cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin in the treatment of patients with testicular tumors.

SUMMARY It is now established that the sensitive radioimmune assays for alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin are of substantial benefit in the management of patients with testicular tumors. • They can aid in the differential diagnosis of scrotal masses, but only if the levels are elevated. Negative values do not obviate surgical exploration. • They are a superior, though not infallible, method of staging prior to lymphadenectomy in patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. • They are probably indispensible for following nonseminomatous germ cell tumors in Stage I or Stage II disease after initial therapy, and in assessing the effects of ongoing therapy in Stage III disease. • They may be helpful in predicting which patients with seminomas will not respond to conventional therapy. There are, of course, many aspects of the clinical applicability of these markers that are as- yet ill defined. For example, the exact frequency of false negatives in both preoperative evaluations and in patients with Stage III nonseminomatous germ cell tumors remains to be determined. Moreover, we do not know the prognostic implications of negative serum markers in the presence of viable nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. Also, as these assays become more readily available, the chemotherapist and radiation therapist must define the exact role that these markers will have in monitoring and influencing therapy. Is it possible that serial alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin serum level determinations will allow the chemotherapist to titrate the dosage of chemotherapeutic agents effectively or to predict the response to these agents by first administering "challenge doses?" Will the radiotherapist decide whether and how to treat a patient with seminoma on the basis of human chorionic gonadotropin levels? These questions require that all physicians treating patients with testicular tumors use reliable and sensitive assays, measure alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin levels frequently, and report their findings. Finally, clinical studies using these markers have stimulated interest in other aspects of testicular tumors that promise additional clinical benefit. For example, histochemical staining for alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin of tissues obtained from testicular tumors may alter the pathologic classification of these neoplasms. As discussed by Dr. Jewett in another part of this symposium, marker studies in animal models have helped to advance our understanding of the cellular origins of germ cell tumors. Lastly, in vitro and in vivo laboratory experiments have demonstrated the feasibility and possible clinical applicability of using anti-alpha-fetoprotein and anti-human chorionic gonadotropin antibodies for diagnosis and as a new form of therapy.19.24
A Tuned Tension Regulates the Contractility of Cardiomyocytes Differentiated from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

The ability to differentiate human cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) presents high potential to model heart contractility. Shortening of sarcomeres in series along intracellular myofibrils enables the beating of cardiomyocytes. We developed a platform with patterned single iPSC-cardiomyocytes in arrays and tested the contractility of these cells as a function of their shape and of substrate stiffness. We fluorescently labelled sarcomeres with LifeAct to analyze their shortening and organization. We measured the mechanical output of contractile cycles with traction force microscopy and adapted cross-correlation algorithms to characterize movement of sarcomeres. We assayed single cells on patterns of 2000 μm2 with aspect ratios (length:width) ranging from 1:1 to 7:1 and on substrates with varied stiffnesses: 6 kPa, 10 kPa and 35 kPa. Preliminary studies suggested that cell morphology and substrate stiffness affect the organization of sarcomeres with a potential impact in cardiomyocyte contractility. We aimed to understand how the contractility of iPSC-cardiomyocytes is affected by the improved organization of sarcomeres induced by these cues. For a substrate stiffness of 10 kPa, we observed that cells with a 7:1 aspect ratio produced higher contractile forces per μm of sarcomere shortening. Improved sarcomere alignment seemed to drive increased contractility of cells with this shape. Substrate stiffness also affected the contractility of 7:1 iPSC-cardiomyocytes. 35 kPa substrates induced sarcomere ruptures and lower contractile forces. Cells on 6 kPa substrates developed sarcomeres that buckled. These results suggested a role of intracellular tension in contractility. We further tested how tension affects contractility and sarcomere organization in 7:1 cells through cell stretching, culture in high calcium and by inhibiting non-muscle myosin. Results showed evidence that a tuned intracellular tension mechanism drives myofibril alignment and improved contractility in iPSC-cardiomyocytes.
Understanding the Impact of Globalization on Food Preferences, Dietary Patterns, and Health.

The main purpose of Ecology of Food and Nutrition (EFN) is to promote scholarly debate and engagement on the holistic and cross-cultural dimensions of the study of food and nutrition. It emphasizes...
PD-1 Inhibitor–Related Pneumonitis in Advanced Cancer Patients: Radiographic Patterns and Clinical Course

Purpose: Investigate the clinical characteristics, radiographic patterns, and treatment course of PD-1 inhibitor–related pneumonitis in advanced cancer patients. Experimental Design: Among patients with advanced melanoma, lung cancer, or lymphoma treated in trials of nivolumab, we identified those who developed pneumonitis. Chest CT scans were reviewed to assess extent, distribution, and radiographic patterns of pneumonitis. Results: Among 170 patients treated in 10 different trials of nivolumab, 20 patients (10 melanoma, 6 lymphoma, and 4 lung cancer) developed pneumonitis. Five patients received nivolumab monotherapy, and 15 received combination therapy. The median time from therapy initiation to pneumonitis was 2.6 months. Radiographic pattern was cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) in 13, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) in 3, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) in 2, and acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in 2 patients. The AIP/ARDS pattern had the highest grade, followed by COP, whereas NSIP and HP had lower grade (median grade: 3, 2, 1, 1, respectively; P = 0.006). The COP pattern was most common in all tumors and treatment regimens. Most patients (17/20; 85%) received corticosteroids, and 3 (15%) also required infliximab. Seven patients restarted nivolumab therapy; 2 of them developed recurrent pneumonitis and were successfully retreated with corticosteroids. One of the patients experienced a pneumonitis flare after completion of corticosteroid taper without nivolumab retreatment. Conclusions: PD-1 inhibitor–related pneumonitis showed a spectrum of radiographic patterns, reflecting pneumonitis grades. COP was the most common pattern across tumor types and therapeutic regimens. Most patients were successfully treated with corticosteroids. Recurrent pneumonitis and pneumonitis flare were noted in a few patients. Clin Cancer Res; 22(24); 6051–60. ©2016 AACR. See related commentary by Castanon, p. 5956
Congruences for Andrews’ (k, i)-singular overpartitions

Andrews recently defined new combinatorial objects which he called (k, i)-singular overpartitions and proved that they are enumerated by \(\overline{C}_{k,i}(n)\) which is the number of overpartitions of n in which no part is divisible by k and only the parts \(\equiv \pm i \pmod {k}\) may be overlined. Andrews further showed that \(\overline{C}_{3,1}(n)\) satisfies some Ramanujan-type congruences modulo 3. In this paper, we show that for any pair (k, i), \(\overline{C}_{k,i}(n)\) satisfies infinitely many Ramanujan-type congruences modulo any power of prime coprime to 6k. We also show that for an infinite family of k, the value \(\overline{C}_{3k,k}(n)\) is almost always even. Finally, we investigate the parity of \(\overline{C}_{4k,k}\).
Communication: Stiffening of dilute alcohol and alkane mixtures with water.

We probe the anomalous compressibilities of dilute mixtures of alcohols and alkane gases in water using molecular simulations. The response to increasing solute concentration depends sensitively on temperature, with the compressibility decreasing upon solute addition at low temperatures and increasing at elevated temperatures. The thermodynamic origin of stiffening is directly tied to the solute’s partial compressibility, which is negative at low temperatures and rises above water’s compressibility with increasing temperature. Hydration shell waters concurrently tilt towards clathrate-like structures at low temperatures that fade with heating. Kirkwood-Buff theory traces the solute’s partial compressibility to changes in the solute-water association volume upon heating and incongruous packing of waters at the boundary between the more structured hydration shell and bulk water.
Transcriptome analysis reveals potential mechanisms for inhibition of intumescence development by UV radiation in tomato

Abstract Intumescence is a physiological disorder characterized by epidermal cell hypertrophy in many plant species, including tomato. Although previous studies have been focused on identifying the environmental conditions associated with intumescence development, fundamental molecular responses of plants during the development of the disorder are unknown. Our recent work demonstrates that intumescences can be induced by blocking plant exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. To understand how UV influences intumescence development at the molecular level, we grew an intumescence-sensitive tomato cultivar, Maxifort, under environmental conditions either with UV or blocked-UV. Extensive intumescences were induced in leaves grown under the blocked-UV condition, and a comparison of the gene expression profiles of leaf tissues with and without intumescences indicated that there were 1604 genes differentially expressed. The genes were involved in several important cellular processing groups, including hormone response, DNA synthesis and repair, metabolic pathways and cell wall biosynthesis. Furthermore, most of the photosynthesis-associated genes were uniformly repressed in the leaves with intumescences. Ethylene biosynthesis and its downstream signal transduction pathway were particularly more active in leaves with intumescences than in those without intumescences, suggesting that ethylene signaling may play a role in occurrence of intumescence. We further analyzed the interaction between UV treatment and intumescence-related genes to determine how UV inhibits the development of intumescences and identified a number of genes that could be induced by UV treatment but suppressed in the leaves with intumescences. Among them, an important gene, 3-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β − HSD), might play a key role in UV inhibition of intumescence development. Taken together, the results of this study provide insights into the mechanisms regulating the development of intumescences at the molecular level in tomato.
Insomnia and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder in the United States and has high comorbidity with a number of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In the past decade, a number of observational studies have demonstrated an association between insomnia and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality, including hypertension (HTN), coronary heart disease (CHD), and heart failure (HF). Despite some inconsistencies in the literature, likely due to variations in how insomnia is defined and measured, the existing data suggest that insomnia, especially when accompanied by short sleep duration, is associated with increased risk for HTN, CHD and recurrent acute coronary syndrome, and HF. Purported mechanisms likely relate to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, increased sympathetic nervous system activity, and increased inflammation. This paper reviews the most recent studies of insomnia and CVD and the potential pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this relationship and highlights the need for randomized trials to further elucidate the nature of the relationship between insomnia and CVD.
Efficient RDF storage and retrieval in Jena2

RDF and related Semantic Web technologies have been the recent focus of much research activity. This work has led to new specifications for RDF and OWL. However, efficient implementations of these standards are needed to realize the vision of a world-wide semantic Web. In particular, implementations that scale to large, enterprise-class data sets are required. Jena2 is the second generation of Jena, a leading semantic web programmers' toolkit. This paper describes the persistence subsystem of Jena2 which is intended to support large datasets. This paper describes its features, the changes from Jena1, relevant details of the implementation and performance tuning issues. Query optimization for RDF is identified as a promising area for future research.
Current System Configurations

System configurations for additive manufacturing metal are most often described and differentiated by the heat source used, such as laser, arc or electron beam, how the feedstock is delivered, the type of feedstock used, such as wire or powder, or the size of the part produced ranging from in meters to millimeters. It is useful to understand the basic system configurations as they all feature different attributes and capabilities. There are advantages and limitations to each and it is important to the user to understand these variations to make an informed decision as per which is the best for their needs. This chapter provides a technical description of the basic functions and features of each type of system. In addition other hybrid process that begins with a 3D computer model and results in a metal part are also described as these can in some cases be a competitive option to those systems that go from model directly to metal. Processes that exist on the border of the more common definition of AM metal, such as those that produce parts at the micrometer and nanometer scale, are also introduced.
67 Racial differences in hormone replacement therapy use

Abstract PURPOSE: Previous work on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have found strong differences by race, although prescription patterns indicate a lessening of this trend in recent years. This analysis probes racial differences in current use of HRT using nationally representative data. METHODS: Current use of HRT was obtained in both the 1999 and 2000 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). After eliminating respondents who were male, under 40 years of age, or missing data, responses from 19,405 women were included in the analysis. A multivariate logistic model of current HRT use by race was created, controlling for age, geographic region, education, hysterectomy, self-reported health, smoking, exercise, and access and use of various types of medical care. SUDAAN software was used to produce national estimates that account for the complex sampling design. RESULTS: White women were about twice as likely to be current HRT users (26.0%) as black women (13.9%) in bivariate analyses. Asian/Pacific Islander women were also less likely to use HRT (12.6%), while American Indians (17.6%) and women of multiple races (21.6%) were similar to white women. These associations did not vary by any of the other factors being considered in stratified analyses. In logistic models controlling for other factors, the odds ratios (OR) were virtually unchanged compared to simple age-adjusted OR's. The OR's from models stratified by education were also similar. However, women with multiple non-white race affiliations were much less likely to use HRT compared to white-only women (OR = 0.30), while women with multiple race affiliations of which one was white, were very similar to white women (OR = 1.2). CONCLUSION: Race is a factor in the use of HRT in the U.S. This is most evident by the stable odds ratios found after controlling for many other determinants of HRT use. Detailed race definitions gave more information on this relationship, although even within this large national survey, the sample size did not allow for enough power to look at the smaller groups.
Mobilization of type1 and type2 dendritic cells (DC1 and DC2) in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) patients mobilized with G-CSF, GM-CSF or GM-CSF followed by G-CSF

4670 Dendritic cells (DC) are the most efficient antigen presenting cells and are important in the immune reconstitution process post allogeneic and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). Recent reports suggested that G-CSF polarizes DC into DC2 type cells which stimulate Th2 response resulting with decreased graft vs host disease (GVHD), as compared to DC1 which stimulate Th1 response resulting with increased GVHD and graft vs. tumor (GVT) effect. Previously, we have shown that NHL patients (pts) given GM-CSF mobilized up to 5 fold more immature DC (CD14+CD80+ cells) compared to G-CSF mobilized pts. (Gazitt et al. J. Hematother. Stem Cell Res. 10:177, 2001). In light of the recently identified subpopulations of DCs, we decided to analyze subpopulations of DCs in banked samples from 27 NHL patients who underwent high dose chemotherapy and PBSCT. Patients were randomly mobilized with G-CSF (8 pts); GM-CSF (8 pts); and GM-CSF followed by G-CSF (11pts). We compared the yield and ratio of DC1 and DC2 within the same group of patients and between the 3 arms of the study. Patients received for mobilization cyclophosphamide followed by 14 days of G-CSF (10ug/kg/day); GM-CSF (500ug/msq./day); or 8 days of GM-CSF followed by 6 days of G-CSF. Patients were collected for 4 days and were transplanted with >2x106 CD34+cells/Kg. DC1 cells were defined as CD11c+HLADR+lin- cells. DC2 cells as CD123+HLADR+lin- cells. Analysis was done by flow cytometry using a 3-color assay. Patients mobilized with G-CSF plus GM-CSF had significantly higher levels of DC1+DC2 cells (mean=4.2x106+1.5/DC/kg/day) compared to pts mobilized with GM-CSF (2.6+ 1.4) (p=0.019). Patients mobilized with G-CSF had intermediate level of DCs/Kg/day (3.5+1.6). The mean mobilization of DC1 vs. DC2 in pts mobilized with G-CSF was 1.2+0.4; vs. 2.2+ 1 x106 DCs/kg/day), whereas pts mobilized with GM-CSF collected a mean of 1.1+0.5 vs. 1.5+0.8; and pts mobilized with GM-CSF +G-CSF collected a mean of 2.2+1.1vs. 1.8+0.5x106DCs/kg/day. Thus pts mobilized with GM-CSF received relatively higher levels of DC1cells. Survival rate in pts with a median follow-up of 5 years was 0.125; 0.65 and 0.6 in patents who received G-CSF; GM-CSF and GM-CSF+G-CSF, respectively. Kaplan Meier analysis indicated a trend for a higher survival rate for the group who received the combination of G-CSF+GM-CSF, despite the small number of patients in the study, indicating an overall advantage for the GM-CSF containing mobilization protocol. These results taken together suggest that higher levels of DCs, preferably DC1 are associated with prolonged survival of auto transplanted NHL patents.
Developmental Origins of Disease: The Role of Oxidative Stress

The “thrifty phenotype” hypothesis proposes that the fetus adapts to an adverse intrauterine milieu by optimizing the use of a reduced nutrient supply to ensure survival, but by favoring the development of certain organs over that of others, this leads to persistent alterations in the growth and function of developing tissues. This concept has been somewhat controversial; however, recent epidemiological, clinical, and animal studies provide support for the developmental origins of disease hypothesis. Underlying mechanisms include reprogramming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, islet development, and insulin signaling pathways. Emerging data suggests that oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction may also play a critical role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes in individuals who were growth retarded at birth.
Calculus Gems: Brief Lives and Memorable Mathematics. By George F. Simmons

(1994). Calculus Gems: Brief Lives and Memorable Mathematics. By George F. Simmons. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 101, No. 4, pp. 374-380.
Sox Gene Expression

The developing nervous system is dependent upon the strict spatiotemporal regulation of a variety of transcription factors. One family, the Sox factors, is essential for the initiation, development, and maintenance of both the central and peripheral nervous systems. This highly related group of proteins regulates a variety of target genes through a diverse repertoire of mechanisms including chromatin remodeling, posttranslational modification, and direct transcriptional activation and repression. Moreover, individual family members can regulate multiple developmental processes dependent upon their interactions with different protein partners. This diversity of functions demonstrates why SOX proteins are necessary for proper neural development and explains some observed human neuropathies linked to Sox gene mutations.
Summary and Future Research

In this book we started with gathering data on the system and ended with optimization models to be used in web planning. We employed two methods in web planning: (1) fuzzy probabilities; and (2) fuzzy arrival rates and fuzzy service rates. So, we first present a brief summary of these two methods followed by our future research topics in this area. A summary of the computational algorithms used is in the next chapter. There is an increasing interest in web planning as seen by recent books in this area (see [4],[5],[6]) and new conferences on this topic (see [2],[3]).
Optimal Distributed Feedback Voltage Control Under Limited Reactive Power

In this paper, we propose a distributed voltage control in power distribution networks through reactive power compensation. The proposed control can operate in a distributed fashion where each bus makes its decision based on local voltage measurements and communication with neighboring buses, always satisfy the reactive power capacity constraint, drive the voltage magnitude into an acceptable range, and minimize an operational cost. We also perform various numerical case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the controller using the nonlinear power flow model.
The Development of Pine Plantation Silviculture in the Southern United States

In the 1950s there were vast acreages of cutover forestland and degraded agricultural land across the South. Less than 2 million ac of southern pine plantations existed at that time. By the end of the 20th century, there were 32 million ac of southern pine plantations in the US South and this region is the wood basket of the world. The success story that is southern pine forestry was facilitated by the application of research results generated through cooperative work of the US Forest Service, southern forestry schools, state forestry agencies, and forest industry. This article reviews the contributions of applied silvicultural research in tree improvement, nursery management, site preparation, weed control, and fertilization to plantation forestry in the South. These practices significantly increased productivity of southern pine plantations. Plantations established in the 1950s and 1960s, which produced less than 90 ft 3 ac 1y r 1 , have been replaced by plantations established in the 2000s, which may produce in excess of 400 ft 3 ac 1y r 1 . Currently, southern pine plantations are among the most intensively managed forests in the world. Growth of plantations managed using modern, integrated, site-specific silvicultural regimes now can rival that of plantations of fast-growing exotic species in the Southern Hemisphere.
Probiotics in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

While considerable progress has been made in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), alternative options are constantly sought by adult patients as well as frustrated parents of young patients. These include dietary modifications, food supplements, and, more recently, probiotics.
A hospital-based treatment of suicide attempt patients with problematic alcohol use: Rationale and treatment development.

Abstract Objective Problematic alcohol use (PAU) is a potent risk factor for suicidal behavior yet individuals with PAU presenting to hospital with suicidal risk may receive less intensive hospital-based treatment than suicidal patients without PAU. Developing efficacious interventions for at-risk patients with PAU that may be delivered in hospital is critical, particularly for those hospitalized following a suicide attempt, a group at marked risk. Method The authors identified the Attempted Suicide Short Intervention Program (ASSIP) for adaption for hospitalized suicide attempt patients with PAU because of its flexibility, brevity, and evidence of efficacy to reduce risk for suicide reattempt. After consulting with the developers of ASSIP, clinical research experts in the treatment of suicidal risk and PAU, and treatment providers of hospitalized suicide attempt patients, the authors made modifications to ASSIP to tailor it to hospitalized suicide attempt patients with PAU. Results and conclusion Our modifications to ASSIP include highlighting links between PAU and the timing of the attempt; integrating such links into the narrative story of the attempt, the written case formulation, and the homework task; and identifying concrete strategies to address PAU-related risk in the prevention plan. These modifications are the focus of an ongoing treatment development study.
Clarifying the Theoretical Tenets of the Symbolic Threat Perspective

Although Tittle and Curran in 1988 found support for the symbolic threat hypothesis, no further empirical investigations of the perspective have occurred to explain the contingencies of juvenile ju...
Fretting about Modest Risks Is a Mistake

Managers often engage in risk-averse behavior, and economists, decision analysts, and managers treat risk aversion as a preference. In many cases, acting in a risk-averse manner is a mistake, but m...
Zen of Cloud: Learning Cloud Computing by Examples, Second Edition

This book provides a comprehensive review of cloud philosophy, design principals, development trends as well as practical patterns to guide readers to understand, design and implement successful cloud-based solutions. This book provides both "hows" and "whys." It peers behind the buzz words such as machine learning, containers, and blockchains to help readers understand how to put those technologies into practical use. This unique book covers a broad spectrum of technologies of cloud computing.
Linking Farms to Markets: Reducing Transaction Costs and Enhancing Bargaining Power

Market access determines the income of agricultural households and incentivizes the cultivation of diverse crops. Markets in India are mostly unorganized with limited infrastructure limiting their ability to cater to quality requirements and specifications demanded by urban consumers. Therefore, parallel to traditional markets, direct linkages with farms and alternative markets based on electronic sales platforms, new commodity futures and warehousing systems are needed. In this chapter, we discuss the scope of small farms to effectively link to value chains and new marketing platforms. We show that reducing transaction costs, developing and improving market infrastructure and limiting the influence of intermediaries are critical. Also, having producer organizations rectify scale disadvantages will enable better participation of smallholders in different marketing arrangements.
Simplified swarm optimization with initialization scheme for dynamic weapon–target assignment problem

Abstract The dynamic weapon–target assignment (DWTA) problem is a critical issue in the field of military operations research. The problem is highly constrained; thus, the use of an evolutionary method to solve the DWTA problem often encounters a population of infeasible solutions resulting in prohibitive computational burden. Aiming at accelerating the solution process and improving the solution quality, this work proposes an improved simplified swarm optimization called SSO DT with two novel schemes: the deterministic initialization scheme, and the target exchange scheme. The deterministic initialization scheme is used in population initialization and utilizes problem-specific knowledge of DWTA to speed up the convergence of SSO DT by generating a promising feasible solution which has a greater potential for evolving globally. The target exchange scheme is a local search updating feasible solutions in a manner that exchanges their variables without violating the engagement feasibility to enhance the exploitation capability of SSO DT . The proposed method is empirically verified on thirty-six artificial problems and compared with widely popular evolutionary methods. The results demonstrate that the proposed SSO DT is better than its competitors in terms of both solution quality and efficiency.
Real-time detection of gravitational waves from binary neutron stars using artificial neural networks

Abstract The groundbreaking discoveries of gravitational waves from binary black-hole mergers [1] , [2] , [3] and, most recently, coalescing neutron stars [4] started a new era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics and revolutionized our understanding of the Cosmos. Machine learning techniques such as artificial neural networks are already transforming many technological fields and have also proven successful in gravitational-wave astrophysics for detection and characterization of gravitational-wave signals from binary black holes [5] , [6] , [7] . Here we use a deep-learning approach to rapidly identify transient gravitational-wave signals from binary neutron star mergers in noisy time series representative of typical gravitational-wave detector data. Specifically, we show that a deep convolution neural network trained on 100,000 data samples can promptly identify binary neutron star gravitational-wave signals and distinguish them from noise and signals from merging black hole binaries. These results demonstrate the potential of artificial neural networks for real-time detection of gravitational-wave signals from binary neutron star mergers, which is critical for a prompt follow-up and detailed observation of the electromagnetic and astro-particle counterparts accompanying these important transients.
Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: Evaluation With Cardiac MRI.

Objective Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a frequent problem in clinical practice and can be caused by diverse conditions including hypertension, aortic stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, athletic training, infiltrative heart muscle disease, storage and metabolic disorders. Identification of the precise etiology can be challenging and is a common cause of referral for cardiac MRI (CMR). In this article, CMR findings in various causes of LVH will be reviewed with an emphasis on determination of etiology and emerging role of CMR in risk stratification. Conclusions In patients with LVH, CMR allows precise determination of the severity and distribution of hypertrophy, evaluation of ventricular function, and tissue characterization. The information obtained from CMR enables identification of the etiology of LVH and may aid in determining prognosis and therapy.
LATE GADOLINIUM ENHANCEMENT MRI AS A NOVEL SCREENING MODALITY FOR ESOPHAGEAL THERMAL INJURY AFTER ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ABLATION

Esophageal thermal injury (ETI) is frequently recognized after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. In severe cases, ETI can be complicated by fatal atrioesophageal fistula. Thus, early identification of severe ETI is critical. There is limited data on ETI screening. Late gadolinium enhancement
Effective Experiences: A Social Cognitive Analysis of Young Students’ Technology Self-Efficacy and STEM Attitudes

The development of computer skills, as well as computer self-efficacy, has increased in importance along with the role of technology in everyday life. Childhood is a critical time for the development of these skills since early inequalities may substantially impact future life outcomes. In a context of a computing intervention designed to improve digital inclusion, we hypothesize that students’ enactive learning experience (conceptualized as their computer usage) and their vicarious learning experience (conceptualized as their perception of their teacher’s computer usage) are associated with the development of perceived technology efficacy and STEM (Science, Technology, Education, and Math) attitudes. Data are from a sample of elementary school students from an urban school district in the Southeastern United States. The results show that both their direct experiences and their perception of their teacher’s computer usage have strong impacts on students’ technology efficacy and STEM attitudes, and the former is the stronger predictor of the outcomes examined. The findings suggest that programs aiming to improve digital inclusion should emphasize students’ direct learning experience, which would later improve their attitude toward STEM fields.
Pain Management with Early Regional Anesthesia in Geriatric Hip Fracture Patients

Background Geriatric hip fracture patients are susceptible to the adverse effects of opioid-induced analgesia. Fascia iliaca blocks (FIBs) have emerged as an analgesic technique for this population. There are limited data on a preoperative FIB's effect on perioperative opioid intake. We hypothesized that preoperative FIB would reduce perioperative opioid consumption, measured in morphine milliequivalents (MMEs). Design This is a prospective observational study. Setting A level 1 trauma center in California. Participants From March 2017 to December 2017, patients 65 years and older presenting with a hip fracture received a preoperative FIB and were prospectively observed. This cohort was compared with a historical control. Intervention All prospectively enrolled patients were given FIBs. For a single-shot FIB, a 30- to 40-mL bolus of 0.25% bupivacaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine was injected. For a continuous FIB, a bolus of 10 to 20 mL of 0.2% bupivacaine was injected, followed by a continuous infusion of 0.2% bupivacaine at 6 mL/h ending on the morning of postoperative Day 1. Results A total of 725 patients were included in this study, with 92 in the prospectively collected cohort. The mean age of this cohort was 84.2 (standard deviation = 8.4) years, and 69.2% were female. Patients who received a preoperative FIB consumed less MME preoperatively, 18.0 (interquartile range = 6.0-44.5) versus 29.5 (interquartile range = 6.0-56.5) (P = .007), with no change in pain scores. No differences were found in postoperative opioid consumption between groups. There was no difference in MME or pain score in patients with dementia. Subgroup analysis based on fracture pattern (femoral neck and intertrochanteric) demonstrated a significant decrease in preoperative MME consumption in femoral neck fractures only, 12.0 (interquartile range = 5.0-24.0) versus 29.0 (interquartile range = 12.0-59.0) (P Conclusion FIBs reduce preoperative opioid intake and have low rates of opioid-related adverse events in geriatric hip fracture patients. Level of evidence The level of evidence was II.
Power and Politics in the World-System:

While various researchers and practitioners agree that it will be hard to restructure our current global and local systems to adapt to and mitigate climate change, there is unsurprisingly great disagreement in how and if this can be accomplished and on what level(s), or if this is even what needs to be accomplished. These conversations have continued with the introduction of the “Anthropocene.” The dominant interpretation of the concept poses several solutions, one being national government restructuring to support environmental efforts and encouraging behavioral change. To join conversations that critically evaluate the conceptualization and implications of the Anthropocene with the world-systems perspective, we consider how the effectiveness of national environmental governance in reducing CO2 emissions varies by a country’s position in the global hierarchy. Using two-way fixed effects regression, this article tests how one aspect of this environmental governance, environmentally related taxes as a percentage of total tax revenue impacts CO2 emissions for 75 countries from 2000 to 2011. Given inequities in the global division of labor, which reinforce the dominance of higher-income countries and the exploitation of lower-income countries, we expect the effectiveness of environmental governance to vary tremendously by global position. Our results support the idea that the impact of environmental governance on CO2 emissions varies across countries at different income levels in the world-system, and this is due to external constraints. Such external influence is unsurprisingly neglected in dominant interpretations of the Anthropocene. In line with previous critical research, we argue that these external constraints undermine climate change solutions because they fail to address mutually reinforcing global, political, economic, and environmental inequalities.
Stereoselectivity in Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions of enantioenriched nucleophiles.

Advances in Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions have facilitated the development of stereospecific variants enabling the use of configurationally stable, enantioenriched, main-group organometallic nucleophiles to form C(sp3)–C(sp2) bonds. Such stereospecific cross-coupling reactions constitute a powerful synthetic approach to attaining precise 3D control of molecular structure, allowing new stereogenic centres to be readily introduced into molecular architectures. Examples of stereospecific, Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions have been reported for isolable enantioenriched alkylboron, alkyltin, alkylgermanium and alkylsilicon nucleophiles. In these reactions, a single, dominant stereospecific pathway of transmetallation to palladium is required to effect efficient chirality transfer to the cross-coupled product. However, the potential for competing stereoretentive and stereoinvertive pathways of transmetallation complicates the stereochemical transfer in these processes and impedes the rational development of new stereospecific cross-coupling variants. In this Review, we describe the use of enantioenriched organometallic nucleophiles in stereospecific, Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions. We focus on systems involving well-defined, isolable, enantioenriched nucleophiles in which a clear stereochemical course of transmetallation is followed. Specific modes of electronic activation that influence the reactivity of alkylmetal nucleophiles are described and presented in the context of their impact on the stereochemical course of cross-coupling reactions. We expect that this Review will serve as a valuable resource to assist in deconvoluting the many considerations that potentially impact the stereochemical outcome of Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions. This Review details the use of enantioenriched organometallic nucleophiles in stereospecific, Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions. Particular focus is placed on the stereochemical outcome of the coupling reactions, which enable the predictable manipulation of 3D molecular structure.
A comparison of two remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey methods used to estimate fish assemblages and densities around a California oil platform

Offshore oil and gas platforms have a finite life of production operations. Once production ceases, decommissioning options for the platform are assessed. The role that a platform's jacket plays as fish habitat can inform the decommissioning decision. In this study, conducted along the crossbeams of a California platform jacket and using an ROV, we compared estimates of fish diversity and densities determined from a targeted "biological" survey with those from a replicated "structural" survey. We found that the water column fish species assemblages characterized by the two methods were similar. By contrast, the two survey methods yielded different species assemblages inhabiting the crossbeam at the platform jacket base. This difference occurred because, at least off California, the platform jacket base species diversity tends to be highest where the bottom crossbeam is undercut, creating sheltering sites for many species. Because the structural method inadequately imaged the seafloor-crossbeam interface, particularly where a gap occurred between crossbeam and seafloor, substantial numbers of fishes were not visible. While we cannot extrapolate from this study to all platforms' worldwide, it is clear that routine platform structural integrity surveys may be a valuable source for opportunistic marine community surveys. Intentional planning of the structural survey to incorporate relatively minor variations (e.g., maintaining fixed ROV distance from the infrastructure and consistent 90° camera angle) coupled with a deliberate consideration of the platform ecology (e.g., positioning the ROV to capture the seafloor-crossbeam interface) can substantially improve the effects on fish assemblage assessments from routine structural surveys without compromising the integrity assessment. We suggest that these biases should be both acknowledged and, understood when using routine structural surveys to inform platform ecology assessment. Additional consideration may be given to structural surveys that incorporate incremental adjustments to provide better data applicability to biological assessments.
Approaches for investigating plasmodesmata and effective communication.

Abstract Plasmodesmata (PD) are integral plant cell wall components that provide routes for intercellular communication, signaling, and resource sharing. They are therefore essential for plant growth and survival. Much effort has been put forth to understand how PD are generated and their structure is refined for function and to determine how they regulate intercellular trafficking. This review provides an overview of some of the approaches that have been used to study PD structure and function, highlighting those that may be more widely adopted to address questions of PD cell biology and function. Extending our focus on the importance of communication, we address how effective communication strategies can increase diversity and accessibility in the research laboratory, focusing on challenges faced by our deaf/hard-of-hearing colleagues, and highlight successful approaches to including them in the research laboratory.
Balancing model generality and specificity in management-focused habitat selection models for Gunnison sage-grouse

Abstract Identifying, protecting, and restoring habitats for declining wildlife populations is foundational to conservation and recovery planning for any species at risk of decline. Resource selection analysis is a key tool to assess habitat and prescribe management actions. Yet, it can be challenging to map suitable resource conditions across a wide range of ecological contexts and use the resulting models to identify effective and universal habitat improvement actions. We developed a management-centric modeling approach that sought to balance the need to evaluate the consistency of key habitat conditions and improvement actions across multiple, distinct populations, while allowing context-specific environmental variables and spatial scales to nuance selection responses that form the basis of location-specific management prescriptions. To demonstrate this approach, we developed a set of habitat selection models for Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus), a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Conservation, species recovery, and habitat management efforts are needed in six isolated satellite populations (San Miguel, Crawford, Pinon Mesa, Dove Creek, Cerro Summit-Cimarron-Sims, and Poncha Pass) where environmental conditions differ, and the already small number of birds are declining. We used multi-scale and seasonal resource selection analyses to quantify relationships between environmental conditions and sites used by animals. All models included key habitat variables often altered through management actions to assess their differential influences across models. We found important similarities and differences among satellites, indicating that, although some rules of thumb are generally well-grounded, the consideration of population-specific environmental differences could increase the efficiency of local habitat improvement actions. Sage-grouse also had diverse responses to resource conditions at different scales, indicating that regional spatial (e.g., landscape) and local patch scale can differentially influence expected habitat improvements associated with where such management actions are implemented. Although context variables such as topography cannot be manipulated, sage-grouse associations revealed information that could guide the siting of improvement actions. This approach to balancing management objectives associated with habitat assessment may benefit spatially-structured populations with different environmental contexts and species with complex habitat needs and associations.
Design of thin-film quasi-optical terahertz components using evolutionary algorithms

In this paper, the design of THz thin-film components using single and multi-objective evolutionary algorithms is introduced. Each structure is optimized through a HFSS-MATLAB interface with infinitely periodic boundary conditions and plane wave incidence. First, terahertz band-stop filters are investigated based on a dual-cross structure. The filters are optimized for rejection, bandwidth, and multi-resonant properties. A bandwidth of approximately 45 GHz with −25dB of rejection at 300 GHz is observed, as well as multi-resonant filters at 250 and 300 GHz. The miniaturization of a THz bolometer is also investigated using a single-objective genetic algorithm in order to improve its noise equivalent power. From the optimization, a unit cell approximately λ 0 =25 in size at 100 GHz is found, which is significantly smaller than the typical size constraints of traditional periodic structures.
Management Ethics and Social Responsibility Amid Diversity Across Nations

Managers, in both public and private sectors, are likely to face diverse and complex ethical challenges as they make decisions regarding functions such as hiring, promotions, compensation, suppliers and community affairs. Managers who work in a culturally diverse environment are likely to face even more difficult conflicts and decisions since people of different ethnic backgrounds are likely to have different rankings for various decisions and values [1]. For example, people of low context cultures living in individualistic societies are likely to place a higher level of importance on facts or truth [2] like the universalists, while those living in high context cultures that tend to be collectivistic will place loyalty higher as they function more like particularists [3]. Workers working in high uncertainty avoidance cultures are likely to avoid conflicts that can jeopardize their relationships with superiors or colleagues, while those living in low uncertainty avoidance and low power distance environments tend to take more risks even when this can hurt a relationship in the workplace [4, 5]. Therefore, it is important for modern global managers to be aware of such differences in values, behaviors and expectations. They should always act ethically, while also making sure that they are being seen as socially responsible and culturally competent in order to cohesively and synergistically work with and inspire workers toward creativity, innovation and higher productivity [6].