cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of stereotactic body radiotherapy in spinal metastasis and subsequent fracture risk: identifying and treating the at-risk patient

SUMMARY The treatment of spinal metastasis has considerably improved with the advent of stereotactic body radiotherapy. Technological advances have enabled the precise delivery of high-dose radiation that may supplant surgery and standard fractionation postoperative radiation as a treatment for spinal metastasis without cord compression. Unfortunately, the higher biologically equivalent doses conferred by stereotactic body radiotherapy can also result in radiation toxicity, notably myelitis and vertebral body fracture. These are toxicities that the radiation oncologist must be able to anticipate, mitigate and manage. Although myelitis can be prevented largely by instituting dose constraints, it is less clear what the fracture risk of a structurally compromised vertebra is, and what should be done in terms of stabilization and dosimetry to mitigate this risk. This review answers these questions by defining the appropriate patient for stereotactic body radiotherapy, and what dose, fractionation and spinal s...
Estimating the number of frequency hopping interferers using spectral sensing with time and frequency offset measurements

A critical aspect of spectrum sensing involves determining the number and type of transmitters in the band of interest. We present a technique that exploits a combination of temporal and frequency-based analysis to enable significantly more accurate frequency offset measurements than would be possible with frequency domain measurements alone, thus enabling improved RF fingerprinting for frequency hopping devices.
The TRANSFORMER Genes of the Fern Ceratopteris Simultaneously Promote Meristem and Archegonia Development and Repress Antheridia Development in the Developing Gametophyte

The sex of the haploid gametophyte of the fern Ceratopteris is determined by the presence or absence of the pheromone antheridiogen, which, when present, promotes male development and represses female development of the gametophyte. Several genes involved in sex determination in Ceratopteris have been identified by mutation. In this study, the epistatic interactions among new and previously described sex-determining mutants have been characterized. These results show that sex expression is regulated by two sets of genes defined by the FEM1 and TRA loci. Each promotes the expression of either male or female traits and simultaneously represses the expression of the other. A model describing how antheridiogen regulates the expression of these genes and the sex of the gametophyte is described. The observation that some gametophytic sex-determining mutants have phenotypic effects on the sporophyte plant indicates that sex determination in the Ceratopteris gametophyte is regulated by a mechanism that also regulates sporophyte development.
The Visual Environment: Public Participation in Design and Planning

In the process of making environmental decisions, many intangible qualities of considerable psychological significance tend to be ignored. The difficulty of measuring intangibles and the frustration inherent in commonly used methods of obtaining public input are major obstacles to correcting this unfortunate situation. In this paper we suggest a strategy for overcoming these difficulties. A procedure is presented for obtaining public input with respect to such intangibles as aesthetic values in the visual environment. Several examples illustrate how the approach has been applied. The procedure differs from current practice in a number of respects. The Reasonable Person Model, offered here as a psychologically more appropriate framework than the widely adopted Rational Man position, provides both a rationale for these differences and a guide to their implementation. This model-guided procedure can (a) make public concerns more articulate, (b) make better use of the talents of the environmental professional, and (c) make the process considerably more satisfying for all concerned.
Stopping superbugs, maintaining the microbiota

The U.S. National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria will succeed only if we alter the definition of “antibiotic.”
Pattern-based composite application deployment

The deployment of composite applications and services in distributed or compute cloud environments is still a challenging task that is a key source of operational cost and risk. Current approaches to composite deployments can be categorized as workflow based and model based. In the workflow based approach, deployers create end-to-end workflows to automate application deployment, while in the model based approach architects design detailed “desired state” models and validate they meet all requirements and constraints. Today, there is no formally understood relationship and mapping between “desired state” models and deployment workflows, posing a challenge and limitation on architects and deployers. In this paper we propose a new model based approach to bridge the gap between deployment models and workflows. Our approach supports separation of concerns where basic automation building blocks (such as scripts and workflows) can be developed independently of the resource model and with no knowledge of it. Therefore, the method enables deployers to continue to leverage useful libraries of automation building blocks, while enjoying the benefits of a sound resource model, used for validation and constraint satisfaction. We propose algorithms and implementation to generate end-to-end workflows for input “desired state” resource models, based on given libraries of automation building blocks. Our approach has been incorporated into IBM's leading deployment modeling platform [15] and is in active use by customers in a large range of applications.
Dual Antiplatelet Therapy for Heart Disease

Within the body, the heart pumps blood through paths called vessels so that all of the body’s organs get the oxygen and nutrients they need to function properly. The blood itself contains many components in addition to oxygen and nutrients, including tiny plate-shaped cell fragments fittingly called platelets. These platelets are useful because when they are needed, for example, when someone cuts a finger, the platelets can change their shape and stick together to help form clots to stop the bleeding. Platelets also form clots inside the body in the vessels that carry blood. Sometimes these internal clots are helpful, but at other times, a blocked heart vessel results in decreased blood flow, reduced oxygen supply, and ultimately injury to the heart. Antiplatelet therapy is a term used to describe the use of medications to block platelets and therefore to help prevent the dangerous type of clotting. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) refers to treatment regimens in which 2 different medications that block platelets are given at the same time. DAPT is usually prescribed after a heart attack or stent placement to keep the vessels open and to prevent future heart attacks. This Cardiology Patient Page explains how this works and why DAPT is useful. The heart is responsible for pumping blood to the body, providing organs with the oxygen and nutrients necessary for normal function. The heart requires its own steady supply of oxygen and nutrients to pump effectively. To meet this need, there are vessels, called coronary arteries, that supply the heart with blood, ensuring that …
Water vapour fluxes and their impact under elevated CO2 in a C4-tallgrass prairie

We measured leaf-level stomata1 conductance, xylem pressure potential, and stomate number and size as well as whole plant sap flow and canopy-level water vapour fluxes in a C4-tallgrass prairie in Kansas exposed to ambient and elevated C02. Stomata1 conductance was reduced by as much as 50% under elevated CO2 compared to ambient. In addition, there was a reduction in stomate number of the C4 grass, Andropogon gerardii Vitman, and the C3 dicot herb, Salvia pitcheri Tort, under elevated CO2 compared to ambient. The result was an improved water status for plants exposed to elevated CO2 which was reflected by a less negative xylem pressure potential compared to plants exposed to ambient CO*. Sap flow rates were 20 to 30% lower for plants exposed to elevated CO2 than for those exposed to ambient CO*. At the canopy level, evapotranspiration was reduced by 22% under elevated C02. The reduced water use by the plant canopy under elevated CO2 extended the photosynthetically-active period when water became limiting in the ecosystem. The result was an increased above- and belowground biomass production in years when water stress was frequent.
Domains Required for Transcriptional Activation Show Conservation in the Mga Family of Virulence Gene Regulators

Mga, or the multigene regulator of the group A streptococcus (GAS) (Streptococcus pyogenes), is a transcriptional regulator of virulence genes important for colonization and immune evasion. All serotypes of the GAS possess one of two divergent mga alleles (mga-1 or mga-2), and orthologues of Mga have also been identified in other pathogenic streptococci. To date, the only functional motifs established within Mga are two amino-terminal DNA-binding domains (HTH-3 and HTH-4). To uncover novel domains, a random mutagenesis screen using an M6 Mga (mga-1) was undertaken to find mutations leading to a defect in transcriptional activation of the Mga-regulated emm gene. In addition to mutations in the established DNA-binding domains, the screen also revealed mutations in a region conserved among several Mga orthologues. Alanine scanning helped resolve the boundaries of this conserved Mga domain (CMD-1) spanning from residues 10 to 15 of the protein, with the two flanking amino acid residues likely involved in protein stability. Transcriptional reporter analyses demonstrated the importance of CMD-1 for activation of Pemm and autoactivation of Pmga in the serotype M6 Mga. Mutational analyses showed that both CMD-1 and HTH-4 are also necessary for activation of the promoter target Pmrp in a divergent serotype M4 Mga (mga-2), suggesting a conserved functionality. However, in contrast to M6, the M4 Mga mutants did not show a defect in autoregulation. Mutation of similar conserved residues in the Mga-like regulator DmgB from S. dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae showed that CMD-1 and HTH-4 are critical for transcriptional activation in this orthologue, implying that a common mechanism of virulence gene activation may exist for members of the Mga family of regulators.
A Mentoring Program for Remedial Students

The effectiveness of a mentoring program for 53 at-risk students was investigated. The investigation followed the similar research models as those previously implemented in higher education settings whereby undergraduate and graduate peers, in good academic standing, served as mentors to students in academic jeopardy. The grade point averages and attrition of a cohort of students on academic probation or warning was recorded during two consecutive semesters. A mentoring intervention was instituted during the second semester. The results indicated that the mentoring intervention had a positive impact on retention and grade point averages for this student cohort.
Waiting times, probabilities and the Q factor of fluorescent photons

Photons in resonance fluorescence from a single atom are correlated, and this affects the photon detection statistics. We consider the time dependence of the variance for the number of counts in a time interval [0, T], and we show that there exist Poisson points for certain values of the atomic parameters. At these points, the variance equals the average, like for a Poisson process. We also show that the conditional probability density for the detection of the nth photon after a detection of a photon at time zero can be obtained from the conditional probability density for the first photon, and we illustrate this by computing several conditional probability densities for a special case of interest. The unconditional probability density for the detection of the nth photon can be obtained from the conditional probability densities and the probability for detecting n photons in [0, T] can subsequently be found from the unconditional probability densities.
Inferring Snow-Breeze Characteristics from Frozen-Lake Breezes

Abstract Thermally induced flows between snow and snow-free areas (snow breezes) are difficult to evaluate by direct observations. This note outlines the equivalence of the surface thermal flux over snow and that over frozen/near-frozen lakes and discusses the similarity of the related induced breezes. Surface observations for the frozen Lake Winnipeg and the near-frozen Lake Michigan were used to infer snow breezes. On synoptically unperturbed days during late winter and early spring, lake breezes were detected, and their characteristics are provided for several illustrative cases. Lake breezes with intensities as high as 6 m s−1 and onshore penetration of at least 6 km were observed. It is suggested that in future projects, detailed observations along these lakes could provide indirect characterization of snow breezes.
New technologies for the detection of antibodies to therapeutic proteins.

Abstract The determination of antibody formation in response to a therapeutic product requires that a variety of data be evaluated. In addition to examining immuno-assay and bioassay results, it is important to determine any clinical relevance. By also examining pharmacokinetic data as well as other clinical results, an evaluation can be made as to whether any clinically relevant antibodies were generated. To help in this evaluation, it is important to fully characterize the antibodies that are generated. Both the BIAcore and IGEN platforms are powerful tools for determining if antibodies have been produced in a subject The BIAcore is also able to characterize these antibodies as to isotype, relative concentration, and relative affinity. The bioassay result can identify serum samples that contain an agent capable of inhibiting a biological effect of a drug. When combined with the results of an immuno-assay, it is possible to determine if the antibodies are capable of neutralizing the drug.
CODE-COPYING IN THE BALOCHI LANGUAGE OF SISTAN

This empirical study deals with language contact phenomena in Sistan. Code-copying is viewed as a strategy of linguistic behavior when a dominated language acquires new elements in lexicon, phonology, morphology, syntax, pragmatic organization, etc., which can be interpreted as copies of a dominating language. In this framework Persian is regarded as the model code which provides elements for being copied into Balochi as the basic code. It is argued here that code-copying affects most readily the lexicon, whereas more structured subsystems like morphology and syntax hardly admit to copying. Instead lexical copies serve as an intermediary for copying phonic and morphological-syntactical features of the model code. Copies of the Persian model code which become established linguistic features of Balochi are distinguished from ephemeral linguistic switches which are studied within the context of communication situation variables and other linguistic or extra-linguistic factors. The study is based upon audio recordings of colloquial Balochi speech made by the author in Sistan during the last six years.
Effects of Different Solvent Extract and Fractions from Litsea Cubeba on Antioxidant Activity and Its GC-MS Analysis

In this research,the Litsea cubeba oil was extracted with different organic solvent,theirs in vitro antioxidant activity were evaluated by DPPH tests.Base on the GC-MS peak area normalization meth- od.the relative content of main compounds were been obtained.Furthermore,the correlation relationship between the antioxidant activities of the extraction and its compounds were discussed.These results dem- onstrated the solvent extracts exhibited significant antioxidant activity similar to synthetic antioxidants BHA and large variance in the antioxidant result among the different solvent.With the high polar methanol as extraction medium,the extracted oil has the most significant antioxidant activity(IC50=3.72mg/mL). The extracted oil by methanol was dominated by fat acid of 68.33% and terpene or oxygenated terpenes with 6.8%as the main compounds.That higher significantly than those of low polarity pentane solvent of 45.57%and 4.5%respectively.
Optimal Controller Synthesis for a Decentralized Two-Player Linear-Quadratic Regulator via Spectral Factorization

We develop controller synthesis algorithms for decentralized control problems. The particular system considered here consists of two interconnected linear subsystems, with communication allowed in only one direction.We develop the concept of spectral factorization, which is the approach used to construct the optimal controllers. Explicit state-space formulae are provided, and we show that each player has to do more than simply estimate the states that they cannot observe. In other words, the simplest separation principle does not hold for this decentralized control problem. Some intuition into the control policies is provided, and the order of the optimal controllers is established.
The Creation of a Movement: Political Unions, March 1830—February 1831

Thomas Attwood may have created the first Political Union, but others immediately followed suit. Contrary to contemporary and historiographical assumptions, a number of towns and boroughs established extra-parliamentary reform organizations in order to petition the Tory government to draft a parliamentary reform measure. Economic distress and the long-standing criticisms of ‘Old Corruption’ affected more than Birmingham manufacturers and labourers. This chapter will look at those Political Unions that formed following the foundation of the BPU, but prior to the Whig government’s introduction of a specific piece of reform legislation.
Dynamics of Markets: What is complexity?

Economists teach that markets can be described by equilibrium. Econophysicists teach that markets are very far from equilibrium and are dynamically complex. In our analysis of financial market data in Chapters 6 and 7 we showed that equilibrium is never a good approximation, that market equilibrium does not and cannot occur, but we did not use any idea of complexity in describing financial markets dynamically. Where, then, does complexity enter the picture if all we have needed so far is simple nonstationary stochastic dynamics? The complexity of financial markets is hidden in part in the missing theory of the expected return R , which we treated in Chapter 6 as piecewise constant (constant within a trading day), but we neither extracted R empirically nor modeled it theoretically. Imagine trying to write down an equation of motion for R . It is easy to construct simple deterministic and/or stochastic models, and all of them are wrong empirically. In order to get the time development of R right, you have to describe the collective sentiment of the market within a given time frame, and that collective sentiment can change suddenly due to political and/or business news. The other part of complexity of financial markets is that the empirical distribution is not fixed once and for all by any law of nature. Rather, it is also subject to change with agents' collective behavior, but the time scale for the entire distribution to change its functional form can be much greater than the time scale for changes in the expected return. The only empirical method for estimating the expected return is to assume that the future will be like the past, which ignores complexity altogether.
Global Cysteine-Reactivity Profiling during Impaired Insulin/IGF-1 Signaling in C. elegans Identifies Uncharacterized Mediators of Longevity

In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, inactivating mutations in the insulin/IGF-1 receptor, DAF-2, result in a 2-fold increase in lifespan mediated by DAF-16, a FOXO-family transcription factor. Downstream protein activities that directly regulate longevity during impaired insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) are poorly characterized. Here, we use global cysteine-reactivity profiling to identify protein activity changes during impaired IIS. Upon confirming that cysteine reactivity is a good predictor of functionality in C. elegans, we profiled cysteine-reactivity changes between daf-2 and daf-16;daf-2 mutants, and identified 40 proteins that display a >2-fold change. Subsequent RNAi-mediated knockdown studies revealed that lbp-3 and K02D7.1 knockdown caused significant increases in lifespan and dauer formation. The proteins encoded by these two genes, LBP-3 and K02D7.1, are implicated in intracellular fatty acid transport and purine metabolism, respectively. These studies demonstrate that cysteine-reactivity profiling can be complementary to abundance-based transcriptomic and proteomic studies, serving to identify uncharacterized mediators of C. elegans longevity.
When to Operate After Failed Nonoperative Management

Initial nonoperative management of patients with acute pathology is commonplace for several disorders. Inherent in this decision is the belief that surgery is best performed in a delayed fashion (when conditions are more favorable, both for the patient and the surgeon) or that surgery can be avoided altogether. However, despite our best intentions, nonoperative management will fail in a certain subset of patients initially believed to benefit from such an approach. In this chapter, we will discuss when to consider operative management (and, consequently, how to recognize that nonoperative management has failed) for several common conditions seen by general and acute care surgeons. Since these topics have already been described elsewhere in the text, details regarding epidemiology, diagnostic evaluation, and specific operative approaches will only briefly be discussed.
Brief paper: On near optimal decentralized control

A local cheap optimal regulator formulation is introduced for the design of decentralized control. It is shown in this paper that the resulting decentralized control scheme is near optimal to a performance index of the interconnected system which is independent of the interconnection matrices. Comparisons of this decentralized control scheme and that obtained via the inverse optimal approaches are made.
Cloud-based control and vSLAM through cooperative Mapping and Localization

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is one of the most widely popular and applied methods designed for more accurate localization and navigation operations. Our experiments showed that vision based mapping helps agents navigate in unknown environments using feature based mapping and localization. Instead of using a classical monocular camera as a vision source, we have decided to use RGB-D (Red, Green, Blue, Depth) cameras for better feature detection, 3D mapping, and localization. This is due to the fact that the RGB-D camera returns depth data as well as the normal RGB data. Moreover, we have applied this method on multiple robots using the concept of cooperative SLAM. This paper illustrates our current research findings and proposes a new architecture based on gathered data from RGB-D cameras, which are the Microsoft Kinect and the ASUS Xtion Pro for 3D mapping and localization.
Processing, Microstructure, and Properties of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Silicon Carbide

The addition of multi-walled carbon nanotube reinforcements to a ceramic matrix has been suggested to improve the fracture toughness. The hypothesized improvement is thought to be the result of crack bridging and other toughening mechanisms. However, no such improvement in toughness has not been achieved to date for a multi-walled carbon nanotube and silicon carbide composite. However, there are several processing techniques, compositions, and methods for producing said composite, which may inhibit or foster success. Here, we report the processing, microstructure, and properties of a multi-walled carbon nanotube and silicon carbide composite material. The processing required careful mixing of the carbon nanotubes within the matrix in order to maximize dispersion and minimize carbon nanotube damage. The sintering required careful control of specific parameters to produce the desired microstructure and maximum density. The spark plasma sintering technique used was. These processing methods resulted in unique microstructures which in turn affected the material properties. The effect on the mechanical strength was evaluated using three-point flexural testing.
Insulin Signaling in Normal and Diabetic Conditions

The mechanisms and consequences of insulin signaling depend on the tissue and the model observed. In skeletal muscle, liver and adipose tissue, considered as “insulin-sensitive” tissues, insulin is primarily involved in acute metabolism regulation such as glucose uptake via translocation of the GLUT4 glucose transporter to the plasma membrane. In the central nervous system (CNS), insulin exerts acute modulation of hypothalamic functions related to food consumption, and tonic effects in regions protected by the blood-retinal barrier, such as neuronal survival and synapse activity. Insulin receptor splice variant expression, glycosylation pattern of receptor proteins, and formation of hybrid receptors further modulate insulin actions.
Output Devices, Computation, and the Future of Mathematical Crafts

This paper argues that the advent of powerful, affordable output devices offers the potential for a vastly expanded landscape of computationally-enriched mathe- matical craft activities in education. While mathematical crafts have a venerable history in classrooms, they have also suffered from a reputation of being both intellectually marginal and technologically retrograde. Nonetheless, this paper argues that craft activities have both intellectual and emotional affordances that are relatively lacking in 'traditional' computer-based education; and that the combination of crafts and computation (facilitated by novel output devices and materials) can render such activities still more valuable. As springboards for discussion, the paper describes three software applications geared toward computational crafts (HyperGami, HyperSpider, and MachineShop). Each of these systems highlights its own particular set of issues relevant to the development of output technolo- gies. Using these three systems as objects-to-think-with, the paper describes a wide variety of possible craft activities that could be invented or pursued in the near future with the aid of appropriately designed output devices.
STRENGTH TRAINING FOR OLDER ADULTS: PSYCHOSOCIAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS

Resistance training (RT) has been shown to increase muscular strength and concurrently improve functional ability in older adults (OA). However, there is relatively little research available regarding the impact of RT on quality of life and psychosocial adaptations in OA. While there is myriad data available on the physiological adaptations to RT, there are comparably few studies focused on the psychological and social adaptations resulting from less traditional RT interventions. Therefore the aim of this review was to examine the impact of RT interventions on a variety of physiological and psychosocial outcome variables. As exercise prescription increasingly emphasizes multiple modalities, the examination of corresponding outcome variables needs to be equally robust in order to reflect the increasingly diverse approaches to exercise prescription and the varied adaptations that accompany them.
Demonstration of CLAW: A Multifunctional Handheld VR Haptic Controller

CLAW is a handheld virtual reality controller that augments the typical controller functionality with force feedback and actuated movement to the index finger. Our controller enables three distinct interactions (grasping virtual object, touching virtual surfaces, and triggering) and changes its corresponding haptic rendering by sensing the differences in the user's grasp. A servo motor coupled with a force sensor renders controllable forces to the index finger during grasping and touching. Using position tracking, a voice coil actuator at the index fingertip generates vibrations for various textures synchronized with finger movement. CLAW also supports a haptic force feedback in the trigger mode when the user holds a gun.
Online load balancing on related machines

In this paper, we consider the problem of assigning jobs online to machines with non-uniform speeds (also called related machines) so to optimize a given norm of the machine loads. A long line of work, starting with the seminal work of Graham in the 1960s, has led to tight competitive ratios for all lq norms for two scenarios: the special case of identical machines (uniform machine speeds) and the more general setting of unrelated machines (jobs have arbitrary processing times on machines). For non-uniform machine speeds, however, the only known result was a constant competitive competitive ratio for the makespan (l∞) norm, via the so-called slowest-fit algorithm (Aspnes, Azar, Fiat, Plotkin, and Waarts, JACM ’97). Our first result in this paper is to obtain the first constant-competitive algorithm for scheduling on related machines for any arbitrary lq norm. Recent literature has further expanded the scope of this problem to vector scheduling, to capture multi-dimensional resource requirements in applications such as data centers. As in the scalar case, tight bounds are known for vector scheduling on identical and unrelated machines. Our second set of results is to give tight competitive ratios for vector scheduling on related machines for the makespan and all lq norms. No previous bounds were known, even for the makespan norm, for related machines. We employ a convex relaxation of the lq-norm objective and use a continuous greedy algorithm to solve this convex program online. To round the fractional solution, we then use a novel restructuring of the instance that we call machine smoothing. This is a generic tool that reduces a problem on related machines to a set of problem instances on identical machines, and we hope it will be useful in other settings with non-uniform machine speeds as well.
Acute and nine-month clinical outcomes after "suboptimal" coronary stenting: results from the STent Anti-thrombotic Regimen Study (STARS) registry.

OBJECTIVES This registry collected the 30-day and 9-month clinical outcomes of patients whose coronary stent implantation was suboptimal, and compared them with the cohort of patients with “optimal” stenting in the randomized portion of the STent Anti-thrombotic Regimen Study (STARS) trial. BACKGROUND Although “optimal” stenting combined with an aspirin and ticlopidine regimen carries a low (0.5%) incidence of subacute stent thrombosis, only limited data are available for patients in whom stents are deployed suboptimally. METHODS In the STARS, 312 (15.9%) of 1,965 patients enrolled were excluded from participation in the randomized trial based on a perceived “suboptimal” result of coronary stenting. Of these, 265 patients met prespecified criteria for suboptimal stenting, and were followed in a parallel registry, which was compared with the randomized STARS optimal stenting cohort. The primary end point was a 30-day composite of death, emergent target lesion revascularization, angiographic thrombosis of the target vessel without revascularization and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI)unrelated to direct procedural complications. RESULTS Registry patients had a similar frequency of the primary end point compared with the overall randomized cohort (3.0% vs. 2.2%), with this end point correlating to use of multiple stents, smaller final lumen diameter and absence of ticlopidine from the poststent regimen. Overall 30-day mortality (1.1% vs. 0.06%, p = 0.009) and periprocedural non-Q wave MI (8.7% vs. 4.2%, p = 0.003) were more frequent in registry patients, and appeared to be related to acute procedural complications. Clinical restenosis was significantly higher for registry patients (26.8% vs. 16.0%, p = 0.001), relating to greater prevalence of independent predictors such as smaller final lumen diameter and multiple stent use. CONCLUSIONS In the STARS registry, the inability to perform optimal stenting correlated with smaller final lumen diameter and longer stent length. With ticlopidine-containing regimens, the acute clinical results of “suboptimal” stent deployment are clinically acceptable, although they are not quite as good as those of optimal stenting using similar drug therapy.
Partially coherent volume diffraction

The response of a volume hologram to a partially coherent probe field is calculated under the 1st-order Born and paraxial approximations. The special case of a Gauss-Schell model probe beam is carried out and results are presented in the limits of quasi-coherent and quasi-incoherent fields.
Gradient flow structure and exponential decay of the sandwiched R\'enyi divergence for primitive Lindblad equations with GNS-detailed balance

We study the entropy production of the sandwiched R\'enyi divergence under the primitive Lindblad equation with GNS-detailed balance. We prove that the Lindblad equation can be identified as the gradient flow of the sandwiched R\'enyi divergence of any order ${\alpha} \in (0, \infty)$. This extends a previous result by Carlen and Maas [Journal of Functional Analysis, 273(5), 1810-1869] for the quantum relative entropy (i.e., ${\alpha} = 1$). Moreover, we show that the sandwiched R\'enyi divergence of any order ${\alpha} \in (0, \infty)$ decays exponentially fast under the time-evolution of such a Lindblad equation.
Glycans for good

The gut commensal bacterium Bifidobacterium bifidum promotes immune tolerance by facilitating the induction of colonic regulatory T cells.
Physiological, Genetic, and Transcriptomic Analysis of Alcohol-Induced Delay of Escherichia coli Death.

ABSTRACT When Escherichia coli K-12 is inoculated into rich medium in batch culture, cells experience five phases. While the lag and logarithmic phases are mechanistically fairly well defined, the stationary phase, death phase, and long-term stationary phase are less well understood. Here, we characterize a mechanism of delaying death, a phenomenon we call the “alcohol effect,” where the addition of small amounts of certain alcohols prolongs stationary phase for at least 10 days longer than in untreated conditions. We show that the stationary phase is extended when ethanol is added above a minimum threshold concentration. Once ethanol levels fall below a threshold concentration, cells enter the death phase. We also show that the effect is conferred by the addition of straight-chain alcohols 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, and, to a lesser degree, 1-hexanol. However, methanol, isopropanol, 1-heptanol, and 1-octanol do not delay entry into death phase. Though modulated by RpoS, the alcohol effect does not require RpoS activity or the activities of the AdhE or AdhP alcohol dehydrogenases. Further, we show that ethanol is capable of extending the life span of stationary-phase cultures for non-K-12 E. coli strains and that this effect is caused in part by genes of the glycolate degradation pathway. These data suggest a model where ethanol and other shorter 1-alcohols can serve as signaling molecules, perhaps by modulating patterns of gene expression that normally regulate the transition from stationary phase to death phase. IMPORTANCE In one of the most well-studied organisms in the life sciences, Escherichia coli, we still do not fully understand what causes populations to die. This is largely due to the technological difficulties of studying bacterial cell death. This study provides an avenue to studying how and why E. coli populations, and perhaps other microbes, transition from stationary phase to death phase by exploring how ethanol and other alcohols delay the onset of death. Here, we demonstrate that alcohols are acting as signaling molecules to achieve the delay in death phase. This study not only offers a better understanding of a fundamental process but perhaps also provides a gateway to studying the dynamics between ethanol and microbes in the human gastrointestinal tract.
Benefit of Intracystic Bleomycin for Symptomatic Recurrent Rathke Cleft Cyst.

Background Management of recurrent Rathke cleft cysts (RCC) is problematic. The mainstay of treatment has been reoperation with cyst drainage. Radical cyst resection, although effective, results in a high incidence of diabetes insipidus. Several case reports suggest a potential benefit to radiation therapy or the use of intracystic bleomycin. The intracystic application of bleomycin is known to be beneficial in the treatment of cystic craniopharyngioma; however, its usefulness in the treatment of recurrent RCC has yet to be proven. Objective To present our 6-yr experience using intracystic bleomycin for recurrent RCC. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with RCC who underwent surgical resection between January 2010 and May 2016 by a single surgeon. Specific attention was paid to patients with recurrent RCC. Results Of the 59 patients operated on for RCC during this 6-yr interval, 6 patients with symptomatic recurrent RCC were identified and received intracystic bleomycin at the time of reoperation. To date, no symptomatic cyst recurrence has been documented in the patients receiving bleomycin (mean = 38.8 mo, range 21.2-79.8 mo). Conclusion The use of intracystic bleomycin appears to be a safe and potentially effective treatment option in patients with recurrent RCC. Additional studies with longer follow-up are needed to further define the role of bleomycin in recurrent RCC.
Parental Acquisition of Echocardiographic Images in Pediatric Heart Transplant Patients Using a Handheld Device: A Pilot Telehealth Study

Background Pediatric heart transplant patients (PedHtx) require frequent monitoring by echocardiography (echo); however, they often live far from hospitals with pediatric echo services, resulting in urgent/emergent transfers to specialized institutions. Our primary objective was to evaluate the feasibility of parental acquisition of echo images to assess left ventricular (LV) systolic function in PedHtx using a handheld echo device. Secondary objectives included retesting for skill maintenance and in patients with decreased LV systolic function. Methods During a routine clinic visit, parents received 1-hour training with a handheld echo device to acquire images in parasternal short-axis and apical views. Parents recorded images on their children at training completion and 24 hours later at home. An independent echocardiographer assessed clinic, training, and home echos for LV systolic function. Results Fifteen PedHtx (mean age of 12.6 years of age; range, 4.1-16.7) were enrolled. All parents could acquire home images adequate for qualitative assessment of LV systolic function with no discrepancy compared with clinical echos. LV ejection fraction (LVEF) could be calculated (5/6 area-length method) in 86% of training and 43% of home echos with 12 months later. All home echos were adequate for qualitative assessment of LV systolic function (LVEF measurable in two). Additionally, five heart failure patients with decreased LV systolic function (mean age of 8.6 years; range 1.9-15.1) were enrolled. All home echos were adequate for qualitative assessment of LV systolic function (LVEF measurable in one). Conclusions Our results suggest that parental home echo acquisition using a handheld echo device is feasible and adequate for qualitative assessment of LV systolic function in PedHtx. However, quantitative assessment of LV systolic function, especially in patients with dysfunction, and retention of the skill set without additional training are suboptimal.
Relationship between trust in neighbors and regional brain volumes in a population-based study.

Abstract Trust is a fundamental part of human interpersonal relationships, and among other complex factors it is shown to be linked with demographic characteristics and specific regions of the brain. The authors utilized a large, community-based database gathered from the Dallas Heart Study to determine specific brain regions associated with an individual's trust in neighbors. A trust questionnaire was taken and regional brain volumes were determined from structural magnetic resonance imaging. Two analyses using logistic regressions in a training set and validation set were performed to investigate the association between measures of trust and bilateral brain region volumes and thickness. A total of 1527 participants were included in the final analysis. Right caudal anterior cingulate cortex thickness and left caudate volume were inversely correlated with neighbor trust, while left amygdala volume was positively correlated with neighbor trust. Greater age and higher level of education were positively correlated with neighbor trust. African Americans showed less neighbor trust than Caucasians and Hispanics. Anterior cingulate cortex, caudate, and amygdala are all integral parts of the salience network; thus, results of this study suggest that the salience network, the brain network responsible for functions such as communication and social behavior, may play a role in the formation of interpersonal trust.
Sulfur-Substituted Polyoxyethylenes Sequential Ether-Thioether Copolymers

Polyoxyethylene (POE) and polythioethylene (PTE) display very different physical and chemical properties despite a close similarity in structure. POE, for example, melts at 68°C and PTE at 216°C.l POE is soluble in many organic solvents and in water while PTE is generally insoluble. The crystalline conformations are also very different with POE adopting a (7/2) helix with oxygen lone-pair electrons oriented inward around the interior and PTE assuming a (2/0) glide-plane structure in which adjacent sulfur lone-pairs are oriented at 180° to each other.3–4
Representation Learning with Multisets

We study the problem of learning permutation invariant representations that can capture "flexible" notions of containment. We formalize this problem via a measure theoretic definition of multisets, and obtain a theoretically-motivated learning model. We propose training this model on a novel task: predicting the size of the symmetric difference (or intersection) between pairs of multisets. We demonstrate that our model not only performs very well on predicting containment relations (and more effectively predicts the sizes of symmetric differences and intersections than DeepSets-based approaches with unconstrained object representations), but that it also learns meaningful representations.
Ambush Killings of the Police, 1970–2018: A Longitudinal Examination of the “War on Cops” Debate

Over the last few years, there has been a series of high-profile, premeditated ambush attacks on police, which has led some to conclude there is a “war on cops.” Unfortunately, prior research has n...
Revealing Causal Controls of Storage-Streamflow Relationships With a Data-Centric Bayesian Framework Combining Machine Learning and Process-Based Modeling

Some machine learning (ML) methods such as classification trees are useful tools to generate hypotheses about how hydrologic systems function. However, data limitations dictate that ML alone often cannot differentiate between causal and associative relationships. For example, previous ML analysis suggested that soil thickness is the key physiographic factor determining the storage-streamflow correlations in the eastern US. This conclusion is not robust, especially if data are perturbed, and there were alternative, competing explanations including soil texture and terrain slope. However, typical causal analysis based on process-based models (PBMs) is inefficient and susceptible to human bias. Here we demonstrate a more efficient and objective analysis procedure where ML is first applied to generate data-consistent hypotheses, and then a PBM is invoked to verify these hypotheses. We employed a surface-subsurface processes model and conducted perturbation experiments to implement these competing hypotheses and assess the impacts of the changes. The experimental results strongly support the soil thickness hypothesis as opposed to the terrain slope and soil texture ones, which are co-varying and coincidental factors. Thicker soil permits larger saturation excess and longer system memory that carries wet season water storage to influence dry season baseflows. We further suggest this analysis could be formulated into a data-centric Bayesian framework. This study demonstrates that PBM present indispensable value for problems that ML cannot solve alone, and is meant to encourage more synergies between ML and PBM in the future.
Anti-inflammatory drug formulations fight fat

Macrophage-targeted dexamethasone improves weight loss and glucose tolerance not possible with systemic administration of the free drug.
TAYLOR HARDENING IN FIVE POWER LAW CREEP OF METALS AND CLASS M ALLOYS

Previous work on aluminum and stainless steel show that the density of dislocations within the subgrain interior (or the network dislocations) are associated with the rate-controlling process for five-power-law creep-plasticity. Furthermore, the hardening in stainless stress is shown to be consistent with the Taylor relation if a linear superposition of “lattice” hardening (τo, or the stress necessary to cause dislocation motion in the absence of a dislocation substructure) and the dislocation hardening (αMGbρ1/2) is assumed. It is now shown that the same relationship appears valid for aluminum with the same values of α observed in other metals where dislocation hardening is established. It appears that the constant, α, is temperature independent and, thus, the dislocation hardening is athermal. It is also shown that constant stress creep behavior where the total interior dislocation decreases during primary (hardening stage) creep, is consistent with Taylor hardening.