cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High Temperature Physical and Chemical Stability and Oxidation Reaction Kinetics of Ni–Cr Nanoparticles

We report on the high temperature oxidation behavior and stability of nickel–chromium (Ni:Cr at 80:20 wt %) alloy nanoparticles (NPs) at temperatures up to 973 K. Structural characterization of the oxidized Ni–Cr NPs provides evidence for the inhomogeneous oxide formation with the presence of NiO, NiCr2O4, and Cr2O3 phases, indicating a degradation in the oxidation resistance of Ni–Cr NPs compared to comparable bulk compositions. Chemical identification coupled with thermogravimetric analysis indicates an increase in the activation energy for oxidation reaction from 1.69 to 2.98 eV for conversion ratios of 0.1 to 0.56, respectively. The higher activation energy values compared to those reported for Ni NPs at similar conversion ratios demonstrate the superior oxidation resistance of Ni–Cr NPs compared to Ni NPs. Theoretical modeling of the experimental data suggests that the reaction kinetics were diffusion dominated and could be described by the classical Jander 3D diffusion model. The implications of the...
From Homo-economicus to Homo-virtus: A System-Theoretic Model for Raising Moral Self-Awareness

There is growing concern that a global economic system fueled predominately by financial incentives may not maximize human flourishing and social welfare externalities. If so, this presents a challenge of how to get economic actors to adopt a more virtuous motivational mindset. Relying on historical, psychological, and philosophical research, we show how such a mindset can be instilled. First, we demonstrate that historically, financial self-interest has never in fact been the only guiding motive behind free markets, but that markets themselves are representations of our individual and collective moral identities. Building on this understanding, we review the research on how economic incentives crowd out virtue-oriented concerns. We then introduce the concept of moral self-awareness (MSA), an evolving mindset informed by reflection on moral identity, namely what one’s actions say about oneself given the impacts (positive or negative) on others or society that one’s action may effect. MSA comprises three fundamental aspects of virtue-oriented reasoning: pride, shame, and guilt. Finally, we offer a four-stage model anchored in systems theory, yielding ever more refined motivating strategies for maximizing human flourishing and social welfare externalities.
Fuzzy Max-Flow Problem

If we take the “Fuzzy Min-Cost Capacitated Network” problem in Chapter 17 and delete the costs we get the “Fuzzy Max-Flow Problem” in this chapter. This is exactly what we will do. The crisp problem is outlined in the next section. Then in Section 19.3 we fuzzify the problem and plan to apply our fuzzy Monte Carlo method to get approximate solutions.
Online communities in the ERA of the information revolution

This paper expounds upon the innovative use of social software to build and organize an environment for healthy and thriving online communities that are focused on interdisciplinary research and education. The exposition focuses on a community engagement model that focuses on peer-to-peer support, learning, sharing, and networking, to allow users to help each other in solving problems. Examples of online tools and successful online communities are provided to illustrate the various possibilities.
Wesentliches Ergebnis und Ausblick

Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der Entwicklung der Arzneimittel- und Medizinproduktehaftung in der Bundesrepulik Deutschland und den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika. Dabei war die Frage von moglichen Perspektiven und Erkenntnissen fur das deutsche Arzneimittel- und Medizinprodukterecht, hergeleitet auch aus den US-amerikanischen Recht unter Berucksichtigung der jungsten Einfuhrung des Restatement (Third), eines der wesentlichen Anliegen dieser Arbeit. Diese Fragestellung betrifft insbesondere die Arzneimittelhaftung, die trotz der insgesamt zu begrusenden Reform der §§ 84 ff. AMG weiterhin verbesserungsbedurftig ist.
Despots and Demagogues

Totalitarian regimes rule not only by instilling fear but by their ideological appeal and the charisma of their leaders. Four totalitarian leaders who initiated war are investigated here: Mussolini; Hitler; Mao; and Saddam Hussein. These case histories demonstrate that totalitarianism is conducive to war because of the enthusiasm it arouses, because of its violent ethos, because its advisory process corrupts rather than corrects the dictator and above all because it concentrates power to an incomparable degree in the hands of men with an unrestrained lust for power and proclivity to violence. These are not only the worst regimes, but the most dangerous.
Ranking structured documents: a large margin based approach for patent prior art search

We propose an approach for automatically ranking structured documents applied to patent prior art search. Our model, SVM Patent Ranking (SVMPR) incorporates margin constraints that directly capture the specificities of patent citation ranking. Our approach combines patent domain knowledge features with meta-score features from several different general Information Retrieval methods. The training algorithm is an extension of the Pegasos algorithm with performance guarantees, effectively handling hundreds of thousands of patent-pair judgements in a high dimensional feature space. Experiments on a homogeneous essential wireless patent dataset show that SVMPR performs on average 30%-40% better than many other state-of-the-art general-purpose Information Retrieval methods in terms of the NDCG measure at different cut-off positions.
Atomistic Corroboration of a Multiscale Approach for the Analysis of Dislocation Nucleation at a Surface Step

The variational boundary integral formulation of the Peierls-Nabarro dislocation model has recently become one of the most effective multiscale approaches for the analysis of dislocation nucleation problems. By representing the structure of a dislocation as the relative displacement between two adjacent atomic layers along the slip plane, the model allows for the convenient incorporation of atomic information to treat the deformation of the dislocation core as continuous deformation, therefore eliminating the uncertain core cutoff parameter associated with the singularity of continuum elastic dislocation theory. By reducing many atomic degrees of freedom to fewer, yet more physically intuitive, degrees of freedom in this multiscale approach, one may gain a greater understanding of relevant physical processes in larger systems with more realistic geometries. Application of this approach requires the understanding of the reliability of this approach, or at least, it correlation to that of all atom calculations. Using nucleation of a ‹111› screw dislocation at a step from a {112} surface of tantalum as an example, this paper provides an atomistic corroborative study of this multiscale approach. The results show the critical stresses for dislocation nucleation in this configuration obtained by the multiscale approach are in good agreement with all atom calculations.
Abnormal Neutrophils in Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: Identification of Subpopulations Based on Analysis of Azurophil and Specific Granules

The combined techniques of electron microscopy and peroxidase cytochemistry have permitted the identification of at least three abnormal subgroups of peroxidase-negative and peroxidase positive neutrophils. The findings reported here emphasize the value of this approach in detecting abnormalities in the cytoplasmic differentiation of leukemic PMN.
Feocromocitoma : manejo peroperatorio y presentacion de un caso

El feocromocitoma es un tumor relativamente raro del sistema nervioso simpatico, usualmente de histologia benigna y que secreta a la sangre cantidades excesivas de catecolaminas. El manejo anestesico del paciente con feocromocitoma, continua siendo un desafio para el anestesiologo. La mortalidad intra y postoperatoria antes de 1950 era de 25% a 50%. Con el mejoramiento en el cuidado pre, intra y postoperatorio, dirigido a prevenir alteraciones extremas de la frecuencia cardiaca, del ritmo y de la presion arterial, la mortalidad ha disminuido a menos de 5% en grandes centros. Este articulo presenta el caso en una paciente de 34 anos con diagnostico de feocromocitoma y discute el manejo farmacologico peroperatorio y la tecnica anestesica utilizados.
Establishing a Hernia Program

Abdominal wall and groin hernias are among the most common pathologies seen by clinicians. The prevalence of these hernias is on the rise due to their strong relationship to patient comorbidities such as smoking and obesity. Patients with comorbidities are not only more likely to develop a hernia, but they are also more likely to suffer a major complication whether their hernia is treated (e.g., hernia recurrence) or not (e.g., incarceration). In addition, after each failed repair, a successful subsequent repair is less and less likely.
Presumed Consent: A Potential Tool for Countries Experiencing an Organ Donation Crisis

There is currently an inadequate supply of allografts to meet the number of transplant candidates worldwide. A number of controversial policies, including implementation of a presumed consent organ donation system, have been considered to rectify the organ donation crisis. A secondary retrospective data analysis aimed to assess the impact of switching to a presumed consent organ donation model on organ donation rates. Deceased organ donation rates were compared before and after countries adopted presumed consent. Six countries met entry criteria. All six countries had an increase in liver donation rates, while 4 out of the six countries had an increase in kidney donation rates. The overall mean (± SD) liver donation rate was 3.23 (± 0.97) per million population (pmp) before the transition and 6.46 (± 1.81) pmp after the transition (p < 0.0001). The overall mean (± SD) kidney donation rate was 17.94 (± 3.34) pmp before the transition and 26.58 (± 4.23) pmp after the transition (p < 0.0001). The percentage increase in liver and kidney donation rates varied among countries, ranging from 28 to 1186%. The transition from explicit to presumed consent was associated with a significant increase in liver donation rates in all countries that met our criteria, while the effect on kidney donation rates was partially realized. Although presumed consent alone is unlikely to explain the increase in donation rates, the adoption of such a policy may prove to be a worthwhile risk for countries experiencing consistently low organ donation rates.
Deception through Mimicry: A Cellular Antiviral Strategy.

Viruses use mimicry to hijack cellular machinery, but can human cells use mimicry as an antiviral approach? Batra et al. identify a novel antiviral restriction factor, RBBP6, by characterizing the cellular interactome of Ebola virus. RBBP6 targets the Ebola virus transcription factor VP30 by mimicking the binding of Ebola virus nucleoprotein.
Effects of on-demand ridesourcing on vehicle ownership, fuel consumption, vehicle miles traveled, and emissions per capita in U.S. States

Abstract We estimate the effect of on-demand ride-hailing service market entry by Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) Uber and Lyft on per-capita vehicle ownership, energy use, travel distances, and emissions in U.S. states from 2005 to 2015 using a difference-in-difference propensity score-weighted regression model. We find evidence that TNC entry appears to cause a decline in state per-capita vehicle registrations by 3%, on average (95% confidence interval: 0.7–5.5%). Our results regarding travel distances, gasoline consumption, and several air pollutants are not conclusive, but we find evidence of a negative relationship with some EPA-estimated vehicle air emissions, representing a decline of $300 million to $900 million in externalities during the analysis period. However, these air emissions data are modeled, rather than directly measured, so we are cautious about causal interpretations, and uncertainty in the effects of TNC entry on travel distances and gasoline consumption suggests potential additional externality effects that could dominate the air emissions effect.
IMMU-22. TARGETING NON-CANONICAL FUNCTION OF IDO1 IN GLIOBLASTOMA IMMUNOTHERAPY

Recent failure of immune checkpoint blockade, anti-PD-1 therapy in patients suffering recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) indicates that development of novel immunosuppressive mediator-targeted therapeutic strategy is critical for more effective immunotherapies against GBM. Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) has been shown to mediate tumor-induced immunosuppression through its tryptophan catabolic activity. Surprisingly, pharmacological IDO1 enzyme inhibitors have not demonstrated any survival benefit in cancer patients either mono-therapeutically or in combination with other therapies. Previously we confirmed that tumor IDO1 mRNA expression is significantly upregulated in GBM patients compared to those from patients with lower grades gliomas. Furthermore, knockdown of IDO1 in mouse GBM cells significantly increased mouse survival and decreased tumor infiltrating Tregs, but did not affect tumor local tryptophan catabolism. Consistently, inhibition of IDO1 enzymatic activity on GBM-bearing mice did not yield any survival benefit. These findings indicate that IDO1 may suppress immune response through a non-enzymatic pathway. To test this hypothesis, IDO1-deficient mouse GBM cells were created and modified to stably express either wild-type (WT) or enzyme-null IDO1. Syngeneic mice intracranially engrafted with both WT and enzyme-null IDO1 overexpressing GBM cells showed significantly increase of tumor infiltrating Tregs and decreased survival in comparison to mice engrafted with IDO1-deficient GBM cells. In contrast, no difference was observed between WT-IDO1 GBM and enzyme-null IDO1 GBM groups. Additionally, when co-cultured with splenic monocytes, both WT and enzyme-null IDO1 overexpressing GBM cells induced more mature macrophages than IDO1-deficient GBM cells. Taken together, our data strongly imply an enzyme independent pathway associated with IDO1-driven immunosuppression in mouse GBM. Validation of this novel mechanism on human GBM cells is ongoing. A soluble molecule has been identified as a potential mediator for the non-enzymatic function of IDO1. Results from this study will provide innovative strategies for IDO1-based immunotherapy against GBM.
Cell lysis via acoustically oscillating sharp edges

In this article, we demonstrate an acoustofluidic device for cell lysis using the acoustic streaming effects induced by acoustically oscillating sharp-edged structures. The acoustic streaming locally generates high shear forces that can mechanically rupture cell membranes. With the acoustic-streaming-derived shear forces, our acoustofluidic device can perform cell lysis in a continuous, reagent-free manner, with a lysis efficiency of more than 90% over a range of sample flow rates. We demonstrate that our acoustofluidic lysis device works well on both adherent and non-adherent cells. We also validate it using clinically relevant samples such as red blood cells infected with malarial parasites. Additionally, the unique capability of our acoustofluidic device was demonstrated by performing downstream protein analysis and gene profiling without additional washing steps post-lysis. Our device is simple to fabricate and operate while consuming a relatively low volume of samples. These advantages and other features including the reagent-free nature and controllable lysis efficiency make our platform valuable for many biological and biomedical applications, particularly for the development of point-of-care platforms.
Modulation of Cytokine Signaling by B. burgdorferi

Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, is a multisystem disease and the most prevalent tick-borne disease world-wide. The spirochete infects humans and other mammals via the bite of infected Ixodes ticks (Burgdorfer et al. 1982). Following infection, spirochetes disperse to multiple organs including the skin, central and peripheral nervous systems, bladder, joints, eyes, and heart and persist in them for a long time causing many of the diverse manifestations of Lyme disease. Manifestations of the disease include, among others, acute or chronic arthritis, carditis, and neuroborreliosis (Steere 2001; Steere et al. 2004)
Eccentricity terrain of δ-hyperbolic graphs

Abstract A graph G = ( V , E ) is δ-hyperbolic if for any four vertices u , v , w , x , the two larger of the three distance sums d ( u , v ) + d ( w , x ) , d ( u , w ) + d ( v , x ) , d ( u , x ) + d ( v , w ) differ by at most 2 δ ≥ 0 . This paper describes the eccentricity terrain of a δ-hyperbolic graph. The eccentricity function e G ( v ) = max ⁡ { d ( v , u ) : u ∈ V } partitions vertices of G into eccentricity layers C k ( G ) = { v ∈ V : e G ( v ) = r a d ( G ) + k } , k ∈ N , where r a d ( G ) = min ⁡ { e G ( v ) : v ∈ V } is the radius of G. The paper studies the eccentricity layers of vertices along shortest paths, identifying such terrain features as hills, plains, valleys, terraces, and plateaus. It introduces the notion of β-pseudoconvexity, which implies Gromov's ϵ-quasiconvexity, and illustrates the abundance of pseudoconvex sets in δ-hyperbolic graphs. It shows that all sets C ≤ k ( G ) = { v ∈ V : e G ( v ) ≤ r a d ( G ) + k } , k ∈ N , are ( 2 δ − 1 ) -pseudoconvex. Several bounds on the eccentricity of a vertex are obtained which yield a few approaches to efficiently approximating all eccentricities.
Human DNA Tumor Viruses and Oncogenesis

Abstract A normal cell is transformed into a cancerous cell when a virus infects and persists in the infected cells. Tumor viruses are either DNA viruses, which include EBV, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV); or RNA viruses such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human T-lymphotrophic virus (HTLV-1).
Novel field robots and robotic exoskeletons: design, integration, and applications (Conference Presentation)

As natural and man-made disasters occur, from earthquakes, tornados, and hurricanes to chemical spills and nuclear meltdowns, there is a need for field robotic systems that are able to respond in these hazardous and dangerous environments. This talk will start with presenting a novel hybrid mechanism robot whereby the locomotion and manipulation platforms are designed as one entity to support both locomotion and manipulation symbiotically. Experimental results demonstrate the robot’s unique capabilities, such as traversing challenging obstacles and manipulating various payloads. This talk will then present the extension of this research to new designs of self-reconfigurable and modular field mobile robots that can autonomously and actively bond multiple robotic agents to provide scalable mobility and manipulation configurations. Recent progress on the design and integration of semi-autonomous victim extraction robots will also be presented. The talk will also describe recent results on the design and control of bio-inspired robotic tails capable of stabilizing and maneuvering legged robots. Finally, the talk will describe research on robotic exoskeletons for applications including gesture-based mobile robot tele-operation and upper-extremity hand rehabilitation with autonomous grasping.
Blood preservation solutions. XI. Raising the pH to improve hemoglobin function.

Abstract : The effects of pH increase on hemoglobin function in a standard blood preservative solution during blood storage were assessed. Established methods were used for collecting and storing blood under blood banking conditions, assaying red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG)--a measure of hemoglobin function, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)--a measure of red cell viability, as developed previously in this laboratory. Increasing the pH by small gradual increments of the commonly used preservative, acid-citrate-dextrose (ACD), results in a significant improvement in hemoglobin function during the first week of liquid storage at 4 C. Better maintenance of hemoglobin function, as determined by red cell 2,3-DPG concentrations, was observed with preservatives at higher pH levels. On the other hand, at the pH ranges employed in this study, ATP levels were not greatly different over the storage period considered. (Author)
Quantitative Evaluation of apparent diffusion coefficient in a large multi-unit institution using the QIBA diffusion phantom.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the quantitative variability of diffusion weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient values across a large fleet of MR systems. Using a NIST traceable magnetic resonance imaging diffusion phantom, imaging was reproducible and the measurements were quantitatively compared to known values. Methods: A fleet of 23 clinical MRI scanners was investigated in this study. A NIST/QIBA DWI phantom was imaged with protocols provided with the phantom. The resulting images were analyzed and ADC maps were generated. User-directed region-of-interests on each of the different vials provided ADC measurements among a wide range of known ADC values. Results: Three diffusion phantoms were used in this study and compared to one another. From the one-way analysis of the variance, the mean and standard deviation of the percent errors from each phantom were not significantly different from one another. The low ADC vials showed larger errors and variation and appear directly related to SNR. Across all the MR systems and data, the coefficient of variation was calculated and Bland-Altman analysis was performed. ADC measurements were similar to one another except for the vials with the lower ADC values, which had a higher coefficient of variation. Conclusion: ADC values among the three phantoms showed good agreement and were not significantly different from one another. The large percent errors seen primarily at the low ADC values were shown to be a consequence of the SNR dependence and very little bias was observed between magnetic strengths and manufacturers. ADC values between diffusion phantoms were not statistically significant. Future investigations will be performed to study differences in magnetic field strength, vendor, MR system models, gradients, and bore size. More data across different MR platforms would facilitate quantitative measurements for multi-platform and multi-site imaging studies. With the increasing usage of diffusion weighted imaging in the clinic, the characterization of ADC variability for MR systems provides an improved quality control over the MR systems.
Variations in recommended surveillance in colorectal cancer survivorship care plans.

13Background: Survivorship care plans (SCPs) outline pertinent information about a cancer survivor’s treatment and follow-up care. We describe the content of colorectal cancer (CRC) SCPs, completed...
Nonparametric Estimation and Testing for Positive Quadrant Dependent Bivariate Copula

In many practical scenarios (e.g., finance, system reliability, etc.), it is often of interest to estimate a bivariate distribution and test for some desired association properties like positive qu...
A simple and efficient agroinfiltration method for transient gene expression in Citrus

Microwounding pre-treatment facilitates agroinfiltration and transient gene expression in hard-to-agroinfiltrate citrus varieties. Agrobacterium infiltration is a widely used method for transient expression studies in plants, but this method is not used extensively in citrus because of its low efficiency. In this study, we developed an easy, cheap, and reliable agroinfiltration method for transient gene expression in citrus. A microneedle roller was used to create microscopic wounds in the leaf epidermis to facilitate agroinfiltration. Several optimization parameters were explored in this study, including the density of wounds per cm2 of abaxial leaf area, the leaf maturity grade, the effect of the Agrobacterium strain, and the length of the incubation period. Increasing the density of wounds on the leaf surface had a positive effect on transient expression. Higher transient expression levels were observed in well-expanded young leaves in comparison with older leaves. The Agrobacterium strain GV2260 was the most suitable to express a large amount of recombinant protein, and an eight- to ten-day incubation period resulted in the highest expression. Endoplasmic reticulum and cytoskeleton-targeted GFP were both successfully localized, confirming that this protocol can be used for protein subcellular localization in citrus. Finally, up to 100 ng of GFP per milligram of agroinfiltrated leaf tissue was estimated to be expressed using this method. This protocol was tested for GFP expression in five different citrus varieties with no significant statistical differences among them. This simple and easy method can speed up functional genomic studies in citrus and may be applied to other recalcitrant species with extensive epidermal cuticular wax.
Clinical effectiveness of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors and lenalidomide in older patients with refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts: a population-based study in the United States

Existing studies regarding the role of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) and lenalidomide in refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts (RARS) are limited. Using the surveillance, epidemiology...
Stabilization of Energy Level Sets of Underactuated Mechanical Systems Exploiting Impulsive Braking

Recent investigations of underactuated systems have demonstrated the benefits of control inputs that are impulsive in nature. Here we consider the problem of stabilization of energy level sets of underactuated systems exploiting impulsive braking. We consider systems with one passive degree-of-freedom (DOF) and the energy level set is a manifold where the active coordinates are fixed and the mechanical energy equals some desired value. A control strategy comprised of continuous inputs and intermittent impulsive braking inputs is presented. The generality of the approach is shown through simulation of a three-DOF Tiptoebot; the feasibility of implementation of impulsive control using standard hardware is demonstrated using a rotary pendulum.
Simultaneous Application of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation during Virtual Reality Exposure.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that changes the likelihood of neuronal firing through modulation of neural resting membranes. Compared to other techniques, tDCS is relatively safe, cost-effective, and can be administered while individuals are engaged in controlled, specific cognitive processes. This latter point is important as tDCS may predominantly affect intrinsically active neural regions. In an effort to test tDCS as a potential treatment for psychiatric illness, the protocol described here outlines a novel procedure that allows the simultaneous application of tDCS during exposure to trauma-related cues using virtual reality (tDCS+VR) for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (NCT03372460). In this double-blind protocol, participants are assigned to either receive 2 mA tDCS, or sham stimulation, for 25 minutes while passively watching three 8-minute standardized virtual reality drives through Iraq or Afghanistan, with virtual reality events increasing in intensity during each drive. Participants undergo six sessions of tDCS+VR over the course of 2-3 weeks, and psychophysiology (skin conductance reactivity) is measured throughout each session. This allows testing for within and between session changes in hyperarousal to virtual reality events and adjunctive effects of tDCS. Stimulation is delivered through a built-in rechargeable battery-driven tDCS device using a 1 (anode) x 1 (cathode) unilateral electrode set-up. Each electrode is placed in a 3 x 3 cm (current density 2.22 A/m2) reusable sponge pocket saturated with 0.9% normal saline. Sponges with electrodes are attached to the participant’s skull using a rubber headband with the electrodes placed such that they target regions within the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. The virtual reality headset is placed over the tDCS montage in such a way as to avoid electrode interference.
Utility of Occupancy Models with Environmental DNA (eDNA) from Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

Abstract Adjacent to the spectacular, rugged coastline bordering the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) encompasses 8257 km2 of coastal waters that support one of North America’s most productive marine ecosystems. These rich waters support important recreational, commercial and subsistence fisheries for Washington state and four sovereign tribal governments: the Quinault Indian Nation and the Makah, Quileute and Hoh Tribes. Given its ecological, cultural and economic significance, managers from OCNMS are tasked with monitoring and management towards conserving the area’s ecological integrity. The development of metabarcoding with environmental DNA (eDNA) as an effective freshwater monitoring tool has potential applications in marine systems, but the statistical analysis and the interpretation of those eDNA results are still under development. One promising strategy to analyze eDNA is through the use of occupancy models. Occupancy models enable us to calculate probabilities of detection from each taxon sequenced and are designed to work with presence-absence data. To inform our long term monitoring design of this coastal ecosystem, we collected 44 eDNA samples at nine of OCNMS’ long term mooring sites in 2019 and tested four different molecular markers for species reported and taxonomic richness. Additionally, we assessed occupancy models for use with eDNA to estimate the number of samples required to accurately predict the presence of a species. Occupancy models show great promise for use in eDNA studies provided there is sufficient replication; additionally, the choice of molecular marker strongly influences a taxa’s probability of detection. Author Summary We show the utility of using occupancy models with eDNA in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary for monitoring near-shore marine biological communities. Based on probabilities of detection, long term coastal monitoring projects using eDNA would benefit from designs prioritizing sample number (10-20 samples per site) over sites sampled. With proper study design, occupancy models provide a statistical framework for comparisons between sites and over time. By accounting for simple non-detection vs true absence, occupancy models help to eliminate noise from eDNA studies, increasing detection of true shifts in community composition. We also demonstrate that marker choice is an important study design consideration not only for the types of taxa recovered, but also for consistency between samples and timepoints.
Appraisal of the Real-World Effectiveness of Biologic Therapies in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

Background There are no head-to-head studies for patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) comparing any of the 5 Food and Drug Administration–approved respiratory biologic therapies. Objective Explore outcomes in subjects with AERD using biologic therapies in a real-world clinic setting. Methods A retrospective pilot study was conducted for subjects with AERD who had been prescribed omalizumab (anti-IgE), mepolizumab (anti–IL-5), reslizumab (anti–IL-5), benralizumab (anti–IL-5 receptor alpha [anti–IL-5Rα]), or dupilumab (anti–IL-4 receptor alpha [anti–IL-4Rα]). Clinical outcomes pre- versus postinitiation of biologic therapy were explored including symptoms, 22-item sino-nasal outcome test scores, systemic corticosteroid and antibiotic prescriptions, and emergency room visits related to AERD. Results Of the 74 subjects, 58.1% (n = 43) had used 1 biologic, though many (41.9%, n = 31) trialed more than 1 biologic. Of the 50 subjects who had used anti–IL-4Rα therapy, 98% (49 of 50) still had this therapy prescribed at study completion compared with 48.6% (17 of 35) and 26.9% (7 of 26) of those who used anti-IgE and anti–IL-5 and anti–IL-5 receptor alpha (anti–IL-5/IL-5Rα) therapy, respectively. Among those on anti–IL-4Rα therapy, there was a significant reduction in median total 22-item sino-nasal outcome test scores (51 to 19, P = .0002), corticosteroid bursts (2 to 0, P Conclusions Anti–IL-4Rα therapy led to significantly higher rates of clinical improvement in AERD when compared with anti–IL-5/IL-5Rα and anti-IgE biologic therapies. Prospective studies would help clarify best practices for the use of biologic therapies in AERD.
Chamber-Specific Gene Expression and Regulation during Heart Development

Publisher Summary The regional differences in endogenous gene transcription between the prospective atria and ventricles begin to emerge after tubular heart formation. Several genes have been identified that are expressed in an atrial or ventricular chamber-specific fashion at some time during vertebrate embryo development. The timing to reach atrial chamber-specific expression of these genes during development is highly variable. AMHC1, encoding an atrial-specific myosin heavy chain (MyHC), is the earliest atrial-specific marker. AMHC1 is first expressed in the posterior region of the fusing chicken heart. In contrast to AMHC1 expression in the chicken, slow MyHC 3 in the quail is initially expressed throughout the tubular heart. As the heart chamberizes, expression of the slow MyHC 3 gene in the ventricles is downregulated, whereas expression in the atria is maintained. Similarly to slow MyHC 3, MLC-2a is initially expressed throughout the tubular heart at E 8 in the mouse embryo and is down regulated in the ventricular segment during chamber formation. Further, throughout embryonic and fetal development, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) is expressed in both atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes. Additionally, at specific times during development, expression of MLC-lv, MLC-2v, and βMyHC becomes ventricular chamber specific. Two models, an activation model and an inhibition model are used to depict regulation of chamber-specific expression of cardiac genes during embryonic development.
Hypervelocity flow over spheres

Some aspects of the principle of binary scaling of hypervelocity flows with chemical reactions are discussed and tested both numerically and experimentally. The experiments, obtained in a new free-piston shock tunnel, show the value and limitations of binary scaling in very good agreement with the numerical computations. The use of spherical models eliminates end-effect problems previously encountered with cylindrical models. Global quantities, such as the bow shock stand-off distance, follow binary scaling very well. The results include differential interferograms and surface heat transfer measurements of nitrogen, air and carbon dioxide flows.
Impact of Personal Relevance on Acquisition and Generalization of Script Training for Aphasia: A Preliminary Analysis.

Purpose The importance of personalization in script training in aphasia has been assumed but never tested. This study compared acquisition and generalization of personally relevant versus generic words or phrases appearing in the same scripts. Method Eight individuals (6 men; 2 women) with chronic aphasia received 3 weeks of intensive computer-based script training. For each participant, 2 scripts, a trained and an untrained generalization script, were embedded with 4 personally relevant word choices and 2–4 generic items that were similar across participants. Scripts were probed for accuracy at baseline and posttreatment. Significance testing was conducted on baseline and posttreatment scores, and for gains in personally relevant versus generic items. Effect sizes were computed. Results Both personally relevant and generic items improved significantly on trained scripts. Improvements on untrained scripts were smaller, with only personally relevant items reaching significance. There was no significant dif...
Ice formation on nitric acid-coated dust particles: Laboratory and modeling studies

Changes in the ice nucleation characteristics of atmospherically relevant mineral dust particles caused by a coating of nitric acid are not well understood. Further, the atmospheric implications of dust coatings on ice-cloud properties under different assumptions of primary ice nucleation mechanisms are unknown. We investigated the ice nucleation ability of Arizona Test Dust, illite, K-feldspar, and quartz as a function of temperature (−25°C to −30°C) and relative humidity with respect to water (75% to 110%). The particles (bare or nitric acid coated) were size selected at 250 nm, and the fraction of particles nucleating ice at various temperature and saturation conditions was determined. All of the dust species nucleated ice at subsaturated conditions, although the coated particles (except quartz) showed a reduction in their ice nucleation ability relative to bare particles. However, at supersaturated conditions, bare and coated particles had nearly equivalent ice nucleation characteristics. The results of a single-column model showed that simulated ice crystal number concentrations are mostly dependent upon the coated particle fraction, primary ice nucleation mechanisms, and competition among ice nucleation mechanisms to nucleate ice. In general, coatings were observed to modify ice-cloud properties, and the complexity of ice-cloud and mixed-phase-cloud evolution when different primary ice nucleation mechanisms compete for fixed water vapor budgets was supported.
Design and performance characterization of a novel low-pole dual-stator flux switching permanent magnet machine

The purpose of this paper is to characterize the performance of a novel dual-stator six slot four pole (6/4) flux switching permanent magnet machine. The proposed dual-stator 6/4 topology eliminates even order harmonics in the flux linkage and back electromotive force, which are present in the conventional single stator topology. The resulting back electromotive forces of the proposed dual-stator machine are balanced and sinusoidal waveforms. Sizing equations for the machine are studied based on the flux linkage harmonic contents and generalized sizing laws and performance of the machine is characterized. Various loss components such as copper loss, iron loss, and magnet loss are evaluated. The properties of the proposed machine are verified by finite element analysis studies.
Reproductive status in females of the Brazilian catfish, Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum reared in cages

Summary The distinctive morphological features of the ovaries the ‘cachara’, Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum were characterized macroscopically, and by histology, when reared in cages, from March 2005 to February 2006. Forty eight females (mean total weight = 2.7 kg, mean standard length = 65.1 cm) were allocated to four cages of 2.7 m3 (20 fish/cage) which were installed in four 600 m2 ponds, located at the IP, Pariquera-Acu, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The monthly, samples were fixed in 4%-buffered formalin before preparation for histological examination, ovaries were removed and weighted. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) was calculated as = 100 × weight ovaries/total fish weight. The ovaries are the cystovarian type and macroscopically, were established three stages of ovarian maturation: Resting, developing Maturation (initial, intermediate, final) and Regression (initial, intermediate, final). Based on morphological criteria of those ovaries, the oocyte development has been divided into distinct stages: (i) oocyte growth (vitellogenesis); (ii) oocyte maturation, along which it goes through different phases of development, before (iii) ovulation and, (iv) spawning. When the P. fasciatum were kept in confinement and not induced to breed occurs fail to attain final oocyte maturation, start the process of degeneration. Consequently, the weight started to decline and 45% of the ovaries showed atresia of vitellogenic follicles. This was considered indicative of a recent cessation of the reproductive activity. Such failure could have been caused by stress of the monthly sampling involving a certain degree of disturbance, and perhaps also by the existence of stressors while in captivity. The synchronous ovary contained oocytes in an unique stage of development and had potential to perform total spawning up to one time a year, with the period reproductive beginning in the end of November to the beginning of February, coinciding with the highest water temperatures in the experimental cages (29.0–31.5°C) and the increase of mean values of GSI. During the regression phase, residual oocytes could be observed together with decrease of the mean values of GSI and, the temperatures.
Novel effect of barbituric acid on glass transition temperature of bismaleimide–epoxy resin systems

Barbituric acid (BTA) has a novel influence on glass transition temperature (Tg) of bismaleimide (BMI)–epoxy resin systems. It causes the Tg of a BMI–epoxy resin system to rise significantly. The BTA's influence on Tg was investigated by changing the molar ratio of the reactants. In addition, the influence of benzoperoxide (BPO) on Tg was compared with that of BTA. The reaction selectivity of BTA and diamino-diphenyl sulfone (DDS) toward BMI and epoxy individually in the BMI–epoxy blended systems were studied using the DSC and GPC. By controlling the amount of DDS and BTA, epoxy and BMI could form intercrosslinking networks.
Local Production of Mesons at 11,300 Feet

Mesons produced in association with local penetrating showers have been investigated at 11,300 ft. above sea level. The apparatus recorded delayed coincidences arising from the 2.2-\ensuremath{\mu}sec. decay process of $\ensuremath{\mu}$-mesons and distinguished the delayed coincidences which were associated with a local penetrating shower from those which were not. It is found that the fraction of penetrating showers which gives a delayed coincidence is in accordance with the assumption that the local penetrating showers are the typical events in which mesons are produced. The comparison of the delayed coincidences rate using carbon as the material stopping the mesons, with the rate using sulfur shows that the locally produced particles are $\ensuremath{\pi}$-mesons.Since a recent latitude experiment on local penetrating showers indicates that the average energy of the particles producing such events is above 10 Bev, the result of the present work extends to that energy the conclusion originated from observations in photographic emulsion, that only $\ensuremath{\pi}$-mesons, and not $\ensuremath{\mu}'\mathrm{s}$ are directly created in the collision of fast particles.
Phonetic decomposition for speech recognition of lesser-studied languages

This paper deals with voice transcription systems for lesser-studied languages. In particular, it deals with creating phonetic decompositions for words in these languages, an important step in creating a voice transcription system. The two languages cited here as examples of lesser-studied languages are the San Juan Quiahije variety of Chatino and Vlax Romani. For these languages, an English-based phonemic decomposition is inadequate, because lesser-studied languages are not written with the orthographic rules used for English. The phonemic decomposition proposed here is composed of two stages: separation of words into sounds and expansion of sounds into phonemes.
Chronic Kidney Disease Care in the US Safety Net

The US Health Care System provides a patchwork of services, known as the safety net, for the uninsured, underinsured, and indigent populations who would otherwise have little access to health care services. Individuals who rely on safety-net facilities are from racial/ethnic minority groups, have low socioeconomic status, and often have low health literacy and/or limited English proficiency. They shoulder a disproportionate burden of CKD in the United States and experience excess CKD-associated morbidity and mortality. Suboptimal delivery of CKD care may be contributing and is an area of active translational research. Several initiatives that show promise in improving safety-net CKD care delivery include those that enhance diagnostic and management skills of primary care providers, rely on comprehensive care management programs led by nonphysicians, and leverage technology to enhance patient access to virtual nephrology expertise. Uncovering better ways to translate scientific evidence into practice for vulnerable patients with CKD is a formidable challenge that will require national surveillance of CKD quality measures across diverse ambulatory health systems, including safety nets. Only then will the nephrology community be to identify and share best practices to enhance health and mitigate disparities of care among patients with CKD.
Investigational therapies targeting the ErbB (EGFR, HER2, HER3, HER4) family in GI cancers.

Introduction: Gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies account for nearly one-fourth of all cancer-related deaths in the United States and approximately 30% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide. Use of combination cytotoxic therapy offers a modest improvement in survival, but the prognosis and long-term survival of most patients with GI cancer remains poor. In certain GI malignancies, therapies that target members of the HER family of receptors have positively impacted patient care. Areas covered: In this review, we discuss the significance of the HER family of receptors in esophagogastric, hepatobiliary, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers and explain the rationale supporting the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) to inhibit HER activation and downstream events that contribute to tumor proliferation, migration, and survival. Expert opinion: Despite recent advances, the treatment of GI cancers remains challenging. Therapies targeting the HER family of recep...
Robustness to the unavailability of data in the linear model, with applications

Abstract We present techniques for finding tmax, the maximum number of arbitrary observations which can be removed from or lost in an experiment and still leave all of the parameters estimable. General conditions are given for tmax in a linear model. As illustrations, the results are applied to the Πqi=1pi factorial experiment for estimating main effects through k factor interactions only assuming the (k + 1) factor and higher order interactions to be zero, and the central composite design.
Nonperturbative amplification of inhomogeneities in a self-reproducing universe.

We investigate the distribution of energy density in a stationary self-reproducing inflationary universe. We show that the main fraction of volume of the Universe in a state with a given density $\ensuremath{\rho}$ at any given moment of proper time $t$ is concentrated near the centers of deep exponentially wide spherically symmetric wells in the density distribution. Since this statement is very surprising and counterintuitive, we perform our investigation by three different analytical methods to verify our conclusions, and then confirm our analytical results by computer simulations. If one assumes that we are typical observers living in the Universe at a given moment of time, then our results may imply that we should live near the center of a deep and exponentially large void, which we will call an infloid. The validity of this particular interpretation of our results is not quite clear since it depends on the as-yet unsolved problem of measure in quantum cosmology. Therefore, at the moment we would prefer to consider our results simply as a demonstration of nontrivial properties of the hypersurface of a given time in the fractal self-reproducing universe, without making any far-reaching conclusions concerning the structure of our own part of the Universe. Still we believe that our results may be of some importance since they demonstrate that nonperturbative effects in quantum cosmology, at least in principle, may have significant observational consequences, including an apparent violation of the Copernican principle.