cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction of substrate-mimicking peptides with the AAA+ ATPase ClpB from Escherichia coli.

Abstract A molecular chaperone ClpB disaggregates and reactivates aggregated proteins in cooperation with DnaK, DnaJ, and GrpE. Within a cellular environment, ClpB must distinguish between properly folded and aggregated proteins by recognizing specific physical and/or chemical surface properties of the aggregates. However, the molecular mechanism of substrate binding to ClpB is poorly understood. We hypothesized that ClpB recognizes those polypeptide segments that promote protein aggregation because they are likely present at the surface of growing aggregates. We used an algorithm TANGO (Fernandez-Escamilla et al., Nat. Biotech. 2004, 22, 1302) to predict the aggregation-prone segments within the model ClpB-binding peptides and investigated interactions of the FITC-labeled peptides with ClpB using fluorescence anisotropy. We found that ClpB binds the substrate-mimicking peptides with positive cooperativity, which is consistent with an allosteric linkage between substrate binding and ClpB oligomerization. The apparent affinity towards ClpB for peptides displaying different predicted aggregation propensities correlates with the peptide length. However, discrete aggregation-prone segments within the peptides are neither sufficient nor necessary for efficient interaction with ClpB. Our results suggest that the substrate recognition mechanism of ClpB may rely on global surface properties of aggregated proteins rather than on local sequence motifs.
Regulation of cytoskeleton and adhesion signaling in osteoclasts by tetraspanin CD82

We used a myeloid-specific Cre to conditionally delete CD82 in mouse osteoclasts and their precursors. In contrast to global loss of CD82 (gKO), conditional loss of CD82 (cKO) in osteoclasts does not affect cortical bone, osteoblasts, or adipocytes. CD82 loss results in greater trabecular volume and trabecular number but reduced trabecular space in 6-month old male mice. Though this trend is present in females it did not reach significance; whereas there was an increase in osteoclast numbers and eroded surface area only in female cKO mice. In vitro, there is an increase in osteoclast fusion and defects in actin assembly in both gKO and cKO mice, irrespective of sex. This is accompanied by altered osteoclast morphology and decreased release of CTX in vitro. Integrin αvβ3 expression is reduced, while integrin β1 is increased. Signaling to Src, Syk, and Vav are also compromised. We further discovered that expression of Clec2 and its ligand, Podoplanin, molecules that also signal to Syk and Vav, are increased in differentiated osteoclasts. Loss of CD82 reduces their expression. Thus, CD82 is required for correct assembly of the cytoskeleton and to limit osteoclast fusion, both needed for normal osteoclast function.
Performance of PROMIS Global-10 to Legacy Instruments in Patients With Lateral Epicondylitis

PURPOSE To validate the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global-10 for patients who have lateral epicondylitis requiring surgical treatment in comparison with other gold standard patient-reported outcomes. METHODS Sixty-two patients with lateral epicondylitis of the elbow were prospectively enrolled before arthroscopic treatment. Inclusion criteria were patients 18 years of age or older with a diagnosis of lateral epicondylitis. Each patient completed the PROMIS Global-10, EuroQol 5 Dimension (EQ-5D), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) assessment form, Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), and Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Score (QuickDASH). Spearman correlations were calculated. Bland-Altman agreement tests were conducted between estimated EQ-5D scores from the PROMIS-10 and actual EQ-5D scores. RESULTS Correlation between the PROMIS-10 and the EQ-5D was excellent (0.72, P < .0001). Bland-Altman 95% limits of agreement for estimated EQ-5D scores ranged from 0.33 below to 0.21 above actual EQ-5D scores. Correlation of the PROMIS-10 physical score was good to excellent with MEPS (0.61, P < .0001) and QuickDASH scores (0.64, P < .0001) and good with the ASES (0.58, P < .0001). Correlation of the PROMIS mental scores was good with QuickDASH (0.50, P < .0001) and poor with ASES (0.26, P = .0492) and MEPS (0.37, P = .0038). CONCLUSIONS The PROMIS Global-10 physical scores showed good to excellent correlation with gold standard patient-reported outcome instruments, demonstrating it is a reliable tool for outcome assessment in populations with lateral epicondylitis. Despite the excellent correlation with the EQ-5D, the 95% limit of agreement and high variability among the estimated EQ-5D scores derived from the PROMIS-10 suggests that the PROMIS-10 cannot be used as a substitute for actual EQ-5D scores to derive quality-adjusted life years for economic evaluations and cost-effectiveness research. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level II, development of diagnostic criteria on the basis of consecutive patients.
Introduction: The Changing Landscape of Trade Facilitation and Regional Development Issues in West Africa

The advent of technological advancement, digital commerce, and increased trade integration has continued to strengthen South-South regional trade institutions, partnerships, and capacities. With Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) now accounting for a substantive share of the global gross domestic product (GDP) and the robust economic growth and trade expansion being experienced in Africa, collaboration between governments, regulators, and organized private sectors is crucial for enhancing trade facilitation capacities in Africa. However, the continent and its sub-regions are continually being confronted by increasing trade costs arising from non-tariff sources, such as inefficient transportation, weak logistics infrastructure, cumbersome regulatory procedures, lengthy customs processes, and incoherent business documentation, thereby placing Africa at a competitively disadvantaged position. While discussing selected regional integration and development initiatives in West Africa, the article expatiates on the strategic importance of advancing trade facilitation agenda in the face of increasing non-tariff measures (NTMs) and the ongoing African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) negotiations.
Young Adult Preventive Healthcare: Changes in Receipt of Care Pre- to Post-Affordable Care Act.

Abstract Purpose Young adults have unique health and health care needs. Although morbidity and mortality stem largely from preventable factors, they lack a structured set of preventive care guidelines. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted in 2010, increased young adult insurance coverage, prohibited copayments for preventive visits among privately insured and for many preventive services. The objectives were to evaluate pre- to post-ACA changes in young adults' past-year well visits and, among those using a past-year health care visit, the receipt of preventive services. Methods We used pooled Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data, comparing pre-ACA (2007–2009, N = 10,294) to post-ACA (2014–2016, N = 10,567) young adults aged 18–25 years. Bivariable and multivariable stratified logistic regression, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates, were conducted to determine differences in well visits and in preventive services among past-year health care utilizers: blood pressure and cholesterol checks, influenza immunization, and all three received. Results Past-year well visits increased from pre-ACA (28%) to post-ACA (32%), p Conclusion Following ACA implementation, young adults experienced modest increases in well visit rates and larger increases in most preventive services received. Overall rates of both remain low. Building on these improvements requires concerted efforts that account for young adults' unique combination of health care issues and challenges in navigating an adult health care system.
Infections in Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) has become a widely used modality of therapy for a variety of malignant and nonmalignant diseases. Despite advances in pharmacotherapy and transplantation techniques, infection remains one of the most severe and frequently encountered complications of allo-HSCT.
Does hair cortisol really reflect perceived stress? Findings from low-income mother-preschooler dyads.

Abstract Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has emerged as an objective biological measure of stress in humans, but findings on the relationships between perceived stress and HCC and between mothers’ HCC and children’s HCC are inconsistent. To advance the understanding of HCC and its relationship with perceived stress, this study aimed to examine the relationships among mothers’ HCC, perceived stress, distress, coping, and preschoolers’ HCC in a low-income population. A correlational study was conducted with 35 Head Start mother-preschooler dyads. Mothers’ mean HCC was 6.97 pg/mg, and preschoolers’ mean HCC was 32.02 pg/mg. The receiver operating characteristic analysis identified an optimal HCC cutoff of 4.1 pg/mg based on the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale to divide mothers into low and high HCC groups. Mothers’ perceived stress was negatively related to their HCC (ρ = −0.49, p = 0.005). While there were no statistically significant relationships between mothers' HCC and their perceived distress or coping in the low HCC group, mothers' HCC in the high HCC group was positively related to their perceived coping (ρ = 0.53, p = 0.036). Mothers’ HCC was positively correlated with preschoolers’ HCC (ρ = 0.39, p = 0.030). In the high HCC group, mothers’ perceived stress and distress had very small correlations with preschoolers’ HCC. In contrast, in the low HCC group, mothers’ perceived stress and distress had very large correlations with preschoolers’ HCC (ρ = 0.83, p
Exclusion of linkage between cleft lip with or without cleft palate and markers on chromosomes 4 and 6

Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without associate cleft palate (CLP) is a common craniofacial defect, occurring in {approximately}1/1,000 live births. While the defect generally occurs sporadically, multiplex families have been reported. Segregation analyses have demonstrated that, in some families, CLP is inherited as an autosomal dominant/codominant disorder with low penetrance. Several clefting loci have been proposed on multiple chromosomes, including 6p24, 4q, and 19q13.1. Association studies and linkage studies suggested a locus that mapped to 6p24. We were unable to confirm this in a linkage study of 12 multigenerational families. A subsequent linkage study by Carinci et al., however, found evidence for linkage to this region in 14 of 21 clefting families. Additionally, Davies et al. studied the chromosomes of three individuals with cleft lip and palate, all of whom had a rearrangement involving 6p24. Their investigation supported a locus at 6p24. Carinci et al. reported that the most likely position for a clefting locus was at D6S89, which is centromeric to EDN1. This is in contrast to the findings of Davies et al., who suggested a placement telomeric to EDN1. F13A, which had been implicated in the initial association studies, is telomeric to EDN1. Thus, the region between F13Amore » and D6S89 encompasses the regions proposed by both Davies et al. and Carinci et al. A second clefting locus, at 4q, was proposed by Beiraghi et al., who studied a single multigenerational family by linkage analysis. Their data suggested a locus near D4S175 and D4S192. 10 refs., 1 tab.« less
Delayed Achievement of Molecular Responses Is Associated with Increased Risk of Progression among Patients (pts) with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) In Chronic Phase (CP) Treated with Imatinib (IM).

Abstract Background: Achieving a cytogenetic (CG) response or a molecular response after imatinib therapy has been associated with improved event-free (EFS) and transformation-free survival (TFS). It is unclear whether achieving these responses earlier confers an advantage. A recent update of the IRIS trial suggests that achieving a major CG response (MCyR) at 12, 18 or 24 months (mo) confers a similar TFS advantage. Another report (J Clin Oncol 2006; 24:454) suggests that achieving a complete CG response (CCyR) at 12 or 24 mo confers equal prognosis to patients. Although some patients may indeed improve their response with continued therapy, a pt not in CCyR faces the competing possibilities of eventually achieving a CCyR vs progressing. Methods: We analyzed the risks of improving the CG response vs progressing for pts not in CCyR at different times to determine whether early responses confer an advantage. 258 pts with CML CP treated with IM were analyzed. Progression was defined as transformation to AP or BP, loss of CHR or major CG response, or a doubling of the white cell count to more than 20x109/L. Results: After 3 mo of IM therapy, 77 (74%) of 104 assessable pts for CG response had a CCyR whereas 17 (16%) progressed. These differences were consistently significant at 6 and 12 mo (p=0.04) (Table 1). We then analyzed the long term risk of progression vs the probability of achieving CCyR according to the molecular response at different time points (Table 2). Patients with Bcr-Abl/Abl transcript levels >1–10 after 3 mo of therapy had a 92% probability of achieving CCyR with continued therapy, similar to the 98% for those with ≤1. However, they have a significantly higher risk of eventual progression that is more similar to that of pts with values of >10. The risk of progression increases to 23% if transcript levels >10 at 6 mo. Conclusion: These results suggest that while the risk of progression may be similar for pts who achieve a CCyR regardless of the time at which that is attained, those who fail to obtain a CCyR within the first 12 mo of IM therapy have higher rates of disease progression. This risk is discernible as early as 3 mo into IM therapy and may provide a rationale for therapies that induce higher rates of early molecular response (e.g. high-dose imatinib, new tyrosine kinase inhibitors). Table 1 . Time on imatinib No. not in CCyR No. with eventual outcome with continued therapy (%) CCyR Progression p value 3 months 104 77 (74) 17 (16) 6 months 47 28 (60) 12 (26) 0.04 12 months 26 16 (62) 8 (31) Table 2 . % Probability Months %Bcr-Abl/Abl No. CCyR Progression p value ≤ 1 87 98 2 3 > 1–10 76 92 11 0.04 > 10 30 67 13 ≤ 1 140 99 4 6 > 1–10 34 91 9 0.005 > 10 13 62 23
Metabolic Syndrome has a Negative Impact on Cost Utility Following Spine Surgery.

Objective Investigate the differences in spine surgery cost for metabolic syndrome patients. Methods Included were patients ≥18 undergoing fusion. Patients were divided into cervical, thoracic, and lumbar groups based on their upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV). Metabolic syndrome patients (MetS) included those with body mass index >30, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Propensity score matching for invasiveness between non-MetS and MetS used to assess cost differences. Total surgery costs for MetS and non-MetS adult spinal deformity patients were compared. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and cost per QALY for UIV groups were calculated. Results A total of 312 invasiveness matched surgeries met inclusion criteria. Baseline demographics and surgical details included age 57.7 ± 14.5, 54% female, body mass index 31.1 ± 6.6, 17% anterior approach, 70% posterior approach, 13% combined approach, and 3.8 ± 4.1 levels fused. The average costs of surgery between MetS and non-Mets patients was $60,579.30 versus $52,053.23 (P Conclusions When matched by invasiveness, MetS patients had an average 16.4% higher surgery costs, 50% higher costs per QALY at 1 year, and 75% higher cost per QALY at life expectancy. Further research is needed on the possible utility of reducing comorbidities in preoperative patients.
Shah Rukh Khan: Journey from Charisma to Celebrity

This essay studies the particular brand of Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) as he achieves superstardom in the Hindi film industry and as a thought leader, earning him the moniker Badshah (king). By transcending ossifying gender roles and ethnic-religious divisions might SRK be the quintessential Indian man who stands for the nation (Cayla in Advertising Soc Rev 9(2), 2008)? Or is he a modern metrosexual whose identity is hybrid? This accounts for the dialectical tension that arises from the ‘celebrity’ of SRK as global businesses boldly recruit cinephile audiences as consumer-patriots of neoliberal India transforming dated identities of citizen-patriots in postcolonial India. What follows then is the provocation that the study of celebrity is a very particular cultural formation that Graeme Turner believes, “is a productive location for the analysis of cultural shifts around gender, race or nationality” (Celebr Stud 1(1), p.13, 2010). Lastly, the essay explores how SRK recoups his image as charismatic actor and leader, not just as a brand ambassador of multinational commodities. Through ethnographic insight I propose that in SRK-defined films such as My Name is Khan global Muslim audiences find a way to talk about and understand their own experience of being Muslim during the Global War on Terror.
Clinton stated, Trump exclaimed!: Gendered language on Twitter during the 2016 presidential debates

This study examines tweets posted by candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the weeks preceding the 2016 presidential debates in an effort to assess the ways in which the candidates’ language use either conformed to or refuted gender stereotypes. Analysis of 490 tweets (724 sentences) suggests that both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton used language in ways that were gender counterstereotypic. Clinton’s tweets contained a significantly greater number of statements and directives, suggesting that the candidate adopted a more masculine linguistic style, but also a greater number of cooperative words, which are stereotypically associated with feminine speech. Trump’s tweets contained a significantly greater number of exclamations, but fewer statements and directives than Clinton, thus defying masculine linguistic stereotypes. The implications of these findings on candidates’ political self-presentation are discussed.
Prevalence of Social Determinants of Health Among Sexual Minority Women and Men in 2017.

Introduction Inequities in social determinants of health are plausible contributors to worse health of sexual minorities relative to heterosexuals. Sexual minorities may have higher rates of housing, food, and financial insecurity as adults owing to adverse childhood experiences or policies that induce social disadvantage. This study compares the prevalence of 3 types of social determinants of health among sexual minority and heterosexual adults. Methods Data were from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2017 survey of U.S. states that administered the optional Social Determinants of Health module and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity modules. In August 2019, authors estimated the odds of food, housing, and financial insecurity among sexual minority men and women, compared with heterosexuals. Results Sexual minority women and men had higher odds of housing insecurity, housing instability, and food insecurity, but no differences were observed for perceived neighborhood safety. Sexual minority women had higher odds of financial insecurity than their heterosexual peers. Conclusions Sexual minorities have more housing and food insecurity than heterosexuals, which may contribute to their risk for poorer health. Future research should address the causes and consequences of these differences.
Deep Eutectic Solvents Mixed with Fluorinated Refrigerants for Absorption Refrigeration: A Molecular Simulation Study.

Molecular simulations were performed to evaluate mixtures of fluorinated refrigerants with deep eutectic solvents (DESs), for potential use in single-effect absorption refrigeration cycles that use...
Coding Overhead of Mobile Apps

A mobile app runs on small devices such as smartphones and tablets. Perhaps, because of this, there is a common misconception that writing a mobile app is simpler than a desktop application. In this paper, we show that this is indeed a misconception, and it's the other way around. We perform a small experiment to measure the source code sizes of a desktop application and an equivalent mobile app written in the same language. We found that the mobile version is 19% bigger than the desktop version in terms of the source lines of code, and the mobile code is a lot more involved and complicated with code tangling and scattering. This coding overhead of the mobile version is mostly due to the additional requirements and constraints specific to mobile platforms, such as diversity and mobility.
2D transition metal carbides (MXenes) in metal and ceramic matrix composites.

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides (known as MXenes) have evolved as competitive materials and fillers for developing composites and hybrids for applications ranging from catalysis, energy storage, selective ion filtration, electromagnetic wave attenuation, and electronic/piezoelectric behavior. MXenes’ incorporation into metal matrix and ceramic matrix composites is a growing field with significant potential due to their impressive mechanical, electrical, and chemical behavior. With about 50 synthesized MXene compositions, the degree of control over their composition and structure paired with their high-temperature stability is unique in the field of 2D materials. As a result, MXenes offer a new avenue for application driven design of functional and structural composites with tailorable mechanical, electrical, and thermochemical properties. In this article, we review recent developments for use of MXenes in metal and ceramic composites and provide an outlook for future research in this field.
Modeling and optimization of ionic liquid-based carbon capture process using a thin-film unit

Abstract Post-combustion CO 2 capture is an effective solution for reducing CO 2 emissions. Ionic liquids (ILs) have been proposed as a promising class of absorbents for CO 2 capture due to their superior physicochemical properties. As ILs are expected to be, at least initially, costlier than conventional amine solvents, the economic impact of thermal degradation can be more significant for IL-based processes than for conventional systems. In this work, we introduce an advanced IL-based carbon capture process design using a thin-film unit under vacuum to regenerate the solvent. Using this new configuration, the regeneration system can operate at lower temperatures and the solvent residence time can be significantly reduced, minimizing IL absorbent losses due to thermal degradation. We conduct a detailed, rate-based analysis of the impact of thermal degradation kinetics on the economic performance of the proposed process. A comparison to a conventional flowsheet configuration is also presented.
Transformation of Mammalian Cells

The introduction of foreign DNA into cells can result in a stable and heritable change in phenotype. The ability to transfer purified genes provides the unique opportunity to study the function and physical state of exogenous genes in the transformed host and extends the powerful methods of virus genetics to cellular genetics. The use of transformation* falls into three categories: 1) transformation as a means for gene purification; 2) transformation as a way of studying the structure and function of purified genes; 3) transformation as a tool for dissecting complex phenotypes. This paper is concerned with the development of transformation in cultured mammalian cells. As this is a very young field, we shall draw mainly on our own work.
Effects of adenosine and its derivatives on the canine intestinal vasculature.

The effects of adenosine and two of its structural analogs on small intestinal blood flow, flow distribution, oxygen extraction, and uptake were studied in anesthetized dogs. Adenosine induced dose-dependent increases in intestinal blood flow and oxygen consumption but decreased oxygen extraction. These effects were significantly attenuated by theophylline, an adenosine antagonist. Propranolol did not influence the responses of the intestinal circulation to adenosine suggesting that beta-adrenergic receptors are not involved in the action of adenosine. 2-Chloroadenosine, one of the most potent adenosine analogs, produced changes very similar to adenosine but was about six times more potent on a molar basis. Effects of 2-chloroadenosine were attenuated by a 10-fold smaller dose of theophylline. Adenosine-9 β-d-arabinof uranoside, another analog, was ineffective in the mesenteric circulation. Characteristic activity of both analogs and the antagonism of the effects of adenosine and 2-chloroadenosine by theophylline suggest the presence of adenosine-sensitive binding sites in precapillary resistance vessels of the intestinal circulation. The presence of adenosine receptors in intestinal vascular smooth muscle is further supported by our in vitro results in which all three agents induced patterns of response similar to those noted under in vivo conditions. However, concentrations necessary to obtain relaxation of isolated muscle strips were much greater than those sufficient to produce mesenteric vasodilation in vivo. It was also noted that strips obtained from branches of the superior mesenteric artery were more reactive to adenosine and its analogs were strips prepared from the main trunk of the vessel.
Variable Cycle Optimization for Supersonic Commercial Applications

Variable cycle engines (VCEs) hold promise as an enabling technology for supersonic business jet (SBJ) applications. Fuel consumption can potentially be minimized by modulating the engine cycle between the subsonic and supersonic phases of flight. The additional flexibility may also contribute toward meeting takeoff and landing noise and emissions requirements. Several different concepts have been and are currently being investigated to achieve variable cycle operation. The core-driven fan stage (CDFS) variable cycle engine is perhaps the most mature concept since an engine of this type flew in the USAF Advanced Tactical Fighter prototype program in the 1990s. Therefore, this type of VCE is of particular interest for potential commercial application. To investigate the potential benefits of a CDFS variable cycle engine, a parametric model is developed using the NASA Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS). A procedure is developed to select a near-optimal engine cycle and power management schedules for the specified aircraft missions. The engine model is then incorporated along with a notional SBJ aircraft model into a system-level modeling and simulation environment to predict the aircraft performance. Both an all-supersonic cruise mission and a split subsonic/ supersonic cruise mission are investigated. The VCE results are compared to those for a conventional mixed flow turbofan engine optimized for part power operations for each mission.
The Compactness of Construction Grammars

We present an argument for {\em construction grammars} based on the minimum description length (MDL) principle (a formal version of the Ockham Razor). The argument consists in using linguistic and computational evidence in setting up a formal model, and then applying the MDL principle to prove its superiority with respect to alternative models. We show that construction-based representations are at least an order of magnitude more compact that the corresponding lexicalized representations of the same linguistic data. The result is significant for our understanding of the relationship between syntax and semantics, and consequently for choosing NLP architectures. For instance, whether the processing should proceed in a pipeline from syntax to semantics to pragmatics, and whether all linguistic information should be combined in a set of constraints. From a broader perspective, this paper does not only argue for a certain model of processing, but also provides a methodology for determining advantages of different approaches to NLP.
Surgical management of an appendiceal neurofibroma in a neurofibromatosis-1 patient: A case report

Abstract Neurofibromatosis-1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disease with an incidence of 1 in every 2500 to 3000 births [1]. Although neurofibromas that result from the NF1 gene mutation are typically benign, they may cause complications by compressing neighboring structures or undergoing malignant transformation. The various manifestations and symptoms of NF1 may cause a number of complications throughout childhood and into adulthood, and patients often require surgical management of these complications. A young adult with a previous NF1 diagnosis presented with symptoms concerning for appendicitis. Subsequent imaging and biopsy revealed a rare appendiceal neurofibroma. The patient underwent an ileocecectomy and pathology confirmed the diagnosis of appendiceal neurofibroma. The variety of symptoms and complications associated with NF1, such as vascular abnormalities and airway obstruction, create unique surgical risks for these patients. These risks should be understood and accounted for by surgeons who may encounter NF1 patients.
Herding cats or getting heard: The SENCo–teacher dynamic and its impact on teachers' classroom practice

This article is based on two key findings of doctoral research into the impact that Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos) in England have on teachers’ skills when addressing the needs of children with SEN in mainstream primary schools. I use data from questionnaires and interviews with SENCos, teachers and headteachers to argue that key indicators for successful teaching of children with SEN include SENCos skilling teachers in their roles as ‘agents of change’ in relation to SENCos’ views of their teaching colleagues, as well as the evolving nature of their own professional identity.
Generation of Functional, Antigen-Specific CD8+ Human T Cells from Cord Blood Stem Cells Using Exogenous Notch and Tetramer-TCR Signaling

In vitro differentiation of mouse and human stem cells into early T cells has been successfully demonstrated using artificial Notch signaling systems. However, generation of mature, antigen-specific, functional T cells, directly from human stem cells has remained elusive, except when using stromal coculture of stem cells retrovirally transfected with antigen-specific T cell receptors (TCRs). Here we show that human umbilical cord blood (UCB)-derived CD34+CD38-/low hematopoietic stem cells can be successfully differentiated into functional, antigen-specific cytotoxic CD8+ T cells without direct stromal coculture or retroviral TCR transfection. Surface-immobilized Notch ligands (DLL1) and stromal cell conditioned medium successfully induced the development of CD1a+CD7+ and CD4+CD8+ early T cells. These cells, upon continued culture with cytomegalovirus (CMV) or influenza-A virus M1 (GIL) epitope-loaded human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*0201 tetramers, resulted in the generation of a polyclonal population of CMV-specific or GIL-specific CD8+ T cells, respectively. Upon further activation with antigen-loaded target cells, these antigen-specific, stem cell-derived T cells exhibited cytolytic functionality, specifically CD107a surface mobilization, interferon gamma (IFNg) production, and Granzyme B secretion. Such scalable, in vitro generation of functional, antigen-specific T cells from human stem cells could eventually provide a readily available cell source for adoptive transfer immunotherapies and also allow better understanding of human T cell development.
Transcatheter pulmonic valve replacement in carcinoid heart disease.

A 55-year-old woman presented with carcinoid syndrome in the setting of peritoneal carcinomatosis and liver metastases. Echocardiography showed carcinoid valve disease with severe tricuspid and pulmonic regurgitation, right ventricular (RV) enlargement, and decreased RV function. Since the patient was considered to be too high risk for surgery, transcatheter pulmonic valve replacement (TPVR) was performed during octreotide infusion to prevent carcinoid storm. The patient …
Salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Abstract Malignant fibrous histiocytoma, also known as pleomorphic undifferentiated sarcoma not otherwise specified, arises in numerous organs. The first-line treatment is complete excision of the mass, but in some cases postoperative chemo- and/or radiotherapy is recommended. Only a few cases of malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the vocal fold have been previously reported in the literature. We report a new case, which originated in the true vocal fold of a 65-year-old man. The mass was removed via CO2 laser excision with preservation of the vocal fold and without the need for further treatment. At 3 years of follow-up, the patient remained recurrence-free.
Purification of Arp2/3 complex from saccharomyces cerevisiae

Much of the cellular control over actin dynamics comes through regulation of actin filament initiation. At the molecular level, this is accomplished through a collection of cellular protein machines, called actin nucleation factors, which position actin monomers to initiate a new actin filament. The Arp2/3 complex is a principal actin nucleation factor used throughout the eukaryotic family tree. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has proven to be not only an excellent genetic platform for the study of the Arp2/3 complex, but also an excellent source for the purification of endogenous Arp2/3 complex. Here we describe a protocol for the preparation of endogenous Arp2/3 complex from wild type Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This protocol produces material suitable for biochemical study and yields milligram quantities of purified Arp2/3 complex.
Decision-Making and Organizational Effectiveness: Participation and Perceptions

As a way of examining some of the underlying assumptions commonly made about participation in decision-making, data provided by 161 members of a white-collar organization were used to explore the r...
Popping Sealed Air-Capsules to Reduce Stress:

30 undergraduate students participated in a study to assess whether tactile manipulation in the form of popping sealed plastic air-capsules would be stress-reducing. Three of the four dependent measures were significantly changed; subjects reported feeling significantly more energized, less tired, and more calm after popping the capsules. Some advantages to this technique over existing ones include that this technique involves minimum ability, essentially no training or practice, and little likelihood of paradoxical anxiety effects that have been shown to accompany meditative relaxation techniques in some subjects.
Closing in: Stalking in the Context of Intimate Partner Abuse

This article reviews the literature on stalking in the context of intimate partner abuse (IPA). It is now known that stalking is most common among people who know each other, with a high prevalence among current and former intimates. Moreover, there is a strong correlation between stalking and IPA, both physical violence and emotional abuse. This is referred to as stalking in the context of IPA. This type of stalking differs from other types in terms of its nature, prevalence, and effects. In addition, there are differences among intimate partner stalkers as well. Future research needs to focus on this type of stalking and explore theories behind why it is occurring and ways we should be responding to and treating it.
Assessing Risk and Predicting Outcomes in Coronary Artery Disease: Physiology, Anatomy, or Biology?

Cardiovascular imaging has been able to demonstrate its importance identifying subjects at risk for future cardiac events. There is extensive evidence demonstrating that anatomic, physiologic, and biologic data can successfully risk stratify patients. A plethora of biomarkers predictive of patients’ risk have been identified. Although cardiovascular imaging modalities are capable of patient risk stratification, whether they are cost effective over clinical, historical, and biochemical data is uncertain. The incremental value provided by stress positron emission tomography and single photon emission CT has been extensively demonstrated. In addition, an increasing body of evidence supports the concept that coronary CT angiography is also able to stratify patients in regard to their risk of future cardiovascular events. The availability of hybrid myocardial perfusion imaging/CT technology permits simultaneous acquisition of anatomic, functional, structural information, and the potential for use of molecular techniques. The future application of these modalities will require extending the risk stratification paradigm to the identification of optimal patient management.
An examination of Nubian and Egyptian biological distances: Support for biological diffusion or in situ development?

Many authors have speculated on Nubian biological evolution. Because of the contact Nubians had with other peoples, migration and/or invasion (biological diffusion) were originally thought to be the biological mechanism for skeletal changes in Nubians. Later, a new hypothesis was put forth, the in situ hypothesis. The new hypothesis postulated that Nubians evolved in situ, without much genetic influence from foreign populations. This study examined 12 Egyptian and Nubian groups in an effort to explore the relationship between the two populations and to test the in situ hypothesis. Data from nine cranial nonmetric traits were assessed for an estimate of biological distance, using Mahalanobis D2 with a tetrachoric matrix. The distance scores were then input into principal coordinates analysis (PCO) to depict the relationships between the two populations. PCO detected 60% of the variation in the first two principal coordinates. A plot of the distance scores revealed only one cluster; the Nubian and Egyptian groups clustered together. The grouping of the Nubians and Egyptians indicates there may have been some sort of gene flow between these groups of Nubians and Egyptians. However, common adaptation to similar environments may also be responsible for this pattern. Although the predominant results in this study appear to support the biological diffusion hypothesis, the in situ hypothesis was not completely negated.
The Efficacy of a Targeted Remediation Process for Students Who Fail Standardized Patient Examinations

Background: Current remediation strategies for students failing standardized patient examinations represent poorly targeted approaches since the specific nature of clinical performance weaknesses has not been defined. Purpose: The purpose is to determine the impact of a specifically targeted clinical performance course required of students who failed a clinical performance examination. Methods: A month-long clinical performance course, targeted to treat specific types of clinical performance deficiencies, was designed to remediate students failing standardized patient examinations in 2007 (n = 8) and 2008 (n = 5). Participating students were assessed on pre- and postperformance measures, including multiple-choice tests that measured diagnostic pattern recognition and clinical data interpretation and clinical performance measures using standardized clinical encounters. Comparisons between average pre- and postintervention performance scores were computed using paired sample t tests. Results were adjusted f...
First occurrence of the mysid Hemimysis anomala in an inland lake in North America, Oneida Lake, NY

ABSTRACT Hemimysis anomala (Crustacea, Mysidae) is a recent invader to North America that until now was reported only from the Laurentian Great Lakes and their immediate embayments, along with the St. Lawrence River. In August 2009, we identified Hemimysis in diets of white perch and yellow perch in Oneida Lake, NY. Night time vertical plankton net tows detected Hemimysis at four sites across the lake. Hemimysis in fish diets (5.5– 8.6 mm) were larger than in net tows (2.2–7.0 mm) and reproduction is occurring as some females had brood sacs. This is the first documented introduction of Hemimysis to an inland lake in North America, outside the Great Lakes. Oneida Lake is located 53 river km upstream from Lake Ontario, the nearest known source of Hemimysis. No genetic differences were found between Hemimysis in Oneida Lake and Lake Ontario, indicating this is likely the source of introduction. Several large rapids, locks, and dams separate the two lakes, and as a result the most likely vector of introductio...
Studies of rhodamine‐123: Effect on rat prostate cancer and human prostate cancer cells in vitro

The effect of the lipophilic, cationic dye, Rhodamine-123 (Rh-123), on prostate cancer in rats, and on three tumor cell lines in vitro is reported here. The general toxicity of Rh-123 in mice has been found to be minimal. Lobund-Wistar (L-W) rats with the autochthonous prostate cancer of Pollard were treated for six doses with Rh-123 at a dose of 15 mg/kg subcutaneously every other day. Microscopic examination of the tumors revealed cellular and acinar destruction. The effectiveness of Rh-123 as a cytotoxic agent was tested by clonogenic and viability assays in vitro with three human prostate cancer cell lines. Severe (60-95%) growth inhibition was observed following Rh-123 exposure for 2-5 days at doses as low as 1.6 μg/ml in all three prostate cancer cell lines. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Holmium Laser Enucleation of Prostate (HoLEP): The Methodist Hospital Experience With Greater Than 75 Gram Enucleations

ABSTRACTPurpose: Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) effectively removes obstructive prostate tissue in minimally invasive fashion. We present our large enucleation outcomes (greater than 75 gm retrieved). We examined post-procedural prostate specific antigen (PSA) and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) volume changes to assess tissue removal completeness.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed HoLEPs performed from April 1, 1999 through September 30, 2002 to identify all enucleations greater than 75 gm. Demographic, laboratory, operative and pathological data were obtained. Patients were surveyed to document longer term complications.Results: The cohort of 108 patients had a mean age and specimen weight of 71.5 years (range 53 to 90) and 120.6 gm (range 75.3 to 376), respectively. Average procedural time and hospital stay were 166.8 minutes (range 75 to 473) and 1.2 days (range 0 to 4), respectively. No deaths or episodes of transurethral resection syndrome occurred. Postoperative com...
Full modal simulation of opto-mechanical effects in optical systems

The interaction of light with optical elements via radiation pressure plays a predominant role in determining the dynamics of many optical configurations, in particular when the mirrors composing the system have small masses or the light power is large. Gravitational wave interferometric detectors fall in the second category: opto-mechanical effects have been measured in first generation instruments and will be very relevant in second and third generations. So far, radiation pressure effects were studied using analytical models or simulation tools which were limited to specific optical systems or low order Hermite–Gauss modes. In this paper we present the first tool, to our knowledge, capable of a complete Hermite–Gauss modal simulation of radiation pressure induced effects, based on the modal interferometer simulation toolbox (MIST), described in details in a previous paper. This tool opens the possibility of the simulation of radiation pressure effects in realistic interferometric systems that include beam and optical element aberrations. The application of this tool to gravitational wave detectors will allow to better understand the incidence of realistic optical defects on the instrument operation and sensitivity. We also expect that this tool will be useful outside the gravitational wave community, for application on interferometric systems where radiation pressure dynamics is dominant, such as opto-mechanically-induced transparency, light mirror cavities and membrane-in-a-cavity systems. In this paper we describe the formalism used to implement radiation pressure in the MIST simulation tool and we give some example applications, including the first results on parametric instabilities in Fabry–Perot cavities based on a complete modal optical simulation.
On institutional faithfulness

I t is a mistake for academics to c o m m e n t critically at a comfortable distance on things like last year's Firestone-Ford debacle--as though our own house were sufficiently in order. As facts of corporate misrepresentat ion and deception by manufacturers of cars and tires become public, we academics fall into our accustomed roles of providing analysis and criticism in suppor t of honesty and the c o m m o n weal. These are impor tant roles, they need to be played, and academics know how to play them. But it would be more gracious and hone s t a n d our voices would likely have more impact-were we also to a t tend to some issues of our own misrepresentation.
Neutrally buoyant bubbles used as flow tracers in air

Research has been performed to determine the accuracy of neutrally buoyant and near-neutrally-buoyant bubbles used as flow tracers in an incompressible potential flowfield. Experimental and computational results are presented to evaluate the quantitative accuracy of neutrally buoyant bubbles using a commercially available helium bubble generation system. A two-dimensional experiment was conducted to determine actual bubble trajectories in the stagnation region of a NACA 0012 airfoil at 0° angle of attack. A computational scheme evaluating the equation of motion for a single bubble was also used to determine the factors which affect a bubble's trajectory. The theoretical and computational analysis have shown that neutrally buoyant bubbles will trace complex flow patterns faithfully in the flowfield of interest. Experimental analysis revealed that the use of bubbles generated by the commercially available system to trace flow patterns should be limited to qualitative measurements unless care is taken to ensure neutral buoyancy.
Using the home for income-generation

Abstract A widespread phenomenon in many cities in developing countries is using homes not only for shelter, but also for income-generation through informal-sector activities. Using survey data from Kumasi, Ghana, I examine the characteristics of households that undertake such economic activities compared to those that do not. Descriptive analyses of socioeconomic characteristics, migration history, housing and location indicators, and tenure are presented. Discriminant analysis comparing the two groups is used to summarize the findings. Results show that female-headed households and larger households with older but less educated heads use their housing for income-generation more than other households. Migration history also distinguishes the two groups, but not in the expected direction. None of the location characteristics examined discriminate between the groups. Households that use their home for income-generation occupy more rooms, but their housing quality is not as good as the housing quality of other households.
RECONSTRUCTION OF DEWEY SQUARE TUNNEL

The Dewey Square Tunnel in Boston, part of the Central Artery I-93 alignment, is to be upgraded to satisfy current highway standards. The preliminary design includes extensive structural modification. Construction staging plans include a program of inspection and material testing of the existing structure.