cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The contribution of electrostatic forces to the process of adherence of Candida albicans yeast cells to substrates

The contribution of electrostatic interactions to the adherence process of Candida albicans and other Candida species was investigated by mixing cationic or anionic exchange resins possessing free -COO− or -NH4+ groups, respectively, on their surface. The adherence process of yeast cells to the anionic exchange resin is a saturable event that is essentially complete by 60 min. There is no measurable interaction of yeast cells with the cationic exchange resin. All clinical isolates of C. albicans, C. pseudotropicalis, one isolate each of C. tropicalis and Torulopsis glabrata possessed electrostatic charge as defined by this method, whereas two clincal isolates of C. parapsilosis, C. krusei and one isolate of C. tropicalis did not have measurable electrostatic surface charge. The adherence process to the exchange resin with the free -NH4+ group was dependent upon the pH of the suspending medium and varied from one isolate to another. Fixing yeast cells, or alternatively, endothelial cells, in such a manner as to change the surface charge of both and then measuring adherence of yeast cells to the target cells was an event that was not controlled by electrostatic interactions as they are defined herein. It appears that whatever contribution electrostatic charges make to the adherence process, that at best, it is a minor contribution.
Windstorms along the Western Side of the Washington Cascade Mountains. Part II: Characteristics of Past Events and Three-Dimensional Idealized Simulations

Abstract This paper examines the sensitivity of windstorms along the western Washington Cascades to critical-level height, cross-barrier pressure gradient, crest-level stability, and the magnitude of the cross-barrier flow. A statistical analysis of 55 past events shows that the crest-level (850 mb) flow and cross-barrier sea level pressure gradient together explain 82% of the variance of the observed windstorm severity. Although many windstorm cases had a critical level in the middle troposphere, several cases had easterly flow from the surface to the tropopause or only within the Cascade gaps. Three-dimensional idealized simulations using the Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model Version 5 at 3-km horizontal resolution show that damaging winds are favored along the Cascade foothills for strong cross- barrier flow cases (>13 m s−1) when an environmental critical level exists below 400 mb. However, even without a critical level, reverse shear or a sharp reduction in static stability above cre...
Fire weather conditions and fire–atmosphere interactions observed during low-intensity prescribed fires – RxCADRE 2012

The role of fire-atmosphere coupling on fire behaviour is not well established, and to date few field observations have been made to investigate the interactions between fire spread and fire-induced winds. Therefore, comprehensive field observations are needed to better understand micrometeorological aspects of fire spread. To address this need, meteorological observations were made during the Prescribed Fire Combustion and Atmospheric Dynamics Research Experiment (RxCADRE) field campaign using a suite of meteorological instrumentation to measure both the ambient fire weather conditions and the fire-atmosphere interactions associated with the fires and plumes. Fire-atmosphere interactions are defined as the interactions between presently burning fuels and the atmosphere, in addition to interactions between fuels that will eventually burn in a given fire and the atmosphere (Potter 2012).
Comparison of Reaction Pathways of Ethylene Glycol, Acetaldehyde, and Acetic Acid on Tungsten Carbide and Ni-Modified Tungsten Carbide Surfaces

Selectively converting biomass-derived oxygenates to H2 or syngas (H2 and CO) is critical in the utilization of biomass to replace fossil fuels. In previous studies, monolayer (ML) Ni on a Pt substrate showed enhanced conversion and selectivity for oxygenate conversion. In the current work, tungsten monocarbide (WC) is used to support monolayer Ni, with the aim of replacing ML Ni–Pt with ML Ni–WC. C2 oxygenates with different functional groups, ethylene glycol, acetaldehyde, and acetic acid, are studied on clean WC and Ni-modified WC surfaces. For each C2 oxygenate, density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal different binding energies on WC and Ni–WC surfaces. Parallel experimental measurements using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) confirm the different reaction pathways on the two types of surfaces, with the dominant decomposition pathway being C–O bond scission on clean WC and C–C bond cleavage on Ni-modified WC surfaces. Fu...
Demystifying China's Energy Wars

One would expect that a Communist state that espoused centralized control and economic planning would have a powerful ministry regulating every facet of the country's energy affairs. After all, few issues in 2008 are treated by the Chinese leadership with more urgency than energy security. However, not only does such a governmental body not exist, repeated attempts to create even a watered-down version have only recently, and painfully, come to fruition.This raises several important questions: Why have efforts to create a centralized energy authority always resulted in failure? Why have Chinese energy companies been allowed to become increasingly defiant of Beijing's dictates? As the elaborate subsidy system to keep down prices for consumers comes apart at the seams, why hasn't Beijing implemented a new energy agenda? And perhaps most provocative of all: Might the government not even have an agenda to implement?
Surveying Hobbes’ State of Nature

Often written-off as either a hypothetical state of lawlessness, or as some precivilizational set of conditions Hobbes' state of nature is rarely examined as if it is more. However, in “Foucault and Hobbes on Politics, Security, and War,” JorgSpieker offers a new thesis, he claims that, ‘...the state of nature is ontological and hence incapable of being transcended.’Following contemporary work on Hobbes, this article seeks to provided a possible explanation as to how the state of nature can be the ontological condition of human kind and investigates the implications of that claim for the social contract.
Quality and financial impact of adding nurse practitioners to inpatient care teams.

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this project was to examine the financial impact of adding nurse practitioners (NPs) to inpatient care teams at Vanderbilt University Hospital.BACKGROUNDNational initiatives targeting quality, safe, and cost-effective healthcare have created the optimal environment for NPs to
Gold(I)-Catalyzed Intramolecular [4+3]-Cycloaddition Reactions with Furan Propargyl Esters as the Substrates: Carbenoid vs. Stabilized Allyl Cation

The tricyclic ring system with an oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octadiene and a fused six-membered ring was produced efficiently using the readily available propargyl ester furan substrate in the presence of a Au(I) complex. The reaction involves a tandem 3,3-rearrangement of the propargyl ester followed by an intramolecular [4+3]-cycloaddition reaction. Both the primary ligand of the gold complex (N-heterocyclic carbene; NHC) and a neutral dynamic ligand (PhCN) are important for the success of the reaction.
Replacement of the Lateral Malleolus of the Ankle Joint with a Reversed Proximal Fibular Bone Graft

Infrequently, prior reports have described the use of the ipsilateral proximal fibula to replace an absent distal fibula caused by either trauma, infection, or resection for tumor.3,4 This is a 27-year follow-up of a 12-year-old patient who lost the distal 7.5 cm of her fibula secondary to trauma. The soft tissue defect was replaced early by an abdominal flap and the bone defect was eventually replaced with 7.5 cm of proximal fibula. The lateral ankle ligaments were reconstructed with the peroneus brevis, and the ankle joint has remained stable. Although traumatic arthrosis has progressed slowly, the patient at age 39 has a relatively painless, mobile ankle joint.
SYSTEMATIC STATUS OF DASOGALE FONTOYNONTI (TENRECIDAE, INSECTIVORA)

Setifer setosus with partly-erupted upper M3s in the collections of the American Museum of Natural History. In this specimen the sidewalls of the M3 crypts are scarcely more complete than in Dasogale: in fact, the distal surface of each M3 root is almost completely exposed, indicating that when M3 begins to calcify, its crypt walls are mostly membranous. Grandidier's (1929) single photographic illustration of the holotype does not clearly show the M3 crypt, which probably explains why previous authors have not remarked on it. There is an additional reason for believing that Grandidier was not justified in assuming that the molar dentition was fully erupted in the type of Dasogale. In Dasogale, the upper M2 is smaller than the molariform teeth immediately preceding it, and in this trait it resembles both Setifer and Echinops. However, in both the greater and lesser hedgehog tenrecs, the last tooth in the permanent maxillary row (i.e., M3 in Setifer and M2 in Echinops) is oriented at an angle to the other molariform teeth, lacks any sign of a posterior buccal cusp, and has no relief on the distal half of its crown other than a small crest (Fig. 1B; see also Butler, 1937). The penultimate tooth, in contrast, has a more complicated distal moiety, and bears a definite, if small, posterior buccal cusp. So does the distalmost tooth of Dasogale, which is circumstantial evidence that it cannot be the terminal molar if Dasogale resembled other hedgehog tenrecs in this regard. For these reasons I think that it is reasonable to infer, contra Grandidier, that Dasogale had nine, rather than eight, teeth in its upper dental battery. Occlusal symmetry requires that an additional tooth be inferred for the mandibular dentition as well. (The last tooth visible in the mandibular series of the holotype, shown as reduced in Grandidier's line drawings, is a partly-erupted M2 that is still covered with gingival tissues.)
Evidence Against a Moving Hill in the Superior Colliculus During Saccadic Eye Movements in the Monkey

Saccadic eye movements of different sizes and directions are represented in an orderly topographic map across the intermediate and deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC), where large saccades ...
Progression-Free Survival Among Patients With Well-Differentiated or Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma Treated With CDK4 Inhibitor Palbociclib: A Phase 2 Clinical Trial

Importance More than 90% of well-differentiated or dedifferentiated liposarcomas (WD/DDLS) have CDK4 amplification. The selective CDK4 and CDK6 inhibitor palbociclib inhibits growth and induces senescence in liposarcoma cell lines and xenografts. Our prior phase 2 study demonstrated that treatment with palbociclib (200 mg daily for 14 days every 21 days) resulted in clinical benefit in WD/DDLS but moderate hematologic toxic effects. It is important to understand whether palbociclib at a new dose and schedule—125 mg daily for 21 days every 28 days—results in clinical benefit and manageable toxic effects. Objective To determine the progression-free survival (PFS) at 12 weeks of patients with WD/DDLS treated with palbociclib (PD0332991). Design, Setting, and Participants In this phase 2, nonrandomized, open-label clinical trial conducted at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 60 patients 18 years and older with advanced WD/DDLS and measurable disease by RECIST 1.1 were enrolled from December 2011 to January 2014 and followed to March 2015. Patients received oral palbociclib at 125 mg daily for 21 days in 28-day cycles. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary end point was PFS. Secondary end points included response rate and toxic effects. Results Overall, 30 patients were enrolled in the initial cohort and 30 more in an expansion cohort. Median (range) age was 61.5 (35-87) years; 31 patients (52%) were male; median (range) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score was 0 (0-1). Progression-free survival at 12 weeks was 57.2% (2-sided 95% CI, 42.4%-68.8%), and the median PFS was 17.9 weeks (2-sided 95% CI, 11.9-24.0 weeks). There was 1 complete response. Toxic effects were primarily hematologic and included neutropenia (grade 3, n = 20 [33%]; grade 4, n = 2 [3%]) but no neutropenic fever. Conclusions and Relevance In patients with advanced WD/DDLS, treatment with palbociclib was associated with a favorable PFS and occasional tumor response. This dose and schedule appears active and may have less toxic effects than 200 mg for 14 days. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01209598
Prevalence of airflow obstruction among ever-employed US adults aged 18-79 years by longest held occupation group: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010.

Objectives To estimate the prevalence of spirometry-defined airflow obstruction among ever-employed US adults. Methods Data from the 2007 to 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for adults 18–79 years with valid spirometry and longest held occupation were analysed. The age-standardised prevalence of spirometry-defined airflow obstruction was estimated overall and by smoking status. Results Age-standardised prevalence of airflow obstruction was 13.7% (95% CI 12.4% to 15.0%) and was highest in participants aged 60–79 years (17.4%, 95% CI 15.2% to 19.6%), males (14.8%, 95% CI 12.0% to 17.6%), non-Hispanic whites (15.4%, 95% CI 13.8% to 16.7%) and ever smokers (19.1%, 95% CI 16.6% to 21.5%). Age-standardised prevalence of airflow obstruction was >20% for installation, maintenance and repair occupations (p=22.1%, 95% CI 16.5% to 27.8%), and for construction and extraction occupations (20.7%, 95% CI 13.5% to 27.9%). Conclusions Prevalence of airflow obstruction varied by demographic characteristics and occupational factors with a higher prevalence among ever smokers for most demographic characteristics and occupational factors. Study findings emphasise the importance of monitoring the lung function of workers in occupations with a high prevalence of airflow obstruction.
Polarized distribution of Na(+)-H+ antiport activity in rat alveolar epithelial cells.

In this study, we investigated the polarized distribution of Na(+)-H+ antiport activity in alveolar epithelial cell monolayers. Rat alveolar type II pneumocytes were grown on detachable tissue culture-treated Nuclepore filters. The membrane filters, with their adherent intact alveolar epithelial cell monolayers, were mounted in a cuvette designed to contain two fluid compartments separated by the monolayer. Cells were loaded with the pH-sensitive dye 2',7'-biscarboxyethyl-5,6-carboxylfluorescein and intracellular pH (pHi) measured spectrofluorometrically. Monolayers were studied at ambient temperature on days 3-4 in culture, coincident with the development of high tissue resistance (RT > or = 2000 omega.cm2). Cells were incubated in HCO(3-)-free Na+ buffer [(in mM) 140 NaCl, 6 HEPES, pH 7.4] and acidified by NH3 prepulse. Rates of realkalinization (JH+) were calculated as the product of the initial rate of recovery (dpHi/dt) and the intracellular buffer capacity (beta i). Under control conditions, recovery occurred with an initial JH+ of 28.4 mM/min. When 100 microM dimethylamiloride (DMA), an amiloride analogue with enhanced specificity for inhibiting the Na(+)-H+ antiporter, was present in the basolateral fluid, recovery was inhibited by > 90%. Conversely, when the monolayers were acidified in Na+ buffer containing DMA (100 microM) in the apical fluid, acidification and recovery were identical to control. Recovery from acidification was inhibited by basolateral DMA with a one-half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 100 nm and by basolateral amiloride with an IC50 of 10 microns. Recovery was completely inhibited by omission of Na+ from the basolateral fluid, but omission of Na+ from apical fluid had no effect. We conclude that Na(+)-H+ antiport activity is located exclusively on the basolateral surface of these alveolar epithelial cell monolayers, where it most likely represents the high-amiloride affinity isoform of the Na(+)-H+ antiporter, NHE-1. The Na(+)-H+ antiporter, asymmetrically distributed to the basolateral surface of the polarized alveolar epithelium, contributes to intracellular homeostasis in alveolar pneumocytes and may also play a role in signal transduction in these cells.
Richard Bernstein: China 1945: Mao’s Revolution and America’s Fateful Choice

The author of the book being reviewed here has been a journalist for over thirty years and covered Asia and Europe for Time and the New York Times. This book matters for academics even though it is...
Urological Manifestations of Sacrococcygeal Teratoma

AbstractA review was done of 29 patients diagnosed with sacrococcygeal teratoma between 1978 and 1991. Urological disorders included total urinary retention (6 patients), hydronephrosis (6), hydrocele (4) and undescended testis (1). Ultrasonography and voiding cystourethrography were performed on the 6 patients in total urinary retention. These studies revealed cystic retrorectal lesions frequently with intralesional calcifications, and anterior and superior displacement of the bladder. Bladder wall trabeculation occurred in 2 of these 6 patients, and 4 had moderate or severe hydronephrosis. Upper urinary tract dilatation was found in 2 patients not in total retention. Hydronephrosis appeared to be related to poor bladder emptying and presumably high intravesical pressures, since each case resolved spontaneously after tumor resection. No primary upper tract anomalies were identified.
A possible mechanism of release of posterior pituitary hormones involving adenosine triphosphate and an adenosine triphosphatase in the neurosecretory granules.

Neurosecretory granules were isolated from bovine posterior pituitary glands and incubated at 30 or 37° in a medium containing KCl and MgCl2. On exposure to ATP the granules released vasopressin, oxytocin, and protein. Vasopressin release in response to ATP was potentiated by phosphoenolpyruvate + pyruvate kinase, was inhibited by AMP, and was accompanied by a fall in the optical density (at 540 mµ) of the granule suspension. The neurosecretory granules possessed ATPase activity and ATP. It is suggested that ATP and ATPase may participate in the release of hormones from the intact posterior pituitary gland.
Atomic Absorption Determination of Serum Copper: Collaborative Study

Preliminary to conducting a collaborative study on a method for copper in serum, methods used by a selected group of laboratories were surveyed. The responding laboratories were supplied with a Youden pair of bovine serum samples and requested to use their current method for serum copper. Results of the analyses and the methods used were evaluated; hypotheses were developed in our laboratory to explain some of the interlaboratory variation. For the AAS method chosen, each of 12 collaborating laboratories analyzed one blind duplicate and 2 Youden pair of serum samples. A commercially available external control serum with a certified level of copper and a 1000 mg copper/L standard were also submitted. The method requires the serum to be diluted 1 + 1 with distilled water and the standards to be diluted with 10% glycerin to approximate the viscosity of the diluted serum. The intralaboratory coefficients of variation (CV) ranged from 2.24 to 4.40% and the interlaboratory CV ranged from 2.56% to 6.05%. The method has been adopted official first action.
Metabolism of daidzein by intestinal bacteria from rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

PURPOSE To identify the metabolites produced from an isoflavonoid, daidzein, by colonic bacteria of rhesus monkeys. METHODS The metabolism of daidzein by the fecal bacteria of nine monkeys was investigated. Daidzein was incubated anaerobically with fecal bacteria, and the metabolites were analyzed by use of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. RESULTS The fecal bacteria of all of the monkeys metabolized daidzein to various extents. Dihydrodaidzein was found in cultures of fecal bacteria from two monkeys; dihydrodaidzein and equol were found in cultures from four monkeys; dihydrodaidzein, equol, and an unknown metabolite (MW = 244) were found in cultures from one monkey; and dihydrodaidzein and the unknown metabolite were found in cultures from two monkeys. CONCLUSIONS Similar to that in humans, variation was evident in the metabolism of isoflavonoids by fecal bacteria from rhesus monkeys. Some metabolites produced by fecal bacteria from monkeys were the same as those produced by fecal bacteria from humans.
Transport and metabolism of exogenous fumarate and 3-phosphoglycerate in vascular smooth muscle.

The keto (linear) form of exogenous fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, a highly charged glycolytic intermediate, may utilize a dicarboxylate transporter to cross the cell membrane, support glycolysis, and produce ATP anaerobically. We tested the hypothesis that fumarate, a dicarboxylate, and 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PG), an intermediate structurally similar to a dicarboxylate, could support contraction in vascular smooth muscle during hypoxia. To assess ATP production during hypoxia we measured isometric force maintenance in hog carotid arteries during hypoxia in the presence or absence of 20 mM fumarate or 3-PG. 3-PG improved maintenance of force (p < 0.05) during the 30-80 min period of hypoxia. Fumarate decreased peak isometric force development by 9.5% (p = 0.008) but modestly improved maintenance of force (p < 0.05) throughout the first 80 min of hypoxia. 13C-NMR on tissue extracts and superfusates revealed 1,2,3,4-13C-fumarate (5 mM) metabolism to 1,2,3,4-13C-malate under oxygenated and hypoxic conditions suggesting uptake and metabolism of fumarate. In conclusion, exogenous fumarate and 3-PG readily enter vascular smooth muscle cells, presumably by a dicarboxylate transporter, and support energetically important pathways.
Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Beef by Application of Organic Acids †.

Lean beef surfaces were inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes and then sanitized with fumaric, acetic, or lactic acid alone and in combined solutions of those acids at 55°C for 5 s. The initial inoculum level was 8.62 log CFU/cm2 and 5.13 log CFU/cm2 for L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7, respectively. Fumaric acid at a concentration of 1% was the most effective acid in reducing the populations of L. monocytogenes by up to 1 log unit and E. coli O157:H7 by up to 1.3 log units when compared with acetic or lactic acids. The rank order of acids tested against the growth of L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 was fumaric acid followed by lactic and acetic acids. Fumaric acid at concentrations of 1.0% and 1.5% was more effective than any of the combined solutions of acids.
Water-assisted oxygen activation during selective oxidation reactions

The selective functionalization of hydrocarbons with oxygen to produce valuable commodity chemicals is inherently challenging, because of the thermodynamic stability of the complete combustion products. Emerging green synthesis routes and sustainable energy production also rely on the success of selective oxidation reactions. As one of the unselective by-products, water is always present under reaction conditions and numerous studies indicate that the catalytic activity and selectivity of selective oxidation reactions may be tuned by judiciously controlling the water content during the reaction. Some experimentally verified examples include the preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide, direct hydrogen peroxide synthesis, propene epoxidation and alcohol oxidation. Finally, it has been predicted that the direct conversion of methane to methanol can benefit from the right amount of water near the active site during oxygen activation.
Aspergillus fumigatus Photobiology Illuminates the Marked Heterogeneity between Isolates

ABSTRACT The given strain of Aspergillus fumigatus under study varies across laboratories, ranging from a few widely used “standards,” e.g., Af293 or CEA10, to locally acquired isolates that may be unique to one investigator. Since experiments concerning physiology or gene function are seldom replicated by others, i.e., in a different A. fumigatus background, the extent to which behavioral heterogeneity exists within the species is poorly understood. As a proxy for assessing such intraspecies variability, we analyzed the light response of 15 A. fumigatus isolates and observed striking quantitative and qualitative heterogeneity among them. The majority of the isolates fell into one of two seemingly mutually exclusive groups: (i) “photopigmenters” that robustly accumulate hyphal melanin in the light and (ii) “photoconidiators” that induce sporulation in the light. These two distinct responses were both governed by the same upstream blue light receptor, LreA, indicating that a specific protein’s contribution can vary in a strain-dependent manner. Indeed, while LreA played no apparent role in regulating cell wall homeostasis in strain Af293, it was essential in that regard in strain CEA10. The manifest heterogeneity in the photoresponses led us to compare the virulence levels of selected isolates in a murine model; remarkably, the virulence did vary greatly, although not in a manner that correlated with their overt light response. Taken together, these data highlight the extent to which isolates of A. fumigatus can vary, with respect to both broad physiological characteristics (e.g., virulence and photoresponse) and specific protein functionality (e.g., LreA-dependent phenotypes). IMPORTANCE The current picture of Aspergillus fumigatus biology is akin to a collage, patched together from data obtained from disparate “wild-type” strains. In a systematic assessment of 15 A. fumigatus isolates, we show that the species is highly heterogeneous with respect to its light response and virulence. Whereas some isolates accumulate pigments in light as previously reported with strain Af293, most induce sporulation which had not been previously observed. Other photoresponsive behaviors are also nonuniform, and phenotypes of identical gene deletants vary in a background-dependent manner. Moreover, the virulence of several selected isolates is highly variable in a mouse model and apparently does not track with any observed light response. Cumulatively, this work illuminates the fact that data obtained with a single A. fumigatus isolate are not necessarily predictive of the species as whole. Accordingly, researchers should be vigilant when making conclusions about their own work or when interpreting data from the literature.
Ultrastructural study on the extrusion of multivesicular bodies from cardiac cells

Cardiac conducting fibers taken from 12 dogs were studied in the electron microscope. The majority of samples contained a moderate number of multivesicular bodies (MVB’s) and an extremely high number occurred in one dog. Single MVB’s were found in the perinuclear region and in the cytoplasm separating myofibrils. A high accumulation of MVB’s occurred at the cell periphery within cytoplasmic stalks extending into the extracellular space, in the intercalated disc, and also outside of the cell. The latter appeared to be extruded from the cell in the following way: 1) peripheral cytoplasm formed stalk-like extensions which contained MVB’s; 2) the stalks detached from the cell; 3) vacuolar and sarcolemmal membranes surrounding the MVB disintegrated; 4) vesicles released from MVB adhered to the cellular surface and the coat of their membrane blended with the coat of the sarcolemma. The above pattern seems to be the same in those parts of sarcolemma which face the interstitial tissue and in the intercalated disc.
Collagen and collagen‐chondroitin sulfate scaffolds with uniaxially aligned pores for the biomimetic, three dimensional culture of trabecular meshwork cells

Glaucoma is a disease in which damage to the optic nerve leads to progressive, irreversible vision loss. The intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only modifiable risk factor for glaucoma and its lowering is considered a useful strategy for preventing or slowing down the progression of glaucomatous neuropathy. Elevated intraocular pressure associated with glaucoma is due to increased aqueous humor outflow resistance, primarily through the trabecular meshwork (TM) of the eye. Current in vitro models of the trabecular meshwork are oversimplified and do not capture the organized and complex three-dimensional nature of this tissue that consists primarily of collagen and glycoasaminoglycans. In this work, collagen and collagen-chondroitin sulfate (CS) scaffolds were fabricated via unidirectional freezing and lyophilization to induce the formation of aligned pores. Scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and a chondroitin sulfate quantification assay. Scaffold characterization confirmed the formation of aligned pores, and also that the CS was leaching out of the scaffolds over time. Primary porcine trabecular meshwork (TM) cells were seeded onto the surface of scaffolds and their gene expression, proliferation, viability, migration into the scaffolds, and morphology were examined. The TM cells were viable and proliferated 2 weeks after seeding. The cells migrated down into the internal scaffold structure and their morphology reflected the topography and alignment of the scaffold structure. This work is a promising step toward the development of a three dimensional in vitro model of the TM that can be used for testing of glaucoma pharmacological agents in future experimentation and to better our understanding of the trabecular meshwork and its complex physiology. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 915-923. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The US Experience in Planning for Community Food Systems: An Era of Advocacy, Awareness, and (Some) Learning

The lack of public attention to community food systems is nowhere more apparent than in local and regional government policy and planning in the United States. More than 30,000 local governments in the United States are charged with ensuring provision of infrastructure and services to make communities livable. Yet given the neoliberal context within the United States, food has largely been absent from local government planning and policy agenda. Fortunately, public efforts to plan for stronger food systems —or food systems planning or community and regional food systems planning—are emerging. Drawing on experiences of local and regional governments in the United States, the chapter describes the extent to which local, regional, and metropolitan (LRM) governments are planning for stronger community food systems . Although a growing number of LRM are engaged in planning for community food systems , the engagement remains limited. Against a bleak national landscape, the chapter traces the trajectory of a planning process in the Buffalo Niagara metropolitan region that﻿ is beginning to address food systems through local government planning and policy. The chapter concludes with cautionary notes about the use of local and regional government planning in strengthening communities’ food systems .
Practical Techniques for Enhancing the High-Frequency MASW Method

ABSTRACT For soil exploration in the vadose zone, a high-frequency multi-channel analysis of surface waves (HF-MASW) method has been developed. In the study, several practical techniques were applied to enhance the overtone image of the HF-MASW method. They included (1) the self-adaptive MASW method using a variable sensor spacing configuration, (2) the phase-only MASW method, and (3) a nonlinear acoustic technique. To demonstrate the capability of these techniques, a HF-MASW test was conducted, which consisted of a small shaker operated in chirp mode with three gapped frequency bands and a geophone array with a variable spacing configuration. The overtone images obtained from (1) full spreadlength, (2) self-adaptive spreadlength, (3) full-spectra analysis including magnitude and phase spectra, and (4) phase-only spectrum analysis MASWs, respectively, were compared in each frequency bands. The results revealed the enhanced dispersive images by the HF-MASW using the self-adaptive and phase-only with the va...
GRAPE: a pathway template method to characterize tissue-specific functionality from gene expression profiles

Personalizing treatment regimes based on gene expression profiles of individual tumors will facilitate management of cancer. Although many methods have been developed to identify pathways perturbed in tumors, the results are often not generalizable across independent datasets due to the presence of platform/batch effects. There is a need to develop methods that are robust to platform/batch effects and able to identify perturbed pathways in individual samples. We present Gene-Ranking Analysis of Pathway Expression (GRAPE) as a novel method to identify abnormal pathways in individual samples that is robust to platform/batch effects in gene expression profiles generated by multiple platforms. GRAPE first defines a template consisting of an ordered set of pathway genes to characterize the normative state of a pathway based on the relative rankings of gene expression levels across a set of reference samples. This template can be used to assess whether a sample conforms to or deviates from the typical behavior of the reference samples for this pathway. We demonstrate that GRAPE performs well versus existing methods in classifying tissue types within a single dataset, and that GRAPE achieves superior robustness and generalizability across different datasets. A powerful feature of GRAPE is the ability to represent individual gene expression profiles as a vector of pathways scores. We present applications to the analyses of breast cancer subtypes and different colonic diseases. We perform survival analysis of several TCGA subtypes and find that GRAPE pathway scores perform well in comparison to other methods. GRAPE templates offer a novel approach for summarizing the behavior of gene-sets across a collection of gene expression profiles. These templates offer superior robustness across distinct experimental batches compared to existing methods. GRAPE pathway scores enable identification of abnormal gene-set behavior in individual samples using a non-competitive approach that is fundamentally distinct from popular enrichment-based methods. GRAPE may be an appropriate tool for researchers seeking to identify individual samples displaying abnormal gene-set behavior as well as to explore differences in the consensus gene-set behavior of groups of samples. GRAPE is available in R for download at https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=GRAPE .
Physical Risk Factors Associated with the Work-Related Neck/Cervical Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Review

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) of the neck or cervical spine result in longer sick leaves, substantial levels of human suffering, and high costs for society. Epidemiological studies clearly indicate strong associations between MSD of the neck and the work activities requiring forceful arm exertions and heavy lifting. However, most of the existing studies that evaluate the neck or cervical spine disorders focus mainly on exertions demanding sustained neck postures of repetitive arm exertions. The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review of existing epidemiological and experimental studies that evaluates neck or cervical spine disorders and identify the gaps in the literature for future research.
Orbital complications of frontal sinusitis

The most common cause of orbital infections is sinusitis, most commonly arising from the ethmoid sinuses. However, frontal sinusitis complications may progress rapidly and result in worse outcomes.
Generalizing the Findings: Explaining the Rise of UKIP and the AfD

This chapter shows that the rise and fall of populist radical right parties across Western Europe can be explained under the auspices of a valid and reliable two-level theory. The electoral advances of nationalist parties such as the Front National (FN), the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) are dependent on the interaction and political messaging of established political parties in salient debates about identity politics. Proving the generalizability of the findings, this chapter applies the two-level theory to recent political developments in Germany and the United Kingdom. The theory can perfectly account for the ups and downs of UKIP and the AfD in recent years and can explain the political mechanisms behind Brexit and the German refugee debate. The political earthquakes that shake Western Europe are comparable and are grounded in different incentives for established parties to politicize identity politics.
Addressing missed opportunities for HIV testing by including rapid-HIV self-testing kits with patient-delivered partner therapy.

Patient-delivered partner therapy (PDPT) is the practice of providing patients diagnosed with bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) medication to give directly to their partner for treatment, which can result in missed opportunities for partner HIV testing. Fifteen STI clinic patients were asked about their opinions of including HIV self-testing (HIVST) kits with PDPT. Interview data fit well into constructs of the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model. Patients’ motivations to deliver HIVST kits to their partners included the importance of earlier identification of HIV, convenience, avoidance of STI clinic stigma, and empowerment of individual and partner protection against HIV. Patients described the need for more information with worries about the quality of the HIVST device and questions about how it worked. Patients worried about their partners’ reaction, including the potential for violence, and needed skills to support their partner with HIVST. Public health policies should support the inclusion of HIVST kits with PDPT, but additional intervention research is needed to more fully support patients and their partners with HIVST and PDPT.
Incarceration, Liberty, and Dignity

Currently an unprecedented number of individuals live in captivity. There has been an increase in attention to the harms of human bondage and confinement, and the harms of captivity for non-human animals is beginning to come into sharper view. Those who do focus on other animals in captivity have tended to focused on pain, suffering, and killing with much less attention to the potentially devastating effects of denying liberty. Incaceration does cause physical and psychological harm, but it also is a violation of autonomy. I argue that other animals have autonomy, they make choices within their species-typical behavioral repertoire and these choices are meaningful to them. Denying them the freedom to exercise their autonomy by keeping them incarcerated, under captive control, is thus ethically problematic.
Calculated Half-Lives of Superheavy Nuclei near [ 126 ] 354

For nuclei in the region of of 126 protons and 228 neutrons we use the macroscopic-microscopic method to calculate fission barriers, $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay energies, and $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay energies, as well as half-lives with respect to spontaneous fission and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ decay. The nucleus $^{354}[126]$ is found to be $\ensuremath{\beta}$ stable, but its spontaneous-fission half-life is only 39 ms and its $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay half-life is only 18 yr.
Neue Features von Oracle 12c im Überblick

Oracle 12c erschien, nachdem ich das Buch beendet habe. Diese neue Version von Oracle bietet mehrere interessante Features fur Performance Tuning an. Aus diesem Grund entschied ich mich, einige dieser Features im Nachgang kurz zu resumieren.
Assessment of the effect of cardiotoxic chemotherapeutic agents on the different phases of the cardiac cycle using multiple-gated acquisition scan and volume time curves can predict cardiotoxicity earlier than evaluation ejection fraction alone

1128 Objectives Monitoring the effect of chemotherapeutic agents on the cardiac cycle in breast cancer relies on detecting changes in the Ejection fraction (EF) using Multiple-gated acquisition Scan (MUGA), which is considered the gold standard modality. The use of MUGA Volume Time Curves (VTCs) can provide earlier detailed information of different cardiac cycle phases than that offered by evaluation of EF. Methods 27 controls (49±9 yrs) and 51 patients (52±10 yrs) were included. The patient group had a baseline MUGA before the administration of any chemotherapy with cardiotoxic effect (Doxorubicin, trastuzumab or both). The average time between the baseline and post-therapeutic MUGA was 3 months. The dose of the cardiotoxic agent given was according to standard protocol in our institution. Within the cardiac cycle the different count parameters and relative durations of all phases were recorded and time changes were expressed in the term of percentage of the corresponding phase time. Parameters derived from VTCs at baseline and after chemotherapy were compared against the controls. A P value Results The Post therapeutic MUGA scans for the patient group were compared to the control group. There was no statistical difference in the EF (P value >0.05). However there was statistical difference in the late atrial filling diastolic Counts), Early/Late diastolic filling count. In addition there was statistical difference in the diastolic time, early left ventricular filling time percentage (EFT), late atrial filling time percentage (AFT) and finally in the EFT/AFT ratio. Conclusions MUGA generated VTCs-assessment in breast cancer patients offers a better tool to detect cardiotoxicity earlier than evaluating the ejection fraction alone
Ökonomische Bewertung und Optimierung des Automatisierungsgrades von Versicherungsprozessen

An Geschaftsprozesse, speziell im Versicherungswesen, werden im Kontext der Wert- und Kundenorientierung vielseitige Anforderungen bzgl. Standardisierung, Automatisierung und Flexibilisierung gestellt. Es stellt sich allerdings die Frage, ob schnelle und kostengunstige automatische Bearbeitung generell manueller Bearbeitung vorzuziehen ist. Fur welche Versicherungsfalle und welche Prozessschritte ist die Nutzung der Flexibilitat und Problemlosungskompetenz menschlicher Aufgabentrager wirtschaftlich sinnvoll? Verschiedene Kombinationen, die sich in unterschiedlichen Automatisierungsgraden widerspiegeln, sind moglich. Die verschiedenen Automatisierungsgrade zur Bearbeitung eines Versicherungsfalls werden gegenubergestellt und resultierende Cashflows bestimmt. Dabei gilt es, samtliche einem Prozessdurchlauf zurechenbaren Folgen, Reaktionen des Kunden sowie Kapazitatsrestriktionen zu berucksichtigen. Anstelle der in der Praxis ublichen Verwendung einer Vielzahl von Einzelregeln fur die Automatisierungsentscheidung erfolgt die Wahl des Automatisierungsgrades flexibel und situationsabhangig. Durch die aggregierte Betrachtung einer Menge von Versicherungsfallen werden Aussagen uber die Leistungsfahigkeit der Prozessgestaltung abgeleitet. Illustriert wird das Modell beispielhaft anhand eines Prozessausschnitts der Bearbeitung von Kasko-Glasschaden.
Representations of Lie Groups and the Orbit Method

It was a great honor and pleasure to be invited by the Association for Women Mathematicians, to give an address for Emmy Noether’s 100th birthday.
A New Two-layer Storyline Generation Framework for Disaster Management

Disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and environmental emergencies, are serious disruptions of the functioning of a community or a society. To mitigate the social and physical impact of disasters, a critical task in disaster management is to extract situation updates on the disaster from a large number of disaster-related documents, and obtain a big picture of the disaster's trends and how it aects dierent areas. In this paper, we present a novel two-layer storyline generation framework which generates an overall storyline of the disaster events in the rst layer, and provides condensed information about specic regions aected by the disaster (i.e., a location-specic storyline) in the second layer. To generate the overall storyline of a disaster, we consider both temporal and spatial factors, which are encoded using integer linear programming. While for location-specic storylines, we employ a Steiner tree based method. Compared with the previous work of storyline generation, which generates at storylines without considering spatial information, our framework is more suitable for large-scale disaster events. We further demonstrate the ecacy of our proposed framework through the evaluation on the datasets of three major hurricane disasters.
Scars: The Long-term Effects of Combat Exposure on Health:

Although the effects of combat exposure on mental health receive a good deal of attention, less attention has been directed to the long-term effects of combat exposure on physical health, apart fro...
Patient‐Friendly Language to Facilitate Treatment Choice for Patients with Cancer

Resources are needed to assist patients in understanding their diagnoses and considering treatment options. This commentary focuses on improving the language used to communicate disease and treatment information so that patients can make informed decisions.
Always Appreciative of Art’s Beauty: The Trait of Engagement with Artistic Beauty

The trait of Engagement with Artistic Beauty (EaB) leads us to notice, and engage with, the beauty of anything that has been designed. The higher the level of EaB the more one loves all humanity; and also loves their friends, family, and romantic partners more. Trait EaB predicts identifying with all humanity more than with one’s nation (i.e., less nationalistic). EaB may also make us better human beings because it is positively related to gratitude, spiritual transcendence, and awe; and negatively to materialism. EaB is also positively associated to Haidt’s caring and fairness moral foundations. EaB may make us smarter through increasing our openness to experience. EaB is highly associated with valuing Universalism, Benevolence, and Spirituality. Hegel thought “that artistic beauty stands higher than nature [beauty].” EaB is related to Maslow’s self-actualization. Unsurprisingly, artists (painters) have much higher EaB scores than people who do not consider themselves artists. Surprisingly, artists are significantly happier than non-artists. Although it is a small, but significant, difference that women consistently score higher than men on EaB (and on EnB and EmB). The higher a senior’s trait of Openness and Aesthetics, the less likely they will be diagnosed with dementia.
Crossing the color line : readings in black and white

The complex truth about the color line-its destructive effects, painful legacy, clandestine crossings, possible erasure-is revealed more often in private than in public and has sometimes been visited more easily by novelists than historians. In this tradition, Crossing the Color Line, a powerful collection of nineteen contemporary stories, speaks the unspoken, explores the hidden, and voices both fear and hope about relationships between blacks and whites.
The Story of Migraine Surgery: 20 Years in the Making

It began with mere kismet and became a field with gratifying outcomes. Over 40 studies later published in respected peer-reviewed journals from our center alone and supported by many independent studies conducted by reputable surgeons from recognized centers over the last 20 years, there is now strong evidence that surgical treatment of headaches and migraines is safe and effective. The scientific course commenced with a retrospective study and continued with a prospective pilot study, a prospective randomized study, a 5-year follow-up study, and a prospective randomized study with sham surgery. During that time, we identified seven trigger sites from which migraine headaches could arise and developed ways of deactivating all of these sites. In the last 10 years, we have focused on improving results, extending care to adolescent patients with migraine headaches, researching the ultrastructural characteristics of peripheral nerves in headache patients, and investigating the socioeconomic benefits of migraine surgery as well as the specific factors contributing to the success and failure of these operations. The details of our progress are discussed in this chapter.