cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulating the impacts of a New Madrid earthquake on the regional electric infrastructure

This paper summarizes the methodology and simulation tools used by Argonne National Laboratory to examine the impact that a high-intensity New Madrid seismic event could have on local electric assets and the performance of surrounding regional electric networks. Local impacts are expressed in terms of the number of assets (under various equipment categories) most likely to be damaged. The total megawatt equivalent of damage-prone power plants is assessed, as is an estimate of power flows that could be disrupted. Damage functions and fragility curves are employed to identify specific electric assets that could be affected. The potential of large-scale electric system collapse is explored via a series of network simulations. The methodology employs two models, the FEMA-developed HAZUS MH-MR3 and Argonne-developed EPfast tool for simulating uncontrolled islanding in electric systems. The models are described, and their complementary roles are discussed.
Cost models for lot streaming in multistage flow shops with unequal number of sublots between stages

The paper develops a cost model and shows that substantial reduction in the total cost is achieved when unequal number of sublots transfer policy in a multistage flow shop is adopted compared to equal number of sublots transfer policy under the same setting. We conduct sensitivity analysis for the parameters and determine those that account for large percentage reduction in the total cost. We develop another deterministic cost model that includes the purchasing cost and inventory holding cost of the raw material into the first model. This cost model includes a multiple price break all-units discount pricing of raw material.
Reading Nonfiction: Notice & Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies

Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst manage to entertain and inform teachers at all levels in their most recent book, Reading Nonfiction: Notice & Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies. Infused with...
Effects of alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor positive allosteric modulator on lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammatory pain in mice

Abstract Evidence indicates that microglial activation contributes to the pathophysiology and maintenance of neuroinflammatory pain involving central nervous system alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of 3a,4,5,9b-Tetrahydro-4-(1-naphthalenyl)-3 H -cyclopentan[ c ]quinoline-8-sulfonamide (TQS), an alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor positive allosteric modulator (PAM), on tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia following lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglial activation in hippocampus, a neuroinflammatory pain model in mice. In addition, we examined the effects of TQS on microglial activation marker, an ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1), in the hippocampus may be associated with neuroinflammatory pain. Pretreatment of TQS (4 mg/kg) significantly reduced LPS (1 mg/kg)-induced tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Moreover, pretreatment of methyllycaconitine (3 mg/kg) significantly reversed TQS-induced antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic responses indicating the involvement of alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Pretreatment of TQS significantly decreased LPS-induced increased in hippocampal Iba-1 expression. Overall, these results suggest that TQS reduces LPS-induced neuroinflammatory pain like symptoms via modulating microglial activation likely in the hippocampus and/or other brain region by targeting alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Therefore, alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor PAM such as TQS could be a potential drug candidate for the treatment of neuroinflammatory pain.
Phagocytic and natural killer cytotoxic responses of murine transitional cell carcinoma to postsurgical immunochemotherapy

Postsurgical immunochemotherapy with Corynebacterium parvum (CP) and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP) was evaluated in mice with transitional cell carcinoma (MBT-2). C3H/He mice were transplanted subcutaneously in the hind limb with 5 x 10(5) tumor cells. Ten to 14 days later when the tumor reached a diameter of five to seven mm., it was surgically removed. Mice were then randomized into four groups to receive a total of three treatments on days 1, 3 and 5 after surgery: 1) saline (control group); 2) CP, 250 micrograms. into the surgical site; 3) CDDP, 5 micrograms./gm. body weight intraperitoneally; and 4) combined CP and CDDP. Recurrence of tumor occurred in 70%, 52%, 55% and 28% of mice receiving surgery only, CP, CDDP, and combined CP and CDDP respectively. In the second part of the experiment, phagocytic activity using chemiluminescence assay and natural killer (NK) activity using chromium-51 release assay were determined with cells from the peritoneum, spleen and inguinal lymph nodes. CP or CDDP alone enhanced the phagocytic and NK activity. The most significant enhancement was obtained with cells from the inguinal lymph nodes of mice receiving combined CP and CDDP, the group with the lowest tumor recurrence. These results suggest that combination of CP and CDDP may be useful in control of postsurgical recurrence of bladder cancer.
The role of immunoscintigraphy in the staging and management of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer has continued to increase in incidence over the past 25 years. It now ranks as the second most common noncutaneous malignancy for men and women together. The projected 1995 statistics predict 153,000 new cases in the United States, with 109,000 of colonic origin and 44,000 cancers of the rectum. The shift to more proximal colonic involvement and a decrease in size of the presenting lesion is again noted. Unfortunately, the warning signals (rectal bleeding, change in bowel habits and, later, abdominal pain, distention, and weight loss), often become evident only after the tumor has progressed significantly in the patient. Despite improvements in endoscopic detection, anesthesia, pre- and postoperative care and more extensive en-bloc resections, the cure rate for all patients with colorectal cancer remains unchanged at 53 per cent at five years. Although radical resectional surgery is relied on for locoregional control of the disease, there has been an increased use of cross-sectional radiologic studies for staging of the cancer. This newer management of colorectal cancer is the result of a better understanding of the natural history and biologic behavior of the cancer. The main strategy presently is to diagnose the disease sooner, stage the cancer more accurately, select tumors that will respond to adjuvant therapy, and detect recurrences more efficiently. It is in the area of staging of the primary tumor and accurate localization of recurrences that this new modality, immunoscintigraphy, is felt to have an impact.
Full data acquisition in Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy: Mapping dynamic electric phenomena in real space

Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) has provided deep insights into the local electronic, ionic and electrochemical functionalities in a broad range of materials and devices. In classical KPFM, which utilizes heterodyne detection and closed loop bias feedback, the cantilever response is down-sampled to a single measurement of the contact potential difference (CPD) per pixel. This level of detail, however, is insufficient for materials and devices involving bias and time dependent electrochemical events; or at solid-liquid interfaces, where non-linear or lossy dielectrics are present. Here, we demonstrate direct recovery of the bias dependence of the electrostatic force at high temporal resolution using General acquisition Mode (G-Mode) KPFM. G-Mode KPFM utilizes high speed detection, compression and storage of the raw cantilever deflection signal in its entirety at high sampling rates. We show how G-Mode KPFM can be used to capture nanoscale CPD and capacitance information with a temporal resolution much faster than the cantilever bandwidth, determined by the modulation frequency of the AC voltage. In this way, G-Mode KPFM offers a new paradigm to study dynamic electric phenomena in electroactive interfaces as well as a promising route to extend KPFM to the solid-liquid interface.
Online Control and Optimization for Cyber-Physical Systems

Abstract Viewing cyber-physical systems (CPSs) as stochastic hybrid dynamic systems, we provide a framework for control and optimization problems where controllers are parameterized and the parameters are adaptively tuned online based on observable data. In this setting, we present a general approach for estimating gradients of performance metrics with respect to various parameters based on the infinitesimal perturbation analysis (IPA) theory. This results in an “IPA calculus” which amounts to a set of simple event-driven iterative equations. The event-driven nature of this approach implies its scalability in the size of an event set, as opposed to the system state space. As an application of this approach, we show how it can be used in data harvesting, a fundamental component of many CPSs. In particular, N mobile agents are tasked with the collection of data generated at M stationary sources and their subsequent delivery to a base aiming at minimizing expected delays. We formulate an agent trajectory optimization problem that can be solved online through the IPA calculus and obtain explicit results for the case of elliptical trajectories.
Contribution of social support and recreation companionship to the life satisfaction of people with persistent mental illness.

Social relationships have been seen as a contributor to happiness and well being since the time of Durkheim's classic study of suicide. For people with persistent mental illness, social relationships appear to be problematic. This study examined the contribution of social support and recreation companionship to life satisfaction among people with persistent mental illness. Clients from a community mental health program were surveyed on social support networks, recreation companionship networks, and life satisfaction. Findings indicated that minority group status, educational attainment, social support satisfaction, and recreation satisfaction were significantly related to life satisfaction. Neither the size of participants' social support nor recreation companionship networks were significantly related to life satisfaction. Multivariate analysis revealed that recreation satisfaction significantly predicted life satisfaction.
HPCMP CREATE-SH Integrated Hydrodynamic Design Environment

The HPCMP CREATE-SH Integrated Hydrodynamic Design Environment (IHDE) is a workbench-like desktop application that integrates a suite of hull form design and analysis tools allowing a user to execute round-trip evaluations of hydrodynamic performance, including visualization, in a simplified and timely manner. Ship hull designers are able to assess ship performance in areas of resistance, seakeeping, hydrodynamic loads, and operability for several different mission types. The development plan calls for additional capabilities related to maneuvering performance and multi-objective optimization. The IHDE also includes an analysis tool validation engine, which provides the user with validation information by leveraging historical model test data for comparisons. The advantages of the IHDE include automated analysis preparation, automated grid generation, and integrated visualization. The IHDE has been used to support several Navy design studies and this paper describes the capabilities of IHDE and shows examples of typical workflow processes and sample analysis results.
Clinical implications of the diffuse gastroenteropancreatic endocrine system.

The diffuse neuroendocrine system is composed of numerous amine-and peptide-secreting cells interspersed among other kinds of cells in the mucosa and sub-mucosa of the gut and the pancreatic islets. Basic scientific investigations of this diffuse system, as contrasted to the endocrine glands, was delayed because the usual experimental observations following extirpation or transplantation of the cells was not possible.
Effect of Cooling On Cell Volume and Viability After Nanoelectroporation.

Electric pulses of nanosecond duration (nsEP) are emerging as a new modality for tissue ablation. Plasma membrane permeabilization by nsEP may cause osmotic imbalance, water uptake, cell swelling, and eventual membrane rupture. The present study was aimed to increase the cytotoxicity of nsEP by fostering water uptake and cell swelling. This aim was accomplished by lowering temperature after nsEP application, which delayed the membrane resealing and/or suppressed the cell volume mechanisms. The cell diameter in U-937 monocytes exposed to a train of 50, 300-ns pulses (100 Hz, 7 kV/cm) at room temperature and then incubated on ice for 30 min increased by 5.6 +/− 0.7 μm (40–50%), which contrasted little or no changes (1 +/− 0.3 μm, <10%) if the incubation was at 37 °C. Neither this nsEP dose nor the 30-min cooling caused cell death when applied separately; however, their combination reduced cell survival to about 60% in 1.5–3 h. Isosmotic addition of a pore-impermeable solute (sucrose) to the extracellular medium blocked cell swelling and rescued the cells, thereby pointing to swelling as a primary cause of membrane rupture and cell death. Cooling after nsEP exposure can potentially be employed in medical practice to assist tissue and tumor ablation.
A 4.7μW switched-bias MEMS microphone preamplifier for ultra-low-power voice interfaces

This paper presents a switched-bias MEMS microphone preamplifier for an ultra-low-power voice interface. A switched-MOSFET periodically changes the MOSFET between strong inversion and accumulation to inherently reduce 1/f noise. In addition, a proposed coupling capacitor allows the microphone to benefit from a high bias voltage while the preamp can use a low VDD. The preamp achieves 7.3μVrms input referred noise (A-weighted) with 3.4μA, improving NEF by 4.5×. Acoustic testing with the preamp and MEMS microphone shows 61.3dBA SNR at 94dB SPL.
Restrictivelanguage policy in practice: English learners in Arizona, by A. J. Heineke: Bristol, Multilingual Matters, 2017, vii+226 pp., $139.95 (hbk), ISBN 978-1-78309-641-1

Amy Heineke's, engaging Restrictive Language Policy in Practice: English Learners in Arizona, presents both a state-of-the-art overview of language policy for English learners (ELs) in the US state...
Sustained Reduction of Blood Pressure With Baroreceptor Activation Therapy: Results of the 6-Year Open Follow-Up.

Baroreflex activation therapy is a novel technique for treating patients with resistant hypertension. Although short-term studies have demonstrated that it lowers blood pressure, long-term results have not yet been reported. The aim of the present study is to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of baroreflex activation therapy. Long-term follow-up data were analyzed from all patients who had been included in 1 of the 3 trials that focused on treatment-resistant hypertensive patients. Altogether, 383 patients were available for analysis: 143 of these had completed 5 years of follow-up and 48 patients had completed 6 years of follow-up. In the entire cohort, office systolic blood pressure fell from 179±24 mm Hg to 144±28 mm Hg ( P P P After a follow-up of 6 years, baroreflex activation therapy maintains its efficacy for persistent reduction of office blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension without major safety issues.
Identification of treatment effects with selective participation in a randomized trial

Randomized trials (RTs) are used to learn about treatment effects. This paper studies identification of average treatment response (ATR) and average treatment effect (ATE) from RT data under various assumptions. The focus is the problem of external validity of the RT. RT data need not point identify the ATR or ATE because of selective participation in the RT. The paper reports partial‐identification and point‐identification results for the ATR and ATE based on RT data under a variety of assumptions. The results include assumptions sufficient to point identify the ATR or ATE from RT data. Under weaker assumptions, the ATR or ATE is partially identified. Further, attention is given to identification of the sign of the ATE and identification of whether participation in the RT is selective. Finally, identification from RT data is compared to identification from observational data.
Resistance to Antitubercular Drugs

Historians established the existence of endemic tuberculosis from Egyptian mummies dating from 2000 to 4000 B.C. (reviewed by Bloom and Murray, 1992). Tuberculosis was prevalent in Europe throughout the middle ages. Newly crowned kings of England and France were believed to have special healing powers and the most desired treatment of tuberculosis was being touched by these kings. Tuberculosis was responsible for 20% of all deaths in London in 1651, and the disease may have accounted for a third of all deaths in Paris in the 19th century. As Europeans colonized the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa, the disease was passed to susceptible populations and spread worldwide (Young et al 1996). In 1882, Robert Koch identified an acid-fast bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as the causative agent of tuberculosis (Koch, 1932). His criteria for proof that the organism he discovered caused tuberculosis have been widely adopted and have become known as Koch’s postulates: isolation of the bacilli from the body, growth in pure culture, and reproduction of the same “morbid” condition by administering the isolated bacilli to animals. In 1908, the BCG (bacille Calmette-Guerin) vaccine was first used to immunize a patient, and is currently the most widely used vaccine in the world. Discovery of the antibacterial activity of prontosil in 1935 by Gerhard Domagk marked a fundamental change from pathogen-specific therapy to non-pathogen-specific therapy that allowed prompt and effective treatment of bacterial infections without the necessity of identifying the pathogens involved (Casadevall, 1996). The discovery of the antibacterial and antitubercular properties of streptomycin in 1944 (Schatz and Waksman), and both isoniazid and pyrazinamide in 1952 (Kushner et al.; Middlebrook), led to effective chemotherapies that decreased tuberculosis mortality rates in the United States and worldwide.
Erratum to "The Homogeneous Coordinate Ring of a Toric Variety", along with the original paper

This submission consists of two papers: 1) an erratum that corrects an error in the proof of Proposition 4.3 in my paper "The Homogeneous Coordinate Ring of a Toric Variety", and 2) the original (unchanged) version of the paper, published in 1995. The original paper introduced the homogeneous coordinate ring of a toric variety (now called the total coordinate ring or Cox ring) and gave a quotient construction. The paper also studied sheaves on a toric variety, and in Section 4 described its automorphism group. The error in the proof of Proposition 4.3 resulted from the faulty assumption that a certain set of graded endomorphisms forms a ring; rather, it is a monoid under composition. The erratum notes this error and gives a correct proof of the proposition.
The interreligious dimension of reasoning about God's existence

L'A. fait une etude comparative au sujet du theme de l'existence de Dieu dans trois ecoles de theologie philosophique traditionnelle hindoue : dans la logique Nyaya, dans la theorie rituelle mimamsa et dans la theologie scripturaire du vedanta. Il donne aussi un exemple occidental, celui du projet de theologie philosophique de Richard Swinburne. Aujourd'hui, il est possible d'affirmer qu'en depit des nombreuses religions qui differencient les traditions hindouistes et chretiennes, les theologiens des deux traditions ont argumente des versions de l'argument cosmologique. Dieu existe sinon le monde ne serait pas intelligible. Un consensus sur l'existence de Dieu nait parmi les savants ne partageant pas les memes sources historiques et scripturaires.
Fat intake and breast cancer: a review

The relationship between fat intake and breast cancer has been debated for a long period of time. Animal, ecological, and case-control studies have supported that dietary fat increases breast cancer risk. However, cohort studies have not support any strong association between dietary fat intake and breast cancer risk. It has not been clear whether fat per se or some specific type of fat is responsible for the increased risk. Recently, a few cohort studies have found some positive association between specific types of fat intake, but not overall fat intake and breast cancer risk. In this review, the findings from previous studies will be summarized with advantages and disadvantages of different types of study design and recent findings will be introduced.
Spontaneous speech: how people really talk and why engineers should care.

Spontaneous conversation is optimized for human-human communication, but differs in some important ways from the types of speech for which human language technology is often developed. This overview describes four fundamental properties of spontaneousspeech that present challenges for spoken language applications because they violate assumptions often applied in automatic processing technology.
AN HMO DOES NOT OWE AN ERISA FIDUCIARY DUTY TO ITS EMPLOYEE BENEFICIARIES: AFTER PEGRAM V. HERDRICH, WHO WILL SPEAK FOR THE WORKING CLASS?

In the past few decades an American health care system once defined by fee-for-service care has succumbed to domination by large, for-profit managed care organizations.! The corollary of this national shift in health care has been a major transfer of financial and administrative power from doctors and hospitals to insurers and Health Management Organizations ("HMOs").2 Critics of the current system believe this shift in power has given managed care
Embolism, Cardiac and Aortic

Approximately 20% of all ischemic strokes are due to embolism from intracardiac source. Distinguishing cardioembolic etiology from other causes of ischemic stroke by clinical features is difficult, as there is significant overlap. Currently, the most common diagnostic test for cardioembolic source is echocardiography, including transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. In addition to cardiac sources of embolism, complex aortic atheroma has been shown to be another important source of brain embolism. The article that follows presents an overview of potential sources of brain embolism in the heart and aorta.
Use and Costs of Medical Foods and Convenience-Packaged Drugs in the California Workers' Compensation System.

BACKGROUND: Sales of medical foods (MFs) and convenience packages (CPs) are projected to exceed $2 billion in the United States, with an annual growth rate of 10%. Several studies have highlighted ...
Phenolic-enriched raspberry fruit extract (Rubus idaeus) resulted in lower weight gain, increased ambulatory activity, and elevated hepatic lipoprotein lipase and heme oxygenase-1 expression in male mice fed a high-fat diet.

Abstract Red raspberries (Rubus idaeus) contain numerous phenolic compounds with purported health benefits. Raspberry ketone (4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone) is a primary raspberry flavor phenolic found in raspberries and is designated as a synthetic flavoring agent by the Food and Drug Administration. Synthetic raspberry ketone has been demonstrated to result in weight loss in rodents. We tested whether phenolic-enriched raspberry extracts, compared with raspberry ketone, would be more resilient to the metabolic alterations caused by an obesogenic diet. Male C57BL/6J mice (8 weeks old) received a daily oral dose of vehicle (VEH; 50% propylene glycol, 40% water, and 10% dimethyl sulfoxide), raspberry extract low (REL; 0.2 g/kg), raspberry extract high (REH; 2 g/kg), or raspberry ketone (RK; 0.2 g/kg). Coincident with daily dosing, mice were placed on a high-fat diet (45% fat). After 4 weeks, REH and RK reduced body weight gain (approximately 5%-9%) and white adipose mass (approximately 20%) compared with VEH. Hepatic gene expression of heme oxygenase-1 and lipoprotein lipase was upregulated in REH compared with VEH. Indirect calorimetry indicated that respiratory exchange ratio (CO2 production to O2 consumption) was lower, suggesting increased fat oxidation with all treatments. REH treatment increased total ambulatory behavior. Energy expenditure/lean mass was higher in REH compared with REL treatment. There were no treatment differences in cumulative intake, meal patterns, or hypothalamic feed-related gene expression. Our results suggest that raspberry ketone and a phenolic-enriched raspberry extract both have the capacity to prevent weight gain but differ in the preventative mechanisms for excess fat accumulation following high-fat diet exposure.
Time-domain Far-Infrared Spectroscopy of Water Vapor and Direct Measurement of Collisional Relaxation Times.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the application of a new sub-picosecond teraHz-beam system to time-domain spectroscopy. The spectral content of the source used in this chapter extends from low frequencies up to the teraHz frequency range. By analyzing the propagation of the electromagnetic pulses through water vapor, the most accurate measurements have been made to date of the absorption cross-sections of the water molecule for the 9 strongest lines in the frequency range from 0.2 to 1.45 THz. The chapter describes the advantages of the time-domain spectroscopy method, which involve producing results that are equivalent to those of traditional c.w. spectroscopy. Firstly, the detection is extremely sensitive. Although the energy per THz pulse is very low, the 100 MHz repetition rate and the coherent detection allows the determination of the electric field of the propagated pulse with a signal-to-noise ratio of about 3,000. In terms of average power, the sensitivity exceeds that of liquid-helium-cooled bolometers by more than 1,000 times. Secondly, because of the gated and coherent detection, the thermal back-ground, which plagues traditional measurements in that frequency range, is observationally absent.
Tumor mutation burden and checkpoint immunotherapy markers in primary and metastatic synovial sarcoma.

Summary Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a soft-tissue malignancy that most often affects patients aged between 15 and 40 years, and the prognosis for patients with metastatic disease is generally poor. This study was performed to evaluate checkpoint blockade immunotherapy markers in SS, including tumor mutational burden (TMB), DNA mismatch repair (MMR) status, and PDL-1 (programmed cell death ligand 1), PD1 (programmed cell death 1), and CD8 expression by normal-tumor paired whole-exome sequencing (WES) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Outcomes evaluated included event-free and overall survival. Twenty one (21) FISH (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization)-confirmed SS cases (11 F, 10 M) were studied, with age ranging from 8 to 89 years at diagnosis and follow-up ranging from 1 to 16 years. TMB (n = 16) ranged from 0.83 to 212/Mb (median, 1.7). Only one case showed a high TMB of 212/Mb and missense variants of MMR genes in the primary tumor, while the other 15 cases had a low TMB of less than 5/Mb. IHC was performed on all 21 tumor samples for PD-L1, PD1, CD8, and MMR proteins. PD-L1 membranous staining was detected in 3 of 21 cases (14.3%), ranging from 1 to 5% for tumor proportion score and 1–10 for combined positive score. PD1 was detected in 15 of 21 cases (71.4%), ranging from 1 to 25/HPF (high power field) (median, 2). CD8 stain was seen in all cases, ranging from 2 to 60/HPF (median, 5). PD1 staining results correlated with CD8 staining results (P
How to behave virtuously in an irrational world

It is no secret that we inhabit an increasingly irrational world, plagued by rampant pseudoscience, science denialism, post-truths and fake news. Or perhaps, human nature being what it is, we have always lived in such a world and we are now simply more keenly aware of it because of easy and widespread access to social media. Moreover, the stakes are higher, as pseudoscience in the form of the anti-vax movement imperils the lives of many, while climate change denialism literally risks a collapse of the human ecosystem. So how do we deal with the problem? How do we talk to otherwise perfectly reasonable and functional people who nevertheless espouse all sorts of nonsense — and vote accordingly? In this paper I will explore a couple of real life conversations among many that I have had with believers in pseudoscience, and then present and discuss virtue epistemology as one approach to ameliorate the problem. No silver bullets are available, unfortunately, but it is our intellectual and moral duty to keep, as Carl Sagan famously put it, the candle of reason lit even when surrounded by the darkness of unreason.
Tumor establishment requires tumor autonomous and non-autonomous deregulation of homeostatic feedback control

Summary In healthy adult organs, robust feedback mechanisms control cell turnover to enforce homeostatic equilibrium between cell division and death [1, 2]. Nascent tumors must subvert these mechanisms to achieve cancerous overgrowth [3–7]. Elucidating the nature of this subversion can reveal how cancers become established and may suggest strategies to prevent tumor progression. In adult Drosophila intestine, a well-studied model of homeostatic cell turnover, the linchpin of cell equilibrium is feedback control of the EGF protease Rhomboid (Rho). Expression of Rho in apoptotic cells enables them to secrete EGFs, which stimulate nearby stem cells to undergo replacement divisions [8]. As in mammals, loss of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) causes Drosophila intestinal stem cells to form adenomas [9]. Here we demonstrate that Drosophila APC−/− tumors trigger widespread Rho expression in non-apoptotic cells, resulting in chronic EGF signaling. Initially, nascent APC−/− tumors induce rho in neighbor wild-type cells via acute, non-autonomous activation of JNK. During later growth and multilayering, APC−/− tumors induce rho in tumor cells by autonomous downregulation of E-cadherin (E-cad) and consequent activity of p120-catenin. This sequential dysregulation of tumor non-autonomous and -autonomous EGF signaling converts tissue-level feedback into feed-forward activation that drives cancerous overgrowth. Since Rho, EGFR, and E-cad are associated with colorectal cancer in humans [10–17], our findings may shed light on how human colorectal tumors progress.
Posthumanism and the graphic novel in Latin America

Cyborgs, artificial intelligence, robots – they’re no strangers to the world of publication, especially not within the medium of graphic novels, but there is a rise in the study of these technologi...
Polarization properties at rocksalt/wurtzite oxide interfaces

The binary oxides MgO, CaO, ZnO, and CdO have a variety of band gaps which enables band-gap engineering over a wide range. ZnO takes the wurtzite structure, while MgO, CaO, and CdO take the rocksalt structure. We examine the formal polarization in these materials and in particular the formal polarization difference at the interface between ZnO and each of the rocksalt oxides. We find that any rocksalt oxide (including alloys) strained to ZnO will exhibit a very large polarization charge discontinuity of $\ensuremath{-}0.907\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{Cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. Heterostructures between ZnO and the rocksalt oxides can therefore host a free-carrier gas with sheet densities up to $5.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{14}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. Such large polarization fields and carrier densities may allow applications in tunnel junctions or as contact layers for UV devices.
Rapid Structural Analysis of a Synthetic Non-canonical Amino Acid by Microcrystal Electron Diffraction.

Structural characterization of small molecules is a crucial component of organic synthesis. In this work, we applied microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) to analyze the structure of the product of an enzymatic reaction that was intended to produce the unnatural amino acid 2,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (24DHF). Characterization of our isolated product with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS) suggested that an isomer of 24DHF had been formed. Microcrystals present in the isolated product were then used to determine its structure to 0.62 A resolution, which confirmed its identity as 2-amino-2-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid (24DHPA). Moreover, the MicroED structural model indicated that both enantiomeric forms of 24DHPA were present in the asymmetric unit. Notably, the entire structure determination process including setup, data collection, and refinement was completed in ~1 h. The MicroED data not only bolstered previous results obtained using NMR and MS but also immediately provided information about the stereoisomers present in the product, which is difficult to achieve using NMR and MS alone. Our results therefore demonstrate that MicroED methods can provide useful structural information on timescales that are similar to many commonly used analytical methods and can be added to the existing suite of small molecule structure determination tools in future studies.
BreastImplantAnalyzer: An easy-to-use, validated tool for calculating breast implant volume from MRI data.

Summary Background Given the prevalence of breast augmentation and prosthetic-based breast reconstruction, it is common for the plastic surgeon to see patients presenting for revisional implant surgery. A frequent issue encountered in such procedures is uncertainty of implant size, which presents numerous challenges and may lead to undesired outcomes for both the patient and the surgeon. There is currently no tool available with the purpose of measuring implant volume from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. In this study, such a program was designed and tested. Methods An open-source software was developed that provides volume measurement of a chosen breast implant with minimal interaction from the user, allowing for precision in the planning of breast implant revisional surgery. It was developed to be as easy to use as possible for clinicians who may not have experience with imaging analysis platforms. The program was tested on patients who underwent revisional implant surgery and had documented implant volumes and pre-operative breast MRIs. Twenty-two implants were tested in total, including saline and both smooth and textured silicone implants. Results The software has shown to be highly accurate with an average accuracy of 98.6%. A Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.967 was obtained. The software also performed faster than previously proposed methods. Conclusion Plastic surgeons can easily calculate breast implant volume pre-operatively using BreastImplantAnalyzer, which is available to download for free from www.BreastImplantAnalyzer.com or as an extension for the popular medical imaging platform 3D Slicer.
Molecular mechanism of Nramp-family transition metal transport

The Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (Nramp) family of transition metal transporters enables uptake and trafficking of essential micronutrients that all organisms must acquire to survive. Two decades after Nramps were identified as proton-driven, voltage-dependent secondary transporters, multiple Nramp crystal structures have begun to illustrate the fine details of the transport process and provide a new framework for understanding a wealth of preexisting biochemical data. Here we review the relevant literature pertaining to Nramps' biological roles and especially their conserved molecular mechanism, including our updated understanding of conformational change, metal binding and transport, substrate selectivity, proton transport, proton-metal coupling, and voltage dependence. We ultimately describe how the Nramp family has adapted the LeuT fold common to many secondary transporters to provide selective transition-metal transport with a mechanism that deviates from the canonical model of symport.
Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) Fundamentals with Resonant Frequency-Dependent Parameters, Energy Transfer Efficiency, and Green Technology Applications

This paper presents the fundamentals of Wireless Power Transfer, its limitations, applications, and variables that affect energy transfer efficiency. Wireless power transfer with resonant frequency over variable distances require adaptation of frequency to optimize the energy transfer efficiency. Adaptive high-frequency changes cause variations in the transmitter and receiver coils parameters. The skin-effect resistance and inductance of the receiver and transmitter coils affect their quality factors and the overall energy transfer efficiency. In this paper, the effect of high frequency on the parameter’s variation of the transmitter and receiver coils quality factor and power transfer efficiency is derived, analyzed, and evaluated. Finally, an experimental WPT circuit is designed for mid-range power transfer and implemented in the laboratory. The overall performance and efficiency of the WPT circuit as a function of frequencies and distances are discussed and demonstrated in the lab. The applications of WPT to Electric Vehicle Charging, Smart Grid, and wireless charging of portable bio-medical electronic devices such as pace maker were discussed.
Reducing deep learning network structure through variable reduction methods in crop modeling

Abstract Crop models are widely used to predict plant growth, water input requirements, and yield. However, existing models are very complex and require hundreds of variables to perform accurately. Due to these shortcomings, large-scale applications of crop models are limited. In order to address these limitations, reliable crop models were developed using a deep neural network (DNN) – a new approach for predicting crop yields. In addition, the number of required input variables was reduced using three common variable selection techniques: namely Bayesian variable selection, Spearman's rank correlation, and Principal Component Analysis Feature Extraction. The reduced-variable DNN models were capable of estimating future crop yields for 10,000,000 different weather and irrigation scenarios while maintaining comparable accuracy levels to the original model that used all input variables. To establish clear superiority of the methodology, the results were also compared with a very recent feature selection algorithm called min-redundancy max-relevance (mRMR). The results of this study showed that the Bayesian variable selection was the best method for achieving the aforementioned goals. Specifically, the final Bayesian-based DNN model with a structure of 10 neurons in 5 layers performed very similarly (78.6% accuracy) to the original DNN crop model with 400 neurons in 10 layers, even though the size of the neural network was reduced by 80-fold. This effort can help promote sustainable agricultural intensifications through the large-scale application of crop models.
Targeted Disruption of Shp2 in Chondrocytes Leads to Metachondromatosis With Multiple Cartilaginous Protrusions

Metachondromatosis is a benign bone disease predominantly observed in the hands and feet of children or young adults demonstrating two different manifestations: a cartilage-capped bony outgrowth on the surface of the bone called exostosis and ectopic cartilaginous nodules inside the bone called enchondroma. Recently, it has been reported that loss-of-function mutations of the SHP2 gene, which encodes the SHP2 protein tyrosine phosphatase, are associated with metachondromatosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of SHP2 in postnatal cartilage development, which is largely unknown. We disrupted Shp2 during the postnatal stage of mouse development in a chondrocyte-specific manner using a tamoxifen-inducible system. We found tumor-like nodules on the hands and feet within a month after the initial induction. The SHP2-deficient mice demonstrated an exostosis-like and enchondroma-like phenotype in multiple bones of the hands, feet, and ribs as assessed by X-ray and micro-computed tomography (CT). Histological assessment revealed the disorganization of the growth plate cartilage, a cartilaginous protrusion from the epiphyseal bone, and ectopic cartilage nodules within the bones, which is consistent with the pathological features of metachondromatosis in humans (ie, both exostosis and enchondroma). At molecular levels, we observed an abundant expression of Indian hedgehog protein (IHH) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and impaired expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in the affected cartilage nodules in the SHP2-deficient mice. In summary, we have generated a mouse model of metachondromatosis that includes manifestations of exostosis and enchondroma. This study provides a novel model for the investigation of the pathophysiology of the disease and advances the understanding of metachondromatosis. This model will be useful to identify molecular mechanisms for the disease cause and progression as well as to develop new therapeutic strategies in the future.
Nucleotide resolution analysis of TMPRSS2 and ERG rearrangements in prostate cancer

TMPRSS2-ERG rearrangements occur in approximately 50% of prostate cancers and therefore represent one of the most frequently observed structural rearrangements in all cancers. However, little is known about the genomic architecture of such rearrangements. We therefore designed and optimized a pipeline involving target capture of TMPRSS2 and ERG genomic sequences coupled with paired-end next-generation sequencing to resolve genomic rearrangement breakpoints in TMPRSS2 and ERG at nucleotide resolution in a large series of primary prostate cancer specimens (n = 83). This strategy showed > 90% sensitivity and specificity in identifying TMPRSS2-ERG rearrangements, and allowed identification of intra- and inter-chromosomal rearrangements involving TMPRSS2 and ERG with known and novel fusion partners. Our results indicate that rearrangement breakpoints show strong clustering in specific intronic regions of TMPRSS2 and ERG. The observed TMPRSS2-ERG rearrangements often exhibited complex chromosomal architecture associated with several intra- and inter-chromosomal rearrangements. Nucleotide resolution analysis of breakpoint junctions revealed that the majority of TMPRSS2 and ERG rearrangements (~88%) occurred at or near regions of microhomology or involved insertions of one or more base pairs. This architecture implicates non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) pathways in the generation of such rearrangements. These analyses have provided important insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in generating prostate cancer-specific recurrent rearrangements.
Identification, sequencing, and targeted mutagenesis of a DNA polymerase gene required for the extreme radioresistance of Deinococcus radiodurans.

Deinococcus radiodurans and other species of the same genus share extreme resistance to ionizing radiation and many other agents that damage DNA. Two different DNA damage-sensitive strains generated by chemical mutagenesis were found to be defective in a gene that has extended DNA and protein sequence homology with polA of Escherichia coli. Both mutant strains lacked DNA polymerase, as measured in activity gels. Transformation of this gene from wild-type D. radiodurans restored to the mutants both polymerase activity and DNA damage resistance. A technique for targeted insertional mutagenesis in D. radiodurans is presented. This technique was employed to construct a pol mutant isogenic with the wild type (the first example of targeted mutagenesis in this eubacterial family). This insertional mutant lacked DNA polymerase activity and was even more sensitive to DNA damage than the mutants derived by chemical mutagenesis. In the case of ionizing radiation, the survival of the wild type after receiving 1 Mrad was 100% while survival of the insertional mutant extrapolated to 10(-24). These results demonstrate that the gene described here encodes a DNA polymerase and that defects in this pol gene cause a dramatic loss of resistance of D. radiodurans to DNA damage. Images
Automated migration analysis based on cell texture: method & reliability

In this paper, we present and validate a way to measure automatically the extent of cell migration based on automated examination of a series of digital photographs. It was designed specifically to identify the impact of Second Hand Smoke (SHS) on endothelial cell migration but has broader applications. The analysis has two stages: (1) preprocessing of image texture, and (2) migration analysis. The output is a graphic overlay that indicates the front lines of cell migration superimposed on each original image, with automated reporting of the distance traversed vs. time. Expert preference compares to manual placement of leading edge shows complete equivalence of automated vs. manual leading edge definition for cell migration measurement. Our method is indistinguishable from careful manual determinations of cell front lines, with the advantages of full automation, objectivity, and speed.
Factors affecting filamentation in Candida albicans: relationship of the uptake and distribution of proline to morphogenesis.

When glucose was present in high concentration, Candida albicans formed filaments in a phosphate-buffered medium, regardless of the nitrogen source. In lower concentrations of glucose, filamentation occurred only when various members of the glutamate, succinyl, or acetoacetyl-coenzyme A families of amino acids were used as sole nitrogen sources. Yeast morphology could be maintained either by replacing the amino acids in the medium with ammonium chloride or by making the medium high in phosphate or biotin. Studies using [U-14C]proline indicated that proline was catabolized in a manner consistent with the generation of increased cellular reducing potential and that the proline label entered into the Kreb9s cycle. A reduction in Kreb9s cycle activity was evidenced by an initial increase and then a rapid drop of the total organic acid content of the cells as well as in specific Kreb9s cycle intermediates. Filamentation under conditions of low phosphate, high glucose, and increased cellular reduction potential, accompanied by a decrease in Kreb9s cycle activity, suggests that morphogenesis in C. albicans is correlated with a Crabtree-like effect, i.e., repression of mitochondrial activity.
P.I. Algebras with Hopf Algebra Actions

Abstract IfAis a p.i. algebra in characteristic zero with action from a finite-dimensional semisimple Hopf algebraH, thenAhas a nilpotentH-idealNsuch thatA/Nwill beH-verbally semiprime. EveryH-verbally semiprime algebra isH-p.i. equivalent to a direct sum ofH-verbally prime algebras. In the case of a finite group action or a grading by an abelian group, we show that the sum can be taken to be finite. In the case of an action by a finite cyclic groupG, we classify allG-p.i. algebras, up to equivalence. This paper generalizes the work of A. R. Kerner (1985,Math. USSR Izv.25).