cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Empirical validation of the Operative Entrustability Assessment using resident performance in autologous breast reconstruction and hand surgery.

Abstract Background In 2013, we developed the Operative Entrustability Assessment (OEA) to facilitate evaluation and documentation of resident operative skills. This web-based tool provides real-time, transparent feedback to residents on operative performance. This study evaluated the construct validity of the OEA, assessing its association with operative time. Methods We used simple and multiple linear regression to estimate associations between OEA scores and operative time in selected procedures performed. Results OEAs were completed for 93 autologous breast reconstructions and 185 hand procedures. Self-assessed OEA was associated with shorter operative time in breast (p = 0.008) and hand (p = 0.036) cases. Evaluator OEA was associated with shorter operative time in breast (p = 0.018), but not hand cases (p = 0.377). Post-graduate year was not associated. Conclusions The OEA demonstrates construct validity: increasing scores are associated with shorter operative time and are better predictors of operative time than post-graduate year, making it an option for documenting competence prior to graduation.
Homomorphism reductions on Polish groups

In an earlier paper, we introduced the following pre-order on the subgroups of a given Polish group: if G is a Polish group and $$H,L \subseteq G$$ are subgroups, we say H is homomorphism reducible to L iff there is a continuous group homomorphism $$\varphi : G \rightarrow G$$ such that $$H = \varphi ^{-1} (L)$$ . We previously showed that there is a $$K_\sigma $$ subgroup L of the countable power of any locally compact Polish group G such that every $$K_\sigma $$ subgroup of $$G^\omega $$ is homomorphism reducible to L. In the present work, we show that this fails in the countable power of the group of increasing homeomorphisms of the unit interval.
Disorder Operators and Their Descendants

I review the concept of a disorder operator, introduced originally by Kadanoff in the context of the two-dimensional Ising model. Disorder operators acquire an expectation value in the disordered phase of the classical spin system. This concept has had applications and implications to many areas of physics ranging from quantum spin chains to gauge theories to topological phases of matter. In this paper I describe the role that disorder operators play in our understanding of ordered, disordered and topological phases of matter. The role of disorder operators, and their generalizations, and their connection with dualities in different systems, as well as with majorana fermions and parafermions, is discussed in detail. Their role in recent fermion–boson and boson–boson dualities is briefly discussed.
Nonlinear ultrasonics for material state awareness

Predictive health monitoring of structural components will require the development of advanced sensing techniques capable of providing quantitative information on the damage state of structural materials. By focusing on nonlinear acoustic techniques, it is possible to measure absolute, strength based material parameters that can then be coupled with uncertainty models to enable accurate and quantitative life prediction. Starting at the material level, this paper will examine the second harmonic generation (SHG) of Rayleigh surface waves in metals to characterize material microstructure. These nonlinear ultrasonic measurements can sense material state, before the formation of micro- and macro-cracks. Typically, cracks of a measurable size appear quite late in a component's total life, while the material's integrity in terms of toughness and strength gradually decreases due to the microplasticity (dislocations) and associated change in the material's microstructure. This paper considers the specific application of the formation of chromium carbide precipitates in grain boundaries.
Complementary learning systems within the hippocampus: a neural network modelling approach to reconciling episodic memory with statistical learning

A growing literature suggests that the hippocampus is critical for the rapid extraction of regularities from the environment. Although this fits with the known role of the hippocampus in rapid lear...
An oscillating tragedy of the commons in replicator dynamics with game-environment feedback

A tragedy of the commons occurs when individuals take actions to maximize their payoffs even as their combined payoff is less than the global maximum had the players coordinated. The originating example is that of overgrazing of common pasture lands. In game-theoretic treatments of this example, there is rarely consideration of how individual behavior subsequently modifies the commons and associated payoffs. Here, we generalize evolutionary game theory by proposing a class of replicator dynamics with feedback-evolving games in which environment-dependent payoffs and strategies coevolve. We initially apply our formulation to a system in which the payoffs favor unilateral defection and cooperation, given replete and depleted environments, respectively. Using this approach, we identify and characterize a class of dynamics: an oscillatory tragedy of the commons in which the system cycles between deplete and replete environmental states and cooperation and defection behavior states. We generalize the approach to consider outcomes given all possible rational choices of individual behavior in the depleted state when defection is favored in the replete state. In so doing, we find that incentivizing cooperation when others defect in the depleted state is necessary to avert the tragedy of the commons. In closing, we propose directions for the study of control and influence in games in which individual actions exert a substantive effect on the environmental state.
Proton-Induced Radiation Damage in Fast Crystal Scintillators

This paper reports proton-induced radiation damage in fast crystal scintillators. Large size LYSO and CeF3 crystals of 20 and 15 cm long were irradiated by 800 MeV protons at Los Alamos up to $3.3\times 10^{14}$ p/cm2 with degradation and recovery of their longitudinal transmittance measured in situ . LYSO plates of $14\times 14\times 1.5$ mm3 were irradiated by 67 MeV protons at UC Davis up to $9.5\times 10^{13}$ p/cm2, and by 24 GeV protons at CERN up to $6.9\times 10^{15}$ p/cm2. The results show an excellent radiation hardness of LYSO crystals against charged hadrons.
Emergence of a Viral RNA Polymerase Variant during Gene Copy Number Amplification Promotes Rapid Evolution of Vaccinia Virus.

Viruses are under relentless selective pressure from host immune defenses. To study how poxviruses adapt to innate immune detection pathways, we performed serial vaccinia virus infections in primary human cells. Independent courses of experimental evolution with a recombinant strain lacking E3L revealed several high-frequency point mutations in conserved poxvirus genes, suggesting important roles for essential poxvirus proteins in innate immune subversion. Two distinct mutations were identified in the viral RNA polymerase gene A24R, which seem to act through different mechanisms to increase virus replication. Specifically, a Leu18Phe substitution encoded within A24R conferred fitness trade-offs, including increased activation of the antiviral factor protein kinase R (PKR). Intriguingly, this A24R variant underwent a drastic selective sweep during passaging, despite enhanced PKR activity. We showed that the sweep of this variant could be accelerated by the presence of copy number variation (CNV) at the K3L locus, which in multiple copies strongly reduced PKR activation. Therefore, adaptive cases of CNV can facilitate the accumulation of point mutations separate from the expanded locus. This study reveals how rapid bouts of gene copy number amplification during accrual of distant point mutations can potently facilitate poxvirus adaptation to host defenses. Importance Viruses can evolve quickly to defeat host immune functions. For poxviruses, little is known about how multiple adaptive mutations emerge in populations at the same time. In this study, we uncovered a means of vaccinia virus adaptation involving the accumulation of distinct genetic variants within a single population. We identified adaptive point mutations in the viral RNA polymerase gene A24R and, surprisingly, found that one of these mutations activates the nucleic acid sensing factor PKR. We also found that gene copy number variation (CNV) can provide dual benefits to evolving virus populations, including evidence that CNV facilitates the accumulation of a point mutation distant from the expanded locus. Our data suggest that transient CNV can accelerate the fixation of mutations conferring modest benefits, or even fitness trade-offs, and highlight how structural variation might aid poxvirus adaptation through both direct and indirect actions.
Energy-efficient provenance transmission in large-scale wireless sensor networks

With the deployment of large-scale sensor-based decision support systems, quality assurance of decision-making becomes a must. This underscores the requirement of assessing trustworthiness of sensor data and the owners of this data. Provenance-based trust evaluation frameworks use data provenance along with data values to compute the trustworthiness of each data item. However, in a sizeable multi-hop network, provenance information requires a large and variable number of bits in each packet, which, in turn, results in high energy dissipation with extended period of radio communication, making trust systems unusable. We propose an energy-efficient provenance transmission and construction scheme, which we refer to as Probabilistic Provenance Flow (PPF). To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first approach to adapt the Probabilistic Packet Marking (PPM) approach of IP traceback for sensor networks. We propose two bit-efficient complementary provenance encoding and construction methods, and combine them to deal with topological changes in the network. Our TOSSIM simulations demonstrate that PPF requires at least 33% fewer packets and consumes 30% less energy than PPM-based approaches of IP traceback to construct provenance, yet still provides high accuracy in trust score calculation.
Dynamics of the Standard Model

Preface Inputs to the standard model Interactions of the standard model Symmetries and anomalies Introduction to effective Lagrangians Leptons Very low energy QCD - Pions and photons Introducing kaons and etas Kaons and the S=1 interaction Kaon mixing and CP violation The large N expansion Phenomenological models Baryon properties Hadron spectroscopy Weak interactions of heavy quarks The Higgs boson The electroweak gauge bosons Appendices References Index.
A robust fiber optic active star coupler for the SAE linear token-passing multiplex data bus

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) linear token-passing multiplex data bus draft standard (AS4074.1, version 2.0) calls for two sets of fiber-optic medium characteristics which support a generous power loss budget of about 30 dB. Since there are applications for this bus needing an even greater loss budget one solution is to make the access coupler (the star) an active (powered) network component. A description is given of a simple, low-power, high-reliability active star coupler design meeting the overall requirements of the SAE high-speed data bus (HSDB) standard without changes to the fiber-optic implementation characteristics. The basic active star network is introduced and important quantities defined. Technical issues which influence the active star design are discussed. These include the properties of the protocol which have the greatest effect on the design of the active star, such as the initialization procedure, the system monitoring and control times, the preamble, and the intertransmission gap time. Component options are introduced and a completed design presented. Its performance in a high-speed data-bus environment is characterized and modifications to the standard for best active star performance are suggested. >
A surgery trainee's guide to writing a manuscript

Publishing clinical and research work for dissemination is a critical part of the academic process. Learning how to write an effective manuscript should be a goal for medical students and residents who hope to participate in publishing. While there are a number of existing texts that address how to write a manuscript, there are fewer guides that are specifically targeted towards surgery trainees. This review aims to direct and hopefully encourage surgery trainees to successfully navigate the process of converting ideas into a publication that ultimately helps understanding and improves the care of patients.
Parameter analysis for a high-gain harmonic generation FEL using a recently developed 3D polychromatic code

Abstract One possible design for a fourth-generation light source is the high-gain harmonic generation (HGHG) free-electron laser (FEL). Here, a coherent seed with a wavelength at a subharmonic of the desired output radiation interacts with the electron beam in an energy-modulating section. This energy modulation is then converted into spatial bunching while traversing a dispersive section (a three-dipole chicane). The final step is passage through an undulator tuned to the desired higher harmonic output wavelength. The coherent seed serves to supress and can be at a much lower subharmonic of the output radiation. Recently, a 3D code that includes multiple frequencies, multiple undulators (both in quantity and/or type), quadrupole magnets, and dipole magnets was developed to easily simulate HGHG. Here, a brief review of the HGHG theory, the code development, the Accelerator Test Facility's (ATF) HGHG FEL experimental parameters, and the parameter analysis from simulations of this specific experiment will be discussed.
S/N and fMRI sensitivity

It is commonly thought that improvements in image S/N translate directly to improvements in fMRI sensitivity. This study demonstrates that improvements in image S/N by means of increased field strength, and the use of surface coils, does not translate to similar gains in temporal S/N, due to physiological noise. An analysis of the S/N dependence on signal strength for both the imaginary and real noise components is presented. The real noise component, which is lower than the imaginary component, is a significant contributor to temporal variations in single-shot fMRI procedures. The imaginary component becomes an important contributor to time series fluctuations in multi-shot or 3D techniques. In the experiments presented here, the relationship between image and temporal S/N is examined by modulating the signal strength by means of echo time stepping, field strength modulation, and RF coil comparison. The spatial and temporal noise contributions of the resting brain are characterized by comparing phantom, subject, and thermal noise measurements. The sensitivity of both spiral and EPI single-shot acquisition methods to physiologic and systematic noise is characterized. The results suggest that the fMRI sensitivity plateaus as image S/N is increased unless physiological noise is filtered out.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
DriverGen: Automating the Generation of Serial Device Drivers

Microprocessors operate most serial devices in the same way, issuing commands and parsing corresponding responses. Writing the device drivers for these peripherals is a repetitive task. Moreover, measuring the response time of each command can be time-consuming and error prone. In this paper, we present DriverGen, a configuration-based tool developed to provide accurate response time measurement and automated serial device driver generation. DriverGen (i) simulates the command execution sequence of a microprocessor using a Java program running on a desktop, (ii) measures the response time of the target device to each command, and (iii) generates a device driver based on the received responses and measured response times. To evaluate DriverGen, three case studies are considered.
Chapter 3 – Practical Lasers

This chapter discusses various types of laser materials, and the lasers that have reached commercial status. Lasers are divided into various types: gas lasers, solid state lasers, semiconductor lasers, and organic dye lasers. The gas lasers utilize a gaseous material as the active laser medium. Heat is removed readily by transporting the heated gas out of the region of laser operation. In some types of lasers, high power outputs are aided by flowing of the gas. There are several different types of gas lasers. These include: the neutral gas laser, the ionized gas laser, the molecular gas laser, the excimer laser, and the metal vapor laser. Some of the molecular lasers that have reached commercial status are the nitrogen laser and the carbon monoxide laser. The nitrogen laser operating at 0.337 μm is a pulsed laser emitting pulses of nanosecond duration, and peak powers up to megawatts. It is useful for its high power pulses at an ultraviolet wavelength from a reasonably compact package. The carbon monoxide laser operates simultaneously on a large number of wavelengths between 5 and 6 μm. They offer relatively high efficiency and scalability to high power.
Massively multiplex single-cell Hi-C

Single-cell combinatorial indexed Hi-C (sciHi-C) is a streamlined protocol for generating thousands of high-quality single-cell chromosome conformation data sets that resemble bulk Hi-C data in aggregate. We present single-cell combinatorial indexed Hi-C (sciHi-C), a method that applies combinatorial cellular indexing to chromosome conformation capture. In this proof of concept, we generate and sequence six sciHi-C libraries comprising a total of 10,696 single cells. We use sciHi-C data to separate cells by karyotypic and cell-cycle state differences and identify cell-to-cell heterogeneity in mammalian chromosomal conformation. Our results demonstrate that combinatorial indexing is a generalizable strategy for single-cell genomics.
Relative Capture: Quasi-Experimental Evidence From the Chinese Judiciary:

There has been a long-held view since the Federalist Papers that the lower the level of government, the greater is the extent of capture by vested interests. Relying on the analytical framework of ...
Regularity for a log-concave to log-concave mass transfer problem with near Euclidean cost

If the cost function is not too far from the Euclidean cost, then the optimal map transporting Gaussians restricted to a ball will be regular. Similarly, given any cost function which is smooth in a neighborhood of two points on a manifold, there are small neighborhoods near each such that a Gaussian restricted to one is transported smoothly to a Gaussian on the other.
Fluoroscopy time is not accurate as a surrogate for radiation exposure.

Objective The Food and Drug Administration and the Vascular Quality Initiative still utilize fluoroscopy time as a surrogate marker for procedural radiation exposure. This study demonstrates that fluoroscopy time does not accurately represent radiation exposure and that dose area product and air kerma are more appropriate measures. Methods Lower extremity endovascular interventions ( N = 145) between 2013 and 2015 performed at an academic medical center on a Siemens Artis-Zee floor mounted c-arm were identified. Data was collected from the summary sheet after every case. Scatter plots with Pearson correlation coefficients were created. A strong correlation was indicated by an r value approaching 1. Results Overall mean AK and DAP was 380.27 mGy and 4919.2 µGym2. There was a poor correlation between fluoroscopy time and total AK or DAP ( r = 0.27 and 0.32). Total DAP was strongly correlated to cine DAP and fluoroscopy DAP ( r = 0.92 vs. 0.84). The number of DSA runs and average frame rate did not affect AK or DAP levels. Mean magnification level was significantly correlated with total AK ( r = 0.53). Conclusions Fluoroscopy time shows minimal correlation with radiation delivered and therefore is a poor surrogate for radiation exposure during fluoroscopy procedures. DAP and AK are more suitable markers to accurately gauge radiation exposure.
Systematic morphological profiling of human gene and allele function via Cell Painting.

Many human diseases are caused by particular changes, called mutations, in patients’ DNA. A genome is the complete DNA set of an organism, which contains all the information to build the body and keep it working. This information is stored as a code made up of four chemicals called bases. Humans have about 30,000 genes built from DNA, which contain specific sequences of bases. Genome sequencing can determine the exact order of these bases, and has revealed a long list of mutations in genes that could cause particular diseases. However, over 30% of genes in the human body do not have a known role. Genes can serve multiple roles, some of which are not yet discovered, and even when a gene’s purpose is known, the impact of each particular mutation in a given gene is largely uncatalogued. Therefore, new methods need to be developed to identify the biological roles of both normal and abnormal gene sequences. For hundreds of years, biologists have used microscopy to study how living cells work. Rohban et al. have now asked whether modern software that extracts data from microscopy images could create a fingerprint-like profile of a cell that would reflect how its genes affect its role and appearance. While some genes do not necessarily carry a code with instructions of what a cell should look like, they can indirectly modify the structure of the cell. The resulting changes in the shape of the cell can then be captured in images. The idea was that two cells with matching profiles would indicate that their combinations of genes had matching biological roles too. Rohban et al. tested their approach with human cells grown in the laboratory. In each sample of cells, they ‘turned on’ one of a few hundred relatively well-known human genes, some of which were known to have similar roles. The cells were then stained via a technique called ‘Cell Painting’ to reveal eight specific components of each cell, including its DNA and its surface membrane. The stained cells were imaged under a microscope and the resulting microscopy images analyzed to create a profile of each type of cell. Rohban et al. confirmed that turning on genes known to perform similar biological roles lead to similar-looking cells. The analysis also revealed a previously unknown interaction between two major pathways in the cell that control how cancer starts and develops. In the future, this approach could predict the biological roles of less-understood genes by looking for profiles that match those of well-known genes. Applying this strategy to every human gene, and mutations in genes that are linked to diseases, could help to answer many mysteries about how genes build the human body and keep it working.
Asymmetric Modulation of El Niño and La Niña and the Linkage to Tropical Pacific Decadal Variability

AbstractEl Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in a 1300-yr preindustrial control simulation of the Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4), exhibits distinct modulation in association with tropical Pacific decadal variability (TPDV). The frequency and duration of El Nino events modulate with changes in the interbasin sea surface temperature (SST) gradient related to the leading mode of TPDV, which resembles the interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO). La Nina shows similar changes with the IPO but is also controlled by changes in El Nino that often precedes La Nina, and these effects tend to cancel each other. The amplitude of ENSO, on the other hand, is closely related to the second leading mode of TPDV that affects the zonal and meridional contrast of tropical Pacific climate. Significant changes in the pattern and seasonal evolution related to this TPDV mode are found mainly for El Nino because of the nonlinear relation between the atmospheric deep convection and SSTs. The resultant changes in t...
KINEMATIC COMPARISON OF A FIRST- AND SECOND-GENERATION BCS TKA DURING A DEEP KNEE BEND

Introduction The Bi-Cruciate Stabilized (BCS) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) incorporates two cam-post mechanisms to reproduce the functionality and stability provided by the anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament in the native knee. The anterior cam-post mechanism provides stability in full extension and early flexion (≤20°) while the posterior cam-post mechanism prevents anterior sliding of the femur during deeper flexion (≥60°). Recently (2012), a second generation BCS design introduced more normal shapes to the femur and tibial bearing geometries that provides delayed lateral femoral condyle rollback and encourages more stable positioning of the medial femoral condyle. The purpose of this study was to compare the in vivo kinematics exhibited by the two generations during weight bearing flexion. Methods In vivo kinematics were derived for 126 patients. Eighty-six subjects were implanted with a first generation BCS (BCS 1) TKA and 40 with the second generation BCS (BCS 2) TKA. Fluoroscopic videos were captured for patients while they performed a deep knee bend (DKB) from full extension to maximum flexion. Anterior-posterior motion of the lateral femoral condyle (LAP) and the medial femoral condyle (MAP), as well as tibio-femoral axial rotation, were analyzed at 30° increments from full extension to maximum flexion using a 3D-to-2D image registration technique. Statistical analysis was conducted at the 95% confidence level. Results From full extension to 120° of flexion the amount of posterior femoral rollback (PFR) for the lateral condyle was −25.8±5.87 mm and −14.4±4.75 mm for the BCS1 and BCS2 groups respectively (p=0.003). Over the same range of motion, the anterior-posterior motion of the medial condyle in the BCS1 and BCS2 groups was −15.8±3.03 mm and −8.46±2.35 mm respectively (p=0.001). Significant differences in LAP and/or MAP position existed at each flexion increment from 0–120° of flexion (Figure 1). The BCS1 group exhibited 12.1±6.57° of axial rotation from full extension to 120° of flexion, while the BCS2 rotated 7.36±4.31° (p=0.046). Significant differences in femoral rotation with respect to the tibia existed at full extension and 30°of flexion (Figure 2). Discussion and Conclusion Compared to BCS2 subjects, those implanted with the BCS1 exhibited greater magnitudes of anterior-posterior motion and more tibio-femoral axial rotation during DKB. The guided motion of the BCS1 encouraged large translations and rotations that may have led to complications such as dislocations and anterolateral knee pain. In comparison, the BCS2 exhibits attenuated and more stable anterior-posterior motions, while still maintaining sufficient magnitudes of rollback and rotation as intended.
How Older Adults and Their Families Perceive Family Talk about Aging-Related EOL Issues: A Dialectical Analysis

For older adults, approaching end-of-life (EOL) brings unique transitions related to family relationships. Unfortunately, most families greatly underestimate the need to discuss these difficult issues. For example, parents approaching EOL issues often struggle with receiving assistance from others, avoiding family conflict, and maintaining their sense of personhood. In addition, discussions of EOL issues force family members to face their parents' mortality, which can be particularly difficult for adult children to process emotionally. This study explored aging issues identified by aging parents and their families as they traverse these impending EOL changes. Ten focus groups of seniors (n = 65) were conducted. Focus groups were organized according to race (African-American/European-American), gender, and whether the older adult was living independently or in an assisted care facility. When asked open-ended questions about discussing aging and EOL issues with family members, participants revealed tensions that led us to consider Relational Dialectics Theory as a framework for analysis. The predominant tension highlighted in this report was certainty versus uncertainty, with the two sub-themes of sustained life versus sustained personhood and confronting versus avoiding EOL issues. For these data, there were more similarities than differences as a result of gender, race, or living situation than one might expect, although culture and financial status were found to be influential in the avoidance of EOL discussions. The results of this study help to provide additional insight into relational dialectics related to aging, EOL, and the importance of communication in facilitating family coping.
Inverting the Hopf map

We calculate the -localization of the motivic stable homotopy ring over C, conrming a conjecture of Guillou and Isaksen. Our approach is via the motivic Adams-Novikov spectral sequence. In fact, work of Hu, Kriz and Ormsby implies that it suces to compute the 1localization of the classical Adams-Novikov E2-term, and this is what we do. Guillou and Isaksen also propose a pattern of dierentials in the localized motivic classical Adams spectral sequence, which we verify using a method rst explored by Novikov. Dedicated to the memory of Goro Nishida (1943-2014)
Representability of Lyndon–Maddux relation algebras

In 2016, Alm–Hirsch–Maddux defined relation algebras \(\mathfrak {L}(q,n)\) that generalize Roger Lyndon’s relation algebras from projective lines, so that \(\mathfrak {L}(q,0)\) is a Lyndon algebra. In that paper, it was shown that if \(q>2304n^2+1\), then \(\mathfrak {L}(q,n)\) is representable, and if \(q<2n\), then \(\mathfrak {L}(q,n)\) is not representable. In the present paper, we reduced this gap by proving that if \(q\ge n(\log n)^{1+\varepsilon }\), then \(\mathfrak {L}(q,n)\) is representable.
Single-fraction radiation therapy provides highly effective palliation for cutaneous T cell lymphoma

We report our experience with single-fraction radiation therapy in treating limited extent CTCL lesions for palliation. We reviewed 65 lesions in 18 patients with stage IA–IIB CTCL treated with a single fraction at our institution from December 2014 to April 2016. Fifteen patients had mycosis fungoides; all others (three) had primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Clinical response to treatment was defined as complete response (CR, 90–100% reduction), partial response (PR, >50% but 14 cm) and involved the anterior thigh, posterior thigh, left buttock, and posterior neck. Tumor stage lesions responded equally well as plaque or patch lesions. Twelve of these lesions in three patients were those that were persistent after total skin electron therapy (TSET) to a dose of 36 Gy in 24 fractions. These lesions were in areas of skin folds and were treated 6–8 weeks after completion of TSET. CR was achieved in all these residual lesions with an additional single-fraction dose of 8 Gy. No treatment-related toxicity was observed in any of the patients. Single-fraction radiation therapy is a highly effective palliative approach for treating limited extent CTCL lesions with minimal toxicity.
Beliefs About the Direct Comparison of E-Cigarettes and Cigarettes.

ABSTRACTBackground: Recent data suggests that positive beliefs about electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) use can lead to later e-cig use. Considering that many advertisements claim that e-cigs are superior to cigarettes, individuals' likelihood to view e-cigs more favorably than cigarettes can also influence subsequent e-cig use; however, no studies have directly assessed such a comparison. Objectives: The present study created and validated the Comparing E-Cigarettes and Cigarettes questionnaire (CEAC), which asks individuals to directly compare e-cigs and cigarettes on a number of dimensions, in two independent samples. Methods: In sample 1 (451 undergraduates; mean age = 20.35, SD = 5.44, 72.4% female, 73.4% Caucasian) we explored the factor structure of the CEAC and in sample 2 (699 community adults collected via Amazon's Mechanical Turk; mean age = 34.04, SD = 10.9, 47.7% female, 83.3% Caucasian) we replicated the factor structure. Results: Exploratory factor analysis suggested a three-factor structure: G...
Fractionation Trends in Breast Cancer and Implications in Partial Breast Irradiation

Purpose/objectives The aim of this study is to analyze the national trends in breast radiotherapy fractionation over the past decade.
Inverse analysis of diffuse reflectance spectra for explosives monitoring

This study describes a parametric model for inverse analysis of diffuse IR reflectance from explosive materials that are sparsely distributed upon a surface. This model, which adopts the the Kubelka-Munk theory of diffuse reflectance as ansatz, permits extraction of scattering coefficients correlated with the level of surface coverage by an explosive. In general, this model establishes ground-work for development of a prediction tool that will enable rapid and quantitative band contrast matching of spectral features for detection of trace levels of explosive material on surfaces. This study considers a prototype system comprising a sparse distribution of RDX particles on a soda-lime glass surface. The results of this study provide validation of the parametric model within reasonable error, for practical applications including simulating IR spectral responses corresponding to sparse surface distributions of explosives or other particular matter.
The nudge wars: A modern socialist calculation debate

We investigate the claims of behavioral paternalism in the more realistic framework of complex choice. In particular, we analyze the claims made by behavioral paternalists that predictive analytics over large amounts of data will make it possible to target and successfully implement purportedly welfare-enhancing nudges deemed to make nudged agents better off “as judged by themselves” (AJBT). We draw parallels between the socialist calculation debate and nudge theoretical arguments, particularly the libertarian socialism of H. D. Dickinson and the libertarian paternalism of Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler. We find that if actual idealized behavior is a more complicated process of recursive feedback using a knowledge classification method, behavioral paternalists engaging in an automatized process of notice-and-comment rulemaking using Big Data methods still encounter epistemological problems and the problems associated with radical uncertainty unearthed during the socialist calculation debate and afterwards.
Nanoscale manipulation of membrane curvature for probing endocytosis in live cells.

Nanoscale plasma membrane curvature, generated in a controllable fashion by vertically aligned nanostructure arrays, promotes the accumulation of key endocytic proteins in live cells.
Can we Falsify the Consciousness-Causes-Collapse Hypothesis in Quantum Mechanics?

In this paper we examine some proposals to disprove the hypothesis that the interaction between mind and matter causes the collapse of the wave function, showing that such proposals are fundamentally flawed. We then describe a general experimental setup retaining the key features of the ones examined, and show that even a more general case is inadequate to disprove the mind-matter collapse hypothesis. Finally, we use our setup provided to argue that, under some reasonable assumptions about consciousness, such hypothesis is unfalsifiable.
How Do You #relax When You’re #stressed? A Content Analysis and Infodemiology Study of Stress-Related Tweets

Background: Stress is a contributing factor to many major health problems in the United States, such as heart disease, depression, and autoimmune diseases. Relaxation is often recommended in mental health treatment as a frontline strategy to reduce stress, thereby improving health conditions. Twitter is a microblog platform that allows users to post their own personal messages (tweets), including their expressions about feelings and actions related to stress and stress management (eg, relaxing). While Twitter is increasingly used as a source of data for understanding mental health from a population perspective, the specific issue of stress—as manifested on Twitter—has not yet been the focus of any systematic study. Objective: The objective of our study was to understand how people express their feelings of stress and relaxation through Twitter messages. In addition, we aimed at investigating automated natural language processing methods to (1) classify stress versus nonstress and relaxation versus nonrelaxation tweets, and (2) identify first-hand experience—that is, who is the experiencer—in stress and relaxation tweets. Methods: We first performed a qualitative content analysis of 1326 and 781 tweets containing the keywords “stress” and “relax,” respectively. We then investigated the use of machine learning algorithms—in particular naive Bayes and support vector machines—to automatically classify tweets as stress versus nonstress and relaxation versus nonrelaxation. Finally, we applied these classifiers to sample datasets drawn from 4 cities in the United States (Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, and San Francisco) obtained from Twitter’s streaming application programming interface, with the goal of evaluating the extent of any correlation between our automatic classification of tweets and results from public stress surveys. Results: Content analysis showed that the most frequent topic of stress tweets was education, followed by work and social relationships. The most frequent topic of relaxation tweets was rest & vacation, followed by nature and water. When we applied the classifiers to the cities dataset, the proportion of stress tweets in New York and San Diego was substantially higher than that in Los Angeles and San Francisco. In addition, we found that characteristic expressions of stress and relaxation varied for each city based on its geolocation. Conclusions: This content analysis and infodemiology study revealed that Twitter, when used in conjunction with natural language processing techniques, is a useful data source for understanding stress and stress management strategies, and can potentially supplement infrequently collected survey-based stress data. [JMIR Public Health Surveill 2017;3(2):e35]
Inversion of magnetotelluric data using integral equation approach with variable sensitivity domain: application to EarthScope MT data

Abstract We have developed a multi-level parallel magnetotelluric (MT) integral equation based inversion program which uses variable sensitivity domain. The limited sensitivity of the data, which decreases with increasing frequency, is exploited by a receiver sensitivity domain, which also varies with frequency. We assess the effect of inverting principal impedances, full impedance tensor, and full tensor jointly with magnetovariational data (tipper). We first apply this method to several models and then invert the EarthScope MT data. We recover well the prominent features in the area including resistive structure associated with the Juan de Fuca slab subducting beneath the northwestern United States, the conductive zone of partially melted material above the subducting slab at the Cascade volcanic arc, conductive features in the Great Basin and in the area of Yellowstone associated with the hot spot, and resistive areas to the east corresponding to the older and more stable cratons.
An Architecture for Bootstrapping Lexical Semantics and Grammatical Structures.

Computational approaches to language acquisition typically reduce the problem to one of either learning syntax, or learning a lexicon -- isolated tasks. These problem simplifications have led to disconnected solutions and algorithms with no expectation of grounded inputs. We propose a language learning framework for bootstrapping the acquisition of a grammar and learning lexical semantics. We describe the framework and provide an instantiation using context-free grammars and a lambda-calculus semantic representation.
Locked-In: The Effect of CEOs' Capital Gains Taxes on Corporate Risk-Taking

ABSTRACT I study the effects of CEOs' unrealized capital gains tax liabilities (tax burdens) on corporate risk-taking. Recent work suggests that high tax burdens discourage CEOs from selling stock....
Antibody-Coated Bacteria in Urinary Tract infections

In 1974 we reported that a non-invasive fluorescent antibody (FA) test is useful in establishing the anatomic site of infection in the urinary tract [1]. The technique utilizes a simple and direct immunofluorescence procedure to detect antibody-coated bacteria (ACB) in urine sediments of patients with urinary tract infections. ACB are usually found in urine samples from patients with kidney infections but not from patients with uncomplicated bladder infections. This review focuses on the efforts of our own laboratory and the work of other investigators in (1) evaluating the clinical application of the test for ACB as a diagnostic aid, (2) determining the usefulness of the test in defining populations for epidemiologic and therapeutic studies, (3) ascertaining the prognostic usefulness of the test in following the clinical course of the individual patient with persistent or recurrent infections, and (4) defining the biological significance of ACB in urine.
Limitations of Polyethylene Glycol Precipitation Assays for Circulating Immune Complexes

Polyethylene glycol precipitation assays (PEG-A) have been promoted as technically simple, inexpensive methods for detecting and quantitating circulating immune complexes; however, their specificity and sensitivity have not been clearly defined. Data are presented showing that the percent recovery of IgG in 3.5% PEG increases as the concentration of IgG increases such that hypergammaglobulinemia alone can cause a positive test result. When sera from 25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were studied, no correlations were found between results obtained by either Raji cell assay, or cryoprecipitation and those obtained by PEG-A. We conclude that 3.5% PEG-A, although appealing because of simplicity, can not be used as a substitute for established, but technically more demanding assays for circulating immune complexes.
Comparison of surgical outcomes of trabeculectomy, Ahmed shunt, and Baerveldt shunt in uveitic glaucoma

Background Uveitis is defined as a collection of syndromes involving intraocular inflammation which can lead to pain, tissue damage, and vision loss. Ophthalmic surgery in uveitis patients can be challenging due to inflammation-induced fibrosis and scarring. Trabeculectomy and implantation of glaucoma drainage devices (aqueous shunts) have been used in surgical management of uveitic glaucoma, however there is a paucity of literature examining the comparative results of these entities in this unique setting. The purpose of this retrospective comparative study is to compare clinical outcomes of trabeculectomy with MMC, Ahmed shunt, and Baerveldt shunt surgery specifically in uveitic glaucoma.
On the mechanism of long-range orientational order of fibroblasts

Long-range alignment ordering of fibroblasts have been observed in the vicinity of cancerous tumors and can be recapitulated with in vitro experiments. However, the mechanisms driving their ordering are not understood. Here, we show that local collision-driven nematic alignment interactions among fibroblasts are insufficient to explain observed long-range alignment. One possibility is that there exists another orientation field coevolving with the cells and reinforcing their alignment. We propose that this field reflects the mechanical cross-talk between the fibroblasts and the underlying fibrous material on which they move. We show that this long-range interaction can give rise to high nematic order and to the observed patterning of the cancer microenvironment.
Rationale and Design of the ARREST Trial Investigating Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Small Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Background Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are a major source of morbidity and mortality despite continuing advances in surgical technique and care. Although the inciting factors for AAA development continue to be elusive, accumulating evidence suggests a significant periaortic inflammatory response leading to degradation and dilation of the aortic wall. Previous human trials have demonstrated safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the treatment of inflammation-related pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis, graft versus host disease, and transplant rejection. Therefore, herein, we describe the Aortic Aneurysm Repression with Mesenchymal Stem Cells (ARREST) trial, a phase I investigation into the safety of MSC infusion for patients with small AAA and the cells' effects on modulation of AAA-related inflammation. Methods ARREST is a phase I, single-center, double-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating infusion both dilute and concentrated MSCs compared to placebo in 36 small AAA (35–45 mm) patients. Subjects will be followed by study personnel for 12 months to ascertain incidence of adverse events, immune cell phenotype expression, peripheral cytokine profile, and periaortic inflammation. Maximum transverse aortic diameter will be assessed regularly for 5 years by a combination of computed tomography and duplex sonography. Results Four patients have thus far been enrolled, randomized, and treated per protocol. We anticipate the conclusion of the treatment phase within the next 24 months with ongoing long-term follow-up. Conclusions ARREST will be pivotal in assessing the safety of MSC infusion and provide preliminary data on the ability of MSCs to favorably modulate the pathogenic AAA host immune response. The data gleaned from this phase I trial will provide the groundwork for a larger, phase III RCT which may provide the first pharmaceutical intervention for AAA.
Agency and Resilience Along the Arizona-Sonora Border: How Unauthorized Migrants Become Aware of and Resist Contemporary U.S. Nativist Mobilization

Little is known about the extra-political consequences of contemporary U.S.-based nativist mobilization as well as the resilience unauthorized migrants display in the face of anti-immigrant mobilization along the U.S.-Mexico border. Bringing together social movements and immigration literatures, we examine these interrelated issues using original survey data from the first wave of the Migrant Border Crossing Study. In so doing, we examine: (1) factors influencing repatriated unauthorized migrants’ awareness of nativist mobilization (i.e., Minutemen) along the Arizona-Sonora border, and (2) factors explaining why some migrants would or would not be potentially deterred from attempting future unauthorized crossings if encountering the Minutemen were a possibility. Results from a Heckman probit selection model indicate that higher levels of general, financial, and migration-specific human capital are associated with awareness of the Minutemen, while higher household income and status as an indigenous language speaker predict who would be less likely to be deterred from crossing. We also uncover an interesting paradox: migrants traveling with coyotes were less likely to have heard of Minutemen and more likely to be potentially deterred. Collectively, our results provide insight into the overlooked extra-political consequences of contemporary U.S. nativist mobilization, how resiliency in the face of such a deterrent is structured among repatriated unauthorized migrants, and how seemingly powerless migrant groups can mitigate potential threats initiated by relatively privileged groups of U.S. citizens.
Antitrust and Inequality: The Problem of Super-Firms

Increasing concern about economic inequality has coincided with an unsettling ascendancy of some large, technologically integrated “super-firms,” which have grabbed large market shares in multiple ...