cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Man Interrupted: Mental Illness Narrative as a Rhetoric of Proximity

David Adam’s book, The Man Who Couldn’t Stop, combines history and science with his personal story of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), addressing recent shifts in cultural sensibilities toward OCD. These shifts are characterized by transformations of stigma, or negative views of mental illness as dangerous and “other,” to increasingly encompass attitudes of acceptance, tolerance, and self-identification. We argue that Adam responds to the complex exigencies created by these new modes of stigma by playing with readers’ sense of proximity to OCD. Specifically, Adam manages proximity through two distinct chronotopes, or arrangements of time and space, an “OCD chronotope” and a “bird’s eye” chronotope. This play with proximity ultimately produces effects of disorientation and estrangement, leaving readers to work through their own relationships to OCD and the experiences of others.
Clinical Research Nursing: A New Domain of Practice

This chapter will describe the roles and contributions of nurses in the clinical research enterprise and will define the emerging specialty practice domain of clinical research nursing. The broad scope of practice settings in which nurses may engage in the care of participants in clinical research will be described, as will legal and ethical issues related to nursing practice in clinical research. Tools and resources that principal investigators and research project managers can use when considering or using nurses on a clinical research team will be presented based on work from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center and from collaborators in the National Clinical and Translational Science Award consortium.
A Non-Interleaved 12-b 330-MS/s Pipelined-SAR ADC With PVT-Stabilized Dynamic Amplifier Achieving Sub-1-dB SNDR Variation

A process, voltage, and temperature (PVT)-stabilized dynamic amplification technique is reported for the pipelined-successive-approximation-register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC). A non-interleaved 12-b 330-MS/s pipelined-SAR ADC prototype employing such technique achieves 0.5- and 0.8-dB signal-to-noise plus distortion ratio (SNDR) variations for supply voltage varying from 1.25 to 1.35 V and temperature varying from −5 °C to 85 °C, respectively. The corresponding residue gain variations are 1.5% and 1.2% under the same conditions, respectively. Moreover, 2-b/cycle SAR architecture together with the attenuated passive residue transfer technique is employed to boost the prototype conversion throughput significantly. Noise analyses of the attenuated passive residue transfer process and of the PVT stabilization circuit are also furnished. At 330 MS/s, the 65-nm CMOS prototype achieves an SNDR of 63.5 dB and a Walden FoM of 15.4 fJ/conversion step for a near-Nyquist input.
Natural organic matter composition determines the molecular nature of silver nanomaterial-NOM corona

Adsorption of natural organic matter (NOM) on nanomaterials (NMs) results in the formation of interfacial area between NMs and the surrounding environment (referred to as NOM-corona), giving rise to NMs' unique surface identity. This unique surface identity is determined by the ligands and their interactions with NM surfaces. Since the chemical structure and functionality is heterogeneous and polydisperse, the molecular composition of NOM-corona is the result of competitive adsorption of NOM molecules on the NM surface. Here, we investigate the molecular composition of NOM-corona formed from two different NOM samples (isolated from the Yukon River and Milwaukee River) on the surface of AgNMs using electrospray ionization-Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FT-ICR-MS). The composition of AgNM-NOM corona varied with the composition of the original NOM. In general, AgNM-NOM corona is rich with N- and S-containing compounds. Furthermore, AgNM-NOM corona is rich with compounds with high molecular weight, high unsaturation, and high number of oxygenated groups. However, CHOS (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur) compounds adsorbed on AgNMs from the Yukon River NOM have low molecular weight (LMW) and low saturation index, which might be due to selective adsorption via chemical complexation (Ag–S). On the other hand, NOM compounds with LMW and low unsaturation or compounds containing few oxygenated groups (mainly alcohols and ethers) are preferentially maintained in solution phase. The results here provide evidence of molecular interactions between NOM and NMs, which are critical to understanding NM behavior and toxicity in natural environments.
Random Matrices, Non-intersecting Random Walks, and Some Aspects of Universality

The connection between various probabilistic and combinatorial models on the one hand and random matrices on the other hand is often understood through non-intersecting random walk descriptions of the quantities of interest. Two prominent distributions which appear in the fluctuation theory of both random matrices and models such as last passage percolation, longest increasing subsequence of random permutations, random tilings of the ABC-hexagon, and various non-intersecting walk ensembles are the GUE Tracy-Widom and sine kernel distributions. In this paper, we describe several of these models and related questions pertaining to the universality of these distributions.
Asymptotic Dirichlet Problem for Harmonic Maps with Bounded Image

Existence and uniqueness is proved for asymptotic Dirichlet problems on Hadamard manifolds. This includes manifolds of bounded negative curvature and symmetric spaces of higher rank.
Vertical hopper compositions for preflexive and feedback-stabilized quadrupedal bounding, pacing, pronking, and trotting:

This paper applies an extension of classical averaging methods to hybrid dynamical systems, thereby achieving formally specified, physically effective and robust instances of all virtual bipedal ga...
Electronic Access to Special Collections Registers in the Gerald R. Sherratt Library, Southern Utah University

Ever since the card catalog gave way to the on-linepublic access catalog (OPAC) archivists and specialcollections librarians have longed to provide theirpatrons with the same level of computer searchingpower enjoyed by users of library main collections.In 1997 the Library of Congress announced thedevelopment of a new system designed to do just that:the Encoded Archival Description (EAD). The SpecialCollections at Southern Utah University's Gerald R.Sherratt Library adopted the new standard and used abasic wordprocessor, free open source software andin-house programming to create an efficient coding,search and display system for our photograph andmanuscript collections.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for Tay-Sachs disease: successful pregnancy after pre-embryo biopsy and gene amplification by polymerase chain reaction

Objective To determine the ability to apply preimplantation genetic diagnostic techniques to screen for and prevent Tay-Sachs disease (TSD). Design A couple, both carriers for the 4 base pair (bp) insertion in exon 11 of the β-hexosaminidase A gene, which results in TSD, underwent IVF, pre-embryo biopsy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) DNA amplification of the biopsied blastomeres, and pre-embryo transfer. One to two blastomeres were aspirated using a biopsy pipette that was inserted through an opening in the zona formed with acidified phosphate buffer. Polymerase chain reaction was performed on the individual blastomeres for 20 cycles followed by an additional 30 cycles using nested primers. This yielded amplified DNA products of 272 and 276 bp for the normal and mutant gene, respectively. Heteroduplex formation was used for identification of normal, homozygous affected, and heterozygous pre-embryos. Results Seven of 13 oocytes fertilized normally and were biopsied at the four- to eight-cell stages. Deoxyribonucleic acid amplification occurred in four of seven pre-embryos (one homozygous affected and three homozygous normal pre-embryos). The three normal pre-embryos that continued to cleave after biopsy were transferred on the evening of day 3 after retrieval. Subsequently, a single gestational sac was observed and the genetic diagnosis was confirmed at amniocentesis. Conclusion A successful pregnancy and birth were accomplished after preimplantation genetic diagnostic screening for the prevention of TSD.
Thermal Temperature Measurements of Inertial Fusion Implosions

Accurate measurement of the thermal temperature in inertially confined fusion plasmas is essential for characterizing ignition performance and validating the basic physics understanding of the stagnation conditions. We present experimental results from cryogenic deuterium-tritium implosions on the National Ignition Facility using a differential filter spectrometer designed to measure the thermal electron temperature from x-ray continuum emission from the stagnated plasma. Furthermore, electron temperature measurements, used in conjunction with the Doppler-broadened DT neutron spectra, allow one to infer the partition of energy in the hot spot between internal energy and unconverted kinetic energy.
Inorganic polyphosphate interacts with nucleolar and glycosomal proteins in trypanosomatids

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is a polymer of three to hundreds of phosphate units bound by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds and present from bacteria to humans. Most polyP in trypanosomatids is concentrated in acidocalcisomes, acidic calcium stores that possess a number of pumps, exchangers, and channels, and are important for their survival. In this work, using polyP as bait we identified > 25 putative protein targets in cell lysates of both Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma brucei. Gene ontology analysis of the binding partners found a significant over-representation of nucleolar and glycosomal proteins. Using the polyphosphate-binding domain (PPBD) of Escherichia coli exopolyphosphatase (PPX), we localized long-chain polyP to the nucleoli and glycosomes of trypanosomes. A competitive assay based on the pre-incubation of PPBD with exogenous polyP and subsequent immunofluorescence assay of procyclic forms (PCF) of T. brucei showed polyP concentration-dependent and chain length-dependent decrease in the fluorescence signal. Subcellular fractionation experiments confirmed the presence of polyP in glycosomes of T. brucei PCF. Targeting of yeast PPX to the glycosomes of PCF resulted in polyP hydrolysis, alteration in their glycolytic flux and increase in their susceptibility to oxidative stress.
Development of nuclear microsatellite loci for Pinus albicaulis Engelm. (Pinaceae), a conifer of conservation concern.

Pinus albicaulis (whitebark pine) is a widely-distributed but rapidly declining high elevation western North American tree and a candidate for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Our objectives were to develop reliable nuclear microsatellite markers that can be used to assess within-population genetic diversity as well as seed and pollen migration dynamics, and to validate markers using two geographically proximal P. albicaulis populations. We identified 1,667 microsatellite-containing sequences from shotgun DNA libraries of P. albicaulis. Primer pairs were designed for 308 unique microsatellite-containing loci, and these were evaluated for PCR amplification success and segregation in a panel of diploid needle tissue. DNA was extracted with an SDS protocol, and primers were screened through gel electrophoresis. Microsatellites were genotyped through fluorescent primer fragment analysis. Ten novel and 13 transferred loci were found to be reproducible in analyses based on 20 foliage samples from each of two locations: Henderson Mountain, Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana, and Mt. Washburn, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (USA). Transferred loci had higher numbers of alleles and expected heterozygosities than novel loci, but also revealed evidence for a higher frequency of null alleles. Eight of the 13 transferred loci deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium, and showed large positive FIS values that were likely inflated by null alleles. Mantel’s tests of transferred and novel markers showed no correlation between genetic and geographic distances within or among the two sampled populations. AMOVA suggests that 91% of genetic variability occurs within populations and 9% between the two populations. Studies assessing genetic diversity using these microsatellite loci can help guide future management and restoration activities for P. albicaulis.
Medicinal Plants and Preferred Habitats

Illness in Highland Chiapas is far too common due to a number of historical and environmental factors. Gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases account for 87% of illnesses. Illness increases significantly at the onset of the summer rainy season. The vast majority of illnesses are naturalistic in etiology, empirically diagnosed and self-treated. Visits to specialized healers are not very common and are usually done specifically to treat illnesses with personalistic etiologies. Through use recall interviews, actual plant use was determined. Management, selection, time allocation and ecological data were also collected. Most medicinal plants are collected within a short distance of the household. The Tzeltal Maya ethnoecological classification system is presented and used to examine medicinal plant habitats. The vast majority of medicinal plants are procured in human modified habitats and not forested areas. Weeds are disproportionately represented in the medicinal flora. A comparison is made between where plants are actually collected and where plants are known to grow.
Medical records and history taking

When working as an aesthetic practitioner, the importance of taking good medical records cannot be overstated. In this article, Gemma Fromage discusses what makes a good medical record, and highlig...
Synthesis and Characterization of Tris-chelate Complexes for Understanding f-Orbital Bonding in Later Actinides.

An isostructural family of f-element compounds (Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd; Am, Bk, Cf) of the redox-active dioxophenoxazine ligand (DOPOq; DOPO = 2,4,6,8-tetra-tert-butyl-1-oxo-1H-phenoxazin-9-olate) was prepared. This family, of the form M(DOPOq)3, represents the first nonaqueous isostructural series, including the later actinides berkelium and californium. The lanthanide derivatives were fully characterized using 1H NMR spectroscopy and SQUID magnetometry, while all species were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography and electronic absorption spectroscopy. In order to probe the electronic structure of this new family, CASSCF calculations were performed and revealed these systems to be largely ionic in contrast to previous studies, where berkelium and californium typically have a small degree of covalent character. To validate the zeroth order regular approximation (ZORA) method, the same CASSCF analysis using experimental structures versus UDFT-ZORA optimized structures does not exhibit sizable change...
Evaluation of liposome toll-like receptor ligand complexes for non-specific mucosal immunoprotection from feline herpesvirus-1 infection.

Background Feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) infection can result in serious morbidity and mortality, especially in kittens. Immunotherapy using liposome-toll-like receptor (TLR) ligand complexes (LTC) has been shown to activate innate immune responses. Objectives To determine in kittens whether mucosal administration of LTC before FHV-1 inoculation would decrease severity of clinical signs and decrease quantities of FHV-1 DNA in materials collected on oropharyngeal swabs. Animals Nineteen, 14-week-old, purpose-bred kittens. Methods Pilot clinical trial with 2 groups of kittens allocated to either an LTC or control group. The LTC were administered into both nares and the oropharynx of the 12 LTC group kittens, and all 19 kittens were inoculated with FHV-1 24 hours later. Clinical scores were determined daily for 28 days, and oropharyngeal mucosal materials were collected every 7 days to assess FHV-1 DNA quantities for comparison between groups. Results Conjunctivitis was more common in kittens in the control group on Days 15-28 (P = .01) and Days 1-28 (P = .02). Total respiratory scores were higher in the LTC group on days 15-28 (P = .03). The LTC group had significantly decreased FHV-1 DNA on swabs when compared to the control group on some postinoculation days, using 2 methods of calculation. Conclusions and clinical importance Administration of LTC to kittens was shown to decrease FHV-1 DNA and some manifestations of illness in kittens when administrated 24 hours before inoculation, suggesting clinical benefit.
Syntheses and Catalytic Hydrogenation Performance of Cationic Bis(phosphine) Cobalt(I) Diene and Arene Compounds

Chloride abstraction from [(R,R)-(iPr DuPhos)Co(μ-Cl)]2 with NaBArF 4 (BArF 4 =B[(3,5-(CF3 )2 )C6 H3 ]4 ) in the presence of dienes, such as 1,5-cyclooctadiene (COD) or norbornadiene (NBD), yielded long sought-after cationic bis(phosphine) cobalt complexes, [(R,R)-(iPr DuPhos)Co(η2 ,η2 -diene)][BArF 4 ]. The COD complex proved substitutionally labile undergoing diene substitution with tetrahydrofuran, NBD, or arenes. The resulting 18-electron, cationic cobalt(I) arene complexes, as well as the [(R,R)-(iPr DuPhos)Co(diene)][BArF 4 ] derivatives, proved to be highly active and enantioselective precatalysts for asymmetric alkene hydrogenation. A cobalt-substrate complex, [(R,R)-(iPr DuPhos)Co(MAA)][BArF 4 ] (MAA=methyl 2-acetamidoacrylate) was crystallographically characterized as the opposite diastereomer to that expected for productive hydrogenation demonstrating a Curtin-Hammett kinetic regime similar to rhodium catalysis.
The Journey to High Reliability: Creation of a Clinical Microsystem with Improved Outcomes

High reliability organizations have common traits including: preoccupation with failure, sensitivity to operations, reluctance to simplify, deference to expertise and commitment to resilience. Using these traits as the key drivers, we aimed to develop a high reliability unit (HRU) – a medical-surgical clinical microsystem with targeted outcomes related to patient safety, quality improvement, throughput and patient experience within a 12 month period. A Neurology/Neurosurgery medical-surgical unit was identified for a pilot program to create a HRU clinical microsystem in November of 2015. A Hospitalist Medical Director, Nurse Manager and Quality …
Identification of eyeworm ( Oxyspirura petrowi) and caecal worm ( Aulonocephalus pennula) infection levels in Northern bobwhite quail ( Colinus virginianus) of the Rolling Plains, TX using a mobile research laboratory: Implications for regional surveillance

Over the last few decades, there has been a decline in Northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) throughout their native range. While there are various factors that may be influencing this decline, it is suggested that parasites should be taken into consideration as a potential contributor in the Rolling Plains Ecoregion. High prevalence of the eyeworm (Oxyspirura petrowi) and caecal worm (Aulonocephalus pennula) in bobwhite of this region, coupled with a continuous decline, creates a need to assess infection through alternative methods for regional surveillance. Previous studies have developed a qPCR method and mobile research laboratory as an option for nonlethal procedures. However, there is still a need for standardization of these techniques. Therefore, this study builds on previous protocols to develop an application that considers factors that may influence qPCR results. In this study, cloacal swabs are collected from bobwhite in three locations throughout the Rolling Plains and scaled based on amount of feces present on the swab. This data is compared to qPCR standards as a limit of quantification for both eyeworm and caecal worm to define parasitic infection levels. Binary logistic regressions confirm that the probability of detection increases for both eyeworm (Odds Ratio: 2.3738; 95% Confidence Interval: [1.7804, 3.1649]) and caecal worm (Odds Ratio: 2.8516; 95% Confidence Interval: [2.2235, 3.6570]) as swab score increases. Infection levels for eyeworm and caecal worm are based on the generated cycle threshold value averages of qPCR standards. Based on the results of this study, this method can be applied in the mobile research laboratory to quantitatively assess regional parasitic infection in bobwhite throughout the Rolling Plains.
The effect of feedstock composition on fast pyrolysis and upgrading to transportation fuels: Techno-economic analysis and greenhouse gas life cycle analysis

Abstract Process economics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are evaluated for the conversion of eleven (11) biomass feedstocks to produce transportation fuels via fast pyrolysis and then pyrolysis oil upgrading via hydrodeoxygenation. The biomass consists of six (6) pure feeds (pine, tulip poplar, hybrid poplar, switchgrass, corn stover, oriented strand board) and five (5) blends. Feedstock blends combine pine, tulip poplar, hybrid poplar, switchgrass, and oriented strand board in various ratios. The assumptions used in this analysis are based on a unique experimental data set. They are “field to wheel” data generated from a multistep experiment that started from biomass preparation and was followed by biomass feedstock conversion to pyrolysis oil, and then finished by pyrolysis oil upgrading to produce hydrocarbon liquid fuel. Process economic results are reported in US dollars per gasoline gallon equivalent (gge) at the minimum fuel selling price (MFSP). For all eleven feedstocks, the largest cost contribution to MFSP is capital-related costs, which is approximately 30%–40% of the MFSP and includes capital depreciation, income tax, and return on investment. Feedstock cost (approximately 30% of MFSP), hydrotreating catalyst cost (13%–18% of MFSP) and labor cost (12%–15% of MFSP) also contribute significant cost to MFSP. Final fuel product yield is one of the most significant parameters affecting the process economics. The highest product yield is from pine feedstock, while switchgrass feedstock gives the lowest yield. Using blends (woody mixed with herbaceous), with which the product yield is still reasonable, may further improve process economics compared to pure feedstocks because of the lower feedstock price for blends. Blend feedstocks cost less than pure feedstock because of greater diversity in feedstock choices, lower risk, and lower transportation costs. GHG reduction does not necessarily align with favorable economics. Process parameters that most significantly affect the life cycle GHG emissions (from feedstock production to vehicle operation) are (1) natural gas used for hydrogen production and electricity usage in fast pyrolysis and pyrolysis oil upgrading, (2) energy usage in the feedstock harvesting, transport, and preprocessing operations, and (3) nitrogen fertilizer usage for growing biomass.
Identifying Actionable Compromises: Navigating Multi‐City Robustness Conflicts to Discover Cooperative Safe Operating Spaces for Regional Water Supply Portfolios

Regional cooperation among water utilities can improve the robustness of urban water supply systems to challenging and deeply uncertain futures. Through coordination mechanisms such as water transfers and regional demand management, water utilities can improve the efficiency of resource allocation and delay the need for new infrastructure investments. Though cooperation provides utilities with the potential for reduced cost strategies for improving the reliability of their services, two important challenges are worthy of careful consideration. First, regional utilities often have to navigate robustness conflicts stemming from potential asymmetries in their risk exposure, demand dynamics, and the availability of supply resources. Second, successful implementation of candidate compromise water portfolios requires that cooperating utilities understand their operational tolerances to deviations from the recommended regional actions ("imperfect implementation"). This study contributes a framework for identifying compromises across regional robustness conflicts and quantifying tolerances to implementation uncertainties. The framework is demonstrated on a system of four interdependent but institutionally independent water utilities in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina that are confronting robustness conflicts given asymmetries in their vulnerabilities to growing demands and hydroclimatic uncertainties. Our findings highlight that seemingly balanced compromise management strategies can yield significant and potentially surprising unintended consequences that could degrade regional cooperation. Moreover, asymmetries in regional robustness can be amplified with modest deviations from their agreed upon actions. Results of this analysis are broadly applicable to water supply regionalization as a global challenge and provide insights for discovering robust compromises and safe operating spaces for multi‐actor water supply systems.
Autonomous Temporal Control of Hydrogen Sulfide Delivery

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is dichotomous in nature as it is lethal at higher concentrations, but at lower concentrations it shows a more cytoprotective nature. Due to its involvement in many physiological processes, it has recently risen to significance as a gasotransmitter alongside carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO). Experimentation using H2S is thus important to generate in vitro and in vivo models for this ubiquitous gasotransmitter. However, laboratory studies involving H2S are challenging due to the special handling conditions required to work with such a toxic gas. The use of chemical donors in the cell culture also show temporally varying release profiles, which are not optimal when trying to control H2S in cell cultures lasting several days. Previously we applied microfluidics to deliver stable concentrations of H2S, and in this work, we demonstrate a novel experimental method incorporating feedback control to precisely deliver H2S that accounts for donor solution concentration decay.
Sequence-to-Sequence Learning Using Deep Learning for Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

In this paper, Convolution Neural Network (CNN) and a special variant of Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) named Long Short-Term Memory Model (LSTM) with peep hole connection is developed for optical character recognition (OCR). Data-set of mathematical equations known as Image to Latex 100K is retrieved from OPEN-AI and used for testing the model. First, the mathematical equations from the images are converted to Latex texts. Then this Latex text is used to render the mathematical equations. The proposed method uses the tokenized data, which is sequentially given to the deep learning network. The sequential process helps the algorithms to keep track of the processed data and yield high accuracy. A new variant of LSTM called "LSTM with peephole connections" and Stochastic "Hard" Attention model was used. The performance of the proposed deep learning neural network is compared with INFTY (which uses no RNN) and WYGIWYS (which uses RNN). The proposed algorithm gives a better accuracy of 76% as compared to 74% achieved by WYGIWYS.
Abstract B68: NF-kB p50-deficient immature myeloid cell (p50-IMC) adoptive transfer slows the growth of murine prostate and pancreatic ductal carcinoma

Macrophages and dendritic cells lacking NF-kB p50 having an increased proinflammatory phenotype. Melanoma, fibrosarcoma, colon carcinoma, and glioblastoma grow slower in p50-/- mice, with tumor-associated macrophage M2-to-M1 reprogramming. We therefore evaluated the efficacy of NF-kB-deficient immature myeloid cell (p50-IMC) adoptive transfer. Immature myeloid cells (IMCs) were utilized to favor tumor and lymph node localization. WT-IMC or p50-IMC were generated by culturing lineage-negative marrow cells from WT or p50-/- mice in media containing TPO, SCF, and FL for six days followed by M-CSF for one day. Mice inoculated with Hi-Myc prostate cancer (PCa) or K-RasG12D pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDC) transfected with luciferase received three doses of 1E7 IMCs every 3-4 days. IMC infusions were preceded by a single dose of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) to reduce marrow production of myeloid cells, to reduce tumor myeloid cell numbers, and to potentially release tumor neoantigens. PCa grew slower in p50-/- mice, and absence of host p50 led to prolonged survival of mice inoculated orthotopically with PDC. 5FU followed by p50-IMC slowed PCa or PDC tumor growth ~3-fold in contrast to 5FU followed by WT-IMC, 5FU alone, or p50-IMC alone. Slowed tumor growth was evident for 12 of 14 PCa tumors but only 8 of 15 PDC tumors, leading us to focus on PCa for additional analyses. p50-IMC predominantly generated PCa and draining lymph node F4/80+ macrophages, but also CD11b+F4/80-CD11c+ conventional dendritic cells, with tumor and nodal macrophages having increased Ly6C and MHCII and reduced MR compared to host macrophages, indicative of a proinflammatory phenotype. p50-IMC also led to 5-fold increased activated tumor CD8 T cells, and antibody-mediated CD8 T-cell depletion obviated slower tumor growth induced by 5FU followed by p50-IMC. Adoptive transfer of patient-derived NF-kB p50-deficient p50-IMC, potentially generated by expansion and gene editing of marrow CD34+ cells, may contribute to the therapy of these and additional cancers. Citation Format: Rahul R. Suresh, David J. Barakat, Theresa Barberi, Lei Zheng, Elizabeth M. Jaffee, Kenneth J. Pienta, Alan D. Friedman. NF-kB p50-deficient immature myeloid cell (p50-IMC) adoptive transfer slows the growth of murine prostate and pancreatic ductal carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2019 Nov 17-20; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2020;8(3 Suppl):Abstract nr B68.
Hydrate Transformation via Anhydrate Pairs

Here we present an example of an unusual hydrate–anhydrate transformation process induced by defects. Crystallization of uric acid in the presence of substoichiometric concentrations of 2,4-diamino...
Improving Concrete Toughness by Aggregate Arrangement

The focus of this research is to address the following open question: Can we engineer the distribution of coarse aggregate in concrete to improve crack growth resistance? A finite element study of aggregates distributed in a notched 3-point bending concrete sample shows that the stress field in front of the crack tip and in the entire concrete beam is carried differently when the aggregate is arranged in a more orderly manner. Based by this, the impact of coarse aggregate arrangement is confirmed experimentally. Fracture toughness is determined from notched 3-point bending samples prepared from the same mix with three types of casting approaches: One following ASTM C31, and two following the standardized casting method with raking and shear mixing to arrange particles in a more ordered manner. To evaluate the impact of these added casting steps to alter aggregate arrangement, X-ray computed tomography (XCT) data is collected of the particle positions for statistical analysis. XCT data shows that added raking and mixing during casting adjusts the arrangement of coarse aggregate with respect to each other in a systematic manner. The mechanical tests show increased toughness can be achieved when raking and shear mixing steps are added following the ASTM C31 casting process.
The International Neuromodulation Registry: An Informatics Framework Supporting Cohort Discovery and Analysis.

Background Neuromodulation therapies, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), spinal cord stimulation (SCS), responsive neurostimulation (RNS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct stimulation (tDCS), and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) are used to treat neurological and psychiatric conditions for patients who have failed to benefit from other treatment approaches. Although generally effective, seemingly similar cases often have very different levels of effectiveness. While there is ongoing interest in developing predictors, it can be difficult to aggregate the necessary data from limited cohorts of patients at individual treatment centers. Objective In order to increase the predictive power in neuromodulation studies, we created an informatics platform called the International Neuromodulation Registry (INR). The INR platform has a data flow process that will allow researchers to pool data across multiple centers to enable population health research. Methods This custom informatics platform has a Neo4j graph database and includes a harmonization process that allows data from different studies to be aggregated and compared. Users of the INR can download deidentified patient imaging, patient demographic data, device settings, and medical rating scales. The INR supports complex network analysis and patient timeline visualization. Results The INR currently houses and allows visualization of deidentified imaging and clinical data from hundreds of patients with a wide range of diagnoses and neuromodulation therapies. Conclusion Ultimately, we believe that widespread adoption of the INR platform will improve population health research in neuromodulation therapy.
Household lake exploitation and aquatic lifeways in postclassic Xaltocan, Mexico

Abstract This article explores archaeological evidence for the exploitation of lacustrine resources at the island site of Xaltocan, in the northern Basin of Mexico. Parsons (2010) hypothesized that aquatic resources were key to the development of large populations and urbanism in the Mesoamerican highlands, as these resources provided protein, nutrients, calories, and a wide range of raw materials. However, lake exploitation is difficult to document because these resources often do not preserve archaeologically. This article demonstrates that we can begin to study lake exploitation by integrating multiple lines of evidence such as micro-artifacts, exchemical signatures, flora and faunal remains, and by looking for the toolkits associated with the extraction and processing of these resources. This study finds that households in Xaltocan were processing fish, hunting waterfowl, engaging in mat production, and making fishing nets alongside other activities as early as the Early Postclassic ( CE 900–1250) period. Further, it demonstrates that aquatic lifeways provided flexibility and offered a wide range of resources for exploitation that were variably utilized by different households. However, people’s lake exploitation activities changed over time as they were shaped and constrained by outside processes, including regional political, economic, and environmental forces.
Application and Comparison of Artificial Neural Networks and XGBoost on Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a kind of brain disease, which causes abnormal memory loss, thought chaos, and behavior confusion. There are still no effective methods or medicine to prevent the worsening of AD. The best way at present is to reduce the risk of getting AD. In this paper, the author constructs an artificial neural network (ANN) and XGBoost to determine whether or not a person gets AD, by analyzing how related factors impact the group a person belonging to. The Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS) longitudinal MRI data were analyzed cross age, gender, education, social economic status (SES), mini mental state examination (MMSE), estimated total intracranial volume (eTIV), clinical dementia rating (CDR), normalized whole brain volume (nBWV), and atlas scaling factor (ASF). The purpose of this study is to decide whether a person is demented or not by comparing two classic methods, thus to explore the advantages and disadvantages of two models in real world application. The analysis is helpful to predict and model the different features in non-demented and demented people, therefore giving a clearer perspective for reducing people's risk of dementia by making appropriate adjustments. The accuracy of testing with ANN is 89.3%, with 37 matched non-demented and 30 matched demented out of 75 observations, which is 20% testing set. The accuracy of fitting the data is 93.3% for XGBoost, with 38 matched non-demented and 32 matched demented out of 75 observations. K-fold cross validation is applied to improve the accuracy rate. The accuracy is then improved to 95.6% for ANN and 99.6% for XGBoost. In conclusion, the result is consistent with the former literature study, showing that the machine learning method is more accurate than deep learning.
Single-sequence protein structure prediction using language models from deep learning

ABSTRACT AlphaFold2 and related systems use deep learning to predict protein structure from co-evolutionary relationships encoded in multiple sequence alignments (MSAs). Despite dramatic, recent increases in accuracy, three challenges remain: (i) prediction of orphan and rapidly evolving proteins for which an MSA cannot be generated, (ii) rapid exploration of designed structures, and (iii) understanding the rules governing spontaneous polypeptide folding in solution. Here we report development of an end-to-end differentiable recurrent geometric network (RGN) able to predict protein structure from single protein sequences without use of MSAs. This deep learning system has two novel elements: a protein language model (AminoBERT) that uses a Transformer to learn latent structural information from millions of unaligned proteins and a geometric module that compactly represents Cα backbone geometry. RGN2 outperforms AlphaFold2 and RoseTTAFold (as well as trRosetta) on orphan proteins and is competitive with designed sequences, while achieving up to a 106-fold reduction in compute time. These findings demonstrate the practical and theoretical strengths of protein language models relative to MSAs in structure prediction.
SU-E-T-205: Comparison of Dose-Volume and Dose-Mass 4D Inverse Optimization in NSCLC

Purpose: To compare dose-volume (Dvh) and dose-mass (Dmh) inverse treatment planning results, performed on time-resolved (4D) CT scans for non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), thereby accounting for the temporal variation in lung volume and mass. Methods: Ten NSCLC cases were retrospectively studied. The estimated range of tumor motion was in excess of 0.5 cm (0.7 cm to 1.8 cm) in at least one principal direction. For each case five phases, uniformly distributed over the breathing cycle, were chosen for planning. For each of the phases two IMRT plans, with Dvh and with Dmh quadratic objective cost function applied only for the organs at risk (OARs), were generated. Pure dose objective functions were used for the targets. The final dose in each case for each optimization scheme was achieved through a deformable dose accumulation over the five breathing phases. Plan quality of Dvh and Dmh optimization was evaluated by several dose indices (DIs), represented by the dose to certain volume of an OAR. Tallied DIs were cord1%, heart33%, lungs20%, lungs30%, and esophagus50%, as well as lung volumes encompassed by 20 Gy and 30 Gy isodose lines. Statistical significance in the differences among those indices was quantified with two-tailed paired t-tests with a significance level of 5%. Results: On average Dmh optimized plans outperformed the 4D Dvh optimized plans. The statistically significant dose reduction in cord DI1, heart DI33, esophagus DI50, lung DI20 and DI30 were 27.5%, 9.9%, 21.3%, 5.6%, and 14.7% respectively. Isovolumes of 20 Gy and 30 Gy differed by 9.6% and 6.7% respectively. Conclusions: The presented findings suggest that on average 4D Dmh optimized plans Result in better OAR sparing than 4D Dvh optimized plans. This is true for the majority of the tallied dosimetric endpoints, indicating that the potential sparing and its magnitude are patient specific. NIH
Bringing the Mountain to Students: Teaching Political Theory

Before I knew what political science was, I was deeply interested in politics. Regardless of any norm about when, if ever, it is acceptable to discuss politics, political debate was a constant at the dinner table when I was growing up, even at gatherings of the extended family. These discussions were at a broad and somewhat insular level, and certainly would have benefitted from increased rigor, fewer logical fallacies, and less opportunism with which arguments were deployed. Nonetheless, amidst the passion, all parties involved were capable of acknowledging, at least occasionally, that the other side might have a good point.
Rude Democracy: Civility and Incivility in American Politics, by Susan Herbst The Virtues of Mendacity: On Lying in Politics, by Martin Jay

The quality of American political talk is a major point of discussion today. Viewing almost any episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is likely to present a number of disconcerting examples of...
Telephone company entry into cable television: A reply

Abstract Continuing technological advance reinforces the conclusion in our earlier study that construction of integrated broadband networks (IBNs) consisting of fibre-to-the-home systems will not be the most promising way for local telephone companies to compete with incumbent cable television providers during this decade. Whether fibre-to-the-kerb systems prove to be viable for competitive entry is also questionable. In our view, the success of telephone companies as cable competitors during the 1990s is as likely to depend on other fibre network architectures or on whether video compression techniques can be perfected for video services over existing local telephone networks. Our analysis highlights the dangers of public policies that seek to promote a particular technology, as proponents of fibre-based systems have urged, to strengthen the US telecommunications infrastructure.
Serches for double β+, β+/EC and double electron-capture decays

Abstract Searches have been made for the β + / EC and EC/EC decays of 58 Ni and for the β + β + , β + / EC , and EC/EC decays of 106 Cd. No positive evidence for any of these decays has been found. We have established lower limits on the half lives of 58 Ni and 106 Cd against such decays approximately 200 times and 4 times greater, respectively, than previous limits.
Disaster Preparedness for Vulnerable Persons Receiving In-Home, Long-Term Care in South Carolina

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine how agencies in South Carolina that provide in-home health care and personal care services help older and/or disabled clients to prepare for disasters. The study also examines how agencies safeguard clients' records, train staff, and how they could improve their preparedness. METHODS: The relevant research and practice literature was reviewed. Nine public officials responsible for preparedness for in-home health care and personal care services in South Carolina were interviewed. A telephone survey instrument was developed that was based on these interviews and the literature review. Administrators from 16 agencies that provide in-home personal care to 2,147 clients, and five agencies that provide in-home health care to 2,180 clients, were interviewed. Grounded theory analysis identified major themes in the resulting qualitative data; thematic analysis organized the content. RESULTS: Federal regulations require preparedness for agencies providing in-home health care ("home health"). No analogous regulations were found for in-home personal care. The degree of preparedness varied substantially among personal care agencies. Most personal care agencies were categorized as"less"prepared or"moderately"prepared. The findings for agencies in both categories generally suggest lack of preparedness in: (1) identifying clients at high risk and assisting them in planning; (2) providing written materials and/or recommendations; (3) protecting records; (4) educating staff and clients; and (5) coordinating disaster planning and response across agencies. Home health agencies were better prepared than were personal care agencies. However, some home health administrators commented that they were unsure how well their plans would work during a disaster, given a lack of training. The majority of home health agency administrators spoke of a need for better coordination and/or more preparedness training. CONCLUSIONS: Agencies providing personal care and home health services would benefit from developing stronger linkages with their local preparedness systems. The findings support incorporating disaster planning in the certification requirements for home health agencies, and developing additional educational resources for administrators and staff of personal care agencies and their clients. Language: en
Modeling an Algebraic Stepper

Programmers rely on the correctness of the tools in their programming environments. In the past, semanticists have studied the correctness of compilers and compiler analyses, which are the most important tools. In this paper, we make the case that other tools, such as debuggers and steppers, deserve semantic models, too, and that using these models can help in developing these tools. Our concrete starting point is the algebraic stepper in DrScheme, our Scheme programming environment. The algebraic stepper explains a Scheme computation in terms of an algebraic rewriting of the program text. A program is rewritten until it is in a canonical form (if it has one). The canonical form is the final result. The stepper operates within the existing evaluator, by placing breakpoints and by reconstructing source expressions from source information placed on the stack. This approach raises two questions. First, do the run-time breakpoints correspond to the steps of the reduction semantics? Second, does the debugging mechanism insert enough information to reconstruct source expressions? To answer these questions, we develop a high-level semantic model of the extended compiler and run-time machinery. Rather than modeling the evaluation as a low-level machine, we model the relevant low-level features of the stepper's implementation in a high-level reduction semantics. We expect the approach to apply to other semantics-based tools.
On inverted repeat sequences in chromosomal DNA.

It is suggested that chromosomal DNA should contain a class of palindromic reverse repeats, comparable in number to that of genes themselves, which are formed as follows: (1) a transcription-termination signal that follows the gene plus (on the complementary strand and located as near to the "anti-gene" as possible); (2) a second termination signal which actively prevents the accidental transcription of the anti-gene. Thus, the adjacent termination-anti-termination region of one strand would complement the anti-termination-termination region of the other.
Endovaginal sonography for the early diagnosis of intrauterine and ectopic pregnancies

Endovaginal sonography, together with beta-HCG titre, was used to diagnose ectopic pregnancy in 58 patients. Transabdominal ultrasound failed to conclude this diagnosis. The data from endovaginal sonography revealed the presence of a gestational sac in all 15 patients with normal pregnancies at a beta-HCG level of 1042 mIU/ml. Of the 23 patients with pathological pregnancies only 61% had an intrauterine gestational sac. Only 15% of the 20 patients with ectopic pregnancies showed an increase in beta-HCG greater than 66% in 48 h, while in normal pregnancy, this increase was found in 71% of the patients. The endovaginal findings of the ectopic gestation revealed a complex adnexal mass in 55%, a cystic mass in 30% and fluid in the cul-de-sac in 20%. The diagnostic indices of adnexal and cul-de-sac sonographic findings in the ectopic group further improved specificity and positive predictive accuracy. The detection of ectopic versus intrauterine gestation showed a high sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictability of 100% and a negative predictability of 97%. The data confirm the value and reliability of endovaginal and cul-de-sac sonography, combined with measurement of the beta-HCG level in the early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. This combined approach not only makes the differentiation between normal and extrauterine gestation more accurate but also helps to avoid unnecessary diagnostic laparoscopy and hospitalization.