cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generation and analysis of a barcode-tagged insertion mutant library in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Barcodes are unique DNA sequence tags that can be used to specifically label individual mutants. The barcode-tagged open reading frame (ORF) haploid deletion mutant collections in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe allow for high-throughput mutant phenotyping because the relative growth of mutants in a population can be determined by monitoring the proportions of their associated barcodes. While these mutant collections have greatly facilitated genome-wide studies, mutations in essential genes are not present, and the roles of these genes are not as easily studied. To further support genome-scale research in S. pombe, we generated a barcode-tagged fission yeast insertion mutant library that has the potential of generating viable mutations in both essential and non-essential genes and can be easily analyzed using standard molecular biological techniques. An insertion vector containing a selectable ura4+ marker and a random barcode was used to generate a collection of 10,000 fission yeast insertion mutants stored individually in 384-well plates and as six pools of mixed mutants. Individual barcodes are flanked by Sfi I recognition sites and can be oligomerized in a unique orientation to facilitate barcode sequencing. Independent genetic screens on a subset of mutants suggest that this library contains a diverse collection of single insertion mutations. We present several approaches to determine insertion sites. This collection of S. pombe barcode-tagged insertion mutants is well-suited for genome-wide studies. Because insertion mutations may eliminate, reduce or alter the function of essential and non-essential genes, this library will contain strains with a wide range of phenotypes that can be assayed by their associated barcodes. The design of the barcodes in this library allows for barcode sequencing using next generation or standard benchtop cloning approaches.
Message Framing and Pap Test Utilization among Women Attending a Community Health Clinic

In a randomized experiment, women (N = 441) watched either a loss- or gain-framed video emphasizing the prevention or detection functions of the Pap test to test the hypothesis that loss- and gain-framed messages differentially influence health behaviors depending on the risk involved in performing the behavior. As predicted, loss-framed messages emphasizing the costs of not detecting cervical cancer early (a risky behavior) and gain-framed messages emphasizing the benefits of preventing cervical cancer (a less risky behavior) were most persuasive in motivating women to obtain a Pap test.
Contracting on violence: The moral hazard in authoritarian repression and military intervention in politics

Why does the military intervene in the politics of some countries but remain under firm civilian control in others? The paper argues that the origins of military intervention in politics lie in a fundamental moral hazard problem associated with authoritarian repression. Dictators must deter those who are excluded from power from challenging them. When underlying, polity-wide conflict results in threats to the regime that take the particular form of mass, organized, and potentially violent opposition, the military is the only force capable of defeating them. The military exploits this pivotal position by demanding greater institutional autonomy as well as a say in policy, and it threatens to intervene if the civilian leadership departs from a subsequent compromise on these issues. A game-theoretic analysis of such contracting on violence implies that the likelihood of military intervention in politics should be greatest at intermediate levels of mass threats. Original, large-N data on military intervention...
Numerical methods for fuzzy clustering

In a previous paper ^[^1^] the use of the concept of fuzzy sets in clustering was proposed. The convenience of fuzzy clustering over conventional representation was then stressed. Assigning each point a degree of belongingness to each cluster provides a way of characterizing bridges, strays, and undetermined points. This is especially useful when considering scattered data. The classificatory process may be considered as the breakdown of the probability density function of the original set into the weighted sum of the component fuzzy set densities. Such decomposition should be performed so that the components really represent clusters. This is done by optimization of some functional defined over all possible fuzzy classifications of the data set. Several functionals were suggested in ^[^1^]. The bulk of this paper is concerned with numerical techniques useful in the solution of such problems. The first two formulas treated do not provide an acceptable fuzzy classification but yield good starting points for the minimization of a third functional. This last method obtains very good dichotomies and is characterized by slower convergence than the previous processes. Using that functional, a modification is suggested to obtain partitions in more than two sets. Numerous computational experiments are presented.
Teaching Culture as National and Transnational: A Response to Teachers’ Work:

This comment applauds the blending of global culture and national culture perspectives. It proposes a more systematic synthesis and discusses what it means to take both transnational parallels and cultural variation seriously.
Atmospheric CO2 and O3 alter competition for soil nitrogen in developing forests

Plant growth responses to rising atmospheric CO2 and O3 vary among genotypes and between species, which could plausibly influence the strength of competitive interactions for soil N. Ascribable to the size-symmetric nature of belowground competition, we reasoned that differential growth responses to CO2 and O3 should shift as juvenile individuals mature, thereby altering competitive hierarchies and forest composition. In a 12-year-long forest FACE experiment, we used tracer 15 N and whole-plant N content to assess belowground competitive interactions among five Populus tremuloides genotypes, between a single P. tremuloides genotype and Betula papryrifera, as well as between the same single P. tremuloides genotype and Acer saccharum. Under elevated CO2, the amount of soil N and 15 N obtained by the P. tremuloides genotype common to each community was contingent on the nature of belowground competition. When this genotype competed with its congeners, it obtained equivalent amounts of soil N and tracer 15 N under ambient and elevated CO2; however, its acquisition of soil N under elevated CO2 increased by a significant margin when grown in competition with B. papyrifera (+30%) and A. saccharum (+60%). In contrast, elevated O3 had no effect on soil N and 15 N acquisition by the P. tremuloides genotype common in each community, regardless of competitive interactions. Under elevated CO2, the rank order of N acquisition among P. tremuloides genotypes shifted over time, indicating that growth responses to CO2 change during ontogeny; this was not the case under elevated O3 .I n the aspen-birch community, the competitive advantage elevated CO2 initially conveyed on birch diminished over time, whereas maple was a poor competitor for soil N in all regards. The extent to which elevated CO2 and O3 will shape the genetic structure and composition of future forests is, in part, contingent on the time-dependent effects of belowground competition on plant growth response.
Modeling the relationship between the p53 C-terminal domain and its binding partners using molecular dynamics

Fifty percent of all cancer cases result from mutations of the TP53 gene, which encodes the tumor suppressor p53, and it is hypothesized that the p53-mediated checkpoint pathway is compromised in most of the remaining cases. The p53 C-terminal domain (CTD) is an important site of p53 regulation but by nature is difficult to study, as it is intrinsically disordered. In this study, we performed molecular dynamics simulations on the p53 CTD and five known regulatory binding partners. We identified distinct trends in fluctuation within and around the p53 CTD binding site on each partner demonstrating a behavior that facilitates association. Further, we present evidence that the size of the hydrophobic pocket in each p53 CTD binding site governs the secondary structure of the p53 CTD when in the bound state. This information will be useful for predicting new binding partners for the p53 CTD, identifying interacting regions within other known partners, and discovering inhibitors that provide additional points of control over p53 activity.
Extracellular PH 2.5 optimum acid phosphatase from Aspergillus ficuum: immobilization on modified fractogel.

Abstract Aspergillus ficuum pH 2.5 optimum acid phosphatase (orthophosphoric monoesters phosphohydrolase, E. C. 3.1.3.2) was covalently immbolized on 2-fluoro-1-methylpyridinium toluene-4-sulfonate (FMP)-activated Fractogel TSK HW-50F. The catalytic parameters and stability of the immobilized enzyme were compared with those of the free enzyme. While the Km and the temperature optima were unchanged, the K1 for orthophosphate was changed from 185 μM to 422 μM and greater stability was observed against heat treatment.
Schizophrenia in later life.

T four articles in this issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry address important issues of schizophrenia in later life. The aging of the population in many countries across the world will necessitate an even greater understanding of the prevalence and characteristics of older adults with schizophrenia, related spectrum disorders, and other severe mental illnesses. These four papers address important issues regarding the prevalence of late-life schizophrenia, a comparison of age-related cognitive changes in schizophrenia versus that seen in normal aging, the development of novel and cost-effective computer-based methods of assessing cognitive and functional deficits, and the use of clozapine in older schizophrenic patients. In the first paper, Meesters et al.1 examined the prevalence of schizophrenia and spectrum disorders in an epidemiological study of older adults in contact with mental health services in a psychiatric catchment area in Amsterdam. The study also examines variations in prevalence according to age group (60–69 years versus age>70 years), gender, and age of onset. Prior studies that have examined prevalence of schizophrenia vary widely in terms of prevalence estimates and data on the prevalence of schizophrenia with later onset are relatively scarce. The study overcomes some of the identified methodological shortcomings of prior studies addressing these issues. The protocol for deriving a best estimate of age of onset of the disorder was fairly
Gamma Interferon/Interleukin 10 Balance in Tissue Lymphocytes Correlates with Down Modulation of Mucosal Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Understanding the early cytokine response to lentiviral infections may be critical to the design of prevention and treatment strategies. By using the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) model, we have documented an interleukin 10 (IL10)-dominated response in lymphoid tissue CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes within the first 4 weeks after mucosal FIV infection. This profile coincided with the period of high tissue viral replication. By 10 weeks postinfection, tissue viral levels decreased significantly, and gamma interferon (IFNγ) production in CD8 + T cells had increased to restore the IL10/IFNγ ratio to control levels. Concurrently, increased production of IL6 and viral RNA was detected in macrophages. These temporal associations of viral replication with cytokine balance in tissues suggest roles for IL10 in the permissive stage of infection and IFNγ in the subsequent down modulation of lentiviral infection.
Watermarking the Outputs of Structured Prediction with an application in Statistical Machine Translation.

We propose a general method to watermark and probabilistically identify the structured outputs of machine learning algorithms. Our method is robust to local editing operations and provides well defined trade-offs between the ability to identify algorithm outputs and the quality of the watermarked output. Unlike previous work in the field, our approach does not rely on controlling the inputs to the algorithm and provides probabilistic guarantees on the ability to identify collections of results from one's own algorithm. We present an application in statistical machine translation, where machine translated output is watermarked at minimal loss in translation quality and detected with high recall.
Integrated antenna with direct conversion circuitry for broad-band millimeter-wave communications

A compact integrated antenna with direct quadrature conversion circuitry for broad-band millimeter-wave communications is proposed. The conversion circuits include two even-harmonic mixers based on antiparallel diode pairs (APDPs). The equivalent circuit of the APDP derived here provides good agreement with the measured data from 17 to 23 GHz. Overall phase and amplitude imbalance between the in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) output channels are less than 1.2/spl deg/ and 1 dB at IFs of 10 and 100 MHz, respectively. An overall RF power conversion loss of 14.6 dB at the quadrature I/Q channels including the antenna is achieved in the frequency range from 39.75 to 40.25 GHz with a local oscillator (LO) power level of 11.8 dBm. LO leakages at 20 and 40 GHz are -31.5 and -44.8 dBm, respectively. In order to demonstrate the system capabilities for broad-band digital communication, a communication link is built with a pair of the proposed front-ends. Data transmission up to 1 Gb/s data rate for quadrature phase-shift keying modulation is demonstrated.
Gliding motility in apicomplexan parasites

Apicomplexan parasites, including Plasmodium and Toxoplasma, employ a unique form of substrate-dependent locomotion known as gliding motility. In these obligate, intracellular parasites, gliding motility is used for migration through the tissues and cells of the host, for active penetration of the host cell, and, at times, for proactive egress from the host. Gliding motility is powered by an actin-myosin based motor apparatus, known as the glideosome, which is situated within the elaborate cortical domain of the parasite. In this system, myosin is anchored to an internal membrane complex and drives the rearward translocation of actin-associated cell surface adhesins, thus leading to forward movement of the parasite. This review outlines our current understanding of glideosome architecture and the molecular basis of parasite motility.
Evaluation of Prenylated Peptides for Use in Cellular Imaging and Biochemical Analysis

Protein prenylation involves the addition of a farnesyl (C15) or geranylgeranyl (C20) isoprenoid moiety onto the C-terminus of approximately 2 % of all mammalian proteins. This hydrophobic modification serves to direct membrane association of the protein. Due to the finding that the oncogenic protein Ras is naturally prenylated, several researchers have developed inhibitors of the prenyltransferase enzymes as cancer therapeutics. Despite numerous studies on the enzymology of prenylation in vitro, many questions remain about the process of prenylation in living cells. Using a combination of flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, we have shown that synthetic fluorescently labeled prenylated peptides enter a variety of different cell types. Additionally, using capillary electrophoresis we have shown that these peptides can be detected in minute quantities from lysates of cells treated with these peptides. This method will allow for further study of the enzymology of protein prenylation in living cells.
Geometry of the Juan de Fuca plate beneath Washington and northern Oregon from seismicity

Abstract Earthquake hypocenters within the subducting Juan de Fuca plate beneath Washington and northern Oregon are interpreted as showing that the direction of plate dip changes from northeast beneath the Puget Sound region to east-southeast beneath southwestern Washington. The shallowest hypocenters within the Juan de Fuca plate are between 30- to 40-km depth, and the distribution of these events strikes north-northeast from near the mouth of the Columbia River to the northern Olympic Mountains. The distribution of hypocenters between 40 to 50 km generally strikes parallel with the shallowest events, but shows a significant broadening beneath the eastern Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Events with depths greater than 50 km south of the 1965 Seattle earthquake ( m b = 6.5) strike north-northeast, approximately parallel with the shallower distributions; however, north of this event, the distribution of these deeper hypocenters strikes northwest. This change in the distribution of earthquake hypocenters reflects an upward arching of the Juan de Fuca plate plate beneath Puget Sound compared with the depth of the plate beneath southwestern Washington. The T axis calculated for the 1949 South Puget Sound earthquake ( M S = 7.1) is oriented to the southeast, and the 20° plunge of the T axis is in good agreement with the plate dip angle determined from the earthquake hypocenters. We conclude that the 1949 earthquake resulted at least in part from down-dip tensional forces within the subducting Juan de Fuca plate. One consequence of the change in the direction of plate dip is that volcanic front in Washington is everywhere perpendicular to the dip of the Juan de Fuca plate.
Predictor Observers for Proportional Navigation Systems Subjected to Seeker Delay

We propose predictor observers as viable tools to compensate for pure time delays in the seeker subsystem of missile guidance systems employing proportional navigation guidance (PNG). With the intention of use in terminal guidance in which the missile is already on a near-collision course with a target, we demonstrate that a classical predictor observer for linear time-delay systems is input-to-state stable (ISS) with respect to bounded target maneuver and measurement disturbances. We then show how the classical predictor observer can be implemented as a Kalman filter for the delayed state augmented with a predictor. Finally, we illustrate the practicality of the approach in missile guidance system design through two examples that exhibit seeker delay and random target maneuvers. For both examples, numerical simulations show that predictor observer guidance laws are able to substantially reduce miss distance versus baseline PNG laws that have no delay compensation, inviting further studies of the approach for designing real missile guidance systems in practice.
Relative Protective Value of Alkaline Duodenal Juices Against Gastrojejunal Ulceration

A review of the voluminous literature which has now accumulated on the relative protective value of the alkaline duodenal juices in preventing ulcer formation reveals a bewildering maze of confusion. Much of this diversity of opinions and contradictory experimental results has been due in great measure to the observations and comparisons made by different investigators under varied and diverse circumstances. Because of the existing difficulty in drawing conclusions from the confusing and contradictory experimental results, this investigation was made.The investigation was divided into 4 groups of experiments: (1) Group 1—Severance of the pylorus and closure of both the gastric and duodenal ends and the reestablishment of continuity of the gastro-intestinal tract by gastrojejunostomy; (2) Group 2—Exactly the same procedure as in Group 1 but with the addition of transplantation of the common bile duct into the terminal ileum; (3) Group 3—Exactly the same procedure as was performed in the first group but wit...
Aristotle's now

Time, for Aristotle, is centred on Now. And in his discussion of time, the idea of 'Now', more than any other, confronts us at every turn. Its role is presumably vital. But what is that role exactly? And does it shed light in proportion to its prominence? Aristotle's account of time continues to generate reams of commentary bearing witness to the doubt and difficulty surrounding almost every one of its pronouncements. But how far picking a way through the detail of these is worth the trouble in philosophical insight finally gained is also a question one might ask. For he seems to choose a starting point that blinkers his entire discussion, not only shutting off relevant directions of inquiry but obscuring even some issues that lie in the way. I refer to his conception of Now, or rather, I should say, to the conception of this which does official duty in his explanation of time. It is an ambiguous and artificial notion. Moreover, Aristotle's handling of it seems to set aside as unproblematic a number of questions which in the classic moder discussions of time have figured as singularly baffling. These are the questions which arise as one considers the fundamental point that time unites in some necessary fashion the aspect of changeless order with the aspect ofpassage. When these are sharply distinguished and contrasted, as for instance by McTaggart, the fact of their metaphysical symbiosis stands forth as a disturbing mystery to many philosophers. Even some of those who admittedly would not know what an "explanation" of this could look like, continue to be nagged as if by a real problem. But Aristotle, it seems, is unperplexed from the start. For under the heading of'Now' he happily combines two disparate concepts one of them, as the word implies, that of the temporal present, as opposed to past and future, the other the concept of an instant: a durationless point or position of time, as opposed to a measurable period.' In fact, it seems that his standard expression for points of time or instants is
Integrated Control of Mites on Prunes in Central Washington

A study of mites on prunes showed that a predatory mite, Metaseiulus occidentalis (Nesbitt), survived selected pesticides and controlled the McDaniel spider mite, Tetranychus mcdanieli McGregor. The plum rust mite, Aculus fockeui (Nalepa and Trouessart), was present in sufficient numbers to provide a dependable alternate food supply for predatory mites.
The Effects of Alteration on the Natural Remanent Magnetization of Three Ophiolite Complexes

Magnetic properties are compared for the pillow basalts and sheeted dike complexes for the following three ophiolite suites: Macquarie Island (-27 million years), Troodos Massif, Cyprus (∼middle Cretaceous), and Smartville complex, California (∼Jurassic). The magnetic properties of the pillow basalts strongly depend on their degree of alteration. From the least altered, low-temperatureoxidized, upper pillow basalts of Macquarie Island and the pillow basalts of the Troodos Massif (zeolite facies metamorphism) to the most altered pillow basalts of the Smartville complex (greenschist facies metamorphism) the average intensity of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) decreases from a maximum of 80×10-4 to 0.50×10-4 gauss; the Koenigsberger ratio (Q) decreases from 6 to 0.3; the contribution due to viscous remanent magnetization (VRM) increases, and the NRM stability with respect to alternating fields decreases. For the most altered pillow basalts of the Smartville complex the NRM is probably predominantly a VRM, acquired during the present polarity epoch. Thermomagnetic analyses for the least altered pillow basalts exhibit the characteristic behavior of low-temperature-oxidized cation deficient titanomagnetites, while the more altered pillow basalts have reversible thermomagnetic curves with magnetite-like Curie points, probably caused in situ by thermally induced unmixing of the low-temperature-oxidized titanomagnetites. The sheeted dike complexes have NRM intensities of about 10×10-4 gauss and Q values of about 0.8, and most of their magnetic properties do not vary much between the three ophiolite complexes. All the sheeted dike samples have reversible thermomagnetic curves with magnetite-like Curie points. If these ophiolite complexes represent material which was originally formed at spreading centers and if their alteration represents ocean floor metamorphism, then with progressive alteration the pillow basalts lose their magnetic recording qualities and become poorer sources for the marine magnetic anomalies, and the underlying sheeted dike complexes become relatively more important. The most probable site for the occurrence of the sea floor metamorphism is in the relatively high temperature, high heat flow regions near spreading centers.
SURVEY OF TWIG-INHABITING COLEOPTERA IN LOUISIANA, USA

Abstract Twigs are an understudied habitat utilized by many beetle species. Samples of twigs were collected in all six Level III Ecoregions in Louisiana during April and May 2013. The twigs were maintained in emergence chambers from which 942 specimens of adult Coleoptera were obtained, representing 31 families, 111 genera, and 128 species. Beetle richness and composition were not significantly different among ecoregions. Three species collected represent new state records: Pseudochoragus nitens (LeConte) (Anthribidae); Dryotribus mimeticus Horn (Curculionidae); and Narthecius grandiceps LeConte (Laemophloeidae). Four non-native species, all Curculionidae, were collected: Cyrtepistomus castaneus (Roelofs) (Entiminae); Cnestus mutilatus (Blandford) (Scolytinae); Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky) (Scolytinae); and Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford) (Scolytinae).
Conformal geometric methods in computer vision

Shape analysis has fundamental importance in computer vision, including surface matching, registration, tracking, classification, recognition, etc. Computational methods based on conformal geometry can map any 3D surface to a 2D canonical domain. They provide a novel approach to 3D problems by converting them to 2D problems, which greatly simplifies the computation process. With this framework, we present a series of matching and registration methods for general surfaces, especially with large non-rigid deformations and complicated topologies. In addition, we introduce a global and unique shape signature for shape recognition applications. Experiments on a variety of real scans from different equipments demonstrate the efficiency and efficacy of the conformal geometric methods in computer vision applications.
BREEDING RATIO, INVENTORY, AND DOUBLING TIME IN A D--T FUSION REACTOR.

A simple model is proposed to investigate the relations between breeding, inventory, and doubling time in the blanket of a fusion reactor using the T(D,n)He4 reaction. It is assumed that the amount...
Simulation and analysis of duffing oscillator using sliding mode control

Sliding mode control is one of the most robust nonlinear control schemes among many nonlinear controllers due to its robustness property and ability to decouple systems in lower dimensions. In order to overcome the known or bounded uncertainties many nonlinear controllers can work well, however, some of them fails to capture the unbounded uncertainties. The modeling of a real time system plays a vital role in mechanical system engineering. The exact modeling of a system is essential in order to analyze the behavior of the system. This article analyze the sliding mode control (SMC) behavior for nonlinear models and nonlinear uncertainties.
The essential kinase ATR: ensuring faithful duplication of a challenging genome

Replication stress is controlled by the kinase ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR), which senses and resolves threats to DNA integrity. ATR activation is complex and involves a core set of components that recruit ATR to stressed replication forks, stimulate its kinase activity and amplify downstream signalling to maintain the stability of replication forks. One way to preserve a rare book is to lock it away from all potential sources of damage. Of course, an inaccessible book is also of little use, and the paper and ink will continue to degrade with age in any case. Like a book, the information stored in our DNA needs to be read, but it is also subject to continuous assault and therefore needs to be protected. In this Review, we examine how the replication stress response that is controlled by the kinase ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) senses and resolves threats to DNA integrity so that the DNA remains available to read in all of our cells. We discuss the multiple data that have revealed an elegant yet increasingly complex mechanism of ATR activation. This involves a core set of components that recruit ATR to stressed replication forks, stimulate kinase activity and amplify ATR signalling. We focus on the activities of ATR in the control of cell cycle checkpoints, origin firing and replication fork stability, and on how proper regulation of these processes is crucial to ensure faithful duplication of a challenging genome.
Menopause and Ischemic Stroke: A Brief Review

Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Females are protected against stroke before the onset of menopause. Menopause results in increased incidence of stroke when compared to men. The mechanisms of these differences remain to be elucidated. Considering that there is a postmenopausal phenomenon and females in general, are living longer sex hormone-dependent mechanisms have been postulated to be the primary factors responsible for the premenopausal protection from stroke and later to be responsible for the higher incidence and increased the severity of stroke after menopause. Animal studies suggest that administration of estrogen and progesterone is neuroprotective and decreases the incidence of stroke. However, the real-world outcomes of hormone replacement therapy have failed to decrease the stroke risk. Despite the multifactorial nature of sex differences in stroke, here, we briefly discuss the pathophysiology of sex steroid hormones, the molecular mechanisms of estrogen receptor-dependent signaling pathways in stroke, and the potential factors that determine the discrepant effects of hormone replacement therapy in stroke.
Prediction of Treatment Response for Combined Chemo- and Radiation Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Using a Bio-Mathematical Model

The goal of this work was to develop a mathematical model to predict Kaplan-Meier survival curves for chemotherapy combined with radiation in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer patients for use in clinical trial design. The Gompertz model was used to describe tumor growth, radiation effect was simulated by the linear-quadratic model with an α/β-ratio of 10, and chemotherapy effect was based on the log-cell kill model. To account for repopulation during treatment, we considered two independent methods: 1) kickoff-repopulation using exponential growth with a decreased volume doubling time, or 2) Gompertz-repopulation using the gradually accelerating growth rate with tumor shrinkage. The input parameters were independently estimated by fitting to the SEER database for untreated tumors, RTOG-8808 for radiation only, and RTOG-9410 for sequential chemo-radiation. Applying the model, the benefit from concurrent chemo-radiation comparing to sequential for stage III patients was predicted to be a 6.6% and 6.2% improvement in overall survival for 3 and 5-years respectively, comparing well to the 5.3% and 4.5% observed in RTOG-9410. In summary, a mathematical model was developed to model tumor growth over extended periods of time, and can be used for the optimization of combined chemo-radiation scheduling and sequencing.
Vital Signs and Physiologic Derangement in Patients With Thoracic Trauma in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ABSTRACT Background: Triage is the act of stratifying the need for medical attention. Effective triage must account for injury patterns and severity. Personnel making triage decisions must also consider the patients' physiologic states. Vital signs can possibly be used to assess for the presence of physiological derangements such as coagulopathy, acidosis, or a significant base deficit. Providers could use this knowledge to assist with triage at casualty collection points where laboratory studies or point of care testing may not be available. Methods: With institutional approval, data were extracted from the Joint Theater Trauma Registry for all patients with thoracic trauma between 2002 and 2012. Patients were identified by International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 9th Revision (ICD-9) codes. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and pulse pressure were correlated with coagulopathy (international normalization ratio ≥ 1.5), acidosis (pH < 7.2) or an eleva...
Multigene Signature Panels and Breast Cancer Therapy: Patterns of Use and Impact on Clinical Decision Making

Background A growing body of evidence supports the use of multigene signature panels (MSPs) in predicting recurrence risk in patients with invasive breast cancer. This study aimed to evaluate trends in MSP use over time and the effect of MSPs on administration of postoperative chemotherapy. Study Design The National Cancer Database was queried for all women with invasive breast cancer who underwent resection between 2011 and 2014 and had information about performance of an MSP, hormone receptor status, and receipt of chemotherapy. Multigene signature panel use over time was evaluated, and patterns of use of Oncotype DX (ODX) and MammaPrint (MP) were compared. Results In a total of 476,128 patients, an MSP was obtained in 153,782 (30.2%). Multigene signature panel use increased over time and was associated with a decreased rate of chemotherapy administration (24.6% MSP vs 37.2% no MSP; p Conclusions Use of MSPs among patients with breast cancer has increased over time and is associated with a decreased use of adjuvant chemotherapy. Oncotype DX continues to be the most widely used MSP, although MP use has increased over time. Future studies are warranted to determine the optimal use of these MSPs in risk assessment and postoperative decision making.
Magnitudes of Double-Star Components

Next to the relative positions, for which a variety of measuring methods was on the agenda, the photometric data on double stars are another piece of data not easy to get. Let mA and mB be the apparent magnitudes of the components and mt the total (combined) magnitude of the pair. By definition, Δm = m B m A >0. The formula $${m_A} - {m_t} = \frac{5}{2}\log \left( {1 + {{10}_{ - 0.4\Delta m}}} \right)$$
A Random Walks View of Spectral Segmentation.

We present a new view of clustering and segmentation by pairwise similarities. We interpret the similarities as edge ows in a Markov random walk and study the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the walk's transition matrix. This view shows that spectral methods for clustering and segmentation have a probabilistic foundation. We prove that the Normalized Cut method arises naturally from our framework and we provide a complete characterization of the cases when the Normalized Cut algorithm is exact. Then we discuss other spectral segmentation and clustering methods showing that several of them are essentially the same as NCut.
The Development of Object Play and Classificatory Skills in a Blind Child.

Two aspects of the cognitive development of a 14-to-18-month-old blind child are reported: the development of procedures for the intentional control of objects and the development of certain classi...
Teaching ethics in undergraduate network security courses: the cautionary tale of Randal Schwartz

A cautionary ethical presentation is described which is used for an undergraduate network security course in which attacker tools are taught. The purpose of this lesson is to re-enforce students understanding of the need for extreme caution in working with these tools and the consequences of failing to do so. The case of a respected information technologist, Randal Schwartz, is used as an example of these consequences.
The VT Prediction Model: A simplified means to differentiate wide complex tachycardias.

BACKGROUND The accurate separation of undifferentiated wide complex tachycardias (WCTs) into ventricular tachycardia (VT) or supraventricular wide complex tachycardia (SWCT) using conventional, manually-applied 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation methods is difficult. PURPOSE We sought to devise a new WCT differentiation method that operates solely on automated measurements routinely provided by computerized ECG interpretation software. METHODS In a two-part analysis, we developed and validated a logistic regression model (ie, VT Prediction Model) that utilizes routinely available computerized measurements derived from patients' paired WCT and baseline ECGs. RESULTS The derivation cohort consisted of 601 paired WCT (273 VT, 328 SWCT) and baseline ECGs from 421 patients. The VT Prediction Model, composed of WCT QRS duration (ms) (P < .0001), QRS duration change (ms) (P < .0001), QRS axis change (°) (P < .0001) and T axis change (°) (P < .0001), yielded effective VT and SWCT differentiation (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.924; confidence interval [CI]: 0.903-0.944) for the derivation cohort. The validation cohort comprised 241 paired WCT (97 VT, 144 SWCT) and baseline ECGs from 177 patients. The VT Prediction Model's implementation on the validation cohort yielded effective WCT differentiation (AUC: 0.900; CI: 0.862-0.939) with overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 85.0%, 80.4%, and 88.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION The VT Prediction Model is an example of how readily available ECG measurements may be used to distinguish VT and SWCT effectively. Further study is needed to develop and refine newer WCT differentiation approaches that utilize computerized measurements provided by ECG interpretation software.
Intensifying vehicular proton exchange membrane fuel cells for safer and durable, design and operation

Abstract The explosion in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) powered forklift in Louisiana, USA in May 2018 and the resulting fatality highlights the need for the improved safety of this technology. Apart from the safety concerns, PEMFC durability has been an important issue towards its further commercialization. Both the safety and durability concerns associated with this technology can be attributed to the temporal degradation of its components. In this study, we have developed a mathematical model that relates the microscale PEMFC degradation to the probability of a macroscale explosion in a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). Using the model and the inherent safety principle of intensification, it was observed that increasing the operating temperature of the PEMFC system can significantly improve both its safety and durability while intensifying membrane design parameters i.e. membrane thickness and membrane conductivity do not provide any significant improvements. A key inference from this study is that the durability (expressed in voltage loss) and safety (expressed in explosion probability) of a PEMFC system are not perfectly correlated.
Ventrolateral Tonsillar Position Defines Novel Chiari 0.5 Classification.

Background Cervicomedullary compression in young children has been described in the context of Chiari type 1 malformation, with symptoms associated with the extent of tonsillar herniation below McRae line. Historically, Chiari type 1 malformation has been defined by tonsillar herniation of at least 5 mm. However, in certain populations, including very young children, Chiari symptoms may be present without this finding. A new Chiari classification is thus necessary. Methods Cases involving patients up to 5 years of age evaluated for possible posterior fossa decompression were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging findings, surgical management, and short- and long-term outcome and follow-up were recorded. Tonsillar descent and presence of ventral herniation (VH) were recorded. We define VH as the tonsils crossing a line that bisects the caudal medulla at the level of the foramen magnum, thus creating a novel entity, Chiari type 0.5 malformation. Patients with ventrally herniated tonsils were compared with patients exhibiting more typical Chiari morphology. Results Of 41 cases retrospectively reviewed, 20 met criteria for VH. These differed from cases without VH because of the predominance of medullary symptoms. In the VH cohort, 11 patients underwent surgical decompression with symptom resolution; 9 were initially managed conservatively, but 3 subsequently required surgery. Conclusions We define a novel Chiari entity, Chiari type 0.5 malformation, characterized by ventral tonsillar wrapping around the medulla in young children in the absence of classic Chiari type 1 malformation imaging findings. These patients are more likely to present with medullary symptoms than patients without VH. They are also more likely to require surgical decompression and respond favorably to intervention.
Interventions to Enhance Multinational Collaborative Projects as a Project-Based Learning Experience

Multinational collaborative projects have been used as a project-based learning approach to prepare students with professional and global skills in engineering. However, the implementation of those projects is challenging due to the complexity of having students geographically dispersed, with different languages, cultures, time zones, and backgrounds, and using information and communication technology (ICT) tools to facilitate collaboration in a multinational project. The purpose of this work is to identify relevant issues affecting the effectiveness of multinational collaborative projects as a project-based learning experience and provide the corresponding interventions to improve such academic practice. Expected outcomes of the interventions are summarized and examples of the results of some interventions already implemented are presented.
Pterocarpan synthase (PTS) structures suggest a common quinone methide-stabilizing function in dirigent proteins and proteins with dirigent-like domains.

The biochemical activities of dirigent proteins (DPs) give rise to distinct complex classes of plant phenolics. DPs apparently began to emerge during the aquatic-to-land transition, with phylogenetic analyses revealing the presence of numerous DP subfamilies in the plant kingdom. The vast majority (>95%) of DPs in these large multigene families still await discovery of their biochemical functions. Here, we elucidated the 3D structures of two pterocarpan-forming proteins with dirigent-like domains. Both proteins stereospecifically convert distinct diastereomeric chiral isoflavonoid precursors to the chiral pterocarpans, (–)- and (+)-medicarpin, respectively. Their 3D structures enabled comparisons with stereoselective lignan– and aromatic terpenoid–forming DP orthologs. Each protein provides entry into diverse plant natural products classes, and our experiments suggest a common biochemical mechanism in binding and stabilizing distinct plant phenol–derived mono- and bis-quinone methide intermediates during different C–C and C–O bond–forming processes. These observations provide key insights into both their appearance and functional diversification of DPs during land plant evolution/adaptation. The proposed biochemical mechanisms based on our findings provide important clues to how additional physiological roles for DPs and proteins harboring dirigent-like domains can now be rationally and systematically identified.
Spin and Charge Pumping by a Steady or Pulse-Current-Driven Magnetic Domain Wall: A Self-Consistent Multiscale Time-Dependent Quantum-Classical Hybrid Approach

The advanced computational method presented in this study is important for a variety of effects studied in spintronics that involve interplay between spin-transfer torque, spin pumping, and the damping of magnetization dynamics. Other approaches either use a purely time-dependent classical scheme, such as micromagnetics, or combine it with a steady-state quantum description that cannot take into account the impact of time-dependent fields due to evolving magnetic moments on electrons. This numerically exact, and thus nonperturbative, framework will impact the computational design of spintronic nanodevices utilizing magnetic domain walls or skyrmions for digital and bioinspired computing.
There is a risk-return trade-off after all ☆

This paper studies the ICAPM intertemporal relation between conditional mean and conditional variance of the aggregate stock market return. We introduce a new estimator that forecasts monthly variance with past daily squared returns — the Mixed Data Sampling (or MIDAS) approach. Using MIDAS, we find that there is a significantly positive relation between risk and return in the stock market. This finding is robust in subsamples, to asymmetric specifications of the variance process, and to controlling for variables associated with the business cycle. We compare the MIDAS results with other tests of the ICAPM based on alternative conditional variance specifications and explain the conflicting results in the literature. Finally, we offer new insights about the dynamics of conditional variance.
An Empirical Analysis of Risk, Incentives and the Delegaton of Worker Authority

The authors empirically test Prendergast’s (2002) theory that incorporates the delegation of worker authority into the principal-agent model to explain the lack of consistent empirical support for a tradeoff between risk and incentives. Using data from the 1998 British WERS, the authors investigate whether there is: 1) evidence of a risk-incentives tradeoff as predicted by the principal-agent model; 2) evidence of a positive relationship between incentive pay and the delegation of worker authority; 3) evidence of a positive relationship between risk and authority; 4) support for the main testable implication of Prendergast’s model, namely that the evidence favoring a risk-incentives tradeoff should strengthen when authority controls are added to the empirical model. The answers are affirmative for all four questions, thereby providing evidence clarifying the relationship between risk and incentive pay and how managers optimally bundle incentive pay and the delegation of worker decision rights to cope with risk.
Abstract LB086: Methylation-derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and lung cancer risk and survival

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a biomarker of systemic inflammation and can be estimated using DNA methylation data as methylation-derived NLR (mdNLR). We examined associations between mdNLR and lung cancer risk in a nested case-control study, and among the cases, lung cancer survival, using pre-diagnostic blood samples of cases (median of 14 years before diagnosis) and controls in the CLUE I/II cohorts. The final analytic dataset included 208 pairs of lung cancer cases and controls matched on age, sex, and smoking intensity. We computed the mdNLR for each sample based on immune cell-proportion estimates obtained using established reference-based deconvolution methods. Using conditional logistic regression (to take into account matching factors), and further adjusting for BMI, batch effects, and a smoking-based methylation score, we observed a 47% increased risk of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for one standard deviation increase in mdNLR (n = 150 pairs; OR: 1.47 [1.08, 2.02]). To estimate association between mdNLR and lung cancer survival, we used Cox proportional-hazards models, adjusting age, sex, smoking status, smoking methylation score, BMI, batch effect, and stage. We observed a 27% increased risk of dying from lung cancer for one standard deviation increase in mdNLR (n = 145 deaths in 205 cases; HR: 1.27 [1.08, 1.50]). A 50% increased risk of dying from lung cancer for one standard deviation increase in mdNLR was observed for NSCLC cases (n = 103 deaths in 149 cases; HR: 1.50 [1.19, 1.89]). A better understanding of inflammation-associated biomarkers in lung cancer development could provide insight into critical pathways that may help identify new markers of early disease and survival. Citation Format: Naisi Zhao, Mengyuan Ruan, Devin Koestler, Jiayun Lu, Carmen Marsit, Karl Kelsey, Elizabeth Platz, Dominique S. Michaud. Methylation-derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and lung cancer risk and survival [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr LB086.