cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of technological innovation on critical materials risk dynamics

Abstract As the technologies we use as a society have advanced, so have the materials used in these technologies. Some of these materials are exotic and highly specialized, making them particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions and supply disruptions particularly impactful. Such materials are designated as “critical” materials. Their level of criticality can be identified by accounting for a number of factors related to their supply risk and the extent to which a supply disruption would impact business operations or society at large. We highlight current methodologies used to assess materials criticality, how these assessments are used to reduce materials-related risk and to what extent there is room for improvement. Particularly, this paper reviews critical materials designations from the United States Department of Energy, the European Union, and the General Electric Company, and how they have changed over the period from 2008 to 2014. The changes suggest that the factors considered in criticality ratings have different natural time scales, and that criticality changes occur both due to supply-side risk mitigation as well as demand-side responses. Response options, whether on the supply or demand side, also span a range of time scales and the interaction between factors with different time scales can play a significant role in the dynamics. To date, many published analyses are snapshots in time. A detailed understanding of how risk profiles evolve remains an open question. The importance and impact of demand-side responses such as recycling, substitution and new technological development are discussed.
SozRank: A new approach for localizing the epileptic seizure onset zone.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders affecting about 1% of the world population. For patients with focal seizures that cannot be treated with antiepileptic drugs, the common treatment is a surgical procedure for removal of the seizure onset zone (SOZ). In this work we introduce an algorithm for automatic localization of the seizure onset zone (SOZ) in epileptic patients based on electrocorticography (ECoG) recordings. The proposed algorithm builds upon the hypothesis that the abnormal excessive (or synchronous) neuronal activity in the brain leading to seizures starts in the SOZ and then spreads to other areas in the brain. Thus, when this abnormal activity starts, signals recorded at electrodes close to the SOZ should have a relatively large causal influence on the rest of the recorded signals. The SOZ localization is executed in two steps. First, the algorithm represents the set of electrodes using a directed graph in which nodes correspond to recording electrodes and the edges’ weights quantify the pair-wise causal influence between the recorded signals. Then, the algorithm infers the SOZ from the estimated graph using a variant of the PageRank algorithm followed by a novel post-processing phase. Inference results for 19 patients show a close match between the SOZ inferred by the proposed approach and the SOZ estimated by expert neurologists (success rate of 17 out of 19).
Circulating tumor DNA testing in advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) shed from cancer cells into the peripheral blood can be non-invasively collected and tested for the presence of tumor-specific mutations. Mutations identified in ctDNA can predict responses to targeted therapies and emerging evidence suggests that changes in ctDNA levels over time can be used to monitor response to therapy and detect disease recurrence. Given the emergence of targeted therapies in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), liquid biopsies utilizing ctDNA testing represent a powerful approach to genotype tumors and monitor for the development of resistance. Here, we review current and potential future clinical applications of ctDNA testing for patients with advanced NSCLC.
Responding to Those Who Hope for a Miracle: Practices for Clinical Bioethicists

Significant challenges arise for clinical care teams when a patient or surrogate decision-maker hopes a miracle will occur. This article answers the question, “How should clinical bioethicists respond when a medical decision-maker uses the hope for a miracle to orient her medical decisions?” We argue the ethicist must first understand the complexity of the miracle-invocation. To this end, we provide a taxonomy of miracle-invocations that assist the ethicist in analyzing the invocator's conceptions of God, community, and self. After the ethicist appreciates how these concepts influence the invocator's worldview, she can begin responding to this hope with specific practices. We discuss these practices in detail and offer concrete recommendations for a justified response to the hope for a miracle.
Do “Undocumented Aliens” Dream of Neoliberal Sheep?: Conditional DREAMing and Decolonial Imaginaries

Dreams have long been thought to be a space of fantasy and utopic hope. From Paulo Freire to Gloria Anzaldua to Robin Kelley, many scholars have related the ability to dream with the ability to act...
Perhaps Easier Said than Done: Is There a Downside to Integrating Nonprofit Substance into the MPA Core Curriculum?

What does it mean to integrate nonprofit substance into the Master of Public Administration (MPA) core curriculum in a world of blurred sector boundaries? The potential benefits seem self-evident, including finally gaining legitimacy for those who study and teach about the nonprofit sector. But are there other considerations worth taking into account? This article asks the public administration and nonprofit academy to consider the implications of teaching to blurred boundaries, including a discussion of what to consider when integrating nonprofit theory and practice. It considers what MPA programs determine that students need versus students’ perceived needs, both in relation to community and program needs. Specifically, it asks what integration in the core curriculum might portend for in-depth nonprofit studies, for hiring nonprofit theory specialists, and for maintaining a critical mass of students seeking in-depth nonprofit studies, both theoretical and applied.
Optimal Navigation of Self-Propelled Colloids

Controlling the navigation of self-propelled, Brownian colloids in complex microstructured environments (e.g., porous media and tumor vasculature) is important to emerging applications (e.g., enhanced oil recovery and drug delivery). Here, we report a feedback control strategy by which to navigate self-propelled colloids through free space and increasingly complex mazes. Colloid rod position and orientation within mazes is sensed in real time, and instantaneous propulsion along the rod long axis can be actuated via light intensity. However, because uncontrolled rod rotational diffusion determines the propulsion direction, feedback control based on a policy is required to decide how to actuate propulsion magnitude versus colloid position and orientation within mazes. By considering stochastic rod dynamics including self-propulsion, translational–rotational diffusion, and rod–maze interactions, a Markov decision process framework is used to determine optimal control policies to navigate between start and en...
Microbiome in Mechanisms of Asthma

The lung and gut microbiome are factors in asthma risk or protection. Relevant elements of the microbiome within both niches include the importance of the early life window for microbiome establishment, the diversity of bacteria, richness of bacteria, and effect of those bacteria on the local epithelium and immune system. Mechanisms of protection include direct anti-inflammatory action or induction of non-type 2 inflammation by certain bacterial colonies. The gut microbiome further impacts asthma risk through the contribution of metabolic products. This article reviews the mechanisms that connect the lung and gut microbiota to asthma development and severity.
Public support for carbon dioxide removal strategies: the role of tampering with nature perceptions

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) describes a suite of controversial approaches to mitigating climate change that involve removing existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Through an online survey experiment with US adults (N = 980), we examine three factors that may shape public support for different types of CDR strategies: (1) perceptions that CDR tampers with nature, (2) individual-level variation in the degree to which people are uncomfortable with activities that tamper with nature, and (3) information about the risks and benefits associated with each CDR strategy. Using a moderated mediation analysis, we find that support for different CDR strategies is, in part, a function of how much each strategy is perceived to tamper with nature. Support for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and direct air capture (DAC) was lower than support for afforestation and reforestation (AR), as BECCS and DAC were perceived to tamper with nature more. These effects were particularly strong among individuals generally opposed to the idea of humans interfering with natural processes. Moreover, we find evidence that describing the risks and benefits of each CDR strategy dampens support; for AR and BECCS, this effect was again mediated through perceptions of tampering, while for DAC, the effect of describing these tradeoffs appeared to operate independently of perceived tampering. We conclude that policymakers and science communicators need to be mindful of how CDR strategies are described to the public, as perceptions of tampering with nature may be an important driver of their acceptance.
The TLK1-Nek1 axis promotes prostate cancer progression.

Abstract We recently uncovered the critical TLK1>NEK1>ATR > Chk1 axis in mediating the DDR and cell cycle checkpoint while transiting from Androgen Sensitive to Insensitive growth for LNCaP and TRAMP-C2 cells. However, we did not know the generality of this pathway in PCa progression since there are few cell lines where the transition has been studied. Furthermore, the identification of Nek1, and more importantly the TLK-mediated phosphorylation of T141, has never been studied in PCa biopsies. We now report the first study of a PCa TMA of p-Nek1-T141 and correlation to the Gleason score. In addition we found that TRAMP mice treated with the TLK inhibitor, thioridazine (THD), following castration did not recover cancerous growth of their prostates. Moreover, we recapitulated the process of translational increase in TLK1B expression in a naive PDX model that was established from an AR + adenocarcinoma. Therefore, we believe that this TLK1-Nek1 mediated DDR axis is likely to be a common adaptive response during the transition of PCa cells toward androgen-insensitive growth, and hence CRPC progression, which has the potential to be targeted with THD and other TLK or Nek1 inhibitors.
A comparison of standard practice treatments in research library book conservation, 2007 to 2017

In 2007, a web-based survey of book conservation practices was conducted to document standard-practice, moderate-use, and low-use book conservation treatments for general and special collections in research libraries in the United States. This paper reports on the findings of a ten-year follow-up survey conducted in 2017 to determine whether and how book conservation treatment practices have changed over the last ten years. Overall, the data indicate that while general collections treatment practices have remained consistent, special collections practices continue to evolve, with many treatments newly qualifying as standard practice in the special collections context since 2007. The data also suggest areas of further research, including how demographic factors may correlate with particular treatment practices.
Meeting the Challenges of Mental Illness Through Integrative Mental Health Care

Circumstances that have led to a crisis in mental health care in the USA and globally are discussed. Limited effectiveness, safety problems, and high costs of many psychotropic medications have resulted in an urgent mandate for safer, more effective, and more affordable treatments of mental illness. The conventional Western model of mental health care delivery is limited in its capacity to alleviate the root causes of mental illness because its theories and methods address only some of the complex causes of symptoms. Trends driving increasing acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by the general public, patients, and health care providers are reviewed. Western medicine is being influenced by increasing openness to non-Western healing traditions and growing demand for more personalized care. In industrialized world regions there is a trend toward eclectic training among mental health care providers many of whom use or recommend CAM modalities in their clinical practice. Individuals who report a mental health problem are significantly more likely to use CAM compared to the general population and individuals with more severe symptoms are more likely to combine Western medical treatments and CAM. Integrative mental health care incorporating validated CAM modalities into mainstream treatment is an emerging paradigm that more adequately addresses the complex causes of mental illness than current mainstream treatments and models of care while resulting in significant potential cost savings. By combining select conventional and CAM treatments on a case-by-case basis integrative mental health care offers more advantages compared to any particular conventional or CAM modality or any single system of medicine.
Empowered communities: The rise of community choice aggregation in the United States

Abstract Community choice aggregation (CCA) is an emerging model of energy procurement that allows local governmental entities to procure electricity on behalf of retail electricity customers. Through CCA, local governments can control local electricity portfolios while investor-owned utilities remain responsible for transmission and distribution. In this article, we use a combination of publicly-available data, data obtained directly from CCAs, and stakeholder interviews to explore the rise of CCAs, the current and potential future impacts of CCAs on demand for renewable energy, and the factors that will determine future CCA expansion. We estimate that CCAs procured about 42 million megawatt-hours of electricity on behalf of about 5 million customers in the United States in 2017. We estimate that CCAs already procure about 8.9 million megawatt-hours more renewable energy than required by state mandates, and that CCAs could procure as much as 28.9 million megawatt-hours of voluntary renewable energy if the CCA model is permitted in more states. The ongoing expansion of CCAs could significantly affect electricity markets, electricity portfolios, and the future role of utilities. We explore various challenges associated with the further expansion of CCAs.
Optimizing (HC)(2) LC, A Robust Clock Distribution Network For SFQ Circuits

As the world collects more data, the electronics industry is demanding faster and more energy efficient supercomputers, but this is becoming an increasingly challenging goal as Moore's law nears its end. Superconducting electronics, and single flux quantum (SFQ) in particular, is a promising option for future exascale supercomputing. Nevertheless, timing uncertainty-represented by the inaccuracy of gates delays-renders the design of high-frequency clock distribution networks (CDN) to be one of the challenges that is impeding SFQ processors from attaining their full promised potential. As a radical solution to this challenge, the hierarchical chains of homogeneous clover-leaves clocking, (HC) 2 LC, was proposed. (HC) 2 LC uses an asynchronous CDN to provide the timing of a fully synchronous system, promising superior robustness over the conventional zero-skew clock trees with modest area and performance overheads. In this article, we propose algorithms that optimize the construction of the (HC) 2 LC network. We optimize both the insertion delay and the gates-assignment problem resulting in area reduction of 51%, and yield improvement of 166% compared to the unoptimized (HC) 2 LC. Moreover, we propose a placement-aware variation model, and we present a tool, the qHC 2 LC, using both of which, we perform a complete comparison between zero-skew clock trees and (HC) 2 LC. Our simulations show that averaging over the ISCAS'85 benchmark circuits, at the same speed, and with an area overhead of 9%, (HC) 2 LC achieves 52% and 211% yield improvement over zero-skew trees at low and medium ranges of σ of gate delays, respectively.
A New Model for Industry–Academic Partnerships

The mission of the social sciences is to understand and ameliorate society’s greatest challenges. The data held by private companies, collected for different purposes, hold vast potential to further this mission. Yet, because of consumer privacy, trade secrets, proprietary content, and political sensitivities, these datasets are often inaccessible to scholars. We propose a novel organizational model to address these problems. We also report on the first partnership under this model, to study the incendiary issues surrounding the impact of social media on elections and democracy: Facebook provides (privacy-preserving) data access; eight ideologically and substantively diverse charitable foundations provide initial funding; an organization of academics we created, Social Science One, leads the project; and the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard and the Social Science Research Council provide logistical help.
Looking to the Future: Key points for sustainable management of Northern Great Plains grasslands

The grasslands of the northern Great Plains (NGP) region of North America are considered endangered ecosystems and priority conservation areas yet have great ecological and economic importance. Grasslands in the NGP are no longer self‐regulating adaptive systems. The challenges to these grasslands are widespread and serious (e.g. climate change, invasive species, fragmentation, altered disturbance regimes, and anthropogenic chemical loads). Because the challenges facing the region are dynamic, complex, and persistent, a paradigm shift in how we approach restoration and management of the grasslands in the NGP is imperative. The goal of this article is to highlight four key points for land managers and restoration practitioners to consider when planning management or restoration actions. First, we discuss the appropriateness of using historical fidelity as a restoration or management target because of changing climate, widespread pervasiveness of invasive species, the high level of fragmentation, and altered disturbance regimes. Second, we highlight ecosystem resilience and long‐term population persistence as alternative targets. Third, because the NGP is so heavily impacted with anthropogenic chemical loading, we discuss the risks of ecological traps and extinction debt. Finally, we highlight the importance of using adaptive management and having patience during restoration and management. Consideration of these four points will help management and restoration of grasslands move toward a more successful and sustainable future. Although we specifically focus on the NGP of North America, these same issues and considerations apply to grasslands and many other ecosystems globally.
Incomplete Freund's adjuvant reduces arginase and enhances Th1 dominance, TLR signaling and CD40 ligand expression in the vaccine site microenvironment.

Background Immunogenicity of cancer vaccines is impacted by adjuvants and schedule, but systematic assessments of their effects have not been performed. Montanide ISA-51, an incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (IFA), is used in many vaccine trials, but concerns have been raised about negative effects in murine studies. We found in humans that IFA enhances systemic immune responses and that repeat vaccination at one site (same site vaccination (SSV)) creates tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in the vaccine site microenvironment (VSME). We hypothesized that vaccination with peptides+IFA+pICLC or SSV×3 with peptides in IFA would create an immunogenic milieu locally at the VSME, with activated dendritic cells (DC), TLS-associated chemokines and a Th1-dominant VSME. Methods Biopsies of the VSME were obtained from participants on two clinical trials who were immunized with multiple melanoma peptides (MELITAC 12.1) in adjuvants comprising IFA and/or the TLR3-agonist pICLC. Biopsies were obtained either a week after one vaccine or a week after SSV×3. Controls included normal skin and skin injected with IFA without peptides. Gene expression analysis was performed by RNAseq. Results VSME samples were evaluated from 27 patients. One vaccine with peptides in pICLC+IFA enhanced expression of CD80, CD83, CD86 (p Conclusions These findings suggest that SSV with peptides in IFA enhances CD40L expression by CD4 T cells, supports a Th1 microenvironment, with accumulation of activated and mature DC. Increased expression of TLR adaptor proteins after SSV with peptides in IFA might implicate effects of the skin microbiome. Reduced ARG1 may reflect diminished suppressive myeloid activity in the VSME. Trial registration number (NCT00705640, NCT01585350).
sPLA2-IIa participates in ocular surface inflammation in humans with dry eye disease.

Abstract Purpose To determine the roles of secretory phospholipase A2-IIa (sPLA2-IIa) in the inflammatory responses of the compromised ocular surface. Methods Conjunctival impression cytology (IC) samples and tears were collected from patients with mild to severe non-Sjogren's dry eye disease (DED) and normal controls. The IC samples were analyzed for transcription of sPLA2-IIa and inflammatory cytokine/chemokine genes using quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT2-PCR) and pathway-focus PCR-array. The tear samples were analyzed for 13 inflammatory cytokines and chemokines with Millipore 13-Plex kit. Finally, sPLA2-IIa-treated human conjunctival epithelial cell (HCjE) cultures were analyzed with a pathway-focused PCR array. Results Transcription of sPLA2-IIa was significantly increased in severe DED patients as compared to those of mild DED patients and normal controls. The transcription of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, IFN-γ), chemokines (IL-8, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXCL-14, CCR6, LTB) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) were simultaneously increased in the same IC samples of DED. Concentrations of IL-6 and IL-8 in tears were significantly higher in DED patients than those of the controls and positively correlated to DED severity scores. On the other hand, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and IFN-γ were significantly lower in DED patients than those in the controls and inversely correlated to DEWS scores. Single treatment of sPLA2-IIa, IL-1β or TNF-α of HCjE cells induced minimal to no PGE2 production. When sPLA2-IIa was added to HCjE cells that were pre-treated with pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α or IL-1β), significant stimulation of PGE2 production was observed, concurrent with the extensive transcriptional changes of many inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and their receptors. Conclusion sPLA2-IIa activity was elevated and not only associated with inflammatory changes in DED patient samples, but was also found to cooperate with TNF- α and IL-1β to induce inflammatory response in human conjunctival epithelial cells. Understanding the roles of sPLA2-IIa in ocular surface inflammation may lead to better strategies for the treatment of chronic inflammation associated with DED and other ocular inflammatory conditions.
Underrepresentation of pediatric operations in the relative value unit updating process.

Abstract Background: The Relative Value Unit (RVU) system was designed and implemented by Medicare to standardize physician payments for a given service. Because Medicare primarily cares for older adults, RVU assignments and updates may not consider pediatric-specific procedures, despite the fact that private insurers and Medicaid often base their payments on these RVU valuations. Methods: The CPT codes of index pediatric operations were retrieved from the ACGME. We categorized these procedures into "Peds-specific" (eg, Ladd Procedure) versus those that could be performed in both children and adults, or "Non-specific" (eg, fundoplication). We merged these codes with RVU information from publicly available CMS files and the Resource-based Relative Value Scale Data Manager. Variables included were the date of last RVU update and the vignette used by survey respondents when asked to update the RVU valuation. Results: Among 85 procedures, nearly three-quarters were Peds-specific (74%), with the remainder Non-specific. Approximately half of the 85 procedures (52%) had never been updated. Compared to Non-specific CPT codes, Peds-specific CPT codes were less likely to have been updated (38% vs. 91%, p Conclusions: Peds-specific surgical CPT codes have either never been updated or have not been updated in decades. Procedures performed in both children and adults have been updated more often and more recently, but the vignette on which this valuation is based on is typically an adult patient. In order to remain relevant and reimburse pediatric surgeons accurately, the RVUs for pediatric procedures need to also be prioritized for revision and updating.
Hesperidin Promotes Osteogenesis and Modulates Collagen Matrix Organization and Mineralization In Vitro and In Vivo.

This study evaluated the direct effect of a phytochemical, hesperidin, on pre-osteoblast cell function as well as osteogenesis and collagen matrix quality, as there is little known about hesperidin’s influence in mineralized tissue formation and regeneration. Hesperidin was added to a culture of MC3T3-E1 cells at various concentrations. Cell proliferation, viability, osteogenic gene expression and deposited collagen matrix analyses were performed. Treatment with hesperidin showed significant upregulation of osteogenic markers, particularly with lower doses. Mature and compact collagen fibrils in hesperidin-treated cultures were observed by picrosirius red staining (PSR), although a thinner matrix layer was present for the higher dose of hesperidin compared to osteogenic media alone. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy indicated a better mineral-to-matrix ratio and matrix distribution in cultures exposed to hesperidin and confirmed less collagen deposited with the 100-µM dose of hesperidin. In vivo, hesperidin combined with a suboptimal dose of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) (dose unable to promote healing of a rat mandible critical-sized bone defect) in a collagenous scaffold promoted a well-controlled (not ectopic) pattern of bone formation as compared to a large dose of BMP2 (previously defined as optimal in healing the critical-sized defect, although of ectopic nature). PSR staining of newly formed bone demonstrated that hesperidin can promote maturation of bone organic matrix. Our findings show, for the first time, that hesperidin has a modulatory role in mineralized tissue formation via not only osteoblast cell differentiation but also matrix organization and matrix-to-mineral ratio and could be a potential adjunct in regenerative bone therapies.
The World Upside Down

Meaning is made from the inside out and also from the outside in. From the inside out, meaning revolves around us and provides us with a sense of our importance and goodness. From the outside in, it is based on what we need to know to get by with others who don’t think we are such a big deal. The first is the province of the mother and the second is of the father. We need both of these. There is a tension between them, but it is responsible for everything people have done. We learn to incorporate this tension through our family. But we must see mutual love and appreciation. If that breaks down, as when the mother detests the father, everything falls apart
Personal Survival and the Afterlife

“Personal Survival and the Afterlife” In this chapter, Lorkowski turns to notions of personal survival. The author first distinguishes three general types—resurrection, afterlife, and reincarnation, and emphasizes that none are actually entailed by belief in a higher power alone. Lorkowski then goes on to show that without religious assumptions about higher powers, there is no good reason to believe in personal survival. But even if there were sufficient evidence for such a system, there are important moral objections regarding justice and fairness that threaten to undercut any notion of personal survival. Given this and other problems, the nonbeliever is perfectly rational in the rejection of such depictions.
The Body of the Courtesan, the Body of the Novel: Characterizing La Dame aux camélias and A la recherche du temps perdu through Marguerite Gautier and Odette Swann

As the work of critic Michael Finn has demonstrated, while Marcel Proust has a generally dismissive attitude towards the work of Alexandre Dumas fils, the latter’s character Marguerite Gauthier nonetheless inspired Proust’s portrayal of Odette Swann in A la recherche du temps perdu. This article builds on the work of Finn to establish narrative and character parallels between Proust’s novel and Dumas fils’ La Dame aux Camelias, and proposes that, given these clear resemblances, closely examining the ways in which Odette differs from Marguerite will help us understand the stylistic specificities of these novels. I ultimately argue that the portrayal of these courtesan figures echoes the formal properties of the novels themselves. Dumas fils’ novel and the character of Marguerite tend towards epistemological clarity and certainty, whereas Proust’s novel, and the character of Odette, reveal an open and heterogenous literary universe.
MC1635: Randomized Phase III Trial of Hypofractionated Radiotherapy to the Whole Breast After Breast Conserving Surgery

Purpose/Objective(s) Hypofractionated radiation therapy (RT) for localized breast cancer improves patient convenience and reduces treatment cost. Here, we report the early results of MC1635 randomized trial. Materials/Methods Between 04/04/2018 and 02/11/2020, patients with localized breast cancer (T1-T3, N0-N1, M0) managed with breast conserving surgery (BCS) were enrolled. Patients were randomized to receive whole breast RT with moderate hypofractionation to 40 Gy in 15 fractions (Arm A) or extreme hypofractionation to 25 Gy in 5 fractions (Arm B). An optional concurrent integrated boost to 48 Gy on Arm A or 30 Gy on Arm B was allowed. All patients were treated daily (Monday-Friday). Analysis of early toxicity ( 3 months), quality of life (QOL), cosmesis, and Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) were done. QOL was assessed with patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS), overall Linear Analogue Self-Assessment (LASA), and The Breast Cancer Treatment Outcome Scale (BCTOS). Deterioration of cosmesis was defined as going from excellent/good to fair/poor or from fair to poor according to the Harvard Cosmesis Scale. Results One hundred seven patients were randomized to either Arm A (n = 54) or Arm B (n = 53). Median follow-up was 20 months. Patient characteristics included: IDC 55%, ILC 20%, mixed 7%, DCIS 16%, other 3%; grade 1 or 2 72%, grade 3 28%; triple negative 9%, ER/PR+ 84%, and Her2+ 7%. Treatment characteristics included: sentinel lymph node biopsy 68%, axillary lymph node dissection 32%; spot scanned proton therapy 50%, 3D conformal x-rays 50%; and an integrated boost 21%. No significant differences in any characteristics were noted between the two arms. No grade 3 toxicities occurred on either arm. Grade 2 toxicities were seen in 7.4% of Arm A and 7.5% of Arm B. This primarily consisted of radiation dermatitis (6 patients) with 1 patient with fibrosis and 1 patient with lymphedema. Deterioration in cosmesis ≥ 3 months after RT was seen in 1.6% of Arm A and 1.7% of Arm B (P = 0.4). The average Harvard Cosmesis score was similar between arms at all timepoints. QOL was similar between arms, as well. Patient-reported radiation skin burns of ‘moderate to severe’ as assessed by PRO-CTCAE were more commonly reported in Arm A (58.7%) vs Arm B (27.9%) (odds ratio 3.7, CI 1.5-8.9; P = 0.004). Patient satisfaction with treatment was very high with more than 98% of patients in both arms saying that they would do RT again. No cancer recurrences or deaths have been seen in either arm. Conclusion Our early analysis of our randomized study suggests that extreme hypofractionation using 25 Gy in 5 fractions is well-tolerated and as safe as moderate hypofractionation. Patient-reported radiation skin burns were 3.7 times less likely with 25 Gy in 5 fractions. Further follow-up is warranted.
Investigating spatiotemporal indoor contact patterns using ABM and STKDE

The transmission of infectious disease, including SARS-CoV-2, mainly takes place indoors through close contact of individuals. The federal government issued the social distancing guideline of 6 feet to curb the spread. However, such static guidelines might fail to decrease contacts since they ignore space-dependent pedestrian movement. Therefore, we built an agent-based model (ABM) to investigate contact patterns when people enter a large venue, such as a sports arena. In addition, we explore the spatiotemporal contact patterns using space-time kernel density estimation (STKDE). Our results indicate a significant reduction of contacts when controlling the entrance time intervals (time between individual entrances to the venue). In addition, many contacts occur between individuals who move inside the seating section to seek their own seat and those who already sit. This implies we need to find additional solutions to reduce contacts in the seating section in the future study. This research could help decision makers to form detailed social distancing requirements, especially depending on the spatial structure of large indoor spaces.
Are prophylactic antibiotics useful in the management of facial fractures

BACKGROUND Surgeons operating in the head and neck commonly treat facial fractures; however, the role of prophylactic antibiotics remains controversial. Facial fractures vary in location and severity and can span the range of wound classifications including clean, clean contaminated, contaminated, and dirty/infected. It is clear that actively infected facial fractures should be treated with therapeutic antibiotics; however, there is widespread variability in the use, type, timing, and duration of prophylactic antibiotic use in practice today. In an era of increased antibiotic resistance, as well as greater focus on evidence-based medicine and reducing health care costs, it is important to review the current evidence for the role of prophylactic antibiotics in facial fractures.
Isolation and Mapping of Polynucleotide Phosphorylase Mutants of Escherichia coli

Three strains of Escherichia coli with altered polynucleotide phosphorylase, Q7, Q13, and Q27, were isolated by screening clones from heavily mutagenized cultures for low levels of the enzyme. The three mutations were found to cotransduce with argG and asp, and the pnp locus which they define was mapped with respect to these loci. An explanation for the nonreciprocal cotransduction frequencies observed with asp is provided by the demonstration of an unlinked asp-suppressing locus.
From the Light and into the Dark: the Transformation to the Early Middle Ages

From a historic perspective, the period of Roman rule and the following Middle Ages are polar opposites. For most, the city of Rome and the Western Roman Empire represent a time of advancement for the Mediterranean world while the Middle Ages are viewed as a regression of sorts for Europe. The reasons explaining the underlying cause of this transition from the Western Roman Empire to the Middle Ages are numerous but this paper will specifically focus on the practices started by the Romans themselves and how they contributed to the rise of the Early Middle Ages on the Italian Peninsula. More specifically, economic turmoil and urbanization following the 3rd century crisis in the city of Rome laid the groundwork for social, legislative, and political changes that thread the path to the fundamental characteristics of the Middle Ages. Changing views of the city and the countryside, the construction of latifundia and villas, and the passing of legislation that restricted the rights of laborers, in addition to other transformations in late Rome, all contributed to the decentralized governance, rural life, and serfdom that are characteristic of the Middle Ages. Ultimately, the goal of this paper is to illustrate that despite the major differences that exist between the Roman period and the Middle Ages, the practices of the late Western Roman Empire were often directly carried over into the Middle Ages and, as a result, for one to truly understand the origins of the Middle Ages, it is essential to comprehend the traditions started by the late Romans.
Qdot Labeled Actin Super-Resolution Motility Assay Measures Step-Size for a Low Duty Cycle Muscle Myosin

Myosin powers contraction in heart and skeletal muscle and is a leading target for mutations implicated in inheritable muscle diseases. During contraction, myosin transduces ATP free energy into the work of muscle shortening against resisting force. Muscle shortening involves the relative sliding of myosin and actin filaments that is sometimes modeled in vitro with a motility assay quantitating actin filament translation over a myosin coated surface.Skeletal actin filaments were fluorescence labeled with a streptavidin conjugate quantum dot (Qdot) binding biotin-phalloidin on actin. Single Qdot's were imaged in time as they translated with actin over the skeletal heavy meromyosin (HMM) coated surface using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Qdots were spatially localized to a few nanometers using a super-resolution algorithm and tracked over time. Average Qdot-actin velocity matched measurements with rhodamine-phalloidin labeled actin. The Qdot-actin velocity histogram contained low velocity events corresponding to actin translation in quantized steps of ∼5 nm. The quantization was independent of myosin surface concentration.Skeletal or cardiac myosin is a low duty cycle motor presenting challenges for a single molecule assay because actomyosin dissociates quickly and the freely moving element diffuses away. The in vitro motility assay enables modestly more actomyosin interactions to sustain the complex while preserving a subset of encounters that do not overlap in time on a single actin filament. A single myosin step is isolated in time and space then characterized using super-resolution. The approach opens the way for quick, quantitative, and inexpensive step-size measurement in low duty cycle muscle myosins.This research was supported by NIH Institutes: NIAMS R01 AR049277 and NHLBI HL095572 and by the Mayo Foundation.
Stereotypes versus behavioral judgments of sex differences in young children

Parents and child care workers were asked to rate 30 preschool child behaviors according to the cultural stereotypes concerning sex-typed behavior and actual behavioral differences between boys and girls. Both agreed on cultural stereotypes, with males rating more behaviors stereotyped than females. The behavioral ratings and cultural stereotypes of parents showed more agreement than those of child care workers. Parents overestimated sex differences in behavior, while child care workers underestimated them.
Interobserver discrepancy using the 1998 World Health Organization/International Society of Urologic Pathology classification of urothelial neoplasms: practical choices for patient care.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Morphological classifications designed by experts to stratify neoplasms according to biological potential must define categories that are reproducible among practitioners or the schemes actually create the heterogeneous populations that they seek to avoid. The application of the 1998 World Health Organization/International Society of Urologic Pathology scheme for urothelial neoplasms was studied in a community practice setting. We documented interpretive discrepancies for each category of neoplasm and determined whether a period of pathologist education may have a positive effect on the frequency of discrepant interpretations. The results suggest that patients may benefit from modifying the classification system.Materials and Methods: A consecutive series of specimens was divided into learning and study sets that were each independently examined by 3 pathologists. Specimens in the learning set were interpreted without previous structured education, while those in the study set were interp...
Correlation of pp data with predictions of improved six-quark structure models.

Recent experimental data indicate a structure in \ensuremath{\Delta}${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{L}$ corresponding to a pp mass of 2.7 GeV/${c}^{2}$, as earlier predicted for a six-quark $^{1}\mathrm{S}_{0}$ state by an R-matrix treatment of the cloudy-bag-model quark degrees of freedom interior to a coupled-isobar-channel system. The $^{1}\mathrm{S}_{0}$ model is improved to agree with 2\ensuremath{\pi} production data at 800 MeV laboratory energy. The resulting $^{1}\mathrm{S}_{0}$ partial wave and recently improved models of the background partial waves as well as older versions of the phase parameters predict experimental observables in the resonance region. The predicted width and inelasticity are consistent with the data. Detailed energy and angular dependence of the model are in agreement with \ensuremath{\Delta}${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{L}$, ${C}_{\mathrm{LL}}$, and ${C}_{\mathrm{NN}}$ data in the resonance energy region. More data on these observables are needed to confirm the structure and its characteristics. Measurable aspects of the structure in other observables are displayed. Another six-quark resonance structure, in the $^{1}\mathrm{D}_{2}$ state, is described.
Matching by horses on several concurrent variable-interval schedules.

Using three horses we imvestigated responding on several concurrent variable-interval schedules. Each horse was first trained, using the method of successive approximations, to press a response lever with its upper lip. Following successful acquisition of the lip-press response, horses spent several days on pretraining schedules. These included a continuous reinforcement schedule and three variable-interval concurrent schedules: VI 15-sec VI 15-sec, VI 30-sec VI 30-sec, and VI 45-sec VI 45-sec. Horses were then exposed to the experimental sessions; sessions were conducted daily in the horse's home stall and lasted until 60 grain reinforcers had been received. All horses were exposed to five variable-interval schedules: VI 30-sec VI 90-sec, VI 45-sec VI 75-sec, VI 60-sec VI 60-sec, VI 75-sec VI 45-sec, and VI 90-sec VI 30-sec. Like previous experimenters, we found a close matching relationship between the horse's relative rates of responding and the relative rates of reinforcement. When each horse's data was fitted with a regression line, using the least squares method, more than 97% of the variance was accounted for. These results expand the generality of the matching law to include horses as well as providing some other information about the response characteristics of horses.
Prefrontal and cerebellar abnormalities in major depression: evidence from oculomotor studies.

Abstract Background: Neurobehavioral studies have identified multiple cognitive and motor system disturbances in depressed patients. Neuroimaging studies have identified abnormalities in neocortex, striatum, and cerebellar vermis that are probable causes of these impairments. Methods: To further clarify the origins of motor and cognitive disturbances in major depression, unmedicated depressed inpatients ( n = 29) and an age- and gender-matched healthy comparison group ( n = 19) were tested with a battery of oculomotor tasks selected to assess the functional integrity of frontostriatal circuitry and the cerebellar vermis. Results: Depressed patients demonstrated increased rates of response suppression errors on an antisaccade task, less accurate memory for spatial location information in a spatial delayed response task, dysmetric visually guided saccades, and increased rates of saccadic intrusions during visual fixation. Conclusions: These results provide quantitative documentation of significant disturbances in neurophysiological processes subserved by prefrontal cortex and the cerebellar vermis during episodes of major depression.
Prospective study of the value of prebypass saphenous vein angioscopy

Background: The patency of a saphenous vein graft is directly related to the quality of the vein harvested. Thus, appropriate evaluation of the vein before implanting it as a bypass graft may help identify those veins at high risk for early failure. Accordingly, we prospectively investigated whether prebypass angioscopic assessment of the saphenous vein could identify those vein grafts at particularly high risk of early failure. Patients and methods: Thirty-two greater saphenous veins with a grossly normal appearance were evaluated angioscopically before their use as a bypass conduit. After modification of abnormal segments, all of the veins irrigated well and were used as bypass grafts. Results: Twenty-four patients were available for follow-up at 12 months. Seventeen (71%) had been prospectively classified as having angioscopically normal saphenous veins, while 7 were identified as having abnormal veins. The two groups did not differ significantly in demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, or indications for operative intervention. Twelve of the 17 (70%) normal veins were patent at 1 year; however, only 1 (14%) of the angioscopically abnormal vein grafts remained patent for 12 months (chi-square = 4.27; P = 0.039). Conclusion: Angioscopic inspection of the saphenous vein, before insertion as a graft, allows for identification of unrecognized venous disease that portends early graft thrombosis. Exclusion of abnormal veins, based on an abnormal angioscopic appearance, may lead to improved results for lower-extremity revascularization procedures; this supports the value of vein-graft angioscopy.
Chemistry of higher order, mixed organocuprates. reactions of α,β-unsaturated ketones.

Abstract Organocuprates of general formula R 2 Cu(CN)Li 2 react rapidly with α,β-unsaturated ketones at low temperatures and in high yields to deliver ligands in a conjugate manner. These reagents apparently do not require the use of additives for stabilizing or solubilizing purposes.
Use of small‐caliber polytetrafluoroethylene (gore‐tex ®) grafts in microsurgical training

We present the use of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft material as a microsurgical training model that better simulates live vessel repairs. PTFE grafts have mechanical advantages over polyethylene or silicone tubing in that they better mimic the "feel" of an arterial vessel wall, thus allowing the student to perfect counterpressor maneuvers before attempting live vessel repairs. Saving the PTFE "repairs" for later comparison and study provides the student with positive feedback that is not possible with living models. This cost-effective model has helped to shorten our directed teaching program and has reduced the use of laboratory animals.
Does iPod Dependence Relate to Text-Message Dependence?

We gave 220 individuals (88 male, M age = 29.32 years) the Self-Perceptions of Text Messaging Dependency Scale (SPTMDS, which measures emotion reaction, excessive use, disruption of relationships with text messages and psychological/behavioral symptoms concerning heavy usage) and an iPod Dependence version of the SPTMDS. Little work has examined how iPod usage is associated with individuals, despite iPod ubiquity with other electronic devices. All four of the subscales of the SPTMDS were significantly and positively correlated with the four subscales of the iPod dependence scale. Similarly, all four iPod dependence subscales correlated positively with a measure of depression, state anxiety, and trait anxiety. Age was negatively correlated with iPod and texting dependence. Staying connected to the social world appears to have important consequences for adequate mental health.