cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radar research at the Pennsylvania State University Radar and Communications Laboratory

The Radar and Communications Laboratory (RCL) at The Pennsylvania State University is at the forefront of radar technology and is engaged in cutting edge research in all aspects of radar, including modeling and simulation studies of novel radar paradigms, design and development of new types of radar architectures, and extensive field measurements in realistic scenarios. This paper summarizes the research at The Pennsylvania State University’s Radar and Communications Laboratory and relevant collaborative research with several groups over the past 15 years in the field of radar and related technologies, including communications, radio frequency identification (RFID), and spectrum sensing.
Academic Integrity at Mason: Best Practices and What to Avoid

As of July 31, 645 students were referred to the Office of Academic Integrity for violations of the Honor Code.AÂ This marked an increase from the previous year, where only 560 students were referred.AÂ Several approaches are being utilized to deter students from engaging in academic misconduct, but there are also steps that faculty can take to prevent integrity violations.AÂ This presentation is designed to provide some tips as well as information on reporting structures at Mason.AÂ More information on the Honor Code and Academic Integrity at Mason can be found at our websiteAÂ oai.gmu.edu.
Assembly of Lyotropic Liquid Crystals with Solid Crystal's Structural Order Translated from the Lipid Rafts in Cell Membranes.

Self-assembly offers a powerful way to control the complexity and hierarchy of nanoscale materials, and promises to create a diverse range of emergent properties. Successful syntheses that allow a delicate structural design of building units play an important role. However, as can be learned from many cellular processes and functions, coself-assembly using logically chosen additives should be equally effective in designing self-assembly. Herein I show that, translated from the dynamic nanoscale assemblies in cell membranes known as lipid rafts, coself-assembly of 1-decanol into cetyltrimethylammonium chloride micelles for the assembly of lyotropic liquid crystals generates new structural complexity and hierarchy, and a surprising property that is emerging from it. Designing the intermolecular forces in the way that cholesterol interacts with sphingolipids promotes the synergistic balance between the flexibility and rigidity, and the unique molecular recognition for silicic acid, followed by the micelle co...
Applying sub-Nyquist sampling in optical time-reversal-based wavefront shaping to boost targeted light transport through opaque scattering media (Conference Presentation)

Wavefront shaping techniques are being actively developed to achieve optical focusing through and inside opaque scattering media. These techniques promise to revolutionize biophotonics by enabling deep-tissue non-invasive optical imaging, optogenetics, optical tweezing, and light-based therapy. Among the existing wavefront shaping techniques, optical time-reversal-based techniques determine the optimum wavefront globally based on the principle of time reversal, without the need to perform time-consuming iterations to optimize each mode in sequence. In all previous optical time-reversal-based wavefront shaping experiments, Nyquist sampling criterion was followed so that the scattered light field was well-sampled during wavefront measurement and wavefront reconstruction. In this work, we overturn this conventional practice by demonstrating that a high-quality optical focus can still be achieved even when the scattered light field is under-sampled. Even more strikingly, we show both theoretically and experimentally that the focus achieved by the under-sampling scheme can be one order of magnitude brighter than that achieved by the well-sampling schemes used in previous works, where 3×3 to 5×5 pixels sampled one speckle grain on average. Moreover, since neighboring pixels were uncorrelated in feedback-based wavefront shaping, introducing the concept of sub-Nyquist sampling in time-reversal-based wavefront shaping makes the optimal phase maps obtained using these two different methods consistent. We anticipate that this newly explored under-sampling scheme will transform the understanding of optical time reversal and boost the performance of optical imaging, manipulation, and communication through opaque scattering media.
Basal and Dynamic Leptin Secretion: Association with Cardiometabolic Risk and Body Weight Trajectories in African-Americans and European-Americans.

Background: Fasting plasma leptin levels reflect fat mass, but dynamic leptin responses to secretagogues, and the influence of race/ethnicity, have not been well-studied. Here, we compared basal and stimulated leptin levels in relation to cardiometabolic risk and weight trajectories in black and white subjects. Subjects and Methods: We studied 254 (127 black, 127 white) normoglycemic adults enrolled in the Pathobiology of Prediabetes in a Bi-racial Cohort (POP-ABC) study. At baseline and annually, POP-ABC participants underwent physical examination, OGTT, and measurements of body fat (DEXA), fasting plasma leptin, insulin, cortisol, lipids, and leptin secretory response to single-dose (2 mg) dexamethasone (dex). The interactions among basal and stimulated leptin and changes in adiposity/cardiometabolic measures during the ensuing year were then analyzed. Results: The mean (±SD) fasting leptin level (50.6 ± 47.7 vs. 39.5 ± 37.6 ng/ml, P=0.004) and BMI (31.9 ± 7.14 vs. 29.0 ± 7.66 kg/m2, P=0.0043) were higher in black women vs. white women, but similar in black men vs. white men (Leptin: 12.4 ± 2.07 vs. 11.1 ± 1.40 ng/ml; BMI: 29.4 ±7.68 vs. 28.1 ± 4.23 kg/m2). The peak leptin response to dex (~200% baseline) did not differ significantly by gender or race. Total body fat correlated positively with fasting leptin (r=0.81, P<0.0001) and inversely stimulated leptin levels (r= -0.26, P<0.0001). Fasting leptin was unrelated to 1-yr change in weight or fat mass, whereas stimulated leptin levels were significantly associated with 1-yr trajectories in weight (P=0.0016) and total fat mass (P=0.0035). Stimulated leptin levels also had significant interactions with insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR, P=0.01), triglycerides (P=0.0078), fasting glucose (P=0.027), systolic BP (P=0.037) and hsCRP (P=0.027). Conclusions: We found no significant ethnic disparities in basal or dynamic leptin secretion in relation to adiposity. Fasting leptin levels were not associated with 1-year weight change, while stimulated levels showed weak though significant association with 1-year weight change.
An information-based model for the differential treatment of gains and losses

This study defines reporting conservatism as a higher verification standard for probable gains compared to losses and builds a model that endogenously generates optimal behavior resembling an asymmetric preference for gains versus losses. Our model considers the setting where one party produces a resource and another tries to expropriate it. The key factor determining the extent of the gain-loss asymmetry is the level of information asymmetry or trust between the two parties. The information asymmetry-based results of our model provide a simpler explanation for the vast empirical literature on conservatism, where the bulk of the economic relationships among the parties appear to be information-based with little direct relation to explicit debt contracts, a factor that has been the focus of theoretical arguments. We also suggest new empirical analyzes.
Airing Live Risks Error: Responsible Journalism in the Trump Era

On the first full day of Donald Trump’s presidency, CNN broke with tradition, peers and its own recent history and decided not to give then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s first press bri...
ER-phagy requires Lnp1, a protein that stabilizes rearrangements of the ER network

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) forms a contiguous network of tubules and sheets that is predominantly associated with the cell cortex in yeast. Upon treatment with rapamycin, the ER undergoes degradation by selective autophagy. This process, termed ER-phagy, requires Atg40, a selective autophagy receptor that localizes to the cortical ER. Here we report that ER-phagy also requires Lnp1, an ER membrane protein that normally resides at the three-way junctions of the ER network, where it serves to stabilize the network as it is continually remodeled. Rapamycin treatment increases the expression of Atg40, driving ER domains marked by Atg40 puncta to associate with Atg11, a scaffold protein needed to form autophagosomes. Although Atg40 largely localizes to the cortical ER, the autophagy machinery resides in the cell interior. The localization of Atg40 to sites of autophagosome formation is blocked in an lnp1Δ mutant or upon treatment of wild-type cells with the actin-depolymerizing drug Latrunculin A. This prevents the association of Atg40 with Atg11 and the packaging of the ER into autophagosomes. We propose that Lnp1 is needed to stabilize the actin-dependent remodeling of the ER that is essential for ER-phagy.
An Analysis of Sartre's and Beauvoir's Views on Transcendence: Exploring Intersubjective Relations

We will argue that Sartre’s failure and Beauvoir’s success in formulating a successful existential ethics lie in their distinct understandings of transcendence. Sartre’s struggle between transcendent consciousness and immanent body undermines being-in-the-world and being-with-others (what is, in Sartre’s language, only a being-for-others) as a way to enrich the self. Contra Sartre, Beauvoir’s notion of transcendence is an upsurge of being which originates in and necessitates bodily immanence. For Beauvoir, transcendence is to be gained only by revelling in immanence, a gesture that puts oneself at risk toward the Other. This putting oneself at risk is, however, the only way to generate an authentic and no longer conflictual encounter with the Other.
Comparative Analysis of the Capacity of the Candida Species To Elicit Vaginal Immunopathology

The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is the major etiological agent of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Despite this fact, other non-albicans Candida (NAC) species have frequently been reported, as well. Despite their presence in the vaginal environment, little is known about their capacities to elicit immune responses classically associated with C. albicans-mediated immunopathology, including neutrophil recruitment and proinflammatory cytokine signaling. Therefore, using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches, we undertook a comparative analysis to determine whether a representative panel of NAC species could colonize, induce immunopathological markers, or cause damage at the vaginal mucosa. Using a murine model of VVC, C. albicans was found to induce robust immunopathology (neutrophils and interleukin 1β [IL-1β]) and elicit mucosal damage. However, all the NAC species tested (including C. dubliniensis, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, C. glabrata, and C. auris) induced significantly less damage and neutrophil recruitment than C. albicans, despite achieving similar early colonization levels. These results largely correlated with a notable lack of ability by the NAC species (including C. dubliniensis and C. tropicalis) to form hyphae both in vitro and in vivo Furthermore, both C. dubliniensis and C. tropicalis induced significantly less expression of the ECE1 gene encoding candidalysin, a key fungal virulence determinant driving VVC immunopathology. In order to determine the relative capacities of these species to elicit inflammasome-dependent IL-1β release, both wild-type and NLRP3-/- THP-1 cells were challenged in vitro While most species tested elicited only modest amounts of IL-1β, challenge with C. albicans led to significantly elevated levels that were largely NLRP3 dependent. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that although NAC species are increasingly reported as causative agents of VVC, C. albicans appears to be exceedingly vaginopathogenic, exhibiting robust immunopathology, hypha formation, and candidalysin expression. Thus, this study provides mechanistic insight into why C. albicans is overwhelmingly the major pathogen reported during VVC.
Sequence Impedance Modeling and Converter-Grid Resonance Analysis Considering DC Bus Dynamics and Mirrored Harmonics

Sequence impedance models have been developed for two-level voltage source converters by assuming constant dc bus voltage and ignoring coupling over frequency effects. There have been efforts to overcome these limitations but the resulting models are very complex and the formulated system models require generalized Nyquist criterion for stability analysis. This paper presents a new modeling and system analysis method that solves these problems. The method starts by modeling the converter current response at different frequencies to a perturbation in the ac terminal voltage while keeping the dc bus voltage constant, and to a perturbation in the dc terminal voltage while keeping the ac terminal voltage constant. The individual transfer functions are then connected to build the overall converter models that include both the effects of dc bus dynamics and coupling over frequency. For converter-grid system stability analysis, the effects of coupling over frequency are shown to be equivalent to an additional impedance in parallel with the sequence impedance. The developed models are validated individually as well as in system resonance analysis.
Image Classification to Determine the Level of Street Cleanliness: A Case Study

The street cleanliness of big cities has a high impact on urban environment and health, so cities invest lots of effort to make their streets clean. With the recent advances in technology, it is feasible to develop smart systems for monitoring street cleanliness at scale such as automatic classification of street images to identify the cleanliness level by utilizing conventional classifiers (e.g., Naive Bayes and AdaBoost). However, these baseline methods do not provide a desired classification accuracy in practice. Thus, we propose a geo-spatial classification approach to enhance the classification accuracy. In particular, since the crowdsourced images are tagged with geo-location (i.e., GPS coordinates), we devise a novel framework with multiple local trained models exploiting the similarity of local images so that the proposed models learn better street image classification for each geographical region. This paper also presents a case study of street cleanliness classification using a large real-world geo-tagged image dataset obtained from Los Angeles Sanitation Department (LASAN). Experimental results showed that our framework was able to achieve an F1 score of around 0.9.
The property of contemporary Chinese art

Signaling China’s rise as a major soft power, the global emergence of contemporary Chinese art from the mid-1990s also reflected sea changes in how Chinese citizens internalized concepts of private...
Hits and misses: A longitudinal examination of congruence between patient-reported quality-of-life concerns in advanced cancer and discussions with oncologists.

22Background: Quality of life (QOL) support is critical to high quality advanced cancer care and is associated with improved patient outcomes, but most patients report unmet supportive care needs. To understand supportive care provision in routine oncology, we examined the agreement, or congruence, between patients’ self-reported symptoms and topics discussed with oncologists over an extended interval of care. Prior research suggests that patient-provider rapport and overall QOL influence discussion of patient concerns, therefore we estimated effects of two predictors of interest: therapeutic alliance between patient and oncologist, and global QOL. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected in the VOICE study. Patients with advanced cancer (n=196) completed measures of symptoms (e.g., pain, nausea, emotional concerns) and QOL, as well as an inventory of topics discussed with oncologists over the prior 3 months. Data were collected at quarterly intervals for up to 48 months, resulting in ...
Backpropagation with Callbacks: Foundations for Efficient and Expressive Differentiable Programming

Training of deep learning models depends on gradient descent and end-to-end differentiation. Under the slogan of differentiable programming, there is an increasing demand for efficient automatic gradient computation for emerging network architectures that incorporate dynamic control flow, especially in NLP. In this paper we propose an implementation of backpropagation using functions with callbacks, where the forward pass is executed as a sequence of function calls, and the backward pass as a corresponding sequence of function returns. A key realization is that this technique of chaining callbacks is well known in the programming languages community as continuation-passing style (CPS). Any program can be converted to this form using standard techniques, and hence, any program can be mechanically converted to compute gradients. Our approach achieves the same flexibility as other reverse-mode automatic differentiation (AD) techniques, but it can be implemented without any auxiliary data structures besides the function call stack, and it can easily be combined with graph construction and native code generation techniques through forms of multi-stage programming, leading to a highly efficient implementation that combines the performance benefits of define-then-run software frameworks such as TensorFlow with the expressiveness of define-by-run frameworks such as PyTorch.
Assessment of the biomechanical changes in cardiac tissue after myocardial infarction with optical coherence elastography

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of death and decrease of quality of life in the USA. An immense amount of research and development has been focused on the molecular mechanisms associated with MI, which have led to numerous therapies for treating and repairing cardiac tissue after MI. However, there is a relative lack of information about the changes in cardiac tissue biomechanical properties due to MI. Therefore, there is a direct need for techniques that can measure cardiac tissue biomechanical properties, which would help further develop our understanding of tissue biomechanical dynamics associated with MI as well as aid in the development of therapies that consider biomechanical properties. In this work we utilize noncontact dynamic optical coherence elastography (OCE) to evaluate the changes in cardiac biomechanical properties 6 weeks after MI in a mouse model. We performed complementary analysis based on elastic wave propagation and damping analyses. Our results show that the left ventricle cardiac tissue became more isotropic and softer after 6 weeks in the MI-affected mice as compared to the sham mice based on the elastic wave propagation measurements. The damping measurements also showed that the MI-affected mice had softer left ventricles as compared to the sham mice. Moreover, the damping analysis was able to localize the boundary of the MI-damaged region. These results show that OCE can be a powerful tool for understanding the dynamics in biomechanical changes in murine cardiac tissue and could potentially reveal diseased areas for targeted therapies.
Health Communication Effectiveness: Using Underlying Processes to Understand the Relationship Between Risk Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions

We show that the relationship between consumers' health risk attitudes and behavioral intentions following exposure to health communication messages depends on the match between the type of processes that underlie attitudes and intentions formation. Based on the dual-process literature, we propose that when risk attitudes and behavioral intentions are both formed by deliberate processes, they tend to be positively correlated. On the other hand, when people's automatic attitudes are activated through a memory inhibition manipulation, the directional response of these automatic attitudes diverges from the directional response of behavioral intentions. We employ concept maps, a novel measurement tool in the study of health communications, to measure consumers' cognitive representations in order to tease apart automatic vs. deliberate attitudes.
Mast cells are mediators of fibrosis and effector cell recruitment in dermal chronic graft-versus-host disease

Abstract Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) is often used to treat acute leukemia or defects of hematopoiesis. Its widespread use is hampered by graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which has high morbidity and mortality in both acute and chronic subtypes. Chronic GVHD (cGVHD) occurs most frequently in skin and often is characterized by pathogenic fibrosis. Mast cells (MCs) are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of other fibrotic diseases. In a murine model of cGVHD after allo-HSCT, C57BL/6J recipients of allogeneic LP/J donor cells develop sclerodermatous dermal cGVHD which is significantly decreased in mast cell-deficient B6.Cg-KitW-sh/HNihrJaeBsmGlliJ recipients. MCs survive conditioning and are associated with fibrosis, chemokine production, and recruitment of GVHD effector cells to the skin. Chemokine production by MCs is blocked by drugs used to treat cGVHD. The importance of MCs in skin cGVHD is mirrored by increased MCs in the skin of patients with dermal cGVHD. We show for the first time a role for MCs in skin cGVHD that may be targetable for preventive and therapeutic intervention in this disease.
A Rare Case of Non-Functioning Bladder Paraganglioma Treated with Robotic Assisted Partial Cystectomy

Primary bladder paraganglioma is rare. A 57-year old man presented with a mass in the inferior wall of the bladder identified on computerized tomography imaging. We investigated the mass with office cystoscopy followed by transurethral resection, which was found to be a nonfunctioning paraganglioma. 68Ga-DOTA-conjugated somatostatin receptor-targeting peptide positron emission tomography revealed no other locations of the disease. The mass was then completely removed through robotic assisted partial cystectomy. Succinate dehydrogenase B immunohistochemistry was normal, arguing against a succinate dehydrogenase-deficient paraganglioma.
Express Link Placement for NoC-Based Many-Core Platforms

With the integration of up to hundreds of cores in recent general-purpose processors that can be used in parallel processing systems, it is critical to design scalable and low-latency networks-on-chip (NoCs) to support various on-chip communications. An effective way to reduce on-chip latency and improve network scalability is to add express links between pairs of non-adjacent routers. However, increasing the number of express links may result in smaller bandwidth per link due to the limited total bisection bandwidth on chip, thus leading to higher serialization latency of packets in the network. Unlike previous works on application-specific designs or on fixed placement of express links, this paper aims at finding effective placement of express links for general-purpose processors considering all the possible placement options. We formulate the problem mathematically and propose an efficient algorithm that utilizes an initial solution generation heuristic and enhanced candidate generator in simulated annealing. Evaluation on 4x4, 8x8 and 16x16 networks using multi-threaded PARSEC benchmarks and various synthetic traffic patterns shows significant reduction of average packet latency over previous works.
Failure Mechanics of Low Velocity Dynamic Impact on Woven Polymeric Composites in Arctic Conditions

The rise in demand and interest in arctic exploration has brought new challenges with regard to the mechanical behavior of lightweight offshore structures with fiber reinforced composite materials. These materials experience drastic changes and degradation in their macro-and-microstructures when exposed to seawater and cold temperatures during service. Therefore, it is critical to have a detailed comprehension of the mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of these materials in arctic conditions. Within the scope of the current study, low-velocity single and repeated impact behavior of carbon fiber/vinyl ester composites in arctic temperature (-50 °C) is investigated. Impact responses, such as the contact force, displacement and absorbed energy, at four impact energies of 20 J, 25 J, 30 J and 35 J under single impact loading and repeated impact loading until perforation are determined at −50 °C and compared against those at room temperature (25 °C). For the repeated impact cases, the number of impacts required for perforation, the rate of reduction in impact force, the degree of damage and the failure mechanisms change significantly with varying impact energies and in-situ ambient temperatures, and are elucidated in detail in this paper.
Curvature correction applied to droplets subjected to natural convection for particle image velocimetry

Abstract Due to numerous applications, e.g. micro-particle mixing, DNA deposition, spray-cooling technology, inkjet printing etc. there has been a wide range of analysis on convection inside droplets. In order to know the exact internal velocities of droplets, particle image velocimetry (PIV) is employed, a method of quantifying fluid motion. PIV is used to visualize and quantify the processes of boundary layer formation, micro-fluidic device flows, etc. A droplet of de-ionized water doped with illuminating seed particles, illuminated by a laser, is pipetted on a hydrophobic slide, and this droplet is captured by a high speed camera. When this picture is captured, the lensing effect is observed. These effects lead to improper identification of location of the particles, altering the velocity magnitudes of these particles. A mathematical model for dewarping such images is programmed using MATLAB. The captured images are processed and reanalyzed to find the corrected velocity vectors. After re-processing, a reduction in the velocity magnitudes of the corrected images is observed suggesting that the particles move inside the droplet, towards its center.
We Need Non-factive Metaphysical Explanation

Suppose that A explains B. Do A and B need to be true? Provided that we have metaphysical explanation in mind, orthodoxy answers “yes:” metaphysical explanation is factive. This article introduces and defends a non-factive notion of metaphysical explanation. I argue that we need a non-factive notion of explanation in order to make sense of explanationist arguments where we motivate a view by claiming that it offers better explanations than its competitors. After presenting and rejecting some initially plausible rivals, I account for non-factive metaphysical explanation by drawing on existing applications of structural equation models to metaphysical grounding.
Locum Tenens Neurosurgery in the United States: A Medicare Claims Analysis of Outcomes, Complications, and Cost of Care.

Background The utilization of locum tenens physicians in the United States has risen significantly as a stopgap for clinical practice needs, particularly in rural and other underserved areas. The difficulty in hiring new physicians to remote hospitals has resulted in the dependence of these institutions on locum tenens coverage. Here, we assess the quality and cost of neurosurgical care between locum and non-locum neurosurgeons in the United States, the first study in our knowledge to do so. Methods A 5% random sample of the Medicare claims limited data set was queried for 2005–2011 for neurosurgical cases using International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification, 9th edition (ICD-9-CM) procedure codes for common cranial and spine procedures. Cases were divided into locum and non-locum groups using ICD modifier Q6. The association between locum care and 30-day surgical complications, disposition, and cost of care was evaluated. Results A total of 112,397 patients met inclusion criteria, with locum tenens practitioners involved in 164 (0.15%) cases. Locum and non-locum cohorts were statistically and clinically similar at baseline, with respect to comorbidity and case type. Mortality (0.00% vs. 0.19%; P=0.739), discharge disposition (P=0.739), surgical complication rates, and length of stay (8.74 ± 12.24 vs. 10.54 ± 15.51 days; P = 0.117) did not appear to differ significantly between the 2 groups. Hospitalization costs were also similar (158,780.20 ± 223,735.50 vs. 168,104.40 ± 308,074.90 USD; P = 0.698), as were amounts paid by patients (39,197.70 ± 14,144.75 vs. 39,234.36 ± 15,467.63 USD, P = 0.976). Conclusions Among Medicare beneficiaries, there exists no difference in short-term complication rates, lengths of hospitalization, or costs between locum and non-locum neurosurgeons.
Mortality Risk in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Transitioning to Dialysis: Impact of Opiate and Non-Opiate Use.

Background Population-based studies show there is a high prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients suffering from chronic pain. While opiates are frequently prescribed in non-dialysis-dependent CKD (NDD-CKD) patients, there may be toxic accumulation of metabolites, particularly among those progressing to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We examined the association of opiate versus other analgesic use during the pre-ESRD period with post-ESRD mortality among NDD-CKD patients transitioning to dialysis. Methods We examined a national cohort of US Veterans with NDD-CKD who transitioned to dialysis over 2007-14. Among patients who received ≥1 prescription(s) in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System within 1 year of transitioning to dialysis, we examined associations of pre-ESRD analgesic status, defined as opiate, gabapentin/pregabalin, other non-opiate analgesic, versus no analgesic use, with post-ESRD mortality using multivariable Cox models. Results Among 57,764 patients who met eligibility criteria, pre-ESRD opiate and gabapentin/pregabalin use were each associated with higher post-ESRD mortality (ref: no analgesic use), whereas non-opiate analgesic use was not associated with higher mortality in expanded case-mix analyses: HRs (95% CIs) 1.07 (1.05-1.10), 1.07 (1.01-1.13), and 1.00 (0.94-1.06), respectively. In secondary analyses, increasing frequency of opiate prescriptions exceeding 1 opiate prescription in the 1-year pre-ESRD period was associated with incrementally higher post-ESRD mortality (ref: no analgesic use). Conclusions In NDD-CKD patients transitioning to dialysis, pre-ESRD opiate and gabapentin/pregabalin use were associated with higher post-ESRD mortality, whereas non-opiate analgesic use was not associated with death. There was a graded association between increasing frequency of pre-ESRD opiate use and incrementally higher mortality.
Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 Intervention Policies on the Hospitality Labor Market

Using new high-frequency data that covers a representative sample of small businesses in the United States, this study investigates the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting state policies on the hospitality industry. First, business closure policies are associated with a 20-30% reduction of non-salaried workers in the food/drink and leisure/entertainment sectors during March-April of 2020. Second, business reopening policies play a statistically significant role in slowly reviving the labor market. Third, considerable differences exist in the impact of policies on the labor market by state. Fourth, the rise of new COVID-19 cases on a daily basis is associated with the continued deterioration of the labor market. Lastly, managerial, practical, and economic implications are described.
Pulsatility as an Option with Continuous-Flow Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices

Rotary blood pumps have demonstrated superior device safety and performance compared with first-generation volume displacement pumps. The first generation of axial and centrifugal flow devices operate at constant speeds (rpm) delivering continuous end-organ blood flow, but with diminished vascular pulsatility and non-phasic volume unloading. It has been speculated that the resulting non-physiologic hemodynamics may be associated with clinically significant adverse events including thrombus, stroke, and bleeding. Subsequently, pump speed modulation algorithms are being developed in an attempt to achieve physiologic pulsatile pressures, flows, and volume unloading. This chapter presents a review of pulsatile- and continuous-flow device hemodynamics, methods for quantifying pulsatility, and engineering approaches to produce favorable flow conditions and near-physiologic hemodynamics.
Role for Fgr and Numb in retinoic acid-induced differentiation and G0 arrest of non-APL AML cells

Retinoic acid (RA) is a fundamental regulator of cell cycle and cell differentiation. Using a leukemic patient-derived in vitro model of a non-APL AML, we previously found that RA evokes activation of a macromolecular signaling complex, a signalosome, built of numerous MAPK-pathway-related signaling molecules; and this signaling enabled Retinoic-Acid-Response-Elements (RAREs) to regulate gene expression that results in cell differentiation/cell cycle arrest. Toward mechanistic insight into the nature of this novel signaling, we now find that the NUMB cell fate determinant protein is an apparent scaffold for the signalosome. Numb exists in the cell bound to an ensemble of signalosome molecules, including Raf, Lyn, Slp-76, and Vav. Addition of RA induces the expression of Fgr. Fgr binds NUMB, which is associated with (p-tyr)phosphorylation of NUMB and enhanced NUMB-binding and (p-tyr)phosphorylation of select signalosome components, thereby betraying signalosome activation. Signalosome activation is associated with cell differentiation along the myeloid lineage and G1/0 cell cycle arrest. If RA-induced Fgr expression is ablated by a CRISPR-KO; then the RA-induced (p-tyr) phosphorylation of NUMB and enhanced NUMB-binding and (p-tyr)phosphorylation of select signalosome components are lost. The cells now fail to undergo RA-induced differentiation or G1/0 arrest. In sum we find that NUMB acts as a scaffold for a signaling machine that functions to propel RA-induced differentiation and G1/0 arrest, and that Fgr binding to NUMB turns the function on. The Numb fate determinant protein thus appears to regulate the retinoic acid embryonic morphogen using the Fgr Src-Family-Kinase. These mechanistic insights suggest therapeutic targets for a hitherto incurable AML.
The Theory of the Knowledge Square and the Concepts of Probability and the Probability Space (Open image in new window)

We have discussed the potential and possibility spaces and their relationships to the knowledge-production process as viewed from the theory of the knowledge square. These conceptual relationships were connected to the possible-world space, the explanatory science, prescriptive science and the defective knowledge structure. On the basis of the defective knowledge structure, the roles of explanatory theory and the corresponding explanatory rationality were projected. Similarly, the prescriptive theory and the corresponding prescriptive rationality were discussed .We shall now turn our attention to the probability space and show how it is connected to the possibility space and then to the universal object set in a backward regressive process of the knowledge-production process. The possibility space and its construct on the basis of the fuzzy paradigm to deal with the problem of possibilistic uncertainty provide us with the analytical structure of possibilistic reasoning under conditions of defective information structure that is constrained by quality and quantity deficiencies about epistemic elements with neutrality of time.
The Effects of Chronic Nicotine Administration on Brain Nicotinic Receptor Numbers

Nicotine was infused via the jugular vein into DBA mice, and the effects of such treatment on brain nicotinic receptors and various behavioral and physiological responses to nicotine were determined. Nicotinic receptors were measured using [3H]nicotine or [125I]α-bungarotoxin (α-BTX) as the ligands. Infusion with nicotine resulted in tolerance to several of nicotine’s effects. This change in drug sensitivity was accompanied by an increase in Bmax, for both brain nicotinic receptors. A dose-response analysis indicated that [3Hlnicotine binding increased at lower infusion doses than did [125I]α-BTX binding. The maximal increase in nicotine binding was seen at a 4-mg/kg/hr infusion dose, while α-BTX binding continued to increase with nicotine dose up to a dose of 8 mg/kg/hr. Tolerance to nicotine’s effects correlated best with the changes in [3H]nicotine binding. Time course studies for the onset and offset of tolerance and changes in nicotinic receptors were also carried out. Alpha-BTX binding increased rapidly at the nicotine dose used and reached its new equilibrium value within 2 days. Nicotine binding reached its new equilibrium value in 4 days. Approximately 8 days were required, following termination of nicotine treatment, for nicotine binding to return to control levels, while α-BTX binding was at control levels at the earliest post-treatment test time (4 days). The rates of acquisition and loss of tolerance to nicotine paralleled the changes in brain nicotine binding. These results suggest that chronic tobacco use may lead to changes in brain nicotinic receptors. Such effects could explain not only tolerance to nicotine, but also effects of tobacco on such processes as learning and memory.
Purification and Properties of Porcine Gastricsin

Abstract The proteolytic enzyme, gastricsin, has been isolated from an acidified extract of porcine gastric mucosa. The purification procedure consists of ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by chromatography on columns of Amberlite CG-50 and Sephadex G-75. The enzyme preparation was found to be homogeneous on ultracentrifugation and electrophoresis. The enzymic properties of porcine gastricsin, including optimal pH, hydrolysis of synthetic and protein substrates, milk-clotting activity, and stability in an alkaline solution, were found to be similar to those of the human enzyme. The molecular weight was found to be 32,500. The amino acid composition of porcine gastricsin was similar to that of human gastricsin and differed significantly from those of human and porcine pepsin.
Synergistic anti-tumor effect with combination of a novel small molecule Smac mimetic compound (SM-164) and agonist TRAIL-R monoclonal Abs (Mapatumumab & Lexatumumab).

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 4871 Background: Agonism of the TRAIL receptor (TRAIL-R) pathway by monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is a promising biologic therapy currently under clinical development for the treatment of cancer. As part of our small molecule development program synergy was demonstrated when small molecule Smac mimetic compounds were combined with the TRAIL ligand in both TRAIL-sensitive and TRAIL-resistant cell lines. In the current study we investigated the effect of combined treatment of the dimeric Smac mimetic compound SM-164 and TRAIL-R agonist mAbs, Mapatumumab and Lexatumumab against several human cancer cell lines. Methods: Cell growth inhibition was measured using WST-based assays and Cell Titer Glo. The CalcuSyn program was used to assess drug interaction by calculating the Combination Index (CI) value. Xenograft models were used to determine the in vivo anti-tumor activity of SM-164 and Mapatumumab or Lexatumumab. Summary: We tested cell growth inhibition of SM-164 and either Mapatumumab or Lexatumumab in prostate, breast, lung, esophageal and colon cancer cell lines. Strong synergy was observed with combinations of SM-164 and both TRAIL-R mAbs at ineffective doses for both single agents in PC-3 (CI<0.004), MDA-231 (CI<0.005) and HCT-116 (CI<0.02) cancer cells. Significant changes in IC50 were observed in those cell lines treated with the combinations consisting of either TRAIL-R mAb and SM-164. These results demonstrate that the combination of SM-164 and TRAIL-R mAbs has synergistic cytotoxic effects across a range of human tumor cell lines. In vivo efficacy was evaluated in MDA-231 and HCT-116 xenografts. Complete tumor regression (eight out of eight tumors) was observed only in the combination of SM-164 (5 mg/kg, QD x 5/wk, 2 wks), with Lexatumumab (2.5 mg/kg, 2x/wk, 2 wks), with a T/C value of 0% in the MDA-231 xenograft. Lower anti-tumor activity was observed with single-agent, with T/C values of 79% for SM-164, and 36% for Lexatumumab. The combination of Mapatumumab and SM-164 had been evaluated in two xenograft models. In MDA-231 xenograft model, the combination of Mapatumumab (2.5 mg/kg) and SM-164 (5 mg/kg) resulted in a T/C of 36%, compared to 88% and 79% for both single agent groups. In HCT-116 xenograft model combination of Mapatumumab (10 mg/kg) and SM-164 (5 mg/kg) induced significant tumor growth inhibition when compared to either of the single-agent treatment groups. Our results show that combination treatment of SM-164 and Lexatumumab causes immediate and sustained tumor regression in vivo in mice carrying MDA-231 xenografts . Minimal changes in body weight with the combination regimen. Conclusion: Targeting the apoptosis pathways with small molecule Smac mimetics in combination with agonist TRAIL-R mAbs provides a novel therapy that holds great potential in overcoming TRAIL resistance in a broad range of human malignancies.
Estuarine Water Quality Management: Planning, Organizing, Monitoring and Modelling

The value of estuaries is well known, but managing their water quality faces obstacles due to scientific and political complexity. Unique action plans, based on good science, are required for each estuary. Effective water quality monitoring and modelling programs can help.
Phonon spectroscopy of photochemical reactions in organic solids: Photodimerization of 2,6-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone

Abstract The Raman phonon spectroscopic study shows that the photodimerization of 2,6-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone. In the solid state is initially a homogeneous reaction but later becomes heterogeneous as the product accumulates. The Ion-temperature electronic absorption spectrum reveals that the reaction is phonon assisted by a polaron formed due to a strong electron- phonon coupling in the cxcited 1 nπ * state.
Comparison of safety and efficacy of bivalirudin versus unfractionated heparin in percutaneous peripheral intervention: a single-center experience

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of bivalirudin versus low-dose unfractionated heparin (UFH) in percutaneous peripheral intervention (PPI). Background Anticoagulation strategies used in PPI are based primarily on studies of percutaneous coronary intervention where higher doses of heparin are used usually in combination with a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor. There are no studies comparing bivalirudin alone versus low-dose heparin in PPI. Methods Consecutive patients who underwent PPI at our institution were treated with either bivalirudin or low-dose UFH. Patients were assessed prospectively during index hospital stay for procedural success and bleeding complications. Of 236 patients, 111 were dosed with UFH at 50 U/kg (goal activated clotting time of 180 to 240 s), and 125 were dosed with bivalirudin at 0.75-mg/kg/h bolus followed by a 1.75-mg/kg infusion. Procedural success was defined as Results Procedural success and major bleeding rates were similar with bivalirudin versus heparin (98% vs. 99% and 2.4% vs. 0.9%, respectively). There were no differences in minor bleeding, time to ambulation, and length of hospital stay. The hospital cost for bivalirudin was $547 and Conclusions Low-dose UFH is as effective and safe as bivalirudin when used as an anticoagulation strategy in patients undergoing PPI, and low-dose UFH is less costly than bivalirudin. Larger randomized studies are required to further evaluate these findings.
Symmetry of Physical Laws Part II. Q-Number Theory of Space-Time Inversions and Charge Conjugation

Symmetry properties of physical laws with respect to space-inversion, time-reversal and charge-conjugation are investigated in detail in the framework of the quantized field theory. In most cases, the requirements of invariance for these transformations are automatically satisfied; in a few other cases they can impose certain conditions on the ways in which different types of interaction are to be mixed. The ideas of space-parity, charge-parity and superselection rules are coherently derived from the general formulation of field theory.
Chemistry of the phenoxathiins VI. An examination of the 1–3C‐1H coupling constants of 1‐azaphenoxathiin by selective excitation fourier transform 1–3C‐NMR

The complete examination of coupled 1–3C-nmr spectra of complex heterocyclic systems is seldom attempted because of the inherrent complexity of these spectra, arising through extensive spin-multiplet overlapping. The utilization of the selective excitation technique, in combination with gated decoupling for the specific re-examination of the primary coupling constants of resonances at the 4- and 6-positions of the 1-azaphenoxathiin ring system is described.
The Planet Host Star γ Cephei: Physical Properties, the Binary Orbit, and the Mass of the Substellar Companion

The bright, K1 III-IV star γ Cep has been reported previously to have a possibly substellar companion in a ~2.5 yr orbit, as well as an unseen stellar companion at a larger separation. We determine for the first time the three-dimensional orbit of the latter, accounting also for the perturbation from the closer object. We combine new and existing radial velocity measurements with intermediate astrometric data from the Hipparcos mission (abscissa residuals), as well as ground-based positional observations going back more than a century. The orbit of the secondary star is eccentric (e = 0.4085 ± 0.0065) and has a period P = 66.8 ± 1.4 yr. We establish the primary star to be on the first ascent of the giant branch and to have a mass of 1.18 ± 0.11 M☉, an effective temperature of 4800 ± 100 K, and an age around 6.6 Gyr (for an assumed metallicity [Fe/H] = +0.01 ± 0.05). The unseen secondary star is found to be an M4 dwarf with a mass of 0.362 ± 0.022 M☉ and is expected to be ~6.4 mag fainter than the primary in K. The minimum mass of the putative planetary companion is Mp sin i = 1.43 ± 0.13 MJup. Based on high-precision Hipparcos observations, we are able to place a dynamical upper limit on this mass of 13.3MJup at the 95% confidence level, and 16.9MJup at the 99.73% (3 σ) confidence level, thus confirming that it is indeed substellar in nature. The orbit of this object is only 9.8 times smaller than the orbit of the secondary star (the smallest ratio among exoplanet host stars in multiple systems), but it is stable if coplanar with the binary.
Atomic Absorption Measurements in a Q-Switched Laser Plume Using Pulsed Hollow Cathode Lamps

Quantitative atomic absorption measurements on transient plasmas induced by a Q-switched laser beam were made using pulsed hollow cathode lamps. Calibration curves were obtained for 0.002 to 0.15% Cu in an aluminum alloy and 0.013 to 0.124% Mn in graphite pellets. The dependence of the atomic absorption characteristics upon changes in laser energy and upon atmospheric gas and pressure is discussed.
Recombinant DNA and the pediatrician

It is our opinion that the basic science clearly explained and illustrated in this article is surely worth understanding, in view of the several advances already established, the prospects which are imminent, and probably many other evolutions not yet anticipated. Accordingly, we urge each reader who may be interested in this new and exciting field to read this article slowly and under the best evironmental circumstances, with frequent reference to the very helpful illustrations. As the author has stated to us, this is such a fast-moving field that some of this material may be considered out of date by the time it is printed; our printing schedules and other limiting factors preclude the rapid action which would be desirable. On the other hand, the basic principles are so clearly set forth here that the kind of assimilation which we can recommend will surely pay rich dividends.