cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Asbestos-induced lung diseases: an update

Asbestos causes asbestosis (pulmonary fibrosis caused by asbestos inhalation) and malignancies (bronchogenic carcinoma and mesothelioma) by mechanisms that are not fully elucidated. Despite a dramatic reduction in asbestos use worldwide, asbestos-induced lung diseases remain a substantial health concern primarily because of the vast amounts of fibers that have been mined, processed, and used during the 20th century combined with the long latency period of up to 40 years between exposure and disease presentation. This review summarizes the important new epidemiologic and pathogenic information that has emerged over the past several years. Whereas the development of asbestosis is directly associated with the magnitude and duration of asbestos exposure, the development of a malignant clone of cells can occur in the setting of low-level asbestos exposure. Emphasis is placed on the recent epidemiologic investigations that explore the malignancy risk that occurs from nonoccupational, environmental asbestos exposure. Accumulating studies are shedding light on novel mechanistic pathways by which asbestos damages the lung. Attention is focused on the importance of alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) injury and repair, the role of iron-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS), and apoptosis by the p53- and mitochondria-regulated death pathways. Furthermore, recent evidence underscores crucial roles for specific cellular signaling pathways that regulate the production of cytokines and growth factors. An evolving role for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is also reviewed. The translational significance of these studies is evident in providing the molecular basis for developing novel therapeutic strategies for asbestos-related lung diseases and, importantly, other pulmonary diseases, such as interstitial pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer.
Numerical study of MgO powder synthesis by thermal plasma

Abstract Numerical calculations are presented in which homogeneous nucleation and growth of MgO particles in a thermal plasma reactor is simulated. The physical environment involves continuous cooling from very high temperatures. The numerical model involves a solution of the aerosol general dynamic equation coupled to a gas phase chemical kinetics calculation for generation of MgO monomers. The results indicate that the number of particles nucleated is a function of initial Mg concentration and of cooling rate in the nucleation region. The results are little affected if the assumed chemical rate constants are within one order of magnitude of upper-bound estimates. If, however, the rate constants are a factor of 100 lower than the estimates a large change is observed in the final results. In that case surface reactions are likely to play a prominent role in particle growth.
Specific capture and temperature-mediated release of cells in an aptamer-based microfluidic device

Isolation of cells from heterogeneous mixtures is critically important in both basic cell biology studies and clinical diagnostics. Cell isolation can be realized based on physical properties such as size, density and electrical properties. Alternatively, affinity binding of target cells by surface-immobilized ligands, such as antibodies, can be used to achieve specific cell isolation. Microfluidics technology has recently been used in conjunction with antibody-based affinity isolation methods to capture, purify and isolate cells with higher yield rates, better efficiencies and lower costs. However, a method that allows easy release and collection of live cells from affinity surfaces for subsequent analysis and detection has yet to be developed. This paper presents a microfluidic device that not only achieves specific affinity capture and enrichment, but also enables non-destructive, temperature-mediated release and retrieval of cells. Specific cell capture is achieved using surface-immobilized aptamers in a microchamber. Release of the captured cells is realized by a moderate temperature change, effected via integrated heaters and a temperature sensor, to reversibly disrupt the cell-aptamer interaction. Experimental results with CCRF-CEM cells have demonstrated that the device is capable of specific capture and temperature-mediated release of cells, that the released cells remain viable and that the aptamer-functionalized surface is regenerable.
A syndrome of hemimaxillary enlargement, asymmetry of the face, tooth abnormalities, and skin findings (HATS)

Hemimaxillofacial dysplasia and segmental odontomaxillary dysplasia appear to be the same syndrome, having the common features of unilateral abnormalities of bone, teeth, gums, and skin. Oral manifestations are the hallmark of this condition. Those affected are generally recognized in childhood and may have partial anodontia, abnormal spacing of the teeth, delayed eruption, and gingival thickening of the affected segment. Reported cutaneous manifestations include facial asymmetry, Becker's nevus, "hairy nevus," lip hypopigmentation, discontinuity of the vermilion border, depression of the cheek, and erythema. The oral lesions do not appear to be progressive. We describe a child with features consistent with hemimaxillofacial dysplasia/segmental odontomaxillary dysplasia. Findings of a biopsy specimen from the cheek confirmed the presence of a Becker's nevus. Cutaneous findings reported in the previous 31 cases are reviewed and summarized. The acronym HATS (hemimaxillary enlargement, asymmetry of the face, tooth abnormalities, and skin findings) is introduced to reflect the spectrum of abnormalities in bone, teeth, and skin that may be seen in this developmental disorder.
Synthesis of tri-substituted furans: mild Ti(IV)-mediated couplings to acetals. Construction of the epoxy hemi-amido ketal of fusarin C

Abstract Coupling of β-keto amides and β-keto esters to 2-alkoxy methyl furanosides with TiCl4 directly furnishes tri-substituted furans. The epoxy hemi-amido ketal ring system of fusarin C is constructed in two steps using this methodology.
Determining All Solutions to Certain Systems of Nonlinear Equations

Only during the past decade has it been discovered how, under fairly reasonable conditions, to calculate a solution of a system of n nonlinear equations in n variables. The technique utilized was the so-called “complementarity” or “fixed point” approach to the Brouwer fixed point theorem. In this paper we extend that approach to calculate for certain systems not just one but all possible solutions. All solutions can be calculated when the equations of the system behave like a polynomial in the highest order terms. That is, in each equation the highest order term must be a variable raised to a power while the lower order terms can be more general. Our procedure starts with a trivial system of equations, one to which all solutions are obvious and immedately known. The trivial system is then deformed into the system given with the unknown solutions. The idea is to follow the paths generated from the obvious solutions into the unknown solutions of the given system. This process under rather general conditions calculates all of the solutions.
Rethinking risk in the new economy: Age and cohort effects on unemployment and re-employment

One of the major risks associated with flexible employment in the new economy is that of sudden and involuntary unemployment. The risk of involuntary unemployment, or displacement, has become widespread in the new economy, threatening workers across firms, occupations and industries. While most workers now face the risk of displacement, some appear better able to negotiate and navigate the flexible labor market that characterizes the `new' economy. Using pooled cross-sectional data covering over 20 years, I examine how workers' abilities to recover from displacement have changed over the past two decades. Specifically, I examine how older workers — typically thought to experience greater risk of displacement and disadvantage in the flexible labor market — fare in the new economy. My results indicate that birth cohort is a better predictor than chronological age of post-displacement employment outcomes, including the duration of unemployment and the likelihood of switching occupations upon re-employment. T...
Validation of the Asthma Illness Representation Scale-Spanish (AIRS-S © )

Background. To expand knowledge surrounding parental illness representations (IRs) of their children's asthma, it is imperative that culturally appropriate survey instruments are developed and validated for use in clinical and research settings. The Asthma Illness Representation Scale (AIRS©) provides a structured assessment of the key components of asthma IRs, allowing the health care provider (HCP) to quickly identify areas of discordance with the professional model of asthma management. The English AIRS was developed and validated among a geographically and ethnically diverse sample. The authors present the validation results of the AIRS-S© (Spanish) from a sample of Mexican and Puerto Rican parents. Methods. The AIRS was translated and back translated per approved methodologies. Factor analysis, internal reliability, external validity, and 2-week test-retest reliability (on a subsample) were carried out and results compared with the validated English version. Data were obtained from 80 Spanish-speakin...
Design, Implementation and Deployment of PAIRwise

Increased access to the Internet has dramatically increased the sources from which students can deliberately or accidentally copy information. This article discusses our motivation to design, implement, and deploy an Internet based plagiarism detection system, called PAIRwise, to address this growing problem. We give details as to how we detect plagiarism and the various development phases we went through before releasing PAIRwise as an open source software tool. Our major conclusion is that it is possible to deploy an automated plagiarism system that is an effective, customizable, and affordable tool for investigating how plagiarism affects acad emic integrity.
Effective Reading and Writing Instruction: A Focus on Modeling.

When providing effective reading and writing instruction, teachers need to provide explicit modeling. Modeling is particularly important when teaching students to use cognitive learning strategies. Examples of how teachers can provide specific, explicit, and flexible instructional modeling is presented in the context of two evidence-based practices in the areas of reading and writing.
Delay optimization of digital CMOS VLSI circuits by transistor reordering

In this paper the effects of transistor reordering on the delay of CMOS digital circuits are investigated, and an efficient method which uses transistor reordering for the delay optimization of CMOS circuits is presented. The proposed technique achieves significant reduction in propagation delays with little effect on layout area and power dissipation. The technique can be coupled with transistor sizing to achieve the desired improvement in circuit delay. Experimental results for benchmark circuits are given in 2.0, 1.2, and 0.8 /spl mu/m CMOS technologies. The average improvement in delay for the 20 benchmarks used in this paper is 9.1%. >
Crystal structure of Rac1 bound to its effector phospholipase C-beta2.

Although diverse signaling cascades require the coordinated regulation of heterotrimeric G proteins and small GTPases, these connections remain poorly understood. We present the crystal structure of the GTPase Rac1 bound to phospholipase C-β2 (PLC-β2), a classic effector of heterotrimeric G proteins. Rac1 engages the pleckstrin-homology (PH) domain of PLC-β2 to optimize its orientation for substrate membranes. Gβγ also engages the PH domain to activate PLC-β2, and these two activation events are compatible, leading to additive stimulation of phospholipase activity. In contrast to PLC-δ, the PH domain of PLC-β2 cannot bind phosphoinositides, eliminating this mode of regulation. The structure of the Rac1–PLC-β2 complex reveals determinants that dictate selectivity of PLC-β isozymes for Rac GTPases over other Rho-family GTPases, and substitutions within PLC-β2 abrogate its stimulation by Rac1 but not by Gβγ, allowing for functional dissection of this integral signaling node.
Does attention alter appearance

Abrupt onsets in the visual field can change the appearance of subsequent stimuli, according to one interpretation, by engaging an attentional mechanism that increases effective stimulus contrast. However, abrupt onsets can also engage capacity-unlimited and thus attention-independent sensory mechanisms. We conducted a series of experiments to differentiate the sensory and attentional accounts. Observers compared the contrasts of uncued low-contrast peripheral targets with simultaneous targets cued by one of three cue types with different sensory attributes: white or black peripheral abrupt onsets and central gaze direction cues devoid of sensory activity near the target locations. Each cue facilitated the perception of perithreshold targets; however, the white abrupt onsets increased the perceived contrast of suprathreshold targets, whereas the black abrupt onsets tended to reduce the perceived contrast, and the gaze direction cues had no significant effect. The effectiveness of the gaze direction cues in automatically orienting attention was demonstrated in a control experiment in which they consistently speeded response times. The results suggest that sensory interaction, and not attention, is responsible for changes in appearance.
In vivo evaluation of a new bioabsorbable self-expanding biliary stent

Abstract Background Bioabsorbable stents may offer advantages for the treatment of benign and malignant biliary strictures, including large stent diameter, decreased biofilm accumulation and proliferative changes, elimination of the need for stent removal and imaging artifacts, and prospects for drug impregnation. However, suboptimal expansion has hampered prior iterations. A new bioabsorbable biliary stent (BioStent) was evaluated in a porcine model. Methods BioStents were placed in 8 animals for long-term follow-up. The following were evaluated: accuracy and ease of delivery and deployment, radial expansion, and radiologic visualization. Stent function and biotolerance were assessed by cholangiography, serum bilirubin, and necropsy for histopathology performed in pairs at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months. Results Stents were delivered without sphincterotomy and were deployed easily, accurately, and with good immediate stent expansion and radiographic visualization. On follow-up, all stents were fully expanded and serum bilirubin levels remained within the normal range. Although there was no clinical evidence of biliary obstruction, filling defects were common at cholangiography. On histopathologic evaluation, there was neither bile duct integration or proliferative change. Conclusions The BioStent bioabsorbable biliary stent, modified with axial runners, can be effectively deployed endoscopically, is self-expanding, is visualized radiographically, and remains patent up to 6 months. There was no bile duct integration or proliferative change, which are potential advantages. Stent occlusion and migration remain concerns.
Virtual Real Source: Source signature estimation using seismic interferometry

Knowledge of the seismic source signature is crucial in numerousproblems in exploration seismology, especially in fullwaveform inversion. However, existing methods of source signature estimation like statistical methods and well-log-based methods suffer from several drawbacks arising from assumptions such as whiteness of the reflectivity series and the minimumphase character of the wavelet. Also, estimation of the source signature using wave-theoretical methods requires the recording of the wavefield and its normal derivative or additional recordings above the receiver surface which are not always available. We introduce a method, called the Virtual Real Source, of extracting the source signature based on the theory of seismic interferometry, also known as the virtual source method. This method is independent of the assumptions and drawbacks of the abovementioned methods. The only requirement for the method of Virtual Real Source is to have a virtual source location coincide with the physical shot position whose source signature is desired. The virtual source location does not necessarily have to be a zero-offset receiver because one can use interpolation for it. The source signature is extracted by deconvolving the real recording at a receiver from thevirtual source recording. Through modeling examples, we show that Virtual Real Source produces accurate source signatures even for complicated subsurface structures and source signatures, and is robust in the presence of noise. Source signature of every shot in a survey can be extracted reliably as long as the source signatures have similar amplitude spectra. The phase spectrum of the source signature is always extracted accurately even if it varies randomly from one shot to another. The Virtual Real Source applied on a 2D streamer data set from the North Viking Graben in the North Sea extracts all the airgun signatures with the main pulse and the bubble oscillation.
The Flypaper Effect Unstuck: Evidence on Endogenous Grants from The Federal Highway Aid Program

Contrary to simple theoretical predictions, empirical research has found that state government public spending is increased far more, often dollar-for-dollar, by federal grant receipts than by equivalent increases in constituent private income. This anomaly has come to be known as the flypaper effect. First, a legislative bargaining model developed in this paper provides a critique of this empirical finding. The model demonstrates a positive correlation between constituent preferences for public goods and intergovernmental grant receipts, and this correlation has likely biased the existing literature towards finding a flypaper effect. The model also motivates using measures of the political power of state congressional delegations as an instrument for grant receipts. Second, after correcting for the endogeneity of grant receipts, the results demonstrate that constituent private income and grants have similar effects on public spending.
Toward the next quarter-century: Conceptual and methodological challenges for attachment theory

Attachment theory and research have offered fundamental insights into early sociopersonality development for the past quarter-century. As its scope expands throughout the life course with applications to developmental psychopathology, however, attachment work faces important conceptual and methodological challenges. These include (a) expanding Bowlby's theoretical formulations to address developmental changes in the nature of attachment organization beyond infancy, the converging influence of multiple attachment relationships, and the nature and development of internal working models; (b) systematically validating assessments of attachment security for older ages in the context of enhanced theoretical understanding of how attachment itself changes with age; (c) new methodological approaches to understanding the relations between attachment and later behavior in light of empirical evidence of stability and change in attachment security and the need for explicit theoretical predictions of the sequelae of attachment security; and (d) more complex conceptualizations of the associations among attachment, contextual risk, and later behavior. These are similar to the challenges facing the original pioneers of attachment theory and research, suggesting that familiar problems must now be reconsidered against the landscape of new applications of attachment work and the insights of contemporary developmental science.
Grafting Techniques for Vasectomy Reversal

Grafting of the male reproductive tract is an exciting new area of tissue engineering which may allow natural conception for patients with significant lengths of obstructed vas deferens. While stents had a significant and important role in increasing patency and pregnancy rates in the pre-microsurgical era, their role in the modern era of microsurgical two-layered anastomosis remains to be defined. To date, if the vasal obstruction is amenable to a primary watertight, tension-free anastomosis, microsurgical non-stented techniques remain the gold standard. Cases where a tension-free anastomosis is not possible because of the physical length of the obstruction remain problematic, but further research into tissue engineering in the form of implantable conduits holds much promise.
Tracking Many Solution Paths of a Polynomial Homotopy on a Graphics Processing Unit in Double Double and Quad Double Arithmetic

Polynomial systems occur in many areas of science and engineering. Unlike general nonlinear systems, the algebraic structure enablesto compute all solutions of a polynomial system. We describe our massively parallel predictor-corrector algorithmsto track many solution paths of a polynomial homotopy. The data parallelism that provides the speedups stems from theevaluation and differentiation of the monomials in the same polynomialsystem at different data points, which are the points on the solution paths. Polynomial homotopies that have tens of thousands of solution pathscan keep a sufficiently large amount of threads occupied. Our accelerated code combines the reverse mode of algorithmic differentiationwith double double and quad double arithmetic to compute more accurateresults faster.
The Wandering Bullet

Most bullets which enter the body usually exit or lodge within the soft tissues having traveled in a straight line. Management of such patients is usually a simple matter of repairing the injuries incurred during the passage of the bullet. Emphasis must be placed on the initial management of the patient and his life-threatening injuries. Secondly, localization of the bullet should be done. Lastly, determination as to whether the bullet should be removed should be based on the hazards of its staying in its present position versus the hazards of its attempted removal.
Studies toward the synthesis of palhinine lycopodium alkaloids: a Morita-Baylis-Hillman/intramolecular Diels-Alder approach.

A synthetic route to the isotwistane core of palhinine lycopodium alkaloids is described. A Morita–Baylis–Hillman/intramolecular Diels–Alder (IMDA) strategy sets the vicinal all-carbon quaternary centers present in this family of natural products. The regioselectivity of the IMDA reaction is dictated by the conditions employed for silyl enol ether formation, with one set of conditions providing the core of cardionine and alternate conditions generating the desired isotwistane core of isopalhinine.
Abstract SY40-01: Anti-CD40 as an anticancer agent

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is an almost uniformly lethal disease for which novel effective therapies are critically needed. Although immunotherapy offers a distinct and promising therapeutic approach, the ability of pancreas carcinoma to orchestrate immune suppression represents a significant clinical obstacle. Previous studies to model pancreatic tumor immune responses in mice have been limited by the use of implantable tumor models or non-PDA tumors of islet cells. To circumvent these obstacles, we have evaluated immune surveillance in PDA using a genetically engineered mouse (GEM) model of this disease in which endogenous expression of Kras G12D and Trp53 R172H is targeted to the pancreas of immune competent mice and for which the salient clinical, histopathologic, and molecular features of the human disease are strikingly recapitulated. In this ‘KPC’ model, progression to PDA is intimately associated with a suppressive immune reaction, particularly in the myeloid compartment, such that adaptive anti-tumor immunity is essentially non-existent. Because CD40 activation can reverse immune suppression and drive potent anti-tumor T cell responses, we tested the combination of an agonist CD40 antibody with gemcitabine chemotherapy in the KPC model. We observed tumor regression in 30% of mice and found further that tumor regression required macrophages but not T cells or gemcitabine. CD40-activated macrophages rapidly infiltrated tumors, became tumoricidal, and facilitated the depletion of tumor stroma. T cells, as expected, were activated following CD40 therapy but never infiltrate the tumor. Based on these preclinical findings, we performed a clinical study to test the hypothesis that CD40 activation in humans can cooperate with chemotherapy for the treatment of chemotherapy-naive, surgically incurable PDA. Twenty-one patients (90% with metastatic disease) received gemcitabine weekly on days 1, 8, and 15 with the agonist CD40 mAb CP-870,893 (Pfizer) administered on day 3 of each 28 day cycle. Treatment was well-tolerated overall, and the most common side effect was mild-to-moderate cytokine release syndrome managed in the outpatient clinic. Metabolic responses were observed by FDG-PET/CT in both the primary and metastatic lesions in 88% of patients evaluated after 2 cycles of therapy. By RECIST, 5 of 21 patients developed a partial response. Thus, productive cancer immune surveillance does not necessarily depend on T cells; rather, our findings demonstrate a CD40-dependent mechanism for targeting cancer-associated inflammation in the treatment of cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr SY40-01. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-SY40-01
German Politics "auf Deutsch": Teaching Comparative Politics in a Language across the Curriculum Format.

cepts come alive without some understanding of a given country's culture, institutions, and society, knowledge of a country's language can be an important requisite for achieving this objective. Indeed, most political science departments in the United States require some minimal level of language training for their degree students. At American universities, students learn languages and study politics in relative isolation from one another.
Anti-Interferon-Inducible Protein 16 Antibodies Associate With Digital Gangrene in Patients With Scleroderma.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between anti-interferon-inducible protein 16 (anti-IFI-16) antibodies and clinical features of scleroderma. METHODS Sera from a discovery sample of 94 patients with scleroderma and 47 healthy controls were assayed for anti-IFI-16 antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and associations were examined using regression analyses. Since anti-IFI-16 autoantibodies were found to be strongly associated with digital gangrene in the discovery sample, a subsequent case-control study (with subjects matched 1:1 on disease duration) was designed for further exploration. Cases were patients with scleroderma and digital gangrene, while controls were patients with scleroderma and Raynaud's phenomenon alone (n = 39 matched pairs). Nonparametric, unadjusted matched pairs analysis as well as univariate and multivariable conditional logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS In the discovery sample, anti-IFI-16 antibodies were more prevalent in patients with scleroderma than in healthy controls (18% versus 2%; P = 0.01). Patients with anti-IFI-16 antibodies, compared to anti-IFI-16 antibody-negative patients, were more likely to have limited scleroderma (77% versus 46%; P = 0.03), a longer disease duration (median 15.2 years [interquartile range 10.6-18.3] versus 6.0 years [interquartile range 3.4-13.8]; P < 0.01), digital gangrene (24% versus 4%; P = 0.02), and a low diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco) (P < 0.01). In the case-control study, 35 (45%) of 78 patients were anti-IFI-16 antibody positive. Anti-IFI-16 antibody levels were significantly higher in cases with digital gangrene than in matched controls (P = 0.02). In analyses adjusted for age, cutaneous scleroderma subtype, smoking, and DLco, high anti-IFI-16 antibody levels were associated with the presence of digital gangrene (adjusted odds ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.0-5.6, P = 0.05). The odds of having digital gangrene increased with higher anti-IFI-16 antibody titers, in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION Anti-IFI-16 antibodies are associated with digital gangrene in patients with scleroderma. Longitudinal prospective studies exploring anti-IFI-16 antibodies as a disease biomarker, and biologic studies investigating the pathogenicity of these antibodies, are warranted.
Suicide attempts among alcohol-dependent pain patients before and after an inpatient hospitalization.

Background This study examined (1) whether pain diagnoses were risk factors for non-fatal suicide attempts before and after inpatient hospitalizations in alcohol-dependent veterans, and (2) the characteristics of pain patients who attempted suicide.
Synthesis of some new 5-chloro-7-mercapto-1-methyl/phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,5-b]pyrazin-2(1H)-ones and 5-chloro-3-thiopyrazin-2(1H)-one derivatives as possible antibacterial and antifungal agents

Several new 5-chloro-7-mercapto-1-methyl/phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,5-6]pyrazin-2(1/H)-ones V and their disul-phides VI, 5-chloro-3-mercapto-2(1H)-pyrazinonones III, 5-chloro-3-(N-aryl-N-acetylthioureido)-1-methyl/-phenyl-2(1H)-pyrazinones VII, 5-chloro-1-methyl/phenyl-3-sulphonamido-2(1H)-pyrazinones X and chloro-2-methyl/phenyl-(3-methyl)-3-thio-2(1H)-pyrazinones XI were synthesized starting from 3,5-dichloro-1-methyl/phenylpyrazin-2(1H)-ones I. Fifteen of these compounds were screened for their antibacterial and antifungal activity against two bacteria B. subtilis and S. aureus, and two fungi A. niger and H. oryzae. A possible structure activity relationship is given.
Apoptosis of Oligodendrocytes during Early Development Delays Myelination and Impairs Subsequent Responses to Demyelination.

During mammalian development, myelin-forming oligodendrocytes are generated and axons ensheathed according to a tightly regulated sequence of events. Excess premyelinating oligodendrocytes are eliminated by apoptosis and the timing of the onset of myelination in any specific CNS region is highly reproducible. Although the developing CNS recovers more effectively than the adult CNS from similar insults, it is unknown whether early loss of oligodendrocyte lineage cells leads to long-term functional deficits. To directly assess whether the loss of oligodendrocytes during early postnatal spinal cord development impacted oligodendrogenesis, myelination, and remyelination, transgenic mouse lines were generated in which a modified caspase-9 molecule allowed spatial and temporal control of the apoptotic pathway specifically in mature, myelin basic protein expressing oligodendrocytes (MBP-iCP9). Activating apoptosis in MBP+ cells of the developing spinal cord during the first postnatal week inhibited myelination. This inhibition was transient, and the levels of myelination largely returned to normal after 2 weeks. Despite robust developmental plasticity, MBP-iCP9-induced oligodendrocyte apoptosis compromised the rate and extent of adult remyelination. Remyelination failure correlated with a truncated proliferative response of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, suggesting that depleting the oligodendrocyte pool during critical developmental periods compromises the regenerative response to subsequent demyelinating lesions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This manuscript demonstrates that early insults leading to oligodendrocyte apoptosis result in the impairment of recovery from demyelinating diseases in the adult. These studies begin to provide an initial understanding of the potential failure of recovery in insults, such as periventricular leukomalacia and multiple sclerosis.
Urologic Complications in 505 Renal transplants with Early Catheter Removal

AbstractOf 505 consecutive renal transplants urologic complications occurred in 4.1 per cent of cadaver, 2.6 per cent of living related, 1.9 per cent of diabetic and 3.8 per cent of nondiabetic allografts. Over-all, patient survival and graft salvage rates were 94 and 83 per cent, respectively. Principles of prevention, diagnosis and management of these complications are discussed. In contrast to prior standards the bladder catheter was removed within 36 hours postoperatively in nearly all cases without any increase in morbidity.
SU-F-J-50: Study On the Magnetic Field Effect On the Exradin W1 Plastic Scintillation Detector

Purpose: To study the response of the Exradin W1 plastic scintillator detector to a 6 MV photon field in the presence of a strong magnetic field (B). Methods: An Exradin W1 scintillator detector coupled to a SuperMax two-channel electrometer, both manufactured by Standard Imaging, Inc., was first calibrated in a Co-60 beam. The Cerenkov Light Ratio (CLR) was obtained following the procedure recommended by the manufacturer. Subtracting signal in channel 2 multiplied by CLR from the signal in channel 1 should lead to a Cerenkov-free signal. The W1 scintillator was placed in a plastic phantom inside a dipole electromagnet (GMW Associates) that could produce a strong B field, and irradiated using a 6 MV beam from an Elekta Versa HD LINAC. Signals from both channels of the W1 scintillator were acquired as a function of B (0 - 1.5 T). Results: The signals from both channels increased as a function of the B field strength. At 1.5 T, channel 1 increased by 11% compared to the baseline (B=0 T), while channel 2 increased by 22%. Applying the recommended Cerenkov correction led to a 2% difference between dose measurement with and without a magnetic field. The values between B=0.3 T and B=1.5 T remained constant. Conclusion: Signals from the Exradin W1 plastic scintillation detector increased as the B field increased. This increase mainly comes from a change in the amount of Cerenkov light coupled within the optical fiber. Removing the Cerenkov component following the procedure recommended by the manufacturer showed to be an effective way to measure dose accurately in strong magnetic fields. The cause for the residual 2% difference is currently under investigation. We acknowledge research support from Elekta AB.
Tibial Eminence Fractures

Tibial intercondylar eminence fractures are relatively rare and occur with an estimated incidence of 3 in 100,000 people every year. These injuries are much less common than intrasubstance tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), especially in adults. Tibial spine fractures represent a difficult problem but are important to recognize and manage appropriately. This chapter discusses non-operative and operative management of these injuries, as well as patient outcomes and potential complications of treatment. Surgical technique, using open and arthroscopic methods with both screw and suture fixation, is also described.
Pneumatic actuator inserts for interface pressure mapping and fit improvement in lower extremity prosthetics

The fit of a prosthetic socket to a residual limb is critical as poor socket fit is one of the leading causes of improper function, discomfort, and skin breakdown. The daily and long term volume fluctuation of a residual limb presents a major challenge to maintaining fit. This work presents the initial efforts to develop adjustable inserts that consisted of arrays of small, sensorized inflatable pressure actuators that can expand based on the volume change. We have fabricated and tested actuator inserts to demonstrate their capability for pressure mapping in a limb-socket interface. We have also shown that the actuators have the capacity to maintain positive displacement under load to accommodate for volume change in a residual limb for improved fit.
Government Support of Death & Destruction from Generic Prescription Drugs

After the Supreme Court’s gift of blanket immunity to generic drug manufacturers, these companies are dancing on the graves of their victims. In fact, one generic pharmaceutical defendant in a recent pre-trial motion actually alleged that “federal law allows it to ‘[keep] quiet its knowledge of the risks of breast cancer associated with its generic version of [a hormone replacement drug.]’” This situation affects millions of American citizens because 7 out of 10 Americans are taking at least one prescription drug, and more than half are taking at least two. Over 2.6 billion of those prescriptions are filled with generic drugs. Most of the time, a patient does not realize that she is receiving the generic version of what her physician prescribed and, even if she does realize this, she does not know that she may have no recourse if she sustains injuries or death caused by the generic drug.
Nanoscale Voltage Enhancement at Cathode Interfaces in Li-Ion Batteries

Interfaces are ubiquitous in Li-ion battery electrodes, occurring across compositional gradients, across regions of multiphase intergrowths, and between electrodes and solid electrolyte interphases or protective coatings. However, the impact of these interfaces on Li energetics remains largely unknown. In this work, we calculated Li intercalation-site energetics across cathode interfaces and demonstrated the physics governing these energetics on both sides of the interface. We studied the olivine/olivine-structured LixFePO4/LixMPO4 (x = 0 and 1, M = Co, Ti, Mn) and layered/layered-structured LiNiO2/TiO2 interfaces to explore different material structures and transition metal elements. We found that across an interface from a high- to low-voltage material the Li voltage remains constant in the high-voltage material and decays approximately linearly in the low-voltage region, approaching the Li voltage of the low-voltage material. This effect ranges from 0.5 to 9 nm depending on the interfacial dipole scree...
Benchmarking Parallel Performance on Many-Core Processors

With the emergence of many-core processor architectures onto the HPC scene, concerns arise regarding the performance and productivity of numerous existing parallel-programming tools, models, and languages. As these devices begin augmenting conventional distributed cluster systems in an evolving age of heterogeneous supercomputing, proper evaluation and profiling of many-core processors must occur in order to understand their performance and architectural strengths with existing parallel-programming environments and HPC applications. This paper presents and evaluates the comparative performance between two many-core processors, the Tilera TILE-Gx8036 and the Intel Xeon Phi 5110P, in the context of their applications performance with the SHMEM and OpenMP parallel-programming environments. Several applications written or provided in SHMEM and OpenMP are evaluated in order to analyze the scalability of existing tools and libraries on these many-core platforms. Our results show that SHMEM and OpenMP parallel applications scale well on the TILE-Gx and Xeon Phi, but heavily depend on optimized libraries and instrumentation.
Managing Identity in a Dirty Occupation: Male Strippers Experiences with Social Stigmas

In this research, I explore the social stigmas male strippers experience for engaging in a deviant occupation and the identity work they perform to maintain a positive sense of self. Specifically, ...
Solid Digestion of Demineralized Bone as a Method To Access Potentially Insoluble Proteins and Post-Translational Modifications

Bone proteomics is an expanding field for understanding protein changes associated with disease as well as characterizing and detecting proteins preserved in fossil bone. Most previous studies have utilized a protocol with demineralization and extraction approach to isolate and characterize proteins from bone. Through near-complete EDTA demineralization, followed by solid digestion of the remaining bone pseudomorph, a total of 92 protein accessions were detected from dog bone. In the EDTA, 14 unique proteins were found, including osteocalcin, an important bone protein. Osteocalcin was not found in the solid digestion samples, demonstrating the importance of examining the demineralization supernatant. The solid-digestion samples were analyzed both with (11 unique accessions) and without (16 unique accessions) alkylation, resulting in a total of 78 protein accessions. In addition to the diversity of proteins detected, various post-translational modifications were observed, including phosphorylation and glyc...
A Comparative Study of Visualizations with Different Granularities of Behavior for Communicating about Autism

This paper presents a comparative study of two webtools developed to capture engagement via visualization of coordinated communication behavior in children with autism. A clear preference arose for different tasks based on behavior granularity emphasis in the two visualizations. The survey and interview results further revealed the importance of showing behavior patterns, rather than displaying a single behavior without context, in behavior visualization. Based on the results, we propose three granularity-related features to incorporate into behavioral visualizations for communication in clinical settings: separating modalities, coordinating dyadic interactions, and displaying micro-behaviors.
Ethical Challenges of Emerging Technologies

A critical question in the ethics of technology is whether new emerging technologies raise novel ethical issues, thus requiring new ethical approaches, or simply represent different contexts for application of familiar ethical themes. Two examples of technologies that can help to address this question are humanoid robots and pervasive computing. Examination of these two examples suggest that emerging technologies may raise unique ethical problems that set them apart from earlier technological developments, due to factors such as convergence, embeddedness, malleability, and human transcendence. In responding to this evolving challenge, ethicists must give greater weight to macroethical perspectives and approaches, rather than the more traditional focus on microethics. Several innovative new concepts have been suggested and are being developed to address this challenge.
Lessons from Two Large-scale Underground Rock Mechanics Projects: Crestmore and Climax/NTS

Publisher Summary This chapter describes two underground rock engineering projects in which many tools of the profession are brought to bear on understanding the large-scale behavior of the underground openings such as field observations of deformations and stresses, field estimates of rock mass and joint stiffnesses, laboratory testing of intact rock materials, and two- and three-dimensional computer models of the excavation sequences. These models allow optimization of design, and provide clear insights into unusual deformation and stress observations made during mining in the roof and walls of the openings. The chapter highlights power and the limitations of the various rock mechanics tools. Under certain circumstances, important in situ rock mass properties can be derived by calculations, from stress and deformability measurements. The in situ normal stiffness of joints in a tri-orthogonally jointed rock can be derived from field deformability tests. The controlled mining and instrumentation of test excavations are very valuable methods for understanding the behavior of large rock engineering operations. It can be used in surface mining, and in underground mining and other underground projects, such as nuclear waste disposal. Proper planning should permit the controlled excavations to proceed in parallel with other construction.
Pragmatic existential therapy.

A pragmatic model of existential therapy is offered to support the thesis that brief, solution focused therapy is a clinical application of existential psychology. Superseding pioneering existential therapies more concerned with insight than with clinical technique, pragmatic existential therapy is a dynamic clinical intervention facilitating in patients, decision, choice, self-commitment, and concrete action, the goal of which is movement toward the future and fulfillment of patients' latent potentials. In addition to clarifying the model's theoretical focus on (a) lived experience, (b) self-creation, and (c) existential anxiety, practical guides to brief existential treatment are offered. Sources from existential philosophy and psychology, as well as brief solution focused treatment, are used to evidence core elements of an existential therapy that is not contemplative and insight-focused, but pragmatic and action-based.
L-Ascorbic and D-Isoascorbic Acids: Chiron Sources for 1′,2′ -SECO-Nucleosides/Tides, Phosphonates, and Other Molecules of Biological Interest

The introduction of acyclovir (ACV, 1a) as a clinically useful anti-herpetic drug has spurred interest in other acyclic nucleosides as potential chemotherapeutic agents. Ganciclovir (DHPG, 1b), a closely related analog, has found clinical utility in the treatment of infections caused by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Among several acyclic nucleosides, a few have shown promising anti-HIV activity. Adenallene (2a) and cytallene (2b) are two such compounds that inhibit the expression of HIV-1 gag-encoded protein and suppress DNA synthesis at concentrations that do not affect normal T-cells in vitro.1 9-[(2-Phosphonylmethoxy)ethyl]adenine (PMEA, 3a) and S-9-[(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonyl-methoxy)propyl]adenine (HPMPA, 3b) and -cytosine (HPMPC, 3c) are phosphonic acid derivatives that have been found to be active against a series of DNA2 as well as HIV viruses.3
Lung Allocation Score Thresholds Prioritize Survival After Lung Transplantation

Background The lung allocation score (LAS) prioritizes lung transplant (LTx) candidates with poor transplant-free survival and expected survival benefit from LTx. Although patients with the highest LAS have the shortest waiting time, mortality benefit is unclear in this group, raising criticism that the LAS inappropriately prioritizes critically ill candidates. We aim to identify a threshold above which increasing LAS values do not predict increasing survival benefit. Methods The United Network for Organ Sharing Registry was queried for first-time adult LTx candidates with LAS ≥ 30 between May 2005 and December 2016. Survival was tracked from the time of listing through the posttransplant period and compared with survival while remaining on the waitlist, using proportional hazards regression. The survival benefit of LTx was modeled as a piecewise-constant time-dependent covariate, moderated by candidate LAS. Results Of the overall cohort (N = 21,157), LTx was particularly protective for 365 patients with an initial LAS of 70 to 79 (hazard ratio of death after undergoing LTx relative to remaining on the waitlist, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.3). However, the survival benefit of LTx did not meaningfully increase for 1,042 patients listed with even higher LAS. Among patients with cystic fibrosis, the survival benefit of LTx was constant above an LAS of approximately 50. Conclusions Consistent survival benefit of LTx was observed among patients with an initial LAS of 70 and greater. This result supports equalizing priority for donor lung allocation for patients with LAS ≥ 70. A lower LAS threshold for maximum priority is indicated in patients with cystic fibrosis.
Pauci-immune proliferative glomerulonephritis and fungal endocarditis: More than a mere coincidence?

Glomerulonephritis (GN) due to infective (primarily bacterial) endocarditis is well documented with the most common lesions being necrotising and crescentic GN, followed by endocapillary proliferative GN. Prominent C3 staining and subepithelial immune deposits on electron microscopy are commonly
Assessments of demand response potential in small commercial buildings across the United States

Buildings are responsible for more than 73% of the total electricity usage in the United States and have a significant contribution to peak electrical demand of the power grid. Thus, proper buildin...