cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acetate Causes Alcohol Hangover Headache in Rats

Background: The mechanism of veisalgia cephalgia or hangover headache is unknown. Despite a lack of mechanistic studies, there are a number of theories positing congeners, dehydration, or the ethanol metabolite acetaldehyde as causes of hangover headache. Methods: We used a chronic headache model to examine how pure ethanol produces increased sensitivity for nociceptive behaviors in normally hydrated rats. Results: Ethanol initially decreased sensitivity to mechanical stimuli on the face (analgesia), followed 4 to 6 hours later by inflammatory pain. Inhibiting alcohol dehydrogenase extended the analgesia whereas inhibiting aldehyde dehydrogenase decreased analgesia. Neither treatment had nociceptive effects. Direct administration of acetate increased nociceptive behaviors suggesting that acetate, not acetaldehyde, accumulation results in hangover-like hypersensitivity in our model. Since adenosine accumulation is a result of acetate formation, we administered an adenosine antagonist that blocked hypersensitivity. Discussion: Our study shows that acetate contributes to hangover headache. These findings provide insight into the mechanism of hangover headache and the mechanism of headache induction.
Eutectic Solidification of Aluminum-Silicon Alloys

A mechanism that describes nucleation and growth as well as morphology modification by chemical additives of the eutectic phases in aluminum-silicon hypoeutectic alloys is presented. The mechanism is supported with results of nonequilibrium thermal analyses, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction, and elemental X-ray mapping, as well as results of high-temperature rheological measurements that are performed on alloy samples of precisely controlled chemistry.
Bundling Health Insurance and Microfinance in India: There Cannot Be Adverse Selection If There Is No Demand

Most of the world’s poor face large risks, which affect their investment decisions and contribute to the perpetuation of poverty (Karlan et al., 2013). In this context, insurance products targeted at the poor are seen as having substantial promise, as opportunities both to make profit and to improve efficiency and social welfare. The marketing of insurance products to the poor has faced two obstacles, however. First, demand for insurance products is generally low (Cole et al., 2013). Second, insurers have been worried about adverse selection and moral hazard, with the latter concern leading insurers to offer only basic products (e.g., indexed weather insurance or catastrophic health insurance). Bundling insurance policies with other products, such as Microfinance loans, has been seen as a promising solution to both the demand and the adverse selection problems (see, e.g., ILO, 2013), under the theory that even those who derive little benefit from insurance would still want the bundled services. Microfinance institutions might either serve as an agent to a larger insurance company or offer the insurance policy themselves. The hope is that bundling would create a large pool of non-selected clients, eliminating adverse selection and reducing administrative costs. Major health expenditures are a significant source of risk for the world’s poor that is not well-insured, even by the informal insurance network that households typically call upon (Gertler and Gruber, 2002; Fafchamps and Lund, 2003). Many Microfinance institutions have therefore experimented with bundling health insurance with their loans. Drawing evidence from the randomized introduction of a health insurance program bundled with a standard Microfinance program, we show that the basic presumption that bundling the two would lead to a large client base is wrong. We find that a large fraction of borrowers (16 percentage points) were actually willing to give up microfinance to avoid purchasing health insurance, and that the majority of those clients ended up losing access to Microfinance altogether. The observed client dropout, while discouraging for the Microfinance institution and the insurer, provides an opportunity to observe whether the original concerns of adverse selection are actually a main barrier to providing health insurance. We find that the answer to this question is an emphatic no: there is no evidence that clients dropping out to avoid purchasing insurance are systematically different from those who remain clients, in terms of their propensity to have insurable health care expenses, including covered maternity expenses that are most easily predictable. It seems that insurers, policy makers, and academics are one step ahead of insurance clients. The central issue seems not to be that only those who need health insurance would be willing to sign up, but that even those who would need it are not willing to sign up for it, potentially at the cost of losing a valuable resource.
Collection under paraffin is not necessary for stability of urine pH over 24 h

Collection of urine under paraffin is routinely used in clinical practice for urine pH evaluation. To examine whether the accuracy of pH measurement is adversely influenced by the method of collection and storage, we divided each urine specimen and sent one aliquot to the laboratory under paraffin and another in a sealed 5-ml plastic syringe. In another experiment we evaluated the stability of urine pH measurement in a clinical setting. Urine collected under paraffin was tested immediately for pH; an aliquot from the same specimen was stored in a capped 5-ml syringe at 4°C and tested after 24 h. We found no appreciable difference in measured pH between samples sent to the laboratory under paraffin or in a capped plastic syringe.
Some results on product-function frames

Abstract This paper introduces the concept of product function frames. These frames are a collection of sequences, or frame kernels, that are represented as products of two or more sequences. This forms a generalized structure for many of the currently existing transforms. We define the conditions on the frame and dual frame kernels for the space of periodic discrete-time sequences. We then derive windowed transforms, modulated filterbanks, and oversampled filterbanks as special cases. Finally, we introduce a new family of transforms, which we call ‘product transforms’.
Integrin binding to fibronectin and vitronectin maintains the barrier function of isolated porcine coronary venules

Integrin-mediated endothelial cell-extracellular matrix adhesion plays a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of microvascular walls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of specific integrin extracellular domain binding to matrix fibronectin and vitronectin on the barrier function of intact microvascular endothelium. The apparent permeability coefficient of albumin was measured in isolated and perfused porcine coronary venules using a fluorescence ratioing technique with the aid of fluorescence microscopy. Inhibition of integrin binding to either fibronectin with GRGDdSP peptide or vitronectin with GPenGRGDSPCA peptide dose-dependently increased venular permeability by 2- to 3-fold. The effects were sustained for more than 60 min and were reversible upon clearance of the peptides. In contrast, the inactive control peptide GRADSP did not significantly affect venular permeability. Pretreatment of the venules with purified human fibronectin and vitronectin, respectively, prevented the hyperpermeability response to GRGDdSP and GPenGRGDSPCA. GRGDSP, a peptide that inhibits integrin binding to both fibronectin and vitronectin, produced an even higher permeability (4.5-fold) in venules than GRGDdSP or GPenGRGDSPCA alone, and the effect was blunted in vessels preincubated with both fibronectin and vitronectin. The results indicate the importance of integrin-matrix interaction in the physiological regulation of microvascular permeability. It is likely that both fibronectin and vitronectin binding to integrins contribute to the maintenance of endothelial barrier function in venules.
Evolving a neural network

Although artificial neural networks have been shown to be effective in the computation of solutions to difficult problems a general theory has not yet been developed to provide guidance in their design and implementation. Genetic algorithms have also been shown to be effective in evolving solutions to optimization problems which involve objective functions that are not 'nice'. The approach presented here is the utilization of genetic algorithms to evolve the number of neurons in an artificial neural network, the weights of their interconnects, and the interconnect structure itself. With this approach, no a priori assumptions about interconnect structure, weights, number of layers. or to which neurons the inputs or outputs are connected need to be made. A combined neural network evaluation and genetic algorithm evaluation program has been written in C on a Sun workstation. The method has been successfully applied to the 9*9 bit character recognition problem. >
Pulsed selective laser removal of nano- and micro-particles

Selective laser removal of micro-particles of one chemical composition from their mixture with micro-particles of another chemical type pre-deposited on hydrophobic or hydrophilic surfaces have been demonstrated by means of steam laser cleaning method realized with nanosecond IR laser and various liquid energy transfer media (ETM). Microscopic imaging of particle mixture deposition, ETM dosing and final particle removal has been performed with the help of timeresolved optical microscopy. Optimal ETM/particle combinations for selective targeting and removal of specific particles from their mixture on the surfaces have been revealed.
Temozolomide: a novel treatment for pituitary carcinoma.

Pituitary carcinoma is tumour tissue that is not contiguous with the pituitary tissues or is found in other extracranial sites. The disorder is rare (accounting for about 0·1% of pituitary tumours), rapidly progressive, and largely unresponsive to current combination treatment of surgery, radiation, and systemic chemotherapy. 2,3 Consequently, most patients die within 1 year of diagnosis. Here, we report a case of pituitary carcinoma treated with temozolomide. In June, 1997, a 72-year-old man with known microprolactinoma, successfully controlled with D2-agonist treatment (bromocriptine) for 7 years, presented with sudden headache and presyncope. His serum prolactin was very high at 2×10 3
Source Term Model for Vortex Generator Vanes in a Navier-Stokes Computer Code

A source term model for an array of vortex generators was implemented into a non-proprietary Navier-Stokes computer code, OVERFLOW. The source term models the side force created by a vortex generator vane. The model is obtained by introducing a side force to the momentum and energy equations that can adjust its strength automatically based on the local flow. The model was tested and calibrated by comparing data from numerical simulations and experiments of a single low profile vortex generator vane on a flat plate. In addition, the model was compared to experimental data of an S-duct with 22 co-rotating, low profile vortex generators. The source term model allowed a grid reduction of about seventy percent when compared with the numerical simulations performed on a fully gridded vortex generator on a flat plate without adversely affecting the development and capture of the vortex created. The source term model was able to predict the shape and size of the stream-wise vorticity and velocity contours very well when compared with both numerical simulations and experimental data. The peak vorticity and its location were also predicted very well when compared to numerical simulations and experimental data. The circulation predicted by the source term model matches the prediction of the numerical simulation. The source term model predicted the engine fan face distortion and total pressure recovery of the S-duct with 22 co-rotating vortex generators very well. The source term model allows a researcher to quickly investigate different locations of individual or a row of vortex generators. The researcher is able to conduct a preliminary investigation with minimal grid generation and computational time.
Clp and Lon Proteases Occupy Distinct Subcellular Positions in Bacillus subtilis

Among other functions, ATP-dependent proteases degrade misfolded proteins and remove several key regulatory proteins necessary to activate stress responses. In Bacillus subtilis, ClpX, ClpE, and ClpC form homohexameric ATPases that couple to the ClpP peptidase. To understand where these peptidases and ATPases localize in living cells, each protein was fused to a fluorescent moiety. We found that ClpX-GFP (green fluorescent protein) and ClpP-GFP localized as focal assemblies in areas that were not occupied by the nucleoid. We found that the percentage of cells with ClpP-GFP foci increased following heat shock independently of protein synthesis. We determined that ClpE-YFP (yellow fluorescent protein) and ClpC-YFP formed foci coincident with nucleoid edges, usually near cell poles. Furthermore, we found that ClpQ-YFP (HslV) localized as small foci, usually positioned near the cell membrane. We found that ClpQ-YFP foci were dependent on the presence of the cognate hexameric ATPase ClpY (HslU). Moreover, we found that LonA-GFP is coincident with the nucleoid during normal growth and that LonA-GFP also localized to the forespore during development. We also investigated LonB-GFP and found that this protein localized to the forespore membrane early in development, followed by localization throughout the forespore later in development. Our comprehensive study has shown that in B. subtilis several ATP-fueled proteases occupy distinct subcellular locations. With these data, we suggest that substrate specificity could be determined, in part, by the spatial and temporal organization of proteases in vivo.
A study of the karyotype of a population of banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus) from the Hudson Rive

Studies were carried out to find appropriate techniques for securing a suitable karyotype from a population of Fundulus diaphanus in the Hudson River and to compare it with a published karyotype of a population of the same species from the New Haven, Connecticut area. A modification of the basic method of Denton & Howell proved to be a simple, effective and inexpensive approach for acquiring numerous and distinct chromosomal spreads for detailed karyotype analyses. The two karyotypes were identical in modal number, arm number and number of submetacentrics; however, they differed in numbers of acrocentrics and secondary constrictions. These differences may indicate incipient chromosomal evolution with the two distinct environments acting as selective agents. Preliminary work was carried out with banding techniques; the modified Denton & Howell method with banding appears to be an effective and promising direction for fish cytogenetics.
Intracellular drug delivery using low-frequency ultrasound: quantification of molecular uptake and cell viability.

Purpose. To determine the dependence on acoustic parameters of molecular uptake and viability of cells exposed to low-frequency ultrasound.
Pyrimidine dimer formation in human skin.

Cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimers are major photoproducts formed upon irradiation of DNA with ultraviolet light. We have developed a method for detecting as few as one pyrimidine dimer per million bases in about 50 ng of non-radioactive DNA, and have used this method to quantitate dimer yields in human skin DNA exposed in situ to UV. We found that UVA radiation (320–400 nm) produces detectable levels of dimers in the DNA of human skin. We also measured UVB-induced dimer yields in skin of individuals of differing sun sensitivity and found higher yields in individuals with higher UVB minimal erythema doses and greater sun sensitivity. These approaches should provide important information on damage induced in human skin upon exposure to natural or artificial sources of ultraviolet radiation.
Using noncommutative Gröbner bases in solving partially prescribed matrix inverse completion problems

Abstract We investigate the use of noncommutative Grobner bases in solving partially prescribed matrix inverse completion problems. The types of problems considered here are similar to those in [Linear Algebra Appl. 223–224 (1995) 73]. There the authors gave necessary and sufficient conditions for the solution of a 2×2 block matrix completion problem. Our approach is quite different from theirs and relies on symbolic computer algebra. Here we describe a general method by which all block matrix completion problems of this type may be analyzed if sufficient computational power is available. We also demonstrate our method with an analysis of all 3×3 block matrix inverse completion problems with 11 blocks known and 7 unknown. We discover that the solutions to all such problems are of a relatively simple form. We then perform a more detailed analysis of a particular problem from the 31,824 3×3 block matrix completion problems with 11 blocks known and 7 unknown. A solution to this problem of the form derived in the above-mentioned reference is presented. Not only do we give a proof of our detailed result, but we describe the strategy used in discovering our theorem and proof, since it is somewhat unusual for these types of problems.
Growing and navigating the small world Web by local content

Can we model the scale-free distribution of Web hypertext degree under realistic assumptions about the behavior of page authors? Can a Web crawler efficiently locate an unknown relevant page? These questions are receiving much attention due to their potential impact for understanding the structure of the Web and for building better search engines. Here I investigate the connection between the linkage and content topology of Web pages. The relationship between a text-induced distance metric and a link-based neighborhood probability distribution displays a phase transition between a region where linkage is not determined by content and one where linkage decays according to a power law. This relationship is used to propose a Web growth model that is shown to accurately predict the distribution of Web page degree, based on textual content and assuming only local knowledge of degree for existing pages. A qualitatively similar phase transition is found between linkage and semantic distance, with an exponential decay tail. Both relationships suggest that efficient paths can be discovered by decentralized Web navigation algorithms based on textual and/or categorical cues.
“Hemophiliac”--A Depersonalizing Term: Discussion of Dr. Mattsson’s Paper

I feel that Dr. Mattsson’s combination of systems theory and developmental approaches provides us with a marvelously comprehensive and flexible conceptualization for understanding, preventing or treating psychosocial problems of the patient and family dealing with chronic and/or life-threatening illness.
The intelligent system server: delivering AI to complex systems

The authors describe work on the design of an intelligent system server, a distributed architecture for delivering knowledge representation and reasoning services to applications. This work is based on two simple ideas. The first is that knowledge bases are like databases and their services should be provided in a similar manner-in a client-server relationship. The second idea is that a convenient and efficient interface between the AI (artificial intelligence) system and conventional database management systems is a necessity. The need arises out of the fact that many of the applications that need AI services use conventional database management systems both to store much of the information used by the application and to communicate between the various components making up the application. The authors outline the ideas underlying the intelligent system server, discuss some of the design issues, and briefly describe the current approach. >
APPLICATION OF CATALYTIC CRYSTALLITE THERMOMETRY TO INTERPHASE TRANSPORT STUDIES

Average catalyst and fluid temperatures are measured during Ni/SiO2 catalyzed ethane hydrogenolysis in a differential reactor, allowing calculation of effective interphase Nusselt numbers. Early results of an effort to develop a correlation for this effective interphase Nusselt number are presented and discussed
No such look: problems with the dual content theory

It is frequently alleged that a round plate viewed from an oblique angle looks elliptical, and that when one tree is in front of another that is the same intrinsic size, the front one looks larger than the rear one. And yet there is also a clear sense in which the plate viewed from an angle looks round, and a clear sense in which the two trees look to be the same size. According to the Dual Content Theory (DCT), what explains these and other similar phenomena is that perceptual experiences present us with two different sorts of spatial properties: intrinsic and perspectival spatial properties. I will argue that the Dual Content Theory is false because it rests on flawed phenomenological descriptions of the experience of spatial properties. The only conditions under which a plate tilted away and an ellipse look alike, or two objects which are different in size look the same size, is when at least one of the objects being compared is misperceived. I will consider several responses to the arguments I present, and conclude by suggesting that abandoning DCT would constitute an improvement upon Noe’s enactive theory of perception.
Glomerular sieving coefficient of serum albumin in the rat: a two-photon microscopy study.

Recent studies of the sieving of serum albumin in the rat kidney using a two-photon microscope suggested that the glomerular sieving coefficient (GSC) of albumin is 0.034, much higher than earlier ...
The Role Of Financial Advisors In The Negotiated Sale Of Tax-Exempt Securities

This paper analyzes the role of independent financial advisors in the negotiated sale of tax-exempt securities. The empirical results indicate that the costs of contracting with financial advisors are not significantly offset by corresponding benefits in the form of lower borrowing costs. There is no evidence that advisor certification reduces reoffer yields; advisor monitoring activities are shown to reduce modestly the costs of underwriting.
CHARACTERIZATION OF MIXING IN FLAT-BOTTOMED SPHERICAL FLASKS AGITATED WITH MAGNETIC STIRRERS

Mixing in a flat-bottomed spherical flask with magnetic stirrers is studied using dye addition and visual studies to measure mixing time. Different flow regimes that occurred in the flask and two regimes, i.e., a well-mixed regime and a Taylor wall regime, were identified. The effects of stirrer diameter, volume of material to be mixed, and rotational speed on mixing time were studied.
Evidence-Based Pharmacotherapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an elusively heterogeneous disorder defined by core social impairment and repetitive interests and behaviors. To date, there are no medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of the defining features of this disorder. Significant progress has been made in treatment of behavioral symptoms associated with ASD, particularly irritability and hyperactivity symptoms. Risperidone and aripiprazole have the most evidence supporting their use for irritability symptoms and are the appropriate medications to choose as first line of treatment of these symptoms. Methylphenidate and guanfacine hold promise for treatment of hyperactivity symptoms in youth with ASD, based on available evidence. Repetitive behaviors and interests remain highly challenging behavioral domains in ASD, though use of risperidone is supported by the literature, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be beneficial in some individuals. There is no clear evidence to support any pharmaceutical agent for treatment of core social impairment in ASD. Ongoing research and continued understanding of pathogenic pathways may uncover novel pharmacological targets for treatment of core symptoms in this population.
In situ Study of Dilute H2SO4 Pretreatment of 13C-Enriched Poplar Wood, Using 13C NMR

In situ 13C NMR measurements are reported on 13C-enriched powdered poplar wood that is subjected to pretreatment with 0.5 M sulfuric acid as a function of time and at two temperatures. 13C MAS (mag...
A Novel Method for the Direct Sulfonation of CH4 with SO3 in the Presence of KO2 and a Promoter

Direct sulfonation of methane with SO3 to methanesulfonic acid (MSA) is accomplished in sulfuric acid in the presence of a small amount of KO2 as the free radical initiator and a metal chloride. Of the several metal chlorides examined, RhCl3 was found to be the most effective promoter. While KO2 alone can activate methane, the conversion of SO3 to MSA increases 2.3-fold when KO2 and RhCl3 are both present in the reaction mixture. The effects of different process parameters such as temperature, SO3 concentration, methane pressure, KO2 concentration, and RhCl3 concentration have been examined on the rate of reaction. The reaction is optimized at a KO2-to-RhCl3 molar ratio of 3.16. Strongly acidic solvents such as H2SO4 or CF3SO3H are necessary for the reaction. No MSA was formed when the reaction was carried out in DMSO. A mechanism is proposed to explain the activation of CH4 to form MSA. A critical part of the sequence is in situ formation of a metal−peroxo species via the reaction of KO2, acid solvent, a...
Metastatic pancreatic cancer presenting as linitis plastica of the stomach

Metastatic disease from pancreatic carcinoma involving the stomach is an unusual event, and the pattern of spread in the form of linitis plastica, to our knowledge, has not been reported previously. Local recurrence after curative resection for pancreatic cancer is the most common pattern of disease. We report a case of metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma presenting as linitis plastica of the stomach 4 years after curative resection. A 52-year-old man presented with epigastric pain and melaena 4 years after undergoing a Whipple9s procedure for a poorly-differentiated pancreatic adenocarcinoma, stage IB; T2N0M0. CT imaging of the abdomen revealed thickening of the gastric wall, and subsequent oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) revealed diffuse friable erythaematous tissue. The biopsy specimen obtained during the OGD revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, with similar appearance to the prior specimen obtained from the pancreas.
Defining 'Accidents' in the Air: Why Tort Law Principles are Essential in Interpreting the Montreal Convention's 'Accident' Requirement

Exceptions do not exist in a vacuum; in fact, exceptions to a principle are usually formed using those principles to which it is an exception. Even so, United States courts interpreting the “accident” requirement of the Montreal Convention — an exception to traditional tort law regarding injuries sustained during international air travel — fail to use tort law in evaluating whether certain situations meet the “accident” criteria. Consequentially, many decisions render airlines responsible for a passenger’s injuries where any other premises owner would not be implicated in the same circumstances. This directly contrasts the intent of the Montreal Convention’s creators, who wanted to limit carrier liability to foster the airline industry’s viability. Instead of interpreting “accident” to make carriers liable in a narrower set of circumstances and thereby protect airlines, courts are interpreting “accident” in a way that broadens the airline’s responsibilities.This Note examines the history of and the reasons for the Montreal Convention, which in part forces airlines to indemnify passengers for injuries resulting from incidents qualifying as “accidents” — a term undefined in the treaty. The Convention and the subsequent case law interpreting it show to qualify as an “accident,” the injury-producing incident must be causally connected to the plane’s operation. Importantly, the causal connection’s adequacy should be evaluated according to American tort jurisprudence even though the “accident” requirement itself is an exception to general tort law. This Note focuses on a particular type of injury-producing event, a co-passenger tort, because of its interesting causal nature that exemplifies the contrast between decisions using tort law and those rendered under the Convention.
Risk assessment of pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus in Xinhui district

Objective: To evaluate the risk of influenza A H1N1 influenza epidemic in Xinhui district in order to make scientific and effective prevention and control measures and strategy.Methods:H1N1 influenza epidemic risk in Xinhui district were investigated and evaluated based on which H1N1 influenza transmission risk factors were analyzed.Results: Three sample surveys conducted in both urban and rural area of this part showed that total positive rate of influenza A H1N1 influenza antibody for populations of this area was 22.29%,specifically,for rural population it was 25.83% for city residents the positive rate was 18.75%.Regarding to occupation,positive rate for teachers,health care workers,students,children and other population were 33.33%,28.75%,22.57%,11.11% and 11.23%.The awareness rate for city residents was 42.91%,significantly higher than that of rural residents.Conclusions:The positive rate of influenza A H1N1 influenza antibody for populations of this area is low,and awareness is poor,thus outbreak of pandemic influenza is possible,and prevention and control measures are necessary.
Faculty Use of Author Identifiers and Researcher Networking Tools

This cross-sectional survey focused on faculty use and knowledge of author identifiers and researcher networking systems, and professional use of social media, at a large state university. Results from 296 completed faculty surveys representing all disciplines (9.3% response rate) show low levels of awareness and variable resource preferences. The most utilized author identifier was ORCID while ResearchGate, LinkedIn, and Google Scholar were the top profiling systems. Faculty also reported some professional use of social media platforms. The survey data will be utilized to improve library services and develop intra-institutional collaborations in scholarly communication, research networking, and research impact.
Nisin Adsorption in Colloidal Systems Formed with Phytoglycogen Octenyl Succinate

While antimicrobial compounds are often used against food pathogens, they are liable to quick degradations in foods. One way to achieve their sustained efficacy is through the use of protective delivery systems. The overall goal of this study was to understand the interactions between nisin, an antimicrobial peptide, and phytoglycogen octenyl succinate (PG-OS), a dendrimer-like amphiphilic carbohydrate polymer in aqueous (non-emulsion) and emulsion based colloidal systems. Nisin interacts with PG-OS particulates following a Langmuir monolayer adsorption pattern in both systems. The monolayer adsorption capacity (Qm) ranged from 37.6 to 106.4 μg/mL in non-emulsion, and was 181.8 μg/mL in PG-OS stabilized emulsion. At the same doses of PG-OS (5.0 mg/mL) and nisin (200 μg/mL), the concentration of adsorbed nisin in emulsion and non-emulsion were 157 and 22 μg/mL, respectively. This study showed that both the chemical nature and physical distribution of PG-OS particulates would affect nisin adsorption, which may provide a method for designing carbohydrate colloidal systems to achieve effective protection of antimicrobial compounds for foods.
The flip-flap technique to lengthen the urethra (Salle procedure) for treatment of neurogenic urinary incontinence.

Abstract We report the clinical results of a urethral lengthening procedure for neurogenic urinary incontinence. The urethra is lengthened by using a full thickness anterior bladder wall flap that is based at the urethra. This flap is approximated to a longitudinal strip of the trigonal mucosa and musculature. This neourethra is covered by urothelium creating a tunneled urethra, which creates a compressible flap valve mechanism that occludes with bladder filling. The ureters are reimplanted superior to the repair. Technical feasibility was first documented in the dog. Four myelomeningocele children with low urethral resistance and urinary incontinence refractory to medical management have undergone this procedure since July 1992. The 3 patients who have been followed for longer than 1 year are described. Two patients required concomitant bladder augmentation. Comparison of preoperative and postoperative urodynamics revealed increased urethral resistance. All 3 patients are clinically improved and dry on intermittent catheterization during the day. The patient without bladder augmentation has occasional nocturnal wetting. Since the posterior urethra and bladder wall remain intact without suture lines there have been no problems with catheterization. The upper tracts remain normal. We believe that this procedure is a helpful addition to the care of children with neuropathic incontinence. The technical aspects and results of this procedure are discussed in detail.
Random access signaling for network MIMO uplink

Increasing popularity of mobile devices and upload-intensive applications is rapidly driving the uplink traffic demand in wireless LANs. Network MIMO (netMIMO) can potentially meet the demand by enabling concurrent uplink transmissions to an AP cluster (APC) comprised of multiple access points. NetMIMO's PHY-layer communication algorithms have been well explored, but the MAC-level signaling procedure remains an open issue: prior to uplink transmission, a group of clients must gain channel access, and ensure synchronization and channel orthogonality with each other. But such signaling is fundamentally challenging, because netMIMO clients tend to be widely distributed and may not even sense each other. In this paper, we introduce the first signaling protocol, called NURA, to meet the challenge. NURA clients employ a novel medium-access-signaling mechanism to realize group-based random access and synchronization, without disturbing ongoing uplink transmissions. The APC leverages a lightweight user-admission mechanism to group users with orthogonal channels (and hence high uplink capacity), without requiring costly channel-state feedback from all users. We have implemented NURA on a software-radio based netMIMO platform. Our experiments show that NURA is feasible, efficient, and can readily serve as the a priori signaling mechanism for distributed asynchronous netMIMO clients.
Secondary free-flap reconstruction following ablation for acute invasive fungal sinusitis.

Objective Acute invasive fungal sinusitis (AIFS) is a frequently fatal infection for which extensive and debilitating surgical debridement is a mainstay of therapy. Resulting defects are often composite in nature, mandating free tissue-transfer reconstruction. Outcomes data for free flap reconstruction are limited. The purpose of this study was to examine surgical outcomes and survival in patients undergoing free flap transfer following invasive fungal sinusitis. Study Design Retrospective case series. Methods Between 1995 and 2015, patients undergoing operative debridement for AIFS were identified. Surgical records were used to identify survivors of acute infection who subsequently underwent free flap reconstructive surgery. Patient demographics, cause of immune compromise, defect description, flap type, perioperative complications, indications for revision surgery, functional outcomes, and long-term survival were reviewed. Results Forty-four patients were treated for AIFS, of those, 30 (68%) survived acute infection. Ten patients underwent maxillectomy, six with orbital exenteration, and were designated candidates for reconstruction. Eight patients underwent reconstruction. Median time from debridement to reconstruction was 67.5 days. Flap types included latissimus dorsi, scapula, anterolateral thigh, rectus, radial forearm, and fibula. Median follow-up was 7.7 months. No perioperative complications were encountered, and all subjects remained disease-free, able to speak and eat normally without prosthetic supplementation. Seven patients (87%) are currently alive. Conclusion Reconstruction of defects left by invasive fungal sinusitis using free-tissue transfer resulted in successful flap survival, with no disease recurrence for all defects and flap types reviewed. Survivors of AIFS are able to tolerate midface reconstruction, with favorable functional outcomes and survival rates. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 127:815–819, 2017
Using reflective dialogic blogs with international teaching assistants: Rationale, context, and findings

Given the growing number of international teaching assistants (ITAs) on US campuses, ITAs have become critical members of US academic communities. Research related to ITAs’ experiences in US classrooms reveals certain challenges that ITAs encounter as instructors in this new educational context. These challenges can be instructional, social, linguistic, or cultural in nature. In response to the need to provide incoming ITAs with both ongoing institutional and personal support, this pilot action research study investigates the impact of the use of reflective dialogic blogs on the ITAs in terms of their development of teaching expertise, cross-cultural awareness, and language skills at the completion of the ITA training course offered at a southwestern US university. The study involved a group of ITAs in online interactions via blogs with the ITA-training course instructor for the duration of one academic semester. Data collection focused on the content of the ITAs’ writing and their perceptions of the effectiveness of reflective dialogic blogs in regard to their development as instructors. The results suggest that more attempts to use tools such as reflective dialogic blogs should be made in the future. The article also suggests possible modifications for the use of reflective dialogic blogs with prospective students.
Genetic Modification of the Lung Directed Toward Treatment of Human Disease

Genetic modification therapy is a promising therapeutic strategy for many diseases of the lung intractable to other treatments. Lung gene therapy has been the subject of numerous preclinical animal experiments and human clinical trials, for targets including genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis and α1-antitrypsin deficiency, complex disorders such as asthma, allergy, and lung cancer, infections such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Pseudomonas, as well as pulmonary arterial hypertension, transplant rejection, and lung injury. A variety of viral and non-viral vectors have been employed to overcome the many physical barriers to gene transfer imposed by lung anatomy and natural defenses. Beyond the treatment of lung diseases, the lung has the potential to be used as a metabolic factory for generating proteins for delivery to the circulation for treatment of systemic diseases. Although much has been learned through a myriad of experiments about the development of genetic modification of the lung, ...
On the Tradeoff between Privacy and Utility in Collaborative Intrusion Detection Systems-A Game Theoretical Approach

Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) are crucial security mechanisms widely deployed for critical network protection. However, conventional IDSs become incompetent due to the rapid growth in network size and the sophistication of large scale attacks. To mitigate this problem, Collaborative IDSs (CIDSs) have been proposed in literature. In CIDSs, a number of IDSs exchange their intrusion alerts and other relevant data so as to achieve better intrusion detection performance. Nevertheless, the required information exchange may result in privacy leakage, especially when these IDSs belong to different self-interested organizations. In order to obtain a quantitative understanding of the fundamental tradeoff between the intrusion detection accuracy and the organizations' privacy, a repeated two-layer single-leader multi-follower game is proposed in this work. Based on our game-theoretic analysis, we are able to derive the expected behaviors of both the attacker and the IDSs and obtain the utility-privacy tradeoff curve. In addition, the existence of Nash equilibrium (NE) is proved and an asynchronous dynamic update algorithm is proposed to compute the optimal collaboration strategies of IDSs. Finally, simulation results are shown to validate the analysis.
Connected Gaming: An Inclusive Perspective for Serious Gaming

Serious games should focus on connected gaming, which is combining the instructionist approach on having students play educational games for learning with the constructionist approach on having students make their own games for learning. Constructionist activities have always been part of the larger gaming ecology but have traditionally received far less attention than their instructionist counterparts. Future developments in serious gaming ought to promote this more inclusive perspective to better realize the full potential of gaming as a means for learning and for connecting children to technology and to each other. This potential for more meaningful connectivity can also address the persistent access and diversity issues long facing gaming cultures.
Durable Democracy? Economic Inequality and Democratic Accountability in the New Gilded Age

Scholarship in the U.S. provides mounting evidence of a linkage between economic inequality and inequality in representation and policymaking. In response, this article addresses a research question striking at the very heart of the resilience of the democratic capitalist design: Do voters punish elected officials for inequality? We advance the argument that voter punishment of incumbents for inequality will occur when inequality is locally salient and for officeholders that support inequality-enhancing legislation. Relying upon secondary analysis of large-N national survey data, we find that voters residing in high inequality contexts voted against incumbents who supported regressive tax policies and opposed minimum wage increases. Interestingly, for inequality-attenuating incumbents, we find increased support among voters in high inequality contexts. Importantly, robustness checks reveal that observed punishment effects hold for Democratic and Republican incumbents. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for American democracy in an era of rising inequality.
AN UNUSUAL CASE OF SPONTANEOUS CORONARY ARTERY DISSECTION

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is relatively a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Asymptomatic presentation and incidental finding of a chronic SCAD is extremely uncommon and has been rarely reported. A 54-year-old man with no prior medical history presented with a 3 day
Impact of atrial fibrillation on inpatient cost for ischemic stroke in the USA.

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation is a significant risk factor for ischemic stroke and increases cost of treatment.AimsTo estimate the incremental inpatient cost and length of stay due to atrial fibril...
Mask lithographic performance investigation with computational Monte-Carlo method on advanced mask patterning

As semiconductor features shrink in dimension and pitch, the excessive control of critical-dimension uniformity (CDU) and pattern fidelity is essential for mask manufacturing using electron-beam lithography. Requirements of the electronbeam shot quality affected by shot unsteadiness become more important than before for the advanced mask patterning. Imperfect electron optical system, an inaccurate beam deflector, and imprecise mask stage control are mainly related to the shot unsteadiness including positioning and dose perturbations. This work extensively investigates impacts of variable shaped beam dose and positioning perturbations on local CDU using Monte Carlo simulation for various mask contrast enhancement approaches. In addition, the relationship between the mask lithographic performance and the shot count number correlated with mask writing time is intensively studied.
On the Ubiquity of “Pathology” in Products

Fix a prime number p, and an algebraically closed field k of characteristic p. For any proper smooth k-scheme X, we denote by $$W\Omega _X^. = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{\overleftarrow n } {W_n}\Omega _X^.$$ its DeRham-Witt complex. One knows (c.f. [Ill, 1, 2]) that WΩ• X calculates the crystalline cohomology of X, i.e., one has a canonical isomorphism $$H_{cris}^*(X) \simeq {H^ * }(X,W\Omega _X^ \bullet )$$ , which is the inverse limit of canonical isomorphisms $$H_{cris}^ * (X/{W_n}(k)) \simeq {H^ * }(X,{W_n}\Omega _X^ * )$$ .
Erythrocytic bioactivation of nitrite and its potentiation by far-red light

Abstract Background Nitrite is reduced by heme-proteins and molybdenum-containing enzymes to form the important signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO), mediating NO signaling. Substantial evidence suggests that deoxygenated hemoglobin within red blood cells (RBCs) is the main erythrocytic protein responsible for mediating nitrite-dependent NO signaling. In other work, infrared and far red light have been shown to have therapeutic potential that some attribute to production of NO. Here we explore whether a combination of nitrite and far red light treatment has an additive effect in NO-dependent processes, and whether this effect is mediated by RBCs. Methods and results Using photoacoustic imaging in a rat model as a function of varying inspired oxygen, we found that far red light (660 nm, five min. exposure) and nitrite feeding (three weeks in drinking water at 100 mg/L) each separately increased tissue oxygenation and vessel diameter, and the combined treatment was additive. We also employed inhibition of human platelet activation measured by flow cytometry to assess RBC-dependent nitrite bioactivation and found that far red light dramatically potentiates platelet inhibition by nitrite. Blocking RBC-surface thiols abrogated these effects of nitrite and far-red light. RBC-dependent production of NO was also shown to be enhanced by far red light using a chemiluminescence-based nitric oxide analyzer. In addition, RBC-dependent bioactivation of nitrite led to prolonged lag times for clotting in platelet poor plasma that was enhanced by exposure to far red light. Conclusions Our results suggest that nitrite leads to the formation of a photolabile RBC surface thiol-bound species such as an S-nitrosothiol or heme-nitrosyl (NO-bound heme) for which far red light enhances NO signaling. These findings expand our understanding of RBC-mediated NO production from nitrite. This pathway of NO production may have therapeutic potential in several applications including thrombosis, and, thus, warrants further study.
An Additive Schwarz Analysis for Multiplicative Schwarz Methods: General Case

We analyze multiplicative Schwarz methods through the additive Schwarz theory. As a by-product we recover the Xu-Zikatanov identity for the norm of product operators. This extends earlier work by the author on multiplicative Schwarz methods that use symmetric positive definite solvers for the subspace corrections.