cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Obama's Big Deal: The 2009 Federal Stimulus - Labor and Employment Law at the Crossroads

The collapse of the economy at the end of 2008 is one of the most important issues of our time and has resulted in the passage of historic bailout and stimulus legislation. Newly elected President Obama has recognized that his political future depends upon the economy rebounding. This Essay focuses on an important aspect of the 2009 economic stimulus, formerly known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which seems to been left out of the political debate; the effect this stimulus will have on labor and employment law. This Essay asserts that this stimulus is much more than just an economic package. It is a reflection of a fundamental social change that is about to occur in labor and employment law similar to President Roosevelt's New Deal. I refer to this as Obama's Big Deal. This Essay also reviews the historic relationship between the law and economics with respect to labor legislation. Additionally, this Essay reviews proposed labor and employment legislation that is likely to be enacted by the 111th Congress such as the Employee Free Choice Act, H.R. 1409, 111th Cong. (1st Sess. 2009), the Re-empowerment of Skilled and Professional Employees and Construction Tradeworkers Act ("RESPECT"), H.R. 1644, 110th Cong. (1st Sess. 2007), The Equal Remedies Act, H.R. 5129, 110th Cong. (2d Sess. 2008), Employment Non-Discrimination Act ("ENDA"), H.R. 3685, 110th Cong. (1st Sess. 2007).
Self-Sterilizing, Self-Cleaning Mixed Polymeric Multifunctional Antimicrobial Surfaces

Mitigation of bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation is quickly becoming a strategy for the prevention of hospital-acquired infections. We demonstrate a basic strategy for surface modification that combines the ability to control attachment by microbes with the ability to inactivate microbes. The surface consists of two active materials: poly(p-phenylene ethynylene)-based polymers, which can inactivate a wide range of microbes and pathogens, and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based polymers, which can switch between an hydrophobic "capture" state and a hydrophilic "release" state. The combination of these materials creates a surface that can both bind microbes in a switchable way and kill surface-bound microbes efficiently. Considerable earlier work with cationic poly(p-phenylene ethynylene) polyelectrolytes has demonstrated and characterized their antimicrobial properties, including the ability to efficiently destroy or deactivate Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Similarly, much work has shown (1) that surface-polymerized films of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) are able to switch their surface thermodynamic properties from a swollen, relatively hydrophilic state at low temperature to a condensed, relatively hydrophobic state at higher temperature, and (2) that this switch can control the binding and/or release of microbes to poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) surfaces. The active surfaces described herein were fabricated by first creating a film of biocidal poly(p-phenylene ethynylene) using layer-by-layer methods, and then conferring switchable adhesion by growing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) through the poly(p-phenylene ethynylene) layer, using surface-attached polymerization initiators. The resulting multifunctional, complex films were then characterized both physically and functionally. We demonstrate that such films kill and subsequently induce widespread release of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.
Morphology of Chaetomium Trilaterale

Perithecia of Chaetomium trilaterale develop from single, uninucleate ascospores. Ascogonial coils are stalked and are initiated terminally from uninucleate cells of the vegetative hyphae. The unin...
Leucine biosynthesis in yeast : Identification of two genes (LEU4, LEU5) that affect α-Isopropylmalate synthase activity and evidence that LEU1 and LEU2 gene expression is controlled by α-Isopropylmalate and the product of a regulatory gene.

Tetrad analysis indicates that α-isopropylmalate synthase activity of yeast is determined by two separate genes, designated LEU4 and LEU5. LEU4 is identified as a structural gene. LEU5 either encodes another α-isopropylmalate synthase activity by itself or provides some function needed for the expression of a second structural gene. The properties of mutants affecting the biosynthesis of leucine and its regulation suggest that the expression of LEU1 and LEU2 (structural genes encoding isopropylmalate isomerase and β-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, respectively) is controlled by a complex of a-isopropylmalate and a regulatory element (the LEU3 gene product). Similarities and differences between yeast and Neurospora crassa with respect to leucine biosynthesis are discussed.
Abstract 4215: Hypoxia regulates the breast cancer stem/progenitor cell population

There is increasing evidence from our lab and others supporting the “cancer stem cell” hypothesis in breast cancer, which proposes that tumors are driven a small population of cells exhibiting stem cell properties. These cancer stem/progenitor cells may also be responsible for mediating tumor metastasis and resistance to cancer treatments. Recently, several new cancer therapies targeting tumor angiogenesis have been developed and validated in clinical trials. Specifically, the VEGFR and multikinase inhibitors sunitinib and sorafenib have been approved for treatment of some tumor types. However, clinical trials in breast cancer and other malignancies have demonstrated that these therapies ultimately result in drug resistance and only modestly prolong patient survival. Recent reports have suggested that these angiogenesis inhibitors may promote tumor invasiveness and metastasis in rodent breast cancer models. We hypothesize that the tumor stem/progenitor cell population increases in response to hypoxia in anti-angiogenic treated cancers, leading to increased tumor aggressiveness. We have used in vitro and in vivo assays to study the possible role of hypoxia in regulating mammary cancer stem/progenitor cells. We demonstrate that moderate hypoxia (2% oxygen) enriches for stem/progenitor cells in several breast cancer cell lines grown in vitro. The percentage of cells expressing ALDH as assessed by the Aldefluor assay approximately doubles in response to hypoxia. In vivo, sunitinib treatment increases the proportion of Aldefluor positive cells in SUM-159 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenografts in NOD/SCID mice. In addition, tumor cells obtained from sunitinib treated mice exhibit enhanced tumor initiation and growth upon transplantation into secondary NOD/SCID mice. These studies indicate that tissue hypoxia results in expansion of the breast cancer stem/progenitor cell population. This may contribute to the increased aggressiveness and metastasis of cancers that evolve during therapy with angiogenesis inhibitors. If this is the case, then the addition of cancer stem cell targeting agents to antiangiogenic agents may reduce the development of treatment resistance and enhance treatment efficacy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4215.
Adverse Effects of Synthetic Cannabinoids: Management of Acute Toxicity and Withdrawal

Although several chemical structural classes of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) were recently classified as Schedule I substances, rates of use and cases of serious toxic effects remain high. While case reports and media bring attention to severe SC toxicity, daily SC use resulting in dependence and withdrawal is a significant concern that is often overlooked when discussing the risks of these drugs. There is a rich literature on evidence-based approaches to treating substance use disorders associated with most abused drugs, yet little has been published regarding how to best treat symptoms related to SC dependence given its recency as an emerging clinically significant issue. This review provides a background of the pharmacology of SCs, recent findings of adverse effects associated with both acute intoxication and withdrawal as a consequence of daily use, and treatment approaches that have been implemented to address these issues, with an emphasis on pharmacotherapies for managing detoxification. In order to determine prevalence of use in cannabis smokers, a population at high risk for SC use, we obtained data on demographics of SC users, frequency of use, and adverse effects over a 3.5-year period (2012-2015) in the New York City metropolitan area, a region with a recent history of high SC use. While controlled studies on the physiological and behavioral effects of SCs are lacking, it is clear that risks associated with using these drugs pertain not only to the unpredictable and severe nature of acute intoxication but also to the effects of long-term, chronic use. Recent reports in the literature parallel findings from our survey, indicating that there is a subset of people who use SCs daily. Although withdrawal has not been systematically characterized and effective treatments have yet to be elucidated, some symptom relief has been reported with benzodiazepines and the atypical antipsychotic, quetiapine. Given the continued use and abuse of SCs, empirical studies characterizing (1) SCs acute effects, (2) withdrawal upon cessation of use, and (3) effective treatment strategies for SC use disorder are urgently needed.
Comics as language: reimagining critical discourse on the form, edited by Hannah Miodrag

Scholars, both young and old, dream of successfully countering the established doctrine of a field and replacing it with their own theoretical assertions. Hannah Miodrag’s Comics and Language: Reim...
Electrolyzer performance for producing hydrogen via a solar-driven hybrid-sulfur process

Advances in fuel-cell technology and an increasing demand for hydrogen are driving the need for the development of more efficient methods to produce hydrogen. Thermochemical cycles, which produce pure hydrogen by splitting water through a series of chemical reactions, are being investigated as avenues for producing hydrogen efficiently on a large scale. Although there are hundreds of possible thermochemical cycles, the hybrid-sulfur process is the only practical, all-fluid, two-step thermochemical cycle. In a solar-driven process, solar radiation is used in a solar receiver/reactor to provide the energy needed to vaporize and decompose sulfuric acid. The resulting sulfur dioxide (SO2) is used in the second step consisting of an SO2-depolarized electrolyzer (SDE) that electrochemically oxidizes SO2 with water to form sulfuric acid at the anode and hydrogen at the cathode. All the sulfur species are internally recycled and the overall reaction is the splitting of water to form hydrogen and oxygen. We report here on our patented gas-fed SDE that was tested over a range of operating conditions (e.g., current, temperature) and design variations (e.g., membrane type and thickness). A key insight from our work is that perfluorinated sulfonic acid membranes like Nafion® dehydrate at high acid concentrations, leading to high membrane resistance. Using acid-doped polybenzimidazole membranes represent an alternative material because they do not rely on water for their proton conductivity, and they can operate at temperatures above 100 °C.
Analysis of pathogenic detection data of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis W135 cases in Hefei,from 2012 to 2013

Objective To understand the etiological characters of the epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis W135 cases and their close contacts in Hefei from 2012 to 2013. Methods Biochemical testing,serotyping,PCR and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed on samples of 2 death cases and 9 close contacts. Multilocus sequence typing( MLST) for DNA sequencing was used for housekeeping gene. Results All of the 11 samples were confirmed Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135. DNA sequencing showed that the 11 positive strains were ST- 11,which belonged to ST- 11 / ET- 37 clone complex. 5 strains had drug resistance to nalidixic acid,Ciprofloxacin and Sulfamethoxazole. Conclusion Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 were isolated from the death cases and close contacts of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis,which showed flora vicissitude.
Utilization of chemical shift MRI in the diagnosis of disorders affecting pediatric bone marrow

MRI signal intensity of pediatric bone marrow can be difficult to interpret using conventional methods. Chemical shift imaging (CSI), which can quantitatively assess relative fat content, may improve the ability to accurately diagnose bone marrow abnormalities in children. Consecutive pelvis and extremity MRI at a children’s hospital over three months were retrospectively reviewed for inclusion of CSI. Medical records were reviewed for final pathological and/or clinical diagnosis. Cases were classified as normal or abnormal, and if abnormal, subclassified as marrow-replacing or non-marrow-replacing entities. Regions of interest (ROI) were then drawn on corresponding in and out-of-phase sequences over the marrow abnormality or over a metaphysis and epiphysis in normal studies. Relative signal intensity ratio for each case was then calculated to determine the degree of fat content in the ROI. In all, 241 MRI were reviewed and 105 met inclusion criteria. Of these, 61 had normal marrow, 37 had non-marrow-replacing entities (osteomyelitis without abscess n = 17, trauma n = 9, bone infarction n = 8, inflammatory arthropathy n = 3), and 7 had marrow-replacing entities (malignant neoplasm n = 4, bone cyst n = 1, fibrous dysplasia n = 1, and Langerhans cell histiocytosis n = 1). RSIR averages were: normal metaphyseal marrow 0.442 (0.352–0.533), normal epiphyseal marrow 0.632 (0.566–698), non-marrow-replacing diagnoses 0.715 (0.630–0.799), and marrow-replacing diagnoses 1.06 (0.867–1.26). RSIR for marrow-replacing entities proved significantly different from all other groups (p < 0.05). ROC analysis demonstrated an AUC of 0.89 for RSIR in distinguishing marrow-replacing entities. CSI techniques can help to differentiate pathologic processes that replace marrow in children from those that do not.
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the SMAST-13: Predictive validity in a rural primary care sample.

This study was conducted to compare the validity of a new screening instrument developed by the World Health Organization, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), to the short version of the MAST in 287 primary care patients. Subjects were classified as meeting a lifetime or current DSM-III diagnosis of alcohol misuse and/or dependence based on the DIS-R interview schedule. Using the original WHO guidelines (score of 11 or more), 37 (13%) scored positive on the AUDIT and 103 (36%) had a weighted score of 5 or more on the SMAST-13. The internal reliability of the AUDIT was 0.86, compared to the SMAST-13 at 0.85. Cut-off scores in this sample for current alcohol problems, utilizing Receiver Operating Curves, were 7-8 for the AUDIT and 5 for the SMAST. This study confirms the utility of the AUDIT for current alcohol problems and the SMAST-13 for lifetime or past problems in a rural clinical sample.
The use of transrectal ultrasound in the detection and evaluation of local pelvic recurrences after a radical urological pelvic operation.

AbstractTransrectal ultrasound was performed in 20 patients with suspected local pelvic recurrence after a radical pelvic operation: 9 had undergone radical prostatectomy and 11 had undergone radical cystoprostatectomy. Transrectal sonography verified the presence of recurrence in 19 of 20 patients (95%) and this was confirmed by biopsy of the visualized lesions. Analysis of the sonographic echo patterns encountered revealed that in 14 of 19 recurrent neoplasms (71.5%) the echogenic pattern was hypoechoic. In the remaining 6 patients (31.5%) the echo pattern was isoechoic. No hyperechoic lesions were noted. Based upon our findings and because of the low costs compared to other diagnostic modalities transrectal ultrasound represents an ideal technique to compliment the digital rectal examination in evaluation of patients suspected of harboring a local pelvic recurrence after a radical pelvic operation.
Percutaneous removal of renal and ureteral calculi: experience with 400 cases

Percutaneous removal of renal and ureteral calculi was performed in 500 patients since 1979. Experience with our first 100 cases enabled us to accumulate a variety of techniques. We report our experience with the subsequent 400 cases. As judged by plain films of the kidneys, ureters and bladder, and renal tomograms without contrast medium we attained a status free of stones in 99 per cent of the patients with renal and 94.5 per cent with ureteral calculi. Intravenous-assisted local anesthesia was used in 94 per cent of the cases. There was no mortality and the incidence of complications was low. Most patients with renal and ureteral calculi can be managed successfully and safely by percutaneous methods with good patient tolerance and minimal convalescence.
Pediatric behavioral neurology: an update on the neurologic aspects of depression, hyperactivity, and learning disabilities.

Depression may be the most common cause of school problems in otherwise healthy normally intelligent young people. Right cerebral hemisphere cognitive dysfunction often accompanies major depressive disorder and probably explains poor academic performance and social adjustment. The right cerebral hemisphere learning disability makes it difficult for the affected child to develop adequate interpersonal skills and compromises academic performance. Adequate antidepressant pharmacotherapy improves this right cerebral dysfunction. Before school problems are attributed to untreatable conditions, depressive disorder should be excluded; in those children with evidence of depression, appropriate treatment, including antidepressant drug therapy, should be offered. In addition, bypass or compensatory strategies should be an integral part of the school curriculum and may be important in preventing depression in genetically vulnerable individuals.
Bindung und die Entwicklung des Selbst

Zwischen 1937 und 1943 beschrieben zahlreiche Personen, die beruflich mit Kindeserziehung und -fursorge zu tun hatten, sowohl in den Vereinigten Staaten als auch in Europa ein beunruhigendes Phanomen: Kinder, deren Gefuhle und Sorgen sich ausschlieslich um sich selbst zu drehen schienen. Einige dieser Kinder waren zuruckgezogen und isoliert; andere waren uberaktiv, ablenkbar und misshandelten andere Kinder. Schon als Jugendliche war ihre Lebensgeschichte haufig von wiederholten Diebstahlen, Gewalt und sexuellen Vergehen gekennzeichnet. Viele dieser Kinder waren in Einrichtungen gros geworden, in denen sie angemessene physische Betreuung, aber kaum soziale Kontakte hatten. Andere waren im Sauglingsalter und in fruher Kindheit von Pflegeheim zu Pflegeheim gereicht worden (Bowlby 1953).
Werdingite, a borosilicate new to granitic pegmatites

Werdingite, (Mg,Fe) 2 Al 12 (Al,Fe) 2 Si 4 B 2 (B,Al) 2 O 37 , occurs in granitic pegmatites cutting granulite-facies metapelitic rocks at Cap Andrahomana, near Fort Dauphin, southeastern Madagascar (type locality of grandidierite), and at Almgjotheii, in the aureole of the Rogaland anorthosite complex, southwestern Norway. Pegmatitic werdingite is beryllian (0.19-0.55 wt% BeO by ion microprobe). It varies in Al and Si contents; a more general formula could be (Mg,Fe,Al) 2 Al 12 (Al,Fe) 2 (Si,Al) 4 B 2 (B,Al,Be,Si) 2 O 37 . The proportion of Fe exceeds that of Mg in one sample from Andrahomana and in all samples from Almgjotheii; thus these samples are the Fe-dominant analogues of werdingite. At Cap Andrahomana, the maximum-phase assemblage can be given as quartz+K-feldspar+grandidierite+garnet+sillimanite+werdingite, although werdingite replaces sillimanite. Niobian ilmenite, hercynite, late biotite and late andalusite also are present. At Almgjotheii, the characteristic maximum-phase assemblage prior to extensive development of tourmaline appears to have been quartz+K-feldspar+garnet+sillimanite (andalusite)+grandidierite+Ti-rich dumortierite; werdingite is limited to assemblages with boralsilite (Al 16 B 6 Si 2 O 37 ), grandidierite and Ti-poor dumortierite, and formed later than grandidierite. Conditions of werdingite formation at both localities are estimated to be T nearly equal 600-700 degrees C, P nearly equal 3-4 kbar, P(H 2 O) total , that is, at lower temperature than at the peak of metamorphism that affected the country rocks. The appearance of borosilicates in pegmatites cutting granulite-facies pelitic rocks, which are generally depleted in B, can be explained by a scenario involving remobilization of B present in the pelitic precursors, incorporation of the remobilized boron in partial melts, and crystallization of the melts as pegmatite veins with borosilicates. In terms of the model system FeO - MgO - Al 2 O 3 - B 2 O 3 - SiO 2 open to H 2 O and with quartz in excess, werdingite is restricted to assemblages richer in B 2 O 3 than the tie-plane grandidierite-sillimanite and the plane grandidierite-sillimanite-garnet, which are stable instead of the join werdingite-cordierite, an assemblage not yet reported in nature or experiments. At Almgjotheii, werdingite is further restricted by the tie-plane grandidierite-dumortierite, and thus is rare in rocks with garnet and sillimanite.
Quantification of 8-MOP Photoadducts in Lymphocytes

The ability of lymphocytes to respond to stimulation with a mitogen has been determined as a function of 8-methoxypsoralen concentrations (1-1000 ng/ml) and ultraviolet A doses (1-5 J/cm2). 8-MOP concentrations as low as 5 ng/ml in combination with 3 J/cm2 UVA completely abrogate the response. The extent of 8-MOP photoadduct formation was determined by liquid scintillometric analysis of DNA isolated from lymphocytes after treatment with 8-MOP and UVA. Greater doses of drug and light led to proportionately greater number of adducts. However, the effect on cell function as gauged by tritiated thymidine incorporation is saturated after the formation of a small number of 8-MOP photoadducts (~1 per million bases). Once this number of adducts have formed the cells lose their ability to remove the adducts.
Die Neue Wirtschaftssoziologie und das Erbe Max Webers

Was sich einem Historiker der Wirtschaftssoziologie umgehend offenbart, ist die Diskontinuitat zwischen der klassischen Wirtschaftssoziologie, die ihren Hohepunkt mit Max Weber erreichte, und der zeitgenossischen Wirtschaftssoziologie, die Mitte der 1980er Jahre scheinbar aus dem Nichts und ohne jede erkennbare Verbindung mit der Vergangenheit entstanden ist. Bei naherer Betrachtung erscheint es jedoch kaum vorstellbar, dass die Neue Wirtschaftssoziologie1, die sich unter diesem Begriff in den Vereinigten Staaten einen Namen gemacht hat, uberhaupt keine Beziehung zur Vergangenheit gehabt haben soll. Dieser Aufsatz versucht, eine solche Verbindung offen zu legen und insbesondere zu zeigen, in welchem Ausmas die zeitgenossische US-amerikanische Wirtschaftssoziologie an das Werk Max Webers anschliest. Was eine solche Vorgehensweise motiviert, ist die Tatsache, dass Weber die Wirtschaftssoziologie begrundete und sein Beitrag immer noch fur eine Wirtschaftssoziologie, wie sie besser nicht sein konnte, steht. Sein Werk zu ignorieren wurde bedeuten, die Wirtschaftssoziologie armer zu machen, und zwingt zudem heutige Wirtschaftssoziologen dazu, das Rad in mancherlei Hinsicht neu zu erfinden.
Fluorine-18 patents (2009–2015). Part 2: new radiochemistry

Fluorine-18 (18F) is one of the most common positron-emitting radionuclides used in the synthesis of positron emission tomography radiotracers due to its ready availability, convenient half-life and outstanding imaging properties. In Part 1 of this review, we presented the first analysis of patents issued for novel radiotracers labeled with fluorine-18. In Part 2, we follow-up with a focus on patents issued for new radiochemistry methodology using fluorine-18 issued between January 2009 and December 2015.
407 How to speak so today’s parents will listen

Background To help families protect children from injury, we have to reach them in channels they are tuning into using messages that resonate. Today’s parents are getting much of their information through channels that didn’t exist ten years ago. Safe Kids has undergone a messaging transformation, changing our tone, simplifying our messaging for low-literacy audiences and building new media channels to connect with parents. We conducted a series of focus groups among mothers and grandmothers.We recruited from two populations: low literacy and average literacy. The topic was medication safety. We also tested several types of posts on Facebook, tracking engagement. Objective The objective of this session is to educate injury professionals on strategies for connecting with today’s families. The culture of communications has changed dramatically in the last ten years. As safety experts, we need to evolve how we reach today’s families. Results We learned the best way to present messages to parents so they are intrigued to learn more. We also learned when it helps to include statistics and when parents tune statistics out. To address channels, we tested several social media strategies to determine which ones deliver the best results. Our success is evident in our growth. In just four years, our Facebook page has grown from 35,000 likes to more than 1,000,000 likes. Conclusions To impact the culture of safety, we need to understand the culture of communicating to today’s parents so we can meet parents where they are. Safe Kids Worldwide is eager to share what we have learned about tone, messaging and communications channels. In conversations at past conferences with injury professionals around the world, we believe this is a topic of universal interest and essential for connecting with families to reduce injuries in children in the future.
Replicated Q-learning based sub-band selection for wideband spectrum sensing in cognitive radios

Spectrum sensing is a key basic function in any wideband cognitive radio (CR) for detecting the presence of any spectral activities. However, due to hardware constraints, the instantaneous sensing bandwidth is limited to a single sub-band out of all sub-bands in the spectrum of interest. Hence, sub-band selection is an important step in wideband spectrum sensing. In this paper we develop a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) to model the sub-band dynamics and propose an efficient sub-band selection policy based on replicated Q-learning. It is shown through simulations that the proposed selection policy has reasonably low computational complexity and significantly outperforms the random sub-band selection policy.
Towards data-driven pre-operative evaluation of lung cancer patients: the case of smart mask

Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths. Many early stage lung cancer patients have a resectable tumor, however, their cardiopulmonary function needs to be properly evaluated before they are deemed operative candidates. Pulmonary function is assessed via spirometry and diffusion capacity. If these are below a certain threshold, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is recommended. CPET is expensive, labor intensive, and sometimes ineffective since the patient is unable to fully participate due to comorbidities, such as limited mobility. In addition, CPET is done using a set of physical activities that may or may not be relevant to the patient’s typical activities. This paper presents steps towards developing a solution to address this gap. Specifically, we present OOCOO, a mobile mask system designed to measure oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in respiration, as well as activity levels. Unlike state of practice, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and activity data can be continuously measured over a long period of time in the patient’s environment of choice. The mask is capable of wireless data transfer to commodity smartphones. We have carried out initial work on development of an Android application to capture, analyze, and share the data with authorized entities.
Back-illuminated solar-blind AlxGa1-xN p-i-n photodiodes

In the past few years, the wide-bandgap III-N compound semiconductor materials have been the subject of intense research owing to their commercial importance for the production of high-brightness light-emitting diodes. Another potentially important application for the Column III nitrides is for detection of ultra-violet radiation for various sensing, monitoring, and control applications. There has been a growing interest in back-illuminated solar-blind AlxGa1-xN photodiodes for flip-chip mounting to silicon read-out circuits. These devices not only need to have high external quantum efficiencies, but these efficiencies must be achieved at, or less than, the operating voltage of the readout display. This paper describes AlxGa1-xN heteroepitaxial back-illuminated p-i-n photodiodes that have been developed for these applications.
‘My Pen is Mightier Than Your Sword…’: A Conversation with Reef the Lost Cauze

AbstractWhen thinking about elements of hip-hop culture, it becomes important to include cultural brokers and key practitioners in the conversation, so that the culture does not become divorced from the conversations about it. In order to talk about MC/emcee culture, one should include an emcee that is known and respected for the craft. This interview is conducted with veteran Sharif Lacey aka Reef the Lost Cauze.
BioMEMs for drug delivery applications

Abstract: This chapter discusses the use of biological microelectromechanical systems (bioMEMs) in drug delivery applications. Microfabricated platforms and nanofabricated devices are used to dramatically improve the efficacy of therapeutics by increasing their bioavailability, biodistribution, and by providing technologies of targeted drug delivery, timed drug release, and triggered drug release. The review starts with a discussion of microfabricated transdermal drug delivery systems such as microneedles, integrated transdermal drug delivery systems, and platforms for needle-less transdermal drug administration. Implantable drug delivery systems, including biodegradable drug reservoirs, drug-eluting stents, active drug release systems, and immuno-isolation biocapsules are discussed next. The chapter concludes with a brief review of the application of micro- and nanofabricated particles for drug delivery.
Meaningfulness, Measurement, Value Seeking and the Corporate Objective Function: An Introduction to New Possibilities

Decades of research in education, psychology, sociology, and health care have established that investments in human, social, and natural capital can be measured in metrics as objective as measures of time, commodities, or manufactured products. When universally uniform and accessible forms of such measures are devised and deployed, and when intangible assets are managed alongside tangible ones for maximal value in efficient markets, then, and only then, will social welfare be maximized hand in hand with the maximization of the total market value of every firm in an economy. Instead of the confusion and lack of purpose promulgated by the balanced scorecard, a well designed instrument combining all relevant information in a composite single valued corporate objective function would provide a mathematically transparent, qualitatively authentic, and substantively manageable definition of that function. Enlightened value seeking is contingent on evidence-based, theoretically tractable, and instrumentally mediated information sufficient to the task of bringing externalities into account in financial standards and economic models.
A novel analytical solution to estimate residual saturation of the displaced fluid in a capillary tube by matching time-dependent injection pressure curves

Characterizing two-phase flow in a capillary tube is of great importance in many branches of engineering such as petroleum, civil, medicine, CO2 capture and sequestration, and polymer processing. Accurate estimation of the residual saturation in a multi-phase flow will aid engineers to optimize the investigated two-phase flow by altering the flow parameters. The main goal of this study is to develop a new analytical model to estimate the amount of the residual saturation solely by matching the injection pressure versus time data for the times before breakthrough. The proposed model is based on decomposing the total pressure drop into Poiseuille and Young-Laplace terms and assuming a linear decrease in the radius of the front with the traveled distance from the inlet. An optimization technique is required to find the slope of the linear function through matching the inlet pressure data. The saturation-time data can be reconstructed after obtaining a fair match over the pressure-time data. Results of the proposed model were compared with the outcomes of a numerical finite volume simulator, for wide ranges of Ca (Capillary) numbers and two different wetting systems. Observations showed a maximum relative error of around 11% over the predicted residual saturation for both oil-wetting and water-wetting mediums. Based on the phase-diagram, the developed model is applicable for both capillary and viscous fingering flow regimes. Moreover, the introduced model accurately predicts the changes in the front velocity with time, for all investigated Ca numbers, which demonstrates that outcomes of the proposed technique are physically reliable.
Trust No Scorn on the Page and No Hate in the Frame: Deconstructing Hate Speech and Empowering Tolerance in English 101

This chapter describes one effort to integrate the critical consumption of hate texts, the objectives of introductory composition (ENGL-101) courses, and Holocaust and genocide education at Queensborough Community College. Designed in an inclusive faculty working group, the effort culminated in a project that can now be used by any ENGL-101 instructor to guide students through the examination and reversal of hate propaganda in children’s books. Included with this project are exercises in textual interpretation and evaluation, as well as assignments that invite students to create mirror images of propaganda to promote tolerance and understanding. This chapter focuses on the empowering potential of these exercises and assignments, as well as the impact of pedagogy groups in engaging adjunct faculty in the design and implementation of such efforts.
The Involvement of the Cell Cycle in Apoptosis

The term apoptosis was proposed in 1972 to describe dying cells that undergo characteristic morphological changes that were distinctly different from necrosis (Kerr et al., 1972; reviewed in Wyllie et al., 1980). In necrosis, cells swell leading to rupture of plasma and organelle membranes, release of hydrolytic enzymes, and loss of organized structure. In contrast, apoptosis was recognized as reduction in cell size and therefore it was originally termed “shrinkage necrosis.” It was believed that apoptosis was involved in tissue homeo-stasis so the new name was intended to emphasize the normal balance between cell replication (mitosis) and cell death (apoptosis). The earliest morphological change observed in a cell dying by apoptosis is chromatin condensation to the periphery of the nucleus, followed by nuclear and cytoplasmic blebbing, cell shrinkage, and eventual loss of membrane integrity. Biochemically, the earliest event observed is DNA digestion in the internucleosome spacer region. These events occur late in the pathway of cell death, but understanding what regulates them will lead to an understanding of the upstream events that directly cause cell death (Figure 1). One frequently cited requirement for apoptosis is new protein synthesis, although the identity of the critical protein(s) is unknown. These proteins are frequently thought of as lethal, but results discussed below will present an argument that they may be normal cell cycle regulatory proteins, and that their expression leads to passage of a cell to a phase of the cell cycle at which they can undergo apoptosis.
SDNSOC: Object Oriented SDN Framework

The cloud networks managed by SDN can have multi-tier policy and rule conflicts. The application plane can have conflicting user-defined policies, and the infrastructure layer can have OpenFlow rules conflicting with each other. There is no scalable, and, automated programming framework to detect and resolve multi-tier conflicts in SDN-based cloud networks. We present an object-oriented programming framework - SDN Security Operation Center (SDNSOC), which handles policy composition at application plane, flow rule conflict detection and resolution at the control plane. We follow the design principles of object-oriented paradigm such as code-re-utilization, methods abstraction, aggregation for the implementation of SDNSOC on a multi-tenant cloud network. The key benefits obtained using this approach are (i) The network administrator is abstracted from complex-implementation details of SFC. The end-to-end policy composition of different network functions is handled by an object-oriented framework in an automated fashion. We achieve 37% lower latency in SFC composition compared to nearest competitors - SICS and PGA. (ii) Policy conflict detection between the existing traffic rules and incoming traffic is handled by SDNSOC in a scalable manner. The solution scales well on a large cloud network., and 18% faster security policy conflict detection on a cloud network with 100k OpenFlow rules compared to similar works - Brew, and Flowguard.
Car☐ylation of saturated hydrocarbons by gif systems (Fe0/CO/O2, and CU0/CO/O2 in pyridine-acetic acid)

Abstract Saturated hydrocarbons are transformed into the corresponding homologous car☐ylic acid by treatment with Fe0/CO/O2 or Cu0/CO/O2 in pyridine/acetic acid. Mechanistic studies support a reaction pathway involving the insertion of CO into a carbon-iron or carbon-copper bond.
Genomic and Virulence Heterogeneity of Enteroaggregative Escherichia Coli

This chapter focuses on study of Escherichia coli evolution, and examines what is understood concerning the diversity of this highly heterogeneous pathovar, recent insights from whole and partial genome sequences, and how these data may eventually be used to further clarify what factors make enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) pathogens. In 1999, a collaborative effort between Tom Whittam’s lab and Jim Nataro’s lab provided the first large-scale phylogenetic determination of a worldwide collection of EAEC isolates, as well as isolates previously identified as diffusely adherent E. coli (DAEC). In this study, isolates were screened by 20-locus multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) as well as colony hybridizations to 10 plasmid-and chromosome-encoded virulence genes. These results provided for the first time a more complete picture of EAEC diversity, and several important points came to light. First, three phylogenetic groups containing EAEC strains were identified and designated EAEC1, EAEC2, and AA/DA. Second, even in cases where DAEC and EAEC strains intermingled within the same phylogenetic group, these strains were clearly distinguished by the fact that DAEC did not carry EAEC virulence determinants. Third, a few strains were classified as EAEC by the HEp-2 adherence assay but were DNA probe negative for all the screened EAEC virulence factors and clustered phylogenetically outside of EAEC1, EAEC2, and AA/DA. To date, two complete and one shotgun-assembled EAEC genome sequences are available, providing important data for comparative studies between typical and atypical EAEC, as well as EAEC from different phylogenetic groups.
Abstract 2803: CSF-1 receptor-mediated macrophage depletion can induce immunomodulatory resistance mechanisms in murine tumor models

Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are present within the stroma of most solid tumors where they can act to inhibit immune responses and promote disease progression through expression of immunosuppressive factors and modulation of tumor stroma. Tumor immunotherapies aimed at depletion of TAMs, for instance through the use of blocking antibodies against the CSF1 receptor (CSF1R), have been widely explored, with multiple studies demonstrating that blocking TAM function can inhibit tumor growth/metastasis and stimulate anti-tumor immunity. In order to further dissect the functions of TAM populations and define conditions under which antiCSF1R immunotherapy may have benefit, we evaluated the effect of antiCSF1R treatment on multiple subcutaneous murine tumor models with varying dosing parameters. Despite robust macrophage depletion, some tumor models, such as Renca renal cell adenocarcinoma, showed only a modest change in tumor volume and minimal effector T cell recruitment or activation in response to anti-CSF1R therapy. Comprehensive flow cytometry-based immunophenotyping and single-cell RNA sequencing on immune cells isolated from antiCSF1R and isotype control-treated Renca tumors revealed shifts in gene expression patterns related to vascular remodeling, hypoxic responses, and enhanced regulatory T cell activity. These studies indicate macrophage depletion may, under some conditions, result in compensatory anti-tumor immune responses that could limit the clinical benefit of this therapeutic approach. Citation Format: Sarah A. O9Brien, Katarzyna Skrzypczynska, Jessica Orf, Brian Belmontes, Hong Tan, Daniel Lu, Ian Driver, Jackson Egen. CSF-1 receptor-mediated macrophage depletion can induce immunomodulatory resistance mechanisms in murine tumor models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2803.
circMeta: a unified computational framework for genomic feature annotation and differential expression analysis of circular RNAs.

Motivation Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs generated from non-canonical back-splicing events, have emerged to play key roles in many biological processes. Though numerous tools have been developed to detect circRNAs from rRNA-depleted RNA-seq data based on back-splicing junction-spanning reads, computational tools to identify critical genomic features regulating circRNA biogenesis are still lacking. In addition, rigorous statistical methods to perform differential expression (DE) analysis of circRNAs remain under-developed. Results We present circMeta, a unified computational framework for circRNA analyses. circMeta has three primary functional modules: (i) a pipeline for comprehensive genomic feature annotation related to circRNA biogenesis, including length of introns flanking circularized exons, repetitive elements such as Alu elements and SINEs, competition score for forming circulation and RNA editing in back-splicing flanking introns; (ii) a two-stage DE approach of circRNAs based on circular junction reads to quantitatively compare circRNA levels and (iii) a Bayesian hierarchical model for DE analysis of circRNAs based on the ratio of circular reads to linear reads in back-splicing sites to study spatial and temporal regulation of circRNA production. Both proposed DE methods without and with considering host genes outperform existing methods by obtaining better control of false discovery rate and comparable statistical power. Moreover, the identified DE circRNAs by the proposed two-stage DE approach display potential biological functions in Gene Ontology and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks that are not able to be detected using existing mRNA DE methods. Furthermore, top DE circRNAs have been further validated by RT-qPCR using divergent primers spanning back-splicing junctions. Availability and implementation The software circMeta is freely available at https://github.com/lichen-lab/circMeta. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Introduction to the special issue on physics of mind

In recent years, both fields of physics and psychology have made important scientific advances. The emergence of new instruments gave rise to a data-driven neuroscience allowing us to learn about the state of the brain supporting known mental functions and conversely. In parallel, the appearance of new mathematics allowed the development of computational models describing fundamental brain functions and implementing them in technological applications. While emphasizing the methodology of physics, the special issue aims to bring together these trends in both the experimental and theoretical sciences in order to explain some of the most basic mental processes such as perception, cognition, emotion, consciousness, and learning. In this editorial, we define unsolved problems for brain and psychological sciences, discuss possible means toward their respective solutions, and outline some collaborative initiatives aiming toward these goals. The following problems are defined in gradual order of difficulty: what are the universal properties of human behavior across conditions and cultures? What have each culture learned over historical times and why should specific elements of knowledge be accumulated over cultural evolution? Can computational psychiatry help predict, understand, and cure mental disorders? What is the function of art and cultural artifacts such as music, fiction, or poetry for the cognitive system? How to explain the relation between first-person subjective experience and third-person objective physiological data? What neural mechanisms operate on which mental content at the highest levels of organization of the hierarchical brain? How do abstract ideas emerge from sensory-motor contingencies and what are the conditions for the birth of a new concept? Could symmetry play a role in psychogenesis and support the emergence of new hierarchical layers in cognition? How can we start addressing the question of meaning scientifically, and what does it entail for the physical sciences?
Thermal Environment Change in Growing Premature Infants: Effect on General Somatic Growth and Subcutaneous Fat Accumulation

Fourteen growing, healthy premature infants were moved from heated incubators to cribs at different points in their growth. Group A (six babies) was moved when babies reached a weight of 1,600 to 1,700 gm; group B (eight babies) when babies reached a weight of 1,800 to 1,900 gm. All other conditions of rearing were kept the same. The effect on their growth and thermal stability was measured during the week before and after the temperature change. All infants tolerated the change well. There was no drop in abdominal temperature in an environment cooler by 5 C. The rate of weight gain correlated with gross energy intake only and did not differ within or between the two groups. The rate of growth of the skinfolds increased dramatically after the infants were moved from the incubator. A cooler environment in a growing premature infant (weight greater than 1,600 gm) may promote faster deposition of subcutaneous fat. This might be an important factor in efficient gain in cold resistance.