cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
P59: Enteric bacterial nitrate/nitrite/nitric oxide/ammonia metabolism

In recent years the salivary bacterial reduction of nitrate ions to nitrite has been recognized as an important metabolic conversion in humans. The nitrogen cycle also involves reduction of nitrogen oxides to ammonium salts (denitrification) and oxidation of ammonia into nitrites and nitrates (nitrification) by soil bacteria. Neither process has significant relevance to human health, yet extensive research in the past 40–50 years showed that most enteric bacteria are capable of catalytic conversion of nitrate to ammonia via nitrite, a short-circuit in the nitrogen cycle. The importance of this pathway and the link between commensal gut bacteria, nitrogen oxides and human health or diseases has been little studied. Here we report quantification of nitrite and ammonia production from inorganic nitrate at different oxygen levels in Escherichia coli, the best understood enteric bacteria. E.coli uses nitrate as electron acceptor during anaerobic respiration and in our experiments grew well during both anaerobic and hypoxic conditions when supplied with low millimolar nitrate. We followed nitrite and ammonia formation during bacteria stationary growth under anaerobic, hypoxic (2–10% oxygen) and oxygenated conditions up to 48 h. We have found that in the presence of nitrate, nitrite accumulates inside bacteria but is eventually excreted in the media. Concentration levels rise with decreasing oxygen supplementation. The respiratory nitrate reduction involves the membrane-bound molybdenum containing enzyme nitrate reductase and nitrite formation was inhibited by supplementation of tungsten oxide in the growth media. Nitrite accumulation correlates with ammonia production, which follows a similar course but reaches about 25% of the nitrite produced at 24 h. In similar experiments we also measured nitric oxide (NO) production by chemiluminescence and show that intact E.coli cells are able to release NO gas when supplied with nitrate; initial rates of NO production increase as the media pH is decreased. Our result indicate that nitrate is first converted to nitrite by a molybdenum containing enzyme and subsequently reduced to ammonium, possibly by the well-characterized penta-heme cytochrome c nitrite reductase. A growing number of reports are providing evidence of the tight relationship between human microbiota and health: we suggest the hypoxically-induced bacterial nitrate to ammonia reduction could be an important aspect of the mammalian nitrate/nitrite/NO metabolism. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.
Factors affecting the biphasic concentration: effect relationships of tricyclic antidepressants

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) have a perplexing proclivity to antagonize their own effects. This proclivity can result in apparently erratic results and paradoxical dose: response relationships. Besides being of academic interest, this phenomenon can have important clinical implications. While many patients with an affective syndrome respond favorably to TCA, some do not and others even worsen. This variability in efficacy is due, in part, to marked interindividual differences in steady state concentrations achieved on a given dose (Alexanderson, 1973) and the fact that these drugs exert different actions at different concentrations.
Divorce and the New Woman

For most New Women writers, the ‘marriage question’ was central, although there was no one position on it, even if the popular impression was that New Women were ‘anti-marriage’, as stated by Margaret Oliphant in her article ‘The Anti-Marriage League’, and as two famous novels, Grant Allen’s The Woman Who Did (1895) and Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure (1895), appeared to confirm. As Sally Ledger observes: ‘The preoccupation with the institution of marriage…constituted a major part of the dominant discourse on the New Woman at the fin de siecle, [and it] was a preoccupation shared by the New Women writers themselves.’ Certainly, many New Women fictions did portray stifling, even deadly marriages. However, although some New Women authors were divorced (George Egerton and Menie Muriel Dowie) and others separated from their spouses (Dowie again, her second husband), very few of the bad-marriage fiction written by New Women authors offer divorce as a solution.
How to Elect More Women: Gender and Candidate Success in a Field Experiment

Women are dramatically underrepresented in legislative bodies, and most scholars agree that the greatest limiting factor is the lack of female candidates (supply). However, voters’ subconscious biases (demand) may also play a role, particularly among conservatives. We designed an original field experiment to test whether messages from party leaders can affect women's electoral success. The experimental treatments involved messages from a state Republican Party chair to the leaders of 1,842 precinct-level caucus meetings. We find that party leaders’ efforts to stoke both supply and demand (and especially both together) increase the number of women elected as delegates to the statewide nominating convention. We replicate this finding in a survey experiment with a national sample of validated Republican primary election voters (N = 2,897). Our results suggest that simple interventions from party leaders can affect the behavior of candidates and voters and ultimately lead to a substantial increase in women's descriptive representation.
Americaâ€™s Presidential Libraries: History or Propaganda?

Since the 1940s, the presidential library has been an American institution. Unfortunately, these government-funded memorials often fail to fairly and accurately portray their namesakesâ€™ administrations. This paper explores the history of the presidential library system and examines biased presidential portrayals, including those encountered at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. A number of reforms to the funding and administration of presidential libraries are proposed. It is contended that these changes will eliminate political propaganda and encourage historical accuracy and fairness at presidential libraries.
Beyond US-Centered Multicultural Foundations on Race

Our conceptual essay begins with the recognition of the U.S. racialized tragedy and embattled discussions on race. Within this tragedy and embattled discussion, we attempt to renew and reinvigorate authentic, dialogic, and vulnerable exchanges on race. With this focus, we critique yet further advance multicultural foundations’ notions of racial identity predominant in the academy and in broader national discussions on race. Critiquing yet advancing multicultural foundations, we emphasize conceptual content from five books on race and power by Cornel West. Working through West’s conceptual content, we emphasize complex and historicized identifications and relationalities as key concepts in the present moment.
Study of comprehensive compensation system based on fast response magnetically controlled reactor and APF

Aiming at the problems of slow dynamic response and high harmonic content for single phase magnetically controlled reactor (MCR), a comprehensive compensation system based on MCR and active power filter (APF) is proposed and the system topology is introduced. In the system, MCR is taken to compensate reactive power, while APF is taken to compensate harmonics generated by both load and MCR. Meanwhile, in the dynamic process of MCR, DC capacitor of APF is taken to accelerate dynamic response speed. Simulation results show that the comprehensive system can effectively compensates for reactive power and harmonic currents of the system, while the dynamic response of MCR is faster than traditional MCR.
Identifying cytokine predictors of cognitive functioning in breast cancer survivors up to 10 years post chemotherapy using machine learning.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study is to explore 13 cytokine predictors of chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) in breast cancer survivors (BCS) 6 months to 10 years after chemotherapy completion using a multivariate, non-parametric approach. Methods Cross sectional data collection included completion of a survey, cognitive testing, and non-fasting blood from 66 participants. Data were analyzed using random forest regression to identify the most significant predictors for each of the cognitive test scores. Results A different cytokine profile predicted each cognitive test. Adjusted R2 for each model ranged from 0.71–0.77 (p's Conclusions Our findings are unique to the field of CRCI and suggest non-linear cytokine specificity to neural networks underlying cognitive functions assessed in this study.
Acute Kidney Injury: General Aspects

Acute kidney injury (AKI) complicates the course of many children admitted to the ICU. The etiology is usually multifactorial, and ischemic, hypoxic, and nephrotoxic insults are all common. The evaluation of AKI should be sequential. A careful history identifies risk factors for kidney injury and potential causes of acute dysfunction. Physical findings, laboratory assessment, and diagnostic imaging are aimed at both elucidating the cause of AKI and determining the extent of its severity. Treatment of AKI ranges from supportive care to dialysis therapies. The decision to begin dialysis in the ICU should be made collaboratively between the intensivist and the nephrologist. Choice of dialysis modality depends on clinical factors and local resources. Mortality rates for children requiring dialysis in the ICU for AKI are high, especially in children who develop multiorgan system dysfunction. Children who survive AKI in the ICU are at risk for long-term renal dysfunction. The creation of specific pediatric criteria to define AKI may facilitate further clinical research, including the identification of useful biomarkers for AKI and the response of kidney injury to specific directed therapies.
INTRAPULMONARY CO2 RECEPTORS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE CONTROL OF AVIAN RESPIRATION

Avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors appear most sensitive to CO2 concentration but also exhibit some sensitivity to changes in H+ concentration in the mixed venous blood. They are not sensitive to mechanical stimulation, hypoxia, hyperoxia, or most of the drugs that stimulate carotid body chemoreceptors. They increase their discharge frequency when intrapulmonary CO2 concentration is reduced and most can be inhibited by intrapulmonary CO2 concentrations of 8%. Results of experiments in which (1) “fresh” gas low in CO2 is delayed from reaching the lungs during inspiration, (2) ventilatory responses were obtained from changes in intrapulmonary CO2 concentration during vascular isolation, and (3) ventilation was measured during infusion of various mixed venous loads of CO2 into birds with a delay loop in the arterial system between the heart and the carotid body and brain chemoreceptors, all have provided evidence that intrapulmonary chemoreceptors can control breathing on a breath-to-breath basis.
Complexity Theory and the No Free Lunch Theorem

This tutorial reviews basic concepts in complexity theory, as well as various No Free Lunch results and how these results relate to computational complexity. The tutorial explains basic concepts in an informal fashion that illuminates key concepts. No Free Lunch theorems for search can be summarized by the following result: For all possible performance measures, no search algorithm is better than another when its performance is averaged over all possible discrete functions.
Imaging of Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation has become a viable treatment option for end-stage lung disease. Common indications for lung transplantation are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Either single or bilateral lung transplantation can be performed, but bilateral lung recipients appear to have a better median survival than single lung recipients. Complications after lung transplantation are common and may have nonspecific clinical and radiologic manifestations. The time point at which these complications occur relative to the date of transplant is crucial in formulating a differential diagnosis and recognizing them accurately. Significant advances in imaging techniques and recognition of air trapping in exhalation images and other patterns /distribution of parenchymal abnormalities have led to routine use of HRCT for diagnostic evaluation in patients manifesting respiratory decline in the lung transplant recipient.
Physiological linkage to an interaction partner is negatively associated with stability in sympathetic nervous system responding.

Abstract Recent work has demonstrated that people can be influenced by the physiological states of their interaction partners, showing physiological linkage to them from one moment to the next. In a study of unacquainted dyads who interacted for 30 min (ndyads = 47), we examine the novel question: Are people who show physiological linkage to their partners in sympathetic nervous system responding also less stable in their own responses? Understanding this relationship has important implications for how social relationships impact affective functioning and health. Results using multilevel modeling demonstrated that the within-person correlation between linkage and stability was negative—the more dyad members were physiologically influenced by their interaction partners, the less stable they were in their own physiological responding. This work shows that physiological linkage can come at a cost to people’s own stability, meaning our physiological states are more vulnerable to social influence than previously thought.
Modeling Spatiotemporal Relationships Among Trajectories

In this chapter, we will explore the spatiotemporal relationships occurring among the spatiotemporal objects. These relationships have their roots in topological spatial and temporal relationships presented over many data mining studies. In essence, these relationships are the building blocks of the spatiotemporal frequent pattern mining from evolving region trajectories. Using them, our aim is to find and count the number of instances that have these types of relationships. We will start our discussion with generic temporal and spatial relationships, and later on we will further discuss the spatiotemporal co-occurrences and sequences of evolving region trajectories.
Biomimetic Antenna Design for an Airborne Atmospheric Probe

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a biomimetic, flexible antenna system consisting of flexible dipoles on Pyralux AP. They are implemented into a novel, airborne atmospheric sensor system. The antennas and substrate serve a secondary function as a rotor system, forcing the sensor nodes to autorotate when falling to maximize drag and decrease their fall speed. The designed antenna system works both in the industrial, scientific, and medical band and the GPS L1 band with the designed antennas having bandwidths of 100 and 130 MHz, respectively. This paper also presents a test procedure to characterize the antenna performance at different bend angles.
Abstract WP371: Effects of VA National Telestroke Program Implementation Training

Background: In July 2017, the VA initiated implementation “Go-Live” Training to support the VA National TeleStroke Program (NTSP). NTSP Go-Live Training incorporates systems redesign methods with i...
Age dependent effects of NELL-1 isoforms on bone marrow stromal cells.

Abstract Objective NELL-1 is an osteogenic protein first discovered to control ossification of the cranium. NELL-1 exists in at least two isoforms. The full-length NELL-1 contains 810 amino acid (aa) (NELL-1810), the N-terminal-truncated NELL-1 isoform contains 570 aa (NELL-1570). The differences in cellular effects between NELL-1 isoforms are not well understood. Methods: Here, BMSC were derived from adult or aged mice, followed by overexpression of NELL-1810 or NELL-1570. Cell morphology, proliferation, and gene expression were examined. Results/Conclusions: Overall, the proliferative effect of NELL-1570 was age dependent, showing prominent induction in adult but not aged mice.
Phenylpyrrole fungicides act on triosephosphate isomerase to induce methylglyoxal stress and alter hybrid histidine kinase activity.

Fludioxonil, a natural product of pyrrolnitrin, is a potent fungicide used on crops worldwide. Drug action requires the presence of a group III hybrid histidine kinase (HHK) and the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway. We have reported that the drug does not act directly on HHK, but triggers the conversion of the kinase to a phosphatase, which dephosphorylates Ypd1 to constitutively activate HOG signaling. Still, the direct drug target remains unknown and mode of action ill defined. Here, we heterologously expressed a group III HHK, dimorphism-regulating kinase 1 (Drk1) in Saccharomyces cerevisae to delineate fludioxonil’s target and action. We show that the drug interferes with triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) causing release of methylglyoxal (MG). MG activates the group III HHK and thus the HOG pathway. Drug action involved Drk1 cysteine 392, as a C392S substitution increased drug resistance in vivo. Drug sensitivity was reversed by dimedone treatment, indicating Drk1 responds in vivo to an aldehydic stress. Fludioxonil treatment triggered elevated cytosolic methylglyoxal. Likewise, methylglyoxal treatment of Drk1-expressing yeast phenocopied treatment with fludioxonil. Fludioxonil directly inhibited TPI and also caused it to release methylglyoxal in vitro. Thus, TPI is a drug target of the phenylpyrrole class of fungicides, inducing elevated MG which alters HHK activity, likely converting the kinase to a phosphatase that acts on Ypd1 to trigger HOG pathway activation and fungal cell death.
Twain's Admiration of Jews Conflicted His Article of 100 Years Ago Seems Less Flattering Today

It's been exactly a hundred years since Mark Twain first revealed himself as an unmitigated admirer of Jewish people. "A marvelous race, by long odds the most marvelous that the world has produced, I suppose." he wrote in "Concerning the Jews," published in March of 1898 by Harper's magazine.How different after all was Twain from H.L. Mencken, who (after the posthumous publication of his diaries) was attacked as an anti-Semite? As literary critic Joseph Epstein has pointed out, Mencken talked about Jews the way they talked about themselves: "But H.L. Mencken was no anti-Semite. For that he would have had to be, and obviously was not, meshuga.""Concerning the Jews" was most probably conceived during the latter part of 1897, when Twain was on a lecture tour in Austria, happily rubbing elbows and ideas with Sigmund Freud and Theodore Herzl. The Dreyfus Affair was in full swing and, like Emile Zola, Twain was a staunch defender of the young French army captain falsely convicted of treason. Most likely he was influenced as well by his friend Herzl, whose embryonic ideas about Zionism were fueled by the blatant anti-Semitism festering all over Europe.
High-Power Ultrashort Pulse Lasers to Pump Plasma-Based Soft X-Ray Lasers

High-energy ultrashort pulse optical lasers operating at high repetition rate are required to drive intense compact coherent soft X-ray sources, including soft X-ray lasers, for applications in nanoscience and nanotechnology, material studies, and high field science. This paper reviews two types of high-power solid-state laser systems developed at Colorado State University to pump compact, high repetition rate, and plasma-based soft X-ray lasers. One is a flashlamp-pumped, petawatt-class Ti:sapphire chirped-pulse amplification laser that generates 0.85 PW pulses of 30 fs duration at 3.3 Hz repetition rate. Using a fraction of the output energy from this laser, we have demonstrated gain-saturated, compact, repetitive lasers down to 6.85 nm in Ni-like Gd and have observed gain in shorter wavelength transitions, down to 5.85 nm in Ni-like Dy. The second type of pump laser is an all diode-pumped chirped-pulse amplification system based on cryogenically cooled Yb:YAG active mirror amplifiers that produces 1 J pulses of picosecond duration at 500 Hz repetition rate. These compact diode-pumped laser systems have enabled new advances in high-average-power tabletop soft X-ray lasers that include 100 Hz demonstrations at wavelengths ranging from 10.9 to 18.9 nm, as well long duration operation at these high repetition rates for periods up to one hour. These and other recent results that include the operation of an 18.9 nm laser Ni-like Mo laser at 400 Hz repetition rate open a path to compact kilohertz repetition rate soft X-ray lasers.
“Grissgott” meets “Kung Fu”: Multilingualism, Humor, and Trauma in Saša Stanišić’s Wie der Soldat das Grammofon repariert (2006)

AbstractBosnian-German writer Sasa Stanisic’s debut novel, Wie der Soldat das Grammofon repariert (2006), is a transnational Bildungsroman that portrays a young male protagonist’s coming of age ami...
Interleukin-23 is constitutively expressed in the human annulus in vivo and in vitro, and is up-regulated in vitro by TNF-α.

Interleukin-23 (IL-23, IL-23p19) is a proinflammatory cytokine in the IL-12-related family. Although inflammatory cells in herniated discs have been shown to contain IL-23, little is known about the presence and role of IL-23 in human disc cells. We analyzed disc specimens for IL-23 localization using immunohistochemistry in control, herniated and non-herniated discs from which annulus fibrosus (annulus) cells were isolated and cultured to identify IL-23 gene expression and production. Microarray analysis was used to assess the expression of IL-23 in disc tissue and in cells exposed to two proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1s and TNF-α. IL-23 was present in annulus cells at the protein level and its expression was up-regulated significantly in herniated compared to control disc tissue. Direct measurement of medium components confirmed production of IL-23 and its receptor, IL-23R, by annulus cells in vitro. Annulus cells in three-dimensional culture exposed to TNF-α, but not IL-1s, resulted in significant up-regulation of IL-23 expression compared to control cells. Our findings are evidence for the constitutive presence of IL-23 in the human disc and that its expression in vitro is modified by exposure to TNF-α.
Liver Transplantation for Hepatic Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma Is Facilitated by Exception Points With Acceptable Long-term Outcomes.

Background Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) is a rare vascular tumor with a high mortality rate. HEHE is now a formally recognized indication for exception point priority in the United States under the new National Liver Review Board. The role of liver transplantation (LT) and exception point waitlist priority in the United States for patients with HEHE remains understudied. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using the United Network for Organ Sharing transplant database. From February 27, 2002 to January 31, 2018, 131 adults waitlisted for LT with HEHE were identified by free-text entry. Results Exception point applications were submitted for 91.6% (120/131) of patients. All patients with fully reviewed applications received exception points at least once during waitlisting, and 85% (103/120) upon first submission. Among the 88 patients transplanted, median model for end-stage liver disease score at LT was 7 ((interquartile range [IQR]: 6-11) and waiting time 78.5 days (IQR: 29.5-237.5). Unadjusted post-LT survival of HEHE recipients at 1-, 3-, and 5-years from LT was 88.6%, 78.9%, and 77.2%. Unadjusted post-LT patient and graft survival of HEHE patients was not different from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma within Milan receiving exception point priority (P = 0.08). An increased rate of graft failure due to hepatic artery thrombosis ≤14 days from initial LT was observed in HEHE versus non-HEHE patients (4.6% versus 0.5%). Conclusions The majority of HEHE recipients receive exception points at a universal approval rate allowing prompt access to deceased donor LT.
Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) may result from anywhere between a simple blow to the head to a penetrating injury to the brain. In the United States, around 1.7 million people suffer TBI with older adolescents (ages 15 to 19 years) and older adults (ages 65 years and older) among the most likely to sustain a TBI. The frontal and temporal areas of the brain are the main areas involved. Mild TBI (mTBI), also known as brain concussion, initially considered as a benign event, has galvanized tremendous attention for some of its adverse neuropsychological outcomes in civilians (e.g., athletes who play contact sports) as well as military personnel. Moderate to severe TBI is a primary cause of injury-induced death and disability. In the United States, It has an annual incidence of approximately 500 in 100,000. However, around 80% of all TBI cases are categorized as mild head injuries.
Language, modality, and mobile media use experiences: Social responses to smartphone cues in a task-oriented context

Abstract With people’s growing use of virtual agents and voice assistants on smartphones, researchers have pointed out that mobile phones are not only acting as intermediaries that connect users from different places, but also communication terminals that present different combinations of social cues. This study applies the Computers are Social Actors paradigm in human-phone interaction and postulates that compared to non-anthropomorphic language and text cues, anthropomorphic language and vocal cues will have more effects on users’ social responses to smartphones. This study also explores the role of individual differences in users’ social responses to smartphones. Based on a lab experiment using a between-subjects factorial design, the study suggests that although anthropomorphic language and voice-based information did not have main effects on users’ social responses, people’s mobile media usage and intensive phone use interacted with these cues in their social responses to the smartphones. In addition, this study implies that it is the combination of social cues, individual differences, and communication contexts that contributes to people’s social reactions to the smartphones. The findings of the study can inform user interface design and precipitate further discussion about the ethical issues in human-phone interaction.
Ponce de Leon: Confidential Instructions for Donald Sanger, Chief Financial Officer, Panama Studios

Ponce de Leon (POL) is a four-party negotiation exercise in which a film studio is trying to sign a major actress to star in an upcoming movie. The negotiation centers around the different extrinsic and intrinsic motivations underlying each of these party's approach to the movie, and therefore to the negotiation. The exercise allows exploration of the risks of "monetizing" different types of extrinsic (e.g. pay, awards, status) and intrinsic (e.g. love of the work, values) motivation. Learning Objective: The exercise allows for a rich discussion of different types of motivation, the role of money and motivation, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and the use of reference points to judge value, particularly in regard to compensation issues. It can be used in courses on managing human resources, negotiation, behavioral economics and organizational behavior.
Preaching in the time of COVID: finding the words to speak of God

This study contends that preaching in a time of crisis, such as the global pandemic, demands homiletical models that enable speech about God which can address the questions of God’s character and a...
Update in women's health.

Women’s health occupies much of the General Internist’s ambulatory practice. We sought to summarize recent women’s health articles and reports that could potentially change practice. We defined “women’s health” broadly, including symptoms and conditions of the female reproductive tract and breast, conditions that preferentially or differentially affect women in a significant way (such as osteoporosis or heart disease in women using postmenopausal hormones), and prevention and screening of these conditions. We excluded surgical and obstetrical aspects but included medical conditions of pregnancy. This update was presented at the 29th annual session of the Society of General Internal Medicine, and the search strategy thus focused on publications from April 1, 2005 to February 28, 2006. Because the topic area was broad, the time period short, and the goal to identify important reports, the initial method of locating potential articles was the review of 10 pertinent journals (ACP Journal Club, Annals of Internal Medicine, Archives of Internal Medicine, JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of General Internal Medicine, Journal of Women’s Health and Gender-Based Medicine, Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Women’s Health Watch). All study designs and populations were considered. With this strategy, we identified nearly 200 articles and Federal Drug Administration (FDA) advisories with potential relevance. In conferences, a team of academics with clinical and research experience in women’s health discussed each item, delineating the degree of impact on the practice of General Internists, the degree to which its content was generally known (we wished to include articles that the public might question their Internists about), the study quality, and the degree of focus on women’s health. Major reports are discussed here; minor reports are tabulated in the Appendix. A summary of relevant guidelines is in Table 1. A summary of practice changes stemming from the articles reviewed here is in Table 2. Table 1 Important women’s health guidelines in 2005–2006 Table 2 Summary of Changes in Women’s Health Practice Stemming from Important 2005–2006 Reports
Printing Small: Measuring the Resolution Limits of CLIP Technology.

This study seeks to understand the impact of process variables, especially UV light distribution, on the 3D fabrication of micro features at the optical resolution scale. In CLIP 3D technology, a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) is used to create a pattern of projected UV light by controlling each pixel independently. However, as the light outputs of the projected pixels are partially overlapping, there are challenges in obtaining the targeted size and shape of microscale features. From our study, 1. the applied exposure has a direct effect on the size of small printed positive features; 2. smaller sized negative features are even more sensitive and require a careful tuning of the applied exposure to successfully print desired fine structures. Overall, the applied exposure, particularly the UV dosage is critical in the accurate fabrication of micro features that incorporate negative and positive features.
A mucoadhesive biodissolvable thin film for localized and rapid delivery of lidocaine for the treatment of vestibulodynia.

Vestibulodynia (VBD), an idiopathic pain disorder characterized by erythema and pain of the vulvar vestibule (the inner aspect of the labia minora and vaginal opening), is the most common cause of sexual pain for women of reproductive age. Women also feel discomfort with contact with clothing and tampon use. As most women with this disorder only have pain with provocation of the tissue, topical anesthetics applied to the vestibule are the current first line treatment for temporary pain relief. Treatment options are limited due to anatomical constraints of the vestibular region, poor drug retention time, imprecise dosing, leakage, and overall product messiness. In this study we report a novel approach to treatment of VBD using thin film designed to fit the vulvar vestibule and deliver lidocaine locally. Two use cases for VBD treatment were identified 1) rapid drug release (<5 min), for use prior to intercourse and 2) long-acting release (≥120 min) for prolonged use and relief throughout the day. Cellulose-based mucoadhesive thin films were fabricated using a solvent casting method. Three polymers including hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), and hydroxypropylmethycellulose (HMPC), were selected owing to their biocompatibility and ideal properties for film casting. Films casted with HEC, HPC, and HPMC exhibited mucoadhesive properties relative to a control, with the highest mucoadhesive force recorded for films casted with HPC. Effect of media volume, pH, presence of mucin and presence of drug on film dissolution rates were investigated. Dissolution rates were independent of media volume, media pH or drug presence, whereas faster dissolution rates were obtained for all films in presence of mucin. In vitro lidocaine release kinetics were influenced by polymer type, percent drug loading and film casting thickness. Lidocaine release was based on a diffusion mechanism rather than through film dissolution and faster release (∼5 min) was observed for HEC films compared HPC films (∼120 min). Higher drug loading and film thickness resulted in slower and more prolonged release kinetics of lidocaine. All films were biocompatible and exhibited good mechanical properties. Two film formulations (9% w/w HPC with 12% w/w LHC, 5% w/w HEC with 6% w/w LHC) were optimized to meet the two use case scenarios for VBD treatment and moved into in vivo testing. In vivo testing demonstrated the safety of the films in BALB/c mice, and the pharmacokinetic analysis demonstrated the delivery of lidocaine primarily to the vaginal tissue. We demonstrate the ability to develop a mucoadhesive, biodissolvable thin film and fine-tune drug release kinetics to optimize local delivery of lidocaine to the vulva.
Organizational Behavior: Forgotten Variable in Safe Food

The war on foodborne illness in hotels and restaurants is based on microbiology and critical control points. The author argues that cooks, managers, instructors, researchers, and regulators need to start looking beyond this narrow base to include more organizational behavior processes in their arsenal.
Rhythm and Transforms, Perception and Mathematics

People commonly respond to music by keeping time, tapping to the beat or swaying to the pulse. Underlying such ordinary motions is an act of perception that is not easily reproduced in a computer program or automated by machine. This paper outlines the flow of ideas in Rhythm and Transforms (Sethares 2007), which creates a device that can “tap its foot” along with the music. Such a “beat finding machine” (illustrated in Fig. 1) has implication for music theory, on the design of sound processing electronics such as musical synthesizers, on the uses of drum machines in recording and performance, and on special effects devices. The beat finder provides a concrete basis for a discussion of the relationship between the mind’s processing of temporal information and the mathematical techniques used to describe and understand regularities in data. Extensive sound examples (Sethares 2008) demonstrate beatbased signal processing techniques, methods of musical (re)composition, and new kinds of musicological analysis. Open image in new window Fig. 1. A foot-tapping machine designed to mimic people’s ability to synchronize to complex rhythmic sound must “listen” to the sound, locate the underlying rhythmic pulse, anticipate when the next beat timepoint will occur, and then provide an output
A Closed-Form Solution for the Irradiance due to Linearly-Varying Luminaires

We present a closed-form expression for the irradiance at a point on a surface due to an arbitrary polygonal Lambertian luminaire with linearly-varying radiant exitance. The solution consists of elementary functions and a single well-behaved special function that can be either approximated directly or computed exactly in terms of classical special functions such as Clausen’s integral or the closely related dilogarithm. We first provide a general boundary integral that applies to all planar luminaires and then derive the closed-form expression that applies to arbitrary polygons, which is the result most relevant for global illumination. Our approach is to express the problem as an integral of a simple class of rational functions over regions of the sphere, and to convert the surface integral to a boundary integral using a generalization of irradiance tensors. The result extends the class of available closed-form expressions for computing direct radiative transfer from finite areas to differential areas. We provide an outline of the derivation, a detailed proof of the resulting formula, and complete pseudo-code of the resulting algorithm. Finally, we demonstrate the validity of our algorithm by comparison with Monte Carlo. While there are direct applications of this work, it is primarily of theoretical interest as it introduces much of the machinery needed to derive closed-form solutions for the general case of luminaires with radiance distributions that vary polynomially in both position and direction.
A Framework for the Development of Robot Behavior

Abstract : Biological organisms display an astonishing capability to learn new skills and adapt to dynamic environments that far outperforms any computer or robot system. This paper presents an approach to robot skill acquisition that takes concepts from developmental theory to structure the learning problem and provides a mechanism to generate developmental schedules for a robot systems. The approach uses a developmental assembler to construct reusable and temporally extended actions in a sequence. All behavior is initially constructed from a set of innate control laws and events that delineate control decisions are derived from the pattern of (dis)equilibria on a working subset of sensorimotor policies. We show how this architecture can be used to accomplish sequential knowledge gathering and representation tasks and provide examples of developmental learning using a quadrupedal walking robot.
Increased Late Mortality After Sirolimus-Eluting Stents Versus Bare-Metal Stents in Diseased Saphenous Vein Grafts: Results From the Randomized DELAYED RRISC Trial

Objectives We sought to provide long-term follow-up data of sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) versus bare-metal stents (BMS) in saphenous vein grafts (SVG) from the RRISC (Reduction of Restenosis In Saphenous vein grafts with Cypher) trial. Background We have previously shown that, in SVG, the use of SES reduces 6-month restenosis and repeated revascularization procedures versus the use of BMS. These data are consistent with trials in native coronary arteries. However, recently published long-term follow-up data of these trials have revealed an increased risk of adverse events (particularly very late stent thrombosis) after SES. Methods A total of 75 patients with 96 SVG lesions were randomized to SES versus BMS. All patients underwent clinical follow-up up to 3 years. Specific outcomes assessed in this secondary post-hoc analysis were all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization. Results Thirty-eight patients received 60 SES for 47 lesions, whereas 37 patients received 54 BMS for 49 lesions. At a median follow-up time of 32 months (interquartile range 26.5 to 36 months), 11 deaths (7 cardiac, of which 1 was caused by very late stent thrombosis and, 3 were sudden) occurred after SES (29% [95% confidence interval (CI) 17% to 45%]) versus 0 after BMS (0% [95% CI 0% to 9%]) with an absolute difference of 29% ([95% CI 14% to 45%], p Conclusions In this secondary post-hoc analysis, BMS were associated with lower long-term mortality than SES for SVG disease. Also, the 6-month reduction in repeated revascularization procedures with SES was lost at longer-term follow-up. (RRISC Study: Reduction of Restenosis In Saphenous Vein Grafts With Cypher Sirolimus-Eluting Stent; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00263263?order=1 ; NCT00263263 )
Lead extraction experience with high frequency excimer laser.

Background A higher frequency Excimer laser sheath using an 80-Hz pulse repetitive rate was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in April 2012. We reported our initial clinical experience with a high-frequency Excimer laser sheath and compared it with lower-frequency laser sheaths which have been previously used. Methods In this single center, retrospective cohort study, we evaluated patients who underwent lead extraction from December 2008 to May 2013. Those who underwent lead removal without using a laser sheath or with approaches other than subclavian were excluded. Primary endpoints included total laser time, number of pulses, and complications. Data on clinical characteristics, lead type, indications, and outcomes were prospectively collected and analyzed. Results A total of 427 patients were included in the study (72.6% male; age 67.9 ± 15.23 years). Lower frequency and higher frequency laser sheaths were used in 315 and 112 patients, respectively. A total of 821 leads were removed with 765 leads (93.2%) extracted using the Excimer laser sheath. Lead age was 5.71 ± 4.96 years. Complete extraction was seen in all patients. A higher-frequency laser sheath was associated with a lower laser time and a lower total number of laser pulses even after adjustments for the number of leads, type of leads, and lead age. In the higher frequency group, mortality rate was 0.9% and minor complication rate was 3.6%. Conclusions When compared with the lower-frequency laser sheath, the higher-frequency laser sheath requires less laser times and more efficient amount of pulses for lead extraction with comparable success rate. Due to the rarity of major and minor complications, no statistical significance was found between the two groups.
Antibody Targeting of Doxorubicin-loaded Liposomes Suppresses the Growth and Metastatic Spread of Established Human Lung Tumor Xenografts in Severe Combined Immunodeficient Mice

Beta1 integrins, expressed on the cell surface of human non-small cell lung carcinomas, are used here as a target for the selective delivery of anti-cancer drug-loaded liposomes. Fab' fragments of a monoclonal antibody specific for human beta1 integrins were conjugated to sterically stabilized liposomes. Confocal microscopy of beta1 integrin-positive lung tumor cells incubated with fluorescently labeled anti-beta1 Fab immunoliposomes revealed a tumor-specific binding and efficient internalization of the liposomes into the tumor cells. The ability of these liposomes to deliver cytotoxic drugs to the tumor and kill these cells was demonstrated in vitro by incubating tumor cells with doxorubicin-loaded anti-beta1 Fab' immunoliposomes. The drug-loaded immunoliposomes were >30-fold more cytotoxic to the tumor cells than drug-loaded liposomes without antibody, nonspecific Fab' control immunoliposomes with drug or immunoliposomes without drug. The therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin-loaded immunoliposomes was also evaluated in a metastatic human lung tumor xenograft/severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mouse model. SCID mice that received i.v. injections of human lung tumor cells developed primary tumor nodules in the lung that subsequently metastasized to the liver and adrenal gland. Treatment of SCID mice bearing established lung tumor xenografts with doxorubicin-loaded anti-beta1 Fab immunoliposomes resulted in a significant suppression of tumor growth (monitored periodically by quantifying serum levels of a tumor marker), whereas tumors grew progressively in mice treated with control formulations. In addition to suppressing the growth of the primary lung tumor nodules, the immunoliposomes prevented the metastatic spread of the tumor to the liver and adrenal glands and increased the median survival time of the tumor-bearing mice. We conclude that Fab' immunoliposomes directed to tumor-associated integrins represent a potentially viable approach clinically for the selective delivery of drugs to solid tumors and may be useful in preventing the metastatic spread of lung cancer.
Protein polymorphisms, segregation in genetic crosses and genetic distances among fishes of the genus Xiphophorus (Poeciliidae).

The products of 49 protein-coding loci were examined by starch gel electrophoresis for populational variation in six species of Xiphophorus fishes and/or segregation in intra- and interspecific backcross and intercross hybrids. Electrophoretic variation was observed for 29 of the 35 locus products in a survey of 42 population samples. The highest frequency of polymorphic loci observed in noninbred populations was 0.143. After ten or more generations of inbreeding, all loci studied were monomorphic. Inbred strains generally exhibited the commonest electrophoretic alleles of the population from which they were derived. An assessment of genetic distances among Xiphophorus populations reflected classical systematic relationships and suggested incipient subspeciation between X. maculatus from different drainages as well as several species groups. Thirty-three loci were analyzed with respect to segregation in hybrids. The goodness of fit of segregations to Mendelian expectations at all loci analyzed (except loci in linkage group I) is interpreted as evidence for high genetic compatibility of the genomes of Xiphophorus species. It is anticipated that these data will result in a rapid expansion of the assignment of protein-coding loci to linkage groups in these lower vertebrate species.
Rapid prototyping using laser restructurable VLSI circuits

The development of ASICs is a costly proposition in terms of the technology, equipment, and the time required. The advent of laser restructurable VLSI (LRVLSI), promises the design engineer the capability to interconnect cells that implement generic logic functions (e.g., sum of products) to achieve a higher level of complexity design. An operating environment and infrastructure for rapid prototyping and quick turnaround using laser restructuring of VLSI circuits were developed. The purpose of this facility is threefold: to pursue research on novel interconnect technologies using LRVLSI, to develop the capability of operating in a quick turnaround mode using optimized process parameters, and to maintain standardization and compatibility with commercially available equipment for feasible technology transfer. >
Acacipetalin from six species of Acacia of Mexico and Texas

Acacipetalin is the principal cyanogenic glycoside in Acacia chiapensis, A. cochliacantha, A. hindsii, A. macracantha, A. schaffneri var. schaffneri (all from Mexico) and A. schaffneri var. bravoensis (Texas).
WSR-88D doppler radar detection of corn earworm moth migration

Corn earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) (CEW) populations infesting one crop production area may rapidly migrate and infest distant crop production areas. Although entomological radars have detected corn earworm moth migrations, the spatial extent of the radar coverage has been limited to a small horizontal view above crop production areas. The Weather Service Radar (version 88D) (WSR-88D) continuously monitors the radar-transmitted energy reflected by, and radial speed of, biota as well as by precipitation over areas that may encompass crop production areas. We analyzed data from the WSR-88D radar (S-band) at Brownsville, Texas, and related these data to aerial concentrations of CEW estimated by a scanning entomological radar (X-band) and wind velocity measurements from rawinsonde and pilot balloon ascents. The WSR-88D radar reflectivity was positively correlated (r2=0.21) with the aerial concentration of corn earworm-size insects measured by a scanning X-band radar. WSR-88D radar constant altitude plan position indicator estimates of wind velocity were positively correlated with wind speed (r2=0.56) and wind direction (r2=0.63) measured by pilot balloons and rawinsondes. The results reveal that WSR-88D radar measurements of insect concentration and displacement speed and direction can be used to estimate the migratory flux of corn earworms and other nocturnal insects, information that could benefit areawide pest management programs. In turn, identification of the effects of spatiotemporal patterns of migratory flights of corn earworm-size insects on WSR-88D radar measurements may lead to the development of algorithms that increase the accuracy of WSR-88D radar measurements of reflectivity and wind velocity for operational meteorology.