cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abdominal radiograph and renal ultrasound versus excretory urography in the evaluation of asymptomatic patients after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

AbstractA prospective study was done to compare the relative efficacy of an abdominal radiograph and renal ultrasound to excretory urography for the evaluation of asymptomatic patients 1 month after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.We evaluated 101 renal units in 84 asymptomatic patients who had undergone extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy 1 month previously with abdominal radiography, excretory urography and ultrasonography to evaluate the presence of retained stone fragments, dilatation of the collecting system and intrarenal or perirenal fluid collections or masses. The combination of abdominal radiography and ultrasonography identified retained fragments in 62 renal units, while excretory urography identified them in 54. Ultrasonography was less specific in identifying dilatation of part or all of the collecting system; proving falsely positive in 7 renal units and falsely negative in 14 compared to excretory urography. However, the case of obstruction was diagnosed correctly by both modalitie...
Preoperative Evaluation and Management of Coronary and Carotid Artery Occlusive Disease in Patients with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Aortic aneurysms rarely exist without systemic manifestations of atherosclerosis beyond the confines of the aneurysm. Preoperative evaluation of coronary and carotid disease is critical in the management of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms in the perioperative period as well as in the long term.
Globally Synchronized Time via Datacenter Networks

In this paper, we present Datacenter Time Protocol (DTP), a clock synchronization protocol that does not use packets at all, but is able to achieve nanosecond precision. In essence, DTP uses the physical layer of network devices to implement a decentralized clock synchronization protocol. By doing so, DTP eliminates most non-deterministic elements in clock synchronization protocols. Further, DTP uses control messages in the physical layer for communicating hundreds of thousands of protocol messages without interfering with higher layer packets. Thus, DTP has virtually zero overhead since it does not add load at layers 2 or higher layers. It does require replacing network devices, which can be done incrementally. We demonstrate that the precision provided by DTP is bounded by 25.6 nanoseconds for directly connected nodes, and in general, is bounded by 4TD where D is the longest distance between any two servers in a network in terms of number of hops and T is the period of the fastest clock (≈ 6.4ns). Moreover, in software, a DTP daemon can access the DTP clock with usually better than 4T (≈ 25.6ns) precision. As a result, the end-to-end precision can be better than 4T D + 8T nanoseconds. By contrast, the precision of the state of the art protocol is not bounded: The precision is hundreds of nanoseconds when a network is idle and can decrease to hundreds of microseconds when a network is heavily congested.
Charge Distribution Fine-Tunes the Translocation of α-Helical Amphipathic Peptides across Membranes

Hundreds of cationic antimicrobial and cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) form amphipathic α-helices when bound to lipid membranes. Here, we test two hypotheses for the differences in the ability of these peptides to translocate across membranes. The first, which we now call the hydrophobicity hypothesis, is that peptide translocation is determined by the Gibbs energy of insertion into the bilayer from the membrane interface. The second, which we call the charge-distribution hypothesis, is that translocation is determined by whether the distribution of cationic residues in the peptide can transiently stabilize a high-energy inserted intermediate by forming salt bridges to the phosphates of lipid headgroups. To test these hypotheses, we measured translocation of two series of peptide variants. The first series was based on TP10W, a peptide derived from the amphipathic CPP transportan 10; the second was based on DL1a, a synthetic peptide derived from staphylococcal δ-lysin. The peptides in those two series had small sequence changes relative to TP10W and DL1a: either single-residue substitutions or two-residue switches, which were designed to increase or decrease translocation differently according to the two hypotheses. We found that with regard to the changes introduced in the sequences, five out of six peptide variants translocated in agreement with the charge-distribution hypothesis, whereas none showed agreement with the hydrophobicity hypothesis. We conclude that large effects on translocation are probably determined by hydrophobicity, but the fine tuning appears to arise from the distribution of cationic residues along the peptide sequence.
Cultural difference, inside and out

Cultural psychologists study the extent to which human psychological experience is shaped by our participation in sociocultural practices, meanings, and products. Cultural psychologists document cultural differences both inside the head (in the form of emotions, cognitions, or motivations) and outside the head (in the form of public behaviors, cultural products, or institutions). Because cultural psychologists argue that culture and psyche “make each other up,” it is appropriate to study cultural difference at many loci—not just the traditional psychological areas in which many of us were trained. In this article, I describe cultural psychological evidence based on its social visibility and tangible nature. One category is collected on private, intangible, inside-the-head activities such as emotions, values, or motives. Another category, social interactions and behavioral performances, is intangible, public, and outside the head and includes how people talk to each other and how they walk, drive, or dress. A third category contains cultural products, which are tangible, public, and outside the head; it includes texts, websites, advertising, art, and architecture. These varying loci of cultural psychology allow us to appropriately document cultural differences and also allow us to study how humans are shaped by, and participate in recreating, their cultural contexts.
Adolescent Tobacco Use in Urban Versus Rural Areas of the United States: The Influence of Tobacco Control Policy Environments.

Abstract Purpose Adults and adolescents who reside in rural areas of the United States are traditionally more likely to be tobacco users. This urban-rural disparity remains largely unexplained and, more recently, it is unclear what impact the emergence of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has had on adolescent tobacco use in urban and rural areas. Our objective is to evaluate the influence of sociodemographics and tobacco control policy environments on adolescent tobacco use in urban versus rural areas, as well as to identify the effect of e-cigarettes on traditional patterns of urban-rural tobacco use. Methods This study analyzes repeated cross-sectional data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey for the years 2011–2014. We estimate the associations between rural residence, cigarette taxes, tobacco advertisement exposure, and ease of access to tobacco with six tobacco use outcomes: current (past 30-day) use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, multiple tobacco products, and any tobacco. Results E-cigarette use among urban youths aged 11–17 years in the United States increased from .82% in 2011 to 8.62% in 2014 ( p p Conclusions Sociodemographics, cigarette taxes, and tobacco advertisement exposure are significant predictors of adolescent tobacco use in the United States but do not entirely explain urban-rural disparities. In addition, e-cigarettes appear to be rapidly changing traditional patterns of tobacco use, particularly in urban areas.
The Case for a Uniform Cut Score

To our detriment, attorneys have become accustomed to state-by-state disparities in the cut score for our national, multiple choice licensing test, the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE). MBE cut scores range from 129 in Wisconsin to 145 in Delaware. The states with the most licensed attorneys, New York and California, use MBE cut scores of 133 and 144, respectively, which land on different sides of the national MBE score bell curve bulge. No one pretends that these disparities are justified because practicing law as a new lawyer is more difficult in California than in New York. The MBE cut score is typically more an aspect of a state bar’s culture and history than a purposeful decision. These MBE cut score disparities constitute bad logic because every state is attempting to use the same test to predict exactly the same thing: minimum competence to practice law. They are bad science because setting a cut score is a “critical step” in assuring the validity of the use of the exam. MBE cut score disparities are also bad public policy, which explains why professions other than law have moved to uniform multiple choice test cut scores in their licensing tests.
Book reviewPerson Environment Behavior Research: Investigating Activities and Experiences in Spaces and Environments, D. Amedo, R.G. Golledge, R.J. Stimson, The Guilford Press (2009), 361 pp.

What are various investigational approaches to explore how space and/or environments interplay with human activity and experience? Person Environment Behavior Research is an informational guide and...
The Future of Atopic Dermatitis Treatment

In recent years, there has been a growing movement towards the use of targeted therapies in treating of atopic dermatitis (AD), parallel to that which has occurred in psoriasis. Among the systemic medications being studied are subcutaneous or intravenously administered biologic drugs targeting specific molecules such as IL4, IL13, IL17, and IgE. Non-biologic oral therapies are also being developed for AD and include small molecule drugs targeting phosphodiesterase type IV (PDE4) inhibition or Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibition. Numerous topical formulations are also being studied, with some formulations that are novel therapies that act as topical biologic or small molecule agents with mechanisms of action similar to systemic treatments. Others are being developed as skin barrier repair therapies for reduction of AD symptoms. This chapter will discuss new advances in AD treatment from medications in the initial stages of development to those nearing FDA approval.
Energy transfer interactions between semiconductor nanocrystals and TMDC materials (Conference Presentation)

Monolayers of transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are recently isolated materials combining strong light-matter interactions and high charge mobilities. Many TMDCs possess direct bandgap - a necessary property for optoelectronic and photonic applications. On the other hand, colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NQDs) exhibit high emission efficiency, chemical lability and excellent bandgap tunability via size quantization. Joining the two classes of materials in hybrid structures aims to utilize their respective strengths. Among those, hybrids where two constituents are coupled via non-radiative energy transfer (NRET) present a particular interest. In the NRET process, exciton energy is transferred from NQD donor to TMDC acceptor via near-field, dipole-dipole energy coupling. This process plays an important role in photosynthetic plants and has been recently considered for energy harvesting in NQD/semiconductor architectures. Its efficiency depends on the distance, spectral overlap and dielectric screening properties of the acceptor material and its dimensionality. With the emergence of 2D materials, there is strong motivation, both for fundamental reasons and for the new applications, to study NRET in these novel systems. We have studied NRET coupling between several types of NQDs and MoS2 monolayers using photoluminescence (PL) and femtosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopies. Both methods indicate very efficient NRET into the MoS2 acceptor, with donor PL intensity quenching concurrent with energy influx into acceptor as observed by TA. These effects are facilitated by reduced dielectric screening inherent to strongly polarizable TMDC materials as described by classical electromagnetic model. We envision energy coupling in 0D-2D hybrids enabling applications in photosensing, photovoltaics and light emission.
Evaluation of different mixing study reagents and dilution effect in lupus anticoagulant testing

Until recently, the laboratory identification of lupus anticoagulants (LA) was not considered important. Often LA were regarded as a nuisance, resulting in factor assays and other coagulation tests with inconclusive results. However, the recognition of important clinical complications associated with the presence of LA has resulted in an emphasis on the detection of this phospholipid-dependent inhibitor. Most studies have evaluated the sensitivity of various screening or confirmatory procedures used in establishing the diagnosis of LA. The authors have focused on the variables involved in the mixing studies used to identify the presence of a circulating inhibitor. To detect the latter, attention to the ratio of patient plasma to normal plasma is important, particularly in the case of a minimally prolonged APTT. Also the source of "normal" plasma must be platelet poor to maximize sensitivity in the case of a weak LA.
The Origin of ABH Antigens on Human Platelets

ABH antigens are present on platelets from individuals of the corresponding red cell phenotype, but the extent to which these antigens are intrinsic or adsorbed remains undefined. To evaluate platelets for intrinsic H substance, an IgM mouse monoclonal antibody against type 2H chain (the intrinsic H structure found on erythrocytes) was labeled with 125I and incubated with platelets from donors of different ABO type. The antibody showed dose-response saturation curves, and binding to platelets paralleled that of the red cell ABO type, with O greater than B greater than A1 greater than A1B greater Oh cells, giving a single factor variance F of 190 (P less than .0005). Passive adsorption of A antigens by platelets has been previously reported. To verify this phenomenon for A and B antigens and to quantitate the elution of A and B antigens from platelets, the following assay system was used. Platelets from group A1 and B donors were incubated in plasma from group O donors, and platelets from group O donors were incubated in plasma from different ABO, Lewis, and presumed secretor-type donors. Human IgG anti-A or anti-B was added to the platelets. The amount of antibody bound was determined with a 125I-labeled mouse monoclonal anti-human IgG. When incubated for 96 hours in group O plasma, group A1 platelets showed a 45% to 50% decrease in binding of anti-A. There was no significant change in the level of type 2H antigen on these platelets during the same incubation period. Group O platelets incubated in A or B plasmas rapidly acquired the antigens, but if returned to their original plasma, 95% of this passively adsorbed antigen eluted off within 18 hours. The maximum uptake of A and B substances was influenced by the Lewis and secretor type of donor plasma. Our present study demonstrates that ABH antigens on platelets consist of type 2H chains, which are presumably intrinsic as when found on red cells, and of passively adsorbed ABH structures, which are presumably type 1H chains.
Chronic Bilateral Iliofemoral and Vena Caval Postthrombotic Occlusion

Chronic inferior vena cava (IVC) obstruction can have a range of clinical presentations, from no symptoms, minimal lower extremity edema, and discomfort to more severe manifestations, such as genital varicosities, venous claudication, venous ulceration, and even hepatic or renal insufficiency. Percutaneous stenting of the iliocaval venous segment guided by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is presently the method of choice in the treatment of symptomatic chronic venous obstruction at this anatomical site. The endovenous procedure is minimally invasive, with low morbidity, long-term stent patency, a low rate of in-stent stenosis, and limited need for reinterventions. It results in sustained relief of limb symptoms, a high rate of healing of venous leg ulcers, substantial improvement of quality of life, and decreased disability.
Evaluation of self-esteem of women with cancer receiving chemotherapy

Purpose/objective To examine the concept of self-esteem as it relates to female patients with cancer before diagnosis and while experiencing chemotherapy-induced alopecia. Design Descriptive-analytic. Setting Oncology unit of a community hospital and an outpatient oncology clinic in a southeastern city of the United States. Sample 30 women receiving chemotherapy and who have experienced some degree of alopecia. Methods Subjects answered demographic questions and were evaluated for degree of hair loss. Subjects completed the Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale (CSA) on the day of the interview and retrospectively prior to their diagnosis. In addition they completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). Main research variables Self-esteem, change over time, degree of alopecia, length of time since diagnosis. Findings A significant decrease in self-esteem from before cancer diagnosis levels to time of experiencing chemotherapy-induced alopecia; modest correlation between the CSA and the RSE. Four categories of characteristics (physical, spiritual, psychological, social) influencing self-esteem emerged from analysis of the CSA responses. Conclusions Self-esteem was not stable in this group of women. Postdiagnosis levels were lower than those before the diagnosis; however, lower levels did not necessarily translate into low self-esteem. The CSA may be a more comprehensive and sensitive measure of self-esteem in patients with cancer because it is based on individual definitions of high and low self-esteem. Implications for nursing practice Understanding what specifically may lower an individual's self-esteem can be useful in identifying patient-specific interventions. Future research must explore ways to determine self-esteem consistently and easily.
Symptomatic Thrombocytopenia After One Dose of Alemtuzumab With Successful Rechallenge (P5.400)

Objective: We report a case of a patient with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who developed symptomatic thrombocytopenia immediately after receiving one dose of alemtuzumab. Background: Alemtuzumab is a monoclonal antibody which has been shown to be an effective agent for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Alemtuzumab’s mechanism of action occurs through its binding to CD52 which is a cell surface antigen on T and B lymphocytes. Antibody-dependent cellular cytolysis and complement-mediated lysis then occur after alemtuzumab binding. Delayed onset immune thrombocytopenia purpura has been reported in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients treated with alemtuzumab as well as immediate-post infusion asymptomatic thrombocytopenia. Design/Methods: Case report and review of the literature. Results: Patient is a thirty-five year old Caucasian woman with a past medical history of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, migraine, seizures and bipolar disorder and a family history of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura who subsequent to the first infusion of alemtuzumab 12 mg and prior to the second infusion on the following day developed a 1.5 by 1.0 cm purpuric lesion on her right upper lateral thigh and multiple abdominal ecchymoses with purpura with a peripheral blood platelet count of 111 K/mm3, decreased from a baseline level of 145 K/mm3 from a week prior. Alemtuzumab was discontinued. The skin rash improved over one day with the patient reaching a nadir platelet count of 75 K/mm3 on day three. The platelet count then recovered to 155 K/mm3 on day eight. She received the additional four alemtuzumab daily infusions one month later without any further clinical adverse events. Conclusions: This is the first reported case of a relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patient with acute symptomatic thrombocytopenia after one infusion of alemtuzumab 12mg. This case shows that despite experiencing symptomatic thrombocytopenia after one dose of alemtuzumab, a patient may be successfully rechallenged. Disclosure: Dr. Derlet has nothing to disclose. Dr. Agius has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience, Biogen Idec, Berlex Labs and Serono as a speaker and consultant. Dr. Agius has received research support from Novartis, Teva, Biogen, Genzyme, Roche, Immune Tolerance Network, Actelion, and Acorda Therapeutics. Dr. Apperson has nothing to disclose.
Effect of processing conditions on additive DISC patterning of P3HT films

There is a critical need to develop a method to pattern semiconducting polymers for device applications on the sub-micrometer scale. Dopant induced solubility control (DISC) patterning is a recently published method for patterning semiconductor polymers that has demonstrated sub-micron resolution. DISC relies on the sequential addition of molecular dopants (here 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ)) to the conjugated polymer. In doped areas, the conjugated polymer is protected from dissolution while in undoped areas, the polymer dissolves into solution. Here we examine factors that affect the resolution of the developed pattern. Two factors are determined to be critical to pattern resolution, the initial crystallinity of the polymer, here poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), and the quality of the development solvent. We find that dopants diffuse more readily in highly crystalline films than in amorphous films of P3HT and that dopant diffusion reduces the fidelity of the resulting pattern. We also find that the choice of development solvent affects both the fidelity of the pattern and dopant distribution within the patterned polymer domains. Finally, we show that a dopant that diffuses more slowly than F4TCNQ in the P3HT film can be used to pattern the film with higher fidelity. These results together provide a road map for optimizing additive DISC patterning for any polymer/dopant pair.
Crack initiation from a clinically relevant notch in a highly-crosslinked UHMWPE subjected to static and cyclic loading.

Abstract Crosslinked Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), which is used as a bearing material in total joint replacement components, is subjected to static and cyclic loads in vivo. Resistance to crack initiation from a notch as a function of static and cyclic loads is not well understood for crosslinked UHMWPE. This study estimated the resistance of crosslinked UHMWPE (crosslinked with 100 kGy gamma radiation and remelted to extinguish free radicals) to crack initiation for a clinically relevant notch under both static and cyclic loading conditions. For cyclic loading, four frequencies were applied with a sine waveform and two frequencies were applied with a square waveform to independently estimate the effect of frequency and rate of loading on crack initiation. Crack initiation time and cycles to crack initiation were determined. Crack initiation time for fatigue loading conditions was substantially lower compared to static loading conditions. Crack initiation time decreased with an increase in test frequency. A square wave resulted in shorter crack initiation time compared to a sine wave. The results suggest that crosslinked UHMWPE is more resistant to crack initiation from a notch under static loading conditions compared to fatigue loading conditions.
Broadening ABO Incompatibility Pediatric Heart Transplantation, Even in Children 2 Years and Older

Purpose Blood type ABO incompatibility (ABOi) is becoming increasingly utilized in heart transplantation. We sought to identify whether this increase was mostly in infants or older children as well. Methods Pediatric patients ( Results From 2000-2017, there were 415 ABOi transplants completed in children up to 13 years of age. ABOi transplantation volume over time is shown in Figure 1. Of ABOi transplants, 70% (n=291) were done in North America (NA) and 28% (n=115) in Europe. The proportion of ABOi transplants was 4.6% in NA and 4.5% in Europe (p=0.87). When examined by era, this proportion has increased from 3.5% (2000-2008) to 5.3% (2009-2017), p Conclusion Willingness to accept ABOi allografts has continued to increase in the recent era, especially among pediatric candidates >2 years old. The trends in ABOi transplants are similar between NA and Europe. In the U.S., 1/5th of the recipients listed as ABOi transplant acceptable ultimately received ABOi transplant. Survival among the expanding group of ABOi pediatric heart transplant recipients compares favorably to ABO compatible transplants. These outcomes should encourage centers to use ABOi donors, particularly in select older children.
PolyHIPEs for Separations and Chemical Transformations: A Review

Polymeric foams prepared from polymerizing high internal-phase emulsions (polyHIPEs) provide several distinct advantages over conventional polymer resins for applications in separations as well as ...
Delayed Implantation of Pumped Kidneys Decreases Renal Allograft Futility in Combined Liver-Kidney Transplantation

Background Combined liver-kidney transplantation (CLKT) improves survival for liver transplant recipients with renal dysfunction; however, the tenuous perioperative hemodynamic and metabolic milieu in high-acuity CLKT recipients increases delayed graft function and kidney allograft failure. We sought to analyze whether delayed KT through pumping would improve kidney outcomes following CLKT. Methods A retrospective analysis (University of California Los Angeles [n = 145], Houston Methodist Hospital [n = 79]) was performed in all adults receiving CLKT at 2 high-volume transplant centers from February 2004 to January 2017, and recipients were analyzed for patient and allograft survival as well as renal outcomes following CLKT. Results A total of 63 patients (28.1%) underwent delayed implantation of pumped kidneys during CLKT (dCLKT) and 161 patients (71.9%) received early implantation of nonpumped kidneys during CLKT (eCLKT). Most recipients were high-acuity with median biologic model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) score of, 35 for dCLKT and 34 for eCLKT (P = ns). Pretransplant, dCLKT had longer intensive care unit stay, were more often intubated, and had greater vasopressor use. Despite this, dCLKT exhibited improved 1-, 3-, and 5-year patient and kidney survival (P = 0.02) and decreased length of stay (P = 0.001), kidney allograft failure (P = 0.012), and dialysis duration (P = 0.031). This reduced kidney allograft futility (death or continued need for hemodialysis within 3 mo posttransplant) for dCLKT (6.3%) compared with eCLKT (19.9%) (P = 0.013). Conclusions Delayed implantation of pumped kidneys is associated with improved patient and renal allograft survival and decreased hospital length of stay despite longer kidney cold ischemia. These data should inform the ethical debate as to the futility of performing CLKT in high-acuity recipients.
Reactivity of Peracetic Acid with Organic Compounds: A Critical Review

As an emerging oxidant and disinfectant, peracetic acid (PAA) has increasingly been used in wastewater treatment and the food and medical industries and has attracted greater research interest. To ...
Too Little, Too Late and Too Timid: The Federal Response to the Foreclosure Crisis at the 5-Year Mark

The primary federal policy responses to the foreclosure crisis have included programs to reduce foreclosures as well as efforts to mitigate the impacts of foreclosures on neighborhoods and communities. This paper reviews policy responses since 2007 in both of these categories. While there is less information at this point on the outcomes of mitigation polices, the overall federal response is found to be lacking thus far. At least in comparison to the magnitude of the challenges, the programs have been modest in scale. They have also suffered from significant problems of design and implementation. Foreclosure prevention efforts, in particular, are faulted for being too reliant on marginal incentive payments, for failing to include a key policy (bankruptcy modification) that would have encouraged lenders to modify loans more aggressively, and for not sanctioning servicers more aggressively for poor performance or noncompliance. The federal response is also characterized as moving too slowly in some cases and being too captive to the structures and policy preferences of the mortgage and financial services industry.
NoPUF: A Novel PUF Design Framework Toward Modeling Attack Resistant PUFs

With the rapid development and globalization of the semiconductor industry, hardware security has emerged as a critical concern. New attacking and tampering methods are continuously challenge current hardware protection methods. Combating these powerful attacks is of great importance in securing hardware devices. This paper proposes a novel framework to protect Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) against modeling attacks, denominated as Noisy PUF (NoPUF). NoPUF exploits structural unpredictability to improve overall security. We present several PUF architectures under the proposed framework that could reconfigure a conventional reliable PUF to a noisy PUF . The reconfigured PUF becomes inherently unreliable and hence achieves a higher resistance against modeling attacks. Moreover, since only a small portion of the Challenge-Response Pairs (CRPs) are required for authentication, the designer can use the information obtained from the initial reliable PUF configuration to find CRPs, which are still reliable in the noisy PUF configuration for authentication. Exploiting such information asymmetry between designer and attacker is the nexus of the proposed NoPUF design methodology. Experimental results show that we can achieve a maximum attacker and designer accuracy difference of 44.79% for a 64-stage NoPUF candidate architecture while ensuring high reliability for selected challenges.
Moving the Goalpost Towards Remission: The Case for Combination Immunomodulatory Therapies in Psoriatic Arthritis

Following the pivotal manuscript that outlined unique disease features half a century ago, investigators in the field of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have extrapolated clinical trial data and molecular insights from the more expansive experience in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As a result, many of the diagnostic approaches, imaging modalities, therapeutics and outcome measures paralleled (and at times became identical to) those developed for RA.
Zinc transferrin. Enhancement of nucleic acid synthesis in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human lymphocytes.

Abstract Zinc transferrin, when added to serum-free cultures of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human lymphocytes, causes an increase in deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis over that seen with phytohemagglutinin alone, as judged by the uptake of tritiated thymidine. This effect is not seen with zinc acetate, zinc albumin, or zinc ovotransferrin. Zinc transferrin also has a similar effect on ribonucleic acid synthesis. Furthermore, transferrin-bound zinc is specifically taken up by stimulated lymphocytes, maximal uptake occurring approximately 14 hr after the addition of phytohemagglutinin. These results indicate a function for serum transferrin in zinc metabolism, and, moreover, a role for the zinc transferrin complex in lymphocyte metabolism.
CALMA, an algorithm framework for mobile just in time interventions

Advancements in ubiquitous computing are rapidly changing preventative health care. These quick changes allow not only to track in real time the heath of an individual, but also to react to any anomalies that may indicate the need of help. This new health care paradigm (i.e., Just-in-time interventions) allows to support treatments and deliver help anytime and anywhere. In this work, we take a first step in modeling a flexible mechanism for choosing the most effective intervention from a set of available ones. We model this optimization problem as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) and we solve it by using Value Iteration in an online fashion. We show that the policy found by our algorithms for selecting interventions, at least doubles the efficiency achieved by a random policy, in minimizing the average number of interventions to relieve a patient from a condition such as stress.
Information and databases in design: A survey of uses and issues in building design

Abstract Designing can be studied as an information processing task. The concept of information processing, of: storage hierarchy, access path, redundancy, integrity, functional dependency and abstraction are applied to manual design, with the hope of offering useful insights to familiar tasks. These concepts are also applied to computer databases for design and their crucial role discussed for effective system design. A short survey of database applications in design is provided and some open research questions raised.
Impact of hurricanes on the flux of rainwater and Cape Fear River water dissolved organic carbon to Long Bay, southeastern United States

[1] The hurricane flux of rain and river water dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to Long Bay located on the southeastern coast of the United States was determined for four hurricanes that made landfall in the Cape Fear region of North Carolina. Riverine flux of DOC following hurricanes Fran (1996) and Floyd (1999) represented one third and one half of the entire annual river flux of DOC to Long Bay, respectively. The majority of this DOC was recalcitrant and not available for biological consumption. The high flux of DOC from hurricane Floyd resulted from extremely high precipitation amounts (in excess of 50 cm) associated with the hurricane and subsequent flooding. High riverine DOC fluxes were observed following hurricane Fran but not hurricanes Bertha (1996) and Bonnie (1998). The westerly path of Fran deposited rain inland along the Cape Fear River watershed, causing high river flow conditions, while Bonnie and Bertha took an eastern path, resulting in a minimal effect to the Cape Fear River flow rates. The rainwater flux of total DOC to Long Bay from the four hurricanes was not as dramatic as that observed for riverine fluxes. However, unlike river water DOC that is refractory, rainwater DOC is highly labile. Rainwater from the four hurricanes in this study deposited 2–5 times the DOC deposited in an average storm. This represented a flux of 3–9% of the entire annual budget of bioavailable DOC to Long Bay being deposited over a 1 or 2 day period, likely spurring short-term secondary productivity following the hurricanes.
Propagation of Epistemic Uncertainty for Design Reuse

There are two sorts of uncertainty inherent in engineering design, the random and the epistemic. Random, or stochastic, uncertainty deals with the randomness or predictability of an event. It is well understood, easily modeled using classical probability, and ideal for such uncertainties as variations in manufacturing processes or material properties. Epistemic uncertainty deals with our lack of knowledge, our lack of information, and our own and others' subjectivity concerning design parameters. Epistemic uncertainty plays a particularly important role in the early stages of engineering design, when a lack of information about nominal values of parameters is much more important than potential variations in those parameters. Design reuse, or the design of product platforms, is an example in which epistemic uncertainty can play a crucial role in early design. While there are many methods to incorporate random uncertainty in a design process, there are fewer that consider epistemic uncertainty. There are fewer still that attempt to incorporate both sorts of uncertainty, and those that do usually attempt to model both sorts using the same uncertainty model. Two methods, a range method and a fuzzy sets approach, are proposed to achieve designs that are robust to both epistemic uncertainty and random uncertainty. Both methods incorporate preference aggregation methods to achieve gore appropriate trade-offs between performance and variability when considering both sorts of uncertainty. The proposed models for epistemic uncertainty are combined with existing models for stochastic uncertainty in a two-step process.
A typology of prescription drug misuse: a latent class approach to differences and harms.

Introduction and Aims Prescription drug misuse is a considerable problem among young adults, and the identification of types of misuse among this population remains important for prevention and intervention efforts. We use latent class analysis to identify possible distinct latent groups of prescription drug misusers across multiple prescription drug types (pain killers, sedatives and stimulants). Design and Methods Our data are comprised of a sample of 404 young adults recruited from nightlife scenes via time–space sampling. Through the specification of a zero-inflated Poisson latent class analysis, we evaluate differences in class membership by various demographic factors as well as assess the relationship between class membership and health outcomes, including indications of dependence, problems associated with substance use and mental health. Results Our assessment of fit indices led to a four-class solution (dabblers, primary stimulant users, primary downers users and extensive regulars). No demographic differences existed between latent classes. The extensive regular class report the greatest number of symptoms related to dependence, greatest number of problems related to misuse and the greatest mental health problems. The dabblers report the fewest problems and symptoms, while the other two classes experiences problems and symptoms in between the classes on the extremes. Discussion and Conclusions Prevention efforts should take into account that young adults who misuse prescription drug have different profiles of misuse, and there may be a need for varied interventions to target these different types of misuse. [Kelly BC, Rendina HJ, Vuolo M, Wells BE, Parsons JT. A typology of prescription drug misuse: A latent class approach to differences and harms. Drug Alcohol Rev 2015;34:211–20]
Isolation, characterization, and cloning of cDNA and the gene for an elastinolytic serine proteinase from Aspergillus flavus.

Abstract An elastinolytic serine proteinase produced by Aspergillus flavus 28 that was isolated from a patient who died of aspergillosis has been purified and characterized. The enzyme was inhibited by the serine proteinase inhibitors phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and diisopropyl fluorophosphate. The metal-chelating agents EDTA and EGTA [ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid] did not severely inhibit the enzyme. A cDNA and a 2.95-kb segment of genomic DNA containing the proteinase gene were sequenced. The open reading frame that would code for a protein containing 403 amino acids was interrupted by three introns. The mature protein lacks 121 N-terminal amino acids including a putative 21-amino-acid signal peptide. The purified mature protein showed a molecular mass of 36 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, whereas that calculated from the deduced protein sequence was 30 kDa. This elastinolytic serine proteinase of A. flavus has 83 and 82% sequence homology to the similar proteinases from A. fumigatus and A. oryzae. The catalytic properties and the sequence homology around the putative catalytic amino acids suggest that this enzyme belongs to the serine proteinases of the subtilisin family.
Scalable Microfabrication Procedures for Adhesive-Integrated Flexible and Stretchable Electronic Sensors

New classes of ultrathin flexible and stretchable devices have changed the way modern electronics are designed to interact with their target systems. Though more and more novel technologies surface and steer the way we think about future electronics, there exists an unmet need in regards to optimizing the fabrication procedures for these devices so that large-scale industrial translation is realistic. This article presents an unconventional approach for facile microfabrication and processing of adhesive-peeled (AP) flexible sensors. By assembling AP sensors on a weakly-adhering substrate in an inverted fashion, we demonstrate a procedure with 50% reduced end-to-end processing time that achieves greater levels of fabrication yield. The methodology is used to demonstrate the fabrication of electrical and mechanical flexible and stretchable AP sensors that are peeled-off their carrier substrates by consumer adhesives. In using this approach, we outline the manner by which adhesion is maintained and buckling is reduced for gold film processing on polydimethylsiloxane substrates. In addition, we demonstrate the compatibility of our methodology with large-scale post-processing using a roll-to-roll approach.
The Phosphate Binder Equivalent Dose

Phosphate binders include calcium acetate or carbonate, sevelamer hydrochloride or carbonate, magnesium and lanthanum carbonate, and aluminum carbonate or hydroxide. Their relative phosphate-binding capacity has been assessed in human, in vivo studies that have measured phosphate recovery from stool and/or changes in urinary phosphate excretion or that have compared pairs of different binders where dose of binder in each group was titrated to a target level of serum phosphate. The relative phosphate-binding coefficient (RPBC) based on weight of each binder can be estimated relative to calcium carbonate, the latter being set to 1.0. A systematic review of these studies gave the following estimated RPBC: for elemental lanthanum, 2.0, for sevelamer hydrochloride or carbonate 0.75, for calcium acetate 1.0, for anhydrous magnesium carbonate 1.7, and for "heavy" or hydrated, magnesium carbonate 1.3. Estimated RPBC for aluminum-containing binders were 1.5 for aluminum hydroxide and 1.9 for aluminum carbonate. The phosphate-binding equivalent dose was then defined as the dose of each binder in g × its RPBC, which would be the binding ability of an equivalent weight of calcium carbonate. The phosphate-binding equivalent dose may be useful in comparing changes in phosphate binder prescription over time when multiple binders are being prescribed, when estimating an initial binder prescription, and also in phosphate kinetic modeling.
Identification of immunoglobulin G in the vitreous of rabbits.

Antigenic determinants of immunoglobulin G were identified in the vitreous of the rabbit by use of specific immunological methods and were shown to be derived from the maternal circulation. It was demonstrated that with increasing age there is a diminution in concentration of this protein in the eye. This decrease may correlate with the expansion in volume of the vitreous due to growth during this period. Newborn rabbits synthesize little if any immunoglobulin and their serum immunoglobulin is of maternal origin. Administration of immunoglobulin of paternal allotypic specificity into neonatal rabbits 4–6 days before sacrifice at 7 days of age resulted in the appearance of small amounts of the distinctive allotypic specificity in the vitreous and high levels in the serum. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to development of a blood-vitreous barrier ascribed to regression of the hyaloid system.
Determination of unsaturated fatty acid composition by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

High-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy provides useful data for analyzing fatty acid compositions of edible vegetable oils. Quantitation of each fatty acid was carried out by evaluation of particular peaks. According to the 1H NMR method, terminal methyl protons, divinyl protons, and allyl protons are useful to calculate linolenic acid, linoleic acid, and oleic acid, respectively. The ω-2 carbon, divinyl carbon, and allylic carbons were used for calculation of these acids by the 13C NMR method. Compositional results obtained by NMR coincided well with those of the conventional gas chromatography (GC) method. Results from 13C NMR were in better agreement with those from GC than were the results obtained by the 1H NMR method.
Assessment of the Molecular Determinants Required for Dimerization of the Amyloid Precursor Protein Transmembrane Domain by a Combined Experimental and Computational Approach

Removal of the ectodomain of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by beta-secretase yields a carboxyl-terminal fragment (betaCTF) that is then degraded by the gamma-secretase to produce the neuropathogenic amyloid beta peptides (Abetas) involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Considerable evidence indicates that betaCTF is a transmembrane domain-mediated dimer and that dimer dissociation reduces the Abeta42/40 ratio, thus lowering the risk of AD. Little is known about the structural and thermodynamic features of betaCTF dimerization. Employing both coarse-grained and all-atom models coupled to metadynamics, we studied the free energy of dimerization of betaCTF transmembrane domain in an explicit dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC) membrane bilayer. We show that the dimeric state consists of several stable configurations, featuring interfaces at different locations in the betaCTF transmembrane helix. The effect that point mutations along the transmembrane helix have on the stability of the dimer is assessed computationally and compared to experimental data. This information sets the stage to identify interface-derived small peptides as lead structures to guide the development of novel peptidomimetics that specifically target betaCTF dimerization and display therapeutic potential in AD.
Mechanistic support for the stepwise process for inactivation of class A β-lactamases by clavulanate

Abstract We proposed recently a stepwise process for the inactivation chemistry of class A β-lactamases by clavulanate (J. Am. Chem. Soc.1993, 115, 4435). A requisite protonation by an active-site water molecule was suggested to be a critical chemical step in enzyme inactivation. The details of this proposed stepwise mechanism have been explored further by three synthetic analogues of clavulanate.
Combined use of 16S ribosomal DNA and automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis to study the bacterial community in catfish ponds

Aims: To apply culture-independent techniques to explore the bacterial community composition in catfish pond water. Methods and Results: 16S rDNA libraries were constructed and sequenced from 15 pond water samples. Automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) was used to fingerprint each bacterial community. A broad diversity in bacterial species composition was found by 16S rDNA analysis. Alphaproteobacteria was the most represented class in all ponds, followed by Gammaproteobacteria and Gram-positive high G + C content bacteria. Uniqueness of bacterial communities from each individual pond was confirmed by ARISA. Catfish pathogens were detected sporadically. Conclusions: Bacterial communities in a catfish aquaculture setting can vary from pond to pond at one given point. No correlation could be made between bacteria composition and fish strain or between bacterial profile and the presence of catfish pathogens in a particular pond. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first report showing the composition of bacterial communities in catfish ponds. Fish health specialists and catfish aquaculture managers should be aware of the wide differences in bacterial communities between ponds and include this variable in fish husbandry practices.