cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Refreshment Strategies for the Shortest Path Caching Problem with Changing Edge Weight

The problem of caching shortest paths which aims at reducing the computational time of servers has been widely studied. All the existing methods addressing this problem assume that the graph status does not change with time. Based on this assumption, they analyze shortest paths query logs and prefer to load paths with the most query frequency into the cache. However, the graph status is actually affected by many factors and undoubtedly changes with time in the real work. As the existing approaches ignore the change of graph status, they cannot guarantee the efficient use of caches. In this paper, we first exploit properties related with changing graphs. Then we develop an algorithm to detect shortest paths affected by weight change of edges. After detection affected paths in a cache, several heuristic based refreshment strategies are proposed to update the cache. In the experimental section, performances of proposed refreshment strategies are compared.
The N of 1 Markov Chain Design as a Means of Studying the Stages of Psychotherapy

Research on the process or, more specifically, the stages of psychotherapy has been difficult to carry out and can lead to spurious results. An initial step in furthering knowledge of the stages of successful therapy would be the use of an N of 1 design with Markov chain analyses. This design would allow one to incorporate the uniqueness of each therapy dyad, the interactional nature of the psychotherapeutic process, and a statistical test of the changes in the interactional behavior over time that is not often available in nonbehavioral single case designs. The purpose of this paper is to familiarize the reader with N of 1 designs and Markov chain methodologies and to propose how they could be combined in an attempt to study the stages of successful therapy. A hypothetical study is presented to exemplify the operation and value of the proposed N of 1 Markov chain design.
Sub-Regional Perspectives on Structural Change

This chapter provides a comprehensive assessment of structural change patterns in the world economy. It uses a new dataset on sectoral employment produced by the International Labour Organization, which is complemented by national accounts and population data from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The sample includes 169 countries, representing about 99% of the world’s output and population in 2013. One of the main contributions of this chapter is its focus on the sub-regional level, which has been hitherto absent from the literature. We provide an assessment of 13 sub-regions in Africa, Asia and Latin America in order to offer deeper and richer insights into the recent dynamics of structural change. Overall, our results suggest that within-sector productivity improvements were the key driver of output per capita growth in most sub-regions. Nonetheless, structural change has also played a critical role in enhancing economic performance since 2002—mainly through services. Changes in the demographic structure and employment rates have also contributed to the recent performance, albeit to a much lesser extent. Accelerating the pace of structural change—by exploiting existing productivity gaps—will be crucial to sustain current economic growth rates in developing regions.
The Well-Modulated Lobster

When serotonin or octopamine are injected into freely moving lobsters, animals assume static poses that last for prolonged periods of time (up to several hours). With serotonin injection, animals stand in a flexed posture high on the tips of their walking legs with their claws spread apart and slightly open in front of them and their abdomens loosely tucked underneath them. With octopamine injection, animals lie close to the substrate in an extended posture with their walking legs and claws pointed forward and lifted off the substrate and their abdomens gently arching upward (Livingstone et al, 1980). Such poses are normally seen in lobster behavior. For example, lobsters assume serotoninlike poses when startled, during agonistic encounters (at the beginning of a “fight” and when a “winner” emerges), and during part of the mating cycle (male only). Animals assume octopaminelike poses during agonistic encounters (the “loser”), during mating (female only), and, in young animals, while “playing-dead” in threatening situations (Scrivener, 1971; Atema and Cobb, 1980).
Nearshore regional behavior of lightning interaction with wind turbines

Abstract The severity of lightning strikes on offshore wind turbines built along coastal and nearshore regions can pose safety concerns that are often overlooked. In this research study the behavior of electrical discharges for wind turbines that might be located in the nearshore regions along the East Coast of China and Sea of Japan were characterized using a physics-based model that accounted for a total of eleven different geometrical and lightning parameters. Utilizing the electrical potential field predicted using this model it was then possible to estimate the frequency of lightning strikes and the distribution of electrical loads utilizing established semi-empirical relationships and available data. The total number of annual lightning strikes on an offshore wind turbine was found to vary with hub elevation, extent of cloud cover, season and geographical location. The annual lightning strike rate on a wind turbine along the nearshore region on the Sea of Japan during the winter season was shown to be moderately larger compared to the lightning strike frequency on a turbine structure on the East Coast of China. Short duration electrical discharges, represented using marginal probability functions, were found to vary with season and geographical location, exhibiting trends consistent with the distribution of the electrical peak current. It was demonstrated that electrical discharges of moderately long duration typically occur in the winter months on the East Coast of China and the summer season along the Sea of Japan. In contrast, severe electrical discharges are typical of summer thunderstorms on the East Coast of China and winter frontal storm systems along the West Coast of Japan. The electrical charge and specific energy dissipated during lightning discharges on an offshore wind turbine was found to vary stochastically, with severe electrical discharges corresponding to large electrical currents of long duration.
Role of learning style preferences and interactive response systems on student learning outcomes

Learning style preferences are found influential in learning and academic achievement, and may explain how students learn. Additionally, technology has been proven effective in educational processes. Interactive response systems known also as clickers seem to increase student engagement, although studies on the direct effects of clickers on learning outcomes are limited. The purpose of this study is to determine whether student learning style plays a role in learning outcomes and whether some students benefit using interactive systems more than others. Learning outcomes are measured by critical thinking abilities, comprehension of subject knowledge, and effective decision-making abilities through problem/project-based learning practices. Based on the learning outcomes of students enrolled in operations management classes, business students with participant learning style were found to be high academic achievers and successful critical thinkers. Use of interactive response systems positively affected overall course performance and was instrumental in the comprehension of subject knowledge and problem-based learning practices. While participant learners benefited most from interactive response systems, independent learners' application and effective decision-making abilities were enhanced by the use of these systems.
Implementation of a Mini-CEX Requirement Across All Third-Year Clerkships

ABSTRACTProblem: Direct observation of medical students performing clinical tasks, such as eliciting a patient history or examining a patient, and the provision of feedback, are foundational to student improvement but have been reported to occur infrequently. The mini clinical evaluation exercise (mini-CEX) is a tool that can facilitate direct observation and feedback. This study assessed the impact of a mini-CEX requirement across all 3rd-year clerkships on student report of direct observation by faculty and objectively measured clinical skills. Intervention: A mini-CEX requirement across all 3rd-year clerkships was implemented in the 2012–2013 academic year. The impact of the mini-CEX requirement on student report of direct observation was assessed by end-of-clerkship surveys and Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Graduation Questionnaire (GQ) items on direct observation. The impact on students' clinical skills was assessed by a summative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Pr...
Analysis of Decision in Promotion by "Sending Shopping Cards"

To provide the theoretical support to the decisions made in the wide-spread promotion by sending shopping cards,it is studied preliminarily.Defining some key parameters,such as card's par value and card sending/receiving ratio,the concepts of card's value coefficient,lower-bound value coefficient and depreciation coefficient are proposed with the card's value and the lower-bound value calculated.The reasonable price scope of selling and purchasing shopping cards is thus derived for the firms which will launch the promotion by sending shopping cards during holidays.Different schemes for single purchase in the typical promotion by sending cards are analyzed.A conclusion is drawn that if the prices are reasonable,purchasing a shopping card first for purchasing goods is preferable to paying cash.Moreover,the proposed concepts and formulate could be applied to the analysis of more complex promotion activities by sending shopping cards.
An evaluation on the concept of distribution justice

Distribution justice is an important part of social justice,but there are lots explications.They all emphasize that distribution justice is the proper and the reasonable in distribution.So the key is to find principle and standard.In different society the principle and standard are not alike,the difference are caused by sorts of elements.
Effects of skin cooling on airway reactivity in asthma

1. Environmental contact with cold air is a common cause of respiratory distress in obstructive lung disease, and direct and reflex changes in bronchial calibre are well documented with this stimulus when it is inhaled or contacts the exposed skin respectively. It is now known that skin chilling does not amplify the effects of breathing cold air, but it is not established if this lack of interaction is unique, or applies to other forms of airway constrictors. 2. To provide data on this issue, 10 subjects with atopic asthma underwent methacholine bronchoprovocations with and without chilling of the integument of their heads and thoraces for 30 min. Chilling was accomplished with a specially designed thermal garment. Spirometry as well as core and skin temperatures were serially monitored during all experiments. 3. In the control phase (no cooling), integumental temperatures rose slightly, the forced expiratory volume in 1.0 s (FEV1.0) did not change, and the mean provocative concentration of methacholine required to reduce the FEV1.0 by 20% (PC20 meth) was 0.47 +/- 0.17 mg/ml (2.4 +/- 0.87 mmol/l). In the cold trial, the temperature of the back fell 5.1 +/- 1.7 degrees C to 28.7 +/- 1.8 degrees C (P < 0.01), core temperatures did not change, and airway obstruction developed (delta FEV1.0 = -6.7 +/- 2.1%; P < 0.05). The PC20 meth, however, was unaltered [PC20 meth = 0.45 +/- 0.13 mg/ml (2.3 +/- 0.66 mmol/l); P = 0.85]. 4. These results demonstrate that although skin cooling produces mild airway obstruction in subjects with asthma, it does not change the response to non-specific bronchoconstrictors such as methacholine.
Complex interactions between the DNA-damage response and mammalian telomeres

Natural chromosome ends resemble double-stranded DNA breaks, but they do not activate a damage response in healthy cells. Telomeres therefore have evolved to solve the 'end-protection problem' by inhibiting multiple DNA damage-response pathways. During the past decade, the view of telomeres has progressed from simple caps that hide chromosome ends to complex machineries that have an active role in organizing the genome. Here we focus on mammalian telomeres and summarize and interpret recent discoveries in detail, focusing on how repair pathways are inhibited, how resection and replication are controlled and how these mechanisms govern cell fate during senescence, crisis and transformation.
Population learning of structural connectivity by white matter encoding and decoding

There is rapidly growing interest in analyzing brain connectivity at the population level, to detect factors that affect brain networks and fiber architecture. Even so, we still lack a fundamental model of brain fiber tracts and white matter (WM) connectivity, making it challenging to identify representative and diagnostically informative patterns. To bridge this gap, we introduce a framework to learn structural connectivity patterns from diffusion tensor images (DTI) of the brain. This novel strategy encodes key WM tracts from multiple individuals into a large matrix. An efficient sparse learning algorithm is used to find a structural "basis" (dictionary). The dictionary is then decoded to generate representations of actual WM tracts in individuals. We applied our method to the most recent DTI dataset from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), including data from 230 participants. With this method, we identified significantly different WM patterns for distinct diagnostic groups. Moreover, the locations of significant WM differences are consistent with prior findings of structural brain abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
The Fluorescence of Bilirubin-Albumin Complexes

In normal blood plasma, bilirubin is essentially completely bound to albumin (Ostrow and Schmid 1963), which thus can be considered the physiological transport protein for this bile pigment. Unbound bilirubin is thought to occur in plasmas of experimental animals and patients with hyperbilirubinemia such that the binding capacity of albumin is exceeded. In these cases, it is thought that the unbound bilirubin may produce toxic manifestations, especially to the central nervous system. The interaction of bilirubin with albumin therefore has the greatest importance and has attracted much study (Lester and Schmid 1964). Moreover, bilirubin-albumin complexes have recently drawn interest from optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) and circular dichroism (CD) studies on the mode of binding of the bilirubin. Blauer and King (1970) found that bilirubin-BSA* complexes had the largest molar rotation in the visible spectrum of any substance yet reported, and postulated the coiling up of bilirubin in the complex into the shape of a left-handed helix. Blauer et al. (1970) and Woolley and Hunter (1970) have extended these studies to the CD spectra of bilirubin complexes of HSA and BSA and have shown species-related differences.
A Population-Based Assessment of the Agreement Between Grading of Goniophotographic Images and Gonioscopy in the Chinese-American Eye Study (CHES).

PURPOSE To compare grading of goniophotographic images and gonioscopy in assessing the iridocorneal angle. METHODS In a population-based, cross-sectional study, participants underwent gonioscopy and goniophotographic imaging during the same visit. The iridocorneal angle was classified as closed if the posterior trabecular meshwork could not be seen. A single masked observer graded the goniophotographic images, and each eye was classified as having angle closure based on the number of closed quadrants. Agreement between the methods was analyzed by calculating kappa (κ) and first-order agreement coefficient (AC1) statistics and comparison of area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC). RESULTS A total of 4149 Chinese Americans (3994 eyes) were included in this study. The agreement for angle closure diagnosis between gonioscopy and EyeCam was moderate to excellent (κ = 0.60, AC1 0.90, AUC 0.76-0.80). CONCLUSIONS Detection of iridocorneal angle closure based on goniophotographic imaging shows moderate to very good agreement with angle closure assessment using gonioscopy.
The Back Seat Driver: real time spoken driving instructions

An automobile navigation aid that uses synthetic speech to give instruction to the driver of a car in real time is described. The advantage of speech is that it leaves the driver's eyes free for driving; however, it also poses special problems. The strategies employed by the Back Seat Driver to use speech successfully are described. The linguistic abilities are discussed, and the problems encountered because of the exclusive use of speech are described. The way in which these problems were overcome is described. >
Glutamatergic Pathways and Receptors

Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate brain and is utilized at distinct synapses in the cerebellum. Glutamate released from presynaptic terminals binds to various types and classes of glutamate receptors at pre- and postsynapses. Glutamate receptors are classified as metabotropic (mGluR) or ionotropic (iGluR). iGluRs function as glutamate-gated cation channels and are classified pharmacologically as AMPA-, NMDA-, or kainite-types. AMPA receptors determine synaptic strength, whereas NMDA receptors induce synaptic plasticity. Kainate receptors play multiple roles in regulating synaptic transmission and plasticity. mGluRs are G protein-coupled receptors that modulate postsynaptic signaling by the type I mGluRs through Gq signaling and modulate glutamate release via the type II and III mGluRs acting via Gi/o signaling. Combinatory action among the glutamate receptors coordinates synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. Disruption of receptor activities causes various neurological disorders including epilepsy, mental retardation and neurodegenerative diseases, and controlling glutamate receptor activities is used as a therapeutic strategy for these disorders. This chapter covers topics of glutamate receptors and its auxiliary subunits.
Bright environmental light accelerates rhodopsin depletion in retinoid-deprived rats.

PURPOSE: Dietary deficiency in the retinoid precursors of the visual pigment chromophore 11-cis retinal eventually results in selective degeneration of the photoreceptor cells of the vertebrate retina. An early effect of retinoid deficiency is depletion of chromophore from the photoreceptor outer segments. Experiments were conducted to determine whether the rate of chromophore depletion was affected by the intensity of environmental light. METHODS: Rats were maintained on diets either containing or lacking retinoid precursors of 11-cis retinal for up to 30 weeks. Animals in both dietary groups were exposed to either bright (90 lux) or dim (5 lux) cyclic light for the duration of the experiment. At various time intervals retinal rhodopsin content and photoreceptor densities were determined in animals from each treatment group. RESULTS: Bright light greatly accelerated the depletion of rhodopsin from the retina. Rhodopsin was almost completely depleted from the retinas of the retinoid-deficient animals raised under bright light for 25 weeks, whereas the dim-light-reared animals fed the retinoid-deficient diet still had significant amounts of retinal rhodopsin even after 30 weeks. Bright light alone moderately depressed retinal rhodopsin levels in animals fed the diet containing a vitamin A precursor of 11-cis retinal. Among rats fed the latter diet, retinal rhodopsin content in the animals kept in bright cyclic light was maintained throughout the experiment at about 70% of the amount of rhodopsin in rats housed in dim cyclic light. The light-related rhodopsin depletion in the retinoid-deprived rats was accompanied by photoreceptor cell death. After 30 weeks of treatment, photoreceptor cell densities remained similar in all treatment groups except the retinoid-deprived group housed under bright cyclic light. In the latter group, photoreceptor cell densities in the central retinas were reduced by an average of more than 50% after 30 weeks. Retinoid deficiency and bright light exposure alone each resulted in a reduction in rod outer segment size. An even greater reduction in outer segment size was observed in vitamin A-deprived animals housed under bright cyclic light. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that light accelerates the depletion of retinoids from the retina and the accompanying photoreceptor cell degeneration.
Special considerations regarding antiretroviral therapy and infection prophylaxis in the HIV-infected individual with cancer.

The survival of patients with HIV infection has improved substantially, especially within the past four years.1 2 3 Factors that initially led to this improvement included improved prophylaxis of opportunistic infections, especiallyPneumocystis cariniipneumonia (PCP), and improved recognition and management of other opportunistic infections. Although PCP prophylaxis led to a reduction in deaths due to PCP, it was also associated with an increased risk of wasting syndrome, esophageal candidiasis, and infection with atypical mycobacteria and cytomegalovirus. 4 Physician experience is also an important factor that influences prognosis, undoubtedly due to appropriate use of infection prophylaxis, early recognition and management of infections, and other factors. 5 Prior to 1996, antiretroviral therapy that consisted of single agent nucleoside analogues had only a modest influence on survival. 6 Beginning in 1996, however, antiretroviral therapy began to have a profound effect on survival. It was during this year that the protease inhibitors became available for clinical use. It became common practice to use protease inhibitors in combination with two nucleoside analogues in order to maximally reduce viral burden, a treatment strategy that became known as “highly active antiretroviral therapy”, or HAART. 7 8 This practice led to as substantial reduction in morbidity and mortality secondary to HIV infection in the United States in 1996 and 1997 compared with 1995. 3 Several reports have also suggested a lower incidence of lymphoma and Kaposi’s sarcoma since the introduction of protease inhibitors and HAART9 10 11 12 13, although this effect has not been consistently observed by all groups. 14 15 16
Isolation and Characterization of 1,3-Bis(vinylbenzyl)thymine: Copolymerization with Vinylbenzyl Thymine Ammonium Chloride

A novel bioinspired molecule, 1,3-bis(vinylbenzyl)thymine (bisVBT), was isolated as a by-product during the synthesis of 1-(4-vinylbenzyl)thymine (VBT) and analyzed with various techniques: NMR, IR, and Single-Crystal X-ray Diffraction. In addition to embodying all the desired characteristics of VBT (i.e., having the ability to undergo a photodimerization reaction upon UV irradiation, a derivatization site, hydrogen bonding sites, and aromatic stacking ability) the bisVBT monomer has the added benefit of having two vinyl groups for cross-polymerization. Copolymerizing the bisVBT monomer with the charged monomer vinylbenzyl triethylammonium (VBA) chloride, different copolymers/terpolymers/cross-linked network were obtained, as it was shown by the absence of the vinyl resonance in the NMR spectra. Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) showed an indication of materials with low degree of cross-linking. A Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) method was improved to better characterize the molecular weight distributions of the cationic structures. Preliminary qualitative cross-linking studies were performed on bisVBT-VBA copolymers, and a comparison with VBT-VBA copolymers is presented.
The EU's ecological risk assessments.

In their Policy Forum “Estimating the health benefits of environmental regulations” (4 August, p. [457][1]), A. McGartland et al. compellingly make the case that compatibility between risk assessments of chemicals in the environment and benefit-cost analyses (BCAs) is key to developing effective
An Introduction to Equation-of-Motion and Linear-ResponseCoupled-Cluster Methods for Electronically Excited Statesof Molecules

This chapter presents a review of equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOM-CC) and linear-response coupled-cluster (LR-CC) methods for excited states of molecules. These methods derive from ground-state CC theory and, just as CC has become a very effective tool for ground electronic states, EOM-CC/LR-CC methods have become increasingly useful tools for excited states. The general theory is first outlined. This is followed by a survey of the different approximate schemes that have been developed and implemented. Next, the performance of some of these different schemes is assessed by numerical comparisons with exact results and with experimental data. Finally, a few illustrative applications are described in order to show the scope and applicability of EOM-CC/LR-CC methods
Strategies for elemental mapping from energy-filtered TEM of polymeric materials

Energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy provides an opportunity to map the nanoscale elemental composition in polymeric systems. Nevertheless, it presents its own set of unique challenges in its application to soft materials. Here, we outline an optimized protocol for elemental mapping in soft materials using sulfur mapping of polymer/fullerene mixtures as an example. Three factors are crucial: (1) focusing at zero-loss, (2) using an objective aperture, and (3) maximizing signal-to-noise and counts for the chosen imaging conditions. Analyzing the corresponding source images, bright field images, and thickness maps can ensure optimum conditions are achieved for elemental mapping of polymers.
Risk of hypertension and abnormal biomarkers in the first year postpartum associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among overweight and obese women

Abstract Objectives Hypertension and obesity are common cardiometabolic risk factors in reproductive age women. The association of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with later-life cardiovascular disease is well-established, however, it is unknown how obesity and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy converge to accelerate development of hypertension in the postpartum period. The aim of this study was to characterize rates of sustained hypertension at one year postpartum using the new American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Guidelines among overweight and obese women with a normotensive pregnancy or hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Study design 315 early pregnant women were enrolled prospectively and followed up to 12 months after delivery (mean 7.0 ± 1.8 months). At a postpartum research visit, we measured blood pressure and collected blood samples to measure cystatin C and high sensitivity C-reactive protein. Results A total of 254 women had a normotensive pregnancy, 39 had gestational hypertension (12.4%) and 22 had preeclampsia (7.0%). 91 women had hypertension at the postpartum study visit (28.9%). After adjustment for maternal age, BMI, lactation and time postpartum, preeclampsia was associated with an aOR 2.35 (95%CI 1.63–3.41) of development of sustained hypertension and an aOR 3.23 (95%CI 1.56–6.68) of hypertension with abnormal biomarkers compared to women with normotensive pregnancies. Conclusions We demonstrate a high prevalence of hypertension and abnormal biomarkers associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among overweight and obese women. Our findings support the need for structured follow up and risk reduction in overweight and obese women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy as early as the first year postpartum.
Abstract 177: Glucagon Receptor Signaling-Mediated Regulation of PCSK9 and Cholesterol Metabolism

Glucagon is one of the key hormones important in hepatic glucose homeostasis, and the pathophysiological role of hyperglucagonemia and unopposed hepatic glucagon action in type 2 diabetes (T2D) is ...
Abstract 1848: PPARγ function is attenuated by full length androgen receptor and the AR-V7 variant in human prostate cancer cells

The peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates in vitro and in vivo growth of castration-resistant human prostate cancer (PCa) cells. However, the factors that control expression of PPARγ within human PCa have not been characterized. We have previously shown that the androgen dihydrotestosterone decreases PPARγ levels and transcriptional activity in human PCa cells. Dihydrotestosterone serves as a high affinity ligand for the 110 kD form of the androgen receptor (AR-FL). Recent studies have shown the development of castration-resistant forms of prostate cancer is not only due to reactivation of AR-FL but also results from the expression of androgen receptor splice variants (ARVs) that lack the ligand-binding domain of the receptor. The goal of this study is to define the extent to which AR-FL and an ARV found in castration-resistant prostate cancer, AR-V7, regulate PPARγ expression and function. We first examined the role of AR-FL in the AR-positive C4-2 cell line. siRNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous AR-FL within C4-2 cells increased PPARγ protein and transcriptional activity. We next used reporter assays to further define the role of AR-FL and AR-V7 in PPARγ function. In these experiments, we first transfected plasmid vectors that express the AR-V7 or AR-FL into the AR null PC-3 prostate cancer cell line. A luciferase-based reporter assay was then used to measure alterations in PPARγ transcriptional activity within transfected cells. The addition of AR-FL to PC-3 cells resulted in reduced basal PPARγ luciferase activity. The ability of the ligand rosiglitazone to increase PPARγ activation was also suppressed in AR-FL positive PC-3 cells. A comparable decrease in ligand-induced PPARγ activation was detected in PC-3 cells that expressed AR-V7. The reduction in PPARγ activity produced by AR-FL and AR-V7 was likely not due to alterations in PPAR gamma expression, for we did not detect a consistent reduction in PPARγ mRNA and protein in transfected cells. Overall these data suggest that both AR-FL and AR-V7 are negative regulators of PPARγ function. Moreover, the AR-V7 stimulated reduction in PPARγ activity does not require the presence of AR-FL. Studies currently are underway to define the effect of endogenous AR-V7 on PPARγ expression and activity. This project was supported by NIGMS RISE grant (2R25GM059994-13), a NCI Mentored Career Development Award (K01CA114253), and the Vanderbilt CTSA grant UL1 RR024975-01 from NCRR/NIH. Citation Format: Emuejevoke Olokpa, Lamonica V. Stewart. PPARγ function is attenuated by full length androgen receptor and the AR-V7 variant in human prostate cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1848. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1848
Vehicle technologies for achieving near and longer term fuel economy and climate goals

Abstract Motor vehicles are a key element of transport systems worldwide, providing vitally important access to goods and services. However, motor vehicles powered by internal combustion engines directly emit harmful pollutants and climate-changing gases. New fuels and new automotive technologies offer the potential to simultaneously make motor vehicles much cleaner and more efficient by reducing tailpipe emissions and allowing the focus to be on the “upstream” emissions from fuels production. This can be accomplished through an increasing array of hybrid electric and pure electric vehicle types. This chapter reviews the current regulatory environment and vehicle technology status for improving fuel economy and reducing emissions from light-duty vehicles. The focus is on the United States, but the measures adopted in other countries are also reviewed briefly. Fluctuating oil prices have helped to create an uncertain future for alternative fuels and vehicles, but these continue to evolve rapidly creating a complex policy and technology interplay. Fuel economy standards and pollutant emissions standards have been important strategies for improving the energy and environmental performance of motor vehicles, but their cost-effectiveness has been debated. Incremental improvements to existing vehicle technologies have been responsible for many of the gains to date and additional improvements are likely over the next several decades. However, if substantially tougher energy and environmental performance is required in the future, motor vehicle technologies that break away from internal combustion of carbon fuels will be needed. Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) appear to offer the most promising path forward, but existing PEVs face challenges in terms of cost, performance, and availability of support infrastructure. Electric-drive vehicles with zero-tailpipe emissions can either operate with electrochemical batteries, or batteries in conjunction with hydrogen fuel cells. Both are promising options, with differing advantages among different geographical settings and light/heavy vehicles types. A test program of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) focusing on driver reactions to the vehicles and fuel illustrates both the promise that new vehicle technologies may offer and the barriers new technologies will likely face.
Open-Channel Separation Techniques for the Characterization of Nanomaterials and Their Bioconjugates for Drug Delivery Applications

Open-channel separation techniques can separate samples without reliance on column packing, minimizing sample loss due to adsorption onto the packing materials and reducing damage to samples, in particular, the complexes held together by non-chemical interactions. Field flow fractionation (FFF) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) are two representative open-channel separation techniques. In this chapter, we discuss the use of FFF and CE to separate and characterize various nanomaterials widely applied in biomedical research.
Assessing Free Flap Reconstruction Accuracy of the Midface and Orbit Using Computer-Aided Modeling Software

Importance: Aesthetically pleasing and functionally stable total maxillectomy reconstruction is among the greatest of challenges within head and neck surgery. Maintaining presurgical midface projec...
How zebrafish turn: analysis of pressure force dynamics and mechanical work.

Whereas many fish swim steadily, zebrafish regularly exhibit unsteady burst-and-coast swimming, which is characterized by repeated sequences of turns followed by gliding periods. Such a behavior offers the opportunity to investigate the hypothesis that negative mechanical work occurs in posterior regions of the body during early phases of the turn near the time of maximal body curvature. Here we use a modified Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique to obtain high-resolution flow fields around the zebrafish body during turns. Using detailed swimming kinematics coupled with body surface pressure computations, we estimated fluid-structure interaction forces and the pattern of forces and torques along the body during turning. We then calculated the mechanical work done by each body segment. We used estimated patterns of positive and negative work along the body to evaluate the hypothesis (based on fish midline kinematics) that the posterior body region would experience predominantly negative work. Between 10 and 20% of the total mechanical work was done by the fluid on the body (negative work), and negative work was concentrated in the anterior and middle areas of the body, not along the caudal region. Energetic costs of turning were calculated by considering the sum of positive and negative work and were compared to previous metabolic estimates of turning energetics in fishes. The analytical workflow presented here provides a rigorous way to quantify hydrodynamic mechanisms of fish locomotion and facilitates the understanding how body kinematics generates locomotor forces in freely-swimming fishes.
Comparative cost analysis between definitive radiotherapy and transoral surgery for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: A SEER-Medicare analysis.

Abstract Introduction Primary radiotherapy (RT) and transoral surgery (TOS) are effective local therapy treatments for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), but their cost profiles differ. We compared the one-year costs of these competing treatments using a large claims-based database. Methods Eligible individuals were patients in the SEER-Medicare registry diagnosed with OPSCC between 2000 and 2011. Patients were categorized as receiving either primary RT +/− chemotherapy, or TOS +/− adjuvant RT or chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and all treatment costs from 1 month prior to diagnosis to 1 year after diagnosis were calculated. Univariable and multivariable linear regression models were used to determine predictors of payer expenditure. Patient-borne pharmacy costs were also analyzed. Results The cohort included 3497 patients (73% RT, 27% TOS), of whom 73% were locally advanced. The mean total 13 month costs for RT alone, CRT, TOS alone, TOS + RT and TOS + CRT were $39,083, $63,537, $25,468, $36,592, and $99,919, respectively, for early-stage patients. For locally advanced individuals, the mean costs were $45,049, $68,099, $40,626, $53,729, and $71,397, respectively. On multivariable analysis, the adjusted increase in total costs versus RT alone were $21,844, −$5431, $7984, and $28,581 for CRT, TOS alone, TOS + RT, and TOS + CRT, respectively. The difference between CRT and TOS + RT became non-significant for TOS patients undergoing transoral surgery plus neck dissection. Cisplatin was associated with significant less cost than cetuximab and taxane-based chemotherapy. Conclusion In this population of elderly patients, transoral surgery was generally associated with less expensive treatment, with the addition of chemotherapy serving as the main driver of increased cost.
Inorganic arsenic toxicity and alleviation strategies in rice

Direct or indirect exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) in the forms of AsIII (arsenite) and AsV (arsenate) through consumption of As-contaminated food materials and drinking water leads to arsenic poisoning. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) plant potentially accumulates a high amount of iAs from paddy fields than any other cereal crops. This makes it to be a major source of iAs especially among the population that uses it as their dominant source of diet. The accumulation of As in human bodies poses a serious global health risk to the human population. Various conventional methods have been applied to reduce the arsenic accumulation in rice plant. However, the success rate of these techniques is low. Therefore, the development of efficient and effective methods aimed at lowering iAs toxicity is a very crucial public concern. With the current advancement in technology, new strategies aimed at addressing this concern are being developed and utilized in various parts of the world. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in the management of iAs in rice plants emphasizing the use of nanotechnology and biotechnology approaches. Also, the prospects and challenges facing these approaches are described.
Values in early-stage climate engineering: The ethical implications of “doing the research”

Abstract Calls for research on climate engineering have increased in the last two decades, but there remains widespread agreement that many climate engineering technologies (in particular, forms involving global solar radiation management) present significant ethical risks and require careful governance. However, proponents of research argue, ethical restrictions on climate engineering research should not be imposed in early-stage work like in silico modeling studies. Such studies, it is argued, do not pose risks to the public, and the knowledge gained from them is necessary for assessing the risks and benefits of climate engineering technologies. I argue that this position, which I call the “broad research-first” stance, cannot be maintained in light of the entrance of nonepistemic values in climate modeling. I analyze the roles that can be played by nonepistemic political and ethical values in the design, tuning, and interpretation of climate models. Then, I argue that, in the context of early-stage climate engineering research, the embeddedness of values will lead to value judgments that could harm stakeholder groups or impose researcher values on non-consenting populations. I conclude by calling for more robust reflection on the ethics and governance of early-stage climate engineering research.
Advanced imaging use and payment trends in a large pediatric accountable care organization

Pediatric imaging use and payment trends in accountable care organizations (ACOs) are seldom studied but are important for health policy decisions and resource allocation. To evaluate patterns of advanced imaging use and associated payments over a 7-year period at a large ACO in the USA serving a Medicaid population. We reviewed paid claims data from 2011 through 2017 from an ACO, analyzing the MRI, CT and US use trends and payments from emergency department (ED) and outpatient encounters. We defined “utilization rate” as the number of advanced imaging procedures per 100 enrolled children per calendar year. Average yearly utilization and payments trends were analyzed using Pearson correlation. Across 7 years, 186,552 advanced imaging procedures were performed. The average overall utilization rate was 6.99 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.9–7.1). In the ED this was 2.7 (95% CI: 2.6–2.8) and in outpatients 4.3 (95% CI: 4.2–4.3). The overall utilization rate grew by 0.7% yearly (P=0.077), with US growing the most at 4.0% annually (P=0.0005), especially in the ED in the US, where it grew 10.8% annually (P=0.000019). The overall payments were stable from 2011 to 2017, with outpatient MRI seeing the largest payment decrease at 1.8% (P=0.24) and ED US showing the most growth at 3.3% (P=0.00016). Head CT and abdominal US were the two most common procedures. Over the study period, advanced imaging utilization at this large pediatric ACO serving the Medicaid population increased, especially with US use in the ED. Overall payments related to advanced imaging remained stable over this period.
Foreseeing the principles of genome architecture.

Tom Misteli highlights a 2006 study by Shopland et al., which used relatively simple methods to visualize characteristics of chromosome organization. Their conclusions foreshadowed key concepts in the field: topologically associating domains, compartments and cell-to-cell heterogeneity in genome organization.
Mild traumatic brain injury/ concussion initiates an atypical astrocyte response caused by blood-brain barrier dysfunction.

Mild traumatic brain injury/ concussion (mTBI) accounts for 70-90% of all reported TBI cases and causes long-lasting neurological consequences in 10 to 40% of patients. Recent clinical studies revealed increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability in mTBI patients, which correlated with secondary damage after mTBI. However, the cascade of cellular events initiated by exposure to blood-borne factors resulting in sustained damage are not fully resolved. We previously reported that astrocytes respond atypically to mTBI rapidly losing many proteins essential to their homeostatic function while classic scar formation does not occur. Here, we tested the hypothesis that mTBI-induced BBB damage causes atypical astrocytes through exposure to blood-borne factors. Using a mTBI mouse model, 2-photon imaging, an endothelial cell-specific genetic ablation approach, and serum-free primary astrocyte cultures, we demonstrated that areas with atypical astrocytes coincide with BBB damage and that exposure of astrocytes to plasma proteins is sufficient to initiate loss of astrocyte homeostatic proteins. While mTBI resulted in frequent impairment of both physical and metabolic BBB properties and leakage of small-sized blood-borne factors, deposition of the coagulation factor fibrinogen or vessel rupture were rare. Surprisingly, even months after mTBI BBB repair did not occur in areas with atypical astrocytes. Together, these findings implicate that even relatively small BBB disturbances are sustained long-term and render nearby astrocytes dysfunctional, likely at the cost of neuronal health and function.
Identification of recharge zones in the Lower Mississippi River alluvial aquifer using high-resolution precipitation estimates

Summary Water resources in the lower Mississippi River alluvial valley play a critical role in agricultural productivity due to the widespread use of irrigation during the growing season. However, the unknown specifics of surface–atmosphere feedbacks in the region, along with diminishing groundwater availability and the non-sustainable trend in irrigation draws from the alluvial aquifer, makes it difficult for water resource managers to make sound decisions for future water sustainability. As a result, it is crucial to identify spatial and temporal associations between local rainfall patterns and groundwater levels to determine the influence of precipitation on regional aquifer recharge. Specifically, it is critical to define the recharge zones of the aquifer so that rainfall distribution can be used to assess potential groundwater recovery. This project addresses the issue of defining areas of recharge in the lower Mississippi River alluvial aquifer (LMRAA) through an assessment of historical precipitation variability using high-resolution radar-derived precipitation estimates. A rotated principal component analysis (RPCA) of both groundwater and precipitation data from October through April is used to define locations where aquifer levels show the greatest variability, with a stepwise regression approach used to define areas where rainfall and groundwater levels show the strongest association. Results show that the greatest recharge through direct rainfall is along the Tallahatchie River basin in the northeastern Mississippi Delta, with recharge along the periphery of the LMRAA likely a result of direct water flux from surface hydrologic features.
A test for evolutionary equilibria: Phanerozoic brachiopods and Cenozoic mammals

The fossil record of Phanerozoic brachiopod genera and Late Cenozoic New World mammal genera is examined for evidence of evolutionary equilibria. One necessary (but insufficient) condition is met: within temporal intervals, numbers of originations correlate with numbers of extinctions. Eliminating temporally short-ranging brachiopods, however, reduces the correlation so that it explains only 16% of the variation. More decisive tests of the equilibrium hypothesis appear impossible with available data. Difficulties of temporal and geographic scale, taxonomic level, and ecological consistency must be resolved before equilibrium models can be applied in paleontology for other than inspiration.
An axiomatic model of 'cold feet'

Individuals often lose confidence in their prospects as they approach the "moment of truth." An axiomatic model of such individuals is provided. The model adapts and extends (by relaxing the Independence axiom) Gul and Pesendorfer's model of temptation and self-control to capture an individual who changes her beliefs so as to become more pessimistic as payoff time approaches. In a variation of the model, the individual becomes more optimistic at an ex post stage in order to feel better about her available options.