cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Locating a Microseismic Event Using Deconvolution

We demonstrate a technique to enhance the ability of imaging the location of a microseismic event by improving both spatial and temporal focusing. The technique improves locating a microseismic event in a velocity model for which the interface boundaries are approximate but where it has the correct mean slowness. Our method designs a signal to be rebroadcasted from the receivers, using only the waves recorded at each receiver, such that the wave field has an optimal temporal focus at the source location. Additionally, this procedure leads to an improved spatial focus of the wave field. The numerical test shown include additive noise. This proposed technique only involves a simple preprocessing step to the recorded data and its cost is hence negligible compared to the total cost of microseismic imaging.
The role of hydrodynamic instability in detonation fronts

Recognizing that a detonation front consists of a leading shock followed by a reaction front that separates two media with significantly different densities, and that the shock is in general stable while the reaction front is subjected to the Darrieus-Landau (DL) instability and the RayleighTaylor (RT) instability if there is an acceleration, an analysis wascarried out to elucidate the coupling between the shock dynamics and the hydrodynamic DL and RT instabilities in the commonly observed detonation instability. The study first considered compressibility effects on DL instability and showed that modification of the growth rate is of the order of the square of the Mach number. We then analyzed the instability of a shock-reaction front complex, in which the reaction front propagates at a constant velocity relative to the unburned gas, and demonstrated that this wave structure yields unstable complex roots, which are very different from that of the DL instability. A further analysis is then performed to elucidate the nature of the hydrodynamic instability of planar detonations. The results obtained show that the maximum growth rate is not very sensitive to the activation energy, indicating that the hydrodynamic instability, which was largely overlooked in previous analysis, is an important destabilizing mechanism in multidimensional detonation instability.
Assessment of genetic variation among thornless blackberries (Rubus spp.) using random amplified polymorphic DNA

SummaryTo assess genetic relatedness in thornless blackberry (Rubus spp.), 11 different blackberry cultivars were screened using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. The blackberries selected represented four different thornless backgrounds. Genetic similarity was estimated using 140 random primers, and the cluster analysis conducted using the RAPD data grouped the cultivars into three distinct clades. Ninety-eight primers produced 113 cultivar-specific RAPD fragments capable of identifying each cultivar. In addition, reproducible polymorphism using two primers was observed within the ‘Evergreen’ (R. laciniatus) clade that consisted of the pure thornless blackberry ‘Everthornless’, the chimeral ‘Thornless Evergreen’, and their thorny progenitor ‘Evergreen’. All three plants are believed to be identical, except for a single mutational event that caused the phenotypic change from thorny to thornless. The R. laciniatus RAPD marker data provide information that may eventually be useful to identify...
THE TREATMENT-RESISTANT MESENCHYMAL SIGNATURE IN GLIOBLASTOMA DERIVES FROM TUMOR CELLS INDEPENDENT OF STROMA

BACKGROUND: Glioma sphere-forming cells (GSCs) derived from surgical specimens are a fundamental resource to study glioblastoma (GBM) biology. Mesenchymal-expressing GSCs have been proposed as a source of treatment resistance and mesenchymal tumors correlate with poorer survival. Recently, we found that the anti-angiogensis drug bevacizumab appeared to provide no benefit to patients with mesenchymal tumors, in contradiction to expectations that a mesenchymal microenvironment may benefit from anti-angiogenesis therapy. We have developed a collection of GSCs that have undergone comprehensive genomic characterization, similar to that performed by the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) for whole tumor specimens. We hypothesized that the genomic landscape of GSCs would recapitulate what was observed by TCGA. METHODS: 47 GSCs were obtained from primary culture of fresh tumor specimens obtained at surgery and cultured as 3-dimensional spheres in the absence of serum. All lines were subjected to RNAseq (75bp paired-end, 100X coverage), copy number analysis (Affymetrix Oncoscan 2.0), whole methylome (Illumina Infinium 450k bead array), and targeted resequencing of known cancer-associated genes. Whole exome sequencing was performed for 22 GSCs. Gene expression was determined by reads per kilobase per million (RPKM) using an RNA sequencing data analysis pipeline (PRADA) and somatic mutations identified by a commonly used detection method (MuTech). Consensus clustering based on none-negative matrix factorization (CNMF) was performed on expression data and correlation to TCGA clusters determined by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). RESULTS: While global copy number alterations such as gain of chromosome 7 at the EGFR locus or loss of chromosome 10 at the PTEN locus were shared between tumor and matched GSC, the rate of somatic events was significantly higher in GSCs compared to tumors (range 47-570, median 124 vs range 2-255, median 65). Optimization of CNMF identified a total of 5 gene-expression clusters. GSCs in only one of these clusters showed enrichment for a unique TCGA class, mesenchymal. GSCs in other clusters were divided among multiple TCGA classes. CONCLUSIONS: Mesenchymal glioblastomas are derived from mesenchymal GSCs, suggesting that the tumor component is the largest contributor to the aggressive biology of this subtype. GSCs from other tumor subtypes correlate to multiple TCGA classes, suggesting that tumor stroma may contribute to the expression phenotype in those cases. Therapeutics targeting the microenvironment, such as anti-angiogenesis drugs, may have a greater role in non-mesenchymal tumors where the stromal contribution is more prominent. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Neuropathology & Tumor Biomarkers.
Sparty and Selfi: Distributed Intelligence in the Multiliteracy Center

Abstract This article examines two multimodal compositions produced with the support of a multiliteracy center. Each case involves multiple people, technologies, and resources. Distribution and emergence —two concepts borrowed from complex systems theory—help us understand the distinctive nature of the composing practices exemplified by these two cases. More specifically, the composing practices described here can be understood as examples of Pea's (1993) “distributed intelligence” and Lindquist, Hart-Davidson, and Grabill's (2010) “distributed invention.” These two examples prompt me to hypothesize about the way multiliteracy centers can maximize their potential to facilitate distributed and emergent composing practices. I suggest that multiliteracy centers should consider adopting policies, structures, and designs that facilitate connections, support long visits, attend to affective dimensions of relationships, and encourage play.
475 INTERACTIONS OF CHRONIC ZIPRASIDONE TREATMENT AND WITHDRAWAL WITH ACUTE COCAINE INTOXICATION

Objectives There is substantial comorbidity between serious mental illness and cocaine abuse. Available evidence indicates that chronic neuroleptic treatment and withdrawal can lead to neural changes that confer differential sensitivities to cocaine. Thus, the purpose of this work is to investigate and characterize effects of chronic ziprasidone therapy and withdrawal on acute cocaine toxicity in the mouse. Methods Male CF-1 mice were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups: 1) subcutaneous (SC) injections of 0.13 mg ziprasidone daily for 10 days (n=40); 2) SC ziprasidone injections (as in #1) + 2 days of withdrawal (n=45); 3) daily SC injections of saline as placebo control (n=40). Following these treatment regimens, all mice received 102 mg/kg cocaine HCl in saline by intra-peritoneal injection and blinded observers recorded times for death/moribundity and seizure. Results Survival analysis indicated significantly reduced time to death for mice in the ziprasidone withdrawal group (Chi-square=4.22, 1 DoF, P=0.0399). Apparent, though not statistically significant, trends of increasing mortality and seizure frequency with more rapid onset were observed in both treatment groups as compared to control animals. Mortality proportions were 37% (RR=1.8, 95% CI 0.9 to 4.0, p=0.14) in group 1; 40% (RR=2.0, 95% CI 0.98 to 4.0, p=0.06) in group 2; versus 20% mortality in controls. Seizure frequencies were 90% (RR=1.2, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.5, p=0.08) for group 1; 84% (RR=1.2, 95% CI 0.9 to1.5, p=0.2) in group 2; versus 72% in controls. Analysis of seizure free proportions over time yielded Chi-sq 3.8, 1 DoF, p=0.05 for group 1 vs. control; and chi-sq 2.4, 1 DoF, p=0.12 for group 2 vs. control. Conclusions Presumably through changes within CNS neurotransmitter systems, chronic ziprasidone treatment and withdrawal appears to confer increased susceptibility to acute cocaine toxicity in mice. While our study cannot detect the specific mechanisms involved, these findings are of clinical concern and raise questions for future study.
Uroplakin IB and IIIb Are Two Novel Markers for Mesothelioma

Mesotheliomas can present a wide variety of cytomorphologic features and histologic patterns. The definitive diagnosis can be challenging, particularly for those metastatic mesothelioma or other tumors metastatic to the pleura and lung. A long list of antibodies can be used to different mesothelioma from other malignant tumors. Howerver, none of them are specific and …
Auditor Size and the Cost of Equity Capital over Auditor Tenure

This study examines whether the difference in the cost of equity capital between clients of large and small auditors (‘the cost of equity capital disparity’) varies with auditor tenure. We find that the cost of equity capital disparity increases over auditor tenure, suggesting a decline in the perceived audit quality of small auditors relative to large auditors as tenure lengthens. The results suggest that this occurs because there is a deterioration in perceived audit quality over tenure for small auditors combined with no change in perceived audit quality over tenure for large auditors. Furthermore, we find that the cost of equity capital disparity does not increase over auditor tenure for industry specialist auditors, implying that auditor specialization may act as a substitute for auditor size in reducing investor concerns about audit quality declining over tenure for small auditors.
Predictors of Gestational Weight Gain among White and Latina Women and Associations with Birth Weight

This study examined racial/ethnic differences in gestational weight gain (GWG) predictors and association of first-trimester GWG to overall GWG among 271 White women and 300 Latina women. Rates of within-guideline GWG were higher among Latinas than among Whites (28.7% versus 24.4%, p < 0.016). Adjusted odds of above-guideline GWG were higher among prepregnancy overweight (OR = 3.4, CI = 1.8-6.5) and obese (OR = 4.5, CI = 2.3-9.0) women than among healthy weight women and among women with above-guideline first-trimester GWG than among those with within-guideline first-trimester GWG (OR = 4.9, CI = 2.8-8.8). GWG was positively associated with neonate birth size (p < 0.001). Interventions targeting prepregnancy overweight or obese women and those with excessive first-trimester GWG are needed.
Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Inhibition With Rapamycin Mitigates Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in a Murine Model.

Purpose Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF) is a late toxicity of therapeutic radiation. Signaling of the mammalian target of rapamycin drives several processes implicated in RIPF, including inflammatory cytokine production, fibroblast proliferation, and epithelial senescence. We sought to determine if mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition with rapamycin would mitigate RIPF. Methods and Materials C57BL/6NCr mice received a diet formulated with rapamycin (14 mg/kg food) or a control diet 2 days before and continuing for 16 weeks after exposure to 5 daily fractions of 6 Gy of thoracic irradiation. Fibrosis was assessed with Masson trichrome staining and hydroxyproline assay. Cytokine expression was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Senescence was assessed by staining for β-galactosidase activity. Results Administration of rapamycin extended the median survival of irradiated mice compared with the control diet from 116 days to 156 days ( P =.006, log-rank test). Treatment with rapamycin reduced hydroxyproline content compared with the control diet (irradiation plus vehicle, 45.9 ± 11.8 μg per lung; irradiation plus rapamycin, 21.4 ± 6.0 μg per lung; P =.001) and reduced visible fibrotic foci. Rapamycin treatment attenuated interleukin 1β and transforming growth factor β induction in irradiated lungs compared with the control diet. Type II pneumocyte senescence after irradiation was reduced with rapamycin treatment at 16 weeks (3-fold reduction at 16 weeks, P Conclusions Rapamycin protected against RIPF in a murine model. Rapamycin treatment reduced inflammatory cytokine expression, extracellular matrix production, and senescence in type II pneumocytes.
Abstract 2895: Phosphorylation of EZH2 at T416 by CDK2 promotes development of mammary tumors with basal-like phenotype

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Basal-like breast cancer, also referred to as triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) due to the lack of expression of ErbB2, PR, and ER alpha receptors, is considered to be one of the most aggressive breast cancers, which display high rates of tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, and post-surgical re-occurrence. This subtype of breast cancer presents a major challenge for breast cancer oncologists as currently there is no effective therapy available. Here, we show that Cyclin E and EZH2, the methyltransferase component of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) are exclusively co-expressed in TNBC tumor tissues. We further show that CDK2, the only known enzymatic partner of Cyclin E, can phosphorylate EZH2 at T416 in vivo. CDK2-mediated modification of EZH2 at T416 leads to gain-of-function, enhancing its ability to promote breast cancer cell migration/invasion, expansion and self-renewal of tumor sphere in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo. In addition, our immunohistochemistry-staining of 247 primary breast tumor tissues validates that high EZH2/T416 phosphorylation correlates with poor survival in TNBC but not in non-TNBC patients. To further attest the oncogenic role of EZH2/T416 phosphorylation by CDK2 in vivo, we generated transgenic mice expressing EZH2T416D mutant, a mimicking phosphorylated form of EZH2, in mammary glands. In contrast to previously reported EZH2WT transgenic mice, which did not develop mammary tumors, our EZH2T416D-expressing mice developed malignant mammary tumor with basal-like and highly metastatic potential phenotypes. These genetic evidence revealed that CDK2/Cyclin E mediated site-specific phosphorylation of EZH2 is capable of inducing the basal-like/TNBC phenotype and maintaining cancer stem cell population of breast cancers so that the T416 phosphorylation of EZH2 might serve as a biomarker for TNBC prognosis and effective therapy. Citation Format: Lei Nie, Yongkun Wei, Adam LaBaff, Cheng-Chieh Yang, Weiya Xia, Longfei Huo, Dongping Liu, Yi-Hsin Hsu, Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, Jun Yao, Celina G. Kleer, Mien-Chie Hung. Phosphorylation of EZH2 at T416 by CDK2 promotes development of mammary tumors with basal-like phenotype. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2895. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2895
Dosimetric Considerations while Attending Hospitalized I-131 Therapy Patients

Radiation exposure to hospital personnel attending I-131 therapy patients was calculated relative to patient dose, distance, and time after administration. Routine or emergency contact with these patients would not exceed occupational maximum permissible doses for hands and whole body for attendance up to 30 min immediately after administration.
Resveratrol and exercise to treat functional limitations in late life: Design of a randomized controlled trial

Skeletal muscle mitochondrial function declines with age and is a key factor in the maintenance of physical function among older adults. Research studies from animals and humans have consistently demonstrated that exercise improves skeletal muscle mitochondrial function in early and middle adulthood. However, mitochondrial adaptations to both acute and chronic exercise are attenuated in late life. Thus, there is an important need to identify adjuvant therapies capable of augmenting mitochondrial adaptations to exercise (e.g. improved mitochondrial respiration, muscle mitochondria biogenesis) among older adults. This study is investigating the potential of resveratrol supplementation for this purpose. The objective of this randomized, double-masked pilot trial is to evaluate the efficacy of resveratrol supplementation combined with a comprehensive supervised exercise program exercise for improving physical function among older adults. Moderately functioning, sedentary participants aged ≥60 years will perform 24 sessions (2 day/wk for 12 weeks) of center-based walking and resistance training and are randomly assigned to receive either (1) 500 mg/day resveratrol (2) 1000 mg/day resveratrol or (3) placebo. Study dependent outcomes include changes in 1) knee extensor strength, 2) objective measures of physical function (e.g. 4m walk test, Short Physical Performance Battery), 3) subjective measures of physical function assessed by Late Life Function and Disability Instrument, and 4) skeletal muscle mitochondrial function. This study will provide novel information regarding the therapeutic potential of resveratrol supplementation combined with exercise while also informing about the long-term clinical viability of the intervention by evaluating participant safety and willingness to engage in the intervention.
Book Review: Conquering the Content: A Step-by-Step Guide to Online Course Design by Robin Smith (Jossey-Bass, 2008)

Excerpt: Had Robin Smith’s book been available a decade ago, I could have avoided countless hours spent since then in updating, revising, and re-envisioning the web pages supporting my courses. Even with years of experience creating web sites for my courses, I found ideas and insights that will help me continue to improve the ongoing processes of course development and maintenance.
Causal mechanisms of soil organic matter decomposition: deconstructing salinity and flooding impacts in coastal wetlands

Coastal wetlands significantly contribute to global carbon storage potential. Sea-level rise and other climate-change-induced disturbances threaten coastal wetland sustainability and carbon storage capacity. It is critical that we understand the mechanisms controlling wetland carbon loss so that we can predict and manage these resources in anticipation of climate change. However, our current understanding of the mechanisms that control soil organic matter decomposition, in particular the impacts of elevated salinity, are limited, and literature reports are contradictory. In an attempt to improve our understanding of these complex processes, we measured root and rhizome decomposition and developed a causal model to identify and quantify the mechanisms that influence soil organic matter decomposition in coastal wetlands that are impacted by sea-level rise. We identified three causal pathways: (1) a direct pathway representing the effects of flooding on soil moisture, (2) a direct pathway representing the effects of salinity on decomposer microbial communities and soil biogeochemistry, and (3) an indirect pathway representing the effects of salinity on litter quality through changes in plant community composition over time. We used this model to test the effects of alternate scenarios on the response of tidal freshwater forested wetlands and oligohaline marshes to short- and long-term climate-induced disturbances of flooding and salinity. In tidal freshwater forested wetlands, the model predicted less decomposition in response to drought, hurricane salinity pulsing, and long-term sea-level rise. In contrast, in the oligohaline marsh, the model predicted no change in response to drought and sea-level rise, and increased decomposition following a hurricane salinity pulse. Our results show that it is critical to consider the temporal scale of disturbance and the magnitude of exposure when assessing the effects of salinity intrusion on carbon mineralization in coastal wetlands. Here, we identify three causal mechanisms that can reconcile disparities between long-term and short-term salinity impacts on organic matter decomposition.
Remarks on the linking theory of shape dynamics

This short note is an attempt to bring out the geometric structures in the linking theory of shape dynamics. Symplectic induction is applied to give a natural construction of the extended phase space used in the linking theory as a trivial vector bundle over the original phase space for canonical gravity. The geometry of the gauge fixing for shape dynamics is analyzed with the assistance of the Lichnerowicz–York equation lifted to the extended phase space. An alternative description is provided to show how the same geometry simply derives from symplectic induction.
A finite element and finite difference mixed approach for modeling fault rupture and ground motion

Abstract We combine a finite element (FE) code, Defmod, and a finite difference (FD) code, OpenSWPC, in modeling fault rupture and resulting ground motion. The rupturing process is modeled by the FE code, while the ground motion is modeled by the FD code. The FE-FD binding follows two steps: First, evaluate the FD grid points motion when executing the FE code; and then, impose those moving grid points to the FD domain to drive wave propagation. In order to avoid performance bottleneck, we implement this FE-FD binding in parallel. To verify this mixed approach, we evaluate two SCEC benchmark problems. The resulting synthetic waveforms agree well with the other benchmark participants. The waveform comparisons suggest that the FE-FD mixed model has less attenuation than the pure FE model.
Ultrafast time-resolved measurement of energy transport at the metal-liquid interface

The nanoscale light-matter interaction at metallic interfaces has many important applications, especially when it is crucial to enhance the surface-to-volume ratio and to achieve high spatial energy confinement. Here, we report an ultrafast time-resolved measurement to study photo-excited transport at the metal-liquid interfaces of colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). By using the transient absorption spectroscopy method together with the stimulated emission depletion of fluorescence molecules, we simultaneously measured the perturbations of energy states on both sides of the interfaces within a nanoscale distance. Our measurement results showed the evidence of ultrafast coupling between AuNPs and their surrounding solvent molecules at the picosecond time scale. This method can be extended to study the energy transfer mechanisms at the various interfaces for biology, chemistry, or optoelectronics.
Simulation Languages and Applications

This chapter describes past and present continuous and discrete systems digital simulation languages and some applications. The emphasis is on the developing history and the evolution of simulation languages.
Regulation of oxygen supply in the cerebral circulation.

Despite the ongoing intense research into the physiological mechanisms of cerebrovascular regulation, the precise degree to which the flow of blood cells and of plasma in the cerebral microcirculation is regulated and the tolerance of small areas of the brain to compromised flow and oxygen supply are poorly understood. Likewise, the physiological responses of cerebral blood flow (CBF) to changes in intra vascular and extra vascular pressures, blood oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions and systemic hematocrit have been well described; however, little attention has been paid to the question whether the perfusion of cerebral capillaries by blood cells follows these regional blood flow responses. Since cerebral oxygen supply is regulated mainly by a change in the rate of perfusion and much less by an alteration in diffusion distance for oxygen, an examination of the physiological and biophysical factors affecting the perfusion rate of cerebral capillaries by red blood cells is particularly important.
Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis

Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (IGH) is an acquired leukoderma of unknown etiology. Clinically, these lesions are found more commonly in the elderly on sun-exposed surfaces of the skin. IGH does not require treatment; however, patients may seek out a dermatologist for aesthetic reasons. This chapter will review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, histology, differential diagnosis, as well as the available treatment options for IGH.
ACGP: Adaptable Constrained Genetic Programming

Genetic Programming requires that all functions/terminals (tree labels) be given a priori. In the absence of specific information about the solution, the user is often forced to provide a large set, thus enlarging the search space — often resulting in reducing the search efficiency. Moreover, based on heuristics, syntactic constraints, or data typing, a given subtree may be undesired or invalid in a given context. Typed Genetic Programming methods give users the power to specify some rules for valid tree construction, and thus to prune the otherwise unconstrained representation in which Genetic Programming operates. However, in general, the user may not be aware of the best representation space to solve a particular problem. Moreover, some information may be in the form of weak heuristics. In this work, we present a methodology, which automatically adapts the representation for solving a particular problem, by extracting and utilizing such heuristics. Even though many specific techniques can be implemented in the methodology, in this paper we utilize information on local first-order (parent-child) distributions of the functions and terminals. The heuristics are extracted from the population by observing their distribution in “better” individuals. The methodology is illustrated and validated using a number of experiments with the 11-multiplexer. Moreover, some preliminary empirical results linking population size and the sampling rate are also given.
SAY—a PC based speech analysis system

This paper is concerned with an experimental system of value to anyone interested in speech research in general, and in particular to those interested in speech input and output by computer. At the IBM UKSC we are building a system capable of converting text data to natural sounding speech. This embodies many of the features of an expert system since the system must understand and use the same rules of spelling, syntax, intonation, pronunciation and phonetics that a human speaker draws upon when talking. In building this system we must have a detailed understanding of normal human speech and a means of analysing synthetic speech to enable us to quantify the factors that determine intelligibility and acceptability. To achieve this we need a knowledge of both the physics and anatomy of speech production in the human articulatory system, and of the speech signal itself. We will need techniques for analysing synthetic speech and comparing it with its natural counterpart. An understanding of the process of speech perception, and of which parts of the speech signal carry the important perceptual information, is also relevant. A suitable system for the analysis of speech signals is thus an essential tool in this project and it is the development of such a speech analyser that is the subject of this paper.
Risk of incident claims for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy among women with breast cancer in a Medicare population.

Background Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and disabling consequence of neurotoxic therapies, yet factors that modulate the development and clinical impact of CIPN are poorly understood. This epidemiological analysis identifies risk factors for the incidence of CIPN. Methods This retrospective analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data examined predictors of incident CIPN claims among 11,149 women aged 66 years or older with American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC) stage II to IV breast cancer (and no secondary cancer diagnosis or preexisting neuropathy) who received chemotherapy. Results Overall, new CIPN claims occurred for 8.3% of patients within 1 year of starting chemotherapy. Risk emerged approximately 3 months after the start of chemotherapy and increased throughout 1 year. Paclitaxel as part of first-line therapy increased CIPN risk 2.7-fold in comparison with nonneurotoxic agents (15.9% vs 5.0%), with lower incidence rates for carboplatin and paclitaxel (11.9%), carboplatin and docetaxel (9.3%), carboplatin alone (7.7%), and docetaxel alone (6.6%). The CIPN incidence rate was higher for women who at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis were relatively young (within this Medicare sample), were at AJCC stage II or III, were married or had an equivalent status, and had fewer comorbidities, but it did not differ by race/ethnicity or poverty level. Conclusions These Medicare claims database findings indicate that women aged 66 years or older with breast cancer are susceptible to CIPN from taxane and/or platinum compounds, with risk emerging approximately 3 months into treatment. Prospective studies of symptom emergence and clinical response (eg, stopping chemotherapy and adjunctive treatments) are indicated to determine how best to inform patients of this risk and to manage CIPN in this population.
Hydrogen sulfide, reactive sulfur species and coping with reactive oxygen species.

Abstract Life began in a ferruginous (anoxic and Fe2+ dominated) world around 3.8 billion years ago (bya). Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and other sulfur molecules from hydrothermal vents and other fissures provided many key necessities for life's origin including catalytic platforms (primordial enzymes) that also served as primitive boundaries (cell walls), substrates for organic synthesis and a continuous source of energy in the form of reducing equivalents. Anoxigenic photosynthesis oxidizing H2S followed within a few hundred million years and laid the metabolic groundwork for oxidative photosynthesis some half-billion years later that slightly and episodically increased atmospheric oxygen around 2.3 bya. This oxidized terrestrial sulfur to sulfate which was washed to the sea where it was reduced creating vast euxinic (anoxic and sulfidic) areas. It was in this environment that eukaryotic cells appeared around 1.5 bya and where they evolved for nearly 1 billion additional years. Oxidative photosynthesis finally oxidized the oceans and around 0.6 bya oxygen levels in the atmosphere and oceans began to rise toward present day levels. This is purported to have been a life-threatening event due to the prevalence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and thus necessitated the elaboration of chemical and enzymatic antioxidant mechanisms. However, these antioxidants initially appeared around the time of anoxigenic photosynthesis suggesting a commitment to metabolism of reactive sulfur species (RSS). This review examines these events and suggests that many of the biological attributes assigned to ROS may, in fact, be due to RSS. This is underscored by observations that ROS and RSS are chemically similar, often indistinguishable by analytical methods and the fact that the bulk of biochemical and physiological experiments are performed in unphysiologically oxic environments where ROS are artifactually favored over RSS.
Probabilistic acceptance

The idea of fully accepting statements when the evidence has rendered them probable enough faces a number of difficulties. We leave the interpretation of probability largely open, but attempt to suggest a contextual approach to full belief. We show that the difficulties of probabilistic acceptance are not as severe as they are sometimes painted, and that though there are oddities associated with probabilistic acceptance they are in some instances less awkward than the difficulties associated with other nonmonotonic formalisms. We show that the structure at which we arrive provides a natural home for statistical inference.
Stability of the Prandtl model for katabatic slope flows

We investigate the stability of the Prandtl model for katabatic slope flows using both linear stability theory and direct numerical simulations. Starting from Prandtl’s analytical solution for uniformly cooled laminar slope flows, we use linear stability theory to identify the onset of instability and features of the most unstable modes. Our results show that the Prandtl model for parallel katabatic slope flows is prone to transverse and longitudinal modes of instability. The transverse mode of instability manifests itself as stationary vortical flow structures aligned in the along-slope direction, whereas the longitudinal mode of instability emerges as waves propagating in the base-flow direction. Beyond the stability limits, these two modes of instability coexist and form a complex flow structure crisscrossing the plane of flow. The emergence of a particular form of these instabilities depends strongly on three dimensionless parameters, which are the slope angle, the Prandtl number and a newly introduced stratification perturbation parameter, which is proportional to the relative importance of the disturbance to the background stratification due to the imposed surface buoyancy flux. We demonstrate that when this parameter is sufficiently large, then the stabilising effect of the background stratification can be overcome. For shallow slopes, the transverse mode of instability emerges despite meeting the Miles–Howard stability criterion of . At steep slope angles, slope flow can remain linearly stable despite attaining Richardson numbers as low as .
INFLAMMATION AND MULTI-ORGAN DYSFUNCTION IN A RECENT PEDIATRIC HEART TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT

Severe inflammation in an immunosuppressed patient following cardiac transplantation is important to investigate. A broad differential should be utilized in the diagnostic workup. A 17 year old male with complex congenital heart disease and failing Fontan physiology with hepatic fibrosis presented
Theoretical and experimental analysis of the bistable convection loop for liquid-metal-cooled reactor emergency core cooling

In this paper, an emergency core cooling system incorporating a bistable convection loop (BCL) for current passive liquid-metal-cooled reactors is proposed. The system has two stable operating modes. During the off mode, the system is in a pure conduction mode and transfers very little heat. In the on mode, the system switches to the low-resistance configuration of a closed natural convection loop and transfers significant amounts of heat. The switching occurs passively because of changes in the reactor temperature. Theoretical and experimental analysis shows that a BCL designed to remove 7% of peak reactor power in the on mode loses only 0.0007% in the off mode, yielding a ratio of 10,000:1.
Mediation of suicide ideation in prolonged exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder.

Abstract Background Evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with reduction in suicidal ideation (SI), yet the mechanisms underlying this reduction are unclear. The current study investigated improvements in PTSD, depression, and social support as potential mediators of the change in SI over time. Method Participants (N = 200) were active duty military personnel with PTSD randomized to prolonged exposure therapy (PE) or present-centered therapy (PCT). Using parallel mediation and serial mediation models, we examined the relative influence of the mediators on suicidal ideation over time. Results Consistent with our hypotheses, lagged mediation analyses revealed that depression was the strongest mediator of improvements in SI over time in PE and PCT. Reductions in PTSD were associated with subsequent reductions in depression, which was associated with reductions in SI. Treatment condition did not moderate this relationship, and social support was not a significant mediator. Conclusions In active duty military personnel, reduction in depression was the strongest mediator of reduction in suicidal ideation in PE and PCT for PTSD. These results were not altered by treatment condition. Trial registration Clinicaltrials. gov identifier: NCT01049516. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01049516 .
Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate reduces genital cell-cell adhesion molecule expression and increases genital herpes simplex virus type 2 infection susceptibility in a dose-dependent fashion.

Abstract Objective Analyzing ectocervical biopsy tissue from women before and after they initiated use of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), we previously reported this progestin reduces levels of the cell – cell adhesion molecule (CCAM) desmoglein-1 and increases genital mucosal permeability. We likewise saw treating mice with 1.0 mg of DMPA reduced vaginal CCAM expression and increased genital pathogen susceptibility. Herein, we used dose – response studies to delimit DMPA doses and serum MPA levels in mice associated with impaired genital mucosal barrier function and enhanced susceptibility to low-dose herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection. Study d esign We compared genital CCAM expression, genital mucosal permeability, and susceptibility to genital inoculation with 103 plaque-forming units of HSV-2 among mice in estrus vs. after treatment with 0.01 mg, 0.1 mg, 0.3 mg, or 1.0 mg of DMPA. Results Compared to mice in estrus, DMPA treatment in dose-dependent fashion significantly reduced desmoglein 1α (Dsg1a) and desmocollin-1 (Dsc1) gene expression, reduced DSG1 protein levels, and increased genital mucosal permeability to low molecular weight molecules. While no mice infected with HSV-2 in estrus died, we respectively saw 50% and 100% mortality in mice administered 0.1 mg or 0.3 mg of DMPA. At time of infection, mean serum MPA levels in mice administered the 0.1 mg or 0.3 mg doses were 3.8 nM and 13.0 nM respectively (values comparable to trough and peak MPA serum levels in women using DMPA). Conclusions Mice with pharmacologically relevant serum MPA concentrations display significant changes in genital CCAM expression, genital mucosal barrier function, and HSV-2 susceptibility.
Corralling a black swan: natural range of variation in a forest landscape driven by rare, extreme events.

The natural range of variation (NRV) is an important reference for ecosystem management, but has been scarcely quantified for forest landscapes driven by infrequent, severe disturbances. Extreme events such as large, stand-replacing wildfires at multi-century intervals are typical for these regimes; however, data on their characteristics are inherently scarce, and, for land management, these events are commonly considered too large and unpredictable to integrate into planning efforts (the proverbial "Black Swan"). Here, we estimate the NRV of late-seral (mature/old-growth) and early-seral (post-disturbance, pre-canopy-closure) conditions in a forest landscape driven by episodic, large, stand-replacing wildfires: the Western Cascade Range of Washington, USA (2.7 million ha). These two seral stages are focal points for conservation and restoration objectives in many regions. Using a state-and-transition simulation approach incorporating uncertainty, we assess the degree to which NRV estimates differ under a broad range of literature-derived inputs regarding (1) overall fire rotations and (2) how fire area is distributed through time, as relatively frequent smaller events (less episodic), or fewer but larger events (more episodic). All combinations of literature-derived fire rotations and temporal distributions (i.e., "scenarios") indicate that the largest wildfire events (or episodes) burned up to 105 -106 ha. Under most scenarios, wildfire dynamics produced 5th-95th percentile ranges for late-seral forests of ~47-90% of the region (median 70%), with structurally complex early-seral conditions composing ~1-30% (median 6%). Fire rotation was the main determinant of NRV, but temporal distribution was also important, with more episodic (temporally clustered) fire yielding wider NRV. In smaller landscapes (20,000 ha; typical of conservation reserves and management districts), ranges were 0-100% because fires commonly exceeded the landscape size. Current conditions are outside the estimated NRV, with the majority of the region instead covered by dense mid-seral forests (i.e., a regional landscape with no historical analog). Broad consistency in NRV estimates among widely varied fire regime parameters suggests these ranges are likely relevant even under changing climatic conditions, both historical and future. These results indicate management-relevant NRV estimates can be derived for seral stages of interest in extreme-event landscapes, even when incorporating inherent uncertainties in disturbance regimes.
Understanding Secondary School Teachers’ TPACK and Technology Implementation in Mathematics Classrooms

The technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) framework provides an understanding of a teacher’s knowledge in the three areas and how it is used to effectively teach with technology (Koehler, Mishra, & Cain, 2013). This study explores the TPACK of middle and high school math and special education teachers and how teachers integrate technology in their mathematics classrooms. Teachers in a rural public school district in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S were surveyed. In the concurrent mixed-method design, data were collected using a survey with 22 close-ended questions from Zelkowski, Gleason, Cox, & Bismark (2013) to measure teachers’ TPACK (Likert scale of 1 to 5) and 7 open-ended questions regarding technology integration. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data while a two-cycle coding process, using holistic and pattern coding (Saldana, 2013), was used to analyze and identify themes of the qualitative data. The quantitative data showed that teachers were most confident in their pedagogical knowledge and least confident in their technical knowledge. The themes that emerged for technology integration reflected conceptual understanding, teaching strategies, time and student engagement. The high confidence in pedagogical knowledge is reflected in how teachers integrate technology, which was pedagogical in nature.
Qutrit Randomized Benchmarking

Ternary quantum processors offer significant potential computational advantages over conventional qubit technologies, leveraging the encoding and processing of quantum information in qutrits (three-level systems). To evaluate and compare the performance of such emerging quantum hardware it is essential to have robust benchmarking methods suitable for a higher-dimensional Hilbert space. We demonstrate extensions of industry standard randomized benchmarking (RB) protocols, developed and used extensively for qubits, suitable for ternary quantum logic. Using a superconducting five-qutrit processor, we find an average single-qutrit process infidelity of 3.8×10^{-3}. Through interleaved RB, we characterize a few relevant gates, and employ simultaneous RB to fully characterize crosstalk errors. Finally, we apply cycle benchmarking to a two-qutrit CSUM gate and obtain a two-qutrit process fidelity of 0.85. Our results present and demonstrate RB-based tools to characterize the performance of a qutrit processor, and a general approach to diagnose control errors in future qudit hardware.
Signal Feature Extraction and Combination to Enhance the Detection and Localization of Railroad Track Irregularities

Tracks are critical and expensive railroad asset, requiring frequent maintenance. The stress from heavy car axle loads increases the risk of deviations from uniform track geometry. Irregularities in track geometry, such as track warping, can cause an excessive harmonic rocking condition that can lead to derailments, traffic delays, and associated financial losses. This article presents an approach to enhance the location identification accuracy of track geometry irregularities by combining measurements from sensors aboard Hi-Rail vehicles. However, speed variations, position recording errors, low GPS update rates, and the non-uniform sampling rates of inertial sensors pose significant challenges for signal processing, feature extraction, and signal combination. This study introduces a method of extracting features from the fused data of inertial sensors and GPS receivers with multiple traversals to locate and characterize irregularities of track geometry. The proposed method provides robust detection and enhanced accuracy in the localization of irregularities within spatial windows along the track segment. Tradeoff analysis found that the optimal spatial window size is 5-meter.
Value Capture for Transportation Finance

Abstract Value capture seeks to generate revenue by extracting a portion of the gains in the value of land that result from improvements to transportation networks. In this paper we identify value capture strategies, including land value taxes, tax increment ﬁnancing, special assessments, transportation utility fees, development impact fees, negotiated exactions, joint development, and air rights. We evaluate each of the policies according to four criteria: efﬁciency, equity, sustainability, and feasibility. The value capture concept is placed within a more general framework of transportation ﬁnance that emphasizes the relationship between different types of charges and groups of beneﬁciaries from transportation investments.
Political Accountability and Cheap Talk

This paper sheds new light on the important role played by elections in shaping politicians' and, more surprisingly, adviser's behaviors in a cheap talk setting. In a model in which policy makers differ along two dimensions -honesty and competence- and with repeated interactions between sender and receiver, I show that there exists a fully revealing equilibrium. In deciding which report to send, the expert is aware that he could use it to affect the electoral outcome, the manipulation effect, or to shape the first period policy, the influence effect. When the first effect dominates the second, there exists an informative equilibrium. Moreover, we show that the presence of corrupt politicians leads to an increase in voter welfare, as a result of better informed decisions. I allow the politician to delegate authority to the expert, showing that due to the signaling value of the politician's delegation decision only corrupt or incompetent incumbents will delegate the second period decision. Finally, I generalize the results in a number of different ways.