cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Volume-activated taurine efflux from skate erythrocytes: possible band 3 involvement.

In a previous study (L. Goldstein, S.R. Brill, and E.V. Freund, J. Exp. Zool. 254: 114-118, 1990) it was suggested that volume-activated (VA) taurine efflux from skate (Raja erinacea) erythrocytes might involve the anion exchanger band 3. The aim of the present study was to obtain further evidence for (or against) this possibility. We found that in addition to stilbene disulfonates, two other band 3 inhibitors, N-(azido-2-nitrophenyl)-2-amino sulfonic acid (NAP)-taurine and niflumic acid, also inhibit VA taurine efflux. In addition, there is a close relationship between the dose-response curves for 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid inhibition of VA taurine efflux and sulfate efflux. Furthermore, taurine influx, as well as efflux, is activated by volume expansion, as would be expected with transport facilitated by band 3. However, sulfate (a known band 3 substrate) efflux is not activated by volume expansion, and sulfate influx is only activated minimally, but sulfate does inhibit VA taurine uptake. Thus there is considerable evidence in favor of the involvement of band 3 in VA taurine efflux, but the issue of the sulfate fluxes remains to be resolved.
The Question of the Brain Drain from the Philippines

This paper attempts to examine the brain drain problem of the Philippines within a simple economic framework. What is the extent of the problem? Why is there such a problem? These are the main questions that will be addressed to. We shall argue that the real problem of the Philippines is not so much the brain drain as misdirected training and skills formation, hence the inability of the economy to absorb high-level professional skills. Specifically, the thesis is that given a large supply of physicians, scientists, and engineers superimposed on a low level and speed of economic progress, an exodus of a considerable number of these professionals may be expected.
Growth of Cephaliophora Tropica in Response to Various Nitrogen Sources

Growth of Cephaliophora tropica was studied using nine nitrogen sources with shake culture, solid media, and buffered solid media. Good growth occurred with all nitrogen sources. Selective utilizat...
Therapeutic Effects of Vitamin D Replacement on Bone and Mineral Metabolic Disorder in Epileptic Children Received Valproate Sodium Therapy

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of vitamin D(VitD) replacement on bone and mineral metabolic disorder in epileptic children received valproate sodium therapy.Methods Sixty-three cases of epileptic children(6-14 years old) were divided into valproate sodium group and valproate sodium plus VitD group.The children in valproate group(31 cases) were received single valproate so-dium therapy,while the children in valproate sodium plus VitD group(32 cases) were treated with valproate sodium and VitD.The levels of blood calcium(Ca2+),phosphorus(P3+),parathyroid hormone(PTH),1,25-(OH)2VitD3,calcitionin(CT),bone alkaline phosphatase(BAP) and uric deoxypyridinoline /creatinine(DPD/Cr) were determined before and after 6 months′ therapy,and the change rates of the parameters were compared.Results After the 6 months′ therapy in the valproate sodium group,the levels of blood Ca2+,P3+ and PTH showed no significant changes,while 1,25-(OH)2 Vit D3 decreased significantly(P0.01);CT,BAP and DPD/Cr increased significantly(Pa0.05,0.01).In the valproate sodium plus VitD group at the same time,CT and BAP raised significantly(Pa0.05),while Ca2+,P3+,PTH,DPD/Cr and 1,25-(OH)2VitD3 showed no significant changes.After the 6-month therapy,the percentage of changes in 1,25-(OH)2VitD3,BAP and DPD/Cr in the valproate sodium plus VitD group were significantly lower than that in the valproate sodium group.Conclusions VitD replacement has to some degree prevented and cured the bone and mineral metabolic injury induced by valproate sodium.VitD replacement can improve bone formation in epileptic children received valproic sodium therapy.
Infrequent ras Oncogene Point Mutations in Renal Cell Carcinoma

The role of ras oncogenes in the pathogenesis of renal cell carcinoma is unclear. We have previously shown that insertion of a mutated ras oncogene into cultured human proximal tubular cells, the normal counterpart of renal cell carcinomas, initiates a series of transformation events which results in cells possessing a renal cancer phenotype. These data suggested a role for mutated ras genes in the initiation and maintenance of this disease. Therefore, to assess the involvement of ras genes in renal carcinogenesis, 51 primary and metastatic renal carcinomas, including three oncocytomas, were analyzed for point mutations in codons 12, 13 and 61 of the Ha-ras, Ki-ras and N-ras proto-oncogenes using polymerase-catalyzed chain reaction methodology. A mutated Ha-ras gene was found in one renal cancer metastatic to lung for an overall incidence of 2%. These data indicate that ras oncogenes, activated by point mutations, do not play a major role in the initiation, maintenance or metastases of renal carcinomas.
Closed population honeybee breeding. 4. The distribution of sex alleles with top crossing.

SummaryComputer simulation was used to investigate the efficacy of top crossing within closed breeding populations of honeybees. Top crossing is carried out by selecting a single breeder queen (top-cross parent) to contribute all or a significant proportion of the drones needed to inseminate the virgin queens of a closed population. Different population-genetic models were tested by varying the number of queens selected as breeders, the source and relative contribution of the selected top-cross parent and the method of queen replacement each generation. It was demonstrated that acceptable levels of brood viability, as a consequence of genie sex determination, can be maintained for 20 generations of random mating and top crossing in closed populations of at least 50 breeder queens.
Testing take-the-best in new and changing environments

Take-the-best is a decision-making strategy that chooses between alternatives, by searching the cues representing the alternatives in order of cue validity, and choosing the alternative with the first discriminating cue. Theoretical support for take-the-best comes from the “fast and frugal” approach to modeling cognition, which assumes decision-making strategies need to be fast to cope with a competitive world, and be simple to be robust to uncertainty and environmental change. We contribute to the empirical evaluation of take-the-best in two ways. First, we generate four new environments—involving bridge lengths, hamburger prices, theme park attendances, and US university rankings—supplementing the relatively limited number of naturally cue-based environments previously considered. We find that take-the-best is as accurate as rival decision strategies that use all of the available cues. Secondly, we develop 19 new data sets characterizing the change in cities and their populations in four countries. We find that take-the-best maintains its accuracy and limited search as the environments change, even if cue validities learned in one environment are used to make decisions in another. Once again, we find that take-the-best is as accurate as rival strategies that use all of the cues. We conclude that these new evaluations support the theoretical claims of the accuracy, frugality, and robustness for take-the-best, and that the new data sets provide a valuable resource for the more general study of the relationship between effective decision-making strategies and the environments in which they operate.
Prediction of Incipient Alzheimer's Disease Dementia in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage from normal aging to Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. It is extremely important to develop criteria that can be used to separate the MCI subjects at imminent risk of conversion to Alzheimer-type dementia from those who would remain stable. We have developed an automatic algorithm for computing a novel measure of hippocampal volumetric integrity (HVI) from structural MRI scans that may be useful for this purpose. Objective To determine the utility of HVI in classification between stable and progressive MCI patients using the Random Forest classification algorithm. Methods We used a 16-dimensional feature space including bilateral HVI obtained from baseline and one-year follow-up structural MRI, cognitive tests, and genetic and demographic information to train a Random Forest classifier in a sample of 164 MCI subjects categorized into two groups [progressive (n = 86) or stable (n = 78)] based on future conversion (or lack thereof) of their diagnosis to probable AD. Results The overall accuracy of classification was estimated to be 82.3% (86.0% sensitivity, 78.2% specificity). The accuracy in women (89.1%) was considerably higher than that in men (78.9%). The prediction accuracy achieved in women is the highest reported in any previous application of machine learning to AD diagnosis in MCI. Conclusion The method presented in this paper can be used to separate stable MCI patients from those who are at early stages of AD dementia with high accuracy. There may be stronger indicators of imminent AD dementia in women with MCI as compared to men.
Cytomegalovirus sinusitis complicated by orbital apex syndrome in an immunocompromised host

Sinusitis in immunocompromised patients can be caused by a wide variety of pathogens, primarily bacterial and fungal in nature. Tissue invasion can extend into the orbital apex and result in ophthalmoplegia and blindness. We report the first histologically proven case, to our knowledge, caused by cytomegalovirus infection. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Analysis of intra-pair skew on channel performance using IBIS-AMI models

Differential signaling is commonly used in a large number of consumer electronics devices, including USB 3.0 channels. However, skew in differential signaling can adversely affect a channel's performance. Most of the analysis has been done on individual components of a channel; however, there is not much work done in analyzing the effect of skew on the overall system performance, from transmitter-to-receiver. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the effects of transmitter-to-receiver channel skew on channels using the Input/output Buffer Information Specification- Algorithmic Modeling Interface (IBIS-AMI) standards IBIS-AMI models. To check channel's performance, simulations are obtained at data rates from 5 to 25 Gbps.
Updated guidelines for the diagnosis and management of aspergillosis.

New guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of infections due to Aspergillus species were published in August of 2016 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) (1), replacing those previously published in 2008 (2). These guidelines incorporate new data published between January 2008 and December 2014. The document provides guidance on non-culture-based diagnosis of Aspergillus infections, discourages the use of combination anti-fungal therapy for primary management, and begins to define the place in therapy for isavuconazole, a new anti-fungal drug of the azole class approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2015 to treat aspergillosis and mucormycosis.
A condition for transitivity in high probability

There are many scientific and everyday cases where (a) each of Pr(H1 | E) and Pr(H2 | H1) is high and (b) it seems that Pr(H2 | E) is high. But high probability (or absolute confirmation) is not transitive and so it might be in such cases that (a) each of Pr(H1 | E) and Pr(H2 | H1) is high and (c) in fact Pr(H2 | E) is not high. There is no issue in the special case where the following condition, which I call “C1”, holds: H1 entails H2. This condition is sufficient for transitivity in high probability. But many of the scientific and everyday cases referred to above are cases where it is not the case that H1 entails H2. I consider whether there are additional (non-trivial) conditions sufficient for transitivity in high probability. I consider three candidate conditions. I call them “C2”, “C3”, and “C2&3”. I argue that C2&3, but neither C2 nor C3, is sufficient for transitivity in high probability. I then set out some further results and relate the discussion to the Bayesian requirement of coherence.
Minorities in dictatorship and democracy.

How does the level of democracy in a country affect the government’s treatment of ethnic minorities? I find that, on average, when the largest ethnic group in a society exceeds half of the population, ethnic minorities are treated better in autocracies and full democracies than in semi-democratic countries. The intuition is that under autocracy a leader needs little popular support, and therefore a coalition of several minorities can rule. By contrast, in a semi-democracy, the leader needs the support of more people, so a coalition of small ethnic groups is insufficient; the largest group is enough and no other groups are necessary. Finally, highly democratic countries require broad support, and most ethnic groups get benefits. My model is based on the Baron-Ferejohn bargaining game and my empirical tests use the Ethnic Power Relations dataset.
Tumor immune landscape paintings from the CyTOF period

Early lung cancer patients harbor cancer-permissive innate immunity in the tumor microenvironment.
Effects of neostigmine or edrophonium on force of contraction when administered at a train-of-four ratio of 0.9 in anesthetized dogs

Abstract Objective Anticholinesterase drugs may produce paradoxical neuromuscular block when administered at shallow levels of neuromuscular block. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of neostigmine and edrophonium when administered at near-complete reversal from nondepolarizing block in anesthetized dogs. Study design Incomplete crossover, randomized, blinded experimental study. Animals A total of 12 Beagle dogs. Methods Each dog was anesthetized twice with propofol and maintained with isoflurane and dexmedetomidine. Intravenous (IV) vecuronium (0.1 mg kg−1) was administered. When the mechanographic train-of-four (TOF) ratio had spontaneously recovered to ≥0.9, either neostigmine (0.04 mg kg−1) or edrophonium (0.5 mg kg−1) was administered IV, preceeded by atropine. Changes in twitch height or TOF ratio were measured for the next 10 minutes. Recurarization was considered to be present if values decreased by ≥10%. Results Data from four dogs in each treatment were excluded from analysis, resulting in data from five dogs administered both treatments, three dogs administered neostigmine and three dogs administered edrophonium. There was no difference between groups for age, weight, T1 and T4 twitch heights or TOF ratio values, before or after anticholinesterase administration. The TOF ratio decreased by 17% and 18% in two of the eight dogs administered neostigmine, resulting from a larger increase in T1 relative to T4. No reductions in individual twitch amplitudes were recorded in those dogs. When edrophonium was used, no cases of recurarization were observed. Conclusions and clinical relevance The results support use of edrophonium for reversal of shallow neuromuscular block. The decreases in TOF ratio recorded after neostigmine does not necessarily indicate muscular weakness. Although the clinical implications are uncertain, the results suggest that, at these doses, edrophonium may be preferable to neostigmine for reversal of shallow neuromuscular block in dogs.
Modifications of the Ilizarov Apparatus

As surgeons around the world realized that distraction osteogenesis could occur in the proper mechanical environment, there followed the development of external fixators that would simplify the mounting strategy and ease of application. These included the use of half-pins in place of tensioned wires, the employment of monolateral fixators, and the development of hexapod systems with computer-based interfaces for the surgeon.
Buckling solutions of clamped-pinned anisotropic laminated composite columns under axial compression using bifurcation approach and finite elements

Abstract Following the bifurcation approach, a generalized closed form buckling solution for clamped-pinned anisotropic laminated composite columns under axial compression is developed using the energy method. The effective axial, coupling, and flexural rigidity coefficients of the anisotropic layups are determined following the generalized constitutive relationship using dimensional reduction by static condensation of 6×6 rigidity matrix. The presented analytical explicit formula reproduces Euler buckling expression in the case of isotropic or specially-orthotropic materials once the effective coupling term vanishes. On the other hand, the analytical formula furnishes two extra terms which are functions of the effective coupling, flexural and axial rigidity. The analytical buckling formula is confirmed against finite element Eigen value solutions for different anisotropic laminated layups yielding high accuracy for a wide range of stacking sequences. A parametric study is then conducted to examine the effect of ply orientations, material properties including hybrid carbon/glass fiber composites, FE element type, and column size. Relevance of the numerical and analytical results is discussed in comparison to previous results in literature for cross ply laminates.
Development of retrofit, low-deflection portable concrete barrier system

A retrofit stiffening mechanism was developed for use in reducing the deflection of an F-shape portable concrete barrier (PCB) system without requiring anchorage of the barrier segments to the road...
Pluripotent stem cells as a source of osteoblasts for bone tissue regeneration.

Abstract Appropriate and abundant sources of bone-forming osteoblasts are essential for bone tissue engineering. Pluripotent stem cells can self-renew and thereby offer a potentially unlimited supply of osteoblasts, a significant advantage over other cell sources. We generated mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from transgenic mice expressing rat 2.3 kb type I collagen promoter-driven green fluorescent protein (Col2.3GFP), a reporter of the osteoblast lineage. We demonstrated that Col2.3GFP ESCs and iPSCs can be successfully differentiated to osteoblast lineage cells that express Col2.3GFP in vitro. We harvested GFP+ osteoblasts differentiated from ESCs. Genome wide gene expression profiles validated that ESC- and iPSC-derived osteoblasts resemble calvarial osteoblasts, and that Col2.3GFP expression serves as a marker for mature osteoblasts. Our results confirm the cell identity of ESC- and iPSC-derived osteoblasts and highlight the potential of pluripotent stem cells as a source of osteoblasts for regenerative medicine.
The Impact of New or Renovated Collegiate Recreation Centers on Recruitment and Retention

Colleges and Universities have invested a great deal of resources in constructing and renovating recreational facilities over the course of time. These facilities serve as a location for health, fi...
Factors That Predict the Use of Psychotropics Among Children and Adolescents With PTSD: Evidence From Private Insurance Claims.

Objective:This study aimed to determine which characteristics of youths with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were associated with receiving prescriptions for antidepressants, antipsychotics, o...
Spectroscopy and Relaxation of Vibrationally Excited HCO Radicals

Vibrationally excited HCO was produced by laser photolysis of formaldehyde. Absorption spectra of HCO were recorded by intracavity dye laser spectroscopy (IDLS). New hot bands were observed for the CO stretching vibration and its fundamental frequency determined as 1868.4 ±1 cm-1. The rate of vibrational relaxation for the bending mode of HCO in collisions with H2CO was determined as (4.3 ± 1) × 10-12 cm3 molecule-1 sec-1.
Stress Rates for Kinematic Hardening Plasticity With Finite Strains

ABSTRACT Finite elasto-plastic deformation is analyzed using a Eulerian constitutive model which employs both isotropic and kinematic hardening laws. Corotational stress rates are discussed and numerical results are obtained for the problem of finite simple shear.
A Bayesian Analysis of Leukemia Incidence Surrounding an Inactive Hazardous Waste Site

Abstract In this chapter we consider a subset of the data analyzed by Waller, Turnbull, Clark, and Nasca (Case Studies in Biometry 1994), concerning incidence of leukemia cases in an area surrounding the GE Auburn hazardous waste site in Cayuga County in upstate New York. The data consist of exposed population and leukemia cases by census block for the five-year period from 1978 to 1982, and the goal of our analysis is to quantify the extent to which close proximity to the hazardous waste site increases risk of contracting leukemia. We follow roughly the methodology of Wakefield and Morris (JASA 2001), who utilized a location-risk model embedded in a standard disease-mapping framework to analyze incidence of stomach cancer in relation to a municipal solid waste incinerator on the northeast coast of England. We describe in detail the three-stage Bayesian hierarchical model, and the selection of prior distributions for the model parameters. A major emphasis of this chapter will be on the use of R and WinBUGS, and the R2WinBUGS interface between them, in conducting the data analysis.
Embodying justice: Situating college student articulations of social justice in critical consciousness:

Many American evangelical college students today enter into college with a new awareness of justice-related issues. However, situating student commitments to justice in a larger discourse on critic...
RF Performance of Al 0.85 Ga 0.15 N/Al 0.70 Ga 0.30 N High Electron Mobility Transistors With 80-nm Gates

Al-rich AlGaN-channel high electron mobility transistors with 80-nm long gates and 85% (70%) Al in the barrier (channel) were evaluated for RF performance. The dc characteristics include a maximum current of 160 mA/mm with a transconductance of 24 mS/mm, limited by source and drain contacts, and an on/off current ratio of $10^{{9}}$ . ${f}_{T}$ of 28.4 GHz and ${f}_{\text {MAX}}$ of 18.5 GHz were determined from small-signal S-parameter measurements. Output power density of 0.38 W/mm was realized at 3 GHz in a power sweep using on-wafer load pull techniques.
Long-Term Persistence of Cool-Season Grasses Planted to Suppress Broom Snakeweed, Downy Brome, and Weedy Forbs☆

Abstract Invasive plants are spreading throughout arid and semiarid rangelands of western North America. Long-lived perennial plants that can persist under harsh environmental conditions are needed to compete with invasive species. The objective of this study was to conduct a long-term evaluation of native and introduced grass species planted to suppress and prevent reinvasion of downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.), snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae [Pursh] Britt. & Rusby), and annual forbs. Seeding treatments comprised three introduced grasses: crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum [L.] Gaertner × A. desertorum [Fisch. Ex Link] Schultes), pubescent wheatgrass (Elytrigia intermedia spp. trichophorum [Host] Beauv.), and Russian wildrye (Psathyrostachys junceus [Fisch.] Nevski); a mix of these introduced grass species, three native grasses: bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata [Pursh]), western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii [Rybd.] A. Love), and squirreltail (Elymus multisetus [J.G. Sm.] Jones); and a mix of these native grass species, or forage kochia (Bassia prostrata [L.] A.J. Scott). The treatments were seeded in October 2003. Frequency and biomass were measured in 2015 and 2017 in Howell, Utah and in 2015 and 2016 in Nephi, Utah. Crested wheatgrass persisted at both locations (> 62% frequency) along with the rhizomatous grass species, pubescent (> 65%) and western wheatgrasses (> 72%). Russian wildrye was still present at Howell (30%) with little remaining at Nephi (7%). Squirreltail frequency was 13% at Howell and 12% at Nephi. Bluebunch wheatgrass was no longer present at either location ( 93% in all plots, at Howell, in 2017. In summary, crested, pubescent, and western wheatgrasses were able to persist over 12 yr at both locations.
The arbitrary circumscription of the jurisdiction of the international criminal court

As it is currently legally constituted, the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction over the world’s most important military powers – United States, China and Russia-for the most serious c...
Thin-Film Nb/Polyimide Superconducting Stripline Flexible Cables

We present recent work on design, fabrication, and characterization of thin-film, flexible superconducting stripline cables. Fabrication details, dc, and microwave performance (up to 14 GHz) of cables with Al/Nb/Al conductors and polyimide (PI) dielectric are discussed. Thin Al was used as a barrier layer between Nb and polyimide to protect the Nb superconductivity during subsequent PI curing steps, which were performed at a reduced temperature. The dc performance, including critical transition temperature and critical current, of the stripline transmission lines is presented. We observed T c values of ~8.8 and ~8.6 K for signal traces and ground planes, respectively. Microwave characterization, including cross-talk, was performed on stripline transmission lines and resonators. We observed reasonable impedance match (S 11 better than -15 dB), low insertion loss (S 21 better than 0.04 dB/cm) and cross-talk below -60 dB for stripline transmission lines measured up to 10 GHz at 4.2 K. Furthermore, similarly fabricated stripline resonators exhibited quality factors ~7 000 at 10 GHz and 1.2 K for stripline resonators. The results of these experiments provide insight into material stack-ups for robust, multi-layer superconducting flexible cables that can find use in future cryogenic electronics systems.
TO LEAVE OR NOT TO LEAVE: THE CHU CI 楚辭 (VERSES OF CHU) AS RESPONSE TO THE SHI JING 詩經 (CLASSIC OF ODES)

Contra the consensus view of the Shi jing 詩經 (Classic of Odes) and Chu ci 楚辭 (Verses of Chu) as the products of two distinct literary cultures, one northern and one southern, this article argues on the basis of intertextual analysis that the Chu ci developed in direct response to the Shi jing. The foremost poem in the anthology, the “Li sao” 離騷 (Parting's Sorrow) emerges as a metadiscursive journey through various Shi jing archetypes, the goal of which is to authorize its hero to say farewell to his ruler and homeland—a possibility denied by Shi jing poetics. A final section explores the relationship between the oppositional poetics of the “Li sao” and the rest of the Chu ci. The article concludes with some reflections on the limitations of the north–south model for historians of early Chinese literature.
Rational price expectations and structural change in the US broiler industry

A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department: Economics Major: Agricultural Economics
Control of Nasal Tip Position: Quantitative Assessment of Columellar Strut versus Caudal Septal Extension Graft.

Background Control and maintenance of nasal tip position are critical in rhinoplasty. Two frequent methods of exerting tip control are columellar strut and caudal septal extension graft. However, no quantitative data exist comparing the two methods over time. The purpose of this study was to analyze maintenance of tip projection and rotation following either columellar strut or septal extension graft. Methods A retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing rhinoplasty was reviewed. Three-dimensional photogrammetric evaluation of patients with either columellar strut or septal extension graft to increase tip projection was performed. Anthropometric points were analyzed in a blinded fashion. Outcome variables were tip projection, nasal length, the Goode ratio, and tip rotation. Results were stratified based on technique and compared statistically. Results One hundred six patients were included. Overall, 66 percent were female, with an average age of 34.5 years. A columellar strut was used in 42 percent of cases (n = 45), and a septal extension graft was used in 57 percent (n = 61). Analysis showed greater maintenance of tip rotation over time with the septal extension graft compared with the columellar strut [-1.01 percent change (p = not significant versus -5.08 percent change (p = 0.009)]. Tip projection, nasal length, and the Goode ratio decreased over time for both groups, but the differences were not statistically different. Conclusions Nasal tip projection and rotation appear to decrease from the immediate postoperative position. In this study, both septal extension graft and columellar strut exhibit similar changes in tip projection with time; however, septal extension graft is better able to preserve tip rotation compared with the columellar strut. Clinical question/level of evidence Therapeutic, III.
Benchmarking techniques for stereotactic body radiotherapy for early-stage glottic laryngeal cancer: LINAC-based non-coplanar VMAT vs. Cyberknife planning

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) was found effective in treating laryngeal cancer with only five treatment fractions by a recent clinical trial (NCT01984502, ClinicalTrials.gov). Nevertheless, this trial used the Cyberknife system, which is not widely accessible enough to benefit all patients affected by laryngeal cancer. Our study investigates the feasibility of larynx SBRT treatment planning on a conventional gantry-based LINAC and compares its plan quality with that from the Cyberknife. Ten larynx SBRT cases were originally treated by Cyberknife using fixed cones in our institution, with plans created and optimized using the Monte-Carlo algorithm in the MultiPlan treatment planning system. These cases were retrospectively planned in the Eclipse planning system for a LINAC with the same prescription dose. We used volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for larynx SBRT planning in Eclipse and incorporated non-coplanar arcs to approach the Cyberknife’s large solid angle delivery space. We used both anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA) and Acuros XB (AXB) algorithm for dose calculation and compared their accuracy by measurements on an in-house larynx phantom. We compared the LINAC VMAT plans (VMAT-AAA and VMAT-AXB) with the original Cyberknife plans using dosimetric endpoints such as the conformity index, gradient indices (R50, R20), OAR maximum/mean doses, and the monitor units. Phantom measurement showed that both the AAA and the AXB algorithms provided adequate dose calculation accuracy (94.7% gamma pass rate on 2%/2 mm criteria for AAA vs. 97.3% for AXB), though AXB provided better accuracy in the air cavity. The LINAC-based VMAT plans achieved similar dosimetric endpoints as the Cyberknife planning, and all plans met the larynx SBRT dosimetric constraints. Cyberknife plans achieved an average conformity index of 1.13, compared to 1.20 of VMAT-AXB and 1.19 of VMAT-AAA. The VMAT plans spared the thyroid gland better with average Dmean of 2.4 Gy (VMAT-AXB) and 2.7 Gy (VMAT-AAA), as compared to 4.3 Gy for Cyberknife plans. The VMAT-AAA plans had a slightly lower contralateral arytenoid Dmax (average: 15.2 Gy) than Cyberknife plans (average: 17.9 Gy) with statistical significance, while the contralateral arytenoid Dmax was similar between VMAT-AXB and Cyberknife plans with no statistically significant difference. Cyberknife plans offered slightly better R50 (average: 5.0) than VMAT-AXB (5.9) and VMAT-AAA (5.7) plans. The VMAT plans substantially reduced the plan MUs to less than 1/3 of the Cyberknife plans, and the differences were statistically significant. The other metrics were similar between VMAT and Cyberknife plans with no statistically significant differences. Gantry-based LINACs can achieve similar plan quality to Cyberknife systems. Treatment outcome with both methods remains to be investigated.
An Electronic Form for Reporting Results of Targeted Prostate Biopsy: Urology Integrated Diagnostic Report (Uro-IDR).

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To detail the development of an electronic report that graphically conveys all relevant information from targeted prostate biopsy. METHODS The Urology Integrated Diagnostic Report (Uro-IDR) is based on a published framework (RadPath) which enables the compilation of diagnostic data from urology, radiology, and pathology. Each component of the Uro-IDR is generated by the contributing clinician, is assembled in one document, and provides correlation of the 3 inputs at a glance. Upon completion, the Uro-IDR is automatically linked to the electronic medical record as an interactive file and can also be downloaded for offline sharing as a PDF. RESULTS At our institution, 1638 individual Uro-IDRs were generated between June 2016 and April 2019. There were 5715 views of these documents via the EMR. The average turnaround time for the creation of an individual report decreased from nearly 8 days at the time of its launch to 2 days after 6 months of use. The average time for report generation was 22 seconds for the pathologist and 69 seconds for the radiologist. An instructive video is linked to this article. CONCLUSION The Uro-IDR has proven to be a feasible, efficient, clinically useful form to concisely transmit key information about targeted prostate biopsy to both clinicians and patients.
Chemotherapy Induces Cancer-Fighting B Cells

Tumor-infiltrating B cells are heterogeneous, and their roles in tumor immunity are controversial. In this issue of Cell, Lu and colleagues demonstrate that chemotherapy-induced complement signals promote the generation of ICOSL+B cells, which enhance tumor-specific T cell responses.
Euclidean formulation of relativistic quantum mechanics of N particles

A Euclidean formulation of relativistic quantum mechanics for systems of a finite number of degrees of freedom is discussed. Relativistic treatments of quantum theory are needed to study hadronic systems at subhadronic distance scales. While direct interaction approaches to relativistic quantum mechanics have proved to be useful, they have two disadvantages. One is that cluster properties are difficult to realize for systems of more than two particles. The second is that the relation to quantum field theories is indirect. Euclidean formulations of relativistic quantum mechanics provide an alternative representation that does not have these difficulties. More surprising, the theory can be formulated entirely in the Euclidean representation without the need for analytic continuation. In this work a Euclidean representation of a relativistic $N$-particle system is discussed. Kernels for systems of $N$ free particles of any spin are given and shown to be reflection positive. Explicit formulas for generators of the Poincar\'e group for any spin are constructed and shown to be self-adjoint on the Euclidean representation of the Hilbert space. The structure of correlations that preserve both the Euclidean covariance and reflection positivity is discussed.
Utilizing ROS 1 and the Turtlebot3 in a Multi-Robot System.

ROS (Robot Operating System) has become ubiquitous for testing new algorithms, alternative hardware configurations, and prototyping. By performing research with its modular framework, it can streamline sharing new work and integrations. However, it has many features and new terms that can take a considerable amount of time to learn for a new user. This paper will explore how to set up and configure ROS and ROS packages to work with a multi-robot system on a single master network.
Evaluating Variations in Tropical Cyclone Precipitation in Eastern Mexico Using Machine Learning Techniques

Tropical Cyclone Precipitation (TCP) is one of the major triggers of flash flooding and landslide in eastern Mexico. We apply different statistical and machine learning techniques to study a 99 yea...
The Journey through Sex Trafficking, Motherhood, and Building Resilience: A Qualitative Study among Women Living in Kamathipura Red-light Area

Within the red-light area of Kamathipura in Mumbai, India, the majority of female sex workers (FSWs) arrive as victims of sex trafficking. Many of these FSWs are mothers who must care for their chi...
Pilot Study to Evaluate Pimavanserin for the Treatment of Motor and Behavioral Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome.

Background Pimavanserin is a serotonin 2A receptor inverse agonist and antagonist used for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions in Parkinson's disease psychosis. Numerous studies support a modulatory role of serotonin in Tourette syndrome (TS). Objectives To determine whether or not pimavanserin affects TS symptoms. Methods In this open-label study of TS adult patients, pimavanserin was titrated to 34 mg/day over 1 week and continued for an additional 7 weeks followed by a 2-week washout. Tic severity, the primary outcome measure, was assessed by the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale Total Tic Severity score (YGTSS-TTS). Secondary outcome measures included changes in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Tourette Syndrome Clinical Global Impression of Change (TS-CGIC), the Tourette Syndrome-Patient Global Impression of Impact (TS-PGII), and the Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome - Quality of Life scale (GTS-QOL). Results We enrolled 12 patients, but 2 dropped out after week 2 due to non-serious side effects. In the 10 patients, mean (standard deviation (SD)) age 34 (12.9) who completed the study the mean (SD) baseline YGTSS-TTS was 34 (9.3). This decreased by 3.6 (4.9) points at week 8, a 12% reduction in tic severity (P = 0.03). This improvement is small and may not be clinically important. Significant improvement was noted in the TS-CGIC, TS-PGII and GTS-QO. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that pimavanserin is safe and associated with improvement in motor and non-motor TS symptoms. These findings warrant further study by a larger, placebo-controlled, trial.
The Swampland Conjecture Bound Conjecture

I conjecture an upper bound on the number of possible swampland conjectures by comparing the entropy required by the conjectures themselves to the Beckenstein-Hawking entropy of the cosmological horizon. Assuming of order 100 kilobits of entropy per conjecture, this places an upper bound of order $10^{117}$ on the number of conjectures. I estimate the rate of production of swampland conjectures by the number of papers listed on INSPIRE with the word "swampland" in the title or abstract, which has been showing approximately exponential growth since 2014. At the current rate of growth, the entropy bound on the number of swampland conjectures can be projected to be saturated on a timescale of order $10^{-8} H_0^{-1}$. I compare the upper bound from the Swampland Conjecture Bound Conjecture (SCBC) to the estimated number of vacua in the string landscape. Employing the duality suggested by AdS/CFT between the quantum complexity of a holographic state and the volume of a Wheeler-Dewitt spacetime patch, I place a conservative lower bound of order $\mathcal{N}_H > 10^{263}$ on the number of Hubble volumes in the multiverse which must be driven to heat death to fully explore the string landscape via conjectural methods.
Biochar-templated surface precipitation and inner-sphere complexation effectively removes arsenic from acid mine drainage

Treatment of aqueous leachate from acid mine tailings with pristine biochar (BC) resulted in the removal of more than 90% of the dissolved arsenic with an attendant rapid and sustained pH buffering from 3 to 4. Pine forest waste BC was transformed to a highly effective adsorbent for arsenic remediation of acid mine drainage (AMD) because the dissolved iron induced "activation" of BC through accumulation of highly reactive ferric hydroxide surface sites. Physicochemical properties of the BC surface, and molecular mechanisms of Fe, S, and As phase transfer, were investigated using a multi-method, micro-scale approach (SEM, XRD, FTIR, XANES, EXAFS, and STXM). Co-located carbon and iron analysis with STXM indicated preferential iron neo-precipitates at carboxylic BC surface sites. Iron and arsenic X-ray spectroscopy showed an initial precipitation of ferrihydrite on BC, with concurrent adsorption/coprecipitation of arsenate. The molecular mechanism of arsenic removal involved bidentate, binuclear inner-sphere complexation of arsenate at the surfaces of pioneering ferric precipitates. Nucleation and crystal growth of ferrihydrite and goethite were observed after 1 h of reaction. The high sulfate activity in AMD promoted schwertmannite precipitation beginning at 6 h of reaction. At reaction times beyond 6 h, goethite and schwertmannite accumulated at the expense of ferrihydrite. Results indicate that the highly functionalized surface of BC acts as a scaffolding for the precipitation and activation of positively charged ferric hydroxy(sulf)oxide surface sites from iron-rich AMD, which then complex oxyanion arsenate, effectively removing it from porewaters. Graphical abstract.
The reflection of a blast wave by a very intense explosion

We demonstrate that the geometric similarity of Taylors blast wave persists beyond reflection from an ideal surface. Upon impacting the surface, the spherical symmetry of the blast wave is lost but...
Peanut Leaf Wilting Estimation From RGB Color Indices and Logistic Models

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important crop for United States agriculture and worldwide. Low soil moisture is a major constraint for production in all peanut growing regions with negative effects on yield quantity and quality. Leaf wilting is a visual symptom of low moisture stress used in breeding to improve stress tolerance, but visual rating is slow when thousands of breeding lines are evaluated and can be subject to personnel scoring bias. Photogrammetry might be used instead. The objective of this article is to determine if color space indices derived from red-green-blue (RGB) images can accurately estimate leaf wilting for breeding selection and irrigation triggering in peanut production. RGB images were collected with a digital camera proximally and aerially by a unmanned aerial vehicle during 2018 and 2019. Visual rating was performed on the same days as image collection. Vegetation indices were intensity, hue, saturation, lightness, a∗, b∗, u∗, v∗, green area (GA), greener area (GGA), and crop senescence index (CSI). In particular, hue, a∗, u∗, GA, GGA, and CSI were significantly (p ≤ 0.0001) associated with leaf wilting. These indices were further used to train an ordinal logistic regression model for wilting estimation. This model had 90% accuracy when images were taken aerially and 99% when images were taken proximally. This article reports on a simple yet key aspect of peanut screening for tolerance to low soil moisture stress and uses novel, fast, cost-effective, and accurate RGB-derived models to estimate leaf wilting.
Kawasaki disease associated pulmonary involvement in infants.

OBJECTIVES Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, self-limited multisystemic vasculitis of unknown cause. Pulmonary involvement has been reported in case reports and limited small case series, which is not commonly recognized, especially in younger patients <1 year. Here, we describe clinical and radiological features of infants with KD-associated pulmonary involvement (KD-PI). METHODS Infants with KD were retrospectively enrolled during the period January 2017 to December 2020 in Shenzhen Children's hospital. Patients with KD-PI were matched 1:1 based on current age and sex with KD patients without clinically apparent PI. Clinical data were collected from inpatient or outpatient medical records, including clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters, radiological findings, management, and prognosis. RESULTS Of 248 infant patients with KD, 34 presented with KD-PI. Of these, 22 had only subtle respiratory symptoms. Compared to KD controls, patients with KD-PI had significantly higher mean Kobayashi score (mean ± SD: 2.85 ± 1.94; p = .004), more had extremely high C-reactive protein (≥10 mg/dl: 11/34, 32.3%; p = .0115) and procalcitonin levels (˃1 ng/ml: 16/34, 47%; p = .039), and more were administered with adjuvant corticosteroids as initial therapy (38.2% vs. 2.9%; p = .0005). Abnormal chest radiological findings included peripheral consolidation (97.0%), localized pleural thickening (73.0%), lobular septal thickening (70.6%), ground-glass opacities (55.9%), linear opacities (35.3%), and pleural effusion (20.6%). No statistical difference was observed in the incidence of coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) between two groups either in the acute phase or follow-up phase. CONCLUSIONS Higher use of adjuvant corticosteroids during initial therapy in our population may result in no difference in CAAs between the two groups despite higher levels of inflammation in KD-PI. Those results suggest that use of adjuvant corticosteroids may be beneficial in this population.
The Assault on American Democracy and the Path Forward

We are at a crucial point in our nation’s history, where we are drifting. In some ways, we can see this moment as analogous to being pulled by a riptide in the ocean. This strong current moves us away from the safety of the shores of our democracy, running out to an endless, dangerous sea. Swimmers caught in the riptide may not even realize what is happening, and then suddenly the shore is far away. Swimming back becomes difficult, perhaps impossible, and the shore—our democracy—is out of reach. The swimmer may try hard, panic, and even exhaust him or herself by trying to swim against the tide, just to be caught up endlessly adrift and drowning. We are in danger of such a fate in our nation. Our Constitution established an aspirational nation, always working to become “a more perfect Union.” The January 6th Insurrection showed a failure, of systems and of individuals, and prompted a need to confront those failures. Regular elections and the peaceful transition of power are the hallmarks of our democracy; on January 6th, the insurrectionists attempted to stop the Electoral College count and effectively overthrow our system of government. The relentless disregard of, and consequent destruction of, norms made January 6th possible. The solution to the bigger problem laid bare on that day is to return to the commitment to dialogue, to norms that not only permit (and elevate) discussion and debate but require respect. The Constitution aspires to our becoming a more perfect Union. The First Amendment protects a wide-open, robust public debate. And time-honored values of truth, unity, and love—expressed throughout and across societies over time—can carry us there. It requires a far-reaching re-commitment to where we are going. It requires re-establishing norms of civility and decency and respect. It requires adherence to civic values and actual facts. This is bigger than one man or one terrible day. The battle for the soul and future of our American republic is still ongoing. It is a republic. Can we keep it? Relentlessly pursuing truth on the important issues of that day will help us succeed. Returning to the riptide analogy, such a process and commitment to democratic dialogue will allow us to return safely to shore.