cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Robust Mapping of Dynamic Programming onto a Graphics Processing Unit

Graphics processing units (GPUs) have been widely used to accelerate algorithms that exhibit massive data parallelism or task parallelism. When such parallelism is not inherent in an algorithm, computational scientists resort to simply replicating the algorithm on every multiprocessor of a NVIDIA GPU, for example, to create such parallelism, resulting in embarrassingly parallel ensemble runs that deliver significant aggregate speed-up. However, the fundamental issue with such ensemble runs is that the problem size to achieve this speed-up is limited to the available shared memory and cache of a GPU multiprocessor. An example of the above is dynamic programming (DP), one of the Berkeley 13 dwarfs. All known DP implementations to date use the coarse-grained approach of embarrassingly parallel ensemble runs because a fine-grained parallelization on the GPU would require extensive communication between the multiprocessors of a GPU, which could easily cripple performance as communication between multiprocessors is not natively supported in a GPU. Consequently, we address the above by proposing a fine-grained parallelization of a single instance of the DP algorithm that is mapped to the GPU. Our parallelization incorporates a set of techniques aimed to substantially improve GPU performance: matrix re-alignment, coalesced memory access, tiling, and GPU (rather than CPU) synchronization. The specific DP algorithm that we parallelize is called Smith-Waterman (SWat), which is an optimal local-sequence alignment algorithm. We then use this SWat algorithm as a baseline to compare our GPU implementation, i.e., CUDA-SWat, to our implementation on the Cell Broadband Engine, i.e., Cell-SWat.
On the Principle of not Feeling the Boundary for Diffusion Processes

We derive the principle of not feeling the boundary for the transition density function of a diffusion process from its basic short-time logarithmic asymptotic relation. This allows us to extend this principle for more general diffusion processes.
Oral Rehydration Therapy

The Committee on Nutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports the concept of the use of the oral route for rehydration and maintenance hydration of infants with enteritis as reviewed in this issue by Santosham et al. We place emphasis more forcefully on distinguishing the different stages of physiologic disturbance in such infants which, therefore, slightly changes our emphasis in the recommendations for therapy. Even for mild dehydration, three stages are recognized: a state of clinical dehydration requiring rehydration, a maintenance fluid stage after hydration is achieved, and an early refeeding stage in which nutrition is restored. These stages may merge into one another quickly, and in some patientsthe rehydration period may not ever present.
Achievable rate regions for broadcast channels with cognitive relays

We investigate the fundamental limits of broadcast channels with cognitive relays. Specifically, we develop a new coding strategy and the associated achievable rate regions for the broadcast channel with two receivers and two additional cognitive relays. The new achievable rate regions exhibit potentially higher rates than existing schemes. We also consider a simplified model where there is only one cognitive relay. In this scenario we develop a general coding strategy that includes most existing schemes over the cognitive radio channel. We demonstrate the advantages associated with our generalized coding scheme for a broadcast channel with a single cognitive relay in Gaussian noise.
The Fate of Equality in a Technological Civilization.

The meaning of equality has been radically altered since the Enlightenment. In the 18th century, equality acquired political and economic meanings specifically in the contexts of democracy and capitalism. Today, the context in which equality is understood and practiced is technology as our most immediate and compelling environment. Moreover, the reality of equality contradicts the ideology of equality within this technological context: The ideology of equality as pluralism and cultural and communicative equality is contradicted by the reality of group conformity and group competition on the one hand and uniformity on the other hand.
Do species evenness and plant density influence the magnitude of selection and complementarity effects in annual plant species mixtures

Plant species richness influences primary productivity via mechanisms that (1) favour species with particular traits (selection effect) and (2) promote niche differentiation between species (complementarity). Influences of species evenness, plant density and other properties of plant communities on productivity are poorly defined, but may depend on whether selection or complementarity prevails in species mixtures. We predicted that selection effects are insensitive to species evenness but increase with plant density, and that the converse is true for complementarity. To test predictions, we grew three species of annuals in monocultures and in three-species mixtures in which evenness of established plants was varied at each of three plant densities in a cultivated field in Texas, USA. Above-ground biomass was smaller in mixtures than expected from monocultures because of negative complementarity and a negative selection effect. Neither selection nor complementarity varied with species evenness, but selection effects increased at the greatest plant density as predicted.
Reboxetine: A Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor for the Treatment of Depression

OBJECTIVE:To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and tolerability of reboxetine in the treatment of major depressive illness.DATA SOURCES:A MEDLINE search restricted to English-language literature was conducted (1966 to July 1999). Abstracts and posters presented at meetings were also reviewed.DATA EXTRACTION/STUDY SELECTION:Studies currently available were conducted in Europe. Data from clinical trials were reviewed to gather information specific to efficacy analysis, pharmacokinetic parameters, tolerability profiles, and drug—drug interactions. Information on reboxetine was compared with other antidepressant therapies when appropriate data were available.DATA SYNTHESIS:Reboxetine is a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor shown to be an effective agent in the treatment of major depressive illness. In clinical trials, reboxetine was effective in decreasing mean total scores of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression in adult populations. Improvements were similar between reboxetin...
A system for developing engineering changes

Presents a method for developing and implementing engineering changes. This method comprehensively addresses the many aspects of the proposal development process. The process directs estimates of labor hours and material costs, identification of technical interfaces, performance analyses, and examination of impacts attributable to the change. An automated proposal assistant avoids the trap of oversophistication but satisfies needs for interactivity. Comprehensive automated help was developed to perform proposal preparation efficiently and to catalog completed work in the library. Links to program management tools give the system power to help plan, monitor, and control each change project. User and operator manuals, along with a well-tailored training program, give the user the confidence to master the system and produce a persuasive proposal. >
Optimal collision-free path planning of two mobile robots

An offline discrete-time collision-free path-planning scheme to allow two mobile robots to work in a common space is described. The problem is formalized as a minimax time collision-free path search problem. The degree of freedom of the problem is first reduced by applying the collision-free constraint. Subsequently, the solution is found by three levels of search. The golden-section search method is applied to reduce the amount of search required. >
The administration of IL-12/GM-CSF and Ig-4-1BB ligand markedly decreases murine floor of mouth squamous cell cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To assess immune-based gene therapy in a murine floor of mouth (FOM) squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) model.STUDY DESIGN: In vitro and in vivo testing of immune therapy for SCC.METHODS: Mul...
Ultrametric Semantics of Reactive Programs

We describe a denotational model of higher-order functional reactive programming using ultra metric spaces and non expansive maps, which provide a natural Cartesian closed generalization of causal stream functions and guarded recursive definitions. We define a type theory corresponding to this semantics and show that it satisfies normalization. Finally, we show how to efficiently implement reactive programs written in this language using an imperatively updated data flow graph, and give a separation logic proof that this low-level implementation is correct with respect to the high-level semantics.
Herbal medicine: from the past to the future

A brief discussion of the history of the use of herbal medicines from prehistoric times to the mid-twentieth century precedes an explanation of why usage of such remedies in the United States declined in the 1940s but returned to popularity in the 1980s. The provisions of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 are presented together with its perceived influence, both positive and negative, on the health of the American people. Possible futures of herbal medicines are considered. The negative viewpoint that they will ultimately be rejected is refuted, and the more optimistic prediction that herbs are ultimately destined to become a part of mainstream medicine is defended. Stumbling blocks to such acceptance are evaluated and methods of overcoming them suggested. The urgent need for the development of a sensible regulatory environment encouraging the approval of botanicals as drugs is emphasized. After predicting a bright future for rational phytomedicines, the author opines that many of them will eventually play significant roles in medicinal practice.
Effect of Bt-toxin (Cry1Ac) in Transgenic Cotton on the Adult Longevity of Four Heteropteran Predators

The management of agroecosystems affects intricately linked assemblages of organisms, and nontarget species are not necessarily unimpacted. We examined the effect of Bt-cotton and of lepidopteran prey (Spodoptera exigua Hubner) that had ingested it on the adult survivorship of four important heteropteran predators of cotton pests. Longevity significantly decreased for Orius tristicolor White and Geocoris punctipes Say (by 28 and 27% of the control value, respectively), whereas no effect was found for Nabis sp. and Zelus renardii Kolenati. This finding contrasts with the results of previous studies in which Orius spp. and G. punctipes were either fed only plant material or nonlepidopteran prey. S. exigua is a lepidopteran with low susceptibility to the Bt toxin expressed in cotton and therefore exemplifies the possible effect on predators of lepidopteran pests that would become resistant to Bt. The importance of Bt toxin type, the difference between plants and prey and between different prey species as routes of ingestion of Bt toxins, and the need for studies assessing the population and ecosystem-level effects of Bt cotton are discussed.
Generating and Interpreting Referring Expressions as Belief State Planning and Plan Recognition

Planning-based approaches to reference provide a uniform treatment of linguistic decisions, from content selection to lexical choice. In this paper, we show how the issues of lexical ambiguity, vagueness, unspecific descriptions, ellipsis, and the interaction of subsective modifiers can be expressed using a belief-state planner modified to support context-dependent actions. Because the number of distinct denotations it searches grows doublyexponentially with the size of the referential domain, we present representational and search strategies that make generation and interpretation tractable.
Inhibition of Xylene Isomerization in the Production of Renewable Aromatic Chemicals from Biomass-Derived Furans

Inhibition of p-xylene isomerization in the presence of H-Y (Si/Al 2.6) and H-BEA (Si/Al 12.5) zeolites was studied under conditions relevant to p-xylene production from 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) and ethylene. Through examination of the reaction components, it was shown that both DMF and 2,5-hexanedione inhibit transalkylation and methyl shift reactions of p-xylene, while other reaction components, water and ethylene, do not. Retention of Bronsted acid sites after the reaction was shown through the use of 27Al NMR for both H-Y and H-BEA zeolites, but with a reduction in the ratio of tetrahedrally coordinated aluminum (strong acid sites) to octahedrally coordinated aluminum (Lewis acid sites) coinciding with the disappearance of the framework aluminum. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy has shown preferential adsorption of DMF and 2,5-hexanedione (DMF + H2O) relative to p-xylene to the Bronsted acid sites located in the super and sodalite cages of the H-Y. Desorption characteristics for DMF and p-xylene in H-Y...
HCP-16POPULATION-BASED SURVIVAL RATES FROM HIGH GRADE GLIOMA (HGG) ARE NOT IMPROVED BY INCREASED CHEMOTHERAPY USE

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials favor aggressive therapy for glioblastoma. Maximally safe surgical resection, radiotherapy, and temozolomide chemotherapy are considered standards of care. However, it is unclear if these treatments improve population-based overall survival, as the selection criteria used in clinical trials are often relatively narrow. METHODS: We prospectively collected patients registered in a population-based database for primary HGGs (n = 363) treated in Rochester, NY from 2000 to 2014. We sought to track survival trends and evaluate treatment efficacies. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 61 years. The majority of patients were white (94.5%) with glioblastoma (77.7%). Most (84.3%) had died (all causes) during the follow-up interval. Overall, patients who received combination treatment of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy have better survival (median 490.0 days) than those who received combination of surgery and radiation therapy (median 239.0 days, p < 0.001) or surgery alone (median 95.0 days, p < 0.001). We further grouped patients into three time periods for comparison: 2000 to 2004, 2005 to 2009, and 2010 to 2014. We found no appreciable differences in the median, 6-month, and 2-year survivals between each time interval (median survival time: 368.0 vs. 360.0 vs. 358.0 days, respectively). Notably, the rate of combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy significantly increased over the time (32.5% vs. 64.0% vs. 67.6%, respectively). We also observed that patients who received surgery and radiation therapy had a better survival time during 2000 to 2004 (median 275.5 days) compared to those in 2005 to 2009 (median 89.0 days, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that while temozolomide chemotherapy clearly improves survival with HGG, its benefit is limited to a subset of patients. Expanding its use to all HGG as is now common practice does not improve overall patient population survival. A more personalized usage strategy for temozolomide is needed.
What Foreign Policy Makers Want From Foreign Policy Researchers

In an effort to address the question of how scholarly research products can be made more relevant to foreign policy makers, the authors undertake a systematic analysis of government-sponsored external research on foreign affairs to determine the kinds of products in which practitioners are most interested. Beyond mapping the foreign affairs external research domain to determine the nature of the scholarly products sought by policy makers, the study compares the funding emphases of various agencies that have foreign affairs interests to see to what extent these emphases reflect different research orientations, as well as a distinctiveness of missions among the members of the foreign policy establishment. Two basic conclusions are drawn from the study. First, contrary to much conventional wisdom, the foreign policy establishment supports a substantial amount of research that is basic (as opposed to applied), global in scope (as opposed to regionally specific), international in disciplinary orientation (as opposed to national or cross-national), and temporally open-ended (as opposed to immediate). There is no indication from this study that scholarly research would be more supported and used by policy makers if it were more problem-specific. Second, one must be careful in generalizing about the research needs of foreign affairs practitioners insofar as there is considerable differentiation among agencies with respect to the nature of the scholarly products in which they are interested.
Evaluation and Decision for the Life-cycle Management of Grid Assets

In order to help state grid corporation to carry out asset cost analysis and operational efficiency analysis, a method of pre-evaluation, control optimization and ex-post evaluation from three aspects of time, object and management is proposed, which takes equipment maintenance costs and operation reliability and other factors into consideration. Using the method, a life-cycle asset management(LCAM) job based on condition and risk assessment is carried out. Meanwhile, the method is integrated with the assessment and decision system of LCAM in order to get optimized strategies for asset design, asset procurement and maintenance. At present, the method has been fully applied to the state grid corporation and achieves good results.
Satellite detection of soil moisture related water stress impacts on ecosystem productivity using the MODIS-based photochemical reflectance index

Abstract Satellite remote sensing provides continuous observations of vegetation properties that can be used to estimate global terrestrial ecosystem gross primary production (GPP). The Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) has been shown to be sensitive to vegetation photosynthetic light use efficiency (LUE), GPP and canopy water-stress. Here, we use the NASA EOS MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) based PRI with eddy covariance CO2 flux measurements and meteorological observations from 20 tower sites representing major plant functional type (PFT) classes within the continental USA (CONUS) to assess GPP sensitivity to soil moisture related water stress. The sPRI (scaled PRI) metric derived using MODIS band 13 as a reference channel (sPRI13) shows generally higher correspondence with tower GPP estimates than other potential MODIS reference bands. The sPRI13 observations were used as a proxy for soil moisture related water supply constraints to LUE within a satellite data driven terrestrial carbon flux model to estimate GPP (GPPPRI). The GPPPRI calculations show generally favorable correspondence with tower GPP estimates (0.457 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.818), except for lower GPPPRI performance over evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) sites. A regional model sensitivity analysis using the sPRI13 as a water supply proxy indicated that water restrictions limit GPP over more than 21% of the CONUS domain, particularly in drier climate areas where atmospheric moisture deficits (VPD) alone are insufficient to represent both atmosphere demand and water supply controls affecting productivity. Our results indicate strong potential of the MODIS sPRI13 to represent soil moisture related water supply controls influencing photosynthesis, with enhanced (1-km resolution) delineation of these processes closer to the scale of in situ tower observations. These observations may provide an effective tool for characterizing sub-grid spatial heterogeneity in soil moisture related controls that inform coarser scale observations and estimates determined from other satellite observations and earth system models.
CARS microscope enables BISTRO measurements

Nonlinear optical spectroscopies and microscopies offer a number of advantages compared to their linear counterparts. In a particular example of coherent Raman and Brillouin microscopies, they both afford substantially stronger signals enhanced by coherent excitation and much better sectioning capabilities due to the nonlinear nature of optical interactions. In this report, we demonstrate how both coherent Raman spectroscopy and coherent Brillouin spectroscopy can be combined together for simultaneous assessment of local chemical and physical properties.
X-ray absorption and Raman spectroscopy studies of molybdenum environments in borosilicate waste glasses

Abstract Mo-containing high-level nuclear waste borosilicate glasses were investigated as part of an effort to improve Mo loading while avoiding yellow phase crystallization. Previous work showed that additions of vanadium decrease yellow phase formation and increases Mo solubility. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize Mo environments in HLW borosilicate glasses and to investigate possible structural relationships between Mo and V. Mo XAS spectra for the glasses indicate isolated tetrahedral Mo6+O4 with Mo-O distances near 1.75 A. V XANES indicate tetrahedral V5+O4 as the dominant species. Raman spectra show composition dependent trends, where Mo-O symmetrical stretch mode frequencies (ν1) are sensitive to the mix of alkali and alkaline earth cations, decreasing by up to 10 cm−1 for glasses that change from Li+ to Na+ as the dominant network-modifying species. This indicates that MoO4 tetrahedra are isolated from the borosilicate network and are surrounded, at least partly, by Na+ and Li+. Secondary ν1 frequency effects, with changes up to 7 cm−1, were also observed with increasing V2O5 and MoO3 content. These secondary trends may indicate MoO4-MoO4 and MoO4-VO4 clustering, suggesting that V additions may stabilize Mo in the matrix with respect to yellow phase formation.
Automated inverse optimization facilitates lower doses to normal tissue in pancreatic stereotactic body radiotherapy

PURPOSE Inverse planning is trial-and-error iterative process. This work introduces a fully automated inverse optimization approach, where the treatment plan is closely tailored to the unique patient anatomy. The auto-optimization is applied to pancreatic stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS The automation is based on stepwise reduction of dose-volume histograms (DVHs). Five uniformly spaced points, from 1% to 70% of the organ at risk (OAR) volumes, are used. Doses to those DVH points are iteratively decreased through multiple optimization runs. With each optimization run the doses to the OARs are decreased, while the dose homogeneity over the target is increased. The iterative process is terminated when a pre-specified dose heterogeneity over the target is reached. Twelve pancreatic cases were retrospectively studied. Doses to the target, maximum doses to duodenum, bowel, stomach, and spinal cord were evaluated. In addition, mean doses to liver and kidneys were tallied. The auto-optimized plans were compared to the actual treatment plans, which are based on national protocols. RESULTS The prescription dose to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV) is the same for the treatment and the auto-optimized plans. The average difference for maximum doses to duodenum, bowel, stomach, and spinal cord are -4.6 Gy, -1.8 Gy, -1.6 Gy, and -2.4 Gy respectively. The negative sign indicates lower doses with the auto-optimization. The average differences in the mean doses to liver and kidneys are -0.6 Gy, and -1.1 Gy to -1.5 Gy respectively. CONCLUSIONS Automated inverse optimization holds great potential for personalization and tailoring of radiotherapy to particular patient anatomies. It can be utilized for normal tissue sparing or for an isotoxic dose escalation.
Enhancement-mode two-channel triple quantum dot from an undoped Si/Si0.8Ge0.2 quantum well hetero-structure.

We demonstrate coupled triple dot operation and charge sensing capability for the recently introduced quantum dot technology employing undoped Si/Si0.8Ge0.2 hetero-structures which also incorporate a single metal-gate layer to simplify fabrication [Lu et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 109, 093102 (2016)]. Si/SiGe hetero-structures with a Ge concentration of 20% rather than the more usual 30% typically encountered offer higher electron mobility. The devices consist of two in-plane parallel electron channels that host a double dot in one channel and a single dot in the other channel. In a device where the channels are sufficiently close a triple dot in a triangular configuration is induced leading to regions in the charge stability diagram where three charge-addition lines of different slope approach each other and anti-cross. In a device where the channels are further apart, the single dot charge-senses the double dot with relative change of ∼2% in the sensor current.
Influence of Maximal Running Shoes on Biomechanics Before and After a 5K Run.

Background:Lower extremity injuries are common among runners. Recent trends in footwear have included minimal and maximal running shoe types. Maximal running shoes are unique because they provide t...
Effect of Fatigue on Medial Elbow Torque in Baseball Pitchers: A Simulated Game Analysis:

Background:The incidence of overuse injury to the elbow among baseball pitchers continues to rise, despite extensive efforts at pitch count regulations and emphasis on proper throwing mechanics.Pur...
Green Tea: The Plants, Processing, Manufacturing and Production

Green tea is sourced from Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze (Theaceae), the same species from which white, oolong, black and pu-erh teas are derived. The various tea types are classified on the basis of their processing, and the associated oxidation and fermentation levels that influence taste and aroma profiles. Green tea is a minimally oxidized and non-fermented tea. Catechin polyphenols are the primary compounds responsible for the health claims of green tea, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Caffeine contributes to green tea's stimulant properties, while the amino acid theanine contributes to its relaxing properties. Significant variation in catechin and caffeine content occurs in green tea types depending on environmental conditions of growth, and processing conditions.
Upregulation of cytochrome P450 1A2 in chronic renal failure: does oxidized tryptophan play a role?

Earlier studies from this laboratory have shown that L-tryptophan, after oxidation by either UV-irradiation or ozone induces aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) transformation and binding of the liganded AhR complex to its specific DNA recognition site, thereby inducing transcription ofCyplalgene with concomitant increase of CYP1A1 protein and activity in cells in culture. In the present investigation, we investigated the expression of CYP1A2 in the liver and kidney in chronic renal failure (CRF). The results demonstrate that CYP1A2 protein abundance was upregulated in both the liver and kidney tissues of the CRF group compared to the sham-operated controls.
Implement Even and Odd Stacked Frequency Bins in Cascade Non-Maximally Decimated Analysis and Synthesis Filter Banks

A variable bandwidth filter is formed by a cascade of non-maximally decimated analysis and synthesis filter banks connected by an adjustable binary mask. The mask selects a subset of baseband output ports from the analysis bank to be merged to a single wider bandwidth super filter by the synthesis filter bank. To form a real symmetric spectral response matching negative and positive frequency channels filters are processed by the synthesis filter bank. Two options, called even and odd channel stacking, place channel centers at even integer multiples or odd integer multiples of fs/(2M). The frequencies of the even stacking set match the center frequencies of the IDFT while the frequencies of the odd stacking set are offset to the midpoints of the even stacked frequencies. The algorithms for the even and odd stacked versions of the polyphaser filters differ in significant ways which makes it difficult to switch between the two versions. In this paper we first review the architectures of the two filter stacking options and then present a new architecture which permits seamless switching between the two stacking modes.
Automating the detection of third-party Java library migration at the function level

The process of migrating between different third-party libraries is very complex. Typically, developers need to find functions in the new library that are most adequate in replacing the functions of the retired library. This process is subjective and time-consuming as developers need to fully understand the documentation of both libraries' Application Programming Interfaces, and find the right match between their functions if it exists. In this context, several studies rely on mining existing library migrations to provide developers with by-example approaches for similar scenarios. In this paper, we propose a mining approach that extracts all the manually-performed function replacements for a given library migration. Our approach combines the mined function-change patterns with function-related lexical similarity to accurately detect mappings between replacing/replaced functions. Using our enhanced mining process, we perform a comparative study between state-of-art approaches for detecting migration traces at the function level. Our findings have shown its efficiency in accurately detecting migration fragments and it has enhanced the accuracy of state-of-art approaches in finding correct functions changes. We finally provide the community with a dataset of migrations between popular Java libraries, and their corresponding code changes at the function level.
Hyphomycetes Acuáticos en Chile: estudio en el Estero de Limache; un afluente del Río Aconcagua

Mediante toma de muestras seriadas efectuadas en el transcurso de un ano, se estudia la presencia de Hyphomycetes acuaticos aplicando la tecnica de filtrado de las aguas segun el metodo de lqbal y Webster (1973). Se contabilizaron los conidios de hongos acuaticos y algunos terrestres, junto a las diatomeas retenidas en los filtros, analizando cualitativa y cuantitativamente los resultados con algunas variables del medio ambiente tales como: Oxigeno disuelto, Nitratos, Amonios, Temperatura, Pluviosidad y efectos estacionales. Se detectaron formas conidiales correspondientes a 13 generos y 20 especies de Hyphomycetes acuaticos. Las especies dominantes fueron: Alatospora acuminata lngold, Flagellospora penicillioides lngold, Tetracladium marchalianum de Wild, Trisc ophorus monosporus lngold y Triscelophorus sp. C.
Prognostic Significance of Sites of Visceral Metastatic Disease in Prostate Cancer: A Population-based Study of 12,180 Patients.

Introduction Metastatic prostate cancer (MPC) prognosis is variable. Few population-based studies have examined the impact of particular visceral metastatic sites on MPC survival outcomes. We investigated this using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Materials and methods We analyzed the overall survival (OS) and prostate cancer mortality (PCM) risk of 12,180 patients, from SEER 18 registries, diagnosed with MPC from 2010 to 2014. We identified those with metastatic disease in bone, brain, liver, and lung. Kaplan-Meier analyses, competing risks regression, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the impact of visceral metastatic disease sites on OS and PCM. Results Most patients were coded as having metastatic disease in the bone without disease in the brain, liver, or lung (bone group, n = 10,620; 87% of total). On Cox multivariable regression analysis, patients with lung metastases, with or without bone metastases, did not differ significantly from patients in the bone group with respect to OS (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.63-1.06; P = .13 and hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.98-1.28; P = .10, respectively). These patients also did not differ from the bone group with respect to PCM incidence on competing risks regression analysis. Conclusions This study suggests that patients with MPC confined to bone and/or lung may have improved survival relative to those with MPC affecting other visceral sites. Although it was anticipated that patients with bone metastases would represent a favorable subgroup, the favorable outcomes in patents with lung metastases (with or without bone metastases) was unexpected. These findings may inform future therapeutic investigations to improve the prognosis of patients with MPC.
Superoxide increases surface NKCC2 in the rat thick ascending limbs via PKC.

The apical Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter (NKCC2) mediates NaCl reabsorption by the thick ascending limb (TAL). The free radical superoxide (O2−) stimulates TAL NaCl absorption by enhancing NKCC2 activi...
DNA methylation-based forensic age estimation in human bone

Abstract DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification of cytosine nucleotides that represents a promising suite of aging markers with broad potential applications. In particular, determining an individual’s age from their skeletal remains is an enduring problem in the field of forensic anthropology, and one that epigenetic markers are particularly well-suited to address. However, all DNA methylation-based age prediction methods published so far focus on tissues other than bone. While high accuracy has been achieved for saliva, blood and sperm, which are easily accessible in living individuals, the highly tissue-specific nature of DNA methylation patterns means that age prediction models trained on these particular tissues may not be directly applicable to other tissues. Bone is a prime target for the development of DNA methylation-based forensic identification tools as skeletal remains are often recoverable for years post-mortem, and well after soft tissues have decomposed. In this study, we generate genome-wide DNA methylation data from 32 individual bone samples. We analyze this new dataset alongside published data from 133 additional bone donors, both living and deceased. We perform an epigenome-wide association study on this combined dataset to identify 108 sites of DNA methylation that show a significant relationship with age (FDR
Palladium-Coated Platinum Powders with Tunable, Nanostructured Surfaces for Applications in Catalysis

Simultaneous control of nanoscale surface morphology and composition remains a challenge in preparing bimetallic catalysts, particularly at the large scale required for industrial application and with high-surface-area substrates. Atomic layer electroless deposition (ALED) is a scalable approach to prepare surface-modified metal powders in which elements more noble than the surface hydrides of the substrate metal are deposited layer-by-layer in a surface-limited fashion. Herein we demonstrate that high-surface-area Pt powder is a viable substrate for controlled deposition of Pd adlayers using this technique, with the potential for large-scale preparation, for use in electrocatalytic and catalytic applications such as fuel cells and functionalization of petrochemical feedstocks. Two different growth mechanisms have been proposed based on bulk and surface Pd atomic fractions obtained from atomic absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. Further, spectral simulations were pe...
Recognizing Risks and Optimizing Perioperative Care to Reduce Respiratory Complications in the Pediatric Patient

There have been significant advancements in the safe delivery of anesthesia as well as improvements in surgical technique; however, the perioperative period can still be high risk for the pediatric patient. Perioperative respiratory complications (PRCs) are some of the most common critical events that can occur in pediatric surgical patients and they can lead to increased length of hospitalization, worsened patient outcomes, and higher hospital and postoperative costs. It is important to determine the various factors that put pediatric patients at increased risk of PRCs. This will allow for more detailed and accurate informed consent, optimized perioperative management strategy, improved allocation of clinical resources, and, hopefully, better patient experience. There are only a few risk prediction models/scoring tools developed for and validated in the pediatric patient population, but they have been useful in helping identify the key factors associated with a high likelihood of developing PRCs. Some of these factors are patient factors, while others are procedure-related factors. Some of these factors may be modified such that the patient’s clinical status is optimized preoperatively to decrease the risk of PRCs occurring perioperatively. Fore knowledge of the factors that are not able to be modified can help guide allocation of perioperative clinical resources such that the negative impact of these non-modifiable factors is buffered. Additional training in pediatric anesthesia or focused expertise in pediatric airway management, vascular access and management of massive hemorrhage should be considered for the perioperative management of the less than 3 age group. Intraoperative ventilation strategy plays a key role in determining respiratory outcomes for both adult and pediatric surgical patients. Key components of lung protective mechanical ventilation strategy such as low tidal volume and moderate PEEP used in the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in pediatric intensive care units have been adopted in pediatric operating rooms. Adequate post-operative analgesia that balances pain control with appropriate mental status and respiratory drive is important in reducing PRCs.
Reflexive Airway Sensorimotor Responses in Individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Progressive motor denervation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) leads to reduced expiratory cough flow and diminished airway clearance physiologic capacity. Although ALS is thought to primarily impact motor systems, preliminary data from our laboratory suggest degradation of afferent pathways that regulate reflexive cough responses to radiographically confirmed aspiration. We, therefore, aimed to delineate both sensory and motor responses to a tussigenic airway irritant in individuals with ALS compared to healthy controls. Thirty-two individuals with ALS and 34 healthy age and gender-matched controls completed reflex cough testing. Capsaicin stimuli (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 μM) were presented in a randomized three-block design and motor (cough spirometry metrics) and sensory (patient-rated urge to cough, UtC) ratings collected. ALS patients underwent videofluoroscopy with penetration-aspiration ratings completed. Descriptives, Mann–Whitney U, and mixed models ANOVAs were performed. Sensory: Individuals with ALS demonstrated greater UtC sensitivity slopes (i.e., increased stimulus sensitivity) vs. healthy controls (p = 0.036). Within the ALS group, however, silent aspirators (PAS = 8) demonstrated blunted UtC sensitivity slopes compared to ALS patients who did not (PAS ≤ 7, p = 0.0001). Motor: Compared to healthy controls, ALS individuals demonstrated reduced peak expiratory flow rates (p = 0.004), longer peak expiratory rise time (p = 0.017), and lower cough volume acceleration (p = 0.000). ALS individuals demonstrated increased sensitivity to an upper airway irritant; however, they demonstrated slower and weaker expiratory cough motor output compared to healthy controls. In ALS silent aspirators, blunted sensorimotor responses were observed, suggesting that sensory degradation may occur at the final or most severe stage of bulbar disease progression.
On the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Occupational Experiences of the Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault Workforce.

In the face of increasing risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to understand the experiences of the workforce providing support to survivors, as well as the evolving service delivery methods, shifting safety planning approaches, and occupational stress of frontline workers. We addressed this gap by conducting an online survey of members of IPV and sexual assault workforce using a broad, web-based recruitment strategy. In total, 352 staff from 24 states participated. We collaborated with practitioner networks and anti-violence coalitions to develop the brief survey, which included questions about work and health, safety planning, and stress. We used chi-square, t-test, and ANOVA analysis techniques to analyze differences within position and demographic variables. For qualitative data, we used thematic analysis to analyze responses from four open-ended questions. The sample was majority female-identified (93.7%) and essential workers in dual IPV and sexual assault programs (80.7%). Findings demonstrated that since the pandemic began, IPV and sexual assault staff are experiencing more personal and professional stressors, perceive a decrease in client safety, and lack resources needed to help survivors and themselves. Common problems included a lack of food or supplies at home and work and housing and financial support for survivors. There was a 51% increase in the use of video conference for work, which contributed to workforce strain. Reductions in overall service capacity and a shift to remote service provision have implications for both survivors and staff. These findings suggest a critical need for additional training, infrastructure, and support for the IPV and sexual assault workforce. There is an urgent need to classify IPV and sexual assault staff as first responders and address the occupational stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Microgrid decision-making by public power utilities in the United States: A critical assessment of adoption and technological profiles

Abstract The paper provides a critical review of microgrid development in the U.S., with an emphasis on the rationales for adoption and the technology configurations that are evident in large U.S. public power utilities. To do so, this study outlines specific historical and contemporary developments for the technology. It then tests deployment objectives from the literature for resonance with the adoption logic of large public power utilities that have community microgrids. Four conceptual models are identified, representing differing rationale for adoption and technology profiles. Broadly, this research finds that public power utilities with microgrid technologies have taken an incremental design approach that has not typically started with an explicit plan to island the system. In evaluating microgrid designs, the utilities leverage existing assets and respond to community priorities. The study also highlights the critical role of learning as a utility objective and as justification for technology investments. Clean/renewable policies play a more significant role than microgrid-specific policies for the public power utilities that are studied. Additionally, the study finds that two market structures factor in how microgrid deployment is shaped, namely market rules that allow users to avoid costs through load management; and market rules that facilitate the sale of energy and grid services in multilateral markets Finally, the study indicates that microgrid technology is currently reframing how distributed energy resources are conceived and interact with greater system-related value. Future research could explore additional types of business models to shed light on further values in existing circumstances and across multiple scales.
Single virus detection using phase imaging with computational specificity (PICS)

In this study, we use phase imaging with computational specificity (PICS) to detect single Adenovirus and SARS-CoV2 particles. These viruses are sub-diffraction particles, with maximum diameter of approximately 120nm, which implies that we cannot fully visualize their internal structure. However, due to the very high spatial sensitivity of SLIM (0.3 nm pathlength), we can detect and localize individual viruses and, furthermore, using deep learning, classify them with high accuracy.
Bilingual alignment transfers to multilingual alignment for unsupervised parallel text mining

This work presents methods for learning cross-lingual sentence representations using paired or unpaired bilingual texts. We hypothesize that the cross-lingual alignment strategy is transferable, and therefore a model trained to align only two languages can encode multilingually more aligned representations. And such transfer from bilingual alignment to multilingual alignment is a dual-pivot transfer from two pivot languages to other language pairs. To study this theory, we train an unsupervised model with unpaired sentences and another single-pair supervised model with bitexts, both based on the unsupervised language model XLM-R. The experiments evaluate the models as universal sentence encoders on the task of unsupervised bitext mining on two datasets, where the unsupervised model reaches the state of the art of unsupervised retrieval, and the alternative single-pair supervised model approaches the performance of multilingually supervised models. The results suggest that bilingual training techniques as proposed can be applied to get sentence representations with higher multilingual alignment.
Impact of Electrostatic Perturbations on Proximity Operations in High Earth Orbits

A range of upcoming missions propose to rendezvous in high Earth orbits, including the geostationary orbit region. This region is known to periodically experience high levels of electrostatic charg...
Dnmt1a is essential for gene body methylation and the regulation of zygotic genome activation in the wasp

Abstract Gene body methylation (GBM) is an ancestral aspect of DNA methylation (Sarda, Zeng, Hunt, & Yi, 2012; Yi, 2012; Zemach, McDaniel, Silva, & Zilberman, 2010) whose role in development has been obscured by the more prominent roles of promoter and CpG island methylation. The wasp Nasonia has little promoter and CpG island methylation, yet retains strong GBM (Park et al., 2011; Wang et al., 2013; Werren et al., 2010), making it an excellent model for elucidating the role of GBM. Here we show that Nasonia DNA methyl transferase 1a (Nv-Dnmt1a) knockdown leads to failures in cellularization and gastrulation of the embryo. Both of these disrupted events are hallmarks of the maternal-zygotic transition (MZT) in insects. Analysis of the embryonic transcriptome and methylome revealed strong reduction of GBM and widespread disruption of gene expression during embryogenesis after Nv-Dnmt1a knockdown. There was a strong correlation between loss of GBM and reduced gene expression in thousands of methylated loci, while affected unmethylated genes tended to be upregulated. We propose that reduced GBM and subsequent lower expression levels of methylated genes was the direct effect of Nv-Dnmt1 knockdown, and that this disruption led to widespread downstream dysregulation of MZT, and manifesting in developmental failure at gastrulation. Significance Statement The importance of gene-body methylation (GBM) in development is unclear, due to the difficulty in teasing apart the effects of cis-regulatory methylation from those of GBM in vertebrate model systems. Unlike vertebrate models, the methylation machinery in the jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis appears to exclusively mediate GBM, thus simplifying interpretation of the role of GBM in development. Knockdown of DNMT1 (Nv-Dnmt1a) in Nasonia leads to embryonic lethality, which we show is caused by a failure of cellularization and gastrulation. Nv-Dnmt1a knockdown resulted in a global loss of GBM in the embryo, which was strongly correlated with a down-regulation of gene expression. We propose that GBM facilitated by Nv-Dnmt1a is required for proper zygotic genome activation in the wasp.