cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microstructure Cluster Analysis with Transfer Learning and Unsupervised Learning

We apply computer vision and machine learning methods to analyze two datasets of microstructural images. A transfer learning pipeline utilizes the fully connected layer of a pre-trained convolutional neural network as the image representation. An unsupervised learning method uses the image representations to discover visually distinct clusters of images within two datasets. A minimally supervised clustering approach classifies micrographs into visually similar groups. This approach successfully classifies images both in a dataset of surface defects in steel, where the image classes are visually distinct and in a dataset of fracture surfaces that humans have difficulty classifying. We find that the unsupervised, transfer learning method gives results comparable to fully supervised, custom-built approaches.
Active Magnetic Bearing Control and Hardware for an Experimental Flywheel Energy Storage System

In an effort for human colonization and exploration of the lunar surface there should be a way to store energy for when demand requires it. For energy storage a flywheel can provide a reliable, efficient and low-maintenance system for this need. This paper contains the description of a low-speed flywheel that includes an external rotor and hubless electrical machine. This allows for a high energy low loss machine. For the machine to be hubless it requires the use of active magnetic bearings. In this paper the system model and control algorithm for the active magnetic bearings for the flywheel energy storage system is presented. The simulation and validation of the model is shown.
Deserving Victims and Post-Disaster Fraud

This chapter focuses upon the construct of the deserving victim, as seen in the context of natural and man-made disasters, as well as in other social welfare contexts. This concept is applied at the community scale as well, with the onus being placed upon the community to prove its deservedness. The chapter seeks to integrate findings from fields such as psychology and sociology relative to individual and cultural discomfort with the notion of allowing individuals to “cheat,” with the literature around disaster recovery. In other words, the chapter interrogates the underpinnings of the extensive focus on fraud that has characterized post-disaster assistance and aid dating back to the creation of those mechanisms and contrasts it with the assumption of corporate deservedness—as shown by the typical failure to question high corporate profit models and the unwillingness to hold corporations to account for anything less than the most egregious violations.
Performance of Microbiome Sequence Inference Methods in Environments with Varying Biomass

Microbiome community composition plays an important role in human health, and while most research to date has focused on high-microbial-biomass communities, low-biomass communities are also important. However, contamination and technical noise make determining the true community signal difficult when biomass levels are low, and the influence of varying biomass on sequence processing methods has received little attention. Here, we benchmarked six methods that infer community composition from 16S rRNA sequence reads, using samples of varying biomass. We included two operational taxonomic unit (OTU) clustering algorithms, one entropy-based method, and three more-recent amplicon sequence variant (ASV) methods. We first compared inference results from high-biomass mock communities to assess baseline performance. We then benchmarked the methods on a dilution series made from a single mock community-samples that varied only in biomass. ASVs/OTUs inferred by each method were classified as representing expected community, technical noise, or contamination. With the high-biomass data, we found that the ASV methods had good sensitivity and precision, whereas the other methods suffered in one area or in both. Inferred contamination was present only in small proportions. With the dilution series, contamination represented an increasing proportion of the data from the inferred communities, regardless of the inference method used. However, correlation between inferred contaminants and sample biomass was strongest for the ASV methods and weakest for the OTU methods. Thus, no inference method on its own can distinguish true community sequences from contaminant sequences, but ASV methods provide the most accurate characterization of community and contaminants. IMPORTANCE Microbial communities have important ramifications for human health, but determining their impact requires accurate characterization. Current technology makes microbiome sequence data more accessible than ever. However, popular software methods for analyzing these data are based on algorithms developed alongside older sequencing technology and smaller data sets and thus may not be adequate for modern, high-throughput data sets. Additionally, samples from environments where microbes are scarce present additional challenges to community characterization relative to high-biomass environments, an issue that is often ignored. We found that a new class of microbiome sequence processing tools, called amplicon sequence variant (ASV) methods, outperformed conventional methods. In samples representing low-biomass communities, where sample contamination becomes a significant confounding factor, the improved accuracy of ASV methods may allow more-robust computational identification of contaminants.
Opportunities and challenges of blockchain in industry 4.0

Индустрия 4.0 включает создание киберфизических систем, способных децентрализованно управлять производством, продажами, самообучаться и развиваться. Функционирование таких систем нуждается в аналогичных "умных" технологиях хранения и распространения информации. Блокчейн, обеспечивший децентрализацию и кибербезопасность в сфере криптовалют и создавший "умные" контракты, стал рассматриваться как подобная технология. Однако экстраполяция блокчейн с узкой сферы цифровых денег до универсального применения в индустрии и публичном секторе столкнулась с серьезными трудностями. Некоторые из них могут быть преодолены в рамках существующего поколения блокчейн (например, улучшением алгоритмов консенсуса). Большинство же требует существенных трансформаций технологии, комбинирования ее с другими информационными и промышленными инновациями. Трудности такого переходного этапа породили критику блокчейн и, нередко, отказ от его использования. Появились гибридные решения, взявшие от блокчейн лишь часть инновационной идеи (блочную организацию реестра транзакций) и имплантировав ее в традиционные технологии. Предложено считать такие решения неполноценным "квазиблокчейном". На основе анализа эволюции блокчейна обосновано, что дальнейшее развитие его децентрализованных версий наиболее отвечает концепции Индустрия 4.0. Показано, что внедрению таких версий сейчас препятствуют внутренние противоречия: "трилемма" блокчейн плюс его высокая энергоемкость. Исследованы перспективы выхода из тупика "трилеммы" блокчейн с помощью смежных инновационных решений, таких как протокол второго уровня (Lightning Network) и ему подобные. Освещены тенденции дальнейшего развития различных форм и архитектур блокчейн. Предложена классификация, связывающая блокчейн с традиционными распределенными базами данных и учитывающая логику их развития. Проанализированы эффективные методы промышленного внедрения блокчейн, включая реализацию с его помощью цифровых счетов-фактур (e-Invoice) и коммуникаций для промышленного Интернета вещей. Выполненные исследования позволили разработать критерии выбора и оптимизации конкретных блокчейн-решений для индустриального применения.
Non-forking w-good frames

We introduce the notion of a w-good \(\lambda \)-frame which is a weakening of Shelah’s notion of a good \(\lambda \)-frame. Existence of a w-good \(\lambda \)-frame implies existence of a model of size \(\lambda ^{++}\). Tameness and amalgamation imply extension of a w-good \(\lambda \)-frame to larger models. As an application we show:
The Tricky Terrain of Global University Partnerships

Higher education in the USA, for the most part, is an industry in which individual institutions pride themselves on their autonomy, often behaving as independent actors among a broader population of over 4200 institutions. Even within state systems, which the casual observer would assume enjoy deep coordination among constituent institutions, there is fierce independence and competition.
Resuscitate your residents’ skills with neonatal simulation.

Background: Neonatal resuscitation(NR) training is a necessary part of pediatric resident education and required by the ACGME. This simulation curriculum was designed to enhance exposure and practice of NR by pediatric residents during their neonatal ICU rotations. The curriculum's effectiveness was measured by the residents’ ability to maintain competency in NR skills and as increased levels of perceived confidence to perform NR; both domains were expected to improve with repeated exposure to the curriculum. Methods: The curriculum provided two types of education: a 30-minute didactic lecture followed by high-fidelity simulation (HFS). The curriculum was updated after 6 months coinciding with the release of the 7th Edition Neonatal Resuscitation …
Pilot Test of an Appreciative Inquiry Intervention in Hypertension Self-management:

We implemented an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) intervention to assist people with hypertension improve diet, physical activity, and blood pressure. In a two-group randomized controlled trial conducted over 12 weeks, 50 participants were recruited at an urban outpatient health care clinic. The intervention used participants' high peak positive experiences to promote behavior change, during two face-to-face individual sessions and three coaching telephone calls. Data were analyzed using test of differences between groups and analysis of covariance controlling for confounding variables. The intervention group had significantly higher levels of ideal self, positive emotions, and self-efficacy for chronic disease management than the control group. No significant group differences in physical activity, diet, or blood pressure. Findings provide empirical evidence about the underlying processes by which AI may promote health behavior change. Future research should examine the effectiveness of this AI intervention in a larger sample of patients and over a longer intervention period.
Aqueous stability relations in the hydrometallurgical processing of cerium bastnasite

The stability relations of cerium and its species in the hydrometallurgical processing of bastnasite were studied using Pourbaix diagrams. Different systems of Ce-(F)-(CO3)-(SO4)-(C2O4)-H2O were co...
Management of a Hospitalized Patient with Thyroid Dysfunction

The ambulatory approach to managing hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism may have to be modified for hospitalized patients. Being strictly nil per os (NPO, nothing by mouth) and disease severity are two of the foremost commonly encountered challenges. For hyperthyroidism, parenteral commercial formulations of beta-blockers and glucocorticoids are universally available. However, thionamides, the mainstay of managing hyperthyroidism, are only manufactured as oral tablets, and parenteral iodide salts, such as NaI, are not presently commercially available. In the United States, patients with hypothyroidism may be treated with intravenous levothyroxine and liothyronine. Due to the expense and the difficulty obtaining these formulations outside of the United States, alternative routes of administration may be required. This section will address managing hospitalized hyperthyroid and hypothyroid patients, focusing on those who are NPO. Many of the recommendations require access to a sophisticated inpatient pharmacy system that is capable of preparing noncommercially available formulations.
The Clinical Presentation and Immunology of Viral Pneumonia and Implications for Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019

This review will briefly examine the clinical presentation and important immunology of viral pneumonia with a focus on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (coronavirus disease 2019) Data Sources Study Selection Data Extraction and Data Synthesis: The most relevant, original and review literature were assessed for inclusion in this review Sources included the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and PubMed Conclusions: Pneumonia is a leading cause of hospitalization and death worldwide, with viral etiologies being very common Given the rapidly emerging pandemic associated with the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causing coronavirus disease 2019, it is important to review the clinical presentation and immunologic changes associated with viral pneumonia Symptoms of viral pneumonia include common respiratory tract infection symptoms of cough, fever, and shortness of breath Immunologic changes include up-regulation of airway pro-inflammatory cytokines and pathogen- and damage-associated molecular patterns contributing to cytokine and genomic changes Coronavirus disease 2019 clinical presentation is typical of viral pneumonia with an increased prevalence of early pulmonary infiltrates and lymphopenia Principles of early coronavirus disease 2019 management and isolation as well as potential therapeutic approaches to the emerging pandemic are discussed
Coordinating Speech-Language Pathology Services for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This chapter discusses the importance of coordinating speech-language services in the community, school, and home settings for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The role of the speech-language pathologist (SLP) is discussed relative to assessment and treatment of youth with ASD, over the course of development. Practical recommendations are provided for ways that the SLP can work with other community members to build inclusive communities. Interprofessional practice and other models of collaboration are considered, including case scenarios and resources to support successful evidence-based practice collaborations between SLPs and other professionals when supporting individuals with ASD.
Teaching Kitchens in the Learning and Work Environments: The Future Is Now:

The learning and working environments of today's hospitals and health systems are designed to predict, diagnose, treat, and manage disease. However, the food environments in these settings are often extraordinarily unappealing, unhealthy, and can adversely impact the well-being of health professionals. What if future health-care sites were designed as showrooms of the most appealing and nutritious foods? What if future cafeterias included ventilated "Teaching Kitchens" as extensions to the everyday "grab and go" check-out lines? What if health-care providers, trainees, staff, and community members had access to foods that were healthy, delicious, affordable, sustainable, and easy to prepare? Most importantly, what if health professionals learned to make these healthy, delicious recipes as part of their required training? "See one, do one, teach one" could become, "See one, taste one, make one, teach one". Teaching Kitchens could serve as both learning laboratories and clinical research centers, whereby teaching kitchen curricula could be tested, through sponsored research, for their impact on behaviors, clinical outcomes, and costs. What if spaces adjacent to Teaching Kitchens were designated "Mindful Eating Spaces," where self-selected patrons could enjoy a "Culinary Feast alongside a Technological Fast" in an effort to carve out a brief oasis of mindful, resilience-building reflection during any given day? This article describes the rationale for and necessary components of such a futurist "Teaching Kitchen" within future working and learning environments. Importantly, if and when Teaching Kitchens are built within health-care settings, they may serve as catalysts of personal and societal health enhancement for all.
Quality analysis of operative reports and referral data for appendiceal neoplasms with peritoneal dissemination.

Abstract Background Peritoneal metastasis from appendiceal neoplasms is a rare disease usually found unexpectedly and is associated with deficits in quality reporting of findings. Methods Retrospective review of our appendiceal peritoneal metastases carcinomatosis database evaluating quality of index operative and pathology reports. Operative report quality was graded by 2 standards; general quality, based on Royal College of Surgeons quality metrics and peritoneal metastases assessment. Pathology report quality was assessed by the accuracy of diagnosis. Results Three hundred and seventy-five index operative reports and 490 outside pathology reports were reviewed. General quality of the index operative reports was excellent, with nearly 80% of reports encompassing all the Royal College of Surgeons quality metrics. Peritoneal metastases assessment was poor. Forty-four percent of the reports performed no peritoneal evaluation, while 48.3% only involved partial peritoneal evaluation. Only 7.7% of the reports performed a complete evaluation. Of the pathology reports, 48.4% had discrepancies with final pathologic findings. Low-grade disease and high-grade disease were misdiagnosed 36.06% and 62.7% of the time, respectively. Discordant treatment occurred in 15.3% and 30.0% of cases for misdiagnosed low-grade and high-grade disease, respectively. Incomplete cytoreduction was attempted in nearly a third of referral cases, which was associated with a significantly increased risk for ultimate incomplete cytoreduction with an odds ratio of 4.72. Conclusion This review finds that referral operative reports’ descriptions of the technical aspects of a procedure is usually complete. However, oncologic parameters and descriptions of peritoneal metastases are frequently incomplete. Further, pathology reports from outside institutions can lead to inappropriate clinical management decisions. We propose a simplified algorithm to assist nonperitoneal surface malignancy surgeons.
A method of purifying alpha-synuclein in E. coli without chromatography.

Abstract Research has implicated alpha-synuclein (aSyn) in pathological protein aggregation observed in almost all patients with Parkinson's disease and more than 50% of patients with Alzheimer's disease. An easy and inexpensive method of purifying aSyn and developing an in vitro model system of Lewy body formation would enhance basic biomedical research. We report aSyn purification technique that leverages the amyloidogenic property of aSyn suitable for purifying monomeric aSyn without chromatography and denaturing agents. We expressed full-length and untagged aSyn in Rosetta(DE3) pLysS and purified ~60 μg of aSyn from 500 mL culture within 24 h. After IPTG-induced expression of aSyn in E. coli, we disrupted the cells with a sonicator. We centrifuged the cell lysate in a 15 mL tube, which leads to aSyn-induced aggregation of native E. coli proteins. After removing aggregates, centrifugation in a 30 kDa cut-off filter followed by a 10 kDa cut-off filter led to purified water-soluble aSyn. The identity of aSyn was confirmed by Western blot using anti-aSyn antibody and Edman sequencing. Its mass was determined to be 14.6 kDa using a MALDI TOF-MS mass spectrometer. The majority of aSyn led to water-suspended (as opposed to precipitated) aggregation of E. coli proteins with visible fibrous structures. The broad-spectrum binding and amyloidogenic property of aSyn is thus not only useful for inexpensive aSyn production for diverse applications, but it also expands studying its possible roles in human physiology. The aggregate of E. coli proteins induced by aSyn during the purification process may serve as a Lewy body model.
Stock Market Volatility and Mathematical Expectations

It is generally believed that excessive stock market volatility reflects non-mathematical market expectations that are driven by “irrational exuberance” or “animal spirits”. As shown in this paper, there is an alternative explanation. If ex-ante and ex-post expectations are calculated in different stochastic processes, uncertainty can cause mathematical market expectations to be more volatile than their fundamentals.
An acoustic micro-transmitter enabling tracking of sensitive aquatic species in riverine and estuarine environments

Summary Conservation of aquatic species requires in-depth understanding of their movement and behavior and their interactions with man-made hydraulic structures. Acoustic telemetry is a primary method to remotely track in 3 dimensions (3D) aquatic animals implanted with transmitters. The transmitter’s weight and size are the major limiting factors because the transmitter should not affect the animals’ natural behavior. Here, we present an acoustic micro-transmitter that weighs 0.08 g in air, only 1/3 that of existing technologies. The transmitter offers a source level of 148 dB (reference: 1 μPa at 1 m) and a service life of 30 days at a 5-s transmission rate. Nearly 100% of tagged fish were detected in field studies, demonstrating the viability of this technology for studying species of early life stages. Information resulting from the use of this technology provides valuable insight for ecological and environmental policy making and resource management worldwide.
Reading a Book Through Its Cover: The Importance of Preserving Visual and Tactile Information in Children’s and Young Adult Literature in the Academic Library

Children’s and Young Adult books are an anomaly in many academic libraries and their presence is often overlooked or ignored. In particular, the dust jackets and other paratextual elements are ofte...
An Ego-Centric Model of Criminal Arrest Among Mental Health Court Participant Network:

People with serious mental illness are disproportionately represented among prison/jail populations. Mental health courts (MHC) serve as an alternative to incarceration. In this study, we explore t...
Managing diabetes: the cultural politics of disease: by Jeffrey A. Bennett, New York, New York University Press, 2019, 272 pp., $30.00 (paperback)

I am a 41-year-old, perimenopausal woman with hypothyroidism who, just in the last week, relied on my Apple Watch to make sure I’m washing my hands long enough, Zoom-conferenced with a personal tra...
Fasting times and gastric contents volume in children undergoing deep propofol sedation--an assessment using magnetic resonance imaging.

Aim: To investigate the effect of fasting times for clear fluids and solids/non-clear fluids on gastric content volume using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: Pediatric patients undergoing diagnostic MRI under deep propofol sedation, with the stomach located within the area of diagnostic study, were included in this clinical observational study. According to standard institutional guidelines, children were allowed to eat/drink until 4 h and to drink clear fluids until 2 h before scheduled induction time of anesthesia. Gastric content volume per kg body weight (GCVw) was determined using MRI and compared with actual fasting times prior to induction. Results: Overall 68 patients aged from 0.3 to 19.6 (2.8) years were investigated. Fasting time for clear fluids ranged from 1.1 to 15.5 (5.5) h, for non-clear fluids/solids from 4.0 to 20.2 (6.7) h. GCVw ranged from 0.2 to 6.3 (0.75) ml·kg−1 and showed no significant negative correlation to fasting times for clear fluids (r = −0.07, P = 0.60) and non-clear fluids/solids (r = −0.08, P = 0.51). Conclusions: Based on this preliminary data, GCVw showed considerable variation but did not correlate with fasting times in children and adolescent patients. Recommended fasting times were often exceeded.
Stochastic optimization of a biologically plausible spino-neuromuscular system model

Simulations and modeling techniques are becoming increasingly important in understanding the behavior of biological systems. Detailed models help researchers answer questions in diverse areas such as the behavior of bacteria and viruses and aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries and diseases. However, to yield meaningful biological behavior, biological simulations often include hundreds of parameters that correspond to biological components and characteristics. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of genetic algorithms (GA) and particle swarm optimizer (PSO) based techniques in training biologically plausible behavior in a neuromuscular simulation of a biceps/triceps pair. The results are compared to human subjects during flexion/extension movements to show that these algorithms are effective in training biologically plausible behaviors on both neural and gross anatomical levels. Specific behaviors of interest that emerge include tonic tensions in both muscles during resting periods, biceps/triceps coactivation patterns, and recruitment-like behaviors. These are all fundamental characteristics of biological motor control and emerge without direct selection for these behaviors. This is the first time that all of these characteristic behaviors emerge in a model of this detail without direct selective pressure.
Citation classics in suicide and life threatening behavior: a research note.

The number of citations a scholarly work receives is a common measure of its impact on the scientific literature; "citation classics" are the most highly cited works. The content of Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior (SLTB) citation classics is described here. The impact of SLTB citation classics is compared to their counterparts in journals having published the most suicide papers. All data are from the ISI electronic venue on the Web of Science and refer to the number of citations the top 1% of works received in each of ten journals from 1975 through August 10, 2011. Among all ten journals, SLTB ranked first in the number of works on suicide. The principle theme of half of SLTB suicide classics was literature review. The median number of citations for SLTB citation classics (top 1%) was 121.5, with a range between 96 and 279 citations, but classics from generalized psychiatric journals received more citations as anticipated. Journal impact factors explained 73% of the variance in classic's citation counts across journals. On average, suicide classics received 30% more citations than all classics. Among a second group of five specialized suicide journals, however, SLTB ranked first in average 5-year impact. Although SLTB produced the highest number of suicide articles of any journal, SLTB's citation classics received fewer citations than suicide classics in high-impact/prestige, general journals. Future work is needed to assess what predicts which SLTB articles ultimately become citation classics. Language: en
Ongoing HIV Transmission and the HIV Care Continuum in North Carolina.

Objective HIV transmission is influenced by status awareness and receipt of care and treatment. We analyzed these attributes of named partners of persons with acute HIV infection (index AHI cases) to characterize the transmission landscape in North Carolina (NC). Design Secondary analysis of programmatic data. Methods We used data from the NC Screening and Tracing of Active Transmission Program (2002–2013) to determine HIV status (uninfected, AHI, or chronic HIV infection [CHI]), diagnosis status (new or previously-diagnosed), and care and treatment status (not in care, in care and not on treatment, in care and on treatment) of index AHI cases' named partners. We developed an algorithm identifying the most likely transmission source among known HIV-infected partners to estimate the proportion of transmissions arising from contact with persons at different HIV continuum stages. We conducted a complementary analysis among a subset of index AHI cases and partners with phylogenetically-linked viruses. Results Overall, 358 index AHI cases named 932 partners, of which 218 were found to be HIV-infected (162 (74.3%) previously-diagnosed, 11 (5.0%) new AHI, 45 (20.6%) new CHI). Most transmission events appeared attributable to previously-diagnosed partners (77.4%, 95% confidence interval 69.4–85.3%). Among these previously-diagnosed partners, 23.2% (14.0–32.3%) were reported as in care and on treatment near the index AHI case diagnosis date. In the subset study of 33 phylogenetically-linked cases and partners, 60.6% of partners were previously diagnosed (43.9–77.3%). Conclusions A substantial proportion of HIV transmission in this setting appears attributable to contact with previously-diagnosed partners, reinforcing the need for improved engagement in care after diagnosis.
Wavelets as basis functions for localized learning in a multi-resolution hierarchy

An artificial neural network with one hidden layer of nodes, whose basis functions are drawn from a family of orthonormal wavelets, is developed. Wavelet networks or wave-nets are based on firm theoretical foundations of functional analysis. The good localization characteristics of the basis functions, both in the input and frequency domains, allow hierarchical, multi-resolution learning of input-output maps from experimental data. Wave-nets allow explicit estimation of global and local prediction error-bounds, and thus lend themselves to a rigorous and transparent design of the network. Computational complexity arguments prove that the training and adaptation efficiency of wave-nets is at least an order of magnitude better than other networks. The mathematical framework for the development of wave-nets is presented and various aspects of their practical implementation are discussed. The problem of predicting a chaotic time-series is solved as an illustrative example. >
Abstract 3879: Crosstalk initiated by endothelial cells endows head and neck cancer stem cells with an invasive phenotype

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas contain a sub-population of uniquely tumorigenic cells (named cancer stem cells) that are thought to participate in metastatic dissemination. We have previously shown that head and neck cancer stem cells (HNCSC) can be identified as ALDHhighCD44high and reside within the perivascular niche, in close proximity to blood vessels. Therefore, it is possible that a crosstalk between HNCSC and endothelial cells plays a functional role in metastatic spread. Here, we hypothesize that factors secreted by endothelial cells enhance motility and invasiveness of HNCSC. We observed that endothelial cell-derived factors induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of unsorted head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells, as demonstrated by decreased expression of epithelial markers (e.g. Desmoplakin), enhanced expression mesenchymal cell markers (e.g. Vimentin) and transcriptional regulators of EMT (e.g. Snail), and enhanced migration of these cells. Further, endothelial cell-secreted factors enhanced the orosphere forming-ability of HNSCC plated in ultra-low attachment plates, enhanced the fraction of ALDHhighCD44high cells, and expression of Bmi-1. Similarly, HNCSC had increased number of orospheres and enhanced motility in the presence of endothelial cell-derived factors. Taken together, these data indicate that a crosstalk initiated by endothelial cells endows head and neck cancer cells with high motility and a stem-like phenotype, and suggest that endothelial cells may play an active role in the initial steps of metastatic spread. Support for this work was provided by grant R01-DE21139 from the NIH/NIDCR, and grant P50-CA97248 (University of Michigan Head Neck SPORE) from the NIH/NCI. Citation Format: Hong S. Kim, Zhaocheng Zhang, Kristy A. Warner, Kelsey A. Finkel, April Adams, Jacques E. Nor. Crosstalk initiated by endothelial cells endows head and neck cancer stem cells with an invasive phenotype. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3879. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3879
Understanding EA dynamics via population fitness distributions

This paper introduces a new tool to be used in conjunction with existing ones for a more comprehensive understanding of the behavior of evolutionary algorithms. Several research groups including [1],[3],[4] have shown how deeper insights into EA behavior can be obtained by focusing on the changes to the entire population fitness distribution rather than just ”best-so-far” curves. But characterizing how repeated applications of selection and reproduction modify this distribution over time proved to be very difficult to achieve analytically and was done successfully for only a few very specialized EAs and/or very simple fitness landscapes.
Role of the complement system in antigen-induced bronchoconstriction and changes in blood pressure in the guinea pig.

Systemic anaphylaxis involves life-threatening bronchoconstriction and a serious hypotensive response often complicated by cardiac arrhythmias. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether complement system activation is essential to the bronchoconstriction and the changes in blood pressure seen in guinea pig models of anaphylaxis. The soluble complement receptor 1 (sCR1; BRL 55730) was used to inhibit activation of the classical and alternative pathways of complement in the guinea pig, and to determine whether this inhibition prevents bronchoconstriction and changes in blood pressure induced by i.v. antigen injection in guinea pigs that are either passively or actively sensitized to the antigen ovalbumin. sCR1 at 15 mg/kg did not affect significantly either the antigen-induced bronchoconstriction or the changes in blood pressure in a guinea pig passively sensitized with immunoglobulin G antibody to ovalbumin. However, it shortened the duration of the antigen-induced increase in blood pressure and inhibited the antigen-induced decrease in circulating platelets in an actively sensitized guinea pig. Continued studies using a cumulative dose of sCR1 of 105 mg/kg administered over a 24-hr period demonstrated that sCR1 attenuated the bronchoconstrictor response and the decrease in circulating platelets and prevented the hypotension induced by antigen in an actively sensitized guinea pig. At a cumulative dose of 105 mg/kg, sCR1 did not inhibit the bronchoconstrictor or blood pressure response to either histamine or bradykinin, indicating that its attenuation of cardiovascular and respiratory reactivity is specific for complement-related processes. The anaphylactic response was accompanied by complement activation as evidenced by cleavage of the C3 molecule. In the presence of sCR1, no C3 cleavage products were detectable in the plasma. Our studies demonstrate that complement activation is an essential step in the antigen-induced bronchoconstriction and the changes in blood pressure in an actively sensitized guinea pig model of anaphylaxis. Continued studies of the differing mechanisms and mediators of anaphylaxis are of importance, and the complement system clearly warrants consideration as a source of those mediators.
Abstract 3885: ITGA6 (CD49F) is directly regulated by hypoxia-inducible factors

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Introduction: In response to hypoxic stress, tumors must adapt to the hostile microenvironment by regulating angiogenesis, cellular metabolism, cell survival and motility. The alpha subunits of the Hypoxia-Inducible Factors (HIF-1α and HIF-2α) are oxygen-responsive, master regulators of the hypoxic response. Over-expression of HIF-1α independently correlates with decreased survival of breast cancer patients, and a hypoxic core gene signature is enriched in triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) and HER2+ cancers relative to luminal tumors (ER+). In a variety of solid tumors, HIF-1α or HIF-2α also directly promotes tumor initiating cell (TIC) activity. Methods: Mammary tumor epithelial cells (MTECs) were established from late-stage tumors of MMTV-PyMT+; Hif1α floxed mice (which model ER-negative, luminal-like tumors), and exposed to either Adenovirus-β-gal or -Cre to create wild-type (WT) and knock-out (KO) cells, respectively. MDA-MB-231 cells (a model of TNBC) were generated in which either HIF1A or HIF2A or both genes (DKD) were knocked down (KD) via shRNA. Results: When PyMT+ MTECs were transplanted into female recipients, HIF-1 deletion reduced primary tumor growth by 60%, lung metastasis by 90% and TIC activity by >35-fold (Schwab et al. 2012). The expression of cell surface markers routinely used to enrich for TICs was assayed in PyMT+ and MDA-MB-231 cells. ITGA6 mRNA and CD49f protein expression were significantly decreased in response to HIF deletion at both normoxia and hypoxia. ChIP assays showed that either HIF-1 or HIF-2 bind to at least two HREs identified within the ITGA6 promoter. When WT PyMT tumors were sorted to enrich for CD49fhi cells, limiting dilution transplantation confirmed that TIC activity was increased relative to CD49low cells. Finally, data mining of breast cancer patient repositories showed that ITGA6 mRNA expression is independently and inversely correlated with overall and recurrence free survival. Conclusions: CD49f is a direct transcriptional target of HIF-1/HIF-2. Because CD49f is known to enrich for breast TICs, we suggest that HIF-dependent regulation of ITGA6 expression contributes at least partially to HIFs promotion of TIC activity in ER-negative breast cancers. Citation Format: Danielle L. Peacock, Luciana P. Schwab, Tiffany N. Seagroves. ITGA6 (CD49F) is directly regulated by hypoxia-inducible factors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3885. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3885
Superplasticity in Earth's Lower Mantle: Evidence from Seismic Anisotropy and Rock Physics

In contrast to the upper mantle, the lower mantle of the Earth is elastically nearly isotropic, although its dominant constituent mineral [(Mg,Fe)SiO 3 perovskite] is highly anisotropic. On the basis of high-temperature experiments on fabric development in an analog CaTiO 3 perovskite and the elastic constants of MgSiO 3 perovskite, the seismic anisotropy was calculated for the lower mantle. The results show that absence of anisotropy is strong evidence for deformation by superplasticity. In this case, no significant transient creep is expected in the lower mantle and the viscosity of the lower mantle is sensitive to grain size; hence, a reduction in grain size will result in rheological weakening.
David and Hattushili III: The Impact of Genre and a Response to J. Randall Short

AbstractThis article has two components. The first is a theoretical discussion of genre, in which two distinct approaches are outlined. Literary genre theory, which has prevailed in biblical scholarship of the past century, is useful but has certain limitations since a literary genre is an historically situated category. Rhetorical genre theory, on the other hand, defines genre in a transhistorical way that allows one to employ it in situations where literary genre theory does not apply, such as when comparing texts from different cultures and time periods.The second part of the article illustrates the preceding through a response to J. Randall Short’s recent monograph, The Surprising Election and Confirmation of King David. The article submits that Short employs an unsound understanding of genre, treating apologetic—a transhistorical phenomenon that appears in all human cultures in various forms—as a literary genre instead of a rhetorical genre.
The Inclusion of Excluded Majorities in South Asian Parliaments: Women, Youth, and the Working Class

This article provides a new perspective on parliamentary representation in South Asia, focusing on the collective under-representation of population majorities based on the macro-demographic catego...
Erosional furrows on continental shelf edge, Mississippi delta region

Erosional furrows are recognized on the seafloor off the Mississippi Delta, trending downslope over the shelf edge. They occur in water depths of 150 to 380 m seaward of presently active mudslides on the delta slope. The furrows cross an area of former mudslide deposition and part of the outer shelf. Their origin is likely to be related to cross-shelf secondary helical flows, although delta-front mass movement could cause similar erosional gouging.
Characterization of in vivo ablation cavities following percutaneous microwave ablation of the liver

Purpose Percutaneous microwave ablation is rapidly developing as a minimally invasive technique for treating patients with isolated malignancy in the liver. Currently, pre-procedure planning is relegated to utilization of ablation zones obtained from ex-vivo livers and porcine in vivo models. Recent data suggests that the performance in human tumors can be expected to be somewhere between the performance seen in ex vivo and in vivo normal porcine livers. The goal of the current study is to analyze the experience with microwave ablation in the liver to better estimate the ablation cavity. Materials and Methods Percutaneous microwave ablations performed on the liver between June 2011 and October 2012 were included. Preprocedure and immediate postablation CT scans were analyzed. The ablation cavities were compared to necrosis tables published by HS Medical and Neuwave Medical. Results Percutaneous microwave ablation was performed on 22 patients and 27 lesions between June 2011 and October. Fourteen patients were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, three with colorectal carcinoma metastasis, two with gastroesophageal carcinoma metastasis, one with renal cell carcinoma metastasis, one with lung carcinoma metastasis, and one with breast carcinoma metastasis. Four patients were treated with Neuwave Medical ablation probes and 18 patients were treated with HS Medical Amica probes. The size of the ablation cavity was found to be smaller than the reported values in ex vivo room temperature porcine livers regardless of primary diagnosis. The most frequently used settings for ablation was 60 watts for 10 minutes, which resulted in an average ablation cavity of 43.4 x 24.6 mm compared to reported values of 54 x 40 mm. Conclusion Although necrosis tables were published by the manufacturers of percutaneous microwave ablation equipment, the values are based upon room temperature normal porcine livers, which are highly inaccurate for procedural planning in humans. This study shows that the ablation cavity in patients are smaller than the reported values. A more accurate estimate of ablation cavity size and geometry will allow for better procedural planning and more effective tumor ablation.
Kinetic and structural analysis of α-D-glucose-1-phosphate cytidylyltransferase from Salmonella typhi

Tyvelose is a 3,6-dideoxyhexose found in the O-antigen of the surface lipopolysaccharides of some pathogenic bacteria. It is synthesized via a complex biochemical pathway that is initiated by the formation of CDP-D-glucose. The production of this ligand is catalyzed by the enzyme glucose-1-phosphate cytidylyltransferase, which utilizes alpha-D-glucose 1-phosphate and MgCTP as substrates. Previous x-ray crystallographic investigations have demonstrated that the Salmonella typhi enzyme complexed with the product CDP-glucose is a fully integrated hexamer displaying 32 point group symmetry. The binding pocket for CDP-glucose is shared between two subunits. Here we describe both a detailed kinetic analysis of the cytidylyltransferase and a structural investigation of the enzyme complexed with MgCTP. These data demonstrate that the reaction catalyzed by the cytidylyltransferase proceeds via a sequential rather than a Bi Bi ping-pong mechanism as was previously reported. Additionally, the enzyme utilizes both CTP and UTP equally well as substrates. The structure of the enzyme with bound MgCTP reveals that the binding pocket for the nucleotide is contained within one subunit rather than shared between two. Key side chains involved in nucleotide binding include Thr(14), Arg(15), Lys(25), and Arg(111). In the previous structure of the enzyme complexed with CDP-glucose, those residues defined by Thr(14) to Ile(21) were disordered. The kinetic and x-ray crystallographic data presented here support a mechanism for this enzyme that is similar to that reported for the glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferases.
Induction of an embryonic globin gene promoter by short-chain fatty acids.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) induce adult erythroid differentiation in murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells, but only SCFAs concurrently up-regulate expression from the endogenous embryonic globin gene ϵy. The ϵy promoter, linked to a reporter gene and stably transfected into MEL cells, was tested during adult erythroid differentiation. Both the ϵy-CACCC site at -114 bp and enhancer sequences (hypersensitive site 2 [HS2]) from the β-globin locus control region (LCR) were essential to maximal SCFA-mediated induction of expression from these constructs in MEL cells. Gel-shift analyses of binding activity from SCFA-induced MEL cell nuclear extracts showed in vitro binding by specificity proteins 1 and 3 (SP1, SP3) and basic or erythroid Kruppel-like factors (BKLF, EKLF) at the ϵy-CACCC site. In a functional analysis, transient cotransfections in nonerythroid NIH/3T3 cells of SP1, SP3, BKLF, or EKLF and HS2 ϵy promoter- luciferase constructs, with or without coactivators (p300, CREB-binding protein [CBP], or p300/CBP-associated factor [PCAF]) and SCFAs, were performed. SP1, SP3, and EKLF further increased expression from HS2 ϵy promoter constructs following exposure to SCFAs. This effect was variably augmented by coactivators and was diminished in EKLF mutants that were unable to undergo histone/factor-acetyl transferase (H/FAT)-mediated acetylation. In addition, acetylation of SP1 was detectable in NIH/3T3 cells following exposure to SCFAs. In sum, LCR sequence and an embryonic globin gene promoter CACCC site were essential to that promoter's up-regulation during SCFA-mediated induction of adult erythroid differentiation in vitro. Of factors that interact at the CACCC site, SCFA-mediated acetylation is implicated in SP1 and EKLF, and may be a mechanism through which SCFAs induce embryonic/fetal globin gene promoters during adult erythroid differentiation. (Blood. 2003;102:4214-4222)
Longitudinal Analysis of Bicycle Count Variability: Results and Modeling Implications

This research examines composition, weather, and time-of-year count variability for a longitudinal bicycle count program. The results indicate greater variability in the PM peak period than in the AM peak period, and this variability is at least partially attributable to the presence of nonutility cyclists. Second, all locations display the same functional form for count volume by both temperature and amount of precipitation, and it appears that temperature may be a better predictor of volume than the amount of precipitation for these data. Third, the results of a Poisson model statistically confirm many of the factors thought to influence cyclists, and identify that a single count volume may be biased by as much as ±15% depending on the time of year in which the count was undertaken. Finally, a new bicycle functional classification system based on PM peak-period composition is proposed.