cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fluoroolefin Dipeptide Isosteres: Structure, Syntheses, and Applications

Publisher Summary The potential utility of peptides as therapeutic agents with clinical applications is limited as a consequence of intrinsic peptide properties such as metabolic instability or poor transmembrane mobility. Hence, the design and synthesis of metabolically stable peptide analogs that can either mimic or block the bioactivity of natural peptides or enzymes is an important area of medicinal chemistry research. The isosteric replacement of a peptide bond is a potentially important and general approach to the design of peptidomimetics. The peptide bond is rigid, polar, and prefers to be planar. The hydrogen of the amino group and oxygen of the amide carbonyl are nearly antiperiplanar. A basic underlying principle in design of peptide isosteres is that any modification of the peptide backbone may alter the physical and chemical properties of the molecule and reduce the peptidic character and that in turn has an impact on biological interactions. Such interactions include changes in the metabolic stability, receptor selectivity, and pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties such as oral bioavailability. Therefore, important considerations in selection of an amide bond replacement are the potential of the surrogate to mimic both the steric and electronic properties of the amide bond. The incorporation of the amide isosteres in peptidomimetics and the influence of that isosteric substitution on biological activity on inhibition of peptidyl prolyl isomerases cyclophilin (CyP) and Pin1, dipeptidyl peptidase IV/CD26 (DPP IV) and thermolysin is described.
Tacit knowledge, knowledge management, and active user participation in Web site navigation

One of the reasons that people who seek out information on Web sites may often feel powerless is that when they do not find what they are looking for, their own tacit sense of what they know is not validated. If tacit knowledge is not calculated for in the design of a Web site, it puts the people navigating the site in the position of passive observers. The primary reason for this can be found in the rigid organization schemes in place on many sites. Manuals that offer methods for designing Web site architectures could be much improved if they suggested steps to replicate what is known in knowledge management circles as an "enabling environment.".
J. Heyrovský, Japan, and Organic Polarography

Polarography is an electroanalytical technique based on recording current-voltage curves using a dropping mercury as the working electrode. It can be used for investigations of both reductions and oxidations of inorganic and organic species. Before WWII the developments of this technique linked Prague (in the then Czechoslovakia) with Kyoto (in Japan, where reductions of organic compounds were first observed). After WWII wide use of this technique has developed, so that in the 1950s and 1960 it became the fifth most frequently used analytical technique. More recently the analytical applications were limited to those of heterogeneous solutions and analyses of some drugs. Its applications in physical organic chemistry involve studies of structure-reactivity relationships and applications to investigations of equilibria and kinetics of rapidly or slowly established processes. DOI 10.1002/tcr.201100042
Intranodal palisaded myofibroblastoma.

Abstract Intranodal palisaded myofibroblastoma (IPM) usually presents as a painless, slow-growing inguinal mass. Our review of 42 cases from 13 publications indicates that two thirds of IPMs occur between the ages of 45 and 55 years, the male-female ratio is 2:1, and there is a lack of ethnic predilection. Grossly, the IPM cut surface shows areas of hemorrhage. Five microscopic features are seen: (a) compressed remnants of lymphoid tissue at the periphery; (b) spindle cells with nuclear palisading; (c) intraparenchymal hemorrhage and erythrocyte extravasation; (d) so-called amianthoid fibers; and (e) intracellular and extracellular fuchsinophilic bodies that stain positive for smooth muscle actin. Immunohistochemically, IPM is positive for smooth muscle actin and cyclin D1 and negative for S100, glial fibrillary acidic protein, CD34, and desmin, and it shows a low proliferative index of Ki-67. Electron microscopy demonstrates features of myofibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Excellent prognosis is seen ...
Portfolio Optimization via Generalized Multivariate Shrinkage

﻿The shrinkage method of Ledoit and Wolf (2003; 2004a; 2004b) has shown certain success in estimating a well-conditioned covariance matrix for high dimensional portfolios. This paper generalizes the shrinkage method of Ledoit and Wolf to a multivariate shrinkage setting, by which the well-conditioned covariance matrix is estimated using the weighted averaging of multiple priors, instead of single ones. In fact, it can be argued that the generalized multivariate shrinkage approach reduces estimation errors and uncertainty when projecting the true covariance matrix onto the line, spanned by priors joining to the sample covariance matrix. Hence, the generalized multivariate shrinkage is less subjected to sampling variation. Empirically, I use the U.S. firms to form portfolios for out-of-sample forecast. Using Ledoit and Wolf's approach as benchmark, out-of-sample portfolios constructed from the proposed method gain significant variance reductions and sizable improvement of information ratios.
High energy density plasma physics: A view from DOE

The long-term commitment of the Department of Energy and now the National Nuclear Security Administration to the pursuit of research on inertial confinement fusion concepts and the investigation of the properties of matter in extreme environments has led to the coalescence of the discipline of high energy density plasma physics. A series of increasingly capable experimental facilities has been at the center of this, focused primarily on high energy lasers and pulsed power technology. Along with dramatic advances in experimental capability significant progress has been made in computational techniques to address the very complex and scientifically rich set of questions posed by the most extreme states of matter. This talk will discuss the evolution of the DOE/NNSA research program in this area, highlight current research endeavors and project some future directions for this research area.
Real-time geometric motion blur for a deforming polygonal mesh

Motion blur is an important method for increasing the visual quality of real-time applications. This is especially true in the area of interactive applications, where designers often seek to add graphical flair to their programs. In many cases, these applications use animated characters, where a polygonal mesh is wrapped around an animated skeleton. As the skeleton moves, the mesh deforms. In this paper, we present a method for adding a geometric motion blur to a deforming polygonal mesh. The scheme we present keeps track of a character's motion silhouette, and uses this to create a polygonal mesh. When this mesh is inserted into the scene, it gives the appearance of an artistic motion blur for an object or particular character. This method is generic enough to work on nearly any type of moving polygonal model, and also approximates swept volumes.
Public Perception of Sex Offender Social Policies and the Impact on Sex Offenders

This study examines the public perception of sex offender policies and the perceived impact of sex offender policies on the sex offenders themselves. Specifically, this study explores how the community feels about the effectiveness of policies such as registration and community notification (Megan's Law), and housing restrictions in reducing sexual recidivism. Data are collected from 115 participants from a nationwide online community message board. Results suggest that although most individuals support Megan's Law, they do not feel the policy reduces recidivism. Furthermore, the majority of the participants also do not believe that housing restriction statutes are effective in reducing sexual recidivism. When questioned about the policy impact on sex offenders, the majority of respondents agree that as a consequence of Megan's Law, sex offenders are afraid for their safety; however, they do not believe that residence restrictions hinder sex offenders' employment opportunities. Findings from this study are discussed as they pertain to public policy and sex offender reintegration.
Career Pathways for Related Service Paratherapists Working in Early Intervention and Other Education Settings

This article presents issues in personnel training practices for paraprofessionals providing related services in early intervention and education settings. The generic term paratherapist is used to refer to persons who work under the supervision of professional level therapists in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. A philosophy of related service paratherapist utilization is presented and discussed. Current and future needs for paratherapists are summarized. A description of career pathways for paratherapists from high school to advanced graduate studies is described and advantages of well developed career pathways for participants in career planning are discussed.
Asian American Food-Scapes

In 1908, Samuel Gompers on the AFL (American Federation of Labor) published his well-known treatise, co-authored with Herman Gutstadt, on the problems affecting the American laboring classes of white men titled, "Meat vs. Rice: American Manhood Against Asiatic Cooliehood." Endorsed by the Asiatic Exclusion League, Gompers' dictum anchors its xenophobia and anti-Asian sentiments in a culinary idiom, facilely, but efficaciously applying the language of "you are what you eat" to sharply distinguish between white labor as hearty meat eaters, and Chinese immigrant labor, portrayed as scabs in the American labor force as rice eaters.
Laparoscopic Management of Acute Pancreatitis Secondary to Rapunzel Syndrome

A 17-year-old girl presented with bilious vomiting and abdominal pain to the surgery department. The history was positive for trichotillomania and trichophagia. A CT scan showed a mass in the stomach, which was highly suspicious for a gastric bezoar. Drooping parts of the bezoar caused a duodenal obstruction with secondary acute pancreatitis. The bezoar was removed via a laparoscopically performed gastrotomy.
Assessment of the physiologic contribution of right atrial function to total right heart function in patients with and without pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Total right heart function requires normal function of both the right ventricle and the right atrium. However, the degree to which right atrial (RA) function and right ventricular (RV) function each contribute to total right heart function has not been quantified. In this study, we aimed to quantify the contribution of RA function to total right heart function in a group of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients compared to a cohort of normal controls without cardiovascular disease. The normal cohort comprised 35 subjects with normal clinical echocardiograms, while the PAH cohort included 37 patients, of whom 31 had echocardiograms before and after initiation of PAH-specific therapy. Total right heart function was measured via tricuspid annular plane excursion (TAPSE). TAPSE was broken down into two components, the excursion occurring during RA contraction (TAPSERA) and that occurring before RA contraction (TAPSERV). RA fractional area change (RA-FAC) was also compared between the two groups. In t...
Samoan predicate initial word order and object positions

Verb-initial ordering may be derived by fronting the VP (or a larger constituent) to a specifier position higher than the subject. For VSO languages, this analysis requires that the object raise out of the VP to a position below the subject before the (remnant) VP fronts to the higher position. This paper builds a comprehensive analysis of VSO order in the Polynesian language Samoan, employing the VP-fronting analysis, arguing the account does better than competing derivational accounts (e.g., a head movement account). I argue that evidence for the raising of the complement of V to a VP-external position comes from data showing that the coordination of unaccusative and unergative verbs is not possible in Samoan. This paradigm has a ready explanation under the VP-fronting account: as the complement of V must raise out of the VP before VP-fronting takes place, unaccusative subject DPs are predicted to bind a VP-internal copy. This blocks coordination with unergative VPs which do not contain DP copies (via the Coordinate Structure Constraint). I provide a generalized account of DP movement whereby the functional head v is specified to trigger the movement of all DPs in its local c-command domain to its projected specifier positions. In cases where v does not locally c-command any DP, the requirement is trivially satisfied. I show how this accounts for the observed VSO/VOS word order alternations in Samoan.
Large cell lymphoma complicating acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Non-Hodgkin9s lymphoma (NHL) is a very rare complication of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We present the pathologic, clinical, immunologic, and ultrastructural features of the third reported example of NHL following successfully treated ALL. This white girl developed ALL with predominantly L1 cells at 3.5 yr of age. The lymphoblasts were terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) positive and were non-B, non-T cells. She achieved a complete remission with standard induction therapy and has remained in continuous complete remission. Four and one- third years after the onset of ALL, she developed multifocal, pleomorphic large cell lymphoma of the small bowel, which resulted in episodes of intussusception and obstruction. These pleomorphic and frequently multinucleated lymphoma cells lacked TdT, common ALL antigen, and all tested markers of B cell, T cell, and histiocyte differentiation. Following three small bowel resections, systemic multiagent chemotherapy, and abdominal irradiation, she is currently free of disease.
Pathways Clinical Decision Support for Appropriate Use of Key Biomarkers.

Purpose:Breast cancer diagnostics have the ability to predict disease recurrence and the benefit of chemotherapy. This study measures the use of a diagnostic assay, Oncotype DX, when embedded in a breast cancer decision support algorithm and, on the basis of the assay results, the use of chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting.Methods:UPMC CancerCenter retrospectively reviewed patients with estrogen receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)Neu–negative disease with zero to three positive nodes navigated in the Via Pathways decision support portal during a 12-month period. The breast algorithm prompted input of the assay recurrence score (RS) and then recommended hormonal therapy alone (HT) for low RS, or chemotherapy followed by HT for high RS. The patient’s RS was correlated with the treatment decision.Results:During this time period, 643 patients had ER-positive, HER2Neu-negative disease with zero to three positive nodes. Of those, 596 (92.7%) had diagnostic testing to determine ch...
The ARM Data System and Archive

Every observationally based research program needs a way to collect data from instruments, convert the data from its raw format into a more usable format, apply quality control, process it into higher-order data products, store the data, and make the data available to its scientific community. This data flow is illustrated pictorially in Fig. 11-1. These are the basic requirements of any scientific data system, and ARM’s data system would have to address these requirements and more. This research provides one view of the development of the ARM data system, which includes the ARM Data Archive, and some of the notable decisions that were made along the way.
The relational neurobehavioral approach: can a non-aversive program manage adults with brain injury-related aggression without seclusion/restraint?

AbstractPurpose: The Relational Neurobehavioral Approach (RNA) is a set of non-aversive intervention methods to manage individuals with brain injury-related aggression. New data on interventions used in the RNA and on how the RNA interventions can be used with patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) who have differing levels of functional impairment are provided in this paper.Method: The study was conducted over a 6-week period in a secure 65-bed program for individuals with ABI that is housed in two units of a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Implementation of the RNA was compared between two units that housed patients with differing levels of functional impairment (n = 65 adults). Since this was a hierarchical clustered dataset, Generalized Estimating Equations regression was used in the analyses.Results: RNA interventions used to manage the 495 aggressive incidents included the following: Aggression ignored, Closer observation, Talking to patient, Reassurance, Physical distraction, Isolation without s...
Sphingosine Kinase 1 Cooperates with Autophagy to Maintain Endocytic Membrane Trafficking

Sphingosine kinase 1 (Sphk1) associates with early endocytic membranes during endocytosis; however, the role of sphingosine or sphingosine-1-phosphate as the critical metabolite in endocytic trafficking has not been established. Here, we demonstrate that the recruitment of Sphk1 to sphingosine-enriched endocytic vesicles and the generation of sphingosine-1-phosphate facilitate membrane trafficking along the endosomal pathway. Exogenous sphingosine and sphingosine-based Sphk1 inhibitors induce the Sphk1-dependent fusion of endosomal membranes to accumulate enlarged late endosomes and amphisomes enriched in sphingolipids. Interestingly, Sphk1 also appears to facilitate endosomal fusion independent of its catalytic activity, given that catalytically inactive Sphk1G82D is recruited to endocytic membranes by sphingosine or sphingosine-based Sphk1 inhibitor and promotes membrane fusion. Furthermore, we reveal that the clearance of enlarged endosomes is dependent on the activity of ceramide synthase, lysosomal biogenesis, and the restoration of autophagic flux. Collectively, these studies uncover intersecting roles for Sphk1, sphingosine, and autophagic machinery in endocytic membrane trafficking.
Bayesian Methods and Model Selection for Latent Growth Curve Models with Missing Data

With an increase in complexity of latent growth curve models (LGCMs), comes an increase in problems estimating the models. This research first proposes new growth models to address the perennial problems of almost all longitudinal research, namely, missing data. Different non-ignorable missingness models are formulated. These models include the latent coefficient (intercept or slope)-dependent missingness, in which the missing data rates vary across different latent individual initial levels or slopes; and the potential outcome-dependent missingness, in which the missing data rates on each occasion depend on potential outcomes. Second, this study proposes a full Bayesian approach to estimate the proposed LGCMs with non-ignorable missing data through data augmentation algorithm and Gibbs sampling procedure. And third, model selecting criteria are proposed in a Bayesian context to identify the best-fit model.Simulation studies were conducted. Conclusions include the proposed method can accurately recover model parameters, the mis-specified missingness may result in severely misleading conclusions, and almost all the model selection criteria can correctly identify the true model with high certainty. The application of the model and the method are illustrated with a longitudinal data set showing growth in mathematical ability. Finally, related implications of the approach and future research directions are discussed.
The Traditional Law Concerning the Responsibility of The State for Actions of Private Persons

The international responsibility of the state for wrongful acts of private persons against foreign nations is a phase of the general law of international responsibility under international law. While the rules concerning certain areas of state responsibility are well established,1 its liability for hostile actions of individuals remains to be defined.2 It is perhaps for this reason that most discussions of state responsibility deal with fairly well accepted doctrines, such as responsibility for unauthorized acts of governmental officials or for acts of individuals resulting in injury to aliens. In discussing state liability involving actions of private persons against other nations, authoritative guidance will therefore be sought in more settled branches of the law. Inadvertence to these preliminary matters may explain the inconclusiveness of attempted solutions to the problem, and the almost insuperable difficulties which it raises.
A Student-Maintained Filing and Scheduling System for the Interview Classroom Technique

A filing system was devised to facilitate the implementation of the interview technique, as well as other personalized systems of instruction. All file maintenance was performed by the students themselves, freeing instructors and teaching assistants for more valuable functions. The contingency management system maintained a constant rate of interview taking. Instructors and teaching assistants gave interviews at a negatively accelerated rate throughout the course, with a short burst in the last week. A significant negative correlation was demonstrated between the frequency of interviews given per student and the number of class days taken to complete the course.
Minimum variance rooting of phylogenetic trees and implications for species tree reconstruction

Phylogenetic trees inferred using commonly-used models of sequence evolution are unrooted, but the root position matters both for interpretation and downstream applications. This issue has been long recognized; however, whether the potential for discordance between the species tree and gene trees impacts methods of rooting a phylogenetic tree has not been extensively studied. In this paper, we introduce a new method of rooting a tree based on its branch length distribution; our method, which minimizes the variance of root to tip distances, is inspired by the traditional midpoint rerooting and is justified when deviations from the strict molecular clock are random. Like midpoint rerooting, the method can be implemented in a linear time algorithm. In extensive simulations that consider discordance between gene trees and the species tree, we show that the new method is more accurate than midpoint rerooting, but its relative accuracy compared to using outgroups to root gene trees depends on the size of the dataset and levels of deviations from the strict clock. We show high levels of error for all methods of rooting estimated gene trees due to factors that include effects of gene tree discordance, deviations from the clock, and gene tree estimation error. Our simulations, however, did not reveal significant differences between two equivalent methods for species tree estimation that use rooted and unrooted input, namely, STAR and NJst. Nevertheless, our results point to limitations of existing scalable rooting methods.
Convertible static transmission controller model and supervisory vector control for operation under unbalanced grid conditions

This paper proposes an electromagnetic transient model of the Convertible Static Transmission Controller (CSTC) system in shunt-shunt operation mode. This proposed transient model is used for dynamic analysis and system design. Two recently proposed control structures, which aim to suppress the DC link voltage oscillations under unbalanced AC grid, are applied and compared to the conventional state feedback control method. The simulation tests for a CSTC transmission system connect two active networks are adopted by PSCAD-EMTDC and MATLAB/Simulink. The results verify the validity of the mathematical model and the feasibility of the applied control strategies for the studied system under normal and fault/unbalanced AC conditions.
Selective Binding of Folic Acid and Derivatives by Imprinted Nanoparticle Receptors in Water.

Folate receptors are overexpressed on cancer cells and frequently used for targeted delivery. Creation of synthetic receptors to bind folic acid and its analogues in water, however, is challenging because of its complex hydrogen-bonding patterns and competition for hydrogen bonds from the solvent. Micellar imprinting within cross-linkable surfactants circumvented these problems because the nonpolar micellar environment strengthened the hydrogen bonds between the amide group in the surfactant and the template molecule. Incorporation of polymerizable thiouronium functional monomers further enhanced the binding through hydrogen-bond-reinforced ion pairs with the glutamate moiety of the template. The resulting imprinted micelles were able to bind folate and their analogues with submicromolar affinity and distinguish small changes in the hydrogen-bonding patterns as well as the number/position of carboxylic acids. The binding constant obtained was 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than those reported for small-mo...
Fast winds drive slow shells: a model for the circumgalactic medium as galactic wind-driven bubbles

Successful models of the low redshift circumgalactic medium (CGM) must account for (1) a large amount of gas, (2) relatively slow gas velocities, (3) a high degree of metal enrichment, (4) the similar absorption properties around both star-forming and passive galaxies, and (5) the observationally inferred temperature and densities of the CGM gas. We show that galactic wind-driven bubbles can account for these observed properties. We develop a model describing the motion of bubbles driven by a hot, fast galactic wind characteristic of supernova energy injection. The bubble size grows slowly to hundreds of kiloparsecs over $5-10$ Gyr. For high star formation rates or high wind mass loading $\dot M_w/\dot M_\star$, the free-flowing hot wind, the shocked hot wind in the interior of the bubble, and the swept-up halo gas within the bubble shell can all radiatively cool and contribute to low-ionization state metal line absorption. We verify that if the free-flowing wind cools, the shocked wind does as well. We find effective mass loading factors of $(M_w+M_\mathrm{swept})/M_\star\sim5-12$ as the bubbles sweep into the CGM. We predict cool gas masses, velocities, column densities, metal content, and absorption line velocities and linewidths of the bubble for a range of parameter choices. This picture can reproduce many of the COS-Halos and Keeney et al. (2017) observations of low-ionization state metal absorption lines around both star-forming and passive galaxies.
Fatal cryptococcal meningitis in an AIDS patient complicated with immune reconstitution syndrome refractory to prolonged amphotericin B treatment

Cryptococcus neoformans is a ubiquitous encapsulated environmental yeast that can cause severe central nervous system disease, primarily in immune compromised hosts. In patients with AIDS, the spectrum of cryptococcal central nervous system disease includes meningitis, cystic lesions, and mass-like cryptococcomas. We report a fatal case of meningitis and cerebritis caused by C. neoformans in an AIDS patient refractory to multiple courses of liposomal amphotericin B despite immune recovery with antiretroviral therapy. This case highlights ongoing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in the face of treatment failure for cryptococcal meningitis and reinforces the need for improved treatment approaches.
Electro-Optic Ripple-Carry Adder in Integrated Silicon Photonics for Optical Computing

Photonic integrated circuits with compact size and low power consumption have opened the possibility of realization of ultrahigh-speed and energy-efficient optical computing in an integrated system that may be comparable to CMOS-based electrical integrated circuits in many aspects. Directed logic is an innovative paradigm that can make full use of the advantages of electronics and photonics for optical computing. In this paper, we propose various designs of directed-logic-based electro-optic ripple-carry adders in integrated silicon photonics, which replace the electrical components in the critical path using optical counterparts. All control signals are applied simultaneously through ultralow-power microdisk modulators so that the propagation delay could be reduced significantly. A two-bit thermal-optic full adder based on microdisk modulators is demonstrated as a proof of concept along with a projection of high-speed performance. The proposed electro-optic full adder paves the way to future low-power-consumption and large-bandwidth optical computing in integrated silicon photonics.
Krüppel-like factors in the vascular endothelium

Although Kruppel-like factors (KLFs) have been the subject of extensive biological investigation, the role of this family of transcription factors in the biology and pathophysiology of the vascular endothelium is just becoming apparent. Most investigative efforts thus far have focused on KLF2, its contribution to the endothelial vasoprotective phenotype, and its possible impact on atherogenesis. This chapter reflects on the current state of the field and highlights evolving areas where KLFs are emerging as important regulators of endothelial function.
Fiscal and Monetary Policy

Changes in either tax rates or government spending, whether explicitly designed to control the macroeconomy or automatic changes with the same intent, are to be known as fiscal policy; similarly changes in the money stock are known as monetary policy. An implication of the theory developed in Chap. 4 is that government spending, tax rates and the money supply can all be effective tools for the control of aggregate real output and the rate of inflation. In that chapter we derive theoretical expressions for the balanced budget government spending multiplier and the money multiplier. In the simplified model of Chap. 4 these two types of policy are inherently dependent. In this chapter we return to a more general version of stabilization policy, as in Chap. 2, in which fiscal and monetary policies may be conceptually separate.
Implications for IFRS principles-based and US GAAP rules-based applications: Are accountants’ decisions affected by work location and core self-evaluations?

Abstract Despite efforts to increase convergence and comparability in financial reporting across national borders and regulatory boundaries, inconsistencies in the interpretation of accounting standards persist. The current study examines whether accounting decision-making (consolidation of an investee) is influenced by accountants’ work location (United States (US) vs. India) and personality (core self-evaluations). We expect these relationships to differ based on whether the accounting term “control” is interpreted using the International Accounting Standards Board’s principles-based approach versus the US Financial Accounting Standards Board’s rules-based perspective. Drawing on a sample of 180 English-speaking accountants based in the US and India, results of moderation analyses suggest that accountants’ decision to consolidate is significantly influenced by work location and core self-evaluations when the term “control” is interpreted using principles-based terminology, but not when it is interpreted using rules-based terminology. Practical implications of such inconsistencies for the continued convergence and comparability of accounting standards and decisions as well as directions for future research are discussed.
Gliosarcoma: Neuroimaging and Immunohistochemical Findings.

Background and purpose Gliosarcoma (GSC) is an intra-axial lesion which often abuts a dural margin and is composed of glial and mesenchymal elements. This lesion is considered a variant of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wild type glioblastoma (GBM). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the imaging and molecular features of GSC in a large patient cohort. Methods Pathology-proved GSC cases were collected from our quaternary care center spanning the last 16 years and IDH status was documented. Older GSC cases without prior immunohistochemical testing underwent tissue block staining to obtain IDH status. When available, p53, phosphate and tensin (PTEN), MIB-1, EGFR amplification, and MGMT methylation were recorded and imaging findings tabulated. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine correlation of molecular markers and imaging characteristics. Results A total of 25 cases were identified (21 de novo, 4 post-treatment). All lesions contacted a dural, pial, or ependymal surface and were negative for an IDH R132H mutation, including postradiation GSC. In total, 16 of 16 cases showed nonamplification of EGFR/CEP7, 2 of 16 demonstrated MGMT methylation, and multiple lesions demonstrated p53 and PTEN mutations. Imaging features included areas of nodular thickening in necrotic lesions which appeared to abut the site of dural contact. There was no significant correlation of molecular markers with imaging characteristics. Conclusion GSC was IDH(-) in all cases, supporting the current understanding of this lesion being a wild-type GBM variant. Additional molecular markers demonstrated no significant correlation with imaging findings in this cohort.
Northern Italy in the Roman World: From the Bronze Age to Late Antiquity. By Carolynn E. Roncaglia. (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018. Pp. xxi, 232. $44.95.)

Most would agree, these days, with the statement that nations are invented. They are not naturally birthed into the world, a primordial spirit carried by pure‐blooded races which waits only to be r...
Accurate Measurement of Carotid Stenosis. Chaos in Methodology.

The methods used for measurement of carotid artery stenosis are not uniform. Witness the chaos that developed when the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) group changed its classification system from area to linear measurements only to discover that the European Carotid Stenosis Trial (ECST) used still another angiographic definition of degree of stenosis so that the data from the two studies were not comparable. Fortunately, this has been reconciled by recalculation of the data. In still other studies, using unvalidated ultrasound instruments has made it difficult or impossible to compare results. In part, these problems have been the result of misdirected attempts to amalgamate concepts from Doppler and duplex ultrasound with those of arteriography. The former is more precise and accurate than the latter, yet its methodology is harder to apply and has not been generally distributed. Even such anatomical terms as "carotid bulb" are not standard. Ultrasonographers consider it to be the distal common carotid artery, to vascular surgeons it is the carotid sinus, while still others consider it to be both or neither. The present authors advocate a uniform methodology utilizing duplex ultrasound and predict that it plus magnetic resonance angiography will become the standard by which extracranial carotid artery disease is evaluated in the future.
Linear Programming Based Online Policies for Real-Time Assortment of Reusable Resources

Motivated by applications of rental services in e-commerce, we consider real-time assortment of reusable products. In our model, arriving consumers with heterogeneous types choose rental products from the offered assortment, pay the rental fees, and return the product to the platform after a rental time. Consumers' types specify their choice models, rental fees and rental time distributions for various products. Our goal is to design competitive online policies against an appropriate benchmark for both the prior-free setting, in which types are arbitrary (or adversarial), and the Bayesian setting, in which types are drawn independently from known distributions. Our contribution is threefold. We first introduce offline linear programming benchmarks in both settings, that use time-varying inventory constraints to capture feasibility of a policy under rentals, and are required to satisfy these constraints only in expectation. Second, in the prior-free setting, we develop a randomized primal-dual framework based on our introduced LP to settle that inventory balancing policies of Golrezaei et al. (2014) obtain same (asymptotically optimal) competitive ratios as with non-reusable resources when product rental times are fixed over time. As a corollary, we obtain the optimal competitive ratio of (1 − 1/e) when inventories are large. We also show this family of policies are constant competitive under i.i.d. (over time) stochastic rental times. Third, we change gear to the Bayesian setting by introducing simulation-based policies that use the expected LP solution as guidance. By using primal-dual analysis, we obtain a (1/2)-competitive simple and static simulation-based policy against the expected LP for general type-varying rental time distributions and rental fees. We further show optimal (1 − 1/ (cmin+3)0.5)-competitive adaptive policies against the same benchmark when rental times are infinite, where cmin is the smallest product inventory. Our analysis extends tools in the literature on prophet inequalities to design discarding threshold rules that maintain feasibility of a simulation-based policy in the Bayesian real-time assortment. We further justify the revenue performance of our proposed policies using numerical simulations.
Compiler Optimizations for Parallel Programs.

This paper outlines a research and development program to enhance modern compiler technology, and the LLVM compiler infrastructure specifically, to directly optimize parallel-programming-model constructs. The goal is to produce higher-quality code, and moreover, to remove abstraction penalties generally associated with such constructs. We believe that such abstraction penalties are increasing in importance due to C++ parallel-algorithms libraries and other performance-portability-motivated programming methods.
Doping CdSe x Te 1-x /CdTe Graded Absorber Films with Arsenic for Thin-Film Photovoltaics

CdTe thin-film photovoltaics have demonstrated some of the lowest costs of electricity generation owing to its low material cost and ease of manufacturing. However, the full potential of polycrystalline CdTe photovoltaics can only be realized if the open-circuit voltage can be increased beyond 1 V Open-circuit voltage ~850-900 mV has been consistently observed for state-of-the-art polycrystalline CdTe solar cells. Open-circuit voltage of over 1V has been demonstrated for single crystal CdTe devices by doping with Group V elements. Therefore, this study is aimed at understanding behavior of polycrystalline CdTe devices with arsenic doping, its activation and process and performance optimization in order to overcome current voltage limitations in CdTe solar cells.
Variability in clinical decision-making for ventricular assist device implantation in pediatrics.

BACKGROUND Minimal data exist on clinical decision-making in VAD implantation in pediatrics. This study aims to identify areas of consensus/variability among pediatric VAD physicians in determining eligibility and factors that guide decision-making. METHODS An 88-item survey with clinical vignettes was sent to 132 pediatric HT cardiologists and surgeons at 37 centers. Summary statistics are presented for the variables assessed. RESULTS Total respondents were 65 (72% cardiologists, 28% surgeons) whose centers implanted 1-5 (34%), 6-10 (40%), or >10 (26%) VADs in the past year. Consensus varied by patients' age, diagnosis, and Pedimacs profile. Highest agreement to offer VAD (97%) was a mechanically ventilated teenager with dilated cardiomyopathy. Patients stable on inotropes were less likely offered VAD (11%-25%). SV infant with Pedimacs profile 2 had the most varied responses: 37% offered VAD; estimated survival ranged from 15% to 90%. Variables considered for VAD eligibility included mild developmental delays (100% offered VAD), moderate-severe behavioral concerns (46%), cancer in remission >2 years (100%), active malignancy with good prognosis (68%) or uncertain prognosis (36%), and BMI >35 (74%) or <15 (69%). Most respondents (91%) would consider destination therapy VADs in pediatrics, though not currently feasible at 1/3 of centers. Factors with greatest influence on decision-making included HT candidacy, families' goals of care, and risks of complications. CONCLUSIONS Significant variation exists among pediatric VAD physicians when determining VAD eligibility and estimating survival, which can lead to differences in access to emerging technologies across institutions. Further work is needed to understand and mitigate these differences.
Serum non-esterified fatty acid levels and hip fracture risk: The Cardiovascular Health Study.

Among elderly participants from the Cardiovascular Health Study, we found that non-esterified trans fatty acid levels had a significant prospective association with hip fracture risk. Other non-esterified fatty acid classes were not associated with hip fracture risk. Serum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) are bioactive metabolic intermediates that can be taken up by bone tissue. Their associations with hip fracture risk have not been previously examined. Thirty-five individual NEFAs in five classes (saturated [SFA], mono-un-saturated [MUFA], poly-unsaturated n-6 and n-3 [PUFA], and trans-FA) were measured in Cardiovascular Health Study participants (n = 2139, mean age 77.8 years) without known diabetes. The multivariable associations of NEFA levels with hip fracture risk were evaluated in Cox hazards models. We documented 303 incident hip fractures during 11.1 years of follow-up. Among the five NEFA classes, total trans FA levels were positively associated with higher hip fracture risk (HR 1.17 [95% CI, 1.04, 1.31; p = 0.01] per one standard deviation higher level). The SFA lignoceric acid (24:0) was positively associated with higher risk (HR 1.09 [1.04, 1.1]; p < 0.001), while behenic (22:0) and docosatetraenoic (22:4 n6) acids were associated with lower risk (HR 0.76 [0.61, 0.94]; p = 0.01; 0.84 [0.70, 1.00]; p = 0.05, respectively). Total plasma trans NEFA levels are related to hip fracture risk, suggesting an unrecognized benefit of their systematic removal from food. Novel associations of individual NEFAs with hip fracture risk require confirmation in other cohort studies.
Making Social Spending Work

How does social spending relate to economic growth and which countries have got this right and wrong? Peter Lindert examines the experience of countries across the globe to reveal what has worked, what needs changing, and who the winners and losers are under different systems. He traces the development of public education, health care, pensions, and welfare provision, and addresses key questions around intergenerational inequality and fiscal redistribution, the returns to investment in human capital, how to deal with an aging population, whether migration is a cost or a benefit, and how social spending differs in autocracies and democracies. The book shows that what we need to do above all is to invest more in the young from cradle to career, and shift the burden of paying for social insurance away from the workplace and to society as a whole.
Fabrication and development of controlled release PLGA microneedles for macromolecular delivery using FITC-Dextran as model molecule

Abstract The use of biodegradable polymers has been prominent in the field of drug delivery due to its degradability and biocompatible properties. These polymers when used to prepare microneedles, impart high mechanical strength, sustained drug release profile, and long term biocompatibility. In this study, PLGA (poly (D, L-lactic co-glycolic acid)) and PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol) were used in combination to optimize the microneedle fabrication for high molecular weight FITC Dextran (4 kDa MW) to be used as a model drug. FITC-Dextran loaded PLGA microneedles were fabricated using a mold casting technique. MNs were characterized for the textural properties, FITC-Dextran release profile, and in-vitro permeation profile. The fate of microneedles in the skin (ex vivo) was characterized using fluorescence and confocal imaging. The FITC -Dextran MNs (10 × 10 array) had a dimension of 415 ± 2.65 μm height, 207 ± 1.63 μm width of the base and a needle pitch of 463 ± 1.45 μm. The texture analysis data showed puncture force for FITC-Dextran loaded PLGA microneedles (28.46 ± 0.23 g) and PLGA microneedles (16.92 ± 0.04 g). The Cumulative permeation of FITC-Dextran after 48 h was 2.34 ± 0.40 μg/cm2 and it showed a 31 fold higher permeation profile than its respective control. Ex vivo imaging studies were used to characterize the fluorescence intensity of FITC-Dextran in the skin. This study demonstrates that incorporating higher molecular weight molecules into PLGA microneedles proved to be an effective strategy to sustain the release of macromolecules across stratum corneum/epidermis for transdermal delivery.
University Leadership: Slippage from Abiding to Peremptory Roles?

Our university leadership strongly encourages you to attend today’s session on _____. This topic is of the utmost importance to us all.” Such urging populates the Inboxes of faculty, workers, and students at U.S. universities. They come from presidents, vice-presidents, deans, directors of diversity and inclusion offices, coordinators of training and development, and subordinates in the enlarging bureaucracy mobilized to support this leadership. Seminars train employees with “best practices” to improve their “cultural competencies” and correct their deficiencies. Meanwhile, senior administration’s moral purview extends to pronouncements on the political controversies of the day. Taken together, these internal and external roles mark huge scope for university leadership. Since when? Who signed such a contract when hired as faculty or paying tuition?
Asynchronous Serial Infrastructure Using FPIO

"Tour Pin Input Output" (FPIO) is a delayinsensitive asynchronous bit-serial multi-chip management protocol which surpasses "Serial Peripheral Interface" (SPI) by eliminating timing races, waiting for peripherals to acknowledge, using unidirectional fanout-1 full-swing signals, eliminating chip select wires, and scaling to rings of dozens of chips using less wiring. The message protocol over FPIO supports on-chip tree and ring topologies to connect internal interfaces such as virtualized wires, scan chains, NoC message interfaces, and circuit testers. Intel’s Loihi neuromorphic processor and related chips use this new infrastructure. We propose these protocols as an open standard for serial management, especially suited for asynchronous chips.
Using Longitudinal Data to Estimate Age, Period and Cohort Effects in Earnings Equations

The literature on the determinants of earnings suggest an earnings function for individual i which depends on age ai, year t, “vintage” or “cohort” schooling level si, and experience ei. Adopting a linear function to facilitate exposition we may write $${Y_i}(t,{a_i},{c_i},{e_i},{s_i}) = {\alpha _0} + {\alpha _1}{a_i} + {\alpha _2}t + {\alpha _3}{e_i} + {\alpha _4}{s_i} + {\alpha _5}{c_i}$$ (1) where ei is experience, usually defined for males as age minus schooling, (ei = ai – si),1 and Yi may be any monotone transformation of earnings.
SMALL-SCALE COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND TEMPERATURE AND POLARIZATION ANISOTROPIES DUE TO PATCHY REIONIZATION

We study contributions from inhomogeneous (patchy) reionization to arcminute-scale (1000 < l < 10,000) cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies. We show that inhomogeneities in the ionization fraction, rather than in the mean density, dominate both the temperature and the polarization power spectra. Depending on the ionization history and the clustering bias of the ionizing sources, we find that rms temperature fluctuations range from 2 to 8 μK and the corresponding values for polarization are over 2 orders of magnitude smaller. Reionization can significantly bias cosmological parameter estimates and degrade gravitational lensing potential reconstruction from temperature maps but not from polarization maps. We demonstrate that a simple modeling of the reionization temperature power spectrum may be sufficient to remove the parameter bias. The high-l temperature power spectrum will contain some limited information about the sources of reionization.