cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Function Perturbation on the Steady-State Distribution of Genetic Regulatory Networks: Optimal Structural Intervention

The dynamics of a rule-based gene regulatory network are determined by the regulatory functions in conjunction with whatever probability distributions are involved in network transitions. In the case of Boolean networks (BNs) and, more generally, probabilistic Boolean networks (PBNs), there has been a significant amount of investigation into the effect of perturbing gene states, in particular, the design of intervention strategies based on finite- or infinite-horizon control polices. This paper considers the less investigated issue of function perturbations. A single function perturbation affects network dynamics and alters the long-run distribution, whereas any individual gene perturbation has only transient effects and does not change the long-run distribution. We derive analytic results for changes in the steady-state distributions of PBNs resulting from modifications to the underlying regulatory rules and apply the derived results to find optimal structural interventions to avoid undesirable states. The results are applied to a WNT5A network and a mammalian cell cycle related network, respectively, to achieve more favorable steady-state distributions and reduce the risk of getting into aberrant phenotypes.
Ovarian weight as an index of fecundity, maturity, and spawning periodicity

Ovarian weight and related indices such as gonadosomatic index were used to index fecundity, egg maturity, and spawning season in gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum. Individually, in simple regression, fecundity and mean egg volume each accounted for only about 50% of the variability in ovarian weight. Together, in multiple regression, fecundity and mean egg volume accounted for 86% of the variation in ovarian weight. The percentage of the variability in ovarian weight explained by each independent variable, while holding constant the value of the other independent variable (partial coefficient of determination), was 72% for fecundity and 78% for mean egg volume. Thus, ovarian weight of gizzard shad confounded information about fecundity and egg maturity and separately could not index them adequately. Attempts to remove the effect of fecundity, so that ovarian weight could serve as an index of maturity, and to remove the effect of egg size so that ovarian weight could serve as an index of fecundity, were unsuccessful. Nevertheless, seasonal oscillations of ovarian weight served as a crude indicator of population Spawning Season.
The Tricuspid Valve in Adult Congenital Heart Disease

The tricuspid valve is frequently affected in adults with congenital heart disease but is also frequently overlooked. Disease of this valve can occur primarily or develop secondary to changes in the right ventricle caused by other disease states. The embryology and anatomy of the tricuspid valve are important to understanding pathogenesis of valve dysfunction in congenital heart disease. Clinical findings can be subtle. Multimodality imaging may be necessary to fully assess the cause and impact of tricuspid valve lesions. More research is needed in pathophysiology, imaging, and treatment in this area.
Continuous quantum error correction via quantum feedback control

We describe a protocol for continuously protecting unknown quantum states from decoherence that incorporates design principles from both quantum error correction and quantum feedback control. Our protocol uses continuous measurements and Hamiltonian operations, which are weaker control tools than are typically assumed for quantum error correction. We develop a cost function appropriate for unknown quantum states and use it to optimize our state-estimate feedback. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we study our protocol for the three-qubit bit-flip code in detail and demonstrate that it can improve the fidelity of quantum states beyond what is achievable using quantum error correction when the time between quantum error-correction cycles is limited.
Prostate-specific antigen and prostate cancer mortality: a systematic review.

Context Although findings from recently published clinical trials and a review from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggest that there is limited to no prostate cancer mortality benefit associated with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, confusion remains as to whether the use of PSA as a screening tool for prostate cancer is warranted. Evidence acquisition A systematic literature review was done in 2012 to identify case–control studies from the past 20 years that focused on evaluating the association between screening for prostate cancer and prostate cancer mortality. Emphasis was put on synthesizing the results of these studies, evaluating their limitations, and identifying remaining questions and issues that should be addressed in future studies. Evidence synthesis A total of seven studies were identified in this time period, with the majority suggesting that a reduction in prostate cancer mortality is associated with PSA screening. However, the findings may be limited by various biases inherent to case–control studies of screening tests, such as selection biases resulting from both case and control subject selection, exposure measurement issues, lead and length biases, and issues specific to prostate cancer screening such as the influence of digital rectal examinations. Conclusions Findings from existing case–control studies of PSA and prostate cancer mortality suggest that there is a mortality benefit from PSA screening. However, these studies may be limited by bias and must therefore be interpreted with caution. As uncertainty regarding PSA screening remains, future studies to evaluate the association between PSA and prostate cancer mortality should address these potential biases directly.
Estate Tax Planning And Marketing Oppor-tunities Of The Economic Growth And Tax Relief Reconciliation Act Of 2001

The best advice tax practitioners can give clients after the 2001 Tax Relief Act, is that the optimal time to die in the next decade will be 2010! What has been touted as a repeal of the Federal estate tax, has actually resulted in increasing the importance of estate tax planning. This is due to several factors. First, the rate reduction is phased in so slowly that in 2009, the top estate rate will still be 45% and the exemption amount only $3.5 million. In 2010, repeal is actually achieved, but for one year only. The “repeal” sunsets in 2011 when the estate tax comes back in full, using a maximum 55% rate and a $1 million exemption. Basis of inherited property may prove to be a nightmare. Some property will get a stepped up basis, other property will not. Further complicating the picture is that the gift tax has not been repealed. The estate tax planner will be faced with a host of issues to consider. Which estate planning strategies are still valid? What new planning tools will be developed? Many wills will include obsolete provisions and will need to be redrafted. Health of the client will become more important in the planning process. Marketing issues of planning under such uncertainty abound. This paper examines the new estate and gift tax provisions; offers strategies for navigating the sea of complexity and uncertainty; and explores the marketing opportunities for financial planners created by the new law. It is dangerous to make predictions.....especially about the future. Samuel Goldwyn
Does initial staging or tumor histology better identify asymptomatic brain metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer?

Background To determine whether the distribution, staging features, or tumor histology of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) distinguishes neurologically symptomatic from asymptomatic patients initially diagnosed with lung cancer, and to determine whether these factors may predict the presence of brain metastasis. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 809 patients with NSCLC and brain metastases who were treated in our institution between January 1996 and March 2003. Patients who had brain metastasis on initial staging were included. Thoracic computed tomographic scans were reviewed for lung tumor features and staging. Neurological computed tomographic or magnetic resonance image scans were assessed for distribution of brain metastases. Medical records were reviewed for comprehensive staging, tumor histology, and neurological symptoms. Fisher's exact test was used to determine any differences among tumor histology, staging, and imaging features among patients with or without neurological symptoms. Results Of the 809 patients, 181 had brain metastasis at initial staging. Among these 181 patients, 120 (66%) presented with neurological symptoms (group 1); 61 (34%) patients were asymptomatic (group 2). Patients with adenocarcinoma and large-cell carcinoma had greater odds of brain metastases than patients with squamous cell carcinoma ( p = 0.001). There were 106 (58.6%) patients with adenocarcinoma, 32 (17.7%) with large cell carcinoma, and 18 (9.9%) with squamous cell carcinoma. In both groups, most lung cancers were in the right lung with upper lobe dominance. No significant difference in tumor histology or T stage was found between groups, although group 2 was more likely to have a higher N stage. Of the 181 patients with brain metastasis, 60 (33.1%) had N0 disease, 51 (28.2%) had T1 disease, and 23 (19.2%) had no other metastasis. There was no correlation between number/distribution of brain metastases and tumor histology, although patients with disease in the cerebellum or temporal lobes had a greater likelihood of neurological symptoms (odds ratio 3.7). Conclusion There was no significant difference in tumor histology, staging, or distribution between symptomatic or asymptomatic patients with NSCLC with brain metastases. The odds of brain metastases were greater in those with adenocarcinoma or large-cell carcinoma.
Cosmogenic dating of Late Pleistocene glaciation, southern tropical Andes, Peru

We present 30 10Be dates on three moraines formed by small glaciers in the southern tropical Andes of Peru to determine the timing of the local Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and subsequent deglaciation. Two terminal moraines indicate that the local LGM ended at 23.5 ± 0.5 and 21.2 ± 0.8 ka, or well before the end of the global LGM (20–19 ka). A recessional moraine perched at the base of a steep valley wall has a 10Be age of 19.8 ± 0.3 ka, suggesting that glaciers had largely retreated from the area during the earliest stages of the last termination and before the onset of the deglacial CO2 rise and increase in tropical sea surface temperatures. These ages generally agree with other tropical glacial chronologies and reflect a broad synchroneity between low- and high-latitude deglaciation at the LGM, but the trigger for early deglaciation of the tropics remains unclear.
Opportunistic Events and p17 Expression in the Bone Marrow of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients

Bone marrow biopsies from 114 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients were stained with an anti-p17 monoclonal antibody to detect active HIV replication and associated factors. Immunoreactive p17 was found as virus-like particles in macrophages and dendritic cells and occasionally in megakaryocytes in 62 of 114 marrows and was considered evidence of active HIV replication. Immunoreactive p17 was not found significantly more often in the marrows of patients with lower CD4 cell counts; however, it was found significantly more in the marrows of patients with concurrent mycobacterial or fungal infections or lymphoma (chi 2 = 12.1, P < .001). Immunoreactive p17 was even more frequent when these opportunistic diseases were found in the biopsied marrow (chi 2 = 20.5, P < .001). The association of active HIV replication with certain opportunistic diseases, but not with lower CD4 cell counts, raises the possibility that these opportunistic diseases may under some circumstances be a cause as well as a consequence of active HIV replication.
Characterizing storm-event nitrate fluxes in a fifth order suburbanizing watershed using in situ sensors.

Land use influences the distribution of nonpoint nitrogen (N) sources in urbanizing watersheds and storm events interact with these heterogeneous sources to expedite N transport to aquatic systems. In situ sensors provide high frequency and continuous measurements that may reflect storm-event N variability more accurately compared to grab samples. We deployed sensors from April to December 2011 in a suburbanizing watershed (479 km2) to characterize storm-event nitrate-N (NO3–N) and conductivity variability. NO3–N concentrations exhibited complex patterns both within and across storms and shifted from overall dilution (source limitation) before summer baseflows to subsequent periods of flushing (transport limitation). In contrast, conductivity generally diluted with increasing runoff. Despite diluted NO3–N concentrations, NO3–N fluxes consistently increased with flow. Sensor flux estimates for the entire deployment period were similar to estimates derived from weekly and monthly grab samples. However, sign...
Developmental Responses of the Mexican Biotype of Edovum puttleri (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) to Temperature and Photoperiod

The Mexican and Colombian biotypes of the egg parasitoid Edovum puttleri Grissell have similar rates of development under temperatures from 18 to 29°C. They require approximately 215 degree-days ( K ) above a developmental threshold ( t ) of 9.9°C. A biophysical model that simulates temperature–development relationships over a wide range of temperatures estimates that high temperature inhibition occurs between 31 and 32°C. Survival at 15°C was higher for the Mexican than the Colombian biotype. Under all temperatures tested, development was slightly (2 days maximum) faster under short daylengths than under long daylengths. The Mexican biotype offers two advantages to biological control programs: 1) its relatively high survival at 15°C may make it a better choice for release in potato-growing regions of the northern United States, and 2) it may provide genetic variability for selecting or breeding for improved tolerance to low temperatures.
Mathematical models of Ebola-Consequences of underlying assumptions.

Abstract Mathematical models have been used to study Ebola disease transmission dynamics and control for the recent epidemics in West Africa. Many of the models used in these studies are based on the model of Legrand et al. (2007), and most failed to accurately project the outbreak’s course (Butler, 2014). Although there could be many reasons for this, including incomplete and unreliable data on Ebola epidemiology and lack of empirical data on how disease-control measures quantitatively affect Ebola transmission, we examine the underlying assumptions of the Legrand model, and provide alternate formulations that are simpler and provide additional information regarding the epidemiology of Ebola during an outbreak. We developed three models with different assumptions about disease stage durations, one of which simplifies to the Legrand model while the others have more realistic distributions. Control and basic reproduction numbers for all three models are derived and shown to provide threshold conditions for outbreak control and prevention.
Fine Structure Study of Pollen Development in Haemanthus katherinae Baker III. Changes in Organelles During Development of the Vegetative Cell

The newly formed vegetative cell of the pollen grain of the African blood lily has a spheroidal nucleus, few dictyosomes, and a small amount of endoplasmic reticulum. Plastids are smaller than those of the microspore and usually lack starch granules. Mitochondria and lipid bodies are more numerous than they were in the microspores, but their appearance is unchanged. As the pollen grain matures, the vegetative nucleus becomes irregular in shape. There is a dramatic increase in the number of dictyosomes, starch accumulates in the plastids, and a moderately well developed system of endoplasmic reticulum appears in the form of flat cisternae. In the developmental period immediately preceding anthesis, the vegetative nucleus becomes lobate and small nucleoli replace the large nucleoli present earlier. Plastids lose their starch, lipid bodies disappear, and the endoplasmic reticulum becomes vesicular in this final stage before germination.
Prospective HIV clinical trial comparison by expected Kullback-Leibler Divergence

The sample frequency and volume of blood that can be drawn from a single patient is meticulously restricted under the human subject protection protocols established by an institutional review board (IRB). Consequently, the amount of samples that can be taken during a particular experiment is limited. In order to ensure an effective experiment design, considerations must be taken choosing when to take patient samples. A validated model of HIV-1 viral replication and 2-LTR production is exploited to find sub-optimal sampling schedules that maximize information content of the experiment outcome. This is done through a Forward Stepwise Regression (FSR) process with Kullback Liebler Divergence (KLD) as a selection criterion. Suboptimal schedules are found for an experiment taking four sample points over a possible span of 20 weeks. All schedules found with the FSR process contain significantly more information than both a uniform schedule and a schedule used in a previous experiment with 4 sample points. This work demonstrates the advantages of using KLD as a tool in the experiment design process to increase information content.
Quantitative Analysis of Scalable NoSQL Databases

NoSQL databases are rapidly becoming the customary data platform for big data applications. These databases are emerging as a gateway for alternative approaches outside traditional relational databases and are characterized by efficient horizontal scalability, schema-less approach to data modeling, high performance data access, and limited querying capabilities. The lack of transactional semantics among NoSQL databases has made the choice of a particular consistency model dependent on the application. Therefore, it is essential to examine methodically, and in detail, the performance of various databases under diverse workload conditions. Three of the most commonly used NoSQL databases: MongoDB, Cassandra and HBase are evaluated using the Yahoo Cloud Service Bench-mark, a popular benchmark tool. The horizontal scalability of the three systems under different workload conditions and varying dataset sizes is captured. A benchmark suite which summarizes the results of the evaluation is presented.
Whales and Nations: Environmental Diplomacy on the High Seas; War of the Whales: A True Story. and Narwhals: Arctic Whales in a Melting World

Kurkpatrick Dorsey. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2016. xxii and 380 pp., appendix, notes, illustrations, bibliography, index. $24.95 paper (ISBN 9780-2959-9559-5); $34.95 cloth (ISB...
Reducing mesh size for finite element modeling of transvenous defibrillation

The objective of this study is to determine if transvenous defibrillation simulations can be simplified by reducing the size of the volume conductor model. The study is implemented with a physiologically realistic 3-D finite element model of the human thorax. The model computes potential distributions within the heart from a knowledge of defibrillation shock strength, defibrillation electrode location, and the relative conductivities of the interior thorax. Results are compared between a model of the entire torso and a model consisting only of the heart surrounded by a spherical shell. Comparison of the potential distributions within the heart between the two models yielded a root mean square error of 13.696 and a correlation coefficient of 0.995. For the finite element solution, storage requirements were decreased by a factor of 4 and computational time was reduced by a factor of 15. These results indicate that for transvenous defibrillation simulations the size of the model can be greatly reduced by excluding the interior structures of the torso external to the heart. In addition, the results suggests that interior structures such as the lungs may not affect the potential distributions within the heart during transvenous defibrillation.
High Lift Common Research Model for Wind Tunnel Testing: An Active Flow Control Perspective

This paper provides an overview of a research and development effort sponsored by the NASA Advanced Air Transport Technology Project to achieve the required high-lift performance using active flow control (AFC) on simple hinged flaps while reducing the cruise drag associated with the external mechanisms on slotted flaps of a generic modern transport aircraft. The removal of the external fairings for the Fowler flap mechanism could help to reduce drag by 3.3 counts. The main challenge is to develop an AFC system that can provide the necessary lift recovery on a simple hinged flap high-lift system while using the limited pneumatic power available on the aircraft. Innovative low-power AFC concepts will be investigated in the flap shoulder region. The AFC concepts being explored include steady blowing and unsteady blowing operating in the spatial and/or temporal domain. Both conventional and AFC-enabled high-lift configurations were designed for the current effort. The high-lift configurations share the cruise geometry that is based on the NASA Common Research Model, and therefore, are also open geometries. A 10%-scale High Lift Common Research Model (HL-CRM) is being designed for testing at the NASA Langley Research Center 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel during fiscal year 2018. The overall project plan, status, HL-CRM configurations, and AFC objectives for the wind tunnel test are described.
Can macroeconomic dynamics explain the time variation of risk–return trade-offs in the U.S. financial market?

Abstract This paper explores potential economic sources that drive risk–return trade-off dynamics both in-sample and out-of-sample. Using the stochastic dominance test, I find statistical evidence that the risk–return trade-off procyclically varies with business cycles and asymmetrically responses to market timing. Moreover, based on a set of commonly used macroeconomic variables, the macroeconomic fluctuations explain about 30.4% on average of risk–return trade-off dynamics, with significantly delayed macroeconomic effect up to 12 months. For the purpose of robustness, the results from macroeconomic predictive regressions are further generalized by the principle component analysis with an expanded number of macroeconomic variables.
Mastering the non-equilibrium assembly and operation of molecular machines

In mechanically interlocked compounds, such as rotaxanes and catenanes, the molecules are held together by mechanical rather than chemical bonds. These compounds can be engineered to have several well-defined mechanical states by incorporating recognition sites between the different components. The rates of the transitions between the recognition sites can be controlled by introducing steric “speed bumps” or electrostatically switchable gates. A mechanism for the absorption of energy can also be included by adding photoactive, catalytically active, or redox-active recognition sites, or even charges and dipoles. At equilibrium, these Mechanically Interlocked Molecules (MIMs) undergo thermally activated transitions continuously between their different mechanical states where every transition is as likely as its microscopic reverse. External energy, for example, light, external modulation of the chemical and/or physical environment or catalysis of an exergonic reaction, drives the system away from equilibrium. The absorption of energy from these processes can be used to favour some, and suppress other, transitions so that completion of a mechanical cycle in a direction in which work is done on the environment – the requisite of a molecular machine – is more likely than completion in a direction in which work is absorbed from the environment. In this Tutorial Review, we discuss the different design principles by which molecular machines can be engineered to use different sources of energy to carry out self-organization and the performance of work in their environments.
Review of doing Bayesian data analysis: a tutorial with R, JAGS, and Stan (second edition)

Base rate information, in conjunction with sensitivity and specificity estimates are fundamental to appraising the diagnostic accuracy of neuropsychological tests. When considered together, base ra...
Accuracy-preserving source term quadrature for third-order edge-based discretization

Abstract In this paper, we derive a family of source term quadrature formulas for preserving third-order accuracy of the node-centered edge-based discretization for conservation laws with source terms on arbitrary simplex grids. A three-parameter family of source term quadrature formulas is derived, and as a subset, a one-parameter family of economical formulas is identified that does not require second derivatives of the source term. Among the economical formulas, a unique formula is then derived that does not require gradients of the source term at neighbor nodes, thus leading to a significantly smaller discretization stencil for source terms. All the formulas derived in this paper do not require a boundary closure, and therefore can be directly applied at boundary nodes. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate third-order accuracy at interior and boundary nodes for one-dimensional grids and linear triangular/tetrahedral grids over straight and curved geometries.
Agriculture and Irrigation

This chapter provides a brief overview of the history of agriculture and irrigation, background of agriculture and irrigation, scope of the chapter, water supply, improving performance and productivity of existing irrigation systems, improved basin and system-level management, riverine ecosystems impacts, on-farm technologies for enhancing the productivity of land and water, policy and institutional reform, improving alternative supply-side measures, enhancing rain-fed agriculture and supporting local techniques, adopting water recycling, investing in conventional supply-side measures and obstacles and enabling conditions.
Reynolds number scaling of pocket events in the viscous sublayer

Pocket events in the viscous sublayer of a turbulent boundary layer are shown to scale with the Taylor microscale. A simple model of a compact vortex propagating obliquely toward the wall from a position near the lower edge of the log layer is consistent with the observed scaling behavior.
Intestinal Stem Cells Live Off the Fat of the Land.

In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Mihaylova et al. (2018) show that short-term fasting increases serum levels of long-chain fatty acids, presumably derived from the host. This effect in turn can rescue age-related phenotypes that occur in intestinal epithelial stem cells.
Against Conservatism in Metaphysics

In his recent book, Daniel Korman contrasts ontological conservatives with permissivists and eliminativists about ontology. Roughly speaking, conservatives admit the existence of ‘ordinary objects' like trees, dogs, and snowballs, but deny the existence of ‘extraordinary objects', like composites of trees and dogs (‘trogs'). Eliminativists, on the other hand, deny many or all ordinary objects, while permissivists accept both ordinary and extraordinary objects. Our aim in this paper is to outline some of our reasons for being drawn to permissivism, as well as some of our misgivings about conservative metaphysics. In the first section, we discuss a tempting epistemic line of argument against conservatism. This isn’t a line of argument we find especially promising. Our most basic complaint against conservatism is not that conservatism has poor epistemic standing even if true, but instead that conservatism is weird. We develop this thought in the second part of the paper. In the final section we discuss some larger methodological issues about the project of ontology.
Engineering Planning and Design

After you have studied this chapter, you should be able to: Know the general characteristics of systems design. Know the characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and types of models. Know various types of supply chain objectives, constraints, and costs. Know the characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and types of algorithms. Know various distance norms and understand their relationship with real-world distances.
Microbiological and Organic-Chemical Processes in the Surface and Mixed Layers

The microorganisms, their organic matter and the gases they consume and release are vital components of the hydrosphere which impinge upon the atmosphere. This chapter considers the microbiological processes, and the organic-chemical transformations that occur, when microorganisms utilize one gas as a raw material while releasing another gas as a by-product during the synthesis and decay of organic matter. The cells and the by-products from the growth and metabolism of each trophic or feeding type of microorganism are in turn used by other trophic types to form an ecosystem, a community of organisms considered as a unit together with its physical environment. The microorganisms, their organic matter and the gases that regulate the metabolism within this ecosystem are transformed and balanced in a daily rhythm of production and consumption, controlled directly or indirectly by the solar cycle. They are also affected by physical processes which transfer gases, organic matter and microorganisms to and from the mixed layer and its boundaries at the sea-air interface and at the thermocline.
Analysis of Heavy Rainfall Events Occurred in Italy by Using Numerical Weather Prediction, Microwave and Infrared Technique

The extraordinary rainfall event that affected the center of Italy on 9th and 10th September 2017 was studied by examining the synoptic analysis, radar network and rain gauges' measurements. The main precipitation event took place in the area around Livorno, where more than 200 mm of precipitation was recorded in 24 hours. The case study is analyzed using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and two algorithms based on satellite observations: the Rain Class Evaluation from Infrared and Visible observation (RainCEIV) technique and the cloud Classification Mask Coupling of Statistical and Physics Methods (C-MACSP). The analysis shows that WRF is able to forecast the event, though with errors in actual structure, location, and time. For this reason, the combined use of different observational tools could support the WRF simulation to provide a better characterization of the event.
Lead Toxicity from a Retained Bullet

Lead Toxicity from a Retained Bullet A 46-year-old man with a prior gunshot wound to the left knee presented with worsening knee pain. Radiographs showed fragmentation of the bullet into innumerable metallic particles.
Redefining Universal Jurisdiction

This essay assesses how historical jurisdictional bases for adopting and applying international criminal law norms, most recently exemplified by the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court, have given rise to a new universal international jurisdiction. It also examines how domestic courts exercise universal inter-state jurisdiction to try international crimes. Finally, this essay proposes a methodology for courts and commentators to conceptualize and analyze both types of universal jurisdiction, with the former exercised by the international community and the latter exercised by States.
Shale gas transmission and housing prices

Abstract In this study, we exploit residential property sales data in New York to value the external environmental costs of the proposed Constitution Pipeline, a high-capacity transmission pipeline designed to transport hydraulically-fractured natural gas in Pennsylvania to large northeastern markets. Results from difference-in-differences models suggest post-announcement price declines of 9% (∼$12,000) for those properties located within three kilometers of the pipeline. These results are strongly robust to different specifications and subsets of the data, as well as falsification testing. Additionally, we find some evidence of attenuation in our treatment effect over time, which is indicative of either declining salience or expectations of the pipeline over time. Our results suggest that homebuyer expectations of the environmental externalities of natural gas pipeline construction and operations are large and negative.
Ticagrelor and Statin Interaction Induces Rhabdomyolysis and Acute Renal Failure: Case reports and Scoping Review.

Ever since evidence about the increased risk of stent thrombosis with drug eluting stents (DES) surfaced in 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended the use of dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin with P2Y12 inhibitor) following DES placement. The PLATO trial demonstrated lower mortality rates with the use of Ticagrelor when compared to clopidogrel (9.8% vs. 11.7%, p<0.001) when treating patients with acute coronary syndrome. Given their pleiotropic benefits, statins are today the second most prescribed drug in the United States and often co-prescribed with Ticagrelor. FDA’s post market surveillance of Ticagrelor use along with statins in post-myocardial infarction care is now revealing novel and serious adverse events. We present two cases of rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure (ARF) which develop while the patients were on statins and Ticagrelor. Case 1: A 66-year-old female presented with bilateral thigh pain for 3 days. One month prior to presentation, she was managed for non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and had been started on aspirin, ticagrelor and simvastatin. Laboratory values revealed creatinine kinase (CK) level at 40,000 U/L and creatinine 3.2 mg/dL suggesting rhabdomyolysis and ARF. Case 2: A 63-year-old male presented with generalized body aches and fatigue for 4 days. He had sustained STEMI two months before and received two drug eluting stents (DES) and aspirin, ticagrelor and rosuvastatin had been initiated. CK was 380,000 U/L and creatinine 7.94 mg/dL suggesting rhabdomyolysis and ARF. Both patients presented with rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure within weeks after ticagrelor and statin were commenced. A review of the literature indicated that 11 similar cases of ticagrelor-induced ARF and rhabdomyolysis had been reported. Ticagrelor competes with statins when metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 leading to statin retention, leading to major adverse effects like rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure. Our review is intended to alert clinicians about this important drug interaction.
Five Year Follow-Up of Staged Bilateral Lung Transplantation for High-Risk Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease: A Matched Case-Control Study

Purpose The choice of single (SOLT) or bilateral orthotopic lung transplant (BOLT) for interstitial lung disease (ILD) remains controversial. Our center adopted a staged BOLT approach for higher surgical risk ILD patients, in which they undergo a single lung transplant followed by a planned contralateral transplant at a later date. Long-term outcomes were compared to matched SOLT and BOLT recipients. Methods Patients undergoing lung transplant for ILD at our institution 1/2009-8/2013 were eligible. Pediatric recipients, recipients of redo or multi-organ transplantation, and those with a diagnosis other than ILD were excluded. Staged BOLT recipients were matched to conventional SOLT and BOLT recipients in a 1:2:2 fashion based on criteria including age within 3 years and lung allocation score within 10 points. Patient and graft survival were estimated using the Kaplan Meier method. In staged BOLT recipients, the incidence of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) was determined as persistent decline (≥20%) in FEV1 from baseline based on an average of two peak FEV1 values after second lung transplant, and compared to the incidence in control groups. Results A total of 192 patients with ILD met inclusion criteria. Of those, 12 (6.3%) received a staged BOLT, 106 (55.2%) received a conventional SOLT, and 74 (38.5%) received a conventional BOLT. Following matching, there were 24 control SOLTs and 24 control BOLTs. On unadjusted analysis, control SOLT, control BOLT, and staged BOLT recipients had comparable 5 year overall survival (p=0.29, Figure), graft survival (p=0.4), and incidences of CLAD (43.5%, 45.8%, 30.8%). Conclusion At our institution, staged BOLT recipients exhibited long-term outcomes comparable to conventional SOLT and BOLT recipients with similar baseline characteristics. This novel approach may provide an additional long-term survival benefit for a small subset of patients who would have otherwise undergone an isolated SOLT.
Deep Low-Density Separation for Semi-supervised Classification.

Given a small set of labeled data and a large set of unlabeled data, semi-supervised learning (ssl) attempts to leverage the location of the unlabeled datapoints in order to create a better classifier than could be obtained from supervised methods applied to the labeled training set alone. Effective ssl imposes structural assumptions on the data, e.g. that neighbors are more likely to share a classification or that the decision boundary lies in an area of low density. For complex and high-dimensional data, neural networks can learn feature embeddings to which traditional ssl methods can then be applied in what we call hybrid methods.
Plants to Remotely Detect Human Decomposition

In the USA, 100 000 people go missing every year. Difficulty in the rapid identification of sites of human decomposition complicates the recovery of bodies, especially in forests. We propose that spectral responses in tree and shrub canopies could act as guides to find cadavers using remote sensing platforms for societal benefit.
Legal, Political Science, and Economics Approaches to Measuring Malapportionment: The U.S. House, Senate, and Electoral College 1790–2010

Objective We compare and contrast methods for measuring malapportionment from different disciplines: law, political science, and economics. Methods With data from the U.S. House, Senate, and Electoral College (EC) over the period 1790–2010, we compare disproportionality measures and compare both across time and between institutions. Results We demonstrate that which approach to measurement we take can dramatically affect some of the conclusions we reach. However, we also demonstrate that the House and the EC are hardly malapportioned, regardless of which measure we use, while the level of malapportionment we observe in the Senate can depend on which measure we use. Conclusion Since there are many axiomatic properties we might wish to satisfy, no one measure is uniformly best with respect to all feasible desiderata. However, one measure, the minimum population needed to win a majority, offers a readily comparable measure across legislatures and jurisdictions, and is easy for nonspecialists to understand.
Photopolarimetric Characteristics of Brown Dwarfs. I. Uniform Cloud Decks

This work is a theoretical exploration facilitating the interpretation of polarimetric observations in terms of cloudiness, rotational velocities, and effective temperatures of brown dwarfs (BDs). An envelope of scatterers like free electrons, atoms/molecules, or haze/clouds affects the Stokes vector of the radiation emitted by oblate bodies. Due to high rotation rates, BDs can be considerably oblate. We present a conics-based radiative transfer scheme for computing the disk-resolved and disk-integrated polarized emission of an oblate BD or extrasolar giant planet bearing homogeneous or patchy clouds. Assuming a uniform gray atmosphere, we theoretically examine the sensitivity of photopolarimetry to the atmosphere's scattering properties, like cloud optical thickness and grain size, concurrently with BD properties, like oblateness, inclination, and effective temperature, which are all treated as free parameters. Additionally, we examine the potential effects of gravitational darkening (GD), revealing that it could significantly amplify disk-integrated polarization. GD imparts a nonlinear inverse temperature dependence to the resulting polarization. Photopolarimetric observations are sensitive to oblateness and inclination. The degree of polarization increases in response to both, making it potentially useful for assessing the spatial orientation of the BD. Under our model assumptions, increasing droplet size in optically thick clouds causes a blueward shift in the near-infrared colors of BDs, which is interesting in light of the observed J – K brightening in the L/T transition. For large cloud grains, polarization decreases sharply, while the transmitted intensity shows a steady increase. BD polarization is thus a potential indicator not only of the presence of clouds but also provides information on cloud grain size.
Covid-19 and transplantation: fatigue and responsibility.

I am sick of Covid-19. Covid fatigue is real. However, viral spread is unfettered and continues to affect daily life, including the systems for organ retrieval and transplantation. In this edition of the American Journal of Transplantation, Goff et al report the OPTN data during healthcare's "learning period" of navigating the Covid-19 pandemic1 . When the manuscript was submitted there were 6.6 million cases; but 2.5 months later, infections have doubled to over 13 million, with over 260 thousand deaths and 200,000 new daily infections2 .
Leaders as Communication Agents

Leadership is widely recognized as a key determinant in the functioning and wellbeing of individuals, groups, and organizations (van Knippenberg and Stam (ed.) in Oxford Handbook of Leadership and Organizations, Oxford University Press, 2014; Van Vugt et al., in American Psychologist 63:182–196, 2008). Leadership cannot be separated from communication; research reveals organizational leaders spend 70–80% of their time communicating (Wajcman and Rose in Organization Studies 32:941–961, 2011). In this chapter, we explore leadership communication and elaborate the inherent link between leadership and communication, review theoretical frameworks that provide best practice insights for leadership communication, and discuss communication channels leaders can utilize to communicate, connect, and engage with stakeholders. Important topics like leadership communication in turbulent times of change and crisis, and leaders’ self-reflection are also discussed.
ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Among Septic Shock and Coronary Interventions: A National Emergency Database Study.

OBJECTIVE To study coronary interventions and mortality among patients with ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) who were admitted with septic shock. METHODS Data from the national emergency department sample (NEDS) that constitutes 20% sample of hospital-owned emergency departments in the United States was analyzed for the septic shock related visits from 2016 to 2018. Septic shock was defined by the ICD codes. RESULTS Out of 1 375 507 adult septic shock patients, 521 300 had a primary diagnosis of septic shock (mean age 67.41±15.67 years, 51.1% females) in the national emergency database for the years 2016 to 2018. Of these patients, 2768 (0.53%) had STEMI recorded during the hospitalization. Mortality rates for STEMI patients were higher than patients without STEMI (52.3% vs 23.5%). Mortality rates improved with PCI among STEMI patients (43.8% vs 56.2%). Coronary angiography was performed among 16% of patients of which percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) rates were 7.7% among patients with STEMI septic shock. PCI numerically improved mortality, however, had no significant difference than patients without PCI on multivariate logistic regression and univariate logistic regression post coarsened exact matching of baseline characteristics among STEMI patients. Among the predictors, STEMI was a significant predictor of mortality in septic shock patients (OR 2.87, 95% CI 2.37-3.49; P<.001). Age, peripheral vascular disease, were predominant predictors of mortality in STEMI with septic shock subgroup (P <.001). Pneumonia was the predominant underlying infection among STEMI (36.4%) and without STEMI group (29.5%). CONCLUSION STEMI complicating septic shock worsens mortality. PCI and coronary angiography numerically improved mortality, however, had no significant difference from patients without PCI. More research will be needed to improve mortality in such a critically ill subgroup of patients.
Edward Douglass White's Use of Roman and Canon Law: A Study in the Supreme Court's Use of Foreign Legal Citations

The debate raging today in the Supreme Court over the precedential value of foreign law is not new; in his tenure on the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Edward Douglass White made extensive use of Roman and Canon law when American law either proved inadequate or needed supplementation. While Justice White's jurisprudential excursions at times veered into activism, his reliance on outside sources was the natural action of a classically-trained jurist looking for universal legal truths to guide his opinions. Three cases illustrate the ways in which Justice White's spacious interpretation of foreign law finds the seeds of American jurisprudence in the remnants of ancient Rome.
Milestones of the Modern Age

We are now faced with a dilemma. In the period following World War I—and in part stimulated by developments in military aviation—there was a rapid advance of research in aerodynamics, design and construction of aircraft, development of engines, and all other aspects of aviation. The last chapter presented a selective survey of the early days of flight up to the beginning of this century. In this chapter, however, it will be impossible to trace the further history of flight, a field that must be left to the extensive literature that is readily available. In particular, we must leave the history of the development of airliners and air traffic in all its aspects, including mail, freight, and passenger transportation. Progress in aviation took place in many countries, with the United States frequently in the lead. The current status of aviation, including some data on aircraft, will be discussed briefly in Chapters 10 and 11. Now we shall concentrate on a few special, even dramatic, events that caught the imagination of many.
Clinical and hemodynamic results of extracardiac conduit reconstruction of the pulmonary artery

To evaluate the efficacy of pulmonary artery construction with a prosthetic conduit we have reviewed 25 operations in 22 of our patients. Early mortality was 12.0%, late mortality 5.3%. Up to 13 years postoperatively, 93.8% of the survivors are asymptomatic. Of 12 patients surviving more than 1 year, 11 have been catheterized after 1-11 years. Five had prior aortopulmonary shunts (mean duration 7.3 years); highest postrepair pulmonary artery pressure was 40 mmHg. Of seven recatheterized xenograft conduits, none had severe and four had mild obstruction. Reconstruction of pulmonary artery with xenograft conduit produced good clinical results. Long duration of aortopulmonary shunt prior to repair did not result in severe pulmonary artery hypertension. Obstruction of xenograft conduit has not been a major problem in our patients, but when necessary, reoperation for obstruction can be carried out safely as late as 11 years after the operation.
Finite Volume Methods for Hyperbolic Problems

Preface 1. Introduction 2. Conservation laws and differential equations 3. Characteristics and Riemann problems for linear hyperbolic equations 4. Finite-volume methods 5. Introduction to the CLAWPACK software 6. High resolution methods 7. Boundary conditions and ghost cells 8. Convergence, accuracy, and stability 9. Variable-coefficient linear equations 10. Other approaches to high resolution 11. Nonlinear scalar conservation laws 12. Finite-volume methods for nonlinear scalar conservation laws 13. Nonlinear systems of conservation laws 14. Gas dynamics and the Euler equations 15. Finite-volume methods for nonlinear systems 16. Some nonclassical hyperbolic problems 17. Source terms and balance laws 18. Multidimensional hyperbolic problems 19. Multidimensional numerical methods 20. Multidimensional scalar equations 21. Multidimensional systems 22. Elastic waves 23. Finite-volume methods on quadrilateral grids Bibliography Index.