Independent Procedures Research Articles

Ground Risk Assessment for Unmanned Aircraft Focusing on Multiple Risk Sources in Urban Environments

This paper investigates the risk quantification for Unmanned Aircraft (UA) in urban environments, focusing on the safety of ground people. An assessment methodology is proposed to quantify the flying risk, which indicates the ground fatalities resulted from different potential risk sources. With the knowledge of UA’s specifications and ground environments, the flying risk of the target UA flying in the target area could be evaluated from the combination of results from independent assessment procedures focusing on multiple potential risk sources with specific safety metrics. A study case to assess the flying risk of the Talon and the DJI Inspire 2 flying in one piece of the region in Chengdu is presented. From the assessment result, the airspace management strategies for both Talon and DJI Inspires 2 could be easily developed to guarantee the safety of ground people, therefore, this risk quantification method could be a general tool to support decision-making in safety work.

Zygoma and Mandibular Angle Reduction: Contouring Surgery to Correct the Square Face in Asians.

Changing the facial appearance with facial contouring surgery is popular, especially in East Asian countries where a square face is a common chief complaint. Mandibular angle reduction, malar reduction, genioplasty, and chin and body contouring surgery can be performed as independent or ancillary procedures during orthognathic surgery. Many techniques have been developed and different osteotomy designs have been proposed to enhance outcomes and minimize complication risks. Here, we review the surgical techniques and considerations for mandibular angle and malar reduction, the two most commonly performed contouring surgeries in East Asia to correct the square face.

Rendezvous procedure, a simultaneous endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and laparoscopic cholecystectomy for choledocholithiasis, in a rural surgical program in Northwest Ontario.

Northwest Ontario has a high prevalence of cholelithiasis, at 1.6 times the provincial norm. There is a concomitant 14% rate of choledocholithiasis. Accessing surgical services in the region often requires extensive travel by air. Choledocholithiasis management is typically with a 2-staged approach, an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) followed several days or weeks later by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Regional surgeons were concerned about the patient burden of travel and the loss to follow-up inherent in scheduling two independent procedures at separate hospital admissions. They adopted a 1-stage management, called the rendezvous procedure, which describes the simultaneous performance of an ERCP and LC. We accessed Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre hospital data for all patients receiving an ERCP and LC between 1 June 2019 and 1 December 2022. We documented patient demographics, operative outcomes, length of stay and transfer to other facilities. There were 29 rendezvous procedures performed, with successful cannulation of the ampulla of Vater in 27 (93%) cases and stone removal in 23 (79%), with a complication rate of 7%. The operating time averaged 136 min, and two patients required transfer to a tertiary care centre and four were stented locally and required a return trip to Sioux Lookout for repeat ERCP and successful stone removal. The average length of stay was 2.1 ± 1.3 days. Patients who could not access a rendezvous procedure averaged 46.1 ± 78.1 days between procedures. Managing choledocholithiasis with a 1-stage approach was safe and effective and reduced patient travel, time to definitive care and hospital admissions.

Stereoscopic Camera-Sensor Model for the Development of Highly Automated Driving Functions within a Virtual Test Environment

The need for efficient and reproducible development processes for sensor and perception systems is growing with their increased use in modern vehicles. Such processes can be achieved by using virtual test environments and virtual sensor models. In the context of this, the present paper documents the development of a sensor model for depth estimation of virtual three-dimensional scenarios. For this purpose, the geometric and algorithmic principles of stereoscopic camera systems are recreated in a virtual form. The model is implemented as a subroutine in the Epic Games Unreal Engine, which is one of the most common Game Engines. Its architecture consists of several independent procedures that enable a local depth estimation, but also a reconstruction of a whole three-dimensional scenery. In addition, a separate programme for calibrating the model is presented. In addition to the basic principles, the architecture and the implementation, this work also documents the evaluation of the model created. It is shown that the model meets specifically defined requirements for real-time capability and the accuracy of the evaluation. Thus, it is suitable for the virtual testing of common algorithms and highly automated driving functions.

National Security-Related Expulsion Cases during the Pandemic in Hungary: Secret Revealed?

The research investigates the reasons behind the surge in the number of expulsion cases awaiting resolution by the Constitutional Court of Hungary during the initial year of the pandemic by conducting an analysis. Identity between the cases examined can be discovered along issues related to factual and legal merits, which in several cases is the cause of the problem and the effect of which draws attention to the right to an effective remedy. The study focuses on the factual and legal issues of decisions on expulsion and entry and residence bans from the point of view of legally established third-country nationals residing in Hungary. The study explores Constitutional Court and high court decisions of the period compared to the relevant case law of the Supreme Court in a comprehensible manner and digs up the roots of the identified common problems. Exploring the legal basis in the light of basic international and EU law obligations, both access to classified documents and a system of appeal against decisions constitute a set of complex, completely independent and unrelated procedures, that ultimately means that the facts on which the expulsion is based, which are also particularly difficult to ascertain, cannot be effectively disputed.

OPTIMIZATION OF TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH PANCREATIC CANCER COMPLICATED BY MECHANICAL JAUNDICE

Summary. The aim of the study was to improve the results of surgical treatment of patients with malignant neoplasms of the pancreas complicated by mechanical jaundice, as well as to prove the feasibility of combined treatment and staged approach to it using minimally invasive technologies.
 Materials and methods of the study. The results of treatment of 112 patients with pancreatic cancer who were treated in the surgical department of the Municipal non-commercial enterprise of the Kharkov regional council «Regional Clinical Hospital» from 2018 to 2021 were analyzed. The age of the examined patients averaged (53,2 ± 12,7) (from 37 to 88 years), of which women — 43 (38,0 %), men — 69 (62,0 %). All patients were examined in the laboratory and instrumentally.
 Results of the study. Mechanical jaundice was observed in 81 (72,0 %) patients. According to the classification of VE Smirnov (1974), in 16 (14,2 %) patients acute jaundice was observed, in 56 (50 %) — acute prolonged and in 40 (35,8 %) — chronic mechanical jaundice. Among the results of the study of the analyzed patients, the minimum level of total bilirubin in mechanical jaundice was 44 μmol/l, the maximum — 546 μmol/l. All patients with mechanical jaundice underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Eight (9,8 %) patients developed complications after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: bleeding from a papillotomy wound (4), clinic of acute pancreatitis (3), injury of the posterior wall of the duodenum (1). In 2 cases, the procedure failed due to total obstruction of the large duodenal nipple. Among the 79 patients who managed to undergo endoscopic intervention, only 5 cases, according to the commission on cancer care, were recognized as resectable in the future.
 Conclusions. Minimally invasive methods of restoring bile in mechanical jaundice caused by cancer of the pancreas are effective as independent treatment procedures, staged, which may precede laparotomy.

Factors associated with postoperative urinary retention in patients undergoing penile prosthesis implantation.

Placement of penile prosthesis had been well described in the outpatient setting, however, one barrier to same-day discharge is postoperative urinary retention (POUR). POUR remains a condition encountered during ambulatory surgical procedures and has yet to be characterized in patients undergoing penile prosthesis. We characterized POUR in a cohort of penile prosthesis recipients along with risk factors and management. Patients undergoing penile prosthesis implantation from 2014 through 2020 without pre-existing retention were included. All patients underwent a void trial immediately following penile prosthesis in the post-anesthesia care unit. POUR was strictly defined as (1) any patient requiring catheter replacement after prosthesis, (2) a rising post-void residual, or (3) inability to void after 6 h regardless of whether a catheter was placed. Independent procedures, demographic, intraoperative, and postoperative risk factors for POUR were assessed. 317 men were included of whom 27.1% experienced POUR. Men experiencing POUR and those not in retention were essentially indistinguishable with respect to previously described risk factors for POUR. Only use of both α-blockers and 5-α-reductase inhibitors was significantly associated with a greater risk of POUR, a finding maintained on adjusted analysis (adjusted odds ratio 10.1, 95% confidence interval 2.1 to 49.8). POUR resolved without intervention in 3.5%, a single episode of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) in 7.0% of patients, and repeated CIC or indwelling catheter placement with a successful delayed void trial in 88.4% of patients. Rate of prosthesis infection in patients who experienced POUR did not significantly differ from those who did not experience POUR (4.7% vs. 2.2% p = 0.26). Our findings suggest that POUR is experienced in as many as 1 in 4 men undergoing penile prosthesis placement, most of whom must be managed with indwelling catheterization or repeated CIC. Those with indicators of symptomatic prostate enlargement are at significantly greater risk of urinary retention.

Tri-Reagent Homogenate Is a Suitable Starting Material for UHPLC-MS Lipidomic Analysis

Background: Transcriptomic and lipidomic dual analyses usually initiate with independent extractive procedures. That entails a difficulty in aligning results from both omics platforms, especially in the case of highly heterogeneous tissues, such as the kidney. Methods: Bligh and Dyer lipid extraction was performed using rat kidney homogenates prepared in PBS or commercially available Tri-reagent used for RNA extraction. Samples were analyzed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) lipidomic analysis. Results: Comparison of the lipidome obtained from phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and Tri-reagent homogenates showed qualitative and quantitative validity of the Tri-reagent homogenate with the exception of ether lipids; the acidic nature of the mix seems to promote the hydrolysis of the ether bond, especially in plasmalogens. We tested several conditions in the sample processing, which allowed to optimize the procedure. Conclusions: Aiming to implement a method that allows the extraction of RNA and lipids from the same tissue homogenate not using external tracers, we here report the use of Tri-reagent homogenates as a suitable starting material for UHPLC-MS lipidomic analysis.

Identification of Effective Diagnostic Biomarkers and Immune Cell Infiltration in Atopic Dermatitis by Comprehensive Bioinformatics Analysis

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a dermatological disorder characterized by symptoms such as chronically inflamed skin and frequently intolerable itching. The mechanism underlying AD development is still unclear. Our study aims to identify the diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers for AD and provide insight into immune mechanisms at the molecular level through bioinformatics analysis. Methods: The GSE6012, GSE32924, and GSE36842 gene expression profiles were obtained for analysis from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were segregated using the “Batch correction” and “RobustRankAggreg” methods. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to screen for module genes with AD traits. Then, common DEGs (co-DEGs) were screened out via combined differential expression analysis and WGCNA. Functional enrichment analysis was performed for these co-DEGs using Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), followed by protein-protein interaction network analysis. Candidate hub genes were identified using the “cytoHubba” plugin in Cytoscape, and their value for AD diagnosis was validated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in the external database GSE120721. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for further validation. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to evaluate skin samples obtained from healthy controls (HCs) and lesions of AD patients, to determine the extent of immune cell infiltration. The association between the identified hub genes and significant differential immune cells was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis. Results: A total of 259 DEGs were acquired from the intersection of DEGs obtained by the two independent procedures, and 331 AD-trait module genes were separated out from the blue module via WGCNA analysis. Then, 169 co-DEGs arising from the intersection of the 259 DEGs and the 331 AD-trait module genes were obtained. We found that co-DEGs were significantly enhanced in the type I interferon and IL-17 signal transduction pathways. Thirteen potential hub genes were identified using Cytoscape. Five hub genes (CCR7, CXCL10, IRF7, MMP1, and RRM2) were identified after screening via external dataset validation and immunohistochemical analysis. We also identified four significant differential immune cells, i.e., activated dendritic cells, plasma cells, resting mast cells, and CD4+ naïve T cells, between AD patients and HCs. Moreover, the relationship between the identified hub genes and significant differential immune cells was analyzed. The results showed that the CCR7 expression level was positively correlated with the number of CD4+ naïve T cells (R = 0.42, p = 0.011). Conclusion: CCR7, CXCL10, IRF7, MMP1, and RRM2 could be potential diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers for AD. CCR7 expression level was positively correlated with the number of CD4+ naïve T cells in AD. These findings need to be corroborated in future studies.

Do child-father and child-mother preschool insecure attachment types predict the development of externalizing behaviors in boys and girls during middle childhood?

Past meta-analyses show that both child-mother and child-father attachment insecurity are independently and jointly associated with more externalizing behaviors in children. Little is known, however, on the ways that different types of insecure attachment independently and jointly predict the development of externalizing behaviors over time. Existing work also neglects the impact of children's gender within the context of child-father relationships. The current study addresses these limitations by investigating how insecure type of child-father attachment, child-mother attachment, and their interaction in the preschool years predict boys' and girls' externalizing behaviors in middle childhood, when controlling for children's externalizing behaviors in the preschool years. The sample included 144 preschool-aged children (M = 46.89 months, SD = 8.77, 83 girls) and both of their parents. At Time 1, children completed independent separation-reunion procedures with each parent, which were coded using the Preschool Attachment Rating Scales. At Time 1 and Time 2 (5 years later), mothers and fathers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to report on their children's externalizing behaviors. Results showed no systematic differences in the way that child-mother and child-father attachment predicted the development of externalizing behaviors in boys and girls. Across all children, results identified an interaction of child-father and child-mother ambivalence, by which the presence of ambivalence toward both parents predicted the development of more externalizing behaviors. In addition, child-father controlling-caregiving attachment predicted the development of fewer externalizing behaviors. These results provide insight into the ways that insecure child-father and child-mother attachment predict later socioemotional adaptation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

SELEX against whole-cell bacteria resulted in lipopolysaccharide binding aptamers

Nucleic acid aptamers are target-specific oligonucleotides selected from combinatorial libraries through an iterative in vitro screening process known as Systemic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX). In this report, the selection of bacteria differentiating ssDNA aptamer candidates from a combinatorial library through the whole-cell SELEX method was performed. The enriched SELEX pool was sequenced using Illumina Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology and analyzed for the most abundant sequences using CLC Genomics Workbench. The sequencing data resulted in several oligonucleotide families from which three individual sequences were chosen per SELEX based on the copy numbers. The binding performance of the selected aptamers was assessed by flow cytometry and fluorescence spectroscopy, and the binding constants were estimated using binding saturation curves. Varying results were obtained from two independent SELEX procedures where the SELEX against the model gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli provided more selective sequences while the SELEX library used against gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes did not evolve as expected. The sequences that emerged from E. coli SELEX were shown to bind Lipopolysaccharide residues (LPS) and inhibit LPS-induced macrophage polarization. Thus, it can be said that, performed whole-cell SELEX could be resulted as the selection of aptamers which can bind LPS and inhibit LPS induced inflammation response and thus can be candidates for the inhibition of bacterial infections. In future studies, the selected aptamer sequences could be structurally and chemically modified and exploited as potential diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents as LPS antagonists.

Methods for Measuring and Identifying Sounds in the Intensive Care Unit.

BackgroundDespite many studies in the field examining excessive noise in the intensive care unit, this issue remains an ongoing problem. A limiting factor in the progress of the field is the inability to draw conclusions across studies due to the different and poorly reported approaches used. Therefore, the first goal is to present a method for the general measurement of sound pressure levels and sound sources, with precise details and reasoning, such that future studies can use these procedures as a guideline. The two procedures used in the general method will outline how to record sound pressure levels and sound sources, using sound level meters and observers, respectively. The second goal is to present the data collected using the applied method to show the feasibility of the general method and provide results for future reference.MethodsThe general method proposes the use of two different procedures for measuring sound pressure levels and sound sources in the intensive care unit. The applied method uses the general method to collect data recorded over 24-h, examining two beds in a four-bed room, via four sound level meters and four observers each working one at a time.ResultsThe interrater reliability of the different categories was found to have an estimate of >0.75 representing good and excellent estimates, for 19 and 16 of the 24 categories, for the two beds examined. The equivalent sound pressure levels (LAeq) for the day, evening, and night shift, as an average of the sound level meters in the patient room, were 54.12, 53.37, and 49.05 dBA. In the 24-h measurement period, talking and human generated sounds occurred for a total of 495 (39.29% of the time) and 470 min (37.30% of the time), at the two beds of interest, respectively.ConclusionA general method was described detailing two independent procedures for measuring sound pressure levels and sound sources in the ICU. In a continuous data recording over 24 h, the feasibility of the proposed general method was confirmed. Moreover, good and excellent interrater reliability was achieved in most categories, making them suitable for future studies.

Suppressing multi-material and streak artifacts with an accelerated 3D iterative image reconstruction algorithm for in-line X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography.

In-line X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography typically contains two independent procedures: phase retrieval and computed tomography reconstruction, in which multi-material and streak artifacts are two important problems. To address these problems simultaneously, an accelerated 3D iterative image reconstruction algorithm is proposed. It merges the above-mentioned two procedures into one step, and establishes the data fidelity term in raw projection domain while introducing 3D total variation regularization term in image domain. Specifically, a transport-of-intensity equation (TIE)-based phase retrieval method is updated alternately for different areas of the multi-material sample. Simulation and experimental results validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm.

Influence of Mediterranean climate and lunar calendar on milk production in Lacaune breed ewes

Environmental factors affect daily milk production in dairy animals. The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of environmental factors, specifically mean temperature (°C), relative humidity (%), temperature-humidity index (THI), solar radiation (°), pluvial precipitation (mm) and lunar calendar (full moon, waxing quarter, waning quarter, new moon), on milk production (kg/d). The analysis was based on 96,195 morning and evening milking records documented on 109 consecutive days, from 869 Lacaune ewes. Ewes were housed in groups of 174 individuals. The analysis was performed in two independent procedures, a Pearson correlation analysis and a multivariate analysis of the ewe's interrelationships, which was based on the total variance estimate and a Varimax-rotated factorial analysis. Milk yield (kg/d) was significantly (p < 0.05) negatively correlated with mean temperature (-0.24), relative humidity (-0.16), THI (-0.24), and radiation (-0.18), which suggests that the higher these environmental factors, the lower the milk yield. Lunar calendar had a significant (p < 0.01) effect on milk production yield; specifically, yields were higher on the full moon and new moon (2.25 ± 0.05kg/day) than they were on the crescent or waning moon (2.17 ± 0.05kg/day). In conclusion, ewes that had been exposed to higher mean temperature, relative humidity, THI and solar radiation had the lowest milk yield, and milk yields are highest on full and new moons. The results of this work may be helpful in making predictions for milk production in Lacaune ewes in the Mediterranean region throughout the year.

ATTRIBUTES OF EFFECTIVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS: INSIGHTS FROM UKRAINE

The paper set out to explore pre-and in-service foreign language teachers’ perceptions of attributes of effective teachers in Ukraine within a framework developed by the authors of the study to unravel the construct of effective language teaching. Two groups of pre-service (n=105) and in-service (n=127) teachers were recruited using a snowball sampling technique. The independent samples t-test and MANOVA statistical procedures were utilised to analyse and compare data generated from a self-report questionnaire. The findings indicated that the highest value was assigned to the performance category of teacher effectiveness, followed by the prerequisite category, including teacher competence, with the lowest value attached to the output category. A considerable degree of convergence was observed in students’ and teachers’ views on many attributes of teacher effectiveness. Both groups endorsed such attributes as clear teaching, target language proficiency, knowledge of language pedagogy, active engagement of learners, downplaying the importance of learners’ test scores. Nevertheless, a statistically significant difference was detected between the perceptions of the two groups of subjects. The students accentuated teachers’ personality and rapport domains, as well as motivating instruction. They also endorsed traditional approaches to language teaching in giving preference to form-focused instruction. Conversely, the teachers associated effective teaching with competence, careful planning and ongoing professional development. Teachers gave precedence to current methodological approaches in favouring meaning-focused instruction. A conclusion was drawn that teachers form more sophisticated cognitions of effective teaching in the process of professional maturation, thus implying the necessity for closer attention to the development of prospective teachers’ cognitions in teacher education programmes.

Incidence of Traumatic Delayed Intracranial Hemorrhage Among Patients Using Direct Oral Anticoagulants.

Emergency department visits due to head injury in the United States have increased significantly over the past decade, and parallel the increasing use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). We investigated the incidence of delayed intracranial hemorrhage (DICH) in patients with head injury who were taking DOACs. We conducted a single-center retrospective study at a level II trauma center. All patients with head injury and using DOACs with an initial negative head computed tomography (HCT) scan from March 1, 2014 to December 31, 2017 were included. DICH was identified as a positive finding on repeat HCT performed within 24 h. Each case of DICH underwent blinded review by two additional neuroradiologists. Demographic data were collected; independent t-tests were used to compare group means and linear regression for variable correlations. Two hundred and eighty-seven patients with mean age of 80 years (interquartile range 14 years) met inclusion criteria. Repeat HCT was performed in 224 study participants (78%). Five (1.7%) resulted in DICH, three of which might have been present on initial HCT, with an incidence rate ranging from 0.7% to 1.7%. Only two initial HCTs were read as negative by all three neuroradiologists; 60% disagreed on the initial read. Independent t-test procedures showed an association between DICH and higher Injury Severity Score (ISS). We found a DICH incidence rate of 0.7-1.7%. ISS was statistically significant between the two groups. It is possible that in patients with a subjective estimation of low injury severity, a low mechanism of injury and reasonable outpatient follow-up, patients can be discharged home with standard head injury precautions and no repeat HCT, but further prospective studies are needed.

A MPM framework for large-deformation seismic response analysis

Landslides are often triggered by earthquakes and can cause immense damage due to large mass movements. To model such large-deformation events, the material point method (MPM) has become increasingly popular in recent years. A limitation of existing MPM implementations is the lack of appropriate boundary conditions to perform seismic response analysis of slopes. In this article, an extension to the basic MPM framework is proposed for simulating the seismic triggering and subsequent collapse of slopes within a single analysis step. Original implementations of a compliant base boundary and free-field boundary conditions in the MPM framework are presented, enabling the application of input ground motions while accounting for the absorption of outgoing waves and the free-ground movement at the lateral boundaries. An example slope is analysed to illustrate the proposed procedure and to benchmark it against the results obtained using an independent simulation technique, based on a three-step finite element (FE) analysis. The comparison generally shows a good agreement of the results obtained from the two independent procedures and highlights advantages of the presented “all-in-one” MPM approach, in particular for long duration strong motions.

An Optimized Efficient Galerkin Averaging-Incremental Harmonic Balance Method for High-Dimensional Spatially Discretized Models of Continuous Systems Based on Parallel Computing

Abstract Modern computers are generally equipped with multicore central processing units (CPUs). There has been a great interest to introduce a parallelized harmonic balance method to make full use of computing resources and improve the efficiency in dealing with nonlinear dynamic analysis of high-dimensional spatially discretized models of continuous systems. In this work, an optimized efficient Galerkin averaging-incremental harmonic balance (EGA-IHB) method for solving high-dimensional spatially discretized models of continuous systems based on parallel computing is introduced. Independent sampling and EGA procedures are introduced to achieve generality. Optimized parallel implementation based on tensor contraction is introduced in time-domain series calculations and the quasi-Newton method is used in the iteration procedure, which greatly accelerates computational speeds of both serial and parallel implementations. Especially, the parallel implementation achieves high parallel efficiency when multiple CPU cores are used. Due to its high computational efficiency and good robustness, the proposed method has the potential to be used as a powerful universal solver and analyzer for general types of continuous systems.

Additivity of vaporization enthalpy: Group and molecular contributions exemplified by alkylaromatic compounds and their derivatives

Recently we proposed a system of methods for evaluation of the phase transition enthalpies of aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds, on the one hand, and aliphatic compounds, on the other. The present work is aimed at the prediction of the vaporization enthalpies of alkylaromatic compounds and their derivatives. According to the proposed approach, the vaporization enthalpy of an aliphatic compound carrying aromatic substituents can be derived from the vaporization enthalpy of an aliphatic compound, serving as a backbone, and a contribution of an aromatic fragment, which is also derived from the vaporization enthalpy of a pure aromatic compound. The additivity of the vaporization enthalpies of the fragments may fail if their combination is followed by the changes in (1) polarizability due to π-conjugation and (2) intermolecular hydrogen bonding strength. Independent procedures for accounting for both factors were proposed. The vaporization enthalpies of 174 compounds at 298.15 K were calculated and compared with the literature values. The average deviation and root-mean-square deviation were –0.2 and 1.5 kJ·mol−1, respectively, being competitive with the accuracy of experimental techniques.

Parallel evaluation of cell‑based phage display panning strategies: Optimized selection and depletion steps result in AML blast‑binding consensus antibodies.

Phage display technology (PD) is a powerful technique for the generation of tumor-targeting antibodies. However, there are a number of different selection methods established in different laboratories around the world. Cell-based PD panning methods using primary tumor cells are particularly heterogeneous between laboratories, which can lead to inconsistent results. Therefore, the present study evaluated different cell-based PD selection methods regarding their potential to generate acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blast-binding antibodies. In addition to this evaluation, the present study improved the PD procedure by optimizing selection as well as depletion strategies. To the best of our knowledge, the current study demonstrated for the first time that antigen diversity during the depletion step is of importance for the enrichment of tumor-targeting phage antibodies. It is demonstrated that medium levels of depletion antigen diversity led to the most promising antibody candidates. In addition, it was determined that purification of blast cells from patients with AML by immunomagnetic separation ameliorated the selection of AML-binding phages during panning. Furthermore, suggesting a common design-related mechanism using a ‘single-pot’ PD library, such as the well-known Tomlinson single-chain fragment variable (scFv) library, the present study identified specific binding consensus phage particles in independent panning procedures. By means of these optimized strategies, four promising AML blast-binding phage particles were isolated and soluble scFv-Fc (scFv cloned to a fragment crystallizable of an IgG2a mouse antibody) fusion proteins were produced. These scFv-Fc antibodies bound the surface of AML blasts and were successfully internalized into their cytoplasm, indicating that they are potential immunoconjugate candidates for AML immunotherapy.