cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Soviet Silurian: Recent Impressions

Since early in 1960 Dr. W. B. N. Berry and I have been actively engaged in synthesizing the available information concerning stratigraphic correlation, lithofacies and pa-leogeography for the Silurian System. Manuscripts dealing with the System for both North and South America have been accepted by The Geological Society of America for publication. First drafts, and in some instances even fourth drafts, have been prepared for the other continents. All of this work has been done with the active collaboration and friendly assistance everywhere of geologists and paleontologists interested in Silurian problems. Berry and I have a personal familiarity in the field with much of the North American, European, and Australian Silurian, as well as a portion of the Near East and Southeast Asia. In addition, we have had the opportunity of dealing with very extensive collections of South American Silurian fossils. With this information in mind, it is obvious that I was happy to have the opportunity under the Cultural Exchange Agreement to make a six months' visit to the Soviet Union with the avowed purpose of examining as much of their Silurian as possible. The chance to check in the field on the lithofacies and paleogeographic concepts developed entirely from the literature and largely at variance with current Soviet concepts, was an attractive one. Unfortunately, however, permission for the farflung travel within the Soviet Union to really “sample” the System was not granted in actual practice despite the terms of the original agreement between the Soviet Academy of Science and our National Academy of Science. However, brief visits to Silurian exposures in Estonia, Podolia, the southwest Urals in Bashkiria, Uzbekistan, and the Altai Mountains gave valuable insights. These insights, combined with the examination of specimens, both fossil and lithologic from most of the Soviet Silurian, and extended discussions with a number of Soviet geologists and paleontologists have been very useful in forwarding our knowledge and synthesis of the System. The following paragraphs will record the outstanding impressions; some substantiate previous conclusions, but others entail serious modifications and emendations.
Quick Reference Guide for Clinicians: Number 12: Managing Otitis Media with Effusion in Young Children

This Quick Reference Guide for Clinicians contains highlights from the Clinical Practice Guideline, Otitis Media with Effusion in Young Children . The Otitis Media Guideline Panel, a private-sector panel of health care providers, developed the Guideline after comprehensively analyzing the research literature and current scientific knowledge of the development, diagnosis, and treatment of otitis media with effusion in young children. Specific recommendations are given for the management of otitis media with effusion in young children age 1 through 3 years with no craniofacial or neurologic abnormalities or sensory deficits. The natural history of otitis media with effusion, the functional impairments that may result from otitis media with effusion, and the difficulty of measuring the effects of medical and surgical interventions on long-term outcomes are included. The medical interventions studied involve antibiotic therapy, steroid therapy, and antihistamine/decongestant therapy. The surgical interventions studied involve myringotomy with insertion of tympanostomy tubes, adenoidectomy, and tonsillectomy. Short-term outcomes addressed are resolution of effusion and restoration of hearing.
Threshold current reduction and electrical modulation of degree of circular polarization in InAs/GaAs quantum dot spin-VCSELs

Threshold current reduction and polarization modulation of an electrically injected spin-polarized VCSEL operating at 200 K have been investigated experimentally and theoretically.
A simulation analysis of a patient-centered surgical home to improve outpatient surgical processes of care and outcomes

The process of preparing patients for outpatient surgery is information intensive. However, medical records are often fragmented among different providers and systems. As a result, the preoperative assessment process is frequently prolonged by missing information, potentially leading to surgery delay or cancellation. In this study, we simulate an anesthesiology pre-operative assessment clinic to quantify the impact of patient information deficiency and to assist in the development of a patient-centered surgical home to mitigate this problem through better system-wide coordination.
A Universal Kitchen Design for the Low‐Vision Elderly: Research Applied in Practice

This article provides background information on the aging population and describes a design program which applied research on specialized facility design and combined the talents of student and professional designers to meet the needs of the low-vision elderly in San Diego, California. Universal design criteria adopted for the prototype training facility are described in detail.
Impact of Body Mass Index on the Detection of Radiographic Localized Pleural Thickening

Rationale and Objectives Subpleural fat can be difficult to distinguish from localized pleural thickening (LPT), a marker of asbestos exposure, on chest radiographs. The aims of this study were to examine the influence of body mass index (BMI) on the performance of radiograph readers when classifying LPT and to model the risk of false test results with varying BMI. Materials and Methods Subjects ( n = 200) were patients being screened or treated for asbestos-related health outcomes. A film chest radiograph, a digital chest radiograph, and a high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest scan were collected from each subject. All radiographs were independently read by seven B readers and scored using the International Labour Office system. HRCT scans, read by three experienced thoracic radiologists, served as the gold standard for the presence of LPT. We calculated measures of radiograph reader performance, including sensitivity and specificity, for each image modality. We also used logistic regression to estimate the probability of a false-positive and a false-negative result while controlling for covariates. Results The proportion of false-positive readings correlated with BMI. While controlling for covariates, regression modeling showed the probability of a false-positive result increased with increasing BMI category, younger age, not having pleural calcification, and among subjects not reporting occupational or household contact asbestos exposure. Conclusions Clinicians should be cautious when evaluating radiographs of younger obese persons for the presence of asbestos-related pleural plaque, particularly in populations having an anticipated low or background prevalence of LPT.
Molecular dynamics simulation study of xyloglucan adsorption on cellulose surfaces: effects of surface hydrophobicity and side-chain variation

The effect of surface hydrophobicity and side-chain variation on xyloglucan adsorption onto cellulose microfibrils (CMF) is investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. A molecular model of CMF with (100), (010), (1–10), (110) and (200) crystal faces was built. We considered xylogluco-oligosaccharides (XGO) with three repeating units, namely (XXXG)3, (XXLG)3, and (XXFG)3 (where each (1,4)-β-d-glucosyl residue in the backbone is given a one-letter code according to its substituents: G = β-d-Glc; X = α-d-Xyl-(1,6)-β-d-Glc; L = β-d-Gal-(1,2)-α-d-Xyl-(1,6)-β-d-Glc; F = α-l-Fuc-(1,2)-β-d-Gal-(1,2)-α-d-Xyl-(1,6)-β-d-Glc). Our work shows that (XXXG)3 binds more favorably to the CMF (100) and (200) hydrophobic surfaces than to the (110), (010) and (1–10) hydrophilic surfaces. The origin of this behavior is attributed to the topography of hydrophobic CMF surface, which stabilizes (XXXG)3 in flat conformation. In contrast, on the rough hydrophilic CMF surface (XXXG)3 adopts a less favorable random-coil conformation to facilitate more hydrogen bonds with the surface. Extending the xyloglucan side chains from (XXXG)3 to (XXLG)3 hinders their stacking on the CMF hydrophobic surface. For (XXFG)3, the interaction with the hydrophobic surface is as strong as (XXXG)3. All three XGOs have similar binding to the hydrophilic surface. Steered molecular dynamics simulation was performed on an adhesive model where (XXXG)3 was sandwiched between two CMF hydrophobic surfaces. Our analysis suggests that this sandwich structure might help provide mechanical strength for plant cell walls. Our study relates to a recently revised model of primary cell walls in which extensibility is largely determined by xyloglucan located in limited regions of tight contact between CMFs.
Neurohumoral and Autonomic Regulation of Blood Pressure

Neural, hormonal, and metabolic mechanisms are involved in setting blood pressure. These components act both systemically and locally. This chapter discusses the basic physiological mechanisms of the neurohumoral and autonomic contributions to blood pressure regulation. Much that we will present about these mechanisms stems from studies in adult humans and experimental models. This chapter focuses on the role of these mechanisms during fetal and postnatal development. Differential rates of maturation of these systems affect their ability to maintain blood pressure and delivery of oxygen and nutrients at specific times of life. This chapter will consider autonomic control of the fetal and postnatal cardiovascular system and will discuss humoral factors that act within the central nervous system to influence sympathovagal balance.
New directions in systemic therapy of pancreatic cancer.

Background: The aggressiveness of pancreatic adenocarcinoma makes it a deadly disease, with its incidence rate and fatality rate almost equal. Surgery represents the only means to provide cure to patients with pancreatic cancer, though the 5-year survival is less than 10%. Methods: We review the data on surgical and systemic therapies and provide more details on a newer biologically based medical approach. Results: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy protocols are confined to one or two institutions, and adjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiation therapy protocols are far from being standardized. Chemoradiation therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer offers limited benefits. Protocols that include gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil, while comparing favorably to historical controls, offer median survivals at approximately 8 months. Conclusions: More effective protocols with combinations of approaches agents are needed to improve the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
The Role of Statin Therapy in Hemorrhagic Stroke

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) are the most widely utilized class of cholesterol-lowering agents, carrying multiple indications for both primary and secondary cardiovascular risk reduction. Concern was raised by previously published post hoc analyses and observational studies that noted an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke in patients receiving a statin. Subsequent studies have demonstrated conflicting results regarding the role of statin therapy on hemorrhagic stroke risk and patient outcomes. New evidence suggests that statins taken prior to or continued during admission for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) may be associated with positive outcomes. Evidence also suggests deleterious outcomes resulting from the abrupt discontinuation of statins upon hospital admission for multiple disease states including ICH. Conflicting data also exist for the use of statins following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Recent evidence suggests statins started during admission for aSAH confer no additional benefit in reducing delayed ischemic neurologic deficits despite initial positive results. Larger scale evaluation of the role of statin therapy following hemorrhagic stroke is warranted. The available literature is reviewed to provide guidance for therapeutic decision making.
Weight perceptions, disordered eating behaviors, and emotional self-efficacy among high school adolescents

Although emotional disorders and disordered eating behaviors are known to be related, the relationship between emotional self-efficacy (ESE) and disordered eating is unknown. This study examined the relationship between ESE and disordered eating in a statewide sample of public high school adolescents (n=2566). The Centers for Disease Control Youth Risk Behavior Survey and an adolescent ESE scale were utilized. Logistic regression adjusted for key covariates explored the relationship between low ESE and disordered eating among selected race and gender groups. Self-perceived weight as underweight or overweight; and dieting, vomiting or taking laxatives, taking diet pills, and fasting to lose weight were each associated (p<.05) with lower levels of ESE for certain race/gender groups. Findings provide increased justification for tailoring disordered eating interventions and treatments to accommodate the highest risk groups. Measures of ESE should be considered for adolescent mental health assessments in fieldwork, research, and evaluation efforts.
Universal-DB: towards representation independent graph analytics

Graph analytics algorithms leverage quantifiable structural properties of the data to predict interesting concepts and relationships. The same information, however, can be represented using many different structures and the structural properties observed over particular representations do not necessarily hold for alternative structures. Because these algorithms tend to be highly effective over some choices of structure, such as that of the databases used to validate them, but not so effective with others, graph analytics has largely remained the province of experts who can find the desired forms for these algorithms. We argue that in order to make graph analytics usable, we should develop systems that are effective over a wide range of choices of structural organizations. We demonstrate Universal-DB an entity similarity and proximity search system that returns the same answers for a query over a wide range of choices to represent the input database.
Analogies and Imaginary Consumers: A Case Study of New Product Development, Marketing Science Institute

When encountering novel products, people typically use analogies to familiar products to describe or “make sense” of new ones. When cell phones were first introduced, for example, they were compared to land-line phones and walkie-talkies. The areas of product knowledge from which people draw these analogies are known as source domains, from which they draw specific bits of knowledge known as knowledge structures. To shed light on the role of analogical thinking and the use of source domains in new product development, we undertook a qualitative study of the product development and evaluation process for a digital tablet and laptop computer integrated package. We examined how the source domains used by product developers and consumers overlapped or differed - and the implications for the process of translating a new product idea into a commercially viable product.
Approach to Unclear Exudates

Approximately 1.5 million pleural effusions are diagnosed each year in the USA. Light’s Criteria are used to categorize the effusions into exudates and transudates on biochemical grounds. This distinction is important as the stratification helps elucidate the most probable etiologies leading to the accumulation of pleural fluid. Despite an appropriate evaluation including pleural fluid analysis, approximately one quarter of patients with exudative effusions will fail to have a cause identified. If medical thoracoscopy is performed and the histologic diagnosis is nonspecific pleuritis, conservative management has been shown to be appropriate.
Analysis of the Suggested State Legislation Draft on Water Smart Homes

This paper analyzes the Suggested State Legislation Draft on Water Smart Homes in the context of its application to the State of Texas. After discussing the history of water resources in Texas, the paper discusses current water usage statistics therein. The paper then analyzes the proposed legislation, evaluating the manner in which such environmentally focused legislation could be successful in such a conservative state, the legislation's benefits and drawbacks, and areas where the legislation does not go far enough. The paper then provides a list of recommendations that will ultimately improve the legislation in its goals to remedy the current water crisis in Texas.
On the thermodynamic foundation of classical plasticity

A thermodynamic foundation for isothermal plasticity is laid on the basis of the hypotheses that (a) during plastic deformation the infinitesimal increment Δγ of irreversible entropy depends on the current state of stress and the stress increment and (b) that Δγ>0 for plastic deformation, whereas Δγ=0 for elastic deformation. The existence of a yield locus is established as a consequence. Constitutive eaqutions for small and large deformations are then derived. The small deformation constitutive equations coincide with the classical forms that rest on the grounds of mechanical stability.
The Effects of Culture Media and Sporulation Methods on Caducity and Pedicel Length of Sporangia in Selected Species of Phytophthora

Four species or morphological forms (MF) of Phytophthora, P. colocasiae, P. palmivora (MF1), and two atypical "P. palmivora" (MF3 and MF4) having intermediate, short, intermediate, and long pedicels, respectively, were studied for the effects of culture media and methods of sporangium production on the degree of sporangium caducity and pedicel length. Different media (carrot, V8-CaCO3, or oatmeal) as well as different methods of sporangium production (solid-agar plate, agar disc in water, or mycelial mat in water) affected the degree of sporangium caducity in some or all of the four phytophthoras tested. Except for "P. palmivora" (MF4), which possesses sporangia with long pedicels, different media and methods of sporangium production did not affect or slightly affected sporangium-pedicel length. Pedicel length is, therefore, a more stable morphological character of the sporangium than the degree of caducity (i.e., high or low % detachment) and is useful in the diagnosis and taxonomy of Phytophthora species.
Estimation of Air Traffic Delay Using Three Dimensional Weather Information

This paper describes a weather-impacted traffic index based on three-dimensional weather information and applies it to air traffic delay estimation. The weather-impacted traffic indices were generated using the high-resolution Corridor Integrated Weather System, which provides accurate, automated and high update rate information on both convective weather location and echo tops. In contrast to other methods, the new index discounts an aircraft if it can fly over the weather-impacted area safely, thus incurring no delay. The index was used as an hourly input for various National Airspace System delay estimation models. The models used traffic and weather data from June 2007 and were validated with data from July 2007. Using the index with echo tops improves the delay estimates by two percent.
Study of catalytic cracking of asphaltene in near-critical water

The method of solvent division is adopted to separate asphaltene from Shengli heavy oil by n-heptane.1H and 13C NMR spectrum of asphaltene were determined with a Bruker Avance 400 NMR spectrometer.By combining the infrared spectrum with the elemental analysis results,the aromatic-ring structure is main structural composition in the asphaltene.Asphaltene was catalyzed and cracked with naphthenate nickel as catalytic cracking catalyst in near-critical water.The suitable reactional condition was obtained by orthogonal experiment method,reaction temperature 300 ℃,the amount of catalyst used 0.6%,reaction time 24 h.By testing element content of cracked asphaltene,carbon element content had reduced 0.06%~0.80%;hydrogen element content had reduced by 0.74%~3.41%;oxygen element content had reduced by 3.12%~27.1%;nitrogen element content had reduced by 0.40%~13.47%;sulfur element content had reduced by 9.85%~31.26%.
Influence of intracrystalline diffusion in shape selective catalytic test reactions

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to measure the self diffusion constant D of linear decane and n-methylnonanes (n = 2, 3, 4, and 5) at a catalytically relevant temperature in seven 10 member ring zeolites. Two general behaviors are observed in D as the branch position is moved towards the center of the alkane chain. For three of the zeolites (MEL, MFI, and MTT), D decreases monotonically as expected based on a consideration of the bulkiness of the different isomers. For the other four, alkane diffusion is considered anamolous as D is not a monotonic function of branch position. For n-methylnonanes in three zeolites D shows a minimum at either n = 2 (FER), 3 (EUO), or 4 (TON). In AEL, D has a local maximum for n = 3. Alkane diffusion is anamolous in these zeolites because they have structural features that provide a unique hindrance to molecular motion along the main diffusion channel. The ability of the zeolite to hinder motion depends on the molecular structure of the isoparaffin, resulting in the anamolous behavior observed. The 10 member ring zeolites selected for this study represent the entire group for which known structures exist and values of the modified constraint index have been published. The diffusion data presented indicates that product shape selectivity may play some part in determining the modified constraint index.
Abstract AP21: LIPID DESATURATION IS A METABOLIC MARKER AND THERAPEUTIC TARGET OF OVARIAN CANCER STEM CELLS

OBJECTIVES: Lack of sensitive single-cell analysis tools has limited the characterization of the metabolic activity of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The objectives of this study were to identify and target metabolic pathways specifically deregulated in ovarian CSCs. METHODS: We developed a new technique based on hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering imaging of single living cells coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis of extracted lipids to identify unique metabolic spectra of ovarian CSCs. SiRNA knockdown and pharmacological inhibitors were used to block fatty acid desaturases and to measure effects on the ovarian CSCs charcateristics. RESULTS: We report significantly increased levels of unsaturated lipids in flow-sorted ovarian CSCs (ALDH+CD133+) compared to non-CSCs (ALDH-CD133-). Higher lipid unsaturation levels were also detected in CSC-enriched spheroids compared to monolayer cultures of ovarian cancer cell lines or primary cells derived from human ovarian tumors. ESI-MS identified that the elevated unsaturation in lipid droplets involved an enhanced conversion from saturated fatty acids (18:0) to unsaturated fatty acids (18:1). Expression of fatty acid desaturases was increased in ovarian CSCs compared to non-CSCs. Pharmacological inhibition or siRNA knockdown of lipid desaturases Δ9 (SCD1) or Δ6 effectively eliminated CSCs, suppressed sphere formation in vitro, and blocked tumor initiation capacity in vivo, as measured by a tumor initiation dilution assay. Mechanistically, the lipid desaturase inhibitors suppressed ovarian cancer cell stemness by blocking the NF-κB survival pathway. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and overexpression of RelA demonstrated that NF-κB transcriptionally regulates SCD1 expression. Collectively, our data suggest that a positive feedback loop involving lipid desaturases, NF-κB, and the stem cell marker ALDH1 can be effectively blocked by SCD1 inhibitors, suppressing ovarian CSCs. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that increased lipid unsaturation is a novel metabolic marker for ovarian CSCs and a target for CSC-specific therapy. Citation Format: Junjie Li, Salvatore Condello, Jessica Thomes-Pepin, Xiaoxiao Ma, Yu Xia, Thomas D. Hurley, Ji-Xin Cheng, Daniela Matei. LIPID DESATURATION IS A METABOLIC MARKER AND THERAPEUTIC TARGET OF OVARIAN CANCER STEM CELLS [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 11th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 12-13, 2016; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr AP21.
Proform-Antecedent Linking in Individuals with Agrammatic Aphasia: A Test of the Intervener Hypothesis.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate processing and comprehension of pronouns and reflexives in individuals with agrammatic (Broca's) aphasia and age-matched control participants. Specifically, we evaluate processing and comprehension patterns in terms of a specific hypothesis -- the Intervener Hypothesis – that posits that the difficulty of individuals with agrammatic (Broca's) aphasia results from similarity-based interference caused by the presence of an intervening NP between two elements of a dependency chain. Methods We used an eye tracking-while-listening paradigm to investigate real-time processing (Experiment 1) and a sentence-picture matching task to investigate final interpretive comprehension (Experiment 2) of sentences containing proforms in complement phrase and subject relative constructions. Results Individuals with agrammatic aphasia demonstrated a greater proportion of gazes to the correct referent of reflexives relative to pronouns and significantly greater comprehension accuracy of reflexives relative to pronouns. Conclusions These results provide support for the Intervener Hypothesis, previous support for which comes from studies of Wh- questions and unaccusative verbs, and we argue that this account provides an explanation for the deficits of individuals with agrammatic aphasia across a growing set of sentence constructions. The current study extends this hypothesis beyond filler-gap dependencies to referential dependencies and allows us to refine the hypothesis in terms of the structural constraints that meet the description of the Intervener Hypothesis.
Questioning and Feedback in Athletic Training Clinical Education

The purpose of this article is to provide clinical instructors with information and ideas on how to utilize questioning and feedback during clinical experiences. Definitions, purpose, and examples ...
The Role of the Therapist in Behavior Therapy for OCD

Cognitive-behavioral interventions are considered a first-line treatment of choice for OCD (Franklin & Foa, 1998; March, Frances, Carpenter, & Kahn, 1997). Although cognitive-behavioral therapy has many forms, the strongest evidence base is for exposure and response prevention (ERP). Exposure and response prevention consists of gradual, prolonged exposure to fear-eliciting stimuli or situations, combined with strict abstinence from compulsive behavior. In practice, this means that a patient with contamination concerns would be encouraged to touch progressively more contaminated objects while simultaneously refraining from washing or cleaning. Similarly, a patient with obsessive concerns about harming other people while driving might be encouraged to drive in increasingly congested areas without looking in the rear-view mirror. The purpose of exposure exercises is to allow the patient to experience a reduction of their fear response, recognize that these situations are not excessively dangerous, and learn that their fear will not persist indefinitely. Thus, ERP’s mechanisms of action may include modification of maladaptive cognitions as well as the “behavioral” mechanisms of habituation and extinction (Foa & Kozak, 1986). The “classic” model of ERP involves daily sessions (Kozak, Liebowitz, & Foa, 2000), although researchers have tested less intensive forms of treatment delivery such as twice-weekly sessions (Abramowitz, Foa, & Franklin, 2003) and group therapy (McLean et al., 2001). Numerous studies attest to the efficacy of ERP in adults (eg, Cottraux, Mollard, Bouvard, & Marks, 1993; Fals-Stewart, Marks, & Schafer, 1993; Kozak et al., 2000; Lindsay, Crino, & Andrews, 1997; van Balkom et al., 1998) and in children and adolescents (eg, Benazon, Ager, & Rosenberg, 2002; de Haan, Hoogduin, Buitelaar, & Keijsers, 1998; Franklin et al., 1998; March, Mulle, & Herbel, 1994; Thienemann, Martin, Cregger, Thompson, & Dyer-Friedman, 2001; Wever & Rey, 1997). Approximately 75% of patients treated with ERP improve significantly, usually defined as 30–50% improvement, and remain so at follow-up (Franklin & Foa, 1998).
Adjuvant Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy is Associated With Improved Survival Regardless of KRAS Mutation Status in Patients With Resected Colorectal Liver Metastases: A Retrospective Analysis of 674 Patients

MINI: Patients with colorectal liver metastases and available KRAS data treated with resection and with or without adjuvant hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy were retrospectively evaluated. Adjuvant hepatic artery infusion was independently associated with improved outcomes regardless of KRAS mutational status. Adjuvant hepatic artery infusion may mitigate the worse outcomes seen in patients with resectable KRAS-MUT CRLM. OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of adjuvant hepatic artery infusion (HAI) in relation to KRAS mutational status in patients with resected colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM). BACKGROUND Patients with KRAS-mutated CRLM have worse outcomes after resection. Adjuvant HAI chemotherapy improves overall survival after liver resection. METHODS Patients with resected CRLM treated at MSKCC with and without adjuvant HAI who had available KRAS status (wild-type, WT; mutated, MUT) were reviewed from a prospectively maintained institutional database. Correlations between KRAS status, adjuvant HAI, clinical factors, and outcomes were analyzed. Cox proportional hazard model was used to adjust for confounders. RESULTS Between 1993 and 2012, 674 patients (418 KRAS-WT, 256 MUT) with a median follow up of 6.5 years after resection were evaluated. Fifty-four percent received adjuvant HAI. Tumor characteristics (synchronous disease, number of lesions, clinical-risk score, 2-stage hepatectomy) were significantly worse in the HAI group; however, there were more patients with resected extrahepatic metastases in the no-HAI group. In KRAS-WT tumors, 5-year survival was 78% for patients treated with HAI versus 57% for patients without HAI [hazard ratio (HR) 0.51, P < 0.001]. In KRAS-MUT tumors, 5-year survival was 59% for patients treated with HAI versus 40% for patients without HAI (HR 0.56, P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, HAI remained associated with improved OS (HR 0.53, P < 0.002) independent of KRAS status and other clinicopathologic factors. CONCLUSION Adjuvant HAI after resection of CRLM is independently associated with improved outcomes regardless of KRAS mutational status. Adjuvant HAI may mitigate the worse outcomes seen in patients with resectable KRAS-MUT CRLM.
Germination timing and chilling exposure create contingency in life history and influence fitness in the native wildflower Streptanthus tortuosus

Author(s): Gremer, JR; Wilcox, CJ; Chiono, A; Suglia, E; Schmitt, J | Abstract: The timing of life history events, such as germination and reproduction, influences ecological and selective environments throughout the life cycle. Many organisms evolve responses to seasonal environmental cues to synchronize these key events with favourable conditions. Often the fitness consequences of each life history transition depend on previous and subsequent events in the life cycle. If so, shifts in environmental cues can create cascading effects throughout the life cycle, which can influence fitness, selection on life history traits, and population viability. We examined variation in cue responses for contingent life history expression and fitness in a California native wildflower, Streptanthus tortuosus, by manipulating seasonal germination timing in a common garden experiment. We also manipulated chilling exposure to test the role of vernalization cues for seasonal life history contingency. Plants germinating early in the growing season in autumn were more likely to flower in the first year and less likely to perennate than later germinants in spring. First-year reproduction and overall fitness was the highest for autumn cohorts. Sensitivity analyses showed that optimal germination date depended on survival beyond the first year and fruit production in later years. Experimental chilling exposure induced first-year flowering in spring germinants, demonstrating that seasonal life history contingency is mediated by a vernalization requirement. This requirement reduced fitness of spring germinants without increasing survival or later fecundity and may be maladaptive. Such mismatches between cues and fitness may become more pervasive as predicted climate change reduces exposure to chilling, shortens growing seasons, and increases severity of summer drought. Synthesis. Shifts in germination timing in seasonal environments can cause cascading effects on trait expression and fitness that extend beyond the first year of the life cycle. Climate change is likely to shift seasonal conditions, influencing such life history contingency, with significant impacts on trait expression, fitness, and population persistence. These shifts may cause strong natural selection on cue sensitivity and life history expression, but it is an open question whether populations have the potential for rapid adaptation in response to this selection.
Using Triethyl Phosphate to Increase the Solubility of LiNO 3 in Carbonate Electrolytes for Improving the Performance of the Lithium Metal Anode

The investigation of novel electrolytes for lithium metal anodes has been conducted. Incorporation of LiNO3 into lithium difluoro(oxalato) borate (LiDFOB) in ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) electrolytes results in a significant improvement in capacity retention and Coulombic efficiency. While the solubility of LiNO3 is very low in common carbonate solvents (~0.03 M), the use of triethyl phosphate (TEP) significantly increases the solubility of LiNO3 and improves the capacity retention and Coluombic efficiency of lithium metal anodes. Ex-situ surface analysis of the cycled electrodes suggests that incorporation of LiNO3 results in nitrogen containing species (NO3−, NO2−, and N3−) in the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) which is likely responsible for the performance enhancement.
Development of a standardized, quantitative microarray for gene expression measurement

1647 The use of microarrays to measure changes in gene expression pattern has become common practice in many research laboratories. However, with currently available microarray technology, there is poor inter-lab reproducibility. Further, due to gene-to-gene variation in melting temperatures between cDNA and bound sequence, it is difficult to quantify differences in expression among multiple genes in a sample. Here we have combined custom oligo array and Standardized RT (StaRT)-PCR technologies to develop an array that provides standardized, numerical, reproducible gene expression data. In preliminary studies, we spotted arrays with 70-mer oligonucleotides specific for ACTB and CAT StaRT-PCR products. We performed StaRT-PCR using cDNA synthesized from Universal Human Reference RNA (Stratagene) and commercially available (Gene Express, Inc.) standardized mixtures of internal standards (SMIS) containing ACTB and CAT competitive templates (CT). A series of reactions was performed with a 100-fold variation in the ratio of cDNA to SMIS included in the PCR reaction. PCR products were hybridized to the array along with four fluor-labeled probes. Cy5 labeled probes were designed to bind specifically to either ACTB or CAT native template (NT) in the cDNA while Cy3 labeled probes were designed to bind specifically to either ACTB or CAT CT. Bound probe and PCR product were quantified using a ScanArray 4000 (Perkin-Elmer). Array results were compared to data obtained when aliquots of the same PCR products were electrophoresed and quantified with an Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent Technologies)(a previously validated methodology). Average expression values (in units of CAT cDNA molecules/106 ACTB cDNA molecules) for the array and the Bioanalyzer were 1.16 x 103 and 5.06 x 102 respectively. The CV1 was 9% for the array and 33 % for the Bioanalyzer. Both had similar linear dynamic ranges of detection although the Bioanalyzer had a better lower limit of detection. In further experiments, single expression values obtained using the array for cDNAs from an additional 4 bronchogenic carcinoma cell lines and cultured normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBEC) from one individual were comparable to results obtained with the Agilent method. A major advantage of this approach is that each measurement is made with internal standards contained in a SMIS that is constant and in sufficient supply (>1012 assays) to be used by all labs for many years. Replicate measurements for these samples are underway as are measurements for additional samples. We are continuing to optimize our hybridization conditions and plan to design and test reagents for additional genes. ELC, DAW and JCW each have a significant financial interest in Gene Express, Inc.
Education, Culture, and Society: Selected Works of Henry A. Giroux

The article provides a thirty-year overview of the work of Henry A. Giroux, with a focus on American education, culture and youth. Giroux, a founding theorist of critical pedagogy in the United States, is committed to the belief that a return to civic participation is the sole means of curing what ails the current state of American democracy. In the selected works, Giroux addresses the corporate takeover of schools; the demonization of America's youth; the effects of the violence in the media; and the objectification of women by Hollywood. Rooted in the principles of social justice, fairness, and equality, Giroux embodies the Enlightenment's belief in improvement. The article emphasizes why Giroux is important reading for anyone concerned with the future of democracy in the United States and elsewhere.
IL33 contributes to diesel pollution-mediated increase in experimental asthma severity.

Background Exposure to traffic pollution, notably diesel exhaust particles (DEP), increases risk for asthma and asthma exacerbations. The contribution of cytokines generated by stressed lung epithelial cells (IL25, IL33, TSLP) to DEP-induced asthma severity remains poorly understood. Methods BALB/c mice were exposed intratracheally once to DEP or 9 times over 3-weeks to either saline, DEP, and/or house dust mite extract (HDM). Airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR), pulmonary inflammation, and T-cell subsets were assessed 24 hours after the last exposure in mice sufficient and deficient for the IL33 receptor ST2. Results DEP exposure induces oxidative stress, IL6, neutrophils and pulmonary accumulation of IL33, but not IL25 or TSLP or other features of allergic disease. When mice are co-exposed to DEP and low doses of HDM, DEP increases IL33 lung levels and Th2 responses. ST2 deficiency partially protected mice from HDM + DEP induced AHR in association with decreased type 2 inflammation and lung levels of IL5+ IL17A+ co-producing T-cells. Upon in vitro HDM challenge of lung cells from HDM ± DEP exposed ST2-/- mice, secretion of IL5, IL13, IL6 and IL17A was abrogated by a mechanism involving IL33 signaling in both dendritic cells and T-cells. HDM + DEP exposed bone marrow derived dendritic cells and IL33 pulsed BMDC promote a mixed Th2/Th17 response that was dependent on ST2 expression by CD4+ T-cells. Conclusion IL33 contributes to DEP mediated increase in allergen-induced Th2 inflammation and AHR in a mouse model of severe steroid resistant asthma, potentially through the accumulation of pathogenic IL5+ IL17A+ CD4+ effector T-cells.
Youth encounter programs in Israel: pedagogy, identity, and social change: by Karen Ross, Syracuse, New York, Syracuse University Press, 2017, 220 pp., US $29.95 (paperback), US $60.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-0-8156-3554-3

Karen’s Ross’s ‘Youth encounter programs in Israel: pedagogy, identity, and social change’ examines two programs that bring together Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel: Peace Child Israel an...
A simple COVID-19 model applied to American states to simulate mitigation and containment strategies

# Background The objective of the current work was to develop a simple predictive model of the spread of the novel coronavirus (i.e., 2019-nCoV or SARS-CoV-2) in the United States. The intent was to develop a simple, fast running model that could be used to make predictions regarding the effectiveness of various public policy proposals to mitigate or contain the spread of the virus. In the US, various states have adopted a patchwork of different strategies to manage the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. The model can be used to predict medical resource needs to support comparison of possible strategies and forecast consequences in terms of virus-caused casualties. # Methods The simple model was constructed based on the SIR (Susceptible, Infected, Removed) epidemiological model. The current work builds on the work of Tang, et al., to enhance the SIR model with additional subpopulations. Accounting for different subpopulations in the model requires the use of additional differential equations to track the evolution of the subpopulations, but the basic principle is the same. The method tracks subpopulations of individuals that are exposed (but not yet showing symptoms) (E), asymptomatic carriers (A), and quarantined individuals (if quarantine measures are adopted as part of mitigation or containment strategies) (Q). The current model throughout this paper is referred to as the SEIR+AQ model. # Results Several SEIR+AQ models were constructed for different states in the US. In these different models, the only factors adjusted are specific to the state (e.g., population) and a small number of “cultural” parameters. The cultural parameters were adjusted to achieve good agreement with available validation data. Consistent good agreement over many states indicates that the model’s predictive efficacy is reasonable. Once the models were validated, the predictions were compared to the University of Washington Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) model predictions to verify the SEIR+AQ model through code-to-code benchmarking against a leading COVID-19 model. # Conclusions Two analytical case studies are presented. In the first, the model is used to predict the consequences of relaxing social distancing in favor of a particular containment strategy in the District of Columbia (DC). The predictions indicate that containment may be a viable strategy to reopen sectors of the economy in Washington, DC. In the second, the model is used to predict the consequences of relaxing social distancing in the state of Georgia (GA) without imposing any specific, new containment policies. The predictions show a dramatic increase in hospitalizations a short period after the relaxation of the social distancing orders.
Religion’s Liberalism

This article explores the relation between modern liberalism and the religious foundations of public life. It is intended to complement Cecile Laborde’s book, Liberalism’s Religion, by showing that religious idea are capable of generating and sustaining liberal principles in their own way.
Water Nanoclusters in Cosmology, Astrobiology, the RNA World, and Biomedicine: The Universe as a Biosystem

Laboratory generation of water nanoclusters from amorphous ice and strong terahertz (THz) radiation from water nanoclusters ejected from water vapor into a vacuum suggest the possibility of water nanoclusters ejected into interstellar space from abundant amorphous ice-coated cosmic dust produced by supernovae explosions. Cosmic water nanoclusters offer a hypothetical unified solution to major mysteries of our universe: dark matter (Sect. 3), dark energy (Sect. 4), cosmology (Sect. 5), and the origin of life on Earth and other habitable planets throughout the universe as a connected biosystem (Sects. 6 and 7). Despite their expected low density in space compared to hydrogen, their quantum-entangled diffuse Rydberg electronic states make cosmic water nanoclusters a candidate for baryonic dark matter that can also absorb, via the microscopic dynamical Casimir effect, the virtual photons of zero-point-energy vacuum fluctuations above the nanocluster cut-off vibrational frequencies, leaving only vacuum fluctuations below these frequencies to be gravitationally active, thus leading to a possible common origin of dark matter and dark energy. This scenario offers novel explanations of the small cosmological constant, the coincidence of energy and matter densities, possible contributions of the red-shifted THz radiation from cosmic water nanoclusters at redshift z ≅ 10 to the CMB spectrum, the Hubble constant crisis, the role of water as a known coolant for rapid early star formation, and ultimately how life may have originated from RNA protocells on Earth and exoplanets and moons in the habitable zones of developed solar systems. Together they lead to a novel cyclic universe model instead of a multiverse based on cosmic inflation theory. Finally, from the quantum biomechanics of water nanoclusters interacting with prebiotic organic molecules, amino acids, and RNA protocells on early Earth and habitable exoplanets, as well as with contemporary pathogenic RNA viruses such as COVID-19, for which an antiviral compound is proposed from these principles (Sect. 8), this scenario is consistent with the anthropic principle that our universe must have those properties which allow life, as we know it – based on water, to develop at the present stage of its history.
The Vascular Flora and Community Structure of Little Calumet Headwaters Nature Preserve, Laporte Country, Indiana

Little Calumet Headwaters Nature Preserve is a 108-acre tract of woodland and wetland areas that comprise the headwaters of the Little Calumet River in northwestern Indiana. The preserve, consisting of upland hardwood forests, groundwater seeps, and wetland complex, is an area of high diversity due to its topographical variation. A floristic inventory, plot sampling, and seed bank analysis were used to determine the structure and composition of the plant communities. The flora consists of 298 species (27 exotic) representing 188 genera and 84 families. Dominant vegetation of the forest includes Liriodendron tulipifera, Prunus serotina, Packera aurea and Podophyllum peltatum. Each groundwater seep contains similar plant communities with variant species that depend on water flow and topography. They include species such as Symplocarpus foetidus, Impatiens capensis, and Caltha palustris and lack an extensive woody overstory except for occasional Salix spp. or Cornus spp. The wetland complex contains three distinct areas: an open fen dominated by Leersia oryzoides and Cornus spp.; a marsh dominated by Typha latifolia and Carex lasiocarpa; and a shrub-carr portion dominated by Symplocarpus foetidus, Cornus alternifolia, and Salix nigra. A wetland seed bank study resulted in a total of 46 species representing 33 genera and 22 families. A similarity of 71.7% was determined between the seed bank samples and the above-ground vegetation. The entire preserve has a high floristic quality index (FQI) of 70.1 and average mean coefficient of conservatism of 4.1. The high FQI value is influenced by property size and the number of communities in the preserve.
EFFECT OF TRITIUM AND DECAY HELIUM ON THE FRACTURE TOUGHNESS PROPERTIES OF STAINLESS STEEL WELDMENTS

J-Integral fracture toughness tests were conducted on tritium-exposed-and- aged Types 304L and 21-6-9 stainless steel weldments in order to measure the combined effects of tritium and its decay product, helium-3 on the fracture toughness properties. Initially, weldments have fracture toughness values about three times higher than base-metal values. Delta-ferrite phase in the weld microstructure improved toughness provided no tritium was present in the microstructure. After a tritium-exposure-and-aging treatment that resulted in {approx}1400 atomic parts per million (appm) dissolved tritium, both weldments and base metals had their fracture toughness values reduced to about the same level. The tritium effect was greater in weldments (67 % reduction vs. 37% reduction) largely because the ductile discontinuous delta-ferrite phase was embrittled by tritium and decay helium. For both base metals and weldments, fracture toughness values decreased with increasing decay helium content in the range tested (50-800 appm). (authors)