cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A designed redox-controlled caspase

Caspases are a powerful class of cysteine proteases. Introduction of activated caspases in healthy or cancerous cells results in induction of apoptotic cell death. In this study, we have designed and characterized a version of caspase-7 that can be inactivated under oxidizing extracellular conditions and then reactivated under reducing intracellular conditions. This version of caspase-7 is allosterically inactivated when two of the substrate-binding loops are locked together via an engineered disulfide. When this disulfide is reduced, the protein regains its full function. The inactive loop-locked version of caspase-7 can be readily observed by immunoblotting and mass spectrometry. The reduced and reactivated form of the enzyme observed crystallographically is the first caspase-7 structure in which the substrate-binding groove is properly ordered even in the absence of an active-site ligand. In the reactivated structure, the catalytic-dyad cysteine–histidine are positioned 3.5 A apart in an orientation that is capable of supporting catalysis. This redox-controlled version of caspase-7 is particularly well suited for targeted cell death in concert with redox-triggered delivery vehicles.
Heavy Fermion Behavior in the New Antiferromagnetic Compound UIr4Al15

We report the synthesis, crystal structure, and physical properties on the new compound UIr4Al15 which crystallizes with the NdRh4Al15.4 structure type in the tetragonal space group P42/nmc. From single crystal X-ray diffraction, the compound was found to have unit cell parameters a = b = 9.0239(6) A and c = 15.513(2) A. The compound has been synthesized from the flux growth method using an excess of Al metal. UIr4Al15 undergoes antiferromagnetic order at approximately 20 K which is consistent with kinklike features in both electrical resistivity and specific heat measurements. Electrical resistivity under hydrostatic pressure shows that the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature is slightly shifted to higher temperatures which is suggestive of the very little pressure dependence and the localized nature of the U 5f electrons. Electronic structure calculations indicated that the Fermi surface of UIr4Al15 was quasi two-dimensional.
Derivatization of Preformed Polymers to Produce Ceramic Precursors

This paper reports the feasibility of producing derivatized preformed polymers to be used as ceramic precursors explored. A borane derivative of polyethyleneimine (PEI) was prepared through a transamination reaction involving Me{sub 3}NBH{sub 3}. Higher boron loadings were possible with Me{sub 3}NB{sub 3}H{sub 7}. The borane derivative could be cast into films and produced boron nitride upon pyrolysis. Similarly, polyethyleneimine hydrochloride was converted into the cyanohydroborate derivative through a reaction with NaBH{sub 3}CN. This derivative was also accessible through a transamination reaction. Both materials produced boron nitride upon pyrolysis. Polyallylamine hydrochloride could not be derivatized. Silyl derivatives of PEI were also prepared, but the products obtained afforded low ceramic yields upon pyrolysis.
Learning to Extract Relations from the Web using Minimal Supervision

We present a new approach to relation extraction that requires only a handful of training examples. Given a few pairs of named entities known to exhibit or not exhibit a particular relation, bags of sentences containing the pairs are extracted from the web. We extend an existing relation extraction method to handle this weaker form of supervision, and present experimental results demonstrating that our approach can reliably extract relations from web documents.
Correlation of offshore velocity spectra with onshore sonic logs in North Carolina

Synthetic seismograms computed from sonic logs of three exploratory holes in Dare County, North Carolina, on the Atlantic Coastal Plain allow chronostratigraphic correlations of prominent seismic reflections to be made with offshore seismic velocity spectra. Four prominent reflections are defined on the synthetic seismograms and followed by use of velocity spectra under the continental shelf. These reflections originate from the top and bottom of the Eocene Claiborne high-velocity limestone interval (the reflections are denoted “Ecl” and “Ecs,” respectively), from the middle Cretaceous limestone (Kdel), Early Cretaceous shale (Kgsh), and at the sediment-crystalline basement interface (B). A generalized geologic cross section is constructed over the continental shelf off North Carolina. Two layers under the shelf thicken only slightly to seaward; the layer between water bottom and Ecs thickens from 0.7 to 0.8 km and the layer between reflections Kdel and Kgsh thickens from 0.8 to 1.2 km. The other two layers outlined on the shelf double their thicknesses at the shelf edge relative to their landward thicknesses. The interval between reflections Ecs and Kdel thickens from 0.4 to 1.0 km in a seaward direction, and the deepest interval, between reflections Kgsh and B, thickens seaward from 0.7 to 1.3 km. All of the thickening in the deepest layer occurs in the seaward half of the continental shelf.
Distribution of a climate model across high-speed networks

We discuss a method for distributing a coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model across high-speed gigabit per second networks. Based on the special characteristics of the model code, three levels of decomposition are considered to achieve parallelism. It is argued that the distribution will enable the uti­ lization of computing resources at geographically sep­ arated locations and speed up model execution nonlin­ early through the usage of heterogeneous computing en­ vironments.
Analysis on Seismic Response of UHV Electric Equipment-Support Structure System

To analyze the influence of the equipment and support structure on the system seismic response, two-particle model for UHV electric equipment-support structure system was established. The seismic response of the system was calculated by mode-superposition response spectrum method. The case study on the typical 1000kV electric equipment-support structure system verified the availability of the two-particle model. Based on the structure characteristics of UHV equipment and support structure, the effect of support structure on the system seismic response was obtained by parametric analysis about stiffness and mass of support structure. It was showed that suitable support structure could reduce earthquake load of equipment and improve seismic resistance of system. Conclusions provide reference for the design of support structure. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/telkomnika.v10i8.1648 Full Text: PDF
TETRATOX: TETRAHYMENA PYRIFORMIS POPULATION GROWTH IMPAIRMENT ENDPOINTA SURROGATE FOR FISH LETHALITY

A short-term, static protocol using the common freshwater ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis (strain GL-C) is reported. The 50% impairment growth concentration (IGC 50) is the endpoint of choice. Cultures are reared in 50 mL of a semi defined medium in 250-mL Erlenmeyer flasks. Definitive test replicates consist of a minimum of 5 different concentrations of each test material. Duplicate flasks are inoculated to an initial density of 2500 cells/ mL with log-growthphase ciliates. Following 40 h of incubation at 27 1 C, population density is measured spectrophotometrically and 50% effect levels are determined. Toxicity data for 250 chemicals representing several mechanisms of toxic action are reported and compared to fish toxicity data. As demonstrated by the relationship, log (IGC50-1) =0.77 log (LC50-1) - 0.40; r 2 =.750; s =.546; F =744, there is favorable similarity in toxic potency between T. pyriformis (log \[IGC50-1]) and fish, Pimephales promelas, survivability (log \[LC50-1]). However, toxicokinetics an...
Predictors of Nonattendance at the First Newborn Health Supervision Visit

Failure to attend the first newborn health supervision visit is an important problem for the Continuity Care Clinic of Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, Ohio. The goal of this study was to use objective data from the neonatal record to identify newborns at high risk of failure to attend. Clinical and social risk factors of the mother and newborn were abstracted from the neonatal progress notes of 319 infants. The relative risk (RR) of nonattendance was calculated for each factor, and rules for predicting failure to attend were evaluated. The best predictors were multiparous mother (RR = 2.4, P = .01), no telephone in home (RR = 2.6, P = .002), and unmarried teenage mother (RR = 5.8, P = .05). Newborns who had a medical problem and had a adult mother were more likely to attend (RR = 0.4, P = .02). These risk factors were easily identifiable from the medical record at birth. Because interventions may be labor-intensive, it is important to target the families at the highest risk.
The Psychology of Closed Mindedness – Arie W. Kruglanski

Books reviewed: The Psychology of Closed Mindedness. Arie W. Kruglanski. New York: Psychology Press, 2004. 192 pp.
Defect Reduction in GaAs Epilayers on Si Substrates Using Strained Layer Superlattices

InxGa11-xAs-GaAsl-yPy strained layer superlattice buffer layers have been used to reduce threading dislocations in GaAs grown on Si substrates. However, for an initially high density of dislocations, the strained layer superlattice is not an effective filtering system. Consequently, the emergence of dislocations from the SLS propagate upwards into the GaAs epilayer. However, by employing thermal annealing or rapid thermal annealing, the number of dislocation impinging on the SLS can be significantly reduced. Indeed, this treatment greatly enhances the efficiency and usefulness of the SLS in reducing the number of threading dislocations.
The Effects of Varying Levels of Hydrolyzed Animal and Vegetable Fat Upon Growth and Carcass Characteristics of Broilers

Abstract DURING recent years the use of animal and vegetable fats in broiler rations has increased. Marion and Woodroof (1965) reported that body weights and feed efficiency were greater at higher levels of protein when fat was added to the diets. They also reported that the degree of rancidity, measured as “TBA Numbers,” was higher in tissues from birds reared on Menhaden oil diets. Essary et al. (1965) reported that different levels of added fat (2, 4, 6, and 8%) and protein fed to broilers did not appreciably influence dressing percentages but did significantly influence live weight. Stephenson et al. (1960) reported that added dietary fat at levels from 0 to 10 percent did not affect the breast blister condition of broilers. In this study the factors which appeared to significantly affect the breast blisters were market age, sex and breed. Gyles et al. (1957) reported that differences in incidence of . . .
Rotational spectrum and structure of cyclohexene oxide and the argon-cyclohexene oxide van der Waals complex.

The rotational spectra of cyclohexene oxide and its van der Waals complex with argon have been observed with a Balle-Flygare type pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer in the 6 to 20 GHz region. This work improves the existing rotational and quartic centrifugal distortion constants of cyclohexene oxide, its six singly substituted 13C, and the 18O isotopologue. In addition, the 17O isotopologue was observed in natural abundance. The quadrupole coupling constants for the 17O isotopologue are χaa = 8.855(5), χbb = −4.560(4), and χcc = −4.296(4) MHz. The argon–12C6H1016O complex has rotational constants of A = 2146.4825(2), B = 908.64292(8), and C = 859.00320(8) MHz. Additionally, the six unique singly substituted 13C isotopologues of the argon complex are reported here. The position of the argon that is consistent with the parent and six 13C complex rotational constants is above the ring on the side opposite the epoxide.
Interactive Organization of the Circadian Core Regulators PER2, BMAL1, CLOCK and PML.

The BMAL1 and CLOCK heterodimer in the mammalian circadian transcriptional complex is thought to be repressed by PER2 and CRY1 via direct interactions. We recently reported that PER2 is largely cytosolic in Pml−/− cells and did not co-immunoprecipitate (co-IP) with BMAL1 or CLOCK. Here, using multi-color immunofluorescence (IF) staining and co-IP, we observed a nuclear distribution of BMAL1 and a predominately cytosolic distribution of CLOCK in Pml−/− MEF. In the presence of WT PML, PER2 co-localized with BMAL1 in the nucleus. In Pml−/− MEF transfected with mutant K487R PML, we observed that BMAL1 and PER2 co-localized with K487R PML in the cytosol. Furthermore, cytosolic CLOCK and PER2 displayed a significant non-overlapping IF staining pattern. In Bmal1−/− MEF, CLOCK was primarily cytosolic while PML and PER2 were nuclear. Together, our studies suggest that PML mediates the binding of PER2 to BMAL1 in the BMAL1/CLOCK heterodimer and is an important component in the organization of a functional clock complex in the nucleus. Our studies also support that BMAL1 is important for CLOCK nuclear localization.
From complicity to coherence: Rereading the rhetoric of afrocentricity

Molefi Kete Asante's Afrocentricity offers an analysis of the role of Africa in postmodern history that calls into question many of the basic assumptions of Western thought. Critics of Afrocentric thought contend that it advocates a wholesale rejection of Eurocentric worldviews and illustrates an underlying paradox that emerges in much postmodern thought: the complicitous acceptance of the assumptions of essentialism. This essay explores this paradox by illustrating the common grounds of Afrocentric and Eurocentric thought, the extent to which each way of knowing is implicated in the other, and the possibility of moving beyond the complicity of essentialist epistemology to a coherent integration of opposites.
Lessons Learned From an Untreated “Benign” Thoracic Tumor

We describe a patient with Doege-Potter syndrome (solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura presenting with hypoglycemia) and illustrate several important lessons learned from the case. Seven years after the initial diagnosis, the tumor showed significant growth and developed a high-grade undifferentiated component. Solitary fibrous tumors do grow and cannot be deemed benign. Resection should be considered in all patients who are candidates for operation upon diagnosis. Our case also serves as a reminder of this rare syndrome, inasmuch as early recognition of the association of hypoglycemia with these tumors may have allowed for earlier diagnosis and avoidance of extensive tests in our patient.
Bamboo Fiber-Polymer Composites: Overview of Fabrications, Mechanical Characterizations and Applications

The utilization of bamboo fibers in polymer-based composites has expanded in the past few years due to the demand for biodegradable, sustainable and recyclable materials. This article reviews the processing of extracted bamboo fibers and their composites, ultimate mechanical properties/thermal stabilities and corresponding characterizations, as well as the applications. Currently, the challenges regarding bamboo fibers-filled polymer composites involve extraction of high quality bamboo fibers, uniform fiber dispersion/distribution in polymer matrix and/or formation of interphase between matrix-filler phases. Relationships among processing techniques, properties and structural orders are significant to guide the design of future composite.
Inversion Polymorphism in Island Species of Drosophila

Chromosomal mutations, such as inversions, are major, observable changes in the Drosophila genome, and therefore have been extensively and intensively studied for many years (Bush et al.,1977; Carson and Yoon, 1982; Dobzhansky, 1970; Sperlich and Pfriem, 1986; Wasserman, 1982a,b). The factors involved in their origin, survival in the heterozygous condition, and fixation must be almost as diverse as the species in which they occur. Moreover, those elements that tend to promote polymorphism are almost certainly antagonistic to those that lead to the fixation of these mutations. It should not be surprising, then, to find that there is no single evolutionary mechanism that can fully explain the chromosomal variability found in nature.
Electronic Excited States of Organic Molecules

In this and earlier volumes of this series, many chapters deal in one way or another with the Schrodinger equation or solutions thereof. Since, however, in this chapter we will make use not only of the principal (electrostatic) term of the Hamiltonian operator but will be required to bring in various other terms as perturbations, we shall start by stating all terms which we shall need. We shall then focus on which terms of the operator we need in first order. The next step is to search for the proper wave functions of the problem. In this process we will ask the reader to forget what he believes he already knows about these functions, and to follow us in their derivation from first principles. In doing so we hope to provide a unified treatment, which is correct and which contains, through different sets of approximations, the starting points for various areas of research: spectroscopy, electronic as well as vibrational, molecular dynamics, and the detailed study of energy relaxation processes. We shall next introduce the procedures for setting up the trial functions and then the approximations we make in evaluating the integrals necessary for the solution.
Mrs. Jekyll Meets Mrs. Hyde: The War Advertising Council, Rhetorical Norms, and the Gendered Home Front in World War II

This article presents a study of the rhetorical dynamics of patriarchal advertising in the United States during World War II. The analysis scrutinizes a series of War Advertising Council (WAC) ads that targeted a wide swath of women on the home front, doing so through the depiction of negative and positive role models. The essay concludes that in these sorts of appeals WAC tacitly relied on rhetorical norms, which acted as a gendered means of patriarchal control in the face of the increased wartime autonomy that was enjoyed by many women during the war years.
Unpredictably Dynamic Environment Patrolling

Patrolling is the most commonly requested type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mission; thus we use it as a prototypical example of autonomous mission planning. In this paper, we design an autonom...
Designing and Evaluating Redundancy-Based Soft-Error Masking on a Continuum of Energy versus Robustness

Near-threshold computing is an effective strategy to reduce the power dissipation of deeply-scaled CMOS logic circuits. However, near-threshold strategies exacerbate the impact of delay variations on device performance and increase the susceptibility to soft errors due to narrow voltage margins. The objective of this work is to develop and assess design approaches that leverage tradeoffs between performance and the resilience of fault masking coverage for various soft-error mitigation techniques. The primary insight from this work is identification of redundancy-based hardening techniques that can deliver increased benefits in terms of the fault coverage energy ratio (FCER) for the leveraged tradeoffs within iso-energy constraints at near-threshold voltage (NTV). Simulation results demonstrate that temporal redundancy approaches offer favorable tradeoffs in terms of FCER. They exhibit reduced impact on performance variations and achieve extensive soft fault masking, therefore improving the system robustness within acceptable delay constraints. Meanwhile, it is shown that a hybrid redundancy approach can be used to protect a low-power system to maintain throughput while tolerating soft errors. We demonstrate how the FCER metric can be used as an optimization parameter to guide circuit synthesis to meet performance and robustness goals. Finally, the impact of design diversity on spatial and hybrid redundancy at NTV is assessed in terms of FCER and delay variation to form overall recommendations regarding soft-error mitigation at NTV.
Imaginary axis eigenvalues of matrix delay equations with a certain alternating coefficient structure

Abstract In this paper we examine the imaginary axis eigenvalues of matrix delay differential equations with coefficients alternating between Hermitian and skew Hermitian, such as occurring in many mechanical systems. We show that given this special structure and a certain sign condition, the dimension of the eigenvalue problem is greatly reduced. We also give some theorems on eigenvalue crossing directions in this context, and show how reduction of dimension and crossing theorems work to provide insight on mechanical systems with time delay.
Cholinergic Projections to the Substantia Nigra Pars Reticulata Inhibit Dopamine Modulation of Basal Ganglia through the M4 Muscarinic Receptor

Summary Cholinergic regulation of dopaminergic inputs into the striatum is critical for normal basal ganglia (BG) function. This regulation of BG function is thought to be primarily mediated by acetylcholine released from cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) acting locally in the striatum. We now report a combination of pharmacological, electrophysiological, optogenetic, chemogenetic, and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies suggesting extra-striatal cholinergic projections from the pedunculopontine nucleus to the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) act on muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype 4 (M 4 ) to oppose cAMP-dependent dopamine receptor subtype 1 (D 1 ) signaling in presynaptic terminals of direct pathway striatal spiny projections neurons. This induces a tonic inhibition of transmission at direct pathway synapses and D 1 -mediated activation of motor activity. These studies provide important new insights into the unique role of M 4 in regulating BG function and challenge the prevailing hypothesis of the centrality of striatal ChIs in opposing dopamine regulation of BG output.
MtnSEON and social-ecological systems science in complex mountain landscapes.

The Mountain Social Ecological Observatory Network (MtnSEON) is a US National Science Foundation‐funded Research Coordination Network that focuses on social–ecological systems (SES) science approaches to understanding the vulnerability, resilience, and sustainability of complex mountain landscapes. Papers from members of several MtnSEON working groups are presented in this Special Issue, with topics ranging from applying an SES conceptual approach to social–ecological observatories to dealing with the human aspects of predator–livestock interactions in the American West. All of these articles portray varying degrees of integration of social and ecological sciences and methodologies in order to better address both complex and “wicked” problems inherent to many coupled natural and human systems. The diversity of approaches presented here reflect the different project histories, disciplines being integrated, fields of expertise, and nature of the environmental problems and issues being addressed.
Optimization of multi-resolution source codes

What is an optimal multi-resolution source code? This thesis studies the optimization of multi-resolution source codes. A multi-resolution source code is a data compression algorithm that generates a bit-stream that can be truncated at any point to reconstruct low-resolution representations of the original data. By progressively refining the description, these codes allow the receiver to get representations of progressively increasing quality from a single file. The optimization methods presented here are based on the minimization of a Lagrangian performance measure, which is a weighted sum of rates and distortions at the different resolutions of the multi-resolution code. The Lagrangian coefficients are the weights that parameterize the priorities assigned to the resolutions. The relative value of these parameters can be set according to the user's preferences regarding which rates are more important, the probability of decoding the file at each possible rate, or any other prioritization rationale. We present a method for converting design constraints into the corresponding Lagrangian parameters. We also use a Lagrangian analysis to investigate optimality properties of multiresolution codes. Specifically, we explore the characterization of the theoretically optimal output density functions of a two-resolution source code for any arbitrary set of priorities over the resolutions. Once the priority function has been identified, the goal is to design the multiresolution code that yields the best rate-distortion trade-off for those priorities. The minimization of the multi-resolution Lagrangian is somewhat specific to the frame work and type of multi-resolution code. We pursue this goal in several coding frameworks. The first framework is the multi-resolution vector quantizer (MRVQ) framework. Prior work on the topic described optimal MRVQ design for both fixed- and variable-rate systems but implemented only fixed-rate codes. The earliest portion of this thesis began with the implementation of the earlier described algorithm for variable-rate MRVQ for use as a testbed for understanding the important question of how to choose the Lagrangian parameters for multi-resolution codes to meet a collection of desired constraints. Armed with a new understanding of parameter choice in the MRVQ framework, we moved next to the more sophisticated coding framework of wavelet-based embedded bit-plane coders. New results in this framework include improvements on the Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Trees (SPIHT) and the Group Testing for Wavelets (GTW) algorithms that apply the lessons learned from MRVQ theory in these more sophisticated wavelet coding frameworks. Experimental results demonstrate the performance benefits associated with this approach.
Pharmacological Determinants of Cigarette Smoking

Tobacco has been used ritualistically to produce intoxication and hallucinations. Most of today’s cigarette smokers, however, use tobacco daily, at intervals of less than one hour during waking hours. Since early in the twentieth century, it has been understood that this behavior is driven largely by nicotine’s pharmacological actions and has little to do with the taste of nicotine. Nicotine’s role in tobacco use parallels that of morphine in the use of opium derivatives. It produces CNS reinforcing effects, tolerance and physiological dependence, pharmacological effects smokers find valuable, and pleasurable effects induced by the central actions of nicotine. Nicotine and other smoke constituents also provide sensory stimuli which become conditioned reinforcers and further strengthen tobacco self-administration.
Programmable Calculators from a User's Viewpoint

One of the methods of computing, the programmable calculator, is evaluated by means of a survey of programmable calculator users. Survey results address the following: (1)What type of civil engineering firms, in terms of number of professional employees, and particular specialization, are using programmable calculators; (2)how do programmable calculators fit into the firms overall computer picture; (3)for what specific applications are the programmable calculators being used in civil engineering firms; (4)is the presently available programmable calculators software satisfactory; (5)what are the advantages and disadvantages of programmable calculators as perceived by their users; and (6)do firms that purchase or rent, feel their investment in programmable calculators worthwhile.
The Role of Percutaneous Imaging-Guided Biopsy in the Diagnosis and Management of Renal Masses

This chapter reviews the role of percutaneous imaging-guided biopsy of renal masses in the diagnosis and management of renal tumors. Percutaneous imaging-guided biopsy of renal masses is a safe, accurate, and lower-cost alternative to surgical biopsy. It can be performed in an outpatient setting and is frequently all that is necessary to establish a diagnosis and effect patient management. Percutaneous biopsy is largely used to differentiate primary renal neoplasms from renal tumors not treated surgically, such as metastatic disease and lymphoma. Percutaneous biopsy is also used to differentiate primary neoplasms from benign renal lesions and to establish a diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma in those patients with widespread metastatic disease or with contraindications to surgery.
RAPHE UNIT ACTIVITY IN CATS DISPLAYING REM SLEEP WITHOUT ATONIA

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the raphe unit activity in cats displaying rapid eye movement (REM) sleep without atonia. In one of the experiments described in this chapter, bilateral electolytic lesions were placed in the dorsal pontine tegmentum of adult cats. Animals displaying clear episodes of REM sleep without atonia were selected during a six-week post-operative observation and recovery period. The rate of firing of dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) units during waking in lesioned cats was approximately 25% slower than that displayed by normal cats. The discharge pattern of these units in lesioned cats was somewhat less regular than that seen in normal cats. In normal cats, there was a progressive decrease in the activity of serotonin-containing neurons from waking down through drowsy, slow-wave sleep, and finally becoming virtually quiescent in REM sleep. The overall pattern was very similar in lesioned cats, except when they entered REM sleep. During REM sleep, these cats raised their heads and fore-portions of their bodies and the unit activity at this time showed either no change or a small decrease as compared to slow-wave sleep.
A new approach to nuclear reactor design optimization using genetic algorithms and regression analysis

Abstract A module based optimization method using genetic algorithms (GA), and multivariate regression analysis has been developed to optimize a set of parameters in the design of a nuclear reactor. GA simulates natural evolution to perform optimization, and is widely used in recent times by the scientific community. The GA fits a population of random solutions to the optimized solution of a specific problem. In this work, we have developed a genetic algorithm to determine the values for a set of nuclear reactor parameters to design a gas cooled fast breeder reactor core including a basis thermal–hydraulics analysis, and energy transfer. Multivariate regression is implemented using regression splines (RS). Reactor designs are usually complex and a simulation needs a significantly large amount of time to execute, hence the implementation of GA or any other global optimization techniques is not feasible, therefore we present a new method of using RS in conjunction with GA. Due to using RS, we do not necessarily need to run the neutronics simulation for all the inputs generated from the GA module rather, run the simulations for a predefined set of inputs, build a multivariate regression fit to the input and the output parameters, and then use this fit to predict the output parameters for the inputs generated by GA. The reactor parameters are given by the, radius of a fuel pin cell, isotopic enrichment of the fissile material in the fuel, mass flow rate of the coolant, and temperature of the coolant at the core inlet. And, the optimization objectives for the reactor core are, high breeding of U-233 and Pu-239 in desired power peaking limits, desired effective and infinite neutron multiplication factors, high fast fission factor, high thermal efficiency in the conversion from thermal energy to electrical energy using the Brayton cycle, and high fuel burn-up. It is to be noted that we have kept the total mass of the fuel as constant. In this work, we present a module based (modular) approach to perform the optimization wherein, we have defined the following modules: single fuel pin cell, whole core, thermal–hydraulics, and energy conversion. In each of the modules we have defined a specific set of parameters and optimization objectives. The GA system (GAS), and RS together, play the role of optimizing each of the individual modules, and integrating the modules to determine the final nuclear reactor core. However, implementation of GA could lead to a local minimum or a non-unique set of parameters, those meet the specific optimization objectives. The GA code is built using Java, neutronic analysis using MCNP6, thermal–hydraulics calculations using Java, and regression analysis using R.
Subsequent therapies and survival after immunotherapy in recurrent ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objectives Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have modest activity in ovarian cancer (OC), yet little is known about their effects on subsequent treatment. Preclinical studies suggest immunotherapy may enhance response to chemotherapy. We sought to evaluate the impact of ICIs on subsequent therapies and survival in recurrent OC. Methods A retrospective review was conducted to identify women with recurrent OC who received ICI from 01/2013 to 5/2017 and ≥1 subsequent treatment. Treatment duration after ICI was calculated using time-to-event analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate overall survival (OS) from first treatment after ICI and to assess survival differences by clinical benefit from ICI, defined by long (≥24 weeks) versus short ( Results Of 79 evaluable women identified, 66 (84%) had platinum-resistant OC. Median age at diagnosis was 57 years. Median time from diagnosis to ICI was 39.7 months, with median of 4 prior treatments (range, 1–12). Median number of treatments after ICI was 2 (range, 1–8). Median duration of first-line treatment after ICI was 3.7 months (95% CI, 2.9–6.0) and declined with each subsequent line. The most common therapies after ICI were taxanes, platinum-based regimens, and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin. Bevacizumab was used in 47 women (59%). Median OS after ICI was 18.3 months (95% CI, 11.8–22.7) and did not differ between long versus short ICI. Conclusions In this heavily pretreated population of patients with recurrent OC, therapies after ICI resulted in promising survival, suggesting that ICI may improve efficacy of subsequent chemotherapy.
Analytic solution of steady-state diffusion through a channel or tube of small arbitrary curvature

Abstract The steady-state mass diffusion through a channel or tube is solved analytically by perturbation using the small curvature-half width product. Explicit formulas for the concentration distribution and the mass flux show the effect of curvature and the change of curvature.
1,2,4,5-Tetra­chloro-3,6-di­iodo­benzene benzene monosolvate

The title compound, C6Cl4I2·C6H6, crystallizes from benzene solution as cube-shaped crystals in the triclinic space group P\overline{1} with Z = 1. The asymmetric unit of the crystal structure contains one half of each mol­ecule. In the crystal, the benzene ring is almost orthogonal to the perhalo­benzene ring and the mol­ecules are linked by C—I⋯π inter­actions, with a close contact between the iodine atom and the benzene ring of 3.412 (1) A.
A Binary Ant Lion Optimizer applied to Knapsack problem

Combinatorial problems with NP-hard complexity appear frequently in operational research. Making robust algorithms that solve these combinatorial problems is of interest in operational research. In this article, a binarization mechanism is proposed so that continuous metaheuristics can solve combinatorial problems. The binarization mechanism uses the concept of percentile. This percentile mechanism is applied to the ant lion algorithm. The NP-hard knapsack problem (MKP) was used to verify our algorithm. Additionally, the binary percentile algorithm was compared with other algorithms that have recently has solved the MKP, observing that the percentile algorithm produces competitive results.
A HILL-SACHS LESION IS BEST TREATED WITH A SURFACE REPLACEMENT – AFFIRMS

Hill-Sachs and reverse Hill-Sachs lesions come in different shapes and sizes, and their effect on “glenoid track” can vary. Small Hill-Sachs lesions that do not engage can be successfully treated with a Bankart repair alone done arthroscopically or open. Moderate, engaging, Hill-Sachs lesions can be treated either with the addition of remplissage to an arthroscopic Bankart or by adding the triple blocking effect of the Bristow-Latarjet procedure. Surface replacements vary in size from the small hemi-cap type of procedure to an entire humeral head replacement (HHR). These devices can be used as opposed to allograft replacement when the risk of post-reconstruction arthritis is high with the aforementioned more conventional treatment techniques. When 45% or more of the humeral head is involved with the lesion, or Outerbridge stage III and IV changes prevail, a HHR is preferred. An oval shaped HHR is the author9s preference, and the long diameter can be used to provide coverage anteriorly or posteriorly and is particularly useful in large Hill-Sachs lesions associated with epilepsy.
Current issues in spinal anesthesia

Spinal anesthesia is an old, simple, and popular anesthetic technique, yet much remains unknown regarding pertinent anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. Investigations into physiologic effects of spinal anesthesia reveal complex actions on multiple organ systems. New local anesthetics, analgesic additives, and techniques are being investigated for different applications as the practice of medicine focuses on outpatient care. Safety of spinal agents and complications from spinal anesthesia continue to be examined and re-examined to improve safety. Further study will be needed to fully resolve these issues and to further understand and improve the clinical use of spinal anesthesia.
184-LB: Incidence of Herpes Zoster in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Consequences for Treatment

Herpes zoster (HZ), or shingles, is a common neurocutaneous disease caused by reactivation of latent varicella-zoster-virus that often includes vesicular rash and neuropathic pain, the latter which may last for months or years. Several studies suggest that type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) may represent an important risk factor for the development of HZ. This retrospective claims database analysis assessed the incidence of HZ in patients with T2DM in the U.S. and measured the impact of HZ on T2DM treatment. Marketscan family of databases from 2013-2018 (Commercial, Medicare) or 2013-2017 (Medicaid) for adults aged 18 years and older was utilized. Crude rate incidence and incidence rate ratio (IRR) adjusted for age, gender, and payer type were calculated. Diabetes Complications Severity Index (DCSI), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores and observed treatment usage (e.g., number of prescriptions, number of covered days) were determined before and after an HZ episode. The overall crude rate incidence of HZ in patients with T2DM was 1.01% or 0.010 per person per year; in comparison, the overall crude rate incidence of HZ among patients without T2DM was 0.5%. The adjusted IRR was 1.68 (95% confidence interval: 1.67-1.70). Patients with T2DM and HZ had a mean age of 62 years, and 86% were commercially insured. An episode of HZ did not change either the DCSI or the CCI score. Regardless of HZ status, the most common T2DM complications were hypertension (78.9% in patients with T2DM only, 81.2% with T2DM and HZ), chronic pulmonary disease (20.1% and 24.3% respectively) and depression (14.1% and 16.3% respectively). Finally, an episode of HZ did not impact T2DM treatment usage. In conclusion, patients with T2DM had 1.68 times the risk of having an HZ episode compared to patients without T2DM. An episode of HZ among patients with T2DM does not appear to specifically impact T2DM complications/severity or its treatment. Acknowledgements: Business and Decision Life Sciences platform for publication coordination. Disclosure J. Poirrier: None. S. Nagar: Consultant; Self; GlaxoSmithKline plc. J. Meyers: Research Support; Self; GlaxoSmithKline plc. L. Glasser: Employee; Self; GlaxoSmithKline plc. S. Jabbour: None. Funding GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA (HO-19-19748)
Associations of Abdominal Pain and Psychosocial Distress Measures With Health-Related Quality-of-Life in Pediatric Healthy Controls and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Background Children with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have lower health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) than healthy controls (HC). Abdominal pain and psychosocial distress are negatively associated with HRQOL, although their relative effect is unclear. Aim The aim of this study was to compare the relative associations of abdominal pain and psychosocial distress with HRQOL in HC and IBS. Study Baseline abdominal pain, psychosocial distress, and HRQOL measures were obtained from HC and IBS pediatric clinical trial participants. Regression assessed which measures were most strongly associated with Physical and Psychosocial HRQOL separately by group. Interaction analyses examined group differences in the associations of abdominal pain and psychosocial distress with HRQOL. Results Eight-five HC and 213 children with IBS participated. Somatization was most strongly associated with Physical HRQOL in HC, and functional disability was most strongly related in IBS. With respect to Psychosocial HRQOL, somatization was most strongly associated for both HC and IBS; depression was also significantly associated in HC. The strength of association between somatization and Physical HRQOL differed between groups; the negative association was less pronounced for IBS than HC. The association between functional disability and both Physical and Psychosocial HRQOL differed significantly between groups; the negative associations were more pronounced for IBS than HC. Conclusions Multiple psychosocial distress measures, including somatization, were associated with HRQOL in children with IBS; HRQOL in HC was driven consistently by somatization, to the exclusion of other psychosocial concerns. The associations of somatization and functional disability with HRQOL are distinctly different between HC and IBS. This knowledge supports utilization of psychosocial interventions to improve overall well-being for children with IBS.
Joint sizing and placement of battery energy storage systems and wind turbines considering reactive power support of the system

Abstract The probabilistic and intermittent output power of Wind Turbines (WT) is one major inconsistency of these Renewable Energy Sources (RES). Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are a suitable solution to mitigate this intermittency by smoothening WT's output power. Although the main benefit of BESSs mentions as peak shaving and load-shifting, but in this research, it will verify that optimal placement and sizing them jointly with WTs can lead to more benefits like compensating the required system's reactive power support from WTs. The reactive power size of WTs and BESSs will be derived from the result of the joint sizing and placement in this study, as well as their active power output to meet the load demand. This can facilitate WTs and BESSs contribution to cover the system's required reactive power and their participation in the reactive power market and ancillary services. This paper also proposes new cost functions for both WTs and BESSs and minimizes their cost while ensuring minimal total loss (active and reactive) in the power distribution system. This can benefit both WTs' and BESSs' owners as well as system operators. Suitable placement and sizing of the WTs and BESSs can also improve the load bus voltage profiles, which can benefit the end-users, and will verify using the proposed optimization by different case studies on the 33 bus distribution system. The results of case studies ascertain the consistency of the proposed formulation for placement and sizing BESSs and WTs jointly, as well as other benefits to the power system, the power plant owners, and system operators.
Cancer deaths attributable to cigarette smoking in 152 U.S. metropolitan or micropolitan statistical areas, 2013–2017

There are limited data on the burden of cancer attributable to cigarette smoking by metropolitan areas to inform local tobacco control policies in the USA. We estimated the proportion of cancer deaths attributable to cigarette smoking (or population attributable fraction [PAF]) in 152 U.S. metropolitan or micropolitan statistical areas (MMSAs). Smoking-related PAFs for cancer mortality in ages ≥ 30 years in 2013–2017 were estimated using cross-sectional age-, sex-, and MMSA-specific cigarette smoking prevalence and cancer mortality data obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the U.S. Cancer Statistics Database, respectively. Overall smoking-related PAFs of cancer ranged from 8.8% (95% CI, 6.3–11.9%) to 35.7% (33.3–37.9%); MMSAs with the highest PAFs were in the South region and Appalachia. PAFs also substantially varied across MMSAs within regions or states. In the Northeast, for example, the PAF ranged from 24.2% (23.7–24.7%) to 33.7% (31.3–36.2%). The proportion of cancer deaths attributable to cigarette smoking is considerable in each MMSA, with as many as 4 in 10 cancer deaths attributable to smoking in the South region and Appalachia. Broad and equitable implementation and enforcement of proven tobacco control interventions at all government levels could avert many cancer deaths across the USA.
Enoxaparin Use and Adverse Events in Outpatients With a Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device at a Single Institution.

Background Patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are anticoagulated with warfarin and may receive enoxaparin bridging for a subtherapeutic international normalized ratio (INR). There is no guideline regarding enoxaparin bridging in LVAD patients and a dosing strategy to ensure efficacy and safety is uncertain. Objective The objective was to characterize the use of enoxaparin bridging for subtherapeutic INRs and its impact on thrombotic or major bleeding events (MBE) in patients with an LVAD. Methods A retrospective review from 6/1/17 to 6/30/18 was performed. Patients with an LVAD were excluded if they had less than 60 days of outpatient anticoagulation or age Results Seventy-one LVAD patients met inclusion criteria and 50 patients received enoxaparin bridging. Therapeutic-dose enoxaparin was initiated at a mean INR of 1.8 for a mean duration of 2.8 days. In the enoxaparin exposure group, one MBE occurred 6 days after enoxaparin discontinuation, coinciding with an INR increase from 1.8 to 4.7. One thrombotic event occurred 2 days after enoxaparin discontinuation at an INR of 5.0. Conclusion This institution's bridging strategy of therapeutic-dose enoxaparin with a short duration has a low rate of bleeding and thrombotic events. Additional prospective studies of anticoagulation bridging based on characteristics such as type of LVAD device are warranted.
Antennas in the Maritime Environment

In this chapter, we shall consider the basic principles of antennas and what effects the air-sea interface has on the behavior of the antenna and the electromagnetic field that it produces. We shall also consider some applications in the areas of antenna measurement and highlight some recent developments in antenna engineering involving the use of advanced materials.