cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Analysis of Maize (Zea mays L.) Endosperm Vitreousness and Related Hardness Traits in the Intermated B73 × Mo17 Recombinant Inbred Line Population

Variation for maize (Zea mays L.) kernel vitreousness is of interest in the improvement of maize for human and ruminant nutrition based on its connection with starch degradability in the rumen as well as the concentration of lysine and other essential amino acids. In this trial, 199 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from the intermated B73 and Mo17 (IBM) population and 133 testcrosses of the IBM RIL with inbred W604S were grown in two replications in two Wisconsin locations in 2007. Ears were harvested at physiological maturity and ground kernel samples were scanned using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Samples representing the NIRS spectral range were scored for kernel vitreousness using a horizontal light box and for kernel hardness using the Stenvert hardness test. The RIL phenotypes for hardness and vitreousness followed a normal distribution, and transgressive segregation was seen for both traits. Correlations between inbreds and respective testcrosses for hardness and vitreousness were signifi cant and positive. The correlation between hardness and vitreousness was also positive. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of this population found 33 QTL for hardness and vitreousness with several QTL overlapping across traits. The IBM population represents a good model for the study of variation of kernel vitreousness in U.S. Corn Belt Dent germplasm and the genomic regions identifi ed could be useful for the genetic improvement of maize varieties with enhanced nutritional composition.
Clinical Trials for Neuroprotective Therapies in Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A New Roadmap from Bench to Bedside

The most deadly form of stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) continues to puzzle researchers and produce substantial decrements in the quality of patients' lives. Intensive basic research has devised many agents with putative benefit in mitigating the devastating effects of ICH, but these therapies have been largely ineffective in the transition to clinical trials. However, a steady translational pipeline continues to provide new avenues of treatment that may be effective in the management of this condition. In this review, we aim to summarize the array of neuroprotective clinical trials and techniques used in the history of ICH, and delineate the progression of relevant research to date. Furthermore, we provide insight into methods that may allow for better translation of basic science advances into productive clinical trials.
Calcium-activated chloride current amplifies the response to urine in mouse vomeronasal sensory neurons

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is an odor detection system that mediates many pheromone-sensitive behaviors. Vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs), located in the VNO, are the initial site of interaction with odors/pheromones. However, how an individual VSN transduces chemical signals into electrical signals is still unresolved. Here, we show that a Ca2+-activated Cl− current contributes ∼80% of the response to urine in mouse VSNs. Using perforated patch clamp recordings with gramicidin, which leaves intracellular chloride undisrupted, we found that the urine-induced inward current (Vhold = −80 mV) was decreased in the presence of chloride channel blockers. This was confirmed using whole cell recordings and altering extracellular chloride to shift the reversal potential. Further, the urine-induced currents were eliminated when both extracellular Ca2+ and Na+ were removed. Using inside-out patches from dendritic tips, we recorded Ca2+-activated Cl− channel activity. Several candidates for this Ca2+-activated Cl− channel were detected in VNO by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. In addition, a chloride cotransporter, Na+-K+-2Cl− isoform 1, was detected and found to mediate much of the chloride accumulation in VSNs. Collectively, our data demonstrate that chloride acts as a major amplifier for signal transduction in mouse VSNs. This amplification would increase the responsiveness to pheromones or odorants.
Differential flow analysis of exhaled nitric oxide in patients with asthma of differing severity.

Background The majority of asthmatic patients achieve control of their illness; others do not. It is therefore crucial to validate/develop strategies that help the clinician monitor the disease, improving the response to treatment. Methods We have quantified the inflammation in central and peripheral airways by measuring exhaled nitric oxide (NO) at multiple exhalation flows in 56 asthmatics at different levels of severity (mild, n = 10; moderate stable, n = 17; moderate during exacerbation, n = 11; severe, n = 18, 7 of whom were receiving oral corticosteroids) and 18 healthy control subjects. The reproducibility of the measurement was also assessed. Results Bronchial NO (J no ) in patients with mild asthma (2,363 ± 330 pL/s) [mean ± SD] was higher than in patients with moderate stable asthma (1,300 ± 59 pL/s, p no in patients with mild asthma compared to patients with severe asthma receiving ICS and oral corticosteroids (2,225 ± 246 pL/s). Patients with exacerbations showed a higher J no (3,475 ± 368.9 pL/s, p Conclusions Differential flow analysis of exhaled NO provides additional information about the site of inflammation in asthma and may be useful in assessing the response of peripheral inflammation to therapy.
Canal Structure Automation Rules Using an Accuracy-Based Learning Classifier System, a Genetic Algorithm, and a Hydraulic Simulation Model. II: Results

An accuracy-based learning classifier system (XCS), as described in a companion paper (Part I: Design), was developed and evaluated to produce operational rules for canal gate structures. The XCS w...
Permeable Reactive Barriers Designed To Mitigate Eutrophication Alter Bacterial Community Composition and Aquifer Redox Conditions

ABSTRACT Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) consist of a labile carbon source that is positioned to intercept nitrate-laden groundwater to prevent eutrophication. Decomposition of carbon in the PRB drives groundwater anoxic, fostering microbial denitrification. Such PRBs are an ideal habitat to examine microbial community structure under high-nitrate, carbon-replete conditions in coastal aquifers. We examined a PRB installed at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Falmouth, MA. Groundwater within and below the PRB was depleted in oxygen compared to groundwater at sites upgradient and at adjacent reference sites. Nitrate concentrations declined from a high of 25 μM upgradient and adjacent to the barrier to
Game appreciation through student designed games and game equipment

The purpose of this study was to examine the processes through which a cohort of 50 fifth-grade students designed a batting and fielding game in which they were also required to make the equipment used in that game. Through extensive observations and interviews, six major themes were generated which demonstrated that the pathway to a final game is different for both boys and girls, and is also influenced by the students' previous history and skill levels. While girls were considered more as planners and boys as more spontaneous in their approach to game design, it was noted that all students were able to develop some basic understanding of how game rules both enable and constrain certain tactics and skills. The students also developed an appreciation that the equipment used in games has a significant influence of the methods of play.
Determination of the arginine, tryptophan, and glycine ideal-protein ratios in high-yield broiler chicks

SUMMARY In formulation, essential or semiessential and potentially limiting amino acids, such as Arg, Trp, and Gly, can sometimes be ignored and no minimum nutrient value assigned to these. Further, data estimating their dietary needs relative to dietary Lys are sparse and, in some cases, need formal revalidation. For that purpose, these 3 amino acids (Arg, Trp, Gly) were studied individually using Ross × Ross 708 chicks reared in a sex-separate manner and given progressive amounts of either Arg, Trp, or Gly relative to Lys. Birds were fed the diets from 0 to 18 d posthatch, and their BW and feed consumption were measured at 18 d of age. A blood sample was taken from birds from each experimental unit during all 3 studies and analyzed for certain blood plasma metabolites to further evaluate the nutritional status of these chicks. Sex did not interact with diet for any of the amino acids studied, so regression analysis was performed using all the experimental units averaged across sexes, thus resembling straight-run flocks. The Arg:Lys ratio was found to be optimized between 106 and 114%, depending on the response parameter. Furthermore, livability was seriously compromised with lower Arg:Lys treatments, but any deleterious effect was dissipated when a minimum of 103% of dietary Arg:Lys was fed to the chicks. Dietary Trp was found to be adequate between 17 and 19% of dietary Lys, whereas (Gly + Ser):Lys was calculated to be adequate at a ratio of 161% for BW gain. Feed conversion was observed to improve linearly up to the highest level of (Gly + Ser):Lys fed. Therefore, Gly + Ser needs may be elevated because of the possible inefficient biosynthesis of Gly by the chick, and this should be the focus of future research.
Spirituality and religiosity in patients with HIV: a test and expansion of a model.

A causal model developed by Koenig suggests that higher levels of spirituality and religiosity effect intermediary variables and eventually result in better mental health, which then positively affects physical function. Using structural equation modeling, we tested the model and expanded versions that use self-report data of patients with HIV (n = 345). All models demonstrated good overall fit with significant parameters. The final model found that increased spirituality/religiosity predicted increased religious coping, which influenced social support. Social support, in turn, positively influenced depressed mood (as a measure of mental health); depressed mood affected fatigue; and both variables predicted self-reported physical function. These three variables predicted health rating/utility for one’s health state. Additional analyses found that two covariates, religiosity and race, differentially predicted spirituality/religiosity and religious coping. In patients with HIV, an expanded version of Koenig’s model found that increased spirituality/religiosity is positively associated with self-reported outcomes.
The Effects of Immigration on the Destination Economy: The Theory

When immigrants enter a country, they affect the destination country’s economy in a variety of ways. This chapter surveys theoretical research since the 1960s on the macroeconomic and microeconomic effects of immigration on the destination country. Macro effects are measured by an “immigration surplus” that is usually positive but very small. The “micro” studies have focused on the distributional effects, and these have been substantial in magnitude. Estimates of how immigration affects natives depends on the assumptions of the model used to frame the analysis, such as the production function, number of goods produced, local immigrant consumption, native migration, and the time frame. We appraise the traditional labor market model’s predictions, and then we move to more detailed models that present a more nuanced story. Finally, this chapter examines how economists have begun to model immigration from a longer-run perspective, which requires the explicit recognition of “feedback mechanisms” that supplement the initial labor market effects covered in the traditional models.
Alternative Alkaline Conditioning of Amidoxime Based Adsorbent for Uranium Extraction from Seawater

Alkaline conditioning of the amidoxime based adsorbents is a significant step in the preparation of the adsorbent for uranium uptake from seawater. The effects of various alkaline conditioning parameters such as the type of alkaline reagent, reaction temperature, and reaction time were investigated with respect to uranium adsorption capacity from simulated seawater (spiked with 8 ppm uranium) and natural seawater (from Sequim Bay, WA). An adsorbent (AF1) was prepared at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory by radiation-induced graft polymerization (RIGP) with acrylonitrile and itaconic acid onto high-surface-area polyethylene fibers. For the AF1 adsorbent, sodium hydroxide emerged as a better reagent for alkaline conditioning over potassium hydroxide, which has typically been used in previous studies, because of higher uranium uptake capacity and lower cost over the other candidate alkaline reagents investigated in this study. Use of sodium hydroxide in place of potassium hydroxide is shown to result in a 21...
Distribution of Chemical Stimuli

In the study of chemoreception, one encounters two principal difficulties that are unique to chemical stimuli. Stimulus qualities (i.e., the spectrum of all stimulatory chemical compounds) are not organized in one linear dimension such as the frequency spectra of mechanical and electromagnetic stimuli; and stimulus quantities (i.e., the distribution of the stimulus in space and time) cannot be expressed easily in mathematical formulations of stimulus dispersal comparable to the wave equation for radiating light and sound sources. Instead, the chemical spectrum of qualities consists of all reactive chemical compounds in the environment organized in what could be perceived as an unknown “n-dimensional hyperspace,” and the distribution of chemical stimuli from their source of release through the environment depends on molecular diffusion and on fluid dynamics of the carrier medium. At the spatiotemporal scale of micro- to millimeters and seconds, diffusion dominates the distribution process; at various larger spatiotemporal scales, chemical stimuli are dispersed by fluid motion. This chapter will focus on the distribution of chemical stimuli and its consequences for chemoreceptive processes, such as receptor physiology and stimulus acquisition behavior.
Urinary bladder hypersensitivity and dysfunction in female mice following early life and adult stress.

Early adverse events have been shown to increase the incidence of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome in adulthood. Despite high clinical relevance and reports of stress-related symptom exacerbation, animal models investigating the contribution of early life stress to female urological pain are lacking. We examined the impact of neonatal maternal separation (NMS) on bladder sensitivity and visceral neuroimmune status both prior-to, and following, water avoidance stress (WAS) in adult female mice. The visceromotor response to urinary bladder distension was increased at baseline and 8d post-WAS in NMS mice, while colorectal sensitivity was transiently increased 1d post-WAS only in naive mice. Bladder micturition rate and output, but not fecal output, were also significantly increased following WAS in NMS mice. Changes in gene expression involved in regulating the stress response system were observed at baseline and following WAS in NMS mice, and WAS reduced serum corticosterone levels. Cytokine and growth factor mRNA levels in the bladder, and to a lesser extent in the colon, were significantly impacted by NMS and WAS. Peripheral mRNA levels of stress-responsive receptors were differentially influenced by early life and adult stress in bladder, but not colon, of naive and NMS mice. Histological evidence of mast cell degranulation was increased in NMS bladder, while protein levels of protease activated receptor 2 (PAR2) and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) were increased by WAS. Together, this study provides new insight into mechanisms contributing to stress associated symptom onset or exacerbation in patients exposed to early life stress.
Factors that Influence Tobacco Budworm Resistance to Organophosphorus Insecticides

The preceding reports in this symposium by Sparks (1981) and Wolfenbarger (1981) have clearly established that the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), has become generally resistant to many of the older chlorinated hydrocarbon and organophosphorus (OP) insecticides, and apparently has some cross tolerance to certain of the new synthetic pyrethroids and OP insecticides recently developed for its control.
Heat Transfer in a Rotating Two-pass Square Channel Representing Internal Cooling of Gas Turbine Blades

The objective of this article is to investigate the heat transfer as well as the turbulent velocity profiles of a small rectangular channel that simulate the internal cooling passage inside a gas turbine blade. For this study, we designed an 180 o serpentine channel that has two distinct Hydraulic diameters, Dhlegs= 50.8mm, and Dhbend=39.1mm, and has an outlet leg that is about 20% shorter than the inlet leg. It was observed that the bend section design shows great importance, since the flow accelerates, creating a separation /reattachment zone. The two-pass channel was simulated while rotating at four distinct rotation numbers, 0.125, 0.25, 0.50, and 0.65. The addition of rotation increased the effective surface cooling with respect to the stationary case, due to the flow adhering to the heated side and the turbulence increase due to the fact that the air stream has two velocity components, one normal to the inlet plane due to the inlet velocity and one due to the rotation, which is tangential to the rotation direction.
Superresolution Microscopy Reveals Sodium Channel Localization within Intercalated Disk Microdomains: Implications for Ephaptic Coupling

Pore-forming (Nav1.5) and auxiliary (β1; SCN1b) subunits of cardiac sodium channels are enriched at the cardiomyocyte intercalated disk (ID). Mathematical models suggest that this may facilitate conduction via ephaptic mechanisms. We previously demonstrated anisotropic conduction slowing during acute interstitial edema (AIE), possibly due to weakened ephaptic coupling. Here we assessed Nav1.5 and β1 localization to ID microdomains using electron microscopy (EM) and super-resolution microscopy (gSTED, STORM) and used optical mapping and computer modeling to investigate the implications for ephaptic conduction in the heart. gSTED and STORM revealed Nav1.5 and β1 enrichment within ID regions not containing dense clusters of Cx43 and N-Cadherin. Notably, both were identified within the perinexus, a microdomain surrounding Cx43 gap junctions. Overall, 22% of Nav1.5 was located within perinexal regions while only 2% was within Cx43 clusters. EM revealed closer membrane apposition at perinexal ( 10nm) under control conditions. AIE increased intermembrane distance at perinexal, but not at non-perinexal sites. Functionally, this correlated with decreased transverse conduction velocity (CV-T; 15.2±0.3 vs. 19.6±0.1cm/s) and increased anisotropic ratio (AR; 3.0±0.2 vs. 2.8±0.1) relative to control, in perfused guinea pig ventricles. Next, we investigated AIE effects on Nav1.5 function in conduction. Nav1.5 blockade (0.5 µM flecainide) by itself decreased CV (18%) without changing AR. However, Nav1.5 inhibition during AIE preferentially decreased CV-T (13.0±0.6cm/s), increased AR (3.3±0.2) and increased spontaneous arrhythmias (7/9 vs. 4/11) compared to AIE alone. Notably, only a computer model including ephaptic coupling and the ID localization of Nav1.5 could recapitulate these results. In summary, sodium channel complexes localized to ID microdomains such as the perinexus may enable ephaptic conduction in the heart. Further, Nav1.5 functional availability and perinexal membrane spacing emerge as novel determinants of anisotropic conduction.
Methyl Parathion Adsorbed on the Skin and Blood Cholinesterase Levels of Persons Checking Cotton Treated with Ultra-Low-Volume Sprays

Ultra-law-volume (ULV) insecticide sprays to control cotton insects are being increasingly used each year. Previous work on the residual nature of insecticides applied as ULV and water emulsion sprays (Nemec and Adkisson 1966, Nemec et. at 1968) have shown that ULV applications deposited more insecticide than water emulsion sprays on the crops and that the residual toxicity of the insecticide was longer. Therefore, increased use of ULV sprays for controlling cotton insects could possibly result in a greater potential health hazard to persons working in fields so treated. The study reported here was initiated to determine the amounts of insecticide adsorbed on the arms and hands of 2 persons after they entered fields which had been treated with ULV sprays of methyl parathion.
Numerical modeling of jet entrainment for nozzles fitted with delta tabs

The concept of entrainment is used to study the mixing effectiveness of several nozzle geometries fitted with delta tabs. Data from numerical simulations, using the DTNS3D flow solver, are presented and compared to published experimental references. The data include axial profiles of volume flux and centerline velocity decay. The importance of turbulence modeling, jet boundary definition, and entrainment boundary velocity is carefully considered. A novel approach to modeling a far-field entrainment boundary is presented. This approach enables accurate simulations of the mixing flow fields of several different nozzle geometries. Overall agreement with the experimental references was quite good. The boundary condition was robust, as was the procedure for entrainment analysis. (Author)
The Need for a U.N. University

This article is the result of a preliminary study made by the Federation of American Scientists' U.N. University Committee. The study is intended to be an outline of the necessity and feasibility of establishing a U.N. university rather than a searching examination of the problems involved.
3D as-is building energy modeling and diagnostics

To achieve ambitious cuts in energy consumptions of the building sector, recent efforts have focused on devising methods that can provide accurate representation of the as-is conditions for existing buildings and in turn increase the quality and effectiveness of building retrofits. Today, 3D geometrical models produced by computer vision and laser scanning methods can be used as the basis of energy modeling purposes. Several methods are also introduced to facilitate the diagnostics and measurement of the thermal and other environmental conditions. To this end, this paper extensively reviews the state-of-the-art techniques that can semi-automatically or automatically create as-is geometrical and thermal models for building energy modeling and retrofit assessment purposes. It also provides an overview on the main algorithms used by these methods for representing spatio-thermal point clouds, automatically converting these point clouds into semantic Building Information Models (BIM) in gbXML format for as-is energy modeling purposes, and also contrasting them with expected energy performance models. The underlying formulations and methods for measuring actual thermal resistance of the building assemblies and mapping them into gbXML-based representations are also presented. The most recent works in the IT-driven building automation system (BAS) for energy conservation purposes are also reviewed. Finally, the technology gaps that need to be addressed in future research are identified and discussed.
Inventory Lot-Size Models with General Time-Dependent Demand and Carrying Cost Functions

AbstractIn this paper the optimal replenishment schedule, that is, the number and timing of replenishments, is derived for a class of deterministic inventory models with general time-dependent demand and carrying cost functions. These results generalize several papers in the literature including the author’s previous work on the case of power-form demand and carrying cost functions.The results are applicable in several important inventory management situations. Examples include inventory problems involving discounted or inflated costs and problems in which demand and / or carrying cost functions are estimated through statistical time-series analysis.
Surgical Management of Persistent, Symptomatic Nonvenereal Sclerosing Lymphangitis of the Penis

Abstract Nonvenereal sclerosing lymphangitis of the penis is a rare condition involving the distal lymphatics of the penis. Its association with trauma has been shown. Although there is a minimal inflammatory response the etiology is unknown. Clinically, the patient notices a nontender, serpiginous nodular mass just proximal to the coronal sulcus. Most cases are self-limited and conservative management is indicated. Surgical excision is warranted for persistently symptomatic lesions.
RAS Mutation Is Associated with Decreased Survival in Patients Undergoing Repeat Hepatectomy for Colorectal Liver Metastases

Background The relationship between RAS mutation status and outcome for patients undergoing repeat hepatectomy (RH) for recurrent colorectal liver metastases (CLM) has not been defined.
Viral Oncolysis of Glioblastoma

The current state of replication-competent or replication-selective oncolytic viral treatment of malignant astrocytomas is reviewed. This includes studies examining the DNA viruses herpes simplex type I and adenovirus, both of which can be engineered to replicate only in dividing cancer cells, and RNA viruses, including reovirus, measles virus, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), some of which replicate selectively in brain tumors because of transformed cellular defects in antiviral immunity and others which require modification to render them nonpathogenic in health brain tissue while destroying resident tumor cells. Also discussed is that local viral expression of cytokines could overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and lead to tumor clearance including immune clearance of distant noninfected tumor cells.
Antichrists, and Rumours of Antichrists: Radical Prophecy in the trans-Atlantic World, 1640–1660

When the congregation of the church at Kendal met toward the end of December in 1652, they were likely prepared only for their regular worship service. So when the wife of Edmund Nubye entered the church wearing only a shirt, her prophetic sign surely received its intended attention.1 Quakers were known to ‘go naked as a sign’ in the manner of the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, in order to signify the sinfulness of all who saw them. Just as the usually religious audiences saw the nakedness of these Quakers, so those same audiences could not conceal their sin and hypocrisy from God. Thus, such Quakers wrote and spoke as though nakedness as a prophetic sign was completely appropriate. However, to those who witnessed this behaviour, it certainly appeared radical.
Optimizing GPGPU Kernel Summation for Performance and Energy Efficiency

Kernel summation is a widely used computational kernel that involves matrix-matrix multiplication (GEMM) and matrix-vector multiplication (GEMV) computational primitives. The parallelism exhibited in kernel summation suggests performance improvement when running on GPGPU. State of the art GPU solutions apply cuBLAS library but cannot exploit much of the data locality because intermediate results are written back to main memory in between key operations. This paper presents an optimized implementation that yields better performance and high energy efficiency. Our contributions are fusing all steps of kernel summation into the matrix multiplication code structure and optimizing memory access ordering to make good use of shared memory and cache hierarchy. We decompose the kernel summation problem into individual tasks with few dependencies and strike a balance between finer grained parallelism and reduced data replication. Based on hardware characteristics, we map threads to matrix elements in an interleaved way, and reposition matrix elements to avoid shared memory load and store bank conflicts. We also apply double buffering to hide memory access latency. We analyze both performance and energy benefits of our fused kernel summation compared with the implementation based on cuBLAS. We show that in low dimensions our approach achieves a speedup of up to 1.8X, and saves up to 33% of total energy in all tested problem sizes.
The Use of 2nd generation Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKI) after Failure to 2 Prior TKI: Long-Term Follow-up.

The 2nd generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), nilotinib and dasatinib, are effective after imatinib failure. These agents are now also being used as 3rd line therapy after failure to 2 prior TKI. Preliminary data suggests responses can be achieved with this strategy, but the long-term benefit is unknown. To investigate the long-term benefit of using a 2nd generation TKI after having failed imatinib and another TKI. Patients with CML who were sequentially treated with 3 different TKI’s at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center were reviewed. Response to the 3rd TKI were scored according to standard definitions. Event-free survival (EFS) was considered from the time the 3rd TKI was started to loss of major hematologic response, loss of cytogenetic response, transformation to accelerated (AP) or blast (BP) phase, or death. Failure-free survival (FFS) was considered from start of 3rd TKI to event as defined for EFS, or loss of complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) or discontinuation because of toxicity. 37 patients were treated: 29 with dasatinib after imatinib and nilotinib failure, and 8 with nilotinib after imatinib and dasatinib failure. The median age was 61 years (yrs) (range, 19 to 70). The median time on imatinib was 33 months (mo) and 15 (41%) had transformation before starting 2nd TKI. Median time on 2nd TKI was 7.7 mo. At the start of 3rd TKI, 16 pts (43%) were in chronic phase (CP), 9 (24%) in AP, and 12 (32%) in BP. Best response to 3rd TKI in CP was 1 major molecular response (MMR), 2 CCyR, 1 partial cytogenetic response (PCyR), 5 minor cytogenetic response (mCyR), 2 complete hematologic response (CHR), and 5 no responses (NR); in AP, there was 1 CCyR, 2 PCyR, 1 mCyR, 4 CHR, and 1 NR; in BP, 2 CCyR, 1 PCyR, 1 mCyR, 2 return to CP (RCP), and 6 NR. Four patients discontinued treatment because of toxicity despite an acceptable response. The median CCyR duration was 28 mo; only 2 pts in CP who achieved CCyR (1 had MMR) had a sustained response lasting 20 and 24 mo, respectively. Both received dasatinib after imatinib and nilotinib failure, and had G250E and H396R at start of dasatinib, respectively. The table shows median (in months) OS, EFS and FFS by disease stage. 7 pts continue on therapy (all CP): 2 sustained CCyR (1 MMR), 1 PCyR (lost CCyR), 2 mCyR, 2 no cytogenetic response (1 lost mCyR). Use of 2nd generation TKI after failure to 2 TKI may induce responses in some pts but these are usually not durable except in some pts in CP. New treatment options are needed for these pts.
The Long-Term Effects of Facial Implants: Preliminary Study

The objective was to study the long-term safety and benefits of facial implants. This was a retrospective study of patients undergoing facial implant surgery over a 10-year period. All surgery was ...
Immunotherapy for head and neck cancer: the future of treatment?

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide with >500,000 cases diagnosed each year. HNSCC patients often present to the clinic with advanced disease and are managed with a multi-disciplinary approach consisting of surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation. Morbidity and quality of life issues are major challenges in this patient population due to the debilitating effects of standard of care treatment paradigms. There is a critical need for new therapeutic approaches to manage HNSCC with better anti-tumor activities and toxicity profiles. Immunotherapy has gained traction as a precision medicine initiative to manage solid malignancies.Areas covered: The authors review current knowledge of immune escape mechanisms and discuss key immunotherapies in HNSCC with an emphasis on clinical trials data.Expert opinion: The excitement over the potential of immunotherapy to manage solid malignancies, including HNSCC is high and warranted based on the imp...
Product Development Resources and the Scope of the Firm

Abstract This article examines the relationship between a firm's strength in product development and its optimal scope. Firms with product development strength have two options: They can leverage it in horizontally related markets, and they can reach into the supply chain to take full advantage of it. The question is how this should be done. One possibility is for the firm to expand its scope, and another is to manage the linkage through contracts. On the basis of the adjustment cost theory of the firm, the author argues that the former solution is more appropriate when product development is fast-paced. This study tests the argument in a sample of several thousand firms and reports four tests. For both types of expansion, the author examines the incidence and the productivity of increased scope. The author uses several measures and finds results that are consistent with the theory.
The effects of flexion-distraction and drop techniques on disorders and Ferguson’s angle in female patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation

[Purpose] This study examines the effects of the flexion-distraction technique and the drop technique on disorders and on Ferguson's angle in female patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty female patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation were divided into an experimental group (n=15) treated with flexion-distraction and drop techniques and a control group (n=15) treated with spinal decompression therapy. Both groups were treated three times a week over an eight-week period. [Results] In the comparison of changes within each group after treatment, both groups showed statistically significant decreases in disorders and in Ferguson's angle. [Conclusion] Flexion-distraction and drop techniques may be an effective intervention to improve disorders and Ferguson's angle in female patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation.
Options and Insurance for Planning

In evaluating projects using cost-benefit analysis, the option value of such projects and the insurance they provide is likely to alter both the costs and the benefits substantially.
Digestible threonine requirements of starter and finisher pigs.

The digestible threonine (Thr) requirements of starter (28 d of age initially, 6 to 16 kg) and finisher (58 to 96 kg) pigs were determined. Each growth trial evaluated control and basal diets and the basal diet plus four incremental additions of L-Thr (.60 to .76% dietary Thr for starter pigs and .30 to .50% dietary Thr for finisher pigs). The basal diet fed to starter pigs contained 17.6% CP and 1.25% lysine and was based on sorghum, peanut meal, soybean meal, and dried whey. The basal diet fed to finisher pigs contained 9.7% CP and .75% lysine and was based on sorghum supplemented with lysine, methionine, tryptophan, and isoleucine. Incremental increases in dietary Thr increased (P < .05) ADG and ADFI of starter pigs quadratically. Gain/feed increased (P < .01) linearly. Based on broken-line regression analyses, .63% Thr maximized ADG of starter pigs. Daily gain and gain/feed of finisher pigs increased linearly (P < .01) and quadratically (P < .01) as dietary Thr content increased. Broken-line regression analyses determined that .41% Thr maximized ADG and gain/feed. Digestion trials with pigs fitted with an ileal T-cannula determined that the basal starter and finisher diets contained .43 and .17% apparent ileal digestible Thr and 3.35 and 3.38 Kcal of fecal DE/g, respectively. On average, crystalline Thr had an apparent ileal digestibility of 98%. Based on these values and the total Thr requirements given above, the digestible Thr requirement of finisher pigs for maximum ADG and gain/feed was estimated to be .28%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
What needs to be added to machine learning

The question we ask is how to build on the success of machine learning to address the broader goals of artificial intelligence. We regard reasoning as the major component of cognition, other than learning, that needs to be incorporated. We suggest that the central challenge therefore is to unify the formulation of these two phenomena, learning and reasoning, whose conventional formulations are contradictory, into a single framework with a common semantics. We propose Robust Logic for this role, as a framework with a satisfactory theoretical basis. Testing it experimentally on a significant scale remains a major challenge for the future.
Epidemiology of Incarceration: Characterizing Jail Incarceration for Public Health Research.

Background Each year, 9 million individuals cycle in and out of jails. The under-characterization of incarceration as an exposure poses substantial challenges to understanding how varying levels of exposure to jail may affect health. Thus, we characterized levels of jail incarceration including recidivism, number of incarcerations, total and average number of days incarcerated, and time to reincarceration. Methods We created a cohort of 75,203 individuals incarcerated at the Coconino County Detention Facility in Flagstaff, Arizona, from 2001 to 2018 from jail intake and release records. Results The median number of incarcerations during the study period was one (interquartile range [IQR] = 1-2). Forty percent of individuals had >1 incarceration. The median length of stay for first observed incarcerations was 1 day (IQR = 0-5). The median total days incarcerated was 3 (IQR = 1-23). Average length of stay increased by number of incarcerations. By 18 months, 27% of our sample had been reincarcerated. Conclusion Characteristics of jail incarceration have been largely left out of public health research. A better understanding of jail incarcerations can help design analyses to assess health outcomes of individuals incarcerated in jail. Our study is an early step in shaping an understanding of jail incarceration as an exposure for future epidemiologic research. See video abstract at, http://links.lww.com/EDE/B536.
Examination of the Construct Validity of the SVIB-SCII Adventure Scale for College Women.

The authors assessed the construct validity of the SVIB-SCII Adventure scale for women college students. Significant correlations were found with Jackson Personality Research Form scales that measu...
Kiss from a Rogue: Evaluating Detectability of Pay-at-the-Pump Card Skimmers

Credit and debit cards enable ﬁnancial transactions at unattended "pay-at-the-pump" gas station terminals across North America. Attackers discreetly open these pumps and install skimmers, which copy sensitive card data. While EMV (“chip-and-PIN”) has made substantial inroads in traditional retailers, such systems have virtually no deployment at pay-at-the-pump terminals due to dramatically higher costs and logistical/regulatory constraints, leaving consumers vulnerable in these contexts. In an effort to improve security, station owners have deployed security indicators such as low-cost tamper-evident seals, and technologists have developed skimmer detection apps for mobile phones. Not only do these solutions put the onus on consumers to notice and react to security concerns at the pump, but the efﬁcacy of these solutions has not been measured. In this paper, we evaluate the indicators available to consumers to detect skimmers. We perform a comprehensive teardown of all known skimmer detection apps for iOS and Android devices, and then conduct a forensic analysis of real-world gas pump skimmer hardware recovered by multiple law enforcement agencies. Finally, we analyze anti-skimmer mechanisms deployed by pump owners/operators, and augment this investigation with an analysis of skimmer reports and accompanying security measures collected by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services over four years, making this the most comprehensive long-term study of such devices. Our results show that common gas pump security indicators are not only ineffective at empowering consumers to detect tampering, but may be providing a false sense of security. Accordingly, stronger, reliable, inexpensive measures must be developed to protect consumers and merchants from fraud.
Fibrin clot formation under diverse clotting conditions: Comparing turbidimetry and thromboelastography

Abstract Thrombosis is a leading cause of death around the world. Fibrin, the protein primarily responsible for clot formation, is formed via cleaving soluble fibrinogen by thrombin with resulting properties varying under different clot forming conditions. This study sought to compare trends across thromboelastography (TEG) and turbidimetry utilizing a simplified fibrinogen/thrombin clot model. Turbidimetry is an optical measure (550 nm) of fibrin clot formation and is widely utilized due to its laboratory accessibility and ease of use. Thromboelastography (TEG) is a specialized viscoelastic technique that directly measures clot strength and is primarily utilized in the clinical setting to assess patients' hemostasis. In these experiments, human and bovine fibrin clots were formed in-vitro by mixing fibrinogen and thrombin under diverse clotting conditions. Increasing thrombin concentration (0 to 10 U/mL), ionic strength (0.05 to 0.3 M), pH (5.5 to 8.1), and lowering albumin concentration (100 to 0 mg/mL) resulted in decreased clot turbidity and increased clot strength using species-matched bovine and human fibrinogen and thrombin. Whereas, increasing fibrinogen concentration (1 to 5 mg/mL) resulted in increased clot turbidity and increased clot strength for both species-matched and cross-species fibrinogen and thrombin. Clotting times with both techniques followed a similar trend and were observed to be unchanged when varying albumin concentration, elongated with increasing fibrinogen, and shortened with increasing pH, ionic strength, and thrombin. TEG and turbidimetry track clot formation via two distinct methods and when utilized together provide complementary clot strength and fiber structural information across diverse clotting conditions.
Incubation of Negative Affect during Protracted Alcohol Withdrawal Is Age-, but Not Sex-Selective

A prior history of excessive drinking induces a negative affective state in both humans and laboratory rodents, the manifestation of which varies with the age of drinking-onset. In adolescent male mice, negative affect incubates over the course of a 30-day alcohol withdrawal period. In contrast, the negative affect exhibited by adult male mice is robust at 1 day withdrawal, but dissipates with the passage of time. As females tend to consume more alcohol than males, we aimed to explore the affective disturbances exhibited by adolescent and adult C57BL/6J mice of both sexes during more protracted alcohol withdrawal and to relate any behavioral changes observed to plasma corticosterone levels as a biochemical index of stress. Male and female, adolescent and adult, mice were subjected to 14 consecutive days of binge alcohol-drinking using a multi-bottle-choice Drinking-in-the-Dark (DID) procedure (5, 10, 20 and 40% v/v). Age- and sex-matched control mice consumed water only. On either withdrawal day 1 or 70, subgroups of animals were subjected a to 1-day behavioral test battery that included the light–dark box shuttle test, marble-burying test, and Porsolt forced swim test. As expected, adolescent mice consumed more alcohol than adults and females consumed more alcohol than males. However, despite binge-like levels of alcohol consumption, we detected relatively few signs of alcohol withdrawal-induced negative affect and there was no correlation between affective behavior and circulating corticosterone levels. We discuss these findings within the context of our published work, highlighting procedural differences that might account for the relatively weak effect of binge-drinking history upon anxiety and depressive-like behavior observed herein.
Muxeres en Acción: The Power of Community Cultural Wealth in Latinas Organizing for Health Equity.

Community psychology, despite its commitment to social justice, is prone to engage in deficit-based perspectives that do not appropriately capture the strengths of Latinx communities. Given these limitations, we use a Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) (Yosso, 2005) framework to describe how muxeres, Latina women who identify as promotoras, madres, and mamas, leveraged their political power and culturally informed leadership to improve the health and well-being of their communities. We highlight instances from our fieldwork, witnessing the agency of muxeres en accion for health equity. We offer three case studies to describe how we approached our collaborations with three groups of muxeres situated in different geographic locations in the state of California. The first case study discusses how immigrant muxeres who identify as promotoras (e.g., health workers) in the Central Valley developed their research skills through a promotora model that allowed them to build the capacity to advocate for the well-being of their communities. The second example offers reflections from a Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) project with a group of Mexican immigrant madres in a gentrified community in San Jose. Lastly, the third case study describes how a group of mamas in the East Side of Los Angeles addressed issues of educational inequities. Together, these case studies illustrate muxeres' advocacy for their health and well-being. Because women in general, and muxeres in particular, are considered gatekeepers of culture and tradition within their families, it is crucial that community psychologists ground their work in ethically and culturally appropriate frameworks that highlight the power of muxeres.
Metabolism of immune cells in cancer

Through the successes of checkpoint blockade and adoptive cellular therapy, immunotherapy has become an established treatment modality for cancer. Cellular metabolism has emerged as a critical determinant of the viability and function of both cancer cells and immune cells. In order to sustain prodigious anabolic needs, tumours employ a specialized metabolism that differs from untransformed somatic cells. This metabolism leads to a tumour microenvironment that is commonly acidic, hypoxic and/or depleted of critical nutrients required by immune cells. In this context, tumour metabolism itself is a checkpoint that can limit immune-mediated tumour destruction. Because our understanding of immune cell metabolism and cancer metabolism has grown significantly in the past decade, we are on the cusp of being able to unravel the interaction of cancer cell metabolism and immune metabolism in therapeutically meaningful ways. Although there are metabolic processes that are seemingly fundamental to both cancer and responding immune cells, metabolic heterogeneity and plasticity may serve to distinguish the two. As such, understanding the differential metabolic requirements of the diverse cells that comprise an immune response to cancer offers an opportunity to selectively regulate immune cell function. Such a nuanced evaluation of cancer and immune metabolism can uncover metabolic vulnerabilities and therapeutic windows upon which to intervene for enhanced immunotherapy.