cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Production of Heart Valves from Glassy Polymeric Carbon

When certain resins are pyrolized they transform into a glassy polymeric carbon (GPC) with no change in shape. Using this process we have made all-carbon heart valves by rapid molding of the component pieces out of precursor resin, assemblage in the resin stage and pyrolysis to at least 1,000°C to form an accurately articulated device. A heart valve with two occluders set in a carbon ring manufactured out of highly polished carbon has been tested with an excellent record of wear, fatigue, resistance and biocompatibility, especially in contact with blood.
On Gliomastix murorum and G. Felina

The concept of Gliomastix murorum as the type for the form-genus Gliomastix is discussed and considered acceptable. As a result of a statistical analysis (Student's t-test) of conidial dimensions, ...
Performance of an Electron Beam Recorder for Disk Mastering

We have been developing an electron beam recorder (EBR) for high-density optical disk mastering, and use it for read-only memory (ROM) and rewritable (RW) substrate mastering. We confirmed a 4.4% jitter value at 25 GB ROM disk. The reproducing characteristics of the high-density optical disk were dominated by the signal-to-noise ratio and the cross-talk. We fabricated an RW substrate with a 320-nm track pitch and confirmed a 5.4% jitter value for a data bit length of 112 nm after 100 direct-over-write and crosswrite cycles.
The Correspondence between Li Yan and David Eugene Smith

The David Eugene Smith Archive of the Rare Books and Manuscript Library of Columbia University in New York,and the Library of the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing,have preserved almost 20 letters(including some carbon copies and drafts) between Li Yan(1982—1963) and David Eugene Smith(1860—1944).The main content of the correspondence is on writing an English book on Chinese mathematics.Though the book project eventually failed,the archive materials are important primary sources for history of the study of Chinese mathematics.This paper provides a Chinese translation of these letters,including some drafts,preserved in the mentioned two institutions.
Annual Variation Tendency of Cyanide Content in Ginkgo Leaves in Urban Baoding

[Objective]To study the variation tendency of cyanide content in ginkgo leaves in urban Baoding,so as to guide scientific use among residents.[Methods]The generated total hydrocyanic acid instead of cyanide glycoside content in ginkgo leave was detected by barbituric acid-iso-nicotinic acid colorimetry method.[Results]The cyanide content of ginkgo leaf was 93.2~ 106.6 mg/kg in urban Baoding. The minimum of cyanide content was in May and increased monthly,the maximum appeared during September-November. There was no difference of cyanide content between leaves of old trees and young trees.[Conclusion]Fresh ginkgo leaf is not suitable for immediate consumption to avoid poisoning.
Russell's Intensional Logic of Propositions: A Resurrection of Logicism?

It is well known that Russell’s 1903 Principles of Mathematics conceived of logic as the science of structure (of propositions). The thesis of Logicism, advanced in the work, held that the intuitions of all of non-applied mathematics could be shown to be logical intuitions—intuitions based on the science of propositions. Logicism, of course, died at Russell’s own hands. Valiant as it was, the ramified type-theory of the 1910 Principia Mathematica did not salvage Logicism from Russell’s paradoxes (of classes and predication). The system offers no genuine “solution” of the paradoxes. It requires an infinity axiom and an axiom (schema) of reducibility—neither of which can be counted as truths of logic.
Effect of injection rate on contrast-enhanced MR angiography image quality: Modulation transfer function analysis

Purpose Contrast-enhanced (CE)-MRA optimization involves interactions of sequence duration, bolus timing, contrast recirculation, and both R1 relaxivity and R2*-related reduction of signal. Prior data suggest superior image quality with slower gadolinium injection rates than typically used. Methods A computer-based model of CE-MRA was developed, with contrast injection, physiologic, and image acquisition parameters varied over a wide gamut. Gadolinium concentration was derived using Verhoeven's model with recirculation, R1 and R2* calculated at each time point, and modulation transfer curves used to determine injection rates, resulting in optimal resolution and image contrast for renal and carotid artery CE-MRA. Validation was via a vessel stenosis phantom and example patients who underwent carotid CE-MRA with low effective injection rates. Results Optimal resolution for renal and carotid CE-MRA is achieved with injection rates between 0.5 to 0.9 mL/s and 0.2 to 0.3 mL/s, respectively, dependent on contrast volume. Optimal image contrast requires slightly faster injection rates. Expected signal-to-noise ratio varies with both contrast volume and cardiac output. Simulated vessel phantom and clinical carotid CE-MRA exams at an effective contrast injection rate of 0.4 to 0.5 mL/s demonstrate increased resolution. Conclusion Optimal image resolution is achieved at intuitively low, effective injection rates (0.2–0.9 mL/s, dependent on imaging parameters and contrast injection volume). Magn Reson Med 78:357–369, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Cave Dwellers in the Middle East

Caves in the semi-arid climate of the Middle East have preserved a record of early humans dating back at least 400,000 years. Sequences of occupation can be traced from these early occupations to historic times. Environmental information is conveyed by the presence of macro- and microfaunal remains—particularly the latter. Plant remains, an additional environmental indicator, are scarce, although microbotanical remains such as pollen and phytoliths can be found. Phytoliths tend to be better preserved and abundant and provide insights not only about past local and regional conditions but also about human activities, such as the gathering of plants for fuel, bedding, and food. Burials have been found of both archaic modern humans and Asian Neanderthals.
Laser thermal therapy monitoring using complex differential variance in optical coherence tomography.

Conventional thermal therapy monitoring techniques based on temperature are often invasive, limited by point sampling, and are indirect measures of tissue injury, while techniques such as magnetic resonance and ultrasound thermometry are limited by their spatial resolution. The visualization of the thermal coagulation zone at high spatial resolution is particularly critical to the precise delivery of thermal energy to epithelial lesions. In this work, an integrated thulium laser thermal therapy monitoring system was developed based on complex differential variance (CDV), which enables the 2D visualization of the dynamics of the thermal coagulation process at high spatial and temporal resolution with an optical frequency domain imaging system. With proper calibration to correct for noise, the CDV-based technique was shown to accurately delineate the thermal coagulation zone, which is marked by the transition from high CDV upon heating to a significantly reduced CDV once the tissue is coagulated, in 3 different tissue types ex vivo: skin, retina, and esophagus. The ability to delineate thermal lesions in multiple tissue types at high resolution opens up the possibility of performing microscopic image-guided procedures in a vast array of epithelial applications ranging from dermatology, ophthalmology, to gastroenterology and beyond.
Biomechanical Testing of the Intact and Surgically Treated Spine

The spine is a complex anatomic structure comprising a long and articulated column that exhibits substantial range of motion and distinct differences in its three regions: the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spines. The primary biomechanical functions of the spinal column are to facilitate physiologic movement of the head and trunk, and to bear the loads from activities of daily living and protect the neural tissues. As such, the largest spinal motion occurs in the cervical region, while the axial compressive strength progressively increases in a cranial to caudal direction. Structural components that contribute to the biomechanical functions include vertebrae, intervertebral discs, facet joints, and spinal ligaments. There are six degrees of freedom at an intervertebral joint: rotations in the sagittal, frontal, and axial planes, as well as translations along the axis of these planes. Understanding biomechanics of the spine is an important aspect in managing diseases and injuries to the spine and restoring its normal function. Therefore, this chapter explains how to perform biomechanical testing of the spine, as well as how to analyze, report, and interpret results.
Clinical value of video-EEG on adrenocorticotrophic hormone therapy for infantile spasms

Objective To analyse the value of video-EEG (VEEG) in the infantile spasms (IS)children treated with adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). Methods The clinical data of 65 children with IS in our hospital from Jan 2005 to Dec 2009 were collected and the characteristics of VEEG were analyzed before and after treated with ACTH. Results All the 65 cases appeared hypsarrhythmia in the interphase before treated with ACTH. Cluster spasms and the characteristics of VEEG were recorded. After treated with ACTH,40 of 65 cases (61.5%) with epileptic seizure were controlled,in whom 27 cases (67.5% ,27/40)with hypsarrhythmia disappeared or improved obviously. The other 25 of 65 cases (38.5%) with epileptic seizure were uncontrolled,in whom only 5 cases (20. 0% ,5/25) with hypsarrhythmia disappeared. The rate of hypsarrhythmia disappeared or improved was significantly different between the epileptic seizure controlled and uncontrolled children (x2 = 13. 888, P ＜ 0. 000). Conclusion VEEG is not only important to make a definite diagnosis for IS,but also can provide an evidence in evaluating the effect of ACTH in IS children. Key words: Adrenocorticotrophic hormone; Infantile spasms; Video-EEG; Infant
The Rule of St. Benedict and Modern Liberal Authority

In this paper I examine the sixth century Rule of St. Benedict , and argue that the authority structure of Benedictine communities as described in that document satisfies well-known principles of authority defended by Joseph Raz. This should lead us to doubt the common assumption that pre-modern models of authority violate the modern ideal of the autonomy of the self. I suggest that what distinguishes modern liberal authority from Benedictine authority is not the principles that justify it, but rather the first order beliefs for the sake of which authority is sought by the individual, and the degree of trust between the authority and the subject.
Chapter 49 New developments in the economic analysis of retirement

The world's population is living longer but retiring earlier, and vast numbers of adults now spend as much as a third of their lifetimes relying on public and private retirement benefits. Consequently, labor economists are deeply interested in the forces driving retirement behavior, seeking to understand why people leave their jobs at young ages, how employers respond to an aging workforce, how government programs often induce job-leaving, and the economic consequences of retirement for individuals and society. This chapter examines new developments in retirement economics, focusing first on retirement trends and retiree wellbeing. We next turn to theoretical developments in the retirement literature where new models have enriched our understanding of the role of worker heterogeneity and uncertainty about health and productivity shocks. Lastly, we review some of the lessons that may drawn from the empirical analysis of retirement patterns undertaken over the last decade, showing how natural experiments and exciting new longitudinal datasets afford new opportunities to learn about the demand for and supply of older workers. We conclude that future researchers would do well to explore how retirement decisions are made in a household context, and to integrate saving as well as consumption in the labor supply decision. In addition we argue that much remains to be learned about how workers form expectations regarding their future retirement wellbeing, and about how they adapt when expectations need to be adjusted due to changes in economic, health, family, and other circumstances.
Importance of Recommendation Policy Space in Addressing Click Sparsity in Personalized Advertisement Display

We study a specific case of personalized advertisement recommendation (PAR) problem, which consist of a user visiting a system (website) and the system displaying one of K ads to the user. The system uses an internal ad recommendation policy to map the user’s profile (context) to one of the ads. The user either clicks or ignores the ad and correspondingly, the system updates its recommendation policy. The policy space in large scale PAR systems are generally based on classifiers. A practical problem in PAR is extreme click sparsity, due to very few users actually clicking on ads. We systematically study the drawback of using classifier-based policies, in face of extreme click sparsity. We then suggest an alternate policy, based on rankers, learnt by optimizing the Area Under the Curve (AUC) ranking loss, which can significantly alleviate the problem of click sparsity. We create deterministic and stochastic policy spaces and conduct extensive experiments on public and proprietary datasets to illustrate the improvement in click-through-rate (CTR) obtained by using the ranker-based policy over classifier-based policy.
Spectroscopic and computational studies of reversible O2 binding by a cobalt complex of relevance to cysteine dioxygenase

The substitution of non-native metal ions into metalloenzyme active sites is a common strategy for gaining insights into enzymatic structure and function. For some nonheme iron dioxygenases, replacement of the Fe(II) center with a redox-active, divalent transition metal (e.g., Mn, Co, Ni, Cu) gives rise to an enzyme with equal or greater activity than the wild-type enzyme. In this manuscript, we apply this metal-substitution approach to synthetic models of the enzyme cysteine dioxygenase (CDO). CDO is a nonheme iron dioxygenase that initiates the catabolism of L-cysteine by converting this amino acid to the corresponding sulfinic acid. Two mononuclear Co(II) complexes (3 and 4) have been prepared with the general formula [Co2+(TpR2)(CysOEt)] (R = Ph (3) or Me (4); TpR2 = hydrotris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate substituted with R-groups at the 3- and 5-positions, and CysOEt is the anion of L-cysteine ethyl ester). These Co(II) complexes mimic the active-site structure of substrate-bound CDO and are analogous to functional iron-based CDO models previously reported in the literature. Characterization with X-ray crystallography and/or 1H NMR spectroscopy revealed that 3 and 4 possess five-coordinate structures featuring facially-coordinating TpR2 and S,N-bidentate CysOEt ligands. The electronic properties of these high-spin (S = 3/2) complexes were interrogated with UV-visible absorption and X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The air-stable nature of complex 3 replicates the inactivity of cobalt-substituted CDO. In contrast, complex 4 reversibly binds O2 at reduced temperatures to yield an orange chromophore (4-O2). Spectroscopic (EPR, resonance Raman) and computational (density functional theory, DFT) analyses indicate that 4-O2 is a S = 1/2 species featuring a low-spin Co(III) center bound to an end-on (η1) superoxo ligand. DFT calculations were used to evaluate the energetics of key steps in the reaction mechanism. Collectively, these results have elucidated the role of electronic factors (e.g., spin-state, d-electron count, metal–ligand covalency) in facilitating O2 activation and S-dioxygenation in CDO and related models.
Towards using nanoelectrospray for evaporative heat transfer enhancement

For a number of demanding applications, the performance of electronic devices is hampered by the inability to remove generated heat at a sufficient rate to increase transistor density or operating frequency without exceeding thermal limits. Two-phase cooling, in particular thin film evaporation, exploits the latent heat of phase change to provide an effective means for high heat flux dissipation while keeping device junction temperatures nearly constant over a range of heating loads. Delivering a coolant at a precise location on the heated surface and forming a thin film needed for efficient evaporation from a free liquid surface are key requirements for using evaporative cooling for thermal management of spatially non-uniform heat fluxes. The electrospray process enables production and delivery of micro to nanoscale electrically charged droplets towards the heated surface to produce the liquid films, and therefore it has a potential to be a promising method for evaporative cooling. A relatively low power consumption needed to generate the electrospray provides further benefits in terms of energy efficiency as compared to conventional mechanically pumped liquid spray approaches. We report on experimental observations of electrosprayed droplet impingement, coalescence, and film formation on a heated ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) surface acting as an optically transparent heating element, focusing primarily on visualization and mapping of the impacting spray-jet behavior and its impact on the resulting film thickness and shape, which directly affect an expected performance of evaporative cooling.
Ultra-Deep Genomic Sequencing of HCV NS5A Resistance-Associated Substitutions in HCV/HIV Coinfected Patients

The prevalence of naturally occurring HCV-NS5A resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) to DAA drugs might affect the response to treatment in HCV/HIV coinfected subjects. There are limited data on the frequency of HCV-NS5A naturally occurring drug-RAS at baseline in HCV/HIV coinfected patients when ultra-deep sequencing methodologies are applied. HCV-NS5A-RAS were evaluated among 25 subjects in each group. Patients were matched by age, gender, and hepatic fibrosis stage category to control for selection bias. Within subtype 1a, RAS were observed in 28% of HCV monoinfected and 48% of HCV/HIV coinfected subjects. More patients in the HCV/HIV coinfected group had clinically relevant mutations to DAA directed at NS5A. While the clinical significance of this observation may be limited in highly drug adherent populations, some HCV/HIV coinfected persons may be at greater risk of viral resistance if suboptimal dosing occurs.
The role of P50 in tissue oxygen delivery by cell-free oxygen carriers

The concept that the p50 of a cell-free O2 carrier (“blood substitute”) should approximate that of human blood is rooted in the assumption that the p50 is an important determinant of O2 delivery. This assumption is based on antiquated measurements in subjects exposed to hypoxia, for whom a theory was developed that an increase in red cell 2,3-DPG shifts the oxygen equilibrium curve to the right (high p50, low O2 affinity), thereby providing “adaptation” to hypoxia. This concept has been carried over to efforts to pharmacologically raise the p50 of human red cells and to preserve 2,3-DPG concentration in banked blood. More recent measurements in high altitude natives demonstrate that such a right-shift is not critical to adaptation; in fact, a left shift is probably essential to maintain arterial saturation at extreme altitude. Furthermore, evidence of therapeutic benefit from increasing p50 in humans is scant. In the case of cell-free hemoglobin, the mechanisms of O2 transfer to tissue are completely different, such that unless p50 is significantly reduced, O2 oversupply will result, engaging autoregulatory mechanisms that leads to vasoconstriction. A second generation of O2 carriers has been designed with increased O2 affinity, and the suggestion is made that the optimal p50 for cell-free hemoglobin should be approximately that of the target tissue for oxygenation. In the case of highly metabolic tissue such as the myocardium or exercising skeletal muscle, this is in the range of 3–5 mmHg.
Association between Calcium Phosphate and Calcium Oxalate Crystals in the Development of Urinary Stones

Urinary stones consist of crystals and matrix with crystals accounting for up to 98% of the stone weight.1 Calcium oxalate (CaOx) and calcium phosphate (CaP) are the two most common calcific crystals in human urinary stones and usually occur together.2,3,4 Since human urine is not sufficiently supersaturated for homogeneous nucleation of CaOx, suggestions have been made that CaP acts as the substrate for heterogeneous nucleation of CaOx. Such a possibility is investigated in this chapter.
High grade anal dysplasia in visually normal mucosa in homosexual men: seven cases.

Background : Anal cancer and anal human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection are increased in homosexual men. Methods : We screened high risk homosexual men as part of a longitudinal study examining the effect of HIV infection on the risk of development of high grade anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN II, III). Results : We found seven men who had histological evidence of AIN II-III with visually normal findings by anoscopy. Two men were HIV-seronegative, five were HIV-seropositive, and only one of the HIV-seropositive men had a low CD 4 count < 200. Abnormal cytological results seen over follow-up periods of 3 months to 2.5 yr suggest the persistence of visually inapparent anal abnormalities. Two of the men had had small internal warts at earlier examinations, and three of the seven men subsequently developed visually abnormal anal findings. All men had HPV 16 DNA detected at some point. Conclusions : We hypothesize that high grade anal neoplasia may develop deep in the glands and can be detected by cytology before visible lesions are detected even with the aid of a colposcope. However, the implications of finding high grade anal cytology are not known at this time. Natural history studies are ongoing.
Applying Machine-Learning Techniques to Build Self-reported Depression Prediction Models.

KEY POINTSExplored the feasibility of machine-learning techniques to build a self-reported depression prediction model for community-dwelling older adults using a publicly available dataset.Built six prediction models using three machine-learning algorithms (logistic regression, logistic regression
Feeding Preference of Japanese Beetles for Taxa of Birch, Cherry and Crabapple

Abstract Preference of adult Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica Newman) for different species, varieties, and cultivars was compared among 33 crabapple (Malus Mill.), nine cherry (Prunus L.), and n...
Changes in the material properties of the shell during simulated aquatic hibernation in the anoxia-tolerant painted turtle.

ABSTRACT Western painted turtles ( Chrysemys picta bellii ) tolerate anoxic submergence longer than any other tetrapod, surviving more than 170 days at 3°C. This ability is due, in part, to the shell and skeleton simultaneously releasing calcium and magnesium carbonates, and sequestering lactate and H + to prevent lethal decreases in body fluid pH. We evaluated the effects of anoxic submergence at 3°C on various material properties of painted turtle bone after 60, 130 and 167–170 days, and compared them with those of normoxic turtles held at the same temperature for the same time periods. To assess changes in the mechanical properties, beams (4×25 mm) were milled from the plastron and broken in a three-point flexural test. Bone mineral density, CO 2 concentration (a measure of total bone HCO 3 − /CO 3 2− ) and elemental composition were measured using microcomputed tomography, HCO 3 − /CO 3 2− titration and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), respectively. Tissue mineral density of the sampled bone beams was not significantly altered by 167–170 days of aquatic overwintering in anoxic or normoxic water, but bone CO 2 and Mg were depleted in anoxic compared with normoxic turtles. At this time point, the plastron beams from anoxic turtles yielded at stresses that were significantly smaller and strains that were significantly greater than the plastron beams of normoxic turtles. When data from anoxic and normoxic turtles were pooled, plastron beams had a diminished elastic modulus after 167–170 days compared with those of control turtles sampled on day 1, indicating an effect of prolonged housing of the turtles in 3°C water without access to basking sites. There were no changes in the mechanical properties of the plastron beams at any of the earlier time points in either group. We conclude that anoxic hibernation can weaken the painted turtle9s plastron, but likely only after durations that exceed what it might naturally experience. The duration of aquatic overwintering, regardless of oxygenation state, is likely to be an important factor determining the mechanical properties of the turtle shell during spring emergence.
A paradox in the Dreyfus Affair: The curious case of Saint-Georges de Bouhélier:

During the brief flourishing of his literary movement, ‘le naturisme’, in the late 1890s, the young poet Saint-Georges de Bouhelier (1876–1947) became an active and engaged Dreyfusard, despite harb...
Metal-metal quadruple bonds: New frontiers for their kith and kin

The entire range of compounds related to, as weil as including those containing, quadruple bonds between metal atoms is reviewed, briefly and historically, and some prospects for future work are considered.
Adolescent Intermittent Ethanol Increases the Sensitivity to the Reinforcing Properties of Ethanol and the Expression of Select Cholinergic and Dopaminergic Genes within the Posterior Ventral Tegmental Area.

Background Although not legally allowed to consume alcohol, adolescents account for 11% of all alcohol use in the United States and approximately 90% of adolescent intake is in the form of an alcohol binge. The adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) model developed by the NADIA consortium produces binge-like EtOH exposure episodes. The current experiment examined the effects of AIE on the reinforcing properties of EtOH and genetic expression of cholinergic and dopaminergic factors within the posterior ventral tegmental area (pVTA) in Wistar male and female rats and in male alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Methods Rats were exposed to the AIE or water during adolescence, and all testing occurred during adulthood. Wistar control and AIE rats were randomly assigned to groups that self-administered 0 to 200 mg% EtOH. Male P rats self-administered 0 to 100 mg%. Results The data indicated that exposure to AIE in both Wistar male and female rats (and male P rats) resulted in a significant leftward shift in dose-response curve for EtOH self-administration into the pVTA. TaqMan array indicated that AIE exposure had divergent effects on the expression of nicotinic receptors (increased a7, reduction in a4 and a5). There were also sex-specific effects of AIE on gene expression; male only reduction in D3 receptors. Conclusion Binge-like EtOH exposure during adolescence enhances the sensitivity to the reinforcing properties of EtOH during adulthood which could be part of biological sequelae that are the basis for the deleterious effects of adolescent alcohol consumption on the rate of alcoholism during adulthood.
A Review of Application of Deep Learning for Weeds and Crops Classification in Agriculture

Weeds are major cause due to which farmers get poor harvest of crops. Many algorithms are developed to classify weeds from crops to autonomously destroy weeds. Color-based, threshold-based and learning-based techniques are deployed in the past. From all techniques, deep-learning-based techniques stand out by showing the best performances. In this paper, deeplearning-based techniques are reviewed in the case where these are applied for weed detection in agricultural crops. Sunflower, carrot, soybean, sugar beet and maize are reviewed with respect to the weeds present in them. Deep learning structures and parameters are presented, and research Gaps are identified for further research.
Characterization and Comparison of Russian and Chinese Disinformation Campaigns

While substantial research has focused on social bot classification, less computational effort has focused on repeatable bot characterization. Binary classification into “bot” or “not bot” is just the first step in social cybersecurity workflows. Characterizing the malicious actors is the next step. To that end, this paper will characterize data associated with state sponsored manipulation by Russia and the People’s Republic of China. The data studied here was associated with information manipulation by state actors, the accounts were suspended by Twitter and subsequently all associated data was released to the public. Of the multiple data sets that Twitter released, we will focus on the data associated with the Russian Internet Research Agency and the People’s Republic of China. The goal of this paper is to compare and contrast these two important data sets while simultaneously developing repeatable workflows to characterize information operations for social cybersecurity.
An agent-based model of prostate Cancer bone metastasis progression and response to Radium223

Bone metastasis is the most frequent complication in prostate cancer patients and associated outcome remains fatal. Radium223 (Rad223), a bone targeting radioisotope improves overall survival in patients (3.6 months vs. placebo). However, clinical response is often followed by relapse and disease progression, and associated mechanisms of efficacy and resistance are poorly understood. Research efforts to overcome this gap require a substantial investment of time and resources. Computational models, integrated with experimental data, can overcome this limitation and drive research in a more effective fashion. Accordingly, we developed a predictive agent-based model of prostate cancer bone metastasis progression and response to Rad223 as an agile platform to maximize its efficacy. The driving coefficients were calibrated on ad hoc experimental observations retrieved from intravital microscopy and the outcome further validated, in vivo. In this work we offered a detailed description of our data-integrated computational infrastructure, tested its accuracy and robustness, quantified the uncertainty of its driving coefficients, and showed the role of tumor size and distance from bone on Rad223 efficacy. In silico tumor growth, which is strongly driven by its mitotic character as identified by sensitivity analysis, matched in vivo trend with 98.3% confidence. Tumor size determined efficacy of Rad223, with larger lesions insensitive to therapy, while medium- and micro-sized tumors displayed up to 5.02 and 152.28-fold size decrease compared to control-treated tumors, respectively. Eradication events occurred in 65 ± 2% of cases in micro-tumors only. In addition, Rad223 lost any therapeutic effect, also on micro-tumors, for distances bigger than 400 μm from the bone interface. This model has the potential to be further developed to test additional bone targeting agents such as other radiopharmaceuticals or bisphosphonates.
The effect of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on two ecosystem services in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill likely affected ecosystem services in the Gulf of Mexico. To test this hypothesis, we configured a “Ecopath with Ecosim” model and quantified the effects of commercial fisheries and particulate organic carbon (POC) sequestration from 2004 to 2014, encompassing DWH. The yield of five functional groups were used to calculate changes in fishery catch and detritus biomass as a proxy for carbon buried offshore to calculate POC sequestration. The model predicted an estimated loss of $15–16 million per year (−13%) in stone crab fisheries but estimated gains of up to $20 million per year (11%) in the other four groups from 2010 to 2012. Model simulations estimated a loss of $1200 (−0.15%) in the ability of the Northern Gulf of Mexico offshore environment to sequester POC in 2010. The DWH simulation led to an increase in fisheries overall and decrease in POC sequestration ecosystem services in 2010.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health of Adults in the United States: A 20-Year National Health Interview Survey Analysis, 1999-2018

ABSTRACT Importance Thirty-five years ago, the Heckler Report described health disparities among minority populations in the US. Since then, policies have been implemented to address these disparities. However, a recent evaluation of progress towards improving the health and health equity among US adults is lacking. Objectives To evaluate racial/ethnic disparities in the physical and mental health of US adults over the last 2 decades. Design Cross-sectional. Setting National Health Interview Survey data, years 1999–2018. Participants Adults aged 18–85 years. Exposure Race/ethnicity subgroups (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, Hispanic). Main outcome and measures Proportion of adults reporting poor/fair health status, severe psychological distress, functional limitation, and insufficient sleep. We also estimated the gap between non-Hispanic White and the other subgroups for these four outcomes. Results We included 596,355 adults (mean age 46 years, 51.8% women), of which 69.7%, 13.8%, 11.8% and 4.7% identified as non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic Asian, respectively. Between 1999 and 2018, Black individuals fared worse on most measures of health, with 18.7% (95% CI 17.1–20.4) and 41.1% (95% CI 38.7–43.5) reporting poor/fair health and insufficient sleep in 2018 compared with 11.1% (95% CI 10.5– 11.7) and 31.2% (95% CI 30.3–32.1) among White individuals. Notably, between 1999–2018, there was no significant decrease in the gap in poor/fair health status between White individuals and Black (−0.07% per year, 95% CI −0.16–0.01) and Hispanic (−0.03% per year, 95% CI −0.07– 0.02) individuals, and an increase in the gap in sleep between White individuals and Black (+0.2% per year, 95% CI 0.1–0.4) and Hispanic (+0.3% per year, 95% CI 0.1–0.4) individuals. Additionally, there was no significant decrease in adults reporting poor/fair health status and an increase in adults reporting severe psychological distress, functional limitation, and insufficient sleep. Conclusions and Relevance The marked racial/ethnic disparities in health of US adults have not improved over the last 20 years. Moreover, the self-perceived health of US adults worsened during this time. These findings highlight the need to re-examine the initiatives seeking to promote health equity and improve health.
Flow cytometry-based ex vivo murine NK cell cytotoxicity assay.

Summary Direct killing of diseased cells is a hallmark function of NK cells. This protocol describes a flow-based assay to measure in vivo activated murine NK cells’ ability to kill target cells ex vivo. Existing published protocols for assaying ex vivo NK cell killing utilized the radioactive chromium release assay or were designed for human NK cells. This protocol details specifically an ex vivo cytotoxicity assay using primary murine NK cells enriched from splenocytes that were activated in vivo with poly(I:C). For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wagner et al. (2020) .
Human tumor microenvironment chip evaluates the consequences of platelet extravasation and combinatorial antitumor-antiplatelet therapy in ovarian cancer

Platelets extravasate from the circulation into tumor microenvironment, enable metastasis, and confer resistance to chemotherapy in several cancers. Therefore, arresting tumor-platelet cross-talk with effective and atoxic antiplatelet agents in combination with anticancer drugs may serve as an effective cancer treatment strategy. To test this concept, we create an ovarian tumor microenvironment chip (OTME-Chip) that consists of a platelet-perfused tumor microenvironment and which recapitulates platelet extravasation and its consequences. By including gene-edited tumors and RNA sequencing, this organ-on-chip revealed that platelets and tumors interact through glycoprotein VI (GPVI) and tumor galectin-3 under shear. Last, as proof of principle of a clinical trial, we showed that a GPVI inhibitor, Revacept, impairs metastatic potential and improves chemotherapy. Since GPVI is an antithrombotic target that does not impair hemostasis, it represents a safe cancer therapeutic. We propose that OTME-Chip could be deployed to study other vascular and hematological targets in cancer.
Lipid-based and protein-based interactions synergize transmembrane signaling stimulated by antigen clustering of IgE receptors.

Antigen (Ag) crosslinking of immunoglobulin E-receptor (IgE-FceRI) complexes in mast cells stimulates transmembrane (TM) signaling, requiring phosphorylation of the clustered FceRI by lipid-anchored Lyn tyrosine kinase. Previous studies showed that this stimulated coupling between Lyn and FceRI occurs in liquid ordered (Lo)-like nanodomains of the plasma membrane and that Lyn binds directly to cytosolic segments of FceRI that it initially phosphorylates for amplified activity. Net phosphorylation above a nonfunctional threshold is achieved in the stimulated state but not in the resting state, and current evidence supports the hypothesis that this relies on Ag crosslinking to disrupt a balance between Lyn and tyrosine phosphatase activities. However, the structural interactions that underlie the stimulation process remain poorly defined. This study evaluates the relative contributions and functional importance of different types of interactions leading to suprathreshold phosphorylation of Ag-crosslinked IgE-FceRI in live rat basophilic leukemia mast cells. Our high-precision diffusion measurements by imaging fluorescence correlation spectroscopy on multiple structural variants of Lyn and other lipid-anchored probes confirm subtle, stimulated stabilization of the Lo-like nanodomains in the membrane inner leaflet and concomitant sharpening of segregation from liquid disordered (Ld)-like regions. With other structural variants, we determine that lipid-based interactions are essential for access by Lyn, leading to phosphorylation of and protein-based binding to clustered FceRI. By contrast, TM tyrosine phosphatase, PTPα, is excluded from these regions due to its Ld-preference and steric exclusion of TM segments. Overall, we establish a synergy of lipid-based, protein-based, and steric interactions underlying functional TM signaling in mast cells.
White Ecclesiology: The Identity of the Church in the Statements on Racism by United States Catholic Bishops:

The latest United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document on racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, prompted numerous criticisms. This article argues that US Catholic bishops’ statements on racism f...
Hemodynamic Effects of Ketamine Compared With Propofol or Dexmedetomidine as Continuous ICU Sedation.

BACKGROUND Ketamine has seen increased use for sedation in the intensive care unit. In contrast to propofol or dexmedetomidine, ketamine may provide a positive effect on hemodynamics. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to compare the development of clinically significant hypotension or bradycardia (ie, negative hemodynamic event) between critically ill adults receiving sedation with ketamine and either propofol or dexmedetomidine. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of adults admitted to an intensive care unit at an academic medical center between January 2016 and January 2021. RESULTS Patients in the ketamine group (n = 78) had significantly less clinically significant hypotension or bradycardia compared with those receiving propofol or dexmedetomidine (n = 156) (34.6% vs 63.5%; P < 0.001). Patients receiving ketamine also experienced smaller degree of hypotension observed by percent decrease in mean arterial pressure (25.3% [17.4] vs 33.8% [14.5]; P < 0.001) and absolute reduction in systolic blood pressure (26.5 [23.8] vs 42.0 [37.8] mm Hg; P < 0.001) and bradycardia (15.5 [24.3] vs 32.0 [23.0] reduction in beats per minute; P < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression modeling, receipt of propofol or dexmedetomidine was the only independent predictor of a negative hemodynamic event (odds ratio [OR]: 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 6.1; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE Ketamine was associated with less clinically relevant hypotension or bradycardia when compared with propofol or dexmedetomidine, in addition to a smaller absolute decrease in hemodynamic parameters. The clinical significance of these findings requires further investigation.
Geomorphic impacts of Hurricane Florence on the lower Neuse River: Portents and particulars

Abstract In September 2018 Hurricane Florence had severe impacts on the lower Neuse River and Neuse estuary, North Carolina, despite the fact that it was a minor storm in terms of traditional indicators of storm intensity. The storm was consistent with recent trends and predictions of tropical cyclone activity driven by Anthropocene climate warming. However, its impacts in the Neuse area were also conditioned by idiosyncratic aspects of the geographic setting and the synoptic situation. Geomorphic changes examined here include erosion of estuarine shoreline bluffs, geomorphic transformations of small freshwater swamps, and effects on the river and floodplain upstream of the estuary. The shoreline changes caused by Florence were unique with respect to previous tropical cyclones and ongoing episodic erosion, due to the extraordinarily high and unusually long duration of storm surge. Transformations of the “ravine swamps”—mainly associated with deposition of >0.6 m of sand on organic muck and open water surfaces—were similarly unprecedented. Despite high river discharges (third highest on record) and the high storm surge, fluvial impacts in the lower river and fluvial-estuarine transition zone were minimal. This is attributable to the morphology of the channel-floodplain system, adapted to Holocene sea-level rise and preserved by wetlands protection programs. The large area of the storm, slow forward movement, and extreme rainfall of Florence are likely indicative of a “new normal” with respect to tropical cyclones in the region. However, the geomorphic impacts in the lower Neuse were largely determined by particulars of the Neuse estuary and Florence's storm track. An exception is the limited impacts on the lower fluvial portion of the river and the fluvial-estuarine transition zone, where there exists a complex mosaic of channels and flowing wetlands capable of accommodating extreme discharges.
A SUMMARY OF AFRICAN HOLDINGS AND AFRICAN RESEARCH OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HERPETOLOGY, CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

African holdings of amphibians and reptiles in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) comprise 21058 specimens in 38 families from 49 countries. A bibliography of publications o...
Abstract 3877: Evolution of cancer stem cells in glioma to promote their therapy-resistant phenotype

High grade glioma (HGG) is a life-threatening brain tumor. Among heterogeneous tumor cells, glioma stem cells (GSCs) are defined as a subpopulation resistant to chemo- and radiotherapy with prominent tumorigenic ability. Identification of novel therapeutics designed to target the GSC population in HGGs is a challenge. The recent genome-wide transcriptome analysis identified 3 subtypes, proneural (PN), proliferative, and mesenchymal (MES), in HGGs. These HGG subtypes harbor distinct gene signatures and altered signaling pathways with some clinical relevance. During malignant transformation, HGGs appear to gain therapy resistance, at least in part, through their phenotypic drift into mesenchymal tumors. In addition, some of the current therapies, if not all, appear to induce mesenchymal transformation of HGGs resulting in more therapy-resistant tumors. Nonetheless, identification of subtype-specific GSCs remains elusive. My lab recently identified clinical HGG sample-derived two mutually-exclusive GSCs: PN and MES GSCs with striking phenotypic differences with clinical relevance (Mao et al., PNAS 2013). Transcritpome microarray analysis, miRNA profiling, and subsequent functional analysis demonstrated that distinct signaling pathways regulate tumorigenesis and propagation of the individual GSC subtypes. For example, PN GSCs are dependent on the oncogenic transcription factor c-Myb (Miyazaki et al., Clinical Cancer Res. 2012) and MES GSCs are dependent on the oncogene/mitotic kinase MELK and Survivin (Guvenc et al., Clinical Cancer Res. 2012; Gu et al., Stem Cells 2013; Joshi et al., Stem Cells 2013). Intriguingly, upon radiation treatment, PN GSCs gain the phenotypes of MES GSCs (PN-to-MES transformation; PMT), which are much more aggressive and radioresistant than original PN GSCs. Of note, targeting the MES-specific pathways partially blocks PMT of GSCs. These results may patially explain the molecular mechanisms underlying mesenchymal transformation of HGGs to promote therapy resistance. Here I summarize our latest data to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that drive GSC evolution to promote their therapy resistant phenotype. Citation Format: Ichiro Nakano. Evolution of cancer stem cells in glioma to promote their therapy-resistant phenotype. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3877. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3877
Transport in an Infinite Medium

This chapter develops some general ideas about the movement of solutes in solution. Two important mechanisms are drift, when solute molecules are dragged along by flowing solvent, and diffusion, the random motion of solute particles. Fick’s first and second laws of diffusion are derived, and the diffusion constant is related to the viscosity of the fluid. Solutions to the diffusion equation are analyzed in several cases of biological importance, including steady-state diffusion through pores in a membrane. We present a simple model illustrating what happens when drift and diffusion are both important. The chapter ends with a microscopic view of diffusion.
Why Ask, ‘Why?’? An Inquiry Concerning Scientific Explanation

[In ‘The Philosophy of Hans Reichenbach’ (above), I remarked upon the fertility of his posthumous work, The Direction of Time, especially its fourth chapter, which deals with the causal and statistical relations among macrophenomena. I emphasized the value of his ideas in connection with the explication of scientific explanation — in particular, their potential utility for purposes of developing a full-blown theory of causal explanation. Since that article was written, I have been devoting considerable attention to just such issues, and I feel that my hopes have been —at least to some extent — vindicated.
Octree pruning for variable-resolution isosurfaces

Cell-based polygonal isosurface generation is a common and useful technique for visualizing sampled scalar fields. Typically, however, the number of polygons in the surface model can become quite large as the size of the data set increases. In this paper, we present octree pruning techniques designed to compress the isosurface model while maintaining an accurate representation. We show results for several data sets, and demonstrate speed improvements of over two orders of magnitude over our previous results. A key feature of this work is the use of a volumetric error criterion to quantify model accuracy.