cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The ethics of hypofractionation for prostate cancer.

I am a radiation oncologist whose clinical practice is largely devoted to caring for men with prostate cancer. I have followed the publications surrounding ‘‘prostate cancer has a low a/b’’ hypothesis with interest for the better part of 10 years. Indeed, hardly a month goes by without some author averring that ‘‘the a/b for prostate cancer is low.’’ In my view, the zeal for this approach reached a ‘‘tipping point’’ when Dr. Fowler (1), in a 2008 letter to the editor, stated that ‘‘it is ethically wrong’’ to not use hypofractionation in the treatment of prostate cancer. I cannot stand by accused of unethical behavior without providing a response. First, the evidence to support a low a/b ratio is methodologically weak. Most of the data that Dr. Fowler (and other hypofractionation enthusiasts) use to make the case for a low a/b derive from retrospective, single-arm trials that are prone to many biases, including stage migration and grade migration. Some studies include patients treated with brachytherapy, and none of the studies attempt to control for the large amount of dosimetric inhomogeneity that is inherent in prostate brachytherapy. Furthermore, most of the modeling has used a biochemical endpoint (usually 3 to 4 years from treatment) and assumed that all biochemical recurrences are the result of local recurrences. Second, the estimates of a/b are imprecise. Perhaps the best data to derive an a/b for prostate cancer is to use information from completed randomized trials that compare different fractionation schedules. Two trials have been completed and published (2, 3). The derived estimates of a/b from both of these trials is low (1.12 in the Canadian study and 2.3 in the Australian study), but the confidence intervals are very large ( 3.3 to 5.6 in the Canadian study and 6.0 to 10.6 in the Australian study). Looking closer at the Canadian trial, it is fair to state that for all a/b from 0.85 to infinity, the shorter arm would result in a lower tumor control rate. The principal investigator of the Canadian study concisely makes this point when he states in the discussion, ‘‘the results of this study do
Optimization with variable-fidelity models applied to wing design

This work discusses an approach, the Approximation Management Framework (AMF), for solving optimization problems that involve computationally expensive simulations. AMF aims to maximize the use of lower-fidelity, cheaper models in iterative procedures with occasional, but systematic, recourse to higher-fidelity, more expensive models for monitoring the progress of the algorithm. The method is globally convergent to a solution of the original, high-fidelity problem. Three versions of AMF, based on three nonlinear programming algorithms, are demonstrated on a 3D aerodynamic wing optimization problem and a 2D airfoil optimization problem. In both cases Euler analysis solved on meshes of various refinement provides a suite of variable-fidelity models. Preliminary results indicate threefold savings in terms of high-fidelity analyses in case of the 3D problem and twofold savings for the 2D problem.
A Clinical Comparison of Intravenous and Epidural Local Anesthetic for Major Abdominal Surgery

Background Epidural analgesia provides good pain control after many postoperative procedures, but it can lead to complications, has some contraindications, and occasionally fails. Intravenous lidocaine infusion has been suggested as an alternative. We assessed, in our clinical practice, the effects of perioperative intravenous lidocaine infusion compared with epidural analgesia for major abdominal surgery. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients who had received intravenous lidocaine (1 mg/kg per hour) perioperatively after a major abdominal surgery. We matched them with patients who had received epidural analgesia. We tested a joint hypothesis of noninferiority of lidocaine infusion to epidural analgesia in postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption. We assigned a noninferiority margin of 1 point (on an 11-point numerical rating scale) difference in pain and a ratio [mean (lidocaine) / mean (epidural)] of 1.2 in opioid consumption, respectively. Results Two hundred sixteen patients (108 in each group) were analyzed. Intravenous lidocaine was not inferior to epidural analgesia with respect to pain scores. Lidocaine infusion was inferior to epidural analgesia with respect to opioid consumption. Patients in the lidocaine group had fewer episodes of hypotension and less postoperative nausea and vomiting, pruritus, and urinary retention. Patients receiving lidocaine also had earlier urinary catheter removal and earlier first gastrointestinal function. Daily mental status assessment was similar between the 2 groups. Conclusions Patients who received systemic lidocaine infusions with the addition of PRN (as needed) opioids administered for breakthrough pain did not have clinically significant differences in pain scores on postoperative day 2 and beyond. Intravenous lidocaine infusion in major abdominal surgery was inferior to epidural analgesia with respect to opioid consumption. However, lidocaine was associated with improvements in several important aspects of recovery.
Flexible Pavement Evaluation and Rehabilitation

A method for evaluating a flexible pavement and designing overlays based upon its in-place strength is presented. Strength is determined through a nondestructive dynamic deflection device trade-named Road Rater. Statistical laws are used to determine the characteristic deflection of the pavement, which is then modified to standard conditions. AASHO Road Test data are then used to determine the permissible deflection depending upon the traffic that will be imposed during the overlay design period. Using the modified characteristic deflection and the permissible deflection, the thickness of the overlay required is then computed. The design process is computerized and several practical steps that identify cause and type of failure, which are to be taken in conjunction with the design are advised.
Autm Licensing Survey: Fy 2002

This annual survey by The Association of University Technology Managers is a summary of technology licensing and related performance information for United States and Canadian academic and non profit institutions, and patent management and investment firms. The management of intellectual property in order to make academic research results available to the public in the form of commercial products is explored. Quantitative information from AUTM members using the AUTM Licensing Survey instrument is presented. Information is gleaned about new programs as well asmore established programs. Because the technology transfer process takes anumber of years, the data from programs at different points in the process arenot comparable. The results indicatethe long-term nature of technology transfer and short-term impacts of economic conditions. The survey also reflects the difficulty that university licensing professionals encountered in the 2002 fiscal year due to decreases in funding linked to licenses and options. Furthermore, though the venture capital industry experienced a significant decline in start-ups and those going out of business increased sharply, universities continue to reap the rewards of transactions and partnerships since the passage of the Bayh-Dole Act. Finally, total royalty income isanalyzed on various levels. (JSD)
A New Method for Determination of Alpha-1-antitrypsin Phenotypes Using Isoelectric Focusing on Polyacrylamide Gel Slabs

Phenotyping methods for alpha-1-antitrypsin were developed utilizing isoelectric focusing on 1 mm. acrylamide gel slabs. Alpha-1-antitrypsin proteins have isoelectric points in the pH region from 4.2 to 4.65. Utilizing ampholines with a pH range of 3.5–5 or 3–6, the proteinase inhibitor (Pi) phenotypes containing the more common M, A, S, F alleles were found to be readily identifiable and may be studied both qualitatively and quantitatively by this method. Protein distributions of the various Pi allele products as illustrated by densitometric traces show patterns similar to those found in the conventional two-dimensional acid starch gel—crossing antigen-antibody electrophoresis. The high resolving ability of isoelectric focusing indicated the presence of M allele-like products in FZ, SS, and ZZ Pi types. The total procedure time was reduced from VA days to 4 hours. The potential resolving power of this method appears sufficient to identify also the untested remaining alleles.
Newer Concepts of Managing Asthmatic Patients

A decline in deaths from asthma was generally noted in the 1950s, coincidental with the introduction of corticosteroids. However, since 1959, statistics in the United States and Great Britain have pointed to an apparent increase in mortality, the reason for which is not clear. Some observers blame this trend on excessive use of pressurized aerosol bronchodilators, which came to use in 1958; others, on the uncontrolled pollution of outdoor air.
Applications of Metal and Its Compounds in Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water

The latest researches in the field of arsenic removal from drinking water were summarized. The research progresses in arsenic removal by industrial byproduct,iron oxides,manganese oxides and other metal compounds were individually discussed,and the future research direction in this field was also proposed.
Multiplexing and Amplification of 2- $\mu \text{m}$ Vortex Beams With a Ho:YAG Rod Amplifier

The multiplexing and the amplification of 2- $\mu \text{m}$ vortex beams are experimentally verified in a Ho:YAG crystal rod amplifier. Spatially multiplexed vortex beams are studied and the amplification results are presented and discussed. The integrity of the launched vortex beams is well maintained through the amplification process. Further discussions are provided to increase the gain as well as for power scaling. Due to the nature of Ho:YAG material and the geometry of the rod amplifier, our system shows the potential of working as a power amplifier for vortex beams.
Evaluation of the CELL-DYN 3000 differential.

The CELL-DYN 3000 (Unipath Corp., Mountain View, CA) differential was evaluated in a tertiary care hospital using samples with a broad range of distributional and morphologic abnormalities. Particular attention was directed to the performance of the instrument-generated suspect flags that occur as an aid to identify samples with abnormal leukocytes, as well as the estimates of abnormal cells that are made by the instrument. The CELL-DYN 3000 showed excellent quantitative results for the white blood cell differential compared with a 400-cell manual differential, in which morphologic abnormalities were absent or occurred in low numbers ( or = 1%) was 82.6%. Sensitivity of these flags to detection of more than 5% "abnormal" leukocytes (blasts, malignant lymphoid cells, grossly dysplastic neutrophils, nucleated red blood cells, or reactive lymphocytes) or significant platelet clumping was 81.6%. The primary deficiency was the inability of the CELL-DYN 3000 to flag samples with small numbers ( or = 3%) for immature granulocytes (metamyelocytes, myelocytes, or promyelocytes) was 94.9%. Sensitivity of the immature granulocyte flag varied from 41.7% for identifying IG > or = 1% to 100% for the three samples with immature granulocytes > or = 3%. Calculation of sensitivity and specificity to varying percentages of bands showed poor flagging performance, with many false-positive and false-negative results at all levels.
Using speech technology to enhance isotope ID and classification

Scientific advances are often made when researchers identify mathematical or physical commonalities between different fields and are able to apply mature techniques or algorithms developed in one field to another field which shares some of the same challenges. The authors of this paper have identified similarities between the unsolved problems faced in gamma-spectroscopy for automated radioisotope identification and the challenges of the much larger body of research in speech processing. In this paper we describe such commonalities and use them as a motivation for a preliminary investigation of the applicability of speech processing methods to gamma-ray spectra. This approach enables the development of proof-of-concept isotope classifiers, whose performance is presented for both simulated and field-collected gamma-ray spectra.
In the Shadow of the Sickness Unto Death: Walter White’s Transformation into the Knight of Meth

This chapter provides an analysis of Walter White’s transformation into Heisenberg in terms of Soren Kierkegaard’s “stages of life” and Carl Jung’s “process of individuation.” Rendering the Heisenberg transformation from the existentialist perspective regarding love and death and from the psychodynamic perspective regarding the archetypal dimension and self-realization goes toward addressing a number of the questions which surround the shift in Walt’s moral compass given his terminal prognosis. This chapter explicitly addresses two of these questions. First, this chapter provides a moral account of Walt’s escalating decisions during his transformation, while neither sacrificing a notion of his free will nor advocating for acceptance of the imminence of death as justification for the perpetration of immoral actions. Second, this chapter provides an account of Walt’s participation mystique in the Heisenberg transformation. That is, as Walt overpowers various Breaking Bad villains, he incorporates their nefarious traits into the Heisenberg transformation.
HIV-1 Infection and Transmission Networks of Younger People in Chicago, Illinois, 2005-2011:

OBJECTIVE Analysis of HIV nucleotide sequences can be used to identify people with highly similar HIV strains and understand transmission patterns. The objective of this study was to identify groups of people highly connected by HIV transmission and the extent to which transmission occurred within and between geographic areas in Chicago, Illinois. METHODS We analyzed genetic sequences in the HIV-1 pol region in samples collected from people participating in the VARHS program in Chicago during 2005-2011. We determined pairwise genetic distance, inferred potential transmission events between HIV-infected people whose sequences were ≤1.5% genetically distant, and identified clusters of connected people. We used multivariable analysis to determine demographic characteristics and risk attributes associated with degree of connectivity. RESULTS Of 1154 sequences, 177 (15.3%) were tied to at least 1 other sequence. We determined that younger people, men, non-Hispanic black people, and men who have sex with men were more highly connected than other HIV-infected people. We also identified a high degree of geographic heterogeneity-48 of 67 clusters (71.6%) contained people from >1 Chicago region (north, south, or west sides). CONCLUSION Our results indicate a need to address HIV transmission through the networks of younger non-Hispanic black men who have sex with men. The high level of geographic heterogeneity observed suggests that HIV prevention programs should be targeted toward networks of younger people rather than geographic areas of high incidence. This study could also guide prevention efforts in other diverse metropolitan regions with characteristics similar to those of Chicago.
Stalk rot fungi affect grain sorghum yield components in an inoculation stage-specific manner

Abstract Although stalk rots are among the most prevalent and destructive diseases of sorghum, no systematic crop loss assessment has been reported for these diseases under controlled-inoculations. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of Fusarium stalk rot and charcoal rot on grain sorghum yield components when plants were inoculated at two growth stages (GS). Four genotypes were field evaluated against three Fusarium spp. (F. thapsinum, F. proliferatum, F. andiyazi) and Macrophomina phaseolina. Inoculations were performed at GS1 (30 d after emergence) and GS3 (14 d after flowering). Panicles were harvested at physiological maturity and assessed for total seed weight (TSW), 100-seed weight (100-SW), and total seeds per panicle (TSP). The total number of reproductive sites and unfilled spikelets were counted per rachis (TRSR and NUSR, respectively) and panicle (TRSP, NUSP) bases. Length and nodes crossed by the lesion in split stems were measured to evaluate disease severity. Pathogens significantly reduced TSW in comparison to the control at both GS1 and GS3. The four pathogens, on average, caused greater TSW reductions when inoculated at GS1 (52%) than at GS3 (37%). All pathogens reduced TSP upon GS1 inoculation and 100-SW upon GS3 inoculations. All pathogens significantly reduced seed set percentage when plants were inoculated at GS1 while inoculations at GS3 did not have a significant impact. GS1 inoculations significantly decreased TRSP, demonstrating pathogen interference with head formation resulting in smaller heads than control. Although inoculations at GS1 had a greater impact on yield, inoculations at GS1 and GS3 did not significantly differ in disease severity. This study revealed inoculation stage-specific effects of stalk rot pathogens on yield parameters and provided insights into key yield traits to be emphasized in sorghum breeding programs to produce stalk rot tolerant sorghum genotypes.
Determinants of melanoma in a case-control study of twins (United States).

Objectives: To estimate the relative contribution of environmental and genetic factors disposing towards the development of melanoma.
The Impossibility of Work Law

This book chapter critically examines the prospects for expanding "employment law" into "work law." Efforts in this direction too often assume that all "work" takes places within labor markets. Yet their failure to incorporate nonmarket work is inconsistent with such efforts’ expansive theories of what work to regulate, and why. Attempting to incorporate nonmarket work into "work law," however, gives rise to new challenges. These challenges arise from a seeming contradiction: work practices may be economically interchangeable despite being embedded in substantially different institutions and relationships. Therefore, attempts to treat all workers equally will run roughshod over context-specific considerations. Work law seems both necessary and impossible. One way to begin grappling with this dilemma may be to examine legal strategies, including employment law itself, that channel work into specific institutional forms and limit the ability to substitute between forms of work. Examples include antidisplacement and noncompetition rules applicable to work performed by prisoners, welfare recipients, and guestworkers.
Dependency and AMR Embeddings for Drug-Drug Interaction Extraction from Biomedical Literature

Drug-drug interaction (DDI) is an unexpected change in a drug's effect on the human body when the drug and a second drug are co-prescribed and taken together. As many DDIs are frequently reported in biomedical literature, it is important to mine DDI information from literature to keep DDI knowledge up to date. One of the SemEval challenges in the year 2011 and 2013 was designed to tackle the task where the best system achieved an F1 score of 0.80. In this paper, we propose to utilize dependency embeddings and Abstract Meaning Representation (AMR) embeddings as features for extracting DDIs. Our contribution is two-fold. First, we employed dependency embeddings, previously shown effective for sentence classification, for DDI extraction. The dependency embeddings incorporated structural syntactic contexts into the embeddings, which were not present in the conventional word embeddings. Second, we proposed a novel syntactic embedding approach using AMR. AMR aims to abstract away from syntactic idiosyncrasies and attempts to capture only the core meaning of a sentence, which could potentially improve DDI extraction from sentences. Two classifiers (Support Vector Machine and Random Forest) taking these embedding features as input were evaluated on the DDIExtraction 2013 challenge corpus. The experimental results show the effectiveness of dependency and AMR embeddings in the DDI extraction task. The best performance was obtained by combining word, dependency and AMR embeddings (F1 score=0.84).
SJL bone marrow-derived macrophages do not have IRF3 mutations and are highly susceptible to Theiler's virus infection

It is well known that SJL mice are susceptible to Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced demyelinating disease while C57BL6 (B6) and B10 mice are resistant, and H-2s on a B10 background (B10.S) contributes modestly to susceptibility. A recent study linked two IRF3 non-conservative mutations in SJL compared to B10.S mice to resistance to TMEV infection of SJL peritoneal-derived macrophages, an observation of practical interest in light of the central role of IRF3 transcription factor in the type I interferon (IFN) response. However, we did not find these non-conservative mutations among SJL, B10.S, B6 and B10 mice in the IRF3 amino acid sequence, and show SJL bone marrow-derived macrophages infected with TMEV exhibit increased virus RNA replication and infectious virus yields as well as greater IL-6 production than C57Bl strain (including B10.S) cultures.
Sn Wears Super Skin: A New Design for Long Cycling Batteries

Searching for new anode alternatives in lieu of graphite for lithium-ion batteries that can deliver better electrochemical performance to meet the emerging energy/power demands in electric vehicles becomes particularly challenging. We report a rationally designed hybrid composite as anode in LIB that exhibits a greatly improved gravimetric capacity of 727 mAh/g with a Coulombic efficiency of >99.8% after 3000 cycles at 1.0 C. A capacity of 662 mAh/g at a high rate of 5.0 C was obtained after impressively long 10 000 cycles. From the 50th to 10 000th cycle under 5.0 C, the capacity retention is >97% with a negligible decay of <0.00026% per cycle. The excellence in electrochemistry is attributed to the efficient stress relax, accommodable space, lack of agglomeration, and solid–electrolyte interphase consuming Li+ of a delicate composite configuration that is composed of a Sn kernel wearing adjustable TiO2 “skin”.
Development of a disposable force-sensing glove for clinicians and demonstration of its force measurements on patients during rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery.

For many clinicians, their effectiveness is dependent on the magnitude of forces they manually apply to their patients. However, current state-of-the-art care strategies lack quantitative feedback, making it difficult to provide consistent care over time and among multiple clinicians. To provide real-time quantitative feedback to clinicians, we have developed a disposable glove with a force sensor embedded in the fingertips or palm. The sensor is based on the fiber-optic bendloss effect whereby light intensity from an infrared source is attenuated as the fiber is bent between a series of corrugated teeth. The sensor fabricated has a very low profile (10×7×1 mm) and has demonstrated high sensitivity, accuracy, range, and durability. Force feedback up to 90 N with an average force threshold at 0.19 N and average sensor resolution at 0.05 N has been demonstrated. A preliminary clinical study has also been conducted with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction patients who show significant range of motion improvement when treated with the force-sensing glove.
Electromigration: Lognormal versus Weibull distribution

Lognormal and Weibull distributions are commonly used to fit experimental data from accelerated electromigration tests and to extrapolate lifetimes to use conditions. The predicted lifetimes thus obtained for use condition at low failure rates can differ by orders of magnitude. In this work, a comparison between the two distributions is conducted for both experimental and simulated electromigration lifetime data. Even though Weibull distribution fits the data better when all the data points are considered, it is not theoretically justified to use a weakest link failure distribution. i.e., Weibull, for electromigration data. When the data is separated into different modes of failure, the lognormal distribution fits the data equally well, if not, better than the Weibull distribution.
Abstract 556: Oncogenic properties and response to HDAC inhibitor treatment of H1299 cells expressing GOF p53 mutants

The tumor suppressor p53 protein is mutated in over 50% of cancers. The most frequent mutations in p53, termed “hotspot” mutations, occur in the DNA binding domain of the p53 protein. These mutations not only remove normal p53 function but also convey additional oncogenic properties greater than loss of tumor suppressor activities associated with loss of wild-type (WT) p53 activities. With newly acquired oncogenic properties, mutations in the DNA binding domain of p53 are classified as gain of function (GOF) mutations. GOF p53 mutants can be subdivided into conformational mutations (e.g. R175H, H193Y) involving residues necessary for maintenance of structure and contact mutations (e.g. R248Q, R273H) involving resides necessary for DNA interaction. Cancer cells bearing a GOF p53 mutation increase metastasis with application of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi). This uncharacterized pro-oncogenic GOF p53 property is of clinical relevance as HDACi are FDA approved for hematological cancers but have failed in clinical trials for solid tumors. To explore this hypothesis, metastatic capacity and proliferation rates of common GOF p53 mutations were assessed with and without HDACi treatment and in the presence or absence of specific inhibitors of target GOF p53. The p53-null, H1299 non-small cell lung carcinoma line was transfected with GOF p53 mutants and WT p53 using a tetracycline inducible expression system. Inducible expression of stable subclones was varified by immunofluorescence and western blot. Proliferation rate was measured by incorporation of EdU and metastatic capacity was assessed by measuring MMP activity and migration assays with and without HDACi treatment. Specific GOF p53 mutations possess a subset of the oncogenic properties of the entire GOF p53 class. Data suggest that the GOF p53 mutants display differing rates of proliferation with the R175H mutation exhibiting the highest rate. Application of NSC319726 significantly decreases the proliferation rate and appears to successfully refold the R175H mutant to a WT conformation. The R248Q mutation exhibited morphological change suggestive of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition associated with increased metastatic capacity. Preliminary data suggest that HDACi affect among these cell lines in conjunction with NSC 319726 and SCH 529074 treatment. In conclusion, HDACi treatment may be contraindicated while treatment with HDACi may have great benefit in tumors which are WT or null for p53 protein expression. Citation Format: Brianna Flores, Elizabeth E. Hull. Oncogenic properties and response to HDAC inhibitor treatment of H1299 cells expressing GOF p53 mutants [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 556.
Troponin: Messenger or Actor?

Cardiac troponin (cTn) is a biomarker of myocardial damage. New generations of high-sensitivity assays find circulating cTn in virtually all subjects. Multiple studies in various populations and patient groups have found higher levels of cTn to be predictive of future heart failure. The author proposes that initial myocardial damage from various mechanisms may lead to anti-cTn antibodies that participate in ongoing myocardial damage that eventually results in heart failure.
Market Expectation and Auditor Litigation

This study provides a better theoretical understanding for the reasons of the audit failure that may cause audit litigation with market expectation. This study examines whether a higher market expectation for firm performance before the audit failure finally causes the audit litigation. This study also investigates whether markets variable such as variability of return can be served as useful indicators for measuring the level of audit risk. In addition, this study exam the relation between audit tenure as a auditor independence and audit quality. The results may suggest the practical implication for the external auditor. Also, the variables employed in this study are helpful for the auditors to determine the level of their business risk before the audit failure.
Co-Targeting Therapeutics for Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer

For many decades therapeutic strategies for advanced solid tumors have focused almost exclusively on the cancer cell itself. This approach fails to address the symbiotic relationship of the malignant cell and its surrounding stroma. An emerging line of evidence supports the notion that benign stroma may be not an innocent bystander, but rather, a facilitator of invasion, metastasis, and growth of a malignant cell from a distant tissue of origin. Although the exact mechanisms vary greatly among different tumor types, is it safe to say that more than one mechanisms/pathways are in play in this complex process. As it pertains to prostate cancer and its known predilection for bone as its primary landing zone, efforts to therapeutically manipulate the tumor—stroma relationship have focused on ways to hinder local invasion and early metastasis, angiogenesis, and deprivation of key local growth factors/cytokines that mediate homing, attachment, and growth of the prostate cancer cell in the metastatic echelon. This chapter will review some basic strategies of co-targeting cancer and stroma in advanced prostate cancer that have been tested in the clinic.
Modified Material Properties in Curved Panels Through Lamina Emergent Torsional Joints

Compliant joints have a number of advantages that make them suitable for highly constrained design problems. While much work has been done on the design of compliant joints manufactured from planar sheet materials, this work focuses on the design of cylindrically-curved joints. A method for using lamina emergent torsional (LET) joints to increase energy storage efficiency in curved sheet materials is presented. A numerical model is provided for predicting the stiffness and maximum applied moment of a curved LET joint. Predicted curved LET joint stiffnesses and maximum moments are utilized to create shape factors that produce an effective modulus of elasticity and an effective modulus of resilience. For a given case, the effective modulus of elasticity is shown to decrease by about three orders of magnitude while the effective resilience decreases by approximately one order of magnitude. Designers can use this information to tailor materials to fit design requirements or to select alternative materials that were previously unsuited for an application.
Coracoid process fractures: anatomy, injury patterns, multimodality imaging, and approach to management

The coracoid process of the scapula is in close proximity to major neurovascular structures, including the brachial plexus and the axillary artery and vein. In addition, it serves as a major site of attachment for multiple tendons and ligaments about the shoulder. Isolated coracoid fractures are rare; however, they can be easily overlooked on routine shoulder radiographs. Importantly, when these fractures go undiagnosed, they are at high risk for nonunion. In this paper, we will review the relevant anatomy of the coracoid process, classification schemes for coracoid fractures, mechanisms of injury how these fractures typically present, multimodality imaging findings, and associated injuries. Finally, we will briefly discuss the clinical management of these fractures.
A Review of the Application of Finite Element Method (FEM) to Localized Corrosion Modeling

The modeling of localized corrosion has usually focused on calculating the spatial and/or temporal distributions of chemical species, potential, and current. These are affected by the reactions con...
Polyelectrolyte Complexation: Entropy, Medicine, and the Beginning of Life

Polymeric materials, which include plastics, fabrics and the vast majority of biological substances, are abundant in modern society. On the molecular scale, these materials are built from the interconnection of similar chemical subunits to form chainlike macromolecules. The medical, electrochemical, synthetic and materials science communities have increasingly turned their attention to polyelectrolytes, a subset of polymers with electric charge, in part because of their ability to spontaneously and reversibly phase-separate (complex) in aqueous solution. This entropic and electrostatic separation can yield well-defined nanoparticles, dynamic gels and other useful materials. These materials are called polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) and have formed the basis of complex-core micelle technologies that show promise as nanoscale drug-delivery vehicles for cancer treatment, and which have long been suspected to play a role in the chemical origin of life. This article describes the thermodynamics underlying polyelectrolyte complexation, and then illustrates the application of PECs in medicine and their possible role in the beginning of life, interconnecting these far-flung domains through their reliance on the spontaneous organisation of nanoscale space by chemical activity, the singular physical process of electrolyte complexation.
Current Balancing of Paralleled SiC mosfet s for a Resonant Pulsed Power Converter

Paralleling silicon carbide (SiC) mosfets is a cost-effective solution for increasing pulse current rating. However, the device SiC mosfets mismatch and asymmetrical circuit layout would lead to imbalance current of the paralleled SiC mosfets . In this letter, we propose a passive approach, that is, a coupled inductor instead of the conventional resonant inductor, which is used for a resonant pulsed power converter. The coupled inductor enables even current sharing of the parallel SiC mosfet s, and also helps with pulsewidth adjustment, which leads to a simplified system without complex control circuit compared with the active solution. The configuration of the proposed topology, operating principle, imbalance current limitation mechanism, and design guidelines are fully discussed and presented. Additionally, experiments are carried out to verify the analysis and effectiveness of the proposed solution. The proposed method can be extended to the scenario with more than two parallel.
Influence of temperature, relative humidity, and water saturation on airborne emissions from cigarette butts

Abstract With five trillion generated per year, cigarette butts are some of the most common litter worldwide. However, despite the potential environmental and human health risks from cigarette butts, little effort has been made to understand airborne emissions from cigarette butts. This study examined the influence of temperature, relative humidity and water saturation on airborne chemical emissions from cigarette butts. Experiments were conducted to measure the emitted chemical masses from butts using headspace analysis after the butts were conditioned in a controlled chamber under four conditions (30 °C and 25% relative humidity (RH), 30 °C and 50% RH, 40 °C and 25% RH, 40 °C and 50% RH) and in an outdoor environment (two sets of experiments in both summer and winter). The measured target chemicals included furfural, styrene, ethylbenzene, 2-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one, limonene, naphthalene, triacetin, and nicotine. Results indicate that increased temperature increased the emission rates of all target chemicals from the butts conditioned in both chambers and outdoors. In addition, water has considerable influence on the emission rates from the butts. Seven of the eight chemicals were emitted faster from butts at 50% RH compared to 25% RH. During water saturation, chemicals with high water solubility and partition coefficient between water and air, e.g., triacetin and nicotine, mainly migrate into the surrounding environment via aqueous rather than airborne routes. This highlights the importance of rainfall events on airborne emission variability for triacetin and nicotine. Water saturation increased the decay rate (decreased the decay time) of emitted mass measured in headspace analysis for the two carbonyl chemicals: furfural and 2-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one, while it decreased the decay rate (increased the decay time) for the three hydrocarbons (styrene, limonene, and naphthalene).
Effectiveness of Best Practice Alerts for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Orders in Older Adults in the Ambulatory Setting.

Introduction Information is limited about the effectiveness of best practice alerts (BPAs) for potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in improving clinical outcomes in older adults. Objective To assess clinical outcomes of 11 BPAs for PIMs in older adults in the ambulatory setting. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted at an integrated health care delivery system with computerized provider order entry. Patients aged 65 years and older were included if they had a BPA triggered when a prescriber attempted to order a sedating PIM in the ambulatory setting. Patients were categorized into dispensed and nondispensed groups if they did and did not, respectively, have the study PIM for which the BPA was triggered dispensed within 30 days of the alert. Rates of fall, fracture, or other injury and cognitive impairment were measured during 180-day follow-up. Results A total of 2704 patients were included: 1373 (50.8%) and 1331 (49.2%) in the dispensed and nondispensed groups, respectively. The dispensed group had a lower unadjusted rate of fall/fracture/injury (3.4% vs 5.3%, p = 0.019), but this difference was attenuated with multivariable adjustment (adjusted odds ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval = 0.51-1.13). There was no difference in the rate of cognitive impairment between groups (4.6% vs 4.4%, adjusted odds ratio = 1.40, 95% confidence interval = 0.95-2.05). Conclusion No association was identified between PIM dispensing after a prescriber was alerted with a BPA and reduced rates of falls/fractures/injuries and cognitive impairment.
Continuous Process Improvement in the Manufacture of Carfilzomib, Part 1: Process Understanding and Improvements in the Commercial Route to Prepare the Epoxyketone Warhead

Epoxyketone 4 is an isolated intermediate in the manufacturing route to the commercial proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib (Kyprolis). Commercial process development and optimization efforts toward th...
Quantitative Structure-Based Prediction of Electron Spin Decoherence in Organic Radicals

The decoherence, or dephasing, of electron spins in paramagnetic molecules limits sensitivity and resolution in electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and it represents a challenge for utilizing paramagnetic molecules as qubit units in quantum information devices. For organic radicals in dilute frozen aqueous solution at cryogenic temperatures, electron spin decoherence is driven by neighboring nuclear spins. Here, we show that this nuclear-spin-driven decoherence can be quantitatively predicted from the molecular structure and solvation geometry of the radicals. We use a fully deterministic quantum model of the electron spin and up to 2000 neighboring protons with a static spin Hamiltonian that includes nucleus-nucleus couplings. We present experiments and simulations of two nitroxide radicals and one trityl radical, which have decoherence time scales of 4-5 μs below 60 K. We show that nuclei within 12 A of the electron spin contribute to decoherence, with the strongest impact from protons 4-8 A away.
Pulmonary Manifestations of Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome

Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic systemic inflammatory syndrome whose hallmark is exocrine gland dysfunction due to lymphocytic infiltration. Its etiology is unknown. Although the most common symptoms are dryness of the eyes and mouth, any organ in the body may be affected during the disease course. When it occurs by itself, it is called primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS); if it occurs in association with another systemic autoimmune disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or systemic sclerosis) it is called secondary Sjogren’s syndrome. A diagnosis is established based on a combination of signs, symptoms, and autoantibodies. Pulmonary involvement is common and may present prior to development of sicca symptoms or autoantibodies. Studies of novel therapeutic agents are needed.
Birth Outcomes Among Women Affected by Reproductive Coercion

INTRODUCTION Reproductive coercion is a form of intimate partner violence that includes behaviors that interfere with autonomous decision-making over reproductive outcomes. Unintended pregnancy is associated with exposure to reproductive coercion; however, little is known about the outcomes of continued pregnancies. The purpose of this study is to assess whether women who reported reproductive coercion during their last pregnancy experienced differences in birth outcomes compared with women without contemporaneous reproductive coercion. METHODS This was a cross-sectional survey study administered in obstetric and gynecologic offices. A survey comprised of standardized reproductive coercion, birth outcome, and intimate partner violence questions was given to English- or Spanish-speaking women with at least one prior pregnancy. Self-reported birth outcomes of interest included late or no prenatal care, low birth weight, prolonged neonatal hospitalization, preterm birth, and intrauterine fetal demise or neonatal death. Descriptive and bivariable comparisons were performed. RESULTS Of 202 participants, 8.6% of women reported reproductive coercion during their last pregnancy. Women with a reported reproductive coercion history were younger, more likely to be a student, more likely to have anemia and anxiety at the time, and less likely to be married to the father of the incident pregnancy. Women with this history were more likely to express that they never wanted to be pregnant (29.4% vs 6.2%, P = .04), report other forms of intimate partner violence (35.3% vs 11.9%, P = .02), and have low-birth-weight neonates (17.6% vs 3.1%, P = .03). There were no observed differences in other birth outcomes. The response rate was 68%. DISCUSSION In this exploratory study, women who reported reproductive coercion during their most recent completed pregnancy were more likely to report pregnancy ambivalence, other tactics of intimate partner violence, and low-birth-weight neonates. These data provide insight into the impact of violence on women's reproductive outcomes.
What Has a Century of Quantitative Genetics Taught Us About Nature's Genetic Tool Kit?

The complexity of heredity has been appreciated for decades: Many traits are controlled not by a single genetic locus but instead by polymorphisms throughout the genome. The importance of complex t...
The Right to Refuse Treatment for Infectious Disease

One of the central tenets of contemporary bioethics is that mentally competent persons have a right to refuse medical treatment, even if the refusal might lead to the individual’s death. Despite this principle, laws in some jurisdictions authorize the nonconsensual treatment of persons with tuberculosis (TB) or other serious infectious diseases, on the grounds that doing so is necessary to protect the safety of others. This chapter argues that, in the vast majority of situations, overriding a refusal of treatment for infectious disease is not justifiable, as the risk to third parties can be avoided by the less restrictive alternative of isolating the patient. At the same time, it rejects the extreme position that the nonconsensual treatment of infectious disease is never appropriate. Instead, it concludes that compelling an individual to undergo treatment for infectious diseases may be ethically justifiable in exceptional situations if a refusal of treatment poses a grave risk to third parties, the treatment is not overly burdensome and has been established to be safe and effective, and less restrictive alternatives, including humanely isolating the patient, are not feasible under the circumstances. The burden should be on those seeking to compel unwanted treatment to demonstrate that these requirements have been met.
Coreference information guides human expectations during natural reading.

Models of human sentence processing effort tend to focus on costs associated with retrieving structures and discourse referents from memory (memory-based) and/or on costs associated with anticipating upcoming words and structures based on contextual cues (expectation-based) (Levy,2008). Although evidence suggests that expectation and memory may play separable roles in language comprehension (Levy et al., 2013), theories of coreference processing have largely focused on memory: how comprehenders identify likely referents of linguistic expressions. In this study, we hypothesize that coreference tracking also informs human expectations about upcoming words, and we test this hypothesis by evaluating the degree to which incremental surprisal measures generated by a novel coreference-aware semantic parser explain human response times in a naturalistic self-paced reading experiment. Results indicate (1) that coreference information indeed guides human expectations and (2) that coreference effects on memory retrieval may exist independently of coreference effects on expectations. Together, these findings suggest that the language processing system exploits coreference information both to retrieve referents from memory and to anticipate upcoming material.
Growing Graphs from Hyperedge Replacement Graph Grammars

Discovering the underlying structures present in large real world graphs is a fundamental scientific problem. In this paper we show that a graph's clique tree can be used to extract a hyperedge replacement grammar. If we store an ordering from the extraction process, the extracted graph grammar is guaranteed to generate an isomorphic copy of the original graph. Or, a stochastic application of the graph grammar rules can be used to quickly create random graphs. In experiments on large real world networks, we show that random graphs, generated from extracted graph grammars, exhibit a wide range of properties that are very similar to the original graphs. In addition to graph properties like degree or eigenvector centrality, what a graph ``looks like'' ultimately depends on small details in local graph substructures that are difficult to define at a global level. We show that our generative graph model is able to preserve these local substructures when generating new graphs and performs well on new and difficult tests of model robustness.