cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maintenance of physiologic Temperatures by Halogenated Corticoid in Adrenalectomized Mice given Brucella Somatic Antigen.

SummaryBrucella somatic antigen was given intraperitoneally to five groups of adrenalectomized male CBC mice, kept under standard conditions. Four of these groups received additional treatment consisting of either 2.5 γ or of 25.0 γ of 9 α-fluorohydrocortisone acetate or of cortisone acetate. The rectal temperatures of these mice were measured by means of a thermistor-bridge circuit at 50 minute intervals for a six-hour period. Mice given only the endotoxin showed a progressive decrease of the rectal temperature to the level of the room temperature. Both 9 α-fluorohydrocortisone acetate and cortisone acetate protected against this hypothermia induced by endotoxin, but the former compound was decisively more potent than was the latter. The substitution of a fluorine atom in the 9 α-position of a corticoid seems to be associated with a clear and statistically significant enhancement of antitoxic activity.
Connecting With Industry

In an era of tight budgets, Universities must plan their capital spending on lab equipment carefully. This process is even more critical for smaller colleges and satellite locations. To address the problem of a limited budget for lab equipment but a strong need for expanded labs to meet minimum course requirements, faculty contacted local industry to ask for help. The Mechanical Engineering Technology department includes a metallography lab as one of its core learning objectives in the freshman level Materials I course. The metallography lab consists of mounting, grinding, polishing and etching a metallographic specimen to identify features of the specimen’s microstructure. Unfortunately, lab equipment was not available for these tasks at one of the University’s satellite locations. However, through contacts with the school’s Industrial Advisory Board, a local company offered to host the laboratory and allow students to use its metallography facility. Conforma Clad, in New Albany, IN, applies very hard coatings to protect metal surfaces subject to wear and abrasion. For quality control purposes, they perform metallographic examinations of the applied coatings. Conforma Clad engineers demonstrated the preparation of the metallographic specimens and the analysis of their microstructure and then let students prepare and view their own specimens. This experiment showed the students the procedures and equipment needed to create pictures of a metal’s microstructure. By preparing the samples themselves, they gained an appreciation of the skill and technique required to successfully view the microstructure. This paper describes the collaboration the MET faculty used to add laboratory experiments without capital expenditures by connecting with local industry. Students benefited by gaining access to the operations and facilities of a local company as well as the knowledge gained by performing the metallography lab. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the experience and the improvements planned for the coming year.© 2007 ASME
Limited occurrence of foliar-, root-, and seed-applied neem seed extract toxin in untreated plant parts

A 1% solution of neem ( Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) seed extract used against Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) failed to increase the toxicity of untreated chrysanthemum foliage ( Dendranthema morifolium (Ramat) Tzvel.) positioned above or below sprayed foliage. Untreated bean ( Phaseolus limensis MacF.) leaves opposite to leaves painted with 0.4% extract were not as toxic to L. trifolii as painted leaves. Foliage on chrysanthemum cuttings that were root-dipped in 0.4% extract was toxic to leafminers but subsequent new foliage was not. Bean seeds soaked in 4% extract for 6 h germinated to seedlings which were not significantly more toxic to L. trifolii than untreated seedlings. In contrast, drenching the germination medium with 0.8% extract resulted in seedlings from which no leafminers were reared. Results indicate that complete coverage is required for maximum efficacy of neem seed extract foliage sprays against L. trifolii . Treatment of cuttings and seeds with extract has limitations. Instead, drenches to growing media are recommended as more efficacious.
Antibody Responses to Influenza Immunization of Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Antibody responses of two doses of a bivalent influenza vaccine containing A/Victoria/75 (A/Vic/75) and A/New Jersey/76 (A/NJ/76) viral antigens were studied in 22 children receiving maintenance chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 16 children no longer receiving therapy for ALL, and 50 sibling controls. Before immunization, the three groups showed no difference in titer of antibody to either antigen. After the first immunization, children off therapy showed significantly higher titers to A/NJ/76 than did either sibling controls of children receiving therapy (P less than 0.01). After the second immunization, children off therapy showed significantly higher antibody titers to both antigens than did children receiving therapy or controls (P less than 0.01 for both A/NJ/76 and A/Vic/75). Antibody titers of children receiving therapy were not significantly different from those of controls. A year later, there were no significant differences in antibody titers among the groups. Thus, children with ALL who are receiving chemotherapy respond normally to two doses of influenza vaccine, whereas children off therapy manifest abnormally high titers of antibody to both influenza virus antigens.
A Madisonian Vision of Religious Liberty

James Madison thought and wrote a great deal about issues of religious liberty. Some of his stances are well-known, while others ought to be better known. His theory of religious liberty resists easy categorization by the partisans in our current debates over church and state. While Madison himself claimed to stand for “total separation” of religion and government, his stances differed in important ways from those of many of today’s “strict separationists.” At the same time, he firmly rejected state attempts to support religious truths and practices — even broad “Judeo-Christian” ones — as well as state attempts to acknowledge the privileged place of religion in our history and culture. This invited essay, written for the 2015 Faulkner Law Review Symposium on “The Meaning of Religious Liberty in the Anglo-American Tradition,” summarizes and documents Madison’s understanding of religious liberty, with specific reference to concepts such as religious toleration, natural rights of conscience, religious exemptions in law, and establishments of religion. Along the way, the essay draws attention to points of agreement and disagreement between Madison and John Locke.
Phase II Trial of the Oral mTOR Inhibitor RAD001 (Everolimus) in Relapsed and/or Refractory Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia: Preliminary Results.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: mTOR inhibitors have been associated with responses in Mantle cell lymphoma and other lymphomas (J Clin Oncol 23; 5347, 2005). Phase I and II trials with the oral everolimus (RAD001, Novartis Pharmaceuticals) have demonstrated a favorable side effect profile. This phase II study tested everolimus in patients with relapsed/refractory Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia (WM). METHODS: Patients who had at least one previous therapy for WM and who had relapsed or refractory disease were eligible. Other eligibility criteria included symptomatic disease, > 2 weeks from last therapeutic agent used, >10% involvement with lymphoplasmacytic cells in the bone marrow, IgM paraprotein > 2x upper limit of normal, absolute neutrophil count >1000/mm3 and platelet count >75,000/mm3, serum creatinine of RESULTS: 10pts (8 men and 2 women, median age is 62 years, range 52–71) have been treated to date. The median number of lines of prior treatment was 3 (range 1 – 5). The median IgM at baseline was 3970 mg/dL (range 3120– 7410); median M-spike at baseline was 2.07 gm/dL (range 1.41 – 4.02); and median hemoglobin was 11.3 g/dL (9.4–13.3). The median follow up was 4 months (range 1 – 7 months). Prior therapy included rituximab, nucleoside analogues (fludarabine and 2-CDA), combination chemotherapy (e.g CHOP, CVP), chlorambucil. and bortezomib. Seven patients are currently evaluable for response. The best response to single agent RAD001 after 2 cycles is presented in Table 1. Median duration of response has not been reached. Patients tolerated RAD001 well without significant toxicities. The main toxicities observed were apthous ulcers in 4 patients. One patient required dose reduction due to mucositis. One patient stopped therapy within the first month of treatment and went on to hospice care before succumbing to his disease after one month. Attributable toxicities otherwise proved manageable with appropriate supportive care and RAD001 was generally well tolerated, with no peripheral neuropathy. CONCLUSIONS: Oral RAD001 as monotherapy has been well tolerated and demonstrates exciting activity achieving PR + MR in 57%, and/or stabilization of disease in 43% of evaluable patients with relapsed WM. Accrual of a total of 30 patients is rapidly ongoing. Updated data will be presented at the meeting. Table 1 . Response N=7; ORR (CR+PR+MR)= 57% Median time to best response (months) Partial Response 1 (14%) 5 Minimal Response 3 (43%) 4 (3–6) Stable Disease (SD) 3 (43%) NA Progressive Disease 0
AmorFi: Amorphous WiFi Networks for High-density Deployments

The static capacity provisioning in traditional WiFi networks (WLANs) cannot cope with the high spatiotemporal traffic variations in high-density venues such as conference centers, stadiums etc. To guarantee reliable performance, venue owners are forced to over-provision their WLANs based on worst-case traffic demand estimations, increasing capital and operational expenses. We propose AmorFi, a radically new way of deploying WLANs to handle peak traffic demands with average-case provisioning. Our key idea is to decouple baseband processing from RF transmission (inspired by the cloud-RAN concept in cellular networks) and introduce software programmability to flexibly allocate WiFi capacity in real time based on varying traffic demands. We implement AmorFi using off-the-shelf WiFi APs over a RF-over-fiber cloud-RAN testbed. Our experiments and simulations demonstrate that the software-defined capacity allocation enabled with AmorFi delivers more than $2x$ throughput than traditional WLANs.
Structure of eukaryotic CMG helicase at a replication fork and implications to replisome architecture and origin initiation

The eukaryotic CMG (Cdc45, Mcm2–7, GINS) helicase consists of the Mcm2–7 hexameric ring along with five accessory factors. The Mcm2–7 heterohexamer, like other hexameric helicases, is shaped like a ring with two tiers, an N-tier ring composed of the N-terminal domains, and a C-tier of C-terminal domains; the C-tier contains the motor. In principle, either tier could translocate ahead of the other during movement on DNA. We have used cryo-EM single-particle 3D reconstruction to solve the structure of CMG in complex with a DNA fork. The duplex stem penetrates into the central channel of the N-tier and the unwound leading single-strand DNA traverses the channel through the N-tier into the C-tier motor, 5′-3′ through CMG. Therefore, the N-tier ring is pushed ahead by the C-tier ring during CMG translocation, opposite the currently accepted polarity. The polarity of the N-tier ahead of the C-tier places the leading Pol e below CMG and Pol α-primase at the top of CMG at the replication fork. Surprisingly, the new N-tier to C-tier polarity of translocation reveals an unforeseen quality-control mechanism at the origin. Thus, upon assembly of head-to-head CMGs that encircle double-stranded DNA at the origin, the two CMGs must pass one another to leave the origin and both must remodel onto opposite strands of single-stranded DNA to do so. We propose that head-to-head motors may generate energy that underlies initial melting at the origin.
Estimation of Model Order from Input-Output Data Applied to Radial Basis Function Network Identification

Abstract The methods of Lipschitz numbers and false nearest neighbors are evaluated as a means of estimating the model orders of dynamic, discrete time nonlinear models. No specific model structure is assumed and the model orders are estimated directly from input-output data using only geometric concerns and the continuity property. Both methods are applied to several dynamic systems, including a realistic process simulation and experimental data from the UCSB pH neutralization process. The usefulness of these methods of model order determination for radial basis function network (RBFN) identification is examined.
Anti-tumor effect of primaquine compounds in human breast cancer cells

444 Purpose: Cancer in part is caused by the disruption in cell’s homeostasis, affecting its ability to respond to extracellular signals, triggering some intracellular events which affect the gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC). Cancer cells have reduced or altered GJIC capacity. Therefore, one feasible approach to reduce growth of cancer cells is to enhance/alter GJIC. Substituted quinolines were used in this study to find their effect on human breast cancer cells. Methods: Parachute assay using dye-labeled donor and acceptor cells was performed to measure GJIC. The results were obtained by the flow cytometric analysis based on the dye transfer between the donor and acceptor cells. Colony growth assay using soft agar was done to determine the effect of the primaquine (PQ) compounds on the colony formation in human breast cancer cells. Results: Substituted quinolines synthesized based on the computational docking with the gap junction proteins (connexins), showed a tremendous anti-tumor effect in human breast cancer cell lines. PQ1 (500 nM) showed a 20-50 % increase in the GJIC in MDA-MB-453 cells and T47D cell lines. In addition to an increase in GJIC, 80-95 % growth attenuation was observed by PQ1 in colony growth assay. On the contrary, PQ3 decreased the GJIC and increased the colony formation in MDA-MB-453 cells. These results were also observed by Saez et al. that an increase in GJIC is directly related to the anti-tumor effect in human mammary cancer cell line. Further studies are being conducted to know the exact mechanism of action of the substituted quinolines. Conclusions: So far these results show that PQ compounds have a promising role in exerting anti-tumor activity in human breast cancer cells.
Acyclic 1,4-Stereocontrol via the Allylic Diazene Rearrangement: Development, Applications, and the Essential Role of Kinetic E Stereoselectivity in Tosylhydrazone Formation

We report full details of a method for 1,3-reductive transposition of α-alkoxy-α,β-unsaturated hydrazones to provide E-alkenes with high 1,4-stereocontrol between the two respective allylic stereocenters. The process couples a chelation-controlled reduction of the hydrazone with an in situ allylic strain controlled retro-ene reaction of an allyl diazene, i.e., an allylic diazene rearrangement. Such stereotriads are frequently observed motifs in natural products. We observed a fortuitous kinetic preference for the E-hydrazone geometry during the hydrazonation reaction, as only the E-isomers could undergo chelation-controlled reduction.
Creative Geniuses, Polymaths, Child Prodigies, and Autistic Savants: The Ambivalent Function of Interests and Obsessions

The impact of interests and obsessions is examined with respect to four types of exceptional personal performance: the creative genius, the polymath, the child prodigy, and the autistic savant. This examination entails seven influential factors: (a) domain-specific expertise, deliberate practice, and the 10-year rule; (b) the genetic and environmental foundations of interests and obsessions; (c) openness to experience, divergent thinking, and cognitive disinhibition; (d) inter- and intradomain versatility; (e) general intelligence; (f) asymmetrical development; and (g) early versus late bloomers. By combining the four types with the seven factors, it becomes evident that the developmental connection between creative achievement and interests or obsessions is extremely complex.
India in the American Imaginary, 1780s–1880s

We argue that India/the Indian subcontinent was part of the cultural and political imaginary of the United States from its inception and performed important ideological work in articulating the nation in the post-Revolutionary period and through the nineteenth century. This introduction frames the “the idea of India” in the American imaginary within a transnational lens that is attentive to global flows of goods, people, and ideas within the circuits of imperial and maritime economies in late-eighteenth- and nineteenth-century United States. Situating the hitherto understudied protean dimensions of the influence of India on American political and cultural life within the triangulated relationship between Britain, the United States, and India, we trace the ways in which they came to inflect debates on race, religion, gender, and national self-image in the nineteenth century.
Increasing Patient Portal Usage: Preliminary Outcomes From the MyChart Genius Project

Purpose To determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of dedicating staff ("MyChart Geniuses") to assist adolescents with patient portal sign-up; to examine patient satisfaction with MyChart Genius services; and to determine patient preferences for future communications related to health issues. Methods Adolescent patients (13-25 years old) in an urban, academic, primary care clinic were approached by MyChart Genius staff to assist with enrolling in MyChart and downloading the MyChart mobile App. Patients were also invited to partake in a brief, online survey assessing their technology use and access, as well as their preferences surrounding communication with their health-care providers. Survey responses were analyzed using SPSS Statistics (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Results Ninety-six patients were approached, 84 (87.5%) of whom enrolled in MyChart. Sixty-four adolescents agreed to answer survey questions. Respondents were primarily African-American patients (87%), with a mean age of 18.7 years. The majority (79%) of participants were either satisfied or very satisfied with the Genius program. The respondents reported high access to and use of basic technology, and a high perceived need for an electronic health record App. Preferences for future communications with health-care providers revealed population subsets, indicating an area to further individualize interventions. Conclusions This is one of the first studies to examine a strategy to increase patient portal uptake and usage among minority, urban adolescents (a group with demonstrated preferences on communications with health-care providers). The presence of specially trained MyChart Genius staff is a feasible, effective, and patient-satisfactory method of engaging with this group of adolescents.
Reductive Elimination from Phosphine-Ligated Alkylpalladium(II) Amido Complexes To Form sp3 Carbon-Nitrogen Bonds.

We report the formation of phosphine-ligated alkylpalladium(II) amido complexes that undergo reductive elimination to form alkyl-nitrogen bonds and a combined experimental and computational investigation of the factors controlling the rates of these reactions. The free-energy barriers to reductive elimination from t-Bu3P-ligated complexes were significantly lower (ca. 3 kcal/mol) than those previously reported from NHC-ligated complexes. The rates of reactions from complexes containing a series of electronically and sterically varied anilido ligands showed that the reductive elimination is slower from complexes of less electron-rich or more sterically hindered anilido ligands than from those containing more electron-rich and less hindered anilido ligands. Reductive elimination of alkylamines also occurred from complexes bearing bidentate P,O ligands. The rates of reactions of these four-coordinate complexes were slower than those for reactions of the three-coordinate, t-Bu3P-ligated complexes. The calcula...
An Examination of Television Consumption By Racial and Ethnic Audiences in the U.S.: Implications for Multicultural Media Planning And Media Measurement

ABSTRACT Academic and practitioner studies have found that television consumption is highest among American audiences of diverse races and ethnicities. The validity of ethnic-audience ratings measurement in the past has been questionable, predicating diminished multicultural-audience valuation. One result has been less spending in the ethnic broadcast-media landscape, which is hampered by media fragmentation. Using an analysis of Horowitz Research data, a nationally representative dataset that measures multicultural cable viewership, the authors examined the relationship between television viewership and multiculturalism, mediated by programmatic and media-fragmentation influences and covaried by demographics influences.
Prosecuting assaultive psychiatric patients

For many reasons, inpatient psychiatric units are increasingly faced with treatment and management of violent individuals. This fosters a need to consider potential institutional responses to patient violence. This paper focuses on one response—prosecution of these persons. The existing literature on this topic is reviewed. In addition, the case history of a difficult but successful prosecution of an assaultive patient is presented. This case highlighted the development of guidelines, which are outlined herein, for determining the appropriateness of seeking legal action against patients. The paper concludes with an assessment of the benefits and risks associated with patient prosecution.
Glucose Uptake in Contracting, Isolated In Situ Dog Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle constitutes the major mass of tissue in the human and other mammalian species, and this tissue has an enormous propensity for increasing both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism during contraction. For example, muscular contraction results in an increase in muscle blood flow from 5–10 to 60–70 ml/100 g/min and an increase in oxygen uptake by 30–40 times resting values. Vigorous physical activity can result in substantial reductions of glycogen stores in humans (Hermansen, Hultman and Saltin 1967).
Mycotechnology: the role of fungi in biotechnology

Fungi have been important in both ancient and modern biotechnological processes. Processes and products that utilize fungi include baking, brewing, and the production of antibiotics, alcohols, enzymes, organic acids, and numerous pharmaceuticals. The advent of recombinant DNA technology and large scale genomics analysis has placed yeasts and filamentous fungi in the forefront of contemporary commercial applications. The term 'mycotechnology' is introduced here to describe the enormous impact of fungi on biotechnology.
Discerning the Behavior of the Suicide Bomber: The Role of Vengeance

Deliberate suicide used to achieve some end in group conflict is a relatively rare but always dramatic behavior. Motivation for such behavior is complex occurs usually at both the group and individual levels, and can have multiple meanings. The author examines suicide bombing as it has occurred recently in both the 9/11 event and in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, notes that it appears to be a behavior motivated mainly by the singular intent to destroy a particular people, and concludes that it is a 'depressive equivalent' behavior rooted in the desire for vengeance. He identifies such behavior, given this motivation, as a crime by the leaders of the groups planning such acts against those they send on suicide bombing missions. He exhorts civilized society to bring these criminals to justice in order to prevent such acts.
NF2-Related Tumors and Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors

Neurofibromatosis (NF) types 1 and 2 are classified as phacomatoses with an autosomal-dominant inheritance pattern. They are important in the field of neuro-oncology as they predispose affected patients to a number of CNS tumors including acoustic schwannoma, meningioma, glioma, ependymoma, and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST). Management of tumors in patients with NF can differ from that in the non-NF population owing to a natural history that may be more aggressive, a greater need to preserve function in patients with acoustic schwannoma, and the concern for increased risk of radiation-induced tumors in this population. The management of NF-related acoustic schwannoma, meningioma, and MPNST is discussed here, while management of glioma and ependymoma is presented in separate chapters.
The Story of the Science and Entertainment Exchange, a Program of the National Academy of Sciences

Mainstream film and television play a critical role in inspiring public interest in science. It can provide an enticing platform to share scientific information through storytelling. This requires collaboration between storytellers and scientists. However, such opportunities often lie outside the awareness or perceived interest of both filmmakers and scientists. The National Academy of Sciences therefore created The Science & Entertainment Exchange (The Exchange) to serve as a credible conduit to facilitate scientific input on film and television projects. In this paper, we combine Hollywood storytelling with academic research to describe the history, mission, and activity of The Exchange as a model for science engagement with the public. By connecting entertainment professionals to great science communicators, The Exchange aims to improve the science that appears in narrative mainstream media and generate positive portrayals of STEM professionals. Since its launch in 2008, The Exchange has completed more than 2300 consultations on films such as Avengers: Infinity War, A Wrinkle in Time, and Black Panther. Additionally, the program has produced more than 250 live events, primarily in New York and Los Angeles. Over the course of the program’s 8 years, it has built a guest list of 6000 entertainment professionals and scientists and created a database of more than 2700 science communicators. The Exchange’s ongoing work, as well as those of scientists, engineers, and medical professionals who take additional time to work as film and media consultants, improves STEM depictions and brings more science to the public through engaging stories. We discuss the future potential impact of popular media on science literacy and perception, and encourage scientists to embrace opportunities to use popular media to engage the public with science.
Consistency when Teaching Multiple Sections: Live Lecture Recordings Reviewed and Discussed with Students

Recent popularity of computer science courses has caused class enrollments to skyrocket to mega level of several hundred students. Due to space and other constraints, multiple sections of each class are often taught by the same instructor. Students attending different section are taking the same exam, which requires the instructor to keep teaching repeating lectures consistently. This can be difficult and is further complicated by the varying number of students and questions posed during different sections. The lightning talk explores one faculty's solution to lecture consistency issue by making use of technology in the classroom: review and discussion of lecture recordings with students in attendance. All lectures were recorded during the first session. During the subsequent session, those recordings were played back to students in attendance on the large projector screen. This practice offered the opportunity to the instructor to further clarify concepts taught in class and receive continuous feedback how to improve her teaching in addition to delivering consistent lectures. More importantly, it offered students an opportunity to hear the questions asked by the students in attendance of the recorded session, before asking their own or offering additional discussion points. Class participation increased significantly as a result of this practice.
Systemic miRNA delivery by nontoxic nanoscale coordination polymers limits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and suppresses liver metastases of colorectal cancer

Though early detection and treatment of primary tumors has significantly improved in recent years, metastatic disease remains among the most significant challenges in cancer therapy. Cancer cells can disseminate before the primary tumor is detected to form micro or gross metastases, requiring toxic systemic therapies. To prevent and suppress metastases, we have developed a nontoxic, long-circulating nanoscale coordination polymer (NCP) protecting microRNA (miRNA) in circulation and releasing it in tumors. PtIV(en)2 [en = ethylenediamine] containing NCPs (PtEN) can release a nontoxic, kinetically inert PtII(en)2 compound and carbon dioxide which aids the endosomal escape of its miRNA cargo, miR-655-3p. Without the presence of the PtEN core, the miRNA showed cellular uptake but no effect. When transfected into human colorectal HCT116 cells by NCPs, this oligometastatic miRNA limited proliferation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by preventing β-catenin nuclear translocation and tumor cell invasion. Systemic administrations of PtEN/miR-655-3p sustained effective transfection to reduce liver colonization and tumor burden in a xenogenic hepatic metastatic model of HCT116 without any observable toxicity.
A Model Predictive Voltage Control using Virtual Space Vectors for Grid-Forming Energy Storage Converters

Sinusoidal output voltages with low harmonic distortion can be achieved using three-level converters along with LC filters, which have been proven to be suitable for energy storage systems (ESSs). Model predictive control (MPC) has been applied to such energy storage converters due to its simplicity and effectiveness. However, selecting the weighting factor of the additional neutral-point (NP) voltage balancing term in the cost function is time consuming and may also affect the main objective of MPC. To address this issue, in this paper, additional virtual space vectors (VSVs), which do not affect the NP capacitor voltages, are adopted in the proposed MPC. Both simulation and experimental results using controller hardware-in-the-loop are presented to show that NP capacitor voltages can be well controlled using a particularly small NP voltage balancing weighting factor in the cost function. In addition, the total harmonic distortion of the voltage at the point of common coupling is reduced while retaining the fast dynamic response of MPC.
Abstract 2411: A multidisciplinary approach for HCC risk prediction in patients with cirrhosis utilizing elastography, imaging, circulating tumor cells and genomics

Background: HCV induced HCC is increasing in the United States. Therefore, it is imperative that we understand the genetic and cellular based mechanisms underpinning the linkages between HCV and HCC and the impact of race/ethnicity on the development of this deadly tumor. The aims of our study were to assess changes in transient elastography (TE) and Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score in a large cohort of patients and identify risk based on race/ethnicity. Patients were also stratified for HCC risk based on the Toronto HCC Risk Index (THRI), genomics, imaging data with inclusion of screening for circulating tumor cells. Methods: Our cohort included 1,943 patients with liver disease, including HCV, HBV, NASH, etc., were assessed by Fibroscan and comparisons made with clinical parameters of liver disease. Approximately 500 patients had liver biopsies. Statistical analysis with Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-Square tests was carried out. Values reported are mean ± standard deviation. The estimated stage of liver fibrosis based on TE was categorized as F0-F2 ( 12.5 kpa). Results: In our cohort, African Americans (AAs) had higher BMIs (27.8±5.2, p Conclusions: Liver fibrosis stage, as determined by TE, increased with HCC risk as determined by THRI. THRI identified the subpopulation of African Americans as having generally greater risk of HCC, despite comparable platelet and FIB4 levels. Hispanics had similarly high TE scores as AAs, but lower risk of developing HCC. The patients who remain at risk for HCC will be further stratified for increased propensity to develop HCC utilizing genomics, advanced imaging and screening for circulating tumor cells. These results suggest the need for enhanced investigation of key drivers of HCC, with particular attention to racial/ethnic disparities. Citation Format: Emmanuel Thomas, Deukwoo Kwon, Sid Rawal, Ashutosh Agarwal, Beatrice Madrazo, Steven Chen, Eugene Schiff. A multidisciplinary approach for HCC risk prediction in patients with cirrhosis utilizing elastography, imaging, circulating tumor cells and genomics [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2411.
A function model for the Teichmüller space of a closed hyperbolic Riemann surface

We introduce a function model for the Teichmuller space of a closed hyperbolic Riemann surface. Then we introduce a new metric on the Teichmuller space by using the maximum norm on the function space. We prove that the identity map from the Teichmuller space equipped with the Teichmuller metric to the Teichmuller space equipped with this new metric is uniformly continuous. Moreover, we prove that the inverse of the identity, i.e., the identity map from the Teichmuller space equipped with this new metric to the Teichmuller space equipped with the Teichmuller metric, is continuous (but not uniformly). Therefore, the topology induced by the new metric is the same as the topology induced by the Teichmuller metric on the Teichmuller space. Finally, we give a remark about the pressure metric on the function model and the Weil-Petersson metric on the Teichmuller space.
Nature’s recyclers: anaerobic microbial communities drive crude biomass deconstruction

Microbial communities within anaerobic ecosystems have evolved to degrade and recycle carbon throughout the earth. A number of strains have been isolated from anaerobic microbial communities, which are rich in carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) to liberate fermentable sugars from crude plant biomass (lignocellulose). However, natural anaerobic communities host a wealth of microbial diversity that has yet to be harnessed for biotechnological applications to hydrolyze crude biomass into sugars and value-added products. This review highlights recent advances in ‘omics’ techniques to sequence anaerobic microbial genomes, decipher microbial membership, and characterize CAZyme diversity in anaerobic microbiomes. With a focus on the herbivore rumen, we further discuss methods to discover new CAZymes, including those found within multi-enzyme fungal cellulosomes. Emerging techniques to characterize the interwoven metabolism and spatial interactions between anaerobes are also reviewed, which will prove critical to developing a predictive understanding of anaerobic communities to guide in microbiome engineering.
Automated thalamic nuclei segmentation using multi-planar cascaded convolutional neural networks.

Abstract Purpose To develop a fast and accurate convolutional neural network based method for segmentation of thalamic nuclei. Methods A cascaded multi-planar scheme with a modified residual U-Net architecture was used to segment thalamic nuclei on conventional and white-matter-nulled (WMn) magnetization prepared rapid gradient echo (MPRAGE) data. A single network was optimized to work with images from healthy controls and patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and essential tremor (ET), acquired at both 3 T and 7 T field strengths. WMn-MPRAGE images were manually delineated by a trained neuroradiologist using the Morel histological atlas as a guide to generate reference ground truth labels. Dice similarity coefficient and volume similarity index (VSI) were used to evaluate performance. Clinical utility was demonstrated by applying this method to study the effect of MS on thalamic nuclei atrophy. Results Segmentation of each thalamus into twelve nuclei was achieved in under a minute. For 7 T WMn-MPRAGE, the proposed method outperforms current state-of-the-art on patients with ET with statistically significant improvements in Dice for five nuclei (increase in the range of 0.05–0.18) and VSI for four nuclei (increase in the range of 0.05–0.19), while performing comparably for healthy and MS subjects. Dice and VSI achieved using 7 T WMn-MPRAGE data are comparable to those using 3 T WMn-MPRAGE data. For conventional MPRAGE, the proposed method shows a statistically significant Dice improvement in the range of 0.14–0.63 over FreeSurfer for all nuclei and disease types. Effect of noise on network performance shows robustness to images with SNR as low as half the baseline SNR. Atrophy of four thalamic nuclei and whole thalamus was observed for MS patients compared to healthy control subjects, after controlling for the effect of parallel imaging, intracranial volume, gender, and age (p Conclusion The proposed segmentation method is fast, accurate, performs well across disease types and field strengths, and shows great potential for improving our understanding of thalamic nuclei involvement in neurological diseases.
Effects of ethanol on plasma ghrelin levels in the rat during early and late adolescence.

Abstract Ghrelin is an appetite-regulating peptide that is primarily secreted by endocrine cells in the stomach and is implicated in regulation of alcohol consumption and alcohol-reinforced behaviors. In the present study, adolescent Sprague-Dawley rats received intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure by intragastric intubation (5 g/kg) or vapor inhalation, manipulations conducted between postnatal days (PD) 28-43. On the first and last day of AIE exposure, the level of intoxication was examined 1 hr after ethanol gavage or upon removal from the vapor chamber. This was immediately followed by a blood draw for determination of the blood ethanol concentration (BEC) and plasma levels of acylated ghrelin (acyl-ghrelin; active). On PD 29, plasma levels of acyl-ghrelin were significantly elevated in male (but not female) rats in response to acute ethanol exposure by both gastric gavage and vapor inhalation. Importantly, assessment of plasma acyl-ghrelin in response to repeated ethanol exposure revealed a complex interaction of both sex and method of AIE exposure. On PD 43, vapor inhalation increased plasma acyl-ghrelin in both males and females compared to their air control counterparts, whereas there was no change in plasma levels of acyl-ghrelin in either male or female rats in response to exposure by intragastric gavage. Assessment of plasma acyl-ghrelin following a 30-day ethanol-free period revealed AIE exposure did not produce a change in basal levels. In addition, an acute ethanol challenge in adult rats of 5g/kg via gastric gavage had no effect on plasma ghrelin levels when assessed one hr after initiation of exposure. Collectively, these observations suggest that acyl-ghrelin, a primary gut-brain signaling hormone, is elevated by ethanol during early adolescence independent of administration route, and in gender-dependent fashion.
Distinct navigation behaviors in Aedes, Anopheles and Culex mosquito larvae.

Mosquitoes spread deadly diseases that impact millions of people every year. Understanding mosquito physiology and behavior is vital for public health and disease prevention. However, many important questions remain unanswered in the field of mosquito neuroethology, particularly in our understanding of the larval stage. In this study, we investigate the innate exploration behavior of six different species of disease vector mosquito larvae. We show that these species exhibit strikingly different movement paths, corresponding to a wide range of exploration behaviors. We also investigate the response of each species to an appetitive food cue, aversive cue or neutral control. By contrast to the large differences in exploration behavior, all species appeared to gather near preferred cues through random aggregation rather than directed navigation and exhibited slower speeds once encountering food patches. Our results identify key behavioral differences among important disease vector species, and suggests that navigation and exploration among even closely related mosquito species may be much more distinct than previously thought.
Optimal Reconfiguration of DC Networks

In this paper, we consider the problem of optimizing voltage set points and switching status of components in direct current power networks subject to physical and security constraints. The problem is cast as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming with two sources of computational complexity: i) Non-convex power flow equations, and ii) The presence of binary variables accounting for the on/off status of network components. A strengthened second-order cone programming (SOCP) relaxation is developed to tackle the non-convexity of power flow equations, and a branch-and-bound search is employed for determining optimal network configurations. The efficacy of the proposed method in optimizing the operation while mitigating contingencies is experimentally validated in a real-time hardware-in-the-loop environment using IEEE benchmark data.
Too Much, Too Fast, Too Novel: A Case of Rhabdomyolysis

Our patient is a 17-year-old Hispanic female with a past medical history of nephrolithiasis. She presented to clinic with bilateral thigh pain. 3 days prior to presentation she attended a cycling class that “required her to push herself”. Approximately 10 minutes into the exercise she “felt winded but then felt a second wind”. Immediately after the class the patient began to feel bilateral thigh pain that was constant, 10/10, did not radiate, and was exacerbated by walking, particularly painful walking downstairs, and any movement that requires bending at the …
The phenotypic and transcriptomic effects of developmental exposure to nanomolar levels of estrone and bisphenol A in zebrafish.

Abstract Estrone and BPA are two endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that are predicted to be less potent than estrogens such as 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol. Human exposure concentrations to estrone and BPA can be as low as nanomolar levels. However, very few toxicological studies have focused on the nanomolar-dose effects. Low level of EDCs can potentially cause non-monotonic responses. In addition, exposures at different developmental stages can lead to different health outcomes. To identify the nanomolar-dose effects of estrone and BPA, we used zebrafish modeling to study the phenotypic and transcriptomic responses after extended duration exposure from 0 to 5 days post-fertilization (dpf) and short-term exposure at days 4–5 post fertilization. We found that non-monotonic transcriptomic responses occurred after extended duration exposures at 1 nM of estrone or BPA. At this level, estrone also caused hypoactivity locomotive behavior in zebrafish. After both extended duration and short-term exposures, BPA led to more apparent phenotypic responses, i.e. skeletal abnormalities and locomotion changes, and more significant transcriptomic responses than estrone exposure. After short-term exposure, BPA at concentrations equal or above 100 nM affected locomotive behavior and changed the expression of both estrogenic and non-estrogenic genes that are linked to neurological diseases. These data provide gaps of mechanisms between neurological genes expression and associated phenotypic response due to estrone or BPA exposures. This study also provides insights for assessing the acceptable concentration of BPA and estrone in aquatic environments.
The Writings of Ferdinand Lindheimer: Texas Botanist, Texas Philosopher

John E. Williams. 2020. The Writings of Ferdinand Lindheimer: Texas Botanist, Texas Philosopher. (ISBN-13: 978-1-62349-876-4, hbk). Texas A&M University Press, John H. Lindsey Building, Lewis St., 4354 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, U.S.A. (Orders: www.tamupress.com). $45.00 US, 304 pp., 68 b&w photos, 14 illustrations, 2 maps, 3 appendices, glossary, bibliography, index, 6" × 9".
Impact of Preoperative and Incident Musculoskeletal Problematic Areas on Postoperative Outcomes After Total Knee Replacement.

Objective To examine impact of pre-existing and incident problematic musculoskeletal (MSK) areas after total knee replacement (TKR) on postoperative 60-month Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain/function scores. Methods Using data from a randomized controlled trial of subjects undergoing TKR for osteoarthritis, we assessed problematic MSK areas in six body regions before TKR and 12, 24, 36, and 48 months after TKR. We defined the following two variables: 1) density count (number of problematic MSK areas occurring after TKR; range 0-24) and 2) cumulative density count (problematic MSK areas both before and after TKR, categorized into four levels: no preoperative areas and density count of 0-1 [reference group]; no preoperative areas and density count of 2 or more; one or more preoperative areas and density count of 0-1; and one or more preoperative areas and density count of 2 or greater). We evaluated the associations between categorized 60-month WOMAC and cumulative density count by ordinal logistic regression. Results Among 230 subjects, 24% reported one or more preoperative problematic MSK area. After TKR, 75% reported a density count of 0 to 1; 25% reported a density count of 2 or more. Compared with the reference group, each cumulative density count category was associated with an increased odds of having a higher category of 60-month WOMAC pain score, as follows: 2.97 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48-5.98) for no preoperative problematic areas and density count of 2 or greater, 3.31 (95% CI, 1.64-6.66) for one or more preoperative problematic areas and density count of 0 to 1, and 2.85 (95% CI, 0.97-8.39) for one or more preoperative problematic areas and density count of 2 or greater. Similar associations were observed with 60-month WOMAC function score. Conclusion In TKR recipients, the presence of problematic musculoskeletal areas beyond the index knee-preoperatively and/or postoperatively-was associated with worse 60-month WOMAC pain/function score.
Analysis of kinetic data: practical applications of computer simulation and fitting programs.

Publisher Summary The correct analysis of experimental data is central to understanding the underlying mechanism of any kinetic process. The advent of computer programs that can numerically solve differential equations easily and the development of computers that can run those programs rapidly have changed the perspective regarding the analysis of kinetic data. It is now possible to simulate rapidly the time course of kinetically complex systems and to obtain not only the time dependence of reactant disappearance or product appearance but also the concentration of any or all intermediates in the pathway. It is possible to optimize rate constants for steps in the process using best fit procedures. This chapter reviews various applications of one of the programs used in data analysis, the way in which the programs can be used, and the type of information that can be obtained. The chapter discusses the programs for a virtual address extension (VAX) system, in either its original (virtual memory system) or modified form using graphical Kernal system (GKS) graphics, or that have been adapted to run on a personal computer (PC), on a Macintosh, or in a Silicon Graphics environment.
Zebrafish as tools for drug discovery

The zebrafish has become a prominent vertebrate model for disease and has already contributed to several examples of successful phenotype-based drug discovery. For the zebrafish to become useful in drug development more broadly, key hurdles must be overcome, including a more comprehensive elucidation of the similarities and differences between human and zebrafish biology. Recent studies have begun to establish the capabilities and limitations of zebrafish for disease modelling, drug screening, target identification, pharmacology, and toxicology. As our understanding increases and as the technologies for manipulating zebrafish improve, it is hoped that the zebrafish will have a key role in accelerating the emergence of precision medicine.