cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control of canine ACTH by corticosteroids: interaction between dose and time

These experiments were designed to test for interactions between dose and time of administration of steroids in control of adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH). Five dogs were infused for 30 min with cortisol and corticosterone in a 2:1 ratio at a total rate of 1.5 or 3.0 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 beginning 120, 90, 60, 30, or 0 min before injection of insulin (0.5 U/kg). The infusions increased total plasma corticosteroids to approximately 50 or 80 ng/ml. Inhibition of basal ACTH occurred when infusion of steroid at either rate began greater than or equal to 60 min earlier. The degree of inhibition of stimulated ACTH was dependent on both steroid dose and timing of steroid infusion relative to the stimulus. Increasing corticosteroids to 50 ng/ml reduced the ACTH response to hypoglycemia if the infusion began 30 min, but not 60, 90, or 120 min earlier. Increasing corticosteroids to 80 ng/ml inhibited the response if the infusion began 120 or 60 min before injection of insulin. The data suggest that 1) inhibition of stimulated ACTH required less than or equal to 30 min to appear; 2) the duration of corticosteroid feedback is steroid-dose related; 3) basal ACTH secretion is more sensitive than stimulated ACTH to steroid inhibition; 4) small increments in plasma corticosteroids over short periods of time can inhibit canine ACTH.
Angiotensin II indirectly vasoconstricts the ovine uterine circulation

The uterine vasculature of women and sheep predominantly expresses type 2 ANG II receptors that do not mediate vasoconstriction. Although systemic ANG II infusions increase uterine vascular resista...
Neurologic Features of Wolfram Syndrome

Researchers at Nice, Marseille, and Montpellier-Nimes, France, studied the nature and frequency of neurologic manifestations in 59 patients with Wolfram syndrome with genotype-phenotype correlations.
Investigating the enforced disappearances of Algeria's ‘Dark Decade’: Omar D's and Kamel Khélif's commemorative art projects

ABSTRACTSome estimates indicate that as many as 7000 people have been reported missing in Algeria since 1992. While Islamists are responsible for some of these abductions, the majority can be attributed to the Algerian state. Human rights organisations have since called for the investigation of ‘enforced disappearances’ or the denial of individual freedoms in the form of state-sanctioned abductions, detentions, or executions. To put pressure on a government favourable to national reconciliation and the concealment of collective trauma, women continue to gather in front of the capital's administrative offices with photos of their missing so as to demand the identification of bodies and the restitution of memory. Yet, to state officials, the recurrence of this symbolic, pacifist act constitutes a threat to the Algerian republic, as it attempts to re-emerge unscathed from the ashes of a civil war without confronting its tumultuous past. Aware of the dangers inherent to such policies, Omar D (photographer) an...
A War for Oil in the Chaco, 1932–1935

AbstractBeginning in the late 1920s, Bolivia's growing need for petroleum to fuel its mining sector and urban centers led the country on a policy of expansion into the Chaco Boreal, a torrid expans...
Extending electro-optic detection to ultrashort electron beams

We propose a technique to extend noninvasive electro-optic detection of relativistic electron beams to bunch lengths of $\ensuremath{\simeq}10\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{fs}$. This is made possible by detecting the frequency mixing that occurs between the optical probe and the space charge fields of the beam, while simultaneously time resolving the resulting mixed frequency signal. The necessary formalism to describe this technique is developed and numerical solutions for various possible experimental conditions are made. These solutions are then compared to simulation results for consistency. Finally, the method to reconstruct the original bunch profile from the proposed diagnostic is discussed and an example showing a 15 fs test beam reconstructed to within an accuracy of 15% is given.
New Issues concerning the International TCSL

Based on previous work on theoretical and empirical studies of teaching Chinese as a second language in the past few years,this paper elaborates on some new issues in the field,including(1) how to identify the academic status of Chinese teachers in the field of world Chinese teaching,(2) the northern American tradition of Direct Method established by Professor Yuen Ren Chao,(3) the Neuroscience-based evidence for Yuenren-Tradition,and(4) the empirical result of an automatic feature checking algorithm for a quantitative analysis of formality in Chinese formal styles.Finally,it is argued that no matter how the L2 theories are formed,drilling always goes first.
Hepatic Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase enzyme activity correlates with polarized beta-subunit expression

We have examined underlying causes for observations made in hepatocytes in which catalytic subunits of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase are found both in bile canalicular (apical) and sinusoidal (basolateral) membrane domains, whereas functional activity is associated preferentially with sinusoidal membrane sites. In a series of parallel studies, we determined by both light and electron microscopy that Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase alpha-subunits were localized to both membrane domains of hepatocytes. With the use of purified liver plasma membrane subfractions, ouabain inhibition curves demonstrated similar inhibition constants (inhibition constant 10(-5) M), and immunoblots using alpha 1-, alpha 2-, and alpha 3-polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies demonstrated antigenic sites predominantly for alpha 1 in both membrane fractions. Also, Northern blot hybridization analysis revealed only the alpha 1-isoform in hepatocytes. In contrast to the bipolar distribution of the alpha 1-subunit, the beta-subunit was identified only at the sinusoidal surface using fluorescence labeling with a monoclonal antibody. The beta 1-isoform was demonstrated by Northern blot analysis and was present predominantly at the sinusoidal domain by immunoblotting with polyclonal antibodies. In addition to the bipolar distribution of alpha 1, immunoblotting of liver plasma membrane subfractions demonstrated a symmetrical distribution of fodrin, ankyrin, actin, and E-cadherin at both domains. These results suggest that functionally competent alpha/beta-complexes form at the sinusoidal domain, whereas only alpha 1-subunits are present at the apical pole.
Fas engagement increases expression of interleukin-6 in human glioma cells.

Although Fas (APO-1/CD95) is expressed ubiquitously and induces cell death, it is also known to mediate other responses such as inflammation and angiogenesis in vivo. Previously, we have reported that Fas ligation induces selective expression of chemokines (IL-8 and MCP-1) in human astroglioma cells in vitro. In this study, we investigated whether Fas ligation can induce expression of other cytokines. Expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IFN-β, IFN-γ, LT-β, TGF-β, TNF-α and TNF-β mRNA levels in CRT-MG human astroglioma cells upon Fas ligation was investigated using RNase protection assay (RPA). We found that IL-6 mRNA is selectively induced upon Fas ligation, and IL-6 mRNA and protein expression was further investigated using single probe RPA and ELISA. To investigate the in vivo expression of IL-6, human brain specimens were homogenized and ELISA was performed for IL-6 expression. Herein, we demonstrate that: (1) Among these cytokines, only IL-6 was induced upon Fas ligation in a dose- and time-dependent manner; (2) A selective p38 MAP kinase inhibitor, SB202190, and a MEK inhibitor, U0126, suppressed induction of IL-6 mRNA and protein expression by Fas ligation; and (3) Glioblastoma multiforme samples (n = 11) contain significantly higher levels of IL-6 compared to those of control brains (n = 5), which correlate with increased levels of Fas. These results suggest that the Fas–FasL system may play a role in the regulation of tumor growth and survival by inducing the pleiotropic cytokine IL-6.
Water and Society: Interdisciplinary Education in Natural Resources

Natural resource management and education must account for both the natural and human components of a complex system, yet examples of such interdisciplinary approaches are still relatively rare, especially in education. This study discusses a graduate seminar on water management, developed from an interdisciplinary National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. The seminar applied constructivist pedagogy which is not only best suited for interdisciplinary work, but also allows flexibility to redesign the course components and deliverables after each evaluation cycle. While the seminar was a successful experiment, several challenges remain when implementing such courses. These challenges include not only the organization and assessment of course deliverables, but also fitting such courses into the administrative structure of the university when represented disciplines are located in several colleges across campus.
Effects of oral sodium nitrate on forearm blood flow, oxygenation and exercise performance during acute exposure to hypobaric hypoxia (4300 m).

A reduction in oxygen transport contributes to impaired exercise capacity at high altitude. Since blood flow is mediated, in part, by nitric oxide (NO), we hypothesized that sodium nitrate provided before forearm grip exercise performed at a simulated altitude of 4300 m (hypobaric hypoxia (HH)) would increase forearm blood flow and oxygenation, and decrease the decrement in grip performance. In a double-blind, randomized crossover study, 10 healthy subjects (9 males and 1 female) performed continuous (CGrip) and repeated rhythmic (RGrip) isometric forearm exercise until task failure in normobaric normoxia (NN), 2.5 h following consumption of placebo and sodium nitrate (15 mmol) in HH, and then again post-HH at sea-level pressure. Measurements included forearm blood flow (FBF) and anterior forearm tissue oxygenation (StO2), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), arterial blood O2 saturation (SpO2), plasma NO reaction products (NOx) and nitrite, and exhaled NO (PENO). Compared to baseline testing in NN, performing CGrip and RGrip exercise in HH resulted in significant reductions in forearm blood flow, SaO2 and StO2, responses that were accompanied by significant performance decrements (∼10%) in both CGrip and RGrip exercise. In spite of a 10-fold increase in plasma NOx levels and a significant decrease in MAP during CGrip exercise following nitrate consumption, there were no significant main effects of treatment (placebo vs. sodium nitrate) for forearm blood flow, SpO2, StO2, or grip performance. PENO remained unchanged between NN, HH and post-HH conditions with placebo, but increased (∼24%) following nitrate supplementation in HH and post-HH. These data do not support a benefit in consuming a single dose of supplemental nitrate on forearm blood flow and isometric exercise in healthy adults at a simulated altitude of 4300 m.
DUOX expression in human keratinocytes and bronchial epithelial cells: Influence of vanadate

Dual oxygenases (DUOX) 1 and 2, expressed in many animal tissues, participate in host defense at mucosal surfaces and may have important signaling roles through generation of reactive oxygen. Present work addresses their expression in cultured human epidermal keratinocytes and effects of cytokines and metal/metalloid compounds. Both DUOX1 and 2 were expressed at much higher levels after confluence than in the preconfluent state. Maximal DUOX1 mRNA levels were 50 fold those of DUOX2. DUOX1 and 2 were induced ≈3 fold by interleukin 4, but only DUOX1 was induced by interferon gamma (IFNγ). In human bronchial HBE1 cells, by contrast, interleukin 4 induced only DUOX 1, and IFNγ induced only DUOX2. A survey in the keratinocytes of metal/metalloid compounds showed that arsenite, antimonite, chromate, cadmium, copper, lead and vanadate suppressed DUOX1 levels but did not prevent interleukin 4 stimulation. Effects on DUOX2 were less dramatic, except that vanadate potentiated the stimulation by IFNγ up to 7 fold. The results indicate that epithelial cell types of different tissue origins can differ in their cytokine regulation and that epidermal cells can exhibit striking alterations in response due to certain metal/metalloid exposures.
Rethinking wildfires and forest watersheds

In December 2017, wildfires burned large swaths of southern California, dramatically ending an already destructive wildfire season in the United States. The 2017 wildfire season burned more than 3.9 million hectares in the United States, the third-most area burned in 1 year since 1960 ([ 1 ][1]).
Theoretical and experimental investigation of the equation of state of boron plasmas

We report a theoretical equation of state (EOS) table for boron across a wide range of temperatures (5.1×10^{4}-5.2×10^{8} K) and densities (0.25-49 g/cm^{3}) and experimental shock Hugoniot data at unprecedented high pressures (5608±118 GPa). The calculations are performed with first-principles methods combining path-integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) at high temperatures and density-functional-theory molecular-dynamics (DFT-MD) methods at lower temperatures. PIMC and DFT-MD cross-validate each other by providing coherent EOS (difference <1.5 Hartree/boron in energy and <5% in pressure) at 5.1×10^{5} K. The Hugoniot measurement is conducted at the National Ignition Facility using a planar shock platform. The pressure-density relation found in our shock experiment is on top of the shock Hugoniot profile predicted with our first-principles EOS and a semiempirical EOS table (LEOS 50). We investigate the self-diffusivity and the effect of thermal and pressure-driven ionization on the EOS and shock compression behavior in high-pressure and -temperature conditions. We also study the sensitivity of a polar direct-drive exploding pusher platform to pressure variations based on applying pressure multipliers to LEOS 50 and by utilizing a new EOS model based on our ab initio simulations via one-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamic calculations. The results are valuable for future theoretical and experimental studies and engineering design in high-energy density research.
Side scan sonar based self-localization for small Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Abstract This paper presents the development and experimental validation of a side-scan sonar based self-localization algorithm for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). Different classes of visually salient features are continuously extracted from dual-frequency sonar imagery using machine perception and subsequently utilized to generate sparse bathymetric maps. The diversity within the feature set, i.e. features of different sizes and features extracted at different sonar operating frequencies, allows for robust multimodal feature matching. Highly robust navigation solutions are generated in real-time by matching newly acquired features to a previously generated reference map. For each feature class, feature matching is carried out in four dimensions correlating feature location as well as perceived intensity. Overall utility and technical claims have been validated using real-world sonar imagery collected using an Iver3 AUV platform.
THE CITRATE CLEAVAGE ENZYME. III. CITRYL COENZYME A AS A SUBSTRATE AND THE STEREOSPECIFICITY OF THE ENZYME.

0.15 pmole; malate dehydrogenase, 0.2 unit;2 citryl-CoA, ap- proximately 0.1 pmole; citrate cleavage enzyme; and water in a final volume of 1 ml. The production of oxaloacetate in the presence of malate dehydrogenase caused an oxidation of NADH and a decrease in absorption at 340 mp. Absorbance readings were taken every 4 minute, and the rate of NADH oxidation from 1 to 3 minutes was used to calculate the rate of the cleavage reaction. Total amounts of citryl-CoA were measured in a similar system except that only 0.01 to 0.03 pmole of citryl-CoA was added to an excess of citrate cleavage enzyme, and the total decrease in absorbance at 340 rnp was determined. Sulfhydryl was measured according to the method of Ellman (8). Acetyl-CoA was determined enzymatically with citrate- condensing enzyme (9). Hydroxamate was measured by the method of Lipmann and Tuttle (10). Oxaloacetate was deter- mined enzymatically by using malate dehydrogenase and NADH and by measuring the total decrease in absorbance at 340 mp. Citryl-CoA was prepared by adding small aliquots of a tetra- hydrofuran solution of 0.25
The translational basis of human cutaneous photoaging: on models, methods, and meaning

This Commentary reports on the effects of photoaging in an experimental model of ultraviolet radiation B on human skin.
Object-Scalable Content-Based 2-D Mesh Design for Object-Based Video Coding

It is generally accepted that the object-based coding (OBC) technology offers the potential to deliver object-scalable digital video at a quality higher than currently available through the ITU-T H.263 standard [1] at similar bitrates. An object is a significant feature of the scene, such as for example, the head of a participant in a video phone conversation. Recent advances in low bitrate, object-based video compression have been summarized in [2, 3] and the references therein. These techniques range from sophisticated 3-D object based algorithms, including those using customized wireframe models, to more simple and general 2-D object based methods.
An RNA-binding protein Blanks plays important roles in defining small RNA and mRNA profiles in Drosophila testes.

Abstract Drosophila Blanks is a testes-specific RNA-binding protein required for post-meiotic spermiogenesis. However, Blanks's role in regulating RNA populations in the testes remains unknown. We performed small RNA and mRNA high-throughput sequencing in blanks mutant testes and controls. We identified two miRNAs, one siRNA, and hundreds of mRNAs that are significantly upregulated or downregulated in blanks mutant testes. Pathway analysis revealed that differentially expressed mRNAs are involved in catabolic and metabolic processes, anion and cation transport, mating, and reproductive behavior. Our results reveal that Blanks plays important roles in defining testicular small RNA and mRNA profiles.
The cationic (calcium and lead) and enzyme conundrum

The environmental toxicant lead (Pb) and the essential element calcium (Ca) play an interactive role in extracellular and intracellular regulatory functions that affect health. Lead's usurping calcium binding sites, as well as its interactions with thiols and phosphates have been suggested to be the basis for adverse effects on many organ systems especially the nervous system. Among regulatory processes controlled by Ca are calmodulin-dependent phosphodiesterase, calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, calmodulin inhibitor sensitive potassium channels, and calmodulin-independent protein kinase C (PKC) activation. This review focused on Pb studies describing the modulation of PKC, which is also regulated by steroids. Steroid hormone regulation may relate to a focal point for the sex differences of Pb and cellular signaling events. Picomolar concentrations of Pb may stimulate partially purified PKC, but higher concentrations inhibit activity. Although knowledge exists regarding Pb and PKC isoforms, especially interaction of Pb with the purified enzyme, there are conflicting reports concerning metal-mediated activation or inhibition of PKC and downstream signaling events. The effect of Pb on PKC in vivo remains elusive. Most reports of Pb and PKC in whole animal and human studies indicated that Pb either inhibits PKC or exerts no significant effect. However, most of the animal studies were performed with males. Recent studies performed with females and males separately revealed that females and males respond to Pb quite differently, and for this reason, it is suggested that future Pb studies of PKC and other biomedical investigations be performed with females and males.
Volumetric spherical polynomials

Researchers have found functional-based methods to improve data storage, transfer, and interpretation. These functional expansions have been developed and utilized across a range of geometries, from cartesian to cylindrical to the surfaces of spheres. However, a volumetric spherical basis set had not yet been computationally implemented. This paper presents such a basis set and demonstrates its numerical features and benefits.
Effective Team Coordination Through Intra-Robot Replanning to Restore Team Plan Rationale *

We consider multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) engaged in oceanic missions that require collaboration. In this paper, we address the challenge of effective distributed multi-robot plan execution: when a failure occurs, an individual robot needs to decide how to proceed to maintain the success of the multi-robot plan. Failures occur when the modeled actions of the AUVs fail to result in their expected outcome, largely due in this domain to the poorly modeled dynamics of the ocean. Intra-robot replanning is advantageous because traditional purely centralized controlled methods use time-consuming and expensive satellite communication in order to repair all failures. Therefore, we present a rationale-driven team plan representation that explicitly includes the rationale of the individual robots’ planned actions. We then present our intra-robot rationale-driven algorithm that enables the selection and execution of replan policies for individual robots to overcome failure. This paper is focused on examples of concrete team missions and the collaboration of AUVs that clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach.
Experiment to study the effects of spacecraft accelerations on solutal and thermo-solutal convection

N. RamachandranUniversities Space Research Association, Huntsville, AlabamaABSTRACTAn experiment to study the effects of spacecraft accelerations (residual gravity andjitter) on solute diffusion and thermo-solutalconvection is presented. The experiment focuses on two phenomena of interest to ciystal growers and fluid dynamists, namely,the transport of concentration that approaches purely diffusion limited conditions in low gravity, and the effect ofa temperaturegradient on the developed solute profile. Ground experiments and modeling studies are discussed and a space experimentconcept that can be used to test the results is presented. Optical interferometry is used to delineate the subtle effects of onboardaccelerations on solute diffusion and a shadowgraph technique is utilized to discern fluid motion. The proposed experiment is afollow-up of the thermal diffusion demonstration experiment (Chuck) that flew as the science payload ofan active vibrationisolation system called STABLE on STS-73 in Oct. 1995.Keywords: Space Shuttle, glovebox, materials processing, fluids, vibration isolation, diffusion, double diffusion, buoyancy,diode laser, interferometry, shadowgraph, microgravity, g-jitter.
Subcutaneous bronchogenic cyst of the chest wall

Abstract Bronchogenic cysts are rare, congenital malformations of the foregut, most commonly located in the mediastinum. Subcutaneous bronchogenic cysts are exceedingly rare. We report an 11-month-old boy who presented with an asymptomatic chest wall mass. He underwent surgical excision and final histopathology was consistent with a bronchogenic cyst. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a chest wall subcutaneous bronchogenic cyst in a child.
Initiating a Research-Focused Academic Career in Chemical Engineering: Perspectives from Faculty at Different Career Stages

Each fall, eager young researchers participate in the Meet the Faculty Candidates poster session at the AIChE Annual Meeting, and many more apply to tenure‐track faculty openings at academic institutions across the United States and throughout the world. These individuals embark on this journey with the eventual goal of becoming full professors. The process of initiating an academic career and developing a successful independent research program is an arduous journey that involves multiple stages. These stages include being hired into a faculty position, building an independent research program that involves recruiting students and can include constructing a laboratory, identifying research areas and specific problems to investigate, and establishing oneself as a scientific leader of a particular subject matter area within a broader community. Faculty candidates commonly seek advice from mentors or peers who have recently navigated the faculty interview and hiring processes to successfully obtain an academic position. Additionally, they often review the wealth of resources that are available on the Internet and in print. However, it can be daunting to sieve through this collective knowledge base to identify relevant information, as it invariably contains conflicting viewpoints and advice that may be subjective, generic to any research‐focused faculty position, or highly field specific.
The Fundamental Approximation Theorem of Portfolio Analysis in terms of Means, Variances and Higher Moments1

Publisher Summary The chapter presents an alternative way to relate the expected utility and mean-variance approaches. It presents proofs of the two general theorems involved in an aspect of the mean-variance model—namely, the usefulness of mean and variance in situations involving less and less risk. It describes a defense of mean-variance analysis and highlights its exact limitations along with those for any r-moment model. The mean and variance of wealth are approximately sufficient parameters for the portfolio selection model when the probability distribution of wealth is compact. In the compact case, moments of order 3 and higher are small in magnitude relative to the first two moments of the portfolio return; hence, a limiting approximation indicates that only the first two moments are relevant for optimal portfolio selection.
Chapter 4 – Membrane Lipids: Fatty Acids

“Lipid” is derived from the Greek word lipos meaning “fat.” Therefore, lipids are by definition insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar organic solvents. Water insolubility is conferred via lipid molecular structure, having large regions of the surface composed of hydrocarbons with very few polar groups. A subset of lipids, those of interest in membrane studies, are structurally schizophrenic, containing segments that are polar and so prefer dissolution into water and more extensive regions that are totally nonpolar and avoid water at all cost. These lipids are referred to as “amphipathic,” or containing both hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties ( Fig. 3.7), and are the focus of this book.
A simple multiscale method for mean field games

Abstract This paper proposes a multiscale method for solving the numerical solution of mean field games which accelerates the convergence and addresses the problem of determining the initial guess. Starting from an approximate solution at the coarsest level, the method constructs approximations on successively finer grids via alternating sweeping, which not only allows for the use of classical time marching numerical schemes, but also enables applications to both local and nonlocal problems. At each level, numerical relaxation is used to stabilize the iterative process. A second-order discretization scheme is derived for higher order convergence. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method in both local and nonlocal, 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional cases.
Expanding the Use of Synchrotron Techniques for Water Treatment: From Minerals to Membranes

Synchrotron-based spectroscopy has provided critical data for the investigation of environmental processes for several decades, as highlighted in several reviews [1–6]. In the late 1980s and early ...
Unmasking Boko Haram: exploring global Jihad in Nigeria

Jacob Zenn’s Unmasking Boko Haram is an important contribution to the study of this significant West African insurgency that in the mid-2010s controlled an area about the size of Belgium. Zenn is a...
MM-234: Outcomes of VDPACE with an Immunomodulatory Agent (IMiD) as a Salvage Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM) with Extramedullary Disease (EMD)

Context: Despite novel agents and increased better outcomes over the last years, MM is still an incurable disease marked by a relapse-remission pattern. EMD is an aggressive presentation at diagnosis and relapse for with a reported incidence of EMD in the course of the disease ranging from 6%–20%. Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and tolerability of VDPACE + IMiD in patients with RRMM with EMD. Design: We performed a single-center retrospective analysis of RRMM patients with EMD treated with VDPACE with IMiD from January 2012 to May 2020. The diagnosis of EMD was based on the histology of tumor bulk or on imaging studies. Methods: Seventeen patients received VDPACE+IMiD as a salvage therapy. The regimen consists of bortezomib, doxorubicin, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, etoposide, and an IMiD (either thalidomide or lenalidomide) every 28 days. Descriptive analyses were performed on available data for patient characteristics, disease course, and outcomes. Responses were evaluated using the IMWG criteria. Results: Seventeen patients were reviewed in the analysis with a median age of 61 years (41–77). Fifty-nine percent had IgG isotype, 23% had ISS stage III, and 59% had high-risk cytogenetics. The median number of previous lines of therapy was 2 (1–8). Out of the 17 patients: 82% received high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant (HDCT/ASCT) prior to VDPACE+IMiD. In addition, 88%, 82%, and 76% were refractory to proteasome inhibitors (PI) and IMiDs and were double refractory to IMiDs and PI, respectively. The median number of VDPACE cycles received was 2 cycles. The median progression-free survival was 9.44 months (95%, CI=NA), median overall survival was 14.9 months. The overall response rate (ORR) was 71%; (9/12) patients who responded to treatment received HDCT/ASCT. The most common grade ≥3 adverse events observed were thrombocytopenia (94%), neutropenia (94%), and anemia (88%) and a noted incidence of febrile neutropenia of 35%. All adverse events were manageable. Conclusions: Our single institution experience demonstrates that patients with extramedullary RRMM can achieve a significant response using VDPACE+IMiD as salvage therapy. We believe that this treatment followed by high-dose chemotherapy with ASCT should be encouraged if the patient is eligible for transplant.
Population-Level Disparities in COVID-19: Measuring the Independent Association of the Proportion of Black Population on COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in US Counties.

CONTEXT: There is a need to understand population race and ethnicity disparities in the context of sociodemographic risk factors in the US experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: Determine the association between county-level proportion of non-Hispanic Black (NHB) on county COVID-19 case and death rates and observe how this association was influenced by county sociodemographic and health care infrastructure characteristics. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was an ecologic analysis of US counties as of September 20, 2020, that employed stepwise construction of linear and negative binomial regression models. The primary independent variable was the proportion of NHB population in the county. Covariates included county demographic composition, proportion uninsured, proportion living in crowded households, proportion living in poverty, population density, state testing rate, Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area status, and hospital beds per 1000 population. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes were exponentiated COVID-19 cases per 100 000 population and COVID-19 deaths per 100 000 population. We produced county-level maps of the measures of interest. RESULTS: In total, 3044 of 3142 US counties were included. Bivariate relationships between the proportion of NHB in a county and county COVID-19 case (Exp s = 1.026; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.024-1.028; P < .001) and death rates (rate ratio [RR] = 1.032; 95% CI, 1.029-1.035; P < .001) were not attenuated in fully adjusted models. The adjusted association between the proportion of NHB population in a county and county COVID-19 case was Exp s = 1.025 (95% CI, 1.023-1.027; P < .001) and the association with county death rates was RR = 1.034 (95% CI, 1.031-1.038; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of NHB people in a county was positively associated with county COVID-19 case and death rates and did not change in models that accounted for other socioecologic and health care infrastructure characteristics that have been hypothesized to account for the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority populations. Results can inform efforts to mitigate the impact of structural racism of COVID-19.
Clinical features, neurologic recovery, and risk factors of postoperative posterior fossa syndrome and delayed recovery: a prospective study

BACKGROUND Posterior fossa syndrome (PFS) is a known consequence of medulloblastoma resection. Our aim was to clinically define PFS, its evolution over time, and ascertain risk factors for its development and poor recovery. METHODS Children with medulloblastoma treated at St Jude Children's Research Hospital from 6/2013 to 7/2019 received standardized neurological examinations, before and periodically after radiation therapy. Most (98.3%) were enrolled on the ongoing multi-institutional protocol (SJMB12; NCT01878617). RESULTS Sixty (34%) of 178 evaluated children had PFS. Forty (23%) had complete mutism (PFS1) and 20 (11%) had diminished speech (PFS2). All children with PFS had severe ataxia and 42.5% of PFS1 had movement disorders. By multivariable analysis, younger age (P = .0005) and surgery in a low-volume surgery center (P = .0146) increased PFS risk, while Sonic Hedgehog tumors had reduced risk (P = .0025). Speech and gait returned in PFS1/PFS2 children at a median of 2.3/0.7 and 2.1/1.5 months, respectively, however, 12 (44.4%) of 27 PFS1 children with 12 months of follow-up were nonambulatory at 1 year. Movement disorder (P = .037) and high ataxia score (P < .0001) were associated with delayed speech recovery. Older age (P = .0147) and high ataxia score (P < .0001) were associated with delayed gait return. Symptoms improved in all children but no child with PFS had normal neurologic examination at a median of 23 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS Categorizing PFS into types 1 and 2 has prognostic relevance. Almost half of the children with PFS1 with 12-month follow-up were nonambulatory. Surgical experience was a major modifiable contributor to the development of PFS.
Effective Equations for Flows with Drifting and Oscillating Bubbles

In this paper, we study liquid flows with many small spherical air bubbles. Viscosity, heat transfer, surface tension, gas mass are neglected. The liquid phase is assumed to be potential flow. The bubbles have two basic motions: a radial oscillation due to the difference between the inside pressure and the ambient pressure and a drifting motion due to pressure gradient. The drifting motion gives rise to a relative velocity of the bubbles to the liquid.
Acceleration Characteristics at Metered On-Ramps

Vehicle acceleration capability is an important parameter for traffic operation analysis, traffic simulation, and transportation facilities design. Most of the existing studies on acceleration characteristics, however, do not fully represent the realistic traffic conditions or are based on outdated data; these deficiencies may result in errors in modeling vehicle acceleration capability. In this paper, actual acceleration characteristics at metered on-ramps were investigated according to field data collection and analysis. With the assumption that vehicles make uniformly accelerated motion in each short space or time interval, the entire acceleration length was partitioned into several short segments. Then, video cameras, magnetic counters, or both were used to document the spot speed at predetermined locations; accordingly, distance–acceleration profiles of various ramp configurations were determined. Results showed that the acceleration rate at metered on-ramps was not constant; vehicles usually acceler...
Misclassification: Workers in the Borderland

Today, nearly one-third of Americans in the labor force are in non-standard employment. The rise of non-standard employment, beginning in the mid-1970s, has occurred at the same time as the precarity of work has increased, and the number of bad jobs has grown as well. Independent contracting is one of the most common types of nonstandard employment. Genuine independent contractors make up a small proportion of the American workforce. Misclassifying employees as independent contractors is increasingly common; one-third of firms pay their misclassified independent contractors with for-service contracts or pay them off the books. Misclassification is common in nearly every low-wage sector. In construction, nearly 40% of workers are misclassified. Port trucking and warehousing, key sectors in the logistics industry, are other industries where misclassification has become ubiquitous. Local, state and federal agencies have been trying to identify and prosecute misclassification for the past fifteen years, but the laws defining independent contracting vary significantly, and court rulings have been inconsistent. The result is that millions of Americans work in a grey zone where their rights are unenforceable, their pay is low, their benefits nonexistent, and their career prospects dim. Independent contracting has been increasing in other regions of the world, with misclassification prevalent as well, although efforts to regulate employment standards vary from country to country.
Stability analysis of high-order modulators for delta-sigma ADCs

A model for /spl Delta/-/spl Sigma/ modulators that allows stability analysis using linear methods is presented. The analysis of a third-order modulator indicates that stability is a function of input amplitude, transients, and initial conditions. The delay introduced by integrator saturation is found to have a destabilizing effect, leading to invalid limit cycle behavior in high-order modulators. Assurance of stable modulator operation requires both proper choice of system parameters and limiting the delay caused by integrator saturation. >
A deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein induced by bacteriophage T7. Purification and properties of the protein.

Abstract A protein which binds strongly and preferentially to single-stranded DNA has been purified by DNA-cellulose chromatography from Escherichia coli infected with bacteriophage T7. The protein, synthesized between 5 and 18 min following infection, comprises more than 0.1% of soluble protein in T7-infected cells. In vitro studies show that this protein can specifically stimulate the rate of polymerization catalyzed by the T7-induced DNA polymerase. At low temperatures, where the T7-induced DNA polymerase utilizes single-stranded DNA poorly as template primer, the binding protein stimulates the rate of synthesis 10- to 15-fold. The stimulatory effect is also observed employing single-stranded DNA at 37°; however, the stimulation is not as great (2- to 3-fold) at the higher temperature. Similarly, when a double-stranded DNA containing internal single-stranded regions is used as template, stimulation is observed, but is not as pronounced (approximately 5-fold). T7 DNA polymerase activity can be stimulated 20- to 50-fold by salt when a "gapped" DNA is used as template but only 1.5-fold when a single-stranded DNA is used as template. On the latter template, stimulation by binding protein is relatively constant over a range of salt concentrations, whereas on the former template, stimulation occurs only at salt concentrations less than optimal for polymerase activity. The stimulatory reaction is relatively insensitive to pH. The protein has a molecular weight of 31,000 and forms aggregates at high protein concentrations in the presence of magnesium ions. It is capable of binding to single-stranded DNA in quantities which exceed the weight of the DNA by a factor of 20. The protein does not bind to native DNA. The T7 DNA-binding protein dissociates from single-stranded T7 DNA with a rate constant of about 1 x 10-4 s-1 and a half-life of dissociation between 97 and 120 min under the conditions studied.
Moving beyond static species distribution models in support of conservation biogeography

Aim To demonstrate that multi-modelling methods have effectively been used to combine static species distribution models (SDM), predicting the geographical pattern of suitable habitat, with dynamic landscape and population models to forecast the impacts of environmental change on species’ status, an important goal of conservation biogeography. Methods Three approaches were considered: (1) incorporating models of species migration to understand the ability of a species to occupy suitable habitat in new locations; (2) linking models of landscape disturbance and succession to models of habitat suitability; and (3) fully linking models of habitat suitability, habitat dynamics and spatially explicit population dynamics. Results Linking species–environment relationships, landscape dynamics and population dynamics in a multi-modelling framework allows the combined impacts of climate change (affecting species distribution and vital rates) and land cover dynamics (land use change, altered disturbance regimes) on species to be predicted. This approach is only feasible if the life history parameters and habitat requirements of the species are well understood. Main conclusions Forecasts of the impacts of global change on species may be improved by considering multiple causes. A range of methods are available to address the interactions of changing habitat suitability, habitat dynamics and population response that vary in their complexity, realism and data requirements.
Local optimality theory in VLSI channel routing: composite cyclic vertical constraints

Local Optimality paradigm is applicable to all combinatorial optimization problems. Its direct field of application are the constructive solution algorithm; its main advantage is the low computational cost for multiple high quality initial solutions for iterative improvement algorithms. The application of the paradigm to the VLSI channel routing has necessitated the creation of new knowledge represented by the theory of locally optimal breaking (LOB) of directed circuits (DC) in the vertical constraint graph. Existing theory has supported deterministic polynomial time algorithms for LOB of two classes of directed circuits, the classes of vertex disjoint DCs, and of couples of connected DCs. The new LOB theory supports algorithms for more complex classes of any number of DCs sharing a single vertex and of a uniform lattices of DCs. It is significant that the new theory relies on the theory for couples of connected DCs for breaking more complex structures of connected DCs.
Identifying Characteristics of Dissemination Success Using an Expert Panel

Although considerable work has been done to develop new educational innovations, few have found widespread acceptance in the classroom. To improve the likelihood of adoption of educational innovations, researchers need to understand why some innovations are adopted and routinely used, while others are not. An initial aspect of the diffusion of innovations, as defined in the classical sociological literature, involves the communication of ideas and concepts related to innovations between individuals. This article presents an expert panel's answer to the following question: “What are the most important characteristics that relate to the dissemination of educational innovations?” As dissemination is a critical facet of the diffusion of an innovation, 45 researchers who received technology and engineering grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) participated in a Delphi study designed to address this research question. In three rounds, the experts identified and ranked 11 characteristics of educational innovations, 6 characteristics of students, 13 characteristics of faculty members, and 5 characteristics of administrators that can relate to the successful dissemination of educational innovations. The results of this study led to the formation of a Characteristics of Dissemination Success (CODS) framework. This framework offers useful guidance for educational innovators seeking a better understanding of the influences on the dissemination of educational innovations.
Theodore Abū Qurra and the Instability of “Heresy”

Theodore Abū Qurra, a Chalcedonian bishop in late eighth- and early ninth-century Harran, attempts to defend Christianity rationally against the new intellectual power of Islam. However, in his classification of the world’s religions, he places non-Chalcedonian Christians in a strange category called “heresy.” They are both within Christianity and without, sitting precariously on the border between Theodore’s Christianity, the “one true religion,” and its false counterparts. Nevertheless, Theodore reserves some of his harshest rhetoric for these heretics, viewing them as a sickness infecting the Church; he even implies that it is acceptable for the emperor to persecute them, though he elsewhere writes that Christianity is never spread by power or force. This paper addresses this odd term, “heresy,” and its ability to destabilize Theodore’s neat classification of religions. Perhaps this destabilization itself leads to his harsh attacks, as he seeks for stability in a world newly destabilized by the advent of Islam.
Mental calculation in an autistic savant: A case study

We present a detailed investigation of mental calculation in RH, an autistic savant. In Experiment 1 RH performed faster and more accurately than control subjects in mentally solving multi-digit multiplication problems. However, we found no evidence that RH employed short-cut strategies to solve these problems. His response times were consistent with application of a left-to-right computational procedure employed by expert calculators. He also responded extremely quickly to 2-digit squares, suggesting that he may have memorized the answers. In Experiment 2 we taught RH a new computational algorithm for converting temperatures from Celsius to Fahrenheit. RH was able to learn the new algorithm, but required much assistance and made only slight gains with practice. RH did not recognize an easy solution strategy based on inverting steps in the conversion algorithm. We suggest that the inflexible nature of RH's performance may reflect his autistic tendencies coupled with limited intelligence.
An Empirical Correlation between Secondary Structure Content and Averaged Chemical Shifts in Proteins

It is shown that the averaged chemical shift (ACS) of a particular nucleus in the protein backbone empirically correlates well to its secondary structure content (SSC). Chemical shift values of more than 200 proteins obtained from the Biological Magnetic Resonance Bank are used to calculate ACS values, and the SSC is estimated from the corresponding three-dimensional coordinates obtained from the Protein Data Bank. ACS values of 1Hα show the highest correlation to helical and sheet structure content (correlation coefficient of 0.80 and 0.75, respectively); 1HN exhibits less reliability (0.65 for both sheet and helix), whereas such correlations are poor for the heteronuclei. SSC estimated using this correlation shows a good agreement with the conventional chemical shift index-based approach for a set of proteins that only have chemical shift information but no NMR or x-ray determined three-dimensional structure. These results suggest that even chemical shifts averaged over the entire protein retain significant information about the secondary structure. Thus, the correlation between ACS and SSC can be used to estimate secondary structure content and to monitor large-scale secondary structural changes in protein, as in folding studies.