cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma levels of resistin-like molecule beta in humans

Abstract Background : Resistin-like molecules (RELM) are expressed in many tissues and among those, RELMβ is most abundantly expressed in the colon. Based on animal studies, RELMβ is induced by high fat diets, obesity, and intestinal microflora and may play a role in insulin resistance and intestinal inflammation. In the present study, we evaluated whether RELMβ could be measured in human plasma and the influence of selected host and behavioral factors on RELMβ levels, including known risk factors for colorectal cancer. Methods : The subjects for this pilot study were derived from healthy controls who participated in a population-based case–control study of colorectal cancer in Metropolitan Detroit. The subjects were 45–80 years of age without history of cancer or colorectal resection. Results : RELMβ was present in human plasma, with levels in the range of 0.08–0.26ng/mL. Lower RELMβ levels were found in subjects with non-Caucasian race, lower pack-years of smoking, and higher physical activity index scores. Other variables such as dietary intakes, gender, obesity, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and history of polyps were not associated with RELMβ levels. Conclusions : The direct association of RELMβ with smoking and inverse association with physical activity, both of which are risk factors for colon cancer, indicates that RELMβ may be involved in mediating the effects of these two lifestyle factors on risk of colon cancer.
GROUTING MONITOR WELLS—IT'S ALL IN THE MIX

Monitor wells are frequently sealed using a cement–bentonite grout mixture because it is believed that the addition of bentonite (1) reduces shrinkage of the cement, (2) increases cement plasticity, (3) reduces curing temperatures, and (4) reduces grout weight. The design of a compound grout appears to be simple: add a fixed percentage of premium bentonite, by dry-weight, per sack of Portland cement and increase the volume of mix water from 5.2 gal/sack by 1.3 gal/2% bentonite added. This formula, however, is only valid if the bentonite is dry-blended with the cement before water is added. In most environmental applications, cement–bentonite mixing is performed at the job site. The driller has two options: (1) mix the cement with water and then add the dry bentonite or (2) mix the bentonite with water and then add the cement. Both of these lead to problems; in the first case, the bentonite does not fully blend with the grout, and in the second case the bentonite consumes all of the available water. The solution is to add more water. An 8% bentonite–cement compound grout can easily be mixed and pumped if the bentonite and cement are first dry blended, a problem not easily solved on an environmental drill site. If the cement is hydrated first, an additional 10 gal of water must be added; if the bentonite is hydrated first, at least 20 gal of water must be added to the blend. When expanded, high-yield bentonite is used,> 30 gal of additional water must be added. These high-water content environmental grouts are very low density, very low strength, and highly permeable. A strong quality assurance/quality control program for cement–bentonite grout specifications must be established.
A New Approach to Planar Structure Characterization Using Time Domain Techniques

A new approach for planar transmission line characterization is presented. The approach is based on using time domain techniques for characterizing the coaxial to planar adapter probes used in the measurements. The characterization is achieved by developing an equivalent network model for the probes with the aid of a transient circuit analysis computer program.
COMPETITION AND COEXISTENCE OF LARVAL ANT LIONS

What factors permit the coexistence of competing species? In central Okla- homa, the predaceous ant lions Myrmeleon crudelis and M. immaculatus live in dense aggregations at the sheltered bases of cliff ledges. Three larval instars of each species act as predators and competitors of one another. In controlled field experiments, mortality of second and third instars increased with density, although intra- and interspecific effects were indistinguishable. The presence of third-instar larvae did not affect recruitment or survivorship of first-instar larvae. In all experiments, mortality was predictable on the basis of body mass and larval density, but not species identity. Increased food supply shortened development time and increased adult body mass but did not affect mortality. Larvae near the front of the ant lion aggregation grew faster due to greater food availability but suffered greater mortality in the pupal stage. Although food and space were limiting, neither species was excluded because (1) intra- and interspecific effects were similar; (2) third-instar larvae could not suppress the recruitment of first-instar larvae; and (3) recruitment was patchy in time and space. Oviposition behavior and interactions among adult ant lions may also contribute to larval coexistence.
Quantum Mechanical Foundations of Causal Entropic Forces

The theory of Causal Entropic Forces was introduced to explain the emergence of intelligence as a phenomenon in physical systems. Although the theory provides illustrations of how behavior shaped by causal entropic forces resembles human cognitive niche in specific simple settings, the theory leaves open some important questions. First, the definition of causal entropic forces, in terms of actions that maximize the statistical diversity of future paths a system can take, makes no connection with concepts of knowledge and rationality traditionally associated with intelligence. Second, the theory does not explain the origins of such path based forces in classical thermodynamic ensembles. This paper addresses both these issues using the principles of open system quantum mechanics, quantum statistics and the Hamiltonian theory of Dynamic Economics. The construction finally arrived at is much more general than the notion of entropic forces and shows how maximizing future path diversity is closely related to maximizing a particular utility function over a sequence of interactions till the system attains thermodynamic equilibrium.
Massive Progredienz des Glaukoms trotz „guter“ Druckeinstellung

Bei einer heute 76-jahrige Patientin wurde 1997 ein Kapselhautchenglaukom (rechts mehr als links) diagnostiziert und mit einer medikamentosen Dreifachtherapie behandelt. Bei einem am rechten Auge weit fortgeschrittenen Gesichtsfeld- und Papillenschaden wurde sie dann 2001 bei einem Druck von 18 mmHg applaniert zur Trabekulektomie zugewiesen.
Chips around the world: proceedings from the Nature Genetics microarray meeting.

an overwhelming response to the invitation by the journal Nature Genetics for the submission of DNA microarray work was evident in the recent “Microarray Meeting: Technology, Application and Analysis,” which took place in Scottsdale, AZ, September 22–25, 1999. A reflection of a rapidly
High‐throughput identification of protein mutant stability computed from a double mutant fitness landscape

The effect of a mutation on protein stability is traditionally measured by genetic construction, expression, purification, and physical analysis using low-throughput methods. This process is tedious and limits the number of mutants able to be examined in a single study. In contrast, functional fitness effects can be measured in a high-throughput manner by various deep mutational scanning tools. Using protein GB 1, we have recently demonstrated the feasibility of estimating the mutational stability effect ( ΔΔG) of single-substitution based on the functional fitness profile of all double-substitutions. The principle is to identify genetic backgrounds that have an exhausted stability margin. The functional effect of an additional substitution on these genetic backgrounds can then be used to compute the mutational ΔΔG based on the biophysical relationship between functional fitness and thermodynamic stability. However, to identify such genetic backgrounds, the approach described in our previous study required a benchmark dataset, which is a set of known mutational ΔΔG. In this study, a benchmark-independent approach is developed. The genetic backgrounds of interest are identified using k-means clustering with the integration of structural information. We further demonstrated that a reasonable approximation of ΔΔG can also be obtained without taking structural information into account. In summary, this study describes a novel method for computing ΔΔG from double-substitution functional fitness profiles alone, without relying on any known mutational ΔΔG as a benchmark.
Experiencing Transitions: An Emerging Middle-Range Theory

Changes in health and illness of individuals create a process of transition, and clients in transition tend to be more vulnerable to risks that may in turn affect their health. Uncovering these risks may be enhanced by understanding the transition process. As a central concept of nursing, transition has been analyzed, its components identified, and a framework to articulate and to reflect the relationship between these components has been defined. In this article, the previous conceptual analysis of transitions is extended and refined by drawing on the results of five different research studies that have examined transitions using an integrative approach to theory development. The emerging middle-range theory of transitions consists of types and patterns of transitions, properties of transition experiences, facilitating and inhibiting conditions, process indicators, outcome indicators, and nursing therapeutics. The diversity, complexity, and multiple dimensionality of transition experiences need to be further explored and incorporated in future research and nursing practice related to transitions.
Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production by Platinum-Loaded Carbon-Doped Cadmium Indate Nanoparticles

Undoped and carbon doped cadmium indate (CdIn2O4) powders were synthesized using a sol–gel pyrolysis method and evaluated for hydrogen generation activity under UV–visible irradiation without the use of a sacrificial reagent. Each catalyst powder was loaded with a platinum cocatalyst in order to increase electron–hole pair separation and promote surface reactions. Carbon-doped indium oxide and cadmium oxide were also prepared and analyzed for comparison. UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra indicate the band gap for C-CdIn2O4 to be 2.3 eV. C-doped In2O4 showed a hydrogen generation rate approximately double that of the undoped material. When compared to platinized TiO2 in methanol, which was used as a control material, C-CdIn2O4 showed a 4-fold increase in hydrogen production. The quantum efficiency of the material was calculated at different wavelength intervals and found to be 8.7% at 420–440 nm. The material was capable of hydrogen generation using visible light only and with good efficiency even at 510 nm.
Magnesium in Women’s Health and Gynecology

Magnesium is well known in the world of obstetrics for many important uses. It has been utilized in treating pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, and preventing preterm labor, though it has been found recently that prolonged magnesium administration in pregnant women may result in adverse outcomes to fetal bone metabolism, resulting in a new FDA warning [1]. Outside of obstetrics, magnesium is recommended for treating the arrhythmias torsades de pointes and rapid atrial fibrillation, treating severe acute asthma, improving migraine symptoms, and for treating dyspepsia and constipation [2]. Many women in our modern society are magnesium deficient due to low dietary intake, and low dietary magnesium intake resulting in hypomagnesaemia has recently been shown to have many deleterious effects. Magnesium’s uses are wide-reaching, touching many areas of women’s health and gynecology from pre-menstrual syndrome to menopause, PCOS to endometriosis, and beyond.
Reliability Evaluation of Stochastic-Flow Network Under both Time and Cost Constraints

A simple method was proposed to generate all minimal system states fulfilling the demand,time,and budget constraints( all lower boundary points). Inclusion-exclusion formula with the lower boundary points was discussed. There are many cancelling terms in the direct expansion of the probability of a union of events,so an algorithm was proposed to determine the canceling terms. All data were supposed to be transmitted through k disjoint minimal paths simultaneously. It was pointed out that if all the pairs of canceling terms that unions of r-1 terms and r terms( 1 r≤k) were found out,the canceling terms of other unions in inclusion-exclusion formula could be determined. The reliability formula was greatly simplified by using the proposed algorithm.
Challenges and current development of sulfur cathode in lithium–sulfur battery

Rechargeable lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have exceptional theoretical capacity; however, the practical applications are still elusive to date due to many critical challenges. This review summarizes the technical issues of the sulfur cathode and the strategies in recent years to address these issues from the aspects of lithium polysulfides sequestration, new mechanism of Li–S reactions, organosulfur cathode materials, functionality of binders, and the role of the electrolytes.
Revisiting NFB: Ceramic technology in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea at 3200 calBP

This paper adds to the emerging body of evidence for 3000-year-old pottery in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Through detailed review of the archives of the original excavation, it becomes clear that the earliest pottery at the NFB site in the Eastern Highlands dates to 3133–3379 calBP (UW 261), thereby necessitating revision of current models for the geographical and chronological distribution of ceramic technology. These finds are approximately the same age as the earliest ceramics thus far known from the Central Highlands, demonstrating that early pottery was present across the northern flank of the highlands along the Ramu River watershed.
Venice and the Ottoman threat, 1381-1453

This chapter examines the Venetian Senate’s view of the Ottoman impact on the republic’s interests in the north-eastern Mediterranean—Romania—between 1381 and 1453. Romania did not enjoy the central position that scholarship habitually awards it. While Ottoman expansion was the underlying cause of chaos, the senators did not work from grand strategies, but rather operated within short temporal horizons seeking to extract the most while spending the least. The expansion of the Stato da Mar was haphazard, half-hearted, and repeatedly halted or reversed. For all the devastations that raids caused to Venetian subjects, the Ottomans had no monopoly over Venetian troubles between 1381 and 1430. After 1430, Venice and Murad II reached a modus vivendi that left Genoese and Catalans as the main threat to Venetian interests in Romania.
Inter-strain variation in murine models of leukemia.

To the Editor: The perspectives article, “Seed Versus Soil: The Importance of the Target Cell for Transgenic Models of Human Leukemias,” by Westervelt and Ley,[1][1] highlighted a number of important issues regarding the use of transgenic murine models for leukemia research. One, the potential
A Formal Analysis of the Compact Position Reporting Algorithm

The Compact Position Reporting (CPR) algorithm is a safety-critical element of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) protocol. This protocol enables aircraft to share their current states, i.e., position and velocity, with traffic aircraft in their vicinity. CPR consists of a collection of functions that encode and decode aircraft position data (latitude and longitude). Incorrect position decoding from CPR has been reported to the American and European organizations responsible for the ADS-B standard. This paper presents a formal analysis of the CPR algorithm in the Prototype Verification System (PVS). This formal analysis shows that the published requirements for correct decoding are insufficient, even if computations are assumed to be performed using exact real arithmetic. As a result of this analysis tightened requirements are proposed. These requirements, which are being considered by the standards organizations, are formally proven to guarantee correct decoding under exact real arithmetic. In addition, this paper proposes mathematically equivalent, but computationally simpler forms to several expressions in the CPR functions in order to reduce imprecise calculation.
Evaluating hierarchical hybrid statistical language models.

We introduce in this paper a hierarchical hybrid statistical language model, represented as a collection of local models plus a general model that binds together the local ones. The model provides a unified framework for modelling language both above and below the word level, and we exemplify with models of both kinds for a large vocabulary task domain. To our knowledge this is the first paper to report an extensive evaluation of the improvements achieved from the use of local models within a hierarchical framework in comparison with a conventional word-based trigram model.
A deep learning approach to spine segmentation using a feed-forward chain of pixel-wise convolutional networks

Segmenting vertebrae and disks in medical images using algorithmic methods promises to improve diagnostics and treatment selection for lower back pain. While most existing spinal segmentation methods are model-based, we propose a deep learning approach that uses a series of four pixel-wise segmentation networks. Each network segments MR images at a different scale. Results from one network in the chain are fed as input to the next network in the chain. By using both the original image and results from the previous network as input, each successive network produces an increasingly refined segmentation result. This approach improves vertebrae and disk segmentations results by 1.3% and 4.9%, respectively, when compared to a state-of-the-art deep-learning segmentation method—the U-net. It also provides additional benefits over U-net architectures by simplifying simultaneous multi-class segmentation, streamlining the overall use of the network, and removing the need for post-processing to filter erroneous classifications from the output.
No Human Cloning: A Social Ethics Perspective

This Essay addresses the negative impact of human cloning on the family, and argues further that market incentives to develop and implement cloning techniques exploit and exacerbate socioeconomic inequities. It suggests that cloning should be prohibited internationally and examines possible routes to that aim. To begin with, it offers some reflections on the nature of moral argument, and on the role of religion in public debate.
Control of Compressor Surge

This chapter presents the derivation, implementation and testing of the active surge controller developed in this book. The proposed control method employs the thrust AMB to servo control the axial clearance between the impeller tip and the static shroud. Through the modulation of the impeller axial position, the disturbances associated with the initiation of the surge instability can be counteracted, and surge can be suppressed before it reaches the full amplitude of the limit cycle. The surge controller derived in this chapter is first tested in simulation to verify the theory and assumptions needed for the design of the control algorithm, and then implemented on the experimental compressor test rig in order to validate the theory and demonstrate the effectiveness of the control method in an actual industrial compressor.
Using geographically weighted regression for social inequality analysis: association between mentally unhealthy days (MUDs) and socioeconomic status (SES) in U.S. counties

This research explores geographic variability of factors on social inequality related to mental health in the United States using county-level data in 2014. First, we account for complex design factors in Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data such as clustering, stratification, and sample weight using Complex Samples General Linear Model (CSGLM). Then, three variables are used in the model as indicators of social inequality, low socioeconomic status (SES): unemployment, education status, and social association status. A geographically weighted regression analysis is applied to examine the spatial variations in the associations of mentally unhealthy days (MUDs) with the indicators of SES in the United States. The results demonstrate that unemployment and education level show global positive and negative influences respectively on MUDs. Social association status ranged from positive to negative across the United States, implying some geographic clustering. These findings suggest that social and health policies should be adjusted to address the different effects of indicators of social inequality on mental health across different social characteristics of communities to more effectively manage mental health problems.
High rate reactive sputtering of Al2O3 coatings by HiPIMS

Abstract High rate reactive sputtering of insulating metal oxide coatings, e.g. alumina (Al2O3), by high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) is of strong interests, as the increased ionization of target species in a HiPIMS process can be used to improve the structure and properties of the coatings. The challenges for reactive sputtering of Al2O3 using HiPIMS include arc suppression on the target surface and low deposition rates due to target poisoning. In this study, AlxOy coatings were reactive sputtered by deep oscillation magnetron sputtering (DOMS), one version of HiPIMS, which generates large oscillatory micro-pulses within long modulation pulses. The process stability was evaluated by measuring micro arc counts on the target at different combinations of on and off times of the oscillatory micro-pulses. Virtually arc-free depositions for Al2O3 were observed by utilizing combinations of short oscillation micro-pulse on time ( 40 μs) at a peak target current of 130 A. The mechanisms of generating arc-free discharge for insulating coating reactive sputtering using deep oscillatory micro-pulses are discussed. The hysteresis behavior with open-loop for reactive sputtering of AlxOy using DOMS was studied. The closed-loop control for reactive sputtering was achieved by controlling the oxygen partial pressure (PO2) using the feedback signal from a remote penning plasma emission monitoring sensor, which generates an ionized sample plasma away from the deposition zone. The deposition rate, microstructure, and mechanical and optical properties of the AlxOy coatings deposited at different PO2 in the transition region were investigated. Up to 56% of the metallic deposition rate has been achieved for obtaining stoichiometric Al2O3 coatings by controlling the PO2 around 0.0143 Pa. The DOMS Al2O3 coatings show improved mechanical properties and optical transmission as compared to those obtained by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering reported in the literature.
The Association Between Body Mass Index, and Cognitive, Functional, and Behavioral Declines for Incident Dementia

Background Association between high adiposity and the clinical progression of dementia remains puzzling. Objective To separately examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and cognitive, functional, and behavioral declines before, at, and after diagnosis of dementia, and further stratified by age groups, and sex. Methods A total of 1,141 individuals with incident dementia were identified from the Uniform Data Set of the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. Cognitive function was evaluated by Mini-Mental State Exam, functional abilities were assessed using Functional Activities Questionnaire, and behavioral symptoms were captured by Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire at each follow-up visit. We used separate linear-mixed effects models to examine the association. Results Compared to moderate baseline BMI, high baseline BMI was associated with 0.30-point slower annual progression rates in functional decline. For individuals aged 76 and over, high baseline BMI was associated with 0.42-point faster progression rates in cognitive decline annually. A U-shaped association between baseline BMI and cognitive decline was observed among men. Conclusion BMI levels before dementia diagnosis may facilitate the identification of different risk profiles for progression rates of cognitive and functional declines in individuals who developed dementia.
Truncal-to-leg fat ratio and cardiometabolic disease risk factors in US adolescents: NHANES 2003-2006

BACKGROUND This study aims to describe patterns of truncal versus peripheral fat deposition measured by truncal-to-leg fat ratio (TLR) in adolescents and examine associations of TLR with cardiometabolic (CMD) risk factors. METHODS Data were from 3810 adolescents (12-19 years old) in the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2006. Body fat was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and CMD risk factors were determined by blood samples and physical examination. Linear and logistic regressions adjusted for BMI z-score and other covariates were used to examine associations of TLR with CMD risk factors as continuous and dichotomized outcomes, respectively. RESULTS Adolescents who were Mexican American, who have lower income, and with obesity had the highest mean TLR (all p < 0.05). In linear regression, increasing TLR was associated positively with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglycerides, total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure (BP), c-reactive protein, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and negatively with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in both sexes (p < 0.05). TLR was also associated with diastolic BP in boys and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in girls (p < 0.05). A similar pattern of findings resulted from logistic regression. When further stratified by race/ethnicity, TLR was positively associated with high triglycerides, total cholesterol, and ALT for White and/or Mexican American (p < 0.05), but not Black adolescents, while associations with HOMA-IR and HDL were significant for all race/ethnicities. CONCLUSIONS In this cohort of adolescents, TLR was associated with several risk factors independent of BMI z-score, although some findings were sex or race/ethnicity specific. Body fat distribution may be an important determinant of future CMD.
Down the up staircase: three generations of a Harlem family: by Bruce D. Haynes and Syma Solovitch, New York, Columbia University Press, 2017, xvii + 240pp., £24.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-0231181027

Down the Up Staircase: Three Generations of a Harlem Family is at once a history of Black Harlem, Black social science in and beyond the academy, and the Black elite class across the twentieth cent...
The Importance of Disclosure for Sexual and Gender Minorities in Oncofertility Cases

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) population is an understudied and underserved community often referred to as sexual and gender minorities (Fredriksen-Goldsen et al. Am J Public Health 103(10):1802–1809, 2013). The labels “lesbian, gay, and bisexual” refer to sexual orientation (Spectrum Center. LGBT terms and definitions [internet]. Ann Arbor: Spectrum Center; 2015. [cited 2015 Jul 20], Available from: ► http://internationalspectrum.umich.edu/life/definitions; Johnson. J Homosex 54(3):213–224, 2008). The term “transgender” refers to gender identities, where an individual does not identify with the sex assigned to him or her at birth (i.e., biological sex) (Spectrum Center. LGBT terms and definitions [internet]. Ann Arbor: Spectrum Center; 2015. [cited 2015 Jul 20], Available from: ► http://internationalspectrum.umich.edu/life/definitions; Johnson et al. J Homosex. 2008). The labels “queer” and “questioning” may be used to refer to either sexual orientation or gender identity (Institute of Medicine. The health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people: building a foundation for better understanding. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2011; Institute of Medicine. Collecting sexual orientation and gender identity data in electronic health records. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2013). There are several other terms associated with this community (e.g., “gender fluid, genderqueer, two-spirit”) as well as nomenclature used within these groups that is typically not acceptable to be used by nonmembers (e.g., dyke) (UC Berkeley Gender Equity Resource Center. Definition of Terms [Internet]. Berkeley: UC Berkeley Gender Equity Resource Center; c2014 [updated 2013 Jul; cited 2015 Jul 21]. Available from: ► http://geneq.berkeley.edu/lgbt_resources_definiton_of_terms; Gender and Sexuality Center. LGBT Vocab 101 [Internet]. Northfield: Gender and Sexuality Center; [date unknown] [updated 2014 May 27; cited 2015 Jul 21]. Available from: https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/gsc/students/ally/lgbtvocab/). It is estimated that 3–12% of the US population identifies as gay, lesbian, or bisexual and 1–3% are transgender (Gates. How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender? Los Angeles: The Williams Institute, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law; 2011).
Abstract LB-276: Farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI)-induced growth inhibition of HRAS-mutant head and neck cancers is enhanced by concurrently inhibiting compensatory upregulation of the ERK-MAPK kinase cascade

Activating mutations in the HRAS oncogene are present in 5-11% of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), but whether mutant HRAS drives HNSCC growth was not known. The clinical candidate FTI, tipifarnib, is currently under investigation in HRAS-mutant HNSCC, but whether patient responses to tipifarnib are due to blocking HRAS membrane association or due to action on another FTI target/s is also unclear. We found that the FTIs tipifarnib and lonafarnib inhibited the growth of HRAS-mutant HNSCC in a target-dependent manner, blocking HRAS farnesylation and membrane association. We also found that genetic depletion of mutant HRAS inhibited the anchorage-dependent and -independent growth of HRAS-mutant HNSCC cell lines in vitro and robustly induced apoptosis, indicating HNSCC dependence on mutant HRAS and a correlation between FTI-mediated growth inhibition and blockade of HRAS function. Tumor types driven by other RAS isoforms, such as KRAS-driven pancreatic cancer, are highly dependent on the ERK MAPK effector pathway and are sensitive to pharmacological inhibitors of ERK1/2 (ERKi: SCH772984, BVD-523). In contrast, we found that HRAS-driven HNSCC was resistant to growth inhibition by ERKi alone, despite strong target inhibition as indicated by decreases in pRSK and MYC protein levels. Consistent with this finding, genetic depletion of HRAS not only failed to reduce MAPK signaling but instead caused compensatory upregulation. Similarly, FTI treatment also induced upregulation of MAPK signaling, which is typically growth-promoting. We therefore speculated that the addition of ERKi would enhance responses to FTIs, and indeed found that ERKi synergistically enhanced FTI-mediated apoptosis and growth inhibition. Our results provide a mechanistic rationale for adding ERKi to FTI to improve clinical responses in HRAS-mutant HNSCC, and suggest that monitoring MAPK pathway activation may be a useful marker for emerging FTI resistance in this patient population. Citation Format: Sehrish Javaid, Victoria V. Nguyen, Andrew M. Waters, Craig M. Goodwin, Channing J. Der, Adrienne D. Cox. Farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI)-induced growth inhibition of HRAS-mutant head and neck cancers is enhanced by concurrently inhibiting compensatory upregulation of the ERK-MAPK kinase cascade [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-276.
OMB-UM: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of CUDA Unified Memory Aware MPI Benchmarks

Unified Memory (UM) has significantly simplified the task of programming CUDA applications. With UM, the CUDA driver is responsible for managing the data movement between CPU and GPU and the programmer can focus on the actual designs. However, the performance of Unified Memory codes has not been on par with explicit device buffer based code. To this end, the latest NVIDIA Pascal and Volta GPUs with hardware support such as fine-grained page faults offer the best of both worlds, i.e., high-productivity and high-performance. However, these enhancements in the newer generation GPU architectures need to be evaluated in a different manner, especially in the context of MPI+CUDA applications. In this paper, we extend the widely used MPI benchmark — OSU Micro-benchmarks (OMB) to support Unified Memory or Managed Memory based MPI benchmarks. The current version of OMB cannot effectively characterize UM-Aware MPI design because CUDA driver movements are not captured appropriately with standardized Host and Device buffer based benchmarks. To address this key challenge, we propose new designs for the OMB suite and extend point to point and collective benchmarks that exploit sender and receiver side CUDA kernels to emulate the effective location of the UM buffer on Host and Device. The new benchmarks allow the users to better understand the performance of codes with UM buffers through user-selectable knobs that enable or disable sender and receiver side CUDA kernels. In addition to the design and implementation, we provide a comprehensive performance evaluation of the new UM benchmarks in the OMB-UM suite on a wide variety of systems and MPI libraries. From these evaluations we also provide valuable insights on the performance of various MPI libraries on UM buffers which can lead to further improvement in the performance of UM in CUDA-Aware MPI libraries.
Chapter 28 – Organogenesis

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Despite the benefits of current treatments, many patients do not regain full cardiac function following myocardial infarction. Cardiac tissue–engineered products consisting of biological or synthetic scaffolds, with or without cellular and/or molecular components, are designed to replace or promote the repair of injured myocardium. In this chapter, we review factors that should be considered in the development of tissue-engineered products and methods that are currently under investigation for generating more effective heart valves, cardiac patches, and whole-heart replacements.
Evaluation of a Text Messaging Intervention to Support Self-Management of Diabetes During Pregnancy Among Low-Income, Minority Women: Qualitative Study.

Background: Given the growing burden of diabetes in underserved communities and the complexity of diabetes self-management during pregnancy, the development of interventions to support low-income pregnant women with diabetes is urgently needed. Objective: This study aims to develop and pilot test a theory-driven curriculum of SMS text messaging for diabetes support and education during pregnancy. Methods: This was a prospective pilot investigation of a novel SMS text messaging intervention offered to pregnant women with pregestational or gestational diabetes mellitus and publicly funded prenatal care. Prior work yielded a conceptual model of diabetes self-management barriers and support factors in this population, which was used to guide curriculum development along with health behavior theories. Participants received three supportive or educational one-way text messages per week during pregnancy. In-depth semistructured interviews were performed at study exit to solicit feedback on the program. Narrative data were analyzed using the constant comparative technique to identify themes and subthemes. Results: Participants (N=31 enrolled and n=26 completed both interviews) consistently reported that SMS text messaging provided enhanced motivation for diabetes self-care, reduced diabetes-related social isolation, increased perceived diabetes-associated knowledge, enhanced comfort with the health care team, and reduced logistical burdens of diabetes during pregnancy. Participants requested enhanced interactive and customizable features in future intervention iterations. Conclusions: Pregnant women with diabetes who were enrolled in this pilot study of an SMS text messaging curriculum for diabetes support described enhanced motivation, knowledge, and comfort with diabetes self-care activities as a result of the health education intervention. The next steps include enriching the interactive features of the intervention and investigating the effect of the intervention on perinatal outcomes.
HD 69686: A Mysterious High Velocity B Star

We report on the discovery of a high velocity B star, HD 69686. We estimate its space velocity, distance, surface temperature, gravity, and age. With these data, we are able to reconstruct the trajectory of the star and to trace it back to its birthplace. We use evolutionary tracks for single stars to estimate that HD 69686 was born 73 Myr ago in the outer part of our Galaxy (r ~ 12 kpc) at a position well below the Galactic plane (z ~ –1.8 kpc), a very unusual birthplace for a B star. Along the star's projected path in the sky, we also find about 12 other stars having similar proper motions, and their photometry data suggest that they are located at the same distance as HD 69686 and probably have the same age. We speculate on the origin of this group by star formation in a high velocity cloud or as a Galactic merger fragment.
A multiscale polymerization framework towards network structure and fracture of double-network hydrogels

Double-network (DN) hydrogels, consisting of two contrasting and interpenetrating polymer networks, are considered as perhaps the toughest soft-wet materials. Current knowledge of DN gels from synthesis methods to toughening mechanisms almost exclusively comes from chemically-linked DN hydrogels by experiments. Molecular modeling and simulations of inhomogeneous DN structure in hydrogels have proved to be extremely challenging. Herein, we developed a new multiscale simulation platform to computationally investigate the early fracture of physically-chemically linked agar/polyacrylamide (agar/PAM) DN hydrogels at a long timescale. A “random walk reactive polymerization” (RWRP) was developed to mimic a radical polymerization process, which enables to construct a physically-chemically linked agar/PAM DN hydrogel from monomers, while conventional and steered MD simulations were conducted to examine the structural-dependent energy dissipation and fracture behaviors at the relax and deformation states. Collective simulation results revealed that energy dissipation of agar/PAM hydrogels was attributed to a combination of the pulling out of agar chains from the DNs, the disruption of massive hydrogen bonds between and within DN structures, and the strong association of water molecules with both networks, thus explaining a different mechanical enhancement of agar/PAM hydrogels. This computational work provided atomic details of network structure, dynamics, solvation, and interactions of a hybrid DN hydrogel, and a different structural-dependent energy dissipation mode and fracture behavior of a hybrid DN hydrogel, which help to design tough hydrogels with new network structures and efficient energy dissipation modes. Additionally, the RWRP algorithm can be generally applied to construct the radical polymerization-produced hydrogels, elastomers, and polymers.
Privacy, Anonymity, and Big Data in the Social Sciences: Quality social science research and the privacy of human subjects requires trust.

Open data has tremendous potential for science, but, in human subjects research, there is a tension between privacy and releasing high-quality open data. Federal law governing student privacy and the release of student records suggests that anonymizing student data protects student privacy. Guided by this standard, we de-identified and released a data set from 16 MOOCs (massive open online courses) from MITx and HarvardX on the edX platform. In this article, we show that these and other de-identification procedures necessitate changes to data sets that threaten replication and extension of baseline analyses. To balance student privacy and the benefits of open data, we suggest focusing on protecting privacy without anonymizing data by instead expanding policies that compel researchers to uphold the privacy of the subjects in open data sets. If we want to have high-quality social science research and also protect the privacy of human subjects, we must eventually have trust in researchers. Otherwise, we’ll always have the strict tradeoff between anonymity and science illustrated here.
How Interpersonal Contact Affects Appellate Review

Prominent explanations for appellate review prioritize the ideological alignment of the lower and reviewing courts. We suggest that interpersonal relationships play an important role. The effect of...
The NP/S Analysis

Let us return now to the question of how to account for the difference in meaning between examples (0.1) and (0.2), repeated here as (2.1) and (2.2): (2.1) John and Mary are asleep. (2.2) John and Mary are a happy couple.
SU-E-I-25: Quantification of Coronary Artery Cross-Sectional Area in CT Angiography Using Integrated Density: A Simulation Study

Purpose: To develop a physics-based model for accurate quantification of the cross-sectional area (CSA) of coronary arteries in CT angiography by measuring the integrated density to account for the partial volume effect. Methods: In this technique the integrated density of the object as compared with its local background is measured to account for the partial volume effect. Normal vessels were simulated as circles with diameters in the range of 0.1–3mm. Diseased vessels were simulated as 2, 3, and 4mm diameter vessels with 10–90% area stenosis, created by inserting circular plaques. A simplified two material model was used with the lumen as 8mg/ml Iodine and background as lipid. The contrast-to-noise ratio between lumen and background was approximately 26. Linear fits to the known CSA were calculated. The precision and accuracy of the measurement were quantified using the root-mean-square fit deviations (RMSD) and errors to the known CSA (RMSE). Results compared to manual segmentation of the vessel lumen. To assess the impact of random variations, coefficients of variation (CV) from 10 simulations for each vessel were computed to determine reliability. Measurements with CVs less than 10% were considered reliable. Results: For normal vessels, the precision and accuracy of the integrated density techniquemore » were 0.12mm{sup 2} and 0.28mm{sup 2}, respectively. The corresponding results for manual segmentation were 0.27mm{sup 2} and 0.43mm{sup 2}. For diseased vessels, the precision and accuracy of the integrated density technique were 0.14mm{sup 2} and 0.19mm{sup 2}. Corresponding results for manual segmentation were 0.42mm{sup 2} and 0.71mm{sup 2}. Reliable CSAs were obtained for normal vessels with diameters larger than 1 mm and for diseased vessels with area as low as 1.26mm2. Conclusion: The CSA based on integrated density showed improved precision and accuracy as compared with manual segmentation in simulation. These results indicate the potential of using integrated density to quantify CSA of coronary arteries in CT angiography.« less
Plasma proteins in cancer.

Publisher Summary One of the enigmas of the cancer problem is the mechanism by which neoplastic disease may kill the host when no apparent interference with a vital structure is evident. It is known that cancer produces systemic effects in the host, but there is little information on the profound changes in physiology that must be the bases of such systemic effects. There are abnormalities in the protein composition of the blood. Salt fractionation, electrophoresis, fractionation with alcohol at low temperature, ionic strength, and other methods to study plasma proteins are discussed in this chapter. Many abnormalities occur in the plasma proteins in patients with neoplastic disease. The amount and kind of plasma proteins reflect the activities of various tissues and organs of the body and the interplay among these tissues resulting in a steady-state level of each constituent. Because neoplasms may have effects on tissues remote from the site of the tumor, the plasma changes associated with this disease may have a highly complicated etiology. A large number of pathological conditions lead to very similar abnormalities in the plasma protein picture. This suggests that most of the abnormalities are associated with systemic changes in the host elicited by the neoplasm rather than the direct effect of the tumor.
The ultrasonographic estimation of fetal weight in the very low-birth weight infant

Abstract The clinical estimation of fetal weight is notoriously inaccurate, especially when the fetus is very small. However, the ability to obtain easily an accurate estimate of the fetal weight is vital in the comprehensive evaluation and management of a pregnancy in which the delivery of a very low-birth weight infant is imminent. Recent ultrasonographic techniques have provided clinically useful assessments of fetal weight, but the ability of the techniques to estimate the birth weight of infants accurately in the highly critical, very low-birth weight range has not been established. In a prospective study of 50 consecutive pregnancies of women delivered prematurely of infants weighing 500 to 1,500 gm, estimates of fetal weight by means of ultrasonographic mensuration of the fetus and mathematical extrapolation to birth weight were compared with neonatal weights. Each composite ultrasound measurement and mathematical relationship was compared statistically with neonatal measurements in 20 infants. The mean error of the estimated fetal weight was −15.1 ± 71.5 gm and the absolute error was 52.3 ± 48.5 gm. The mean percentage error was −0.8 ± 6.1. Estimates of birth weight were within 10% of the neonatal weight in 92% of the pregnancies studied, within 5% in 70%, and within 2.5% in 34%. The accuracy of the technique was uniform throughout the weight range studied with a mean absolute error of 5.0% ± 3.6%. All composite ultrasonographic measurements accurately predicted neonatal measurements. The accuracy of the technique was unaffected by the fetal presentation, the amount of amniotic fluid, or placental location. The technique is one that can be used by the obstetrician with basic real-time ultrasound skills on the labor and delivery service.
Regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in dendritic spines

Spine morphogenesis is largely dependent on the remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton. Actin dynamics within spines is regulated by a complex network of signaling molecules, which relay signals from synaptic receptors, through small GTPases and their regulators, to actin-binding proteins. In this chapter, we will discuss molecules involved in dendritic spine plasticity beginning with actin and moving upstream toward neuromodulators and trophic factors that initiate signaling involved in these plasticity events. We will place special emphasis on small GTPase pathways, as they have an established importance in dendritic spine plasticity and pathology. Finally, we will discuss some epigenetic mechanisms that control spine morphogenesis.
Relatives and relativism

Etude de l'objection des obligations speciales opposee aux theories morales consequentialistes. Examinant les notions d'action, de valeur intrinseque et de fait contingent, l'A. conclut a l'alternative suivante: ou le consequentialisme doit etre abandonne en faveur d'une approche deontologique, ou il doit etre retenu dans une version radicale et relativiste, fondee sur une conception relativiste de la valeur intrinseque qui prend son sens dans le cadre d'une theorie de l'action droite