cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural and energetics aspects of a proposed mechanism for the phosphate-mediated Pictet–Spengler cyclization reaction: A computational study

Abstract A proposed phosphate-mediated mechanism for the Pictet–Spengler cyclization reaction is systematically examined using DFT and ab initio methods both in vacuum and in acetonitrile solution. In particular, the condensation reaction of either phenethylamine or 3-hydroxyphenethylamine with formaldehyde to yield the corresponding tetrahydroisoquinoline products was investigated. One mechanistic pathway involves a pre-reaction complex between an iminium cation and a phosphate ion (either dihydrogen phosphate or hydrogen phosphate), a post-reaction complex between the tetrahydroisoquinoline product and the protonated phosphate, and a single transition state complex connecting the pre- and post-reaction complexes. Energy barriers for the reaction system to transition from the pre- to the post-reaction complexes are lower with dihydrogen phosphate rather than with hydrogen phosphate, and in solution rather than in vacuum. Accordingly, the MP2/6-31++G(d,p) calculated lowest energy barriers in solution are 20.83 kcal/mol (3-hydroxyphenetylamine) and 28.77 kcal/mol (phenethylamine). Another mechanistic pathway was also considered for the reaction in acetonitrile solution of the 3-hydroxyphenethylamine substrate. In this case, a third molecule (a solvent molecule, or another phosphate anion) was added to interact with the hydroxy group of the pre- and post-reaction dimer complexes of the iminium cation with the phosphate anion. For all trimer complexes considered, the reaction appears to proceed through a two-step mechanism. The lowest energy path for the reaction occurs when the third molecule added is hydrogen phosphate, with an MP2/6-31++G(d,p) calculated energy barrier of 12.49 kcal/mol in the rate determining step.
The Benefit-Cost Analysis of Disease Control Programs

When farmers must make economic decisions, three competing goals must be considered: maximization of profit, avoidance of risk, and personal satisfaction. If a decision has a relatively long time-frame, then the time value of costs and of benefits also must be considered. There are a variety of ways to structure the comparison between disease control programs. If disease is endemic, a partial budget analysis is recommended. If, instead, probabilities must be included in the calculations, then the recommendation is to use pay-off table analysis or to draw a decision tree (the latter especially if there are sequences of decisions).
Financial Reporting Quality and the Quiet Life

Bertrand and Mullainathan (2003) find that managers shielded from the threat of takeovers exert less effort to maximize firm value, consistent with a ‘quiet life’ hypothesis. I study whether the governance role of financial reporting can mitigate adverse effects arising from managerial preferences for a quiet life. I hypothesize and find evidence that after changes in Delaware’s mid 1990s takeover protection regime, financial reporting quality (FRQ) is positively associated with Delaware firms’ operating performance and capital investment. Furthermore, the above relation between FRQ and performance is stronger for firms operating in less competitive industries, and firms with staggered boards. Overall, the results suggest that financial reporting can help mitigate adverse effects associated with managerial preferences for a quiet life.
Characterization of the Lactose Transport System in Citrobacter freundii

The lactose transport system of Citrobacter freundii was characterized. Both the lactose transport system and β-galactosidase were induced with either lactose or isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), the latter being the better inducer. The Km values for methyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (TMG) transport and lactose transport were 0.61 mM and 1.1 mM, respectively, and the Vmax values were 53 nmol/min/mg cell protein and 12 nmol/min/mg cell protein, respectively. Thus, TMG is a better substrate than lactose. Thiodigalactopyranoside (TDG) was a very potent competitive inhibitor. Neither Na+ nor Li+ had a significant effect on the TMG transport or the lactose transport. Proton/substrate cotransport (symport) via this system was observed.
Toxicity of prostaglandins A1 and A2 for cells in culture.

Prostaglandins A1 and A2, in concentrations near 3×10−5 M, produced striking toxicity to muscle, skin and liver cells in culture. Prostaglandins E and F2α were much less active in this regard. Toxicity could be measured by reduction in viable cell number, protein and DNA synthesis in the cultures. The sensitivity of cultured cells was related to their age and population density. Dense cultures were sensitive early, in the first 2 days, and resistant after they manifested confluent growth. Sparse cultures remained sensitive later while they continued DNA synthesis and active cell division. It is hypothesized that the prostaglandin A effect is related to active cell division and DNA synthesis.
Correction for Rao et al., Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B-Induced MicroRNA-155 Targets SOCS1 To Promote Acute Inflammatory Lung Injury

Volume 82, no. 7, p. [2971–2979][1], 2014. Page 2971: The byline should read as given above. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1128/IAI.01666-14
Intrauterine growth restriction programs an accelerated age-related increase in cardiovascular risk in male offspring

Placental insufficiency programs an increase in blood pressure associated with a twofold increase in serum testosterone in male growth-restricted offspring at 4 mo of age. Population studies indicate that the inverse relationship between birth weight and blood pressure is amplified with age. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that intrauterine growth restriction programs an age-related increase in blood pressure in male offspring. Growth-restricted offspring retained a significantly higher blood pressure at 12 but not at 18 mo of age compared with age-matched controls. Blood pressure was significantly increased in control offspring at 18 mo of age relative to control counterparts at 12 mo; however, blood pressure was not increased in growth-restricted at 18 mo relative to growth-restricted counterparts at 12 mo. Serum testosterone levels were not elevated in growth-restricted offspring relative to control at 12 mo of age. Thus, male growth-restricted offspring no longer exhibited a positive association between blood pressure and testosterone at 12 mo of age. Unlike hypertension in male growth-restricted offspring at 4 mo of age, inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system with enalapril (250 mg/l for 2 wk) did not abolish the difference in blood pressure in growth-restricted offspring relative to control counterparts at 12 mo of age. Therefore, these data suggest that intrauterine growth restriction programs an accelerated age-related increase in blood pressure in growth-restricted offspring. Furthermore, this study suggests that the etiology of increased blood pressure in male growth-restricted offspring at 12 mo of age differs from that at 4 mo of age.
The Reproducibility and Interpretation of Carbon Dioxide Cystonietry

AbstractThe day-to-day and same-day variability of carbon dioxide cystometry was examined in a population of men. Considerable variability was observed in each parameter monitored. The implications of such variability, and the validity and significance of certain cystometric events are discussed.
Observing interaction: Representing observational data

Once observers have done their work – that is, once their assignment of codes to events or intervals has been committed to paper or electronic files – it is tempting to think that you can now move directly to analysis of the coded data. Almost always this is premature because it bypasses two important intervening steps. The second step involves reducing sequential data for a session into summary scores for subsequent analysis and is relatively well understood; for details see Chapters 8 and 9. The first step is equally important but often receives less attention. It is the subject of this chapter and involves representing – literally, re-presenting – the data as recorded initially into formats that facilitate subsequent data reduction and analysis. When recording observational data, as described in the preceding chapter, observer ease and accuracy are paramount, and methods and formats for recording data appropriately accommodate these concerns. But when progressing to data preparation, reduction, and analysis, different formats may work better. In this chapter, we consider two levels of data representation. The first is a standard format – that is, a set of conventions – for sequential data that defines five basic data types and reflects the recording strategies described in the previous chapter. The second is more conceptual; it is a way of thinking about sequential data in terms of a universal code-unit grid that applies to all data types and that facilitates data analysis and data modification, as demonstrated in subsequent chapters (especially in Chapter 10).
A Health Services Research Agenda for Bariatric Surgery Within the Veterans Health Administration.

In 2016, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) held a Weight Management State of the Art conference to identify evidence gaps and develop a research agenda for population-based weight management for veterans. Included were behavioral, pharmacologic, and bariatric surgery workgroups. This article summarizes the bariatric surgery workgroup (BSWG) findings and recommendations for future research. The BSWG agreed that there is evidence from randomized trials and large observational studies suggesting that bariatric surgery is superior to medical therapy for short- and intermediate-term remission of type 2 diabetes, long-term weight loss, and long-term survival. Priority evidence gaps include long-term comorbidity remission, mental health, substance abuse, and health care costs. Evidence of the role of endoscopic weight loss options is also lacking. The BSWG also noted the limited evidence regarding optimal timing for bariatric surgery referral, barriers to bariatric surgery itself, and management of high-risk bariatric surgery patients. Clinical trials of pre- and post-surgery interventions may help to optimize patient outcomes. A registry of overweight and obese veterans and a workforce assessment to determine the VHA’s capacity to increase bariatric surgery access were recommended. These will help inform policy modifications and focus the research agenda to improve the ability of the VHA to deliver population-based weight management.
Effects of foreign and domestic economic policy uncertainty shocks on South Korea

Abstract This paper investigates the effects of foreign and domestic economic policy uncertainty shocks on South Korea via structural VARs. The results show that both foreign and domestic policy uncertainty shocks exert negative and significant impacts on South Korea. Foreign economic policy uncertainty shocks are found to be more dominant than domestic economic policy uncertainty shocks in influencing the Korean output. The results also indicate that economic policy uncertainty that originates from foreign countries is a significant source of disturbance to the Korean economy, but domestic policy uncertainty plays a rather limited role in explaining Korean business fluctuations.
MR Elastography Demonstrates Unique Regional Brain Stiffness Patterns in Dementias

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to investigate age-corrected brain MR elastography (MRE) findings in four dementia cohorts (Alzheimer disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, and normal pressure hydrocephalus) and determine the potential use as a differentiating biomarker in dementia subtypes. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Institutional review board approval and written informed consent were obtained to perform MRE on 84 subjects: 20 patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus, eight with Alzheimer disease, five with dementia with Lewy bodies, five with frontotemporal dementia, and 46 cognitively normal control subjects. Shear waves of 60-Hz vibration frequency were transmitted into the brain using a pillowlike passive driver, and brain stiffness was determined in eight different regions (cerebrum, frontal, occipital, parietal, temporal, deep gray matter–white matter, sensorimotor cortex, and cerebellum). All stiffness values were age-corrected and compared with control subjects. The ...
In vitro activity of the interaction between taxifolin (dihydroquercetin) and pyrimethamine against Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most neglected zoonotic foodborne parasitic diseases that cause public health and socioeconomic concern worldwide. The current drugs used for the treatment of toxoplasmosis have been identified to have clinical limitations. Hence, new drugs are urgently needed to eradicate T.gondii infections globally. Here, an in vitro anti-Toxoplasma gondii activity of taxifolin (dihydroquercetin) and dihydrofolate inhibitor (pyrimethamine) alone and in combination with a fixed concentration of pyrimethamine were investigated against the rapidly proliferating T.gondii RH strain at 48 hr using colorimetric assay. Pyrimethamine showed the highest anti-T. gondii activity with IC50P of 0.84 μg/ml (p > .05), respectively. The combination of pyrimethamine with dihydroquercetin gave a significant inhibitory activity against tachyzoites in in vitro with IC50p of 1.39 μg/ml (p < .05). The IC50p ranges obtained for the individual and the combination of taxifolin with pyrimethamine inhibition of parasite growth were not cytotoxic to the infected HFF and Hek-293 cell lines used. These compounds combination should be investigated further using in vivo model of toxoplasmosis.
Characterization and discrete element simulation of grading and shape-dependent behavior of JSC-1A Martian regolith simulant

Granular regolith simulants have been extensively used in the preparation of space missions to test rovers and scientific instruments. In this work, the physical and mechanical properties of the JSC-1A Martian regolith simulant (MRS) are characterized using conventional and advanced laboratory techniques. Particle images are obtained using X-ray computed tomography, from which particle shapes are characterized through a series of imaging processing techniques and are further used to generate irregularly-shaped numerical particles. The characterized particle size distribution and irregularly-shaped numerical particles are incorporated into a discrete element model to simulate grading and shape-dependent behavior of the JSC-1A MRS. The developed discrete element model is calibrated and validated against laboratory direct shear tests. Simulations without the consideration of particle shapes and simulations with a rolling resistance contact model are also performed to investigate the effect of particle shapes on the behavior of the JSC-1A MRS.
Widening the pipeline of K-12 students with flash

There are many negative stereotypes about computer science. These preconceived ideas may discourage students, especially women and minorities, from pursuing a computer science education. Our goal is to create a program that dispels these misconceptions, both in inner city middle and high schools and in an outreach program that attracts at-risk students to Lehigh University to learn about information technology. A curriculum that uses Flash programming helps to dispel these misconceptions and bring more minority and female high school students back into the pipeline of potential computer scientists.
Pólya's Shire Theorem for Automorphic Functions

Generalizing a classic result by Polya concerning the zeros of successive derivatives of meromorphic functions in the complex plane, we study the accumulation set of zeros of successive derivatives of automorphic functions in the hyperbolic plane, as well as the connection between the automorphism group and the topology of this set in the Poincare disk model.
Periprocedural management of patients undergoing liver resection or liver-directed therapy for neuroendocrine tumor metastases.

e15689Background: Carcinoid crisis is a life-threatening event caused by release of vasoactive substances from neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Octreotide is often used in the periprocedural setting a...
Plasma Unesterified Fatty-Acid Profile Is Dramatically and Acutely Changed under Ischemic Stroke in the Mouse Model.

Although plasma biomarkers would facilitate rapid and accurate diagnosis of ischemic stroke for immediate treatment, no such biomarkers have been developed to date. In the present study, we tested our hypothesis that plasma unesterified fatty acids (FFA) are altered at early stages of acute ischemic stroke. Plasma was collected from mice 2 h after the permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAo) onset, as well as from sham operated and control animals. After 2 h, pMCAo significantly changed the plasma FFA profile with the most dramatic 2- to 3-fold relative increase in very long n-3 and n-6 FFA including 20:4n-6, 22:4n-6, 22:5n-6, and 22:6n-3. Changes in the plasma FFA profile are consistent with FFA liberation from brain phospholipid hydrolyzed under ischemic insult. These results identify, for the first time, the plasma FFA profile as a potential biomarker for an early ischemic stroke within the therapeutic window for thrombolytic treatment. Further studies are required to confirm its specificity and sensitivity in clinical settings.
Integration of Retail and Wholesale Markets: Modeling Framework and Stability Analysis

As the power grid encounter the large-scale integration of renewable generation, there is an increasing need to engage flexible demand-side resources such as distributed energy resources (DERs) into the power systems operation. However engaging millions of DERs in a reliable manner can be a challenging problem. Retail markets can facilitate this by providing a platform to aggregate the flexibility of DERs and bid the aggregate flexibility into wholesale markets. However, unlike generators (which can typically be modeled accurately with capacity constraints and ramping limits), most flexible loads have physical dynamics (like air conditioners) that couples their flexibility over time. This coupling could have unintended undesirable consequences (for example, instability and oscillations in prices and other physical quantities). In this paper, we propose a simple model to capture the evolution of load flexibility over time and analyze stability of the interconnection between wholesale and retail electricity markets. We prove that under a natural model of flexibility evolution (assuming a constant base load), oscillations cannot occur and prices converge to a unique equilibrium quickly.
How can we augment the few that remain? Using stable population dynamics to aid reintroduction planning of an iteroparous species

Restoration of depleted populations is an important method in biological conservation. Reintroduction strategies frequently aim to restore stable, increasing, self-sustaining populations. Knowledge of asymptotic system dynamics may provide advantage in selecting reintroduction strategies. We introduce interactive software that is designed to identify strategies for release of females that are immediately aligned with stable population dynamics from species represented by 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-stage life history strategies. The software allows managers to input a matrix of interest, the desired number of breeding females, and the desired management timeline, and calls upon stable population theory to give release strategies that are in concert with both stable population status and the management goals. We demonstrate how the software can aid in assessing various strategies ahead of a hypothetical restoration. For the purpose of demonstration of the tool only, we use published vital rates of an ungulate species, but remark that the selection of species for demonstration is not central to the use of this tool. Adaption of this tool to real-life restorations of any 2-, 3-, 4-, or 5-stage iteroparous species may aid in understanding how to minimize undesirable recovery complications that may naturally arise from transient population dynamics. The software is freely available at: https//cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/tools/stapopd.
Problems in Nonlinear Nonmechanics

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the problems in nonlinear nonmechanics. The improvement of communication modes has reached a stage of critical need. It is getting less possible to develop leaders with sufficient wisdom because of the mushrooming of various kinds of information. One needs to weed out the various noise factors and to come to grips with the problems of education on a scale not yet contemplated. In addition, every means of communication generates its own class of handicapped people. To understand the possible uses of the less popular senses in communication, it is important to consider communication in the handicapped. Every individual may be handicapped in some way. Thus, a communication device, in which a fine sense of pitch is important, would make one handicapped. Thus, in the construction of communication systems, attention needs to be paid to the number of persons handicapped by them.
Terrain and war: Measuring topographic and land cover heterogeneity in interstate wars, 1816–2003:

This article introduces the War Terrain Indices and Geospatial Representation Dataset (WARTIGER). This dataset addresses a dearth of quality terrain data in the study of interstate war outcomes. It...
Cryoballoon ablation for gastric pouch and/or outlet reduction in patients with weight regain post Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Background Cryoballoon ablation could induce stricture formation to achieve outlet and pouch reduction in patients regaining weight after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). This pilot study aimed to assess technical feasibility and short-term efficacy. Methods A retrospective chart review (January – November 2018) at two academic centers identified patients with weight regain post-RYGB, treated with cryoablation if pouch > 4 cm and/or outlet > 15 mm. Patients were scheduled for surveillance endoscopies at 8 weeks. Results 22 patients presented 10.5 years (SD 4.42) post-RYGB with weight regain of 30.9 kg (SD 13.7). Technical success was 89.5 % for outlet ablation and 93.0 % for pouch ablation. From baseline to 8 weeks, the outlet was reduced from 24.1 mm (95 % confidence interval [CI] 19.8 to 28.5) to 17.1 mm (95 %CI 13.1 to 21.1; P Conclusion Cryoablation appears technically feasible and effective for outlet and/or pouch reduction in the short term.
Abstract P2-13-17: Fertility concerns and treatment decision-making among young women with breast cancer

BACKGROUND Fertility can be diminished by adjuvant chemotherapy or by age-related decline in ovarian reserve in young women with breast cancer (BC). We sought to better understand the burden of concern about fertility, utilization of fertility preservation strategies, and the impact of fertility concerns on treatment decision-making among young women newly diagnosed with BC enrolled in a large multi-site study. METHODS The Young and Strong study was a cluster-randomized study that tested the effect of an educational and supportive care intervention for young women with BC (≤45) and their oncologists, at community and academic sites across the US. Patients were surveyed following diagnosis at enrollment (within 3 months of diagnosis), and at 3, 6 and 12 months thereafter. The surveys included sociodemographic and psychosocial measures (HADS anxiety and depression; Perceived Stress Scale), as well as a modified Fertility Issues Survey, which assessed fertility concerns and preservation. Treatment and tumor pathology data were abstracted from the medical record. Logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors that were associated with fertility concern. Variables with p ≤ 0.20 in univariable analyses were evaluated in the multivariable model using stepwise selection; variables achieving significance at p RESULTS Of 467 women enrolled from 54 sites (14 academic, 40 community), 419 had evaluable data regarding treatment decision-making. Median age of participants at diagnosis was 40 yrs (range 22-45), 11% were African American, 80% were married/lived with a partner, and 75% had children. 35% of tumors were stage I, 51% stage II, and 14% stage III; 82% of women were treated with chemotherapy. At the time of treatment decision-making, 133 (32%) were concerned about fertility, varying by age, with fertility concern reported by 73%, 28% and 13% of those age ≤35, 36-40 and >40 (p CONCLUSION In a geographically and ethnically diverse study of young women with newly diagnosed BC in the U.S., many were concerned about fertility, with potential impact on their treatment decisions. For the majority of women, these concerns were discussed with their providers, though only a minority underwent fertility preservation strategies prior to treatment. Citation Format: Elisabeth Etaix, Yue Zheng, Shoshana Rosenberg, Kathryn J Ruddy, J Russel Hoverman, Karen M Emmons, Ann H Partridge. Fertility concerns and treatment decision-making among young women with breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-13-17.
Intensity noise of GaAlAs laser diodes at various output powers and frequencies

In a heterodyne communication system using semiconductor lasers, the frequency noise and intensity noise of the laser directly affect the performance of the system. Recently, we reported that the photo-current noise power density NP generated inside a photodetector when illuminated by a GaAlAs semiconductor laser is approximately given by the following expression1.
Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Genotype, Frailty, and Gait Speed in a Biracial Cohort of Older Adults.

Objective To examine whether the association between dopamine-related genotype and gait speed differs according to frailty status or race. Design Cross-sectional population-based study (Cardiovascular Health Study). Setting Multicenter study, four U.S. sites. Participants Volunteer community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older, without evidence of Parkinson's disease (N = 3,744; 71 years; 82% White; 39% male). Measurements Gait speed (usual pace; m/s), physical frailty (Fried definition), and genetic polymorphism of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT; rs4680), an enzyme regulating tonic brain dopamine levels, were assessed. Interaction of COMT by frailty and by race predicting gait speed were tested, and, if significant, analyses were stratified. Multivariable regression models of COMT predicting gait speed were adjusted for demographics and locomotor risk factors. Sensitivity analyses were repeated, stratified by clinical cutoffs of gait speed (0.6 and 1.0 m/s) instead of frailty status. Results The interaction of COMT by frailty and COMT by race were P = .02 and P = .01, respectively. Compared with Met/Met (higher dopaminergic signaling), the Val/Val group (lower dopaminergic signaling) walked marginally more slowly in the full cohort (0.87 vs 0.89 m/s; P = .2). Gait speed differences were significant for frail (n = 220; 0.55 vs 0.63 m/s; P = .03), but not for prefrail (n = 1,691; 0.81 vs 0.81 m/s; P = .9) or nonfrail (n = 1,833; 0.98 vs 0.97 m/s; P = .7); results were similar in fully adjusted models. Among frail, associations were similar for Whites and Blacks, with statistical significance for Whites only. Associations stratified by clinical cutoffs of gait speed were not significant. Conclusion The association of dopamine-related genotype with gait speed is stronger among adults with frailty compared with those without frailty. The potential effects of dopaminergic signaling on preserving physical function in biracial cohorts of frail adults should be further examined.
Abstract PS13-02: Global myocardial perfusion is reduced in premenopausal breast cancer patients treated with ovarian function suppression and aromatase inhibitor therapy: An adenosine stress T1 map CMR study

Introduction: Premenopausal women with high-risk hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC) undergo abrupt menopause induction with aromatase inhibitor (AI) anti-estrogen therapy and ovarian function suppression (OFS). This treatment improves recurrence-free survival but may increase cardiovascular (CV) risk associated with early hypoestrogenemia as observed in women with non-cancerous reasons for early loss of ovarian function. We sought to identify if OFS+AI therapy is associated with myocardial perfusion changes, a subclinical marker of coronary heart disease. Methods: We evaluated women with paired adenosine cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging scans at 3-to 6-month intervals using cines and T1 maps in standard short-axis planes. As increased blood flow from vasodilation increases adenosine stress parametric T1 values of the myocardial tissue, the myocardial perfusion reactivity was calculated from the percent increase of stress versus native (pre-stress) T1 maps. Double-blinded post-processing of images was performed in CircleCVI software. Statistical analyses were performed in MATLAB (p 0.05). The cardiovascular stress tests identified two HR+ women (14%) with abnormal results during stress imaging who were sent for further cardiovascular evaluations.Conclusions: Women with HR+ BC treated with OFS+AI exhibited a decline in global microcirculatory perfusion during an adenosine cardiac stress test with normal LV functional parameters. Alternatively, triple negative BC patients trended to have an improvement in LV function during the interval with non-significant improvement in myocardial perfusion. This study demonstrates a decline in myocardial perfusion in premenopausal women on OFS+AI therapy, suggesting subclinical coronary artery effects due to early hypoestrogenemia. Future work should confirm these results, identify women at higher risk, and test strategies to mitigate cardiotoxicity in premenopausal women with HR+ BC. Citation Format: Alexandra Thomas, Ralph B. D9Agostino, Jr., Katherine C. Ansley, Sung Park, Anuj Kotak, Steven M. Sorscher, Susan Melin, Emily H. Douglas, Sujethra Vasu, Paul A. Romitti, William G. Hundley, Jennifer H. Jordan. Global myocardial perfusion is reduced in premenopausal breast cancer patients treated with ovarian function suppression and aromatase inhibitor therapy: An adenosine stress T1 map CMR study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS13-02.
Understanding Adverse Outcomes in Gulf Migration: Evidence from Administrative Data from Sri Lanka:

For many in South Asia, international migration to the Gulf countries provides access to lucrative employment opportunities without domestic comparison. Yet higher wages in Gulf countries are often...
WE-G-BRD-07: Automated MR Image Standardization and Auto-Contouring Strategy for MRI-Based Adaptive Brachytherapy for Cervix Cancer

Purpose: MRI-based adaptive brachytherapy (ABT) is an emerging treatment modality for patients with gynecological tumors. However, MR image intensity non-uniformities (IINU) can vary from fraction to fraction, complicating image interpretation and auto-contouring accuracy. We demonstrate here an automated MR image standardization and auto-contouring strategy for MRI-based ABT of cervix cancer. Methods: MR image standardization consisted of: 1) IINU correction using the MNI N3 algorithm, 2) noise filtering using anisotropic diffusion, and 3) signal intensity normalization using the volumetric median. This post-processing chain was implemented as a series of custom Matlab and Java extensions in MIM (v6.4.5, MIM Software) and was applied to 3D T2 SPACE images of six patients undergoing MRI-based ABT at 3T. Coefficients of variation (CV=σ/µ) were calculated for both original and standardized images and compared using Mann-Whitney tests. Patient-specific cumulative MR atlases of bladder, rectum, and sigmoid contours were constructed throughout ABT, using original and standardized MR images from all previous ABT fractions. Auto-contouring was performed in MIM two ways: 1) best-match of one atlas image to the daily MR image, 2) multi-match of all previous fraction atlas images to the daily MR image. Dice's Similarity Coefficients (DSCs) were calculated for auto-generated contours relative to reference contours for both original and standardized MR images and compared using Mann-Whitney tests. Results: Significant improvements in CV were detected following MR image standardization (p=0.0043), demonstrating an improvement in MR image uniformity. DSCs consistently increased for auto-contoured bladder, rectum, and sigmoid following MR image standardization, with the highest DSCs detected when the combination of MR image standardization and multi-match cumulative atlas-based auto-contouring was utilized. Conclusion: MR image standardization significantly improves MR image uniformity. The combination of MR image standardization and multi-match cumulative atlas-based auto-contouring produced the highest DSCs and is a promising strategy for MRI-based ABT for cervix cancer.
Chlorine as an indicator of terrestrial contamination in iron meteorites.

The chlorine distribution near the surface of two iron meteorites has been studied by neutron activation analysis and metallographic observation. Large amounts of chlorine were found at the exterior of each meteorite, decreasing to levels below the detection limit in the interior. The most probable cause for the observed concentration gradients is shown to be terrestrial contamination, and a consideration of the possible mechanism supports the view that chlorine is a good indicator of such an effect.
Chapter 17 Central disorders of visual processing: A pragmatic classification

Publisher Summary Many diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) produce significant visual deficits, yet the visual burden is often not recognized or ignored because of the overriding worries about the primary disease process. While visual field defects produced by lesions in the visual sensory pathways are well delineated, disorders of visual processing caused by lesions in areas outside the classic visual sensory pathways are not well classified. These lesions of the “higher visual centers” create complex perceptual deficits that are difficult to study and to categorize. Consequently, a comprehensive classification of central disorders of visual processing is not available. Any rational classification should be based on current understanding of visual processing. The visual percept must first be seen before it can be identified. To see an object the optics, the visual pathways and the primary visual cortex must be normal. The various characteristics or modalities of the visual scene are processed in parallel by separate channels.
A solar (irradiance) trigger for millennial-scale abrupt changes in the southwest monsoon?

[1] Marine sedimentary records of the last glacial from tropical monsoon latitudes indicate climate fluctuations comparable to rapid changes in δ18O recorded in Greenland. Synchronizing two high-resolution sedimentary records from the Oman and Pakistan margins, we resolve millennial-scale reversals in sea surface temperature (SST) gradient (ΔSST) across the Arabian Sea which directly correspond with the majority of Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) events for the last 65 kyr. The relative amplitude of individual monsoon and D-O events appears comparable, suggesting coupled and at least hemispheric forcing. To explore this quasi-cyclic forcing, we compare alkenone-based geologic data with modern satellite-derived ΔSST estimates between sites. Interstadial conditions fall within the range of monsoons during the Holocene, but stadial conditions have no analogs. Following published associations between Eurasian Winter Snow Cover (EWSC) and monsoon rainfall, and El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events and anomalous EWSC, we find a good correlation between the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and Arabian Sea ΔSST throughout the modern data set. An apparent 11-year cyclicity in the SOI reveals an association between the monsoon, SOI, and solar output variability. The SOI primarily tracks solar total irradiance, but the SOI monsoon linkage becomes nonlinear during excursions of the SOI associated with El Nino Events. Strong El Ninos coincide precisely with minimum solar irradiance during the solar cycle, which we attribute to threshold behavior in tropical Pacific SSTs and associated trade wind strength. We propose that both short-term (interannual-decadal) and long-term (centennial-millennial) changes in solar output are consistent with records of ENSO variability, monsoon intensity, and D-O event timing.
Particle Swarm Optimization in an adaptive resonance framework

A Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique, in conjunction with Fuzzy Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART), was implemented to adapt vigilance values to appropriately compensate for a disparity in data sparsity. Gaining the ability to optimize a vigilance threshold over each cluster as it is created is useful because not all conceivable clusters have the same sparsity from the cluster centroid. Instead of selecting a single vigilance threshold, a metric must be selected for the PSO to optimize on. This trades one design decision for another. The performance gain, however, motivates the tradeoff in certain applications.
Steroids in MLB: An Analysis of Pitchers

In the last chapter, we applied DEA to obtain a measure of aggregate performance by each hitter in each season. We then analyzed each player’s age–performance profile to identify unusual performances. The theory is that eventually, diminishing returns sets in as a player gets older. A quadratic specification was chosen to identify the age of peak performance and to predict performance as age increases. Using stars who played prior to the steroid era, we established benchmark age–performance profiles. We then applied the method to known steroid users to see if enhancement allowed players to defy the standard profiles. The results do provide insight into potential steroid use.
Ultraviolet and Visible Molecular Absorption and Fluorescence Data Analysis

This article is a survey of the data analysis methods that have been applied to ultraviolet (UV) and visible molecular absorbance and fluorescence measurements. The section after the Introduction reviews the principles of the most widely used types of absorbance and fluorescence measurements. These include steady-state, dynamic and multidimensional measurements. After a brief description of absorption and fluorescence instruments, three classes of data analysis methods for molecular absorbance and fluorescence are described: regression methods, decay analysis and matrix factorization methods. Result validation, software alternatives and future developments are discussed in short sections at the end of the article. A short matrix algebra primer is provided as an appendix to the article.
Correcting for unreliable regression integration testing

H. Leung and L. White (1990) introduced the firewall concept for control flow in regression testing. In order to define this firewall, they assumed that unit testing and integration testing are both reliable. The paper continues to assume that unit testing can be carried out in an entirely reliable fashion, while integration testing may not be reliable. The paper is designed to fulfill the following objectives: identify the error cases that the testing process may have missed, making integration testing unreliable; attempt to solve the problems that make integration testing unreliable, designing procedures to improve reliability; and determine the effects of unreliable integration testing on the firewall, indicating how the firewall construction should subsequently change.
Controlling the Airwaves: Incumbency Advantage and Community Radio in Brazil

Direct influence over communication media is a potent resource during electoral campaigns, and politicians have an incentive to gain control of the airwaves to advance their careers. In this article, we use data on community radio license applications in Brazil to identify both the causal effect of incumbency on politicians’ ability to control the media and the causal effect of media control on their future electoral prospects. Using a regression discontinuity design, we compare city council candidates who barely won or barely lost an election, showing that incumbency more than doubles the probability of an application’s approval by the Ministry of Communications. Next, using genetic matching, we compare candidates who acquired community radio licenses before an election to similar politicians who did not, showing that a radio station substantially increases one’s vote share and probability of victory. These findings demonstrate that media control helps entrench local political power in Brazil.
Cold- and norepinephrine-induced thermogenesis in younger and older Fischer 344 rats.

Older rats exposed to low environmental temperatures show attenuated thermogenesis. However, the mechanisms responsible for this attenuation are not clear. This investigation evaluated the possibility that reduced nonshivering thermogenic capacity is associated with this attenuation. O2 consumption was measured in male Fischer 344 rats ages 7 and 24 mo at thermoneutrality (26 degrees C), during exposure to cold (6 degrees C) for 2 h, and during norepinephrine (NE) infusion (an in vivo measure of nonshivering thermogenesis). In addition, the binding of GDP to isolated mitochondria of brown fat, an in vitro estimate of nonshivering thermogenesis, was also measured. Resting mass-independent O2 consumption (ml.min-1.g body mass -0.67) was not different between the two age groups. However, mass-independent O2 consumption was significantly greater in the younger vs. older rats during 2 h of cold exposure (younger, 2.86 +/- 0.19 l/kg body mass 0.67; older, 2.39 +/- 0.10 l/kg body mass 0.67) and during 20 min of maximum NE infusion (younger, 410.4 +/- 15.1 ml/kg body mass)] was greater in younger than ml/kg body mass 0.67). Brown fat mass [absolute (g) as well as relative (g tissue/kg body mass)] was greater in younger than in older rats. Furthermore, younger rats had significantly greater binding of GDP to isolated mitochondria of brown fat than did the older rats. This effect was true whether the data were expressed as nanomoles bound per milligram mitochondrial protein (32% lower in older rats), bound nanomoles recovered (57% lower), or bound picogram per kilogram body mass 0.67 (59% lower).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Threat as a determinant of downward comparison

Abstract The present experiment examined comparison choice under two conditions of threat in which the probable dissimilarity of the available Others from the subjects varied, according to the precomparison information. It was observed that the choices of the subjects in the High-Threat condition focused upon more dissimilar Others than did the choices of the subjects in the Low-Threat condition. Since the precomparison probability that the more dissimilar Others would prove to be worse off (i.e., more hostile) than the subjects was greater, this observation was interpreted as evidence of the occurrence of defensive social comparison. Such comparisons, it was suggested, primarily function to reduce the threat of unexpectedly negative information about oneself rather than providing a basis for an accurate self-assessment.
The role of microstructural variability on the very high-cycle fatigue behavior of discontinuously-reinforced aluminum metal matrix composites using ultrasonic fatigue

Abstract The fatigue behavior of two 2009/SiC/15p-T4 DRA composites has been investigated in the very high-cycle fatigue regime (VHCF, 10 7 ⩽ N f ⩽ 10 9 cycles) using ultrasonic fatigue to achieve the very high cycle counts. One composite was produced to have a very homogeneous spatial distribution with minimal particle clustering and the other was produced to have a relatively heterogeneous distribution with significant particle clustering. Fatigue cracks initiated predominantly at AlCuFe inclusions in the homogeneous material and no crack initiation was observed at SiC particle clusters. Conversely, fatigue cracks initiated predominantly at clusters of SiC particles in the heterogeneous material and no crack initiation at inclusions was observed. Fatigue lives in both composites approaching 10 9 cycles exhibited minimal variation in lifetime and subsurface crack initiation was observed in all cases. Differences in the crack initiation behavior between the two composites were attributed primarily to variations in the spatial distribution of the reinforcement phase.
Larval Density of Psorophora columbiae in Arkansas Rice Fields

Studies were undertaken to determine the larval density of the dark rice field mosquito, Psorophora columbiae (Dyar and Knab) in 3 habitats within rice fields. In fields having 1 border formed by a non-levee, grassy margin, 63.5% of the larvae sampled were found in the grassy margin. In this type of field significantly more ( P < 0.05) larvae were collected in the grassy area than in the levee ditches or the pan (rice growing area). In fields surrounded by conventional levees, significantly more larvae ( P < 0.05), ca. 2 fold, were found in levee ditches as were collected on the pan.
Allopurinol-induced mandibular neuropathy. Abbreviated case report.

Abstract Anesthesia of the mental nerve was seen in a patient taking allopurinol, a commonly used antihyperuricemic drug.
Hungry Children and Networks of Aid in Argentina: Thinking About Geographies of Responsibility and Care

Abstract The Argentine economic crisis that began in 2001 resulted in the general impoverishment of the population but had an even stronger effect on the lives of children. Children became the main actors of a national tragedy that received worldwide attention as malnutrition, starvation, and poor health began taking place in one of the most food- and resource-rich countries in the Western Hemisphere. Different voluntary and non-profit networks of aid were created to help children in need. This paper critically assesses the effectiveness of two NGOs that created networks of aid to help needy children. The activities of the NGOs are positioned in relation to an emerging literature on the geographies of responsibility and care. The first network analyzed is an internet-based organization of aid for needy children that operates across Argentina and beyond but that has not been capable of sustaining support from donors and sponsors. The networks' appeal to a totalizing notion of care and its use of universali...
The DNA helicase–primase complex as a target for herpes viral infection

Introduction: The Herpesviridae are responsible for debilitating acute and chronic infections, and some members of this family are associated with human cancers. Conventional anti-herpesviral therapy targets the viral DNA polymerase and has been extremely successful; however, the emergence of drug-resistant virus strains, especially in neonates and immunocompromised patients, underscores the need for continued development of anti-herpes drugs. In this article, we explore an alternative target for antiviral therapy, the HSV helicase/primase complex. Areas covered: This review addresses the current state of knowledge of HSV DNA replication and the important roles played by the herpesvirus helicase– primase complex. In the last 10 years several helicase/primase inhibitors (HPIs) have been described, and in this article, we discuss and contrast these new agents with established inhibitors. Expert opinion: The outstanding safety profile of existing nucleoside analogues for α-herpesvirus infection make the deve...