cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regressive Evolution: Testing Hypotheses of Selection and Drift

Loss of eyes and pigmentation are common in cavefishes, but whether their evolution is driven by natural selection or genetic drift remains in dispute. These same convergences, however, present a remarkable opportunity to parse out these disparate evolutionary forces. Each cavefish species is a replicate of an experiment revealing an evolutionary response to an ecological shift to permanent darkness and food scarcity. Thus, hypotheses based upon observations of one species may be tested by their predictions in other species. Application of this approach to independently evolved populations of Astyanax cavefishes show that the principal driver of eye loss is natural selection acting directly upon eye phenotype, while the principal driver of loss of melanophores is genetic drift. Selection also seems to contribute to the evolution of albinism and changes in melanin structure, and epistatic interactions among genes may also drive changes in allelic frequencies through transmission biases.
Justice in Sierra Leone: Subsidiary Agencies

In addition to its five major components, the legal system of Sierra Leone consists of six subsidiary institutional components. They are the Ombudsman Office, the Human Rights Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Law Reform Commission, and the Justice Sector Coordination Office. This chapter provides an overview of each institution.
Quantitative aspects of the migration inhibition reaction.

The macrophage migration inhibition reaction is a well-known in vitro assay for delayed hypersensitivity; sensitized lymphocytes, in the presence of specific antigen, inhibit the migration of macrophages out of capillary tubes in short-term culture. Although the migration area is a function of the amount of antigen in the system, the number of migrating cells was found to be fairly constant and independent of antigen dose. Furthermore, over a fairly wide range of values, the number of cells present initially in the capillary tubes had little effect on either the area of migration or the number of migrating cells. These observations are consistent with the notion that the migration inhibition reaction is a two-stage process. In the first stage, there is a uniform release of cells from capillary tubes which is not dependent upon the presence or absence of MIF, but rather upon physical forces in the test system. The second stage, which depends upon intrinsic properties of macrophage mobility, is under the co...
Facile Use of Cationic Hydrogel Particles for Surface Modification of Planar Substrates Toward Multifunctional Neural Permissive Surfaces: An in Vitro Investigation

Synthetic materials such as silicon have been commonly used for neural interfacing applications but are intrinsically noninteractive with neurons. Here, a facile approach has been developed to integrate both chemical and topographical cues to impart neural permissiveness for such materials. The approach simply exploits the basic phenomenon of electrostatically driven adsorption of colloidal particles onto a solid material and applies it to a cationic hydrogel particle system that we have developed recently based on “click” reaction of epoxide and amine. The particle adsorption process can be tuned by varying the adsorption time and the concentration of the original colloidal suspension, both of which directly control the surface densities of the adsorbed hydrogel particles. Using the PC12 cell line and primary cortical neurons derived from chick embryo, we demonstrate that the particle-adsorbed surface readily supports robust cell adhesion and differentiation. Although the extent of neural permissiveness ...
Synthesis, Characterization, and Photophysical Studies of an Iron(III) Catecholate–Nitronylnitroxide Spin-Crossover Complex

The synthesis and characterization of an FeIII catecholate–nitronylnitroxide (CAT-NN) complex (1-NN) that undergoes FeIII spin-crossover is described. Our aim is to determine whether the intraligand exchange coupling of the semiquinone–nitronylnitroxide FeII(SQ-NN) excited state resulting from irradiation of the CAT → FeIII LMCT band would affect either the intrinsic photophysics or the iron spin-crossover event when compared to the complex lacking the nitronylnitroxide radical (1). X-ray crystallographic analysis provides bond lengths consistent with a ferric catecholate charge distribution. Mossbauer spectroscopy clearly demonstrates FeIII spin-crossover, hyperfine couplings, and a weak ferromagnetic FeIII–CAT-NN exchange, and spin-crossover is corroborated by variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility and electronic absorption studies. To explore the effect of the NN radical on photophysical processes, we conducted room-temperature transient absorption experiments. Upon excitation of the ligand-to-me...
Applied Research on Controlled Shunt Reactor in Ultra-high Voltage Power Grid

Through analyzing the typical system's characteristic and Ultra-high Voltage(UHV) actransmission line's characteristic,the strategy by controlled shunt reactor is presented to improve transmission quality in electric networks in this paper.By using Matlab PSB,simulation model of UHV actransmission line from Jindongnan to Jingmen via Nanyang was built to study control effects on frequency over voltage,switching over voltage suppression,and so on.Simulation results indicate that controlled shunt reactor can smooth voltage and regulate reactive power,which show the feasibility and effectiveness of its application in UHV actransmission system.
Development of EXV Simulating and Monitoring Device

With the implementation of the Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Plan by the government,inverter technology has been applied in the air conditioners widely.One of the most important parts in the inverter air conditioners is EXV(electronic expansion valve).The technical principles,software and hardware design are described in detail in this paper.Through applying this device,it improves software logic development,testing efficiency and customer satisfactory level.
Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin permeabilizes the basolateral membrane of a Cl(-)-secreting epithelium

Apical membrane ion channels control the rate of transepithelial electrolyte transport in many epithelia. One way to study such channels in their native location, the apical membrane, is to elimina...
Effects of the nasal muscles on the nasal airway.

BACKGROUND The nasal muscles and their function are not clearly defined. The nasal muscles generally are thought to act synergistically to produce mimetic motion and affect the nasal airway. We proposed direct examination of the effects of the nasal muscles on the nasal airway. METHODS Rhinomanometry was performed on volunteers. After paralysis of the nasal muscles with lidocaine, rhinomanometry was performed again to measure nasal airway function with the patient at rest and attempting to flare his/her nostrils. Each patient's rhinomanometric results (at rest and attempting to flare the nostrils) taken before injection of lidocaine served as the control for comparison of his/her results postinjection. The structural tension of the ala at rest and with active flaring of the nostril was measured also, and the results pre- and postparalysis with lidocaine were compared. RESULTS The data from both the stiffness (structural tension) and the airflow portions, taken together, support the following conclusions. First, the paralysis was significant, although not complete. Clinical and stiffness data supported complete paralysis. Airflow data, which we think most sensitive, support a statistically significant affect of the injection, although incomplete paralysis. CONCLUSION All of the evidence supports an important role for the nasal muscles when actively used to increase nasal airflow. Second, the majority of the evidence supports an important resting nasal muscle tension that opens the nasal airway.
Using Twitter to Increase Political Interest in Undergraduate Students

ABSTRACTThis study examines the impact of using Twitter in the classroom on student political efficacy, interest, and engagement. Millennials use the virtual world to build social relationships and to obtain information. By envisioning the virtual world as a means to increase civic engagement, political science instructors can use technology to draw upon social networking, iterated interaction, and information sharing. Because taking political science and civics courses can boost civic engagement, students who are drawn to political science courses are more likely to already be interested in politics and have an increased knowledge. Therefore, what we demonstrate is that, while Twitter in and of itself does not independently foster civic engagement, employing it as a pedagogical tool taps into and strengthens the predispositions of students in political science classes, namely political interest and efficacy. Our results contribute to a fresh and much needed discussion in political science literature abou...
The Static Susceptibility of Noninteracting Systems

In this chapter we shall investigate the static susceptibility of systems described by Hamiltonians which may be written as the sum of individual terms. Our approach here, and in later discussions, will be to perturb the system with a magnetic field and then compute the response to this field. In this chapter we shall discuss the effect of a time-independent field H.
Pharmacogenomic mechanisms of drug toxicity

Many drugs have been discontinued in development or withdrawn from the market after approval because of serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs), including fatalities due to acute liver failure, torsades de pointes , rhabdomyolysis, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Many ADRs may go unrecognized prior to drug approval due to the limited size and types of patients who have been exposed to the drug during Phase I–III clinical trials. However, with increased understanding of molecular mechanisms, risks for ADRs can be assessed prior to market approval and managed via labeling, education, and/or postmarketing risk evaluation and mitigation strategies established at the time of regulatory approval. The need to collect and store DNA samples in clinical trials to facilitate the identification of genetic basis of ADRs has been emphasized.
The Greening of Religion Hypothesis (Part One): From Lynn White, Jr and Claims That Religions Can Promote Environmentally Destructive Attitudes and Behaviors to Assertions They Are Becoming Environmentally Friendly

Lynn White, Jr.’s “The Historical Roots of the Ecologic Crisis”, which was published in Science in 1967, has played a critically important role in environmental studies. Although White advanced a multifaceted argument most respondents focused on his claim that the “Judeo-Christian” tradition, especially Christianity, has promoted anthropocentric attitudes and environmentally destructive behaviors. Here, in Part One of a two part study, I demonstrate that White was not the first to make such an argument and then analyze how White’s article precipitated efforts by religionists and scholars alike to uncover, or invent, pro-environmental interpretations of many religious traditions. I then label subsequent claims the world’s religions are becoming more environmentally friendly “The Greening of Religion Hypothesis” and argue that this cultural history of the post-White ferment sets the stage for a much-needed empirical testing of this hypothesis, which is taken up in Part Two of this study.
Clear cell ovarian cancers with microsatellite instability: A unique subset of ovarian cancers with increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and PD-1/PD-L1 expression

Clear cell ovarian carcinoma (CCOC) represents a distinct histologic subtype of ovarian cancer associated with significantly worse prognosis across all stages and no effective therapeutic options. Here, we report a rare but clinically important cohort of CCOCs with microsatellite instability (MSI) (MSI-CCOCs), which are highly immunogenic and may thus be very responsive to immune checkpoint blockade. CCOCs with MSI exhibit a significantly higher number of CD8+ TILs, higher CD8+/CD4+ ratio, and higher PD-1+ TILs compared with microsatellite stable (MSS) CCOCs and compared with high grade serous ovarian cancers, which are the most common histologic subtype of ovarian cancer. Of note, PD-L1 expression in tumor cells or immune cells was noted in all cases of CCOCs with MSI. These observations open an alternative therapeutic avenue for a fraction of patients with CCOC and argue for the routine testing of CCOCs for MSI, a test that is not currently routinely performed.
Asymptotic tracking and disturbance rejection of the blood glucose regulation system.

Abstract Type 1 diabetes patients need external insulin to maintain blood glucose within a narrow range from 65 to 108 mg/dl (3.6 to 6.0 mmol/l). A mathematical model for the blood glucose regulation is required for integrating a glucose monitoring system into insulin pump technology to form a closed-loop insulin delivery system on the feedback of the blood glucose, the so-called “artificial pancreas”. The objective of this paper is to treat the exogenous glucose from food as a glucose disturbance and then develop a closed-loop feedback and feedforward control system for the blood glucose regulation system subject to the exogenous glucose disturbance. For this, a mathematical model for the glucose disturbance is proposed on the basis of experimental data, and then incorporated into an existing blood glucose regulation model. Because all the eigenvalues of the disturbance model have zero real parts, the center manifold theory is used to establish blood glucose regulator equations. We then use their solutions to synthesize a required feedback and feedforward controller to reject the disturbance and asymptotically track a constant glucose reference of 90 mg/dl. Since the regulator equations are nonlinear partial differential equations and usually impossible to solve analytically, a linear approximation solution is obtained. Our numerical simulations show that, under the linear approximate feedback and feedforward controller, the blood glucose asymptotically tracks its desired level of 90 mg/dl approximately.
Nivolumab-induced posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome

A 47-year-old woman with metastatic, poorly differentiated lung cancer with neuroendocrine features was brought to the hospital after 4 days of nausea, vomiting, disorientation, and 1 generalized tonic clonic seizure. On examination, her blood pressure was 148/95 mm Hg, heart rate 95 bpm, and temperature 36.4°C. She was encephalopathic and had cortical blindness. She had no history of seizures or visual impairment. MRI brain without contrast showed changes consistent with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES; figure, A). She had been on nivolumab, of which she had received 2 doses; the last dose was 24 days before the onset of this illness. She had not received any other cancer-directed therapy for 6 months. She did not have any other cause of PRES (pregnancy, severe hypertension, sepsis). The patient was treated with supportive therapy and returned to baseline mental state and vision after a few weeks. However, she developed a seizure disorder with a focal onset in the form of stereotyped visual hallucinations of primary colors in a geometrical arrangement and secondary generalization. Repeat MRI with contrast 3 and 9 months later showed incomplete resolution of PRES lesions, with residual cortical/subcortical nonenhancing gliosis seen in bilateral occipital poles and left frontotemporal area (figure, B).
An optimal Stewart platform for lower extremity robotic rehabilitation

In this paper, two algorithms are performed to find an optimum design of a six-degree-of-freedom Stewart platform to provide a desired pure rotational motion required in the robotic rehabilitation of the foot for patients with neuropathy. To accomplish this, first, we present the kinematic and the dynamic analysis of the Stewart platform. The dynamic equations are derived by using a customized Lagrange method. Then, physically meaningful objective variables are defined such as the size of the platform, the length of the six links, the maximum stroke of the six linear actuators, the maximum actuator force, and the reachable workspace. This is followed by using two optimization methods (Genetic Algorithm and Monte-Carlo method) to study the aforementioned objective variables, resulting in the optimal solution for the desired orientation motions. Then, the detailed investigation of the effect of changes in these objective variables on the variation of the platform design variables is studied. Finally, in a numerical example, the advantages and disadvantages of using the Genetic Algorithm and the Monte-Carlo method to find the optimal design variables for a custom cost function with weighted objective variables are revealed.
Thermal conductivity of biomimetic leaf composite

The venous morphology of a typical plant leaf affects its mechanical and thermal properties. Such a material could be considered as a fiber reinforced composite structure where the veins and the rest of the leaf are considered as two materials having highly contrast mechanical and thermal properties. The variegated venations found in nature is idealized into three principal fibers—the central mid-fiber corresponding to the mid-rib, straight parallel secondary fibers attached to the mid-fiber representing the secondary veins, and then another set of parallel fibers emanating from the secondary fibers mimicking the tertiary veins of a typical leaf. This paper addresses the in-plane thermal conductivity of such a composite by considering such a venous fiber morphology embedded in a matrix material. We have considered two cases, fibers having either higher or lower conductivity respect to the matrix. The tertiary fibers do not interconnect the secondary fibers in our present study. We carry out finite element...
A narrative approach to understanding underrepresented students' pathways into engineering

This work-in-progress research paper begins to explore stories told by 12 diverse engineering undergraduates about how they chose engineering as a major in their studies. The students were interviewed during Fall 2016 about their pathways into engineering, their identities, and their belongingness in engineering. The participants were selected from a pool of students who completed an attitudinal survey during Fall 2015. They were purposefully recruited to maximize the number of women, students of color, first-generation students, students with visible and nonvisible disabilities, and LGBTQ+ students. These attributes were self-identified by students, and, in this work, we report them in their own words and in rich detail rather than binning students into fixed categories. We focused on multiple intersections of diverse and underrepresented identities to uncover and explore the counter-narratives that these students co-constructed with the researcher to answer the question, “What are the converging and diverging stories about particular influences on diverse students' choice of engineering in college?” We used narrative methods to identify where student stories share similarities and differences to understand some of the pathways underrepresented students take into engineering. These stories may provide insight into recruiting and supporting other diverse students.
Iron polypyridyl catalysts assembled on metal oxide semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen generation.

A series of Fe(III) complexes was recently reported that are active for photocatalytic hydrogen generation when paired with fluorescein and triethylamine. Herein we report an Fe(III) complex immobilized on TiO2 and SrTiO3 that is significantly more active than the homogeneous system, achieving up to 7800 turnovers in 31 hours.
P42: Nitrite exposure under hypoxia improve heart regeneration in zebrafish

Myocardial infarction is a leading cause of death in developed countries. It is now apparent that nitrite has remarkable cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic effects on the cardiac muscle cells following injury. Reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide during ischemia protects the heart against injury from ischemia/reperfusion by reducing apoptosis and necrosis at the infarct site. Yet in mammals there is little or no significant cardiac muscle regeneration after an injury such as acute myocardial infarction and the scar persists throughout the entire adult life. In contrast adult zebrafish possess a remarkable ability to replace damaged or lost tissue after injury, providing a model for understanding heart regeneration. After resection or cryoinjury of the ventricular apex, pre-existing cardiomyocytes re-enter the cell cycle to generate new cardiac muscle. We investigated the effects of hypoxia and nitrite on zebrafish heart regeneration and found that low concentrations (10 μM) of nitrite reduced scar tissue at 5 and 10 days post cryoinjury. Exposure to nitrite under normoxia or to hypoxia alone had no positive effects on regeneration. However simultaneous exposure to nitrite and hypoxia resulted in an increase of cell proliferation showing a positive interaction of hypoxia and nitrite. A specific increase in proliferating cardiomyocytes is detectable at 5 days after cryoinjury and amputation. These studies show that physiological levels of nitrite improve cardiomyocyte proliferation and cardiac regeneration following cardiac injury in the zebrafish. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.
Why the Study of Pseudoscience Should Be Included in Nature of Science Studies

The usual approach to the study of the nature of science (NOS) does not ensure that students will be likely to recognize and reject pseudoscience in its many forms. Pseudoscience should be studied explicitly, with examples, to increase the likelihood that students will be able to recognize it in their daily lives. The pseudoscience of subluxation chiropractic, for example, has 60,000 practitioners in the United States and many millions of followers who believe they receive legitimate medical care when their spines are x-rayed and manipulated. The chiropractic industry has managed to convince politicians and the insurance industry to treat chiropractic as legitimate medical practice, despite the fact that the scientific community, including science-based medicine, views chiropractic as pseudoscience. Another pseudoscience that has an important impact on students’ understanding of science is creationism/intelligent design (ID). Similar to subluxation chiropractic in fundamental ways, ID is grounded in the mysterious world of the supernatural. These two examples of pseudoscience, chiropractic, and ID, are compared and used to explain why the study of pseudoscience should be included in NOS studies.
Long non-coding RNAs have age-dependent diurnal expression that coincides with age-related changes in genome-wide facultative heterochromatin

Disrupted diurnal rhythms cause accelerated aging and an increased incidence in age-related disease and morbidity. The circadian clock governs cell physiology and metabolism by controlling transcription and chromatin. The goal of this study is to further understand the mechanism of age-related changes to circadian chromatin with a focus on facultative heterochromatin and diurnal non-coding RNAs. We performed a combined RNA-seq and ChIP-seq at two diurnal time-points for three different age groups to examine the connection between age-related changes to circadian transcription and heterochromatin in neuronal tissue. Our analysis focused on uncovering the relationships between long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and age-related changes to histone H3 lysine 9 tri-methylation (H3K9me3), in part because the Period (Per) complex can direct facultative heterochromatin and models of aging suggest age-related changes to heterochromatin and DNA methylation. Our results reveal that lncRNAs and circadian output change dramatically with age, but the core clock genes remain rhythmic. Age-related changes in clock-controlled gene (ccg) expression indicate there are age-dependent circadian output that change from anabolic to catabolic processes during aging. In addition, there are diurnal and age-related changes in H3K9me3 that coincide with changes in transcription. The data suggest a model where some age-related changes in diurnal expression are partially attributed to age-related alterations to rhythmic facultative heterochromatin. The changes in heterochromatin are potentially mediated by changes in diurnal lncRNA creating an interlocked circadian-chromatin regulatory network that undergoes age-dependent metamorphosis.
The Most Active Matter of All

The term "matter" encompasses everything from molecules to mountains. It also includes living, sentient beings. If matter composes all physical things, and materials science considers the behavior of such things, can materials science describe the most active matter of all?
Impact of reperfusion pump power on technical and clinical outcomes after direct aspiration thrombectomy (ADAPT).

Introduction Higher aspiration forces using larger bore catheters in direct aspiration thrombectomy (ADAPT) have been associated with shorter procedure time and better outcomes in patients treated for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, the effect of using reperfusion pumps of higher aspiration power on outcomes of ADAPT has not been investigated. We evaluated the effect of using pumps with different aspiration powers on technical and clinical outcomes after ADAPT. Methods We reviewed a retrospective database of AIS cases between January 2018 and February 2019, while comparing technical and clinical outcomes between patients undergoing ADAPT using the MAX pump (28.5 inHg power) vs the ENGINE pump(29.2 inHg power). Results Among 194 patients (48% females, age 69±15 years) included in the study, 73 patients undergoing ADAPT using the ENGINE pump were age-, gender-, comorbidities-, and operator-matched to 118 patients treated using the MAX pump. The ENGINE group had shorter procedure time (20±17 vs 27±21 mins, p=0.017), lower number of aspiration attempts (2.2±1.6 vs 2.8±1.9, p=0.047), and similar rates of favorable 90 day modified Rankin Scale. Using multivariate linear regression, the use of the ENGINE reperfusion pump with higher vacuum power was independently and inversely correlated with procedure time (coefficient −2.23, p=0.027). While controlling for confounders, there was a trend toward an inverse correlation between use of the ENGINE pump and the number of attempts on linear regression (coefficient −1.04, p=0.09) and lower odds of PH2/intracranial (ICH) hemorrhages on logistic regression (OR 0.227, p=0.075). Conclusion Our findings suggest that the use of the ENGINE reperfusion pump of higher aspiration power during ADAPT decreases procedure time, without increasing complications and post-procedural hemorrhage rates.
Remarks on Anthony Pinn’s When Colorblindness Isn’t the Answer

Anthony Pinn has written a primer on white supremacy, antiblackness, and white privilege that should be part of every humanist’s library. Written for a general audience, When Colorblindness Isn’t t...
Ghrelin regulates adipose tissue metabolism: Role in hepatic steatosis

Fatty liver is the earliest and most common response of the liver to consumption of excessive alcohol. Steatosis can predispose the fatty liver to develop progressive liver damage. Chief among the many mechanisms involved in development of hepatic steatosis is dysregulation of insulin-mediated adipose tissue metabolism. Particularly, it is the enhanced adipose lipolysis-derived free fatty acids and their delivery to the liver that ultimately results in hepatic steatosis. The adipose-liver axis is modulated by hormones, particularly insulin and adiponectin. In recent studies, we demonstrated that an alcohol-induced increase in serum ghrelin levels impairs insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. The consequent reduction in circulating insulin levels promotes adipose lipolysis and mobilization of fatty acids to the liver to ultimately contribute to hepatic steatosis. Because many tissues, including adipose tissue, express ghrelin receptor we hypothesized that ghrelin may directly affect energy metabolism in adipocytes. We have exciting new preliminary data which shows that treatment of premature 3T3-L1 adipocytes with ghrelin impairs adipocyte differentiation and inhibits lipid accumulation in the tissue designed to store energy in the form of fat. We further observed that ghrelin treatment of differentiated adipocytes significantly inhibited secretion of adiponectin, a hepatoprotective hormone that reduces lipid synthesis and promotes lipid oxidation. These results were corroborated by our observations of a significant increase in serum adiponectin levels in ethanol-fed rats treated with a ghrelin receptor antagonist verses the un-treated ethanol-fed rats. Interestingly, in adipocytes, ghrelin also increases secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and CCL2 (chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 2), cytokines which promote hepatic inflammation and progression of liver disease. To summarize, the alcohol-induced increase in serum ghrelin levels dysregulates adipose-liver interaction and promotes hepatic steatosis by increasing the free fatty acid released from adipose for hepatic uptake, and by altering adiponectin and cytokine secretion. Taken together, our data indicates that targeting the activity of ghrelin may be a powerful treatment strategy.
Introduction to the Right Heart

Historically, the right heart has been eclipsed by the left heart. Although the right ventricle is a critical component of cardiovascular physiology, the left ventricle has been the central focus of heart failure research and treatment. However, when right heart failure develops, hepatic, renal, and gastric complications ensue with significant morbidity, mortality and decline in quality of life, thus, demonstrating the essentiality of the right ventricle. To truly understand the right ventricle, we must first understand it’s structure and function, relationship to the left ventricle, and interplay with the pulmonary circulation. With the aid of advanced imaging techniques, hemodynamic assessments, and pressure volume loops, an understanding of the right heart is emerging. Management of right heart failure in different clinical scenarios will be discussed in the proceeding chapters.
Pain Among Cancer Survivors

Introduction Pain is one of the most common symptoms that people with cancer experience. Identification of demographic, physiologic, and behavioral correlates of pain among cancer survivors could help identify subgroups most in need of pain management. Methods We analyzed data from the 2012, 2014, and 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Cancer Survivorship Optional Module, which was completed by 18 states and territories, to describe demographic and physiologic characteristics of cancer survivors reporting physical pain caused by cancer or cancer treatment. Adjusted and unadjusted population-based estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results Of 12,019 cancer survivor respondents, 9.5% reported current pain related to cancer or cancer treatment. Current pain differed significantly by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and cancer type. Current pain was reported most often among survivors with more than 3 chronic diseases (16.7%) compared with survivors with none (8.1%) or 1 or 2 (10.0%). Pain was higher among survivors reporting fair or poor general health (18.0%) than among survivors reporting otherwise, and higher among survivors reporting more than 14 days of poor physical health (16.6%) or poor mental health (14.8%) compared with less than 14 days (in the past 30 days). Conclusions Our results suggest that approximately 10% of cancer survivors in the United States are experiencing pain that may have persisted for years after their initial diagnosis and may not be adequately controlled. Increasing knowledge of the most appropriate pain management planning and strategies for controlling short- and long-term chronic pain among cancer survivors could help reduce the prevalence of pain.
Single Amino Acid Mutations Affect Zika Virus Replication In Vitro and Virulence In Vivo.

The 2014–2016 Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas resulted in large deposits of next-generation sequencing data from clinical samples. This resource was mined to identify emerging mutations and trends in mutations as the outbreak progressed over time. Information on transmission dynamics, prevalence, and persistence of intra-host mutants, and the position of a mutation on a protein were then used to prioritize 544 reported mutations based on their ability to impact ZIKV phenotype. Using this criteria, six mutants (representing naturally occurring mutations) were generated as synthetic infectious clones using a 2015 Puerto Rican epidemic strain PRVABC59 as the parental backbone. The phenotypes of these naturally occurring variants were examined using both cell culture and murine model systems. Mutants had distinct phenotypes, including changes in replication rate, embryo death, and decreased head size. In particular, a NS2B mutant previously detected during in vivo studies in rhesus macaques was found to cause lethal infections in adult mice, abortions in pregnant females, and increased viral genome copies in both brain tissue and blood of female mice. Additionally, mutants with changes in the region of NS3 that interfaces with NS5 during replication displayed reduced replication in the blood of adult mice. This analytical pathway, integrating both bioinformatic and wet lab experiments, provides a foundation for understanding how naturally occurring single mutations affect disease outcome and can be used to predict the of severity of future ZIKV outbreaks. To determine if naturally occurring individual mutations in the Zika virus epidemic genotype affect viral virulence or replication rate in vitro or in vivo, we generated an infectious clone representing the epidemic genotype of stain Puerto Rico, 2015. Using this clone, six mutants were created by changing nucleotides in the genome to cause one to two amino acid substitutions in the encoded proteins. The six mutants we generated represent mutations that differentiated the early epidemic genotype from genotypes that were either ancestral or that occurred later in the epidemic. We assayed each mutant for changes in growth rate, and for virulence in adult mice and pregnant mice. Three of the mutants caused catastrophic embryo effects including increased embryonic death or significant decrease in head diameter. Three other mutants that had mutations in a genome region associated with replication resulted in changes in in vitro and in vivo replication rates. These results illustrate the potential impact of individual mutations in viral phenotype.
Epitope characterization of anti-drug antibodies-a tool for discovery and health: an overview of the necessity of early epitope characterization to avoid anti-drug antibodies and promote patient health.

Introduction: The market for monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies is growing rapidly as the pharmaceutical industry expands its development across a broad spectrum of diseases. Unfortunately, as sho...
Boundary Conditions for Linear Exit Time Gradient Trajectories Around Saddle Points: Analysis and Algorithm.

Gradient-related first-order methods have become the workhorse of large-scale numerical optimization problems. Many of these problems involve nonconvex objective functions with multiple saddle points, which necessitates an understanding of the behavior of discrete trajectories of first-order methods within the geometrical landscape of these functions. This paper concerns convergence of first-order discrete methods to a local minimum of nonconvex optimization problems that comprise strict saddle points within the geometrical landscape. To this end, it focuses on analysis of discrete gradient trajectories around saddle neighborhoods, derives sufficient conditions under which these trajectories can escape strict-saddle neighborhoods in linear time, explores the contractive and expansive dynamics of these trajectories in neighborhoods of strict-saddle points that are characterized by gradients of moderate magnitude, characterizes the non-curving nature of these trajectories, and highlights the inability of these trajectories to re-enter the neighborhoods around strict-saddle points after exiting them. Based on these insights and analyses, the paper then proposes a simple variant of the vanilla gradient descent algorithm, termed Curvature Conditioned Regularized Gradient Descent (CCRGD) algorithm, which utilizes a check for an initial boundary condition to ensure its trajectories can escape strict-saddle neighborhoods in linear time. Convergence analysis of the CCRGD algorithm, which includes its rate of convergence to a local minimum within a geometrical landscape that has a maximum number of strict-saddle points, is also presented in the paper. Numerical experiments are then provided on a test function as well as a low-rank matrix factorization problem to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm.
Semi-automatic image analysis of particle morphology of cellulose nanocrystals

Morphology analysis of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images is an important step in the design and optimization of the processes employed in the manufacture and utilization of CNCs. Current protocols used in the analyses of CNC particle morphology for such microscopy images are largely manual and time-consuming, and often produce inconsistent results between different researchers. This paper describes a new semi-automated image analysis framework that can reliably and quickly detect and classify CNCs from TEM and AFM images and measure their dimensions. The proposed image analysis framework is named CNC-Standardized Morphology Analysis for Research and Technology (SMART). The viability of this framework is demonstrated in this paper using exemplar images obtained for a National Research Council Canada certified reference material, CNCD-1. The results obtained from the SMART approach presented in this work are compared critically against the results obtained from the conventional manual approaches. These comparisons revealed a good agreement between the manual and SMART approaches. Notably, the SMART approach showed significant potential for consistent CNC identification and dimensional measurements at a much higher throughput (e.g., number of CNCs measured and number of images analyzed) compared to the conventional manual approaches.
On BP⟨2⟩–cooperations

We develop techniques to compute the cooperations algebra for the second truncated Brown–Peterson spectrum BP〈2〉. We prove that the cooperations algebra BP〈2〉∗BP〈2〉 decomposes as a direct sum of an F2–vector space concentrated in Adams filtration 0 and an F2[v0,v1,v2]–module which is concentrated in even degrees and is v2–torsion-free. We also develop a recursive method which produces a basis for the v2–torsion-free component.
Abnormal Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) enzyme activity in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Objectives Patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) have severe vascular involvement, which contributes to disease morbidity and mortality. Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) associated protein, which protects the vascular endothelium from oxidative injury and damage. The current work assessed the functional and genetic determinants of PON1 activity in IIM patients. Methods 184 IIM patients and 112 healthy controls (HC) were included. PON1 enzyme activity was assessed by paraoxonase, arylesterase and lactonase assays, and the Q192R PON1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was analyzed. Multivariate regression models examined associations of PON1 activity with IIM diagnosis and myositis disease outcomes. Results The arylesterase and lactonase activities of PON1 were significantly lower in IIM patients compared with HC. Higher myositis disease activity, the presence of severe IIM associated interstitial lung disease (ILD), and the presence of MDA5 or anti-synthetase antibodies were significantly associated with lower PON1 activity. The PON1 Q192R polymorphism was strongly linked to the paraoxonase activity of PON1 in IIM, and patients with the PON1 QQ genotype had better IIM disease outcomes compared with patients with the QR or RR genotypes. Conclusions The arylesterase and lactonase activities of PON1 are significantly impaired in IIM patients compared with HC, and inversely associate with IIM disease activity and the presence of severe ILD. The PON1 QQ genotype associates with more favorable disease outcomes in IIM patients. Large prospective studies are needed to further evaluate the role of PON1 and PON1 genetic polymorphisms in the development and propagation of IIM and IIM-ILD.
RES Control of Endotoxemia

The classic definition of endotoxin is a material that is freed from the cell wall upon death of gram-negative microorganisms,* in contrast to exotoxins, which are toxins produced and excreted by certain bacteria. Presently, endotoxins, a term used interchangeably with lipopolysaccharides (LPS), are regarded as the cell wall components derived from the gram-negative bacteria, obtained by various extraction procedures. Hence, when working with endotoxins, the manner in which the material is obtained should be specified. Their chemical composition consists mainly of lipoproteins and polysaccharides with minor impurities, predominantly proteins and nucleic acids. The LPS-protein† complexes thus obtained vary considerably in size. This is reflected in differences in molecular weight which can range from one-half to several million daltons (Beer et al., 1966). Relatively heat stable, they are destroyed only upon prolonged heating at temperatures above 100°C. Different LPS preparations vary in toxicity; however, many effects are similar to and to a degree interchangeable and independent of the source of the organism. Thus, certain endotoxin-related phenomena, as for instance the Shwartzman‡ phenomenon which relies upon two temporally spaced endotoxin injections, a challenging and a provocative dose, can be elicited with endotoxins derived from different gram-negative bacteria.
Continuous and Periodic Sorption Cryocoolers for 10 K and Below

This paper presents the current status of both continuous and periodic operation sorption cryocooler development for astrophysics missions requiring refrigeration to 10 K and below. These coolers are uniquely suited for cooling detectors in planned astrophysics missions such as the Exploration of Neighboring Planetary Systems, the Next Generation Space Telescope, and Darwin. The cooler requirements imposed by these missions include ten year life and the ability to scale designs to provide only a few milliwatts of refrigeration while consuming only a few watts of input power. In addition, the ExNPS and Darwin missions add stringent requirements for zero-vibration and zero EMI/EMC operation.
Life-cycle impacts of soybean and algae biodiesel: Case study of US marine vessels

The push to find alternatives to fossil fuels has driven research and consumption of biofuels. Recent actions in the United States have placed an emphasis on the use of renewable fuels for improved sustainability of government operations. In 2013, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) measured atmospheric emissions from two navigation vessels consuming three different fuel types and found that biofuels have the potential to lower atmospheric emissions. These fuels have widely different production processes, however, and a full life-cycle assessment is necessary to provide a complete picture of these biofuels. The goal of this study was to identify whether transitioning navigation vessels to operate on biodiesel would have the potential to lower human health and environmental impacts. This study focuses on the complete life cycle of these fuels in USACE marine vessels by employing a well-to-wheels life-cycle assessment comparing the impacts of a 100% soy-based biodiesel and an algal-based biodiesel blend to a conventional diesel. Overall, soybean-based biodiesel had lower impacts compared to algal-based biodiesel. Impacts from conventional diesel were generally lower than algal-based biodiesel, but impacts between conventional diesel and soybean-based biodiesel were mixed. While greenhouse gas emissions during the use phase were reduced for the biofuels (after considering only the non-biogenic fraction of carbon emission), a complete look at the life-cycle resulted in cases where emissions could be greater than conventional diesel. Biodiesel impacts depended greatly on modeling assumptions made in the life-cycle system boundaries and inventory such as allocation method and assumptions about feedstock growth and harvesting. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
The effect of systemic infusions of dehydroisoandrosterone on the distribution of uterine blood flow in ovine pregnancy.

Abstract The effects of systemic infusions of dehydroisoandrosterone (6 mg.) on endogenous estrogen production and subsequent changes in regional blood flows and cardiac output were studied in six pregnant ewes at 105 to 128 days of gestation. Blood flows were measured with radionuclide-labeled microspheres. Plasma estrone concentrations increased from (mean ± S.E.M. ∗ ∗Standard error of the mean.) 27 ± 2 to 117 ± 13 pg. per milliliter, while estrodiol rose from 34 ± 5 to 72 ± 5 pg. per milliliter (p
TWO EXERCISES IN SUPERSYMMETRY: A LOW-ENERGY SUPERGRAVITY MODEL AND FREE STRING FIELD THEORY

The new features of a supersymmetric standard model in the presence of heavy families are studied. The minimal set of Higgs fields, the desert between the electroweak and the grand unification scale and perturbative values of the dimensionless parameters throughout this region are assumed. Using the numerical as well as the approximate analytic solution of the renormalization group equations, the evolution of all the parameters of the theory are studied in the case of large Yukawa couplings for the fourth family. The desired spontaneous symmetry breaking of the electroweak symmetry takes place only for a rather unnatural choice of the initial values of certain mass parameters at the grand unification scale. If it is gravitino mass smaller than 200 GeV the vacuum expectation values of the Higgs fields emerge necessarily in an interplay of the tree level Higgs potential and its quantum corrections and are approximately equal. The qurak masses of the fourth family are roughly 135 GeV, while the mass of the fourth charged lepton has an upper bound of 90 GeV. Further characteristic features of this scenario are one light neutral Higgs field of mass 50 GeV and gluino masses below 75 GeV. If the gravitino mass ismore » higher than 200 GeV one obtains a scaled up version of the well-known three family, heavy top scenario with quark masses between 40 and 205 GeV and all superparticle masses heavier than 150 GeV except the photino, gluino, one chargino and one neutralino. The gauge-invariant theory of the free bosonic open string is generalized to treat closed strings and superstrings. All of these theories can be written as theories of string differential forms defined on suitable spaces. All of the bosonic theories have exactly the same structure; the Ramond theory takes an analogous first-order form. We show explicitly, how to gauge-fix each action to the light-cone gauge and to the Feynman-Siegel gauge.« less