cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced gene repair mediated by methyl-CpG-modified single-stranded oligonucleotides

Gene editing mediated by oligonucleotides has been shown to induce stable single base alterations in genomic DNA in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. However, the low frequencies of gene repair have limited its applicability for both basic manipulation of genomic sequences and for the development of therapeutic approaches for genetic disorders. Here, we show that single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODNs) containing a methyl-CpG modification and capable of binding to the methyl-CpG binding domain protein 4 (MBD4) are able to induce >10-fold higher levels of gene correction than ssODNs lacking the specific modification. Correction was stably inherited through cell division and was confirmed at the protein, transcript and genomic levels. Downregulation of MBD4 expression using RNAi prevented the enhancement of gene correction efficacy obtained using the methyl-CpG-modified ssODN, demonstrating the specificity of the repair mechanism being recruited. Our data demonstrate that efficient manipulation of genomic targets can be achieved and controlled by the type of ssODN used and by modulation of the repair mechanism involved in the correction process. This new generation of ssODNs represents an important technological advance that is likely to have an impact on multiple applications, especially for gene therapy where permanent correction of the genetic defect has clear advantages over viral and other nonviral approaches currently being tested.
Acquired tolerance, allograft "acceptance," and immune suppression.

The adaptive response of the immune system leading to immunity or to nonreactivity, and frequently to gradations between these extremes, is determined primarily by antigen migration and localization, in contradistinction to antigen per se.1 This conclusion has been determined through separate lines of evidence. The first began in 1992 with the previously overlooked finding of donor leukocyte chimerism in organ transplant recipients.2 The second came from observations following experimental infections, with emphasis on the importance of the transport and localization of live microbial antigen (viral, bacterial, and protozoan).3 In both circumstances, there are two potential mechanisms of nonresponsiveness: (1) clonal exhaustion/deletion and (2) immune indifference. The kinetics of the migratory antigen leading on average to acute immune reactivity or to immune indifference at one extreme and exhaustion/deletion at the other are influenced by dose, timing, route, and localization of the migratory antigen. Although the relation between infectious and transplantation immunity is complicated by the presence of a double immune reaction after transplantation (host-versus-graft and graft-versus-host) and the additional factor of immunosuppression, the two mechanisms of acquired tolerance and the rules by which they operate are fundamentally the same. This concept exposes the meaning of acquired immunologic tolerance as first produced in a transplant setting 44 years ago by Billingham, Brent, and Medawar, and it relates such tolerance to the “allograft acceptance” that we observe daily in practice. The enigmatic pattern of immunologic confrontation and resolution seen in organ recipients was explained by responses of co-existing donor and recipient immune cells, each to the other, causing reciprocal clonal expansion, followed by peripheral clonal deletion.1,3 An additional role of immune indifference was suggested by the replacement of donor by recipient leukocytes in the transplanted organ (rendering the graft less antigenic) and by ubiquitous distribution of the migratory donor leukocytes in the skin, host parenchymal organs, and other non lymphoid areas where they may be sequestered from cytotoxic T lymphocytes and neutralizing antibodies. Increasingly potent baseline immune suppressants have allowed these changes in the host/graft relationship to be engineered more efficiently and safely. This has been reflected in a stepwise improvement of patient and graft survival—from zero to feasible but unsatisfactory with azathioprine, striking improvement with the advent of cyclosporine A (CyA), and another dramatic one with FK 506. These improvements, made possible with better drugs, have been observed with all whole organ transplantation and with bone marrow, transplantation. Because FK 506 can efficiently rescue the vast majority of CyA failures, the availability of FK 506 has systematically upgraded program performance even when it has not been used from the outset as the baseline immunosuppressant.4
Variable structure tracking of DC motor for high performance applications

This paper presents a novel application of the Variable Structure System Control (VSS) for on-line tracking of dc motors. By the proposed technique, the rotor position, speed and current can follow preselected tracks (a track is a time history selected in advance). The theory of the VSS is modified to include the tracking option for the general case of multi-input/multi-output system. The robustness of the proposed tracking controller is ensured at all time. By selecting the tracks as proposed in this paper, the electrical and mechanical stresses on the motor are substantially reduced, and the "soft starting" of the motor is achieved. The entire drive system is built and tested in the laboratory by using off-the-shelf components and software. The test results show the effectiveness of the proposed tracking controller in the high performance drive applications such as robotic, manipulation and actuation.
Energy Efficient Design in Wireless OFDMA

Energy-efficient transmission is an important aspect of wireless system design due to limited battery power in mobile devices. We consider uplink energy-efficient transmission in OFDMA systems since mobile stations are battery powered. We account for both circuit and transmit power when designing energy-efficient communication mechanisms and emphasize energy efficiency over peak rates or throughput. Both link adaptation and resource allocation schemes are developed to optimize the overall bits transmitted per Joule of energy, which allows for maximum energy savings in a network. Our simulation results show that the proposed schemes significantly improve energy efficiency.
Acceptance of killing and homicide rates in nineteen nations.

Background: International variation in homicide rates may be attributable to cultural differences in acceptance of moral justifications for killing. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between measures of attitudes towards the justification of killing and homicide rates in diverse international populations. Methods: Four studies assessed variations in acceptance of killing among adults and young people in nineteen nations and four areas in the USA. Study 1 (1996–1997) assessed adult attitudes in Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Spain, and Venezuela with personal interviews in major cities. Study 2 (1999–2001) assessed attitudes among high school students in Denmark, Finland, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Taiwan, and the UK with paper surveys administered in classrooms. Study 3 (2001) used telephone interviews to measure the equivalent attitudes among the US samples nationally and from regions in Texas. Study 4 (2002–2003) used paper surveys in classrooms to measure attitudes among high school students in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, and the Russian Federation. Results: The acceptance of killing varied significantly among genders and national/regional groups. The mean attitude scores in the four studies combined were significantly correlated with national/regional homicide rates and the amount of variance explained was similar to that for social inequality (GINI). Together the attitude scores and GINI explained 65% of the variance in homicide rates. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that variations in attitudes toward the justification of killing may be related to international differences in homicide rates.
Glycaemia (haemoglobin A1c) and incident ischaemic stroke: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

Summary Background Individuals with diabetes have a raised risk of stroke, but it is unclear whether sustained hyperglycaemia contributes to the development of cerebrovascular disease. Haemoglobin A1c (HbA 1c ), a measure of long-term glycaemia, is strongly related to retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy in diabetes. We sought to assess the association between HbA 1c and stroke in people with and without diabetes. Methods 10 886 participants without diabetes and 1635 participants with diabetes in the ARIC study, who did not have cardiovascular disease, were followed up for incident ischaemic stroke over 8–10 years. We assayed HbA 1c for all 167 stroke cases and a sample of 680 non-cases in the adults without diabetes and for the full cohort of 1635 adults with diabetes (including 89 stroke cases). We assessed the relation between HbA 1c concentrations (in tertiles specific for individuals with and without diabetes) and incident ischaemic stroke during follow-up using Cox proportional hazards models, controlling for risk factors for stroke. Findings The adjusted relative risks of stroke increased with increasing tertile of HbA1c in both adults without diabetes (p=0·02) and with diabetes (p 1c tertile were 1·18 (0·70–2·00) and 1·58 (0·94–2·66) in adults without diabetes and 1·75 (0·90–3·42), 2·29 (1·24–4·21), and 4·71 (2·69–8·25) in adults with diabetes. Interpretation Raised HbA 1c could be an independent risk factor for stroke in people with and without diabetes, with relative risks similar to those previously reported for coronary heart disease.
Topical calcipotriene in combination with UVB phototherapy for psoriasis

A total of 20 patients with symmetric plaque-type psoriasis were recruited for a controlled, investigator-blinded, right-left study. None of the patients had used any therapy other than emollients for 2 months prior to starting in the trial. All patients had a negative antinuclear antibody. By history, all patients had previously improved upon exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light. Two symmetrical sites of equal severity were selected as target areas. Each patient was treated on one side with mineral oil twice daily and on the opposite side with calcipotriene 0.005% ointment twice daily. The investigator was blinded as to which site received which topical treatment. Both sides were treated with equal doses of ultraviolet B (UVB) three times weekly in graduated suberythemogenic doses. Ultraviolet B radiation was emitted by a group of 6-ft fluorescent bulbs (Light Sources FS72 T12 UVB HO) in a standard phototherapy unit. The above regimen was continued for a total of 12 weeks. The severity of psoriasis in the target sites was rated by the examiner at baseline and at weekly intervals for the 12 weeks of study. Target sites were rated by severity of erythema, scaling, plaque elevation, and pruritus, with each of these parameters being assigned a score on a four-point scale: 0, clear; 1, mild; 2, moderate; 3, severe. The four scores were added together to arrive at a total severity score for each of the target sites. Statistical analysis was performed using the paired t test, P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Eleven of the 20 patients (55%) showed a greater decrease in the severity of their psoriasis with UVB plus calcipotriene compared with UVB plus mineral oil. The difference in severity scores between the two groups was statistically significant as early as week 1 (P < 0.05). The difference between the UVB and calcipotriene group versus the UVB and mineral oil group peaked between weeks 3 and 6. The differences then decreased but remained statistically significant through to week 12 (Fig. 1). There were no instances of local cutaneous irritation, but mild photosensitivity occurred symmetrically on both sides in three patients.
Emerging Perspectives on the Mechanisms, Regulation, and Distribution of Light Color Acclimation in Cyanobacteria

Chromatic acclimation (CA) provides many cyanobacteria with the ability to tailor the properties of their light- harvesting antennae to the spectral distribution of ambient light. CA was originally discovered as a result of its dramatic cellular phenotype in redand green light. However, discoveriesover the past decade haverevealed that many pairsof light colors, ranging from blue to infrared, can trigger CA responses. The capacity to undergo CA is widespread geographically, occurs in most habitats around the world, and is found within all major cyanobacterial groups. In addition, many other cellular activities have been found to be under CA control, resulting in distinct physiological and morphological states for cells under different light-color conditions. Several types of CA appear to be the result of convergent evolution, where different strategies are used to achieve the final goal of optimizing light-harvesting antenna composition to maximize photon capture. The regulation of CA has been found to occur primarily at the level of RNA abundance. The CA-regulatory pathways uncovered thus far are two-component systems that use phytochrome-class photoreceptors with sensor-kinase domains to control response regulators that function as transcription factors. However, there is also at least one CA- regulatory pathway that operates at the post-transcriptional level. It is becoming increasingly clear that large numbers of cyanobacterial species have the capacity to acclimate to a wide variety of light colors through the use of a range of different CA processes.
A novel superharmonic coupling topology for quadrature oscillator design at 6 GHz

This paper presents the design and measurement of a quadrature voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) at 6 GHz in a SiGe process. Phase quadrature is achieved by using a novel coupling scheme that is area efficient, does not increase power consumption and decreases the phase-noise by 3 dB. The QVCO has a 24% tuning range with a maximum output frequency of 5.92 GHz and an average output power of -5.3 dBm. The QVCO is compact, occupying an area of only 810 /spl mu/m/spl times/485 /spl mu/m without pads. A single VCO, identical to the core of the QVCO, was also designed and measured for comparison.
Patients who develop epilepsy during extended treatment with electroconvulsive therapy

Epidemiologic data indicate that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) does not precipitate epilepsy. However, when an ECT patient develops this condition, one is faced with the question as to whether ECT caused it and whether ECT can be safely continued. We describe four patients, two of whom developed definite epilepsy and two possible epilepsy during extended courses of ECT. In one of the patients ECT was stopped at that point, but in the other three, ECT was continued without complications or apparent precipitation of spontaneous seizures. We describe some of the clinical challenges in this scenario and provide recommendations regarding continued use of ECT in the newly diagnosed epileptic patient.
Adolescents' Implicit Theories of Physical Phenomena: A Matter of Gravity

Individual differences in conceptions of physical phenomena are frequently seen in normal adolescents. The individual differences may be based on isolated conceptual entities or deeper implicit the...
Canonical quantization of nonlinear waves

By means of a canonical transformation we investigate nonlinear field theories that possess exact classical solutions. This transformation is equivalent to the method of collective coordinates recently applied to the same problem by Gervais and Sakita using functional techniques. It is pointed out that, because of the operator orderings, extra terms occur in the quantized theory which seem to be absent in the straightforward functional approach. Ordinary perturbation treatment of the resulting Hamiltonian reproduces results previously obtained by Goldstone and Jackiw using a different technique.
Optically pumped semiconductor lasers for atomic and molecular physics

Experiments in atomic, molecular and optical (AMO) physics rely on lasers at many different wavelengths and with varying requirements on spectral linewidth, power and intensity stability. Optically pumped semiconductor lasers (OPSLs), when combined with nonlinear frequency conversion, can potentially replace many of the laser systems currently in use. We are developing a source for laser cooling and spectroscopy of Mg+ ions at 280 nm, based on a frequency quadrupled OPSL with the gain chip fabricated at the ORC at Tampere Univ. of Technology, Finland. This OPSL system could serve as a prototype for many other sources used in atomic and molecular physics.
Gramsci and the Legitimization of the State: The Case of the Senegalese Passive Revolution

This article uses some of the fundamental conceptualizations of Antonio Gramsci to understand the political process in Senegal. It analyzes how the ruling class responded to the "organic crisis" generated by a dependent type of capitalist underdevelopment. It contends that this response embodied a "passive revolution" whereby potentially revolutionary forces were decapitated through the co-optation of their leading cadres in a reformed framework of political representation. The article suggests also that the contours and substance of the passive revolution reflected the "hegemonic project" elaborated by the "organic intellectuals" of Senegal. These intellectuals sought to establish a new "hegemony" capable of legitimizing the rule of a reinvigorated ruling class. Yet, because this new hegemony was founded on the basis of the passive revolution it never reached the masses and it generated therefore widespread popular*scepticism and
Further Studies on Sedimentation Rate of Erythrocytes in Chickens

Abstract RATE of sedimentation of erythrocytes is dependent upon two opposing forces: gravity causing the cells to settle, and the frictional resistance of the surrounding plasma which holds the cells in suspension. Among the factors which may influence settling rate are cell-size, shape and number, difference in specific gravity of plasma and cells, and the level and type of plasma proteins, and lipids (Ponder, 1944; Wintrobe, 1956; Janeway, 1953; Myers et al., 1954; Washburn and Myers, 1957). In a previous report, Sturkie and Textor (1958) showed that the sedimentation rate was highest in adult female chickens, intermediate in capons, and lowest in males; and linear with time up to 2 hours, when the sedimentation tubes were held at a 45° angle. This study is concerned with the relationship of the lipids, proteins and specific gravity of plasma, and the number and volume of erythrocytes to sedimentation rate of red cells in …
Increasing ozone in marine boundary layer inflow at the west coasts of North America and Europe

Abstract. An effective method is presented for determining the ozone (O3) mixing ratio in the onshore flow of marine air at the North American west coast. By combining the data available from all marine boundary layer (MBL) sites with simultaneous wind data, decadal temporal trends of MBL O3 in all seasons are established with high precision. The average springtime temporal trend over the past two decades is 0.46 ppbv/yr with a 95% confidence limit of 0.13 ppbv/yr, and statistically significant trends are found for all seasons except autumn, which does have a significantly smaller trend than other seasons. The average trend in mean annual ozone is 0.34±0.09 ppbv/yr. These decadal trends at the North American west coast present a striking comparison and contrast with the trends reported for the European west coast at Mace Head, Ireland. The trends in the winter, spring and summer seasons compare well at the two locations, while the Mace Head trend is significantly greater in autumn. Even though the trends are similar, the absolute O3 mixing ratios differ markedly, with the marine air arriving at Europe in all seasons containing 7±2 ppbv higher ozone than marine air arriving at North America. Further, the ozone mixing ratios at the North American west coast show no indication of stabilizing as has been reported for Mace Head. In a larger historical context the background boundary layer O3 mixing ratios over the 130 years covered by available data have increased substantially (by a factor of two to three), and this increase continues at present, at least in the MBL of the Pacific coast region of North America. The reproduction of the increasing trends in MBL O3 over the past two decades, as well as the difference in the O3 mixing ratios between the two coastal regions will present a significant challenge for global chemical transport models. Further, the ability of the models to at least semi-quantitatively reproduce the longer-term, historical trends may an even greater challenge.
Diacylglycerol kinase η modulates oncogenic properties of lung cancer cells

Purpose Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths and efforts are underway to identify novel therapies to treat these tumors. Diacylglycerol kinase η (DGKη), an enzyme that phosphorylates diacylglycerol to form phosphatidic acid, has been shown to modulate MAPK signaling downstream of EGFR, which is an oncogenic driver in some lung cancers. Since mutations in EGFR and K-Ras are common in lung cancer, we hypothesized that limiting the function of DGKη would attenuate oncogenic properties of lung cancer cells.
An Ordinal Model for Cluster Analysis 15 Years in Retrospect

A model for cluster analysis based on order theoretic techniques was introduced some 15 years ago. The paper seeks to provide a coherent introduction to this model, and to give an indication of some of the applications which it generated.
Meteorites on Ice

The ice sheets of East and West Antarctica collect ­meteorites and other kinds of particles that fall to the Earth from space. Most of the meteorites that impact on the Earth fall into the oceans which cover just over 70% of its surface. Meteorites that land on the continents are destroyed by weathering or are buried and thus may be lost unless they happen to fall in the hot deserts of Africa, South America, and Asia where they may be preserved because of the low rates of weathering in these areas. Meteorites that fall in the zones of accumulation of the ice sheets of Antarctica are buried in the snow and are incorporated into the ice sheet where they are largely protected from weathering. These meteorites are transported toward the margins of the ice sheet where they emerge on its surface in the zone of ablation along the Transantarctic Mountains. Actually, a significant fraction of the meteorites in the East Antarctic ice sheet is lost at sea when the ice that has transported them to the coast breaks off and forms icebergs that melt as they float north in the southern oceans.
Exploring the ring-opening pathways in the reaction of morpholinyl radicals with oxygen molecule.

Quantum chemistry calculations using hybrid density functional theory and the coupled-cluster method have been performed to investigate the ring-opening pathways in the oxidation of morpholine (1-o...
THE FUNGI IN CORDAITEAN ROOTLETS

In a recent unpublished study of petrified cordaitean fossils from the American Pennsylvanian, I was unable to find any fungi infecting the rootlets, although mycorhizas have been reported in European cordaitean rootlets (Lignier, 1906; Osborn, 1909; Halket, 1930; Zimmermann, 1933). The absence of fungi in the American rootlets led me to reexamine most specimens supposed to contain mycorhizas, and I find that although fungi are sometimes present, they are by no means constant in occurrence. It seems most likely that they are parasites or saprophytes and not symbionts. As the mycorhizal nature of these fungi is usually accepted by mycologists (e.g., AVolf and Wolf, 1947, p. 487; Kelley, 1950, p. 51), the following re-examination of the evidence is presented.
Applying 6-methylisoxanthopterin-enhanced fluorescence to examine protein-DNA interactions in the picomolar range.

Incorporation of fluorescent nucleoside analogues into duplex DNA usually leads to a reduction in quantum yield, which significantly limits their potential use and application. We have identified two pentamer DNA sequences containing 6-methylisoxanthopterin (6-MI) (ATFAA and AAFTA, where F is 6-MI) that exhibit significant enhancement of fluorescence upon formation of duplex DNA with quantum yields close to that of monomeric 6-MI. The enhanced fluorescence dramatically increases the utility and sensitivity of the probe and is used to study protein–DNA interactions of nanomolar specificity in this work. The increased sensitivity of 6-MI allows anisotropy binding measurements to be performed at DNA concentrations of 1 nM and fluorescence intensity measurements at 50 pM DNA. The ATFAA sequence was incorporated into DNA constructs to measure the binding affinity of four different protein–DNA interactions that exhibit sequence-specific and non-sequence-specific recognition. In all cases, the Kd values obtained...
Cryogen Droplet Impingement Onto Indented Surfaces Relevant to Dermatologic Laser Surgery Therapies

To protect the epidermis during selected dermatological laser surgeries, Cryogen Spray Cooling (CSC) is used as an auxiliary procedure to remove the heat generated in the epidermis by laser irradiation. The impingement of cryogen droplets onto the skin determines not only the effective amount of cryogen deposited on the surface, but also the dynamic behavior of the cryogen layer that forms on the skin surface and thus, it strongly affects the heat extraction process. Recently, it has been shown that the force of the spray alters the skin surface producing an indentation that in turn affects CSC efficiency. To achieve a better understanding of cryogen spray deposition, the impingement of a single cryogen (R-134a) droplet onto indented skin phantoms was experimentally studied. We first built an experimental pressure chamber where the pressure may be raised slightly above the saturation pressure of R-134a (600 kPa), with the objective to suppress and control the rapid evaporation that cryogen droplets undergo as they are released from the nozzles into ambient pressure. This allows us to focus on individual droplet impingement. Two nozzles of different outer diameters were used to generate droplets of different outer diameters were used to generate droplets of different sizes, which fall by gravity onto various indented skin phantoms. To maintain similarity, the range of Weber (We) and Reynolds (Re) numbers measured at the point of impact for typical cryogen spurts were matched with the We and Re of the individual droplets under study. A high-speed digital camera (500 fps) recorded the droplet impingement on indented surfaces resembling in vivo skin indentation measurements. Different indentation geometries were used since studies have shown that skin deformation depends on factors such as nozzle-to-skin distance, skin type and anatomical location. Experimental results showed different droplet impingement dynamics for droplets of two different sizes but same velocity. For We = 130 and Re = 25000 the amount of cryogen left at the bottom of the indentation after two droplets impinged consecutively was equivalent to the total mass of one droplet, whereas for We = 96 and Re = 18500, the amount of cryogen left at the bottom of indentation was twice as much as that after first droplet impingement. The effect of the depth and radius of curvature of the indentations appeared to have small effect on the droplet impingement behavior, compared to that associated with the droplet size (We and Re), as confirmed by the high speed videos.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Topographic disorientation following mesial left temporo-occipital hemorrhage

A 52-year-old left-handed man with a history of uncontrolled hypertension presented complaining of “memory problems.” Further description of his symptoms, however, revealed relatively isolated dysfunction in finding his way around previously known routes (audio clip at neurology.org/cp), despite recognition of landmarks. This was sudden in onset and nonprogressive. Formal neuropsychological testing revealed moderate impairment in verbal greater than visual memory, with additional impairments on tasks of working memory, processing speed, mental flexibility, and phonemic word fluency. Color naming and face recognition were normal. Brain MRI showed a mesial left temporo-occipital hemorrhage with extension into the left parahippocampal region (figure, A and B). Multiple subcortical T2 and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensities were also evident (figure, B). Gradient-echo revealed multiple areas of hemosiderin, evidence of microbleeds (figure, C). A diagnosis of topographic disorientation due to mesial left temporal hemorrhage was made.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Decoction Treatment of Chronic Sinusitis in Case-control Study

[Objective]To observe the decoction of Chinese medicine treatment of chronic sinusitis.[Methods]120 cases were divided into treatment group and control group,60 cases in each group.The treatment group used traditional Chinese medicine decoction(medicinal honeysuckle,forsythia,Houttuynia,Gleditsia sinensis,Fructus Xanthii,Magnolia,angelica,chuanxiong,plantain,notopterygium,Gentiana,angelica,Alisma,Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae,licorice)1 /d,decoct with water;control group treated with operation scheme.In 1 months of treatment,two groups were followed up for 3 months to determine efficacy.[Results]The total effective rate of treatment group was superior to control group.[Conclusion]In the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis in the process,decoction of Chinese medicine treatment with western medicine treatment the curative effect will be more obvious operation.
The utility of repeat liver biopsy in autoimmune hepatitis: a series of 20 consecutive cases.

Liver biopsy is recommended to establish the diagnosis and to assess remission in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) patients. The aim of our study was to assess the utility of repeat biopsy in AIH. Forty liver biopsies from 20 consecutive AIH patients who underwent repeat biopsy were evaluated. We assessed the biopsies for histological findings other than AIH and how often the repeat biopsy led to a change in clinical management. Furthermore, we correlated the changes in the laboratory findings with the histological features. AIH patients in the study were mostly female (80%; average age 58.7 years). The most common indications for repeat biopsy included elevated transaminases (40%) and evaluation prior to treatment alteration (40%). Seventy percent of the patients showed improved aminotransferase levels, which demonstrated no significant correlation with the inflammatory (p = 1.000) or fibrosis progression (p = 0.116). Forty percent of the patients showed pathology other than AIH in the repeat biopsies (3 steatohepatitis; 5 cholangiopathy features). Changes in the management were seen in all patients. Repeat biopsy is important in AIH patients as aminotransferase levels are not always a reliable marker for inflammatory and fibrosis progression. Moreover, liver biopsy is an effective method for diagnosing comorbid liver conditions.
Dispositional optimism and sleep quality: a test of mediating pathways

Dispositional optimism has been related to beneficial influences on physical health outcomes. However, its links to global sleep quality and the psychological mediators responsible for such associations are less studied. This study thus examined if trait optimism predicted global sleep quality, and if measures of subjective well-being were statistical mediators of such links. A community sample of 175 participants (93 men, 82 women) completed measures of trait optimism, depression, and life satisfaction. Global sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results indicated that trait optimism was a strong predictor of better PSQI global sleep quality. Moreover, this association was mediated by depression and life satisfaction in both single and multiple mediator models. These results highlight the importance of optimism for the restorative process of sleep, as well as the utility of multiple mediator models in testing distinct psychological pathways.
Trends in Inpatient Urological Surgery Practice Patterns

Abstract Introduction As the nation’s population ages and the number of practicing urologists per capita decreases, characterization of practice patterns is essential to understand the current state of the urological workforce and anticipate future needs. Accordingly, we examined trends in adult inpatient urological surgery practice patterns during a 5-year period. Methods We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample data from 2005 through 2009 to identify surgeons and urological surgeries. We classified the urological surgeries into 1 of 7 clinical domains (endourology and stone disease, incontinence, urogenital reconstruction, urologic oncology, benign prostate, renal transplant, and other urological procedures). For each urological surgeon 3 parameters were determined for each year, including 1) case diversity (the number of distinct urological clinical domains in which he/she performed 2 or more procedures per year), 2) subspecialty (the predominant clinical domain of cases that each surgeon performed) and 3) subspecialty focus (the proportion of a surgeon’s total urological cases per year that belonged to his/her assigned clinical domain). We examined trends in these metrics during a 5-year period and compared results between urban and rural practice settings. Results We analyzed data for 2,237 individual surgeons performing 144,138 inpatient surgeries. Urologists’ practice patterns evolved with time toward less case diversity (p Conclusions At a national level urologists’ inpatient surgical practice patterns are narrowing, with less case diversity and greater subspecialty focus. These trends are even more prominent among urologists in urban compared with rural practice settings.
Intrinsic function of B7-H1 is linked with p38 MAPK pathway in activated CD8 T cells for T cell survival. (IRM14P.443)

B7-H1 (also named PD-L1) is up-regulated on activated CD8 T cells at the late stage of antigen stimulation, and is required for T cell survival during contraction phase. Since more anti-B7-H1 (PD-L1) antibody has been used in clinical trials of treatment of human cancers, it is necessary to know whether antibody ligation of B7-H1 expressed by T cells would affect T cell function and survival. After screening several anti-B7-H1 antibodies, we found that some antibody triggered the activation of p38 MAPK in activated CD8 T cells. In addition, the levels of activated p38 MAPK increased in T cells isolated from B7-H1 knockout mice compared to wild type mice. Inhibition of DNA-PKcs activation increased the activation of p38 MAPK in wild type T cells but not in B7-H1 KO T cells, suggesting B7-H1 may negatively regulate p38 MAPK through DNA-PKcs pathway. To that end, we identified an association of B7-H1 with DNA-PKcs in activated human T cells but not in resting T cells. Since p38 MAPK inhibition rescued activated CD8 T cells from apoptosis, the pro-survival function of T cell intrinsic B7-H1 may be mediated by suppression of p38 MAPK. However, ligation of B7-H1 by agonist antibody may disrupt B7-H1’s pro-survival function by increasing p38 MAPK activation. Our results identified a link of B7-H1 with p38 MAPK pathway and may help to define agonist function of anti-B7-H1 antibody prior to clinical application.
Evaluation of emergency drug releases from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Quarantine Stations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Quarantine Stations distribute select lifesaving drug products that are not commercially available or are in limited supply in the United States for emergency treatment of certain health conditions. Following a retrospective analysis of shipment records, the authors estimated an average of 6.66 hours saved per shipment when drug products were distributed from quarantine stations compared to a hypothetical centralized site from CDC headquarters in Atlanta, GA. This evaluation supports the continued use of a decentralized model which leverages CDC's regional presence and maximizes efficiency in the distribution of lifesaving drugs.
Vernalization-Triggered Intragenic Chromatin Loop Formation by Long Noncoding RNAs

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) affect gene regulation through structural and regulatory interactions with associated proteins. The Polycomb complex often binds to lncRNAs in eukaryotes, and an lncRNA, COLDAIR, associates with Polycomb to mediate silencing of the floral repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) during the process of vernalization in Arabidopsis. Here, we identified an additional Polycomb-binding lncRNA, COLDWRAP. COLDWRAP is derived from the repressed promoter of FLC and is necessary for the establishment of the stable repressed state of FLC by vernalization. Both COLDAIR and COLDWRAP are required to form a repressive intragenic chromatin loop at the FLC locus by vernalization. Our results indicate that vernalization-mediated Polycomb silencing is coordinated by lncRNAs in a cooperative manner to form a stable repressive chromatin structure.
Academic Performance of Chicano Educational Opportunity Grant Recipients

Historically, education has been the means whereby. subgroups have improved their conditions and opportunities in this country. The Mexican-American in the United States, and particularly in the Southwest, is no. exception. While it would be in error to assume that all Mexican-American students experience difficulty and that little progress has been made in removing educational deficiencies for them, the truth is that the Mexican-American remains low in educational achievement. Despite efforts from many fronts, he re­ mains, as a cultural subgroup with the additional burden of lang­ uage handicap, less able to profit from public school programs when he enters and becomes progressively less able to compete as he progresses through its lockstep organization. 1
Aristocrats or Anarchists: Who Has Power over Literature?

A traditional function of literary education has been to serve as a marker of class, to exclude those unable or unwilling to acquire it. Canonical literature plays the role today that quoting classical Greek and Latin authors once did: not as a “higher” form of communication, but a secret code among members of an elite. The fact that literature plays this role is a symptom of the failure of a general education of literature that should benefit every member of society equally. Literature as a liberating, even revolutionary force is the antithesis of such an aristocratic model and has allowed for the political justification of a “literary pedagogy for the masses”.
Collagen Complexity Spatially Defines Microregions of Total Tissue Pressure in Pancreatic Cancer

The poor efficacy of systemic cancer therapeutics in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is partly attributed to deposition of collagen and hyaluronan, leading to interstitial hypertension collapsing blood and lymphatic vessels, limiting drug delivery. The intrinsic micro﻿-regional﻿ interactions between hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen and the spatial origins of mechanical stresses that close off blood vessels was investigated here. Multiple localized pressure measurements were analyzed with spatially-matched histochemical images of HA, collagen and vessel perfusion. HA is known to swell, fitting a linear elastic model with total tissue pressure (TTP) increasing above interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) directly with collagen content. However, local TTP appears to originate from collagen area fraction, as well as increased its entropy and fractal dimension, and morphologically appears to be maximized when HA regions are encapsulated by collagen. TTP was inversely correlated with vascular patency and verteporfin uptake, suggesting interstitial hypertension results in vascular compression and decreased molecular delivery in PDAC. Collagenase injection led to acute decreases in total tissue pressure and increased drug perfusion. Large microscopic variations in collagen distributions within PDAC leads to microregional TPP values that vary on the hundred micron distance scale, causing micro-heterogeneous limitations in molecular perfusion, and narrows viable treatment regimes for systemically delivered therapeutics.
Galileo and Reasoning Ex Suppositione

Galileo has been seen, from the philosophical point of view, alternately as a Platonist whose rationalist insights enabled him to read the book of nature because it was written in ‘the language of mathematics,’ and as an experimentalist who used the hypothetico-deductive methods of modern science to establish his new results empirically (McTighe, 1967; Settle, 1967; Drake, 1970; Shapere, 1974). Both of these views present difficulties. In this essay I shall make use of recent historical research to argue that neither is correct, that the method utilized by Galileo was neither Platonist nor hypothetico-deductivist, but was basically Aristotelian and Archimedean in character. This method, moreover, was not merely that of classical antiquity, but it had been emended and rejuvenated in the sixteenth century, and then not by Greek humanist Aristotelians or by Latin Averroists but rather by scholastic authors of the Collegio Romano whose own inspiration derived mainly from Thomas Aquinas. Other influences, of course, were present, and these came from other medieval and Renaissance writers, but these need not concern us in what follows.
THROMBOCYTOPENIA IN PATIENTS WITH ST-SEGMENT ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION WHO UNDERGO PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION: INSIGHT FROM THE NATIONWIDE READMISSION DATABASE

Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients with thrombocytopenia that requires percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have been under-represented in the major clinical trials, and there are currently no guideline recommendations on the management of this cohort. We examined the effect of
Organizational Change: The Role of Organizational Culture and Organizational Learning

Recent findings suggest that organizational culture and learning impact organizational performances. We report the results of an organizational change program focused upon strengthening further productivity in a public sector organization. The findings suggest that systematic and structured programs that include specific organizational goals, performance measures, performance feedback mechanisms, and incentives yield enhancements of targeted organizational performances. We present guidelines to promote organizational change and suggest that perceived collective efficacy plays an important role in changing organizational culture.
Cluster-Based Algorithm for ROI Analysis and Cognitive State Decoding Using Single-Trial Source MEG Data

We present a cluster-based decoding algorithm for discovering regions of interest (ROIs) from EEG/MEG data in source space (or optimal cluster of sources) and predicting multiple conditions in a single experimental trial. Our algorithm automatically identifies contiguous brain regions that yield maximum mean test statistics from hypothesis tests over individual brain sources. We show that by utilizing these sources of interest it is possible to predict the experimental conditions via Bayesian decoding using single trials. Furthermore, we examine how these sources evolve spatially and temporally over the brain surface by running our algorithm at sequential time intervals. We demonstrate our method in a visually-guided wrist movement task where the goal is to infer the direction of wrist movement. MEG data were recorded using an Elekta Neuromag® device while subjects performed center-out wrist movements in 4 directions, and sources were estimated from raw data using the Minimum Norm Estimate method [1]. Our results demonstrate that the algorithm is a potential alternative to traditional ROI analysis using p-values, successfully discovers optimal clusters of sources relevant to the task, and achieves significant decoding accuracies in leave-one-out cross validation.
Efficacy of cardioprotective 'conditioning' strategies in aging and diabetic cohorts: the co-morbidity conundrum.

Evidence obtained in multiple experimental models has revealed that cardiac ‘conditioning’ strategies — including ischaemic preconditioning, postconditioning, remote conditioning and administration of pharmacological conditioning mimetics — are profoundly protective and significantly attenuate myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury. As a result, there is considerable interest in translating these cardioprotective paradigms from the laboratory to patients. However, the majority of studies investigating conditioning-induced cardioprotection have utilized healthy adult animals devoid of the risk factors and co-morbidities associated with cardiovascular disease and acute myocardial infarction. The aim of this article is to summarize the growing consensus that two well established risk factors, aging and diabetes mellitus, may render the heart refractory to the favourable effects of myocardial conditioning, and discuss the clinical implications of a loss in efficacy of cardiac conditioning paradigms in these patient populations.
BIOMECHANICS APPLICATIONS OF DIRECT LINEAR TRANSFORMATION IN CLOSE-RANGE PHOTOGRAMMETRY

Abstract –– Radiographic and photographic measurements in biomechanics research are widely used to describe the spatial geometry of human body segments and, often, their motion in the laboratory reference frame. Most of these methods are two-dimensional in nature providing therefore partial and/or distorted answers. Current three-dimensional techniques require elaborate and precise setups and expensive equipment, and employ iterative stereometric reconstruction algorithms both during the object-space calibration and during the actual 3–D mesurement phases. The objective of this paper is to introduce the Direct Linear Transformation (DLT) method in close range photogrammetry, which eliminates most of the strict requirements of the earlier methods, yet, provides excellent measurement accuracy. The paper outlines briefly the DLT method, then descibes some of its current applications in the field of biomechanics, and finally, presents a typical example.
A DC Circuit Breaker with Artificial Zero Current Interruption

A method for inducing a forced DC crossing applied to a Direct Current Circuit Breaker (DCCB) for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) applications is described. A low voltage prototype was developed, and theoretical analysis was done on the circuit to derive an expression for the fault clearance time. The circuit was modelled on PLECS for verification of the working principle. Hardware was fabricated for a 40 VDC, 2 A continuous current rating; the ideal analytical expression for fault clearance time was verified from the experimental value, which was observed to be 62.76 µs. Work described is covered by US Patent Publication No. 2017/0345587.