cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A four-week oral toxicity study of 3,3’-diindolylmethane in dogs

738 Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are a class of phytochemicals that are especially abundant in cruciferous vegetables. Many ITCs have been repeatedly shown to inhibit chemical carcinogenesis in a variety of rodent organs. However, their effects on bladder carcinogenesis have been inconsistent. Dietary supplementation of 1-naphthyl-ITC or phenylhexyl-ITC (both are synthetic) has been shown to inhibit carcinogen-induced bladder tumorigenesis in rats, whereas chronically feeding rats allyl-ITC, benzyl-ITC, or phenethyl-ITC (PEITC) either enhanced or induced bladder carcinogenesis. A literature survey has led us to conclude that the bladder epithelium, where the majority of bladder tumor originates, is by far the most exposed tissue to dietary ITCs. Ingested ITCs are metabolized in vivo to N-acetylcysteine conjugates (NAC-ITCs), which are disposed and concentrated up to most likely several mM in urine, depending on the ITC dosage. Several NAC-ITCs also are known to inhibit carcinogenesis in non-bladder organs, primarily due to their facile dissociation to ITCs. We have therefore speculated that the observed carcinogenic effect of ITCs on the bladder in rodents might be related to the prolonged exposure of bladder epithelial cells to very high and toxic concentrations of NAC-ITCs/ITCs in urine stored in the bladder. In other words, overdosing of ITCs may be largely responsible for the adverse effects observed in the bladder. To support this concept, we report that AITC, BITC, and PEITC, as well as several other tested ITCs, all potently induce apoptosis, based on TUNEL assay, and arrest cell cycle progression, based on flow cytometry assay, in cultured human bladder carcinoma UM-UC-3 cells and T24 cells at 5-30 μM concentrations. Multiple caspases, including caspase-9, -8, and -3, as well as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, were cleaved upon ITC exposure. The ITCs blocked cell cycle progression at S and/or G2-M phases in these cells. A limited structure-activity analysis has been carried out, identifying PEITC as the most potent agent. Therefore, only very low concentrations of ITCs may be required for inhibition of bladder carcinogenesis. Interestingly, although many ITCs also are known to induce Phase 2 enzymes in a variety of cultured cells and animal tissues, only the activity of quinone reductase and the level of glutathione were somewhat elevated by the ITCs. No induction of glutathione transferase and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase were detected in the ITC-exposed cells, suggesting that ITCs may have limited effect on carcinogen metabolism in bladder cells. In summary, dietary ITCs display potent antiproliferative activity in cultured human bladder cancer cells and may inhibit bladder tumorigenesis in vivo if overdosing is avoided. Supported by NCI grant CA80962.
Effect of Pre-strain on the Creep Strength of Ni-Based Alloys for A-USC Boilers

In order to clarify the effects of cold work on the creep rupture strengths of Ni-based alloy, the relationship between the pre-strain and the creep rupture strengths of Alloy617, Alloy263, and Ally740H was investigated. The creep rupture strength of Alloy617 increased as the pre-strain increased. The creep rupture strength of Alloy263 was roughly constant, independent of pre-strain. Meanwhile, the creep rupture strength of Alloy740H was constant with a pre-strain up to 5 %, and deceased to about one third of the initial value with a pre-strain of 7.5 % or larger. From the results of microstructure observation, the relationship between the amount of carbide in grain boundaries and the pre-strain, coordinates well with the relationship between the change in creep rupture strength and the pre-strain.
Revolution or Reform? Union-Worker Cooperative Relations in the United States and Korea

This paper examines to what extent union-cooperative partnerships might revitalize labor movements and identifies important factors shaping the nature of union-cooperative partnerships. The premise is that the level of strong or weak class consciousness is an important factor in shaping the nature of union-cooperative relations. Using a case study of Denver’s immigrant taxi union cooperative in the United States and a bus drivers’ union cooperative in South Korea, the paper argues that union-coop partnerships built with strong class-conscious organizing (as in Korea) bring more transformational energy to the labor movement than union-coop partnerships in the “business unionism” model, as in the United States.
A new GRIN lens design paradigm based on wavefront matching

GRadient INdex (GRIN) optics has revolutionized the field of lens design by providing an unparalleled amount of design freedom, resulting in high-performance optical systems. Unfortunately, this design freedom leads to a large number of parameters in multi-element systems, since the GRIN distributions need to be described in addition to the lens geometries. This can lead to slow convergence and stagnation for even the most robust numerical optimizers. This paper proposes a modular, black-box design paradigm which allows for the optimization of each element in the system independently. This leads to an efficient strategy to design all-GRIN systems from scratch, or to replace existing homogeneous doublets and triplets in a system with GRIN singlets.
Firm Size, Performance and CEO Pay: Evidence from a Group of American Quality Companies

The objective of this article is to examine the relationship between CEOs' pay and the stock performance of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) winning companies. The findings of this study indicate that there is a positive relationship between CEO pay and firm performance for the sample of MBNQA winning firms. The firm-size elasticity is higher for the MBNQA winners than for large American firms reported in previous studies. For the same percentage increase in the firm's sales, the cash compensation paid to the average CEO of the MBNQA winning firms is higher than that paid to the average CEO of large American firms. The salary component of compensation has a weaker link to performance than the bonus component. Bonuses and end-of-year stock option grants are the driving forces behind the pay to performance relationship. There is also some evidence of an operational relative pay component as salary and bonus responds negatively to changes in the market.
In My Nana's House: Grandparent Households in Fiji

This paper uses a combination of household census data and case material to examine change in grandparent status and role in Fiji in the context of development and the impacts of modernization and population aging. On one hand, there is more need and pressure for grandparents to be caregivers of grandchildren and sources of stability and continuity within family and home. On the other, there are the increased costs associated with greater longevity among the grandparent generation, such as care of a frail and dependent grandparent. Social exchange theory is used to compare these costs and benefits across five grandparent household types that vary according to composition and headship.
On some lacunary sums of even powers of binomial coefficients

Let m ≥ 2 be an even integer and p be an odd prime. We study Franel-like sums and alternating sums, as well as lacunary sums of mth powers of binomial coefficients from the point of view of arithmetic properties. This paper complements the author’s prior work on the cases with m ≥ 1 odd although, it uses a different approach. It develops new supercongruences and determines the p-adic order of these sums as well as of generalized harmonic sums restricted to particular remainder classes modulo p.
Nonribosomal peptide synthetase biosynthetic clusters of ESKAPE pathogens

Covering: up to 2017.Natural products are important secondary metabolites produced by bacterial and fungal species that play important roles in cellular growth and signaling, nutrient acquisition, intra- and interspecies communication, and virulence. A subset of natural products is produced by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), a family of large, modular enzymes that function in an assembly line fashion. Because of the pharmaceutical activity of many NRPS products, much effort has gone into the exploration of their biosynthetic pathways and the diverse products they make. Many interesting NRPS pathways have been identified and characterized from both terrestrial and marine bacterial sources. Recently, several NRPS pathways in human commensal bacterial species have been identified that produce molecules with antibiotic activity, suggesting another source of interesting NRPS pathways may be the commensal and pathogenic bacteria that live on the human body. The ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) have been identified as a significant cause of human bacterial infections that are frequently multidrug resistant. The emerging resistance profile of these organisms has prompted calls from multiple international agencies to identify novel antibacterial targets and develop new approaches to treat infections from ESKAPE pathogens. Each of these species contains several NRPS biosynthetic gene clusters. While some have been well characterized and produce known natural products with important biological roles in microbial physiology, others have yet to be investigated. This review catalogs the NRPS pathways of ESKAPE pathogens. The exploration of novel NRPS products may lead to a better understanding of the chemical communication used by human pathogens and potentially to the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches.
Impact of vocal fold augmentation and laryngoplasty on dyspnea in patients with glottal incompetence.

Objectives/Hypothesis Given that the vocal folds are active organs of respiration, reports of dyspnea in the context of glottic insufficiency are not uncommon. We hypothesize that improved glottal closure via framework surgery or vocal fold augmentation improves dyspnea symptoms. Study Design Retrospective review. Methods Charts of patients undergoing procedures to correct glottal insufficiency, either via vocal fold augmentation (VFA) or medialization laryngoplasty (ML) between December 2012 and September 2015 were reviewed (n = 189). Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale (MBDS) and Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (MMRCDS) data were collected before and after intervention. Age, body mass index (BMI), and sex, as well as pulmonary and cardiac comorbidities were considered. Subgroup analysis was performed on individuals with subjective dyspnea prior to intervention. Results For the entire cohort, differences in the MMRCDS and MBDS were not statistically different pre- and postintervention (P = .20 and P = .12, respectively). Patients with BMI <30 experienced more improvement on the MBDS (P = .03). Both the MMRCDS and MMBDS improved post-procedure (P = .001 and P = .001, respectively) in patients reporting dyspnea prior to intervention. Conclusions Patients with glottic insufficiency and dyspnea prior to intervention to improve glottic closure had a significant reduction in dyspnea following treatment. Conversely, subjects without complaints of dyspnea prior to intervention had variable outcomes with regard to dyspnea symptoms. Additionally, based on data from the entire cohort, VFA or ML did not worsen dyspnea symptoms. These data may assist in counseling and/or selection of patients considered for procedures to improve glottic closure. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 2017
Identification of Aesthetically Favourable Interface Attributes for Better User Experience of Social Networking Application

Different social networking applications commonly have different layouts which include different background colours, contact grid options, etc. Fewer studies have been taken into the account of user preferences of these attributes. In addition, aesthetics plays an important role in interface design acceptance of mobile applications especially in social networking domain. In corroboration with available literature, the present study was conducted to understand the users’ preferences for various layout elements which include different background colours, contact list grids, contact details grids, and message reply buttons in social networking mobile applications, based on aesthetics perception. Results of the present study highlight that aesthetically pleasant layout attributes are beneficial for user acceptance of user interface of social networking applications. Based on present study results, an interface design guideline was developed to design interfaces for new and better mobile applications in the domain of social networking messenger.
Force field parametrization of hydrogenoxalate and oxalate anions with scaled charges

Models of the hydrogenoxalate (bioxalate, charge −1) and oxalate (charge −2) anions were developed for classical molecular dynamics (CMD) simulations and parametrized against ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) data from our previous study (Kroutil et al. (2016) J Mol Model 22:210). The interactions of the anions with water were described using charges scaled according to the electronic continuum correction approach with rescaling of nonbonded parameters (ECCR), and those descriptions of anion interactions were found to agree well with relevant AIMD and experimental results. The models with full RESP charges showed excessively strong electrostatic interactions between the solute and water molecules, leading to an overstructured solvation shell around the anions and thus to a diffusion coefficient that was much too low. The effect of charge scaling was more evident for the oxalate dianion than for the hydrogenoxalate anion. Our work provides CMD models for ions of oxalic acid and extends previous studies that showed the importance of ECCR for modeling divalent ions and ions of organic compounds.
High-frequency ventilation.

High-frequency ventilators (HFV) use increased respiratory rates and decreased tidal volumes to achieve gas exchange similar to conventional mechanical ventilators (CMV). This reverses the relative importance of convection and diffusion to gas exchange. There are currently 3 major types of HFV. They differ from each other in how gas is delivered, how they work, and what physiological effects they have. Conclusions drawn using one type of HFV cannot necessarily be applied to the others. This review examines the different types of HFV as well as the studies that have been conducted using HFV. It stresses the role that HFV may play in the surgical intensive care unit. The one certain indication presently for HFV is in patients with a bronchopleural fistula. It may also be useful as an adjunct to endoscopy and in adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). If the underlying lung disease cannot be reversed (i.e., end-stage fibrotic ARDS), HFV has little to offer.
Direct Measurement of High-Gain and Complementary Charge-Steering Amplifiers

This brief presents direct measurement of two novel dynamic amplifiers utilizing the “charge-steering” topology. Employing a delayed clocking scheme, a four-stage charge-steering amplifier achieves the highest gain of any reported charge-steering topology. A complementary charge-steering amplifier exploits both charging and discharging cycles to double the throughput while reducing power consumption by 22%. Fabricated in 180-nm technology, this brief presents, for the first time, direct measurement results of charge-steering amplifiers, including gain, noise, linearity, common-mode response, and power supply rejection ratio.
Immune Aspects of Wound Repair

During the past few years, it has become evident that the cellular immune system plays a major role in the regulation of various phases of wound healing. Although there is much to learn about the interaction of the immune system with the healing wound, the explosion of knowledge in the field of growth factors and of monokines and lymphokines has generated information that greatly increases our understanding of the wound healing phenomenon. This discussion of the cellular immune system is restricted to macrophages and T lymphocytes.
Nonhistone Proteins and Chromosome Structure

One of the major unanswered questions about chromosome structure concerns the manner in which the chromatin fiber is arranged to form the chromosome bands, chromomeres, and chromatid. It is now clear to all but the most recalcitrant holdout that chromosomes are uninemic structures containing a single DNA molecule that somehow makes its way from one telomere to the other. The advent of chromosome banding indicates that straightforward models of multiple folding of the chromatin fiber (DuPraw 1965; Prescott 1970; Comings 1972) are not adequate. The fact that the chromosome bands of mitotic chromosomes correlate precisely with the chromomeres of meiotic pachytene chromosomes (Okada and Comings 1974; Luciani et al. 1975) indicates that these condensations are a fundamental substructure of the chromosome. Examination of banding patterns in partially condensed prometaphase chromosomes (Yunis 1976) and prematurely condensed interphase chromosomes (Unakul et al. 1973) show that each mitotic chromosome band is composed of multiple smaller sub-bands with a total of 3000 per genome. The question is, how far can this subdivision of bands be carried? An intriguing answer is that it can be carried to the same end point that is already well known from the giant polytene chromosomes of Drosophila salivary glands. The chromomeres of such polytene chromosomes appear to be approximately equivalent to one gene. In Drosophila melanogaster there are approximately 5000 chromomeres.
The Importance of the Black Lemur (Eulemur Macaco) for Seed Dispersal in Lokobe Forest, Nosy Be

In order to classify trees in the Lokobe Forest, Nosy Be, as dispersed, possibly dispersed, or not dispersed by Black Lemurs(Eulemur macaco)two Black Lemur groups were habituated and observed during the day and night for all months of the year (total 1219 hours). When fruits were eaten, the species was identified, and the maturity of the fruit and treatment of the seeds noted. Black Lemur droppings were searched for seeds; these were identified and signs of damage noted. Species that had ripe fruit that were not eaten by the Black Lemur were also identified, as were fleshy-fruited species that produced little or no ripe fruits during the study. Other frugivores feeding on the fruits of black lemur-dispersed species were also noted. In order to estimate the proportion of tree species, tree trunks, and trunk basal area in the Lokobe Forest dispersed, possibly dispersed, and not dispersed by Black Lemurs, plots were installed in Lokobe’s two forest types and the trees they enclosed were identified and their dbh measured. For the slope forest Black Lemurs dispersed 57% of the represented tree species, 71% of the represented tree trunks, and 73% of the represented trunk basal area. For the ridge forest these values were 49%, 76%, and 88% respectively. Only four of the 38 black lemur-dispersed species had fruits that were also eaten by other frugivore species. These results show that the Black Lemur is very important for seed dispersal in Lokobe Forest.
Tense and Identity in Copular Constructions

The goal of this paper is to re-examine some aspects of the nature of specificational copular constructions by looking at the ways in which the semantics of tense interacts with the semantics of the copula in English. I propose that Tense Harmony (restrictions on the tense of a relative clause in the subject position of specificational copular constructions) is imposed by the interaction between the matrix and embedded tenses.
Use of a hybrid-abdominal wound simulated patient in the ACS/ASE medical student simulation skills curriculum.

Abstract Objective We incorporated a hybrid-abdominal wound simulation to teach/assess the acquisition of three essential clinical skills in the ACS/ASE Medical Student Simulation-based Surgical Skills Curriculum. Method Third year students (N = 43) attended a workshop based on the ACS/ASE surgical skills curriculum for drain care/removal, staple removal and Steri-Strip application. Following a didactic session and demonstration using a simulated patient, student skill acquisition was assessed using the ACS/ASE module rating tool. Student interest/perceived usefulness of the workshop was evaluated using Keller's Motivational Survey. Results We used median scores to identify low proficiency (n = 20; scores 17–28) and high proficiency (n = 23; scores 29–35) groups. The high proficiency group was more knowledgeable, performed better drain care, had a higher global score and was more confident than the low proficiency group. The students rated the workshop highly based on the Keller's Motivational Survey. Conclusion All students were proficient in the procedure tasks and communication skills and most felt that the course was beneficial. The ACS/ASE Medical Student Simulation-based Surgical Skills Curriculum was successfully integrated into our third year surgical clerkship.
Problematic Prescription Opioid Use in a Chronic Pain Treatment Facility: The Role of Emotional Processes.

Background: Factors associated with prescription opioid misuse in a chronic pain treatment population are limited, and increasing our understanding of associated factors could lead to improved targ...
Improved transfer functions modeling linearized lithium-ion battery-cell internal electrochemical variables

Abstract Battery management systems (BMS) require computationally simple but highly accurate models of the battery cells they are monitoring and controlling. Historically, empirical equivalent-circuit models have been used, but increasingly researchers are focusing their attention on physics-based models due to their greater predictive capabilities. These models are of high intrinsic computational complexity and so must undergo some kind of order-reduction process to make their use by a BMS feasible: we favor methods based on a transfer-function approximation to battery-cell dynamics. In prior works, transfer functions have been found from full-order PDE models via two assumptions: (1) a linearization assumption—which is a fundamental necessity in order to make transfer functions—and (2) an assumption made out of expedience that decouples the electrolyte-potential and electrolyte-concentration PDEs in order to render an approach to solve for the transfer functions from the PDEs. This paper shows how to eliminate the need for the second assumption, thus retaining the coupling between these two PDEs and improving overall model accuracy. Time-domain models created from these transfer functions are especially improved when simulating constant-current profiles since the electrolyte concentration gradient increases the coupling between the electrolyte-potential and electrolyte-concentration PDEs.
Water entry of spheres with various contact angles

It is well known that the water entry of a sphere causes cavity formation above a critical impact velocity as a function of the solid–liquid contact angle; Duez et al. (Nat. Phys., vol. 3 (3), 2007, pp. 180–183). Using a rough sphere with a contact angle of , Aristoff & Bush (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 619, 2009, pp. 45–78) showed that there are four different cavity shapes dependent on the Bond and Weber numbers (i.e., quasistatic, shallow, deep and surface). We experimentally alter the Bond number, Weber number and contact angle of smooth spheres and find two key additions to the literature: (1) cavity shape also depends on the contact angle; (2) the absence of a splash crown at low Weber number results in cavity formation below the predicted critical velocity. In addition, we use alternate scales in defining the Bond, Weber and Froude numbers to predict the cavity shapes and scale pinch-off times for various impacting bodies (e.g., spheres, multidroplet streams and jets) on the same plots, merging the often separated studies of solid–liquid and liquid–liquid impact in the literature.
A three-dimensional, dynamic model of the human body for lifting motions

Lower back pain is prevalent in society and manual lifting has been linked as one potential cause of these types of injuries. Therefore, the 3dLift biomechanical model was developed in this research with the goal of quantitatively analyzing lifting motions. The model divided the body into fifteen segments that were connected by fourteen anatomical joints. During experimental trials, a volunteer subject lifted an object using four different lifting combinations; symmetric leglifts, asymmetric leglifts, symmetric backlifts, and asymmetric backlifts. In order to individualize the 3dLift model, anthropometric parameters were estimated using measurements taken on the subject. During the lifting trials, the subject wore reflective markers placed on anatomical landmarks, the motions of which were tracked by five video cameras. The subject also stood with each foot on a separate force platform that was used to determine ground reaction forces and centers of pressure. Signal processing methods were utilized to predict the marker positions that were obscured during the lifting trials, and digital filtering was implemented to attenuate noise in the data. After reducing the experimental errors, the segment coordinate axes, Cardan angles, joint center positions, and mass center positions were calculated. The changes in the segment orientations with respect to time were then analyzed to determine the three-dimensional kinematics of the segments. Anthropometric, video, and force platform information were combined in equations of motion that were derived to predict the forces and moments occurring at the joints during the lifting motions. A lower body formulation was developed that started with the measured ground reactions at the feet and proceeded through the segments to the TlO/Tl 1 intervertebral joint. Similarly, an upper body formulation was derived that began with a known lifted load at the hands and continued through the segments to the same TlO/Tl 1 intervertebral joint. While predicting joint forces and moments, the two formulations also served as a means of validating the SdLift model by comparing the results at the TlO/Tl 1 joint. While there is much work yet to be done in this research area, the 3dLift model takes the first steps by developing a systematic methodology for studying lifting motions.
Effects of developmental noise exposure on inhibitory cell densities and perineuronal nets in A1 and AAF of mice.

Abstract Within the auditory cortex, there are two primary-like regions considered to be ‘core’ cortical fields, the primary auditory cortex (A1) and the anterior auditory field (AAF). Both fields have sharp frequency tuning, tonotopic organization, and inputs from the ventral division of the medial geniculate body of the thalamus. AAF seems to be more specialized for faster spectrotemporal processing than A1, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. A1 has been studied extensively in developmental plasticity, but how AAF changes with developmental experience is less clear. To address potential cellular correlates of processing differences between the two fields, we used immunohistochemistry to quantify the density of GABA, parvalbumin (PV), and somatostatin (SOM) cells in A1 and AAF of mice. We also compared the density of perineuronal nets (PNN) between A1 and AAF. PNNs are a specialized assembly of extracellular matrix involved in network maturation and plasticity. Finally, we compared the effects of developmental noise exposure on inhibitory and PNN cell density in these two core regions. In adult mice, there were more PV cells and PNNs surrounding cell bodies in AAF than in A1. Moderate level noise exposure during early development leads to 1) increased GABA and SOM cell density in both A1 and AAF, and 2) decreased PNN cell density in A1, but not AAF. Inhibitory cells without PNN appear to be more susceptible to changes following developmental noise exposure in both fields. Deep layers (5/6) are more susceptible to change in PNN density compared to superficial layers (1–4) of A1. Results are consistent with altered cortical gain control models and impaired maturation of cortex in response to noisy environments, and suggest that PNNs may be more prone to modification in A1 than AAF.
Advancements in precision edges for a starshade external occulter

A starshade enables direct imaging of Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zone of nearby stars by suppressing light from a target star so that orbiting planets are revealed. The perimeter of a starshade, known as the optical edge, has two critical functions. First, it must meet a precise in-plane profile specification to form a deep shadow in which the telescope is placed. Second, it must minimize reflected sunlight, as scattered sunlight significantly degrades the achievable contrast. Prior work on small scales and in a laboratory environment has shown that these requirements can be met using a chemically etched amorphous metal foil. This paper describes the next step of development, a first ever demonstration of assembled optical edge segments that meet both requirements simultaneously. The segments were constructed using space-compatible components and tested to relevant thermal and mechanical environments. A thorough assessment of edge performance, including in-plane profile, sunlight scatter and mechanical survivability was performed both before and after environmental testing. Furthermore, a custom scattered light testbed has been developed to quantify the magnitude of scattered sunlight over the entire length of the optical edge. The results of this study inform the future development of optical edge technology and pave the way towards eventual flight implementation.
Microwave shielding with far-from-circular polarization

Ultracold polar molecules can be shielded from fast collisional losses using microwaves, but achieving the required polarization purity is technically challenging. Here, we propose a scheme for shielding using microwaves with polarization that is far from circular. The setup relies on a modest static electric field and is robust against imperfections in its orientation.
The role of inspiratory flow in selection and use of inhaled therapy for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Abstract Inhalation therapy is the mainstay of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management, and inhaler selection can have a profound impact on drug delivery and medication adherence, as well as on treatment outcomes. Although multiple delivery systems, such as pressurized metered-dose inhalers, dry powder inhalers, slow-mist inhalers, and nebulizers, are available, clinical benefits achieved by patients rely on effective delivery of the inhaled medication to the airways. Among several factors influencing drug deposition, inspiratory flow is one of the most important. Inspiratory flow impacts drug delivery and subsequent clinical efficacy, making it necessary to adequately train patients to ensure correct inhaler use. Peak inspiratory flow is the maximal airflow generated during a forced inspiratory maneuver. Health care professionals need to select the appropriate delivery system after carefully considering patient characteristics, including lung function, optimal inspiratory flow, manual dexterity, and cognitive function. Herein, the role of inspiratory flow in the selection and use of inhaled therapy in patients with COPD is reviewed.
Smartphone-based cytometric biosensors for point-of-care cellular diagnostics

Analysis on a single-cell basis is both fundamental and meaningful in biomedical research and clinical practice. Flow cytometry is one of the most popular approaches in this field with broad applications in cell sorting, counting, and identification of rare cells. However, the complicated design and bulky size of conventional flow cytometry have restricted their applications mainly in centralized laboratories. With the recent development of smartphone devices, smartphone-based cytometry has been explored and tested for single-cell analysis. Compared with traditional cytometers, smartphone-based cytometric biosensors are more suitable for point-of-care (POC) uses, such as on-site disease diagnosis and personal health monitoring. In this review article, the history of traditional flow cytometry is introduced, and advances of smartphone-enabled cytometry are summarized in detail based on different working principles. Representative POC applications of smartphone cytometers are also discussed. The achievements demonstrated so far illustrate the potential of smartphone-based cytometric devices to transform single-cell measurement in general, with a significant impact in POC diagnostics, preventive medicine, and cell biology.
Temperature threshold for preferential bubble formation on grain boundaries in tungsten under in-situ helium irradiation

Abstract Understanding a material's radiation tolerance requires examining its performance under different irradiation conditions. Here, we investigate the radiation tolerance in terms of helium bubble damage in tungsten irradiated in-situ with 16 keV helium at 1073 K and 1223 K. Damage evolution represented by helium bubble density, size and total change in volume in the grain matrices and the grain boundaries are quantified as a function of fluence. Preferential large bubble formation and a higher change in volume on the grain boundaries occurred at 1223 K, suggesting faster migration of certain helium-vacancy complexes as confirmed by a diffusion-reaction model.
Durability of Disposable N95 Mask Material When Exposed to Improvised Ozone Gas Disinfection

The principle finding of this report is that both commercial and a novel material used for N95 mask filters can endure many cycles of disinfection by ozone gas (20 ppm for 30 minutes) without detectable degradation or loss of filtration efficiency. N95 masks and surgical masks (hereafter referred to as masks) typically use a filtration material fabricated from meltblown polypropylene. To achieve maximum filtration efficiency while maintaining a reasonable pressure drop, these nonwoven fabrics are also electrostatically charged (corona discharge is the most common method used), to maximize attraction and capture of aerosols and solid particulates. Under normal circumstances, the reuse of masks is generally discouraged, but in times of crisis has become a necessity, making disinfection after each use a necessity. To be acceptable, any disinfection procedure must cause minimal degradation to the performance of the filter material. Possible performance degradation mechanisms include mechanical damage, loss of electrostatic charge, or both. One of the most practical and direct ways to measure combined mechanical and electrostatic integrity, and the subsequent ability to reuse mask filter material, is by the direct measurement of filtration efficiency. In this paper, we report that small numbers of disinfection cycles at reasonable virucidal doses of ozone do not significantly degrade the filtration efficiency of meltblown polypropylene filter material. By comparison, laundering quickly results in a significant loss of filtration efficiency and requires subsequent recharging to restore the electrostatic charge and filtration efficiency. A common assumption among biomedical scientists that ozone is far too destructive for this application. However, these direct measurements show that mask materials, specifically the filtration material, can withstand dozens of ozone disinfection cycles without any measurable degradation of filtration efficiency, nor any visible discoloration or loss of fiber integrity. The data are clear: when subjected to a virucidal dose of ozone for a much longer duration than is required for viral inactivation, there was no degradation of N95 filtration efficiency. The specific dosages of ozone needed for ~99% viral inactivation are thought to be at least 10 ppm for up to 30 minutes based upon an extensive literature review, but to standardize our testing, we consider a dose of 20 ppm for 30 minutes to be a reasonable and conservatively high ozone disinfection cycle. The material tested in this study withstood dosages of up to 200 ppm for 90 minutes, or alternatively 20 ppm for up to 36 hours, without detectable degradation, and further testing suggests that up to 30 or more disinfection cycles (at 20 ppm for 30 minutes) would result in less than a 5% loss of filtration efficiency. This report does not address the effect of ozone cycling on other mask components, such as elastics.
Managing Southern Chinch Bug in Warm Season Turfgrasses

Southern chinch bug, Blissus isularis Barber, is the most damaging insect pest of St. Augustinegrass in the United States. St. Augustinegrass is the most common turfgrass used in Florida. The ubiquity of this single turfgrass species makes southern chinch bug an economically important pest in the state. In fact, chinch bugs cost Florida homeowners and professionals millions of dollars every year. This 7-page fact sheet written by Eileen A. Buss, Brianna M. Whitman, and Adam G. Dale and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Entomology and Nematology describes the biology of the pest and the damage it causes and lists ways to scout and monitor for chinch bugs and some strategies for control of the pest.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/lh036
Security of cellular networks position paper

The paper discusses current research efforts focusing on security and privacy for 5G cellular networks. It then outlines research directions.
A range characterization of the single-quadrant ADRT.

This work characterizes the range of the single-quadrant approximate discrete Radon transform (ADRT) of square images. The characterization is given in the form of linear constraints that ensure the exact and fast inversion formula [Rim, Appl. Math. Lett. 102 106159, 2020] yields a square image in a stable manner. The range characterization is obtained by first showing that the transform is a bijection between images supported on infinite half-strips, then identifying the linear subspaces that stay finitely supported under the inversion formula.
The Neoliberal Disciplining of LeBron James and Kevin Durant: Sports Media Discourse on NBA Free Agency as Ideological Critique:

Through content analysis of sports media commentary focusing on the high-profile free agencies of NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant, the author demonstrates how commercial sports media discou...
The Effects of Soil Depth on the Structure of Microbial Communities in Agricultural Soils in Iowa (United States)

ABSTRACT This study investigated the differences in microbial community abundance, composition, and diversity throughout the depth profiles in soils collected from corn and soybean fields in Iowa (United States) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The results revealed decreased richness and diversity in microbial communities at increasing soil depth. Soil microbial community composition differed due to crop type only in the top 60 cm and due to location only in the top 90 cm. While the relative abundance of most phyla decreased in deep soils, the relative abundance of the phylum Proteobacteria increased and dominated agricultural soils below the depth of 90 cm. Although soil depth was the most important factor shaping microbial communities, edaphic factors, including soil organic matter, soil bulk density, and the length of time that deep soils were saturated with water, were all significant factors explaining the variation in soil microbial community composition. Soil organic matter showed the highest correlation with the exponential decrease in bacterial abundance with depth. A greater understanding of how soil depth influences the diversity and composition of soil microbial communities is vital for guiding sampling approaches in agricultural soils where plant roots extend beyond the upper soil profile. In the long term, a greater knowledge of the influence of depth on microbial communities should contribute to new strategies that enhance the sustainability of soil, which is a precious resource for food security. IMPORTANCE Determining how microbial properties change across different soils and within the soil depth profile will be potentially beneficial to understanding the long-term processes that are involved in the health of agricultural ecosystems. Most literature on soil microbes has been restricted to the easily accessible surface soils. However, deep soils are important in soil formation, carbon sequestration, and providing nutrients and water for plants. In the most productive agricultural systems in the United States where soybean and corn are grown, crop plant roots extend into the deeper regions of soils (>100 cm), but little is known about the taxonomic diversity or the factors that shape deep-soil microbial communities. The findings reported here highlight the importance of soil depth in shaping microbial communities, provide new information about edaphic factors that influence the deep-soil communities, and reveal more detailed information on taxa that exist in deep agricultural soils.
Exploring the Mechanisms of Bullying Perpetration: An Integrated Test of General Strain and Social Bond Theories

Although general strain theory has enjoyed an increase in empirical testing over the last 30 years, only a limited number of studies have examined the mediating role of social bonds within the relationship of strain and bullying perpetration. Drawing on panel data from a sample of 2920 Korean adolescents, we examine a broad range of social bonds as mediators and test these interrelationships with three types of strains (i.e., parental abuse, study strain, and bullying victimization) in causing bullying perpetration. Findings from our analysis reveal that all strains and some social bond variables significantly predict bullying perpetration. Results from the KHB method further suggest that parental abuse and study strain indirectly influence bullying perpetration through commitment to school.
Regulatory Paradigms for Modern Breeding

rapid advances. Breeders using rDNA techniques can properly think of this technique as traditional biotechnology. Within the past ten years, breeders have begun to use newer techniques [site-directed nuclease techniques (SDNs), RNAi, and synthetic biology] to create and to develop plants and animals with desired genetic traits. Traditional breeding, whether by farmers or by scientists, has been either unregulated or lightly regulated, primarily to assure seed purity and efficacy. The rDNA techniques have been carefully regulated domestically and internationally. The regulatory classifications of the newer techniques of the past ten years are still in debate and have much uncertainty. In this chapter, the authors address the question: What is an appropriate regulatory paradigm for modern breeding?
Synchrotron Radiation as a Light Source

The electromagnetic radiation resulting from the high velocity centripetal acceleration of electrons is an intense continuous spectrum covering the x-ray to the infra-red region. Theories concerning the production of light from the synchrotron process were placed on a sound basis between 1944–1949 [1] and experimental observation of the light was performed in 1947.[2] Since that time, the number of experiments involving wavelength scanning has grown enormously.[3–13] At the present time, there are major radiation facilities located in England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, USSR, and the United States. Most of these facilities were originally constructed for the study of problems in high energy physics with the spectroscopic radiation experiments functioning in a parasitic mode. More recently, new facilities (primarily storage rings) are being proposed as dedicated light sources. The reason for this increased interest lies in the characteristics of the light as it is produced from synchrotron radiation. These characteristics are: 1) the continuous nature of the spectrum; 2) the intensity of the photon flux, particularly from the x-ray region to 600 A; 3) the polarization of the light; 4) the available range of the short time pulses; and 5) the high vacuum from which the light originates.
Transduction of Staphylococcus aureus to Tetracycline Resistance In Vivo

Jarolmen, Howard (Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa.), Amedeo Bondi, and Richard L. Crowell. Transduction of Staphylococcus aureus to tetracycline resistance in vivo. J. Bacteriol. 89:1286-1290. 1965.-Staphylophage 80, propagated on a hospital strain of Staphylococcus aureus 80/81, has been shown to transduce antibiotic resistance markers to a variety of staphylococcal recipient strains in vitro. In an attempt to demonstrate transduction of penicillin and tetracycline resistance in mice, experiments were performed in which mice were injected intravenously with a pathogenic recipient strain, S. aureus N135, and subsequently with transducing phage by the same route. Periodic assays of organs from infected mice revealed that maximal bacterial concentrations were attained in kidneys 6 days after infection, at which time the transducing lysate, containing approximately 5 x 10(10) plaque-forming particles, was introduced. Isolation of tetracycline-resistant transductants from the kidneys of infected animals was facilitated by the therapeutic administration of tetracycline. In contrast, penicillin-resistant transductants, which produced penicillinase, were not found even when penicillin therapy was administered. Results showed that tetracycline-resistant transductants were recovered from as many as 40% of test animals in repeated experiments. Furthermore, in some of these mice the entire staphylococcal population of the kidneys was found to be tetracycline-resistant. Control infected animals which did not receive phage were uniformly negative for tetracycline-resistant staphylococci. The finding that phage levels were low or undetectable at a time when tetracycline-resistant organisms were recovered from test animals provided evidence that transduction had occurred in vivo.
Using specifications to check source code

Traditional static checkers are limited to detecting simple anomalies since thy have no information regarding the intent of the code. Program verifiers are too expensive for nearly all applications. This thesis investigates the possibilities of using specifications too lightweight static checks to detect inconsistencies between specifications and implementations. A tool, LCLint, was developed to do static checks on C source code using LCL specifications. It is similar to traditional lint, except it uses information in specifications to do more powerful checks. Some typical problems detected by LCLint include violations of abstraction barriers and modifications of caller-visible state that are inconsistent with the specification. Experience using LCLint to check a specified program and to understand and maintain a program with no specifications illustrate some applications of LCLint and suggest future directions for using specifications to check source code.
KNIFE RIVER FLINT IN THE NORTHEASTERN PLAINS

Knife River Flint (KRF) is a high quality flintknapping material with the primary source area in west-central North Dakota. The densest flint deposits, largest pieces, and highest quality materials...
Metabolic effects of constant hypertonic glucose infusion in well-oxygenated fetuses.

Abstract In order to investigate the metabolic effects of a constant hypertonic glucose infusion in well-oxygenated fetuses, ten experiments were carried out in nine long-term experiments in fetal lambs. It appeared that a constant hypertonic glucose infusion did not significantly affect the fetal blood gases, pH, and plasma lactate levels when fetal glucose was kept below 150 mg. per 100 ml. It was also demonstrated that glucose infusions significantly increased the fetal lactate levels and decreased the blood pH when fetal plasma glucose was over 150 mg. per 100 ml. However, there was no decrease in fetal P o 2 and P co 2 until fetal glucose reached values over 300 mg. per 100 ml. These studies suggest that constant hypertonic glucose infusion does not improve fetal blood gases or pH and that fetal hyperglycemia over 300 mg. per 100 ml. produces severe metabolic acidosis.