cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the peripheral neuropathy associated with brentuximab vedotin treatment of Mycosis Fungoides and Sézary Syndrome

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is common, frequently limits chemotherapy dosing, and negatively impacts quality of life. The National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), version 4.0, and the Total Neuropathy Score clinical version (TNSc) are both validated scores to quantify peripheral neuropathy (PN), with the TNSc being more sensitive to clinical changes. Mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome (MF/SS) are characterized by a chronic course, where current therapies are generally non-curative and treatment toxicities have the potential for significant lasting effects. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is an antibody-drug-conjugate composed of an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody linked to the microtubule-disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E, with a known associated CIPN. In our phase II clinical trial of BV in MF/SS, 25 (69%) of 36 patients developed PN, with 18 (50%) developing Clinically Significant PN, CTCAE v4.0 grade 2 or higher. The median time to grade 2 PN was 15 weeks (range 0.4–48) after the initial dose. By Kaplan–Meier calculation, the median time to improvement from Clinically Significant PN was 30 weeks from the last BV dose. Seventy-four percent had improvement by 24 months. We found that TNSc scores significantly correlated with CTCAE grade, with Spearman correlation coefficient 0.68 (p < 0.001). By logistic regression, for each 100 mg increase in BV total dose, the likelihood of developing Clinically Significant PN increased by 23% (95% CI 4–46%). Improved monitoring of CIPN associated with BV is of paramount importance in the MF/SS population.
House-Yard Burials of Enslaved Laborers in Eighteenth-Century Jamaica

Four burials were excavated from discrete house-yard compounds in an eighteenth century African Jamaican slave settlement at Seville plantation. Though only four in number, these individuals provide significant information on burial practices and physical conditions within a clearly defined African Jamaican community. The analysis of material remains illuminate living conditions and social relations within the African Jamaican community. Each individual was interred within a separate house-yard and with a unique set of artifacts that yield information about their unique identities and positions within the Seville community. Bioarchaeological assessments describe the osteological remains and detail findings concerning pathologies. To date, they are the only excavated individuals who represent the African Caribbean practice of house-yard burial.
Violations of health information privacy: The role of attributions and anticipated regret in shaping whistle-blowing intentions

We examine the role of attributions, the seriousness of wrongdoing, and emotion in shaping individuals' whistle-blowing intentions in the context of health information privacy violations. Based on 3 studies in which the intentionality of wrongdoing and the stability of wrongdoing were manipulated independently, we found consistent evidence that the intentionality of wrongdoing affects anticipated regret about remaining silent. The findings regarding the effect of stability, however, were mixed. In study 1, the stability of wrongdoing was found to affect anticipated regret about remaining silent, and in studies 2 and 3, stability was found to have a direct effect on whistle-blowing intention but no effect on anticipated regret about remaining silent. In the 3 studies, the seriousness of wrongdoing was found to have an effect on whistle-blowing intentions, but this effect was mediated by anticipated regret about remaining silent. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
γδ T cells are required for maximal expression of allergic conjunctivitis.

Purpose. To determine the function of γδ T cells in early- and late-phase responses in allergic conjunctivitis.
Academic and Behavioral Strategies to Enhance the Understanding of Expository Text for Secondary Students With EBD

Secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders may experience a phenomenon known as the failure cycle where behavioral needs and academic deficits negatively impact learning, including ...
Children’s distress during intravenous placement: The role of child life specialists

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of child life specialists’ intervention to minimize distress for children undergoing IV placement procedures. We hypothesized that ...
Lay conceptions of norm-based approach and avoidance motivation: Implications for the performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal relation.

OBJECTIVE Performance-approach goals and performance-avoidance goals are conceptually distinct, but they are often moderately or even highly positively correlated. The present research examines lay conceptions of approach and avoidance motivation as a moderator of this intergoal relation. METHOD Study 1 (N = 281) assessed whether participants considered norm-based approach motivation as being the same or different from norm-based avoidance motivation and tested these conceptions as a moderator of the performance goal correlation. Study 2 (N = 990) measured and experimentally manipulated lay conceptions. RESULTS In both studies, individuals who viewed approach and avoidance motivation as different exhibited a smaller performance goal correlation and lower performance-based goal adoption than those who viewed approach and avoidance goals as the same. Findings from experimentally manipulated conceptions provided further clarity regarding the precise nature of the relations and mean differences observed. Specifically, moderation was driven by the different condition (where the differences between approach and avoidance were highlighted). CONCLUSIONS This research sheds light on the nature and magnitude of the focal performance-based goal correlation and highlights the value of attending to lay conceptions of approach and avoidance motivation as well as lay conceptions of ability.
New Onset vs Resolution of Central-Peripheral Rivalry-Type Diplopia in Patients Undergoing Epiretinal Membrane Peeling

Importance The peeling of an epiretinal membrane (ERM) is commonly performed for poor visual acuity and/or metamorphopsia, but to our knowledge, its influence on central-peripheral rivalry (CPR)–type diplopia has not been rigorously studied. Objective To evaluate the occurrence of either resolution or new-onset CPR-type diplopia in patients undergoing ERM peeling. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective cohort study was conducted from July 2014 to April 2018 at a tertiary referral medical center and included 33 adults with ERM who were undergoing peeling surgery with planned preoperative to postoperative analysis. Interventions A standardized diplopia questionnaire completed before undergoing and 6 months following ERM peeling. Main Outcomes and Measures For patients with CPR-type diplopia before ERM peeling (rated “sometimes” or more for distance straight ahead or reading using the diplopia questionnaire), we calculated the proportion with resolution of diplopia postpeel (“never” for distance straight ahead and reading on the diplopia questionnaire) and compared clinical characteristics between those with resolution and those without. For patients with no diplopia prepeeling (“never” for distance straight ahead and reading on the diplopia questionnaire), we calculated the proportion with new-onset CPR-type diplopia postoperatively and compared clinical characteristics between those with new-onset diplopia and those who remained without diplopia. Results Of 33 patients (median age, 67 years [range, 51-87 years]; 18 men [55%]), 12 (36%) had CPR-type diplopia preoperatively and 21 (64%) did not have diplopia preoperatively. Six months postoperatively, 4 of 12 patients with diplopia (33%; 95% CI, 10%-65%) had resolution of diplopia, and 4 of 21 patients without diplopia (19%; 95% CI, 5%-42%) had new-onset diplopia. Better postoperative operated-eye visual acuity appeared somewhat associated with new-onset diplopia postoperatively (mean [SD] visual acuity, 0.08 [0.10] logMAR; approximately 20/25 vs 0.34 [0.33] logMAR; approximately 20/40; difference, −0.27; 95% CI, −0.62 to 0.09;P = .07), as did greater postoperative aniseikonia (14% [5%] vs 6% [4%]; difference, 8%; 95% CI, 2%-13%;P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance These data suggest that epiretinal membrane peeling may result in resolution of diplopia in some patients but new-onset diplopia in others. These findings may be valuable when counseling patients regarding the risks of new-onset diplopia.
Whole-genome re-sequencing reveals the impact of the interaction of copy number variants of the rhg1 and Rhg4 genes on broad-based resistance to soybean cyst nematode

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the most devastating plant-parasitic nematode. Most commercial soybean varieties with SCN resistance are derived from PI88788. Resistance derived from PI88788 is breaking down due to narrow genetic background and SCN population shift. PI88788 requires mainly the rhg1-b locus, while 'Peking' requires rhg1-a and Rhg4 for SCN resistance. In the present study, whole genome re-sequencing of 106 soybean lines was used to define the Rhg haplotypes and investigate their responses to the SCN HG-Types. The analysis showed a comprehensive profile of SNPs and copy number variations (CNV) at these loci. CNV of rhg1 (GmSNAP18) only contributed towards resistance in lines derived from PI88788 and 'Cloud'. At least 5.6 copies of the PI88788-type rhg1 were required to confer SCN resistance, regardless of the Rhg4 (GmSHMT08) haplotype. However, when the GmSNAP18 copies dropped below 5.6, a 'Peking'-type GmSHMT08 haplotype was required to ensure SCN resistance. This points to a novel mechanism of epistasis between GmSNAP18 and GmSHMT08 involving minimum requirements for copy number. The presence of more Rhg4 copies confers resistance to multiple SCN races. Moreover, transcript abundance of the GmSHMT08 in root tissue correlates with more copies of the Rhg4 locus, reinforcing SCN resistance. Finally, haplotype analysis of the GmSHMT08 and GmSNAP18 promoters inferred additional levels of the resistance mechanism. This is the first report revealing the genetic basis of broad-based resistance to SCN and providing new insight into epistasis, haplotype-compatibility, CNV, promoter variation and its impact on broad-based disease resistance in plants.
The Split Three-Dimensional Crystallographic Groups

An n-dimensional crystallographic group Γ is a discrete, cocompact subgroup of the group of isometries of Euclidean n-space. Each γ ∈ Γ can be written in the form v γ + A γ , where v γ ∈ R n is a translation and A γ ∈ O(n).
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells on a Chip: A Self-Contained, Accessible, Pipette-less iPSC Culturing and Differentiation Kit

Over the past decade, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have become a major focus of stem cell and developmental biology research, offering researchers a clinically relevant source of cells that are amenable to genetic engineering approaches. Though stem cells are promising for both research and commercial endeavors, iPSC-based assays require tedious protocols that include complex treatments, expensive reagents, and specialized equipment that limit their integration into academic curricula and cell biology research groups. Expanding on existing Kit-On-A-Lid-Assay (KOALA) technologies, we have developed a self-contained, injection molded, pipette-less iPSC culture and differentiation platform that significantly reduces associated costs and labor of stem cell maintenance and differentiation. The KOALA kit offers users the full range of iPSC culture necessities, including cell cryopreservation, media exchanges, differentiation, endpoint analysis, and a new capability, cell passaging. Using the KOALA kit, we were able to culture ~20,000 iPSCs per microchannel for at least 7 days, while maintaining stable expression of stemness markers (SSEA4 and Oct4) and normal iPSC phenotype. We also adapted protocols for differentiating iPSCs into neuroepithelial cells, cardiomyocytes, and definitive endodermal cells, a cell type from each germ layer of human development.
Aging and Rejuvenation of Neural Stem Cells and Their Niches

Aging has a profound and devastating effect on the brain. Old age is accompanied by declining cognitive function and enhanced risk of brain diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. A key question is whether cells with regenerative potential contribute to brain health and even brain "rejuvenation." This review discusses mechanisms that regulate neural stem cells (NSCs) during aging, focusing on the effect of metabolism, genetic regulation, and the surrounding niche. We also explore emerging rejuvenating strategies for old NSCs. Finally, we consider how new technologies may help harness NSCs' potential to restore healthy brain function during physiological and pathological aging.
The Ethics of Blue Urbanism

Blue urbanism represents a compelling new vision (and movement) for how we think about cities and urbanization on the blue planet. It emphasizes a new connection with, and emphasis on, the marine environments and nature within which coastal cities are situated. It advocates for new forms of urban design, parks, and conservation that recognize this profound marine setting. Advancing this vision will require taking on a host of ethical and value dilemmas: this chapter is an initial effort to identify and sort through some of the bigger of these open ethical questions. They include important questions about the moral status of marine nature and the extent of ethical duties that blue cities have both to protect the marine nature and wildness and to invest in programs to connect urbanites to this marine nature. Other important categories of ethical questions include the extent to which there are public rights to the blue; questions about the fairness of risk associated with climate change and sea-level rise, and forms of ethical adaptation; intergenerational and intertemporal ethics; virtue ethics and blue citizenship; and questions about the ethics of the politics and decision-making processes through which blue urbanism emerges, among others. Less a definitive treatise than an exploratory discussion, the chapter is meant to show how ethical quandaries permeate the new vision and agenda of blue urbanism. The author begins as well to identify here some of the elements of an ethical blue urbanism to guide this emerging movement.
The effect of central corneal thickness on intraocular pressure values using various tonometers in the dog.

OBJECTIVE To compare intraocular pressure readings from three different tonometers, the Tono-Pen AVIA® (TP), TonoVet® (TV) and TonoVet Plus® (TV+) and to determine how measurements from each tonometer are affected by central corneal thickness (CCT). ANIMALS Ninety dogs. PROCEDURES Normal dogs and dogs with ocular disease were selected for study inclusion. Central corneal thickness measurements were gathered with the Pachette 4 ultrasonic pachymeter, and IOP measurements were gathered with the three tonometers in random order. ANOVA or Wilcoxon tests were utilized for overall group comparisons. Linear regression analyses were utilized to determine the association between IOP and CCT. RESULTS When comparing tonometers to each other, for all dogs, readings from the TV+were significantly different compared to the TV (p = <.0001) and TP (p = <.0001); however, there was no significant difference between the TV and the TP (p = .999). Linear regression did not find any significant correlation between corneal thickness and IOP readings with any tonometer when looking at normal dogs or when including dogs with ocular abnormalities. DISCUSSION This study did not find a significant correlation between an increase in CCT and increase in IOP reading in any tonometer comparison amongst normal and dogs with ocular abnormalities. The TV+produced consistently and significantly higher readings, but measurements did not exceed the expected IOP range in normal dogs. For consistency, the same tonometer should be used when monitoring IOP over time.
African American Parents With Children With Disabilities: Gathering Home–School Reflections:

African American families are multidimensional entities that change over time. This is particularly true when there is a child with a disability in the family. The communication and interaction of ...
A map of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA structurome

SARS-CoV-2 has exploded throughout the human population. To facilitate efforts to gain insights into SARS-CoV-2 biology and to target the virus therapeutically, it is essential to have a roadmap of likely functional regions embedded in its RNA genome. In this report, we used a bioinformatics approach, ScanFold, to deduce the local RNA structural landscape of the SARS-CoV-2 genome with the highest likelihood of being functional. We recapitulate previously-known elements of RNA structure and provide a model for the folding of an essential frameshift signal. Our results find that SARS-CoV-2 is greatly enriched in unusually stable and likely evolutionarily ordered RNA structure, which provides a large reservoir of potential drug targets for RNA-binding small molecules. Results are enhanced via the re-analyses of publicly-available genome-wide biochemical structure probing datasets that are broadly in agreement with our models. Additionally, ScanFold was updated to incorporate experimental data as constraints in the analysis to facilitate comparisons between ScanFold and other RNA modelling approaches. Ultimately, ScanFold was able to identify eight highly structured/conserved motifs in SARS-CoV-2 that agree with experimental data, without explicitly using these data. All results are made available via a public database (the RNAStructuromeDB: https://structurome.bb.iastate.edu/sars-cov-2) and model comparisons are readily viewable at https://structurome.bb.iastate.edu/sars-cov-2-global-model-comparisons.
Beyond the Belmont Report.

For decades, the Belmont Report—and the associated regulatory framework it inspired—has been a cornerstone in the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects. Despite its canonic status, t...
Reversible electrowetting transitions on superhydrophobic surfaces.

Electric field applied across the interface has been shown to enable transitions from Cassie to Wenzel state on superhydrophobic surfaces with miniature corrugations. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations manifest the possibility of reversible cycling between the two states when narrow surface wells support spontaneous expulsion of water in the absence of the field. With approximately 1 nm sized wells between the surface asperities, response times to changes of electric field are of O(0.1) ns, allowing up to GHz frequency of the cycle. Because of orientation preferences of interfacial water in contact with the solid, the phenomenon depends on the polarity of the field normal to the interface. The threshold field strength for the Cassie-to-Wenzel transition is lower for the field pointing from the aqueous phase to the surface, however, once in the Wenzel state, the opposite field direction secures tighter filling of the wells. Considerable hysteresis revealed by the delayed water retraction at decreasing field strength indicates the presence of moderate kinetic barriers to expulsion. Known to scale approximately with the square of the length scale of the corrugations, these barriers preclude the use of increased corrugation sizes while the reduction of the well diameter necessitates stronger electric fields. Field-controlled Cassie-to-Wenzel transitions are therefore optimized by using superhydrophobic surfaces with nanosized corrugations. Abrupt changes indicate a high degree of cooperativity reflecting the correlations between wetting states of interconnected wells on the textured surface.
The Sinai Peninsula and its Environs: Our Changing Perceptions of a Pivotal Land Bridge Between Egypt, the Levant, and Arabia

The Sinai Peninsula has provided a continuous land bridge connecting northeast Africa and Asia, and particularly Ancient Egypt with the Levant. This paper focuses mainly upon past through recent explorations of Ancient Egypt’s Prehistoric through pharaonic interactions with the Sinai and its environs, including the Negev, and in particular considers our changing perceptions of Egyptian contact and influence, and also examines Near Eastern, Arabian, and other cross-cultural relations with the Sinai. The nature of these cross-cultural relations fluctuates and changes, taking place in three main areas: the North Sinai transit route between Egypt’s East Delta and Southwest Levant, a Red Sea crossing to South Sinai to obtain turquoise, copper, and other materials, and a more complex, adjacent Negev route between the Red Sea and Southwest Levant, which variously accommodated Egyptians, Canaanites, and others mining copper in the southern Arabah and Faynan, obtaining Red Sea shells, and getting aromatics from Arabia. DOI:10.2458/azu_jaei_v07i1_mumford
Creating a research literacy course for education doctoral students: Design issues and political realities of developing online and face-to-face instruction

Abstract Education students are often not very information literate, and doctoral students are no exception to this “rule of thumb.” The challenge of preparing doctoral students in education to use online resources as they begin the literature review process becomes even more complicated when these students are also distance students who happen to meet at various sites throughout the United States. This presentation will discuss the pros and cons of designing and delivering online and face-to-face versions of a one-credit elective course for students in Programs for Higher Education at Nova Southeastern University. The advantages and disadvantages of delivering content in synchronous and asynchronous formats are examined. Issues addressed include: (1) the relative merits of using WebCT versus using ordinary Web pages and WebBoard discussions, (2) how to incorporate active learning into both modalities for delivering the course, (3) how to pace and structure the delivery of both versions of the course to m...
Comparison of gene coverage of mouse oligonucleotide microarray platforms

The increasing use of DNA microarrays for genetical genomics studies generates a need for platforms with complete coverage of the genome. We have compared the effective gene coverage in the mouse genome of different commercial and noncommercial oligonucleotide microarray platforms by performing an in-house gene annotation of probes. We only used information about probes that is available from vendors and followed a process that any researcher may take to find the gene targeted by a given probe. In order to make consistent comparisons between platforms, probes in each microarray were annotated with an Entrez Gene id and the chromosomal position for each gene was obtained from the UCSC Genome Browser Database. Gene coverage was estimated as the percentage of Entrez Genes with a unique position in the UCSC Genome database that is tested by a given microarray platform. A MySQL relational database was created to store the mapping information for 25,416 mouse genes and for the probes in five microarray platforms (gene coverage level in parenthesis): Affymetrix430 2.0 (75.6%), ABI Genome Survey (81.24%), Agilent (79.33%), Codelink (78.09%), Sentrix (90.47%); and four array-ready oligosets: Sigma (47.95%), Operon v.3 (69.89%), Operon v.4 (84.03%), and MEEBO (84.03%). The differences in coverage between platforms were highly conserved across chromosomes. Differences in the number of redundant and unspecific probes were also found among arrays. The database can be queried to compare specific genomic regions using a web interface. The software used to create, update and query the database is freely available as a toolbox named ArrayGene. The software developed here allows researchers to create updated custom databases by using public or proprietary information on genes for any organisms. ArrayGene allows easy comparisons of gene coverage between microarray platforms for any region of the genome. The comparison presented here reveals that the commercial microarray Sentrix, which is based on the MEEBO public oligoset, showed the best mouse genome coverage currently available. We also suggest the creation of guidelines to standardize the minimum set of information that vendors should provide to allow researchers to accurately evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using a given platform.
Client-Side Profile Storage

As Internet users, we provide personal information to a growing number of service providers with little or no control over its usage, and no means to properly track subsequent access of this information. Some companies have recently made announcements proposing to handle our personal information centrally, offering the possibility of a unified repository, but raising additional trust and privacy concerns. We have chosen to investigate an alternative to this trend by storing personal information on client devices, increasing the possibility of putting the user in control of his or her personal information. A user can have multiple heterogeneous devices, so this generates a need for the distribution of profile data. We report on work that addresses this distribution issue using a coherency protocol well adapted to handle data migration, and are extending this protocol to incorporate trust-related features.
Cognac after Spanish Champagne ? Geographical Indications as Certification Marks

The Protection of Geographical Names as Certification Marks in common law jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom and the United States is examined in light of the UK Spansih Champagne and other "Drinks" cases and similar cases in the United States dealing with the name "Cognac."
The Evolution of Galaxies in Cluster Environment; HI Perspective

We investigate the degree to which the environment affects the evolution of galaxies in clusters. One way is to study the fate of gas in cluster galaxies by deep HI synthesis imaging. We are interested in the correlation between HI deficiency of galaxies and the dynamical states of clusters/the richness of intracluster medium. Another way is to model the environmentally induced physical mechanisms such as ram-pressure stripping/compression, galaxy harassment and tidal heating in the context of a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation (van Kampen, Jimenez, &\ Peacock 1999). The evolutionary trends in, for example, HI, colour, morphology and SFR can be predicted with our model to be compared with our HI observations and other multi-wavelength observations. Preliminary results on an HI observation of Abell 85 and the modeling will be presented.
Reputation and the Modern Journalistic Imperative

Second, in considering the question of the "newsmakers," I suggest to you that one of the major problems is that it is increasingly difficult to know who the "newsmakers" are. A vast bureaucracy has grown up in Washington-of advisers, technocrats, speech-writers, pollsters, political and advertising hucksters, of experts on the Middle East and the Middle West, on the inner cities and on outer space-all no doubt useful, but unelected, unconfirmed, and usually unavailable. These are the people who are drafting the laws and the speeches and making the news, but reporters do not really know much about them, except that they now make more money than tenured professors. Therefore, I intend to argue for your consideration that the question Dean Bagdikian has raised, whether criticism of public officials is a "Journalistic Imperative," is imprecise.1 Of course it is true that reporters often violate the right of privacy and damage the reputations of innocent people. I think in case after case reporters must plead guilty as charged. In the zeal to get the facts, no doubt reporters take the journalistic imperative too far and not only destroy reputations but family lives as well.
Control of flagellar motility in Euglena and Chlamydomonas. microinjection of EDTA, EGTA, Mn2+, and Zn2+

Abstract When a Euglena , in a medium containing ATP, is microinjected with 7 × 10 −14 l of 0.02 M EDTA, which binds Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ , flagellar motility stops. Flagellar arrest in Chlamydomonas occurs with the injection of 2 × 10 −14 l of 0.02 M EDTA. The injection of similar amounts (7 × 10 −14 l in Euglena and 3 × 10 −14 l in Chlamydomonas ) of 0.02 M EGTA, which preferentially binds Ca 2+ , did not significantly alter flagellar motility. This suggests that a decrease in the internal Ca 2+ concentration in Euglena or Chlamydomonas did not stimulate flagellar beating. Further, flagellar motility decreased when internal Mg 2+ was chelated. The microinjection of Zn 2+ into these cells caused a decrease in flagellar frequency analogous to the decrease in frequency caused by the injection of Ca 2+ and EDTA. The microinjection of 7 × 10 −14 l of 0.2 M Mn 2+ caused an approx. 1.5-fold increase in Euglena flagellar motility. Chlamydomonas flagella, which cease to beat upon impalement in an Mg 2+ -free medium, resume a flagellar frequency of 18 Hz when injected with 3 × 10 −14 l of 0.2 M Mn 2+ . In the experiments reported here, Mn 2+ acts as an analog of Mg 2+ .
Comparison of endorectal ultrasound versus pelvic magnetic resonance imaging for radiation treatment planning in locally advanced rectal cancer.

Abstract Purpose Current National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for rectal cancer recommend tumor and nodal staging using endorectal ultrasound (EUS) or pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). EUS and MRI have similar accuracy for staging rectal cancers. The relative benefits of each modality for radiation therapy (RT) treatment planning are unknown. Methods and materials EUS, MRI, and treatment planning computed tomography scans were reviewed for 6 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. Thirty rectal gross tumor volumes (GTVs) were contoured: 2 GTV EUS (contoured independently by 2 radiation oncologists), 2 GTV MRI , and one GTV treatment (contoured by the treating physician for the original treatment plan) per patient from the original treatment plan. GTV EUS was based on colonoscopy and EUS. GTV MRI was based on T2 postgadolinium MRI sequences fused with treatment planning computed tomography. GTV EUS and GTV MRI volume, craniocaudal length, and number of suspicious lymph nodes (LN) were compared between EUS vs MRI and compared to GTV treatment. Agreement between contours was calculated as the percentage of overlapping slices over total slices for MRI and EUS-based contours. Paired t test was used to assess relationships between imaging modality and treatment volume, craniocaudal length, and LN number. Results For volume and craniocaudal length, mean GTV EUS was significantly smaller than mean GTV MRI ( P = .02 and P = .04, respectively). The mean number of suspicious LN identified by MRI was significantly greater than by EUS (4.8 vs 3.0; P = .03). Agreement between radiation oncologist GTV contours was greater for GTV MRI than for GTV EUS (71% vs 44%), although not statistically significantly so ( P = .11). Conclusions Pelvic MRI for RT treatment planning in locally advanced rectal cancer generates more comprehensive and reproducible GTV contours than does the use of EUS. Pelvic MRI can be recommended to aid in RT treatment planning for all eligible patients undergoing RT for locally advanced rectal cancer.
TLR agonists regulate PDGF‐B production and cell proliferation through TGF‐β/type I IFN crosstalk

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and type I interferon (IFN) autocrine/paracrine loops are recognized as key mediators of signaling cascades that control a variety of cellular functions. Here, we describe a novel mechanism by which Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists utilize these two autocrine/paracrine loops to differentially regulate the induction of PDGF-B, a growth factor implicated in a number of diseases ranging from tumor metastasis to glomerulonephritis. We demonstrate that CpG-specific induction of PDGF-B requires activation of Smads through TGFβ1 autocrine/paracrine signaling. In contrast, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid strongly represses CpG's as well as its own intrinsic ability to induce PDGF-B mRNA through type I IFN-mediated induction of Smad7, a negative regulator of Smad3/4. Furthermore, we have shown that this crosstalk mechanism translates into similar regulation of mesangial cell proliferation. Thus, our results demonstrate the importance of crosstalk between TGF-β and type I IFNs in determining the specificity of TLR-mediated gene induction.
Taking aim at pulmonary hypertension in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

This editorial refers to ‘Effects of sildenafil on invasive haemodynamics and exercise capacity in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction and pulmonary hypertension: a randomized controlled trial’[†][1], by E.S. Hoendermis et al ., on page 2565. About half of people with heart failure (HF) have a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). In contrast to HF with reduced EF (HFrEF), randomized controlled trials in HFpEF have failed to identify an effective treatment to date, and clinicians continue to struggle to manage this growing cohort of patients.1 While previously believed to be caused exclusively by diastolic dysfunction, the pathophysiology of HFpEF is now recognized to be far more complex.2 Recent studies have shown that the presence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with adverse outcome in HFpEF,3 particularly when associated with right ventricular dysfunction (RVD), suggesting that PH–RVD might serve as a viable therapeutic target.4–7 Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors such as sildenafil are effective for Group 1 PH8 and have shown promise in people with PH related to HF.9–11 In the RELAX trial, treatment with sildenafil for 24 weeks failed to produce clinical benefit in subjects with HFpEF.12 However, the presence of PH was not an obligate entry criterion in RELAX, and this class of medication continues to … [1]: #fn-2
Electron transport in the presence of random impurities: Transition from ballistic to diffusive regimes.

A transport theory is developed for multibarrier mesoscopic devices that contain a random configuration of short-range impurity potentials. The theory is based on the self-consistent second Born approximation within the Keldysh formulation. The self-energy of the system is estimated to describe the average two-terminal resistance of an ensemble of nearly identical systems. The theory describes the transition from the ballistic to the diffusive regime of operation as a function of a disorder parameter characterizing the density as well as the strength of the impurities. It is shown that as the strengths of the elastic tunnel barriers are increased, the transition from ballistic to diffusion regime occurs at larger values of the disorder parameter.
B-scan ultrasound in the management of patients with occult abdominal hematomas

Experience with B scan ultrasound in the study of a series of patients admitted to the Johns Hopkins hospital for suspected occult hematomas has been reviewed. Patients included in this report acquired hematomas primarily as the result of medical or surgical therapy. The ultrasonic appearance in most patients is that of a cyst, due to unclotted or homogeneously clotted blood which generates no internal echoes. As soon as fragmentation of the clot occurs, internal echoes are usually found. B scanning was of value in detection, localization and follow-up of hematomas and was the only diagnostic test used in seven of eleven cases. The advantage of this technique for diagnosis and follow-up are related to the simplicity of the procedure, its lack of sideeffects and low cost.
Microstructure of flow inside minute drops evaporating on a surface

Etude experimentale, par la methode de suspension de fines particules d'aluminium de la microstructure de l'ecoulement a l'interieur de gouttelettes en cours d'evaporation sur une plaque chaude plane. Etude effectuee avec des lignes instables, substables et stables
Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor–mediated enteric neuronal survival involves glycogen synthase kinase-3β phosphorylation and coupling with 14-3-3

Abstract Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) promotes the growth and survival of enteric neurons, but the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. GDNF is known to promote the survival of enteric neurons through activation of the PI3-Kinase/Akt signaling pathway. We investigated the role of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) in enteric neuronal survival, and the ability of GDNF to regulate the activity of GSK-3β using primary rat embryonic enteric neurons. GDNF, through activation of the PI3-kinase pathway enhanced the phosphorylation of GSK-3β at its N-terminal serine-9 residue, and promoted the association of GSK-3β with 14-3-3. Transfection of a constitutively active S9A-GSK-3β mutant prevented the survival effects of GDNF, whereas a dominant negative GSK-3β construct prevented GDNF withdrawal-induced cell death. Increased GSK-3β activity was associated with an increase in tau phosphorylation. Thus, GDNF promotes enteric neuronal survival by modulating GSK-3β and its downstream target tau. Inhibitors of GSK-3β activity may have therapeutic potential in improving enteric neuronal survival.
Progress of the NIOSH cross-sectional medical study of workers occupationally exposed to chemicals contaminated with 2,3,7,8-TCDD

Abstract In 1987–1988, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conducted a cross-sectional epidemiologic study of 400 living individuals who worked at two U.S. facilities which manufactured chemicals contaminated with 2,3,7,8-TCDD. For comparison, unexposed referents matched to each worker by age, race, sex and current resident community of the worker were studied. The study was designed to evaluate those health outcomes previously reported to be associated with exposure to 2,3,7,8-TCDD contaminants, including dermatologic, neurologic, hepatic, immunologic, and psychological disorders. Participation involved completion of an occupational history questionnaire and a two-day medical exam. The following is a preliminary report of the study design, referent selection and subject participation rates.
Tungsta supported on zirconia and alumina catalysts: Temperature-programmed desorption/reaction of methanol and pyridine DRIFTS studies

The temperature-programmed reaction/desorption of methanol over tungsta supported on zirconia and gamma alumina (WO3/ZrO2 and WO3/γ-Al2O3) catalysts was monitored by mass spectrometry. The selectivity toward dimethyl ether (DME) was found to increase and its desorption maxima to shift toward lower temperatures with increasing catalyst acidity. The latter was probed by diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) of adsorbed pyridine up to 723 K.
Preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 is most predictive of malignancy in older jaundiced patients undergoing pancreatic resection.

OBJECTIVES Given the increased detection of occult pancreatic neoplasms with modern imaging modalities, it is often difficult to determine the risk of malignancy before curative pancreatectomy. We reviewed patients who underwent pancreatectomy to determine factors predictive of malignancy with particular attention to the serum marker carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9). METHODS One hundred eighteen patients underwent radical pancreatectomy for malignant (n = 59) or benign (n = 59) pancreatic lesions. Demographic data, preoperative CA19-9 levels (normal, <37 U/mL), and follow-up were obtained from patient charts. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine univariate and multivariate predictors of malignancy. RESULTS Significant multivariate predictors of malignancy were increased CA19-9, age older than 50 years, and preoperative jaundice. The sensitivity and specificity of increased preoperative CA19-9 alone were 71% and 83%, respectively. The combination of age older than 50 years and jaundice was a more accurate predictor than CA19-9 (sensitivity, 76%; specificity, 92%). Increased CA19-9 was highly specific (97%) for malignancy in older jaundiced patients or when the preoperative level was greater than 150 U/mL. CONCLUSIONS Age and preoperative jaundice are more predictive of malignancy than CA19-9 alone unless levels are greater than 150 U/mL. Preoperative CA19-9 levels should be interpreted within the context of these other clinical factors.
Toxoplasma gondii: Effect of infection on expression of 14-3-3 proteins in human epithelial cells

14-3-3 Proteins are expressed in most eukaryotes organisms and play varied and crucial roles in a wide range of regulatory processes. In mammalian cells, seven 14-3-3 isoforms have been identified. However, it is not known what effect infection has on 14-3-3 isoform expression. In this study human colonic carcinoma cell lines were infected with Toxoplasma gondii for 24h and expression of 14-3-3 proteins was determined by RT-PCR. HT-29 cells only expressed 3 out of the 7 isoforms while 5 and all 7 isoforms were found in HCT-116 and Caco-2 cells, respectively. Infection had little or no effect in the expression of 14-3-3gamma, epsilon, sigma, and xi; but in HCT-116 cells induced expression of 14-3-3eta and sigma, while 14-3-3beta, eta, and xi were induced in HT-29 cells. If 14-3-3 proteins are involved in cell survival and/or prevention of parasite replication, longer incubation times may be required as no differences in percentage of infection were found among the cell lines at 24h post-infection.
Determining and controlling the electromagnetic environment for Space Station Freedom

Critical issues facing the SSF electromagnetic compatibility community are discussed focusing on effective utilization of SSF resources to perform overall SSF verification. Attention is also given to management and phases of an Electromagnetic Environment Effects Control Program (EEECP) aimed at producing an electromagnetically compatible station.
Reactions of Niobium and Tantalum Oxide Cluster Cations and Anions with n-Butane

Reactions of niobium and tantalum oxide cluster cations (MxOy+) and anions (MxOy-) with n-butane (C4H10) are reported. The major reaction channels observed during the reaction of certain stoichiometric niobium and tantalum oxide cluster cations include association of n-butane (MxOyC4H10+), C−C activation (MxOyC2H4+), loss of an oxygen atom (MxOy-1+), and dehydration (MxOy-1C4H8+). Reactions of C4H10 with oxygen-rich clusters are also reported herein and the major reaction channel of most of these oxygen-rich clusters involves a replacement reaction, where C4H10 replaces an oxygen molecule. In addition, reactions of niobium and tantalum oxide anions (MxOy-) with n-butane were also examined and it was established that the metal oxide cluster anions are unreactive toward this saturated hydrocarbon. The present study establishes the importance of the charge center, composition, size, and degree of coordinative saturation of the cluster on the reactivity with n-butane.
Effects of i.c.v. administration of interleukin-1 on sleep and body temperature of interleukin-6-deficient mice

Cytokines in brain contribute to the regulation of physiological processes and complex behavior, including sleep. The cytokines that have been most extensively studied with respect to sleep are interleukin (IL)-1beta, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and IL-6. Administration of these cytokines into laboratory animals, or in some cases into healthy human volunteers, increases the amount of time spent in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Although antagonizing the IL-1 or TNF systems reduces the amount of time laboratory animals spend in NREM sleep, interactions among these three cytokine systems as they pertain to the regulation of physiological NREM sleep are not well understood. To further elucidate mechanisms in brain by which IL-1beta, TNFalpha, and/or IL-6 contribute to NREM sleep regulation, we injected recombinant murine interleukin-1beta (muIL-1beta) into C57BL/6J mice and into IL-6-deficient mice (IL-6 knockout, KO). IL-6 KO (B6.129S6-Il6(tm1Kopf); n=13) and C57BL/6J mice (n=14) were implanted with telemeters to record the electroencephalogram (EEG) and core body temperature, as well as with indwelling guide cannulae targeted to one of the lateral ventricles. After recovery and habituation, mice were injected intracerebroventricularly just prior to dark onset on different days with either 0.5 microl vehicle (pyrogen-free saline; PFS) or with 0.5 microl PFS containing one of four doses of muIL-1beta (2.5 ng, 5 ng, 10 ng, 50 ng). No mouse received more than two doses of muIL-1beta, and administration of muIL-1beta doses was counter-balanced to eliminate potential order effects. Sleep-wake behavior was determined for 24 h after injections. i.c.v. administration of muIL-1beta increased in NREM sleep of both mouse strains in a dose-related fashion, but the maximal increase was of greater magnitude in C57Bl/6J mice. muIL-1beta induced fever in C57Bl/6J mice but not in IL-6 KO mice. Collectively, these data demonstrate IL-6 is necessary for IL-1 to induce fever, but IL-6 is not necessary for IL-1 to alter NREM sleep.
Amyloid-β(1−42) Fibrillar Precursors Are Optimal for Inducing Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Production in the THP-1 Human Monocytic Cell Line

Pathological studies have determined that fibrillar forms of amyloid-beta protein (Abeta) comprise the characteristic neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). These studies have also revealed significant inflammatory markers such as activated microglia and cytokines surrounding the plaques. Although the plaques are a hallmark of AD, they are only part of an array of Abeta aggregate morphologies observed in vivo. Interestingly, not all of these Abeta deposits provoke an inflammatory response. Since structural polymorphism is a prominent feature of Abeta aggregation both in vitro and in vivo, we sought to clarify which Abeta morphology or aggregation species induces the strongest proinflammatory response using human THP-1 monocytes as a model system. An aliquot of freshly reconstituted Abeta(1-42) in sterile water (100 microM, pH 3.6) did not effectively stimulate the cells at a final Abeta concentration of 15 microM. However, quiescent incubation of the peptide at 4 degrees C for 48-96 h greatly enhanced its ability to induce tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) production, the level of which surprisingly declined upon further aggregation. Imaging of the Abeta(1-42) aggregation solutions with atomic force microscopy indicated that the best cellular response coincided with the appearance of fibrillar structures, yet conditions that accelerated or increased the level of Abeta(1-42) fibril formation such as peptide concentration, temperature, or reconstitution in NaOH/PBS at pH 7.4 diminished its ability to stimulate the cells. Finally, depletion of the Abeta(1-42) solution with an antibody that recognizes fibrillar oligomers dramatically weakened the ability to induce TNFalpha production, and size-exclusion separation of the Abeta(1-42) solution provided further characterization of an aggregated species with proinflammatory activity. The findings suggested that an intermediate stage Abeta(1-42) fibrillar precursor is optimal for inducing a proinflammatory response in THP-1 monocytes.