cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The landscape of targeted therapies for cholangiocarcinoma: current status and emerging targets

// Dawn Q. Chong 1,2 and Andrew X. Zhu 1 1 Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA 2 Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore Correspondence to: Andrew X. Zhu, email: // Keywords : cholangiocarcinoma, genetics, IDH, FGFR2 Received : December 19, 2015 Accepted : April 10, 2016 Published : April 18, 2016 Abstract Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a relatively rare malignancy that arises from the epithelial cells of the intrahepatic, perihilar and distal biliary tree. Intrahepatic CCA (ICC) represents the second most common primary liver cancer, after hepatocellular cancer. Two-thirds of the patients with ICC present with locally advanced or metastatic disease. Despite standard treatment with gemcitabine and cisplatin, prognosis remains dismal with a median survival of less than one year. Several biological plausibilities can account for its poor clinical outcomes. First, despite the advent of next generation and whole exome sequencing, no oncogenic addiction loops have been validated as clinically actionable targets. Second, the anatomical, pathological and molecular heterogeneity, and rarity of CCA confer an ongoing challenge of instituting adequately powered clinical trials. Last, most of the studies were not biomarker-driven, which may undermine the potential benefit of targeted therapy in distinct subpopulations carrying the unique molecular signature. Recent whole genome sequencing efforts have identified known mutations in genes such as epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ), Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog ( KRAS ), v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog ( BRAF ) and tumor protein p53 (TP53 ), novel mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase ( IDH ), BRCA1-Associated Protein 1 ( BAP1 ) and AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A ( ARID1A ), and novel fusions such as fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 ( FGFR2 ) and ROS proto-oncogene 1 ( ROS1 ). In this review, we will discuss the evolving genetic landscape of CCA, with an in depth focus on novel fusions (e.g. FGFR2 and ROS1 ) and somatic mutations (e.g. IDH1/2 ), which are promising actionable molecular targets.
The Freedom and Compulsion of Company Law——On the Review of the History of Personality Justness

In the company institution,there is an internal connection between the tensile relation between freedom and compulsion and the ground for the justness of company legal personality.With the evolution of the foundation of the justness from "concession" to "efficiency" and then to "responsibility",the freedom and compulsion are being eliminated constantly and the increase of the company's freedom reflects the historical inevitability.China should keep reducing the policy compulsion in company law,improve legislation technology and keep eliminating the effect of these compulsions on the essence of company.
Comparing the da Vinci si single console and dual console in teaching novice surgeons suturing techniques.

Background and Objectives: Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery is often taught with the surgical mentor at the surgeon console and the trainee at the patient's bedside. The da Vinci dual console (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, California) allows a surgical mentor to teach with both the mentor and the trainee working at a surgeon console simultaneously. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the dual console versus the single console for teaching medical students robotic tasks.
Reflex stimulation of cardiac sympathetic nerve activity during static muscle contraction in cats

Reflex response of cardiac sympathetic nerve activity (CSNA) during static contraction of the triceps surae muscle was studied using anesthetized cats. A 1-min contraction was evoked by stimulating the peripheral ends of the cut L7 and S1 ventral roots. CSNA increased 48 +/- 13% immediately after the onset of contraction, which was abolished by cutting the L4-S1 dorsal roots. This rapid increase in CSNA preceded rises in heart rate (13 +/- 1 beats/min) and arterial blood pressure (33 +/- 6 mmHg). When tension development was altered by changing the frequency of ventral root stimulation or the initial muscle length, the CSNA increase depended on the tension developed. Passive stretch of the muscle, which primarily activates mechanoreceptors, increased CSNA by 41 +/- 22%. When the contraction was sustained for 5 min, CSNA remained elevated throughout the contraction despite a fall in tension, suggesting that the later increase in CSNA is caused by factors other than a mechanical event of contraction (e.g., metabolic products). Thus it is suggested that cardiac sympathetic outflow is stimulated due to a reflex arising from the contracting muscle. The increase in CSNA at the initiation of contraction is likely to be caused by a reflex from muscle mechanoreceptors, which is followed by a subsequent increase due to a reflex from muscle metaboreceptors.
Application of genetic algorithm to determining worst-case gust loads and the dynamic response of aircraft structures

Determining worst-case gust on the structural integrity of aircraft structures is an extremely complex yet terribly important problem. In this paper a genetic algorithm (GA) is shown to be a feasible approach to solving this problem. The GA outperforms a traditional method suitable for solving linear problems, then is extended to nonlinear problems for which there is no acceptable solution methodology.
Beyond ‘Culture’ as an explanation for intimate violence: the politics and possibilities of plural resistance

AbstractThis article interrogates simplified culturalist explanations of gendered violence, which evoke timeless ‘tradition’ and religiosity to locate violence in racialized places and upon ‘othered’ bodies. I examine structural processes that shape women’s experiences of and vulnerability to intimate violence. My analysis complicates culturalist narratives, but engages critically with culture as one context within which violence is embedded. Drawing on field research within Muslim communities in Hyderabad, India, I discuss the complexities of interwoven experiences of structural, state, and intimate gender violence. I draw attention to how anti-violence organizations working in marginalized communities theorize these complexities, and practices of what I am calling ‘plural resistance,’ which these organizations enact through equally complex responses to such violences. Plural resistance describes community-based strategies that simultaneously reject both gender violence and other forms of systemic violen...
Hadronic Lorentz Violation in Chiral Perturbation Theory

Any possible Lorentz violation in the hadron sector must be tied to Lorentz violation at the underlying quark level. The relationships between the theories at these two levels are studied using chiral perturbation theory. Starting from a two-flavor quark theory that includes dimension-four Lorentz-violation operators, the effective Lagrangians are derived for both pions and nucleons, with novel terms appearing in both sectors. Since the Lorentz violation coefficients for nucleons and pions are all related to a single set of underlying quark coefficients, it is possible to place approximate bounds on pion Lorentz violation using only proton and neutron observations. The resulting bounds on four pion parameters are at the $10^{-23}$ level, representing improvements of ten orders of magnitude.
Soil Health and Climate Change: An Overview

Soil health refers to soil’s capacity to perform agronomic functions including sustainable production of crops and animals while maintaining and improving the environment. Key indicators of soil health are soil texture, tilth, color, biodiversity, water intake rate, droughtiness, internal drainage, and resilience against perturbation. There is a strong link between soil health and human health. Strategies to manage soil health depend on soil functions and planned land use. The goal to manage soil health in agricultural and forestry ecosystems is to enhance and sustain biomass production while improving water quality, and mitigating and adapting to changing climate. The projected climate change may adversely impact soil health by reducing soil organic matter content, decreasing soil structure, and increasing vulnerability to erosion and other degradation processes. Soil C sequestration by improving soil health is a cost-effective and a natural process of off-setting anthropogenic emissions while also advancing food security and improving the environment.
Reduced Oxidative Stress and Enhanced Nitric Oxide (NO) Bioavailability in Transgenic-Knockout Sickle Mice Expressing Fetal Hemoglobin (HbF) Is Mediated by Decreased Sickling and Hemolysis.

The primary event in the vaso-occlusive pathophysiology of sickle cell disease (SCD) is polymerization of hemoglobin S under deoxygenated conditions. In SCD, sub-clinical transient vaso-occlusive events caused by red cell sickling are likely to be more frequent resulting in “reperfusion injury” that generates reactive oxygen species and results in chronic oxidative stress that will contribute to multiple organ damage. In fact, previous studies have suggested that sickling is etiologic to repefusion injury and oxidative stress (Kaul and Hebbel, JCI, 2000), although the effect of antisickling therapy on oxidative stress has not been evaluated. Increasing the levels of antisickling fetal hemoglobin (HbF) by hydroxyurea therapy markedly reduces polymer formation. HbF exerts an ameliorating effect in sickle cell disease patients both on red cells and in the prevention of multiple organ damage. Here, we hypothesize that induction of HbF by genetic manipulation (in the absence of pharmacological manipulation) will reduce organ oxidative stress by reducing sickling and hemolysis, and thereby increase NO bioavailability. To test our hypothesis, we measured activity of selected antioxidants and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in BERK mice expressing exclusively human α- and βS-globins and varying levels of HbF, i.e., BERK (<1% HbF), BERKγM (20% HbF) and BERKγH (40% HbF). Percent sickled cells in venous samples (drawn in 2.5% glutaraldehyde solution in 0.1M cacodylate buffer) showed a distinct decrease with increased %HbF ( P <0.05, multiple comparisons). Consistent with maximal sickling, BERK mice showed 5.4–6.9-fold increase in LPO in various tissues (muscle, kidney and liver) compared with C57BL controls (P <0.001). In contrast, BERKγM and BERKγH mice showed a marked decrease (73% and 80%, respectively) in LPO compared with BERK mice ( P <0.001). Also, activity/levels of antioxidants (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase, glutathione peroxidase [GPx] and reduced glutathione [GSH]) showed significant decreases in BERK mice ( P <0.001–0.00001). On the other hand, BERKγM and BERKγH mice showed significant increases in antioxidant activity ( P <0.05–0.0001). Induction of HbF was associated with increased levels of NO metabolites (NOx) and reduced hemolysis; the latter is in agreement with our previous observations in BERKγM mice (Kaul et al. JCI, 2004). These results strongly suggest that reduced sickling and hemolysis in the presence of HbF cause increased NO bioavailability. NO is well known to exert antioxidative effects. Thus, we show for the first time that the induction of antisickling HbF leads to an increase in NO bioavailability and a decrease in oxidative stress, and that these protective effects are mediated primarily by reduced intravascular sickling.
Intestinal organoid as an in vitro model in studying host-microbial interactions.

Background Organoid is an in vitro three-dimensional organ-bud that shows realistic microanatomy and physiological relevance. The progress in generating organoids that faithfully recapitulate human in vivo tissue composition has extended organoid applications from being just a basic research tool to a translational platform with a wide range of uses. Study of hostmicrobial interactions relies on model systems to mimic the in vivo infection. Researchers have developed various experimental models in vitro and in vivo to examine the dynamic host-microbial interactions. For some infectious pathogens, model systems are lacking whereas some of the used systems are far from optimal.
Live Transport of Yellow Perch and Nile Tilapia in AQUI-S 20E (10% Eugenol) at High Loading Densities

AbstractFish transport costs are a substantial portion of the operational expenses for aquaculture facilities in the USA. Safely transporting higher loading densities of fish would benefit haulers by increasing efficiency and reducing costs, but research evaluating transport for individual species is generally lacking. In this study, Yellow Perch Perca flavescens and Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus were transported for 6 h immersed in water containing AQUI-S 20E (10% eugenol) at fish loading densities of 240 g/L (2 lb/gal) for perch and 480 g/L (4 lb/gal) for tilapia. Survival was quantified for fish transported in AQUI-S 20E concentrations of (1) control or 0 mg/L of water, (2) 100 mg/L, or (3) 200 mg/L. Yellow Perch had 98–100% survival, and Nile Tilapia had 100% survival up to through 14 d after transport across all AQUI-S 20E levels, including the control. Eugenol concentrations decreased rapidly in transport tank water, and fish showed no signs of sedation by the end of transport. We conclude that...
Predicting First Sexual Intercourse Experience

Longitudinal psychosocial data are used to predict the transition from virginity to nonvirginity among adolescents, all of whom were virgins at the initial testing in 1970. By the most recent follow-up, in 1979, 93% reported having had sexual intercourse experience. Variation in time of onset of initial intercourse was categorized into six time periods and served as the main criterion variable in the study. Bivariate and multivariate analyses show that antecedent measures of personality, the perceived environment, and behavior are predictive of variation in time of onset and, taken together, can account for approximately 30% of the criterion variance. The results support the utility of the Problem Behavior Theory framework and show onset of sexual intercourse to be a systematic aspect of psychosocial development in adolescence.
Determining if Spatial Reasoning is Required to Learn CS

Spatial reasoning may be a strong predictor for a career in Computer Science (CS) [9]. However, it is unclear why and how spatial abilities lead to success in CS. Investigating the role of spatial reasoning in learning CS may be important for broadening participation. Most students who excel in CS are white males or students from a high socioeconomic status (SES) [2, 5]. These same students typically score higher on spatial reasoning tests than their peers [1]. Thus spatial reasoning may be another factor preventing marginalized communities from succeeding in CS.
Intermediation in the Supply of Agricultural Products in Developing Economies

Problem Definition: Farmers face several challenges in agricultural supply chains in emerging economies that contribute to extreme levels of poverty. One common challenge is that farmers only have access to one channel, often an auction, for which to sell their crops. Recently, e-intermediaries have emerged as alternate, technology-driven posted-price channels. We aim to develop insights into the structural drivers of farmer and supply chain profitability in emerging markets and understand the impact of e-intermediaries. Academic/Practical Relevance: In practice, much attention has been given to e-intermediaries and they have often been touted as for-profit social enterprises that improve farmers' welfare. Yet, studies in the operations literature that systematically analyze the impact of e-intermediaries are lacking. Our work fills this gap and answers practical questions regarding the responsible operations of e-intermediaries. Methodology: We develop an analytical model of a supply chain that allows us to study several key features of intermediated supply chains. We complement the model's insights with observations from a numerical study. Results: In the absence of an e-intermediary, auctions cause farmers to either overproduce or underproduce compared to their ideal production levels in a vertically integrated chain. The presence of an e-intermediary with limited market share improves farmers' profits; however, if the e-intermediary grows too large, it negatively impacts both farmers' and supply chain profits. Finally, as the number of farmers increases, farmers' profits approach zero, irrespective of the e-intermediary's presence. Managerial Implications: Our results provide a balanced perspective on the value of e-intermediation, compared to the generally positive views advanced by case studies. For-profit e-intermediaries that also aim to improve farmers' livelihoods cannot blindly operate as pure profit-maximizers, assuming that market forces alone will ensure that farmers benefit. Even when e-intermediation benefits farmers, it is insufficient to mitigate the negative effects of supply fragmentation, suggesting that for farmers, market power is more important than market access.
Maintained avalanche dynamics during task-induced changes of neuronal activity in nonhuman primates

Sensory events, cognitive processing and motor actions correlate with transient changes in neuronal activity. In cortex, these transients form widespread spatiotemporal patterns with largely unknown statistical regularities. Here, we show that activity associated with behavioral events carry the signature of scale-invariant spatiotemporal clusters, neuronal avalanches. Using high-density microelectrode arrays in nonhuman primates, we recorded extracellular unit activity and the local field potential (LFP) in premotor and prefrontal cortex during motor and cognitive tasks. Unit activity and negative LFP deflections (nLFP) consistently changed in rate at single electrodes during tasks. Accordingly, nLFP clusters on the array deviated from scale-invariance compared to ongoing activity. Scale-invariance was recovered using 'adaptive binning', that is identifying clusters at temporal resolution given by task-induced changes in nLFP rate. Measures of LFP synchronization confirmed and computer simulations detailed our findings. We suggest optimization principles identified for avalanches during ongoing activity to apply to cortical information processing during behavior.
Fusion of color and range sensors for occupant recognition and tracking

This paper addresses the design and implementation of multisensor systems techniques that provide occupant knowledge and enable effective use of the smart space. The integration of feature selection and Bayesian classification provides consistent detection of occupants and occupant locations. Additionally, occupancy detection and activity recognition are extended through the multisensor fusion of time-of-flight (ToF) and color sensors. The existing color sensors do not provide high-resolution detection, and ToF range information and light source geometry are needed to extend this information. In this multisensor approach, predictive filter tracking techniques in the color space of the sensor response are explored in order to provide more consistent and robust detection and monitoring.
Localization and intracellular transport of MHC class II molecules in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells.

Expression of class II molecules is restricted to certain cell types, including B lymphocytes, dendritic cells (DC) from various tissues (e.g. Langerhans cells from skin) and macrophages. Dendritic cells are a system of potent antigen presenting cells (APC) that are characterized by their strong capacity to stimulate immunologically naive T cells1,2. A key function of DC is thought to be the acquisition of antigens in peripheral tissues and their transport to draining lymph nodes for presentation of the processed peptides to the T lymphocytes. Until recently, the major limitation to study the cell biology of dendritic cells has been the absence of long term cell lines and clones. However, the finding that granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)3 promotes growth and maturation of large quantities of DC issued from bone marrow progenitors4 provided us with a tool to study the MHC class II transport and distribution in these important APCs. Antigens must be converted in short peptides and loaded on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules before they can trigger an immune response5. Class II associated peptides are derived from extracellular proteins or endogenous proteins that have access to the endocytic pathway. Class II molecules associate with the Invariant chain (Ii) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)6 and are targeted to the endocytic pathway. Class II molecules accumulate transiently in endocytic compartments designated MHC class II compartment (MIIC)7,8,9 or class II vesicles (CIIV)10,11. CIIV are physically and biochemically distinct from endosomes and lysosomes but do, however, contain early endocytic markers such as transferrin receptor and surface immunoglobulins. MIIC, on the other hand, are depleted of recycling receptors and are enriched in late endocytic markers such as Lamp 1. Bone marrow derived DC were cultivated in presence of GM-CSF and a cell biological analysis was performed at different periods of their development. we have shown that major changes in the distribution of class II molecules can be observed during the maturation of DC. Additionaly, we have characterized a new population of DC, representing an intermediate stage of maturation in which CIIV and MIIC can coexist. This developmental switch is coordinated with changes in the distribution of the invariant chain, as well as a dramatic acceleration of class II transport to the plasma membrane.
Serving the Needs of Young Children with Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Needs: A Commentary.

Currently, 69% of American four- and five-year-olds are enrolled in some kind of center-based early childhood education (ECE) program, and 43 of the 50 states of the USA offer state-funded prekindergarten programs. This creates an important opportunity for the early promotion of social, emotional, and behavioral competencies and early intervention to remediate behavior problems and address emerging mental health concerns. This special issue highlights four new evidence-based programs that promote the development of social, emotional, and behavioral competencies in early childhood and reduce the risks associated with challenging behaviors. In this commentary, we highlight key issues that emerged across the four papers included in this special issue, including common ground and areas of distinction across the programs. We celebrate the progress made in this area over the past two decades that is reflected in these papers, and focus on critical steps in this domain for future research and practice.
Fishnet model with order statistics for tail probability of failure of nacreous biomimetic materials with softening interlaminar links

Abstract The staggered (or imbricated) lamellar “brick-and-mortar” nanostructure of nacre endows nacre with strength and fracture toughness values exceeding by an order of magnitude those of the constituents, and inspires the advent of new robust biomimetic materials. While many deterministic studies clarified these advantageous features in the mean sense, a closed-form statistical model is indispensable for determining the tail probability of failure in the range of 1 in a million, which is what is demanded for most engineering applications. In the authors’ preceding study, the so-called ‘fishnet’ statistics, exemplified by a diagonally pulled fishnet, was conceived to describe the probability distribution. The fishnet links, representing interlaminar bonds, were considered to be elastic perfectly-brittle. However, the links may often be quasibrittle or almost ductile, exhibiting gradual postpeak softening in their stress-strain relation. This paper extends the fishnet statistics to links with post-peak softening slope of arbitrary steepness. Probabilistic analysis is enabled by assuming the postpeak softening of a link to occur as a series of finite drops of stress and stiffness. The maximum load of the structure is approximated by the strength of the k th weakest link ( k ≥ 1), and the distribution of structure strength is expressed as a weighted sum of the distributions of order statistics. The analytically obtained probabilities are compared and verified by histograms of strength data obtained by millions of Monte Carlo simulations for each of many nacreous bodies with different link softening steepness and with various overall shapes.
Transcription Factor-Mediated Differentiation of Human iPSCs into Neurons.

Accurate modeling of human neuronal cell biology has been a long-standing challenge. However, methods to differentiate human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to neurons have recently provided experimentally tractable cell models. Numerous methods that use small molecules to direct iPSCs into neuronal lineages have arisen in recent years. Unfortunately, these methods entail numerous challenges, including poor efficiency, variable cell type heterogeneity, and lengthy, expensive differentiation procedures. We recently developed a new method to generate stable transgenic lines of human iPSCs with doxycycline-inducible transcription factors at safe-harbor loci. Using a simple two-step protocol, these lines can be inducibly differentiated into either cortical (i3 Neurons) or lower motor neurons (i3 LMN) in a rapid, efficient, and scalable manner (Wang et al., 2017). In this manuscript, we describe a set of protocols to assist investigators in the culture and genetic engineering of iPSC lines to enable transcription factor-mediated differentiation of iPSCs into i3 Neurons or i3 LMNs, and we present neuronal culture conditions for various experimental applications. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Grandiosity on display: Social media behaviors and dimensions of narcissism

Abstract This study examined the relationship between dimensions of narcissism and selfie posting/sending frequency and other self-promoting behaviors on social media. Participants (N = 124) completed an online survey of narcissistic traits and social media use. Global narcissism was significantly correlated with numerous social media behaviors, including frequency of selfie posting, perceived attractiveness of selfies, tag/comment/like behaviors, as well as variables specific to individual social media platforms. Among narcissism dimensions, Grandiose Exhibitionism exhibited the most consistent association with social media behaviors. The Leadership/Authority dimension generally demonstrated the weakest correlations with selfie posting/sending frequency and other social media behaviors. Additionally, PROCESS analyses revealed that traits reflecting global narcissism, Grandiose Exhibitionism, and Entitlement/Exploitativeness were associated with selfie posting/sending frequency through a motivation for others to show interest and admiration. Implications for this research and future directions are discussed.
SEDIMENTARY PATTERNS AND PROCESSES IN WEST COAST LAGOONS

ABSTRACT We have studied two tidal lagoons, Mugu Lagoon in temperate California and Laguna Potosi in tropical Mexico. Critical for the sedimentology, ecology, and history of the lagoons is their inlet position and condition (open or closed). Sedimentation is tidally controlled when the inlets are open and negligible when they are closed. Sand distribution is controlled by present and past inlet positions, and in both lagoons sand is the dominant sediment and the foundation material. Open inlets allow tidal currents to move sand from the beach into channels and tidal flats proximal to the inlet and promote transport of mud into distal reaches. Lagoon waters are then marine and support abundant life. When the inlets are closed, lagoon waters are quiet and sediment input is negligible except for washover and eolian sand from beaches and dust from adjoining land. Lagoon waters may become stagnant and/or hyposaline. Significant for sedimentation and evolution of the lagoons are differences in climate, stream runoff, orientation with the inlet, and vegetation. Mugu Lagoon is irregularly estuarine, is elongated perpendicular to its inlet, thus minimizing fresh water flushing, and is dominated by an upper tidal zone salt marsh and thus has extensive intertidal flats. In contrast, Laguna Potosi is annually estuarine, is elongated between its inlet and a fresh water effluent, thus being completely flushed, and has vegetation dominated by lower tidal zone mangroves that have fixed its perimeter. Presently the lagoon inlets are artificially kept open to assure normal marine circulation, thus circumventing the temporal vagaries of the natural inlet cycle, hastening sand deposition and shortening the life of the lagoons.
Nairobi Sheep Disease Virus

This chapter provides an overview of the Nairobi sheep disease (NSD) virus, which belongs to the Bunyaviridae family. It is identical to the Ganjam virus that is isolated in India. The NSD virus in Africa causes fever and hemorrhagic gastroenteritis transmitted by Ixodid ticks. Sheep and goats are the hosts to the Nairobi sheep disease. So far, reports of this virus are only from Africa, but no serological surveys have been conducted outside this area. This disease was described in 1917 near Nairobi. It is transmitted by ticks, but no virus has been isolated from wild ruminants or rodents. Indirect haemagglutination assay, complement fixation, fluorescent antibody, and indirect immunofluorescent assay are the diagnostic techniques of the NSD virus. However, virus neutralization is not a valuable technique for the diagnosis of the virus.
CHANGE IN CIRCULATING PROGENITOR CELLS DURING STRESS TESTING AND RISK OF ADVERSE CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

A lower circulating progenitor cell (CPC) count is an independent predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. CPCs are also mobilized in response to ischemia. We investigated the prognostic role of the change in CPC counts with stress testing in stable CAD patients. We hypothesized that impaired
183-OR: Placental Growth Factor and Fetal Growth in Women with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Maternal hyperglycaemia alone does9nt explain the incidence of large for gestational age offspring (LGA) amongst women with T1DM. Placental vascular development is regulated by angiogenic factors. Placental growth factor (PIGF) is such a factor with a PlGF >100 signifying a well-developed placenta. Co-measurement of PlGF and SFLT-1 (soluble receptor antagonist to VEGF), combined as a ratio, is predictive of maternal vascular perfusion. A low sFLT-1:PlGF ( Methods: Amongst 157 women who participated in CONCEPTT; PlGF, sFLT-1:PlGF and a HbA1c 6.5% at randomisation and 34 weeks9 gestation were assessed. Two separate linear regression models were used to test for a differential effect of placental function on mean birth weight in those with different levels of glycemic control, one using sFLT-1:PlGF and the other PlGF. Results: No significant relationship was found between birthweight and markers of placental function and glycemic control at randomisation. At 34 weeks, the relationship of birth weight to sFLT-1: PlGF differed depending upon HbA1c (p=0.007). Where HbA1c 85 (3699g). Where HbA1c > 6.5%, birthweights were higher with a sFLT-1:PlGF 85 (3355g). A similar pattern emerged for PlGF alone, with a differential effect of a healthy placenta on birthweight dependent upon glycemic control (p=0.013). Where HbA1c 6.5%, an elevated PlGF (>100) resulted in higher birth weight than in those with lower PlGF (3822g ±679 vs. 3344g ±556). Conclusion: In women with T1DM, the combination of a healthy placenta with poor glycemic control resulted in the highest birthweights. Tighter glycemic control to avoid LGA is needed in women with healthy placental function. Disclosure S. Bacon: None. D. Burger: None. M. Tailor: None. G.A. Tomlinson: None. H.R. Murphy: Advisory Panel; Self; Medtronic MiniMed, Inc. D. Feig: Advisory Panel; Self; Medtronic. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Medtronic.
The Precedence Effect

The study of illusions forcibly reminds us that our experience of the world is, to a great extent, created within our own heads. Understanding illusions can help explicate the way the brain handles sensory information, which is an interesting idea traced through its long history by Coren and Girgus (1978). Developmental changes in the way illusions are perceived may, in turn, bring a better understanding of both the developing nervous system and the functioning of a mature nervous system.
Incidence, Management, and Outcomes of Chylothorax after Lung Transplantation: A Single-center Experience.

Background The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and outcomes of chylothorax after lung transplantation. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of our institutional lung transplant registry of 504 adult transplantations done from 2001 to 2015 and identified seven patients (1.38%) with chylothorax. Electronic health records were then analyzed to determine demographics, indications for surgery, management, and outcomes. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Chylothorax presented in the first week in four (62.5%) patients, and approximately one month later in the remaining three. Nonsurgical management was initially attempted in all patients and succeeded in three (42.9%). Elective surgical ligation of the thoracic duct (LTD) was successful in two (66.7%) out of three patients in whom it was performed. One patient required emergent reoperation for clamshell thoracotomy dehiscence from severe chylothorax. Thoracic duct embolization was attempted but unsuccessful in two patients. Subsequently, one of these patients received a peritoneal-venous shunt and the other underwent LTD. Chylothorax permanently resolved in six patients (85.7%). There were no mortalities directly related to chylothorax. The median time to resolution was 11 days (range: 7-60). The mean survival in months for chylothorax patients was 29.2 (SE 3.1) and 78.2 (SE 2.9) for the remaining patients (p = 0.37). The median survival was not reached for the chylothorax group and was 71.8 months (95% CI: 58.0-83.9) for the rest. Conclusion Chylothorax is rare after lung transplantation but can lead to major comorbidities and prolonged hospital stay. In our experience, nonsurgical management was successful in up to 40% of patients. LTD should be considered in those who fail conservative management.
When Should Informed Consent Begin

About 15 years ago, when I was the project manager for a large, federally funded, multicenter clinical trial, a patient who had been offered enrollment called to express his horror that we were randomizing people into different treatment arms. He had never heard of such a thing. How could we let
Challenges in management of a patient with oropharyngeal carcinoma and scleroderma

Abstract Objective To discuss some of the challenges that can arise in the treatment of patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma and scleroderma, by presenting an illustrative case. Methods We report a case of a patient with scleroderma who was treated with surgery, radiation and systemic therapy for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. We also review the literature on treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in scleroderma patients. Results The patient tolerated treatment well, with a typical degree of toxicity and no evidence of recurrence at 3.5 years following adjuvant therapy. Conclusion Patients with oropharyngeal cancer and scleroderma should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in conjunction with a rheumatologist to determine the ideal treatment plan. Patients with limited or well-controlled scleroderma may tolerate treatment better than expected based on historical reports in the literature.
The Quantum Illumination Story : (Invited Paper)

Superposition and entanglement, the quintessential characteristics of quantum physics, have been shown to provide communication, computation, and sensing capabilities that go beyond what classical physics will permit. It is natural, therefore, to explore their application to radar, despite the fact that decoherence—caused by the loss and noise encountered in radar sensing—destroys these fragile quantum properties. This paper tells the story of “quantum illumination”, an entanglement-based approach to quantum radar, from its inception to its current understanding. Remarkably, despite loss and noise that destroys its initial entanglement, quantum illumination does offer a target-detection performance improvement over a classical radar of the same transmitted energy. A realistic assessment of that improvement’s utility, however, shows that its value is severely limited. Nevertheless, the fact that entanglement can be of value on an entanglement-breaking channel—the meta-lesson of the quantum illumination story—should spur continued research on quantum radar.
Physically Consistent Modeling of Dike-Induced Deformation and Seismicity: Application to the 2014 Bárðarbunga Dike, Iceland

Dike intrusions are often associated with surface deformation and propagating swarms of earthquakes. These are understood to be manifestations of the same underlying physical process, although rarely modeled as such. We construct a physics-based model of the 2014 B\ar{\dh}arbunga dike, by far the best observed large dike ($> 0.5$ km$^3$) to date. We constrain the background stress state by the total dike deformation, the time-dependent dike pressure from continuous GPS and the extent of the seismic swarm, and the spatial dependence of frictional properties via the space-time evolution of seismicity. We find that the geodetic and earthquake data can be reconciled with a self-consistent set of parameters. The complex spatial and temporal evolution of the B\ar{\dh}arbunga seismicity can be explained by dike-induced elastic stress changes on preexisting faults, constrained by observed focal mechanisms. In particular, the model captures the segmentation of seismicity, where only the newest dike segment is seismically active. Our results indicate that many features of the seismicity result from the interplay between time-dependent magma pressure within the dike and stress memory effects. The spatial variability in seismicity requires heterogeneity in frictional properties and/or local initial stresses. Modeling suggests that the dike pressure drops during rapid advances and increases during pauses, which primarily causes the segmentation of the seismicity. Joint analysis of multiple data types could potentially lead to improved, physics-based eruption forecasts.
All-optical fiber ultrasound imaging system based on the photoacoustic principle

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a novel all-optical fiber ultrasound imaging system based on the photoacoustic (PA) ultrasound generation principle and Fabry-Perot interferometer principle for biomedical imaging applications. This system consists of a fiber optic ultrasound generator and a Fabry–Perot (FP) fiber sensor receiver. A carbon black polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material was utilized as the photoacoustic material for the fiber optic ultrasound generator. The black PDMS material was coated on the tip of a 1000 μm core size multimode fiber (MMF) to generate the ultrasound signal. Two layers of gold, PDMS and a single mode fiber (SMF) were used to build the FP fiber sensor receiver. The system verification test proves the ultrasound sensing capability. The biomedical imaging test validates the ultrasound imaging capability. There are many advantages of this all-optical fiber ultrasound imaging system, such as small size, light weight, ease of use, and immunity to electromagnetic interference. This research has revealed valuable knowledge for the further study of biomedical imaging in a limited space, e.g., catheter based intravascular imaging, tissue characterization, tissue identification and related biomedical applications.
TrinaryMC: Monte Carlo Based Anchorless Relative Positioning for Indoor Positioning

Identifying positions of mobile devices within indoor environments allows for the development of advanced applications with context and environmental awareness. Classic localization methods require GPS; an expensive, high power consuming and inaccurate solution for indoor situations. Relative positioning allows nodes to recognize their location in relation to neighboring nodes to develop an internal mapping of their own position compared to those around them. This enables a quick deployment of a given system in new, unknown indoor environments without requiring prerequisite human mapping steps. In this paper, we develop a Monte Carlo Localization (MCL) based anchorless, relative positioning algorithm which simplifies the problem to considering three states of interaction between devices: approaching, retreating and invisible. Considering three states contributes to existing MCL methods which so far only consider binary states of visible or invisible. Through our anchorless approach, we show by simulations that TrinaryMC can provide more accurate positioning information than existing anchor based methods without relying on GPS, hence decreasing hardware costs and energy consumption from the use of GPS modules as well as reducing communication overhead compared to state-of-the-art MCL methods.
Health Impact Assessment of PM2.5 attributable mortality from the September 2020 Washington State Wildfire Smoke Episode.

Abstract Major wildfires that started in the summer of 2020 along the west coast of the U.S. have made PM2.5 concentrations in cities in this region rank among the highest in the world. Regions of Washington were impacted by active wildfires in the state, and by aged wood smoke transported from fires in Oregon and California. This study aims to assess the population health impact of increased PM2.5 concentrations attributable to the wildfire. Average daily PM2.5 concentrations for each county before and during the 2020 Washington wildfire episode were obtained from the Washington Department of Ecology. Utilizing previously established associations of short-term mortality for PM2.5, we estimated excess mortality for Washington attributable to the increased PM2.5 levels. On average, PM2.5 concentrations increased 91.7 μg/m3 during the wildfire episode. Each week of wildfire smoke exposures was estimated to result in 87.6 (95% CI: 70.9, 103.1) cases of increased all-cause mortality, 19.1 (95% CI: 10.0, 28.2) increased cardiovascular disease deaths, and 9.4 (95% CI: 5.1, 13.5) increased respiratory disease deaths. Because wildfire smoke episodes are likely to continue impacting the Pacific Northwest in future years, continued preparedness and mitigations to reduce exposures to wildfire smoke are necessary to avoid this excess health burden.
Lightning Still Strikes: Evidence from the Popular Press That Death Sentencing Continues to Be Unconstitutionally Arbitrary More Than Three Decades after Furman

After explaining what the results of a non-arbitrary capital punishment system might look like, the author examines 535 cases from 2004 — 142 death sentences, 102 cases in which sentencers spared defendants from death sentences, and 323 cases in which prosecutors spared defendants from death sentences — and concludes that death sentences are still arbitrary more than thirty years after Furman v. Georgia.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Vaccination Coverage Among Adult Populations in the U.S.

Introduction Reducing racial/ethnic disparities in immunization rates is a compelling public health goal. Disparities in childhood vaccination rates have not been observed in recent years for most vaccines. The objective of this study is to assess adult vaccination by race/ethnicity in the U.S. Methods The 2012 National Health Interview Survey was analyzed in 2014 to assess adult vaccination by race/ethnicity for five vaccines routinely recommended for adults: influenza, tetanus, pneumococcal (two vaccines), human papilloma virus, and zoster vaccines. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors independently associated with all adult vaccinations. Results Vaccination coverage was significantly lower among non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Asians compared with non-Hispanic whites, with only a few exceptions. Age, sex, education, health insurance, usual place of care, number of physician visits in the past 12 months, and health insurance were independently associated with receipt of most of the examined vaccines. Racial/ethnic differences narrowed, but gaps remained after taking these factors into account. Conclusions Racial and ethnic differences in vaccination levels narrow when adjusting for socioeconomic factors analyzed in this survey, but are not eliminated, suggesting that other factors that are associated with vaccination disparities are not measured by the National Health Interview Survey and could also contribute to the differences in coverage. Additional efforts, including systems changes to ensure routine assessment and recommendations for needed vaccinations among adults for all racial/ethnic groups, are essential for improving vaccine coverage.
Cohomology of certain congruence subgroups of the modular group

In this note we compute the integral cohomology groups of the subgroups ro(n) of SL(2, Z) and the corresponding subgroups Pro(n) of its quotient, the classical modular group, PSL(2, Z).
Applications of soft X-ray lasers for plasma diagnostics

Collisionally pumped X-ray lasers have been demonstrated to have sufficient energy, and narrow bandwidth to make them one of the brightest laboratory X-ray sources available. Furthermore, with their relatively small source size and narrow divergence they have enough spatial and temporal coherence to be applied in interferometric applications. A program to develop plasma diagnostics based on the X-ray laser probing has been underway at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for several years.
Hydrological/Environmental Impacts of Tree Harvesting within Flatwood Pine Forests Upon Local Wetlands

The impact of different management practices on the hydrology of cypress pond/flatwood systems was simulated using a multi-dimensional water flow and solute transport model (WETLANDS). Three hypothetical weather years were used. Results of these simulations revealed that during periods of positive net water input (NWI) flatwood areas undergo slow surface drainage by inter-connected strands of cypress ponds. It is during such times of the year that a high potential exists for contamination of the pond surface water. However, there is no concern about contaminant movement into the pond during a H&W year where NWI is negative throughout the year. Total tree harvest resulted in suppressed water consumption by ET such that water levels in the cypress pond were higher and water table depths were shallower. Total clear cut of the forest resulted in higher potential of contaminant movement into the pond as a result of the high NWI and a high water table through the simulated year. Unharvested buffer zones adjacent to ponds provided significant hydrological/environmental benefits to total harvesting.