cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased Drug Use and STI Risk with Injection Drug Use Among HIV-Seronegative Heterosexual Methamphetamine Users

Methamphetamine (MA) use has been found to be associated with increased risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) among men having sex with men, but it is unknown whether those who inject MA are at greater risk for these infections than those who administer MA by other routes. Furthermore, comparable data from heterosexual MA users are lacking. We investigated whether the HIV and STI risks of male and female heterosexual MA users who inject MA differ from those of comparable users who do not inject. Between 2001 and 2005, we interviewed 452 HIV-negative men and women aged 18 and older who had recently used MA and engaged in unprotected sex. Their mean age was 36.6 years; 68% were male; ethnicity was 49.4% Caucasian, 26.8% African-American, and 12.8% Hispanic. Logistic regression identified factors associated with injecting MA. Compared to non-IDU, IDU were more likely to: be Caucasian; be homeless; have used MA for a longer period and used more grams of MA in the last 30 days; have a history of felony conviction; and report a recent STI. HIV and STI prevention interventions should be tailored according to MA users' method of administration.
Motion of a solitonic vortex in the BEC-BCS crossover.

We observe a long-lived solitary wave in a superfluid Fermi gas of 6 Li atoms after phase imprinting. Tomographic imaging reveals the excitation to be a solitonic vortex, oriented transverse to the long axis of the cigar-shaped atom cloud. The precessional motion of the vortex is directly observed, and its period is measured as a function of the chemical potential in the BEC-BCS crossover. The long period and the correspondingly large ratio of the inertial to the bare mass of the vortex are in good agreement with estimates based on superfluid hydrodynamics that we derive here using the known equation of state in the BEC-BCS crossover.
Preventive dental materials: sustained delivery of fluoride and other therapeutic agents.

In the 1940's, it was observed that silicate restorative cements were seldom associated with secondary caries. Fissure sealants, designed to protect caries-prone surfaces, appeared in the 1960's. The 1970's and 1980's have seen an increasing emphasis on the use of dental materials for preventive purposes. Glass ionomers, the modern version of silicates, release fluoride and have been available for some time. Polymeric materials that release various therapeutic agents are currently under development for use in topical anesthetic, endodontic, prosthodontic, and periodontal applications. An attachable membrane-reservoir device for oral fluoride delivery will soon be available for general clinical use. Several fluoride-releasing filling and adhesive resins have recently been marketed. These materials are the leading edge of a new class of preventive materials that serve as controlled-release and/or site-specific sources of therapeutic agents. This trend is expected to continue, and the near future should see ...
THE PRO-AXIS UNDERGROUND IN IRELAND, 1939–1942

During the first half of the Second World War, a network of secretive ultra-right movements emerged in Ireland for the purpose of assisting the Axis cause. These groups had little contact with fascist organizations overseas, but rather were indigenous expressions of discontent with the perceived failure of Irish liberal democracy to address the country’s political and economic problems. Numerically weak, poorly led, and ideologically unsophisticated, the pro-Axis underground made little progress in its subversive activities and was kept in check by the security services. Nonetheless, evidence suggests that a considerable number of Irishmen and women on both sides of the Border shared its underlying objective of aligning Ireland with what they regarded as an emerging post-democratic world order.
REGULATORY REGIONS OF THE HOMEOTIC GENE PROBOSCIPEDIA ARE SENSITIVE TO CHROMOSOMAL PAIRING

We have identified regulatory regions of the homeotic gene proboscipedia that are capable of repressing a linked white minigene in a manner that is sensitive to chromosomal pairing. Normally, the eye color of transformants containing white in a P-element vector is affected by the number of copies of the transgene; homozygous flies have darker eyes than heterozygotes. However, we found that flies homozygous for select pb DNA-containing transgenes had lighter eyes than heterozygotes. Several pb DNA fragments are capable of causing this pairing sensitive (PS) negative regulation of white. Two fragments in the upstream DNA of pb, 0.58 and 0.98 kb, are PS; additionally, two PS sites are located in the second intron, including a 0.5-kb region and 49-bp sequence. This phenotype is not observed when two PS sites are located at different chromosomal insertion sites (in trans-heterozygous transgenic animals), indicating that the pb-DNA-mediated repression of white is dependent on the pairing or proximity of the PS regions. The observed phenomenon is similar to transvection in which certain alleles of a gene can complement each other, but only when homologous chromosomes are paired. Interestingly, the intronic PS regions contain positive regulatory sequences for pb, whereas the upstream PS sites contain pb negative regulatory elements.
New robust image operators and applications in automatic facial feature analysis

This paper discusses a collection of image operators we originally developed for automatic analysis of face images, but they can also be applied to many other image domains. Most of these are new operators, a few are enhanced variants: two region segmentation algorithms (edge-based and intensity-based), two feature detectors (a hybrid morphological-Laplacian, and an oriented morphological edge detector), a thin edge detector by morphological gradient with statistical thresholding, and a nonlinear smoothing filter (micro-clustering). These new operators were designed with specific criteria for maximum efficiency in automatic image analysis. Morphological, statistical, linear and nonlinear operators were extensively tested and combined to get the desired properties.
The prevalence of computed tomographic abnormalities of the cerebrum in 100 consecutive children symptomatic with the human immune deficiency virus

Qualitative analysis of 100 consecutive computed tomographic (CT) studies of the brain in children with symptomatic-but untreated acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was performed. After excluding children with associated medical illnesses that might confound the diagnosis of encephalopathy or alter brain structure, an abnormality of at least one of the measures of ventricular size, cortical atrophy, white matter attenuation (leukoaraiosis), or cerebral calcification was found in 86% of the patients studied. Ventricular enlargement was the most common abnormality, followed by cortical atrophy, leukoaraiosis, and cerebral calcification. Cerebellar atrophy was an unexpected but relatively common finding in 12% of the children. Sixty-five percent of the children were encephalopathic at the time of evaluation
Synoptic and Kinetic Energy Analyses of Hurricane Camille (1969) during Transit Across the Southeastern United States

Abstract Synoptic analyses of Camille depict the weakening cyclone after landfall, followed by intensification during merger with an extratropical baroclinic system. Vorticity and vertical motion analyses show good correspondence with flow features and attending weather events. Kinetic energy generation and vertical flux divergence are large-scale energy sinks in the vicinity of Camille, while horizontal flux divergence and subgrid-to-grid-scale transfer of energy are sources. It is hypothesized that this latter transfer of energy is related to the occurrence of convective events in the immediate cyclone region.
Early Cellular Response to Radiation in Human Vocal Fold Fibroblasts.

Objectives:Radiation therapy is a common treatment strategy for laryngeal carcinoma. However, radiation is not without adverse side effects, especially toward healthy vocal fold tissue, which can lead to long-term impairments in vocal function. The objective of this preliminary study was to investigate early responses of healthy human vocal fold fibroblasts (VFF) to radiation.Methods:VFF were exposed to a single or fractionated dose radiation scheme. Nonradiated VFF served as controls. Morphology of radiated and control VFF was subjectively examined. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate the effect of radiation on extracellular matrix and inflammatory-related genes. VFF viability was investigated using a LIVE/DEAD and clonogenic assay.Results:Single or fractioned dose radiated VFF were morphologically indistinguishable from control VFF. No significant differences in gene expression were observed following either radiation scheme and as compared to controls. Clonogenic assay revealed ...
Density functional theory studies of HCOOH decomposition on Pd(111)

Abstract The investigation of formic acid (HCOOH) decomposition on transition metal surfaces is important to derive useful insights for vapor phase catalysis involving HCOOH and for the development of direct HCOOH fuel cells (DFAFC). Here we present the results obtained from periodic, self-consistent, density functional theory (DFT-GGA) calculations for the elementary steps involved in the gas-phase decomposition of HCOOH on Pd(111). Accordingly, we analyzed the minimum energy paths for HCOOH dehydrogenation to CO2 + H2 and dehydration to CO + H2O through the carboxyl (COOH) and formate (HCOO) intermediates. Our results suggest that HCOO formation is easier than COOH formation, but HCOO decomposition is more difficult than COOH decomposition, in particular in the presence of co-adsorbed O and OH species. Therefore, both paths may contribute to HCOOH decomposition. CO formation goes mainly through COOH decomposition.
Control for Antarctic Ice Cap Reconnaissance

The methods used to provide horizontal and vertical control for the reconnaissance of an Antarctic ice cap are discussed and evaluated. Primary horizontal control was established by the line of position method. Primary vertical control was established from seismic measurements of the Ross Ice Shelf. Secondary horizontal control was established by angle and odometer traverse. Secondary vertical control was established by barometric leveling.
Hydrogen in YBA2CU3O7−x High TC Superconductors

We have been investigating the possibility that the presence or absence of hydrogen may influence the electrical properties of the high TQ superconductor YBa2Cu3O7−x. Samples were prepared sintering in wet and dry oxygen, ana have been loaded by exposure to a plasma discharge of hydrogen gas. The hydrogen concentration near the surface was monitored by the H(15N, αγ) C reaction, and the four point method was used for the electrical measurements. The tentative results are that hydrogen content has little effect on either the transition temperature or the sharpness of the transition, although higher concentration may increase the normal state resistivity.
The Interconversion of Foodstuffs in the Blowfly (Phormia Regina) during Metamorphosis II. Changes in Composition as Determined by the Oxycalorimeter

In a system such as the pupating insect the interconversion of foodstuffs can perhaps be best studied by comparison of the bodilycomposition of the organism at various stages of its metamorphosis. In our work we have attacked this problem in two ways; first, by calculation of the composition from the combustion respiratory quotient as determined in the oxycalorimeter; and second, by conventional chemical analysis. The results obtained by the first of these methods are reported in this paper.
THE GENUS LAELAPS (ACARINA: LAELAPIDAE) IN TAIWAN.

Eight species of Laelaps (including Echinolaelaps) are recorded from Taiwan. New collection records, keys, and illustrations provide information on the host and distributional records and assist in identification. Laelaps prognathus n. sp. is described from Rattus losea. Echinolaelaps fukienensis Wang, 1963, is a new synonym of L. traubi Domrow, 1962; and Laelaps pavlovskyi Zachvatkin, 1948, is a new synonym of L. agilis Koch, 1836.
426 EFFECTS OF DISRUPTING C-MET ACTIVITY WITHIN PANCREATIC CANCER

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth or fifth leading cause of cancer death in the Western world. Human pancreatic cancers frequently overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptors including Met, also known as hepatocyte growth factor receptor. Over stimulation of c-Met via its natural ligand, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), has been associated with cell scattering, angiogenesis, enhanced cell motility, invasion and eventually metastasis. The overexpression of c-Met was confirmed by western blot and RT-PCR in a panel of human pancreatic cancer cell lines. The results from this expression analysis suggested there is an over activation of the c-Met signaling pathway, which may contribute to pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis. This hypothesis was tested using a cell-based invasion assay through which the invasive effects of c-Met signaling in pancreatic tumorigenesis was evaluated. Preliminary results indicate a two-fold increase of invasion in those CF-Pac1 cells treated with HGF. In addition to providing information regarding the role that c-Met and HGF play in tumorigenesis, this work further validates c-Met as a therapeutic target for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and other tumor types.
Estimation of random effects and identifying heterogeneous genes in meta-analysis of gene expression studies

Combining effect sizes from individual studies using random-effects meta-analysis models are commonly applied in high-dimensional gene expression data. However, unknown study heterogeneity can arise from inconsistencies in sample quality and experimental conditions. High heterogeneity of effect sizes can reduce statistical power of the models. In this study, we describe three hypothesis-testing frameworks for meta-analysis of microarray data, and review several existing meta-analytic techniques that have been used in the genomic setting. These include P-value-based methods, rank-based methods and effect-size-based methods. We then discuss limitations of some of these methods and describe random-effects-based methods in detail. We introduce two methods for estimating the inter-study variance in random-effects meta-analytic models and another method for identifying heterogeneous genes for gene expression data. We compared various methods with the standard and existing meta-analytic techniques in the genomic framework. We demonstrate our results through a series of simulations and application in Alzheimer's gene expression data.
Binding of fibrin fragments to one-chain and two-chain tissue-type plasminogen activator.

To explore whether fibrin fragments have binding affinity for the tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) molecule, the interactions were studied of (DD)E complex and fragments DD, E1, and E3 with one- chain and two-chain t-PA. For this purpose, a solid-phase binding assay was developed using microtiter plates with nitrocellulose filters. It was found that (DD)E complex and fragments DD and E3 retained the t-PA binding function of the parent fibrin molecule, thus demonstrating that t-PA binds to both the D and E domains of fibrin. Unexpectedly, fragment E1 did not bind t-PA. Fibrin fragments had different binding properties for one-chain and two-chain t-PA. (DD)E complex had the highest and fragment E3 the lowest affinity for one-chain t-PA, both binding curves being consistent with one class of binding sites. However, binding of the fragments with two-chain t-PA was distinguished by more than one class of binding sites, with fragment E3 having the highest affinity for this form of the activator. epsilon-Aminocaproic acid, even at 50 mmol/L concentration, had only minimal effect on binding of (DD)E complex or fragment DD to either one-chain or two- chain t-PA. The potentiating effect of fibrin fragments on plasminogen activation by t-PA was measured by a chromogenic substrate assay. Fragment DD was the most effective stimulator of plasminogen activation by t-PA. In conclusion, (DD)E complex and fragment DD retained most of the regulatory functions of fibrin, which included t-PA binding and t- PA-mediated acceleration of plasminogen activation to plasmin.
Consumer Lending in France and America: Credit and Reconstruction

World War II marked a change in how French and American policymakers conceived of consumer credit. Prior to the war, credit was debated in terms of its impact on workers and welfare. In the wake of the war, credit narratives were recast to emphasize the link between consumer lending and industrial production and economic growth. Yet how credit and growth were related was a matter of significant disagreement. Basic questions about consumer credit – including its effect on prices, household savings rates, and ultimately economic growth – became the focus of national policy debate. In the absence of definitive empirical evidence, national narratives diverged. In America, a coalition of organized labor and government policymakers came together around the idea of credit as a spur to growth. In France, a similar coalition of labor and policymakers came to the opposite conclusion. This chapter traces the role of lenders, organized labor, and central banks in framing these two alternative narratives about postwar consumer credit. Consumer credit posed a particular conundrum for industrial policy. On the one hand, economic leaders saw the postwar demand for new products as the engine for manufacturing growth. With new housing driving a need for new household technologies, consumer credit could help to satisfy that demand. There was also an efficiency logic to credit. By speeding such purchases, credit could allow manufacturers to increase scale, and this would in turn lower costs for everyone. On the other hand, policymakers in both the United States and France worried that consumer credit would absorb capital that was needed by industry, thereby crowding out industrial investment. They also worried that liberal credit terms, and the heightened demand it generated, could aggravate the challenge of managing inflation. Both countries experimented with selective restrictions on consumer loans in order to fight inflation. In the United States, between 1950 and 1952, the Federal Reserve acting under Regulation W set mandatory thresholds for the down payment and repayment period on installment loans. Initially, these required household borrowers to pay at least 33 percent of the cost of a credit purchase up front (the down payment requirement) and repay the loan within a year. The restrictions were intended to hold down inflation even as the government relied heavily on debt to finance the Korean War effort. In France, similar restrictions on lending terms were introduced in 1954. From these similar starting points, French and American policy diverged.
Clinical, Radiographic, and Biomarker Characterization of Multiple Myeloma Patients with Bisphosphonate Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw.

Abstract Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a recently described entity observed in patients with a history of aminobisphosphonate use. To date nearly 400 patients with ONJ have been reported in literature and this number continues to rise. However,prospective characterization of ONJ is lacking. We here characterize ONJ clinically and radiographically using multiple imaging modalities including panorex films, CAT scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), FDG-PET scans, and NaF-PET bone scans in 11 patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Moreover, bone turnover and remodelling markers in these patients were analyzed prospectively in order to gain insights into the pathophysiology of ONJ. Eleven patients between the ages of 57 and 81 yrs were included. There were 8 men and 3 women, and 6 patients presented with Durie Salmon stage III disease. Patients were treated with various combinations of conventional and novel agents, including stem cell transplantation (4/11). Patients received either pamidronate (n=3), zolendronic acid (n=4), or both agents sequentially (n=4). The mean duration of bisphosphonate (BP) therapy was 38.7 months (range: 9–81 months). All patients were examined independently by 2 oral medicine physicians, and clinical data was validated on 2 separate dental visits. Six of 11 patients had mandibular lesions, 3 had lesions in the maxilla, and 2/11 patients had lesions in both the maxilla and mandible. Plain and panorex filmsdemonstrated a mottled appearance with increased radiolucency at the site of ONJ.This was associated with an increase in both glucose metabolism and mineralization at sites of ONJ, as measured with the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on FDG and NaF-PET scans, respectively. However, one patient with increased uptake on NaF-PET did not have increased glucose metabolism with FDG-PET. The target-to-background ratio of SUVmax for NaF-PET scans was significantly greater than FDG-PET suggesting that NaF-PET may have greater sensitivity than FDG-PET in confirming a diagnosis of ONJ. Several markers of bone turnover and remodelling were measured including serum calcium, vitamin D (25-OH), urinary N telopeptides, bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), osteopontin, MIP 1a, RANK-L, osteoprotegrin, and DKK. Transcriptional profiling on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using the Affymetrix U133Plus 2.0 gene chip was also performed in all 11 patients and compared with those of 10 MM patients on BP therapy without ONJ and 5 normal donors. These correlative studies will be presented and provide insights into the pathophysiology of ONJ. Importantly these studies both define clinical and radiographic features on ONJ, but also identify biomarkers to be evaluated in future prospective studies of BP therapy and ONJ.
Predicting and explaining identity risk, exposure and cost using the ecosystem of identity attributes

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is commonly used in both the physical and cyber worlds to perform personal authentication. A 2014 Department of Justice report estimated that roughly 7% of American households reported some type of identity theft in the previous year, involving the theft and fraudulent use of such PII. Establishing a comprehensive map of PII attributes and their relationships is a fundamental first step to protect users from identity theft. In this paper, we present the mathematical representation and implementation of a model of Personally Identifiable Information attributes for people, named Identity Ecosystem. Each PII attribute (e.g., name, age, and Social Security Number) is modeled as a graph node. Probabilistic relationships between PII attributes are modeled as graph edges. We have implemented this Identity Ecosystem model as a Bayesian Belief Network (with cycles allowed) and we use Gibb's Sampling to approximate the posteriors in our model. We populated the model from two sources of information: 1) actual theft and fraud cases; and 2) experts' estimates. We have utilized our Identity Ecosystem implementation to predict as well as to explain the risk of losing PII and the liability associated with fraudulent use of these PII attributes. For better human understanding of the complex identity ecosystem, we also provide a 3D visualization of the Identity Ecosystem model and queries executed on the model. This research aims to advance a fundamental understanding of PII attributes and leads to better methods for preventing identity theft and fraud.
The Socratic Black Panther: Reading Huey P. Newton Reading Plato

This essay examines the role of Platonic literature and philosophy in part 2 of Newton’s (1973) Revolutionary Suicide (RS) and argues that Plato’s Republic, as the seminal text in Newton’s early adult life, intertextually directs the course of events, both the ways Newton describes the plight of Black America and how Newton engages other literary texts, poetry in particular. Over the course of part 2 of RS, Newton increasingly adopts the guise of a modern day Socrates, confounding his white opponents and revealing the truth about racial oppression. Studying prose texts, especially philosophy, becomes (inter)textually symbolic for racial enlightenment, on the one hand, and for the responsibility Newton sees of himself to share that enlightenment with those still chained in the dark recesses of the cave, on the other.
Identifying Points for Pedagogical Intervention Based on Student Writing: Two Case Studies for the “Point of Originality”

Integrating technology into higher education curricula to extend the physical boundaries of the classroom can be of significant value, as it enables students to interact and learn outside of class time. This is particularly true in larger gateway courses, where there are fewer opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking and to construct their own understanding of core concepts. While the introduction of technology like blogging can create a successful learning experience, any large number of students creates additional noise that makes it harder for instructors to isolate the students most in need of help. This chapter describes an analysis method and tool that uses lexical analysis to allow an instructor to automatically track how a student’s written language migrates from mere paraphrase to mastery, isolating the moment when the student’s understanding of core concepts best demonstrates an ability to place that concept into his or her own words, a moment that we have chosen to call the "Point of Originality." Through two case studies, higher point of originality values is shown to correspond strongly with likely student achievement.
Resistance in leukemic cells to a guanine analog, 8-azaguanine.

Summary(1) The development of resistance in a transplantable acute lymphocytic leukemia of the mouse to a guanine analog, 8-azaguanine, is reported. (2) Optimal growth of the resistant cells is attained in mice receiving near maximum tolerable doses of 8-azaguanine, indicating partial dependence of the variant line on the analog used in developing resistance. (3) The sensitive (control) line of leukemia has shown nearly complete inhibition of tumor growth at comparable transfer generations. (4) A-methopterin and TEM inhibit growth of the resistant line. (5) The biologic behavior of resistant leukemic cells, grown in mice receiving 8-aza-guanine, strikingly resembles sensitive cells grown in antagonist-free mice: A florid leukemia develops with leukocytosis and escape of lymphoblasts into the blood, severe infiltration into lymph nodes, spleen and liver, resulting in death at approximately the same time as controls.
“You’re Throwing Your Life Away”: Sanctioning of Early Marital Timelines by Religion and Social Class

In the midst of a shifting economic and cultural landscape, many young adults spend their twenties focused on individual achievement and self-actualization while delaying entrance into social roles such as marriage. Yet religion, particularly Evangelical Protestantism, places a high value on marriage as the legitimate context for sexuality and childbearing—which encourages earlier unions. This article, based on interviews with 87 dating, engaged, and married Evangelical young adults (aged 18 to 29), describes the social reaction to respondents’ marital timelines, which are typically at younger ages than their secular peers. Two sources of strong disapproval emerge. First, secular influences from outside of these respondents’ religious communities are almost unilaterally critical of early marriage plans. Second, even within religious communities, Evangelicals from middle class cultural milieus may face additional disapproval if their family formation plans are interpreted as compromising their educational goals. This article offers important insight on the intersecting roles of religion and social class in shaping the trajectories of young adults.
Conjecture: Feedback doesn’t Help Much

Consider the additive Gaussian noise channel with stationary timedependent noise $$Y (k) = X (k) + Z (k)$$ , where {Z(k)} has power spectral density N(f). A (2nR, n) feedback code for such a channel is given by a collection of functions $$x_k^{(n)} (W, Y_1,Y_2, \dots, Y_{k-1})$$ , $$k = 1,2, \dots, n, \; W \in \{1,2, \dots, 2^nR\}$$ and a decoding function $$g^{(n)} \: R^n \rightarrow\{1,2, \dots, 2^{nR}\}$$ .
Rotations, Transformations, Left Quaternions, Right Quaternions?

This paper surveys the two fundamental possible choices in representing the attitude of an aerospace vehicle: active and passive rotations. The consequences of the choice between the two are detailed for the two most common attitude parameterizations, a three-by-three orthogonal matrix and the quaternion. Successive rotations are also reviewed in this context as well as the attitude kinematic equations.
Cutaneous Surgery in Patients Who Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding

Dermatologic surgery in pregnant/postpartum patients requires deliberate consideration. Although surgery can be safely performed during any trimester, the second trimester and immediate postpartum period is optimal. Surgery should not be delayed for melanoma/high-risk skin cancers. Perioperative positioning, analgesic, antiseptic, and antibiotic selection should be deliberate to avoid risk to the patient/fetus/infant. The left lateral tilt position reduces aortocaval compression syndrome. Lidocaine and epinephrine can be used safely. Alcohol and chlorhexidine are considered safe. Antibiotics commonly used in skin surgery are safe in pregnancy and lactation. Acetaminophen is first line for pain management. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs should be avoided.
Abstract 4429: Delivery of miR-143 and miR-506 with novel nano carrier to arrest cell cycle in lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. Although targeting the cell cycle of cancer cells has been a promising approach, no such therapy has translated for the treatment of lung cancer. In our previous work, we identified that the combinatorial treatment of two miRNAs, miR-143 and miR-506, inhibited the cell cycle of lung cancer cells in vitro. These miRs downregulated the CDK1 and CDK4/6 genes, which are involved in the G1/S and G2/M transitions, respectively. Nucleic acid delivery has met formidable challenges, such as short in vivo half-life and rapid degradation in the circulation, as well as limited cell penetration or endosomal escape. We developed a novel nanocarrier, composed of tocopherol (vitamin E), polyethylenenimine, and polyethylene glycol (TPP) in 1:1:1 molar ratio for the delivery of miRNAs. Proper characterization with NMR and FTIR confirmed the synthesis of this molecule. We found it can form nanomicelles, and the positively charged of polyethyleneimine allowed for the complexation of miRNAs, as was detected by a gel retardation assay. Fluorescently tagged TPP micelles were uptaken by cancer cells, and the carrier successfully transfected cancer cells with the combinatorial miRNA treatment inducing gene downregulation. In vivo pharmacokinetics study using a subcutaneous mouse model of lung cancer indicated prolonged accumulation of the TPP-miRNA micelles in the tumor area. In vivo administration of the miR-143/506 in TPP micelles, along with cisplatin co-treatment, inhibited tumor growth in a subcutaneous mouse model of lung cancer. Overall, the promising role of miR-143 and 506 for the regulation of LC growth may be achieved by this novel TPP-based nanocarrier, which merits further evaluation. Citation Format: A K M Nawshad Hossian, Chandra Mohan Reddy Muthumula, George Mattheolabakis. Delivery of miR-143 and miR-506 with novel nano carrier to arrest cell cycle in lung cancer [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 4429.
Bifidobacterium dentium Modulates Expression of Genes Important to Synaptic Plasticity and Neurodevelopment in the Cerebellum of Germ‐Free Mice

BackgroundRecent studies have established that members of the intestinal microbiota communicate with the host central nervous system (CNS) and suggest that this interaction may influence host neura...
Large-Scale Shrinkage Estimation under Markovian Dependence

We consider the problem of simultaneous estimation of a sequence of dependent parameters that are generated from a hidden Markov model. Based on observing a noise contaminated vector of observations from such a sequence model, we consider simultaneous estimation of all the parameters irrespective of their hidden states under square error loss. We study the roles of statistical shrinkage for improved estimation of these dependent parameters. Being completely agnostic on the distributional properties of the unknown underlying Hidden Markov model, we develop a novel non-parametric shrinkage algorithm. Our proposed method elegantly combines \textit{Tweedie}-based non-parametric shrinkage ideas with efficient estimation of the hidden states under Markovian dependence. Based on extensive numerical experiments, we establish superior performance our our proposed algorithm compared to non-shrinkage based state-of-the-art parametric as well as non-parametric algorithms used in hidden Markov models. We provide decision theoretic properties of our methodology and exhibit its enhanced efficacy over popular shrinkage methods built under independence. We demonstrate the application of our methodology on real-world datasets for analyzing of temporally dependent social and economic indicators such as search trends and unemployment rates as well as estimating spatially dependent Copy Number Variations.
#PeriodsAreNotAnInsult: Hashtag Activism Meets Menstruation

Folkloristic inquiry into the use of the hashtag #PeriodsAreNotAnInsult revealed distinct thematic categories of use that highlight the ability of individuals to personalize elements of group expre...
The Path to Sales Center Leadership: Key Differences Between Academic and Practitioner Leaders:

More universities are teaching sales to meet growing employer demand, thereby increasing the prominence of university sales centers. Sales center directors tend to be a PhD or a non-PhD faculty mem...
Hydrodynamic cavitation for scalable exfoliation of few-layered graphene nanosheets.

A scalable manufacturing method for production of biocompatible few layered graphene (FLG) nanosheets is developed using hydrodynamic cavitation. Scalable exfoliation is induced by employing hydrodynamic cavitation and a serum albumin protein. Unlike acoustic cavitation, the primary means of bubble collapse in hydrodynamic cavitation is caused laterally, thereby separating two adjacent flakes through a shear effect. In this process Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), a known protein, was employed to act as an effective exfoliation agent and provide desired stability by preventing restacking of the graphene layers. This method was used to study the effect of time of graphene exfoliation in a novel hydrodynamic cavitation system. The results showed that with increasing the time of exfoliation, the number of layers of graphene decreased based on the I2D/IG ratio but disorder increased based on the ID/IG ratio. At 3 hours the I2D/IG ratio was at 0.39 and the ID/IG ratio was 0.25, while at 6 hours the I2D/IG ratio was 0.35 and ID/IG ratio was 0.29. The results of the theoretical and computational analysis this research outlines is needed to obtain an optimized cavitation model that can be used to potentially improve graphene synthesis and quality.
Late results after stand-alone surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation

Abstract Objectives Stand-alone surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation is indicated in patients with refractory atrial fibrillation who have failed medical or catheter-based ablation. Few reports of late outcomes after stand-alone surgical ablation exist using comprehensive follow-up with strict definitions of success. This study examined our late outcomes of the stand-alone Cox-Maze IV procedure. Methods Between January 2003 and December 2019, 236 patients underwent a stand-alone Cox-Maze IV for refractory atrial fibrillation. Freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmias was assessed by electrocardiography, Holter, or pacemaker interrogation for up to 10 years, with a mean follow-up of 4.8 ± 3.5 years. Rhythm outcomes were compared in multiple subgroups. Factors associated with recurrence were determined using Fine-Gray regression, allowing for death as the competing risk. Results The majority of patients (176/236, 75%) had nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation. Median duration of preoperative atrial fibrillation was 6.2 years (interquartile range, 3-11). Fifty-nine percent of patients (140/236) failed 1 or more prior catheter-based ablation. Thirteen patients (6%) experienced a major complication. There was no 30-day mortality. Freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmias was 94% (187/199), 89% (81/91), and 77% (24/31) at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively. There was no difference in freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmias between patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation versus nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation (P > .05) or those undergoing sternotomy versus a minimally invasive approach (P > .05). Increased left atrial size and number of catheter ablations were associated with late atrial fibrillation recurrence. For patients who experienced any atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence, the median number of recurrences was 1.5 (1.0-3.0). Conclusions The stand-alone Cox-Maze IV had excellent late efficacy at maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with symptomatic, refractory atrial fibrillation, with low morbidity and no mortality. The Cox-Maze IV, in contrast to catheter-based ablation, was equally effective in patients with paroxysmal and nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation.
Permanent pacemaker placement following valve surgery is not independently associated with worse outcomes

Abstract Background Permanent pacemaker placement (PPM) is associated with morbidity following cardiac surgery. This study identified associations between PPM placement and 5-year outcomes for patients that require PPM following valvular surgery. Methods All patients who underwent valvular surgery at our medical center from 2011 to 2018 were considered for analysis. Multivariable analysis identified associations between PPM placement, mortality, and readmissions. Primary outcomes were operative complications and mortality. Secondary outcomes included 5-year survival and readmission. Results A total of 175 (4.86%) of 3602 valvular surgery patients required postoperative PPM. The PPM cohort had significantly worse baseline comorbidities, including greater Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality (STS-PROM) scores (3.8 vs 2.4 P Conclusions Valvular surgery patients who required postoperative PPM had elevated baseline operative risk. However, PPM implantation was not associated with mortality or readmission.
Correcting the Charge Delocalization Error of Density Functional Theory.

The charge delocalization error, besides nondynamic correlation, has been a major challenge to density functional theory. Contemporary functionals undershoot the dissociation of symmetric charged dimers A2+, a simple but stringent test, predict a spurious barrier, and improperly delocalize charges for charged molecular clusters. We extend a functional designed for nondynamic correlation to treat the charge delocalization error by modifying the nondynamic correlation for parallel spins. The modified functional eliminates those problems and reduces the multielectron self-interaction error. Furthermore, its results are the closest to those of CCSD(T) in the whole range of the dissociation compared with contemporary functionals. It correctly localizes the net positive charge in (CH4)n+ clusters and predicts a nearly constant ionization potential as a result. Testing of the SIE4x4 set shows that the new functional outperforms a wide variety of functionals assessed for this set in the literature. Overall, we show the feasibility of treating charge delocalization together with nondynamic correlation.
Optimized Control of Distribution Switches to Balance a Low Cost Photovoltaic Microgrid

Dynamic operations of electric power switches in microgrid mode allows for distributed photovoltaic (PV) systems to support a critical load and enable the transfer of electrical power to non-critical loads. Instead of relying on an expensive system that includes a constant generation source (e.g. fossil fuel based generators), this work assess the potential balance of load and PV generation to properly charge a critical load battery while also supporting non-critical loads during the day. This work assumes that the battery is sized to only support the critical load and that the PV at the critical load is undersized. To compensate for the limited power capacity, a battery charging algorithm predicts and defines battery demand throughout the day; a particle swarm optimization (PSO) scheme connects and disconnects switch sections inside a distribution system with the objective of minimizing the difference between load and generation. The PSO reconfiguration scheme allows for continuous operations of a critical load as well as inclusion of non-critical loads.
Facing Racial Revolution: Eyewitness Accounts of the Haitian Insurrection

O objetivo desse artigo e analisar as reacoes dos brancos que testemunharam pessoalmente a Revolucao do Haiti, de 1791 a 1804, e escreveram acerca de suas experiencias. Este e um pequeno e geralmente negligenciado capitulo dessa historia. Estas testemunhas da Revolucao do Haiti foram os primeiros homens brancos que viveram segundo uma verdadeira revolucao racial, na qual pessoas que anteriormente eram definidas, pelo mundo europeu, como inferiores, obtiveram exito em subverter a hierarquia racial. Embora suas memorias nao tivessem sido muito lidas, em sua epoca, os brancos que estavam presentes nesse evento nos oferecem uma visao unica do impacto de se viver segundo este tipo de inversao das relacoes raciais de poder. Os relatos acerca da Revolucao do Haiti tambem demonstram quao profundamente incomoda se tornou a literatura memorialista para a nocao de identidade branca da Europa.
Drug delivery studies on electrostatically charged dry powder inhaler aerosols using a glass bead lung model

The dry powder inhaler (DPI) is widely used for treating lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema and cystic fibrosis. Electrostatic charge has been shown to influence the deposition of inhaled particles in the lung increasing the deposition fraction for 4.5 /spl mu/m particles from 0.28 for particles under no electric field to 0.58 for particles that are negatively charged. To study the lung deposition of charged aerosols through mouth breathing, a physical lung model using a glass bead was developed. The lung model was tested by using a spinning disk aerosol generator. The deposition fraction was measured as a function of aerodynamic diameter and electrostatic charge distribution. Particles were introduced from the spinning disk aerosol generator through a throat section into a physical glass bead lung model. The throat section is an anatomical model of the larynx. An E-SPART analyzer was used to measure lung deposition as a function of the particle charge and size. The size and charge of the particles was varied from the test aerosol generator. Preliminary experimental data shows that enhanced delivery of the DPI aerosol in the lung can be achieved by controlling the electrostatic charge on the aerosol particles.
Latency analysis of TCP on an ATM network

In this paper we characterize the latency of the BSD 4.4 alpha implementation of TCP on an ATM network. Latency reduction is a difficult task, and careful analysis is the first step towards reduction. We investigate the impact of both the network controller and the protocol implementation on latency. We find that a low latency network controller has a significant impact on the overall latency of TCP. We also characterize the impact on latency of some widely discussed improvements to TCP, such as header prediction and the combination of the checksum calculation with data copying.
Dreambooks in Byzantium: Six Oneirocritica in Translation, with Commentary and Introduction

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Steven M. Oberhelman Year: 2008 Pages: 260 Publisher: Ashgate Publishing ISBN: 978-0-7546-6084-2 (hard cover).
Ribonucleoside Triphosphate-Dependent Pyrophosphate Exchange of Reovirus Cores

Abstract Reovirus cores catalyze a ribonucleoside triphosphate (rNTP)-dependent pyrophosphate exchange reaction in the presence of all four rNTP species. When rNTP species are tested individually, only guanosine-5′-triphosphate supports pyrophosphate exchange.
Algebraic tools for language processing

Abstract A language space provides a unified framework to deal with the properties of language constructs by associating them with their specification rules. The concrete syntax is represented by segments of the language space. The semantics is given by derived operations of the algebras where these constructs are interpreted by the processing tools operating on the language space. We examine in this paper only processing tools that collect syntactic information over the language space. Tools involved in semantics processing such as translators and interpreters are also integrated in the language space but are not discussed here.
A New Approach to Turbulence

We propose a closed set of dynamic equations to describe turbulence. The equations are the result of systematic and heuristic elements. Specifically, the UV part of the nonlinear interactions, represented by a dynamical viscosity, is computed for a stirring force of a particular nature. However, since the results exhibit a general structure, we suggest heuristically to extend them to arbitrary flows. Because of nonrenormalizable divergences, the IR part of the nonlinear interactions has constituted a serious problem. We suggest a heuristic model, the basic ingredient of which is that the transfer of energy among eddies is mostly a local process. We show that possible adjustable parameters are actually fixed by the model itself. Because of the heuristic nature of one part of the model, its overall validity rests largely on the accumulated evidence gathered from checking its predictions against data from a wide variety of flows. The model has been tested against more than seventy turbulence statistics for homogeneous isotropic and anisotropic flows (the Kolmogorov constant is predicted to be Ko = 5/3). The overall performance is good. Here, we first extend the model to inhomogeneous flows and test the predictions using the newest laboratory and DNS data on turbulent convection at large Ra (Rayleigh number). The model reproduces both types of data quite accurately. Second, we study the problem of the so-called "sweeping effect" and derive the relation between the ω and k-spectra. Third, we show that for shear driven flows the present model reproduces well the data at large strain rates while the widely used K - ∊ model does not.