cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mesocestoides corti intracranial infection as a murine model for neurocysticercosis

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common parasitic disease of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by the larval form of the tapeworm Taenia solium. NCC has a long asymptomatic period with little or no inflammation, and the sequential progression to symptomatic NCC depends upon the intense inflammation associated with degeneration of larvae. The mechanisms involved in these progressive events are difficult to study in human patients. Thus it was necessary to develop an experimental model that replicated NCC. In this review, we describe studies of a murine model of NCC in terms of the release/secretion of parasite antigens, immune responses elicited within the CNS environment and subsequent pathogenesis. In particular, the kinetics of leukocyte subsets infiltrating into the brain are discussed in the context of disruption of the CNS barriers at distinct anatomical sites and the mechanisms contributing to these processes. In addition, production of various inflammatory mediators and the mechanisms involved in their induction by the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway are described. Overall, the knowledge gained from the mouse model of NCC has provided new insights for understanding the kinetics of events contributing to different stages of NCC and should aid in the formulation of more effective therapeutic approaches.
Addressing phonological questions with ultrasound.

Ultrasound can be used to address unresolved questions in phonological theory. To date, some studies have shown that results from ultrasound imaging can shed light on how differences in phonological elements are implemented. Phenomena that have been investigated include transitional schwa, vowel coalescence, and transparent vowels. A study of consonant cluster phonotactics is presented as an example of how ultrasound methodology can be used to examine phonological issues. Five English speakers presented with phonotactically illegal non‐words (e.g., /zgomu/) typically repaired these sequences with vowel insertion (e.g., [z▒gomu]). Using ultrasound imaging, the production of these words is compared to legal sequences that are articulatorily similar, such as succumb and scum to assess the nature of the schwa found between /z/ and the following consonant. Results indicate that for some speakers, production of schwa in /zC/ sequences is not consistent with the phonological epenthesis of a schwa. Instead, speak...
Assessment of Ground‐Water Contamination Near Lantana Landfill, Southeast Floridaa

The Lantana landfill located in Palm Beach County rises 40 to 50 feet above normal ground level and consists of about 250 acres of compacted garbage and trash, some below the water table. Surface-resistivity measurements and water-quality analyses indicate a contaminant plume along the eastern perimeter of the landfill that has migrated about 300 feet eastward toward an adjacent lake. Concentrations of chloride, ammonia, and nitrate were elevated within the plume. The surficial aquifer consists primarily of sand from 0 to about 68 feet, and sand interbedded with sandstone and limestone from 68 to 220 feet. A slight hydraulic gradient exists, indicating ground-water movement from the landfill toward a lake to the east. Analyses of geoelectric, lithologic, and water-quality data indicate that surface geophysical techniques were successful in determining the areal and vertical extent of leachate migration at this location.
GCC185 plays independent roles in Golgi structure maintenance and AP-1–mediated vesicle tethering

GCC185 is a long coiled-coil protein localized to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) that functions in maintaining Golgi structure and tethering mannose 6-phosphate receptor (MPR)–containing transport vesicles en route to the Golgi. We report the identification of two distinct domains of GCC185 needed either for Golgi structure maintenance or transport vesicle tethering, demonstrating the independence of these two functions. The domain needed for vesicle tethering binds to the clathrin adaptor AP-1, and cells depleted of GCC185 accumulate MPRs in transport vesicles that are AP-1 decorated. This study supports a previously proposed role of AP-1 in retrograde transport of MPRs from late endosomes to the Golgi and indicates that docking may involve the interaction of vesicle-associated AP-1 protein with the TGN-associated tethering protein GCC185.
Factors associated with poor control of 9/11-related asthma 10-11 years after the 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks.

Objective: To identify key factors associated with poor asthma control among adults in the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Registry, a longitudinal study of rescue/recovery workers and community members who were directly exposed to the 2001 WTC terrorist attacks and their aftermath. Methods: We studied incident asthma diagnosed by a physician from 12 September 2001 through 31 December 2003 among participants aged ≥18 on 11 September 2001, as reported on an enrollment (2003–2004) or follow-up questionnaire. Based on modified National Asthma Education and Prevention Program criteria, asthma was considered controlled, poorly-controlled, or very poorly-controlled at the time of a 2011–2012 follow-up questionnaire. Probable post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder were defined using validated scales. Self-reported gastroesophageal reflux symptoms (GERS) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were obtained from questionnaire responses. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with poor or very poor asthma control. Results: Among 2445 participants, 33.7% had poorly-controlled symptoms and 34.6% had very poorly-controlled symptoms in 2011–2012. Accounting for factors including age, education, body mass index, and smoking, there was a dose–response relationship between the number of mental health conditions and poorer asthma control. Participants with three mental health conditions had five times the odds of poor control and 13 times the odds of very poor control compared to participants without mental health comorbidities. GERS and OSA were significantly associated with poor or very poor control. Conclusions: Rates of poor asthma control were very high in this group with post-9/11 diagnosed asthma. Comprehensive care of 9/11-related asthma should include management of mental and physical health comorbidities.
In the Child With Gastroenteritis Who Is Unable to Tolerate Oral Fluids, Are There Effective Alternatives to Intravenous Hydration?

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Annals of Emergency Medicine. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2012 MAY DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2012.04.003
Application of the Z-transform technique to modelling linear lumped loads in the FDTD

A Z-transform technique derives an updating algorithm for the finite-difference time-domain equations dealing with a lumped load. Such a load can be used to simulate equivalent circuits of terminations for microstrip structures, including IC or digital devices. The advantages of the Z-transform technique are pointed out and numerical results validating the method included.
The Geography of Invention in the American Glass Industry, 1870–1925

Geographic clustering in inventive activity has often been attributed to clustering in production. For the glass industiy, we find that despite a general association between location of invention and production, there were significant deviations. Centers of production were not always centers of invention, and some of the most inventive areas, such as southern New England, had very limited production. We hypothesize that the growth of a market for technology facilitated a geographic division of labor between invention and commercial exploitation and stimulated inventive activity in places where there were institutions capable of mediating among inventors, suppliers of capital, and firms seeking new technologies.
Developmental territories created by mutual antagonism between Wingless and Decapentaplegic

Drosophila appendages develop from imaginal discs which become subdivided into distinct regions during normal patterning. At least 3 axes of asymmetry are required to produce a chiral appendage such as a leg. The A/P compartments provide one axis of asymmetry in all discs. In leg and antennal discs, the anterior compartment becomes asymmetric in the D/V axis with decapentaplegic (dpp) expression defining dorsal anterior leg, and wingless (wg) expression defining ventral anterior leg. However, unlike wing discs, no D/V compartment has been demonstrated in legs or antennae. How are the dorsal anterior and ventral anterior territories defined and maintained? Here we show that wg inhibits dpp expression and dpp inhibits wg expression in leg and eye/antennal discs. This mutual repression provides a mechanism for maintaining separate regions of wg and dpp expression in a developing field. We propose the term 'territory' to describe regions of cells that are under the domineering influence of a particular morphogen. Territories differ from compartments in that they are not defined by lineage but are dynamically maintained by continuous morphogen signaling. We propose that the anterior compartment of the leg disc is divided into dorsal and ventral territories by the mutual antagonism between WG and DPP signaling.
Hybrid Approaches to Structural Characterization of Conformational Ensembles of Complex Macromolecular Systems Combining NMR Residual Dipolar Couplings and Solution X‑ray Scattering

Solving structures or structural ensembles of large macromolecular systems in solution poses a challenging problem. While NMR provides structural information at atomic resolution, increased spectral complexity, chemical shift overlap, and short transverse relaxation times (associated with slow tumbling) render application of the usual techniques that have been so successful for medium sized systems (<50 kDa) difficult. Solution X-ray scattering, on the other hand, is not limited by molecular weight but only provides low resolution structural information related to the overall shape and size of the system under investigation. Here we review how combining atomic resolution structures of smaller domains with sparse experimental data afforded by NMR residual dipolar couplings (which yield both orientational and shape information) and solution X-ray scattering data in rigid-body simulated annealing calculations provides a powerful approach for investigating the structural aspects of conformational dynamics in ...
Diagnostic Medical Imaging: How, Why, and When

Diagnostic medical imaging can be accomplished in many ways using various physical tools. X-rays (gamma rays) create the images seen on plain films, fluoroscopy, angiography, and routine tomography. A tomogram is an image of a thin section, a small piece of the whole organ, demonstrated with increased resolution and detail. Gamma rays are also used in nuclear medicine and positron emission tomography (PET). Sound waves create the information necessary to make an ultrasound image while magnetic fields provide the data for an image in a magnetic resonance (MR) examination. The proliferation of imaging modalities for diagnostic evaluation is predicated on the emergence of the computer. It is the vital cog for acquisition and processing of the data and/or the manipulation after processing (postprocessing). Reconstruction of images in many planes and three-dimensional rendering of the anatomy are among the most valuable options offered by postprocessing (Fig. 1.1). Use of computers for storing and moving images is rapidly evolving.
Smoking and Externalities Regulation: Why Legislative Action has Gone Too Far

The Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) struck between legislators, lawyers, and the big tobacco companies is an affront to principled lawmaking. This paper applies the regulatory requirements used in land use permitting - the Nollan/Dolan test - to show that, while there is a legitimate purpose in the regulation, the means are completely out of proportion to the goal to be achieved. Even worse, now that government has interposed itself in this field, tobacco companies no longer have incentive to independently seek mitigation. Lawmakers have preempted the ultimate responsibility for health concerns in the tobacco field, and tobacco companies have no motive other than to simply comply with the standards.
Preoperative evaluation of the patient with lung cancer being considered for lung resection.

Purpose of review This review summarizes the general approach to evaluating the cardiopulmonary fitness of a patient with lung cancer being considered for lung resection. Many patients have a high risk for morbidity and mortality from lung resection owing to severe comorbidities or low cardiopulmonary reserve. A comprehensive and individualized assessment is essential to identify the factors that may impact operative outcome. Recent findings Identification of comorbid conditions related to cigarette smoking, particularly cardiovascular diseases, is essential because they need to be managed in advance. In those with low predicted postoperative forced expiratory volume during first second (FEV(1)) or carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DL(CO)), or impaired performance on a low-technology exercise test, cardiopulmonary exercise testing should be considered. Summary Preoperative assessment requires an understanding of the relative benefits and harms of available treatment options and consideration of patients' values. A balance between the potential to cure one's cancer and the short-term and long-term risks of the selected treatment needs to be reached. All patients should have a baseline FEV(1) and DL(CO) measured, and predicted postoperative FEV(1) and DL(CO) calculated to assist with risk prediction. Measures of exercise performance can help to further risk stratify patients. Means of modifying the risks should be considered for all patients.
Role of Platinum in Photoelectrochemical Studies Related to Solar Energy Harvesting

Science, Mathematics, and Informatics Department, Indiana University Kokomo, Kokomo, IN 46904-9003, USA Email: kkasem@iuk.edu The electrochemical behaviour of platinum as a regenerator electrode during the photolysis of buffered aqueous solutions of ferrocyanide ([Fe(CN)6] ) as a source of hydrated electrons for hydrogen production was investigated. Optimum conditions for the heterogeneous reduction of ferricyanide ([Fe(CN)6] ) in aqueous suspensions of semiconductor nanoparticles were determined, and hydrogen generation was explored in both homogeneous and heterogeneous aqueous systems. Experiments took place in a three-electrode cell. The results indicated that the Pt gauze electrode gave adequate and reproducible photoelectrochemical performance during the photolysis of aqueous solutions of [Fe(CN)6] 4– in 0.2 M pH 6 phosphate buffer. The results provide evidence for the important role of Pt in photolysis studies that aim towards harvesting solar energy.
WAITING FOR SPECIATION: THE EFFECT OF POPULATION SUBDIVISION ON THE TIME TO SPECIATION

We study the time required for speciation in a species that is divided into small versus large populations. Following Dobzhansky and Muller, we assume that hybrid sterility or inviability is caused by "complementary genes," that is, by the accumulation of genes that cause sterility or inviability when brought together in hybrids but that have no deleterious effect on their normal species genetic background. When divergence between populations is caused by genetic drift, we show that the time to speciation is independent of population subdivision: speciation occurs just as quickly in a species split into a few large populations as into many small populations. When divergence is driven by natural selection, however, the time to speciation is very sensitive to population subdivision and speciation occurs most rapidly when a species is split into two large populations. These results contradict several popular intuitions about the effect of population size on speciation.
Sanitary investigation and analysis of drinking water in Zhouqu county of Gansu province

Objective:To investigate the sanitary quality of drinking water and offer basic data to insure drinking water security in Zhouqu county of Gansu Province.Methods: Field sampling was employed to collect the spring,well,tap and emergency drinking water.Results: The sanitary quality of water samples were different according to the results of 7 physiochemical indexes and 1 microbiological index in the samples and basically meet the needs of daily use.The main items which exceed the sanitary limit were turbidity and colony-forming unit.Conclusion: The drinking water in disaster-stricken areas so the water should be treated properly before consuming.
The Biophysics of Living Membranes: Protein Partitioning and Functional Differentiation in Ordered Plasma Membrane Domains

The lipid raft hypothesis posits that ordered, lateral membrane domains are important for the regulation of plasma membrane (PM) structure and function in eukaryotes. Giant Plasma Membrane Vesicles (GPMVs) are isolated plasma membranes that microscopically separate into coexisting ordered and disordered phases, facilitating experimental analysis of the composition and physical properties of ordered raft domains in biological membranes. In these studies, we analyze the biophysical and lipidomic differentiation of the plasma membrane in Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) as the cells undergo differentiation into adipocytes and osteoblasts. During differentiation, dramatic remodeling the PM lipidome, including lipid acyl chain length and unsaturation, results inchanges to membrane order and phase separation. These observations elucidate the compositional determinants of biophysical properties in biological membranes, as well as identify lineage-specific PM features. These results facilitate rational remodeling of membrane phenotypes to direct differentiation, as supplementation with ꙍ-3 docosahexaneoic acid (DHA) promoted the osteoblastic PM phenotype and potentiated osteogenic differentiation. The differences in the physical properties of the coexisting domains lead to preferential protein partitioning between them. We evaluate the structural determinants of raft partitioning of a model transmembrane protein, and find that raft phase partitioning is related to features of the protein's transmembrane domain (TMD), namely the hydrophobic length and surface area of the TMD. Longer TMDs impart greater raft association while TMDs with larger, bulkier amino acid side chains prefer the non-raft phase. We present a simple physical model wherein raft partitioning is driven by phase-dependent differences in interfacial energy between the TMD and its surrounding lipid matrix, and find excellent quantitative agreement with observations that provide the first predictions of protein-lipid surface tension. These results point the way to a general rule for raft partitioning of transmembrane proteins.
Carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of coal and carbon dioxide derived from laboratory coal combustion: A preliminary study

Abstract The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the atmosphere has dramatically increased from the start of the industrial revolution in the mid-1700s to present levels exceeding 400 ppm. Carbon dioxide derived from fossil fuel combustion is a greenhouse gas and a major contributor to on-going climate change. Carbon and oxygen stable isotope geochemistry is a useful tool to help model and predict the contributions of anthropogenic sources of CO 2 in the global carbon cycle. Surprisingly few studies have addressed the carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of CO 2 derived from coal combustion. The goal of this study is to document the relationships between the carbon and oxygen isotope signatures of coal and signatures of the CO 2 produced from laboratory coal combustion in atmospheric conditions. Six coal samples were selected that represent various geologic ages (Carboniferous to Tertiary) and coal ranks (lignite to bituminous). Duplicate splits of the six coal samples were ignited and partially combusted in the laboratory at atmospheric conditions. The resulting coal-combustion gases were collected and the molecular composition of the collected gases and isotopic analyses of δ 13 C of CO 2 , δ 13 C of CH 4 , and δ 18 O of CO 2 were analysed by a commercial laboratory. Splits (~ 1 g) of the un-combusted dried ground coal samples were analyzed for δ 13 C and δ 18 O by the U.S. Geological Survey Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory. The major findings of this preliminary work indicate that the isotopic signatures of δ 13 C (relative to the Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite scale, VPDB) of CO 2 resulting from coal combustion are similar to the δ 13 C VPDB signature of the bulk coal (− 28.46 to − 23.86 ‰) and are not similar to atmospheric δ 13 C VPDB of CO 2 (~ − 8 ‰, see http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/outreach/isotopes/c13tellsus.html ). The δ 18 O values of bulk coal are strongly correlated to the coal dry ash yields and appear to have little or no influence on the δ 18 O values of CO 2 resulting from coal combustion in open atmospheric conditions. There is a wide range of δ 13 C values of coal reported in the literature and the δ 13 C values from this study generally follow reported ranges for higher plants over geologic time. The values of δ 18 O (relative to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water) of CO 2 derived from atmospheric combustion of coal and other high-carbon fuels (peat and coal) range from + 19.03 to + 27.03‰ and are similar to atmospheric oxygen δ 18 O VSMOW values which average + 23.8‰. Further work is needed on a broader set of samples to better define the relationships between coal composition and combustion-derived gases.
Soil-Water-Food Nexus: A Public Opinion and Policy Perspective

This chapter reports on analysis of public opinion related to the agriculture-water nexus from a small number of questions asked of well over 2000 respondents in the 2013 National Public Water Survey and uses this analysis to begin to elucidate some publicly perceived connections as reflected among the general public. Results show that people perceive that water is very important to agricultural production and that drought conditions have severe negative consequences for agriculture, although not necessarily damage to plant and animal species. When people perceive that the effects of drought on agriculture are severe, they are far more likely to support actions and public policies to conserve water.
The tale of SSB.

The E. coli single stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) is essential to all aspects of DNA metabolism. Here, it has two seemingly disparate but equally important roles: it binds rapidly and cooperatively to single stranded DNA (ssDNA) and it binds to partner proteins that constitute the SSB interactome. These two roles are not disparate but are instead, intimately linked. A model is presented wherein the intrinsically disordered linker (IDL) is directly responsible for mediating protein-protein interactions. It does this by binding, via PXXP motifs, to the OB-fold (aka SH3 domain) of a nearby protein. When the nearby protein is another SSB tetramer, this leads to a highly efficient ssDNA binding reaction that rapidly and cooperatively covers and protects the exposed nucleic acid from degradation. Alternatively, when the nearby protein is a member of the SSB interactome, loading of the enzyme onto the DNA takes places.
Advanced Oak Seedling Development as Influenced by Shelterwood Treatments, Competition Control, Deer Fencing, and Prescribed Fire

Advanced northern red oak (Quercus rubra) seedlings in an 85-year-old forest located in north-central Pennsylvania were observed for 10 years after manipulation of available sunlight by shelterwood treatments, reduction of interfering plants by broadcast herbicides and/or a single prescribed fire, and reduction of deer damage by fencing. Twenty-four treatment combinations including untreated controls were studied on 72 permanent plots. The key to sustainable oak regeneration is to enhance both survival and growth of the advanced oak seedlings several years before a planned overstory harvest. In this study, survival and growth of 4,235 tagged oak seedlings were greatest in plots that received an overstory shelterwood harvest or midstory removal to increase sunlight, plus mist-blown herbicides to reduce interfering plants and fencing to reduce deer browsing. The overstory shelterwood harvest and midstory removal treatments reduced basal area by 30 and 12%, respectively. The prescribed fire treatment reduced survival because of the small size of the seedlings at the time of the burn. Published dominance probabilities were applied to the density and size of seedlings present after 10 years to compare the predicted number of codominant oaks resulting from the various treatments. Predicted success was greatest in fenced plots that received herbicide reduction of interfering plants and either the overstory shelterwood harvest or midstory removal treatments.
The Frankfurt School and the Critique of Instrumental Reason

This chapter reconstructs critical theory’s engagement with instrumental reason and explicates why the critique of instrumental reason was so central to the work of the first generation of critical theorists and how it posed conundrums that motivated Habermas’s work. The first section deals with the intellectual sources upon which critical theorists drew in developing the critique of instrumental reason, focusing particularly on Max Weber and Georg Lukacs. The author then discusses the critique of instrumental reason advanced by the critical theorists, focusing on the figures who most explicitly dealt with the problem, Horkheimer, Adorno, and Marcuse, and deals with the problem of instrumental reason as it applies to issues of social scientific method, the Enlightenment, culture, and technology. The third section looks at solutions to the problem of instrumental reason, examining Adorno’s concept of the negative dialectic, Marcuse’s political vision, and, finally, the emergence of Habermas’s theory of communicative reason. The author concludes by discussing the relevance of critical theory’s engagement with instrumental reason in light of contemporary debates in the social sciences.
Mathematical spacer grid models for two phase flow

Abstract The fuel rods of nuclear power plants covering Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) and Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) cores are supported by spacer grids. Even though spacer grids add to the pressure loss in the reactor core, spacer grids have several benefits in LWRs. Some of these benefits are: (i) increasing the turbulence at the bottom of the reactor core for better heat transfer in single phase region of the LWRs, (ii) improving the departure nucleate boiling ratio results for PWRs, and (iii) improving critical power ratio (CPR) values by increasing the thickness of film in annular flow regime in the top section of the reactor core of BWRs. Several mathematical models have been developed for pressure loss across the grid spacer. Almost all of them significantly depend on Reynolds Number. Spacer designs have evolved (incorporating mixing vanes, springs, dimples, etc), resulting in the complexity of the analysis across the grid, all the models have been compared not only theoretically but also quantitatively. For the quantitative comparisons, this work compares the results of mathematical spacer models with experimental data of BWR Full Size Fine Mesh Bundle Tests (BFBT). The experimental data of BFBT provides very detailed experimental results for pressure drop by using several different boundary condition and detailed pressure drop measurements. Since one CT-scanner was used at the bundle exit and three X-ray densitometers were used for the chordal average void distribution at different elevations to generate the BFBT results, detailed two phase parameters have been measured in BFBT database. Detailed experimental data of BFBT was used for analyzing two phase flow mathematical models of spacer grid for various boundary conditions of BWR in this paper. It was observed and discussed that pressure drop values due to spacer models can be significantly different.
How do lncRNAs regulate transcription

It has recently become apparent that RNA, itself the product of transcription, is a major regulator of the transcriptional process. In particular, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are so numerous in eukaryotes, function in many cases as transcriptional regulators. These RNAs function through binding to histone-modifying complexes, to DNA binding proteins (including transcription factors), and even to RNA polymerase II. In other cases, it is the act of lncRNA transcription rather than the lncRNA product that appears to be regulatory. We review recent progress in elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which lncRNAs modulate gene expression and future opportunities in this research field.
Antioxidants in Reproductive Health and Fertility

Antioxidants play a vital role in reproductive health and fertility. The local cellular environment influences oocyte development, ovulation, successful fertilization, and maintenance of early pregnancy. An offset of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced cellular oxidative stress can adversely affect function of reproductive organs and fertility. ROS and antioxidants have emerged as ubiquitous participants in normal human reproductive processes. Imbalance in the oxidant/antioxidant relationship has been implicated in numerous reproductive disorders and complications, including endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, oocyte aging, dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome, spontaneous abortion, and infertility. Studies have examined dietary antioxidant supplementation in hopes to prevent and treat reproductive pathologies. Dietary antioxidants, including isoflavones, antioxidant vitamins, and trace elements, which are cofactors of key antioxidant enzymes, have been targeted as nutritional antioxidants for prevention and/or treatment of unexplained infertility and recurrent spontaneous abortions. However, there is a vast knowledge deficit to fill, and targeted studies are needed to elucidate the role of ROS in normal reproductive physiology and fertility, as well as in treatment of reproductive pathologies. This chapter reviews the role played by antioxidants in female reproductive health and fertility and antioxidant interventions for the prevention and treatment of reproductive pathology in association with oxidative stress.
Discovery and characterization of a prevalent human gut bacterial enzyme sufficient for the inactivation of a family of plant toxins

Although the human gut microbiome plays a prominent role in xenobiotic transformation, most of the genes and enzymes responsible for this metabolism are unknown. Recently, we linked the two-gene 'cardiac glycoside reductase' (cgr) operon encoded by the gut Actinobacterium Eggerthella lenta to inactivation of the cardiac medication and plant natural product digoxin. Here, we compared the genomes of 25 E. lenta strains and close relatives, revealing an expanded 8-gene cgr-associated gene cluster present in all digoxin metabolizers and absent in non-metabolizers. Using heterologous expression and in vitro biochemical characterization, we discovered that a single flavin- and [4Fe-4S] cluster-dependent reductase, Cgr2, is sufficient for digoxin inactivation. Unexpectedly, Cgr2 displayed strict specificity for digoxin and other cardenolides. Quantification of cgr2 in gut microbiomes revealed that this gene is widespread and conserved in the human population. Together, these results demonstrate that human-associated gut bacteria maintain specialized enzymes that protect against ingested plant toxins.
Special Problems Associated with the Synthesis of High Specific Activity Carbon-11 Labeled Radiotracers

Short-lived positron-emitting radiotracers allow researchers and clinicians access to previously unavailable information regarding problems in physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology in the living human body. Over the past decade, successes in the application of positron emission tomography (PET) to the non-invasive determination of the spatial distribution and regional concentration of a variety of neurotransmitter binding and uptake sites have followed the successful syntheses of appropriately radiolabeled ligands. This presentation concentrates on some problems associated with the synthesis of these high specific activity carbon-11 labeled radiotracers for PET studies.
Spatial simulation of redistribution of fishing effort in Nigerian coastal waters using ecospace.

In the late 1990s, depletion of the target species Penaeus notialis (Pink Shrimp) in deeper waters (50 m) of the Nigerian coast resulted in a change of target species from P. notialis (Pink Shrimp) to shallower water species such as Penaeus monodon (Brown Shrimp). This study investigates the hypothesis that ecosystem impacts increased as industrial fleets increased fishing in shallower areas of the Nigerian coast by comparing the state of the ecosystem before and 20 yr after commercial shrimping commenced in Nigerian coastal waters (NCW). Two fishing scenarios were developed in Ecospace, the spatial modeling module of Ecopath with Ecosim software (Ecopath with Ecosim is a mass balanced trophic model that accounts for fishing impacts on food webs), with one having trawlers fishing everywhere beginning at the turn of the century (year 2000) and the other with no trawling in the first 5 nautical miles off the Nigerian coast through the entire period of model simulation (1985–2004). Modeling results showed increases in catch for some fisheries during the study period. In addition, estimated biomass for some functional groups increased especially for Small Pelagic fishes along with Rays, Reef fishes, Large Pelagics, and shallow water shrimps. All other exploited species in our modeling scenarios were estimated to have declining biomasses. Our expectation that redistribution of fishing effort in NCW will increase negative impacts of fishing the nearshore ecosystem was not supported by model results. This counterintuitive result may be because fishing effort on average was mostly distributed in the deeper areas of the inshore waters. Although specie such as Reef fishes appear to benefit from closure of the first 5 NM to fishing, the benefits appear to be negligible. We present the first ecosystem model developed for NCW, and our research contributes to fisheries ecology by furthering understanding of tropical coastal food webs and ecological response to fishing, especially in highly perturbed ecosystems like NCW.
Abstract 255: Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4, FABP4, Causes Impaired Wound Healing in Diabetes

Wound healing in diabetes is impaired due to failed resolution of inflammation. Macrophages play a significant role in the establishment of a regulated inflammatory response during wounding. Macrop...
Clinical 3D and 4D Imaging of the Thoracic Aorta

Modern day CT angiography (CTA) has replaced diagnostic angiography for the evaluation of thoracic aortic diseases. The development of CTA with retrospective ECG gating has been driven by coronary artery CTA, but it also provides significant benefits to imaging of the thoracic aorta. Retrospective ECG gating virtually eliminates cardiac pulsation artifacts and has therefore extended the clinical applicability of CTA to finally also include the aortic root. Moreover, ECG gating allows cardiac phase-resolved (‘timeresolved’) cine imaging and visualization, adding a ‘fourth dimension’ (4D) to this technique.
Some Characteristic Nonlinearities of Chemical Reaction Engineering

A brief survey is made of the different nonlinear forms which arise as expressions of chemical reaction rate in the general problem of diffusion and reaction in a solid catalyst. These may be classified in order of increasing complexity as powers and polynomials, rational functions, and transcendentals. The characteristics and some of the typical problems associated with each of these classes will be surveyed.
WIRC+Pol: low-resolution near-infrared spectropolarimeter

WIRC+Pol is a newly commissioned low-resolution (R 100), near-infrared (J and H bands) spectropolarimetry mode of the Wide-field InfraRed Camera (WIRC) on the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory. The instrument utilizes a novel polarimeter design based on a quarter-wave plate and a polarization grating (PG), which provides full linear polarization measurements (Stokes I, Q, and U ) in one exposure with no need for a polarimetric modulator. The PG also has high transmission across the J and H bands. The instrument is situated at the prime focus of an equatorially mounted telescope. As a result, the system only has one reflection in the light path and the instrument does not rotate with respect to the sky, which provides minimal and stable telescope induced polarization. A data reduction pipeline has been developed for WIRC+Pol to produce linear polarization measurements from observations, allowing, e.g., real-time monitoring of the signal-to-noise ratio of ongoing observations. WIRC+Pol has been on-sky since February 2017. Results from the first year commissioning data show that the instrument has a high dispersion efficiency as expected from the polarization grating. We discuss instrumental systematics we have uncovered in the data, their potential causes, along with calibrations that are necessary to eliminate them. We demonstrate the polarimetric stability of the instrument with RMS variation at 0.2% level over 30 minutes for a bright standard star (J = 8.7). While the spectral extraction is photon noise limited, polarization calibration between sources remain limited by systematics.
Outcomes of high-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia patients treated with arsenic trioxide (ATO)/all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) based induction and consolidation without maintenance phase: A case Series.

Abstract Patients with high-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) have inferior outcomes compared with patients with low-risk APL, predominantly due to higher risk of early mortality related to hemorrhage. The majority of regimens contain prolonged maintenance, but the impact of this phase is not clear in the era of all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO). We present a retrospective analysis of 10 patients that were treated for high risk APL based on the consolidation treatment phase of APL 0406 study without subsequent maintenance. With a median follow up of 38 months, all patients remain in remission.
Intervention to decrease leaving without treatment among intoxicated emergency department patients

Abstract Objective Approximately 15% of the >4000 patients presenting each year to our emergency department (ED) with a chief complaint or discharge diagnosis related to alcohol were leaving without treatment (LWT). If they are not clinically sober at the time of departure, these patients are at risk for falls or other injury. Our goal was to create an intervention to decrease this rate of early departure. Methods A stakeholder group identified the reasons why intoxicated patients were leaving without treatment, concluding that the primary reason patients left was there was no process in place for evaluating and caring for these patients who potentially had impaired decision-making capacity. The group created a worksheet for the triage nurse to identify and manage patients presenting with intoxication and impaired decision-making or ambulation, with protocols to keep the patient in a supervised area. We performed a before and after analysis, evaluating 12 months before and 12 months after the protocol was initiated, with the primary outcome being the rate of intoxicated patients who left without treatment. We also measured the recidivism rate (the rate of return to the ED within 24 h after departure) and the ED length of stay (LOS). Results After the intervention was initiated, the percentage of intoxicated patients who left without treatment decreased from 15.0% to 7.4% LWT (p Conclusion Providing a standardized process for caring for acutely intoxicated patients leads to fewer patients leaving the ED before discharge. Patients who stay to the completion of treatment have a lower recidivism rate within 24 h after leaving than those in the leaving without treatment category.
Cross-Functional Dynamics in New Product Development

Creating a culture of interdependence, mindfulness and transparency is essential. Here's what 10 high-tech companies do. OVERVIEW: Managing human interactions and the transfer of technology and ideas among individuals and functional groups can be the most challenging aspect of new product development. Interaction, information sharing and cross-fertilization of ideas among people from RD p. 84), than about the key human interaction issues of new product development. This article reports findings from an exploratory study of technology transfer and human interaction issues in mid-to-large-sized, technology-intensive industrial organizations. In a pilot study we initially conducted in four firms, we asked six managers (four from RD i.e., firms that, in comparison to others, invest more in R&D, employ more scientists, engineers and technically qualified people, and rely more on new products to overcome high product obsolescence rates (see 8). Integrating Organizational Skills We found that R&D, production, marketing, and other functional groups are brought together to focus on NP decisions and participate in its work flows in a variety of ways. In two firms, R&D functions as the hub of nearly all NP activity. It controls NP decisions and solicits inputs from others when necessary, and manages a linear-sequential work-flow. Largely orchestrated by the R&D group, each functional group performs its part of NP activity in relative isolation, and hands its output-- over the wall-to other groups. In one finn, a partnership team between marketing and R&D jointly manages NP responsibilities. The two groups are co-located, and the R&D manager reports to the marketing manager on the status of NP activities. …
Targeting Development Aid with Machine Learning and Mobile Phone Data: Evidence from an Anti-Poverty Intervention in Afghanistan

Recent papers demonstrate that non-traditional data, from mobile phones and other digital sensors, can be used to roughly estimate the wealth of individual subscribers. This paper asks a question more directly relevant to development policy: Can non-traditional data be used to more efficiently target development aid? By combining rich survey data from a "big push" anti-poverty program in Afghanistan with detailed mobile phone logs from program beneficiaries, we study the extent to which machine learning methods can accurately differentiate ultra-poor households eligible for program benefits from other households deemed ineligible. We show that supervised learning methods leveraging mobile phone data can identify ultra-poor households as accurately as standard survey-based measures of poverty, including consumption and wealth; and that combining survey-based measures with mobile phone data produces classifications more accurate than those based on a single data source. We discuss the implications and limitations of these methods for targeting extreme poverty in marginalized populations.
Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs: Current Perspectives

With the rapid growth of the field of pediatric antimicrobial stewardship, there has been a marked increase in the establishment of programs dedicated to this specialty. Shared objectives of all pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) include optimization of antibiotic use and improvement in clinical outcomes for children, while certain core operational strategies and metrics used to measure program effectiveness are typically utilized by pediatric ASPs. Antimicrobial stewardship is the responsibility of every individual who prescribes, dispenses, and administers antibiotics to children, and pediatric ASP principles are rooted in collaboration and cooperation. Pediatric ASPs are uniquely suited to meet the needs of the local populations they serve and the environments within which they practice while also fostering an awareness of the interconnected global nature of pediatric stewardship. As such, pediatric ASPs are well positioned to confront the evolving challenges of antimicrobial overuse and resistance.
A physical basis for quantitative ChIP-sequencing

ChIP followed by next-generation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) is a key technique for mapping the distribution of histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs) and chromatin-associated factors across genomes. There is a perceived challenge to define a quantitative scale for ChIP-Seq data, and as such, several approaches making use of exogenous additives, or "spike-ins," have recently been developed. Herein, we report on the development of a quantitative, physical model defining ChIP-Seq. The quantitative scale on which ChIP-Seq results should be compared emerges from the model. To test the model and demonstrate the quantitative scale, we examine the impacts of an EZH2 inhibitor through the lens of ChIP-Seq. We report a significant increase in immunoprecipitation of presumed off-target histone PTMs after inhibitor treatment, a trend predicted by the model but contrary to spike-in–based indications. Our work also identifies a sensitivity issue in spike-in normalization that has not been considered in the literature, placing limitations on its utility and trustworthiness. We call our new approach the sans-spike-in method for quantitative ChIP-sequencing (siQ-ChIP). A number of changes in community practice of ChIP-Seq, data reporting, and analysis are motivated by this work.
Optimal Hedging Portfolios for Derivative Securities in the Presence of Large Transaction Costs

We introduce a new class of strategies for hedging derivative securities taking into account transaction costs, assuming lognormal continuous-time prices for the underlying asset. We do not assume that the payoff is convex as in Leland (J of Finance, 1985), or that the transaction costs are small compared to the price changes between portfolio adjustments, as in Hoggard, Whalley and Wilmott (Adv. in Futures and Options Res., 1993). The Leland number, A, which is proportional to the ratio of the round-trip tansaction cost over the typical price movement during the period between transactions, is a measure of the importance of transaction costs versus hedging risk. If A is greater than or equal to one, standard delta-hedging methods fail unless the payoff of the derivative security is a convex function of the price of the underlying asset. In contrast, our new strategies can be used effectively in the presence of large transaction costs to control simultaneously hedge-slippage as well as hedging costs. These strategies are associated with the solution an "obstacle problem" for a Black-Scholes diffusion equation with Leland's "augmented" volatility, a parameter which depends on the volatility of the underlying asset as well as on A. The new strategies are such that the frequency for rebalancing the portfolio is variable. There are periods in which rehedging takes place often to control gamma-risk and other periods, which can be relatively long, when no transactions are needed. Moreover, instead of replicating exactly the final payoff, the strategies can yield a positive cash flow at expiration, according to the price history of the underlying security. The solution to the "obstacle problem" is often simple to calculate. There exist closed-form solutions for various securities of practical interest, such as digital options.