cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abortion practices and attitudes in cross-cultural perspective

This article presents an overview of abortion practices and attitudes in primitive societies and in Western civilization. The changing positions of the major world religions and nations are provided. Attention is given both to restrictions on abortion and to its active promotion, as exemplified by current conditions in the People's Republic of China. A brief history of abortion in the United States is presented, following by the results of two major polls on consumer attitudes. The latter data indicate a growing liberalization of abortion attitudes and an association between such liberal beliefs and the following factors: age under 40 years, higher education, non-Catholicism, irregular church attendance, and positive attitude toward sex education in the schools and availability of contraceptives for teenage girls. It is also shown that people who strongly oppose abortion are more likely than advocates of abortion to lend financial or other forms of tangible support to their cause.
Natural history of coexistent mitral regurgitation after aortic valve replacement

Abstract Objectives The long-term evolution of coexistent mitral regurgitation (MR) after aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic stenosis remains poorly defined. Prior studies have demonstrated that acute improvement in MR after AVR is modest, and more aggressive approaches have been advocated. This study examines the evolution of MR after AVR and identifies prognostic indicators for MR improvement. Methods We retrospectively evaluated demographic and echocardiographic data of 423 patients who underwent primary isolated AVR for aortic stenosis with coexistent mild (n = 314) or moderate (n = 109) MR at our institution, from 2004 to 2013. For each patient, preoperative and postoperative MR was extracted from 903 echocardiograms and graded on a 0 to 4+ scale. Hierarchic linear models were used to estimate postoperative residual MR over a 5-year follow-up period. Patients were then stratified by improvement in MR, and preoperative risk factors and survival were compared between groups. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the association between survival and preoperative and postoperative MR. Results The overall acute reduction in MR was −0.23 degrees per patient. Patients with moderate MR had a −0.53 degree reduction in MR, whereas patients with mild MR had only a −0.13 degree reduction in MR ( P P = .06), compared with those without MR whose survival remained unchanged or worsened. Conclusions Coexistent MR modestly improves after AVR, but eventually regresses back to baseline or worsens over time in many patients. Preoperative AVG, reduction of AVG, heart failure, or atrial fibrillation was not predictive of residual MR. Moderate preoperative MR did not adversely affect 5-year survival. Patients with improvement in MR, however, demonstrated a trend toward improved survival at 5 years. More aggressive approaches for coexistent moderate MR should be considered in patients who need AVR for aortic stenosis.
Recurrent Stroke Prevention II: Angiotensin Receptor Blockers—The LIFE, MOSES, PRoFESS, and Other Trials

Elevated blood pressure is an important modifiable risk factor for stroke. Numerous large randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that lowering blood pressure prevents first and recurrent stroke, and that to a large extent, the degree of blood pressure reduction is a major determinant of the degree of risk reduction. An issue that is often debated is whether certain antihypertensive classes such as angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) have unique “stroke or cardiovascular preventive” properties independent of blood pressure reduction. In this chapter we will review the pharmacology and clinical effects of ARBs on primary and secondary stroke prevention as well as a variety of other clinical conditions including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, and vascular cognitive impairment.
Algebraical Developments Among the Egyptians and Babylonians

(1917). Algebraical Developments Among the Egyptians and Babylonians. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 24, No. 6, pp. 257-265.
Temperature Stability of Three Commensurate Surface Structures of Coronene Adsorbed on Au(111) from Heptanoic Acid in the 0 to 60 °C Range

For the first time, accurate quantitative data on the temperature evolution of a surface monolayer formed at the solution solid interface are reported. In addition, a detailed analysis is provided of the structures of three different monolayers formed when coronene in heptanoic acid is in contact with Au(111). All three monolayer structures are well-defined epitaxial structures that are extremely stable for temperature variations between 0 and 60 °C. At high concentrations, a dense hexagonal structure with molecular separation of 1.19 ± 0.04 nm is observed. At reduced concentration, the most often observed structure is an open hexagonal epitaxial structure with one molecule per unit cell and a molecular separation of 1.45 ± 0.04 nm. This structure is stabilized by solvent molecule adsorption. If the dense phase is exposed to pure solvent, or occasionally with low concentration direct adsorption, then a different hexagonal phase is formed with three molecules per unit cell but exactly the same density (lat...
Are Consumer Grades Needed

Are consumer grades justified? If so, what types?The author builds his case at several levels. Do his arguments indicate the need for any type of action, either by business or by government?
A Quasi-1-D Model for Arbitrary 3-D Synthetic Jet Actuators

A systematic methodology for approximating realistic 3-D synthetic jet actuators by using a reduced-order model based on the time-dependent compressible quasi-1-D Euler equations is presented. The paper addresses the following major questions: 1) which 3-D actuator geometries are amenable to the quasi-1-D approximation; 2) which 3-D actuator parameters should be retained in the quasi-1-D model; 3) actuator regions that are not candidates for reduced-order modeling and geometrical features that practically do not contribute to the delit y of the actuator solution. The accuracy of the quasi-1-D model is validated by comparing the numerical results with experimental data and full timedependent Navier-Stokes simulation of the same realistic actuator.
Core/shell iron/iron oxide nanoparticles: are they promising for magnetic hyperthermia?

Core/shell iron/iron oxide nanoparticles have been proposed as a promising system for biomedical applications, because they combine a core (iron) with a high magnetic moment and a shell (iron oxide) with good biocompatibility. However, due to the interdiffusion of atoms between the core and the shell, with increasing time the core progressively shrinks until the particles eventually become hollow or nearly hollow, and as a result, the magnetic properties of these nanoparticles progressively deteriorate, negatively affecting their biomedical capabilities. In this article, we have studied the change of the morphology of the nanoparticles, from core/shell to hollow, depending on their size, and analyzed how this affects their magnetic and heating properties for magnetic hyperthermia. We have synthesized three core/shell samples with average sizes of 8, 12, and 14 nm. We have observed that with increasing size, the magnetic properties and the heating efficiency of the core/shell nanoparticles are improved and at the same time, they become more stable and retain their core/shell morphology for a longer period of time, making them more desirable for biomedical applications. As the nanoparticles become hollow, their saturation magnetization continuously decreases, and the heating efficiency also decays, rendering them less useful for magnetic hyperthermia application.
Application Progress of Microcapsule Technology in Packaging and Printing

The preparation technology and development of microcapsule were introduced. Application of the technology packaging and printing field was analyzed in the aspects of paper,plastics,ink,and information recording material.It was put forward that superfine,high-quality,environmentally friendly and cheap microencapsules are research emphasis in the future.
Utilizing Digital Game Environments for Training Prosthetic Use

When the children receive their prosthetic, many of them still need to learn or, in many cases, relearn elements such as grabbing, squeezing and other range of movement with their newly fitted prosthetic. In this case, electromyogram or EMG sensors control the arms. The EMG is worn on an existing muscle and detects muscle movement as input. The EMG data feeds into the prosthetic device to stimulate movement in the hand. New users of this device are often confused over how to control the motion at first. Limibitless solutions, the creators of this device, approached the team at the University of Central Florida’s School of Visual Art & Design, about the possibility of developing videogames to train the use of the prosthetic prior to children receiving them, in hopes of reducing the time it takes to become proficient with the device.
The Ran GTPase: Cellular Roles and Regulation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the biochemistry of the Ran pathway and shows how this biochemistry is utilized to promote cellular activities and recent insights into Ran pathway regulation. There is an asymmetric distribution of Ran's regulators throughout interphase: RCC1 is chromatin-bound and hence nuclear, whereas RanGAP1 is predominantly cytoplasmic. The distribution of these Ran regulators leads to differential Ran-GTP distribution within cells, providing spatial cues that direct Ran-dependent processes. Ran regulates nuclear transport, cell cycle progression, spindle assembly, and post-mitotic NE assembly, suggesting a wide role for Ran in coordinating events during the cell cycle. These facets of Ran are mechanistically linked in two ways. First, in all cases where we have a rudimentary molecular understanding of Ran function, it appears that Ran-GTP gradients provide spatial cues that serve to indicate the localization of the chromatin. This notion is particularly well supported for nuclear transport and spindle assembly. Second, gradients of Ran are interpreted through a common set of Ran-GTP-binding effectors, with the Importin-β protein playing a particularly prominent role.
Apply inter-similarity to evaluate C2 System effectiveness

The evaluation of Command & Control System (C2 System) in the context of antagonism system of military systems is difficult, which is sane to the model and simulation of war game. C2 System doesn't operate lonely and it depends on other systems in system of military systems, the traditional methods to calculate C2 System effectiveness are often based on C2 System itself which can't reflect the actual effectiveness of C2 System. In this paper, we first put forward a method to model C2 System with the help of establishing network of networks which can emulate system of military systems. And then employ inter-similarity to measure influence between communication system which C2 system depends on and C2 system, put forward a mathematical analysis framework to describe command and control flu in C2 system and communication system, we conclude that command and control circuit operator, C2 operator ∇, is main factor that reflects dependence influence that communication system puts on C2 system through mathematic analysis and proof. At last, C2 operator algorithm is offered and we apply this operator method to assess C2 system real effectiveness in system of military weapon systems which is simulated by weapon systems simulation test-bed, and results shows that C2 network becomes more robust during interacting and antagonistic networks simulation when the C2 network turn to be more inter-similar to its own party communication network. Through quantitative calculation results of C2 system effectiveness by this way and qualitative analysis of weapon system simulation phenomenon, results show that using inter-similarity to evaluate C2 system effectiveness is justifiable.
Factors that influence policy decisions in literacy: Perspectives of key policy informants

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of key policy informants on the factors that they believed influence policy decisions in literacy education. Participants were selected because they had significantly influenced, or had attempted to influence, policy decisions in literacy at either the national or state level. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with seven key informants and four nominated informants. An inductive data analysis revealed five broad domains that addressed the participants’ perspective on factors of influence: literacy professionals, public sentiment, selected policy participants, conservative voices, and research.
Medial Collateral Ligament Healing: a Biomechanical Assessment

Many investigations have shown the medial collateral ligament (MCL) to play a major role in restricting valgus rotation of the knee (1–4). The healing of collateral ligament injury is therefore of clinical importance but the best treatment regimen remains controversial. Different treatments of the MCL include primary surgical repair with subsequent immobilization or early mobilization and nonoperative treatment with varying degrees of postoperative motion or physical activity. However, a major problem that remains with the evaluation of the results of a particular clinical treatment lies in the qualitative nature of the orthopaedic examination. Manually conducted tests of ligament function are subject to both personal technique and interpretation. Therefore, the objective of this study is to establish an experimental model of the healing canine MCL following common clinical treatment regimens. The healing MCL is evaluated as a static stabilizer of the knee in the varus-valgus direction and both the structural properties of the femur-MCL-tibia complex and the mechanical properties of the healing MCL substance are measured.
Testing for Gums, Starches, and Mucilages in Artifacts with O-toluidine

The o-toluidine test for complex carbohydrates was first developed for the identification of gums, mucilages, and starches using small samples from artifacts. This test as described for the analysis of museum collections was revised by systematically testing reference materials. This paper reports on the color reactions obtained on treating reference materials with the o-toluidine reagent to better understand the resultant color reactions of various gums, mucilages, and starches. The green color reaction commonly reported in the literature was found to be only partially accurate. This test will yield a green color for polysaccharides that yield only aldohexoses upon hydrolysis, such as starches and certain mucilages. Gum exudates and mucilages that are polysaccharides of both aldohexoses and aldopentoses yield a brown color reaction. Also discussed are the classification, sources, and uses of various plant polysaccharides and where this microchemical test was useful in understanding the collections at the...
Despite Artists’ Intentions, Emancipated Spectatorship Reinforces Audience Members’ Existing Attitudes and Beliefs

This essay examines the limits of spectatorship in making social change, examining how, regardless of authors’ intentions, theatre projects often reinforce audience members’ existing assumptions and values. It looks at a performance and corresponding post-performance talkback to examine the way an artistically successful production of a play focusing on the complexities of gentrification ultimately reinforced white audience members’ uncritical readings of their own actions and attitudes.
Radiocontrast Dye Extravasation During Sialography

Objective:Evaluate the pathophysiology of contrast extravasation.Methods:Two hundred fifty-five sialograms at the University of Iowa from 2008 to 2016 were reviewed.Results:Twelve sialograms (4.7% ...
Body composition and bone mineral density in breast cancer survivors and non‐cancer controls: A 12‐ to 15‐month follow‐up

While prognosis for breast cancer in women has improved, adverse side effects of treatments may negatively affect body composition and bone mineral density (BMD). This study assessed body composition and BMD changes in breast cancer survivors (BCS) (n = 10, 57.9 ± 5.7 years) and age-matched women (non-cancer, n = 10, 56.5 ± 4.3 years) over a 12- to 15-month period via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. No differences were observed between groups at baseline except forearm BMD values were lower in BCS (BCS: 0.462 ± 0.070 g/cm2 ; Control: 0.539 ± 0.052 g/cm2 , p = .012). Body fat increased in both groups compared to baseline (BCS: 38.3-39.6 kg, p = .013; Control: 38.2-39.5 kg, p = .023) at the follow-up. Significant decreases in BMD at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, total femur and ulna were observed in both groups. Breast cancer survivors had a greater decrease in left femoral neck BMD. While BCS demonstrated lower baseline forearm BMD values and a greater decrease in left femoral neck BMD, both groups showed an increase in body fat and decrease in forearm BMD. These findings support the implementation of interventions to improve body composition and BMD in both BCS and women without cancer.
Thymol inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma growth via mitochondria‐mediated apoptosis

Background Thymol is a transient receptor potential ankyrin subtype 1 channel, (TRPA1) agonist found in thyme and oregano. Thymol has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties; thus, thymol is added to many commercially available products including Listerine mouthwash. Thymol is also cytotoxic to HL-60 (acute promyelocytic leukemia) cells in vitro. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of thymol against oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its anticancer mechanism-of-action. Methods The antiproliferative effects of thymol in OSCC Cal27 cells were determined by MTS assays. Antitumor effects were evaluated in Cal27- and HeLa-derived mouse xenografts. Calcium imaging, mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) studies, and Western blot analysis of cleaved PARP (c-PARP) evaluated thymol's mechanism-of-action. Results Thymol had significant, long-lasting antiproliferative effects in vitro. In vivo, thymol displayed significant antitumor effects in Cal27-derived tumors. Thymol's anticancer effects were confirmed in HeLa-derived xenografts demonstrating that thymol effects are not tumor-type specific. Calcium imaging verified calcium influx in Cal27 cells that were reversed with the TRPA1 antagonist, HC030031. However, no calcium influx was seen in HeLa cells indicating that TRP channels do not regulate thymol cytotoxicity. This was confirmed using cell viability assays in which pre-treatment with HC030031 had no effect on thymol cytotoxicity. Instead, ΔΨm studies revealed that thymol induces significant ΔΨm depolarization and apoptosis. Conclusion Our findings provide the first evidence of thymol's novel antitumor effects against OSCC in vivo, which do not rely on TRPA1 activity. Instead, we show that thymol induces mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis and may be efficacious against multiple cancers.
Pityriasis rubra pilaris: Etiologic considerations *

In ninety-three patients studied who had pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP), fifty-one showed the classical morphology of the disease with no atypical features. Thirty-six of the fifty-one had an acute onset, and in fifteen the onset was insidious. In sixty-five patients the disease started either on the upper half of the body or on the lower half. In adult patients the disease started more commonly on the upper half (24) than on the lower half (10), while in juvenile patients it started on the upper half less commonly (10) than on the lower half (21). A mechanism is proposed for the development of typical adult PRP based on regional differences in epidermal kinetics that may be termed "dilutional kinetics."
Ghanaian Happiness: Global, Cultural, and Phenomenological Perspectives

This chapter reviews the literature on happiness in Ghana. First, it explores the relative standing of Ghana’s reports of happiness, life satisfaction and quality of life in international surveys of happiness. Next, the chapter discusses the Ghanaian norms that shape the formation, expression, communication, display of emotions, appraisal, and regulation of emotions. Finally, I explore the experience, importance, and predictors of happiness in Ghana.
Analyzing the Effect of High-k Dielectric-Mediated Doping on Contact Resistance in Top-Gated Monolayer MoS 2 Transistors

A scalable process that can yield low-resistance contacts to transition metal dichalcogenides is crucial for realizing a viable device technology from these materials. Here, we systematically examine the effect of high-k dielectric-mediated doping on key device metrics including contact resistance and carrier mobility. Specifically, we use top-gated transistors from monolayer MoS2 as a test vehicle and vary the MoS2 doping level by adjusting the amount of oxygen vacancies in the HfO x gate dielectric. To understand the effect of doping on the contact resistance, from a fundamental standpoint, we first estimate the doping level in monolayer MoS2. The results of our device studies quantitatively show that the reduction in contact resistance with an increase in doping is due to the doping-induced lowering of the Schottky barrier height (SBH) at the metal–semiconductor interface. Furthermore, our temperature-dependent measurements reveal that a mixture of thermionic and field emissions, even at high carrier densities, dominates carrier conduction at the contact. While our study reveals the effectiveness of dielectric-induced doping in lowering SBH, it suggests that a further reduction of SBH using alternative methods is necessary for achieving an ohmic-like contact to monolayer MoS2.
Pericytes Derived From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Pericytes wrap blood microvessels and are believed to play important roles in vascular morphogenesis, maturation, and stability. In addition, pericytes have emerged as candidates for targeting cancer growth and for wound healing. In order to model these processes and test new therapies, it is desirable to have a reliable, scalable source of pericytes. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), which possess the ability to differentiate into any cell type in the body, have been used to generate pericytes in vitro quickly, consistently, and with high yields. In this chapter, we consider the differentiation of pericytes from hPSCs. We compare the approaches taken by multiple groups and discuss characterization of hPSC-pericytes. Studying pericyte differentiation in vitro provides the opportunity to identify factors influencing pericyte development and to establish the ontogenic relationships between pericytes and similar cells. The development of highly specific, defined pericyte populations from hPSCs will enable downstream applications requiring large quantities of cells, including tissue engineered models and cell therapies.
Association of Caloric Intake From Sugar-Sweetened Beverages With Water Intake Among US Children and Young Adults in the 2011-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

This study uses data from the 2011 through 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to assess the association between intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and water intake status among US children and young adults.
The Regulation of Financial Holding Companies

This essay, written as an entry for the New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics and the Law, explores the justifications for imposing special regulations on financial holding companies. The essay argues that the justifications for regulating financial holding companies derive from the same policies that justify regulating financial intermediaries directly. But because these direct regulations are not completely effective, supplemental regulation at the holding company level is often required. After reviewing the basic elements of holding company regulation from this perspective, the essay concludes with a discussion of several unresolved questions involving the regulation of financial holding companies.
Should Aggregate Patient Preference Data Be Used to Make Decisions on Behalf of Unrepresented Patients

Patient preference predictors aim to solve the moral problem of making treatment decisions on behalf of incapacitated patients. This commentary on a case of an unrepresented patient at the end of life considers 3 related problems of such predictors: the problem of restricting the scope of inputs to the models (the "scope" problem), the problem of weighing inputs against one another (the "weight" problem), and the problem of multiple reasonable solutions to the scope and weight problems (the "multiple reasonable models" problem). Each of these problems poses challenges to reliably implementing patient preference predictors in important, high-stakes health care decision making. This commentary also suggests a way forward.
Confirming the Public Affairs Triumvirate with Science: Evidence-Based Public Affairs

This chapter advances the conceptual model and the first stage of the “science to service to philosophy” perspective by presenting the strategy template to chronicle the scientific inquiry and confirmation of the relationships between the Community, Organization, and Administration in a Public Affairs structural equation model. The reader will understand the author’s inductive approach to draw conclusions from particular evidence in the modeling to explain the phenomenon of the fit and relationships between the Community, Organization, and Administration. The assessment and results from science extends the author’s motivation to apply the Public Affairs Triumvirate Strategy to community challenges in Chapters 4– 6, thus building the case to legitimize the philosophy of the newfound leadership approach.
Depletion of adipocyte sphingosine kinase 1 leads to cell hypertrophy, impaired lipolysis, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Sphingolipids have become established participants in the pathogenesis of obesity and its associated maladies. Sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1), which generates S1P, has been shown to increase in liver and adipose of obese humans and mice and to regulate inflammation in hepatocytes and adipose tissue, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation in mouse models of obesity. Previous studies by us and others have demonstrated that global sphingosine kinase 1 KO mice are protected from diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance, systemic inflammation, and NAFLD, suggesting that SPHK1 may mediate pathological outcomes of obesity. As adipose tissue dysfunction has gained recognition as a central instigator of obesity-induced metabolic disease, we hypothesized that SPHK1 intrinsic to adipocytes may contribute to HFD-induced metabolic pathology. To test this, we depleted Sphk1 from adipocytes in mice (SK1fatKO) and placed them on a HFD. In contrast to our initial hypothesis, SK1fatKO mice displayed greater weight gain on HFD and exacerbated impairment in glucose clearance. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and neutrophil content of adipose tissue were similar, as were levels of circulating leptin and adiponectin. However, SPHK1-null adipocytes were hypertrophied and had lower basal lipolytic activity. Interestingly, hepatocyte triacylglycerol accumulation and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and collagen 1a1 were exacerbated in SK1fatKO mice on a HFD, implicating a specific role for adipocyte SPHK1 in adipocyte function and inter-organ cross-talk that maintains overall metabolic homeostasis in obesity. Thus, SPHK1 serves a previously unidentified essential homeostatic role in adipocytes that protects from obesity-associated pathology. These findings may have implications for pharmacological targeting of the SPHK1/S1P signaling axis.
Mechanisms of endothelial stiffening in dyslipidemia and aging: Oxidized lipids and shear stress

Vascular stiffening of the arterial walls is well-known as a key factor in aging and the development of cardiovascular disease; however, the role of endothelial stiffness in vascular dysfunction is still an emerging topic. In this review, the authors discuss the impact of dyslipidemia, oxidized lipids, substrate stiffness, age and pro-atherogenic disturbed flow have on endothelial stiffness. Furthermore, we investigate several mechanistic pathways that are key contributors in endothelial stiffness and discuss their physiological effects in the onset of atherogenesis in the disturbed flow regions of the aortic vasculature. The findings in this chapter describe a novel paradigm of synergistic interaction of plasma dyslipidemia/oxidized lipids and pro-atherogenic disturbed shear stress, as well as aging has on endothelial stiffness and vascular dysfunction.
CASC9 plays a role in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma in vitro by upregulation of ACLY.

Objective The study was designed to explore the role of cancer susceptibility candidate 9 (CASC9) in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) (SACC-83 and SACC-LM) cell malignant phenotypes. Methods Colony formation assay was used to measure cell proliferation. Transwell assay was used to detect cell migration and invasion. Flow cytometry analysis was applied to determine cell cycle distribution and apoptosis. FISH assay revealed the subcellular location of CASC9. Results Downregulation of CASC9 inhibited SACC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, led to cell arrest at G0/G1 phase, and facilitated cell apoptosis. In mechanism, CASC9 bound with microRNA 146b-5p (miR-146b-5p) and negatively modulated miR-146b-5p expression. MiR-146b-5p directly targeted 3' untranslated region of ATP-Citrate Lyase (ACLY) to degrade ACLY in SACC cells. CASC9 upregulated ACLY expression through competitively binding with miR-146b-5p. Furthermore, rescue assays indicated that ACLY overexpression counteracted the effects triggered by CASC9 knockdown on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis in SACC cells. Conclusion CASC9 facilitated the malignant phenotypes of SACC cells by the regulation of the miR-146b-5p/ACLY axis. These findings might lay foundation for SACC research.
Robotics in Transplantation

In transplantation, the incorporation of minimally invasive techniques, first initiated in 1995, have improved live donor participation in kidney transplantation, provided a needed boost in organ availability and concurrently optimal patient outcomes. These ventures have expanded not only into donation but also recipient surgical procedures. The initial experiences shared by centers around the world, applying robotics to transplantation, have demonstrated lower surgical complication rates for when kidneys are implanted robotically in comparison to similar open transplant cohorts. The technique is efficient and safe, and provides a way to improve access to transplantation for obese patients denied this life saving procedure at other centers. Similar application to pancreatic transplantation has shown great promise in the age of the epidemic incidence of obesity. The importance of diligent harvesting and meticulous back table preparation, allows for patients to have good short term and long term graft outcomes. While still in its infancy, the main advantages observed with the robotic system in utilization in live donation of livers facilitates vascular and biliary dissection for comparable donor safety. The candidates for solid organ transplantation, with their long-standing complex medical illness and risks with severe immunosuppression, will continue to benefit from the further advancements in surgical techniques especially the application of robotics in transplantation.
“Neural differences in expert guitarists during over-learned non-standard visuomotor mapping of abstract versus concrete information”

Abstract Using visual information to perform actions is a fundamental aspect of human behavior. Musicians commonly translate visual information into action using both concrete and abstract visual information. We exposed expert guitarists to four types of familiar visual depictions of action instruction including musical notation (very abstract), tablature (abstract), chord diagrams (more concrete), and actual pictures of guitars chords being formed (very concrete). These were shown during fMRI scanning as the guitarists formed the appropriate chords (as visually depicted) on a magnet safe guitar fret board with strings, or where they simply viewed the visual stimuli without an action. Whole brain contrasts revealed that the right precuneus was more active for abstract instruction while an occipito-insular circuit was more active for concrete instruction. The current findings highlight that the degree of over-learned visual abstraction is an important factor modulating visual-motor processing.
Systematic identification of risk factors and drug repurposing options for Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction Several Mendelian randomization studies have been conducted that identified multiple risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, they typically focus on a few pre-selected risk factors. Methods A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was used to systematically examine the potential causal associations of 1037 risk factors/medical conditions and 31 drugs with the risk of late-onset AD. To correct for multiple comparisons, the false discovery rate was set at Results There was strong evidence of a causal association between glioma risk, reduced trunk fat-free mass, lower education levels, lower intelligence and a higher risk of AD. For 31 investigated treatments (such as antihypertensive drugs), we found limited evidence for their associations. Discussion MR found robust evidence of causal associations between glioma, trunk fat-free, and AD. Our study also confirms that higher educational attainment and higher intelligence are associated with a reduced risk of AD.
The Cost of Price Discovery and Asset Returns

This paper analyzes information acquisition and price discovery in financial markets when liquidity traders behave strategically. For the basic model with one liquidity buyer and one liquidity seller, this paper shows that if information cost is low, both the buyer and the seller (must) acquire information in a trading equilibrium. The intuition is as follows. At the outset the buyer and the seller have identical information but if an agent submits an offer which reflects the average quality of the asset based on his ex ante expectation, the best response of the counter party is to acquire information and to speculate. It is the desire of strategic liquidity traders to transact on one hand and their concerns about making bad deals due to endogenous lemons problems (speculative losses) on the other hand, that induce both the buyer and the seller to acquire information even though information costs reduce the net trading benefits. The two agent case is then extended to a market setting with many strategic liquidity traders. This paper shows that only large liquidity traders acquire information. They are the ones who determine equilibrium prices. Therefore, large liquidity traders are key for the price discovery and they can be interpreted as a provider of the public good informational efficiency in financial markets. This paper also shows that the equilibrium expected excess return of the risky asset decreases with the number of large liquidity traders. These observation imply that asset ownership and the allocation of IPO shares to different investors' types can change the cost of price discovery and the cost of equity financing.
Leveraging statistical shape modeling in computational respiratory dynamics: Nanomedicine delivery in remodeled airways

Abstract Background and Objective Accurate knowledge of the delivered doses to the diseased site in the respiratory tract is crucial to elicit desired therapeutic outcomes. However, such information is still difficult to obtain due to inaccessibility for measurement or visualization, complex network structure, and challenges in reconstructing lung geometries with disease-invoked airway remodeling. This study presents a novel method to simulate the airway remodeling in a mouth-lung geometry extending to G9. Methods Statistical shape modeling was used to extract morphological features from a lung geometry database and four new models (i.e., M1-M4) were generated with parameter-controlled dilated/constricted bronchioles in the left-lower (LL) lung. The variations in airflow and particle deposition due to the airway remodeling were simulated using a well-tested k-ω turbulence model and a Lagrangian tracking approach. Results Significant variations in flow partitions between the lower and upper lobes of the left lung, as well as between the left and right lungs. The flow partition into the LL lobe varied by 10-fold between the most dilated and constricted models in this study. Significantly lower doses were also predicted on the surface of the constricted LL bronchioles G4-G9, as well as into the peripheral airways beyond G9. However, the total dosimetry in the mouth-lung geometry (up to G9) exhibited low sensitivity to the LL lobar remodeling. Results in this study suggest that the optimal nanomedicine should be 2–10 nm in diameter if targeted at the constricted bronchioles G4-G9 as in topical inhalation therapy but should be larger than 20 nm if targeted at the alveolar region as in systemic therapy. Conclusions This study highlights the large dose variability from local airway remodeling and the need to consider these variations in the treatment planning for pneumonia and other obstructive respiratory diseases.
Examining Driver Injury Severity in Single-Vehicle Road Departure Crashes Involving Large Trucks:

Road departure (RD) crashes are among the most severe crashes that can result in fatal or serious injuries, especially when involving large trucks. Most previous studies neglected to incorporate bo...
Structural Shifts: Measurement Indicators and Their Impact on Sustainability of Agrarian Subjects

The paper focuses on structural changes in the agricultural sector, describes the indicators of their measurement and development vectors. Trends and barriers in the development of inter-industry interaction are defined. The structural analysis of tax revenues to the budgets of different levels in the sectoral context (agriculture and food production) is conducted. It is stated that the priority areas of support have not changed since the previously applied subsidies. The tendencies of growth and reduction of taxes in comparison with levels of state support and their relationship with the pace of development of the agricultural sector of the economy are determined. The paper determines that tax conditions affect the mechanism of mutual settlements between agricultural and processing organizations. Leveling this factor eliminates the emerging contradictions in the system of intersectoral interaction.
Delays to Reward Delivery Enhance the Preference for an Initially Less Desirable Option: Role for the Basolateral Amygdala and Retrosplenial Cortex

Temporal costs influence reward-based decisions. This is commonly studied in temporal discounting tasks that involve choosing between cues signaling an imminent reward option or a delayed reward option. However, it is unclear whether the temporal delay before a reward can alter the value of that option. To address this, we identified the relative preference between different flavored rewards during a free-feeding test using male and female rats. Animals underwent training where either the initial preferred or the initial less preferred reward was delivered noncontingently. By manipulating the intertrial interval during training sessions, we could determine whether temporal delays impact reward preference in a subsequent free-feeding test. Rats maintained their initial preference if the same delays were used across all training sessions. When the initial less preferred option was delivered after short delays (high reward rate) and the initial preferred option was delivered after long delays (low reward rate), rats expectedly increased their preference for the initial less desirable option. However, rats also increased their preference for the initial less desirable option under the opposite training contingencies: delivering the initial less preferred reward after long delays and the initial preferred reward after short delays. These data suggest that sunk temporal costs enhance the preference for a less desirable reward option. Pharmacological and lesion experiments were performed to identify the neural systems responsible for this behavioral phenomenon. Our findings demonstrate the basolateral amygdala and retrosplenial cortex are required for temporal delays to enhance the preference for an initially less desirable reward.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The goal of this study was to determine how temporal delays influence reward preference. We demonstrate that delivering an initially less desirable reward after long delays subsequently increases the consumption and preference for that reward. Furthermore, we identified the basolateral amygdala and the retrosplenial cortex as essential nuclei for mediating the change in reward preference elicited by sunk temporal costs.
Alzheimer’s Disease Classification Accuracy is Improved by MRI Harmonization based on Attention-Guided Generative Adversarial Networks

ABSTRACT Alzheimer’s disease (AD) accounts for 60% of dementia cases worldwide; patients with the disease typically suffer from irreversible memory loss and progressive decline in multiple cognitive domains. With brain imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), microscopic brain changes are detectable even before abnormal memory loss is detected clinically. Patterns of brain atrophy can be measured using MRI, which gives us an opportunity to facilitate AD detection using image classification techniques. Even so, MRI scanning protocols and scanners differ across studies. The resulting differences in image contrast and signal to noise make it important to train and test classification models on multiple datasets, and to handle shifts in image characteristics across protocols (also known as domain transfer or domain adaptation). Here, we examined whether adversarial domain adaptation can boost the performance of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model designed to classify AD. To test this, we used an Attention-Guided Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) to harmonize images from three publicly available brain MRI datasets - ADNI, AIBL and OASIS - adjusting for scanner-dependent effects. Our AG-GAN optimized a joint objective function that included attention loss, pixel loss, cycle-consistency loss and adversarial loss; the model was trained bidirectionally in an end-to-end fashion. For AD classification, we adapted the popular 2D AlexNet CNN to handle 3D images. Classification based on harmonized MR images significantly outperformed classification based on the three datasets in non-harmonized form, motivating further work on image harmonization using adversarial techniques.
The requirement for pyruvate dehydrogenase in leukemogenesis depends on cell lineage

Summary Cancer cells are metabolically similar to their corresponding normal tissues. Differences between cancers and normal tissues may reflect reprogramming during transformation or maintenance of the metabolism of the specific normal cell type that originated the cancer. Here, we compare glucose metabolism in hematopoiesis and leukemia. Thymus T cell progenitors were glucose avid and oxidized more glucose in the tricarboxylic acid cycle through pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) as compared with other hematopoietic cells. PDH deletion decreased double-positive T cell progenitor cells but had no effect on hematopoietic stem cells, myeloid progenitors, or other hematopoietic cells. PDH deletion blocked the development of Pten-deficient T cell leukemia, but not the development of a Pten-deficient myeloid neoplasm. Therefore, the requirement for PDH in leukemia reflected the metabolism of the normal cell of origin independently of the driver genetic lesion. PDH was required to prevent pyruvate accumulation and maintain glutathione levels and redox homeostasis.
Unsupervised Data-Driven Methods for Damage Identification in Discontinuous Media

Before investing in long-term monitoring or reinforcement of structures, it is essential to understand underlying damage mechanisms and consequences for structural stability. Approaches combining nondestructive evaluation and finite element modeling have been successful in producing qualitative diagnoses for damage to existing structures. However, the real-world impact of such methods will hinge upon a reduced computational burden and improved accuracy of comparison between models and physical infrastructure. This chapter describes a new approach based on unsupervised learning to perform quantitative damage state inversion from sparse datasets. Discrete element modeling was used to simulate the response of masonry walls and other structures under settlement loading. Point cloud representations of the structures, consistent with modern computer vision pipelines used for documentation, were used to generate a low-dimensional manifold based on the Wasserstein metric. This manifold is used to train a Gaussian process model which can then be interrogated to infer loading conditions from the damage state. This method is shown to quantitatively reproduce the loading conditions for masonry structures and was validated against laboratory-scale, experimental masonry walls. Although the approach is demonstrated here for settlement-induced cracking, it has important implications for the broader field of data-driven diagnostics for discontinuous media.
An Experimental Test of Compressibility Transformations for Turbulent Boundary Layers

C 1 HAS SHOWN that the various analyses of the supersonic turbulent boundary la}^er can be thought of as correlating the compressible boundary layer with an equivalent incompressible boundary layer and tabulates ten different transformations corresponding to various analyses of the turbulent boundary layer on an insulated wall. Subsequently still other transformations have been proposed. 3 The conventional verification has been to compare the predicted Mach-number variation of cf/cf inc, with the available experimental data for air. The object of this communication is to point out that recent measurements of the local skin friction in air and helium by Matting and co-workers permit an additional experimental test of the various theories. At the temperatures involved in these measurements the viscosity of air is proportional to Twhile that of helium varies as 7-0.64 f n e v a r i ous proposed compressible transformations differ in their dependence on co, the exponent in the viscosity-temperature relation. I t will be shown here that two of the transformations which are in satisfactory agreement for air differ distinctly for helium.