cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Bandwidth Gap Between the Array-Feed and Cluster-Feed Regimes for Broadband Multifeed Systems

For reflector antennas with broadband multiple feed systems, under optimal beamforming conditions, the feed operates at low frequencies as a phased array feed (PAF), with multiple elements contributing to a synthesized illumination pattern, whereas at high frequencies, each element forms a single independent beam. There is a frequency range between these two regimes where it is difficult to achieve high aperture efficiency, which limits the ultimate performance of broadband multifeed systems. We show that this bandwidth gap is largely independent of the formed beam angle, number of array elements, array layout, and element radiation patterns. We use simulation and modeling to study the origin and nature of this physical effect, develop an upper bound on the sensitivity bandwidth of a high-efficiency array feed, and consider several possible methods for improving the efficiency of multifeed systems in the bandwidth gap.
Color and intensity discrimination in Xenopus laevis tadpoles

Investigations into the physiology of Xenopus laevis have the potential to greatly accelerate biomedical research, especially concerning neural plasticity and sensory systems, but are limited by the lack of available information on behavioral learning in this species. Here, we attempt to lay the foundations for a behavioral assay in Xenopus that can be used in conjunction with biological manipulations. We tested cohorts of Xenopus tadpoles across four light-mediated active-avoidance experiments, using either wavelength or intensity as the salient discriminative cue. In the wavelength task, we determine a baseline learning rate and characterize retention of learning, identifying active extinction effects as far more potent than the passage of time in the loss of behavior. In the intensity task, we examine the effects of varying differences between the discriminative stimuli on acquisition and extinction and identify a critical range of intensity differences where learning changes. The results of our experiments demonstrate that Xenopus is a tractable model organism for cognitive research and can learn a variety of associative tasks in the laboratory settings. These data reveal new aspects of the Xenopus larval visual processing system and facilitate future research between cognitive methods and biological/chemical manipulations to study mechanisms of brain structure and function.
Structural Deformation and Dynamic Mechanism of the Qiangtang Basin, North Tibet

According to its structure characteristics, the Qiangtang Basin can be divided into five structural areas. The fault-fold zone on the north margin is dominated by imbracated structure, the Mayer Kangri fault-up-welling area by back thrusting blocks, while the Laxong Co-Qoima Co complex fold zone and others are characterized by symmetric or asymmetric structures. The structural deformation is mainly caused by the N-S com-pressive stress field resulting from northward movement of the Qiangtang massif and other southern massives during the Yangshanian-Himalayan period.
Simulation Software Design of Electromotor Performance of BEV

Drive motor is the power source of the electric vehicles,and it has direct impact on venicle dynamic performance.Basing on LabVIEW for BEV's drive motor performance simulation,study the changes of the electromotor performance under the different drive situation,in order to study motor parameter optimization design,and improve power performance of BEV.
Apoptosis in toxicologic pathology

Toxicologic pathology provides expertise to the interpretation of the toxicity and safety of pharmaceuticals, biological agents, human and animal food aditives, environmental and industrial chemicals, and medical devices in animal studies. The histopathology findings are integrated with other study data (clinical and biochemistry data, autopsy) providing a comprehensive report on efficacy and safety of a chemical, device or material and the relationship of toxicity to exposure. Since its discovery, apoptosis emerged as a molecular control point in the regulation of physiological processes, toxic insults and diseases by means of a programmed cell death. Numerous factors include chemicals, oxidative stress, anoxia, and irradiation. Suppression, overexpression or mutation of a number of genes which orchestrate the apoptotic process are associated with disease. Also, the disbalance in apoptosis processes is documented in viral, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as in tumors. Research in the pharmacologic industry is driven toward developing new drugs for treatment schedules for these and other diseases. Toxicologic pathology findings of apoptosis should assist regulatory agencies in understanding the potential hazard or benefit of the tested substance (is the finding of apoptosis normal variation, spontaneous event or provoked by tested drug). Since the great majority of initial histopathological examinations made on toxicity studies and animal disease models are done on routine hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides, the morphology alone is sufficient for accurate and adequate identification of apoptosis.
Sexual Harassment: A Complex Adaptive System Viewpoint

Despite the tremendous stress on sexual harassment (SH) policy, advances in policy construction, and a substantial body of research, SH remains a persistent presence in the workplace. This study ex...
Proximal gastric vagotomy without drainage a promising operation for duodenal ulcer

Proximal gastric vagotomy without drainage is widely accepted in Great Britain and Europe but in the United States has been done mainly in university centers. The operation denervates the acid-secreting parietal cell mass of the stomach, preserving vagal innervation to the gastric antrum and extragastric abdominal viscera. The procedure is safe and is associated with few underisrable side effects. Long-term studies are needed to determine the rate of recurrence of duodenal ulcer in patients treated surgically in this way.
Adaptive control for a five-fingered prosthetic hand with unknown mass and inertia

An adaptive control strategy for the 14 degrees of freedom (DOFs), five-fingered smart prosthetic hand with unknown mass and inertia of all the fingers is developed in this work. In modeling, the various links used for the five fingers of the prosthetic hand are shown. A cubic polynomial for the trajectory planning is used. In particular, using a desired orientation for three-link fingers, the forward and inverse kinematics of the prosthetic hand system regarding the analytical solutions between the angular positions of joints and the positions and orientations of the end-effectors (fingertips) have been obtained. The simulations of the resulting adaptive controller with five-fingered prosthetic hand show enhanced performance.
Capital Transitioning: A Human Capital Strategy for Climate Innovation

The 2015 Paris accord represents a promising change of course in international climate diplomacy, but left unanswered is the question of exactly how the world will meet the daunting technological challenges that lie ahead. This article proposes a global strategy to build up human capital oriented towards two bodies of knowledge: (1) alternative, non-fossil energy systems, and (2) a deeper understanding of climate systems that might be engineered to reduce atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. Simply committing funding to climate technology is insufficient; an international agreement with specific funding priorities is needed to implement a global policy that takes into account the nature of human capital and its role in bringing about the radical technological changes necessary to avert climate disaster. Fossil fuel-related industries, which have globally led the political resistance to climate policies, have many assets that would be threatened by climate policy, but an important and overlooked asset is their stock of human capital: the many kinds of formal and informal learning that enable them to exploit fossil fuels. Human capital should be brought to the fore in an international climate agreement for three reasons: (1) the wrong kind of human capital – attached to fossil fuel-related methods of energy generation and consumption – has helped to create a political economy that is unfavorable for climate policy, (2) the right kind of human capital – broader and more fundamental understandings of energy systems and natural climate systems – can create a more favorable political economy for climate policy, and (3) the technological changes needed for both mitigation and geoengineering technologies are so profound that a human capital stock must be developed with a conscious focus on radical technological change that can be delivered quickly. While individual countries may pursue an enlightened human capital policy on their own, cooperation at the international level would maximize the scale economies of inventive effort. Moreover, an international agreement that includes a human capital component, from which all signatories benefit, could lubricate further international negotiations.
Profiling the metabolic signals involved in chemical communication between microbes using imaging mass spectrometry

The ability of microbes to secrete bioactive chemical signals into their environment has been known for over a century. However, it is only in the last decade that imaging mass spectrometry has provided us with the ability to directly visualize the spatial distributions of these microbial metabolites. This technology involves collecting mass spectra from multiple discrete locations across a biological sample, yielding chemical ‘maps’ that simultaneously reveal the distributions of hundreds of metabolites in two dimensions. Advances in microbial imaging mass spectrometry summarized here have included the identification of novel strain- or coculture-specific compounds, the visualization of biotransformation events (where one metabolite is converted into another by a neighboring microbe), and the implementation of a method to reconstruct the 3D subsurface distributions of metabolites, among others. Here we review the recent literature and discuss how imaging mass spectrometry has spurred novel insights regarding the chemical consequences of microbial interactions.
Graceful Labelings of Pendant Graphs

In 1967, Alexander Rosa introduced a new type of graph labeling called a “graceful labeling.” This paper will provide some background on graceful labelings and their relation to certain types of graphs called “pendant graphs.” We will also present new results concerning a specific type of graceful labeling of pendant graphs as well as further areas of research. Acknowledgements: I would like to give a special thanks to my mentor Jeff Rushall for all of his help and guidance, and to Ian Douglas for sharing his programming expertise. Page 158 RHIT Undergrad. Math. J., Vol. 15, No. 1
Pros and Cons of Contour Threads for Upper Facial Rejuvenation

For decades surgeons have attempted to create a more youthful appearance of the periorbital region, including techniques to reshape and position the eyebrow complex. The downfall of some treatments is their invasive nature. To address this, surgeons have recently turned to the use of barbed sutures to elevate and reposition brows. The most noteworthy of these suture techniques is the Contour ThreadLift (Surgical Specialties, Reading, PA). Although the elevation of brows using barbed Contour threads is still considered a surgical procedure, it is much less invasive than traditional surgical procedures used to elevate the brow. However, as always with a new surgical procedure, there are issues to consider before incorporating the Contour ThreadLift into everyday practice.
Multimodal therapy in patients with node-positive (stage IIIC) uterine papillary serous carcinoma: A National Cancer Database study.

5585 Background: Uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) is an aggressive endometrial cancer that carries a 30-40% risk of nodal metastasis. Adjuvant systemic chemotherapy has become standard of care in advanced UPSC, but the role of additional adjuvant radiotherapy is unclear. This study aims to evaluate survival outcomes of multimodal therapy through the use of the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). Methods: All patients diagnosed with surgically-staged FIGO stage IIIC uterine papillary serous carcinoma were identified in the NCDB from 1/1998 through 12/2010. Patients were divided into those who received chemotherapy only (CT) and both chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CT+RT). Overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate comparison by log rank test and multivariable analysis by Cox regression modeling were performed to identify and control for prognostic factors. Results: A total of 13,356 cases of uterine cancer were identified, of which 794 were UPSC. Of these patients, ...
Vertebral Column Resection for Rigid Spinal Deformity

Study Design:Broad narrative review.Objective:To review the evolution, operative technique, outcomes, and complications associated with posterior vertebral column resection.Methods:A literature rev...
What puts physicians and patients discussing cancer screening on the same page

1552Background: Shared decision making requires effective provider-patient communication. We studied concordance in recalled discussions and factors that affected it. Methods: In a cluster-randomized trial of educational supports for providers (MDs), we are enrolling an age-(30-89 years) and sex-stratified sample of 216 patients (PTs) who underwent a physical examination at 2 urban hospitals, 18 for each of 12 primary care MDs. Screening guideline formatting (colorcoding) and academic detailing were randomly assigned in a 2x2 design. Immediate post encounter surveys recorded PT and MD recall of screening discussions. Results: The first 174 participants were diverse (63% white) and highly educated (77% college degree). PTs and MDs differed in recall of screening discussions, and the differences varied by screening test. When MDs reported a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening discussion, 21% of PTs did not; 20% of MDs disagreed when PTs reported the discussion. The discrepancies were greater for prostate spec...
Resetting the Bar to Reduce Radiation Exposure During Ablation of Cardiac Arrhythmias.

See Article by Pani et al Electrophysiology procedures are dependent on imaging technologies to position pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator leads, perform extractions, or position catheters for diagnostic studies or ablation procedures. In most cases, these procedures depend on radiological imaging, which exposes patients and medical personnel to the potential risks of radiation exposure. This has been the subject of 2 consensus documents developed by the American College of Radiology to improve safe practice during interventional procedures for coronary artery disease, valve disease, or electrophysiological studies.1,2 The emphasis of these documents has been on best practice to achieve the lowest reasonably achievable dose. These goals depend on up-to-date imaging systems, collimation of the beam, minimizing steep angulation, optimizing distance between patient and the x-ray tube and the image intensifier, and avoiding any exposure that is not necessary. There are guidelines for hospitals to ensure that their physicians have received basic training for radiation safety and know how to operate their equipment to achieve these goals.3 Because our procedures have become more complex, the need for detailed imaging has become more important. This has increased the potential risks of radiation exposure to patients and the lifetime exposure for medical personnel, which is greatest for the physicians who perform the procedure. In response to these concerns, industry has devoted substantial effort into development of electroanatomic 3-dimensional imaging systems that do not depend on radiation and new radiographic technologies that reduce our exposure to radiation. Reductions in frame rate and other measures compromise the image quality to some extent, but these parameters can be adjusted during the case to enhance the image …
The Historical Challenge

Between 1607 and 1840 school mathematics in North America was very different from school mathematics today. Throughout that period, the cyphering tradition dictated the mathematics curriculum and the ways mathematics was taught and learned. Early North American teachers did not stand at the front of the room and teach, and most students, even those studying mathematics, did not own a mathematics textbook. Written examinations of any kind were not used. Most teachers of any branch of mathematics did not have formal qualifications in mathematics. Those studying mathematics copied, into their own cyphering books, rules, cases and examples from existing handwritten cyphering books. Definitions of key terms (e.g., “cyphering book”) are given.
Managing diabetes with inhaled insulin

The incidence of diabetes is increasing world-wide. Many individuals with diabetes require insulin to control their blood sugar and prevent both microvascular and macrovascular complications associated with this chronic disease. Current regimens involve delivery of subcutaneous insulin by injection or continuous insulin infusion. One area of research to advance diabetes care is aimed at developing alternate routes of insulin administration that will make daily management less invasive for patients. This review will focus on inhaled insulin, a novel formulation which takes advantage of drug delivery through the pulmonary system. The pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of inhaled insulin will be discussed. In addition, the status of inhaled insulin as a potential therapy for individuals with diabetes will be reviewed.
GENETICS | Large-Scale Mapping and Epilepsy Gene Discovery

Mutation-containing Mendelian genes that cause monogenic epilepsies can be found by the power of large scale genome scans and linkage analyses that use large multigeneration, multiplex families, positional cloning, and high throughput sequencing. Linkage disequilibrium-based case control association studies, powered to a sufficiently large cohort (perhaps 5000–10 000 syndromically defined epilepsy cases and an equal number of controls), executed in two stages (for replication), can be performed in the future if the United States, Canadian, Mexican, South America, Central American, and European epilepsy consortia pool their cohorts. With success, antiepileptic drugs can be designed against the specific molecular defects of ‘epileptic’ Mendelian genes, as well as against single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP)-susceptibility alleles that increase risks for non-Mendelian epilepsies.
Applying dynamically updated nearshore bathymetry estimates to operational nearshore wave modeling

Abstract: Simulations of nearshore waves using the Steady-State Spectral Wave (STWAVE) Model with temporally-varying bathymetric boundary conditions were undertaken for a period of 11 months at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility in Duck, NC. Five sets of bathymetry were tested, two of which were derived from survey data (one evolving with each monthly bathymetric survey, one static) and three were derived from the depth inversion algorithm, cBathy, using Argus optical imagery data updated every half hour. The standard cBathy half-hourly Kalman filtered product was used along with two modified versions that filter depth estimates during large waves prior to being assimilated by the Kalman filter using an offshore wave height threshold or an optically derived wave breaking threshold to reduce bottom boundary condition errors. Bathymetry derived from the modified Kalman filter methods were first validated using continuous in-situ sonic altimeter data, and were found to improve RMSEs relative to the original cBathy bathymetry from an average of about 0.09 m and about 0.15 m offshore and onshore of the sandbar, respectively. Wave model results over the five bathymetric boundary conditions show that the thresholded cBathy bathymetry performs similarly (and slightly better in places) to simulations using an evolving bathymetry as new measurements are available. The wave height predictions using the static bathymetry were approximately equivalent in performance (if not, slightly better in places) to that of the original cBathy, while the evolving surveyed bathymetry had similar performance to the thresholded cBathy method.
Understanding decision making among individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and their siblings

Abstract Many siblings anticipate fulfilling caregiving roles for their brothers and sisters with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Given these roles and the importance of supporte...
Legal and evidenced-based definitions of standard of care: Implications for code of ethics of professional medical societies.

Background The concept "standard of care" (SOC) is invoked in legal cases, as well as evidence-based, and professional/ethical discussions in medicine and surgery. Methods We reviewed key legal cases and relevant evidence-based medical articles, and then explored the implications for professional societies seeking to set guidelines for their members testifying as expert witnesses. Results First, the legal concept of SOC plays a role in malpractice cases in assessing whether a physician's behavior was "within the SOC." The concept of SOC has evolved from a "standard of a responsible body of medical opinion" (Bolam case), which implicitly did not allow for multiple SOC, to a more evidence-based approach. Second, according to the evidence-based medical literature, there is more than one SOC in medicine and surgery, including neurosurgery. Third, professional, medical, and surgical societies have evoked the concept of SOC to set ethical guidelines for how their members should behave when testifying as expert witnesses. Specifically, the literature argues societies should avoid abusing singular, self-serving definitions of the SOC to sanction members, typically plaintiff's experts, who offer alternative SOC in depositions or in court. Conclusions Recent legal decisions suggest that testimony should be based upon scientific evidence. The scientific evidence indicates that there is often more than one SOC. Thus, any subspecialty society, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, that ignores evidence-based medicine and the existence of multiple SOC, risks the appearance of fostering self-interest at the expense of patient care.
In Reply: Sex, statins, and diabetes (December 2012)

Readers comment on emergency contraception (November 2012), adrenal masses (December 2012), and the use of statins for primary prevention in women (December 2012).
Regenerative Neural Electrodes

Prosthetic technology has progressed rapidly throughout the years, improving patient satisfaction and compatibility; however, an advanced intuitive form of control has not yet been achieved due to the limitations of current technologies. One recent advancement that may address those limitations is regenerative peripheral nerve interface (RPNI) technologies. This chapter reviews current RPNIs and their potential application in prosthetics, since their high selectivity and signal to noise ratio make them ideal for developing an intuitive system for prosthetics. While peripheral nerve interfaces have been studied intensely, the regenerative aspect has only recently started to be explored. New techniques have been designed to improve RPNI functionality, and these innovations are explained along with how they are relevant to advancements towards intuitively controlled prosthetics.
Anticoagulation following mitral valve repair.

Background and aim Anticoagulation after mitral valve repair is controversial and guidelines are not well-established. This study evaluated the association between postoperative warfarin use and complications after mitral valve repair, including bleeding and thromboembolic incidents, readmission, and mortality. Methods This retrospective study investigated 1097 patients who underwent elective mitral valve repair between April 2003 and March 2017, and was naive to atrial fibrillation or prior cardiac surgery. This cohort had no other indication for or against anticoagulation. About 775 patients were placed on warfarin with international normalized ratio goal 2.5 and 322 patients were not anticoagulated. The association between anticoagulation and complications was assessed with univariate comparisons between groups and multiple logistic regression. Results Postoperative warfarin use was associated with a reduced composite of bleeding and thromboembolic complications (pulmonary embolism, TIA, stroke, pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade, gastrointestinal bleeding, and reoperation for bleeding) with an odds ratio of 0.29 (95% confidence interval, 0.13-0.64, P = .003). There was no difference in 30-day or 6-month mortality or readmission rate between groups. Long-term survival estimates were superior in the warfarin group (10-year: 92% vs 85%; log-rank P Conclusions Our analysis showed that postoperative warfarin use was associated with an overall reduced composite of bleeding and thromboembolic incidents and superior long-term survival. These findings suggest that anticoagulation with warfarin following mitral valve repair may be a safe and effective means for avoiding postoperative complications and that a large prospective randomized clinical trial is warranted.
What Is the Predictive Value of a Single Nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 PCR Swab Test in a Patient with COVID-like Symptoms and / or Significant COVID-19 Exposure?

Utilizing results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and subsequent antibody titers, we report on the test characteristics of a PCR screening test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 among hospital workers. The PCR test was found to be 87% sensitive and 97% specific, with a positive predictive value of 0.98 and a negative predictive value of 0.80.
Treatment of Labral Calcification in the Setting of Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome With Arthroscopic Calcification Excision, Labral Repair, and Osteoplasty Improves Outcomes.

Purpose To describe the diagnosis and 2-year outcomes of arthroscopic treatment for labral calcification in the setting of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed from a prospectively collected database of patients with FAIS undergoing hip arthroscopy. Patients with FAIS with labral calcification were differentiated radiographically from patients with other paralabral radiopaque densities such as os acetabuli, acetabular rim fractures, and labral ossification. Patients with FAIS with labral calcification were treated with arthroscopic calcification excision, labral repair, and osteoplasty and matched by age, sex, and body mass index with a cohort of patients with FAIS without labral calcifications who underwent labral repair and osteoplasty. Pre- and 2 years postoperatively, patients completed patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores including the modified Harris Hip Score, Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), 12-item Short-Form survey, and visual analog scale. Results In total, 40 hips (21 male, 19 female) with FAIS and labral calcification were included (age 36.8 ± 8.1, body mass index, 25.9 ± 4.5). Patients with FAIS with labral calcification demonstrated similar significant PRO score improvements compared with a matched cohort of patients with FAIS without labral calcification at 2 years after surgery (visual analog scale: (–)2.3 ± 0.4, (–)2.7 ± 0.5, modified Harris Hip Score: 16.1 ± 2.6, 17.1 ± 3.2; HOOS symptoms: 21.9 ± 3.7, 18.6 ± 3.6; HOOS pain: 22.1 ± 3.0, 25.0 ± 3.5; HOOS activities of daily living: 20.2 ± 2.8, 23.8 ± 3.3; HOOS sport: 35.6 ± 5.0, 35.6 ± 4.1; HOOS quality of life: 36.9 ± 4.5, 37.5 ± 4.4; 12-item Short-Form survey physical component summary: 15.5 ± 2.3, 20.1 ± 2.1, respectively). Both cohorts achieved minimal clinically important differences at equivalent rates (60%-82.5%) for all PRO scores. Conclusions Patients with labral calcification in the setting of FAIS can be effectively treated with arthroscopic calcification excision, labral repair, and osteoplasty. These patients demonstrate significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes and achievement of minimal clinically important differences at 2 years similar to patients undergoing arthroscopic treatment for FAIS without labral calcification. Level of Evidence Level III, matched cohort study.
Repeatability and reproducibility of the color contrast technique for fingermark age estimation applications.

This research complements previous studies in which color contrast between ridges and furrows of latent fingermarks was investigated as a potential aging parameter. In this case, the robustness of the technique has been tested by including five female and five male donors who deposited sebaceous-rich latent fingermarks onto ceramic tile and polystyrene plastic as well as flat and rolled inked fingerprints on commercially available ten-print cards. Fresh latent fingermarks were visualized with either carbon black or titanium dioxide powder (TiO2 ) and inked fingerprints were imprinted in succession without re-charging ink. The mean intensity (MI) and intensity amplitude (IA) metrics of the color histogram were collected from each image for statistical analyses. The goals were to detect any differences within and between the analysts' own interpretation of the protocol as well as examine how color contrast may be influenced by donor, substrate, biological sex, powder type, and the quantity of ink deposited. Results show that the color contrast metrics (MI and IA) are repeatable and reproducible and not affected significantly by donor, sex, deposition pressure, or distortion. However, the metrics were sufficiently sensitive to distinguish substrate and powder types and to detect different quantities of ink. The statistical analyses confirm and expand upon previous observations regarding the reliability of MI and IA as metrics that could eventually be used to estimate the age of a latent fingermark. At the same time, it was revealed that the technique needs further improvement and standardization by including a universal "white color standard" to conduct image comparisons.
Nonprofit Hero: Five Easy Steps to Successful Board Fundraising by Valerie M. Jones

Nonprofit boards play a key role in organizational sustainability. They are relied on for leadership, oversight, and strategy and to ensure that financial resources are in place to carry out the mission of the organization. Yet, for many boards, fundraising is the most challenging aspect of their role. In Nonprofit Hero: Five easy steps to successful board fundraising, author Valerie Jones applies more than 20 years of experience as a nonprofit consultant helping nonprofit boards unlock their ability to raise funds. Jones outlines a step-by-step, realistic process that is immediately useful for nonprofit boards of all shapes and sizes to become fundraising heroes.
FDA Approval Summary: Nivolumab in Combination with Ipilimumab for the Treatment of Unresectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

On October 2, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab with ipilimumab as first-line treatment for adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The approval was based on results from Study CA209743 (CHECKMATE-743), an open-label trial of patients with MPM randomized to receive nivolumab and ipilimumab for up to two years (n=303) or six cycles of chemotherapy with cisplatin or carboplatin plus pemetrexed (n=302). Overall survival (OS) was improved for patients who received nivolumab and ipilimumab, with a median OS of 18.1 months (95% CI: 16.8, 21.5) compared to 14.1 months (95% CI: 12.5, 16.2) (HR 0.74; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.89; p = 0.002), for patients who received chemotherapy. The magnitude of benefit was larger for patients with non-epithelioid versus epithelioid histology. Additional clinical pharmacology data supports an alternative dosing regimen of nivolumab than evaluated in the trial, which will reduce the number of required treatment visits. This application was reviewed under FDA9s Project Orbis, in collaboration with Australia9s Therapeutic Goods Administration, Switzerland9s Swissmedic, Health Canada, and Brazil9s National Health Surveillance Agency or ANVISA (Agencia Nacional de Vigilância Sanitaria). Nivolumab and ipilimumab is the first drug regimen approved by the FDA for MPM since 2004.
Nontrivial periodic solutions of some volterra integral equations

I. Introductory Remarks. My main purpose in this paper is to prove a bifurcation theorem for nontrivial periodic solutions of a general system of Volterra integral equations. The motivation for considering this problem can be found in models which arise in population dynamics, epidemiology and economics [1,3,6], an example of which appears in §5. The approach taken is that which is usually referred to as the method of Liapunov-Schmidt (or often called ~he method of alternative problems). This method, which is applicable in a very general setting, is outlined in §2 in a way suitable for the type of problems I have in mind. The fundamental ingredient for this approach in its application to many problems is a Fredholm alternative. A Fredholm alternative for systems of Volterra integral equations is proved in §3. The main bifurcation result (Theorem 4) appears in §4 and an application is given in §5 to a scalar model which has arisen in the mathematical theory of population growth and of epidemics.
Anisotropy of the optical conductivity of a pnictide superconductor from the undoped three-orbital Hubbard model

The resistivity anisotropy unveiled in the study of detwinned single crystals of the undoped 122 pnictides is here studied using the two-dimensional, three-orbital Hubbard model in the mean-field approximation. Calculating the Drude weight in the $x$ and $y$ directions at zero temperature for a $\mathbf{Q}=(\ensuremath{\pi},0)$ magnetically ordered state, the conductance along the antiferromagnetic direction is shown to be larger than along the ferromagnetic direction. This effect is caused by the suppression of the ${d}_{yz}$ orbital at the Fermi surface, but additional insight based on the momentum dependence of the transitions induced by the current operator is provided. It is shown that the effective suppression of the interorbital hopping ${d}_{xy}$ and ${d}_{yz}$ along the $y$ direction is the main cause of the anisotropy.
Fast Relaxation Imaging in living cells.

This protocol describes the technique of Fast Relaxation Imaging (FReI) as applied to protein folding inside living cells. The required modifications of a fluorescence microscope by addition of a diode laser temperature jump source, a yellow/blue switchable light-emitting diode source, and a two-color CCD camera to collect movies of protein dynamics inside cells are discussed. A description of how proteins are labeled for imaging, how cells are prepared for imaging, and how imaging of kinetics inside cells with millisecond time resolution is obtained, along with the complementary in vitro experiments, is also provided. The ability to carry out comparative in vitro and “in-cell” measurements on the same setup allows for direct comparison of the features distinguishing cellular protein folding (or other biomolecular processes) from studies performed in dilute solution. Curr. Protoc. Protein Sci. 65:28.1.1-28.1.19. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: protein folding; fluorescence microscopy; FRET; FReI; GFP; kinetics; thermal denaturation
Does carotid endarterectomy prevent disabling and fatal strokes in neurologically asymptomatic subjects

Does carotid endarterectomy prevent disabling and fatal strokes in neurologically asymptomatic subjects?
The prevalence of small intestinal bacterial vergrowth in irritable bowel syndrome.

Background/aims This study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in patients with irritable bowel syndrome by doing a lactulose breath hydrogen test. Methodology Two hundred and fifty-eight patients with irritable bowel syndrome were referred to us for the performance of lactulose breath hydrogen test. After an overnight fast, fasting breath hydrogen in parts per million was recorded using a portable analyzer which has a sealed electrochemical sensor for hydrogen. After an oral dose of 10 g lactulose, breath hydrogen concentration was recorded every 10 minutes for 70 minutes. An increase of 5 parts per million in hydrogen over the baseline that occurred 60 minutes or sooner after lactulose was considered positive for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Results There were 75 (29.0%) men and 183 women (70.9%). The mean age was 49.0 (range 16-87) years. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth was found in 89 (34.5%) of patients. The prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in men (30.6%) was similar to that in women (36.0%). Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth was more common in diarrhea dominant irritable bowel patients (58.4%) compared to constipation dominant irritable bowel patient (41.5%). The frequency of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth was higher in women compared to that in men. Conclusions Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth was found in 34.5% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth was more likely to be present in diarrhea dominant irritable bowel patients compared to those with constipation dominant irritable bowel patients. Although the prevalence of small intestinal overgrowth was similar in men and women the frequency of small bowel overgrowth in women was higher compared to that in men.
Point-of-Care Testing: Principles, Practice, and Critical-Emergency-Disaster Medicine

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is defined as testing at or near the site of patient care, wherever that medical care is needed. The goal of POCT is to facilitate immediate evidence-based medical decisions that improve patient outcomes and reduce patient acuity, criticality, morbidity, and mortality, especially during life-threatening crises and emergency resuscitations. POCT is efficient and efficacious because it facilitates rapid diagnosis, faster treatment decisions, high-quality trend monitoring, and patient and physician satisfaction. New point-of-care (POC) technologies are appearing rapidly. This article summarizes principles and analytical methods of whole-blood analysis (WBA) for chemistry, hematology, and hemostasis analytes, cardiac injury markers, and other POC diagnostic tests. Then, the article discusses important clinical aspects, including test clusters and medical indications, methods of monitoring and enhancing performance, and optimization strategies. In the next two decades, diagnostic testing will continue to shift to the POC, necessitating collaborative integration, information consolidation, and Knowledge Optimization® in surgery, intensive care, emergency medicine, public health, and other settings extending from the acute care center to the patient's home.
Thermal plasma processing of B/sub 4/C and Al-B/sub 4/C nanopowders

Summary form only given. B/sub 4/C powders are produced commercially in EAF via gas phase reaction or carbothermic reduction. Milling and purification is a necessary step for powders produced by this method. Also, as these powders are difficult to sinter to full density, they need pressurized sintering techniques and dopants to reduce sintering temperatures. In this study, B/sub 4/C powders are synthesized using thermal plasma technology. A non-transferred arc DC thermal plasma reactor is used to produce fine ultrapure B/sub 4/C powders by reaction between B/sub 2/O/sub 3/ powder and CH/sub 4/ gas. Thermodynamic analysis for the reaction systems was carried out based on Gibbs energy minimization. The product powder was characterized using XRD and SEM. Effect of process variables such as boron oxide powder to methane gas ratio, boron oxide feed rate and input power on product recovery and quality were studied. Quantitative XRD analysis was done to calculate B/sub 4/C product yield. B/sub 2/O/sub 3/:CH/sub 4/ molar ratio of 2:7, low B/sub 2/O/sub 3/ feed rate and Higher powder yield better B/sub 4/C powder product.
Polar glass ceramics

Abstract Pyroelectric-piezoelecric glass ceramics of polar materials like Li2Si2O5, Ba2TiGe2O8, Ba2TiSi2O8, and Various compositions in the systems Li2O-B2O3, Li2O-SiO2-ZnO, Li2O-SiO2-B2O3 have been prepared by oriented recrystallization of the glasses under a strong temperature gradient, providing a simple inexpensive process for preparing piezoelectric and pyroelectric materials. High pyroelectric responses were observed in these glass-ceramics. Values of piezoelectric d33 coefficients, frequency constants, electromechanical coupling coefficients and dielectric properties of glass-cermics were in close agreement with the values of respective single crystals.
Coaxial radiative and convective heat transfer in gray and nongray gases

Coupled radiative and convective heat transfer is investigated for an absorbing gas flowing in a finite length channel and heated by blackbody radiation directed along the flow axis. The problem is formulated in one dimension and numerical solutions are obtained for the temperature profile of the gas and for the radiation escaping the channel entrance, assuming both gray and nongray absorption spectra. Due to radiation trapping, the flowing gas is found to have substantially smaller radiation losses for a given peak gas temperature than a solid surface that is radiatively heated to this temperature. A greenhouse effect is also evident whereby radiation losses are minimized for a gas having stronger absorption at long wavelengths.
Peri-infarction block; electrocardiographic abnormality occasionally resembling bundle branch block and local ventricular block of other types.

Curves which represent bundle branch block can usually be identified. More important are those which represent peri-infarction block. Multiple unipolar leads enable identification of the latter from the former, which they may closely resemble in the limb leads, and from intraventricular block of other types. Criteria and examples of peri-infarction block are presented and an incidence and explanation are offered.
A next generation steady state neutron source

Abstract The Center for Neutron Research, now in the initial planning stage, is a reactor-based neutron facility that will be used for neutron scattering, isotope production, and materials irradiation. It will be a national user facility, open to scientists from universities, industry, and government laboratories. The design goal is to produce a thermal flux of 5 to 10 × 1015 neutrons cm-2 s-1 in a large heavy water reflector. Approximately 30 modern neutron-scattering instruments will be included with a strong emphasis on cold neutron experiments. Criteria and constraints involved in the core design are discussed in this article and the characteristics and performance of one preliminary design are presented. The estimated construction cost is about $300 million, and the annual operating cost will be about $15 million. The scientific productivity should be more than 30 times greater than at the High-Flux Isotope Reactor or the High-Flux Beam Reactor.
A case report and literature review of "primary" pulmonary histiocytosis X of childhood

"Primary" pulmonary histiocytosis X, a well-described entity in young adult males in which pulmonary disease is the overriding site of involvement, is exceedingly rare in children younger than 15 years old. We report a new case in a 2-year-old male and review other reported prepubertal cases. The diagnosis of pulmonary histiocytosis X is based on examination of lung tissue. Langerhans cells containing Birbeck granules, seen by electron microscopy, are virtually pathognomonic of histiocytosis X. These Langerhans cells also react with a monoclonal antibody (OKT6) as well as with antibody to S-100 protein. Based on the lack of consensus for the appropriate treatment of pulmonary histiocytosis X and on our patient's favorable response, we recommend initial therapy with corticosteroids alone, reserving more toxic agents for patients who fail to respond to this initial therapy.
Difficulty in Discerning Drivers of Lake Ecosystem Metabolism with High-Frequency Data

High-frequency measurements are increasingly available and used to model ecosystem processes. This growing capability provides the opportunity to resolve key drivers of ecosystem processes at a variety of scales. We use a unique series of high-frequency measures of potential predictors to analyze daily variation in rates of gross primary production (GPP), respiration (R), and net ecosystem production (NEP = GPP − R) for two north temperate lakes. Wind speed, temperature, light, precipitation, mixed layer depth, water column stability, chlorophyll a, chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and zooplankton biomass were measured at daily or higher-frequency intervals over two summer seasons. We hypothesized that light, chlorophyll a, and zooplankton biomass would be strongly related to variability in GPP. We also hypothesized that chlorophyll a, CDOM, and temperature would be most strongly related to variability in R, whereas NEP would be related to variation in chlorophyll a and CDOM. Consistent with our hypotheses, chlorophyll a was among the most important drivers of GPP, R, and NEP in these systems. However, multiple regression models did not necessarily include the other variables we hypothesized as most important. Despite the large number of potential predictor variables, substantial variance remained unexplained and models were inconsistent between years and between lakes. Drivers of GPP, R, and NEP were difficult to resolve at daily time scales where strong seasonal dynamics were absent. More complex models with greater integration of physical processes are needed to better identify the underlying drivers of short-term variability of ecosystem processes in lakes and other systems.
Computer graphics for large scale two- and three-dimensional analysis of complex geometries

A comprehensive set of programs have been developed for analysis of complex two- and three-dimensional geometries in the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of California's Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. State of the art finite element and hydrodynamic codes are being used for the analytical portion of the work. To assist the analytical effort, several additional codes which depend heavily on graphics have been developed. These are basically used for the pre- and post-processing of the data. Prior to running any analysis, the geometry of the body of interest must be represented in the form of small “finite elements”. After the analysis is run, the data must be post-processed. Both spatial and temporal data exist in the database. It is the database between the analysis codes and the post-processors which allows a wide variety of analysis codes to use the same post-processors.The temporal plotting codes produce time histories for specified quantities (i.e. temperature, pressure, velocity, stress, etc.) at various locations within the body. They may also produce cross-plots of these variables (i.e. stress vs strain at a particular position). For plotting of the spatial data two codes are used. The first is for two-dimensional geometries and the second is for three-dimensional models. For three dimensions, the Watkins' hidden surface/line processor is utilized for plots. The spatial plotters will display contour lines on vector output devices and color fringes (or gray values) on raster output devices. They both may also display deformed geometries. Further the three-dimensional code has extensive animation capabilities for movie productions. These graphics codes are used with a wide variety of analyses codes and form a very comprehensive package for the engineering analysis of two- and three-dimensional bodies.