cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3547: B cell receptor signaling regulates cellular metabolism in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Peripheral blood B cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are quiescent, yet have an active RNA transcription and protein translation processes, suggesting that these malignant lymphocytes may be metabolically active. However, CLL metabolism and its relationship to disease biology has not been well-explored. In our previous investigation, we reported that compared with proliferative B-cell lines, metabolic fluxes of oxygen and lactate were low in quiescent peripheral blood B lymphocytes from CLL patients (Vangapandu, H.V. et al, AACR 2014). In 45 patient samples tested, glycolysis (extracellular acidification rate, ECAR) was consistently low (1 to 15 mpH/min/5 x 105 lymphocytes), whereas, oxygen consumption rate (OCR) varied considerably (5 to 190 pMoles/min/5 x 105 lymphocytes). Among the prognostic factors, high OCR correlated strongly with ZAP 70 positivity, unmutated IGHV status, greater β2M levels and higher Rai stage. In contrast, glycolytic flux (ECAR) from same patient samples did not associate with prognostic factors. Further, OCR did not vary on the basis of frequently occurring cytogenetic abnormalities, 13q14, 17p, and 11q deletions or trisomy 12. Since, ZAP 70 and IGHV unmutated status are associated with augmented B-cell receptor (BCR) pathway signaling, we tested the impact on OCR after genetic ablation of B-cell receptor (CH2 region of IgM). A CRISPR-Cas9-mediated BCR knockout mitigated OCR in a malignant B cell line without impacting the rate of proliferation. A critical node in the BCR pathway is PI3 Kinase and PI3K isoforms, δ and γ are involved in B-cell malignancies. Consistent with BCR ablation results, knocking out PIK3CD (codes for catalytic subunit δ), dramatically reduced OCR and ECAR. Pharmacological inhibitors of the PI3K pathway, duvelisib (a PI3K δ/γ inhibitor in phase III clinical trials) or idelalisib (FDA approved PI3K δ inhibitor) also decreased OCR. Direct inhibition of AKT with MK-2206 showed similar results. Collectively, these data suggest that CLL cellular metabolism is associated with prognostic factors and linked to BCR signaling pathway. Since, the PI3K inhibitors used in our study are being tested clinically for patients with CLL, investigations on the impact on metabolomics during therapy and translation of results to combination strategies need to be explored. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Hima V. Vangapandu, Ondrej Havranek, William G. Wierda, Michael J. Keating, Richard Eric Davis, Christine M. Stellrecht, Varsha Gandhi. B cell receptor signaling regulates cellular metabolism in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3547. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3547
After Non-Euclidean Geometry: Intuition, Truth and the Autonomy of Mathematics

The mathematical developments of the 19th century seemed to undermine Kant’s philosophy. Non-Euclidean geometries challenged Kant’s view that there is a spatial intuition rich enough to yield the truth of Euclidean geometry. Similarly, advancements in algebra challenged the view that temporal intuition provides a foundation for both it and arithmetic. Mathematics seemed increasingly detached from experience as well as its form; moreover, with advances in symbolic logic, mathematical inference also seemed independent of intuition. This paper considers various philosophical responses to these changes, focusing on the idea of modifying Kant’s conception of intuition in order to accommodate the increasing abstractness of mathematics. It is argued that far from clinging to an outdated paradigm, programs based on new conceptions of intuition should be seen as motivated by important philosophical desiderata, such as the truth, apriority, distinctiveness and autonomy of mathematics.
Stable Radical Materials for Energy Applications

Although less studied than their closed-shell counterparts, materials containing stable open-shell chemistries have played a key role in many energy storage and energy conversion devices. In particular, the oxidation-reduction (redox) properties of these stable radicals have made them a substantial contributor to the progress of organic batteries. Moreover, the use of radical-based materials in photovoltaic devices and thermoelectric systems has allowed for these emerging molecules to have impacts in the energy conversion realm. Additionally, the unique doublet states of radical-based materials provide access to otherwise inaccessible spin states in optoelectronic devices, offering many new opportunities for efficient usage of energy in light-emitting devices. Here, we review the current state of the art regarding the molecular design, synthesis, and application of stable radicals in these energy-related applications. Finally, we point to fundamental and applied arenas of future promise for these designer open-shell molecules, which have only just begun to be evaluated in full.
Apps to increase student engagement: a case of textiles and apparel sustainability education

ABSTRACTToday’s college students prefer logic-based and experiential learning in a hands-on setting. Research shows that engaged learning can help students learn more about sustainability and transfer it into their lives. Therefore, the present study used the industry app, Making, from Nike to create an engaged learning activity for students to evaluate the environmental impact of material inputs in garment. Students completed the activity without the app and then with use of Making. A comparison of student performance found that students could more accurately evaluate the environmental impact of products and create more environmentally friendly ‘hypothetical’ products when using the app. Students perceived that the app was useful for evaluating textile materials and products and could be a useful tool for industry professionals and consumers.
Understanding User Profiles on Social Media for Fake News Detection

Consuming news from social media is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. Social media brings benefits to users due to the inherent nature of fast dissemination, cheap cost, and easy access. However, the quality of news is considered lower than traditional news outlets, resulting in large amounts of fake news. Detecting fake news becomes very important and is attracting increasing attention due to the detrimental effects on individuals and the society. The performance of detecting fake news only from content is generally not satisfactory, and it is suggested to incorporate user social engagements as auxiliary information to improve fake news detection. Thus it necessitates an in-depth understanding of the correlation between user profiles on social media and fake news. In this paper, we construct real-world datasets measuring users trust level on fake news and select representative groups of both “experienced” users who are able to recognize fake news items as false and “naive” users who are more likely to believe fake news. We perform a comparative analysis over explicit and implicit profile features between these user groups, which reveals their potential to differentiate fake news. The findings of this paper lay the foundation for future automatic fake news detection research.
Statistical Methods Mining, Two Sample Data Analysis, Comparison Distributions, and Quantile Limit Theorems

Publisher Summary This paper proposes a map (coordinate system) of statistical methods, whose aim is to provide a vision of specific methods without learning their details. The paper proposes this framework to motivate methods for modeling two samples, and testing their homogeneity, based on comparison distribution functions, quantile limit theorems, and comparison density functions. Theory is developed to be applicable to both uncensored and censored data. It propagates that help is needed in the application of methods of probability and statistics to the emerging field of data mining, which seeks to extract information from, and identify models for data (possibly massive). It proposes the term “statistical methods mining” to describe the process of applying (and describing the location of one's research within) the virtual encyclopedia of statistical knowledge. It proposes to publicize research by using various frameworks and maps of the world of statistical knowledge.
Development of CD4+ Effector T Cells and Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases

The mechanisms by which naive helper T cells differentiate into potent cytokine-expressing effectors remain critical to understanding both successful and aberrant immune responses. Studies using Leishmania major infection of mice have revealed genetic contributions to factors that influence this differentiative process. Further, antigen recognition at the level of the T cell repertoire can also profoundly affect the outcome of disease and the appearance of discrete T cell subsets. It is likely that such mechanisms also underpin genetic susceptibility to diverse other infectious and autoimmune diseases.
Topics in the History of Order Statistics

The term “order statistics” was introduced only in 1942, by Wilks. However, the subject is much older, astronomers having long been interested in estimates of location beyond the sample mean. By early in the nineteenth century measures considered included the median, symmetrically trimmed means, the midrange, and related functions of order statistics. In 1818, Laplace obtained (essentially) the distribution of the rth-order statistic in random samples and also derived a condition on the parent density under which the median is asymptotically more efficient than the mean. Other topics considered are of more recent origin: extreme-value theory and the estimation of location and scale parameters by order statistics.
Bulk viscosity as a source of inflationary cosmology

By considering a homogeneous and isotropic universe with matter admitting a bulk viscosity coeficient depending on the energy density, curvature squared and the energy density times the curvature squared we study the spectrum of allowed inflationary cosmologies when all these effects are present simultaneously. We also demonstrate that when the equation of state for matter violates the dominant energy condition inflation is never possible unless the bulk viscosity coefficient admits negative contributions from the above mentioned effects.
A Revision of Thenardia H.B.K. (Apocynaceae, Apocynoideae)

Abstract: A revision of the Mexican genus Thenardia H.B.K. is presented. Three species are here recognized: T. chiapensis J. K. Williams, T. floribunda H.B.K., and T. galeottiana Baillon. A complete account of synonymy, and typification is provided, as well as a key to species, photographs of types and pollen, and a distribution map of the species.
A structural view of the initiators for chromosome replication.

Propagation of genetic material is central to the survival and fitness of multicellular organisms. To efficiently duplicate eukaryotic genomes of sizes between ~107 bp (yeast) to ~1011 bp (plants), replication initiates from multiple start sites called “replication origins” distributed on multiple chromosomes [1]. This strategy imposes a need for cellular controls to ensure complete DNA replication while also preventing re-replication, which can cause genomic instability, leading to developmental diseases (e.g. Meier-Gorlin Syndrome) and cancer [2,3]. Once-per-cell-cycle replication requires the oscillation of cyclin-dependent-kinases (CDKs) and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis activities [4], establishing two discrete time periods during which origin licensing (assembly of replicative helicases onto origins) and origin firing (activation of helicases) occur in a mutually exclusive manner. Recent progress in acquiring structural information on origin licensing has advanced our mechanistic understanding and regulation of this process. This review discusses current knowledge of origin licensing and compares the origin recognition machinery with other multi-subunit, ATP-driven cellular motors that are required for later stages of DNA replication.
BOTVEILLANCE: A Vehicular Botnet Surveillance Attack against Pseudonymous Systems in VANETs

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) use inter-vehicle communications to improve traffic safety by broadcasting information such as vehicle speed, location and heading to other vehicles. This approach depends on each vehicle advertising its location information. Since the pseudonyms (identifiers) of the vehicles are also broadcast, attackers can track any vehicle of interest, violating privacy of the drivers. The most widely accepted defense is continuous pseudonym updates. We present BOTVEILLANCE, an adaptive cooperative surveillance attack by vehicular botnets—effective even against the best existing pseudonym changing scheme. It is the first long-range global-scale surveillance attack that is solely performed by vehicles themselves without depending on any additional hardware. Since we use our vehicular bots, our surveillance attack is not confined to a specific area. We show via simulation that our attack can keep a vehicle under surveillance up to 85 percent of its route, and identify its destination address 90 percent of the time.
A machine vision platform for measuring imbibition of maize kernels: quantification of genetic effects and correlations with germination

Imbibition (uptake of water by a dry seed) initiates the germination process. An automated method for quantifying imbibition would enable research on the genetic elements that influence the underlying hydraulic and biochemical processes. In the case of crop research, a high throughput imbibition assay could be used to investigate seed quality topics or to improve yield by selecting varieties with superior germination characteristics. An electronic force transducer measured imbibition of single maize kernels with very high resolution but low throughput. An image analysis method was devised to achieve high throughput and sufficient resolution. A transparent fixture held 90 maize kernels in contact with water on the imaging window of a flatbed document scanner that produced an image of the kernels automatically every 10 min for 22 h. Custom image analysis software measured the area A of each indexed kernel in each image to produce imbibition time courses. The ultimate change in area (ΔA) ranged from 19.3 to 23.4% in a population of 72 hybrids derived from 9 inbred parents. Kernel area as a function of time was fit well by $$A\left( t \right) = A_{f} \left( {1 - e^{ - kt} } \right)$$ where Af is the final kernel area. The swelling coefficient, k, ranged from 0.098 to 0.159 h−1 across the genotypes. The full diallel structure of the population enabled maternal genotype effects to be assessed. In a separate experiment, measurements of kernels of the same 25 inbreds produced in three different years demonstrated that production and storage variables affected imbibition much less than genotype. In a third experiment, measurements of 30 diverse inbred lines showed that k varied inversely with germination time (r = − 0.7) and directly with germination percentage (r = 0.7). Nonspecialized imaging hardware and custom analysis software running on public cyber infrastructure form a low-cost platform for measuring seed imbibition with high resolution and throughput. We measured imbibition of thousands of kernels to determine that genotype influenced imbibition of maize kernels much more than seed production and storage environments. In some hybrids, k depended on which inbred parent was maternal. Quantitative relationships between k and germination traits were discovered.
Maternal Behavior and Design of the Maternity Pen

Labor is likely a painful and stressful experience for dairy cows. Understanding maternal behavior can help inform the design of maternity pens that best accommodate the cow. The maternity pen should provide the cow an opportunity to seclude from other cows and barn activity. It should also be well-bedded, dry, and cleaned regularly to create a comfortable environment and minimize the spread of pathogens to the cow and her calf. Management of the maternity pen should aim to reduce environmental and social stressors to encourage a smooth transition for cows into the lactating herd.
The place of the visual in psychoanalytic practice by Faye Carey

Faye Carey’s The Place of the Visual in Psychoanalytic Practice is a methodical and polemical effort to make the case for the value of listening and thinking visually in the practice of psychoanaly...
Hormonal Contraceptives, Intrauterine Devices, Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Analogues and Testosterone: Menstrual Suppression in Special Adolescent Populations

Menstrual suppression (the use of hormonal contraceptive methods to eliminate or significantly decrease the frequency of menstrual cycles) is frequently used in the adolescent population for the management of menstrual symptoms such as heavy or painful periods, premenstrual syndrome, menstrual migraines, or even for patient preference. However, in cases of menstrual suppression in special populations additional risks and benefits need to be considered. The purpose of this article is to review the options and medical considerations for menstrual suppression in patients undergoing chemotherapy who might be at risk of abnormal uterine bleeding, those with intellectual or physical disability, and transgender and gender nonbinary individuals.
Lactate as a key metabolic intermediate in cancer

In 1985, George Brooks proposed the “Lactate Shuttle” (1), subsequently labeled the “Cell-Cell Lactate Shuttle” (2-4). In that initial treatise, relying largely on the use of isotopic tracers, he proposed a new concept for lactate (La − ) as a central player in metabolism during both rest and exercise.
High-affinity free ubiquitin sensors for quantifying ubiquitin homeostasis and deubiquitination

Ubiquitin (Ub) conjugation is an essential post-translational modification that affects nearly all proteins in eukaryotes. The functions and mechanisms of ubiquitination are areas of extensive study, and yet the dynamics and regulation of even free (that is, unconjugated) Ub are poorly understood. A major impediment has been the lack of simple and robust techniques to quantify Ub levels in cells and to monitor Ub release from conjugates. Here, we describe avidity-based fluorescent sensors that address this need. The sensors bind specifically to free Ub, have dissociation constant Kd values down to 60 pM and, together with a newly developed workflow, allow us to distinguish and quantify the pools of free, protein-conjugated and thioesterified forms of Ub from cell lysates. Alternatively, free Ub in fixed cells can be visualized microscopically by staining with a sensor. Real-time assays using the sensors afford unprecedented flexibility and precision to measure deubiquitination of virtually any (poly)Ub conjugate. High-affinity sensors for free ubiquitin can be used to quantify intracellular ubiquitin pools, visualize ubiquitin levels by microscopy of fixed cells and enable real-time deubiquitination assays of diverse ubiquitin–protein conjugates.
Between Street and Shelter: Seclusion, Exclusion, and the Neutralization of Poverty

On any given night, hundreds of thousands of Americans find themselves without a home and residing either outside on the streets or inside in a shelter. This chapter examines the dynamic connection between these two primary spaces of homeless seclusion in the US metropolis through a case study of San Francisco. The chapter draws on an enactive ethnography living alongside those on the streets and in shelters, and an ethnography of the bureaucratic field. The chapter builds on and extends Wacquant’s underutilized conception of socio-spatial seclusion (2010) to elaborate how state regulations of physical space (shelter/street) work in consort to (re)produce distinctions in social space (deserving/undeserving) that both fuels inequality from below and displaces the role of the state.
Compressed Sensing Microscopy with Scanning Line Probes.

In applications of scanning probe microscopy, images are acquired by raster scanning a point probe across a sample. Viewed from the perspective of compressed sensing (CS), this pointwise sampling scheme is inefficient, especially when the target image is structured. While replacing point measurements with delocalized, incoherent measurements has the potential to yield order-of-magnitude improvements in scan time, implementing the delocalized measurements of CS theory is challenging. In this paper we study a partially delocalized probe construction, in which the point probe is replaced with a continuous line, creating a sensor which essentially acquires line integrals of the target image. We show through simulations, rudimentary theoretical analysis, and experiments, that these line measurements can image sparse samples far more efficiently than traditional point measurements, provided the local features in the sample are enough separated. Despite this promise, practical reconstruction from line measurements poses additional difficulties: the measurements are partially coherent, and real measurements exhibit nonidealities. We show how to overcome these limitations using natural strategies (reweighting to cope with coherence, blind calibration for nonidealities), culminating in an end-to-end demonstration.
Patient-Centric Scheduling With the Implementation of Health Information Technology to Improve the Patient Experience and Access to Care: Retrospective Case-Control Analysis.

Background: Cancellations and rescheduling of doctor’s appointments are common. An automated rescheduling system has the potential to facilitate the rescheduling process so that newly opened slots are promptly filled by patients who need and can take the slot. Building on an existing online patient portal, a large health care system adopted an automated rescheduling system, Fast Pass, that sends out an earlier appointment offer to patients via email or SMS text messaging and allows patients to reschedule their appointment through the online portal. Objective: We examined the uptake of Fast Pass at its early stage of implementation. We assessed program features and patient and visit characteristics associated with higher levels of Fast Pass utilization and the association between Fast Pass use and no-show and cancellation rates. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of Fast Pass offers sent between July and December 2018. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the independent contribution of program, patient, and visit characteristics on the likelihood of accepting an offer. We then assessed the appointment outcome (completion, cancellation, or no-show) of Fast Pass offered appointments compared to appointments with the same patient and visit characteristics, but without an offer. Results: Of 177,311 Fast Pass offers sent, 14,717 (8.3%) were accepted. Overall, there was a 1.3 percentage point (38%) reduction in no-show rates among Fast Pass accepted appointments compared to other appointments with matching characteristics (P<.001). The offers were more likely to be accepted if they were sent in the evening (versus early morning), the first (versus repeated) offer for the same appointment, for a slot 1-31 days ahead (versus same-day), for later in a day (versus before 10am), for a primary care (versus specialty) visit, sent via SMS text messaging (versus email only), for an appointment made through the online patient portal (versus via phone call or in-person), or for younger adults aged 18-49 years (versus those aged 65 years or older; all at P<.001). Factors negatively associated with offer acceptance were a higher number of comorbidities (P=.02) and visits scheduled for chronic conditions (versus acute conditions only; P=.002). Conclusions: An automated rescheduling system can improve patients’ access by reducing wait times for an appointment, with an added benefit of reducing no-shows by serving as a reminder of an upcoming appointment. Future modifications, such as increasing the adoption of SMS text messaging offers and targeting older adults or patients with complex conditions, may make the system more patient-centered and help promote wider utilization.
Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System for Cyber-Intrusion Detection in a Smart Grid

The evolution of the power grid has brought increasing deployment of advance metering infrastructure, penetration of intelligent electronic devices, and integration of physical power system components with information and communications technologies. With the fast-expanding connectivity, cyber vulnerabilities arise due to the use of internet-based communication systems. These systems are targets of cyber-intrusions which attempt to disturb the normal power system functions. Traditional intrusion detection algorithms have been developed without an explicit model of the cyber components. In this paper, an algorithm to detect false data injections in the power system is proposed considering both cyber and physical models of the power system. The algorithm is based on an Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) which collects information from state variables of the cyber-physical system to meet the performance requirements of the grid. Simulations of the proposed approach using the IEEE 13-bus test system validate the effectiveness of this artificial intelligence-based algorithm.
Oxidation kinetics of biochar from woody and herbaceous biomass

Abstract The goal of this study was to determine oxidation kinetics for biochar produced from fast pyrolysis of various biomass feedstocks. In particular, the role of inherent ash content on the oxidation rate was evaluated. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and fluidized bed combustion experiments were used to explore oxidation kinetics of six fast pyrolysis produced biochars with diverse ash content. Reaction rates varied by a factor of three under chemical kinetic-limited conditions, demonstrating inorganic content impacts oxidation rate. Chemical kinetic rate coefficients were proposed as a function of compositional parameters to determine overall fit and impact. Potassium content was found to have a positive correlation, best describing the differences in the oxidation kinetic rate coefficients. Additionally, feedstocks were subjected to a 1 M HCl acid wash mitigating the catalytic activity of the metals. Acid washed biochars had lower oxidation kinetic rates compared to their unwashed counterparts, indicating the removal of catalytically active metals reduced oxidation rate. Gas composition (CO/CO2) was measured during fluidized bed experiments for both acid-washed and unwashed biochars, which varied between the six biochars. Formation of CO2 was greatly affected by catalytic metals, finding potassium content to correlate well with a higher percentage of CO2 formation as compared to CO. Comparison of oxidation rates were made between the two experimental apparatuses to measure the effect of attrition on biochar oxidation.
Cerebral Cavernous Malformation: What a Practicing Clinician Should Know

Cavernous malformations (CMs) are angiographically occult, low-flow vascular malformations of the central nervous system. They are acquired lesions, with approximately 80% of patients having the sporadic form and 20% the familial form of the disease. The lesions may also develop years after radiotherapy. At the microscopic level, they consist of endothelium-lined cavities (or "caverns") containing blood of different ages. The endothelium proliferates abnormally, and tight junctions are absent or dysfunctional, resulting in leakiness of the endothelium and clinical manifestations in some patients. Cavernous malformations can be an incidental finding or can present with focal neurologic deficits, seizures, or headache, with or without associated hemorrhage. Management of the CM lesion requires knowledge of the natural history of the disease compared with the risk of surgical intervention. Surgery is often considered for symptomatic patients with lesions in a noneloquent location. Medical management is warranted for symptoms related to the CM. Research aimed at understanding the genes and signaling pathways related to CMs have provided potential drug targets, and clinical trials are underway to determine whether medications reduce the risk of future bleeding without surgery or modify the disease course. In addition, recent epidemiologic data have aided practitioners in determining how to treat comorbid conditions in patients with a potentially hemorrhagic lesion. This review provides an overview of the epidemiology, presentation, and clinical management of CMs.
Impact of acetic acid addition on nitrogen speciation and bacterial communities during urine collection and storage

Abstract The rate of urea hydrolysis in nonwater urinals is influenced by the volume of urination events and the frequency of urinal use. Inhibition of urea hydrolysis with acetic acid addition has been demonstrated at the laboratory scale but it was not able to fully represent the conditions of a real restroom with real urine collection. The goal of this study was to understand the effects of acid addition for control of urea hydrolysis on nutrient concentrations and bacterial communities in human urine during collection and storage. Three control logics were used to determine the schedule of acid addition: (i) acid addition after every urination event, (ii) acid addition during periods of high building occupancy, and (iii) acid addition during periods of low building occupancy. Wifi logins were used to approximate building occupancy and to create the control logics used in the study. All three control logics were able to inhibit urea hydrolysis. The bacterial communities were identified to determine the impact of acid addition on the community structure. The collection of urine by nonwater urinals alone did not reduce the presence of enteric bacteria commonly found when collecting urine with urine-diverting toilets. Acid addition reduced the community diversity and created conditions for higher relative abundances of the order Enterobacteriales. Finally, results from stored acidified urine showed that urea hydrolysis inhibition is reversible and is influenced by the amount of acid added at the urinal. The amount of acid added can influence the rate of hydrolysis in the storage tanks and can be used to select for urea- or ammonia-nitrogen for nutrient recovery. This study is the first of its kind to inhibit urea hydrolysis in nonwater urinals in a real restroom with real urine, and is the first to identify the bacterial communities in urine collected solely with nonwater urinals.
Recurrent Superior Vena Cava Syndrome in a Patient with Sarcoidosis and Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome may result from extravascular compression or intravascular obstruction such as thrombosis. Recurrent venous thrombosis is typically associated with a hypercoagulable state such as malignancy, and inheritable or acquired coagulopathy. Sarcoidosis is a derangement of the immune system, and it has been associated with malignant diseases and hypercoagulation. The association of pancreatic cancer and sarcoidosis with SVC syndrome has not been reported previously. Here, we present a case of recurrent venous thrombosis causing SVC syndrome in a patient with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and underlying thoracic sarcoidosis. Methods: The patient’s electronic health record was retrospectively analyzed. Results: A 66-year-old woman with pancreatic adenocarcinoma was treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by Whipple procedure, before developing tumor recurrence in the liver. Her treatment course was complicated with repeated incidents of venous thrombosis in the presence of a central venous catheter leading to recurrent SVC syndrome, which resolved with anti-coagulation. Conclusions: This case raises a plausible inter-relationship between sarcoidosis, pancreatic cancer, and hypercoagulable state. We suggest that patients with multiple risk factors for developing venous thrombosis should be carefully monitored for any thrombotic event, and they may benefit from prophylactic anti-coagulation.
mutSigMapper: an R package to map spectra to mutational signatures based on shot-noise modeling

Summary: mutSigMapper aims to resolve a critical shortcoming of existing software for mutational signature analysis, namely that of finding parsimonious and biologically plausible exposures. By implementing a shot-noise-based model to generate spectral ensembles, this package addresses this gap and provides a quantitative, non-parametric assessment of statistical significance for the association between mutational signatures and observed spectra. Availability and implementation: The mutSigMapper R package is available under GPLv3 license at https://github.com/juliancandia/mutSigMapper. Its documentation provides additional details and demonstrates applications to biological datasets.
Allergic inflammation of the anterior surface of the eye

Background: Ocular allergies affect an estimated 40% of the population, 98% of which are because of allergic conjunctivitis and includes tear film dysfunction. With the current advent of both repurposed drugs for ocular allergies, as well as novel drugs, lubricants and methods of administration, there is a need to update new treatments to optimize the care of ocular allergy patients. Methods: An overview of mediators, clinical characteristics and management is provided in a summary format. Results: Lubricants (best when refrigerated provide immediate relief that is short lived (several minutes) due to its dilutional effect on mediators and pollen in the tear film. Immediate and longer-term benefit occurs from different topical and oral medications - primarily histamine receptor agonists. Conclusion: The newest prescription topical ophthalmic histamine H1 receptor antagonist (an inverse agonist) to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the past 10 years (U.S. NDA approved May 30, 2017) is cetirizine ophthalmic solution for the treatment of ocular itching with allergic conjunctivitis in adults and in children more than 2 years old.
Effects of chemical disorder in the itinerant antiferromagnet Ti 1-x V x Au.

The fragile nature of itinerant magnetism can be exploited using non-thermal parameters to study quantum criticality. The recently discovered quantum critical point (QCP) in the Sc-doped (hole-like doping) itinerant antiferromagnet TiAu (Ti1-x Sc x Au) raised questions about the effects of the crystal and electronic structures on the overall magnetic behavior. In this study, doping with V (electron-like doping) in Ti1-x V x Au introduces chemical disorder which suppresses antiferromagnetic order from [Formula: see text] 36 K for x = 0 down to 10 K for x = 0.15, whereupon a solubility limit is reached. Signatures of non-Fermi-liquid behavior are observed in transport and specific heat measurements similar to Ti1-x Sc x Au, even though Ti1-x V x Au is far from a QCP for the accessible compositions [Formula: see text].
Active Hierarchical Imitation and Reinforcement Learning.

Humans can leverage hierarchical structures to split a task into sub-tasks and solve problems efficiently. Both imitation and reinforcement learning or a combination of them with hierarchical structures have been proven to be an efficient way for robots to learn complex tasks with sparse rewards. However, in the previous work of hierarchical imitation and reinforcement learning, the tested environments are in relatively simple 2D games, and the action spaces are discrete. Furthermore, many imitation learning works focusing on improving the policies learned from the expert polices that are hard-coded or trained by reinforcement learning algorithms, rather than human experts. In the scenarios of human-robot interaction, humans can be required to provide demonstrations to teach the robot, so it is crucial to improve the learning efficiency to reduce expert efforts, and know human's perception about the learning/training process. In this project, we explored different imitation learning algorithms and designed active learning algorithms upon the hierarchical imitation and reinforcement learning framework we have developed. We performed an experiment where five participants were asked to guide a randomly initialized agent to a random goal in a maze. Our experimental results showed that using DAgger and reward-based active learning method can achieve better performance while saving more human efforts physically and mentally during the training process.
Zeeman Effect of As ii

Spectrograms of As electrodeless-discharge tubes operated in a field of 24,025 G have given Zeeman patterns for 232 As II spectral lines from 2361 to 10,556 A and yielded 80 Lande g factors, of which more than half are new. There is agreement between these and the g values calculated by least-squares fitting for single configurations or for multiconfigurations, where configuration interaction is noticeable. All of the measured g values as well as the energy levels are used in the fitting process.
Datamations: Animated Explanations of Data Analysis Pipelines

Plots and tables are commonplace in today’s data-driven world, and much research has been done on how to make these figures easy to read and understand. Often times, however, the information they contain conveys only the end result of a complex and subtle data analysis pipeline. This can leave the reader struggling to understand what steps were taken to arrive at a figure, and what implications this has for the underlying results. In this paper, we introduce datamations, which are animations designed to explain the steps that led to a given plot or table. We present the motivation and concept behind datamations, discuss how to programmatically generate them, and provide the results of two large-scale randomized experiments investigating how datamations affect people’s abilities to understand potentially puzzling results compared to seeing only final plots and tables containing those results.
Faculty perceptions of a town hall model for engagement in continuous quality improvement.

Abstract Introduction To determine faculty perceptions of participating in a town hall model on the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Faculty Curriculum Quality Surveys (CQS) focused on continuous quality improvement (CQI) at two institutions. Methods To support a culture of assessment focused on CQI, Ferris State University College of Pharmacy (FSUCOP) developed and implemented a town hall model for use with the CQS in fall 2017. It was determined that involving faculty in the CQS analysis process may assist with interpretation and CQI. FSUCOP sought to determine if the CQI model utilized could also be implemented at another institution. Therefore, Cedarville University School of Pharmacy (CUSOP) replicated the FSUCOP town hall model for use in 2018–2019 academic year CQS data interpretation and dissemination. To determine the perceptions of efficacy, faculty at FSUCOP and CUSOP received a pre-survey prior to the fall 2018 town hall and a post-survey following completion of the town hall. The pre- and post-surveys utilized five-point, Likert-type agreement questions (strongly disagree to strongly agree). Results A total of 47 and 26 faculty completed the pre- and post-surveys, respectively. Faculty agreement on the survey items increased after participating in the town hall. Nearly 81% of faculty strongly or somewhat agreed the town hall model was a good use of their time. Conclusion The town hall model was replicable at another institution. Faculty perceived the town hall model as a positive approach to CQI, and discussions provided assessment personnel with valuable information for data interpretation and usage.
Evaluating the Life-History Responses of Adult Invasive (Bithynia tentaculata) and Native (Physa gyrina) Snails Exposed to a Cu-Based Pesticide (EarthTec® QZ).

The faucet snail, Bithynia tentaculata, is an invasive snail that facilitates outbreaks of waterfowl disease in the Upper Mississippi River of the United States. In response, there is interest in identifying strategies that mitigate its population and spread. In this study we assessed the effects of a copper (Cu) molluscicide, EarthTec® QZ, at three concentrations (0, 0.1 and 0.6 mg/L Cu) on adult B. tentaculata and a coexisting native species, Physa gyrina. We found that in the 0.6 mg/L Cu treatment, ~ 68% of B. tentaculata snails remained alive after a 4-day exposure whereas all P. gyrina snails died. In contrast, a majority of both snail species remained alive and active after 4 days in the control and 0.1 mg/L Cu treatments. Although B. tentaculata demonstrated higher survivorship, it bioaccumulated more Cu than P. gyrina. Additionally, examination of B. tentaculata individuals revealed that females tended to exhibit higher mortality than males.
Implementation of a Molecular Tumor Registry to Support the Adoption of Precision Oncology Within an Academic Medical Center: The Duke University Experience.

PURPOSEComprehensive genomic profiling to inform targeted therapy selection is a central part of oncology care. However, the volume and complexity of alterations uncovered through genomic profiling...
Mapping of UV-C dose and SARS-CoV-2 viral inactivation across N95 respirators during decontamination.

During public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, ultraviolet-C (UV-C) decontamination of N95 respirators for emergency reuse has been implemented to mitigate shortages. Pathogen photoinactivation efficacy depends critically on UV-C dose, which is distance- and angle-dependent and thus varies substantially across N95 surfaces within a decontamination system. Due to nonuniform and system-dependent UV-C dose distributions, characterizing UV-C dose and resulting pathogen inactivation with sufficient spatial resolution on-N95 is key to designing and validating UV-C decontamination protocols. However, robust quantification of UV-C dose across N95 facepieces presents challenges, as few UV-C measurement tools have sufficient (1) small, flexible form factor, and (2) angular response. To address this gap, we combine optical modeling and quantitative photochromic indicator (PCI) dosimetry with viral inactivation assays to generate high-resolution maps of "on-N95" UV-C dose and concomitant SARS-CoV-2 viral inactivation across N95 facepieces within a commercial decontamination chamber. Using modeling to rapidly identify on-N95 locations of interest, in-situ measurements report a 17.4 ± 5.0-fold dose difference across N95 facepieces in the chamber, yielding 2.9 ± 0.2-log variation in SARS-CoV-2 inactivation. UV-C dose at several on-N95 locations was lower than the lowest-dose locations on the chamber floor, highlighting the importance of on-N95 dose validation. Overall, we integrate optical simulation with in-situ PCI dosimetry to relate UV-C dose and viral inactivation at specific on-N95 locations, establishing a versatile approach to characterize UV-C photoinactivation of pathogens contaminating complex substrates such as N95s.
The use of Diethystilbestrol as a Temporary Chemosterilant in Black-Tailed Prarie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

The following is an abstract of a manuscript submitted to the Journal of Range Management - 25 September 1982. Abstract. The effectiveness of diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen, as a reproductive inhibitor in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) was examined in a 4-year study at Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. In 1979 and 1980, a study colony was monitored to determine age structure, reproductive success of individual animals, and rate of colony expansion. In 1981, the colony was divided into control and experimental areas (Fig. 1). Treatment with DES during the breeding season resulted in complete curtailment of reproduction on the experimental side while reproduction of the control group was similar to that of previous years. Results were identical in 1982 when treatment was reversed (Fig. 2). There were no obvious effects of DES treatment on the subsequent reproductive capability of study animals. In 1981, surface expansion of the study colony was significantly less on the DES-treated side compared with previous years (Fig. 3). Prospects of using DES for managing prairie dog populations are discussed. The authors visualize an integrated approach to prairie dog management; that is, use of rodenticide for initial reduction and irregular DES treatments thereafter to maintain the population at low levels.
Cardozo the [Small r] realist

Benjamin Cardozo was one of the towering figures of American law in the twentieth century. Among state court judges he had no peer.1 His reputation stems principally from his eighteen years on the New York Court of Appeals; nearly seventy years after he left that court many of his opinions, as well as some of his nonjudicial writings, remain staples of legal education. He capped his career with a glittering tenure of six years on the United States Supreme Court during one of the most critical periods in its history. Though he was the junior justice during almost that entire time, he had a major and beneficent impact on its work.2 And yet, until recently, there has not been a full scholarly biography of Cardozo. Felix Frankfurter and Joseph L. Rauh Cardozo's last law clerk and Frankfurter's first thought as long ago as 1957 that a biography was overdue, and so Frankfurter asked Andrew L. Kaufman, who was then his clerk, if he was interested in writing one. As Kaufman, now the Charles Stebbins Fairchild Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, has related, it took him "about fifteen seconds to answer Frankfurter's question with a 'yes' and another forty years to complete the project."3 The result is Cardozo, a beautifully crafted, thorough, perceptive, balanced, and eminently readable biography. It is easy to sneer about the time that it took Kaufman to complete this volume.4 But that is the wrong attitude. I do not want to be un-
A Unifying Theory for Determining Human Response to Sound

In the following work, the relationship between the perceived level of sound (loudness or noisiness) (PLdB) is shown to be a function of the sound pressure (p) squared and the sound frequency (f) squared; that is, PLdB = 10 log (25 p 2 f 2 ) in the psychoacoustically important low frequency range up to 4000 Hz. The perceived level of an aircraft takeoff or landing is demonstrated to be equal to the logarithmic sum of the peak perceived levels calculated for each one-third octave band. Effective perceived level (EPLdB) may be calculated by using the procedures contained in the Federal Air Regulations (FAR), Part 36, to correct for the duration of the sound 10 dB below peak level. PLdB and EPLdB show the highest relationship between subject ratings and the physical characteristics of the flyover sounds accounted for by any calculation procedure. The average rate of growth of annoyance (loudness or noisiness) for a diverse mix of aircraft operations ranging from low to high power levels is shown to be a function of log (k pf) 1 2 for the low frequencies which propagate over long distances with relatively small power loss. The results are found to be accurate in the useful range of sound pressure levels and frequencies associated with operational aircraft including helicopters, turbofan, turboprop and turbojet powered aircraft. This work, therefore, provides the systems engineer with an easily understood and useful design and evaluation method. The formula developed clearly shows the design engineer and management personnel the relationship between the physical characteristics of an evolving system and its potential impact on human and community response.
Keeping K+ completely comfortable.

Ion channel proteins provide a pathway for movement of ions across the hostile, low-dielectric environment of the membrane. New work on crystalline bacterial K+ channels shows that this process is optimized for the natural substrate, K+. An additional high resolution structure of the channel illustrates how the protein provides prosthetic solvation for the ion — and also a beautiful picture of how water itself solvates the ion.