cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
VoltKey: Continuous Secret Key Generation Based on Power Line Noise for Zero-Involvement Pairing and Authentication

The explosive proliferation of Internet-of-Things (IoT) ecosystem fuels the needs for a mechanism for the user to easily and securely interconnect multiple heterogeneous devices with minimal involvement. However, the current paradigm of context-unaware pairing and authentication methods (e.g., using a preset or user-defined password) poses severe challenges in the usability and security aspects due to the limited and siloed user interface that requires substantial effort on establishing or maintaining a secure network. In this paper, we present VoltKey, a method that transparently and continuously generates secret keys for colocated devices, leveraging spatiotemporally unique noise contexts observed in commercial power line infrastructure. We introduce a novel scheme to extract randomness from power line noise and securely convert it into the same key by a pair of devices. The unique noise pattern observed only by trusted devices connected to a local power line prevents malicious devices without physical access from obtaining unauthorized access to the network. VoltKey can be implemented on top of standard USB power supplies as a platform-agnostic bolt-on addition to any IoT devices or wireless access points that are constantly connected to the power outlet. Through extensive experiments under various realistic deployment environments, we demonstrate that VoltKey can successfully establish a secret key among colocated devices with over 90% success rate, while effectively rejecting malicious devices that do not have access to the local power line (but may have access to a spatially nearby line).
Transplacental infection of a foal with Anaplasma phagocytophilum

This is the first report to document transplacental transmission of Anaplasma phagocytophillum in the horse. A 4‐year‐old late‐term pregnant mare presented for a recent onset of pyrexia due to equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA). She was hospitalised for treatment with oxytetracycline and monitoring of high‐risk foaling due to significant thrombocytopenia. Parturition occurred overnight, and the foal was PCR positive for A. phagocytophilum at birth. The foal was slow to stand and nurse, with signs of neonatal encephalopathy and anaplasmosis (thrombocytopenia). Therapy with oxytetracycline resulted in complete clinical recovery of the mare and foal within 5 days. Congenital anaplasmosis should be considered in any foal delivered to a mare suffering from EGA during late‐term pregnancy and guide appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
Answer to February 2020 Photo Quiz.

Answer: Microsphaeropsis arundinis and Phialophora verrucosa. The sample taken from the wrist was identified as Microsphaeropsis arundinis by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions (GenBank accession no. [MH236168][1]). The sample taken from the forearm grew Phialophora verrucosa,
Teaching and Learning News Media in Politically Unsettled Times.

Our research explores and elaborates the ways pre-service teachers come to know and begin conceptualizing ways of teaching about news media. We report on what we interpret as their understandings a...
Significant reduction of postoperative pain and opioid analgesics requirement with an Enhanced Recovery After Thoracic Surgery protocol

Abstract Objective To evaluate differences in postoperative pain control and opioids requirement in thoracic surgical patients following implementation of an Enhanced Recovery after Thoracic Surgery protocol with a comprehensive postoperative pain management strategy. Material and Methods A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing pulmonary resections by robotic thoracoscopy or thoracotomy from January 1, 2017, to January 31, 2019, was conducted. Multimodal pain management strategy (opioid-sparing analgesics, infiltration of liposomal bupivacaine to intercostal spaces and surgical sites, and elimination of thoracic epidural analgesia use in thoracotomy patients) was implemented as part of Enhanced Recovery after Thoracic Surgery on February 1, 2018. Outcome metrics including patient-reported pain levels, in-hospital and postdischarge opioids use, postoperative complications, and length of stay were compared before and after protocol implementation. Results In total, 310 robotic thoracoscopy and 62 thoracotomy patients met the inclusion criteria. This pain management strategy was associated with significant reduction of postoperative pain in both groups with an overall reduction of postoperative opioids requirement. Median in-hospital opioids use (morphine milligram equivalent per day) was reduced from 30 to 18.36 (P = .009) for the robotic thoracoscopy group and slightly increased from 15.48 to 21.0 (P = .27) in the thoracotomy group. More importantly, median postdischarge opioids prescribed (total morphine milligram equivalent) was significantly reduced from 480.0 to 150.0 (P Conclusions Implementation of Enhanced Recovery after Thoracic Surgery allows safe elimination of epidural use, better pain control, and less postoperative opioids use, especially a drastic reduction of postdischarge opioid need, without adversely affecting outcomes.
Insomnia and Susceptibility to Depressive Symptoms and Fatigue in Diverse Breast Cancer Survivors

Background: Nearly 40% of breast cancer survivors have insomnia, yet, information how this condition affects their quality of life is lacking. We examined the association between insomnia and depre...
Asparagine sustains cellular proliferation and c‑Myc expression in glutamine‑starved cancer cells.

During tumorigenesis, oncogene activation and metabolism rewiring are interconnected. Activated c‑Myc upregulates several genes involved in glutamine metabolism, making cancer cells dependent on high levels of this amino acid to survive and proliferate. After studying the response to glutamine deprivation in cancer cells, it was found that glutamine starvation not only blocked cellular proliferation, but also altered c‑Myc protein expression, leading to a reduction in the levels of the canonical c‑Myc isoform and an increase in the expression of c‑Myc 1, a c‑Myc isoform translated from an in‑frame 5' CUG codon. In an attempt to identify nutrients able to counteract glutamine deprivation effects, it was shown that, in the absence of glutamine, asparagine permitted cell survival and proliferation, and maintained c‑Myc expression as in glutamine‑fed cells, with high levels of canonical c‑Myc and c‑Myc 1 almost undetectable. In asparagine‑fed cells, global protein translation was higher than in glutamine‑starved cells, and there was an increase in the levels of glutamine synthetase (GS), whose activity was essential for cellular viability and proliferation. In glutamine‑starved asparagine‑fed cells, the inhibition of c‑Myc activity led to a decrease in global protein translation and GS synthesis, suggesting an association between c‑Myc expression, GS levels and cellular proliferation, mediated by asparagine when exogenous glutamine is absent.
Development of a Standardized Program for the Collaboration of Adult and Children's Surgeons.

ABSTRACT Background Children's hospitals within larger hospitals (CH/LH) have the specific clinical advantage of easily facilitated collaboration between adult and children's surgeons. These collaborations, which we have termed hybrid surgical offerings (HSOs) are often required for disease processes requiring interventions that fall outside the customary practice of children's surgeons. Formal models to describe or evaluate these practices are lacking. Methods HSOs within a CH/LH were identified. Principles of systems-engineering were used to develop a standardized model (Children's Hybrid Enhanced Surgical Services [CHESS]) to describe and evaluate HSOs. Face validity was established via unstructured interviews of CH leaders and HSO surgeons. Areas for improved system-wide standardization and programmatic development were identified. Results HSOs were identified in collaboration with adult bariatric, minimally invasive, advanced endoscopic, endocrine, thoracic, and orthopedic trauma surgical services. The CHESS framework encompassed: 1) quality improvement metrics, 2) credentialing and oversight, 3) transitions of care, 4) pediatric family-centered care, 5) maintenance of the cycle of expertise, 6) continuing medical education, 7) scholarship. While HSOs fulfilled the majority of aforementioned programmatic domains across all six HSO-providing services, areas for improvement included maintaining a cycle of expertise (33%), quality improvement metrics (50%), and pediatric family-centered care (66%). Additional noted advantages included faster translation of adult innovation to pediatric care and facilitation of emergency interdisciplinary care. Conclusion Formal evaluation of HSOs is necessary to standardize and improve the quality of children's surgical care. Development of a structured framework such as CHESS addresses gaps in quality oversight and provides a basis for performance improvement, patient safety, and programmatic development.
Association Between Hereditary Lobular Breast Cancer Due to CDH1 Variants and Gastric Cancer Risk.

Importance Hereditary cancer risk is informed by the presence of a germline gene variant more so than by family history of cancer. Objective To assess gastric cancer risk among patients who received a diagnosis of hereditary lobular breast cancer (HLBC) owing to a germline loss-of-function variant inCDH1by establishing prevalence of signet ring cell carcinomas among asymptomatic patients. Design, Setting, and Participants A prospective cohort study of patients with germlineCDH1pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants at a quaternary medical center were enrolled between October 2017 and January 2021. Data analysis was performed in May 2021. Analyses for associations were performed for these 3 patient groups: (1) family history of breast cancer and no gastric cancer in the HLBC group; (2) family history of gastric cancer and no breast cancer in the hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) group; and (3) family history of both breast and gastric cancers in the mixed group. Categorical variables were compared using the Pearson χ2test. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary end point of this study was the prevalence of occult signet ring cell carcinoma of the stomach in patients with HLBC. Personal and family medical history, genotype, and pathologic data from risk-reducing total gastrectomy and surveillance endoscopy were examined. Results A total of 283 patients withCDH1P/LP variants (199 [70.3%] were female, and 259 [91.5%] were White; median age, 48 years [range, 18-81 years]) were enrolled in a prospective study of HDGC. The cohort consisted of 151 families. Patients were categorized according to family history of breast and/or gastric cancer: HLBC 15.5% [44 of 283 patients]), HDGC (16.2% [46 of 283 patients]), and mixed (68.2% [193 of 283 patients]). The HLBC group included 31 distinct families with 19CDH1variants; 10 of those variants were also present in the HDGC and mixed groups (52.6% [10 of 19 variants]). Nearly all of the patients with HLBC (93.8% [15 of 16 variants]) who elected for risk-reducing total gastrectomy owing to their underlyingCDH1P/LP variant harbored occult signet ring cell gastric adenocarcinoma on final pathology (median age, 50 years [range, 21-67 years]). The prevalence of occult gastric cancer among asymptomatic patients in the HDGC group was similar (94.7% [18 of 19 of variants];P = .98). Conclusions and Relevance Carriers ofCDH1P/LP variants with no family history of gastric cancer exhibited high rates of occult signet ring cell gastric cancer. GermlineCDH1P/LP variants appear to have a highly penetrant gastric phenotype irrespective of family history. These data may prove useful for counseling families withCDH1variants presumed to have HLBC.
The Cost of Employee Stock Options

Employee stock options (ESOs) are nontransferable and employees are generally not well diversified compared to outside shareholders. These features of ESOs imply that employee option holders may optimally exercise their options significantly early relative to what would be expected for ordinary tradable options. Consequently, accounting for the cost of granting ESOs requires understanding how long employees hold the options. We use a unique database on observed option exercise patterns to document important characteristics of exercise behavior and how early exercise affects the cost of granting ESOs. We find that employees exercise their options nearly five years prior to expiration, and that there is significant predictable cross-sectional variation in exercise behavior. For example, employees in high volatility firms exercise their options more than a year and a half earlier compared to employees in firms with low volatility. We calibrate a utility-based model of option valuation to match the observed exercise behavior, and use the model to generate estimates of the cost of granting ESOs. Our estimates indicate that the cost of the option to the firm is significantly below the value of a tradable American option with a fixed 10-year (or 7-year) expiration. Importantly, we also find the bias is not uniform. Option values computed from the American valuation model with a fixed expiration overestimate the cost of ESOs more in high volatility firms compared to low volatility firms. In addition, adjusting the expiration to reflect the expected life of the option, as recommended by the FASB, still produces systematic biases in the option valuations. The FASB adjustment overstates the cost of granting ESOs in high volatility firms and understates the costs for low volatility firms, which is perhaps one reason that many technology-oriented companies (which are likely associated with high stock-price volatility) have been the most vocal in opposing the expensing of stock options. Our research suggests that modeling the exercise behavior of employees who hold stock options and how exercise patterns vary based on different firm and individual characteristics is important in understanding and accounting for the costs of granting stock-based compensation to employees.
Biosynthesis of the nicotine alkaloids in Nicotiana glutinosa. Interrelationships among nicotine, nornicotine, anabasine, and anatabine.

Abstract Biosyntheses from 14 CO 2 carried out with both intact Nicotiana glutinosa plants and seedlings have demonstrated that nornicotine is not the precursor of nicotine in either the root or the aerial portions of the plant. This conclusion contrasts with that reached on the basis of 3 H incorporations into the alkaloids of Nicotiana rustica . The most probable relationship, based on 14 CO 2 biosyntheses and supporting some previous conclusions, is that nornicotine arises by demethylation of nicotine in both the root and aerial portions. The relative specific activities of anabasine and anatabine after the 14 CO 2 biosyntheses indicated that anabasine is not the precursor of anatabine. In the case of nicotine, nornicotine, anatabine, and anabasine, higher specific activities were noted in the samples isolated from the root than in those isolated from the aerial portions. This shows that these four alkaloids all can be formed in the Nicotiana root, and furthermore, since the 14 C in these experiments first enters into the metabolism of the aerial portion of the plants, these results indicate that the N. glutinosa root is the most active site of formation of each of these alkaloids. Finally, a comparison of the specific activities of anabasine, anatabine, and nicotine suggests that if a precursor-product relationship exists among these alkaloids it must be nicotine → anatabine or anabasine, or both.
Yale Kamisar: Collaborator, Colleague, and Friend

Yale Kamisar was absent when I was first interviewed by a number of faculty members from the University of Minnesota Law School where he was then teaching. These sessions took place between Christmas and New Year's in 1959 (when I was a third-year student at Penn), at the annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools, that year in St. Louis. Yale had planned to be there, I was told, but cancelled because he was behind schedule in completing an article. So while I didn't meet him on that occasion, I surely learned what would ring familiar many times during our long and fruitful association.
A Kinetic Study of the Mechanism of Action of l-Gulonolactone Oxidase

Abstract The mechanism of action of l-gulonolactone oxidase has been studied by enzyme kinetic methods. Techniques have been developed for determining initial reaction rates above 1 atm of oxygen pressure. The data are consistent with the following sequence of reactions: (a) combination of the enzyme with l-gulono-γ-lactone; (b) reduction of the enzyme to produce ascorbic acid; (c) combination of the reduced enzyme with oxidant, which can be either oxygen or 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCI); and (d) oxidation to the original state. The substrate constants for l-gulono-γ-lactone, oxygen, and DCI have been computed for the above mechanism by means of nonlinear regression methods. In the presence of oxygen and DCI the enzyme decreased in activity as the oxygen pressure rose above 4 atm. This is consistent with there being two specific binding sites in close proximity to each other; each site binds only one of the two oxidants, oxygen or DCI, and inhibition occurs when both sites are occupied.
Making History – Loyola University New Orleans College of Law Welcomes Dean María Pabón López

In 2011, Dean Maria Pabon Lopez came to the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law as both the first woman to be selected as dean at a Louisiana law school and as one of only a few Latinas to be a dean at any U.S. law school. This article provides a history of Loyola’s law school and traces Dean Lopez’s life story to demonstrate how her diverse background and experience, her commitment to public service, and her personal commitment to the Roman Catholic faith made her the top choice to be Loyola’s new Dean of the College of Law.
The α2-Macroglobulin of Human Plasma I. ISOLATION AND COMPOSITION

Abstract The α2-macroglobulin of human plasma was isolated from Cohn Fraction III-0 by ultracentrifugation at a density of 1.065, followed by ammonium sulfate fractionation between 34 and 50% saturation and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. Precipitation with zinc ions was an additional step for some preparations. The average yield of the purified α2-macroglobulin was 39% of that present in Fraction III-0. The purity of the final preparation was shown to be approximately 98% on the basis of immunochemical determination. The only impurity detected was the γ1a-immunoglobulin, which represented 1 to 3% of the total protein. On paper electrophoresis only a single component was observed. Starch gel electrophoresis revealed a major band corresponding to the S α2 of Smithies, and, in addition, a faint, slower band was observed. In the ultracentrifuge 94% of the protein sedimented with an s020,w of 20.6, and the remaining 6% of the protein was present in a peak with an s020,w of 30.8. The presence in these preparations of a component sedimenting more rapidly in the ultracentrifuge and migrating more slowly on starch gel electrophoresis suggests the occurrence of an additional physical form of the α2-macroglobulin, which may be an aggregate. The carbohydrate composition of the purified protein, in percentage of the dry weight of the molecule, was galactose, 1.36; mannose, 2.07; N-acetylglucosamine, 3.94; N-acetylneuraminic acid, 1.80; and fucose, 0.26. From acetyl analyses on the native and sialic acid-free protein, it was found that all of the hexosamine occurred in the N-acetyl form and that there was approximately one acetyl group for each sialic acid residue. Amino acid and amide analyses indicated that all of the amino acids common to globular proteins were present in the α2-macroglobulin. The combined monosaccharide and amino acid residue weights accounted for 96.6% of the weight of the protein. In 1 molecule of the α2-macroglobulin (mol wt 820,000), there are approximately 363 monosaccharide residues and 6,463 amino acid residues.
Respiratory motion variability of primary tumors and lymph nodes during radiotherapy of locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancers

Background and purpose The need for target adjustment due to respiratory motion variation and the value of carina as a motion surrogate is evaluated for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
Innovation and R&D

Innovation, the continual evolution toward both the new and the improved, is a strategic imperative for any organization. For, not innovating implies staying with the status quo, and in the global business environment of today no company, industry, or market is safe from the dangers of being run over by competition. To provide guidance to organizations about how to achieve effective and efficient innovation, it is necessary to understand innovation as a purpose, as a process, as well as an outcome. This brief discussion attempts to point toward all the components that should be considered in defining, managing, and evaluating an organization's strategic innovation efforts. Keywords: innovation; innovating; strategic innovation; Research & Development; learning
The Dynamic Magnetosphere

The shape of the magnetosphere is defined by a complicated system of electric currents which flow within it in response to the interaction of the Earth’s magnetic field with the solar wind. Changes in the solar wind pressure, such as occur during SSCs (storm sudden commencements), alter these complicated current systems and excite a variety of magnetohydrodynamic waves. The magnetic fields associated with these phenomena have been observed on the ground for over a century. For example, Stewart [1] reported on “pulsations” in the geomagnetic field observed during a major magnetic storm in 1859, and Birkeland [2] is credited as being the first to report on magnetic field oscillations later called “giant pulsations” [3]. The periods of these oscillations, in almost all cases, are shorter than about 10 min. Examples have been found in the Viking magnetic field measurements in which the total magnetic field varied in a quasi periodic manner with periods from 7 to 23 min (with an average of 12.2 min). Similar long-period fluctuations were also observed by a global network of ground-based magnetic observatories during two of the Viking examples. These long-period oscillations are interpreted as the periodic compression and relaxation of the magnetosphere, a long-period “breathing mode” of the magnetosphere. These long period variations are difficult to detect because their amplitudes are small (about 4 nT at Viking) and consequently may be overwhelmed by the higher frequency and stronger amplitude ULF waves often present in ground-based and satellite observations. However, several examples were readily found in the Viking data set, due to the unusually quiet conditions that prevailed during Viking’s lifetime. Therefore, these long-period breathing modes may not be uncommon. These observations provide the opportunity to study long-period “equilibrium” global changes of the magnetosphere uncomplicated by transient effects, which exist at periods shorter than about 10 min (longer than most known resonances of the magnetosphere).
Prediction of neurosurgical intervention after mild traumatic brain injury using the national trauma data bank

Patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) as defined by an admission Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of 14–15 often do not require neurosurgical interventions, but which patients will go on to require neurosurgical care has been difficult to predict. We hypothesized that injury patterns would be associated with need for eventual neurosurgical intervention in mild TBI. The National Trauma Databank (2007–2012) was queried for patients with blunt injury and a diagnosis of TBI with an emergency department GCS of 14–15. Patients were stratified by age and injury type. Multiple logistic regression for neurosurgical intervention was run with patient demographics, physiologic variables, and injury diagnoses as dependent variables. The study included 50,496 patients, with an overall 8.8 % rate of neurosurgical intervention. Neurosurgical intervention rates varied markedly according to injury type, and were only correlated with age for patients with epidural and subdural hemorrhage. In multiple logistic regression, TBI diagnoses were predictive of need for neurosurgical interventions; moreover, after controlling for injury type and severity score, age was not significantly associated with requiring neurosurgical intervention. We found that in mild TBI, injury pattern is associated with eventual need for neurosurgical intervention. Patients with cerebral contusion or subarachnoid hemorrhage are much less likely to require neurosurgical intervention, and the effects of age are not significant after controlling for other patient factors. Prospective studies should validate this finding so that treatment guidelines can be updated to better allocate ICU resources.
Automation of regional data validation

A computerized system has been developed to assist in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data validation studies of organic analytical data collected for hazardous waste site assessments. The Regional Automated Data Auditing System (RADAS) is a data evaluation and management computer program that provides data entry, file maintenance, data qualifying, and report generation for results from gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses. The RADAS system determines the validity of individual analyte concentrations reported by the laboratory. This determination is based on instrument calibration, sample holding time, blank contamination, and contract required detection limit. Delivery-ready reports are produced, including data tables, sample and calibration listings, and a documented summary of data validation. The system developed has been found to perform appropriately and its use represents a significant improvement in terms of turn-around time, completeness, and consistency of data validation studies.
Minimized state complexity of quantum-encoded cryptic processes

The predictive information required for proper trajectory sampling of a stochastic process can be more efficiently transmitted via a quantum channel than a classical one. This recent discovery allows quantum information processing to drastically reduce the memory necessary to simulate complex classical stochastic processes. It also points to a new perspective on the intrinsic complexity that nature must employ in generating the processes we observe. The quantum advantage increases with codeword length: the length of process sequences used in constructing the quantum communication scheme. In analogy with the classical complexity measure, statistical complexity, we use this reduced communication cost as an entropic measure of state complexity in the quantum representation. Previously difficult to compute, the quantum advantage is expressed here in closed form using spectral decomposition. This allows for efficient numerical computation of the quantum-reduced state complexity at all encoding lengths, including infinite. Additionally, it makes clear how finite-codeword reduction in state complexity is controlled by the classical process's cryptic order, and it allows asymptotic analysis of infinite-cryptic-order processes.
Can Species of Fritillaria and Allium Serve as Guideposts to Human Migration

Worldwide, the genus Fritillaria grows only between latitudes 32° and 62°N. It appears to have originated in eastern Asia, and migrated through China, Japan, the Kuril Islands, and Kamchatka, to the Pacific Northwest, thence inland to Nebraska and south to San Diego. One species, F. camschatcensis, ranges from extreme southeastern Russia to Oregon. In Eurasia Fritillaria localities are typically along the multiple routes of the ancient “Silk Road.” We propose that the parallels between the modern ranges of Fritillaria and the travel of ancient people are not accidental. Fritillaria and Allium bulbs are prized to this day by the native people of the Pacific Northwest as food, spice, and medicine. The dried bulbs prove ideal for long trips across ice or water. We suggest that these bulbs may have been carried by travelers on ancient routes of travel or migration, and occasionally left behind, either purposefully or accidentally, along the trail or at the campsite. If our hypothesis is correct, the early peopling of the new world came by way of Kamchatka, not by way of the Bering Strait. Some of the migrants, possibly Jomon people, may have come from Japan.
Fast and dynamically stable optimization-based planning for high-DOF human-like robots

We present a novel optimization-based motion planning algorithm for high degree-of-freedom (DOF) robots. Our approach combines a multi-contact dynamics formulation with optimization-based planning to compute collision-free, smooth and dynamically stable trajectories. Our formulation is general and can handle multiple simultaneous contacts and non-planar surfaces. We highlight the performance of our algorithm in simulated environments on human-like robots with tens of DOFs.
PD-L1 is preferentially expressed on CD44+ tumor-initiating cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Human tumors consist of heterogeneous populations with different phenotypic characteristics, and these subpopulations can often be distinguished by different surface marker expression. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), CD44 has been identified to be a marker of a subpopulation, containing the tumor-initiating cells (or cancer stem cells), which are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into cells lacking this capacity. Significant evidence indicates that these tumor-initiating cells have an immune suppressive phenotype, allowing them to evade the antitumor host immune response, leading some to hypothesize that these cells may contribute to long-term tumor dormancy. In this study, we profiled 21 primary human HNSCC tumors and/or patient-derived xenografts for CD44 expression and PD-L1 (B7-H1) expression by flow cytometry and quantitative RT-PCR. The tumors were categorized into PD-L1-negative and PD-L1-positive tumors. In the PD-L1-positive tumors, we found elevated expression of PD-L1 on CD44+ cells, both at the protein level by flow cytometry and at the transcript level by qRT-PCR. Interestingly, treatment of the tumor cells with recombinant IFN-γ resulted in preferential up-regulation of PD-L1 on CD44+ cells (as compared to the CD44- population) in both PD-L1-negative and PD-L1-positive tumors. To assess the functional significance of the preferential PD-L1 expression on the CD44+ tumor cells, autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were cultured from the primary tumors. By ELISA, autologous co-cultures of CD8+ TILs with sorted subsets of tumor cells showed higher secretion of IFN-γ when incubated with CD44- cells compared to CD44+ cells, suggesting that the CD44+ cells are more immunosuppressive. Blocking the TILs with anti-PD-L1 and anti-PD-1 antibodies partially restored IFN-γ secretion by the TILs incubated with the CD44+ cells, indicating that part of the immunosuppressive properties of CD44+ cells is mediated by the PD-L1-PD-1 signaling pathway. Our results indicate that the preferential PD-L1 expression on tumor-initiating cells may function as one of multiple mechanisms by which long-term tumor-initiating progenitor cells evade the immune response and provide rationale for targeting the PD-1 axis in the adjuvant therapy setting.
Lateral displacement of the nipples, a sign of bilateral renal hypoplasia†

Summary 1. Seven infants and children with bilateral renal hypoplasia have been observed to have displacement of the nipples lateral to the midclavicular line. 2. This abnormality was quite uncommon in a large group of control infants and children. 3. The location of nipples deserves closeattention in the physical examination of an infant or child. If they are displaced laterally to their respective midclavicular lines and there are no signs of gonadal dysgenesis, a suspicion of bilateral renal hypoplasia appears warranted.
Characteristics of selenazolidine prodrugs of selenocysteine: toxicity, selenium levels, and glutathione peroxidase induction in A/J mice

We have previously reported the synthesis and characterization of two new classes of selenazolidine-4(R)-carboxylic acids (2-oxo and 2-methyl-SCAs) (OSCA and MSCA, respectively), as well as the "parent" compound, selenazolidine-4(R)-carboxylic acid (SCA, selenaproline). These compounds were designed as prodrugs of L-selenocysteine with potential application in cancer chemoprevention or other clinical uses. We will be exploring the chemopreventive activity of the new compounds in the well-established A/J mouse model of tobacco-induced lung carcinogenesis. The objectives of the present study were to investigate several fundamental biochemical endpoints after selenazolidine administration compared with other selenium-containing agents. Groups of mice were fed either AIN-76A diet alone or the diet supplemented with the following selenium compounds (ppm Se): sodium selenite (5), L-selenomethionine (3.75), L-selenocystine (15), Se-methyl-L-selenocysteine (3), MSCA (5, 10, or 15), OSCA (5, 10, or 15), or SCA (5, 10, or 15). After 28 days of supplementation, toxicity of the selenazolidines was not evident, as measured by outward appearance and behavior, body and organ weight changes, and histological evaluation of liver and lung tissue. Select treatment groups showed significant increases in selenium levels in blood and tissues. Increased activity of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in blood and liver illustrated that the selenazolidines provided a source of biologically-available selenium.
Impact of Online Coursework for Teachers of Students with Severe Disabilities: Utilization of Knowledge and its Relationship to Teacher Perception of Competence:

This study had two purposes. The first was to explore how practicing teachers of learners with severe disabilities applied in their teaching the information provided in distance learning courses. A...
Inverse of elements of a Galois field

Parallel implementation of arithmetic operations in extension fields is mandatory if one is to consider the use of error-correcting codes in digital systems, particularly in integrated-circuit memory arrays. A new method for the inversion of elements of a finite field is presented. This method is particularly suitable for parallel implementation.
Single-shot two-echo technique for simultaneous measurement of GABA and creatine in the human brain in vivo.

A single-shot, two-echo method for the simultaneous detection of multiple-quantum (MQ)-filtered γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and creatine (Cr) was developed and demonstrated in the human brain in vivo at 3 Tesla. The simultaneously measured Cr singlet served as a navigator for the spectral phase of GABA and any frequency shift during measurements due to drift in the static magnetic field (B0) or subject movement, as well as an internal concentration reference. In addition, the use of a double-band frequency-selective MQ filter for C3 and C4 methylene protons of GABA provided a very robust measurement of GABA, with excellent suppression of overlapping metabolites such as Cr and glutathione (GSH) in each single scan. Contamination from overlapping macromolecules was also demonstrated to be negligible with this method. The GABA-to-Cr ratio was 0.09 ± 0.03 (mean ± SD, N = 17) and the estimated concentration of GABA in the frontoparietal region of the human brain in vivo was 0.66 ± 0.19 μmol/g (mean ± SD, N = 17) with the internal reference method, and 0.69 ± 0.18 μmol/g (mean ± SD, N = 17) with the external reference method. The observed pattern of GABA doublet was consistent among all subjects, with a frequency separation of ∼13 Hz. Magn Reson Med 51:1115–1121, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Aerobic metabolic rates of swimming juvenile mako sharks, Isurus oxyrinchus

The shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus, is a highly streamlined epipelagic predator that has several anatomical and physiological specializations hypothesized to increase aerobic swimming performance. A large swim-tunnel respirometer was used to measure oxygen consumption (MO2) in juvenile mako sharks (swimming under controlled temperature and flow conditions) to test the hypothesis that the mako shark has an elevated maintenance metabolism when compared to other sharks of similar size swimming at the same water temperature. Specimen collections were conducted off the coast of southern California, USA (32.94°N and 117.37°W) in 2001-2002 at sea-surface temperatures of 16.0–21.0°C. Swimming MO2 and tail beat frequency (TBF) were measured for nine mako sharks [77–107 cm in total length (TL) and 4.4 to 9.5 kg body mass] at speeds from 28 to 54 cm s−1 (0.27–0.65 TL s−1) and water temperatures of 16.5–19.5°C. Standard metabolic rate (SMR) was estimated from the extrapolation to 0-velocity of the linear regression through the LogMO2 and swimming speed data. The estimated LogSMR (±SE) for the pooled data was 2.0937 ± 0.058 or 124 mg O2 kg−1 h−1. The routine metabolic rate (RMR) calculated from seventeen MO2 measurements from all specimens, at all test speeds was (mean ± SE) 344 ± 22 mg O2 kg−1h−1 at 0.44 ± 0.03 TL s−1. The maximum metabolic rate (MMR) measured for any one shark in this study was 541 mg O2 kg−1h−1 at 54 cm s−1 (0.65 TL s−1). The mean (±SE) TBF for 39 observations of steady swimming at all test speeds was 1.00 ± 0.01 Hz, which agrees with field observations of 1.03 ± 0.03 Hz in four undisturbed free-swimming mako sharks observed during the same time period. These findings suggest that the estimate of SMR for juvenile makos is comparable to that recorded for other similar-sized, ram-ventilating shark species (when corrected for differences in experimental temperature). However, the mako RMR and MMR are apparently among the highest measured for any shark species.
THE Effects of larval feeding specialization and plant growth form on the consumption and utilization of plant biomass and nitrogen: an ecological consideration

Feeding experiments were carried out on larvae of 22 species of Lepidoptera, belonging mainly to the Papilionidae and the Bombycoidea, with a range of feeding habits from specialists on one plant family to polyphagous on a wide range of families. Consumption rates, conversion rates and hence growth rates were lower in tree-feeders than herb-feeders and may be related to differences in leaf water content. Such “quantitative” plant defense mechanisms may be metabolically more costly for insects to overcome than “qualitative” chemical defenses. It is suggested that, although it is only one of several possible factors involved, leaf water content might provide a useful index of the range in larval gross production efficiences and relative growth rates to be expected from a range of acceptable food plants. RESUME EFFETS DE LA SPECIALISATION ALIMENTAIRE DES LARVES ET DE LA FORME DE CROISSANCE DE LA PLANTE SUR LA CONSOMMATION ET L'UTILISATION DE LA BIOMASSE ET DE L'AZOTE VEGETAUX: ETUDE ECOLOGIQUE Sept annees d'experiences d'alimentation controlee de larves de lepidopteres phytophages ont mis en evidence plusieurs modeles ecologiques generaux. Plus de 750 individus de 22 especes de lepidopteres, de poids allant de 20mg a 1200mg (poids sec moyen du dernier stade larvaire) ont ete nourris avec des aliments vegetaux naturels divers au cours de 295 experiences d'alimentation distinctes. On a controle les effets de la temperature, de la photoperiode, de l'humidite, du stade larvaire et de la taille des larves et on a analyse le rendement alimentaire post-ingestion des larves ayant une nourriture surabondante. Des facteurs en correlation avec la forme de croissance de la plante (p. ex. teneur en eau des feuilles) limitent la performance des larves: taux de consommation relatifs, efficacite de l'assimilation et de la conversion et taux de croissance relatifs. Les taux de consommation, l'efficacite de la conversion et, par consequent, les taux de croissance des phytophages se nourrissant sur les arbres etaient inferieurs a ceux des phytophages se nourrissant sur les herbacees. Cette relation entre le taux de croissance larvaire et la forme de croissance de la plante, refletee dans la teneur en eau des feuilles, pourrait s'averer un phenomene ecologique general pour les lepidopteres macheurs de feuilles dans toutes sortes de biomes. Bien que ce ne soit que l'un de plusieurs facteurs possibles, on pense que la teneur en eau des feuilles pourrait etre un indice utile de la gamme de production larvaire brute et des taux de croissance relatifs que l'on peut attendre de divers insectes herbivores d'especes, de tailles et de degres de specialisation alimentaire differents pour une variete de plantes acceptables comme nourriture.
A two-component model for the phase behavior of dispersions containing associative polymer

The statistical mechanical theory developed predicts the effects of associative polymer, random walk chains with adhesive end groups, on the interaction between parallel plates at full and restricted equilibrium conditions. The Derjaguin approximation and Barker-Henderson perturbation theory then determine interparticle potentials and macroscopic thermodynamic variables, respectively, with the compositions of coexisting phases following from classical thermodynamic criteria for equilibrium in one-component systems
One does not simply laugh in Middle Earth: Sacrificing humor in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films use humor to promote a deferential relationship to a hierarchical and martial Middle Ages. The films contrast humorous moments involving the hobbits Sam, Merry and Pippin with those featuring the films’ warrior-heroes. As the narrative progresses, the hobbits become more like the heroes, reinforcing values of violence and sacrifice. The films similarly show the integration of the character Gimli, though he remains a challenge to the films’ division of proper and improper heroes. The films programmatically refuse the possibility of an anarchic, temporally confused comic medievalism.
Serious adverse events and death associated with treatment using long-acting β-agonists

Two very large, randomized, double-blind clinical trials performed in the United Kingdom and in the United States have suggested that addition of salmeteraE to usual asthma therapy is associated with a significant increase in the incidence of serious adverse events and asthma-related deaths compared with addition of albuterol or placebo to usual therapy in the same type of patients. These results prompted the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a stern warning regarding these potential adverse effects and to advise that long-acting β-agonists (LABAs) should not used as first-line therapy for the treatment of asthma. Two potential explanations have been proposed for these unexpected adverse effects. It has been suggested that more than a direct pharmacological effect of LABAs, these adverse events result from inadequate concomitant use of inhaled corticosteroids in subjects treated with these medicines. However, a detailed analysis of the results of the two large trials did not provide definitive conclusions regarding the potential protective role of inhaled corticosteroids. A second explanation, which the author here considers more plausible, is that a small group of patients with asthma develop idiosyncratic responses to LABAs, and common or rare variants in the genes that encode for proteins associated with the pharmacological response to these medicines are strongly suspected to predispose for these unusual deleterious responses. Until the biological mechanisms involved are better understood, efforts should be made to confine the use of LABAs to those patients who really need them.
Contrasting patterns in species and functional-trait diversity of bees in an agricultural landscape

Author(s): Forrest, JRK; Thorp, RW; Kremen, C; Williams, NM | Abstract: Land-use change frequently reduces local species diversity. Species losses will often result in loss of trait diversity, with likely consequences for community functioning. However, the converse need not be generally true: management approaches that succeed in retaining species richness could nevertheless fail to maintain trait diversity. We evaluated this possibility using bee communities in a California agroecosystem. We examined among site patterns in bee species diversity and functional-trait diversity in a landscape composed of a mosaic of semi-natural habitat, organic farms and conventional farms. We sampled bees from all three habitat types and compiled a data base of life-history ('functional') traits for each species. Although species richness was higher on organic farms than conventional farms, functional diversity was lower in both farm types than in natural habitat. Nesting location (below-ground vs. above-ground) was the primary trait contributing to differences in functional diversity between farms and natural habitat, reflecting observed differences in availability of nesting substrates among habitat types. Other traits, including phenology and sociality, were also associated with species' occurrences or dominance in particular site types. These patterns suggest that management practices common to all farms act as environmental filters that cause similarly low functional diversity in their bee communities. Synthesis and applications. Although our results support the value of organic farming in maintaining abundant and species-rich bee communities, components of bee functional diversity are not well supported in farmed landscapes, regardless of farming practice. Maintenance of natural habitat, and/or the addition of natural habitat elements to farms, is therefore important for the retention of functionally diverse bee assemblages in agroecosystems. Although our results support the value of organic farming in maintaining abundant and species-rich bee communities, components of bee functional diversity are not well supported in farmed landscapes, regardless of farming practice. Maintenance of natural habitat, and/or the addition of natural habitat elements to farms, is therefore important for the retention of functionally diverse bee assemblages in agroecosystems.
DISCONTINUITIES IN THE NUCLEAR MASS SURFACE

Proton and neutron binding energies are analyzed in such a way as to permit an approximate assessment of the effects associated with pairing and shell structure. We draw several interesting conclusions with respect to the accuracy of various theoretical expressions which have been proposed for the pairing effect. Our analysis of the data and considerations of an atomic model lead us to a simple approximate representation of a shell stabilizing correction to nuclear energies. This shell structure term accounts rather well for the observed departures from the general trends of beta-stability, nuclear masses, and nuclear $Q$ values. Our shell correction suggests that much larger systematic variations in nuclear masses may be identified with shell structure effects than might previously have been suspected.
Evidence for a Communal Consciousness

Recently described social network phenomena show that emotionally connected people come to share certain traits, including obesity, happiness, and loneliness. These do not appear to be mediated by face-to-face contact. Other examples of groups with a common connection that act in unison are mass hysteria, menstrual synchrony, and the ability of a group to guess the number of jelly beans in a jar. The animal kingdom abounds with examples of groups functioning as a single whole: fish school, birds flock, hoofed animals herd, ant and bee colonies work as a single organism. Try as they might, neuroscientists have been unable to find an anatomical seat of consciousness within the brain. C.G. Jung's realization of a collective unconscious began with an observation of a patient whose thoughts matched previous writings that the patient had never seen. The "emotional telepathy" of social network phenomena suggests a collective/communal consciousness as well.