cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Position effect takes precedence over target sequence in determination of adenine methylation patterns in the nuclear genome of a eukaryote, Tetrahymena thermophila

Approximately 0.8% of the adenine residues in the macronuclear DNA of the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila are modified to N 6 -methyladenine. DNA methylation is site specific and the pattern of methylation is constant between clonal cell lines. In vivo, modification of adenine residues appears to occur exclusively in the sequence 54-NAT-34, but no consensus sequence for modified sites has been found. In this study, DNA fragments containing a site that is uniformly methylated on the 50 copies of the macronuclear chromosome were cloned into the extrachromosomal rDNA. In the novel location on the rDNA minichromosome, the site was unmethylated. The result was the same whether the sequences were introduced in a methylated or unmethylated state and regardless of the orientation of the sequence with respect to the origin of DNA replication. The data show that sequence is insufficient to account for site-specific methylation in Tetrahymena and argue that other factors determine the pattern of DNA methylation.
Differential expression of centrosome regulators in Her2+ breast cancer cells versus non-tumorigenic MCF10A cells

Centrosome amplification (CA) amongst particular breast cancer subtypes (Her2+ subtype) is associated with genomic instability and aggressive tumor phenotypes. However, changes in signaling pathways associated with centrosome biology have not been fully explored in subtype specific models. Novel centrosome regulatory genes that are selectively altered in Her2+ breast cancer cells are of interest in discerning why CA is more prevalent in this subtype. To determine centrosome/cell cycle genes that are altered in Her2+ cells that display CA (HCC1954) versus non-tumorigenic cells (MCF10A), we carried out a gene microarray. Expression differences were validated by real-time PCR and Western blotting. After the microarray validation, we pursued a panel of upregulated and downregulated genes based on novelty/relevance to centrosome duplication. Functional experiments measuring CA and BrdU incorporation were completed after genetic manipulation of targets (TTK, SGOL1, MDM2 and SFRP1). Amongst genes that were downregulated in HCC1954 cells, knockdown of MDM2 and SFRP1 in MCF10A cells did not consistently induce CA or impaired BrdU incorporation. Conversely, amongst upregulated genes in HCC1954 cells, knockdown of SGOL1 and TTK decreased CA in breast cancer cells, while BrdU incorporation was only altered by SGOL1 knockdown. We also explored the Kaplan Meier Plot resource and noted that MDM2 and SFRP1 are positively associated with relapse free survival in all breast cancer subtypes, while TTK is negatively correlated with overall survival of Luminal A patients. Based on this functional screen, we conclude that SGOL1 and TTK are important modulators of centrosome function in a breast cancer specific model.
Inorganic Composition and Environmental Impact of Biomass Feedstock

Knowledge of the inorganic components of biomass feedstock is important for process control and for handling coproducts and wastes resulting from energy and fuel utilization of biomass. Analytical survey of forestry thinnings (wood chips), agricultural residues (rice straw, wheat straw, corn stover), and dedicated perennial grass crops (switchgrass, wheatgrass, and miscanthus) shows that, potentially, the whole periodic table may be present in biomass. The main effect of ashing is bonding of oxygen in the ash mainly as silicate, oxides, hydroxides, phosphates, and carbonate residual minerals. Carbon is partially retained as carbonates and graphite (char). Nitrogen is dominantly released to the flue gas, while sulfur is mostly retained in the ash as sulfates. Small losses (∼19%) for both sulfur and chlorine were detected during ashing at 575 °C. The majority of the alkali metals (Li, Na, K, and Rb) will substantially modify soil if applied as a fertilizer. Only Mg, Ca, and Sr of the alkali earth metals, Mn...
Glutathione potentiation of cortisone-induced glycosuria in the rat.

SummaryGlutathione, when injected into normal animals which had been force-fed a high carbohydrate diet, induced glycosuria. The amount of glycosuria decreased with increasing adaptation to the high carbohydrate diet and after feeding the diet for 2 months, glutathione produced insignificant effects. By contrast the injection of glutathione into cortisone-diabetic rats caused a marked (in some cases up to 10 fold) increase in glycosuria which has been observed even after 3 months of the high carbohydrate diet. Cysteine and ascorbic acid were also studied. Glutathione potentiates the diabetogenic effect of cortisone. The mechanism of this potentiation has been discussed and its possible significance in the treatment of rheumatic disease has been suggested.
Transmission of Nuclear-Polyhedrosis Virus to Gypsy Moth Larvae by Calosoma sycophanta,

The ability of Calosoma sycophanta L. to transmit nuclear-polyhedrosis virus (NPV) to larvae of the gypsy moth, Porthetria dispar (L.), via ingestion of fecal deposits containing infective polyhedral bodies was investigated. Field-collected adult C. sycophanta and adult beetles fed field-collected gypsy moth larvae in the laboratory were found to defecate polyhedra in sufficient quantity to infect 3rd-stage gypsy moth larvae. The relationship of C. sycophanta abundance to gypsy moth and NPV occurrence is discussed.
Anion-Selective Redox Electrodes: Electrochemically Mediated Separation with Heterogeneous Organometallic Interfaces

Redox species have been explored extensively for catalysis, energy storage, and molecular recognition. It is shown that nanostructured pseudocapacitive electrodes functionalized with ferrocene-based redox polymers are an attractive platform for the selective sorptive separation of dilute organic anions from strong aqueous and organic electrolyte solutions, and subsequent release of the sorbed ions to a stripping phase through electrochemical control of the specific binding processes. A remarkable degree of selectivity is shown for carboxylates (–COO–), sulfonates (–SO3−), and phosphonates (–PO3−2) over inorganic anions such as PF6− and ClO4− (separation factor >140 in aqueous and >3000 in organic systems), and between carboxylates with various substituents, based on differences in electronic structure and density of the adsorbates, beyond size, and charge. Our organometallic redox electrodes are a promising platform for targeting aqueous and organic systems requiring high separation factors and fast throughput, such as in the recovery of value-added products from organic synthesis and isolation of dilute yet highly toxic organic contaminants. The combination of spectroscopic experiments and quantum chemistry sheds light on a selective binding mechanism based on redox-enhanced hydrogen bonding between the cyclopentadienyl ligand and the carboxylate functional group, with broader implications for molecular design, supramolecular recognition, and metallocene catalysis.
Semi-supervised maximum mutual information training of deep neural network acoustic models.

Maximum Mutual Information (MMI) is a popular discriminative criterion that has been used in supervised training of acoustic models for automatic speech recognition. However, standard discriminative training is very sensitive to the accuracy of the transcription and hence its implementation in a semisupervised setting requires extensive filtering of data. We will show that if the supervision transcripts are not known, the natural analogue of MMI is to minimize the conditional entropy of the lattice of possible transcripts of the data. This is equivalent to the weighted average of MMI criterion over different reference transcripts, taking those reference transcripts and their weighting from the lattice itself. In this paper we describe experiments where we applied this method to the semi-supervised training of Deep Neural Network acoustic models. In our experimental setup, the proposed method gives up to 0.5% absolute WER improvement over a DNN trained with sMBR only on the transcribed part of the data. This is 37% of the improvement that we would get from doing sMBR training if we had the transcripts for the untranscribed part of the data.
Notch Signaling in Inflammation-Induced Preterm Labor

Notch signaling plays an important role in regulation of innate immune responses and trophoblast function during pregnancy. To identify the role of Notch signaling in preterm labor, Notch receptors (Notch1-4), its ligands (DLL (Delta-like protein)-1/3/4), Jagged 1/2) and Notch-induced transcription factor Hes1 were assessed during preterm labor. Preterm labor was initiated on gestation day 14.5 by intrauterine (IU) injection of peptidoglycan (PGN) and polyinosinic:cytidylic acid (poly(I:C). Notch1, Notch2, Notch4, DLL-1 and nuclear localization of Hes1 were significantly elevated in uterus and placenta during PGN+poly(I:C)-induced preterm labor. Ex vivo, Gamma secretase inhibitor (GSI) (inhibitor of Notch receptor processing) significantly diminished the PGN+poly(I:C)-induced secretion of M1- and M2-associated cytokines in decidual macrophages, and of proinflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-6) and chemokines (MIP-1β) in decidual and placental cells. Conversely, angiogenesis factors including Notch ligands Jagged 1/2 and DLL-4 and VEGF were significantly reduced in uterus and placenta during PGN+poly(I:C)-induced preterm labor. In vivo GSI treatment prevents PGN+poly(I:C)-induced preterm delivery by 55.5% and increased the number of live fetuses in-utero significantly compared to respective controls 48 hrs after injections. In summary, Notch signaling is activated during PGN+poly(I:C)-induced preterm labor, resulting in upregulation of pro-inflammatory responses, and its inhibition improves in-utero survival of live fetuses.
Individual and Relationship Characteristics of Adolescent Girls With Histories of Physical Dating Violence.

The objective of this article is to examine the individual and relational characteristics of adolescent girls with a history of physical DV, as well as to utilize partner-specific, temporal data to...
Self-Study as an Emergent Methodology in Career and Technical Education, Adult Education and Technology: An Invitation to Inquiry

In this manuscript, the authors explore self-study as an emerging research methodology with the potential to open up spaces of inquiry for researchers, graduate students, and teachers in a broad array of fields. They argue that the fields of career and technical education CTE, adult education and technology can leverage self-study methodology in similar ways. They argue that self-study has a great deal to offer both theoretically and practically to those interested in improving their practices as researchers, and for those involved in shaping adult vocational educational experiences. After reviewing the history of self-study as a research methodology, they provide examples of self-study research that have direct implications for those in CTE and adult education and technology. They conclude the manuscript by providing practical guidance to those researching and/or working in schools, community centers and workplaces.
Some borderlands of the cervical spine. Part II: The subtle and the hidden abnormal.

The complexity of the structure of the cervical spine as well superimposition by the parts of adjacent vertebrae, as well as other structures may cause some abnormalities to be overlooked. Among those abnormalities are, the short sagittal diameter, neoplasm in the cancellous part of the vertebral bodies, spurs in the apophyseal joints, trauma, infection and others.
Radiology Online Patient Education Materials Provided by Major University Hospitals: Do They Conform to NIH and AMA Guidelines?

Abstract Aims The internet creates opportunities for Americans to access medical information about imaging tests and modalities to guide them in their medical decision-making. Owing to health literacy variations in the general population, the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommend patient education resources to be written between the third and seventh grade levels. Our purpose is to quantitatively assess the readability levels of online radiology educational materials, written for the public, in 20 major university hospitals. Materials and Methods In September and October 2016, we identified 20 major university hospitals with radiology residency-affiliated hospital systems. On each hospital׳s website, we downloaded all radiology-related articles written for patient use. A total of 375 articles were analyzed for readability level using 9 quantitative readability scales that are well validated in the medical literature. Results The 375 articles from 20 hospital systems were collectively written at an 11.4 ± 3.0 grade level (range: 8.4-17.1). Only 11 (2.9%) articles were written at the recommended third to seventh grade levels. Overall, 126 (33.6%) were written above a full high-school reading level. University of Washington Medical Center׳s articles were the most readable with a reading level corresponding to 7.9 ± 0.9. Conclusions The vast majority of websites at major academic hospitals with radiology residencies designed to provide patients with information about imaging were written above the nationally recommended health literacy guidelines to meet the needs of the average American. This may limit the benefit that patients can derive from these educational materials.
How the Dodd-Frank Act Affected Bank Acquisition Behavior

Size threshold-based regulatory requirements are pervasive, but little is known about how they affect the merger and acquisition (M&A) behavior of firms around the thresholds. M&As cause discrete increases in size, so we hypothesize changes in firms’ M&A behavior near regulatory size thresholds. Our identification strategy relies on size thresholds imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act. We develop a novel research design that estimates indirect treatment effects for banks just below the thresholds. We find strong evidence of indirect treatment effects on M&A behavior. Our results also illustrate the limitations of a standard difference-in-differences approach to studying events that involve size thresholds.
Randomized Controlled Trial of DHA Supplementation during Pregnancy: Child Adiposity Outcomes

Investigating safe and effective interventions in pregnancy that lower offspring adiposity is important given the burden of obesity and subsequent metabolic derangements. Our objective was to determine if docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) given during pregnancy to obese mothers results in lower offspring adiposity. This study was a long-term follow-up of a randomized trial of mothers with gestational diabetes or obesity who were randomized to receive DHA supplementation at 800 mg/day or placebo (corn/soy oil) starting at 25–29 weeks gestation. Anthropometric measures were collected at birth and maternal erythrocyte DHA and arachidonic (AA) levels were measured at 26 and 36 weeks gestation. At two- and four-year follow-up time points, offspring adiposity measures along with a diet recall were assessed. A significant increase in erythrocyte DHA levels was observed at 36 weeks gestation in the supplemented group (p < 0.001). While no significant differences by measures of adiposity were noted at birth, two or four years by randomization group, duration of breastfeeding (p < 0.001), and DHA level at 36 weeks (p = 0.002) were associated with body mass index z-score. Our data suggest that DHA supplementation during pregnancy in obese mothers may have long-lasting effects on offspring measures of adiposity.
Unified Lambert Tool for Massively Parallel Applications in Space Situational Awareness

This paper introduces a parallel-compiled tool that combines several of our recently developed methods for solving the perturbed Lambert problem using modified Chebyshev-Picard iteration. This tool (unified Lambert tool) consists of four individual algorithms, each of which is unique and better suited for solving a particular type of orbit transfer. The first is a Keplerian Lambert solver, which is used to provide a good initial guess (warm start) for solving the perturbed problem. It is also used to determine the appropriate algorithm to call for solving the perturbed problem. The arc length or true anomaly angle spanned by the transfer trajectory is the parameter that governs the automated selection of the appropriate perturbed algorithm, and is based on the respective algorithm convergence characteristics. The second algorithm solves the perturbed Lambert problem using the modified Chebyshev-Picard iteration two-point boundary value solver. This algorithm does not require a Newton-like shooting method and is the most efficient of the perturbed solvers presented herein, however the domain of convergence is limited to about a third of an orbit and is dependent on eccentricity. The third algorithm extends the domain of convergence of the modified Chebyshev-Picard iteration two-point boundary value solver to about 90% of an orbit, through regularization with the Kustaanheimo-Stiefel transformation. This is the second most efficient of the perturbed set of algorithms. The fourth algorithm uses the method of particular solutions and the modified Chebyshev-Picard iteration initial value solver for solving multiple revolution perturbed transfers. This method does require “shooting” but differs from Newton-like shooting methods in that it does not require propagation of a state transition matrix. The unified Lambert tool makes use of the General Mission Analysis Tool and we use it to compute thousands of perturbed Lambert trajectories in parallel on the Space Situational Awareness computer cluster at the LASR Lab, Texas A&M University. We demonstrate the power of our tool by solving a highly parallel example problem, that is the generation of extremal field maps for optimal spacecraft rendezvous (and eventual orbit debris removal). In addition we demonstrate the need for including perturbative effects in simulations for satellite tracking or data association. The unified Lambert tool is ideal for but not limited to space situational awareness applications.
Analysis of voltage notching in a low-voltage industrial network during the operation of a six-pulse AC/DC converter

Due to their complexity, low-voltage industrial networks are very harsh environments regarding conducted disturbances. Therefore, it can be difficult to ensure electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in such networks. This paper presents a case of voltage notches caused by a six-pulse AC/DC converter in such an industrial network. Six-pulse AC/DC converter powers a blower of a tempering glass machine. Voltage notches caused by the converter are causing different resonant conditions in the network dependent on the operating state of the power correction capacitor banks at the substation. Also dependent on them are voltage notching depth and voltage notching area. All these phenomena are analyzed and evaluated using the limits from the IEC 61000-2-4 and IEEE 519 standards.
Transcatheter or Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Chronic Lung Disease? The Answer, My Friend, Is Blowin' in the Wind.

In Bob Dylan's iconic song, Blowin’ in the Wind , the refrain “The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind” has been described as “impenetrably ambiguous: either the answer is so obvious it is right in your face, or the answer is as intangible as the wind.”[1][1] The treatment of
Remote visual analysis of large turbulence databases at multiple scales

Abstract The remote analysis and visualization of raw large turbulence datasets is challenging. Current accurate direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulent flows generate datasets with billions of points per time-step and several thousand time-steps per simulation. Until recently, the analysis and visualization of such datasets was restricted to scientists with access to large supercomputers. The public Johns Hopkins Turbulence database simplifies access to multi-terabyte turbulence datasets and facilitates the computation of statistics and extraction of features through the use of commodity hardware. We present a framework designed around wavelet-based compression for high-speed visualization of large datasets and methods supporting multi-resolution analysis of turbulence. By integrating common technologies, this framework enables remote access to tools available on supercomputers and over 230 terabytes of DNS data over the Web. The database toolset is expanded by providing access to exploratory data analysis tools, such as wavelet decomposition capabilities and coherent feature extraction.
Aberrant Epithelial Differentiation in Ovarian Cancer

It is well recognized that cancer cells often appear in an inappropriately differentiated stage, and the term ‘‘dedifferentiation’’ is often used. Dedifferentiation is a prominent feature of cancer cells; however, the causative mechanism is not well understood. Even themeaning of ‘‘dedifferentiation’’ is not well defined and is often used to refer to various aspects of cell changes associated with neoplastic transformation. The phenotype of ovarian cancer described as ‘‘undifferentiated’’ or ‘‘dedifferentiated’’ often refers to the apparent changes of the cancer cells toward a less epithelial-like morphology. However, such a definition is subjective and lacks molecular determinants. To provide a molecular interpretation of ‘‘dedifferentiation’’ of cancer cells, one may consider the concept of cell lineage differentiation prominent in developmental biology, in which a primordial cell undergoes change in its global gene expression profile toward a specific mature cell type. By analogy, dedifferentiation of cancer cells may be caused by the loss of one ormore critical genes that are key in inducing the differentiation of a primordial cell type to derive the ovarian surface epithelial cells (Fig. 7.1). ‘‘Dedifferentiation’’ may seem to mean a reversion of the process of differentiation; however, cancer cells are not just epithelial cells of the reversed differentiation but are cells with an aberrantly differentiated state. The dedifferentiation of cancer cells thus is defined as a loss of key gene(s) involved in the process of differentiation to derive ovarian surface epithelial cells, resulting in an apparent differentiation stage that is not identical to a normal cell lineage. Likely, the one or more critical gene(s) is a transcription factor(s)/regulator(s), which can activate or suppress the transcription of a large panel of genes that enable the cells to take
PMR Studies of Secondary and Tertiary Structure of Transfer RNA in Solution

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are low-molecular-weight (~ 28,000) polynucleotides which participate in ribosome-mediated protein synthesis (Smith, 1973). In addition to playing a major role on protein synthesis, tRNAs are also involved in the regulation of amino acid synthesis (Brenner and Ames, 1971), cell wall synthesis in some bacteria (Stewart et al., 1971), in DNA synthesis as a primer for reverse transcriptase (Fares et al., 1974), in nonribo-somal transfer of amino acids (Stoffer, 1974), and in the regulation of some enzymes (Goldberg, 1974). This variety of functions has made the determination of the structure of tRNA an important goal of molecular biology. A number of different techniques have been used to study tRNA structure and the present conception of the structure of tRNA is based on the results of a number of different studies (Rich and RajBhandary, 1976). In this review we will be concerned primarily with results obtained through the use of proton magnetic resonance (PMR). Results obtained by other methods will be discussed as they relate to those obtained by PMR.
The Metaphysics of Domains

Pluralist theories of various sorts commit themselves to the notion of a domain, but what exactly is a domain? In this chapter, I aim to answer this question. I begin by suggesting that the notion of a domain is not exclusive to pluralist theories and is implicit in a number of different philosophical views. I then outline both the semantic and metaphysical aspects of a domain before considering two problems associated with domain individuation that have been posed for truth pluralism: the problem of mixed atomics and the problem of mixed compounds. I show how solutions to each problem drop out of the account of domains given.
Comparison of the utility of the PHQ and CES-D for depression screening among youth with HIV in an integrated care setting

Abstract Background Depressive symptoms are well documented among people living with HIV and some evidence suggests that youth living with HIV (YLWH) are more affected than their adult counterparts. Therefore, screening for depression is imperative among YLWH to ensure optimal health. The objective of this study is to compare the utility of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) as depression screeners in an integrated care setting serving YLWH in the southeastern United States. Methods As a part of standard care, the CES-D and the PHQ were administered to YLWH. A Retrospective review of patient records was conducted. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and reports from mental health providers, researchers compared the utility of the screeners. Results The sample consisted of 121 cases from 2017. Youth ranged in age from 12–25 (M = 20.68, SD = 2.75). Most were Black/African American (59.5%) males (56.2%) who acquired HIV behaviorally (51.2%). Sexual orientation was nearly evenly split between heterosexual (37.2%) and homosexual (34.7%). The CES-D demonstrated higher specificity and sensitivity for identifying clinical depression, yet, this was not significantly different from the PHQ, p = .09. Limitations Generalizability of findings may be limited as the study sample included youth from a single integrated care setting. Conclusion Both the PHQ and the CES-D demonstrate utility for depression screening among YLWH. However, the PHQ may be preferable for use within a clinical setting.
Treatment of natalizumab-associated PML with filgrastim.

Objective There is no consensus on the treatment of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) occurring in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with natalizumab (Nz). We report novel immune activating treatment with filgrastim of Nz-associated PML in MS patients treated at Rush University Medical Center. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 17 Nz-PML patients treated at this single tertiary referral center between 2010 and 2017. We reviewed the clinical symptoms, diagnostic methods, survival, outcome and MS modifying therapy (MSMT) after Nz-PML. Results PML occurred after an average of 49 Nz infusions. To facilitate JCV elimination by accelerating immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), all patients received subcutaneous filgrastim upon PML diagnosis and discontinuation of Nz; eight received plasma exchange (PLEX). Earlier than previously published, PML-IRIS occurred in 15 of 17 (88.2%) patients within a mean of 57.4 days (SD 21.20) after the last Nz infusion. Seven patients recovered to or near baseline. There were no PML/IRIS-related fatalities but one patient committed suicide 2.5 years later. PLEX had no impact on PML outcome. Of 17 patients, 3 (18%) had MS relapses within 1 year after PML, and 5 (29%) beyond 1 year of PML onset, which is lower than expected in highly active MS patients. Eight patients started MSMTs after Nz-PML on an average of 26 months after Nz withdrawal. Interpretation Our findings indicate that immunoactivation with filgrastim during PML and careful management of subsequent IRIS is likely beneficial in patients with Nz-PML, without worsening MS. The clinical course of MS may be ameliorated by PML.
Asymmetries in Global Perception Are Represented in Near- versus Far-Preferring Clusters in Human Visual Cortex

Human perception is more "global" when stimuli are viewed within the lower (rather than the upper) visual field. This phenomenon is typically considered as a 2-D phenomenon, likely due to differential neural processing within dorsal versus ventral cortical areas that represent lower versus upper visual fields, respectively. Here we test a novel hypothesis that this vertical asymmetry in global processing is a 3-D phenomenon associated with (1) higher ecological relevance of low-spatial frequency (SF) components in encoding near (compared with far) visual objects and (2) the fact that near objects are more frequently found in lower rather than upper visual fields. Using high-resolution fMRI, collected within an ultra-high-field (7 T) scanner, we found that the extent of vertical asymmetry in global visual processing in human subjects (n = 10) was correlated with the fMRI response evoked by disparity-varying stimuli in human cortical area V3A. We also found that near-preferring clusters in V3A, located within stereoselective cortical columns, responded more selectively than far-preferring clusters, to low-SF features. These findings support the hypothesis that vertical asymmetry in global processing is a 3-D (not a 2-D) phenomenon, associated with the function of the stereoselective columns within visual cortex, especially those located within visual area V3A.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Here we test and confirm a new hypothesis: fine-scale neural mechanisms underlying the vertical asymmetry in global visual processing. According to this hypothesis, the asymmetry in global visual processing is a 3-D (rather than a 2-D) phenomenon, reflected in the function of fine-scale cortical structures (clusters and columns) underlying depth perception. Our findings highlight the importance of considering these structures, as regions of interest, in clarifying the neural mechanisms underlying visual perception. The results also highlight the importance of statistics of natural scenes in shaping human visual perception.
Revisiting positive peace using systems tools

Abstract This paper looks at peace with an integrated perspective. As a state, peace cannot be measured directly and requires the use of proxies and indicators. This paper revisits the positive peace index (PPI) introduced by the Institute for Economy and Peace (IEP) through the lens of systems thinking and modeling. Three sets of systems tools (cross-impact analysis, network analysis, and system dynamics) are proposed to explicitly account for the different levels of influence and dependence among the eight domains used to determine the PPI at the country level. Although more comprehensive than the original IEP formulation, the integrated approach proposed herein requires decisionmakers to be systems thinkers and able to conduct a detailed analysis of how the eight domains influence (impact) or depend on (sensitive to) each other. The proposed approach allows decisionmakers to capture the multidimensional and cross-disciplinary nature of positive peace better. This paper also shows that the three components of peace (positive, negative, and cultural) initially proposed by Johan Galtung can be represented using three-dimensional geometric features.
Antiaromaticity Gain Activates Tropone and Nonbenzenoid Aromatics as Normal-Electron-Demand Diels-Alder Dienes.

We propose a carbonyl umpolung strategy for activating tropone as a normal-electron-demand Diels–Alder diene. Tropone has low reactivity for Diels–Alder reactions because of its [4n+2] π-aromaticit...
Phase II study of neratinib in older adults with HER2 amplified or HER2/3 mutated metastatic breast cancer.

Abstract Objective The tolerability and efficacy of targeted therapy in older adults with cancer has not been adequately studied. Neratinib is a novel HER1, HER2, HER4 tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has recently been granted FDA approval for treatment of breast cancer. The major toxicity of neratinib is diarrhea, which affects up to 90% of patients. This phase II trial evaluates the safety and tolerability of neratinib in adults ≥60. Methods Patients aged 60 or older with histologically proven metastatic breast cancer and HER2 amplification (defined by ASCO/CAP guideline) or HER2/HER3 activating mutation were enrolled to receive neratinib at 240 mg daily in 28-day cycles. The association between tolerability, defined as dose reduction and number of completed courses, and log2 Cancer and Aging Research Group (CARG) toxicity risk score was assessed using a Student's t-test and linear regression, respectively. Response rate, progression free survival, and overall survival were also evaluated. Results 25 patients were enrolled with median age of 66 (range 60–79). Seventy-six percent of patients were white, 16% Asian, and 8% African-American. Seventy-six percent were patients with hormone receptor (HR) positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and 24% were patients with HR negative MBC. Median number of prior lines of metastatic therapy were 3 (range 0–11). 20/25 (80%) had worst grade toxicities ≥2. A total of 9/25 (36%) had grade 3 toxicities including 5/20 (20%) diarrhea, 2/20 (8%) vomiting, and 2/20 (8%) abdominal pain. There were no grade 4 or 5 toxicities. A total of 9/25 (36%) had dose reduction, and 2/25 (8%) discontinued therapy due to toxicity. The association between dose reductions and CARG toxicity score reached borderline statistical significance suggesting a trend with participants with higher CARG toxicity risk scores being more likely to require a dose modification (p = 0.054). 1/25 (4%) had a partial response, 11/25 (44%) had stable disease, 12/25 (48%) had progression of disease, and 1/25 (4%) was not assessed. Median progression free survival (PFS) was 2.6 months (95% CI [2.56–5.26]), and median overall survival (OS) was 17.4 months (95% CI [10.3, NA]). Conclusions Neratinib was safe in this population of older adults with HER2 amplified or HER2/3 mutated metastatic breast cancer (BC). Higher CARG toxicity risk score may be associated with greater need for dose adjustments. Future studies are needed to confirm this finding.
Design Space of Vertical Ga 2 O 3 Junctionless FinFET and its Enhancement with Gradual Channel Doping

For the first time, we systematically study the design space of vertical Ga2O 3 junctionless FinFET for 600V to 5kV ratings using TCAD simulation with experimentally calibrated parameters. Two scenarios are investigated, namely with “excellent” and “poor” gate oxide/channel interfaces. “Excellent” and “poor” interfaces result in no and severe surface mobility degradation, respectively. It is found that, for the “excellent” case, fin width (W) should be made as small as possible for optimal design. For the “poor” case, optimal W is $\sim$200nm because ION degrades when W<200nm. However, this can be alleviated by adopting a gradual channel doping scheme, which gives a$\sim$30% boost in ION in the 600V application with a thinned wafer.
Masters and Servants: The Hudson’s Bay Company and its North American Workforce, 1668-1786: by Scott P. Stephen, Edmonton, University of Alberta Press, 2019, 407 pp., $44.99 (paper), ISBN 978-1-7721-2337-1

Scott Stephen, a Parks Canada historian, has provided readers with a fascinating examination of labor relations in what was to become the longest-functioning, joint-stock merchandising company in t...
MediCrawl - A Web Search Engine For Diseases

Popular generic web search engines like google and Bing fail to be as effective as niche web search engines for specific domain searches. There are solutions available like MayoClinic and FindZebra for searching for medical diseases based on symptoms, but they have their limitations. This paper presents MediCrawl - A web search engine made with open source tools for searching diseases. In this project, we target both the common and the rare diseases and overcome the limitations imposed by MayoClinic and FindZebra.
Metabolic Markers Demonstrate the Heterogeneity of Myosteatosis in Community-Dwelling Older Black Men from the Health ABC Study

Myosteatosis is a complex condition, associated with aging and diverse pathological conditions (e.g., diabetes), that contributes to mobility disability. Improved characterization of myosteatosis is required to develop targeted interventions to maintain muscle health in aging. We first determined the associations between plasma metabolites and intermuscular fat (IMF) in a cross-sectional analysis of 313 older Black men from Health ABC Study. Using partial correlation analysis, 34/350 metabolites were associated with IMF, the majority of which were lipids and organic acids. Next, we used Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), as an indicator of metabolic health to delineate the anthropometric, functional, and metabolic heterogeneity of myosteatosis in a case-control matching analysis. We categorized participants based on their IMF and HOMA-IR levels into: Low-IMF with Low- versus High-HOMA, as well as High-IMF with Low- versus High-HOMA. Among participants with similar levels of IMF, those who were metabolically unhealthy, i.e., with High HOMA-IR, had higher fat and lean mass, muscle strength, and had hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperinsulinemia, and higher levels of plasma metabolites belonging to diacylglycerols, triacylglycerols, fatty acid and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathways versus those with Low HOMA-IR. In summary, HOMA-IR delineates the heterogeneity of myosteatosis by distinguishing metabolically healthy versus unhealthy individuals.
Is Law Working? Where COVID-19 Legal Epidemiology Goes from Here

There was plenty of well-tested public health knowledge about virus control long before COVID-19. We had a good sense of the strengths and limitations of surveillance, information sharing, rapid case finding and contact tracing, quarantine and isolation. For many reasons — including the characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the attempts by Chinese local officials to suppress information, and the deliberate reduction of U.S. public health capacity — this approach was rapidly overwhelmed, thrusting the United States (and most of the world) into the far less familiar territory of trying to stop large-scale community spread. Leaders used emergency authority to throw up barriers to viral transmission, from stay-at-home orders to mask wearing, often in apparently haphazard combinations. It would have been possible to draw on expert knowledge and evidence of the use and effects of similar measures in long-ago epidemics of polio and influenza, but we see little evidence that decision makers did so, let alone that they benefited from existing scientific knowledge about law and human behavior in selecting and deploying new interventions. Although hundreds of researchers jumped to assess initial measures, the effort to quickly model, rather than painstakingly measure, the effects of policy, shortcutting peer review, and feeding research directly to the press and social media may have done more than harm than good. The predictions were not good enough, and have not helped us untangle the effects of policies alone or in combination. Looking forward, we hope that new leadership will bring a broader range of existing theory and expertise to bear in fashioning national guidance for COVID-19 control. We recommend significant investment as soon as possible in research assessing the deployment and effects of the emergency measures we are deploying, which in the long term can instigate and guide reform of emergency public health laws and their implementation in future pandemics. This paper was prepared as part of the COVID-19 Policy Playbook: Legal Recommendations for a Safer, More Equitable Future, a comprehensive report published by Public Health Law Watch in partnership with the de Beaumont Foundation and the American Public Health Association.
Anisotropic circular topological structures

We design cylindrical multilayer structures characterized by anisotropy and topological features. This provides a new approach to tailor electromagnetic fields into desired patterns with orbital angular momentum in cylindrical geometries as ring resonators and fibers. We use transformation optics to deal with anisotropic circular structures, and rigorously define the edge states. The resulting topologically protected high-localized modes, at the core/cladding interface, with angular momentum may trigger the developments of new disorder-robust devices and high Q-microcavities for applications in light transmission, quantum technology, nonlinear optics, TeraHertz devices, and biophysical sensors.
Construction of peptoliposomes for the incorporation of nutrient lipid supplements in insect cell culture media

Nutrient liposomes that incorporate peptones instead of serum proteins can be used for the lipid supplementation of insect cells in lieu of or in addition to vertebrate serum to enhance the growth or differentiation of specific insect cell types in culture. The technique described here for the preparation of nutrient peptoliposomes involves the combination of both natural and synthetic phosphatidyl cholines (containing essential polyunsaturated fatty acids) with appropriate sterols. These are protected against premature oxidation by antioxidants (glutathione, alanine, protein hydrolysates) and antioxidant synergists (citrate, ascorbate, plus other amino acids) in the basal tissue culture medium as well as in the liposomal preparation itself (alphatocopherol acetate and protein hydrolysates). The lipid components are filter sterilized in chloroform and then dried before aqueous sonication, allowing the subsequent formation of a random array of unsized uni- and multilamellar liposomes, which are suitable as direct suppliers of lipid nutrients as well as nutrient carriers for lipid-soluble supplements.
SU-E-J-98: Assessment of Deformable Image Registration Algorithms by Using Different Similarity Measures for the Registration Evaluation

Purpose: To evaluate deformable image registration algorithms used for 4DCT data sets registration. Furthermore, to validate several similarity measures applied on clinical 4DCT images as part of the evaluation. Methods: The capabilities of the registration algorithms — Deformable Multi Pass (DMP), Extended Deformable Multi Pass (EXDMP), structure guided deformable (SGD), and rigid — applied in the commercial software Velocity (Medical Solutions, Atlanta, GA) were evaluated by several different similarity measures applied on 4DCT images. Measures included the cross correlation (CC), root mean squared error (RMSE), relative dimensionless global error in synthesis (Erreur Relative Globale Adimensionelle de Synthese — ERGAS), image quality index (Q), structural similarity index (SSIM), feature similarity index (FSIM), gradient magnitude similarity deviation (GMSD), mutual information (MI), dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Tanimoto coefficient (TC), and specificity (S). Results: The analysis showed that for two of the registration methods (DMP and SGD), in 3 out of the 4 cases, the same registration results (the two deformed data sets were exactly the same) were obrained regardless of the phase that was used for registration. For the four cases done so far, only two similarity measures (RMSE, ERGAS) ranked rigid registration in the last place compared to the other methods. Another measure that indicated an inferior performance for the rigid registration was the MI, which ranked it in the 3rd place in front of EXDMP in only one of the cases studied. The EXDMP was ranked as the best performing algorithm by the different measures combined in 43%, DMP in 22%, SGD in 20% and RIGID in 15% of the cases considered. Conclusion: Root mean squared error, relative dimensionless global error in synthesis and mutual information appear to have an advantage over other similarity measures that are considered in the evaluation of the accuracy of deformable image registration.
Rotationally and vibrationally inelastic collisions of NH 3 with Au(111): experiment and theory

We measured angular, velocity, and quantum-state distributions for ammonia molecules scattered from a gold (111) single crystal for a number of surface temperatures and incident beam energies, A molecular beam source produces a well-collimated rotationally cold (~15 K) beam of NH3 molecules with a narrow dispersion of a translational energy (~10%). The molecular beam impinges on an atomically clean single crystal of gold (111), and the scattered NH3 is detected in a quantum-resolved manner using two-photon resonant, three-photon ionization.1·2
Patients with depressive symptoms presenting to the emergency department for asthma have worse clinical status

Background: Depressive symptoms are associated with worse long-term asthma but less is known about their effects on acute exacerbations. Methods: This analysis compared clinical characteristics according to depressive symptoms among 296 patients presenting for asthma to emergency departments (EDs) in New York City. At presentation patients completed valid surveys measuring asthma variables and depressive symptoms. Patients received follow-ups for 16 weeks. Results: Mean age was 44 years, 72% were women, and 23% had a positive screen for depression. Compared to those with a negative screen, those with a positive screen were more likely not to know what triggered the exacerbation (11% vs 22%, p=.01), and to report worse asthma-related quality of life (p Conclusions: Asthma ED patients with a positive screen for depression had worse self-report clinical status and more short-term resource utilization. Depressive symptoms may be modifiable and should be addressed in relation to acute exacerbations.
Fabrication of magnetostrictive nanobars

To develop biosensors with the capability of detecting very small mount of biological agents, such as single or several cells, magnetostrictive bars or stripes in size from nanometer to micrometer are required. In this paper, magnetostrictive nanobars and nanobar arrays, with a diameter from 50 to 200 nm and a length of 2~5 μm, were fabricated based on template-based synthesis. The amorphous Fe-B alloy was selected as the magnetostrictive material to fabricate the nanobars. The study on resonance behavior and magnetic properties of plated Fe-B thin films indicate that amorphous Fe-B alloy is a good candidate for fabricating high performance sensor platform. The magnetization hysteresis loop of Fe-B nanobars was characterized. It is found that all the nanobar arrays exhibit easy axis of magnetization along bar length direction but with smaller coercivity, which is different with bulk materials. The physics behind the phenomena is discussed.
Simple reaction time with markovian evolution of gaussian discriminal processes

If the discriminal distributions of signal-detectability theory evolve in time according to a normal Markov process, they can be characterized by Brownian motion generalized with a constant bias determined by signal strength. If the process is stopped at the first occurrence of a preset criterion displacement, the resulting latency distribution provides a model for the central component of simple reaction time. Discussed are properties of the distribution which should be useful in obtaining experimental predictions from neural-counting assumptions, and in relating reaction times to basic variables of the theory of signal-detectability.
CERAMIDE : AN INTRACELLULAR SIGNAL FOR APOPTOSIS

Recent investigation of the roles of sphingolipids in signal transduction and cell regulation is shedding a new light on the mechanisms of growth suppression and apoptosis. A sphingomyelin cycle has been identified whereby the action of certain extracellular agents (such as tumor necrosis factor alpha) results in activation of a sphingomyelinase, which cleaves membrane sphingomyelin, to generate cellular ceramide. Ceramide, in turn, has emerged as a candidate intracellular mediator for the action of these extracellular agents, and has multiple cellular and biochemical targets. In particular, ceramide is a potent and specific suppressor of cell growth and an inducer of apoptosis. Further studies on this signal transduction pathway should provide new understanding of the physiological functions of ceramide and promise significant insight into a novel biochemical pathway regulating apoptosis.
Ocean science: Arctic sea ice needs better forecasts

Foster partnerships and share data to reduce hazards in fast-changing northern waters, says Hajo Eicken.