cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3725: B-Raf inhibition-induced paradoxical activation of MEK/ERK signaling enhances DR5 expression and DR5 activation-induced apoptosis in Ras-mutant cancer cells

B-Raf inhibitors have been used for the treatment of some B-Raf-mutated cancers such as melanoma and thyroid cancer. They effectively inhibit B-Raf/MEK/ERK signaling in cancers harboring mutant B-Raf, but lead to a paradoxical activation of MEK/ERK signaling in Ras-mutant cancers. Death receptor 5 (DR5), a cell surface pro-apoptotic protein, triggers apoptosis upon ligation with tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) or aggregation. Given the critical role of MEK/ERK signaling in the positive regulation of DR5 expression as we have previously demonstrated, this study focuses on determining the impact of B-Raf inhibition on DR5 expression and DR5 activation-induced apoptosis in Ras-mutant cancer cells. Using chemical and genetic approaches, we have demonstrated that the B-Raf inhibitor PLX4032 induces DR5 upregulation exclusively in Ras-mutant cancer cells; this effect is dependent on Ras/c-Raf/MEK/ERK signaling activation. PLX4032 induces DR5 expression at transcriptional levels, largely due to enhancing CHOP/Elk1-mediated DR5 transcription. Pre-treatment of Ras-mutated cancer cells with PLX4032 sensitizes them to TRAIL-induced apoptosis; this is also a c-Raf/MEK/ERK-dependent event. Collectively our findings highlight a previously undiscovered effect of B-Raf inhibition on the induction of DR5 expression and the enhancement of DR5 activation-induced apoptosis in Ras-mutant cancer cells. Our results may suggest a novel therapeutic strategy against Ras-mutated cancer cells by driving their death due to DR5-dependent apoptosis through B-Raf inhibition. (This study was supported by Emory Winship Cancer Institute Robbins Scholar awards to YTO and to JD and Halpern Research Scholar award to SYS. SYS is a Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Cancer Scientist and Halpern Research Scholar) Citation Format: You-Take Oh, Jiusheng Deng, Ping Yue, Shi-Yong Sun. B-Raf inhibition-induced paradoxical activation of MEK/ERK signaling enhances DR5 expression and DR5 activation-induced apoptosis in Ras-mutant cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3725.
Phase II study of combination carboplatin and erlotinib in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme

2024 Background: Targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in glioblastoma is effective in a subset of patients whose tumors express the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) tumor supp...
Comparison of Bioimpedance and Underwater Weighing Body Fat Percentage Before and Acutely After Exercise at Varying Intensities

Nickerson, BS, Esco, MR, Kliszczewicz, BM, and Freeborn, TJ. Comparison of bioimpedance and underwater weighing body fat percentage before and acutely after exercise at varying intensities. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1395-1402, 2017-The purpose of this study was to compare single-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) with underwater weighing (UWW) body fat percentage (BF%) before (PRE), immediately post (IP), and 60 minutes post (60P) an acute bout of moderate and vigorous aerobic exercise. Nine men (age = 24.6 ± 3.7 years) volunteered for this study. Subjects visited the laboratory on 3 separate occasions. Testing included two 30-minute exercise sessions at 60 and 80% heart rate reserve (HRR) and a 30-minute control (CON) trial. The constant error (CE) was significantly higher for BIA at each time point and exercise session (CE = 3.0-4.9% for 60% HRR; 2.5-4.7% for 80% HRR). Conversely, BIS yielded a nonsignificant CE at each time point and exercise session (CE = -0.9 to 1.1% for 60% HRR; -0.3 to 1.2% for 80% HRR). The standard error of estimate (SEE) for both exercise sessions ranged from 2.7 to 3.1% and 3.8-4.3% for BIA and BIS, respectively. The 95% limits of agreement were narrower for BIA (60% HRR = ±5.5 to 7.8%; 80% HRR = ±6.6 to 8.5%) than BIS (60% HRR = ±8.4 to 9.4%; 80% HRR = ±8.1 to 10.2%). Results indicate that BIS can be used for mean group BF% in men at PRE, IP, and 60P time periods. However, BIA yielded a lower SEE and 95% limits of agreement than BIS. Therefore, BIA provides better individual estimates of BF% in men, but the CE should be taken into consideration.
Projected Significant Increase in the Number of Extreme Extratropical Cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere

AbstractExtratropical cyclones are responsible for much of the extreme weather in the midlatitudes; thus, how these cyclones may change under increasing greenhouse gas forcing is of much general interest. Previous studies have suggested a poleward shift in the location of these cyclones, but how the intensity may change remains uncertain, especially in terms of maximum wind speed. In this study, projected changes in extreme cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere, based on 26 models participating in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), are presented. Multiple definitions of extreme cyclones have been examined, including intensity exceeding constant thresholds of sea level pressure perturbations, 850-hPa vorticity, and 850-hPa winds, as well as variable thresholds corresponding to a top-5 or top-1 cyclone per winter month in these three parameters and the near-surface winds. Results presented show that CMIP5 models project a significant increase in the frequency of extreme cyclones in ...
Evaluation of air turbulence impact based on wavefront reconstruction

We have established and experimentally verified a convenient relation between the wavefront error variance and the phase structure function, which can be readily used to estimate the atmospheric coherence diameter and the refraction-index structure constant.
Precalculus teachers’ perspectives on using graphing calculators: an example from one curriculum

Graphing calculators are hand-held technological tools currently used in mathematics classrooms. Teachers’ perspectives on using graphing calculators are important in terms of exploring what teachers think about using such technology in advanced mathematics courses, particularly precalculus courses. A descriptive intrinsic case study was conducted to analyse the perspectives of 11 teachers using graphing calculators with potential Computer Algebra System (CAS) capability while teaching Functions, Statistics, and Trigonometry, a precalculus course for 11th-grade students developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project. Data were collected from multiple sources as part of a curriculum evaluation study conducted during the 2007–2008 school year. Although all teachers were using the same curriculum that integrated CAS into the instructional materials, teachers had mixed views about the technology. Graphing calculator features were used much more than CAS features, with many teachers concerned about the use of CAS because of pressures from external assessments. In addition, several teachers found it overwhelming to learn a new technology at the same time they were learning a new curriculum. The results have implications for curriculum developers and others working with teachers to update curriculum and the use of advanced technologies simultaneously.
A non-mosaic PORCN mutation in a male with severe congenital anomalies overlapping focal dermal hypoplasia

Abstract Mutations in the PORCN gene cause the X-linked dominant condition focal dermal hypoplasia (FDH). Features of FDH include striated pigmentation of the skin, ocular and skeletal malformations. FDH is generally associated with in utero lethality in non-mosaic males and most of the currently reported male patients show mosaicism due to de novo post-zygotic mutations in the PORCN gene. There is only one previous report of a surviving male with an inherited mutation in the PORCN gene. Here, we report two male siblings with multiple malformations including skeletal, ocular and renal defects overlapping with FDH. A novel PORCN mutation (p.Ser250Phe) was identified in a non-mosaic, hemizygous state in one of the siblings who survived to 8 years of age. The mother is a heterozygous carrier, has a random X-inactivation pattern and is asymptomatic. Findings unusual for FDH include dysplastic clavicles and bilateral Tessier IV facial clefts. This is the second case report of a non-mosaic PORCN mutation in a male individual with multiple congenital anomalies. While the pathogenicity of this mutation remains to be further investigated, the survival of a male with a non-mosaic mutation in PORCN is suggestive of a functionally mild mutation leading to an X-linked recessive mode of inheritance.
Various Equivalent Notions of Stability

In this section we have three objectives: to show that (1) Infinitesimal stability is locally a condition of finite order; i.e., if the equations can be solved locally to order dim Y then they can be solved for smooth data. (2) Infinitesimal stability is globally equivalent to a multijet version of local infinitesimal stability. (3) Infinitesimally stable mappings form an open set. We won’t be able to achieve our last objective just yet; but, at least, we shall be able to give a sufficient condition for the existence of a neighborhood of infinitesimally stable mappings around a given infinitesimally stable mapping.
Renaissance ethnography and the invention of the human. New worlds, maps and monsters

In his Natural History, Pliny the Elder describes “monstrous” peoples and races such as the Sciopods (moving, with one large leg, at high speed), Blemmyiae (bearing their faces on their chests), Cy...
De novo asymmetric synthesis of (−)-nanaomycin A

Abstract The de novo asymmetric total synthesis of (−)-nanaomycin A is described. The entirely linear route required only 13 steps from commercially available starting materials (3% overall yield). Key transformations include a Claisen rearrangement, an asymmetric dihydroxylation, a regioselective tosylation, a diastereoselective intramolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation and a nitrile hydrolysis. As the route relies on a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation it is equally amenable for the synthesis of (+)-nanaomycin A.
Increasing Instructional Efficiency: A Comparison of Voice Plus Text versus Text Alone on the Error Rate of Students with Mild Disabilities during CAI

This study evaluated the impact of synthesized speech as a supplement to written instruction in drill-and-practice lessons used by two young students with mild disabilities. Using a multi-element d...
Eigenwords and periodic behaviors

The present work is a contribution toward the theory of the structure of endomorphisms of free monoids. The background from which this work has arisen is the theory of Lindenmayer systems. Most of the references are to papers that deal with DOL theory but the concept of a bounded language, as used in the theory of contextfree languages, and the concept of a locally testable language, as used in the theory of regular languages, also play fundamental roles. Appropriate background sources are the books by G. Rozenberg & A. Salomaa [RS], by S. Ginsburg [G], and by R. McNaughton & S. Papert [McP].
The Middle East Case

Basically, there are two contradictory views of the belligerents in the many-faceted contest in the Middle East: On the Arab side, there is the prescriptive right to a land inhabited for more than a thousand years, the right of self-determination, the shock to the dignity of a once great people, the fear of Israeli expansionism, the plight of one million refugees. On the Israeli side, there is the undissolved and indissoluble bond to the land which had been the cradle of the Jewish heritage, the urge of Jews barred from the nations of Europe to reconstruct a national life of their own in the land of their ancestors, their need for a refuge among brethren when all other havens were denied, and their internationally recognized right to a share of Palestine.1
Acetic acid visualization of the cervix to detect cervical dysplasia.

Objective: To determine whether acetic acid visualization of the cervix can identify cervical dysplasia and improve detection of lesions missed by Papanicolaou test screening. Methods: During a 2-year period, patients attending family planning clinics for regular gynecologic examinations had acetic acid applied to the cervix, followed by gross visualization without magnification. Patients with suspicious acetowhite lesions and normal Papanicolaou tests were referred for colposcopic evaluation. Findings from these examinations and corresponding biopsy results were analyzed retrospectively
Radial Distribution of Superfluid Vortices in a Rotating Annulus

An annular geometry is convenien for theoretical1,2 and experimental3–5 studies of the equilibrium state of superfluid helium in a rotating container. Previously we reported studies of the radial distribution of superfluid vortices in an annulus with a width of 1.79 mm.5 Standing waves of second sound were used as probes of the vortex distribution. In this paper we report on extensions of the work to annuli with widths of 1.27 and 0.75 mm.
On the Intrinsic Ovarian Control of the Developmental Transition from Primordial to Primary Follicle

In studies designed to immunocytochemically map the distribution of endogenous pituitary FSH and LH in preovulatory follicles in the rat, we discovered that both gonadotropins were detectable in both primordial and primary follicles. These findings were explored and the results are reported here.
Nicodemus: Post-Reconstruction Politics and Racial Justice in Western Kansas. By Charlotte Hinger. (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2016. Pp. ix, 264. $29.95.)

With Nicodemus, historian Charlotte Hinger makes an important contribution to the growing historiography of African Americans in Kansas and in the larger West. As her title suggests, the author foc...
Adapting masking thresholds for spatially separated sounds in two dimensional ambisonics

Spatial audio reproduction has gained renewed interest in recent years with the increasing presence of virtual reality applications. Ambisonics is currently the most widely adopted format for spatial audio content distributed via internet streaming services, and this has raised the need for audio compression relevant to the format. Current perceptual audio coders used for stereo audio content rely heavily on masking thresholds to reduce data rates, but these thresholds do not take into consideration spatial release from masking. This study begins an effort to update these thresholds for spatially separated sources in ambisonics. The listening tests were performed with sounds encoded in ambisonics to allow for tests to integrate whatever inherent limitations exist in the format. Initial listening tests were carried out for a subset of possible conditions—sound sources were separated along the horizontal plane, with a specific set of separation angles between the masker and maskee. Suggestions are given for continuing the work for the full range of possible conditions.Spatial audio reproduction has gained renewed interest in recent years with the increasing presence of virtual reality applications. Ambisonics is currently the most widely adopted format for spatial audio content distributed via internet streaming services, and this has raised the need for audio compression relevant to the format. Current perceptual audio coders used for stereo audio content rely heavily on masking thresholds to reduce data rates, but these thresholds do not take into consideration spatial release from masking. This study begins an effort to update these thresholds for spatially separated sources in ambisonics. The listening tests were performed with sounds encoded in ambisonics to allow for tests to integrate whatever inherent limitations exist in the format. Initial listening tests were carried out for a subset of possible conditions—sound sources were separated along the horizontal plane, with a specific set of separation angles between the masker and maskee. Suggestions are given for...
Effects of Plasma Treatment on the Germination and Development of Soybeans

In order to meet the growing food supply needs for current world population growth rate, advancements in agriculture are required. Plasma treatment of seeds has shown promise in terms of increased seed storability and yield once planted. The plasma treatment of soybeans has the potential to make a significant socio-economic impact. The atmospheric pressure plasma, produced creates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that have a biological influence. Preliminary results have shown that this affects water absorption and root development, among other physiological traits. Characterization of these reactions and their effects are investigated using a 2dimensional apparatus that involves a fast-camera and spectroscopy setup. This allows optical investigation by slicing the packed bed into a “layer.” This layer eliminates the overlaying emissions that prevent such analysis. The discharge was formed using a varying nanosecond pulsed discharge, an AC power supply, and dry air or argon gas in order to control and compare the various ROS species populations formed within the different plasma types. To assess germination and development of the soybeans, data collection and analysis of percent germination, root dry weight, fresh root length, and fresh above root length were collected. An overarching goal of this work is to obtain a better understanding of agricultural applications of plasma treatment and the fundamental plasma-physical interactions involving organic material.
Counter-intuitive Results in Negotiations: Implications for Teams, Status, Personality, and Offers

This symposium presents counter-intuitive results that raise important questions about our current knowledge of negotiations. Five presentations document provocative findings that relate to teams i...
EPerf: energy-efficient execution of user-interactive event-driven applications: work in progress

Asynchronous or event-driven programming has rapidly gained importance due to its widespread use in web browsers, mobile OS, web servers, IoT and sensor networks. These applications typically place a high value on energy-efficiency without sacrificing user-perceived performance (quality of service, QoS). This programming model's natural discretization of the executed instruction stream into events offers novel optimization opportunities.Not all events are created equal. Their execution latencies have disproportionate effects on QoS. Some need the highest level of performance available, others can be slowed down to save energy. Leveraging this insight, we propose EPerf. Application developers are invited to label the events with the required performance level. EPerf uses this to execute the events on the right dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) level of the processor in homogeneous systems or on the right core in heterogeneous systems.
The growing role of precision and personalized medicine for cancer treatment

Cancer is a devastating disease that takes the lives of hundreds of thousands of people every year. Due to disease heterogeneity, standard treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation, are effective in only a subset of the patient population. Tumors can have different underlying genetic causes and may express different proteins in one patient versus another. This inherent variability of cancer lends itself to the growing field of precision and personalized medicine (PPM). There are many ongoing efforts to acquire PPM data in order to characterize molecular differences between tumors. Some PPM products are already available to link these differences to an effective drug. It is clear that PPM cancer treatments can result in immense patient benefits, and companies and regulatory agencies have begun to recognize this. However, broader changes to the healthcare and insurance systems must be addressed if PPM is to become part of standard cancer care.
CONSTRICTIVE PERICARDITIS: A CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS

Constrictive pericarditis (CP) is diagnosed by symptoms and multimodality approach. A 57 year old man with history of hypertension and atrial fibrillation presented with 2 years of chest pain and progressive dyspnea limiting his daily activities. Exam was only remarkable for friction rub.
Characteristics associated with hepatitis B vaccination initiation and completion among adults traveling to a country of high or intermediate endemicity.

Background The hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine is recommended for adults traveling to a country of high or intermediate endemicity. Methods Data from the 2016 and 2017 National Health Interview Surveys were pooled. Results The weighted prevalence of HepB vaccination initiation (≥1 dose) was 37.67% in 2016 (weighted number: 30,581,813/81,192,803) and 40.20% in 2017 (weighted number: 34,509,993/85,849,427). The weighted prevalence of HepB vaccination completion (≥3 doses) was 29.97% in 2016 (weighted number: 24,331,218/81,192,803) and 31.78% in 2017 (weighted number: 27,282,536/ 85,849,427). Characteristics independently associated with HepB vaccination initiation (in descending order by odds ratio) included age, receipt of influenza vaccine, education, ever having lived with someone with hepatitis, class of worker, number of physician visits in the past 12 months, ratio of family income to the poverty threshold, region, sexual orientation, gender, heath insurance, computer use, physical activity, and Hispanic ethnicity. Similar results were found in the analysis for HepB vaccination completion, except that subjects born in the United States showed a higher likelihood of HepB vaccination completion. Conclusions HepB vaccination initiation and completion were associated with a number of characteristics that can be utilized to develop strategies to increase HepB vaccination coverage among adults traveling to a country of high or intermediate endemicity.
The intentional mentor: effective mentorship of undergraduate science students.

Promoting quality mentorship of undergraduate science students has recently emerged as an important strategy for successfully recruiting and retaining students in the sciences. Although numerous faculty members are naturally gifted mentors, most faculty are inserted into a mentorship role with little, if any, training. Successfully mentoring undergraduate science students requires a myriad of skills that can be honed with forethought and practice. In this essay, the value of mentoring, the developmental profile of young adult students, and the traits of a good mentor are explored. The Triangular Model proposed by W. Brad Johnson provides a theoretical framework for the development of effective mentorship. Fifteen tips gleaned from the literature and the author’s personal experience are provided to help improve mentoring skills of faculty working with undergraduate science students.
Nurse-Driven mHealth Implementation Using the Technology Inpatient Program for Smokers (TIPS): Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease, yet implementation of smoking cessation in inpatient settings is inconsistent. The Technology Inpatient Program for Smokers (TIPS) is an implementation program designed to reach smokers with an mHealth intervention using stakeholder-supported strategies. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the TIPS implementation strategies on smoker-level engagement of the mHealth intervention during care transition. Methods: We examined varying intensities (passive motivational posters only and posters + active nurse-led facilitation) of TIPS strategies on four hospital units located in two sites. Unit-level and smoker-level adoption was monitored during active implementation (30 weeks) and sustainability follow-up (30 weeks). Process measures reflecting the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance (RE-AIM) framework, stakeholder reported adaptations of strategies, and formative evaluation data were collected and analyzed. Results: For our smoker-level reach, 103 smokers signed up for the mHealth intervention in-hospital, with minimal decline during sustainability follow-up. While posters + nurse facilitation did not lead to higher reach than posters alone during active implementation (27 vs 30 signed up), it did lead to higher engagement of smokers (85.2% vs 73.3% completion of the full 2-week intervention). TIPS strategy adoption and fidelity varied by unit, including adoption of motivational posters (range: weeks 1 and 5), fidelity of posters (0.4% to 16.2% of posters missing per unit weekly) and internal facilitation of nurse training sessions (average of 2 vs 7.5 by site). Variable maintenance costs of the program totaled $6.63 ($683.28/103) per smoker reached. Reported family-member facilitation of mHealth sign-up was an observation of unintended behavior. Conclusions: TIPS is a feasible and low-cost implementation program that successfully engages smokers in an mHealth intervention and sustains engagement after discharge. Further testing of nurse facilitation and expanding reach to patient family and friends as an implementation strategy is needed.
A biobjective chance constrained optimization model to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of biopower supply chains

Generating electricity by co-combusting biomass and coal, known as biomass cofiring, is shown to be an economically attractive option for coal-fired power plants to comply with emission regulations. However, the total carbon footprint of the associated supply chain still needs to be carefully investigated. In this study we propose a stochastic biobjective optimization model to analyze the economic and environmental impacts of biopower supply chains. We use a life cycle assessment approach to derive the emission factors used in the environmental objective function. We use chance constraints to capture the uncertain nature of energy content of biomass feedstocks. We propose a cutting plane algorithm which uses the sample average approximation method to model the chance constraints and finds high confidence feasible solutions. In order to find Pareto optimal solutions we propose a heuristic approach which integrates the $$\epsilon $$ -constraint method with the cutting plane algorithm. We show that the developed approach provides a set of local Pareto optimal solutions with high confidence and reasonable computational time. We develop a case study using data about biomass and coal plants in North and South Carolina. The results indicate that, cofiring of biomass in these states can reduce emissions by up to 8%. Increasing the amount of biomass cofired will not result in lower emissions due to biomass delivery.
Thermographic evaluation of metal crack propagation during cyclic loading

Abstract An analytical relationship between the stress intensity factor and temperature rise for a moving crack tip is proposed. Comparison of the predictions with experimental results shows good agreement in both trend and magnitude. The results reveal the potential of applying theromographical technique for assessing the behavior of crack growth.
Widowhood and mortality: gender, race/ethnicity, and the role of economic resources

Abstract Purpose We examine widowhood effects on mortality across gender and race-ethnicity, with attention to variation in the mediating role of economic resources. Methods Data were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (1992–2016). The analytic sample included 34,777 respondents aged 51 years and older who contributed 208,470 person-period records. Discrete-time hazard models were estimated to predict the odds of death among white men, black men, Hispanic men, white women, black women, and Hispanic women separately. The Karlson–Holm–Breen analysis was conducted to examine the mediating role of economic resources across groups. Results Across all gender and racial-ethnic subgroups, widowhood effects on mortality were largest for Hispanic men. Black women and Hispanic women also suffered stronger effects of widowhood on mortality than white women. For both men and women, economic resources were an important pathway through which widowhood increased mortality risk for whites and blacks but not for Hispanics. Conclusions Findings highlight that gender and race-ethnicity intersect with widowhood status to disadvantage some groups more than others. It is important to explore the complex pathways that contribute to the higher mortality risk of racial-ethnic minorities, especially Hispanic men, after widowhood so that effective interventions can be implemented to reduce those risks.
ICEBERG: Imagery Cyber-infrastructure and Extensible Building blocks to Enhance Research in the Geosciences. (A Research Programmer’s Perspective)

The ICEBERG (Imagery Cyber-infrastructure and Extensible Building blocks to Enhance Research in the Geosciences) project (NSF # 1740595) aims to (1) develop open source image classification tools tailored to high-resolution satellite imagery of the Arctic and Antarctic to be used on HPDC resources, (2) create easy-to-use interfaces to facilitate the development and testing of algorithms for application to specific geoscience requirements, (3) apply these tools through use cases that span the biological, hydrological, and geoscience needs of the polar community, and (4) transfer these tools to the larger non-polar community. Here we report on the project status and lessons learned.
Articular Cartilage- and Synoviocyte-Binding Poly(ethylene glycol) Nanocomposite Microgels as Intra-Articular Drug Delivery Vehicles for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Intra-articular (IA) injection is an attractive route of administration for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). However, free drugs injected into the joint space are rapidly cleared and many of them can induce adverse off-target effects on different IA tissues. To overcome these limitations, we designed nanocomposite 4-arm-poly(ethylene glycol)-maleimide (PEG-4MAL) microgels, presenting cartilage- or synoviocyte-binding peptides, containing poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) as an IA small molecule drug delivery system. Microgels containing rhodamine B (model drug)-loaded PLGA NPs were synthesized using microfluidics technology and exhibited a sustained, near zero-order release of the fluorophore over 16 days in vitro. PEG-4MAL microgels presenting synoviocyte- or cartilage-targeting peptides specifically bound to rabbit and human synoviocytes or to bovine articular cartilage in vitro, respectively. Finally, using a rat model of post-traumatic knee OA, PEG-4MAL microgels were shown to be retained in the joint space for at least 3 weeks without inducing any joint degenerative changes as measured by EPIC-μCT and histology. Additionally, all microgel formulations were found trapped in the synovial membrane and significantly increased the IA retention time of a model small molecule near-infrared (NIR) dye compared to that of the free dye. These results suggest that peptide-functionalized nanocomposite PEG-4MAL microgels represent a promising intra-articular vehicle for tissue-localized drug delivery and prolonged IA drug retention for the treatment of OA.
Activation of bulk aluminum and its application in a hydrogen generator

Abstract Aluminum is a highly energy dense material that can enable simple and safe hydrogen generation when reacted with water. We present a method for activating cold-worked non-recrystallized bulk aluminum objects (aluminum bbs) by surface treatment with a heated gallium-indium (Ga-In) eutectic melt. Afterwards, the activated aluminum can be reacted with water to generate hydrogen gas, heat and aluminum oxihydroxide. The elevated temperature of the eutectic melt during treatment allows the Ga-In to efficiently penetrate the aluminums’ plastically strained grain boundaries, causing liquid metal embrittlement and activation of the aluminum. This unique method of activation produces a highly reactive aluminum fuel using only 3–4 wt% Ga-In eutectic which can then be reacted with water in a controllable manner. The surface treatment time, temperature of the melt, and composition of the melt were varied and the effects on hydrogen yields were compared. It was found that the addition of temperature, sufficient time in the melt, and gallium/indium ratio were key to activation efficiency. The activated aluminum was then tested in a small-scale hydrogen generator, which steadily and controllably produced nearly 94% of expected hydrogen yield using less than 4% gallium-indium eutectic for activation.
Humanistic communication in information centric workplaces

Professional writers adapt their skills to suit expanded professional roles that involve production and management of information, but preparation through mere skill-based training is problematic because that communication work is messy in ways that are not addressable through simple skills training. We must understand how skills "influence and shape the discursive activities surrounding their use" (Selber, 1994). This paper reports the results of a study of people trained in humanities disciplines like communication, English, writing studies, technical communication, etc., on how they have found means to employ their training in their workplace and keep what is humanistic about writing and communicating at the foreground of their interactions with information technologies. Instead of focusing on technology alone, this research encourages a unified approach to preparing students for the workplace.
Drip-and-ship versus mothership for endovascular treatment of acute stroke: A comparative effectiveness analysis:

BackgroundTriage for suspected acute stroke has two main options: (1) transport to the closest primary stroke center (PSC) and then to the nearest comprehensive stroke center (CSC) (Drip-and-Ship) ...
Welcome and Introduction to SPIE Conference 11747

Introduction to SPIE Defense and Commercial Sensing conference 11741: Autonomous Air and Ground Sensing Systems for Agricultural Optimization and Phenotyping VI
Genetically distant bacteriophages elicit unique genomic changes in Enterococcus faecalis

The human microbiota harbors diverse bacterial and bacteriophage (phage) communities. Bacteria evolve to overcome phage infection, thereby driving phage evolution to counter bacterial resistance. Understanding how phages promote genetic alterations in medically relevant bacteria is important as phages continue to become established biologics for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections. Before phages are used as standalone or combination antibacterial therapies, we must obtain a deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms of phage infection and how host bacteria alter their genomes to become resistant. We performed coevolution experiments using a single Enterococcus faecalis strain and two distantly related phages, to determine how phage pressure impacts the evolution of the E. faecalis genome. Whole genome sequencing revealed mutations previously demonstrated to be essential for phage infection. We also identified mutations in several genes previously unreported to be associated with phage infection in E. faecalis. Intriguingly, there was only one shared mutation in the E. faecalis genome in response to each of the two phages tested, demonstrating that infection by genetically distinct phages results in different host responses. This study shows that infection of the same host by disparate phages leads to evolutionary trajectories that result in distinct genetic changes. This implies that bacteria respond to phage pressure through host responses that are tailored to specific phages. This work serves as the basis for the study of E. faecalis genome evolution during phage infection and will inform the design of future therapeutics, such as phage cocktails, intended to target MDR E. faecalis.
Long COVID and COVID-19-associated cystitis (CAC).

There is scarce literature regarding genitourinary symptoms in COVID-19, especially post-acute disease otherwise known as Long COVID. We identified recovered COVID-19 patients presenting with new or worsening overactive bladder symptoms, known as COVID-19-associated cystitis (CAC). We used the American Urological Association Urology Care Foundation Overactive Bladder (OAB) Assessment Tool to screen COVID-19 recovered patients presenting with urological complaints at our urban-located institution from 5/22/2020 to 12/31/2020. Patients 10–14 weeks post-discharge responded to 5 symptom and 4 quality-of-life (QoL) questions. We reported median symptom scores, as well as QoL scores, based on new or worsening urinary symptoms, and by sex. We identified 350 patients with de novo or worsening OAB symptoms 10–14 weeks after hospitalization with COVID-19. The median total OAB symptom score in both men and women was 18. The median total QoL score for both men and women was 19. Patients with worsening OAB symptoms had a median pre-COVID-19 symptom score of 8 (4–10) compared to post-COVID-19 median symptom score of 19 (17–21). Median age was 64.5 (range 47–82). Median hospital length-of-stay was 10 days (range 5–30). We report survey-based results of patients suffering from new or worsening OAB symptoms months after their hospitalization from COVID-19. Future studies with larger sample sizes and more extensive testing will hopefully elucidate the specific pathophysiology of OAB symptoms in the context of long COVID so urologists can timely and appropriately treat their patients.
Assortative Matching in Managerial Labor Markets: Theory and Measurement

This paper provides evidence on the importance of complementarities in production within executive teams. I construct a simple structural model of production and pay rates, where productivity of each individual is aected by the productivity of his or her colleagues and managers’ compensation is set through the Nash bargaining mechanism. Estimation results show that the managerial labor market is characterized by the high degree of within-rm positive assortative matching, which implies that better managers are matched with better coworkers. This result explains high skewness of observed distribution of rm sizes and executive compensation. I nd that 32% of observed inequality in executive pay is explained by the complementarities within executive teams. Applying the model to analyze the degree of sorting between managers and directors, I nd evidence of signicant complementarities in production between managerial and director skill. This result points to the importance of advisory role of the board of directors.
Future Thrusts for Developing and Utilizing Mass-Trapping Technology

The members of the mass-trapping panel recognized the potential role of mass-trapping technology in suppression of populations of insects which damage forests, forest products, shade trees, ornamentals, and cultivated crops. While specific thrusts are related to specific insect problems and commodities, the following were identified as needs common to most of the suppression systems now under development.
Forced Integrable Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses forced integrable systems. The chapter discusses boundary value problems for nonlinear integrable systems. The forced nonlinear Schrodinger equation and the forced Toda lattice are used as examples. It is demonstrated that one can quite well solve such systems by using reasonable approximations. As an example, the birthrate for solutions in the forced Toda lattice is solved approximately and it is shown that the result compares quite favorably with the actual birthrate. The “simple harmonic motion” system consists of a fundamental wave and its harmonic interacting in a nonlinear medium. When the group velocities of the fundamental and the harmonic are significantly different, then the problem becomes a two-dimensional problem where the natural coordinates are the characteristic coordinates.
Gravity-assisted exact unification in minimal supersymmetric SU(5) and its gaugino mass spectrum

Minimal supersymmetric SU(5) with exact unification is naively inconsistent with proton decay constraints. However, it can be made viable by a gravity-induced non-renormalizable operator connecting the adjoint Higgs boson and adjoint vector boson representations. We compute the allowed coupling space for this theory and find natural compatibility with proton decay constraints even for relatively light superpartner masses. The modifications away from the naive SU(5) theory have an impact on the gaugino mass spectrum, which we calculate. A combination of precision linear collider and large hadron collider measurements of superpartner masses would enable interesting tests of the high-scale form of minimal supersymmetric SU(5).
Factors Associated with Nitric Oxide-mediated β2 Integrin Inhibition of Neutrophils

This investigation explored the mechanism for inhibition of β2 integrin adhesion molecules when neutrophils are exposed to nitric oxide (•NO). Roles for specific proteins were elucidated using chemical inhibitors, depletion with small inhibitory RNA, and cells from knock-out mice. Optimal inhibition occurs with exposures to a •NO flux of ∼28 nmol/min for 2 min or more, which sets up an autocatalytic cascade triggered by activating type 2 nitric-oxide synthase (NOS-2) and NADPH oxidase (NOX). Integrin inhibition does not occur with neutrophils exposed to a NOX inhibitor (Nox2ds), a NOS-2 inhibitor (1400W), or with cells from mice lacking NOS-2 or the gp91phox component of NOX. Reactive species cause S-nitrosylation of cytosolic actin that enhances actin polymerization. Protein cross-linking and actin filament formation assays indicate that increased polymerization occurs because of associations involving vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein, focal adhesion kinase, and protein-disulfide isomerase in proximity to actin filaments. These effects were inhibited in cells exposed to ultraviolet light which photo-reverses S-nitrosylated cysteine residues and by co-incubations with cytochalasin D. The autocatalytic cycle can be arrested by protein kinase G activated with 8-bromo-cyclic GMP and by a high •NO flux (∼112 nmol/min) that inactivates NOX. Background: Nitric oxide (•NO) inhibits neutrophil β2 integrin adhesion by an unknown mechanism. Results: Exposure to •NO causes actin S-nitrosylation, which elicits actin turnover and an interdependent process whereby nitric-oxide synthase-2 and NADPH oxidase activation generate reactive species to maintain cytoskeletal changes that inhibit β2 integrin adhesion. Conclusion: By concurrent perturbation of several enzymes •NO impedes neutrophil adherence. Significance: This mechanism offers physiological insight into vascular biology.
Behavior in Klinefelter syndrome, or where there is smoke there may not be a fire.

In Reply.— Drs Hecht and Hecht smell smoke but see no fire. They also may not see the forest for the trees. When we became aware of four individuals with Klinefelter syndrome in our clinical practice who had significant fire-setting behavior, we thought this was likely more than a coincidence. Our primary reason for reporting this observation was not for counseling issues in Klinefelter syndrome, but for alerting health care providers who evaluate firesetters that Klinefelter syndrome rome may be a small subset of firesetters.
Stability of two phase flow models

A general class of incompressible two-phase flow models containing only algebraic and first-order differential terms is considered. It is shown that the stability of this class of models is independent of the wavenumber of the perturbations. Therefore hyperbolicity is a necessary, although not sufficient, condition for stability. A number of two-phase models available in the literature are examined in the light of the general results. It is found that most of them fail to be stable even in the parameter ranges where they are hyperbolic. Some comments on models with higher-order derivatives are also given.
The Dewatering of Economic Growth

Summary Recent research has found an inverted U relationship between freshwater use and income after controlling for freshwater availability, the structure of the economy, and several policy variables. This suggests that the intensity of freshwater use must be declining with income growth. This hypothesis is tested by developing a simple, informal model of the determinants of freshwater-use intensities across countries and over time. Results suggest that water-use intensity declines across the entire range of per capita incomes extant in the world today. They also show that the relationship between intensity of use and income is mediated by an economy's natural water endowment, the structure of the economy, and government policies. Four policies, in particular, affect the water-use intensity of economies. Open trade policies and tough environmental regulatory policies lower water use intensities, and narrowly defined food self-sufficiency policies and socialist development policies increase water-use intensities. These findings suggest that those interested in water, water scarcity, and water policy need to extend beyond simple extrapolations of past consumption patterns and narrowly focused water policies (such as water pricing) if they want to improve water management practices.
Hydrothermal plumes along segments of contrasting magmatic influence, 15°20′–18°30′N, East Pacific Rise: Influence of axial faulting

[1] Vertical profiles of light backscattering and temperature recorded on 133 rock cores and dredge hauls between the Orozco and Rivera transform faults on the East Pacific Rise (EPR) (15°20′–18°30′N) provide an opportunity to compare the hydrothermal environment of three adjacent but distinctly different segments that span the maximum range of axial cross section at a relatively constant spreading rate. Contrary to predictions based on data from other Pacific ridges, hydrothermal plumes over the inflated 16°N segment were less extensive and weaker than along the narrower, rifted 17°N segment. Remarkably, the 17°N segment has a plume incidence equal to the mean of superfast spreading segments from the southern EPR. The data suggest that the local permeability environment in this region controls the expression of hydrothermal activity in the water column. The 16°N segment, which has little or no indication of faulting, may have its hydrothermal activity presently suppressed by widespread volcanic flows that act as an impermeable cap over much of the segment. Activity on the 17°N segment may be tectonically enhanced, with hydrothermal fluids circulating through deep faults to a cracking front. Within each segment, intense hydrothermal plumes characteristic of focused discharge seem associated with clearly rifted areas, while weaker water column signals characteristic of diffuse discharge are associated with unrifted portions of the ridge axis that appear dominated by magmatism. Previous studies at intermediate- to-superfast spreading ridges have emphasized a positive correlation between local magmatic budget and hydrothermal activity. Our data suggest, however, that even at fast rates local tectonics can control the extent and nature of hydrothermal activity, as documented for several sites on the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Despite the segment-scale incongruity between hydrothermal activity and magmatic budget, the fraction of total ridge length between 15°20′ and 18°30′N overlain by plumes (0.39) follows the existing global correlation between plume incidence and spreading rate.