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Ahluwalia K, Du Z, Martinez-Camarillo JC, Naik A, Thomas BB, Pollalis D, Lee SY, Dave P, Zhou E, Li Z, Chester C, Humayun MS, Louie SG. Unveiling Drivers of Retinal Degeneration in RCS Rats: Functional, Morphological, and Molecular Insights. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3749. [PMID: 38612560 PMCID: PMC11011632 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, significantly contribute to adult blindness. The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat is a well-established disease model for studying these dystrophies; however, molecular investigations remain limited. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of retinal degeneration in RCS rats, including an immunodeficient RCS (iRCS) sub-strain, using ocular coherence tomography, electroretinography, histology, and molecular dissection using transcriptomics and immunofluorescence. No significant differences in retinal degeneration progression were observed between the iRCS and immunocompetent RCS rats, suggesting a minimal role of adaptive immune responses in disease. Transcriptomic alterations were primarily in inflammatory signaling pathways, characterized by the strong upregulation of Tnfa, an inflammatory signaling molecule, and Nox1, a contributor to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Additionally, a notable decrease in Alox15 expression was observed, pointing to a possible reduction in anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid mediators. These findings were corroborated by immunostaining, which demonstrated increased photoreceptor lipid peroxidation (4HNE) and photoreceptor citrullination (CitH3) during retinal degeneration. Our work enhances the understanding of molecular changes associated with retinal degeneration in RCS rats and offers potential therapeutic targets within inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways for confirmatory research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kabir Ahluwalia
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (K.A.); (A.N.); (P.D.); (E.Z.); (Z.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Zhaodong Du
- USC Ginsburg Institute of for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (Z.D.); (J.C.M.-C.); (B.B.T.); (D.P.); (S.Y.L.); (M.S.H.)
| | - Juan Carlos Martinez-Camarillo
- USC Ginsburg Institute of for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (Z.D.); (J.C.M.-C.); (B.B.T.); (D.P.); (S.Y.L.); (M.S.H.)
- Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Aditya Naik
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (K.A.); (A.N.); (P.D.); (E.Z.); (Z.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Biju B. Thomas
- USC Ginsburg Institute of for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (Z.D.); (J.C.M.-C.); (B.B.T.); (D.P.); (S.Y.L.); (M.S.H.)
- Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Dimitrios Pollalis
- USC Ginsburg Institute of for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (Z.D.); (J.C.M.-C.); (B.B.T.); (D.P.); (S.Y.L.); (M.S.H.)
- Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Sun Young Lee
- USC Ginsburg Institute of for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (Z.D.); (J.C.M.-C.); (B.B.T.); (D.P.); (S.Y.L.); (M.S.H.)
- Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Priyal Dave
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (K.A.); (A.N.); (P.D.); (E.Z.); (Z.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Eugene Zhou
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (K.A.); (A.N.); (P.D.); (E.Z.); (Z.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Zeyang Li
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (K.A.); (A.N.); (P.D.); (E.Z.); (Z.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Catherine Chester
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (K.A.); (A.N.); (P.D.); (E.Z.); (Z.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Mark S. Humayun
- USC Ginsburg Institute of for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (Z.D.); (J.C.M.-C.); (B.B.T.); (D.P.); (S.Y.L.); (M.S.H.)
- Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Stan G. Louie
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (K.A.); (A.N.); (P.D.); (E.Z.); (Z.L.); (C.C.)
- USC Ginsburg Institute of for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (Z.D.); (J.C.M.-C.); (B.B.T.); (D.P.); (S.Y.L.); (M.S.H.)
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Mead AJ, Ahluwalia K, Ebright B, Zhang Z, Dave P, Li Z, Zhou E, Naik AA, Ngu R, Chester C, Lu A, Asante I, Pollalis D, Martinez JC, Humayun M, Louie S. Loss of 15-Lipoxygenase in Retinodegenerative RCS Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2309. [PMID: 38396985 PMCID: PMC10889776 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a retinal degenerative disease associated with a diversity of genetic mutations. In a natural progression study (NPS) evaluating the molecular changes in Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats using lipidomic profiling, RNA sequencing, and gene expression analyses, changes associated with retinal degeneration from p21 to p60 were evaluated, where reductions in retinal ALOX15 expression corresponded with disease progression. This important enzyme catalyzes the formation of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) such as lipoxins (LXs), resolvins (RvDs), and docosapentaenoic acid resolvins (DPA RvDs), where reduced ALOX15 corresponded with reduced SPMs. Retinal DPA RvD2 levels were found to correlate with retinal structural and functional decline. Retinal RNA sequencing comparing p21 with p60 showed an upregulation of microglial inflammatory pathways accompanied by impaired damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) clearance pathways. This analysis suggests that ALXR/FPR2 activation can ameliorate disease progression, which was supported by treatment with an LXA4 analog, NAP1051, which was able to promote the upregulation of ALOX12 and ALOX15. This study showed that retinal inflammation from activated microglia and dysregulation of lipid metabolism were central to the pathogenesis of retinal degeneration in RP, where ALXR/FPR2 activation was able to preserve retinal structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew James Mead
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
| | - Kabir Ahluwalia
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
| | - Brandon Ebright
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
| | - Zeyu Zhang
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
| | - Priyal Dave
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
| | - Zeyang Li
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
| | - Eugene Zhou
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
| | - Aditya Anil Naik
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
| | - Rachael Ngu
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
| | - Catherine Chester
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
| | - Angela Lu
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
| | - Isaac Asante
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
- University of Southern California Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (D.P.); (J.C.M.); (M.H.)
- University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Dimitrios Pollalis
- University of Southern California Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (D.P.); (J.C.M.); (M.H.)
- University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Martinez
- University of Southern California Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (D.P.); (J.C.M.); (M.H.)
- University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Mark Humayun
- University of Southern California Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (D.P.); (J.C.M.); (M.H.)
- University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Stan Louie
- Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (A.J.M.); (K.A.); (B.E.); (Z.Z.); (P.D.); (Z.L.); (E.Z.); (A.A.N.); (R.N.); (C.C.); (A.L.); (I.A.)
- University of Southern California Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (D.P.); (J.C.M.); (M.H.)
- University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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Makkouk A, Sundaram V, Chester C, Chang S, Colevas AD, Sunwoo JB, Maecker H, Desai M, Kohrt HE. Characterizing CD137 upregulation on NK cells in patients receiving monoclonal antibody therapy. Ann Oncol 2017; 28:415-420. [PMID: 27831501 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdw570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the era of personalized cancer medicine, identifying techniques for effectively matching patients to efficacious treatments is a critical step in the treatment process. The advent of anti-cancer immunotherapies necessitates novel approaches to biomarker identification beyond traditional genomic profiling. One promising approach is incorporation of nomograms into treatment decisions. Nomograms are prediction tools, based on statistical modeling, designed to predict treatment outcomes. As a first step toward developing a nomogram, we conducted analyses to predict CD137 expression of natural killer cells after monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment. Patients and methods Patient, tumor and immune characteristics were collected from 199 patients with breast cancer (N = 62), head/neck cancers (N = 46) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (N = 91), who were receiving mAb therapy as part of clinical trials. The difference in CD137 expression before and after mAb therapy was assessed by flow cytometry. To evaluate those who respond to mAb therapy via increased CD137 expression, we applied classification and regression trees (CART), multivariable lasso regression tools and Random Forest. Results The CD137 expression was significantly different for each cancer type [mean (SD): Breast: 6.6 (6.5); Head/Neck: 11.0 (7.0); NHL: 7.5 (7.1), P < 0.0001]. For breast cancer and NHL, FcR polymorphism and baseline CD137 expression were significant predictors of increased CD137 expression; for head/neck cancer, FcR polymorphism and age were significant predictors of increased expression. Conclusions Our preliminary results suggest that FcR polymorphism, pre-treatment CD137 expression and age are significant predictors of CD137 upregulation in patients. This study demonstrates that the development of a nomogram for therapy response is feasible. Further work validating our models in an independent cohort will provide the next steps in developing a nomogram that may be used to individualize this therapeutic approach for patients (NCT01114256).
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Affiliation(s)
- A Makkouk
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University , Stanford, CA, USA
| | - V Sundaram
- Quantitative Sciences Unit, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA, USA
| | - C Chester
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University , Stanford, CA, USA.,Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - S Chang
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - A D Colevas
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University , Stanford, CA, USA
| | - J B Sunwoo
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
| | - H Maecker
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - M Desai
- Quantitative Sciences Unit, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA, USA
| | - H E Kohrt
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University , Stanford, CA, USA
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Nead K, Gaskin G, Chester C, Swisher-McClure S, Leeper N, Shah N. Androgen Deprivation Therapy and Risk of Dementia. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2016.06.2444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Sanmamed MF, Chester C, Melero I, Kohrt H. Defining the optimal murine models to investigate immune checkpoint blockers and their combination with other immunotherapies. Ann Oncol 2016; 27:1190-8. [PMID: 26912558 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdw041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent success of checkpoint blockers to treat cancer has demonstrated that the immune system is a critical player in the war against cancer. Historically, anticancer therapeutics have been tested in syngeneic mouse models (with a fully murine immune system) or in immunodeficient mice that allow the engraftment of human xenografts. Animal models with functioning human immune systems are critically needed to more accurately recapitulate the complexity of the human tumor microenvironment. Such models are integral to better predict tumor responses to both immunomodulatory agents and directly antineoplastic therapies. In this regard, the development of humanized models is a promising, novel strategy that offers the possibility of testing checkpoint blockers' capacity and their combination with other antitumor drugs. In this review, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the available animal models regarding their capacity to evaluate checkpoint blockers and checkpoint blocker-based combination immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F Sanmamed
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven
| | - C Chester
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
| | - I Melero
- Division of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - H Kohrt
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
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Pomerantz I, McCary E, Meadows AR, Arefiev A, Bernstein AC, Chester C, Cortez J, Donovan ME, Dyer G, Gaul EW, Hamilton D, Kuk D, Lestrade AC, Wang C, Ditmire T, Hegelich BM. Ultrashort pulsed neutron source. Phys Rev Lett 2014; 113:184801. [PMID: 25396373 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.113.184801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We report on a novel compact laser-driven neutron source with an unprecedented short pulse duration (<50 ps) and high peak flux (>10(18) n/cm(2)/s), an order of magnitude higher than any existing source. In our experiments, high-energy electron jets are generated from thin (<3 μm) plastic targets irradiated by a petawatt laser. These intense electron beams are employed to generate neutrons from a metal converter. Our method opens venues for enhancing neutron radiography contrast and for creating astrophysical conditions of heavy element synthesis in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Pomerantz
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - E McCary
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - A R Meadows
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - A Arefiev
- Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - A C Bernstein
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - C Chester
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - J Cortez
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - M E Donovan
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - G Dyer
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - E W Gaul
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - D Hamilton
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - D Kuk
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - A C Lestrade
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - C Wang
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - T Ditmire
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - B M Hegelich
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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