cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The origin of deep subsurface microbial communities in the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa as deduced from apatite fission track analyses

The first fission track analyses of detrital apatite grains from the subsurface of the Kaapvaal Craton were utilized to delineate the thermal history for the northern margin of the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa, where evidence for subsurface thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms have been discovered. Fission track apatite ages for core samples ranged from 21 to 422 Ma. The trend of decreasing age with increasing depth parallels a trend previously reported for fission track data from surface samples collected from the higher altitude centre and lower altitude margins of the Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa. These new fission track ages are older than the surface samples of equivalent elevation, indicating that the uplift history and/or the geothermal gradient of the centre of the Kaapvaal Craton is distinct from that of its margins. Modelling of one sample collected from a depth of 3.7 km records cooling from 120°C at 75 Ma at a rate of approximately 1.4°C m.y.−1 and reaching present day temperatures at 30 Ma. This modelling result when compared to other apatite fission track dates indicate that this cooling trend followed a 90-Ma thermotectonic event. The fission track data also indicate that heated fluid migration, which is observed today in this region of the Witwatersrand Basin, was also active in the past in order to explain the greater palaeogeothermal gradient (18 versus 8°C km−1). The fission track results suggest that at approximately 70 Ma only hyperthermophilic microorganisms could have existed at palaeodepths >3.2 km depth in the Witwatersrand Basin, and that the current meso/thermophilic microbial communities living at or beneath the present depth of 1.7 km in the Witwatersrand Basin must have migrated to their current location since 70 Ma. Any hyperthermophilic microorganisms found at the present depths 1.2–3.7 km could be descendents of subsurface hyperthermophiles that colonized the crust since the early Mesozoic to Palaeozoic eras.
Inside, outside, upside down: Challenges and opportunities that frame the future of a novice evaluator

Through the lens of reflective questions and potential growth opportunities, the author uses as an extended metaphor the popular children's story Inside Outside Upside Down to illustrate challenges rooted in being a novice evaluator, working inside and outside programs. Given the plethora of evaluation theories and approaches, the author feels “upside down” with decision making, organizing, and prioritizing evaluation projects. How can prominent evaluation theorists' approaches inform a novice evaluator's work and help in developing an identity as an evaluator? Will the author, like the bear in the story, emerge from the box right side up? The author elaborates on how addressing these questions frames how her future as a practicing evaluator might be envisioned. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association
Glucocorticoid enhancement of dorsolateral striatum-dependent habit memory requires concurrent noradrenergic activity

Previous findings indicate that post-training administration of glucocorticoid stress hormones can interact with the noradrenergic system to enhance consolidation of hippocampus- or amygdala-dependent cognitive/emotional memory. The present experiments were designed to extend these findings by examining the potential interaction of glucocorticoid and noradrenergic mechanisms in enhancement of dorsolateral striatum (DLS)-dependent habit memory. In experiment 1, different groups of adult male Long-Evans rats received training in two DLS-dependent memory tasks. In a cued water maze task, rats were released from various start points and were reinforced to approach a visibly cued escape platform. In a response-learning version of the water plus-maze task, animals were released from opposite starting positions and were reinforced to make a consistent egocentric body-turn to reach a hidden escape platform. Immediately post-training, rats received peripheral injections of the glucocorticoid corticosterone (1 or 3 mg/kg) or vehicle solution. In both tasks, corticosterone (3 mg/kg) enhanced DLS-dependent habit memory. In experiment 2, a separate group of animals received training in the response learning version of the water plus-maze task and were given peripheral post-training injections of corticosterone (3 mg/kg), the β-adrenoreceptor antagonist propranolol (3 mg/kg), corticosterone and propranolol concurrently, or control vehicle solution. Corticosterone injections again enhanced DLS-dependent memory, and this effect was blocked by concurrent administration of propranolol. Propranolol administration by itself (3 mg/kg) did not influence DLS-dependent memory. Taken together, the findings indicate an interaction between glucocorticoid and noradrenergic mechanisms in DLS-dependent habit memory. Propranolol administration may be useful in treating stress-related human psychopathologies associated with a dysfunctional DLS-dependent habit memory system.
Recent declines in ovarian cancer incidence rates in the United States

A53 Introduction. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic malignancy in the United States. Several studies have linked hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use with increased risk for ovarian cancer. Beginning in 2002, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) began recommending against use of HRT due to increased risk of breast cancer. Subsequently in 2003, significant decreases of about 6% were observed in breast cancer incidence rates in the United States. The aim of the current study is to examine recent ovarian cancer incidence rates in the United States to determine 1) if decreases in ovarian cancer similar to those found in breast cancer incidence occurred, and 2) if any decreases observed were temporally consistent with recommendations regarding decreased use of HRT. Methods. Cancer incidence data from registries affiliated with CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries or the NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results programs meeting high quality criteria were used in this analysis; these data cover 86% of the U.S. population. Over 85,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed from 1999 to 2003 were included. Incidence rates, age adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard, were calculated by year, race/ethnicity, 10 year age groups, and stage; significant differences in rates were tested using the rate ratio test. Results. Overall, from 1999-2001, ovarian cancer incidence rates were 13.0-13.1 per 100,000 women and were stable. In 2002, the ovarian cancer rate significantly decreased by 5.4% to 12.3 per 100,000 women (p
Reversible Heart Failure as a Result of Newly Diagnosed Primary Adrenal Insufficiency

ABSTRACT Objective: We report a case of primary adrenal insufficiency which presented with a rare finding of fulminant cardiogenic shock that improved with hydrocortisone administration. The presentation, clinical manifestations, laboratory results, radiologic findings, and management of a patient that developed cardiogenic shock as the result of an Addisonian crisis are described. Pertinent literature, physiology, and management are discussed. Methods: A 21-year-old male with a 1-year history of nausea and dizziness presented with a 3-day history of malaise, sore throat, fever, and weakness. The patient was hypotensive and was admitted to a local hospital for possible septic shock with low ejection fraction (EF). The patient subsequently developed a rapidly progressive cardiogenic shock requiring intubation and placement of biventricular assist devices. Results: The patient was diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency after mental status change and persistent cardiogenic shock. Stress-dose steroids were init...
Currency Depreciation, Trade Balance and Intra-Industry Trade Interactions in Turkey’s OECD Trade

This study re-examines the determinants of Turkey’s trade balance in its manufactures trade with 33 OECD-member countries for the short-run and the long-run. Unlike other studies, in the relationships we also control the moderating effects of the availability of import substitutes proxied by intra-industry trade. We analyze quarterly aggregated time-series data of the period spanning from 1998.QI to 2015.QIII, following the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to the cointegration and the error correction modeling. Estimation results reveal that real effective exchange rate, together with domestic and foreign incomes are still among the core determinants of Turkey’s trade balance in the manufacturing sectors. There is no significant impact of domestic final oil prices that also include all the taxes on gasoline. The trade balance depends on domestic income negatively and the aggregated income of the OECD countries positively. The finding that real depreciation of Turkish lira against to those of Turkey’s OECD trade partners improves trade balance in both the short-run and the long-run, indicates no evidence of J-curve adjustment process. Unsurprisingly, the intra-industry trade seems to be an important factor that moderates the elasticities of trade balance to its determinants, especially to real effective exchange rate and domestic income. Overall results underline the importance of import-substitution capability besides the export-oriented production to ease the longstanding large trade deficits for Turkey.
The function of ‘Church’ in the sociology of religion in America

In large part, Max Weber’s essay ‘Church and sect in America’ was intended as a contrast between European and American societies at the turn of the 20th century. This could be pushed so far as to s...
Field Investigation of Hydraulic Conductivity in Saprolitic Materials—Comparison of Methods and Techniques

Slug and bailing tests were made on shallow monitoring wells constructed in saprolite at two sites in the North Carolina Piedmont. Calculations for hydraulic conductivity were made using several common methods, and the hydraulic conductivity obtained from the same data depended upon the calculation method used. For bailing tests, the Bouwer-Rice method provided the most consistent result internally, but no one method proved “best” for the slug tests. Bouwer-Rice calculations for both slug and bail tests gave consistently lower conductivities than other methods. Caution should be used in applying conductivities obtained from the Hvorslev method because only a single point value is obtained. It is recommended that several methods of calculating hydraulic conductivity be employed and that the ranges of values be examined and compared prior to choice of a single value for use in any remediation work. The geometric mean of the ranges of values is thought to be best for comparison between methods.
Acoustical and Mating Behavior of Two Taxa in the Macrosteles fascifrons Species Complex

Two morphologically similar forms of Macrosteles fascifrons (Stal) had distinctly different acoustical repertoires. When paired in small leaf cages for 4-h periods, virgin adults of the same form copulated in 33 of 71 trials, but opposite forms did not mate in 33 trials. Hybrid progeny with intermediate morphological characters were produced in a few cases from cross matings of opposite forms confined together for longer periods.
Drug therapy in terminally ill patients

The drug treatment of terminally ill patients is reviewed. The treatment of the major discomforting symptoms of degenerative diseases--pain, anxiety, nausea, vomiting and depression--is reviewed. The use of phenothiazines, anticholinergic drugs and corticosteroids is discussed. To help patients keep track of their drugs, use of a medication schedule card is recommended.
Nutritional Assessment of Surgical Patients

In order to test the sensitivity and specificity of the East Orange Nutritional Screening Form (EONSF), nutritional assessments were performed on a random sample of 10% of general medical/surgical admissions at a large midwestern veteran's administration hospital. Patients were followed until discharge to determine if they met the standard criteria of additional nutritional support. The tool correctly identified patients at nutritional risk (sensitivity) 95% of the time and patients not at nutritional risk (specificity) 89% of the time. It proved to be an effective, low-cost tool for identifying patients at risk and for planning appropriate nutritional strategies.
Effects of Troglitazone on Insulin Sensitivity

Studies to date confirm that troglitazone has therapeutic benefits to NIDDM and can normalize IGT in those individuals at increased risk of developing NIDDM. Hyperinsulinaemia is reduced by such treatment in association with reduced insulin resistance and there are favourable effects on blood pressure with troglitazone therapy as well. Since insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia are usually present in obesity and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), troglitazone may be useful in preventing the development of NIDDM in these susceptible populations.
Alzheimer disease: Host immune defence, amyloid-β peptide and Alzheimer disease.

A recent study demonstrates that amyloid-β (Aβ) can function as an antimicrobial peptide, and additional data show that bacteria and yeast can seed Aβ deposition into amyloid. These data suggest a complex interplay between the normal function of Aβ, its accumulation in the brain, and host immune defence.
Teaching NeuroImages: Diffuse cerebral vasospasm and multiple intracranial abscesses from Bacillus cereus.

A 34-year-old woman with acute lymphocytic leukemia undergoing chemotherapy developed sepsis from Bacillus cereus . She suddenly became confused and was found to have multiple brain abscesses on MRI (figure, A). No evidence for endocarditis was seen on echocardiography; however, transcranial Doppler performed as part of possible cardioembolic workup revealed unexpected severe intracranial vasospasm (figure, B). She died of intractable intracranial pressure, and from autopsy (figure, D and E) it was concluded that B cereus was the cause of the abscesses and probably the vasospastic vasculopathy.
The Effect of Changes in Risk Attitude on Strategic Behavior

We study families of normal-form games with fixed preferences over pure action profiles but varied preferences over lotteries. That is, we subject players' utilities to monotone but nonlinear transformations and examine changes in the rationalizable set and set of equilibria. Among our results: The rationalizable set always grows under concave transformations (risk aversion) and shrinks under convex transformations (risk love). The rationalizable set reaches an upper bound under extreme risk aversion, and lower bound under risk love, and both of these bounds are characterized by elimination processes. For generic two-player games, under extreme risk love or aversion, all Nash equilibria are close to pure and the limiting set of equilibria can be described using preferences over pure action profiles. [web URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3982/ECTA13948/abstract]
Chronic shame: A perspective integrating religion and spirituality

Chronic shame is of major significance in social work, because it is at the root of problems that social workers confront daily, including various mental health disorders and addictions. Current re...
Complement-independent retinal pathology produced by intravitreal injection of neuromyelitis optica immunoglobulin G.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, is often associated with retinal abnormalities including thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer and microcystic changes. Here, we demonstrate that passive transfer of an anti-aquaporin-4 autoantibody (AQP4-IgG) produces primary retinal pathology. AQP4-IgG was delivered to adult rat retinas by intravitreal injection. Rat retinas and retinal explant cultures were assessed by immunofluorescence. Immunofluorescence showed AQP4-IgG deposition on retinal Muller cells, with greatly reduced AQP4 expression and increased glial fibrillary acidic protein by 5 days. There was mild retinal inflammation with microglial activation but little leukocyte infiltration and loss of retinal ganglion cells by 30 days with thinning of the ganglion cell complex. Interestingly, the loss of AQP4 was complement independent as seen in cobra venom factor-treated rats and in normal rats administered a mutated AQP4-IgG lacking complement effector function. Exposure of ex vivo retinal cultures to AQP4-IgG produced a marked reduction in AQP4 expression by 24 h, which was largely prevented by inhibitors of endocytosis or lysosomal acidification. Passive transfer of AQP4-IgG results in primary, complement-independent retinal pathology, which might contribute to retinal abnormalities seen in NMO patients.
CREATING SLACK: INSTITUTIONAL CONSTRAINTS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL DISCRETION

Our longitudinal study of eleven founder-run firms allowed us to induct a hierarchical typology of resourceful behaviors that is useful both in making sense of scattered prior work on entrepreneurial resourcefulness – for example bricolage, improvisation, bootstrapping and thrift – and for guiding future work. Based on our preliminary findings, we propose that by engaging in different sorts of resourceful behaviors founders enact their resource environments in distinctly different ways. Our study provides a foundation for an integrated theory that helps to explain sources and variations in entrepreneurial resourcefulness.
Enhanced human osteoblast cell functions by "net-like" nanostructured cell-substrate interface in orthopedic applications

Abstract In this study, a novel “net-like” nanostructured cell-substrate interface to enhance the human osteoblast cell's functions in orthopedic applications was proposed. This novel “net-like” nanostructured surface was fabricated on 316L stainless steel by using ultrasonic shot peening. The in vitro study indicated that this “net-like” nanostructured cell-substrate interface could significantly enhance the attachment, spreading and proliferation rate of the human osteoblast cells (Saos-2) compared with the as-received surface with coarse grains. The enhancement of cell functions could be attributed to the high density grain boundaries in the “net-like” nanostructured surface, which could promote protein adsorption when material comes in contact with biological environments.
Employing a Sugar-Derived Dimethacrylate to Evaluate Controlled Branch Growth during Polymerization with Multiolefinic Compounds

Radical copolymerization of divinyl monomers in the presence of chain transfer agents leads to soluble hyperbranched polymers. In this work, hyperbranched poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (PPEGMA) with degradable cross-linker branch points derived from glucarodilactone methacrylate was prepared via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to provide insight into hyperbranch formation during copolymerizations of multiolefinic compounds. The number-average molecular weight of the polymers increased nonlinearly with monomer conversion, implying that the incorporation of the divinyl cross-linker led to chain branching and a rapid increase in molecular weight at high conversion. The degree of branching was varied by controlling the feed ratio of monomer to cross-linker to chain transfer agent. Hydrolytic degradation of the sugar-derived dilactone branch points was examined under acidic, neutral, and basic aqueous conditions. To provide fundamental insight into...
Snowy Mountaineers and Soda Waters: Honolulu and Its Age of Ice Importation

AbstractIn 1850, Honolulu received its first shipment of cold, clear ice for public sale. Used to chill cocktails and other refreshments, comestible coldness underwent a process of intense meaning-making that reflected the discourses concerning race and civility that played out across Hawai‘i’s growing urban environment. This article analyzes the political and social dimensions of ice’s introduction to Honolulu in order to show how taste, and particularly the taste for coldness, emerged from, responded to, and pushed back against a burgeoning American settler colonial project. It shows that before coldness became so unremarkably common in Hawai‘i, a place where water freezes only atop its three tallest mountain peaks during the coldest months of the year, the early introduction of ice cut across the deeply moralized and highly politicized foodscape of mid-nineteenth century Hawai‘i.
Psychological contract and social exchange in family firms

This study tests a social exchange theory model that links firm family members' transactional and relational psychological contract obligations to firm performance. Evidence supports the hypotheses that organisational obligations are antecedents of individual contributions to firm performance in the psychological contract model. When family firms meet the employees' perceived obligations to their employees, the employees meet their perceived obligations to their employers. Participative decision-making and succession planning are of particular importance to maintain transgenerational control and evidence is found to support succession planning as fully mediating the relationship between participative decision-making and firm performance.
The Momentum of Structures, Institutions, and Current Policies

The analysis so far has focused on the global and long-term development of agriculture, especially modern industrial agriculture. The logic of contextual analysis also requires an examination of how structures and institutions at the national and international level shape, channel, or distort policy making. The influence and momentum of these structures and institutions needs to be understood if we are to appreciate how we got where we are as well as to make a realistic assessment of how alternative policies might be pursued. The emphasis in what follows is on the developing countries—the recipients of the green revolution—and upon the types of influences that shape their decisions.
Fault-Tolerant Rendezvous of Multirobot Systems

In this paper, we propose a distributed control policy to achieve rendezvous by a set of robots even when some robots in the system do not follow the prescribed policy. These nonconforming robots correspond to faults in the multirobot system, and our control policy is thus a fault-tolerant policy. Each robot has a limited sensing range and is able to directly estimate the state of only those robots within that sensing range, which induces a network topology for the multirobot system. We assume that it is not possible for the fault-free robots to identify the faulty robots, and thus our approach is robust even to undetected faults in the system. The main contribution of this paper is a fault-tolerant distributed control algorithm that is guaranteed to converge to consensus under certain reasonable connectivity conditions. We first present a general algorithm that exploits the notion of a Tverberg partition of a point set in $\mathbb {R}^d$ , and give a proof of convergence. We then provide three instantiations of this algorithm, based on three different sensing models. For each case, we analyze performance via extensive simulations. The effectiveness and performance of our algorithms on real platforms are demonstrated through experiments on a multirobot testbed.
Ultrasonic propagation through a surface with a step discontinuity: validation of a hybrid, Gauss-Hermite ray tracing beam model

This research continues our cooperative effort to study the effects of large-scale surface roughness on ultrasonic transmission through interfaces and updates our previously-reported results [1], The Center for Nondestructive Evaluation has developed a model for the propagation of ultrasound through a surface and into an isotropic metal and this model is undergoing experimental validation at Battelle PNL. Once validated, this model will be used as an engineering tool to study the effects of surface conditions upon an ultrasonic inspection of nuclear reactor components. The goal is to quantify and develop requirements to limit the adverse effects of surface conditions during such an inspection. Currently, there are no ASME Code requirements dealing with surface conditions during an UT inspection. Commonplace in the field are abrupt step discontinuities on the order of 1.5 mm. M. S. Good [2] has measured up to a 12 dB signal loss from a 10% through-wall notch due to a 1.5-mm step.
Primary question and hypothesis testing in randomized controlled clinical trials

We briefly reviewed and provided cautions about some of the fundamental concepts used in the design of medical and public studies, especially primary question, hypothesis testing and sample size in this short note. We also talked about some of the extensions and development in the recent years.
Online Information and Communication Systems to Enhance Health Outcomes Through Communication Convergence

The growing use of digital health communication channels has produced dramatic changes, providing broad access to information for making health decisions and addressing users' emotional needs. Digital health communication channels combine mass and interpersonal communication in different ways. Type 1 convergence occurs sequentially: Individuals obtain health information online that they discuss interpersonally with health providers. Type 2 convergence involves discussions occurring via online health information systems. The effectiveness of these systems depends upon seven communication design and implementation strategies. Emerging interactive health information systems provide customized responses tailored to individuals' specific needs and situations. All these forms of media convergence can improve health education, health promotion, and health behavior change.
Abstract 4498: Targeting IRE1a-XBP1 signaling in lung cancer

Every year 1.5 million people die from lung cancer worldwide. Approximately ~15-30% of non small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) are driven by KRAS mutations and currently possess no viable therapeutic options. As such the discovery of effective therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of KRAS driven NSCLC are sorely needed. One prospect being explored in other solid tumors, but currently unexplored in NSCLC, is targeting the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. Adverse conditions in tumors such as hypoxia, nutrient starvation and reactive oxygen species disrupt protein folding, and induce ER stress. The most evolutionarily conserved pathway by which this insult is alleviated is the IRE1α-XBP1 axis, which responds by increasing the expression of a broad range of protein folding and quality control genes. Previous work has demonstrated that several cancers utilize this pathway to promote tumorigenesis, progression, epithelial to mesenchymal transition and metastasis. A preliminary analysis of a tissue microarray containing 304 human NSCLC samples, 254 demonstrated at least some positivity and >50% were strongly positive for the active isoform of XBP1. Given these preliminary findings we investigated the status of IRE1a-XB1 in our murine orthotopic model and confirmed the activation of IRE1a-XBP1 signaling in tumor cells in the context of the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, in both cell types we can see the activation of canonical downstream targets of XBP1. Utilizing the CRISPR-CAS9 system, we knocked out IRE1a in the orthotopic tumor cell line. IRE1a abrogation was confirmed by western blot, evaluating the fraction of active XBP1 after induced ER stress in vitro, and qPCR of canonical downstream targets. Additionally, this knockout did not alter proliferation or morphology in vitro. However, when tumors were grown orthotopically, Cas9-IRE1a knockouts failed to grow past 10 days, whereas Cas9-Scramble controls and the parental tumor line grew comparably until end stage. Given these preliminary findings and data from prior studies, we hypothesize that the abnormal activation of the IRE1α-XBP1 axis may influence KRAS NSCLC progression and aggressiveness and serve as a potential novel avenue for the treatment of NSCLC. After probing the impact of the underlying mechanism on tumor growth we will finally evaluate the translational utility of targeting the ER stress pathway with a small molecule inhibitor against IRE1a. Citation Format: Michael J. Crowley, Shira Yomtoubian, Geoffrey Markowitz, Nasser K. Altorki, Dingcheng Gao, Juan Cubillos-Ruiz, Vivek Mittal. Targeting IRE1a-XBP1 signaling in lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4498. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4498
Simulating the effect of the quadrupole moment on the adsorption of nitrogen in siliceous zeolites

Abstract Physical adsorption of an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon is commonly used to characterize zeolites and other porous materials. In high-resolution adsorption (adsorption in micropores), it has long been known that nitrogen begins to adsorb at a substantially lower relative pressure than argon, despite the similar sizes of the two absorbates. The standard explanation for this difference in relative pressure is that nitrogen has a quadrupole moment, which strengthens its interactions with the zeolite framework atoms, whereas argon does not. In this study, we investigate this standard explanation by simulating the adsorption of nitrogen at 77 K and argon at 87 K in siliceous zeolites of framework types LTA , FAU , and MFI using grand canonical Monte Carlo. For nitrogen, we tested models with a quadrupole formed by three collinear point charges, as well as models in which the effect of the quadrupole moment was removed by setting the point charges to zero. We find that the influence of the quadrupole moment is heavily dependent on the magnitude of the zeolite framework charges in the model. For a model with relatively weak framework charges, the quadrupole moment makes very little difference, but with stronger framework charges, nitrogen with its quadrupole moment begins to adsorb at much lower pressures than nitrogen without its quadrupole moment, accounting for most of the spread between nitrogen and argon. Since the larger-magnitude charges we studied are more in line with theoretically-derived values, we conclude that the standard explanation is largely correct. We recommend that zeolite models use partial charges with reasonable theoretical justification and that are checked against the accuracy of simulations of adsorption of quadrupolar gases.
From orogenies to oxygen

Tectonic controls on atmospheric oxygenation are frequently invoked — but whether geochemical records support these ties is an unsettled question.
Chemistry of a Unique Polyketide-like Synthase

Like many complex natural products, the intricate architecture of saxitoxin (STX) has hindered full exploration of this scaffold’s utility as a tool for studying voltage-gated sodium ion channels and as a pharmaceutical agent. Established chemical strategies can provide access to the natural product; however, a chemoenzymatic route to saxitoxin that could provide expedited access to related compounds has not been devised. The first step toward realizing a chemoenzymatic approach toward this class of molecules is the elucidation of the saxitoxin biosynthetic pathway. To date, a biochemical link between STX and its putative biosynthetic enzymes has not been demonstrated. Herein, we report the first biochemical characterization of any enzyme involved in STX biosynthesis. Specifically, the chemical functions of a polyketide-like synthase, SxtA, from the cyanobacteria Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii T3 are elucidated. This unique megasynthase is comprised of four domains: methyltransferase (MT), GCN5-related N-...
Effect of Harmonic and Compound Imaging on Estimates of Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness:

BackgroundCarotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) is a marker of atherosclerosis linked to cardiovascular outcomes. These outcome studies were made before advanced imaging techniques such as harmonic imaging (HI) and compound (CrossBeam) were available. We study the effects of these new imaging approaches on estimates of carotid artery IMT.Materials and MethodsA total of 26 subjects (44 common carotid arteries) with an average age of 49.3 years were imaged with fundamental imaging (FI) presets, HI, and compound imaging (CrossBeam; XB). Images were the evaluated with a commercially available edge detector. Comparisons of group means were made with analysis of variance and the Tukey-Kramer test. Associations with age were studied with linear regression analysis.ResultsMean values of carotid artery IMT of the common carotid far wall were different (p < 0.04) between groups (FI: 0.63 ± 0.09 mm; HI: 0.66 ± 0.16 mm; crossbeam imaging: 0.59 ± 0.13 mm). XB gave significantly lower IMT values than HI. XB IMT w...
Precision control of tensile properties in fabric for computational fabrication

This paper presents an exploration of computer-controlled embroidery design and stitching with the goal of making purposeful, precision changes to material properties of a base elastic textile. Two techniques are proposed for adding stitches through designed microstructural cells and stitch-level planning. For the latter, a novel path planning algorithm is proposed to serialize stitches that is similar to a greedy solution for the travelling salesman problem with a set of domain-specific constraints that dictate edge cost. We show the efficacy of the concept through a set of simple design examples that undergo mechanical load testing and discuss the value of the technique in future applications using computational design.
Positron Emission Tomography 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake Correlates with KRAS and EMT Gene Signatures in Operable Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography is an imaging modality critical to the diagnosis and staging of esophageal cancer. Despite this, the genetic abnormalities associated with increased 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) have not been previously explored in esophageal adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS Treatment-naive patients, for whom frozen tissue and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography data were available, undergoing esophagectomy from 2003 to 2012, were identified. Primary tumor FDG-uptake (SUVmax) was quantified as low ( 10). Genome-wide expression analyses (e.g., microarray) were used to examine gene expression differences associated with FDG-uptake. RESULTS Eighteen patients with stored positron emission tomography data and tissue were reviewed. Overall survival was similar between patients with high (n = 9) and low (n = 6) FDG-uptake tumors (P = 0.71). Differences in gene expression between tumors with high and low FDG-uptake included enriched expression of various matrix metalloproteinases, extracellular-matrix components, oncogenic signaling members, and PD-L1 (fold-change>2.0, P < 0.05) among the high-FDG tumors. Glycolytic gene expression and pathway involvement were similar between the high- and low-FDG tumor subsets (P = 0.126). Gene ontology analysis of the most differentially expressed genes demonstrated significant upregulation of gene sets associated with extracellular matrix organization and vascular development (P < 0.005). Gene set enrichment analysis further demonstrated associations between FDG-uptake intensity and canonical oncogenic processes, including hypoxia, angiogenesis, KRAS signaling, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (P < 0.001). Interestingly, KRAS expression did not predict worse survival in a larger cohort (n = 104) of esophageal adenocarcinomas (P = 0.64). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that elevated FDG-uptake is associated with a variety of oncogenic alterations in operable esophageal adenocarcinoma. These pathways present potential therapeutic targets among tumors exhibiting high FDG-uptake.
Rapidly progressive encephalopathy caused by Coxsackie meningoencephalitis in an elderly male

Enteroviruses and Coxsackie viruses are common causes of aseptic meningitis and encephalitis in children. These infections usually have a benign, self-limited course. However, they can have a florid presentation in immunocompromised patients, such as neonates, patients exposed to immunosuppressive drugs, such as transplant recipients and patients with agammaglobulinemia. We present a rare case of rapidly progressive acute encephalopathy caused by Coxsackie meningoencephalitis and complicated by refractory status epilepticus in an immunocompetent adult male. Our case highlights the importance of having a broad differential in patients presenting with rapidly progressive acute encephalopathy. Although rare, an enterovirus infection caused by a Coxsackie virus subtype can have a severe presentation causing significant morbidity. This case, also underscores the importance of searching for underlying immunodeficiency in malignant presentations of common viral infections. Hence, rapidly progressive acute encephalopathy due to coxsackievirus can occur in immunocompetent individuals. Aggressive and systematic diagnostic and therapeutic approach in such severe cases can influence overall outcomes.
Economy-wide climate change impacts on green water droughts based on the hydrologic simulations

Abstract The impacts of climate change on green water drought and associated economic activity can be simulated with future climate projections, hydrologic models that predict drought indices based on reliable soil moisture, and historic relationships between drought indices and agricultural sector impacts. This study compares the potential impacts of climate change on future agricultural drought and economic conditions in a rural and an urban congressional district in Northern Virginia (VA). The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model is applied to estimate a soil moisture index (SSI), which is then employed with historic and future climate data to generate SSI predictions. Economic impacts of future SSI changes are inferred from linear regression analysis of the historic relationship between annual mean SSI values and agricultural production values for a seven-year period (2010–2016). The two districts face similar future temperature and precipitation changes due to geographic proximity, but soil moisture, agricultural production and economy-wide responses to climate change differ considerably due to differences in land use and economic structure. In the more rural district, the mean value of drought occurrence increases 38%, while in the more urban district the increase is only 15%. Similarly, economy-wide agricultural sector value added decreases between 17% and 22% in the rural district and between 1 and 5% in the urban district. More studies are required to understand the impacts of adaption on agricultural and other economic sectors both rural and urban regions. More research should be carried out with an application of blue water droughts that have significant impacts to explain the economic impact of droughts.
Homogenization of Fish Assemblages Off the Coast of Florida

Biological homogenization can alter the ecological function of systems as well as the economic value associated with those ecosystems through complex socio-ecological dynamics. The aim of this chapter is twofold: (1) to document evidence of biological homogenization across marine fish assemblages off the coast of Florida and (2) to discuss how social values may influence, and are influenced by, the biological homogenization of coastal fish assemblages. We measured biological homogenization by tracking taxonomic changes over a decade across 13 near-shore sites off the Atlantic coast of Florida. We created species-location matrices for each site, calculated recently and a decade prior, and quantitatively depicted assemblage similarity changes between sites using a hierarchical clustering algorithm. We found evidence of biological homogenization of some fish assemblages, but not all, and relatively little change in site species richness. Sites that were closer to populated coastlines, or have been subject to substantial disturbance events, are more likely to show homogenization. Protected reef sites show little evidence of homogenization. We postulate feedback mechanisms between societal values, diver practices, diver experience, and the severity of homogenization. We suggest that cultural values directly influence diver behavior, which in turn can affect assemblage homogenization. These socio-ecological feedbacks have received very little attention in the context of coastal fish conservation, but deserve attention given the perilous state of such ecosystems worldwide.
Human Sacrifice, Capital Punishment, Prisons & Justice: A Comparative Study

The history of prisons and methods of incarceration has been a subject of interest and popular distraction since the great European reform movement in the 19th century. Critics (e.g., Foucault, 1977) have concentrated their efforts on demonstrating that the ends achieved in the design of prisons and methods of correction have had effects outside of the prison walls in the daily lives of free and innocent citizens, both in the loss of privacy due to increased police surveillance and in the creation of a population of criminals and personnel of the criminal justice system in an integrated culture. Whether we view a society regimented by a uniform ideology like the Soviet Union or one with a less systematic one like the USA, the effects are clear. This paper examines the practice and ideology of prisons, in historical context and in cross-cultural analysis.
Targeted mode attenuation and broadband vibration control with optimized elastomeric metamaterials

This study investigates the broadband vibration attenuation mechanism of optimal cylindrical metamaterial inclusions embedded within a hollow tubular beam. The optimal metamaterial inclusions are obtained by leveraging a genetic algorithm with an analytical model of the system. The analytical model is formulated on an energy method and approximately solved by the Ritz method. Experimental efforts affirm that the model identifies the optimal metamaterial inclusions to best provide broadband vibration control capability. The results suggest that optimal inclusions often exhibit quasi-solid cross-section geometries to maximize damping behaviors similar to constrained layer dampers. Results from this research give the insight on the most influential vibration attenuation mechanisms by elastomeric metamaterials.
A Tale of Two Saints at San Xavier del Bac

In the late eighteenth century, after the expulsion of the Jesuit Order from the Pimeria Alta, the Franciscan missionaries who replaced them built a new church at the native settlement of Wa:k (Bac...
Responders to anti-PD1 therapy: Long-term outcomes and responses to retreatment in melanoma (mel).

9513Background: Little is known about patients (pts) who discontinue anti-PD1 therapy after a complete response (CR) outside of clinical trials. There are also limited data about retreatment with a...
Transfusion medicine: A research agenda for the coming years.

Abstract The important scientific and clinical advances of the last century in transfusion medicine include methods for avoiding hemolytic transfusion reactions and preventing transmission of viral infectious diseases. The next great clinical advances will require improving the efficacy and safety of transfusions, as well as acknowledgement of the now proven serious complications of transfusion, including nosocomial infection, thrombosis, inflammation and multi-organ failure. Possible strategies include (1) universal leukoreduction to mitigate transfusion immunomodulation effects and improve storage conditions, (2) minimizing transfusion of ABO incompatible antibodies and cellular/soluble antigens, (3) substituting use of safer solutions for normal saline during apheresis, component infusion and washing (4) new techniques to improve the efficacy and safety of blood components, including improved storage solutions/conditions, supernatant removal by washing, and rejuvenation and (5) maximizing the risk to benefit ratio of transfusions by employing more restrictive and physiologic indications for transfusion (including patient blood management) and improving clinical decision making through novel laboratory and bedside tests such as thromboelastography.
Assessment of Hospital Readmissions From the Emergency Department After Implementation of Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

Importance The Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) is associated with reduced readmission rates, but it is unknown how this decrease occurred. Objective To examine whether the HRRP was associated with changes in the probability of readmission at emergency department (ED) visits after hospital discharge (ED revisits) overall and depending on whether admission is typically indicated for the patient’s condition at the ED revisit. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study used hospital and ED discharge data from California, Florida, and New York from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2014. A difference-in-differences analysis examined change in readmission probability at ED revisits for recently discharged patients; ED revisits with clinical presentations for which admission is typically indicated vs those for which admission is more variable (ie, discretionary) were examined separately. Inclusion criteria were Medicare patients 65 years and older who revisited an ED within 30 days of inpatient discharge. Data were analyzed from December 18, 2018, to September 11, 2019. Exposures Before and after HRRP implementation among patients initially hospitalized for targeted vs nontargeted conditions. Main Outcomes and Measures Thirty-day unplanned hospital readmissions at the ED revisit. Results A total of 9 914 068 index hospitalizations were identified in California, Florida, and New York from 2010 to 2014. Of 2 052 096 discharges in 2010, 1 168 126 (56.9%) discharges were women and 566 957 discharges (27.6%) were among patients older than 85 years. Among 1 421 407 patients with an unplanned readmission within 30 days of discharge, 1 266 107 patients (89.1%) were admitted through the ED. A total of 1 906 498 ED revisits were identified. After adjusting for patient demographic and clinical characteristics from the index hospitalization, HRRP implementation was associated with fewer readmissions from the ED, with a difference-in-difference estimate of −0.9 (95% CI, −1.4 to −0.4) percentage points (P Conclusions and Relevance These findings suggest that implementation of the HRRP was associated with a lower likelihood of readmission for recently discharged patients presenting to the ED, specifically for congestive heart failure. This highlights the critical role of the ED in readmission reduction under the HRRP and suggests that patient outcomes after HRRP implementation should be further studied.
Generalized TMDs and Wigner Functions

Generalized TMDs (GTMDs) of hadrons are the most general two-parton correlation functions. The Fourier transforms of GTMDs are partonic Wigner functions. Both GTMDs and Wigner functions were only briefly mentioned in the EIC White Paper1, but in the meantime, several interesting developments have happened in this field. In this write-up, we give a very brief overview of these objects and address the question whether they can play an important role for the EIC science case. To answer this question we discuss the presently known physics content of GTMDs and Wigner functions, as well as observables that are sensitive to these quantities.