cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some newer concepts of the natural derivatives of hemoglobin; general considerations; the serum bilirubin and bilirubinuria; the erythrocyte protoporphyrin.

The transition of hemoglobin to bile pigment, at least under normal conditions, is believed to occur via an intermediate biliverdin-globin-iron (verdohemoglobin) and not over the stages of hematin and protoporphyrin. It is probable that the next step is a reduction to bilirubin with splitting off of iron. There is much reason to believe that the globin remains attached until the bilirubin passes through the liver cell, bilirubinglobin exhibiting a delayed or indirect van den Bergh reaction and not being excreted in the urine; the sodium bilirubinate of the bile exhibiting a prompt (19) van den Bergh reaction and being readily excreted in the urine. The former type is characteristic of retention, the latter of regurgitation jaundice. The appearance of bilirubin in the urine is believed to be related to the concentration in the blood of the 19 or prompt bilirubin, rather than that of the total bilirubin. It is evident that the threshold may be considerably lower at the onset of jaundice, as, for example, in hepatitis, than during its defervescence. This undoubtedly accounts for the appearance of bilirubinuria prior to recognizable jaundice in certain instances, likewise for its presence in the cases of so-called "hepatitis without jaundice." In retention jaundice marked elevation of the total serum bilirubin is unassociated with bilirubinuria; in these cases the increase of bilirubin is mainly of the delayed or indirect reacting type. Further evidence is presented of the essential difference between the 19 or prompt, and the T minus 19, or delayed and indirect reacting bilirubins. This consists of a change of the order of reaction at one minute after adding the diazonium salt. The normal upper limit of the 19 bilirubin has been shown to be in the neighborhood of 0.2. mg. per 100 cc.; figures well below this value are usually obtained. Further experience with the erythrocyte protoporphyrin in the anemias has revealed that this determination, quite apart from its fundamental interest, is at times of diagnostic value. Thus in several instances a significant elevation of the erythrocyte protoporphyrin has indicated that the initial impression of pernicious anemia was incorrect, and has led to the search for other information. Conversely, a low normal value in the presence of anemia has often correctly indicated or confirmed the diagnosis of pernicious anemia. Marked elevations have aided in confirming the presence of iron deficiency and have given some insight into the degree of its severity and chronicity. In certain cases, high values for the erythrocyte protoporphyrin have suggested the possibility of heavy metal toxicity, the existence of which has then been borne out by subsequent study.
Improved optical resolution for elastomer-liquid lens at high diopter using varied thickness membrane

Adaptive elastomer-liquid lens can find a variety of optical applications due to the tunable optical powers without additional lens replacement or displacement. Most current elastomer-liquid lenses use elastomer membrane with a constant thickness. This approach, however, suffers from substantial optical aberration due to the edge clamping effect. In this study, a varied thickness elastomer membrane with customized aspherical profile is designed and developed to encapsulate a plano-convex liquid lens. Such varied thickness membrane is fabricated by double-side replica molding against a deformed elastomer-liquid lens membrane with a constant thickness. Such configuration could alleviate the edge clamping effect. Simulation and experimental results both show that the lens with a varied thickness membrane exhibits improved optical resolutions at both the center and the peripheral regions at the back focal length of 10 mm comparing to the lens with a constant thickness membrane. This study provides an effective solution to suppress the optical aberrations without sacrifice of the optical aperture.
Attention Deficit Disorder and Epilepsy

The relation between ADHD and epilepsy is evaluated in a review from New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, New York.
3D Audio Cueing for Target Identification in a Simulated Flight Task

Modern Traffic Advisory Systems (TAS) can increase flight safety by providing pilots with real-time information about the locations of nearby aircraft. However, most current collision avoidance sys...
QUANTIFICATION OF AGING OF PARACHUTE MATERIALS BY SPECTROSCOPIC METHODS

We describe studies of aging of nylon 66 and Kevlar parachute materials using optical spectroscopic methods. The goal of these studies is to develop predictive capabilities for determining parachute material strength versus age using spectroscopic techniques. A predictive understanding of aging requires linking reaction mechanisms, macroscopic measurements, and mechanical tests. Optical spectroscopy and mechanical testing has been applied to both accelerated-aged and field-aged samples. The field samples have been aged in covered containers for up to 14 years at airbases in various locations. The data for the field samples suggest no dramatic changes in pull strength or spectral properties which can presently be attributed to aging. For nylon 66 and Kevlar accelerated-aged at several temperatures, spectroscopic analysis shows correlations between changes in failure load and changes in the infrared spectra. Spectroscopy also shows changes in strength enhancing additives in Kevlar with aging. To link spectroscopic measurements to reaction mechanisms, we need to detect aging products near stockpile conditions. To this end, we are building a Tunable Diode Laser apparatus for in-situ measurement of oxidation products in a controlled atmosphere. These measurements will identify the important chemical reaction mechanisms leading to the observed optical properties and mechanical performance.
Narration under a Blindfold: Reading Joyce's “Clay”

Traditional allegorical readings of Joyce's Dubliners story “Clay” have tended to collude with the story's rhetorical aim of aggrandizing the figure of Maria. The estimation of the “old maid” is indeed the story's crux, and the exigencies of desire compel the manipulative textual strategies that render the story ambiguous and produce conflicting interpretations. The story thereby achieves a fine dramatization of the precarious ontology of the old maid, a dramatization in which the fragmented reader (whose ear and eye are in conflict) participates as a principal actor.
Different yet similar: Examining race and ethnicity in treatment-seeking adults with binge eating disorder.

OBJECTIVE This study examined racial/ethnic differences in demographic variables and the clinical presentation of treatment-seeking adults with binge eating disorder (BED) who participated in treatment research at a medical school-based program. METHOD Participants were 775 (n = 195 men, n = 560 women) treatment-seeking adults with DSM-IV-defined BED who self-identified as Black (n = 121), Hispanic (n = 54), or White (n = 580). Doctoral-level research clinicians assessed participants for BED and for eating disorder psychopathology using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders and the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) interview, and measured height and weight. Participants also completed established self-report measures. RESULTS Black participants had a greater proportion of women than White participants and White participants had higher education than Black and Hispanic participants. Black participants had higher body mass index (BMI) and reported more frequent binge eating episodes than White participants but eating-disorder psychopathology (EDE scales and Global Severity) did not significantly differ across racial/ethnic groups. Black participants had lower levels of depression than Hispanic and White participants. These differences in clinical presentation remained unchanged after adjusting for age, education, sex, and BMI. White participants had younger ages of onset for dieting, binge eating, and obesity, but not BED, than Black and Hispanic participants. CONCLUSION There are some racial/ethnic differences in the developmental trajectories and clinical presentation of treatment-seeking adults with BED that remain unchanged after adjusting for demographic differences. Black participants presented for treatment with higher BMI and binge eating frequency than White participants and with lower depression than White and Hispanic groups, but associated eating disorder psychopathology levels were similar across racial/ethnic groups.
Experimental study for low fluorescent inert filtration reducer XNJ-3

Considering the requirements of exploratory well and development well, as well as environmental protection, low fluorescent and low poisonous inert filtration reducer XNJ-3 was successfully developed by using straight chain saturation alkane and the equilibrium principle of dispersion and collection. The effect of XNJ-3 in fresh water, MMH and high density salt water mud was evaluated comprehensively and was compared with sulphonating asphalt. The results show that XNJ-3 has many advantages such as filtration reducing, lubrication, anti-collapsing, plugging, strong heat resistance (150℃),strong salt resistance (7%NaCL+7%KCOOH) etc. . XNJ-3 has good compatibility with AP-P1 and KCOOH, nice filtration reducing and rheological property in high temperature(150℃) and high density (2. 0 g/cm3) mud system. It is a good filtration reducer in MMH mud and better than sulphonating asphalts such as HL-#, SAS. Because of these reasons, XNJ-3 become a good substitute for sulphonating asphalts.
Expression of the Chediak-Higashi lysosomal abnormality in human peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations

Fusion of lysosomes to form a giant cytoplasmic inclusion is a major abnormality expressed by multiple hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cell types in Chediak-Higashi (C-H) patients. In this study, the extent of involvement of lymphoid cell subpopulations was defined. Purified populations of B cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and helper T cells were obtained from two C-H patients and normal controls by immunofluorescence staining of their blood mononuclear cells with the monoclonal antibodies HB-2, Leu-7, or Leu-3 followed by fluorescence- activated cell sorting. Cytochemical and ultrastructural analyses as well as functional assays were performed to determine whether or not the C-H lysosomal abnormality was expressed in the different lymphocyte subpopulations. B cells expressed the C-H defect following activation and differentiation. All of the Leu-7+ cells and a significant proportion of the Leu-3+ cells displayed the C-H abnormality. These Leu- 3+ cells share the NK lineage characteristics of granular lymphocyte morphology and the capacity to bind to NK cell targets. In contrast, the C-H abnormality was not observed in non-NK target-binding cells with T helper phenotype, in which clusters of lysosomes formed a normal Gall body. Moreover, T cell functions were unimpaired in C-H patients. These observations raise the issue of the lineal relationship between granular and nongranular lymphocytes typed as T cells on the basis of cell surface antigen markers.
Hydroxy fatty acids in human diarrhea.

Fecal hydroxy fatty acids (OHFA) were measured by gas liquid chromatography in a healthy control population (7) and three disease groups: postgastric surgery (16), small bowel disease (10), and pancreatic insufficiency (12). These three disease groups were characterized by diarrhea and/or steatorrhea of varying degree documented by fecal fat and mean daily fecal wet weight. Qualitative gas liquid chromatography indicated that the principal fecal OHFA fraction was hydroxystearate. All three clinical groups had significantly higher fecal OHFA and mean daily fecal wet weights than the normal control population. In both postgastric surgery and pancreatic insufficiency groups, patients with diarrhea had higher values for fecal OHFA than those without diarrhea. All of the small bowel group had some diarrhea, and only those with mild diarrhea and no steatorrhea had normal fecal OHFA. Therapy of OHFA-associated diarrhea in 2 patients by use of medium chain triglycerides was followed by clinical cessation of diarrhea and a sharp decrease in fecal OHFA. It therefore seems that fully saturated medium chain triglycerides are not substrates for bacterial conversion to OHFA. The data presented in this paper support the hypothesis that the bacterial production of OHFA from dietary unsaturated long chain fatty acids may result in diarrhea in several categories of patients.
Lipid digestibility and energy content of distillers' corn oil in swine and poultry.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the DE and ME and apparent total tract digestibility of ether extract of 3 distillers' corn oil (DCO; 4.9, 12.8, or 13.9% free fatty acids [FFA]) samplescompared with a sample of refined corn oil (CO; 0.04% FFA) and an industrially hydrolyzed high-FFA DCO (93.8% FFA) in young pigs and growing broilers. In Exp. 1, 54 barrows (initial age = 28 d) were fed a common diet for 7 d and then fed their allotted dietary treatment (either 100% basal diet or 1 of 5 test diets consisting of 90% basal diet plus 10% test lipid) for the next 7 d in group pens (9 pigs/pen). For the next 10 d, pigs were moved to individual metabolism crates for continued diet and crate adaptation and to a twice-daily feeding regimen. Pigs remained on their respective diets for a 4-d total fecal and urine collection period. For Exp. 2, 567 male broilers were obtained from a commercial hatchery (1 d of age) and reared in grower battery cages that contained 9 chicks per cage. Broilers were fed a common corn-soybean meal starter diet from placement until the beginning of the trial (19 d of age). Birds were then randomly assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments (94% basal diet plus 6% dextrose or 94% basal diet plus 6% test lipid substituted for dextrose) on d 19 and were allowed an 8-d dietary acclimation period followed by a 48-h energy balance assay. In Exp. 1, the DCO sample with 12.8% FFA contained the lowest ( 0.35) content among the lipids evaluated. In Exp. 2, lipids containing 0.04, 4.9, 12.8, and 13.9% FFA had similar nitrogen corrected apparent ME (AME) values (8,072, 7,936, 8,036, and 7,694 respectively), except for the industrially hydrolyzed DCO sample containing 93.8% FFA, which contained 6,276 kcal/kg ( < 0.01). Using published prediction equations, the predicted DE of these lipids for swine was 3.5% greater than the values determined in Exp. 1 for all lipid sources, except for the DCO sample containing 93.8% FFA, which the predicted DE was underestimated. Likewise, the predicted AME of these lipids for broilers was 7.4% greater than the determined AMEn (Exp. 2) for all lipid sources.
OPERATIVE MANAGEMENT OF INTRA-ABDOMINAL INFECTIONS

SUMMARY Operation for intra-abdominal infection aims to prevent further contamination of the abdominal cavity, treat the underlying source of infection, and prevent residual or recurrent sepsis by cleaning the peritoneal cavity. Aggressive attempts at early diagnosis are warranted, even if laparotomy is occasionally required for diagnostic as well as therapeutic purposes. Conversely, the degree to which more aggressive methods of peritoneal debridement are helpful is the subject of great controversy that can be resolved only by prospective, randomized multicenter trials. Current standard treatment consists of closure, drainage, or excision of the source of contamination; intra-operative saline or antibiotic lavage of the peritoneal cavity; fascial closure; and secondary or delayed primary closure of the wound.
Teenage abortion, birth and pregnancy statistics by state, 1988.

The report provided updated estimates of teenage abortion by state in the United States for 1988 as well as pregnancy and birth rates. Teenagers were grouped at the age of pregnancy outcome. The findings revealed 400000 women pregnant under the age of 18 years and 600000 pregnant women aged 18-19 years. About 66% of the 1034000 teenagers were White. The national rate of teenage pregnancy in 1988 was 111/1000 women aged 15-19 years (53 births 43 abortions and 15 miscarriages) 113/1000 for all races and 103/1000 for Whites and 96/1000 without miscarriages. The highest rates were in California (154/1000) and the lowest in North Dakota (57/1000). Nevada (142/1000) Hawaii (134/1000) Florida (133/1000) and Maryland (129/1000) also had high rates. Low rates of 69/1000 were found in Utah Minnesota South Dakota and Iowa. The rates among 15-17 year olds were 74/1000 and rates among those 18-19 years were 164/1000. About 50% of pregnancies had a birth outcome and birth outcomes were higher among those aged 18-19 years. Abortion and birth rates did not follow the same pattern as pregnancy rates. For example in Mississippi there was a 106/1000 pregnancy rate a 73/1000 birth rate and a 16/1000 abortion rate. Other states with a high birth rate and a low abortion rate were New Mexico Arkansas Arizona Georgia and Texas. Low birth rates were found in Minnesota North Dakota Massachusetts Iowa New Hampshire and Vermont. The highest abortion rates were in California (76/1000) Hawaii (68/1000) New York (61/1000) Maryland (61/1000) and New Jersey (60/1000). Low abortion rates were in Utah (15/1000) Mississippi (16/1000) Idaho (17/1000) and West Virginia (17/1000). Birth and abortion rates by state followed similar patterns regardless of age except among women 15-17 years compared to those 18-19 years in Missouri and Rhode Island which have parental consent laws. Race data on abortion among teenagers was available for only 29 states. In general pregnancy birth and abortion rates were 2-3 times higher among non-Whites. The highest White pregnancy rates were in Arizona New Mexico and Texas with large Hispanic populations. States with low pregnancy birth and abortion rates for Whites did not always have low rates for Blacks.
Different cultures &#8211; different discourses? Rhetorical patterns of business letters by English and Russian speakers

The chapter presents a cross-cultural analysis of rhetorical patterns in Russian and American business correspondence. The choice of linguistic features to be analyzed was guided by previous research in English as a Second Language, English for Specific Purposes, and Professional Communication studies. A few areas of Hofstede’s (1984) theory of cultural dimensions, such as power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and individualism/collectivism, were adapted for the linguistic and rhetorical analysis of the American and Russian business letters, and the data were tested in terms of these cultural dimensions. The results help illustrate the approach that could be taken while teaching intercultural rhetoric in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) business writing courses as well as Business Communication courses.
Characterization of multi-bit soft error events in advanced SRAMs

Error correction code schemes are being implemented in memories and microprocessor caches in response to SER increases which result from increasing bit counts and technology scaling. These methods can be rendered ineffective by multi-bit error events. An exhaustive characterization of multi-bit errors in 90/130 nm SRAMs is presented to support bit interleaving rules that make the impact of multi-bit errors negligible.
Selective Deletion of ATG5 in Bone Marrow Leptin-Receptor-Expressing Perivascular Stromal Cells Causes Leukopenia

Abstract Bone marrow niche cells, specifically the Leptin-receptor-expressing perivascular stromal cells (LepR+), CXCL12-abundant reticular cells (CAR), and endothelial cells play an important role in the maintenance and self-renewal functions of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). This maintenance function provided by the niche cells is mediated by a number of secretory-related molecules such as stem cell factor (SCF), CXCL12 and Angiopoietin. In addition, functional autophagy within HSCs is known to play a critical role for maintaining HSC homeostasis, as the loss of ATG7 in HSCs leads to loss of normal HSC functions and severe myeloproliferation. However, it remains unclear as to how hematopoiesis will be affected if autophagy is selectively blocked in bone marrow niche cells. To investigate the effect of autophagy deficiency within bone marrow niche cells on hematopoiesis, we generated a knockout mouse model allowing for a selective ablation of an autophagy-essential protein, ATG5, in LepR+ perivascular stromal cells. We have confirmed that the deletion of Atg5 is indeed restricted to LepR+ cells, and that the loss of ATG5 is sufficient to block autophagic function, as evident through the accumulation of p62 protein. We found that the white blood cell count (WBC) is significantly reduced in 16-week old male ATG5 KO mice compare to wild type (wt) littermate control mice (p 0.05). Although the absolute cell count of lymphocytes, including B and T cells (CD19+ and CD3+, respectively) in peripheral blood, is significantly dropped in ATG5 KO mice compared to wt controls, there is no significant change of mature B and T cells in bone marrow. These preliminary results suggest that deletion of a key autophagy regulator in LepR+ bone marrow niche cells will cause leukopenia. The underlying mechanism is currently under investigation and it will help us to better understand the role of autophagy in hematopoiesis within the bone marrow microenvironment. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Distributed Representations of Subgraphs

There has been a surge in research interest in learning feature representation of networks in recent times. Researchers, motivated by the recent successes of embeddings in natural language processing and advances in deep learning, have explored various means for network embedding. Network embedding is useful as it can exploit off-the-shelf machine learning algorithms for network mining tasks like node classification and link prediction. However, most recent works focus on learning feature representation of nodes, which are ill-suited to tasks such as community detection which are intuitively dependent on subgraphs. In this work, we formulate a novel subgraph embedding problem based on an intuitive property of subgraphs and propose SubVec, an unsupervised scalable algorithm to learn feature representations of arbitrary subgraphs. We demonstrate usability of features learned by SubVec by leveraging them for community detection problem, where it significantly out performs non-trivial baselines. We also conduct case-studies in two distinct domains to demonstrate wide applicability of SubVec.
Changes in Hospital Quality Associated with Hospital Value-Based Purchasing

BackgroundStarting in fiscal year 2013, the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) program introduced quality performance–based adjustments of up to 1% to Medicare reimbursements for acute care hospitals. MethodsWe evaluated whether quality improved more in acute care hospitals that were exposed to HVBP than in control hospitals (Critical Access Hospitals, which were not exposed to HVBP). The measures of quality were composite measures of clinical process and patient experience (measured in units of standard deviations, with a value of 1 indicating performance that was 1 standard deviation [SD] above the hospital mean) and 30-day risk-standardized mortality among patients who were admitted to the hospital for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia. The changes in quality measures after the introduction of HVBP were assessed for matched samples of acute care hospitals (the number of hospitals included in the analyses ranged from 1364 for mortality among patients admitted for acute myocard...
Table 2: [Conversation] Engaging Questions of Inclusion Post Charlottesville

*No special preparation required*AÂ Welcome to ITL and this table! Join your fellow Mason instructors to informally discuss this table's topic. At the table, you will find desk copies of related resources (digital versions are available below), and an experienced Mason colleague who has experience and strategies related to this topic.AÂ AÂ Not sure what to talk about?AÂ AÂ Here are some conversation starters:Share a little about yourselves:AÂ DepartmentYears at MasonCourses you are teachingWhat excites you about teaching?What brought you to this table?How do you prepare students to engage in difficult conversations?How do you prepare students on a topic before coming to class?How do you balance a safe space in class discussions with allowing people the freedom to share their thoughts that may be offensive?Do you include trigger warnings in your syllabus or course materials? AÂ Why or why not?What do you do if you find in the middle of teaching AÂ a topic you thought was innocuous that a student finds the topic sensitive or controversial?What skills are you building in students by having them engage in these topics? AÂ How do you communicate the career value of these skills?Have an example or resource to share?AÂ AÂ Submit through this link and we'll upload it after the conference:AÂ http://library.gmu.edu/publishing/submitAÂ Still have questions?AÂ AÂ Leave a post it note on the table sign at the end of the Share-a-thon or email your questions toAÂ stearns@gmu.eduAÂ ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:George Mason University's Preferred Name Policy can be found here:https://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/policies/preferred-name-policy/
Playing with languages. Children and change in a Caribbean village

Set against the backdrop of Dominica, the land of 365 rivers, Playing with languages. Children and change in a Caribbean village is a rich ethnographic study that captures the complexities of growi...
Long-Term Outcome of Infliximab Optimization for Overcoming Immunogenicity in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Preliminary data suggest that treatment optimization can reverse immunogenicity and regain response in patients with IBD and secondary loss of response (SLR) to anti-TNF therapy due to antidrug antibodies. However, data regarding the long-term outcome of these patients are scarce. We aimed to investigate drug retention in IBD patients of whom infliximab was optimized to overcome immunogenicity and variables associated with drug retention. This was a retrospective, multicenter study of consecutive IBD patients with antibodies to infliximab (ATI), based on either proactive or reactive therapeutic drug monitoring, who underwent infliximab optimization (increasing dose, shortening interval, adding an immunomodulator, or combination) to overcome immunogenicity from September 2012 to July 2015; they were followed through December 2015. ATI were analyzed using the drug-tolerant Prometheus homogeneous mobility shift assay. Drug retention was defined as no need for drug discontinuation due to SLR or serious adverse event. Our cohort consisted of 22 patients (Crohn’s disease, n = 15). At the end of follow-up [median, (IQR): 17.3 (10.5–32.8) months] 77% (15/22) of patients were still on drug. Univariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis identified first detectable ATI titer as the only variable associated with drug retention (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.82–0.98, p = 0.016). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis identified an ATI titer < 8.8 U/mL associated with drug retention. In real-life clinical practice, optimization of infliximab therapy can prevent drug discontinuation in approximately 3/4 of patients with ATI, especially in those with low titers. Large prospective studies are needed to confirm these data.
Hong-Ou-Mandel interference in the frequency domain using linear optical components

We demonstrate a Hong-Ou-Mandel interference pattern in the frequency domain with an electro-optic phase modulator and programmable pulse shapers, using energy-time entangled photons.
REVIEW OF PASSIVE HEATING AND COOLING RESEARCH

ABSTRACT This paper summarizes recent research works of the author on passive solar heating and cooling of buildings. The studies summarized are: Experimental validation of the LASL predictive formulae for Direct Gain; Extention of the LASL correlational formulae into a generalized model; Nocturnal Radiant Cooling; Convective Cooling; Roof-pond cooling; Earth Cooling. The paper presents the methodologies and summarizes the results of these studies.
Human Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) Synthetase Requirements for Subunit Aggregation

The high energy sugar phosphate 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) is synthesized from MgATP and ribose-5-phosphate in a reaction catalyzed by PRPP synthetase (E.C. 2.7.6.1). In vitro studies of this enzyme,1–6 as well as evaluations of PRPP production in intact cells, 7,8 indicate that PRPP synthetase activity is regulated in a complex fashion involving the interaction of substrates, activators, reaction products and diverse inhibitors. Enzyme activity is strictly dependent upon the presence of inorganic phosphate (Pi) and Mg2+ which serve both as activators and cofactors.3 Among inhibitors of PRPP synthetase activity are purine, pyrimidine and pyridine nucleotide end-products of the pathways of PRPP utilization, the reaction products (PRPP and AMP), and 2,3-DPG.3,6
Abstract 964: Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies potential therapeutic combination of EGFR and FGFR inhibitors in oral cancer

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has remained a disease with poor survival for decades. Current treatment options such as targeting EGFR has had limited success. We hypothesize that inhibiting compensatory pathways in combination with EGFR signaling may result in greater efficacy. To identify synergistic combinations with EGFR-targeted therapy, we introduced Genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 KnockOut (GeCKO) libraries into OSCC cell lines. CRISPR-Cas9 generates individual genetic knockouts through targeted gene editing. We used a pool of CRISPRs targeting over 18,000 genes to perform genome-scale screening for drivers of sensitivity to EGFR-targeted therapy. Upon selection of the OSCC GeCKO pool, we identified gene knockouts in the FGFR pathway that increased sensitivity to the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib. Using resazurin viability assays we tested combinations of EGFR and FGFR inhibitors in 14 OSCC cell lines. Six/14 (43%) of the cell lines were responsive to the combination, indicating that the FGFR pathway is an alternate mechanism of resistance to EGFR-targeted therapy in some tumors. We advanced an OSCC cell line to test in vivo by establishing subcutaneous cell line xenografts in mice. After treatment for 21 days, the mice receiving the combination of EGFR and FGFR inhibitors, gefitinib and BGJ398, had significantly smaller tumors than mice receiving vehicle or either monotherapy. These results suggest targeting EGFR in combination with its compensatory pathway such as FGFR signaling could be effective in vivo. While OSCC remains a common and frequently lethal cancer, there is great potential for the development of novel personalized targeted therapies. Here, we describe the use of genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 library to discover the synergistic combination of EGFR and FGFR inhibition. Further investigation suggests the FGFR pathway is a common compensatory mechanism to EGFR inhibition, and that targeting EGFR and FGFR in combination has efficacy in an in vivo model. Overall, targeting compensatory mechanisms in combination with EGFR-targeted therapy could generate novel, beneficial treatment plans for patients with OSCC. Citation Format: Megan Ludwig, Andrew Birkeland, Sai Nimmagadda, Sue Foltin, Aditi Kulkarni, Hui Jiang, Thomas Carey, John Chad Brenner. Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies potential therapeutic combination of EGFR and FGFR inhibitors in oral cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 964.
Constituent power and civil disobedience: Beyond the nation-state?:

Radical democratic political theorists have used the concept of constituent power to sketch ambitious models of radical democracy, while many legal scholars deploy it to make sense of the political...
Changes in tumor mutational burden in serially biopsied non-small cell lung cancer.

e14286Background: High tumor mutational burden (TMB) has been associated with response to checkpoint blockade in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other malignancies. However, the degree to wh...
Approximate ponding analysis by amplified first-order analysis

Abstract When water accumulates on the roof of a building, the resulting loads and deflections mutually depend on each other. This nonlinear effect, known as ponding, can cause collapse of insufficiently stiff and strong structures. There is a growing recognition of the limitations of current design methodologies for ponding. Newer methods of design have been proposed that overcome the limitations of the existing methodologies. These newer methods rely on the ability of the engineer to perform a nonlinear ponding analysis. Several methods exist for performing this type of analysis accurately. However, many design situations do not require full accuracy and an approximate method would be useful to practicing structural engineers. This work addresses this need by presenting an approximate ponding analysis method in which nonlinear results are obtained through amplification of first-order analysis results. Development of the methodology is described, an example is presented, and the accuracy of the method is discussed along with suggestions for future improvements. The availability of this method of analysis will allow wider adoption of newer and more rigorous methods of design for ponding.
A Person-Centered Approach to HIV-Related Protective and Risk Factors for Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men: Implications for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis and HIV Treatment as Prevention

Although young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV, they may be more heterogeneous as a group than is typically appreciated. Thus, the present study used a person-centered data-analytic approach to determine profiles of HIV-related risk among YBMSM and whether these profiles could be distinguished by age, HIV status, and socioeconomic risk (i.e., socioeconomic distress). YBMSM (N = 1808) aged 18 to 29 years completed a survey of sociodemographic characteristics, HIV status, and HIV-related behavioral and attitudinal factors (i.e., safer-sex self-efficacy, negative condom attitudes, being in difficult sexual situations, being in difficult sexual relationships, HIV treatment optimism, perceived HIV stigma). Latent profile analysis was used to identify HIV risk profiles and whether age, HIV status, and socioeconomic distress were associated with these profiles. Four profiles emerged: low-, medium-, and high-risk profiles, respectively, and a mixed profile characterized by a tendency to be in difficult sexual situations and relationships while also reporting high safer-sex self-efficacy and low negative attitudes toward condom use. Difficult sexual situations emerged as the key defining indicator of whether a profile reflected higher or lower risk. Younger age, being HIV-positive, and socioeconomic distress were associated with having a higher-risk profile. Given that unique risk profiles emerged that were differentially predicted by sociodemographic characteristics and HIV status, these findings have implications for tailoring interventions to the needs of different subgroups of YBMSM. Also, disempowering or risky sexual situations and relationships among YBMSM must be addressed.
Asking the Right Questions: Using Reflective Essays for Experiential Assessment.

Background: Experiential educators face difficulties assessing participants and programs because there are so many measurement tools to choose from, many measures have validity issues such as those...
Spray-on magnetic skin for robotic actuation

A minimalist robot construction strategy offers versatility and compatibility in actuating diverse objects on demand.
Nutrition and Preventative Medicine Across the Lifespan: Implementation of a Physician Assistant Team-Based Learning Curriculum on Pediatric Preventative Medicine.

PURPOSE Physician assistants (PAs) will increasingly fill an important primary care gap in pediatrics. This study implemented a pediatric preventative care curriculum using a team-based learning (TBL) strategy and then evaluated the effect on first-year PA students' knowledge and attitudes toward TBL as a teaching method. METHODS The curriculum was developed and implemented during a one-semester course. Students completed knowledge-based questions precourse and postcourse; the mean scores for individual students were then compared using a paired t test. Descripted statistics were used to analyze the postcourse survey that evaluated students' attitudes toward TBL. RESULTS Of the 31 PA students who participated, 27 (87%) completed the surveys and were included in the analysis. The mean correct pretest and posttest scores were 17/39 and 31/39, respectively, resulting in a change of 14 points (p < .05). The majority of students (85%) rated TBL as effective, and most students (75%) reported that it led to retention of the presented content. CONCLUSIONS A TBL-based curriculum in pediatric preventative care was effective in increasing PA student knowledge, and the students reported it as effective. This strategy could be considered for other PA courses.
Experimental Investigation on Thermal Inertia Characterization of Commercial Buildings for Demand Response

Abstract Characterizing the thermal inertia of commercial buildings is of great importance in quantifying demand flexibility, and experimental tests can be used for this purpose. However, existing studies tend to be qualitative and have a limited scope. In this study, a comprehensive experimental study has been performed to assess the thermal inertia of commercial buildings. In this field test, six buildings were selected with different sizes, vintages, and types of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The studied HVAC systems are used for comfort heating and cooling in over 80% of the U.S. commercial building stock. We quantified thermal inertia using building operation data collected under various thermostat excitation signals. We then studied the relationship between thermal inertia and intrinsic properties, such as floor area, HVAC system, etc., as well as operation condition indicators including outdoor air temperature, zone temperature, and occupancy. The test results indicate that the median values of the normalized charge response time and the normalized discharge response time of the five buildings are 1–5 hr/°C and − 5 to − 1 hr/°C, respectively. The results also show that the thermal inertia of commercial buildings may be sensitive to the HVAC system type but not the floor area or location of zones, i.e., core vs. perimeter. Furthermore, our results suggest that the relationships between the normalized charging/discharge response time and the zone/outdoor temperature may vary among zones and be highly nonlinear.
The Illegal Immigrant

Most of the headlines made by illegal immigrants in North America these days are made in the United States. No immigration story emanating from either Canada or Mexico has ever garnered as much attention from the mass media as the story of how Zoe Baird was forced to withdraw her name from consideration to become President Bill Clinton’s Attorney General after confessing to the heinous “crime” of providing decent jobs for two illegal immigrants from Peru.
Evaluation of heparinized syringes for measuring newborn metabolites in neonates with a central arterial line.

Newborn metabolic screening is emerging as a novel method for predicting neonatal morbidity and mortality in neonates born very preterm (<32 weeks gestation). The purpose of our study was to determine if blood collected by an electrolyte-balanced dry lithium heparin syringe, as is routine for blood gas measurements, affects targeted metabolite and biomarker levels. Two blood samples (one collected with a heparinized syringe and the other with a non-heparinized syringe) were obtained at the same time from 20 infants with a central arterial line and tested for 49 metabolites and biomarkers using standard procedures for newborn screening. Overall, the median metabolite levels did not significantly differ by syringe type. However, there was wide variability, particularly for amino acids and immunoreactive trypsinogen, for individual paired samples and therefore, consideration should be given to sample collection when using these metabolites in prediction models of neonatal morbidity and mortality.
Barriers to employment among people with epilepsy: Report of a focus group

Attaining employment as a person with epilepsy often involves the negotiation of numerous obstacles. Complex and interrelated, these obstacles include navigating the relationship between work, epilepsy, and its treatment, often in the context of negative and uninformed attitudes and beliefs of employers and co-workers. This article reports the results of a focus group in which the employment-related challenges and successes of people with epilepsy were explored. The results underscore the complexity of the process of seeking, attaining, and maintaining work as a person with epilepsy. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for rehabilitation professionals who are working to help people with epilepsy to successfully find and maintain employment.
Space-Time Method for Chemically Reacting Flows with Detailed Kinetics

The space-time CE/SE method originally developed for non-reacting flows was extended to accommodate finite-rate chemical kinetics for multi-component systems. The complete conservation equations of mass, momentum, energy, and species concentrations were directly tackled, and a sub-time step technique was established to perform the time integration of stiff chemical source terms in the formulation. In addition, a local grid refinement technique in the framework of the CE/SE method was incorporated to enhance the flow resolution in areas of interest. The algorithm was tested against several detonation problems with detailed chemical kinetics.
Countable partitions of the sets of points and lines

The following theorem is proved, answering a question raised by Davies in 1963. If L0 ∪L1 ∪L2 ∪ . . . is a partition of the set of lines of R, then there is a partition R = S0 ∪ S1 ∪ S2 ∪ . . . such that |` ∩ Si| ≤ 2 whenever ` ∈ Li. There are generalizations to some other, higher-dimensional subspaces, improving recent results of Erdős, Jackson & Mauldin. 0. Introduction. A series of papers, beginning in 1919 with Sierpinski [7] and ending with the 1963 paper of Davies [1], culminates in the following theorem. Simms [8] presents a detailed and fascinating account of the history of this and related theorems. Theorem 0.1 (Davies). If m < ω, then the following are equivalent : (1) 2א0 ≤ אm; (2) if 2 ≤ n < ω and L = L0 ∪ L1 ∪ . . . ∪ Lm+1 is a partition of the set of lines of R, then there is a partition R = S0 ∪S1 ∪ . . .∪Sm+1 such that for each ` ∈ Li, ` ∩ Si is finite; (3) there are pairwise nonparallel lines d0, d1, . . . , dm+1 in R2 and a partition R2 = S0 ∪ S1 ∪ . . . ∪ Sm such that if a line ` is parallel to di, then ` ∩ Si is finite. Prior to the publication of this result, yet motivated by some similar results on finite partitions, Erdős [3] had asked about infinite partitions: If L = L0∪L1∪L2∪. . . is a countable partition of the set of lines of R2, is there a partition R2 = S0∪S1∪S2∪. . . such that for each ` ∈ Li, |`∩Si| ≤ 1? This question was answered negatively by Davies [2]. However, on the positive side, Davies [2] proved the following two closely related theorems. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: 03E05, 04A20.
Improving intelligent tutoring systems: using expectation maximization to learn student skill levels

This paper describes research to analyze students' initial skill level and to predict their hidden characteristics while working with an intelligent tutor. Based only on pre-test problems, a learned network was able to evaluate a students mastery of twelve geometry skills. This model will be used online by an Intelligent Tutoring System to dynamically determine a policy for individualizing selection of problems/hints, based on a students learning needs. Using Expectation Maximization, we learned the hidden parameters of several Bayesian networks that linked observed student actions with inferences about unobserved features. Bayesian Information Criterion was used to evaluate different skill models. The contribution of this work includes learning the parameters of the best network, whereas in previous work, the structure of a student model was fixed.
A Review of “Blender Master Class: A Hands-On Guide to Modeling, Sculpting, Materials, and Rendering”

Blender (http://www.blender.org) is a powerful open source 3-D-graphics software package. Blender combines with GIMP (http://www.gimp.org) for 2-D image manipulation, allowing users to create profe...
Hopes and delusions of transparency

Abstract Changing the transparency of principals, agents, or technologies affects their power relations with the users of transparency. I explore the complexity of these changes, drawing for concreteness on prescriptions of transparency ranging from the Age of Enlightenment to the 2000 Kyushu-Okinawa and earlier G8 summits and the transparency codes promulgated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The discussion ranges from gifts and exchanges of transparency to demands for international transfers of transparency. The main message that emerges is that greater transparency, far from having the characteristics of a simple public good which yield nonrival benefits to all consumers of this quality, is bound to be a contentious issue between the parties jockeying for control. While greater transparency of political agents can be helpful to principals even when not necessary or sufficient for improved governance, greater transparency of the principals themselves often harms them.
Diabetes. The missing link with obesity

The molecular mechanisms underlying the link between obesity and diabetes have been elusive. A new protein, christened 'resistin', can now be added to the panoply of factors that may be involved.
CHINESE CITIES: CONTROLLED GROWTH AND EMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS

This study examines population growth—both natural and that due to migration—in Chinese cities over the past 35 years and analyzes the interaction of population growth and socioeconomic development in urban centers, particularly the problem of employment. China has a unique demographic history, although some aspects of its demography conform to the world pattern. The general and unique aspects of Chinese urban population dynamics are distinguished where appropriate. The pattern of natural increase of Chinese cities is characterized by two periods of highs. The major migratory movements were set in motion by actions of the government. Over the decades, the characteristics and structure of the city population have changed. One change has been the faster growth of the working-age population as compared with the dependent groups. This growth has resulted in increased demand for new jobs, aggravating the employment problem.
The Role of the Subiculum in Epilepsy and Epileptogenesis

The subiculum is the first output structure distal to the hippocampus, abutting subfield CA1. As such, the subiculum receives afferent input from the hippocampus. Accumulating clinical and experimental evidence suggests that the subiculum plays an important role in the initiation and maintenance of epileptic discharges in temporal lobe epilepsy. This review discusses the anatomy and physiology of the subiculum and examines its participation in epilepsy and epileptogenesis.