cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Virtual Environmental Enrichment through Video Games Improves Hippocampal-Associated Memory

The positive effects of environmental enrichment and their neural bases have been studied extensively in the rodent (van Praag et al., 2000). For example, simply modifying an animal's living environment to promote sensory stimulation can lead to (but is not limited to) enhancements in hippocampal cognition and neuroplasticity and can alleviate hippocampal cognitive deficits associated with neurodegenerative diseases and aging. We are interested in whether these manipulations that successfully enhance cognition (or mitigate cognitive decline) have similar influences on humans. Although there are many “enriching” aspects to daily life, we are constantly adapting to new experiences and situations within our own environment on a daily basis. Here, we hypothesize that the exploration of the vast and visually stimulating virtual environments within video games is a human correlate of environmental enrichment. We show that video gamers who specifically favor complex 3D video games performed better on a demanding recognition memory task that assesses participants' ability to discriminate highly similar lure items from repeated items. In addition, after 2 weeks of training on the 3D video game Super Mario 3D World, naive video gamers showed improved mnemonic discrimination ability and improvements on a virtual water maze task. Two control conditions (passive and training in a 2D game, Angry Birds), showed no such improvements. Furthermore, individual performance in both hippocampal-associated behaviors correlated with performance in Super Mario but not Angry Birds, suggesting that how individuals explored the virtual environment may influence hippocampal behavior. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The hippocampus has long been associated with episodic memory and is commonly thought to rely on neuroplasticity to adapt to the ever-changing environment. In animals, it is well understood that exposing animals to a more stimulating environment, known as environmental enrichment, can stimulate neuroplasticity and improve hippocampal function and performance on hippocampally mediated memory tasks. Here, we suggest that the exploration of vast and visually stimulating environments within modern-day video games can act as a human correlate of environmental enrichment. Training naive video gamers in a rich 3D, but not 2D, video game, resulted in a significant improvement in hippocampus-associated cognition using several behavioral measures. Our results suggest that modern day video games may provide meaningful stimulation to the human hippocampus.
Role of Chloride in the Morphological Evolution of Organo-Lead Halide Perovskite Thin Films

A comprehensive morphological study was used to elucidate chloride’s role in CH3NH3PbI3–xClx film evolution on a conducting polymer, PEDOT:PSS. Complex ion equilibria and aggregation in solution, as well as the role they play in nucleation, are found to ultimately be responsible for the unique morphological diversity observed in perovskite films grown in the presence of the chloride ion. An intermediate phase that is generated upon deposition and initial annealing templates continued self-assembly in the case of CH3NH3PbI3–xClx. In the absence of chloride, the film growth of CH3NH3PbI3 is directed by substrate interfacial energy. By employing the through-plane TEM analysis, we gain detailed insight into the unique crystallographic textures, grain structures, and elemental distributions across the breadth of films grown from precursor solutions with different chemistries. The lattice coherence seen in morphologies generated under the influence of chloride provides a physical rational for the enhancement in...
Dimensions of Religiosity in Old Age: Accounting for Variation in Types of Participation

Research on religiosity and aging has focused more on church attendance than on the religious role and the strength of beliefs and the extent of private devotions. This study of 123 older West Texans examines the degree to which nine variables account for variation in both organized religious activities and private religious behavior. These include three social activity and interaction variables, three religion variables, and three personal variables (health, age, and income). Strength of religious conviction proved to be the strongest predictor of both types of religious participation. Multiple-regression analysis did not support the hypothesis that private religious activity is compensatory; that is, it does not make up for increased social or personal deprivation. Poor health, low income, reduced activity, and living alone did not predict higher levels of nonorganized religious behavior. However, strong kin/friend networks did predict high levels of private devotion. This research suggests that frequent interaction in a social network contributes to the spiritual well-being of elderly persons; that is, it affirms the wholeness of their lives.
Vehicle emission implications of drivers' smart advisory system for traffic operations in work zones.

ABSTRACTWireless communication systems have been broadly applied in various complicated traffic operations to improve mobility and safety on roads, which may raise a concern about the implication of the new technology on vehicle emissions. This paper explores how the wireless communication systems improve drivers’ driving behaviors and its contributions to the emission reduction, in terms of Operating Mode (OpMode) IDs distribution used in emission estimation. A simulated work zone with completed traffic operation was selected as a test bed. Sixty subjects were recruited for the tests, whose demographic distribution was based on the Census data in Houston, Texas. A scene of a pedestrian’s crossing in the work zone was designed for the driving test. Meanwhile, a wireless communication system called Drivers Smart Advisory System (DSAS) was proposed and introduced in the driving simulation, which provided drivers with warning messages in the work zone. Two scenarios were designed for a leading vehicle as wel...
An investigation of variable speed horizontal-axis wind turbines using direct model-reference adaptive control

Pitch-controlled variable-speed horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) are increasingly being investigated for use in electrical power production. The governing equations of HAWTs are expensive to calculate and test, change substantially over time, and are extremely non-linear. Therefore, adaptive methods are a suitable approach for control of HAWTs. Direct model-reference adaptive control is shown to perform well as a pitchregulated control scheme. The adaptive controller shows performance comparable to previous work in steady speed operation (Region 3), and shows model-tracking with errors of less than 1% during varying speed operation (Region 2). Simulations of the transition from Region 2 to Region 3 indicate an average overshoot of six percent. The controller is tested using MATLAEYSIMULINK simulations based on a computer generated and experimentally verified non-linear plant model of a Grumman WindstreamHAWT. An appropriate reference model that operates in Region 2 without knowledge of windspeed and plant parameters has yet to be found.
Large differences in potential denitrification and sediment microbial communities across the Laurentian great lakes

Large lakes can efficiently remove reactive nitrogen (N) through denitrification, but nitrate levels in some large oligotrophic lakes are increasing, indicating that denitrification in these lakes is not capable of removing excess N. To better understand how lake trophic status and sediment redox conditions affect the capacity of the microbial community to remove excess N, we measured potential denitrification rates at 86 different stations across Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. We also relate sediment microbial communities to potential denitrification rates and sediment characteristics for a subset of these sites. In eutrophic/mesotrophic Lake Erie, characterized by sediment with minimal oxygen penetration and relatively high sediment carbon (C) and N, potential denitrification rates were relatively high and increased by 2–3 orders of magnitude in response to additional nitrate and organic C. In contrast, in oligotrophic Lakes Superior and Ontario, and mesotrophic Lake Huron, where oxygen can penetrate several cm into sediment, potential denitrification rates were generally low and did not respond to additional nitrate and organic carbon. Sediment microbial communities showed a similar pattern across this gradient, correlated with potential denitrification rates, sediment %C, and bottom-water nitrate concentrations. This observed relationships between sediment redox conditions, potential denitrification rates, and microbial diversity suggest that sediment microbial communities in these and other oligotrophic large lakes may already be operating at or near their maximum denitrification rates. Unlike mesotrophic Lake Erie, microbial communities in oligotrophic lake sediments may lack the ability to mitigate increases in N loading through denitrification.
Generating Personalized Spatial Analogies for Distances and Areas

Distances and areas frequently appear in text articles. However, people struggle to understand these measurements when they cannot relate them to measurements of locations that they are personally familiar with. We contribute tools for generating personalized spatial analogies: re-expressions that contextualize spatial measurements in terms of locations with similar measurements that are more familiar to the user. Our automated approach takes a user's location and generates a personalized spatial analogy for a target distance or area using landmarks. We present an interactive application that tags distances, areas, and locations in a text article and presents personalized spatial analogies using interactive maps. We find that users who view a personalized spatial analogy map generated by our system rate the helpfulness of the information for understanding a distance or area 1.9 points higher (on a 7 pt scale) than when they see the article with no spatial analogy and 0.7 points higher than when they see generic spatial analogy.
Pigmented lesions in adolescents.

Accurate diagnosis of congenital and acquired pigmented lesions accompanied by an understanding of their natural history and disease associations is critical for the appropriate management and counseling of adolescents, as well as timely referral to specialists when indicated. The recognition of atypical nevi and other melanoma risk factors in adolescents should lead to institution of preventive measures, such as routine skin examinations and counseling regarding sun protection. Because the incidence of melanoma is increasing in adolescents as well as adults, prompt identification of suspicious melanocytic lesions may lead to early diagnosis and effective treatment of melanoma. Numerous pigmented lesions can also herald the presence of a multisystem disorder; the recognition of syndromes associated with these lesions should result in appropriate evaluation and genetic counseling of affected individuals. This review distinguishes pigmented lesions that histologically represent a proliferation of melanocytes and that may therefore confer an increased risk for melanoma, from pigmented lesions due to increased melanization alone (i.e., increased melanin content) that are not associated with malignancy.
Design of a Ka-band propagation terminal for atmospheric measurements in polar regions

This paper describes the design and performance of a Ka-Band beacon receiver developed at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) that will be installed alongside an existing Ka-Band Radiometer [2] located at the east end of the Svalbard Near Earth Network (NEN) complex. The goal of this experiment is to characterize rain fade attenuation to improve the performance of existing statistical rain attenuation models. The ground terminal developed by NASA GRC utilizes an FFT-based frequency estimation [3] receiver capable of characterizing total path attenuation effects due to gaseous absorption, clouds, rain, and scintillation by directly measuring the propagated signal from the satellite Thor 7.
The Inflatable Penile Prosthesis, Reoperation and Patient Satisfaction: A Comparison of Statistics Obtained from Patient Record Review with Statistics Obtained from Intensive Followup Search

AbstractOf 179 patients who received the inflatable penile prosthesis 43 per cent have required reoperation, 60 per cent of which were performed for mechanical failure. An attempt to evaluate the adequacy of chart review in assessing current function and patient satisfaction was made by comparing reports obtained by chart review to those obtained by direct patient interview. Results showed that if chart review alone was used malfunction would have been underestimated by 13 per cent and patient satisfaction overestimated by 21 per cent. The importance of direct followup in evaluating patients with the inflatable penile prosthesis is demonstrated.
Right-turn Traffic Volume Adjustment in Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis

An intersection with heavy right-turn volumes, without any reduction, might mislead a signal warrant analysis, and a different conclusion may be reached on whether a signal is warranted. Previous right-turn volume reduction methods based mostly on engineering judgment lack specific theoretical backgrounds. Therefore, this paper proposes a new method with theoretical justification. The method focuses on traffic operation principles centered on finding the delay equivalent relationship between right-turn and through traffic, that is, to equate the right-turn volume to through vehicles to produce the same control delay on a minor street. Equivalent factor tables were constructed on the basis of four geometric configurations. Combining with the various traffic volume distributions, more than 12,000 scenarios were analyzed. The volume ratio in the two directions of the main street was especially considered. The analysis showed that the uneven volume distribution in the main street had a greater effect on the m...
Stacked Profunda Artery Perforator Flaps for Breast Reconstruction

When free abdominal tissue transfer is an unsuitable option for autologous breast reconstruction, attention is often turned to other perforator flaps such as the profunda artery perforator (PAP) flap. In unilateral cases that require significant volume for contralateral symmetry, stacked PAP flaps are a convenient option as they can be harvested at the same time as recipient site dissection, and the patient may remain supine during the entire procedure. Anterograde and retrograde anastomoses to the internal mammary vessels allow mobility for flap positioning in order to obtain the desired volume and contour. In bilateral cases, four-flap combinations of PAP and DIEP flaps allow the highest degree of volume transfer and contouring capability.
Female Genital Cutting

Female genital cutting is a term that encompasses a variety of procedures performed on female genitalia globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), which utilizes the term female genital mutilation/cutting, there are currently over 91 million girls and women in Africa alone who have been genitally cut or mutilated, and over 3 million girls are at risk of being cut or mutilated each year. The WHO also has the most extensive classification of types of female genital mutilation/cutting, which range from clitoridectomy and excision (Types I and II) to infibulation (Type III) and other procedures (Type IV). There are various reasons that such procedures are performed. Such reasons include the control of female sexuality for cleanliness, appearance, purity, and chastity before marriage or to become marriageable within one's culture. Female genital cutting or mutilation is also performed for religious reasons, although there are no religious mandates for such procedures. Keywords: body practices; gender-based violence; health; human rights; international laws and policies
Mean Platelet Volume and Integrin Alleles Strongly Correlate with Increased Levels of Integrins αIIbβ3 and α2β1: Clinical Implications for Platelet Reactivity in Acute Coronary Syndome

Abstract 32 Background - Differences in the level of integrins expressed on the surface membranes of platelets can have a significant effect on platelet reactivity and adverse outcomes in a variety of thrombotic and hematologic dyscrasias. Among normal individuals, the basal level of platelet integrin a IIb b 3 varies at least two-fold, while that of the integrin a 2 b 1 exhibits a greater range of variation. The total number of integrin molecules and other receptors on platelets is influenced to a large extent by the total surface area of plasma membrane and consequently the mean platelet volume (MPV), which itself has a very strong genetic component. We sought to determine the relative contribution of mean platelet volume (MPV) and integrin gene alleles to expression levels of these integrins in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and normal subjects. Methods and Results - Monoclonal antibodies AP2 and 8C12 (or 12F1) were used in flow cytometry to measure platelet a IIb b 3 and a 2 b 1 , respectively, in whole blood from 341 patients with ACS and 128 normal subjects. Comparisons were made with MPV, platelet count (PC) and in the normal subjects ITGA2 rs1126643 and ITGB3 rs5918 alleles. In both ACS patients and controls, there was a strong direct correlation between MPV and a IIb b 3 level (p IIb b 3 level did not correlate with ITGB3 rs5918 alleles. For a 2 b 1 , MPV contributed modestly in either patients or controls, while ITGA2 rs1126643 alleles exerted the greatest effect. Moreover, we observed an inverse correlation between MPV and the rs1126643 minor allele. Conclusions - Our results indicate that MPV is the major effector of platelet membrane levels of a IIb b 3 , in both ACS patients and normal subjects, while ITGA2 rs1126643 contributes most strongly to a 2 b 1 levels. Hyperactivity of larger platelets results from increased levels of key platelet receptors, notably integrin a IIb b 3 , in support of the contention that MPV is an accurate marker of risk for adverse outcome in ACS. This is consistent with published findings that MPV, the most common metric of platelet size, correlates very well with platelet reactivity, such that larger platelets have greater prothombotic potential, and elevated MPV is associated with increased platelet aggregation, thromboxane synthesis, b-thromboglobulin release, and expression of adhesion molecules. The most intriguing finding of our study is the inverse association of the ITGA2 rs1126643 minor allele T with MPV. The rs1126643 minor allele likely exerts this effect via the documented influence of a 2 b 1 on megakaryocyte (MK) maturation. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A Technique for Measuring the Fast 3He++ Distribution During 3He++ Minority Icrf Heating

AbstractA technique for measuring the fast 3He++ distribution during 3He++ minority ion cyclotron resonance frequency heating is discussed. The technique involves the use of 10- to 100-keV neutral helium beams to neutralize the fast 3He++ ions by double charge-exchange (3He++ + 4He0 → 3He0 + 4He++). The neutralized fast 3He atoms then escape from the plasma and are detected by conventional neutral particle analyzing apparatuses. By the use of such a technique, the effectiveness of the coupling of the ion cyclotron waves to the 3He++ minority can be measured.
Center for Advanced Research in Drying (CARD) approved as a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC)

We are pleased to announce that the Center for Advanced Research in Drying (CARD) was officially approved as a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/University Cooperative Research Center...
Stochastic Optimal Control of Nonlinear Systems via Short-Time Gaussian Approximation and Cell Mapping

A novel strategy to obtain global solutions of stochasticoptimal control problems with fixed state terminal conditions and controlbounds is proposed in this paper. The solution is global in the sense that theoptimal control solutions for all the initial conditions in a region of thestate space are obtained. The method makes use of Bellman's principle ofoptimality, the cumulant neglect closure method and the short-time Gaussianapproximation. A Markov chain with a control dependent transition probabilitymatrix is built using the generalized cell mapping method. This allows toevaluate the transient and steady state response of the controlled system. Themethod is applied to several linear and nonlinear systems leading to excellentcontrol performances.
Health Behavior Research and Medical Training

Despite rapid advances in the technology of the health sciences and in understanding of the basic biology of diseases at the molecular level, most of the disease processes that in the postantibiotic age cause disability and death have behavioral roots. The statistics concerning behavioral risk factors noted in youth are particularly alarming. For example, among American high school students, 73.9% indicated that they had tried smoking by their senior year, while 24.7% admitted to smoking daily over the past month. Furthermore, 48% indicated that they had had at least one alcoholic drink within the past month. With regard to sex, 70% responded that they had had sexual intercourse by their senior year, with 18.5% reporting having had four or more sexual partners. As for suicide, 24% indicated that they had given serious consideration to the thought of suicide over the past year. Finally, 22% indicated that they had carried a weapon in the past month (Kann et al., 1995).
Glycoprotein Hormones: Some Aspects of Studies of Secondary and Tertiary Structure

The glycoprotein hormones, thyrotropin (TSH), lutropin (LH), follitropin (FSH), and human choriogonadotropin (hCG), are a particularly interesting group with which to study structure—function relationships because they share a common subunit (α) and exhibit homologous linear sequences in their hormone-specific (s) subunits (see Figs. 1 and 2). After the initial determination of the primary structures of bovine TSH (bTSH) and ovine LH (oLH), considerable effort in many laboratories has been directed toward assessment of their secondary and tertiary structures with the goal of elucidating the structural requirements of hormone—receptor interactions. Interesting and valuable information concerning the domains of another hormone, insulin, has been obtained (e.g., Pullen et al., 1976) based on crystallographic data (Blundell et al., 1972) and chemical modification studies, and it is hoped that similar data will be forthcoming with the glycoprotein hormones even without information on the exact structure and topography at cell-surface receptors for polypeptide hormones.
Faith at Work (Religious Perspectives): Protestant Accents in Faith and Work

All roads do not lead to Rome, and despite the wishful thinking of many, all religions do not believe the same thing. To be sure, there is a lot of shared belief among the world’s religions. A global ethic: the declaration of the Parliament of the World’s Religions. London: SCM Press Ltd), particularly in prescriptions for how we ought to live our lives, and what constitutes a good life (Stackhouse ML (1995) Introduction: foundations and purposes. In: ML Stackhouse, DP McCann, SJ Roels, P. N Williams (eds.) On moral business: classical and contemporary resources for ethics in economic life (pp. 10–34). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. N. Eerdmans Publishing Co). Differences between religions begin to emerge when discussing questions of the culmination of history or end times (eschatology), the aim (or telos) of life, and the cultural manifestations (orthopraxy) of religious beliefs (orthodoxy). This is particularly relevant when considering how religious beliefs, customs, and traditions shape and inform workplace behaviors. Historic and contemporary Protestantism is not monolithic; it has many faces today, shaped in large part by its dialectical development over the centuries between itself and culture (Niebuhr HR (2001) Christ and culture. New York, NY: HarperCollins (Original work published 1951)). We explore the role of Protestant thought on the faith at work movement (Miller D (2007) God at work: the history and promise of the faith at work movement. Oxford: Oxford University Press) by beginning with a brief history of Protestantism, the emergence in North America of Protestant accents concerning a theology of work, followed by a consideration of the limitations and revisions of corresponding contemporary contextual definitions. With this foundation, we denote five primary Protestant theological accents seen today that shape and influence faith at work in the modern workforce. (The authors also wish to thank David Fernandez for his research and editing assistance.)
“Real world” experience of medical marijuana in symptomatic management of multiple sclerosis and transverse myelitis (P1.421)

Objective: Investigate the use and effects of medical marijuana (MM) in symptomatic management of multiple sclerosis (MS) and transverse myelitis (TM). Background: The effects of cannabis derivatives on neurologic symptoms have been investigated with variable outcomes. The New York State Medical Marijuana Program (NYSMMP) was created in December 2015, allowing registered practitioners to certify patients for MM that is neither covered by insurance nor subsidized. Qualifying symptoms and conditions include pain and spasticity secondary to MS and spinal cord damage. Limited information exists to guide certifying physicians regarding the “real world” utilization and effects of MM. Design/Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study among patients from the University of Rochester MS Center diagnosed with MS or TM enrolled in the NYSMMP. Subjects completed a survey reporting their experience with MM certification, usage, and effects. Results: Fourteen subjects (13 with MS, 1 with TM) completed the survey. Nearly all certified subjects (93%) tried MM; 77% continued it and 62% used it daily or more. Formulations used included oil (85%), pills (46%) and vapor pens (15%) with a relatively even distribution in tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol (THC/CBD) concentrations. The majority of subjects (77%) found MM helpful in managing symptoms, primarily spasticity and pain, and reported no side effects. More than half (70%) felt their quality of life improved with MM, and some patients reduced other symptomatic medications. Most subjects estimated a monthly cost of $100–300. Cost was reported as a factor for discontinuation or less frequent use. Conclusions: MM appears to have a role in symptomatic management of MS and TM through both direct symptom relief and reduction in other medications. The variability in effectiveness of MM formulations and concentrations suggests the need for physician and patient flexibility to achieve desired responses. Improving affordability may increase patient benefit. Additional survey responses will likely decrease bias and expand preliminary findings. Disclosure: Dr. Gyang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hyland has nothing to disclose. Dr. Samkoff has nothing to disclose. Dr. Goodman has nothing to disclose.
Intermolecular Stereoselective Iridium-Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation: An Evolutionary Account

Our lab has long been interested in the development of methods for the creation of enantioenriched all-carbon quaternary stereocenters. Historically, our interest has centered on palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation, though recent efforts have moved to include the study of iridium catalysts. Whereas palladium catalysts enable the preparation of isolated stereocenters, the use of iridium catalysts allows for the direct construction of vicinal stereocenters via an enantio-, diastereo-, and regioselective allylic alkylation. This Account details the evolution of our research program from inception, which focused on the first iridium-catalyzed allylic alkylation to prepare stereodyads containing a single quaternary stereocenter, to our most recent discovery that allows for the synthesis of vicinal quaternary centers. 1 Introduction 2 Synthesis of Vicinal Tertiary and All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters via Enantio- and Diastereoselective Iridium-Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation 2.1 Cyclic Nucleophiles 2.2 Acyclic Nucleophiles 2.3 Alkyl-Substituted Electrophiles 3 Umpoled Iridium-Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation Reactions 3.1 Tertiary Allylic Stereocenters 3.2 Quaternary Allylic Stereocenters 4 Synthesis of Vicinal All-Carbon Quaternary Centers via Enantio­selective Iridium-Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation 5 Summary and Future Outlook
N-body simulations of terrestrial planet growth with resonant dynamical friction

We investigate planetesimal accretion via a direct N-body simulation of an annulus at 1 AU orbiting a 1 $M_{\odot}$ star. The planetesimal ring, which initially contains N = $10^6$ bodies is evolved into the oligarchic growth phase. Unlike previous lower resolution studies, we find that the mass distribution of planetesimals develops a bump at intermediate mass after the oligarchs form. This feature marks a boundary between growth modes. The smallest planetesimals are packed tightly enough together to populate mean motion resonances with the oligarchs, which heats the small bodies, enhancing their growth. If we depopulate most of the resonances by decreasing the width of the annulus, this effect becomes weaker. To clearly demonstrate the dynamics driving these growth modes, we also examine the evolution of a planetary embryo embedded in an annulus of collisionless planetesimals. In this case, we find that the resonances push planetesimals away from the embryo, decreasing the surface density of the bodies adjacent to the embryo. This effect only occurs when the annulus is wide enough and the mass resolution of the planetesimals is fine enough to populate the resonances. The bump we observe in the mass distribution resembles the 100 km power law break seen in the size distribution of asteroid belt objects. Although the bump produced in our simulations occurs at a size larger than 100 km, we show that the bump location is sensitive to the initial planetesimal mass, which implies that this feature is potentially useful for constraining planetesimal formation models.
Herceptin-refractory ovarian carcinoma cells differentially express genes involved in angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis

5085 We have previously reported the generation of a preclinical model of ovarian carcinoma with diminished response to Herceptin (Trastuzumab). SKOV-3 HR (Herceptin-refractory) subcutaneous xenograft tumors, unlike parental SKOV-3 xenografts, were not growth inhibited by Herceptin over a 4-week treatment period when implanted in athymic nu/nu mice. Herceptin has a 3-fold lower binding affinity on HER2 (erbB2) cell surface receptors of SKOV-3 HR cells, and was unable to inhibit the proliferation of these cells. To understand the cause of the experimentally-induced lack of response to Herceptin, microarray expression profiling (MEP) was performed on both the parental/Herceptin-susceptible and Herceptin-refractory cell lines. SKOV-3 and SKOV-3 HR cells were incubated with or without Herceptin up to 72 hours, cells harvested, RNA extracted, and cDNA scanned onto Affymetrix (U133A, U133B) gene chips. MEP results revealed an increased expression of angiogenic, metastatic, and invasive genes such as Angiopoietin 2, ICAM2, nestin, fibulin, MMP7, ceruloplasmin, CD24, FGFR3, and Vav3 oncogene in SKOV-3 HR cells. Alternatively, keratin 19, integrin alpha 3 and beta 4, uPAR and thrombomodulin were downregulated potentiating an epithelial to mesenchymal phenotypic transition. Interestingly, Mucin1 (MUC1) gene expression was also upregulated (4-5 fold) in basal and Herceptin-treated SKOV-3 HR cells. Glycosylated MUC1 is aberrantly overexpressed in breast and ovarian carcinomas. HER2 has been shown to regulate MUC1 expression in transformed mammary epithelial cells. MUC1 transmembrane overexpression on SKOV-3 HR cells could possibly affect Herceptin binding by direct steric hindrance onto HER2 receptors. Additionally, the MUC1 cytoplasmic tail has been reported to bind all four members of the HER/erbB family of tyrosine kinase receptors. Increased phosphorylation of MUC1 in SKOV-3 HR cells could potentiate downstream signaling pathways such as Ras/Raf/Erk (MAPK) leading to increased proliferation. Through the use of MEP, we hypothesize that increased expression of MUC1 and genes involved in angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis may play a role in lack of Herceptin-response which drives an aggressive HER2-positive primary tumor with greater metastatic potential, thus leading to poor prognosis and shortened survival. It remains to be determined if similar changes occur in Herceptin-treated patients whose tumors progress.
Beyond Commuting: Ignoring Individuals’ Activity-Travel Patterns May Lead to Inaccurate Assessments of Their Exposure to Traffic Congestion

This research examines whether individual exposures to traffic congestion are significantly different between assessments obtained with and without considering individuals’ activity-travel patterns in addition to commuting trips. We used crowdsourced real-time traffic congestion data and the activity-travel data of 250 individuals in Los Angeles to compare these two assessments of individual exposures to traffic congestion. The results revealed that individual exposures to traffic congestion are significantly underestimated when their activity-travel patterns are ignored, which has been postulated as a manifestation of the uncertain geographic context problem (UGCoP). The results also highlighted that the probability distribution function of exposures is heavily skewed but tends to converge to its average when individuals’ activity-travel patterns are considered when compared to one obtained when those patterns are not considered, which indicates the existence of the neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP). Lastly, space-time visualizations of individual exposures illustrated that people’s exposures to traffic congestion vary significantly even if they live at the same residential location due to their idiosyncratic activity-travel patterns. The results corroborate the claims in previous studies that using data aggregated over areas (e.g., census tracts) or focusing only on commuting trips (and thus ignoring individuals’ activity-travel patterns) may lead to erroneous assessments of individual exposures to traffic congestion or other environmental influences.
Driver behavior analysis on rural 2-lane, 2-way highways using SHRP 2 NDS data

Objective: Rural 2-lane, 2-way (RTLTW) highways comprise a large portion of the rural road network in the United States. Crashes on RTLTW roads have been a major concern for traffic safety and may ...
Abstract WP69: Computed Tomography Perfusion Imaging in Evaluation of Patients With Acute Stroke is Not Associated With Increased Risk of Acute Kidney Injury

Introduction: Mechanical thrombectomy has become standard of care in acute ischemic stroke with proximal arterial occlusion. For patients 6-24 hours from last known well, computed tomography perfus...
Statistics for Bench Research

Success in academic surgery requires a basic understanding of statistics. Without this understanding a surgeon-scientist will not be able to interpret scientific articles, develop a hypothesis, or analyze the data they collect in their research program. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the statistical methods which are used in bench and clinical research.
On-Off Adversarially Robust Q-Learning

This letter, presents an “on-off” learning-based scheme to expand the attacker’s surface, namely a moving target defense (MTD) framework, while optimally stabilizing an unknown system. We leverage Q-learning to learn optimal strategies with “on-off” actuation to promote unpredictability of the learned behavior against physically plausible attacks. We provide rigorous, theoretical guarantees on the stability of the equilibrium point even when switching. Finally, we develop two adversarial threat models to evaluate the learning agent’s ability to generate robust policies based on a distance to uncontrollability.
Abstract B36: Avoidance of “prophylactic” tracheostomy in free-flap reconstruction surgery of the head and neck: Implications for postoperative outcomes and patient quality of life

Introduction: Elective “prophylactic” tracheostomy has routinely been performed intraoperatively at the time of resection and reconstruction of defects of the head and neck for airway protection in anticipation of potential airway complications. We hypothesized that selected patients do not require “prophylactic” or intraoperative tracheostomy placement at the time of resection and free flap reconstruction. Methods: Retrospective review over a 3-year period (2015-2018) of free flap reconstruction cases for defects resulting from the resection of head and neck pathology at Rush University Medical Center. Incidence and timing of tracheostomy placement, sites of resection and reconstruction, postoperative complications, length of stay (LOS), demographics, and procedure details were assessed. Results: 88 patients (59 male, 29 female, average age 63.06 years) undergoing free flap reconstruction for defects resulting from the resection of head and neck pathology were included. 59 patients did not receive “prophylactic” tracheostomy and 29 received “prophylactic” tracheostomy at the time of surgery. Of the 29 “prophylactic” tracheostomies, 16 underwent decannulation prior to discharge. Compared to those patients who did not receive “prophylactic” tracheostomies, patients who received “prophylactic” tracheostomies had longer average ICU LOS (6.41 ± 1.54 days vs. 3.34 ± 0.14 days, p Conclusions: Patients who received “prophylactic” tracheostomies had increased ICU LOS, hospital LOS, and rate of airway-related postoperative complications, suggesting that select patients do not require “prophylactic” tracheostomy placement at the time of resection and free flap reconstruction. Citation Format: Hannah N. Kuhar, Ashley Heilingoetter, Samer Al-Khudari, Peter C. Revenaugh, Pete S. Batra, Kerstin Stenson. Avoidance of “prophylactic” tracheostomy in free-flap reconstruction surgery of the head and neck: Implications for postoperative outcomes and patient quality of life [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-AHNS Head and Neck Cancer Conference: Optimizing Survival and Quality of Life through Basic, Clinical, and Translational Research; 2019 Apr 29-30; Austin, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(12_Suppl_2):Abstract nr B36.
When Microcredit Doesn’t Empower Poor Women: Recognition Theory’s Contribution to the Debate Over Adaptive Preferences

This essay proposes recognition theory as a preferred approach to explaining poor women’s puzzling preference for patriarchal subordination even after they have accessed an ostensibly empowering asset: microfinance. Neither the standard account of adaptive preference offered by Martha Nussbaum nor the competing account of constrained rational choice offered by Harriet Baber satisfactorily explains an important variation of what Serene Khader, in discussing microfinance, dubs the self-subordination social recognition paradox. The variation in question involves women who, refusing to reject the combined socio-economic benefits of patriarchal recognition and empowering microfinance, dissemble their subordination to men. In this situation, women experience a genuine form of divided consciousness which recognition theory frames as an identity crisis. Understanding the pathological nature of deceit as a way of life that blurs the boundaries between rational choice and rationalization, recognition theory shows how dissemblance itself is constrained by conflicting recognition orders in ways that prevent women who live such a life from successfully emancipating themselves. In this respect, recognition theory provides an important—albeit, from the standpoint of recent feminist and intersectional research on identity and autonomy, inadequately qualified—norm of personal integrity and genuine agency requisite for conceptualizing adaptive preferences.
Hardware Accelerations for Container Engine to Assist Container Migration on Client Devices

The increasing computing capabilities of client devices and the increasing demands for ultra-low latency services make it prudent to migrate some micro-service container computations from the cloud and multi-access edge computing (MEC) to the client devices. The migration of a container image requires compression and decompression, which are computationally demanding. We quantitatively examine the hardware acceleration of container image compression and decompression on a client device. Specifically, we compare the Intel® Quick Assist Technology (QAT) hardware acceleration with software compression/decompression. We find that QAT speeds up compression by a factor of over 7 compared to the single-core GZIP software, while QAT speeds up decompression by a factor of over 1.6 compared to the multi-core PIGZ software. QAT also reduces the CPU core utilization by over 15% for large container images. These QAT benefits come at the expense of Input/Output (IO) memory access bitrates of up to 900 Mbyte/s (while the software compression/decompression does not require IO memory access). The presented evaluation results provide reference benchmark performance characteristics of the achievable latencies for container image instantiation and migration with and without hardware acceleration of the compression and decompression of container images.
Exploring the clinical significance of serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma associated with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer: A Memorial Sloan Kettering Team Ovary Study.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the clinical significance and genomic associations of concurrent serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) with high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) of the ovary in women undergoing primary debulking surgery (PDS). Methods All patients who underwent PDS for HGSC between 01/2015 and 12/2018 were captured in a prospectively maintained institutional database. Patients were categorized based on the presence or absence of concurrent STIC noted on final pathology. Demographic, perioperative, and outcomes data were collected, and groups were compared using standard statistical tests. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. For comparison of differences in somatic alterations between the two cohorts, specimens were sequenced using MSK-IMPACT. Results Of 306 eligible patients, 87 (28%) had a concurrent STIC lesion (+STIC) and 219 (72%) did not (no-STIC). Demographics and clinicopathological factors were similar between the two cohorts, except for a significantly higher median preoperative CA-125 level in the no-STIC group (423 U/mL vs. 321 U/mL; p=0.029). There were no significant differences in median PFS (22.7 months [95%CI: 18.9-28.4] vs. 27.7 months [95%CI: 25.5-30.5]; p=0.126) and 3- year OS rate (81% [95%CI: 70-88%] vs. 85% [95%CI: 78-90%]; p=0.392) between +STIC and no-STIC patients, respectively. Targeted DNA-sequencing via MSK-IMPACT showed a similar distribution of driver mutations or structural genetic alterations, and affected genetic signaling pathways were similar between the cohorts. Conclusions There were no identifiable clinical and genetic differences in patients with HGSC and concurrent STIC. These data suggest a comparable, if not identical, disease process.
Exploring Gender, Power, Nature, and Global Politics with Woman at War

The 2018 Icelandic film entitled Woman at War deals with one of the common tensions explored in feminist literature, that of a woman being forced to choose between a public/political life and priva...
Examination of scenarios introducing rubella vaccine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Abstract Background Rubella vaccine has yet to be introduced into the national immunization schedule of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); the current burden of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) is unknown and likely to be high. An important consideration prior to introducing rubella containing vaccine (RCV) is the potential inverse relationship between RCV coverage and CRS incidence. Increasing RCV coverage will also increase in the average age of infection. Cumulative infections across all age groups will decrease, but the number of infections in age groups vulnerable to CRS may increase. Methods Rubella transmission dynamics in the DRC were simulated using a stochastic agent-based model of transmission. Input parameter values for known properties, demographic variables, and interventions were fixed; infectivity was inferred from seropositivity profiles in survey data. Results Our simulations of RCV introduction for the DRC demonstrate that an increase in CRS burden is unlikely. Continued endemic transmission is only plausible when routine immunization coverage is less than 40% and follow-up supplemental immunization activities have poor coverage for decades. Conclusion Increased vaccination coverage tends to increase the annual variability of CRS burden. Simulations examining low vaccination coverage and high mean CRS burden are outbreak prone, with multiple years of reduced burden followed by acute outbreaks. These outcomes contrast simulations with no vaccination coverage and high mean CRS burden, which have more consistent burden from year to year.
Science Fiction Film: Crossing Genre Boundaries/Bound by Fantasy: The Fly (1986)

Throughout this overview of the science fiction film we have been using a pointedly discriminatory approach in order to sort out what for many seems a rather amorphous and unwieldy genre. That is, we have turned to contemporary discussions of fantasy and employed those discrete distinctions made by Todorov between the marvelous, fantastic, and uncanny varieties of fantasy in order to help distinguish some of the primary narrative types of science fiction film and to account for some of the genre's appeal. However, the fact remains that all of these films occupy some fairly problematic generic ground, a point often evident in critical commentary on them. In his early but still useful history of the horror film, Carlos Clarens, like a number of others, simply treated science fiction as part of the cinematic territory. Working from an affective approach to genre, that is, considering it in terms of how it primarily affected viewers, he saw science fiction as just another variation of a form usually aimed at producing a sense of shock, fear, or surprise in its audience. Similarly focusing on effects, Bruce Kawin too has described how hard it is for most of us to draw reliable boundaries between horror and science fiction, even as he suggests that trying to do so can serve us “in the interest of working toward a definition” of either genre.
Isolation and characterization of microorganisms associated with the traditional sorghum fermentation for production of sudanese kisra.

Sorghum flour obtained from Sudan was mixed with water in a 1:2 (wt/vol) ratio and fermented at 30°C for 24 h. The bacterial populations increased with fermentation time and reached a plateau at approximately 18 h. At the end of 24 h, sorghum batter pH had dropped from 5.95 to 3.95 and the batter had a lactic acid content of 0.80%. The microbial population during the 24 h of fermentation consisted of bacteria (Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus confusus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus sp., Erwinia ananas, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterobacter cloacae), yeasts (Candida intermedia and Debaryomyces hansenii), and molds (Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp., and Rhizopus sp.). P. pentosaceus was the dominant microorganism at the end of the 24-h fermentation. When three consecutive fermentations using an inoculum from the previous fermentation were carried out, the bacterial population increase plateaued at 9 h. The microbial populations in these fermentations were dominated by P. pentosaceus.