cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus gene amplification by heparin.

Gene amplification of virus-specific sequences is widely used as a method to detect or confirm human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In this study we used an enzyme-linked affinity assay to quantify polymerase chain reaction products from whole blood, plasma, and separated mononuclear cells collected in the presence of four common anticoagulants: acid citrate dextrose, sodium EDTA, potassium oxalate, and sodium heparin. Attenuation of the product signal was observed after amplification of nucleic acid extraction from whole blood, washed mononuclear cells, and plasma from specimens collected in sodium heparin. These inhibitory effects on gene amplification could be reversed with heparinase. The addition of as little as 0.05 U of heparin completely inhibited amplification of an HLA-DQa sequence from placental DNA. We conclude that heparin can cause attenuation or inhibition of gene amplification. Acid citrate dextrose and EDTA, which lack inhibitory activity, are the most appropriate anticoagulants for clinical blood samples when polymerase chain reaction amplification is anticipated. Images
Magnetic measurements with the rotating-sample magnetometer

The general features common to all rotating-sample magnetic measurements are described, and the governing equations are given. A number of cases of special interest are discussed in some detail: these include the measurement of magnetization as a function of field and temperature and the measurement of rotational hysteresis, various kinds of anisotropy, and magnetostriction. The concept of the rotating sample magnetometer is not new, but the method has greatly increased in practical value because of the development of the lock-in amplifier. The rotating-sample magnetometer method has many points of similarity to the vibrating-sample magnetometer. It is superior to the vibrating-sample magnetometer for some purposes, notably for anisotropy and magnetostriction measurements, and is generally simpler to construct.
Effects of Seductive Details on Multimedia Learning

Multimedia learning involved learning with multiple media (e.g., text, pictures, video). In an experiment examining the seductive details effect of multimedia learning, 78 participants recruited from a middle school in China were randomly assigned to study one of three learning materials (no seductive details, seductive details at the beginning, and seductive details at the end) about the economic situation in a particular state in the U.S. On a test of free recall, the no-seductive-details group recalled significantly more main idea than either the group that studied with seductive-details-first or the group that studied with seductive-details-after. However, the seductive-details-first group and the seductive-details-after group did not differ significantly. When recall of seductive details was specifically examined, the seductive-details-first group recalled significantly more seductive details than the seductive-details-after group. The results indicate that seductive details interfere with learning by distracting the reader. The results are discussed and implications for practice are delineated.
Assessing the Significance of Quantitative Trait Loci in Replicable Mapping Populations

Replicable populations, such as panels of recombinant inbred or doubled haploid lines, are convenient resources for the mapping of QTL. To increase mapping power, replications are often collected within each RI line and a common way to analyze such data is to include in the QTL model only a single measurement from each line that represents the average among the replicates (a line means model). An obvious, but seldom explored, alternative, is to include every replicate in the model (a full data model). Here, we use simulations to compare these two approaches. Further, we propose an extension of the standard permutation procedure that is required to correctly control the type I error in mapping populations with nested structure.
Opioids for Chronic Pain: First Do No Harm

> Among the remedies which it has pleased Almighty God to give to man to relieve his sufferings, none is so universal and so efficacious as opium. > > Attributed to Thomas Sydenham, circa 1680[1][1] > > Overdose deaths from prescription painkillers have skyrocketed in the past decade. Every year
Business rule extraction from legacy code

Business rules are operational rules that business organizations follow to perform various activities. Over time, business rules evolve and the software that implemented them are also changed. As the encompassing software becomes large and aged the business rules embedded are difficult to extract and understand. Furthermore, the encompassing software is changed without changing the corresponding documents, so the business organization often trusts the code more than any other documents. It is possible to use a generic tool to extract business rules, but this can be an expensive exercise. The paper proposes a tailored solution approach to the business rule extraction problem, which combines variable classifications, program slicing, and hierarchical abstraction among other maintenance techniques. The proposed approach has been implemented as a system and successfully experimented with a number of industrial programs. The prototype has been demonstrated at several industrial software maintenance sites since June 1995.
Human lymphocyte antigen molecular typing: how to identify the 1250+ alleles out there.

○ The human lymphocyte antigen (HLA) typing community was one of the early groups to adopt molecular testing. This action was borne out of the need to identify the many alleles of the highly polymorphic HLA system. Early paradigms used restriction fragment length polymorphism regimes, but the polymerase chain reaction method of amplification quickly replaced that less-than-discriminating choice. Methods currently in use for HLA typing, with commercial kits available, are sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe (both dot blot and the reverse blot dot), sequence-specific primer amplification, restriction fragment length polymorphism of amplified products, double-stranded sequence conformation polymorphism (with and without reference strand), sequence-based typing, and microarray technologies. More than 1250 alleles are recognized by the World Health Organization and meet their criteria for assignment. These alleles can be identified by molecular methods and represent alleles present at class I and class II loci of the HLA complex. On occasion, ambiguous results still persist, even with the best molecular typing methods. Therefore, it is clear to the HLA typing community that a combination of the above methods may be needed to allow true discrimination of the possible alleles an individual carries in their genetic make-up. It is also clear that a typing laboratory may need to resort to nonmolecular serology to understand the significance and impact of the type generated by the HLA molecular typing laboratory.
Filamin A Is Involved in HIV-1 Vpu-mediated Evasion of Host Restriction by Modulating Tetherin Expression *

Tetherin, also known as bone marrow stromal antigen 2 (BST-2), inhibits the release of a wide range of enveloped viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) by directly tethering nascent virions to the surface of infected cells. The HIV-1 accessary protein Vpu counteracts tetherin restriction via sequestration, down-regulation, and/or displacement mechanisms to remove tetherin from sites of virus budding. However, the exact mechanism of Vpu-mediated antagonism of tetherin restriction remains to be fully understood. Here we report a novel role for the actin cross-linking regulator filamin A (FLNa) in Vpu anti-tetherin activities. We demonstrate that FLNa associates with tetherin and that FLNa modulates tetherin turnover. FLNa deficiency was found to enhance cell surface and steady-state levels of tetherin expression. In contrast, we observed that overexpression of FLNa reduced tetherin expression levels both on the plasma membrane and in intracellular compartments. Although FLNb shows high amino acid sequence similarity with FLNa, we reveal that only FLNa, but not FLNb, plays an essential role in tetherin turnover. We further showed that FLNa deficiency inhibited Vpu-mediated enhancement of virus release through interfering with the activity of Vpu to down-regulate cellular tetherin. Taken together, our studies suggest that Vpu hijacks the FLNa function in the modulation of tetherin to neutralize the antiviral factor tetherin. These findings may provide novel strategies for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.
The protective role of T cells in immunity to malaria.

Members of the genus Plasmodium have a complex life cycle which involves both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. In the former, they parasitize the erythron, causing malaria, a disease characterized by high morbidity and mortality worldwide. In an effort to develop an effective vaccine to combat this disease, research has focused primarily on extracellular stages of the parasite presumably because they should be more accessible to antibody-dependent resistance mechanisms than intracellular parasites. Target stages include sporozoites, gametes, and merozoites. In addition, plasmodial antigens expressed on the membranes of infected erythrocytes are being studied as potential targets of protective antibodies.1 Certain of the stage specific antigens which have been identified and expressed by recombinant DNA technology or synthesized biochemically in the laboratory are currently being investigated in experimental animals and humans as candidate vaccines.2–4 In contrast, other data suggest that plasmodia can be destroyed during intracellular development by immune mechanisms apart from or in addition to those mediated by antibodies.5 While efforts to define these immune mechanisms and to identify and characterize parasite antigens responsible for their activation have only recently begun, it is possible that they will provide a basis for the design of additional immunizing agents to be tested against malaria. In this article, we will review certain evidence that T cells, in addition to their function as helper cells in the production of protective antibodies, play an essential though as yet undefined role in antibody-independent immunity to malaria, and we will speculate on mechanisms by which protection is achieved.
Practical Nutrition Management of Children with Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) introduces a unique set of nutritional challenges for the growing and developing child. This article addresses initial evaluation and ongoing assessment of a child with CKD. It aims to provide an overview of nutritional challenges unique to a pediatric patient with CKD and practical management guidelines. Caloric assessment in children with CKD is critical as many factors contribute to poor caloric intake. Tube feeding is a practical option to provide the required calories and fluid in children who have difficulty with adequate oral intake. Protein intake should not be limited and should be further adjusted for protein loss with dialysis. Supplementation or restriction of sodium is patient specific. Urine output, fluid status, and modality of dialysis are factors that influence sodium balance. Hyperkalemia poses a significant cardiac risk, and potassium is closely monitored. In addition to a low potassium diet, potassium binders may be prescribed to reduce potassium load from oral intake. Phosphorus and calcium play a significant role in cardiovascular and bone health. Phosphorus binders have helped children and families manage phosphorus levels in conjunction with a phosphorus-restricted diet. Nutritional management of children with CKD is a challenge that requires continuous reassessment and readjustment as the child ages, CKD progresses, and urine output decreases.
Noise wave excitation at the cathode of a microwave beam amplifier

General equations are derived, giving the amplitudes of noise current and velocity for the many modes of space-charge wave propagation in an electron beam. The properties of the cathode taken into consideration are the current density and the emission velocity distribution as a function of position. Simplified cases are considered which show the order of magnitude of effects due to cathode nonuniformity and magnetic field strength. From present evidence, it can be shown that high noise figure in low noise tubes is almost certainly due to excess noise velocity, brought about by cathode nonuniformities. Suggestions are given for reducing these undesirable effects.
A Documentative Look at Contract Approvals, Launches, and Successes in U. S. Futures Markets

This paper uses data on current volume and contracts approved by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to document the history of approvals, launches, and successes of all contracts in U. S. futures and futures options markets. Over 1,100 futures and options contracts have been approved and almost 900 have been launched. About 59 percent of futures contracts and about 73 percent of options that have been launched no longer trade. Not surprisingly the two largest (and now merged) exchanges, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Chicago Board of Trade, have been the most assertive in securing approval and ultimately launching their contracts, but about 60 percent of the CME's launched contracts and about 74 percent of the CBT's launched contracts no longer trade. Futures contracts on financial instruments have been the most successful futures, but options on financial futures have been the least successful options. For individual underlyings, energy and currency contracts have had the highest success rates at about 63 and 51 percent. For exchanges with at least 20 launches, the most successful in launching futures has been the New York Cotton Exchange, while the most successful in launching options has been the New York Mercantile Exchange. We also examine 13 fourteen cases in which competing products were launched nearly simultaneously and find no clear-cut winner in head-to-head competition as in the majority of cases, both contracts failed.
Schottky Barriers on Magnetron Sputtered a-Si:H: Depletion width Effects on Photocarrier Collection vs Bandgap and Light Soaking

We present a study of depletion width effects on the photocarrier collection efficiency in reactive magnetron sputtered a-Si:H films. Results are presented for as-deposited and light soaked 1.75 eV optical gap samples, and an as-deposited 1.60 eV gap film. The depletion width behavior with reverse bias is inferred from capacitance measurements. Comparison with photocurrent collection versus reverse bias voltage suggests that space charge effects can have an important role in the interpretation of collection efficiency on Schottky barriers.
The Acceptance of Christianity by the Roman Emperors

For the church historian, there is perhaps no more baffling problem than to account for the union that was effected between Christianity and the Roman State. The acceptance of this new religion by a government bound up with the heritages and customs of a thousand years of heathenism would be an astounding phenomenon were it not already so familiar to the historian. Scarcely less perplexing is the corresponding transformation in the attitude of Christians toward the Roman government. It seems almost inconceivable that a religious movement, which began with the conviction that “all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them” were the proper possession of Satan, should ultimately hail with approval a union of Church and State. There is no need to rehearse the course of events that marked the gradual rapprochement of Christianity and the Roman State. That story has been well and frequently told. But the genetic forces operating in that ancient society to bring about this remarkable result, still await further analysis. It is in this particular field of research that our present study falls.
151 CIRCULATORY RESPONSE TO FEEDING IN LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS

Previous studies in term neonates have documented a decrease in calf blood flow (CBF) immediately postprandial, followed by hyperdynamic circulatory state 2 to 3 hours later (Pediat 47:378, 1971). The circulatory response to feeding of 24 low birth weight (LBW) infants was investigated at ages 4 to 24 days. Twenty of 24 infants were preterm, mean birth weight (BW), 1323 (SD ± 125G) and gestational age (GA) 33.6 ± 0.65 wks. The remaining 4 were term SGA infants, GA, 38.5 ± 0.5 wks, and BW 1747.5 ± 125G. Feeding consisted of standard formula, with mean amounts of 20 ml/kg in preterm and 30 ml/kg in term infants. The CBF was measured by venous occlusion plethysmographic method 15 to 30 minutes before feeding and ½ hourly for 2 to 3 hrs. postprandial. The calf skin temperature was kept constant throughout the study (mean 35°C). Blood pressure (BP), and pulse rate (PR) were monitored. Preterm infants showed no significant change in their ½ hour postprandial CBF from a control value of 7.04 ml/min/100 ml, while term SGA infants showed a decrease of 33% from 8.88 ml/min/100 ml. The 2½ hr. postprandial CBF in both groups increased by 16 to 30%. There were no significant changes in the PR or BP. It is suggested that unlike the term infant, preterm infants showed no immediate peripheral circulatory response to feeding. This difference may be related to gestational age or the amount of feeding. Although, the studies in term infants showed no correlation to amount of feed.
Passive Fluids Management in Low -g: Partially Wetting Systems

&Closed -form analytic solutions useful for the design of low -g capillary flows in a variety of co ntainers possessing interior corners were recently collected and reviewed. Low -g drop tower and aircraft experiments performed at NASA to date show excellent agreement between theory and experiment for perfectly wetting fluids. The analytical expressions a re general in terms of contact angle, but do not account for variations in contact angle between the various surfaces within the system. Such conditions may be desirable for capillary containment or to compute the behavior of capillary corner flows in cont ainers consisting of different materials with widely varying wetting characteristics. A simple coordinate rotation is employed to recast the governing system of equations for flows in containers with interior corners with differing contact angles on the f aces of the corner. The result is that a large number of capillary driven corner flows may be predicted with only slightly modified geometric functions dependent on corner angle and the two (or more) contact angles of the system. A numerical solution is em ployed to verify the new problem formulation. The benchmarked computations support the use of the existing theoretical approach to geometries with variable wettability. Simple drop tower experiments to be conducted shortly in NASA Glenn Research Center’s 2 .2s facility are recommended. Favorable agreement between such experiments and the present theory may argue well for the extension of the analytic results to predict fluid performance in future large length scale capillary fluid systems for spacecraft as w ell as for small scale capillary systems on Earth.
Age-related development of pulmonary antioxidant enzymes in the rat.

SummaryThe age-related development of the activity levels of the pulmonary an-tioxidant defense systems: superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and catalase, were examined in the rat. All the pulmonary antioxidant enzymes studied showed a lower activity at two days before term than at birth. From day 12 to 70, with the exception of catalase, these enzymes and reduced glutathione generally showed a gradual increase in activity levels with age. Pulmonary catalase activity, however, was lower in the older rats compared to the younger animals. No significant differences were found in the various pulmonary enzyme activities and glutathione levels between male and female rats.
Airfreight from a Marketing Viewpoint

Apparently only a small percentage of businessmen know what airfreight can accomplish.The author reveals how it can be used profitably when the marketing approach, or total-cost concept, is used.
Narrowband emission line imaging spectrometry using Savart plates

Polarization spatial heterodyne interferometry (PSHI) allows for the development of compact, vibration insensitive, high spectral resolution sensors. Introducing the imaging qualities of a lenslet array extends the advantages of PSHI to imaging interferometers. The use of Savart plates enables a birefringent interferometer that obtains higher spectral resolution with fewer optical aberrations when compared to alternative designs. In this paper, we describe the design, construction, calibration and validation of a narrowband emission line imaging spectrometer (NELIS), based on Savart plates and liquid crystal polarization gratings, along with its associated theoretical model. This sensor is advantageous for spectral imaging in the areas of remote sensing, biomedical imaging and machine vision.
Geographic space: an ancient story retold

Location, as the fundamental concept in geography, is important for all sciences that study objects and behaviours in geo-space. Although other disciplines are capable of formulating definitions of location and geo-space, they nevertheless look up to geography to devise and articulate a comprehensive and practical concept of ‘everything geographic’. Essentially quantitative in its concern, geography has yet to quantify the concept of geo-space in order to both fulfil the ancient Greeks' vision of geography and advance it for use in other disciplines. We revisit the epistemological and broader philosophical principles of geo-space and apply these principles to identifying and quantifying the key aspects of geo-space: topos, choros and geos. Rather than following the narrow numerical tradition of quantitative geography and GIS, we adopt broader philosophical perspective of Kant on Quantity (Unity, Multiplicity, Totality) and argue that the ‘natural’ extension of the classical approach to geo-space necessitates its further philosophical quantification. We show that the ancient Greeks' concept maps into locations (topos), spatial relations (choros) and topology (geos). Extending the concept further necessitates the use of the language of set theory for defining basic concepts. We show that the result is both tractable and quantifiable, connects classical with modern and completes the definition of geo-space on all three levels of Quantity (unity, multiplicity, totality). We demonstrate the tractability of thus defined concept by reinterpreting Tobler's First Law of geography in theoretically sound terms. We show that a refined, modern concept of geo-space is both philosophically fulfilling and practically useful – some properties of geo-space are too important to be ignored or distorted.
I-SPY 2 — A Glimpse of the Future of Phase 2 Drug Development?

The I-SPY 2 breast cancer trials assess activity of new agents by adaptive randomization, applying criteria for success on a surrogate end point to predict success in confirmatory trials. Innovative designs may speed progress and eliminate waste in drug development.
Someone Else’s Words: OCD, Language, and Discourse Power

Open image in new window Figure 4.1 The many machine-inspired metaphors for OCD Language is perhaps one of the most influential elements of human experience and yet also one of the most invisible. As a linguist teaching about language and society, I am used to hearing from new students and old friends alike how before I engaged them in discussions about this facet of knowledge, they had not thought of language seriously and systematically at a conscious level: it was as present and as taken for granted as air. Because language is such an important part of our cultural understanding and yet it can easily go unchecked, in this chapter I will discuss some aspects associated with the linguistic universe of OCD, especially how language has helped shape this and other mental disease entities, sometimes in ways that are not at first obvious.
Energy-efficient fault tolerance approach for internet of things applications

Fault tolerance (FT) is essential in many Internet of Things (IoT) applications, in particular in the domains such as medical devices and automotive systems where a single fault in the system can lead to serious consequences. Non-volatile memory (NVM), on the other hand, is commonly used to improve system reliability due to its unique properties to retain data even if the power supply is lost. However, one of the most important drawbacks of NVM is that it imposes significant overhead regarding timing and energy. In this paper, we have proposed a unique technique with the use of NVM to create FT application specific architecture with almost no timing overhead and low energy overhead. We address the implementation of applications that are specified using synchronous data flow model of computation. We combine the use of NVM and classical CMOS transistors so that NVM judiciously stores selected complete states of the pertinent program. It allows the program to resume from the saved state in NVM when faults occur. The frequency of the state selection can be flexibly adjusted for an arbitrarily specified FT timing/energy overhead. Moreover, to find an optimal state selection (with low overhead), we have applied an improved min-cut max-flow algorithm. On a variety of typical benchmarks, the simulation results indicate that our approach incurs only a small overhead over lower bounds. It is also generic in a sense that it can be applied to a wide spectrum of underlying IoT architectures and computational models.
Toward a national, sustained U.S. ecosystem assessment.

The massive investment of resources devoted to monitoring and assessment of economic and societal indicators in the United States is neither matched by nor linked to efforts to monitor and assess the ecosystem services and biodiversity that support economic and social well-being. Although national-scale assessments of biodiversity ( 1 ) and ecosystem indicators ( 2 ) have been undertaken, nearly a decade has elapsed since the last systematic assessment ( 2 ). A 2011 White House report called for a national biodiversity and ecosystem services assessment ( 3 ), but the initiative has stalled. Our aim here is to stimulate the process and outline a credible framework and pathway for an ongoing assessment of ecosystem functioning (see the photo). A national assessment should engage diverse stakeholders from multiple sectors of society and should focus on metrics and analyses of direct relevance to policy decisions, from local to national levels. Although many technical or science-focused components are in place, they need to be articulated, distilled, and organized to address policy issues.
Near-optimal probabilistic search using spatial Fourier sparse set

Autonomous search is an essential research topic for rescue and other robotic applications. However, searching for targets efficiently is still an unsolved problem. To achieve this objective, a robot needs to simultaneously maximize environmental coverage, maximize probability of detection (PD) and minimize motion cost. The problems associated with these objectives are NP-hard. This research reformulates the three objective functions as a maximum cumulative PD problem with motion cost. Since the PD function depends on the environment, the robot needs to both learn the PD function and the cost-to-go (CTG) function. This research proposes a reinforcement learning algorithm to learn the PD and CTG functions simultaneously. Since the PD function is sparse in the Fourier domain under certain subgoal patterns, spatial Fourier sparse set is proposed to learn PD functions based on the compressed sensing technique. The learned PD and CTG functions can then be used to generate subgoals that achieve $$(1-1/e)$$ of the optimum due to the submodularity. Experiments conducted with this algorithm demonstrate that the robot can search for the target faster than prior learning approaches (e.g., PMAC and FSS) and the benchmark model (e.g., PD).
Severe Esophagitis and Gastritis from Nivolumab Therapy

Nivolumab is a novel chemotherapy currently approved for the treatment of multiple metastatic malignancies. This class of therapy, known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, is notable for an autoimmune-related adverse event profile. Diarrhea and colitis are common gastrointestinal adverse events, however, upper gastrointestinal events are rarely reported. We present a case of nivolumab-associated esophagitis and gastritis that has yet to be reported in the published literature.
Efficacy of electrostatically charged glyphosate on ryegrass

Abstract Using a TX-VK3 spray tip attached to an electrostatic sprayer operated at 483 kPa pressure, ryegrass was sprayed with glyphosate at 0.0033 kg ae ha −1 . Charge-to-mass ratio (Q/M) for the spray solution was 1.686 mC kg −1 at +10.0 kV charging voltage. Treatment efficacy was assessed using NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) spectral reflectance values. Electrostatic charging of glyphosate significantly increased volume median diameter of spray droplets (D v0.5 = 112.8 μm) compared to uncharged glyphosate (D v0.5 = 106.5 μm). Ryegrass health declined 80% faster by charging the glyphosate spray solution compared to the uncharged spray.
Plant Response Strategies to Engineered Metal Oxide Nanoparticles: A Review

Plants provide a potential pathway for the transport of nanoparticles, and hence the study on effects of nanoparticles in plants is crucial. Metal oxide nanoparticles exhibit unique physical and chemical properties, and their interaction with plant system influences the growth and development of plants. Several changes have been observed in morphological and physiological parameters of plants such as seed germination, shoot and root growth, and biomass production. Interaction of metal oxide nanoparticles with plants could also alter the photosynthetic and biochemical activities. Significant changes have been observed in antioxidant enzyme activities to prevent oxidative damage and enhance the plant defense mechanism against metal oxide nanoparticles. The effects of nanoparticles on the nutritional quality of plants and plant products were also reviewed in this chapter.
African Trypanosomes: Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (Dutton 1902) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (Stephens and Fantham 1910)

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense, two subspecies of hemoflagellates, are responsible for a disease commonly referred to as African trypanosomiasis. Both of these organisms are transmitted by the bite of various species of the tsetse fly of the genus Glossina (see Chap. 38) and infect human populations throughout Equatorial Africa. T. b. gambiense is found mainly in western and central Africa (Senegambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Zaire, Gabon, and Uganda), whereas T. b. rhodesiense is restricted to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya in East Africa. There are no known reservoir hosts for T. b. gambiense, but many of the wild game animals of East Africa serve as reservoirs for T. b. rhodesiense
Pb2+ Binds to Downstream Regulatory Element Antagonist Modulator (DREAM) and Modulates Its Interactions with Binding Partners: A Link between Neuronal Calcium Sensors and Pb2+ Neurotoxicity.

Pb2+ exposure leads to diverse neurological disorders; however, the mechanism of Pb2+-induced neurotoxicity is not clearly understood. Here we demonstrate that Pb2+ binds to EF-hands in apo-DREAM (downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator) with a lower equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd = 20 ± 2 nM) than Ca2+ (Kd = 1 μM). Based on the Trp169 emission and CD spectra, we report that Pb2+ association triggers changes in the protein secondary and tertiary structures that are analogous to those previously observed for Ca2+-bound protein. The hydrophobic cavity in the C-terminal domain of DREAM is solvent exposed in the presence of Pb2+ as determined using a hydrophobic probe, 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (1,8-ANS). Pb2+ association with DREAM also modulates interactions between DREAM and its intracellular partners as evident from the fact that Pb2+-bound DREAM associates with peptide-based model systems, presenilin-1 helix-9 “PS1HL9” KV4.3(70–90) “site-2” and KV4.3(2–22) “site 1”. Namely, d...
Innovation, Patents and Biologics: The Road to Biosimilar Competition: Factors Influencing Investment, Business Decisions and Marketing of Biosimilars

This chapter provides an overview of the biosimilar market in the U.S. Biosimilars are defined as highly similar to the originator biologic. Biologics are some of the highest priced drugs that treat some of the most serious diseases. The R&D for biologics can be in the billions of dollars. Recently, patents on various biologics have expired, opening up the market to competition from biosimilars. An abbreviated pathway for biosimilars was created through the 2009 Biologic Price Competition and Innovation Act. Seven biosimilars have been approved with only 3 on the market. Exclusivity and patents and the various legal issues that biosimilars face are examined. We examine the potential gains from biosimilars and the future market structure of the biosimilar market. This analysis will help potential biosimilars producers take a holistic view towards the challenges and prepare for the upcoming competition in making biosimilars a reality.
Prospective evaluation of sleep improvement after cubital tunnel decompression surgery.

Background Compromised sleep is a known phenomenon with compressive neuropathies such as carpal tunnel syndrome. However, the prevalence of sleep disturbance with cubital tunnel syndrome (CuTS) and the effect on sleep after ulnar nerve decompression are not well understood. We hypothesized that CuTS results in sleep disturbances and that decompression surgery would result in improvement in overall sleep quality. Methods Consecutive patients with electrodiagnostic-proven CuTS indicated for decompression were prospectively enrolled. Demographic data, McGowan grade, electrodiagnostic (electromyography) severity, visual analog scale pain score, the 11-item version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire, and the Insomnia Severity Index scale data were collected preoperatively and at 2 weeks and 3 months postoperatively. Results There were 145 patients enrolled, with 97% available at 2 weeks and 72% available at the final 3-month follow-up. Surgical decompression procedures consisted of 102 in situ releases and 43 transpositions. The average preoperative Insomnia Severity Index score for the entire cohort was 10.7, above the threshold for a diagnosis of insomnia, which subsequently improved to 4.1 by final follow-up postoperatively, consistent with resolution of the insomnia. There was no difference in the extent of sleep improvement between in situ decompression and transposition. Similarly, electromyography severity and McGowan grade also did not appear to significantly affect the extent of sleep improvement. Conclusion CuTS decompression surgery, irrespective of surgical type and preoperative severity, resulted in improvement in sleep by the 3 month postoperative visit.
The Critical Gel

Nature allows polymers to pass through the gel point with striking simplicity and elegance. However, what are the rheological properties at the gel point? Is the polymer at the gel point, the ‘critical gel’, at a distinct material state that has its own properties? It seems that these questions, until recently, have not been pursued. The questions might have been avoided since it was well known that the established rheological concepts fail altogether at the gel point: the concept of a viscosity is inapplicable since the viscosity diverges to infinity and the concept of an equilibrium modulus is useless since the modulus is still zero at the gel point. The gel point itself had remained mysterious.
Variation in density and moisture content of wood and bark among twenty Eucalyptus grandis progenies

Variation in density and moisture content of Eucalyptus grandis wood and bark is described utilizing the trees established for a half-sib progeny test in southern Florida. Differences in density and moisture content among progenies were significant. Variations in wood properties were largely due to the genetic differences. No relationship was found between wood density and wood moisture content. Implications for genetic manipulation of wood quality for this species were discussed.
Attitude Control System for the Mars Cube One Spacecraft

CubeSats are small spacecraft based on a 10cm by 10cm by 10cm (1U) cube standard that have historically only been operated in Earth orbit. Mars Cube One (MarCO) is the first CubeSat mission developed for interplanetary operation. MarCO is a technology demonstration mission comprised of two identical, solar powered 6U satellites with several key goals, including that of providing a bent pipe telecom relay to Earth for NASA's InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) mission during its Entry, Descent, and Landing sequence. MarCO launched on the same rocket as InSight and makes use of the Deep Space Network for communications and ranging. It therefore has an attitude control system and propulsion system suitable for operating in several pointing modes, providing desaturations for reaction wheel momentum buildup, and thrusting to change the spacecraft trajectory. Because the spacecraft design is constrained to the CubeSat standards and because of the distances of the spacecraft from Earth and the Sun, the components used for attitude control and propulsion must meet tight size, mass, and power requirements. Autonomous modes of operation are also critical to ensure that the spacecraft can function safely with periods of several hours occurring between consecutive communication periods. A robust testing sequence was required to ensure that the spacecraft functions were exercised and that the operations team understood how the spacecraft were expected to behave after launch. This paper discusses several elements of the MarCO attitude control and propulsion systems. The paper begins with a discussion of the hardware that was selected for the two systems as well as descriptions of the interface between the attitude control and propulsion systems and the interface between these systems and the rest of the spacecraft's command and data handling system. Next, the paper summarizes the different types of tests that were performed at the system and spacecraft levels. Test data is included for some of these tests which helped define the methods by which the spacecraft is operated in space. Lastly, the paper lists a series of lessons-learned for developing attitude control and propulsion systems for interplanetary CubeSats.
Critique of black reason: by Achille Mbembe, Durham and London, Duke University Press, 2017, ix-209 pp., $25.95 (Paperback), ISBN: 9780822363439

Achille Mbembe’s Critique of Black Reason argues that blackness and race as twin social constructs are the foundation for reason itself. Through these twin constructs, a map was forged by colonial ...
Transition Metal Catalysts for Boron Combustion

Composite powders comprising 95 wt% boron and 5 wt% metal additives including Fe, Co, Ni, Hf, and Zr, were prepared by high energy mechanical milling in a planetary mill using hexane as a process c...
Detection of Donor’s HIV Strain in HIV-Positive Kidney-Transplant Recipient

HIV Transfer in Renal Transplantation despite ART In this case report, a low level of human immunodeficiency virus was shown to be transferred during transplantation of a kidney from an HIV-positiv...
Diversity of navel microbiome in young adults

Introduction. Human skin microbial communities represent a tremendous source of genetic diversity that evolves as a function of human age. Microbiota differs between regions of oily and moist skin, and appears to stabilize with age. Aim. We have a minimal understanding of the time frame required for the stabilization of skin microbiota, and the role played by gender. In the current study, we examined the microbiota present in the navel region of college-attending young adults in the age group of 18–25 years and investigated if diversity is associated with gender (male and female). Method. The study involved 16 female and six male subjects. Isolated DNA samples from navel swabs were processed using the Nextera XT library preparation kit and sequenced using the MiSeq platform. Data were analysed using QIIME and statistical analysis performed in R. Results. Microbiota of navel skin is dominated by Corynebacterium and Staphylococcus and includes opportunistic pathogens like Clostridium and Pseudomonas . Also present as the major component of the flora were the organisms normally associated with the gastrointestinal tract such as Acinetobacter , Campylobacter , Klebsiella and organisms from the Enterobacteriaceae and Moraxellaceae families. Comparison of alpha and beta diversity of the microbiota in the male and female navel regions suggests that the flora is not statistically different (P>0.05). However, pairwise comparison suggests that the abundance of 12 specific genera varied with gender, including higher abundance of Klebsiella and Enterobacter in females. Conclusion. Our findings indicate that the navel skin microbiota of young adults has a core microbiota of Corynebacterium and Staphylococcus . We also noted the presence of a significant number of opportunistic pathogens. A minor gender difference in the abundance of individual organisms was also observed.
Joint cosmology and mass calibration from thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich cluster counts and cosmic shear

We present a new method for joint cosmological parameter inference and cluster mass calibration from a combination of weak lensing measurements and the abundance of thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) selected galaxy clusters. We combine cluster counts with the spherical harmonic cosmic shear power spectrum and the cross-correlation between cluster overdensity and cosmic shear. These correlations constrain the cluster mass-observable relation. We model the observables using a halo model framework, including their full non-Gaussian covariance. Forecasting constraints on cosmological and mass calibration parameters for a combination of LSST cosmic shear and Simons Observatory tSZ cluster counts, we find competitive constraints for cluster cosmology, with a factor of 2 improvement in the dark energy figure of merit compared to LSST cosmic shear alone. We find most of the mass calibration information will be in the large and intermediate scales of the cross-correlation between cluster overdensity and cosmic shear. Finally, we find broadly comparable constraints to traditional analyses based on calibrating masses using stacked cluster lensing measurements, with the benefit of consistently accounting for the correlations with cosmic shear.
Ethics of community-based research

Abstract While community-based research, service-learning, citizen science, and other approaches offer many benefits for community members and their communities, the literature often glosses over the ethical challenges researchers encounter when engaging diverse stakeholders. Through the years however, action research and citizen science work have also revealed a number of unintended negative outcomes, particularly when academic partners employ top-down research agendas. Despite the well-meaning intentions of the researchers, such lack of cultural awareness leads to mistrust by those who might benefit most from the outcomes of the research. Alternatively, we describe a bottom-up approach to community-based research that builds trust, incorporates local knowledge, and sustains partnerships to achieve mutually beneficial long-term goals. We describe our rules of thumb for ethical community engagement and highlight best practices that empower community action and compliments a community’s own adaptive capacity and resiliency.
Association of Primary and Specialty Care Integration on Physician Communication and Cancer Screening in Safety-Net Clinics

INTRODUCTION Primary care providers who lack reliable referral relationships with specialists may be less likely than those who do have such relationships to conduct cancer screenings. Community health centers (CHCs), which provide primary care to disadvantaged populations, have historically reported difficulty accessing specialty care for their patients. This study aimed to describe strategies CHCs use to integrate care with specialists and examine whether more strongly integrated CHCs have higher rates of screening for colorectal and cervical cancers and report better communication with specialists. METHODS Using a 2017 survey of CHCs in 12 states and the District of Columbia and administrative data, we estimated the association between a composite measure of CHC/specialist integration and 1) colorectal and cervical cancer screening rates, and 2) 4 measures of CHC/specialist communication using multivariate regression models. RESULTS Integration strategies commonly reported by CHCs included having specialists deliver care on-site (80%) and establishing referral agreements with specialists (70%). CHCs that were most integrated with specialists had 5.6 and 6.8 percentage-point higher colorectal and cervical cancer screening rates, respectively, than the least integrated CHCs (P < .05). They also had significantly higher rates of knowing that specialist visits happened (67% vs 42%), knowing visit outcomes (65% vs 42%), receiving information after visits (47% vs 21%), and timely receipt of information (44% vs 27%). CONCLUSION CHCs use various strategies to integrate primary and specialty care. Efforts to promote CHC/specialist integration may help increase rates of cancer screening.
Offsetting Racial Divides: Adolescent African American Males & Restorative Justice Practices

Zero-tolerance suspensions are exclusionary practices that disrupt and deny students access to structured routines, academic instruction, and school-provided meals. Throughout the United States, statistical comparisons in zero-tolerance suspensions illustrate harsh racial disproportionalities, particularly for adolescent African American males. Inequities in disciplinary practices place adolescent African American males at higher risk for dropping out of high school, retention, and incarceration. Recent literature highlights the pathway of restorative justice as a tool to decrease inequities in zero-tolerance school suspensions. This case study applies the theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT) to examine this phenomenon by presenting the story of a 17-year-old African American male and his lived experience of a zero-tolerance school suspension and the social and emotional benefits of counter-storytelling as a restorative justice practice. This paper seeks to contribute to the literature by illustrating the inequities of mandated school suspensions and the observed outcomes when a social worker with experience in CRT and restorative justice intervenes.
A commentary on Johnson et al.’s “Shaken baby syndrome/abusive head trauma: Wrongful conviction risks, mis-information effects, and psychological consultation”

Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) is a medical diagnosis which indicates that accidents, diseases, or other medical conditions do not plausibly explain a child’s injuries. While psychologists may be involv...