cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Pentostatin, Cyclophosphamide, and Rituximab Regimen (PCR) Is Highly Active and Well Tolerated Regardless of Patient Age, Creatinine Clearance, and Performance Status: Analysis of a Multi-Center Phase II Trial.

Background: CLL is a disease of the elderly and at least half of the patients requiring therapy are over age 70. While chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) has dramatically improved response rates in patients with CLL, some CIT regimens are not well tolerated by elderly patients. The MD Anderson group has reported that the fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab (FCR) regimen is not well tolerated in individuals ≥age 70 (Ferrajoli Leuk Lymph 46:S86). The German CLL Study Group has postulated that physiologic health is more important than chronologic age and have conducted a trial of FCR that permits enrollment of patients ≥age 70 provided they have a creatinine clearance (CrCl) ≥70 and good performance status (PS). While this approach expands the number of individuals who can receive CIT, it still excludes large percentages of CLL patients in need of treatment. Here, we examine how age, CrCl, and PS relate to the efficacy and tolerability of the pentostatin, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (PCR) regimen. Methods: We treated 64 previously untreated CLL patients meeting NCI 96 criteria for treatment with pentostatin (2mg/m2), cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m2) and rituximab (375mg/m2) (Kay ASH 2006). All medications were administered on day 1 of every 3 week cycle with the intent of administering 6 cycles. We measured ECOG PS at study entry and used age, weight, and baseline creatinine to calculate the CrCl of all patients at study entry using the Cockroft-Gault equation. Results: Eighteen of 64 patients (28%) were ≥age 70. Although individuals ≥age 70 were more likely to have a dose delay of >1 week at some point during the trial (7% vs. 28%; p=0.03), there was no difference in the average number of cycles administered, the number of patients requiring dose reductions, or the number of patients with grade 3/4 hematologic toxicity, infectious complications, or other non-hematologic toxicity. No difference in OR (93% vs 83%; p=0.34) or CR (41% vs. 39%; p=0.86) was observed between patients We next evaluated whether CrCl related to the efficacy and tolerability of PCR. 25 patients (39%) had a CrCl We next evaluated how PS related to the efficacy and tolerability. 34 patients (53%) were PS 0 and 30 (47%) were PS≥1. This analysis suggested PCR was well tolerated among those with PS≥1. Again no difference in the OR or CR was observed between patients with PS 0 and those with PS≥1. Conclusions: In this phase II clinical trial, the PCR regimen was well tolerated by patients ≥age70, those with higher PS, and the 25 individuals with CrCl≤70 (range 34–67). The efficacy of PCR was also not significantly affected by age, renal function, or performance status. These findings suggest the PCR regimen may be superior to the FCR regimen for elderly patients and those with decreased renal function.
Quantitative Velocity Measurements in Turbulent Taylor-Couette Flow by Flow Tagging

Quantitative velocity measurements have been performed in Taylor-Couette flow using the PHANTOMM flow tagging technique. The results illustrate the expected three-dimensional features of the flow including the presence of well defined Taylor cells at low Taylor numbers and gradual transition to turbulence as the Taylor number is increased. The spectral density and auto correlation functions were computed over the Taylor number range 21.1 × 103 to 1.10 × 1011. For Taylor numbers less than approximately 6 × 107, the flow is dominated by large toroidal eddies with a wavelength the same order as the gap size. As the Taylor number is increased above this value, the flow displays more irregular motions, associated with the Gortler instability or instability of the second kind. Nevertheless, even for the highest Taylor number studied in this work, the structure is far from random, and the flow exhibits an almost periodic behavior. The results show the potential of the PHANTOMM technique to investigate spatial instabilities in confined flows.
Total Knee Arthroplasty

Biomechanics of the knee catastrophic tibial polyethylene failure leading to revision of total knee arthroplasty alternatives to total knee arthroplasty patient selection and indications for total knee replacement preoperative planning and templating surgical technique of posterior cruciate sacrificing and preserving total knee arthroplasty revision of total knee arthroplasty - surgical technique results of total knee arthroplasty using older constrained implant designs results of total knee arthroplasty using older nonconstrained implant designs posterior cruciate-retaining condylar designs - results of cemented arthroplasty posterior cruciate sacrificing total knee replacement posterior stabilized knee arthroplasty total knee replacement with newer constrained designs unicompartmental knee replacement results of revision total knee arthroplasty complex wound closure following total knee arthroplasty management of bone defects custom total knee arthroplasty cementless total knee arthroplasty sepsis following total knee arthroplasty medical management of total knee arthroplasty infection extensor mechanism complications wound healing complications deep venous thrombosis after total knee surgery neurovascular complications of total knee arthroplasty postoperative management and rehabiliatation following total knee arthroplasty modular total knee systems material considerations.
True random number generation using voltage controlled spin-dice

True Random Number Generators (TRNGs) are becoming increasingly popular in cryptography and other security applications. However, conventional TRNG designs in hardware often result in significantly high area and power consumption [1] and hence recent research efforts have been directed to developing compact, low power and high throughput TRNGs based on emerging technologies like the Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ “spin-dice”) [2]. The random number generation process usually takes place through the application of two current pulses, namely the “reset” pulse to orient the magnet to a known initial state and subsequently the “roll” pulse to switch the magnet with probability of 0.5. The stochastic switching nature of the MTJ arises from the inherent thermal noise present in the device. However, the quality of the random number generated is not sufficiently high due to variations in the magnitude of current required to switch the MTJ with 50% probability (arising from PVT variations). Hence expensive post-processing schemes are usually required [2]. In this work, we explore the design of a Voltage Controlled Spin-Dice (VC-SD) using the recently discovered phenomena of Voltage Controlled Magnetic Anisotropy (VCMA) in an MTJ structure to orient the ferromagnet along a meta-stable magnetization direction and subsequently utilizing thermal noise to produce random switching of the magnet to either one of the stable magnetization directions. In addition to power and reliability benefits, the proposed TRNG is able to provide better resiliency against PVT variations.
Linguistic Borderlands Exploring the Role of Language in Uwe Timm’s Morenga

This essay explores the link between language and power through the definition of political and personal borders exemplified in Uwe Timm’s novel Morenga, which depicts the Nama rebellion in German Southwest Africa. I investigate how the ideologies and atmosphere of this time are depicted with regard to the historical role of language in the German Colonial period, both in the submission and subjugation of the African language and dominance of the German language, and its role in the suppression of the native Nama and Herero people. I also explore the ways in which language is repeatedly part of a failed learning process in the novel, demonstrated by the inability to achieve inter-cultural understanding and its result in the creation of “new” pidgin languages. Furthermore, I investigate the use of bureaucratic language to convey an authoritative presence, as it is used in historical and pseudo-historical documents and focalization through various figures and media throughout the novel. (LY)
Optimizing carcass value and the use of anabolic implants in beef cattle

The historical use of implants in ruminants dates to 1947 with the first implanting of Hereford heifers with diethylstilbestrol. Since that time, several different implants have been developed with varying degrees of commercial success. It is recognized that the use of anabolic implants in beef cattle offers the greatest return on investment outside of ensuring adequate nutrition. Although this may be true with respect to increased weight gain and improved feed efficiency, the influence of anabolic implants on carcass characteristics has not all been positive. Since the early use of diethylstilbestrol, packers have been concerned about the influences of implants on meat tenderness and carcass value as indicated by quality grade. This concern has been renewed and amplified with the increased use of anabolic implants and the introduction of combination implants. Estrogenic, trenbolone acetate, and combination implants used today have been shown to increase live performance, rate of empty body protein
Social Ethics, Overview

Social ethics is the systematic reflection on the moral dimensions of social structures, systems, issues, and communities. Social ethics can be thought of as the application of ethical reasoning to social problems, such as the distribution of economic goods, euthanasia, abortion, discrimination, crime and punishment, and war and peace. Social ethicists study social conditions, analyze options for addressing problems found in those conditions, and prescribe solutions for resolving those problems. This article encompasses the ethics of social institutions, the ethics of social selves, and the role of value theory in social moral discourse.
Test Generation for Detection of Malicious Parametric Variations

Reusable hardware Intellectual Property (IP) based System-on-Chip (SoC) design has emerged as a pervasive design practice in the industry to dramatically reduce design/verification cost while meeting aggressive time-to-market constraints. It is crucial to ensure that an IP block is not vulnerable to input conditions that violate its non-functional (parametric) constraints, such as power, temperature, or performance. Power supply voltages, increased integration densities, and higher operating frequencies, among other factors, are producing devices that are more sensitive to power dissipation and reliability problems. Power viruses which have excessive power dissipation can lead to overheating, electromigration, and a reduced chip lifetime. Moreover, large instantaneous power consumption causes voltage drop and ground bounce, resulting in circuit delays and soft errors. As a result, reliability analysis of worst-case peak power and peak temperature has steadily become a critical part of the design process of digital circuits.
CpG Combined with Chemotherapy in the Immunotherapy of Large Tumor.

Unmethylated cytosine-phosphorothioate-guanine nucleotides (CpG) are immuostimulators that can activate both innate and adaptive immunity. By binding to its receptor, TLR9, CpG can activate dendritic cells and B cells by inducing the secretion of cytokines, and increasing the expression of costimulatory molecules, such as CD80 and CD86. In this study, a B type CpG, CpG1826, was given intratumorally in an A20 lymphoma animal model. CpG alone can delay the growth of tumor in this model, however, the majority of the treated tumor-bearing mice still die, and it has very little effect on systemic tumor cells. Here we propose a new therapeutic strategy, a combination of cyclophosphomide (CTX), followed by subsequent intratumoral injection of CpG. BALB/c mice were inoculated s.c. with 107 A20 cells in the lower back, and treatment started on day 17 when tumor reached approximately 1.0 cm in diameter. CTX (100mg/Kg) was given i.p. on day 17 and 18, and for the groups that received CpG, CpG was injected intratumorally on day 19,20,21,24, and 26 with 100μg/dose. As shown in Fig.1, the combination of CTX with CpG could cure well-established large size (>1.2cm in diameter) tumor, and mice remained tumor-free 5–6 months after the initial treatment. Conversely, the majority of mice that received CTX or CpG alone died of lymphoma. Tumor-free mice from this combined maneuver are protected from a lethal dose of A20 challenge even 5 months after the initial treatment. Our studies also showed that this combination is site dependent, as CTX combined with intratumoral injection of CpG had a much better therapeutic effect (100% survival), as compared to injection of CpG into a distant normal site (20% survival). Our studies also indicated that this combined maneuver is CD8+T cell dependent, as no therapeutic effect was observed when we repeated this experiment in a CD8+ T cell knockout model. We also demonstrated the systemic effect of this combination strategy in mice bearing tumors at two different sites. In combination with CTX, injection of one site with CpG controlled the growth of the second site tumor as opposed to a transient effect from chemotherapy or CpG alone. This led to significant prolongation of overall survival (Fig.2). In summary, we have shown that this combined chemoimmunotherapy strategy can cure both local and systemic tumor, which may provide a powerful antitumor therapy in the clinic. ![Figure][1] ![Figure][1] Figure [1]: pending:yes
Design of a randomized, controlled, comparative-effectiveness trial testing a Family Model of Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) vs. Standard DSME for Marshallese in the United States.

Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a significant public health problem, with U.S. Pacific Islander communities—such as the Marshallese—bearing a disproportionate burden. Using a community-based participatory approach (CBPR) that engages the strong family-based social infrastructure characteristic of Marshallese communities is a promising way to manage T2D. Objectives Led by a collaborative community-academic partnership, the Family Model of Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) aimed to change diabetes management behaviors to improve glycemic control in Marshallese adults with T2D by engaging the entire family. Design To test the Family Model of DSME, a randomized, controlled, comparative effectiveness trial with 240 primary participants was implemented. Half of the primary participants were randomly assigned to the Standard DSME and half were randomly assigned to the Family Model DSME. Both arms received ten hours of content comprised of 6–8 sessions delivered over a 6–8 week period. Methods The Family Model DSME was a cultural adaptation of DSME, whereby the intervention focused on engaging family support for the primary participant with T2D. The Standard DSME was delivered to the primary participant in a community-based group format. Primary participants and participating family members were assessed at baseline and immediate post-intervention, and will also be assessed at 6 and 12 months. Summary The Family Model of DSME aimed to improve glycemic control in Marshallese with T2D. The utilization of a CBPR approach that involves the local stakeholders and the engagement of the family-based social infrastructure of Marshallese communities increase potential for the intervention's success and sustainability.
Observation of the decay D*+→D0π+

We have observed the decay D*+→D0π+ and have measured its Q value to be 5.7±0.5 MeV. The decay width of the D*+ is less than 2.0 MeV/c2. The observation of D*+→(K−π+)π+ but not of D*+→(K+π−)π+ sets an upper limit on the amount of D0−D¯0 mixing.
Depression and Asthma Outcomes in Older Adults: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Background Older adults have high rates of asthma morbidity and mortality, as well as increased rates of depression. There are no nationally representative studies describing the association of depression on key asthma outcomes such as emergency department (ED) visits among older adults. Objective The objective of this study was to determine the association of depression with asthma outcomes in older adults (age ≥ 55) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods Data from the NHANES survey (2007-2012) were analyzed. Bivariate analyses and multivariate Poisson regression models were used to examine associations between depression and asthma outcomes among adults above the age of 55. Results Approximately 7.01% (n = 509) of the sample reported a physician diagnosis of asthma. Older adults with asthma and depression (n = 196) had increased asthma episodes (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-2.35), ED/urgent care visits for asthma (PR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.15-4.34), sleep disturbances due to asthma (PR 2.75; 95% CI, 1.54-4.92), and activity limitation (PR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.00-3.18; P = .05) compared with older asthmatics without depression. They also reported worse health-related quality of life measures across 4 domains including days of poor general health, physical health, mental health, and inactivity ( P Conclusions Older adults with asthma and depression are nearly twice as likely to have poor asthma outcomes across several indicators, including asthma-related ED/urgent care visits compared with those without depression. Screening for depression and providing supportive resources may decrease the burden of asthma among older adults.
Childhood traumatic experiences and the association with marijuana and cocaine use in adolescence through adulthood.

Background and aims Examination of longitudinal relationships between childhood traumatic experiences and drug use across the life-course at the national level, with control of confounding by other forms of trauma, is needed. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of nine typologies of childhood traumas and the cumulative number experienced, correlation between traumas and associations between individual and cumulative number of traumas with drug use during adolescence, emerging adulthood and adulthood. Design Secondary data analysis using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Setting United States. Participants A nationally representative sample of individuals in grades 7–12 (aged 11–21 years) during 1994–95, who were re-interviewed during emerging adulthood (2001–02; aged 18–28) and adulthood (2007–08; aged 24–34). The analytical sample comprised 12 288 participants with data at all three waves. Measurements Nine typologies of childhood traumas: neglect; emotional, physical and sexual abuse; parental incarceration and binge drinking; and witnessing, being threatened with and experiencing violence. Indicators of each were summed to measure cumulative dose. Outcomes were marijuana and cocaine use during adolescence, emerging adulthood and adulthood. Findings Approximately half experienced at least one childhood trauma; traumas were not highly correlated. We observed a dose–response relationship between the number of traumas and drug use in adolescence [marijuana, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) one trauma versus none = 1.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.42, 1.92; two traumas = 2.58, 95% CI = 2.17, 3.06; ≥ four traumas = 6.92, 95% CI = 5.17, 9.26; cocaine, aOR one trauma = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.23, 2.84; two traumas = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.74, 4.51; ≥ four traumas = 9.54, 95% CI = 5.93, 15.38]. Similar dose–response relationships with drug use were observed in emerging adulthood and adulthood. Each individual trauma was associated independently with either marijuana or cocaine use in adolescence, emerging adulthood and/or adulthood. Conclusions Childhood trauma is prevalent in the United States, and individual types as well as the total number experienced are associated significantly with marijuana and cocaine use throughout the life-course.
Diabetes-Related Cardiac Dysfunction

The proposal that diabetes plays a role in the development of heart failure is supported by the increased risk associated with this disease, even after correcting for all other known risk factors. However, the precise mechanisms contributing to the condition referred to as diabetic cardiomyopathy have remained elusive, as does defining the disease itself. Decades of study have defined numerous potential factors that each contribute to disease susceptibility, progression, and severity. Many recent detailed reviews have been published on mechanisms involving insulin resistance, dysregulation of microRNAs, and increased reactive oxygen species, as well as causes including both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. As such, the focus of the current review is to highlight aspects of each of these topics and to provide specific examples of recent advances in each area.
Active Sensing for Uncertain Systems Under Bounded-Uncertainty Sensing Goals

Abstract This paper considers uncertain dynamic systems in which sensing is performed upon request. We introduce the concept of an active sensing policy which evaluates the current state information and determines whether or not to request sensing information. The sensing policy considered has the goal of bounding the state uncertainty in a given direction in the state space. The policy presented is shown to be a longest-wait policy, where each sensing request is necessary to prevent the uncertainty from exceeding its limit at the next time instance. The policy is presented using a slack-descriptor model to represent the state set uncertainty and dynamic uncertainty using linear constraints.
Real-time rendering of physical scene on virtual curved mirror with RGB-D camera networks

With the recent explosive growth of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) platforms, technology to capture and render dynamic physical space has increasingly become indispensable. In this paper, we present a novel system that can capture and render in real-time dynamic 3D scenes on a virtual arbitrarily-shaped curved mirror. To achieve a realistic mirror rendering, the reflective scenes change based on a viewer's perspective as inferred by an eye detector. A challenge faced by mirror systems is the broad visual field required to accommodate the movement of the viewer. To overcome the limited field of view obtained from a single camera, our capturing system is based on a network of calibrated RGB-D cameras that is scalable to capture an arbitrarily large environment. The rendering is accomplished by raytracing light rays from the viewpoint to the scene reflected by the virtual curved surface. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed system is the first to render reflective dynamic scenes from real 3D data in large environments. In our experiments, we present our rendering results of using different curved surfaces.
Integrated star coupler-based multi-beam LiDAR

A multi-beam LiDAR scheme based on an integrated star coupler is proposed. The architecture allows for acquisition of multiple scanning directions within a single pulse repetition interval, enabling multi-target detection and tracking, thus combining the advantages of flash and scanning LiDAR.
Light Pressure Lithography

I describe a new technique for the controlled deposition of atoms onto a substrate. Light pressure forces are used to manipulate the density profile of an atomic beam as it impinges onto a surface. This technique uses nearly resonant light fields and is therefore specific to a particular atomic species, requiring no direct contact with the target substrate. A particularly important feature of this technique is that the patterning process is massively parallel offering angstrom level positioning accuracy over macroscopic areas. Experimental results are described for the deposition of metallic sodium films onto quartz and silicon substrates and considerations for the application and generalization of this technique are discussed.
Domain swap between two type‐II metacaspases defines key elements for their biochemical properties

Type-II metacaspases are conserved cysteine proteases found in eukaryotes with oxygenic photosynthesis, including green plants and some algae, such as Chlamydomonas and Volvox. Genetic and biochemical studies showed that some members in this protease family could be involved in oxidative stress-induced cell death in higher plants, but their regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. Biochemically, two distinct classes of type-II metacaspases are exemplified by AtMC4 and AtMC9 from Arabidopsis, with AtMC4 activation dependent on calcium under neutral pH, whereas AtMC9 is active only under mildly acidic pH, regardless of the availability of calcium. Here, we constructed all six possible combinations between the p20, linker, and p10 domains from AtMC4 and AtMC9. Our results show that calcium stimulation of AtMC4 activity is associated with essential amino acids located in its p20 domain. In contrast, the acidic pH optimum trait is lost from AtMC9 if one or two of its domains are replaced by that from AtMC4, suggesting that multiple interactions between domains in AtMC9 may be responsible for this property. Consistent with this, we found conserved 'signature' residues in each of the three domains that distinguish AtMC4- and AtMC9-like classes of metacaspases. Tracing the origin of the AtMC9 class, we found evidence for its appearance between lycophytes and gymnosperms, coincident with the evolution of more complex root archetypes in terrestrial plants. Our work suggests that the distinctive properties of the AtMC9-like protease could be associated with special cellular physiology in the roots of gymnosperms and angiosperms that are distinct from lycophytes.
A Robust Time-Stepping Scheme for Quasistatic Rigid Multibody Systems

An effective scheme to simulate low-speed, contact-rich manipulation tasks is to assume quasistatic physics and advance system states by solving linear complementarity problems (LCPs). However, the existing LCP-based quasistatic time-stepping scheme fails to simulate grasping-an essential motion primitive in manipulation-due to two drawbacks specific to quasistatic systems. Firstly, inputs to quasistatic systems are velocity commands instead of torques. This can lead to penetration, and thus an infeasible LCP, when two rigid bodies in contact are commanded to push against each other. Secondly, as multiple force solutions exist for a given velocity command, a grasping velocity command is not guaranteed to generate sufficient grasping forces. In this paper, we reformulate the quasistatic time-stepping scheme as an optimization problem with complementarity constraints and a quadratic objective. By minimizing the difference between actual and commanded velocities, linearized non-penetration constraints can always be satisfied. Moreover, undesirable solutions with insufficient normal forces can be removed by considering elasticity, which is modeled by comparing actual and commanded velocities. The resulting optimization problem is a mixed-integer quadratic program, which can be solved reasonably quickly for small-to-medium-sized systems. The effectiveness of the proposed reformulation is validated by simulation results of systems with different levels of complexity.
Amino Acids and Peptides

Developments in the analysis of amino acids and peptides by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC/MS) have occurred in a chemical rather than a microbiological context. The presentation in this chapter, therefore, describes advances in technique and structural determination and is leavened, where possible, with examples drawn from the application of GC/MS to microbial metabolism and biochemistry. This chapter does not purport to be an exhaustive review of the relevant literature. Citations have been omitted not from an inherent lack of merit or relevance but because they are accessible through later citations of the same authors or through the more specialized reviews cited.
Generalized Chudnovsky Algorithm for Real-Time PWM Selective Harmonic Elimination/Modulation: Two-Level VSI Example

This article presents a novel approach to significantly reducing the mathematical complexity associated with the selective harmonic elimination (SHE), which allows for the real-time implementation of SHE with a reasonable utilization of the computational power of the digital controller. First, the transcendental equations of the optimization problem are converted to a set of algebraic equations using Chebyshev polynomials. Second, the set of algebraic equations is reduced to a single univalent polynomial using generalized Newton's identities. The roots of the polynomial hold a unique solution to the optimization problem. We show that the roots of the univalent polynomial can be solved in real time by direct substitution with no initial guess or iteration. The proposed method is a generalization of a Chudnovsky algorithm; it allows the modulation of the selected harmonics rather than eliminating them. Furthermore, the technique by which the roots of the polynomial are obtained enables one to implement the algorithm in real time with determinate execution time. This article lays the groundwork for presenting the generalized algorithm through a two-level voltage-source inverter drive. More application will follow in the near future.
From the Foundations of Mathematics to Mathematical Pluralism

In this paper I will review the developments in the foundations of mathematics in the last 150 years in such a way as to show that they have delivered something of a rather different kind: mathematical pluralism.
OpenCLC: An open-source software tool for similarity assessment of linear hydrographic features

Abstract The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is a foundational geospatial data source in the United States that enables extensive and diverse environmental research and supports decision-making in numerous contexts. However, the NHD requires regular validation and update given possible inconsistent initial collection and hydrographic changes. Furthermore, systems or tools that use NHD data must manage regular updates that occur within the high-resolution version of the NHD (NHD HR). This research contributes to filling this gap by establishing an open-source software tool named OpenCLC, which automatically identifies matching and mismatching line features between two sets of hydrographic flowlines. Aside from identifying differences among two version of NHD lines, results can be applied to improve the quality of NHD HR content. OpenCLC significantly outperforms the best available commercial off-the-shelf software in computational scalability, and it is made widely available as part of the CyberGIS Toolkit to benefit broad environmental and geospatial science communities.
Representative subsets of non-dominated points in the bi-criteria p-median p-dispersion problem

Abstract One way to reduce the computational burden of solving a bi-criteria optimization problem would be to obtain only a subset of its non-dominated points (NDPs) as representative for the entire collection. We introduce a new criterion (index) to evaluate the effectiveness of a representative subset of non-dominated points in the context of the Bi-criteria p-Median p-Dispersion problem (BpMD). A key difference between our proposed index and those previously introduced in the open literature is that in those indexes the distance between an arbitrary NDP and its nearest NDP in the representative subset is determined along the direction of both objective functions, while in our proposed index this distance is determined only along the objective function for which the representing NDP is worst than the represented NDP. Along this direction, the proposed index provides an upper bound on the relative gap between the representing NDP and any NDP that it represents. We then employ this index to design an algorithm to find a representative subset of NDPs for the problem BpMD and demonstrate its effectiveness through a computational experiment. Although we develop this index in the context of the problem BpMD, it is potentially applicable in the context of other bi-criteria optimization problems as well.
Evaluating Teaching Consistency and Equity across Multiple Laboratory Sections

The introductory soils course at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) is divided into many sections with different instructors and was evaluated for grading congruence and teaching conformity to determine the effectiveness of weekly teaching team meetings and a comprehensive instructors teaching guide. Three grading variables - a semester project, laboratory reports, and examination scores - were studied over a five-semester period and compared within semesters, across semesters, and by season (fall or spring). Significant differences in grades were found among only a few sections, and not with all course grading elements. Sections that had significant differences were always found to have overlapping ranges indicating no single instructor gave grades that were consistently outside the range of all other instructors. Often, differences in grades were detected between first-time instructors and experienced instructors, suggesting differences were due, in part, to laboratory instructor attitude/experience and to student and section dynamics. Significant differences in grades found between semesters indicate grades are often higher in the spring semester, suggesting differences in student and instructor preparedness for fall vs. spring terms. Course organization and meetings of the introductory soils course teaching staff at Penn State, along with specific grading procedures, have created a course in which students can confidently expect to receive an experience consistent with any other student in any other section of this course.
Long-term outcomes of Mohs micrographic surgery for invasive melanoma of the trunk and proximal portion of the extremities.

Background Microscopic evaluation of the entire surgical margin during excision of cutaneous malignancies results in the highest rates of complete excision and lowest rates of true local scar recurrence. Few studies demonstrate the outcomes of Mohs micrographic surgery specifically for invasive melanoma of the trunk and proximal portion of the extremities. Objective To evaluate the long-term efficacy of Mohs micrographic surgery for invasive melanoma of the trunk and proximal portion of the extremities, including true local scar recurrence rate, distant recurrence-free survival, and disease-specific survival. Methods Prospectively collected study of 1416 cases of invasive melanoma of the trunk and proximal portion of the extremities was performed to evaluate long-term outcomes. Results True local scar recurrences occurred in our cohort at a rate of 0.14% (2/1416), after a mean follow-up period of 75 months and were not associated with tumor depth. The rate of satellite/in-transit recurrences and the disease-specific survival stratified by tumor thickness were superior to historical control values. Limitations We used a nonrandomized, single institution, retrospective design. Conclusions Mohs micrographic surgery of primary cutaneous invasive melanoma on the trunk and proximal portion of the extremities resulted in local control of 99.86% of tumors and an overall disease-specific death rate superior to that of wide local excision.
Pembrolizumab and tavokinogene telseplasmid electroporation in metastatic melanoma

Abstract Introduction Tavokinogene Telseplasmid Electroporation Therapy (TAVO) and Pembrolizumab therapy is being studied in subjects with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) resistant melanoma. TAVO is a novel office-based local therapy shown to be effective in patients with advanced melanoma. The technique involves the direct injection of a plasmid encoding IL-12 into an accessible tumor driven by electroporation. The tumor cells have then been shown to express high levels of IL-12 resulting in a local inflammatory response within the tumor microenvironment. Presentation of case The patient with stage IIB, pT3b melanoma was treated with primary tumor resection and found to have a negative sentinel node biopsy. She subsequently developed regional recurrence and was treated with inguinal lymphadenectomy and adjuvant Nivolumab. Despite therapy, she had progression of disease with skin and subcutaneous metastases (in-transit lesions), brain and liver lesions, hilar and iliac nodal disease. She was transitioned to nivolumab + ipilimumab, and Talimogene Laherparepvec (T-VEC) therapy for the in-transit lesions, without success. Stereotactic radiosurgery was used for the brain metastasis. Groin subcutaneous and in-transit lesions were treated with TAVO and intravenous pembrolizumab. Serial physical exams and CT scans were used to assess response. Discussion All lesions treated with TAVO resolved. An abscopal response was also noted: hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy resolved. The liver mass and pelvic lymphadenopathy decreased in size, and her brain metastasis remained stable after radiation. Conclusion This case suggests that combination TAVO and Pembrolizumab is a safe and effective local treatment for ICI resistant metastatic melanoma in the setting of rheumatoid arthritis. An abscopal effect was also noted through control of systemic disease.
Clinical Management of Oligopolyposis of Unknown Etiology

Cancer risk management for adenomatous oligopolyposis (10–99 colonic adenomas) depends upon whether the oligopolyposis results from a defined hereditary syndrome. Herein, we summarize genetic testing strategies for evaluation of oligopolyposis and outline colonoscopy and extra-colonic surveillance for individuals without a detectable hereditary syndrome, who have a condition referred to as oligopolyposis of unknown etiology (OPUE). Multi-gene panel genetic testing is appropriate for individuals with 10 or more cumulative colonic adenomas, yet a significant proportion of these individuals lack a molecular diagnosis and are defined clinically as having OPUE. Current consensus guidelines for OPUE surveillance support colonoscopy every 1–2 years with consideration of surgery if polyp clearance cannot be achieved. Data regarding extra-colonic surveillance is scant; however, screening of the upper gastrointestinal tract, thyroid, and small bowel may be considered on an individualized basis, similar to current clinical practices for familial adenomatous polyposis, despite a lack of strong supporting evidence. Multi-gene panel genetic testing should be recommended for all individuals with colonic oligopolyposis. Management of OPUE, especially extra-colonic surveillance, remains a challenging area of practice. It is crucial for individuals with OPUE to maintain contact with a specialized gastrointestinal genetics program, as genetic testing capabilities and medical recommendations will continue to evolve.
Spin angular momentum transfer and plasmogalvanic phenomena

We show that spin angular momentum (SAM) of light is transferred to matter together with momentum and energy, and obtain the expression for the corresponding torque. This can lead to appearance of spin forces, which correspond to the discrepancy between the Lorentz and Einstein-Laub forces. In plasmonic metals these spin forces result in a plasmogalvanic phenomenon, which is pinning of the plasmon-induced electromotive force to an atomically thin layer at the metal interface.
High Definition Lipoplasty in Male Patients: A Systematic Review of Surgical Techniques and Outcomes

Background Lipoplasty has undergone a series of refinements throughout history. It is now possible to apply superficial suction to enhance the outline of a muscle in order to improve the results of aesthetic lipoplasty. Objectives Herein, we aimed to summarize the available evidence on the techniques and surgical outcomes of high definition lipoplasty (HDL) in male patients. Methods A systematic search across PubMed MEDLINE, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE(R) and In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, and SCOPUS was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Data regarding the surgical techniques, outcomes and complications, was extracted. Results Thirteen studies comprising 1,280 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The age of patients ranged from 18-71 years. The average BMI was 26.5 kg/m 2. The follow-up ranged from 2 weeks-10 years. The liposculpting concepts reported were abdominal etching, high-definition, muscular sculpture, dynamic definition. Four studies used conventional liposuction, three used VASER-assisted HDL, and six studies used power-assisted liposculpting. Eight studies reported the use of fat grafting. All studies reported the use of postoperative garments and a well-established wound protocol. Overall satisfaction ranged from 84% to 100%. The most common complications reported were fluid collection, hyperpigmentation, contour irregularities, anemia, and port dehiscence. Conclusions A wide variety of techniques are available to perform HDL with a variable degree of definition. A careful patient selection is critical for successful results, as HDL cannot be applied to every patient. Finally, proper training and adequate knowledge of abdominal anatomy is necessary to avoid complications.
Old Age: How Long Should We Hope to Live?

In this chapter, the author addresses the important issue of old age. He attempts to define what is old age, the consequences of aging, compression or expansion of morbidity with aging, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in older individuals, and end-of- life issues.
Osteocyte Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation upon mechanical loading is altered in ovariectomized mice.

Estrogen levels decline in both sexes with age, but more dramatically in females. Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is central to the regulation of bone mass accrual and maintenance and in response to mechanical loading. Using the ovariectomized mouse model we examined the effect of estrogen loss on the osteocyte's ability to activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway following mechanical loading. Female TOPGAL mice underwent ovariectomy (OVX) (n = 10) or sham surgery (n = 10) at 16 weeks of age. Four weeks post-surgery, a single loading session (global strain of 2200 μe for 100 cycles at 2 Hz) was performed on the right forearm with the left as a non-loaded control. Mice (n = 5) were sacrificed at 1 or 24 hr post-load. Ulnae were stained for β-catenin activation, femurs were used for μCT and 3-pt bending/biomechanical testing, and tibiae were used for histology analysis and to determine osteocyte lacunar size using SEM and high resolution micro-XCT. A 2.2-fold increase in β-catenin signaling activation was observed 24 hr post-load in the Sham group but did not occur in the OVX group. The OVX group versus control had significant losses (p < 0.05) in trabecular BMD (-8%), BV/TV (-35%) and thickness (-23%), along with cortical thickness (-6%) and periosteal perimeter (-4%). The OVX group had significantly higher trabecular bone osteoclast numbers (63%), OCS/BS (77%) and N.OC/BPm (94%) and a significant decrease in osteoblast number (53%), OBS/BS (37%) and N.OB/BPm (40%) compared to the sham group (p < 0.05). Cortical bone lacunar number/lacunar volume and bone biomechanical properties did not change between groups. Given that the ulna is a cortical bone loading model and the lack of changes in osteocyte lacunar number/volume in cortical bone, which would alter strains experienced by osteocytes, these data suggest the absence of estrogen resulted in intrinsic changes in the ability of the osteocyte to respond to mechanical load, rather than changes in the biomechanical and architectural properties of bone.
Pregnant Fictions: Childbirth and the Fairytale in Early-Modern France

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Holly Tucker Year: 2003 Pages: xv + 213 Publisher: Wayne State University Press ISBN: 0-8143-3042-8 Prices: $34.95 US
The promise and responsibility of community finance

• In the effort to prevent the collapse of the financial system, the government has extended its hand and wallet to large financial institutions and investment banks, most of which contributed mightily to the current crisis. At the same time, responsible smaller institutions, which have served their communities well and continue to do so, have largely been shut out. These include the vast majority of banks, credit unions, and all but a very few Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).
Aspartate transcarbamylase. A study of possible roles for the sulfhydryl group at the active site.

Abstract Potential roles for the single sulfhydryl group of the catalytic subunit of aspartate transcarbamylase from Escherichia coli have been investigated by means of chemical modification. The S-cyano and S-methyl derivatives are highly active and recombine normally with the zinc regulatory subunit. The derivatives of native enzyme formed in this way are fully responsive to homotropic and heterotropic allosteric effectors and have pH-activity curves indistinguishable from that of unmodified native enzyme. Therefore, despite strong evidence that the—SH group is at the active site, its integrity is not necessary for activity or for allosteric function. However, modifications which lead to negatively charged derivatives of the—SH group do result in inactivation. The reason for such loss of activity was investigated with a sulfonate derivative prepared by rapid and highly specific oxidation of the native enzyme with KMnO4. Carbamyl phosphate and the transition state analog N-(phosphonacetyl)-l-aspartate bind well to the sulfonate derivative, but the affinity of this derivative for succinate (in the presence of carbamyl-P) is much reduced when compared to that of native enzyme. The newly introduced negative charge apparently inactivates by greatly reducing the affinity of the active site for the substrate l-aspartate. The trimeric catalytic subunit is inactive after modification of the 3 identical —SH groups by dithionitrobenzoate, and the derivative is capable of binding tightly only 1 eq of either carbamyl-P or N-(phosphonacetyl)-l-aspartate per trimer, demonstrating a strong interaction among the three active sites of the isolated subunit. Furthermore, the thionitrobenzoate derivative of native aspartate transcarbamylase correspondingly binds only about 2 molecules of N-(phosphonacetyl)-l-aspartate per six active sites and binds them with strong positive cooperativity, suggesting that in unmodified native enzyme positive cooperativity is due at least in part to an interaction between the two catalytic trimers. If catalytic subunit is combined with a limiting amount of zinc regulatory subunit, a new species deficient in regulatory subunit is formed, with altered allosteric properties.