cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The strange story of aspirin and the prevention of stroke.

As Vane et a1. (1) reported, the strange story of as­ pirin begins about 3,500 years ago when a decoc­ tion (an extract produced by boiling a substance in water) of dried leaves of myrtle relievedvarious rheu­ matic pains when applied to the back. Extracts of willow leaves were used shortly after the birth of Christ to relieve redness, heat, pain, and swelling. These remedies contain salicylates. Vane et a1. went on to described the first "clinical trial" of willow bark, which was conducted by a coun­ try parson, the Reverend Edward Stone in 1763 (2). Stone apparently had accidentally tasted willow bark and was surprised by its similarity to the taste of cinchona bark, which was found to contain quinine and be valuable in treating the fever of malaria. Stone believed in the "doctrine of signatures," which sug­ gested that cures for diseases would be found in the same physical locations in which the diseases oc­ curred. He therefore gathered willow bark from a moist area, dried it out, and pulverized it (2). He then reported success in treating fever in approximately 50 patients-he tried it out on himself first! Schadewaldt (3) notes that a Strasbourg physician and chemist, Charles Frederic Gerhardt, had pro­ duced an impure acetyl salicylic product in 185~, but it was Felix Hoffman in 1897 who reported on acetyl salicylic acid to indicate that the substance he pro­ duced was pure. This, then, is what we call aspirin. Vane eta1. (1) went on to describe that Hoffman was particularly interested in putting together a form of salicylate that would produce less gastric irritation because Hoffman's father, who had been taking sali­ cylic acid for many years to treat his arthritis, could no longer take the drug without gastric upset. Hoff­ man studied the research done by Gerhardt and, as
Nonlinear dynamics of single-mode oscillations in photorefractive ring resonators

We examine the nonlinear dynamics of the optical field that arises from two-wave mixing in a single-mode photorefractive unidirectional ring resonator. We describe the interaction between the photorefractive material and the optical field with a complex intensity-dependent time constant and a complex coupling constant. Assuming an undepleted uniform pump and in the mean field limit, the dynamic equations for the refractive-index grating and the electric-field amplitudes are shown to reduce to a complex Van der Pol equation. An analysis of the limit-cycle solutions to this equation yields new analytical expressions for the asymptotic mode intensity, the asymptotic mode frequency, and the oscillation condition and produces a stability condition for the limit cycle. In the real time constant and real coupling constant case, our results reduce to those of previous investigations that have considered an intensity-independent time constant.
Design and field experimentation of an energy-efficient architecture for DTN throwboxes

Disruption-tolerant networks (DTNs) rely on intermittent contacts between mobile nodes to deliver packets using a store-carry-and-forward paradigm. We earlier proposed the use of throwbox nodes, which are stationary, battery-powered nodes with storage and processing, to enhance the capacity of DTNs. However, the use of throwboxes without efficient power management is minimally effective. If the nodes are too liberal with their energy consumption, they will fail prematurely. However, if they are too conservative, they may miss important transfer opportunities, hence increasing lifetime without improving performance. In this paper, we present a hardware and software architecture for energy-efficient throwboxes in DTNs. We propose a hardware platform that uses a multitiered, multiradio, scalable, solar-powered platform. The throwbox employs an approximate heuristic for solving the NP-hard problem of meeting an average power constraint while maximizing the number of bytes forwarded by the throwbox. We built and deployed prototype throwboxes in UMass DieselNet, a bus-based DTN testbed. Through extensive trace-driven simulations and prototype deployment, we show that a single throwbox with a 270-cm2 solar panel can run perpetually while improving packet delivery by 37% and reducing message delivery latency by at least 10% in the network.
A color atlas of pigment genes in the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Abstract Four genes are known to affect pigmentation in the Mexican axolotl. The purpose of this article is to review previous information pertinent to these genes and to reevaluate such information in light of new evidence that demonstrates (in a preliminary way) how pigments, and subsequently phenotypes, are affected by the various pigment genes. Each of the mutant phenotypes – m(melanoid), ax (axanthic), a (albino), and d (white) - is compared to the wild type (D). All of these genes are recessives, all of them affect phenotypic changes during development, and three of the four (m, a, and d) also affect specific biochemical (i.e., pigment) changes during development. In the axolotl, color patterns can be directly correlated to the presence(or absence) of a variety of pigments that are normally found in discrete pigment cells. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the bright-colored pigments (pteridines and flavins in this case) present in axolotl skin demonstrate that these pigments vary significantly among the various phenotypes under consideration. These analyses raise some interesting questions with regard to how each of the pigment genes is believed to act, and numerous possibilities for continued experimentation are suggested.
Extracellular Matrix-derived Ligand for Selective Integrin Binding to Control Cell Function

Integrins are key cell surface receptors that function as the primary bridge between the intracellular and extracellular matrix environments and play a critical role in modulating adhesive cell–material interactions. Over the past decade, several biomimetic material surface modification strategies to actively engage integrins have been employed, including the use of robust integrin-binding sequences (i.e., RGD) and native matrix proteins, with varying levels of success in vivo. This chapter details these aforementioned ligand strategies as well as more recent, next-generation biomaterial surface strategies geared toward specifically engineering integrin selectivity. Building on our expanding knowledge of the functional roles of particular integrin subunit combinations, including α5β1, α4β1, α2β1, and αvβ3, in multiple cell and tissue types, these integrin-specific biointerfaces incorporate unique protein fragments, engineered oligopeptides, multivalent ligands, and exclusive integrin-binding sequences to direct selective integrin binding and activation. This chapter highlights these major integrin-specific ligands and details the varying successes that these designs have achieved as implant biomaterial coatings, therapeutics, in vitro adhesive substrates, and templates for matrix assembly. Collectively, these biomolecular strategies have contributed to the rational engineering of bioactive materials to achieve desired tissue responses.
Bilateral Rib-Based Distraction to the Pelvis for the Management of Congenital Gibbus Deformity in the Growing Child With Myelodysplasia.

Abstract Background Congenital gibbus deformity of the spine associated with myelodysplasia is a challenging problem in the growing child and is commonly associated with skin breakdown and chronic infection. Surgical solutions including kyphectomy, flap closure of the skin, and early spinal fusion are associated with a high rate of complications and, ultimately, a short trunk due to stoppage of spinal growth. The purpose of this article is to describe our early results in using a rib-based distraction to the pelvis without vertebral resection and fusion to manage this deformity. Methods This is an IRB-approved retrospective study of a consecutive single-surgeon series of using the rib-to-pelvis distraction technique in congenital gibbus deformity. There were four patients (two males, two females) with an average age of 20 months (16–25 months). The diagnosis was myelomeningocele (n = 2), congenital kyphosis (n = 1), and congenital kyphoscoliosis (n = 1). All patients were managed with bilateral rib-to-pelvis distraction using the Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib (VEPTR) device. Results The average preoperative gibbus deformity measured 114 degrees (range = 108–154). The average postoperative gibbus measured 52 degrees (range = 36–80). The average length of postoperative follow-up is 66 months (range = 48–84 months). There were 10 complications; a dural leak during device expansion, rib hook migrations and postoperative infections after initial implant that resolved with irrigation, debridement, and intravenous antibiotics. One patient had skin expanders placed preoperatively to facilitate skin coverage. No patient has required vertebral resection to achieve correction of the deformity. No patient has had subsequent skin breakdown over the residual gibbus. Discussion This minimally invasive technique effectively corrects gibbus deformity in the growing child without early vertebral column resection and fusion. Our practice is to intervene early while the gibbus is flexible and prior to skin breakdown over the deformity. These early results are encouraging, but further long-term follow-up is needed to confirm the benefits of this technique over traditional methods. Level of Evidence IV.
Is β-Phenylnitroethane the Active Principle of Dennettia Oil?

β-Phenylnitroethane (1-nitro-2-phenylethane) was synthesized from l-bromo-2-phenylethane and sodium nitrite and evaluated for its toxicity against four species of insects. Acetone deposits containing up to 32 µg/cm2 of 1-nitro-2-phenylethane produced no mortality within 96 h in adult Blattella germanica (L.) males and nymphal Periplaneta americana (L.). No toxicity was observed up to 7 days after topical application of the nitro compound at a dosage of 40 µg/g insect to the pennultimate sternite of B. germanica . Nymphs of Incisitermes minor (Hagen), exposed to 0.5 mg/cm2 deposits of the compound in a closed system, were killed within 48 h; however, in an open system, the termite mortality was ca. 40% after 1 day with no additional mortality for 4 weeks. When the nitro compound was evaluated against 2nd- and 4th-instar Culex quinquefasciatus Say, no substantial mortality was observed at the 1 and 10 ppm concentrations. The treatment of adult C. quinquefasciatus with the nitro compound produced 0, 5, 2, and 12% mortalities at 1.6, 7.8, 16.0, and 78 µg/cm2 surface area, respectively.
Thoracic Anatomy Tutorial Using an Imaging Platform

Abstract Introduction This tutorial was developed in response to the current trend in undergraduate medical education to focus on self-directed learning. To this end, the authors developed this tut...
The Evolution of the Federal Reserve's Term Auction Facility and Community Bank Utilization

The Term Auction Facility (TAF) was designed by the Federal Reserve to inject emergency short-term funds into all depository institutions, both large and small, as a supplement to the lender of last resort discount window offerings. We examine the evolution of the Federal Reserve’s design of the Term Auction Facility (TAF), document and describe both community and non-community FDIC insured banks usage of the facility. The facility seemed to be designed initially to help non-community banks more than community banks. Our research suggests that certain aspects of the structure of the TAF were changed fundamentally by the Federal Reserve, most especially when it greatly increased its offering amount. The change in offering amount meant that the facility became a cheaper source of funds than the discount window. However, we find that community banks were far less likely to use the facility than larger, non-community banks for funding during the financial crisis, most especially in the early stages of the financial crisis. Those community banks that used the facility in latter stages seemed to do so to mitigate concerns stemming from commercial real estate exposure or we attracted by it being a cheap source of funds.
Induction of myofibrillogenesis in cardiac lethal mutant axolotl hearts rescued by RNA derived from normal endoderm.

A strain of axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, that carries the cardiac lethal or c gene presents an excellent model system in which to study inductive interactions during heart development. Embryos homozygous for gene c contain hearts that fail to beat and do not form sarcomeric myofibrils even though muscle proteins are present. Although they can survive for approximately three weeks, mutant embryos inevitably die due to lack of circulation. Embryonic axolotl hearts can be maintained easily in organ culture using only Holtfreter's solution as a culture medium. Mutant hearts can be induced to differentiate in vitro into functional cardiac muscle containing sarcomeric myofibrils by coculturing the mutant heart tube with anterior endoderm from a normal embryo. The induction of muscle differentiation can also be mediated through organ culture of mutant heart tubes in medium ‘conditioned’ by normal anterior endoderm. Ribonuclease was shown to abolish the ability of endoderm-conditioned medium to induce cardiac muscle differentiation. The addition of RNA extracted from normal early embryonic anterior endoderm to organ cultures of mutant hearts stimulated the differentiation of these tissues into contractile cardiac muscle containing well-organized sarcomeric myofibrils, while RNA extracted from early embryonic liver or neural tube did not induce either muscular contraction or myofibrillogenesis. Thus, RNA from anterior endoderm of normal embryos induces myofibrillogenesis and the development of contractile activity in mutant hearts, thereby correcting the genetic defect.
Subcellular localization mediated functioning of metallothionein: Protection against oxygen radicals and anticancer agents

Our laboratories have demonstrated subcellular location-specific functionality of metallothionein, specifically showing cytoprotection from three mechanistically diverse toxins. In the case of tBH, the increased survival of the cytoplasmic MT cells may relate to their heightened ability to reduce oxygen radical formation or facilitate radical removal. Our observation that MT overexpression in SPAEC and NIH3T3 cells reduces AMVNinduced phospholipid oxidation is consistent with this hypothesis. Collectively, these studies suggest MT directly scavenges oxygen radicals or endows local target proteins with antioxidant activity.
Complex Survey Data Analysis with Sas

Complex Survey Data Analysis with SAS® is an invaluable resource for applied researchers analyzing data generated from a sample design involving any combination of stratification, clustering, unequal weights, or finite population correction factors. After clearly explaining how the presence of these features can invalidate the assumptions underlying most traditional statistical techniques, this book equips readers with the knowledge to confidently account for them during the estimation and inference process by employing the SURVEY family of SAS/STAT® procedures. The book offers comprehensive coverage of the most essential topics, including: Drawing random samples Descriptive statistics for continuous and categorical variables Fitting and interpreting linear and logistic regression models Survival analysis Domain estimation Replication variance estimation methods Weight adjustment and imputation methods for handling missing data The easy-to-follow examples are drawn from real-world survey data sets spanning multiple disciplines, all of which can be downloaded for free along with syntax files from the author’s website: http://mason.gmu.edu/~tlewis18/. While other books may touch on some of the same issues and nuances of complex survey data analysis, none features SAS exclusively and as exhaustively. Another unique aspect of this book is its abundance of handy workarounds for certain techniques not yet supported as of SAS Version 9.4, such as the ratio estimator for a total and the bootstrap for variance estimation. Taylor H. Lewis is a PhD graduate of the Joint Program in Survey Methodology at the University of Maryland, College Park, and an adjunct professor in the George Mason University Department of Statistics. An avid SAS user for 15 years, he is a SAS Certified Advanced programmer and a nationally recognized SAS educator who has produced dozens of papers and workshops illustrating how to efficiently and effectively conduct statistical analyses using SAS.
Learning and remembering real-world events after medial temporal lobe damage

The hippocampus is important for autobiographical memory, but its role is unclear. In the study, patients with hippocampal damage and controls were taken on a 25-min walk on the University of California, San Diego, campus during which 11 planned events occurred. Memory was tested directly after the walk. In addition, a second group of controls took the same walk and were tested after 1 mo. Patients with hippocampal damage remembered fewer details than controls tested directly after the walk but remembered a similar number of details as controls tested after 1 mo. Notably, the details that were reported by patients had the characteristics of episodic recollection and included references to particular places and events. Patients exhibited no special difficulty remembering spatial details in comparison with nonspatial details. Last, whereas both control groups tended to recall the events of the walk in chronological order, the order in which patients recalled the events was unrelated to the order in which they occurred. The findings illuminate the role of the hippocampus in autobiographical memory and in the spatial and nonspatial aspects of episodic recollection.
Energy Correlations in Electron-Positron Annihilation: Testing Quantum Chromodynamics

An experimental measure is presented for a precise test of quantum chromodynamics. This measure involves the asymmetry in the energy-weighted opening angles of the jets of hadrons produced in the process ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{hadrons}$ at energy $W$. It is special for several reasons: It is reliably calculable in asymptotically free perturbation theory; it has rapidly vanishing (order $\frac{1}{{W}^{2}}$) corrections due to nonperturbative confinement effects; and it is straightforward to determine experimentally.
Performance Analysis of a Multi-tenant In-Memory Data Grid

Distributed key-value stores have become indispensable for large scale low latency applications. Many cloud services have deployed in-memory data grids for their enterprise infrastructures and support multi-tenancy services. But it is still difficult to provide consistent performance to all tenants for fluctuating workloads that need to scale out. Many popular key-value stores suffer from performance problems at scale and different tenant requirements. To this front, we present our study with Hazelcast, a popular open source data grid, and provide insights to contention and performance bottlenecks. Through experimental analysis, this paper uncovers scenarios of performance degradation followed by optimized performance via end-point multiplexing. Our study suggests that processing increasing number of client requests spawning fewer number of threads help improve performance.
The neuroinflammatory microenvironment: Implications for IL-6 and other cytokinerelated therapies

N defined as the induction of immune-related processes within the central nervous system (CNS), is recognized as a component of many neurodegenerative disorders, including those of the retina. Generally considered a negative factor in disease progression, neuroinflammation is characterized by a variety of cellular events, including production of inflammatory cytokines and changes in the reactivity state of glial cells. Despite much evidence that neuroinflammatory processes can be detrimental to neuronal survival, we observed that interleukin-6 (IL-6) produced by retinal microglia promotes RGC survival in the presence of elevated pressure, suggesting that microglial reactivity may both promote and inhibit degeneration of RGCs. We recently described that expression and localization of IL-6 and the IL-6-binding subunit of its receptor IL-6Rα are spatially regulated in response to both aging and elevated IOP stressors. In conditions of normal aging (C57 mice), a genetic predisposition to neurodegenerative disease (young DBA/2 mice) and the existence of active neurodegeneration (aged DBA/2 mice), expression of IL-6 and IL-6Ra is not homogeneous across the ganglion cell and nerve fiber layers of the retina, but instead, varies dramatically within discreet spatial parameters. The extent and magnitude of these variations differs dramatically between stressors, suggesting that the formation of these microenvironments of IL-6 signaling are relevant to both aging and neurodegenerative processes in retina. Recent evidence from our laboratory suggests that these spatial variations in IL-6 signaling are part of a larger scheme of neuroinflammatory microenvironments, which are highly regulated and defined by cytokine signaling, glial cell reactivity and neuronal function.
Emerging political identities? Gun ownership and voting in presidential elections

Objectives The attitudes of gun owners and nongun owners appear more polarized in the last two decades. We posit that divisions between gun owners and nongun owners reflect emerging political identities, especially among gun owners. Methods Using data from the General Social Survey (1972–2012) we examine if and when this gun ownership divergence began to shape the political behavior of the two groups by analyzing voting patterns in presidential elections. Results We first observe that relative to conventional predictors of vote choice, gun ownership is important, reliable, and robust across election cycles. Since the 1970s, possessing a firearm increases the likelihood of voting for Republican candidates. Second, we find that the impact of gun ownership on the likelihood of voting for a Republican candidate increased across elections, reaching a level in 2012 nearly 50 percent higher than in 1972. The voting choices of gun owners and nonowners are therefore distinct and increasingly so over the past several decades. Conclusions Given the significant proportion of the electorate who owns guns, the prominence of guns in social and political culture, and the weight of gun lobbies in political affairs, the growing divide between gun owners and nonowners will likely continue and significantly impact electoral politics. Gun owners are developing a powerful political identity that rivals other groups' characteristics in its ability to predict voting behavior.
Modelling nutritional mutualisms: challenges and opportunities for data integration

Nutritional mutualisms are ancient, widespread, and profoundly influential in biological communities and ecosystems. Although much is known about these interactions, comprehensive answers to fundamental questions, such as how resource availability and structured interactions influence mutualism persistence, are still lacking. Mathematical modelling of nutritional mutualisms has great potential to facilitate the search for comprehensive answers to these and other fundamental questions by connecting the physiological and genomic underpinnings of mutualisms with ecological and evolutionary processes. In particular, when integrated with empirical data, models enable understanding of underlying mechanisms and generalisation of principles beyond the particulars of a given system. Here, we demonstrate how mathematical models can be integrated with data to address questions of mutualism persistence at four biological scales: cell, individual, population, and community. We highlight select studies where data has been or could be integrated with models to either inform model structure or test model predictions. We also point out opportunities to increase model rigour through tighter integration with data, and describe areas in which data is urgently needed. We focus on plant-microbe systems, for which a wealth of empirical data is available, but the principles and approaches can be generally applied to any nutritional mutualism.
Numerical analysis of downhole heat exchanger designed for geothermal energy production

A traditional way of geothermal energy production implies hot brine extraction from the reservoir to a surface facility. This method is economically profitable only for high enthalpy reservoirs associated with shallow depths and high temperatures. The low enthalpy geothermal (LEG) projects are out of consideration due to the high cost of produced electric power related to expensive drilling, cost of the binary cycle system, and long term installation cost. This paper presents a new zero mass extraction method utilizing downhole heat exchanger (DHE) with no geo-fluid production to the surface. The well design stays as a single horizontal well with coupled production and injection sections. The brine pump is located between the sections providing hot brine circulation through the DHE. The coupled fluid flow and heat transfer mathematical model was developed and simulated using nodal analysis method. The LEG reservoir prototype located in South Louisiana was used to study several cases of the DHE lengths, inclination angles, reservoir permeabilities, and flow rates optimization. According to the analysis, the power unit is able to provide 160 kW of net electric power with CO2 working fluid circulating inside a single lateral well. Increasing the reservoir temperature and the number of laterals, the available power production rises up to 600 kW with an attractive electricity cost of $21.84/MWh at 7000 m well depth. This methods opens a new prospective for the depleted petroleum wells converting them to the electricity production units.
Chapter 18 - Diadema

Diadema is a common and abundant sea urchin in the tropics with localized large influences on the grazing and benthic communities. There are six species, of which four are closely related morphologically and genetically; but only two species, D. setosum and D. savignyi, have frequently overlapping distributions. Diadema has long spines that allow it to graze in more open areas than most tropical sea urchins. Diadema has variable reproduction patterns with considerable differences in local environments in terms of their lunar patterns and in their reproduction in the presence of conspecifics. Recruitment patterns are also quite variable and only seldom associated with adult densities. Complex interactions between Diadema, its predators and competitors, as mediated by human fishing, are frequently a critical influence on the ecology of shallow coral reef and rocky habitats.
Computer literacy: a student-oriented perspective

Recent advances in Internet technology such as broadband access in the home have prompted a reconsideration of what a computer literacy course ought to be. We conducted a course where, similar to a university committee, students considered the question. Student committees reviewed relevant literature and standards, constructed syllabi, and designed and administered assignments. We present results and observations from the course. In addition to recommendations students consider valuable, we provide insights into how a course might be designed to evolve.
Effects of Mechanical Forces on Cells and Tissues (The Liquid–Cell Interface)

This chapter covers the effects of mechanical forces on cells within tissues, on the surfaces of biomaterials or within polymer scaffolds, focusing primarily on the effects of fluid forces. Physiological and pathological flow-induced shear stress and fluid-induced strains that cells experience with emphasis on the effects of these forces on cell function will be discussed.
Examining the role of sense of community: Linking local government public relationships and community-building

Abstract This study examines the relationship between factors central to community building, including local government-public relationships, sense of community, positive Word-of-Mouth (WOM) toward community, and community participation. A national survey of U.S. respondents (n = 447) was conducted through MTurk. The results indicate that the effects of local government-public relationships on positive WOM and community participation are mediated by individuals’ sense of community. This study advances the relationship-management scholarship by demonstrating that managing government-public relationships is ineffective in community-building when a sense of community is absent. In addition, the results of this study may benefit government public relations practitioners who are interested in public engagement.
Quantifying the influence of failure surface asperities on the basal shear resistance of translational landslides

For active landslides, drained shear strength is often determined from either a forensic slope stability analysis or laboratory residual shear testing. Both analyses often yield different shear strength values, often attributed to the complex, micro-scale behavior of the sheared material. However, subsurface asperities, such as cobbles, boulders, discontinuities, steps, and other geologic anomalies, may also influence the effective resistance realized along a highly sheared slip surface, thus influencing slope stability, and consequently landslide forensics. In this study, the influence of subsurface irregularities on effective mobilized residual shear strength, ϕr, and shear resistance from basal asperities, ϕa, is considered for idealized geometry under plane strain and three-dimensional conditions. The results demonstrate that even a modest presence of subsurface asperities may impart significant shear resistance, effectively reducing the drained residual shear strength that yields equilibrium. These effects are amplified when three-dimensional asperities are considered. There are significant uncertainties towards actually quantifying the geometry of subsurface asperities; however, this study highlights the potential role that such anomalies may impart on shear strength calculations in slope stability.
Alcohol Advertising and Violence

Introduction Numerous studies have found associations between alcohol outlet density and violence, but it is unknown whether alcohol advertisements visible outside outlets are also associated with violent crime. Baltimore City, MD enacted restrictions on retail alcohol establishment advertising practices as of June 5, 2017. This study examines the association between alcohol advertisements visible outside off-premise alcohol outlets and violent crime before this restriction. Methods Outlet observations (n=683) were conducted in summer 2015, and violent crime data (n=24,085) were from June 5, 2015, through June 4, 2017. The number of violent crimes per square mile within 1,000 feet of outlets was summed using kernel density estimation. In 2018–2019, authors used mixed models with a Simes–Benjamini–Hochberg correction for multiple testing. Results Roughly half (47%, n=267) of the outlets with complete data (n=572) had alcohol advertisements visible from the exterior. Outlets with alcohol advertisements had 15% more violent crimes per square mile within 1,000 feet (eβ=1.15, 95% CI=1.07, 1.25, q Conclusions Alcohol advertisements visible outside off-premise outlets were associated with increased violent crime over and above the association between the outlets themselves and violent crime. Reducing alcohol advertising visible from the street may decrease risk of violent crime that is associated with alcohol outlets.
INSCT: Integrating millions of single cells using batch-aware triplet neural networks

Abstract Efficient integration of heterogeneous and increasingly large single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data poses a major challenge for analysis and in particular, comprehensive atlasing efforts. Here, we developed a novel deep learning algorithm to overcome batch effects using batch-aware triplet neural networks, called INSCT (“Insight”). Using simulated and real data, we demonstrate that INSCT generates an embedding space which accurately integrates cells across experiments, platforms and species. Our benchmark comparisons with current state-of-the-art scRNA-seq integration methods revealed that INSCT outperforms competing methods in scalability while achieving comparable accuracies. Moreover, using INSCT in semi-supervised mode enables users to classify unlabeled cells by projecting them into a reference collection of annotated cells. To demonstrate scalability, we applied INSCT to integrate more than 2.6 million transcriptomes from four independent studies of mouse brains in less than 1.5 hours using less than 25 gigabytes of memory. This feature empowers researchers to perform atlasing scale data integration in a typical desktop computer environment. INSCT is freely available at https://github.com/lkmklsmn/insct. Highlights INSCT accurately integrates multiple scRNA-seq datasets INSCT accurately predicts cell types for an independent scRNA-seq dataset Efficient deep learning framework enables integration of millions of cells on a personal computer
A Hybrid Active/Passive Domino Architecture with MIMO Power Flow Control and Mixed Frequency Operation for Extended Range and Multi-Medium Wireless Power Transfer

Wireless power transfer (WPT) systems with Domino repeater arrays can be used to transfer power through complicated structures and extend the effective transfer range. This paper explored a hybrid active/passive Domino architecture with multi-input multi-output (MIMO) power flow control and mixed-frequency operation. By designing and optimizing the circuits and the control methods, the hybrid active/passive Domino architecture can achieve higher efficiency and higher power transfer capability than a passive domino architecture. The hybrid Domino architecture significantly expands the control degree-of-freedom by enabling multi-way power combining and multi-frequency wireless power transfer. The hybrid Domino architecture also enables the high performance multi-layer multimedium wireless power transfer by combining different control strategies. A prototype hybrid Domino WPT system with ten resonators is built and tested to verify the effectiveness of the approach. The prototype delivered 12 W of power from the source and buffer to the load (56% from the source, and 44% from the buffer) with 40% weighted effective efficiency. The endto-end power transfer distance (22 cm) is more than 4 times of the resonator diameter (5 cm). Another experimental setup is built with two transfer mediums (i.e., chicken breast and salt water) to validate the multi-layer multi-medium power transfer capability of the hybrid Domino architecture, where one active resonator is placed at the interface of the two mediums. The hybrid Domino WPT system can delivery 30% more power than a passive Domino system in the multi-medium WPT experiments.
Thermal performance and stress analysis of heat spreaders for immersion cooling applications

Abstract This paper numerically investigates the thermal performance and stress analysis of enhanced Copper (Cu) spreaders for nucleate boiling immersion cooling of high-power electronic chips. The proposed spreaders take advantage of the remarkably high thermal conductivity of Cu (low thermal spreading resistance) and enhanced nucleate boiling heat transfer of dielectric liquid PF-5060 on Microporous Cu (MPC) coating. The spreaders topmost surfaces are smooth (Ra = 0.21 μm), roughened (Ra = 1.44 μm), and coated with an 80-μm thick MPC layer. The spreader thicknesses (δCu) varied between 1.6 and 3.2 mm, the chip side length (LC) between 10 and 30 mm, and chip thickness (δC) between 200 and 500 μm. The numerical results show that MPC spreaders remove the most significant quantity of thermal power (58–270 W) dissipated by underlying chips compared to plane (smooth and roughened) Cu spreaders (28–210 W). The MPC spreaders have the least total thermal resistance, and the corresponding maximum chip temperature (Tc,max) is low (67 °C) and in a considerable safe margin from the temperature limits set by the high-power chip industry (85–120 °C). The maximum Von-Mises stress (70 MPa) on the underlying chips cooled by MPC spreaders is 1/100 of the allowable yield strength of silicon (7 GPa) but much higher than those cooled by plane Cu spreaders (40–44 MPa). The total displacement or deformation due to the temperature gradient is 22 μm and 4 μm at the top face of the spreader and at the chip-spreader interface, respectively, for MPC spreaders cooling 500 μm thick 10 × 10 mm underlying chips. The total displacement is much less (
Comparative Analysis of Tenogenic Gene Expression in Tenocyte-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Response to Biochemical and Biomechanical Stimuli

The tendon is highly prone to injury, overuse, or age-related degeneration in both humans and horses. Natural healing of injured tendon is poor, and cell-based therapeutic treatment is still a significant clinical challenge. In this study, we extensively investigated the expression of tenogenic genes in equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and tenocyte-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (teno-iPSCs) stimulated by growth factors (TGF-β3 and BMP12) combined with ectopic expression of tenogenic transcription factor MKX or cyclic uniaxial mechanical stretch. Western blotting revealed that TGF-β3 and BMP12 increased the expression of transcription factors SCX and MKX in both cells, but the tenocyte marker tenomodulin (TNMD) was detected only in BMSCs and upregulated by either inducer. On the other hand, quantitative real-time PCR showed that TGF-β3 increased the expression of EGR1, COL1A2, FMOD, and TNC in BMSCs and SCX, COL1A2, DCN, FMOD, and TNC in teno-iPSCs. BMP12 treatment elevated SCX, MKX, DCN, FMOD, and TNC in teno-iPSCs. Overexpression of MKX increased SCX, DCN, FMOD, and TNC in BMSCs and EGR1, COL1A2, DCN, FMOD, and TNC in teno-iPSCs; TGF-β3 further enhanced TNC in BMSCs. Moreover, mechanical stretch increased SCX, EGR1, DCN, ELN, and TNC in BMSCs and SCX, MKX, EGR1, COL1A2, DCN, FMOD, and TNC in teno-iPSCs; TGF-β3 tended to further elevate SCX, ELN, and TNC in BMSCs and SCX, MKX, COL1A2, DCN, and TNC in teno-iPSCs, while BMP12 further uptrended the expression of SCX and DCN in BMSCs and DCN in teno-iPSCs. Additionally, the aforementioned tenogenic inducers also affected the expression of signaling regulators SMAD7, ETV4, and SIRT1 in BMSCs and teno-iPSCs. Taken together, our data demonstrate that, in respect to the tenocyte-lineage-specific gene expression, BMSCs and teno-iPSCs respond differently to the tenogenic stimuli, which may affect the outcome of their application in tendon repair or regeneration.
Refining the Theory of Partisan Alignments: Evidence from Latin America

In this article we provide a theoretical and empirical evaluation of the evolution of partisan alignments in Latin America since the beginning of the Third Wave of democratization. We first point to a series of limitations of the conventional framework of partisan alignments, namely their disregard of party systems that are only partially or non-institutionalized. Second, we propose a refined framework that is more universally applicable. We then operationalize our indicators and apply our new framework to every democratic country in Latin America to generate a map of the evolution of partisan loyalties in Latin America in the period 1980-2012. Our analysis reveals that the conventional view of widespread partisan dealignment in Latin America is largely inaccurate.
What Happens When a Pandemic Intersects an Epidemic

Persons experiencing addiction may be at very high risk of infectious disease like COVID-19 due to high rates of smoking, recent imprisonment, conditions like HIV/AIDS, and high-risk behaviors (Ezzati et al. 2002; Farhoudian, et. al. 2020). During the COVID-19 pandemic, most courts have shuttered, and treatment center admissions have halted, yet the opioid crisis rages on. America’s opioid epidemic may have just become more lethal and socially costly.
Giant THz Faraday rotation with stacked magnetized graphene

It has been recently discovered that strong magnetoplasmonic effects exist on graphene and may open a new avenue for many novel THz non-reciprocal devices. The magnetoplasmonic response of two-dimensional graphene strongly depends on the electromagnetic properties of the surrounding medium. We develop a modified transmission line analog formulation to investigate the Faraday and Kerr rotation associated with multi-sheet magnetized graphene embedded in the layered medium. The formulation utilizes a junction transformer to model anisotropic conductive sheets at the interfaces and is highly numerically efficient and stable. It is also demonstrated for the first time that a multiple heterojunctions conjugated photonic crystal with graphene embedded at the interfaces will significantly enhance the magneto-optical effect of the system. 15.3 ° Faraday angle under 0.25 T low static bias magnetic field is achieved at 15 THz with a high transmittance, which enables the design of accessible high-performance non-reciprocal devices in the high THz frequency regime. The proposed formulation and design principle may lay the foundation for future THz graphene-based plasmonic devices.
Computing the Minimal Tiling Path from a Physical Map by Integer Linear Programming

We study the problem of selecting the minimal tiling path (MTP) from a set of clones arranged in a physical map. We formulate the constraints of the MTP problem in a graph theoretical framework, and we derive an optimization problem that is solved via integer linear programming. Experimental results show that when we compare our algorithm to the commonly used software FPC, the MTP produced by our method covers a higher portion of the genome, even using a smaller number of MTP clones. These results suggest that if one would employ the MTP produced by our method instead of FPC's in a clone-by-clone sequencing project, one would reduce by about 12% the sequencing cost.
A Theory of Abstraction for Hierarchical Planning

Hierarchical planning is widely acknowledged as an effective technique for reducing search, but the properties that make the technique effective are not well understood. This paper formally defines hierarchical planning, shows that the technique can reduce an exponential search space to a linear one, and identifies the assumptions under which this analysis holds. Since these assumptions would be difficult to guarantee in general, the paper identifies the monotonicity property, a heuristic for evaluating abstraction spaces. Lastly, the paper presents an algorithm for producing abstractions with this property and then describes how the algorithm completely automates a reformulation of the Tower of Hanoi puzzle, which reduces the search space of the puzzle from exponential to linear.
The Power of International Positioning: The National Woman's Party, International Law and Diplomacy, 1928–34

Between 1928 and 1934, Doris Stevens and Alice Paul of the National Woman's Party (NWP) embarked on a strategy to use international law to gain domestic rights for women in the United States. They sought to pass the equivalent of the 1923 Equal Rights Amendment by treaty at international conferences in Europe and the Americas. The pre-eminence of the United States in the Americas granted them diplomatic access through the Inter-American Commission of Women (IACW) that, paradoxically, strengthened the NWP's position when the US administration opposed its proposed reforms. When the US signed the Nationality Rights Treaty in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1934, the NWP won a significant nationality reform, namely the right of US women to transmit citizenship to children born abroad. In exchange for its support, the Roosevelt administration required them to shelve their proposed Equal Rights Treaty. The article also demonstrates a nascent presence of American women in unofficial diplomatic circles. In this, as in other stories, women's history has taught us to search for the influence of women that institutional histories miss.
Persulfide generated from L-cysteine inactivates tyrosine aminotransferase. Requirement for a protein with cysteine oxidase activity and gamma-cystathionase.

Liver cytosols contain factors that produce an inhibitor of tyrosine aminotransferase and other enzymes when incubated with L-cysteine or L-cystine. Cystine-dependent inactivation was caused by cystathionase and required pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, but a second protein was needed to reconstitute cysteine-dependent inactivation. A cytosolic protein was isolated that oxidized free cysteine and brought about inactivation of tyrosine aminotransferase when coincubated with cystathionase. Hematin also oxidized cysteine, which led to cysteine-dependent inactivation of tyrosine aminotransferase in the presence of cystathionase. The inactivation of tyrosine aminotransferase involved three steps: initial oxidation of cysteine to form cystine; desulfuration of cystine catalyzed by cystathionase to form the persulfide, thiocysteine; and reaction of thiocysteine (or products of its decomposition) with proteins to form protein-bound sulfane. Since dithiothreitol reactivated tyrosine aminotransferase, the sulfane probably inactivated the enzyme by oxidation of thiol groups. The present results do not indicate whether the cysteine oxidase activity is enzymatic nor do they prove which form of polysulfide inactivates tyrosine aminotransferase. Reduced glutathione greatly slowed the rates at which sulfane accumulated and at which tyrosine aminotransferase was inactivated. Incubation of DL-cystathionine with liver cytosols led to formation of cysteine, which was oxidized and cleaved to form persulfide, and caused inactivation of tyrosine aminotransferase. Thus, sulfane sulfur that is generated by an enzyme of the transulfuration pathway inactivates a transaminase by nonselective oxidation of enzyme-bound thiol groups.
Variations in appearance of endometriomas

Objective Because of the range of patient ages with endometriosis, the persistence of endometriomas, and the degradation of internal blood products over time, the appearance of endometriomas is variable. The purpose of this study was to identify the prospective diagnoses in cases of surgically proven endometriomas and to illustrate the variety of appearances of endometriomas. Methods Sonographic images from 325 women with histologic confirmation of an adnexal mass during a 16-month period were reviewed. Eighty-seven endometriomas in 71 women were found. Prospective diagnoses were scored as follows: 1, the diagnosis was endometrioma only; 2, the differential diagnosis listed endometrioma first; 3, the differential diagnosis listed endometrioma but not first; 4, the diagnosis did not include endometrioma but included a complex or hemorrhagic cyst; and 5, the diagnosis did not include endometrioma. Lesions with the classic appearance of an endometrioma (hypoechoic mass with diffuse low-level internal echoes) or an atypical appearance were chosen for illustration. Results Thirty-five (60.3%) of 58 endometriomas measuring at least 2 cm in greatest dimension included endometrioma in the differential diagnosis at sonography. In 6 (10.3%) of 58, the lesions were described as complex or hemorrhagic cysts. Atypical endometriomas included cases with retracted clots that appeared solid but without blood flow, endometriomas in pregnant patients, and endometriomas in postmenopausal women with heterogeneous internal echoes and central calcification. A ruptured endometrioma was interpreted as pelvic inflammatory disease. Five endometriomas were suspected to be malignancies because of a solid appearance, blood flow, surrounding adhesions, and, in 1 pregnant patient, extensive decidualization. Conclusions Recognition of the varied appearance of endometriomas should aid the interpreting physician in giving an appropriate prospective diagnosis of endometriomas.