cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activated skin γδ T-cells regulate T-cell infiltration of the wound site after burn.

Burn induces an immunopathological response involving multiple immune cell types that includes γδ T-cells. Nonetheless, the role of γδ T-cells at the wound site after burn is not clearly defined. Wild type and γδ T-cell receptor deficient (δ TCR-/-) mice were subjected to a major burn or sham procedure. At 1–7 d thereafter, skin samples were collected and T-cell populations analyzed. The majority of T-cells in the skin of sham mice were γδ T-cells. After burn, however, an increase in the total T-cells was observed at the wound site and these cells were predominantly αβ T-cells. Their influx was γδ T-cell dependent, as it was markedly reduced in injured δ TCR-/- mice. Burn wound γδ T-cells were activated with increased expression of TLRs and CD69. In contrast, the infiltrating αβ T-cells TLR and CD69 expressions were attenuated after burn. Thus, burn is associated with of γδ T-cell activation at the injury site, which initiates a massive infiltration of the wound with αβ T-cells that likely facilitate the ...
Note on the Distribution of the Indian Crested Porcupine Hystrix indica

Ellerman and Morrison-Scott (checklist of palaearctic and indian mammals, 1758– 1946. 1951) list the approximate distribution of Hystrix indica as “Ceylon, Peninsular India, northwards to Rajputana, Sind, Punjab, Kashmir, Nepal, Baluchistan; Persia, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor, Southern Arabia, Southern and Eastern Russian Turkestan (north to Kara Kum, Tashkent …
Cortisone and blood pressure.

ConclusionsModification of arterial tension by cortisone, in the doses generally employed, has been noted but rarely in short-and long-term observations of subjects without renal disease. A rise in blood pressure has been the rule among patients with renal damage of varying types irrespective of the presence or absence of antecedent hypertension.
Muscular and myocutaneous pedicled flaps

This article reviews the major regional myocutaneous flaps available for soft-tissue coverage in the head and neck region. Specific flaps discussed include the pectoralis myocutaneous, latissimus dorsi myocutaneous, trapezius myocutaneous, sternocleidomastoid muscle, and temporalis muscle flaps.
Extending System Readiness Levels to Assess and Communicate Human Readiness

Program managers need to understand the maturity of all aspects of their system to make intelligent investment decisions during product development. Technology Readiness Levels TRL are regularly applied to classify and communicate the state of technology development and to guide investment during technology and system development. This concept has recently been extended to include integration readiness to understand the maturity of the interfaces between technology components in a system. However, these methods do not consider whether human interfaces to the system have been fully matured. The current research extends the TRL and Integration Readiness Level IRL concepts to include the human elements of the system. The method proposes two concepts: the Human Capability Level and the Human IRL. The Human Capability Level refers to the capability of a system to reliably provide well equipped personnel with sufficient skills and the ability to perform successfully with the system. The Human Integration Readiness Level refers to the demonstration of effective human integration with system technologies. Each of these concepts are then combined with previous work to demonstrate the development of a System Readiness Level, which includes technology and human elements. We show that these Human Capability and Integration Level concepts can be used in conjunction with the existing TRL and IRL concepts to compare the relative maturity of components of the system for supporting each class of human users as well as performing its technical functions.
Synthesis of Recent Literature on Educational Technologies in Medical Curricula

A recent call for medical school reform in the USA has sparked a renewed interest in the use of educational technologies to help enhance and standardize the complex medical curriculum. Medical school goals focus on preparing medical students to be physicians who connect multiple knowledge bases to clinical experiences, develop professional competencies, and continually self-assess knowledge and learning needs. Educational technology has been suggested as a critical factor in meeting these goals. Although there is a growing presence of technologies in medical schools, recent educational technology studies in medical education outlets overwhelmingly appear to be solo pilot efforts that are evaluative in nature and primarily describe uses and perceived value of technology. Few report widely studied technology phenomena and produce evidence-based results powerful enough to support uses of technology to inform curricular reform. Medical education scholars have suggested that more interdisciplinary and rigorous empirical studies are required to determine how educational technologies may enhance the efficiency and quality of medical curricula. This chapter describes the evolving process of educating physicians and provides a synthesis of recent themes in the medical school educational technology literature covering areas of adoption of educational technology innovations, technology support structures, design and development challenges, and recent research. Conclusions suggest future research that by nature is collaborative, interdisciplinary, multi-institutional, and aligns with curriculum enhancement themes.
ULSI market opportunities and manufacturing challenges

It is pointed out that the decade of the 90s promises to see the semiconductor world proceed to the gigachip capability. Electronic applications will become more pervasive provided the semiconductor industry delivers a continued improvement in density, performance, reliability, and cost per function. The manufacture of integrated circuits, however, is becoming more and more expensive. It is suggested that counteracting this trend will require major paradigm shifts in the way ICs are made. The projected growth of R&D costs and capital costs per scaling generation is 40%-50%. Ways in which these costs might be managed in the future are examined. It is believed that the affordability of gigachip manufacturing demands a new approach to design, control and implementation of the technology. This approach should have as its goals the consideration of the life cycle use of the technology and reuse of the engineering, capital, and operational funds. >
Ultrasonic absorption in the magnetic superconducting system Er1−x\HoxRh4B4

Ultrasonic attenuation measurements as a function of temperature at constant magnetic fields and as a function of magnetic field at constant temperatures in Er1−xHoxRh4B4 show interesting behavior at low temperatures. The enhanced attenuation observed in the superconducting state and the sharp change in attenuation at magnetic phase transition for the superconductors in this system are attributed to spin‐phonon interaction. The peculiar dependence of attenuation on orientation of magnetic field with respect to sound wave propagation direction evidences indirectly the coexistence of magnetic order and superconductivity. A two‐level model of phonon‐phonon interaction is proposed to elucidate the occurrence of relaxation type attenuation maxima observed in the temperature‐dependent attenuation curves of all the samples. Furthermore, the attenuation behavior at low temperatures in high magnetic fields may also manifest the occurrence of a new magnetoelastic coupling effect.
The Role of Rac and Rho in Cell Cycle Progression

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the role of two members of the Rho GTPase family, Rac and Rho, in G1 progression. Identifying the signaling pathways responsible for G1 progression is therefore important for increasing the understanding of control mechanisms that operate during normal cell proliferation and their subversion in tumor cells. One class of signaling proteins that has recently been recognized to play a significant role in G1 phase progression is the small GTP binding proteins of the Rho GTPase family. Cell cycle progression through G1 is a complex and tightly controlled process. The Rho family of GTPases functions as molecular switches by oscillating between an active GTP-bound form and inactive GDP-bound form. Increasing evidence indicates that Rac and Rho influence cell cycle progression by targeting multiple regulatory steps throughout G1. Recent evidence demonstrates that Rho plays a central role in controlling adhesion- and mitogen-dependent cyclin D1 expression. Rac and Rho play a key role in the regulation of cell shape changes that accompany adhesion and motility. It is well recognized that cell shape is an important determinant for the proliferative capacity of normal anchorage-dependent cells and loss of cell-shape-dependent growth control is a hallmark of oncogenically transformed cells.
Causes of Diplopia in Patients With Epiretinal Membranes.

Purpose To describe the causes of diplopia in patients with an epiretinal membrane (ERM) and presenting diplopia. Design Retrospective observational case series. Methods We reviewed patients diagnosed with an ERM, who had been seen by both retinal and strabismus specialists in a tertiary medical center. Data recorded: orthoptic evaluation, retinal misregistration (optotype-frame test, and synoptophore central peripheral superimposition slides at 5 and 10 degrees), and cause of any diplopia (retinal misregistration vs strabismus vs optical/refractive error). We defined central-peripheral rivalry–type diplopia as presenting symptomatic diplopia with evidence of retinal misregistration, and where other causes did not fully explain diplopia. The frequency of each cause of diplopia in patients with ERM was determined. Results Of 50 patients with ERM, 25 had symptomatic diplopia and 25 had no diplopia. Eleven of 25 diplopic patients (44%) had retinal misregistration as the sole cause (central-peripheral rivalry–type diplopia), 7 (28%) strabismus (1 of 7 initally appeared to have central-peripheral rivalry–type diplopia), 1 (4%) optical/refractive error (monocular diplopia), 2 (8%) mixed retinal misregistration (central-peripheral rivalry–type diplopia) and strabismus, and for 4 (16%) diplopia cause was indeterminate. Unexpectedly, 15 of 25 patients without diplopia (60%) had evidence of retinal misregistration. Conclusions Patients with ERM and presenting diplopia may have 1 of several causes of diplopia, most commonly retinal misregistration (central-peripheral rivalry–type diplopia). Nevertheless, diplopic patients with retinal misregistration may also have treatable strabismus or optical/refractive error as the primary barrier to single vision and therefore many potential barriers to single vision should be considered.
Incentive and Competition Effects of Supplier Awards

Many firms recognize exceptional supplier performance by giving out a "Supplier of the Year" or "Outstanding Supplier" award. These awards are usually symbolic since they have no immediate monetary value for a supplier and no direct cost to a buyer. Giving these awards can be beneficial for a buyer: if suppliers care about being rewarded, symbolic awards can incentivize a supplier to exert higher effort. On the other hand, in a market with multiple buyers and suppliers, an award may have another effect, which we denote "competition effect". When good suppliers are scarce, a public award can intensify the competition to do business with a good supplier. We develop a theoretical model that captures a supplier's value for the award in a setting with two buyers and two suppliers. We show that the average provision of quality is higher when awards are available whether these are private (only observable to the recipient) or public (observable to everyone). In addition, public awards result in buyers paying a higher price to get a good supplier. We then test these results with a laboratory experiment. Our experimental results show that private symbolic awards have incentive effects and lead to higher provision of quality and higher buyer's profits. When the awards are public this profit premium disappears. This happens for two reasons, first because buyers have to pay higher prices to get the good suppliers, and second because making the award public crowds out the intrinsic value of the award for suppliers.
Toward A Tri-partite Psychological Model of Prayer

While empirical research concerning the psychology of prayer has increased significantly in the last decade, the development of theory has lagged behind observation. In this paper, we expand on our previous work conceptualizing prayer as consisting of perceived inward, outward, and upward connections (IOU) with aspects in both physical and supraphysical domains. Using a three-dimensional triangular model, we demonstratethe dynamic states associated with the act of praying as it unfolds across time and in response to specific events or contexts. The utility of the proposed model is that it offers a framework of prayer that accounts for intrapersonal variation. This can be useful in clinical contexts, where graphic portrayals of internal experiences can enhance understanding and facilitate desired change. In addition, the model can suggest the extent to which the individual embraces prayer in its most transparent connectional modes or displays a tendency to “mix and match” ways of praying in a personally construed patternof relevance. All of these features suggest that this model can provide substantial material for self-reflection and development.
Predictions of defect detection performance of air-coupled ultrasonic rail inspection system:

A rail inspection system based on ultrasonic guided waves and non-contact (air-coupled) ultrasound transduction is under development at the University of California at San Diego. The system targets...
Viruses, bacteria, and parasites - oh my! a resurgence of interest in microbial-based therapy for cancer

As infections and cancer are two of the most common maladies affecting human beings, a concerted effort is needed to better understand their potential interactions and to further explore their use in microbial-based cancer treatments. Studies focusing on the interaction between pathogens and cancer began over 4000 years ago, but therapeutic application of pathogens has often been bypassed as other cancer therapies have gained wider interest. To many, the field of microbial-based cancer treatment may feel antiquated and already sufficiently explored. However, closer examination reveals that our current knowledge is but a series of dim reflections amongst many yet-unexplored shadows. Particularly, with our increased understanding of pathogen entry, replication, and senescence, coupled with our quickly increasing knowledge regarding cancer initiation, growth, and metastasis, and capped by our realization of the complexity and plasticity of the immune response, we are just now beginning to realize the vastness of the undiscovered area encompassing this field. At the same time, we are now uniquely poised with gained knowledge and discovered tools to join together across disciplines, uncover new positive and negative interactions between pathogens and cancer, and make important progress toward saving cancer patient lives.
The Role of Affect in the Information Seeking of Productive Scholars

Abstract Carol Kuhlthau's (2004) work shows that affect is a vital part of information seeking for high school students and undergraduates. This article explores the influence of affect on research university faculty. Like beginning information users, advanced information users are influenced by their confidence, ambition, and interest in their work. This study employed phenomenological interviews to explore how scholars' willingness to tackle new areas of research, submit manuscripts to prestigious publications, approach colleagues for collaboration, and conduct literature searches with tenacity is impacted by their emotions and dispositions.
Public Administration Education and Training in Nigeria: Problems, Challenges, and Prospects

This article describes the evolution of public administration education and training in Nigeria through an exploratory method of inquiry. It traces the practice of public administration through the...
Sorting of Rat SPNT in Renal Epithelium Is Independent of N-Glycosylation

Purpose. The sodium-dependent, purine-selective nucleoside transporter, SPNT, has a unique steady-state expression pattern in renal epithelial cells. In comparison with the concentrative nucleoside transporter, CNT1, which is confined to the apical membrane, SPNT is expressed predominantly on the apical membrane but with significant expression on the basolateral membrane as well. Alternate surface expression indicates that SPNT likely has different sorting and trafficking mechanisms from CNT1. Because glycosylation has been reported to be essential for apical targeting of other transporters, and SPNT contains three unique glycosylation sites, we examined the importance of glycosylation in sorting of SPNT. Preliminary studies suggested that glycosylation affects surface expression of SPNT but not CNT1.
Sleep in Older Adults

Sleep is commonly disturbed in older adults, generally because their ability to get the sleep they need is decreased. Multitudes of variables lead to sleep difficulties in the older adult population including normal changes in sleep patterns, changes in circadian rhythms, increased medical comorbidities, increased use of medications, and the high prevalence of certain sleep disorders. This article reviews the normal changes in sleep-related processes that are experienced with age as well as pathological processes that impede appropriate sleep in older adults. The common sleep disorders, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment are also reviewed as they pertain to the older adult population.
Psychosocial Rehabilitation: Issues and Answers for Psychiatry

The American Association of Community Psychiatrists has composed a set of principles to guide psychiatry's relationship with psychosocial rehabilitation. They consist of five basic precepts offering the profession an orientation to rehabilitation, accompanied by seven issues that discuss aspects of how psychiatry must finally adopt psychosocial rehabilitation as a model of practice with people who have severe psychiatric disorders. The authors advance the argument that a confluence of developments, both within and beyond psychiatry, has now created an opportunity for psychiatry to build a mutually productive relationship with rehabilitation.
Tapping the Potential: Secure Chunk-based Deduplication of Encrypted Data for Cloud Backup

We, in this work, investigate the problem of designing a secure chunk-based deduplication scheme in the enterprise backup storage setting. Most of the existing works focus on realizing file-level encrypted data deduplication or key/metadata management. Little attention is drawn to the practical chunk-level deduplication system. In particular, we identify that the information contained in a small-sized chunk is more susceptible to the brute-force attack compared with file-based deduplication. We propose a randomized oblivious key generation mechanism based on the inner workings of the backup service. In contrast with the current work that compromising one client will eventually expose all the clients’ storage, our scheme offers a counter-intuitive property of achieving security against multiclient compromise with minimal deduplication performance loss. In addition, we enforce a per-backup rate-limiting policy to slow down the online brute-force attack. We show that the proposed scheme is provably secure in the malicious model. We also calibrate the system design by taking into account the practical deduplication requirements to accomplish a comparable plaintext deduplication performance. Our experiment on the real-world dataset shows its efficiency, effectiveness, and practicality.
Deep Learning Based Micro-Grid Fault Detection and Classification in Future Smart Vehicle

Microgrid in electric vehicles (EV) require high reliability as any malfunctioning may result in loss of human live. To ensure robust protection for micro-grid, intelligent continuous monitoring and fault classification mechanism is required along with existing traditional protection scheme. Industrial internet of things (IIOT) makes low-cost continuous health monitoring data from EV micro-grid available. Manually processing of these bulk data for fault classification is cost and time consuming, and impractical. Neural network (NN) and other artificial intelligence classification systems require time-consuming feature engineering. In this digest, a Deep Neural Network (NN) framework, Convolution Neural Network (CNN) are applied for automatic and rapid processing of bulk health monitoring data for high precision micro-grid fault classification. The proposed classification method learns from data autonomously and extracts features by identifying anomalies in converter and inverter output voltage, and DC-link capacitor voltage amplitude, phase angle and harmonic components. This CNN based fault classification method shows better performance compared to conventional artificial intelligence based fault classification systems. The proposed classification system is verified under different operating conditions.
Do Vaccines Cause Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Vaccines currently routinely recommended to the general population in the U.S. have not been shown to cause systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Effect of intra-ovarian injection of mesenchymal stem cells in aged mares

This study aims to determine if intra-ovarian injection of bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) improves or restores ovarian function in aged females. Prospective randomized study of eight aged mares and six young mares receiving intra-ovarian injection of MSCs or vehicle. Main outcome measures were antral follicle count and serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) (aged and young mares), and for aged mares, oocyte meiotic and developmental competence; gross and histological ovarian assessment; evaluation of presence of chimerism in recovered granulosa cells and in ovarian tissue samples; and gene expression in ovarian tissue as assessed by RNA sequencing. Injection of MSCs was not associated with significant changes in follicle number, oocyte recovery rate on follicle aspiration, oocyte maturation rate, or blastocyst rate after ICSI in aged mares, or in changes in follicle number in young mares. There were no significant changes in peripheral AMH concentrations, indicating a lack of effect on growing follicles. MSC donor DNA was not recovered in granulosa cells or in ovarian tissue, indicating lack of persistence of injected MSC. RNA sequencing revealed significant differences in gene expression between MSC- and vehicle-injected ovaries. Intra-ovarian injection of bone marrow–derived MSCs altered gene expression but did not improve ovarian function in aged mares.
An Efficient Deep Representation Based Framework for Large-Scale Terrain Classification

In this paper, we present a novel terrain classification framework for large-scale remote sensing images. A well-performing multi-scale superpixel tessellation based segmentation approach is employed to generate homogeneous and irregularly shaped regions, and a transfer learning technique is sequentially deployed to derive representative deep features by utilizing successful pre-trained convolutional neural network (CNN) models. This design is aimed to overcome the big problem of lacking available ground-truth data and to increase the generalization power of the multi-pixel descriptor. In the subsequent classification step, we train a fast and robust support vector machine (SVM) to assign the pixel-level labels. Its maximum-margin property can be easily combined with a graph Laplacian propagation approach. Moreover, we analyze the advantages of applying a feature selection technique to the deep CNN features which are extracted by transfer learning. In the experiments, we evaluate the whole framework based on different geographical types. Compared with other region-based classification methods, the results show that our framework can obtain state-of-the-art performance w.r.t. both classification accuracy and computational efficiency.
Toughening Cellulose: Compatibilizing Polybutadiene and Cellulose Triacetate Blends

We report the synthesis of an ABA triblock copolymer of the structure CTA-b-PB-b-CTA (CTA = cellulose triacetate and PB = polybutadiene) and its ability to compatibilize immiscible CTA/PB polymer b...
A Cross-sectional Survey of Internal Medicine Resident Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors, and Experiences Regarding Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Infection.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV is effective, yet many providers continue to lack knowledge and comfort in providing this intervention. It remains unclear whether internal medicine (IM) residents receive appropriate training in PrEP care and if this affects their future practices. We sought to evaluate the relationship between current IM residents’ prior PrEP training and knowledge, comfort, and practice regarding the provision of PrEP. We created an online survey to assess IM residents’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to PrEP. The survey was distributed among five IM programs across the USA. We had a 35% response rate. Of 229 respondents, 96% (n = 220) had heard of PrEP but only 25% (n = 51) had received prior training and 11% (n = 24) had prescribed PrEP. Compared with those without, those with prior training reported good to excellent knowledge scores regarding PrEP (80% versus 33%, p < 0.001), more frequent prescribing (28% versus 7%, p = 0.001), and higher comfort levels with evaluating risk for HIV, educating patients, and monitoring aspects of PrEP (75% versus 26%, 56% versus 16%, and 47% versus 8%, respectively; all p values < 0.0001). While only 25% (n = 51) had received prior training, 75% (n = 103) of respondents reported that training all providers at their continuity clinic sites would improve implementation. We found that prior training was associated with higher levels of self-reported PrEP knowledge, comfort, and prescribing behaviors. Given the significant need for PrEP, IM residents should be trained to achieve adequate knowledge and comfort levels to prescribe it. This study demonstrates that providing appropriate PrEP training for IM residents may lead to an increase in the pool of graduating IM residents prescribing PrEP.
What Great Principals Do Differently: Twenty Things That Matter Most

What are the attitudes and actions that make great principals stand out? In this internationally renowned bestseller, Todd Whitaker reveals the 20 keys to effective school leadership. This essential third edition features helpful new strategies for recruiting talent through better interview and reference questions, as well as tips for retaining talent. It also offers a new section on how leadership is not an event, but rather requires a consistent approach to affect the climate and eventually shape the culture of your school. Perfect for new and experienced principals, for independent professional reading or for leadership courses, this practical book will leave you feeling inspired and ready to do the things that matter most for the people who ultimately matter most—the students.
Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 2 inhibits activation of ERK signaling and cell growth in response to β-adrenergic stimulation in adult rat cardiomyocytes

Sustained elevation of sympathetic activity is an important contributor to pathological cardiac hypertrophy, ventricular arrhythmias, and left ventricular contractile dysfunction in chronic heart f...
Good Plot Symbols by Default

AbstractScatterplots require different symbols for different purposes. For presentation, aesthetically pleasing symbols are popular. For analysis, highly discriminable symbols aid pattern detection...
Quantitative Evaluation of DER Smart Inverters for the Mitigation of FIDVR in Distribution Systems

This paper exploits smart inverters of distributed energy resources (DERs) for the mitigation of fault-induced delayed voltage recovery (FIDVR). According to the IEEE Standard 1547-2018, smart inverters with voltage ride-through and var injection capabilities are promising technologies for mitigating FIDVR. This paper quantitatively investigates the effectiveness of smart inverters for FIDVR from a system-wide perspective. It shows that the penetration of smart inverters and induction motors are important factors affecting mitigation success. In addition, the over-voltages at the end of FIDVR due to load disconnections can be prevented with coordinated control of DERs and automated switching capacitors. The control scheme of smart inverters used for FIDVR is extended from the distributed volt/var droop control to include low- and high-voltage ride-through capabilities. The IEEE 13-bus feeder, the 8500-node test feeder, and the IEEE 390-node low-voltage network test system are used to illustrate the impact of DER penetration. For example, one can determine the residential air conditioner penetration level (for a given system at certain DER penetration level) that makes a system susceptible to FIDVR. The effects of solar intermittency are also studied.
Restoring dignity to sound professional judgment

Both the scientific community and the judiciary make decisions based on less than complete information, and both acknowledge the reality of uncertainty. The scientific community tends to view certainty as a yes-no phenomenon, demands a high degree of certainty, and considers only several variables at one time. The judiciary, however, uses a sliding scale of certainty, allows a lower degree of certainty, and considers the totality of the situation. For natural resource decisionmakers-people with scientific training whose decisions are subject to judicial review-what should the standard of judgment be? This article examines certainty from both perspectives, argues for the restoration of sound professional judgment as the standard for natural resource decisionmaking, and offers suggestions to improve sound professional judgment.
A Paradigm for Measuring Resting State Functional Connectivity in Young Children Using fNIRS and Freeplay

Resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) reflects organization of functional networks in the brain. Functional networks measured during “resting” (task-absent) state are correlated with cognitive function, and much development of these networks occurs between infancy and adulthood. However, RSFC research in young children (especially between ages 3 and 5 years) has been limited, mainly due to a paucity of child-appropriate neural measures and behavioral paradigms. This paper presents a new paradigm to measure RSFC in young children, utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and Freeplay, a behavioral setup designed to approximate resting state in children. In Experiment 1, we recorded fNIRS data from children aged 3-8 years and adults aged 18-21 years and examined feasibility and validity, and compared measures across the two groups. In Experiment 2, we recorded longitudinal data (approximately 3 months apart) from children aged 3-5 years, and examined reliability under a variety of measures. Results suggest this paradigm is practical and has good construct validity and test-retest reliability, and may contribute towards increasing the availability of reliable data on resting state networks in early childhood. In particular, these are some of the first positive results on the feasibility of reliably measuring functional connectivity in children aged 3-5 years.
ShapeFlow: Learnable Deformations Among 3D Shapes

We present ShapeFlow, a flow-based model for learning a deformation space for entire classes of 3D shapes with large intra-class variations. ShapeFlow allows learning a multi-template deformation space that is agnostic to shape topology, yet preserves fine geometric details. Different from a generative space where a latent vector is directly decoded into a shape, a deformation space decodes a vector into a continuous flow that can advect a source shape towards a target. Such a space naturally allows the disentanglement of geometric style (coming from the source) and structural pose (conforming to the target). We parametrize the deformation between geometries as a learned continuous flow field via a neural network and show that such deformations can be guaranteed to have desirable properties, such as be bijectivity, freedom from self-intersections, or volume preservation. We illustrate the effectiveness of this learned deformation space for various downstream applications, including shape generation via deformation, geometric style transfer, unsupervised learning of a consistent parameterization for entire classes of shapes, and shape interpolation.
Considering a Consensus View of Nature of Science Content for School Science Purposes

An important consideration related to the inclusion of nature of science (NOS) into the science curriculum relates to what aspects of NOS are the most appropriate to define the domain of NOS accurately at levels appropriate for the time available and learners’ interests and ability to understand. Those who support the inclusion of NOS in the science curriculum understand that this topic and so many other science content aspects must be offered accurately at introductory levels. Therefore, many in the science education community have offered what has come to be known as the “consensus” view of NOS. This is not to say that everyone involved in supporting science teaching and learning share precisely the same recommended aspects of NOS, but generally, there is widespread agreement on the consensus view of NOS elements that should be targeted in science instruction. The elements of the consensus NOS view are detailed in the chapter “ Principal Elements of Nature of Science: Informing Science Teaching While Dispelling the Myths”. This chapter summarizes the development of the consensus position while detailing and refuting several of the major objections to this view offered in the literature and concludes by examining procedural and declarative learning as applied to NOS.
Modeling lasing dynamics in lasing spaser arrays and BIC-based lasers

Plasmonic nanolasers have excellent potential for ultrafast modulation due to their ability to accelerate spontaneous emission and increase the modulation bandwidth. Critical metrics of the nanolaser dynamics include photon lifetime, spontaneous emission rate, and polarization lifetime. However, these processes have significantly different lifetimes, which presents a challenge for modeling. Classical rate equations fail to predict the modulation behavior accurately. In this talk, we cover some history of the numerical modeling of nanoscale lasers and discuss our efforts on developing accurate computational approaches to describing modulated plasmonic nanolasers. We also highlight the regimes where multi-scale methods can still be used efficiently.
611 RNA-sequencing reveals a unique immune transcriptional landscape in the vaccine sites of patients with circulating T-cell responses to cancer immunization

Background Vaccines are a promising therapeutic for patients with advanced cancer, but achieving robust T-cell responses remains a challenge. Melanoma-associated antigen-A3 (MAGE-A3) in combination with adjuvant AS15 (a formulation of Toll-Like-Receptor (TLR)-4 and 9 agonists and a saponin), induced systemic CD4+ T-cell responses in 50% of patients when given subcutaneously/intradermally. Little is known about the transcriptional landscape of the vaccine-site microenvironment (VSME) of patients with systemic T-cell responses versus those without. We hypothesized that patients with systemic T-cell responses to vaccination would exhibit increased immune activation in the VSME, higher dendritic cell (DC) activation/maturation, TLR-pathway activation, and enhanced Th1 signatures. Methods Biopsies of the VSME were obtained from participants on the Mel55 clinical trial (NCT01425749) who were immunized with MAGE-A3/AS15. Biopsies were taken 8 days after immunization. T-cell response to MAGE-A3 was assessed in PBMC after in-vitro stimulation with recMAGE-A3, by IFNγ ELISPOT assay. Gene expression was assessed by RNAseq using DESeq2. Comparisons were made between immune-responders (IR), non-responders (NR), and normal skin controls. FDR p Results Four IR, four NR, and three controls were evaluated. The 500 most variable genes were used for principal component analysis (PCA). Two IR samples were identified as outliers on PCA and excluded from further analysis. There were 882 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the IR group vs the NR group (figure 1A). Unsupervised clustering of the top 500 DEGs revealed clustering according to the experimental groups (figure 1B). Of the 10 most highly upregulated DEGs, 9 were immune-related (figure 1C). Gene-set enrichment analysis revealed that immune-related pathways were highly enriched in IRs vs NRs (figure 1D). CD4 and CD8 expression did not differ between IR and NR (figure 2A), though both were higher in IR compared to control. Markers of DC activation/maturation were higher in IR vs NR (figure 2B), as were several Th1 associated genes (figure 2C). Interestingly, markers of exhaustion were higher in IR v NR (figure 2D). Expression of numerous TLR-pathway genes was higher in IR vs NR, including MYD88, but not TICAM1 (figure 2E). Conclusions These findings suggest a unique immune-transcriptional landscape in the VSME is associated with circulating T-cell responses to immunization, with differences in DC activation/maturation, Th1 response, and TLR signaling. Thus, immunologic changes in the VSME are useful predictors of systemic immune response, and host factors that modulate immune-related signaling at the vaccine site may have concordant systemic effects on promoting or limiting immune responses to vaccines. Trial Registration Samples for this work were collected from patients enrolled on the Mel55 clinical trial NCT01425749. Ethics Approval This work was completed after approval from the UVA institutional review board IRB-HSR# 15398.
Adjuvant therapy rates and overall survival in patients with localized pancreatic cancer from high Area Deprivation Index neighborhoods.

Abstract Background Neighborhood adversity’s impact on postoperative/adjuvant therapy delivery and overall survival (OS) is poorly described in patients with localized pancreatic cancer (PC). Methods Area Deprivation Index (ADI) is a validated measure classifying neighborhood adversity. Higher ADI signifies increasing adversity. The 2013 national ADI scores were obtained from patients who completed preoperative/neoadjuvant therapy and surgery. Patients were categorized as having high (>50%) or low (≤50%) ADI. Results Of the 224 patients, 163 (73%) had low ADI and 61 (27%) had high ADI. Adjuvant therapy was delivered to 129 (58%) patients, including 62% (101/163) with low ADI and 46% (28/61) with high ADI (p = 0.03). Patients with high ADI had 55% (95%CI 0.23–0.86; p = 0.02) decreased odds of receiving adjuvant therapy, independent of other factors. The median OS was 45 months for 129 patients who received adjuvant therapy and 31 months for 94 patients who did not receive adjuvant therapy (p = 0.03). Conclusions Patients with high ADI are less likely to receive adjuvant therapy for localized PC. Future studies should address impediments to care in patients from higher ADI neighborhoods.
Front end concept development for a next generation Very Large Array

The ngVLA Front End concept has six separate cryogenically-cooled, dual polarization receiver bands, each with an integral feed horn. The upper five bands (2–5) are co-located within a single compact cryostat, while the lowestfrequency band (1) occupies a second cryostat of similar volume and mass. For optimum performance at higher frequencies, waveguide-bandwidth (~1.66:1) receivers are used above 12 GHz, with axially-corrugated feed horns for high aperture efficiency and low spillover. Below 12 GHz, wideband (~3.5:1) receivers and feed horns are used to reduce receiver count, total mass, and cost, with modest trades in sensitivity. Ongoing work includes development of wideband feed horns, windows, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) and couplers for Bands 1–2, design or procurement of orthomode transducers (OMTs) and LNAs for Bands 3–6, and detailed mechanical design of the conceptual Front End cryostats and receiver/feed/window subassemblies. Accurate simulations of sensitivity (AEFF/TSYS) versus frequency and antenna elevation will be shown, based on modeled or measured component data and the simulated performance of the antenna optics.
Spinoza's 'ethics': An Introduction

Spinoza's Ethics is one of the most remarkable, important, and difficult books in the history of philosophy: a treatise simultaneously on metaphysics, knowledge, philosophical psychology, moral philosophy, and political philosophy. It presents, in Spinoza's famous 'geometric method', his radical views on God, Nature, the human being, and happiness. In this wide-ranging 2006 introduction to the work, Steven Nadler explains the doctrines and arguments of the Ethics, and shows why Spinoza's endlessly fascinating ideas may have been so troubling to his contemporaries, as well as why they are still highly relevant today. He also examines the philosophical background to Spinoza's thought and the dialogues in which Spinoza was engaged - with his contemporaries (including Descartes and Hobbes), with ancient thinkers (especially the Stoics), and with his Jewish rationalist forebears. His book is written for the student reader but will also be of interest to specialists in early modern philosophy.
Enterovirus 2A pro Cleavage of the YTHDF m 6 A Readers Implicates YTHDF3 as a Mediator of Type I Interferon-Driven JAK/STAT Signaling.

ABSTRACT Enteroviruses (EV) deploy two proteases that mediate viral polyprotein cleavage and host cell manipulation. Here, we report that EV 2A proteases cleave all three members of the YTHDF protein family, cytosolic N6-methyladenosine (m6A) “readers” that regulate target mRNA fate. YTHDF protein cleavage occurs very early during infection, before viral translation is detected or cytopathogenic effects are observed. Preemptive YTHDF protein depletion enhanced viral translation and replication but only in cells with restrained viral translation, signs of inefficient 2A protease activity, and protective innate host immune responses. This effect corresponded with repression of interferon (IFN)-stimulated gene (ISG) induction, while type I/III IFN production was not significantly altered. Moreover, YTHDF3 depletion impaired JAK/STAT signaling in cells treated with type I, but not type II, IFN. YTHDF3 depletion’s stimulatory effect on viral dynamics was dampened by JAK/STAT blockade and enhanced by type I IFN pretreatment of cells. We propose that EV 2A proteases cleave YTHDF proteins to antagonize ISG induction in infected cells. IMPORTANCE It is believed that ∼7,000 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are subject to N6-methyladenosine modification. The biological significance of this remains mysterious. The YTHDF m6A readers are three related proteins with high affinity for m6A-modified mRNA, yet their biological functions remain obscure. We discovered that polio/enteroviruses elicit very early proteolysis of YTHDF1 to 3 in infected cells. Our research demonstrates that YTHDF3 acts as a positive regulator of antiviral JAK/STAT signaling in response to positive single-strand RNA virus infection, enabling type I interferon (IFN)-mediated gene regulatory programs to unfurl in infected cells. Our observation of viral degradation of the YTHDF proteins demonstrates that they are key response modifiers in the innate antiviral immune response.
Corporate Purpose and Acquisitions

This study analyzes the relationship between acquisitions—a centerpiece of corporate strategy—and employees’ sense of purpose. Using data from more than 1.5 million employees, we find that purpose is substantially weaker in companies following recent acquisitions. This association is driven by unique acquisitions and those with opaque disclosed rationales. We explore the performance implications of this relationship. We first isolate the component of purpose directly attributable to the deal, and then relate this component to subsequent performance. We find that deals associated with stronger purpose outperform, and those with weaker purpose do not. Together, our evidence suggests a possible tension between strategic and motivational determinants of acquisition success: while firms benefit strategically from uniqueness, it may also erode the sense of purpose within firms.
Concentration quenching and clustering effects in Er:YAG-derived all-glass optical fiber

A detailed investigation of concentration quenching and ion clustering effects in Er:YAG-derived all-glass optical fibers fabricated using the molten core method (MCM) is presented. Fibers are drawn from four precursor Er:YAG crystals, each possessing a different Er3+ concentration. The resulting fibers exhibited active ion densities ranging from 2.58 × 1025 m-3 to 19.5 × 1025 m-3. Compositional and refractive index profiles (RIPs) are shown to be uniformly graded across the fibers, for a given core diameter, facilitating the study of the impact of draw and host composition on rare earth spectroscopy, a first to the best of the Author’s knowledge. Measurements of the fluorescence lifetimes indicate some degree of clustering persists in all fibers; however, its reduction can clearly be correlated to an increase in sesquioxide (Al2O3 and Y2O3) concentration. Similarly, the critical quenching concentration is also revealed to increase with increasing sesquioxide concentration and ranged from 23.9 × 1025 m-3 to 40.4 × 1025 m-3 in the present fibers. Finally, emission and absorption spectra were found to be practically indistinguishable between the various fibers, with a zero-concentration radiative lifetime determined to be around 8.3 ms. Compared with other silica-based hosts, this lifetime is slightly lower, giving rise to proportionately higher cross-sections.