cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preoperative FOLFIRINOX for borderline resectable pancreatic cancer: Is radiation necessary in the modern era of chemotherapy?

Background No consensus exists regarding the optimal neoadjuvant treatment paradigm for patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC), including the respective roles of chemotherapy and radiation. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis, including detailed pathologic and radiologic review, of pancreatic cancer patients undergoing FOLFIRINOX, with or without radiation therapy (RT), prior to surgical resection at a high-volume academic center over a 4-year period. Results Of 26 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 22 (84.6%) received FOLFIRINOX alone without RT (median number of treatment cycles = 9). The majority of patients met formal radiographic criteria for BRPC, with the superior mesenteric vein representing the most common vessel involved. R0 resection rate was 90.9%, with 12 patients (54.5%) requiring vascular reconstruction. Treatment response was classified as moderate or marked in 16 patients (72.7%) according to the College of American Pathologists grading system. Estimated median disease-free and overall survival rates are 22.6 months and not reached (NR), respectively. Conclusions This is one of the largest series to describe the use of neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX, without radiation therapy, in patients with BRPC undergoing surgical resection. Given the high R0 resection rates and favorable clinical outcomes with chemotherapy alone, this strategy should be further assessed in prospective study design. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:587–596. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bone as an Endocrine Organ

A major and recent advance of skeletal biology has been the realization that bone is an endocrine organ. One hormone secreted by the osteoblasts, the bone-forming cells, osteocalcin affects glucose homeostasis, energy expenditure and male fertility. This chapter will review the particularities of the mechanism of activation of osteocalcin, its mode of action and what it reveals for our understanding of the regulation of glucose homeostasis and male fertility. We will also present how the identification of a specific receptor for osteocalcin has allowed to verify that it has the same function in humans as in the mouse.
Chapter 26 – Antigen Handling and Presentation by Mucosal Dendritic Cells and Macrophages

This chapter focuses on the dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages in the intestine and respiratory tracts, as these organs constitute the major mucosal surfaces of the body. DCs can be divided into follicular and nonfollicular DCs. The mucosal DCs have a particular capacity to induce regulatory T-cell differentiation in the steady (noninfected, nonimmunized) state, but allow for the induction of effector T-cell responses—depending on both the particular subpopulation involved and the surface receptors engaged during the DC activation and T-cell priming. The mucosal DCs contribute to innate defense—by production of cytokines, such as type 1 interferons (type 1 IFNs) and interleukin-12 (IL-12), following the direct exposure to pathogens, as well as contribute to the maintenance of secondary T-cell responses within inflamed mucosa. Resident intestinal macrophages have unique functions as they do not appear to act as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) or produce inflammatory cytokines, but avidly scavenge, phagocytose, and kill pathogens and macromolecules. Thus they are noninflammatory specialized cells for mucosal defense against pathogens.
Molecular HLA Typing Methods Used in Clinical Laboratories

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the strategies and challenges of methods that are currently used for molecular HLA typing in clinical histocompatibility laboratories. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a fascinating genetic region encoding proteins involved in immune function. The term MHC derives from early research into the acceptance or rejection of tissues—literally, histocompatibility—transplanted between different members of the same species. The human MHC comprises about 3.6 Mb DNA (0.1% of the genome) located on the short arm of chromosome 6 (6p21.3). The MHC is the most gene-dense region of the human genome, containing 224 identified loci. HLA molecules present microbial and viral peptides to T lymphocytes, which then mount specific immune responses against the invading pathogens. Because of their key roles in the immune system and extensive polymorphism, these molecules also are the major targets of rejection responses in transplant of organs and tissues between individuals. Although the three-dimensional structures of class I and class II are remarkably similar, they represent distinct subunit structures. The MHC class I molecule is a heterodimer of a membrane-spanning heavy a chain which is bound non-covalently to a non-MHC gene light chain, which does not span the membrane. Each chain has two domains, and the two chains together form a compact four-domain structure grossly similar to that of HLA class I molecule.
Digital computer processing of X-ray photographs

Enhanced digital computer processing of X-ray photographs by image subtraction or filtering
Food Production, Origins of

Creation of agropastoral economies is arguably the most significant cultural development in the last 10,000 years of the human past. Archaeological and archaeobiological evidence indicates fewer than 10 independent origin points for agriculture and pastoralism throughout the Holocene and around the globe. The nature and status of this evidence is briefly indicated for each world area. There does not appear to be a single, universal explanation and trajectory for agropastoral origins, but rather an array of processes—including both external environmental and internal sociopolitical factors—that is implicated in each instance.
Response surface-based robust geotechnical design of supported excavation – spreadsheet-based solution

ABSTRACTThe robust geotechnical design (RGD) approach which involves optimization to obtain a design that is safe, cost-efficient, and robust in the face of uncertainties, can be computationally challenging for complex geotechnical structures. In this study, the RGD approach has become practical by introducing a response surface as a surrogate to finite element- or finite difference-based computer code that is used for analyzing the system, and developing a fast algorithm for the optimization process. For demonstration purposes, a real-world supported excavation project is designed using this modified RGD approach and it is compared with the one designed by a local expert.
Air-water exchange of PAHs and OPAHs at a superfund mega-site

Abstract Chemical fate is a concern at environmentally contaminated sites, but characterizing that fate can be difficult. Identifying and quantifying the movement of chemicals at the air-water interface are important steps in characterizing chemical fate. Superfund sites are often suspected sources of air pollution due to legacy sediment and water contamination. A quantitative assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and oxygenated PAH (OPAHs) diffusive flux in a river system that contains a Superfund Mega-site, and passes through residential, urban and agricultural land, has not been reported before. Here, passive sampling devices (PSDs) were used to measure 60 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 22 oxygenated PAH (OPAHs) in air and water. From these concentrations the magnitude and direction of contaminant flux between these two compartments was calculated. The magnitude of PAH flux was greater at sites near or within the Superfund Mega-site than outside of the Superfund Mega-site. The largest net individual PAH deposition at a single site was naphthalene at a rate of − 14,200 (± 5780) (ng/m2)/day. The estimated one-year total flux of phenanthrene was − 7.9 × 105 (ng/m2)/year. Human health risk associated with inhalation of vapor phase PAHs and dermal exposure to PAHs in water were assessed by calculating benzo[a]pyrene equivalent concentrations. Excess lifetime cancer risk estimates show potential increased risk associated with exposure to PAHs at sites within and in close proximity to the Superfund Mega-site. Specifically, estimated excess lifetime cancer risk associated with dermal exposure and inhalation of PAHs was above 1 in 1 million within the Superfund Mega-site. The predominant depositional flux profile observed in this study suggests that the river water in this Superfund site is largely a sink for airborne PAHs, rather than a source.
Generation of Markov Processes

In this chapter we briefly discuss a few of the many interactions between Markov processes and integro-differential equations. In particular, we will concentrate on connections involving the so-called infinitesimal generator of the Markov process.
Plasma cell and serum antibody responses to influenza vaccine in preterm and full-term infants

Abstract Background Preterm (PT) infants are at greater risk for severe influenza infection and experience decrements in long-term antibody responses to vaccines. This may related to defects in antibody secreting cell (ASC) generation. Objective To investigate the relationships among the frequencies of influenza-specific antibody secreting cells, ASC numbers and subsets, and antibody responses to influenza vaccines (IV) among PT and full-term (FT) infants. Design/methods We enrolled 11 former PT (≤32 weeks′ gestation, ≤1500 g′ birth weight) and 11 FT infants, 6–17 months of age, receiving their first influenza immunizations. Infants received two doses of inactivated trivalent (T)IV or quadrivalent (Q)IV during the 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 influenza seasons, respectively, at 0 and 28 days, and blood was drawn at 0, 10, 35, and 56 days and 9 months. Vaccine-specific antibody was measured by hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) at 0 and 56 days and 9 months, vaccine-specific ASC numbers by enzyme linked immunospot (ELISPOT) at 10 and 35 days, and ASC subsets by flow cytometry at 0, 10 and 35 days. Results PT infants had post-vaccine HAI titers to all 4 vaccine strains at least equal to FT infants at 56 days and 9 months after beginning immunization. Influenza-specific ASC ELISPOT responses at 35 days were higher among PT than FT infants (median 100 v. 30 per 106 PBMC, p = 0.04). ASC numbers at 35 days were positively correlated with serum HAI titers at 56 days (ρ = 0.50–0.80). There were no statistical differences between PT and FT infants in the frequency of five ASC subsets and no specific ASC subset correlated with durability of serum antibody titers. Conclusions Influenza-specific ASC numbers in both FT and PT infants correlated with peak antibody titers, but ASC subsets did not correlate with durability of antibody response.
A 400 MHz 4.5 nW −63.8 dBm sensitivity wake-up receiver employing an active pseudo-balun envelope detector

A 402–405 MHz MICS-band wake-up receiver is presented that achieves −63.8 dBm sensitivity at 4.5 nW. High sensitivity at 400 MHz is accomplished via an 18.5 dB passive voltage gain transformer filter loaded by a high input impedance (R in > 30 kΩ), high scaling factor (k ED > 300), 1.8 nW current re-use pseudo-balun envelope detector, while low power is achieved by operating all active circuits, including the re-generative comparator, baseband correlator, and temperature compensated relaxation oscillator in sub-threshold with a single 0.4 V supply. The chip is fabricated using 0.18 μm CMOS SOI process and achieves the highest figure of merit of all direct envelope detection-based wake-up receivers operating above 400 MHz.
Football Violence: Not Only a British Problem

In this article several Greek studies on hooliganism are described. A research group was formed under the direction of the author of this paper to research different aspects of the problem. In view of this objective, seven particular projects were planned and carried out the principle one of which was set up to investigate the behaviour and attitudes of hard core fans.
Characterization of Load Transfer Behavior for Bonded Concrete Overlays on Asphalt

A bonded concrete overlay on asphalt (BCOA) is a rehabilitation method for moderately distressed asphalt pavements by relatively thin plain cement concrete or fiber-reinforced concrete slabs. The joint load transfer behavior for BCOAs plays a significant role in the long-term performance. Poor load transfer across the joints of the concrete slabs initiates debonding of the asphalt layer from the concrete slabs, which promotes the development of corner cracks or longitudinal cracks. However, because of the tediousness involved in characterizing the joint load transfer behavior of BCOAs, this important aspect is not accounted for in many available mechanistic–empirical BCOA design procedures. The influences of joint load transfer behavior on the performance of BCOA are discussed. The joint load transfer behavior for BCOAs with 1.52- × 1.83-m (5- × 6-ft) slabs and 1.22- × 1.22-m (4- × 4-ft) slabs is analyzed with the finite element method. The load transfer contributed by the asphalt layer, as well as the co...
Design of Morphological Processors for Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation of Materials — A Review

Sequential morphological operations are capable of extracting signal features while suppressing random noise and undesired signal patterns (e.g., speckles in ultrasonic imaging). They utilize a structuring element which interacts with the signal in order to suppress noise and enhance certain desirable information. In this paper we identify a group of sequential morphological processors that exhibit a performance similar to lowpass, bandpass and highpass filters. Furthermore, a class of morphological processors are presented which offer peak detection and edge detection. Deterministic and stochastic properties of combinational (parallel and/or serial) morphological processors have been studied. In particular, the information content of ultrasonic signals has been used to design a suitable structuring element with optimal performance. The results obtained by applying morphological processors to experimental ultrasonic signals show that combinational morphological processors can improve flaw detection when the signal is contaminated by impulsive thermal noise and/or microstructure scattering echoes.
Prior To William Harvey

The heart and the course of circulation were studied in many lands, over many centuries since the earliest beginnings of scientific enquiry[5,19,20]. The publication of De Motu Cordis[1] by William Harvey in 1628 is one of the major landmarks in the history of medicine. The implications for pediatric cardiology, a discipline yet to be born, were profound, since the nature and relationship of the two circulations, systemic and pulmonary, were now defined.
Design and Operation: Keys to Understanding Biological Systems

In his seminal bookBiochemical Systems Analysis: A Study of Function and Design in Molecular Biology, Savageau (1976) proposed an agenda toward a true understanding of complex networks in biology. In addition to developing mathematical models of specific phenomena, he suggested that more general and far-reaching insight could be gained from studying the generic designs of systems, such as mechanisms of feedback inhibition by end product, which were showing up in nature time and again. In an editorial forThe New BiologistSavageau (1991) illustrated the rationale for investigating designs with an instructive demonstration of the different levels of understanding that can be obtained with standard experimentation. He compared the quest for biological insight with different types of analyses of a television set. At the lowest level of understanding, the features of the TV set are simply described in terms of color, size, and shape. Thisdescription can extend to internal parts like the picture tube and is easily made quantitative. Clearly, science by description parallels the early beginnings of biology, where plants and animals were qualitatively, and later quantitatively, described and classified. Savageau identified as the next higher level theisolation and analysis of components. Each interesting-looking component may be analyzed in an electronics lab, and if it consists of a number of parts itself, one could disassemble the components and study each part. This strategy is calledreductionism and has been the dominant paradigm of biology in the twentieth century. In some sense, the completion of the human and other genome projects is the Holy Grail of this approach, because the genome is considered the blue print that implicitly contains all information needed for the functioning of an organism in its environment.
TCT-65 High-Definition Micro-Optical Coherence Tomography for Endothelial Cell Visualization in the Coronary Arteries

Impairment of endothelial cells (ECs) is at the origin of coronary atherosclerosis. More recently, plaque erosion has emerged as the second most prevalent pathological finding in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the study of ECs in humans remains elusive because of a lack of an imaging tool
Persantine® (Boehringer Ingelheim)

Dipyridamole, a coronary vasodilator, is unrelated chemically to the nitrates or digitalis. In therapeutic doses this drug usually produces no significant alteration of systemic blood flow in peripheral arteries. It increases coronary artery blood flow primarily by a selective dilation of the coronary arteries, but evidence for its efficacy in treating angina pectoris is questionable.
Solar-powered synthesis of hydrocarbons from carbon dioxide and water.

The synthesis of hydrocarbons via electroreduction of CO2 is an attractive approach to store energy generated from intermittent renewable sources of electricity (e.g., solar) through formation of the high-energy C–C and C–H bonds of reduced carbon compounds (1, 2). Establishment of such processes also represents a critical step toward the sustainable production of carbon-based commodity chemicals and energy-rich liquid fuels from nonpetroleum resources (3). Despite the promise that such strategies hold, facilitating the rapid, selective, and efficient electrosynthesis of multicarbon products from CO2 is an inherently difficult proposition. Part of the challenge stems from the fact that CO2 reduction half-reactions that generate value-added C1 and multicarbon products take place within a narrow potential window that is less than 0.5 V wide (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Equilibrium potentials for reductive and oxidative half-reactions relevant to the synthesis of hydrocarbons from carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight. Electron and proton equivalents generated via water oxidation at the anode of an EC can be utilized for fuel-forming cathodic processes to generate hydrogen gas or a broad array of reduced carbon products. Promoting the efficient and selective formation of hydrocarbons of high value and utility requires a highly integrated approach in which electrocatalysts, electrolytes, cell parameters, and light-harvesting assemblies are optimized to work together. As a result of the reaction landscape illustrated in Fig. 1, it is virtually impossible to target a given CO2 reduction product based purely on thermodynamic considerations. For instance, electrochemical reduction of CO2 to ethylene occurs at 0.08 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). Accordingly, any electrochemical process that targets this product must be run at a potential at which production of other species such as ethane ( E° = 0.14 V) and methane ( E° = 0.17 V) is also thermodynamically feasible. Moreover, kinetics associated … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: joelr{at}udel.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Vicarious Racism Stress and Disease Activity: the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study.

Indirect or vicarious exposure to racism (e.g., hearing about or observing acts of racism or discrimination) is a salient source of stress for African Americans. Emerging research suggests that these “secondhand” experiences of racism may contribute to racial health inequities through stress-mediated pathways. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that disproportionately impacts African American women and is characterized by racial disparities in severity. Health outcomes in this population may be susceptible to vicarious racism given that SLE is shown to be sensitive to psychosocial stress. Data are from 431 African American women with SLE living in Atlanta, Georgia in the Black Women’s Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study (2015–2017). Vicarious racism stress was measured with four items assessing distress from (1) hearing about racism in the news; (2) experiences of racism among friends or family; (3) witnessing racism in public; and (4) racism depicted in movies and television shows. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine associations with disease activity measured using the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire. Adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related covariates, vicarious racism stress was associated with greater disease activity (b = 2.15; 95% CI = 1.04–3.27). This association persisted even after adjustment for personal experiences of racial discrimination (b = 1.80; 95% CI = 0.67–2.92). Vicarious racism may result in heightened disease activity and contribute to racial disparities in SLE. Our findings suggest that acts of racism committed against members of one’s racial group may have distinct health consequences beyond the immediate victim or target.
An Unexpected Pregnancy Test Result Leading to the Diagnosis of Advanced Gastric Cancer.

The presence of beta human chorionic gonadotropin in the absence of pregnancy warrants further work-up as elevated levels may be seen in trophoblastic disease or germ cell tumors and rarely in solid tumors such as gastric cancers. The signs and symptoms of gastric cancer are vague and as such, the diagnosis is often delayed. Overexpression of the beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotrophin may be seen in close to 50% of gastric cancers. The implication of this finding is unclear; however, beta human chorionic gonadotropin reactivity may play a role in tumorigenesis and often correlates with an advanced stage at presentation. Herein, we present a case report of a patient with an incidental finding of a positive urinary human chorionic gonadotropin test which led to the diagnosis of advanced gastric cancer.
Chapter 7 Nonequilibrium Green's function modeling of the quantum transport of molecular electronic devices

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) modeling of the quantum transport of molecular electronic devices. All the theoretical approaches to the accurate modeling of quantum transport of molecular devices fall into four main categories: semi-empirical methods, supercell methods, the open-jellium Lippman-Schwinger approach, and the NEGF approach. The key feature of the NEGF formalism is that the self-consistent charge density is not constructed out of the eigenstates of the system. Rather, the charge density is determined via the Keldysh NEGFs that provide an efficient framework for dealing with an open quantum system. The NEGF–DFT formalism for quantum transport provides important contributions toward calculating the device properties of real materials systems, especially when combined with the power of parallel supercomputers. The incorporation of spin-dependent effects opens up the important field of nanoscale magnetoelectronics or “spintronics.” In magnetoelectronics, both the charge and the spin degrees of freedom are utilized for the operation of a functional device.
Mantis: Reactive Programmable Switches

For modern data center switches, the ability to---with minimum latency and maximum flexibility--- react to current network conditions is important for managing increasingly dynamic networks. The traditional approach to implementing this type of behavior is through a control plane that is orders of magnitude slower than the speed at which typical data center congestion events occur. More recent alternatives like programmable switches can remember statistics about passing traffic and adjust behavior accordingly, but unfortunately, their capabilities severely limit what can be done. In this paper, we present Mantis, a framework for implementing fine-grained reactive behavior on today's programmable switches with the help of a specialized reactive control plane architecture. Mantis is, thus, a combination of language for specifying dynamic components of packet processing and an optimized, general, and safe control loop for implementing them. Mantis provides a simple-to-reason-about set of abstractions for users, and the Mantis control plane can react to changes in the network in 10s of μs.
Microcystin-LR degradation kinetics during chlorination: Role of water quality conditions.

Abstract Microcystin-LR (MCLR) produced during certain cyanobacteria blooms can contaminate drinking water sources and pose a threat to public health. Previous studies of MCLR degradation by free chlorine may have artifacts from using strong reducing agents to quench chlorination reactions, and they also have not explored the influence of water quality characteristics such as pH, alkalinity, temperature and dissolved organic matter (DOM). Using a novel quencher, 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene (TMB), the apparent MCLR degradation rate constants were found to be higher than those obtained with thiosulfate (S2O32−), a traditionally used strong reducing quencher. Thiosulfate converted N-chlorinated MCLR degradation products back to the parent MCLR, thereby underestimating MCLR loss over time. The second-order rate constants for HOCl (kHOCl) and OCl− (kOCl-) during chlorination of MCLR were determined to be 72 ± 13 and 28 ± 1.8 M−1s−1, respectively, allowing for determination of the apparent MCLR rate constants (kapp,MCLR) for any known pH condition. The MCLR reaction with free chlorine was strongly affected by temperature and the presence of DOM, while changes in ionic strength and alkalinity had little effect. Free chlorine in the presence of DOM, originating from both terrestrial and microbial sources, exhibited two-stage decay. The initial chlorine demand in the first 15 s of reaction can be determined by the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration (initial chlorine demand = 1.8 × DOC), and the second-order rate constants for the later slower decay correlated well with SUVA254 (kapp,DOM = 0.73 × SUVA254 - 0.41). The results yielded a practical model to predict the decay of MCLR during chlorination of waters with varied water quality characteristics.
Early Engagement in Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Enhances Future Academic Productivity.

BACKGROUND Early engagement in cardiothoracic (CT) surgery research may help attract trainees to academic CT surgery, but whether this early exposure boosts career-long academic achievement remains unknown. METHODS A database of all CT surgery faculty at accredited, academic CT surgery training programs in the United States during the year 2018 was established. Excluding international medical graduates, surgeons who started general surgery residency in the United States before 2004 and who published at least 1 manuscript before traditional CT fellowship training were included (n = 472). Each surgeon's educational background, work history, and research publications were recorded from publicly available online sources. RESULTS Before fellowship training, 370 surgeons (78.4%) coauthored a CT surgery manuscript, and 102 (21.6%) published only on subjects unrelated to CT surgery. Regardless of whether surgeons pursued dedicated research training or not, those who coauthored a CT surgery manuscript before fellowship training published more papers per year as an attending (P < .01), resulting in more total publications (P < .01) and a higher H-index (P < .01) over comparably long careers. Among CT surgeons who did not publish CT surgery research before fellowship training, those who coauthored a CT surgery manuscript during fellowship also exhibited enhanced future academic productivity. CONCLUSIONS Academic CT surgeons who published CT surgery research before fellowship training ultimately exhibited more prolific and impactful research profiles compared with those who published only on subjects unrelated to CT surgery during training. Efforts to increase early engagement in CT surgery research among trainees should be fully endorsed.
COVID-19 Timeline: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Changes and Primary Care Support Were Not Enough to Prevent Practice Losses.

The Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic reaches back months on American soil and even farther globally. Though the far-reaching effects were unknown at the outset, many scholars correctly predicted that the US health care system was not prepared to effectively handle a pandemic of this
„Schaufenster-Blitzeinbrüche“ mit Kraftfahrzeugen

Vorgehensweise, Tater(gruppen), polizeiliche Ermittlungsarbeit sowie Pravention bei einer neuen Form des Einbruchdiebstahls in Geschafte mit Luxusartikeln, bei dem die Schaufensterscheibe mit einem Pkw gerammt wird, werden aus kriminalistischer Sicht analysiert.
Excess mortality among latino people in California during the COVID-19 pandemic

Latino people in the US are experiencing higher excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic than any other racial/ethnic group, but it is unclear which sociodemographic subgroups within this diverse population are most affected. Such information is necessary to target policies that prevent further excess mortality and reduce inequities. Using death certificate data for January 1, 2016 through February 29, 2020 and time-series models, we estimated the expected weekly deaths among Latino people in California from March 1 through October 3, 2020. We quantified excess mortality as observed minus expected deaths and risk ratios (RR) as the ratio of observed to expected deaths. We considered subgroups categorized by age, sex, nativity, country of birth, educational attainment, occupation, and combinations of these factors. Our results indicate that during the first seven months of the pandemic, Latino deaths in California exceeded expected deaths by 10,316, a 31% increase. Excess death rates were greatest for individuals born in Mexico (RR 1.44; 95% PI, 1.41, 1.48) or a Central American country (RR 1.49; 95% PI, 1.37, 1.64), with less than a high school degree (RR 1.41; 95% PI, 1.35, 1.46), or in food-and-agriculture (RR 1.60; 95% PI, 1.48, 1.74) or manufacturing occupations (RR 1.59; 95% PI, 1.50, 1.69). Immigrant disadvantages in excess death were magnified among working-age Latinos in essential occupations. In sum, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted mortality among Latino immigrants, especially those in unprotected essential jobs. Interventions to reduce these inequities should include targeted vaccination, workplace safety enforcement, and expanded access to medical care and economic support.
Nitrone anti-cancer activity in Apcmin/+ model of colon cancer

2324 We examined the anti-cancer activity of the nitrone α-phenyl-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN) in the APC min/+ model of colon cancer. PBN as well as its metabolite 4-hydroxy-PBN (4-OHPBN) was administered in drinking water to the mice starting at age day 21 and continued throughout. Tumor development in three groups of 15-20 mice each were examined using gadolinium probe enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) taken 4 times (7,12,16 and 18 weeks) during tumor development. At the time of experiment termination pathologic data of tumor size and number was done. The MRI results showed that in the non-treated mice there was a time-dependent increase in tumor number and size, but the PBN-treated mice showed a time-dependent significant decrease in tumor volume and number throughout the treatment period. 4-OHPBN showed no anti-cancer activity in this study because it had limited water solubility. The final pathologic data was in agreement with the MRI data. Human colon cancer cells (HCT-116) were used to determine if PBN interfered with oxaliplatin killing of these cells. The results showed that PBN when added up to 2 mM and incubated with 0-20 μM oxaliplatin for up to 48 hours caused at most a 4-5% decrease in oxaliplatin killing. The amount of active fraction caspase 3 present in the oxaliplatin treated cells showed little difference between PBN treated and non-treated cells. We previously showed PBN had anti-cancer activity in the rat choline deficient model of hepatocellular carcinoma and the rat C6 cell orthotopic model of glioblastoma and now in the APC min/+ model. Research was supported in part by OARS grant AR052-041 and NIH RO1CA82506, OCAST fMRI.002 and Department of Veterans Affairs Merit Review Program and Frances Duffy Endowment.
Single-Cell mRNA Profiling Reveals Cell-Type-Specific Expression of Neurexin Isoforms

Neurexins are considered central organizers of synapse architecture that are implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders. Expression of neurexins in hundreds of alternatively spliced isoforms suggested that individual neurons might exhibit a cell-type-specific neurexin expression pattern (a neurexin code). To test this hypothesis, we quantified the single-cell levels of neurexin isoforms and other trans-synaptic cell-adhesion molecules by microfluidics-based RT-PCR. We show that the neurexin repertoire displays pronounced cell-type specificity that is remarkably consistent within each type of neuron. Furthermore, we uncovered region-specific regulation of neurexin transcription and splice-site usage. Finally, we demonstrate that the transcriptional profiles of neurexins can be altered in an experience-dependent fashion by exposure to a drug of abuse. Our data provide evidence of cell-type-specific expression patterns of multiple neurexins at the single-cell level and suggest that expression of synaptic cell-adhesion molecules overlaps with other key features of cellular identity and diversity.
Injury Patterns in Near-Side Collisions

The objective of this paper is to examine injuries and injury mechanisms in side impact crashes being addressed by the United States standard, FMVSS 214. In this side impact protection standard, a moving deformable barrier impacts the occupant compartment of a vehicle being tested. The moving barrier is crabbed at an angle of 23 degrees measured relative to the side of the struck vehicle. The standard assesses the crash protection provided in a vehicle-to-vehicle crash to an occupant seated on the struck side, in the vicinity of the maximum intrusion. The National Automobile Sampling System /Crashworthiness Database System (NASS/CDS) data indicates that 75% AIS 3+ injuries occur in vehicle-to-vehicle crashes, 66% occur to the struck side occupants and 94% occur in crashes with damage to the occupant compartment. Crash directions of 10 and 2 o''clock are the most common injury producing crashes. In vehicle-to-vehicle side crashes examined in this study, the most frequent seriously injured (AIS 3+) body regions in the NASS/CDS 1988/1996 database were: chest/abdomen - 49%; head/face - 24%, pelvic/lower extremity - 14%; and neck/spine - 4%. The University of Miami School of Medicine - William Lehman Injury Research Center (WLIRC) data was representative of more severe crashes than the NASS/CDS database, and it contained a higher percentage of chest/abdominal injuries and a lower percentage of pelvic/lower extremity injuries. In the WLIRC data, the most frequent severely injured (AIS 4+) organs were the brain (21%) and the thoracic aorta (21%). In-depth analysis of brain induced injuries showed that the most frequent injury causing contacts for head injuries were: other vehicle 37.5%; pillar, 25%, and side interior, 25%. Light trucks were most frequently the source of the injuring head strikes. For aortic injuries, 100% were from contact with the side interior. Other factors that were observed in the WLIRC cases with aortic injuries were: older occupants, female gender, the presence of a far side occupant, oblique angles of impact, and damage to the front fender and door of the struck vehicle.
Minimization of communication in distributed discrete event systems

In this paper, the problem of minimizing communication in distributed systems is considered in a discrete-event formalism where the system is modeled as a finite-state automaton. There is a set of n communicating agents observing the behavior of the system for purposes of control or diagnosis. A set of communication policies for the agents is said to be minimal if communications cannot be removed without affecting the correctness of the solution. A more general formulation of the communication structure than prior works on this problem is considered. Under an assumption on the absence of cycles (other than self-loops) in the system model, an algorithm that computes a set of minimal communication policies in polynomial-time in the number of states of the system is presented. This is the first algorithm of its kind that achieves this complexity result.
Commercial Application of Adventitious Rooting to Forestry

Zhu Xi’s lyrical and evocative lines were penned over 800 years ago. The cuttings referred to are of the Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata [Lamb.] Hook.), China’s major timber producing conifer. A scrutiny of ancient Chinese literature led Li (1992a) to conclude that this species has been propagated by cuttings in China for over 1,000 years. Interestingly, the propagation techniques used today in China have changed little from those of ancient times.
Feature import vector machine: A general classifier with flexible feature selection

The support vector machine SVM and other reproducing kernel Hilbert space RKHS based classifier systems are drawing much attention recently owing to its robustness and generalization capability. General theme here is to construct classifiers based on the training data in a high dimensional space by using all available dimensions. The SVM achieves huge data compression by selecting only few observations that lie close to the boundary of the classifier function. However when the number of observations is not very large small n but the number of dimensions/features is large large p, then it is not necessary that all available features are of equal importance in the classification context. Possible selection of a useful fraction of the available features may result in huge data compression. In this paper, we propose an algorithmic approach by means of which such an optimal set of features could be selected. In short, we reverse the traditional sequential observation selection strategy of SVM to that of sequential feature selection. To achieve this we have modified the solution proposed by Zhu and Hastie in the context of import vector machine IVM, to select an optimal sub-dimensional model to build the final classifier with sufficient accuracy.
Routine circumcision of the newborn infant: a reappraisal.

Abstract Prompted by the continuing controversy over routine circumcision of the newborn infant, this review of the limited available literature suggests that the operation may facilitate hygiene of the penis and perhaps decrease the risk of carcinoma of the penis. On the other hand, the operation frequently features illogical bases for patient selection, neglect of the requirement to obtain informed consent, an inappropriate operator, a needlessly radical technique, disregard for pain, dubious objectives, and unknown cost-effectiveness. Long-term prospective studies are needed to evaluate routine circumcision of the newborn infant. However, until the benefits of the procedure can be proved worth the risk and cost, medical resources should probably be allocated to health measures of demonstrated value.
Characterization, propagation and analysis of aleatory and epistemic uncertainty in the 2008 performance assessment for the proposed repository for high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

The 2008 performance assessment (PA) for the proposed repository for high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada, illustrates the conceptual structure of risk assessments for complex systems. The 2008 YM PA is based on the following three conceptual entities: a probability space that characterizes aleatory uncertainty; a function that predicts consequences for individual elements of the sample space for aleatory uncertainty; and a probability space that characterizes epistemic uncertainty. These entities and their use in the characterization, propagation and analysis of aleatory and epistemic uncertainty are described and illustrated with results from the 2008 YM PA.
Three-Dimensional Magnetic Reconnection in a Coronal Neutral Sheet

We review our research on the transition to turbulence of a 3d neutral sheet. The existence of a 3d secondary instability which grows on an ideal time-scale is demonstrated numerically. When the secondary mode attains sufficient amplitude to become nonlinear, there is a breakdown of familiar laminar structures such as electric current filaments and vortex quadrupoles. Our results suggest that magnetic reconnection might be a flexible enough process to account for the three energy release phases observed in two-ribbon flares. Estimates of growth times compare well with impulsive phase data.
Impact of wall region particle volume fraction distribution on thermal resistance of particle filled thermal interface materials [electronic packaging]

Increasing chip power densities require thermal interface materials (TIMs) with lower thermal resistance. The thermal resistance of particle-filled polymer-based TIMs is measured using a high-resolution cross-sectional IR imaging technique, and simulated using a finite volume technique and a closed-form model. It is found that the TIM thermal resistance is strongly influenced by the change in particle volume fraction near the TIM-chip and TIM-spreader boundaries, which yields an effective thermal boundary resistance near the TIM-wall boundaries. This effective boundary resistance increases with increasing filled particle size, increasing ratio of particle to matrix thermal conductivity and decreasing TIM thickness. These findings are valuable to achieve better TIM thermal performance.
Gravity measurements in the northeastern pacific Ocean

Gravity measurements were made at sea on seven submarine cruises by the University of California Institute of Geophysics using the multiple pendulum instrument of Vening Meinesz, Stations were located to enable study of a seamount, fracture zones, and the transition region between continental and oceanic structure. The free air, Bouguer, and isostatic anomalies are given in a table of results.
Building community into property

American business's fascination with both laborsaving devices and low wage environments is causing not only structural unemployment and dissipation of the nation's industrial base but also the deterioration of abandoned host communities. According to individualist understandings of the right of private property, this deterioration is beyond sanction except insofar as it affects the property rights of others. But corporate stockholders and managers should not be considered the only owners of property the value of which is due in part to the investments of employees and of the host community. The contributions of the latter should therefore be adequately recognized in law. Short-term job protection and long-term planning for leisure are helpful. But still more important is a recognition in public policy of the interests of the community in property owned by corporations. There is ample precedent in our legal traditions for public preemption of private property; but in contrast to much “taking” in the past, this must be exercized in a manner that is truly for the public benefit.
Novel One-Phase Synthesis of Thiol-Functionalized Gold, Palladium, and Iridium Nanoparticles Using Superhydride

A new, facile, general one-phase synthesis for thiol-functionalized gold, palladium, and iridium nanoparticles, using tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the solvent and lithium triethylborohydride (Superhydride) as the reducing agent, is presented. For octadecanethiol-functionalized gold (Au/ODT) nanoparticles, HRTEM of drop-cast particle-films revealed the formation of spherical particles of d = 4 ± 0.3 nm average size. Electron diffraction shows fcc packing arrangement, similar to that of bulk gold. The crystalline gold cores are surrounded with closely packed n-alkyl chains mainly in an all-trans conformation, adopting orthorhombic packing as confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Particles are arranged in a discrete solidlike assembly with a correlation length of ∼5 nm, as the interparticle distance (center-to-center) and a constant edge-to-edge distance of 1 nm as shown by FFT analysis. Using the same synthetic procedure gold nanoparticles functionalized with 11-hydroxyundecane-1-thiol and with 4‘-bromo-4-mercaptobip...
The identification of Y Chromosome-linked markers with random sequence oligonucleotide primers

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based technique of random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) is extremely useful for developing DNA-based markers. We previously identified a linkage group of eight unmapped RAPD markers that distinguish C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice (Mammalian Genome 3: Woodward et al., 73–78, 1992). In this study, we report that all eight markers are Y Chromosome (Chr)-linked. One additional Y-linked RAPD was discovered serendipitously during the screening of a C3H/HeJ x (C3H/HeJ x SJL/J)F1 BC1 population. The segregation of all nine markers was analyzed with a panel of 14 independent inbred strains of male mice. The nine markers could be divided into three distinct groups: (1) DYByu2, DYByu5, DYByu6, and DYByu8 identify both the M.m. musculus and M.m. domesticus type Y Chr; (2) DYByu1, DYByu3, DYByu4, and DYByu7 are specific for the M.m. musculus type; and (3) DYByu9 is specific for the M.m. domesticus type. The results clearly indicate that the RAPD technique can be used to identify Y Chr-linked, DNA-based markers in mammalian species.
CALORIC RESTRICTION PREVENTS AGE-RELATED DECLINE IN SKELETAL MUSCLE DIHYDROPYRIDINE RECEPTOR AND RYANODINE RECEPTOR EXPRESSION

The dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR), a voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channel, and the Ca2+ release channel/ryanodine receptor isoform-1 (RyR1) are key molecules involved in skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling. We have reported age-related decreases in the level of DHPR expression in fast- and slow-twitch muscles from Fisher 344 cross Brown Norway (F344BNX) rats (Renganathan, Messi and Delbono, J. Membr. Biol. 157 (1997) 247–253). Based on these studies we postulate that excitation-contraction uncoupling is a basic mechanism for the decline in muscle force with aging (Delbono, Renganathan and Messi, Muscle Nerve Suppl. 5 (1997) S88–92). In the present study, we extended our studies to older ages and we intended to prevent or retard excitation-contraction uncoupling by restricting the caloric intake of the F344BNX rats from 16 weeks of age. Three age groups, 8-, 18-, and 33-month old caloric restricted rats, were compared with ad libitum fed animals. The number of DHPR and RyR1 and DHPR/RyR1 ratio (an index of the level of receptors uncoupling) in skeletal muscles of 8-month and 18-month rats was not significantly different in either ad libitum fed or caloric restricted rats. However, the age-related decrease in the number of DHPR, RyR1 and DHPR/RyR1 ratio observed in 33-month old ad libitum fed rats was absent in 33-month old caloric restricted rats. These results suggest that caloric restriction prevents age-related decreases in the number of DHPR, RyR1 and DHPR/RyR1 ratio observed in fast- and slow-twitch rat skeletal muscles.
Information needs and search characteristics of first‐year medical students

This poster was presented at the 75th annual meeting of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, October 26-30, 2012.