cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective Killing of IL6 Receptor Bearing Myeloma Cells Using Recombinant IL6-Pseudomonas Toxin

Chemotherapy is widely used in the treatment of human cancer but unfortunately is not successful against many cancers and has undesirable side effects. If the chemotherapeutic agent was only delivered to the tumor cell, it should be possible to eliminate cancer cells without killing normal cell populations. Recently, a new field has emerged which addresses the possibility that one can selectively eliminate malignant cell populations. This new discipline takes advantage of the fact that many cancer cells display higher numbers of growth factor receptor on their surface than normal cells. By taking advantage of this increase, one can target these receptors with cytotoxic reagents such as protein toxins. These reagents are cytotoxic to target cells because a receptor specific ligand is linked to a potent toxin (reviewed in Pastan 1986; Vitetta 1987; FitzGerald and Pastan 1989). In this review, we will describe specific reagents which can target and kill multiple myeloma cells.
Characterizing parathyroid carcinomas and atypical neoplasms based on the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 expression and the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and macrophages.

Abstract Background Four distinct tumor microenvironments have been proposed based on the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 and the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes: immunotype I (adaptive resistance, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes+ and programmed death-ligand 1+); immunotype II (immunologic ignorance, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes– and programmed death-ligand 1–); immunotype III (intrinsic induction; tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes– and programmed death-ligand 1+); and immunotype IV (tolerance, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes+ and programmed death-ligand 1–). These subtypes may predict tumor response to immunotherapy. We hypothesized that parathyroid neoplasms may have tumor immunogenic expression that can later be used to guide treatment. Methods We assessed retrospectively the immunohistochemical expression of programmed death-ligand 1 and the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (CD3+ and CD8+) and macrophages (CD68+) in parathyroid carcinomas and in atypical parathyroid neoplasms treated at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center from 1996 to 2016. Using intratumoral digital image analysis, the programmed death-ligand 1 H score was calculated with a standardized formula for predominant staining. The tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes per square millimeter of intratumoral areas were quantified. Results Within 30 specimens (17 parathyroid carcinomas and 13 atypical parathyroid neoplasms), there was no difference in the median programmed death-ligand 1 H score between the two groups (P = .57). Four parathyroid carcinoma cases had programmed death-ligand 1 H scores ≥1 associated with CD3+ and CD8+ tumor cell density; 2 of them had distant metastases. Parathyroid carcinomas had a lesser median CD3+ density (P = .04) and a lesser median CD8+ density (P =.07) than did atypical parathyroid neoplasms. Median CD68+ density did not differ between groups (P = .22). Conclusion Parathyroid carcinomas tended to have immune-ignorant and immune-tolerant microenvironments within the neoplasm (immunotypes II and IV). Of the parathyroid carcinoma microenvironments, 17 had patterns of programmed death-ligand 1 and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes expression (immunotype I), suggesting possible benefit from immunotherapy. In addition, both parathyroid carcinomas and parathyroid neoplasms expressed CD68+. Further exploration of these potential biomarkers as a target in cancer therapies is needed.
Optical pressure control with aperiodic nanostructured material

The electromagnetic force on matter depends on both the geometry and the material properties, and for a contiguous material with a periodic boundary condition, the pressure is a useful metric. We present a statistical method with example results that allows the evaluation of pressure in relation to a nanostructured material arrangement formed by populating pixels within a region one wavelength on a side. The two example materials considered are gold and silicon, both in a free-space background. We find that both the magnitude of the pressure and the direction can be regulated, depending on the geometry, and these effects are related to the specifics of the internal structure resonances. Control of positive and negative pressure can be understood as being due to the total field, a superposition of the incident and scattered fields, where the structure regulates the local scattered field and hence the pressure through an integral of the resulting force density. The statistical analysis provides physical insight into how to constrain the design framework for applications. The application space includes biophysics, where information is obtained about biomolecules from force and torque measurements, cavity optomechanics related to basic science and sensing, and optical remote control and actuation, where regulation of the magnitude and direction and the possibility of materials with multiple functionalities provide new opportunities.
Creativity and Intelligence

The relationship between creativity and intelligence is a frequent topic of research and debate in the social sciences. In this chapter, we use Sternberg’s framework for examining the definitions of creativity and intelligence and how they may be related. Sternberg’s model suggests five possible relationships: Creativity as a subset of intelligence; intelligence as a subset of creativity; creativity and intelligence as overlapping sets; creativity and intelligence as coincident sets; and creativity and intelligence as disjoint sets. In the following sections, we provide examples of each type of relationship. The last two categories, coincident and disjoint sets, are quite rare and are not described in this chapter.
Cybernetics and Society Redux: The Necessity of Design

Norbert Wiener warned us to avoid the potential application of cybernetics to the production of technologies of oppression – that is, we need to design structures and processes in which violence is not an alternative or, at least, is an alternative of last resort. This chapter presents cybernetics as a way of thinking about ways of thinking, making the way of thinking a choice. The cybernetic vocabulary of choice and autonomy provides a foundation for building a participative-dialogic approach to design (and society) that is distinct from the purposeful (goal-oriented) and hierarchical (reward-oriented) design approach of traditional engineering and management. In a participative-dialogic society, design becomes a necessity, not only to address the concerns expressed by Wiener, but also to satisfy the human need for participation in the decisions that affect our daily lives.
Pharmacy students’ personal health practices and perceptions on lifestyle medicine

Pharmacists are accessible and positioned to facilitate health behavior change among patients with chronic diseases. The readiness of pharmacy students to practice lifestyle medicine is unclear. Do...
Vape-only versus vape-and-smoke shops: sales to minors in four states

Reducing access to tobacco via robust age of sale enforcement is an important component of comprehensive tobacco control, yet underage sales violations occur among tobacco retailers.1 2 Vape shops specialise in sales of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), e-liquids and devices. Some vape shops sell combustible tobacco (‘vape-and-smoke shops’) whereas others sell only non-combustible vaping-related products and no other type of tobacco product such as snuff (‘vape-only shops’). Some claim that vape-only shops take a more public health orientation, emphasising combustible tobacco cessation among adults, harm reduction goals and would not sell to minors.3 4 However, if shops are vape-only primarily to project a positive public image and focus on novel products, a similar frequency of violations of sales to minors laws might be observed across shop type. If so, consistent regulations and enforcement would be needed across shop type. Retail sales of e-products to minors that differentiates vape-only from vape-and-smoke shops has not been researched, but one study found that more last-30-day e-cigarette-using youth obtained their product from ‘vape shop or other store that only sells e-cigarettes’ (16.5%) compared with other retail locations such as ‘gas station/convenience store’ (9.8%).5 FDA conducts inspections of tobacco product retailers, making use of undercover minor and inspector operations, and reports these results …
Sense of belonging for college students with PTSD: the role of safety, stigma, and campus climate.

Objective: This study explored differences in sense of belonging between students who identify as having PTSD and those who do not and then investigated the role of safety, stigma, and campus climate for mental health in this process. Participants: Participants included 162 undergraduates enrolled at United States institutions. Methods: Data were from the 2015-2016 Healthy Minds study. Analysis included an independent samples t-test and hierarchical regression models. Results: Results suggested that students with PTSD experienced less of a sense of belonging on their campus relative to students who do not have PTSD. Our model including safety, stigma, and campus climate explained 50% of the variance in predicting sense of belonging in the PTSD group. Conclusions: Results support the importance of clinicians, staff, and faculty helping students with PTSD to feel an increased sense of safety, reducing stigma for mental health, and improving campus climate for mental health on their campuses.
Can “Focused Deterrence” Produce More Effective Ethics Codes?: An Experimental Study:

The current study draws from the literature on “direct deterrence” programs as a framework for preventing corporate crime. Direct deterrence programs focus on reducing crime by communicating the li...
Transit Bus Electrification Evaluation from GPS Speed Traces

Through the USAID-NREL partnership, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has evaluated the potential for transit bus electrification in Mexico City and two locations in Leon, Mexico to inform future vehicle and infrastructure purchases. NREL collected IHz GPS data between September to October of 2017 from the existing transit buses as inputs to the Future Automotive Systems Technology Simulator (FASTSim) tool. NREL used the data and FASTSim models to provide detailed operational performance requirements of electric buses operated within the context of the three locations and highlighted bus operations that are candidates for electrification.
Teaching Students to Transform: The Health Innovations Scholars Program 6 Years Later:

Training in leadership and health system transformation is increasingly important in undergraduate medical education in order to develop a pipeline of engaged physicians dedicated to transforming health care. Despite this growing need, it is unclear whether current leadership training methods have long-term impact on students' career trajectory. The authors analyzed career outcomes from 6 years of the Health Innovations Scholars Program (HISP) to better understand how the program affected the 46 graduates' future involvement in health system transformation and leadership. Eighty-eight percent of the graduates remained involved in quality improvement, 70% held leadership positions, 31% participated in health innovation, and 15% participated in patient safety initiatives. Project involvement of the graduates represented both primary and secondary catalysts for health system change, leading to 28 unique catalyst events. HISP is a model for directing trainees' career trajectory toward engagement in health system leadership and redesign.
Radiofrequency Ablation vs Electrocautery Blinded Randomized Trial: Impact on Clinically Meaningful Outcomes.

ObjectiveTo analyze patients’ return to normal activity, pain scores, narcotic use, and adverse events after undergoing tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy with monopolar electrocautery or radiofre...
Implementation of an Evidence-Based Psychotherapy for Trauma-Exposed Children in a Lower-Middle Income Country: the Use of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in El Salvador

Central American youth are at a high risk for experiencing trauma and related psychosocial problems. Despite this, few studies of evidence-based trauma-focused interventions with this population exist. The objective of this project was twofold: 1) to train providers in El Salvador in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) as part of a clinical implementation project within a non-governmental organization, and 2) to conduct program evaluation to determine the feasibility of implementation and the effectiveness of the treatment. Fifteen Salvadoran psychologists were trained in TF-CBT who then provided TF-CBT to 121 children and adolescents ages 3–18 in community-based locations. The mean number of traumas reported by youth was 4.39. Results demonstrated large effect sizes for reduction in youth-reported trauma symptoms (Cohen’s d = 2.04), depressive symptoms (Cohen’s d = 1.68), and anxiety symptoms (Cohen’s d = 1.67). Our program evaluation results suggest that it was feasible to train providers in TF-CBT, that providers were in turn able to deliver TF-CBT in community-based settings, and that TF-CBT was an effective treatment option to address trauma-related concerns for youth in El Salvador. This project is an important first step in the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based trauma-focused treatment for youth in Latin American countries.
Developing and Validating Test Items

Part I: A Foundation for Developing and Validating Test Items 1. The Role of Validity in Item Development 2. Developing the Test Item 3. Content and Cognitive Demand of Test Items 4. Choosing an Item Format Part II: Developing Selected-response Items 5. Selected-response Formats 6. Guidelines for Writing Selected-response Items 7. Exemplary and Innovative Selected-response Item Formats 8. Automatic Item Generation 9. Formats and Guidelines for Survey Items Part III: Developing Constructed-response Test Items 10. Constructed-response Formats for Measuring Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 11. Guidelines for Writing Constructed-response Items 12. Scoring Constructed-response Items Part IV: Unique Applications for Selected-response and Constructed-response Formats 13. Developing Items to Measure Writing Ability 14. Developing and Validating Items for Professional Credentialing Tests 15. Developing Items for Accessibility by Individuals with Exceptionalities Part V: Validity Evidence Arising from Item Development and Item Response Validation 16. Validity Evidence Coming from Item Development Procedures 17. Validity Evidence from Statistical Study of Objectively-scored Test Items 18. Validity Evidence from Statistical Study of Subjectively-scored Items 19. Issues Involving Item Responses and Item Validation Part VI: Part VI: The Future of Item Development and Validation 20. The Future for Item Development and Validation
Separating Gains and Losses in Health When Calculating the Minimal Important Difference for Mapped Utility Measures

Rationale: The minimally important difference (MID) represents the smallest change on a patient reported outcome which can be considered important. Currently, only Walters and Brazier (2005) have published MID data for health utilities. Their results suggested that the MID preference-based measures were not equal, however these investigators combined patients reporting minimal gains and losses in health when determining the MID. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine whether patients perceiving minimal gains and losses in health should be treated equally when calculating the MID for a variety of mapped utility measures. Methodology: A retrospective analysis of a longitudinal study in a Western US managed care population was conducted. Mapped utilities from the SF-36 and SF-12 were derived using validated of methods (Brazier, Lundberg, Nichol, Sengupta, and Shmueli) for baseline, year one, and year two assessments. The self-reported general health question of the SF-36 was used as an anchor to identify patients who considered their current health as 'somewhat better' or 'somewhat worse' than their health one year prior. The magnitude of utility change for these patients was compared to determine if gains and losses can be combined to identify one MID for change or if separate MIDs are required for each situation. The mean utility change was then calculated for patients who experienced an MID in health using the anchor. Effect sizes were calculated in accordance to Norman et al (2001) as a distribution-based method to determine the MID. Results were compared for each mapped utility method over both time periods. Results: Of the 6,932 patients, 2,100 (33.33%) and 2,093 (30.23%) reported an MID using the anchor-based approach for years one and two, respectively. When combining patients who reported minimal gains and losses in health the mean absolute utility change was 0.032 (range = 0.020 to 0.047, sd = 0.113) over both time periods. The average effect sizes was 0.285 which supported that these MID changes were small according to Cohen's classification system. However, when separated, the mean MID utility change for those reporting 'somewhat better' and 'somewhat worse' health was 0.014 (range = -0.026 to 0.0302, sd = 0.106) and -0.064 (range = -0.049 to -0.103, sd = 0.116), respectively and these were significantly different (p Conclusions: Convergent validity between anchor and distribution-based approaches for identifying the mean MID for these mapped utility measures was originally suggested when gains and losses were combined. The 0.03 estimate was in agreement with previous work which identified 0.04 as the SF-6D MID. Differences between mapped utility measures were statistically significantly as suggested by the same research showing differences between the SF-6D and EQ-5D MID (p
Hierarchical multiscale quantification of material uncertainty

Abstract The macroscopic behavior of many materials is complex and the end result of mechanisms that operate across a broad range of disparate scales. An imperfect knowledge of material behavior across scales is a source of epistemic uncertainty of the overall material behavior. However, assessing this uncertainty is difficult due to the complex nature of material response and the prohibitive computational cost of integral calculations. In this paper, we exploit the multiscale and hierarchical nature of material response to develop an approach to quantify the overall uncertainty of material response without the need for integral calculations. Specifically, we bound the uncertainty at each scale and then combine the partial uncertainties in a way that provides a bound on the overall or integral uncertainty. The bound provides a conservative estimate on the uncertainty. Importantly, this approach does not require integral calculations that are prohibitively expensive. We demonstrate the framework on the problem of ballistic impact of a polycrystalline magnesium plate. Magnesium and its alloys are of current interest as promising light-weight structural and protective materials. Finally, we remark that the approach can also be used to study the sensitivity of the overall response to particular mechanisms at lower scales in a materials-by-design approach.
Strongyloides stercoralis Infestation in a Child: How a Nematode Can Affect Gut Microbiota.

Background: Strongyloidiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the intestinal nematode Strongyloides stercoralis and characterized by gastrointestinal and pulmonary involvement. We report a pediatric case of strongyloidiasis to underline the response of the host microbiota to the perturbation induced by the nematode. Methods: We performed a 16S rRNA-metagenomic analysis of the gut microbiota of a 7-year-old female during and after S. stercolaris infection, investigating three time-point of stool samples’ ecology: T0- during parasite infection, T1- a month after parasite infection, and T2- two months after parasite infection. Targeted-metagenomics were used to investigate ecology and to predict the functional pathways of the gut microbiota. Results: an increase in the alpha-diversity indices in T0-T1 samples was observed compared to T2 and healthy controls (CTRLs). Beta-diversity analysis showed a shift in the relative abundance of specific gut bacterial species from T0 to T2 samples. Moreover, the functional prediction of the targeted-metagenomics profiles suggested an enrichment of microbial glycan and carbohydrate metabolisms in the T0 sample compared with CTRLs. Conclusions: The herein report reinforces the literature suggestion of a putative direct or immune-mediated ability of S. stercolaris to promote the increase in bacterial diversity.
Uniform Child Abduction Protection Act (Statutory Text, Comments and Unofficial Annotations)

This article continues a tradition of reporters for the family law acts that are promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) writing articles to comment and reflect on the process.
nMapping and analyzing the annual dynamics of tidal flats in the conterminous United States from 1984 to 2020 using Google Earth Engine

Abstract The maintenance and resilience of tidal flats have become critical concerns in ecological planning for coastal areas, and high-qualified maps are expected to provide worthwhile references to the authorities. Owing to the booming developments in remote sensing systems and high-performance cloud computing services, several frameworks were proposed to map tidal flats on large spatiotemporal scales, but current productions are still far from meeting the practical needs in the United States. Based on Google Earth Engine, a classification model of random forests was proposed in this study, through which we derived an annual map collection of tidal flats in the conterminous United States from 1984 to 2020. Aside from the confusion matrix, a comparison with peers’ work was implemented to further endorse the reliability of the mapping product. The whole study area was divided into four zones, and the map production was examined by analyzing temporal characteristics, spatial features, and the evolutionary trends of tidal flat dynamics in each zone. The results warn that tidal flats throughout the study area are under threat of shrinking, and particularly those along the Atlantic Coast pose a severe environmental and ecological risk for local communities and biodiversity. As such, coastal environments in the United States call for urgent conservation and restoration.
Rounding Wagner's Mountain: Richard Strauss and Modern German Opera

Preface Introduction A musical-analytical postscript 1. Guntram and the crisis of German musical metaphysics 2. Elan vital: Feuersnot, Salome, and radical individualism 3. The way to the social: Elektra and Der Rosenkavalier 4. Intermezzo: Ariadne and her transformations 5. The marriage operas: Die Frau ohne Schatten, Intermezzo, and Die agyptische Helena 6. Composing without Hofmannsthal: Arabella and Die schweigsame Frau 7. The politics of peace: Friedenstag and Daphne 8. Opera in time of war: Die Liebe der Danae and Capriccio.
Simple techniques for modeling wavefront error in imaging systems

The performance of an optical system depends on the characteristics manufacturing errors of the mirrors, including aberrations on the primary mirror. When designing a system and evaluating its expected performance, the exact nature of the aberrations is not known beforehand, so approximations and simplifying assumptions need to be made. A common assumption is that aberrations of the primary mirror take the form of correlated Gaussian peaks and valleys about the ideal (perfectly spherical) primary mirror. The effect of such correlated Gaussian imperfections can be calculated in an average sense, using the optical quality factor (OQF) to modify the diffraction-limited modulation transfer function (MTF). Alternatively, a single instantiation of the aberrations can be added as phase variations to the pupil function, followed by calculation of the MTF. In this paper we compare these two methods of modeling the effects of correlated Gaussian aberrations on the MTF and point spread function (PSF). We explore the parameter space within which the OQF approximation is valid and the range of possible MTFs resulting from individual instantiations of the aberrations.
T Cell Alloantigens Encoded by the IgT-C Region of Chromosome 12 in the Mouse

Publisher Summary This chapter is based on the assumption that T cell receptors are unique antigen binding structures and that fine specificity for antigen is a finite property of T cells endowed solely through the surface receptor recognition of nominal or self antigens. Difficulties in demonstrating direct antigen binding by helper T cells in vitro or on clones of antigen-specific proliferating cells have led to speculation that T cells may play a physiological, non-antigen binding role in regulating immunoglobulin synthesis. The gene cluster that encodes T cell alloantigens, designated IgT-C because of its close proximity to the immunoglobulin genes, includes at least four structural genes that code for Tpre, Tthy, Tind, and Tsu. It has been proposed that these genes may code for constant regions on T cell antigen receptors and may, in fact, have arisen evolutionarily from duplication of a primordial gene coding for both T and B cell antigen. If immunoglobulin constant region genes do not encode T cell receptors, then it is assumed that a unique bank of Igh-1 linked T cell genes must exist. Antiidiotype recognizing T cells have been described in mice immunized with rabbit antiidiotypic antiserum and KLH. The gene products represent alloantigens on lymphoid cells at characteristic stages in T cell maturation and in T cell immunocompetence. It is possible that they may also represent constant regions of T cell antigen receptors that are distributed differentially on T cell subsets and in development in parallel with the immunoglobulin isotypes that also serve as differentiation markers for B cells. The development of monoclonal antibodies specific for gene products, T cell hybrids expressing these antigens, and recombinant strains of mice limiting the map position of the gene cluster suggests that acquisition of structural data is an approachable goal.
Control of Lipid Metabolism in Human Leukocytes

Abstract Human leukocytes were incubated for 6 hours in full or lipid-free serum with either [2-14C]acetate or [2-14C]mevalonate, with and without cycloheximide. There was a marked enhancement of incorporation of [2-14C]acetate but not [2-14C]mevalonate into sterols when lipid-free sera were used. The increased incorporation was partially inhibited by 2.0 µm cycloheximide and completely inhibited by 10 µm. The basal incorporation of [2-14C]acetate and [2-14C]mevalonate was not affected by the cycloheximide. The data are interpreted as proof that an enzyme preceding those acting on mevalonate was induced in the cells incubated in the lipid-free sera. It was found that six hypercholesterolemic individuals with type II lipoprotein patterns could not be distinguished from nine normals by the radioactivity incorporated into sterols by their leukocytes from [2-14C]acetate or [2-14C]mevalonate. However, the ratio of radioactivity incorporated from [2-14C]acetate in lipid-free serum to that incorporated in full serum was higher for the hypercholesterolemics than for the normals (3.02 ± 0.12 versus 1.99 ± 0.06; p l 0.001). The data indicate that, irrespective of the basal level of incorporation, the cells of hypercholesterolemics show an exaggerated response to the lipid-free serum.
Writ in Water

Translation has been much maligned over the centuries, and that of poetry in particular (think of Dante, Cervantes, and Victor Hugo). The present article, drawing, for the most part, on modern German verse and its renditions into English, investigates the complex phenomenon of such endeavors and arrives at a somewhat different – or, at least, more differentiated – result. Of course, there is no dearth whatsoever of blunders and veritable howlers in translation; however, there do occur – if rather seldom, granted –instances of perfect and flawless end products and, indeed, even cases of a poetic enrichment of the original in the target language. The examples discussed include, among others, poems by Georg Trakl, Marie Luise Kaschnitz, Gunter Eich, Karl Krolow, Gunter Kunert, and, above all, Hans Magnus Enzensberger from German literature as well as (seemingly artless) Eskimo, or Inuit, poetry as once collected, under the title Snehyttens Sange, by the Danish ethnologist Knud Rasmussen.
Dynamical Evolution of Bulge Shapes

Figure rotation substantially increases the fraction of stochastic orbits in triaxial systems. This increase is most dramatic in systems with shallow cusps showing that it is not a direct consequence of scattering by a central density cusp or black hole. In a recent study of stationary triaxial potentials (Valluri & Merritt 1998) it was found that the most important elements that define the structure of phase space are the two dimensional resonant tori. The increase in the fraction of stochastic orbits in models with figure rotation is a direct consequence of the destabilization of these resonant tori. The presence of a large fraction of stochastic orbits in a triaxial bulge will result in the evolution of its shape from triaxial to axisymmetric. The timescales for evolution can be as short as a few crossing times in the bulges of galaxies and evolution is accelerated by figure rotation. This suggests that low luminosity ellipticals and the bulges of early type spirals are likely to be predominantly axisymmetric.
Small molecule screen yields inhibitors of Pseudomonas homoserine lactone-induced host responses.

Summary Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are commonly associated with cystic fibrosis, pneumonias, neutropenia and burns. The P. aeruginosa quorum sensing molecule N-(3-oxo-dodecanoyl) homoserine lactone (C12) cause multiple deleterious host responses, including repression of NF-κB transcriptional activity and apoptosis. Inhibition of C12-mediated host responses is predicted to reduce P. aeruginosa virulence. We report here a novel, host-targeted approach for potential adjunctive anti-Pseudomonal therapy based on inhibition of C12-mediated host responses. A high-throughput screen was developed to identify C12 inhibitors that restore NF-κB activity in C12-treated, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cells. Triazolo[4,3-a]quinolines with nanomolar potency were identified as C12-inhibitors that restore NF-κB-dependent luciferase expression in LPS- and TNF-stimulated cell lines. In primary macrophages and fibroblasts, triazolo[4,3-a]quinolines inhibited C12 action to restore cytokine secretion in LPS-stimulated cells. Serendipitously, in the absence of an inflammatory stimulus, triazolo[4,3-a]quinolines prevented C12-mediated responses, including cytotoxicity, elevation of cytoplasmic calcium, and p38 MAPK phosphorylation. In vivo efficacy was demonstrated in a murine model of dermal inflammation involving intradermalC12 administration. The discovery of triazolo[4,3-a]quinolines provides a pharmacological tool to investigate C12-mediated host responses, and a potential host-targeted anti-Pseudomonal therapy.
A fast time domain integral equation technique for analyzing EMC/EMI problems

A novel time domain integral equation based algorithm is proposed for analyzing EMC/EMI problems where the problem geometry is modeled by three dimensional arbitrarily shaped perfect electrically conducting surfaces and wires. For example, the proposed algorithm enables the analysis of radiation from modules on motherboards, cables, and shielding structures with and without apertures. The algorithm is constructed by augmenting a classical marching-on-in-time (MOT) scheme with the plane wave time domain (PWTD) algorithm. The PWTD algorithm enables the fast evaluation of transient fields by decomposing them into transient plane waves. The computational complexity of the resulting PWTD-MOT algorithm scales as O(N/sub T/N/sub S//sup 1.5/log/sup 2/N/sub S/) as opposed to O(N/sub T/N/sub S//sup 2/) for a classical MOT algorithm, where N/sub T/ and N/sub S/ are the number of temporal and spatial basis functions discretizing the current density on the geometry.
Coherent Power Booster

According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, a heat engine requires two heat baths to operate-a warm source of heat and a cooler dump for waste heat. In apparent violation of this law, Scully et al. propose a heat engine that uses quantum coherence to extract work from a single, warm gas. In his Perspective, Linke explains that the Second Law is not violated, because the power extracted from the bath is smaller than that required to achieve coherence. By combining quantum mechanics with traditional heat engines, the efficiencies of various kinds of motors could be enhanced.
From “Everything Has a Meaning” to “I Want to Believe in Something”: Religious Change Between Two Generations of Women in Norway:

EnglishThe author analyzes change in religious culture between two generations of Norwegian women. The first part consists of a brief overview of the major findings from the survey, ISSP Norway Religion 98, regarding gender and religion. The second part consists of an in-depth analysis of the life-stories of two women, one born in 1933 and the other in 1980. The narratives demonstrate a shift in orientation from organized religion to individual spirituality, from belief in a personal God to a higher power, from others to self, and from continuity and tradition to fragmentation and plurality. The changes in religious orientations are related to different historical contexts, level of modernization, altered gender roles, and difference in cultural values.French L'auteure analyse le changement dans la culture religieuse entre deux generations de femmes norvegiennes. La premiere partie esquisse les principaux resultats de l'etude, ISSP Norway Religion 98, concernant le genre et la religion tandis que la deuxi...
2005 Special issue: Training neural networks with heterogeneous data

Data pruning and ordered training are two methods and the results of a small theory that attempts to formalize neural network training with heterogeneous data. Data pruning is a simple process that attempts to remove noisy data. Ordered training is a more complex method that partitions the data into a number of categories and assigns training times to those assuming that data size and training time have a polynomial relation. Both methods derive from a set of premises that form the 'axiomatic' basis of our theory. Both methods have been applied to a time-delay neural network-which is one of the main learners in Microsoft's Tablet PC handwriting recognition system. Their effect is presented in this paper along with a rough estimate of their effect on the overall multi-learner system. The handwriting data and the chosen language are Italian.
Preliminary clinical trial of gadodiamide injection: A new nonionic gadolinium contrast agent for MR imaging

The safety and efficacy of a newly developed intravenous formulation of the nonionic contrast agent gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-bis(methylamide), formulated as gadodia-mide injection, was investigated. In 30 patients who underwent spin-echo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before and after contrast agent enhancement, the enhanced images had characteristics judged similar to those of images enhanced by means of available gadolinium compounds. In 15 patients, contrast agent administration was of major diagnostic help, either revealing lesions not apparent without enhancement or providing important lesion characterization. In 12 patients, the lack of abnormal enhancement patterns was important in excluding the presence of disease. In three patients, the contrast agent did not provide information additional to that obtained with the unenhanced T1- and T2-weighted images. No clinically significant changes were observed in vital signs, neurologic status, or laboratory results. The authors conclude that, in this limited series, gadodiamide injection proved to be a safe and useful MR imaging contrast agent for evaluation of the central nervous system and surrounding structures.
High-power electrostatic-accelerator FELs for power beaming

Electrostatic-accelerator free-electron lasers (EAFELs) are used to generate intense, CW, single-mode, laser radiation for space power beaming applications such as envisioned by the project SELENE. Using present electrostatic accelerator technology (<EQ MV), together with the electron gun and electron collector technology developed for the UC Santa Barbara FEL we discuss several laser configurations. The first one entails using a single 25 MV, 2 A, DC electron beam system to produce 100 kW power at 1.54 micrometers . At the same wavelength and with the same accelerator the power can be increased up to 3.1 MW using a 20 A electron gun. Still, with the same type of accelerator but with higher currents, 0.84 micrometers can be generated. A third configuration discussed in this paper requires two high voltage accelerators to reach electron energies of up to 50 MV. The major advantage of using EAFELs is that true CW, single-mode operation can be achieved with a minimum expected wall power efficiency of 25%. We also discuss ways to produce 10 MW average power, that would require additional technology developments.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Interpopulation variation in the trade-off between body-mass gain and age at oviposition in the eastern lubber grasshopper, Romalea microptera

Life-history models predict populations under shorter growing seasons will invest earlier and more heavily in reproduction than populations under longer growing seasons. Populations of Romalea microptera inhabit distinctly different climates and differ in mtDNA cytochrome-b gene sequences. Previous work suggested a latitudinal trend in the trade-off among body-mass gain, age at first oviposition, and clutch mass, in populations from Miami FL, Lydia LA, and Athens GA: but this study was confounded by longitudinal variation. Hence, we compared the Miami and Athens populations to a population from Jacksonville, FL, which is equidistant from both, yet under a distinct climate. The Athens population had less body-mass gain and an earlier age at oviposition than the other two populations. When corrected for initial body mass or age at oviposition, the Athens population produced larger clutches. Developmental profiles of juvenile hormone and hemolymph lipids did not differ across populations. In comparison to the Miami population, the Jacksonville population showed a nonsignificantly greater body-mass gain and age at oviposition, in contrast to the latitudinal trend observed previously. These data suggest that reproduction in R. microptera involves a trade-off between body-mass gain and age at oviposition, which is consistent with a current vs future reproduction trade-off.
Affective motivational direction drives asymmetric frontal hemisphere activation

Decades of research have shown that the left- and right-frontal cortical regions are asymmetrically involved in affective processing. Specifically, this past work has demonstrated that greater left-frontal activation is related to positive-approach, and greater right-frontal activation is related to negative-withdrawal. However, much of this past work confounded motivation and affective valence. The current experiment sought to illuminate whether frontal asymmetry is related to motivation or affective valence by examining frontal-lateralized late positive potentials (f-LPPs) and frontal cortical alpha power activation to approach-positive, approach-negative, and withdrawal-negative affects in the same participants. Results revealed that f-LPPs to approach-positive and approach-negative pictures were larger in left- (vs. right-) frontal regions, whereas f-LPPs to withdrawal-negative pictures did not differ between frontal regions. In addition, midline LPPs to approach-positive and approach-negative pictures related to greater left-frontal cortical activation. Together, these results suggest that greater relative left-frontal activation is associated with positive and negative approach-motivated states in the same participants. More broadly, these results are consistent with conceptual models that asymmetric hemisphere activation is related to motivational direction, rather than affective valence.
An Overlooked Opportunity: Instituting a Formal Economics Minor.

The authors discuss the implementation of a minor in economics and the benefits that result to both students and the department.
Acoustically evoked potentials in the rat during sleep and waking

Click-evoked potentials were recorded from the rat's auditory cortex (AC), medial geniculate body (MGB), reticular formation (RF), and hippocampus (HIPP) during natural sleep and waking. Various amplitude measurements made on sliding averages by a computer provided essentially continuous measurement of evoked responses in long experiments. Changes in AC responses were simplest in potentials recorded from a depth of 1.0–1.5 mm, all components of the average waveform being larger during slow-wave sleep (SS) than in waking (W) and low-voltage fast sleep (LVFS). More complex changes in cortical surface responses included increases in the first positive wave, in a second positive deflection, and in a late negative wave during drowsiness (D) and SS. The second positive wave remained large during LVFS, while the late negativity changed form and peaked earlier. Early components of both surface and deep responses were not consistently different in W and LVFS. The only clear change in MGB responses was a reduction in amplitude during LVFS. Late positive waves in RF and HIPP responses were large during SS and small during W and LVFS. In general, increases in the very late components of responses at all sites distinguished periods of cortical synchrony from periods of cortical activation. The first negative deflection and a succeeding positive wave in the HIPP response were markedly increased during arousal.
Diagnosis and management of right-sided heart failure in subjects supported with left ventricular assist devices.

Right ventricular failure (RVF) is a cause of major morbidity and mortality in the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) population. Many LVAD candidates have clinical or subclinical right ventricular (RV) dysfunction, and the perioperative period is fraught with insults that may provoke reactive pulmonary vascular hypertension and acute or chronic development of RVF. Thus, preoperative patient optimization using diuretics, pulmonary vasodilators, and inotropes to reduce RV wall stress and improve contractility is critical. An assessment of the LVAD candidate’s risk for developing postoperative RVF is also key, especially in the destination therapy population for whom good options for long-term RV support currently are lacking. Intraoperatively, various pharmacologic and surgical interventions are available to reduce RVF risk. This review discusses RVF diagnosis and management strategies in subjects undergoing LVAD implantation.
Receptor Tyrosine Phosphatase β (RPTPβ) Activity and Signaling Are Attenuated by Glycosylation and Subsequent Cell Surface Galectin-1 Binding

O-Mannosyl-linked glycosylation is abundant within the central nervous system, yet very few glycoproteins with this glycan modification have been identified. Congenital diseases with significant neurological defects arise from inactivating mutations found within the glycosyltransferases that act early in the O-mannosyl glycosylation pathway. The N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase known as GnT-Vb or -IX is highly expressed in brain and branches O-mannosyl-linked glycans. Our results using SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells indicate that GnT-Vb activity promotes the addition of the O-mannosyl-linked HNK-1 modification found on the developmentally regulated and neuron-specific receptor protein-tyrosine phosphatase β (RPTPβ). These changes in glycosylation accompany decreased cell-cell adhesion and increased rates of migration on laminin. In addition, we show that expression of GnT-Vb promotes its dimerization and inhibits RPTPβ intrinsic phosphatase activity, resulting in higher levels of phosphorylated β-catenin, suggesting a mechanism by which GnT-Vb glycosylation couples to changes in cell adhesion. GnT-Vb-mediated glycosylation of RPTPβ promotes galectin-1 binding and RPTPβ levels of retention on the cell surface. N-Acetyllactosamine, but not sucrose, treatment of cells results in decreased RPTP retention, showing that galectin-1 binding contributes to the increased retention after GnT-Vb expression. These results place GnT-Vb as a regulator of RPTPβ signaling that influences cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in the developing nervous system.
Interface Diffusion in Solids

Surface diffusion within intergrain space is studied theoretically with the help of the Onsageristic approach of irreversible thermodynamics. The grains are treated as isotropic elastic half solids. It is assumed that species of one of the grains are capable to leave their equilibrium positions in the parent solid body and then they migrate within the inter-grain space along the surface of their parent body. Decrease of the total accumulated energy is postulated to be a driving force of the diffusion processes.
Thermal Radiation Mapping the Space–Time Evolution

Abstract Over the past decade heavy ion experiments at RHIC and now also at LHC uncovered many properties of quark matter produced in collisions of nuclei. Generally, the data is consistent with the formation of a strongly coupled plasma, which is in or close to equilibrium within a fraction of a fm/c; evolves like low viscosity/entropy liquid as described by hydrodynamic models; and is largely opaque to colored probes. Many models have been developed to describe different aspects of the observations. However, the detailed data that is now available present many challenges to theoretical models, which hints towards how incomplete our understanding currently is. In particular, PHENIX data on electromagnetic radiation is seemingly inconsistent with the standard hydrodynamic space-time evolution of strongly interacting matter and requires new sources of radiation early in the collision.
Stroud's Quest for Reality

Once the metaphysical project's failure to reveal the unreality or subjectivity of color is admitted (if it is), I think there is a temptation to conclude that objects really are colored after all. If the austere conception of an objectively colorless world cannot be reached, and the colors of things cannot be shown to be unreal or subjective, we are inclined to think that they must be real and objective. This temptation is well worth examining and resisting. To yield to it would be to accept what looks like a metaphysical account on the same level as but in direct opposition to the view of reality as completely colorless. It would be a reassuring, positive answer to the same metaphysical question to which the subjectivist and the unmasker hoped to give one or another kind of negative answer: do our perceptions and beliefs involving the colors of things represent anything that is part of the world independently of us? There are good reasons for not inferring from what has gone before that the answer to this question is 'Yes'. (192)