cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extending the linear–quadratic model for large fraction doses pertinent to stereotactic radiotherapy

Ongoing clinical trials designed to explore the use of extracranial stereotactic radiosurgery (ESR) for different tumour sites use large doses per fraction (15, 20, 30 Gy or even larger). The question of whether the linear-quadratic (LQ) model is appropriate to describe radiation response for such large fraction doses has been raised and has not been answered definitively. It has been proposed that mechanism-based models, such as the lethal-potentially lethal (LPL) model, could be more appropriate for such large fraction/acute doses. However, such models are not well characterized with clinical data and they are generally not easy to use. The purpose of this work is to modify the LQ model to more accurately describe radiation response for high fraction/acute doses. A new parameter is introduced in the modified LQ (MLQ) model. The new parameter introduced is characterized based both on in vitro cell survival data of several human tumour cell lines and in vivo animal iso-effect curves. The MLQ model produces a better fit to the iso-effect data than the LQ model. For a high single dose irradiation, the prediction of the MLQ is consistent with that from the LPL model. Unlike the LPL model, the MLQ model retains the simplicity of the LQ model and uses the well-characterized alpha and beta parameters. This work indicates that the standard LQ model can lead to erroneous results when used to calculate iso-effects with large fraction doses, such as those used for ESR. We present a solution to this problem.
Ammonia availability shapes the seasonal distribution and activity of archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers in the Puget Sound Estuary

A combination of molecular and activity measures was used to explore seasonal patterns of distribution, activity, and diversity of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in relationship to ammonia availability in Hood Canal, a fjord within the Puget Sound, Washington State estuary system. A greater contribution of AOA to nitrification, relative to AOB, was supported by complementary quantification of transcripts of a gene (amoA) coding for one subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase, quantification of intact glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether lipids, and kinetic modeling. High AOA:AOB ratios and nitrification rates measured by 15 NH z dilution technique were associated with low concentrations of ammonia, whereas transient increases in AOB were most closely associated with regionally and seasonally elevated concentrations of ammonia in the water column. Additionally, single cell nitrification rates and transcript numbers were calculated for AOA and AOB populations. Together these observations offer additional ecological support for the idea that niche separation of AOA and AOB is in part determined by ammonia concentrations in estuarine ecosystems. The oxidation of ammonia to nitrite by autotrophic microorganisms was long thought to be mediated by a few restricted groups of bacteria belonging to the Beta -a nd Gammaproteobacteria. The discovery and high abundance
Wavelet based signal processing: where are we and where are we going?

This article discusses the history of modern wavelet based signal processing and then reviews the present state of the art. It also speculates about the future of this exciting field. The history of wavelets and wavelet based signal processing is fairly recent. Its roots in signal expansion go back to early geophysical and image processing methods and in DSP to filter bank theory and subband coding.
Strong coupling between single photons in semiconductor micro-cavities

We present two schemes to observe strong coupling between single photons in semiconductor micro-cavities coupled by a chi(2) nonlinearity, and discuss possible realistic implementations.
Gamma-ray mutagenesis studies in a new human-hamster hybrid, A(L)CD59(+/-), which has two human chromosomes 11 but is hemizygous for the CD59 gene.

Abstract Kraemer, S. M., Vannais, D. B., Kronenberg, A., Ueno, A. and Waldren, C. A. Gamma-Ray Mutagenesis Studies in a New Human–Hamster Hybrid, ALCD59+/–, which has Two Human Chromosomes 11 but is Hemizygous for the CD59 Gene. Radiat. Res. 156, 10–19 (2001). We have developed a human–CHO hybrid cell line, named ALCD59+/–, which has two copies of human chromosome 11 but is hemizygous for the CD59 gene and the CD59 cell surface antigen that it encodes. Our previous studies used the AL and ALC hybrids that respectively contain one or two sets of CHO chromosomes plus a single copy of human chromosome 11. The CD59 gene at 11p13.5 and the CD59 antigen encoded by it are the principal markers used in our mutagenesis studies. The hybrid ALCD59+/– contains two copies of human chromosome 11, only one of which carries the CD59 gene. The incidence of CD59 – mutants (formerly called S1–) induced by 137Cs γ rays is about fivefold greater in ALCD59+/– cells than in AL cells. Evidence is presented that this increase in ...
Strong quantum effects in an almost classical antiferromagnet on a kagome lattice

Two ubiquitous features of frustrated spin systems stand out: massive degeneracy of their ground states and flat, or dispersionless, excitation branches. In real materials, the former is frequently lifted by secondary interactions or quantum fluctuations, in favor of an ordered or spin-liquid state, but the latter often survive. We demonstrate that flat modes may precipitate remarkably strong quantum effects even in the systems that are otherwise written off as almost entirely classical. The resultant spectral features should be reminiscent of the quasiparticle breakdown in quantum systems, only here the effect is strongly amplified by the flatness of spin-excitation branches, leading to the damping that is not vanishingly small even at $S\ensuremath{\gg}1$. We provide a theoretical analysis of the excitation spectrum of the $S=5/2$ iron jarosite to illustrate our findings and to suggest further studies of this and other frustrated spin systems.
Hypnosis and Dissociation

The term association is used to describe the binding or linking together of ideas. For over a century now, it has been invoked to explain various aspects of learning, attitude change, and motivation (Skinner, 1953; Watson, 1930). In the later part of the nineteenth century, Janet described an opposing phenomenon of the separation of certain mental operations from the main body of consciousness with various degrees of autonomy (West, 1967). He termed this symptomatology desagregation (translated from the French as disaggregation), later referred to as dissociation. Since the inception of dynamic psychiatry and experimental psychopathology in the late nineteenth century, spontaneously occurring dissociative symptomatology has been linked to hypnosis, with theorists positing the two phenomena to have similar (and sometimes even identical) psychic mechanisms.
Surviving the Pressure of the Superpowers: An Analysis of Turkish Neutrality during the Second World War

The Second World War years indisputably constitute one of the most important periods of modern Turkish history. Yet, it is perhaps amongst those topics on which there is not a satisfactory amount of academic work available. This is an article prepared with the objective of shedding light on some of the issues not adequately explored before. The diplomatic maneuvers pursued by the then Inonu Administration to avoid the pressure from the Great Power to join the War have been analyzed in detail. Moreover, some regard has also been given to the Turkish domestic politics of that era. Such issues as the pro-German stance of various senior Turkish politicians of the time, the oppression of some ethnic minorities in pursuit of the so-called Turkification policies and German support to the growth of pan-Turkist movements have also been examined. The article concludes with a commentary on how the Turkish policy of neutrality in the 1940s triggered a chain of events that revived Greco-Turkish hostilities and led to Turkish membership of NATO.
In Vivo Zonal Variation and Liver Cell-Type Specific NF-κB Localization after Chronic Adaptation to Ethanol and following Partial Hepatectomy

NF-κB is a major inflammatory response mediator in the liver, playing a key role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury. We investigated zonal as well as liver cell type-specific distribution of NF-κB activation across the liver acinus following adaptation to chronic ethanol intake and 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx). We employed immunofluorescence staining, digital image analysis and statistical distributional analysis to quantify subcellular localization of NF-κB in hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). We detected significant spatial heterogeneity of NF-κB expression and cellular localization between cytoplasm and nucleus across liver tissue. Our main aims involved investigating the zonal bias in NF-κB localization and determining to what extent chronic ethanol intake affects this zonal bias with in hepatocytes at baseline and post-PHx. Hepatocytes in the periportal area showed higher NF-κB expression than in the pericentral region in the carbohydrate-fed controls, but not in the ethanol group. However, the distribution of NF-κB nuclear localization in hepatocytes was shifted towards higher levels in pericentral region than in periportal area, across all treatment conditions. Chronic ethanol intake shifted the NF-κB distribution towards higher nuclear fraction in hepatocytes as compared to the pair-fed control group. Ethanol also stimulated higher NF-κB expression in a subpopulation of HSCs. In the control group, PHx elicited a shift towards higher NF-κB nuclear fraction in hepatocytes. However, this distribution remained unchanged in the ethanol group post-PHx. HSCs showed a lower NF-κB expression following PHx in both ethanol and control groups. We conclude that adaptation to chronic ethanol intake attenuates the liver zonal variation in NF-κB expression and limits the PHx-induced NF-κB activation in hepatocytes, but does not alter the NF-κB expression changes in HSCs in response to PHx. Our findings provide new insights as to how ethanol treatment may affect cell-type specific processes regulated by NF-κB activation in liver cells.
Characterization of Ultrathin Strained-Si Channel Layers of n-MOSFETs Using Transmission Electron Microscopy

Strained-Si based Field Effect Transistors (FETs) have enabled improvement of carrier transport in Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS)-based devices, both in the ON state of the device and in the sub-threshold region. This leads to devices with higher ratios of on-to-off current, improvements in the device sub-threshold slope, lower voltage operation, and carrier mobility enhancement. However, in order to understand the fundamental physics of these devices, it is important to address the stress conditions of the strained-Si channel layers after device processing, particularly after the ion-implantation process. In this work, we have studied Si+ self ion-implantation and thermally annealed strained-Si channel layers in n-MOSFETs. It has been observed that the density of defects in the strained-Si layer depends upon implant dose as well as thermal treatment. Using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) spectra, it is found that Ge is present in the strained Si layer when analyzed after Si+ implantation and rapid thermal annealing. The presence of Ge in the strained Si channel layer causes relaxation of strain. This is verified by Convergent Beam Electron Diffraction (CBED) by measuring the lattice constant of the strained channel. It is concluded that electron mobility enhancements can be degraded in n- MOSFETs due to presence of both Ge up-diffusion and defects.
News out of Communist China

Communist China Problem Research Series, Hong Kong, Union Research Institute, I953-I954: Fang Shu, Campaign of Party-expansion of the Chinese Communist Party in I952, 43 pp. $I.00. Chung Shih, Higher Education in Communist China, 95 pp. $2.00. Hsin Ying, The Price Problems of Communist China, I25 pp. $I.50. Hsin Ying, The Foreign Trade of Communist China, i6i pp. $I.50. Cheng Cho-yuan, Monetary A flairs of Communist China, i6o pp. $2.00. Chi Tung-wei, Education for the Proletariat in Communist China, 73 pp.
Audits and Bank Failure: Do Financial Statement Audits Reduce Losses to Capital Providers?

We assess whether financial statement audits reduce the risk of losses to capital providers. Prior research documents a negative association between financial statement audits and perceived credit risk or interest costs, but surprisingly few studies assess whether lower perceived risk or interest costs are associated with fewer adverse risk-related operational outcomes, such as defaults. Using a sample of small, privately held commercial and savings banks subject to failure during the crisis years, and operationalizing default as failures resulting in losses to the FDIC insurance fund, we find firms having mandatory or voluntary financial statement audits are 33% to 50% less likely to experience defaults, compared to samples of unaudited firms, including samples matched on propensity to obtain an audit. These results are consistent with audited firms posing less default risk to creditors. That both mandatory and voluntary audits are negatively associated with failure after matching on other firm characteristics suggests the benefits of audits are not limited to voluntary audit regimes. Finding the presence of an audit is associated with a reduction in failure outcomes is important for regulators and other stakeholders as they weigh costs and benefits of mandatory audits.
Evidence for a high-velocity lithospheric plate under northern Nevada

Abstract P -wave residuals at stations of the Nevada seismic network are analyzed for 80 teleseisms distributed over a range of azimuth and epicentral distance. For South American earthquakes (azimuth 120° to 140° from Nevada), teleseismic P arrivals at northern Nevada stations Lovelock, Battle Mountain, and Elko are early by as much as 1.4 sec relative to the Tonopah station to the south. The North Reno station has early arrivals, relative to Tonopah, for Leeward Islands earthquakes, at an azimuth of 100° from the station. Interpretation of these residuals indicates the presence of a high-velocity lithospheric plate, striking northeast and dipping southeast, under northern Nevada. The high-velocity plate is interpreted as a paleosubduction zone.
Short-Term Plasticity at Inhibitory Synapses in Rat Striatum and Its Effects on Striatal Output

Two forms of short-term plasticity at inhibitory synapses were investigated in adult rat striatal brain slices using intracellular recordings. Intrastriatal stimulation in the presence of the ionot...
Strength of Thin Steel Compression Flanges

The production of light structural steel shapes from sheet steel, by cold forming and spot welding, necessitates the development of special design methods adapted to the peculiarities of such membe...
Rethinking eventual consistency: can we do better?

Today's data-driven internet-facing applications pose unprecedented challenges to the database systems that back these application. In addition to the immense scale of data, thousands of concurrent requests, and low latency response, these applications also strive for 24X7 availability. The big data serving systems empowering these applications must therefore have low request latencies, be highly-available, and be geo-replicated. As a result, there has been a resurgence of work on replicated, distributed database systems to meet the demands of intermittently-connected clients and of disaster-tolerant databases that span data centers spanning the globe. Many of these data serving systems weaken the criteria for replica-consistency or isolation, and in some cases add new mechanisms, to improve partition-tolerance, availability, and performance. In this talk, I'll present a framework for comparing these criteria and mechanisms, to help architects navigate through this complex design space and reason about the various weak forms of replica consistency. Joint work with Philip A. Bernstein.
Physiologic and psychologic profiles in a survey of women runners

The purpose of the present study is to report physiologic and psychologic factors in a survey of women runners. Psychologic factors were used in an investigation of differences in perceived emotional distress within a group of women runners. The psychologic information was compared with the results of two groups of infertility patients and a group of fertile control subjects. Among the physiologic factors, there was a significant difference in the mean weight and the height/weight ratio between amenorrheic and regularly cycling runners ( P P The psychologic data showed no difference between runners and fertile control subjects. When runners were divided according to menstrual intervals or miles run per week, there were differences in perceived emotional distress.
Vitamin D and pulmonary function in obese asthmatic children

Summary Objective Asthma-related morbidity is higher among children with vitamin D deficiency and obesity, morbidities that frequently co-exist among minority children. However, the effect of co-existent obesity and vitamin D deficiency on pulmonary function is poorly understood. Methods We compared percent-predicted values of pulmonary function across vitamin D categories among 72 obese and 71 normal-weight Hispanic and African-American children with asthma recruited at an urban children's hospital. Serum cytokines associated with Th1 and Th2 inflammation and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) were quantified in fasting serum. 25-OHD levels ≥30 ng/ml were categorized as sufficient, <30 and ≥20 ng/ml as insufficient, and <20 ng/ml as deficient. The role of inflammation was investigated by regression analysis. Results Vitamin D deficiency was present in 50% of children and did not differ by obese status. Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second (84.5 ± 9.4 vs. 94.8 ± 8.4, P < 0.001), and Functional Residual Capacity (67.5 ± 20.1 vs. 79.3 ± 19, P = 0.01) were lower among vitamin D deficient obese asthmatics than their sufficient counterparts, and Total Lung Capacity was lower than their insufficient counterparts (86.9 ± 14.3 vs. 96.6 ± 10, P = 0.01); similar associations were not observed in normal-weight asthmatics and were not influenced by systemic inflammation. No association between Th1 and Th2 inflammatory measures, vitamin D deficiency, and pulmonary function tests was found. Conclusions Vitamin D deficiency was associated with pulmonary function deficits among obese children, but not among normal-weight children with asthma, an association that was independent of Th1 and Th2 serum inflammatory measures. Vitamin D deficiency may be one potential mechanism underlying the obese-asthma phenotype. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016; 9999:XX–XX. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Formation of N-Nitrosodimethylamine and N-Nitrodimethylamine from the Plant Growth Regulator Daminozide (Alar).

Daminozide (Alar) was found to produce N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrodimethylamine (NITDMA) when treated with nitrite in acidic solution. Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), the hydrolysis product of Daminozide, gave the same products. Use of 15N-nitrite and 15N-Daminozide showed that both the nitroso group of NDMA and the nitro group of NITDMA arise from the nitrite.
Using Land Readjustment in Rebuilding the Earthquake-Damaged City of Bhuj, India

AbstractMajor earthquakes cause large scale devastation disrupting life, destroying homes, damaging properties and vital community infrastructure. Such events also offer opportunities for reorganizing neighborhoods and rebuilding disaster resilient communities. This article presents the case of reconstruction of Bhuj City in India following its devastation in the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, and showcases how consultative and planned intervention can rebuild better cities after a natural disaster. The land readjustment (LR) process was applied in reconstruction of a densely built, historically significant inner city area of Bhuj to transform it into a safer community resilient to disaster. LR, a microarea planning technique, is characterized as a strategy to carve out private lot sizes to create adequate public land for widening and straightening of streets, accommodating parks and amenities, and planning land lots and urban blocks with access to public infrastructure. Bhuj is one of the rare cities outside o...
Missing the mark: ongoing missed opportunities for HIV diagnosis at an urban medical center despite universal screening recommendations.

BACKGROUND Despite established recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to scale up testing efforts in the USA, this study shows full scale implementation of these recommendations may still be lacking. We hypothesize that patients experience ongoing missed opportunities for earlier diagnosis of HIV, despite frequent encounters to Montefiore Medical Center (MMC), an integrated hospital system in the Bronx, NY. METHODS Retrospective chart review via electronic medical records of patients newly diagnosed with HIV in 2012 and 2013 at varied MMC clinical sites. Missed opportunities were defined as > 1 prior health care encounter at MMC within three calendar years of diagnosis, in which HIV testing was not offered for those who had a prior negative test or no prior test. RESULTS There were 218 patients newly diagnosed with HIV at MMC during the study period; 31% presented with a CD4 <200 cells/mm3; 22% were asymptomatic at diagnosis. Patients (56%) without a prior HIV test had an average 4.72 clinical encounters at MMC within the 3 years prior to their HIV diagnosis. Over 95% of visits prior to diagnosis occurred in emergency departments (EDs) or primary care outpatient department (OPDs) and accounted for the vast majority of missed opportunities. CONCLUSIONS HIV infected patients continue to present late to care, with low CD4 and commonly utilize OPDs and EDs, where missed opportunities for earlier diagnosis are common. Practices that address augmentation of current HIV testing strategies are needed, especially in outpatient and first-contact acute care settings.
Proposed re-evaluation of the 154Eu thermal n,γ capture cross-section based on spent fuel benchmarking studies

Abstract 154 Eu is a nuclide of considerable importance to both non-destructive measurements of used nuclear fuel assembly burnup as well as for calculating the radiation source term for used fuel storage and transportation. However, recent evidence from code validation studies of spent fuel benchmarks have revealed evidence of a systemic bias in predicted 154 Eu inventories when using ENDF/B-VII.0 and ENDF/B-VII.1 nuclear data libraries, wherein 154 Eu is consistently over-predicted on the order of 10% or more. Further, this bias is found to correlate with sample burnup, resulting in a larger departure from experimental measurements for higher sample burnups. In this paper, the bias in 154 Eu is characterized across eleven spent fuel destructive assay benchmarks from five different assemblies. Based on these studies, possible amendments to the ENDF/B-VII.0 and VII.1 evaluations of the 154 Eu n , γ 155 Eu are explored. By amending the location of the first resolved resonance for the 154 Eu radiative capture cross-section (centered at 0.195 eV in ENDF/B-VII.0 and VII.1) to 0.188 eV and adjusting the neutron capture width proportional to 1 / E , the amended cross-section evaluation was found to reduce the bias in predicted 154 Eu inventories by approximately 5–7%. While the amended capture cross-section still results in a residual over-prediction of 154 Eu (ranging from 2% to 9%), the effect is substantially attenuated compared with the nominal ENDF/B-VII.0 and VII.1 evaluations.
Geriatric Assessment as a Predictor of Tolerance, Quality of Life, and Outcomes in Older Patients With Head and Neck Cancers and Lung Cancers Receiving Radiation Therapy

Purpose To evaluate the association between functional status based on a geriatric assessment (GA) and outcomes of tolerance to treatment in patients with lung or head and neck cancer receiving radiation therapy (RT) or chemoradiation (CRT). Methods and Materials A prospective cohort study was conducted in patients aged ≥65 years with head and neck cancer or lung cancer undergoing curative intent RT or CRT. Pretreatment GA, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and patient-reported outcomes (PRO) were obtained. Questionnaires were repeated biweekly during RT and at 6 weeks after treatment. Dysfunction was defined as scores 3-day treatment delay, change in RT or CRT regimen, or death. Associations of dysfunction with tolerance to radiation therapy, HRQoL changes, and PRO ratings were evaluated. Results Of the 50 patients accrued, 46 had evaluable data. Mean age was 72.5 years (range, 65-92 years). At baseline, 37% had dysfunction. Poor tolerance to RT or CRT occurred in 39%. There was no association between dysfunction and tolerance. Patients with dysfunction had lower baseline HRQoL scores. From baseline to end of RT, those with baseline dysfunction had less of a decline in Role Functioning ( P =.01) and Global Health Score ( P =.04) domains. However, from end of RT to 6-week follow-up, those with dysfunction were more likely to continue to drop in the Physical, Role Functioning, and Social domains (all P Conclusions Pretreatment dysfunction was associated with continued decline and lack of recovery of HRQoL in this patient population. Larger studies could further elucidate the GA's predictive value.
Auction design without quasilinear preferences: Auction design without quasilinear preferences

I study the canonical private value auction model for a single good without the quasilinearity restriction. I assume only that bidders are risk averse and the indivisible good for sale is a normal good. I show that removing quasilinearity leads to qualitatively different solutions to the auction design problem. Expected revenue is no longer maximized using standard auctions that allocate the good to the highest bidder. Instead, the auctioneer better exploits bidder preferences by using a mechanism that allocates the good to one of many different bidders, each with strictly positive probability. I introduce a probability demand mechanism that treats probabilities of winning the indivisible good like a divisible good in net supply 1. With enough bidders, it has greater expected revenues than any standard auction, and under complete information, it implements a Pareto efficient allocation.
Judges in Recent Research

The book of Judges continues to inspire research and interpretation, from an ongoing focus on traditional research methods such as historical criticism and redaction criticism, to newer approaches like cultural criticism and postcolonial readings. This article surveys recent research on the book of Judges since 2003 by separating the discussion into two sections: the first section traces current research on the overall book of Judges as well as specific characters and/or passages, while the second section notes two growing areas of research; namely, reception history and gender studies.
The Interplay of Experimental and Clinical Approaches in Brain Lesion Research

Our knowledge of the effects of brain lesions on behavior has been gained through two approaches. The first is the experimental method in which structural or functional alteration of the central nervous system is deliberately induced and its behavioral outcome noted. The second is the clinical method in which the behavioral consequences of the lesions produced by disease are observed.
Enhancing Rural Students1 Attitudes Toward Peers with Disabilities: A Comparison of Interventions:

This study investigated the impact of two widely used commercial programs designed to increase peer understanding and acceptance of elementary school-aged handicapped students. Second, fourth, and ...
Design and implementation of a low frequency pulsed magnetic field generator applicable to unilateral NMR

Pulsed magnetic field generation circuits find varied applications inclusive of biological applications [1, 2], magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [3], transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) [4] and magneto-optical switching [5]. In this work, a low field, low frequency (< 5MHz), pulsed magnetic field generation circuit suited for unilateral nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) applications is presented. A magnetic flux density of approximately 1000G is generated using an inductive load with a FET-based switch. The inductive load resonates at a frequency of 5MHz which is the precession frequency of 1H protons in a magnetic flux of 1000G. The designed circuit can be tuned to operate at resonant frequencies of other chemical species. In this paper, the design parameters and operation of a prototype pulsed field generator will be discussed.
Patient Perceptions and Current Trends in Internet Use by Orthopedic Outpatients.

BackgroundMany studies have highlighted concerns about the completeness and quality of information found online and how this may affect patients’ education about their medical problems. One aspect ...
Abstract 028: Endothelial Nogo-B Controls Sphingolipid de novo Biosynthesis to Impact Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis

Found in 36%-41% of hypertensive patients, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) independently predicts cardiovascular events and total mortality. Conversely, drug-induced LVH regression predicts improved outcomes. Previous meta-analytic, clinical, and laboratory studies have favored renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASIs) over other antihypertensives for reducing LVH, but have ignored differences among thiazide-type diuretics. Evidence regarding potency, cardiovascular events, sodium, and potassium suggests that “CHIP” diuretics [ CH lorthalidone, I ndapamide and P otassium-sparing diuretic/hydrochlorothiazide (PSD/HCTZ)] might rival RASIs for reducing LVH. Systematic review yielded 37 randomized trials relevant to this hypothesis. For reducing LVH measured as LV mass index (gm/m2), RASIs tended to be superior to diuretics overall, but some trials showed diuretics to be superior to RASIs. These differences among trials (p=0.010) were explained by the diuretic used in each trial: CHIPs surpassed HCTZ for reducing LVH (95% confidence limits): -12.6, (-20.0,-5.2), p=0.003, indicating that CHIP-RASI comparisons were mandatory. For reducing LVH, chlorthalidone, indapamide, and all CHIPs combined surpassed RASIs: -8.9 (-17.9,-0.6), p=0.036, -5.9 (-11.4,-0.4), p=0.036, and -5.6 (-10.9,-0.3), p=0.041, respectively, with CHIPs superior to RASIs by 36%+. CHIPs also surpassed all non-diuretics combined (RASIs, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers): -5.0 (-8.2,-1.8), p=0.004, due to their greater reduction of end-diastolic LV internal dimension: -0.81 millimeters (-1.46,-0.15), p=0.020. The following provide further support for the superiority of CHIPs over non-diuretics: analyses limited to double blind trials, similar dose levels between arms, minimal heterogeneity, and correction for publication bias. In conclusion, in these novel results, CHIPs surpassed RASIs and all non-diuretics combined for regression of LVH in patients with hypertension.
Physics for practitioners: The use of radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies in B-Cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

The limitations of conventional treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) have led to intense investigations of biological therapies for this disease, including monoclonal antibodies. Conjugation of these antibodies with radionuclides results in additional cytotoxic activity with generally acceptable levels of toxicity. Numerous antibodies and radionuclides of widely varying properties are in clinical development. Given the likelihood that one or more radioimmunotherapeutic agents will soon be commercially available, there is a need for oncologists who treat patients with NHL to become more aware of the principles of radiation physics that underlie radioimmunotherapy and the interactions among radiolabeled antibodies, the tumor, and the host.
Plastic Yielding in Bi-, Tri-, and Poly-Crystals

ABSTRACT Finite-element modeling (FEM) and polycrystal experiments have been used to investigate the yielding of polycrystals. Comparison reveals a close match between predicted (critical resolved shear stress criterion) and observed active slip systems in most cases. When other slip systems are observed, either slip continuity at a boundary or a dislocation nucleation event seem to be the cause.
Ethics in Academic Writing Help for International Students in Higher Education: Perceptions of Faculty and Students

International students often turn to various sources for help, including writing center tutors, friends, faculty mentors, online sources such as Google translate, and proofreading and editorial services, among others. While receiving help from these sources is both understandable and somewhat expected, what type and level of help is appropriate or ethical is not always clearly defined. The current research study investigates perceptions of faculty and international students at one U.S. university as to what is ethical in academic writing help for international students in 17 different scenarios. Findings suggest that students, far more than faculty, lacked certainty and agreement on whether certain help they may receive is ethical. The two groups’ views also varied on machine translation and the use of for-pay editors. Faculty, in general, had the least agreement on the use of machine translation and the use of a for-pay editing service for sentence- and discourse-level help and expressed that specific contexts and instructor’s expectations should be taken into consideration. Also, perceptions of students from East Asia showed notable differences. We argue that establishing and communicating clear guidelines concerning writing help should be part of any policy of academic integrity and present an “ethicality index” to help begin conversations as each institution, program, or faculty establishes the boundaries of ethical writing help in a specific context.
Classification of primary sedimentary structures

The authors do not know of any serious attempt to classify all sedimentary structures. Several partial classifications, however, have been proposed. Most important are those which deal primarily with bedding. The most comprehensive of these are those of Andree (1915), Hoppe (1930), Andersen (1931), Zhenchuzhnikov (1940), Bruns (1954), Birkenmajer (1959) and Botvinkina (1960, 1962). These classifications deal not only with external form but also with internal structure and some of them include the sequential arrangements, in part cyclical, of differing lithologies. Other partial classifications of sedimentary structures include those dealing with hieroglyphs of Krejci-Graf (1932) and Vassoevich (1953). Recent classifications of sole marks, another group of structures, are those of Crowell (1955) and Kuenen (1957).
Intercalated Hexagonal Boron Nitride/Silicates as Bilayer Multifunctional Ceramics

By performing an extensive 150+ first-principles calculations, this work demonstrates how the exotic properties of emerging 2D hBN nanosheets (e.g., ultrahigh surface area, high mechanical and thermal tolerance) can be coupled strategically (via exfoliation and geometrical compatibility) with the lamellar nanostructure of calcium-silicate crystals to introduce “reinforcement” at the basal plane of materials, i.e., the smallest possible scale. Probing mechanical properties show significant enhancement in strength, toughest, stiffness and strain, providing key guidelines to intercalate a suite of emerging 2D materials in ceramics for the bottom-up design and fabrication of ultrahigh performance and multifunctional ceramic composites.
Ultrastructural Studies on Formation of Edema and Its Treatment Following Experimental Brain Infarction in Monkeys

A transorbital surgical approach was used in 20 rhesus monkeys to expose and occlude the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) 5 millimeters lateral to the supraclinoid portion of the internal carotid artery. This approach offers two important advantages in studying this particular vascular insult: a) the brain tissue is not manipulated or retracted, b) cortical tissue is minimally exposed to the atmosphere. Cellular or ultrastructural changes following occlusion of the MCA are consequently the result of the experimental stroke rather than to the mechanico-physical damage that may occur after retro-orbital craniectomy. A small Mayfield clip was used to occlude the MCA for 17 hours. Treatment was started 4 h after occlusion with the clip still in place and consisted of the following agents: i) dexamethasone, ii) dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), iii) saline (control). In addition, 2 sham animals underwent complete surgery but no occlusion. No deficits of any kind were observed in these shams. After 17 h, the clip was removed and treatment was continued once a day for 5 days. Seven days following occlusion, animals were deeply anesthetized and left frontal cortical samples were taken from an area just distal to the occluded MCA. A symmetric sample was taken from the right, non-traumatized hemisphere for control purposes. The cortical tissue samples were quickly fixed in a mixture of glutaraldehyde-Millonig’s phosphate buffer for several hours, then postfixed in osmium tetroxide. Animals were sacrificed with an overdose of sodium pentobarbital and each hemisphere was removed for gross examination. After dehydration and embedding, ultra-thin tissue sections were made and examined by light and electron microscopy. Light microscopic findings showed generalized neuronal chromatolysis, hemorrhagic infarcts and “spongy degeneration” appearance in the traumatized tissues. A number of ultrastructural changes involving mitochondria, myelin and axons were graded and observed for each experimental group. In spite of a significant reduction of edema in dexamethasone-treated animals as compared to controls, the neurological, angiographic and ultrastructural evaluation of these two groups was virtually identical. DMSO-treated animals showed significantly less neurological deficits and less severe morphological damage than dexamethasone or controls. It is concluded from this study that dexamethasone does not provide any gross or morphological protection using this brain infarct model. Further, DMSO was found significantly useful in preventing the severe neurological and ultrastructural damage following this vascular insult to the brain.
Building Global Labor Solidarity Today: Learning from the KMU of the Philippines

New labor movements are currently emerging across the Global South. This is happening in countries as disparate as China, Egypt, and Iran. New developments are taking place within labor movements in places such as Colombia, Indonesia, Iraq, Mexico, Pakistan and Venezuela. Activists and leaders in these labor movements are seeking information from workers and unions around the world. However, many labor activists today know little or nothing about the last period of intense efforts to build international labor solidarity, the years 1978-2007. One of the key labor movements of this period, and which continues today, is the KMU Labor Center of the Philippines. It is this author’s contention that there is a lot unknown about the KMU that would help advance global labor solidarity today. This paper focuses specifically on the KMU’s development, and shares five things that have emerged from this author’s study of the KMU: a new type of trade unionism, new union organizations, an emphasis on rank and file education, building relations with sectoral organizations, and the need to build international labor solidarity.
A bi-objective optimization approach for configuring surgical trays with ergonomic risk consideration

For a surgical procedure, the instruments a surgeon has requested are grouped into multiple containers that are referred to as trays. Empirical studies have shown that a large percentage of the ins...
Correlates of dysfunctional career thoughts in breast cancer survivors from the Bahamas.

AbstractPurpose: The purpose of this research was to examine the correlates of dysfunctional career thoughts (DCTs) in a sample of breast cancers survivors.Sample and design: A total of 195 breast ...
Rebecca West and newspaper writing as modernist genre

ABSTRACTAlthough a number of pivotal voices of literary modernism engaged in newspaper work, there is little acknowledgement of how this work created connections between political movements and lit...
Effect of freezing semen and dosage of sperm on number of accessory sperm, fertility, and embryo quality in artificially inseminated cattle.

This experiment was conducted to determine whether use of fresh or frozen semen at either 20 x 10(6) (low) or 100 x 10(6) (high) sperm per dose affects the number of accessory sperm and fertilization status/embryo quality as determined from ova/embryos recovered nonsurgically 6 d after insemination. Ejaculates of four bulls were split and prepared for use as fresh or frozen semen at either the high or low dose. From 129 inseminations to normally cycling cows, 98 ova/embryos were recovered. To reduce male effects, ova/embryos used were randomly balanced across treatments, by ejaculate within bull for evaluation of frozen vs fresh semen (n = 80) and by bull for evaluation of high vs low dosage treatments (n = 76). Distribution of accessory sperm was highly skewed downward; thus, median values were more meaningful than means. Freezing semen had no significant effect on fertility status/embryo quality or number of accessory sperm at either dosage. Increasing dosage improved the number of accessory sperm per ovum or embryo (median value) and fertility status/embryo quality (P < .05). Mean +/- SD and median values for accessory sperm were 37.8 +/- 38.3 and 27.5; 28.9 +/- 62.8 and 3.0 for the high and low dose, respectively. Percentage of unfertilized ova, degenerate embryos, and embryos classified poor to fair and good to excellent were 3, 5, 24, 68, and 21, 16, 18, 45, for the high and low dose, respectively. We conclude that number of accessory sperm and fertility status/embryo quality respond favorably to increased dosage of semen and that freezing semen in this study was not detrimental to these parameters.
Investigation of N2 adsorption on Fe3O4(001) using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory

Reactions on iron oxide surfaces are prevalent in various chemical processes from heterogeneous catalysts to minerals. Nitrogen (N2) is known to dissociate on iron surfaces, a precursor for ammonia production in the Haber–Bosch process, where the dissociation of N2 is the limiting step in the reaction under equilibrium conditions. However, little is known about N2 adsorption on other iron-based materials, such as iron oxide surfaces that are ubiquitous in soils, steel pipelines, and other industrial materials. An atomistic description is reported for the binding of N2 on the Fe3O4(001) surface using first principles calculations with ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Two primary adsorption sites are experimentally identified from N2 dissociation on Fe3O4(001). The electronic signatures associated with the valence band region unambiguously show how the electronic structure of magnetite transforms near ambient pressures due to the binding of atomic nitrogen to different surface sites. Overall, the experimental and theoretical results of our study bridge the gap between ultra-high vacuum studies and reaction conditions to provide insight into other nitrogen-based chemistry on iron oxide surfaces that impact the agriculture and energy industries.
Sensitivity analysis and relaxation of the Static Traffic Assignment Problem with Capacity Constraints

This article introduces sensitivity analysis, reduction of the feasible set around the optimal solution, and LP and QP relaxations on convex, capacity-constrained network flow problems to evaluate the impact of a change in link capacity on the optimal flow allocation. This is done in the context of the static traffic assignment problem under capacity constraints [TAP-C], to understand the impact of traffic incidents on traffic flow in road networks, though the results also apply beyond transportation.The dual formulation of the convex [TAP-C] using gener-alized travel costs is exploited to show that dual variables associated to the link capacity constraints can be used to understand sensitivity of link flows to perturbation. To avoid expensive computations of the [TAP-C] optimal flow solution, the impact of a perturbation of link capacities on the optimal flow allocation is shown to be lower-bounded by a dual sensitivity analysis, and upper-bounded by LP and QP relaxations of the [TAP-C] on a reduced set of feasible flow allocations around the optimal solution.Simulations are conducted on a benchmark city network (the Sioux Falls network with 75 links) to assess the impact of an incident on the traffic flow allocation. When one road (2 links) is closed, the total vehicle hours of travel (VHT) doubles in the network. For this network, the computation of the solution through relaxation is shown to be 300 times faster than recomputing the [TAP-C].
Critically ill SARS-CoV-2 patients display lupus-like hallmarks of extrafollicular B cell activation

Wide heterogeneity of disease course ranging from asymptomatic spread to respiratory failure and death has become a hallmark of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. While this clinical spectrum is well documented, its immunologic underpinnings are less clear. We have therefore, initiated studies of the B cell responses as they would participate in both early effector responses and in the initiation of memory formation. In terms of effector responses, we were particularly interested in the engagement and clinical correlates of the extra-follicular pathway (EF), we recently described in flaring SLE. In this systemic autoimmune disease, the EF pathway is initiated by newly activated naive B cell (aN) leading to large expansion of autoantibody-producing antibody-secreting cells through the generation of an epigenetically primed B cell precursor which are double negative (DN) for naive (IgD) and memory markers (CD27) and lacking expression of CXCR5 and CD21 (DN2). These highly activated D2 cells are also distinguished by high expression of CD11c and T-bet and are TLR7-driven. Both, TLR7-stimulation which is triggered by ssRNA and the central role played by their murine counterparts (typically characterized as Age-Associated B cells), in viral clearance, strongly supported the hypothesis that DN2 cells and the global EF pathway could be prominently engaged in COVID-19 patients. Also of note, EF B cell activation is particularly prominent in SLE patients of African-American ancestry, a population disproportionately represented in severe COVID-19. In this study we find that critically-ill patients with COVID-19 robustly upregulate constituents of the extrafollicular pathway, produce enormous numbers of antibody secreting cells, and lose unique transitional B cell populations that correlate with positive prognosis. This patient cluster associates tightly with biomarkers of poor outcomes and exhibits high rates of mortality. Thus, this B cell phenotype might serve as an immunological marker of severe COVID infection at early stages and could therefore identify a patient subset likely to benefit from targeted immunomodulatory therapy aimed at alleviating disease burden.