cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circulating tumor cell analysis in metastatic triple-negative breast cancers.

Purpose: Recent developments in rare-cell technology have led to improved blood-based assays that allow for the reliable detection, enumeration, and more recently, genomic profiling of circulating tumor cells (CTC). We evaluated two different approaches for enumeration of CTCs in a prospective therapeutic study of patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Experimental Design: The CellSearch system, a commercially available and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–cleared assay for CTC enumeration, and IE/FC, an alternative method using EPCAM-based immunomagnetic enrichment and flow cytometry that maintains cell viability, were used to enumerate CTCs in the blood of patients with metastatic TNBC. CTC numbers were assessed at baseline and 7 to 14 days after initiation of therapy with cetuximab ± carboplatin in a phase II multicenter clinical trial (TBCRC 001). Results: CTC numbers from two methods were significantly correlated at baseline ( r = 0.62) and at 7 to 14 days ( r = 0.53). Baseline CTCs showed no association with time-to-progression (TTP), whereas CTCs at 7 to 14 days were significantly correlated with TTP (CellSearch P = 0.02; IE/FC P = 0.03). CTCs at both time points were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) [CellSearch: baseline ( P = 0.0001) and 7 to 14 days ( P P = 0.0009) and 7 to 14 days ( P = 0.0086)]. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that CTC enumeration by two different assays was highly concordant. In addition, results of both assays were significantly correlated with TTP and OS in patients with TNBC. The IE/FC method is also easily adapted to isolation of pure populations of CTCs for genomic profiling. Clin Cancer Res; 21(5); 1098–105. ©2014 AACR .
Sibling ordinal position and family education

Abstract During the process of Adlerian Family Education, a great deal of attention is given to understanding the dynamics of the family constellation, especially sibling ordinal position and family atmosphere. The first step in interviewing a “teaching-demonstration” family is to diagram the family constellation and make some tentative guesses regarding how the children in the family have “found their place,” gained a sense of belonging, and exhibited possible adjustment problems or misbehavior. Audience participants are encouraged to share in this stochastic process based upon knowledge gained in observing previous family education sessions. Then the parents being interviewed either confirm or revise the guesses presented. At this point the parents generally specify their primary concerns, which typically involve the “misbehavior” of their “problem child.” In helping parents understand children and their misbehavior, the family educators quickly point out that it is necessary for them to understand the ...
Alternative Approaches to Modeling Fluence Distribution and Microbial Inactivation in Ultraviolet Reactors: Lagrangian versus Eulerian

A study was performed to evaluate alternative methods for predicting the ultraviolet (UV) reactor performance using computational fluid dynamics. The study consists of modeling the UV fluence distribution and microbial inactivation using either Lagrangian or Eulerian methods for both low- and medium-pressure UV reactors. In the Eulerian method, fluence distributions were calculated using a flow-weighted and a mass-weighted fraction technique. The results show that the Eulerian flow-weighted fraction fluence distribution agreed well with the Lagrangian particle tracking fluence distribution when applied to the UV reactor outlet plane. However, when applied to planes downstream from effluent hydraulic structures, the Eulerian fluence distribution method was influenced by the additional convective mixing from these hydraulic structures and predicts a tighter fluence distribution range than the Lagrangian method. The Eulerian approach to modeling microbial inactivation seems comparable to the Lagrangian particle tracking approach and can be viewed as a suitable alternative to the Lagrangian approach. The results also show that the Eulerian mass-weighted fraction distribution is comparable to the microbial kinetic weighted Lagrangian particle tracking approach, which can provide greater sensitivity to the low fluence regions in the UV reactor.
Effects of periadolescent fluoxetine and paroxetine on elevated plus-maze, acoustic startle, and swimming immobility in rats while on and off-drug

Rationale Whether selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) exposure during adolescent brain development causes lasting effects remains unresolved.
For Treasury Charity Starts at Home: Treasury's New Interpretation of the Fiduciary Income Tax Charitable Deduction

This Article challenges Treasury’s recent regulations narrowly interpreting the fiduciary income tax charitable deduction under IRC § 642(c). Treasury’s new interpretation highlights a fundamental tension in the federal tax system, which involves identifying transactions that are abusive versus transactions that take advantage of congressionally sanctioned tax incentives that were designed to further important public policies like charitable giving. For almost forty years, IRC § 642(c) had been liberally construed by Treasury, which was consistent with the legislative history and principles of statutory construction traditionally applicable to charitable deductions. Treasury’s new restriction on income ordering rules in charitable trusts overrides the legal norms historically applicable to charitable deductions and is contrary to the legislative history, case law interpreting charitable deductions and Subchapter J of the Internal Revenue Code. If left unchallenged, this new interpretation has the potential to erode congressionally sanctioned tax incentives, charitable and otherwise, which is cause for great concern. This Article examines the history of charitable deductions in the United States and the case law that has liberally construed the deductions for almost a century. The Article also examines the statutory framework of Subchapter J of the Internal Revenue Code and concludes that Treasury’s justification for its new interpretation of the deduction is without merit and that the regulations should be invalidated if challenged.
Physical Chemical Study of the Distribution of Some Amine Salts Between Immiscible Solvents. II: Complexation in the organic phase

The apparent partition coefficients of some amine salts of four aromatic sulfonic acid dyes are reported. The effect of adding complexing molecules to the organic layer has been studied. The binding number and over-all stability constant for the complexation has been determined. The results indicate that the acid strength of the complexing agent and the van der Waals forces of attraction are important considerations in partition studies. The results also indicate that the analyst should consider the use of proton donor molecules to aid in an efficient extraction of amine salts of dyes.
Increased Prevalence of Transglutaminase 6 Antibodies in Sera From Schizophrenia Patients

Gluten can cause extraintestinal manifestations with or without gastrointestinal symptoms and elevated antitissue transglutaminase 2 (tTG2) autoantibodies. Organ-specific gluten reaction involves immune response toward other transglutaminase (TG) isoforms including tTG3 (expressed in the skin, leading to dermatitis herpetiformis) and tTG6 (expressed in the brain, causing gluten ataxia). This analysis focuses on tTG6 antibodies, which have never been studied before in schizophrenia (SZ) and its relationships to tTG2 and to antigliadin antibodies. We previously showed an increased prevalence of tTG2 antibodies in gluten sensitive SZ patients compared with healthy controls (HC) that was not paralleled by an increased prevalence of antiendomysial antibody. To elucidate this discrepancy, we examined those tTG2 positive SZ patients for the presence of tTG6 antibody. We also searched for tTG6 antibodies in our sample of antigliadin (AGA) positive and AGA and tTG2 negative SZ patients. Seventy-four tTG2 positive SZ patients were compared with 148 age and gender-matched HC. Of the 74 tTG2 positive SZ patients, 16 were positive for tTG6 IgA for a prevalence of 22%. Only 4 HC were positive for tTG6 IgA for a prevalence of 2.7%. Among the AGA positive SZ patients, the prevalence of tTG6 IgA was 21.3% while 13.1% of the AGA and tTG2 negative SZ patients were positive for tTG6 IgA. The HC had a prevalence of 6%. Our results indicate a higher prevalence of tTG6 antibodies in SZ that may represent a biomarker useful to identify SZ patients who would benefit from a gluten-free diet.
Off-fault plasticity and earthquake rupture dynamics: 1. Dry materials or neglect of fluid pressure changes

[1] We analyze inelastic off-fault response during earthquakes. Spontaneous crack-like rupture, with slip weakening, is modeled in 2-D plane strain using an explicit dynamic finite element procedure. A Mohr-Coulomb type elastic-plastic description describes the material bordering the fault. We identify the factors which control the extent and distribution of off-fault plasticity during dynamic rupture. Those include the angle with the fault of the maximum compressive prestress, the seismic S ratio, and the closeness of the initial stress state to Mohr-Coulomb failure. Plastic response can significantly alter the rupture propagation velocity, delaying or even preventing a transition to supershear rupture in some cases. Plastic straining also alters the residual stress field left near the fault. In part 1, we consider "dry" materials bordering the fault, or at least neglect pore pressure changes within them. Part 2 addresses the effects of fluid saturation, showing that analysis procedures of this part can describe undrained fluid-saturated response. Elastic-plastic laws of the type used are prone to shear localization, resulting in an inherent grid dependence in some numerical solutions. Nevertheless, we show that in the problems addressed, the overall sizes of plastic regions and the dynamics of rupture propagation seem little different from what are obtained when we increase the assumed plastic hardening modulus or dilatancy parameter above the theoretical threshold for localization, obtaining a locally smooth numerical solution at the grid scale. Evidence for scaling of some localization features with a real (nongrid) length scale in the model is also presented.
The Social construction of literacy

This book presents a social perspective on literacy and on its acquisition. The term 'literacy' is notoriously vague, and in the opening chapter of this collection, Jenny Cook-Gumperz examines the historical background which came to equate 'universal literacy' with the resolution of society's ills, and questions why, when this objective has been so nearly realised in Western society, some people are clearly considered more 'literate' than others. The central thesis of the book is that literacy is now equated with school performance, but that educational assessments of literacy are often woefully inadequate. The empirical studies of classroom life that form the core of the book examine classroom interactions in a variety of settings and tellingly illustrate the need for students to acquire discourse strategies that are socially 'approved'. The volume as a whole presents a new perspective on literacy acquisition - as not simply a cognitive process but a socially and communicatively based skill. The original methodological approach provides for a fine tuned analysis that increases our understanding of communicative interaction in general and has wide ranging implications for educational theory and practice.
IP traceback with deterministic packet marking

We propose a new approach for IP traceback which is scalable and simple to implement, and introduces no bandwidth and practically no processing overhead. It is backward compatible with equipment which does not implement it. The approach is capable of tracing back attacks, which are composed of just a few packets. In addition, a service provider can implement this scheme without revealing its internal network topology.
Linking HIV-Positive Adolescents Into Care: The Effects of Relationships Between Local Health Departments and Adolescent Medicine Clinics

The fragmentation of HIV-related diagnostic and treatment services, especially for youth, is a significant barrier for engaging in care. The authors identified key elements that affected care linkage efforts and conducted 64 interviews across 15 clinical sites. The constant comparative method was used. Primary linkages to care processes are illustrated through three geographically diverse case studies. Factors included interagency relationships, data-sharing protocols, and service duplication concerns. Program improvement strategies were discussed. A strong, citywide network is helpful in coordinating care linkage services. These partnerships will be critical in effectively realizing the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
Identifying Predictors of Unwanted Online Sexual Conversations Among Youth Using a Low Self-Control and Routine Activity Framework

The development of the Internet and computer-mediated communications (CMC), such as email and instant messaging, has transformed the lives of young people. The ability to communicate in near real time with others provides beneficial social impact, though it has also created unique opportunities for victimization. Research has focused on certain forms of sexual activity online, such as sexting, but little study has been devoted to coercion to engage in sexual conversations as a form of sexual harassment. This study examined this phenomenon in a sample of middle and high school youth in Kentucky, applying an integrated low self-control and routine activity framework. The findings demonstrated that youth who were victimized were more likely to have low levels of self-control, view pornography, have peers who engaged others in sexual conversation online, and be female. The relationship between gender and victimization was examined in depth, along with the implications of this study for our understanding of th...
Bypassing Intestinal Sugar Enhancement of Sweet Appetite

Intestinal sugar sensing has an appetite-stimulating action that enhances preferences for sweets. Han et al. (2016) report that duodenal-jejunal bypass surgery reduces sweet appetite by reducing sugar-induced dopamine release in the dorsal striatum.
Instrumented Burn Tube: Experimental Observations and Analysis of Data

experimental techniques to measure the various properties of nanoenergetic systems. Among these techniques, the instrumented burn tube is a simple experiment that is capable of obtaining data related to the combustion of these materials. The purpose of this paper is to review the current state of the conned burn tube experiment, including the drawbacks of the technique and possible remedies. As this report is intended to focus on the specic experimental technique, data from many dierent energetic materials and experimental congurations will be presented. The qualitative and quantitative data that can be gathered using conned burn tube experiments include burning rate, total impulse, and pressurization rate. All of these measurements lend insight into the combustion properties and mechanisms of specic nanoenergetic powders.
Material, Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics Tests of Composite Pole for 110kV Overhead Transmission Lines

In order to apply the composite pole to power transmission lines for solving the problems of lightening or polution flashover,it is necessary to test its material,electrical and mechanical characteristics.The test results in this paper are as following: the polyurethane composite can remain its insulativity somehow under the condition of damp or raining,and it can be used for pole to increase the insulation level;the composite pole for 110 kV lines is better than the normal steel tower as its phase-ground clearance is higher of 70%,and its lightning impulsive voltage increases about 75%,as well as its creepage distance of phase-ground increases about 40% in the grounding way of groundingwire extracting along the line direction and going off the tower down to the ground;the phase-ground tolerance voltage of pollution flashover is 2.5 times more than the maximum working voltage;the whole strength of pole can meet the requirements in various load conditions,and its deflection is larger than that of the steel pole.A 110 kV double circuits half-composite pole with two bases has been oprating in network for more than one year well enough.
MreB Senses Local Gaussian Curvature to Pattern Rod-Like Growth of the Bacterial Cell Wall

Over the past few years we have developed an image-processing framework that allows us to extract precise 3D shapes of bacterial cells from fluorescence microscopy data. This active mesh approach minimizes the difference between an observed Z-stack and model shapes that have been convolved with the experimental point spread function. From these xyz coordinates, we calculate geometric parameters such as local curvatures, surface areas, and the relative enrichment of fluorescent signals. Our fluorescent signal is the concentration of the bacterial actin homolog MreB. We have integrated a fluorescent sandwich fusion of MreB with msfGFP at the native locus. This construct has unperturbed mass-doubling times and a proper rod-like shape.We have previously shown in both two and three dimensions that MreB is enriched at negative curvatures and away from positive curvatures [Ursell et al. PNAS 2014]. Here we show in the straight rod Escherichia coli and the curved rod Caulobacter crescentus that MreB senses local surface curvature and, as a result, helps ensure rod-like growth of the cell. The curvature sensed by Escherchia coli MreB is the Gaussian curvature of the surface, the product of the two principal curvatures. Using MreB point mutants that have altered curvature sensitivities, we are testing the hypothesis that cells straighten deformations by patterning growth at the proper geometry. To stably generate their comma shaped geometry, Caulobacter crescentus have developed ways to overcome this straightening mechanism. The enrichment profile of CcMreB shows a plateau in enrichment at small, positive Gaussian curvature values that depends on the protein crescentin. In addition to its structural role in bending the cell, we propose a mechanism whereby crescentin alters the curvature preference of MreB and allows the stabile propagation of the Caulobacter shape.
Race, Marital History, and Risks for Stroke in US Older Adults

Stroke is among the leading causes of disability and death in the United States, and racial differences are greater for stroke than for all other major chronic diseases. Considering the equally sizeable racial disparities in marital life and associated risks across adulthood, the current study hypothesizes that black-white differences in marital history play an important role in the large racial inequalities in the incidence of stroke. The major objective are to (i) demonstrate how marital history is associated with the incidence of stroke, (ii) examine how marital factors mediate and/or moderate racial disparities in stroke, and (iii) examine the factors that may explain the associations. Using retrospective and prospective data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 23,289), the results show that non-Hispanic (NH) blacks have significantly higher rates of marital instability, greater numbers of health-risk factors, and substantially higher rates of stroke compared with NH whites. Contrary to the cumulative disadvantage hypothesis, findings from discrete-time-hazard models show that the effects of marital history are more pronounced for NH whites than for NH blacks. Risks for stroke were significantly higher in NH whites who were currently divorced, remarried, and widowed, as well as in those with a history of divorce or widowhood, compared with NH whites who were continuously married. In NH blacks, risks for stroke were elevated only in those who had either never married or had been widowed-with no significant risks attributable to divorce. The potential mechanisms underlying the associations are assessed, and the implications of the findings are discussed.
The Domestic Consequences of India’ Nuclear Tests

This chapter examines two consequences of India’ nuclear tests. First it analyzes the impact of the sanctions that were imposed subsequent to the tests. And second, it examines the proposition that the tests would result in an arms race, whose consequences would be ruinous for the subcontinent. In both cases the negative impact was quite limited. India’ economy was not particularly vulnerable and the sanctions were not comprehensive either in the issue areas they were applied to or on with regard to the multilateral regime. If anything the sanctions had a modest positive economic impact in that they sell economic reforms within the BJP (albeit to a limited extent), the dominant partner in the ruling coalition. The cognitive impact of the sanctions was more significant in the short-term, especially on India’ scientific community and underlined the need for a greater commitment by the Indian scientific community to deepen domestic technological development, particularly on defense. This chapter further argues that endogenous economic, institutional, and technological constraints will sharply limit any possibility of India launching into an arms race, notwithstanding the claims of some of the more breathless commentaries on the subject.
Comparison of the distribution of intranasal steroid spray using different application techniques.

Background Optimizing the intranasal distribution of nasal steroid spray (NS) is important in managing patients with allergic rhinitis (AR). Using a 3-dimensional computational model of the human nose, we found that inspiratory airflow improved particle distribution by 86%. We hence designed a study to determine if the intranasal distribution of NS is improved by (1) simultaneous gentle inspiration or (2) nasal decongestion. Methods Twenty patients with AR were recruited. Colored triamcinolone nasal spray Nasacort®, was applied to 1 side of the nasal cavity with simultaneous gentle inspiration (technique1) and the other side with no inhalation (technique 2). Flexible nasoendoscopy with video documentation was performed immediately after each application. The same procedures were repeated 30 minutes after nasal decongestion. The nasal cavity was divided into 10 different regions and presence of the colored medication in each region was given 1 point. Results Prior to decongestion, the mean total score was significantly higher using technique 1 (4.61 ± 0.25) compared to technique 2 (3.80 ± 0.24), (p = 0.03). Following decongestion, the mean total score for techniques 1 and 2 was (5.20 ± 0.40) and (4.30 ± 0.32), respectively. The differences in total score for both techniques before and after decongestant were not significant. Conclusion The presence of inspiratory airflow, using the gentle inspiration technique, improves the intranasal distribution of NS in patients with AR. The use of correct technique is more important than nasal decongestion in the distribution of nasal spray particles.
Dutch normative data and psychometric properties for the Distress Thermometer for Parents.

The aim of this study was to provide Dutch normative data for the Distress Thermometer for Parents (DT-P) and to assess internal consistency and known-groups validity. A sample of 1421 parents (60.7 % mothers), representative of the Dutch population, completed online sociodemographic questionnaire and the DT-P, which includes a thermometer (0 (no distress) to 10 (extreme distress), ≥4 clinically elevated distress) and everyday problems across six problem domains (practical, social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and parenting). Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach’s alphas. Known-groups validity was assessed by comparing parents of a child with a chronic condition (N = 287, 20.2 %) with parents of healthy children, using Mann–Whitney U tests and Chi-square tests. The DT-P showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas = .52–.89). Parents of a child with a chronic condition more often reported clinically elevated distress than parents of healthy children (53.0 versus 38.2 %, p < .001). Also, on all domains they reported more problems (p = .000–.022). Normative scores for mothers and fathers separately were provided. The DT-P distinguishes well between parents of a child with and without a chronic condition. With the current norms available, distress can be evaluated in parents of a child with a chronic condition compared to parents of healthy children in pediatric clinical practice.
The Association Between Primary Source of Healthcare Coverage and Colorectal Cancer Screening Among US Veterans

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a deadly but largely preventable disease. Screening improves outcomes, but screening rates vary across healthcare coverage models. In the Veterans Health Administration (VA), screening rates are high; however, it is unknown how CRC screening rates compare for Veterans with other types of healthcare coverage. To determine whether Veterans with Veteran-status-related coverage (VA, military, TRICARE) have higher rates of CRC screening than Veterans with alternate sources of healthcare coverage. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of Veterans 50–75 years from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. We examined CRC screening rates and screening modalities. We performed multivariable logistic regression to identify the role of coverage type, demographics, and clinical factors on screening status. The cohort included 22,138 Veterans. Of these, 76.7% reported up-to-date screening. Colonoscopy was the most common screening modality (83.7%). Screening rates were highest among Veterans with Veteran-status-related coverage (82.3%), as was stool-based screening (10.8%). The adjusted odds of up-to-date screening among Veterans with Veteran-status-related coverage were 83% higher than among Veterans with private coverage (adjusted OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.52–2.22). Additional predictors of screening included older age, black race, high income, access to medical care, frequent medical visits, and employed or married status. CRC screening rates were highest among Veterans with Veteran-status-related coverage. High CRC screening rates among US Veterans may be related to system-level characteristics of VA and military care. Insight to these system-level characteristics may inform mechanisms to improve CRC screening in non-VA settings.
Accountable Care Organizations and Oral Health Accountability

Accountable care organizations agree to be accountable for the cost and outcomes of an attributed population. However, in many, no provisions have been made to account for oral health. There are several social, medical, and financial implications for health care provider and payer systems and health care outcomes when oral health is not accounted for in patient management. How can an organization strive to improve population health without including the oral health system? Total systemic health for a population must include oral health. Accountable care organizations are positioned to change the course of oral health in the United States and close the disparities that exist among vulnerable populations, including seniors. Such efforts will reduce health care costs. Opportunities abound to expand points of entry into the health care system via dental or medical care. Closing the great divide between 2 historically isolated professions will position the United States to make gains in true population health. I provide evidence of the need to mandate access to oral health care services for all Americans-specifically adults, because legislation currently exists for pediatric dental coverage.
Neuroprotective role for galanin in Alzheimer's disease.

Galanin (GAL) and GAL receptors (GALR) are overexpressed in degenerating brain regions associated with cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The functional consequences of GAL plasticity in AD are unclear. GAL inhibits cholinergic transmission in the hippocampus and impairs spatial memory in rodent models, suggesting that GAL overexpression exacerbates cognitive impairment in AD. By contrast, gene expression profiling of individual cholinergic basal forebrain (CBF) neurons aspirated from AD tissue revealed that GAL hyperinnervation positively regulates mRNAs that promote CBF neuronal function and survival. GAL also exerts neuroprotective effects in rodent models of neurotoxicity. These data support the growing concept that GAL overexpression preserves CBF neuron function, which may in turn delay the onset of symptoms of AD. Further elucidation of GAL activity in selectively vulnerable brain regions will help gauge the therapeutic potential of GALR ligands in the treatment of AD.
The Metal Neurotoxins: An Important Role in Current Human Neural Epidemics?

Many published studies have illustrated that several of the present day neurological epidemics (autism, attention deficit disorder, Alzheimer’s) cannot be correlated to any single neurotoxicant. However, the present scientific examination of the numerous global blood monitoring databases for adults that include the concentrations of the neurotoxic elements, aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se) clearly indicate that, when considered in combination, for some, the human body may become easily over-burdened. This can be explained by changes in modern lifestyles. Similar data, solely for pregnant women, have been examined confirming this. All these elements are seen to be present in the human body and at not insignificant magnitudes. Currently suggested minimum risk levels (MRL) for humans are discussed and listed together with averages of the reported distributions, together with their spread and maximum values. One observation is that many distributions for pregnant women are not too dissimilar from those of general populations. Women obviously have their individual baseline of neurotoxin values before pregnancy and any efforts to modify this to any significant degree is not yet clearly apparent. For any element, distribution shapes are reasonably similar showing broad distributions with extended tails with numerous outlier values. There are a certain fraction of people that lie well above the MRL values and may be at risk, especially if genetically susceptible. Additionally, synergistic effects between neurotoxins and with other trace metals are now also being reported. It appears prudent for women of child-bearing age to establish their baseline values well before pregnancy. Those at risk then can be better identified. Adequate instrumental testing now is commercially available for this. In addition, directives are necessary for vaccination programs to use only non-neurotoxic adjuvants, especially for young children and all women of child-bearing ages. Additionally, clearer directives concerning fish consumption must now be reappraised.
The Role of Cytokine Networks Mediating Inflammation and Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Acute inflammation constitutes the host’s response to a variety of insults, including infection, multiorgan failure associated with sepsis, cancer, trauma, shock, allograft rejection, and ischemia-reperfusion injury. The salient inflammatory reaction that accompanies these states is often related to severe microvascular injury. The consequence of this vascular injury is diffuse endothelial cell damage resulting in 1) increased vascular permeability and extravascular fluid accumulation, 2) enhanced activation of the intrinsic and extrinsic coagulation pathways and inhibition of plasminogen activation favoring a procoagulant state, 3) release of reactive oxygen metabolites, cytokines, vasoactive mediators including kinins, 4) arachidonate metabolites, culminating in augmented intravascular aggregation and transendothelial leukocyte emigration. Although, the principal leukocyte effector cell associated with the above conditions is the neutrophil, other immune and non-immune cells can become active participants in the inflammatory responses. Thus humoral mediators leading to interactions between immune and non-immune cells are important to the full development of the pathogenesis of the acute inflammatory response. In this chapter, we will focus our attention on mediators of inflammation that are potentially critical to the inflammatory response associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Do volatile compounds produced by Fusarium oxysporum and Verticillium dahliae affect stress tolerance in plants

ABSTRACTVolatile compounds (VCs) produced by diverse microbes seem to affect plant growth, development and/or stress tolerance. We investigated how VCs released by soilborne fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Verticillium dahliae affect Arabidopsis thaliana responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Under salt stress, VCs from both fungi helped its growth and increased chlorophyll content. However, in contrast to wild-type A. thaliana (Col-0), V. dahliae VCs failed to increase leaf surface area in auxin signalling mutants aux1-7, tir1-1 and axr1-3. Compared to wild-type Col-0, the degree of lateral root density enhanced by V. dahliae VCs in these mutants was also reduced. Consistent with the involvement of auxin signalling in fungal VC-mediated salt torelance, A. thaliana line carrying DR5::GUS displayed increased auxin accumulation in root apex upon exposure to V. dahliae VCs, and 1-naphthylphthalamic acid, an auxin transport inhibitor, adversely affected V. dahliae VC-mediated salt tolerance. F. oxysporum VCs ...
ACTS AGAINST NATURE

This paper makes an argument for greater consideration of negativity in queer engagements with biological or natural systems. Focusing on one particular paper by Karen Barad – “Nature’s Queer Perfo...
Agent Above, Atom Below: How Agents Causally Emerge from Their Underlying Microphysics

Some physical entities, which we often refer to as agents, can be described as having intentions and engaging in goal-oriented behavior. Yet agents can also be described in terms of low-level dynamics that are mindless, intention-less, and without goals or purpose. How we can reconcile these seemingly disparate levels of description? This is especially problematic because the lower scales at first appear more fundamental in three ways: in terms of their causal work, in terms of the amount of information they contain, and their theoretical superiority in terms of model choice. However, recent research bringing information theory to bear on modeling systems at different scales significantly reframes the issue. I argue that agents, with their associated intentions and goal-oriented behavior, can actually causally emerge from their underlying microscopic physics. This is particularly true of agents because they are autopoietic and possess (apparent) teleological causal relationships.
Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) in Gynecologic Surgery—A Review

The purpose of this review is to summarize the newly published guidelines on enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in gynecologic oncology and discuss recent studies evaluating the outcomes of ERAS implementation in general gynecology and gynecologic oncology. ERAS guidelines for gynecologic surgery include preoperative diet, preoperative education, multimodal analgesia, early postoperative feeding, early mobilization and urinary catheter removal, avoidance of mechanical bowel preparation and drains, maintenance of normothermia, and minimal fluid shifts. The studies evaluated in this update include mostly retrospective observational studies and few randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome of the majority of studies, length of stay, was found to be less after ERAS implementation than prior to implementation. Secondary outcomes such as rates of readmission, mortality, and postoperative complications yielded mixed results; however, most differences were not statistically significant. Hospital costs also decreased after ERAS implementation, but the cost differences were only statistically significant in half of the studies with a single dissenting study. Implementation of ERAS protocols in gynecologic surgery is becoming ubiquitous as more evidence demonstrates improved patient outcomes and decreased healthcare costs. However, the majority of studies evaluating the efficacy of ERAS protocols are retrospective studies. Now that a standardized set of enhanced recovery guidelines in gynecologic oncology have been published, more institutions will hopefully begin to implement ERAS programs. Future research should subsequently include prospective, randomized controlled trials to validate the benefits concluded from studies based on historical data.
Genetic Variation in the Immune System of Old World Monkeys: Functional and Selective Effects

Pathogen-mediated selection has played an important role in human and nonhuman primate evolution. Differences in infectious disease susceptibility within species, as well as species-specific differences, are in part due to differences in the immune response to pathogens. Elucidating the genetic basis of these differences is therefore an integral component of understanding the evolutionary origin and maintenance of primate phenotypic variation. Old World monkeys (OWMs) are excellent candidates for this line of research. Many OWM species are abundant in the wild, and as a result of long-term field studies of these populations, demographic, life history, and behavioral characteristics that may influence disease susceptibility are well characterized. Additionally, several OWM species are common in captivity and have become major medical models for human disease. Here, we outline the motivations for work on immune system genetic variation in OWMs and review existing knowledge about the selective import and functional effects of this variation. First, we focus on evidence for natural selection within the OWM immune system, including recent genome-scale scans for positive selection. We also discuss current gaps in our understanding of OWM immune system evolution, with particular attention to natural selection outside of coding regions and intraspecific selection. Natural selection on genetic variation implies that this variation also has fitness-related phenotypic consequences. Thus, we next discuss the use of functional assays to investigate the mechanisms that relate genetic variation to phenotype. We present examples of studies in OWMs that have successfully integrated functional and evolutionary genetic analyses in order to understand immune system diversity, spanning research focused on differences between major OWM taxonomic groups, between species, and between individuals within contemporary OWM populations. We conclude by briefly assessing future directions for the field.
Lab Session 11 – Expression of Fusion Protein from Positive Clones, SDS-PAGE and Western Blot: Part 1

Abstract Today you will stain your membrane with Ponceau Red to confirm the transfer of your proteins to the nitrocellulose and complete the western blot that was started in the last laboratory session.
When Is It a Good Time to Have a Baby

Finding a balance between a successful career and family life can certainly be a challenge as a surgeon, but it should not be viewed as an impossible task. Identifying goals both in career and family life early on and recruiting support from family and friends will be essential in planning your career simultaneously with your family life.
Optimizing AI Pipelines: A Game-Theoretic Cultural Algorithms Approach

The structure of contemporary AI applications in complex automation domains, such as robotics and autonomous driving, is multi-staged and hierarchical. The overall pipeline consists of perception, planning, and actuation subsystems. Each of these in turn, consists of staged processing. Such systems consume raw sensor data, and process it to respond intelligently to their surroundings, in the pursuit of assigned goals. Further, such systems use a variety of techniques including signal processing, computer vision, machine learning and ‘traditional’ AI methods (e.g. rules engine, planning, and scheduling, etc.). There may be complex inter-and intra-pipeline interactions that are governed by 100's of tunable parameters, yielding a highly complex system. Optimizing the system-level performance of such complexly interacting subcomponents, is a major challenge for the industry. This paper attempts to address such a challenge with the application of a knowledge-intensive evolutionary optimization framework-Cultural Algorithms. A key component of Cultural Algorithms-which are modeled after problem solving processes in social networks-is the mechanism for distributing knowledge in the population network. Here a new, game-theoretic knowledge distribution mechanism is devised which supports both cooperation and competition between players. The performance of this new mechanism is compared against the de-facto Weighted Majority Win, purely competitive mechanism on a real-world, computer-vision based AI pipeline that supports of autonomous driving. The preliminary results suggest that a game-the-oretic approach is better at combining the workflow stages of the pipeline so as to improve driving behavior than the traditional competition-based approach.
Achieving integration in marine governance through marine spatial planning: Findings from practice in the United States

Abstract Marine spatial planning (MSP) has been proposed by both scholars and managers as an approach through which practitioners can achieve integration in the governance of marine space. Although integration is a key tenet of MSP, relatively little empirical research has been done, especially in the U.S., to examine how practitioners achieve integration through the application of this approach. We set out to examine the tools, techniques, and strategies used to apply MSP in the U.S., focusing on case studies in Washington, Rhode Island, and San Francisco. In this paper we report results from these cases, considering the governance dimensions of integration and the processes through which it has been facilitated, focusing on four integration elements: interagency and intergovernmental, stakeholder, sectoral, and knowledge integration. We found evidence of all forms of integration across these three cases. Findings draw attention to achieving horizontal interagency and intergovernmental integration through formal and informal techniques, with informal techniques being especially useful; the use of a mix of formal and informal techniques to facilitate stakeholder, sectoral, and knowledge integration; and practitioners' focus on a narrow subset of sectors associated with planning drivers. We note that these tools, techniques and strategies are largely indirect means of integration, working within existing policy and regulatory structures and institutional arrangements. We conclude with a discussion of recommendations for future MSP research and practice.
A Physics-based Smart Persistence model for Intra-hour forecasting of solar radiation (PSPI) using GHI measurements and a cloud retrieval technique

Abstract Short-term solar forecasting models based solely on global horizontal irradiance (GHI) measurements are often unable to discriminate the forecasting of the factors affecting GHI from those that can be precisely computed by atmospheric models. This study introduces a Physics-based Smart Persistence model for Intra-hour forecasting of solar radiation (PSPI) that decomposes the forecasting of GHI into the computation of extraterrestrial solar radiation and solar zenith angle and the forecasting of cloud albedo and cloud fraction. The extraterrestrial solar radiation and solar zenith angle are accurately computed by the Solar Position Algorithm (SPA) developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). A cloud retrieval technique is used to estimate cloud albedo and cloud fraction from surface-based observations of GHI. With the assumption of persistent cloud structures, the cloud albedo and cloud fraction are predicted for future time steps using a two-stream approximation and a 5-min exponential weighted moving average, respectively. Our model evaluation using the long-term observations of GHI at NREL’s Solar Radiation Research Laboratory (SRRL) shows that the PSPI has a better performance than the persistence and smart persistence models in all forecast time horizons between 5 and 60 min, which is more significant in cloudy-sky conditions. Compared to the persistence and smart persistence models, the PSPI does not require additional observations of various atmospheric parameters but is customizable in that additional observations, if available, can be ingested to further improve the GHI forecast. An advanced technology of cloud forecast is also expected to improve the future performance of the PSPI.
Malliavin Calculus and Its Applications

The Malliavin calculus was developed to provide a probabilistic proof of Hormander's hypoellipticity theorem. The theory has expanded to encompass other significant applications. The main application of the Malliavin calculus is to establish the regularity of the probability distribution of functionals of an underlying Gaussian process. In this way, one can prove the existence and smoothness of the density for solutions of various stochastic differential equations. More recently, applications of the Malliavin calculus in areas such as stochastic calculus for fractional Brownian motion, central limit theorems for multiple stochastic integrals, and mathematical finance have emerged. The first part of the book covers the basic results of the Malliavin calculus. The middle part establishes the existence and smoothness results that then lead to the proof of Hormander's hypoellipticity theorem. The last part discusses the recent developments for Brownian motion, central limit theorems, and mathematical finance.
Quantitative evaluation of liposomal doxorubicin and its metabolites in spheroids.

Accurate measurement and understanding of therapeutic uptake and metabolism is key in the drug development process. This work examines the amount of doxorubicin that can penetrate into spheroids after being encapsulated in a liposomal configuration in comparison with free drug. Through a process known as serial trypsinization, three distinct cellular populations of a spheroid were successfully separated and a small molecule extraction was used to isolate the chemotherapeutic. Doxorubicin showed a time-dependent permeability into spheroids with the most drug accumulating in the core at 24 h of treatment. Entrapment of the chemotherapeutic delayed the permeability of the drug and resulted in reduced amounts quantified at the earlier time points. These findings validate the claim that liposomal therapeutics have the ability to alter the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics profiles of a drug while also demonstrating the combined power of mass spectrometry and three-dimensional cell cultures to evaluate drug penetration and metabolism.
Inkjet Printing of Curing Agent on Thin PDMS for Local Tailoring of Mechanical Properties

Rapid prototyping of thin, stretchable substrates with engineered stiffness gradients at desired locations has potential impact in the robustness of skin-wearable electronics, as the gradients can inhibit cracking of interconnect and delamination of embedded electronic chips. Drop-on-demand inkjetting of thinned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) curing agent onto a spin-cast 80 µm-thick 20:1 (base: curing agent) PDMS substrate sets the elastic modulus of the subsequently cured film with sub-millimeter accuracy. The inkjet process creates digitally defined stiffness gradient spans as small as 100 µm for single droplets. Varying the drop density results in differences in elastic modulus of up to 80%. In jetting tests of curing agent into pure base PDMS, a continuous droplet spacing of 100 µm results in smooth lines with total widths of 1 mm and a curing agent gradient span of ≈300 µm. Release of freeform mesh elastomer microstructures by removing the uncured base after selective jetting of curing agent into pure base PDMS results in structural line width resolution down to 500 µm.