cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Membrane Interaction of an Anti-Bacterial AApeptide Defined by EPR Spectroscopy

Antibiotic resistance is one of the major threats to public health. AApeptides are a new class of synthetic anti-bacterial peptidomimetics that are not prone to antibiotic resistance, and are highly resistant to protease degradation. The broad-spectrum anti-bacterial activities of AApeptides are believed to be related to their unique structural features, which are capable of disrupting bacterial membranes selectively over human eukaryotic cells. How AApeptides selectively interact with bacterial membranes and alter lipid assembly and properties is unclear, but such information is essential in order to understand their antimicrobial activities. Here, by using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques at 9 and 95 GHz, we have characterized the membrane interaction and destabilizing activities of an AApeptide, cyclic-γ-AApeptide, on liposomes mimicking bacterial and eukaryotic cell membranes. The analysis revealed specific interactions between cyclic-γ-AApeptides and negatively-charged lipid molecules. Subsequently, the AApeptide interacts strongly with the bacteria-mimic liposomes containing negatively-charged lipids, and thereby inhibits membrane fluidity. Furthermore, AApeptide binding induces significant lipid-lateral-ordering of the bacteria-mimic liposomes, detected by EPR at 95 GHz. In addition, AApeptide binding increases the membrane permeability of the bacteria-mimic liposomes. By contrast, minimal membrane fluidity and permeability changes were observed for liposomes mimicking eukaryotic cell membranes, consisting of neutral lipids and cholesterol, upon AApeptide binding. The results revealed that the intrinsic features of AApeptides are important for their ability to selectively disrupt bacterial membranes, the implications of which extend to developing new antibacterial biomaterials.
464 WNT 7A AND FZD 9 HAVE AN ANTITUMORIGENIC EFFECT THROUGH ACTIVATION OF PEROXISOME PROLIFERATOR-ACTIVATED RECEPTOR γ.

The Wnt signaling pathway is critical to normal embryologic development. Mutations that affect Wnt signaling have been seen in carcinomas affecting various organ systems. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that combined expression of Wnt 7a and Fzd 9 inhibits growth in NSCLC cell lines. Additionally, we have shown that increased expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) inhibits transformed growth and promotes epithelial differentiation in NSCLC lines. This study focuses on the role of PPAR-γ in mediating the effects of Wnt 7a and Fzd 9 expression. We found that Wnt 7a and Fzd 9 expression leads to increased PPAR-γ activity. The effect of Wnt 7a and Fzd 9 was not mediated through increased expression of PPAR-γ but rather through activation of ERK5. SR 202, a known PPAR inhibitor, blocked the increase in PPAR activity and restored anchorage-independent growth in NSCLC expressing Wnt 7a and Fzd 9. SR 202 also reversed the increase in E-cadherin expression mediated by Wnt 7a and Fzd 9. Our data suggest that ERK5-dependent activation of PPAR represents a major effector pathway mediating the antitumorigenic effects of Wnt 7a and Fzd 9 in NSCLC. Furthermore, we have shown that Wnt-7a combined with Fzd-9 activates Spry 4, a potent inhibitor of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) and growth factors (GF) that are strongly associated with tumorigenesis.
A limited understanding of hazard of influenza A virus subtype H7N9 in children

Since the first human case of influenza A virus subtype H7N9 was reported in Shanghai, China in March 2013, there have been two H7N9-infected children and one healthy H7N9 carrier. With a brief introduction to the basic information of the three children, this paper discusses the variation of Avian influenza virus by referring to the literature, suggests that human-to-human transmission is not confirmed in the small outbreak, and reviews the measures for preventing and treating H7N9 infection in humans. In addition, this paper talks about the use of tamiflu in early stage of infection and the use of peramivir when the patient's condition is severe.
Derivation of Neural Precursor Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells for DNA Methylomic Analysis

Embryonic stem cells are self-renewing pluripotent cells with competency to differentiate into all three-germ lineages. Many studies have demonstrated the importance of genetic and epigenetic molecular mechanisms in the maintenance of self-renewal and pluripotency. Stem cells are under unique molecular and cellular regulations different from somatic cells. Proper regulation should be ensured to maintain their unique self-renewal and undifferentiated characteristics. Understanding key mechanisms in stem cell biology will be important for the successful application of stem cells for regenerative therapeutic medicine. More importantly practical use of stem cells will require our knowledge on how to properly direct and differentiate stem cells into the necessary type of cells. Embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells have been used as study models to unveil molecular and cellular mechanisms in various signaling pathways. They are especially beneficial to developmental studies where in vivo molecular/cellular study models are not available. We have derived neural stem cells from human embryonic stem cells as a model to study the effect of teratogen in neural development. We have tested commercial neural differentiation system and successfully derived neural precursor cells exhibiting key molecular features of neural stem cells, which will be useful for experimental application.
Experience with the Small-Carrion penile prosthesis.

AbstractThe Small-Carrion prosthesis has been Implanted successfully in 14 of 15 patients. These prostheses are implanted through a dorsal midline penile incision, which simplifies the procedure. The perineal approach Is preferred for keloid formers and paraplegics who will use a condom catheter. Operative failure may be decreased by paying particular attention to the size of prosthesis implanted and the positioning of Its distal tip.
Employee Benefits: A Primer for Human Resource Professionals (Book Summary)

Employee Benefits: A Primer for Human Resource Professionals (2007)by Joseph MartocchioPublisher: McGraw Hill/IrwinPaperback: 400 pp. ISBN-13: 978-0073381299
SAVED BY THE MORNING BELL: SCHOOL START TIME AND TEEN CAR ACCIDENTS

Adolescents today suffer from chronic sleep deprivation due to a combination of biological changes to the circadian clock and early morning school bell times. Many school districts are now considering delaying high school start times to accommodate the sleep schedules of teens. This paper explores whether such policy changes can have an unexpected impact on teen car accident rates. This impact could function both through a direct effect on teen sleep deprivation and indirectly through changes to the driving environment, that is, shifting the time and conditions under which teens commute to school. By focusing on late‐night accidents and employing a difference‐in‐differences strategy using adult drivers as a control group, I find evidence of a persistent sleep deprivation mechanism. A 15‐minute delay in school start time causes a significant decrease in late‐night teen accidents of approximately 23%. However, I also find evidence of an opposing mechanism that is present during the morning commuting hours. A 15‐minute delay in high school start time leads to a 21% increase in morning teen car accidents. (JEL I29, J13, R41)
Bootstrap, universality and horizons

We present a closed form expression for the semiclassical OPE coefficients that are universal for all 2D CFTs with a “weak” light spectrum, by taking the semiclassical limit of the fusion kernel. We match this with a properly regularized and normalized bulk action evaluated on a geometry with three conical defects, analytically continued in the deficit angles beyond the range for which a metric with positive signature exists. The analytically continued geometry has a codimension-one coordinate singularity surrounding the heaviest conical defect. This singularity becomes a horizon after Wick rotating to Lorentzian signature, suggesting a connection between universality and the existence of a horizon.
Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Homing and Migration of Plasma Cells in Response to CXCR4 Stimulation and Downstream Activation of the PI3K Pathway.

Malignant plasma cells characteristically home to the bone marrow (BM). However, the mechanisms by which cells are recruited into and mobilized from the bone marrow into the peripheral blood (PB) are not well understood. In this study, we explore the molecular mechanisms involved in homing and migration of plasma cells in response to CXCR4 and investigated the role of the PI3K pathway in migration of MM cells in response to SDF-1. CXCR4 surface expression was determined by FACS analysis (PE CXCR4, Pharmingen) using samples from bone marrow and peripheral blood of patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM), monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and primary systemic amyloidosis (AL). All results were expressed as percent expression in gated CD38+ and CD45+ cells. Boyden chamber in vitro migration assays were performed using Kas6/1MM cells. In addition, live confocal microscopy was used to visualize changes in the subcellular location of YFP-fluorescent CXCR4 before and after SDF-1 stimulation. Cells were pretreated with 10mM LY294002 or 200nM rapamycin to assess the effect of inhibition of PI3K or mTOR on CXCR4 subcellular localization. Immunoblotting was performed to confirm inhibition of the PI3K pathway. Comparisons between groups was performed using Mann-Whitney testing. The median CXCR4 expression is described in table 1. There was a significant difference between expression of BM CXCR4 in MM and MGUS (p=0.02). SDF-1 induced dose dependent migration of Kas 6/1 cells indicating a functional CXCR4 receptor. MM cells transfected with YFP-CXCR4 demonstrated surface localization on the cells. 3-Dimensional and continuous live imaging after SDF-1 stimulation for 30 minutes demonstrated alterations in the CXCR4-YFP leading to its capping, internalization subcellularly, and production of pseudopodia in response to SDF-1. This process was abrogated with pretreatment with LY294002 and rapamycin. These data demonstrate for the first time that the surface expression of CXCR4 is markedly elevated in the peripheral blood as compared to the bone marrow. Once in the bone marrow, and with the presence of excess SDF-1, the receptor becomes internalized and downregulated. In contrast to MM, CXCR4 expression on plasma cells in the bone marrow of normal and MGUS patients was higher. In addition, we demonstrate that the process of CXCR4 subcellular localization is abrogated by the administration of PI3K inhibitors LY294002 and rapamycin. These data suggest that CXCR4 expression is required for MM cells to circulate, and that downregulation occurs in the BM leading to immobilization of the cells. Future clinical trials using CXCR4 inhibitors, or inhibitors of PI3K and mTOR to prevent the homing and migration of MM cells into the bone marrow may be explored. This was supported in part by CAP50 CA97274. CXCR4 expression
Oscillation structure of localized perturbations in modulationally unstable media.

We characterize the properties of the asymptotic stage of modulational instability arising from localized perturbations of a constant background, including the number and location of the individual peaks in the oscillation region. We show that, for long times, the solution tends to an ensemble of classical (i.e., sech-shaped) solitons of the focusing nonlinear Schrodinger equation (as opposed to the various breatherlike solutions of the same equation with a nonzero background). We also confirm the robustness of the theoretical results by comparing the analytical predictions with careful numerical simulations with a variety of initial conditions, which confirm that the evolution of modulationally unstable media in the presence of localized initial perturbations is indeed described by the same asymptotic state.
Internet of Things (IoT) Platform for Structure Health Monitoring

Increase in the demand for reliable structural health information led to the development of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). Prediction of upcoming accidents and estimation of useful life span of a structure are facilitated through SHM. While data sensing is the core of any SHM, tracking the data anytime anywhere is a prevailing challenge. With the advancement in information technology, the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) has made it possible to integrate SHM with Internet to track data anytime anywhere. In this paper, a SHM platform embedded with IoT is proposed to detect the size and location of damage in structures. The proposed platform consists of a Wi-Fi module, a Raspberry Pi, an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC), a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC), a buffer, and piezoelectric (PZT) sensors. The piezoelectric sensors are mounted as a pair in the structure. Data collected from the piezoelectric sensors will be used to detect the size and location of damage using a proposed mathematical model. Implemented on a Raspberry Pi, the proposed mathematical model will estimate the size and location of structural damage, if any, and upload the data to Internet. This data will be stored and can be checked remotely from any mobile device. The system has been validated using a real test bed in the lab.
Coagulopathy In and Outside the Intensive Care Unit

Coagulopathy is life threatening. Through technologic advances of today, early recognition of the signs and symptoms of coagulopathy and the complicating factors is possible in most settings. By implementing appropriate treatment modalities early, the progression of coagulopathy can be halted, reducing morbidity and mortality.
Bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) Diversity and Sampling Methodology in a Midwestern USA Deciduous Forest

Forests provide potentially important bee habitat, but little research has been done on forest bee diversity and the relative effectiveness of bee sampling methods in this environment. Bee diversity and sampling methodology were studied in an Illinois, USA upland oak-hickory forest using elevated and ground-level pan traps, malaise traps, and vane traps. 854 bees and 55 bee species were collected. Elevated pan traps collected the greatest number of bees (473), but ground-level pan traps collected greater species diversity (based on Simpson’s diversity index) than did elevated pan traps. Elevated and ground-level pan traps collected the greatest bee species richness, with 43 and 39 species, respectively. An estimated sample size increase of over 18-fold would be required to approach minimum asymptotic richness using ground-level pan traps. Among pan trap colors/elevations, elevated yellow pan traps collected the greatest number of bees (266) but the lowest diversity. Malaise traps were relatively ineffective, collecting only 17 bees. Vane traps collected relatively low species richness (14 species), and Chao1 and abundance coverage estimators suggested that minimum asymptotic species richness was approached for that method. Bee species composition differed significantly between elevated pan traps, ground-level pan traps, and vane traps. Indicator species were significantly associated with each of these trap types, as well as with particular pan trap colors/elevations. These results indicate that Midwestern deciduous forests provide important bee habitat, and that the performance of common bee sampling methods varies substantially in this environment.
Quantum theory for 1D X-ray free electron laser

AbstractClassical 1D X-ray Free Electron Laser (X-ray FEL) theory has stood the test of time by guiding FEL design and development prior to any full-scale analysis. Future X-ray FELs and inverse-Compton sources, where photon recoil approaches an electron energy spread value, push the classical theory to its limits of applicability. After substantial efforts by the community to find what those limits are, there is no universally agreed upon quantum approach to design and development of future X-ray sources. We offer a new approach to formulate the quantum theory for 1D X-ray FELs that has an obvious connection to the classical theory, which allows for immediate transfer of knowledge between the two regimes. We exploit this connection in order to draw quantum mechanical conclusions about the quantum nature of electrons and generated radiation in terms of FEL variables.
Panel performance measures: Setting up systems and using data and feedback to monitor performance and act on any issues

Although sensory panels are made up of people, they have something in common with analytical instruments in that a sensory panel carrying out objective evaluations should be expected to produce valid sensory data at a predefined level of reliability. This means that the output of the panel is measured against performance targets and action taken in cases where the targets are not met. This chapter introduces panel performance measures and focuses on panels carrying out objective sensory evaluation rather than consumer sensory panels. The main themes covered include how to check your data, monitor performance and address any issues.
A phase II trial of ruxolitinib in combination with azacytidine in myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasms

Ruxolitinib and azacytidine target distinct disease manifestations of myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPNs). Patients with MDS/MPNs initially received ruxolitinib BID (doses based on platelets count), continuously in 28-day cycles for the first 3 cycles. Azacytidine 25 mg/m2 (Day 1-5) intravenously or subcutaneously was recommended to be added to each cycle starting cycle 4 and could be increased to 75 mg/m2 (Days 1-5) for disease control. Azacytidine could be started earlier than cycle 4 and/or at higher dose in patients with rapidly proliferative disease or with elevated blasts. Thirty-five patients were treated (MDS/MPN-U, n =14; CMML, n =17; aCML, n =4), with a median follow-up of 15.2 months (range, 1.0–41.5). All patients were evaluable by the 2015 international consortium proposal of response criteria for MDS/MPNs (ICP MDS/MPN) and 20 (57%) responded. Nine patients (45%) responded after the addition of azacytidine. A greater than 50% reduction in palpable splenomegaly at 24 weeks was noted in 9/14 (64%) patients. Responders more frequently were JAK2-mutated (P = 0.02) and had splenomegaly (P = 0.03) compared to non-responders. New onset grade 3/4 anemia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 18 (51%) and 19 (54%) patients, respectively, but required therapy discontinuation in only 1 (3%) patient. Patients with MDS/MPN-U had better median survival compared to CMML and aCML (26.5 vs 15.1 vs 8 months; P = 0.034). The combination of ruxolitinib and azacytidine was well-tolerated with an ICP MDS/MPN-response rate of 57% in patients with MDS/MPNs. The survival benefit was most prominent in patients with MDS/MPN-U. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Consumer preferences for farmed and ecolabeled turbot: A North German perspective

This paper investigates the importance of different attributes, including farmed and wild caught, and non ecolabeled and ecolabeled, for turbot in the German market as well as consumers’ willingnes...
Failure-driven reminding for incremental learning

Much of adult learning is gradual, almost imperceptible. Our model for this knowledge-based, incremental learning is to augment normal story comprehension processing with a failure tracking mechanism. When a comprehension rule fails, the failure and its correction are stored in an exception episode attached to the failing rule. The rule is otherwise unchanged. Subsequent failures of that rule trigger the retrieval of these exception episodes (failure-driven reminding). Rule modification occurs when classes can be found for the known exceptions. The ALFRED program is a preliminary implementation that classifies and remembers failures of "everyday knowledge" in the domain of political economics.
Ethics and the Future of Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation

This paper seeks to identify and examine a number of ethical issues that persist 20 years after the field of vascularized composite allotransplantation was established. Reflection upon these issues will be essential if the field is to fulfill its promise. A number of scholars, including the authors, have been involved in efforts to identify ethical issues in VCA. Meetings held in the US and in Europe have focused on ethical concerns related to procurement, risk-benefit, consent, and program standards, among others. Improving the burden and risk vs. benefit ratio, strengthening the consent process, employing a patient advocate, bringing greater clarity to donation policy, and improving data sharing are identified as major ethical concerns in vascularized composite allotransplantation.
Optimization of single-cell plate sorting for high throughput sequencing applications

Abstract Single cell sequencing has recently been applied to many immunological studies. Flow cytometric index sorting isolates cells for single cell sequencing with protein level data linked to sequences. However, successful sequencing of index sorted samples requires careful optimization of several sort parameters, including nozzle size, flow rate, threshold rate, and yield calculations. In this study, considerations and optimization data for each of these variables are presented. Our analysis focused on index sorting, but the findings can be applied to any plate sorting protocol. Minimization of flow rates and use of the 70 μm nozzle improved cell yields. Improvements in total read counts after sequencing were obtained by decreasing the threshold rate, or the number of cells processed per second. In addition, this technique provided linked protein and gene expression analysis of the cytokine interferon (IFN)γ, demonstrating that on a single cell basis IFNγ+ cells tend to express IFNG mRNA, and IFNγ– cells do not. Through rigorous optimization and quality control, we have identified parameters important to plate sorting and recommend the use of the 70 μm nozzle and low flow and threshold rates for analysis of rare populations of human lymphocytes.
Angler preferences and satisfaction in a high-threshold bucket-list recreational fishery

Abstract It is important to understand recreational anglers’ motivations for fishing in order to predict when, where, and how they interact with species that can be sensitive to overfishing. So far, few studies have investigated angler motivation in recreational fisheries that are extremely distant from their angler population, require specialized angler skill, and pose other barriers to participation like high travel and equipment costs. We collectively refer to these as “high-threshold” fisheries and explore angler motivation and its implications for anglers’ decision-making in one particularly remote example, the Mongolian fly fishery for endangered taimen, Hucho taimen, the largest salmonid in the world. We used a mixed-methods approach that enriched discrete choice experiments with in-depth qualitative interview data to investigate anglers’ motivations for participating in the taimen fishery, their satisfaction with the fishing experience, and their stated interest in participating in the fishery in the future. We found that anglers preferred fewer high-quality, trophy-sized fish to a higher catch rate of smaller taimen, but that activity-general factors like the opportunity to travel to an “exotic” wilderness destination were also highly motivating. The anglers we sampled were all first-time taimen fishermen and many were bucket-list anglers who sought a wide variety of fishing tourism experiences throughout their lifetime and therefore and had no intention to return to the taimen fishery. Instead, these fishermen selected their future trips from among a set of similarly remote, specialized, and costly fisheries throughout the world, especially in developing countries. We argue that these high-threshold fisheries should not be studied in isolation but instead would benefit from a unified research approach that accounts for their unique traits and shared angler population.
Catherine Bradshaw: The Role of Prevention Science in School-Based Programming:

Catherine Bradshaw, PhD, MEd, is a professor and the senior associate dean for research and faculty development at the Curry School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia....
Characterization of assistive robot arm Teleoperation: A preliminary study to inform shared control

Assistive robotic devices can increase the independence of individuals with motor impairments. However, each person is unique in their level of injury, preferences, and skills, which moreover can change over time. Further, the amount of assistance required can vary throughout the day due to pain or fatigue, or over longer periods due to rehabilitation, debilitating conditions, or aging. Therefore, in order to become an effective team member, the assistive machine should be able to learn from and adapt to the human user. To do so, we need to be able to characterize the user's control commands to determine when and how autonomy should change to best assist the user. We perform a 20 person pilot study in order to establish a set of meaningful performance measures which can be used to characterize the user's control signals and as cues for the autonomy to modify the level and amount of assistance. Our study includes 8 spinal cord injured and 12 uninjured individuals. The results unveil a set of objective, runtime-computable metrics that are correlated with user-perceived task difficulty, and thus could be used by an autonomy system when deciding whether assistance is required. The results further show that metrics which evaluate the user interaction with the robotic device, robot execution, and the perceived task difficulty show differences among spinal cord injured and uninjured groups, and are affected by the type of control interface used. The results will be used to develop an adaptable, user-centered, and individually customized shared-control algorithms.
In vitro AMPylation/Adenylylation of Alpha-synuclein by HYPE/FICD

One of the major histopathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease are Lewy bodies (LBs) -cytoplasmic inclusions, enriched with fibrillar forms of the presynaptic protein alpha-synuclein (α-syn). Progressive deposition of α-syn into LBs is enabled by its propensity to fibrillize into insoluble aggregates. We recently described a marked reduction in α-syn fibrillation in vitro upon posttranslational modification (PTM) by the Fic (Filamentation induced by cAMP) family adenylyltransferase HYPE/FICD (Huntingtin yeast-interacting protein E/FICD). Specifically, HYPE utilizes ATP to covalently decorate key threonine residues in α-syn's N-terminal and NAC (non-amyloid-β component) regions with AMP (adenosine monophosphate), in a PTM termed AMPylation or adenylylation. Status quo in vitro AMPylation reactions of HYPE substrates, such as α-syn, use a variety of ATP analogs, including radiolabeled α-32P-ATP or α-33P-ATP, fluorescent ATP analogs, biotinylated-ATP analogs (N6-[6-hexamethyl]-ATP-Biotin), as well as click-chemistry-based alkyl-ATP methods for gel-based detection of AMPylation. Current literature describing a step-by-step protocol of HYPE-mediated AMPylation relies on an α-33P-ATP nucleotide instead of the more commonly available α-32P-ATP. Though effective, this former procedure requires a lengthy and hazardous DMSO-PPO (dimethyl sulfoxide-polyphenyloxazole) precipitation. Thus, we provide a streamlined alternative to the α-33P-ATP-based method, which obviates the DMSO-PPO precipitation step. Described here is a detailed procedure for HYPE mediated AMPylation of α-syn using α-32P-ATP as a nucleotide source. Moreover, our use of a reusable Phosphor screen for AMPylation detection, in lieu of the standard, single-use autoradiography film, provides a faster, more sensitive and cost-effective alternative.
Random survival forests using linked data to measure illness burden among individuals before or after a cancer diagnosis: Development and internal validation of the SEER-CAHPS illness burden index.

Abstract Purpose To develop and internally validate an illness burden index among Medicare beneficiaries before or after a cancer diagnosis. Methods Data source: SEER-CAHPS, linking Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry, Medicare enrollment and claims, and Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (Medicare CAHPS) survey data providing self-reported sociodemographic, health, and functional status information. To generate a score for everyone in the dataset, we tabulated 4 groups within each annual subsample (2007–2013): 1) Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries or 2) Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries, surveyed before cancer diagnosis; 3) MA beneficiaries or 4) Medicare FFS beneficiaries surveyed after diagnosis. Random survival forests (RSFs) predicted 12-month all-cause mortality and drew predictor variables (mean per subsample = 44) from 8 domains: sociodemographic, cancer-specific, health status, chronic conditions, healthcare utilization, activity limitations, proxy, and location-based factors. Roughly two-thirds of the sample was held out for algorithm training. Error rates based on the validation (“out-of-bag,” OOB) samples reflected the correctly classified percentage. Illness burden scores represented predicted cumulative mortality hazard. Results The sample included 116,735 Medicare beneficiaries with cancer, of whom 73 % were surveyed after their cancer diagnosis; overall mean mortality rate in the 12 months after survey response was 6%. SEER-CAHPS Illness Burden Index (SCIBI) scores were positively skewed (median range: 0.29 [MA, pre-diagnosis] to 2.85 [FFS, post-diagnosis]; mean range: 2.08 [MA, pre-diagnosis] to 4.88 [MA, post-diagnosis]). The highest decile of the distribution had a 51 % mortality rate (range: 29–71 %); the bottom decile had a 1% mortality rate (range: 0–2 %). The error rate was 20 % overall (range: 9% [among FFS enrollees surveyed after diagnosis] to 36 % [MA enrollees surveyed before diagnosis]). Conclusions This new morbidity measure for Medicare beneficiaries with cancer may be useful to future SEER-CAHPS users who wish to adjust for comorbidity.
Kernel Partial Correlation Coefficient -- a Measure of Conditional Dependence

In this paper we propose and study a class of simple, nonparametric, yet interpretable measures of conditional dependence between two random variables $Y$ and $Z$ given a third variable $X$, all taking values in general topological spaces. The population version of any of these measures captures the strength of conditional dependence and it is 0 if and only if $Y$ and $Z$ are conditionally independent given $X$, and 1 if and only if $Y$ is a measurable function of $Z$ and $X$. Thus, our measure -- which we call kernel partial correlation (KPC) coefficient -- can be thought of as a nonparametric generalization of the partial correlation coefficient that possesses the above properties when $(X,Y,Z)$ is jointly normal. We describe two consistent methods of estimating KPC. Our first method utilizes the general framework of geometric graphs, including $K$-nearest neighbor graphs and minimum spanning trees. A sub-class of these estimators can be computed in near linear time and converges at a rate that automatically adapts to the intrinsic dimension(s) of the underlying distribution(s). Our second strategy involves direct estimation of conditional mean embeddings using cross-covariance operators in the reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. Using these empirical measures we develop forward stepwise (high-dimensional) nonlinear variable selection algorithms. We show that our algorithm, using the graph-based estimator, yields a provably consistent model-free variable selection procedure, even in the high-dimensional regime when the number of covariates grows exponentially with the sample size, under suitable sparsity assumptions. Extensive simulation and real-data examples illustrate the superior performance of our methods compared to existing procedures. The recent conditional dependence measure proposed by Azadkia and Chatterjee (2019) can be viewed as a special case of our general framework.
Target space ≠ space

This paper investigates the significance of T-duality in string theory: the indistinguisha- bility with respect to all observables, of models attributing radically different radii to space – larger than the observable universe, or far smaller than the Planck length, say. Two interpretational branch points are identified and discussed. First, whether duals are physically equivalent or not: by considering a duality of the familiar simple harmonic oscillator, I argue that they are. Unlike the oscillator, there are no measurements ‘outside’ string theory that could distinguish the duals. Second, whether duals agree or disagree on the radius of ‘target space’, the space in which strings evolve according to string theory. I argue for the latter position, because the alternative leaves it unknown what the radius is. Since duals are physically equivalent yet disagree on the radius of target space, it follows that the radius is indeterminate between them. Using an analysis of Brandenberger and Vafa (1989), I explain why – even so – space is observed to have a determinate, large radius. The conclusion is that observed, ‘phenomenal’ space is not target space, since a space cannot have both a determinate and indeterminate radius: instead phenomenal space must be a higher-level phenomenon, not fundamental.
Single snapshot quantitative phase imaging with polarization differential interference contrast

We present quantitative phase imaging with polarization differential interference contrast (PDIC) realized on a slightly modified differential interference contrast (DIC) microscope. By recording the Stokes vector rather than the intensity of the differential interference pattern with a polarization camera, PDIC enables single snapshot quantitative phase imaging with high spatial resolution in real-time at speed limited by the camera frame rate alone. The approach applies to either absorptive or transparent samples and can integrate simply with fluorescence imaging for co-registered simultaneous measurements. Furthermore, an algorithm with total variation regularization is introduced to solve the quantitative phase map from partial derivatives. After quantifying the accuracy of PDIC phase imaging with numerical simulations and phantom measurements, we demonstrate the biomedical applications by imaging the quantitative phase of both stained and unstained histological tissue sections and visualizing the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe9s cytokinesis.
Set-indexed random fields and algebraic Euclidean quantum field theory

We present a construction of non-Gaussian Borel measures on the space of continuous functions defined on the space of all balls in Euclidean space of arbitrary dimension. These measures induce nets of operator algebras satisfying the Haag-Kastler axioms of algebraic quantum field theory and may be interpreted as (nonlinear) continuous transformations of the free scalar massive Euclidean quantum field.
A new statistical approach to automated quality control in manufacturing processes

Abstract Automated quality control is a key aspect of industrial maintenance. In manufacturing processes, this is often done by monitoring relevant system parameters to detect deviations from normal behavior. Previous approaches define “normalcy” as statistical distributions for a given system parameter, and detect deviations from normal by hypothesis testing. This paper develops an approach to manufacturing quality control using a newly introduced method: Bayesian Posteriors Updated Sequentially and Hierarchically (BPUSH). This approach outperforms previous methods, achieving reliable detection of faulty parts with low computational cost and low false alarm rates (∼0.1%). Finally, this paper shows that sample size requirements for BPUSH fall well below typical sizes for comparable quality control methods, achieving True Positive Rates (TPR) >99% using as few as n = 25 samples.
Regional Variability in Symptom‐Based MELD Exceptions: A Response to Organ Shortage?

MELD (model for end-stage liver disease) exception awards affect the liver allocation process. Award rates of specific nonhepatocellular carcinoma exceptions, termed symptom-based exceptions (SBE), differ across UNOS regions. We aimed to characterize the regional variability in SBE awards and examine predictive factors for receiving a SBE in the MELD era. The OPTN liver transplant and waiting list dataset was analyzed for waiting list registrants during the MELD allocation on February 27, 2002, until November 22, 2006. Competing risks proportional hazards regression analysis was used to examine predictors for receiving a SBE in 39 169 registrants. The hazard ratios for receiving a SBE differed significantly across regions when adjusted for multiple variables including age, gender, ethnicity, physiologic MELD score, blood group, functional status, etiology of liver disease, insurer and education level. Utilization of SBE is highly significantly variable across UNOS regions, and does not correlate with organ availability as estimated by the regional mean physiologic MELD score at transplantation. Patients with Medicaid as their primary payer have a lower likelihood of receiving a SBE award, while patients with cryptogenic/NASH cirrhosis or cholestatic liver disease have a higher likelihood of receiving a SBE. Reasons for these regional and demographic disparities deserve further investigation.
Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards: Reflections on Definitions of Operations Research by Morse and Kimball

This paper is an edited transcription of the author’s lecture given on February 25th, 2006, in honor of Saul Gass.
Transformation by bovine papillomavirus type 1 E6 is independent of transcriptional activation by E6

We have generated mutants of bovine papillomavirus type 1 E6 (BE6) that are defective for transcriptional activation and have analyzed these mutants for transformation of contact-inhibited cells and association with the mammalian protein E6-AP. These BE6 mutants demonstrate that transformation by BE6 does not require transcriptional activation and that association of BE6 with E6-AP is a function separable from transcriptional activation by BE6. Association of BE6 with E6-AP appears to be necessary but not sufficient for transformation by BE6. In addition, the mutational analysis of BE6 demonstrates that transactivation, transformation, and association with E6-AP all require sequences throughout the BE6 gene, indicating that the papillomavirus E6 proteins do not have a simple domain structure.
The Penn State 'Consent Decree': The NCAA's Coercive Means Don't Justify the Laudable Ends, but Is There a Legal Remedy?

In a July 23, 2012 Consent Decree, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), acting through its Executive Committee and President Mark Emmert, imposed unprecedented sanctions on Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). This action apparently was taken in an effort to convincingly demonstrate presidential control of intercollegiate athletics after recent widely reported scandals involving violations of NCAA amateurism, academic integrity, and ethical conduct rules by persons associated with high-profile intercollegiate football programs. This unprecedented use of de facto "best interests" power to punish a member university for individual criminal activity and institutional misconduct which traditionally has not been disciplined by the NCAA and which was unilaterally imposed outside of its customary rules enforcement and disciplinary procedures violated Penn State's contractual due process rights and private association law as well as possibly federal antitrust law and state common law restraint of trade laws.
Elusive unity: factionalism and the limits of identity politics in Yucatán, Mexico

Why has identity politics been tepidly received by the Yucatecan Maya, while it has thrived among the Maya in neighboring Chiapas and Guatemala? Armstrong-Fumero's fine first monograph examines its...
Effectiveness of Rectal Suction Biopsy in Diagnosing Hirschsprung Disease.

Introduction Rectal suction biopsy (RSB) is performed on clinical and radiological suspicion of Hirschsprung disease (HD). Positive histochemical staining for acetylcholinesterase in the lamina propria mucosa and muscularis mucosa together with the absence of ganglion cells in the submucosa confirms HD. A second RSB or a full-thickness biopsy is done in case of doubt. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of RSB in diagnosing HD. In addition, the results of RSB in preterm born infants were analyzed. Methods This retrospective study included all infants younger than 1 year who had RSB for HD suspicion from January 2004 to April 2014. All histopathological results were reviewed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of the first RSB were calculated. Results In total, 183 patients (99 boys, mean age 11 weeks) were included. HD was diagnosed in 55 patients (30%). A second biopsy was performed in 12/55 patients (22%), which confirmed HD in 9 patients. One patient did not undergo a second biopsy, but HD was excluded based on clinical follow-up. Thus, HD was eventually excluded in 4 of the 55 patients with a positive first RSB. HD was excluded in the first biopsy in 128 patients (70%). In 19 of those (15%), a second biopsy was done, which led to the diagnosis of HD in 10 patients. Two patients with negative biopsy results were still operated on because of the high clinical suspicion for HD, and the histopathological analysis on the operative specimen confirmed HD. Thus, HD was eventually diagnosed in 12 out of 128 patients. Thus, the sensitivity of the first RSB was 81% and the specificity was 97%. The positive predictive value was 93% and the negative predictive value was 91%. A subanalysis for the 38 preterm born infants was done, with a mean conceptional age at the time of biopsy of 44 weeks (range 34–82). Sensitivity and specificity of RSB were 83 and 97%, respectively, with one false-positive and one false-negative results. Conclusion The overall sensitivity of the RSB was 81%, with 12 false-negative results, in which cases extra biopsies had been necessary. The specificity was 97%, with four false-positive findings. We found that RSB can also be reliably and safely performed in preterm born infants, which implies there is no reason to postpone a RSB in those infants. New methods, such as calretinin staining, must be considered to achieve better effectiveness of the RSB for diagnosing HD.
Batterers: A Review of Violence and Risk Assessment Tools

Batterers are often identified in the criminal justice system after they have inflicted significant abuse on their victims. The increasing public health initiatives surrounding intimate partner violence focus on identification of victims and their protection. Little emphasis is placed, however, on the batterers themselves. Forensic specialists become involved in risk assessment for violence only after a perpetrator has inflicted significant damage on his victim and entered the criminal justice system. This article serves to bring awareness of the many factors, including neurobiology and neuropsychology, that contribute to the development of a batterer. Two instruments useful in identifying violence risk will be highlighted, along with a proposal for future research that could broaden risk assessment applications to other noncriminal settings, allowing for early detection and prevention of violent acts.
Psychological and Aesthetic Considerations in Outpatient Facial Plastic Surgery

The surgeon, medical and nonmedical staff, and the reception, consultation, treatment, surgical, and recovery areas constitute the basic elements of the office operating room complex. In reality these elements are an inseparable dynamic unit; however, for the purpose of discussion they have been examined separately to study their particular aesthetic and nonaesthetic psychological contributions to outpatient surgery. Knowing why a patient forms certain attitudes about the doctor, the office staff, and the office or suite and having some insight into how a patient perceives these same elements are very important to the young practitioner of facial piastic surgery. It is possible that in the contemporary medical world where there are many surgeons of equal ability, success may depend on understanding these psychological aspects.
Perceived size of friends and weight evaluation among low-income adolescents

Drawing from social comparison theory, we examine how perceptions of friends' body sizes may influence adolescents' subjective evaluations of their own body (e.g., how accurate they are in judging their weight, how much body dissatisfaction they feel), particularly for adolescent females. Participants were low-income, minority adolescents (Study 1: N = 194 females, Mean age = 15.4; Study 2: N = 409 males and females; Mean age = 14.9). Adolescents used figure rating scales to indicate their perceived size and that of four of their closest friends and completed several measures of subjective weight evaluation (e.g., weight classification, body dissatisfaction, internalized weight bias). In both studies, how adolescents perceived their body size and the body sizes of their thinnest and heaviest friends were positively correlated. In Study 1, overweight females based on measured BMI were less likely to accurately judge themselves as overweight if they had a close friend they perceived as heavy. In addition, females who viewed themselves as having a larger figure reported more internalized weight bias when they had friends they viewed as relatively thin. Findings from Study 2 suggest that how friends' bodies are perceived is predictive of subjective weight evaluation measures only for adolescent females. Programs that address negative aspects of social comparison may be important in preventing both obesity and eating disorder symptoms in adolescent females.
Teleseismic time functions for large, shallow subduction zone earthquakes

Broadband vertical P-wave records are analyzed from 63 of the largest shallow subduction zone earthquakes which have occurred in the circum-Pacific in the last 45 yr. Most of the records studied come from a common instrument, the Pasadena, California, Benioff 1-90 seismometer. Propagation and instrument effects are deconvolved from the P-wave records using a damped least-squares inversion to obtain the teleseismic source time function. The inversion has the additional constraint that the time function be positive everywhere. The period band over which the time functions are considered reliable is from 2.5 to 50 sec. Fourier displacement amplitude spectra computed for each of the 1-90 P-wave trains indicate spectral slopes measured between 2 and 50 sec of ω^(−1.0) to ω^(−2.25) with an average value of ω^(−1.5). These values assume an average attenuation of t^* = 1.0. The seismic moments derived from the P-wave time functions compare well with other published values for earthquakes having moments smaller than 2.5 × 10^(28) dyne-cm (M_w = 8.2). Because the 1-90 seismometer has little response at very long periods, this technique underestimates the moments of the very largest events. The time functions are characterized using five parameters: (1) spectral slope between 2 and 50 sec; (2) roughness of the time function; (3) multiplicity of sources; (4) pulse widths of individual sources; and (5) overall signal duration. The 63 earthquakes studied come from 15 subduction zones with a wide range in the ages of subducted lithosphere, convergence rates, and maximum size of earthquakes. Comparing the time function parameters with age, rate, and M_w of the subduction zone does not yield obvious global trends. However, most of the subduction zones do behave characteristically and can be grouped accordingly.