cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-Aligning Mechanism Improves Comfort and Performance With a Powered Knee Exoskeleton

Misalignments between powered exoskeleton joints and the user’s anatomical joints are inevitable due to difficulty locating the anatomical joint axis, non-constant location of the anatomical joint axis, and soft-tissue deformations. Self-aligning mechanisms have been proposed to prevent spurious forces and torques on the user’s limb due to misalignments. Several exoskeletons have been developed with self-aligning mechanisms based on theoretical models. However, there is no experimental evidence demonstrating the efficacy of self-aligning mechanisms in lower-limb exoskeletons. Here we show that a lightweight and compact self-aligning mechanism improves the user’s comfort and performance while using a powered knee exoskeleton. Experiments were conducted with 14 able-bodied subjects with the self-aligning mechanism locked and unlocked. Our results demonstrate up to 15.3% increased comfort and 38% improved performance when the self-aligning mechanism was unlocked. Not surprisingly, the spurious forces and torques were reduced by up to 97% when the self-aligning mechanism was unlocked. This study demonstrates the efficacy of self-aligning mechanisms in improving comfort and performance for sit-to-stand and position tracking tasks with a powered knee exoskeleton.
Ugly Differences: Queer Female Sexuality in the Underground: by Howard, Yetta, Champaign, IL, University of Illinois Press, 2018, 193 pp., $28.00 (paperback), ISBN: 978-0-252-08354-9

“ … ‘resistance’ [in queer objects of study] is regularly reduced to examining the political stakes of monolithic textual features rather than reading visual qualities and narrative elements togeth...
A conserved folding nucleus sculpts the free energy landscape of bacterial and archaeal orthologs from a divergent TIM barrel family

The amino acid sequences of proteins have evolved over billions of years, preserving their structures and functions while responding to evolutionary forces. Are there conserved sequence and structural elements that preserve the protein folding mechanisms? The functionally diverse and ancient (βα)1-8 TIM barrel motif may answer this question. We mapped the complex six-state folding free energy surface of a ∼3.6 billion y old, bacterial indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase (IGPS) TIM barrel enzyme by equilibrium and kinetic hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS). HDX-MS on the intact protein reported exchange in the native basin and the presence of two thermodynamically distinct on- and off-pathway intermediates in slow but dynamic equilibrium with each other. Proteolysis revealed protection in a small (α1β2) and a large cluster (β5α5β6α6β7) and that these clusters form cores of stability in Ia and Ibp The strongest protection in both states resides in β4α4 with the highest density of branched aliphatic side chain contacts in the folded structure. Similar correlations were observed previously for an evolutionarily distinct archaeal IGPS, emphasizing a key role for hydrophobicity in stabilizing common high-energy folding intermediates. A bioinformatics analysis of IGPS sequences from the three superkingdoms revealed an exceedingly high hydrophobicity and surprising α-helix propensity for β4, preceded by a highly conserved βα-hairpin clamp that links β3 and β4. The conservation of the folding mechanisms for archaeal and bacterial IGPS proteins reflects the conservation of key elements of sequence and structure that first appeared in the last universal common ancestor of these ancient proteins.
Spontaneous version after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes.

Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM), defined as rupture of membranes before the onset of labor at < 37 weeks’ gestation, affects approximately 3% of all pregnancies. For PPROM prior to 34...
Robust T cell activation requires an eIF3-driven burst in T cell receptor translation

ABSTRACT Activation of T cells requires a rapid surge in cellular protein synthesis. However, the role of translation initiation in the early induction of specific genes remains unclear. Here we show human translation initiation factor eIF3 interacts with select immune system related mRNAs including those encoding the T cell receptor (TCR) subunits TCRA and TCRB. Binding of eIF3 to the TCRA and TCRB mRNA 3’-untranslated regions (3’-UTRs) depends on CD28 coreceptor signaling and regulates a burst in TCR translation required for robust T cell activation. Use of the TCRA or TCRB 3’-UTRs to control expression of an anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) improves the ability of CAR-T cells to kill tumor cells in vitro. These results identify a new mechanism of eIF3-mediated translation control that can aid T cell engineering for immunotherapy applications.
Current Status of Imaging to Evaluate Liver Metastases From Colorectal Cancer

Multiple imaging modalities are routinely used to identify, characterize, and clinically follow colorectal cancer liver metastases. These include ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography. Within each modality, there exist multiple variations of protocol, which could include addition of contrast, acquisition of specific imaging sequences, or combination of images with those of another modality. In addition to considerations of imaging protocols and equipment, one must also consider patient-specific factors to determine appropriate imaging for colorectal cancer liver metastases. Specifically, whether the patient has been treated systemically or locally is important in determining imaging strategy. This review highlights the benefits, limitations, and variations of each modality and offers comparative data among the imaging techniques.
Successful Rechallenge with Vemurafenib and Corticosteroids in a Patient with Vemurafenib Induced Liver Dysfunction, Previously Treated with Ipilimumab

Introduction : There are multiple new systemic therapies for patients with metastatic melanoma, including vemurafenib and ipilimumab. Because of this, more patients will be exposed to multiple medicines during their treatment course. Here we present the case of a successful rechallenge with vemurafenib and concurrent corticosteroids in a patient with vemurafenib responsive metastatic melanoma and vemurafenib induced liver dysfunction thought to be related to previous treatment of ipilimumab. Presentation of case : A 60-year-old woman with a history of stage 3 melanoma presented with metastases to her liver and lymph nodes, normal liver function tests (LFTs) and was started on ipilimumab. After her symptoms increased and her disease progressed, ipilimumab treatment was stopped and vemurafenib was initiated. She experienced good regression in her disease burden but subsequently experienced a grade 4 elevation in her LFTs, which resolved with a corticosteroid taper. Her disease responded well to a vemurafenib rechallenge at a reduced dose; however, she experienced another increase in her LFTs. By administering vemurafenib with corticosteroids concurrently, she achieved good tumor shrinkage without liver dysfunction. Conclusion : The reader should have an increased appreciation for the emerging adverse event profile of patients treated with multiple systemic metastatic melanoma therapies during their course and potential management strategies.
Quality of Service Support for Multimedia Data on Internet

In order to support mutimedia data transfers, the underlying network should support quality of service (QoS) guarantees. The QoS guarantees by the network and the associated systems (hardware/software) is a complex task. In this talk, I’ll outline the various issues related to the QoS in the Internet environment. The notion of QoS routing will be described in detail. Various options for routing and their associated overheads will be presented. Implementation issues will also be discussed.
Steroid receptor fusion proteins for conditional activation of Raf-MEK-ERK signaling pathway.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on a strategy that exploits the properties of the hormone-binding domains (HBDs) of steroid receptors that, when fused directly to a signaling protein of interest, frequently generates a hormone-dependent form of the molecule that can be used to study the transmission of signals within the cell. Fusion of E1A or c-Myc to the HBDs of the human glucocorticoid (hbGR) or estrogen (hbER) receptors, respectively, yielded fusion proteins that were regulated by the presence of the cognate steroid hormone. This conditional strategy has subsequently been applied to a wide variety of tyrosine, serine/threonine, and dual specificity protein kinases, rendering their activity hormone dependent when expressed in a wide variety of cell types. Such HBD fusion proteins also display conditional activation in yeast, arguing for their broad utility in studying protein kinase function in most eukaryotes. The major advantages of this system are (1) activation of most protein kinase, (2) it is simple to titrate the level of activation of the protein kinase, and (3) the manipulations required to construct and utilize such fusion proteins in cultured cells are relatively simple. The use of HBD fusion proteins may be complicated by the presence of agonists in cell culture media that partially activate the HBD fusion protein in the absence of exogenously added hormone. The chapter concludes with a discussion on designing correct controls and considerations for cell culture.
Finite Behavior of Simulated Annealing: A Probabilistic Study

Simulated annealing (SA) is a simple global optimization method that has been used extensively in various applications, ranging from the study of molecular clusters to combinatorial optimization problems in VLSI CAD. Although it has been proved that SA will find the global optimal solution with high probability in the limit[15], very little is known about the finite behavior of this method[6, 8]. In this paper, we present a probabilistic study of the finite behavior of SA. In particular, we define the concept of visiting probability and a simple algorithm for computing the visiting probability. Computational results on randomly generated test problems are presented.
II Scattering of Light by Rough Surfaces

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the scattering of light by rough surfaces that have large radii of curvature compared to the wavelength of the incident light. If the surface is locally perfectly reflecting, this introduces mathematical complications, but not difficulties of principle. If the Kirchhoff method is not applicable, then the solution is known only for special types of surfaces. The optical characteristics of the surface material enable to calculate the Fresnel reflection coefficients for both polarizations. This is because of two types of surfaces: absorbing surfaces and surfaces with small radii of curvature. The problems of depolarization, multiple scattering and shadowing await rigorous solution, though approximations are available in some cases.
Surface water–groundwater exchange dynamics in a tidal freshwater zone

In coastal rivers, tides can propagate for tens to hundreds of kilometres inland beyond the saltwater line. Yet the influence of tides on river–aquifer connectivity and solute transport in tidal freshwater zones (TFZs) is largely unknown. We estimate that along the TFZ of White Clay Creek (Delaware, USA), 11% of river water exchanges through tidal bank storage zones. Additional hyporheic processes such as flow through bedforms likely contribute even more exchange. The turnover length associated with tidal bank storage is 150 km, on the order of turnover lengths for all hyporheic exchange processes in non-tidal rivers of similar size. Based on measurements at a transect of piezometers located 17 km from the coast, tides exchange 0.36 m3 of water across the banks and 0.86 m3 across the bed per unit river length. Exchange fluxes range from −1.66 to 2.26 m day−1 across the bank and −0.84 to 1.88 m day−1 across the bed. During rising tide, river water infiltrates into the riparian aquifer, and the downstream transport rate in the channel is low. During falling tide, stored groundwater is released to the river, and the downstream transport rate in the channel increases. Tidal bank storage zones may remove nutrients or other contaminants from river water and attenuate nutrient loads to coasts. Alternating expansion and contraction of aerobic zones in the riparian aquifer likely influence contaminant removal along flow paths. A clear need exists to understand contaminant removal and other ecosystem services in TFZs and adopt best management practices to promote these ecosystem services. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
RESPONSE INTERRUPTION AND REDIRECTION: CURRENT RESEARCH TRENDS AND CLINICAL APPLICATION

The objective of this paper is to provide a review of recent literature on response interruption and redirection (RIRD), a treatment for stereotypy. We discuss procedural variations and the potential mechanisms that are responsible for the effectiveness of RIRD. Clinical considerations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
Circuit modeling to predict the performance of force-cooled cold plate structures

The electronic circuit simulator PSpice can provide the means of obtaining numerical nonanalytic solutions to thermal heat flow problems which would otherwise be difficult or impossible to derive. Rules for relating physical heat flow parameters to equivalent distributed lossy transmission line parameters are derived. This method for numerical evaluation of the heat dissipating performance of complicated fin structures forming cold-stacks is validated by comparison with recently published analytic solutions for double stack cold plates.
The Effect of Legitimizing Explanations on Applicants’ Perceptions of Selection Assessment Fairness1

This study investigated the effects of legitimizing explanations for selection test use on simulated applicants’ perceptions of fairness. The specificity of the explanation was varied. After receiving an explanation, a sample of 157 undergraduates completed 2 assessments (cognitive ability and personality), and reported their reactions to the assessments. Results indicate that for the cognitive ability assessment, general explanations increased fairness perceptions, but specific explanations did not. This relationship was fully mediated by perceptions of content and predictive validity. No effects for the personality assessment were found.
Unified Weak and Electromagnetic Interactions without Neutral Currents

We construct unified models of weak and electromagnetic interactions using just three gauge fields which correspond to the intermediate vector boson and the photon. These models may be renormalizable, and do not predict processes involving neutral lepton currents.
Insulin increases tristetraprolin and decreases VEGF gene expression in mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Objectives: Tristetraprolin (TTP) family proteins (TTP/ZFP36; ZFP36L1, ZFP36L2, ZFP36L3) destabilize adenylate uridylate-rich element-containing mRNAs encoding cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Little is known about the expression and insulin regulation of TTP and related genes in adipocytes. We analyzed the relative abundance of TTP family mRNAs in 3T3-L1 adipocytes compared to RAW264.7 macrophages and investigated insulin effects on the expression of 43 genes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Methods and Procedures: Insulin was added to mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Relative abundance of mRNA levels was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. TTP and ZFP36L1 proteins were detected by immunoblotting. Results: Zfp36l1 and Zfp36l2 genes were expressed at eight- to tenfold higher than Ttp in adipocytes. Zfp36l3 mRNA was detected at ∼1% of Ttp mRNA levels in adipocytes and its low level expression was confirmed in RAW cells. Insulin at 10 and 100 nmol/l increased Ttp mRNA levels by five- to sevenfold, but decreased those of Zfp36l3 by 40% in adipocytes after a 30-min treatment. Immunoblotting showed that insulin induced TTP but did not affect ZFP36L1 protein levels in adipocytes. Insulin decreased mRNA levels of Vegf and a number of other genes in adipocytes. Discussion: Insulin induced Ttp mRNA and protein expression and decreased Vegf mRNA levels in adipocytes. Zfp36l3 mRNA was detected, for the first time, in cells other than mouse placenta and extraembryonic tissues. This study established a basis for the investigation of TTP and VEGF genes in the regulation of obesity and suggested that Vegf mRNA may be a target of TTP in fat cells.
Information Technology/Systems Offshore Outsourcing: Key Risks and Success Factors

The operation of information technology and information systems (IT/IS) offshore outsourcing is being increasingly practiced among firms that are focusing on core competencies and cost effectiveness. With the increase in offshore IT/IS operations, a growing number of companies are encountering negative experiences and unpredicted results. The analysis performed in this article reveals the possible risks and perceived success factors of companies outsourcing IT/IS operations offshore. The major points of interest are operational and strategic risks; legal contracts; cultural, security, and financial issues; and noted success factors by companies that participate in offshore outsourcing. The research indicates the importance of risk identification and the formulation of strategic plans that include preventive, detective, and corrective control methods of implementation and evaluation. Effective methods and metrics for measuring the success or failure of IT/IS offshore outsourcing operations is expected to be a continuing development with the increasing growth of this phenomenon.
The specific heat of the nearly ferromagnetic compound (Mn0.865Fe0.135)Be2 from 0.1 to 23 K

The specific heat of the nearly ferromagnetic compound (Mn0.865Fe0.135)Be2 has been determined from 0.1 to 23 K. Analysis of these data shows a large excess specific heat which reaches a maximum at 7 K. The results can be interpreted in terms of superparamagnetic clusters but not in terms of paramagnons. However, the number of magnetic clusters calculated from the excess specific heat is two times as large as the number from magnetization measurements at 4.2 K. Nous avons determine la chaleur specifique du compose presque ferromagnetique (Mn0,865Fe0,135)Be2 de 0,1 a 23 K. L'analyse de ces donnees montre une importante chaleur specifique en exces, qui atteint un maximum a 7 K. Les resultats peuvent ětre interpretes en termes d'ǐlots superparamagnetiques et non pas en termes de paramagnons. Cependant, le nombre d'ǐlots magnetiques deduit de la chaleur specifique en exces est deux fois plus grand que celui deduit des mesures d'aimantation a 4,2 K.
Focus on molecules: 5-methylcytosine, a possible epigenetic link between ageing and ocular disease.

Methylation of cytosine, to 5-methylcytosine, is an epigenetic gene regulatory mechanism with implications for ageing and disease in all tissues. More familiar aspects of gene regulation concern the binding of transcription factors to their cognate DNA sequences in gene promoters. However, epigenetic mechanisms also control gene expression without altering the genomic DNA sequence. This epigenome is literally “overlaid on the genome”. Fundamentally, epigenetic regulation controls the chromatin architecture to affect the access of DNA binding proteins to the DNA. Chromatin is comprised of genomic DNA associated with the nucleosome core histone proteins (H2A, H2B, H3, H4). The fundamental subunit of chromatin is the nucleosome, comprised of a histone octamer (two of each histone) around which the DNA is coiled for about 2 complete turns. DNA-methylation alters chromatin architecture through cross talk with the post-translational modification of histone proteins. We refer readers to a recent review of these and other epigenetic mechanisms relevant to eye development and disease (Cvekl and Mitton, 2010).
Tomosynthesis with source positions distributed over a surface

In classical tomosynthesis, the x-ray source generally is moved along a curve segment, such as a circular trajectory, within a plane that is perpendicular to the detector plane. Studies suggest that when the angular coverage and number of projection views are limited, it can be difficult to reconstruct accurate images within planes perpendicular to the detector plane in classical tomosynthesis. In this work, we investigate imaging strategies in tomosynthesis using trajectories that are not confined within a plane perpendicular to the detector plane. We expect that such trajectories can increase data information and thus lead reconstructed images with improved quality. Numerical studies were conducted for evaluating the image-reconstruction quality in classical tomosynthesis and tomosynthesis with trajectories that are not confined within a plane perpendicular to the detector plane. The results of the studies indicated that, with the same number of views, (or equivalenntly, the same amount of image radiation), data acquired in tomosynthesis with the trajectories that are not confined within a plane perpendicluar to the detector plane generally contain more information than that acquired with classical tomosynthesis and can thus yield images with improved quality.
Monitored Probation: A Program that Works.

Universities have recognized student attrition as a problem for some years, and measures to improve this critical issue are being sought. One such effort used at Lamar University is the Monitored Probation (MP) program. The MP program is a comprehensive early intervention academic retention program intended to assist with the academic success of students who have been placed on academic probation or suspension. This article describes this multi-component program and includes evaluative data on two groups of freshmen on academic probation, a group of probationary General Studies students on monitored probation and a group of non-General Studies probationary students as the control group. At the conclusion of the year in which the interventions occurred, statistically significant differences were found in grade point averages between the two groups and in satisfaction with their university experiences.
Grüneisen Parameter for Long Wavelength Optical Modes in Ionic Crystals

The Gruneisen parameter, γi for a normal mode of a crystal may be determined from the temperature or pressure coefficient of the normal mode frequency if it is assumed that the mode frequency is only a function of volume. γt for the zone center transverse optical mode frequency of RbI is obtained from its temperature dependent infrared spectrum. Expressions for γt and γl for the T.O. and L.O. modes at k ≈ 0 are derived from the Born and Huang theory using the rigid ion approximation. Es wird gezeigt, das der Gruneisen-Parameter γi einer Normalschwingung mit Hilfe deren Temperatur- oder Druck-Abhangigkeit bestimmbar ist. γt der transversalen optischen Frequenz der Zonenmitte des RbI wird aus der Temperaturabhangigkeit des ultraroten Spektrums abgeleitet. Die Ausdrucke fur γt and γt der T.O. und L. O. Schwingungsarten bei k ≈ 0 werden mit Hilfe der Born-Huang-Theorie abgeleitet, wobei die Naherung unpolarisierbarer Ionen benutzt wird.
Evaluation and restoration of endodontically treated posterior teeth

Criteria to be used in the prerestorative evaluation of endodontically treated teeth are presented, and various methods and techniques for the final restoration are described. The importance of proper restoration of an endodontically treated posterior tooth cannot be underestimated. In tooth preparation, all remaining sound dentin should be preserved for maximum tooth strength. Because treatment may end in failure as a result of fracture of the remaining tooth structure, vertical and horizontal forces initiated during placement of pins or posts must be considered.
Investigations of a complex, realistic task: Intentional, unsystematic, and exhaustive experimenters

This study examines how students' experimentation with a virtual environment contrib- utes to their understanding of a complex, realistic inquiry problem. We designed a week-long, technolo- gy-enhanced inquiry unit on car collisions. The unit uses new technologies to log students' experimentation choices. Physics students (n ¼ 148) in six diverse high schools studied the unit and responded to pretests, posttests, and embedded assessments. We scored students' experimentation using four methods: total number of trials, variability of variable choices, propensity to vary one variable at a time, and coherence between investigation goals and experimentation methods. Students made moderate, significant overall pretest to posttest gains on physics understanding. Coherence was a strong predictor of learning, controlling for pretest scores and the other experimentation measures. We identify three categories of experimenters (intentional, unsystematic, and exhaustive) and illustrate these categories with examples. The findings suggest that students must combine disciplinary knowledge of the investi- gation with intentional investigation of the inquiry questions in order to understand the nature of the variables. Mechanically executing well-established experimentation procedures (such as varying one variable at a time or comprehensively exploring the experimentation space) is less likely to lead students to valuable insights about complex tasks. Our proposed categories extend and refine previous efforts to categorize experimenters by linking scientific procedures with understanding of the science discipline.
Mannich Bases from 2-Phenylindolizines III. 1,3-bis(dialkyl-aminomethyl)-2-phenylindolizines

In seeking new therapeutic agents derived from indolizines, four new Mannich bases derived from 2-phenylindolizine have been synthesized. Preliminary pharmacological screening of 3-diethylaminomethyl-1,2-diphenylindolizine, a compound previously reported in these studies, has been carried out and the results are given.
Effect of magnesium sulfate exposure on term neonates

To compare neonatal intensive care unit and special care unit (NICU) admission rates between term neonates exposed to antenatal magnesium sulfate (MS) and those unexposed. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all singleton neonates ⩾37 weeks born to women with pre-eclampsia from August 2006 to July 2008. Cases were defined by antenatal exposure to MS and controls by absence of MS exposure. The primary outcome was NICU admission. Data were analyzed via univariable and multivariable regression analyses. In all, 28 (14.7%) out of 190 MS-exposed neonates ⩾37 weeks were admitted to the NICU, compared with 4 (5.4%) of 74 non-exposed neonates (P=0.04). This association persisted after controlling for potential confounding variables including severe pre-eclampsia and cesarean delivery (AOR 3.69, 1.13 to 11.99). NICU admission was associated in a dose-dependent relationship with total hours and mean dose of MS exposure. Number needed to harm with MS was 11 per NICU admission. Among neonates admitted to the NICU, MS-exposed were more likely to require fluid and nutritional support than unexposed neonates (60.7 vs 0%, P=0.04), and trended toward more frequent requirement for respiratory support and greater length of stay. In term neonates, MS exposure may be associated independently with NICU admission in a dose-dependent relationship. Requirements for fluid and nutritional support are common in this group, likely due to feeding difficulties in exposed neonates. Assessment of acute care needs among all neonates exposed to MS for maternal eclampsia prophylaxis should be considered.
Combined retrograde and anterograde tracing of neuronal connections: Fluoro-Gold and autoradiography.

Abstract We have combined the retrograde Fluoro-Gold (FG) and anterograde autoradiographic (AR) procedures to yield a sensitive high resolution technique by which afferent and efferent connections can be visualized from a single intracerebral injections site. Combined FG/AR sections show excellent results, with no apparent loss of signal compared to performing either procedure alone. Since the FG label is intense, the two labels may be viewed simultaneously by superimposing low level darkfield illumination from below the specimen with fluorescence illumination from above. This combined procedure is useful in the analysis of reciprocal connections involving small spatial domains, such as patchy corticocortical connections. Due to the high signal to noise ratio of both labels, this material is ideally suited for quantitative assessment using automated image analysis.
Uncertainties in fatigue life prediction and a rational definition of safety factors

Abstract To cope with uncerainties in mechanical and structural design, enigineers exercise their judgement through the use of safety factors based on service experience and laboratory data on relevant design parameters. Using the problem of fatigue life prediction as a vehicle, the relationship between the size of a safety factor and the associated risk and cost-benefit estimates of the engineering judgement based on new technical information, is demonstrated. The subtle influence of the choice of a distribution function for a given set of data is exhibited by comparing the gaussian with the three-parameter Weibull fits of a set of fatigue life data on 6061-T6 aluminum. A system of ranking the importance of different sources of uncertainties based on an analysis of service data is proposed along with an example to “refine” the system using up-to-date laboratory and field measurements. The concept of a rational definition of safety factors as a tool for engineers who design under uncertainty is discussed.
1522 A COMPARISON OF THE PUPILLARY AND CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF VARIOUS MYDRIATIC AGENTS IN THE NEWBORN INFANT

1522 A COMPARISON OF THE PUPILLARY AND CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF VARIOUS MYDRIATIC AGENTS IN THE NEWBORN INFANT
In vitro Intestinal Mucosal Epithelial Responses to Wild-Type Salmonella Typhi and Attenuated Typhoid Vaccines

Typhoid fever, caused by S. Typhi, is responsible for approximately 200,000 deaths per year worldwide. Little information is available regarding epithelium-bacterial interactions in S. Typhi infection. We have evaluated in vitro the effects of wild-type S. Typhi, the licensed Ty21a typhoid vaccine and the leading strains CVD 908-htrA and CVD 909 vaccine candidates on intestinal barrier function and immune response. Caco2 monolayers infected with wild-type S. Typhi exhibited alterations in the organization of tight junctions, increased paracellular permeability, and a rapid decrease in Trans-Epithelial Electrical Resistance as early as 4h post-exposure. S. Typhi triggered the secretion of interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-6. Caco2 cells infected with the attenuated strains exhibited a milder pro-inflammatory response with minimal disruption of the barrier integrity. We conclude that wild-type S. Typhi causes marked transient alterations of the intestinal mucosa that are more pronounced than those observed with Ty21a or new generation attenuated typhoid vaccine candidates.
Sets of complementary sequences

A set of complementary sequences is a set of sequences such that, for each nonzero offset, the out-of-phase aperiodic autocorrelations of all the sequences sum to zero. It is shown that the sequences from any coset of an (N, m) nondegenerate minimal linear cyclic code over GF(p) form a set of complex-valued complementary sequences of length N.
Disseminated bullous fixed drug eruption caused by sympathomimetic medications: ma huang, phenylpropanolamine, and pseudoephedrine

Abstract Reports of cutaneous drug hypersensitivity reactions caused by sympathomimetic agents are uncommon, despite their widespread use and availability. In this report, we present a patient with an unusual form of fixed drug eruption (FDE), the multiple bullous nonpigmenting variant, following the use of pseudoephedrine. The patient had two previous episodes of nonpigmenting FDE without bullae after using over-the-counter weight loss formulations containing Ma Huang and phenylpropanolamine. Nonpigmenting FDE was first reported in 1987 by Shelley and Shelley in a report involving hypersensitivity to pseudoephedrine and tetrahydrozoline. This case of FDE is extraordinary in that it displays multiple bullous features along with characteristics of the nonpigmenting variant. In addition, our patient exhibited cross-sensitization, which is uncommon between sympathomimetic compounds of differing stereochemistry.
Thin Hydrogel Films With Nanoconfined Surface Reactivity by Photoinitiated Chemical Vapor Deposition

Several property requirements have led to the modification of hydrogels by incorporating functional groups. The current work seeks to achieve graded functional group incorporation into hydrogel thin films using the one-step technique of photoinitiated CVD (piCVD). The functional group pentafluorophenylmethacrylate (PFM) is copolymerized with hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). Because PFM reacts easily with amine groups, the incorporation of PFM results in a platform for subsequent functionalization. The graded copolymer confines the PFM to the near surface region (∼20 nm) allowing the control of the hydrogel film properties independently of the surface reactivity. Although homogeneous incorporation of PFM in the hydrogel matrix inhibits swelling, the swollen water content of pure pHEMA is nearly preserved in the graded copolymer. FTIR spectroscopy shows that the absorption peaks corresponding to the fluorinated phenyl ring in the graded copolymer disappear after functionalization with O,O-bis (2-aminoethyl...
6 Current investigation of swallowing disorders

Oropharyngeal dysphagia is usually either a secondary manifestation of neuromuscular disease or a primary abnormality related to structural aberrations of the oropharynx. In either case, a focused history is essential in defining the malfunction and distinguishing oropharyngeal dysphagia from globus, xerostomia, or oesophageal dysphagia. The functional evaluation of the oropharyngeal swallow is best accomplished by a videofluoroscopic swallowing study which is used to assess efficacy of functional elements within the swallow: nasopharyngeal closure, UOS opening, airway protection, tongue loading, tongue pulsion and pharyngeal clearance. Both diagnosis and therapy of oropharyngeal dysphagia are based on this functional assessment.
Rethinking Course Assessment: Creating Accountability with Web-Based Tools

The World Wide Web (Web) offers many great tools for instructors of both distance and traditional science courses. These interactive sites primarily provide a service, as opposed to reference information. Instructors can often enhance student performance and course effectiveness by choosing from a wide range of these Web tools. Choosing good Web tools in a research supported assessment framework can result in courses that are more effective without adding significant work for instructors. The keys to success are high standards for student learning, a good assessment model, and quality tools. This paper seeks to describe a mastery learning environment where achievement targets are matched to existing Web-based assessment alternatives.
Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Food and Neoliberalism: An Argument for Democratizing the Regulatory Review Protocol of the Food and Drug Administration

The primary responsibility of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to protect public health by ensuring the safety of the food supply. To that end, it sometimes conducts risk assessments of novel food products, such as genetically modified (GM) food. The FDA describes its regulatory review of GM food (of both the plant and the animal variety) as a purely scientific activity, untainted by any normative considerations. This paper provides evidence that the regulatory agency is not justified in making that claim. It is argued that the FDA’s policy stance on GM food is shaped by neoliberal considerations. The agency’s review of a genetically engineered animal, the AquAdvantage salmon, is used as a case study to track the influence of neoliberalism on its regulatory review protocol. After that, an epistemic argument justifying public engagement in the risk assessment of new GM food is outlined. It is because risk evaluations involve normative judgments, in a democracy, layperson representatives of informal epistemic communities that could be affected by a new GM food should have the opportunity to decide the ethical, political or other normative questions that arise during the regulatory review of that entity.
Calcium-dependent Protein Kinase Reactions Associated with Parotid Gland Secretory Granule Membranes

Rat parotid secretory granule membranes were examined for the presence of calcium-dependent protein kinase activities and kinase substrates. Protein kinase C (C-kinase), which is stimulated by certain phospholipids, was present in the membranes, as indicated by its ability to catalyze the phosphorylation of histone. Two substrates for protein kinase C were seen in the granule membranes. The cytosolic fraction from the cell contained kinase activity, which was stimulated by phosphatidylserine and which caused the phosphorylation of two granule membrane polypeptides. In addition, when both granule membranes and cytosol were incubated together, phosphorylation of the cytosolic substrates was inhibited, indicating that the granule membrane substrates were phosphorylated preferentially. The results indicate that the granule membranes may react with cytosolic protein kinase C activity in a way which would direct an intracellular calcium and diacylglycerol signal toward the granule membrane. Since these signals ...
Symptoms, adverse effects, and complications associated with dobutamine stress echocardiography : experience in 1118 patients

BACKGROUND The use of dobutamine stress echocardiography for the evaluation of coronary artery disease is rapidly expanding. New applications of the technique are being investigated in a wide variety of patients including those with advanced coronary artery disease. Despite its widespread use, the safety of dobutamine stress echocardiography has not been sufficiently documented. METHODS AND RESULTS A consecutive series of 1118 patients undergoing dobutamine stress echocardiography for evaluation of known or suspected coronary artery disease form the basis of this report. Dobutamine stress testing was performed for evaluation of chest pain, risk assessment before noncardiac surgery, after recent myocardial infarction, or as a part of ongoing research protocols. Over the study period, the maximal dose of dobutamine used was increased from 30 to 50 micrograms/kg per minute, and atropine was used in 420 (37%) patients. There were no occurrences of death, myocardial infarction, or episodes of sustained ventricular tachycardia as a result of dobutamine stress testing. The major reasons for test termination were achievement of target heart rate in 583 patients (52.1%), maximum dose in 255 (22.8%), and angina pectoris in 142 (13%). The test was terminated in 36 (3%) patients because of noncardiac side effects including nausea, anxiety, headache, tremor, and urgency. Angina pectoris occurred in 216 (19.3%) patients. Sublingual nitroglycerin, a short-acting beta-blocker, or both types of medication were administered in 80 of these patients for relief of angina pectoris. None required intravenous nitroglycerin. A total of 736 (65%) patients had stable sinus rhythm throughout the test. The most common arrhythmias were frequent premature ventricular complexes (six or more per minute) in 172 patients (15%), and frequent premature atrial complexes in 86 (8%). There were 40 patients with nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. None had symptoms associated with the tachycardia, and only one received specific pharmacological treatment to prevent recurrence of the arrhythmia after the test was terminated. The patients who were evaluated after recent myocardial infarction and those who received atropine did not have a higher frequency of ventricular tachycardia compared with those without recent infarction and those not receiving atropine. CONCLUSIONS Dobutamine stress echocardiography was safely performed using supplemental atropine and an aggressive dosing protocol. Noncardiac side effects were usually minor. Arrhythmias were well tolerated and rarely required treatment. In this study, serious complications from myocardial ischemia did not occur. Symptomatic ischemia was effectively treated with test termination, sublingual nitroglycerin, or short-acting beta-blockers.
On the Relationship Between Mean and Variance of Soil Moisture Fields1

The objective of this work was to explain an apparent contradiction in the literature related to the relationship between mean and variance (or standard deviation) of soil moisture fields. Some studies found an increase in soil moisture variance with decreasing mean soil moisture, while others showed a decrease. The evi- dence of maximum variance in the mid-range of mean soil moisture was also reported in the literature. In this paper, we focus on the effects of spatial variability of soil texture on the relationship between variance and mean of soil moisture during soil dry-down processes. Soil texture influences soil moisture mean and variance through its direct effects on evaporation and drainage, which are two main factors controlling soil drying. A dif- ferential equation describing soil moisture dry down is proposed and studied. Our study shows that as mean soil moisture is greater than a threshold, variance increases with decreasing mean soil moisture. If mean soil mois- ture is less than the threshold, variance decreases with decreasing mean soil moisture. The threshold depends on soil texture and is between the field capacity and the wilting point. The soil moisture dry-down equation is also applied to explain the apparent contradiction with regard to the relationship between mean and variance of soil moisture fields reported in the literature. (KEY TERMS: spatial variability; soil moisture; soil texture; soil particle size distribution; evaporation; drain- age; field capacity; wilting point.)
Autonomic Nervous Dysfunction in Essential Hypertension

Borderline hypertension, a condition in which the blood pressure oscillates between normal and high values, is a predictor of future more severe hypertension. Pathophysiologically, borderline hypertension is different from established hypertension. A large proportion of such patients have elevated cardiac output and a normal vascular resistance. In established hypertension, the output is normal and resistance is elevated. The elevation of cardiac output in borderline hypertension is neurogenic; it can be abolished by an autonomic blockade of the heart. In addition to an increased cardiac sympathetic drive, increased sympathetic tone to the kidney, arterioles, and veins has also been found. In parallel with the hypersympathetic state, patients with borderline hypertension also show decreased parasympathetic tone. The enhanced sympathetic tone leads to a decreased cardiac responsiveness, and eventually, the cardiac output returns to the normal range. High blood pressure causes vascular hypertrophy, and hypertrophic vessels are hyperresponsive to vasoconstriction. These secondary changes in the responsiveness of the heart and blood vessels are the basis of transition from a high cardiac output to high-resistance hypertension. These hemodynamic changes are associated with a downregulation of the sympathetic tone. A picture of an apparently nonneurogenic high-resistance hypertension emerges. Nevertheless, when assessed in regard to the enhanced pressor responsiveness, the sympathetic drive in such patients is still excessive. Despite the apparently normal tone, the sympathetic nervous system continues to play an important pathophysiological role in established hypertension. Borderline hypertension is associated with numerous metabolic abnormalities including obesity and insulin resistance. It is tempting to view all these abnormalities as a common expression of the increased sympathetic drive in hypertension. Explanation of the basis of the association of hypertension and metabolic abnormalities promises to bring new insights into the pathophysiology of two common diseases of civilization: hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
Pregnancy Following Gastric Bypass Surgery for Morbid Obesity: Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes

The purpose of this study was to compare obstetric and neonatal outcomes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) to those in women without such surgery. Women with RYGB (cases) were matched for maternal age and prior cesarean to the next two consecutive women delivering without prior bariatric surgery (controls). Pregnancy and newborn outcomes were compared by univariate analysis. Outcomes approaching or reaching statistical significance were evaluated by conditional logistic regression controlling for maternal body mass index (BMI). Despite gastric bypass, the 38 cases were heavier (BMI 33.4 ± 7.3 vs. 28.1 ± 6.7 kg/m2, p < 0.001) and more often obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, 26/38 (68.4%) vs. 20/76 (26.3%), p < 0.001) than controls. Variables evaluated by logistic regression adjusted for BMI did not differ in cases versus controls, including hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 2.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66–10.50), preterm premature rupture of membranes (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.02–3.38), oligohydramnios (OR 2.39, 95% CI 0.66–8.61), and delivery ≥41 weeks (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.11–2.97). Obstetric and neonatal outcomes after RYGB are similar to those of our general obstetric population.
Dynamics of glucose uptake by single Escherichia coli cells.

Abstract The fluorescent glucose analog, 2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-2-deoxyglucose (2-NBDG), was used to measure rates of glucose uptake by single Escherichia coli cells. When cell populations were exposed to the glucose analog, 2-NBDG was actively transported and accumulated in single cells to a steady-state level that depended upon its extracellular concentration, the glucose transport capacity of the cells, and the intracellular degradation rate. The dependence upon substrate concentration could be described according to Michaelis–Menten kinetics with apparent saturation constant KM=1.75 μM, and maximum 2-NBDG uptake rate=197 molecules/cell-second. Specificity of glucose transporters to the analog was confirmed by inhibition of uptake of 2-NBDG by d -glucose, 3-o-methyl glucose, and d -glucosamine, and lack of inhibition by l -glucose. Inhibition of 2-NBDG uptake by d -glucose was competitive in nature. The assay for 2-NBDG uptake is extremely sensitive such that the presence of even trace amounts of d -glucose in the culture medium (∼0.2 μM) is detectable. The rates of single-cell analog uptake were found to increase proportionally with cell size as measured by microscopy or single-cell light scattering intensity. The assay was used to identify and isolate mutant cells with altered glucose uptake characteristics. A mathematical model was developed to provide a theoretical basis for estimating single-cell glucose uptake rates from single-cell 2-NBDG uptake rates. The assay provides a novel means of estimating the instantaneous rates of nutrient depletion in the growth environment during a batch cultivation
The electrical conductivity response of a profiling time-domain reflectometry probe

Direct measurements of changes in the electrical conductivity (EC) are made using the profiling time domain reflectometry (TDR) probe described in a previous work. This is the first demonstration of the ability of a TDR probe to measure EC through coatings or access tubes. Based on the ability of this probe to profile the water content, this suggests that a single instrument may be able to profile changes in water content and electrolytic solute concentration during transient flow through the unsaturated zone.