cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carbon Catabolite Repression and Impranil Polyurethane Degradation in Pseudomonas protegens Strain Pf-5

ABSTRACT Polyester polyurethane (PU) coatings are widely used to help protect underlying structural surfaces but are susceptible to biological degradation. PUs are susceptible to degradation by Pseudomonas species, due in part to the degradative activity of secreted hydrolytic enzymes. Microorganisms often respond to environmental cues by secreting enzymes or secondary metabolites to benefit their survival. This study investigated the impact of exposing several Pseudomonas strains to select carbon sources on the degradation of the colloidal polyester polyurethane Impranil DLN (Impranil). The prototypic Pseudomonas protegens strain Pf-5 exhibited Impranil-degrading activities when grown in sodium citrate but not in glucose-containing medium. Glucose also inhibited the induction of Impranil-degrading activity by citrate-fed Pf-5 in a dose-dependent manner. Biochemical and mutational analyses identified two extracellular lipases present in the Pf-5 culture supernatant (PueA and PueB) that were involved in degradation of Impranil. Deletion of the pueA gene reduced Impranil-clearing activities, while pueB deletion exhibited little effect. Removal of both genes was necessary to stop degradation of the polyurethane. Bioinformatic analysis showed that putative Cbr/Hfq/Crc-mediated regulatory elements were present in the intergenic sequences upstream of both pueA and pueB genes. Our results confirmed that both PueA and PueB extracellular enzymes act in concert to degrade Impranil. Furthermore, our data showed that carbon sources in the growth medium directly affected the levels of Impranil-degrading activity but that carbon source effects varied among Pseudomonas strains. This study uncovered an intricate and complicated regulation of P. protegens PU degradation activity controlled by carbon catabolite repression. IMPORTANCE Polyurethane (PU) coatings are commonly used to protect metals from corrosion. Microbiologically induced PU degradation might pose a substantial problem for the integrity of these coatings. Microorganisms from diverse genera, including pseudomonads, possess the ability to degrade PUs via various means. This work identified two extracellular lipases, PueA and PueB, secreted by P. protegens strain Pf-5, to be responsible for the degradation of a colloidal polyester PU, Impranil. This study also revealed that the expression of the degradative activity by strain Pf-5 is controlled by glucose carbon catabolite repression. Furthermore, this study showed that the Impranil-degrading activity of many other Pseudomonas strains could be influenced by different carbon sources. This work shed light on the carbon source regulation of PU degradation activity among pseudomonads and identified the polyurethane lipases in P. protegens.
Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility in the Community: Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Coronary Artery Calcification, and Cardiovascular Events.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved lung cancer screening with computed tomography (CT); smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).1 Data are needed regarding the cardiovascular risk of patients who are eligible for lung cancer screening, including implications of coronary artery calcification (CAC) visible on lung cancer screening CT. In a longitudinal primary prevention cohort study, we determined lung cancer screening eligibility in the community and its association with statin eligibility, CAC, and incident ASCVD events. A total of 3000 asymptomatic FHS (Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort) participants aged 55 to 77 years and free of prevalent cardiovascular disease or lung cancer were divided based on eligibility for lung cancer screening CT by CMS criteria: (1) aged 55 to 77 years (all by definition), (2) current or recent (≤15 years) former smoker, and (3) ≥30 pack-year cigarette smoking history.1 Participants were enrolled at enrolled at examinations 3 (1984-1987) and 7 (1998-2001) and followed for the primary outcome of incident ASCVD (myocardial infarction, death due to coronary heart disease, or ischemic stroke) and the secondary outcome of lung cancer. Participants were contacted annually with suspected ASCVD or lung cancer events adjudicated by a panel of 3 physicians based on review of medical records, histopathology reports, and death certificates. A subgroup of 980 from examination 7 had electrocardiography-gated calcium score multidetector CT. The institutional review boards of Boston University Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital approved the study. …
Eudaimonic Design, or: Six Invitations to Rethink Gamification

This article presents six critiques of the currently dominant rendition of gamification, and six invitations to rethink it. It suggests expanding the remit of gamification (1) from the structuring of objects to the framing of contexts, and (2) from game design elements to motivational affordances. In its current form, gamification presents an additive, atomistic and deterministic conception of experience design. Truly learning from game design means to adopt a (3) relational account of experience, and (4) an emergent-systemic method of experience design. The paper suggests to move (5) from avoiding harm and coercion to facilitating the good life, and (6) from the instrumental perfection of existing orders to their critical transformation. In summary, in presents a rethought, positive vision of gamification as a critical, transformative, socio-technical systems design practice for motivational affordances in the service of human flourishing: eudaimonic design.
Inducing Heat Shock Proteins Enhances the Stemness of Frozen-Thawed Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells.

Extensive research has been performed to determine the effect of freezing protocol and cryopreservation agents on the viability of adipose tissue-derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs) as well as other cells. Unfortunately, the conclusion one may draw after decades of research utilizing fundamentally similar cryopreservation techniques is that a barrier exists, which precludes full recovery. We hypothesize that agents capable of inducing a subset of heat shock proteins (HSPs) and chaperones will reduce the intrinsic barriers to the post-thaw recovery of ASCs. ASCs were exposed to 43°C for 1 h to upregulate HSPs, and the temporal HSP expression profile postheat shock was determined by performing quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blotting assays. The expression levels of HSP70 and HSP32 were found to be maximum at 3 h after the heat shock, whereas HSP90 and HSP27 remain unchanged. The heat shocked ASCs cryopreserved during maximal HSPs expression exhibited increased post-thaw viability tha...
COMPARISON OF RETINAL PATHOLOGY VISUALIZATION IN MULTISPECTRAL SCANNING LASER IMAGING.

PURPOSE To compare retinal pathology visualization in multispectral scanning laser ophthalmoscope imaging between the Spectralis and Optos devices. METHODS This retrospective cross-sectional study included 42 eyes from 30 patients with age-related macular degeneration (19 eyes), diabetic retinopathy (10 eyes), and epiretinal membrane (13 eyes). All patients underwent retinal imaging with a color fundus camera (broad-spectrum white light), the Spectralis HRA-2 system (3-color monochromatic lasers), and the Optos P200 system (2-color monochromatic lasers). The Optos image was cropped to a similar size as the Spectralis image. Seven masked graders marked retinal pathologies in each image within a 5 × 5 grid that included the macula. RESULTS The average area with detected retinal pathology in all eyes was larger in the Spectralis images compared with Optos images (32.4% larger, P < 0.0001), mainly because of better visualization of epiretinal membrane and retinal hemorrhage. The average detection rate of age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy pathologies was similar across the three modalities, whereas epiretinal membrane detection rate was significantly higher in the Spectralis images. CONCLUSION Spectralis tricolor multispectral scanning laser ophthalmoscope imaging had higher rate of pathology detection primarily because of better epiretinal membrane and retinal hemorrhage visualization compared with Optos bicolor multispectral scanning laser ophthalmoscope imaging.
Abstract 408: Evidence of DLL4, NNAT, and SLC35C2 in suppression of breast cancer initiation, growth, and metastasis

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women, resulting in 40,000 deaths annually. In most cases, a single cause of breast cancer cannot be found, but rather multiple environmental and genetic factors contribute to overall disease susceptibility. This, combined with complex gene interaction in both malignant tumor cells and nonmalignant tumor microenvironment (TME) cells, poses significant challenges in sifting through the many variants that contribute to the ~31% of breast cancer risk that is heritable. Here, we narrowed the regions associated with breast cancer risk on rat chromosome 3 (RNO3) by introgressing portions of RNO3 derived from the BN rat (protective strain) onto the genomic background of the SS rat (susceptible strain). These SS.BN3 congenics were then phenotyped for DMBA-induced mammary tumor incidence, latency, and multiplicity, which revealed two loci in close proximity that contribute to mammary tumor risk: chr3:95-130Mb (QTL1) and chr3: 154-177Mb (QTL2). By comparing these data with a previous study (Flister et al. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2017 Aug;165(1):53-64.), we concluded that QTL1 is dependent on the host TME, whereas QTL2 directly modifies breast tumorigenesis and cancer cell proliferation. By combining the congenic mapping studies with genomic and transcriptomic sequencing, and functional analysis, we have now localized the top three candidate modifiers on RNO3: DLL4 (QTL1; TME modifier), NNAT (QTL2; cancer cell modifier), and SLC35C2 (QTL2; cancer cell modifier). Collectively, these data demonstrate the effects of several novel breast cancer modifiers, as well as highlight the potential interactions between modifiers of the malignant cancer cells and the nonmalignant host TME. Citation Format: Cody Plasterer, Angela Lemke, Dana Murphy, Carmen Bergom, Amit Joshi, Hallgeir Rui, Michael J. Flister. Evidence of DLL4, NNAT, and SLC35C2 in suppression of breast cancer initiation, growth, and metastasis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 408.
Prevention of High-Risk Behaviors: Adolescent Substance Use, Adolescent Psychoactive Substance Use Disorders, and Suicide

Efforts to prevent use and abuse of psychoactive substances by children and adolescents focus on interventions designed to reduce substance supply and demand. According to a report by the Board of Trustees of the AMA (1991), law enforcement and health authorities curtail the supply aspects by closing gaps in the drug control system, eradicating illicit drugs at the point of production, achieving balance between the demand for and supply of drugs manufactured for medical use and the control of diversion of such drugs to the illicit market, and obstructing or intercepting the trafficking in illicit drugs. According to the same report, reducing the demand involves deferring or precluding initiation of use by nonusers, reducing all use of illicit drugs and inappropriate use of licit drugs, and engaging in programs of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Lumbar Facet Joint Kinematics and Load Effects During Dynamic Lifting.

Objective:To examine the lumbar facet joint kinematics in vivo during dynamic lifting and the effects of the load lifted.Background:Although extensive efforts have been dedicated to investigating t...
Preferential vaporization impacts on lean blow-out of liquid fueled combustors

Abstract Recent experimental works have shown that the global equivalence ratio defining lean blow-out (LBO) in model gas turbine combustors correlates with the derived cetane number (DCN) of the tested fuel, which represents the chemical reactivity potential of the fuel, but additional physical and kinetic parameters of the fuel also have influence. The current work explores the significance of preferential vaporization impacts on LBO behaviors; i.e., rather than parameterizing the fuel by overall averaged fuel properties, it looks at DCN correlations based upon distillation properties prior to full vaporization. Preferential vaporization potentials of six fuels are evaluated by measuring the DCN values of five distillation cuts (each of 20% liquid distillation volume recovered). In spite of relatively large disparities in total fuel DCN values (∼9.1), two petroleum-derived jet fuels are found to have nearly the same LBO equivalence ratios, which is attributed to the relatively indiscernible difference of DCN values (∼2) for the initial 20% distillation cut of each fuel. Trade-off impacts between fuel chemical and physical properties are demonstrated by comparing n-dodecane and Gevo-ATJ, which do not have preferential vaporization potential. LBO results suggest that fuel physical properties (particularly fuel boiling characteristics) predominantly control LBO behaviors at low air inlet temperature conditions, whereas fuel chemical properties appear to gain significance with increasing air inlet temperature. Further evidence of preferential vaporization effects on LBO is discussed with two surrogate mixtures formulated to emulate the fully pre-vaporized combustion behaviors of Jet-A, but having drastically different preferential vaporization potentials. Finally, the relationship between DCNs and LBO equivalence ratios is re-examined using the DCN values of initial 20% distillation cuts of all six fuels. The results display a significantly improved correlation, suggesting that the relevance of preferential vaporization on LBO can be significant for fuels that exhibit significant departure of the DCN for high volatile fractions (i.e., the initially vaporized constituents) in comparison to the overall fuel DCN.
How do I audit intraoperative blood component utilization in cardiac surgery

BACKGROUND Patient blood management programs are tasked with auditing transfusions for appropriateness; however, cardiac surgical programs have high variability in blood utilization. After benchmarking intraoperative blood utilization as higher than expected, we devised effective methods for audits with feedback to the cardiac anesthesiologists that are described in this report. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Red blood cell (RBC), plasma, platelet (PLT), and cryoprecipitate transfusion data were collected from the electronic record system for 2242 patients having cardiac surgery from July 2016 until July 2018. In July 2017, we performed audits with feedback using rank-order bar graphs displayed on the anesthesiology office door for intraoperative blood utilization. Individual providers were compared to their peers for all four major blood components, with the goal of improving practice by reducing variability. RESULTS After the audits with feedback, the intraoperative mean units/patient decreased for RBCs (from 1.9 to 1.2 units/patient; p = 0.0004), for plasma (from 1.8 to 1.2 units/patient; p = 0.0038), and for PLTs (from 0.7 to 0.4 units/patient; p < 0.0001), but not for cryoprecipitate (from 0.24 to 0.18 units/patient; p = 0.13). Whole hospital (from admit to discharge) utilization decreased significantly for plasma and PLTs, but the changes for RBCs and cryoprecipitate were nonsignificant. CONCLUSION Despite challenges in abstracting data from the electronic medical record, using such data to create provider-specific audits with feedback can be an effective tool to promote quality improvement. Future plans include audits with feedback for providers who order transfusion outside the operating room.
Culture Design Paths, Convergence, and Roles of the Public and Private Sectors

In this chapter, I briefly discuss culture design paths, convergence, and roles of different entities in the public and private sectors. In general, government, non-profit organizations and for-profit organizations can play two roles. The first is to encourage members at all organizing levels to develop their own culture specifications. This is a facilitator role and is passive in terms of which elements specifications will include.
Searching for underlying social determinants of health for thirty-day hospital readmissions

Objective: An evaluation of social factors associated with 30-day readmission was undertaken at our institution to determine which factors would be significantly associated with time to hospital readmission. Methods: Prospective observational study at an academic tertiary care hospital in the mid-Atlantic region of patients who were readmitted within 30 days of their last inpatient discharge. The electronic health record in conjunction with the regional hospital information system was used to generate a daily report to identify a convenience sample of readmitted patients. Using a standardized interview, data on 117 patients were collected for an exploratory analysis of social factors associated with readmission. Results: Regression modeling demonstrated poor correlation with prediction of time to readmission ( R -squared = 0.2189). No individual social variables were found to be significant for influencing time to readmission (all p -values > .05). Common social factors were seen within the population affecting their utilization and access of healthcare. Poly-pharmacy was found in the majority of patients. Self-reported medication adherence was good, except with regards to mental health medication compliance. 97% of patients reported filling their prescriptions. 36% of the patients went to their follow-up appointment within 7 days although the vast majority of patients (92%) reported having a primary care doctor. 23% of patients expressed difficulty getting to their follow up appointments. Conclusions: At one single-center tertiary care hospital, there were some common underlying social determinants of health that may be related to readmission; however, no factors in isolation were predictive of hospital readmission. While there are common themes among readmitted populations, particularly in regard to factors driven by poverty, it is likely that the complex interaction of social factors with health continues to limit attempted administrative modeling of these data.
Tuning the magneto-elastic transition of (Mn,Fe,V)2(P,Si) alloys to low magnetic field applications

The first-order magneto-elastic transition in the Mn–Fe–P–Si alloys can be tailored by vanadium substitution. Alloys with a suitable V substitution provide an excellent magnetocaloric effect with minor hysteresis in low magnetic fields up to 1.2 T. Mossbauer measurements show that the hyperfine field is reduced by V substitution. Neutron diffraction reveals that Fe is substituted by V on the 3f site and the magnetic moment on the 3f site is enhanced by the V substitution. The modified magnetic exchange field around the 3f and 3g positions in the lattice can be utilized to design suitable magnetocaloric materials that operate in low magnetic fields.
Conclusions Part I: Responding to Frameworks and Methodologies that Attend to Gender in Physics Education: Practical Implications for Higher Education

In their chapter, Diane Crenshaw Jammula and Felicia Moore Mensah (Chap. 5) demonstrate that physics students’ subjectivities are dynamic and gendered, but not essential characteristics of their sex. Further, they argue that “physics teacher educators are tasked to broaden the ways that physics teachers think about physics and their students’ multiple subjectivities”. In her chapter, Angela Johnson (Chap. 4) describes a physics department in which the women students of color feel supported. In that department, “male physics faculty members take gender issues seriously, rather than leaving equity issues to their female colleagues”. Accordingly, as a physics teacher educator and a male physics faculty member, I open my discussion by describing some of my own subjectivities, professional practices, and conceptions of physics. In doing so, I aim to provide context for, and thus facilitate criticisms of, my interpretations of the ideas in this book.
Seasonal variation in light penetration and subsurface chlorophyll-α in southern Lake Michigan observed by a glider

Abstract The Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) in collaboration with the Great Lakes Observing System and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (NOAA GLERL) deployed an autonomous underwater glider in southern Lake Michigan several times per year between 2012 and 2019 to collect offshore (>30 m depth) limnological measurements, including temperature, photosynthetically active radiation (beginning during 2015), and chlorophyll-α fluorescence. From these data, we calculated mixed layer depth, several measures of light penetration (diffuse attenuation coefficient, first optical depth, euphotic zone depth), and depth of the subsurface chlorophyll-α maxima. During summer, mean offshore mixed layer depth was typically 10–15 m, Kd for PAR was 0.1–0.17 m−1, first optical depth was 6–9 m, euphotic zone depth was 35–40 m, and depth of subsurface chlorophyll-α maxima was 30–35 m. We also observed substantial spatial and temporal variation in these values across the basin and within and among seasons. Glider-based observations provide a wider horizontal and vertical perspective than other methods (e.g., ship- and satellite-based observations, buoys, and fixed moorings), and are therefore a valuable, complementary tool for Great Lakes limnology. The set of observations reported here provide seasonal and basin-scale information that may help to identify anomalies useful for future glider-assisted investigation into the role of biophysical processes in Great Lakes limnology and ecology.
Alternative Measures of Homeownership Gaps Across Segregated Neighborhoods

The dramatic rise in the U.S. home ownership rate from 64% in 1996 to almost 70% in 2005 has prompted increased attention to the relation between home ownership and demographic characteristics of households. The recent rise and sharp decline of subprime lending will likely spur further interest in home ownership gaps. Statistical analysis of these differences or “gaps” in home ownership between white and minority households has evolved into a highly stylized comparison of differences in home ownership at the mean or the conditional mean. This study implements a quantile decomposition technique that identifies the unexplained portion of the gap not only at the mean, but at every percentile of the home ownership distribution. Results suggest that differences in home ownership gaps at the mean reflect a combination of small differences at the upper end and much larger gaps at the lowest end of the distribution of homeowners. This study also adds credit history to the factors that are used to explain home ownership gaps.
Novel Homologs of Isopentenyl Phosphate Kinase Reveal Class-Wide Substrate Flexibility

The widespread utility of isoprenoids has recently sparked interest in efficient synthesis of isoprene-diphosphate precursors. Current efforts have focused on evaluating two-step "isoprenol pathways," which phosphorylate prenyl alcohols using promiscuous kinases/phosphatases. The convergence on isopentenyl phosphate kinases (IPKs) in these schemes has prompted further speculation about the class's utility in synthesizing non-natural isoprenoids. However, the substrate promiscuity of IPKs in general has been largely unexplored. Towards this goal, we report the biochemical characterization of five novel IPKs from Archaea and the assessment of their substrate specificity using 58 alkyl-monophosphates. This study reveals the IPK-catalyzed synthesis of 38 alkyl-diphosphate analogs and discloses broad substrate specificity of IPKs. Further, to demonstrate the biocatalytic utility of IPK-generated alkyl-diphosphates, we also highlight the synthesis of alkyl-l-tryptophan derivatives using coupled IPK-prenyltransferase reactions. These results reveal IPK-catalyzed reactions are compatible with downstream isoprenoid enzymes and further support their development as biocatalytic tools for the synthesis of non-natural isoprenoids.
Enabling stable sodium metal cycling by sodiophilic interphase in a polymer electrolyte system

Abstract Enabling highly reversible sodium (Na) metal anodes in a polymer electrolyte (PE) system is critical for realizing next-generation batteries with lower cost, higher energy, and improved safety. However, the uneven Na deposition and high Na/PE interphase resistance lead to poor reversibility and short cycle life of Na metal anodes. To tackle these problems, here a variety of metal nanoparticles (M-np, M = Al, Sn, In or Au) are deposited onto copper (Cu) foils to synthesize binder-free M-np@Cu substrates for Na plating/stripping. Notably, the Au-np@Cu substrate provides abundant preferential nucleation/growth sites, decreasing Na nucleation barrier and thus promoting uniform Na deposition. Accordingly, stable Na metal anodes are achieved with high reversible capacities, long cycle life, and high usage of Na. With the Au-np@Cu/Na anode and PE, the full cell using a commercial bulk sulfur cathode exhibits a reversible capacity of >400 mAh g−1 with near-100% Coulombic efficiency over 200 cycles.
Qualitative patient experiences from the Self-Blame and Perspective-Taking Intervention for eating disorders.

Problems in social cognition and social support contribute to eating disorders (ED). Group therapy provides an ideal format to create an experiential learning environment focused on understanding social interactions. This pilot study examined the qualitative content of the participants’ experiences in the Self-Blame and Perspective-Taking Intervention (SBPI) for ED. The SBPI was a 4-week group therapy intervention involving art therapy and psychoeducation that focused on social behaviors in ED patients. Participants received surveys immediately after the intervention and at 1 to 4 weeks after the post-intervention. Thematic analyses of qualitative feedback were performed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis framework. Inductive analyses revealed three main themes: (1) Developing self-acceptance through emotional reflection, (2) Changing expectations with neurosocial knowledge, and (3) Bonding and vulnerability in social interactions; all concepts intentionally targeted by the SBPI. Participants varied in their support of a guideline to exclude personal discussion of ED-related cognitions and behaviors in the group. As a whole, patients valued the combination of psychosocial education with group experientials focused on social behavior. Positive feedback from the SBPI suggests that adjunctive treatments that target mental-wellness constructs indirectly related to ED pathology may be helpful by allowing patients to see themselves as separable from the illness. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0487758. Registered 7 May 2021—Retrospectively registered. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04877158 . Adult patients with eating disorders frequently report challenges in developing and maintaining supportive social relationships. A group therapy intervention utilizing structured art tasks in conjunction with psychoeducation about interpersonal relationships was piloted in twenty-four women with eating disorders. Participants provided written feedback about their experiences in the intervention. These responses were coded by three raters to identify consistent themes related to those experiences. Participants reported benefits related to self-acceptance and emotional regulation, valued learning about their brain and behaviors, and appreciated peer interactions in this setting. In sum, this adjunctive and structured outpatient group targeting social interactions was acceptable to outpatients with eating disorders.
Experimental metaphysics: The scanpath as an epistemological mechanism

Abstract Experimental metaphysics involves two experimental approaches, one to the philosophical fundamentals of epistemology, the theory of knowledge, and the other to ontology, the theory of reality. Our contribution to epistemology centers on the scanpath theory of vision: that internal cognitive models control active looking eye movements, perception, and active vision in a top-down fashion. Quantitative evidence about experimentally recorded scanpaths has recently been obtained in the form of string editing distances which measure the similarities and differences between scanpaths made by different human observers as they view a variety of pictures. A decisive new experiment documented that scanpaths during visual imagery tasks and those scanpaths formed while looking at actual pictures were the same. The subject's tasks during the imagery period was to imagine the previously viewed picture. Our contribution to ontology stems from the new field, popularly known as “virtual reality”. This “hype” name describes virtual environments formed by computer generated dynamic pictures projected on video screens and worn as head-mounted displays. Interaction, immersion, and interest provide routes to a sense of “telepresence,” the compelling feeling that the human subject is acting and behaving in this distant artificial environment. This raises the ontological question, “Why does one feel present in the pupil of one's own dominant eye, here and now, in the so-called ‘native reality’?” The answer is that normal vision, like virtual reality, is formed by illusions — of completeness and clarity, of space constancy, of continuity in time, of instantaneous action, of vivacity — and these illusions create our sense of presence.
Digital performance of high-speed MSM-HEMT monolithically integrated photoreceivers

In this work, we report the first multigigabit digital performance of a monolithic MSM-HEMT photoreceiver lattice matched to an InP substrate, with measured sensitivities at 5 Gb/s, 8 Gb/s, and 10 Gb/s of -16.9 dBm, -13.1 dBm, and -10.7 dBm, respectively for 1.55 /spl mu/m light. The integration of MSM-PD and HEMT is done via a vertical integration scheme in which the HEMT and MSM layers are grown sequentially on a planar substrate in a single uninterrupted growth. The integration process features 0.2 /spl mu/m gate length HEMTs, 0.5 /spl mu/m MSM electrodes, Cr thin-film resistors, and SiN/sub x/ metal-insulator-metal capacitors, passivation, and photodetector antireflection coatings. The receiver circuit uses a low-noise three-stage transimpedance amplifier topology, with broadband output matching to 50 /spl Omega/. Two different amplifier designs were fabricated, resulting in systems with transimpedances ranging from 865 to 580 /spl Omega/ and bandwidths from 7.2 to 12.4 GHz. In all cases, the frequency response is flat over the receiver bandwidth, with no evidence of peaking or ringing. Receiver output noise power spectral density measurements have also been performed, and the input-referred noise current determined for each receiver. The low-noise amplifier design results in input noise current densities of approximately 6.5 pA/Hz/sup 1/2/ for a transimpedance of 865 /spl Omega/ and bandwidth of 7.2 GHz, and 8 pA/Hz/sup 1/2/ for a transimpedance of 580 /spl Omega/ and bandwidth of 12.4 GHz.
Systemic and pulmonary hemodynamic effects of saralasin infusion in hypertension: Predictability of plasma renin status from hemodynamic changes

Hemodynamic measurements were obtained before and after 30 minutes of saralasin infusion in 26 fasting adults with hypertension (25 men and 1 woman). Nine showed a depressor response with a decrease in mean intaarterial pressure greater than 20 mm Hg. Ten were nonresponders and seven had an agonistic response with an increase in mean arterial pressure of greater than 10 mm Hg. Heart rate, pulmonary arterial and wedge pressures and pulmonary vascular resistance were nearly identical in the three groups and remained unchanged. Cardiac index decreased from a mean of 2.76 +/- 0.14 (standard error of the mean) to 2.48 +/- 0.1 liters/min per m2 in the nonresponders (P less than 0.02) but remained unchanged in the groups with a depressor or an agonistic response. The mean systemic vascular resistance decreased from 2,406 +/- 303 to 1,839 +/- 265 dynes sec/cm5 in the group with a depressor response (P less than 0.001) and increased in nonresponders (less than 0.02) and those with an agonistic response (P less than 0.01). However, regardless of the response of mean arterial pressure, systemic vascular resistance decreased only in the 10 patients with a plasma renin activity greater than 5 ng/ml per hour (8 from the depressor response group and 1 each from the nonresponse and agonistic response groups). It is concluded that (1) classification based soley on the response of aterial pressure to saralasin ignores important hemodynamic changes; (2) the response of cardiac index--no change in the patients with a depressor response and a reduction in nonresponders--suggests that endogenous angiotension II supports cardiac output in these groups; (3) a decrease in systemic vascular resistance is better than a decrease in mean arteiral pressure as a predictor of the status of the plasma renin activity; and (4) lack of change in pulmonary vascular resistance suggests that endogenous angiotension II plays an insignificant role in maintaining the resistance of the pulmonary vasculature.
Using ZINC to Acquire a Virtual Screening Library

The ZINC database of commercially available compounds contains biologically relevant representations of purchasable compounds in ready-to-screen formats. ZINC uses catalogs from over 50 compound vendors, changing from time to time to reflect newly available compounds and depleted stock. ZINC is available in subsets that reflect current opinion in the field such as "fragment-like" and "lead-like," and has a facility to create additional small ad hoc subsets. ZINC has a search facility, as well as a service to process molecules that are not in ZINC by uploading them to a server.
The dynamic and stochastic knapsack Problem with homogeneous‐sized items and postponement options

This article generalizes the dynamic and stochastic knapsack problem by allowing the decision-maker to postpone the accept/reject decision for an item and maintain a queue of waiting items to be considered later. Postponed decisions are penalized with delay costs, while idle capacity incurs a holding cost. This generalization addresses applications where requests of scarce resources can be delayed, for example, dispatching in logistics and allocation of funding to investments. We model the problem as a Markov decision process and analyze it through dynamic programming. We show that the optimal policy with homogeneous-sized items possesses a bithreshold structure, despite the high dimensionality of the decision space. Finally, the value (or price) of postponement is illustrated through numerical examples. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 62: 267–292, 2015
China, Africa and the Global Aid Architecture

This paper analyzes China’s growing foreign aid and export credit program as an element of the changing international aid architecture. The international aid architecture is defined as the institutions, norms, and practices that govern the transfer of concessional resources for development. It comprises four major areas: (1) Institutions and actors; (2) Volumes and composition; (4) Instruments and modalities; and (4) Rules and standards. The section on rules and standards includes five areas: transparency; tied aid and export credits; environmental and social protections; corruption and governance; and the management of debt. China’s approach to aid and export credits is outlined, with a focus on four distinct instruments: concessional loans; preferential export buyer’s credits; mixed credits; and natural resource-backed lines of credit. It is compared with the norms and practices of the current aid architecture. Three areas were selected for greater investigation: tied aid and export credits; debt management; and conditionality relating to environmental, social, and governance standards. A final section notes areas where the Chinese have cooperated with other donors, and areas where African countries might seek to strengthen their capacity to engage fruitfully with this important rising partner.
Bortezomib administration with severe hyperbilirubinemia caused by hepatic plasma cell infiltration: a case report.

Introduction Bortezomib, a first-in-class selective and reversible 26S proteasome inhibitor, has been available for use in patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma since US Food and Drug Administration approval in May 2003. The clinical pharmacology and metabolic fate of bortezomib after administration has been well described, with hepatic clearance by oxidative deboronation by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 and CYP2C19 pathways accounting for the majority of elimination. Bortezomib and its major inactive metabolites do not significantly inhibit hepatic CYP pathways but are subject to increased exposure with concurrent strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. Bortezomib clearance decreases with repeated dosing, leading to increasing exposure over multiple cycles. Additionally, cases of bortezomib-induced hepatic dysfunction have
High affinity binding of an enkephalin analog in the cerebral ganglion of the insectLeucophaea maderae (Blattaria)

Summary Specific high affinity binding sites for a synthetic enkephalin analog, DALA ( d -Ala2-Met-enkephalinamide) were demonstrated in the cerebral ganglia of adults and nymphs of the insectLeucophaea. In both sexes binding was monophasic and saturable with respect to the concentration of the radioligand used. The same amount of brain tissue from adult females had 30% more binding sites for DALA than that from adult males. By contrast, no sex-related difference in binding-site density per mg protein was observed in the brains from immature (nymphal) specimens. The results strongly suggest the presence, in this invertebrate, of opiate receptors that appear to be confined to certain areas of the nervous tissue.
Weakly almost periodic flows

La notion de semi-groupe enveloppant d'un flot est appliquee a certaines situations de theorie ergodique. On etudie des fonctions faiblement presque periodiques sur des groupes et on demontre le theoreme ergodique de Moore
Doppler Sonar and Surface Waves: Range and Resolution

Abstract The performance limitations of an acoustic Doppler sonar system are explored and compared with anticipated requirements for the measurement of surface wave directional/frequency spectra. To obtain measurements to a range D requires a delay Δt between pings long enough for sound to propagate out to D and back: Δt(c/2) ≥ D. This defines a Nyquist frequency, ωN (radiances s−1). Linear dispersion relates this to a “matched wavenumber,” kN = ωN2/ g. Waves travelling obliquely and harmonics of longer waves appearing at ωN all have smaller wavenumbers, k ≤ kN; thus, kN; defines a maximum wavenumber requirement, or (equivalently) a matched range resolution, ΔR. From idealized surface wave spectra, the velocity resolution ΔV required to measure spectra out to (ωN, kN) can be estimated. For a given sonar “tone,” the error-product E = ΔRΔV is a constant, so velocity resolution and range resolution must be traded off. The error product decreases with increasing acoustic frequency f0 and number of tones. High...
Fourier optical synthesis of Zernike’s three-slit interferometer*

The three equidistant slits of Zernike’s phase delay interferometer were replaced by the central three diffraction orders in the optical transform of a grid. With the proper choice of grid aspect ratio, the method could be used to measure small phase delays in the presence of large attenuations.
Fabrication and Properties of Granular Fe-Ni Alloys

Granular alloys of the form (Fe 50 Ni 50 ) x (Al 2 O 3 ) 1−x , where x is the volume percent, have been produced by sputtering from a single composite target. The microstructure has been verified by X-ray diffraction and by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The grains are single phase FeNi alloys with the fcc structure and range in size from 15 A to 50 A. Superparamagnetism has been observed, and the coercivity has been found to decrease with increasing grain size. The results are compared to previous work on granular Fe x (SiO 2 ) 1−x .
Errors in 11B quadrupole coupling parameters for three-coordinated boron☆

Abstract Most 11B NMR measurements in borates have been made in polycrystalline materials. In early studies, the resulting powder spectra were analyzed under the assumption of an axially symmetric electric field gradient at the boron site. This assumption, combined with neglect of effects due to dipole broadening, has led to errors in many of the reported values of the quadrupole coupling parameters for 11B in borates. An analysis of these errors is carried out using the results of a recent computer study of NMR lineshapes.
Can the World-Wide Web Bridge the Semantic Gap?

The World-Wide Web provides tremendous resources in Multimedia Data, Ubiquitous Interconnection, and Storage/Computing Power. In this short note, we raise but not answer the question: Can the WWW help bridge the Semantic Gap in Computer Vision? Even if the answer turns out to be NO, we hope that by exploring these resources, we may gain a deeper understanding of the Semantic Gap challenge.
Ventilation and Speech Characteristics During Submaximal Aerobic Exercise

Purpose This study examined alterations in ventilation and speech characteristics as well as perceived dyspnea during submaximal aerobic exercise tasks. Method Twelve healthy participants completed aerobic exercise-only and simultaneous speaking and aerobic exercise tasks at 50% and 75% of their maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max). Measures of ventilation, oxygen consumption, heart rate, perceived dyspnea, syllables per phrase, articulation rate, and inappropriate linguistic pause placements were obtained at baseline and throughout the experimental tasks. Results Ventilation was significantly lower during the speaking tasks compared with the nonspeaking tasks. Oxygen consumption, however, did not significantly differ between speaking and nonspeaking tasks. The perception of dyspnea was significantly higher during the speaking tasks compared with the nonspeaking tasks. All speech parameters were significantly altered over time at both task intensities. Conclusions It is speculated that decreased ventilati...
Near-field radiative heat transfer with doped-silicon nanostructured metamaterials

Abstract The objective of this work is to evaluate different practically achievable doped-silicon (D-Si) nanostructured metamaterials (including nanowires and nanoholes, multilayers, and one-dimensional gratings) in terms of their potential for enhancing near-field radiative heat transfer at ambient temperature. It is found that both doped silicon nanowires and nanoholes may achieve an enhancement over bulk doped silicon by more than one order of magnitude in the deep submicron gap region. The enhancement is attributed to either the broadband hyperbolic modes or low-loss surface modes or a combination of both. On the other hand, polarization coupling, which can occur in the grating configuration, contributes little to the radiative transfer at the nanometer scale. This work will facilitate the application of nanostructures in more efficient non-contact thermal management, thermal imaging, and near-field thermophotovoltaics.
Variability of pool characteristics with pool type and formative feature on small Great Basin rangeland streams

Abstract Land managers and stream restorationists often set goals or complete designs including specifications for pools that are unrealistic because of a lack of knowledge of the potential conditions of the stream. Using 36 study sites on 17 rangeland streams in Nevada in the western United States, we determined relationships among pool and nonpool length, gradient, pool spacing, pool type and formative feature and stream type. Step pools primarily were formed by boulders while backwater pools were formed by coarse woody debris. This led to most pools being randomly located because structural pool-forming features are too large to move by the flows on these small streams. Montgomery and Buffington (1993) stream type associated with pool type and feature because of the direct linkage between the stream type definitions and pool features. Pool spacing varied only with Montgomery-Buffington stream type presumably because of its linkage with pool type and formative feature. Pool length varied with both Rosgen (1994) and Montgomery-Buffington stream type because of the relations between stream type and pool type and feature. Meander bend pools tended to be deeper because they form in erosive, fine substrate and because the spacing of forced pools may not be optimal which leads to sedimentation. Pool area did not vary with stream type but did with various formative features and pool and nonpool length. Variation of pool area with gradient and ln(gradient) was significant but explained much less variation than did other parameters. Meander bend dominated reaches had the highest pool area. The variability of results and the dependence of pool measures on pool type and formative feature indicates that strict adherence to published equations or expectations due to stream type should be avoided. Land managers should set goals for pool measures based on site specific conditions rather than perceived aquatic species needs or stream type.
Comparison of thyroidectomized calf serum and stripped serum for the study of thyroid hormone action in human skin fibroblasts in vitro.

Background: Knowledge on the action of thyroid hormone (TH) is augmented by the study of tissue responses to TH in vitro. In order to support the growth of cells in vitro, calf serum (CS) is usuall...
Metastatic prostatic carcinoma to breast or primary breast carcinoma

Abstract A second primary malignancy in the breast of a man with prostatic carcinoma was studied by means of immunohistochemical techniques for prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and prostatic specific antigen (PA). These two techniques enabled us to arrive at the proper diagnosis of breast carcinoma rather than metastatic prostatic carcinoma of the breast.
Differential effects of ouabain on the vasodilator actions of nitric oxide and S-nitrosothiols in vivo: Relevance to the identity of EDRF/EDHF

Abstract Objectives This study examined the role of Na+/K+-ATPase in the vasodilator actions of nitric oxide (NO), S-nitrosothiols and the endothelium-dependent agonist, acetylcholine. Methods The vasodilator responses elicited by intravenous injections of (i) the NO-donors, sodium nitroprusside and MAHMA NONOate, (ii) the S-nitrosothiols, l -S-nitrosocysteine and S-nitrosocoenzyme A, and (iii) acetylcholine, in urethane-anesthetized rats. Results The NO-donors, S-nitrosothiols and acetylcholine elicited dose-dependent depressor responses and reductions in hindquarter (HQR) and mesenteric (MR) vascular resistances. The depressor responses and associated reductions in HQR elicited by NO-donors were markedly attenuated after injection of ouabain. In contrast, the depressor responses and reductions in HQR elicited by the S-nitrosothiols and acetylcholine were not affected. The reductions in MR elicited by all vasodilator agents were exaggerated after injection of ouabain. Finally, the decomposition of sodium nitroprusside, MAHMA NONOate, l -S-nitrosocysteine and S-nitrosocoenzyme A to NO upon addition to rat blood or vascular preparations was not affected by ouabain. Conclusion This study demonstrates that ouabain has opposing effects on NO-mediated vasodilation in resistance arteries in the hindquarter and mesenteric beds of the rat. The similarity of effects of ouabain on the vasodilator actions of acetylcholine, l -S-nitrosocysteine and S-nitrosocoenzyme A as opposed to the NO-donors supports the possibility that endothelium-derived relaxing factor released by acetylcholine in resistance arteries is an S-nitrosothiol.