cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
National sociodemographic disparities in the treatment of high-risk prostate cancer: Do academic cancer centers perform better than community cancer centers?

BACKGROUND Most major cancer organizations seek to reduce sociodemographic disparities in high-risk cancers partly by increasing access to theoretically high-quality, academic-oriented cancer care. The objective of this study was to determine whether academic centers have less sociodemographic treatment disparities than community centers using high-risk prostate cancer as a test case. METHODS The National Cancer Data Base was used to identify 138,019 patients who were diagnosed with nonmetastatic, high-risk prostate cancer from 2004 to 2012. Multivariable logistic analysis was used to identify independent determinants of definitive therapy. The Gray test and multivariable Cox regression were used to analyze the timing of therapy. All analyses were stratified by academic versus community cancer center. RESULTS Compared with white or privately insured patients, black, Hispanic, and uninsured patients with prostate cancer were less likely to receive definitive therapy at both community centers (adjusted odds ratio: 0.60 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.56-0.64], 0.69 [95% CI, 0.61-0.78], and 0.25 [95% CI, 0.22-0.30], respectively) and academic cancer centers (adjusted odds ratio: 0.50 [95% CI, 0.46-0.54], 0.56 [95% CI, 0.50-0.64], and 0.31 [95% CI, 0.28-0.36], respectively). Among patients who received definitive therapy, black, Hispanic, and uninsured patients were more likely to experience treatment delays at both community centers (≥15, ≥ 10, and ≥19 days, respectively; all Gray P < .001) and academic centers (≥19, ≥ 11, and ≥18 days, respectively); treatment delays were observed among the aforementioned groups even after multivariable Cox regression analysis (P < .001 for all adjusted hazard ratios). CONCLUSIONS Nationally, academic cancer centers demonstrate similarly high rates of sociodemographic disparities in cancer treatment patterns as community cancer centers. Making community centers conform to academic center standards may not necessarily reduce treatment disparities. Cancer 2016;122:3371-3377. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Late Preceramic Forager–Herders from the Copacabana Peninsula in the Titicaca Basin of Bolivia: A Bioarchaeological Analysis

The Titicaca Basin of Peru and Bolivia has been occupied by humans for millennia and was home to one of the first major state societies in the Andes. Many foundations of state power, however, developed much earlier, during the Late Preceramic/Terminal Archaic Period (3000 – 1500 BC), when people initially began herding, marking territories, and creating new metallurgy technology. We present a skeletal analysis of 14 individuals dating between 3000 and 1500 BC from Muruqullu, an archaeological site on the Copacabana Peninsula of Bolivia. These are the first Preceramic burials documented for the peninsula and contribute to the relatively small sample of Preceramic bodies from the Andean highlands more broadly. From this sample, we suggest that highland foragers and early herders suffered little nutritional stress and had limited violent interactions, perhaps related to a relatively mobile lifestyle and utilization of lake resources. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Prevalence of LD From Parental and Professional Perspectives: A Comparison of the Data From the National Survey of Children's Health and the Office of Special Education Programs' Reports to Congress.

Since the emergence of the field of learning disabilities (LD) in the late 1960s and early 1970s, controversy has surrounded issues regarding methods used for identification. The prevalence of students identified as LD increased steadily from the 1970s until the beginning of the 21st century, at which time it has decreased until at least 2011 (the most current data available from the U.S. Office of Education). In this article, I compare the prevalence rates of children aged 6 to 17 years being served in schools according to the Office of Special Education Programs with the prevalence rates as reported by parents on the National Survey of Children’s Health. To date, no such comparison has been made that takes into account parents’ knowledge of their children’s disabilities. Results of the analyses reveal that parents report that their children have LD at a significantly higher rate than what is reported by schools of students receiving LD services. Most important, the longitudinal trend from 2001 to 2011 i...
Behavioral methods in consciousness research

Despite being a persistent phenomenon of our everyday lives, we are a long way from a full scientific explanation of consciousness. As Chalmers put it: “Conscious experience is at once the most fam...
Electrical Activity in the Radial Nerve Cord And Ampullae of Sea Urchins

1. A single shock applied through wick electrodes to the isolated radial nerve cord of a sea urchin produces a recordable potential in the cord. The potential is conducted along the cord at a velocity of between 14 and 20 cm./sec. 2. The potential is complex and graded. Two components of the potential can be identified and have different thresholds to stimulation, conduction velocities and amplitudes. They are believed to represent two classes of fibres. 3. The potential is conducted decrementally along the cord and normally cannot be recorded at distances greater than 6o mm. from the stimulus. The amplitude of the potential decays logarithmically falling to half after 7 mm. spread. There is no facilitation of amplitude or distance of spread. 4. Potentials initiated simultaneously at either end of the isolated nerve cord collide and partially occlude each other. 5. Stimulation of a side branch of the nerve cord evokes potentials recordable from only ipsilateral neighbouring side branches and the whole cord. However, contractions of the contralateral ampullae following stimulation of lateral branches reveal spread of the excitation beyond the region of recordable potentials. 6. A single shock to a cord still attached to the test causes contraction of the associated ampullae. One ampulla will contract several times after a single shock, a period of relaxation following each contraction. 7. Electrical activity recorded from the ampullae, and lasting many seconds after the single shock, corresponds with their contractions. The activity is believed to be muscle action potentials. 8. Evidence of a feedback from damaged tube feet to the cord, suppressing ampulla response to cord stimulation, was found.
Sustainability and Global Environmental Constitutionalism

At first blush, the relationship between sustainability and environmental constitutionalism seems strained if not strange. Environmental sustainability represents a there-and-then perspective that promotes the idea that present lives in being should consume natural resources at a rate and in a way so as to preserve comparable opportunities for future generations; in other words, the Native American proverb that “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors: we borrow it from our children.”
Differential Contribution of Ca2+-Dependent Mechanisms to Hyperexcitability in Layer V Neurons of the Medial Entorhinal Cortex.

Temporal lobe epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures in one or both temporal lobes of the brain; some in vitro models show that epileptiform discharges initiate in entorhinal layer V neurons and then spread into other areas of the temporal lobe. We previously found that, in the presence of GABAA receptor antagonists, stimulation of afferent fibers, terminating both at proximal and distal dendritic locations, initiated hyperexcitable bursts in layer V medial entorhinal neurons. We investigated the differential contribution of Ca2+-dependent mechanisms to the plateaus underlying these bursts at proximal and distal synapses. We found that the NMDA glutamatergic antagonist APV (50 µM) reduced both the area and duration of the bursts at both proximal and distal synapses by about half. The L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nimodipine (10 µM) and the R- and T-type Ca2+ channel blocker NiCl2 (200 µM) decreased the area of the bursts to a lesser extent; none of these effects appeared to be location-dependent. Remarkably, the perfusion of flufenamic acid (100 µM) to block Ca2+-activated non-selective cation currents mediated by TRP channels had a location-dependent effect, by abolishing burst firing and switching the suprathreshold response to a single action potential for proximal stimulation, but only minimally affecting the burst evoked by distal stimulation. A similar outcome was found when FFA was pressure-applied locally around the proximal dendrite of the recorded neurons and in the presence of a selective blocker of TRPM channels, 9-phenanthrol (100 µM), whereas a selective blocker of TRPC channels, SKF 96365, did not affect the bursts. These results indicate that different mechanisms might contribute to the initiation of hyperexcitability in layer V neurons at proximal and distal synapses and could shed light on the initiation of epileptiform activity in the entorhinal cortex.
Hydroconductive and silver-impregnated foam dressings: a comparison.

Objective: As the number of commercially available wound dressings is increasing rapidly, it is important for clinicians to understand the strengths and limitations of each and to recognise relationships between wound type and dressing properties to obtain optimal healing results. Our aim is to test the antimicrobial activity of two dressings. Method: A hydroconductive (HC) dressing and a silver-impregnated foam (SIF) dressing were compared for their potential to reduce the levels meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We also assessed MRSA-derived biologically active components in liquid or agar matrices, simplified models for heavily exuding or dry wounds respectively, and in an in vivo animal model with MRSA infected wounds. Results: In the agar model (dry wounds) both dressings showed a strong reduction in MRSA activities within 24 hours post-application. The antibacterial effects of the SIF dressing were more pronounced in the liquid model, however, at an increasing cytotoxic cost. In agr...
Abstract 2657: PD-L1 blockade enhances T cell cytotoxicity against primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma

Background: Primary Mediastinal B cell Lymphoma (PMBL) represents 2-4% of Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHL) in adolescents and young adults (AYA) (Gerrard/Cairo et al., Blood, 2013). Disease progression, relapse and long-term toxicity remain a concern for patients treated on current chemo-immunotherapy and mediastinal radiotherapy. Alternative therapeutic regimens are urgently needed, especially in patients without an early response to therapy. Programmed Death 1 (PD-1) is a negative co-stimulatory receptor critical for suppression of T-cell activation, with binding of PD-1 and Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) resulting in T cell exhaustion (Postow/Wolchok et al., J Clin Oncol, 2015). Gain in 9p associated with amplification of PD-L1 has been reported in up to 60% of PMBL specimens, leading to overexpression of PD-L1 and potential immune cell evasion of PMBL (Rosenwald/Staudt et al., J Exp Med, 2003; Twa/Steidl et al., Blood, 2014). Blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 interaction, therefore, constitute a potentially promising alternative for treatment of resistant PMBL. Objective: In the current study, we sought to investigate whether PD-L1 blockade enhances T cell responses in PD-L1 expressing PMBL. Methods: PD-L1 expression on Karpas 1106p PMBL treated with or without IFN γ was investigated by western blotting and flow cytometry analyses. T cells were isolated from human PBMC followed by activation and expansion using anti-CD2, anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 Biotinylated MACSiBead particles. T cell activation was confirmed by CD25 and CD69 expression using flow cytometry. Activated T cells were incubated with or without anti-PD-L1 (Clone 6E11, Genentech) at a dose of 10 ug/ml together with Karpas 1106p cells treated with or without IFN γ. Cell proliferation was assessed with MTS assays after incubation for 24 hours. Results: We demonstrated that Karpas 1106p cells express a low level of PD-L1. However, following IFN γ treatment (48 hours) there was a significant increase in PD-L1 expression. Anti-PD-L1 had no significant effect on T cell mediated inhibition of cell proliferation in Karpas 1106p cells with low PD-L1 expression. However, anti-PD-L1 and T cell treatment significantly inhibited cell proliferation in IFN γ treated Karpas 1106p cells when compared to T cell treatment alone (32±18% vs. 3±3% at E:T=5:1, p=0.048). Conclusion: PD-L1 blockade enhances T cell cytotoxicity against PMBL, which is dependent on PD-L1 expression level on PMBL cells. Future in-vivo NSG xenograft studies are ongoing. Citation Format: Tishi Shah, Wen Luo, Aradhana Awasthi, Janet Ayello, Jessica Hochberg, Mitchell Cairo. PD-L1 blockade enhances T cell cytotoxicity against primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2657. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2657
Behavioral Biometric Identification on Mobile Devices

We show that accelerometers, touch screens and software keyboards, which are standard components of modern mobile phones, can be used to differentiate different test subjects based on the unique interaction characteristics of each subject. This differentiation ability can be applied to authenticate individuals under a continuous authentication scheme. Based on six 15 minute data sets collected from the test subjects utilizing our data collection platform, we extract multiple features from the data and show an ability to accurately identify individuals at a rate of 83 percent using a simple normal distribution of each feature.
Anatomic factors affecting the use of ultrasound to predict vocal fold motion: A pilot study.

Abstract Purpose Ultrasonography is a well-established modality for visualization of head and neck anatomy. Using ultrasound to detect vocal fold mobility has been described before, but no study has evaluated factors affecting the exam reliability. The aim of the study is to determine anatomic factors influencing the reliability of ultrasound to detect vocal fold motion. Methods and materials Patients underwent ultrasound evaluation and flexible laryngoscopy to assess vocal fold motion from August 2015 to March 2016. Length, accuracy, and clarity of ultrasound examination were assessed, compared to flexible laryngoscopy. For patients with prior neck CT scan imaging, laryngeal anatomy was independently assessed by a blinded neuroradiologist. Results A total of 23 patients, 21 with bilateral vocal fold motion and two with unilateral paralysis, were enrolled. Vocal folds were visible in 19 patients (82%). Eight patients (42%) had good/excellent view and 11 patients (58%) had fair/difficult view. The ultrasound correctly detected absent movement of the vocal fold in the two patients with unilateral paralysis. A total of 19 patients had CT scans, and a linear correlation (r2 = 0.65) was noted between the anterior thyroid cartilage angle measured on CT and the grade of view on ultrasound. Conclusion Ultrasound was able to detect vocal fold motion in 82% of randomly screened patients. Ease of detection of vocal fold motion correlated with the anterior thyroid angle. Further studies are warranted to investigate the reproducibility of our results and how this might impact use of ultrasound for detection of vocal fold motion in the operative setting.
Who Leaves Early? Factors Associated With Against Medical Advice Discharge During Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment.

OBJECTIVE To determine if certain patient, clinical, and disease factors are associated with against medical advice (AMA) discharge among patients admitted for treatment of alcohol withdrawal. METHODS Data from admissions to a dedicated unit for treatment of substance withdrawal were collected over a 6-month period. Patients with AMA and planned discharge were compared with regard to demographics, clinical data, and substance use disorder disease characteristics. A stepwise logistic regression was used to find the best model. RESULTS The study population included 655 patient encounters. A total of 93 (14%) discharges were AMA. Bivariate analysis showed patients with AMA discharge were younger (mean age 43 vs 46 years; P < 0.05), more likely to leave on a Tuesday to Thursday, and to have an initial withdrawal score at or above the median (AMA 69% vs planned 56%; P = 0.02). Emergency department (ED) admissions had an AMA discharge rate of 21% compared with 10% of community admissions (P < 0.05). Regression analysis found AMA discharge was significantly associated with admission from the ED (odds ratio [OR] 2.03, confidence interval [CI] 1.27-3.25) and younger age (OR 0.97, CI 0.95-0.99). There was no significant difference in discharge disposition among patients with concurrent opioid use disorder who were on opioid agonist therapy. CONCLUSIONS AMA discharges occurred in 1 of every 7 admissions. Being admitted from the ED and younger age was associated with AMA discharge. No other patient or clinical factors were found to be associated with AMA discharge.
Glutaminolysis in Animal Cells

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in plasma and most tissues (Van Slyke et al., 1943). Because of both empirical reasoning and cellular requirements determined experimentally, it is the most abundant amino acid in most cell culture media (Ham and McKeehan, 1979). Although other amino acids have metabolic functions in addition to protein and peptide synthesis, glutamine is the most versatile (Krebs, 1980). It is the major source of urinary nitrogen and a key factor in acid—base balance in mammals. The carbon skeleton of glutamine is an important precursor of glucose in kidney cortex and thus contributes to renal gluconeogenesis (Krebs, 1963; Goodman et al., 1966). Glutamine is a vehicle for transporting nitrogen among tissues. Skeletal muscle is the principal site of glutamine production. Release of glutamine from muscle is nearly four times that that can be accounted for by direct protein breakdown (Blackshear et al., 1975; Pardridge and Casenello-Ertl, 1979; Garber, 1980). The principal site of net glutamine metabolism appears to be the gut (Windmueller and Spaeth, 1974; Hanson and Parsons, 1977) followed by the liver (Blackshear et al., 1975). Glutamine is a key metabolite for elimination of toxic ammonia in nerve tissue and may be an important precursor of glutamate and a-aminobutyrate, a synaptic transmitter (Waelsch, 1960; Takagaki et al.,1961). In addition to its specific roles in multiple tissues, glutamine is the primary amino group donor in synthesis of purines and pyrimidines, amino sugars, pyridine nucleotides, and asparagine in mammalian cells. The reader is referred to the following books and reviews for an in-depth picture of the role of glutamine (and glutamate) in mammals: Meister (1956, 1965), Lund et al. (1970), Prusiner and Stadtman (1973), Shepartz (1973), Meister (1978), Munro (1978), Mora and Palacios (1980), Kovacevic and McGivan (1983).
The Latin Square

The Latin square, a design for investigating three factors all at the same number of levels, is discussed. Applications, selection, mathematical model, analysis and replication are presented in detail. Information on interactions in Latin squares and an..
A History of Instructional Methods in Uncontracted and Contracted Braille.

This literature review outlines the history of the braille code as used in the United States and Canada, illustrating how both the code itself and instructional strategies for teaching it changed o...
Coevolutionary Patterns in HIV-1 Pre-integration Complex Offer Insights into Protein Structural Constraints

Recognition of viral epitopes by the host immune system plays a pivotal role in controlling viral infection, while at the same time exerting selective pressure for escape mutations, which in turn leads to many epitopes evolving faster than the adjacent regions. Some epitope regions appear to be highly conserved despite the strong immune pressure due to functional and/or structural constraints acting on them. Yet, we still have relatively little understanding of the nature of protein structural and functional constraints operating on epitope regions. Here, we identify coevolving epitope regions that have high functional and/or structural constraints. We examined patterns of coevolution of protein segment pairs between Integrase-Reverse Transcriptase, Integrase-Vpr, and Reverse Transcriptase-Vpr protein interactions pairs in HIV-1 pre-integration complex. Our coevolutionary and structural analysis shows that protein regions with strong multiple coevolutionary constraints with few regions are located in structurally conserved regions (i.e., those with well-defined secondary structures). Meanwhile, protein regions with strong multiple coevolutionary constraints with many regions are clustered in the structurally flexible regions (regions with high B-factor) of the proteins and regions with high conformational diversity (relative mobility in the collective dynamics). On the other hand, protein regions with weak coevolutionary signals are clustered in structurally disordered regions. Identifying viral epitope regions that harbor strong constraints against escape mutations is important in development of vaccines that can induce immune responses against multiple conserved epitopes. This analysis also offers important insights into molecular evolution of protein interactions.
Trauma in Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Approach to the Mother and Fetus.

Trauma is a significant contributor to maternal and fetal morbidity and death in the United States. The nature of the evaluation of the pregnant trauma patient is intense and multidisciplinary. Although it invites unique opportunities for collaboration with our surgical colleagues, it also increases the risk of misunderstanding and conflict. We present in this Viewpoint a standardized fetal trauma survey that seamlessly integrates with Advanced Trauma Life Support (American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL) in an effort to create a more reliable and collaborative experience in the trauma room.
Abstract B142: Activation of endogenous anergic self-specific CD8+ T-cells by polymeric nanoparticles for enhanced cancer immunotherapy

While the human immune system is often able to protect the body from infectious pathogens, it has multiple mechanisms to inhibit mounting an immune system against what it perceives as “self” and thus often fails to eliminate cancer cells since they seem to have the characteristics of “self.” Our lab found that cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells that recognize self antigens in the peripheral blood of healthy humans were present in frequencies similar to those specific for non-self antigens, but these self-specific CD8+ T-cells are resistant to activation and/or expansion. We hypothesized that tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T-cells recognizing self antigens are often in an anergized state but they could be activated with the appropriate immunostimulatory signals to augment antitumor immunity. Thus, we developed a poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticle (PLGA NP) based immunostimulatory platform that is surface-functionalized with monoclonal anti-CD28 antibody (Ab), and encapsulated interleukin-2 (IL-2), toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2) agonist and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) in the hydrophobic core. This platform enables the encapsulated immunostimulatory drugs to be continuously released in the tumor microenvironment to activate the tumor infiltrating self-specific CD8+ T-cells in order to enhance antitumor immune response while minimizing the rapid diffusion of these drugs into other parts of the body, greatly reducing the systemic toxicities. Our results demonstrated that the mice bearing melanoma or colon cancers treated with the stimulatory PLGA NP have elicited potent T-cell response, resulting in marked tumor regression and increased overall survival. The developed PLGA NPs are also capable of generating an immunologic memory that prevented tumor growth after rechallenging the survivor mice with the same cancer cell type. Moreover, the developed PLGA NPs can be combined with checkpoint blocking antibodies to achieve the synergistic effect, significantly prolonging the overall survival. We also applied the single-cell TCR sequencing technique to assess both T-cell receptor and phenotypic characteristics of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T-cells after NP stimulation. The result was further combined with yeast-display libraries of peptide-MHC to identify tumor-specific antigens. Citation Format: Qian Yin. Activation of endogenous anergic self-specific CD8+ T-cells by polymeric nanoparticles for enhanced cancer immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B142.
Description of a new species of ponyfish (Teleostei, Leiognathidae, Equulitini, Photolateralis) from the Gulf of Oman

A new species belonging to the leiognathid genus Photolateralis, collected from the coastal waters of Oman, is described herein. Photolateralis is unique among leiognathid genera in possessing a species-specific translucent midlateral flank stripe that may be comprised of either multiple independent translucent windows (P. stercorarius, P. moretoniensis, and the new species) or a continuous translucent lateral band (P. antongil). Photolateralis polyfenestrus, new species, is distinguished from congeners by the presence of a short, composite midlateral stripe comprised of three small, rounded translucent windows (vs. numerous windows in both P. stercorarius and P. moretoniensis, or a continuous translucent stripe in P. antongil), and that is confined to the midflank (vs. extending a majority of the length of the flank in congeners). The new species is further distinguished from both P. moretoniensis and P. antongil by a shallower body, and from both P. stercorarius and P. moretoniensis by a pigmentation pattern above the lateral midline comprised primarily of larger rounded blotches (vs. smaller sinuous lines and markings comprising a vermiculated pattern). Photolateralis polyfenestrus is characterized by a lower jaw that is deep and convex in lateral view (vs. mostly straight in congeners, excluding P. antongil), and that forms an angle of between 60°–70° to horizontal (vs. less than 45° in congeners, excluding P. antongil). The only other species of Photolateralis reported from the Western Indian Ocean is P. antongil, to date only known from the coastal waters of Madagascar, whereas both P. stercorarius and P. moretoniensis have ranges restricted to the western Pacific and extending into the eastern Indian Ocean.
Correction: Unraveling the structural and chemical features of biological short hydrogen bonds.

Correction for ‘Unraveling the structural and chemical features of biological short hydrogen bonds’ by Shengmin Zhou et al., Chem. Sci., 2019, DOI: 10.1039/c9sc01496a.
The far-from- equilibrium fluctuation of an active brownian particle in an optical trap

Active colloidal particles dissipate energies in a fashion different from Brownian particles, in that active particles undergo directed motions characterized by a persistent length. An outstanding question, debated to date, pertains to how a quantitative and well-defined means can be established to quantify the differences between the statistical behavior of an active particle and a passive Brownian particle. To address this question, we set out to investigate the motions of a single, induced-charge electrophoretic (ICEP) metallic Janus particles in a quadratic potential of an optical trap, by experiments and numerical simulations. The positions of the particle under different driving forces were measured by experiments and simulated numerically using a generalized Langevin equation. The 1-D positional histograms of the active particle, distinctively different from that of a Boltzmann distribution, reveal splitting of the positional distribution of a single peak centered at the bottom of the well into two symmetrical peaks, whose centers move away from the center to a distance increasing with the driven force. Kurtosis of the particle’s spatial distribution is used as a way to quantify the deviation from Gaussian distribution and it was found that this deviation is a function of the particle’s rotational relaxation, the stiffness of the trap and the driving force. The temporal fluctuations of the active particle in the well are analyzed by their power spectral density (PSD).
Biomarkers of Alzheimer Disease.

Background: Alzheimer disease (AD) was once a clinical diagnosis confirmed by postmortem autopsy. Today, with the development of AD biomarkers, laboratory assays to detect AD pathology are able to complement clinical diagnosis in symptomatic individuals with uncertain diagnosis. A variety of commercially available assays are performed as laboratory-developed tests, and many more are in development for both clinical and research purposes. Content: The role of laboratory medicine in diagnosing and managing AD is expanding; thus, it is important for laboratory professionals and ordering physicians to understand the strengths and limitations of both existing and emerging AD biomarker assays. In this review, we will provide an overview of the diagnosis of AD, discuss existing laboratory assays for AD and their recommended use, and examine the clinical performance of emerging AD biomarkers. Summary: The field of AD biomarker discovery and assay development is rapidly evolving, with recent studies promising to improve both the diagnosis of symptomatic individuals and enrollment and monitoring of asymptomatic individuals in research studies. However, care must be taken to ensure proper use and interpretation of these assays. For clinical purposes, these assays are meant to aid in diagnosis but are not themselves diagnostic. For individuals without symptoms, AD biomarker tests are still only appropriate for research purposes. Additionally, there are analytical challenges that require careful attention, especially for longitudinal use of AD tests.
Simulated Herbivory Weakens Plant-Soil Feedbacks in Competitive Mixtures of Native and Invasive Woodland Plants

Plant-soil feedback (PSF), the process by which plants influence con- or heterospecifics via alteration of abiotic or biotic soil properties, is a known driver of plant coexistence and invasion. Yet there is limited understanding of how PSF interacts with other important drivers of plant community structure and dynamics, such as aboveground herbivory. Aboveground herbivory and PSFs are ubiquitous processes in plant communities, but traditional PSF experiments in the greenhouse eliminate herbivory as an experimental factor. Aboveground herbivory can affect plant-soil systems in multiple ways and therefore is likely to strongly interact with PSF. Herbivores can be selective, preferring certain species over others, which could influence PSF dynamics. Aboveground herbivory could also affect PSF dynamics by influencing photosynthate allocation, defense compound production, and soil nutrient levels. An existing conceptual framework predicts that aboveground herbivory should generally weaken pathogen-, mutualist- and soil nutrient-driven feedbacks, and a logical extension of these predictions is that aboveground herbivory will weaken PSF as a driver of plant species invasion. Using a Midwest urban woodland study system, we first measured aboveground mammalian herbivore pressure on native woodland perennials used in local restoration efforts. We then simulated these levels of herbivory in a greenhouse experiment to assess whether and how aboveground herbivory alters net pairwise PSF interactions between these native species and Euonymus fortunei, a common invasive plant of Midwest urban woodlands. Results support predictions that aboveground herbivory weakens PSF interactions. In our experiment, simulated herbivory eliminated PSF among E. fortunei and a co-occurring community of native species, although this effect depended on competitive context. When the native community and the invasive species were grown separately, net feedback was neutral regardless of herbivory, but when grown in a competitive mixture, feedback between the native community and the invader switched from negative to neutral when herbivory was imposed. To assess the generality of these findings, future studies are needed that examine herbivory-PSF interactions across multiple native-native and native-invasive species combinations, and for a range of plant community types.
Speciesism and Human Supremacy in Animal Neuroscience

Since epistemic access to the mental lives of animals is limited even more than it is in our human conspecifics, caution about cognitive attributions to nonhumans may be prudent. However, too often skepticism regarding animal minds, cognition, and experience (e.g., reluctance to attribute thoughts, beliefs, phenomenal consciousness, and sentience to certain taxa) is justified by reference to physiological heterologies in neural structure/complexity between humans and the other animals. An example is the argument that fish cannot experience pain because they lack the requisite neocortical structures. In this chapter, I contend that these kinds of scientific and philosophical arguments reflect a kind of anthropodenial embedded in speciesism and, specifically, human supremacy and neurotypicalism. I further argue that there is good reason to believe that vertebrates such as fish—and even some invertebrates such as crustaceans and insects/arachnids—are experiencing beings, that there is a what-it’s-like to be them, and that these conclusions have ethical implications.
What Predicts Recurrent Kidney Stone after Parathyroidectomy in Patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Background Some, but not all, patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and kidney stone disease (KSD) are cured of their nephrolithiasis after parathyroidectomy. The goal of this study was to identify risk factors for recurrent KSD despite successful parathyroidectomy in known stone formers with PHPT. Study design We conducted a single-center retrospective review of patients presenting to urology clinic with KSD between January 2008 and July 2018, who were diagnosed with concurrent PHPT, and underwent definitive parathyroidectomy. Laboratory testing for serum calcium, PTH (parathyroid hormone), phosphorus and 25-OH-vitamin D, and 24-hour urine studies for volume, pH, calcium, citrate, oxalate, uric acid, sodium, and creatinine was performed pre- and post-parathyroidectomy. Stone recurrence was determined on routine diagnostic imaging or by symptomatic KSD. Results Mean age at parathyroidectomy was 57 ± 14 years. Pre-parathyroidectomy, mean serum calcium, 24-hour urine calcium, and PTH were 10.6 ± 0.5 mg/dL, 378 ± 209 mg/day, and 114 ± 97 pg/mL, respectively. Twenty-six of 69 patients (38%) had multigland parathyroid disease. After parathyroidectomy, serum calcium and PTH levels normalized in 69 of 69 and 62 of 69 patients, respectively. However, 37 of 69 patients (54%) had persistent hypercalciuria postoperatively, and 16 of 69 (23%) had recurrent KSD, on average, 2.0 ± 1.6 years after parathyroidectomy. Patients with recurrent KSD post-parathyroidectomy were significantly younger compared with patients without recurrent KSD (51 ± 15 vs 60 ± 13 years, p = 0.02). In a logistic regression model, younger age remains a strong predictive factor for recurrent KSD. Conclusions Nearly one-quarter of PHPT patients with KSD who undergo successful parathyroidectomy present with recurrent KSD despite normalization of serum calcium, and more than half exhibit persistent calciuria. These patients were younger and may require closer monitoring for stone recurrence after successful parathyroidectomy. Further studies are needed to better identify the etiology of KSD post-parathyroidectomy.
Online Learning in Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma to Mimic Human Behavior.

Prisoner's Dilemma mainly treat the choice to cooperate or defect as an atomic action. We propose to study online learning algorithm behavior in the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma (IPD) game, where we explored the full spectrum of reinforcement learning agents: multi-armed bandits, contextual bandits and reinforcement learning. We have evaluate them based on a tournament of iterated prisoner's dilemma where multiple agents can compete in a sequential fashion. This allows us to analyze the dynamics of policies learned by multiple self-interested independent reward-driven agents, and also allows us study the capacity of these algorithms to fit the human behaviors. Results suggest that considering the current situation to make decision is the worst in this kind of social dilemma game. Multiples discoveries on online learning behaviors and clinical validations are stated.
Plasma levels of S100A8/A9, histone/DNA complexes, and cell-free DNA predict adverse outcomes of immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Background Immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) is a life-threatening blood disorder, primarily resulting from autoantibodies against ADAMTS13. Infection or inflammation often precedes acute iTTP. However, the association of inflammation and inflammatory mediators with disease severity and outcome of acute iTTP is not fully assessed. Objectives Here, we determined plasma levels of S100A8/A9, histone/DNA complexes, citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3), and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in a cohort of 108 acute episodes from 94 unique iTTP patients and healthy controls, and assessed the association of each of these biomarkers with the disease severity and mortality. Results All acute iTTP patients had significantly increased plasma levels of S100A8/A9 (median 84.8, interquartile range [IQR] 31.2-157.4 µg/mL), histone/DNA complexes (median 55.7, IQR 35.8-130.8 U/mL), CitH3 (median 3.8, IQR 2.2-6.4 ng/mL), and cfDNA (median 937.7, IQR 781.3-1420.0 ng/mL) on the admission blood samples when compared with healthy controls. An increased plasma level of S100A8/A9, histone/DNA complex and cfDNA was associated with organ damage, coagulopathy, and mortality in iTTP. After being adjusted for age and history of hypertension, Cox proportional hazard regression analysis demonstrated that a hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for an elevated plasma level of S100A8/A9, histone/DNA complexes, and cfDNA was 11.5 (1.4-90.9) (P = .021), 10.3 (2.7-38.5) (P = .001), and 12.8 (3.9-42.0) (P = .014), respectively. Conclusion These results indicate that inflammation or plasma inflammatory mediators such as S100A8/A9 or NETosis markers such as histone/DNA complexes and cfDNA may play a role in pathogenesis of iTTP, which may help stratify patients with a high risk of death during acute iTTP episodes.
AdaTrust : Combinational Hardware Trojan Detection Through Adaptive Test Pattern Construction

As society becomes increasingly reliant on products and systems that make use of integrated circuits, the defense against potential hardware Trojan attacks by an untrusted foundry becomes an important part of any certification flow for critical components. The slew of recent proposals notwithstanding, a satisfactory solution is still wanting as the solutions offered heretofore either require impractical design/test pattern cost or deliver insufficient detection capabilities, primarily challenged by the noise induced by process variation. The methodology put forth by this proposal aims to remedy this, leveraging an adaptive approach that applies superposition to perform a fine-grained circuit analysis and expose any extant Trojan circuitry. Iterative test pattern modifications, circuit response analysis, and adaptive decision-making are deployed, all embedded within the design-for-test and test pattern cost paradigms of a common industrial circuit. We demonstrate the efficacy of this technique on standard Trust-Hub benchmark circuits with combinational Trojans inserted in sequential designs, showing significant improvement over prior techniques. We also explore the potential cost–benefit tradeoffs that exist within such a methodology, with the intent to provide an efficient solution for an array of potential product markets. This methodology provides a reliable and effective means for Trojan detection, addressing an important piece of the overall circuit certification puzzle.
Cross-Species Experiments Reveal Widespread Cochlear Neural Damage in Normal Hearing

Animal models suggest that cochlear afferent nerve endings may be more vulnerable than sensory hair cells to damage from acoustic overexposure and aging, but that such damage cannot be detected in standard clinical audiometry. Co-ordinated experiments in at-risk humans and a chinchilla model using two distinct physiological assays suggest that cochlear neural damage exists even in populations without clinically recognized hearing loss. Keywords: cochlear synaptopathy, hidden hearing loss, middle-ear reflex, chinchilla, aging
Abstract 032: Uninterrupted Sitting Induces Unfavorable Changes In Resting Hemodynamics And Inflammatory And Vascular Biomarkers In Physically Inactive And Active Adults

Introduction: A single bout of uninterrupted sitting impairs vascular function in the legs, which may be due to reductions in blood flow and shear stress. Participating in regular moderate-to-vigor...
Acoustic radiation force imaging (ARFI) in the non-distended bladder does not predict abnormal urodynamic parameters in children.

Introduction: Acoustic radiation force imaging (ARFI) is a recently developed form of ultrasound imaging that allows in-vivo measurement of tissue stiffness. This technology could be useful at predicting bladder compliance in children. We hypothesize that tissue stiffness, as measured by ARFI, correlates with abnormal bladder compliance and capacity in patients with bladder dysfunction. Methods: Patients who presented for cystometrography (CMG) underwent ARFI of the bladder wall. Nine bladder wall shear wave speed (SWS) measurements were acquired using point and 2D ultrasound shear wave elastography. The mean for each ARFI technique was correlated to bladder compliance, calculated using Wahl’s dimensionless number. ARFI parameters also were correlated with bladder capacity. Results: A total of 25 patients were enrolled. Mean age at time of enrollment was 4.23.9 years (range: 2 months to 15 years). There was no significant correlation between bladder compliance and point shear wave speed measurements (r=-0.22, p=0.31) or 2D shear wave speed measurements (r =-0.35, p=0.1). A total of 19 patients had bladder capacity below EBC. There was no significant correlation between bladder capacity and point shear wave speed measurements (r =-0.08, p=0.7) or 2D shear wave speed measurements (r=-0.36, p=0.09). Conclusions: Our results did not demonstrate a significant correlation between bladder wall ARFI shear wave measurements and bladder compliance or bladder capacity. Further studies are warranted to determine whether ARFI may be used to predict abnormal urodynamic parameters in children.
Use of a PACS Embedded System for Communicating Radiologist to Technologist Learning Opportunities and Patient Callbacks.

Abstract Introduction This study aimed to determine effect of modality, care setting, and radiology subspecialty on frequency of diagnostic image quality issues identified by radiologists during image interpretation. Methods This Institutional Review Board-exempt retrospective study was performed 10/1/18-6/30/20 at an academic radiology practice performing 700,000+ examinations annually. A closed-loop communication tool integrated in PACS workflow enabled radiologists to alert technologists to image quality issues. Radiologists categorized communications as requiring patient callback, or as technologist learning opportunities if image quality was adequate to generate a diagnostic report. Fisher's exact test assessed impact of imaging modality, radiology subspecialty, and care setting on radiologist-identified image quality issues. Results 976,915 imaging examinations were performed during the study period. Radiologists generated 1,935 technologist learning opportunities (0.20%) and 208 callbacks (0.02%). Learning opportunity rates were highest for MRI (0.60%) when compared to CT (0.26%) and radiography (0.08%) (p Discussion Image quality issues identified by radiologists during the interpretation process were rare and 10 times more commonly categorized as learning opportunities not interfering with a clinically adequate report than as requiring patient callback. Further work is necessary to determine if creating learning opportunities leads to fewer patients requiring repeat examinations.
Postoperative Monocular Vision Loss

Postoperative visual loss is a rare but debilitating condition. This chapter discusses the pathophysiology of perioperative visual loss and reviews means of minimizing risk. The differential diagnosis for visual loss is discussed. In addition, we highlight similarities and differences between multiple ocular vascular conditions.
Javanese Gamelan and the West

In Javanese Gamelan and the West, gamelan performer and scholar Sumarsam explores the concept of hybridity in performance traditions that have developed in the context of Javanese encounters with the West. The book begins by looking at the "domestication" of Western music in Java during the colonial and postcolonial eras, including brass bands in gendhing mares court music and West Javanese tanjidor; Western elements in contemporary wayang puppet plays; and works by contemporary composers and a choreographer. In the second part of the book, Sumarsam turns to the presentation and representation of gamelan in the West, exploring cross-cultural perspectives on gamelan theory and discussing the presence of gamelan in Western World's Fairs and American academia. Framing his discussion within the perspectives of interculturalism and hybridization, Sumarsam demonstrates how Javanese performing arts have developed over time as a manifestation and reflection of overlapping networks of individual, social, and institutional actions and ideas.Sumarsam is a University Professor of Music at Wesleyan University. He is the author of Gamelan: Cultural Interaction and Musical Development in Central Java (University of Chicago Press, 1995) and numerous articles in English and Indonesian. As a gamelan musician and a keen amateur dhalang (puppeteer) of Javanese wayang puppet play, he performs, conducts workshops, and lectures throughout the US, Australia, Europe, and Asia.
Halbautomatische Erweiterung eines Thesaurus

In der Einfuhrung wird kurz die Bedeutung von Allgemeinwissen fur textverstehende Systeme dargestellt, wobei insbesondere auf generische Beziehungen und Selektionsbeschrankungen eingegangen wird. Dann wird ein experimentelles System zur Halb-Automatischen Thesaurus-Erweiterung vorgestellt, das durch Analyse von Texten einen wichtigen Teil des Allgemeinwissens — generische Beziehungen und Selektionsbeschrankungen — erwirbt. Das System beschrankt sich derzeit noch darauf, einem Benutzer moglichst ‘intelligente’ Fragen zur Bedeutung von Wortern zu stellen. Abschliesend wird auf einige Probleme hingewiesen, die bei einer starkeren Automatisierung auf der Grundlage induktiven Lernens auftreten.
Power minimization of rotary clock design

Rotary clock is a recently proposed clock distribution technique based on wave propagation in transmission lines. In this paper, we present the first design methodology to minimize the power dissipation of rotary clock structures. Specifically, our scheme derives a rotary clock array that dissipates minimal power while satisfying the clock dimension requirement and oscillating at the target frequency with the given clock load. Experimental results have demonstrated that, for designs with operating frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 5 Gigahertz, our approach achieves a 24.3% power reduction on the average compared with power-unaware design methods. Furthermore, rotary clock designs implemented using our scheme consume as low as 31% power of the optimal conventional clock tree designs