cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Who benefits from market-based carbon mitigation?

As world leaders increasingly recognize the dual imperatives of mitigating carbon emissions and ensuring economic growth, emissions trading schemes have become popular policy options to pursue sustainable development goals. As the foremost program of sustainable development to date, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has held out hope that low-cost abatement in the global North could be achieved by channeling investments to the global South, creating a win-win situation of both mitigation and economic development. Unfortunately, the results of the CDM have shown an asymmetrical distribution of benefits in the global South despite contrary objectives. This paper argues that the investment climate promoted by the CDM excludes many developing nation markets from participation, thereby limiting one of the key benefits promised by CDM proponents. This is partly because the CDM encourages investors to seek projects that are doubly pro table, ones that demonstrate the potential to generate a profit independent of emissions credits, placing many nations at a structural disadvantage, as they are deemed too risky for sustainable development investment.
Ecological Seasonal Cycles in a Colorado Mountain Pond

ABSTRACT A permanent pond at 3100 meters elevation was studied for an entire year to monitor zooplankton populations as they changed seasonally and associate those changes with biotic and abiotic factors. Conductivity, alkalinity, and dissolved solids were low during the summer but increased dramatically in the winter due to “freezing out.” Chlorophyll measurements indicated that phytoplankton reached its population maximum during the winter. The summer zooplankton community was dominated by the cladocerans, Holopedium gibberum and Daphnia rosea; the copepod, Diaptomus leptopus; the rotifers, Keratella cochlearis, Conochilus unicornis, and Polyarthra dolichoptera; and Chaoborus larvae. D. rosea disappeared from the plankton in August, possibly due to a combination of predation and competition. All limnetic Crustacea disappeared during ice cover, leaving rotifers as the most successful winter plankters. The posterior spine of K. cochlearis was long in the summer, and short or absent in the winter. This sea...
Developmental studies in Drosophila. IV. Quantitative protein changes in organs and whole-fly homogenates during development of D. pseudoobscura.

Les proteines presentes a differents moments de l'ontogenese dans les glandes salivaires, l'hemolymphe, le corps adipeux, la paroi du corps et les individus entiers deDrosophila pseudoobscura ont ete analysees grâce a une technique nouvelle de micro-electrophorese discale.
Approximation algorithms for geometric embeddings in the plane with applications to parallel processing problems

Given an undirected graph G with N vertices and a set P of N points in the plane, the geometric embedding problem consists of finding a bijection from the vertices of G to the points in the plane which minimize the sum total of edge lengths of the embedded graph. Fast approximation algorithms are given for embedding d-dimensional grids in the plane within a factor of O(log N) times optimal cost for d>2 and O(log/sup 2/N) for d=2. It is shown that any embedding of a hypercube, butterfly, or shuffle-exchange graph must be within an O(log N) factor of optimal cost. When the points of P are randomly distributed or arranged in a grid, a polynomial-time algorithm that can embed arbitrary weighted graphs in these points with cost within an O(log/sup 2/N) factor of optimal is given. It is shown how the algorithms developed for geometric embeddings can be used to give O(log/sup 2/N) times optimal solutions to problems of performance optimization for parallel processors. >
Lens-specific VEGF-A expression induces angioblast migration and proliferation and stimulates angiogenic remodeling.

Abstract Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a secreted mitogen which specifically stimulates proliferation of vascular endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo. Its expression pattern is consistent with it being an important regulator of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, and targeted disruption of VEGF-A has demonstrated that it is essential for vascular development. To determine if VEGF-A was sufficient to alter vascularization in the eye we generated transgenic mice which express human VEGF-A 165 specifically in the lens. Expression of transgenic VEGF-A led to excessive proliferation and accumulation of disorganized angioblasts and endothelial cells around the lens. The results support the hypothesis that VEGF-A can initiate the process of vascularization by stimulating chemoattraction and proliferation of angioblasts and endothelial cells and that VEGF-A expression can stimulate angiogenic remodeling. However, VEGF-A alone was not sufficient to direct blood vessel organization or maturation.
On the master equation approach to transport in discrete random media in the presence of scattering

Abstract The master equation approach to transport in binary statistical media is revisited to examine the role of scattering in this formalism. We show that it is possible to generalize this approach to rigorously incorporate scattering events, but a unique closure problem is encountered arising from scattering induced correlations in the angular flux. We further show that these correlations do not play a role in the equations for the conditional mean angular flux. That is, the well-known standard model for the mean is recovered. However, all moment equations higher than the mean are afflicted with this closure, indicating in particular that a standard model for the variance will perforce be less accurate than that for the mean.
Regional lipid peroxidation in rat brain in vitro: possible role of endogenous iron

Lipoperoxidative capacity of various brain areas of aging rats was examined in vitro using the thiobarbituric acid test. Significant regional differences in the generation of lipid peroxides were found in freshly prepared homogenates from different areas of brain incubated under air. Incubation under oxygen resulted in marked stimulation of lipid peroxidation, with highest increases in hypothalamus (144%). Addition of exogenous Fe2+ and ascorbic acid resulted in stimulation of lipid peroxidation ranging from 10-fold in cortex to 20-fold in hypothalamus homogenates during incubation in air. A linear relationship was found between endogenous iron content in brain regions and their ability to produce lipid peroxides in vitro under oxygen for all areas except striatum. Several iron chelating agents effectively inhibited lipid peroxidation under hyperbaric oxygen whereas oxygenfree radical scavengers, as well as catalase and superoxide dismutase were not effective. It is concluded that regional differences in lipoperoxidative capacity of brain areas in vitro are in part governed by local endogenous iron content and may indicate regional susceptibility to oxidative damage.
Mass-production of boron nitride double-wall nanotubes and nanococoons

Abstract Various techniques including plasma-arc, laser ablation, and chemical vapor-phase synthesis have been employed to produce bulk amounts of non-carbon (such as boron nitride, BN) nanotubes with some success, but in general the yields are low. We describe a new high-yield plasma-arc method that easily and reliably produces macroscopic amounts of pure BN nanotubes. Interestingly, the method produces almost exclusively double-walled nanotubes; these in turn self-assemble into BN nanotube bundles or ropes. Our synthesis method also produces BN-coated crystalline nanoparticles, whose cores can be preferentially etched leaving behind hollow BN `nanococoons'.
Quantifying and understanding the economics of large financial movements

Abstract Financial market data offer the exciting possibility of quantifying and understanding the physics of a complex dynamical system, and the hope that this line of thinking may give some insights into understanding collective human behavior. Various measures of stock market activity have been found to exhibit puzzling features that have recently attracted much research attention. These features include the power law distributions of return, volume, number of trades, assets under management of trading institutions, and other power-law relations linking them. Here, we review these empirical results and show that some of these findings can be usefully interpreted within the framework of a reduced-form model [Gabaix, X., Gopikrishnan, P., Plerou, V., Stanley, H.E., 2003. A theory of power-law distributions in financial market fluctuations. Nature 423, 267–270] and an economic model [Gabaix, X., Gopikrishnan, P., Plerou, V., Stanley, H.E., 2006b. Institutional investors and stock market volatility. Quarterly Journal of Economics 121, 461–504]. The features not only present a challenge to models of market fluctuations, but their specific power-law nature also suggests new modeling directions, which include ideas from statistical physics which proved useful in understanding similar relationships that occur in the physics of critical phenomena.
Containing strategic information systems risk: control and intelligence

The author identifies and validates a framework useful for both practitioners and researchers to integrate current work in identifying the risks associated with strategic information systems. Risks are defined, identified, and categorized, and practical actions to minimize organizational vulnerabilities associated with the introduction of these systems are outlined, on the basis of both literature review and personal observation. >
Robot ethics: Mapping the issues for a mechanized world

As with other emerging technologies, advanced robotics brings with it new ethical and policy challenges. This paper will describe the flourishing role of robots in society-from security to sex-and survey the numerous ethical and social issues, which we locate in three broad categories: safety & errors, law & ethics, and social impact. We discuss many of these issues in greater detail in our forthcoming edited volume on robot ethics from MIT Press.
A nonuniform matroid which violates the isotopy conjecture

The Isotopy Conjecture for Oriented Matroids states that the realization space over the real number field of an oriented matroid is path-connected. We provide a nonuniform counterexample of rank 3 on 42 points.
Requirements for Software Deployment Languages and Schema

Software distribution via networks provides timeliness and continual evolution that is not possible with physical media distribution methods. Organizations such as Microsoft, Marimba, and the Desktop Management Task Force are strengthening their efforts to package software systems in ways that are conducive to network distribution. The result of these efforts has led to the creation of software description languages and schema, but they do not address deployment issues in a complete, systematic fashion. The contribution of this paper is to define and explore the requirements for software deployment languages and schema.
Planetary environments and the conditions of life.

Geophysical models of the first 600 Ma ofthe earth's history following accretion and core formation point to a period of great environmental disequilibrium. In such an environment, the passage of energy from the earth's interior and from the sun through gas-liquid-solid domains and their boundaries with each other generated a dynamically interacting, complex hierarchy of self-organized structures ranging from bubbles at the sea-air interface to tectonic plates. The ability of a planet to produce such a hierarchy is speculated to be a prerequisite to the origin and sustenance of life. The application of this criterion to Mars argues against the origin of Martian life.
Initiation of apoptosis in the developing avian outflow tract myocardium

Apoptosis occurs within the cardiac outflow tract (OFT) myocardium during normal development of chick hearts. This peak of apoptosis occurs at stage 30–31 and coincides with dramatic remodeling of the OFT, suggesting that apoptosis occurs to allow proper alignment of the great vessels over their respective ventricles. The signals that initiate apoptosis in this setting are unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize the cells undergoing apoptosis in the cardiac OFT myocardium and the cells that may influence this process. Two cell populations that may initiate apoptosis of the cardiomyocytes are the cardiac neural crest (CNC) cells and epicardial cells. We examined stage 30–31 chick embryos that had undergone removal of the CNC cells or had delayed epicardial growth for alterations of apoptosis. Removal of the CNC cells did not reduce the levels or pattern of apoptosis in the OFT myocardium. In contrast, impeding the growth of the epicardium over the OFT resulted in a 57% reduction in apoptotic cells in the OFT myocardium. Analysis of the apoptotic cells within the OFT myocardium showed that as many as 92% of them expressed cardiomyocyte markers. In the quail, the endothelial marker QH1 identified a component from the epicardium, endothelial cells, in regions where apoptosis is elevated in the OFT myocardium. These results suggest that a component from the epicardium, possibly endothelial cells, is required for the initiation of apoptosis in OFT cardiomyocytes. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Application of Grid-enabled technologies for solving optimization problems in data-driven reservoir studies

This paper presents the use of numerical simulations coupled with optimization techniques in oil reservoir modeling and production optimization. We describe three main components of an autonomic oil production management framework. The framework implements a dynamic, data-driven approach and enables Grid-based large scale optimization formulations in reservoir modeling.
Relative value function approximation for the capacitated re-entrant line scheduling problem

The problem addressed in this study is that of determining how to allocate the workstation processing and buffering capacity in a capacitated re-entrant line to the job instances competing for it, in order to maximize its long-run/steady-state throughput, while maintaining the logical correctness of the underlying material flow, i.e., deadlock-free operations. An approximation scheme for the optimal policy that is based on neuro-dynamic programming theory is proposed, and its performance is assessed through a numerical experiment. The derived results indicate that the proposed method holds considerable promise for providing a viable, computationally efficient approach to the problem and highlight directions for further investigation. Note to Practitioners-Sequencing and scheduling problems arising in the context of contemporary manufacturing environments are known to be extremely hard. For this reason, in most practical situations, these problems have been resolved through the application of a number of heuristics-i.e., "rules of thumb" that are expected to provide reasonable performance. Things are complicated even further in the automated versions of these environments, since the applied sequencing and scheduling logic must guarantee, in addition to good performance, logically correct and smooth operation. Both the logical and the performance-oriented control problem of flexibly automated production systems can be-and have been-addressed through formal systems theory. However, a challenging remaining problem is the approximation of the derived optimal policies in a way that will maintain near optimality, and at the same time, it will be computationally tractable in the context of the "real-world" applications. Our past work has addressed this approximation problem primarily with respect to the optimal logical control policy. The work presented in this paper undertakes the complementary problem of approximating the optimal scheduling policy. To this end, we employ some recently emerged results from a field known as neuro-dynamic programming (which is essentially a systematic approximation framework for dynamic programming). Our results indicate that the proposed approximation framework holds considerable promise toward developing a systematic analytical methodology for deriving near-optimal and logically correct scheduling policies for flexibly automated production systems. More specifically, it is shown that, when applied to some prototypical problems concerning the scheduling of re-entrant lines with finite buffering capacity at their workstations, the proposed approximation framework: 1) effectively integrates past results concerning the logical control of these environments and 2) the obtained performance is consistently superior to the performance provided by the typically used heuristics.
Fluorescence-Based Isolation of Bacterial Genes Expressed Within Host Cells

A selection strategy was devised to identify bacterial genes preferentially expressed when a bacterium associates with its host cell. Fourteen Salmonella typhimurium genes, which were under the control of at least four independent regulatory circuits, were identified to be selectively induced in host macrophages. Four genes encode virulence factors, including a component of a type III secretory apparatus. This selection methodology should be generally applicable to the identification of genes from pathogenic organisms that are induced upon association with host cells or tissues.
Association Between Atopic Disease and Anemia in US Children

Importance Atopic disease is associated with chronic inflammation, food allergen avoidance, and use of systemic immunosuppressant medications. All these factors have been shown to be associated with anemia. Objective To investigate whether atopic disease is associated with increased risk of childhood anemia. Design, Setting, and Participants A cross-sectional survey and laboratory assessment were conducted using data from the 1997-2013 US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) that included 207 007 children and adolescents and the 1999-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that included 30 673 children and adolescents. Analysis of the data was conducted between August 1, 2014, and August 28, 2015. Exposures Caregiver-reported history of eczema, asthma, hay fever, and/or food allergy. Main Outcomes and Measures Anemia was defined by caregiver report in the NHIS and by hemoglobin levels for age and sex in the NHANES. Results Data were collected on 207 007 children and adolescents from NHIS, representing all pediatric age, sex, racial/ethnic, household educational level, and income groups. The US prevalence was 9.5% (95% CI, 9.4%-9.7%) from all years of the NHIS for health care–diagnosed eczema, 12.8% (95% CI, 12.6%-13.0%) for asthma, 17.1% (95% CI, 16.9%-17.3%) for hay fever, 4.2% (95% CI, 4.1%-4.3%) for food allergy, and 1.1% (95% CI, 1.1%-1.2%) for anemia. In multivariable logistic regression models controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, annual household income, highest educational level in the family, insurance coverage, number of persons in the household, birthplace in the United States, and history of asthma, hay fever, and food allergy, anemia was associated with eczema in 14 of 17 studies, asthma in 11, hay fever in 12, and food allergy in 12. In multivariable analysis across the NHIS (with results reported as adjusted odds ratios [95% CIs]), children with any eczema (1.83; 1.58-2.13), asthma (1.31; 1.14-1.51), hay fever (1.57; 1.36-1.81), and food allergy (2.08; 1.71-2.52) had higher odds of anemia ( P P = .02) and eczema (1.93; 1.04-3.59; P = .04) were associated with higher odds of anemia, particularly microcytic anemia (asthma: 1.61; 1.09-2.38; P = .02; eczema: 2.03; 1.20-3.46; P = .009) while history of hay fever was not associated with anemia (0.85; 0.62-1.17; P = .33). Conclusions and Relevance The association between atopic disease and anemia was reproducible in multiple cohorts. Future studies are needed to identify the determinants of association between atopic disease and anemia.
Ocular effects of topical and systemic steroids.

Steroids are invaluable agents in the treatment of a diverse spectrum of disorders; however, their use is not without risks. Topical, periocular, and systemic steroids may cause ocular complications, including cataracts, glaucoma, opportunistic infections of the eye, and delayed corneal healing. Less common ocular sequelae of steroids include exophthalmos; ocular muscle palsy; blue sclerae in children; refractive changes; pseudotumor cerebri; hypertensive retinopathy; and ptosis, chemosis, and lid swelling associated with moon fades. The prevention of ocular complications due to steroids is best managed by an ophthalmologist through routine examinations and intraocular pressure measurements.
Ein neues Mess- und Auswertesystem für die Indizierung im Fahrzeug

Mit dem mobilen Indiziersystem „KiBox“ hat die Kistler Instrumente AG ein neues Mess- und Analysesystem entwickelt, das speziell fur die Zylinderdruckindizierung im Fahrzeug konzipiert wurde. Neben einem innovativem Datenerfassungskonzept und der einfachen Einbindung in das Applikationssystem INCA zeichnet es sich durch eine Vielzahl uber den Stand der Technik hinausgehende Eigenschaften aus. Damit konnen Indizierkennwerte in Echtzeit und simultan mit anderen Steuer- und Regelgrosen dargestellt und analysiert werden.
Tem Study of the Pt-Ru BI-Metallic Catalyst Formation

Pt colloidal particles with large surface areas are effective electrocatalysts which can be applied in methanol fuel cells. The efficiency of the Pt catalyst can be greatly increased if it is incorporated with a second component such as Ru. By applying TEM, EDXS and XRD, the chemical composition, particle size and crystallinity of Pt and Pt/Ru colloidal particles during synthesis procedure are investigated in this research.
Phenotyping Peanut Genotypes for Drought Tolerance

ABSTRACT Drought and heat stress can result in aflatoxin contamination of peanuts especially when this occurs during the last three to six wk of the growing season. Identifying drought-tolerant genotypes may aid in development of peanuts that are less susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. Research was conducted to phenotype seven peanut genotypes based on their response to drought stress. Six peanut genotypes that have exhibited lower aflatoxin and/or drought tolerance in previous researches (Tifguard, Tifrunner, Florida-07, PI 158839, NC 3033, C76-16) were compared to an aflatoxin-susceptible genotype, A72. The phenotyping methods included visual ratings, chlorophyll fluorescence (PIABS, φEO, and Fv/Fm), SPAD chlorophyll meter reading (SCMR), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), canopy temperature (CT), canopy temperature depression (CTD), and pod yield. Based on these traits, Tifguard and Tifrunner exhibited greater drought tolerance mechanisms than the other genotypes and may be good candid...
Family Perspectives on High-Quality Pediatric Subspecialty Referrals

Abstract Objective Although children are frequently referred to subspecialist physicians, many inadequacies in referral processes have been identified from physician and system perspectives. Little is known, however, about how to comprehensively measure or improve the quality of the referral systems from a family-centered perspective. To foster family-centered improvements to pediatric subspecialty referrals, we sought to develop a framework for high-quality, patient-centered referrals from the perspectives of patients and their families. Methods We used stakeholder-informed qualitative analysis of parent, caregiver, and patient interviews to identify outcomes, processes, and structures of high-quality pediatric subspecialty referrals as perceived by patients and their family members. Results We interviewed 21 informants. Informants identified 5 desired outcomes of subspecialty referrals: improved functional status or symptoms; improved long-term outcomes; improved knowledge of their disease; informed expectations; and reduced anxiety about the child's health status. Processes that informants identified as supporting these outcomes centered around 6 key steps in subspecialty referrals, including the referral decision, previsit information transfer, appointment scheduling, subspecialist visit, postvisit information transfer, and ongoing care integration and communication. Health care delivery structures identified by informants as supporting these processes included physical infrastructure, human resources, and information technology systems. Conclusions We identified family-centered outcomes, processes, and structures of high-quality pediatric subspecialty referrals. These domains can be used not only to improve measurement of the quality of existing referral systems but also to inform future interventions to improve patient-centered outcomes for children in need of specialty care.
In vitro relaxation of phenylephrine- and angiotensin II-contracted aortic rings by β-estradiol

In vivo studies suggest that 17 beta-estradiol (beta E) may regulate vascular tone. Results of recent studies suggest that beta E exerts rapid effects on intracellular calcium, possibly via cell surface receptors, distinct from conventional nuclear receptors for steroids. The present study was designed to determine whether beta E acutely modifies vascular smooth muscle contractile responses to phenylephrine (PE) and angiotensin II (AII). In experiments on tonic responses of aortic rings to 5 x 10(-8) mol/L PE, cumulative additions of beta E reduced tension at concentrations > 10(-6) mol/L. Contractile dose responses to PE were determined in rat aortic rings in absence of sex hormones and then after exposure to beta E (5 x 10(-6) mol/L, n = 6) or vehicle (ETOH, n = 6) for 30 min. beta E increased ED50 and reduced maximal responses. Application of 5 x 10(-6) mol/L beta E for 30 min also reduced the contractile response to 1 mmol/L AII from 69 +/- 4% (vehicle) to 47 +/- 6% (estradiol) of maximal KCl contraction (P < .025, n = 7). These data suggest that beta E acutely attenuates vasoconstrictor responses to PE as well as to AII, possibly by an effect exerted at the cell membrane level.
Epigenetics of Colorectal Cancer

Common gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including those of colon/rectum, stomach, pancreas, liver and esophagus account for more than half of the worldwide cancer related deaths. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common GI malignancy diagnosed in both men and women. Although, a significant advancement has occurred towards understanding the multistep process of colorectal carcinogenesis, most of studies and existing therapeutic approaches are primarily based on genetic alterations of the disease. Growing evidences in recent years have now realized the involvement of epigenetic abnormalities along with genetic alterations to be crucial for growth and development of CRC. This chapter is focused on providing basics of human CRC and enumerating epigenetic changes associated with its growth and development, hence provides a better understanding of colorectal carcinogenesis.
Managing nature by coin tossing

The value of our natural environment is enormous. A recent estimate puts the price tag of global ecosystem services at 150 trillion rand - a number twice that of the global GNP,1 Individual components of that global total include the 10 trillion rand we pay to live near the world's oceans and the 3 trillion we pay for ecotourism worldwide. 2* South Africa is uniquely favoured in both scenic shorelines and watchable wildlife and must sensibly devote energy to reaping economic benefits from them. It is the management of wildlife that I will consider here. To contrast two styles of management, consider betting your life on a coin toss.
Optimal switching of DC-DC voltage converters using approximate dynamic programming

The problem of optimal switching between different topologies in step-down DC-DC voltage converters is investigated. Different challenges including presence of line and load disturbances as well as constraint on the inductor current are incorporated. The objective is generating the desired voltage with low ripples and high robustness towards the disturbances. The selected tool is a previously developed approximate dynamic programming based controller which tunes a parametric function approximator to provide optimal switching in a feedback form. No fixed cycle time is assumed, as the cycle time and the duty ratio will be adjusted on the fly in an optimal fashion. It is shown that the controller provides great capabilities in controlling the system even under parameter uncertainties.
Portfolio Liquidation and Security Design with Private Information

I consider the problem faced by an issuer holding a portfolio of securities that can be sold to raise cash. The issuer has private information that affects the value of all of the securities held, and so faces a lemons problem in the market for the securities. On the other hand, the issuer bears a retention cost if the securities are not sold. An equilibrium issuance strategy is characterized for the case in which the issuer’s information can be ordered in the sense that good news about one security is good news for all the securities held. The signaling equilibrium is shown to be unique subject to standard refinements. I also show that if the securities can be ordered in terms of their sensitivity to the issuer’s private information, then the issuance strategy is particularly simple: the issuer sells the least information-sensitive securities first. This result is then applied to standard debt and equity securities and is shown to confirm the Pecking-Order Hypothesis. Finally, the model also has implications for the optimal design of securities. In general, “splitting” a security into smaller tranches increases the issuer’s payoff. I also show that if the issuer can choose any monotone security design, then the optimal design is standard debt if the issuer’s information satisfies the hazard rate ordering.
Carbon Nano-Onion Ultracapacitor Model

This paper describes a novel ultracapacitor made from carbon nano-onions. Characterization of the material was performed including measurement of the impedance spectra and cyclic voltammetry. A new ultracapacitor model composed of an LRC circuit and a constant phase element was developed along with a parameter extraction procedure. The model was validated using experimental data and simulation.
Accept or Decline? An Analytics-Based Decision Tool for Kidney Offer Evaluation.

BackgroundWhen a deceased-donor kidney is offered to a waitlisted candidate, the decision to accept or decline the organ relies primarily upon a practitioner’s experience and intuition. Such decisions must achieve a delicate balance between estimating the immediate benefit of transplantation and the
Early recovery of circulating immature B cells in B-lymphoblastic leukemia patients after CD19 targeted CAR T cell therapy: A pitfall for minimal residual disease detection

Background CD19-targeted chimeric-antigen receptor-modified T-cells (CAR-T) are promising in the treatment of refractory B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection by multicolor flow cytometry (FCM) is critical to distinguish B-ALL MRD from regenerating, non-neoplastic B-cell populations. Methods FCM was performed on samples from 9 patients with B-ALL treated with CAR-T. Results All 9 patients showed response to CAR-T. Additionally, FCM revealed circulating CD10 + B cells, potentially mimicking MRD. Circulating CD10+ B-cells were detected in blood from 3 days to 3 months after CAR-T, comprising 73% (median) of B-cells (52–83%, 95%CI). They expressed CD19, CD10, CD20, bright CD9, CD22, CD24, moderate CD38 and dim CD58, but were CD34 (–), with bright CD45 and polyclonal surface light chain immunoglobulin (sIg) expression. A similar CD10 + B-cell subpopulation was detected by marrow FCM, amidst abundant B-cell precursors. Conclusions These circulating CD10 + B-cells are compatible with immature B-cells, and are a reflection of B-cell recovery within the marrow. They are immunophenotypically distinguishable from residual B-ALL. Expression of light chain sIg and key surface antigens characterizing regenerating B-cell precursors can distinguish immature B-cells from B-ALL MRD and prevent misdiagnosis. © 2017 International Clinical Cytometry Society
Iron–Sulfur Clusters in Zinc Finger Proteins

Zinc finger (ZF) proteins are proteins that use zinc as a structural cofactor. The common feature among all ZFs is that they contain repeats of four cysteine and/or histidine residues within their primary amino acid sequence. With the explosion of genome sequencing in the early 2000s, a large number of proteins were annotated as ZFs based solely upon amino acid sequence. As these proteins began to be characterized experimentally, it was discovered that some of these proteins contain iron-sulfur sites either in place of or in addition to zinc. Here, we describe methods to isolate and characterize one such ZF protein, cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 30 (CPSF3O) with respect to its metal-loading and RNA-binding activity.
Functional features of the “finger” domain of the DEG/ENaC channels MEC-4 and UNC-8

UNC-8 and MEC-4 are two members of the degenerin/epithelial Na+ channel (DEG/ENaC) family of voltage-independent Na+ channels that share a high degree of sequence homology and functional similarity...
The Lessons and Limitations of Experiments in Democratic Deliberation

Experiments are essential to the practice of democratic deliberation, which itself is an experimental remedy to the problem of self-governance. This field, however, is constrained by the impossibil...
Lost in Transition: Khobar Towers and the Ambiguities of Terrorism in the 1990s

On June 25, 1996, a fuel truck packed with explosives detonated on the perimeter of Khobar Towers, a residential complex housing US Air Force personnel operating out of King Abdul Aziz Air Base in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Nineteen American airmen were killed and over 500 other Americans, Saudis, and Bangladeshis were injured. This was the deadliest terrorist attack on the US military personnel since the 1983 bombing of the Beirut barracks which killed 241 Marines, presaging even worse mass-casualty attacks to come. The bombing as well as the official investigations in its wake prompted the military services to adopt more robust force protection measures, yet the strategic threat of Islamist terrorism remained less appreciated for several years to come. The Khobar Towers attack occurred in the middle of a decade of considerable uncertainty and drift in American security policy. From the end of the Cold War in 1991 until the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, there was no broad consensus about America’s strategic priorities in the world, notwithstanding its heightened level of global military activity. The decisive US-led victory in the first Gulf War was followed by far less decisive patrolling of Iraqi skies in order to enforce “nofly” zones and conduct occasional punitive strikes aimed at indefinitely containing Saddam Hussein. Deployments to Muslim countries added fuel to smoldering local anti-American sentiment and at the same time presented targets to terrorist actors. The Khobar Towers bombing, in particular, has been primarily attributed to Iranianbacked Hezbollah, a formidable enemy to the United States even as military efforts were focused on Iraq. All the while, the US military and civilian policy makers failed to appreciate the scope and determination of irregular, non-state Muslim extremist groups whose attacks would define military engagement and foreign policy in the next decade.
Solid Propellant Rockets

Solid propellants are of two basic types: composites and double base propellants. The latter consist of a backbone of nitrocellulose (guncotton) onto which a quantity of nitroglycerine has been absorbed, resulting in a leathery propellant which can be cast or extruded into desired shapes.
A Novel Role for the 4E-BP/eIF4E Axis in B Cell Antibody Class Switching

During an immune response, activated B cells give rise to antibody secreting plasma cells to fight infection. B cells undergo a process known as antibody class switch recombination (CSR) to produce different classes of antibodies with varying effector functions. The mammalian target of Rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is activated during this process and inhibition of mTOR suppresses both proliferation and differentiation into antibody secreting cells. mTOR is a kinase that is found in two distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2 and B cells deficient in mTOR have impaired survival, proliferation and differentiation. It has been shown that antibody class switch recombination requires B cell division, however it is unclear if there is another regulatory mechanism through mTOR that is independent of proliferation. The mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin, at either low concentrations or when added after a B cell has committed to divide, suppresses class switching while preserving proliferation. Mechanistic investigation of the mTORC1 substrate 4E-BP, an inhibitor of eIF4E and cap-dependent translation, showed that blocking the 4E-BP/eIF4E axis can decrease antibody class switching independently of proliferation. Genetic deletion of 4E-BP1 and 4E-BP2 isoforms partially rescues from the effects of rapamycin on class switching to IgG1. These results uncover a novel role for mTORC1 and the 4E-BP/eIF4E axis in B cell antibody class switching, suggesting that cap-dependent translation regulates key steps in B cell differentiation. Further study of this pathway may provide mechanistic insight into antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases such as lupus and arthritis.
Control of nonlinear systems exhibiting chaos to desired periodic or quasi-periodic motions

A novel method in the design of controllers to drive general nonlinear systems to desired periodic or quasi-periodic motions is presented in this paper. The viability of the approach is demonstrated by controlling chaotic systems to desired motions. The proposed control system consists of a combination of a nonlinear feedforward controller and a linear feedback controller. The control gains for the feedback controller are determined by performing the stability analysis of the closed-loop systems that contain periodic or quasi-periodic coefficients. For the case of periodic coefficients, stability is determined using the well-known Floquet theory. Since there is no rigorous mathematical theory for the analysis of quasi-periodic systems, an approximate technique has been applied to determine the stability where the coefficients turned out to be quasi-periodic. In this approach, a quasi-periodic system is replaced by an approximate periodic system with an appropriate large principal period such that Floquet theory can be applied. State transition matrices for these closed-loop systems are computed symbolically in terms of the unknown control gains using shifted Chebyshev polynomials and Picard iterations. Stability diagrams obtained from the symbolic approach are used to select control gains to guarantee asymptotic stability of the feedback systems. Three examples of chaotic systems are studied in order to show applicability to a diverse class of problems. In the first case, the chaotic motion of a forced Duffing oscillator is driven to a two-frequency quasi-periodic square wave and a fixed point. In the control to a fixed point, the system is constrained to follow a logarithmic spiral trajectory. The second case involves the control of the chaotic attractor of a parametrically forced Lorenz system to a periodic orbit whose frequency is irrationally related to the parametric excitation frequency. In the last case, the chaotic behavior of a Mathieu–Duffing oscillator is successfully driven to a two-frequency quasi-periodic motion.
Byzantine-Tolerant Distributed Coordinate Descent

We study distributed coordinate descent (CD) in the master-worker architecture under adversarial attacks, where the data is partitioned (across the parameter space) and distributed among m worker nodes (t of which can be maliciously corrupt), which update some coordinates of their part of the parameter vector, in parallel and iteratively, using CD updates, with the help of the master. We propose a method based on data encoding and real error correction to combat the adversary. Our method can tolerate up to $\left\lceil {\frac{{m - 1}}{2}} \right\rceil $ corrupt nodes, which is information-theoretically optimal. Our design gives a trade-off between the resiliency t, the required redundancy, and the computation at master and worker nodes. For example, with constant overhead in the storage and computational complexity over that required by the plain distributed CD, we can tolerate up to m/3 corrupt nodes. We design a sparse encoding scheme, which yields low encoding complexity.
Review of strategies to address social determinants of health and health disparities to improve health outcomes

Background: In the United States, medical care accounts for roughly 10% of health outcomes. All other contributions to health outcomes are attributed to genetics, environment, social circumstances, and behaviors. These categories are collectively known as social determinants of health (SDOH), which can cause health inequities and disparities. It is becoming increasingly important to address the underlying factors of health outcomes as reimbursement for quality of care becomes the norm in the United States. Methods: A literature review using Google Scholar was conducted to identify strategies that health care organizations can implement to address social determinants of health within their communities. Results: At the organizational level, a robust population health management program and screening for social determinants are important to identify patients who may need assistance with social determinants of health. Technology is a critical tool for success with these endeavors; however, organizations must be cognizant of physician burnout. At the community level, community partnerships are necessary to extend care outside of the hospital’s walls. Additionally, selecting medical conditions associated with key social determinants is a practical approach to measuring return on investment. Conclusion: Effectively integrating new programs, technology, and community partnerships that target the vulnerable populations into a healthcare organization can prove to be beneficial in improving health outcomes and lowering healthcare costs.
CRT-700.26 The Impact of Gradient and Flow on the Outcomes of TAVR in Severe Aortic Stenosis with Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

While transaortic flow and gradient are important determinant of prognosis in patients with severe aortic stenosis treated medically or with surgical aortic valve replacement, it is unclear whether these echocardiographic values are still predictive of outcomes in patients with severe aortic
Recent Developments in Integrated Interferer-Tolerant Receivers for Reconfigurable Radios

Fragmented spectrum allocations at RF and mm-Wave, increased use of carrier aggregation/MIMO and dense spectrum-reuse in wireless links has led to interest in the design of integrated wideband, high-linearity MIMO RX that provide low noise, blocker tolerance and reconfigurability across signal domains. In this paper, receive architectures for wide operating range and blocker tolerance are presented with a focus on recent developments in reconfigurable N-path receivers. Generalized sequence-mixing architectures that support reconfigurable frequency/spatial/code-domain rejection and filtering are described along with directions of research extending operation to wider bandwidths and higher frequencies.
A3 Thinking for Weight Loss

This technical note describes the problem-solving process known as A3 Thinking through the lens of an individual's weight-loss efforts. The story is easy to understand and shows how the A3 process can be integrated into one's personal life. The note details the A3 process steps of current condition, target condition, root-cause analysis, countermeasures, implementation, and standardize and sustain. It allows the student to see an easily identifiable and approachable application of the technique. Excerpt UVA-OM-1696 Aug. 7, 2020 A3 Thinking for Weight Loss A3 Thinking Process-improvement activities may take many forms. A widespread technique is A3 thinking, so called because the processes are reported in a structured method using a single sheet of A3 paper, which measures 11by 17 inches. Toyota developed the format, which serves as “standard work” for reporting improvement activities' results. The beauty of the report, particularly when compared to a multiple-slide PowerPoint deck, is its structure and ease of understanding. The process steps are clearly delineated, and the reader knows exactly where to look for significant items. One of the most important uses of A3 reports is to assist associates' development of problem-solving skills. A3 thinking may be used for many activities, including problem solving, proposal writing, and status reporting. Problem-solving A3 reports usually consist of the following six elements: 1. Problem definition . . .
One-step manufacturing process for neodymium-iron (magnet-grade) master alloy

Abstract Neodymium iron boron magnet has registered heightened demand due to its rapidly increasingly application in the clean energy sector. These magnets are manufactured by melting the mixture, consisting of neodymium, iron and boron followed by casting into ingots. The ingots are subsequently pulverized to powder, which, in turn, is sintered and magnetized to form the permanent magnet. An alternative approach is the controlled addition of boron to the neodymium iron master alloy to fabricate the magnet. The present process discusses an alternative and novel electrochemical approach to prepare the neodymium-iron master alloy, directly from the mixed oxides of neodymium and iron, in just one step. The mixed oxide pellet was cathodically polarized in a pool of molten calcium chloride in the temperature range 800–950°C, against an oxygen-evolving anode. The reduced alloy could not only retain its original structure but also exhibited magnetic behavior.