cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polycaprolactone nanofibrous materials as an efficient dry eye test strip

Dry eye symptoms are moderately common in the general population and are often chronic particularly amongst the older adults above age 65. Dry eye can occur from conditions such as aging, dehydration, corneal ulcers and associated infections, vitamin A deficiency or as a temporary or permanent side effect of laser treatment. Some of the tests available to identify a tear deficient eye are Schirmer strip test, strip Meniscometry and phenol red thread test, the most popular being the Schirmer's test, where a patient is tested positive for a dry eye if the test strip is wet for less than 5mm of length over a period of 5 minutes and negative for wetting of at least 10mm within 5minutes. Here we report a simple design and fabrication of an efficient dry eye test strip using a laboratory developed metal rotating collector for electrospinning setup that aligns nanofibers of Polycaprolactone (PCL), a biosafe and biodegradable polymer. Electrospun PCL nanofibers have diameters in the range of 70 – 150nm depending upon the protocol creating either aligned or randomly oriented nanofibers. It was found that both random and aligned PCL nanofibers test strips show fast wetting time of 5 seconds for covering the same distance of 10mm that a conventional test strip covers in 5 minutes making our product approximately sixty times faster and exhibiting high throughput. We believe that this is because of higher capillary transport and better wetting of the nanofibers. It is further demonstrated that the concentration of PCL plays a crucial role in the formation of the nanofibers and hence the wetting phenomena.
Where the wild things are not: crime preventers and the 2016 Ugandan elections

ABSTRACTIn Uganda’s 2016 elections, international and national commentators questioned the role that the government’s crime preventers – or community police – would play. Many claimed that they would be used “as tools” to rig the elections, intimidate voters, and vote en masse for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) regime. In contrast, this paper shows that the government never intended the crime preventers to play an explicitly coercive role. Instead, the NRM leadership intentionally structured the crime preventer program as indefinite and fluid, allowing political authorities and citizens to understand the purpose of crime preventers alternately as dangerous tools of the regime, family men in search of work, or patriotic citizens of Uganda. Used interchangeably, these logics – which are described in this paper as ideal-typical categories of political, economic, and social – prevented Ugandans from accurately assessing the program. The resultant uncertainty fragmented organization of crime pre...
Alectinib for the management of ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer brain metastases

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( ALK ) rearrangements were first identified as an oncogenic driver in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) in 2007, specifically the gene re-arrangement between ALK and echinoderm microtubule-associated protein like 4 ( EML4 ) (1).
Changing Ideographs of Motherhood: Defining and Conscribing Women’s Rhetorical Practices During World War I

This essay uses Michael McGee’s concept of the ideograph to discuss the ways that was used both by and against women in World War I. Regardless of whether women sided with the peace or the preparedness movements, their participation was defined by their status as mothers (either actual or metaphorical). Their participation was also conscribed by societal and governmental ideals of motherhood, conveyed through a shifting ideographic definition. Women’s rhetorical practices during the war were, therefore, both constrained and defined by notions of motherhood.
The Science of Delivering Safe and Reliable Anesthesia Care

The healthcare system has only recently begun to approach patient safety in a more systematic way. The practice of anesthesia has moved from one of low to medium reliability and safer delivery of care, leading healthcare. However, many challenges remain. Effective anesthesia and sedation, while also controlling pain and anxiety, improves patient satisfaction and safety. The traditional approach within medicine has been to stress the responsibility of the individual and to encourage the belief that the way to eliminate adverse events is to get individual clinicians to perfect their practices. This simplistic approach not only fails to address the important and complex systematic flaws that contribute to the genesis of adverse events, but also perpetuates a myth of infallibility that is a disservice to both clinicians and their patients. The focus on the actions of individuals, without addressing the underlying system, as the sole cause of adverse events inevitably results in continued system failures and subsequent injuries and deaths of patients undergoing surgery. Strategies to make anesthesia care safer include adoption of reliability engineering principles, technological advancements in monitoring, setting up robust “near miss” reporting systems, applying critical event analysis tools such as trigger tools and failure mode and effects analysis (FEMA), wide adoption of simulation and team training, deploying standardized medications, implementing robust handoff protocols, and adherence to the American Society of Anesthesiologists and World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists practice parameters. Attributing errors to system failures does not absolve physicians and nurses of their duty to care. In fact, acknowledging system failures adds to that duty the responsibility to admit errors, investigate them, and participate in redesign of the system. The development of a safety culture and climate amongst all members of the perioperative team can lead to delivery of reliable and patient-centered perioperative care.
Grating- and polarimetric-based fiber sensors

Since the initial demonstrations of various fiber optic sensing techniques in the laboratory, much progress has been made in creating practical sensors for use in real world applications. In particular, sensors utilizing the properties of optical gratings and sensors exploiting polarization effects have been intensively investigated. Both multimode and single mode fiber sensors have utilized these transduction techniques. In this paper, a brief review of grating and polarization optics will be provided followed by a more detailed analysis of a number of specific multimode and single mode fiber optic sensors. Included among these will be hydrophones, pressure sensors, strain sensors, vibration sensors, linear position sensors and speed/torque sensors. The practical application of these sensors will also be discussed.
Ligation of Intersphincteric Fistula Tract (LIFT) Procedure

Ligation of intersphincteric tract, also known as the LIFT procedure, is a surgical option for anal fistulas that have been refractory to prior surgical management. This chapter describes indications, essential steps, variations, and complications of this procedure. It provides a detailed template operative note for the procedure.
Abstract 4995: Premature polyadenylation causes oncogenic truncations of the tumor suppressor genesBRCA1,LATS1andMAGI3in breast cancer

Cleavage and polyadenylation is a fundamental process in the control of gene expression, yet how cancer cells deregulate this process to generate cancer-causing alterations is only beginning to be appreciated. We previously showed that in human breast cancer, premature polyadenylation of the tumor suppressor gene MAGI3 causes the expression of a truncated protein that dominantly promotes malignant growth via the Hippo pathway. This established a precedent for premature polyadenylation as an aberrant process causing transformation in vitro and in vivo. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism that causes premature polyadenylation, or what types of genes it affects in cancer. Despite the absence of cis-acting mutations, premature polyadenylation of MAGI3 occurs specifically following the gene’s large internal exon. We therefore asked whether an epigenetic mechanism might underlie the phenomenon of premature polyadenylation in cancer. Here, we report that genes with large internal exons are susceptible to truncation by premature polyadenylation. In addition to MAGI3, premature polyadenylation truncates the gene products of two tumor suppressor genes with large internal exons, BRCA1 and LATS1. These truncated proteins are upregulated in breast cancer cells compared to non-transformed mammary epithelial cells and enable downstream oncogenic events instead of providing tumor suppressive functions. Large internal exons are infrequently found in the genome as the mechanics of efficient splice site recognition favor small exons. Interestingly in transcripts, large internal exons are conspicuously enriched in N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A), though the functional significance of these epitranscriptomic marks remains unknown. Molecularly, we find that methylated levels of N 6 -adenosine in the large internal exons of BRCA1, LATS1 and MAGI3 transcripts are significantly reduced in breast cancer cells that upregulate the truncated gene products compared to non-transformed mammary epithelial cells. These results raise the intriguing possibility that m 6 A marks in large internal exons are mechanistically involved in repressing premature polyadenylation. We are currently investigating this hypothesis by perturbing N 6 -adenosine methylation in cells and examining the functional consequences. In summary, our study suggests that premature polyadenylation may be a more pervasive alteration mechanism than previously appreciated in cancer and begins to illuminate a gene region-specific mechanism responsible for repressing premature polyadenylation. Citation Format: Thomas K. Ni, Charlotte Kuperwasser. Premature polyadenylation causes oncogenic truncations of the tumor suppressor genes BRCA1 , LATS1 and MAGI3 in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4995. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4995
The Use of Regulatory Power by U.S. State and Local Alcohol Control Agencies to Ban Problematic Products.

Background: Alcohol is responsible for 4,300 deaths a year in the U.S. among persons under 21. Alcohol companies innovate rapidly and produce new products, some of which prove popular among young p...
Soft Tissue Infections in the Elderly

Elderly patients already face declining physiologic reserve and frequently have one or more comorbidities. They may face barriers to accessing medical care that result in delay in the diagnosis and treatment of their necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI). Sepsis, commonly seen with NSTI carries a higher mortality rate in elderly patients. Hospital complication and comorbidities also contirbute the overall higher mortality seen in the geriatric patient population. Even after discharge from the hospital, geriatric patients have more decline in social and physical functioning than younger patients. Recovery following amputation is a particular challenge for older patients and they may not regain their independence.
Intranasal administration of a two-dose adjuvanted multi-antigen TMV-subunit conjugate vaccine fully protects mice against Francisella tularensis LVS challenge

Tularemia is a fatal human disease caused by Francisella tularensis, a Gram-negative encapsulated coccobacillus bacterium. Due to its low infectious dose, ease of aerosolized transmission, and lethal effects, the CDC lists F. tularensis as a Category A pathogen, the highest level for a potential biothreat agent. Previous vaccine studies have been conducted with live attenuated, inactivated, and subunit vaccines, which have achieved partial or full protection from F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS) challenge, but no vaccine has been approved for human use. We demonstrate the improved efficacy of a multi-antigen subunit vaccine by using Tobacco Mosaic virus (TMV) as an antigen carrier for the F. tularensis SchuS4 proteins DnaK, OmpA, SucB and Tul4 (DOST). The magnitude and quality of immune responses were compared after mice were immunized by subcutaneous or intranasal routes of administration with a TMV-DOST mixture, with or without four different adjuvants. Immune responses varied in magnitude and isotype profile, by antigen, by route of administration, and by protection in an F. tularensis LVS challenge model of disease. Interestingly, our analysis demonstrates an overwhelming IgG2 response to SucB after intranasal dosing, as well as a robust cellular response, which may account for the improved two-dose survival imparted by the tetravalent vaccine, compared to a previous study that tested efficacy of TMV-DOT. Our study provides evidence that potent humoral, cellular and mucosal immunity can be achieved by optimal antigen combination, delivery, adjuvant and appropriate route of administration, to improve vaccine potency and provide protection from pathogen challenge.
Inter-niche and inter-individual variation in gut microbial community assessment using stool, rectal swab, and mucosal samples

The purpose of this study is to evaluate similarities and differences in gut bacterial measurements and stability in the microbial communities of three different types of samples that could be used to assess different niches of the gut microbiome: rectal swab, stool, and normal rectal mucosa samples. In swab-stool comparisons, there were substantial taxa differences with some taxa varying largely by sample type (e.g. Thermaceae), inter-individual subject variation (e.g. Desulfovibrionaceae), or by both sample type and participant (e.g. Enterobacteriaceae). Comparing all three sample types with whole-genome metagenome shotgun sequencing, swab samples were much closer to stool samples than mucosa samples although all KEGG functional Level 1 and Level 2 pathways were significantly different across all sample types (e.g. transcription and environmental adaptation). However, the individual signature of participants was also observed and was largely stable between two time points. Thus, we found that while the distribution of some taxa was associated with these different sampling techniques, other taxa largely reflected individual differences in the microbial community that were insensitive to sampling technique. There is substantial variability in the assessment of the gut microbial community according to the type of sample.
What’s a Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This?

This autobiographical essay addresses the question: How do the needs of students of working-class origins differ from those of their counterparts from more privileged backgrounds? As one of the inv...
On Guiding Rules

Professor Arthur Burks, in his Presidential Address to the Western Division of the American Philosophical Association in 1973 developed the thesis that a man is a finite, possibly probabilistic, automaton (Burks, 1972–73). This mechanist or computationalist philosophy of man is of course a version of the fairly widespread view that the mind is an information processing system of some kind. Burks’ typically and admirably clear address both developed this picture of man far more definitely and precisely than is usual in most philosophical discussions and added an ingenious argument in support of the thesis based on the psychological principle of just noticeable difference.
Ectopic pregnancy risk when contraception fails. A review.

OBJECTIVE: To alert clinicians to the risk of ectopic pregnancy when certain contraceptive methods fail by summarizing data from trials reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). STUDY DESIGN: The review focuses on 7 contraceptive drug products with an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy when the method fails. Data were extracted from reviews of clinical trials submitted to the FDA to support marketing applications and from the medical literature. Data on 6 other contraceptive drug products and published data for tubal ligations are used for comparisons. This review does not include medroxyprogesterone acetate injections because the FDA reviews for this method did not include any pregnancy outcome information. RESULTS: The results are presented in a table and are compared to postmarketing surveillance reports and published literature when available. The proportion of ectopic pregnancies among all pregnancies ranged from 1:2 to 1:21 for intrauterine devices tubal ligations progestin-only implants and progestin-only oral contraceptives. Although the confidence intervals for the proportions were large in trials with few pregnancies both postmarketing surveillance reports and published literature support proportions calculated from clinical trial data. CONCLUSION: Pregnancies in women using progestin-only oral contraceptives progestin-only implants intrauterine devices and tubal ligations are more likely to be ectopic than pregnancies in the general population. (authors)
The effects of multiple covers with condensation and optical degradation of a polyethylene windscreen on the performance of a sky cooling system

This study evaluates the performance of a heat-pipe-augmented sky radiator system modelled using MATLAB. It was developed to simulate thermal networks with the following nodes: polyethylene cover(s...
Activity Recognition by Classification with Time Stabilization for the SHL Recognition Challenge

This paper describes our submission (team name: Ideas Lab @ UT) to the Sussex-Huawei Locomotion-Transportation (SHL) recognition challenge. The SHL recognition challenge considers the problem of human activity recognition from inertial sensor data collected at 100 Hz from an Android smartphone. Our data analysis pipeline contains three stages: a pre-processing stage, a classification stage, and a time stabilization stage. Our main finding is that performing classification on "raw" data features (i.e. without feature extraction) over extremely short time windows (e.g. 0.1 seconds of data) and then stabilizing the activity predictions over longer time windows (e.g. 15 seconds) results in much higher accuracy than directly performing classification on the longer windows. Our submitted model uses a random forest classifier and attains a mean F1 score over all activities of 0.973 on a 10% hold-out sample of the training data, suggesting that activity recognition can be performed quite accurately on the SHL dataset.
The Chinese Jews of Kaifeng: A Millennium of Adaptation and Endurance edited by Anson H. Laytner and Jordan Paper

Laytner, Anson H., and Jordan Paper, eds. The Chinese Jews of Kaifeng: A Millennium of Adaptation and Endurance. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2017.
55 Years of the Rossmann Fold

The Rossmann fold is one of the most commonly observed structural domains in proteins. The fold is composed of consecutive alternating β-strands and α-helices that form a layer of β-sheet with one (or two) layer(s) of α-helices. Here, we will discuss the Rossmann fold starting from its discovery 55 years ago, then overview entries of the fold in the major protein classification databases, SCOP and CATH, as well as the number of the occurrences of the fold in genomes. We also discuss the Rossmann fold as an interesting target of protein engineering as the site-directed mutagenesis of the fold can alter the ligand-binding specificity of the structure.
Treatment of Advanced Anal Cancer

Metastatic anal squamous cell carcinoma, while relatively uncommon, is a difficult disease to treat. Lack of prospective data validating the toxicity and efficacy of various chemotherapeutic regimens has led to heterogeneous treatment of patients with this disease over time. Platinum-doublet chemotherapy, including regimens such as 5-fluorouracil (or capecitabine) and cisplatin, carboplatin and paclitaxel, or 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin, remains a standard in the first-line setting for metastatic anal squamous cell carcinoma. Other systemic therapy options include single-agent regimens (irinotecan, paclitaxel, and others) or triplet chemotherapy (docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil or mitomycin, adriamycin, and cisplatin). As metastatic anal squamous cell carcinoma often harbors wild-type RAS, anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibodies such as cetuximab and panitumumab have also been used. Checkpoint inhibitors such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab have demonstrated some efficacy in refractory metastatic anal squamous cell carcinoma. In oligometastatic disease, locoregional approaches after initial systemic therapy have seen some success in highly selected patients. Additional experimental options under investigation for the treatment of metastatic anal squamous cell carcinoma include adoptive T-cell transfer, vaccine therapy, and combinatorial therapy with chemotherapy, biologics, and/or immunotherapy.
Association of Preoperative Disclosure of Resident Roles With Informed Consent for Cataract Surgery in a Teaching Program

Importance Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed intraocular surgery. Academic centers have mandates to train the next surgeon generation, but resident roles are often hidden in the consent process. Objective To investigate associations of full preoperative disclosure of the resident role with patient consent rates and subjective experience of the consent process. Design, Setting, and Participants Full scripted disclosure of residents’ roles in cataract surgery was delivered by the attending surgeon. Qualitative analysis was conducted from recorded interviews of patients postoperatively regarding consent process experience and choice of whether to allow resident participation. Associations were sought regarding demographic characteristics and consent rates. Patients were recruited though a private community office. Surgery was performed at a single hospital where resident training was routinely conducted. The study included systemically well patients older than 18 years with surgical cataract. They had no previous eye surgery, English fluency, and ability to engage in informed consent decision-making and postsurgery interview. Patients were ineligible if they had monocular cataracts, required additional simultaneous procedures, had history of ocular trauma, or had cataracts that were surgically technically challenging beyond the usual resident skill level. Interventions Eligible patients received an informed consent conversation by the attending physician in accordance with a script describing projected resident involvement in their cataract surgery. Postoperatively, patients were interviewed and responses were analyzed with a quantitative and thematic qualitative approach. Main Outcomes and Measures Consent rates to resident participation and qualitative experience of full disclosure process. Results Ninety-six patients participated. Participants were between ages 50 and 88 years, 53 were men (55.2%), and 75 were white (85.2%). A total of 54 of 96 participants (56.3%; 95% CI, 45.7%-66.4%) agreed to resident involvement. There were no associations between baseline characteristics and consent to resident involvement identified with any confidence, including race/ethnicity (60% [45 of 75] in white patients vs 30.8% [4 of 13] in nonwhite patients; difference, 29.2%; 95% CI, −0.7% to 57.3%; Fisher exactP = .07). Thematically, those who agreed to resident involvement listed trust in the attending surgeon, contributing to education, and supervision as contributing factors. Patients who declined stated fear and perceived risk as reasons. Conclusions and Relevance Our results suggest 45.7% to 66.4% of community private practice patients would consent to resident surgery. Consent rates were not associated with demographic factors. Because residents are less often offered the opportunity to do surgery on private practice patients vs academic center patients, this may represent a resource for resident education.
Circadian regulation of sleep in a pre-clinical model of Dravet syndrome: dynamics of sleep stage and siesta re-entrainment.

Study objectives Sleep disturbances are common co-morbidities of epileptic disorders. Dravet syndrome (DS) is an intractable epilepsy accompanied by disturbed sleep. While there is evidence that daily sleep timing is disrupted in DS, the difficulty of chronically recording polysomnographic sleep from patients has left our understanding of the effect of DS on circadian sleep regulation incomplete. We aim to characterize circadian sleep regulation in a mouse model of DS. Methods Here we exploit long-term electrocorticographic recordings of sleep in a mouse model of DS in which one copy of the Scn1a gene is deleted. This model both genocopies and phenocopies the disease in humans. We test the hypothesis that the deletion of Scn1a in DS mice is associated with impaired circadian regulation of sleep. Results We find that DS mice show impairments in circadian sleep regulation, including a fragmented rhythm of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and an elongated circadian period of sleep. Next, we characterize re-entrainment of sleep stages and siesta following jet lag in the mouse. Strikingly, we find that re-entrainment of sleep following jet lag is normal in DS mice, in contrast to previous demonstrations of slowed re-entrainment of wheel-running activity. Finally, we report that DS mice are more likely to have an absent or altered daily "siesta". Conclusions Our findings support the hypothesis that the circadian regulation of sleep is altered in DS and highlight the value of long-term chronic polysomnographic recording in studying the role of the circadian clock on sleep/wake cycles in pre-clinical models of disease.
Pioglitazone did not reduce a composite endpoint of macrovascular complications and increased risk for heart failure in type 2 diabetes with macrovascular disease.

Source Citation Dormandy JA, Charbonnel B, Eckland DJ, et al. Secondary prevention of macrovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes in the PROactive Study (PROspective pioglitAzone Clinical...
Databases, Core: Anthropology and Human Relations Area Files (HRAF)

The Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) is both a research organization and a set of full-text databases on ethnography and archaeology. The organization is responsible for producing and distributing the databases, which are designed to facilitate the worldwide cross-cultural and cross-archaeological study of cultural variation and evolution. Founded in 1949 as a financially autonomous research agency of Yale University, and affiliated with Yale ever since, HRAF is a nonprofit international membership organization; its members are institutions of higher learning in 25 countries. The eHRAF databases can be accessed only through the HRAF member institutions. HRAF has complexly indexed the databases, providing passages from texts that have been indexed by subject down to the paragraph level and grouped by culture or tradition. Thus, if a culture or tradition is included in the files, the HRAF indexing system allows users to search and retrieve particular kinds of information on particular times and places in that culture or tradition, even if the user does not know how the information is referred to in the original documents. The context of a particular piece of information can always be examined. HRAF was invented to help social scientists test general hypotheses about human society, culture, and behavior. The idea was to foster comparative research on humans so that anthropologists and other social scientists could discover which principles and explanations are universally valid, not culture bound.
Epidemiological characteristics of dengue fever cases in Ningbo

Objective To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of dengue fever cases in Ningbo. Methods Descriptive epidemiological method was to used to analyze the epidemiological characters of dengue fever cases in Ningbo from 2009 to 2018. The constituent ratios of mosquitoes in districts and counties of Ningbo (residential areas, park green areas, hospitals, etc. as the monitoring sites) were investigated by CO2 trapping lamp method. and the Breton Index (BI) was used to investigate the density of larvae of Aedes. Results A total of 123 dengue fever cases were reported from 2009 to 2018, of which 64 cases were imported cases. The patients were mainly infected in Southeast Asia (71.88%, 46/64). The ages of the cases ranged from 6 to 87 years old with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. Most of the reported cases were commerce and service industry employees and retirees. The overall composition ratio of Aedes in Ningbo was 0.79%-3.22%. The density of mosquitoe larvae was high. The risk of dengue fever outbreak existed from May to October. The results of detection for nucleic acids of dengue virus in mosquitoes were all negative. Conclusions Ningbo is at high risk of local infection cases and outbreaks. The density of mosquito should be reduced. Control measures, including early detection, diagnosis and quarentine should be implemented for the cases. Key words: Dengue fever; Imported case; Epidemiology; Vector
Preparing the Digital Piano: Introducing bitKlavier

This article describes a new kind of digital musical instrument, a novel assemblage of the familiar MIDI keyboard with custom interactive software. Inspired by John Cage's prepared piano, our instr...
Reliability Analysis of Complex NASA Systems with Model-Based Engineering

The emergence of model-based engineering, with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) leading the way, is transforming design and analysis methodologies. [7] The recognized benefits to systems development include moving from document-centric information systems and document-centric project communication to a model-centric environment in which control of design changes in the life cycles is facilitated. In addition, a “single source of truth” about the system, that is up-to-date in all respects of the design, becomes the authoritative source of data and information about the system. This promotes consistency and efficiency in regard to integration of the system elements as the design emerges and thereby may further optimize the design. Therefore Reliability Engineers (REs) supporting NASA missions must be integrated into model-based engineering to ensure the outputs of their analyses are relevant and value-needed to the design, development, and operational processes for failure risks assessment and communication.
Impact of a Scalable, Multi-Campus "Foodprint" Seminar on College Students' Dietary Intake and Dietary Carbon Footprint.

Background: Dietary patterns affect both human health and environmental sustainability. Prior research found a ten-unit course on food systems and environmental sustainability shifted dietary intake and reduced dietary carbon footprint among college students. This research evaluated the impact of a similar, more scalable one-unit Foodprint seminar taught at multiple universities. Methods: We used a quasi-experimental pre-post nonequivalent comparison group design (n = 176). As part of the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, research was conducted at three university campuses in California over four academic terms. All campuses used the same curriculum, which incorporates academic readings, group discussions, and skills-based exercises to evaluate the environmental footprint of different foods. The comparison group comprised students taking unrelated one-unit courses at the same universities. A questionnaire was administered at the beginning and end of each term. Results: Students who took the Foodprint seminar significantly improved their reported vegetable intake by 4.7 weekly servings relative to the comparison group. They also reported significantly decreasing intake of ruminant meat and sugar-sweetened beverages. As a result of dietary shifts, Foodprint seminar students were estimated to have significantly decreased their dietary carbon footprint by 14%. Conclusions: A scalable, one-unit Foodprint seminar may simultaneously promote environmental sustainability and human health.
pyPI (v1.3): Tropical Cyclone Potential Intensity Calculations in Python

Abstract. Potential intensity (PI) is the maximum speed limit of a tropical cyclone found by modeling the storm as a thermal heat engine. Because there are significant correlations between PI and actual storm wind speeds, PI is a useful diagnostic for evaluating or predicting tropical cyclone intensity climatology and variability. Previous studies have calculated PI given a set of atmospheric and oceanographic conditions, but although a PI algorithm – originally developed by Kerry Emanuel – is in widespread use, it remains under-documented. The Tropical Cyclone Potential Intensity Calculations in Python (pyPI, v1.3) package develops the PI algorithm in Python and for the first time details the full background and algorithm (line by line) used to compute tropical cyclone potential intensity constrained by thermodynamics. The pyPI package (1) provides a freely available, flexible, validated Python PI algorithm, (2) carefully documents the PI algorithm and its Python implementation, and (3) demonstrates and encourages the use of PI theory in tropical cyclone analyses. Validation shows pyPI output is nearly identical to the previous potential intensity computation but is an improvement on the algorithm's consistency and handling of missing data. Example calculations with reanalyses data demonstrate pyPI's usefulness in climatological and meteorological research. Planned future improvements will improve on pyPI's assumptions, flexibility, and range of applications and tropical cyclone thermodynamic calculations.
Dosimetric Uncertainties Resulting From Interfractional Anatomic Variations for Patients Receiving Pancreas Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy and Cone Beam Computed Tomography Image Guidance

Abstract Purpose To estimate the effects of interfractional anatomic changes on dose to organs at risk (OARs) and tumors, as measured with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image guidance for pancreatic stereotactic body radiation therapy. Methods and Materials We evaluated 11 patients with pancreatic cancer whom were treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (33-40 Gy in 5 fractions) using daily CT-on-rails (CTOR) image guidance immediately before treatment with breath-hold motion management. CBCT alignment was simulated in the treatment planning software by aligning the original planning CT to each fractional CTOR image set via fiducial markers. CTOR data sets were used to calculate fractional doses after alignment by applying the rigid shift of the planning CT and CTOR image sets to the planning treatment isocenter and recalculating the fractional dose. Accumulated dose to the gross tumor volume (GTV), tumor vessel interface, duodenum, small bowel, and stomach were calculated by summing the 5 fractional absolute dose-volume histograms into a single dose-volume histogram for comparison with the original planned dose. Results Four patients had a GTV D100% of at least 1.5 Gy less than the fractional planned value in several fractions; 4 patients had fractional underestimation of duodenum dose by 1.0 Gy per fraction. The D1.0 cm3 Conclusions For some patients, CBCT image guidance based on fiducial alignment may cause large dosimetric uncertainties for OARs and target structures, according to accumulated dose.
Recent changes in patent law.

Publisher Summary Many complex factors are involved in the assessment of the effect of patents on chemical industry generally and on the pharmaceutical industry in particular. The general conclusion from objective investigation is that the patent system encourages and stimulates invention and innovative development that leads to new chemical products and new drugs of benefit to the community at large. Part of the difficulties—in terms of the chemical industry and more particularly the pharmaceutical industry—has been that at the time of the main development of theory and practice regarding patent laws; developments in industry were mainly in the mechanical and engineering fields, and the provisions of the law were designed to deal with such inventions. Patents are just one part, albeit an important part, of the protective elements existing in the field of industrial property, which includes patents, designs, trademarks, copyright and knowhow, and needs to be considered in this overall context. This chapter specifically discusses the United Kingdom Patents Act 1977. The European Patent Convention provides a system for a single filing, a single search, a single examination, a single grant process, and a single opposition that leads not to a single patent but to a bundle of national patents that are thereafter enforced nationally in the individual countries concerned.
Amicus Brief: In Re Lyondell Chemical Company

Amicus Brief submitted in the Bankruptcy of Lyondell Chemical Company, analyzing fraudulent transfer issues by applying the techniques developed in "Leveraged Buyout Bankruptcies, the Problem of Hindsight Bias, and the Credit Default Swap Solution" - http://ssrn.com/abstract=1632084.
Optimal Test Characteristics for Maximal Anaerobic Work on the Bicycle Ergometer.

Abstract Two separate experiments were conducted to ascertain the optimum protocol for a maximum anaerobic work output test on the bicycle ergometer. Data from 58 subjects indicated that the test duration needs to be approximately 40 sec and the optimal frictional resistance, 5.0 to 6.0 kp (30 to 36 kpm/rev). The desirability of using performance tests to represent biophysiologic data is discussed.
Re-expression of osteopontin in Breast Cancer Metastasis Suppressor 1 expressing breast cancer cells restores metastatic potential

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 3974 Introduction: Metastasis is the main cause of death in breast cancer. A better understanding of the metastatic process is needed if these deaths are to be prevented. Breast Cancer Metastasis Suppressor 1 gene (BRMS1) inhibits the ability of multiple human and murine cancer cell lines to metastasize to lymph node (LN) and lung. Comparison of mRNA expression in metastatic MDA-MB-435 human breast carcinoma cells (435) and metastasis-suppressed BRMS1 transfectants (435/BRMS1) showed a marked (>90%) reduction of osteopontin (OPN) mRNA and protein expression. OPN expression is associated with disease progression in patients, with higher levels of OPN produced by cancer cells associated with poorer patient survival. This work tests the hypothesis that restoration of OPN levels in 435/BRMS1 would be accompanied by regaining of metastatic capability. Methods: Neomycin-resistant 435/BRMS1 cells were transfected with either full-length OPN cDNA or a vector only plasmid (pcDNA3.1+) and single colonies were selected by hygromycin resistance. Stable colonies were selected to create pooled populations of OPN over-expressing (435/BRMS1/OPN) and vector control (435/BRMS1/VC) cell lines, which were assessed in vitro (colony formation in soft agar). In vivo , parental 435, 435/BRMS1/VC, and 435/BRMS1/OPN cells were implanted into the left thoracic mammary fat pad of female athymic mice. Primary tumors were allowed to grow for 8 wk prior to resection. The mice were then left for a further 8 weeks or until moribund. Metastatic tumor burden (tumor area/organ total area) was calculated from analysis of histological slides using Image software from the National Institutes of Health. Results: Re-expression of OPN in BRMS1 expressing breast cancer cells was achieved and resulted in increased number and size of colonies in soft agar. Quantification of total metastatic burden within LN and lung revealed that re-expression of OPN significantly increased (p < 0.05) metastatic tumor burden within the LN but not in lung. In LN, metastatic burden was 76% for 435, 2% for 435/BRMS1, and 35% for 435/BRMS1/OPN cells. In lung, metastatic burden was 38% for 435, 1% for 435/BRMS1, and 3% for 435/BRMS1/OPN cells. Conclusion: Re-expression of OPN in 435/BRMS1 cells increased number and size of colonies in soft agar, thus OPN down-regulation by BRMS1 may be responsible for decreased anchorage independent growth in vitro . Mice injected with 435/BRMS1/OPN cells developed significantly more LN, but not lung, metastases than 435/BRMS1 cells. Thus, OPN down-regulation by BRMS1 may be responsible, in part, for decreased LN metastatic burden but did not appear to be involved in decreased lung metastatic burden. These novel studies clarify one mechanism by which BRMS1 can suppress metastasis, which may lead to new therapeutic approaches for suppressing breast cancer metastasis based on this understanding.
Systems‐Based Approach to Laboratory Compliance with the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) Regulations

The laboratory control system can be divided into at least seven different sub elements which are required to insure overall compliance with the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations. These include: (1) Laboratory Managerial and Administrative Systems, (2) Laboratory Documentation Practices and Standard Operating Procedures, (3) Laboratory Equipment Qualification and Calibration, (4) Laboratory Facilities, (5) Methods Validation, (6) Laboratory Computer Systems, and (7) Laboratory Investigations. This article outlines potential sub elements of the laboratory control system which are required for smooth and compliant laboratory operations of a typical analytical laboratory. Keywords: laboratory control system; current good manufacturing practice (CGMP); laboratory computer systems; training; standard operating procedures
Accretion of Low Angular Momentum Material onto Black Holes: Two-dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Case

We report on the second phase of our study of slightly rotating accretion flows onto black holes. We consider magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) accretion flows with a spherically symmetric density distribution at the outer boundary but with spherical symmetry broken by the introduction of a small, latitude-dependent angular momentum and a weak radial magnetic field. We study accretion flows by means of numerical two-dimensional, axisymmetric, MHD simulations with and without resistive heating. Our main result is that the properties of the accretion flow depend mostly on an equatorial accretion torus that is made of the material that has too much angular momentum to be accreted directly. The torus accretes, however, because of the transport of angular momentum due to the magnetorotational instability (MRI). Initially, accretion is dominated by the polar funnel, as in the hydrodynamic inviscid case, where material has zero or very low angular momentum. At the later phase of the evolution, the torus thickens toward the poles and develops a corona or an outflow or both. Consequently, the mass accretion through the funnel is stopped. The accretion of rotating gas through the torus is significantly reduced compared with the accretion of nonrotating gas (i.e., the Bondi rate). It is also much smaller than the accretion rate in the inviscid, weakly rotating case. Our results do not change if we switch on or off resistive heating. Overall our simulations are very similar to those presented by Stone, Pringle, Hawley, and Balbus despite different initial and outer boundary conditions. Thus, we confirm that MRI is very robust and controls the nature of radiatively inefficient accretion flows. Although the time-averaged properties of our models approach a steady state, we find that the instantaneous mass-accretion rate in the latter stages of our simulations is highly time-dependent, with the inner flow displaying three generic flow patterns.
The Eastern Mediterranean and the Making of Global Radicalism, 1860-1914

The Eastern Mediterranean and the Making of Global Radicalism, 1860-­1914 / Ilham Khuri-­Makdisi, (University of California Press, 2010,) 279 pp.
Work in progress-a four year follow-up: integration of math, physics and engineering, a pilot study for success

The inherent integration between mathematics, physics, and engineering is obvious to experienced engineers and faculty, however, many incoming students find it hard to see the connections. During the 1999-2000 academic year, a pilot study was conducted to see the effects of cohort scheduling students into integrated sections of calculus, physics, and first year engineering courses. Calculus-ready student were chosen randomly and asked to participate in this study. Those declining our offer were used as our control group. The control and the test groups had similar compositions of majors, SAT/ACT scores, and high school backgrounds. Initial results of this study show that students in the test group scored significantly higher on common exams. One year follow-up analysis shows that these students continue to have overall higher grade point averages, and self-report a high level of academic confidence. This work in progress highlights the integration process, including the active collaborative teaching/learning styles used, and shows the progress of the cohort students four years after the initial study. It builds heavily on prior work of these authors.
Purification of an Exo-β-d-(1 → 3)-glucanase from Basidiomycete Species QM 806

Abstract An exo-β-d-(1 → 3)-glucanase has been purified from the culture medium of Basidiomycete species QM 806. The purification involves evaporation of the culture filtrate, ammonium sulfate fractionation, column chromatography, and preparative acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The final preparation is homogeneous on the basis of disc electrophoresis on acrylamide gel, sedimentation in the ultracentrifuge, and the absence of contaminating enzymatic activities. Various physical and chemical characteristics of the purified protein have been determined; a complete amino acid analysis is presented. The kinetic parameters, Km and V, of the action of the enzyme on a homologous series of β-d-(1 → 3)-linked glucose oligosaccharides have been determined. These indicate that the extent of binding and rate of attack increase rapidly with chain length but do not appear to reach maximal values even at a chain length of 15 to 20 glucose units.
Refolding of a fully functional flavivirus methyltransferase revealed that S-adenosyl methionine but not S-adenosyl homocysteine is copurified with flavivirus methyltransferase.

Methylation of flavivirus RNA is vital for its stability and translation in the infected host cell. This methylation is mediated by the flavivirus methyltransferase (MTase), which methylates the N7 and 2′-O positions of the viral RNA cap by using S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) as a methyl donor. In this report, we demonstrate that SAM, in contrast to the reaction by-product S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine, which was assumed previously, is copurified with the Dengue (DNV) and West Nile virus MTases produced in Escherichia coli (E. coli). This endogenous SAM can be removed by denaturation and refolding of the MTase protein. The refolded MTase of DNV serotype 3 (DNV3) displays methylation activity comparable to native enzyme, and its crystal structure at 2.1 A is almost identical to that of native MTase. We characterized the binding of Sinefungin (SIN), a previously described SAM-analog inhibitor of MTase function, to the native and refolded DNV3 MTase by isothermal titration calorimetry, and found that SIN binds to refolded MTase with more than 16 times the affinity of SIN binding to the MTase purified natively. Moreover, we show that SAM is also copurified with other flavivirus MTases, indicating that purification by refolding may be a generally applicable tool for studying flavivirus MTase inhibition.