cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MEAN-FIELD THEORY FOR LAYERED HIGH-TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS

Using the mean-field approximation we study a model for quasi-two-dimensional layered superconductors. The interlayer coupling, assumed to be mediated by a small electron hopping term, is found to leave Tc practically unaffected. Consequently, a three-dimensional pairing mechanism is required to explain the observed dependence of Tc on the average interlayer spacing in the Bi and Tl compounds.
Testing substitution between private and public storage in the U.S. oil market: A study on the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Abstract The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) was established in 1975 to mitigate major oil supply disruptions and to deter the use of energy as a geopolitical “weapon.” However, policies towards the utilization of strategic oil stocks have varied under different presidencies and the SPR has often not been used in sufficient quantity or soon enough to avoid the negative economic consequences that can follow oil supply outages. Economic theory suggests that the existence of public stockpiles of commodities will alter inventory management practices of private market participants. This paper models private crude oil storage in the United States and estimates the private storage response to presidential announcements regarding the SPR. We investigate the incidence of different kinds of announcement events including releases and test sales from the SPR, announced changes in fill rates, and changes of presidency and how these events impact private land-based storage in the United States by region (PADD) as well floating storage. We find significant substitution between private and public stocks for crude oil and find that announcement events are associated with observable changes in private inventory levels, with implications for public policy choices and geopolitical strategies.
The Spatial Dimensions of State Fiscal Capacity The Mechanisms of International Influence on Domestic Extractive Efforts

This paper expands traditional predatory theory approaches to state fiscal capacity by adopting spatial analytical reasoning and methods. Although previous work in the predatory theory tradition has often incorporated interdependent external influences, such as war and trade, it has often done so in a way that maintains a theoretical and empirical autonomy of the state. Theoretically, we suggest four mechanisms (coercion, competition, learning, and emulation) that operate to channel information through interstate rivalry and territorial contiguity, trade networks, and the political space associated with regime type and intergovernmental organization membership. We test our predictions using a multi-parametric spatio-temporal autoregressive model with four spatial lags capturing the four mechanisms. Our empirical results provide support for the coercion and learning mechanisms.
Learning Characteristics of Individuals with Asperger Syndrome

Over 50 years ago Asperger (1944) described a group of children and adolescents whose primary difficulties involved establishing friendships and, more generally, relating to others. Although overshadowed for decades by Kanner’s (1943) description of a similar group of children 1 year earlier (i.e., Autism Disorder), Asperger syndrome (AS) was “rediscovered” by Wing (1981) nearly 40 years later. In her recounting of the earlier description, she presented many of the key diagnostic features of AS, and complemented this discussion with clinical cases to illustrate the manifestations of this syndrome. Since that time, there has been increased interest in determining the validity of this taxon. Indeed, as a testament to the current volume, keen interest has been focused on AS and its relationship to autism. To date, the debate continues with respect to the uniqueness and general clinical validity of AS, with emergent evidence suggesting that there could be subtle, yet distinctive differences between AS and autism (e.g., Eaves, Ho, & Eaves, 1994; Goodman, 1989; Ozonoff, Rogers, & Pennington, 1991).
Rational Multivariate Algal Growth Kinetics

In general, bioassay results showing that the relationship between growth rates and nutrient concentrations that are applicable to mathematical models of the eutrophication process are limited. Among various laboratories, two environmental parameters that most frequently differ in algal assay results are light intensity and temperature. An attempt is made herein to modify the most commonly used expression to describe algal growth kinetics to correct for temperature and light intensity.
Insulin-Like Growth Factors (IGFs) as Autocrine/Paracrine Regulators in the Porcine Ovarian Follicle

Our laboratory was attracted to ovarian growth factors as a potential mechanism for regulating the growth and development of the ovarian follicle. At the time we began our studies, it was known that peptide growth factors were potent mitogens for granulosa cells of the pig and other species (1,2). In addition, insulin at high concentrations was known to influence granulosa cell growth and differentiation (3), but effects of IGFs on ovarian cells had not been shown. In the process of investigating the hormonal regulation of the growth-related enzyme ornithine decarboxylase, we discovered that the IGF multiplication stimulating activity (MSA, rat IGF-II) was an extremely potent stimulator of this activity in porcine granulosa cells and was considerably more potent than insulin (4,5). As reviewed below, the characterization of IGF effects on granulosa cell replication and the interaction of the insulin-like factors with other growth factors on these responses has continued to be an interest of our laboratory. In addition, studies from our group (6), as well as more numerous data from others represented at this symposium, indicated that the IGFs had stimulatory effects on the cytodifferentiation of ovarian cells. Accordingly recent studies have focused on the relative importance of the growth-promoting and steroidogenic effects of insulin-like factors on porcine granulosa cells.
Trust in sparse supervisory control

Command and Control (C2) is the practice of directing teams of autonomous units, regardless if the units are directed by human decision making or are unmanned. Humans are adaptive and their behaviors are recognizable to their superiors who were educated in a similar manner. This paper describes the sparse supervisory control that must be exercised over teams of highly autonomous units, and considers what it means for a commander to supervise autonomous un-manned systems (AUS) that employ machine learning and cooperative autonomy. Commanders must decide whether to trust behaviors they have never seen before, and developing that trust may require several strategies. This paper describes some possible strategies in an effort to explain the challenges that must be solved.
Household and Provider Behaviour in the Health Sector in Africa: What has been Learned from Program Evaluations?

Despite a number of dramatic successes in health in the decades since independence, Africa remains behind most of the developing world in child and other health indicators, and progress in child health has slowed considerably in the last two decades. This paper examines evidence on the effectiveness of health interventions in the region, with a focus on policies designed to change the behavior of consumers (households) or health care providers. It begins with a discussion of approaches to program evaluation, with particular attention given to the benefits and limitations of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Next, the issue of program take-up (household demand behavior) is considered, with evidence presented from RCTs and other sources on the impacts of positive pricing (and subsidies), service quality, and the role of behavioral and health externalities. Turning to the supply side, a number of policies to improve quality or coverage are discussed, including community monitoring of public health care providers, performance-based pay, and contracting with the private sector for service delivery. Also considered are the debate over, and policy options to counteract, negative supply side impacts of the free provision of health goods and services. The paper then reviews the evidence on interventions in Africa to reduce child morbidity and mortality from diarrhea illness and malaria, as well as evidence on community health programs that directly address the problem of low uptake. The final section summarizes the main findings from the literature and concludes with several observations on methodology and evaluation.
RESQUE: network reduction using semi-markov random walk scores for efficient querying of biological networks (extended abstract)

In this work, we present RESQUE, an efficient algorithm for querying large-scale biological networks. The algorithm uses a semi-Markov random walk model to estimate the correspondence scores between nodes across different networks. The target network is iteratively reduced based on the node correspondence scores, which are also iteratively re-estimated for improved accuracy, until the best matching subnetwork emerges. The proposed network querying scheme is computationally efficient, can handle any network query with arbitrary topology, and yields accurate querying results.
Calcium and phosphate solubility in neonatal parenteral nutrient solutions containing TrophAmine

Factors affecting solubilities of calcium and phosphate in neonatal total parenteral nutrient (TPN) solutions containing a new amino acid formulation were examined. Twelve TPN solutions containing various concentrations of TrophAmine, an amino acid formulation specific for infants and young children, were prepared in 10% dextrose injection. Some of the solutions also contained cysteine hydrochloride 40 mg/g of protein and either sodium bicarbonate or hydrochloric acid (lipid emulsion buffer) to buffer the solution pH to simulate that produced by simultaneously administering lipid emulsion through the i.v. line. Calcium gluconate and monobasic and dibasic potassium phosphate were added to 20-mL samples of the TPN solutions to achieve calcium concentrations of 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 meq/L with phosphate concentrations of either 10, 20, 30, or 40 mmol/L; a total of 20 samples of each TPN solution was prepared. Samples were inspected visually for precipitation or crystallization after 18 hours at 25 degrees C and again after 30 minutes in a water bath at 37 degrees C. Clear samples at this time were also examined microscopically for evidence of microcrystallization. Solubility curves were prepared by plotting graphically the concentrations at which either visual or microscopic precipitation occurred. Temperature, amino acid concentration, and the addition of cysteine hydrochloride and lipid emulsion buffer each influenced the solubilities of calcium and phosphate in the TPN solutions. The use of TrophAmine as the amino acid source allowed slightly greater concentrations of phosphate to be solubilized as compared with older amino acid formulations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
On the chromatic index and the cover index of a multigraph

The problem of determining bounds for the chromatics index and the cover index of a multigraph is considered. Results stated include (I) a bound for the cover index which is analogous to the well-known bound for the chromatic index due to Shannon, (II) a bound for the chromatic index (and analogous bound for the cover index) which establishes conjectures by Berge and Bosak.
Evaluation of Some Nonhalogenated Compounds as Fumigants Against Larvae of a Caribbean Fruit Fly

A total of 179 nonhalogenated compounds were evaluated as fumigants against larvae of Anastrepha suspensa (Loew). Larvae were exposed for 3 or 24 h to dosages rangmg from 2.2 to 10.7 mg/liter. Results were compared with an ethylene dibromide standard. For 19 of the compounds, mortality of the larvae was >50% for 24-h exposures to 10.7 mg/liter of each compound. Of these 19 compounds, 3-buten-2-one, 2-propenal, 1-isothiocyanato-2-propene, and 3-isothiocyanato-1-propyne killed all of the larvae exposed for 24 h to 2.2 mg/liter and >93% of the larvae exposed for 3 h to 2.2 mg/liter. Five of six unsaturated aldehydes showed fumigant activity, as did all four isothiocyanates.
Thin-Bed Prediction by Geomorphology-Constrained Waveform Analysis

I introduce a seismic geomorphology– and stratal slice– based approach for waveform analysis of seismically thin beds in thinly interbedded formations. A thin bed is characterized by a predictable seismic geomorphologic pattern of the same shape but variable amplitude and phase along its waveform. This phenomenon can be captured and evaluated using stratal slices in geologic-time (Wheeler) domain. A seismic modeling study supports these observations and provides idealized data for development of a sensible workflow. A field-data test confirms that at least 3–4 thin fluvial channel sandstones (2–6 m each) can be recognized and mapped for their spatial distribution and relationship in a λ/4 (20–25 m) thick stratigraphic interval.
The Relationship Between Hyperbolic and Exponential Functions

(1988). The Relationship Between Hyperbolic and Exponential Functions. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 54-56.
Morbid Obesity Is Associated With Adverse Clinical Outcomes in Acute Pancreatitis: A Propensity-Matched Study.

Morbid Obesity Is Associated With Adverse Clinical Outcomes in Acute Pancreatitis: A Propensity-Matched Study
Brave new world revisited revisited: Huxley's evolving view of behaviorism.

Abstract Aldous Huxley's Brave New World has served as a popular and powerful source of antibehavioral sentiment. Several of Huxley's works are examined in order to ascertain his true thoughts regarding behaviorism. Early in his career Huxley failed to appreciate aspects of behavioral theory (e.g., an appreciation of heredity) or the good ends to which it could be employed. Huxley's later works portrayed behaviorism in a much more positive light, and he believed that behavioral science, along with spiritual enlightenment, might help save humanity from the Brave New World he predicted.
Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma Activated C2H4/O2/Ar Mixtures in a Flow Reactor

The present work combines numerical and experimental efforts to investigate the effect of nanosecond pulsed plasma discharges on the low-temperature oxidation of C2H4/O2/Ar mixtures under reduced pressure conditions. The nonequilibrium plasma discharge is modeled using a one-dimensional framework, employing separate electron and neutral gas temperatures, and using a detailed plasma and combustion chemical kinetic mechanism. Good agreement is seen between the numerical and experimental results, and both results show that plasma enables low-temperature C2H4 oxidation. Compared to zero-dimensional modeling, the one-dimensional modeling significantly improves predictions, probably because it produces a more complete physical description (including sheath formation and accurate reduced electric field). Furthermore, the one- and zero-dimensional models show very different reaction pathways, using the same chemical kinetic mechanism and thus suggest different interpretations of the experimental results. Two kine...
Evolution and the Enzyme

Modern enzymes are marvelous catalysts. They accelerate reactions with extraordinary stereoselectivity and stereospecificity by up to 20 orders of magnitude, control the reactivity of intermediates to prevent side reactions, and respond to regulation by small molecule ligands. This chapter describes the evolutionary processes that have shaped these prodigious catalysts, beginning with generalist enzymes in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) and ending with enzymes that have evolved in response to the introduction of antibiotics and pesticides.
Current state of m-government research: identifying future research opportunities

Research on m-government has started in the last decade. The use of m-government has been rapidly increasing due to the high penetration of mobile devices in the general population. This research will first compare m-government to e-government which will help in understanding the similarities and the differences between the two types of government. Then this research will examine the current state of research in the area of m-government. In this research, we collected 79 papers specifically related to m-government, dividing them into themes based on the research premise. The results showed that there is a gap in understanding the relationship between the use of m-government and civic engagement. A future study is highly recommended to determine whether the use of m-government positively affects civic engagement.
Abstract 43: Use Of The Meld Score To Predict Adverse Outcomes Among Patients With End Stage Liver Disease Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization

Introduction Patients awaiting liver transplantation often have other comorbidities including coronary artery disease (CAD). Many patients undergo cardiac catheterization to diagnose and potentially treat CAD. However, patient with end stage liver disease (ESLD) are at risk for a host of complications and revascularization procedures are not commonly performed given this concern. The ability to predict which patient will experience a complication is not clearly defined. The MELD score is a composite measure used commonly in the hepatology community to quantify the severity of liver dysfunction. Methods We reviewed the medical records of all patients under consideration for liver transplantation between March 2006 and December 2010. We recorded demographic and laboratory data, cardiac risk factors and adverse events up to 1 year following cardiac catheterization. Adverse events included: all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, repeat revascularization, cardiac re-hospitalization and periprocedural bleeding. Only patients with complete follow-up records were included. The MELD score, a common measurement of liver disease severity, was calculated at the time of initial referral. MELD scores were divided into tertiles. Results Among the 440 patients referred to the cath lab, 78 (18%) underwent coronary angiography. The mean age was 56 and 35% of the cohort were women. Minorities accounted for 49% of the population. The mean MELD score was 17. Nearly 51% of patients experienced at least one adverse event and 30% had multiple events. There was a non-significant trend towards an increased adverse event rate from the lowest to highest MELD score group. (42%, 46%, 70%, p=0.1) The overall mortality rate was 28%. Conclusion Patients with combined ESLD and coronary artery disease have an extremely high rate of adverse events following cardiac catheterization. Over half of the patients experienced an adverse event and nearly a third were dead at one year. The MELD score may be useful as a tool to predict the risk of having an adverse event in this complex patient population.
Welcome to The Forum

Political communication scholars are engaging the news media, citizens, and one another across multiple platforms, sharing and applying their specialized knowledge to important questions facing the...
Enzyme/Prodrug Systems for Cancer Gene Therapy

The use of enzyme/prodrug system has gained attention because it could help improve the efficacy and safety of conventional cancer chemotherapies. In this approach, cancer cells are first transfected with a gene that can express an enzyme with ability to convert a non-toxic prodrug into its active cytotoxic form. As a result, the activated prodrug could kill the transfected cancer cells. Despite the significant progress of different suicide gene therapy protocols in preclinical studies and early clinical trials, none has reached the clinic due to several shortcomings. These include slow prodrug-drug conversion rate, low transfection/transduction efficiency of the vectors and nonspecific toxicity/immunogenicity related to the delivery systems, plasmid DNA, enzymes and/or prodrugs. This mini review aims at providing an overview of the most widely used enzyme/prodrug systems with emphasis on reporting the results of the recent preclinical and clinical studies.
Riparian vegetation as an indicator of riparian condition: Detecting departures from historic condition across the North American West.

Floodplain riparian ecosystems support unique vegetation communities and high biodiversity relative to terrestrial landscapes. Accordingly, estimating riparian ecosystem health across landscapes is critical for sustainable river management. However, methods that identify local riparian vegetation condition, an effective proxy for riparian health, have not been applied across broad, regional extents. Here we present an index to assess reach-scale (500 m segment) riparian vegetation condition across entire drainage networks within large, physiographically-diverse regions. We estimated riparian vegetation condition for 53,250 km of perennial streams and rivers, 25,685 km in Utah, and 27,565 km in twelve watersheds of the interior Columbia River Basin (CRB), USA. We used nationally available, existing land cover classification derived from 30 m Landsat imagery (LANDFIRE EVT) and a modeled estimate of pre-European settlement land cover (LANDFIRE BpS). The index characterizes riparian vegetation condition as the ratio of existing native riparian vegetation cover to pre-European settlement riparian vegetation cover at a given reach. Roughly 62% of Utah and 48% of CRB watersheds showed significant (>33%) to large (>66%) departure from historic condition. Riparian vegetation change was predominantly caused by human land-use impacts (development and agriculture), or vegetation change (native riparian to invasive or upland vegetation types) that likely resulted from flow and disturbance regime alteration. Through comparisons to ground-based classification results, we estimate the existing vegetation component of the index to be 85% accurate. Our assessments yielded riparian condition maps that will help resource managers better prioritize sites and treatments for reach-scale conservation and restoration activities.
Walk Score and poverty in American Cities

Introduction. Environmental factors are thought to impact obesity; for instance food deserts are urban areas with poor access to fresh foods. Similarly, environmental variance might explain differences in urban physical activity levels. Our prior work examined poverty, obesity and sedentariness in 3,139 counties across the United States. Poverty, obesity and sedentariness track together. Since three quarters of Americans live in cities, we wondered whether cities with the greater rates of poverty had the poorest Walk Score (a geospatial algorithm of an area’s attractiveness of walking; a high score is walk-favorable).Methods.We analyzed data from 532 American cities (defined as a population >30,000 people), examining data from103,405,474 people. Data on income were available from 102,586,417 people. The Walk Score for all 520 cities was determined from Street Smart Walk Score algorithm derived from the Active Living Research (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation http://activelivingresearch.org/). We compared Walk Score and city demographics between the 100 cities with the lowest povertyprevalence 6.4 ± (SD) 1.7% with the 100 cities of great poverty prevalence 27.4 ± 4.1%.Results.The cities with greatest poverty had, as expected, lowest median family income ($43,604 ±$10,097 vs.$89,613 ±$19,058; for all 520 cities there was a log linear relationship between these variables r2 = 0.77). Importantly too, the poorer cities had greater populations (197,128 ± 235,305 vs. 109,952 ± 58,375 people). There was no relationship between city population and Walk Score. Unexpectedly, the cities with greater poverty and lower income, have the most favorable Walk Score (50.1 ± 12.2 points) compared to wealthier cities (Walk Score 44 ± 12.2; P<0.001).Discussion.Cities with high poverty rates do not appear to be more unfavorable to walking compared to wealthy cities. Thus, the known association between sedentariness, obesity & poverty may not relate to the walkability of the city.
Vascular Reactivity to Calcitonin Gene Related-Peptide Is Enhanced in Subtotal Nephrectomy-Salt Hypertension.

P44 We previously demonstrated that CGRP plays a counterregulatory role to attenuate the BP increase in subtotal nephrectomy-(SN)-salt-induced hypertension. This effect was observed in the absence of any increase in neuronal CGRP expression in this hypertensive model, suggesting that the mechanism of this compensatory vasodilator response is enhanced vascular reactivity to CGRP. To test this hypothesis, hypertension was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats (150-175 g, n=5) by SN and 1% saline drinking water. Controls (n=5) were sham operated and given tap water to drink. After eleven days, systolic BP was significantly higher in the SN compared to the control rats (220±7 vs 140±4 mmHg). Vascular reactivity was then examined in isolated endothelium-intact superior mesenteric arterial strips. Phenylephrine (10 -9 -3×5 -5 M)-induced contraction was not different between the two groups. CGRP (10 -11 -5×10 -8 M)-induced maximum relaxation in phenylephrine-contracted arteries was not altered between the SN and control arteries, however, CGRP was significantly more potent in the arteries from the SN group (EC50, 0.7±0.2 vs 2.5±0.8 nM). Phenylephrine-contracted arteries were also treated with forskolin (10 -9 -10 -6 M) since increased intracellular cAMP levels is a prominant mechanism linked to CGRP-mediated vasodilation. While no change in efficacy was observed, there was a marked decrease in response to forskolin in SN arteries (EC50, 327±146 vs 20±8 nM). To examine the BP response to exogenous CGRP in vivo, identical groups of SN and control rats (n=6/group) had i.v. (for CGRP administration) and arterial (for continous BP monitoring) catheters surgically placed and were studied in a concious, unrestrained state. Baseline mean BP was higher in the SN rats compared to the controls (173±5 vs 125±4 mmHg). Administration of CGRP (0.25μg/kg i.v.) resulted in a significantly greater decrease in mean BP in the SN rats compared to controls (-19±4 vs -9±1 mmHg). These data suggest that the counterregulatory effects of CGRP observed in SN-hypertension result, at least in part, from a cAMP-independent enhancement in vascular reactivity to this potent vasodilator.
Selectivity Measure for Arrays of Non-Specific Sensors

Abstract Sensor arrays are often proposed as powerful, relatively low-cost approaches for characterization of complex chemical mixtures. However, such arrays routinely underperform as general-purpose analytical devices in more complex applications. Although these difficulties can be colloquially interpreted as a deficiency in selectivity, the reality is that there is a surprising lack of consensus around a quantitative definition of selectivity for multivariate analytical measurements, and little discussion about the analytical implications of partial selectivity, which is a salient feature of most sensor arrays. This work discusses the current qualitative criteria for selectivity as determined by IUPAC and proposes a general-purpose selectivity figure of merit based on Fisher information. The connection between this figure of merit and contemporary chemometric expressions of selectivity based on net analyte signal is demonstrated. The figure of merit is applied to chemical sensor array design via simulation and the limitations of so-designed sensor arrays in addressing arbitrary chemical sensing tasks are explored. Finally, the role of selectivity in sensor array design is reevaluated and discussed.
Local health and social services expenditures: An empirical typology of local government spending

The conceptual importance of social services to health outcomes is well known and recent empirical evidence has linked social services spending to better population health outcomes. Yet little research has been devoted to what social services spending actually entails as it relates to population health and whether broadly similar spending patterns may exist across communities. The purpose of this study was to identify empirical patterns in spending, and explore health status and outcome correlates with social services spending. Spending data come from the 2012 U.S. Census Bureau's Census of Governments, which includes spending data for 14 social services within 3129 U.S. counties. Additional 2012 demographic, socioeconomic, and population health data were obtained and analyzed at the county-level in 2017. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed 5 clusters of counties according to local government spending. One group had significantly lower income, social services spending, health indicators, and health outcomes than other counties. Two other groups had relatively high income, high social services spending, and strong health outcomes and indicators. Yet these latter two groups invested differently, with one spreading spending across a larger number of social services and the other concentrating spending in a smaller number of services such as education. Determining the extent to which spending approaches contribute to population health may offer communities guidance for maximizing population health. While it cannot establish causality, this study adds to the literature regarding the ways in which communities invest in both health care and social services to prevent disease and promote population health.
Vascular Formation by Perinatal Stem Cells

Abstract Clinically successful tissue-engineered products are currently limited to thin and avascular tissues. Consequently, one of the major challenges to overcome to engineer more complex and vascular tissues is engineering tissues with a functional vasculature to ensure the tissue can survive after implantation. Engineering this vasculature using perinatal stem cells is a burgeoning new area of research. Therefore, this chapter will first focus on the differentiation of these cells into functioning vascular cells. Additionally, this chapter will discuss approaches where these cells are used to treat ischemic tissues and to develop engineered vascularized tissues.
Impact of Angular Spread on Moderately Large MIMO Systems

Pilot contamination is one of the main bottlenecks for massive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) networks. For moderately large antenna arrays (of importance to recent/emerging deployments) and correlated MIMO, pilot contamination may not be the dominant limiting factor in certain scenarios. To our best knowledge, a rigorous characterization of the achievable rates and their explicit dependence on angular spread (AS) is not available in the literature for moderately large antenna array regime. In this paper, considering eigen-beamforming (EBF) precoding, we derive an exact analytical expression for achievable rates in multi-cell MIMO systems under pilot contamination, and characterize the relation between the AS, array size, and respective user rates. Our results reveal that the achievable rates follow a non-monotonic behavior for increasing AS when the antenna array size is moderate. We argue that knowledge of this non-monotonic behavior can be exploited to develop effective user-cell pairing techniques.
Abstract LB-215: Analysis of mutations associated with response to glasdegib in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)

Background: The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is key to development, differentiation, and stem cell maintenance. In cancer, dysregulation of Hh signaling is associated with solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Hh signaling in AML and MDS is thought to promote the renewal and maintenance of leukemic stem cells, which may lead to chemotherapy resistance and recurrence. Glasdegib is a potent and selective oral inhibitor of Smoothened, a transmembrane protein that stimulates Hh signaling. Here we report the results of an exploratory analysis to profile mutations in 118 bone marrow samples and 77 peripheral blood samples of patients with previously untreated AML or high-risk MDS treated with chemotherapy with or without glasdegib in phase I/II clinical trials. Materials and Methods: We used targeted resequencing to survey 109 genes, and a polymerase chain reaction assay to detect FLT3 internal tandem duplications. Resequencing and response data were obtained from two arms, 1) an intensive group (n=61) treated with a combination of cytarabine/daunorubicin plus glasdegib, and 2) a non-intensive group (n=73) treated with low-dose cytarabine (LDAC) plus glasdegib (n=44) or LDAC alone (n=19). We assessed significantly mutated genes by Fisher9s Exact Test at p ≤ 0.05. Results: In the combined dataset we found that mutations in NF1 (P=0.006), KRAS (P=0.028), or a combination of KRAS, NRAS, and NF1 (P=0.013) were associated with a negative response. Mutations in NPM1 (P=0.006), MPL (P=0.041), RB1 (P=0.041), or SF3B1 (P=0.041) were associated with a positive response. When split by arm, in the intensive group mutations in TP53 (P=0.001), NF1 (P=0.035), or CREBBP (P=0.041) were associated with negative response, whereas mutation in NPM1 was associated with positive response (P=0.046). In the non-intensive group, mutations in RSPH10B2 (P=0.036) or a combination of KRAS, NRAS, and NF1 (P=0.031) were associated with negative response, whereas mutation in CREBBP (P=0.007) was associated with positive response. We discuss the implications of these mutations in the context of Smoothened inhibition and the leukemic stem cell hypothesis. Conclusions: Mutational profiling of patients with AML or high-risk MDS treated with glasdegib highlights alterations in genes associated with response and the potential role of Hh signaling in these malignancies. Citation Format: Keith A. Ching, Donghui Huang, Kai Wang, Mark Ozeck, Paul Lira, Jingjin Gao, Jadwiga Bienkowska, Paul Rejto, James Hardwick, Thomas O9Brien, Geoffrey Chan. Analysis of mutations associated with response to glasdegib in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) [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 LB-215.
Risky business: Psychopathy, framing effects, and financial outcomes

Abstract Using a risky-choice framing paradigm, we investigated (a) the extent to which psychopathic features shape behavioral responses to potential losses vs. potential gains and (b) how these relations bear on real-world economic decision-making in a community sample (N = 475). Associations among psychopathic features, risk-seeking, sensitivity to framing, and financial practices were also examined. Disinhibition manifested positive relations with risk-seeking and maladaptive financial practices, whereas boldness manifested positive relations with risk-seeking and adaptive financial practices. Individuals high in disinhibition and/or meanness were significantly less likely to endorse risk seeking in negative frames. Results provisionally suggest boundary conditions for framing effects; in particular, certain psychopathic traits may render individuals modestly less susceptible to framing or bias them towards risk-taking in positive frames.
Packed Compressed Sparse Row: A Dynamic Graph Representation

Perhaps the most popular sparse graph storage format is Compressed Sparse Row (CSR). CSR excels at storing graphs compactly with minimal overhead, allowing for fast traversals, lookups, and basic graph computations such as PageRank. Since elements in CSR format are packed together, additions and deletions often require time linear in the size of the graph. We introduce a new dynamic sparse graph representation called Packed Compressed Sparse Row (PCSR), based on an array-based dynamic data structure called the Packed Memory Array. PCSR is similar to CSR, but leaves spaces between elements, allowing for asymptotically faster insertions and deletions in exchange for a constant factor slowdown in traversals and a constant factor increase in space overhead. Our contributions are twofold. We describe PCSR and review the theoretical guarantees for update, insert, and search for PCSR. We also implemented PCSR as well as other basic graph storage formats and report our findings on a variety of benchmarks. PCSR supports inserts orders of magnitude faster than CSR and is only a factor of two slower on graph traversals. Our results suggest that PCSR is a lightweight dynamic graph representation that supports fast inserts and competitive searches.
Plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis: Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite for the photochemical reduction of bicarbonate to formic acid

Plasmonic metallic nanoparticles can significantly enhance the catalytic efficiency of semiconductors via plasmonic photocatalysis. In this study, a hybrid Ag/TiO2 photocatalyst was synthesized and tested for the photochemical reduction of bicarbonate to value-added formic acid. It was found that under solar irradiation, TiO2 is not very efficient, but formate production is significantly increased with the addition of silver nanoparticles. Under 365 nm irradiation, the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 is enhanced, but no effect was observed with the addition of silver nanoparticles. Under solar irradiation, Ag/TiO2 reached an apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 7.78 ± 0.04%, the highest AQE observed so far. Enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic effect between UV photon excitation of TiO2 and surface plasmon resonance enhancement. To elucidate the mechanism of plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis, experiments were performed under solar irradiation and 365 nm irradiation. We propose that photo-excited electrons are transferred from above the Fermi level of the metal nanoparticle to the conduction band of the semiconductor through plasmon-induced electron transfer.
Effects of Social Media Use on Millennials' Perceptions of Community Leaders

Acknowledging that social media use is ever growing and increasingly used to communicate with constituents, this article investigates the effect that a community leader’s social media activity has on young adults’ perceptions of leadership. The method utilized a qualitative analysis of research related to young adults’ relationship with politics juxtaposed to a quantitative analysis of a Qualtrics survey of 106 people between 18 and 24 years of ages’ self-evaluated trust of community leaders on social media. It illustrates that perception of community leaders is not significantly improved through use of social media.
The Willing World: Shaping and Sharing a Sustainable Global Prosperity

The informative endorsements by diplomats and public leaders on the back cover of the book are intriguing enough to entice a reader to pick it up for browsing. The left inside cover contains an eff...
The Crowd Classification Problem

Decades of research has argued that social information processing can improve belief accuracy as measured at both the group level and the individual level. However, we show both theoretically and e...
Athletic trainers perceptions of health and safety best-practice policy & procedure implementation in United States Secondary Schools

Policies and Procedures (P&P) outline the standard of care for athletic-related injuries and can help reduce delays in management of such injuries. Athletic trainers (AT) are well-positioned in the...
Financial Considerations in the Management of Small Renal Masses

The incidence of small renal masses (SRM) is increasing in recent years due to more frequent use of abdominal imaging, consequentially conferring higher costs on the health system. As costs increase, financial considerations will have a significant impact on the availability of treatments and technologies. Recognizing and understanding these considerations is important for the treating physician. In this chapter, we will explain the basic terminology and concepts of cost analysis and provide a review of current literature assessing the cost of several treatment options for the management of SRMs including surveillance, the use of biopsies to guide treatment, and different ablative and surgical techniques.
A review of methods for achieving upper limb movement following spinal cord injury through hybrid muscle stimulation and robotic assistance

Individuals with tetraplegia, typically attributed to spinal cord injuries (SCI) at the cervical level, experience significant health care costs and loss of independence due to their limited reaching and grasping capabilities. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a promising intervention to restore arm and hand function because it activates a person's own paralyzed muscles; however, NMES sometimes lacks the accuracy and repeatability necessary to position the limb for functional tasks, and repeated muscle stimulation can lead to fatigue. Robotic devices have the potential to restore function when used as assistive devices to supplement or replace limited or lost function of the upper limb following SCI. Unfortunately, most robotic solutions are bulky or require significant power to operate, limiting their applicability to restore functional independence in a home environment. Combining NMES and robotic support systems into a single hybrid neuroprosthesis is compelling, since the robotic device can supplement the action of the muscles and improve repeatability and accuracy. Research groups have begun to explore applications of movement assistance for individuals with spinal cord injury using these technologies in concert. In this review, we present the state of the art in hybrid NMES-orthotic systems for upper limb movement restoration following spinal cord injury, and suggest areas for emphasis necessary to move the field forward. Currently, NMES-robotic systems use either surface or implanted electrodes to stimulate muscles, with rigid robotic supports holding the limb against gravity, or providing assistance in reaching movements. Usability of such systems outside of the lab or clinic is limited due to the complexity of both the mechanical components, stimulation systems, and human-machine interfaces. Assessment of system and participant performance is not reported in a standardized way. Future directions should address wearability through improvements in component technologies and user interfaces. Further, increased integration of the control action between NMES and robotic subsystems to reanimate the limb should be pursued. Standardized reporting of system performance and expanded clinical assessments of these systems are also needed. All of these advancements are critical to facilitate translation from lab to home.
How You Cry, When You Cry, Why You Cry, and Who You Are: Responses to Adult Crying in Social Contexts

In this chapter, we review literature on observers’ evaluations of crying adults. Although research on adult tears has shown that crying individuals are generally regarded as more sad and in need of help than non-crying individuals, as well as weaker and more unstable, we suggest that there are four major social contextual factors that can shift judgements of tearful people: why you cry (the reason for the tears), where you cry (the context in which the crying takes place), how you cry (the manner in which crying is carried out), and who you are (identity characteristics and the social location of the crier). For each of these factors, we discuss major research findings, and identify areas where more research is needed. We conclude by highlighting the need for research on observers’ evaluations of tears to account for more complex and interactive social information, and suggest several important areas for future research.
Multi-omics analysis of serial samples from metastatic TNBC patients on PARP inhibitor monotherapy provide insight into rational PARP inhibitor therapy combinations

Due to complexity of advanced epithelial cancers, it is necessary to implement patient specific combination therapies if we are to markedly improve patient outcomes. However, our ability to select and implement patient specific combination therapies based on dynamic molecular changes in the tumor and tumor ecosystem in response to therapy remains extremely limited. In a pilot study, we evaluated the feasibility of real-time deep analysis of serial tumor samples from triple negative breast cancer patients to identify mechanisms of resistance and treatment opportunities as they emerge under therapeutic stress engendered by poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi). Although PARP inhibition was consistently observed in all patients, deep molecular analysis of the tumor and its ecosystem revealed insights into potentially effective therapeutic PARPi combinations. In a BRCA-mutant basal breast cancer exceptional long-term survivor, we noted striking PARPi-induced tumor destruction accompanied by a marked infiltration of immune cells containing CD8 effector cells, consistent with pre-clinical evidence for association between STING mediated immune activation and benefit from PARPi and immunotherapy. Tumor cells in the exceptional responder underwent extensive protein network rewiring in response to PARP inhibition. In contrast, there were minimal changes in the ecosystem of a luminal androgen receptor (LAR) rapid progressor in response to PARPi likely due to indifference to the effects of PARP inhibition. In this rapid progressor, there was minimal evidence of immune activation or protein network rewiring in response to PARPi, despite PARP being inhibited, and no clinical benefit was noted for this participant. Together, deep real-time analysis of longitudinal biopsies identified a suite of PARPi-induced emergent changes including immune activation, DNA damage checkpoint activation, apoptosis and signaling pathways including RTK, PI3K-AKT and RAS-MAPK, that could be used to select patient specific combination therapies, based on tumor and immune state changes that are likely to benefit specific patients.
Parents' Cannabis-Related Attitudes and Emerging Adult Offspring Cannabis Use: Testing the Mediating Effect of Perceived Parental Approval.

Background: Contrary to parental alcohol use and expectancies work, little is known about how parent’s cannabis use (CU) and expectancies influence offspring CU. This is a notable gap in the litera...
Qualitative Impressions of a Yoga Nidra Practice for Insomnia: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Design.

Introduction: Insomnia affects up to half of the U.S. population, and due to limitations of current treatments, there is a growing interest in mind–body practices to reduce insomnia. To understand ...
Why Are Patients Switching from Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate/Emtricitabine (Truvada) to Tenofovir Alafenamide/Emtricitabine (Descovy) for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis?

Safety differences between tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine (TAF) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC)-formulated pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) appear to have little clini...
Persistence and Environmental Relevance of Extracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes: Regulation by Nanoparticle Association

Fate of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs)—which are widespread in various environments—is dependent on gene persistence. This work examined the previously unconsidered role of envir...
Lattices, Closure Operators, and Galois Connections

Lattices and semilattices are developed, both as partially ordered sets where every pair of elements has a least upper bound and/or a greatest lower bound, and as algebraic structures, and various completeness conditions they can satisfy are examined.Such structures often arise from closure operators on sets, and this concept is developed.An insufficiently well known source of closure operators, which we develop, is the concept of a Galois connection between two sets. In the case for which the concept was named, the two sets are, respectively, the elements of a finite separable normal field extension, and the automorphisms of that extension. Another of the many examples noted relates the set of models of a formal language, and the set of propositions in that language.