cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polarization at metal-biomolecular interfaces in solution.

Metal surfaces in contact with water, surfactants and biopolymers experience attractive polarization owing to induced charges. This fundamental physical interaction complements stronger epitaxial and covalent surface interactions and remains difficult to measure experimentally. We present a first step to quantify polarization on even gold (Au) surfaces in contact with water and with aqueous solutions of peptides of different charge state (A3 and Flg-Na3) by molecular dynamics simulation in all-atomic resolution and a posteriori computation of the image potential. Attractive polarization scales with the magnitude of atomic charges and with the length of multi-poles in the aqueous phase such as the distance between cationic and anionic groups. The polarization energy per surface area is similar on aqueous Au {1 1 1} and Au {1 0 0} interfaces of approximately −50 mJ m−2 and decreases to −70 mJ m−2 in the presence of charged peptides. In molecular terms, the polarization energy corresponds to −2.3 and −0.1 kJ mol−1 for water in the first and second molecular layers on the metal surface, and to between −40 and 0 kJ mol−1 for individual amino acids in the peptides depending on the charge state, multi-pole length and proximity to the surface. The net contribution of polarization to peptide adsorption on the metal surface is determined by the balance between polarization by the peptide and loss of polarization by replaced surface-bound water. On metal surfaces with significant epitaxial attraction of peptides such as Au {1 1 1}, polarization contributes only 10–20% to total adsorption related to similar polarity of water and of amino acids. On metal surfaces with weak epitaxial attraction of peptides such as Au {1 0 0}, polarization is a major contribution to adsorption, especially for charged peptides (−80 kJ mol−1 for peptide Flg-Na3). A remaining water interlayer between the metal surface and the peptide then reduces losses in polarization energy by replaced surface-bound water. Computed polarization energies are sensitive to the precise location of the image plane (within tenths of Angstroms near the jellium edge). The computational method can be extended to complex nanometre and micrometer-size surface topologies.
SNR Impact of Media Anisotropy Near Curie Temperature in Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording

Heat-assisted magnetic recording utilizes material with drastically changing crystalline anisotropy during the heating and cooling process. In this paper, the impact of media anisotropy near Curie temperature on medium signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is systematically studied. Results show that the combination of proper gradient of anisotropy versus temperature and thermal profile is crucial to achieving satisfactory SNR and recording areal density.
Lymphatic Vasculature Development Current Concepts

The recent identification of lymphatic endothelial cell-specific markers and the generation of mouse models harboring mutations in many genes that encode those markers have enabled us to begin to elucidate the developmental steps that go toward establishing the lymphatic vasculature network. Understanding these basic mechanisms of lymphatic development will improve our ability to diagnose, prevent, and ideally treat lymphatic disorders.
Applications of Power Modulator Technology to Ignition and Combustion

We report recent studies of applications of power modulator technology to ignition and combustion at USC, in collaboration with the Naval Postgraduate School, the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, and the Nissan Research Center. Transient plasma is under investigation as a technology for ignition of pulse detonation engines and other applications. It is attractive as an ignition source for most engines because of its ability to reduce ignition delay over broad ranges of temperature and pressure and combust leaner mixtures. Transient plasma is generated by applying high voltage nanosecond pulses that create volume-distributed arrays of streamers, which produce electronically excited species during nanosecond time scales. It has been demonstrated to be an energy efficient means of NOx reduction for engine effluent, and has been applied effectively to ignition of pulsed detonation engines (PDE) and more recently extended to internal combustion engines. Several power modulator architectures for ignition applications are discussed, including a magnetic compression based solid state opening switch (SOS) pulse generator. The use of a solid state switch is compared with pseudospark or thyratron based architectures previously used. The pulse amplitude required depends on the exact geometry of the ignition chamber, combustor and corona electrode, but typical voltages used in our experiments are 50 to 70 kV with pulse energies on the order of 100 mJ to 1 J and pulse lengths from 17 to 150 ns.
Absolute Infrared Cross Sections of Gas-Phase H2O2 Using Fourier Transform Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy

We report quantitative spectra of pressure-broadened H2O2 vapor. An 83% solution was flowed into a disseminator and diluted with N2 gas; water lines were subtracted. The H2O2 spectrum spans the IR and compares well with HITRAN values for ν6 band.
A Model That Describes the Role of Oxygen, Carbon, and Silicon Interstitials in Silicon Wafers During Device Processing

A model has been developed that simulates oxygen precipitation in silicon wafers during high temperature device processing. The approach used to calculate the nucleation and growth of oxygen precipitates is radically different from other approaches presented in the literature. A discrete rate equation representation of nucleation and growth has been transformed into a continuum representation in the form of a partial differential equation. This partial differential equation describing both the statistical clustering of oxygen during nucleation and the diffusion driven transport during precipitate growth is solved continuously starting from crystal growth through any arbitrary time-dependent temperature process.
Inhibition of mitochondrial carbonic anhydrase and ureagenesis: a discrepancy examined.

The amount of urea synthesized in intact guinea pig hepatocytes in 60 min ([urea]t=60), was determined at 37 degrees C in Krebs-Henseleit buffer plus (in mM) 10 NH4Cl, 5 lactate, and 10 ornithine i...
Lymphocyte malignancy and chromosome 14: structural aberrations involving band q11

Five patients with lymphocytic malignancies were found to have structural aberrations of chromosome 14, all involving band q11. The malignant cells of all five cases were analyzed by immunofluorescence to establish immunologic phenotypes. Three patients had T lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia with mediastinal masses (cases 1, 2, and 3); one patient had peripheral T cell lymphoma (case 4); and one patient had acute lymphocytic leukemia, common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen positive (case 5). Although aberrations of chromosome 14 frequently are associated with lymphocytic malignancies, these abnormalities most often result in extra material on the long arm, 14q+. However, none of the five patients reported here had a 14q+. Cases 1 and 2 had t(9;14)(q34;q11) and t(11;14)(p11 or 13;q11), respectively. Case 3 showed del(14)(q11), and cases 4 and 5 showed inv(14)(q11q32). Structural aberrations resulting in 14q- and inv(14) appear to occur infrequently. The five cases in this report, in conjunction with those found in the literature, indicate a strong association between breaks at 14q11 and T lymphocytic malignancies.
CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNITY IN VIRAL INFECTIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of cell-mediated immunity in viral infections. The role of cell-mediated immunity in protection against, or recovery from, viral infection is established with certainty with no viral agent. The mechanisms involved in cell-mediated immune reactions, particularly the development of a variety of in vitro tests, offer the possibility of analyzing various mechanisms in relatively defined simplified systems, and are being ever more widely accepted and studied in viral systems. The study of viruses in cell-mediated immunity has resulted in at least one unexpected tool for studying the mechanism of cell-mediated immune reactions. From studies it became apparent that resting lymphocytes are nonpermissive for a variety of RNA viruses. In contrast, mitogen activated lymphocytes rapidly acquire the capability of replicating these viruses. This principle has been adapted to the case of antigens and applied to the problem of using viruses as a tool to enumerate lymphocytes activated by antigens.
The preparation of advanced catalytic materials by aerosol processes

Publisher Summary The aerosol technique for the synthesis of catalysts generally provides high-surface areas and high-phase purities. The method is especially useful for systematic catalysis studies where one attempts to understand the effect of a homogeneous substituted modifying metal ion within a metal oxide host on the materials catalytic chemical performance. The method was shown to have a wide range of materials synthesis capabilities, and in many cases the catalytic performance studies resulted in more active and selective catalysts as compared to conventional methods of synthesis. Aerosol fabrication of advanced catalysts has the advantage of the synthesis of metastable materials, in some cases, that are not accessible by conventional methods of synthesis; the preparation of complex metal oxides such as spinels, scheelites, and perovskites in high-surface areas and as essentially pure phases; the synthesis of dense, hollow spheres or highly fragmented particles; the preparation of exceptionally well-dispersed supported metal catalysts; and the synthesis of nanostructured grains of catalysts in a 1μm and larger agglomerate size. The combined effect of these materials properties qualifies the process as a prime candidate for commercial catalyst synthesis.
Developments in Spectral Systems for Quality Analysis in Agriculture

The beginnings of modem Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) were in agriculture and the early definitive studies were conducted on forages. These beginnings can be traced by the work accomplished by Agricultural Research Service's National Near Infrared Research Project which began in 1978 and culminated in 1988 with the issue of the first AOAC, International Official Method for protein and Acid Detergent Fiber by NIR. Analyses for which NIRS models were developed include crude protein, moisture/dry matter, permanganate lignin, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, in vitro and in vivo digestibility. In this paper we will discuss the developments in NIRS and other vibrational spectroscopies in the last ten years. Additionally the requirements of an analytical method as it applies to chemometric methods and vibrational spectroscopy in particular, will be discussed to show the maturation of an analytical method.
Deletion 5q in WHO-Defined Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: A Clinicopathological Description.

Background: Deletion 5q is a lenalidomide-sensitive cytogenetic abnormality seen usually in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In the current study, we looked into the occurrence and clinicopathologic correlates of del(5q) in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) defined according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Methods: Patients with del(5q)-positive MPN were identified through database query involving over 2000 patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPD) including no less than 500 patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF), 600 patients with essential thrombocytosis (ET), 500 patients with polycythemia vera (PV), and the remaining comprised of patients with molecularly-undefined chronic eosinophilic leukemia, hypereosinophilic syndrome, systemic mastocytosis (SM), chronic neutrophilic leukemia, and “MPN, unclassifiable”. Results: A total of 23 patients with del(5q) were identified (12 at time of initial diagnosis), suggesting an overall prevalence rate of 1%. A central pathological review was conducted to confirm the diagnosis in each instance. Specific diagnoses included PMF (n=14; estimated prevalence of 3%), MPN, unclassifiable (n=4), PV (n=2), ET (n=1), post ET-myelofibrosis (n=1) and SM (n=1). Del(5q) was a sole abnormality in 5 patients, accompanied by one other abnormality in 6 patients, and part of a complex karyotype in 12 patients. The most common breakpoint was q13q33 (n=10) followed by q15q33 (n=6). Based on sample size adequacy, we focused on del(5q)-positive PMF patients and compared their bone marrow histological and clinical features with their del(5q)-negative counterparts seen at the Mayo Clinic during the same period of time (n=311). There was no difference in gender or age distributions. Histopathological review did not show the typical tight clusters of megakaryocytes seen in classic PMF. The megakaryocytes were not the predominate feature of the biopsy, in general were less lobulated and smaller in size, and had a higher grade of fibrosis (med = 3+) than classic PMF. Furthermore, del(5q)-positive PMF patients presented with significantly lower hemoglobin level (p=0.0009) and platelet count (p=0.0003). The percentage of patients presenting with a hemoglobin level of Conclusions: Del(5q) is generally rare in MPNs but might occur in as much as 3% of patients with PMF. The presence of del(5q) does not appear to affect overall survival in PMF despite its clustering with adverse prognostic features for the disease including anemia and thrombocytopenia. Finally, megakaryocyte morphology and distribution in del(5q)-associated PMF are characteristically different from classic PMF.
Indexing open imagery to create tools to fight sex trafficking

Images are important to fighting sex trafficking because they are: (a) used to advertise for sex services, (b) shared among criminal networks, and (c) connect a person in an image to the place where the image was taken. This work explores the ability to link images to indoor places in order to support the investigation and prosecution of criminal activity. We propose a framework which includes a database of open-source information available on the Internet, a crowd-sourcing approach to gathering additional images, and two baseline matching approaches. We concentrate on spatio-temporal indexing of hotel rooms, and to date have an index of more than 1.5 million geo-coded images. Our smart-phone app collects contextual information and metadata along-side images. On a test that included a database of 1800 images from 200 different hotels in St. Loouis, the correct hotel that matched a query images was found in the top 10 responses two-thirds of the time. We conclude with an analysis ocitehe successes and limitations of our data set, our matching process, and suggestions for future research.
Genome evolution in ductal carcinoma in situ: invasion of the clones

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most frequently diagnosed early-stage breast cancer. Only a subset of patients progress to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), and this presents a formidable clinical challenge for determining which patients to treat aggressively and which patients to monitor without therapeutic intervention. Understanding the molecular and genomic basis of invasion has been difficult to study in DCIS cancers due to several technical obstacles, including low tumour cellularity, lack of fresh-frozen tissues, and intratumour heterogeneity. In this review, we discuss the role of intratumour heterogeneity in the progression of DCIS to IDC in the context of three evolutionary models: independent lineages, evolutionary bottlenecks, and multiclonal invasion. We examine the evidence in support of these models and their relevance to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with DCIS. We also discuss how emerging technologies, such as single-cell sequencing, STAR-FISH, and imaging mass spectrometry, are likely to provide new insights into the evolution of this enigmatic disease. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surveillance role of various leukocytes in preventing the outgrowth of potentially malignant cells.

Several different types of leukocytes can destroy cancer cells in vitro (Klein et al., 1960; Hibbs et al., 1972; Herberman et al., 1975; Kiessling et al., 1975). Rather little, however, is known about the relative importance of these different leukocytes in the normal host, where they may exert a surveillance function and prevent the outgrowth of potentially malignant cells. We have studied the relative efficiency of the different leukocytes in restraining malignant growth in vivo by comparing the effects of the leukocytes on regressor tumors and on progressively growing tumor variants that have escaped the immunity of the host. This type of approach is based on the premise that if a leukocyte operates effectively in vivo in restraining the growth of a tumor, a tumor cell must become resistant to it before it can grow progressively. A study of such phenotypic changes in tumor variants should therefore give insight into the relative importance and hierarchy of the different naturally occurring immune defense cells. This type of analysis is analogous to that performed by the microbiologist who deduces the mechanism of action of an antibiotic from the type of change found in a bacterium that has become resistant to the drug.
An automated Reconfigurable-Computing Environment for accelerating software applications

In this paper, we present the Reconfigurable-Computing Environment (RCE) toolset for automatically generating VHDL models for implementation of generic applications on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The RCE toolset automatically generates the hardware description of an Application Specific Digital Signal Processor (ASDSP) that is loaded onto an FPGA board containing multiple memories connected to an FPGA. We also present, PolyGen, an automated tool that generates scalable floating point polynomial evaluation units. Polynomial evaluation is used as an application to demonstrate the merits of the RCE framework. Our experiments show that the results obtained executing polynomial evaluation using the RCE framework is significantly faster than executing it on a typical server. While the maximum clock rate of the FPGA board (200 MHz) is an order of magnitude slower than a server (3.4 GHz), we achieve approximately 200× speedup. If all the resources on the FPGA board are used it is possible to achieve a potential speedup of 800× using the RCE framework.
A highly flexible semi-tubular carbon film for stable lithium metal anodes in high-performance batteries

Abstract As the lightest and most electropositive material, lithium metal is regarded as the ultimate anode material for next-generation high-energy batteries. However, uncontrolled dendritic lithium growth as well as low Coulombic efficiency hinders its widespread application in secondary batteries. Interfacial modification of anodes with protective layers has been proved to be an effective way to inhibit the growth of ramified lithium. Here we report on a freestanding, highly flexible nanostructured carbon film, which is ready to be transferred onto electrodes with great ease. We show that such mechanically robust carbon films can effectively suppress the growth of Li dendrites upon cycling at practical current densities (0.25–1.0 mA cm −2 ) with significantly improved Coulombic efficiency up to ~99.5% for over hundreds of cycles and thousands of operation hours. Notably, this semi-tubular carbon film demonstrated instant, reliable protection to electrodes in not only reactive electrolytes but also ambient environment with high humidity, offering a practically feasible route toward the dendrite-free lithium metal batteries.
Everyday Life after Collapse: a Bioarchaeological Examination of Entheseal Change and Accidental Injury in Postcolonial Nubia

Bioarchaeological perspectives of collapse scenarios have contributed to our understanding of the persistence and regeneration of communities after the fall of states and empires. We suggest that the osteological examination of everyday lived experience can further elucidate local lifeways during these transitory periods. Focusing on ancient Nubia after the decline of the colonial Egyptian New Kingdom Empire, we examine musculoskeletal activity patterns (entheseal changes) and traumatic injury in remains uncovered at Tombos, a cemetery at the Third Cataract of the Nile. We find evidence that entheseal changes increased at Tombos from the New Kingdom Period to the postcolonial Third Intermediate/Napatan Periods; however, accidental trauma does not significantly increase between the two periods. With regard to the elevated entheseal changes, we suggest that Nubians may have been engaged in quarrying, agropastoralism, and construction efforts. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that this population was biologically resilient, which may have limited accidental/occupational traumatic injury. We view these changes to the Tombos quotidian experience from an agent-centered perspective; we posit that during the postcolonial period, Nubians revitalized their sociopolitical and economic systems through these everyday practices, which contributed to the independent and powerful Napatan state.
Abstract 246: Adiporon, an Adiponectin Receptor Agonist, Inhibits P70s6kinase Signaling in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells: Implications Toward Suppression of Injury-induced Neointima Formation in Mice

Background: Hypoadiponectinemia is closely correlated with insulin resistance and coronary artery disease. The use of exogenous adiponectin as a rational therapy to reduce cardiovascular disease risk has been hampered in a clinical setting due to its large molecular size and short plasma half-life. Recent studies demonstrate that Adiporon, a small molecule adiponectin receptor agonist, improves insulin resistance and glycemic control in type 2 diabetic mice. The present study is aimed at examining the likely regulatory effects of Adiporon on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotype. Methods: Using human aortic VSMCs, we examined the effects of AdipoRon (5 to 100 μM) on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF, 30 ng/ml)-induced proliferative signaling events. In addition, we examined the effects of orally-administered AdipoRon (50 mg/kg/d) on injury-induced neointima formation in CJ57BL6 mice. Morphometric analysis of injured femoral artery was performed using H&E and EVG-stained sections. Results: Exposure of VSMCs to AdipoRon resulted in a significant decrease in PDGF-induced proliferation by ~63.8% and cyclin D1 expression by ~92.5% (n = 3). In addition, AdipoRon treatment led to significant diminutions in PDGF-induced phosphorylation of Akt, p70S6K, and its downstream targets that include 4E-BP1 and ribosomal protein S6, as revealed by immunoblot analysis (n = 3). Importantly, Adiporon administration (50mg/kg/d, PO) for three weeks led to a significant attenuation of neointima formation by ~63.7% in the injured femoral artery (n = 5-8). Conclusion: The present findings suggest that Adiporon (a small molecule adiponectin receptor agonist) may inhibit neointima formation after arterial injury by targeting p70S6K signaling in VSMCs. Future studies should investigate the likely vasoprotective effects of Adiporon in the mouse models of obesity and atherosclerosis.
Management of Lung Cancer with Concomitant Cardiac Disease

This article discusses the numerous issues surrounding lung cancer treatment in patients with concomitant cardiac disease. It also addresses the preoperative work-up of these patients and the specifics of surgical intervention.
Drivers and Barriers to Adoption: Towards the Last Mile

The need for health care reform and governmental health policy in both the United States and globally influences the adoption and use of health information exchange (HIE). The US government and ministries of health around the world are investing in health information technologies, including HIE. This chapter provides an overview of the current adoption and use of HIE. In addition, this chapter examines barriers to adoption and how current policies as well as health reform activities are addressing some of these barriers. Furthermore, this chapter examines emerging trends in population health, Big Data, natural language processing, and information blocking that are shaping the future adoption and use of HIE among health systems, health care professionals, and governmental public health agencies.
Factors Contributing to Hospital Stay and Total Inpatient Charges in Total Ankle Arthroplasty: Review of the National Inpatient Sample.

Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is commonly performed for end-stage ankle osteoarthritis. Given rising costs and declining reimbursements, identifying variables increasing length of stay (LOS) and t...
Consumer Information Overload and the Need to Prompt Script Deviations

Due to modern information overload, guests are typically not paying full attention as they move through hotel and restaurant environments. Research indicates that most only pay full attention when ...
Lecture note-taking in postsecondary students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine if there were differences in note-taking and test-taking in students with and without ADHD, and if there were, to examine the cognitive variables that might explain them. Participants included 22 postsecondary students with self-reported ADHD and 50 postsecondary student controls. Students took notes on a lecture, reviewed them, and took a written recall test. The independent variables were disability status, sustained attention, handwriting speed, verbal working memory, and listening comprehension. The dependent variables were quality of notes and written recall. Students with ADHD obtained lower scores on written recall and handwriting speed compared to controls, but did not differ on quality of notes, sustained attention, verbal working memory, or listening comprehension. Sustained attention and listening comprehension predicted quality of notes, and disability status, quality of notes, and listening comprehension predicted written recall.
Photoaffinity Labelling of Juvenile Hormone-Binding Proteins in Leucophaea maderae

Juvenile hormone (JH) binding proteins have been identified in tissues from several insect species [1–3]. In the adult female cockroach Leucophaea maderae, JH-binding proteins have been found in the fat body [4], ovaries [5], and hemolymph [4,5]. Although some properties of these binding proteins have been described, further characterization has been hampered by the extremely rapid dissociation of JH from the binding protein under nonequilibrium conditions. In an attempt to circumvent this problem, we have initiated studies on the possible use of a photoactivatable JH III analog (Fig. 1), 10,11-epoxyfarnesyl diazoacetate (EFDA), to form an irreversible covalent attachment at the JH binding site on the hormone binding protein. Our preliminary investigations suggested that EFDA covalently attached to JH-binding proteins in the hemolymph and ovaries [6]. Recent studies have focused on the specificity of [3H]-EFDA binding to both the hemolymph and the ovarian binding proteins.
Electro-optic effects in GaAsAlGaAs multiple quantum well structures

Abstract A theoretical model for the electro-optic effects in GaAsAlGaAs multiple quantum well structures is presented. Electron and hole properties are modeled within a Transfer Matrix Technique which includes the non-parabolocity of the energy bands, and reproduces adequately the onset of quasi-bound states resulting from the influence of the electric field on QW's with finite barrier height. The method is also flexible enough to account for space charge effects in non-uniform potentials. The index of refraction has been calculated for both TE and TM modes in single and double QW structures as a function of electric fields up to 100kV/cm. Our data show noticeable polarization effects in the optical constants which increases with electric fields. In addition, the index of refraction exhibits oscillatory electro-optic effect which is due to a modulation by the electric field, of the overlap between quantized electron and hole states.
Avoiding mesh folding in 3D optimal surface segmentation

The segmentation of 3D medical images is a challenging problem that benefits from incorporation of prior shape information. Optimal Surface Segmentation (OSS) has been introduced as a powerful and flexible framework that allows segmenting the surface of an object based on a rough initial prior with robustness against local minima. When applied to general 3D meshes, conventional search profiles constructed for the OSS may overlap resulting in defective segmentation results due to mesh folding. To avoid this problem, we propose to use the Gradient Vector Flow field to guide the construction of non-overlapping search profiles. As shown in our evaluation on segmenting lung surfaces, this effectively solves the mesh folding problem and decreases the average absolute surface distance error from 0.82±0.29 mm (mean±standard deviation) to 0.79 ± 0.24 mm.
Abstract 1497: A PRC2 independent role of EZH2 in androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and third most frequent cause of cancer deaths in US males. Prostate cancer patients have benefitted from androgen deprivation therapy and small molecular inhibitors targeting androgen receptor (AR). However, 30% of patients have primary resistance to both forms of treatment with a majority of patients eventually developing resistance to these therapies and progressing from androgen dependent prostate cancer (ADPC) to castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Unfortunately, there are no effective therapeutic options available for CRPC patients, so novel and more effective therapeutic strategies for CRPC are urgently needed. Enhancer of Zeste 2 (EZH2) is a well-characterized oncogene that is one of the most highly upregulated genes in aggressive PCa and suggested as a prognostic biomarker. EZH2 is a part of polycomb repressive complex2 (PRC2) with embryonic ectoderm development (EED) and suppressor of zeste 12 (SUZ12) to function as a repressor through the SET domain, especially Histidine 689 to methylate H3K27. Recently, some studies suggest a context-dependent or PRC2 independent function of EZH2, but new functional role of EZH2 in cancer that are yet to be delineated. In the present study, we demonstrated EZH2 enhances AR signaling through direct AR promoter occupancy at exon1, independent of histone methyltransferase activity. EZH2 has a dual role as a transcriptional activator mediated by AR and an epigenetic silencer mediated by H3K27me3. Therefore, simultaneously targeting EZH2 and AR by drug inhibitors, EPZ and enzalutamide (Enz), respectively, leads to synergistic cell growth inhibition. Taken together, our data reveal a dual function of EZH2 in PCa as a transcriptional activator and an epigenetic silencer. We believe that this study provide not only a novel function of EZH2 in the regulating AR signaling pathway but also provide novel therapeutic strategies for advanced prostate cancer which currently has no therapeutic options available. Citation Format: Yongik Lee, Jung a Kim, Zhao Changsheng, Xiadong Lu, Ka Wing Fong, Jindan Yu. A PRC2 independent role of EZH2 in androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1497.
What Happens After a Stop the Bleed Class? The Contrast Between Theory and Practice.

Objective The Department of Homeland Security launched the Stop the Bleed initiative, a campaign intended to teach bystanders hemorrhage control strategies. Despite the program's popularity, little is known about actions taken by participants afterwards. We sought to determine how often participants acquired the equipment that is necessary in applying the skills taught. Design A standardized survey instrument was distributed to all American College of Surgeons Bleeding Control Basic (B-Con) class participants from 05/2017 to 01/2018. The instrument queried about the likelihood of applying skills and obtaining materials. A web-based survey was administered one month later inquiring whether materials were obtained and barriers that would prohibit acquisition. Setting Academic, urban, Level I trauma center. Participants Healthcare and nonhealthcare personnel. Results There were 336 and 183 participants who completed the initial and subsequent web-based survey, respectively. Participants indicated a high likelihood of applying a tourniquet (95.5%), applying pressure (97.9%), and packing a wound (96.4%), if required. Additionally, 74.7% and 76.2% reported a high likelihood of obtaining a tourniquet and packing material, respectively. However, only 21.3% and 50.8% obtained a tourniquet and packing material, respectively, 1 month later. Cost, time, and accessibility of items during a time of need were cited to be common reasons for not obtaining these materials. Conclusions Despite reporting a high likelihood of utilizing hemorrhage control skills upon completion of the B-Con class, few went on to acquire the materials needed to apply these skills among those who responded. These results may be impacted by loss of follow up and response bias. Developing strategies that allow for easy access to materials is imperative and may lead to both better implementation of the purposes of the program and improved dissemination of its principles within the community.
Omar Mateen as US citizen, not foreign threat: Homonationalism and LGBTQ online representations of the Pulse nightclub shooting:

This article focuses on how 377 reports from popular lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) websites represented Omar Mateen, the shooter of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orl...
Cybersecurity investments in the supply chain: Coordination and a strategic attacker

Abstract Cybersecurity poses a difficult challenge to supply chains, as a firm may be affected by an attack on another firm in the supply chain. For example, a retailer’s consumer data might be compromised via an attack on a supplier. In general, individual nodes in a supply chain bear the entire cost of their own cybersecurity investments, but some of the benefits of the investments may be enjoyed by the other nodes as well. We analyze the differences between coordinated and uncoordinated cybersecurity investments, as well as the differences resulting from a strategic and a non-strategic attacker. We find that lack of coordination leads to underinvestment with a non-strategic attacker, but that this is somewhat counterbalanced by an attacker being strategic. Lack of coordination may lead to either underinvestment or overinvestment with a strategic attacker, depending on how large the indirect damages from attacks are relative to the direct damages; overinvestment is more likely if indirect damages are relatively minor. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the impacts of and relationships between coordinated investments and a strategic attacker.
B-Aggressive Lymphoma Gene (BAL) Is a Risk-Related, γIFN-Inducible Gene That Is Expressed in Primary Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas with a Brisk Host Inflammatory Response.

Although diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is potentially curable with current therapy, a significant number of DLBCL patients still die of their disease. In a broad-based screen for genes and pathways associated with poor DLBCL outcome, we previously identified a novel risk-related gene, termed BAL (B-aggressive lymphoma). Thereafter, we cloned and characterized a major BAL partner protein, BBAP (B-aggressive lymphoma and BAL binding partner), described the nuclear trafficking patterns of both proteins and demonstrated that BAL functions as a modulator of transcription. In the current study, we characterized BAL expression in normal tonsil and primary DLBCLs and defined BAL regulation and potential functions in both cell types. Immunohistochemical staining of normal tonsil revealed that BAL was expressed by small numbers of germinal center (GC) cells and interfollicular cells with the morphologic features of centroblasts (with the GC) and immunoblasts (within the interfollicular areas). In primary DLBCLs, BAL was expressed by the malignant B cells. To gain insights regarding the regulation of BAL and BBAP expression in DLBCLs, we analyzed a series of 176 primary tumor biopsies transcriptionally profiled an U133A/B Affymetrix microarrays. BAL/BBAP high-expressing DLBCLs had evidence of a brisk host immune response, including increased expression of T/NK-cell receptor and activation pathway components, complement cascade members, macrophage/dendritic cells markers and γIFN-induced transcripts, raising the possibility that BAL was induced by γIFN. Consistent with this hypothesis, γIFN treatment of DLBCL cell lines with low basal levels of BAL markedly increased BAL expression. In silico analysis revealed that the BAL and BBAP genes are located in 3q21 in head-to-head orientation and share the same CpG-related promoter. This shared promoter contains a conserved γIFN-responsive module composed of IRF and STAT binding elements. The BAL/BBAP bidirectional promoter was cloned into a pGL3 luciferase promoterless reporter vector and found to increase luciferase activity > 20-fold following γIFN stimulation. To gain further insights into regulation of BAL transcription, mutant versions of BAL promoter were generated and cloned. Luciferase assays demonstrated that the IRF binding site was necessary for γIFN-induced BAL transcription, whereas the STAT1 binding site had an accessory role. Taken together, these results demonstrate that BAL and BBAP genes are transcriptionally activated by γIFN in DLBCLs with features of a brisk host immune response including γIFN signaling. Preliminary studies suggest that BAL limits the efficacy of the observed host inflammatory response.
Trimeric SARS-CoV-2 Spike interacts with dimeric ACE2 with limited intra-Spike avidity

A serious public health crisis is currently unfolding due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 viral entry depends on an interaction between the receptor binding domain of the trimeric viral Spike protein (Spike-RBD) and the dimeric human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. While it is clear that strategies to block the Spike/ACE2 interaction are promising as anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics, our current understanding is insufficient for the rational design of maximally effective therapeutic molecules. Here, we investigated the mechanism of Spike/ACE2 interaction by characterizing the binding affinity and kinetics of different multimeric forms of recombinant ACE2 and Spike-RBD domain. We also engineered ACE2 into a split Nanoluciferase-based reporter system to probe the conformational landscape of Spike-RBDs in the context of the Spike trimer. Interestingly, a dimeric form of ACE2, but not monomeric ACE2, binds with high affinity to Spike and blocks viral entry in pseudotyped virus and live SARS-CoV-2 virus neutralization assays. We show that dimeric ACE2 interacts with an RBD on Spike with limited intra-Spike avidity, which nonetheless contributes to the affinity of this interaction. Additionally, we demonstrate that a proportion of Spike can simultaneously interact with multiple ACE2 dimers, indicating that more than one RBD domain in a Spike trimer can adopt an ACE2-accessible 9up9 conformation. Our findings have significant implications on the design strategies of therapeutic molecules that block the Spike/ACE2 interaction. The constructs we describe are freely available to the research community as molecular tools to further our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 biology.
Multi-class Time Continuity Voting for EEG Classification

In this study we propose a new machine learning classification method to distinguish brain activity patterns for healthy subjects. We used ElectroEncephaloGraphic (EEG) data associated with five userdefined mental tasks. We collected a data set using the Muse headband with four EEG electrodes (TP9, AF7, AF8, and TP10). Sixteen healthy subjects participated in this six-session experiment. In each session, we instructed them to conduct five different one-minute tasks, we abbreviated the tasks as think, count, recall, breathe and draw. After dealing with noise and outliers, we first fairly compared the performance of existing classifiers, including linear classifiers, non-linear Bayesian classifiers, nearest-neighbor classifiers, ensemble methods, and deep learning, with the same settings. Among these, Random Forest (RF), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) outperform others. We then introduced a new ensemble classifier called Time Continuity Voting (TCV), combining these top two. The timewise cross-validation results showed that TCV could correctly classify the five tasks (20% by chance) with an accuracy of 70% which is at least 6% higher than the top individual classifiers.
Counselor Educator Experiences of Teaching Counselor Presence: A Philosophical and Phenomenological Exploration

We employed a post-intentional phenomenological methodology to explore counselor educators’ experiences teaching counselors-in-training (CITs) to be present in practicum contexts. Eight participant...
Exciton condensation in thin-film topological insulator

We study the many-body physics in thin-film topological band insulator, where the inter-edge Coulomb interaction can lead to an exciton condensation transition. We investigate the universality class of the exciton condensation quantum critical point. With different chemical potentials and interactions, the exciton condensation can belong to z=2 mean field, or 3d XY, or Yukawa-Higgs universality classes. The interplay between exciton condensate and the time-reversal symmetry breaking is also discussed. Predictions of our work can be tested experimentally by tuning the chemical potentials on both surfaces of the thin film through gate voltage. We also show that all the analysis of the exciton condensate can be directly applied to a spin-triplet superconductor phase with attractive inter-edge interaction.
The Marriage of Tristan and Isolde: Love, Marriage, and Adultery in Eilhart von Oberg’s Tristrant (before 1190)

The medieval legend of Tristan and Isolde is typically read as a celebration of adulterous love. This interpretation is often connected to outdated but still-widespread notions of courtly love as n...
How do couples and spouses/partners consider fertility preservation decisions during cancer treatment planning? A qualitative analysis of dyadic decision making.

This study assessed the needs and perspective of (1) couples and (2) spouses/partners when considering fertility preservation after a cancer diagnosis. Semi-structured interviews explored (1) coupl...
Motivations of Offeror Company Director in Corporate Acquisitions

This paper examines the motivations of offeror directors when engaging in corporate acquisitions. Despite the importance of the subject for policy formulation, it has received little attention in the Law Reviews. In contrast, the related but opposite subject of target company directors' duties has been extensively discussed. Such neglect can be explained by the legal system's failure to adequately appreciate the issue of managerial motivation. The fiduciary obligations imposed by general law, while prohibiting fraud, misrepresentation, and to some extent self dealing (through the twin requirements of loyalty and good faith), imposes no positive obligations. Statutory law has altered the scene to a small degree only. Under the disclosure philosophy, prospectus-type information must be provided in certain circumstances. Legislation also has strengthened the prohibition against self dealing. More specific legislation, dealing with tender offers, makes the provision of information continuous and timely, while providing certain guarantees of fair treatment for all target shareholders. Similar obligations are also imposed on the offeror. None of this, however, gets to the root of what is known as the "agency" problem (e.g., the problem resulting from the separation of control from ownership). Based on a study of these offeror director motivations with respect to corporate acquisitions, and empirical evidence of the results of acquisitions, this paper argues that greater restraints should be imposed on the number of acquisitions taking place. The point made is that what is needed in all jurisdictions is not more acquisitions (mergers), but acquisitions that increase net gains.
Active surveillance for prostate cancer: selection criteria, guidelines, and outcomes

Active surveillance (AS) has been widely adopted for the management of men with low-risk prostate cancer. However, there is still a lack of consensus surrounding the optimal approach for monitoring men in AS protocols. While conservative management aims to reduce the burden of invasive testing without compromising oncological safety, inadequate assessment can result in misclassification and unintended over- or undertreatment, leading to increased patient morbidity, cost, and undue risk. No universally accepted AS protocol exists, although numerous strategies have been developed in an attempt to optimize the management of clinically localized disease. Variability in selection criteria, reclassification, triggers for definitive treatment, and follow-up exists between guidelines and institutions for AS. In this review, we summarize the landscape of AS by providing an overview of the existing AS protocols, guidelines, and their published outcomes. A comprehensive electronic search was performed to identify representative studies and guidelines pertaining to AS selection criteria and outcomes. While AS is a safe and increasingly utilized treatment modality for lower-risk forms of PCa, ongoing research is needed to optimize patient selection as well as surveillance protocols along with improved implementation across practices. Further, assessment of companion risk assessment tools, such as mpMRI and tissue-based biomarkers, is also needed and will require rigorous prospective study.
Surgical resection of high-grade nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma is associated with improved survival.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The role of surgery in the treatment of nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (PNEC) is not well defined. This study investigated the effect of surgical resection on cause-specific survival compared with nonoperative management. METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database was utilized to identify patients with nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma diagnosed between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2015. Survival was modeled using Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS Of the 488 patients identified, 137 (29%) underwent surgical resection of the primary site. Patients who underwent surgery had a median CSS of 31 months compared with 5 months in those who did not (p < 0.01). A survival benefit was observed when the cohort was stratified into local, nodal, and metastatic disease. CONCLUSION Resection of the primary site in the cohort of PNEC patients compiled by SEER is associated with improved survival. Further consideration be placed on primary surgical resection for PNEC while additional studies that can select specifically for high-grade, poorly differentiated carcinomas need to be undertaken.