cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survival outcomes with concurrent chemoradiation for elderly patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer according to the National Cancer Data Base

BACKGROUND The overall survival (OS) benefit of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients older than 70 years is debated. This study examines the outcomes of elderly patients receiving CRT versus radiotherapy (RT) alone. METHODS The National Cancer Data Base was queried for patients older than 70 years with nonmetastatic oropharyngeal, laryngeal, or hypopharyngeal cancer (T3-4 or N(+)). CRT was defined as chemotherapy started within 14 days of the initiation of RT. Univariate analysis, multivariate analysis (MVA), propensity score matching (PSM), and recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) were performed. RESULTS The study included 4042 patients: 2538 (63%) received CRT. The median follow-up was 19 months. The unadjusted median OS was longer with the addition of CRT (P < .001). OS was superior with CRT in the MVA (hazard ratio [HR], 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.68; P < .001) and PSM analyses (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.66-0.80; P < .001) in comparison with RT alone. According to RPA, CRT was associated with longer OS for patients 81 years or younger with low comorbidity scores and either T1-2/N2-3 disease or T3-4/N0-3 disease. The survival benefit with CRT disappeared for 2 subgroups in the 71- to 81-year age range: those with T1-2, N1, and Charlson-Deyo 0-1 (CD0-1) disease and those with T3-4, N1+, and CD1+ disease. Patients who were older than 81 years did not have increased survival with CRT. The receipt of CRT was associated with a longer duration of RT (odds ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.50-2.01; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Patients older than 70 years should not be denied concurrent chemotherapy solely on the basis of age; additional factors, including the performance status and the tumor stage, should be taken into account. Cancer 2016;122:1533–43. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of HAS2 in rat chondrosarcoma chondrocytes demonstrates the requirement of hyaluronan for aggrecan retention

Hyaluronan (HA) plays an essential role in cartilage where it functions to retain aggrecan. Previous studies have suggested that aggrecan is anchored indirectly to the plasma membrane of chondrocytes via its binding to cell-associated HA. However, reagents used to test these observations such as hyaluronidase and HA oligosaccharides are short term and may have side activities that complicate interpretation. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing approach, a model system was developed by generating HA-deficient chondrocyte cell lines. HA synthase-2 (Has2)-specific single guide RNA was introduced into two different variant lines of rat chondrosarcoma chondrocytes; knockout clones were isolated and characterized. Two other members of the HA synthase gene family were expressed at very low relative copy number but showed no compensatory response in the Has2 knockouts. Wild type chondrocytes of both variants exhibited large pericellular matrices or coats extending from the plasma membrane. Addition of purified aggrecan monomer expanded the size of these coats as the proteoglycan became retained within the pericellular matrix. Has2 knockout chondrocytes lost all capacity to assemble a particle-excluding pericellular matrix and more importantly, no matrices formed around the knockout cells following the addition of purified aggrecan. When grown as pellet cultures so as to generate a bioengineered neocartilage tissue, the Has2 knockout chondrocytes assumed a tightly-compacted morphology as compared to the wild type cells. When knockout chondrocytes were transduced with Adeno-ZsGreen1-mycHas2, the cell-associated pericellular matrices were restored including the capacity to bind and incorporate additional exogenous aggrecan into the matrix. These results suggest that HA is essential for aggrecan retention and maintaining cell separation during tissue formation.
Galectin-3 Binds to Lubricin and Reinforces the Lubricating Boundary Layer of Articular Cartilage.

Lubricin is a mucinous, synovial fluid glycoprotein that enables near frictionless joint motion via adsorption to the surface of articular cartilage and its lubricating properties in solution. Extensive O-linked glycosylation within lubricin’s mucin-rich domain is critical for its boundary lubricating function; however, it is unknown exactly how glycosylation facilitates cartilage lubrication. Here, we find that the lubricin glycome is enriched with terminal β-galactosides, known binding partners for a family of multivalent lectins called galectins. Of the galectin family members present in synovial fluid, we find that galectin-3 is a specific, high-affinity binding partner for lubricin. Considering the known ability of galectin-3 to crosslink glycoproteins, we hypothesized that galectins could augment lubrication via biomechanical stabilization of the lubricin boundary layer. We find that competitive inhibition of galectin binding results in lubricin loss from the cartilage surface, and addition of multimeric galectin-3 enhances cartilage lubrication. We also find that galectin-3 has low affinity for the surface layer of osteoarthritic cartilage and has reduced affinity for sialylated O-glycans, a glycophenotype associated with inflammatory conditions. Together, our results suggest that galectin-3 reinforces the lubricin boundary layer; which, in turn, enhances cartilage lubrication and may delay the onset and progression of arthritis.
A novel treatment of childhood lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: early and intermittent use of teniposide plus cytarabine

We treated 24 children and adolescents with stage III or IV lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, using a protocol designed for patients with poor-prognosis acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Early therapy consisted of teniposide plus cytarabine administered before and immediately after prednisone, vincristine, and asparaginase. The two- drug combination was also given intermittently with continuous 6- mercaptopurine and methotrexate during the first year of continuation chemotherapy. Periodic intrathecal methotrexate and delayed cranial irradiation were used to prevent central nervous system involvement. Anthracycline compounds, alkylating agents, high-dose methotrexate, and involved-field irradiation were not used in any phase of treatment. Twenty-two (96%) of the 23 evaluable patients achieved complete remission. With a median follow-up of 2 1/2 years, only four patients have relapsed; the remainder have been disease-free for eight months to more than five years. The projected four-year continuous complete remission rate is 73% for all patients and 79% for the 19 with mediastinal involvement at diagnosis. These results demonstrate that use of teniposide plus cytarabine with an otherwise conventional plan of ALL therapy is an effective approach to the treatment of childhood lymphoblastic lymphoma.
Synthesis of Aluminum-Aluminum Nitride Nanocomposites by Gas-Liquid Reactions I. Thermodynamic and Kinetic Considerations

In-situ fabrication of the reinforcing particles directly in the metal matrix is an answer to many of the challenges encountered in manufacturing metal matrix nanocomposite materials. In this method, the nanosized particles are formed directly within the melt by means of a chemical reaction between a specially designed metallic alloy and a reactive gas. The thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of this chemical reaction dictate the particle size and distribution in the matrix alloy, as well as the nature of the particle/matrix interface, and consequently, they govern many of the material’s mechanical and physical properties. This article focuses on aluminum-aluminum-nitride nanocomposite materials that are synthesized by injecting a nitrogen-bearing gas into a molten aluminum alloy. The thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of the process are modeled, and the detrimental role of oxygen is elucidated.
The cognitive relevance of Indigenous and rural: Why is it critical to survival?

Using two case studies of children’s knowledge, this paper sheds light on the value, diversity, and necessity of Indigenous and place-based knowledge to science and engineering curricula in rural areas. Rural contexts are rich environments for cultivating contextual knowledge, hence framing a critical pedagogy of teaching and learning. Indigenous and rural place-based knowledge are nuanced and pragmatic in character, and offer solutions to both local and global challenges. Two case studies, drawn from the experience of Lakota and Dakota communities and rural New York State, demonstrate the need to conserve, transmit, and contribute to Indigenous and rural knowledge through experiential and place-based education that bridges the gap between children’s knowledge and global STEM. This knowledge is inherently diverse in its complexity and connectivity to habitat, and when viewed in this light, has the capacity to transform our perspectives on educational practices and policies as well as our overall outlook on conserving both ecological as well as cultural diversity worldwide. Because diversity and knowledge are necessary for the survival of life on this planet, an enriched concept of pedagogical pluralism, in terms of multiple ways of knowing, is a necessity.
Vitamin D receptor is a novel transcriptional regulator for Axin1.

Abstract Background Axin1 is a scaffold protein in the β-catenin destruction complex, which, if disrupted, contributes to pathogenesis of various human diseases, including colorectal carcinogenesis and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). We have previously demonstrated that Salmonella infection promotes the degradation and plasma sequestration of Axin1, leading to bacterial invasiveness and inflammatory responses. Vitamin D and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) appear to be important regulators of IBD and colon cancer. Although VDR and Axin1 are all involved in intestinal inflammation, it remains unclear whether these processes are related or function independently. In the current study, we hypothesize that VDR is an important regulator for the maintenance of physiological level of Axin1. Methods Using the intestinal epithelial conditional VDR knockout mouse model (VDR ΔIEC ) and cultured cell lines, influences of VDR status on the expression of Axin1 was evaluated by Western blots and real-time PCR. Loss- and gain-of-function assays were used to investigate the regulation of VDR on Axin1 at the transcriptional and translational levels. Cells were treated with cycloheximide or actinomycin for molecular mechanistic studies. Candidate genomic VDR binding sites for Axin1 were tested by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Physical interactions among VDR, Axin1, and β-catenin were tested by immunoprecipitation. Cellular localization of Axin1 with different VDR status was determined by fractionation and immunohistochemistry. Results We found that VDR deletion led to lower protein and mRNA levels of Axin1 , whereas knockdown of Axin1 did not change the expression level of VDR protein. Immunoprecipitation data did not support physical interaction between VDR and Axin1. The VDR regulation of Axin1 was through a VDR genomic binding site for Axin1 gene on the regulatory region. Fractionation data showed that cytosolic Axin1 was significantly reduced due to VDR deletion, leaving the nuclear fraction unchanged. In ileum, Axin1 was distributed in the cytosol of apical epithelium and crypts. Conclusion VDR is important for the maintenance of physiological level of Axin1. The discovery of Axin1 as a VDR target gene provides novel and fundamental insights into the interactions between the VDR and β-catenin signaling pathways.
Layout dependence of gate dielectric TDDB in HKMG FinFET technology

In this work, we report for the first time the experimental evidence of layout dependence on gate dielectric time-dependent-dielectric-breakdown TDDB in a leading edge HKMG FinFET technology. Structures with identical total effective gate area but various Fin and finger configurations per unit cell show more than 10X difference in Tbd and Qbd before process optimization. Fin number per unit cell was found to be the major impact factor based on the correlation between Tbd and ToxGL extracted from initial leakage currents. The implication of these findings on technology qualification methodology is that one needs to evaluate layout sensitivity for processes under development to confirm that reliability assessment is valid for structures having various layout configurations. Processes with strong layout dependence should be optimized before technology qualification.
Vague Pictures: Scientific Epistemology, Aesthetics and Pragmatics of Fuzziness; From Fuzzy Perception to Fuzzy Pictures

A putative form of vagueness in perceptual presentation/representation is blur. From the standpoint of accuracy—in representationalism or intentionalism—blurred vision is like hallucinations, an instance of inaccuracy, of misrepresentation. Things are not the way they are perceived or represented as being. Alternatively, it has been argued that along with error, blur has its own distinctive phenomenological conditions of presentation, in a broader sense, and recognition. For authors such as Crane, Pace and Smith, blur challenges the transparency of visual representation and its content. An alternative view to misrepresentation or underrepresentation is that the phenomenological property of blur is a form of overrepresentation. I want to suggest a different approach.
Abstract 156: LncRNA BC200 is induced by estradiol and regulates apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

LncRNA BC200 is a small functional RNA which has been implicated in the regulation of protein synthesis in neurons. It is dysregulated in invasive carcinomas of the breast. In this study, we reported that BC200 is upregulated in breast cancer, as detected by RT-PCR analysis of breast cancer tissue scan, suggesting its possible role as an oncogene. We then demonstrated that BC200 is transcriptionally induced by estradiol (E2) treatment in ER positive breast cancer cell lines through multiple functional estrogen response elements (EREs), including the full ERE sequence ∼800bp from transcriptional start site. Luciferase reporter assay combined with mutation analysis indicated that the full ERE region is critical to the estradiol-induced promoter activity. Furthermore, BC200 is crucial for cell growth and viability; its knockdown induces apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. This may explain in part why estrogen can promote cell proliferation in ER positive breast cancer cells. To better study its role in breast cancer development and progression, we generated BC200 knockout MCF-7 cell cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technique. BC200 knockout leads to the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and promotes the cleavage of PARP-1, both of which are an indicator of cell apoptosis. This was further confirmed by TUNEL assay. It has been reported that hnRNP A2/B1 alters the bcl-X pre-mRNA splicing in favor of anti-apoptotic bcl-XL. Of great interest, BC200 knockout enhances expression of pro-apoptotic bcl-XS form at both mRNA and protein level. RNA pulldown assays using biotin-labeled BC200 probe suggested that BC200 can bind to hnRNP Q and hnRNP A2/B1. On the other hand, RNA immunoprecipitation using hnRNP A2/B1 antibody in BC200 knockout MCF-7 cells showed a significant reduction in enrichment of bcl-X mRNA as compared to control cells. We propose that the regulation of bcl-X alternative splicing depends upon endogenous expression of BC200 that would help hnRNP A2/B1 to position itself on bcl-X mRNA and modulate splicing in favor of bcl-XL. Thus, loss of BC200 leads to generation of bcl-XS protein synthesis and to apoptosis. Together, these results suggest that BC200 functions as a negative regulator of apoptosis in breast cancer and thus, it may serve as a potential target for cancer therapies. Citation Format: Ramesh Singh, Yin-yuan Mo. LncRNA BC200 is induced by estradiol and regulates apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 156. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-156
Applications of Linkage Disequilibrium and Association Mapping in Maize

Association mapping, also known as linkage disequilibrium mapping, is a relatively new and promising genetic method for complex trait dissection. Association mapping has the promise of higher mapping resolution through exploitation of historical recombination events at the population level, that may enable gene level mapping on non-model organisms where linkage-based approaches would not be feasible (Risch and Merikangas 1996; Nordborg and Tavare 2002). Association mapping utilizes ancestral recombinations and natural genetic diversity within a population to dissect quantitative traits and is built on the basis of the linkage disequilibrium concept (Geiringer 1944; Lewontin and Kojima 1960). One of the working definitions of linkage disequilibrium (which here on will be referred to as LD) is the non-random co-segregation of alleles at two loci. In contrast to linkage-based studies, LD-based genetic association studies offer a potentially powerful approach for mapping causal genes with modest effects (Hirschhorn and Daly 2005). While linkage analysis is based upon detection of non-random association between a genotype and a phenotype in well-characterized pedigrees, association mapping focuses on associations within populations of unrelated individuals. In general, chromosomes sampled from unrelated individuals in a population will be much more distantly related than those sampled from members of traditional pedigrees. In other words, the time to most recent common ancestor
Abstract 321: LRP6 Regulates LDL Receptor Internalization and LDL Uptake

Genetic variations in LRP6 gene are associated with high serum LDL cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis. We examined the role of LRP6 in LDL receptor (LDLR) mediated LDL uptake. LDL uptake was increased when LRP6 was overexpressed and reduced when it was knocked down in LDLR deficient CHO cells. Interestingly, LRP6 knockdown in wildtype CHO cells resulted in a much greater decline in LDL uptake compared to ldlA7 cells. This finding suggested interaction between LRP6 and other proteins involved in LDL uptake. Strikingly, LDL receptor internalization was severely diminished when LRP6 was knocked down and was restored after LRP6 was reintroduced. Further investigations showed that LRP6 forms a complex with the LDL endocytic machinery including LDLR, clathrin and ARH and undergoes endocytosis after stimulation with LDL. LDLR internalization was defective in skin fibroblasts of the LRP6 R611C mutation carriers. LDLR and LRP6 internalizations as well as LDL uptake were significantly impaired in wildtype CHO cells expressing LRP6 R611C mutation(figa,b). These studies introduce LRP6 as a critical modulator of receptor-mediated LDL endocytosis and identify a mechanism by which variation in LRP6 may contribute to high serum LDL levels and atherosclerosis.
Blood Pressure and Prevention of Stroke.

Stroke is a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and hypertension is the most common modifiable risk factor for stroke. The treatment of hypertension reduces the primary occurrence of stroke as well as the risk of stroke recurrence. Although there are conflicting data regarding the optimal blood pressure for stroke prevention, an individualized approach taking into account the patient's age, comorbidities, and side effects of medication is a helpful strategy. Current guidelines support the pursuit of a systolic blood pressure under 140 mm Hg for both primary and secondary stroke prevention, though recent data suggest a more intensive goal may be of benefit in select patients. Certain classes of antihypertensives may be more beneficial in stroke prevention than others. Trials are underway to further study the optimal blood pressure target for stroke prevention in specific populations as well as the potential benefits of intensive blood pressure reduction beyond the current guidelines.
Influence of coupled cavities on the characteristics of asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulators

In this work, we address the issue of expanding significantly the optical bandwidths of Fabry-Perot (FP) modulators by adopting a coupled FP (CFP) resonator configuration. Optical modulators based on the optimized CFP designs should have sufficiently wide optical bandwidths, and the excellent characteristics found in the best asymmetric FP modulators. A schematic of a general two-section coupled-cavity resonator is described. The CFP system can be designed such that both resonators can be independently tuned to control the output reflectivity spectrum by varying the individual cavity absorption and refractive index. Here, we focus on the configuration of a top passive absorption-free etalon coupled to a bottom absorption-tunable etalon.
Hyperglycaemia induced by chronic i.p. and oral glucose loading leads to hypertension through increased Na+ retention in proximal tubule.

Feeding animals glucose, fructose, sucrose, and fat-enriched diets can lead to diet-induced hyperglycemia, severity of which largely depends on type and concentration of nutrients used and length of dietary intervention. As a strategy of dietary intervention, we adopted glucose-enriched diet, drinking water, and intraperitoneal (i.p.) glucose injection at the dose previously determined to be effective to establish a sustained hyperglycemia over a period of 2 weeks. In our current study, we used 4 groups of Sprague Dawley rats: control, glucose-treated, glucose+tempol, and glucose+captopril-treated groups. Our study demonstrated that glucose levels gradually started to increase from day 3, and reached to the highest levels (321 mg dl−1) at day 12 and maintained similar levels until the end of the study on day 14 in glucose treated-group compared to control. However, tempol- and captopril-treated groups showed significantly high glucose levels in only second week. Plasma insulin level has been significantly increased in glucose-treated animals but not in tempol- and captopril-treated groups when compared to control. We also observed elevated blood pressure (BP) in glucose-treated group compared to control, which can be attributed to increased Ang II production from 46.67 pg.ml−1 to 99 pg.ml−1 (control vs. glucose), increased oxidative stress in cortical proximal tubule (PT), decreased urine flow, and increased expression and activity of PT-specific α1-subunit of Na+-K+-ATPase in renal cortex, the latter is responsible for increased sodium reabsorption from epithelial cells of PT into peritubular capillaries, leading to increased blood volume and eventual blood pressure. All these events are reversed in captopril- and tempol-treated animals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Optimal weighting schemes for longitudinal and functional data

Abstract We propose optimal weighting schemes for both mean and covariance estimations for functional data based on local linear smoothing such that the L 2 rate of convergence is minimized. These schemes can self-adjust to the sampling plan and lead to practical improvements.
AN ALGORITHM FOR GENERATING A FAULT DETECTION TEST FOR A CLASS OF SEQUENTIAL CIRCUITS

In this paper we consider the problem of generating a fault detection sequence for sequential circuits. We employ a three valued logic system which allows us to handle race and hazard conditions. The main result of this paper is an algorithm for constructing a minimal length input sequence X such that g o (Y o , X ) ≠ g i (Y i , X ), where g o (g i ) is the output of the circuit containing no fault (fault i), starting in state Y o (Y i ), when input sequence X is applied. Both synchronous and asynchronous circuits are considered. Asynchronous circuits are mapped into “equivalent” combinational switching functions by introducing new input and output variables associated with the present and next state of the element. The solution to the sequential circuit test generation problem is shown to require the ability to generate a test to detect a multiple fault in a combinational circuit.
An experimental study of performances of bottle cooler using carbon dioxide as refrigerant

The application of carbon dioxide in commercial refrigeration systems has seen increasing interest in recent years because of its ecological sustainability and promising energy efficiency. The purpose of present work was to study the potential of using carbon dioxide plate heat exchangers as gas cooler and suction line heat exchanger in a bottle cooler. Experimental tests were performed in two different temperatures of inlet water of gas cooler and in two different operational modes: unloading and loading conditions to measure temperatures and pressures of each key component in the system and system power consumption. For comparison of this CO 2 prototype system, a standard baseline system with R134a was tested at the same operational conditions. Experimental results show that CO2 performed significantly better than the baseline system at all operational modes, achieving an energy saving of 20 to 25%.
Consumption of a defined, plant-based diet reduces lipoprotein(a), inflammation, and other atherogenic lipoproteins and particles within 4 weeks.

BACKGROUND Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a highly atherogenic lipoprotein and is minimally effected by lifestyle changes. While some drugs can reduce Lp(a), diet has not consistently shown definitive reduction of this biomarker. The effect of consuming a plant-based diet on serum Lp(a) concentrations have not been previously evaluated. HYPOTHESIS Consumption of a defined, plant-based for 4 weeks reduces Lp(a). METHODS Secondary analysis of a previous trial was conducted, in which overweight and obese individuals (n = 31) with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations >100 mg/dL consumed a defined, plant-based diet for 4 weeks. Baseline and 4-week labs were collected. Data were analyzed using a paired samples t-test. RESULTS Significant reductions were observed for serum Lp(a) (-32.0 ± 52.3 nmol/L, P = 0.003), apolipoprotein B (-13.2 ± 18.3 mg/dL, P < 0.0005), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles (-304.8 ± 363.0 nmol/L, P < 0.0005) and small-dense LDL cholesterol (-10.0 ± 9.2 mg/dL, P < 0.0005). Additionally, serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), total white blood cells, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and fibrinogen were significantly reduced (P ≤ 0.004). CONCLUSIONS A defined, plant-based diet has a favorable impact on Lp(a), inflammatory indicators, and other atherogenic lipoproteins and particles. Lp(a) concentration was previously thought to be only minimally altered by dietary interventions. In this protocol however, a defined plant-based diet was shown to substantially reduce this biomarker. Further investigation is required to elucidate the specific mechanisms that contribute to the reductions in Lp(a) concentrations, which may include alterations in gene expression.
Defective Choroidal Blood Flow Baroregulation and Retinal Dysfunction and Pathology Following Sympathetic Denervation of Choroid.

Purpose We sought to determine if sympathetic denervation of choroid impairs choroidal blood flow (ChBF) regulation and harms retina. Methods Rats received bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGx), which depleted choroid of sympathetic but not parasympathetic innervation. The flash-evoked scotopic ERG and visual acuity were measured 2 to 3 months after SCGx, and vasoconstrictive ChBF baroregulation during high systemic arterial blood pressure (ABP) induced by LNAME was assessed by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). Eyes were harvested for histologic evaluation. Results ChBF increased in parallel with ABP in SCGx rats over an ABP range of 90% to 140% of baseline ABP, while in sham rats ChBF remained stable and uncorrelated with ABP. ERG a- and b-wave latencies and amplitudes, and visual acuity were significantly reduced after SCGx. In SCGx retina, Muller cell GFAP immunolabeling was upregulated 2.5-fold, and Iba1+ microglia were increased 3-fold. Dopaminergic amacrine cell fibers in inner plexiform layer were reduced in SCGx rats, and photoreceptors were slightly depleted. Functional deficits and pathology were correlated with impairments in sympathetic regulation of ChBF. Conclusions These studies indicate that sympathetic denervation of choroid impairs ChBF baroregulation during elevated ABP, leading to choroidal overperfusion. This defect in ChBF regulation is associated with impaired retinal function and retinal pathology. As sympathetic ChBF baroregulatory defects have been observed in young individuals with complement factor H (CFH) polymorphisms associated with risk for AMD, our results suggest these defects may harm retina, perhaps contributing to AMD pathogenesis.
Behavioral assessment of children

Abstract Behavioral assessments of children are best understood as a fluid, exploratory, hypothesis-testing process, the goal of which is to understand a given child, group, family, and/or social ecology, often for the purpose of formulating and evaluating specific intervention strategies. Such assessments are guided by a broad social learning theory framework, rely predominantly upon objective data, are informed by developmental and cultural norms, focus upon both overt and covert behaviors, and are also distinguished by their breadth and comprehensiveness.
Interactive Preference Incorporation in Evolutionary Engineering Design

This chapter presents an approach that takes advantage of the different roles that computers and humans play in an interactive engineering design environment. It draws on the positive features of learning-oriented methods and searching-oriented methods, thus adapting design trade-off strategy when more precise preference information is learned during the evolutionary search process. The rationale and advantages of evaluating design fitness based on a fuzzy-set based preference aggregation are provided, which not only relies on specifying parameters about importance weights of different design attributes, but also the degree of compensation among them. The designers’ preferences are elicited, and the parameter learning of the preference aggregation function is implemented in an artificial neural network. Guided by online adaptive fitness evaluation, the current favorable solution set is generated by means of evolutionary computation through a component-based design synthesis approach. An example problem of panel meter design configuration is provided to demonstrate the approach.
Pseudomyogenic hemangioendothelioma—A case report and review of the literature

Pseudomyogenic hemangioendothelioma (PMH) of bone is a very rare tumor and frequently presents at multiple locations. PMH is difficult to diagnose by imaging and histopathologic features. Various and partially discordant imaging findings have been reported in case reports and small case series. We report a case of a 63-year-old man with PMH isolated to the sacrum, presenting with chronic intermittent buttock pain that was incidentally identified on imaging for acute pancreatitis. We believe that learning about PMH of bone will help to include this disease in the differential diagnosis of lytic lesions of the sacrum. Becoming aware of the various and sometimes discordant imaging findings of this rare entity is important and helpful for radiologists, pathologists, and orthopedic surgeons.
Permanent and Semi-permanent Micro-Pigment Treatments

Application of micro-pigments (tattoo) for use as cosmetic enhancement is generally a safe procedure. Cosmetic uses include eyeliner, lip liner, eyebrow, cheek, and lip enhancement. Medical reasons for micro-pigment include re-pigmentation of hypopigmentation or vitiligo, adding nipple color after breast reconstruction, and camouflage treatments. Micro-pigmentation is becoming increasingly popular, especially since new semipermanent, natural looking pigments have become available.
Semianalytical approach to calculating the dynamic modes of magnetic vortices with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions

Here we introduce a Landau-Lifshitz-based diagonalization (LLD) method, and use this approach to calculate the effects of the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (DMI) on the radial-type spin wave modes of magnetic vortices in circular disks. The LLD method is a semianalytical approach that involves the diagonalization of the magnetostatic kernel, exchange, and DMI contributions to extract the system eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes. The magnetic vortex state provides a convenient model system in which to investigate the effects of the DMI on the dynamics of magnetic structures with confined geometries. Our calculations show that the DMI leads to shifts of the mode frequencies that are similar in magnitude to what is observed for spin waves of a comparable wavelength in extended films. However, unlike what is found in thin films, only the down-shifted modes are observed in the disks, and these correspond to modes that propagate either radially outward or inward, depending on the vortex circulation. The semianalytical calculations agree well with full micromagnetic simulations. This technique also applies to other systems with cylindrical symmetry, for example, magnetic skyrmions.
Estimating and Reporting Clinical Significance in Counseling Research: Inferences Based on Percent Improvement.

A guide for professional counselors and counseling researchers for calculating and interpreting Percent Improvement as an indicator of clinical significance is provided. Strategies for reporting fi...
On the applicability of continuum scale models for ultrafast nanoscale liquid-vapor phase change

Abstract Continuum methods are efficient in modeling multi-phase flow at large time and length scales, however, their applicability to nanoscale systems and processes is questionable. When mean free path and average time between atomic collisions are comparable to the characteristic length and time scales of interest, the continuum hypothesis approaches its spatial and temporal limit. Here we discuss the implications of modeling such a limiting problem involving liquid-vapor phase change using continuum equations of mass, momentum, and energy conservation. Our results indicate that, continuum conservation laws can correctly represent the dynamics of the specific problem of interest provided appropriate constitutive relations are used at liquid-vapor interfaces. We show that with the Schrage relation for phase change rates and a physically motivated expression for temperature jump, interfacial phenomena can be described quite accurately.
Enhanced flow boiling in microchannels by incorporating multiple micro-nozzles and micro-pinfin fences

Abstract Phase-change heat transfer is a promising approach for high-power electronics cooling. However, the chaotic two-phase transport and dominant laminar flow in microchannels inhibits flow boiling performance. Thus, the ability to coordinate the two-phase transport in a highly favorable fashion would be highly desired. In this study, a new microchannel configuration by incorporating capillary micro-pinfin fences and multiple micro-nozzles has been proposed to sustain thin liquid film evaporation, promote mixing and global liquid supply simultaneously. A new boundary layer covered with thin liquid film is activated by the capillary micro-pinfin fences along the sidewalls of the channel. Additionally, the sustainable thin liquid film is maintained using capillary effect, which can promote the capillary-driven flow inside the gap between micro-pinfin fences and the sidewalls. As a result, significantly enhanced flow boiling has been achieved on both DI-water and HFE-7100. A critical heat flux (CHF) up to 944 W/cm2 has been demonstrated using DI-water at a mass velocity of 600 kg/m2 s, accounting for a 43% enhancement compared to the configuration of multiple micro-nozzles without capillary micro-pinfin fences. Compared to the base configuration of plain wall microchannels, the enhancement of CHF is over threefold at a mass velocity of 389 kg/m2s. Equally important, this new microchannel configuration works well on dielectric fluids, which is challenging to promote CHF due to their unfavorable thermophysical properties. A CHF of 287 W/cm2 with a noticeable enhancement of 56% has been achieved at a mass velocity of 2772 kg/m2 s on HFE-7100 at room temperature. Moreover, the enhancements of heat transfer coefficient (HTC) on HFE-7100 are more noticeable compared to that of DI-water. For example, 120% higher HTC at a moderate mass velocity of 693 kg/m2 s has been realized. All the enhancements are achieved without the escalating pressure drop.
Vacuum radiation pressure fluctuations on atoms

Recent work has shown that the stress tensor components, such as energy density or pressure, of a quantum field can be subject to large vacuum fluctuations. The energy density or pressure must be averaged in time before the fluctuations can be finite, and the probability of a large fluctuation depends upon the details of the averaging and can be much larger than that predicted by a Gaussian distribution. This paper explores vacuum radiation pressure fluctuation on Rydberg atoms and their possible observable effects. The excitation and de-excitation of a Rydberg atom provide an explicit model for the time averaging of the radiation pressure, as the atomic polarizability becomes time dependent, first increasing and then decreasing again by several orders of magnitude. This switched polarizability can induce large vacuum pressure fluctuations, which can in turn temporarily transfer linear momentum to the atom and cause a transient recoil which might be observable.
Target-Aware Data Augmentation for Stance Detection

The goal of stance detection is to identify whether the author of a text is in favor of, neutral or against a specific target. Despite substantial progress on this task, one of the remaining challenges is the scarcity of annotations. Data augmentation is commonly used to address annotation scarcity by generating more training samples. However, the augmented sentences that are generated by existing methods are either less diversified or inconsistent with the given target and stance label. In this paper, we formulate the data augmentation of stance detection as a conditional masked language modeling task and augment the dataset by predicting the masked word conditioned on both its context and the auxiliary sentence that contains target and label information. Moreover, we propose another simple yet effective method that generates target-aware sentence by replacing a target mention with the other. Experimental results show that our proposed methods significantly outperforms previous augmentation methods on 11 targets.
Approaches and Barriers to Addressing Equity in Transportation: Experiences of Transportation Practitioners:

The importance of advancing transportation equity has become more visible as other structural inequities in our society have received increasing attention. Articulating approaches that practitioner...
Exercise, Physical Activity and Cardiometabolic Health: Pathophysiologic Insights.

Physical activity and its sustained and purposeful performance - exercise - promote a broad and diverse set of metabolic and cardiovascular health benefits. Regular exercise is the most effective way to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, a measure of one's global cardiovascular, pulmonary and metabolic health and one of the strongest predictors of future health risk. Here, we describe how exercise affects individual organ systems related to cardiometabolic health, including the promotion of insulin and glucose homeostasis through improved efficiency in skeletal muscle glucose utilization and enhanced insulin sensitivity; beneficial changes in body composition and adiposity; and improved cardiac mechanics and vascular health. We subsequently identify knowledge gaps that remain in exercise science, including heterogeneity in exercise responsiveness. While the application of molecular profiling technologies in exercise science has begun to illuminate the biochemical pathways that govern exercise-induced health promotion, much of this work has focused on individual organ systems and applied single platforms. New insights into exercise-induced secreted small molecules and proteins that impart their effects in distant organs ("exerkines") highlight the need for an integrated approach towards the study of exercise and its global effects; efforts that are ongoing.
The Radiosensitizing Effects of Enzalutamide on Glioblastoma.

Purpose/objective(s) To explore the radiosensitizing effects of enzalutamide (ENZ), an androgen receptor (AR) antagonist, on glioblastoma (GBM) in vitro and in vivo. Materials/methods Apoptosis assay and cell cycle assay were performed on U87MG, U138MG, and Ln229 cell lines after the treatment of ENZ. Combenefit study was performed by combining different concentrations of ENZ and doses of radiation treatment (RT) on U87MG and MGPP3 cell lines in vitro. The relationship between AR and DNA repair genes were studied in TCGA database. RNA-seq experiments were performed on U87MG cells after ENZ treatment at various time points. Syngeneic orthotopic GBM mouse model was used to compare the treatment effects and overall survivals in the vehicle only, ENZ only, RT only, and ENZ plus RT groups. Results ENZ induced apoptosis in U87MG and Ln229 cells and increased the G2/M cell cycle arrest in all the three human GBM cell lines. Synergistic effects were observed in both human and mouse GBM cell lines when combining ENZ and RT treatment. In TCGA database, the expression levels of most DNA repair genes have positive correlations with AR gene in GBM patients. The RNA-seq results demonstrated that gene expression levels of DNA repair enzymes decreased in U87MG cells after 48 hours of ENZ treatment. All the mice with GBM implanted in brain treated with ENZ plus RT (8 Gy x2) survived at the end of the experiment with 100% rate of complete response. The overall survival (OS) of combined treatment group is significantly better than ENZ only (∼40%) and RT only (∼50%) group. The synergistic effects of combining treatment are at least partly due to much enhanced depletion of cancer stem cells than drug only or RT only treatment. Conclusion We demonstrated the radiosensitizing effects of ENZ on GBM both in vitro and in vivo indicating the potential clinical efficacy treating GBM patients with AR antagonist(s). Author disclosure N. Zhao: None. F. Wang: None. S. Wang: None. C. Lin: Research Grant; DHHS/NIH/NCI, The Otis Glebe Medical Research Foundation, BioMimetix JV, LLC. Leading departmental research activity; University of Nebraska Medical Center. C. Zhang: Research Grant; University of Nebraska Medical Center.
A Structural and Functional Comparison Between Infectious and Non-Infectious Autocatalytic Recombinant PrP Conformers

Infectious prions contain a self-propagating, misfolded conformer of the prion protein termed PrPSc. A critical prediction of the protein-only hypothesis is that autocatalytic PrPSc molecules should be infectious. However, some autocatalytic recombinant PrPSc molecules have low or undetectable levels of specific infectivity in bioassays, and the essential determinants of recombinant prion infectivity remain obscure. To identify structural and functional features specifically associated with infectivity, we compared the properties of two autocatalytic recombinant PrP conformers derived from the same original template, which differ by >105-fold in specific infectivity for wild-type mice. Structurally, hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (DXMS) studies revealed that solvent accessibility profiles of infectious and non-infectious autocatalytic recombinant PrP conformers are remarkably similar throughout their protease-resistant cores, except for two domains encompassing residues 91-115 and 144-163. Raman spectroscopy and immunoprecipitation studies confirm that these domains adopt distinct conformations within infectious versus non-infectious autocatalytic recombinant PrP conformers. Functionally, in vitro prion propagation experiments show that the non-infectious conformer is unable to seed mouse PrPC substrates containing a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, including native PrPC. Taken together, these results indicate that having a conformation that can be specifically adopted by post-translationally modified PrPC molecules is an essential determinant of biological infectivity for recombinant prions, and suggest that this ability is associated with discrete features of PrPSc structure.
Ecological Consequences of Winter Cloud Seeding

Some ecological consequences of cloud seeding are considered with special reference to winter orographic programs using silver iodide as the seeding agent. It appears that with present technology an operational program to increase winter precipitation in the mountains might deposit about 0.3 g of silver/ha/yr and increase snowfall by 10–20%. The investigation indicates that the silver iodide deposited directly on organisms would not be harmful to them. Moreover, even if silver were concentrated in the upper layers of soil, harmful effects to plants and microorganisms would not be expected for at least 100 years and probably much longer. Snowfall increases of 10–20% are unlikely to significantly affect the vegetation of fescue meadows typical of western Montana, but very large and presently unattainable increase (100–400%) could have detrimental effects.
Separating effects of crown structure and competition for light on trunk growth of Sequoia sempervirens

Abstract Tree-level productivity is largely determined by crown size and aboveground vigor, but light availability ultimately controls growth. Competition indices are typically used in modeling instead of actual measurements of light. Our goals were to determine which measure of light best predicts trunk growth increments of Sequoia sempervirens , to quantify the amount of growth variation explained by light after accounting for effects of tree structure, and to compare model fitness of various competition indices. Twenty-four trees spanning a wide range of light environments were randomly selected from stands of different ages, including trees 23–72 m tall and 20–560 years old. Tree structure and trunk growth increments were quantified via direct measurements of all branches and coring main trunks at multiple heights. Light availability was quantified via hemispherical photography throughout tree crowns. Competition indices were computed by measuring the size and distribution of neighboring trees. The largest tree had 69 m 3 of wood and bark, 3208 m 2 of leaf area, and produced 1.04 m 3 yr −1 of wood in the main trunk, whereas the smallest tree had less than 1 m 3 of wood and bark, 134 m 2 of leaf area, and produced 0.04 m 3 yr −1 of wood in the main trunk. After accounting for tree structure, light availability explained an additional 10% of variation in trunk wood volume increment. Light availability alone explained 49% of the variation in wood volume increment, while tree size alone explained 41%. The growth model with average mid-crown openness as the measure of light availability was 19 times more likely than the model without a term for light. A distance-dependent competition index computing neighboring tree crown volume (DDCV) was >1200 times more likely than any other competition index in the best growth model. Together with tree size and aboveground vigor, DDCV explained 91% of variation in trunk wood volume increment.