cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Earlier Disease Onset in Non-Caucasian Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Patients: Retrospective Analysis from Two Tertiary Centers (P5.088)

OBJECTIVE: To compare disease onset between Caucasian and Non-Caucasian Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients in the database of the Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and compare to previous analysis from the Houston Methodist Hospital. BACKGROUND: Previous reports have documented earlier disease onset in Non-Caucasian Patients (Rudnicki et al, Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener. 2014 March ; 15(0): 114-118). DESIGN/METHODS: Retrospective chart review of two tertiary centers databases - the Johns Hopkins (1996 to 2015) and the Houston Methodist Hospital (2009 to 2013). RESULTS: From the Johns Hopkins cohort, we confirm previous observations of earlier disease onset in non-Caucasian ALS patients with the largest number of African American patients (N= 112) reported to date. We find that: -Age at onset in African Americans is 2.5 years earlier than in Caucasians (95[percnt]CI 0.01, 4.9; p=0.05). -Age at onset in Asians is 4.8 years earlier than in Caucasians (95[percnt]CI -0.4, 10; p=0.07), not significant, but a trend due to the small sample size of Asian patients (N= 23). -There is no difference in the time from the onset to death between African American and Caucasians or between men and women. -Time from age at onset to death in Asians is 1.8 years later than in Caucasians (95[percnt]CI 0.3, 3.8; p=0.09), a trend due to the very limited sample size (N=5 deaths in the Asian cohort). CONCLUSIONS: Several clinics in North America have reported earlier disease onset for Non-Caucasian patients. We confirm this observation and plan on interrogating the databases for co-morbidities. The reason for the earlier disease onset in Non-Caucasian patients is currently unclear. It is possible that both socio-economic and genetic factors interact to determine disease onset. FUTURE: Similar observations were made from the database at the Houston Methodist Hospital. The final analysis will combine data from the two databases. Disclosure: Dr. Ilieva has received research support from the AAN: ALS Clinical Training Fellowship. Dr. Pinal Fernandez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Natov has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mosmiller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Clawson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Simpson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Appel has received research support from Neuraltus, Inc., and GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Maragakis has received personal compensation for activities with Advanced Technologies and Regenerative Medicine LLC.
Convergence rates for lacunary trigonometric interpolation

Conditions for the solvability of lacunary trigonometric interpolation have been given by Cavaretta, Sharma, and Varga. When these conditions are satisfied, linear operators are defined on the space of continuous periodic functions. In this paper, the saturation rate and class of many of these operators is determined.
Real-time full correlation matrix analysis of fMRI data

Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) is an emerging approach for studying the functioning of the human brain. Computational challenges combined with high data velocity have to this point restricted rtfMRI analyses to studying regions of the brain independently. However, given that neural processing is accomplished via functional interactions among brain regions, neuroscience could stand to benefit from rtfMRI analyses of full-brain interactions. In this paper, we extend such an offline analysis method, full correlation matrix analysis (FCMA), to enable its use in rtfMRI studies. Specifically, we introduce algorithms capable of processing real-time data for all stages of the FCMA machine learning workflow: incremental feature selection, model updating, and real-time classification. We also present an actor-model based distributed system designed to support FCMA and other rtfMRI analysis methods. Experiments show that our system successfully analyzes a stream of brain volumes and returns neurofeedback with less than 180 ms of lag. Our real-time FCMA implementation provides the same accuracy as an optimized offline FCMA toolbox while running 3.6–6.2x faster.
Lower extremity bypass for critical limb ischemia decreases major adverse limb events with equivalent cardiac risk compared with endovascular intervention

Abstract Objective Lower extremity bypass (LEB) has traditionally been the “gold standard” in the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI). Infrainguinal endovascular intervention (IEI) has become more commonly performed than LEB, but comparative outcomes are limited. We sought to compare rates of major adverse limb events (MALEs) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) after LEB and IEI in a propensity score-matched, national cohort of patients with CLI. Methods The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) vascular targeted files (2011-2014) for LEB and IEI were merged. CLI patients were identified by ischemic rest pain or tissue loss. Patients were matched on a 1:1 basis for propensity to undergo LEB or IEI. Primary outcomes were 30-day MALEs and MACEs. Within the propensity-matched cohort, multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of MALEs and MACEs. Results A total of 13,294 LEBs and IEIs were identified, with 8066 cases performed for CLI. Propensity matching identified 3848 cases (1924 per group). There were no differences in preoperative variables between the propensity-matched LEB and IEI groups (all P > .05). At 30 days, rates of MALEs were significantly lower in the LEB group (9.2% LEB vs IEI 12.2%; P = .003). On multivariate logistic regression, bypass with single-segment saphenous vein vs IEI (odds ratio [OR], 0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-0.92; P = .01), bypass with alternative conduit (prosthetic, spliced vein, or composite) vs IEI (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.56-0.98; P = .04), antiplatelet therapy (OR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.58-1.00; P = .049), and statin therapy (OR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.62-0.99; P = .04) were protective against MALEs, whereas infrageniculate intervention (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.09-1.72; P = .01) and a history of prior bypass of the same arterial segment (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.41-2.41; P Conclusions Within this large, propensity-matched, national cohort, LEB predicted lower risk-adjusted 30-day MALE rate compared with IEI. Furthermore, there was no difference in 30-day MACE rate between the groups despite higher inherent risk with open surgical procedures. Therefore, this study supports the effectiveness and primacy of LEB for revascularization in CLI.
Geometric and material variation of a supercritical water reactor

Abstract An exploration of the parameter space available for the supercritical water assembly is performed. Geometry and materials selection will be examined. The material selection will be limited to the structural materials because oxide fuels were assumed and enrichment was set to provide a critical assembly. Steels were found to reduce the k eff of the system. Analysis of the results led to the investigation of radial density variation. It is found that a 57.3651 pcm reactivity change occured with radial density variation across 2 × 10 −4 m. This implies that fully 3D thermohydraulic analysis is required for accurate modeling of supercritical water reactors.
Fast Hemoglobin in Lead Poisoning

1. An electrophoretically fast hemoglobin was found in approximately 40 per cent of preschool children with elevated blood lead levels. 2. Fast hemoglobin was found more often in lead-poisoned patients with hypochromic anemia than in patients with normochromic red cells. 3. Fast hemoglobin differed from hemoglobins produced in vitro by incubation with chromate or oxidized glutathione. It had electrophoretic properties similar to that found in a few patients receiving tolbutamide. 4. Fast hemoglobin could not be differentiated from normal hemoglobin A3 by any technic utilized. 5. Both lead and A3 hemoglobins were heterogeneous molecular species. 6. The mechanisms leading to the production of hemoglobin A3 and lead hemoglobin remain unknown.
Functional Reactive Programming

Functional reactive programming, or FRP, is a style of programming based on two key ideas: continuous time-varying behaviors, and event-based reactivity. FRP is the essence of Fran [1,2], a domain-specific language for functional reactive graphics and animation, and has recently been used in the design of Frob [3,4], a domain-specific language for functional vision and robotics. In general, FRP can be viewed as an interesting language for describing hybrid systems, which are systems comprised of both analog (continuous) and digital (discrete) subsystems. Continuous behaviors can be thought of simply as functions from time to some value: Behavior a = Time -> a. For example: an image behavior may represent an animation; a Cartesian-point behavior may be a mouse; a velocity-vector behavior may be the control vector for a robot; and a tuple-of-distances behavior may be the input from a robot’s sonar array. Both continuous behaviors and event-based reactivity have interesting pro erties worthy of independent study, but their integration is particularly interesting. At the core of the issue is that events are intended to cause discrete shifts in declarative behavior; i.e. not just shifts in the state of reactivity. Being declarative, the natural desire is for everything to be first-class and higher-order. But this causes interesting clashes in frames of reference, especially when time and space transformations are applied. In this talk the fundamental ideas behind FRP are presented, along with a discussion of various issues in its formal semantics. This is joint work with Conal Elliot at Microsoft Research, and John Peterson at Yale.
Chemical Stability of Scopolamine Hydrobromide Nasal Solution

The chemical stability of scopolamine hydrobromide in nasal solution has been studied by using a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic assay method that was developed in our laboratory. The concentrations of the drug were directly related to peak heights, and the percent relative standard deviation based on five injections was 0.4. The products of decomposition and excipients present in the dosage forms did not interfere with the developed assay method. The nasal solution was stable for at least 42 days when stored in amber-colored glass bottles at room temperature. The physical appearance and the pH value of the nasal solution did not change during the study period.
Basics of Communication Networks for Electrical Engineers in the Forest Products Industries

The functionality of various communication methods continue to change as advanced protocols and media are applied to, not only commercial products, but also industrial products. This paper will provide the electrical engineer with a fundamental background and other basics regarding various communication standards, protocols and media. When electrical engineers are engaged in the interconnection of devices where various communication methods are employed, a review of the requirements of these systems is required. These may include process automation protocols, industrial control system protocols, building automation protocols, power system automation protocols, and automatic meter reading protocols. These system requirements demand a full review to determine the interconnections and media necessary for successfully integrating these into the enterprise communication system.
Future Prospects for Open image in new window Searches

The high luminosity phase of the LHC (HL-LHC) is planned to follow a LHC Run III where \({300}{{\,\text {fb}^{-1}}}\) of Open image in new window collisions are expected to be collected, and to start after the completion of the LHC upgrades during the long shutdown in 2024–2025. The goal is to increase the integrated luminosity further by a factor of 10, collecting a dataset of about \({3000}{{\,\text {fb}^{-1}}}\) in a decade of Open image in new window collisions at \(\sqrt{s} = {14}\,\mathrm{TeV}\). It is an unprecedented opportunity to study very rare phenomena, where Open image in new window production represents a top priority subject of research. An early understanding of the sensitivity to observe Open image in new window production and measure the Higgs boson trilinear coupling is thus important to organize future searches. This chapter presents the prospects for HH measurements at the HL-LHC from an extrapolation of the current results. Results are derived under various scenarios of detector performance and analysis improvements.
A Stage Review of Radio Golf: New African Grove Completes the Cycle

A stage review of August Wilson’s Radio Golf at the New African Grove Theatre Company in College Park, Georgia, July 2018.
Banding studies on chromosomes in diffuse histiocytic lymphomas: correlation of 14q+ marker chromosome with cytology

Chromosomes were studied in cells from tissues primarily involved by diffuse “histiocytic” lymphoma in nine patients. Two of the patients had stage II disease; their tumors were fibrotic and had no mitotic cells. One patient was in stage III, and the remaining six patients had stage IV disease. The modal chromosome number of abnormal cells from these last seven patients was hypodiploid in two, hyperdiploid in four, and near-triploid in one. Complete banding studies of six cases and partial analysis of the seventh indicate that (1) every patient had a distinct cell line with common markers, with a few cells showing minor variants; (2) although certain chromosomes (Nos. 1, 2, 3, 9, 12, and 14) were structurally affected more often than others, no markers with the same banding pattern were noted among them; and (3) the cytologic type of lymphoma could be correlated with the karyotype in all seven patients. When the Lukes and Collins classification was used, three patients whose tumors were composed predominantly of large noncleaved cells showed a 14q translocation leading to the formation of a 14q+ marker chromosome. This marker was not observed in four patients whose tumors had a majority of large cleaved cells. These preliminary results, if confirmed in a larger series of patients, will provide additional evidence that there are consistent chromosome changes associated with specific subtypes of lymphoproliferative disorders analogous to the Ph1 chromosome in chronic myelogenous leukemia.
When Inequality is Good for Groups: The Moderating Role of Fairness

Many societies today are experiencing growing inequality in terms of wealth, income, health, education, resources or opportunities, trends that have negative effects upon well-being, trust, and motivation. We investigated whether inequalities –– particularly those perceived as fair –– can have positive effects upon individuals and groups. Using cross-national survey data (Study 1) and experimental data (Study 2), we find that inequalities arising from merit-based processes are perceived as fairer and as less acute. Further, in two experimental studies, using both monetary and real-effort social dilemmas, we demonstrate that inequalities perceived as procedurally fair can promote cooperation and trust. Participants received payments based on a fair (merit-based) or unfair (luck-based) process prior to being assigned to a group in which the other members’ payments were either equal or unequal to their own. We then measured positive contributions to the group via monetary contributions to a public good (Study 3) or a real-effort cooperation task (Study 4). Compared to conditions of equality, participants were more likely to cooperate when inequality of initial payments was perceived as fair, and less likely to contribute when inequality was perceived as unfair. We disentangle the effects of inequality and fairness on behavior, and underscore the importance of understanding how people construe the systems that give rise to inequality to an understanding of inequality’s effects on motivation and cooperation.
Assessment of CO2‐enhanced oil recovery and associated geologic storage potential in the Michigan Northern Pinnacle Reef Trend

This paper provides an improved estimate of CO2‐EOR (where CO2 is carbon dioxide and EOR is enhanced oil recovery) and CO2 storage potential for depleted oil fields in Michigan's northern pinnacle reef trend (NPRT). Our methodology is based on capturing data on reservoir performance from reefs currently undergoing CO2‐EOR operations in the NPRT (referred to as ‘monitored reefs’), and then applying them to other reefs within the NPRT (referred to as ‘catalog reefs’). For each monitored reef, we calculate fractional primary recovery, fractional incremental EOR recovery, net utilization ratio, and storage efficiency factor. The corresponding incremental oil recovery from EOR, storage capacity until end of EOR, and total CO2 injection needs are then estimated for each catalog reef and combined (over all monitored reefs) using a weighted averaging procedure. These weights are related to a statistical similarity measure that is calculated between each monitored reef and each catalog reef based on a number of variables related to production data, formation type, or descriptive geologic attributes. For the entire NPRT catalog of 383 reefs as used in this study, our results indicate 118 million (MM) stock tank barrels (STB) (1.88 × 107 Sm3) of incremental oil from EOR operations, corresponding to 49 MM metric tons (MT) of CO2 storage and 266 MM MT of total CO2 injection. However, approximately one‐third of the reefs provide two‐thirds of the potential for CO2‐EOR and geologic storage, assuming an economic threshold of 0.5 MM STB (80 000 Sm3) of incremental oil from EOR. © 2020 The Authors. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Treatment and Outcome of Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a devastating but poorly understood complication, with a paucity of published data regarding treatment and outcomes. This study analyzes the largest cohort of UKA PJIs to date comparing treatment outcome, septic and aseptic reoperation rates, and risk factors for treatment failure. Methods Twenty-one UKAs in 21 patients treated for PJI, as defined by Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria, were retrospectively reviewed. Minimum and mean follow-up was 1 and 3.5 years, respectively. Fourteen (67%) patients had acute postoperative PJIs. Surgical treatment included 16 debridement, antibiotics, and implant retentions (DAIRs) (76%), 4 two-stage revisions (19%), and 1 one-stage revision (5%). Twenty (95%) PJIs were culture positive with Staphylococcus species identified in 15 cases (71%). Results Survivorship free from reoperation for infection at 1 year was 76% (95% confidence interval, 58%-93%). Overall survival from all-cause reoperation was 57% (95% confidence interval, 27%-87%) at 5 years. Two additional patients (10%) underwent aseptic revision total knee arthroplasty for lateral compartment degeneration 1 year after DAIR and tibial aseptic loosening 2.5 years after 2-stage revision. All patients who initially failed PJI UKA treatment presented with acute postoperative PJIs (5 of 14; 36%). Conclusion Survivorship free from persistent PJI at 1 year is low at 76% but is consistent with similar reports of DAIRs for total knee arthroplasties. Furthermore, there is low survivorship free from all-cause reoperation of 71% and 57% at 2 and 5 years, respectively. Surgeons should be aware of these poorer outcomes and consider treating UKA PJI early and aggressively.
Mobile Voice Query Reformulation by Visually Impaired People

Voice search has the potential to assist people who cannot look at their device, whether because of a particular situation like driving, a device that does not have a visual interface, or for people who are visually impaired. This study will compare the mobile query reformulation patterns of visually impaired and sighted people using a voice user interface. Query reformulation is a cognitively demanding stage in the information search process and has been studied with sighted users and, to a limited extent, with visually impaired people, but comparative data is needed to explore the differences between these two groups in terms of their interactions patterns and the potential effects of voice query reformulation on task completion.
Flat bands in the CoSn-type compounds

Quantum interference on the kagome lattice generates electronic bands with narrow bandwidth, called flat bands. Crystal structures incorporating this lattice can host strong electron correlations with nonstandard ingredients, but only if these bands lie at the Fermi level. In the six compounds with the CoSn structure type (FeGe, FeSn, CoSn, NiIn, RhPb, and PtTl) the transition metals form a kagome lattice. The two iron variants are robust antiferromagnets so we focus on the latter four and investigate their thermodynamic and transport properties. We consider these results and calculated band structures to locate and characterize the flat bands in these materials. We propose that CoSn and RhPb deserve the community's attention for exploring flat-band physics.
An automated cluster surface scanning method for exploring reaction paths on metal-cluster surfaces

Abstract Metal-cluster surfaces present a wide variety of unique coordination environments. This complexity makes it difficult to manually probe the surface reactivity of such clusters. Here, we present a simple and automated method to systematically discover reaction pathways on cluster surfaces, based on the automated cluster surface scanning (ACSS) technique for mapping out potential energy surfaces. We showcase our method on 55-atom icosahedral Cu and Ag clusters, where we determine the activation energies of four elementary steps common in heterogeneous catalysis – hydrogen recombination (H* + H* → H2* + *), oxygen recombination (O* + O* → O2* + *), water formation (OH* + H* → H2O* + *), and CO oxidation (CO* + O* → CO2* + *) – with density functional theory calculations (DFT-PBE + D3). We show that the ACSS method requires significantly less human effort than the established manually performed climbing-image nudged elastic band (MP + CI-NEB) technique and locates transition states with comparable accuracy (root-mean-squared error of 0.10 eV) and similar computational cost. Rigorous sampling of the potential energy surface with the ACSS method allows one to locate all lowest-energy reaction pathways obtained via the MP+CI-NEB approach, as well as alternative pathways that one may have missed with the MP+CI-NEB approach due to the many possible pathways available on these clusters. The accuracy and efficiency afforded by the ACSS method could enable high-throughput exploration of the diverse reactivity of metal clusters.
Strategies to improve financial literacy and related outcomes among medical students, residents, and fellows in the United States: a scoping review protocol

Objective The objective of this scoping review is to explore strategies to improve financial literacy and related outcomes among medical students, residents, and fellows in the United States. Introduction Financial wellness and literacy are essential parts of overall wellness for medical students, residents, and fellows. Financial illiteracy and increased financial debt have negative implications for medical professionals and health care. Burnout is common among medical students, residents, and practicing physicians, and financial stress is one of the causes. High medical school debt results in decreased interest in primary care specialties as the payments are lower, resulting in a shortage of primary care providers. Inclusion criteria The review will include studies that identify strategies to improve financial literacy among medical students, residents, and fellows in the United States. Methods The proposed review will be conducted as per JBI methodology for scoping reviews. The search strategy will aim to locate both published and unpublished studies. The key databases to be searched include PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Academic Search Premier. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts for assessment against the inclusion criteria for the review. The results of the search will be reported and presented in a PRISMA flow diagram. Data will be extracted from papers included in the scoping review using a data extraction tool. The extracted data will be presented in both diagrammatic and narrative forms.
Deceiving Machine Learning-Based Saturation Attack Detection Systems in SDN

Recently, different machine learning-based detection systems are proposed to detect DDoS saturation attacks in Software-defined Networking (SDN). Meanwhile, different research studies highlight the vulnerabilities of adapting such systems in SDN. For instance, an adversary can fool the machine learning classifiers of these systems by crafting specific adversarial attack samples, preventing the detection of DoS saturation attacks. To better understand the security properties of these classifiers in adversarial settings, this paper investigates the robustness of the supervised and unsupervised machine learning classifiers against adversarial attacks. First, we propose an adversarial testing tool that can generate adversarial attacks that avoid the detection of four saturation attacks (i.e., SYN, UDP, ICMP, and TCP-SARFU), by perturbing different traffic features. Second, we propose a machine learning-based saturation attack detection system that utilizes different supervised and unsupervised machine learning classifiers as a testing platform. The experimental results demonstrate that the generated adversarial attacks can reduce the detection performance of the proposed detection system dramatically. Specifically, the detection performance of the four saturation attacks was decreased by more than 90% across several machine learning classifiers. This indicates that the proposed adversarial testing tool can effectively compromise the machine learning-based saturation attack detection systems.
Design of Planar Penetrable Metasurfaces on an Irregular Grid Using Point-Dipole Approximation

A design technique for free-standing planar meta-surfaces comprising an array of subwavelength resonant inclusions on an irregular grid is presented. The local E-field is evaluated as a sum of discrete and continuous contributions from neighboring and far-separated elements, respectively. The dimension of each resonator is determined from the polarizability relation. Free from the limitations associated with unit-cell analysis and design under periodic boundary conditions, the new design technique allows use of irregular grids for functional electromagnetic surfaces.
Run-time monitoring of concurrent programs on the Cedar multiprocessor

A prototype run-time performance monitoring environment for the Cedar multiprocessor has been developed. The authors describe how the Cedar performance monitoring infrastructure is designed to achieve run-time monitoring and distributed communication of parallel program execution data. The underlying tracing procedures used in Cedar to gather execution data are described, and the procedures by which traces are dynamically off-loaded from the Cedar system and sent to remote processes are explained. The application of these tools to capture and visualize matrix data from an application at run-time is discussed. Finally, results regarding the performance of the run-time monitoring system in in terms of execution data bandwidth and program perturbation are presented.
A Harder and Longer Process? Dispelling Myths about Women in Judicial Primary Elections

Research suggests that women who run in elections for state supreme court tend to do well in those elections. However, this begs the question: how do those women fare in judicial primary elections ...
The Perils of Child "Protection" for Children of Color: Lessons From History.

* Abbreviation: AACWA — : Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act Based upon recent investigation rates, as many as 37% of children born this year in the United States may become the subject of a child welfare system investigation. Among Black children, an estimated close to 50% are likely to be subject to such an investigation.1 Although rates of serious physical injury to children are on the decline,2 the number of children reported for neglect has increased. Child maltreatment investigations have become the foremost intervention to safeguard children in the United States. This focus on reporting, investigation, and child removal has a long history.3 Furthermore, the burden of the coercive aspects of the child welfare system is carried disproportionately by Black families. Allegations of maltreatment involving Black children are more likely to be reported to1 and substantiated by child welfare agencies than those involving white children.4 Once investigated, Black children are more likely to be removed from their homes than white children and subsequently less likely to be reunified.5,6 Although some researchers identified race as a significant factor in these disparities,4 others found no significant effect for race when controlling for poverty.7 Yet, regardless of the reasons disparities occur, they represent a significant problem because of the harm they cause Black families. We trace these … Address correspondence Mical Raz, MD, PhD, MSHP, Charles E. and Dale L. Phelps Professor in Public Policy and Health, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14618. E-mail: micalraz{at}rochester.edu
Innovative Approaches in Untreated DLBCL

Introduction Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common lymphoid cancer, is curable but has been treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP)-based chemotherapy for decades.1 DLBCL is a heterogeneous disease with distinct subtypes with differential responses to targeted therapy; however, this has not yet translated into standard therapy.2,3 Most frontline DLBCL trials employ an R-CHOP versus R-CHOP + X chemotherapy, which assumes X will either add to or synergize with chemotherapy and not antagonize or have significant added toxicity with chemotherapy.4 Notable examples include lenalidomide, ibrutinib, venetoclax, and bortezomib, among others. Other than rituximab, these trials have been disappointing, despite huge numbers of patients and high response rates in patients with relapsed disease. Moving the field beyond R-CHOP may require a targeted, subgroup-specific approach rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. The analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a promising technological advance that may enable more flexible/adaptive approaches and should be incorporated into prospective trials.5
Angiographic characteristics of ruptured versus unruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm.

Objective Vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm (VADA) is a rare and critical disease. VADA rupture can cause subarachnoid hemorrhage which is a major complication of VADA due to their high rebleeding rate and poor outcome. In the present study, ruptured and unruptured VADAs were compared by analyzing angiographic findings to determine useful predisposing factors for VADA rupture for appropriate treatment selection. Methods Subjects with VADA treated during a 10-year period were retrospectively identified. The 57 cases diagnosed with VADA were divided into ruptured (n=15) and unruptured (n=42) groups. In addition, each case was analyzed using angiographic 3-dimensional (3-D) reconstructed images. Factors such as length, dilated and stenotic diameter, shape, and vessel around the vertebral artery (VA) were measured and statistically compared. Results In the ruptured group, stenotic findings of the affected lesion were more common and severe than in the unruptured group. The average stenotic diameter was 2.27 mm (vs. 2.84 mm). And stenotic degree was 62% and 53% in the ruptured and unruptured groups, respectively. Posterior communicating artery (PcomA) flow was more common in the ruptured group (87% vs. 55%, p=0.028). Conclusions Based on angiographic findings, stenotic lesions, which may be influenced by PcomA flow, are more common in ruptured VADAs.
Res Judicata and Enforcement of Judgments

This chapter discusses the French doctrine of res judicata, including the scope of the basic rule (13.01–13.02), and the manner of invoking its applicability (13.03). It continues with a discussion of procedures for enforcement of judgments, embracing the remedy of specific performance (13.04–13.05) and the astreinte device (13.06), as well as procedures for enforcement against property (13.07–13.16). The description of enforcement against property deals with the various types of enforcement proceedings (13.08), the binding nature of rules on enforcement (13.09), judicial competence in enforcement proceedings (13.10), the time at which enforcement may commence (13.11), property subject to and exempt from enforcement (13.12), enforcement against movables (13.13), enforcement against intangibles (13.14), enforcement against immovable property (13.15), and distribution of the proceeds of enforcement proceedings (13.16).
The Mechanism of Action of Ethanolamine Ammonia-Lyase, a B12-dependent Enzyme VII. THE MECHANISM OF HYDROGEN TRANSFER

Abstract When a mixture of coenzyme B12 (5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin) and ethanolamine ammonia-lyase is denatured with hot propanol after a 30-sec incubation, 1.5% of the coenzyme is released in a form in which the carbon-cobalt bond is dissociated. The fraction of dissociated coenzyme rises to 3.6% when substrate or product is present in the incubation. In the absence of enzyme, the coenzyme remains intact. Reversibility of dissociation is suggested by the observation that dissociation of the coenzyme is decreased by two-thirds when the enzyme is denatured with tetrahydrofuran. If the process were irreversible, the same amount of dissociated cofactor would be released regardless of the method of denaturation, while with a reversible reaction the amount of dissociated cofactor released on denaturation could vary depending on the relative susceptibility to denaturation of the (enzyme-intact coenzyme) and (enzyme-dissociated coenzyme) complexes. The adenosyl fragment derived from coenzyme dissociated in the presence of substrate is chromatographically identical with 5'-deoxyadenosine. In the absence of substrate, a number of products are observed, including adenosine 5'-aldehyde and a compound which behaves like 5',8-cycloadenosine. These results suggest that (a) rupture of the carbon-cobalt bond is an integral part of the reaction mechanism; (b) carbon-cobalt bond rupture and hydrogen transfer are homolytic processes; and (c) enzyme-bound 5'-deoxyadenosine is an intermediate in the reaction.
Technology newness as a mediator of NPD strategy, organizational integration, and NPD performance

This paper explores the NPD strategy/NPD performance and NPD strategy/integration interfaces as they are mediated by the technological newness of products. Our study investigates these research questions: (1) Does NPD strategy development proficiency relate to new product success?; (2) Is NPD strategy development proficiency related to the degree of organizational integration during such projects?; (3) Is NPD strategy development proficiency associated with the resulting degree of RD (4) Is NPD strategy development proficiency related to marketing task proficiency?; and (5) Do the relationships noted above vary with the degree of technological newness? Our overall sample consists of 131 new product projects in the medical devices, electrical equipment, and heavy construction equipment industries. Our study was based on a random sample of the firms operating in these three industries. Our study data suggest that for technologically new products, strategy development proficiency is significantly related to the proficiency with which R&D/Mfg and marketing activities are performed. Additionally, we found a strong association between NPD strategy development proficiency and four measures of new product market success. We noted that the degree of technology newness varied between the most and least successful products in our sample. Our study results indicate that there is also a strong relationship between NPD strategy development proficiency and the degree of organizational integration. Finally, our data suggests that the degree of technology newness has mediation characteristics that need to be recognized. We develop implications for scholars and managers.
2‐(p‐Tolylsulfonyl)Dihydroisoindole

2-(p-Tolylsulfonyl)Dihydroisoindole product: 2-(p-tolylsulfonyl)dihydroisoindole solvent: Dimethylformamide, b.p. 152–154°, purchased from Matheson, Coleman and Bell reactant: p-toluenesulfonamide reactant: o-xylylene dibromide product: N,N-diethyl- and N,N-di-n-butyl-p-toluenesulfonamide as well as 2-(p-tolylsulfonyl)benz[f]isoindoline Keywords: alkylation, N-alkylation; annulation, heterocyclic-[5]; cyclization, miscellaneous; N,N-dimethylformamide; hydrogen, fire hazard; o-xylylene dibromide, lachrymator, skin irritant
The judicial protection of human rights in the commonwealth

The Human Rights Act 1998, by rendering Ministers and civil servants more accountable to the judiciary, has created a sea change in the UK's constitutional settlement. Although a coincidence, 1998 also marked the tenth anniversary of the Commonwealth judicial colloquium ‐first convened in Bangalore in 1988. This, and the subsequent six colloquia, have provided a unique opportunity for members of Commonwealth countries’ senior judiciary to discuss the ways in which judicial protection of human rights in the Commonwealth can be strengthened. In this essay, Anthony Lester discusses the issues raised in the various colloquia. He sets out the Bangalore Principles and emphasises their continuing importance in ensuring the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms in the Commonwealth.
Gdev: first-class GPU resource management in the operating system

Graphics processing units (GPUs) have become a very powerful platformembracing a concept of heterogeneous many-core computing. However, application domains of GPUs are currently limited to specific systems, largely due to a lack of "first-class" GPU resource management for general-purposemulti-tasking systems. We present Gdev, a new ecosystem of GPU resource management in the operating system (OS). It allows the user space as well as the OS itself to use GPUs as first-class computing resources. Specifically, Gdev's virtual memory manager supports data swapping for excessive memory resource demands, and also provides a shared devicememory functionality that allows GPU contexts to communicate with other contexts. Gdev further provides a GPU scheduling scheme to virtualize a physical GPU into multiple logical GPUs, enhancing isolation among working sets of multi-tasking systems. Our evaluation conducted on Linux and the NVIDIA GPU shows that the basic performance of our prototype implementation is reliable even compared to proprietary software. Further detailed experiments demonstrate that Gdev achieves a 2x speedup for an encrypted file system using the GPU in the OS. Gdev can also improve the makespan of dataflow programs by up to 49% exploiting shared device memory, while an error in the utilization of virtualized GPUs can be limited within only 7%.
Culturing Evolution Strategies to Support the Exploration of Novel Environments by an Intelligent Robotic Agent

Recently, a lot of attention is paid to the use of evolutionary computing techniques for the development of adaptive robots. This paper presents the use of Cultural Algorithms with Evolution Strategies (ES) to produce optimal solutions to the ball following problem. This involves learning how to find and advance toward a ball. This is a basic skill needed to play robot soccer. Since it is possible that both the ball and the robot can be moving simultaneously this can be a difficult problem to solve. Four different solutions are implemented here. The first is the two member ES with comma strategy, (1,1)-ES. The second is the ES with plus strategy, (1+1)-ES. The third is a cultured version of the (1,1)-ES. The fourth is a cultured version of the (1+1)-ES. In cultural versions, the ES model is the population model for a Cultural Algorithm. The belief space contains generalizations about the individual's ancestral line, e.g. grandparents, in order to guide the modifications. Each of the four systems was tested by loading it into the RAM of a Khpera robot. Each system was then used to learn how to control the direction and speed of the two Khepera robot's wheels in order to direct it to a given ball. The real-time learning results are then compared. The results suggest that simple Evolution Strategies implemented here exhibit a satisfactory level of real-time learning in forwarding and pushing the ball. The cultured version exhibits an improvement in time over this performance as well.
Fluorimetric kinetic method for the determination of total ascorbic acid with o-phenylenediamine

Abstract A fluorimetric reaction-rate method for the determination of L -ascorbic acid (AA) in aqueous solution is presented. The technique is based on the rapid oxidation of AA by mercury(II) chloride to dehydro- L -ascorbic acid, which then reacts with o -phenylenediamine to form a fluorescent quinoxaline. The formation of the product is monitored fluorimetrically with a data acquisition system based on a microcomputer, a voltage-to-frequency converter and a timer-counter board. The initial rate is estimated with a fixed-time computational method. With a 20-s measurement time (after a 5-s delay from initiation of the reaction), the detection limit for AA is 0.02 μg ml −1 with a linear dynamic range extending to 10 μg ml − . The procedure is applied to the determination of the AA in vitamin pills and juice. The relative standard deviation is 1.9% or better.
The sociolinguistics of foreign language pedagogy

Abstract In the teaching of foreign languages, the importance of social setting, what might be called the ‘pedagogy of sociolinguistics’, is receiving increasing attention. But too little attention continues to be paid to the influence of the socialization of the teachers themselves on their attitudes towards language and the resulting foreign language pedagogy they employ, i.e. the sociolinguistics of pedagogy. Since students of foreign languages inevitably reflect a different socialization from foreign language teachers who are natives of the target society, differences in attitude and approach to learning which affect the learning process are often present. This paper examines some of the contrasts that exist when native American students study the Japanese language with native Japanese instructors. Recognition of the differences and appropriate pedagogical adjustments undoubtedly facilitate the learning process.
Calculation of anharmonic couplings and THz linewidths in crystalline PETN

We have developed a method for calculating the cubic anharmonic couplings in molecular crystals for normal modes with the zero wave vector in the framework of classical mechanics, and have applied it, combined with perturbation theory, to obtain the linewidths of all infrared absorption lines of crystalline pentaerythritol tetranitrate in the terahertz region (<100 cm−1). Contributions of the up- and down-conversion processes to the total linewidth were calculated. The computed linewidths are in qualitative agreement with experimental data and the results of molecular dynamics simulations. Quantum corrections to the linewidths in the terahertz region are shown to be negligible.
Sex steroid-mediated reprogramming of vascular smooth muscle cells to stem cells and neurons: possible utilization of sex steroid combinations for regenerative treatment without utilization of in vitro developed stem cells.

Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated that sex steroid combinations, but not individual sex steroids alone, cause transdifferentiation of ovarian epithelial cells - ovarian surface epithel...
The effect of convection on the propagation of relativistic galactic electrons

The paper presents exact analytical solutions which describe steady-state transport of relativistic electrons subject to diffusion, convection, and radiation losses. The diffusion coefficient is spatially and energy dependent; the bulk convection velocity is considered to be constant and directed outward from the galactic plane. The electron spectral behavior with respect to galactic height and energy indicates that convection provides a 'break' in the steady-state energy spectrum without recourse to distribution of sources. Radio observations of NGC 891 and NGC 4631 galaxies can be used to estimate their diffusion coefficient and its energy dependence. Application of analytical solutions to our Galaxy indicates that the diffusion coefficient and outflow velocity deduced from relativistic electron measurements and radio observations of their synchrotron radiation agree with values based on the transport of the cosmic ray nucleonic component.
Directed Evolution of Restriction Endonuclease BstYI to Achieve Increased Substrate Specificity

Restriction endonucleases have proven to be especially resistant to engineering altered substrate specificity, in part, due to the requirement of a cognate DNA methyltransferase for cellular DNA protection. The thermophilic restriction endonuclease BstYI recognizes and cleaves all hexanucleotide sequences described by 5′-R↓GATCY-3′ (where R=A or G and Y=C or T). The recognition of a degenerate sequence is a relatively common feature of the more than 3000 characterized restriction endonucleases. However, very little is known concerning substrate recognition by such an enzyme. Our objective was to investigate the substrate specificity of BstYI by attempting to increase the specificity to recognition of only AGATCT. By a novel genetic selection/screening process, two BstYI variants were isolated with a preference for AGATCT cleavage. A fundamental element of the selection process is modification of the Escherichia coli host genomic DNA by the BglII N4-cytosine methyltransferase to protect AGATCT sites. The amino acid substitutions resulting in a partial change of specificity were identified and combined into one superior variant designated NN1. BstYI variant NN1 displays a 12-fold preference for cleavage of AGATCT over AGATCC or GGATCT. Moreover, cleavage of the GGATCC sequence is no longer detected. This study provides further evidence that laboratory evolution strategies offer a powerful alternative to structure-guided protein design.