cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transmission and reflection characteristics at concrete block walls in the UHF bands proposed for future PCS

Buildings such as warehouses, supermarkets and retail department stores typically have walls constructed from concrete (cinder) blocks. The web and void design of the individual blocks and their arrangement within a wall creates a periodic structure, which exhibits frequency dependent transmission and reflections characteristics in the UHF bands proposed for future Personal Communication Systems (PCS). For higher frequencies, higher order Floquet modes excited at the periodic structure can propagate away from the wall, suggesting that significant power can be carried away from the wall in non-specular directions. Indoor propagation prediction models must consider the non-specular paths exited by walls with a periodic nature in order to account for all of the scattered power. In this work, plane wave reflection and transmission characteristics for typical concrete block walls are examined theoretically and experimentally to determine the frequency dependence of the specularly and non-specularly transmitted and reflected fields. >
AglZ regulates adventurous (A-) motility in Myxococcus xanthus through its interaction with the cytoplasmic receptor, FrzCD

Summary Myxococcus xanthus moves by gliding motility powered by type IV pili (S-motility) and distributed motor complexes (A-motility). The Frz chemosensory pathway controls reversals for both motility systems. However, it is unclear how the Frz pathway can communicate with these different systems. In this article, we show that FrzCD, the Frz pathway receptor, interacts with AglZ, a protein associated with A-motility. Affinity chromatography and cross-linking experiments showed that the FrzCD–AglZ interaction occurs between the uncharacterized N-terminal region of FrzCD and the N-terminal pseudo-receiver domain of AglZ. Fluorescence microscopy showed AglZ– mCherry and FrzCD–GFP localized in clusters that occupy different positions in cells. To study the role of the Frz system in the regulation of A-motility, we constructed aglZ frzCD double mutants and aglZ frzCD pilA triple mutants. To our surprise, these mutants, predicted to show no A-motility (A S + ) or no motility at all (A S ), respectively, showed restored A-motility. These results indicate that AglZ modulates a FrzCD activity that inhibits A-motility. We hypothesize that AglZ–FrzCD interactions are favoured when cells are isolated and moving by A-motility and inhibited when S-motility predominates and A-motility is reduced.
Phase diffusion for the synchronization of heterogenous sensor streams

The analysis of complex human activity typically requires multiple sensors: cameras that take videos from different directions and in different areas, microphones, proximity sensors, range finders, and more. Scenarios where it is not possible to associate reliable clocks to each of the sensors pose a synchronization problem between heterogeneous data streams. In this paper, we propose a new theoretical framework for measuring the synchrony between heterogenous sensor streams. The main idea is to model the phase disparity between two data streams explicitly as an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck random process. Based on this model, we derive a simple method for synchronizing of underlying sources. We illustrate the ideas with experiments on audio-visual synchronization and human motion categorization, and report promising results.
Squamous cell carcinoma and mammary abscess formation through squamous metaplasia in Smad4/Dpc4 conditional knockout mice.

Smad4 is a central mediator for TGFβ signals, which play important functions in many biological processes. To study the role of Smad4 in mammary gland development and neoplasia, we disrupted this gene in mammary epithelium using a Cre-loxP approach. Smad4 is expressed in the mammary gland throughout development; however, its inactivation did not cause abnormal development of the gland during the first three pregnancies. Instead, lack of Smad4 gradually induced cell proliferation, alveolar hyperplasia and transdifferentiation of mammary epithelial cells into squamous epithelial cells. Consequently, all mutant mice developed squamous cell carcinoma and/or mammary abscesses between 5 and 16 months of age. We demonstrated that absence of Smad4 resulted in β-catenin accumulation at onset and throughout the process of transdifferentiation, implicating β-catenin, a key component of the Wnt signaling pathway, in the development of squamous metaplasia in Smad4-null mammary glands. We further demonstrated that TGFβ1 treatment degraded β-catenin and induced epithelial-mesenchymal transformation in cultured mammary epithelial cells. However, such actions were blocked in the absence of Smad4. These findings indicate that TGFβ/Smad4 signals play a role in cell fate maintenance during mammary gland development and neoplasia.
Linearity of optical amplifiers and the Tomonaga approximation

Linear optical amplifiers are described quantum mechanically by a linear differential equation with Langevin operator noise sources. Even if the gain medium is composed of fermions, in the limit when the amplifier is a linear amplifier, the noise sources must have bosonlike commutation relations. I show in detail how the Tomonaga approximation produces the bosonic commutators of the noise sources.
Males adjust their signalling behaviour according to experience of male signals and male–female signal duets

Sexual signals are conspicuous sources of information about neighbouring competitors, and species in which males and females signal during pair formation provide various sources of public information to which individuals can adjust their behaviour. We performed two experiments with a duetting vibrational insect, Enchenopa binotata treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae), to ask whether males adjust their signalling behaviour according to (1a) their own experience of competitors' signals, (1b) how females adjust their mate preferences on the basis of their experience of male signals (described in prior work), and/or (2) their own experience of female response signals to competitors' signals. We presented males with synthetic male signals of different frequencies and combinations thereof for 2 weeks. We recorded males a day after their last signal exposure, finding that (1a) male signal rate increased in response to experience of attractive competitors, but that (1b) male signal frequency did not shift in a manner consistent with how females adjust their mate preferences in those experience treatments. Second, we presented males with different male-female duets for 2 weeks, finding that (2) male signal length increased from experience of female duets with attractive competitors. Males thus make two types of adjustment according to two sources of public information: one provided by experience of male signals and another by experience of female responses to male signals. Signalling plasticity can generate feedback loops between the adjustments that males and females make, and we discuss the potential consequences of such feedback loops for the evolution of communication systems.
Abdominal wall defects

Survival for newborns with congenital abdominal wall defects (primarily omphalocele and gastroschisis) has improved, but controversy remains regarding etiology, anatomy and embryology, the role of prenatal diagnosis and mode of delivery, and initial management. A number of recent studies have added
Development Finance: China's Banking System in Light of the Global Financial Crisis

The Chinese banking system remained resilient during the 2007 global financial crisis because of three factors: (1) capital-control policies have limited its exposure to international capital and credit markets; (2) it is focused on traditional banking rather than securitization activities; and (3) it is dominated by state-owned banks that avail themselves of public trust. Although China's state-owned banks are often criticized for lending primarily to state-owned enterprises, this article argues that through credit generation, Chinese banks help to produce a Schumpeterian-Keynesian credit-investment-income-creation process that has led to the country's decades of fast growth. Given that credit creation is not constrained by prior savings, lending to state-owned enterprises need not be reduced in order to increase lending to private enterprises. The article concludes by examining three main challenges facing Chinese banks.
Graph-based and statistical approaches for detecting spectrally variable target materials

In discriminating target materials from background clutter in hyperspectral imagery, one must contend with variability in both. Most algorithms focus on the clutter variability, but for some materials there is considerable variability in the spectral signatures of the target. This is especially the case for solid target materials, whose signatures depend on morphological properties (particle size, packing density, etc.) that are rarely known a priori. In this paper, we investigate detection algorithms that explicitly take into account the diversity of signatures for a given target. In particular, we investigate variable target detectors when applied to new representations of the hyperspectral data: a manifold learning based approach, and a residual based approach. The graph theory and manifold learning based approach incorporates multiple spectral signatures of the target material of interest; this is built upon previous work that used a single target spectrum. In this approach, we first build an adaptive nearest neighbors (ANN) graph on the data and target spectra, and use a biased locally linear embedding (LLE) transformation to perform nonlinear dimensionality reduction. This biased transformation results in a lower-dimensional representation of the data that better separates the targets from the background. The residual approach uses an annulus based computation to represent each pixel after an estimate of the local background is removed, which suppresses local backgrounds and emphasizes the target-containing pixels. We will show detection results in the original spectral space, the dimensionality-reduced space, and the residual space, all using subspace detectors: ranked spectral angle mapper (rSAM), subspace adaptive matched filter (ssAMF), and subspace adaptive cosine/coherence estimator (ssACE). Results of this exploratory study will be shown on a ground-truthed hyperspectral image with variable target spectra and both full and mixed pixel targets.
Treatment of acute mastoiditis.

To provide the general practitioner, as well as the specialist, with concise, readily available information on the latest, proved methods of treatment of conditions commonly encountered in an avera...
The Regulation of Immigration and Language

Ideologies are beliefs that shape and order our understanding of society. Take, for example, a dominant ideology in the United States that full members of society should be authorized citizens who are loyal to only one nation. Individuals on the margins of this somewhat abstract understanding of the nation—such U.S. Latinos/as or Muslims—are often perceived to be “not quite American” because of a bicultural ethnic identity or faith in a nondominant religion. Because ideologies are disguised as “commonsense” assumptions about the world and social relationships, it is often difficult to recognize them as social constructions. We can think of ideologies as invisible filters through which we see the world.
The Roman slave supply

This survey of the scale and sources of the Roman slave supply will be published in Keith Bradley and Paul Cartledge (eds.), The Cambridge world history of slavery, 1: The ancient Mediterranean world. © Walter Scheidel. scheidel@stanford.edu
The Impact of Recombinant Technologies in Understanding Plasma Proteins Important for Hemostasis and Thrombosis

It is clear that the power of molecular biology technology (1) has provided enormous access to information about molecular structure; (2) has provided access to biological problems which were formerly inaccessible; (3) has provided materials and resources for the management of human biology and the treatment of disease. Today, we truly have access to molecular pharmacology. We can modify molecules; we can create new molecules. We have the capacity for industrial scale production of otherwise scarce natural products. In the next decade the understanding of the transcriptional control of the gene and the translational control of message, as well as the trafficking of protein of cells, will become accessible through the technologies of molecular biology.
Early parenthood as a link between childhood disadvantage and adult heart problems: A gender-based approach

Drawing on conceptual models of critical periods, major life transitions, and life pathways, we proposed that the life-course features of parenthood are important, but understudied, mechanisms for explaining possibly gendered heart-health outcomes. Using three waves from the Midlife in the U.S. Study (MIDUS), we investigated (a) gender differences in the timing of the transition to parenthood as a pathway linking childhood SES disadvantage to onset of heart problems and (b) life-course factors (which vary by gender) that link the timing of the transition to parenthood to adult heart problems. We found that individuals who were disadvantaged in childhood were more likely to have their first child as teenagers or in early young adulthood. For women only, an early transition to parenthood partially explained the association between childhood disadvantage and onset of heart problems. Furthermore, women who had their first child at younger ages, particularly in their teens, had lower rates of college graduation, more financial difficulties, higher levels of depressive symptoms, and greater risk of smoking and obesity in midlife. These factors partially accounted for the association between early parenthood and onset of heart problems in later life. Our findings underscore the significance of the timing of the transition to parenthood in specifying the associations between childhood disadvantage and adult heart problems. Various factors are involved, including low adult SES, psychological distress, and unhealthy lifestyles.
Web-Based Teacher Training and Coaching/Feedback: A Case Study.

The present case study evaluated web-based training with coaching and feedback delivered through videoconferencing software to increase teacher use of behavioral methods associated with increased compliance. The participant, a preschool special education teacher, increased both her knowledge of efficacious interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and her treatment fidelity during the course of the case study. The student with ASD demonstrated extremely high levels of compliance at the onset of the case study and so, although improvements were noted, this gain should not be assumed to generalize to the ASD population. A wide range of considerations for future research has been offered.
A phase I study investigating the combination of orally bioavailable platinum and nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel in advanced solid tumors

e13501 Background: The combination of a taxane and a platinum agent is considered a standard chemotherapy regimen for many solid tumors. Adverse effects often limit the administration of these drugs. Satraplatin (S) is an orally bioavailable platinum agent with a similar spectrum of activity to other platinum analogs, but less renal or neurological side effects. The nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (A) has shown greater efficacy and less toxicity than Cremophor-based paclitaxel as a single agent in the treatment of breast cancer. The primary aim of this study was to determine a safe dose for the combination of S +A and to investigate if there were pharmacokinetic (PK) interactions between S + A in patients (pts) with advanced malignancies. Methods: Cohorts of 3–6 pts were enrolled and treated. Escalating oral doses of S (40–60- 80mg) were administered on days 1–5 in combination with intravenous fixed dose of A (100 mg/m2) on 1, 8, and 15 of a 28 day cycle. Prior to cycle 1 all patients received A day...
The value of the UroVysion® FISH assay in the risk-stratification of patients with "atypical urothelial cells" in urinary cytology specimens.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential use of the UroVysion® fluorescent in situ hybridization test (U-FISH) to stratify the risk of urothelial carcinoma (UC) in patients with a diagnosis of "atypical urothelial cells" (AUC) in urinary tract cytology (UTCy). METHODS Using a histologic diagnosis of UC and respectively of high grade UC (HGUC) within 12 months of the index UTCy as a reference standard, we determined the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of U-FISH for patients with AUC diagnosed 2008 to 2014. RESULTS Of the 377 patients with AUC, 62 (16.45%) were diagnosed with UC (29 low grade UC and 33 HGUC) within 12 months. U-FISH were uninformative in 45 (11.94%), positive in 63 (16.71%) and negative in 269 (71.35%). UC was diagnosed more frequently in patients with positive than in those with negative U- FISH results (31/63, 49.21% vs. 25/269, 9.29%, P < 0.0001). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of U-FISH in the setting of AUC were 44.64%, 81.82%, 47.17%, 80.25%, and 71.91% for UC and respectively 48.39%, 78.77%. 28.3%, 89.81%, and 74.29% for HGUC. U-FISH showed a high false positive rate (28/53, 52.83%) that remained high even after extended follow-up, arguing against "anticipatory positive" results. CONCLUSIONS U-FISH allows risk stratification in patients with AUC. However, its usefulness is diminished by the high false-positive rate, making it important to interpret U- FISH results in the patient's clinical context. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:481-500. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of resident involvement in outpatient otolaryngology procedures: An analysis of 17,647 cases.

Objective This study examines the impact of resident physician participation on postoperative outcomes in outpatient otolaryngologic surgery. Study Design Retrospective cohort. Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for outpatient otolaryngologic procedures performed on adult patients. Cases were analyzed with the following cohorts: attending with resident or attending without resident. Outcomes included complications, readmission, reoperation, and operative time. Results A total of 17,647 cases were analyzed, with 13,123 patients in the attending without resident cohort and 4,524 patients in the attending with resident cohort. The majority of patients were female (58.7%) and white (88.0%). The average age was 44 (range 16–89) years, and average body mass index was 29.0 ± 7.3 kg/m2. Total relative value units were higher in the attending with resident group 14.6 ± 12.0 compared with 10.2 ± 8.3 in the attending without resident group (P < 0.01). Univariate analysis revealed that resident participation increased complication rate (2.0% vs. 1.4%, P 0.05), or death rates (P = 0.32) between groups. Multivariate regression analysis, however, revealed that resident participation did not increase the rate of any complication, and that operative time was the only significantly impacted variable (P < 0.01). Conclusion Resident surgical training remains a vital component of the current health care system. Previous research has shown that, despite increased operative time, resident participation does not significantly impact complication rates for otolaryngology procedures. This study confirms these findings in the outpatient setting, thus reassuring both the surgeon and patients that resident participation does not impact procedural safety. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 2017
Discharge Formula for Straight Alluvial Channels

The proposed discharge formula contains a discharge coefficient and exponents for hydraulic radius and slope. Both the coefficient and the velocities are given as functions of bed forms and bed material. Velocities computed by the formula check closely with those obtained in the laboratory.
Pedigree Go Fish.

A card game based upon the classic game Go Fish is presented for active practicing of segregation analysis, the determination of the most likely method of transmission based upon pedigree information. The game is easily prepared and dropped into a classroom setting. Printable materials, including playing cards and student instructions, are available as article supplements.
The Flash ADC [A Circuit for All Seasons]

Flash analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) find wide application both as stand-alone components and as building blocks of more complex systems. This architecture dates back to at least the early 1960s. For example, in a patent filed in 1963, Stephenson [1] describes the "parallel" ADC as a known technique. In this article, we study the properties and design issues of this topology.
Predictors of Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade

Cancer therapy has been revolutionized over the past several years through the use of immunotherapy—with demonstrable success in the treatment of multiple cancer types using immune checkpoint blockade and other therapeutic strategies. However, responses are still quite variable, and predictive biomarkers of response and toxicity are currently underdeveloped. A deep understanding of responses to immune checkpoint blockade pivots on a fundamental knowledge of antitumor immune responses, which are influenced by numerous factors in the tumor itself, in the tumor microenvironment, in host immunity, and in the local and extended environment. Together, a more holistic approach incorporating assessment of each of these factors will help facilitate a more customized and tailored approach in this age of precision medicine.
Quantitative mass spectrometry imaging of glutathione in healthy and cancerous hen ovarian tissue sections by infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (IR-MALDESI)

A quantitative mass spectrometry imaging (QMSI) method for absolute quantification of glutathione (GSH) in healthy and cancerous hen ovarian tissues using infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (IR-MALDESI) is presented. Using this technique, the ion abundance of GSH was normalized to that of a structural analogue, which was sprayed on the slide prior to mounting the tissue sections. This normalization strategy significantly improved the voxel-to-voxel variability; the variability is attributed to the overall ionization process. Subsequently, a series of calibration spots of stable isotope-labeled (SIL) GSH were pipetted on top of the tissue to construct a spatial calibration curve, and calculate the concentration of GSH in both tissue sections. The QMSI results were verified by LC-MS/MS quantification of GSH for the same tissues. GSH was extracted from tissue sections in a slightly acidic buffer and was then alkylated using N-ethylmaleimide to minimize autoxidation of GSH to glutathione disulfide. The alkylated GSH was separated from other contaminants using reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, and the z-ion transition of NEM-GSH was used to quantify GSH in each tissue section. While the absolute values obtained using IR-MALDESI QMSI and LC-MS/MS were different, a ∼2-fold increase in the concentration of GSH in cancer tissue compared to the healthy tissue was observed using both techniques. Possible reasons for the difference between absolute concentration values obtained using IR-MALDESI QMSI and LC-MS/MS are also discussed.
Restarting the lanczos algorithm for large eigenvalue problems and linear equations

We are interested in computing eigenvalues and eigenvectors of large matrices and in solving large systems of linear equations. Restarted versions of both the symmetric and nonsymmetric Lanczos algorithms are given. For the symmetric case, we give a method called Lan-DR that simultaneously solves linear equations and computes eigenvalues and eigenvectors. The use of approximate eigenvectors deflates eigenvalues. Maintaining the orthogonality of the Lanczos vectors is a concern. We suggest an approach that is a combination of Parlett and Scott's idea of selective orthogonalization and Simon's partial orthogonalization. For linear systems with multiple right-sides, eigenvectors computed during the solution of the first right-hand side can be used to give much faster convergence of the second and subsequent right-hand sides. A restarted version of the nonsymmetric Lanczos algorithm is developed. Both the right and left eigenvectors are computed while systems of linear equations are solved. We also investigate a restarted two-sided Arnoldi. We compare expense and stability of this approach with restarted nonsymmetric Lanczos.
CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT CONTINUUM FOR MANAGING FEMOROACETABULAR IMPINGEMENT SYNDROME AND ACETABULAR LABRAL TEARS IN SURGICAL CANDIDATES: A CASE SERIES.

Background/purpose Femoroacetabular impingement Syndrome (FAIS) and the often-associated acetabular labral tears (ALTs) are challenging to treat and consensus to guide effective management is lacking. Recent guidelines suggest physical therapy is beneficial, yet the guidance for specific interventions is unclear. The purpose of highlighting these cases was to describe the outcomes and the clinical reasoning process driving conservative management of subjects with FAIS and ALTs that were deemed surgical candidates. Study design Case Series. Case descriptions Six subjects (20 - 65 years old) with confirmed FAIS and/or ALTs were included. Subjects were assigned to different treatment pathways based on their individual presentation. Three subjects were categorized as having primary mobility impairments and three were categorized with primary neuromuscular control impairments. Treatment intensity was adjusted according to the individual nature of symptoms, and on average lasted 81 days. Outcomes Clinically important improvements were seen on all self-reported outcome measures (International Hip Outcome Tool - 33, Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Patient Specific Functional Scale, and Global Rating of Change). At two years, none of the subjects had elected surgical management. Discussion These cases illustrate the clinical reasoning process utilized to prioritize subjects' treatment along a continuum of neuromuscular control and mobility. The treatment approach also illustrates successful management of potential surgical candidates that elected to forego surgery after satisfactory completion of conservative management. Level of evidence Level 4.
Challenges of Teaching and Preparing edTPA

During the last few years edTPA (Educational Teacher Performance Assessment) has increasingly become a hot issue in teacher education programs in the United States. It has been debated frequently, ...
Impulsiveness as a predictor of topiramate response for cocaine use disorder.

Background/objectives Topiramate has been studied in the treatment of substance use disorders and is often used off-label in the treatment of other disorders with impaired impulse control. We sought to determine whether impulsiveness could predict topiramate treatment response in individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD). Methods In a post-hoc analysis of a 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of topiramate for CUD, we examined the relationship between response to treatment and participants' baseline score on the Barrett Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). During the original trial, topiramate was titrated up to 300 mg/day over 6 weeks and maintained for 6 weeks. All participants received weekly cognitive behavioral therapy. Results Individuals with total BIS-11 scores above the median had 11.2% more cocaine-free days with topiramate versus placebo (Bonferroni corrected p = 0.047). Individuals with first-order factor scores above the median in self-control (Bonferroni corrected p = 0.020) and at or below the median in attention (Bonferroni corrected p = 0.022), and second-order factor scores at or below the median in attentional (Bonferroni corrected p = 0.024) and motor impulsiveness (Bonferroni corrected p = 0.046) were all associated with a greater improvement with topiramate. Discussion/conclusion The results indicate an association between higher within-group impulsiveness and response to topiramate for CUD. The subscore findings may suggest a complex interaction between effectiveness and known cognitive side effects. The finding that trait impulsiveness is associated with treatment response is a promising discovery that may help guide treatment for CUD. Scientific significance This analysis suggests a possible endophenotype based on impulsiveness that can predict treatment response to topiramate. (Am J Addict 2019;XX:1-6).
Determining the optimal postlabeling delay for arterial spin labeling using subject-specific estimates of blood velocity in the carotid artery.

BACKGROUND Arterial spin labeling with 3D acquisition requires determining a single postlabeling delay (PLD) value. PLD affects the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per unit time as well as quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) values due to its bearing on the presence of a vascular signal. PURPOSE To search for an optimal PLD for pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) using patient-specific carotid artery blood velocity measurements. STUDY TYPE Prospective. SUBJECTS A control group of 11 volunteers with no known pathology. Corroboration was through a separate group of six volunteers and a noncontrol group of five sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE Pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling with 3D nonsegmented echo planar imaging acquisition at 3T. ASSESSMENT A perfusion-based measure was determined over a range of PLDs for each of 11 volunteers. A third-order polynomial was used to find the optimal PLD where the defined measure was maximum. This was plotted against the corresponding carotid artery velocity to determine a relationship between the perfusion measure and velocity. Corroboration was done using a group of six volunteers and a noncontrol group of five patients with SCD. PLD was determined from the carotid artery velocity and derived relationship and compared with optimal PLD obtained from measured perfusion over a range of PLD values. Error between the perfusion measure at predicted and measured optimal PLD was determined. STATISTICAL TESTS Chi-squared goodness of fit; Pearson correlation; Bland-Altman. RESULTS Carotid artery velocity was 63.8 ± 6.6 cm/s (53.1 ≤ v ≤ 72.3 cm/s) while optimal PLD was 1374 ± 226.5 msec (1102 ≤ PLD ≤ 1787 msec) across the 11 volunteers. PLD as a function of carotid velocity was determined to be PLD = -31.94. v + 3410 msec (Pearson correlation -0.93). In six volunteers, mean error between the perfusion measure at predicted and measured optimal PLD was 1.35%. Pearson correlation between the perfusion measure at the predicted PLD and the measure obtained experimentally was r = 0.96 (P < 0.001). Bland-Altman revealed a slight bias of 1.3%. For the test case of five SCD patients, the mean error was 1.3%. DATA CONCLUSION Carotid artery velocity was used to determine optimal PLD for pCASL with 3D acquisition. The derived relationship was used to predict optimal PLD and the associated perfusion measure, which was found to be accurate when compared with its measured counterpart. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:951-960.
Riverine Calcium End-Members Improve Coastal Saturation State Calculations and Reveal Regionally Variable Calcification Potential

Carbonate-rich groundwater discharged from springs, seeps, and spring-fed rivers on carbonate platforms creates environments of potential refuge for calcifying organisms in coastal waters by supplying higher [Ca2+] and [CO32-] along with typically lower nutrient concentrations. The benefits associated with carbonate terrains are maximized in the presence of submerged aquatic vegetation, especially seagrasses. To improve the accuracy of carbonate saturation state (Ω) determinations, calculated values of [CO32-] and Ksp* were paired with [Ca2+] values determined using a model that incorporates directly measured riverine calcium end-members (model A). This model results in Ω values larger than those calculated by assuming that [Ca2+] is directly proportional to salinity (model B; e.g., using CO2SYS, CO2calc). As an example, for salinity (S) between 13.5 and 24, improvements in saturation states calculated as differences (ΔΩ) between model A and model B saturation states in the tidal mixing zone of the Weeki Wachee River (Florida, USA) ranged from 0.39–1.00 (aragonite) and 0.61–1.65 (calcite). Saturation state ratios (Ω(A)/ Ω(B)) for coastal waters with enhanced [Ca2+] originating from carbonate-rich groundwater can be calculated from end-member calcium concentrations and salinity. Applied to several river systems in the conterminous United States, Ω(A)/ Ω(B) values calculated at S = 20 lead to Ω(A)/ Ω(B) ratios of 1.12 (Weeki Wachee), 1.09 (Anclote), 1.06 (Mississippi), and 1.03 (Columbia). These increases in saturation states can be used to identify potential calcification refugia for subsequent high resolution field studies that focus on, for example, the long-term viability of oyster communities and other calcifying organisms in brackish coastal waters.
How Quantum Computing Can Help With (Continuous) Optimization

It is known that the use of quantum computing can reduce the time needed for a search in an unsorted array: from the original non-quantum time T to a much smaller quantum computation time \(T_q\sim \sqrt{T}\). In this paper, we show that for a continuous optimization problem, with quantum computing, we can reach almost the same speed-up: namely, we can reduce the non-quantum time T to a much shorter quantum computation time \(\sqrt{T}\cdot \ln (T)\).
Incorporation of HIPEC into a high volume ovarian cancer program: Initial results and outcomes.

e17040Background: HIPEC showed a progression free survival when incorporated into interval cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer patients in a recent phase lll trial. This has led to a paradigm ...
DNA Barcoding of polychaetes collected during the 2018 Rapid Assessment Survey of floating dock communities from New England

ABSTRACTRapid Assessment Surveys are routinely used to document biodiversity and is particularly important for the identification of non-indigenous species. However, the methods associated with the...
Novel Neonatal Umbilical Catheter Protection and Stabilization Device in In vitro Model of Catheterized Human Umbilical Cords: Effect of Material and Venting on Bacterial Colonization.

Objective Umbilical central lines deliver life-saving medications and nutrition for neonates; however, complications associated with umbilical catheters (UCs) occur more frequently than in adults with central lines (i.e., line migration, systemic infection). We have developed a device for neonatal UC protection and stabilization to reduce catheter exposure to bacteria compared with the standard of care: “goal post” tape configuration. This study analyzes the effect of device venting and material on bacterial load of human umbilical cords in vitro. Study Design Catheters were inserted into human umbilical cord segments in vitro, secured with plastic or silicone vented prototype versus tape, and levels of bacterial colonization were compared between groups after 7 days of incubation. Results Nonvented plastic prototype showed increased bacterial load compared with goal post (p = 0.04). Colonization was comparable between the goal post and all vented plastic prototypes (p ≥ 0.30) and when compared with the vented silicone device (p = 1). Conclusion A novel silicone device does not increase external bacterial colonization compared with the current standard of care for line securement, and may provide a safe, convenient alternative to standard adhesive tape for UC stabilization. Future studies are anticipated to establish safety in vivo, alongside benefits such as migration and infection reduction.
Letters from Around the World

It is Monday morning, warm even at this early hour. By midday it will be a scorcher. I hope the air conditioner in the OR is working, but you never know. I was given a brief description of this OR by a colleague who had worked there; “they have everything you need… you will be fine.” The space is cramped with lots of equipment, some of it older than I am. I look for the capnograph on the monitor and realize it appears to be missing one. The anesthesia machine is a Drager Narkomed®; there is circuit, a bag, and an isoflurane vaporizer but no ventilator. It is like a dinosaur but without a heart. I rifle through the drawers of the cart and scavenge a few items so I can set up for a case. A woman I have never seen before hands me a liter of normal saline and asks if there is anything else I will need, “and the first patient is waiting to see you,” she says. Who among us has not experienced the stress and excitement of working in a new environment?
Staying Safe in a Tornado: A Qualitative Inquiry into Public Knowledge, Access, and Response to Tornado Warnings

AbstractTornadoes in the southeastern United States continue to cause substantial injury, death, and destruction. The present study seeks to 1) understand inadequate warning access, less understand...
Predictive Analytics with Strategically Missing Data.

We study strategically missing data problems in predictive analytics with regression. In many real-world situations, such as financial reporting, college admission, job application, and marketing a...
A Framework for Design of Multibeam Antenna Systems used for Amplitude-Only Direction Finding Based on Correlation Method

Contemporary radio frequency systems require accurate angle of arrival (AoA) estimates on incoming signals. There are many approaches to achieve AoA estimations including amplitude-only and phase interferometry, just to name two traditional methods. Whereas the latter are more accurate, the former are simpler and less expensive. Due to their lower costs and ability to cover extreme bandwidths, there has been increased interest in amplitude-only AoA receivers. The two main techniques utilized in these systems are amplitude comparison [1] and the correlation method [2] . Correlation method may enable operation over a wider field of view (FoV) with a well-designed multibeam antenna system and considering the processing times can be made fast, it is the preferred implementation in many cases [2] . However, the guidelines for the design of multibeam antennas for the use with these systems are not widely discussed in the open literature. In this work, we study the impact of multibeam antenna characteristics and system parameters on the accuracy of the correlation method. Moreover, important design guidelines for practical implementation are also provided.
Insight in booster COVID-19 vaccine and disease modifying therapy in multiple sclerosis.

Since early December 2019, the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19), the disease caused by the virus Sars-Cov-2, has devastated communities on a global scale, infected over 200 million people, and caused over 4.3 million deaths worldwide [1]. In December 2020, the FDA approved two mRNA vaccines for Sars-Cov-2. After tiresome effort by healthcare workers around the world, over 4.7 billion doses of the vaccine have been administered as of August 2021 [1]. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by demyelinating and neurodegenerative changes of the Central Nervous System. Viral infections have been shown to trigger severe relapse and increase progression of the disease. Initial recommendations for patients with MS were to receive the COVID-19 vaccine if possible. There was some concern over vaccination itself inducing relapse of disease, but the risks of severe disease due to COVID-19 greatly outweigh the potential risks of the vaccine [2]. Current guidelines for MS therapy indicate the use of Disease Modifying Therapies (DMTs). The question remains as to whether patients on these therapies, especially newer DMTs such as ofatumumab, ozanimod, cladribine, siponimod, ocrelizumab, and fingolimod, will mount adequate responses from the COVID-19 vaccine, given that immunocompromised patients were excluded from early trials. It has been well documented that immunosuppressive therapies significantly diminish the normal immune response to vaccinations [3]. Furthermore, with lack of longitudinal studies surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine and the pandemic in general, we are severely lacking in data that could provide a threshold antibody level to determine whether a patient is sufficiently immunized. It has been suggested that any patient with MS requiring DMT will likely require booster vaccinations [4]. On August 12, 2021, the FDA announced the authorization of a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to ‘certain immunocompromised individuals.’ In this literature review, we aim to make a recommendation on whether patients with MS taking DMTs should receive the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, and establish goals for future studies on immune responses to vaccination in these patients.
Evaluating the Performance of World Allocation Funds

This study analyzes the risk-adjusted performance of world allocation mutual funds, from January 1994 to March 2021 by comparing them to various benchmark indices. We found that world allocation mutual funds were highly correlated with benchmark indices. They also had lower absolute- and risk-adjusted performance compared to benchmark indices. We also computed the six-factor alpha (Carhart four factors plus excess returns of FTSE Total World Ex U.S. and Barclays Aggregate Bond Index) during this time and found that world allocation funds had significantly negative alpha. All these results indicate that world allocation funds would have been better off with passively managed index funds.
Benign Mesenchymal Tumors and Miscellaneous Tumors

This chapter covers a range of benign mesenchymal neoplasms and other miscellaneous tumors found in the liver. Primary hepatic mesenchymal neoplasms are rare; most entities have only a handful of reports in the literature. This chapter contains brief reviews of these neoplasms, including: solitary fibrous tumor, lipoma, myelolipoma, leiomyoma, peripheral nerve sheath tumors, angiomyolipoma, and chondroma. Other rare miscellaneous tumors are also covered in the chapter, such as: adrenal rest tumor and paraganglioma, epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma, malignant cystic mesothelioma, and glomus tumor (glomangioma). Each of these lesions is found far more commonly in other organ systems, such as soft tissue, lung, or salivary gland, and is readily described in the corresponding literature. The following chapter serves as an overview for their occurrence as primary hepatic tumors and covers basic definitions, clinical information, gross pathology, histology, and differential diagnoses for each entity.
In memoriam Isaías Lerner, maestro ejemplar

El martes 8 de enero de 2013 murio en la ciudad de Nueva York Isaias Lerner, Profesor Distinguido de la Escuela de Graduados de la City University of New York. Lerner, asi lo llamabamos sus alumnos, habia nacido en Buenos Aires el 13 de marzo de 1932 en el seno de una familia judia que se habia afincado en la Argentina hacia principios del siglo pasado, procedente de Rusia. En su cuidad natal curso estudios de licenciatura en el Instituto Amado Alonso de Buenos Aires. La vuelta del exilio en 1955 de un selecto grupo de brillantes investigadores argentinos marcara su perfil y trayectoria academica. Con dos discipulos de Amado Alonso, Ana Maria Barrenechea y Marcos Morinigo, se introdujo en el estudio de Cervantes y de la epica americana. Maria Rosa Lida lo inicio en los estudios sobre la picaresca. Angel Rosenblat y Rafael Lapesa le inculcaron su pasion por la lexicografia y la historia de la lengua, y de la mano de Borges, aun a costa de postergar su licenciatura, iniciaria simbolicamente su periplo anglosajon, abonando la practica de «conceptos fundamentales de una teoria general de la escritura» y el gusto por la recuperacion de autores que no siempre formaban parte del canon. Tan selecta formacion solo podia augurar una brillante carrera profesional que se iniciaria en la catedra de Latin e Historia de la Lengua de la Facultad de Filosofia y Letras de la ciudad de Buenos Aires y culminaria en el Centro de Graduados de la City University of New York. Alli, a principios de los noventa, empezo mi relacion con Lerner. Al aterrizar en Nueva York, recien llegada de mi provinciana Zaragoza, me sorprendio que el Executive Officer del Graduate Center de CUNY, no dire que me invitara a almorzar sino que me acompanara hasta la residencia de Estudiantes en la que viviria en los anos sucesivos. Asi era Lerner: cosmopolita pero tambien cercano, sensible con el miedo atroz de una recien llegada con cara
Modeling the Score Distributions of Relevant and Non-relevant Documents

Empirical modeling of the score distributions associated with retrieved documents is an essential task for many retrieval applications. In this work, we propose modeling the relevant documents' scores by a mixture of Gaussians and modeling the non-relevant scores by a Gamma distribution. Applying variational inference we automatically trade-off the goodness-of-fit with the complexity of the model. We test our model on traditional retrieval functions and actual search engines submitted to TREC. We demonstrate the utility of our model in inferring precision-recall curves. In all experiments our model outperforms the dominant exponential-Gaussian model.
Beyond Mere Automation.

The advent of microprocessors has extended the advantages of automation to every level of instrumentation. Now microprocessors are opening the way to intelligent instrumentation—beyond mere automation. These are instruments that test and calibrate themselves, optimize their operation, and become part of a network of distributed intelligence. Examples in our laboratory include the intelligent management of a linear diode array detector, a multiple microprocessor system for simultaneous execution of related tasks in a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, and a hierarchical system of minicomputers and single and multiple microcomputers. Microprocessors can handle many variables, adapt to a large variety of transducers, control operations at high speed and perform complex data interpretation. These capabilities will soon have a profound effect on chemical instrumentation, not only in automation and intelligent control, but in new basic design concepts and dramatically enhanced measurement capabilities. Some likely directions for future developments are explored.