50 years of excellence : a pictorial review, 1946-1996, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia

Cover title.Early days, 1800-1946 -- Beginnings, 1946-1950 -- Groth years, 1950-1963 -- Kingrey years, 1963-1973 -- Weide years, 1973-1981 -- Eyestone interim, 1981-1982 -- Kahrs years, 1982-1992 -- New era of excellence, 1992 and beyond

Difficult to swallow: patient preferences for alternative valproate pharmaceutical formulations

Monali Bhosle,1 Joshua S Benner,1 Mitch DeKoven,1 Jeff Shelton21Health Economics and Outcomes Research, IMS Health Inc, Falls Church, VA, USA; 2Answers and Insights Market Research, Inc, Indianapolis, IN, USAObjective: To determine the degree to which swallowing valproate (VP) tablets is an issue, the proportion of patients who would prefer an alternative formulation, and the predictors of preference.Methods: A quantitative telephone survey of eligible adults (n = 400, ≥18 years old) who currently take (n = 236) or previously took (n = 164) VP tablets within the past 6 months was conducted.Results: More than half of the patients indicated that VP tablets were ‘uncomfortable to swallow’ (68.5%, n = 274) and were ‘very interested’ (65.8%, n = 263) in medications that were easier to swallow. When choosing conceptually between taking VP tablet once/day or an equally safe and effective but significantly smaller soft gel capsule twice per day, the 82.8%, (n = 331) preferred the soft gel capsule. In the multivariate regression analysis, perceiving soft gel capsules to be easier to swallow (OR = 73.54; 95% CI = 15.01 to 360.40) and taking VP more frequently (OR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.13 to 3.61) were significant predictors of soft gel capsule treatment preference.Conclusion: VP users would prefer a formulation that is easier to swallow, even if it is needed to be taken twice per day. When choosing between medications with similar efficacy and safety, physicians can consider patient preferences to optimize conditions for medication adherence.Keywords: patient preference, valproate formulations, tablet characteristic

Methodology for Microscopic Traffic Simulation Modelling of Land Port of Entries along the U.S.-Mexican Border: Ysleta – Zaragoza Land Port of Entry Case Study

AbstractLand Ports of Entry (LPOEs) are facilities that control access into the U.S., as well as departures of persons and freight. While traffic simulation modeling techniques are not typically used to evaluate LPOE operational processes, they should be considered more often, because LPOEs have a significant impact on surrounding traffic conditions and vice versa. This paper proposes a methodology for developing microscopic traffic simulation models of LPOEs along the U.S.-Mexico border. The methodology consists of seven steps: (i) collect data; (ii) develop traffic or roadway network; (iii) model inspection and toll booths; (iv) develop traffic management strategies; (v) set up traffic demand; (vi) calibrate model; and (vii) validate model. The paper also presents a case study in which this methodology was followed to develop the Ysleta – Zaragoza LPOE traffic simulation model, which can be controlled from a web-based interface to help LPOE personnel without previous transportation modeling experience

Fast switching of high current WBG power devices

Wide-band-gap power devices, such as Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistors and Silicon Carbide Field-effect Transistors, offer impressively fast switching performance compared to their traditional Silicon counterparts. However, Si designs have not stood still, and new generations of these devices offer good switching performance at competitive prices. This paper makes a comparative study between a representative selection of 650 V SiC MOSFET, GaN HEMT, and Si IGBT power switching devices. The devices are switched as fast as possible using a low inductance PCB design and no external gate resistors. A mathematical analysis of switching energy losses is presented, along with SPICE simulation and experimental test results for comparison

Mouse models of preterm birth: Suggested assessment and reporting guidelines

Preterm birth affects approximately 1 out of every 10 births in the United States, leading to high rates of mortality and long-term negative health consequences. To investigate the mechanisms leading to preterm birth so as to develop prevention strategies, researchers have developed numerous mouse models of preterm birth. However, the lack of standard definitions for preterm birth in mice limits our field\u27s ability to compare models and make inferences about preterm birth in humans. In this review, we discuss numerous mouse preterm birth models, propose guidelines for experiments and reporting, and suggest markers that can be used to assess whether pups are premature or mature. We argue that adoption of these recommendations will enhance the utility of mice as models for preterm birth

Transcriptional profiling of the ductus arteriosus: Comparison of rodent microarrays and human RNA sequencing

DA closure is crucial for the transition from fetal to neonatal life. This closure is supported by changes to the DA’s signaling and structural properties that distinguish it from neighboring vessels. Examining transcriptional differences between these vessels is key to identifying genes or pathways responsible for DA closure. Several microarray studies have explored the DA transcriptome in animal models but varied experimental designs have led to conflicting results. Thorough transcriptomic analysis of the human DA has yet to be performed. A clear picture of the DA transcriptome is key to guiding future research endeavors, both to allow more targeted treatments in the clinical setting, and to understand the basic biology of DA function. In this review, we use a cross-species cross-platform analysis to consider all available published rodent microarray data and novel human RNAseq data in order to provide high priority candidate genes for consideration in future DA studies

Lunar and Lagrangian Point L1/L2 CubeSat Communication and Navigation Considerations

CubeSats have grown in sophistication to the point that relatively low-cost mission solutions could be undertaken for planetary exploration. There are unique considerations for lunar and L1/L2 CubeSat communication and navigation compared with low earth orbit CubeSats. This paper explores those considerations as they relate to the Lunar IceCube Mission. The Lunar IceCube is a CubeSat mission led by Morehead State University with participation from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Busek Company and Vermont Tech. It will search for surface water ice and other resources from a high inclination lunar orbit. Lunar IceCube is one of a select group of CubeSats designed to explore beyond low-earth orbit that will fly on NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) as secondary payloads for Exploration Mission (EM) 1. Lunar IceCube and the EM-1 CubeSats will lay the groundwork for future lunar and L1/L2 CubeSat missions. This paper discusses communication and navigation needs for the Lunar IceCube mission and navigation and radiation tolerance requirements related to lunar and L1/L2 orbits. Potential CubeSat radios and antennas for such missions are investigated and compared. Ground station coverage, link analysis, and ground station solutions are also discussed. This paper will describe modifications in process for the Morehead ground station, as well as further enhancements of the Morehead ground station and NASA Near Earth Network (NEN) that are being considered. The potential NEN enhancements include upgrading current NEN Cortex receiver with Forward Error Correction (FEC) Turbo Code, providing X-band uplink capability, and adding ranging options. The benefits of ground station enhancements for CubeSats flown on NASA Exploration Missions (EM) are presented. This paper also describes how the NEN may support lunar and L1/L2 CubeSats without any enhancements. In addition, NEN is studying other initiatives to better support the CubeSat community, including streamlining the compatibility testing, planning and scheduling associated with CubeSat missions

A Close Companion Search Around L Dwarfs Using Aperture Masking Interferometry and Palomar Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics

We present a close companion search around 16 known early L dwarfs using aperture masking interferometry with Palomar laser guide star adaptive optics (LGS AO). The use of aperture masking allows the detection of close binaries, corresponding to projected physical separations of 0.6-10.0 AU for the targets of our survey. This survey achieved median contrast limits of ΔK ~ 2.3 for separations between 1.2λ/D-4λ/D and ΔK ~ 1.4 at 2/3λ/D. We present four candidate binaries detected with moderate-to-high confidence (90%-98%). Two have projected physical separations less than 1.5 AU. This may indicate that tight-separation binaries contribute more significantly to the binary fraction than currently assumed, consistent with spectroscopic and photometric overluminosity studies. Ten targets of this survey have previously been observed with the Hubble Space Telescope as part of companion searches. We use the increased resolution of aperture masking to search for close or dim companions that would be obscured by full aperture imaging, finding two candidate binaries. This survey is the first application of aperture masking with LGS AO at Palomar. Several new techniques for the analysis of aperture masking data in the low signal-to-noise regime are explored