cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Software Managed Distributed Memories in MPPAs

When utilizing reconfigurable hardware there are many applications that will require more memory than is available in a single hardware block. While FPGAs have tools and mechanisms for building logically larger memories, it often requires developer intervention on word-oriented devices like Massively Parallel Processor Arrays (MPPAs). We examine building larger memories on the Ambric MPPA. Building an efficient structure requires low-level development and analysis of latency and bandwidth effects of network and protocol choices. We build a network that only requires only five instructions per transaction after optimization. The resource use and performance suggests architectural enhancements that should be considered for future devices.
Vascular endothelial growth factor: regulation in the mouse skin carcinogenesis model and use in antiangiogenesis cancer therapy.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After completing this course, the reader will be able to: 1. Describe mechanisms of tumor neovascularization. 2. Identify possible targets for cancer therapy in the biologic pathways that control angiogenesis. 3. Identify some of the drugs that are presently used in preclinical or clinical trials, as well as their targets.
ISODISPLACE: a web-based tool for exploring structural distortions

ISODISPLACE is a new internet-server tool for exploring structural phase transitions. Given parent-phase structural information, it generates atomic displacement patterns induced by irreducible representations of the parent space-group symmetry and allows a user to visualize and manipulate the amplitude of each distortion mode interactively. ISODISPLACE is freely accessible at http://stokes.byu.edu/isodisplace.html via common internet browsers.
Calorimetric and spectroscopic studies of aminoglycoside binding to AT-rich DNA triple helices

Calorimetric and fluorescence techniques were used to characterize the binding of aminoglycosidesneomycin, paromomycin, and ribostamycin, with 5 0-dA 12-x-dT12-x-dT12-3 0 intramolecular DNA triplex (x ¼ hexaethylene glycol) and poly(dA)$2poly(dT) triplex. Our results demonstrate the following features: (1) UV thermal analysis reveals that the Tm for triplex decreases with increasing pH value in the presence of neomycin, while the Tm for the duplex remains unchanged. (2) The binding affinity of neomycin decreases with increased pH, although there is an increase in observed binding enthalpy. (3) ITC studies conducted in two buffers (sodium cacodylate and MOPS) yield the number of protonated drug amino groups (Dn) as 0.29 and 0.40 for neomycin and paromomycin interaction with 5 0 -dA12-x-dT12-x
Deformable models with parameter functions for left ventricle 3-D wall motion analysis and visualization

We have developed a new class of deformable models suitable for analyzing the left ventricular shape and motion. The models allow us to estimate the deformation and complex motion of the left ventricle (LV) in terms of a few global parameter functions whose values are allowed to vary locally. Using Lagrangian dynamics and the finite element theory, we convert these volumetric primitives into models that deform due to forces exerted by the data points. We present experiments where we used magnetic tagging (MRI-SPAMM) to acquire datapoints from the LV during systole. By plotting the variations over time of the extracted LV model parameters we quantitatively analyze, localize and compare the epicardial and endocardial motion. We also present mid-wall motion analysis results from healthy volunteers and patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Anatomy of the varicella-zoster virus open-reading frame 4 promoter

The regulation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) gene expression is largely controlled at the transcriptional level by a few key viral proteins cooperating with one another and with cellular transcription factors. However, the mechanisms involved are largely unclear. To identify the sequences important for the transcriptional regulation of open-reading frame (ORF) 4, itself encoding a transcriptional regulator, a mutation analysis of the promoter was done. These studies identified an element between -69 and -59 (relative to the transcriptional start site), which was critical to the activity of the promoter upon stimulation by the VZV transactivator IE62 and by VZV infection. DNA-protein interaction studies revealed that VZV induced the binding of a specific protein complex to this element, which contained the ubiquitous transcription factor USF. ORF 4 is the second VZV gene (in addition to VZV ORF 29) in which USF binding plays a critical role in gene expression.
Communication Science - An Alternative Paradigm for Technical Communication

We provide a review of communication science, identify selected lessons learned that are applicable to technical communication research and then elaborate on the importance of crossing disciplines, deriving research questions and hypotheses from theory, using experimental designs and testing hypotheses, developing relevant theoretical perspectives, and using diverse research methodologies. We then focus on the relevancy and value to technical communicators on the job.
Testosterone and Cardiovascular Risk in Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials

OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials that assessed the effect of testosterone use on cardiovascular events and risk factors in men with different degrees of androgen deficiency. METHODS Librarian-designed search strategies were used to search the MEDLINE (1966 to October 2004), EMBASE (1988 to October 2004), and Cochrane CENTRAL (inception to October 2004) databases. The database search was performed again in March 2005. We also reviewed reference lists from included studies and content expert files. Eligible studies were randomized trials that compared any formulation of commercially available testosterone with placebo and that assessed cardiovascular risk factors (lipid fractions, blood pressure, blood glucose), cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, angina or claudication, revascularization, stroke), and cardiovascular surrogate end points (ie, laboratory tests indicative of cardiac or vascular disease). Using a standardized data extraction form, we collected data on participants, testosterone administration, and outcome measures. We assessed study quality with attention to allocation concealment, blinding, and loss to follow-up. RESULTS The 30 trials included 1642 men, 808 of whom were treated with testosterone. Overall, the trials had limited reporting of methodological features that prevent biased results (only 6 trials reported allocation concealment), enrolled few patients, and were of brief duration (only 4 trials followed up patients for >1 year). The median loss to follow-up across all 30 trials was 9%. Testosterone use in men with low testosterone levels led to inconsequential changes in blood pressure and glycemia and in all lipid fractions (total cholesterol: odds ratio [OR], -0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.71 to 0.27; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol: OR, -0.04; 95% CI, -0.39 to 0.30; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: OR, 0.06; 95% CI, -0.30 to 0.42; and triglycerides: OR, -0.27; 95% CI, -0.61 to 0.08); results were similar in patients with low-normal to normal testosterone levels. The OR between testosterone use and any cardiovascular event pooled across trials that reported these events (n=6) was 1.82 (95% CI, 0.78 to 4.23). Several trials failed to report data on measured outcomes. For reasons we could not explain statistically, the results were inconsistent across trials. CONCLUSION Currently available evidence weakly supports the inference that testosterone use in men is not associated with important cardiovascular effects. Patients and clinicians need large randomized trials of men at risk for cardiovascular disease to better inform the safety of long-term testosterone use.
Temperature effect on strength evolution under sintering

The evolution of strength at the initial stages of sintering is considered both theoretically and experimentally. Theoretically, the strength properties are assessed accounting for hardening due to the growth of the interparticle necks during sintering and softening due to the increase of the temperature. Experimentally, the strength properties are determined for steel powder specimens using a three-point bending test simultaneous to sintering. The calculated and the experimental results are compared and possibilities of the elaboration of a criterion of the engineering strength under sintering are discussed. Both the model and the experiments for sintering under bending yield values for material strength that should be intermediate between the strength of a powder compact during free sintering and the strength of a finished sintered product.
Understanding consumption as political and moral practice: Introduction to the special issue

This special issue of the Journal of Consumer Culture addresses the complex intersections and interrelationships that exist among everyday consumption practices, broader ideological structures, and moralistically infused citizenship ideals. The politicized marketplace relationships (and recursive effects) that emanate from these intersections are not reducible to conventional dichotomies between the marketplace and the body politic or between consumption and civic engagement. Building upon this insight, the articles in this special issue cast new theoretical light on how political ideologies and moralistic narratives — often reproducing entrenched class, gender, and racial hierarchies — are institutionalized and contested through consumption practices.
Children of African-American Mothers Who Use Crack Cocaine: Parenting Influences on Youth Substance Use

Objective To examine relationships between parenting behaviors, parent–child relationship, and moderating effects of age on youth substance use among a community sample of African-American mothers who use crack cocaine and their children (12–17 years). Methods Maternal–child dyads (n ¼208) were recruited through street outreach and snowball sampling and completed interviews about substance use and parenting. Results Regression analyses found significant main effects of youth age, family conflict,
Expression of inhibin/activin subunits and follistatin messenger ribonucleic acids and proteins in ovarian follicles and the corpus luteum during the human menstrual cycle

The physiological role of intraovarian activin (beta/beta) and inhibin (alpha/beta) dimers in humans in unclear. The identification of follistatin as a beta-subunit-specific high affinity binding protein has added complexities for the interpretation of in vitro studies concerning the functionalities of these ovarian peptides. We, therefore, have attempted to define in vivo compartmental distributions of gene expression and protein localization for inhibin and activin subunits (alpha, beta A, and beta B) concurrent with follistatin in ovarian follicles and corpus lutea obtained from a large number of human ovaries. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used for detecting the expression of genes encoding inhibin/activin subunits and follistatin and their gene products, the proteins. Granulosa cells of small antral follicles (1-8 mm) were found to express mRNA for alpha-, beta A-, and beta B-subunits as well as follistatin, and the strongest signals were localized in the cumulus granulosa cells. In the thecal cell layer, only alpha-subunit mRNA was detected. Proteins were localized in cellular compartments corresponding to their mRNA, but in addition, proteins for beta A-subunit and follistatin were detected in the thecal cell layers in the absence of gene expression, an observation compatible with a paracrine action. Thus, granulosa cells of the small antral follicle have the potential to form all dimers of inhibin and activin, and their autocrine and paracrine actions may be modulated by follistatin in both granulosa cell and thecal cell layers. With the development of a dominant follicle, remarkable switches in subunit gene expressions occurred; beta B-subunit mRNA was no longer detectable in any cell type, and beta A-subunit expression emerged in the thecal cells along with continued abundant expression of beta A-subunit and follistatin in the granulosa cells. Proteins were found only in granulosa cells corresponding to their mRNAs. In the corpus luteum, the inhibin/activin alpha- and beta A-subunits and follistatin mRNA and proteins were expressed exclusively in the luteinized granulosa cells. Luteinized thecal cells were devoid of detectable mRNA message or proteins. Thus, the inhibin-activin-follistatin system in the corpus luteum appears to function in an autocrine fashion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Geophysical modeling error in wind scatterometry

Scatterometer wind retrieval is based on the relationship between the wind over the ocean and the resulting scattering cross section of the surface; this relationship, termed the "geophysical model function", maps the wind speed, relative wind direction (relative to the antenna azimuth angle), antenna incidence angle, polarization and frequency band to the scattering cross section. The sea surface temperature, salinity, long waves, wind variability within a scatterometer footprint, etc., lend variability to the backscatter. A particular observation of the wind-dependent backscatter can be viewed as a random variable with mean given by the geophysical model function and variability due to unmodelled effects and measurement errors. Little is known about the variability due to unmodelled effects, or the statistics of this variability; this paper presents some considerations and simulations to estimate the magnitude of the model function error.
Three-dimensional cache design exploration using 3DCacti

As technology scales, interconnects dominate the performance and power behavior of deep submicron designs. Three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs) have been proposed as a way to mitigate the interconnect challenges. In this paper, we explore the architectural design of cache memories using 3D circuits. We present a delay and energy model, 3DCacti, to explore different 3D design options of partitioning a cache. The tool allows partitioning of the cache across different device layers at various levels of granularity. The tool has been validated by comparing its results with those obtained from circuit simulation of custom 3D layouts. We also explore the effects of various cache partitioning parameters and 3D technology parameters on delay and energy to demonstrate the utility of the tool.
The Phosphoprotein of Rabbit Incisors

The phosphoprotein of continually erupting rabbit incisors was extracted from decalcified teeth and purified by gel filtration and ionexchange chromatography. Chemical characterization revealed that its composition was very similar to that of rat incisor and bovine molar phosphoproteins. The presence of similar acidic proteins in the dentin of various mammals is consistent with the suggestion that they are involved in the mineralization process.
Organization & Environment: Present, Past, and Future

Welcome to the third recently reoriented issue of Organization & Environment! This issue is somewhat of a transitional one, in which we include, in the second half, a number of articles and book reviews that relate to the journal’s previous focus on environmental sociology, to complement several articles, in the first half, on our new theme of sustainability management. While one main motivation in providing this combination was to fulfill commitments of the previous editorial team to authors with whom they worked, we view this blend of perspectives as an opportunity to compare work in these two related fields and, for those readers so inclined, to connect them. In making this connection, conceptually, a number of similarities between the two fields can be identified. Obviously, both focus on human organizations and the natural environment, including the challenge and solutions of the interaction between these two phenomena, and both have been instrumental as fields in developing interesting sets of research. The most obvious difference between environmental sociology and sustainability management is that the former includes significant attention to movements, economies, sectors, communities, cultures, and society (as these are related to the natural environment), while sustainability management can include attention to those “levels” of human organization, but more often, its scope is the set of environmental (and social) aspects within and between organizations. So sustainability management researchers tend to focus on individual business, government, and nonprofit organizations; on collections of these in the form of associations, alliances, industries, strategic groups, and partnerships; and on entities within them (such as the governing board, top management, supervisors, employees, subsidiaries, departments, task forces, committees, and teams). Other comparisons between environmental sociology and sustainability management might be identified by researchers in either (or both) fields, such as those regarding political orientation, context versus process distinctions, and problem versus opportunity focus, but our goal in this issue is to consider excellent contributions in each of these two fields and to appreciate efforts to advance both. We lead off this issue with a thought-provoking sustainability management article by Maurizio Zollo, Carmelo Cennamo, and Kerstin Neumann, titled “Beyond What and Why: Understanding Evolution Toward Sustainable Enterprise Models.” After an extensive and intensive review of the relevant literature, they offer a model that incorporates but moves beyond the definitional and motivational questions of sustainability management to include the change and learning processes that they see as key to sustainability management initiatives. They develop a generic organizational adaptive capacity innovation-oriented enterprise model and then tie that to
The need for accuracy verification of machine vision algorithms and systems

The author summarizes important parameters and procedures for verifying the measurement and recognition (classification) accuracy of machine vision algorithms/systems. He asserts that current practice in this area is very inadequate, and proposes some measures to improve this situation. A survey of published machine vision research shows that the verification of algorithms/systems performance is very seldom done in an adequate manner, with claims made on the basis of 2-3 processed images. >
Three-Dimensional Simulations of Plume-Lithosphere Interaction at the Hawaiian Swell

Rapid lithospheric thinning by mantle plumes has not been achieved in numerical experiments performed to date. Efficient thinning depends on small-scale instabilities that convectively remove lithospheric material. These instabilities are favored by hotter plumes or stronger temperature dependence of viscosity, and a simple scaling independent of rheology controls their onset. This scaling allows extrapolation of the results of numerical experiments to the Earth's mantle. Mantle plumes between 100 and 150 kelvins hotter than the background mantle should exhibit small-scale convective rolls aligned with the plate motion. The unusual variation in heat flow across the Hawaiian swell may be due to such instabilities. It was found that the spreading of the plume creates a downwelling curtain of material that isolates it from the rest of the mantle for distances of at least 1000 kilometers from the plume origin. This isolation has important consequences for the geochemical heterogeneity of the lithosphere and upper mantle.
Blind signal parameter estimation for the Rapid Radio framework

There are many instances where it is desirable or even essential to rapidly build a functional radio receiver to recover symbols from an unknown modulated source. The term “Rapid Radio” refers to a demonstrable analysis environment and receiver implementation methodology for rapid deployment. An automated tool for signal analysis requires several stages for the estimation and classification of the RF signal parameters and modulation type. To fulfill the requirements of the first stage in the case of single carrier linear modulations, an estimator of the symbol rate, frequency offset, and roll-off factor based in frequency-domain analysis is proposed. An estimate of the SNR is obtained as a by-product of the method. The technique was validated with experiments over-the-air.
VARIATION IN MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS ASSOCIATED WITH YIELD IN LIMNANTHES SPP.

Summary Biomass and seed yield variation among 10 accessions of two Limnanthes species, L. alba Benth. and L. douglasii R. Br., was examined by way of a yield component analysis involving 17 morphological characters. Seed yield estimates ranged from 735 to 1680 kg ha−1. While both taxa contained populations with high yield potential, species differences in phenology and resource allocation suggested different strategies for yield optimization. L. douglasii accessions produced large quantities of small-sized seed, whereas L. alba entries maximized seed size at the expense of seed number, seed size and seed number being compensating components of yield in both species. Higher yields were associated with rapid initial growth and leaf development in L. douglasii, while delayed biomass accumulation and less leaf area appeared more favourable to seed production in L. alba. Early and asynchronous floral development were strong predictors of high yielding ability in both taxa. Selection for individuals which flower early and over a long period of time, with a higher seed output associated with a larger proportion of total above-ground dry matter allocated to reproduction, was suggested as an appropriate breeding strategy in either species. Concurrent improvement of seed number and seed size may prove possible by indirect selection for fewer flowers per plant in L. douglasii or more flowers per plant in L. alba accessions, through manipulation of primary branch length and number.
Faculty salary as a predictor of student outgoing salaries from MBA programs

AbstractThe authors' purpose was to investigate the predictive value of faculty salaries on outgoing salaries of master of business administration (MBA) students when controlling for other student and program variables. Data were collected on 976 MBA programs using Barron's Guide to Graduate Business Schools over the years 1988–2005 and the Princeton Review's The Best 295 Business Schools 2014 edition. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted with student and program characteristics as control variables, faculty salary as the predictor variable, and average outgoing salary as the dependent variable. In general, higher faculty salaries were associated with higher starting salaries for MBA students upon graduation. Potential explanations and limitations are discussed.
Few-photon control in nanometer-scale engineered fiber devices

Realization of efficient light-light control is of great technological and practical importance, from both energy and information security perspective. We show that significant four wave mixing efficiency enhancement is viable in the highly nonlinear fiber with engineered longitudinal zero-dispersion wavelength. Dynamic measurement results confirm feasibility of controlling a watt-strong beam by few-photons in the dispersion-engineered parametric device. This method represents an exceptional new avenue for realization of devices capable of operating at a few-photon level.
Origins, Innovations, and Diversification of Suction Feeding in Vertebrates

We review the origins, prominent innovations, and major patterns of diversification in suction feeding by vertebrates. Non-vertebrate chordates and larval lamprey suspension-feed by capturing small particles in pharyngeal mucous. In most of these lineages the gentle flows that transport particles are generated by buccal cilia, although larval lamprey and thaliacean urochordates have independently evolved a weak buccal pump to generate an oscillating flow of water that is powered by elastic recovery of the pharynx following compression by buccal muscles. The evolution of jaws and the hyoid facilitated powerful buccal expansion and high-performance suction feeding as found today throughout aquatic vertebrates. We highlight three major innovations in suction feeding. Most vertebrate suction feeders have mechanisms that occlude the corners of the open mouth during feeding. This produces a planar opening that is often nearly circular in shape. Both features contribute to efficient flow of water into the mouth and help direct the flow to the area directly in front of the mouth's aperture. Among several functions that have been identified for protrusion of the upper jaw, is an increase in the hydrodynamic forces that suction feeders exert on their prey. Protrusion of the upper jaw has evolved five times in ray-finned fishes, including in two of the most successful teleost radiations, cypriniforms and acanthomorphs, and is found in about 60% of living teleost species. Diversification of the mechanisms of suction feeding and of feeding behavior reveals that suction feeders with high capacity for suction rarely approach their prey rapidly, while slender-bodied predators with low capacity for suction show the full range of attack speeds. We hypothesize that a dominant axis of diversification among suction feeders involves a trade-off between the forces that are exerted on prey and the volume of water that is ingested.
Adsorption and reaction of CO and H2 on K-promoted Rh/SiO2 catalysts

The adsorption of CO and H2 on a series of alkali-promoted Rh/SiO2 catalysts was investigated by IR spectroscopy and volumetric chemisorption. The characteristics of the support as well as the method of addition of the alkali species were found to influence the adsorptive properties of the catalysts. Alkali species on wide-pore Rh/SiO2 tended to partition to the support and did not interact strongly with the Rh crystallites. When alkali and metal salts were coimpregnated onto a nonporous SiO2 support, intimate alkali-metal contact resulted in significant electronic interactions between the alkali species and the metal. When alkali species were added to a prereduced Rh/SiO2 (nonporous) catalyst, a chemical interaction between a tilted adsorbed CO and the alkali species was suggested. The nature and location of the alkali species were suggested to be important parameters in determining the effect of alkali promoters on Rh/SiO2 catalysts. The rate of CO conversion decreased substantially with promotion for all of the promoted catalysts. An unusually low apparent activation energy was found for the sequentially impregnated (nonporous SiO2) promoted catalyst, and it was suggested that this might be related to the unusually low frequency peak seen in the IR spectrum of adsorbed CO on this catalyst.
Design and select of resisting corrosion cement slurries by carbon dioxide for high temperature deep well

On the base of analyzing corrosion action process of oilwell cement by carbon dioxide at high temperature,effect law of corrosive conditions on corrosive depth were studied and effect characteristics of corrosive depth on the drop rate of compressive strength were analyzed.The basic composition of cement slurry was selected.The following conclusions are obtained:With the increase of temperature,CO2 deferential pressure and corrosion time,corrosive depth was increased.On the relationship of linear,logarithm and extract the square root between corrosive depth and corrosion time,temperature,CO2 deferential pressure,the corrosive depth prediction model was established.With the increase of corrosive depth,drop rate of compressive strength was increased for cement slurries without Resisting Corrosion Tampon Materials(RCTM),when the cement slurries were added RCTM,compressive strength drop rate of corrosion cement stone were increased at early curing time,but decreased at later curing time.The resisting ability for cement corrosion by CO2 cloud be enhanced by reasonably designing composition of cement slurry,improving microstructure,increasing original compressive strength.No.6 cement slurry designed by this paper is effective for deep well cementing of temperature 120～150 ℃ to resist cement corrosion by CO2 in Daqing oil field.
Stress, Depression and Immunity

Considerable evidence demonstrating a relationship between stress, depression, and immune function is accumulating and a complex chain of biological and psychological processes are involved. An extensive network of central nervous system and endocrine system processes may be involved in the modulation of the immune system in response to stressors.
Abstract 1255: Loss of the ubiquitin protease USP18 represses KRAS mutant lung cancer tumorigenicity in mice by destabilizing KRAS protein

KRAS is frequently mutated in lung cancers. Innovative strategies are needed to combat KRAS mutant lung cancers because these tumors are often resistant to therapy. This study reports that loss of the deubiquitinase USP18 leads to destabilization of the KRAS oncogenic protein in panels of murine and human lung cancer cells. In marked contrast, engineered gain of USP18 expression using retroviral vectors introduced into the same panel of murine and human lung cancer cells stabilized KRAS protein. Loss of USP18 expression in KRAS mutant-expressing lung cancer cells inhibited their growth while gain of USP18 expression opposed this effect. We sought to identify mechanisms engaged in this KRAS protein destabilization. Intriguingly, immunoprecipitation assays established that KRAS conjugates with the ubiquitin-like protein ISG15. This leads to KRAS protein destabilization. Using the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, USP18 knockdown was shown to destabilize mutant KRAS more prominently than wild-type KRAS protein. To independently confirm that KRAS directly complexes with ISG15, site-directed mutagenesis was performed to render the C-terminal domain of KRAS lysine-less. This led to stabilization of KRAS, despite knockdown of USP18. These studies were confirmed and extended in the in vivo setting of KRAS-driven lung cancers in KRASLA2/+ mice within the FVB strain background. We crossed these mice with USP18 null (USP18-/-) mice to obtain KRASLA2/+;USP18-/- compound mice. Strikingly, these compound mice had statistically significantly (P Citation Format: Lisa Maria Mustachio, Yun Lu, Laura J. Tafe, Angeline S. Andrew, Vincent Memoli, Jaime Rodriguez-Canales, Pamela A. Villalobos, Ignacio Wistuba, Jun Yu, Jack J. Lee, Fadzai Chinyengetere, David J. Sekula, Xi Liu, Sarah J. Freemantle, Ethan Dmitrovsky. Loss of the ubiquitin protease USP18 represses KRAS mutant lung cancer tumorigenicity in mice by destabilizing KRAS protein. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1255.
Predicted neoantigen load in non-hypermutated endometrial cancers: Correlation with outcome and tumor-specific genomic alterations.

Elevated neoantigen load has been previously correlated with improved outcome and response to immune checkpoint blockade in various tumor types. In endometrial cancer, previous studies of neoantigen load prediction have shown that the hypermutated MSI and POLE-mutated tumors harbor significantly higher predicted neoantigen load compared to the hypomutated CN-low/endometrioid and CN-high/serous-like tumors. Here, we report that predicted neoantigen load may be a prognostic factor in hypomutated endometrial cancers, both in CN-low/endometrioid and CN-high/serous-like tumors. Specifically, in the TCGA dataset, CN-low/endometrioid tumors with neoantigen load in the highest tertile were associated with significantly improved progression free survival (PFS) (p = 0.031), while CN-high/serous-like tumors with neoantigen load in the lowest tertile were associated with worse PFS (p = 0.041). Importantly, certain tumor-specific genomic alterations were enriched in tumors with lower neoantigen load, including CTNNB1 mutations in CN-low/endometrioid tumors and MYC amplification and PIK3CA mutations in CN-high/serous-like tumors. These findings suggest that predicted neoantigen load and specific genomic alterations (such as CTNNB1 mutations, MYC amplification and PIK3CA mutations) may be biomarkers of response to immunotherapy in hypomutated endometrial cancers, and argues that these exploratory biomarkers should be incorporated in clinical trials of immune checkpoint blockade in this disease.
Distress, Worry, and Functioning Following a Global Health Crisis: A National Study of Americans’ Responses to Ebola:

The 2014 Ebola crisis received unprecedented media attention in the United States, despite low risk of transmission. We examined theoretically derived correlates of psychological response to the cr...
A multidisciplinary approach to the successful management of Gorlin syndrome

Gorlin-Goltz syndrome (GGS) is a rare genetic syndrome with variable expressivity and autosomal dominant inheritance. The major features of GGS include numerous basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), keratocysts of the jaw, palmar/plantar pits and calcification of the falx cerebri. Authors report the case of a 51-year-old male with a 19-year history of GGS and multiple BCCs of the head and neck. He presented with a large ulcerating lesion on the right side of his face involving cutaneous, subcutaneous and muscular tissues of the temporal and orbital region. Additionally, magnetic resonance imaging revealed involvement of the right zygomatic bone, infratemporal fossa and mandible. This case is notable in that BCC invasion of the facial bones is rare. Extensive resection and reconstruction with a latissimus dorsi microvascular free muscle flap was performed. The success of this challenging case exemplifies the need for a multidisciplinary team that included dermatology, plastic surgery, oculoplastics and otolaryngology.
Modelling Metabolic Systems and the Attendant Data Handling Problem

Abstract From the theoretical considerations concerning the stability regime for some nonlinear systems, and the properties of persistent, open, thermodynamic engine systems, it was predicted that the metabolic fuel fluxes (glucose and free fatty acids) in mammals would manifest limit cycle behavior. Studies of unanesthetized, fasting dogs confirmed the prediction and demonstrated that metabolic state variables show periodic behavior difficult to describe by conventional, time series analysis techniques. Existing models of the system fail to simulate the oscillatory behavior demonstrated experimentally.
Metals and Circadian Rhythms

Circadian rhythms describe the behavioral and physiological changes that occur in living organisms in order to attune to a 24 hour cycle of day and night. The most striking aspect of circadian function is the sleep-wake cycle, however many other physiological processes are regulated in 24 hour oscillations, including blood pressure, body temperature, appetite, urine production, and the transcription and translation of thousands of circadian dependent genes. Circadian disruption and sleep disorders are strongly connected to neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's disease as well as others. Metal exposures have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, in some cases involving metals that are essential micronutrients but are toxic at high levels of exposure (such as manganese, copper, and zinc), and in other cases involving metals that have no biological role but are toxic to living systems (such as lead, mercury, and aluminum). In this review, we examine the evidence for circadian and sleep disorders with exposures to these metals and review the literature for possible mechanisms. We suggest that giving the aging population, the prevalence of environmental exposures to metals, and the increasing prevalence of neurodegenerative disease in the aged, more research into the mechanisms of circadian disruption subsequent to metal exposures is warranted.
Two Results in the Global Theory of Holomorphic Mappings

Publisher Summary The substantial progress in the global study of general holomorphic mappings depends on understanding the following problems: (A) the extent to which the basic results of Nevanlinna theory for divisors such as the Nevanlinna inequality N(a, r) < T(r) + C can be carried over to higher codimension and (B) the position of a holomorphic curve in a general algebraic variety. Question A is related to the Bezout problem discussed by Griffiths, and an understanding of B seems necessary for progress on the Kobayashi metric of general algebraic varieties. This chapter presents two theorems, one concerning each of these two problems.
Target Stroke Implementation: Best Practice Strategies Cut Thrombolysis Time to < 30 minutes in a 1,550 Bed Academic Urban County Hospital (P4.280)

Objective: We assessed long-term efficacy of implementation of AHA/ASA Target: Stroke Best Practice Strategies (TSBPS) to improve thrombolysis door-to-needle (DTN) time in a tertiary care hospital. Background: Therapeutic window for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with IV rt-PA is brief and crucial. TSBPS aim to help hospitals improve DTN time. Design/Methods: We initiated a quality improvement program across one academic medical center (1,550 beds, 900 annual stroke admissions) that serves a multi-ethnic population by establishing a multidisciplinary DTN committee to assess causes of delayed DTN and implement focused TSBPS. Strategies included stroke team pre-admission notification, direct transfer to CT, storing/administering IV rt-PA at CT scanner, and immediate stakeholder feedback. We analyzed door-to-CT time, DTN time, CT to IV rt-PA time, and door-to-groin (DTG) time, in consecutive IV rt-PA treated patients over 27 months pre-implementation and 13 months post-implementation. Results: We analyzed 148 patients in the pre-implementation and 126 in the post-implementation group. We found no significant difference in the pre-implementation and post-implementation groups in demographics, comorbidities, anticoagulation status, pre-thrombolysis hypertension treatment, stroke severity (median NIHSS 11 (6–18) vs. 11 (5–17), p= 0.483), arrival by EMS (96% vs. 97%, p=0.708), or arrival after hours. After implementation, reductions in treatment times were observed for median DTN (IQR) 59 (52–80) to 28.5 (20–41) min (p Conclusions: Individualized hospital gap analysis identifies targeted interventions to shorten treatment times. DTN and DTG time can be reduced with implementation of simple, low-cost interventions, with persistent effect and no increase in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage or stroke mimic treatment. Disclosure: Dr. Marulanda-Londono has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bhatt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Atchaneeyasakul has nothing to disclose. Dr. Asdaghi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Malik has nothing to disclose. Dr. Akram has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhang has nothing to disclose. Dr. D’Amour has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hesse has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sacco has received research support from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Romano has received personal compensation for activities with NovaVision as an advisory board member and consultant.
Formation of BN from BCNO and the development of ordered BN structure: I. Synthesis of BCNO with various chemistries and degrees of crystallinity and reaction mechanism on BN formation

Abstract We synthesized BCNO compounds and investigated how the synthesis conditions impact i) BCNO formation, their chemistry and degree of crystallinity, and ii) BN formation from BCNO and its structural ordering. Heating boric acid (H3BO3) and melamine (C3H6N6) mixture yields intermediate amorphous BCNO compound. Increasing the synthesis temperature, and H3BO3 to C3H6N6 ratio promote BN formation and its structural ordering. We propose a possible reaction mechanism for BN formation from H3BO3 and C3H6N6 mixture and we explain the observations based on thermodynamic and kinetic considerations. An increase in synthesis temperature promotes BN formation since the reactions are endothermic. An increase in H3BO3 to C3H6N6 ratio promotes BN formation since theoretical BN formation temperature decreases with the above ratio. Furthermore, it enhances material transfer and mobility of the BN layer by forming B2O3 phase. We also propose a processing-structure correlation map that can help determining experimental conditions for single-phase amorphous BCNO synthesis.
The Uterine Cervix

The ectocervix and vagina are lined by stratified squamous epithelium, which can be divided into several different layers during the reproductive phase of life. From the deepest layer, they are: 1) the basal layer (stratum cylindricum), 2) the parabasal zone (deep spinous layer), 3) the intermediate zone (superficial spinous layer), and 4) the superficial layer (stratum corneum) (Fig. 18.1). The upper two layers, the intermediate and superficial layers, change in thickness under the influence of ovarian hormones. Because of its sensitivity to estrogen and progesterone, a scraping of the lateral wall of the vagina provides a specimen suitable for evaluating the hormonal state. Hormonal evaluation of a smear is based on the proportion of the various types of squamous cells.
The corporatist model and socialism

The evident stability and durability of communist regimes have raised this question: what theoretical model, what political ideal guides the way in which they conduct their political lives? Constant revolutionary upheaval no longer exists in the European communist states, or even in some of the older non-European variants, so that theories based on class warfare no longer serve to explain what is happening. Nor does the literature on mass terror and totalitarianism seem as suitable as it did thirty or forty years ago. On the other hand, communist efforts at explaining the political model they follow hardly appear more adequate since they systematically avoid any but the most superficial analysis of their own political process.1
Survey paper: A survey on routing algorithms for wireless Ad-Hoc and mesh networks

Wireless networking technology is evolving as an inexpensive alternative for building federated and community networks (relative to the traditional wired networking approach). Besides its cost-effectiveness, a wireless network brings operational efficiencies, namely mobility and untethered convenience to the end user. A wireless network can operate in both the ''Ad-Hoc'' mode, where users are self-managed, and the ''Infrastructure'' mode, where an authority manages the network with some Infrastructure such as fixed wireless routers, base stations, access points, etc. An Ad-Hoc network generally supports multi-hopping, where a data packet may travel over multiple hops to reach its destination. Among the Infrastructure-based networks, a Wireless Mesh Network (with a set of wireless routers located at strategic points to provide overall network connectivity) also provides the flexibility of multi-hopping. Therefore, how to route packets efficiently in wireless networks is a very important problem. A variety of wireless routing solutions have been proposed in the literature. This paper presents a survey of the routing algorithms proposed for wireless networks. Unlike routing in a wired network, wireless routing introduces new paradigms and challenges such as interference from other transmissions, varying channel characteristics, etc. In a wireless network, routing algorithms are classified into various categories such as Geographical, Geo-casting, Hierarchical, Multi-path, Power-aware, and Hybrid routing algorithms. Due to the large number of surveys that study different routing-algorithm categories, we select a limited but representative number of these surveys to be reviewed in our work. This survey offers a comprehensive review of these categories of routing algorithms. In the early stages of development of wireless networks, basic routing algorithms, such as Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) and Ad-Hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing, were designed to control traffic on the network. However, it was found that applying these basic routing algorithms directly on wireless networks could lead to some issues such as large area of flooding, Greedy Forwarding empty set of neighbors, flat addressing, widely-distributed information, large power consumption, interference, and load-balancing problems. Therefore, a number of routing algorithms have been proposed as extensions to these basic routing algorithms to enhance their performance in wireless networks. Hence, we study the features of routing algorithms, which are compatible with the wireless environment and which can overcome these problems.
Trends in Information fusion in Data Mining

This chapter reviews the main uses of information fusion techniques in the field of data mining. A classification of these uses is given into three rough classes: preprocessing, building models and information extraction.
Quantification and purification of lutein and zeaxanthin recovered from distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS)

Marigold petals, the current commercial source for lutein and zeaxanthin are harvested through a labor-intensive operation with downstream purification requiring multiple processing steps involving various harsh solvents. Lutein and zeaxanthin are in-demand carotenoids due to their significant role in human eye health. A possible alternative source for lutein and zeaxanthin, distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS), shows promise and contains a yet-to-be quantified amount of the desired carotenoids. The US corn industry produces an abundant, and in some cases excess, annual supply of DDGS. The large volume of DDGS produced could serve as a significant source for lutein and zeaxanthin recovery and provides an additional market stream for the growing carotenoid industry. This paper demonstrates one of the first quantitative reports regarding the concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin in DDGS. Using Soxhlet extraction, followed by purification with centrifugal partition chromatography, it was determined that 36.09 ± 16.87 µg lutein and 15.48 ± 6.13 µg zeaxanthin could be purified from all extractives retained in the oleoresin per gram of DDGS. As compared to lutein and zeaxanthin present in corn, this is a three to fivefold increase indicating that these compounds become concentrated during the dry grind process. Recovery of lutein and zeaxanthin from DDGS, a low-value stream by-product of corn ethanol industry, results in a new revenue stream and would add value to a common US commodity.