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At least 487 records · Page 27

Linking Community‐Climate Disequilibrium to Ecosystem Function

Turnover in species composition often lags behind the pace of climate change, resulting in mismatches between climate and communities. However, the impact of these community‐climate disequilibria on ecosystem functions is rarely considered, and current methods for measuring disequilibria assume that species ranges were, until recently, in equilibrium with climate. Here, in this work, we develop a simple theoretical model to address both of these problems by linking community‐climate disequilibrium with ecosystem functioning. We show how disequilibrium can impair functioning in the near‐term even when climate change is expected to enhance functioning in the long‐term. Responses are most likely to change over time in communities where turnover is slow, the impact of disequilibrium counteracts the direct effects of climate on ecosystem function, and pre‐existing disequilibrium is large. These findings emphasise the importance of precise and unbiased estimates of community‐climate disequilibria for improving ecological forecasts. By fitting our model to time series of both climate and ecosystem function from a metacommunity simulation, we show the potential for community‐climate disequilibrium to be inferred without direct knowledge about species' distributions or climatic tolerances. We end by outlining a research agenda to apply dynamic disequilibrium concepts and test novel hypotheses across diverse ecosystems.

climate change↗

Mechanistic basis of post-treatment control of SIV after anti-α4β7 antibody therapy

Treating macaques with an anti-α4β7 antibody under the umbrella of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) during early SIV infection can lead to viral remission, with viral loads maintained at < 50 SIV RNA copies/ml after removal of all treatment in a subset of animals. Depletion of CD8+ lymphocytes in controllers resulted in transient recrudescence of viremia, suggesting that the combination of cART and anti-α4β7 antibody treatment led to a state where ongoing immune responses kept the virus undetectable in the absence of treatment. A previous mathematical model of HIV infection and cART incorporates immune effector cell responses and exhibits the property of two different viral load set-points. While the lower set-point could correspond to the attainment of long-term viral remission, attaining the higher set-point may be the result of viral rebound. Here we expand that model to include possible mechanisms of action of an anti-α4β7 antibody operating in these treated animals. We show that the model can fit the longitudinal viral load data from both IgG control and anti-α4β7 antibody treated macaques, suggesting explanations for the viral control associated with cART and an anti-α4β7 antibody treatment. This effective perturbation to the virus-host interaction can also explain observations in other nonhuman primate experiments in which cART and immunotherapy have led to post-treatment control or resetting of the viral load set-point. Interestingly, because the viral kinetics in the various treated animals differed—some animals exhibited large fluctuations in viral load after cART cessation—the model suggests that anti-α4β7 treatment could act by different primary mechanisms in different animals and still lead to post-treatment viral control. This outcome is nonetheless in accordance with a model with two stable viral load set-points, in which therapy can perturb the system from one set-point to a lower one through different biological mechanisms.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

bmdrc: Python package for quantifying phenotypes from chemical exposures with benchmark dose modeling

Though chemical exposures are known to potentially have negative impacts on health, including contributing to chronic diseases such as cancer, the quantitative contribution of risk is not fully understood for every chemical. A commonly used approach to quantify levels of risk is to measure the proportion of organisms (such as a total number of zebrafish on a plate or mice in a cage) with abnormal behavioral responses or morphology at increasing concentrations of chemical exposure. A particular challenge with processing the proportional data from these assays is the appropriate estimation of chemical concentration levels that result in malformations or acute toxicity, as these values typically vary between experimental measurements. The recommended approach by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to fit benchmark dose curves with specific filters and model fitting steps, which are crucial to properly processing the proportional data. Several tools exist for the fitting of benchmark dose response curves, but none are standalone Python libraries built to process both morphological and behavioral data as proportions with all the EPA recommended filters, filter parameters, models, and model parameters. Thus, here we present the benchmark dose response curve (bmdrc) Python library, which was built to closely follow these EPA guidelines with helpful visualizations of filters and fitted model curves, and reports for reproducibility purposes. bmdrc is open-source and has demonstrated utility as a support package to an existing web portal for information on chemicals (https://srp.pnnl.gov). Our package will support any toxicology analysis where the response is a proportional value at increasing levels of a concentration of a chemical or chemical mixture.

Superfund↗

Probing Transit Timing Variation and Its Possible Origin with 12 New Transits of TrES-3b

We present 12 new transit light curves of the hot-Jupiter TrES-3b observed during 2012−2018 to probe the transit timing variation (TTV). By combining the midtransit times determined from these 12 transit data with those reestimated through uniform procedure from 71 transit data available in the literature, we derive new linear ephemeris and obtain the timing residuals that suggest the possibility of TTV in the TrES-3 system. However, the frequency analysis shows that the possible TTV is unlikely to be periodic, indicating the absence of an additional body in this system. To explore the other possible origins of TTV, the orbital decay and apsidal precession ephemeris models are fitted to the transit time data. We find the decay rate of TrES-3b to be P-dot {sub q}=−4.1±3.1 ms yr{sup −1}, and the corresponding estimated modified stellar tidal quality factor of Q{sub ∗}{sup ′}∼1.11×10{sup 5} is consistent with the theoretically predicted values for the stars hosting the hot-Jupiters. The shift in the transit arrival time of TrES-3b after 11 years is expected to be T {sub shift} ∼ 69.55 s, which is consistent with the rms of the timing residuals. Besides, we find that the apsidal precession ephemeris model is statistically less probable than the other considered ephemeris models. It is also discussed that despite the fact that the linear ephemeris model appears to be the most plausible model to represent the transit time data, the possibility of the orbital decay cannot be completely ruled out in the TrES-3 system. To confirm this, further high-precision and high-cadence follow-up observation of transits of TrES-3b would be important.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Mathematical modeling and parameter estimation of MFI membranes for para/ortho‐xylene separation

Abstract A mathematical model of a membrane with a thin, oriented, and selective MFI layer, which also includes contributions from defects, pore blockages, support layer, and external mass transfer, was formulated based on the Maxwell‐Stefan equations. It was validated using reported (Kim et al., Angew Chemie Int Ed, 2018, 57:480–485; Jeon et al., Nature, 2017, 543:690–694) para/ortho‐xylene separation data from five MFI membranes. The diffusivities of the xylenes were considered to be the same for all membranes, while the thickness and the density of defects and pore blockage were treated as unique properties of each membrane, and their contributions were estimated by fitting the model to the corresponding separation data. The effects of these properties and the role of permeate pressure on the separation performance were subsequently analyzed. The proposed modeling, parameter estimation, and analysis framework allow one to quantitatively interpret the variation of separation performance, to understand separation bottlenecks, and to provide guidance for designing membranes with desired performance.

Liu, Jingjun↗

Connecting the Light Curves of Type IIP Supernovae to the Properties of Their Progenitors

Abstract Observations of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) reveal a wealth of information about the dynamics of the supernova ejecta and its composition but very little direct information about the progenitor. Constraining properties of the progenitor and the explosion requires coupling the observations with a theoretical model of the explosion. Here we begin with the CCSN simulations of Couch et al., which use a nonparametric treatment of the neutrino transport while also accounting for turbulence and convection. In this work we use the SuperNova Explosion Code to evolve the CCSN hydrodynamics to later times and compute bolometric light curves. Focusing on Type IIP SNe (SNe IIP), we then (1) directly compare the theoretical STIR explosions to observations and (2) assess how properties of the progenitor’s core can be estimated from optical photometry in the plateau phase alone. First, the distribution of plateau luminosities ( L 50 ) and ejecta velocities achieved by our simulations is similar to the observed distributions. Second, we fit our models to the light curves and velocity evolution of some well-observed SNe. Third, we recover well-known correlations, as well as the difficulty of connecting any one SN property to zero-age main-sequence mass. Finally, we show that there is a usable, linear correlation between iron core mass and L 50 such that optical photometry alone of SNe IIP can give us insights into the cores of massive stars. Illustrating this by application to a few SNe, we find iron core masses of 1.3–1.5 M ⊙ with typical errors of 0.05 M ⊙ . Data are publicly available online on Zenodo: doi: 10.5281/zenodo.6631964 .

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Detection of significant antiviral drug effects on COVID-19 with reasonable sample sizes in randomized controlled trials: A modeling study

Development of an effective antiviral drug for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health priority. Although several candidate drugs have been identified through in vitro and in vivo models, consistent and compelling evidence from clinical studies is limited. The lack of evidence from clinical trials may stem in part from the imperfect design of the trials. We investigated how clinical trials for antivirals need to be designed, especially focusing on the sample size in randomized controlled trials. A modeling study was conducted to help understand the reasons behind inconsistent clinical trial findings and to design better clinical trials. We first analyzed longitudinal viral load data for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) without antiviral treatment by use of a within-host virus dynamics model. The fitted viral load was categorized into 3 different groups by a clustering approach. Comparison of the estimated parameters showed that the 3 distinct groups were characterized by different virus decay rates (p-value < 0.001). The mean decay rates were 1.17 d -1 (95% CI: 1.06 to 1.27 d -1 ), 0.777 d -1 (0.716 to 0.838 d -1 ), and 0.450 d -1 (0.378 to 0.522 d -1 ) for the 3 groups, respectively. Such heterogeneity in virus dynamics could be a confounding variable if it is associated with treatment allocation in compassionate use programs (i.e., observational studies). Subsequently, we mimicked randomized controlled trials of antivirals by simulation. An antiviral effect causing a 95% to 99% reduction in viral replication was added to the model. To be realistic, we assumed that randomization and treatment are initiated with some time lag after symptom onset. Using the duration of virus shedding as an outcome, the sample size to detect a statistically significant mean difference between the treatment and placebo groups (1:1 allocation) was 13,603 and 11,670 (when the antiviral effect was 95% and 99%, respectively) per group if all patients are enrolled regardless of timing of randomization. The sample size was reduced to 584 and 458 (when the antiviral effect was 95% and 99%, respectively) if only patients who are treated within 1 day of symptom onset are enrolled. We confirmed the sample size was similarly reduced when using cumulative viral load in log scale as an outcome. We used a conventional virus dynamics model, which may not fully reflect the detailed mechanisms of viral dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. The model needs to be calibrated in terms of both parameter settings and model structure, which would yield more reliable sample size calculation. In this study, we found that estimated association in observational studies can be biased due to large heterogeneity in viral dynamics among infected individuals, and statistically significant effect in randomized controlled trials may be difficult to be detected due to small sample size. The sample size can be dramatically reduced by recruiting patients immediately after developing symptoms. We believe this is the first study investigated the study design of clinical trials for antiviral treatment using the viral dynamics model.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Broadband Characterization and Circuit Model Development of Transmission-Scale Transformers

This report describes broadband measurements of transmission-scale transformers typical in the electric power grid. This work was performed as part of the EMP Resilient Grid LDRD project at Sandia National Laboratories to generate circuit models that can be used for high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) coupling simulations and response predictions. The objective of the work was to obtain characterization data of substation yard equipment across a frequency range relevant to HEMP. Vector network analyzer measurements up to 100 MHz were performed on two power transformers at ABB-Hitachi and a single ITEC potential transformer. Custom cable breakouts were designed to interface with the transformer terminals and provide ground connections to the chassis at the base of the transformer bushings. The three-phase terminals of the power transformers were measured as a common mode impedance using a parallel resistive splitter, and the single-phase terminals of the potential transformer were measured directly. A vector fitting algorithm was used to empirically fit circuit models to the resulting two-port networks and input impedances of the measured objects. Simplified circuit representations of the input impedances were also generated to assess the degree of precision needed for high-altitude electromagnetic pulse response predictions, which were performed in Sandia's XYCE circuit simulator platform. HEMP coupling simulations using the transformer models showed significant reduction in the voltage peak and broadening in the pulse width seen at the power transformer compared to the traveling wave voltage. This indicated the importance of the load condition when defining the coupled insult in an electric power substation. Simplified circuit models showed a similar voltage at the transformer with a smoothed waveform. The presence of potential transformers in the simulation did not significantly change the simulated voltage at the power transformer. Single-port input impedance models were also developed to define load conditions when transfer characteristics were not necessary.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Practical guide to understanding goodness-of-fit metrics used in chemical state modeling of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data by synthetic line shapes using nylon as an example

Chemical state analysis of a sample surface through fitting bell-shaped curves to x-ray photoelectron spectroscopic polymer data is reviewed using nylon to introduce and discuss aspects of data analysis. Different strategies for modeling chemistry in nylon spectra are presented and in so doing, a case is made to include in published science the design logic and implementation in terms of line shapes and optimization parameter constraints between components in a peak model. Imperfections in line shape relative to the true shape for photoemission lines, when compensated for using constraints to optimization parameters, are shown to provide chemical state information about a sample that justify, for peak models constructed with these limitations, metrics for goodness-of-fit different from those expected for pulse-counted data.

Materials Science↗

Logistic Regression in Clinical Studies

• A logistic regression model is used when the outcome of interest is binary. The term “logistic” refers to the underlying “logit” (log odds) function that is used to model the binary outcome. • Odds ratios are produced from a logistic regression model and have a useful interpretation. • Tips, tricks and concepts used to fit logistic regression models are similar to those used in linear regression models. • Modeling building that is knowledge-based rather than automatic is preferred in most applications of logistic regression. • A logistic regression model that is overparameterized (ie, too many variables for too few events) can result in odds ratios that are implausibly large and confidence intervals that are wide and uninterpretable. These types of “overfitted” models should be avoided. • Logistic regression models can be fit using most standard statistical software.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Quantifying scalar field dynamics with DESI 2024 Y1 BAO measurements

Quintessence scalar fields are a natural candidate for evolving dark energy. Unlike the phenomenological w 0 ⁢w a parameterization of the dark energy equation of state, they cannot accommodate the phantom regime of dark energy w⁡(z) <–1, or crossings into the phantom regime. Recent baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) indicate a preference for evolving dark energy over a cosmological constant, ranging from 2.6⁢σ –3.9⁢σ when fitting to w 0⁢ w a , and combining the DESI BAO measurements with other cosmological probes. In this work, we directly fit three simple scalar field models to the DESI BAO data, combined with cosmic microwave background anisotropy measurements and supernova datasets. We find the best fit model to include a 2–4% kinetic scalar field energy Ω scf,k , for a canonical scalar field with a quadratic or linear potential. However, only the DESY-Y5 supernova dataset combination shows a preference for quintessence over Λ cold dark matter (CDM) at the 95% confidence level. Fitting to the supernova datasets Pantheon, Pantheon+, DES-Y5, and Union3, we show that the mild tension (n σ < 3.4) under Λ ⁢CDM emerges from a BAO preference for smaller values of fractional mass-energy density Ω m < 0.29, while all supernova datasets, except for Pantheon, prefer larger values, Ω m > 0.3. The tension under Λ ⁢CDM remains noticeable (n σ < 2.8), when replacing two of the DESI BAO redshift bins with effective redshifts z eff = 0.51, and z eff = 0.706 with comparable BOSS DR 12 BAO measurements at z eff = 0.51, and z eff = 0.61. Furthermore, canonical scalar fields as dark energy are successful in mitigating that tension.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

GEN3D Experimental and Numerical Development of GEN3 Durability Models

Understanding of the high temperature durability of particles and the materials that contain them is critical to next generation of concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. Here we studied the durability of particles and their containment materials under extreme UV cycling, thermal cycling, and in low-speed high temperature mechanical wear situations. The optical stability of seven candidate particles has been determined following exposure to the high temperature conditions present in a generation 3 particle-based CSP technology. Particle solar weighted absorptance and emittance measured periodically during 10,000 high solar irradiance exposure cycles and up to 400 hours of isothermal aging has been documented. The particle aging due to repeated exposure to concentrated solar flux represented the 30-year lifetime of a power plant. Models were fit to the absorptivity and emissivity data following the isothermal aging provides the projected optical degradation of the particles as a function of temperature. Mechanical wear was studied through the use of custom developed wear testing facilities for measuring high temperature impact wear, abrasion wear, and particle attrition. Additionally, a novel technique for measuring the high temperature mechanical properties of single particles was developed. Through these tests it was observed that high nickel alloys generally showed lower wear than comparable iron based steels, particularly at elevated temperatures of 800°C. Mechanical wear at these temperatures is a highly complex phenomenon combining both mechanical wear and oxidation. Additionally, the containment materials wear rates are influenced by the particles (both hardness and roundness), making the wear mechanisms complex. The initial wear test conducted in the abrasion test rig revealed a substantial amount of oxide materials in the particle bed after testing (in relative to later tests), and substantially more wear, likely indicating a need for concern in startup operation of particle facilities to not incur high wear from the presence of oxides. Particle attrition experiments have only been conducted for a single material but increase size distribution, reduction in circularity, and particle diameter is observed. Efforts to develop predictive models was limited due to a testing campaign that prioritized testing materials for particle pathway developers over building a comprehensive design of experiments. The results discussed in this report inform future CSP developers and researchers further de risking the technology and assisting in its future development. ParticleBased CSP development provides a path to dispatchable solar power generation with storage at a price competitive in the current energy market. Lowering the cost of CSP technology provides a carbon free power generation solution that can assist in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of electricity.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Development of Training Materials for Pathologists to Provide Machine Learning Validation Data of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Breast Cancer

The High Throughput Truthing project aims to develop a dataset for validating artificial intelligence and machine learning models (AI/ML) fit for regulatory purposes. The context of this AI/ML validation dataset is the reporting of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) density evaluations in hematoxylin and eosin-stained invasive breast cancer biopsy specimens. After completing the pilot study, we found notable variability in the sTILs estimates as well as inconsistencies and gaps in the provided training to pathologists. Using the pilot study data and an expert panel, we created custom training materials to improve pathologist annotation quality for the pivotal study. We categorized regions of interest (ROIs) based on their mean sTILs density and selected ROIs with the highest and lowest sTILs variability. In a series of eight one-hour sessions, the expert panel reviewed each ROI and provided verbal density estimates and comments on features that confounded the sTILs evaluation. We aggregated and shaped the comments to identify pitfalls and instructions to improve our training materials. From these selected ROIs, we created a training set and proficiency test set to improve pathologist training with the goal to improve data collection for the pivotal study. We are not exploring AI/ML performance in this paper. Instead, we are creating materials that will train crowd-sourced pathologists to be the reference standard in a pivotal study to create an AI/ML model validation dataset. The issues discussed here are also important for clinicians to understand about the evaluation of sTILs in clinical practice and can provide insight to developers of AI/ML models.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Deriving spatially explicit direct and indirect interaction networks from animal movement data

Abstract Quantifying spatiotemporally explicit interactions within animal populations facilitates the understanding of social structure and its relationship with ecological processes. Data from animal tracking technologies (Global Positioning Systems [“GPS”]) can circumvent longstanding challenges in the estimation of spatiotemporally explicit interactions, but the discrete nature and coarse temporal resolution of data mean that ephemeral interactions that occur between consecutive GPS locations go undetected. Here, we developed a method to quantify individual and spatial patterns of interaction using continuous‐time movement models (CTMMs) fit to GPS tracking data. We first applied CTMMs to infer the full movement trajectories at an arbitrarily fine temporal scale before estimating interactions, thus allowing inference of interactions occurring between observed GPS locations. Our framework then infers indirect interactions—individuals occurring at the same location, but at different times—while allowing the identification of indirect interactions to vary with ecological context based on CTMM outputs. We assessed the performance of our new method using simulations and illustrated its implementation by deriving disease‐relevant interaction networks for two behaviorally differentiated species, wild pigs ( Sus scrofa ) that can host African Swine Fever and mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) that can host chronic wasting disease. Simulations showed that interactions derived from observed GPS data can be substantially underestimated when temporal resolution of movement data exceeds 30‐min intervals. Empirical application suggested that underestimation occurred in both interaction rates and their spatial distributions. CTMM‐Interaction method, which can introduce uncertainties, recovered majority of true interactions. Our method leverages advances in movement ecology to quantify fine‐scale spatiotemporal interactions between individuals from lower temporal resolution GPS data. It can be leveraged to infer dynamic social networks, transmission potential in disease systems, consumer–resource interactions, information sharing, and beyond. The method also sets the stage for future predictive models linking observed spatiotemporal interaction patterns to environmental drivers.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Do Piperonyl Butoxide Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets Provide Additional Protection Against Malaria Infections Compared with Conventional Nets in an Operational Setting in Western Kenya?

Malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa has stagnated despite widespread adoption of control measures such as long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). Progress has stalled, in part, because of pyrethroid insecticide resistance, driving the need for retooling to increase the effectiveness of bed nets. Consequently, LLINs have been treated with the chemical synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO). Piperonyl butoxide LLINs have been shown to be efficacious in controlled settings; however, their effectiveness in real-world settings warrants investigation. In Bungoma County, Western Kenya, a cohort of 768 participants was followed from June 2017 to December 2023 via active and passive surveillance. Household visits were conducted monthly, during which LLIN use for nets distributed in 2017 and 2021 was recorded, and symptomatic malaria cases were identified using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). The comparative effectiveness of PBO versus conventional LLINs was assessed in terms of malaria infections. A multilevel logistic regression model was fit with monthly RDT results as the dependent variable. The study results indicate that PBO LLINs provide greater protection against malaria at the individual level than conventional LLINs (odds ratio: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.47–1.03), although the findings were not statistically significant. The added protection against malaria infections provided by PBO LLINs compared with conventional LLINs observed in the current study aligns with findings from most previous studies, although this finding was not statistically significant. In areas with documented pyrethroid resistance, the use of LLINs with an added synergist, such as PBO, can provide additional protection against malaria infections (compared with pyrethroid-only LLINs) and should be considered for scaled-up scenarios despite the additional cost.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Cancer Incidence Trends in Successive Social Generations in the US

Importance: The incidence of some cancers in the US is increasing in younger age groups, but underlying trends in cancer patterns by birth year remain unclear. Objective: To estimate cancer incidence trends in successive social generations. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study, incident invasive cancers were ascertained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program’s 13-registry database (November 2020 submission, accessed August 14, 2023). Invasive cancers diagnosed at ages 35 to 84 years during 1992 to 2018 within 152 strata were defined by cancer site, sex, and race and ethnicity. Exposure: Invasive cancer. Main Outcome and Measures: Stratum-specific semiparametric age-period-cohort (SAGE) models were fitted and incidence per 100 000 person-years at the reference age of 60 years was calculated for single-year birth cohorts from 1908 through 1983 (fitted cohort patterns [FCPs]). The FCPs and FCP incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were compared by site for Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) and Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964). Results: A total of 3.8 million individuals with invasive cancer (51.0% male; 8.6% Asian or Pacific Islander, 9.5% Hispanic, 10.4% non-Hispanic Black, and 71.5% non-Hispanic White) were included in the analysis. In Generation X vs Baby Boomers, FCP IRRs among women increased significantly for thyroid (2.76; 95% CI, 2.41-3.15), kidney (1.99; 95% CI, 1.70-2.32), rectal (1.84; 95% CI, 1.52-2.22), corpus uterine (1.75; 95% CI, 1.40-2.18), colon (1.56; 95% CI, 1.27-1.92), and pancreatic (1.39; 95% CI, 1.07-1.80) cancers; non-Hodgkins lymphoma (1.40; 95% CI, 1.08-1.82); and leukemia (1.27; 95% CI, 1.03-1.58). Among men, IRRs increased for thyroid (2.16; 95% CI, 1.87-2.50), kidney (2.14; 95% CI, 1.86-2.46), rectal (1.80; 95% CI, 1.52-2.12), colon (1.60; 95% CI, 1.32-1.94), and prostate (1.25; 95% CI, 1.03-1.52) cancers and leukemia (1.34; 95% CI, 1.08-1.66). Lung (IRR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.50-0.72) and cervical (IRR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57-0.89) cancer incidence decreased among women, and lung (IRR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.43-0.60), liver (IRR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63-0.91), and gallbladder (IRR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.72-1.00) cancer and non-Hodgkins lymphoma (IRR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61-0.93) incidence decreased among men. For all cancers combined, FCPs were higher in Generation X than for Baby Boomers because gaining cancers numerically overtook falling cancers in all groups except Asian or Pacific Islander men. Conclusions and Relevance: In this model-based cohort analysis of incident invasive cancer in the general population, decreases in lung and cervical cancers in Generation X may be offset by gains at other sites. Generation X may be experiencing larger per-capita increases in the incidence of leading cancers than any prior generation born in 1908 through 1964. On current trajectories, cancer incidence could remain high for decades.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

In-vivo neuronal dysfunction by Aβ and tau overlaps with brain-wide inflammatory mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease

The molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remain uncharacterized. Here, we identify genes, molecular pathways and cellular components associated with whole-brain dysregulation caused by amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau deposits in the living human brain. We obtained in-vivo resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), Aβ- and tau-PET for 47 cognitively unimpaired and 16 AD participants from the Translational Biomarkers in Aging and Dementia cohort. Adverse neuronal activity impacts by Aβ and tau were quantified with personalized dynamical models by fitting pathology-mediated computational signals to the participant’s real rs-fMRIs. Then, we detected robust brain-wide associations between the spatial profiles of Aβ-tau impacts and gene expression in the neurotypical transcriptome (Allen Human Brain Atlas). Within the obtained distinctive signature of in-vivo neuronal dysfunction, several genes have prominent roles in microglial activation and in interactions with Aβ and tau. Moreover, cellular vulnerability estimations revealed strong association of microglial expression patterns with Aβ and tau’s synergistic impact on neuronal activity (q < 0.001). These results further support the central role of the immune system and neuroinflammatory pathways in AD pathogenesis. Neuronal dysregulation by AD pathologies also associated with neurotypical synaptic and developmental processes. In addition, we identified drug candidates from the vast LINCS library to halt or reduce the observed Aβ-tau effects on neuronal activity. Top-ranked pharmacological interventions target inflammatory, cancer and cardiovascular pathways, including specific medications undergoing clinical evaluation in AD. Our findings, based on the examination of molecular-pathological-functional interactions in humans, may accelerate the process of bringing effective therapies into clinical practice.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Human–mouse comparison of the multistage nature of radiation carcinogenesis in a mathematical model

Abstract Mouse models are vital for assessing risk from environmental carcinogens, including ionizing radiation, yet the interspecies difference in the dose response precludes direct application of experimental evidence to humans. Herein, we take a mathematical approach to delineate the mechanism underlying the human–mouse difference in radiation‐related cancer risk. We used a multistage carcinogenesis model assuming a mutational action of radiation to analyze previous data on cancer mortality in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors and in lifespan mouse experiments. Theoretically, the model predicted that exposure will chronologically shift the age‐related increase in cancer risk forward by a period corresponding to the time in which the spontaneous mutational process generates the same mutational burden as that the exposure generates. This model appropriately fitted both human and mouse data and suggested a linear dose response for the time shift. The effect per dose decreased with increasing age at exposure similarly between humans and mice on a per‐lifespan basis (0.72‐ and 0.71‐fold, respectively, for every tenth lifetime). The time shift per dose was larger by two orders of magnitude in humans (7.8 and 0.046 years per Gy for humans and mice, respectively, when exposed at ~35% of their lifetime). The difference was mostly explained by the two orders of magnitude difference in spontaneous somatic mutation rates between the species plus the species‐independent radiation‐induced mutation rate. Thus, the findings delineate the mechanism underlying the interspecies difference in radiation‐associated cancer mortality and may lead to the use of experimental evidence for risk prediction in humans.

Oncology↗