cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smoking Status and Survival Among a National Cohort of Lung and Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to explore the association of smoking status and clinically relevant duration of smoking cessation with long-term survival after lung cancer (LC) or colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis. We compared survival of patients with LC and CRC who were never-smokers, long-term, medium-term, and short-term quitters, and current smokers around diagnosis. Methods We studied 5575 patients in Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance (CanCORS), a national, prospective observational cohort study, who provided smoking status information approximately 5 months after LC or CRC diagnosis. Smoking status was categorized as: never-smoker, quit >5 years prior to diagnosis, quit between 1-5 years prior to diagnosis, quit less than 1 year before diagnosis, and current smoker. We examined the relationship between smoking status around diagnosis with mortality using Cox regression models. Results Among participants with LC, never-smokers had lower mortality risk compared with current smokers (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.89). Among participants with CRC, never-smokers had a lower mortality risk as compared to current smokers (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.99). Conclusions Among both LC and CRC patients, current smokers at diagnosis have higher mortality than never-smokers. This effect should be further studied in the context of tumor biology. However, smoking cessation around the time of diagnosis did not affect survival in this sample. Implications The results from our analysis of patients in the CanCORS consortium, a large, geographically diverse cohort, show that both LC and CRC patients who were actively smoking at diagnosis have worse survival as compared to never-smokers. While current smoking is detrimental to survival, cessation upon diagnosis may not mitigate this risk.
The Role of Mitochondrial DNA Variation in Age-Related Decline in Gait Speed Among Older Men Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Background Age-related gait speed decline is accelerated in men with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Mitochondrial genetic variation is associated with frailty and mortality in the general population and may provide insight into mechanisms of functional decline in people aging with HIV. Methods Gait speed was assessed semiannually in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups were extracted from genome-wide genotyping data, classifying men aged ≥50 years into 5 groups: mtDNA haplogroup H, J, T, Uk, and other. Differences in gait speed by haplogroups were assessed as rate of gait speed decline per year, probability of slow gait speed (<1.0 m/s), and hazard of slow gait using multivariable linear mixed-effects models, mixed-effects logistic regression models, and the Andersen-Gill model, controlling for hepatitis C virus infection, previous AIDS diagnosis, thymidine analogues exposure, education, body composition, smoking, and peripheral neuropathy. Age was further controlled for in the mixed-effects logistic regression models. Results A total of 455 HIV-positive white men aged ≥50 years contributed 3283 person-years of follow-up. Among them, 70% had achieved HIV viral suppression. In fully adjusted models, individuals with haplogroup J had more rapid decline in gait speed (adjusted slopes, 0.018 m/s/year vs 0.011 m/s/year, pinteraction = 0.012) and increased risk of developing slow gait (adjusted odds ratio, 2.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-7.08) compared to those with other haplogroups. Conclusions Among older, HIV-infected men, mtDNA haplogroup J was an independent risk factor for more rapid age-related gait speed decline.
From Individuals to Populations: Field Studies as Proving Grounds for the Role of Chemical Signals

The point of this essay is not to simply report and review solid results, but to stimulate further research by pointing out promising paths of inquiry, the need for confirming laboratory findings in the “real world”, and discrepancies between field and laboratory results that need explanation. While we are obligated to consider the possibility that phenomena observed in the laboratory may be artifacts, we should not prematurely dismiss them as such. Confirmation in the field may take some time. Conversely, field findings that cannot be replicated in the laboratory may nevertheless be “real”; the laboratory conditions may just not be sufficient.
Problems With Formal Models Of Epistemic Entrenchment As Applied To Scientific Theories

Formal models of theory contraction entered the philosophicalliterature with the prototype model by Alchourron, Gardenfors,and Makinson (Alchourron et al. 1985). One influential modelinvolves theory contraction with respect to a relation calledepistemic entrenchment which orders the propositions of a theoryaccording to their relative degrees of theoretical importance.Various postulates have been suggested for characterizingepistemic entrenchment formally. I argue here that threesuggested postulates produce inappropriately bizarre results whenapplied to scientific theories. I argue that the postulates callednoncovering, continuing up, and continuing down, implyrespectively that, (i) no scientific law is more epistemicallyentrenched than any of its instances, (ii) two distinct instances ofthe same scientific law must have different degrees of epistemicentrenchment, and (iii) any two scientific laws must have differentdegrees of epistemic entrenchment. I also argue that continuingup and continuing down each lead to incoherency.
Springing And Ringing Due to Laboratory-Generated Asymmetric Waves

Three typical asymmetric waves were generated repeatedly for the measurement and estimation of forces of a TLP. A model for prediction of the forces on columns and pontoons was employed to predict the wave moment of component structure. The resultant forces and moment time series are used to simulate the nonlinear response motions and tether tensions. The tension spectrums around the resonance frequencies are filtered to observe the tension behaviors. Strong and weak asymmetric waves respectively produced impact and nonimpact on the platform and ringing and springing in tendons.
Issues in scientific creativity: insight, perseverance and personal technique: Profiles of the 2002 Franklin Institute Laureates

Abstract In this paper, we reflect on some issues basic to the understanding of scientific creativity, including the nature of the “Ah Hah” experience; the relationship of that experience to perseverance; the development of a technique that fits one's personal strengths; the tension between building on and breaking out of intellectual traditions; and, because science is a social endeavor, some ways in which truly novel work has gained acceptance. This paper grows out of a set of interviews with the 2002 Franklin Institute Laureates. The interviews lead us to pay attention to the pairing of analytic ability with synthetic ability. The literature on problem solving has emphasized the importance of synthetic ability in scientific creativity, but has not paid equal attention to this pairing. Looking just at analytic ability, we find the Laureates continually rely on this ability when confronting new realms. Thus, instead of having felt anxiety as they moved into the fields which they have opened up, they experienced emotions ranging from comfort to joy. The Laureates often move into new fields. Their analytic skill allows them to do so with confidence and their creative curiosity gives them a taste for it. And working in their new and “uncrowded” fields they are free to pursue their own take on their own problems. Perhaps this lack of competitive pressure contributes to the personal satisfaction that runs through this group.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the MYLKP1 pseudogene are associated with increased colon cancer risk in African Americans

Introduction Pseudogenes are paralogues of functional genes historically viewed as defunct due to either the lack of regulatory elements or the presence of frameshift mutations. Recent evidence, however, suggests that pseudogenes may regulate gene expression, although the functional role of pseudogenes remains largely unknown. We previously reported that MYLKP1, the pseudogene of MYLK that encodes myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), is highly expressed in lung and colon cancer cell lines and tissues but not in normal lung or colon. The MYLKP1 promoter is minimally active in normal bronchial epithelial cells but highly active in lung adenocarcinoma cells. In this study, we further validate MYLKP1 as an oncogene via elucidation of the functional role of MYLKP1 genetic variants in colon cancer risk. Methods Proliferation and migration assays were performed in MYLKP1-transfected colon and lung cancer cell lines (H441, A549) and commercially-available normal lung and colon cells. Fourteen MYLKP1 SNPs (MAFs >0.01) residing within the 4 kb MYLKP1 promoter region, the core 1.4 kb of MYLKP1 gene, and a 4 kb enhancer region were selected and genotyped in a colorectal cancer cohort. MYLKP1 SNP influences on activity of MYLKP1 promoter (2kb) was assessed by dual luciferase reporter assay. Results Cancer cell lines, H441 and A549, exhibited increased MYLKP1 expression, increased MYLKP1 luciferase promoter activity, increased proliferation and migration. Genotyping studies identified two MYLKP1 SNPs (rs12490683; rs12497343) that significantly increase risk of colon cancer in African Americans compared to African American controls. Rs12490683 and rs12497343 further increase MYLKP1 promoter activity compared to the wild type MYLKP1 promoter. Conclusion MYLKP1 is a cancer-promoting pseudogene whose genetic variants differentially enhance cancer risk in African American populations.
“Afghanistan is a silent bird. But I am an eagle”: An Arts-Based Investigation of Nation and Identity in Afghan Youth

Western development organizations frequently target youth in conflict settings to participate in peaceful, cooperative activities to promote nation-building and deter violence. In this article, Heddy Lahmann examines the narratives of fifteen youth who participated in a US-funded nonformal arts education program in Afghanistan, which operated with the key objective of promoting national identity in its participants. Using open-ended interviews coupled with an arts-based research technique, Lahmann investigates how Afghan youth perceive their identity in relation to the nation. Her research indicates that national identity arguments do not adequately address other salient intersections of identity, such as an individual's developmental stage in life and the significance of gender, and largely leave out the influence of colonialism on the way national identity is conceptualized in non-Western contexts. Lahmann argues that program designers and policy makers must incorporate the local knowledge and experienc...
Utilizing Brachionus biodiversity in marine finfish larviculture

Mouth gape sizes of marine finfish larvae determine the size of rotifer prey that can be ingested, so providing appropriate size rotifers controls the success of larval rearing. It is difficult for hatcheries to maintain pure cultures of multiple rotifer species by long-term serial dilution without cross-contamination. In this paper, we describe a technique for utilizing multiple rotifer species in larviculture that uses rotifer diapausing eggs as inocula, enabling hatcheries to supply larval predators with optimally sized rotifers. Biodiversity in the Brachionus plicatilis species complex is extensive, including considerable variation in body size. In this paper, we show that large quantities of diapausing eggs can be produced from many Brachionus species. Using the full range of body size diversity from seven Brachionus species, we can produce adult female rotifers with mean body lengths as small as 137 μM, or as large as 305 μM, and neonate females with body lengths ranging from 103 to 206 μM. The length of diapausing eggs for small Brachionus species averaged 100 μM, and 166 μM for large species. Diapausing egg production varied by 3.6 fold among 14 strains. Using diapausing eggs of the very small rotifer Proales similis (88 μM) to inoculate mass cultures also is described.
Title VII Class Actions and the Disaggregation Defense: Bad Law and Bad Statistics

When statistical expertise is offered in a litigation context, the result can be bad law and bad statistics. In this paper, I analyze how statistical evidence is used in the class certification phase of employment discrimination litigation. I analyze how the institutional context of litigation determines how statistical evidence is presented by plaintiffs and defendants and evaluated by the courts. I show that under current case law, defendants can and do introduce statistical evidence that has absolutely no relevance on the issue before the Court, yet is often persuasive in defeating class certification. I then show how both weak and strong statistical power is exploited by experts on each sides of the litigation. Finally I outline a new approach for framing issues of statistical inference and hypothesis testing in a way that more effectively addresses the issue of whether or not systematic bias exists throughout an organization.
Opioids and frequency counts in the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database: a quantitative view of the epidemic.

Background The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), contains information on adverse drug events and medication error reports submitted to the FDA through the MedWatch program. A significant number of adverse events reported in the FAERS database have been for opioid use. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency counts and associated deaths of opioid drug names in the FAERS database. Methods Drug data were obtained from the DRUG and OUTCOME files in the database. Drugs identified included: morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, tramadol, hydromorphone, methadone, codeine, oxymorphone, meperidine, propoxyphene, diphenoxylate, and heroin. Frequency counts and concomitant deaths of opioid drug names were determined via the MySQL database management system. Results Fifteen different opioid drugs identified in the FAERS database were associated with ADEs, including death, and 3 drugs (oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl) accounted for more than half of the reports. The highest frequency count value was 158,181 for oxycodone, which represents approximately 20.2% of the frequency counts for the opioids. The lowest frequency count value was 2,161 for dextromethorphan, which represents approximately 0.3% of the total. The opioid with the highest proportion of deaths to drug count was heroin (71.8%), followed by dextromethorphan (55.6%), methadone (37.2%), morphine (26.8%), and propoxyphene (23.7%). Conclusion The FAERS database represents an important source for detection and reporting of adverse drug events (ADEs), in particular the opioids and related drugs. It remains a challenge to estimate the true incidence of ADEs for this class of drugs in the general population.
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking strain analysis for discrimination between hypertensive heart disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background Hypertensive heart disease (HHD) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are both associated with an increased left ventricular (LV) wall thickness. Whilst LV ejection fraction is frequently normal in both, LV strain assessment could differentiate between the diseases. We sought to establish if cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial feature tracking (CMR-FT), an emerging method allowing accurate assessment of myocardial deformation, differentiates between both diseases. Additionally, CMR assessment of fibrosis and LV hypertrophy allowed association analyses and comparison of diagnostic capacities. Methods Two-hundred twenty-four consecutive subjects (53 HHD, 107 HCM, and 64 controls) underwent 1.5T CMR including native myocardial T1 mapping and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Global longitudinal strain (GLS) was assessed by CMR-FT (CVi42, Circle Cardiovascular Imaging Inc.). Results GLS was significantly higher in HCM patients (-14.7±3.8 vs. -16.5±3.3% [HHD], P = 0.004; or vs. -17.2±2.0% [controls], P<0.001). GLS was associated with LV mass index (HHD, R = 0.419, P = 0.002; HCM, R = 0.429, P<0.001), and LV ejection fraction (HHD, R = -0.493, P = 0.002; HCM, R = -0.329, P<0.001). In HCM patients, GLS was also associated with global native T1 (R = 0.282, P = 0.003), and LGE volume (ρ = 0.380, P<0.001). Discrimination between HHD and HCM by GLS (c = 0.639, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.550–0.729) was similar to LV mass index (c = 0.643, 95% CI 0.556–0.731), global myocardial native T1 (c = 0.718, 95% CI 0.638–0.799), and LGE volume (c = 0.680, 95% CI 0.585–0.775). Conclusion CMR-FT GLS differentiates between HHD and HCM. In HCM patients GLS is associated with myocardial fibrosis. The discriminatory capacity of CMR-FT GLS is similar to LV hypertrophy and fibrosis imaging markers.
Performance Analysis of Microservice Design Patterns

Microservice-based solutions are currently gaining momentum because they do not have the disadvantages of traditional monolithic architectures. Business interest in microservices is increasing since the microservice architecture brings a lightweight, independent, reuse-oriented, and fast service deployment approach that minimizes infrastructural risks. This approach is at an early stage of its development, and in view of this, it is important to understand the performance of its design patterns. In this article, we obtained performance results related to query response time, efficient hardware usage, hosting costs, and packet-loss rate, for three microservice design patterns practiced in the software industry.
Impact protection of borosilicate glass plates with elastomeric coatings in drop tower tests

Abstract Drop tower testing was performed on borosilicate glass plates to determine the effectiveness of an elastomeric polyurethane/urea coating against impact and to improve our understanding of how the coating could be used to protect high voltage (HV) porcelain bushings against rifle damage [1,2]. Drop tower testing was found to be a very useful and practical tool for the prediction of failures of very brittle materials subjected to low energy impact as a function of coating thickness. The testing also improved our understanding of the impact behavior of the coatings and how to relate their low energy impact performance in drop tower tests to much higher energy impact situations, such as rifle bullet impact. By performing a series of drop tower tests on the plates with the coating thickness ranging from 1.3 to 5.6 mm, the effectiveness of the coating was determined from the critical contact force and from the critical impulse. These critical parameters were determined at the onset of catastrophic fractures of the uncoated and coated glass specimens. It was found that the coating protected the glass samples by a factor of 5.25 times with respect to the critical maximum contact force, and 9.31 times with respect to the critical impulse. Therefore, the overall coating effectiveness was estimated to be 7.28. It was also shown that the high effectiveness of the elastomeric coating can be achieved for a coating thickness as small as 1.3 mm, for a range of critical impact energies between 8.7 J and 22.7 J. Since the same coating with a thickness of 3 mm efficiently protected HV porcelain bushings against rifle impact at energies as high as 3.1 kJ [2], the very high effectiveness of the protection for small coating thicknesses could be independent of the impact energy within the range of energies considered. This therefore could be the main observation from the comprehensive work performed in this study and in [1,2].
Pardon the Interruption: An Integrative Review and Future Research Agenda for Research on Work Interruptions:

Work interruptions are ubiquitous in today’s workplaces as a result of the proliferation of technology and a growing emphasis on collaboration and open workspaces. Although a large body of research...
Nuclear Shell Model And Quantum Phase Transitions

The usual nuclear shell model defines nuclear properties through an effective mean-field plus a two-body interaction Hamiltonian in a finite orbital space. In this study we try to understand the correlation between the various parts of the shell model Hamiltonian and the nuclear observables and collectivity in nuclei. By varying specific groups of matrix elements we find signs of a phase transition in nuclei between a non-collective and a collective phase. In all cases studied the collective phase is attained when the single-particle transfer matrix elements are dominant in the shell model Hamiltonian, giving collective characteristics to nuclei.
The expression of Platelet Derived Growth Factor Receptor alpha (α-PDGFR) correlates with the bone-metastatic potential of human prostate cancer cells

4309 Disseminated cancer cells might require nutrients to survive in foreign tissues and develop into secondary tumors. Thus, stromal factors have been proposed to contribute to the tissue tropism characteristic of several forms of tumors. For instance, prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa) metastasizes to the skeleton more frequently than any other organ. Thus, bone marrow - which is the access to the bone for migrating cancer cells - might represent an environment particularly congenial to PCa cells. Bone-produced factors might specifically select only the disseminated PCa cells which are susceptible to their trophic effects, thus conferring them with a selective advantage for the establishment of skeletal metastases. Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) is produced by osteoblasts and osteoclasts and is integral to the regulation of the perpetual bone remodeling process. There is evidence for the expression of PDGF receptors (PDGFRs) in primitive PCa and their targeting to block the growth of PCa cells has been proposed. However, a direct correlation between PDGFR signaling and the metastatic potential of PCa cells is still missing. The aim of this study was to test the possibility that PDGF activates survival signaling pathways in human PCa cells and that a significant difference in PDGF responsiveness exists among PCa cells with different bone-metastatic potential. We employed two sub-lines derived from the human PC3 prostate cancer cell line. Both sub-lines are tumorigenic in vivo when injected subcutaneously in SCID mice. However, the PC3-N cells are unable to induce metastases in SCID mice, whereas PC3-ML cells induce skeletal metastases in more than 80% of cases. The exposure to PDGF causes a significantly stronger activation of the Akt/PKB pro-survival pathway in PC3-ML cells compared to non-metastatic PC3-N cells. In addition, normal prostate epithelial cells (PrEC) as well as DU-145 cells, originally derived from a brain PCa metastasis, are not responsive to PDGF. Interestingly, Epidermal Growth Factor - which is found in the trabecolar bone but not in the marrow - stimulates the Akt signaling pathway to the same extent in all prostate cells tested. While all cell types test negative for β-PDGFR expression, the difference in responsiveness to PDGF depends on the expression of the α-PDGFR isoform, as bone metastatic PC3-ML cells express significantly more of this receptor than non-metastatic PC3-N cells. In addition, normal PrEC and metastatic prostate cells derived from tissues other the bone such as DU-145 and LNCaP do not express α-PDGFRs. The expression of α-PDGFR by prostate cells is considered a general indication of malignant transformation. We propose that this receptor more specifically identifies those cells within the primitive tumor that respond to PDGF survival signals and therefore possess the highest propensity to metastasize to the skeleton.
Non-Linear Image Distortions in Flexible Fiberoptic Endoscopes and their Effects on Calibrated Horizontal Measurements Using High-Speed Videoendoscopy

Summary Laryngeal images obtained via high-speed videoendoscopy are an invaluable source of information for the advancement of voice science because they can capture the true cycle-to-cycle vibratory characteristics of the vocal folds in addition to the transient behaviors of the phonatory mechanism, such as onset, offset, and breaks. This information is obtained through relating the spatial and temporal features from acquired images using objective measurements or subjective assessments. While these images are calibrated temporally, a great challenge is the lack of spatial calibration. Recently, a laser-projection system allowing for spatial calibration was developed. However, various sources of optical distortions deviate the images from reflecting the reality. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the fiberoptic flexible endoscope distortions on the calibration of images acquired by the laser-projection system. Specifically, it is shown that two sources of nonlinear distortions could deviate captured images from reality. The first distortion stems from the wide-angle lens used in flexible endoscopes. It is shown that endoscopic images have a significantly higher spatial resolution in the center of the field of view than in its periphery. The difference between the two could lead to as high as 26.4% error in calibrated horizontal measurements. The second distortion stems from variation in the imaging angle. It is shown that the disparity between spatial resolution in the center and periphery of endoscopic images increases as the imaging angle deviates from the perpendicular position. Furthermore, it is shown that when the imaging angle varies, the symmetry of the distortion is also affected significantly. The combined distortions could lead to calibrated horizontal measurement errors as high as 65.7%. The implications of the findings on objective measurements and subjective visual assessments are discussed. These findings can contribute to the refinement of the methods for clinical assessment of voice disorders. Considering that the studied phenomena are due to optical principles, the findings of this study, especially those related to the effects of the imaging angle, can provide further insights regarding other endoscopic instruments (eg, distal-chip and rigid endoscopes) and procedures (eg, gastroendoscopy and colonoscopy).
A triple threat for cancer treatment

Coupling a photosensitizer to camptothecin enhances selectivity and potency of the chemotherapy to kill cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.
A new dynamic model of towing cables

Abstract This article proposes a new formalism for the dynamic modeling of a cable towing system, in which both the tugboat and the towed vessel are subject to forces from waves on the sea surface. The continuous flexibility of the cable is approximated by a discrete equivalent, formed by rigid links connected by fictitious elastic joints that allow elevation movements, since the dynamics are restricted to the vertical plane. The Euler-Lagrange formalism was used to determine the dynamic models considering two, three and four links. The growth patterns of the differential equations of the models were found, thus allowing the development of generic algorithms, capable of generating dynamic models considering any number of links. Vertical forces obtained from proportional and derivative control were applied to the tugboat and the towed vessel, thus simulating the wave motion of the sea surface. Simultaneously, a motor thrust is applied to the tugboat. An algorithmic procedure is also proposed to determine the dynamic tension in the cable. Simulation results showed dynamic responses as physically expected. Computer animations made from simulation data show a great sense of physical reality.
Atezolizumab in combination with intrathecal chemotherapy and radiation for treatment of isolated cerebral nervous system relapse in a patient with extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma: a case report

Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is an aggressive form of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma which historically has a poor prognosis. When relapse occurs, particularly in the cerebral nervous system (CNS), survival is rare. The immune checkpoint pathway family of proteins is highly expressed in many human tumors, especially in EBV-related malignancies. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of immune checkpoint inhibitors used either alone or in combination for the treatment of ENTKL CNS relapse, yet there are promising results in metastatic CNS involvement of other malignancies. This is the case of a 29-year-old Hispanic male with ENKTL who was treated at first relapse with 24 doses of the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitor, atezolizumab, over a 17-month period. He remained in remission for 18 months until he experienced an isolated CNS relapse and on-going evidence of chronic EBV infection. Salvage therapy was provided as a combination of triple intrathecal (TIT) chemotherapy, radiation, and atezolizumab. He continues on maintenance atezolizumab and remains alive 1-year post CNS relapse. The results from this case suggest that atezolizumab should be considered as part of the treatment regimen for relapsed ENKTL. They also demonstrate the benefit of using atezolizumab in combination with TIT chemotherapy and radiation as a viable treatment option for ENKTL CNS relapse and indicate that atezolizumab is an option for long-term maintenance therapy for patients with ENKTL.
THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY *

The Port Authority of New York-New Jersey is a major actor shaping the regional development of the greater New York metropolitan area. This paper summarizes its historical development and current functions in terms of urban political economy, and offers a case study of the interpenetration of the local state and market forces.
Communication for Coproduction: The Informational Role of Nonprofit Organizations

Governments and citizens need to coproduce a better response to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the unavailability and inaccessibility of essential information, the information asymmetry between governments and citizens, the misinformation, and the information overload all influence coproduction adversely. NPOs worldwide are making useful information available and accessible to governments and citizens, serving as information intermediaries to reduce the degree of information asymmetry, increasing information credibility to lighten the information overload, and clarifying misinformation. All these informational roles of NPOs are valuable to governments and citizens for fighting against the coronavirus and coproducing better health outcomes.
Effects of core splice joint width on the performance of composite sandwich structures with honeycomb core: An experimental study:

Composite sandwich structures are commonly considered in large-scale aerospace applications due to their performance on a per mass basis. The nature of a large-scale sandwich structure generally ne...
Dual Targeting CAR-T Cells with Optimal Costimulation and Metabolic Fitness enhance Antitumor Activity and Prevent Escape in Solid Tumors.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells showed great activity in hematologic malignancies. However, heterogeneous antigen expression in tumor cells and suboptimal CAR-T-cell persistence remain critical aspects to achieve clinical responses in patients with solid tumors. Here we show that CAR-T cells targeting simultaneously two tumor-associated antigens and providing trans-acting CD28 and 4-1BB co-stimulation, while sharing the same CD3ζ-chain cause rapid antitumor effects in in vivo stress conditions, protection from tumor re-challenge and prevention of tumor escape due to low antigen density. Molecular and signaling studies indicate that T cells engineered with the proposed CAR design demonstrate sustained phosphorylation of T-cell-receptor-associated signaling molecules and a molecular signature supporting CAR-T-cell proliferation and long-term survival. Furthermore, metabolic profiling of CAR-T cells displayed induction of glycolysis that sustains rapid effector T-cell function, but also preservation of oxidative functions, which are critical for T-cell long-term persistence. Dotti and colleagues present a CAR design featuring trans-acting CD28 and 4-1BB co-stimulation and shared CD3ζ-chain, which improved CAR-T cell metabolic and antitumor functions and avoided tumor escape through simultaneous targeting of two antigens.
Children and Adolescents’ Lived Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic affected people across the life span, including children and adolescents. This study focuses on exploring the lived experiences of children and adolescents in the United States during the pandemic. We interviewed 12 children and adolescents in April 2020 and identified four themes: (a) change in school environment, (b) connection, (c) creative celebrations, and (d) hope. We discuss limitations, recommendations for future research, and implications for counseling.
PacRAT: A program to improve barcode-variant mapping from PacBio long reads using multiple sequence alignment

Motivation: Use of PacBio sequencing for characterizing barcoded libraries of genetic variants is on the rise. PacBio sequencing is useful in linking variant alleles in a library with their associated barcode tag. However, current approaches in resolving PacBio sequencing artifacts can result in a high number of incorrectly identified or unusable reads. Results: We developed a PacBio Read Alignment Tool (PacRAT) that improves the accuracy of barcode-variant mapping through several steps of read alignment and consensus calling. To quantify the performance of our approach, we simulated PacBio reads from eight variant libraries of various lengths and showed that PacRAT improves the accuracy in pairing barcodes and variants across these libraries. Analysis of real (non-simulated) libraries also showed an increase in the number of reads that can be used for downstream analyses when using PacRAT. Availability and Implementation: PacRAT is written in Python and is freely available on Github (https://github.com/dunhamlab/PacRAT).
High performance electrodes in vanadium redox flow batteries through oxygen-enriched thermal activation

Abstract The roundtrip electrochemical energy efficiency is improved from 63% to 76% at a current density of 200 mA cm−2 in an all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) by utilizing modified carbon paper electrodes in the high-performance no-gap design. Heat treatment of the carbon paper electrodes in a 42% oxygen/58% nitrogen atmosphere increases the electrochemically wetted surface area from 0.24 to 51.22 m2 g−1, resulting in a 100–140 mV decrease in activation overpotential at operationally relevant current densities. An enriched oxygen environment decreases the amount of treatment time required to achieve high surface area. The increased efficiency and greater depth of discharge doubles the total usable energy stored in a fixed amount of electrolyte during operation at 200 mA cm−2.
Patient variation in veterinary medicine – Part II – Influence of physiological variables

In veterinary medicine, the characterization of a drug's pharmacokinetic properties is generally based upon data that are derived from studies that employ small groups of young healthy animals, often of a single breed. In Part I of the series, we focused on the potential influence of disease processes, stress, pregnancy and lactation on drug pharmacokinetics. In this Part II of the series, we consider other covariates, such as gender, heritable traits, age, body composition, and circadian rhythms. The impact of these factors with respect to predicting the relationship between dose and drug exposure characteristics within an animal population is illustrated through the use of Monte Carlo simulations. Ultimately, an appreciation of these potential influences will improve the prediction of situations when dose adjustments may be appropriate.
Characterization of the hydraulics at natural step crests in step‐pool streams via weir flow concepts

[1] The hydraulics of step-pool streams are characterized by rapidly varied flow at the step crest, a hydraulic jump, and gradually varied flow in the pool unit of the step-pool sequence. The flow characteristics at the step crests act as the hydraulic control for the water surface profile within the upstream pool unit. Using both field and flume investigations, we demonstrate the use of weir flow concepts for assessing and categorizing the hydraulic characteristics of natural step-crests in step-pool streams. We categorize the results of our investigations in terms of the crest-clast, planform, longitudinal, and instream wood geometries of the step crests. The broad-crested weir equation can be expressed asQ = C* g0.5Wh3/2, where Q is the flowrate, C* is a dimensionless discharge coefficient, W is the crest width, g is the acceleration of gravity, and h is the upstream flow depth above the step crest. Although the flow over a natural step is generally more complex than for an engineered weir, the results of our investigations indicate that the C*-value for simulated and natural steps increases linearly as a function of the upstream head (h), with C* values ranging from 0.15 to 0.97. As a result, the application of weir flow concepts to natural steps provides means for (1) indirectly estimating flow rates; (2) characterizing the hydraulics for individual steps; (3) defining external and/or internal boundary conditions at step crests for hydraulic model simulations of natural or restored step-pool streams; and (4) estimating the upstream pressure force acting on step-crest clasts.
Thick-section fluorescence in situ hybridization on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue provides a histogenetic profile.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization has become a major tool for analysis of gene and chromosome copy number in normal and malignant tissue. The technique has been applied widely to fresh tissue and dispersed formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue, but its use on sections of archival tissue has largely been limited to sections 20 microns thick that overcomes these difficulties. Key developments were the use of DNA probes directly labeled with fluorochromes and optical sectioning using laser-scanning confocal microscopy.
Stability of a Modified, Live Panleucopenia Virus Stored in Liquid Phase

It has been shown that a modified, live panleucopenia virus is quite stable when stored in the medium in which it was produced.
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of an Antisense Phosphorothioate Oligonucleotide Targeting Fas mRNA in Mice

ISIS 22023 is a modified phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotide targeting murine Fas mRNA. Treatment of mice with ISIS 22023 reduced Fas expression in liver in a concentration-dependent and sequence-specific manner, which completely protected mice from fulminant death induced by agonistic Fas antibody. In this study, we characterized the relationships in mice between total dose administered, dose to the target organ, and ultimately, the intracellular concentration within target cell types to the pharmacologic activity of ISIS 22023. After subcutaneous injection, ISIS 22023 distributed to the liver rapidly and remained in the liver with the t(1/2) ranging from 11 to 19 days, depending on dose. There were apparent differences in patterns of uptake and elimination in different types of liver cells. Oligonucleotide appeared within hepatocytes rapidly, whereas the peak concentrations in Kupffer cells were delayed until 2 days after dose administration. Hepatocytes cleared oligonucleotide the most rapidly, whereas Kupffer cells appeared to retain oligonucleotide longer. The reduction of Fas mRNA levels (pharmacodynamic response) paralleled the increase of oligonucleotide concentration in mouse liver with maximum mRNA reduction of 90% at 2 days after a single 50 mg/kg subcutaneous administration. Moreover, the pharmacodynamics of ISIS 22023 correlated better with the pharmacokinetics in hepatocytes, supporting the concept that the presence of oligonucleotide in target cells results in reductions in mRNA and, ultimately, pharmacologic activity. These results provide a comprehensive understanding of the kinetics of an antisense drug at the site of action and demonstrate that the reductions in mRNA induced by this antisense oligonucleotide correlate with its concentrations in cell targets.
Computer Generation of Digital Filter Banks

In order to reduce the design time of digital filter bank circuits, a design system has been developed. The software consists of the filter compiler which converts high level filter descriptions to hardware descriptions and the layout generator which converts the hardware descriptions to a layout file. To verify the algorithms before fabrication, a test system is employed. The development time of this system was kept to a minimum by designing the hardware to be easily micro coded and assembled. Several circuits have been fabricated and tested that were generated with this system, including a single bandpass filter chip, a 112-pole 16-channel filter bank for a speech recognition system and a 16-channel spectrum analyzer for consumer stereo applications. The speech recognition chip achieved a SNR of 80 dB with an area of 25 mm /sup 2/ in a 4-micron NMOS technology.
OPTIMIZED EFFECTIVE POTENTIALS FOR SEMICONDUCTORS

We calculate atomic and crystal total energies, the equilibrium lattice constant, bulk modulus, and energy gaps for Si using the optimized effective potential for a Hamiltonian containing the Fock operator and a local-density approximation (LDA) correlation functional. These results are compared with those obtained from ordinary LDA and Hartree-Fock--core LDA--valence calculations and experiment. The results are consistent with those we previously obtained for Ge. We note a difficulty in applying pseudopotentials to the optimized effective potential and describe how to overcome it.
Modeling and rendering architecture from photographs: a hybrid geometry- and image-based approach

We present a new approach for modeling and rendering existing architectural scenes from a sparse set of still photographs. Our modeling approach, which combines both geometry-based and imagebased techniques, has two components. The first component is a photogrammetricmodeling method which facilitates the recovery of the basic geometry of the photographed scene. Our photogrammetric modeling approach is effective, convenient, and robust because it exploits the constraints that are characteristic of architectural scenes. The second component is a model-based stereo algorithm, which recovers how the real scene deviates from the basic model. By making use of the model, our stereo technique robustly recovers accurate depth from widely-spaced image pairs. Consequently, our approach can model large architectural environments with far fewer photographs than current image-based modeling approaches. For producing renderings, we present view-dependent texture mapping, a method of compositing multiple views of a scene that better simulates geometric detail on basic models. Our approach can be used to recover models for use in either geometry-based or image-based rendering systems. We present results that demonstrate our approach’s ability to create realistic renderings of architectural scenes from viewpoints far from the original photographs. CR Descriptors: I.2.10 [Artificial Intelligence]: Vision and Scene Understanding Modeling and recovery of physical attributes; I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism Color, shading, shadowing, and texture I.4.8 [Image Processing]: Scene Analysis Stereo; J.6 [Computer-Aided Engineering]: Computer-aided design (CAD).
Stack of BioCells Converting ATP to Electrical Power and Possible Applications

Plant and animals convert absorbed nutrients into the most readily available form of biochemical energy in cells - Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Ion transporter proteins in the cell membranes hydrolyze ATP and use the energy from the reaction for ion transport across cell membranes. The BioCell is an energy conversion device inspired by ion transport through cell membranes that uses a proton-sucrose cotransporter (SUT4) to convert the chemical energy in ATP into electrical energy. Experiments on a single cell demonstrated that the BioCell behaves like a constant current power source with 10 - 22 kΩ internal resistance. The single cell developed a peak power of 0.7 μW per cm2 of bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) area reconstituted with 1 mg of SUT4 and 1 μl of ATP-ase at 10 kΩ load in the external circuit. The actual peak power output from the cell was 160 nW for a BLM area of 0.079 cm2 carrying 0.2 mg of SUT4 and 15 μl of ATP-ase. The 160 nW of electrical power that could be sourced from the cell with a 10 kΩ load (41 mV and 4 μA) is not sufficient to run a low power electronic device and needs to be scaled up to few microwatts. This article discusses our experimental results from stacking a BioCell in series and parallel to develop higher stack voltage and current. We observe that the cell voltage adds linearly by connecting the BioCells in series and a 10-cell stack developed a peak power of 750 nW (500 mV @ 2.5 μA observed at 265 kΩ. The peak power from the stack by connecting the cells in parallel was 1.4 μW (125 mV and 11.2 μA) at 1kΩ. The experimental results demonstrate that the power from a single cell can be scaled by connecting them in series and in parallel without appreciable losses. A survey of electronic devices indicated that a minimum of 20 μW will be required to run a demonstration application from a stack and also gives us the direction to scale the power output from a single cell.
TIMI 11B. Enoxaparin versus unfractionated heparin for unstable angina or non–Q-wave myocardial infarction: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter trial. Rationale, study design, and methods

Continuous intravenous (i.v.) heparin administered in the acute period after unstable coronary artery disease reduces the likelihood and severity of subsequent ischemic events. However, reactivation of the thrombotic process may occur when heparin therapy is withdrawn. Low-molecular-weight heparin provides more reliable anticoagulation and less need for patient monitoring and dosage adjustment than standard unfractionated heparin (UFH) and therefore is well suited for long-term anticoagulation on an outpatient basis. TIMI 11B is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to compare the strategy of combined short-term and long-term administration of the low-molecular-weight heparin enoxaparin for unstable angina/non-Q-wave myocardial infarction versus the standard strategy of UFH administration only during the acute phase. Patients are randomized to receive either enoxaparin (30 mg i.v. bolus followed by subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of 1.0 mg/kg every 12 hours) or UFH (70 U/kg bolus followed by an infusion of 15 U/kg per hour, titrated to an activated partial thromboplastin time of 1.5 to 2.5 times control). Infusion of i.v. UFH or placebo continues for a minimum of 72 hours. S.c. weight-adjusted enoxaparin or placebo continues until hospital discharge or day 8, whichever comes first, at which time the long-term phase of the study begins. Patients randomized to receive enoxaparin in the acute phase receive fixed-dose s.c. enoxaparin (60 mg every 12 hours for patients > or =65 kg, 40 mg every 12 hours for patients <65 kg). Patients randomized to receive UFH in the acute phase receive s.c. placebo injections during the chronic phase. The primary efficacy endpoint is the sum, through day 43, of the occurrence of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction not present at enrollment, or severe recurrent ischemia requiring urgent revascularization. The primary safety endpoint is the occurrence of either major bleeding or other serious adverse events.