bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thicker Soergel calculus for B3
Authors: Koley Mitra
Published: October 2019

Diagrammatic algebra provides a useful way to study Soergel bimodules. This approach proceeds via the simpler category [Formula: see text]Bim of Bott–Samelson bimodules, for which there is a well developed diagrammatic calculus. As Soergel bimodules are summands of Bott–Samelson bimodules, it is important to understand idempotents in the category [Formula: see text]Bim.

For Coxeter groups of type [Formula: see text], we analyze this problem for certain important idempotents, namely, the idempotent projecting to the indecomposable Soergel bimodule corresponding to the longest element of the Coxeter group. We use a strategy analogous to one used by Elias in type [Formula: see text]. We present a full explicit calculation for the first nontrivial case [Formula: see text]. The strategy is applicable for general [Formula: see text] but much more involved. We hope that the [Formula: see text] case serves as a stepping stone for the general case.
Perturbation bounds for the W-weighted core-EP inverse
Authors: Gao Yuefeng
Published: October 2019

In this paper, perturbation bounds are provided for the [Formula: see text]-weighted core-EP inverse of a rectangular matrix under reasonable conditions. Perturbation bounds for the core-EP inverse could be stated as a special case. Then, the continuity of the [Formula: see text]-weighted core-EP inverse is considered from the perspective of equations. Finally, we give an application to a semi-stable matrix involving an integral representation of the [Formula: see text]-weighted core-EP inverse of a perturbed matrix.
Regularity and projective dimension of powers of edge ideal of the disjoint union of some weighted oriented gap-free bipartite graphs
Authors: Zhu Guangjun , Xu Li , Wang Hong , Zhang Jiaqi
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we provide some precise formulas for regularity of powers of edge ideal of the disjoint union of some weighted oriented gap-free bipartite graphs. For the projective dimension of such an edge ideal, we give its exact formula. Meanwhile, we also give the upper and lower bounds of projective dimension of higher powers of such an edge ideal. As an application, we present regularity and projective dimension of powers of edge ideal of some gap-free bipartite undirected graphs. Some examples show that these formulas are related to direction selection.
Thermodynamic and Economic Contrast of an Ionic Solution Operated Solar Absorption Cooling System with LiBr+H2O Pair for a Business Building in India
Authors: Modi Nishant , Pandya Bhargav , Hosseinpour Javad , Amidpour Majid
Published: October 2019

The current study assesses the thermo-economic performance of a H2O[Formula: see text][EMIM][DMP] (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethyl phosphate) working fluid-based absorption machine coupled with various solar collectors to cater the cooling load to business building at Gandhinagar city, India. H2O[Formula: see text][EMIM][DMP] could be an alternative to conventional LiBr[Formula: see text]H2O working fluid pair of absorption machines as it can operate without problem of crystallization which is perquisite for the continuous operation of the system. A mathematical model is developed to simulate the proposed system with 10[Formula: see text]kW cooling capacity at 5∘C. The sensitivity assessment is carried out to find the effect of various parameters including heat source temperature on the coefficient of performance (COP) and exergetic efficiency for each collector case. The optimum SCOP of parabolic trough collector (PTC)-based system is 11.43% higher compared to ETC-based system, whereas the ETC-based system is 25.10% economical than the PTC-based system. Furthermore, payback period for ETC-based system is only one month higher than FPC-based system, which altogether exhibits the superiority of ETC-coupled H2O[Formula: see text][EMIM][DMP] absorption refrigeration system over FPC-based system.
KRISM—Krylov Subspace-based Optical Computing of Hyperspectral Images
Authors: Saragadam Vishwanath , Sankaranarayanan Aswin C.
Published: October 2019

We present an adaptive imaging technique that optically computes a low-rank approximation of a scene’s hyperspectral image, conceptualized as a matrix. Central to the proposed technique is the optical implementation of two measurement operators: a spectrally coded imager and a spatially coded spectrometer. By iterating between the two operators, we show that the top singular vectors and singular values of a hyperspectral image can be adaptively and optically computed with only a few iterations. We present an optical design that uses pupil plane coding for implementing the two operations and show several compelling results using a lab prototype to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed hyperspectral imager.
Collective Adaptation through Multi-Agents Ensembles
Authors: Bucchiarone Antonio
Published: October 2019

Modern software systems are becoming more and more socio-technical systems composed of distributed and heterogeneous agents from a mixture of people, their environment, and software components. These systems operate under continuous perturbations due to the unpredicted behaviors of people and the occurrence of exogenous changes in the environment. In this article, we introduce a notion of ensembles for which, systems with collective adaptability can be built as an emergent aggregation of autonomous and self-adaptive agents. Building upon this notion of ensemble, we present a distributed adaptation approach for systems composed by ensembles: collections of agents with their respective roles and goals. In these systems, adaptation is triggered by the run-time occurrence of an extraordinary circumstance, called issue. It is handled by an issue resolution process that involves agents affected by the issue to collaboratively adapt with minimal impact on their own preferences. Central to our approach is the implementation of a collective adaptation engine (CAE) able to solve issues in a collective fashion. The approach is instantiated in the context of a smart mobility scenario through which its main features are illustrated. To demonstrate the approach in action and evaluate it, we exploit the DeMOCAS framework, simulating the operation of an urban mobility scenario. We have executed a set of experiments with the goal to show how the CAE performs in terms of feasibility and scalability. With this approach, we are able to demonstrate how collective adaptation opens up new possibilities for tackling urban mobility challenges making it more sustainable respect to selfish and competitive behaviours.
Schur Complement-based Substructuring of Stiff Multibody Systems with Contact
Authors: Peiret Albert , Andrews Sheldon , Kövecses József , Kry Paul G. , Teichmann Marek
Published: October 2019

Substructuring permits parallelization of physics simulation on multi-core CPUs. We present a new substructuring approach for solving stiff multibody systems containing both bilateral and unilateral constraints. Our approach is based on non-overlapping domain decomposition with the Schur complement method, which we extend to systems involving contact formulated as a mixed bounds linear complementarity problem. At each time step, we alternate between solving the subsystem and interface constraint impulses, which leads to the identification of the active constraints. By using the active constraints to compute the effective mass of subsystems within the interface solve, we obtain an exact solution. We demonstrate that our simulations have preferable behavior compared to standard iterative solvers and substructuring techniques based on the exchange of forces at interface bodies. We observe considerable speedups for structured simulations where a user-defined partitioning can be applied, and moderate speedups for unstructured simulations, such as piles of bodies. In the latter case, we propose an automatic partitioning strategy based on the degree of bodies in the constraint graph. Because our method makes use of direct solvers, we are able to achieve interactive and real-time frame rates for a number of challenging scenarios involving large mass ratios, redundant constraints, and ill-conditioned systems.
Adaptive Local Low-rank Matrix Approximation for Recommendation
Authors: Liu Huafeng , Jing Liping , Qian Yuhua , Yu Jian
Published: October 2019

Low-rank matrix approximation (LRMA) has attracted more and more attention in the community of recommendation. Even though LRMA-based recommendation methods (including Global LRMA and Local LRMA) obtain promising results, they suffer from the complicated structure of the large-scale and sparse rating matrix, especially when the underlying system includes a large set of items with various types and a huge amount of users with diverse interests. Thus, they have to predefine the important parameters, such as the rank of the rating matrix and the number of submatrices. Moreover, most existing Local LRMA methods are usually designed in a two-phase separated framework and do not consider the missing mechanisms of rating matrix. In this article, a non-parametric unified Bayesian graphical model is proposed for
A
daptive
Lo
cal low-rank
M
atrix
A
pproximation (
ALoMA
).
ALoMA
has ability to simultaneously identify rating submatrices, determine the optimal rank for each submatrix, and learn the submatrix-specific user/item latent factors. Meanwhile, the missing mechanism is adopted to characterize the whole rating matrix. These four parts are seamlessly integrated and enhance each other in a unified framework. Specifically, the user-item rating matrix is adaptively divided into proper number of submatrices in
ALoMA
by exploiting the Chinese Restaurant Process. For each submatrix, by considering both global/local structure information and missing mechanisms, the latent user/item factors are identified in an optimal latent space by adopting automatic relevance determination technique. We theoretically analyze the model’s generalization error bounds and give an approximation guarantee. Furthermore, an efficient Gibbs sampling-based algorithm is designed to infer the proposed model. A series of experiments have been conducted on six real-world datasets (
Epinions
,
Douban
,
Dianping
,
Yelp
,
Movielens (10M),
and
Netflix
). The results demonstrate that
ALoMA
outperforms the state-of-the-art LRMA-based methods and can easily provide interpretable recommendation results.
A System for Efficient 3D Printed Stop-motion Face Animation
Authors: Abdrashitov Rinat , Jacobson Alec , Singh Karan
Published: October 2019

Computer animation in conjunction with 3D printing has the potential to positively impact traditional stop-motion animation. As 3D printing every frame of a computer animation is prohibitively slow and expensive, 3D printed stop-motion can only be viable if animations can be faithfully reproduced using a compact library of 3D printed and efficiently assemblable parts. We thus present the first system for processing computer animation sequences (typically faces) to produce an optimal set of replacement parts for use in 3D printed stop-motion animation. Given an input animation sequence of topology invariant deforming meshes, our problem is to output a library of replacement parts and per-animation-frame assignment of the parts, such that we maximally approximate the input animation, while minimizing the amount of 3D printing and assembly. Inspired by current stop-motion workflows, a user manually indicates which parts of the model are preferred for segmentation; then, we find curves with minimal deformation along which to segment the mesh. We then present a novel algorithm to zero out deformations along the segment boundaries, so that replacement sets for each part can be interchangeably and seamlessly assembled together. The part boundaries are designed to ease 3D printing and instrumentation for assembly. Each part is then independently optimized using a graph-cut technique to find a set of replacements, whose size can be user defined, or automatically computed to adhere to a printing budget or allowed deviation from the original animation. Our evaluation is threefold: we show results on a variety of facial animations, both digital and 3D printed, critiqued by a professional animator; we show the impact of various algorithmic parameters; and we compare our results to naive solutions. Our approach can reduce the printing time and cost significantly for stop-motion animated films.
An Energy-efficient Distributed TDMA Scheduling Algorithm for ZigBee-like Cluster-tree WSNs
Authors: Ahmad Aasem , Hanzalek Zdenek
Published: October 2019

The design of Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) with both limited energy consumption and data delivery time is crucial for industrial and control applications. Since Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) MAC eliminates the collision occurrence and seeks the minimization of the number of time-slots assigned to each node, the energy consumption of the nodes is reduced. Furthermore, with the proper allocation of the time-slots to the nodes, the transmission delay can be significantly reduced.

In this article, we propose TDMA scheduling algorithm for Cluster-tree topology WSNs that meets the timeliness and the energy demands. The algorithm adopts an elegant approach that expresses the timing constraints of the data transmissions as an integer multiple of the length of the schedule period. Moreover, since the distributed algorithm is well-suited to the scarce resources of the WSNs, we focus on the distributed methods that allow each cluster to come up with its allocated time-slots. The algorithm is based on graph theory, such as distributed shortest path, distributed topological ordering, and distributed graph coloring algorithms. The efficiency of the algorithm, regarding the elapsed time to construct the schedule and the energy consumption, is evaluated over benchmark instances up to several thousands of nodes.
Explainable Product Search with a Dynamic Relation Embedding Model
Authors: Ai Qingyao , Zhang Yongfeng , Bi Keping , Croft W. Bruce
Published: October 2019

Product search is one of the most popular methods for customers to discover products online. Most existing studies on product search focus on developing effective retrieval models that rank items by their likelihood to be purchased. However, they ignore the problem that there is a gap between how systems and customers perceive the relevance of items. Without explanations, users may not understand why product search engines retrieve certain items for them, which consequentially leads to imperfect user experience and suboptimal system performance in practice. In this work, we tackle this problem by constructing explainable retrieval models for product search. Specifically, we propose to model the “search and purchase” behavior as a dynamic relation between users and items, and create a dynamic knowledge graph based on both the multi-relational product data and the context of the search session. Ranking is conducted based on the relationship between users and items in the latent space, and explanations are generated with logic inferences and entity soft matching on the knowledge graph. Empirical experiments show that our model, which we refer to as the Dynamic Relation Embedding Model (DREM), significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines and has the ability to produce reasonable explanations for search results.
Two-sided Net Untangling with Internal Detours for Single-layer Bus Routing
Authors: Yan Jin-Tai
Published: October 2019

It is known that one-sided net untangling can be used to untangle the twisted nets inside a bus for single-layer bus routing. However, limited space behind one pin-row may make one-sided net untangling unsuccessful for single-layer bus routing. In this article, the concept of using internal detours on untangled nets can be introduced into two-sided net untangling. Given a set of 2-pin nets inside a bus, based on two one-sided untangling results with internal detours on untangled nets [8], an efficient algorithm first uses a minimal set of internal detours to guarantee that the crossing conditions of the given nets inside the bus can be eliminated in one initial two-sided untangling result with no capacity constraint behind two pin-rows and between two adjacent pins inside any pin-row. Furthermore, based on the maintenance of the non-crossing constraint on any pair of nets and the capacity constraint behind two pin-rows in one initial two-sided untangling result, an iterative rip-up-and-reassign algorithm can be proposed to eliminate the possible capacity violations between two adjacent pins inside two pin-rows to route a maximal set of nets in two-sided net untangling. Compared with Yan's one-sided net untangling [8] for 12 tested examples with different capacity constraints, the experimental results show that our proposed two-sided untangling algorithm can improve 3.5% of routability and use the benefit of more routing space behind two pin-rows to reduce 86.4% of the used internal detours on average in reasonable CPU time. Compared with Yan's two-sided net untangling [9] for 12 tested examples with different capacity constraints, the experimental results show that our proposed two-sided untangling algorithm can improve 2.8% of routability by introducing some internal detours and using iterative rip-up-and-reassign on the average in reasonable CPU time.
Deletion of the microRNA-degrading nuclease, translin/trax, prevents pathogenic vascular stiffness
Authors: Tuday Eric , Nomura Yohei , Ruhela Deepa , Nakano Mitsunori , Fu Xiuping , Shah Aparna , Roman Barbara , Yamaguchi Atsushi , An Steven S. , Steenbergen Charles , Baraban Jay M. , Berkowitz Dan E. , Das Samarjit
Published: October 2019

Vascular stiffness plays a key role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Recent studies indicate that the age-associated reduction in miR-181b levels in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to increased vascular stiffness. As these findings suggest that inhibiting degradation of miR-181b might prevent vascular stiffening, we have assessed whether the microRNA-degrading translin/trax (TN/TX) complex mediates degradation of miR-181b in the aorta.We found that TN−/− mice display elevated levels of miR-181b expression in the aorta. Therefore, we tested whether TN deletion prevents vascular stiffening in a mouse model of hypertension, induced by chronic high-salt intake (4%NaCl in drinking water for 3 wk; HSW). TN−/− mice subjected to HSW stress do not show increased vascular stiffness, as monitored by pulse wave velocity and tensile testing. The protective effect of TN deletion in the HSW paradigm appears to be mediated by its ability to increase miR-181b in the aorta since HSW decreases levels of miR-181b in WT mice, but not in TN KO mice. We demonstrate for the first time that interfering with microRNA degradation can have a beneficial impact on the vascular system and identify the microRNA-degrading TN/TX RNase complex as a potential therapeutic target in combatting vascular stiffness.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY While the biogenesis and mechanism of action of mature microRNA are well understood, much less is known about the regulation of microRNA via degradation. Recent studies have identified the protein complex, translin(TN)/trax(TX), as a microRNA-degrading enzyme. Here, we demonstrate that TN/TX is expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells. Additionally, deletion of the TN/TX complex selectively increases aortic miR-181b and prevents increased vascular stiffness caused by ingestion of high-salt water. To our knowledge, this is first report describing the role of a microRNA RNAse in cardiovascular biology or pathobiology.
Increased arrhythmia susceptibility in type 2 diabetic mice related to dysregulation of ventricular sympathetic innervation
Authors: Jungen Christiane , Scherschel Katharina , Flenner Frederik , Jee Haesung , Rajendran Pradeep , De Jong Kirstie A. , Nikolaev Viacheslav , Meyer Christian , Ardell Jeffrey L. , Tompkins John D.
Published: October 2019

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have a greater risk of developing life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Because the underlying mechanisms and potential influence of diabetic autonomic neuropathy are not well understood, we aimed to assess the relevance of a dysregulation in cardiac autonomic tone. Ventricular arrhythmia susceptibility was increased in Langendorff-perfused hearts isolated from mice with T2DM ( db/db). Membrane properties and synaptic transmission were similar at cardiac postganglionic parasympathetic neurons from diabetic and control mice; however, a greater asynchronous neurotransmitter release was present at sympathetic postganglionic neurons from the stellate ganglia of db/db mice. Western blot analysis showed a reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) from the ventricles of db/db mice, which was confirmed with confocal imaging as a heterogeneous loss of TH-immunoreactivity from the left ventricular wall but not the apex. In vivo stimulation of cardiac parasympathetic (vagus) or cardiac sympathetic (stellate ganglion) nerves induced similar changes in heart rate in control and db/db mice, and the kinetics of pacing-induced Ca2+transients (recorded from isolated cardiomyocytes) were similar in control and db/db cells. Antagonism of cardiac muscarinic receptors did not affect the frequency or severity of arrhythmias in db/db mice, but sympathetic blockade with propranolol completely inhibited arrhythmogenicity. Collectively, these findings suggest that the increased ventricular arrhythmia susceptibility of type 2 diabetic mouse hearts is due to dysregulation of the sympathetic ventricular control.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have greater risk of suffering from sudden cardiac death. We found that the increased ventricular arrhythmia susceptibility in type 2 diabetic mouse hearts is due to cardiac sympathetic dysfunction. Sympathetic dysregulation is indicated by an increased asynchronous release at stellate ganglia, a heterogeneous loss of tyrosine hydroxylase from the ventricular wall but not apex, and inhibition of ventricular arrhythmias in db/db mice after β-sympathetic blockade.
Hydrogen sulfide regulation of renal and mesenteric blood flow
Authors: Morales-Loredo Humberto , Barrera Adelaeda , Garcia Joshua M. , Pace Carolyn E. , Naik Jay S. , Gonzalez Bosc Laura V. , Kanagy Nancy L.
Published: October 2019

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) dilates isolated arteries, and knockout of the H2S-synthesizing enzyme cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) increases blood pressure. However, the contributions of endogenously produced H2S to blood flow regulation in specific vascular beds are unknown. Published studies in isolated arteries show that CSE production of H2S influences vascular tone more in small mesenteric arteries than in renal arteries or the aorta. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate H2S regulation of blood pressure, vascular resistance, and regional blood flows using chronically instrumented rats. We hypothesized that during whole animal CSE inhibition, vascular resistance would increase more in the mesenteric than the renal circulation. Under anesthesia, CSE inhibition [β-cyanoalanine (BCA), 30 mg/kg bolus + 5 mg·kg−1·min−1for 20 min iv) rapidly increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) more than saline administration (%Δ: saline −1.4 ± 0.75 vs. BCA 7.1 ± 1.69, P < 0.05) but did not change resistance (MAP/flow) in either the mesenteric or renal circulation. In conscious rats, BCA infusion similarly increased MAP (%Δ: saline −0.8 ± 1.18 vs. BCA 8.2 ± 2.6, P < 0.05, n = 7) and significantly increased mesenteric resistance (saline 0.9 ± 3.1 vs. BCA 15.6 ± 6.5, P < 0.05, n = 12). The H2S donor Na2S (50 mg/kg) decreased blood pressure and mesenteric resistance ,but the fall in resistance was not significant. Inhibiting CSE for multiple days with dl-proparglycine (PAG, 50 mg·kg−1·min−1iv bolus for 5 days) significantly increased vascular resistance in both mesenteric (ratio of day 1: saline 0.86 ± 0.033 vs. PAG 1.79 ± 0.38) and renal circulations (ratio of day 1: saline 1.26 ± 0.22 vs. 1.98 ± 0.14 PAG). These results support our hypothesis that CSE-derived H2S is an important regulator of blood pressure and vascular resistance in both mesenteric and renal circulations. Furthermore, inhalation anesthesia diminishes the effect of CSE inhibition on vascular tone.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY These results suggest that CSE-derived H2S has a prominent role in regulating blood pressure and blood flow under physiological conditions, which may have been underestimated in prior studies in anesthetized subjects. Therefore, enhancing substrate availability or enzyme activity or dosing with H2S donors could be a novel therapeutic approach to treat cardiovascular diseases.
Increased myocyte calcium sensitivity in end-stage pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Nakano Stephanie J. , Walker John S. , Walker Lori A. , Li Xiaotao , Du Yanmei , Miyamoto Shelley D. , Sucharov Carmen C. , Garcia Anastacia M. , Mitchell Max B. , Ambardekar Amrut V. , Stauffer Brian L.
Published: October 2019

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common cause of heart failure (HF) in children, resulting in high mortality and need for heart transplantation. The pathophysiology underlying pediatric DCM is largely unclear; however, there is emerging evidence that molecular adaptations and response to conventional HF medications differ between children and adults. To gain insight into alterations leading to systolic dysfunction in pediatric DCM, we measured cardiomyocyte contractile properties and sarcomeric protein phosphorylation in explanted pediatric DCM myocardium ( N = 8 subjects) compared with nonfailing (NF) pediatric hearts ( N = 8 subjects). Force-pCa curves were generated from skinned cardiomyocytes in the presence and absence of protein kinase A. Sarcomeric protein phosphorylation was quantified with Pro-Q Diamond staining after gel electrophoresis. Pediatric DCM cardiomyocytes demonstrate increased calcium sensitivity (pCa50 =5.70 ± 0.0291), with an associated decrease in troponin (Tn)I phosphorylation compared with NF pediatric cardiomyocytes (pCa50 =5.59 ± 0.0271, P = 0.0073). Myosin binding protein C and TnT phosphorylation are also lower in pediatric DCM, whereas desmin phosphorylation is increased. Pediatric DCM cardiomyocytes generate peak tension comparable to that of NF pediatric cardiomyocytes [DCM 29.7 mN/mm2, interquartile range (IQR) 21.5–49.2 vs. NF 32.8 mN/mm2, IQR 21.5–49.2 mN/mm2; P = 0.6125]. In addition, cooperativity is decreased in pediatric DCM compared with pediatric NF (Hill coefficient: DCM 1.56, IQR 1.31–1.94 vs. NF 1.94, IQR 1.36–2.86; P = 0.0425). Alterations in sarcomeric phosphorylation and cardiomyocyte contractile properties may represent an impaired compensatory response, contributing to the detrimental DCM phenotype in children.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our study is the first to demonstrate that cardiomyocytes from infants and young children with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) exhibit increased calcium sensitivity (likely mediated by decreased troponin I phosphorylation) compared with nonfailing pediatric cardiomyocytes. Compared with published values in adult cardiomyocytes, pediatric cardiomyocytes have notably decreased cooperativity, with a further reduction in the setting of DCM. Distinct adaptations in cardiomyocyte contractile properties may contribute to a differential response to pharmacological therapies in the pediatric DCM population.
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Shifts Breast Tumor Microbiota Populations to Regulate Drug Responsiveness and the Development of Metastasis
Authors: Chiba Akiko , Bawaneh Alaa , Velazquez Christine , Clear Kenysha Y.J. , Wilson Adam S. , Howard-McNatt Marissa , Levine Edward A. , Levi-Polyachenko Nicole , Yates-Alston Shaina A. , Diggle Stephen P. , Soto-Pantoja David R. , Cook Katherine L.
Published: October 2019

Breast tumors have their own specific microbiota, distinct from normal mammary gland tissue. Patients with breast cancer that present with locally advanced disease often undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy to reduce tumor size prior to surgery to allow breast conservation or limit axillary lymph node dissection. The purpose of our study was to evaluate whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy modulates the tumor microbiome and the potential impact of microbes on breast cancer signaling. Using snap-frozen aseptically collected breast tumor tissue from women who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n = 15) or women with no prior therapy at time of surgery (n = 18), we performed 16S rRNA-sequencing to identify tumoral bacterial populations. We also stained breast tumor microarrays to confirm presence of identified microbiota. Using bacteria-conditioned media, we determined the effect of bacterial metabolites on breast cancer cell proliferation and doxorubicin therapy responsiveness. We show chemotherapy administration significantly increased breast tumor Pseudomonas spp. Primary breast tumors from patients who developed distant metastases displayed increased tumoral abundance of Brevundimonas and Staphylococcus. We confirmed presence of Pseudomonas in breast tumor tissue by IHC staining. Treatment of breast cancer cells with Pseudomonas aeruginosa conditioned media differentially effected proliferation in a dose-dependent manner and modulated doxorubicin-mediated cell death. Our results indicate chemotherapy shifts the breast tumor microbiome and specific microbes correlate with tumor recurrence. Further studies with a larger patient cohort may provide greater insights into the role of microbiota in therapeutic outcome and develop novel bacterial biomarkers that could predict distant metastases.

Implications:

Breast tumor microbiota are modified by therapy and affects molecular signaling.
Post-Progression Treatment Eligibility of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Treated with Lenvatinib
Authors: Hiraoka Atsushi , Kumada Takashi , Fukunishi Shinya , Atsukawa Masanori , Hirooka Masashi , Tsuji Kunihiko , Ishikawa Toru , Takaguchi Koichi , Kariyama Kazuya , Itobayashi Ei , Tajiri Kazuto , Shimada Noritomo , Shibata Hiroshi , Ochi Hironori , Tada Toshifumi , Toyoda Hidenori , Yokohama Keisuke , Nouso Kazuhiro , Tsutsui Akemi , Nagano Takuya , Itokawa Norio , Hayama Korenobu , Arai Taeang , Imai Michitaka , Joko Kouji , Koizumi Yohei , Hiasa Yoichi , Michitaka Kojiro , Kudo Masatoshi ,   On behalf of the Real-Life Practice Experts for HCC (RELPEC) Study Group and HCC 48 Group (hepatocellular carcinoma experts from 48 clinics in Japan)
Published: October 2019

Background/Aim: Post-progression treatment following tyrosine-kinase inhibitor (TKI) failure in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC) is important to prolong post-progression survival (PPS), which has a good correlation with overall survival (OS). This study aimed to elucidate the clinical features of progressive disease (PD) in patients treated with lenvatinib (LEN). Materials/Methods: From March 2018 to June 2019, 156 u-HCC patients with Child-Pugh A were enrolled (median age: 71 years, Child-Pugh score 5:6 = 105:51, BCLC A:B:C = 8:56:92, modified albumin-bilirubin grade (mALBI) 1:2a:2b = 59:42:55, past history of sorafenib:regorafenib = 57:17). Clinical features were retrospectively evaluated. Results: The median observation period was 8.5 months. Median OS was not obtained, while median time to decline to Child-Pugh B (CPB) was 11.4 months, median time to progression (TTP) was 8.4 months, and the period of LEN administration was 7.3 months. When we compared predictive values for time to decline to CPB based on Child-Pugh score and mALBI, values for Akaike information criterion (AIC) score and c-index of mALBI were superior as compared to Child-Pugh score (AIC: 592.3 vs. 599.7) (c-index: 0.655 vs. 0.597). Of the 73 patients with PD, 32 (43.8%) showed no decline to CPB or death. After excluding 3 without alpha-fetoprotein data at PD determination, only 14 (20.0%) of 70 showed REACH-2 eligibility. Non-mALBI 1/2a at the start of LEN was a significant risk factor for decline to CPB during LEN treatment (HR 2.552, 95% CI: 1.577–4.129; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Introduction of TKI therapy including LEN for u-HCC patients with better hepatic function (mALBI 1/2a: ALBI score ≤–2.27), when possible, increases the chance of undergoing post-progression treatment, which can improve PPS.
Neuro-Immuno-Endocrine Interactions in Early Life Stress and Heroin Withdrawal Timeline
Authors: Moeini Mina , Esmaeil Nafiseh , Mokhtari Hamid Reza , Eskandari Nahid , Banafshe Hamid Reza
Published: October 2019

Both heroin abuse and early life stress (ELS) affect the immune system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Additionally, accelerated aging due to mild inflammation has been indicated in these conditions. The present study aims to compare plasma levels of apoptosis markers, inflammatory markers, and stress hormones during early heroin abstinence period. Thirty-one individuals with heroin/opioid use disorder who had heroin-ELS and 26 of their siblings who were not abusing substances (ELS), and 32 individuals with heroin/opioid use disorder without a history of ELS (heroin-no ELS) were included in the study. The levels of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, albumin, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and white blood cell count were assessed as the inflammatory and biochemistry markers. Also, apoptosis markers including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related weak inducer of apoptosis, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type I as apoptosis markers were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ELS was simultaneously evaluated using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, and beck depression inventory scales. Besides, heroin craving was assessed by Daily Drinking/Drug Questionnaire score in individuals with heroin use disorder. This is the first study to evaluate the inflammatory, stress, and apoptosis markers during heroin abstinence, supporting the association between ELS and peripheral pro-inflammatory markers’ levels and HPA axis.
Age and Sex Differences in Ischemic Stroke Treatment in a Nationwide Analysis of 1.11 Million Hospitalized Cases
Authors: Weber Ralph , Krogias Christos , Eyding Jens , Bartig Dirk , Meves Saskia H. , Katsanos Aristeidis H. , Caso Valeria , Hacke Werner
Published: October 2019

Background and Purpose—

To date, there is still uncertainty about age and sex differences in access to stroke unit treatment and use of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), while age and sex differences have not been investigated for the new treatment option of mechanical thrombectomy (MT). We, therefore, undertook a complete nationwide analysis of all hospitalized ischemic stroke patients in Germany from 2013 to 2017.

Methods—

We used the nationwide administrative database of the German Federal Statistical Office and investigated access to stroke unit treatment, IVT, MT, and in-hospital mortality. Patients were subdivided into 6 predefined age groups (20–44, 45–59, 60–69, 70–79, 80–89, and >90 years). Pooled overall and age group estimates were calculated using the random-effects model. To evaluate potential sex disparities, we estimated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs.

Results—

A total of 1 112 570 patients were hospitalized for first or recurrent ischemic stroke from 2013 to 2017. Overall, stroke unit treatment increased significantly from 66.8% in 2013 to 73.5% in 2017, as did IVT (from 12.4% to 15.9%) and MT (from 2.4% to 5.8%; all
P
<0.001). Although the difference became smaller over time, patients ≥80 years of age still received significantly less often treatments. Men of all age groups had a significantly higher probability receiving stroke unit treatment (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.09–1.12) and lower in-hospital mortality (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.89–0.93). No disparity was observed in the use of IVT (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.98–1.01), while women of all ages were treated more often with MT (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.22–1.30).

Conclusions—

Access to stroke unit treatment has to be increased in both older patients and women of all ages. While there was no sex difference in IVT use, it is important to further investigate the significantly higher frequency of MT in women with ischemic stroke irrespective of age.
The Northern Front in the Technological Cold War: Finland and East-West Trade in the 1970s and 1980s
Authors: Jensen-Eriksen Niklas
Published: October 2019

This article shows how the United States and the Soviet Union competed technologically in northern Europe during the final decades of the Cold War. The article highlights the U.S. government's ability to enlist neutral countries, and even vulnerable neutral states like Finland, into Western technology embargoes against the Soviet Union. Yet, the Finnish case also demonstrates that determined small countries and their companies were not simply helpless actors and could protect their political and commercial interests. Finland exported high-technology goods such as electronics and telecommunications equipment to the Soviet Union, even though Finland itself was dependent on technology flows from the United States. In fact, the Finns managed to get the best of both worlds: their country was an important player in East-West trade, but at the same time it was able to modernize its economy and strengthen trading links with the U.S.-led Western alliance.
The Samareitikon, the “κατὰ Σαµαρειτῶν” Marginalia in Codex M, and P. Carl 49
Authors: Marsh Bradley John
Published: October 2019

This paper explores the relationship between the Samaritan Greek translation of the Pentateuch, i.e., the Samareitikon, and an obscure 5th cent. fragmentary papyrus of Exodus, Carl 49. The latter has been recognized previously as transmitting a text of the Septuagint which was obviously revised towards some kind of Semitic source. It is argued here that the Semitic base upon which Carl 49 was revised was not Jewish but Samaritan. This is based on a textual analysis of the fragment which reveals important connections with the Samaritan textual tradition, specifically the Samaritan Targum. Further, this analysis may possibly be confirmed by external evidence, namely an obscure marginal reading designated κατὰ Σαµαρειτῶν found in codex M, the heavily annotated 7th cent. Octateuch MS.
Group Interests in Nigeria’s Companies and Allied Matters Act: a History of Subterranean Regulatory Capture
Authors: Nnona Chukwuemeka G.
Published: October 2019

This article explores regulatory capture of aspects of company and securities law and the related law-making process by interest groups within Nigeria’s commercial and bureaucratic classes. Using several examples, the paper draws out the reach and character of these interests. The paper’s central argument is that the presence and reach of such group interests in Nigerian company law-making have hitherto been masked by the standard stylized rhetoric and presentation of company law and company law-making in Nigeria as formal, scripted affairs, but acknowledging these interests and delineating their contours conduce to their prophylaxis in law-making as well as their treatment in company law adjudication.
100 Years of Progress in Understanding the Stratosphere and Mesosphere
Authors: Baldwin Mark P. , Birner Thomas , Brasseur Guy , Burrows John , Butchart Neal , Garcia Rolando , Geller Marvin , Gray Lesley , Hamilton Kevin , Harnik Nili , Hegglin Michaela I. , Langematz Ulrike , Robock Alan , Sato Kaoru , Scaife Adam A.
Published: October 2019

The stratosphere contains ~17% of Earth’s atmospheric mass, but its existence was unknown until 1902. In the following decades our knowledge grew gradually as more observations of the stratosphere were made. In 1913 the ozone layer, which protects life from harmful ultraviolet radiation, was discovered. From ozone and water vapor observations, a first basic idea of a stratospheric general circulation was put forward. Since the 1950s our knowledge of the stratosphere and mesosphere has expanded rapidly, and the importance of this region in the climate system has become clear. With more observations, several new stratospheric phenomena have been discovered: the quasi-biennial oscillation, sudden stratospheric warmings, the Southern Hemisphere ozone hole, and surface weather impacts of stratospheric variability. None of these phenomena were anticipated by theory. Advances in theory have more often than not been prompted by unexplained phenomena seen in new stratospheric observations. From the 1960s onward, the importance of dynamical processes and the coupled stratosphere–troposphere circulation was realized. Since approximately 2000, better representations of the stratosphere—and even the mesosphere—have been included in climate and weather forecasting models. We now know that in order to produce accurate seasonal weather forecasts, and to predict long-term changes in climate and the future evolution of the ozone layer, models with a well-resolved stratosphere with realistic dynamics and chemistry are necessary.
Variability in the Mozambique Channel Trough and Impacts on Southeast African Rainfall
Authors: Barimalala Rondrotiana , Blamey Ross C. , Desbiolles Fabien , Reason Chris J. C.
Published: October 2019

The Mozambique Channel trough (MCT) is a cyclonic region prominent in austral summer in the central and southern Mozambique Channel. It first becomes evident in December with a peak in strength in February when the Mozambique Channel is warmest and the Mascarene high (MH) is located farthest southeast in the Indian Ocean basin. The strength and the timing of the mean MCT are linked to that of the cross-equatorial northeasterly monsoon in the tropical western Indian Ocean, which curves as northwesterlies toward northern Madagascar. The interannual variability in the MCT is associated with moist convection over the Mozambique Channel and is modulated by the location of the warm sea surface temperatures in the south Indian Ocean. Variability of the MCT shows a strong relationship with the equatorial westerlies north of Madagascar and the latitudinal extension of the MH. Summers with strong MCT activity are characterized by a prominent cyclonic circulation over the Mozambique Channel, extending to the midlatitudes. These are favorable for the development of tropical–extratropical cloud bands over the southwestern Indian Ocean and trigger an increase in rainfall over the ocean but a decrease over the southern African mainland. Most years with a weak MCT are associated with strong positive south Indian Ocean subtropical dipole events, during which the subcontinent tends to receive more rainfall whereas Madagascar and northern Mozambique are anomalously dry.
Quantifying and Diagnosing Sources of Uncertainty in Midcentury Changes in North American Snowpack from NARCCAP
Authors: McCrary Rachel R. , Mearns Linda O.
Published: October 2019

The NARCCAP RCM–GCM ensemble is used to explore the uncertainty in midcentury projections of snow over North America that arise when multiple RCMs are used to downscale multiple GCMs. Various snow metrics are examined, including snow water equivalent (SWE), snow cover extent (SCE), snow cover duration (SCD), and the timing of the snow season. Simulated biases in baseline snow characteristics are found to be sensitive to the choice of RCM and less influenced by the driving GCM. By midcentury, domain-averaged SCE and SWE are projected to decrease in all months of the year. However, using multiple RCMs to downscale multiple GCMs inflates the uncertainty in future projections of both SCE and SWE, with projections of SWE being more uncertain. Spatially, the RCMs show winter SWE decreasing over most of North America, except north of the Arctic rim, where SWE is projected to increase. SCD is also projected to decrease with both a later start and earlier termination of the snow season. For all metrics considered, the magnitude of the climate change signal varies across the RCMs. The ensemble spread is large over the western United States, where the RCMs disagree on the sign of the change in SWE in some high-elevation regions. Future projections of snow (both magnitude and spatial patterns) are more similar between simulations performed with the same RCM than the simulations driven by the same GCM. This implies that climate change uncertainty is not sufficiently explored in experiments performed with a single RCM driven by multiple GCMs.
Evaluation of a Compact Broadband Differential Absorption Lidar for Routine Water Vapor Profiling in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer
Authors: Newsom R. K. , Turner D. D. , Lehtinen R. , Münkel C. , Kallio J. , Roininen R.
Published: October 2019

The performance of a novel water vapor broadband differential absorption lidar (BB-DIAL) is evaluated. This compact, eye-safe, diode-laser-based prototype was developed by Vaisala. It was designed to operate unattended in all weather conditions and to provide height-resolved measurements of water vapor mixing ratio in the lower troposphere. Evaluation of the Vaisala prototype was carried out at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement site in north-central Oklahoma (i.e., the Southern Great Plains site) from 15 May to 12 June 2017. BB-DIAL measurements were compared with observations from radiosondes that were launched within 200 m of the BB-DIAL’s location. Radiosonde measurements are also compared with observations from a collocated Raman lidar and an Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer. During the evaluation period, the BB-DIAL operated continuously and did not experience any failures or malfunctions. The data availability was greater than 90% below 900 m but then decreased rapidly with height above this level to less than 10% above 1500 m AGL. From 106 radiosonde profiles, the overall mean difference (averaged temporally and vertically up to 1500 m) between the BB-DIAL and the radiosonde was −0.01 g kg−1, with a standard deviation of 0.65 g kg−1, and a linear correlation coefficient of 0.98. For comparison, the overall mean difference between the Raman lidar and the radiosonde was 0.07 g kg−1, with a standard deviation of 0.74 g kg−1, and a linear correlation coefficient of 0.97.
Identifying Ocean Swell Generation Events from Ross Ice Shelf Seismic Data
Authors: Hell Momme C. , Cornelle Bruce D. , Gille Sarah T. , Miller Arthur J. , Bromirski Peter D.
Published: October 2019

Strong surface winds under extratropical cyclones exert intense surface stresses on the ocean that lead to upper-ocean mixing, intensified heat fluxes, and the generation of waves, that, over time, lead to swell waves (longer than 10-s period) that travel long distances. Because low-frequency swell propagates faster than high-frequency swell, the frequency dependence of swell arrival times at a measurement site can be used to infer the distance and time that the wave has traveled from its generation site. This study presents a methodology that employs spectrograms of ocean swell from point observations on the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) to verify the position of high wind speed areas over the Southern Ocean, and therefore of extratropical cyclones. The focus here is on the implementation and robustness of the methodology in order to lay the groundwork for future broad application to verify Southern Ocean storm positions from atmospheric reanalysis data. The method developed here combines linear swell dispersion with a parametric wave model to construct a time- and frequency-dependent model of the dispersed swell arrivals in spectrograms of seismic observations on the RIS. A two-step optimization procedure (deep learning) of gradient descent and Monte Carlo sampling allows detailed estimates of the parameter distributions, with robust estimates of swell origins. Median uncertainties of swell source locations are 110 km in radial distance and 2 h in time. The uncertainties are derived from RIS observations and the model, rather than an assumed distribution. This method is an example of supervised machine learning informed by physical first principles in order to facilitate parameter interpretation in the physical domain.