cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term Benefit of PD-L1 Blockade in Lung Cancer Associated with JAK3 Activation

PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade occasionally results in durable clinical responses in advanced metastatic cancers. However, mechanism-based predictors of response to this immunotherapy remain incompletely characterized. We performed comprehensive genomic profiling on a tumor and germline sample from a patient with refractory lung adenocarcinoma who achieved marked long-term clinical benefit from anti-PD-L1 therapy. We discovered activating somatic and germline amino acid variants in JAK3 that promoted PD-L1 induction in lung cancer cells and in the tumor immune microenvironment. These findings suggest that genomic alterations that deregulate cytokine receptor signal transduction could contribute to PD-L1 activation and engagement of the PD-1 immune checkpoint in lung cancer.
Neural network construction and rapid learning for system identification

A new learning algorithm is introduced and used to identify nonlinear functions in a feedforward neural network. Its distinctive features are that it transforms the problem to a quadratic optimization problem that is solved by a number of linear equations and it constructs the appropriate network that will meet the specifications. The quadratic optimization/dependence identification algorithm extends the results of quadratic optimization single layer network training and significantly speeds up learning in feedforward multilayer neural networks compared to standard backpropagation. >
Expanded Möbius syndrome

A woman presented at 33 weeks gestation with reduced fetal movements and a nonreactive nonstress test. Fetal ultrasound examination revealed a peculiar unilateral arm tremor. At emergency cesarean section, performed for fetal indications, a 1,672-gm male infant was delivered requiring intubation for feeble respiratory effort. After delivery the neonate was transiently hypertonic and later hypotonic. Continuing ventilatory support at minimal settings was necessary. The work-up for aneuploidy, metabolic disorders, and infection was negative. The infant died after being removed from ventilatory support on day 22. Postmortem examination revealed extensive bilateral brain gliosis and mineralization without evidence of inflammation, partial absence of cranial nerve nuclei III-XI, and a total absence of cranial nerve roots VI-XI. Together these finding are compatible with a diagnosis of expanded Mobius syndrome.
Computation of the Sommerfeld Integral tails using the matrix pencil method

The oscillating infinite domain Sommerfeld integrals (SI) are difficult to integrate using a numerical procedure when dealing with structures in a layered media, even though several researchers have attempted to do that. Generally, integration along the real axis is used to compute the SI. However, significant computational effort is required to integrate the oscillating and slowly decaying function along the tail. Extrapolation methods are generally applied to accelerate the rate of convergence of these integrals. However, there are difficulties with the extrapolation methods, such as locations for the breakpoints. In this paper, we illustrate a simplified approach for accurate and efficient calculation of the integrals dealing with the tails of the SI. In this paper, we fit the tail by a sum of finite (usually 10 to 20) complex exponentials using the matrix pencil method (MPM). The integral of the tail of the SI is then simply calculated by summing some complex numbers. No numerical integration is needed in this process, as the integrals can be done analytically. Good accuracy is achieved with a small number of evaluations for the integral kernel (60 points for the MPM as compared with hundreds or thousands of functional evaluations using the traditional extrapolation methods) along the tails of the SI. Simulation results show that to obtain the similar accuracy in the evaluation of the SI, the MPM is approximately 10 times faster than the traditional extrapolation methods. Moreover, since the MPM is robust to the effects of noise, this method is more stable, especially for large values of the horizontal distances. The method proposed in this paper is thus a new and better technique to obtain accurate results for the computation of the Green's function for a layered media in the spatial domain.
Aside: The Heroic Nature of Tax Lawyers

This essay uses John Grisham’s monumental work, 'The Firm,' to refute the notion that tax lawyers are nerds. A tax lawyer himself, the author challenges anyone who disagrees with him to a duel with broadswords.
Structural Simulation Toolkit. Lunch & Learn

This is a presentation outlining a lunch and learn lecture for the Structural Simulation Toolkit, supported by Sandia National Laboratories.
60th Anniversary Essay: Constrained Comprehending: The Experience of Organizational Inquiry

Jerry Davis’s (2015) question “What is organizational research for?” is ill-served by the narrow answer “settled science.” Constraints of comprehension may give the illusion that organizational research represents settled science. But the experience of inquiring actually comprises a greater variety of actions that increase the meaning of present research experience and the contributions it makes. I discuss acts of conjecture, differentiation, attachment, affirmation, complication, discernment, interruption, and representation to illustrate that meaningful contributions are generated by actions associated with connecting perceptions to concepts. ASQ’s 60th anniversary is an opportune time to make these interim contributions more explicit.
The Ties that Bind: Aid, Trade, and Political Compliance in Soviet-Third World Relations

The theory of Soviet-centered dependence argues that Soviet economic and military aid to Third World states increases the recipient's trade dependence on the Soviet Union. This dependence, in turn, induces political compliance with the Soviet Union. The present study tests the key hypotheses of this theory. It finds that trade dependence on the Soviet Union provides a significant source of political compliance with the Soviet Union. It finds that the trade dependence effect of Soviet military assistance declined from the 1960s to the 1970s, but that military aid increased in importance as a direct instrument of influence. It also finds that the trade dependence effect of Soviet economic assistance has increased even as economic aid has failed to prove to be an important instrument of direct influence.
Regulation of native collateral vessel dilation after coronary occlusion in the dog

The purpose of this study was to examine mechanisms involved in the response of native collaterals to coronary occlusion. In anesthetized dogs native collaterals were identified as vessels coursing...
Experimental Investigation of the Characteristics of a Demister in a Wet Flue-gas Desulfurization System

After an analysis of mist elimination principles and in connection with the different layouts of demisters the pressure drop and air flow speed of demistors were measured through numerous tests. Demisting efficiency was calculated with the use of a water balance method. The influence of air flow speed and layout modes of a demistor on its efficiency was analyzed, and the relationship between the air flow speed and pressure drop identified. The results of the above work can serve as a very useful guide and reference for the industrial appliction of the type of demistors under discussion.
Common Roadblocks for Biomaterials Metrologists.

In this issue, Naylor et al. [1] report on the surface topography of prosthetic phalanges, important research that is increasingly vital to researchers and clinicians alike.[...]
Diuretic Mechanisms As a Guide to Therapy

The end point of diuretic activity is negative sodium balance to achieve intravascular or extravascular volume depletion. However, there is wide variation in site and mechanism of action and therefore in impact on electrolyte and acid-base balance. Knowledge of the drug-to-drug variation is critical in maximizing efficacy and minimizing adverse effects.
Corrosion and Stress Corrosion Cracking Fundamentals

Corrosion can be broadly described as the destruction or deterioration of a metal or alloy by way of a chemical or electrochemical reaction with its environment. It can be considered as extractive metallurgy in reverse, or the process by which a metal is returned to its natural state—an oxide. Corrosion can occur in wet (aqueous) environments and also in dry (gaseous) environments, and can occur at a high rate or a very slow rate. It can also take many forms, as discussed in the next section.
Abstract P108: Caveolin-1 is Required for Vascular Remodeling Induced by Angiotensin Ii

We have recently reported that caveolin-1 (Cav1) enriched membrane microdomains in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) mediates a metalloprotease ADAM17-dependent EGF receptor (EGFR) transactivation, which is linked to vascular remodeling induced by AngII. We have tested our hypothesis that Cav1, a major structural protein of caveolae, plays a critical role in AngII-mediated vascular remodeling via regulation of ADAM17 and EGFR. 8 week old male Cav1-/- and control Cav+/+ wild-type mice (WT) were infused with AngII (1 μg/kg/min) for 2 weeks to induce vascular remodeling and hypertension. Upon AngII infusion, histological assessments demonstrated medial hypertrophy and perivascular fibrosis of coronary and renal arteries in WT mice compared to sham-operated mice. The AngII-infused WT mice also showed a phenotype of cardiac hypertrophy with increased HW/BW ratio (mg/g: 8.0±0.6 vs 5.7±0.7 p
Sensation, Suffering, and Despair

Part of the goal of Chapter 2 was to situate Sydney Owenson’s 1806 romance, The Wild Irish Girl, in a larger social context. In doing so, I was able to trace disability and its metaphoric function into the basic structural relationships of the novel. Likewise, in the chapter I was also able to link the emergence of disability dynamics to the wider culture of post-union Ireland itself, which ultimately allowed me to further develop in critical practice an Irish disability studies perspective.
Preliminary Results from a Trans-Auroral HF Experiment

Under an independent research and development project, a trans-auroral high-frequency experiment (TAHFE) was begun in 1986 by Collins Defense Communications of Rockwell International Corporation, with technical consultation from the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute. The TAHFE goals include: 1) gain quantitative HF communications experience during auroral disturbances, 2) correlate performance of typical HF modems with measured channel parameters, 3) correlate measured HF channel parameters with available solar-geophysical data, and 4) develop knowledge for use in design and operation of stand-alone, adaptive HF communications systems. This paper describes the experiment and presents measurements made during benign and disturbed trans-auroral HF conditions.
Acute aortitis of the ascending aorta

We report a rare presentation of focal non-aneurysmal aortitis with mural thrombus of the ascending aorta. This was successfully treated with surgical resection and intravenous antibiotics. Pathology of the surgical specimen suggests that this was likely infectious aortitis, but the source of infection has not been identified.
Potential implications of acoustic stimuli as a non-physical barrier to silver carp and bighead carp

The effectiveness of an acoustic barrier to deter the movement of silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes) and bighead carp, H. nobilis (Richardson) was evaluated. A pond (10 m × 5 m × 1.2 m) was divided in half by a concrete-block barrier with a channel (1 m across) allowing fish access to each side. Underwater speakers were placed on each side of the barrier opening, and an outboard motor noise (broadband sound; 0.06–10 kHz) was broadcast to repel carp that approached within 1 m of the channel. Broadband sound was effective at reducing the number of successful crossings in schools of silver carp, bighead carp and a combined school. Repulsion rates were 82.5% (silver carp), 93.7% (bighead carp) and 90.5% (combined). This study demonstrates that broadband sound is effective in deterring carp and could be used as a deterrent in an integrated pest management system.
P122 Virtual crossmatch to assist with timely evaluation of donor compatibility for sensitized national kidney registry recipients

Aim The National Kidney Registry (NKR) has reduced wait time for patients with incompatible donors. Utilizing Virtual crossmatch (vXM) to predict viable NKR donors with sensitized NKR recipients can expedite exploratory crossmatch (EXM) orders and place recipients in a chain swap sooner. Evaluating weak DSA will help clarify the need for an EXM or declining the donor. Methods vXM was done using patient HLA-Ab information and donor allelic level DSA. HLA-Ab assignment was performed by Luminex single antigen beads using EDTA treated patient serum. If clarification was needed, Phenotyping beads and/or Flow Single Antigen beads were tested. A vXM was done to evaluate need for an EXM to prevent swap failures and/or include recipients in a chain swap. EXM were executed using cryo-preserved cells. Due to limited cell yield only flow XM were done for EXM. Final XM were performed using T and B CDC and flow XM. Results At the Cleveland Clinic, cutoff for HLA-Ab reported to the NKR is > 4000 Mean Fluorescence Intensity (MFI). Seventy vXM were performed between January 2016 and March 2017. Twenty-eight vXM had weak (MFI = 1000–3999 MFI) DSA. EXM’s were suggested when weak DSA was observed in the vXM or for highly sensitized patients. Results of twenty-two EXM/screening XM (screening XM were the result of donor preselects) that were ordered showed seventeen cases had single DSA (CI = 9 CII = 8). These were predicted by vXM to be negative. This was 100% concordant to the EXM and final XM (Table 1A). Five cases had multiple DSA (CI = 2, CII = 2, CI & CII = 1), all predicted by vXM to be negative to weak positive. This was 100% concordant to the EXM and final XM (Table 1B). Conclusions vXM based on number and intensity of DSA was 100% concordant with EXM and Final XM. This assists in reliable donor selection for NKR recipients. vXM provides a quick evaluation of NKR donors for highly sensitized patients or patients with weak DSA. Reporting EXM quickly to the NKR reduces wait time and enables NKR recipients to become part of a successful chain swap. Download : Download high-res image (247KB) Download : Download full-size image
Encounters With Adult Brood Parasitic Cowbirds At Nests, Not Costly Parasitic Eggs, Elicit Nest Desertion By Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina)

ABSTRACT Whereas most host species parasitized by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) accept cowbird eggs in their nests, others reject the foreign eggs or desert parasitized clutches. Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina) are a nest deserting host of cowbirds, but many of their nests continue to be incubated with cowbird eggs suggesting that cowbird eggs per se do not necessarily trigger desertion. We demonstrate that encounters with an adult female brood parasitic cowbird rather than with a cowbird egg in the nest, elicit nest desertion. We observed that a total of 33 (67.3%) of 49 nests were naturally parasitized in Illinois. Parasitized nests fledged less than one third of the number of host young than unparasitized nests did, indicating that parasitism is extremely costly in this species and that an evolved response to parasitism would likely spread through the population over time.
Continuous Observability of Second-Order Parabolic Equations Under Degenerate Mobile Sensors

In this chapter we extend the observability results obtained in the previous chapter to a general second-order parabolic equation. Depending on the regularity of solutions of the system at hand, we deal with either mobile point sensors ( 1.24) or spatially averaged sensors ( 1.28). Applications to approximate and exact null-controllability are also discussed.
Cholinergic Sensorimotor Integration Regulates Olfactory Steering

Sensorimotor integration regulates goal-directed movements. We study the signaling mechanisms underlying sensorimotor integration in C. elegans during olfactory steering, when the sinusoidal movements of the worm generate an in-phase oscillation in the concentration of the sampled odorant. We show that cholinergic neurotransmission encodes the oscillatory sensory response and the motor state of head undulations by acting through an acetylcholine-gated channel and a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor, respectively. These signals converge on two axonal domains of an interneuron RIA, where the sensory-evoked signal suppresses the motor-encoding signal to transform the spatial information of the odorant into the asymmetry between the axonal activities. The asymmetric synaptic outputs of the RIA axonal domains generate a directional bias in the locomotory trajectory. Experience alters the sensorimotor integration to generate specific behavioral changes. Our study reveals how cholinergic neurotransmission, which can represent sensory and motor information in the mammalian brain, regulates sensorimotor integration during goal-directed locomotions.
Trends in intracranial monitoring for pediatric medically intractable epilepsy: 2000–2012

Objective To retrospectively examine nationwide trends in intracranial monitoring (ICM) for pediatric medically intractable epilepsy (MIE) from 2000 to 2012. Methods The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids9 Inpatient Database was analyzed to identify admissions with ICD-9-CM codes corresponding to MIE and ICM from 2000 to 2012, inclusive. Associations between independent variables and outcomes were tested using χ 2 test or Fisher exact test. A multivariate logistic regression analysis of variables associated with ICM was completed using stepwise selection. The Cochran-Armitage test was used to test for trend of a variable over the study period. Results The number of ICM procedures increased over the study period; however, secondary to large increases in the number of MIE admissions, the rate of ICM declined from 5.39% in 2000 to 2.56% in 2012 ( p p Conclusion In this nationwide characterization of pediatric ICM trends, we identified a slight, significant downward trend in the rate of utilization of ICM for MIE. This was secondary to substantial increases in the number of hospital admissions for MIE. Reasons for this large increase and why it has not led to increased rates of ICM warrant further investigation.
Clinically Suspected Malrotation in Infants and Children: Evidence-Based Emergency Imaging

Malrotation of the small bowel and abnormal mesenteric fixation can lead to potentially life-threatening midgut volvulus. Evaluation for malrotation is part of every pediatric upper GI exam, particularly in the neonate and infant. While the diagnosis of malrotation is often straight forward, perhaps 15% of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) studies result in findings that are equivocal, leading to both false-positive and false-negative results. Additionally, much less is known about the less common situation of abnormalities limited to colonic malrotation and mesocolon malfixation. This chapter summarizes the evidence and provides common pitfalls for imaging.
Improperly-zoned, spatially-marginalized, and poorly-served? An analysis of mobile home parks in Los Angeles County

Abstract More than 6% of Americans live in mobile homes, and yet there has been limited scholarly attention to mobile home location or quality of life compared to conditions in other housing types. There has not been a single comprehensive study to date that assesses where mobile home parks (MHPs) are located within metropolitan areas, that explores why some neighborhoods have a greater concentration of MHPs than others, or examines what environmental or basic service conditions are like in those neighborhoods. In California, more than 1 million residents live in mobile homes, with the vast majority (75%) of these living in MHPs rather than standalone units. We answer two questions in this study. First, are MHPs in “worse” neighborhoods in terms of socioeconomic status, zoning, local land uses, accessibility to jobs, and environmental quality? Second, which neighborhood factors are most strongly correlated with MHP locations and concentrations? We answer these questions using data for all mobile home parks in Los Angeles County, California. We find that MHPs are more likely to be located in lower density neighborhoods and at the urban fringe. More than 41% of MHPs are in areas zoned for commercial or industrial purposes rather than residential uses. Not surprisingly then, we find that MHPs are located in areas with more environmental hazards. A multivariate analysis of neighborhood factors confirms our hypotheses. Moreover, we find that MHPs’ access to public services is worse than the average neighborhood in the county. We recommend that policymakers engage in targeted efforts to address disparities in service access and mitigate environmental hazards.
It pays to partner with a firm that writes annual reports well

Abstract We use strategic alliances as a setting to examine whether the readability of a firm's partner's 10-K matters. We find that the increase in the cumulative abnormal return (CAR) around the announcement of an alliance is relatively lower when the firm's partner in a strategic alliance has a less readable 10-K report. Additional tests show that the impact of the readability of a partner's 10-K is much stronger when investors suspect insufficient due diligence before the alliance's formation, when the partner is from a different industry, and when the alliance occurs before the Sarbanes–Oxley Act. Overall, our results show that the readability of a partner's annual report matters—it pays to partner with a firm that writes these reports well.
Do Business Ecosystems See Color

This article describes an American community survey and a survey of business owners of which the data are merged to assess the experiences of minority- versus white-owned small businesses between 2007 and 2012. This is highlighted due to it being a period encompassing the worst economic downturn since The Great Depression. White firms declined while minority firms grew rapidly. Despite recent efforts to create inclusive entrepreneurial and business ecosystems, however, minority business owners made little progress toward achieving equity or parity with white business owners. Policy prescriptions and implications for future research are discussed.
Numerical solutions of stochastic PDEs driven by arbitrary type of noise

So far the theory and numerical practice of stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) have dealt almost exclusively with Gaussian noise or Levy noise. Recently, Mikulevicius and Rozovskii (Stoch Partial Differ Equ Anal Comput 4:319–360, 2016) proposed a distribution-free Skorokhod–Malliavin calculus framework that is based on generalized stochastic polynomial chaos expansion, and is compatible with arbitrary driving noise. In this paper, we conduct systematic investigation on numerical results of these newly developed distribution-free SPDEs, exhibiting the efficiency of truncated polynomial chaos solutions in approximating moments and distributions. We obtain an estimate for the mean square truncation error in the linear case. The theoretical convergence rate, also verified by numerical experiments, is exponential with respect to polynomial order and cubic with respect to number of random variables included.
Explanation, irrelevance and statistical independence

We evaluate current explanation schemes. These are either insufficiently general, or suffer from other serious drawbacks. We propose a domain-independent explanation system that is based on ignoring irrelevant variables in a probabilistic setting. We then prove important properties of some specific irrelevance-based schemes and discuss how to implement them.
Nuclear Medicine Procedures Do Not Pose Cancer Risks in Women-Unappreciated or Otherwise.

> See the associated article on page [1489][1]. In an article in this issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine ([1][2]), Siegel et al. mount a passionate attack on the idea that low-dose diagnostic imaging is associated with increased risk of cancer; which they blame on the (mis)use of the linear
Information Fusion for National Airspace System Prognostics: A NASA ULI Project

Expanding Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) from an equipment-centric view to complex large-scale engineering systems is a challenging problem. One example for a large engineering system is the next generation national airspace system (NAS), which is a fully coupled cyberphysical- human system. This paper presents an overview of a NASA University Leadership Initiative (ULI) project which aims to address the safety needs and their technology solutions for future NAS. The ULI is a 5-year collaborative project in which researchers from several universities and commercial entities work together to advance real-time airspace safety concepts. The underlying premise is that it is imperative to be able to assess and predict the evolution of the airspace’s safety state. Towards that end the work envisions to address the following issues: modeling of the airspace using both data-driven and physics based approaches; quantifying and managing uncertainty; advancing prognostics and information fusion algorithms; and understanding and modeling human computer interface. A comprehensive simulation environment is being built that allows for assessment of performance and verification and validation. The paper discusses the various activities and places them into the context of overall NAS safety.
Selective Capture and Ingestion of Particles by Suspension-Feeding Bivalve Molluscs: A Review

Suspension-feeding bivalve molluscs are foundation species in coastal intertidal systems. The selective feeding capabilities of these animals can have a large influence on phytoplankton communities and nutrient flow to the benthos. Particle selection, including the types of particles chosen for ingestion and the possible mechanisms mediating selection, has been studied extensively and reported in the literature. To date, however, the possible mechanisms mediating these selective processes have remained elusive. Generally, the focus on a few key commercial species, and their demonstrated range of selective capabilities, has made it difficult to design studies that elucidate the mechanisms behind particle selection. This review focuses on key research that has been carried out in the last 20 y toward better understanding the mechanism that underlays selective capture and ingestion of particles in this important group of animals. Recently, work has been completed which has advanced the field in pointing to a passive mechanism as a mediator of selection, with the interactions between the physicochemical properties of particles and the mucus covering the pallial organs most likely mediating food choice. Although no strong evidence for an immediate, active mechanism which underlies particle selection was found, avenues for future research are suggested in this review. The possible mechanisms that control capture, including qualitative precapture selection, are also summarized and discussed in depth. Methodological considerations for rigorous experiments to advance the field are also discussed, including suggestions of general guidelines for experimental designs, which will allow better comparison of findings across studies.
Aiming Beyond Competent: The Application of the Taxonomy of Significant Learning to Medical Education

Issue: Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) focuses on demonstrable outcomes, as well as upholding medical education's accountability to society. Despite calls for a robust, multifaceted approach to competency-based assessment (CBA), lingering critiques exist. These critiques include reductionism, reinforcement of an external locus of control within learners, an loss of focus on learner development. Both CBME and CBA may be strengthened if viewed through the lens of a complementary curriculum design framework that broadens the focus on the learner. Evidence: Researchers and physician organizations have articulated the need for medical practitioners trained to provide optimal care in the rapidly changing care environment. In the drive to ensure accountability to patients and society, CBME may overlook the duty of educators to foster the necessary intrinsic development of learners as holistic professionals. The focus of CBA on outcomes may reward memorization and rote performance but may fail to ensure the underlying comprehension or critical thinking necessary to adapt to the variability of real-life patient care. Learners focus on tasks chosen for assessment; thus, areas less easily assessed may be overlooked or deemed unimportant. Reinforcement for learner motivation becomes externalized in CBA, as opposed to being driven by the desire for self-improvement and self-actualization. A recently proposed framework that views learner development as a process-based improvement cycle, the "Master Adaptive Learner," may help remedy this issue. L. Dee Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning aims to create meaningful learning experiences in higher education. This taxonomy consists of six interwoven domains: (a) Learning How to Learn, (b) Foundational Knowledge, (c) Application, (d) Integration, (e) Human Dimension, and (f) Caring. Each domain encompasses a unique perspective on the learning process, and when collectively applied to curriculum design, significant learning occurs. This taxonomy has not been widely applied to medical education but may offer an important counterbalance to the outcomes-based focus of CBME. Implications: The outcomes-based focus of CBME is well suited for skill-based tasks, such as procedures, that are observable and measurable. However, other essential physician skills-such as critical thinking, reflection, empathy, and self-directed learning-are not easily assessed, and thus may receive little focus in an outcomes-based model. A holistic approach, such as the Taxonomy of Significant Learning, can counter the deficits of CBME and provide a balanced approach to education program design and assessment.
Assume a Spherical Chicken: Analytic Constraints, Inertia Tensor Information, and Wielded Rod Length Perception.

AbstractInformation associated with the inertia tensor is the preeminent explanation for haptic perception of object properties, notably wielded rod length. Critics counter that tensorial-based inf...
Workaholism in sport: a mediated model of work-family conflict and burnout.

Although workaholism can impact employees negatively, regardless of family situations, work–family conflict likely plays an important role in the relationship between workaholism and negative outco...
Develop picomole-affinity VEGFR-PET probe for targeting tumor angiogenesis

547 Objectives: With substantial preclinical and clinical evidence suggesting the promise of targeting tumor angiogenesis for imaging and treatment of malignancies, a handful of antiangiogenic agents, VEGFR antibodies and small-molecule kinase inhibitors, have been developed. However, most of the developed agents exhibit only nanomolar affinity of its IC50value to the angiogenic targets. The intent of this study was to report a rational multivalency design strategy that improved the VEGFR-targeting to picomolar affinity on the basis of a commercially available antitumor drug, vandetanib (ZD6474). Methods: A single-force measurement platform was developed from atomic force microscope (AFM) to gauge VEGFR distribution information in live cells. Thus, rational selection of appropriate linkers was possible to tether multiple ZD6474 entities in one structure so that a tetravalent ZD-4 was constructed. Furthermore, VEGFR-PET probe was also developed by radiolabelling ZD-4 with Cu-64, and its tumor uptake associated with angiogenetic targeting was examined. Results: With the rational design, the affinity of ZD-4 to VEGFR was improved 2000-fold with IC50 of 25 pM as compared to monovalent ZD6474. As validated in the in vivo PET imaging, tumor uptake was also increased 12 times due to improved angiogenetic targeting. Conclusions: Picomolar affinity of antiangiogenetic agent was developed by rational design of multivalent ligand. And the extraordinary VEGFR targeting realized unprecedented high uptake in tumor, which presented a promising pharmaceutical for tumor imaging and treatment.
Codes and Curves

Introduction to coding theory Bounds on codes Algebraic curves Nonsingularity and the genus Points, functions, and divisors on curves Algebraic geometry codes Good codes from algebraic geometry Abstract algebra review Finite fields Projects Bibliography.
Breaking a Century of Silence: A Historiography of the Tulsa Race Riot

The events of May 31 through June 1, 1921 had been obscured by a lack of official records and a culture of silence for the better part of a half-century. Thanks to the diligent work of amateur journalists and historians like Mary E. Jones Parrish, and civil servants like Maurice Willows of the American Red Cross, we have a historical record to work with. Writers like Ed Wheeler and Scott Ellsworth pioneered investigation into the riot, conducting Interviews and collating their findings into some of the first works dedicated to the act. Thanks to the efforts of Don Ross and the other members of the Oklahoma Commission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, the prevailing narrative preserved by Parrish and Willows persisted into acceptance as the official story. Historians working during the commission drafted three distinct histories, built upon past work on the subject and serving different purposes: either to humanize the victims and perpetrators of the riot, make the case for reparations, or examine the context surrounding the riot’s remembrance in the city.
Beyond Birth Control: Noncontraceptive Benefits of Hormonal Methods and Their Key Role in the General Medical Care of Women.

Contraceptives that contain estrogen and/or progestins are used by millions of women around the world to prevent pregnancy. Owing to their unique physiological mechanism of action, many of these me...
Queering Romantic Engagement in the Postal Age: A Rhetorical Education

In this fascinating and beautifully crafted monograph, Pamela VanHaitsma adds to her own rich collection of archival, rhetorical, and gendered scholarship. A brilliant scholar, she again challenges...
The age hardening characteristics of Nb-Base alloys containing carbon and/or silicon: Part I. (Nb-15 At. Pct Hf)

A study was made to investigate solutioning and aging reactions, and their effects on microstructure and microhardness, in fifteen experimental Nb-base alloys, involving Nb-C, Nb-Si-C, Nb-Si, Nb-15 Hf, Nb-15 Hf-C, Nb-15 Hf-C-Si, and Nb-15 Hf-Si* systems. Alloys were solution treated, quenched, then aged for 2 h at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1600°C, to examine the effect of temperature, and aged at 900 to 1100°C isothermally for times varying from 2 to 20 h. Hardness provided the means of evaluating structural effects. Microstructural changes were determined by optical and electron microscopy, and the phases were chemically extracted and identified by X-ray diffraction or electron diffraction. In general, all of the alloys containing hafnium exhibited age hardening characteristics. This age hardening appears to be due to precipitation of the complex monocarbide (Nb, Hf) (C, O, N) phase. Replacement of some of the carbon by silicon in the Nb-15 Hf-C alloys raises the overaging temperature from 800 to 1000°C and leads to strength retention for longer times as compared to the alloys which contain carbon only. Out of several alloys studied, the Nb-15 Hf-0.46 C-2.32 Si and Nb-15Hf-l.31C-0.96 Si showed the best aging characteristics.
Sustained attention to response task performance trajectories in Down syndrome.

Background Sustained attention (SA) has been reported to be a unitary construct in youth with Down syndrome (DS), but additional analyses of how auditory and visual SA change over task presentation time are warranted. Method The current study was a secondary data analysis employing multilevel modeling. Specifically, we compared auditory and visual sustained attention to response task (SART) performance trajectories within a group of 42 youth with DS aged 10 to 22 years. Results We found that auditory omission errors increased at a faster rate than visual omission errors over increasing SART block presentations in youth with DS. Conclusions Youth with DS experience more SA lapses over time in the auditory than visual modality. Results have implications for academic instruction and assessment.
Hydrothermal trace metal release and microbial metabolism in the northeastern Lau Basin of the South Pacific Ocean

Abstract. Bioactive trace metals are critical micronutrients for marine microorganisms due to their role in mediating biological redox reactions, and complex biogeochemical processes control their distributions. Hydrothermal vents may represent an important source of metals to microorganisms, especially those inhabiting low-iron waters, such as in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Previous measurements of primordial 3 He indicate a significant hydrothermal source originating in the northeastern (NE) Lau Basin, with the plume advecting into the southwest Pacific Ocean at 1500–2000 m depth (Lupton et al., 2004). Studies investigating the long-range transport of trace metals associated with such dispersing plumes are rare, and the biogeochemical impacts on local microbial physiology have not yet been described. Here we quantified dissolved metals and assessed microbial metaproteomes across a transect spanning the tropical and equatorial Pacific with a focus on the hydrothermally active NE Lau Basin and report elevated iron and manganese concentrations across 441 km of the southwest Pacific. The most intense signal was detected near the Mangatolo Triple Junction (MTJ) and Northeast Lau Spreading Center (NELSC), in close proximity to the previously reported 3 He signature. Protein content in distal-plume-influenced seawater, which was high in metals, was overall similar to background locations, though key prokaryotic proteins involved in metal and organic uptake, protein degradation, and chemoautotrophy were abundant compared to deep waters outside of the distal plume. Our results demonstrate that trace metals derived from the NE Lau Basin are transported over appreciable distances into the southwest Pacific Ocean and that bioactive chemical resources released from submarine vent systems are utilized by surrounding deep-sea microbes, influencing both their physiology and their contributions to ocean biogeochemical cycling.
A Nonlinear Observability Analysis of Ambient Wind Estimation with Uncalibrated Sensors, Inspired by Insect Neural Encoding.

Estimating the direction of ambient fluid flow is key for many flying or swimming animals and robots, but can only be accomplished through indirect measurements and active control. Recent work with tethered flying insects indicates that their sensory representation of orientation, apparent flow, direction of movement, and control is represented by a 2-dimensional angular encoding in the central brain. This representation simplifies sensory integration by projecting the direction (but not scale) of measurements with different units onto a universal polar coordinate frame. To align these angular measurements with one another and the motor system does, however, require a calibration of angular gain and offset for each sensor. This calibration could change with time due to changes in the environment or physical structure. The circumstances under which small robots and animals with angular sensors and changing calibrations could self-calibrate and estimate the direction of ambient fluid flow while moving remains an open question. Here, a methodical nonlinear observability analysis is presented to address this. The analysis shows that it is mathematically feasible to continuously estimate flow direction and perform regular self-calibrations by adopting frequent changes in course (or active prevention thereof) and orientation, and requires fusion and temporal differentiation of three sensory measurements: apparent flow, orientation (or its derivative), and direction of motion (or its derivative). These conclusions are consistent with the zigzagging trajectories exhibited by many plume tracking organisms, suggesting that perhaps flow estimation is a secondary driver of their trajectory structure.
Latina Voice in Dialogue with Literacy

This study follows the literacy experiences of four Latina middle schoolers as they read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and compose home language narratives in their heritage voices. Both their...
TROPOMI observations allow for robust exploration of the relationship between solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence and terrestrial gross primary production

Abstract Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) observed by satellites has advanced the monitoring of terrestrial photosynthesis regionally and globally. The relationship between SIF and gross primary production (GPP) at leaf, canopy, and ecosystem scales has received tremendous attention in recent years. It remains controversial whether the SIF-GPP relationship at the ecosystem scale is universal or dependent upon vegetation type. New SIF observations from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) with unprecedented high spatial and temporal resolution provide a new opportunity to elucidate the SIF-GPP relationship. Here, we examine the SIF-GPP relationship for seven major vegetation types across the U.S. with TROPOMI SIF and in-situ GPP data for 83 eddy covariance flux sites. We find that TROPOMI SIF shows a strong and consistent relationship with tower-based GPP at both satellite footprint and grid-cell levels. The slope of the SIF-GPP relationship is similar among all the vegetation types except croplands, demonstrating a nearly universal (converging to ~13.5 g C m−2 d−1/W m−2 μm−1 sr−1) rather than vegetation type-specific SIF-GPP relationship. This confirms that TROPOMI SIF can be used as a proxy for GPP across a wide variety of vegetation types, and can also be used to quantify GPP by avoiding uncertainty associated with land cover maps. The C4 crops have a much higher slope than the C3 crops, and therefore croplands tend to have a higher slope than C3-dominated vegetation types (e.g., forests, shrublands, savannas). We also find that the TROPOMI SIF is well correlated with GPP under normal or wetter conditions, while their relationship becomes weaker under water stress. Our TROPOMI-based study could improve our understanding of the SIF-GPP relationship at the ecosystem scale and advance the mapping of GPP globally with SIF observations from space.
Case report: MR imaging features of disseminated uterine leiomyosarcoma presenting after hysterectomy with morcellation

A 53-year-old woman underwent elective hysterectomy for symptomatic anemia secondary to abnormal uterine bleeding. She presented 15 months later with complaints of abdominal fullness. Abdominopelvic magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated multiple confluent enhancing solid masses centered in the pelvis and extending cranially to the level of the umbilicus. Additional separate nodules also were visible along the peritoneum. Biopsy demonstrated leiomyosarcoma. Additional clinical information was obtained, which revealed that the patient’s prior hysterectomy was performed with morcellation. In November 2014, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued a warning discouraging the use of morcellation during hysterectomy and myomectomy because of the risk of seeding unsuspected malignancy. Radiologists should be aware of this potential complication of morcellation and its imaging appearance so that the correct diagnosis can be suggested in the imaging report.
A repressible alkaline phosphatase in Neurospora crassa.

The discovery was made that an orthophosphate-repressible alkaline phosphatase exists in Neurospora crassa. Variable phosphate levels in the culture medium caused the enzyme to vary in the order of 100-fold in its range of specific activities. The properties of this 20-fold purified enzyme clearly differentiated it from the alkaline phosphomonoesterase of N. crassa, a Pi-repressible alkaline phosphomonoesterase in Escherichia coli, and the alkaline phosphatase of yeast. The enzyme is a nonspecific phosphohydrolase with a pH optimum of 9.0 to 9.5 that cleaves many phosphomonoesters and also pyrophosphate. It is stimulated by ethylenediaminetetraacetate and unaffected by a number of metallic ions tested in the absence of ethylenediaminetetraacetate. The enzyme is stable in the pH range between 7 and 8 but loses activity rapidly at pH 9.0. This loss of activity at pH 9.0 is retarded by phosphate esters serving as substrates, by certain metallic ions, and by Pi. The presence of both a repressible and a Pi-nonrepressible alkaline phosphoesterase in N. crassa represents a finding not generally observed in other species.
Advances in evolutionary multi-objective optimization

Started during 1993-95 with three different algorithms, evolutionary multi-objective optimization (EMO) has come a long way in a quick time to establish itself as a useful field of research and application. Till to date, there exist numerous textbooks and edited books, commercial softwares dedicated to EMO algorithms, freely downloadable codes in most-used computer languages, a biannual conference series (called EMO conference series) running successfully since 2001, and special sessions and workshops held in almost all major evolutionary computing conferences. In this paper, we discuss briefly the principles of EMO through an illustration of one specific algorithm.Thereafter, we focus on mentioning a few recent research and application developments of EMO. Specifically, we discuss EMO's use with multiple criterion decision making (MCDM) procedures and EMO's applicability in handling of a large number of objectives. Besides, the concept of multi-objectivization and innovization --- which are practically motivated, is discussed next. A few other key advancements are also highlighted. The development and application of EMO to multi-objective optimization problems and their continued extensions to solve other related problems have elevated the EMO research to a level which may now undoubtedly be termed as an active field of research with a wide range of theoretical and practical research and application opportunities. EMO concepts are ready to be applied to search based software engineering (SBSE) problems.
Wage Compression, Employment Restrictions, and Unemployment: The Case of Mauritius

Governments often intervene in labor markets with the aim of reducing inequality and promoting employment. Such intervention often results in wage compression and restrictions on how firms use their workers. This paper investigates the impact of such interventions on the labor market conditions faced by low-skill workers in Mauritius. It finds that even relatively minor intervention can dramatically increase the fragility of jobs, the length of unemployment spells, as well as the extent of unemployment and labor market churning. With institutions of the type studied here common across many different types of countries, these results have relatively general implications.
The preparation and properties of LaRuχGa1−χO3 perovskites

A series of LaRuχGa1−χO3 solid solutions was prepared with the orthorhombic GdFeO3-type perovskite structure. Metallic conductivity is observed only for the. LaRuO3 end member; the other compounds are semiconductors. Antiferromagnetic interactions and a temperature-dependent magnetic moment are found for Ru3+ in this system.