cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The global mechanical properties and multi-scale failure mechanics of heterogeneous human stratum corneum.

Abstract The outermost layer of skin, or stratum corneum, regulates water loss and protects underlying living tissue from environmental pathogens and insults. With cracking, chapping or the formation of exudative lesions, this functionality is lost. While stratum corneum exhibits well defined global mechanical properties, macroscopic mechanical testing techniques used to measure them ignore the structural heterogeneity of the tissue and cannot provide any mechanistic insight into tissue fracture. As such, a mechanistic understanding of failure in this soft tissue is lacking. This insight is critical to predicting fracture risk associated with age or disease. In this study, we first quantify previously unreported global mechanical properties of isolated stratum corneum including the Poisson’s ratio and mechanical toughness. African American breast stratum corneum is used for all assessments. We show these parameters are highly dependent on the ambient humidity to which samples are equilibrated. A multi-scale investigation assessing the influence of structural heterogeneities on the microscale nucleation and propagation of cracks is then performed. At the mesoscale, spatially resolved equivalent strain fields within uniaxially stretched stratum corneum samples exhibit a striking heterogeneity, with localized peaks correlating closely with crack nucleation sites. Subsequent crack propagation pathways follow inherent topographical features in the tissue and lengthen with increased tissue hydration. At the microscale, intact corneocytes and polygonal shaped voids at crack interfaces highlight that cracks propagate in superficial cell layers primarily along intercellular junctions. Cellular fracture does occur however, but is uncommon. Statement of Significance Human stratum corneum protects the body against harmful environmental pathogens and insults. Upon mechanical failure, this barrier function is lost. Previous studies characterizing the mechanics of stratum corneum have used macroscopic testing equipment designed for homogenous materials. Such measurements ignore the tissue’s rich topography and heterogeneous structure, and cannot describe the underlying mechanistic process of tissue failure. For the first time, we establish a mechanistic insight into the failure mechanics of soft heterogeneous tissues by investigating how cracks nucleate and propagate in stratum corneum. We further quantify previously unreported values of the tissue’s Poisson’s ratio and toughness, and their dramatic variation with ambient humidity. To date, skin models examining drug delivery, wound healing, and ageing continue to estimate these parameters.
The Mobilization of Storage Iron as a Determinant of Refeeding Infection

We have observed reported an increased incidence of infections during refeeding after famine. In a study of 4,382 famine victims with a mean weight loss of 29% the incidence rose from 4.9% before refeeding to 30% 2 weeks into refeeding (1). Most were infections resulting from intracellular micro-organisms of which falciparum malaria was the commonest. These infections were occurring when cellular and humoral immunity ought to be returning to normal, implying that refeeding might have a negative impact on host resistance to some infections. While there may be many reasons for this negative effect we examined only the role of mobilization of iron during refeeding on host resistance to infection.
Cultivating Better Food Access? The Role of Farmers' Markets in the U.S. Local Food Movement

The local food movement has grown substantially in the United States in recent years. Proponents have hailed this growth as a shift away from a conventional food system rife with inequality toward one that introduces more just outcomes for society. While the movement's development and popularity have proliferated, little research has examined nationally how successful it is at delivering on its promises. By combining the social movement and food system literatures with quantitative methodology, this article examines the accessibility of the farmers' market across the United States. Using multivariate logistic regression, the analysis focuses on several identifying characteristics of individuals within and characteristics of neighborhoods across the United States to explore what increases (or decreases) the likelihood of a farmers' market being located within their boundaries. The results suggest that several social, economic, and racial differences exist between those living in areas with farmers' markets and those in areas that do not. Additionally, the analysis found that several neighborhood characteristics significantly influence the likelihood of a farmers’ market being present, including a neighborhood's socioeconomic status, the quality of neighborhood infrastructure, participation rates in social support programs, and the prevalence of poverty. In addition to posing questions of accessibility for the local food movement this research contributes to our understanding of grassroots social movements by examining the avenues and potential limitations that they negotiate while ensuring their stated goals are reached.
Sustainability and Stability

One of the important aspects of reactor design is to seek desirable stable steady state reaction conditions as the reactor set point. Stable steady state is a subset of sustainable states that the system operates at a single valued point. While a sustainable system can be weakly stable, exhibiting limit cycle or oscillation between bound and none trivial values, industrial bioprocesses are preferably to be strictly stable. Stability of a reactor operation is usually associated with the existence of multiple state states (MSS). MSS could exist for nonisothermal exothermic reactions (of any kinetics) and isothermal substrate inhibited systems in a CSTR. Feed conditions also affect the existence of MSS. Catalyst instability is another important issue. Catalyst deactivation is affected by the reaction mixture, temperature, and flow conditions. The simplistic root for bio-instability is the difference in specific growth rate (for mixed culture) and mutation. Biostability is of concern for genetically engineered cells. Genetically engineered cells for industrial applications are commonly exploiting the cells to produce protein or products that are not generic to the host cells. Genetic evolution back to the generic cell function looses the desired traits imposed to the cells. The genetic evolution can be modeled quite accurately with kinetic considerations. Populations containing multiple species are important in natural ecosystems, well-defined processes, waste-water treatment, and systems using genetically modified cells. Some examples of interactions among these species are competition, neutralism, mutualism, protocooperation, commensalism, amensalism, predation, and parasitism. Neither pure competition nor pure mutualism gives a stable steady state in a chemostat. Predator and prey model shows that while there are no stable steady states, the bioprocess can be sustainable and the final prey and predator populations oscillate in a confined cycle. Continuous culture can be employed to screen organisms of certain traits based on the growth instability. Spatial heterogeneity, dynamic fluctuations, and the addition of other interactions can lead to the sustained coexistence of species with competitive or mutualistic interactions. One of the major process uses of mixed cultures is waste-water treatment. The activated-sludge system is commonly employed in treating waste waters.
Chapter Ten – Oxidation–Reduction Equilibria

Publisher Summary An oxidation-reduction reaction (redox) is one in which the reactants undergo changes in the oxidation state. The gain of electrons is a reduction process, while oxidation is the loss of electrons. Both processes occur in a redox reaction. Reduction does not take place in the absence of oxidation or vice versa. The total number of electrons lost is equal to the total number of electrons gained. The substance that decreases in the oxidation state is the oxidizing agent, while the substance that increases in the oxidation state is the reducing agent. An oxidizing agent causes another substance to be oxidized, while it itself is reduced. In contrast, the reducing agent causes another substance to be reduced, while it itself is oxidized. This chapter discusses the arrangement of oxidizing agents and their reduced forms according to their ability to gain and lose electrons. The chapter also illustrates an arrangement of a selected group of half-reactions, which is called the Table of Standard Reduction Potentials.
The Use of Tissue Plasminogen Activator in the Treatment of Wallenberg Syndrome Caused by Vertebral Artery Dissection

Abstract Background Acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a devastating cause of patient morbidity and mortality. Up to 10% of acute CVAs in young patients are caused by dissection of the vertebral or carotid artery. Wallenberg syndrome results from a CVA in the vertebral or posterior inferior artery of the cerebellum and manifests as various degrees of cerebellar dysfunction. The administration of a thrombolytic medication has been recommended in the treatment of patients with stroke caused by cervical artery dissection. Surprisingly, there is scant literature on the use of this medication in the treatment of this condition. Case Report We describe a 42-year-old man with the sudden onset of headache, left-sided neck pain, vomiting, nystagmus, and ataxia 1 h after completing a weightlifting routine. Computed tomography angiography revealed a grade IV left vertebral artery injury with a dissection flap extending distally and resulting in complete occlusion. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging and angiography demonstrated acute left cerebellar and lateral medullary infarcts, consistent with Wallenberg syndrome. The patient was treated with tissue plasminogen activator, which failed to resolve his symptoms. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Emergency physicians frequently manage patients with acute CVAs. For select patients, the administration of tissue plasminogen activator can improve outcomes. However, the risk of major hemorrhage with this medication is significant. Cervical artery dissection is an important cause of acute stroke in young patients and is often missed on initial presentation. It is imperative for the emergency physician to consider acute cervical artery dissection as a cause of stroke and to be knowledgeable regarding the efficacy of thrombolytic medications for this condition.
Ventilator versus Manual Resuscitation Bag as the Method for Delivering Hyperoxygenation before Endotracheal Suctioning

A critical review and analysis of the current research on the efficacy of the ventilator versus the manual resuscitation bag (MRB) as the method of delivering hyperoxygenation/hyperinflation breaths before, during, and/or after endotracheal suctioning (ETS) is presented. Current research findings indicate that hyperoxygenation/hyperinflation breaths at 100% oxygen (O2) delivered via the ventilator have resulted in elevated blood-O2 levels which are either superior or equivalent to the MRB in preventing suction-induced hypoxemia. Delivery of hyperoxygenation/hyperinflation breaths using the MRB results in increased airway pressure, and increased hemodynamic consequences. Guidelines of clinical practice, based on current research findings, are presented. Areas for further research are identified.
Nondestructive assessment of waveguides using an integrated electromechanical impedance and ultrasonic waves approach

In this paper we present a structural health monitoring (SHM) paradigm based on the simultaneous use of ultrasounds and electromechanical impedance (EMI) to monitor waveguides. The paradigm uses guided ultrasonic waves (GUWs) in pitch-catch mode and EMI simultaneously. The two methodologies are driven by the same sensing/hardware/software unit. To assess the feasibility of this unified system an aluminum plate was monitored for varying damage location. Damage was simulated by adding small masses to the plate. The results associated with pitch-catch GUW testing mode were used in ultrasonic tomography, and statistical analysis was used to detect the damages using the EMI measurements. The results of GUW and EMI monitoring show that the proposed system is robust and can be developed further to address the challenges associated with the SHM of complex structures.
Assessing ground-motion amplitudes and attenuation for small-to-moderate induced and tectonic earthquakes in the central and eastern United States

ABSTRACT In this article, we evaluate the ground‐motion prediction equations (GMPEs) described by Atkinson (2015) and Shahjouei and Pezeshk (2016) with ground‐motion data collected from the central and eastern United States (CEUS). The former GMPE was developed for small‐to‐moderate events at short hypocentral distances with application to induced earthquakes in eastern North America, using the ground‐motion database developed by the Next Generation Attenuation‐West2 (NGA‐West2) project (Bozorgnia et al. , 2014). The latter GMPE was developed for the central and eastern North America for the NGA‐East project (Frankel, 2015). We compare spectral amplitudes from 46,178 ground‐motion recordings at 1069 stations from 2873 earthquakes in the CEUS to the GMPEs. The ground‐motion catalog is divided into potentially‐induced and tectonic earthquakes using the classification scheme of Petersen et al. (2015), and their differences in geometric spreading are observed. We observe that the Atkinson (2015) GMPE is a good fit for ground motions at hypocentral distances of less than 60 km, and that the Shahjouei and Pezeshk (2016) GMPE captures the geometric spreading of ground motions at larger distances, for both induced and tectonic earthquakes.
Increasing Access with Intensive Hybridized Course Formats in a Community College Setting

ABSTRACTThis study compared the effectiveness of courses taught in a five-week intensive hybrid format with courses taught in an 11-week traditional classroom format in order to explore options for expanding access to higher education in a community college setting. Course effectiveness was measured quantitatively with student academic performance indicators, such as grades, pass rates, pretest/posttest results, and student perceptions of academic rigor. The study is unique in that it investigated course effectiveness when intensive and hybrid instructional delivery methods were combined into one format. Additionally, the study compared matched pair courses with the same instructors and coursework who taught each course in both the five-week intensive hybrid format and the 11-week traditional format, which controlled for instructor influence on student learning. The historical rationale behind community colleges and contemporary initiatives to expand them have underscored the need to increase access by pr...
Reading Leo Strauss: Reply to Grant Havers

There are serious differences between what I wrote and what Havers claims I wrote, and between what he wrote in his book and what he now says he wrote. I argued in my review that “insofar as the an...
William Howe and the American War of Independence. By David Smith. (New York, NY: Bloomsbury, 2015. Pp. 208, $112.00.)

William Howe remains the most enigmatic of the British generals who served in America during the Revolutionary War. As British commander in chief between 1775 and 1778, he won every battle in which...
Sex differences impact the lung-bone inflammatory response to repetitive inhalant lipopolysaccharide exposures in mice.

AbstractSkeletal health consequences associated with inflammatory diseases of the airways significantly contribute to morbidity. Sex differences have been described independently for lung and bone diseases. Repetitive inhalant exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces bone loss and deterioration in male mice, but comparison effects in females are unknown. Using an intranasal inhalation exposure model, 8-week-old C57BL/6 male and female mice were treated daily with LPS (100 ng) or saline for 3 weeks. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluids, lung tissues, tibias, bone marrow cells, and blood were collected. LPS-induced airway neutrophil influx, interleukin (IL)-6 and neutrophil chemoattractant levels, and bronchiolar inflammation were exaggerated in male animals as compared to female mice. Trabecular bone micro-CT imaging and analysis of the proximal tibia were conducted. Inhalant LPS exposures lead to deterioration of bone quality only in male mice (not females) marked by decreased bone mineral density, bone volu...
Atrial fibrillation in the elderly: the potential contribution of reactive oxygen species

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most commonly encountered cardiac arrhythmia, and is a significant source of healthcare expenditures throughout the world. It is an arrhythmia with a very clearly defined predisposition for individuals of advanced age, and this fact has led to intense study of the mechanistic links between aging and AF. By promoting oxidative damage to multiple subcellular and cellular structures, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been shown to induce the intra- and extra-cellular changes necessary to promote the pathogenesis of AF. In addition, the generation and accumulation of ROS have been intimately linked to the cellular processes which underlie aging. This review begins with an overview of AF pathophysiology, and introduces the critical structures which, when damaged, predispose an otherwise healthy atrium to AF. The available evidence that ROS can lead to damage of these critical structures is then reviewed. Finally, the evidence linking the process of aging to the pathogenesis of AF is discussed.
Astrocytes and radial glia-like cells, but not neurons, display a nonapoptotic increase in caspase-3 expression following exercise.

Background Exercise induces plasticity in the hippocampus, which includes increases in neurogenesis, the proliferation of new neurons, and angiogenesis, the sprouting of new capillaries from preexisting blood vessels. Following exercise, astrocytes also undergo morphological changes that parallel the events occurring in the neurovascular system. Interestingly, there have also been reports of apoptosis in the hippocampus following aerobic exercise. This experiment aimed to identify which population of hippocampal cells undergoes apoptosis after an acute bout of exercise. Methods Cleaved caspase-3, a terminal protein in the apoptotic cascade, was initially used to identify apoptotic cells in the hippocampus after rats completed an acute bout of exercise. Next, the proportion of immature neurons, adult neurons, astrocytes, or radial glia-like cells expressing cleaved caspase-3 was quantified. TUNEL staining was completed as a second measure of apoptosis. Results Following exercise, cleaved caspase-3 expression was increased in the CA1 and DG regions of the hippocampus. Cleaved caspase-3 was not highly expressed in neuronal populations, and expression was not increased in these cells postexercise. Instead, cleaved caspase-3 was predominantly expressed in astrocytes. Following exercise, there was an increased number of cleaved caspase-3 positive astrocytes in DG and CA1, and cleaved caspase-3 positive radial glia-like cells located in the subgranular zone. To determine whether cleaved caspase-3 expression in these glial cells was associated with apoptosis, a TUNEL assay was completed. TUNEL staining was negligible in all groups and did not mirror the pattern of caspase-3 labeling. Conclusions Cleaved caspase-3 expression was detected largely in non-neuronal cell populations, and the pattern of cleaved caspase-3 expression did not match that of TUNEL. This suggests that after exercise, cleaved caspase-3 expression may serve a nonapoptotic role in these hippocampal astrocytes and radial glia-like cells. It will be important to identify the function of exercise-induced cleaved caspase-3 expression in the future experiments.
Anomalous Pixel Replacement and Spectral Quality Algorithm for Longwave Infrared Hyperspectral Imagery

Mercury cadmium telluride focal plane arrays for longwave infrared hyperspectral imagery are prone to dynamic anomalous pixels, which may result in degraded image quality and exploitation performance, including target detection and identification. Standard bad pixel replacement algorithms based on first and second order moments are too computationally inefficient for real-time processing. Here, we develop a computationally efficient spectral mixture replacement (SMR) algorithm using pre-defined universal subspaces for simultaneously identifying and replacing anomalous pixels. Furthermore, to quantify SMR performance, we derive a novel longwave spectral image quality algorithm by combining physics based modeling with Bayesian statistics. Our results reveal that an overall enhancement in spectral image quality of approximately 3% is achieved (averaged over ∼880 hyperspectral images). A significant fraction of the latter enhancement results from offset drift correction, indicating that accounting for temporal drift in detector nonuniformity plays a significant role in replacing bad pixels.
Characterising ICU–ward handoffs at three academic medical centres: process and perceptions

Background There is limited literature about physician handoffs between the intensive care unit (ICU) and the ward, and best practices have not been described. These patients are uniquely vulnerable given their medical complexity, diagnostic uncertainty and reduced monitoring intensity. We aimed to characterise the structure, perceptions and processes of ICU–ward handoffs across three teaching hospitals using multimodal methods: by identifying the handoff components involved in communication failures and describing common processes of patient transfer. Methods We conducted a study at three academic medical centres using two methods to characterise the structure, perceptions and processes of ICU–ward transfers: (1) an anonymous resident survey characterising handoff communication during ICU–ward transfer, and (2) comparison of process maps to identify similarities and differences between ICU–ward transfer processes across the three hospitals. Results Of the 295 internal medicine residents approached, 175 (59%) completed the survey. 87% of the respondents recalled at least one adverse event related to communication failure during ICU–ward transfer. 95% agreed that a well-structured handoff template would improve ICU–ward transfer. Rehabilitation needs, intravenous access/hardware and risk assessments for readmission to the ICU were the most frequently omitted or incorrectly communicated components of handoff notes. More than 60% of the respondents reported that notes omitted or miscommunicated pending results, active subspecialty consultants, nutrition and intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and healthcare decision-maker information at least twice per month. Despite variable process across the three sites, all process maps demonstrated flaws and potential for harm in critical steps of the ICU–ward transition. Conclusion In this multisite study, despite significant process variation across sites, almost all resident physicians recalled an adverse event related to the ICU–ward handoff. Future work is needed to determine best practices for ICU–ward handoffs at academic medical centres.
On Model-free Reinforcement Learning for Switched Linear Systems: A Subspace Clustering Approach

In this paper, we study optimal control of switched linear systems using reinforcement learning. Instead of directly applying existing model-free reinforcement learning algorithms, we propose a Q-learning-based algorithm designed specifically for discrete time switched linear systems. Inspired by the analytical results from optimal control literature, the Q function in our algorithm is approximated by a point-wise minimum form of a finite number of quadratic functions. An associated update scheme based on subspace clustering for such an approximation is also developed which preserves the desired structure during the training process. Numerical examples for both low-dimensional and high-dimensional switched linear systems are provided to demonstrate the performance of our algorithm.
Collaborative assessments in computer science education: A survey

As computer science enrollments continue to surge, assessments that involve student collaboration may play a more critical role in improving student learning. We provide a review on some of the most commonly adopted collaborative assessments in computer science, including pair programming, collaborative exams, and group projects. Existing research on these assessment formats is categorized and compared. We also discuss potential future research topics on the aforementioned collaborative assessment formats.
Education, training, and use of unlicensed assistive personnel in critical care.

Effective use of unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) complements and enhances nursing activities. This article describes how UAP are educated, trained, and utilized in critical care. The University of Chicago Hospitals' patient care technician program serves as an intermediary to visualize the process. Standardized education and training of both UAP and professional nurses (RNs), along with the necessary support for these individuals, promotes the successful integration of UAP.
Rotator Cuff Fibro-Adipogenic Progenitors Demonstrate Highest Concentration, Proliferative Capacity, and Adipogenic Potential Across Muscle Groups.

Fatty infiltration (FI) of rotator cuff (RC) muscles is common in patients with RC tears. Studies have demonstrated that fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), a population of resident muscle stem cells, are the main contributors of FI, which adversely affects muscle quality and RC repair success. Although FI is common in RC injuries, it is not frequently reported after other musculotendinous injuries. Additionally, studies have shown the development of different pathology patterns across muscle groups suggestive of intrinsic differences in cellular composition and behavior. This study evaluates FAP distribution and differentiation properties across anatomic locations in mice. Muscles from seven different anatomic locations were harvested from PDGFRα-eGFP FAP reporter mice. FAPs were quantified using histology and FACS sorting with BD Aria II with CD31- /CD45- /Integrinα7- /Sca-1+ and PDGFRα reporter signal (n = 3 per muscle). The cells were analyzed for adipogenesis using immunocytochemistry and for proliferation properties with Brdu-Ki67 staining. In a separate group of mice, RC and tibialis anterior muscles received glycerol injection and were harvested after 2 weeks for FI quantification (n = 4). One-way analysis of variance was used for statistical comparisons among groups, with significance at p < 0.05. FAPs from the RC, masseter, and paraspinal muscles were more numerous and demonstrated greater proliferative capacity and adipogenic potency than those from the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius. The RC demonstrated significantly greater levels of FI than the tibialis anterior after glycerol-injection injury. Clinical Significance: This study suggests differences in FAP distribution and differentiation characteristics may account for the propensity to develop FI in RC tears as compared with other musculotendinous injuries. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 38:1113-1121, 2020.
An opposing view to United States liver allocation problems with broader sharing.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Since 2014, the liver transplant community has been debating the pros and cons of broader sharing. Over the last 6 years, lung and heart transplantation have moved to broader sharing based on 'zones' or circles around a donor hospital, with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) approving a broader kidney sharing proposal in December of 2019 (set to be implemented in December 2020). RECENT FINDINGS In 2017, the OPTN Board of Directors approved a broader sharing policy in liver transplantation that was rooted in expanding the first-line of liver sharing beyond the donor service area (DSA). Faced with the threat of litigation, this proposal was replaced with a circle-based sharing policy titled 'Acuity Circles'. After a long legal challenge, the implementation of this new policy was delayed from April 2019 until February 2020. SUMMARY In this review, concerns related to broader sharing in liver allocation will be addressed, in terms of the basis for broader sharing and the potential implications to liver transplantation, rooted in the Final Rule and concerns around variability in organ donation rates and access to the waiting list.
Deglamming as Estrangement: Ugly in Monster, The Hours, and Cake

In this paper, I explore female actresses undergoing radical or seemingly radical physical transformation in service of a broader kind of career transformation. I problematize the simple calculation of deglamming, thinking more closely about the ways that celebrity structure raises challenges to actors and especially actresses attempting to engage with against-type characters. I turn specifically to three well-known examples of this trend: Charlize Theron in Monster (2003), Nicole Kidman in The Hours (2002), and Jennifer Aniston in Cake (2014). I argue that the process we see is not about deglamming (or getting ugly) for its own sake. Deglamming in these cases is a process of estrangement: from beauty, from the celebrity machine, from audience expectations. I draw on screen shots, film reviews and interviews to explore the relationship between deglamming and estrangement as a kind of acting and character technique, paying particular attention to the stakes for presenting historical characters in biopics. And while the three films I examine here – Monster , The Hours , and Cake – are often thought together as examples of actress Oscar uglification, they are actually quite different, both in terms of the physical transformations the actresses underwent in service of their characters, and the ways in which these transformations were understood and received.
Learning Theory Through a Social Justice Lens

Learning theory is and can be a useful tool for teaching and learning in higher education, but there is much to challenge and problematize about many of the traditional learning theories, from the epistemological lens that frames these theories to the ways they conceptualize the ideal learner. Most of these theories were not created with social justice in mind, but even those that are critically oriented, such as conscientization and transformative learning theory, are used to maximize learning Western knowledges in the classroom setting. Altogether, there is room to do more.
Incivility, Online Participation, and Message Delivery in the 2019 Hong Kong Protests: Exploring the Relationship

This study used the 2019 online Hong Kong protests to understand whether negative messages serve as mediators between incivility and civic engagement, and to investigate whether incivility does trivialize the value of information and the message intended. The study sought to examine the impact of two types of incivility in online discourse on online participation and showed that the relationship is mediated by information value and message importance. Through ‘netnographic’ research, quasi-experiments, and online surveys, the findings were able to demonstrate that incivility (good) was necessary for increasing online participation, therefore, allowing negative messages to serve as mediators with indirect effects. The mediating effects were observed in the arousal of emotions that led to participation. Second, findings suggested that (good) incivility defined the importance of information and the content of the message.
Abstract 4931: Yap1 regulates the transcription of cofilin to facilitate the metastatic movement of colorectal cancer cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most leading death-causing cancers in the United States which accounts for 23,380 estimated death cases in 2019 as per American Cancer Society. Surgical removal of cancerous tissue coupled with chemotherapeutic intervention is the primary treatment of metastatic CRC and the only hope of enhanced survival. Dysregulation of kinases is pivotal in the various pathological process, including cancer. In addition, the metastatic events in a cancer cell are usually brought by the alteration of different key molecules. One such key molecule is called cofilin that acts on the actin cytoskeleton to induce metastatic phenotype in cancerous cells. In this study, we used two atypical Protein Kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, namely ICA-I (a PKC-ι inhibitor) and ζ-Stat (a PKC-ζ inhibitor), to investigate the role of atypical PKCs in regulating the expression of cofilin in metastatic colorectal cells. Our findings suggested that the atypical PKC inhibitors reduced the expression and translocation of Yap1 from cytosol to nucleus which ultimately leads to the reduced expression of cofilin in CRC cells. This mechanistic study provides an important insight into the metastatic behavior of the cancerous colorectal cells that can be used to target metastasis regulating molecules to improve the survival rate in patients with CRC. Citation Format: S M Anisul Islam, Mildred Acevedo-Duncan. Yap1 regulates the transcription of cofilin to facilitate the metastatic movement of colorectal cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4931.
An Altitude Control System for Flight Control and Stability of HAB Missions

Our Altitude Control System (ACS) is a flight control system for latex high-altitude balloon (HAB) missions designed to allow controlled venting of helium. In the absence of any mechanism to vent helium, a typical latex HAB will rise at a relatively constant rate until it reaches burst altitude. Our ACS is designed to vent helium at a desired altitude utilizing COTS products and some 3D-printed parts. The ACS was developed to extend flight time at a target altitude for imaging and to expand the scientific research potential for latex HAB missions.
Association Between Major Depressive Disorder and Sleep Disturbances Through Inflammation in Adolescents.

Background Although approximately 13% of adolescents suffer from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and many adolescents have reported sleep disturbances, the relationship between sleep disturbances and MDD in adolescents is poorly understood. Thus, our objective was to study how adolescent MDD was related to sleep disturbances in a cross-sectional study, and the potential role of inflammation linking adolescent MDD to sleep disturbances. Methods Ninety-two female and male, African American and White, adolescents aged 15 to 18 years completed the study. Adolescents were diagnosed with MDD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 as confirmed by the MINI International Diagnostic Interview. The severity of depression was assessed using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology. Sleep disturbance was measured using the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaires (PSQ). Blood sample was collected from each participant for measuring the inflammatory factors. Results Compared with the controls (n=39), adolescents with MDD (n=53) had greater PSQ scores (0.32 ± 0.02 vs. 0.10 ± 0.02). In adolescents with MDD, PSQ scores were correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms (r=0.31, p<0.05). In addition, tumor necrosis factor-α levels were greatly elevated in the MDD group (2.4 ± 0.1 vs. 1.8 ± 0.1 pg/ml) compared with the controls. Severity of depressive symptoms was best predicted by PSQ scores, medications, and childhood experiences. Conclusions Sleep disturbance measured by the PSQ is associated with severe depressive symptoms in adolescents, and one potential pathway may be through elevated tumor necrosis factor-α. Further research is warranted to probe a cause and effect relationship among sleep disturbances, MDD, and chronic inflammation.
Biomechanics of the optic nerve head and peripapillary sclera in a mouse model of glaucoma

The deformation of the mouse astrocytic lamina (AL) and adjacent peripapillary sclera (PPS) was measured in response to elevated intraocular pressure. We subjected explanted mouse eyes to inflation testing, comparing control eyes to those 3 days and 6 weeks after induction of ocular hypertension (OHT) via ocular microbead injection. Laser scanning microscopy was used with second harmonic generation to image the collagenous PPS and two-photon fluorescence to image transgenic fluorescent astrocytes in the AL. Digital volume correlation was applied to calculate strains in the PPS and AL. The specimen-averaged strains were biaxial in the AL and PPS, with greater strain overall in the x- than y-direction in the AL and greater strain in the θ- than the r-direction in the PPS. Strains increased after 3-day OHT, with greater strain overall in the 3-day AL than control AL, and greater circumferential strain in the 3-day PPS than control PPS. In the 6-week OHT eyes, AL and PPS strains were similar overall to controls. This experimental glaucoma model demonstrated a dynamic change in the mechanical behaviour of the AL and PPS over time at the site of neuronal injury and remodelling in glaucoma.
Collaboration: Bad Words and Strong Documents

The use of communications technologies and artifacts in cooperative systems and the integration of cooperative systems in organization settings can be seen as a special case of the broader use of communications and artifacts in society. The broader system is of interest to those concerned with the documents and documentation. In this talk we will address two themes: 1. Language is cultural and evolves within communities of discourse. Every little community evolves its own dialect through metaphor and negotiation. Collaboration between individuals from different communities necessarily involves some dissonance, both in terms of what words mean (denote) and what they imply (connote) and, therefore, what words will be effective and socially acceptable. These issues extend broadly across the classification, categorization, and naming practices which form an important part of the infrastructure of collaborative activities. 2. Documents have enormous social power. My passport is more powerful than I am: It can cross frontiers without me, but I cannot cross frontiers without it. Analysis of the character and role of documents leads to an expansive functional definition of document which converges with the notion of artefact in the design of cooperative systems. These two related issues will be examined from the perspective of the study of documents and documentation.
Clonality of combined tumors: A molecular genetic study

○ Context.-Tumors with mixed morphologic patterns (combined tumors) are sometimes encountered, and questions often arise regarding the mechanism of molecular pathogenesis of each component and their relationships. Objective.-To determine whether different components of combined tumors contain the same or different genetic alterations, thus providing evidence for their clonality. Materials and Methods.-Six combined tumors with 2 components (in each case, both components showed epithelial differentiation morphologically) were studied by microdissecting tumor cells from each morphologic area followed by loss of heterozygosity analysis. Results.-In 1 of the cases studied, the different morphologic areas contained different patterns of genetic alterations. In the remaining 5 cases, the different morphologic areas harbored identical genetic changes in the chromosome regions studied. The latter group, interestingly, included a colonic tumor with an area of tubulovillous adenoma and an area of neuroendocrine carcinoma, and 2 lung tumors with squamous carcinoma and small cell carcinoma components. Conclusions.-Our results suggest that in the majority of combined tumors, cells with different phenotypes share similar genotype and may arise from a single precursor cell. However, in a minority of these tumors, different areas may be derived from different precursor cells.
An interesting case of COVID-19 induced hypercoagulability manifesting as pulmonary embolism and apical left ventricular thrombus

Introduction: Recent data demonstrates a strong correlation between COVID-19 and hypercoagulability with the spectrum of thromboembolic manifestations, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (PE). Here we present a unique case of COVID-19 associated hypercoagulability manifesting as both PE and apical left ventricular (LV) thrombosis in the absence of underlying coronary artery disease (CAD). Case: A 71-year-old female with a diagnosis of mild COVID-19 pneumonia presented with worsening fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, and chest heaviness on the thirteenth day of her illness. The patient was hypoxic on presentation requiring 3 L supplemental oxygen. Laboratory analysis showed an extremely high D-dimer level (greater than 20,000 ng/mL). Hence, computed tomography angiography of the chest was performed, showing evidence of right lower lobe segmental and subsegmental PE along with bilateral multifocal consolidation. Incidentally, the imaging demonstrated a filling defect within the apex of LV, transcending into further cardiac workup. Initial troponin was elevated at 0.04 ng/mL, and electrocardiogram showed sinus rhythm without any acute ST-T wave changes. Transthoracic echocardiography confirmed the presence of large, sessile, mobile, 1.3 x 2.1 cm LV thrombus but normal LV systolic function, ejection fraction, and no evidence of regional wall motion abnormalities. However, due to ongoing chest heaviness, the decision was made to perform a diagnostic left heart catheterization, which showed insignificant CAD. The patient received treatment with convalescent plasma, Remdesivir, and dexamethasone as per our institutional protocol and started on unfractionated heparin for anticoagulation. She was discharged on enoxaparin as per the patient's preference on a stable condition with close cardiology follow up. DiscussionLV thrombosis is a well-known complication of LV dysfunction associated with ischemic cardiomyopathy. While PE is an established phenomenon of COVID- 19 induced hypercoagulability, thrombus formation within the cardiac chamber is rarely reported. As cardiovascular complications such as acute myocardial injury, myocarditis, and cardiomyopathy are substantially reported in COVID-19, through this case report, we highlight the rare presentation of COVID 19 hypercoagulability with LV thrombus in the absence of predisposing cardiac conditions such as myocardial infarction or atrial fibrillation. Although the mechanism remains unclear, endothelial dysfunction eliciting local myocardial inflammation and blood stasis is a plausible explanation. Early recognition of LV thrombus and treatment with anticoagulation is of paramount importance to reducing stroke risk and systemic embolization. The detection of LV thrombus mandates anticoagulation with warfarin or heparin due to insufficient evidence to support the use of direct oral anticoagulants.
Role of standardized reporting and novel imaging markers in chronic pancreatitis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article reviews recent efforts about standardized imaging features and reporting of chronic pancreatitis and recently published or ongoing imaging studies, which aim to establish novel imaging biomarkers for detection of parenchymal changes seen in chronic pancreatitis. RECENT FINDINGS New novel MRI techniques are being developed to increase the diagnostic yield of chronic pancreatitis specifically in the early stage. T1 relaxation time, T1 signal intensity ratio and extracellular volume fraction offer potential advantages over conventional cross-sectional imaging, including simplicity of analysis and more objective interpretation of observations allowing population-based comparisons. In addition, standardized definitions and reporting guidelines for chronic pancreatitis based on available evidence and expert consensus have been proposed. These new imaging biomarkers and reporting guidelines are being validated for prognostic/therapeutic assessment of adult patients participating in longitudinal studies of The Consortium for the Study of Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer. SUMMARY New imaging biomarkers derived from novel MRI sequences promise a new chapter for diagnosis and severity assessment of chronic pancreatitis; a cross-sectional imaging-based diagnostic criteria for chronic pancreatitis combining ductal and parenchymal findings. Standardized imaging findings and reporting guidelines of chronic pancreatitis would enhance longitudinal assessment of disease severity in clinical trials and improve communication between radiologists and pancreatologists in clinical practice.
X-composer: enabling cross-environments in-situ workflows between HPC and cloud

As large-scale scientific simulations and big data analyses become more popular, it is increasingly more expensive to store huge amounts of raw simulation results to perform post-analysis. To minimize the expensive data I/O, "in-situ" analysis is a promising approach, where data analysis applications analyze the simulation generated data on the fly without storing it first. However, it is challenging to organize, transform, and transport data at scales between two semantically different ecosystems due to the distinct software and hardware difference. To tackle these challenges, we design and implement the X-Composer framework. X-Composer connects cross-ecosystem applications to form an "in-situ" scientific workflow, and provides a unified approach and recipe for supporting such hybrid in-situ workflows on distributed heterogeneous resources. X-Composer reorganizes simulation data as continuous data streams and feeds them seamlessly into the Cloud-based stream processing services to minimize I/O overheads. For evaluation, we use X-Composer to set up and execute a cross-ecosystem workflow, which consists of a parallel Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation running on HPC, and a distributed Dynamic Mode Decomposition analysis application running on Cloud. Our experimental results show that X-Composer can seamlessly couple HPC and Big Data jobs in their own native environments, achieve good scalability, and provide high-fidelity analytics for ongoing simulations in real-time.
Transitions from war to peace

The Elgar Handbook of Civil War and Fragile States brings together contributions from a multidisciplinary group of internationally renowned scholars on such important issues as the causes of violent conflicts and state fragility, the challenges of conflict resolution and mediation, and the obstacles to post-conflict reconstruction and durable peace-building. This chapter examines the state of current knowledge regarding transitions from war to peace following civil wars.
Guest Editorial: A Starting Point

As a new faculty member in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University since Fall 2008, I was eager to find possible research partners with whom to build a research network for long term collaboration and support. I wondered “Where shall I start?” and “Whom shall I invite?” After several conversations with my colleague, Dr. Bharath Sriraman, and many phone calls to my good friend, Dr. Anne Kern, a new faculty at the University of Idaho, we came up with the idea of forming a support group of female faculty in the fields of mathematics and science education in the northwestern region of the United States, including Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. These four states face similar challenges in education such as a large number of K-12 public schools with small enrollments located in rural areas.