cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
War, forced displacement and growth in Laotian adults.

Background: Evidence from several populations suggests that war negatively impacts civilian nutrition, physical growth and overall health. This effect is often enduring or permanent, particularly if experienced early in life. Aim: To assess whether the number of lifetime displacement experiences and being displaced in infancy were associated with adult height, sitting height, leg length and the sitting height ratio. Subjects and methods: Retrospective questionnaires on displacement and resettlement experiences and anthropometric data were collected from a sample of Laotian adult refugees (ethnic Hmong and Lao; n ¼ 365). All were born in Laos or Thailand and had resettled in French Guiana or the US. Many had been displaced several times by military conflict in Laos. Results: In bivariate analyses, being displaced in infancy and the number of lifetime displacement experiences one had were negatively associated with final adult height and leg length in both sexes. The association was stronger in females, particularly Hmong females. There was no significant association between total displacement experiences and the sitting height ratio. In multiple regression analyses, linear growth in males was negatively associated with being displaced in infancy; in females, the number of lifetime displacement experiences was a significant predictor. Conclusion: Forced displacement from war appears to have a lasting effect on final adult height, sitting height and leg length, although not necessarily on the sitting height ratio in this sample.
Self Theory and Emotions

There are few, if any, subjects in social psychology that do not implicate the reciprocal relationships between self and emotion (Kaplan 1986). This is all the more so when considering the sociology of emotions and the social psychology of self (Stryker 2004). In fact, it might be argued that the social psychology of self is a useful framework for organizing the theoretical and empirical literatures that compose the sociology of the emotions.
A Paradox Defined

Recent decades have shown a shift in the global epidemiology of obesity. A problem historically related to material wealth, obesity afflicted mainly the developed world in the 20th century. Urbanization and a globalized food market have altered this association, and obesity is now considered a
Optimizing light transport in scintillation crystals for time-of-flight PET: an experimental and optical Monte Carlo simulation study

Achieving excellent timing resolution in gamma ray detectors is crucial in several applications such as medical imaging with time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF-PET). Although many factors impact the overall system timing resolution, the statistical nature of scintillation light, including photon production and transport in the crystal to the photodetector, is typically the limiting factor for modern scintillation detectors. In this study, we investigated the impact of surface treatment, in particular, roughening select areas of otherwise polished crystals, on light transport and timing resolution. A custom Monte Carlo photon tracking tool was used to gain insight into changes in light collection and timing resolution that were observed experimentally: select roughening configurations increased the light collection up to 25% and improved timing resolution by 15% compared to crystals with all polished surfaces. Simulations showed that partial surface roughening caused a greater number of photons to be reflected towards the photodetector and increased the initial rate of photoelectron production. This study provides a simple method to improve timing resolution and light collection in scintillator-based gamma ray detectors, a topic of high importance in the field of TOF-PET. Additionally, we demonstrated utility of our Monte Carlo simulation tool to accurately predict the effect of altering crystal surfaces on light collection and timing resolution.
Unilateral Partial Nephrectomy with Warm Ischemia Results in Acute Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1-Alpha (HIF-1α) and Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) Overexpression in a Porcine Model

Purpose Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) during partial nephrectomy (PN) contributes to acute kidney injury (AKI), which is inaccurately assessed using existent clinical markers of renal function. We evaluated I/R-related changes in expression in hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), within kidney tissue and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) in a porcine model of PN. Materials and Methods Three adult pigs each underwent unilateral renal hilar cross clamping for 180 min followed by a 15 min reperfusion. The contralateral kidney served as control. Biopsies of clamped kidneys were obtained at baseline (time 0), every 60 min during the hypoxic phase, and post-reperfusion. Control kidneys were biopsied once at 180 min. Peripheral blood was sampled at time 0, every 30 min during the hypoxic phase, and post-reperfusion. HIF-1α and TLR4 expression in kidney tissue and PBL were analyzed by Western blotting. I/R-related histological changes were assessed. Results Expression of HIF-1α in clamped kidneys and PBL was below detection level at baseline, rising to detectable levels after 60 min of hypoxia, and continuing to rise throughout the hypoxic and reperfusion phases. Expression of TLR-4 in clamped kidneys followed a similar trend with initial detection after 30–60 min of hypoxia. Control kidneys exhibited no change in HIF-1α or TLR-4 expression. I/R-related histologic changes were minimal, primarily mild tubular dilatation. Conclusions In a porcine model of PN, HIF-1α and TLR4 exhibited robust, I/R-related increases in expression in kidney tissue and PBL. Further studies investigating these molecules as potential markers of AKI are warranted.
Serial Cultivation of Normal Rat Bladder Epithelial Cells in Vitro

Abstract Recent advances in culture techniques for human urothelial cells have led to the development of an improved method for growing primary rat bladder epithelial cells. We report here the conditions developed for large-scale in vitro growth and serial cultivation of normal diploid rat bladder epithelial cells. Primary cultures were initiated by attachment of bladder mucosal explants to type I collagen gels. A rapid outgrowth of epithelial cells from the explants occurred when cultured in a hormone-supplemented medium with epidermal growth factor. These primary outgrowths were passaged by nonenzymatic dispersion with 0.1 per cent ethylenediaminetetracetic acid and replating onto new gels. The capacity for routine serial passaging and maintenance of rat bladder epithelial cells required the presence of epidermal growth factor, a requirement not observed with human urothelial cells. The characteristics of the cultured rat bladder epithelial cells were similar to human urothelial cells in: 1) ultrastructural and phase-contrast morphologic properties, showing junctional complexes, desmosomes, stratification and an apical glycocalyx; 2) the absence of stromal cell contamination; and 3) the ability to be serially passaged. Spontaneous cell-line formation was observed with the rat bladder epithelial cells, but has not been found with the human urothelial cells. With the method that we have developed, the number of rat bladder epithelial cells generated from a single bladder of a 4 to 6 week old rat was increased 100-fold from about 7 × 10 5 cells to 7 × 10 7 viable cells within 3 weeks of culture. The capability of culturing normal, primary rat bladder epithelial cells on this scale has not been reported previously and will facilitate comparative studies of the biological and molecular characteristics of the mammalian urothelium. Furthermore, this culture system will be useful for carcinogenesis studies, including metabolic activation of carcinogens and cellular transformation in vitro.
Acetonitrile and N-Chloroacetamide Formation from the Reaction of Acetaldehyde and Monochloramine.

Nitriles and amides are two classes of nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (DBPs) associated with chloramination that are more cytotoxic and genotoxic than regulated DBPs. Monochloramine reacts with acetaldehyde, a common ozone and free chlorine disinfection byproduct, to form 1-(chloroamino)ethanol. Equilibrium (K1) and forward and reverse rate (k1,k–1) constants for the reaction between initial reactants and 1-(chloroamino)ethanol were determined between 2 and 30 °C. Activation energies for k1 and k–1 were 3.04 and 45.2 kJ·mol–1, respectively, and enthalpy change for K1 was −42.1 kJ·mol–1. In parallel reactions, 1-(chloroamino)ethanol (1) slowly dehydrated (k2) to (chloroimino)ethane that further decomposed to acetonitrile and (2) was oxidized (k3) by monochloramine to produce N-chloroacetamide. Both reactions were acid/base catalyzed, and rate constants were characterized at 10, 18, and 25 °C. Modeling for drinking water distribution system conditions showed that N-chloroacetamide and acetonitrile conc...
The electrically conductive pili of Geobacter species are a recently evolved feature for extracellular electron transfer.

The electrically conductive pili (e-pili) of Geobactersulfurreducens have environmental and practical significance because they can facilitate electron transfer to insoluble Fe(III) oxides; to other microbial species; and through electrically conductive biofilms. E-pili conductivity has been attributed to the truncated PilA monomer, which permits tight packing of aromatic amino acids to form a conductive path along the length of e-pili. In order to better understand the evolution and distribution of e-pili in the microbial world, type IVa PilA proteins from various Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria were examined with a particular emphasis on Fe(III)-respiring bacteria. E-pilin genes are primarily restricted to a tight phylogenetic group in the order Desulfuromonadales. The downstream gene in all but one of the Desulfuromonadales that possess an e-pilin gene is a gene previously annotated as ‘pilA–C’ that has characteristics suggesting that it may encode an outer-membrane protein. Other genes associated with pilin function are clustered with e-pilin and ‘pilA–C’ genes in the Desulfuromonadales. In contrast, in the few bacteria outside the Desulfuromonadales that contain e-pilin genes, the other genes required for pilin function may have been acquired through horizontal gene transfer. Of the 95 known Fe(III)-reducing micro-organisms for which genomes are available, 80 % lack e-pilin genes, suggesting that e-pili are just one of several mechanisms involved in extracellular electron transport. These studies provide insight into where and when e-pili are likely to contribute to extracellular electron transport processes that are biogeochemically important and involved in bioenergy conversions.
The Role of Ureteral Stenting in the Management of Surgical Injury of the Ureter

AbstractFrom 1965 through 1976, 35 patients with surgical injury of the ureter were treated by operations requiring ureteral anastomoses. Stenting devices were used in 31 patients with only 2 failures. Stents were omitted in 4 patients with 2 failures. We have been satisfied with and prefer stenting ureteral anastomoses in the management of surgical ureteral injury, particularly when there is delayed recognition of the injury or previous irradiation. Previous objections to stenting are unjustified.
Hospital-based palliative care units: answering a growing need.

he central question confronting healthcare professionals and institutions with regard to end-of-life and palliative care is: How do we relieve the suffering that patients and families experience as they struggle to know what to do with serious and possibly terminal illness when it occurs? How do they navigate a medical system that offers few options if cure is not possible, cannot prognosticate with any certainty, and does not allow for the natural ebb and flow of uncertainty in medical decision making? It would seem that “palliative care,” with its attention to caring, as well as curing, and its comfort with aggressive, as well as hospice care, is the philosophy of care that can best assist patients and families as they traverse the continuum from diagnosis through symptoms and treatment to an eventual outcome that may include hospice and bereavement. There are two ways to look at palliative care: it can be seen as the natural extension of where aggressive, cure-oriented conventional therapy ended, i.e., what do you do for people for whom no evidence-based cure or therapy is available? Or, secondly, palliative care can be conceptualized as hospice, but much further upstream. Indeed, hospice and palliative care are not mutually exclusive. Hospice is ultimate palliative care, but is defined by a time limit and regulations surrounding a Medicare benefit. Palliative care, by contrast, can begin at the time of diagnosis, or any point thereafter, when patients and families may have already begun to suffer secondary to physical symptoms, anxiety and uncertainty, and have needs outside of the traditional biomedical model of care. The clinical events that lead people into the hospital have no predetermined outcome, and there the sorting out process must begin. As an illustration, Morrison and Meier 1 describe the case of an 85-year-old man with class IV heart failure, hypertension, and moderate Alzheimer’s disease who is admitted to the hospital after a hip fracture. This is his fourth hospitalization in the past year and his 84-year-old wife feels overwhelmed by his medical and personal care needs. The question becomes what might his doctor do to address his needs, alleviate his suffering, and facilitate discharge from the hospital and subsequent care at home? While this patient may eventually choose hospice, it is his current dilemma, blossoming in the hospital, which creates the need for palliative care services. Indeed, when problems with end-of-life care are described, reference is often made to situations that occur in the acute care hospital setting. Concomitantly, while place of death is shifting more and more away from the hospital, it still remains the most likely site of death for North Carolinians and for Americans in general. It is important to ask why the hospital is seen in such a negative light when one has a terminal illness and why there is a need for concentrated palliative care efforts in these facilities. Aren’t hospitals the very places where high-quality care at the end of life would be expected?
Equalizing Gender and Class

Using a historical approach, the chapter examines the process of state–family integration under state socialism during the Mao era (1949–1978). More specifically, it depicts ways in which patriarchal families have been transformed in an egalitarian direction, and the state has been molded into a paternalistic system exercising tight control over the economic and political lives of families while providing extensive social welfare benefits to urban families and forging common interests. It also discusses how the state has transformed gender and class both within and outside the family without weakening families as intact reproductive units. The cultural notion of obligation equality is introduced in this chapter to help the reader better understand China’s unique contours in gender and class transformation processes.
Mode-Specific Chemistry in the H + HCN and H + N2O Reactions

We present a theoretical study of the effect of reagent vibrational excitation on cross sections and rate constants for the reactions H + HCN (ν1ν2ν3) → H2 + CN and H + N2O(ν1ν2ν3) → N2 + OH, NH + NO. For H + HCN, we study the states (000), (004) and (302), and we find that C-H stretch excitation is much more effective than C-N stretch in lowering the reactive threshold energy and thus enhancing the rate constant. For H + N2O we study the states (000), (100), (0110) and (001). Here N-N stretch excitation is more effective in enhancing the cross section at low energy where the reaction mechanism involves HNNO complex formation. At higher energy (3.3 kcal/mol above threshold and higher), N-O stretch excitation is more effective in enhancing the reaction cross section, due to the dominance of a direct mechanism involving a N-N-O-H transition state.
Design of wide-field imaging shack Hartmann testbed

ABSTRACT Standard adaptive optics systems measure the aberrations in the wavefronts of a beacon guide star caused byatmospheric turbulence, which limits the corrected eld of view to the isoplanatic patch, the solid angle overwhich the optical aberration is roughly constant. For imaging systems that require a corrected eld of viewlarger than the isoplanatic angle, a three-dimensional estimate of the aberration is required. We are developinga wide- eld imaging Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (WFS) that will characterize turbulence over a large eld of view tens of times the size of the isoplanatic angle. The technique will nd application in horizontaland downward looking remote sensing scenarios where high resolution imaging through extended atmosphericturbulence is required. The laboratory prototype system consists of a scene generator, turbulence simulator, aShack Hartman WFS arm, and an imaging arm. The system has a high intrinsic Strehl ratio, is telecentric, anddi raction limited. We present preliminary data and analysis from the system.Keywords: Wavefront Sensor, Aberrations, Turbulance, Imaging, Shack Hartmann
“The Year of the Ballot or the Bullet”: A Discussion of Race, Revolution, and the 2016 Election

America today finds herself in a unique situation. Historically, revolutions are bloody … Revolutions overturn systems. Revolutions destroy systems … But today this country can become involved in a...
Concluding Theological Postscripts

In conclusion, Rogers-Vaughn emphasizes that cultivating and strengthening collectives is the most important task of pastoral care. Caring for souls, he argues, requires a combination of social solidarity, political activity, and ontological affirmation. Rogers-Vaughn calls for deep solidarity with those who are different, and recognition of how our shared predicament generates differing and entangled manifestations of suffering. He identifies the church as one of the few remaining institutions from which to mount a resistance to neoliberalism, and advocates both reclaiming the anti-imperial message of Jesus and re-imagining religious congregations as communities of the expelled. Critical retrieval of the utopian spirit, recognition of radical despair, and amplification of hope in the context of authentic community are suggested as vital components in subverting neoliberal hegemony.
Automatic Online Evaluation of Intelligent Personal Assistants

Voice-activated intelligent assistants, such as Siri, Google Now, and Cortana, are prevalent on mobile devices. However, it is challenging to evaluate them due to the varied and evolving number of tasks supported, e.g., voice command, web search, and chat. Since each task may have its own procedure and a unique form of correct answers, it is expensive to evaluate each task individually. This paper is the first attempt to solve this challenge. We develop consistent and automatic approaches that can evaluate different tasks in voice-activated intelligent assistants. We use implicit feedback from users to predict whether users are satisfied with the intelligent assistant as well as its components, i.e., speech recognition and intent classification. Using this approach, we can potentially evaluate and compare different tasks within and across intelligent assistants according to the predicted user satisfaction rates. Our approach is characterized by an automatic scheme of categorizing user-system interaction into task-independent dialog actions, e.g., the user is commanding, selecting, or confirming an action. We use the action sequence in a session to predict user satisfaction and the quality of speech recognition and intent classification. We also incorporate other features to further improve our approach, including features derived from previous work on web search satisfaction prediction, and those utilizing acoustic characteristics of voice requests. We evaluate our approach using data collected from a user study. Results show our approach can accurately identify satisfactory and unsatisfactory sessions.
Affordance potency: Explaining the actualization of technology affordances

Abstract Given the importance of information technology (IT) in effecting organizational change, scholars have strived for many years to theorize the ways in which IT can produce the changes intended for it. Recent arguments claim that most information systems (IS) research has taken a limited theoretical focus on the information technology (IT) artifact, which arguably should be at the core of the IS discipline ( Benbasat & Zmud, 2003 ). This research engages directly with the IT artifact by evaluating the use of an electronic medical records system and its relation to actualization of technology affordances. We conducted a case study at a large urban acute care hospital in the Midwestern United States with registered nurses working on inpatient care units as the clinicians of interest. Through interviews with nurses and other clinical stakeholders, observation of nurse's work practices on three patient care units in the hospital, and direct examination of the medical records system, we develop theoretical insights into the role of IT in work practices. The novel concept of affordance potency is introduced as an integral theoretical construct in our model of affordances, helping to explain actualizations of IT in use. Our contribution provides a nuanced yet powerful way of understanding the nature of IT artifacts and their relationships to technology users and work practice.
Speed and basal resistance level (BRL) in a segmented straight alley

Forty-eight male hooded rats were trained in a straight alley that was segmented into six sections. The S was retained in each section for 1 min. before being permitted to enter the next. This procedure yielded 5 starting latencies and, through an appropriate floor arrangement, permitted measurement of basal resistance level (BRL) as a potential index of motivation in each section. One group (N=24) had food reward in the 5th and 6th segments of the alley, another (N=24) was rewarded only in the 6th. A goal gradient was obtained in both speed and BRL. Increments in BRL paralleled the increments in speed with added trials. The results do not support an interpretation of the goal gradient in terms of increasing incentive motivation along the alley.
Radiative neutron capture cross section from U 236

The $^{236}\mathrm{U}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})$ reaction cross section has been measured for the incident neutron energy range from 10 eV to 800 keV by using the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray calorimeter at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. The cross section was determined with the ratio method, which is a technique that uses the $^{235}\mathrm{U}(n,f)$ reaction as a reference. The results of the experiment are reported in the resolved and unresolved resonance energy regions. Individual neutron resonance parameters were obtained below 1 keV incident energy by using the $R$-matrix code sammy. The cross section in the unresolved resonance region is determined with improved experimental uncertainty. It agrees with both ENDF/B-VII.1 and JEFF-3.2 nuclear data libraries. The results above 10 keV agree better with the JEFF-3.2 library.
The Folly of Categorization: Why Nudges are Even More Defensible than Their Advocates Suppose

Count me among those philosophers who believe that most of the normative controversies about nudging or so-called libertarian paternalism are vastly overblown. I hope we are many, but it is hard to be sure. Nearly all of the worries brought against nudges qua nudges expressed by or attributed to moral philosophers are misdirected and/or exaggerated. My modest goal is to support this claim by attempting to show that Cass R. Sunstein—who almost certainly is the most well-known champion of nudges or libertarian paternalism—takes several of the philosophical objections to his proposals too seriously and responds to them less forcefully than he might.
Exploring the relationship between intron retention and chromatin accessibility in plants

Intron retention (IR) is the most prevalent form of alternative splicing in plants. IR, like other forms of alternative splicing, has an important role in increasing gene product diversity and regulating transcript functionality. Splicing is known to occur co-transcriptionally and is influenced by the speed of transcription which in turn, is affected by chromatin structure. It follows that chromatin structure may have an important role in the regulation of splicing, and there is preliminary evidence in metazoans to suggest that this is indeed the case; however, nothing is known about the role of chromatin structure in regulating IR in plants. DNase I-seq is a useful experimental tool for genome-wide interrogation of chromatin accessibility, providing information on regions of chromatin with very high likelihood of cleavage by the enzyme DNase I, known as DNase I Hypersensitive Sites (DHSs). While it is well-established that promoter regions are highly accessible and are over-represented with DHSs, not much is known about DHSs in the bodies of genes, and their relationship to splicing in general, and IR in particular. In this study we use publicly available DNase I-seq data in arabidopsis and rice to investigate the relationship between IR and chromatin structure. We find that IR events are highly enriched in DHSs in both species. This implies that chromatin is more open in retained introns, which is consistent with a kinetic model of the process whereby higher speeds of transcription in those regions give less time for the spliceosomal machinery to recognize and splice out those introns co-transcriptionally. The more open chromatin in IR can also be the result of regulation mediated by DNA-binding proteins. To test this, we performed an exhaustive search for footprints left by DNA-binding proteins that are associated with IR. We identified several hundred short sequence elements that exhibit footprints in their DNase I-seq coverage, the telltale sign for binding events of a regulatory protein, protecting its binding site from cleavage by DNase I. A highly significant fraction of those sequence elements are conserved between arabidopsis and rice, a strong indication of their functional importance. In this study we have established an association between IR and chromatin accessibility, and presented a mechanistic hypothesis that explains the observed association from the perspective of the co-transcriptional nature of splicing. Furthermore, we identified conserved sequence elements for DNA-binding proteins that affect splicing.
Remaking the Academy: The Potential and the Challenge of Transdisciplinary Collaborative Engagement

This chapter argues feminist pragmatist philosophy, transdisciplinarity, and the current movement towards public engagement offer a fruitful vision, pathway, and set of strategies for catalyzing collaborative teaching and learning within the academy. Given the authors’ commitment to a reflective praxis of engagement, it also documents our collective attempt to put these commitments into practice at our own institution. We conclude by highlighting the need for creative and collaborative advocacy efforts designed to not only reimagine the academy but also enact structural, procedural, and cultural changes.
Factors Affecting Blood Glucose Concentration and Challenges to AP Systems

An AP system is challenged by several factors such as meals, exercise, sleep and stress that may have significant effects on glucose dynamics in the body. In this chapter, the relationship between these factors and the glucose dynamics are discussed. Most AP systems are based only on glucose measurements. These systems usually require manual inputs or adjustments by the users about the occurrences of some of these factors such as meals and exercise. Alternatively, multivariable AP systems have been proposed that use biometric variables in addition to glucose measurements to indicate the presence of these factors without a need for manual user input. The effects of different types of insulin as well as use of glucagon in AP systems is also discussed. The chapter includes a discussion of time delays in glucose sensors that affect the performance of predictive hypoglycemia alarm systems and APs.
Mysterious Meningitis: Recurrent chemical meningitis due to ruptured epidermoid cyst (P5.124)

Objective: To describe a rare case of recurrent chemical meningitis secondary to a ruptured epidermoid cyst in the sella. Background: Intracranial epidermoid cysts are exceedingly rare lesions that result from disorder of gastrulation. Design/Methods: We describe a 43 year old Hispanic woman who presented to emergency department (ED) with altered mental status of 1 day duration. She had gradually progressive occipital headaches of 2 months duration with subjective fevers and blurriness of 2 weeks duration associated with nausea and vomiting for 2 days. On exam she was febrile, ill appearing, and following commands intermittently. She had meningismus with intact strength and sensation with symmetric reflexes. Results: Lumbar puncture revealed an elevated opening pressure with high proteins and low glucose. CSF revealed neutrophilic pleocytosis and was started on empiric therapy with ceftriaxone, vancomycin, acyclovir and dexamenthasone. A repeat lumbar puncture day later revealed normal protein and glucose with lymphocyte predominance. Cytology revealed reactive lymphocytes and cultures were negative. Rest of the work-up for infectious and inflammatory causes was negative. MRI brain revealed contrast enhancing sellar mass with panhypopituitarism. She improved clinically and based on CSF findings and chronicity of her symptoms and her desire to be discharged she was sent home on fluconazole and pituitary hormone supplements with close follow-up. Patient returned to ED 1 month later with persistent headache and oral intolerance with meningismus on exam. Repeat CSF analysis revealed normal opening pressure with elevated proteins, low glucose and neutrophilic pleocytosis. Repeat MRI revealed stable appearing contrast enhancing sellar mass. She underwent trans-nasal trans-sphenoidal hypophysectomy and pathology revealed squamous epithelium lined keratin filled cyst suggestive of epidermoid cyst. Patient responded well to surgery and was discharged on hormone supplements alone. Conclusions: To our knowledge this is the first case of recurrent chemical meningitis secondary to a ruptured epidermoid cyst in the sella. Disclosure: Dr. Trikamji has nothing to disclose. Dr. Morrow has nothing to disclose.
Bioimaging predictors of rilpivirine biodistribution and antiretroviral activities.

Abstract Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has changed the outcome of human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) infection from certain death to a life free of disease co-morbidities. However, infected people must remain on life-long daily ART. ART reduces but fails to eliminate the viral reservoir. In order to improve upon current treatment regimens, our laboratory created long acting slow effective release (LASER) ART nanoformulated prodrugs from native medicines. LASER ART enables antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to better reach target sites of HIV-1 infection while, at the same time, improve ART's half-life and potency. However, novel ARV design has been slowed by prolonged pharmacokinetic testing requirements. To such ends, tri-modal theranostic nanoparticles were created with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT/CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescence capabilities to predict LASER ART biodistribution . The created theranostic ARV probes were then employed to monitor drug tissue distribution and potency. Intrinsically 111Indium (111 In) radiolabeled, europium doped cobalt-ferrite particles and rilpivirine were encased in a polycaprolactone core surrounded by a lipid shell ( 111 InEuCF-RPV). Particle cell and tissue distribution , and antiretroviral activities were sustained in macrophage tissue depots. 111 InEuCF-PCL/RPV particles injected into mice demonstrated co-registration of MRI and SPECT/CT tissue signals with RPV and cobalt. Cell and animal particle biodistribution paralleled ARV activities. We posit that particle selection can predict RPV distribution and potency facilitated by multifunctional theranostic nanoparticles.
Lessons Learned From the First Human Low-Field MRI Guided Radiation Therapy of the Heart in the Presence of an Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator.

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided radiation therapy is reported for the first time in a patient with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac fibroma in the left ventricle. Stereotactic body radiation therapy was delivered in 5 fractions at a dose of 700 cGy/fraction using a 0.35 T MRI–linear accelerator with real-time tumor tracking and beam gating. The average treatment time per fraction was 12.13 minutes, including gating dead time and gantry rotation, and the average duty cycle was 56.8%. Lessons learned included the need for MRI safety workflows that address the ICD and are tailored to the radiation oncology environment, selection of a suitable tracking target to ensure satisfactory duty cycle, and the presence of null band artifacts within the tracking target caused by ferrous components in the ICD.
Nitrogen cycling trade-offs with broadcasting and injecting dairy manure

Understanding the fate of nutrients in land-applied manure is key to improving the efficiency of their use in crop production. We developed nitrogen (N) budgets for 2 years of continuously cropped corn fertilized by dairy manure via broadcast application or shallow disk injection. Major pathways and pools of N loss were monitored on 12, 0.04 ha field lysimeters in central Pennsylvania, USA to estimate the impact of manure application method on N fate: gas emissions, off-site runoff (overland and subsurface flow), crop uptake, and, soil storage. The budgets illuminated trade-offs in N cycling with each management strategy. Crop removal accounted for the largest portions of manure N applied in both budgets (16–43%). Injection manure N balances were more difficult to close because balances included a large proportion of ‘unaccounted’ N (49% and 68% of applied N for two accounting periods). Even so, results point to cumulative differences in nutrient use efficiencies that can be attributed to the greater conservation of ammonia-N with manure injection. There was an apparent build-up of soil N with manure injection that was not observed with broadcast application (in pre sidedress nitrogen test measurements). However, these trends were preliminary; over the two growing seasons covered by this study, these findings did not result in significant differences in corn yield or crop N removal.
Characterizing the Radio Quiet Region Behind the Lunar Farside for Low Radio Frequency Experiments

Abstract Low radio frequency experiments performed on Earth are contaminated by both ionospheric effects and radio frequency interference (RFI) from Earth-based sources. The lunar farside provides a unique environment above the ionosphere where RFI is heavily attenuated by the presence of the Moon. We present electrodynamics simulations of the propagation of radio waves around and through the Moon in order to characterize the level of attenuation on the farside. The simulations are performed for a range of frequencies up to 100 kHz, assuming a spherical lunar shape with an average, constant density. Additionally, we investigate the role of the topography and density profile of the Moon in the propagation of radio waves and find only small effects on the intensity of RFI. Due to the computational demands of performing simulations at higher frequencies, we propose a model for extrapolating the width of the quiet region above 100 kHz that also takes into account height above the lunar surface as well as the intensity threshold chosen to define the quiet region. This model, which we make publicly available through a Python package, allows the size of the radio quiet region to be easily calculated both in orbit or on the surface, making it directly applicable for lunar satellites as well as surface missions.
NHC-Copper Mediated Ligand-Directed Radiofluorination of Aryl Halides.

[18F]-labeled aryl fluorides are widely used as radiotracers for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Aryl halides (ArX) are particularly attractive precursors to these radiotracers, as they...
Object-based image analysis of slum settlements: A case study from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

In recent years, slum settlements developed in nations, due to increases in population density and a lack of land use planning (Dar Ramani Huria, 2016). Remote sensing provides city planners, engineers, and local officials the ability to analyze past, present, and possible future growth of slum settlements and inadequate access to urban services (water, garbage disposal system, etc.). The research aims to extract building footprints of slum settlements in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to employ remote sensing methods, in order to identify and extract slum settlements in the observed area. High resolution imagery (0.3 meters), provided by Worldview 3 was used to assess urban structures within two wards in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Manzese & Tandale). Overall, this research provided evidence that Object-Based Image Analysis is a beneficial and useful process in capturing slum settlements, considering that it had captured up to 118,500 square meters of slums. Slum settlement mapping provides the following for citizens of slum settlements: access to water, improved sanitation, secure tenure, or more durable housing. Slum settlement mapping leads to a better understanding of future land use planning, the local economy, and housing regulations.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Irritable Bowel Syndrome - An Update

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is one manifestation of gut microbiome dysbiosis and is highly prevalent in IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). SIBO can be diagnosed either by a small bowel aspirate culture showing ≥103 colony-forming units (CFU) per mL of aspirate, or a positive hydrogen lactulose or glucose breath test. Numerous pathogenic organisms have been shown to be increased in subjects with SIBO and IBS, including but not limited to Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella. In addition, Methanobrevibacter smithii, the causal organism in a positive methane breath test, has been linked to constipation predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). As M. smithii is an archaeon and can overgrow in areas outside of the small intestine, it was recently proposed that the term intestinal methanogen overgrowth (IMO) is more appropriate for the overgrowth of these organisms. Due to gut microbiome dysbiosis, patients with IBS may have increased intestinal permeability, dysmotility, chronic inflammation, autoimmunity, decreased absorption of bile salts, and even altered enteral and central neuronal activity. As a consequence, SIBO and IBS share a myriad of symptoms including abdominal pain, distention, diarrhea, and bloating. Furthermore, gut microbiome dysbiosis may be associated with select neuropsychological symptoms, although more research is needed to confirm this connection. This review will focus on the role of the gut microbiome and SIBO in IBS, as well as novel innovations that may help better characterize intestinal overgrowth and microbial dysbiosis.
The Simulation of Powder Processing with Eulerian Finite Element Methods

Powder processing is difficult to investigate experimentally on the mesoscopic level due to the difficulties of measuring and tracking the response of individual particles. Purely analytical investigations are also difficult because the nature of the problem doesn’t lend itself to closed form solutions. Numerical simulations are therefore left as a tool for investigating the response of particles during powder processing.
Abstract PO011: Spatial immune cell and transcriptome profiling uncover differential cellular and molecular signatures in primary and metastatic tumor sites in patients with advanced uterine serous cancer

Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) is the most aggressive and lethal subtype of endometrial cancer with a low overall patient survival rate of 18%-27%. Extra-uterine metastasis is frequently found in lymph nodes and omentum. The high lethality and poor understanding of the underneath mechanisms that drives USC progression lead to an urgency to develop novel therapeutic tools for the treatment of USC patients. Metastasis is proven to be the leading cause of death from USC and the immune system plays a vital role for this process. However, differential cellular and molecular profiles in the primary and metastatic tumor microenvironment have not been thoroughly examined. To identify the immune cell profile of USC, a panel of 7 immune cell markers together with functional markers granzyme B and Ki-67 were used to examine the spatial localization of a variety of tumor-infiltrating immune cells by multiplex immunofluorescence IHC assay using OpalTM immunology detection kit (Perkin Elmer). Formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue sections from both primary and metastasis sites (lymph node metastasis) of 10 USC patients were used. Vetra 3.0 microscope was used to take photos of stained slides. Images were quantified and analyzed by inForm software. Transcriptome profiling of microdissected tumor cells from the same tissue samples was performed using the human Clariom D assay platform. Our results demonstrated that primary USC sites had significantly higher density of intratumoral activated tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic T cells (CD8+granzyme B+), and CD8 and LCK double positive T cell subpopulation (CD8+LCK+) than the metastatic sites in lymph nodes. In addition, we found that the density and spatial distribution of activated CD8+ T cells correlate with the overall survival of USC patients. Furthermore, differentially expressed genes and signaling networks associated immune cell activation and tumor cell metastasis were identified in primary sites compared with those in the metastatic sites. Taken together, our study suggested that the immune cell and molecular phenotypes in the lymph nodes provide a permissive niche that support USC progression, which may lead to poor survival rates in patients with advanced USC. Targeting these altered signaling networks may provide novel therapeutic strategies in the treatment of USC patients. Citation Format: Li Zhang, Angela Rynne-Vidal, Karen H. Lu, Samuel C. Mok. Spatial immune cell and transcriptome profiling uncover differential cellular and molecular signatures in primary and metastatic tumor sites in patients with advanced uterine serous cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference: Endometrial Cancer: New Biology Driving Research and Treatment; 2020 Nov 9-10. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(3_Suppl):Abstract nr PO011.
Childhood-onset craniopharyngiomas

Abstract Childhood-onset craniopharyngiomas are rare, partly cystic, and calcified embryonic malformations of the sellar/parasellar region with low histological grade (WHO Io). Clinical manifestations are related to hypothalamic/pituitary deficits, visual impairment, and elevated intracranial pressure. If the tumor is favorably localized, therapy of choice is complete resection, with care taken to preserve optical and hypothalamic functionality. In patients with unfavorable tumor location, recommended therapy is limited hypothalamus-sparing surgical strategy followed by local irradiation. Even though overall survival rates are high (92%), recurrences and progressions are frequent. Irradiation has proven effective in reducing recurrences and progression. Anatomical involvement and/or surgical lesions of posterior hypothalamic areas can result in serious quality of life, compromising sequelae such as hypothalamic obesity and neuropsychological sequelae. It is crucial that childhood-onset craniopharyngioma be managed as a frequently chronic disease, providing ongoing care of pediatric and adult patients’ clinical and quality of life consequences by experienced multidisciplinary teams.
Risk-based fault prediction of chemical processes using operable adaptive sparse identification of systems (OASIS)

Abstract Fault prediction has arisen as a basic monitoring strategy that predicts an abnormal event occurring in near future based on the current symptoms observed in a process. Such a proactive approach helps in taking an appropriate action beforehand so as to mitigate the impact a fault can have on a process. Recently, data-driven modeling techniques have been widely used due to an increased accessibility to process data. Though the offline trained models are successful in modeling complex dynamics, they have limited ability in capturing the dynamic process behavior, especially under abnormal conditions. To address this issue, we utilize an adaptive modeling technique called operable adaptive sparse identification of systems (OASIS) that can cope with any dynamical changes. Based on the forecasted process behavior using OASIS, we perform risk-assessment to predict faults and assess risk. In the proposed method, risk is used as a criteria to monitor and manage process operation.
On Projections in Approximation Theory

One of the important problems in Approximation Theory can be stated in an abstract setting as follows.
Lichenoid Reactions in Association with Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Inhibitors: A Review of the Literature and Addition of a Fourth Lichenoid Reaction.

The systemic adverse effects of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) inhibitors are well known. Recently, attention has been directed to the potential and often paradoxical cutaneous adverse effects seen in association with TNF alpha inhibitors including lichen planus-like eruptions, psoriasis, alopecia areata, and lupus-like syndromes.1,2 In addition, a variety of lichenoid reactions have been added to the emerging cutaneous adverse effects associated with TNF alpha inhibitors. Three patterns of lichenoid reactions have been reported—lichen planus (LP), maculopapular lichenoid reaction, and psoriasis-like with lichen planus histology. Lichen planopilaris (LPP) has been reported in few cases associated with infliximab and etanercept therapy.3 Of the TNF inhibitors, adalimumab is fully humanized and is purported to have a decreased risk for neutralizing antibody development. However, all of the TNF alpha inhibitors have been reported to stimulate an antibody response during therapy with no clear relationship to efficacy or adverse effects from developing antibodies while on these medications.4 Many of the adverse reactions associated with this group of agents have appeared in the rheumatoid arthritis population, which may reflect increased coexistence of diseases characteristic to the rheumatoid arthritis population or a longer time frame of market availability of biologies for this patient population. Garcovich et al2 was the first to describe a patient who developed LPP after treatment with etanercept for psoriasis. Discontinuation of etanercept decreased the progression of LPP lesions; however, the patient’s psoriasis flared several months later. Upon restarting etanercept, the patient gradually developed new LPP lesions.2 Fernandez-Torres et al3 also reported a case of LPP induced by inflixamab in a patient treated for psoriasis. Herein, the authors contribute an additional case report of LPP associated with adalimumab therapy for Behcet’s disease and review the diversity of these lichenoid eruptions seen during TNF alpha inhibitor therapy (Table 1). They suggest LPP to be the fourth lichenoid reaction type that may develop during TNF alpha inhibitor therapy and caution clinicians to be aware of this eruption. TABLE 1 Overview of lichenoid reactions associated with TNF alpha inhibitors