cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma Catecholamines in Human and Experimental Hypertension

Plasma levels of norepinephrine reflect the rate of its release from sympathetic nerves. In patients with hypertension and in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats basal plasma NE levels are normal. SHR rats are abnormally reactive to stress, as are the normotensive (WKY) strain from which they were derived. The amounts of NE released by sympathetic stimulation are similar in pithed SHR and WKY rats, but SHR rats have greater blood pressure responses. This may be due to diminished β-adrenoceptormediated vasodilation in young SHR rats and structural changes in arterioles of older SHR rats. It is concluded that in SHR rats separate abnormalities of centrally-mediated responses to stress and of peripheral sensitivity to catecholamines contribute to the development and maintenance of elevated blood pressure.
The Bordetella bhu Locus Is Required for Heme Iron Utilization

Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica are capable of obtaining iron from hemin and hemoglobin. Genes encoding a putative bacterial heme iron acquisition system (bhu, for Bordetella heme utilization) were identified in a B. pertussis genomic sequence database, and the corresponding DNA was isolated from a virulent strain of B. pertussis. A B. pertussis bhuR mutant, predicted to lack the heme outer membrane receptor, was generated by allelic exchange. In contrast to the wild-type strain, bhuR mutant PM5 was incapable of acquiring iron from hemin and hemoglobin; genetic complementation of PM5 with the cloned bhuRSTUV genes restored heme utilization to wild-type levels. In parallel studies, B. bronchiseptica bhu sequences were also identified and a B. bronchiseptica bhuR mutant was constructed and confirmed to be defective in heme iron acquisition. The wild-type B. bronchiseptica parent strain grown under low-iron conditions produced the presumptive BhuR protein, which was absent in the bhuR mutant. Furthermore, production of BhuR by iron-starved B. bronchiseptica was markedly enhanced by culture in hemin-supplemented medium, suggesting that these organisms sense and respond to heme in the environment. Analysis of the genetic region upstream of the bhu cluster identified open reading frames predicted to encode homologs of the Escherichia coli ferric citrate uptake regulators FecI and FecR. These putative Bordetella regulators may mediate heme-responsive positive transcriptional control of the bhu genes.
The NLRP3 inflammasome instigates obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance

Obesity is generally considered an inflammatory state. Vishwa Dixit and his colleagues have now shown that excess dietary lipids leads to the activation of the Nlrp3 inflammasome, a sensor of the innate immune system, and that its genetic deficiency results in decreased inflammation and improved insulin sensitivity. These results suggest a possible new therapeutic avenue to treat the effects of obesity.
Health Improvements Have Been More Rapid and Widespread in China than in India: A Comparative Analysis of Health and Socioeconomic Trends from 1960 to 2011.

Objectives We examined differences between China and India in key health and socioeconomic indicators, including life expectancy, infant and child mortality, non-communicable disease mortality from cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and diabetes, Human Development Index, Gender Inequality Index, material living conditions, and health expenditure. Methods Data on health and social indicators came from various World Health Organization and United Nations databases on global health and development statistics, including the GLOBOCAN cancer database. Mortality trends were modeled by log-linear regression, and differences in rates and relative risks were tested for statistical significance. Results Although both countries have made marked improvements, India lags behind China on several key health indicators. Differential rates of mortality decline during 1960-2009 have led to a widening health gap between China and India. In 2009 the infant mortality rate in India was 50 deaths per 1,000 live births, 3 times greater than the rate for China. Sixty-six out of 1,000 Indian children died before reaching their 5th birthday, compared with 19 children in China. China’s life expectancy is 9 years longer than India’s. Life expectancy at birth in India increased from 42 years in 1960 to 65 years in 2009, while life expectancy in China increased from 47 years in 1960 to 74 years in 2009. Major health concerns for China include high rates of stomach, liver, and lung cancer, CVD, and smoking prevalence. Globally, India ranked 90 th and China 102 nd in life satisfaction. Conclusions and Public Health Implications: India’s less favorable health profile compared to China is largely attributable to its higher rates of mortality from communicable diseases and maternal and perinatal conditions. Further health gains can be achieved by reducing social inequality, greater investments in human development and health services, and by prevention and control of chronic-disease risks such as hypertension, smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. Key Words: China • India • Health status • Life expectancy • Infant and child mortality • Non-communicable diseases • Cancer • Health risks • Human development • Social inequality.
Cognitive style and relationship quality in married dyads

Recently, cognitive personality researchers have begun to explore the social and interpersonal relevance of cognitive individual difference variables. Embedded in these examinations, however, is a methodological issue that bears importantly on our understanding of the role of these cognitive orientations in social relations. Specifically, personality studies have typically employed experimentally created dyads which, by limiting the representativeness of the sample, potentially limits the generalizability of the findings to more enduring “real-life” dyads. In the present study, field dependence/field independence was examined as a potential mediator of relationship quality in married dyads. Consistent with Witkin's theory of psychological differentiation, it was predicted that spouses with relatively field-dependent partners and individuals from dyads with similar levels of differentiation would have fewer complaints. Results showed, contrary to the predictions, that husbands married to field-dependent wives and wives from matched dyads had more complaints about their marital relationships. These findings suggest the need for a careful evaluation of the role of cognitive style in the domain of intimate interpersonal relationships. Apparently, it may not be sufficient to generalize about the role of personality in social relationships from the results of studies employing experimentally created dyads or groups to other, more enduring and real-life types of social relationships.
A Prospective Study of the Effects of Marital Status and Family Relations on Young Children's Adjustment among African American and European American Families

The present study investigated the effects of divorce and family relations on young children's development prospectively, using an ethnically diverse sample of approximately 300 low-income families. We also were able to examine the moderating effects of ethnicity on child adjustment in always two-parent, to-be-divorced, already-divorced, and always single-parent families. Results indicated that to-be-divorced European American and African American families demonstrated higher rates of preschool-age behavior problems, and already-divorced families showed similar trends. Parental conflict and behavior problems accounted for predivorce differences in child behavior problems, whereas rejecting parenting accounted for differences in problem behavior between always single-parent and always two-parent families. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of ethnicity in influencing young, low-income children's adjustment to different family structures.
Reflex Circulatory Effects Elicited by Hypertonic and Hypotonic Solutions Injected into Femoral and Brachial Arteries of Dogs

Rapid injection of 40 ml. of 5 per cent saline into the femoral or brachial arteries of 24 dogs resulted in an average elevation of arterial blood pressure of +42/+20 mm. Hg, an increase in the heart rate of +20 beats/min., and an acceleration of the respiratory rate of +140 per cent. The response began 6 to 10 seconds after the onset of injection and lasted for 5 to 30 minutes. It occurred with the injection of hypertonic solution of saline, dextrose, and urea. The magnitude of the response was related to the degree of hypertonicity. Responses could be provoked by 10 ml. of 1.25 per cent saline. Rapid intra-arterial injection of isotonic saline, dextrose, and urea solutions, and of whole blood in volumes up to 80 ml. had no circulatory effect. Rapid injection of distilled water, 0.225 per cent and 0.45 per cent saline into the femoral or brachial arteries resulted in a slight degree of hypotension and a rise in the respiratory rate. The appearance of circulating catechol amines following the response to intra-arterial injection of hypertonic solutions was suggested by the demonstration of hypotensive response to intravenous injection of phentolamine. These responses to injection of hypertonic and hypotonic solutions in the femoral artery were abolished by section of the sciatic nerve in animals with an ipsilateral partially-transected hind limb, a preparation which left intact only the femoral artery, femoral vein, and femur. Sciatic section in the intact limb reduced but did not abolish the response. Removal of the sympathetic chain from the eleventh thoracic through the third lumbar ganglia had no apparent effect. It is concluded that the response to femoral aud brachial intra-arterial injection of hypertonic and hypotonic solutions is initiated by peripherally located "osmoreceptors" in the distribution of these arteries and is mediated via a reflex whose afferent fibers travel in the peripheral somatic nerves and enter the spinal cord without passing through the sympathetic chain. The efferent are is the sympathetic nervous system.
An empirical test for convergence using African barbs (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae)

Evidence for convergence is often based on overall similarity as interpreted by human eyes. We use geometric morphometrics and an analysis of phylogenetic signal to determine if similarity in form between two sympatric species of cyprinid fishes in a community from the Dja River of Cameroon is due convergence or shared evolutionary history. The two species, Enteromiusaspilus and E.guirali, are deep-bodied and are very similar in color and appear to school together. The species co-occur with seven other species of Enteromius that have the more fusiform shape seen in other small barbs across Africa. Phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b and COI genes suggests that they are not sister taxa, and there is no phylogenetic signal when the phylogeny is overlaid on shape space. The convergence between the two is likely due to a variety of factors including predator avoidance and crypsis in open water, social mimicry to increase the benefit of the selfish herd effect, and increased protection of E.aspilus via Batesian mimicry of E.guirali, which has a protective dorsal spine.
Coarse-grained elastodynamics of fast moving dislocations

Abstract The fundamental mechanism of dynamic plasticity in metallic materials subjected to shock loading remains unclear because it is difficult to obtain the precise information of individual fast moving dislocations in metals from the state-of-the-art experiments. In this work, the dynamics of sonic dislocations in anisotropic crystalline materials is explored through a concurrent atomistic-continuum modeling method. We make a first attempt to characterize the complexity of nonuniformly moving dislocations in anisotropic crystals from atomistic to microscale, including the energy intensities as well as the wavelengths of acoustic phonons emitted from sonic dislocations, and the velocity-dependent stress fluctuations around the core of nonuniformly moving dislocations. Instantaneous dislocation velocities and phonon drag effects on the dislocation motions are quantified and analyzed. Mach cones in a V-shaped pattern of the phonon wave-fronts are observed in the wake of the sonic dislocations. Analysis of simulation results based on a wavelet transform show that the faster a dislocation is moving, the longer the emitted phonon wavelength. The dislocation velocity drops dramatically with the occurrence of the interactions between dislocations and phonon waves reflected from the boundaries of specimens. The concurrent atomistic-continuum modeling framework is demonstrated to be the first multiscale method that explicitly treats the strong coupling between the long-range elastic fields away from the dislocation core, the highly nonlinear time-dependent stress field within the core, and the evolutions of the atomic-scale dislocation core structures. As such, it is shown that this method is capable in predicting elastodynamics of dislocations in the presence of inertia effects associated with sonic dislocations in micron-sized anisotropic crystalline materials from the atomic level, which is not directly accessible to the recent elastodynamic discrete dislocation model.
Supporting online analytics with user-defined estimation and early termination in a MapReduce-like framework

Online analytics based on runtime approximation has been widely adopted for meeting time and/or resource constraints. Though MapReduce has been gaining its popularity in both scientific and commercial sectors, there are several obstacles in implementing online analytics in a MapReduce implementation.In this paper, we present a MapReduce-like framework for online analytics. Our system can process the input incrementally, provide fast estimates, and terminate the execution as soon as a user-defined termination state is reached. We have extended the MapReduce API by allowing the user to customize both the estimation method and termination condition. We also have shown both the functionality and efficiency of our system through three approximate applications. A comparison with a batch processing implementation shows a speedup of at least an order of magnitude.
Abstract PR9: Granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) pancreas tumor vaccine in combination with blockade of PD-1 in a preclinical model of pancreatic cancer.

Introduction: Our phase I/II human clinical trials utilizing a GM-CSF secreting allogeneic pancreas tumor vaccine (GVAX) have been shown to be safe and effective in inducing anti-tumor immune response in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients. GVAX treated patients have demonstrated infiltration of PD-1+ T cells which is a major immunosuppressive mechanism in the tumor microenvironment. We hypothesized that the use of a PD-1 blocking antibody and GVAX will improve vaccine therapy and pancreatic cancer survival. Methods: Mice were orthotopically transplanted with 2 x 106 Panc02 pancreatic tumor cells to form liver metastases by a hemisplenectomy technique on day 0. Following tumor transplantation, wild-type or PD-1 knockout mice were treated subcutaneously with a mouse GM-CSF secreting pancreatic tumor vaccine (mouse GVAX) in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies or IgG isotype control. GVAX was given subcutaneously to mice on days 4, 7, 14, and 21 following tumor transplantation, together with a single low-dose of Cytoxan on day 3. Anti-PD-1 antibodies or IgG were administered twice weekly starting post-operative day 3. Results: PD-1 knockout mice challenged with pancreatic liver metastases had a significant survival advantage over wild-type mice (p=0.0002). Wild-type mice showed improved survival both with anti-PD-1 antibody alone (p=0.008) or in combination with vaccine (p Conclusions: PD-1 blockade through monoclonal antibodies or genetic knockout in combination with vaccine result in a synergistic anti-tumor effect in a preclinical model of pancreatic cancer versus treatment with anti-PD1 alone. Additionally, anti-PD1 treatment facilitates tumor infiltration of functionally activated mesothelin specific CD8+ T cells. Anti-PD-1 blockade antibody is currently being tested in phase II clinical trials for treating chemotherapy-refractory solid tumor patients. Our study provides a strong rationale for combining PD-1 antibody with GVAX therapy for pancreatic cancer treatment. This abstract is also presented as Poster B28. Citation Format: Kevin C. Soares, Kelly Olino, Barish Edil, Donger Zhou, Anthony Wamwea, Ashley Leubner, Richard Schulick, Drew Pardoll, Elizabeth Jaffee, Lei Zheng. Granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) pancreas tumor vaccine in combination with blockade of PD-1 in a preclinical model of pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology: Multidisciplinary Science Driving Basic and Clinical Advances; Dec 2-5, 2012; Miami, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PR9.
Performance Under Acute Stress: A Qualitative Study of Soldiers' Experiences of Hand-to-Hand Combat

The chief aim of this study was to obtain in-depth descriptions of soldiers’ first-person experiences of hand-to-hand combat during wartime operations using a stress and coping framework (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). The results of phenomenological interviews revealed 4 major themes which, based on several participants’ own words, were labeled “immediate threat,” “flip the switch,” “fast,” and “adrenaline.” It was concluded that the hand-to-hand combat experiences of these soldiers (a) imposed stressors from a variety of sources, (b) required coping responses comprising a swift and accurate interpretation of environmental conditions and rapid deployment of problemfocused strategies, and (c) evoked a constellation of powerful physiological and psychological reactions. Implications of this study for military personnel include the importance of “expecting the unexpected” in seemingly routine yet potentially hazardous combat operations, an emphasis on developing highly automated, problem-focused coping strategies and physical fighting skills, and the need for training in variable and unpredictable environments that demand rapid skill adaptations to context specific stressors.
Effects of Conversational Involvement Cues on Understanding and Emotions in Instant Messaging Conversations

In today’s multitasking workplace, conversations are often carried out amid other tasks. This article explores how multitasking affects people’s levels of involvement or engagement in their conversations, and how levels of involvement in turn influence people’s language, understanding, and affective responses to the conversation. We manipulated participants’ levels of involvement in instant messaging conversations using a distraction task (an online game). We found that the distraction task lowered communication involvement. In addition, higher levels of involvement (both of the participant and of the partner) had a positive effect on understanding, emotions, and satisfaction. Moreover, a partner’s verbal cues of involvement, such as assent words and definite articles, influenced participants’ communication outcomes. We conclude by suggesting design features that might allow people to maintain appropriate levels of involvement during instant messaging conversations.
Establishing a Next Generation Sequencing laboratory for high resolution HLA typing

Aim To evaluate NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) platforms for high resolution HLA typing in a clinical setting. HLA mismatches can have a significant effect on transplantation outcome. Current low resolution HLA typing techniques are unable to provide coverage for the growing number of known alleles. Sanger sequencing, the standard for high resolution typing, cannot provide full gene coverage or phasing. Newly developed Next Generation Sequencing kits accomplish full length gene sequencing and allele phasing. NGS reduces ambiguity in HLA genotyping, providing the best possible results for transplant matching. Full gene sequencing also allows for the discovery of novel alleles. Method Two assay platforms are being evaluated. Whole genes are amplified by long range polymerase chain reaction, yielding amplicons ∼3–10 Kilobases in length. Long amplicons are randomly fragmented using proprietary enzymatic methods. Unique “barcode” sequence adapters are ligated to fragment ends. Fragments are combined to create a paired end sequencing library. Size selection is performed for best quality sequencing reads. Libraries are sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq (40 h). Analysis software assembles reads and assigns HLA typing based on IMGT (international ImMunoGeneTics project)/HLA database information. Results Our first sequencing run (12 samples – 96 loci) yielded 97% concordance. Data points were eliminated due to: no amplification or sequencing due to possible degraded DNA (4), novel variant (1), full reference sequence unknown (2), analysis errors since resolved with software development (6). Issues requiring troubleshooting include amplification failure at one locus and uneven sequence coverage for Class I loci. Additional sequencing runs will be analyzed and compared. Limitations of NGS include blocking of SNP positions due to primer placement and lack of full IMGT sequences of some alleles. Conclusion Workflow complexity, turnaround time, and cost of instrumentation and consumables must be considered in a decision to adopt NGS in a clinical HLA laboratory. Meticulous techniques which can impact outcome must be mastered. NGS is useful to sequence multiple samples using DNA barcodes which makes it viable for routine use, which may significantly improve transplantation outcome.
Does the Presence of Blood in the Catheter or the Degree of Difficulty of Embryo Transfer Affect Live Birth

The technique used for embryo transfer (ET) can affect implantation. Prior research that evaluated the effect of postprocedural blood of the transfer catheter tip have yielded mixed results, and it is unclear whether this is actually a marker of difficulty of the transfer. Our objective was to estimate the effect of blood at the time of ET and the difficulty of ET on live birth rates (LBR). This retrospective cohort study utilized generalized estimating equations (GEEs) with nesting for repeated cycles for all analyses. Univariate modeling was performed and a final multivariate (adjusted) GEE model accounted for all significant confounders. Embryo transfers were subjectively graded (easy, medium, or hard) by a physician at the time of transfer. The presence of blood at ET was associated with more difficult ETs, retained embryos, and presence of mucous in the catheter. In the univariate analysis, ET with blood was not associated with live birth, while the degree of difficulty for ET had a negative impact on LBR. In the final multivariate GEE model, which accounts for repeated cycles from a patient, the only factors associated with an increased LBR were the degree of difficulty of the ET, female age, and blastocyst transfer. After controlling for confounding variables, the presence of blood in the transfer catheter was not associated with the likelihood of pregnancy and thus was not an independent predictor of cycle outcome. This indicates that the difficulty of the transfer itself was a strong negative predictor of pregnancy.
Negative Staining for COL4A5 Correlates With Worse Prognosis and More Severe Ultrastructural Alterations in Males With Alport Syndrome

Introduction Alport syndrome (AS) is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive hematuric nephropathy with or without sensorineural hearing loss and ocular lesions. Previous studies on AS included mostly children. Methods To determine the prognostic value of loss of staining for collagen type IV alpha 5 (COL4A5) and its relationship with the ultrastructural glomerular basement membrane alterations, we performed direct immunofluorescence using a mixture of fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated and Texas-red conjugated antibodies against COL4A5 and COL4A2, respectively, on renal biopsies of 25 males with AS (including 16 who were diagnosed in adulthood). Results All patients showed normal positive staining of glomerular basement membranes and tubular basement membranes for COL4A2. Of the 25 patients, 10 (40%) patients showed loss of staining for COL4A5 (including 89% of children and 13% of adults) and the remaining 15 (60%) had intact staining for COL4A5. Compared with patients with intact staining for COL4A5, those with loss of staining had more prominent ultrastructural glomerular basement membrane alterations and were younger at the time of biopsy. By Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis, loss of staining for COL4A5 predicted earlier progression to overt proteinuria and stage 2 chronic kidney disease or worse. By multivariate Cox regression analysis, loss of staining for COL4A5 was an independent predictor of the development of overt proteinuria and stage 2 chronic kidney disease or worse. Discussion Thus, the COL4A5 expression pattern has an important prognostic value and it correlates with the severity of ultrastructural glomerular basement membrane alterations in males with AS. Loss of COL4A5 staining is uncommon in patients with AS diagnosed in their adulthood.
Public Good in Asian Higher Education

This chapter explores public good within traditional Western frameworks and through a hybrid of Asian values and philosophies. Government or public investments, like education, are often evaluated in a binary of individual or social benefits. Although the benefits are not mutually exclusive, they are distinct, and applications of the benefits vary across regions around the world. A variety of sources are used in this chapter to explore the contemporary approach to public good in Asian societies and the corresponding systems of higher education. In an effort to more concretely unpack the notion of public good in Asian societies, this chapter includes a brief overview of relevant ancient philosophies that preexisted the liberal and Western constructs.
STUDIES IN THE BLOOD CYTOLOGY OF THE RABBIT : VI. BLOOD CELL RELATIONSHIPS IN GROUPS OF NORMAL RABBITS WITH RESPECT TO TIME.

1. Statistical analyses have been made of the weekly variations in the blood counts of groups of normal rabbits to find whether there exists any relationship between the numerical changes occurring in the various cell types. Consecutive blood counts and differential white cell determinations on five groups of normal male rabbits comprising 45 animals in all were made at weekly intervals from October, 1927, to June, 1929, the number of observations on each group varying from eight to thirty-five. 2. The following relationships between the varying group means were found to be consistent and significant:-The number of the red blood cells varied with the amount of hemoglobin per cubic millimeter and with the number of lymphocytes. There was an inverse relationship between the amount of hemoglobin and the number of monocytes. The neutrophiles varied in number with the monocytes; the basophiles with the eosinophiles; and the eosinophiles with the monocytes. Other associations not always similar but of high significance as far as the combined values were concerned, were the relations of the red blood cells with the basophiles and the monocytes. The relations of the neutrophiles with the red blood cells and the hemoglobin were very irregular. 3. Significant association of the white blood cells with variations in the red blood cells and the hemoglobin content were observed. The numerical variations in the group means of the total white cells were associated with similar variations in the group means of the neutrophiles, the lymphocytes, the monocytes, the basophiles, and the eosinophiles almost to the degree of their numerical occurrence in the peripheral blood. 4. With the exception of the total white cells, approximately only half the variations in the group levels of the various cells and of the hemoglobin content can be accounted for on the basis of simultaneous associations with each other. 5. The red blood cells, the lymphocytes, and the basophiles as one group, the eosinophiles and the monocytes as another group, and the hemoglobin content and the neutrophiles as a third group, described a definite shift from a high to a low numerical value during the 2 year observation period. From the standpoint of the magnitude of the shift, the basophiles, the eosinophiles, the monocytes, the lymphocytes, and the red blood cells participated in the order mentioned. The neutrophiles were only slightly affected and the hemoglobin content relatively not at all. 6. No significant relationship was ever found, even in the component groups, between the weekly mean values of the following: the hemoglobin with the basophiles, the eosinophiles, or the lymphocytes; the neutrophiles with the basophiles or the eosinophiles; and the lymphocytes with the eosinophiles or the monocytes.
Hybrid Reynolds-Averaged/Large-Eddy Simulation of a Cavity Flameholder: Modeling Sensitivities

Steady-state and scale-resolving simulations have been performed for flow in and around a model scramjet combustor flameholder. The cases simulated corresponded to those used to examine this flowfi...
Magnetic resonance imaging guided reirradiation of recurrent and second primary head and neck cancer.

Abstract Purpose To report a single-institutional experience using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided radiation therapy for the reirradiation of recurrent and second cancers of the head and neck. Methods and materials Between October 2014 and August 2016, 13 consecutive patients with recurrent or new primary cancers of the head and neck that occurred in a previously irradiated field were prospectively enrolled in an institutional registry trial to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of MRI guided radiation therapy using a 0.35-T MRI scanner with a cobalt-60 radiation therapy source called the ViewRay system (ViewRay Inc., Cleveland, OH). Eligibility criteria included biopsy-proven evidence of recurrent or new primary squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, measurable disease, and previous radiation to >60 Gy. MRI guided reirradiation was delivered either using intensity modulated radiation therapy with conventional fractionation to a median dose of 66 Gy or stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) using 7 to 8 Gy fractions on nonconsecutive days to a median dose of 40 Gy. Two patients (17%) received concurrent chemotherapy. Results The 1- and 2-year estimates of in-field control were 72% and 72%, respectively. A total of 227 daily MRI scans were obtained to guide reirradiation. The 2-year estimates of overall survival and progression-free survival were 53% and 59%, respectively. There were no treatment-related fatalities or hospitalizations. Complications included skin desquamation, odynophagia, otitis externa, keratitis and/or conjunctivitis, and 1 case of aspiration pneumonia. Conclusions Our preliminary findings show that reirradiation with MRI guided radiation therapy results in effective disease control with relatively low morbidity for patients with recurrent and second primary cancers of the head and neck. The superior soft tissue resolution of the MRI scans that were used for planning and delivery has the potential to improve the therapeutic ratio.
Early mixed T-cell chimerism is predictive of pediatric AML or MDS relapse after hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who relapse after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) have dismal outcomes. Our ability to predict those at risk for relapse is limited. We examined chimerism trends post-HCT in 63 children who underwent HCT for AML or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Mixed T-cell chimerism at engraftment and absence of chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) were associated with relapse (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02, respectively). Mixed T-cell chimerism at engraftment was predictive in patients without cGVHD (P = 0.03). Patients with engraftment mixed T-cell chimerism may warrant closer disease monitoring and consideration for early intervention.
Enhancement of tunneling magnetoresistance by inserting a diffusion barrier in L10-FePd perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions

We studied the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) of L10-FePd perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJs) with an FePd free layer and an inserted diffusion barrier. The diffusion barriers studied here (Ta and W) were shown to enhance the TMR ratio of the p-MTJs formed using high-temperature annealing, which are necessary for the formation of high quality L10-FePd films and MgO barriers. The L10-FePd p-MTJ stack was developed with an FePd free layer with a stack of FePd/X/Co20Fe60B20, where X is the diffusion barrier, and patterned into micron-sized MTJ pillars. The addition of the diffusion barrier was found to greatly enhance the magneto-transport behavior of the L10-FePd p-MTJ pillars such that those without a diffusion barrier exhibited negligible TMR ratios (<1.0%), whereas those with a Ta (W) diffusion barrier exhibited TMR ratios of 8.0% (7.0%) at room temperature and 35.0% (46.0%) at 10 K after post-annealing at 350 °C. These results indicate that diffusion barriers could play a crucial role in realizing high TMR ratios in bulk p-MTJs such as those based on FePd and Mn-based perpendicular magnetic anisotropy materials for spintronic applications.
Leveraging Cognitive Psychology Principles to Enhance Adaptive Instruction

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) can be used for computer-based adaptive instruction that can be utilized in many ways including both in the classroom and on a student’s own time. ITSs can be particularly useful for remediation and confirming that a student fully understands a topic that is important in an educational course. As many individuals will be using ITSs on their own time, and it is a unique opportunity to customize to an individual, it is helpful to design the material that is being delivered to the student to be as memorable as possible. There are numerous strategies and theories within cognitive psychology that have been heavily researched, and lead to improved memory, and retention when put into place. The current paper discusses how these cognitive psychology strategies can be leveraged and utilized within ITSs in order to lead to improved outcomes. Additionally, there are suggestions on how to incorporate these strategies within ITSs.
Effect of plasma membrane fluidity on serotonin transport by endothelial cells

To evaluate the effect of plasma membrane fluidity of lung endothelial cells on serotonin transport, porcine pulmonary artery endothelial cells were incubated for 3 h with either 0.1 mM cholesterol...
FROM GUCCI TO GREEN BAGS: CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION AS A SIGNAL FOR PRO-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

Conspicuous consumption usually implies the purchase of luxury goods with the purpose of signaling wealth and status. Previous literature also treats conspicuous pro-social behaviors, such as donat...
Feasibility and Perceived Usefulness of Using Head-Mounted Cameras for Resident Video Portfolios

Abstract Background There is limited guidance on how to longitudinally administer simulation materials or to incorporate video recordings into assessment portfolios of simulated surgical skills. Materials and methods We launched a longitudinal weekly simulation curriculum for PGY1-PGY3 surgical residents based on the ACS/APDS Curriculum. Residents underwent monthly objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSATS) while wearing head-mounted cameras. Videos of OSATS performance accrued into individual online video portfolios. Residents were surveyed about their attitudes toward video recording. Results Twenty-seven general surgical residents participated, completing 161 OSATS encompassing 11 distinct skills and generating 258 videos of simulated skills performance. The overall survey response rate was 88%. Residents viewed the curriculum favorably overall, and 36.4% of residents accessed their videos. Of those who did not watch their videos, 78.6% cited not having enough time, whereas 28.6% did not think the videos would be useful. Over 95% of surveyed residents expressed interest in having a video library of attending-performed procedures, 59.1% were interested in having their own operations recorded, and 45.5% were interested in video-based coaching. Conclusions Residents viewed longitudinal administration of the ACS/APDS Curriculum positively. Although video recording in simulation is feasible, resident interest may be higher for intraoperative recordings than for simulated skills.
Paediatric malignant melanoma in Ireland: A population study and review of the literature

Summary Introduction Malignant melanoma is increasing in frequency worldwide; however, this disease is rare in children. As large-scale studies on paediatric melanoma are lacking, management is currently often based upon the understanding of the disease process in adults. The aim of this study was to characterise cases of paediatric melanoma diagnosed in the Republic of Ireland over a 21-year period. Methods This was a retrospective, multicentre study using national data provided by the National Cancer Registry of Ireland and individual practitioners. Results Twenty-four cases of melanoma treated in 11 different centres were included in the study. The median patient age at diagnosis was 15 years. The majority of cases arose on the limbs. The median Breslow thickness in patients of the pre-pubertal age group was 8.25 mm, while in children more than 13 years, it was 1.65 mm. Eight patients had disease recurrence and five patients died. Conclusion The diagnosis of melanoma remains rare in children. This study contributes to our current understanding of malignant melanoma in paediatric patients; however, further investigation of the disease characteristics in this group is necessary to achieve optimal management of these cases and therefore improve outcomes.
Conservation, acquisition, and functional impact of sex-biased gene expression in mammals

Sex differences abound in human health and disease, as they do in other mammals used as models. The extent to which sex differences are conserved at the molecular level across species and tissues is unknown. We surveyed sex differences in gene expression in human, macaque, mouse, rat, and dog, across 12 tissues. In each tissue, we identified hundreds of genes with conserved sex-biased expression-findings that, combined with genomic analyses of human height, explain ~12% of the difference in height between females and males. We surmise that conserved sex biases in expression of genes otherwise operating equivalently in females and males contribute to sex differences in traits. However, most sex-biased expression arose during the mammalian radiation, which suggests that careful attention to interspecies divergence is needed when modeling human sex differences.
Low-Cost Gait Analysis for Behavioral Phenotyping of Mouse Models of Neuromuscular Disease

Measurement of animal locomotion is a common behavioral tool used to describe the phenotype of a given disease, injury, or drug model. The low-cost method of gait analysis demonstrated here is a simple but effective measure of gait abnormalities in murine models. Footprints are analyzed by painting a mouse’s feet with non-toxic washable paint and allowing the subject to walk through a tunnel on a sheet of paper. The design of the testing tunnel takes advantage of natural mouse behavior and their affinity for small dark places. The stride length, stride width, and toe spread of each mouse is easily measured using a ruler and a pencil. This is a well-established and reliable method, and it generates several metrics that are analogous to digital systems. This approach is sensitive enough to detect changes in stride early in phenotype presentation, and due to its non-invasive approach, it allows for testing of groups across life-span or phenotypic presentation.
Effects of field and greenhouse solarization on soil microbiota and weed seeds in the Northeast USA.

Soil solarization using clear plastic is a promising weed management strategy for organic farms in the Northeast USA. Based on grower concerns that the practice might negatively affect beneficial soil microbiota, we conducted experiments to measure the effects of 2 and 4 weeks of solarization in a field and a closed greenhouse. Soil microbial communities were assayed by dilution plating on semi-selective agar media. Populations of general bacteria, general fungi, bacilli, and florescent pseudomonads were unaffected by field solarization, but fluorescent pseudomonads were reduced following greenhouse solarization. At plastic removal, soil biological activity was reduced non-significantly in the field and by 45% in the green- house. Soil biological activity fluctuated following field solarization, being significantly suppressed at 5 but not 14 days after plastic removal. In the greenhouse, biological activity remained suppressed up to 28 days after plastic removal. Solarization increased available nitrogen in the field and greenhouse. Four weeks of solarization reduced viability of buried weed seeds by 64% in the field and 98% in the greenhouse, indicating that the practice can cause substantial weed seed mortality. Maximum soil temperatures, measured at 10 cm depth under solarization, were 44◦ C in the field and 50◦ C in the greenhouse; temperatures were theoretically sufficient for the reduction of some soil borne pathogens. A subsequent experiment measured the effects of solarization and tarping (black plastic) on soil biological activity. During mulching, biological activity was unaffected by treatment, but 14 days after plastic removal, biological activity was reduced in the solarized treatment as compared with the control. Overall, these results suggest that solarization can deplete the weed seedbank. Although soil biological activity was reduced by solarization, it may bounce back after a period. Greenhouse solarization achieved higher temperatures and was more lethal to weed seeds and some microbiota than field solarization.
ReNEW: Enhancing Lifetime for ReRAM Crossbar Based Neural Network Accelerators

With analog current accumulation feature, resistive memory (ReRAM) crossbars are widely studied to accelerate neural network applications. The ReRAM crossbar based accelerators have many advantages over conventional CMOS-based accelerators, such as high performance and energy efficiency. However, due to the limited cell endurance, these accelerators suffer from short programming cycles when weights that stored in ReRAM cells are frequently updated during the neural network training phase. In this paper, by exploiting the wearing out mechanism of ReRAM cell, we propose a novel comprehensive framework, ReNEW, to enhance the lifetime of the ReRAM crossbar based accelerators, particularly for neural network training. Evaluation results show that, our proposed schemes reduce the total effective writes to ReRAM crossbar based accelerators by up to 500.3x, 50.0x, 2.83x and 1.60x over two MLC ReRAM crossbar baselines, one SLC ReRAM crossbar baseline and an SLC ReRAM crossbar design with optimal timing, respectively.
A robust and novel electrical impedance metric of pulmonary function in ALS patients.

Objective Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are important for assessing respiratory function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. However, weakness of oral and glottal closure, due to concomitant bulbar dysfunction, may result in unreliable PFT values stemming from leakage of air around the breathing tube and through the glottis. In this study, we assessed whether standard thoracic electrical impedance tomography (EIT) could serve as a surrogate measure for PFTs. Approach Thoracic EIT was performed simultaneously with standard PFTs on seven ALS patients without clinical bulbar weakness (six men and one woman, mean age of 63 years) and ten healthy volunteers (seven men and three women, mean age of 57 years). A raw impedance metric along with more standard EIT measures were computed and correlated with the normalized forced vital capacity (FVC). Additionally, test/re-test metrics and EIT images were analyzed. Main results The impedance metric was found to be robust and sensitive to lung activity. We also identified qualitative EIT differences between healthy volunteers and ALS patients, with the ALS images showing greater heterogeneity. Significant correlations with FVC were found for both impedance and EIT metrics in ALS patients (r2 = 0.89) and for the impedance metric only in healthy volunteers (r2 = 0.49). Significance This suggests that EIT, using our novel impedance metric, has the potential to serve as an alternative technology to standard PFTs for assessing pulmonary function in patients with ALS, offering new metrics of disease status for those with bulbar weakness.
29.5 Sub-THz CMOS Molecular Clock with 43ppt Long-Term Stability Using High-Order Rotational Transition Probing and Slot-Array Couplers

Future ultra-broadband and low-latency radio access networks pose stringent specifications for time synchronizations. For 5G base stations, inter-site timing error should be $ 1k) [3]. Recently, molecular clock referenced to sub-THz rotational transitions of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) gas emerged as a fully electronic solution with high stability [5]. In particular, chip-scale molecular clock (CSMC), built using a CMOS chip coupled with a waveguide OCS molecular cell, appeared as highly attractive for miniaturization and significant cost reduction. In [5], the long-term stability (3.8×10-10@averaging time $\tau=10^{ 3}\mathrm{S}$ ) of the CSMC was limited by the non-ideal measured OCS transition curve, which is susceptible to environmental disturbance. This paper presents a 70mW CSMC chip design that enables high-order dispersion-curve locking and enhances the long-term stability by 9x. Additional testing results also reveal its advantages in temperature stability over OCXO/OCMO and magnetic sensitivity over CSAC, respectively.
Mitigating scattering effects in DMD-based microscale 3D printing using machine learning

The effect of light scattering is non-negligible in micro-scale DMD-based 3D printing. Light scattering results in unwanted exposure and polymerization, thus deteriorating the fabrication resolution and fidelity. We report using machine learning (ML) approach to mitigate the effect of light scattering. A neural network (NN) was designed to study the highly-sophisticated relationship between the input digital masks and their corresponding output 3D printed structures. After trained with 300 pairs of digital masks and printed structures, the neural network was able to optimize the 3D printing process by suggesting the optimal grayscale digital masks which are not necessarily identical to the desired structures. Verification results showed that using NN-generated digital masks yielded significant improvements in printing resolution and fidelity compared to using masks that are identical to the desired structures.
Vocabulary in Spanish L2 content-based courses: how do classroom elaborations provide a space for learning general and specialised vocabulary?

Content-based instruction is a favoured methodology for approaching L2 language instruction. Although vocabulary development is one language area where advanced learners could grow, there is little...