,and to provide evidences for the control of AIDS among this population.Method Questionnaire investigation by holding sodality with accompanist educator selected from MSM was conducted. Results MSM subjects aged from 21 to 30 years accounted for 65.6%,56.3% of them had sex with women also,26.8% of them had sex with man for the first time at the age of 16 to 18,and the youngest being 13 years old.The subjects who underwent homosexual behavior in the last 6 months accounted for 73.4%,35.8% had oral sex and 68.8% had anal sex.The percentage of correct answer about knowledge on AIDS was 60.4%. Conclusions High risk behaviors exist among the MSM in Handan,however,the knowledge on AIDS is insufficient among them.For blocking the spread of AIDS from high risk population to common population,it is necessary to enhance the health education and implement behavior intervention among the MSMs.
Abstract B67: CD4 Th1 cytokines synergize with HER-2/HER-3 blockade to induce tumor senescence and apoptosis in both HER-2 sensitive and resistant breast cancer cells

Background: We have demonstrated there is a loss of anti-HER-2 Th1 response during tumorigenesis in HER-2pos breast cancer. Maintenance of this response is associated with complete response to neoadjuvant therapy and prolonged disease free survival. The CD4 Th1 or Th1 cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α induce apoptosis and tumor senescence in HER-2pos breast cancer cells. In the current study we investigated whether combining Th1 cytokines with HER-2/HER-3 blockade would impact both HER-2 sensitive and resistant breast cancer cells. Results: SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells exposed to HER2 Class II peptide-primed CD4+ T-cells cells in a transwell culture system confirmed that the cytokines produced by the CD4+ T cells induced senescence and apoptosis of the HER-2pos cells as measured by SA-β-galactosidase (gal) staining, increased expression of p15INK4b and cleaved caspase 3 detected by western blot. CD4+ T-cells primed either with immature dendritic cells (DCs) or mature DCs plus irrelevant Class II (BRAF or survivin) peptides were not able to induce senescence, nor apoptosis. The senescence and apoptosis observed was dramatically augmented in HER-2pos cells exposed to HER2 Class II peptide-primed CD4+ T-cells in presence of trastuzumab and pertuzumab in the transwell. HER-2 resistant cells HCC-1419 and JIMT-1 treated with IFN-γ and TNF-α demonstrated a dose dependent increase in senescence and apoptosis suggesting HER-2 resistant cell lines are sensitive to Th1 cytokine effects. Both breast cancer cell lines tested express IFN-γ and TNF-α receptors as measured by western blot analysis. Although trastuzumab and pertuzumab had little effect on induction of senescence or apoptosis in the resistant cells, the combination of Th1 cytokines with trastuzumab and pertuzumab induced similar levels of senescence measured by SA-β-gal assay and p15INK4b as well as effectively induced cell death by apoptosis to levels similar to those seen in HER-2 sensitive cell lines. Conclusions: Our results establish a role for Th1 cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α in inducing tumor senescence and apoptosis in both sensitive and resistant HER-2 expressing cells that is dramatically augmented by HER-2/HER-3 blockade. An effective CD4 Th1 response, combined with HER-2 and HER-3 blockade can significantly drive tumor senescence and apoptosis and should be readily explored as non-cross-reactive therapy to effectively eliminate residual cancer cells and prevent recurrence in HER-2pos breast cancer. Citation Format: Cinthia Rosemblit, Brian J. Czerniecki. CD4 Th1 cytokines synergize with HER-2/HER-3 blockade to induce tumor senescence and apoptosis in both HER-2 sensitive and resistant breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research; Oct 17-20, 2015; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(2_Suppl):Abstract nr B67.
Pediatric inflammatory brain diseases: a diagnostic approach.

Purpose of reviewAutoimmune-mediated inflammatory brain diseases represent a rapidly evolving area of medicine. The expanding spectrum of disease challenges providers as they strive to accurately diagnosis and treat children presenting with new onset neuropsychiatric deficits. This review examines r
The Effect of the Protein Dynamical Transition on Intramolecular Vibrations

Protein structural motion is necessary for function. A typical measure of protein flexibility is the average mean squared atomic displacement (MSD). Both X-ray and neutron scattering have found a strong increase in the MSD at 200-220 K for a number of proteins. This increase is often referred to as the dynamical transition (DT) [1]. Function ceases for many proteins below the DT. It was suggested that the DT indicated the temperature at which the motions necessary for function are frozen out. A question has been raised as to how long-range motions are affected by the transition. Specifically, would the long-range intramolecular vibrations associated with conformational changes be present at low frequencies, and then at higher temperatures red shift due to anharmonicity, as is seen in conventional solids? The different DT measurement techniques do not distinguish between local particle excitations and coherent long-range motions. Direct optical measurement of the long-range intramolecular vibrations requires spectroscopy within the energy range of 1-100 cm−1 (ν = 0.03-3 THz). Our recently developed technique, CATM (Crystal Anisotropy Terahertz Microscopy) [2], uses polarization dependent absorption on aligned molecules to isolate the long-range intramolecular vibrations from the local excitations. Temperature dependent CATM from 180K to 295K is used to investigate how the DT effects long-range vibrations. We find that a sharp 70 cm-1 band grows in as the temperature increases. We suggest that this new band above DT demonstrates that in fact the surrounding solvent acts as a frozen cage preventing long-range correlated motions, and as the surrounding solvent becomes more mobile, the large-scale motions necessary for function can occur.1.Doster, W., et al. Physical Review Letters, 2010. 104(9): p. 098101.2.Acbas, G., et al. Nature Communications, 2014. 5, 3076 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4076.
Johan Huizinga, The Waning of the Middle Ages, and the Writing of History

ABSTRACT Contemporary professional history does not train its practitioners to write works of genuine innovation. The commitment to archive-driven research and the need to establish a niche for one's research discourages originality. It also denies the validity of history which reveals the emotional engagement of the writer or appeals beyond the narrow confines of the professional historian. Johann Huizinga's work, especially his magnum opus The Waning of the Middle Ages, serves to remind us of how breathtaking and bold history can be. In print for eight decades, Huizinga's great book is loved outside of the halls of academe despite its inadequacies and stands as one of the most influential works of the past century.
Rebels in a Rotten State: Understanding Atrocity in Sierra Leone

The cruelty of war is not an easy topic for any author. Civil wars are very difficult to understand and explain. But the most difficult aspect of all is writing about the barbarity of human behavio...
Diabetes Insipidus with Hypoxic Encephalopathy

Neurogenic diabetes insipidus (DI) due to hypoxic encephalopathy is reported in 6 cases and 28 pediatric cases in the literature are reviewed from the Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Could we advance the science of religion (better) without the concept “religion”?

ABSTRACTCould it be that scientific progress in the study of cultural experience and expression that we usually label “religion” would be accelerated if we dropped religion as an organizing concept? This question is raised in relation to several related queries: whether scientific approaches to the study of religion suffer marginalization in part because of conceptual confusion over the concept religion; whether progress in measurement in the study of religious cultural expression has been hindered by adherence to religion and its derivatives as guiding concepts; and whether partisanship in this academic area may be encouraged by poor conceptual hygiene concerning religion.
Comunity Participation in Indonesia Development Policy: Neo-Liberal and Post-Marxism Prespective

The meaning of community participation in Indonesian development history at New Era and Reformation has many been changed. The evolution of the meaning is the implication of the dynamic economic and political changing in Indonesia. It is also the consequence of its interaction with neo-liberal and post-Marxism that is promoted by international development institution and other development actors. Three phases movement of community participation meaning have been identified and analyzed in this paper on discussion in two-development paradigms: neo-liberalism and post-Marxism. Keywords : community participation, planning process; neo-liberalism, post-marxism
Prevention and Early Detection Case Study: Patient Navigation in the Breast Health Program at Boston Medical Center

This chapter will describe the experience from the implementation of a Patient Navigation program within the Breast Health Center at Boston University Medical Center, an academic safety net institution serving a diverse urban population in Boston, Massachusetts. We first describe the development of the program, as a means to address observed disparities in the delivery of breast health services, and then share the evolution of the program as we refined the theoretical framework and scope of Patient Navigation to meet our community needs. The final section will describe the essential lessons learned to guide best practice implementation and evaluation of Patient Navigation as a model for reducing disparities in prevention and early detection in breast cancer.
Feasibility of a Swimming Intervention to Improve Sleep Behaviors of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children with ASD experience high rates of sleep disturbance, but there are limited interventions addressing sleep in this population. We investigated the feasibility and acceptability of a specialized swim program, Sensory Enhanced Aquatics, for children with ASD. Additionally, we examined the extent to which the physical activity intervention impacted children’s sleep behavior as well as specific child characteristics in those most responsive to intervention. We used a pre-post intervention design to test the effects of an 8-week swim intervention on sleep of ten children aged 5-12 years. Caregivers completed measures of sleep disturbance, autism severity, and sensory processing. Findings showed that children differentially responded to the swim intervention based on autism severity and sensory processing. Children with increased sensory sensitivity and decreased autism severity showed decreased sleep disturbance following the intervention. Results showed that the intervention was feasible and highly acceptable. Sensory Enhanced Aquatics differentially improved the sleep behaviors of children with ASD based on specific child characteristics. This is relevant to recreational therapist who may need to match intervention to child characteristics for best response. Subscribe to TRJ
The nonfunctional requirement focus in medical device software: a systematic mapping study and taxonomy

This paper describes the results and analysis of a systematic mapping study of research focusing on the nonfunctional requirements in software intensive medical devices. The review covered 238 journal papers from five digital libraries. The 55 papers that met the review inclusion criteria focused on 22 NFRs, each describing a unique system behavior quality. The most dominant of these NFRs were interoperability,usability, performance,security, privacy, safety, and accuracy. A noticeable NFR gap is the notion of caring. It is not readily apparent how a medical device that monitors a patient or delivers medications or anesthetics can “care about” the sufferings, feelings and emotional needs of a patient; however, in the healthcare arena these are valid concerns. A second theme found in the papers reviewed focused on software standards/process improvement when developing software intensive medical devices. This research also provides an analysis of the software architecture tactics those researchers utilized to implement the NFRs in the medical devices.
Dynamic Refresh Rate Control for IGZO Display

IGZO is a new type of semiconductor that is used in the thin film transistors of the backplane of modern displays, including LCD, OLED, AMOLED and micro LED. IGZO possesses several unique properties that enable substantial power reduction for IGZO-based displays. One of them is that its minimum refresh rate required to avoid flickering is 1 frame per second or lower, which affords the system designer an opportunity to reduce the display power consumption by dynamically tuning the run-time display refresh rate just high enough to meet the needs of running applications. This paper explores this display refresh rate control problem for IGZO display and its possible solutions, and shows that with proper hardware and software support the potential reduction of the total display power consumption of backlight-free IGZO displays could be a factor of more than 10.
Pain After Spinal Cord Injury Is Associated With Abnormal Presynaptic Inhibition in the Posterior Nucleus of the Thalamus.

Abstract Pain after spinal cord injury (SCI-Pain) is one of the most debilitating sequelae of spinal cord injury, characterized as relentless, excruciating pain that is largely refractory to treatments. Although it is generally agreed that SCI-Pain results from maladaptive plasticity in the pain processing pathway that includes the spinothalamic tract and somatosensory thalamus, the specific mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of such pain are yet unclear. However, accumulating evidence suggests that SCI-Pain may be causally related to abnormal thalamic disinhibition, leading to hyperactivity in the posterior thalamic nucleus (PO), a higher-order nucleus involved in somatosensory and pain processing. We previously described several presynaptic mechanisms by which activity in PO is regulated, including the regulation of GABAergic as well as glutamatergic release by presynaptic metabotropic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAB) receptors. Using acute slices from a mouse model of SCI-Pain, we tested whether such mechanisms are affected by SCI-Pain. We reveal 2 abnormal changes in presynaptic signaling in the SCI-Pain condition. The substantial tonic activation of presynaptic GABAB receptors on GABAergic projections to PO—characteristic of normal animals—was absent in mice with SCI-Pain. Also absent in mice with SCI-Pain was the normal presynaptic regulation of glutamatergic projections to the PO by GABAB receptors. The loss of these regulatory presynaptic mechanisms in SCI-Pain may be an element of maladaptive plasticity leading to PO hyperexcitability and behavioral pain, and may suggest targets for development of novel treatments. Perspective This report presents synaptic mechanisms that may underlie the development and maintenance of SCI-Pain. Because of the difficulty in treating SCI-Pain, a better understanding of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms is critical, and may allow development of better treatment modalities.