cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physiologic and pathologic consequences of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor deficiency.

Published studies have extended our understanding of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor deficiency. In granulocyte colony-stimulating factor withdrawal in humans, apoptosis seems to account for the dramatic loss of neutrophils, but whether the apoptosis results from normal cellular aging processes or accelerated cell loss upon granulocyte colony-stimulating factor withdrawal is unclear. In granulocyte colony-stimulating factor -/- mice, the introduction of bcl-2, an antiapoptotic gene product, did not affect the number of neutrophils in the circulation. This finding suggests that apoptosis does not account for the lack of neutrophils in this setting and that the reduction in neutrophil numbers in these mice results from processes other than the loss of large numbers of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-dependent cells after commitment to the neutrophil lineage. In an experimental model of the induction of antigranulocyte colony-stimulating factor antibodies, the animals appeared remarkably similar to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor -/- mice. This finding confirms that at least some neutrophils are produced by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-independent mechanisms and suggests that the antigranulocyte colony-stimulating factor antibodies reported in clinical studies before and after granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration do not lead to similar consequences. A gross loss of neutrophils as seen in these granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-immune mice has never been reported in patients, suggesting that such an occurrence is unlikely to have occurred.
Analytical Solution for Optimal Drogue-to-Main Parachute Transition Altitude for Precision Ballistic Airdrops

During ballistic airdrops, a single discrete control input can be made during the descent of a bundle to counter the effects of unmodeled physics and disturbances that occur before the control event. This control event is the altitude at which the drogue-to-main parachute transition occurs. The ability to vary the transition altitude of a bundle can significantly reduce the miss distance of a bundle to an intended target. The state-of-the-art method for optimizing the transition altitude is computationally burdensome and nondeterministic in time. In this exposition, an analytical solution for optimizing the transition altitude that minimizes the miss distance of an airdropped bundle from a specified ground target is developed. The solution time is deterministic and small enough that it can be implemented in real time on an embedded computer located on the bundle itself. By pairing this bundle-mounted embedded computer with a Global Positioning System sensor, the optimal transition altitude can be recomput...
Diffusion of Ion-Implanted Tin in Gallium Arsenide

The diffusion of ion-implanted tin in gallium arsenide was investigated as a function of temperature, dose and background doping. The chemical depth profiles were determined using SIMS and the carrier profiles were determined by CV Etch Profiling. The data was fit using a numerical process simulator, SUPREM 3.5. Sn diffusivity was found to depend on the square of the electron concentration. Sn and Ge were found to have relatively high diffusivities when implanted, while Si diffused very little.
Coordination of Blackout Prevention and Control Methods for UHV AC /DC Power System

Combined with the UHV AC /DC power system under construction in China.,this paper systematically establishes the the blackout cooperative prevention and control system for UHV AC /DC power system,in order to further ensure the safety of power system operation and enhance the ability to prevent blackout. The system is composed of several parts: the cooperation of prevention methods corresponding to system faults in different periods,different fault types and cooperation methods between AC and DC systems,turbulence prevention from affecting each other system and DC system assistance to AC system if necessary. For each part,it introduces the international technical status,the reasons and benefits to utilize cooperation in blackout prevention,as well as the actual solutions in methods cooperation for blackout prevention. The research results has some reference value in helping formulate blackout prevention plans and fully enhancing blackout preventing ability for UHV power system.
Osteomyelitis of the Pubis: Complication of a Stamey Urethropexy

Osteomyelitis pubis is a rare pyogenic infection of the anterior pelvis. Prior pelvic surgery is the factor that usually causes this problem. To my knowledge endoscopic urethropexy, that is the Stamey procedure, has not been reported as a predisposing cause. A case of pubic osteomyelitis following a Stamey urethropexy is reported.
Downregulation of hepatic beta-adrenergic receptors after trauma and hemorrhagic shock.

Although it is well known that sympathoadrenal activity increases under various adverse circulatory conditions, it is not known whether there are any alterations in hepatic plasma membrane beta-adrenergic receptors after trauma-hemorrhage and crystalloid resuscitation. To study this, rats underwent a 5-cm midline laparotomy (i.e., trauma induced) and were bled to and maintained at a mean arterial pressure of 40 mmHg until 40% of the maximal bleedout (MB) volume was returned in the form of Ringer lactate. The animals were then resuscitated with four times the volume of MB in the form of Ringer lactate over 60 min. Hepatic plasma membranes were isolated using discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation. The maximal binding capacity and dissociation constant (i.e., 1/affinity) of [125I]iodopindolol binding to beta-adrenergic receptors were determined using a membrane filtration assay and Scatchard analysis. The results indicate that there was a significant decrease in the maximal binding capacity at the time of MB, which persisted despite crystalloid resuscitation after hemorrhage. However, there were no significant changes in the dissociation constant at any time point during this study. The downregulation of beta-adrenergic receptor binding capacity may be responsible for metabolic abnormalities observed after hemorrhagic shock.
Ultrastructure of sickled deer erythrocytes. I. The typical crescent and holly leaf forms.

The typical crescent and holly leaf forms of sickled erythrocytes from white-tailed deer were examined by transmission electron microscopy. These cellular aberrations were induced in those animals which are homozygous for the β 3 -chain and are reversibly related to elevations of pH and P O O2 . The internal structure of the typically sickled cell was organized into polymerized aggregates. At very high magnification, cross-sections of the cells revealed microtubules, with a diameter of 160-190 A, which were compared to those which have been described in human sickle cells. The tubules beneath the plasmalemma or extending into protruding spicules were more or less parallel and oriented in a single direction, whereas the aggregates in the remainder of the cell cytoplasm were randomly dispersed. In view of the association of the sickling of deer erythrocytes with a specific hemoglobin β-chain and the marked similarity of the internal architecture of these cells to human sickle cells, the deer erythrocytes provide a model for hemoglobin polymerization which may lead to insights that are applicable to the human condition.
Active Binary Phase Grating Modulators Using Multiple Quantum Well Structures

Binary phase grating modulators were fabricated from multiple quantum well PIN structures. The zeroth-order transmission was measured as a function of voltage across the grating steps.
A Simulation Exercise

The previous chapter investigated the relationship between final demand and income distribution, as it was captured by our model, in the years 1959 and 1969. At several points a comparison between the two years was made, mostly, however, without explicitly investigating the causes of the observed changes. The latter is the topic of this chapter.
Uncertain observation times

Standard temporal models assume that observation times are correct, whereas in many real-world settings (particularly those involving human data entry) noisy time stamps are quite common. Serious problems arise when these time stamps are taken literally. This paper introduces a modeling framework for handling uncertainty in observation times and describes inference algorithms that, under certain reasonable assumptions about the nature of time-stamp errors, have linear time complexity.
Circulating Galectin-3 Levels Are Persistently Elevated After Heart Transplantation and Are Associated With Renal Dysfunction.

Abstract Objectives This study evaluated changes in serum levels of galectin (Gal)-3 before and after heart transplantation (HTx) and assessed the role of pre-HTx Gal-3 as a biomarker for post-HTx outcomes. Background Gal-3 is a novel biomarker that reflects cardiac remodeling and fibrosis. Elevated serum Gal-3 levels are associated with poor prognosis in heart failure patients. Whether Gal-3 levels change following HTx and the significance of post-HTx outcomes are unknown. Methods Serum Gal-3 levels were measured in 62 patients at 118 days (Interquartile Range [IQR]: 23 to 798 days) before and 365 days (IQR: 54 to 767 days) post HTx. Cardiac tissue taken during routine post-HTx endomyocardial biopsy was evaluated to assess the correlation between tissue Gal-3 staining and serum Gal-3 levels and with the presence of myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. Results Serum Gal-3 levels remained significantly elevated (>17.8 ng/ml) in 35 patients (56%) post HTx. There was a significant inverse correlation between Gal-3 levels and glomerular filtration rate measured before and after HTx (p > 0.005). There was no association between Gal-3 serum level and Gal-3 staining of myocardial tissue or with the presence of myocyte hypertrophy and interstitial fibrosis post HTx. Elevated pre-HTx Gal-3 levels were associated with reduced post-HTx exercise capacity, but this association was not significant after adjustment for age, body mass index, and glomerular filtration rate. Conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate the fact that Gal-3 levels remain elevated in the majority of patients despite HTx and is associated with renal dysfunction. Our findings suggest Gal-3 is a systemic rather than cardiac-specific biomarker.
J-Viz: Finding algorithmic complexity attacks via graph visualization of Java bytecode

We describe a security visualization tool for finding algorithmic complexity attacks in Java bytecode. Our tool, which we call J-Viz, visualizes connected directed graphs derived from Java bytecode according to a canonical node ordering, which we call the sibling-first recursive (SFR) numbering. The particular graphs we consider are derived from applying Shiver's k-CFA framework to Java bytecode, and our visualizer includes helpful links between the nodes of an input graph and the Java bytecode that produced it, as well as a decompiled version of that Java bytecode. We show through experiments involving test cases provided by DARPA that the canonical drawing paradigm used in J-Viz is effective for identifying potential security vulnerabilities for algorithmic complexity attacks.
Phthalate plasticizers covalently linked to PVC via copper-free or copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloadditions

Abstract Plasticization of PVC was carried out by covalently linking phthalate derivatives via copper-free (thermal) or copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloadditions. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate derivatives (DEHP-ether and DEHP-ester) were synthesized and appended to PVC at two different densities. The glass transition temperatures of the modified PVC decreased with increasing content of plasticizer. PVC-DEHP-ether gave lower glass transition temperatures than PVC-DEHP-ester, reflecting the enhanced flexibility of the ether versus ester linker.
Abstract 1797: Downregulation of ribosomal protein S6 overcomes radioresistance in prostate cancer

Radiation Therapy (RT) is a definitive treatment for early-localized prostate cancer (PCA), but is associated with side effects which impair quality of life in addition to development of radioresistance. PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling is one of the contributors to therapeutic resistance, including radioresistance. Ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6), a downstream effector of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, mediates radioresistance by increasing protein synthesis, cell survival and epithelial mesenchymal transition. Also, increased activation of rpS6 is correlated with poor survival in PCA. Therefore, downregulation of rpS6 could decrease RT induced toxic side effects by sensitizing tumor cells. Based on published evidence demonstrating tumor growth inhibitory activities, we tested if Nexrutine® (Nx), an inexpensive OTC herbal supplement from Phellodendron amurense bark extract, could potentiate RT by inhibiting rpS6 activation. Using clonogenic assays, low dose RT in combination with Nx was found to have similar inhibition of surviving fraction compared to high dose RT in androgen independent PC-3 cells. Isobologram analysis of these data depicted strong synergism. In addition, increased activation of Akt/NFKB signaling molecules was observed in PC-3 cells exposed to radiation. The observed radiation-induced increase in these signaling molecules was either abolished (p-rpS6, p-NFKB and p-p70S6K) or decreased (p-Akt) in cells pretreated with Nx (8 hours) prior to RT. Additionally, Nx pretreatment prolonged the G2/M arrest caused by RT in PC-3 cells. Strikingly, knockdown of rpS6 in PC-3 cells reversed the observed effects of Nx, indicating the importance of rpS6 in mediating these changes. Furthermore, administration of Nx in combination with RT inhibited prostate tumor progression in transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice with no prominent toxicity. Notably, immunohistochemical analysis revealed decreased levels of p-mTOR, p70S6K, NFKB, Ki67 and Cyclin D1 in the prostate in combination group of animals compared to monotherapy. Taken together, our data suggest that Nx sensitizes PCA cells by down regulating rpS6 and delays progression to lethal disease. Remarkably, in a recent phase 0/1 study patients (81%) receiving Nx showed decreased PSA levels with no signs of grade 3 toxicity. Thus, Nx shows immense potential for use as an adjuvant in combination with conventional therapy for effective clinical management of PCA. Supported by NCCAM (R01 AT-007448) and VA-MERIT Award (I01 BX 000766; APK) Citation Format: Suleman S. Hussain, Paul Rivas, Roble G. Bedolla, Nikos Papanikolaou, Robert L. Reddick, Brad H. Pollock, Daniel C. Chan, Rita Ghosh, Addanki P. Kumar. Downregulation of ribosomal protein S6 overcomes radioresistance in prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1797. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1797
CCR2 Mediates Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Trafficking to Inflammation Sites to Enhance Organ Repair.

Abstract Abstract 2547 Poster Board II-524 Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are bone-marrow derived, self-renewing pluripotent cells that give rise to terminally differentiated circulating blood cells. Recent work has implicated HSCs in the repair of parenchymal tissue in the setting of inflammation. In response to the antagonist of the chemokine receptor CXCR4, HSCs and their progenitors migrate from bone marrow to the blood. However, little is known about the signals that mediate their trafficking from the blood into peripheral tissues. Recently, we showed that mice genetically deficient in chemokine receptor CCR2 (CCR2–/– mice) have a marked decrease in the number of circulating “inflammatory” (7/4+, Ly6c+) monocytes, but no decrease in myeloid progenitor cells in the bone marrow (Tsou et al, J Clin Invest, 2007, 902). These data indicated that although CCR2 is not necessary for HSCs to differentiate into mature monocytes, it does play a role in monocyte egress from bone marrow to blood. In the current study, we extend this work and investigate the expression of CCR2 on hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells (HSPCs), and tested the hypothesis that CCR2 is critical for the recruitment of circulating HSPCs to sites of inflammation. Here we report that the chemokine receptor CCR2 is expressed on subsets of primitive hematopoietic stem cells as well as some early myeloid progenitors but not on the progenitors dedicated to megakaryocyte and erythroid differentiation. CCR2 mediates the chemotaxis of c-Kit+Lin- bone marrow derived cells to MCP-1 (CCL2) and MCP-3 (CCL7), which are known CCR2 ligands. In unchallenged mice, CCR2 appears to play a minimal role in HSCs trafficking. However, following instillation of thioglycollate to cause aseptic inflammation HSPCs were actively recruited to the peritoneum, as demonstrated by both FACS and functional colony formation assays. That these cells were true HSCs was demonstrated by their engraftment into the bone marrow of irradiated recipients. In contrast, mice genetically deficient in CCR2 (CCR2−/−) were profoundly impaired in the recruitment of HSCs to the inflamed peritoneum. Furthermore, in human disease models of acetaminophen induced liver damages, hematopoietic stem and progenitors were increased dramatically at site of injury in WT mice but not in CCR2−/− mice. CCR2 recruited HSPC play a tissue protective role by increase the numbers of M2 macrophages in injured liver. Taken together, these findings document a novel role for CCR2 in the specific homing of primitive hematopoietic stem and progenitors to sites of inflammation and injury, and suggest a new role for chemokines in increasing the numbers of differentiated leukocytes at sites of inflammation. Recruited HSPCs hasten the resolution of the inflammatory response, and promote repair of injured tissue, at least partially due to locally increase the number of tissue reparative macrophages. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Sequential Immunofluorescent Light Microscopy and Electron Microscopy of Recombination Nodules During Meiotic Prophase I

Immunolocalization using either fluorescence for light microscopy (LM) or gold particles for electron microscopy (EM) has become a common tool to pinpoint proteins involved in recombination during meiotic prophase. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, LM immunofluorescence is comparatively easier and higher throughput compared to immunogold EM localization. In addition, immunofluorescence has the advantages that a faint signal can often be enhanced by longer exposure times and colocalization using two (or more) probes with different absorbance and emission spectra is straightforward. However, immunofluorescence is not useful if the object of interest does not label with an antibody probe and is below the resolution of the LM. In comparison, immunogold EM localization is higher resolution than immunofluorescent LM localization, and individual nuclear structures, such as recombination nodules, can be identified by EM regardless of whether they are labeled or not. However, immunogold localization has other disadvantages including comparatively low signal-to-noise ratios, more difficult colocalization using gold particles of different sizes, and the inability to evaluate labeling efficiency before examining the sample using EM (a more expensive and time-consuming technique than LM). Here we describe a method that takes advantage of the good points of both immunofluorescent LM and EM to analyze two classes of late recombination nodules (RNs), only one of which labels with antibodies to MLH1 protein, a marker of crossovers. The method can be used readily with other antibodies to analyze early recombination nodules or other prophase I structures.
Subversion of RAB5-regulated autophagy by the intracellular pathogen Ehrlichia chaffeensis.

ABSTRACTIntracellular pathogens often exploit RAB functions to establish a safe haven in which to survive and proliferate. Ehrlichia chaffeensis, an obligatory intracellular bacterium, resides in specialized membrane-bound inclusions that have early endosome–like characteristics, e.g., resident RAB5 GTPase and RAB5 effectors, including VPS34 (the catalytic subunit of class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase), but the inclusions lack late endosomal or lysosomal markers. Within inclusions, Ehrlichia obtains host-derived nutrients by inducing RAB5-regulated autophagy using Ehrlichia translocated factor-1 deployed by its type IV secretion system. This manipulation of RAB5 by a bacterial molecule offers a simple strategy for Ehrlichia to avoid destruction in lysosomes and obtain nutrients, membrane components, and a homeostatic intra-host-cell environment in which to grow.
Pulmonary Resection for Second Lung Cancer After Pneumonectomy: A Population-Based Study

Background Pulmonary resection for a second lung cancer after pneumonectomy is generally considered to be at prohibitive risk. Using a population-based database, we examined treatment patterns and survival in patients who underwent pulmonary resection after pneumonectomy for lung cancer. Methods We queried the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1988–2012) to identify patients who underwent pneumonectomy and subsequently experienced contralateral non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with the receipt of surgical resection. Survival was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Of 13,370 patients who underwent pneumonectomy, 402 (3.0%) experienced subsequent contralateral NSCLC, and 170 (42%) met the selection criteria. Surgical resection was performed in 63 (37.1%) cases (sublobar n = 56, lobectomy, n = 7). Patients with stage I/II disease and tumor size 2 cm or smaller were more likely to undergo surgical procedures. The 1-month and 3-month mortality after resection was 11.1% (sublobar resection 10.7%, lobectomy 14.3%) and 12.7% (sublobar 12.5%, lobectomy 14.3%), respectively. The overall 1-year and 3-year survival after surgical resection was 79% and 54%, respectively. The patients who underwent sublobar resection had higher median overall survival than did those who underwent lobectomy (42 vs 18 months). Similarly, median survival after resection for metachronous tumors was higher than after resection for metastatic cancers (40 vs 28 months). Conclusions On the basis of our analysis of the SEER database, sublobar resection can be performed in selected patients with small tumors (≤2 cm) and early-stage disease (stage I/II). Although perioperative mortality is significant, the favorable 1-year and 3-year survival may justify the role of an additional procedure on the single lung.
Expanded Genomic Profiling of Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients to Assess Biomarker Status and Biology Over Time (CALGB 40502 and CALGB 40503, Alliance)

Purpose: We profiled circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to study the biology of blood-borne metastasis and to monitor biomarker status in metastatic breast cancer (MBC).Methods: CTCs were isolated from 105 patients with MBC using EPCAM-based immunomagnetic enrichment and fluorescence-activated cells sorting (IE/FACS), 28 of whom had serial CTC analysis (74 samples, 2-5 time points). CTCs were subjected to microfluidic-based multiplex QPCR array of 64 cancer-related genes (n = 151) and genome-wide copy-number analysis by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH; n = 49).Results: Combined transcriptional and genomic profiling showed that CTCs were 26% ESR1-ERBB2-, 48% ESR1+ERBB2-, and 27% ERBB2+ Serial testing showed that ERBB2 status was more stable over time compared with ESR1 and proliferation (MKI67) status. While cell-to-cell heterogeneity was observed at the single-cell level, with increasingly stable expression in larger pools, patient-specific CTC expression "fingerprints" were also observed. CTC copy-number profiles clustered into three groups based on the extent of genomic aberrations and the presence of large chromosomal imbalances. Comparative analysis showed discordance in ESR1/ER (27%) and ERBB2/HER2 (23%) status between CTCs and matched primary tumors. CTCs in 65% of the patients were considered to have low proliferation potential. Patients who harbored CTCs with high proliferation (MKI67) status had significantly reduced progression-free survival (P = 0.0011) and overall survival (P = 0.0095) compared with patients with low proliferative CTCs.Conclusions: We demonstrate an approach for complete isolation of EPCAM-positive CTCs and downstream comprehensive transcriptional/genomic characterization to examine the biology and assess breast cancer biomarkers in these cells over time. Clin Cancer Res; 24(6); 1486-99. ©2018 AACR.
Reaction miniaturization in eco-friendly solvents

Advanced chemical intermediates used in pharmaceutical research are often produced for the first time via multistep synthetic routes that are neither optimal nor green. For this reason, every milligram of an advanced chemical intermediate is precious and should be conserved as much as possible in exploratory studies. This Review describes the role that the emerging field of reaction miniaturization can play in the ultra-conservation of advanced pharmaceutical intermediates and additionally in the overall reduction of waste achieved by performing reactions on a smaller scale. We highlight technologies, with case studies, for running synthetic reactions in parallel from the milligram to microgram scale in glass vials and plastic wellplates. A unique synergy of reaction miniaturization and green chemistry is revealed in their shared preference for high-boiling reaction solvents.
Functional Parallelism in VLSI Systems and Computations

The effectiveness of very large scale integration (VLSI) in reducing the incremental cost per unit of performance of a variety of flexible system functions can be significantly enhanced by employing a high degree of functional parallelism with serialized data-flow and control. Both Functional Parallelism (the parallel use of an array of high density, low cost, lower performance devices to obtain a high performance function) and Bit-Serialized Arithmetic (the use of single bit-stream operations to perform elementary arithmetic functions) have been factored into VLSI systems and computations to permit advantageous use of MOS solid-state technologies as well as graceful transitions of processor implementation from one scale of large scale integration to the next. Some of the major considerations linking form to function are noted here with examples illustrating the impact of functional parallelism and serialized arithmetic.
Bayesian Control of Large MDPs with Unknown Dynamics in Data-Poor Environments

We propose a Bayesian decision making framework for control of Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) with unknown dynamics and large, possibly continuous, state, action, and parameter spaces in data-poor environments. Most of the existing adaptive controllers for MDPs with unknown dynamics are based on the reinforcement learning framework and rely on large data sets acquired by sustained direct interaction with the system or via a simulator. This is not feasible in many applications, due to ethical, economic, and physical constraints. The proposed framework addresses the data poverty issue by decomposing the problem into an offline planning stage that does not rely on sustained direct interaction with the system or simulator and an online execution stage. In the offline process, parallel Gaussian process temporal difference (GPTD) learning techniques are employed for near-optimal Bayesian approximation of the expected discounted reward over a sample drawn from the prior distribution of unknown parameters. In the online stage, the action with the maximum expected return with respect to the posterior distribution of the parameters is selected. This is achieved by an approximation of the posterior distribution using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm, followed by constructing multiple Gaussian processes over the parameter space for efficient prediction of the means of the expected return at the MCMC sample. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is demonstrated using a simple dynamical system model with continuous state and action spaces, as well as a more complex model for a metastatic melanoma gene regulatory network observed through noisy synthetic gene expression data.
SLATE: A Secure Lightweight Entity Authentication Hardware Primitive

Lightweight cryptography has become more and more important in recent years because of the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and usage of smart mobile devices. In this paper, we propose a novel secure lightweight entity authentication hardware primitive called SLATE, where its area is about 50% to more than 3X smaller than existing lightweight ciphers and strong physical unclonable functions (PUFs), respectively. Even though the authentication of SLATE is done through challenge response pair (CRP) verification similar to strong PUFs, the source of the key for SLATE must be coming from any existing secret key storage used for any ciphers. A main advantage of SLATE over most existing strong PUFs being an entity authentication primitive is that SLATE is resistant to known attacks to strong PUFs or logic obfuscations, such as model building attacks and Boolean satisfiability (SAT) attacks. Furthermore, we show that the implementation cost of SLATE with a 176-bit key and $2^{44}$ CRPs is only 663 gate equivalents (GEs). Compared with lightweight ciphers and existing secure strong PUFs, we show that SLATE is a practical security primitive for resource constrained systems for its extremely small footprint and security. Finally, we show that SLATE is information theoretically secure when valid CRPs are communicated through insecure channels.
Generative adversarial network-based synthesis of visible faces from polarimetrie thermal faces

The large domain discrepancy between faces captured in polarimetric (or conventional) thermal and visible domain makes cross-domain face recognition quite a challenging problem for both human-examiners and computer vision algorithms. Previous approaches utilize a two-step procedure (visible feature estimation and visible image reconstruction) to synthesize the visible image given the corresponding polarimetric thermal image. However, these are regarded as two disjoint steps and hence may hinder the performance of visible face reconstruction. We argue that joint optimization would be a better way to reconstruct more photo-realistic images for both computer vision algorithms and human-examiners to examine. To this end, this paper proposes a Generative Adversarial Network-based Visible Face Synthesis (GAN-VFS) method to synthesize more photo-realistic visible face images from their corresponding polarimetric images. To ensure that the encoded visible-features contain more semantically meaningful information in reconstructing the visible face image, a guidance sub-network is involved into the training procedure. To achieve photo realistic property while preserving discriminative characteristics for the reconstructed outputs, an identity loss combined with the perceptual loss are optimized in the framework. Multiple experiments evaluated on different experimental protocols demonstrate that the proposed method achieves state-of-the-art performance.
In‐stream habitat and macroinvertebrate responses to riparian corridor length in rangeland streams

Conservation and restoration of riparian vegetation in agricultural landscapes has had mixed success at protecting in‐stream habitat, potentially due to the mismatch between watershed‐scale impacts and reach‐scale restoration. Prioritizing contiguous placement of small‐scale restoration interventions may effectively create larger‐scale restoration projects and improve ecological outcomes. We performed a multi‐site field study to evaluate whether greater linear length of narrow riparian tree corridors resulted in measurable benefits to in‐stream condition. We collected data at 41 sites with varying upstream tree cover nested within 13 groups in rangeland streams in coastal northern California, United States. We evaluated the effect of riparian tree corridor length on benthic macroinvertebrate communities, as well as food resources, water temperature, and substrate size. Sites with longer riparian corridors had higher percentages of invertebrates sensitive to disturbance (including clingers and EPT taxa) as well as lower water temperatures and less fine sediment, two of the most important aquatic stressors. Despite marked improvement, we found no evidence that macroinvertebrate communities fully recovered, suggesting that land use continued to constrain conditions. The restoration of long riparian corridors may be an economically viable and rapidly implementable technique to improve habitat, control sediment, and counter increasing water temperatures expected with climate change within the context of ongoing land use.
Regulation of Histone Deacetylase in Waldenström Macroglobulinemia

Background: Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia (WM) is an incurable lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with limited options of therapy. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors represent promising new treatment strategy in B cell malignancies. We therefore investigated the in vitro effect of the novel hydroxamic acid derivative HDAC inhibitor LBH589 in WM. Methods: WM cell lines (BCWM1 and WSU-WM) and IgM secreting low-grade lymphoma cell lines (MEC1, RL) were used. Bone marrow primary CD19+ cells and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) were obtained from patients with WM after informed consent. Cytotoxicity and DNA synthesis were measured by MTS assay and thymidine uptake assay. Cell signaling and apoptotic pathways were determined by Western Blot and immunofluorescence. Results: LBH589 induced a significant decrease of proliferation and triggered cytotoxicity in all cell lines tested and primary CD19+ WM cells (IC50 of 20–40nM), even in the presence of BMSC, IL-6 and IGF-1, which induce resistance to conventional therapies. Importantly, LBH589 did not induce cytotoxicity in healthy donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells. LBH589 induced both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, with caspase-9, caspase-8, caspase-3, and PARP cleavage in a dose-dependent manner. We also demonstrated significant upregulation of the proapoptotic transcription factor p53 and down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic proteins BclxL, Mcl-1 and c-myc. We then demonstrated that LBH589 induced apoptosis in WM cells in a caspase-independent manner through induction of autophagy, as shown by upregulation of LC3B and Rab7 expression. We further determined the mechanism of action of LBH589 in WM, investigating the effect of LBH589 on histone acetylation and NF-kB pathways. We found that LBH589 induced a dose-dependent increase in histone H3-H4 acetylation; and inhibited both canonical and non-canonical pathways of NF-κB, as shown by western blot and immunofluorescence. In addition, LBH589 augmented rituximab, fludarabine, bortezomib, and perifosine-induced cyotoxicity in WM cells. Conclusion: LBH589 has significant antitumor activity in WM in vitro, providing the framework for clinical trials evaluating LBH589 as a new therapeutic agent in patients with WM.
Flexible Bidding of Electric Energy Storage for Retail Day-Ahead Transactive Market

This paper presents a flexible day-ahead (DA) bidding strategy for electric energy storage to participate in retail DA transactive market. First, optimum battery schedules are computed by maximizing the profits over the given time horizon using forecasted DA prices. The optimum schedules together with the forecasted electricity prices are then used to create a flexible bid curve for the batteries. Since forecast of the DA electricity prices is not deterministic, the optimum bid quantity obtained based on optimization would no longer be optimum when a) electricity prices change from forecasted values and/or b) market clears at the price different than the bid price. The proposed flexible bidding mechanism adapts to such market deviations by considering the flexibility of the battery operation, battery characteristics, and battery owner's desired profit into flexible bid curve. The performance of the flexible bidding is demonstrated using Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's transactive energy system platform and was compared against point bidding. The simulation results demonstrated that the flexible bidding resulted in significantly higher profit (>50%) to the battery owner compared to the point bidding.
Rise and Demise of Ghostly Animals

The Rise of Animals . Evolution and Diversification of the Kingdom Animalia. by Mikhail A. Fedonkin, James G. Gehling, Kathleen Grey, Guy M. Narbonne, and Patricia Vickers-Rich . Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, 2008. 343 pp. £75. ISBN 9780801886799. . The Rise and Fall of the Ediacaran Biota . Patricia Vickers-Rich and Patricia Komarower, Eds . The Geological Society, Bath, UK, 2007. 464 pp. $190, £95. ISBN 9781862392335. Special Publication 286. The strange organisms of the Ediacaranare the topic of two recent titles, a monograph that will most interest paleontologists and evolutionary biologists and an account that will reward the general public.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, the US National Football League, and the Manufacture of Doubt: An Ethical, Legal, and Historical Analysis

This paper integrates legal, historical, and ethical approaches in analyzing the National Football League’s conduct regarding the risks its players face of experiencing concussions and the long-term neurodegenerative pathologies to which such injury is linked. Given that millions of children and adolescents play American football, and that the NFL concedes its behavior is a strong determinant of football culture, concussion issues are crucial matters of population health. Examining over 500 pages of testimony generated during Congressional hearings in 2009 and 2010, the paper links claims issued by leading NFL representatives to past efforts by industrial actors to manufacture doubt. The paper therefore argues that the history of public health is crucial to framing just public health policy in the present. The paper applies two frameworks drawn from public health ethics to argue first that a robust process of public reason is stymied by the NFL’s insistence on privately holding information relevant to its attitudes, practices and beliefs regarding concussions, and second, that the unequal distribution of "football prevalence" exposes already disadvantaged groups such as African-Americans to higher risks of concussions and neurological disease. The paper concludes that this latter possibility may contravene mandates of social justice, and, if so, would be ethically suboptimal.
Social Distancing Is Not What You Think

“Social Distancing” appears to be a facially neutral term that expresses itself in an objective manner. Yet, it has a history that shows it is deeply intertwined with social justice. Meaning is not simply found in the abstract, but needs context and history to fully mine how terms are received as well as intended.
Epicuticular Wax Rice Mutants Show Reduced Resistance to Rice Water Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Plant structural traits can act as barriers for herbivore attachment, feeding, and oviposition. In particular, epicuticular waxes (EWs) on the aerial surfaces of many land plants offer protection from biotic and abiotic stresses. In rice (Oryza sativa L.), mutations that reduce EWs have been previously reported. However, whether such mutations affect rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda Smith) performance has not been investigated yet. These pests cause significant economic problems in important rice-producing areas of the United States. The aim of our study was to characterize the EWs of EW mutants and wild-type rice plants by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and compare the resistance of mutant and wild-type plants against rice water weevil and fall armyworm. We hypothesized that mutants with reduced EWs would have weaker resistance to pests than wild-type plants. Three mutant lines (6-1A, 7-17A, and 11-39A) and their wild-type parent (cv. 'Sabine') were used to test this hypothesis. Levels of EWs were significantly lower in mutant lines than in the wild-type, and qualitative differences in EW composition were also observed. Reduction in EWs significantly affected performance of insects in experiments conducted under greenhouse conditions. Experiments with rice water weevils were conducted in arenas in which females were given a choice of the mutants and the wild-type for oviposition. Number of first instars emerging from the three EW mutants (an indication of oviposition preference) was higher on the three EW mutants than on wild-type plants with normal wax levels. Similarly, in no-choice experiments using whole plants or detached leaves, weight gains of armyworms on leaves were higher on the mutant lines than on the wild-type. These results indicate that EW traits are involved in rice resistance to weevils and armyworms. Understanding the plant traits that contribute to resistance to rice pests will be helpful for the development of resistant varieties for reducing pest insect damage.
Observer agreement in the choice of lumbar spine injection for pain management.

Lumbar spine MRI can help guide the choice of corticosteroid injection in pain management. We investigated whether patient-reported symptom information from a questionnaire could improve agreement in the choice of type, level, and side of injection. In this prospective observational study, 120 patients (median age 64, 70 men) were recruited from patients referred for pain management. After informed consent, they completed electronic questionnaires that obtained symptom information for later use during MRI reviews. In 3 research arms, 6 radiologists chose injections that would ideally deliver corticosteroid to the presumed sources of pain in (1) MRI studies reviewed with symptom information from questionnaires, (2) MRI studies reviewed without symptom information, and (3) MRI reports. Blinded to questionnaire results, radiologists providing clinical care and interviewing patients chose ideal therapeutic injections to establish reference standards. Injections were categorized by type, level, and side and compared using percent agreement and kappa statistics. Interreading agreement was analyzed. Compared to the reference standard, kappa agreements for injection types, levels, and sides were almost perfect when MRIs were reviewed knowing symptoms (0.85–0.93), fair without symptoms (0.23–0.35) (all P < .001) and fair in MRI reports (0.24–0.36) (all P < .001). Interreading kappa agreements were almost perfect knowing symptoms (0.82–0.90), but only moderate without symptoms (0.42–0.49) (all P < .001). Radiologists reviewing lumbar spine MRI converged on the type, level, and side of ideal therapeutic injection whether they obtained symptom information from direct patient interview or electronic questionnaire. Observer agreement was significantly lower without symptom information.
Brassinosteroids regulate petal spur length in Aquilegia by controlling cell elongation.

Background and aims Aquilegia produce elongated, three-dimensional petal spurs that fill with nectar to attract pollinators. Previous studies have shown that the diversity of spur length across the Aquilegia genus is a key innovation that is tightly linked with its recent and rapid diversification into new ranges, and that evolution of increased spur lengths is achieved via anisotropic cell elongation. Previous work identified a brassinosteroid response transcription factor as being enriched in the early developing spur cup. Brassinosteroids are known to be important for cell elongation, suggesting that brassinosteroid-mediated response may be an important regulator of spur elongation and potentially a driver of spur length diversity in Aquilegia. In this study, we investigated the role of brassinosteroids in the development of the Aquilegia coerulea petal spur. Methods We exogenously applied the biologically active brassinosteroid brassinolide to developing petal spurs to investigate spur growth under high hormone conditions. We used virus-induced gene silencing and gene expression experiments to understand the function of brassinosteroid-related transcription factors in A. coerulea petal spurs. Key results We identified a total of three Aquilegia homologues of the BES1/BZR1 protein family and found that these genes are ubiquitously expressed in all floral tissues during development, yet, consistent with the previous RNAseq study, we found that two of these paralogues are enriched in early developing petals. Exogenously applied brassinosteroid increased petal spur length due to increased anisotropic cell elongation as well as cell division. We found that targeting of the AqBEH genes with virus-induced gene silencing resulted in shortened petals, a phenotype caused in part by a loss of cell anisotropy. Conclusions Collectively, our results support a role for brassinosteroids in anisotropic cell expansion in Aquilegia petal spurs and highlight the brassinosteroid pathway as a potential player in the diversification of petal spur length in Aquilegia.
Short-term and intermediate outcomes of cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest patients supported by venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest are life-threatening emergencies with high mortality rates. Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) and extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (e-CPR) provide viable options for life sustaining measures when medical therapy fails. The purpose of this study is to determine the utilization and outcomes of VA ECMO and eCPR in patients that require emergent cardiac support at a single academic center. A retrospective chart review of prospectively collected data was performed at an academic institution from January 1st, 2018 to June 30th, 2020. All consecutive patients who required VA ECMO were evaluated based on whether they underwent traditional VA ECMO or eCPR. The study variables include demographic data, duration on ECMO, length of stay, complications, and survival to discharge. A total of 90 patients were placed on VA ECMO for cardiac support with 44.4% (40) of these patients undergoing eCPR secondary to cardiac arrest and emergent placement on ECMO. A majority of the patients were male (n = 64, 71.1%) and the mean age was 58.8 ± 15.8 years. 44.4% of patients were transferred from outside hospitals for a higher level of care and 37.8% of patients required another primary therapy such as an Impella or IABP. The most common complication experienced by patients was bleeding (n = 41, 45.6%), which occurred less often in eCPR (n = 29, 58% vs. n = 12, 30%). Other complications included infections (n = 11, 12.2%), limb ischemia (n = 13, 14.4%), acute kidney injury (n = 17, 18.9%), and cerebral vascular accident (n = 4, 4.4%). The length of stay was longer for patients on VA ECMO (32.1 ± 40.7 days vs. 17.7 ± 18.2 days). Mean time on ECMO was 8.1 ± 8.3 days. Survival to discharge was higher in VA ECMO patients (n = 23, 46% vs. n = 8, 20%). VA ECMO provided an effective rescue therapy in patients in acute cardiogenic shock with a survival greater than the expected ELSO guidelines of 40%. While the survival of eCPR was lower than expected, this may reflect the severity of patient’s condition and emphasizes the importance of careful patient selection and planning.