cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mapping the allosteric sites of the A2A adenosine receptor

The A2A adenosine receptor (A2A AR) is a G protein-coupled receptor that is pharmacologically targeted for the treatment of inflammation, sepsis, cancer, neurodegeneration, and Parkinson's disease. Recently, we applied long-timescale molecular dynamics simulations on two ligand-free receptor conformations, starting from the agonist-bound (PDB ID: 3QAK) and antagonist-bound (PDB ID: 3EML) X-ray structures. This analysis revealed four distinct conformers of the A2A AR: the active, intermediate 1, intermediate 2, and inactive. In this study, we apply the fragment-based mapping algorithm, FTMap, on these receptor conformations to uncover five non-orthosteric sites on the A2A AR. Two sites that are identified in the active conformation are located in the intracellular region of the transmembrane helices (TM) 3/TM4 and the G protein-binding site in the intracellular region between TM2/TM3/TM6/TM7. Three sites are identified in the intermediate 1 and intermediate 2 conformations, annexing a site in the lipid interface of TM5/TM6. Five sites are identified in the inactive conformation, comprising a site in the intracellular region of TM1/TM7 and in the extracellular region of TM3/TM4 of the A2A AR. We postulate that these sites on the A2A AR be screened for allosteric modulators for the treatment of inflammatory and neurological diseases.
Crop-damaging temperatures increase suicide rates in India.

More than three quarters of the world’s suicides occur in developing countries, yet little is known about the drivers of suicidal behavior in poor populations. I study India, where one fifth of global suicides occur and suicide rates have doubled since 1980. Using nationally comprehensive panel data over 47 y, I demonstrate that fluctuations in climate, particularly temperature, significantly influence suicide rates. For temperatures above 20 °C, a 1 °C increase in a single day’s temperature causes ∼70 suicides, on average. This effect occurs only during India’s agricultural growing season, when heat also lowers crop yields. I find no evidence that acclimatization, rising incomes, or other unobserved drivers of adaptation are occurring. I estimate that warming over the last 30 y is responsible for 59,300 suicides in India, accounting for 6.8% of the total upward trend. These results deliver large-scale quantitative evidence linking climate and agricultural income to self-harm in a developing country.
Entropy-Driven Reactions: Summary of the Panel Discussion

Many exothermic ion-molecule reactions occur at the collision limit. Can endothermic ion-molecule reactions still be fast, if “driven” by a compensating entropy increase ? This question continues to excite controversy. To some it is anathema. For others it is as self-evident as the sweating of a feverish brow or the charring of a cake —“entropy-driven” processes that are familiar to all schoolchildren, although not perhaps in those terms.
Effects of wind disturbance and salvage harvesting on macrofungal communities in a Pinus woodland

Abstract Natural disturbances alter the biophysical conditions of ecosystems, influencing patterns of structure, composition, and successional dynamics. Following high severity natural disturbance in forest ecosystems, land-managers sometimes employ salvage harvesting to harvest trees killed or damaged by the disturbance agent. Despite its widespread practice, the effects of salvage harvesting on many ecosystem functions and species assemblages are still poorly understood. This study presents the first attempt to document and analyze the effects of salvage harvesting on macrofungal communities following catastrophic wind disturbance. On 27 April 2011, an EF3 tornado damaged forest stands within the Oakmulgee Ranger District of the Talladega National Forest in west-central Alabama, USA. Following the event, portions of some stands were subject to salvage harvesting. In 2016, we established three treatments, undisturbed, tornado disturbed, and salvage harvested, in stands that were dominated by Pinus palustris P. Miller prior to the 2011 disturbance events. Throughout the sample period, 546 occurrences of 84 macrofungal species were recorded. Tornado disturbed areas hosted the highest macrofungal species richness overall. Undisturbed areas hosted the highest species richness for ectomycorrhizal macrofungi. Salvage harvested areas had reduced species richness for both saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal macrofungi compared to tornado disturbed plots. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination and permutational multivariate analysis of variance indicated that all three treatments differed in macrofungal community composition. The results indicated that salvage harvesting following catastrophic wind disturbance has the capacity to reduce macrofungal species richness and fruiting abundance. The reduction in deadwood volume and alterations to the ectomycorrhizal-associating plant community documented at salvage harvested sites is likely responsible for the observed differences in macrofungal fruiting patterns. The implications of reduced macrofungal richness in the early stages of forest development following catastrophic disturbance should be subject to long-term studies.
Probabilistic programming with programmable inference

We introduce inference metaprogramming for probabilistic programming languages, including new language constructs, a formalism, and the rst demonstration of e ectiveness in practice. Instead of relying on rigid black-box inference algorithms hard-coded into the language implementation as in previous probabilistic programming languages, infer- ence metaprogramming enables developers to 1) dynamically decompose inference problems into subproblems, 2) apply in- ference tactics to subproblems, 3) alternate between incorpo- rating new data and performing inference over existing data, and 4) explore multiple execution traces of the probabilis- tic program at once. Implemented tactics include gradient- based optimization, Markov chain Monte Carlo, variational inference, and sequental Monte Carlo techniques. Inference metaprogramming enables the concise expression of proba- bilistic models and inference algorithms across diverse elds, such as computer vision, data science, and robotics, within a single probabilistic programming language.
Are the Indonesian and western Indian Ocean coelacanths conspecific : a prediction

It is hypothesized that the ancestor of the extant western Indian Ocean and Indonesian populations of Latimeria was continuously distributed along the deeper coasts of massed Africa–Madagascar–Eurasia in early geologic time. The collision of India with Eurasia, roughly 50 MY ago, caused the formation of the Himalayan Mountains and subsequent developement of numerous rivers. The rivers, which flow down both coasts of India, and areas even further east, deposited, and continue to deposit, great amounts of silt along both coasts of India. The siltation destroyed possible coelacanth habitats, thus isolating coelacanth populations to the west of India from those to the east and allowing them to diverge.
Current Issues in Organic Food: United States

In this chapter, we look at the current issues surrounding organic food in the United States. We first look at production issues such as profit, yield, crop insurance, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), input availability, market information, number and size of organic farms, and development pressures. We then look at distribution and marketing issues such as the definition of organic, market growth, supply chain infrastructure, integrity of organic products within the food distribution system, consumer trust, and potential demand for organic food. In section 4, we look at current policy and trade issues such as organic certification rules and standards, the need to educate consumers on the meaning of those rules and standards, the impacts of federal farm policy, subsidization of organic farming practices within federal farm policy and crop insurance programs, and global trade in organic products. In the last section, I briefly discuss the critical need for the future research focused on production and marketing problems and opportunities specific to organic food especially pest control, risk management tools for organic farmers, supply chain for organic products, consumers’ understanding of the certified organic label, and the ability of organic production to meet food needs.
Conflicting Conceptions of Ownership in Taxation

The ideas of property and ownership are very old. Notwithstanding their great age--or more likely because of it--they are far from being clearly defined. A sharp dispute exists as to what constitutes property. According to one view, property consists of such things as land and buildings which are commonly thought of as being owned.' A contrary view denies that such things are property but insists instead that property consists of the various rights and powers or interests involved in ownership.2 This dispute has an important bearing on a more serious controversy involving the classification of limited interests, such as the right of a tenant to use land for a limited period of time, or the right of a person to use stories, plays or inventions for limited purposes, for limited periods or in limited areas. It is commonly considered that such interests are in the nature of privileges or licenses granted by the owner of the property and that they neither constitute property nor give rise to ownership.3 This view as to the nature of limited interests is supported by the following concepts: (1) Ownership is either synonymous with legal title or the two go hand in hand; (2) Property and ownership exist only in the case of interests in perpetuity; and (3) Property is an indivisible entity and anyone having an interest less than complete ownership should not be considered as an owner of property. In contrast it is strongly urged that property rather than being an indivisible entity is instead an aggregate or bundle of rights and powers and that anyone having any of such rights and powers should properly be considered an owner of property.4 A third view, proposed here, recognizes that the creation of limited interests does not result in a division of property but suggests that there is a division of ownership. Accordingly a tenant of land should be regarded as a co-owner with the landlord and hence a co-owner of the property, even though there is no division of the land and hence no division of property. These differences of opinion as to the meaning and nature of property
Benefits of Exercise in Old Age

Although exercise capacity declines with age, the decline appears to be slight when measured in healthy, physically active subjects. There is growing evidence that exercise has a positive influence on increasing healthy function and decreasing the impact of diseases common in the elderly. While the dose-response relationship between physical activity and health benefits continues to be studied, there is some evidence that even low- and moderate-intensity exercise programs in older people result in tangible improvements in many physical and psychologic parameters.
Stimulation of Monocyte Interleukin-8 by Lipid Peroxidation Products: A Mechanism for Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury

Interleukin-8 (IL-8), an inflammatory cytokine that promotes neutrophil accumulation, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease but the mechanism of its production is unknown. The ability of lipid peroxidation products, also implicated in alcoholic liver disease, to stimulate IL-8 production was studied because of their alleged role in alcoholic liver disease. Peroxidized fatty acids (arachidonic and linolenic) as well as microsomal membranes stimulated IL-8 production by peripheral blood monocytes whereas ethanol and acetaldehyde did not. Hydrocortisone (5 microg/ml) prevented the IL-8 stimulation by peroxidized fatty acids. Ethanol-induced lipid peroxidation may secondarily further alcohol-induced liver injury through IL-8 chemotaxis of neutrophils.
Children, Families and Poverty: Definitions, Trends, Emerging Science and Implications for Policy and commentaries

Now, more than ever, it is crucial to address the topic of children and poverty in the U.S., given current scientific knowledge about poverty's influence on children and effective strategies to mitigate its negative impact. In this report, we summarize the best available information on definitions and trends in child poverty, policy responses to child poverty and the impact of poverty on children's health and development. Research suggests that various factors exert upward and downward pressure on child poverty rates. Upward pressure is exerted by declining work rates for men, stagnant wages for low-wage workers, increasing rates of children raised in female-headed households, and growing gaps in educational attainment. Downward pressure is exerted by the U.S. system of antipoverty policies and programs, which appears to be cutting "pre-transfer" poverty rates by more than 50%. Nonetheless, child poverty rates in the United States are high by both historical and international comparison. We then review the emerging science on biological and ecological processes by which poverty affects child development and key findings regarding the efficacy of comprehensive strategies to reduce poverty and to promote the human capital development of poor children. In the final section, we reflect on implications for moving forward in science and policy.
Gendered livelihoods in the global fish-food economy: a comparative study of three fisherfolk communities in Kerala, India

Over the past several decades, global economic relations within the fisheries sector have intensified creating a “global fish-food economy”. Until recently, relatively little attention has been paid to the gendered spatial relations underlying this system and the differential way globalization shapes men and women fish workers’ livelihood options. This paper integrates insights from feminist commodity chain analysis and livelihood analysis to analyze household-level economic data and gendered patterns of labor among three fisherfolk communities in Trivandrum District, Kerala, India. The objective is to investigate the diverse impacts of globalization within fisheries on women and men in local fishing communities. Different gender divisions of labor across the three communities studied inform very different livelihood strategies in response to economic transformations. Thus, globalization in the fisheries plays out differently for men and women in different fishing communities as a result of different configurations of gender, work, culture, identity, and economy and the different ways households and communities are connected to fish economies at different scales. Identifying these differences offers a means by which we might broaden our theoretical understanding of the gendered nature of globalization in resource-based economies.
Does ecosystem services valuation reflect local cultural valuations? Comparative analysis of resident perspectives in four major urban river ecosystems

Anthropologists have long considered how people create and perceive the value of goods and services. While valuation of nature as a commodity is one means of conservation, locally resonant values of nature may not follow market logic. We apply the ecosystem services valuation (ESV) framework to four major urban river ecosystems (Australia, New Zealand, United States, and United Kingdom) to compare and contrast value (the alienable goods that are readily commodified and monetized) and values (the inalienable goods and rights that defy easy comparability and recognition). In interviews, respondents (N = 283) living near the rivers described the local river‐associated ecosystem services (ES) they experienced. Thematic content analysis of coded interview data showed that respondents in all four sites recognize ES in their local areas related to rivers, and these resonate with the value‐oriented ESV frameworks. While the ESV framework offers a way for scholars and policymakers to easily compare the monetary value of ES, our results indicate that rivers have locally ascribed value that defies easy commodification. In particular, our work highlights the local importance of priceless, inalienable values perceived to be conferred across ES and not just restricted to cultural services.
Determinants of Acetylcholine Levels in Aged Rats

Aged rats exhibit altered capabilities to sustain synaptic transmission at the diaphragm neuromuscular junction. For example, synaptic depression is enhanced in older animals (15). Moreover, there are associated changes in end-plate structure. In senescent animals, there are more nerve terminal branches and less sprouting and degeneration per end plate (17; cf. 4). In addition, the number of synaptic vesicles per terminal increases with age (17).
Reduced premovement positivity during the stimulus-response interval precedes errors: Using single-trial and regression ERPs to understand performance deficits in ADHD

Brain mechanisms linked to incorrect response selections made under time pressure during cognitive task performance are poorly understood, particularly in adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using subject-specific multimodal imaging (electroencephalogram, magnetic resonance imaging, behavior) during flanker task performance by a sample of 94 human adolescents (mean age = 15.5 years, 50% female) with varying degrees of ADHD symptomatology, we examined the degree to which amplitude features of source-resolved event-related potentials (ERPs) from brain-independent component processes within a critical (but often ignored) period in the action selection process, the stimulus-response interval, were associated with motor response errors (across trials) and error rates (across individuals). Response errors were typically preceded by two smaller peaks in both trial-level and trial-averaged ERP projections from posterior medial frontal cortex (pMFC): a frontocentral P3 peaking about 390 ms after stimulus onset, and a premovement positivity (PMP) peaking about 110 ms before the motor response. Separating overlapping stimulus-locked and response-locked ERP contributions using a "regression ERP" approach showed that trial errors and participant error rates were primarily associated with smaller PMP, and not with frontocentral P3. Moreover, smaller PMP mediated the association between larger numbers of errors and ADHD symptoms, suggesting the possible value of using PMP as an intervention target to remediate performance deficits in ADHD.
Predicting the onset of void swelling in irradiated metals with machine learning

Abstract Radiation-induced void swelling is a serious mode of degradation in nuclear structural materials. Much effort has been spent to predict swelling resistance, with the goal of increasing the void swelling incubation dose so as to postpone the consequences of radiation damage. However, this trial-and-error approach is highly inefficient due to the time- and resource-intensive nature of both experiments and physics-based multiscale simulations. In this work, as a first attempt, machine learning is applied to perform this prediction based on available experimental data. Of the multiple techniques applied, the gradient boosting ensemble method best predicts experimental onset doses for swelling in test datasets, and identifies the main contributing factors such as temperature, Fe and Cr content, and dose rate, which are consistent with established understanding. This work demonstrates the feasibility of machine learning to predict macroscale radiation effects based on material and environmental parameters, and has practical significance in guiding further material optimization for nuclear applications.
Pediatric Massage Therapy Research: A Narrative Review

This narrative review on pediatric massage literature from the last decade suggests that massage therapy has positive effects on several pediatric conditions. These include preterm infant growth, psychological problems including aggression, gastrointestinal problems including constipation and diarrhea, painful conditions including burns and sickle cell, muscle tone disorders including cerebral palsy and Down syndrome, and chronic illnesses including diabetes, asthma cancer, and HIV. Potential underlying mechanisms for the massage therapy effects include increased vagal activity and decreased stress hormones. Limitations of the literature include the need for more randomized controlled trials, longitudinal studies, and underlying mechanism studies.
Estimation of Eating Disorders Prevalence by Age and Associations With Mortality in a Simulated Nationally Representative US Cohort.

Importance Eating disorders (EDs) are common psychiatric disorders associated with high mortality. However, data on ED disease dynamics and treatment coverage are sparse. Objectives To model the individual-level disease dynamics of ED from birth to age 40 years and to estimate the association of increased treatment coverage with ED-related mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants In this decision analytical model study, an individual-level Markov state transition model was empirically calibrated in April 2019 using a Bayesian approach to synthesize available clinical and epidemiologic ED data. The simulation model was calibrated to nationally representative US survey data from 2007 and 2011. A virtual cohort of 100 000 individuals (50 000 [50%] male) was modeled from birth to age 40 years for 4 ED diagnoses: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other specified feeding and eating disorders. Exposures Age-specific ED incidence and mortality rates and background (all-cause) mortality. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcomes were age-specific 12-month and lifetime ED prevalence and number of deaths per 100 000 general population individuals by age 40 years. The mean and 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) of 1000 simulations, accounting for stochastic and parameter uncertainty, are reported. Results The highest estimated mean annual prevalence of ED occurred at approximately age 21 years for both male individuals (7.4%; 95% UI, 3.5%-11.5%) and female individuals (10.3%; 95% UI, 7.0%-14.2%), with lifetime mean prevalence estimates increasing to 14.3% (95% UI, 9.7%-19.0%) for male individuals and 19.7% (95% UI, 15.8%-23.9%) for female individuals by age 40 years. Ninety-five percent of first-time cases occurred by age 25 years. Current treatment coverage averts an estimated mean of 41.7 deaths per 100 000 people (95% UI, 13.0-82.0 deaths per 100 000 people) by age 40 years, whereas increasing treatment coverage for all patients with ED could avert an estimated mean of 70.5 deaths per 100 000 people by age 40 years (95% UI, 26.0-143.0 deaths per 100 000 people). Conclusions and Relevance In this simulation modeling study, the estimated lifetime prevalence of ED was high, with approximately 1 in 7 male and 1 in 5 female individuals having an ED by age 40 years. The initial onset of EDs was highly concentrated during adolescence and young adulthood, suggesting that this is a critical period for prevention efforts. However, the high estimated prevalence of recurring ED later in life highlights the importance of identification and treatment of ED at older ages as well. These findings suggest that increasing treatment coverage could substantially reduce ED-related mortality.
A p53-Dependent, DNA Damage Response Mediates Ineffective Erythropoiesis Caused by Deregulated Cyclin E Activity.

Abstract Abstract 74 Cyclin E is a critical regulator of cell cycle progression that is frequently found over-expressed in human cancers. We previously described a knock-in mouse model that permitted study of the physiologic consequences of cyclin E deregulation, via abrogation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway controlled by the Fbw7 tumor suppressor. We found that erythroid progenitor cells of cyclin ET74A T393A knock-in mice exhibit abnormally increased proliferation, increased apoptosis, impaired maturation, and dysplastic morphologies. To investigate further the molecular mechanisms by which deregulated cyclin E activity impairs normal erythropoiesis, we have now compared gene expression profiles of CD71high/Ter119high erythroid precursors from the cyclin E knock-in and wild-type, littermate control bone marrows. Most prominent among the gene expression abnormalities identified in the cyclin E knock-in erythroid cells were up-regulated expression of multiple target genes of the p53 tumor suppressor, indicative of p53 pathway activation. We confirmed these findings using both quantitative real-time RT-PCR and western blot, the latter of which identified increased phosphorylation on p53 at serine 15, which is phosphorylated by kinases activating the DNA damage response. These findings were previously identified in cultured primary fibroblasts expressing high cyclin E by ectopic expression, and our data now demonstrate that impaired cyclin E degradation activates p53 in a cell type-specific context in vivo. To test directly the importance of these gene expression abnormalities to the erythroid maturation defects in cyclin E knock-in cells, we utilized an in vitro system for erythroid differentiation of primary bone marrow progenitor cells. We first recapitulated the erythroid differentiation defect identified in vivo in cultured cyclin ET74A T393A knock-in bone marrow cells. Then, to determine the functional importance of p53 activation in cyclin E knock-in erythroid progenitors, we used small hairpin RNAs to knock-down p53 expression in hematopoietic progenitors. We found that reduced p53 expression rescued the erythroid differentiation defects in cyclin E knock-in progenitor cells, while not having a significant effect in wild-type cells. Together, our findings suggest that oncogenic activation of p53 in bone marrow progenitor cells can directly impair erythroid differentiation. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Physiological Uptake of F18-FDG in breast parenchyma

Increased F18-FDG uptake is on PET-CT images should always be assessed carefully for physiological and pathological causes. Breast uptake may be focal or diffuse. Although propensity of tumours increase in focal uptake; diffuse involvement may be seen in lymphoma and some types of breast cancer. Frequently, diffuse breast uptake is non-pathologic due to infection, physiological uptake or lactation. We describe the case of a 27-years old female who underwent 18F FDGPET-CT scan for staging workup of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The scan demonstrated bilateral F18-FDG breast uptake, due to ongoing lactation.
Why Do some Many Nepalis, Medical Doctors, CEOs and Hedge Fund Managers Get Sick or Die on Everest (Sagarmatha, Chomolungma)? A Review and Indicators that Capitalism Went Awful while Searching Human Dignity and Itself

The highest peak of the world, Sagarmatha (in Nepalese; Chomolungma in Tibetan, commonly known by its English name ‘Mt Everest’) stood by itself for many millions of years; it was respected and worshipped by the local community and willfully ignored by colonial powers even! Within its view, on the Tibetan plateau, people lived for app. 40,000 of years and left the largest peak in the world alone, unclimbed. But just in the last 60 years a hype built that took the western world in a storm. Climbing Everest is part of a national ownership, arguably a neocolonial and neoliberal effort, and now it’s a commercial domination. It’s big international business, politics, a crime scene and it tends to attract people that are pretty rich and looking for the ultimate thrill and self-gratification in the public eye. But just a few specific professional groups and incomes dominate, usually from abroad with much local help, and often those ones get injured while being excessively exposed or not being well-prepared for such an undertaking to mount the world’s highest peak. Still, Nepalis remain among the most-often climbed nations for Everest and its injuries and deaths. Such a hype stands in deep contrast to local spiritual believes of mountain people living in harmony with nature and oneself simply leaving those areas alone and untouched by humans due to respect of ‘Mother Earth’. Here some trends and statistics are described for the Mt. Everest landscape as an indicator of globalization driven by the western world and its fashion. Arguably, Everest – the roof of the world- is a good indicator how we treat the world at large and remaining wilderness areas in times of a laissez-faire globalization currently promoted and ruthlessly imposed by ‘the west’.
Chapter 18 – Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of the motor system characterized by focal and then generalized weakness leading to paralysis and death from respiratory failure. Symptoms arise from the loss of corticospinal (upper), and brainstem and spinal (lower) motor neurons. The cause of sporadic ALS (sALS) is unknown. Investigations of the 10% of cases that are familial (fALS) have identified over 30 genes whose mutations predispose to ALS. Expression of mutant ALS genes in rodents and cells has generated models that facilitate identification of molecular pathways in ALS. Two pathological processes appear to be central in this disease: (1) conformational instability and aberrant trafficking of critical proteins; and (2) perturbations of processing of RNA and RNAbinding proteins. Related events include protein aggregation and disturbances of mitochondria, neuronal excitability, and axonal transport. Elucidation of these pathways and events provides targets for treatment development.
Abstract A11: Urine sample-derived cerebral organoids suitable for modeling brain development and pathogenesis

Human cerebral organoids (COs) have been leveraged in many recent studies that led to significant discoveries regarding developmental biology, disease mechanisms, and pharmacologic responses in the central nervous system. Here, we intend to establish cerebral organoids suitable for modeling brain development and pathogenesis based on somatic cells that are isolated noninvasively. The development of such organoids began with the collection of urinary epithelial cells (UECs) from human urine samples. We have obtained multiple lines of human UEC-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (hUEC-iPSCs) by cell reprogramming. COs were generated from hUEC-iPSCs using a protocol optimized by our group. To comprehensively characterize the cellular and molecular features of our COs, we examined samples at different developmental time points. The hUEC-iPSC-developed COs exhibit normal development with neurogenesis and maturation of neuronal cells forming brain layers. These COs produce neurotropic and anti-inflammatory factors that are presumably critical for neurogenesis and neural repair. Several metalloproteases that may facilitate cell migration and microenvironment rearrangement are also present. After transplantation into the mouse cerebrum, vascularization quickly develops in the implanted COs, suggesting their viability and ability to interact with the environment. To gauge cellular plasticity of hUEC-iPSC-developed COs along their development, we exposed the COs that were developed using three different protocols and initially committed to telencephalic development to culture media containing FGF2 and FGF19. Multiple markers of the developing hindbrain were highly upregulated in the COs, indicating that their cellular plasticity and potential to be reprogrammed into noncerebral neural tissue in response to optimized stimuli. Overall, our work begins to reveal the promise of generating personalized COs from cells that are isolated from urine samples. These COs present with cellular plasticity that permits a possibility of generating neural tissue of various brain regions by converting prosencephalic organoids into a mesencephalic or rhombencephalic fate. With further adaptation, this human CO platform could form a unique and personalized model for the investigation of neural development influenced by oncogenic signaling and facilitate the development of novel therapies for treating neurologic malignancy. Citation Format: Jiangnan Hu, Victor Lin, Mark Goldberg, Yu-chieh Wang. Urine sample-derived cerebral organoids suitable for modeling brain development and pathogenesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolving Landscape of Cancer Modeling; 2020 Mar 2-5; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A11.
The dimensional structure of transparency: A construct validation of transparency as disclosure, clarity, and accuracy in organizations:

In this article, we advance research on transparency by developing and validating a measure based on recent theoretical insights about its dimensionality. We find that transparency—defined as the p...
Do-Not-Resuscitate status is an independent risk factor for medical complications and mortality among geriatric patients sustaining hip fractures

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes after hip fracture surgery between DNR/DNI and full code cohorts to determine whether DNR/DNI status is an independent predictor of complications and mortality within one year. A significant number of geriatric hip fracture patients carry a code status designation of DNR/DNI (Do-Not-Resuscitate/Do-Not-Intubate). There is limited data addressing how this designation may influence prognosis. Methods A retrospective chart review of all geriatric hip fractures treated between 2002 and 2017 at a single level-I academic trauma center was performed. 434 patients were eligible for this study with 209 in the DNR/DNI cohort and 225 in the full code cohort. The independent variable was code-status and dependent variables included patient demographics, surgery performed, American Society of Anesthesiologists, score, Charlson Comorbidity Index, significant medical and surgical complications within one year of surgery, duration of follow-up by an orthopaedic surgeon, duration of follow-up by any physician, and mortality within 1 year of surgery. One-year complication rates were compared, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Results The DNR/DNI cohort experienced significantly more surgical complications compared to the full code cohort (14.8% vs 7.6%, p = 0.024). There was a significantly higher rate of medical complications and mortality in the DNR/DNI cohort (57.9% vs 36%, p Conclusions In our analysis, DNR/DNI code status was an independent risk factor for postoperative medical complications and mortality within one year following hip fracture surgery. The results of our study highlight the need to recognize the relationship between DNR/DNI designation and medical frailty when treating hip fractures in the elderly population.
Wage distributions in origin societies and occupational choices of immigrant generations in the USA

This paper studies occupational selection among generations of immigrants in the USA and links their choices to the occupational wage distribution in their country of origin. The empirical results suggest that individuals are more likely to take up an occupation in the USA that was more lucrative in the origin country, conditional on individual demographic characteristics, parental human capital, and ethnic networks. However, the importance of the origin wage declines with the length of time that immigrants spend in the USA and over generations. Information frictions may be an explanation.
Social Reactions Received by Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Qualitative Validation of Key Constructs From the Social Reactions Questionnaire.

The majority of intimate partner violence survivors tell at least one person about the abuse, and the reactions of these support providers can have a profound impact on survivors’ recovery. In rece...
Effect of Peer Mentoring on Quality of Life among CKD Patients: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction CKD is associated with decreased quality of life (QOL). Peer mentoring (PM) leads to improved QOL in various chronic diseases. The effectiveness of PM on QOL of patients with CKD has not been previously studied. We conducted a randomized clinical trial to test the effectiveness of face-to-face (FTF) and online mentoring by trained peers, compared with usual care, on CKD patients' QOL. Methods We randomized 155 patients in one of 3 groups: (1) FTF PM (n = 52), (2) online PM (n = 52), and (3) textbook only (n = 51). Peer mentors were patients with CKD, who received formal training through 16 h of instruction. Participants in all 3 groups received a copy of an informational textbook about CKD. Participants assigned to PM received either 6 months of FTF or online PM. The outcomes included time-related changes in domain scores of the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL)-36 for each of the groups over the 18-month study period. Results Compared with baseline, online PM led to improved scores in domains of the KDQOL-36 at 18 months: Effects of Kidney Disease (p = 0.01), Burden of Kidney Disease (p = 0.01), Symptoms and Problems of Kidney Disease (p = 0.006), SF-12 Physical Composite Summary (p = 0.001), and SF-12 Mental Composite Summary (p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant changes from baseline in domain scores of KDQOL-36 within the FTF PM and textbook-only groups. Conclusions Among patients with CKD, online PM led to increased scores in domains of the KDQOL-36 at 18 months. The study was limited to English-speaking subjects with computer literacy and internet access.
Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity Variation of Expansive Yazoo Clay with Wet-Dry Cycles:

Expansive soils are subjected to shrink-swell behavior with moisture variation in Mississippi, United States. With successive moisture and temperature variations over the seasons, the hydraulic con...
Knowing How and the Argument from Pervasive Inability

In the broadest sense, Propositionalism is the view that knowing how to do something first requires our possessing appropriate propositional attitudes about an action. Non-propositionalism concerning knowing how, is the rejection of propositionalism. This distinction, and the rejection of propositionalism is typically traced back to Gilbert Ryle. In the 21st century, propositionalists have tried to turn the tables with a quick and decisive argument against non-propositionalism. According to the argument from pervasive inability, since (1) There are numerous cases in which someone knows how to do something while possessing a pervasive inability to perform the action she knows how to do, and (2) these cases can be unproblematically explained to be instances of knowing how by propositionalism, but (3) these cases cannot be explained to be instances of knowing how by non-propositionalism, therefore (4) non-propositionalism must be rejected in favor of propositionalism. In this paper, through a careful examination of proposed cases, I argue that premise two is not true, and by correcting propositionalists’ mischaracterization of non-propositionalism, I argue that premise three is also not true. As a result, the argument from pervasive inability fails to provide a decision between propositionalism and non-propositionalism concerning knowing how.
Combinatorial Optimization G(V, E)

Combinatorics is generally concerned with the arrangement, grouping, ordering, or selection of a discrete set of objects usually finite in number [8]. Combinatorial Optimization (CO) is concerned with finding the “best” arrangement, grouping, or ordering of a set of discrete objects. Combinatorial Optimization problems are a sub-class of OR and CS problems for which many applications abound. Graph algorithms such as the Minimum Spanning Tree and Shortest Paths are excellent example problems for CO. Figure 2.1 illustrates alternative shortest path topologies for an accessibility map at the University of Massachusetts to help guide people across the campus.
Histories of the Transgender Child: by Jules Gill-Peterson, Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, 2018, 262 pp., 1 b&w photo, USD $100.00 (cloth), ISBN 9781517904678, USD $24.95 (paperback), ISBN 9781517904678

Invigorating and dazzling, Histories of the Transgender Child by Jules Gill-Peterson opens itself up to us with a bountiful and vibrant move toward a trans of color critique of medicine. To get her...
The Advancement of Arguments in Exegetical Midrash Compared To That of the Greek

L'A. propose une comprehension renouvelee de l'agencement progressif des arguments du Midrash exegetique en les comparant a une version grecque. Il s'agit de determiner les influences externes qui president a la construction de cette argumentation : stoicisme et cynisme. C'est le terme grec de diatribe qui reste la clef de comprehension principale du midrash ici etudie
The induction of interferon by natural and synthetic polynucleotides.hs.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that the discovery of interferon. Portions of the chorioallantoic membrane of embryonated chicken eggs is treated with heat-inactivated influenza virus for 3 hours, then incubated the membrane fragments in fresh solutions of buffered saline for an additional 24 hours. When the fragments were removed, the solutions contained a substance that interfered with viral replication. This antiviral substance was named as “interferon.’’It could be quantitated by measuring the reduction in yield of infectious virus particles produced from membrane fragments pretreated with various dilutions of interferon prior to infection. The antiviral activity was nondialyzable, sensitive to proteolytic digestion with trypsin stable at high and low pH, heat-stable, and insensitive to antibodies against the strain of influenza virus used to induce its formation. The chapter also focuses on the properties of interferon that is physical, chemical, and biological. It discusses that interferon is a protein containing most of the common amino acids and some carbohydrate, including glucosamine. Disulfide groups, amino groups, and the methyl group of methionine are required for antiviral activity. Substitution on sulfhydryl or hydroxyl groups does not affect biological activity. Interferon is isoelectric at pH 6.5-7.0 but is stable from pH 2 to 10. The protein appears to have a molecular weight between 25,000 and 35,000, and hence is probably a single polypeptide chain. It also reviews that interferon causes a stimulation of synthesis of an antiviral protein. This antiviral protein may act by inhibiting the translation of viral messenger RNA.
Book Review: "Hardwired Behavior: What Neuroscience Reveals about Morality"

The field of neuroethics has been described as an amalgamation of two branches of inquiry: the ethics of neuroscience and the neuroscience of ethics. The ethics of neuroscience, which has received considerable attention over the past three to four years, is concerned with the ethical principles that should guide brain research and the treatment of neurological disease, as well as the effects that advances in neuroscience have on our social, moral, and philosophical views. The neuroscience of ethics, which has received considerably less attention, may be described as a scientific approach to understanding ethical behavior. Psychiatrist and lawyer Laurence Tancredi makes a significant and early contribution to the neuroscience of ethics in Hardwired Behavior: What Neuroscience Reveals about Morality.
Single phase DQ frame glover McFarlane H infinity robust droop controller design

A robust power sharing controller for single phase inverter has been developed for the microgrid emergency condition where it is islanded from the main grid, and no communication available. In order to design a robust controller, the Glover McFarlane H infinity synthesis method is used. This design method guarantees the robustness of the droop controller and it allows to specify the settling time of the system during design process. The designed controller is applied to a single phase distribution network comprising of three solid state transformers (SSTs). The PLECS simulation results validate the robust performance of the controller with both load doubling and system topology changing contingencies. And the settling time of the system matches with the MATLAB analysis as designed.
Asian gangs in the United States: The current state of the research literature

Since the late 1980s, criminologists have been interestedin analyzing Asian gangs. Despite the rather sharp increasein books and articles published on the subject in the1990s, there appears to exist no consensus on the nature and etiologyof Asian gangs. This paper describes the current state ofresearch on Asian gangs and assesses whether or not thereis a dominant criminological theory on their cause. Itcompares and contrasts African American and Asian gangs,and closes with research and policy recommendations.
Estimating the Size of Vocabularies of Children and Adults

ONE OF THE oldest problems in educational research has been the estimation of vocabulary size of children and adults. Estimates for the same age groups vary considerably; some of the more re cent studies report more than ten times the vocabu lary size estimated by earlier studies. Thus, while Terman (38) estimated an average vocabulary of 3,600 words for third graders, M. K. Smith (36) es timated a total of 44,000 words. For first g r ade children, the variations are equally discrepant; Madorah E. Smith (35) estimated a total of 2, 562 words; Dolch (12), a total of 2,703; M. K. Smith 24,000;and Shibles (34), a total of 26, 000. For uni versity undergraduates, we find even greater dis crepancies: from about 19,000 words reported by Kirkpatrick (21, 22) and Doran (13)to 157, 000 by Sea shore and Eckerson (30) and over 200,000 by Hart mann (18,19). What are the possible reasons for such var i a tions ? One explanation may be that there has been an improvement in education and in early stimula tion through TV, 2 and hence that children now know more words. Another may be that the variations are related to the procedures used in estimating vocabulary size. The extent of the variations in a fairly small time span suggests that improved edu cation and stimulation alone cannot account for the later and higher estimates, implying essentially that methodological issues are involved.
Accelerated hazards model based on parametric families generalized with Bernstein polynomials

A transformed Bernstein polynomial that is centered at standard parametric families, such as Weibull or log-logistic, is proposed for use in the accelerated hazards model. This class provides a convenient way towards creating a Bayesian nonparametric prior for smooth densities, blending the merits of parametric and nonparametric methods, that is amenable to standard estimation approaches. For example optimization methods in SAS or R can yield the posterior mode and asymptotic covariance matrix. This novel nonparametric prior is employed in the accelerated hazards model, which is further generalized to time-dependent covariates. The proposed approach fares considerably better than previous approaches in simulations; data on the effectiveness of biodegradable carmustine polymers on recurrent brain malignant gliomas is investigated.
LDV measurements in an engine with square and circular piston cups

Mesure des vitesses de l'ecoulement par anemometre laser Doppler dans un moteur avec bol de piston de forme circulaire ou carree
Taming light with cold atoms: Light at bicycle speed ... and slower yet!

The latest results from our Slow Light/Bose-Einstein condensation experiment will be presented. We are using a combination of laser and evaporative cooling to create Bose-Einstein condensates of sodium atoms in a ‘4D’ magnetic bottle. We have succeeded in reducing the light speed in a Bose condensate to the speed of a bicycle by using the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency. Most recently we have brought light to a complete standstill. The results have implications for quantum information processing, for probing and manipulation of Bose-Einstein condensates, and for nonlinear optics.