cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In-Network Decision Making Via Local Message-Passing

We consider in-network data processing to classify an unknown event based on noisy sensor measurements. The sensors are distributed and can only exchange messages through a network. The sensor network is modeled by means of a graph, which captures the connectivity of different sensor nodes in the network. The task is to arrive at a consensus about the event after exchanging such messages. The focus of this paper is twofold: a) characterize conditions for reaching a consensus; b) derive conditions for when the consensus converges to the centralized MAP estimate. The novelty of the paper lies in applying belief propagation as a message passing strategy to solve a distributed hypothesis testing problem for a pre-specified network connectivity. We show that the message evolution can be re-formulated as the evolution of a linear dynamical system, which is primarily characterized by network connectivity. This leads to a fundamental understanding of as to which network topologies naturally lend themselves to consensus building and conflict avoidance.
Heterogeneous rates of genome rearrangement contributed to the disparity of species richness in Ascomycota

Chromosomal rearrangements have been shown to facilitate speciation through creating a barrier of gene flow. However, it is not known whether heterogeneous rates of chromosomal rearrangement at the genome scale contributed to the huge disparity of species richness among different groups of organisms, which is one of the most remarkable and pervasive patterns on Earth. The largest fungal phylum Ascomycota is an ideal study system to address this question because it comprises three subphyla (Saccharomycotina, Taphrinomycotina, and Pezizomycotina) whose species numbers differ by two orders of magnitude (59,000, 1000, and 150 respectively). We quantified rates of genome rearrangement for 71 Ascomycota species that have well-assembled genomes. The rates of inter-species genome rearrangement, which were inferred based on the divergence rates of gene order, are positively correlated with species richness at both ranks of subphylum and class in Ascomycota. This finding is further supported by our quantification of intra-species rearrangement rates based on paired-end genome sequencing data of 216 strains from three representative species, suggesting a difference of intrinsic genome instability among Ascomycota lineages. Our data also show that different rates of imbalanced rearrangements, such as deletions, are a major contributor to the heterogenous rearrangement rates. Various lines of evidence in this study support that a higher rate of rearrangement at the genome scale might have accelerated the speciation process and increased species richness during the evolution of Ascomycota species. Our findings provide a plausible explanation for the species disparity among Ascomycota lineages, which will be valuable to unravel the underlying causes for the huge disparity of species richness in various taxonomic groups.
Fahreignung bei psychogenen nicht-epileptischen Anfällen

Psychogene nicht-epileptische Anfalle (PNEA) sind wegen phanomenologischer Ahnlichkeiten eine haufige Differenzialdiagnose zu epileptischen Anfallen. Nach den deutschen Begutachtungsleitlinien zur Kraftfahrereignung von 2000 sind Patienten mit PNEA analog zu den Regelungen bei Epilepsie nicht fahrgeeignet, solange ein wesentliches Rezidivrisiko besteht. Die – insgesamt sparlichen – empirischen Daten sprechen allerdings nicht fur ein erhohtes Unfallrisiko bei Patienten mit PNEA. PNEA variieren in Bezug auf Art und Semiologie, Haufigkeit, Atiologie, Verletzungsrisiko und Prognose erheblich und legen daher eine individuelle Beurteilung der Fahreignung nahe. Dies entspricht auch der Meinung von zwei Dritteln der dazu in Deutschland befragten Experten. Eine feste anfallsfreie Frist (z. B. ein Jahr), die bei Epilepsie den Kern der Fahreignungskriterien ausmacht, ist bei PNEA als alleiniger Beurteilungsmasstab ungeeignet, weil sie keinen ausreichend verlasslichen Ruckschluss auf das Rezidivrisiko erlaubt. Entscheidend ist eine psychiatrisch-psychotherapeutische Beurteilung der Prognose, in der Regel im Rahmen eines psychotherapeutischen Behandlungsverlaufes. In einem solchen Kontext konnen dann auch vergleichsweise kurze anfallsfreie Zeiten (z. B. 3–6 Monate) ausreichend sein, um eine Fahreignung zu bejahen. In Einzelfallen mit z.B. protektiv verwertbarer situativer Bindung der Anfalle oder ausreichend langen Prodromi ist ggf. auch Fahreignung bei Persistenz von PNEA denkbar.
Reconstruction of the posterior cruciate ligament with allograft

PCL reconstruction is often a necessary procedure to regain functional knee stability. The procedures used are not able to precisely recreate normal anatomy but are able to provide functional stability to posteriorly destabilized knees when properly performed. Our arthroscopic-assisted procedure limits the soft tissue dissection required and enables the best possible visualization for accurate graft placement. This limits scarring and maximizes the ability of the surgeon to provide posterior knee stability. Allograft tissue, when used as an ACL substitute, was initially believed to be as good as autogenous tissue. It is now believed to be inferior because of slower healing and a tendency to attenuate. PCL allograft reconstructions have not been adequately studied to determine if this same tendency of graft attenuation occurs. In many knees, however, adequate autogenous tissue may not be available, and the only chance to regain stability requires using an allograft. It is in these circumstances that the authors recommend allograft reconstructions.
Parameters of the 132 ev Neutron Resonance in Co59

An accurate determination of the parameters of the resonance excited by the interaction of 132 ev neutrons with the Co59 target nucleus has been made, using the fast choppers at Brookhaven National...
Report of the Working Group on Clinical Services

Prepared by the Working Group on Clinical Services from the November 1995 Georgetown conference sponsored by the Association of Medical School Psychologists, this paper focuses upon issues related to the effects of health care reform and changes to the health care system on psychologists practicing within academic health care settings. Discussion of the changes in the health care economic system and the call for cost-effectiveness produced five specific suggestions for psychology to establish accountable, data-based models of behavioral health care.
Environmental instrument choice in a non-linear world

The substantial literature on environmental instrument choice under uncertainty has provided valuable insights using simplifying assumptions of linear marginal cost and benefit curves and additive ...
Enemy at the Gates: Trade Credit v/s Price Discount as a Strategic Tool

Do incumbent supplier firms facing increased threat of entry by competitors adjust trade credit to respond to such threats? Threatened incumbent supplier firms may extend more trade credit, ex-ante, to defend their market power, or they may reduce trade credit as enforcement of such informal credit contracts is expected to become more difficult with the expected decline in market power. I test these contrasting predictions by exploiting plausibly exogenous, staggered removals of product level entry barriers for Indian manufacturing firms, and find that an average incumbent supplier firm extends 10% more trade credit with increased threat of entry, supporting the first hypothesis. My results are particularly strong for firms manufacturing differentiated products, where reduction in price mark-ups may not be an effective strategy, thereby bringing into focus the role of trade credit as a strategic tool to defend market power.
Minimally invasive image guided thermal ablation for recurrent renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after ipsilateral partial nephrectomy.

e16557Background: To evaluate the technical success, safety, pathological, and local oncologic outcomes of image guided thermal ablation of recurrent renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after ipsilateral pa...
Free Jazz, Harmolodics, and Ornette Coleman

Free Jazz, Harmolodics, and Ornette Coleman discusses Ornette Coleman’s musical philosophy of "Harmolodics," an improvisational system deeply inspired by the Civil Rights Movement. Falling under the guise of "free jazz," Harmolodics can be difficult to understand, even for seasoned musicians and musicologists. Yet this book offers a clear and thorough approach to these complex methods, outlining Coleman’s position as the developer of a logical—and historically significant—system of jazz improvisation. Included here are detailed musical analyses of improvisations, accompanied by full transcriptions. Intimate interviews between the author and Coleman explore the deeper issues at work in Harmolodics, issues of race, class, sex, and poverty. The principle of human equality quickly emerges as a central tenet of Coleman’s life and music. Harmolodics is best understood when viewed in its essential form, both as a theory of improvisation and as an artistic expression of racial and human equality.
Avoiding cultural trauma: climate change and social inertia

ABSTRACTThe failure of societies to respond in a concerted, meaningful way to climate change is a core concern of the social science climate literature. Existing explanations of social inertia disp...
Authenticity and luxury branding in a renewing Detroit landscape

Emerging and establishing brands in Detroit regularly capitalize on the narrative of the city’s “comeback.” Many of these brands promote artisanal craftsmanship, nostalgia for an industrial past, a...
Network Topology and Subgap Resonances Observed by Fourier Transform Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy in Cuprate High-Temperature Superconductors

Fourier transform scanning tunneling microscopy on BSCCO subgap resonances has deciphered an octet of "quasi-particle" states that are consistent with the Fermi surface and energy gap observed by ARPES, but the origin of the high-intensity k-space octets and the sharply defined r-space checkerboard is unexplained. The filamentary ferroelastic nanodomain model that predicted the r-space checkerboard also explains the k-space octets and the origin of the apparent anisotropic surface d-wave gap by using strong electron-phonon interactions outside the CuO2 planes. The topological model identifies the factors that stabilize high-intensity k-space octets in the presence of a very high level of irregular r-space checkerboard noise.
Red imported fire ant ( Solenopsis invicta ) aggression influences the behavior of three hard tick species

Few studies have documented the indirect effects of predators on tick behavior. We conducted behavioral assays in the laboratory to quantify the effects of a highly abundant predator, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), on three species of ticks endemic to the southern USA: the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), the Gulf Coast tick (A. maculatum), and the Cayenne tick (A. mixtum). We documented ant aggression toward ticks (biting, carrying, and stinging) and determined the effects of ants on tick activity. Ticks were significantly less active in the presence of fire ants, and tick activity was negatively associated with ant aggression, but in many cases the effects of fire ants on ticks varied by tick species, stage, and engorgement status. For example, fire ants took half as long (~ 62 s) to become aggressive toward unfed A. americanum adults compared with unfed A. maculatum, and only ~ 8 s to become aggressive toward engorged A. maculatum nymphs. Correspondingly, the activity of unfed A. americanum adults and engorged A. maculatum nymphs was reduced by 67 and 93%, respectively, in the presence of fire ants. This reduction in tick activity translated to less questing by unfed ticks and less time spent walking by engorged nymphs. Our results suggest that fire ants may have important non-consumptive effects on ticks and demonstrate the importance of measuring the indirect effects of predators on tick behavior.
EPCs Derived from Ex Vivo Expansion of Unmobilized Human Peripheral Blood Co-Express Hematopoietic and Endothelial-Specific Markers and Can Be Derived from Culture of Highly Purified Populations of CD14-Positive Monocytes.

Abstract An increasing amount of data has suggested a more dynamic role of vasculogenesis, whereby bone marrow (BM)-derived circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) home and contribute to new blood vessel formation during tumor growth, ischemic injury, and wound healing. EPCs can be obtained by isolating hematopoietic progenitor cells from BM or cord blood. Alternatively, ex vivo expansion of unmobilized human peripheral blood (PB) can generate adherent cells, PB-EPCs, that express endothelial markers and also, upon administration, incorporate into developing neovasculature. The relative ease of obtaining unmobilized human PB has made PB-EPCs an attractive candidate with which to develop cell based therapy to treat ischemia. In parallel with clinical trials designed to understand their therapeutic potential, there is a continued effort to better characterize the PB-EPC and understand its biology. It is currently thought that EPCs are directly derived from a CD34+/lin- faction of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, in our current study, we have confirmed prior reports that ex vivo expansion of human PB generates similar numbers of EPCs as compared to plating unfractionated human BM, which contains >50-fold higher CD34+/lin- content, suggesting that PB-EPCs may not be derived from the CD34+/lin- population. We used immunofluorescence and FACs analysis to further show that PB-EPCs not only express endothelial markers such as vWF, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 1 and 2 (also known as flt-1 and flk-1, respectively), VE-cadherin, UEA-1 lectin, Tie-1 and Tie-2 but also hematopoietic markers such as CD45 and CD14, a marker enriched on monocytes. To test if PB-derived CD14-positive cells can give rise to PB-EPCs, we isolated them from human PB to >98% purity and plated them on fibronectin-coated coverslips. In vitro culture of CD14-positive cells generated adherent clusters of spindle shaped cells morphologically similar to EPCs. Culture of the CD14-negative fraction failed to yield any adherent cells. After ten days, the coverslips were removed and the cells were stained with various endothelial (flk-1, vWF, uptake of DiI-AcLDL, and UEA-1 lectin) and monocyte/hematopoietic (CD14 and CD45) cell markers. In analysis of these slides, the EPCs derived from the purified CD14 fraction stained positive for all six markers. These observations suggest that PB-EPCs can differentiate from cells of the monocytic lineage in vitro without the necessity of interaction from cells contained in the CD14-negative population. Further experiments will test the possibility that monocytes may be an intermediate in the differentiation of EPCs in vivo.
Relative Sarcopenia With Excess Adiposity Predicts Survival After Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Creation

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of relative sarcopenia with excess adiposity on mortality after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation. MATERIALS AND METHODS. In this single-institution retrospective study, patients underwent abdominal CT scans within 100 days before or 30 days after TIPS creation. Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue and muscle were segmented at the L3 vertebral level. Relative sarcopenia with excess adiposity was defined as the lowest sex-specific quartile of muscle area divided by muscle plus adipose. Dates of death, liver transplantation, TIPS occlusion, and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) after TIPS creation were identified. Mortality was evaluated using competing risks survival analysis. Number of HE episodes and time to first episode were analyzed using negative binomial regression and competing risks survival analysis, respectively. RESULTS. A total of 141 patients (91 men; mean age, 56 years) were included in this study. In univariate analyses, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (hazard ratio [HR], 1.09 per point; CI, 1.05-1.13; p < 0.001) and relative sarcopenia with excess adiposity (HR, 2.70; CI, 1.55-4.69; p < 0.001) were significant risk factors for shorter survival after TIPS. In multivariate analysis, both MELD score (HR, 1.09; CI, 1.03-1.15; p = 0.003) and relative sarcopenia with excess adiposity (HR, 2.65; CI, 1.56-4.51; p < 0.001) were significant predictors of worse survival. The C-index at 30 days was 0.71 for MELD score, 0.72 for relative sarcopenia with excess adiposity, and 0.80 for a model including both. There was no association between relative sarcopenia with excess adiposity and number of HE episodes (incidence rate ratio, 1.08; CI, 0.49-2.40; p = 0.84) or time to first HE episode (HR, 0.89; CI, 0.51-1.54; p = 0.67). CONCLUSION. Relative sarcopenia with excess adiposity is a risk factor for mortality after TIPS and contributes additional prognostic information beyond MELD score.
More Meaningful Ethics

Firms have exponentially increased their investment in the creation and implementation of ethics and compliance programs over the past fifteen years. The convergence of more robust corporate enforcement actions and more sophisticated industry standards and practices surrounding compliance efforts has created a booming compliance industry with commonly accepted standards and responsibilities. Within these efforts is a formal acknowledgment by the government, industry leaders, and academics that ethics has a role to play in helping to prevent misconduct within firms and that compliance without concern for ethics is insufficient. The reality, however, is that within firms’ efforts to implement effective ethics and compliance programs, compliance is king and ethics is something far less significant. This Essay questions the wisdom of focusing on compliance without an equal focus on ethics. It challenges academics, industry leaders, compliance officers, and inside and external counsel to think critically about how firms might incorporate “More Meaningful Ethics” within their compliance efforts. This Essay argues that firms should implement specific and explicit ethical infrastructures within their compliance programs. In particular, this Essay suggests that firms commit to adopting policies and procedures that (i) protect the dignity of, (ii) promote the flourishing of, and (iii) advance the interests of the various stakeholders of firms as a baseline to be used for establishing the ethics components of their ethics and compliance programs.
Traditional Myositis Autoantibodies: Synthetase, Mi-2, SRP, Ku, PM-Scl, Ro, U1RNP

“Myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSA)” are distinctive in that myositis is their primary associated autoimmune disease despite other clinical features. Antisynthetase antibodies, anti-Mi-2, and anti-SRP have long been considered established MSAs. Autoantibodies such as anti-Ro/SSA or anti-U1RNP are termed “myositis-associated autoantibodies (MAA)” and occur in patients with myositis, but their primary association is with other autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Autoantibodies to aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetase enzymes (ARS) are present in the cytoplasm and closely associated with “antisynthetase syndrome.” Anti-Mi-2 is strongly associated with dermatomyositis, which is glucocorticoid-responsive with a relatively good prognosis. Anti-SRP is associated with immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy. Anti-Ku and PM-SCL antibodies are MAA and associated with overlap syndromes. This chapter discusses traditional MSAs and MAAs in more detail.
Application of a Modified Spheromak Model to Simulations of Coronal Mass Ejection in the Inner Heliosphere

The magnetic fields of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), which originate close to the Sun in the form of a flux rope, determine their geoeffectiveness. Therefore, robust flux rope-based models of CMEs are required to perform magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations aimed at space weather predictions. We propose a modified spheromak model and demonstrate its applicability to CME simulations. In this model, such properties of a simulated CME as the poloidal and toroidal magnetic fluxes, and the helicity sign can be controlled with a set of input parameters. We propose a robust technique for introducing CMEs with an appropriate speed into a background, MHD solution describing the solar wind in the inner heliosphere. Through a parametric study, we find that the speed of a CME is much more dependent on its poloidal flux than on the toroidal flux. We also show that the CME speed increases with its total energy, giving us control over its initial speed. We further demonstrate the applicability of this model to simulations of CME-CME collisions. Finally, we use this model to simulate the 12 July 2012 CME and compare the plasma properties at 1 AU with observations. The predicted CME properties agree reasonably with observational data.
Internal Perspectivalism: The Solution to Generality Problems About Proper Function and Natural Norms

In this paper, I argue that what counts as the proper function of a trait is a matter of the de facto perspective that the biological system, itself, possesses on what counts as proper functioning for that trait. Unlike non-perspectival accounts, internal perspectivalism does not succumb to generality problems. But unlike external perspectivalism, internal perspectivalism can provide a fully naturalistic, mind-independent grounding of proper function and natural norms. The attribution of perspectives to biological systems is intended to be neither metaphorical nor anthropomorphic: I do not mean to imply that such systems thereby must possess agency, cognition, intentions, concepts, or mental or psychological states. Instead, such systems provide the grounding for norms of performance when they internally enforce their own standard of (i.e., their own perspective on) what constitutes proper functioning or malfunctioning. By operating with a fixed, determinate level of generality, such systems provide the basis for an account of proper function that is immune to generality problems.
Evaluation of new rice genotypes of Kuban breeding in conditions of environmental testing in the Republic of Adygea

In solving the problems of modern rice growing associated with yield increase, resource/energy efficiency and profitability, development of new varieties and their timely introduction into production as a result of close cooperation of scientists and production workers is central. In this regard, the assortment of rice varieties of Kuban breeding is annually replenished with more productive ones having increased resistance to adverse biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic factors, technologization and energy supply during cultivation, and different cooking characteristics. Crop productivity is one of the main value indicators and the main requirement of production. It consists of number of plants per unit area and productivity of each of them. Therefore, in order to evaluate rice varieties and determine their suitability for cultivation in this agroclimatic zone, it is necessary to consider important agronomic traits and their variability during a certain time. The article presents the results of environmental testing of 20 rice varieties over three years (2016-2018). The variability of yield and number of productive stems per unit area in varieties was determined. The average and weak inter-varietal variability of productive plant stand (13.9; 10.3 and 13.5%) and yield (12.4; 9.2 and 9.9%) during the research period determines the optimal level of agricultural farming. The varieties that have formed a significantly high yield with its insignificant variability are recommended for cultivation in conditions of the Republic of Adygea.
CD226 Throttles up CD8 + T Cell Antitumor Activity.

Summary In this issue of Immunity, Weulersse et al. and Braun et al. explain how CD226 expression loss on CD8+ T cells impairs TCR-driven activation, and thereby anti-tumor effector responses, tantamount to taking the CD8+ T cell’s foot off the gas pedal.
Covid-19 and the therapeutic value of communication

In early July my husband, son and I sat on the back porch with my mother-in-law at her East Boston home, a joyous reunion after her 72 days of treatment and recovery from Covid-19. Nina had been ad...
Learning MRI artefact removal with unpaired data

Retrospective artefact correction (RAC) improves image quality post acquisition and enhances image usability. Recent machine-learning-driven techniques for RAC are predominantly based on supervised learning, so practical utility can be limited as data with paired artefact-free and artefact-corrupted images are typically insufficient or even non-existent. Here we show that unwanted image artefacts can be disentangled and removed from an image via an RAC neural network learned with unpaired data. This implies that our method does not require matching artefact-corrupted data to be either collected via acquisition or generated via simulation. Experimental results demonstrate that our method is remarkably effective in removing artefacts and retaining anatomical details in images with different contrasts. To remove artefacts from medical imaging, machine learning can be a useful tool, but supervised approaches need examples of the same image with and without artefacts. Liu et al. present a method to train an artefact removal network without needing matching images of corrupted and uncorrupted images.
Gamma Irradiation Induced Changes in the FAR Infared Reststrahlen Spectrum of Some Alkali Halides

This study investigates the modifications in the mid-infrared transmission and far infrared reflectivity of polar crystals that have been colored by ionizing radiation.
Research of Leadership Development for Students Based on Output-based Education Model

Output-based Education(OBE), was first proposed by Spady, an American scholar, who made an in-depth study of this model in his book Output-based Education Model: Disputes and Answers. OBE also means that the goal of teaching design and teaching implementation is the learning outcomes that students achieve through the education process. In order to adapt to the process of globalization, states must pay attention to the training of talents with leadership. Thus leadership education for university students has become one of the missions of the school. Taking Northwest Polytechnic University(NWPU) as an example, this study aims at the leadership development system of university students in China. The author fully analyzes Output-based Education, an educational model of reverse thinking. Starting from the elements of leadership, the paper discusses and analyzes the methods of improving leadership in different dimensions, including leadership course teaching, campus club activities, Leadership Institute.
Scaling Distributed All-Pairs Algorithms

In this paper we propose and prove that cyclic quorum sets can efficiently manage all-pairs computations and data replication. The quorums are O(N/√P) in size, up to 50% smaller than the dual N/√P array implementations, and significantly smaller than solutions requiring all data. Implementation evaluation demonstrated scalability on real datasets with a 7x speed up on 8 nodes with 1/3rd the memory usage per process.
Outcomes of shoulder arthroplasty by year of index procedure: are we getting better?

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine whether postoperative patient-reported outcomes improved over time following anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected patient-reported outcomes from our institution's registry between 2008 and 2018 (N = 1899). American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores at a minimum of 2 years postoperatively were required. Univariable linear models were used to test the association between year of surgery and improvement in ASES scores at 2- and 5-year follow-up, as well as any association with age, sex, primary or revision surgery, hand dominance, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, rotator cuff status, primary diagnosis, and Walch classification. Multivariable models were created to analyze ASES score improvement by index year while controlling for significant factors. RESULTS In the univariable analysis, 5-year ASES difference scores increased each year by a mean of 1.65 (P < .001; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-2.55) for TSA, 2.50 (P = .014; 95% CI, 0.52-4.49) for RTSA, and 1.64 (P < .001; 95% CI, 0.81-2.47) for the overall population. Patient sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, rotator cuff status, primary diagnosis, Walch classification, and revision procedures were also significant factors affecting ASES scores. On multivariable analysis controlling for these factors, 5-year ASES difference scores were still significantly associated with year of surgery, increasing each year by a mean of 2.20 (P < .001; 95% CI, 0.91-3.50) for TSA, 4.83 (P < .001; 95% CI, 1.17-8.49) for RTSA, and 1.66 (P < .001; 95% CI, 0.81-2.51) for the entire population. CONCLUSION Both anatomic TSA and RTSA patients reported increasing ASES difference scores at 5-year follow-up as time passed. These findings may indicate that advances in shoulder arthroplasty have resulted in better patient outcomes over time. Further research is needed to clarify which factors influence improvements in outcomes, particularly for revision procedures.
The selective monobromination of a highly sterically encumbered corrole: Structural and spectroscopic properties of Fe(Cl)(2-bromo-5,10,15-tris(triphenyl)phenyl corrole)

The corrole ligand serves as a versatile tri-anionic, macrocyclic platform on which to model biological catalytic systems, as well as to effect mechanistically challenging chemical transformations....
Risk of Recurrence and Patterns of Failure in Estrogen Receptor-Negative Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Patients.

Purpose/Objective(s) Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) constitutes 15%-25% of newly diagnosed breast cancers. Similar to invasive breast cancer, DCIS tumors vary in terms of immunohistochemistry markers and pathological variables. For invasive carcinoma, treatment options and prognosis depend on these factors, including the expression of estrogen receptors (ER). ER negative (ER-) invasive breast cancers are known to be more aggressive. Treatment guidelines and prognosis for DCIS, however, are less well defined. Compared to ER+ DCIS, ER- DCIS is a far less common diagnosis, with 75% of DCIS expressing ER receptors. Data specific for ER- DCIS patients are thus lacking. The objective of this study was to investigate recurrence rates and patterns of failure of ER- DCIS in a single institution, and compare these statistics to the historic predominantly ER+ data in attempt to enhance risk stratification methods for DCIS patients in the future. Materials/Methods We performed a retrospective review of medical records of DCIS patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2018, identifying 138 patients with ER negative tumors. 22 patients were lost to follow up immediately after diagnosis and were excluded from further analysis. Median follow up time for the remaining 116 patients was 46.5 months. Data on recurrence were collected. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square test, T-test for independent samples, and logistic regression. Results 11 (9.5%) patients were found to have breast cancer recurrence. Median time to recurrence was 37 months. 8 (72.7%) patients developed a non-invasive recurrence (DCIS), with the remaining patients diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). The recurrence was ipsilateral in 7 (63.6%) patients, and contralateral in the remaining 4 (36.4%). All DCIS recurrences were ER- as opposed to IDC recurrences, all of which expressed ER receptors. Patients who developed a recurrence underwent a lumpectomy 90.9% of the time for their initial resection, compared with 56.2% of patients with non-recurrent DCIS. We next evaluated the use of adjuvant RT, RT dose, tumor grade, size, presence of necrosis, and width of surgical margins as predictors of recurrence. Neither rates of RT administration, nor the RT dose were significantly different between the patients who developed recurrent disease versus those who did not. There was a trend toward higher recurrence for patients with high grade DCIS (grade 3) and presence of necrosis. Other factors (tumor size, presence of necrosis, and width of excision margins) did not predict for recurrence risk in our sample. Conclusion Contrary to expectations, ER- DCIS recurrence rates were similar to previously reported DCIS recurrence rates. This is in contrast to the well described findings for ER- invasive carcinomas. Future prospective studies are needed to further evaluate the outcomes for this patient population.
SU‐E‐T‐06: 4D Particle Swarm Optimization to Enable Lung SBRT in Patients with Central And/or Large Tumors

Purpose: Patients presenting with large and/or centrally-located lung tumors are currently considered ineligible for highly potent regimens such as SBRT due to concerns of toxicity to normal tissues and organs-at-risk (OARs). We present a particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based 4D planning technique, designed for MLC tracking delivery, that exploits the temporal dimension as an additional degree of freedom to significantly improve OAR-sparing and reduce toxicity to levels clinically considered as acceptable for SBRT administration. Methods: Two early-stage SBRT-ineligible NSCLC patients were considered, presenting with tumors of maximum dimensions of 7.4cm (central-right lobe; 1.5cm motion) and 11.9cm (upper-right lobe; 1cm motion). In each case, the target and normal structures were manually contoured on each of the ten 4DCT phases. Corresponding ten initial 3D-conformal plans (Pt#1: 7-beams; Pt#2: 9-beams) were generated using the Eclipse planning system. Using 4D-PSO, fluence weights were optimized over all beams and all phases (70 and 90 apertures for Pt1&2, respectively). Doses to normal tissues and OARs were compared with clinicallyestablished lung SBRT guidelines based on RTOG-0236. Results: The PSO-based 4D SBRT plan yielded tumor coverage and dose—sparing for parallel and serial OARs within the SBRT guidelines for both patients. The dose-sparing compared to the clinically-delivered conventionallyfractionated plan for Patient 1 (Patient 2) was: heart Dmean = 11% (33%); lung V20 = 16% (21%); lung Dmean = 7% (20%); spinal cord Dmax = 5% (16%); spinal cord Dmean = 7% (33%); esophagus Dmax = 0% (18%). Conclusion: Truly 4D planning can significantly reduce dose to normal tissues and OARs. Such sparing opens up the possibility of using highly potent and effective regimens such as lung SBRT for patients who were conventionally considered SBRT non-eligible. Given the large, non-convex solution space, PSO represents an attractive, parallelizable tool to successfully achieve a globally optimal solution for this problem. This work was supported through funding from the National Institutes of Health and Varian Medical Systems.
Polarity determination in breast tissue: desmosomal adhesion, myoepithelial cells, and laminin 1

In all epithelial organs, apicobasal polarity determines functional integrity and contributes to the maintenance of tissue and organ specificity. In the breast, the functional unit is a polar double-layered tube consisting of luminal epithelial cells surrounded by myoepithelial cells and a basement membrane. It is far from clear how this double-layered structure is established and how polarity is maintained. Two recent papers have shed some light onto this intriguing problem in mammary gland biology. The results point to desmosomes and laminin 1 as having crucial roles. However, some questions remain.
Affinity immunoblotting: high resolution isoelectric focusing analysis of antibody clonotype distribution

A sensitive and specific method is proposed for the analysis of specific antibody clonotype changes occurring during an immune response and for comparing multiple sera for antibody clonotype similarities. Polyclonal serum antibodies separated by isoelectric focusing (IEF) were analyzed by an affinity immunoblotting method using antigen-coated nitrocellulose membranes. Antibodies present on the surface of the acrylamide gels following IEF bind the antigen on the nitrocellulose when the coated nitrocellulose is laid over the gels. The technique has been used to analyze Ig clonotypes specific for five protein antigens and two carbohydrate antigens. Optimal antigen concentrations for coating the nitrocellulose membranes were found to range from 10-100 microgram/ml.
Changes in the Wealth of Nations

This study systematically examines the distribution of the wealth of nations and how it has evolved over time. A nation's wealth is measured by its real per-capita gross domestic product. The study documents the following key economic development facts that a theory of economic development must be consistent with: There is a great disparity in wealth between the richest and poorest countries. This disparity has changed little in the postwar period. There was an upward shift in the distribution of the wealth of nations. There has been considerable relative wealth mobility, with some spectacular changes for individual countries in the distribution.
Lowest-Order Gravitational Interactions

Having investigated the significance of lowest-order covariant Feynman “tree” (no loop) diagrams for strong, electromagnetic, and weak interactions, it is quite natural to try to extend the approach to the fourth fundamental force, that of gravity. The problem is that the gravitational interaction is so weak that quantum gravity corrections to the classical force will, in all likelihood, never be detected. Moreover, like the current-current weak interaction, higher order corrections are usually divergent. Thus, the major justification for looking at quantum gravity is that it may give us a deeper understanding of the classical newtonian force, and if a unified theory of forces is ever developed in detail, it most certainly will have to include the gravitational interaction. Accordingly, we attempt to construct quantum “graviton” wave functions, propagators, vertices, Feynman rules and diagrams in the same spirit as for the other three forces. Then we briefly discuss the connection between this linearized quantum gravity theory with Einstein’s nonlinear classical theory of general relativity.
Contribution of Clostridium difficile infection to the development of lower gastrointestinal adverse events during autologous stem cell transplantation

Background Lower gastrointestinal (GI) adverse events (LGAE) are common afflictions of patients undergoing stem cell transplantation (SCT). Unfortunately, the pathophysiology remains poorly characterized. Emerging data suggest a prominent role of intestinal microbiota; however, contributions of pathogenic gut microbiota such as Clostridium difficile are not well defined. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to investigate clinical and genetic factors associated with development of LGAE. Methods A total of 972 patients undergoing autologous SCT were graded for LGAE based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (v 4.0). Germline DNA material was obtained from leukapharesis products and genotyped using Illumina® Whole Genome Genotyping Infinium chemistry and HumanOmni1-Quad Bead chips containing over 1.1 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (Illumina, San Diego, California, USA). Statistical models incorporating clinical factors, genetic factors, and a combination of clinical plus genetic factors were utilized to compare patients who developed severe LGAE (grade 2 or above) and others. Results Among 972 patients, 459 (47.2%) developed severe LGAE. Baseline hemoglobin and hematocrit, estimated glomerular filtration rate, β2-microglobulin, protocol type, and C. difficile infection (CDI) were associated with severe LGAE on univariate analysis, Genomic comparisons between groups did not reveal any SNPs associated with severe LGAE and neither did incorporation of genetic factors into the clinical model. In addition, 11 candidate SNPs associated with upper GI mucositis were evaluated, alongside clinical factors in a multivariate model. Only CDI was found to be associated with severe LGAE in all models. Conclusion CDI is a prominent factor in the development of LGAE in patients undergoing autologous SCT.
Blitzkrieg reconsidered? Assessing the importance of morale and unit cohesion in the 2008 Russia–Georgia war

The formal model of modern-system force employment developed in Stephen Biddle (2004) book, Military Power, is a standard text in the defense analysis field but has rarely been applied to analyze battlefield outcomes. The 2008 Five-Day War between Russia and the Republic of Georgia provides a compelling case study for empirical testing. The outcome of the conflict reveals an inconsistency between the theoretical model and the actual results, suggesting that technical and tactical force employment variables alone may not be sufficient to explain battlefield dynamics, and that the effects of psychological shock on unit morale and cohesion may constrain how well a military force can perform even while adhering to modern-system doctrine.
Aqueous two-phase systems for biomolecule separation

Over the past-thirty years, aqueous polymer two-phase technology has evolved, both experimentally and theoretically, into a separation science with many useful applications in biomolecule purification and bioconversion. This paper summarizes the developments in the applications of aqueous two-phase systems to biotechnology. The main topics to be considered are the phase diagram and its characteristics, fundamentals of biomolecule partition, large-scale and multi-stage aqueous two-phase biomolecule purification, and extractive bioconversions. The first topic involves a discussion of the thermodynamics of aqueous polymer two-phase formation and how it is influenced by such factors as polymer molecular weight and concentration, temperature, and salt type and concentration. Next, the theoretical and experimental aspects of biomolecule partition in aqueous two-phase systems will be discussed in light of the factors which influence biomolecule partition: polymer concentration and molecular weight; temperature; salt type and concentration; the addition of charged, hydrophobic and affinity derivatives. Having reviewed the fundamentals of phase diagram formation and biomolecule partition, the next two topics are applications of aqueous two-phase technology. The first set of applications involve the large-scale extraction of proteins using one to three equilibrium stages and multi-stage purifications using countercurrent distribution, liquid-liquid partition chromatography and continuous countercurrent chromatography. The second application, and very promising area for future aqueous two-phase technology, is the extractive bioconversion which permits the simultaneous production and purification of a biomolecule.
Influencing healthful food choices in school and home environments: Results from the TEENS study

Abstract Background. The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of an intervention designed to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables and lower fat foods in homes and schools. This research is part of the TEENS study, a school-based intervention study. Methods. Sixteen schools in Minnesota were recruited to be in the study, and approximately 3600 middle school students in the eight intervention schools were exposed to a multi-component intervention. The TEENS intervention included classroom-based curricula, family newsletters, and changes in the school food environment including increasing more healthful options on a la carte and on the school lunch line. In addition to student-level outcomes, changes in availability of fruits, vegetables, and lower fat snacks in home and school environments were evaluated. The TEENS study was conducted from 1997 to 2000. Results. Parents of students in intervention schools reported making healthier choices when grocery shopping as compared to parents of students in control schools ( P = 0.01). No intervention effects were evident from a home food inventory. Compared to control schools, intervention schools offered ( P = 0.04) and sold ( P = 0.07) a higher proportion of healthier foods on a la carte, but no effects were seen for fruit and vegetables sales as part of the regular meal pattern lunch. Conclusion. Our results show mixed results for positively influencing adolescents' school and home environments.
Measuring human energy expenditure: what have we learned from the flex-heart rate method?

The measurement of daily energy expenditure is an important aspect of research on human health and nutrition. Over the last 30 years, G.B. Spurr has been a leader in developing and implementing methods for more effectively assessing energy expenditure and physical activity in traditional and modernizing populations. One of his most notable contributions has been the development of the "Flex Heart Rate" (flex-HR) method. Since its inception in the late 1980s, the flex-HR method has become a standard tool for measuring daily energy expenditure in free-living human populations. This article reviews the initial development and validation of the flex-HR technique, and examines recent refinements of the method and its application to research in biomedicine and human population biology. The review and analyses highlight how the flex-HR technique has improved on earlier methods of assessing energy expenditure and greatly advanced our understanding of variability in human energy requirements.
Introduction to the special issue on parallel computing in climate and weather modeling

Abstract In this introduction to the special issue on ‘Parallel computing in climate and weather modeling’, we review the historical development of computer models of the weather and climate system, and the application of novel, high performance parallel computing technologies to the execution of these models. We also provide some context for the articles that follow by summarizing the structure of typical models and the numerical methods used to implement them. Finally, we describe the eight articles in the special issue, and outline challenges that must be addressed in future research.
Applications of the Generalized Model for a Solar Sail

In a previous paper, a generalized model for representing the propulsive force and moment from a solar sail as a function of solar illumination was presented. This generalized model can be deflned with only 18 numerical coe‐cients for the force, and 36 for the moment, and can represent a sail of arbitrary geometry (under some mild restrictions). In this paper we revisit this general model and develop a number of applications for it that will showcase its generality and utility. Speciflcally, we flrst show that the number of coe‐cients needed to describe the total moment acting on the sail can be reduced to the 18 coe‐cients needed for the force description plus 9 additional constants, a signiflcant reduction from the original 36 coe‐cients. The computation of these new constants is described. Next we present the partial derivatives of this model with respect to the sail position, attitude, and the model coe‐cients. Finally, we revisit some classical results, now reformulated for our new model, such as the optimal orientation to generate maximum thrust or to generate maximum energy increase in a sail trajectory.