cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental Models of Tumor Immunotherapy1

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the experimental models of tumor immunotherapy. It is emphasized that there are no animal models of tumor immunotherapy that reflect the situation in man. Human cancer almost always presents an established mass of malignant cells that are more or less well adapted to the immunological environment. It spreads either directly into the bloodstream and/or via lymphatics to regional nodes. Human cancers most often take months or years to kill. In contrast, most tumor models in animals involve the transfer of small numbers of tumor cells to abnormal sites. Such tumors frequently kill in a few days or few months. Metastatic disease may appear within days, or it may not appear at all. The immunological adaptation of the first graft is not immediate, and successful models of immunotherapy can operate only when the tumor is small and has been in residence for only a few days to few weeks. To utilize in human immunotherapy any empirical technique that has not been demonstrated to be effective in animal models is dangerous. Even techniques shown to be effective in animal models may prove to enhance human tumors. Until the conditions for tumor enhancement or rejection can be predicted, such dangers will persist. There is considerable evidence to support the idea that tumor immunogens are so weak that the immunological response may be misdirected and that tumor immunotherapy as a primary means of treatment is unlikely.
How bacteria control the CRISPR-Cas arsenal

CRISPR-Cas systems are adaptive immune systems that protect their hosts from predation by bacteriophages (phages) and parasitism by other mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Given the potent nuclease activity of CRISPR effectors, these enzymes must be carefully regulated to minimize toxicity and maximize anti-phage immunity. While attention has been given to the transcriptional regulation of these systems (reviewed in [1]), less consideration has been given to the crucial post-translational processes that govern enzyme activation and inactivation. Here, we review recent findings that describe how Cas nucleases are controlled in diverse systems to provide a robust anti-viral response while limiting auto-immunity. We also draw comparisons to a distinct bacterial immune system, restriction-modification.
CAPACIDADE NORMATIVA: UN EXERCICIO QUE PON EN FORMA ÁS FACENDAS AUTONÓMICAS?

A partir da construcion de indices analizase o diferente grao de exercicio das competencias normativas sobre tributos cedidos nas CCAA de rexime comun. A metodoloxia empregada permite identificar diferenzas existentes entre rexions con respecto a repercusion ou impacto do exercicio da capacidade normativa sobre os beneficios fiscais e, asemade, permite analizar a estabilidade da representatividade das figuras tributarias no periodo de estudo 2012-2014. As analises indican que as CCAA realizaron un uso intenso malia que dispar da capacidade normativa cedida, pero que este exercicio non altera substancialmente a sua estrutura de ingresos, polo que pouco contribue a configuracion dunha facenda autonomica propia. In this paper several indexes are designed with the purpose of assessing the existing differences between the Autonomous Communities of Spain as far as exercising their assigned regulatory capacity on taxes. The methodology used in the analysis allows the identification of differences between regions in terms of the impact of the exercise of regulatory capacity on tax benefits and it also allows the analysis of the stability of the representativeness of different taxes throughout the period 2012- 2014. The results indicate that the Spanish Autonomous Communities have made an intensive but uneven use of the exercise of their regulatory capacity, and that this exercise does not substantially alter the configuration of their revenue.
A Challenge for Magnetic Scalar Potential Formulations of 3-D Eddy Current Problems: Multiply Connected Cuts in Multiply Connected Regions which Necessarily Leave the Cut Complement Multiply Connected

Formulations for making cuts for the magnetic scalar potential in 3-dimensional finite element meshes often assume a priori that cuts should render the nonconducting region simply-connected in order to have a single-valued scalar potential. Starting with the Biot-Savart integral and its interpretation through the Gauss linking number, this paper develops a (co)homology-based definition of cuts which make the scalar potential single-valued but do not guarantee simple connectivity. The variational problem resulting from an algorithm to compute the cuts is then discussed and used to reinforce the central theme of linking. The assumption of simple connectivity is examined in light of the relationship between homotopy and homology to show that it is over-restrictive and moreover, not related to Ampere’s Law.
Image-Based 4-d Reconstruction Using 3-d Change Detection

This paper describes an approach to reconstruct the complete history of a 3-d scene over time from imagery. The proposed approach avoids rebuilding 3-d models of the scene at each time instant. Instead, the approach employs an initial 3-d model which is continuously updated with changes in the environment to form a full 4-d representation. This updating scheme is enabled by a novel algorithm that infers 3-d changes with respect to the model at one time step from images taken at a subsequent time step. This algorithm can effectively detect changes even when the illumination conditions between image collections are significantly different. The performance of the proposed framework is demonstrated on four challenging datasets in terms of 4-d modeling accuracy as well as quantitative evaluation of 3-d change detection.
How stigmatized are dismissed chief executives? The role of character questioning causal accounts and executive capital in dismissed CEO reemployment

Research Summary: Despite the prevalence of CEO dismissal, theory only briefly explores its consequences. Past research indicates few fired CEOs regain employment. We suggest dismissal stigmatizes executives; however, stigmatization is greatest when character questioning causal accounts exist, which affect the likelihood of regaining a CEO position. Furthermore, we argue that reputational and social capital provide signals of executive quality that moderate the level of stigmatization experienced when character questioning causal accounts exist. Following 280 dismissed CEOs, we find that social capital increases the likelihood of rehiring for those with character questioning causal accounts, but negatively impacts those without causal accounts. Alternatively, we find reputational capital positively influences those without causal accounts, while having a slight negative relationship for those with causal accounts. Managerial Summary: Dismissed CEOs often desire second chances to run companies; however, few are ever afforded the opportunity. We explore what allows some dismissed CEOs to regain employment as a CEO. We find that reasons surrounding a CEO's dismissal influence such prospects depending on the CEO's prior reputation and social capital. In particular, social capital through elite education increases the likelihood of regaining a position when the CEO's character is called into question. Alternatively, a strong reputation increases the likelihood of regaining a CEO position when a CEO's character has not been called into question. These findings suggest that dismissed CEOs can regain a CEO position; however, this likelihood is strongly influenced by how others perceive the executive and their concerns about prior behavior.
Automated Object Tracing for Biomedical Image Segmentation Using a Deep Convolutional Neural Network

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been used for fast and accurate segmentation of medical images. In this paper, we present a novel methodology that uses CNNs for segmentation by mimicking the human task of tracing object boundaries. The architecture takes as input a patch of an image with an overlay of previously traced pixels and the output predicts the coordinates of the next m pixels to be traced. We also consider a CNN architecture that leverages the output from another semantic segmentation CNN, e.g., U-net, as an auxiliary image channel. To initialize the trace path in an image, we use either locations identified as object boundaries with high confidence from a semantic segmentation CNN or a short manually traced path. By iterating the CNN output, our method continues the trace until it intersects with the beginning of the path. We show that our network is more accurate than the state-of-the-art semantic segmentation CNN on microscopy images from the ISBI cell tracking challenge. Moreover, our methodology provides a natural platform for performing human-in-the-loop segmentation that is more accurate than CNNs alone and orders of magnitude faster than manual segmentation.
Line Constrained Estimation With Applications to Target Tracking: Exploiting Sparsity and Low-Rank

Trajectory estimation of moving targets is examined; in particular, quasi-linear trajectories are considered. Background subtraction methods, exploiting low-rank backgrounds, and sparse features of interest are extended to incorporate linear constraints. The line constraint is enforced via a rotation that yields an additional low rank condition. The proposed method is applied to single object tracking in video, wherein the trajectory can be parameterized as a line. The optimization is solved via the augmented Lagrange multiplier method. An average performance improvement of 4 dB is observed over previous background subtraction methods for estimating the position and velocity of the target. Furthermore, about a 6.2 dB gain is seen over previous target tracking methods that do not exploit the linear nature of the trajectory. The Cramer–Rao bound (CRB) for background subtraction with a linear constraint is derived and numerical results show that the proposed method achieves near optimal performance via comparison to the CRB. An aggregated error is shown to converge to zero and a boundedness analysis is conducted which suggests that the iterative algorithm is convergent as confirmed by simulations. Finally, the proposed technique is applied to real video data and is shown to be effective in estimating quasi-linear trajectories.
A Two Stage Data Compression and Decompression Technique for Point Cloud Data

The domain of Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) that involves capturing and transmitting real time point cloud data, are areas of research for over a decade. However, there are lot of challenges in transmitting huge volume of data over the network because of network bandwidth constraint. This paper proposes a compression strategy for 3D positional data (derived from depth frame) to reduce large volume of captured point cloud data before sending over network to enhance data transmission efficiency, and a decompression technique to be applied at the receiving end to recover the original data. The proposed strategy is well suited for AR/MR interactive applications such as teleconferencing, tele-health monitoring, remote machine monitoring etc. where human subject(s) are the primary data for transmission. In the proposed two stage strategy (hybrid approach), the 3D positional data is first optimized in an in-memory buffer (Buffer Differential technique) without loss of quality. In the second stage, a standard compression algorithm is applied to the output of the first stage for further improving the compression ratio. For this work, we have chosen the Zstandard compression algorithm. The original data is then recovered by applying decompression techniques in the reverse order. A significant improvement has been achieved for this particular class of applications.
15.01 – Preface

My interest in respiratory toxicology started as a graduate student (∼ 1997) when I had the opportunity to learn mammalian cell culture from a fellow graduate student who was studying the effects of particulate materials (PM) on lung cells. At the time I had only a limited appreciation for the complexity and diversity of toxicology research, and had not yet even attended my first Society of Toxicology meeting! However, I knew that air pollution had substantial effects on human health, specifically respiratory health.
Mechanistic insights into C2 and C3 product generation using Ni3Al and Ni3Ga electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction.

Thin films of Ni3Al and Ni3Ga on carbon solid supports have been shown to generate multi-carbon products in electrochemical CO2 reduction, an activity profile that, until recently, was ascribed exclusively to Cu-based catalysts. This catalytic behavior has introduced questions regarding the role of each metal, as well as other system components, during CO2 reduction. Here, the significance of electrode structure and solid support choice in determining higher- versus lower-order reduction products is explored, and the commonly invoked Fischer–Tropsch-type mechanism of CO2 reduction to multi-carbon products is indirectly probed. Electrochemical studies of both intermetallic and non-mixed Ni–Group 13 catalyst films suggest that intermetallic character is required to achieve C2 and C3 products irrespective of carbon support choice, negating the possibility of separate metal sites performing distinct yet complementary roles in CO2 reduction. Furthermore, Ni3Al and Ni3Ga were shown to be incapable of generating higher-order reduction products in D2O, suggesting a departure from accepted mechanisms for CO2 reduction on Cu. Additional routes to multi-carbon products may therefore be accessible when developing intermetallic catalysts for CO2 electroreduction.
On the Verification of Livelock-Freedom and Self-Stabilization on Parameterized Rings

This article investigates the verification of livelock-freedom and self-stabilization on parameterized rings consisting of symmetric, constant space, deterministic, and self-disabling processes. The results of this article have a significant impact on several fields, including scalable distributed systems, resilient and self-a systems, and verification of parameterized systems. First, we identify necessary and sufficient local conditions for the existence of global livelocks in parameterized unidirectional rings with unbounded (but finite) number of processes under the interleaving semantics. Using a reduction from the periodic domino problem, we show that, in general, verifying livelock-freedom of parameterized unidirectional rings is undecidable (specifically, Π10-complete) even for constant space, deterministic, and self-disabling processes. This result implies that verifying self-stabilization for parameterized rings of self-disabling processes is also undecidable. We also show that verifying livelock-freedom and self-stabilization remain undecidable under (1) synchronous execution semantics, (2) the FIFO consistency model, and (3) any scheduling policy. We then present a new scope-based method for detecting and constructing livelocks in parameterized rings. The proposed semi-algorithm behind our scope-based verification is based on a novel paradigm for the detection of livelocks that totally circumvents state space exploration. Our experimental results on an implementation of the proposed semi-algorithm are very promising as we have found livelocks in parameterized rings in a few microseconds on a regular laptop. The results of this article have significant implications for scalable distributed systems with cyclic topologies.
Domestic Ideals and Lived Realities: Gendered Social Relations at the Moors House, Deerfield, Massachusetts, 1848–1882

Two families—the Moors and the Balls—occupied a 19th-century house on the main street of Deerfield, Massachusetts. Archaeological assemblages associated with each of the households showed disconnects between gender ideals (notably the cult of domesticity for which the architectural style of the house itself is iconic) and the realities of poverty, raising children, and life cycle. In this article, I explore how variations in the materiality and spatiality of gender ideologies were more than simply deviations from middle-class cultural norms. Rather, they represented active negotiation of dominant ideals and the construction of alternate meaningful gender relations and forms of domesticity.
TM and TE optical modes of the planar anisotropic aluminum-doped zinc oxide waveguides at the epsilon-near-zero spectral point

In this work, we investigate the guided mode properties of planar anisotropic aluminum-doped zinc oxide waveguides (air/metamaterial/silicon oxide) at the epsilon-near-zero spectral point. Our calculations predict two fundamentally different propagation regimes for the lowest order guided TM and TE modes over a broad spectral range (400-2000 nm). Our study shows that excitation of the TM guided mode is possible for wavelengths higher than epsilon-near-zero spectral point. However the propagation distance for such a TM mode will strongly depend on the spectral position of the mode’s eigenfrequency. E.g., propagation distance is maximized for eigenfrequencies near epsilon-near-zero point and reduced by an order of magnitude as the eigenfrequency is tuned by ~50 nm.
Magic Squares for Average Learners, Too.

Each student was given nine squares in the colors and the numbers previously mentioned and they were told that they were to arrange the squares in a three-by-three design, so that in all directions (up or down, across, diagonally) the sum must be the same; that is, 15. I gave them one cue. There was to be only one square of each color in each row and column. Moving the squares in a trial-and-error fashion to get the correct answer disposed of the tiresome task of erasing, and with it, much of the frustration children had experienced previously. The use of colors definitely facilitated the process, so that many of these students succeeded in this task and
Environment influences sugarbeet tolerance to S-metolachlor

Herbicides used in sugarbeet are commonly adapted from other row crops and may cause injury and yield loss often associated with environmental and edaphic factors. Glyphosate-resistant waterhemp in sugarbeet requires a PRE herbicide, such as S-metolachlor, for its control. The objectives of this research were to evaluate sugarbeet tolerance to PRE S-metolachlor, including air temperature and soil water content interactions with soil series in field and growth chamber experiments. Results from field experiments conducted in 12 environments in 2015, 2016, and 2017 indicated 2.16 or 4.32 kg ai ha−1S-metolachlor applied PRE reduced sugarbeet density and stature but did not reduce root yield, sucrose content, or recoverable sucrose compared with the untreated control in environments with soils with less than 3.5% organic matter (OM) and receiving greater than 40-mm cumulative rainfall within 14 d after planting. In the growth chamber, sugarbeet density and shoot fresh weight following S-metolachlor application was influenced by soil moisture content, air temperature, and soil series but not by S-metolachlor rate. Sugarbeet density and shoot fresh weight were reduced 15% and 106%, respectively, when S-metolachlor was applied to a Glyndon sandy loam (2.6% OM, 9.5% clay) at 100% field capacity (FC) and 14 C compared with S-metolachlor application to a Fargo silty clay (7.7% OM and 54% clay) at 100% FC and 21 C. It is concluded that field selection, rather than herbicide rate, is an important criterion for managing sugarbeet tolerance with S-metolachlor.
Bystander Intervention as a Prevention Strategy for Campus Sexual Violence: Perceptions of Historically Minoritized College Students

The bystander intervention approach to campus sexual violence has received increased attention as a promising prevention strategy. However, there lacks research on the perspective of historically minoritized students, such as students of color, LGBTQ-spectrum students, and the intersections thereof. As such, the purpose of this paper is to present the findings from an exploratory study regarding bystander intervention that focused exclusively on the perspectives of 101 racialized and/or LGBTQ-spectrum students at three campuses across a large public university. Using concept mapping methodology, the study was conducted in three phases: brainstorming of statements about bystander intervention, sorting and rating of statements, and mapping and interpretation of the results. Using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis, a six-cluster solution was determined, representing key themes related to supporting students’ efforts as helpful bystanders. Overall, findings indicate a need for bystander intervention efforts to widen their focus by employing an intersectional, social justice lens. Study participants identified various forms of racism, homophobia, transphobia, and microaggressions as intertwined with their ability to be active bystanders on college campuses.
Host Cxcr2-Dependent Regulation of Pancreatic Cancer Growth, Angiogenesis, and Metastasis.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) manifests aggressive tumor growth and early metastasis. Crucial steps in tumor growth and metastasis are survival, angiogenesis, invasion, and immunosuppression. Our prior research showed that chemokine CXC- receptor-2 (CXCR2) is expressed on endothelial cells, innate immune cells, and fibroblasts, and regulates angiogenesis and immune responses. Here, we examined whether tumor angiogenesis, growth, and metastasis of CXCR2 ligands expressing PDAC cells are regulated in vivo by a host CXCR2-dependent mechanism. C57BL6 Cxcr2−/− mice were generated following crosses between Cxcr2−/+ female and Cxcr2−/− male. Cxcr2 ligands expressing Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS-PDAC) cells were orthotopically implanted in the pancreas of wild-type or Cxcr2−/− C57BL6 mice. No significant difference in PDAC tumor growth was observed. Host Cxcr2 loss led to an inhibition in microvessel density in PDAC tumors. Interestingly, an enhanced spontaneous and experimental liver metastasis was observed in Cxcr2−/− mice compared with wild-type mice. Increased metastasis in Cxcr2−/− mice was associated with an increase in extramedullary hematopoiesis and expansion of neutrophils and immature myeloid precursor cells in the spleen of tumor-bearing mice. These data suggest a dynamic role of host CXCR2 axis in regulating tumor immune suppression, tumor growth, and metastasis.
Efficacy of third wave cognitive behavioral therapies in the treatment of posttraumatic stress: A meta-analytic study.

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine, via meta-analysis, the efficacy of third wave therapies in reducing posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. A secondary aim was to identify whether treatment efficacy was moderated by treatment type, treatment duration, use of exposure, use of intent-to-treat samples, and treatment format (i.e., individual, group, both). Risk of bias was also assessed. A literature search returned 37 studies with a pooled sample of 1268 participants that met study inclusion criteria. The mean differences between pre- and post-treatment PTS symptoms were estimated using a random effects model (i.e., uncontrolled effect). Additionally, in a subset of studies that utilized a control condition, a controlled effect in which pre- to post-treatment PTS symptom changes accounted for symptom changes in the control condition was calculated. The overall uncontrolled effect of third wave therapies in reducing PTS symptoms was medium to large (Hedges’ g = 0.88 [0.72–1.03]). Treatment type, use of intent-to-treat analysis, inclusion of exposure, and format moderated the uncontrolled effect, but treatment duration did not. The controlled effect of third wave therapies was small to large in size (Hedges’ g = 0.50 [0.20−0.80]). Findings suggest that third wave therapies demonstrate enough promise in treating individuals with PTS symptoms to warrant further investigation. Implications and suggestions for future third wave research are discussed.
Photon-induced atom recoil in collectively interacting planar arrays

The recoil of atoms in arrays due to the emission or absorption of photons is studied for subwavelength interatomic spacing. The atoms in the array interact with each other through collective dipole-dipole interactions and with the incident laser field in the low-intensity limit. Shining uniform light on the array gives rise to patterns of excitation and recoil in the array. They arise due to the interference of different eigenmodes of excitation. The relation between the recoil and the decay dynamics is studied when the array is in its excitation eigenstates. The recoil experienced by a subradiant collective decay is substantially larger than that from independent atom decay. A method to calculate the rate of recoil when steady state has been achieved with a constant influx of photons is also described.
Evaluation of Centralized Model based FLISR in a Lab Setup

Utilities are installing advanced distribution management systems (ADMS) around the globe to improve the sensing and control of distribution systems. ADMS is becoming a critical component to improve the resiliency and reliability of distribution systems. These management systems host a multitude of applications that can be used to sense, control, and operate distribution systems. Fault location, isolation, and service restoration (FLISR) is one of the ADMS applications that is critical to improving resilience during fault conditions. FLISR applications use smart, controllable devices that are installed in the distribution system for FLISR operation. These controllable devices include distributed energy resources (DER) and reclosers. Evaluating such ADMS applications before installation in the field can help de-risk the field implementation and avoid costly failures in the field. This paper presents a background on experimental setup that are typically used to evaluate ADMS applications. This is followed by briefly presenting the setup used to evaluate the FLISR application in an off-the-shelf ADMS tool. Finally, results from the evaluation experiments are presented.
Supply Chains Integration: Architecture and Enabling Technologies

An effective and efficient supply chain is vital to the competitiveness and the survival of an organization. With the emergence of the e-business era, supply chain systems need to be able to extend beyond the traditional boundaries. This paper proposes integrated supply chain architecture (SCA) that combines the benefits of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and the various supply chain applications. Some necessary criteria for an integrated supply chain include completeness, security, flexibility, scalability, and interoperability. The enabling technologies for such a supply chain system include XML, DCOM, CORBA, SOAP, .Net, and Semantic Web. Wireless and mobile technologies could further extend the supply chain by enabling any time, any place accessibility.
Secular Liberalism and the Exclusion of Religious Worldviews

Given the rise of relativism, the loss of confidence in reason leading to a clash of worldviews and the emergence of a contentious pluralism, in addition to the influence of secularism in modern democracies, the question then arises: how is it possible to govern and make progress; how do we navigate through our serious disagreements about morality, politics, and culture? This chapter considers the standard way of thinking about these matters in recent liberal political theory, especially in the work of philosopher, John Rawls. After first discussing the assumptions of modern liberalism (including the theme of religious freedom, and the desire for state neutrality), we present an overview of Rawls’ position and solution to the problem of pluralism. We introduce and explain the notion of public reason—the idea that in public deliberation, one must present arguments that all reasonable people can accept; this excludes religious reasons. We also briefly consider the views of German philosopher, Jurgen Habermas. Turning then specifically to the argument that religious views should be excluded from public debate, the chapter concludes with a critical examination of the ideas of Robert Audi.
Principles of Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteomalacia

Osteomalacia is a descriptive term and diagnosis of diminished bone mineralization that can occur in both adults and children. Rickets, which only occurs in children, refers to a process at the growth plates. It cannot occur in adults as their growth plates have already closed. In children, osteomalacia is often accompanied by rickets.
Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced pneumonitis: Incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes.

BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the newest class of anticancer drugs. Pneumonitis is increasingly being recognized as a potential complication of these agents. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of patients who received ICIs at a comprehensive cancer center. We collected data on demographics, type of malignancy, type of ICI agent, incidence of pneumonitis up to 6 weeks after receiving ICI agent, clinical characteristics, and risk factors for overall survival in patients who develop pneumonitis. RESULTS A total of 654 patients received ICIs during the study period. The most common type of cancer for which ICI was given was adenocarcinoma of the lung (29%), followed by renal cell cancer (12%) and squamous cell lung cancer (12%). Among the study patients, 41% received nivolumab and 32% received pembrolizumab. Other patients in the study received combination of ICIs or ICI plus chemotherapeutic agent, or were part of clinical trial involving ICI. Overall 42 (6.4%) patients developed pneumonitis within 6 weeks after the last dose of treatment of any ICI agent. Of these, 81% of patients had Grade ≥ 2 pneumonitis and 45% of these required hospital admission for pneumonitis, with 10% of them requiring admission to intensive care unit. Overall, patients who received pembrolizumab-containing regimen, had prior chemotherapy, or who never had cancer-related surgery had increased risk of death. CONCLUSION Our large retrospective study shows real-life data of incidence of pneumonitis in patients who are treated with ICIs for cancer treatment. Our data indicate that the incidence of pneumonitis is overall lower than that reported previously with relatively good outcomes.
Value of ultrasound-guided aspiration of hip arthroplasties performed in an orthopedic clinic by orthopedic surgeons.

Abstract. Background: Total joint arthroplasties continue to increase as do periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). Ultrasound-guided aspiration can yield useful synovial fluid for analysis while avoiding radiation exposure. This study presents a high-yield, ultrasound-guided technique with analysis of aspiration results. Methods: All consecutive ultrasound-guided aspirations of hip arthroplasties performed from May 2016 through to April 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographic information, component specifics, presence of draining sinus, and inflammatory markers were recorded. Results of aspiration including volume, appearance, lavage use, synovial fluid differential leukocyte count, synovial neutrophil percent, and culture results were recorded. Surgical results, specimen cultures, and surgeon description of purulence were recorded. Aspiration results were compared to the surgical specimen results in all patients who underwent reoperations. Results: Review of 349 hip aspirations demonstrated accuracy of 87 %, sensitivity of 83 %, specificity of 89 %, positive predictive value of 79 %, and negative predictive value 91 %. Surgical and aspiration cultures matched in 81 % of cases. Bloody aspirates and aspirates obtained after lavage had less accuracy at 69 % and 60 %, respectively. Specificity was 100 % for cultures obtained with lavage and 91 % for bloody aspirates. Synovial leukocyte count and neutrophil percentage was obtained in 85 % of aspirations, and cultures were obtained in 98 % of aspirates. Contamination rate was 2 %. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided aspirations aid in the diagnosis of PJI. The use of lavage to obtain fluid is helpful when aspiration cultures are positive. Bloody aspirates are less accurate but have high specificity. A low contamination rate and 88 % accuracy results with this meticulous technique.
Identification of shared bacterial strains in the vaginal microbiota of reproductive-age mothers and daughters using genome-resolved metagenomics

It has been suggested that the human microbiome might be vertically transmitted from mother to offspring and that early colonizers may play a critical role in development of the immune system. Studies have shown limited support for the vertical transmission of the intestinal microbiota but the derivation of the vaginal microbiota remains largely unknown. Although the vaginal microbiota of children and reproductive age cis women differ in composition, the vaginal microbiota could be vertically transmitted. To determine whether there was any support for this hypothesis, we examined the vaginal microbiota of daughter-mother pairs from the Baltimore metropolitan area (ages 14-27, 32-51; n=39). We assessed whether the daughters microbiota was similar in composition to their mothers using metataxonomics. Permutation tests revealed that while some pairs did have similar vaginal microbiota, the degree of similarity did not exceed that expected by chance. Genome-resolved metagenomics was used to identify shared bacterial strains in a subset of the families (n=22). We found a small number of bacterial strains that were shared between mother-daughter pairs but identified more shared strains between individuals from different families, indicating that vaginal bacteria may display biogeographic patterns. Earlier-in-life studies are needed to demonstrate vertical transmission of the vaginal microbiota. ImportanceEarly colonizers of our microbiota are theorized to play an important role in the development of our immune system, yet we know little about how these communities are established. Vertical transmission from mother to offspring at the time of birth is theorized to be a major source of early colonizers but limited evidence supporting this process has only been shown for the intestinal tract microbiota. The provenance of the vaginal microbiota is largely unknown, although some have posited it is similarly vertically transmitted. We examined the vaginal microbiota of mother-daughter pairs and found limited evidence in support of this hypothesis. However, our analysis also revealed putative biogeographic patterns in the distribution of the strains which comprise the vaginal microbiota. Our results give insight into the role of vertical transmission for the vaginal microbiota and motivate future studies on the biogeography of these bacteria.
Frequent subgraph discovery in large attributed streaming graphs

The problem of finding frequent subgraphs in large dynamic graphs has so far only considered a dynamic graph as being represented by a series of static snapshots taken at various points in time. This representation of a dynamic graph does not lend itself well to real time processing of real world graphs like social networks or internet traffic which consist of a stream of nodes and edges. In this paper we propose an algorithm that discovers the frequent subgraphs present in a graph represented by a stream of labeled nodes and edges. Our algorithm is efficient and is easily tuned by the user to produce interesting patterns from various kinds of graph data. In our model, updates to the graph arrive in the form of batches which contain new nodes and edges. Our algorithm continuously reports the frequent subgraphs that are estimated to be found in the entire graph as each batch arrives. We evaluate our system using five large dynamic graph datasets: the Hetrec 2011 challenge data, Twitter, DBLP and two synthetic. We evaluate our approach against two popular large graph miners, i.e., SUBDUE and GERM. Our experimental results show that we can find the same frequent subgraphs as a non-incremental approach applied to snapshot graphs, and in less time.
Effect of trabeculae and papillary muscles on the hemodynamics of the left ventricle

The impact of surface trabeculae and papillary muscles on the hemodynamics of the left ventricle (LV) is investigated using numerical simulations. Simulations of ventricular flow are conducted for two different models of the LV derived from high-resolution cardiac computed tomography (CT) scans using an immersed boundary method-based flow solver. One model comprises a trabeculated left ventricle (TLV) that includes both trabeculae and papillary muscles, while the second model has a smooth left ventricle that is devoid of any of these surface features. Results indicate that the trabeculae and papillary muscles significantly disrupt the vortices that develop during early filling in the TLV model. Large recirculation zones are found to form in the wake of the papillary muscles; these zones enhance the blockage provided by the papillary muscles and create a path for the mitral jet to penetrate deeper into the ventricular apex during diastole. During systole, the trabeculae enhance the apical washout by ‘squeezing’ the flow from the apical region. Finally, the trabeculae enhance viscous dissipation rate of the ventricular flow, but this effect is not significant in the overall power budget.
Perspectives on the Transition from Preschool to Kindergarten for Children with Disabilities and Their Families

This article addresses the transition of young children from preschool programs that provide special education services to kindergarten or alternative elementary school placements. The roles of the child, family, and service providers in transition preparation, planning, implementation, and evaluation are described. Successful transitions include assessments of children's skills in meeting the demands of kindergarten programs, teaching these skills to children, and actively encouraging parent participation in plans and programs. Barriers to successful transitions include lack of time and funding to coordinate both parent activities and between-school arrangements. A critical area for future research is the long-term evaluation of the procedures described as "best practice," as well as the definition of what constitutes a successful transition.
Optimal release times in single-stage manufacturing systems with finite production inventory

The paper concerns a due-date matching problem in single-stage manufacturing systems with limited production-inventory buffering capacity. The objective is to determine parts' release times so as to minimize a weighted sum of the discrepancies between products' completion times and given due dates. This scheduling problem is formulated as an optimal control problem whose "plant" is modeled by a deterministic queue with finite output buffer, its controls are the release times, and its associated cost function penalizes products' earliness as well as tardiness. Although the optimal control problem appears to be nonconvex and nondifferentiable, we show that it is equivalent to a differentiable, convex programming problem with linear constraints. The problem may have a large number of variables and inequalities, but we decompose it into a finite sequence of one-dimensional problems. We then develop an algorithm for computing the optimal controls and demonstrate its efficacy by means of computational examples.
The Design of Conditional Cash Transfers: Experiences from Argentina's Universal Child Allowance

type="main" xml:id="dpr12127-abs-0001"> Conditional cash transfers (CCTs) have spread rapidly in developing countries in the past decade. While there is extensive literature assessing their impacts health, education and other outcomes, little attention has been paid to beneficiaries' subjective experiences of CCT design. This article addresses this issue by exploring how beneficiaries of Argentina's flagship CCT, the Universal Child Allowance, perceive the programme's unique design features. We find male and female beneficiaries tend to support targeted transfers to female carers, and that confusion about payment schedules has important implications for beneficiary engagement. Analysis of these findings offers useful insights into how CCT programme design may affect outcomes.
Field emission from selectively regrown GaN pyramids

Summary form only given. Field emission is the phenomena by which electrons quantum mechanically tunnel into vacuum from a solid or liquid by the application of an electric field. Once in vacuum, the electron transport is not restricted by collisions with the lattice. The higher velocity of electrons in vacuum than in a crystal allows the operation of high efficiency, high speed devices such as flat-panel displays and microwave power sources. The theory of field emission was first explained correctly by Fowler and Nordheim in 1928. The ideal field emitter will have a high concentration of electrons, a low work function (or electron affinity), and an atomic-sized tip. A sharp tip is necessary to provide high field near the surface yet avoid arcing. Tips in molybdenum have been deposited, and tips in silicon have been etched. Work in GaN has focused on selective-area epitaxial regrowth of the tips on a patterned GaN layer. Recently, the first observation of field emission from GaN was reported. The sharpness of the tips, the hardness of the material, and the large uniform arrays that can be produced by regrowth make GaN an excellent candidate for a viable field emission cathode.
T cell adoptive immunotherapy of newly diagnosed gliomas.

Patients with newly diagnosed gliomas were treated with adoptive transfer of ex vivo activated T lymphocytes, derived from lymph nodes (LNs) draining autologous tumor vaccines, to determine the long-term toxicity of this treatment. Twelve consecutive patients were enrolled: 2 with grade II astrocytoma, 4 with anaplastic gliomas, and 6 with glioblastoma multiforme. Patients were injected intradermally with short-term cultured autologous irradiated tumor cells, admixed with granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, to stimulate draining LNs. The LN cells were activated with staphylococcal enterotoxin A for 48 h and then cultured in medium containing interleukin 2 for an additional 6-8 days and subsequently transferred i.v. to the patients. The number of cells obtained from the LNs ranged from 9 x 10(7) to 1.1 x 10(9), and the median cell proliferation was 41-fold. The dose of T cells infused ranged from 0.6 to 5.5 x 10(10) with a median of 1.1 x 10(10), the majority of which were CD 4+ (mean, 71%). The entire treatment was performed as outpatient therapy and was associated with a toxicity of grade 2 or less, consisting mainly of fever, nausea, and myalgias during the first 24 h. There were no indications of late adverse events from this treatment even among three patients with follow-up greater than 2 years post T cell transfer. Moreover, four patients demonstrated partial regression of residual tumor. This Phase I clinical trial of adoptive immunotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed malignant gliomas demonstrates feasibility, lack of long-term toxicity, and several objective clinical responses.
Find it! Legal Research on the Web

Materials originally presented June 20, 2008 at the Kentucky Bar Association Conference. Section II contains information on locating Kentucky cases, statutes, regulations, and ordinances on the internet. Other useful Kentucky sites are also mentioned. Section III provides information on locating various types of federal law (statutes, regulations, & cases) using free sites on the internet. Section IV gives tips on using search engines, portals, and meta-sites to locate legal information. Finally, Section V discusses using free sites to locate secondary sources on the internet.
Evaluation of methods for oligonucleotide array data via quantitative real-time PCR

There are currently many different methods for processing and summarizing probe-level data from Affymetrix oligonucleotide arrays. It is of great interest to validate these methods and identify those that are most effective. There is no single best way to do this validation, and a variety of approaches is needed. Moreover, gene expression data are collected to answer a variety of scientific questions, and the same method may not be best for all questions. Only a handful of validation studies have been done so far, most of which rely on spike-in datasets and focus on the question of detecting differential expression. Here we seek methods that excel at estimating relative expression. We evaluate methods by identifying those that give the strongest linear association between expression measurements by array and the "gold-standard" assay. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is generally considered the "gold-standard" assay for measuring gene expression by biologists and is often used to confirm findings from microarray data. Here we use qRT-PCR measurements to validate methods for the components of processing oligo array data: background adjustment, normalization, mismatch adjustment, and probeset summary. An advantage of our approach over spike-in studies is that methods are validated on a real dataset that was collected to address a scientific question. We initially identify three of six popular methods that consistently produced the best agreement between oligo array and RT-PCR data for medium- and high-intensity genes. The three methods are generally known as MAS5, gcRMA, and the dChip mismatch mode. For medium- and high-intensity genes, we identified use of data from mismatch probes (as in MAS5 and dChip mismatch) and a sequence-based method of background adjustment (as in gcRMA) as the most important factors in methods' performances. However, we found poor reliability for methods using mismatch probes for low-intensity genes, which is in agreement with previous studies. We advocate use of sequence-based background adjustment in lieu of mismatch adjustment to achieve the best results across the intensity spectrum. No method of normalization or probeset summary showed any consistent advantages.
Attachment of metal trications to peptides

Gas-phase complexes of triply charged metal ions with peptides may be readily produced using electrospray ionization, including for small peptides such as bradykinin and peptides with no basic residues such as insulin chain A. Attachment without charge-reduction is demonstrated for all trications studied: La3+, Al3+, Ga3+, Fe3+, V3+, and Cr3+. The intensities of adducts are often comparable to, or even exceed, those of protonated analogs in any charge state.
Upstream Migration of Minijack (Age‐2) Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River: Behavior, Abundance, Distribution, and Origin

Abstract It has recently been demonstrated that a large percentage of yearling Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha smolts released from a production-scale hatchery on the Yakima River display an underappreciated life history strategy. Instead of migrating to the ocean for long-term rearing and growth, males may instead undertake a short-term migration downstream, turn around, and migrate back upstream where they reproductively mature at age 2. Following local hatchery traditions, these fish are referred to as “minijacks.” We used information produced from (1) large-scale passive integrated transponder (PIT)-tagging programs at hatcheries in the Columbia and Snake River basins and (2) the installation of PIT tag detectors in the fish passage ladders built into dams on these rivers to investigate the occurrence, behavior, distribution, and origin of minijacks. A minijack was operationally defined as a fish detected in a ladder after 1 June in the same year it was released. Minijacks were found in every ...