cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Routing using implicit connection graphs [VLSI design]

We introduce a framework for a class of algorithms solving shortest path related problems, such as the one-to-one shortest path problem, the one-to-many shortest paths problem and the minimum spanning tree problem, in the presence of obstacles. For these algorithms, the search space is restricted to a sparse strong connection graph which is implicitly represented and its searched portion is constructed incrementally on-the-fly during search. The time and space requirements of these algorithms essentially depend on actual search behavior. These algorithms are suitable for large VLSI design applications with many obstacles.
On the global scale electrodynamic coupling of high-latitude and low-latitude regions

Ionosonde data from Dourbes (Belgium) and Lindau (Germany) show a correlation of the F layer critical frequency with the interplanetary sector structure in 1974. These data provide additional circumstantial evidence in support of recent results on the low-latitude extension of magnetospheric convection.
RADIOACTIVE IMPLANT MIGRATION IN PATIENTS TREATED FOR LOCALIZED PROSTATE CANCER WITH INTERSTITIAL BRACHYTHERAPY

Purpose: In several of the initial patients undergoing brachytherapy at our institution radioactive implants were visible in the thorax on chest radiography. The clinical ramifications of this unanticipated finding were unclear. Thus, we investigated the incidence of brachytherapy seed migration to the chest and whether these seeds were associated with any clinical significance.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients who underwent ultrasound or computerized tomography guided brachytherapy of 103palladium seeds from March 1997 to March 1999. This list of patients on brachytherapy was then matched against the radiology computer system to determine those who had undergone chest X-ray after brachytherapy. When the radiology report was unclear regarding brachytherapy seeds, chest x-rays were reviewed by one of us (R. O.) to determine the presence and position of the seeds.Results: Post-brachytherapy chest x-rays were available in 110 of the 183 patients. In 78 cases no br...
The allogeneic effect in inbred mice. II. Establishment of the cellular interactions required for enhancement of antibody production by the graft-versus-host reaction.

The allogeneic effect has been shown to replace the requirement for carrier-specific helper thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes in secondary antihapten antibody responses in guinea pigs or mice. Attempts to enhance primary antibody responses to either 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP)-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) or DNP-ovalbumin (OVA) by the allogeneic effect have failed, and frequently result in suppression. However, the present studies have demonstrated a clear allogeneic effect on primary anti-DNP responses to a DNP-conjugate of the copolymer of D-glutamic acid and D-lysine, DNP-D-GL. This compound, for which no carrier-specific helper T cells exist, normally induces a state of DNP-specific tolerance in the doses employed. However, normal (BALB/c x A/J)F1 recipients developed primary anti-DNP antibody responses, and of the IgG class, when DNP-D-GL was administered shortly after the transfer of allogeneic parental A strain lymphoid cells. To test the possibility that the presence of KLH-specific T lymphocytes might inhibit the expression of the allogeneic effect on the primary response to DNP-KLH, studies were undertaken using T cell-depleted spleen cells. In this model, the allogeneic effect again enhanced the primary response to DNP-D-GL, but still failed to enhance the primary response to DNP-KLH. These studies indicate that the structure of the molecule employed and its specific interaction with the bone marrow-derived (B) cell membrane may be critical in the capacity of primed and unprimed B cells to be influenced by the allogeneic effect.
The Role of State Government in Nuclear Power Regulation: Jurisdictional Conflicts in the US

The regulation of nuclear power in the United States provides ample opportunity for conflicts over jurisdiction. The Maine Yankee case demonstrates the complications that arise as a result. The article concludes, however, that state involvement in the federal process can be both useful and collaborative.
Cross-Linked Matrix Rigidity and Soluble Factors Induce Differentiation via Distinct but Overlapping Pathways

Stem cell differentiation is regulated by both soluble factors and the physical properties of extracellular matrix, but the extent to which differentiation pathways are distinct or overlap is often unclear. Here, the micromechanical stiffness of the collagenous bone surface together with broad compositional correlations with collagen-I across many soft tissues suggests enzymatic cross-linking of matrix correlates with nucleoskeletal protein lamin-A, with a retinoid receptor RARG, and with induction toward osteogenesis. Collagen films just 2 nm thick on mica were stiffened or not by transglutaminase cross-linking and used as minimal culture substrates for Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Cells pulling on pristine nano-films visibly deformed and aligned with the collagen fibrils, but on cross-linked films, cells spread isotropically as if adhering to a substrate of greater effective stiffness. Cell nuclei also spread and stiffened, with an increase of lamin-A, nuclear localization of RARG, and upregulation of key early and late osteogenic factors. RARG antagonists also increased lamin-A, and enhanced osteogenesis on rigid substrates in vitro as well as in xenografts of MSCs in mice. A model of the underlying Mechanochemical Gene Circuit couples the sensitivity of stem cells to both insoluble and soluble factors, while a proteomic comparison underscores both differences and overlaps in differentiation pathways.
Analysis of myelomonocytic leukemic differentiation by a cell surface marker panel including a fucose-binding lectin from Lotus tetragonolobus

The fucose-binding lectin from Lotus tetragonolobus ( FBL -L) has been previously shown to bind specifically to normal cells of the myeloid and monocytic lineages. The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of fluoresceinated FBL -L as a leukemia differentiation marker in conjunction with a panel of other frequently used surface markers (Fc receptor, HLA-DR, OKM1, and antimonocyte antibody). FBL -L reacted with leukemic cells in 8/9 cases of clinically recognized acute myeloid leukemia, including myeloid blast crisis of chronic granulocytic leukemia, 3/3 cases of chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia, and in 2/7 cases of clinically undifferentiated acute leukemia. Correlations were noted between reactivity with FBL -L, and DR and Fc receptor expression. Among continuous cell lines, FBL -L bound with high intensity to a majority of HL-60 and U937 cells. The less well differentiated myeloblast cell lines, KG-1, KG1a , and HL-60 blast II, exhibited less FBL -L binding than HL-60 and U937. A moderate proportion of K562 cells exhibited low level binding of FBL -L. Several lymphoblastic cell lines exhibited a pattern of low intensity binding that was distinguishable from the high intensity binding pattern of the myeloblastic lines. FBL -L reactivity of U937 was enhanced by induction of differentiation with leukocyte conditioned medium, but not dimethylsulfoxide. Such treatments induced contrasting patterns of change of HL-60 and U937 when labeled with OKM1, alpha-Mono, and HLA- DR. These studies demonstrate the application of FBL -L to analysis and quantitation of myelomonocytic leukemic differentiation.
Vitamin Supplements and Disease Resistance in HIV-Infected Women and Children

Multivitamin supplements (including vitamins B, C, and E) can improve immune parameters, pregnancy outcomes, and child growth and health among HIV-infected women and children. Vitamin A supplementation is beneficial against morbidity and mortality when given to children, but increases the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission when given to pregnant, HIV-infected women. The majority of research pertaining to vitamins and HIV disease progression has been conducted in patients not receiving antiretrovial therapy, and so further research is urgently needed to examine the efficacy of nutritional interventions as coadjuvants of antiretrovial therapy.
Implicit Identifications in Political Information Processing

In Chapter 3, we documented the automaticity of affect toward political candidates, groups, and issues. We turn now to the question of political and social identifications and the implications of automatic intergroup feelings and stereotypes for political information processing. Ethnocentrism and group-based prejudice have long been thought to originate in fundamental categorization processes. More generally, we expect that our basic political attitudes and beliefs will be influenced by unconscious group categorization and identification processes. That so, we expect automatic group identifications to exert a strong pull on support for parties, candidates, and political issues outside of a citizen's awareness. This chapter reports multiple experimental tests of the hot cognition hypothesis for ideological, partisan, in-group, and out-group identifications. Our expectation, in line with the symbolic politics perspective of Kinder and Sears (1981; Sears, 2001; Sears and Henry, 2003), and our own emphasis on the primacy of affect in political judgment, is that the “simple” act of categorizing oneself or others as a member of this or that group is not so simple after all, as it engages both cognitive and affective processes that prove to be impossible to disentangle. From our hot cognition perspective, the labeling of one's self or others as a Democrat, Independent, or Republican, man or woman, black, white, or Asian is affectively charged, spontaneously triggering a positive self-to-in-group labeling effect and typically a less-than-positive or even negative affective evaluation of the out-group.
Limited-communication distributed model predictive control for output feedback coupled subsystems

This work introduces a distributed model predictive control algorithm for output feedback coupled and constrained subsystems. The proposed algorithm is based on neighbor communications between the directly coupled agents. Distributed Kalman filters are employed to estimate the local states through local outputs, control actions, and measured disturbances. This is an iterative approach where local agents cooperate with neighbors and convergence to the systemwide optimum depends only on this cooperation. The local controllers use only local information to solve the distributed optimization problems. The minimal required communication and the independent nature of local agents make the approach highly modular. To reduce the communication load, each agent in the network parametrizes the communicated vectors with Laguerre functions. This results in a reduced vector length and local agents share only Laguerre coefficients and a time constant. To illustrate the aspects of the algorithm, a coupled six-tank process is used as an application example.
Marine Sedimentary Evidence for Monsoon Strengthening, Tibetan Uplift and Drainage Evolution in East Asia

Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau has caused an increased flux of clastic material from Asia into the surrounding marginal seas. This flux reflects increased regional erosion, partially caused by topographic uplift of Tibet, but dominantly by higher precipitation linked to monsoon intensification. Using regional seismic profiles from East Asia as proxies for the Cenozoic accumulation history we constrain the timing of enhanced erosion and thus climate change and plateau uplift. Most of the seas show sedimentation increasing after ∼45 Ma following India-Asia collision. Rates rose sharply at ∼33 Ma, and again around 18 Ma, possibly caused by stages in monsoon strengthening enhancing regional erosion. Erosion of gorges in eastern Tibet is a modest source of sediment to the marginal seas. The late Miocene (5-11 Ma) is a time of reduced sedimentation in all basins except in the Mekong area, which alone is influenced by exhumation of the Vietnamese Central Highlands. The slower regional erosion reflects a drier climate and strong winter monsoon during the late Miocene, while the Plio-Pleistocene (<5 Ma) sees a return to fast accumulation rates, possibly triggered by global climatic deterioration. Single grain Pb and bulk sediment Nd isotopic characteristics of modern river and Eocene sediments from the Gulf of Tonkin support models of drainage capture in the Red River system since the Eocene. This drainage has lost flux from sources similar to the Yangtze Block, possibly reflecting capture of flow from the middle and lower Yangtze from the Red River linked to Tibetan uplift.
Associations between space–time constraints and spatial patterns of travels

Abstract The space–time constraint concept was originally developed by Hagerstrand (1970), the pioneer of time-geography, to explain the constraints associated with human daily travel in space and time. Based on his definitions of space–time constraints (i.e., authority constraints, capability constraints, and coupling constraints), Shoval (2012) modified the constraints concept for tourism research. This study examines the associations between these constraints and spatial patterns of travels. The results indicate that authority constraints (i.e., the purpose of travel) are significantly associated with the macro level (i.e., single destination travel and multi-destination travel), while the capability constraints (i.e., the length of travel) and coupling constraints (i.e., the composition of travel party) are significantly associated with the micro level (i.e., multi-destination travel patterns).
Tractable Operations for Arithmetic Circuits of Probabilistic Models

We consider tractable representations of probability distributions and the polytime operations they support. In particular, we consider a recently proposed arithmetic circuit representation, the Probabilistic Sentential Decision Diagram (PSDD). We show that PSDD supports a polytime multiplication operator, while they do not support a polytime operator for summing-out variables. A polytime multiplication operator make PSDDs suitable for a broader class of applications compared to arithmetic circuits, which do not in general support multiplication. As one example, we show that PSDD multiplication leads to a very simple but effective compilation algorithm for probabilistic graphical models: represent each model factor as a PSDD, and then multiply them.
Exact Timing Analysis for Asynchronous Systems

Analyzing the timing properties of asynchronous systems is essential for characterizing their performance and power. Previous work on timing showed that such systems under and-causality and fixed delay exhibit periodicity properties. We give a different graph-based rigorous proof of the exact timing behavior of more general classes of such systems, and conclude their exact periodicity property, where each of the signal transition will occur with the same period after finite occurrences. We established our results under weaker assumption about system connectivity/topology, and this paper provides the theoretical foundation, for the exact periodicity property to be applied and exploited in circuits containing a combination of synchronous and asynchronous components. We provide simulation-based results for several typical asynchronous circuit topologies to quantify this time period in practical circuits. We also provide an extension of our analysis and methods to the case of bounded delay systems. A key result that is a consequence of our analysis is that asynchronous circuits can be integrated with synchronous logic via a metastability-free interface, thereby eliminating the high-overhead synchronizers when an asynchronous circuit is fully surrounded by synchronous logic.
Radio Boulevard, Western Historic Radio Museum

Created and maintained by the Henry Rogers, Radio Boulevard, Western Historic Radio Museum, http://www.radioblvd.comAs a mass media historian, particularly for the medium of radio, I enjoy discover...
From Cross to Constitution

In this introductory chapter, Royce explicitly poses the question as to whether comparative traditions of “political theology”—sacred values in politics—have any bearing upon patterns of European integration. He advances two overall research hypotheses. First, Royce hypothesizes that Roman Catholic countries shall display greater European integration on account of the cosmopolitan teachings of that religion, and likewise that the Protestant countries shall emerge as more Euro-skeptic. Seventeen West European countries shall be subjected to Boolean comparative analysis with regard to both political theology and European integration.
Trends in Aging-Related Services During Nephrectomy: Implications for Surgery in an Aging Population

Objectives To characterize the extent to which geriatric and related healthcare services are provided to older adults undergoing surgery for kidney cancer, a potential growth area in geriatrics and oncology. Design Population-based observational study. Setting Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer data linked with Medicare claims. Participants Adults aged 65 and older with kidney cancer treated surgically from 2000 to 2009 (N = 19,129). Measurements Receipt of geriatric consultation, medical comanagement during the surgical hospitalization, inpatient physical or occupational therapy (PT/OT), and postacute PT/OT during the surgical care episode. Multivariable, mixed-effects models were used to identify associated participant and hospital characteristics, examine trends over time, and characterize hospital-level variation. Results Geriatric consultation occurred rarely in the perioperative period (2.6%). Medical comanagement (15.8%), inpatient PT/OT (34.2%), and postacute PT/OT (15.6%) occurred more frequently. In our mixed-effects models, participant age and comorbidity burden appeared to be consistent determinants of use of services, although hospital-level variation was also noted (P < .001). Use of geriatric consultation increased modestly in the latter years of the study period (P < .05). In contrast, medical comanagement (183%), inpatient PT/OT (73%), and postacute PT/OT (71%) increased substantially over the study period (P < .001). Conclusion Although geriatric consultation remained sparse, use of medical comanagement and rehabilitation services has grown considerably for older adults undergoing surgery for kidney cancer. Efforts to reorganize cancer and surgery care should explore reasons for variation and the potential for these service elements to meet the health needs of an aging population.
Commentary on "Seven Institutionalized Children and their Adaptation in Late Adulthood: The Children of Duplessis" Maltreatment, Attachment, and Resilience in the Orphans of Duplessis

The plight of the Duplessis orphans, more than 20,000 men and women (Sigal, Perry, Rossignol, & Ouimet, 2003) who were raised in Catholic orphanages and asylums in Quebec, often from birth until early adulthood, was publicized in Canada and, to some extent, in the United States during the 1990s and the early 2000s. During that period, the orphans protested to obtain validation, apologies, and reparations from the Catholic Church and the province of Quebec. J. Christopher Perry and his colleagues located 81 of the orphans as older adults through a self–help organization and administered a clinical interview to assess extent of childhood trauma, attachment relationships, and individual strengths as predictors of late adulthood outcome. To measure current functioning, they focused on the last two years in the participants’ lives, administering questionnaires and interviews to assess social and occupational functioning, psychiatric symptoms, and social supports. They also assessed defensive functioning. Both rare and corrective for our field, this study provides genuinely long–term follow–up for individuals raised in a dismal, long–lasting, real–life experiment. There are few long–term follow–up studies of children, let alone, of children at great risk, and “longitudinal” is often broadly defined. (A recent book on major longitudinal studies of attachment included a three–year follow–up study [Grossman, Grossman, & Waters, 2005]). In addition, the study is unusual because the authors have evaluated adulthood functioning across social and occupational domains in addition to psychopathology. They have considered intrapsychic as well as extrapsychic functioning by incorporating a measure of defensive functioning. Finally, they describe in this paper the childhood experiences and contemporary outcomes of seven orphans. The stories of these individuals provide human faces for the data. Mary’s and Oliver’s happy marriages add to the evidence for the counter–intuitive and hopeful conclusion that corrective emotional experiences can be ameliorative at any point in the lifespan. Because of the false memory controversy, retrospective reports of childhood abuse and neglect are sometimes considered suspect. As the authors point out, however, the orphans’ stories of abuse and neglect are similar Psychiatry 69(4) Winter 2006 306
Use of Twitter Data Toward the Development of an English and Swahili Question Answering Agent for the Kenyan Customer Service Market

The growth of internet and social media users in the African continent has expanded the channels by which organizations interact with their customers. Although there are multiple implementations of chatbots and other automated question answering systems in operation, their deployment in countries like Kenya has been limited due to implementation challenges arising from the presence of multiple languages (code mixing), underdeveloped training corpora and non-uniform spelling. In this note we describe the development of several components of a chatbot system intended to handle customer service queries in Kenya. We describe the collection and preparation of a custom training corpus developed from twitter data containing English and Swahili messages. The note covers the preprocessing steps to standardize the message format, along with the use of word embeddings for an initial categorization of queries intended to direct the future workflow of the chatbot system. Additionally, the work uses the corpus to measure the accuracy of word embeddings with KNN, and TF-IDF with and without N-Gram to predict correct response to customer questions based on similarity to previously seen questions. The preliminary work measures the ability of the system to preprocess customer inquiries, to broadly classify them, and to either provide an answer automatically or direct the query toward a human, discard the message, or seek further clarification.
The Pancreatitis Activity Scoring System predicts clinical outcomes in acute pancreatitis: findings from a prospective cohort study

The Pancreatitis Activity Scoring System (PASS) has been derived by an international group of experts via a modified Delphi process. Our aim was to perform an external validation study to assess for concordance of the PASS score with high face validity clinical outcomes and determine specific meaningful thresholds to assist in application of this scoring system in a large prospectively ascertained cohort. We analyzed data from a prospective cohort study of consecutive patients admitted to the Los Angeles County Hospital between March 2015 and March 2017. Patients were identified using an emergency department paging system and electronic alert system. Comprehensive characterization included substance use history, pancreatitis etiology, biochemical profile, and detailed clinical course. We calculated the PASS score at admission, discharge, and at 12 h increments during the hospitalization. We performed several analyses to assess the relationship between the PASS score and outcomes at various points during hospitalization as well as following discharge. Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, we assessed the relationship between admission PASS score and risk of severe pancreatitis. PASS score performance was compared to established systems used to predict severe pancreatitis. Additional inpatient outcomes assessed included local complications, length of stay, development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We also assessed whether the PASS score at discharge was associated with early readmission (re-hospitalization for pancreatitis symptoms and complications within 30 days of discharge). A total of 439 patients were enrolled, their mean age was 42 (±15) years, and 53% were male. Admission PASS score >140 was associated with moderately severe and severe pancreatitis (OR 3.5 [95% CI 2.0, 6.3]), ICU admission (OR 4.9 [2.5, 9.4]), local complications (3.0 [1.6, 5.7]), and development of SIRS (OR 2.9 [1.8, 4.5]) as well as prolongation of hospitalization by a mean of 1.5 (1.3–1.7) days. For the prediction of moderately severe/severe pancreatitis, the PASS score (AUC = 0.71) was comparable to the more established Ranson’s (AUC = 0.63), Glasgow (AUC = 0.72), Panc3 (AUC = 0.57), and HAPS (AUC = 0.54) scoring systems. Discharge PASS score >60 was associated with early readmission (OR 5.0 [2.4, 10.7]). The PASS score is associated with important clinical outcomes in acute pancreatitis. The ability of the score to forecast important clinical events at different points in the disease course suggests that it is a valid measure of activity in patients with acute pancreatitis.
TB diagnosis from the Dark Ages to fluorescence

Effective treatment and eradication of tuberculosis requires highly sensitive and specific, easy-to-use detection methods. New advances in molecular tools and technology are driving improved tuberculosis diagnostics, including ways to rapidly identify highly drug-resistant infections.
Package thermal challenges due to changing mobile system form factors

Mobile platforms have driven semiconductor package form factors from several times the die area to sizes approaching die size. To make matters even more challenging, the package thickness, traditionally on the order of 1–3 mm, has been reduced to thicknesses less than 0.40 mm. In mobile applications, it is size that drives package design. There has been a price paid for the package shrinkage in terms of its thermal performance. Copper, previously used for power and ground planes, and multiple layers of traces, has been replaced with extremely fine traces built in fewer layers. The body size previously used to promote the spreading of heat from the die is now left with two options for heat flow: either out the top (immediately above the die) or through the bottom (below the die) of the package. Improvements to the chip architecture in terms of power efficiency is one of the few remaining options for thermal enhancement at the package-level. Further thermal enhancement should focus on the system level, as this is where the greatest opportunities exist. While many papers have focused on the thermal challenges associated with the system-level, few have translated these constraints to challenges at the package level. This study investigates the historical evolution of mobile platforms and their impact on packaging thermal challenges. Metrics for evaluating the optimization of packages for the mobile space will also be discussed.
Perioperative factors associated with persistent opioid use after extensive abdominal surgery in children and adolescents: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND In adults, preoperative opioid use and higher perioperative opioid consumption have been associated with higher odds of persistent opioid use after surgery. There are limited data on the prevalence and factors associated with persistent opioid use after major oncologic surgery in children. AIMS In this study, we sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the development of persistent opioid use in a group of children and adolescents who had undergone cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. METHODS A retrospective study of patients ≤19 years of age was performed. Univariable logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with a postdischarge persistent opioid use of up to 6 months. RESULTS Eighty-six children were identified. The median age was 12 years, and 43% were female. The proportion of patients with persistent opioid use over the immediate 3, 6, 12 and 24 postdischarge months was 54/77 (70%), 18/51 (35%), 13/45 (29%), and 3/24 (13%), respectively. The daily average in-patient pain scores were higher in the group of children who subsequently developed persistent opioid use of up to 6 months (estimated difference 0.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.3, 0.8, P < .01). Furthermore, higher postoperative opioid consumption was associated with greater odds of a subsequent persistent opioid use of up to 6 months (odds ratio 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.07, P = .05). CONCLUSION In this retrospective study of children and adolescents who had undergone a major oncologic surgery, higher in-patient pain scores and higher postoperative opioid consumption were associated with a persistent opioid use of up to 6 months.
Timing at Multiple Scales in Olfactory Perception

Olfactory perception spans multiple time scales, from sub-millisecond and millisecond generation and timing of action potentials to developmental time. In this paper I review recent research addressing the mesoscopic scale and interactions with events that occur on longer time scales. Oscillatory local field potential frequency and coherence patterns can be modulated by behavioral state, sniffing patterns, intentional processes, learning, and circadian changes in gene expression. The olfactory system also shows species-selective interactions with development and expression of seasonality related to reproductive status, immune response and affective state. Causal interactions at different temporal scales represent the rule rather than the exception in this system.
THE IDEA BEHIND COMPUTER STYLISTICS

Unlike traditional stylistics, computer stylistics can be free of the impediments to scientific inquiry introduced by the observer's deficiencies and the distortions created by adherence to hypotheses. No inquiry can be wholly free of prior analysis, but the most general results will be obtained when the experiment and its resultant data generate the hypothesis, as Newton insisted. The comparison of selected texts with carefully-constructed data bases constituting period norms can produce data which shed light on the state of the language during given periods and on the way that writers employed the stylistic resources of their language. Though such studies diverge from the generally-accepted idea of stylistics as an aspect of literary criticism, they have a wider field of application and a greater potential for social usefulness.
Elevated GlycA in severe obesity is normalized by bariatric surgery.

Chronic inflammation drives many obesity-associated conditions including atherosclerosis. GlycA, a marker of systemic inflammation with lower intra-individual variability than high sensitivity C-reactive protein, is independently associated with incident cardiovascular events and mortality. Although GlycA is elevated in obesity, correlations with anthropometric measures are modest and the effect of body weight loss on GlycA is untested. Obese (body mass index [BMI] 44.6 ± 6.6 kg/m2 ), non-diabetic women (33.7 ± 8.2 years) undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (n = 23) or sleeve gastrectomy (n = 31) were prospectively studied at baseline, 6 and 12 months postprocedure. Women with normal BMI (n = 14) served as controls. Bariatric surgery significantly reduced GlycA by 6 months (451 ± 47 μmol/L vs. 383 ± 50 μmol/L; P 30 kg/m2 , GlycA levels did not differ between surgical and control subjects (P = 0.13). Increased high density lipoprotein particle size was strongly associated with reduced GlycA (r = -0.49; P < 0.001) and was found to mediate up to 43% of its body weight-loss-associated fall. This is the first study to demonstrate that surgical body weight loss markedly reduces levels of GlycA.
Metabolic comparison of one-anastomosis gastric bypass, single-anastomosis duodenal-switch, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and vertical sleeve gastrectomy in rat.

Abstract Background One-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) and single-anastomosis duodenal switch (SADS) have become increasingly popular weight loss strategies. However, data directly comparing the effectiveness of these procedures with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (SG) are limited. Objectives To examine the metabolic outcomes of OAGB, SADS, RYGB, and SG in a controlled rodent model. Setting Academic research laboratory, United States. Methods Surgeries were performed in diet-induced obese Long-Evans rats, and metabolic outcomes were monitored before and for 15 weeks after surgery. Results All bariatric procedures induced weight loss compared with sham that lasted throughout the course of the study. The highest percent fat loss occurred after OAGB and RYGB. All bariatric procedures had improved glucose dynamics associated with an increase in insulin (notably OAGB and SADS) and/or glucagon-like protein-1 secretion. Circulating cholesterol was reduced in OAGB, SG, and RYGB. OAGB and SG additionally decreased circulating triglycerides. Liver triglycerides were most profoundly reduced after OAGB and RYGB. Circulating iron levels were decreased in all surgical groups, associated with a decreased hematocrit value and increased reticulocyte count. The fecal microbiome communities of OAGB, SADS, and RYGB were significantly altered; however, SG exhibited no change in microbiome diversity or composition. Conclusions These data support the use of the rat for modeling bariatric surgical procedures and highlight the ability of the OAGB to meet or exceed the metabolic improvements of RYGB. These data point to the likelihood that each surgery accomplishes metabolic improvements through both overlapping and distinct mechanisms and warrants further research.
North Carolina's Sick Democracy: Racial Gerrymanders, Political Gerrymanders, and Voting Rules as Tools for Partisan Entrenchment

Representative democracy in North Carolina has been under assault in myriad ways. These include the legislature’s on-going attempts to restrict access to the ballot and to rig elections by racial and political gerrymanders among others. Gerrymandering, drawing electoral districts entrench the party in power (Republican, in this case) left North Carolina with one of the most gerrymandered legislatures in the nation. The effect has been to undermine popular sovereignty and competitive elections. This article attempts to survey judicial responses to some of the most recent attacks on democratic government in North Carolina. The assault has multiple prongs, but the objective of partisan entrenchment unites them. So this article looks at a some of these assaults as a way of thinking about how they work synergistically. This survey is useful in evaluating recent iterations of the assaults including ones not covered here.
Leopards and giants, tigers and woolly bears: casting a broader net in exploring heparin effects on Lepidoptera wing patterns

Background: Studies of heparin effects on Lepidoptera wing patterns have been restricted to a small number of species. I report observations from experiments on a broader range of taxa, including first results from swallowtails, tiger moths and microlepidoptera. Methods: Heparin injections were made in prepupal and early pupal stages of the following species representing several Lepidoptera lineages: Junonia coenia , Agraulis vanillae , Asterocampa clyton (Nymphalidae); Heraclides cresphontes , Pterourus troilus , Eurytides marcellus (Papilionidae); Hypercompe scribonia , Estigmene acrea , Hyphantria cunea (Erebidae); and Glyphodes sibillalis (Crambidae). Heparin-induced changes in wing pattern are illustrated, and advantages of using prepupal vs. pupal stages for this type of pharmacological manipulation of wing patterns are discussed. Results: In buckeyes, heparin-induced changes consisted of loss of orange parafocal elements as marginal and submarginal bands shifted basally. In gulf fritillaries, changes in black and silver markings were similar to those found in wild aberrant individuals. In tawny emperor, intermediate and extreme levels of transformation were achieved, pointing to homology of this species’ unusual eyespots to those of other nymphalids. In swallowtails, heparin-induced changes were much more restricted and proved harder to achieve, possibly indicating higher levels of stability and compartmentalization of wing patterns in this butterfly family. In tiger moths, elongation of black markings occurred so that normally distinct spots sometimes merged; in leopard moth, these changes were restricted to areas adjacent to discal spot. In pyraloid moth, changes were mostly restricted to expansion of wing marginal bands and hindwing border. Conclusions: Variation in wing pattern response to heparin found between different species and families in this study warrants further taxonomic widening of exploration of wing pattern formation mechanisms in Lepidoptera. While there are many similarities, there also seem to be very significant differences in the ways wing patterns are formed in different families of butterflies and moths.
Student academic performance system: quantitative approaches to evaluating and monitoring student progress

Monitoring student performance throughout the course of an academic semester can have a positive impact for students and educators alike in terms of motivating invaluable course redesign, effective student intervention, and practical methodologies for classroom enrichment. Student academic performance systems (SAPS), analytical tools to track student progress, can enhance both learning and academic development. However, these monitoring systems need to be effective, easy to implement, clear to interpret, and based on a framework flexible enough to easily adjust and suit any educational level or course style. We propose a SAPS system designed to monitor student performance, demonstrate that the SAPS system is an efficient and complementary tool for educators, and argue that some form of a SAPS system should be incorporated into every classroom at all instructional levels.
Epigenetic programming underpins B cell dysfunction in human SLE

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by the expansion of extrafollicular pathogenic B cells derived from newly activated naive cells. Although these cells express distinct markers, their epigenetic architecture and how it contributes to SLE remain poorly understood. To address this, we determined the DNA methylomes, chromatin accessibility profiles and transcriptomes from five human B cell subsets, including a newly defined effector B cell subset, from subjects with SLE and healthy controls. Our data define a differentiation hierarchy for the subsets and elucidate the epigenetic and transcriptional differences between effector and memory B cells. Importantly, an SLE molecular signature was already established in resting naive cells and was dominated by enrichment of accessible chromatin in motifs for AP-1 and EGR transcription factors. Together, these factors acted in synergy with T-BET to shape the epigenome of expanded SLE effector B cell subsets. Thus, our data define the molecular foundation of pathogenic B cell dysfunction in SLE.
Quinine Enhances Photo-Inactivation of Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Background Antimicrobial resistance is a significant concern to public health, and there is a pressing need to develop novel antimicrobial therapeutic modalities. Methods In this study, we investigated the capacity for quinine hydrochloride (Q-HCL) to enhance the antimicrobial effects of antimicrobial blue light ([aBL] 405 nm wavelength) against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria in vitro and in vivo. Results Our findings demonstrated the significant improvement in the inactivation of MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii (planktonic cells and biofilms) when aBL was illuminated during Q-HCL exposure. Furthermore, the addition of Q-HCL significantly potentiated the antimicrobial effects of aBL in a mouse skin abrasion infection model. In addition, combined exposure of aBL and Q-HCL did not result in any significant apoptosis when exposed to uninfected mouse skin. Conclusions In conclusion, aBL in combination with Q-HCL may offer a novel approach for the treatment of infections caused by MDR bacteria.
Effect of patient education on palliative care knowledge and acceptability of outpatient palliative care services among gynecologic oncology patients: A randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Objectives A randomized control trial (RCT) to estimate the effect of an interventional video on improving palliative care knowledge, acceptability and attendance to outpatient services in gynecologic oncology patients. Methods Women receiving treatment for gynecologic malignancy recruited at an academic tertiary care center were randomized to: palliative care educational video or non-directive cancer center video. The primary outcome was referral to palliative care. Function and knowledge were assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy and the Palliative Care Knowledge Scale. Data analyses were performed using t-tests, Wilcoxon rank sum or Fisher's exact tests with significance level of α = 0.05. Results 111 women were enrolled. Demographic characteristics were equally distributed between groups with respect to age, race, cancer, and stage. There was no statistical difference in knowledge scores or in referral to palliative care between the patients that watched the educational versus control video (29% vs. 27%; p = .79). Secondary analysis showed a statistically significant increase in utilization of palliative care services compared to historic institutional data (8.8% to 31.5%; p ≤.001). Further, those referred had significantly worse baseline functional scores. Conclusions Use of a palliative care educational video did not increase knowledge or acceptability of palliative services within this RCT. However, the rate of patients referred to palliative care tripled compared to historic rates. Further studies should investigate whether discussion regarding palliative care services alone may increase desire for referral, and if use of Fact-G scores may identify patients in greatest need of services.
Abstract A30: Combined IDO inhibitor and OX40L-armed-oncolytic-adenovirus therapy improves survival in murine glioblastoma

Glioblastoma diagnoses associate with upregulation of the immunosuppressive indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) enzyme, which correlates with poor prognoses. IDO inhibitors are immunometabolic adjuvants that can reverse protumor immunosuppression through increasing effector T-cell metabolism. To further stimulate antitumor T-cell activation, the OX40L-armed-oncolytic-adenovirus (Delta-24-RGDOX) can be used, which has shown to induce immune mechanisms that activate antitumor cytotoxic properties of T cells. Thus, we hypothesized that combining IDO inhibitors and Delta-24-RGDOX synergizes to produce a therapeutic effect in glioblastoma. In this study, we used a syngeneic glioblastoma orthotopic immunocompetent model to test the efficacy of combining Delta-24-RGDOX and an IDO inhibitor (1MT or indoximod). Delta-24-RGDOX treatment resulted in a significant survival benefit compared to the control groups (mean survival, 46.5 vs. 38.5 days, P=0.02). Interestingly, the combination of Delta-24-RGDOX and 1MT produced a higher percentage of long-term survivors compared to single therapy with Delta-24-RGDOX (50% vs. 20%, P=0.03). Moreover, when these long-term glioblastoma survivors were rechallenged with the same glioblastoma cells, we observed 100% survival, indicating the establishment of immune memory by the combination therapy. Furthermore, functional studies showed a significant increase in antitumor activity of splenocytes from glioblastoma-bearing combination-treated mice compared to Delta-24-RGDOX-treated mice (P=0.009). Additionally, immunophenotyping by flow cytometry revealed that glioblastoma-bearing combination-treated mice yielded the highest levels of PD-1/TIM-3/CD8+ T cells compared to all other treatment groups and decreased levels of immune-tolerant populations, including regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, compared to Delta-24-RGDOX-only treated mice, and correlated with complete tumor elimination. Most importantly, these data support the use of immunometabolic adjuvants combined with virotherapy as a treatment for glioblastoma to improve its dismal outcomes. Citation Format: Teresa T. Nguyen, Dong Ho Shin, Hong Jiang, Frederick Lang, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, Juan Fueyo. Combined IDO inhibitor and OX40L-armed-oncolytic-adenovirus therapy improves survival in murine glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2019 Nov 17-20; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2020;8(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A30.
Mechanism and clinical significance of acquired immunologic tolerance

The first unequivocally successful bone marrow cell transplantation in humans was recorded in 1968 by the Universitv of Minnesota team of Robert A.Good.This achievement was a direct extension of mouse models of acquired immunologic tolerance that were established 15 years earlier.In contrast,organ(i.e.kidney)transplantation was accomplished precociously in humans(in 1959)before demonstrating its feasibility in any experimental model and in the absence of a defensible immunologic rationale.Because of the striking differences between the outcomes with the 2 kinds of procedure,the mechanisms of organ engraftment were long thought to differ from the leukocyte ehimerism-associated ones of bone marrow transplantation.This and other concepts of alloengraftment and acquired tolerance have changed over time.Current concepts and their clinical implications can be understood and discussed best from the perspective provided by the life and times of Bob Good. Key words: Acquired immunologic tolerance; Chimerism; Liver tiransplantation
Efficient Method for Modeling Polarons Using Electronic Structure Methods.

Polarons are localized electronic states that occur in many semiconductors. Modeling polarons at the quantum or atomic scale is often performed using electronic structure methods such as density fu...
Radio Indígena and Indigenous Mexican Farmworkers in Oxnard, California

This chapter documents the emergent digital strategies of Indigenous Mexican farmworkers from Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Puebla (Mixtec and Zapotec) alongside the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) who worked to combine community radio with social media in Oxnard, California. It expands the scope of current Latina/o radio scholarship by examining the social media use of a community radio station complicating the self-promotional function attributed to radio’s use of social media. Analysis of Radio Indigena’s Facebook page shows a digital communication strategy where the mission of MICOP, the local community, online followers, and frequency modulation (FM) radio become increasingly visible and interwoven. In the process of communicating, the farmworker community gains experience with the politics, structure, and practice of digital communication that helps to address urgent community issues.