cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Severe CMD with Novel Mutation in Lamin A/C Gene

Researchers at Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium, report a 7-year-old Belgian boy with a 5 months-onset congenital muscular dystrophy and laminopathy caused by a de novo heterozygous LMNA gene mutation.
Talbot interference lithography with table-top extreme ultraviolet laser

A hybrid lithography technique, Talbot interference lithography (TIL) that combines Talbot lithography (TL) and interference lithography (IL) is analyzed in this paper. In a single lithography step, the method is able to print custom defined periodic patterns that inherit the resolution limit from IL together with the flexibility of lattice design from Talbot lithography. The arbitrary shaped cells produced by the TL can be filled with fine interference patterns. In addition, TIL relaxes constrains in the mask fabrication and simultaneously expands the depth of focus, printing nanopatterns in high resolution with low NA.
Human Impacts on Soils

Pedogenesis (soil formation) generally results from weathering and horizonation processes. Weathering includes processes that change the physical and chemical characteristics of soil particles, aggregates and artifacts. Horizonation results from additions, losses, translocations, and transformations of solid and chemical soil constituents. Both weathering and horizonation are affected by the five soil forming factors: climate, landscape position, organisms, parent material and time.
Sonic properties as a signature of overpressure in the Marcellus gas shale of the Appalachian Basin

ABSTRACTThe Marcellus Formation, a Devonian gas shale in the Appalachian Basin, is a heterogeneous rock as the result of a complex depositional, diagenetic, and deformational history. Although it is overpressured over a large portion of its economic area, the origin and distribution of pore pressure within the gas shale are not well-understood. We have used the sonic properties of the Marcellus and statistical analyses to tackle this problem. The sonic data come from a suite of 53 wells including a calibration well in the Appalachian Basin. We first analyze the influence of various extrinsic and intrinsic parameters on sonic velocities with univariate regression analyses. The sonic velocities of the Marcellus in the calibration well generally decrease with an increase in gamma-ray american petroleum institute (API) and increase with density and effective stress. Basin-wide median sonic velocities generally decrease with an increase in median gamma-ray API and pore pressure and increase with burial depth (...
Advanced biomaterials and microengineering technologies to recapitulate the stepwise process of cancer metastasis.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally according to the World Health Organization. Although improved treatments and early diagnoses have reduced cancer related mortalities, metastatic disease remains a major clinical challenge. The local tumor microenvironment plays a significant role in cancer metastasis, where tumor cells respond and adapt to a plethora of biochemical and biophysical signals from stromal cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Due to these complexities, there is a critical need to understand molecular mechanisms underlying cancer metastasis to facilitate the discovery of more effective therapies. In the past few years, the integration of advanced biomaterials and microengineering approaches has initiated the development of innovative platform technologies for cancer research. These technologies enable the creation of biomimetic in vitro models with physiologically relevant (i.e. in vivo-like) characteristics to conduct studies ranging from fundamental cancer biology to high-throughput drug screening. In this review article, we discuss the biological significance of each step of the metastatic cascade and provide a broad overview on recent progress to recapitulate these stages using advanced biomaterials and microengineered technologies. In each section, we will highlight the advantages and shortcomings of each approach and provide our perspectives on future directions.
Limited Tyrosine Utilization Explains Lower Betalain Contents in Yellow than in Red Table Beet Genotypes

Betalains are tyrosine-derived pigments that consist of red-violet betacyanins and yellow betaxanthins. These pigments are major sources of natural food dyes in the United States. Decades of table beet breeding efforts have increased betalain pigmentation, but yellow betaxanthin accumulation has been lower than that of red betacyanins. To identify possible bottlenecks in betalain production, here we conducted comparative analyses of betalains and their precursor, tyrosine, in various beet genotypes. Consistent with previous studies, red beets had much higher betalain concentrations than yellow beets. Conversely, tyrosine levels were higher in yellow than in red genotypes in both table beet and Swiss chard. Interestingly, increased tyrosine levels were positively correlated with elevated betalain accumulation among red but not yellow genotypes, especially at a later developmental stage, suggesting that yellow beets are not efficiently converting tyrosine into betalain pigments. On the basis of these result...
Plant cell wall glycosyltransferases: High-throughput recombinant expression screening and general requirements for these challenging enzymes

Molecular characterization of plant cell wall glycosyltransferases is a critical step towards understanding the biosynthesis of the complex plant cell wall, and ultimately for efficient engineering of biofuel and agricultural crops. The majority of these enzymes have proven very difficult to obtain in the needed amount and purity for such molecular studies, and recombinant cell wall glycosyltransferase production efforts have largely failed. A daunting number of strategies can be employed to overcome this challenge, including optimization of DNA and protein sequences, choice of expression organism, expression conditions, co-expression partners, purification methods, and optimization of protein solubility and stability. Hence researchers are presented with thousands of potential conditions to test. Ultimately, the subset of conditions that will be sampled depends on practical considerations and prior knowledge of the enzyme(s) being studied. We have developed a rational approach to this process. We devise a pipeline comprising in silico selection of targets and construct design, and high-throughput expression screening, target enrichment, and hit identification. We have applied this pipeline to a test set of Arabidopsis thaliana cell wall glycosyltransferases known to be challenging to obtain in soluble form, as well as to a library of cell wall glycosyltransferases from other plants including agricultural and biofuel crops. The screening results suggest that recombinant cell wall glycosyltransferases in general have a very low soluble:insoluble ratio in lysates from heterologous expression cultures, and that co-expression of chaperones as well as lysis buffer optimization can increase this ratio. We have applied the identified preferred conditions to Reversibly Glycosylated Polypeptide 1 from Arabidopsis thaliana, and processed this enzyme to near-purity in unprecedented milligram amounts. The obtained preparation of Reversibly Glycosylated Polypeptide 1 has the expected arabinopyranose mutase and autoglycosylation activities.
Neuro-ophthalmolmic Sequelae of Sustained Microgravity

Space travel has presented novel challenges both technologically and physiologically to the human passenger. Since the first manned spaceflight in 1961, the impact of atmospheric changes and a microgravity environment on the human body have been carefully studied and characterized. The Jules Verne novel “From the Earth to the Moon” published in 1865, nearly 100 years before the first manned mission, raised questions and theories about the weightlessness which would be experienced in space. As terrestrial beings who have evolved in earth’s gravity, the environment of weightlessness induces remarkable multisystem changes which affect the astronauts who venture into space. These changes cover a wide spectrum ranging from transient sensory imbalances and nausea to profound hemodynamic and metabolic alterations, to more chronic anemia, weakening of bones, muscles, and the immune system. Additionally, dramatic and unique ophthalmologic changes are experienced in varying degrees after time spent in a microgravity environment. Findings have included optic disk edema, choroidal folds and cotton wool spots, hyperopic refractive shifts after prolonged spaceflight, and globe flattening with increased CSF signal in the optic nerve sheaths. The retrospective observational report by Mader et al. in 2011 described these findings in a cohort of seven astronauts who had visited the International Space Station (ISS) for a period of 6 months, as well as reviewed and correlated the results of 300 postflight surveys regarding in-flight vision changes. The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Space Medicine Division has also evaluated and documented these changes through clinical exam, OCT, MRI, and ultrasound testing of astronauts. As will be discussed, many features of this phenomenon are ophthalmoscopically similar to terrestrial increased intracranial pressure (ICP), and elevated ICP is thought to play at least a partial role. In 2011, NASA held a visual impairment intracranial pressure (VIIP) summit to discuss this problem, and this conference raised significant concerns about longer missions or even visitation to planets with greatly reduced gravity, such as Mars. The pathogenesis of these findings is incompletely understood due to limitations of monitoring and testing during spaceflight. The purpose of this discussion is to review the pathology and discuss possible mechanisms, most importantly the phenomenon of cephalad fluid shifts in a microgravity environment, and to consider possible approaches to investigating adaptive responses. Further research in this area presents practical challenges, such as finding a suitable ground-based research model and/or monitoring ICP during spaceflight, but is necessary to both characterize the physiology as well as to ultimately provide countermeasures for future long-duration space missions.
Evaluation of an inverse methodology for estimating constitutive parameters in face-centered cubic materials from single crystal indentations

Abstract The feasibility to determine the adjustable parameters of single crystal plasticity constitutive laws by an inverse approach that minimizes the deviation between the measured and simulated indentation response of individual grains (of a polycrystalline sample) is investigated for the case of face-centered cubic (fcc) lattice structure. Optimization uses the Nelder–Mead (NM) simplex algorithm, which was modified to navigate parameter space regions where objective function evaluations fail. A phenomenological power-law is assumed as the constitutive description for crystal plasticity. Simulated cases of indentation with prescribed constitutive parameter values serve as the virtual reference. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the initial and saturation slip resistance τ 0 and τ sat are the most dominant parameters while the hardening slope h 0 has less influence. Reproducibility and robustness are analyzed for different objective functions involving the load–displacement response and residual surface topography for several indentation crystal orientations . Concurrent optimization of load–displacement and topography consistently provided the least scatter in the optimized parameter values from the target solution compared to either one individually and essentially independent of indentation crystal orientation. Deviations in slip activity were typically of the same order of magnitude as the combined deviations of load–displacement and surface topography response. Optimization of more than one crystallographic indentation response at once did not improve the parameter estimation quality but proportionally increases the evaluation effort. It is concluded that for fcc materials one single crystal indentation experiment suffices to closely quantify the two most influential parameters of a phenomenological constitutive plasticity law when the objective function of the modified NM simplex algorithm proposed herein combines the load–displacement response and residual surface topography.
Identification of the ATPase Subunit of the Primary Maltose Transporter in the Hyperthermophilic Anaerobe Thermotoga maritima

Thermotoga maritima is a hyperthermophilic anaerobic bacterium that produces molecular hydrogen (H2) by fermentation. It catabolizes a broad range of carbohydrates through the action of diverse ABC transporters. However, in T. maritima and related species, highly similar genes with ambiguous annotation obscure a precise understanding of genome function. In T. maritima, three putative malK genes, all annotated as ATPase subunits, exhibited high identity to each other. To distinguish between these genes, malK disruption mutants were constructed by gene replacement, and the resulting mutant cell lines were characterized. Only a disruption of malK3 produced a defect in maltose catabolism. To verify that the mutant phenotype arose specifically from malK3 inactivation, the malK3 mutation was repaired by recombination, and maltose catabolism was restored. This study demonstrates the importance of a maltose ABC-type transporter and its relationship to sugar metabolism in T. maritimaIMPORTANCE The application and further development of a genetic system was used here to investigate gene paralogs in the hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima The occurrence of three ABC transporter ATPase subunits all annotated as malK was evaluated using a combination of genetic and bioinformatic approaches. The results clarify the role of only one malK gene in maltose catabolism in a nonmodel organism noted for fermentative hydrogen production.
Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Older Adults

Atherosclerotic coronary disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults. The purposes of this review are to summarize our current knowledge about best practices in the management of coronary artery disease in this population and to highlight remaining gaps in our understanding. Elderly patients are far less likely than their younger counterparts to receive guideline-based care after presenting with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, despite some attenuation of benefit with increasing age, recent studies have shown improved outcomes with an early invasive strategy, even amongst patients over 90 years of age. The best currently available evidence suggests numerous scenarios in which elderly patients may benefit from coronary revascularization in addition to medical therapy. In particular, patients with refractory angina and those who present with ACS can expect improvements in quality of life and mortality, respectively, with guideline-directed therapy.
Multifaceted Modularity: A Key for Stepwise Building of Hierarchical Complexity in Actinide Metal–Organic Frameworks

Growing necessity for efficient nuclear waste management is a driving force for development of alternative architectures toward fundamental understanding of mechanisms involved in actinide (An) integration inside extended structures. In this manuscript, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were investigated as a model system for engineering radionuclide containing materials through utilization of unprecedented MOF modularity, which cannot be replicated in any other type of materials. Through the implementation of recent synthetic advances in the MOF field, hierarchical complexity of An-materials was built stepwise, which was only feasible due to preparation of the first examples of actinide-based frameworks with “unsaturated” metal nodes. The first successful attempts of solid-state metathesis and metal node extension in An-MOFs are reported, and the results of the former approach revealed drastic differences in chemical behavior of extended structures versus molecular species. Successful utilization of MOF mo...
Abstract 133: Depletion of Natural Killer Cell Activation in Response to Placental Ischemia Improves Hypertension and Intrauterine Growth Restriction During Pregnancy

Women with preeclampsia (PE), newly developed hypertension and renal dysfunction during pregnancy, have small-for-gestational-age babies and demonstrate an increase in the cytolytic natural killer (NK) cell activation. The specific role of cytolytic NK cells in the pathophysiology of PE has not been clearly defined. The reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) model of placental ischemia (PI) exhibits many of the characteristics of PE including hypertension, renal dysfunction, chronic inflammation and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that PI results in cytolytic activation of NK cells, and examined a role for a reduction in NK cells in RUPP to attenuate PE-like characteristics in response to PI. In this study NK cells were depleted in RUPP rats by intraperitoneal administration of the Anti-asialo GM1 antibody on gestation days 15 and 17. PBMCs and placental lymphocytes were examined via flow cytometry to quantify cytolytic NK cells and to verify NK cell depletion, blood pressure (MAP) and pup weight were measured. While total placental NK cells numbers did not change in response to PI (NP: 14±4.5%; RUPP: 14.3±3.8%), cytolytic activation of placental NK cells significantly increased in response to PI (NP: 3.4±1.1% vs RUPP 10.0±3.4%; p
Is Feminism a Threat to Scientific Objectivity

Is there a conflict between women's values and the values of science? Not only do many aspects of science reproduce the ideology of gender, but science itself has been identified as "masculine." The male way of thinking is said to be rational, impersonal, and objective, while the female way of thinking is said to be emotional, personal, and subjective. This paper argues that the distinction between objectivity and subjectivity is built into science at many levels, and is reproduced in the splits between the production of knowledge and its social uses, between knowledge and experience, between expert and nonexpert, between active subject and passive object, and between the forms of our knowledge and the structures of social and economic power in our society. This analysis leads to the question: is there a feminist science? It is argued that, at present, we can only begin to imagine the general form of a feminist science, which in its fully articulated form, could only be produced in a feminist society. This paper offers examples to suggest ways in which an attack on the subjective/objective distinction could lead to a radically transformed science in the future.
Implantable Biotelemetry and Social Separation in Monkeys

In this chapter I examine issues related to the concept of stress as it is related to social separation in nonhuman primates and to the utilization of totally implantable multichannel biotelemetry for the assessment of such phenomena. Therefore I address conceptual (i.e., stress) as well as methodological (i.e., implantable biotelemetry) issues. The measurement capability of implantable-biotelemetry technology is especially useful for evaluation of complex biobehavioral reactions in group-living primates, e.g., social-separation paradigms. Such paradigms allow the examination of concepts of stress from several viewpoints and underscore the complexity of the problem. My data support the notion that older concepts of stress, especially in regard to nonspecificity, are no longer heuristically useful.
Fire Impacts on the Mojave Desert Ecosystem: Literature Review

The Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) is located within the Mojave Desert, which is the driest region in North America. Precipitation on the NNSS varies from an annual average of 130 millimeters (mm; 5.1 inches) with a minimum of 47 mm (1.9 inches) and maximum of 328 mm (12.9 inches) over the past 15 year period to an annual average of 205 mm (8.1 inches) with an annual minimum of 89 mm (3.5 inches) and maximum of 391 mm (15.4 inches) for the same time period; for a Frenchman Flat location at 970 meters (m; 3182 feet) and a Pahute Mesa location at 1986 m (6516 feet), respectively. The combination of aridity and temperature extremes has resulted in sparsely vegetated basins (desert shrub plant communities) to moderately vegetated mountains (mixed coniferous forest plant communities); both plant density and precipitation increase with increasing elevation. Whereas some plant communities have evolved under fire regimes and are dependent upon fire for seed germination, plant communities within the Mojave Desert are not dependent on a fire regime and therefore are highly impacted by fire (Brown and Minnich, 1986; Brooks, 1999). As noted by Johansen (2003) natural range fires are not prevalent in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts because there is not enough vegetation present (too many shrub interspaces) to sustain a fire. Fire research and hence publications addressing fires in the Southwestern United States (U.S.) have therefore focused on forest, shrub-steppe and grassland fires caused by both natural and anthropogenic ignition sources. In the last few decades, however, invasion of mid-elevation shrublands by non-native Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens and Bromus tectorum (Hunter, 1991) have been highly correlated with increased fire frequency (Brooks and Berry, 2006; Brooks and Matchett, 2006). Coupled with the impact of climate change, which has already been shown to be playing a role in increased forest fires (Westerling et al., 2006), it is likely that the fire frequency will further increase in the Mojave Desert (Knapp 1998; Smith et al., 1987; Smith et al., 2000).
NetStorage: A synchronized trace-driven replayer for network-storage system evaluation

Abstract Trace-driven replayers provide a flexible and convenient way to evaluate or debug target systems. Previous researchers focused on the individual impact of either the network or the storage system on overall system performance by using trace-driven replayers. However, as big data and cloud servers become prevalent and the performance gap between storage and networks decreases substantially, it becomes important to consider both impacts of storage and network on target systems. In this paper, we build a replayer called NetStorage to replay the captured traces of both network and storage to evaluate the performance of combined network-storage systems. When involving multiple replayers, the synchronization between these replayers becomes crucial. We introduce a manager component to control the synchronization between replayers. By doing that, the NetStorage is capable of efficiently replaying multiple traces synchronously in order to mimic the real application behavior in network and storage environments for different scenarios. Finally, a case study is provided to compare performance of two systems by using the NetStorage.
Investigation of Rear-Emitter GaAsP Top Cells for use in III-V/Si Tandem Photovoltaics

Rear-emitter n/p+ cells were investigated as an alternative to conventional n+/p front-emitter cells for potentially increased tolerance against threading dislocation-induced lifetime degradation. A comparison of MOCVD-grown front- and rearemitter GaAs 0.75 P 0.25 cells for use in III-V/Si tandem solar cells demonstrates that the rear-emitter design has lower dark current and higher V OC , but lower J SC . Analysis of the collection dynamics in the rear-emitter cell structure indicates a heightened sensitivity to front-surface and Al 0.66 In 0.33 P/GaAs 0.75 P 0.25 (window/base) interface recombination, which is exacerbated by Fermi level pinning at the window/air interface. This work indicates that the rear-emitter design is a promising alternative to front-emitter structures due to its improved minority carrier lifetime and therefore V OC , but careful optimization of device structure, and possibly material quality, is necessary to improve the minority carrier collection.
Simultaneous Axial Multifocal Imaging Using a Single Acoustical Transmission: A Practical Implementation

Standard ultrasound imaging techniques rely on sweeping a focused beam across a field of view; however, outside the transmission focal depth, image resolution and contrast are degraded. High-quality deep tissue in vivo imaging requires focusing the emitted field at multiple depths, yielding high-resolution and high-contrast ultrasound images but at the expense of a loss in frame rate. Recent developments in ultrasound technologies have led to user-programmable systems, which enable real-time dynamic control over the phase and apodization of each individual element in the imaging array. In this paper, we present a practical implementation of a method to achieve simultaneous axial multifoci using a single acoustical transmission. Our practical approach relies on the superposition of axial multifoci waveforms in a single transmission. The delay in transmission between different elements is set such that pulses constructively interfere at multiple focal depths. The proposed method achieves lateral resolution similar to successive focusing, but with an enhanced frame rate. The proposed method uses standard dynamic receive beamforming, identical to two-way focusing, and does not require additional postprocessing. Thus, the method can be implemented in real time on programmable ultrasound systems that allow different excitation signals for each element. The proposed method is described analytically and validated by laboratory experiments in phantoms and ex vivo biological samples.
Tetralogy of Fallot

The repair of tetralogy of Fallot has undergone many changes and revisions over the years, leading to the current use of a transatrial, transpulmonary artery approach for most cases. Transannular incisions, when needed, are short, mainly because the ventricular incision is not needed for closure of the ventricular septal defect (VSD), as the VSD is generally closed via the right atrium. The ventricular incision therefore need not be any larger than necessary to establish an adequate right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). Several simple technical maneuvers will allow excellent exposure to accomplish this repair via the transatrial, transpulmonary artery approach.
Clinical, Histopathologic, and Immunohistochemical Characterization of Experimental Marburg Virus Infection in A Natural Reservoir Host, the Egyptian Rousette Bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus)

Egyptian rousette bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) are natural reservoir hosts of Marburg virus (MARV), and Ravn virus (RAVV; collectively called marburgviruses) and have been linked to human cases of Marburg virus disease (MVD). We investigated the clinical and pathologic effects of experimental MARV infection in Egyptian rousettes through a serial euthanasia study and found clear evidence of mild but transient disease. Three groups of nine, captive-born, juvenile male bats were inoculated subcutaneously with 10,000 TCID50 of Marburg virus strain Uganda 371Bat2007, a minimally passaged virus originally isolated from a wild Egyptian rousette. Control bats (n = 3) were mock-inoculated. Three animals per day were euthanized at 3, 5–10, 12 and 28 days post-inoculation (DPI); controls were euthanized at 28 DPI. Blood chemistry analyses showed a mild, statistically significant elevation in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) at 3, 6 and 7 DPI. Lymphocyte and monocyte counts were mildly elevated in inoculated bats after 9 DPI. Liver histology revealed small foci of inflammatory infiltrate in infected bats, similar to lesions previously described in wild, naturally-infected bats. Liver lesion severity scores peaked at 7 DPI, and were correlated with both ALT and hepatic viral RNA levels. Immunohistochemical staining detected infrequent viral antigen in liver (3–8 DPI, n = 8), spleen (3–7 DPI, n = 8), skin (inoculation site; 3–12 DPI, n = 20), lymph nodes (3–10 DPI, n = 6), and oral submucosa (8–9 DPI, n = 2). Viral antigen was present in histiocytes, hepatocytes and mesenchymal cells, and in the liver, antigen staining co-localized with inflammatory foci. These results show the first clear evidence of very mild disease caused by a filovirus in a reservoir bat host and provide support for our experimental model of this virus-reservoir host system.
3145 An Evaluation of Machine Learning and Traditional Statistical Methods for Discovery in Large-Scale Translational Data

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: To examine and compare the claims in Bzdok, Altman, and Brzywinski under a broader set of conditions by using unbiased methods of comparison. To explore how to accurately use various machine learning and traditional statistical methods in large-scale translational research by estimating their accuracy statistics. Then we will identify the methods with the best performance characteristics. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We conducted a simulation study with a microarray of gene expression data. We maintained the original structure proposed by Bzdok, Altman, and Brzywinski. The structure for gene expression data includes a total of 40 genes from 20 people, in which 10 people are phenotype positive and 10 are phenotype negative. In order to find a statistical difference 25% of the genes were set to be dysregulated across phenotype. This dysregulation forced the positive and negative phenotypes to have different mean population expressions. Additional variance was included to simulate genetic variation across the population. We also allowed for within person correlation across genes, which was not done in the original simulations. The following methods were used to determine the number of dysregulated genes in simulated data set: unadjusted p-values, Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted p-values, Bonferroni adjusted p-values, random forest importance levels, neural net prediction weights, and second-generation p-values. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Results vary depending on whether a pre-specified significance level is used or the top 10 ranked values are taken. When all methods are given the same prior information of 10 dysregulated genes, the Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted p-values and the second-generation p-values generally outperform all other methods. We were not able to reproduce or validate the finding that random forest importance levels via a machine learning algorithm outperform classical methods. Almost uniformly, the machine learning methods did not yield improved accuracy statistics and they depend heavily on the a priori chosen number of dysregulated genes. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: In this context, machine learning methods do not outperform standard methods. Because of this and their additional complexity, machine learning approaches would not be preferable. Of all the approaches the second-generation p-value appears to offer significant benefit for the cost of a priori defining a region of trivially null effect sizes. The choice of an analysis method for large-scale translational data is critical to the success of any statistical investigation, and our simulations clearly highlight the various tradeoffs among the available methods.
Building Capacity in Nonprofit Boards: Learning from Board Self-Assessments

Boards of directors of nonprofit charitable organizations have long been responsible for serving essential purposes and performing critical agency functions. Given these responsibilities, it seems reasonable to expect that a periodic review of a board’s capacity to effectively govern a nonprofit charitable organization be conducted. Using data collected from 800 individuals serving as board members of 42 different performing arts nonprofits, this study reports on board member evaluations of their individual and collective participation in the governance process through a self-assessment undertaken to inform decision-making and build capacity at both the board and organizational levels. Findings suggest the need for more (or better) training/orientation opportunities; focused, intentional, and tailored recruitment processes; clear communication, greater role clarity, and specificity regarding board performance expectations; greater understanding about best practices and the need to add value; and time to cultivate openness and collegiality among the board members and between the board and staff.
Forecaster perceptions and climatological analysis of the influence of convective mode on tornado climatology and warning success

Tornadogenesis occurs in a variety of storm types, or convective modes, each having a unique climatology and challenges in their detection and warning. Some warnings result in false alarms, meaning...
Probing transient excited states of the bacterial cell division regulator MinE by relaxation dispersion NMR spectroscopy

Bacterial MinD and MinE form a standing oscillatory wave which positions the cell division inhibitor MinC, that binds MinD, everywhere on the membrane except at the midpoint of the cell, ensuring midcell positioning of the cytokinetic septum. During this process MinE undergoes fold switching as it interacts with different partners. We explore the exchange dynamics between major and excited states of the MinE dimer in 3 forms using 15N relaxation dispersion NMR: the full-length protein (6-stranded β-sheet sandwiched between 4 helices) representing the resting state; a 10-residue N-terminal deletion (Δ10) mimicking the membrane-binding competent state where the N-terminal helix is detached to interact with membrane; and N-terminal deletions of either 30 (Δ30) or 10 residues with an I24N mutation (Δ10/I24N), in which the β1-strands at the dimer interface are extruded and available to bind MinD, leaving behind a 4-stranded β-sheet. Full-length MinE samples 2 "excited" states: The first is similar to a full-length/Δ10 heterodimer; the second, also sampled by Δ10, is either similar to or well along the pathway toward the 4-stranded β-sheet form. Both Δ30 and Δ10/I24N sample 2 excited species: The first may involve destabilization of the β3- and β3'-strands at the dimer interface; changes in the second are more extensive, involving further disruption of secondary structure, possibly representing an ensemble of states on the pathway toward restoration of the resting state. The quantitative information on MinE conformational dynamics involving these excited states is crucial for understanding the oscillation pattern self-organization by MinD-MinE interaction dynamics on the membrane.
Performance characterization of spring actuated autoinjector devices for Emgality and Aimovig

Objective: Autoinjectors are a convenient and efficient way to self-administer subcutaneous injections of biopharmaceuticals. Differences in device mechanical design can affect the autoinjector fun...
An institutional experience: A retrospective analysis of the effect of transitioning from follicular lesion of undetermined significance to atypia of undetermined significance with subclassified atypia on interobserver concordance, rates of neoplasia, and rates of malignancy.

Introduction The rate of malignancy (ROM) in thyroid fine needle aspirations (FNA) classified under "atypia of undetermined significance (AUS)/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (FLUS), including Hurthle cell type (HLUS)" category of The Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology (TBSRTC) in literature is highly variable. The 2018 TBSRTC was updated to note a preferred categorization of AUS cases into subcategories. This study evaluates the impact of AUS subclassification on rates of neoplasia (RON), rates of malignancy (ROM), and cytopathologist (CP) concordance. Methods 93 thyroid FNAs previously diagnosed as FLUS or HLUS from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014 with subsequent surgical resection were identified. Four CPs reclassified these cases using TBSRTC AUS subcategories of follicular cells with architectural and/or cytologic atypia, predominantly Hurthle cells, and atypical lymphocytes. RON and ROM were calculated for each diagnostic subcategory for each CP. Results The original RON and ROM for FLUS cases were 31.4% and 15.1% and were 77.8% and 22.2% for HLUS cases. 10.8% of cases showed diagnostic concordance amongst the four CPs. The most frequently utilized subcategory was architectural atypia. RON ranges for architectural atypia, cytologic atypia, architectural and cytologic atypia, and predominantly Hurthle cells were 28.1% to 35.7%, 0% to 33.3%, 35.3% to 66.7%, and 57.1% to 87.5%. The range of ROM was 13.9% to 16.7%, 0% to 33%, 0% to 42.9%, and 0% to 25%, respectively. Conclusion RON for AUS predominantly Hurthle cells subcategory was higher than previously reported, which may indicate use for tailored patient management pathways. AUS subclassification can result in significant interobserver variability. Therefore, institutions may consider consensus/quality control sessions to optimize diagnostic concordance.
Usability Testing and Experience Design in Citizen Science: A Case Study

Networked communication technologies have been deployed in efforts to engage citizens in scientific inquiry through mediated approaches. The use of digital networked technologies in the citizen science space, however, retains the same problems of usability and access that other digital experiences in terms of inclusion. A user experience research orientation to the problem of citizen science inclusivity may prove to be useful to public science projects seeking to engage with citizen-users traditionally marginalized from citizen science projects. This paper contributes to that scholarship by outlining the initial inquiries into the usability of an online citizen science project. First, the paper briefly situates the history of citizen science from a citizen/user perspective. Then the paper reviews the contemporary relationships between user experience and usability in the design of citizen science efforts. Next, the paper grounds that discussion in an experience report of the citizen science project including the project managers goals for inclusive participation. Following that discussion, the presenters ground their discussion in the findings of a usability test developed for a citizen science project, SciStarter, through a graduate course focused on usability for technical communicators. The role of SciStarter.org is to connect potential participants with projects of interest, and as such serves a crucial function to the overall success of SciStarter and the individual projects housed there. To assess how effective, efficient, and satisfying it is to use the SciStarter website, we report on a remote moderated usability test was conducted on the desktop version of the site. The testing took place over several days in October 2019 and featured sessions with five participants. The article concludes by outlining challenges and opportunities for usability and user experience technical communicators to explore issues of inclusive user experience design and the teaching of such as well as contribute to inclusive citizen science efforts.
OP0139 Regulation of cd154 in systemic lupus erythematosus

CD40-ligand (CD154) is expressed on the surface of activated CD4 T cells and as a soluble cytokine. CD154 is a critical regulator of the immune response via its interaction with CD40 on various cell types, and, therefore, it is not surprising that its expression is tightly controlled. Current reports have described abnormal expression (increased and prolonged levels) of CD154 in adult patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), similar to observations in lupus-prone mice. We have recently confirmed these findings in paediatric SLE patients. Normally, like several tumour necrosis factor cytokine family members, CD154 expression is primarily controlled at the level of gene transcription and mRNA stability. Moreover, regulatory defects in intracellular signalling pathways that may effect cytokine mRNA levels have recently been described in CD4 T cells from patients with SLE. Using real-time quantitative PCR we have found that CD154 mRNA levels are increased in SLE patients versus matched controls. Preliminary results from nuclear run-on assays also suggest that increased CD154 transcription plays a role in CD154 hyper-expression in SLE. The CD154 cis-element (s) responsible for this increase in transcription is unknown. Although we had previously identified a relatively weak proximal 5′ flank transcriptional promoter, very little is known about the cis- and trans-regulatory elements that contribute to CD154 gene expression. We have recently identified a NFκB-responsive transcriptional enhancer element located within and just downstream of the 3′ CD154 untranslated region. Moreover, using nuclei from primary human CD4 T cells, we have identified a novel DNase I hypersensitive site located approximately 1 kb upstream of the proximal promoter. This novel site is flanked by several potential T cell transcription factor binding sites and, thus, may function as a transcriptional enhancer. We are currently comparing the transcriptional activities of these various CD154 cis-regulatory elements in T cells from SLE patients and controls in order to identify region (s) that contribute to enhanced CD154 expression in SLE. Ultimately, we hope to be able to target the cis- or trans-regulatory elements that lead to the abnormal expression of CD154 in SLE and various other autoimmune disorders.
An evaluation of vector Fortran 200 generated by Cyber 205 and ETA-10 pre-compilation tools

Vectorizing precompilers such as KAP/205 and VAST-2 complement the efficient use of Fortran on the CDC Cyber 205. With the advent of the ETA-10 and its EOS/VSOS environment, the performance of these Fortran 200 preprocessors has come under closer scrutiny. The extent or quantity of vectorization that can be achieved has been examined elsewhere with reference to a test set of Fortran DO loops. The quality of the translated code is also considered. KAP/205 and VAST-2 are contrasted in this respect to reveal differences in the vectorized Fortran.
Advocating for Students During Distance Learning: The Role of the School Counselor:

The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to rush into distance learning, prioritizing academics and limiting consideration of students’ socioemotional needs. Given that distance learning is likely to b...
Evaluation of a patient specific, targeted-intensity pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis protocol in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Patients with COVID-19 are at higher risk of thrombosis due to the inflammatory nature of their disease. A higher-intensity approach to pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis may be warranted. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to determine if a patient specific, targeted-intensity pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis protocol incorporating severity of illness, weight, and biomarkers decreased incidence of thrombosis in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Included patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 and received thromboprophylaxis within 48 h of admission. Exclusion criteria included receipt of therapeutic anticoagulation prior to or within 24 h of admission, history of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, pregnancy, or incarceration. Per-protocol patients received thromboprophylaxis according to institutional protocol involving escalated doses of anticoagulants based upon severity of illness, total body weight, and biomarker thresholds. The primary outcome was thrombosis. Secondary outcomes included major bleeding, mortality, and identification of risk factors for thrombosis. Of 1189 patients screened, 803 were included in the final analysis. The median age was 54 (42–65) and 446 (55.5%) were male. Patients in the per-protocol group experienced significantly fewer thrombotic events (4.4% vs. 10.7%, p = 0.002), less major bleeding (3.1% vs. 9.6%, p < 0.001), and lower mortality (6.3% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.02) when compared to patients treated off-protocol. Significant predictors of thrombosis included mechanical ventilation and male sex. Post-hoc regression analysis identified mechanical ventilation, major bleeding, and D-dimer ≥ 1500 ng/mL FEU as significant predictors of mortality. A targeted pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis protocol incorporating severity of illness, body weight, and biomarkers appears effective and safe for preventing thrombosis in patients with COVID-19.
Vena Cava Tumor Thrombus Associated With Renal Angiomyolipoma in a Jehovah's Witness Patient.

Abstract We present a case of a young premenopausal female patient who was found to have a left-sided renal mass consistent with angiomyolipoma (AML) with Mayo Level IIIa vena caval tumor thrombus. The patient is of Jehovah's witness faith and would not accept blood transfusion. The following case report discusses workup and treatment for AML with tumor thrombus extension, as well as pre-operative optimization and intra-operative techniques during nephrectomy and thrombectomy to minimize blood loss in a patient unaccepting of blood transfusion.
Plasma-Induced Phase Change in Vanadium Dioxide

We report here, a plasma-driven metal-insulator transition (MIT) in thin thermo chromic vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) films. VO 2 is a Peierls- Mott insulator that undergoes a change from an insulating to a metallic state at ~68 °C, accompanied by a structural transition from monoclinic to rutile phase1. In our VO 2 low-temperature plasma devices, the observed transition occurs as a result of the strong electric field in the cathode sheath of the pulsed gas-phase plasma. Prior studies by Ko et al. at Harvard2, demonstrated a non-plasma-based electric field-assisted phase transition with fields of~ 1 07V/m, and calculations by Hormoz et al. in estimating the critical field required for transition via a Poole-Frenkel mechanism supported these results3, The magnitude of this required field is identical to those in the cathode fall region of some plasma devices regularly fabricated at the University of Illinois for various applications, including a plasma transistor where the intense sheath field is capable of reverse-biasing the collector-base junction4, The magnetron-sputtered VO 2 films utilized for this work ranged in thickness from 50 nm to 150 nm and had an area of 1 x 1 cm2. Optical and electrical investigation across the transition would be presented in this novel method of MIT-triggering in the correlated oxide.
Thermodynamic Models of Multicomponent Nonstoichiometric Solution Phases Using Internal Process Order Parameters

Abstract Many multi-component compounds are nonstoichiometric due to the competing energetic and entropic thermodynamic contributions at finite temperatures. In CALPHAD-type thermodynamic descriptions, their chemical potential or molar Gibbs free energy at a given temperature is often expressed as a function of site fractions or occupation probabilities of different atomic/ionic/defect species on different sublattices. However, these site fractions are generally not independent from each other due to internal processes involving atomic order-disorder transitions, redox reactions, and defect formation. Here, we propose a general, systematic thermodynamic description of nonstoichiometric compounds by introducing a set of order parameters describing the extent of these internal processes. The equilibrium state at a given temperature and an overall chemical composition is then obtained by minimizing the chemical potential of a compound with respect to these order parameters. We demonstrate the mutual relationships between site fractions and order parameters using two types of practically important multicomponent phases as examples: perovskite La1−xSrxMnO3 (LSM) and LaxSr1-xCoyFe1-yO3 (LSCF) used as solid oxide fuel cell cathodes and the spinel Co-Fe-O system as a catalyst for CO oxidation. We demonstrate that this proposed thermodynamic model can be directly incorporated in kinetic modeling, e.g., phase-field simulation, of diffusion-reaction and phase transformation processes involving nonstoichiometric phases as well as the kinetics of the internal processes within the nonstoichiometric compound under non-equilibrium conditions. Thus, a general link can be established between thermodynamic databases in terms of site fractions and phase-field simulations of kinetic processes and microstructure evolution using order parameters.