cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2201: Tea nanoparticle, a safe and biocompatible nanocarrier, greatly potentiates the anticancer activity of doxorubicin

An infusion-dialysis based procedure has been developed as an approach to isolate organic nanoparticles from green tea. Tea nanoparticle (TNP) can effectively load doxorubicin (DOX) via electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. We established an ABCB1 overexpressing tumor xenograft mouse model to investigate whether TNP can effectively deliver DOX into tumors and bypass the efflux function of the ABCB1 transporter, thereby increasing the intratumoral accumulation of DOX and potentiating the anticancer activity of DOX. MTT assays suggested that DOX-TNP showed higher cytotoxicity toward CCD-18Co, SW620 and SW620/Ad300 cells, as compared to DOX. Animal study revealed that DOX-TNP resulted in a greater inhibitory effect on the growth of SW620 and SW620/Ad300 tumors than DOX alone. The cTnI levels in mice showed that TNP had no cardiotoxicity and DOX-TNP had moderate cardiotoxicity. Blood Smear tests demonstrated that TNP and DOX-TNP did not cause neutropenia or thrombocytopenia in mice. Therefore, TNP is a safe nanocarrier with excellent biocompatibility and minimal toxicity. In pharmacokinetics study, DOX-TNP greatly increased the SW620 and SW620/Ad300 intratumoral concentrations of DOX, as compared to DOX alone. But DOX-TNP had no effect on the plasma concentrations of DOX up to 240 min after administration. Furthermore, ex vivo IHC analysis of SW620 and SW620/Ad300 tumor sections revealed evidence of prominent antitumor activity of DOX-TNP. In conclusion, our findings suggested that natural nanomaterials could be useful in combating multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells and potentiating the anticancer activity of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer treatment. Citation Format: Yi-Jun Wang, Yujian Huang, Nagaraju Anreddy, Guan-Nan Zhang, Yun-Kai Zhang, Meina Xie, Derrick Lin, Dong-Hua Yang, Mingjun Zhang, Zhe-Sheng Chen. Tea nanoparticle, a safe and biocompatible nanocarrier, greatly potentiates the anticancer activity of doxorubicin. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2201.
Barriers to HIV Medication Adherence as a Function of Regimen Simplification

Barriers to HIV medication adherence may differ by levels of dosing schedules. The current study examined adherence barriers associated with medication regimen complexity and simplification. A total of 755 people living with HIV currently taking anti-retroviral therapy were recruited from community services in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants completed audio-computer-assisted self-interviews that assessed demographic and behavioral characteristics, provided their HIV viral load obtained from their health care provider, and completed unannounced phone-based pill counts to monitor medication adherence over 1 month. Participants taking a single-tablet regimen (STR) were more likely to be adherent than those taking multi-tablets in a single-dose regimen (single-dose MTR) and those taking multi-tablets in a multi-dose regimen (multi-dose MTR), with no difference between the latter two. Regarding barriers to adherence, individuals taking STR were least likely to report scheduling issues and confusion as reasons for missing doses, but they were equally likely to report multiple lifestyle and logistical barriers to adherence. Adherence interventions may need tailoring to address barriers that are specific to dosing regimens.
Sanctification of life and health: insights from the landmark spirituality and health survey

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between sanctification of life and health. Sanctification is defined as a process through which aspects of life are perceived as having divine character and significance. A latent variable model was created to test the following hypotheses that link sanctification with health: (1) people who attend worship services more often are more likely to develop a sanctified view of life; (2) individuals who develop a sanctified view of life are likely to be more compassionate, (3) people who are more compassionate will provide more emotional support to others, (4) providing more support to others will be associated with a greater sense of meaning in life, and (5) people who have derived a deeper sense of meaning in life will enjoy better health. Data from a new cross-sectional nationwide survey (N = 2932) provide support for each of these hypotheses.
Annual bioenergy crops for biofuels production: Farmers' contractual preferences for producing sweet sorghum

Abstract Dedicated annual sorghum crops, such as sweet sorghum or energy sorghum, may provide an option for farmers to supply cellulosic feedstocks for biofuel production and help the industry meet government mandates. Kansas farmers are poised to be major producers of sweet sorghum for biofuels due to favorable agro-ecological conditions. The purpose of this paper is to assess Kansas farmers' willingness to grow sweet sorghum under contract as a feedstock for biofuel production. The paper examines farmers' willingness-to-pay for contract attributes and the impact of socio-economic factors on their willingness-to-pay for these attributes. A stated choice survey was administered to Kansas farmers to assess their willingness to grow sweet sorghum for biofuels under various contracting scenarios. Results show that farmers may be willing to grow biomass for bioenergy under contract, but may have varying preferences for the importance of contract attributes such as net returns, contract length, insurance availability, government incentives, and potential for biorefinery harvest options based on socio-economic characteristics of growers.
Combination checkpoint immunotherapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy: Pembrolizumab (Pembro) plus either docetaxel or gemcitabine in patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer.

398Background: Metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) is only modestly responsive to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy; e.g., the PDL1 inhibitor atezolizumab confers only a 16% tumor response rate (RR) in platinum-treated mUC. Chemotherapy is hypothesized to enhance tumoral neoantigen expression thus priming response to PD1-directed immunotherapy. Here we report results from the initial cohort of an investigator-initiated trial of Pembro plus either docetaxel or gemcitabine in platinum-treated mUC patients (pts). Methods: Primary endpoint was safety; secondary endpoints were overall RR and progression-free survival (PFS). Eligible pts had Zubrod PS 0-1, adequate end-organ function, and up to 2 prior lines of chemo (at least 1 platinum-based). Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) was any grade (Gr) 3+ non-heme toxicity, Gr3+ neutropenia w/ fever or infection, or Gr4 platelets (plts), or Gr3 plts with bleeding. In dose level (DL) 1, treatment consisted of Pembro 200 mg IV on D1 q3 weeks plus either docetaxel 75 mg/m2 ...
Economics of Wheat Production

In this study, an attempt has been made to study analysis of yield gap in wheat in Amravati district with view to study the economics of wheat production and resource use efficiency. The study was based on primary data on input used and there upon costs was collected from two tehsils viz., Amravati and Morshi and from each tahsil 45 samples were selected. Per hectare input utilization for wheat indicated that the medium farmers were used higher inputs as compared to other farm size group of farmers. Per hectare total cost of cultivation of wheat for the sample as whole was Rs. 37235.99 per hectare, gross return from wheat at overall level was Rs. 63861.60. The input-output relationship at overall size group was 1.76 at Cost 'C For the study resource use efficiency of wheat, Cobb-Douglas production function was used. In the overall group resources seed, plant protection and area were significant. Marginal value of product to factor cost ratio at overall group, in case of Human labour, bullock labour and seed was positive and more than one and in case of machine labour, fertilizer, manure, plant protection and area it was negative and less than one.
The Biological Significance of PACAP and PACAP Receptors in Human Tumors: From Cell Lines to Cancers

PACAP (pituitary adenylate cyclase—activating polypeptide) belongs to a peptide family that includes VIP (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide) glucagon, secretin and other peptides such as the reptile exendins (Hezareth and Rawlings, 1996). PACAP and VIP are 70% homologous and share two common receptors called VPAC1 and VPAC2. PACAP possesses some very unique properties which are exerted through specific PACAP (PAC 1) receptors.
Tamsulosin and the risk of dementia in older men with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Purpose Clinicians use tamsulosin, an α1-adrenoceptor antagonist, to manage symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Because α1-adrenoceptors are also present in the brain, the potential exists for adverse effects on cognitive functions. We explored the association between tamsulosin use and dementia risk. Methods We used Medicare data (2006-2012) to conduct a cohort study among patients aged ≥65 years and diagnosed with BPH. Men taking tamsulosin (n = 253 136) were matched at a 1:1 ratio using propensity-scores to each of 6 comparison cohorts: patients who used no BPH-medication (n = 180 926), and patients who used the following alternative-BPH-medications: doxazosin (n = 28 581), terazosin (n = 23 858), alfuzosin (n = 17 934), dutasteride (n = 34 027), and finasteride (n = 38 767). Assessment began following the first fill of BPH-medication to identify incident dementia by ICD-9 diagnosis codes. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for dementia using Cox proportional hazard regression for each of the 6 propensity-score-matched cohort-pairs. Results The median follow-up period for all cohorts was 19.8 months. After propensity-score matching, the tamsulosin cohort had an incidence of dementia of 31.3/1000 person-years compared with only 25.9/1000 person-years in the no-BPH-medication cohort. The risk of dementia was significantly higher in the tamsulosin cohort, when compared with the no-BPH-medication cohort (HR [95% CI]: 1.17 [1.14, 1.21]) and each of the alternative-BPH-medication cohorts: doxazosin (1.20 [1.12, 1.28]), terazosin (1.11 [1.04, 1.19]), alfuzosin (1.12 [1.03, 1.22]), dutasteride (1.26 [1.19, 1.34]), and finasteride (1.13 [1.07, 1.19]). The significance of these findings persisted in sensitivity analyses. Conclusion Tamsulosin may increase the risk of dementia in older men with BPH.
The next generation ALMA correlator USNC-URSI national radio science meeting

A Cycle 3 ALMA Development Study entitled Digital Correlator and Phased Array Architectures for Upgrading ALMA was completed in 2017. SAO led a consortium staffed with an international group of domain experts. The team developed science-driven architectures that greatly enhance bandwidth and continuum sensitivity; and are flexible, to facilitate modes providing extremely fine spectral resolution and native phased array VLBI recording, among others. Increased reliability, as well as reduced size, power consumption and life-cycle costs, are important natural benefits of these architectures which use state-of-the-art computing platforms and interconnect. A variety of technologies and algorithms were studied balancing costs and timelines against benefits. A detailed and practical system design is documented and justified in a comprehensive report to be submitted as an ALMA memo. This summary paper gives an outline of the proposed next generation ALMA digital system.
Operator Matrices with Chordal Inverse Patterns

We consider invertible operator matrices whose conformally partitioned inverses have 0 blocks in positions corresponding to a chordal graph. In this event, we describe a) block entry formulae that express certain blocks (in particular, those corresponding to 0 blocks in the inverse) in terms of others, under a regularity condition, and b) in the Hermitian case, a formula for the inertia in terms of inertias of certain key blocks.
Mistreating Workers isn't Always Efficient

In this paper we develop a simple model in which some employees are thieves and will steal from their employers if given the opportunity. Firms can counter this threat through practices such as locking employees inside their factories or requiring them to submit to searches. We show that the number of locked firms will be (weakly) greater than the number that would be chosen by a social planner. The reason is that in contrast to the social planner, an individual honest worker (i.e., a non-thief), when deciding whether to switch from a locked to an unlocked firm, does not take account of the fact that an additional honest worker in an unlocked firm raises the unlocked firm wage for everyone else. We also show that, under certain conditions, a ban on locked factories can increase total welfare, and under other (more stringent) conditions can increase the total welfare of honest workers.
Tisagenlecleucel for the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Introduction: Cure rates for pediatric and young adult patients with refractory or recurrently relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are dismal. Survival from time of relapse is typically mea...
In Utero Electroporation(IUE) and mouse genetic model approach to assess PITP-dependent inositol lipid signaling in NSC pool maintenance in embryonic brain

Inositol (Ins) and phosphoinositide (PIP) signaling pathways are major intracellular regulatory systems of eukaryotic cells. Phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins (PITPs) execute novel modes of in...
Interest groups and social media in the age of the Twitter president

There is a burgeoning literature on how political engagement has changed as a result of social media. The research on interest groups and social media, however, has primarily focused on describing ...
Optimism Development Across Adulthood and Associations With Positive and Negative Life Events

Numerous studies have demonstrated long-term benefits of optimism for physical and mental health. However, little research has examined how optimism develops across the life span and how it is shap...
Considerations for Realistic Emergency Core Cooling System Evaluation Methodology for Light Water Reactors

Various phenomena governing the course of large- and small-break loss-of-coolant accidents in light water reactors and affecting the key parameters such as peak cladding temperature, and timing of the end of blowdown, beginning of reflood, and complete quench have been identified. The models and the correlations for these phenomena in the current literature, in advance codes, and as prescribed in the current emergency core cooling system methodology as outlined in Appendix K of CFR50 have been reviewed. It was found that the models and correlations in the present best-estimate codes such as TRAC or RELAP5 could be made more realistic by incorporating some of these models from the literature. However, an assessment program will be needed for the final selection of the models for the codes.
A communication-avoiding 3D sparse triangular solver

We present a novel distributed memory algorithm to improve the strong scalability of the solution of a sparse triangular system. This operation appears in the solve phase of direct methods for solving general sparse linear systems, Ax = b. Our 3D sparse triangular solver employs several techniques, including a 3D MPI process grid, elimination tree parallelism, and data replication, all of which reduce the per-process communication when combined. We present analytical models to understand the communication cost of our algorithm and show that our 3D sparse triangular solver can reduce the per-process communication volume asymptotically by a factor of O(n1/4) and O(n1/6) for problems arising from the finite element discretizations of 2D "planar" and 3D "non-planar" PDEs, respectively. We implement our algorithm for use in SuperLU_DIST3D, using a hybrid MPI+OpenMP programming model. Our 3D triangular solve algorithm, when run on 12k cores of Cray XC30, outperforms the current state-of-the-art 2D algorithm by 7.2x for planar and 2.7x for the non-planar sparse matrices, respectively.
Abstract 1090: β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate supplementation preserves muscle mass and reduces tumor growth in obese mice

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains very challenging to treat with mean 5-year survival of approx. 6%, leading to PDAC’s status as the 4th most deadly cancer in the US. Diet induced obesity (DIO) has been shown to promote both increased incidence and growth of PDAC. Simultaneously DIO promotes muscle loss and the loss of immune surveillance in tumors. Cachexia, a chronic catabolic process in which muscle mass is lost, is a common feature of PDAC. We have previously shown that while leucine driven mTOR activation protects muscle mass in tumor bearing mice it also promotes tumor growth. Hence, we sought to test the potential of a leucine metabolite, β-hydroxy-β-methyl-butyrate, to protect against cachexia in a PDAC model while antagonizing DIO mediated tumor growth. We further sought to determine if HMB treatment would alter gemcitabine response in tumors from obese animals. Methods: C57BL/6 mice consuming either control or high fat diet, bearing Panc02 tumors, were treated with HMB alone or in combination with gemcitabine. Muscle size was determined using Feret’s diameter measured from HE b) HMB reduces DIO increased tumor volume; c) HMB significantly synergizes with gemcitabine to suppress PDAC growth in obese mice; and d) HMB reverts DIO mediate immune suppression and promotes tumor immune surveillance. Discussion: Antagonism of DIO promoted PDAC tumor growth, by HMB, and promotion of immune surveillance may offer significant synergy with standard therapy or, immune targeted therapies in PDAC. Citation Format: Michael F. Coleman, Kristyn A. Liu, Xiaohu Tang, Salvador Fabela, Laura M. Lashinger, Zhengrong Cui, Stephen D. Hursting. β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate supplementation preserves muscle mass and reduces tumor growth in obese mice [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1090.
In Situ Joint Stiffness Increases During Skeletal Growth but Decreases Following Partial and Complete Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury.

Partial and complete anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur in both pediatric and adult populations and can result in loss of joint stability and function. The sigmoidal shape of knee joint function (load-translation curve) under applied loads, includes a low-load region (described by slack length) followed by a high-load region (described by stiffness). However, the impact of age and injury on these parameters is not fully understood. The current objective was to measure the effects of age and injury on the shape of joint function in a porcine model. In response to an applied anterior-posterior tibial load, in situ slack did not change (p>0.05), despite 7-fold increases in joint size. Joint stiffness increased from an average of 10 N/mm in early youth to 47 N/mm in late adolescence (p<0.05). In situ ACL stiffness increased similarly, and changes in in situ joint stiffness and ACL stiffness were highly correlated across ages. With complete ACL injury, in situ slack length increased by 2-fold to 4-fold and in situ stiffness decreased 3-fold to 4-fold across ages (p<0.05). Partial ACL injury resulted in less dramatic, but statistically significant, increases in joint slack and significant decreases in in situ joint stiffness in the adolescent age groups (p<0.05). This work furthers our understanding of the interaction between joint biomechanics and ACL function throughout growth and the impact of ACL injury in the skeletally immature joint.
Development of Fast Prototyping Pneumatic Actuated Grippers

The goal of this paper is to develop biologically inspired soft robotic hands by using cheap commercial materials. Through finite elemental analysis and material testing, this paper shows effectiveness of a soft pneumatic finger for gripping and lifting. Using ANSYS simulations, the designs were analyzed in pressures, 0.0035 MPa and 0.007 MPa. This low pressure could output high deformations of the actuators. A single finger was able to withstand 25.3 N before failure, while being able to lift 15.3 g by itself under a low voltage air pump. When combing into a claw like gripper of four fingers it was able to lift roughly 8 times that of a single finger, around 130 g. This demonstration of a functional low-cost bio-inspired pneumatic finger showcases the potential for everyday use where a delicate touch is needed. Also, the high dexterity makes it a good design for use in manufacturing or medical areas.
The 3D reconstructed skin micronucleus assay: considerations for optimal protocol design

Implementation of the seventh amendment to the EU Cosmetics Directive has driven much research into suitable in vitro alternative assays to support satisfactory risk assessments. One such assay is the reconstructed skin micronucleus (RSMN) assay. First reported in 2006, further development occurred and a standard protocol was published in 2011. To evaluate and optimise the assay at Covance Laboratories, we tested nine chemicals [4-nitrophenol (4-NP), cyclohexanone (CH), 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol (2-EHD), methyl methansulfonate (MMS), mitomycin C (MMC), ethyl nitrosourea (ENU), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), cyclophosphamide (CPA) and vinblastine (VIN)] using the EpiDerm™ 3D skin model (MatTek Corporation®, IVLSL, Bratislava, Slovakia) and compared the data using the standard 48-h treatment regimen and also an emerging 72-h treatment protocol. The EpiDerm™ tissue has reportedly some metabolic capacity but data using 48-h treatments has provided mixed results. Our investigations demonstrate that the two chemicals requiring metabolic activation (BaP and CPA) were negative following the 48-h protocol but were clearly positive following 72-h treatment. Furthermore, Replication Index (RI) data showed higher RI values in vehicle control treatments (indicating increased cell division) across the treatment set following 72-h treatments. A general greater magnitude of micronucleus (MN) induction was also observed following test chemical treatment. These data suggest that the 72-h treatment protocol is more suitable as a standard approach for the detection of clastogenic, aneugenic and metabolically activated chemicals in the RSMN assay. For further assay optimisation, we compare the statistical power of scoring cells from duplicate or triplicate cultures per treatment concentration and provide recommendations.
Fire Power: Constitutional Limits and Institutional Norms Governing the United States President's Power of Removal

This paper deals with U. S. executive powers of appointment and termination as viewed from the first year of the Trump Administration. This essay was a contribution to a volume honoring Professor Elizabeth Zoller, Professor of Law at the University of Paris II, whose research and scholarship includes U.S. Constitutional Law. and the powers of the Presidency.
Incidence of nephrotoxicity with prolonged aminoglycoside exposure in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, often require repeated aminoglycoside courses for management of acute pulmonary exacerbations (APE). Acute kidney injury (AKI) due to aminoglycosides has been reported; little data exist regarding long-term nephrotoxicity with repeated exposure. The objective of this study was to describe the incidence of acute and chronic nephrotoxicity due to cumulative intravenous (IV) aminoglycoside exposure. This is a retrospective, observational study of pediatric and adult CF patients admitted to an academic medical center between January 1, 2006 and October 1, 2018 for APE management. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they received at least five courses of an IV aminoglycoside for at least seven days each. Cumulative weight based aminoglycoside dose was reported in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg). For each admission, baseline and highest serum creatinine (SCr) were collected to assess incidence of AKI. Baseline and final estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were calculated to assess for long-term effects on renal function. Sixty-six patients, representing greater than 700 courses, were included in the final analysis. The median cumulative weight based aminoglycoside dose was 1,183 mg/kg of tobramycin or tobramycin equivalent. Twenty percent of courses resulted in AKI; 86% were Stage 1. A repeated measures multivariate model showed colistin, piperacillin/tazobactam, vancomycin and age were significant AKI risk factors. There was no correlation between cumulative aminoglycoside dose and change in eGFR. AKI from IV aminoglycoside exposure occurred in 20% of courses. Cumulative exposure to IV aminoglycosides in APE management was not correlated with long-term renal dysfunction. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Abnormalities of Aspiration and Swallowing Function in Survivors of Acute Respiratory Failure

The mechanisms responsible for aspiration are relatively unknown in patients recovering from acute respiratory failure (ARF) who required mechanical ventilation. Though many conditions may contribute to swallowing dysfunction, alterations in laryngeal structure and swallowing function likely play a role in the development of aspiration. At four university-based tertiary medical centers, we conducted a prospective cohort study of ARF patients who required intensive care and mechanical ventilation for at least 48 h. Within 72 h after extubation, a Fiberoptic Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) examination was performed. Univariate and multivariable analyses examined the relationship between laryngeal structure and swallowing function abnormalities. Aspiration was the primary outcome, defined as a Penetration- Aspiration Scale (PAS) score of 6 or greater. Two other salient signs of dysphagia—spillage and residue—were secondary outcomes. A total of 213 patients were included in the final analysis. Aspiration was detected in 70 patients (33%) on at least one bolus. The most commonly aspirated consistency was thin liquids (27%). In univariate analyses, several abnormalities in laryngeal anatomy and structural movement were significantly associated with aspiration, spillage, and residue. In a multivariable analysis, the only variables that remained significant with aspiration were pharyngeal weakness (Odds ratio = 2.57, 95%CI = 1.16–5.84, p = 0.019) and upper airway edema (Odds ratio = 3.24, 95%CI = 1.44–7.66, p = 0.004). These results demonstrated that dysphagia in ARF survivors is multifactorial and characterized by both anatomic and physiologic abnormalities. These findings may have important implications for the development of novel interventions to treat dysphagia in ARF survivors. Clinical Trials Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02363686, Aspiration in Acute Respiratory Failure Survivors
Circulating Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 and Incident Heart Failure: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background Serum levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (VCAM‐1) are reflective of endothelial activation. Although VCAM‐1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of heart failure with preserv...
Black Pathways: Examining the History of Race Considerations in College Admissions at Highly Selective Campuses

This paper addresses policies and practices related to college admissions to bring attention to its impact on access for Black students who seek admission into large predominantly White public institutions (PWIs). This critical essay hopes to create a discussion around these issues of college access and opportunity. It presents a historical context that outlines what Black people have endured to secure an education and what they currently face. This conversation provides a continuum and breadth of knowledge that allows for a deeper understanding about Black education.This work looks at education as a viable tool to combat the unjust nature of society and the constraints placed upon those disenfranchised. This critical piece sees education as a way out of systematic turmoil, as well as way of reimagining the self and sharpening one's tools to be equipped for more opportunities. While there are many other solutions to consider, education is one that has a long-standing history of liberation for those oppressed.
Lipidomics reveals specific lipid molecules associated with cold stress syndrome in the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)

Cold stress syndrome (CSS) in the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) results in perturbations to many physiological pathways, often leading to further illness or death. In this study, we applied a non-targeted lipidomics approach with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry to characterize changes related to CSS in the lipidomic profiles of manatee plasma. Lipidomic analyses were conducted on healthy manatee (control) and cold-exposed manatee plasma samples with varying concentrations of Serum Amyloid A (SAA), an acute-phase protein that is associated with inflammatory disease. Control manatees (n = 10) were compared to all manatees exposed to cold temperatures (n = 17), and a subset of those manatees with SAA values > 120 μg/mL (n = 9). Increased SAA values were associated with higher levels of various acylcarnitine lipids, while several triacylglycerols and oxidized triacylglycerols were significantly lower in manatees with cold exposure. These identified lipids are critical molecules involved in the maintenance of energy homeostasis and could potentially be examined in conjunction with current physical parameters to characterize cold stress. The ability to detect such differences highlights the addition of lipidomics as a valuable tool in understanding cold stress and potentially other illnesses in manatees. Further investigation into the function of the altered lipids could greatly increase our understanding of lipid metabolism in physiologically stressed manatees as well as other marine mammals and inform future management recovery strategies.
Ontology of areas of endemism

Areas of endemism have been recognized as important units in historical biogeography, and much attention has been given to methods of identifying these units operationally. Interestingly, little has been written about the philosophical nature of areas of endemism. The purpose of this essay is to make an ontological argument for areas of endemism as individuals and to discuss the consequences of such a conclusion. The recognition of species as individuals is crucial to the argument. Several criteria are identified for entities to be considered individuals, all of which are shown for areas of endemism. An ontological concept of an area of endemism is presented. Two of the consequences of regarding areas of endemism as individuals are that areas of endemism should be the preferred units of biogeography over the units used in event-based methods and that parsimony analysis of endemism and similar methods may be operational tools for the discovery of areas of endemism.
Teams and performance appraisal

Inter‐rater agreement in a peer performance evaluation system was analyzed using a sample of 44 individuals who rated focal persons in seven teams. Objective information concerning individual performance on multiple choice tests, as well as information gleaned from individual contributions to team testing and team graded exercises, resulted in high inter‐rater reliabilities (assessed via ICCs) and strong criterion related validity for the performance evaluation instrument. A discussion centers on the effect of providing objective job performance information to evaluation participants.
Impact of Body Weight and Extreme Obesity on the Presentation, Treatment, and In-Hospital Outcomes of 50,149 Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Results From the NCDR (National Cardiovascular Data Registry)

Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the impact of extreme (class III) obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥40 kg/m 2 ) on care and outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Background Although its prevalence is increasing rapidly, little is known about the impact of extreme obesity on STEMI presentation, treatments, complication rates, and outcomes. Methods The relationship between BMI and baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and risk-adjusted in-hospital outcomes was quantified for 50,149 patients with STEMI from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) ACTION Registry–GWTG. Results The proportions of patients with STEMI by BMI category were as follows: underweight (BMI 2 ) 1.6%, normal weight (18.5 kg/m 2 ≤BMI 2 ) 23.5%, overweight (25 kg/m 2 ≤BMI 2 ) 38.7%, class I obese (30 kg/m 2 ≤BMI 2 ) 22.4%, class II obese (35 kg/m 2 ≤BMI 2 ) 8.7%, and class III obese 5.1%. Extreme obesity was associated with younger age at STEMI presentation (median age 55 years for class III obese vs. 66 years for normal weight); a higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia; a lower prevalence of smoking; and less extensive coronary artery disease and higher left ventricular ejection fraction. Process-of-care measures were similar across BMI categories, including the extremely obese. Using class I obesity as the referent, risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality rates were significantly higher only for class III obese patients (adjusted odds ratio: 1.64; 95% confidence interval: 1.32 to 2.03). Conclusions Patients with extreme obesity present with STEMI at younger ages and have less extensive coronary artery disease, better left ventricular systolic function, and similar processes and quality of care. Despite these advantages, extreme obesity remains independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality.
Fertility and Contraception in End-Stage Renal Disease

The hormonal aberrations that occur with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are presented in this review in relation to fertility and conception among women on dialysis. The imbalance in gonadotropin production in dialysis-dependent men and women is characterized by elevations in luteinizing hormone (LH). In women dialysis patients, the normal estradiol-stimulated LH surge does not occur, resulting in anovulation. In men dialysis patients spermatogenesis is impaired, and low testosterone levels cause elevated LH. Infertility in those with ESRD is a culmination of many factors, including impotence and loss of libido, anovulation, and an altered hormonal milieu. Despite these inhibitors of conception, women on dialysis can conceive; pregnancy has been reported in 1% to 7% of women on dialysis in survey studies. The influence of dialysis mode (hemodialysis v peritoneal dialysis), recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), and dialysis adequacy on the likelihood of conception among patients of either sex on dialysis is unknown. Reduced sexual activity and interest has consistently been reported in the ESRD population. The reasons for this are complex and likely involve the effects of comorbid illnesses, overall health status, body image factors, and hormonal alterations. Nephrologists rarely discuss conception and contraception with their women dialysis patients. Greater attention to these issues is needed.
NMR detection of 13CH313COOH from 3-13C-glucose: a signature for Bifidobacterium fermentation in the intestinal tract.

The gastrointestinal tracts of breast-fed infants are colonized more easily with bifidobacteria than are those of formula-fed infants. Colonization is thought to reduce infant diarrhea. Amendments to formulas that improve colonization by bifidobacteria are being actively investigated. Colonization studies almost invariably require measurements of the concentration of the bifidobacteria in feces to assess their importance in the colon. We investigated the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of products of fermentations of 1- and 3- 13 C-glucose to evaluate the importance of bifidobacteria in the colonic ecosystem. Bifidobacteria use a unique pathway of hexose catabolism to produce primarily acetate and lactate. The fermentation yields 3 mol of acetate from 2 mol of glucose. Two of the acetates are formed from C1 and C2 of glucose and the third is formed entirely from C3 of glucose. We first employed high resolution NMR to verify the pathway used by a pure culture of Bifidobacterium bifidum. The major products of fermentation of 1- and 3- 13 C-glucose were acetate and lactate. Most of the 13 C from 3- 13 C-glucose was in 13 CH 3 13 COOH with equal enrichment in the methyl and carboxyl groups. The 13 C-acetate from 1- 13 C-glucose was almost entirely enriched in the methyl of acetate and no 13 CH 3 13 COOH was produced. NMR analysis of glucose fermentation by the colonic flora of a 158-d-old strictly breast-fed infant showed production of 13 CH 3 13 COOH from 3- 13 C-glucose. The amount of 13 CH 3 13 COOH formed established that the Bifidobacterium pathway was the major pathway used for glucose fermentation by this infant's colonic microbes.
Allelic Interactions Heritably Alter the Activity of a Metastable Maize Pl Allele

The maize pl locus encodes a transcriptional activator of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes. The Pl-Rhoades (Pl-Rh) allele confers robust purple anthocyanin pigment in several tissues. Spontaneous derivatives of Pl-Rh, termed Pl'-mahogany (Pl'-mah), arise that confer reduced pigment and are meiotically heritable. These derivatives influence other Pl-Rh alleles such that only Pl'-mah alleles are transmitted form a Pl-Rh/Pl'mah heterozygote. Genetic crosses establish that chromosomal segregation distortion does not explain this exclusive transmission and suggest that Pl-Rh invariably changes to Pl'-mah when exposed to Pl'-mah. Such behavior is a hallmark of paramutation. Cosegregation experiments demonstrate that this paramutagenic activity is genetically linked to the pl locus. By visually quantifying pl action through successive crosses, we find that phenotypic expression is inversely related to paramutation at two other maize loci, b and r. Previous analysis of b and r paramutation revealed extensive differences and led to suggestions of distinct molecular mechanisms. Consideration of the common features of all three systems reinvigorates the interpretation that the mechanistic processes of these three allelic interactions are similar.
State of the Art in Hand and Finger Modeling and Animation

The human hand is a complex biological system able to perform numerous tasks with impressive accuracy and dexterity. Gestures furthermore play an important role in our daily interactions, and humans are particularly skilled at perceiving and interpreting detailed signals in communications. Creating believable hand motions for virtual characters is an important and challenging task. Many new methods have been proposed in the Computer Graphics community within the last years, and significant progress has been made towards creating convincing, detailed hand and finger motions. This state of the art report presents a review of the research in the area of hand and finger modeling and animation. Starting with the biological structure of the hand and its implications for how the hand moves, we discuss current methods in motion capturing hands, data-driven and physics-based algorithms to synthesize their motions, and techniques to make the appearance of the hand model surface more realistic. We then focus on areas in which detailed hand motions are crucial such as manipulation and communication. Our report concludes by describing emerging trends and applications for virtual hand animation.
THE PATHOGENESIS OF GRAVES' DISEASE

Graves' disease, one of the autoimmune thyroid diseases, is caused by the production of IgG autoantibodies directed against the thyrotropin receptor. These antibodies bind to and activate the receptor, causing the autonomous production of thyroid hormones. Despite recent improvements in our understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of autoimmunity, our currently available treatments for Graves' disease have remained largely unchanged over the last 50 years. Nevertheless, new concepts in immune system regulation hold out the prospect in the future for intervention designed to modify, and possibly cure, the underlying disease process.
Substrate-Dependent Activation of the Vibrio cholerae vexAB RND Efflux System Requires vexR

Vibrio cholerae encodes six resistance-nodulation-division (RND) efflux systems which function in antimicrobial resistance, virulence factor production, and intestinal colonization. Among the six RND efflux systems, VexAB exhibited broad substrate specificity and played a predominant role in intrinsic antimicrobial resistance. The VexAB system was encoded in an apparent three gene operon that included vexR; which encodes an uncharacterized TetR family regulator. In this work we examined the role of vexR in vexRAB expression. We found that VexR bound to the vexRAB promoter and vexR deletion resulted in decreased vexRAB expression and increased susceptibility to VexAB antimicrobial substrates. Substrate-dependent induction of vexRAB was dependent on vexR and episomal vexR expression provided a growth advantage in the presence of the VexAB substrate deoxycholate. The expression of vexRAB increased, in a vexR-dependent manner, in response to the loss of RND efflux activity. This suggested that VexAB may function to export intracellular metabolites. Support for this hypothesis was provided by data showing that vexRAB was upregulated in several metabolic mutants including tryptophan biosynthetic mutants that were predicted to accumulate indole. In addition, vexRAB was found to be upregulated in response to exogenous indole and to contribute to indole resistance. The collective results indicate that vexR is required for vexRAB expression in response to VexAB substrates and that the VexAB RND efflux system modulates the intracellular levels of metabolites that could otherwise accumulate to toxic levels.
A comparison between plasma charging-damage and inductive-damage: Damage response to Fowler-Nordheim stress

Abstract This paper reports on the results of a study performed to compare the effects of charging damage and inductive damage to 0.5 μm n-channel MOSFETs arising from plasma etching at the gate-definition etch and metal-1 etch levels, respectively. The MOSFETs were fabricated on 200 mm p/p+ silicon wafers using a full CMOS process. The gate-definition etch step was performed using a chlorine-based chemistry and the metal etch step was done using a BCl 3 /N 2 /Cl 2 plasma. It is found that charging damage is electrically inactive after the full CMOS process flow; however, it is electrically activated by Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) stress when charging damage is clearly seen to correlate with the area of charging antenna in the device. Inductive damage, on the other hand, is seen to impact transistor parameters directly after the CMOS process and before the application of F-N stress. This is attributed to distinctly different mechanisms that are responsible for the creation of the two types of damage: charging damage arises from a dc current stress, whereas inductive damage is suggested to arise from ac current stress.
Longitudinal-mode control in integrated semiconductor laser phased arrays by phase velocity matching

The spectrum of semiconductor laser arrays with separate contacts is investigated. It is demonstrated that the individual laser currents can be selected such that the array operates in a single longitudinal mode in contrast to the multimode nature of its individual constituents. Moreover, it is possible to tune the lasing frequency by varying the laser currents. Wavelength tuning range of ∼50 A, with tuning rate of ∼5 A/mA, is demonstrated. It is suggested that these spectral features, characteristic of lasers which are coupled in parallel, result from the strong frequency dependence of their spatial mode pattern near the phase‐matching frequency of their coupled waveguides.
The pharmacokinetic effects of coadministration of morphine and trovafloxacin in healthy subjects.

Abstract Background: Morphine and antibiotics are frequently coadministered in the surgical setting. These agents may interact, reducing the efficacy of the antibiotic or increasing the toxicity of morphine. It is therefore important to determine whether antibiotics that might be used for surgical prophylaxis have the potential to change the pharmacokinetics of morphine. It is equally important to learn whether morphine affects the plasma levels of antibiotics and thus may potentially influence their efficacy or tolerability. Methods: This open, randomized, placebo-controlled, three-treatment, three-period cross-over study enrolled 19 healthy volunteers. Oral trovafloxacin (200 mg), a novel fluoroquinolone antibiotic, and intravenous morphine (0.15 mg/kg) were coadministered, and the effects on the pharmacokinetics of each drug and on changes in the pharmacologic action of morphine, estimated from its effects on respiratory rate and level of sedation, were examined. Results: When trovafloxacin was coadministered with morphine, the half-life of trovafloxacin was unchanged; however, the ratio of the area under the serum concentration versus time curve (AUC 0–∞ ) estimates for trovafloxacin/morphine versus trovafloxacin/placebo was 63.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 40.7% to 100.3%), indicating a 36% reduction in the bioavailability of trovafloxacin. The ratio of the mean maximum serum concentration (C max ) estimates of trovafloxacin for the two treatments was 53.8% (95% CI: 36.1% to 80.1%), indicating a 46% reduction in C max . The time to C max was delayed by 4 hours. With trovafloxacin coadministration, there were no statistically significant changes in either the mean relative bioavailability of morphine or that of its metabolite, 6β-glucuronide-morphine. Coadministration of trovafloxacin did not exacerbate the reduction in respiratory rate or increase the number of side effects associated with morphine administration. Conclusions: Coadministration of trovafloxacin and morphine reduces the bioavailability and maximum serum concentrations of trovafloxacin. However, elimination of oral trovafloxacin is not impaired, suggesting that the efficacy of trovafloxacin could be maintained in many patients who receive concomitant morphine. Morphine plasma levels and pharmacologic effects are not significantly altered by coadministration of trovafloxacin. Despite their similar metabolic pathways, the trovafloxacin/morphine combination neither exacerbates the respiratory depressant effects of morphine nor increases the frequency of side effects when compared with placebo/morphine treatment. These results suggest that the efficacy of trovafloxacin may be maintained when coadministered with morphine. Concurrent administration of trovafloxacin and morphine is unlikely to alter the pharmacologic effects of morphine.