cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gene Transfer Techniques and their relevance to Woody Plants

For decades, the concept of foreign DNA transfer into plant cells and its integration into the genome of the recipient cell was an intriguing curiosity (Lurquin, 1977). It was not until the advent of Southern hybridization (Southern, 1975) and the availability of restriction enzymes that the presence of `non-plant’ DNA (in this case, the T-DNA of Agrobacterium tumefaciens) in plant cells was unequivocally demonstrated (Chilton et al., 1977; Roberts, 1982). Once it became known that Agrobacterium could transfer a defined segment of its plasmid DNA into plant cells and that this DNA could become covalently integrated into the genomic DNA of the host cell, where it was expressed, plans for the transfer of known foreign genes into plant cells could be laid out (Roberts, 1982). An understanding of the roles of auxin and cytokinin biosynthetic genes that were present on the T-DNA and the availability of tools to selectively recombine genes with the Ti plasmid led to the possibility of genetic engineering for improvement of plants. Since these discoveries in the late 1970s, both the tools and the concepts of genetic manipulation of plants using specific genes have improved tremendously. During this period, we have revisited the earlier approaches of direct passive uptake of DNA, improved the efficiency of gene transfer by direct and vector-mediated techniques, designed genes for optimal expression in the transgenic cells/plants, and cloned a plethora of genes for potential use in genetic improvement of plants. As a result, during the past two years (1998–1999), a large proportion of the field-planted material of some of our major crops has been genetically modified using the tools of genetic engineering (Birch, 1997; Moffat, 1998). In addition, these techniques have led to a quantum leap in our understanding of some very basic aspects of plant development, physiology, and biochemistry (Birch, 1997). In this regard, transformation technology has helped us to tag and clone genes that were previously known only from the phenotypes they produce, to test critical hypotheses regarding the developmental roles of several of these genes, and to explore the regulatory aspects of key metabolic pathways (Koncz et al., 1989; Klein et al., 1990; Feldmann, 1991; Lindsey, 1998; Maes et al., 1999).
Of Questions and Committees

The organizational structure by which this charge is implemented is the National Research Council, as described in the NRC report of 1976.1 From this unique enterprise there flows a stream of reports to the government and to the American people, concerning subject matter the diversity of which can best be appreciated from the titles of the reports issued in 1976.
Security in RFID Networks and Communications

Radio frequency identification (RFID) networks are an emerging type of network that is posed to play an important role in the Internet-of-Things (IoT). One of the most critical issues facing RFID networks is that of security. Unlike conventional networks, RFID networks are characterized by the use of computationally weak RFID tags. These tags come with even more stringent resource constraints than the sensors used in sensor networks. In this chapter, we study the security aspects of RFID networks and communications. We begin by introducing the main security threats, followed by a discussion of various security mechanisms used to protect RFID networks. We conclude by studying the security mechanism of an actual large scale RFID deployment.
Cancer mortality in Cuba and among the Cuban-born in the United States: 1979-81.

The Cuban-born population of the United States, enumerated at 608,000 in the 1980 census, has been little studied with regard to cancer mortality. Being older and rarely migrating back to Cuba, Cuban Americans present a good subject for comparative cancer mortality. Age-adjusted death rates for selected causes of cancer are compared in this paper for Cubans in Cuba, the Cuban-born in the United States, and all whites in the United States. Two forms of cancer have been of particular concern in Cuba, cancer of the lung and cancer of the prostate, because of their relatively high death rates. The age-adjusted death rates for both of these cancers are lower among the Cuban-born in the United States than they are among Cubans in Cuba and whites in the United States. Death rates for cancer of the cervix and cancer of the rectum among the Cuban-born in this country are also low relative to Cubans in Cuba and whites in the United States. Stomach cancer mortality among Cuban-born men in the United States is lower than for men in Cuba or for white men in the United States, but Cuban-born women in this country have rates that are slightly higher than those of U.S white women. Mortality rates from colon cancer in both sexes and breast cancer among women are intermediate between the lower rates in Cuba and the higher rates among U.S. whites. Finally, the Cuban-born in the United States have higher death rates from cancer of the liver than do Cubans in Cuba or whites in the United States. In general, the profile found for the Cuban-born in the United States reflects the high socioeconomic status of the pre-1980 migrants as well as their exposure to the U.S. environment.
Infrared femtosecond pulse generation with a 250 kHz Ti:sapphire pumped ß-BaB2O4 optical parametric amplifier

A 250-kHz, 100-fs, Ti:sapphire regenerative amplifier system pumping a Type-II BBO OPA generated 0.5-µJ with continuous tuning from 1.1-µm to beyond 2.5-µm. Difference frequency generation of the signal-idler output from this source in AgGaS2 produced 15-mW with continuous tuning from 2.4-µm to beyond 12-µm.
Abstract 199: Hydrogen Peroxide Mediates the pH Conditioned Chloride Conductance in Nodose Ganglia Neurons

pH sensitivity has been rarely studied in vagal afferents of nodose ganglia (NG) neurons. Using whole-cell patch-clamp technique in isolated NG neurons, we recently identified a pH-conditioned Cl - current (pH-I) that was evoked following 2 or 3 brief (10s) exposures to low extracellular pH (7.0-6.0) in 16 of 22 (70%) cells (FASEB J, 2012). The current is large (904.3±159.9pA) and prolonged, lasting 10∼15 minutes, and causes significant depolarization (Δ35.2±4.4mV). In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediates this pH-conditioned Cl - conductance. We found that the rate of increase in fluorescence [(F-F 0 )/F 0 ] of NG neurons loaded with dihydroethidine (ROS dye) rose dramatically following the brief exposures to pH 6.0 from a control of 0.04±0.01 to 0.12±0.02 units/min over 10∼15 minutes (n=31 neurons, p 2 O 2 induced currents that mimicked the pH conditioned currents. Because of similarities between the pH-conditioned Cl - conductance and the previously described “swell-activated” Cl - current induced with hypoosmotic solutions, we superfused the NG neurons with the H 2 O 2 scavenger PEG-catalase (1000 units/ml). PEG-catalase blocked significantly (p 2 O 2 . Opening of these outward Cl - conductances that cause sustained depolarization of vagal afferents may induce a beneficial reflex sympathoinhibition during myocardial ischemia/acidosis or initiate a gastro-intestinal post-prandial satiety reflex.
Modeling Mass Properties in an Object-Oriented Simulation

Maintaining a consistent set of mass, inertia, and center of gravity data for an aircraft composed of multiple components with multiple coordinate systems can become a daunting task in complex simulations. Using Object-Oriented Design techniques, the process can be greatly simplified. The Langley Standard Real-Time Simulation in C++ (LaSRS++) framework uses a set of classes to help maintain mass properties data in an intuitive manner.
Disaster recovery planning

In this paper, the importance of formulating a proper disaster recovery plan is discussed. The disaster recovery plan is part of the contingency plans that organizations create to prepare for adverse events that could affect the productivity or daily operations of the work place. To create a disaster recovery plan, an organization must have an understanding of the use of the plan, the creation process, and the types of possible adverse events.
Low-resource open vocabulary keyword search using point process models.

The point process model (PPM) for keyword search is a wholeword parametric modeling framework based on the timing of phonetic events rather than the evolution of frame-level phonetic likelihoods. Recent progress in PPM training and decoding algorithms has yielded state-of-the-art phonetic search performance in high-resource settings, both in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency. In this paper, we consider PPM application to low-resource settings where the amount of transcribed speech is severely limited and the pronunciation dictionary is incomplete. By using (i) state-of-the-art deep neural network acoustic models to generate phonetic events and (ii) grapheme-to-phoneme conversion to generate pronunciations for out-of-vocabulary (OOV) keywords, we find the PPM system reaches state-of-the-art OOV search performance at a small computational cost. Moreover, due to their complementary methodologies, combining PPM outputs with the LVCSR baseline produces average relative ATWV improvements of 7% and 50% for in-vocabulary and OOV keywords, respectively (16% overall).
An Introduction to Polymer Networks and IPNs

An interpenetrating polymer network, IPN, can be defined as a combination of two polymers in network form, at least one of which is synthesized and/or crosslinked in the immediate presence of the other. An IPN can be distinguished from simple polymer blends, blocks, and grafts in two ways: (1) An IPN swells, but does not dissolve in solvents, and (2) creep and flow are suppressed.
Using Activated Carbon to Limit Herbicide Effects to Seeded Bunchgrass When Revegetating Annual Grass-Invaded Rangelands☆

Abstract Revegetation of exotic annual grass − invaded rangelands is challenging as annuals rapidly reinvade after control treatments. The most effective control of exotic annual grass is usually achieved with pre-emergent herbicides; however, species seeded simultaneously with these herbicides will likely experience nontarget damage. Thus, seeding often occurs 1 yr later to reduce herbicide effects to seeded vegetation, but by this time annual grasses may already be reinvading and limiting revegetation success. Activated carbon can be used to protect seeded species from herbicide damage because it has a high absorption capacity that can deactivate many herbicides. A pot study in a grow-room suggested that a pod containing activated carbon and seeds, herbicide protection pods (HPPs), may allow desired species to be seeded simultaneously with annual grass control with the pre-emergent herbicide imazapic. However, HPPs have not been field tested. We evaluated two seeding treatments (crested wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum [Fisch.] Schult.) incorporated into HPPs and bare seed, simultaneously with an imazapic application to control annual grasses at two sites invaded by cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae [L.] Nevski). Crested wheatgrass abundance was 300% greater with HPPs compared with bare seed in late June. Imazapic application reduced exotic annual grass density at both sites by approximately half. These results suggest that HPPs can be used to allow desired species to be seeded simultaneously with imazapic application. This will allow seeded species a longer window to become established before experiencing pressure from exotic annuals and enable a single-entry approach compared with multiple entries currently employed to revegetate annual grass − invaded rangelands. Though further field testing is needed, in particular with multiple species and higher herbicide applications rates, these results suggest that HPPs could improve our ability to restore and revegetate exotic annual grass − invaded rangelands.
Running-to-Interrupted Microsuture Technique for Vascular Bypass.

Background The ideal suturing technique for microvascular anastomosis for neurosurgical bypass procedures remains a point of debate. Simple interrupted sutures are thought to possess higher long-term patency but require more time to place as compared to running sutures. Objective To optimize the efficiency of microvascular anastomosis and limit brain ischemia time. Methods The running-to-interrupted microsuture technique, a modification of the previously published spiral anastomosis, is described wherein loosely thrown running sutures are placed between 2 opposed anchor stitches. The loops are then serially cut and tied, resulting in efficiently placed interrupted stitches. This process is repeated on the opposite side to complete the anastomosis. Results The running-to-interrupted microsuture technique is quickly learned, limits unnecessary microsurgical movements, and is employed by the senior author for a multitude of cerebral arterial bypass procedures. Conclusion This technical improvement can be adapted by any neurovascular surgeon to optimize microsurgical efficiency and limit anastomosis-related brain ischemia times.
Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Retinal Vein Occlusion: Quantifying Macular Ischemia

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a new imaging modality that has the ability to image the retinal vasculature without the use of intravenous dye. This review aims to explore the role of OCTA when used to measure macular ischemia in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO). OCTA and fluorescein angiography are highly correlated in their findings related to macular perfusion status in patients with RVO. OCTA is able to quantify changes in macular perfusion following anti-VEGF treatment. Macular ischemia quantified using OCTA correlates with visual function. Studies to date are limited by small patient numbers and retrospective study design. Despite this, there is evidence that for patients with RVO, OCTA is able to quantify macular ischemia with the added advantage of measuring non-perfusion area in the deep capillary plexus. The high correlation of macular perfusion with macular sensitivity suggests future prognostic potential.
Abstract #191: Characterization of putative lymphoma-initiating (cancer stem) cells in canine lymphoma

The cancer stem cell theory postulates that tumors arise from, are maintained by, and metastasize from a rare cell population that has stem cell features, including self-renewal and multipotential for differentiation. Recently, evidence supporting the existence of cancer stem cells has been demonstrated in many types of cancers. However, a lymphoma-initiating (stem) cell (Ly-IC) has not been conclusively identified. The objective of this study was to investigate naturally occurring canine lymphoma for the presence of cancer stem cells. Canine lymphoma has strong similarities in both basic and clinical aspects to human lymphoma. In addition, lymphoma is more common in dogs than in people, and the disease progression follows a more rapid course. This provides exceptional opportunities to obtain case materials and follow outcomes in a relatively short period of time. We used flow cytometry to examine expression of hematopoietic progenitor antigens, CD34, c-Kit, and CD133, as well as the common leukocyte antigen CD45, on single cell suspensions isolated from canine lymphoma biopsies. Our data suggest there is an inverse correlation between the percentage of putative Ly-IC in a tumor and the length of disease-free survival. Furthermore, we consistently found a rare population of CD34+ and/or c-Kit+ cells in canine diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that also resided within the B-cell phenotypic group (CD21+ or CD22+) comprising the malignant population. Two populations of CD34+ cells with either intermediate expression of CD45 (CD45-int) or high expression of CD45 (CD45-high) were detected. Light scatter properties of CD34+CD45-int cells were similar to small-lymphocytes, whereas CD34+CD45-high cells were larger and more similar to the cells that made up the bulk of tumor. The expression and distribution of CD34, c-Kit and CD45 were variable, suggesting that, in addition to the bulk of the large tumor cell population (>97% of all cells) DLBCL includes Ly-IC at different stages of maturation or differentiation. These results suggest there is a population of cells in canine lymphoma that exhibit stem cell-like phenotypes, and which may represent the putative Ly-IC that is responsible for maintenance, progression and recurrence of tumors. This project establishes a useful large animal (canine) model to test the cancer stem cell theory in lymphoma, which will enable us to carry out effective translational lymphoma studies. Supported by grants R01 CA112211 and P30 CA77598 from the NCI, grant #615 from the AKC Canine Health Foundation, and by the Comparative Oncology Research Fund from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and the Minnesota Medical Foundation. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 191.
National Security Interest Convergence

Over a decade after the attacks of September 11, 2001, lawmakers, scholars, activists, and policy makers continue to confront the questions of whether and to what extent robust counterterrorism laws and policies should be reined in to protect against the abuse of civil rights and the marginalization of outsider groups. This Article uses political and critical race theory to identify areas of national security interest convergence in which political will can be marshaled to limit some national security policies. Legislators act in their political self-interest—both in terms of responding to party forces and constituents—in casting votes that often give primacy to national security interests at the expense of civil liberties. Actions taken by legislators which are rights-protective in the national security context are largely predictable when understood as effects of both political realities and interest convergence theory. Lawmakers often will not act on the basis of civil liberties concerns, but will implement rights-protective measures only because those measures serve another interest more palatable to mainstream constituencies. Although unmooring from deontological grounding creates numerous limitations as to how many rights-protective measures can be implemented on a long-term basis, interest convergence offers a limited opportunity for lawmakers and policy experts to leverage self-interest and create single-issue
A High-Performance Parallel Computing Framework for Uncertainty Quantification Analysis of RF Devices*

We present a high-performance, integrated environment for uncertainty quantification (UQ) and reliability analysis (RA) of Vacuum Electronic RF devices based on Sandia National Lab’s DAKOTA toolkit, NRL’s GPU-accelerated, 3D Electromagnetic PIC code Neptune, and AFRL’s high-performance computing management tool, the Galaxy Simulation Builder. The environment allows for UQ studies of RF devices to be incorporated in the device design process and to be deployed, carried out, monitored and analyzed in a user-friendly and flexible fashion using a diverse selection of high-end parallel computing resources.
Factors predicting early mortality after new diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome: A population-based study.

Objective Little prospective data regarding factors determining patient outcomes in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are available. To establish features of early mortality in MDS, we compare characteristics of patients dying within 1 year of diagnosis with those surviving longer. Methods We prospectively enrolled adults with a new MDS diagnosis in a population-based case-control study. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for potential predictors of early mortality. Subgroup analyses were conducted within the following groups: high-/very-high-risk IPSS-R; very-low-/low-/intermediate-risk IPSS-R; treated patients; and supportive care only patients. Results We observed early mortality in those with abnormal cytogenetics (OR: 3.36, 95% CI: 1.52-7.46), three or greater cytogenetic abnormalities (OR: 3.48, 95% CI: 1.51-7.99), treatment at a community medical center (versus academic) (OR: 2.55, 95% CI: 1.18-5.47), and with 2-3 concurrent medical comorbidities (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.08-4.22). Similarly, in subgroup analyses, abnormal cytogenetics remained the main predictor of early mortality. Conclusion Complex cytogenetics and prognostic risk category have been associated with early mortality without intervention. Our data confirm these associations in a large, prospectively followed cohort and highlight the significance of cytogenetic abnormalities and complexity regardless of IPSS-R risk categorization or treatment.
Antidiabetic medication use in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Abstract Aims To quantify patterns of conventional and newer antidiabetic medication use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods We used data from a large claims and integrated dataset that includes employed and commercially insured patients in the US to select patients who had T2DM and CKD with information on laboratory values and prescriptions for antidiabetic medications from January 1, 2014 to January 1, 2015. We stratified the analyses by sociodemographic variables. Results In a cohort of 38,577 patients with T2DM and CKD, we found wide variation in the treatment of T2DM by CKD stage as well as by several sociodemographic factors. Although metformin was the most commonly prescribed medication, only about half of patients in the cohort and fewer than two-thirds of patients with early stage CKD were prescribed metformin. Approximately 10.6% of patients with CKD stage 4 and 2.1% of the patients with CKD stage 5 were prescribed metformin. Sulfonylureas with active metabolites that accumulate with impaired kidney function were prescribed in more than one-third of patients with CKD stages 3b, 4, and 5. Only 3.4% and 12.3% of patients were prescribed GLP-1 and DPP-4 respectively. Conclusions Prescriptions for metformin were lower than expected among patients with mild to moderate CKD. Prescriptions for newer antidiabetic medications with known safety and efficacy across the spectrum of CKD remained low. Prescriptions for agents contraindicated in advanced CKD continued to be written in a sizeable fraction of patients.
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: Single institution review over 10 years.

e15183 Background: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors(pNET) are rare tumors accounting for less than 5% of pancreatic cancer. They are functionally and biologically heterogeneous and have not been st...
Chapter 22 – Mechanisms of Action in the Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder

Publisher Summary This chapter argues that successful treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD) is achieved by interruption of the ongoing cycle of the negative social expectations, and vigilance to negative outcomes, rising symptoms, negative interpretations of symptoms and outcomes, and avoidance and escape behaviors that characterize the disorder. Pharmacological, cognitive, and exposure-based interventions are hypothesized to intervene at different points in this cycle, attending to different “linchpins” in disrupting the self-perpetuating cycle of social anxiety. Both pharmacological and psychosocial interventions work. Exposure is obviously not the central element of change in pharmacotherapy as it is in CBT. Nonetheless, exposure as an important element of change has earned attention in both modalities of treatment. Exposure is designated in Gray's neuropsychologic theory of anxiety as a tool to achieve more enduring changes in neurophysiologic systems maintaining anxiety. Exposure also ranks as an important context for the application of pharmacological treatment. Exposure effects are conceptualized as being far from a passive process of loosening fear associations.
Impact of ALK Rearrangement on Venous and Arterial Thrombotic Risk in NSCLC.

Abstract Introduction Clinical venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk prediction scores, such as the Khorana Risk Score, perform poorly in NSCLC, possibly because the tumor molecular subtype is omitted. Previous studies suggest a possible increased VTE risk in ALK-rearranged NSCLC, but data are conflicting. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with advanced-stage NSCLC diagnosed between 2009 and 2019. Multivariable, time-to-event analyses modeling the risk of first venous or arterial thrombosis in ALK and non–ALK NSCLC groups, controlling for covariates known to impact thrombosis risk (15 in VTE model and 17 in arterial thrombosis model), were performed using Cox proportional hazards regression and competing-risks regression. Multivariable negative binomial regression modeled the total VTE rate. Results A total of 422 patients with ALK-rearranged and 385 patients with non–ALK-rearranged NSCLC were included. Patients with an ALK rearrangement were younger, had better performance status, and had lower rates of most thrombotic risk factors but had significantly higher rates of initial VTE (42.7% versus 28.6%, p Conclusions In time-to-event analyses controlling for thrombosis risk factors, the ALK rearrangement conferred a fourfold increase in VTE risk and a threefold increase in arterial thrombosis risk in NSCLC. These patients may benefit from pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis.
Development and validation of osteoligamentous lumbar spine under complex loading conditions: A step towards patient-specific modeling.

Abstract Finite-element models are used to investigate the biomechanics of normal, diseased and surgically fused spines. Generally, nominal spine geometries are used to understand the biomechanics, which has created a need for a technique that develops patient-specific lumbar spine geometries. In the current study, a lumbar spine (T12-Sacrum) was developed using a technique that facilitates geometrical morphing, which assists in incorporating patient-specific morphologies into the model. The model evaluations can be used to propose a biomechanically suitable lumbar spine fusion procedure for patients. This study focuses on the validation of the base model under pure-moment, pure-compression and combined-compression-and-moment loadings. Experimental data from the literature were used to validate the response of the model. The L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-sacrum segments demonstrated a range of motion of 4.5, 4.0, 5.4, 5.0 and 8.9° in flexion; 3.0, 2.5, 3.6, 3.1 and 5.2° in extension; 6.2, 5.8, 6.4, 5.0 and 6.1° in right and left lateral bending; and 2.9, 3.0, 2.9, 1.9 and 2.5° in right and left axial rotation, all under 10 Nm pure-moment loading. The L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-sacrum discs demonstrated compressions of 1.1, 1.4, 1.6, 1.4 and 0.9 mm under 1200 N follower- or pure-compression loading. With the combined loading of 280 N follower and 7.5 Nm moment, the L1-L5 model demonstrated 11.7, 7.2, 18.3 and 10.4 degrees of range of motion in flexion, extension, bending and rotation, respectively. The model results were in good agreement with corridors from six different experimental studies and can be used for future clinical studies.
Clearance of HIV infection by selective elimination of host cells capable of producing HIV

The RNA genome of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is reverse-transcribed into DNA and integrated into the host genome, resulting in latent infections that are difficult to clear. Here we show an approach to eradicate HIV infections by selective elimination of host cells harboring replication-competent HIV (SECH), which includes viral reactivation, induction of cell death, inhibition of autophagy and the blocking of new infections. Viral reactivation triggers cell death specifically in HIV-1-infected T cells, which is promoted by agents that induce apoptosis and inhibit autophagy. SECH treatments can clear HIV-1 in >50% mice reconstituted with a human immune system, as demonstrated by the lack of viral rebound after withdrawal of treatments, and by adoptive transfer of treated lymphocytes into uninfected humanized mice. Moreover, SECH clears HIV-1 in blood samples from HIV-1-infected patients. Our results suggest a strategy to eradicate HIV infections by selectively eliminating host cells capable of producing HIV. The latent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reservoir in patients poses a problem for HIV cure. Here, Li et al. show that a combination of compounds inducing viral reactivation and cell death, inhibiting autophagy and blocking new infections can eliminate HIV infection in 50% of humanized HIV infected mice and in blood samples from infected patients.
QA project: Hemodynamic safety of endobronchial administration of phenylephrine for control of airway bleeding by bronchoscopy.

Abstract Background Phenylephrine has been administered endobronchially for airway bleeding during bronchoscopy as an alternative to epinephrine. Topical phenylephrine, often used in nasal surgery as a vasoconstrictor agent has been linked to cardiovascular morbidity. Objective To evaluate the safety of bronchoscopic instillation of phenylephrine during bronchoscopy. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients who received endobronchial phenylephrine in our endoscopy suite. We compared the changes in blood pressure and heart rate before and after endobronchial phenylephrine administration. The safety of endobronchial phenylephrine was assessed with regards to the changes in hemodynamics and acute cardiovascular event, and 30-day mortality. Acute cardiovascular complications included acute coronary syndrome, aortic dissection, tachyarrhythmias, pulmonary edema and stroke. Results We identified 30 patients who received endobronchial phenylephrine 100mcg/ml with a mean total volume of 6.5 ± 10.6 ml. They were given mainly for balloon dilation and cryobiopsy procedure (96.7%). On excluding patients who received concurrent IV pressor, there was a statistically significant increase of mean arterial pressure (MAP) by 12 ± 21 mmHg, p = 0.01 within 30 min of endobronchial phenylephrine compared to procedure day MAP baseline. There was 27% of patients with more than 20% increase in their MAP but none of the patients had MAP more than 140 nor the occurrence of acute cardiovascular event. There was no significant change in the patients’ heart rate following endobronchial phenylephrine. Conclusion In our review, endobronchial phenylephrine with dose comparable to IV administration can cause significant raise in MAP but their absolute levels did not go beyond 180/120 mmHg nor resulted in acute cardiovascular complications.
Physical Activity in the Workplace – Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice

Background: Engaging in physical activity in the workplace is important to address to combat the negative health outcomes associated with physical inactivity and prolonged sitting. Aim: This study aims to identify efforts that increase light neuromotor physical activity in university workplaces for sedentary employees. Methods: Sub-study 1 examined 15 intervention employees and 10 control employees. MANOVA was used to examine average number of days employees did three movements at work between groups over an eight-week period. Sub-study 2 examined 56 employees and measured three beliefs towards employee intention to do the movements at work. A linear regression examined the significance of the beliefs in predicting employee intention. Results: MANOVA results showed a significant effect between groups on the average number of days employees did three movements over an eight-week period of time, F (3, 21) = 3.16; p < .05. The adjusted R -squared predicting intention from the three beliefs was .343 ( p < .001). Participants' belief in how 'easy' doing the movements would be significantly predicted intention scores (β= .467; p < .001) as did the 'popular' belief (β = .371; p < .01). Conclusion: Worksite group physical activity programs can increase the frequency employees get up and move at work. Employee beliefs of how easy or popular a behavior is can significantly predict intention to do neuromotor movements in workplaces.
On Withholding Capacity from Strategic Patients

Common wisdom suggests that, everything else being equal, seeing patients sooner rather than later is preferable. In particular, health outcomes improve with reduced delay and so does patient satisfaction. Meanwhile, if the delay in access to care is reduced, rescheduling becomes easier and thus patients may be more inclined not to show up for their current appointments and to reschedule. We investigate how an outpatient care provider should manage capacity in the presence of such patient strategic behavior. We find that under some circumstances, it is optimal for the service provider to withhold capacity from patients to elicit them to show up for their scheduled appointments. Yet, withholding capacity alone cannot fully eliminate strategic no-shows in all circumstances. Thus, we consider two supplementary policies which may be used to further prevent patient strategic no-show and rescheduling: assigning a lower priority to rescheduling patients or charging rescheduling fees. While both policies may further reduce or even eradicate patient strategic no-shows, they are not without drawbacks. Giving rescheduling patients a low priority to get appointments may lead to more patient reneging and thus may hurt the provider’s throughput and total patient utilities. Allowing service providers to freely charge rescheduling fees may induce an even higher rate of no-shows and rescheduling among patients, as an revenue maximizing provider has an incentive to encourage rescheduling so as to collect more rescheduling fees. This may, again, result in lower patient utilities. Our study generates valuable insights on how and when to use these policies to address patient strategic no-show and rescheduling behaviors.
Absolute ethanol intake predicts ethanol preference in Drosophila melanogaster .

Factors that mediate ethanol preference in Drosophila melanogaster are not well understood. A major confound has been the use of diverse methods to estimate ethanol consumption. We measured fly consumptive ethanol preference on base diets varying in nutrients, taste and ethanol concentration. Both sexes showed an ethanol preference that was abolished on high nutrient concentration diets. Additionally, manipulating total food intake without altering the nutritive value of the base diet or the ethanol concentration was sufficient to evoke or eliminate ethanol preference. Absolute ethanol intake and food volume consumed were stronger predictors of ethanol preference than caloric intake or the dietary caloric content. Our findings suggest that the effect of the base diet on ethanol preference is largely mediated by total consumption associated with the delivery medium, which ultimately determines the level of ethanol intake. We speculate that a physiologically relevant threshold for ethanol intake is essential for preferential ethanol consumption.
Effects of Bladder Filling and Rectal Gas on Number of CBCT Scans and Treatment Time for Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing EBRT.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Prostate cancer patients undergoing EBRT may be treated with a full bladder and empty rectum to maintain a consistent prostate position. To optimize setup for hypofractionated regimens, cone beam CT (CBCT) scans may be performed to assess the level of bladder filling and the amount of rectal gas before each treatment. However, achieving a precise bladder volume and minimizing rectal gas prior to radiation treatment can be difficult and time-consuming. This process often leads to repeated CBCT scans, treatment delays, and an unpleasant patient experience. We prospectively evaluated the interplay between bladder filling, rectal gas, number of CBCT scans, and the total in-department time. We evaluated whether there was sufficient clinical evidence to justify the use of an alternative imaging technique to reduce the number of CBCT scans and improve treatment efficiency. MATERIALS/METHODS For bladder and bowel preparation, patients drank 8 oz of water 45-60 mins prior to CBCT scans and took simethicone twice daily and psyllium supplementation daily throughout the treatment course in addition to a saline enema 2-3 hours before CBCT. Inadequate bladder filling prompted oral administration of 8 oz of water and a 20-30-minute delay. Excess rectal gas was passed either voluntarily or via a rectal tube. Relevant data, such as patient arrival time, the number of CBCT scans, and total in-department time, were recorded. RESULTS We evaluated 475 individual treatments among 194 patients. A total of 34.3% of treatments had bladder filling events, 17.7% had rectal gas events, and 10.5% had both events. The number of CBCT scans had a right-skewed Poisson distribution, with mean 1.43 ± 0.88 (range 0-5). 47.4% of treatments had 1 CBCT scan, 31.8% had 2 CBCT scans, 7.8% had 3 CBCT scans, 1.7% had 4 CBCT scans, and 0.4% had 5 CBCT scans. The distribution of the number of retries (taken off the table) heavily clustered in 0 and 1. 66% of treatments had 0 retries, 19% had 1 retries, 13% had 2 retries, and 2% had 3 retries. The mean and median actual in-department times were 68.9 ± 41.9 and 60.0 mins, while the mean and median scheduled appointment times were 30.1 ± 16.6 and 20 mins. The actual in-department time had a range of 18-245 mins. The median actual in-department time was significantly different from the median scheduled appointment time (P = 2.2e-16). The difference between the two was 40.0 mins. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that the level of bladder filling affected the number of CBCT scans, number of retries, and ultimately the total in-department time. There was sufficient clinical evident to support the use of an alternative imaging technique, such as bladder ultrasound, to reduce the number of repeat CBCT scans and improve the overall treatment efficiency of prostate cancer.
Mass spectrometric measurements of the silica activity in the Yb2O3–SiO2 system and implications to assess the degradation of silicate-based coatings in combustion environments

Abstract The Yb 2 O 3 –SiO 2 system is a promising coating material for silicon-based ceramics and composites in combustion environments due to the low silica activity in this silicate system. These activities lead to lower reactivity with the water vapor component of a combustion environment and hence less formation of Si(OH) 4 (g). In this study the silica activities in the Yb 2 O 3 –SiO 2 system are measured via a vapor pressure technique. Reducing agents are used to increase the vapor pressure of SiO(g) so that it is measureable in the temperature range of interest. The measured SiO(g) pressures are then used to calculated the silica activities. Activities are reported as a function of temperature for the Yb 2 O 3 + Yb 2 SiO 5 and Yb 2 SiO 5 + Yb 2 Si 2 O 7 biphasic fields. Combining the results of this work with those reported earlier, it was found that the flux of silicon tetra-hydroxide and the thermodynamic activity of silica are lower in the biphasic fields of yttrium silicates and yttrium oxide than the biphasic field consisting of ytterbium silicates and ytterbium oxide. This difference has been attributed to the smaller ionic potential of yttrium and higher optical basicity of yttrium silicates when compared to the bigger ionic potential of ytterbium and smaller optical basicity of ytterbium silicates in these systems. The measured activities are then used to calculate some representative Si(OH) 4 (g) fluxes from Yb 2 O 3 –SiO 2 compounds in a typical laboratory test furnace and compared to literature values.
The Fate of Residual Fragments after Extracorporeal shock wave Lithotripsy Monotherapy of Infection Stones

AbstractWe reviewed 53 patients with infection stones treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL**Dornier Medical Systems, Inc., Marietta, Georgia.) monotherapy to determine the long-term rate free of stones and the stone recurrence rate as correlated with the pre-treatment stone burden and the radiological presence of sand or fragments after the procedure. Long-term followup (mean 26.6 months) was available on 33 patients representing 38 kidneys. Although only 3 kidneys were free of stones immediately after ESWL, 20 were without stones at 3 months and 18 (47%) were stone-free at followup. Of 9 kidneys with fragments of more than 5mm. after the final treatment 7 (78%) had residual fragments at 3 months and experienced stone progression. Of 9 kidneys with sand remaining 6 (66%) and all 3 kidneys that appeared to be free of stones after ESWL were without stones at followup.The 3-month plain film of the kidneys, ureters and bladder was a reliable indicator of eventual outcome. Of 20 kidneys that ...
Glycosylation and hepatacellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the 5th most common cancer, but the 3rd leading cause of cancer death, in the world, with more than 500,000 fatalities annually. The major etiology of HCC/liver cancer in people is hepatitis B virus (HBV), followed by hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), although non-viral causes also play a role in a minority of cases. Changes in N-linked glycosylation are known to occur during the development of cancer. For example, increased branching of oligosaccharides has been associated with metastasis and has been correlated to tumor progression in human cancers of the breast, colon and melanomas. Changes in glycosylation have also been associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The most notable change is an increase in the level of core alpha 1,6 linked fucosylation of AFP. In HCC and in tesiticular cancer, the glycosylation of AFP shifts from a simple biantennary glycan to an alpha 1,6 linked core fucosylated biantennary glycan. Although the molecular mechanism of increased fucosylation in HCC is not clear, it known that the increase is not restricted to AFP. Results from several groups have indicated that other liver derived glycoproteins such as alpha 1 acid glycoprotein, and alpha 1 anti-trypsin also become fucosylated with the development of HCC and a recent study has proposed that these glycoforms may be valuable biomarkers of HCC. However, a comprehensive comparative analysis of all the fucosylated glycoproteins in HCC patients has not been performed. This type of study has been limited due to the absence of a suitable technology to allow the examination of large pools of unknown proteins. With the advent of sensitive glycan analysis and proteomic technologies, the ability to comprehensively identify all the fucosylated proteins in patients with HCC and to identify those proteins for the development of diagnostic markers is now a possibility. Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma; hepatitis B virus; glycosylation; fucosylation
Efficient Term-ITE Conversion for Satisfiability Modulo Theories

This paper describes how term-if-then-else (term-ITE ) is handled in Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) and to decide Linear Arithmetic Logic (LA ) in particular. Term-ITEs allow one to conveniently express verification conditions; hence, they are very common in practice. However, the theory provers of SMT solvers are usually designed to work on conjunctions of literals; therefore, the input formulae are rewritten so as to eliminate term-ITEs. The challenge in rewriting is to avoid introducing too many new variables, while avoiding as often as possible the exponential explosion that is frequent when a naive approach is applied. We propose a solution that is based on cofactoring and theory propagation, which often produces orders-of-magnitude speedups in several SMT solvers for LA problems.
Interaction of benzylidene-anabaseine analogues with agonist and allosteric sites on muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Background and purpose: Benzylidene-anabaseines (BAs) are partial agonists of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) but their mechanism(s) of action are unknown. Our study explores several possibilities, including direct interactions of BAs with the nAChR channel. Experimental approach: Functional and radioligand-binding assays were used to examine the interaction of two BA analogues, 3-(2,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)-anabaseine (DMXBA) and its primary metabolite 3-(4-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzylidene)-anabaseine (4OH-DMXBA) with both agonist and non-competitive antagonist (NCA)-binding sites on muscle-type nAChRs. Key results: Both BAs non-competitively inhibited ACh activation of human fetal muscle nAChRs and sterically inhibited the specific binding of the NCAs [piperidyl-3,4-3H(N)]-(N-(1-(2-thienyl)cyclohexyl)-3,4-piperidine ([3H]TCP) and [3H]dizocilpine to Torpedo nAChRs in the desensitized state. These compounds modulated [3H]tetracaine, [14C]amobarbital and [3H]TCP binding to resting nAChRs by allosteric mechanisms. Both BAs enhanced [3H]TCP binding when the nAChR was initially in the resting but activatable state, suggesting that both compounds desensitized the Torpedo nAChR. Although DMXBA failed to activate human fetal muscle nAChRs, 4OH-DMXBA was found to be a partial agonist. [3H]Nicotine competition-binding experiments confirmed that 4OH-DMXBA has higher affinity than DMXBA for the agonist sites, and that DMXBA is also a competitive antagonist. Conclusions and implications: 3-(4-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzylidene)-anabaseine is a partial agonist for human fetal muscle nAChRs, whereas DMXBA only has competitive and NCA activities. The NCA-binding site for BAs overlaps both the phencyclidine- and dizocilpine-binding sites in the desensitized Torpedo nAChR ion channel. The desensitizing property of BAs suggests another possible mode of non-competitive inhibition in addition to direct channel-blocking mechanisms.
Conjunctivitis Caused by a Nutritionally Variant Streptococcus

We report on a case of conjunctivitis caused by a nutritionally variant streptococcus in a newborn infant.
The Constituents of the Root Oil of Maclura Pomifera

The fatty acids and the unsaponifiable matter in the root oil of Maclura pomifera Raf. were investigated. The root oil was saponified and the following fatty acids were identified: Myristic, oleic, and linolenic acid. Three crystalline substances; lupeol, β-sitosterol and a new compound were isolated from the unsaponifiable matter of the oil. The NMR, UV and IR spectra of this new compound are reported.
Research Summary: Tabled Evaluation for Transaction Logic Programs

In my thesis, I present problems and techniques in tabling Transaction Logic ($\mathcal{TR}$). $\mathcal{TR}$ is an extension of classical logic programming with backtrackable state updates and it has a top-down evaluation algorithm similar to Prolog's SLD derivation extended with execution paths of states instead of a single global state. This backward chaining algorithm can be very inefficient by re-computing the same transactional queries more than once, or can enter into infinite loops by visiting the same paths of states an infinite number of times when computing answers to recursive programs. We solve these problems by memoizing (caching) the calls, call initial states, unifications (answers) and return states in a searchable structure for the Sequential Transaction Logic, respective building a graph for the query and tabling the nodes ready for current execution for the Concurrent Transaction Logic. Important problems of tabling $\mathcal{TR}$ are to store, index, update, query and resume states into memory. I implemented and measured the efficiency of multiple data structures used in tabling programs with backtrackable updates in XSB Prolog. My thesis studies the data structures and their performance for various applications of TR, such as, artificial intelligence planning, NP-complete graph algorithms (Hamiltonian cycle, clique, shortest consuming paths, connected components) and active databases. One of the most promising techniques was storing logs (i.e., inserts and deletes relative to a materialized state) into individual tries (optimized for querying), while keeping a global page trie as a common index for restarting.