cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A generic framework for analysing product cannibalisation

This paper contributes a generic framework for analysing product cannibalisation. Although the factors affecting product cannibalisation in mature product portfolios have been well studied, issues regarding the performance of a new product and its impact on an existing product portfolio have not been addressed in the context of cannibalisation. Since it is critical to be able to estimate the impact of a new product on other products in the product portfolio, this paper presents a descriptive model to discuss the issues associated with product cannibalisation, specifically the impact of new product introduction on an existing product portfolio. The product portfolio model and different quantitative measures that can be used to understand the impact of new product introduction are discussed, along with a case study to illustrate the cannibalisation indicators developed in this research. This model can then be used along with quantitative methods in strategic decision-making regarding the introduction of new...
A 170 Mbps (8176, 7156) quasi-cyclic LDPC decoder implementation with FPGA

This paper presents a low-complexity, high-speed VLSI decoder architecture and its FPGA implementation for Euclidian geometry (EG) based quasi-cyclic (QC) low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. In the design, various optimizations are employed to increase the clock speed. More parallelism is enabled for the partially parallel decoding architecture through the introduction of small hardware overhead. An efficient non-uniform quantization scheme is proposed to reduce the size of soft message memories without sacrificing the decoding performance. Synthesis results show that the proposed decoder for a (8176, 7156) EG-LDPC code can achieve a maximum (information) decoding throughput over 170 Mbps on Xilinx Virtex II FPGA when performing 15 iterations.
Energy-velocity description of pulse propagation in absorbing, dispersive dielectrics

The evolution of an electromagnetic pulse propagating through a linear, dispersive, and absorbing dielectric (as predicted by the modern asymptotic extension of the classic theory of Sommerfeld and Brillouin) is described in physical terms. The description is similar to the group-velocity description known for plane-wave pulses propagating through lossless, gainless, dispersive media but with two modifications: (1) the group velocity is replaced by the velocity of energy in time-harmonic waves, and (2) a nonoscillatory component is added that consists of a wave that grows exponentially with time with a time-dependent growth rate. In the nonoscillatory component the growth rate at each space–time point is determined by the velocity of energy in exponentially growing waves in the medium. The new description provides, for the first time to our knowledge, a physical explanation of the localized details of pulse dynamics in dispersive and absorbing dielectric media and a simple mathematical algorithm for quantitative predictions. Numerical comparisons of the results of the algorithm with the exact integral solution are presented for a highly transparent dielectric and for a highly absorbing dielectric. In both cases the agreement is excellent.
A Monopolistic and Oligopolistic Stochastic Flow Revenue Management Model

This paper studies a one-shot inventory replenishment problem with dynamic pricing. The customer arrival rate is assumed to follow a geometric Brownian motion. Homogeneous customers have an isoelastic demand function and do not behave strategically. We find a closed-form optimal pricing policy, which utilizes current demand information. Under this pricing policy the inventory trajectory is deterministic, and a retailer sells all inventory. We show that dynamic pricing coordinated with the inventory decision achieves significantly higher profits than does static pricing. Furthermore, under oligopolistic competition we establish a weak perfect Bayesian equilibrium for the price and inventory replenishment game. We find the pricing equilibrium to be cooperative even in a noncooperative environment, but that inventory competition results in overstock and damages profits. Finally, we examine the trade-off between dynamic pricing and price precommitment and find that flexible pricing is still beneficial, provided competition is not too intense.
An Analysis of the Formation and Behavior of Partnerships

The partnership form of business has become increasingly popular in the United States and may account for a significant portion of new business formation in the future. In spite of the growth of partnerships, there has been little formal analysis of their formation or behavior. In this article, we consider the possibility that the level of partnership formation is inefficient and find conditions under which tax-subsidy schemes yield welfare-improving changes in the level of partnership formation. We also determine the effects of income taxation on partnership activity. Finally we examine the impact of government expenditure programs on partnership behavior. We find that some of these programs, for example those that are ostensibly designed to foster new business, may actually inhibit partnership formation and increase the likelihood of partnership failure.
Gonad Morphogenesis in Vertebrates: Divergent Means to a Convergent End

A critical element of successful sexual reproduction is the generation of sexually dimorphic adult reproductive organs, the testis and ovary, which produce functional gametes. Examination of different vertebrate species shows that the adult gonad is remarkably similar in its morphology across different phylogenetic classes. Surprisingly, however, the cellular and molecular programs employed to create similar organs are not evolutionarily conserved. We highlight the mechanisms used by different vertebrate model systems to generate the somatic architecture necessary to support gametogenesis. In addition, we examine the different vertebrate patterns of germ cell migration from their site of origin to colonize the gonad and highlight their roles in sex-specific morphogenesis. We also discuss the plasticity of the adult gonad and consider how different genetic and environmental conditions can induce transitions between testis and ovary morphology.
Eyewitness to Discovery: First-Person Accounts of More than Fifty of the World's Greatest Archaeological Discoveries, edited by Brian M. Fagan, Oxford University Press, 1996

"Archaeology is a priceless, dispassionate eye into the past for the artifacts of ancient times provide a telling record of human behavior, of the ways in which different members of a society negotiated with one another and coped with prevailing conditions. In the final analysis, the human past is not just a record of rulers and statesmen going about their business... It is a record of continual, ever changing interactions between people, rich and poor, important and humble… The challenge for the archaeologist is to reconstruct and understand the past using only the durable and surviving remains of ancient behavior."
U.S. Prisoner Reentry Health Care Policy in International Perspective: Service Gaps and the Moral and Public Health Implications

More than 735,000 inmates are released from U.S. prisons annually, many of whom have mental and physical health problems that go largely unaddressed during incarceration and on return to society. That has led some scholars and policy makers to imply this is specific to the United States and to call for reducing the health needs–services gap among inmates and ex-prisoners. The goal of this article is to argue that (a) the magnitude of this gap, while likely large, remains unknown, (b) the United States is far from unique in having a needs–services gap, (c) the decision to provide health care to inmates and ex-prisoners constitutes a moral policy decision with potentially profound public health and cost impacts on offenders, their families, and the communities to which they return, and (d) research on health care needs–services gaps among inmate and reentry populations should become a priority for developing cost-effective, evidence-based responses to address such gaps. The article concludes with a discussi...
On the inviscid stability of bi-layer axisymmetric coatings

This paper is concerned with the stability of fibre coatings at large Reynolds numbers. Both single- and double-layer coatings are considered; no restriction is placed on the coating thicknesses. Calculations for the maximum growth rate, together with the corresponding length scale of the instability, are presented. Rescaling with respect to the maximum growth rate generates universal dispersion relations over the unstable wavenumber range. For double-layer composite coatings, modifications are required when the density ratio becomes large.
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis by deconvolution of internal standard

Background: Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) is a collection of methods for estimating the number of copies of a specific DNA template in a sample, but one that is not universally accepted because it can lead to highly inaccurate (albeit precise) results. The fundamental problem is that qPCR methods use mathematical models that explicitly or implicitly apply an estimate of amplification efficiency, the error of which is compounded in the analysis to unacceptable levels. Results: We present a new method of qPCR analysis that is efficiency-independent and yields accurate and precise results in controlled experiments. The method depends on a computer-assisted deconvolution that finds the point of concordant amplification behavior between the “unknown” template and an admixed amplicon standard. We apply the method to demonstrate dexamethasone-induced changes in gene expression in lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines. Conclusions: This method of qPCR analysis does not use any explicit or implicit measure of efficiency, and may therefore be immune to problems inherent in other qPCR approaches. It yields an estimate of absolute initial copy number of template, and controlled tests show it generates accurate results.
Public Health and Hospitals: Lessons Learned From Partnerships in a Changing Health Care Environment

Recent changes in policymaking, such as the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, have ushered in a new era in community health partnerships. To investigate characteristics of effective collaboration between hospitals, their parent systems, and the public health community, with the support of major hospital, medical, and public health associations, we compiled a list of 157 successful partnerships. This set was subsequently narrowed to 12 successful and diverse partnerships. After conducting site visits in each of the partnerships' communities and interviews with key partnership participants, we extracted lessons about their success. The lessons we have learned from our investigation have the potential to assist others as they develop partnerships.
Mechanisms of cyclic AMP/protein kinase A- and glucocorticoid-mediated apoptosis using S49 lymphoma cells as a model system.

Cyclic AMP/protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) and glucocorticoids promote the death of many cell types, including cells of hematopoietic origin. In wild-type (WT) S49 T-lymphoma cells, signaling by cAMP and glucocorticoids converges on the induction of the proapoptotic B-cell lymphoma-family protein Bim to produce mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Kin – , a clonal variant of WT S49 cells, lacks PKA catalytic (PKA-Cα) activity and is resistant to cAMP-mediated apoptosis. Using sorbitol density gradient fractionation, we show here that in kin – S49 cells PKA-Cα is not only depleted but the residual PKA-Cα mislocalizes to heavier cell fractions and is not phosphorylated at two conserved residues (Ser 338 or Thr 197 ). In WT S49 cells, PKA-regulatory subunit I (RI) and Bim coimmunoprecipitate upon treatment with cAMP analogs and forskolin (which increases endogenous cAMP concentrations). By contrast, in kin – cells, expression of PKA-RIα and Bim is prominently decreased, and increases in cAMP do not increase Bim expression. Even so, kin – cells undergo apoptosis in response to treatment with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (Dex). In WT cells, glucorticoid-mediated apoptosis involves an increase in Bim, but in kin – cells, Dex-promoted cell death appears to occur by a caspase 3-independent apoptosis-inducing factor pathway. Thus, although cAMP/PKA-Cα and PKA-R1α/Bim mediate apoptotic cell death in WT S49 cells, kin – cells resist this response because of lower levels of PKA-Cα and PKA-RIα subunits as well as Bim. The findings for Dex-promoted apoptosis imply that these lymphoma cells have adapted to selective pressure that promotes cell death by altering canonical signaling pathways.
Del testimonio al sentimiento: Querido Diego, te abraza Quiela y la nueva novela sentimental hispanoamericana

From testimony to sentiment: Querido Diego, te abraza Quiela (1978) by Elena Poniatowska, together with Cancion de Rachel (1969) by the Cuban Miguel Barnet, anticipate the emergence of the new Spanish American sentimental novel, a genre that has displaced both in popularity and influence the narrative boom of the sixties as well as the testimonial or documentary novels of the following two decades. lnterestingly enough, Barnet and Poniatowska were also the founders of the testimonial genre with Biografia de un cimarron (1966) and Hasta no verte, Jesus mio (1969), respectively. This article examines how Ponia· towska effects the transition from testimonial to sentimental narrative in Queri ­ do Diego ..., and establishes, through the analysis of this novel and with theoretic sources about love such as L'amour et l'Occident (1956) by Denis de Rougement, sorne of the characteristic traits of the new Spanish American sentimental novel.
A CASE OF EARLY PRIMARY ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE APPENDIX DIAGNOSED PREOPERATIVELY BY COLON FIBERSCOPY

Primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix is divided into the cystic type and the colonic type, and more than 200 cases have been reported in Japan. But few of them were diagnosed preoperatively. A 73-year-old man with early primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix is reported in this paper. He had the chief complaint of abdominal distention and was suspected of having primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix preoperatively by colon fiberscopy. Ileocecal resection with lymphnode dissection was carried out. Pathologically, this patient was interesting in the that he had histological findings of both the cystic type and the colonic type. Additionally, 100 cases of primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix in Japan reported during the past 7 years were collected and analyzed as to sex, age, symptoms, preoperative diagnosis, depth of invasion, operation method and prognosis. Right hemicolectomy or ileocecal resection with lymphnode dissection should be carried out in all primary adenocarcinomas of the appendix.
Single-Layer MoS2 with Sulfur Vacancies: Structure and Catalytic Application

Single-layer MoS2 is proving to be a versatile material for a wide variety of electronic, optical, and chemical applications. Sulfur depletion, without destabilization of the single layer, is considered a prudent way for making the basal plane of the layer catalytically active. Based on the results of our density-functional-theory examination of vacancy structures on one side of an MoS2 layer, we show that the formation energy per sulfur vacancy is the lowest (energetically favorable) when the vacancies form a row and that the longer the row, the lower the formation energy. In addition, we find that the lowest energy barrier for the diffusion of sulfur vacancy at the row structures through the exchange of a vacancy with a nearby sulfur atom is 0.79 eV and that this barrier increases as the row elongates. We also evaluate the propensity for catalytic activity of an MoS2 layer with two types of sulfur-vacancy structures (row and patch) and find the energetics for alcohol synthesis from syngas to be more fav...
Adaptive Radiation of Capromyid Rodents: Anatomy of the Masticatory Apparatus

The anatomy of jaw, hyoid, and pharyngeal regions of Capromys pilorides, Geocapromys ingrahami, Plagiodontia aedium , and Myocastor coypus indicates that distinct morphological adaptations are associated with jaw function. Chewing in Capromys and Geocapromys is propalinal and bilateral, and these genera have or-thognathous adaptations. Plagiodontia and Myocastor chew obliquely and have plagiognathous adaptations. These adaptations are associated with an adaptive radiation on the islands of the West Indies. It is not possible to establish with certainty whether the endemic Antillean capromyids are more closely related to Myocastor or to an echimyid, but four possible evolutionary sequences are presented to explain the history of the endemic rodents in the Caribbean.
Analysis of Influencing Factors for Intention of Doctors to Buy Medical Liability Insurance

Objective To investigate the influencing factors for the intention of doctors to buy medical liability insurance. Methods A total of 400 on- the- job doctors from the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College took part in a questionnaire survey in March 2014. 400 questionnaires were distributed and 375 were returned,with an effective rate of 93. 8%.Self- made questionnaires were used including questionnaires on general condition( including sex and age,etc.),risk level of medical liability( including the frequency of medical liabilities over the past two years,compensation and losses),awareness of medical liability insurance( including positive and negative evaluation of medical liability insurance),evaluation of the current medical liability insurance system( including evaluation of the insurance coverage,insurance premium,compensation and claims settlement) and intention to buy medical liability insurance( including the intention of doctors to buy medical liability insurance and priorities,etc.). Results The intention to buy medical liability insurance of doctors with different years of working,professional titles and departments showed statistically significant differences( P 0. 05). 66. 2%( 100 /151) of the doctors once involved in medical disputes were willing to buy medical liability insurance, while the ratio for doctors yet to be involved in medical disputes was 50. 9%( 114 /224), and the difference was statistically significant( χ2= 8. 650, P = 0. 003). The awareness score of medical liability insurance for the doctors willing to buy the insurance was( 32. 1 ± 5. 1),while the score was( 28. 7 ± 4. 6) for those who were not willing to buy the insurance,and the difference was statistically significant( t = 6. 670,P 0. 001). Doctors generally believed that there were four problems for the current medical liability insurance system: it could not get rid of medical disputes for hospitals and doctors( 100. 0%); limited insurance coverage( 91. 9%); imperfect claim settlement / complicated claim settlement( 87. 2%); irrational maximum indemnity limit and deductible( 65. 1%). Conclusion Factors influencing the intention of doctors to buy medical liability insurance include years of working, professional titles,departments,risk level of medical liability, awareness of medical liability insurance and problems in the medical liability insurance system.
Abstract ES8-2: Prognostic indicators in treatment of DCIS

The goal of DCIS treatment is to avoid a future invasive breast cancer. Invasive breast cancer risk is heterogeneous across the population of DCIS patients. More than 40% of women with minimal, low grade DCIS will develop invasive breast cancer if left untreated and followed for more than 10 years. Risk of invasive recurrence is about 2% per year for DCIS treated by simple excision (lower for small low grade lesions and higher for larger high grade lesions). A reliable approach for risk-stratifying individual DCIS lesions could permit tailored approaches to therapy or avoidance of therapy all together in the lowest risk women. Screen-detected, grade 1 and 2 micropapillary DCIS in older women is likely the lowest risk lesion. Progression to invasive breast cancer is more likely related to focal myoepithelial cell dysfunction than molecular alterations in the bulk luminal cell populations. Nevertheless, p16, ER, COX2, HER-2/neu, and Ki67 staining patterns in the bulk luminal cell population have been linked to recurrence risk. A 12 gene recurrence score has been shown to predict the risk of recurrence for DCIS treated by excision without radiation. This assay was adapted from the 21-gene OncoTypeDx test and is weighted heavily towards proliferation markers. Accurate prediction of invasive recurrence risk will likely require detection of focal alterations in myopeithelial cells and the basement membrane. Citation Format: Euhus DM. Prognostic indicators in treatment of DCIS. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr ES8-2.
Recognition of Double-Stranded DNA Using Energetically Activated Duplexes Modified with N2'-Pyrene-, Perylene-, or Coronene-Functionalized 2'-N-Methyl-2'-amino-DNA Monomers.

Invader probes have been proposed as alternatives to polyamides, triplex-forming oligonucleotides, and peptide nucleic acids for recognition of chromosomal DNA targets. These double-stranded probes are activated for DNA recognition by +1 interstrand zippers of pyrene-functionalized nucleotides. This particular motif forces the intercalating pyrene moieties into the same region, resulting in perturbation and destabilization of the probe duplex. In contrast, the two probe strands display very high affinity toward complementary DNA. The energy difference between the probe duplexes and recognition complexes provides the driving force for DNA recognition. In the present study, we explore the properties of Invader probes based on larger intercalators, i.e., perylene and coronene, expecting that the larger π-surface area will result in additional destabilization of the probe duplex and further stabilization of probe–target duplexes, in effect increasing the thermodynamic driving force for DNA recognition. Toward...
Metal-Organic Frameworks as Highly Active Electrocatalysts for High-Energy Density, Aqueous Zinc-Polyiodide Redox Flow Batteries.

The new aqueous zinc-polyiodide redox flow battery (RFB) system with highly soluble active materials as well as ambipolar and bifunctional designs demonstrated significantly enhanced energy density, which shows great potential to reduce RFB cost. However, the poor kinetic reversibility and electrochemical activity of the redox reaction of I3–/I– couples on graphite felts (GFs) electrode can result in low energy efficiency. Two nanoporous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), MIL-125-NH2 and UiO-66-CH3, that have high surface areas when introduced to GF surfaces accelerated the I3–/I– redox reaction. The flow cell with MOF-modified GFs serving as a positive electrode showed higher energy efficiency than the pristine GFs; increases of about 6.4% and 2.7% occurred at the current density of 30 mA/cm2 for MIL-125-NH2 and UiO-66-CH3, respectively. Moreover, UiO-66-CH3 is more promising due to its excellent chemical stability in the weakly acidic electrolyte. This letter highlights a way for MOFs to be used in the fi...
A trans-diagnostic review of anxiety disorder comorbidity and the impact of multiple exclusion criteria on studying clinical outcomes in anxiety disorders.

Anxiety disorders are highly comorbid with each other and with other serious mental disorders. As our field progresses, we have the opportunity to pursue treatment study designs that consider these comorbidities. In this perspective review, we first characterized the prevalence of multiple anxiety disorder comorbidity by reanalyzing national survey data, then conducted an English-language PubMed search of studies analyzing the impact of exclusion criteria on treatment outcome data. In the prevalence data, 60% of people with an anxiety disorder had one or more additional anxiety or depression diagnosis. Because our commonly applied exclusion criteria focus on a single diagnosis and do not consider a multiple comorbidity profile, the impact of the criteria may be to exclude up to 92% of anxiety disorder treatment seekers. Moreover, the findings do not suggest a consistent relationship between the number of exclusion criteria and the effect size of treatment outcomes. Thus, future studies might consider a more trans-diagnostic rationale for determining exclusion criteria, one that is generalizable to real-world settings in which multiple diagnoses commonly co-occur. The findings also encourage a more systematic reporting of rationales for the choice of—and the implications of—each exclusion criterion.
Contemporary insights into the management of type A aortic dissection

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Acute Type A Dissection remains a surgical emergency with a relatively high operative mortality despite advances in cardiac surgical techniques and medical management over the past thirty years.Areas covered: In this presentation we will discuss the issues surrounding diagnosis, triage, surgical treatment and perioperative medical management as well as long term surveillance of patients suffering from Acute Type A Dissection and present the literature that supports our management strategies.Expert commentary: The ultimate goal of surgical intervention for patients with Type A Acute Aortic Dissection is an alive patient. A more complicated operation which addresses the root and arch and potentially reduces late complications should be approached with caution since it may increase the operative mortality of the procedure itself. With the recent evolution in endovascular techniques, there is hope that later complications can be reduced without increasing the risk of the primary operatio...
Imidacloprid seed treatments affect individual ant behavior and community structure but not egg predation, pest abundance or soybean yield.

Background Neonicotinoid seed treatments are under scrutiny because of their variable efficacy against crop pests and for their potential negative impacts on non-target organisms. Ants provide important biocontrol services in agroecosystems and can be indicators of ecosystem health. This study tested for effects of exposure to imidacloprid plus fungicide or fungicide-treated seeds on individual ant survival, locomotion and foraging capabilities and on field ant community structure, pest abundance, ant predation and yield. Results Cohorts of ants exposed to either type of treated seed had impaired locomotion and a higher incidence of morbidity and mortality but no loss of foraging capacity. In the field, we saw no difference in ant species richness, regardless of seed treatment. Blocks with imidacloprid did have higher species evenness and diversity, probably owing to variable effects of the insecticide on different ant species, particularly Tetramorium caespitum. Ant predation on sentinel eggs, pest abundance and soybean growth and yield were similar in the two treatments. Conclusion Both seed treatments had lethal and sublethal effects on ant individuals, and the influence of imidacloprid seed coating in the field was manifested in altered ant community composition. Those effects, however, were not strong enough to affect egg predation, pest abundance or soybean yield in field blocks. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
The kidney and planar cell polarity.

Planar cell polarity (PCP) or tissue polarity describes a coordinated polarity at the plane of the tissue where most or all cells within a tissue are polarized in one direction. It is perpendicular to the apical–basal polarity of the cell. PCP is manifested readily in the Drosophila wing and cuticle bristles, Drosophila eye ommatidia, and mammalian hair and inner ear hair bundles, and less evidently, in cellular processes such as in the coordinated, directional cell movements, and oriented cell divisions that are important for tissue morphogenesis. Several distinct molecular and cellular processes have been implicated in the regulation of PCP. Here, we review potential roles for PCP during mouse kidney development and maintenance, including ureteric bud branching morphogenesis, renal medulla elongation, tubule diameter establishment/maintenance, glomerulogenesis, and response to injury. The potential mechanisms underlying these processes, including oriented cell division and coordinated cell migration/cell intercalation, are discussed. In addition, we discuss some unaddressed research topics related to PCP in the kidney that we hope will spur further discussion and investigation.
Surgical Strategies in Trauma

Traumatic hemorrhage is a major cause of trauma-related death in both the civilian and military settings. Given the preventable nature of the consequences of hemorrhage, significant energy has been dedicated to better therapeutic considerations. Trunkey et al. stratified traumatic deaths a trimodal distribution: immediate death from massive neurologic or cardiovascular injuries, early death from noncompressible torso trauma and hemorrhage, and late death related to organ failure and death. This concept has been challenged with recent studies suggesting that severely injured patients have only a small percentage of late deaths, with death primarily occurring within the first 6 h of admission. This may be attributed to better postoperative care and hospital systems. These findings place emphasis on the importance of early events in the management of bleeding patients. The basic principles of the contemporary approach to the bleeding trauma patient include:
On the Measurement of Food Waste

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, one-quarter to one-third of all the food produced worldwide is wasted. We develop a simple framework to systematically think about food waste based on the life cycle of a typical food item. Based on our framework, we identify problems with extant measures of food waste and propose a more consistent and practical approach. In so doing, we first show that the widely cited, extant measures of the quantity and value of food waste are inconsistent with one another and overstate the problem of food waste. By misdirecting and misallocating some of the resources that are currently put into food waste reduction efforts, this overstatement of the problem could have severe consequences for public policy. Our framework then allows documenting the points of intervention for policies aimed at reducing the extent of food waste in the life cycle of food and the identification of interdependencies between potential policy levers.
Chapter 17 - Quantile Prediction

This chapter is concerned with the problem of quantile prediction (or forecasting). There are numerous applications in economics and finance where quantiles are of interest. We primarily focus on methods that are relevant for dynamic time series data. The chapter is organized around two key questions: first, how to measure and forecast the conditional quantiles of some series of interest given the information currently available and second, how to assess the accuracy of alternative conditional quantile predictors.
Roles of BCCIP deficiency in mammary tumorigenesis

Dysregulated DNA repair and cell proliferation controls are essential driving forces in mammary tumorigenesis. BCCIP was originally identified as a BRCA2 and CDKN1A interacting protein that has been implicated in maintenance of genomic stability, cell cycle regulation, and microtubule dynamics. The aims of this study were to determine whether BCCIP deficiency contributes to mammary tumorigenesis, especially for a subset of breast cancers with 53BP1 abnormality, and to reveal the mechanistic implications of BCCIP in breast cancer interventions. We analyzed the BCCIP protein level in 470 cases of human breast cancer to determine the associations between BCCIP and 53BP1, p53, and subtypes of breast cancer. We further constructed a unique BCCIP knockdown mouse model to determine whether a partial BCCIP deficiency leads to spontaneous breast cancer formation. We found that the BCCIP protein level is downregulated in 49% of triple-negative breast cancer and 25% of nontriple-negative breast cancer. The downregulation of BCCIP is mutually exclusive with p53 mutations but concurrent with 53BP1 loss in triple-negative breast cancer. In a K14-Cre-mediated conditional BCCIP knockdown mouse model, we found that BCCIP downregulation causes a formation of benign modules in the mammary glands, resembling the epidermal inclusion cyst of the breast. However, the majority of these benign lesions remain indolent, and only ~ 10% of them evolve into malignant tumors after a long latency. This tumor progression is associated with a loss of 53BP1 and p16 expression. BCCIP knockdown did not alter the latency of mammary tumor formation induced by conditional Trp53 deletion. Our data suggest a confounding role of BCCIP deficiency in modulating breast cancer development by enhancing tumor initiation but hindering progression. Furthermore, secondary genetic alternations may overcome the progression suppression imposed by BCCIP deficiency through a synthetic viability mechanism.
Retrospective Survival Analysis of Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and Germline BRCA or PALB2 Mutations

PURPOSEGermline mutations in the homologous recombination genes BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 confer an increased risk for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Tumors associated with mutations in hom...
Investigating different fatigue failure criteria of asphalt binder with the consideration of healing

Abstract Fatigue damage is the deterioration of material strength due to repeated traffic loading and healing is the restoration of the material strength, which essentially delays the fatigue cracking in the asphalt pavement. Several criteria have been developed to determine the fatigue life from laboratory fatigue tests, however, none of these criteria consider healing. The primary objective of this study is to explore the effect of healing on fatigue life using different fatigue failure criteria. Healing is introduced in the fatigue tests by incorporating a rest period between loading. Three different performance grade (PG) binders are tested using fatigue (loading without rest period) and healing (loading with rest period) test methods to assess the effect of healing on the fatigue damage. The fatigue life is determined using three different criteria: Stiffness reduction (Nf50), Dissipated Energy Ratio (DER) and Ratio of Dissipated Energy Change (RDEC). Statistical analysis showed that there is no significant difference between these three approaches for both the fatigue and healing tests. In addition, the fatigue curve is constructed for both the fatigue and healing tests. The comparison of these fatigue curves show that fatigue life increases due to the incorporation of healing in the fatigue tests. An empirical equation is proposed to incorporate healing in the fatigue life equation.
Surgical Options for Limb Salvage in Immature Patients with Extremity Sarcoma

The different types of limb salvage procedures can be classified as biologic (i.e. autograft, allograft), non-biologic (i.e. megaprosthesis, expandable prosthesis), or combination (i.e. allograft-prosthetic composite). Each of these types has its own indications, as well as advantages and disadvantages.
Different Storage-Focused PV-Based Mini-Grid Architectures for Rural Developing Communities

Impacts of grid architectures on temporal diffusion of PV-based communal grids (community owned minigrids or microgrids) in a rural developing community are modelled and simulated using MATLAB/Simulink and a survey-informed agent-based model (ABM) developed in NetLogo. Results show that decentralised control architectures stimulate minigrid formations and connections by allowing easy expansions of the minigrids as each decentralised PV system within a minigrid is treated equally and determines its own real and reactive power, eliminating the need for communication links. This also reduces the cost of implementing such a system; fewer connections are realized with centralised controls as such systems require high speed communication links which make them both difficult to expand and expensive to implement. Results also show that multi-master operation modes lead to more communal grid connections compared to single-master operation modes because in the former, all distributed PV systems within a communal grid have the same rank and can act as masters or can be operated as combinations of master generators (VSIs) and PQ inverters, allowing for more design flexibility and easy connections from potential customers.
Using Simulated Dropsondes to Understand Extreme Updrafts and Wind Speeds in Tropical Cyclones

AbstractExtreme updrafts (≥10 m s−1) and wind gusts (≥90 m s−1) are ubiquitous within the low-level eyewall of intense tropical cyclones (TCs). Previous studies suggest that both of these features ...
Ex-Ante Framework and Research Questions

The author critiques the existing literature on institutional change and points out that most of the work on institutional change and entrepreneurship is set in commercial fields where the guiding motive is competition and maximization of profits as against co-operation and sharing of resources that is at the core of institutional change in social arena. Issues such as injustice, inequity, and absence of fair play are significant concerns, which could spur the emergence of change agents, or social entrepreneurs, or champions to initiate action for change in a typical social arena such as an Indian rural community. Forwarding this argument and drawing from literature on social change, social entrepreneurship, and social movement, Patnaik extends the profiles of institutional change suggested by Dorado and posits an alternative profile of ‘social institutional change’ by addressing existing power asymmetries through the process of convening. The chapter defines institutional convening, the relationship between institutional convening and power, the role of institutional champion as an extension of DiMaggio’s ‘institutional entrepreneur’
Chapter 58 – Novel Antiplatelet Therapies

Abstract The repertoire of antiplatelet therapies has exploded in the last decade. Some agents support incremental advances. Others have shifted our understanding of cardiovascular diseases and management. Stemming from the association of aspirin with improved outcomes following heart attack, the latest agents have been purposefully developed against mechanistic targets and tested through clinical permutations to identify synergistic combinations. The limiting adversity that shadows potent antiplatelet regimens remains bleeding. Although contemporary agents improve outcomes with acceptable clinical risk, the grail to dissociate thrombosis and bleeding continues to drive innovation. Empowered by advances in drug discovery and systems biology, an expanse of new compounds stands and from which the next-generation of paradigm shifts will emerge. In this chapter, we consider promising antiplatelet compounds in the context of four paradigms: (1) “deep optimization,” (2) effect focusing to local biological signals, (3) function modulators, rather than inhibitors, and (4) multiplexed effects.
Political Consequences of the Endangered Local Watchdog: Newspaper Decline and Mayoral Elections in the United States:

Newspapers have faced extreme challenges in recent years due to declining circulation and advertising revenue. This has resulted in newspaper closures, staff cuts, and dramatic changes to the ways ...
Sea cucumber management strategies: challenges and opportunities in a developing country context

Sea cucumbers play a critical role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. Sea cucumbers are also a key source of income for millions of small-scale fishers worldwide. The lucrative nature of this industry has led to severe reductions in sea cucumber populations in numerous regions globally. A large proportion of sea cucumber fisheries are located in developing countries, which present unique challenges to management, including addressing highly decentralized methods of extraction and processing, limited economic and technological resources for governance and, in many cases, a high dependency on sea cucumbers as a primary source of income for small-scale coastal fishers. In this review, we review the benefits and challenges of seven categories of sea cucumber management strategies used globally in developing countries, including gear restrictions, size and weight limits, effort and catch controls, temporal closures, area closures, value chain licensing and territorial use rights in fisheries. We conclude that sea cucumber management in developing countries could benefit from focusing regulatory solutions on narrowed parts of the value chain, coupling production-based management strategies with processing and export regulations and providing avenues for local fishers to inform policy at the local, regional and national levels.
Metastatic Basal Cell Carcinoma.

Objectives Diagnosis of metastatic basal cell carcinoma (BCC) remains challenging, in part due to its rarity. With the advent of molecularly targeted therapies, recognition of this entity is more important than ever. Methods We identified 11 cases of metastatic BCC over a 13-year period. We analyzed these tumors in conjunction with their respective primary tumors by histomorphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular genetic analyses. Results We identified three morphologic patterns of metastasis in BCC. The most common (seven cases) was characterized by completely typical features of BCC. Two cases showed marked squamous differentiation within BCC. The final two cases showed exclusively features of a poorly differentiated carcinoma. One of these was definitively classified by molecular analysis, as both the primary and metastatic tumors harbored the same inactivating PTCH1 mutation. Conclusions This study illustrates multiple distinct morphologic patterns in metastatic BCC and highlights the utility of ancillary molecular testing for accurate diagnosis.
Breast cancer in young black women.

BACKGROUND Young age at breast cancer diagnosis is associated with negative prognostic outcomes, and breast cancer in black women often manifests at a young age. This study evaluated the effect of age on breast cancer management and outcomes in black women. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of all black women treated for invasive breast cancer between 2005 and 2010 at a specialized tertiary-care cancer centre. Clinical and treatment characteristics were compared by age. Kaplan-Meier methodology was used to estimate overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS A total of 666 black women were identified. Median BMI was 30 (range 17-56) kg/m2 and median tumour size was 16 (1-155) mm. Most tumours were oestrogen receptor-positive (66·4 per cent). Women were stratified by age: less than 40 years (74, 11·1 per cent) versus 40 years or more (592, 88·9 per cent). Younger women were significantly more likely to have a mastectomy, axillary lymph node dissection and to receive chemotherapy, and were more likely to have lymphovascular invasion and positive lymph nodes, than older women. The 5-year OS rate was 88·0 (95 per cent c.i. 86·0 to 91·0) per cent and the 5-year DFS rate was 82·0 (79·0 to 85·0) per cent. There was no statistically significant difference in OS by age (P = 0·236). Although DFS was inferior in younger women on univariable analysis (71 versus 88 per cent; P < 0·001), no association was found with age on multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION Young black women with breast cancer had more adverse pathological factors, received more aggressive treatment, and had worse DFS on univariable analysis. Young age at diagnosis was, however, not an independent predictor of outcome.
Isolated Fractures of the Anterior Process

Isolated anterior process fractures of the os calcis may be encountered by the treating orthopedist. This fracture usually results from a ligamentous avulsion of the dorsolateral anterior process. The avulsed segment may be treated with observation if small and not associated with midfoot instability. Larger fragments may require either open reduction with internal fixation or fragment excision. An anterior process fracture can also occur as a concomitant injury with a fracture-dislocation through the midtarsal joint, typically associated with a more severe mechanism of injury. These fractures are associated with a poorer chance for functional recovery, and the treatment is based upon the individual fracture pattern.
Adaptive design of experiments for global Kriging metamodeling through cross-validation information

This paper discusses a new sequential adaptive design of experiments (DoE) approach for global Kriging metamodeling applications. The sequential implementation is established by using the current metamodel, formulated based on the existing experiments, to guide the selection of the optimal new experiment(s). The score function, defining the DoE objective, combines two components: (1) the metamodel prediction variability, expressed through the predictive variance, and (2) the metamodel bias, approximated through the leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) error. The latter is used as a weighting factor to extend traditional DoE approaches that focus solely on the metamodel prediction variability. Two such approaches are considered here, adopting either the integrated mean squared error or the maximum mean squared error as the basic component of the score function. The incorporation of bias information as weighting within these well-established approaches facilitates a direct extension of their respective computational workflows, making the proposed implementation attractive from computational perspective. An efficient optimization scheme for identification of the next experiment, as well as the balancing of exploration and exploitation between the two components of the score function, are also discussed. The incorporation of LOOCV weightings is shown to be highly beneficial in a total of six analytical and engineering examples. Furthermore, these examples demonstrate that for DoE approaches which use LOOCV information as weights, it is preferable to update the predictive variance to explicitly consider the impact of the new experiment, rather than relying strictly on the current metamodel variance.
Parallel Gibbs Sampler for Wavelet-Based Bayesian Compressive Sensing with High Reconstruction Accuracy

Bayesian compressive sensing (BCS) helps address ill-posed signal recovery problems using the Bayesian estimation framework. Gibbs sampling is a technique used in Bayesian estimation that iteratively draws samples from conditional posterior distributions, which is inherently sequential. In this work, we propose a two-stage parallel coefficient update scheme for wavelet-based BCS, where the first stage approximates the real distributions of the wavelet coefficients and the second stage computes the final estimate of the coefficients. While in the first stage, the parallel computing units share information with each other, in the second stage, the parallel units work independently. Even when the computing units share information, when the number of computing units is large, the process deviates from the sequential Gibbs sampler resulting in large reconstruction error. We propose two new coefficient re-computation schemes to reduce the reconstruction error at the cost of longer computation time. We also propose a new coefficient update scheme that updates coefficients in both stages based on data generated a few rounds ago. Such a scheme helps in relaxing the timing constraints for communication in the first stage and computations in the second stage. We design the corresponding parallel architecture and synthesize it in 7 nm technology node. For the system with 8 computing units, the proposed algorithm reduces the execution time up to 6.8× at maximum compared to the sequential implementation.