cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial disparities in orthodontic service use for Medicaid-enrolled children: An evaluation of the Washington Medicaid program

Introduction We assessed the relationship between race and orthodontic service use for Medicaid-enrolled children. Methods This cross-sectional study focused on 570,364 Medicaid-enrolled children in Washington state, ages 6 to 19 years. The main predictor variable was self-reported race (white vs nonwhite). The outcome variable was orthodontic service use, defined as children who were preauthorized for orthodontic treatment by Medicaid in 2012 and subsequently received orthodontic records and initiated treatment. Logistic regression models were used to test the hypothesis that nonwhites are less likely to use orthodontic care than are whites. Results A total of 8223 children were approved by Medicaid for orthodontic treatment, and 7313 received records and began treatment. Nonwhites were significantly more likely to use orthodontic care than were whites (odds ratio [OR] = 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02, 1.36; P = 0.031). Hispanic nonwhite children were more likely to use orthodontic care than were non-Hispanic white children (OR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.18, 1.70; P Conclusions In 2012, nonwhite children in the Washington Medicaid program were significantly more likely to use orthodontic care than were white children. The Washington Medicaid program demonstrates a potential model for addressing racial disparities in orthodontic service use. Future research should identify mechanisms underlying these findings and continue to monitor orthodontic service use for minority children in Medicaid.
Photophysical studies of metal to ligand charge transfer involving quadruply bonded complexes of molybdenum and tungsten.

ConspectusPhotoinduced metal-to-ligand charge transfer transitions afford numerous applications in terms of photon energy harvesting. The majority of metal complexes studied to date involve diamagnetic systems of d6, d8, and d10 transition metals. These typically have very short-lived, ∼100 fs, singlet metal to ligand charge transfer (1MLCT) states that undergo intersystem crossing to triplet metal to ligand charge transfer (3MLCT) states that are longer lived and are responsible for much of the photophysical studies. In contrast, the metal–metal quadruply bonded complexes of molybdenum and tungsten supported by carboxylate, O2CR, and related amidinate ligands (RN)2C(R′) have relatively long-lived 1MLCT states arising from M2δ to Lπ* transitions. These have lifetimes in the range 1–20 ps prior to intersystem crossing to T1 states that may be 3MLCT or 3MMδδ* with lifetimes of 1–100 ns and 1–100 μs, respectively. The M2 quadruply bonded complexes take the form M2L4 or M2L4–nL′n where n = 1–3. Thus, in their...
Enhancement of Calu-1 human lung carcinoma cell growth in serum-free medium by retinoids: dependence on AP-1 activation, but not on retinoid response element activation

Many lung cancer cell lines are resistant to the growth inhibitory effects of retinoids. However, some small-cell lung cancer cell lines were inhibited by all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) in serum-free medium. We compared the responses of seven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines to ATRA in serum-free medium and in medium supplemented with delipidized serum. Whereas the growth of four cell lines was inhibited more in serum-free medium, the growth of the Calu-1 cell line was stimulated by ATRA in a dose-dependent fashion with a maximum at 10(-8) M. Delipidized serum (>2.5%) but not bovine serum albumin (0.15%) suppressed growth stimulation by ATRA. Transcripts of RA receptors RARalpha and RARgamma but not of RARbeta were detected in Calu-1 cells. Receptor expression, the formation of a complex among receptors and a RA-responsive element (RARE), and the transcriptional activation RARE were not suppressed by serum. Natural retinoids and synthetic receptor class- or subtype-selective retinoid agonists, which activated RARs and RXRs for gene transcription from a RARE, and a RAR antagonist (CD2366), which was unable to do so, stimulated the growth of Calu-1 cells in serum-free medium but not in serum-containing medium. Both ATRA and CD2366 enhanced the transcriptional activation of an Activator Protein-1 (AP-1)-luciferase reporter construct in serum-free medium but not in delipidized serum. Transcriptional activation of the RARE by ATRA occurred both in the presence or absence of delipidized serum. These results demonstrate that retinoid-induced growth stimulation of Calu-1 cells is associated with enhanced AP-1 transactivation but not with RARE transactivation.
Myoclonic seizures in infancy and childhood.

When a careful study fails to uncover a known cause of myoclonic seizures in an infant, early treatment with ACTH or steroids is the prudent course. The mental status seldom improves, but these drugs have been effective in reducing the number of seizures and improving the electroencephalograms.
Hemangiomas: update on classification, clinical presentation, and associated anomalies.

Infantile hemangiomas occur in 10% of children and are 3 times more common in female infants. 1,2 The majority of hemangiomas are small, superficial tumors that require little, if any, treatment. During the last several years, new information regarding the classification, presentation, associations, and differential diagnosis of hemangioma has emerged and altered the management of these tumors. The purpose of this article is to briefly review some of these clinically relevant findings. A discussion of the pathogenesis and management of these potentially problematic tumors is beyond the scope of this article, but these topics have been addressed in several excellent reviews. 2-5
Isotopically selective optical deflection and depletion of metastable krypton

Using krypton in the metastable 1s5 state, we have demonstrated two techniques to increase the isotopic selectivity of optical rare isotope detection for geological and environmental applications. These techniques provide selectivity well beyond the limits that natural linewidths impose for a single optical step, which have prohibited measurements of some very rare isotopes by optical techniques.
Cultures of Nationalism

Nationalist narratives, such as those underlying Zionism and Palestinian nationalism, present us with a skewed and incomplete rendition of history. Two other factors further erode their usefulness. First, nationalist narratives assume that nations – such as the ones whose genealogy they describe – have existed throughout history. Nationalist movements, they assert, exist merely to bring those nations to a state of self-awareness. This assertion is far too modest. Nationalist movements do not bring preexisting nations to a state of self-awareness; nationalist movements create those nations. Second, nationalist narratives obscure or ignore the similarities between the nations whose history they claim to relate and other nations. This, of course, is done deliberately: By making it appear that its nation is distinctive, a nationalist narrative confirms the right of that nation to self-rule and sovereignty over a designated piece of real estate. Zionism and Palestinian nationalism were cast in the same mold. Furthermore, while the advent of Zionism and the advent of a distinct Palestinian nationalism were never foregone conclusions, there can be no doubt that in a world in which nation-states provide the model for organizing political communities, Jews and the indigenous inhabitants of Palestine would claim to belong to some nation – either their own or someone else's – and espouse some nationalist creed. Again, this nationalist creed would be either their own or someone else's.
Surveillance Scanning for Medulloblastoma

The value of surveillance scanning, compared to periodic history taking and physical examination, in detection of asymptomatic recurrent tumors was examined in 86 children with posterior fossa medulloblastoma followed regularly between 1980 and 1991 at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Damages to return with a possible occurrence of eco-technology innovation measured by DEA environmental assessment

Environmental assessment and pollution protection are important concerns in modern business and policy. Consumers are interested in corporate efforts on not only their products but also environmental protections and pollution preventions. To attain a high level of sustainability (i.e., economic success and pollution prevention), all entities in private and public sectors need to pay attention to green technology innovation. This study considers that eco-technology innovation can combat the global warming and climate change, which the world is now facing as a major policy issue, along with its related business and policy supports. It is clear that any engineering and science efforts cannot attain any policy goal on the climate change without supports from social science perspectives, including business and economics. An important concern discussed in this study is how to identify an effective decision on eco-technology innovation and its influence on sustainability. To discuss the global issue at the world level, this study is first interested in measuring the performance of their operational and environmental achievements and then pays attention to Damages to Return (DTR). The economic concept indicates a level of change of undesirable outputs (e.g., CO2) by increasing one unit of a desirable output (e.g., oil production). To assess the magnitude of DTR, this study proposes a use of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The proposed DEA assessment theoretically provides corporate leaders and policy makers with information regarding how to invest in eco-technology innovation for abatement of undesirable outputs, so enhancing the level of corporate or social sustainability.
Vegetation response during the lead-up to the middle Miocene warming event in the Northern Rocky Mountains, USA

Abstract The mid-Miocene climatic optimum (MMCO; initial warming beginning ca. 18 Ma and with peak warming ca. 17–14.75 Ma) constitutes the Earth's most recent greenhouse episode, characterized by a transient shift to higher global atmospheric CO 2 levels and warmer, possibly wetter, climatic conditions. Combined with the spread of grass-dominated habitats, it has been suggested that the MMCO lead to significant turnover and modernization of fauna and flora. However, records documenting local vegetation change during the MMCO are rare, hence this hypothesis remains largely untested. Herein, we combine phytolith assemblages and δ 13 C records from paleosol organic matter from the Railroad Canyon section (RCS), eastern Idaho, to provide the first direct, detailed, and continuous, long-term record of vegetation composition and structure in a single basin during the lead-up to the MMCO (22.9–15.2 Ma; late Arikareean–early Barstovian). Phytolith assemblage analysis indicates that grasses, primarily C 3 pooids, dominated early–middle Miocene vegetation. Potential C 4 PACMAD grasses were present by ca. 21.6–20.7 Ma (late Arikareean) and vary in abundance (0.4–17.2% of diagnostic phytoliths) through the section. Although relatively rare overall, PACMAD grasses decrease significantly through time, in parallel with declining diatom abundances and an increase in pooid grasses. In contrast, paleosol δ 13 C org indicates 0–29.1% C 4 vegetation but no consistent temporal change. Where both phytolith- and isotope-based estimates are made from the same paleosol, they are within error most (82%) of the time; thus, the apparent discrepancy in temporal trends could either be due to differences in the resolution of the two records, or could be explained if many PACMADs were not C 4 grasses, but instead water-loving C 3 species. Overall, these data suggest that open-habitat mosaic vegetation with grass-dominated grasslands and open woodlands occurred in the North Rocky Mountains, USA, by at least the early Miocene, more comparable to the timing for the spread of grass-dominated habitats in the Great Plains than previously thought. Additionally, phytolith data suggest that overall vegetation structure remained relatively stable throughout the RCS, inconsistent with published paleosol morphology data. This points to regionally unique floral patterns decoupled from global climate change leading into the MMCO.
Waves of Change: National Trends in Surgical Management of Male Stress Incontinence.

Objective To determine the trend in surgical management of male stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in the context of the rate of radical prostatectomy (RP) as reported by a national database. Traditionally, the artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) has been the gold standard, but the male sling represents a newer and popular alternative. Refinements in prostate surgery may reduce the incidence and degree of subsequent SUI. Materials and Methods A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was performed using the National Inpatient Survey database, which captures discharge data from inpatient and overnight admissions. Cases were identified by their International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision procedure codes. We queried the codes 58.93 (implantation of AUS), 59.4 (suprapubic sling operation), 59.5 (retropubic urethral suspension), and 59.6 (paraurethral suspension). We also queried 60.5 (RP) for comparison. Data were collected from January 2000 to December 2012 and weighted to a national average using National Inpatient Survey guidelines. Results A total of 32,416 anti-incontinence operations (20,790 AUS and 11,625 sling procedures) were performed over the study period. There was a significant downward trend in the total number of incontinence procedures (F(1,11) = 6.15, P = .03). However, when stratifying the data by procedure type, only AUS placement demonstrated a significant decline (F(1,11) = 21.70, P P .01). There was no significant change in the annual incidence of RP. Conclusion Inpatient surgery for male SUI is decreasing overall. Placement of the AUS declined significantly, whereas sling placement became more common. Future study will determine the etiology of these trends.
Deleuze’s New Image of Thought: Challenging the Dogmatic Image of Thought in Qualitative Inquiry

For Deleuze, modern philosophy presupposes a dogmatic image of thought, one that precedes thinking itself. Deleuze engages in a radical critique of this dogmatic image and rejects both common sense...
Is Contingent Valuation Worth the Trouble

Since Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 ("CERCLA"'),1 the federal government has taken an aggressive stance toward individuals and companies that release hazardous substances into the environment. CERCLA and subsequent statutes, such as the Clean Water Act2 and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990,3 gave federal and state governments extensive powers to recover the costs of responding to environmental contamination and cleaning up contaminated areas. In addition, these statutes gave governments-as trustees for publicly owned natural resources-authority to sue polluters for damages to those resources.4 But is it possible to put a price tag on the damage a release does to a publicly owned and widely used natural resource? These resources-including parks, rivers, protected forests, and shorelines-are not bought and sold on the open market. Moreover, the governments that administer them do not charge the public the true market price for enjoying them. As a result, courts administering environmental cleanup statutes lack access to traditional means of measuring economic or property damage. To some degree, courts can use economic studies to calculate the value resource users lose to contamination; for example, an
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Lifetime Risk of Chlamydia trachomatis Diagnosis and Adverse Reproductive Health Outcomes Among Women in King County, Washington

Background Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common reportable infection in the United States and can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and tubal factor infertility (TFI). Methods We created life tables to estimate the "lifetime" risk of chlamydia diagnosis among women aged 15-34 years in King County, Washington, between 1992 and 2014. We estimated the lifetime risk of chlamydia-associated PID and TFI incorporating published estimates of the risk of sequelae. Results There were 51464 first chlamydia diagnoses in 1992-2014. For women born between 1980 and 1984, the lifetime risk of chlamydia diagnosis was 19.8% overall and 14.0% for non-Hispanic white, 64.9% for non-Hispanic black, and 32.6% for Hispanic women. The cumulative risk of chlamydia by age 24 increased overall from 13.9% to 17.3% among women born between 1975 and 1994 but declined among non-Hispanic black women, among whom risk by age 24 declined from 57.3% among women born between 1980 and 1984 to 38.6% among women born between 1990 and 1994. The lifetime risk of chlamydia-associated PID among women born between 1980 and 1984 ranged from 0.33% to 1.14%. Among non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic women, the lifetime risk of chlamydia-associated TFI was 0.04%, 0.20%, and 0.10%, respectively. Conclusions Over 60% of non-Hispanic black women had at least 1 chlamydia diagnosis by age 34 in the birth cohorts most affected, a risk almost 5 times that in non-Hispanic whites. An estimated 1 in 500 non-Hispanic black women develops chlamydia-associated TFI. More effective control measures are needed.
Micro-positron emission tomography for measuring sub-core scale single and multiphase transport parameters in porous media

Abstract Accurate descriptions of heterogeneity in porous media are important for understanding and modeling single phase (e.g. contaminant transport, saltwater intrusion) and multiphase (e.g. geologic carbon storage, enhanced oil recovery) transport problems. Application of medical imaging to experimentally quantify these processes has led to significant progress in material characterization and understanding fluid transport behavior at laboratory scales. While widely utilized in cancer diagnosis and management, cardiology, and neurology, positron emission tomography (PET) has had relatively limited applications in earth science. This study utilizes a small-bore micro-PET scanner to image and quantify the transport behavior of pulses of a conservative aqueous radiotracer injected during single and multiphase flow experiments in two heterogeneous Berea sandstone cores. The cores are discretized into axial-parallel streamtubes, and using the reconstructed micro-PET data, expressions are derived from spatial moment analysis for calculating sub-core tracer flux and pore water velocity. Using the flux and velocity measurements, it is possible to calculate porosity and saturation from volumetric flux balance, and calculate permeability and water relative permeability from Darcy’s law. Second spatial moment analysis enables measurement of sub-core solute dispersion during both single phase and multiphase experiments. A numerical simulation model is developed to verify the assumptions of the streamtube dimension reduction technique. A variation of the reactor ratio is presented as a diagnostic metric to efficiently determine the validity of the streamtube approximation in core and column-scale experiments. This study introduces a new method to quantify sub-core permeability, relative permeability, and dispersion. These experimental and analytical methods provide a foundation for future work on experimental measurements of differences in transport behavior across scales.
Comparative analysis for renal stereotactic body radiotherapy using Cyberknife, VMAT and proton therapy based treatment planning.

Purpose We conducted this dosimetric analysis to evaluate the feasibility of a multi-center stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) trial for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) using different SBRT platforms. Materials/methods The computed tomography (CT) simulation images of 10 patients with unilateral RCC previously treated on a Phase 1 trial at Institution 1 were anonymized and shared with Institution 2 after IRB approval. Treatment planning was generated through five different platforms aiming a total dose of 48 Gy in three fractions. These platforms included: Cyberknife and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) at institution 1, and Cyberknife, VMAT, and pencil beam scanning (PBS) Proton Therapy at institution 2. Dose constraints were based on the Phase 1 approved trial. Results Compared to Cyberknife, VMAT and PBS plans provided overall an equivalent or superior coverage to the target volume, while limiting dose to the remaining kidney, contralateral kidney, liver, spinal cord, and bowel. Conclusion This dosimetric study supports the feasibility of a multi-center trial for renal SBRT using PBS, VMAT and Cyberknife.
Application of Multivariate Sensitivity Analysis Techniques to AGCM-Simulated Tropical Cyclones

AbstractThis work demonstrates the use of Sobol’s sensitivity analysis framework to examine multivariate input–output relationships in dynamical systems. The methodology allows simultaneous exploration of the effect of changes in multiple inputs, and accommodates nonlinear interaction effects among parameters in a computationally affordable way. The concept is illustrated via computation of the sensitivities of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM)-simulated tropical cyclones to changes in model initial conditions. Specifically, Sobol’s variance-based sensitivity analysis is used to examine the response of cyclone intensity, cloud radiative forcing, cloud content, and precipitation rate to changes in initial conditions in an idealized AGCM-simulated tropical cyclone (TC). Control factors of interest include the following: initial vortex size and intensity, environmental sea surface temperature, vertical lapse rate, and midlevel relative humidity. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates systematic inc...
Equity Valuation and Negative Earnings

The assumption of a positive and homogeneous price-earnings relation across earnings realizations is examined. We seek to explain an anomalous negative price-earnings relation for firms reporting losses, and hypothesize the negative relation is caused by one or more omitted variables positively correlated with stock price but negatively correlated with current earnings. We consider three such correlated omitted variables -- earnings turnaround, prospects of becoming a takeover target, and book value of equity -- based on valuation or econometric arguments for their inclusion in a price-earnings model specification. We find that including beginning-of-year book value of equity eliminates the negative price-earnings relation for loss firms. Thus, the simple earnings capitalization model is misspecified, and the negative price-earnings relation is an outcome of this misspecification. We also show that the coefficient on earnings in the simple earnings capitalization model is positively biased for profit firms, and that the price-earnings relation is not homogeneous across profit and loss firms even after controlling for book value of equity. Additional analyses suggest book value of equity serves as a value-relevant variable rather than as a control for scale differences.
A Physicochemical Basis for the Selection of Osmolytes by Nature

It is a striking fact of nature that compounds used as cellular osmolyte systems by a variety of plant and animal vertebrate and invertebrate systems are confined to a small number of chemical structures, all, or most of which are distributed over the entire gamut of organisms (Yancey et al. 1982; Somero 1986; Somero, this Vol.). These comprise sugars and other polyols, amino acids and amino acid derivatives, methylamines, and in some cases urea, frequently in combination with methylamines All are electrically neutral molecules. With the exception of urea all of these organic osmolytes are “compatible solutes” (Brown and Simpson 1972; Clark 1985), i.e., they do not disturb cellular structure and function. Among amino acids, arginine and lysine are not used as osmolytes (Yancey et al. 1982). They are known to be “incompatible” (Somero 1986), in that they interfere with some biochemical processes. Nor are amino acids that contain large hydrophobic side chains used. It is noteworthy that in a case where arginine is released it is immediately converted to the “compatible” solute octopine (Hochachka et al. 1977).
Evaluation of Heuristic Control Strategies for AGVs under Varying Demand Arrival Patterns

Automatically Guided Vehicles offer great flexibility in their application. But this flexibility makes the exact solution of optimal scheduling and dispatching strategies very time consuming. Heuristics offer efficient techniques, but which heuristic should you use?
Ten tips to encourage student interaction with screen-capture type vodcasts

Video podcasts (vodcasts) are gaining popularity in medical education, but they can be a passive learning modality if students do not actively engage with the content. Of the two categories of vodcast software, screen-capture (mp4 output) and Flash™ (HTML5/Flash output), screen-capture has greater potential to result in passive learning because students cannot physically interact with the content. However, screen-capture offers several advantages for the producer (often faculty) and the consumer (students). As such, this type of software is popular with medical school faculty. To encourage active learning, ten tips are presented with specific strategies that faculty can use with screen-capture type vodcasts. Many of the tips also apply to Flash-type vodcasts. By incorporating these strategies, faculty with limited technical abilities can create engaging vodcasts that stimulate active learning.
Effects of barotrauma and recompression events on subsequent embryo condition of yelloweye rockfish

Abstract Catch-and-release fishing may adversely affect reproduction of rockfishes Sebastes spp. due to angling-induced barotrauma. Although yelloweye rockfish (S. ruberrimus) have been shown to be reproductively viable following these events, the energetic cost of recovery may negatively affect reproductive fitness through reduced embryo condition. In this study, female yelloweye rockfish from Prince William Sound, Alaska, were recaptured one to two years following their initial capture and recompression using a deepwater-release mechanism (DRM). Embryo composition from these fish was compared to the embryos from females with no previously known capture history to examine embryo oil globule volume (OGV), energy content, and percent lipid content. Capture history, maternal length and age, and developmental stage explained a high proportion of the variability in embryo OGV, but not energy or percent lipid content. For both groups of females, there were declines in OGV and energy content of embryos from early to late developmental stages. However, there were no differences in OGV and energy content between female groups for each embryo developmental stage and there were no differences in lipid content of embryos for either group between and among developmental stages. These results suggest that embryo condition was similar between females, regardless of capture history. As a result, DRM recompression seems to mitigate the negative effects of barotrauma on yelloweye rockfish embryo composition in subsequent spawning seasons.
Communicating About Stopping Cancer Screening: Comparing Clinicians' and Older Adults' Perspectives.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Older adults with limited life expectancy frequently receive cancer screening. We sought to compare the perspectives of clinicians and older adults on how to communicate about stopping cancer screening. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We used data from two studies involving semistructured in-person individual interviews, in which we asked about perspectives on communication about stopping cancer screening, with 28 primary care clinicians and 40 community-dwelling older adults, respectively. RESULTS We identified three major themes: (a) Consensus among primary care clinicians and older adults regarding communication around stopping cancer screening. Both groups considered discussing the benefits/risks of cancer screening and involving patients in the decision as important and mentioned framing screening cessation as shift in health priorities. (b) Differences in perceived reactions to stopping cancer screening. Primary care clinicians were concerned about patient reaction to stopping cancer screening, whereas older adults reported no negative reactions in the context of a trusting relationship. (c) Differences in views around whether to discuss life expectancy in the context of stopping cancer screening. Clinicians rarely discussed life expectancy in this context, whereas older adults were divided on whether life expectancy should be discussed. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Given the heterogeneity in older adults' preferences, it is important to assess whether patients want to discuss life expectancy when discussing stopping cancer screening, though use of the specific term "life expectancy" may not be necessary. Instead, focusing discussion on the benefits/risks of cancer screening and mentioning shift in health priorities are acceptable communication strategies for both clinicians and older adults.
Evidence-based Trustworthiness

The information revolution brought with it information pollution. Information retrieval and extraction help us cope with abundant information from diverse sources. But some sources are of anonymous authorship, and some are of uncertain accuracy, so how can we determine what we should actually believe? Not all information sources are equally trustworthy, and simply accepting the majority view is often wrong. This paper develops a general framework for estimating the trustworthiness of information sources in an environment where multiple sources provide claims and supporting evidence, and each claim can potentially be produced by multiple sources. We consider two settings: one in which information sources directly assert claims, and a more realistic and challenging one, in which claims are inferred from evidence provided by sources, via (possibly noisy) NLP techniques. Our key contribution is to develop a family of probabilistic models that jointly estimate the trustworthiness of sources, and the credibility of claims they assert. This is done while accounting for the (possibly noisy) NLP needed to infer claims from evidence supplied by sources. We evaluate our framework on several datasets, showing strong results and significant improvement over baselines.
A Network Analysis of Multiple Myeloma Related Gene Signatures.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most prevalent hematological cancer. MM is a complex and heterogeneous disease, and thus, it is essential to leverage omics data from large MM cohorts to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying MM tumorigenesis, progression, and drug responses, which may aid in the development of better treatments. In this study, we analyzed gene expression, copy number variation, and clinical data from the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) dataset and constructed a multiple myeloma molecular causal network (M3CN). The M3CN was used to unify eight prognostic gene signatures in the literature that shared very few genes between them, resulting in a prognostic subnetwork of the M3CN, consisting of 178 genes that were enriched for genes involved in cell cycle (fold enrichment = 8.4, p value = 6.1 × 10−26). The M3CN was further used to characterize immunomodulators and proteasome inhibitors for MM, demonstrating the pleiotropic effects of these drugs, with drug-response signature genes enriched across multiple M3CN subnetworks. Network analyses indicated potential links between these drug-response subnetworks and the prognostic subnetwork. To elucidate the structure of these important MM subnetworks, we identified putative key regulators predicted to modulate the state of these subnetworks. Finally, to assess the predictive power of our network-based models, we stratified MM patients in an independent cohort, the MMRF-CoMMpass study, based on the prognostic subnetwork, and compared the performance of this subnetwork against other signatures in the literature. We show that the M3CN-derived prognostic subnetwork achieved the best separation between different risk groups in terms of log-rank test p-values and hazard ratios. In summary, this work demonstrates the power of a probabilistic causal network approach to understanding molecular mechanisms underlying the different MM signatures.
Type, timing, and risk factors associated with immune-related adverse event development in patients with advanced genitourinary cancers treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor.

480Background: Immune related adverse events (IRAEs) with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy are well recognized, but predictors for IRAEs are not well defined. We aim to characterize the ty...
Exploring Gender Differences in Machiavellianism Using a Measurement Invariance Approach

Research suggests that men and women differ on mean levels of Dark Triad personality constructs such as Machiavellianism, but few studies have investigated whether or not these differences are due to actual latent trait differences or bias in measurement. Further, recent research suggests important challenges associated with existing measures of MACH in terms of overlap with psychopathy and matching expert descriptions. The present study took a recently developed measure of Machiavellianism (the Five Factor Machiavellianism Inventory; FFMI), based on the five-factor model, and examined its invariance across gender. Strong (or scalar) factorial invariance was established, indicating that latent factor means can be compared between men and women using this measure. Mean-level differences showed that men had higher levels of latent factors related to antagonism and social dominance. In terms of total score, men reported significantly higher mean levels of Machiavellianism. The findings of the present study lend support to the notion that mean level differences in Machiavellianism across gender are not artifacts of measurement bias.
Abstract IA13: Reprogramming the epigenome for enhancing CAR T-cell antitumor efficacy

Many studies indicate that adoptive cell transfer therapy with autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells is a powerful approach for the treatment of cancer. CAR-modified T cells have shown activity in several clinical trials including our own at the University of Pennsylvania, with complete response rates as high as 80-90% in certain malignancies. However, the effectiveness of this approach for cancers involving T-cell defects, such as multiple myeloma, pancreatic cancer, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), is much lower. The key questions currently facing the field are how to: i) enhance the potency and sustain the in vivo function of CAR T cells for such indications and ii) develop strategies to increase the resistance of CAR T cells to intrinsic and extrinsic dysfunction (e.g., immunosenescence, exhaustion, or other disease-specific defects). Because cell fate determination programs encoded in DNA are interpreted, modified, transmitted, and expanded as chromatin, we hypothesize that immunotherapy and reversal of T-cell dysfunction in cancer can be improved by broadly or specifically targeting appropriate epigenetic pathways. In this vein, we explore manipulation of the “writers” and “readers” of the histone code using genetic editing tools (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9) and chemical modifiers to convert poorly functional T cells to a state that renders these lymphocytes effective at tumor elimination. The basic understanding of T-cell biology in the context of epigenetic regulation may result in enhancement of cellular immunotherapy strategies, including the discovery of several actionable improvements to CAR T-cell therapy. Citation Format: Joseph A. Fraietta. Reprogramming the epigenome for enhancing CAR T-cell antitumor efficacy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2019 Nov 17-20; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2020;8(3 Suppl):Abstract nr IA13.
Influence of fellowship educational experience on practice patterns for adrenalectomy: A survey of recent AAES fellowship graduates.

Abstract Background Current practice patterns for adrenalectomy among endocrine surgeons is a limited area of study. Here we survey relatively junior endocrine surgeons regarding educational experiences in adrenalectomy and correlate these with current practice. Methods An electronic survey was sent to recent AAES-accredited fellowships graduates (2014–2019), querying adrenalectomy volume and approaches during fellowship and current practice patterns. Results Most graduates (63.2%) performed >20 adrenalectomies in fellowship. Exposure was greatest to open (94.1%) and laparoscopic transabdominal (92.6%) adrenalectomy, followed by retroperitoneoscopic (86.7%). The majority (73.5%) of respondents stated their current practice patterns are the same as their exposure during training. Preoperative diagnosis, side of lesion, and patient comorbidities were all ranked as significant predictors affecting choice of approach (p Conclusion The large majority of AAES fellowship graduates receive high-volume adrenalectomy experience in several approaches. The technique to which a trainee was exposed to most frequently was the greatest predictor for preferential approach in current practice.
The Bluegrass corpus: Audio-visual stimuli to investigate foreign accents.

The Bluegrass corpus includes sentences from 40 pairs of speakers. Participants from the Bluegrass Region rated one speaker from each pair as having a native North American English accent and the other as having a foreign accent (Experiment 1). Furthermore, speakers within each pair looked very similar in appearance, in that participants rated them similarly likely to speak with a foreign accent (Experiment 2). For each speaker we selected eight sentences based on participants’ ratings of difficulty (Experiment 3). The final corpus includes a selection of 640 sentences (80 speakers, 8 stimuli per speaker) freely available through the Open Science Framework. Each sentence can be downloaded in different formats (text, audio, video) so researchers can investigate how audio-visual information influences language processing. Researchers can contribute to the corpus by validating the stimuli with new populations, selecting additional sentences, or finding new TED videos featuring appropriate speakers to answer their research questions.
Negotiating Under the New EU Copyright Directive 2019/790 and GDPR

Directive 2019/790 expands copyright protections for copyright owners who share content online. This new regulatory regime further invokes the data transfer obligations of the GDPR, and licensors of online content, as well as licensees, must be aware of not only issues that may arise but leverage opportunities.
An empirical method to determine inadequacy of dietary water

Abstract Objectives The physiological regulation of total body water and fluid concentrations is complex and dynamic. The human daily water requirement varies because of differences in body size, dietary solute load, exercise, and activities. Although chronically concentrated urine increases the risk of renal diseases, an empirical method to determine inadequate daily water consumption has not been described for any demographic group; instead, statistical analyses are applied to estimate nutritional guidelines (i.e., adequate intake). This investigation describes a novel empirical method to determine the 24-h total fluid intake (TFI; TFI = water + beverages + moisture in food) and 24-h urine volume, which correspond to inadequate 24-h water intake (defined as urine osmolality of 800 mOsm/kg; U800). Methods Healthy young women (mean ± standard deviation; age, 20 ± 2 y, mass, 60.8 ± 11.7 kg; n = 28) were observed for 7 consecutive days. A 24-h urine sample was analyzed for volume and osmolality. Diet records were analyzed to determine 24-h TFI. Results For these 28 healthy young women, the U800 corresponded to a TFI ≥2.4 L/d (≥39 mL/kg/d) and a urine volume ≥1.3 L/d. Conclusions The U800 method could be employed to empirically determine 24-h TFI and 24-h urine volumes that correspond to inadequate water intake in diverse demographic groups, residents of specific geographic regions, and individuals who consume specialized diets or experience large daily water turnover. Because laboratory expertise and instrumentation are required, this technique provides greatest value in research and clinical settings.
Troubled Waters: Steamboat Disasters, River Improvements, and American Public Policy, 1821–1860

Review of: "Troubled Waters: Steamboat Disasters, River Improvements & American Public Policy 1821–1860," by Paul F. Paskoff.
On the durability of non-durable goods

Abstract Using both monthly and quarterly data, this paper shows that the durability rates of non-durable goods and services are significantly greater than zero, and in line with the prediction of the theory. The common practice of testing consumption and consumption-related models with the National Income and Product Account category of non-durables and services under the assumption of zero durability may thus be inappropriate.
Galanin receptor 1 gene expression is regulated by cyclic AMP through a CREB-dependent mechanism.

The galanin receptor-1 (GalR1) protein belongs to a family of G protein-coupled receptors for the neuropeptide galanin (GalR1, GalR2 and GalR3) distributed throughout the central and peripheral nervous system. Activation of galanin receptors by their ligands results in increased feeding, impaired learning, enhanced opiate analgesia and decreased opiate place preference. We have shown that opiate withdrawal, which is known to increase levels of cAMP in the locus coeruleus (LC), results in an increase in the number of galanin binding sites and the level of GalR1 mRNA in the LC. We have isolated a 3.6-kb fragment 5′ of the inititiation codon of the mouse GalR1 gene and generated a series of deletion mutations of this fragment driving expression of luciferase for use in transient transfection assays in PC12 and Cath.a cell lines. Treatment with forskolin, but not dideoxyforskolin, up-regulates GalR1 transcription, likely through elevation of cAMP levels. The region between − 1050 and − 700 base pairs upstream of exon one is necessary both for basal activity of the GalR1 promoter and for forskolin-mediated increases in transcription. The forskolin effect can be blocked by simultaneous mutation of a CRE-like site and a CRE/DRE-like site, but not mutation of either site alone. Gel shift and super-shift experiments demonstrate that the transcription factor CREB can bind to both sites and is likely to be responsible for the cAMP-mediated increase in GalR1 promoter activity. This study provides a molecular mechanism for the increased GalR1 expression in the LC seen following opiate withdrawal.
Mining, agricultural space and land use conflicts: The role of local government

Particularly in rural areas, where agriculture is a predominant livelihood activity and land use planning is either non-existent or poorly understood, local governments are unable to generate information for policy decisions in the mining sector. This makes local governments planning ineffective at addressing mining and agriculture land use displacement issues. This study quantifies the potential displacement of the agriculture industry activities by the activities of the mining industry on rural space. It also discusses the role of local governments planning and management strategies for mining related land use conflicts in rural areas. For this purpose, a case study has been conducted in the emerging Ghana's north-west gold province. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools, the economic base model, and geospatial tools have been integrated and used in GIS. The study finds that agricultural production in the districts just suffices local demand and insufficient for export. Apart from the potential displacement of cultivable lands and pastures by exploration and mining activities, the evidence also suggests a potential displacement of crop farmers and livestock in affected communities. In the wake of mining and exploration activities, district assemblies are expected to extend their coordinating role between economic diversification, food security and land use conflicts. The study's findings will enhance benchmark indicators for removing tensions and risk uncertainties associated with mining and exploration activities in the districts.
On the non-starlikeness of solutions to the starlike interior wake problem

We study examples of the starlike interior "wake problem" for which no starlike solution exists relative to the natural star center of the problem. These examples show that the main result of D.E. Tepper in "A mathematical model for a wake" (Michigan Math. J. 31 (1984), 161-165) is not correct.
Role of Cholesteryl Ester (CE) Hydrolase Mediated Mobilization of Intracellular CE in Regulating Inflammasome Activation

Cellular cholesterol content and inflammatory pathways are thought to be linked but the underlying mechanisms are not completely defined. Dramatic (>20 fold) reduction in circulating IL-1b in macro...
Lossless snubber circuits for current doubler rectifiers to reduce reverse-recovery losses

Current doubler rectifier (CDR) is one of the best candidates for high output current DC-DC converters. In this paper, several conventional CDR snubber circuits are evaluated, and two passive lossless snubber circuits for the CDR are proposed to reduce the reverse-recovery-related losses and clamp the voltage spikes across the rectifiers. The snubber circuits are tested and verified experimentally, and higher efficiency is achieved when compared to the conventional resistive snubbers.
Book Review: The Big Short Shrift

This is a book review of: Michael Lewis, The Big Short (W.W. Norton and Company, New York; 2010) and Gregory Zuckerman, The Greatest Trade Ever (Crown Business, New York; 2009).
Network Centrality of Customers and Suppliers

We construct network centrality measures for customer and supplier industries in the U.S. economy. Consistent with Ahern, et al. (2014), we find central suppliers have higher levels of systematic risk than central customers and therefore more exposed to sectoral shocks. We posit that central suppliers have incentives to channel funds to their customers via trade credit. Our empirical results are consistent with such a view. We find that the cash to cashflow sensitivity and value of cash is significantly higher for central suppliers than non-central firms, even among those financially unconstrained. In contrast, central customers have no cash to cash flow sensitivity, consistent with supplier trade credit redistribution helping to relieve customers’ financial constraints. Using the 2008 financial crisis as an exogenous shock, we document that central suppliers with high pre-crisis liquidity decrease their investment, while only customers without central suppliers are sensitive to the crisis. Similarly, only customers without central suppliers are sensitive in their payable days to the crisis.
Microbial Inhibition by Food Preservatives

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the mechanism of the antimicrobial action brought about by chemical substances and possible applications of this knowledge in the food industries. Most in vitro tests of the activity of chemical agents on microbial cells concentrate the attention of the investigator on the limiting cases. The actual measurements made and reported is either in terms of the lowest concentration of a chemical agent required to bring about an effect, or in terms of the shortest time of action required for a certain concentration of the chemical to exhibit its antimicrobial action under stated environmental conditions. By such methods, one presumably studies the inhibition of that one mechanism in the cell most sensitive to the chemical under test. Several cell-destroying mechanisms are exhibited by a single chemical agent and the effectiveness of the chemical is a summation of the several actions.