cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Asymptotic Optimality of Order-Up-To Policies in Lost Sales Inventory Systems

We study a single-product single-location inventory system under periodic review, where excess demand is lost and the replenishment lead time is positive. The performance measure of interest is the long-run average holding cost and lost sales penalty cost. For a large class of demand distributions, we show that when the lost sales penalty becomes large compared to the holding cost, the relative difference between the cost of the optimal policy and the best order-up-to policy converges to zero. For any given cost parameters, we establish a bound on this relative difference. Numerical experiments show that the best order-up-to policy performs well, yielding an average cost that is within 1.5% of the optimal cost when the ratio between the lost sales penalty and the holding cost is 100. We also propose a heuristic order-up-to level using two newsvendor expressions; in our experiments, the cost of this order-up-to policy is 2.52% higher, on an average, than the best order-up-to policy.
Who said hip-hop was dead? The politics of hip-hop culture in Immortal Technique's lyrics

While much of mainstream hip-hop has been corporatized and commercialized by major corporations, strands of independent hip-hop have attempted to remain separated from the major record labels. Using hermeneutic methods, this article examines the lyrics of independent hip-hop artist Immortal Technique. This article identifies three central themes in Immortal Technique’s lyrics that illustrate how he expresses resistance to class domination. First, he argues that class conflict occurs in hip-hop and thus there needs to be a pull away from major corporations. Second, his lyrics point for the need for independent hip-hop to escape from false consciousness and resist hegemony. Finally, his work indicates that the creation of knowledge through independent hip-hop culture and language present a means to resist class domination.
Risk taking as a predictor of adolescent sexual activity and use of contraception.

This study tested a risk-taking model of adolescent sexual activity and use of contraception. Longitudinal data were analyzed from a household sample of 1273 unmarried male and female adolescents and young adults. The results indicated that engagement in sexual intercourse and re liability of contraceptive use increased with age throughout adolescence and into young adulthood. Engaging in sexual intercourse among these subjects appeared to reflect a high risk-taking personality profile as de fined by high disinhibition and high impulsivity. Reliable and consistent use of contraception, however, did not appear to relate to this profile. Future research needs to determine other predictors of safe versus unsafe sexual practices.
Chemical Genetic Analysis of the Time Course of Signal Transduction by JNK

Exposure of primary murine embryonic fibroblasts to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) causes biphasic activation of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway. The early phase (30 min) of the response to TNF is a large and transient increase in JNK activity. This response is followed by a second and more sustained phase of JNK activation that lasts many hours. We employed a chemical genetic strategy to dissect the functional consequences of these two phases of JNK activation. We report that both the early and late phases of JNK activation contribute to TNF-induced gene expression. In contrast, the early transient phase of JNK activation (<1 hr) can signal cell survival, while the later and more sustained phase of JNK activation (1–6 hr) can mediate proapoptotic signaling. These data indicate that the time course of JNK signaling can influence the biological response to JNK activation.
Runlength compression techniques for FPGA configurations

The time it takes to reconfigure FPGAs can be a significant overhead for reconfigurable computing. In this paper we develop new compression algorithms for FPGA configurations that can significantly reduce this overhead. By using runlength and other compression techniques, files can be compressed by a factor of 3.6 times. Bus transfer and decompression hardware are also discussed. This results in a single compression methodology which achieves higher compression ratios than existing algorithms in an off-line version, as well as a somewhat lower quality compression approach which is suitable for on-line use in dynamic circuit generation and other mapping-time critical situations.
A gene-expression program reflecting the innate immune response of cultured intestinal epithelial cells to infection by Listeria monocytogenes

Background: Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive, facultative, intracellular bacterial pathogen found in soil, which occasionally causes serious food-borne disease in humans. The outcome of an infection is dependent on the state of the infected individual’s immune system, neutrophils being key players in clearing the microorganism from the body. The first line of host defense, however, is the intestinal epithelium. Results: We have examined the transcriptional response of cultured human intestinal epithelial cells to infection by L. monocytogenes, which replicates in the host cell cytoplasm and spreads from cell to cell using a form of actin-based motility. We found that the predominant host response to infection was mediated by NFB. To determine whether any host responses were due to recognition of specific virulence factors during infection, we also examined the transcriptional response to two bacterial mutants; actA which is defective in actin-based motility, and prfA, which is defective in the expression of all L. monocytogenes virulence genes. Remarkably, we found no detectable difference in the host transcriptional response to the wild-type and mutant bacteria. Conclusions: These results suggest that cultured intestinal epithelial cells are capable of mounting and recruiting a powerful innate immune response to L. monocytogenes infection. Our results imply that L. monocytogenes is not specifically detected in the host cytoplasm of Caco-2 cells by intracellular signals. This suggests that entry of bacteria is mediated in the host cell posttranslationally, and that these bacteria seek the cytosol not only for the nutrient-rich environment, but also for protection from detection by the immune system.
Observers for systems with nonlinearities satisfying incremental quadratic constraints

We consider the problem of designing observers to asymptotically estimate the state of a system whose nonlinear time-varying terms satisfy an incremental quadratic inequality that is parameterized by a set of multiplier matrices. Observer design is reduced to solving linear matrix inequalities for the observer gain matrices. The proposed observers guarantee exponential convergence of the state estimation error to zero. In addition to considering a larger class of nonlinearities than previously considered, this paper unifies earlier related results in the literature. The results are illustrated by application to several examples.
Load Test: Benchmarking Throughput

Acquisition of the best high performance computers (HPCs) for the High Performance Computing Modernization Programs (HPCMP) annual technology insertion (TI) cycle is guided by estimating the performance of the new machines based upon the computational technical areas (CTAs) for which they will be used. For each CTA, one or more codes are used to estimate the aggregate load across all HPC systems in the HPCMP. The primary aim is to purchase equipment that is best suited for each of the CTAs. To this end, each code is benchmarked on every major system in the HPCMP using standard and large test cases that represent the anticipated computational load. The scalability and efficiency of the equipment are determined and help to guide the prospective purchases. The overall goal of each shared resource center is to provide quality service while executing as many HPC tasks as possible. The job mix varies from small jobs requiring, at most, one node and short execution times, to large jobs requiring significant portions of entire systems, including large amounts of memory, dedicated to their execution. Therefore, the load test was devised to benchmark the throughput of existing and proposed HPC systems using a mix of jobs that represents the anticipated usage by the CTAs. This paper will present a brief description of the load test, including the job mix by CTA and the representative codes of each. The number of times each job is executed at each processor count will be described. Data from a run of the load test conducted at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Major Shared Resource Center will be used to demonstrate the benchmark.
Lerna: an active storage framework for flexible data access and management

In the present paper, we examine the problem of supporting application-specific computation within a network file server. Our objectives are (i) to introduce an easy to use yet powerful architecture for executing both custom-developed and legacy applications close to the stored data, (ii) to investigate the performance improvement that we get from data proximity in I/O-intensive processing, and (in) to exploit the I/O-traffic information available within the file server for more effective resource management. One main difference from previous active storage research is our emphasis on the expressive power and usability of the network server interface. We describe an extensible active storage framework that we built in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system design. We show that accessing large datasets over a wide-area network through a regular file system can penalize the system performance, unless application computation is moved close to the stored data. Our conclusions are substantiated through experimentation with a popular multilayer map warehouse application.
Experimental characterization of poly(hydroxyalkyl‐L‐glutamine) conformations in aqueous calcium chloride and sodium perchlorate solutions

Poly(hydroxyalkyl-L-glutamine) (alkyl = ethyl, propyl, butyl) solutions have been studied by CD as functions of temperature and activity of calcium chloride and sodium perchlorate. Helical content is altered by changes in salt activity and temperature. The helicity of poly(hydroxybutyl-L-glutamine) and poly(hydroxypropyl-L-glutamine) falls to zero in a monotonic fashion with increasing calcium chloride activity. A nonzero helicity reappears at activities in excess of 5–50 mol kg−1. Poly(hydroxypropyl-L-glutamine) is much more sensitive to calcium chloride than is poly(hydroxybutyl-L-glutamine), and both polypeptides are more sensitive to calcium chloride than are typical proteins. Markedly different behavior is observed with sodium perchlorate. This salt acts as a helix stabilizer at low activities but becomes a destabilizer at activities higher than 0.3–1.0 mol kg−1. In this respect the effect of sodium perchlorate on nonionic poly(hydroxyalkyl-L-glutamines) resembles that seen with cationic poly(L-lysine) and poly(L-arginine). Helix stabilization at low sodium perchlorate activity is moderate for poly(hydroxybutyl-L-glutamine) and large for poly(hydroxypropyl-L-glutamine) and poly(hydroxyethyl-L-glutamine).
Passenger-strand cleavage facilitates assembly of siRNA into Ago2-containing RNAi enzyme complexes

In the Drosophila and mammalian RNA interference pathways, siRNAs direct the protein Argonaute2 (Ago2) to cleave corresponding mRNA targets, silencing their expression. Ago2 is the catalytic component of the RNAi enzyme complex, RISC. For each siRNA duplex, only one strand, the guide, is assembled into the active RISC; the other strand, the passenger, is destroyed. An ATP-dependent helicase has been proposed first to separate the two siRNA strands, then the resulting single-stranded guide is thought to bind Ago2. Here, we show that Ago2 instead directly receives the double-stranded siRNA from the RISC assembly machinery. Ago2 then cleaves the siRNA passenger strand, thereby liberating the single-stranded guide. For siRNAs, virtually all RISC is assembled through this cleavage-assisted mechanism. In contrast, passenger-strand cleavage is not important for the incorporation of miRNAs that derive from mismatched duplexes.
SANDROS: a dynamic graph search algorithm for motion planning

We present a general search strategy called SANDROS for motion planning, and its applications to motion planning for three types of robots: (1) manipulator; (2) rigid object; and (3) multiple rigid objects. SANDROS is a dynamic-graph search algorithm, and can be described as a hierarchical, nonuniform-multiresolution, best-first search to find a heuristically short motion in the configuration space. The SANDROS planner is resolution complete, and its computation time is commensurate with the problem difficulty measured empirically by the solution-path complexity. For many realistic problems involving a manipulator or a rigid object with six degrees of freedom, its computation times are under 1 minute for easy problems involving wide free space, and several minutes for relatively hard problems.
Green tea extract prolongs allograft survival as an adjunctive therapy along with low dose cyclosporine A.

The current immunosuppressive drugs are successful in prolonging allograft survival but fail to achieve transplantation tolerance or prevent chronic rejection. Consequently, there is ongoing research to develop novel combinatorial therapies that are more efficacious in prolonging allograft survival as well as induce tolerance toward the transplanted organ. The present study aims to study the efficacy of green tea extract (GTE) in combination with low dose cyclosporine A (CyA) in prolonging allograft survival in mice. Numerous studies have reported the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of GTE and its various catechin components. GTE is also known to attenuate CyA induced nephrotoxicity. Therefore, we hypothesized that GTE alone or in combination with CyA will prolong graft survival. Our study demonstrates that GTE in combination with low dose CyA significantly prolongs graft survival as well as increase the production of immunosuppressive cytokine, IL-10. GTE also decreases CyA induced high TGF-β production, which is incriminated in CyA induced nephrotoxicity. We also observed that GTE inhibits both nonspecific and antigen-specific proliferation of T cells in vitro. These results indicate the potential of GTE as an adjunctive therapy in combination with CyA to prolong allograft survival and to reduce CyA induced nephrotoxicity.
Mental models and parallel program maintenance

Parallel programs are difficult to write, test, and debug. This thesis explores how programmers build mental models about parallel programs, and demonstrates, through user evaluations, that maintenance activities can be improved by incorporating theories based on such models. By doing so, this work aims to increase the reliability and performance of today's information technology infrastructure by improving the practice of maintaining and testing parallel software.
Transcriptome analysis of Schistosoma mansoni larval development using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE)

Infection of the snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, by the free-swimming miracidial stage of the human blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni, and its subsequent development to the parasitic sporocyst stage is critical to establishment of viable infections and continued human transmission. We performed a genome-wide expression analysis of the S. mansoni miracidia and developing sporocyst using Long Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (LongSAGE). Five cDNA libraries were constructed from miracidia and in vitro cultured 6- and 20-day-old sporocysts maintained in sporocyst medium (SM) or in SM conditioned by previous cultivation with cells of the B. glabrata embryonic (Bge) cell line. We generated 21 440 SAGE tags and mapped 13 381 to the S. mansoni gene predictions (v4.0e) either by estimating theoretical 3′ UTR lengths or using existing 3′ EST sequence data. Overall, 432 transcripts were found to be differentially expressed amongst all 5 libraries. In total, 172 tags were differentially expressed between miracidia and 6-day conditioned sporocysts and 152 were differentially expressed between miracidia and 6-day unconditioned sporocysts. In addition, 53 and 45 tags, respectively, were differentially expressed in 6-day and 20-day cultured sporocysts, due to the effects of exposure to Bge cell-conditioned medium.
A preliminary study of optimal splitting for rare-event simulation

Efficiency is a big concern when using simulation to estimate rare-event probabilities, since a huge number of simulation replications may be needed in order to obtain a reasonable estimate of such a probability. Furthermore, when multiple designs must be compared, and each design requires simulation of a rare event, then the total number of samples across all designs can be prohibitively high. This paper presents a new approach to enhance the efficiency for rare-event simulation. Our approach is developed by integrating the notions of level splitting and optimal computing budget allocation. The goal is to determine the optimal numbers of simulation runs across designs and across a number of splitting levels so that the variance of the rare-event estimator is minimized.
Isolating web programs in modern browser architectures

Many of today's web sites contain substantial amounts of client-side code, and consequently, they act more like programs than simple documents. This creates robustness and performance challenges for web browsers. To give users a robust and responsive platform, the browser must identify program boundaries and provide isolation between them.We provide three contributions in this paper. First, we present abstractions of web programs and program instances, and we show that these abstractions clarify how browser components interact and how appropriate program boundaries can be identified. Second, we identify backwards compatibility tradeoffs that constrain how web content can be divided into programs without disrupting existing web sites. Third, we present a multi-process browser architecture that isolates these web program instances from each other, improving fault tolerance, resource management, and performance. We discuss how this architecture is implemented in Google Chrome, and we provide a quantitative performance evaluation examining its benefits and costs.
The Geant4 Bertini Cascade

One of the medium energy hadron–nucleus interaction models in the Geant4 simulation toolkit is based partly on the Bertini intranuclear cascade model. Since its initial appearance in the toolkit, this model has been largely re-written in order to extend its physics capabilities and to reduce its memory footprint. Physics improvements include extensions in applicable energy range and incident particle types, and improved hadron–nucleon cross-sections and angular distributions. Interfaces have also been developed which allow the model to be coupled with other Geant4 models at lower and higher energies. The inevitable speed reductions due to enhanced physics have been mitigated by memory and CPU efficiency improvements. Details of these improvements, along with selected comparisons of the model to data, are discussed.
Phase-mismatched localized fields in A-PPLN waveguide devices

Highly phase-mismatched nonlinear interactions can generate spatially localized optical fields that can affect the performance of nonlinear optical devices. We present a theoretical description of the generation of such spatially localized optical fields by ultrafast pulses. The effects of temporal walk-off and pump depletion are discussed, along with methods for suppression of the localized field while maintaining the performance of the nonlinear device. The model is validated by the measurement of the spatial profile of the localized field in a quasi-phase-matched (QPM) aperiodically poled lithium niobate (A-PPLN) waveguide. Finally, we fabricate and characterize A-PPLN devices with a 33% duty cycle to reduce the locally generated field by 90%.
Facility-Demand Models of Peak Period Pedestrian and Bicycle Traffic: Comparison of Fully Specified and Reduced-Form Models:

Transportation planners and engineers need better spatial estimates of walking and cycling traffic to assess exposure to hazards, evaluate infrastructure investments, and locate facilities. Facility-demand models are potentially useful for generating spatial estimates of traffic volumes. Few facility-demand models have explored trade-offs between fully specified (i.e., exploratory) models and reduced-form models easily applied in the field. Presented are facility-demand models based on peak period (4 to 6 p.m.) counts of pedestrian and bicycle traffic in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The count database (n = 954 observations; 471 locations) has sufficient spatial density (~3 locations km−2) to develop spatially resolved models (i.e., ~100-m resolution). The modeling approach employs a stepwise linear regression method allowing for varying the spatial scale of independent (land use and transportation) variables. Compared were fully specified (statistically optimal) models and supervised, reduced-form models that ...
Salivary secretion induced by substance P.

AbstractSecretion of fluid, ions, and amylase from parotid and submaxillary glands of rat, induced by intravenous injection of substance P (SP), was examined. The action of SP on salivary glands, like physalaemin, resembled that of cholinergic stimulation. While SP-evoked salivary flow from both glands was blocked by atropine, atropine did not modify composition of SP-evoked saliva. The present study suggests that salivary secretion and secretion of ions and amylase evoked by SP are mediated via SP-sensitive cholinergic receptors and specific SP receptors, respectively.
Analysis on results of suspected cases of measles and rubella during 2009～2011 in Lu'an

Objective To explore the clinical significance in diagnosis of suspected cases of measles and rubella through testing IgM antibody.Methods The specific antibodies against measles and rubella were detected from serum samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results A total of 484 serum samples from suspected measles and rubella cases were collected during 2009 to 2011,the positive rates of IgM antibody to measles and rubella were 31.82%(154 /484) and 17.15%(83 /484) respectively.According to the age distribution,positive rtes of measles and rubella in age range less than 1 yr group were 4.55% and 0%,53.90% and 4.82% in 1 ～ 4 yr,10.39% and 61.45% in 5 ～ 15 yr,and 31.17% and 33.73% in over 15 yr group respectively.Conclusion The basic immunization and revaccination in immunization program for measles and rubella should be strengthened,and the quality of immunization must be improved,and it should pay more attention to epidemiological and immunological monitering on severe cases of measles and rubella.
Acylation reaction of blueberry anthocyanins with gallic acid and evaluation of its antioxidant activities

Gallic acyl anthocyanin(GAA) was prepared by chemical acylation with blueberry anthocyanins and gallic acid,and triacetyl gallic acid chloride was synthetized as a relevant acylating agent. The reaction process was monitored by thin-layer chromatography,and purity of the product was determined by melting point measured with capillary tube method. The infrared spectra of GAA,triacetyl gallic acyl anthocyanins,and original anthocyanins were compared and the results proved synthesis successfully. Acylation degree was measured with HPLC. The antioxidant activity of GAA was tested through comparison with original blueberry anthocyanin extracts by using different techniques. The antiradical activity,reducing O2-· activity,and inhibition toward lipid peroxidation of GAA were measured by using 1, 1- diphenyl- 2- picrylhydrazyl, pyrogallot autoxidation, and lecithin liposome method, respectively. The IC50values of GAA for the aforementioned assays were 26.8,17.5,171.7μg/mL,respectively. The IC50values of the original anthocyanin extracts were39.8,27.0,219.7μg/mL,respectively. The IC50values of ascorbic acid were 45.1,51.2,1084.8μg/mL,respectively.Results showed that the acylation method could increase the antioxidant activity of original anthocyanin extracts.
Advanced upper lid blepharoplasty.

Advanced blepharoplasty invaginates the upper lid tissues. It requires an intimate familiarity with the anatomy of the upper lid. The two keys to success are (1) approaching the deep fascia network via strip resection of the pretarsal fascia and (2) forming a free edge of the levator aponeurosis.
Indole and Skatole in Fresh Pork as Possible Markers of Fecal Contamination

Zero-tolerance levels for fecal contamination on beef, pork, and poultry have been proposed because of outbreaks of foodborne illnesses associated with pathogenic microorganisms from this source. As a result, changes in the current meat inspection system will have to include means other than visual inspection of the carcass to ensure the absence of contamination. While the principal need is for rapid, in-plant microbial testing methods, there is also a need for chemical-instrumental methods. A rapid solid-phase extraction method was developed to measure indole and skatole in porcine meat using a gas chromatograph interfaced with a chemiluminescence detector. The minimum detectable level for both compounds was 10 ppb. Results from the analysis of contaminated pork showed that this approach may have limited value in the assessment of fecal contamination in pork samples, since not all of the samples had detectable levels of either indole or skatole.
The paradoxes in patterns and mechanism of bone marrow regeneration after irradiation: 2. Total body irradiation

Summary Low dose total body irradiation (TBI) administered in small fractional doses (5–10 cGy) for the treatment of disseminated malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma can be extremely toxic with substantial bone marrow depression. We elected to study bone marrow suppression following fractionated TBI in the rabbit. New Zealand white/female rabbits were thus treated with one of the following three schedules: (1) 3 fractions of 10 cGy per week; (2) 5 fractions of 10 cGy per week; and (3) 5 fractions of 25 cGy per week. Total doses ranged from 1050 to 2625 cGy and animals were sacrificed immediately, 4 weeks, or 8 weeks following completion of therapy. With the 10 cGy/day schedules, slight depression of total WBC counts and lymphocyte numbers occurred during and to the completion of irradiation followed by a rebound to greater than normal levels. With the 25 cGy schedule, a significant WBC and lymphocyte depression occurred at an accumulated dose of 1000 cGy and continued to decrease up to 2500 cGy, followed again by a rebound to greater than normal levels. The depression with the 25 cGy fractions was significantly greater than with the 10 cGy daily fractions. Thus, the severe and persistent peripheral blood count depression observed in CLL patients treated with TBI in small fractional doses was not reproduced in the normal rabbits. Possible explanations for this paradox are offered.
A systematic review on the role of eicosanoid pathways in rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract Background Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by the production of eicosanoids, cytokines, adhesion molecules, infiltration of T and B lymphocytes in the synovium and oxygen reduction accompanied by the cartilage degradation. Eicosanoids are responsible for the progressive destruction of cartilage and bone, however neither steroids, nor the non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cannot slow down cartilage and bone destruction providing only symptomatic improvement. The current rheumatoid arthritis treatment options include mainly the use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, the corticosteroids, the NSAIDs and biological agents. Methods PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase electronic database were used as the main sources for extracting several articles, reviews, original papers in English for further review and analysis on the implication of arachidonic acid metabolites with rheumatoid arthritis and different strategies of targeting arachidonic acid metabolites, different enzymes or receptors for improving the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Results We first focused on the role of individual prostaglandins and leukotrienes, in the inflammatory process of arthritis, concluding with an outline of the current clinical situation of rheumatoid arthritis and novel treatment strategies targeting the arachidonic acid pathway. Conclusions Extended research is necessary for the development of these novel compounds targeting the eicosanoid pathway, by increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids (PGD 2 ,15dPGJ 2 ), by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids (PGE 2 , LTB 4 , PGI 2 ) involved in rheumatoid arthritis or also by developing dual compounds displaying both the COX-2 inhibitor/TP antagonist activity within a single compound.
Dimension Reduction Based on Centroids and Least Squares for Efficient Processing of Text Data

Dimension reduction in today’s vector space based information retrieval system is essential for improving computational efficiency in handling massive data. In our previous work we proposed a mathematical framework for lower dimensional representations of text data in vector space based information retrieval, and a couple of dimension reduction method using minimization and matrix rank reduction formula. One of our proposed methods is CentroidQR method which utilizes orthogonal transformation on centroids, and the test results showed that its classification results were exactly the same as those of classification with full dimension when a certain classification algorithm is applied. In this paper we discuss in detail the CentroidQR, and prove mathematically its classification properties with two different similarity measures of L2 and cosine. ∗The work of all three authors was supported in part by the National Science Foundation grant CCR-9901992. Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, U.S.A., e-mail: jeon@cs.umn.edu. †Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, U.S.A., e-mail: hpark@cs.umn.edu. ‡Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 and Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, Univ. of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A. e-mail: jbrosen@cs.ucsd.edu.
Synthesis of Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Materials via Vapor Deposition onto Liquid Surfaces

Hybrid materials have a multitude of uses in electronics, catalysis, and drug delivery. Here, we combine sputter deposition and initiated chemical vapor deposition onto low-vapor-pressure liquids to fabricate inorganic/organic hybrid materials. We demonstrate that polymer nanoparticles can be decorated with metal nanoparticles and nanoparticle dispersions can be encapsulated within polymer shells or within gel beads. The generality of our synthetic route allows for a variety of hybrid materials to be fabricated by tuning the viscosity of the liquid, solubility of the monomer, and surface tension of the polymer and liquid.
Polyoxometalate Induces Susceptibility of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus to Oxacillin

Transition metal inorganic compounds, also known as polyoxometalates (POM), have many biological applications such as antiviral, antitumor, and antibacterial therapies. The objective of this study was to determine if the POM α-K6P2W18O62 · 14H2O · 14H2O could overcome the resistance of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). To determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and possible synergistic effects, multiple dilutions of oxacillin and POM were combined with inoculums of MRSA. Susceptibility (MIC ≤ 0.25 µg/mL oxacillin) was achieved at a concentration of 5 µM of α-K6P2W18O62 · 14H2O. The POM enhanced the efficacy of oxacillin, and additionally, the POM showed low toxicity to mammalian cell cultures in vitro. The effect of the POM on mecA gene transcription was assessed using reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and showed a reduction in mRNA transcription at effective POM doses, but increased transcription was observed at higher POM oxacillin doses. This pilot study illustrates that α-K6P2W18O62 · 14H2O could be used in conjunction with oxacillin. However, further testing would need to be completed.
102) Child Anxiety Mediates the Relationship between Parent Anxiety and Child Somatization in Youth with Functional Abdominal Pain

Functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPD) are common pediatric pain conditions that often present with co-occurring anxiety, which is associated with adverse outcomes including increased pain, disability, and somatization. Parents of children with abdominal pain report higher levels of anxiety than parents of children without abdominal pain disorders. In addition, measures of child anxiety (e.g., anxiety sensitivity) in youth with pain conditions are related to somatization and other adverse outcome. However, it is unknown how parent and child anxiety cumulatively influence outcomes in youth with FAPD. Thus, the present investigation sought to examine the role of parent distress (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression) and child anxiety in relation to pain-related functioning (pain, functional disability, and somatization) in youth (ages 9-14) with FAPD (N=78). Youth completed measures of anxiety, pain, functional disability, and somatization, and parents completed a measure of parental distress. Child anxiety was significantly correlated to child somatization (r =0.34, p
Quantification of the Mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol (DON) in Sorghum Using GC-MS and a Stable Isotope Dilution Assay (SIDA)

Sorghum has gained popularity with consumers as a grain source with its gluten-free and high protein dietary characteristics. Acreage has increased recently, in part due to the demand for an alternative feed source for poultry and swine. New information is needed about the level of mycotoxin contamination in sorghum accessions, and accurate and affordable analytical methods need to be developed and tested to quantify mycotoxins in sorghum. A traditional method (solid-phase extraction chromatography with C18, followed by GC-MS) to quantify the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) produced inconsistent DON values following controlled spiking and recovery experiments with different sorghum accessions. Consequently, we incorporated a stable isotope (d1-DON) as an internal standard into a traditional GC-MS method. This method, stable isotope dilution assay (SIDA), was used to accurately determine DON levels in 196 sorghum samples representing 98 different accessions. Of the 98 accessions tested (two samples per accession), 76 of the accessions had DON levels that were greater than the limit of detection for both methods (0.20 μg g−1). For a USA regulatory threshold of 1 μg g−1, about one third of all the accessions (26/76) had at least 20% more DON using the SIDA method. For a regulatory threshold of 5 μg g−1, about 7% of all the accessions (5/76) had at least 20% more DON using the SIDA method. Using SIDA, the amount of DON in a sorghum sample can be accurately and reliably quantitated by basing calculations on the recovery of d1-DON, and this method may have future applications for quantifying DON from samples with complex matrices.
Minimum Slip Collision Imminent Steering in Curved Roads Using Nonlinear Model Predictive Control

Previous work by the authors has introduced a collision imminent steering algorithm to autonomously steer a vehicle if an imminent collision cannot be avoided by braking alone. The original formulation was developed for straight roads. In this work, a new formulation is presented to account for curved roads, as well. To accommodate curved roads, a drivable tube is introduced, within which any trajectory is considered collision free. The optimal control problem is formulated to minimize the peak tire slip of the maneuver to seek a minimally aggressive solution. To ensure the safety of the vehicle in a potential maneuver, hard safety constraints on the vehicle stability and safe driving regions are enforced. Numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed formulation.
2407 Surgical Technique: Posterior Culdotomy

Video Objective The purpose of this video is to demonstrate a posterior culdotomy; this is a simple surgical technique with a number of benefits. Setting We perform a laparoscopic myomectomy and create a posterior culdotomy for specimen removal. Interventions N/A. Conclusion In summary, we urge gynecologists and other surgical subspecialties to strongly consider this method of extraction.
Long-Term Outcomes of Multiple-Wire Localizations for More Extensive Breast Cancer: Multiple-Wire Excision Does Not Increase Recurrence, Unplanned Imaging, or Biopsies

Abstract Background We previously reported that breast conservation was feasible for women with large or irregularly shaped breast cancers when tumor resection was guided by multiple localizing wires. We now report long-term outcomes of multiple-wire versus single-wire localized lumpectomies for breast cancer. Patients and Methods We retrospectively reviewed wire-localized lumpectomies at our institution from May 2000 to November 2006. Rates of ipsilateral in-breast tumor recurrence, metastasis, and subsequent unplanned diagnostic imaging and biopsy were compared between multiple-wire and single-wire cohorts. Results We identified 112 multiple-wire and 160 single-wire breast cancer lumpectomies that achieved clear margins. Median age was 64 years in the multiple-wire cohort and 57 years in the single-wire cohort. Mean lumpectomy volume was 75 mL in multiple-wire patients and 49 mL in single-wire patients (P = .003). Invasive tumor size, axillary node status, and use of radiation and systemic therapy were similar, but the multiple-wire group had more patients with ductal carcinoma-in-situ only (38% vs. 28%). At 108 months’ median follow-up, there was no significant difference in local or distant recurrence rates between multiple-wire and single-wire cohorts. Six (5%) multiple-wire patients and 6 (4%) single-wire patients had local recurrences and 3 (3%) multiple-wire and 5 (3%) single-wire patients developed metastatic disease. Unplanned diagnostic imaging was required for 53 (47%) multiple-wire and 65 (41%) single-wire patients. Subsequent ipsilateral biopsy occurred in 15 (13%) multiple-wire and 19 (12%) single-wire patients. Conclusion Breast-conserving surgery with multiple localizing wires is a safe alternative to mastectomy for breast cancer patients with large mammographic lesions.
Framing Immigrants: News Coverage, Public Opinion, and Policy

Nation-states have often defined themselves and “others” according to their boundaries, which effectively affect the lives of all people separated by borders and particularly those who cross them. ...
A scalable yarn-based biobattery for biochemical energy harvesting in smart textiles

Abstract Fiber-based and fiber-formed power sources that can be seamlessly integrated into fabrics are of great importance to the development of smart textiles. In this regard, possible use of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) and biobatteries as power supplies has not been fully explored because of issues as large device footprint, low power density, difficulties in device integration and stack operations. Herein, an incorporable, flexible, and easily scalable yarn-based biobattery that generates green electricity from bacterial respiration is presented. This biobattery consists of one anodic and one cathodic yarn that are prepared with solution-processible materials for the ease of fabrication. The power output of this biobattery is easily scalable by controlling the length of the yarns for parallel connections or by connecting multiple yarns in series. The maximum current densities for 3 series, 2 parallel and single biobatteries are 110.65 A m−3, 277.10 A m−3 and 315.45 A m−3, respectively. The maximum power densities are 22.10 W m−3, 19.14 W m−3, and 22.12 W m−3, respectively. Moreover, these yarn-based biobatteries can potentially be knitted or woven into smart packaging or embroidered into larger smart fabrics, energizing real-world applications such as Internet-of-things (IoT) devices and wearable electronics.
What's Wrong with the Curriculum in Accounting PhD Programs? Five Case Studies Viewed from the Perspectives of Economics and Ethics

The PhD is considered to be the terminal qualification in accounting. One would think that the doctorate would be a high quality degree that prepares people to function at the top levels of the profession. But such is not the case. The PhD programs presently offered by most universities do a poor job of educating students in accounting. The author looks at the doctoral curricula of five of the more prestigious accounting programs, points out some of their deficiencies and offers suggestions for improvement.
Abstract 871: Development of a smartphone-based electrochemiluminescence biosensor for dopamine detection in advanced breast cancer

Introduction: Studies conducted in our laboratory on proteomic profiling of breast cancer serum among women by shotgun LC-MS methodology have identified several biomarkers for early detection of breast cancer. However, not all of the identified biomarkers have been validated due to costs involved with validation tests. The development of a reliable, cost-effective highly sensitive portable system, the Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor will enable us to validate identified biomarkers that have valuable diagnostic applications. The purpose of this study was to detect dopamine, which has been identified as a biomarker in advanced breast cancer. Dopamine and its receptors act as novel therapeutic agents in advanced breast cancer. Dopamine significantly enhances the efficacy of commonly used anticancer drugs through its antiangiogenic action. Methods: In this work, a compact, mobile phone-based ECL sensor apparatus was developed using the phone cameras, screen-printed electrodes (SPE), and mobile app for dopamine detection. Methods of DC voltage application for ECL reaction were comprehensively studied from the mobile phone itself or external power. Under optimized sensing conditions, with disposable carbon SPE and 20 mM coreactant tri-n-propylamine (TPrA), acceptable repeatability and reproducibility were achieved in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD) of intra- and interassays, which were 6.7 and 5.5 %, respectively. The biochemical compound dopamine was measured due to its ECL quenching characteristics and its clinical significance in breast cancer detection and therapeutic properties. The quenching mechanism of Ru(bpy)32+/TPrA by dopamine was investigated based on the estimation of the constants of the Stern-Volmer equations. Results: The linear range for detectable dopamine concentration was from 1.0 to 50 µM (R2 = 0.982). As the developed mobile phone-based ECL sensor is simple, small and assembled from low-cost components, it offers new opportunities for the development of inexpensive analytical methods and compact sensors. Conclusion: The ECL sensor demonstrated that a new instrumentation with mobile technology in the point-of-care diagnostics of breast cancer could provide reliability and sensitivity of a high-end equipment. This project is funded by the NSF CBET division. Citation Format: Hyun J. Kwon, Padma P. Tadi Uppala, Elmer C. Rivera, Mabio R. Neto, Daniel Marsh, Jonathan J. Swerdlow, Rodney L. Summerscales. Development of a smartphone-based electrochemiluminescence biosensor for dopamine detection in advanced breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 871.
Abstract IA07: Impact of tumor-resident dendritic cells on antitumor immune responses

The responsiveness of tumor towards checkpoint blockade therapy but also other immunotherapies is highly associated with the presence of CD8+ infiltrating T cells. Further, an increasing amount of recent studies revealed a critical role for cross-presenting CD103+ dendritic cells (DC1) in both the induction and maintenance of CD8+ T-cell immunity in the tumor. We have shown that exclusion of DC1 from the tumor microenvironment (TME) can result in both blunted T-cell priming and impaired recruitment of effector T cells into the TME. Thus, exclusion of DC1 represents a mechanism of immune evasion by the tumor and resistance towards immunotherapy. Therefore, elucidating the contributions of different DC subsets to the local tumor microenvironment will be instrumental for the improvement of current immunotherapies. In more recent data we compare models of strong and poor antitumor immune responses with a specific focus on tumor-resident dendritic cells. These experiments reveal the absence of several immune-potentiating dendritic cell subsets in tumors with impaired antitumor immunity. Citation Format: Stefani Spranger. Impact of tumor-resident dendritic cells on antitumor immune responses [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Melanoma: From Biology to Target; 2019 Jan 15-18; Houston, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(19 Suppl):Abstract nr IA07.
GERALD KNOWLES. Patterns of spoken English: An introduction to English phonetics.

(1992). GERALD KNOWLES. Patterns of spoken English: An introduction to English phonetics.. WORD: Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 134-137.
Codigestion and combined heat and power systems energize wastewater treatment plants – Analysis and case studies

Abstract Wastewater treatment industry aims to transform from being an energy consumer to an energy producer by recovering energy embedded in wastewater. There are several ways to achieve energy self-sufficiency or energy-positive status in wastewater treatment plants. This paper presents an energy performance analysis of wastewater treatment considering both energy efficiency and energy recovery mechanisms. Various treatment scenarios based on wastewater characteristics, plant capacity, primary treatment efficiency, and supplemental feedstock are considered to evaluate the potential for energy recovery in wastewater treatment. Energy efficiency (process equipment upgrades), carbon capture enhancement through sludge removal in primary treatment unit and biogas production through the addition of supplemental feedstock are considered in the analysis. Codigestion and combined heat and power system integration is considered to enhance biogas production and in turn electricity and heat production from wastewater treatment. Case studies highlighting the progress of codigestion and CHP integration are discussed in detail to understand the impact of various feedstock and technology combinations. The study confirms that carbon capture in the primary treatment unit can contribute to downstream energy conservation as well as enhanced biogas production. The energy recovery potential in wastewater treatment also increased with organic strength of the wastewater and the treatment capacity. Further, the type of CHP unit, number and size are critical factors in optimizing the energy losses in the conversion process. Despite the codigestion challenges and the capital costs required for both CHP and codigestion systems, their integration still leads the way forward for energy-positive and cost-effective wastewater treatment plants.
Assays to assess the proliferative behavior of cancer cells

Abstract Cellular proliferation is one of the fundamental processes of growth in biology. However, uncontrolled cellular proliferation is one of the hallmarks of cancerous growth. Therefore, the quantitative analysis of cell proliferation is the primary requirement to understand the aggressiveness of cancer cells. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis of cell proliferation helps in anticancer drug screening and cytotoxic drug development as well as assessment. In this chapter, we will be discussing several approaches to assess the cancer cell proliferation based on cellular DNA content, expression of proliferation marker proteins, and metabolic activity of cells.