Studies in Applied Materials Science: Drug-Biofluid Interactions and Light-Emitting Polymer Films

Interactions of Asthma Drugs with Artificial Saliva and Mucus. Modeling pulmonary particulate transport requires related biofluid physicochemical properties. Aims included measuring the effects of common aerosol drugs on artificial saliva and diffusivities of asthma medications in mucus. Artificial saliva solutions doped with asthma medications were characterized by pH, interfacial tension, and rheology. To measure diffusion, drug concentration was monitored by time-dependent FTIR spectra, and diffusivity obtained using Fick¡¦s second law. Measured theophylline and albuterol diffusivities were ca. 10-6 cm2/s. Surface Modification of Polymer Films with Light-Emitting Chemicals. To develop a polymer film system that changed color in response to radiation, acid groups of poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) were used to attach two light-emitting polymers: 4„S-(octyloxy)-4-biphenylcarboxylic acid and 2,7-bis(bromomethyl)-9,9-dihexyl-9Hluorene. Each reaction step was confirmed using static contact angle goniometry, FTIR spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy measured the absorption spectra. Modified films were irradiated (ƒÜ=254 nm) and produced blue emissions

Comparing Principal Component Analysis with Maximum Likelihood in Ordination

25 pages, 1 article*Comparing Principal Component Analysis with Maximum Likelihood in Ordination* (Lynn, Henry S.; McCulloch, Charles E.) 25 page

A Critique of Maximum Likelihood Ordination Using Principal Components Analysis

18 pages, 1 article*A Critique of Maximum Likelihood Ordination Using Principal Components Analysis* (Lynn, Henry S.; McCulloch, Charles E.) 18 page

An orphan cbb3-type cytochrome oxidase subunit supports Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm growth and virulence

Hypoxia is a common challenge faced by bacteria during associations with hosts due in part to the formation of densely packed communities (biofilms). cbb3-type cytochrome c oxidases, which catalyze the terminal step in respiration and have a high affinity for oxygen, have been linked to bacterial pathogenesis. The pseudomonads are unusual in that they often contain multiple full and partial (i.e. ‘orphan’) operons for cbb3-type oxidases and oxidase subunits. Here, we describe a unique role for the orphan catalytic subunit CcoN4 in colony biofilm development and respiration in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14. We also show that CcoN4 contributes to the reduction of phenazines, antibiotics that support redox balancing for cells in biofilms, and to virulence in a Caenorhabditis elegans model of infection. These results highlight the relevance of the colony biofilm model to pathogenicity and underscore the potential of cbb3-type oxidases as therapeutic targets

Banff Digital Pathology Working Group: Going digital in transplant pathology.

The Banff Digital Pathology Working Group (DPWG) was formed in the time leading up to and during the joint American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics/Banff Meeting, September 23-27, 2019, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the meeting, the 14th Banff Conference, presentations directly and peripherally related to the topic of "digital pathology" were presented; and discussions before, during, and after the meeting have resulted in a list of issues to address for the DPWG. Included are practice standardization, integrative approaches for study classification, scoring of histologic parameters (eg, interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy and inflammation), algorithm classification, and precision diagnosis (eg, molecular pathways and therapeutics). Since the meeting, a survey with international participation of mostly pathologists (81%) was conducted, showing that whole slide imaging is available at the majority of centers (71%) but that artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning was only used in ≈12% of centers, with a wide variety of programs/algorithms employed. Digitalization is not just an end in itself. It also is a necessary precondition for AI and other approaches. Discussions at the meeting and the survey highlight the unmet need for a Banff DPWG and point the way toward future contributions that can be made

Laser microdissection and mass spectrometry–based proteomics aids the diagnosis and typing of renal amyloidosis

Accurate diagnosis and typing of renal amyloidosis is critical for prognosis, genetic counseling, and treatment. Laser microdissection and mass spectrometry are emerging techniques for the analysis and diagnosis of many renal diseases. Here we present the results of laser microdissection and mass spectrometry performed on 127 cases of renal amyloidosis during 2008–2010. We found the following proteins in the amyloid deposits: immunoglobulin light and heavy chains, secondary reactive serum amyloid A protein, leukocyte cell–derived chemotaxin-2, fibrinogen-α chain, transthyretin, apolipoprotein A-I and A-IV, gelsolin, and β-2 microglobulin. Thus, laser microdissection of affected areas within the kidney followed by mass spectrometry provides a direct test of the composition of the deposit and forms a useful ancillary technique for the accurate diagnosis and typing of renal amyloidosis in a single procedure

Twenty five years after KLS: A celebration of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics

When Lenz proposed a simple model for phase transitions in magnetism, he couldn't have imagined that the "Ising model" was to become a jewel in field of equilibrium statistical mechanics. Its role spans the spectrum, from a good pedagogical example to a universality class in critical phenomena. A quarter century ago, Katz, Lebowitz and Spohn found a similar treasure. By introducing a seemingly trivial modification to the Ising lattice gas, they took it into the vast realms of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. An abundant variety of unexpected behavior emerged and caught many of us by surprise. We present a brief review of some of the new insights garnered and some of the outstanding puzzles, as well as speculate on the model's role in the future of non-equilibrium statistical physics.Comment: 3 figures. Proceedings of 100th Statistical Mechanics Meeting, Rutgers, NJ (December, 2008