cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myeloid Sarcoma: The Mayo Clinic Experience of Ninety Six Case Series

Background: Myeloid sarcoma is a tumor mass consisting of myeloid blasts occurring at anatomical site other than the bone marrow (Arber et al. Blood 2016;127(20):2391-2405). It is a subgroup of acute myeloid leukemia, which can be localized or disseminated and may involve multiple organs. It can present with or without a positive bone marrow. It may precede or follow bone marrow involvement. It may be identified at diagnosis or relapse, and is not uncommon after stem cell transplantation (Koc et al. Cancer 1999;85(3):608-615; Yoshihara et al. Biol. Blood Marrow Transplant 2012;18(12):1800-1807). Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics, cytogenetics, prognosis and outcome of patients with myeloid sarcoma with or without bone marrow involvement. Methods: The Mayo Clinic database was interrogated using the ICD-9 codes 205.0, 205.2, 205.3, as well as terms "myeloid sarcoma," "chloroma," and "extramedullary sarcoma" in clinical notes and pathology reports. Patients9 follow up information was collected until July 2016. Results: Ninety six patients with a diagnosis myeloid sarcoma were identified. The diagnosis was based on biopsy results and in some cases imaging studies in addition to bone marrow biopsy. The median age was 53 (range 17-83) years, and 64 (67%) patients were males. Myeloid sarcoma with de novo (primary) and secondary acute myeloid leukemia (with antecedent hematologic malignancy and therapy related) accounted for 64% (61) and 36% of the cases respectively. The sites involved based on their frequency of occurrence included integumentary system (skin and soft tissues) in 37 (38%), lymphatic system in 17 (18%), the gastrointestinal and genitourinary system in 14 (15%), the nervous system in 9 (9%), the breast in 3 (3%) and multiple and other single sites in 16 (17 %). Bone marrow cytogenetics findings were documented in 74 (77%) patients; favorable, intermediate, and poor cytogenetic abnormalities account for 7 (9%), 45 (61%), and 22 (30%) cases respectively. After a median follow up of 135 weeks, 57 (59%) patients died. The median survival of primary and secondary acute myeloid leukemia with myeloid sarcoma was 52 and 11.5 months (P Twenty six (27%) patients had no bone marrow involvement; and 18 (69%) of them were primary myeloid sarcoma (without antecedent malignancy or therapy). The median (range) age of those with and without bone marrow involvement was 53 (17-83) and 56 (17-81) years (P=0.6). At diagnosis patients with and without bone marrow involvement have a median (range) hemoglobin (gm/dL) (10.3 (6.2-15.4) vs 13.1 (9.9-15.2) P=0.0002), white blood cell count (X109/L) (21.4 (1.1-182.5) vs 5.8 (2.4-23.2) P Conclusion: The treatment outcome of patients with myeloid sarcoma with or without bone marrow involvement seems the same. The conventional risk factors, antecedent hematological neoplasms and cytogenetic findings, have significant impact on survival. Disclosures Al-Kali:Celgene: Research Funding; Onconova Therapeutics, Inc.: Research Funding.
[F-18] FMISO PET hypoxia imaging in cervical cancer: Pretherapy uptake in predicting survival.

5507 Objectives: Hypoxia has been recognized as a significant problem in cancer of the uterine cervix. The genetic instability and molecular changes secondary to hypoxic stress promote an aggressive tumor phenotype that imparts resistance to both radiotherapy and chemotherapy, resulting in poor patient outcome. PET imaging with [F-18] fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) takes advantage of increased tracer retention in hypoxic tissues and is a non-invasive method to characterize and quantify hypoxia in cancer. We report our early experience with FMISO PET as a predictor of survival in patients with cervical cancer. Methods: Eighteen patients with cancer of the uterine cervix were enrolled in an FMISO-PET imaging protocol through 2005. PET images were obtained 90 min following the injection of 0.1 mCi/Kg of FMISO. All patients had bladder catheterization with irrigation to reduce bladder uptake. Tissue to blood (T:B) FMISO ratio was calculated using venous blood samples obtained during the emission part of the scan and a cutoff T:B ratio of 1.2 was used to signify hypoxia. Hypoxic volume (HV) is the sum of all pixels with a T:B ratio â‰¥ 1.2 and is expressed in mL. These patients also had whole body FDG scans that enabled measurement of glucose metabolism (SUVmax). Survival was analyzed using Cox proportional hazard model for FMISO and FDG. Results: Clinical Stage I - 4; Stage II - 4 and Stage III - 10. Histopathology: 6 adenocarcinoma and 12 squamous cell carcinoma. There were 4 deaths, 5 progressions and 9 with NED during the period. The mean hypoxic volume (HV): 16 mL (0.4 -68.4) and the mean FMISO Tissue:Blood max: 1.9 (1.33 - 3.8). The mean FDG SUVmax: 15.5 (2.1 - 28.8). Hypoxic Volume (HV), Tumor to Blood ratio (T:Bmax) and FDG (SUVmax) were each assessed using univariate Cox proportional hazards regression to measure their significance in relation to overall survival and progression-free survival. HV was highly prognostic for both endpoints (p=0.036 and 0.025 respectively) but FDG was not (p= 0.79 and 0.76). Similarly, the survival analysis shows a significant role for ict survival with grea han FDG in these patients. Conclusions: FMISO PET is a useful and non-invasive way to characterize and quantify hypoxia in cervical cancer. In a small group of patents with cervical cancer, pre-therapy FMISO uptake is able to predict survival after therapy with confidence. (This study was supported by Seattle Cancer Consortium Pilot Grant and in part by NIH P01 CA42045).
The Role of the Temporal Lobe in Feline Aggression and Defense

Four lines of research are reviewed which investigated the role of the amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, ventral hippocampus and the benzodiazepine receptor in predatory aggression and defense in the cat. The first two lines of research involved permanently increasing defensive response to threat either by repeatedly inducing subclinical seizure discharges in the ventral hippocampus and amygdala or by administering the benzodiazepine inverse agonist, anxiogenic compound FG-7142. In the third line of research, defensive response of cats was both transiently and lastingly reduced by high frequency stimulation of the basolateral amygdala. The fourth line of research examined the relationship between spontaneous cellular response to species-characteristic threat and individual differences in transmission of neural activity between the amygdala and ventromedial hypothalamus. Together, these studies point to the importance of the amygdalo-ventromedial hypothalamic pathway in defensive response to some, but not all conspecific threats. They also implicate other limbic pathways in the suppression of predatory aggressive responses. The amygdalo-bed nucleus of the stria terminalis pathway does not appear to be important in mediating defensive response to prey, but it is implicated in suppression of some types of predatory aggression. Neural inhibition and facilitation in particular cell fields of the ventral hippocampus seem to play a role in modulation of predatory aggression. Finally, the benzodiazepine receptor may be involved in modulating excitability in the amygdalo-VMH pathway, and it may also participate in a separate neural substrate which suppresses approach-attack behaviors.
Exploiting integrality in the global optimization of mixed-integer nonlinear programming problems with BARON

In this paper, we present recent developments in the global optimization software BARON to address problems with integer variables. A primary development was the addition of mixed-integer linear programming relaxations to BARON's portfolio of linear and nonlinear programming relaxations, aiming to improve dual bounds and offer good starting points for primal heuristics. Since such relaxations necessitate the solution of NP-hard problems, their introduction to a branch-and-bound algorithm raises many practical issues regarding their effective implementation. In addition to describing BARON's dynamic strategy for deciding under what conditions to activate integer programming relaxations in the course of branch-and-bound, the paper also describes cutting plane and probing techniques that originate from the literature of integer linear programming and have been adapted in BARON to solve nonlinear problems. Finally, we describe BARON's primal heuristics for finding good solutions of mixed-integer nonlinear pro...
Identifying mobile malware and key threat actors in online hacker forums for proactive cyber threat intelligence

Cyber-attacks are constantly increasing and can prove difficult to mitigate, even with proper cybersecurity controls. Currently, cyber threat intelligence (CTI) efforts focus on internal threat feeds such as antivirus and system logs. While this approach is valuable, it is reactive in nature as it relies on activity which has already occurred. CTI experts have argued that an actionable CTI program should also provide external, open information relevant to the organization. By finding information about malicious hackers prior to an attack, organizations can provide enhanced CTI and better protect their infrastructure. Hacker forums can provide a rich data source in this regard. This research aims to proactively identify mobile malware and associated key authors. Specifically, we use a state-of-the-art neural network architecture, recurrent neural networks, to identify mobile malware attachments followed by social network analysis techniques to determine key hackers disseminating the mobile malware. Results of this study indicate that many identified attachments are zipped Android apps made by threat actors holding administrative positions in hacker forums. Our identified mobile malware attachments are consistent with some of the emerging mobile malware concerns as highlighted by industry leaders.
Herbal Supplements for Prostate Enlargement: Current State of the Evidence.

Objective To provide a comprehensive review of the current state of herbal supplement market for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and correlate the ingredients of each product with available scientific evidence. Materials and Methods Twenty-seven products from Amazon.com that were advertised as herbal supplements for LUTS and had listed their active ingredients were selected. Active ingredients were reviewed on Google Scholar. Product price, warranty, and consumer review information were also collected. Results A total of 58 unique active ingredients were identified. The mean number of ingredients was 8.26 (standard deviation 5.25). Whereas 17 (63%) products had an ingredient with a systematic review to support their use, 20 (74%) had an ingredient with conflicting evidence based on systematic reviews. Out of the supplements that contained ingredients supported by literature, all (100%) products simultaneously had other ingredients with no, conflicting, or refuting evidence. There was no (0%) product that contained only scientifically proven ingredients. There is no scientific study to evaluate these supplements as a whole. Conclusion Despite the widespread use of herbal supplements for LUTS, there is scant scientific evidence to support their safety and efficacy. Lack of adequate regulation and government support for research and development are some of the factors that disincentivize researchers to study safety and efficacy of these products. We encourage physicians to warn their patients on the lack of adequate evidence to support the safety and efficacy of many of these supplements.
Epidemiology of Hepatic Steatosis at a Tertiary Care Center: An MRI-based Analysis.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES:Little is known about the frequency and risk factors of hepatic steatosis in the tertiary care setting. Such knowledge is essential to clinicians making decisions about testing for this condition. Thus, our aim was to describe the epidemiology of hepatic steatosis, as captured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), at a tertiary care center. MATERIALS AND METHODS:A near-consecutive cohort of 1006 adult patients underwent standard-of-care liver MRIs. Images were retrospectively processed to derive proton density fat fraction (PDFF) maps. Data from three spatially distinct regions of interest (ROIs) were aggregated to derive overall hepatic PDFF values. Demographic, anthropometric, clinical, and laboratory variables were included in a multivariate analysis to determine predictors of hepatic steatosis grades (based on established PDFF cutoffs). Hepatic steatosis grades derived from single vs aggregated ROIs were compared. RESULTS:Hepatic steatosis was observed in 25% of patients (19% grade 1; 3% grade 2; 3% grade 3). Controlling for all other variables, the odds of hepatic steatosis increased by 7%-9% (P <.001) for each whole point increase in body mass index (BMI), whereas elevated serum bilirubin was associated with lower odds of hepatic steatosis (P = .002). Race, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome were not independently predictive of hepatic steatosis when controlling for other variables (eg, BMI). Employing single ROIs (rather than three aggregated ROIs) resulted in incorrect steatosis grading in up to 8.0% of patients. CONCLUSION:Many adult patients undergoing liver MRI at a tertiary care center have hepatic steatosis, with larger BMIs as the only independent predictor of higher grades. This information can be used by clinicians at such centers to make evidence-based decisions about when to test for hepatic steatosis in their patients.
A design approach for the development of flexible production machines

The rising demand for individualised products is one of the most important trends in today’s market. This is having a big impact on the manufacturing industry since it means that the flexibility of production machines must be increased. Packaging machines are greatly affected by the rising demand for format-flexibility because of decreasing batch sizes, the high number of format changes and the resulting lack of productivity. In the past, packaging machines as well as other production machines were developed with a focus on large-scale production. Hence, offering format-flexible packaging machines is a new challenge for manufacturers. Improvements in format-flexibility have to take place within the development process of the manufacture of packaging machines. This paper presents an overall concept which integrates four design modules into a generalised development process. These four design modules support developers in creating a solution regarding format flexibility which is, from a technical and economic point of view optimised for the demands of the users of packaging machines. The approach is focused on the special requirements of packaging machines, but it can be adapted for other types of production machines.
Pharmacist Impact on Treatment Intensification and Hemoglobin A1C in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus at an Academic Health Center.

Background:Achievement of treatment goals for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is suboptimal. This is in part driven by a lack of treatment intensification when warranted, termed “clin...
Arbitrary Oriented Defects in Anisotropic Quarter Plane

To solve the problems about arbitrary oriented defects in anisotropic quarter plane, a method based on the use of the space of generalized functions with slow growth properties was developed. Two-dimensional integral Fourier transform was used to construct the system of fundamental solutions for anisotropic quarter plane with the concentrated jumps of stresses and displacements in this space. The latter allows the problems about the defects to be reduced to systems of singular integral equations (SIE) with fixed singularities. As an example the problem about the crack exiting to the boundary of the quarter plane has considered, for which the system of SIE with fixed singularities is obtained. To determine the singularities’ indexes of the stresses and displacements at the vertices of the quarter plane and of the crack the transcendental equations are obtained. The asymptotic behavior of the solutions is investigated. The efficient numerical-analytical method for solving systems of SIE with fixed singularities is proposed.
Cottage Industries in Tourist Art

Cottage industries offer a model for the production process in tourist art. The fruits of small-scale manufacture reach a local audience that overlaps with the consumers of tourist art. The first phase of large-scale art production takes the form of cottage industries. Technological innovation in the workshop environment is a key feature of this production process, and it is the hallmark of tourist, as opposed to traditional, arts. Commercial exchange relies upon the transmission of these innovations from the workshop to the consumer and the conversion of the handcrafted products into economic commodities.
GOLD DEPOSITS ASSOCIATED WITH THE JABAL ISHMAS-WADI TATHLITH FAULT ZONE

In the south-eastern Arabian Shield, ancient gold mines and quartz veins are numerous along the Jabal Ishmas-Wadi Tathlith fault zone, a major North-South zone of faulting, shearing, and alteration that extends along long. 43°30′ E between lat. 18° N and 21°30′ N, a distance of about 390 km. Serpentinite is common as tectonic blocks or sheared intrusive bodies within the zone, and as conformable bodies adjacent to it. Several periods of faulting and shearing older than that of the major N.W.-trending Najd faulting are evident.
Morphogenesis at the Retrotransposon-Retrovirus Interface: Gypsy and Copia Families in Yeast and Drosophila

Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons have been identified in a wide variety of organisms including fungi (Boeke and Sandmeyer 1991), plants (Voytas and Ausubel 1988; Flavell et al. 1995; Smyth et al. 1989; Grandbastien et al. 1989), invertebrates (Springer et al. 1991; Britten 1995; Bingham and Zachar 1989), and vertebrates (Flavell and Smith 1992). Many of these LTR retrotransposons can be sorted into two superfamilies named after the prototypic Drosophila elements copia and gypsy (mdg4). The early history of the characterization of these elements has been reviewed elsewhere (Boeke and Corces 1995; Bingham and Zachar 1989). Expression of representative elements results in the formation of intracellular particles analogous to the retroviral core particle. This review will focus on morphogenesis of that particle — assembly, processing, and reverse transcription — in members of these families for which the DNA sequence has been determined in the fruit fly Drosophila and in the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces Pombe. Collectively, these systems reveal tremendous diversity as well as striking similarities among the mechanisms members of these two LTR retrotransposon families and retroviruses have used to solve common morphogenetic problems.
WHAT IS SERIES EXTRAPOLATION ABOUT

Much of the theoretical discussion in this volume revolves around the extraction of information about the value of a function from its Taylor series expansion.
The Story of Two Kings

"You go fight, Mighty King!" said the one-eyed Vice King. I must hide in a burrow so that nobody knows where I am. That way, there will always be a king over the two oceans. Mighty King scratches his small head.
Penalized Likelihood Hazard Estimation: Algorithm and Examples

Based on an earlier theoretical analysis, the practical implementation of penalized likelihood hazard estimation for right censored and left truncated life time data is studied. An algorithm with an automatic smoothing parameter is implemented in a portable code and is examined via simulations. The algorithm is an adaptation of the performance-oriented iteration developed earlier for density estimation and the performance is measured by proxies of symmetrized Kullback-Leibler. A key ingredient of the algorithm is a cross-validation scheme based on the martingale structure of right censored and left truncated data. Various practical aspects of the methodology are discussed via examples.
Intravenous Fluid for the Treatment of Emergency Department Patients With Migraine Headache: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Study objective The objective of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility and necessity of performing a large-scale trial to measure the effect of intravenous fluid therapy on migraine headache pain. Methods This was a single-center, pilot randomized controlled trial. We randomized adult emergency department migraine headache patients to receive 1 L of normal saline solution during 1 hour (fluid group) or saline solution at 10 mL/hour for 1 hour (control group). All patients received intravenous prochlorperazine and diphenhydramine at the start of fluid administration. Participants and outcome assessors were blinded; nurses administering the intervention were not. Outcomes were assessed at 60 and 120 minutes, and 48 hours. The primary outcome was the difference in the verbal pain rating (on a scale of 0 to 10) between 0 and 60 minutes. Key secondary outcomes included additional clinical endpoints, the rate of protocol completion, and the effectiveness of blinding. Results Fifty patients consented to participate; one withdrew, leaving 25 patients randomized to the fluid group and 24 in the no fluid group. The mean improvement in 0- to 60-minute pain score was 4.5 (95% confidence interval 3.7 to 5.3) in the fluid group and 4.9 (95% confidence interval 3.5 to 6.2) in the control group. Primary outcome data were collected for 49 of 50 enrolled patients, and only one participant correctly identified the group assignment. Conclusion This pilot study showed no statistically significant treatment effect from fluid administration, but does not exclude the possibility of a clinically important treatment effect. The study protocol and approach to blinding are both feasible and effective.
Measuring Development: An Intellectual and Political History of Ludwik Landau’s Scale of World Inequality

This article examines contributions of the chief economic statistician and socialist activist Ludwik Landau (1902–1944) that empirically investigated Poland’s underdevelopment in the framework of world capitalist economy. Landau pioneered a structural approach to measure the global gap between rich and poor countries in 1938–9, when such a synthetic view was largely unimaginable. Landau’s main work in international comparative statistics, World Economy, scholarly elaborated his socialist views on the necessity of non-capitalist development for Poland and other poor regions in agrarian Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. I argue that the Polish experience bestowed epistemic advantage in understanding the non-industrialised world and became a starting point from which to explore underdevelopment globally. This article concludes with a discussion of the political and epistemic significance of Landau’s work and how it figures in the larger history of development and statistical measurement of the world.
Epilepsy Journey: A proof of concept trial of a Web‐based executive functioning intervention for adolescents with epilepsy

Objective To examine the preliminary feasibility and acceptability of a Web-based program, Epilepsy Journey, to improve executive function behaviors in adolescents with epilepsy. Methods We conducted a proof of concept single-arm pilot trial of Epilepsy Journey with 31 adolescents (average age = 15.3 ± 1.3 years) who had an epilepsy diagnosis and executive function (EF) deficits on the caregiver-report version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Epilepsy Journey coupled a gamified problem-solving website comprised of 10 learning modules targeting EF deficits (eg, working memory, organization, problem-solving) with Skype sessions with a trained therapist. Outcomes included feasibility (attrition, sessions completed) and acceptability (satisfaction ratings). Exploratory analyses examined changes in caregiver-, self-, and teacher-reported BRIEF scores from baseline to posttreatment and at 2- and 5-month follow-ups. Results Seventy-nine percent of participants completed the program. Satisfaction was high, with 97% of caregivers and adolescents rating the program as helpful and indicating they would recommend it to others. Caregivers and adolescents reported global improvements on the BRIEF, with caregivers reporting significant improvements on all BRIEF subscales. EF symptoms rebounded slightly between the 2- and 5-month follow-ups for some of the self- and caregiver-reported BRIEF scales. Notably, clinically meaningful improvements (eg, clinical/subclinical to normative levels) were reported for several caregiver-reported BRIEF subscales, including the Global Executive Composite (62% to 33-34%) and Metacognitive Index (74% to 41-42%) from baseline to 2- and 5-month follow-up. Significance Findings suggest that a Web-based problem-solving intervention tailored to EF deficits for adolescents with epilepsy is both feasible and acceptable and may contribute to improvements in EF behaviors across domains.
Cannabis use disorders among adults in the United States during a time of increasing use of cannabis.

Abstract Background Using U.S. National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data, researchers found that prevalence of cannabis use among adults increased in recent years, but prevalence of DSM-IV cannabis use disorder (CUD) was stable. Examining trends of all individual CUD criteria and of CUD severity may elucidate reasons for the lack of increases in CUD. Methods Data were from 749,500 persons aged 18 or older who participated in the 2002–2017 NSDUH. Descriptive analyses and logistic regressions were applied. Results Among adults during 2002–2017, past-year prevalence of DSM-IV CUD remained stable at 1.5% to 1.4%, but cannabis use increased from 10.4% to 15.3%, daily/near daily use increased from 1.9% to 4.2%, and mild DSM-5 CUD increased from 1.4% to 1.9%. Among adult cannabis users, past-year prevalence of DSM-IV CUD decreased from 14.8% to 9.3%, daily/near daily use increased from 18.0% to 27.2%, and DSM-5 moderate (4–5 criteria) and severe (6+ criteria) CUD decreased from 4.3% to 3.1% and from 2.4% to 1.3%, respectively. Examining trends in individual CUD criteria during 2002–2017 among adults overall revealed increases in two criteria (tolerance; spending a lot of time getting/using cannabis or getting over cannabis effects) and decreases/no changes in other criteria; among adult cannabis users, there was no change in one criterion (tolerance) and decreases in other criteria. Conclusions DSM-5′s single dimension CUD measure may be more sensitive to diagnosis prevalence changes than the separate DSM-IV cannabis dependence and abuse categories. Future diagnostic approaches to assessing CUD may benefit from quantitatively oriented criteria.
Moral Systems in Traditional Societies

In applying the theory of moral systems to traditional societies, this chapter illustrates how moral revolutions have accompanied the major sociocultural shifts from hunting and gathering to horticultural and agrarian societies. The discussion shows how religion developed only as humans began organizing in more socially complex societies; often as a means to come to terms with the moral implications of stratified societies. Research is presented to illustrate how increasingly abstract religious beliefs accompany population growth in traditional societies.
Extracting Signals from High-Frequency Trading with Digital Signal Processing Tools

As algorithms replace a growing number of tasks performed by humans in the markets, there have been growing concerns about an increased likelihood of cascading events, similar to the Flash Crash of May 6, 2010. To address these concerns, researchers have employed a number of scientific data analysis tools to monitor the risk of such cascading events. As an example, the authors of this article investigate the natural gas (NG) futures market in the frequency domain and the interaction between weather forecasts and NG price data. They observe that Fourier components with high frequencies have become more prominent in recent years and are much stronger than could be expected from an analytical model of the market. Additionally, a significant amount of trading activity occurs in the first few seconds of every minute, which is a tell-tale sign of time-based algorithmic trading. To illustrate the potential of cascading events, the authors further study how weather forecasts drive NG prices and show that, after separating the time series by season to account for the different mechanisms that relate temperature to NG price, the temperature forecast is indeed cointegrated with NG price. They also show that the variations in temperature forecasts contribute to a significant percentage of the average daily price fluctuations, which confirms the possibility that a forecast error could significantly affect the price of NG futures. TOPICS:Statistical methods, simulations, big data/machine learning Key Findings • High-frequency components in the trading data are stronger than expected from a model assuming uniform trading during market hours. • The dominance of the high-frequency components have been increasing over the years. • Relatively small changes in temperature could create a large price fluctuation in natural gas futures contracts.
Is the cure worse than the disease? Comparing the ecological effects of an invasive aquatic plant and the herbicide treatments used to control it

Invasive species are known to have negative ecological effects. However, few studies have evaluated the impacts of invasive species relative to the effects of invasive species control, thereby limi...
Response to "Is the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in solid organ transplant recipients really similar to that of the general population?"

We thank the authors Maria Mendoza et al. (1) for their comments related to our publication on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients (2). Our study included a cohort of 47 consecutive SOT recipients with COVID-19. As noted in our study the 12 patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 that were treated as outpatients were excluded from the analysis to avoid potential selection bias. The study therefore compares 35 hospitalized SOT and 100 hospitalized non-transplant patients with COVID-19.
Book, Text, Medium: Cross-Sectional Reading for a Digital Age

Book, Text, Medium: Cross Sectional Reading for a Digital Age utilizes codex history, close reading, and language philosophy to assess the transformative arc between medieval books and today's e-books. It examines what happens to the reading experience in the twenty-first century when the original concept of a book is still held in the mind of a reader, if no longer in the reader's hand. Leading critic Garrett Stewart explores the play of mediation more generally, as the concept of book moves from a manufactured object to simply the language it puts into circulation. Framed by digital poetics, phonorobotics, and the rising popularity of audiobooks, this study sheds new light on both the history of reading and the negation of legible print in conceptual book art.
Characterization of Reversible Tablet Sliding in Nacre from Haliotis rufescens (Red Abalone)

Nacre or “Mother of Pearl” is a biogenic material that has garnered a lot of attention as its hierarchal architecture of calcite-based materials imparts extraordinary mechanical performance compared to its monolithic form. Nacre is a micro-laminate composite composed of layers of organic matrix and calcium carbonate tablets (aragonite). The tablets are polygonal in shape and approximately 400–500 nm thick. They are organized in irregularly stacked columns that overlap each other, often described as stacks of coins randomly overlapping each other. Each tablet is covered in nano-scale asperities that help lock the tablets together. The Nacre architecture has been well studied the past decade or so to ascertain the mechanistic origins of its extraordinary performance. One of the important aspects of its behavior involves tablets sliding relative to one another. This sliding has been well characterized by various mechanical methods, mostly involving tensile and indentation-based methods. A clear assentation of the developed models suggests that this tablet sliding should be reversible to a degree. However, reversible sliding has only been observed in a few instances and not studied systematically. This work reports on a method that was adept at observing wide-scale reversible tablet sliding. A systematic study this phenomenon was performed enabled by the precise deformation control it offered. The results determined a threshold strain whereby the deformation from tablet sliding became permanent, suggesting the failure of the organic matrix’s recovery ability.
Automated, high-resolution analyses for the clinical laboratory by liquid column chromatography.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the automated, high-resolution analytical systems that are used in the clinical laboratory. The chapter focuses on those systems that use column chromatography for separation. The high-resolution analytical techniques have two necessary components: a means of separating the individual components, and a means of detecting and quantifying the separated components. There are four analytical systems that are useful for urine analysis as well as for the other less complex body fluids. These include an analyzer for the UV-absorbing constituents (UV-analyzer), for carbohydrates, for the ninhydrin-positive compounds (amino acids and related compounds), and for organic acids. Automated liquid chromatographs contain some major components like the separation section, an eluent storage, an eluent delivery system, and a means for introducing the sample to the column. The modern amino acid analyzer is one of the most highly developed liquid chromatographs being routinely used in the research laboratories. It is also used for analysis of physiological fluids, mainly serum (E1). Such a high-resolution analyzer has a great potential for the clinical laboratory.
Intracellular Microrheology as a Tool for the Measurement of the Local Mechanical Properties of Live Cells

Publisher Summary This chapter describes various methods for the measurement of the viscoelastic properties of living cells, and proposes a new method—intracellular microrheology (ICM)—to measure cytoskeleton networks in vitro and in vivo . ICM is a powerful technique that allows for the first time to probe the mechanical properties of the cytoskeleton in its natural environment. ICM offers numerous advantages over other techniques that have been developed to quantify the mechanical properties of living cells, and is able to provide simultaneous local measurements as well as a global picture of the local stiffness of a single cell. Through the use of ICM, the chapter reveals that the mechanical properties of the cell are highly heterogeneous and spatially coordinated, and identifies the key molecules and molecular mechanisms that are involved in the regulation of the mechanical properties of the cell. It has been widely suggested that the mechanical properties of cytoskeleton filaments play a critical role in many cellular processes. In this regard, combination of existing methods, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ICM, will be useful to gain greater insight into the correlation of cytoskeleton structure with mechanical function.
Feasible Direction Method

The feasible direction method is an important class of algorithms for solving constrained nonlinear optimization problems. In this article, we survey various historical issues about them, including their global convergence and extension to nonlinear constrained optimization. Keywords: feasible direction method; Rosen's method; Wolfe's method; Zoutendijk's method; global convergence
Inhibition by peptides of amino Acid uptake by bacterial populations in natural waters: implications for the regulation of amino Acid transport and incorporation.

To investigate the regulatory interactions of amino acid transport and incorporation, we determined the effects of dipeptides on amino acid uptake by bacteria in an estuary and a freshwater lake. Dipeptides noncompetitively inhibited net transport and incorporation of amino acids into macromolecules but had no effect on the ratio of respiration to incorporation. Nearly maximum inhibition occurred at peptide concentrations of <10 nM. In contrast, the initial uptake rate of glycyl-[14C]phenylalanine was not affected by glycine or phenylalanine. Net amino acid transport appeared to be inhibited by the increased flux into the intracellular pools, whereas the incorporation of labeled monomers into macromolecules was isotopically diluted by the unlabeled amino acids resulting from intracellular hydrolysis of the dipeptide. Chloramphenicol, sodium azide, and dinitrophenol all inhibited the initial uptake rate of leucine and phenylalanine. These results suggest that in aquatic environments amino acids are taken up by active transport which is coupled closely to protein synthesis.
On Computing Elliptic Integrals and Functions

Elliptic integral and function direct computation method using successive quadratic Landen and Gauss transformations
Distressed high utilizers of medical care: DSM-III-R diagnoses and treatment needs☆

Among a sample of 767 high utilizers of health care, 51% were identified as distressed by an elevated score on the SCL anxiety and depression scales, the SCL somatization scale, or by their primary-care physician. These distressed high utilizers were found to have a high prevalence of chronic medical problems and significant limitation of activities caused by illness. In the prior year, they made an average of 15 medical visits and 15 telephone calls to the clinic. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule was completed on 119 distressed high utilizers randomly assigned to an intervention group in a controlled trial of psychiatric consultation. The following DSM-III-R disorders were most common: major depression 23.5%, dysthymic disorder 16.8%, generalized anxiety disorder 21.8%, and somatization disorder 20.2%. Two thirds had a lifetime history of major depression. The examination resulted in an improved diagnostic assessment for 40% of intervention patients and a revised treatment plan for 67%.
Role of Methionine Adenosyltransferase α2 and β Phosphorylation and Stabilization in Human Hepatic Stellate Cell Trans‐Differentiation

Myofibroblastic trans-differentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is an essential event in the development of liver fibrogenesis. These changes involve modulation of key regulators of the genome and the proteome. Methionine adenosyltransferases (MAT) catalyze the biosynthesis of the methyl donor, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) from methionine. We have previously shown that two MAT genes, MAT2A and MAT2B (encoding MATα2 and MATβ proteins respectively), are required for HSC activation and loss of MAT2A transcriptional control favors its up-regulation during trans-differentiation. Hence MAT genes are intrinsically linked to the HSC machinery during activation. In the current study, we have identified for the first time, post-translational modifications in the MATα2 and MATβ proteins that stabilize them and favor human HSC trans-differentiation. Culture-activation of human HSCs induced the MATα2 and MATβ proteins. Using mass spectrometry, we identified phosphorylation sites in MATα2 and MATβ predicted to be phosphorylated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members (ERK1/2, V-Raf Murine Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog B1 [B-Raf], MEK). Phosphorylation of both proteins was enhanced during HSC activation. Blocking MEK activation lowered the phosphorylation and stability of MAT proteins without influencing their mRNA levels. Silencing ERK1/2 or B-Raf lowered the phosphorylation and stability of MATβ but not MATα2. Reversal of the activated human HSC cell line, LX2 to quiescence lowered phosphorylation and destabilized MAT proteins. Mutagenesis of MATα2 and MATβ phospho-sites destabilized them and prevented HSC trans-differentiation. The data reveal that phosphorylation of MAT proteins during HSC activation stabilizes them thereby positively regulating trans-differentiation.
The cellular proto-oncogene product Myb acts as transcriptional activator of the long terminal repeat of human T-lymphotropic virus type I.

Abstract The proto-oncogene c-myb encodes a nuclear transcription factor that binds to DNA in a sequence-specific manner and activates transcription of several viral and cellular genes. Expression of the c-myb gene is induced in mitogen- and/or antigen-stimulated T lymphocytes, which are also the preferential target cells of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in vivo and in vitro. We report here that Myb binds to the HTLV-I long terminal repeat (LTR) in four different regions in a sequence-specific manner. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay using labeled LTR fragments as well as labeled double-stranded oligonucleotides show that there are two high-affinity and two low-affinity Myb-binding sites present in the HTLV-I LTR. DNase I footprinting analysis and oligonucleotide competition experiments indicate that this binding is sequence specific. Cotransfection experiments in HeLa cells, using a Myb expression vector and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene linked to the HTLV-I LTR, show that Myb activates HTLV-I LTR-mediated transcription by a factor of four-to sixfold. Thus, in HTLV-I-infected T cells, Myb protein binding to the HTLV-I LTR may constitute one of the signal that regulate HTLV-I transcription in vivo.
Fusing color and edge information for object matching

This paper illustrates the advantages of using multiple cues for object matching. Given two sets of people entering and leaving a room, the goal is to identify the matching pairs assuming that the viewing aspects of the people in the two scenes are similar. Color information or 2D shape information alone is not enough to find all the matching pairs, but all the matching pairs are correctly identified when both the features are combined. >
The first assessment of operative logs for traditional vascular fellowship track versus integrated vascular training programs

Objective As vascular surgery training paradigms evolve, one measure of success is operative experience. This study assessed the initial operative experience of those graduating from new integrated programs (0+5) vs those from the traditional programs (5+2). Methods National operative case log data supplied by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education was compiled for vascular surgical residents graduating between 2010 and 2013. Mean case numbers for the 0+5 residents were compared with those for the 5+2 residents (experience from their general surgery residency plus vascular fellowship) for total vascular operations, open vascular operations, endovascular procedures, and total operative experience. Results The 5+2 trainees performed significantly more procedures than the 0+5 trainees (mean, 1605 vs 1015); however, they performed 12% less vascular procedures (mean, 758 vs 851). No significant differences in total number of open vascular operations (mean, 404 vs 411) or specific open operations for cerebral vascular disease, aneurysm, peripheral obstruction, and access were found. The increase in vascular procedures logged by 0+5 trainees was realized by a 24% increase in endovascular procedures, mainly involving diagnostic arteriography, caval filter placement, and balloon angioplasty. No significant differences were seen in endovascular aneurysm repair (mean, 63 vs 60) and stent placement (mean, 59 vs 60). Conclusions This report summarizes the first data available for the 0+5 trainee operative experience. Compared with the traditional 5+2 trainees, the 0+5 trainees have (1) equivalent open vascular training and (2) overall superior endovascular training, although this was accounted via an increase in minor procedures. The overall operative experience remains greater for the 5+2 trainees secondary to 2 extra years of training. Further longitudinal studies will be needed to fully characterize the effect of the new 0+5 training paradigm.
High-order integral equation solution for scattering by penetrable inhomogeneous volumes

A high-order solution of the electric field integral equation (EFIE) for penetrable inhomogeneous material volumes is presented. The solution is based on a high-order method of moment solution with a quadrature point-based discretization. It is shown that the solution leads to high-order convergence for the electromagnetic scattering by inhomogeneous dielectric scatterers. This is validated through the study of canonical scattering objects.
Concluding thoughts: looking to the future of archaeology in Bermuda

(2011). Concluding thoughts: looking to the future of archaeology in Bermuda. Post-Medieval Archaeology: Vol. 45, Bermuda: Celebrating 400 Years of History, pp. 233-235.
Observational Undersampling in Tropical Cyclones and Implications for Estimated Intensity

AbstractThe maximum surface wind speed is an important parameter for tropical cyclone operational analysis and forecasting, since it defines the intensity of a cyclone. Operational forecast centers typically refer the wind speed to a maximum 1- or 10-min averaged value. Aircraft reconnaissance provides measurements of surface winds; however, because of the large variation of winds in the eyewall, it remains unclear to what extent observing the maximum wind is limited by the sampling pattern. Estimating storm intensity as simply the maximum of the observed winds is generally assumed by forecasters to underestimate the true storm intensity. The work presented herein attempts to quantify this difference by applying a methodology borrowed from the observing system simulation experiment concept, in which simulated “observations” are drawn from a numerical model. These “observations” may then be compared to the actual peak wind speed of the simulation. By sampling a high-resolution numerical simulation of Hurri...
Soft News Goes to War: Public Opinion and American Foreign Policy in the New Media Age, by Matthew A. Baum. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003. 353 pp. $49.95 hardcover.

As scholars of political communication, our ability to understand the information environment has become increasingly complicated. It seems that, on a yearly basis, we must re-jigger our theories a...
Ground state of the large-U Hubbard model in the large-n limit for triangular and honeycomb lattices

Abstract The present letter is a follow-up to the work done by I. Affleck and J. Marston in solving the Hubbard model at large n by a path integral method.
The Least Restrictive Alternative: Hidden Meanings and Agendas

The concept of least restrictive alternative is used by professionals in legal, social, political, and clinical specialties, often without realizing that it may have very different meanings in these different contexts. The author examines these different meanings and argues that the various definitions and hidden meanins must be made overt if professionals in the various fields are to be able to work together to serve the best interests of patients.