cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation of Interstitial Cluster Mobility and Cluster Mediated Surface Topologies

Molecular statics and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on the embedded atom method (EAM) are used to model the energetics and mobility of tightly bound clusters of selfinterstitial atoms (SIA) in bcc iron. Single and clusters of SIA are directly produced in displacement cascades generated in neutron and high energy charged particle beam irradiations. The clusters are composed of split dumbbells and crowdions with binding energies in excess of 1 eV. Clusters containing specified ‘magic’ numbers of SIA can be described as perfect prismatic dislocation loops with Burgers vector b=a/2 ; however, the core region is extended compared to an isolated edge dislocation and the loops are intrinsically kinked. As the loops grow, SIA occupy successive edge rows, with minimum energy cusps found at the magic numbers corresponding to filled hexagonal shells. The SIA clusters are highly mobile, undergoing rapid one-dimensional diffusion on their glide prism. The activation energy for glide diffusion is less than 0.3 eV and the corresponding mechanism is related to easy motion of the intrinsic kinks. The kinks, which are preferentially observed on the hexagonal corners, propagate around the loop periphery, resulting in stochastic increments of glide. Image drift forces bias cluster motion near free surfaces and the consequential annihilation of clusters at the surface produces islands bounded by hexagonal ledges. The potential effect of islands modifying surface topology is also discussed. While these simulations are specific to iron, similar behavior is expected for other cubic alloys.
Impact of the economic downturn on total joint replacement demand in the United States: updated projections to 2021.

Background: Few studies have explored the role of the National Health Expenditure and macroeconomics on the utilization of total joint replacement. The economic downturn has raised questions about the sustainability of growth for total joint replacement in the future. Previous projections of total joint replacement demand in the United States were based on data up to 2003 using a statistical methodology that neglected macroeconomic factors, such as the National Health Expenditure. Methods: Data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (1993 to 2010) were used with United States Census and National Health Expenditure data to quantify historical trends in total joint replacement rates, including the two economic downturns in the 2000s. Primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty were identified using codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. Projections in total joint replacement were estimated using a regression model incorporating the growth in population and rate of arthroplasties from 1993 to 2010 as a function of age, sex, race, and census region using the National Health Expenditure as the independent variable. The regression model was used in conjunction with government projections of National Health Expenditure from 2011 to 2021 to estimate future arthroplasty rates in subpopulations of the United States and to derive national estimates. Results: The growth trend for the incidence of joint arthroplasty, for the overall United States population as well as for the United States workforce, was insensitive to economic downturns. From 2009 to 2010, the total number of procedures increased by 6.0% for primary total hip arthroplasty, 6.1% for primary total knee arthroplasty, 10.8% for revision total hip arthroplasty, and 13.5% for revision total knee arthroplasty. The National Health Expenditure model projections for primary hip replacement in 2020 were higher than a previously projected model, whereas the current model estimates for total knee arthroplasty were lower. Conclusions: Economic downturns in the 2000s did not substantially influence the national growth trends for hip and knee arthroplasty in the United States. These latest updated projections provide a basis for surgeons, hospitals, payers, and policy makers to plan for the future demand for total joint replacement surgery.
A STAR PATTERN RECOGNITION ALGORITHM FOR AUTONOMOUS ATTITUDE DETERMINATION

The star-pattern recognition algorithm presented allows the advanced Full-sky Autonomous Star Tracker (FAST) device, such as the projected ASTROS II system of the Mariner Mark II planetary spacecraft, to reliably ascertain attitude about all three axes. An ASTROS II-based FAST, possessing an 11.5 x 11.5 deg field of view and 8-arcsec accuracy, can when integrated with an all-sky data base of 4100 guide stars determine its attitude in about 1 sec, with a success rate close to 100 percent. The present recognition algorithm can also be used for automating the acquisition of celestial targets by astronomy telescopes, autonomously updating the attitude of gyro-based attitude control systems, and automating ground-based attitude reconstruction.
INFERENCE IN MODELS WITH NEARLY INTEGRATED REGRESSORS

This paper examines regression tests of whether x forecasts y when the largest autoregressive root of the regressor is unknown. It is shown that previously proposed two-step procedures, with first stages that consistently classify x as I(1) or I(0), exhibit large size distortions when regressors have local-to-unit roots, because of asymptotic dependence on a nuisance parameter that cannot be estimated consistently. Several alternative procedures, based on Bonferroni and Scheffe methods, are therefore proposed and investigated. For many parameter values, the power loss from using these conservative tests is small.
A Virtuous Cycle to Improve Hypertension Outcomes at a National Level. Linking Public Health and Individualized Medicine

Compared with the seemingly orderly approach to science associated with controlled laboratory environments, the assessment of broad changes in clinical practices and their impact on society is maddeningly complex and difficult to ascertain with confidence. Yet, in the end, the favorable regard of most societies toward public funding of biomedical science hinges on the belief that the end product of such research will benefit human health. This critical societal trust has been eroded by a growing skepticism directed toward the biomedical research enterprise and its associated industries, particularly the pharmaceutical industry. In this issue of Hypertension , Campbell et al1 report on their analysis of the impact of a program to improve the treatment of hypertension across Canada, one that has corresponded with increased use of antihypertensive medications and reduced incidence of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. The authors took advantage of the confluence of a major change in guideline recommendations, concerted national efforts linking professional societies and public health to control hypertension, and excellent sources of public data. These data allowed them to track prescriptions written by Canadian physicians and to correlate them with rates of key events (death and major cardiovascular and neurologic events) in the overall population. Using the powerful statistical technique of time series analysis, they demonstrated that rates of these critical events declined in direct proportion to the increase in prescription of antihypertensive medications, beginning in 1999. Taken at face value, this study provides compelling evidence that broad changes in medical care, when supported by convincing evidence from clinical trials, can result in improvements in death and disability for populations at the national level. Skeptics will …
Combination therapy with stavudine (d4T) plus didanosine (ddI) in children with human immunodeficiency virus infection. The Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group 327 Team.

Objectives. To evaluate the safety, tolerance, and antiviral activity of combination therapy with stavudine (d4T) plus didanosine (ddI) in symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children. Methods. The study enrolled HIV-infected children who successfully completed Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG) protocol 240 (d4T versus zidovudine [ZDV] monotherapy) without disease progression or who had received ZDV monotherapy by prescription for at least the preceding 6 months. Children who had received d4T monotherapy in PACTG 240 were assigned to treatment with d4T plus ddI (arm 1). Children who had received ZDV monotherapy in PACTG 240 or by prescription were randomized in a double-blind manner to treatment with either d4T alone (arm 2) or d4T plus ddI (arm 3). Patients were followed for 48 weeks each. Results. A total of 108 children were enrolled. The mean age was 5.0 years (range, 1.6 to 11.5 years), with mean baseline plasma HIV RNA concentration and CD4 + lymphocyte count of 4.6 log 10 copies/mL (range, 2.6 to 5.9 log 10 copies/mL) and 819 cells/μL (range, 8 to 3431 cells/μL), respectively. Both d4T monotherapy and d4T plus ddI combination therapy were well-tolerated, with 96 (89%) patients completing 48 weeks of study treatment. Plasma HIV RNA concentrations showed larger average declines in arm 3 compared with arm 2 at study week 12 (0.49 vs 0.18 log 10 copies/mL, respectively); these average declines were maintained through week 48 (0.51 vs 0.17 log 10 copies/mL, respectively). Fewer than 8% of the patients in any of the treatment arms had plasma HIV RNA concentrations below the limit of quantification (200 copies/mL) at any time point. Conclusions. Combination therapy with d4T plus ddI is safe and well-tolerated in HIV-infected children, producing durable, but incomplete, suppression of virus replication. This combination of nucleoside antiretroviral agents may provide a valuable backbone to protease inhibitor-containing treatment regimens for HIV-infected children.
Reclaiming John Dewey: Democracy, Inquiry, Pragmatism, and Public Management

This article argues that it would be not only possible, but also prudent, for the field of public management to reclaim the philosophy of John Dewey as a guiding ethos for its practice. In Dewey’s ...
A contact formulation based on localized Lagrange multipliers: formulation and application to two‐dimensional problems

The non-penetration condition in contact problems is traditionally based on the classical Lagrange multiplier method. This method makes extensive use of modelling details of the contacting bodies for contact enforcement as the contact surface meshes are in general non-matching. To deal with this problem we introduce a novel element in the Lagrange multiplier approach of contact modelling, namely, a contact frame placed in between contacting bodies. It acts as a medium through which contact forces are transferred without violating equilibrium in the contact domain for discrete contact models. Only nodal information of the contacting bodies is required which makes the proposed contact enforcement generic. The contact frame has its own independent freedoms, which allows the formulation to pass contact patch tests by design. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prospective measurement of function and pain in patients with non-neoplastic compression fractures treated with vertebroplasty.

Background: There has been an increasing number of reports regarding the benefits of vertebroplasty for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures. In this investigation, validated outcome tools were utilized to document the impact of vertebroplasty on pain and function. Methods: Fifty patients were recruited at a tertiary university hospital. Patients had been treated for intractable pain due to osteoporotic compression fracture(s) for at least four weeks. The vertebroplasty procedures were performed by a radiologist. The subjects were followed prospectively for one year and received conservative treatment in conjunction with the vertebroplasty. Validated outcome tools, including a visual analog scale, the Oswestry scale, and the Roland-Morris functional activity questionnaire, were used to evaluate changes in pain and functional capabilities. Results: Fifty patients, thirty-one women and nineteen men (mean age, 68.6 years), were followed prospectively for one year. One hundred and three fractures (fifty-nine thoracic and forty-four lumbar) were treated. The visual analog scale showed the greatest improvement between the baseline score (mean, 7.76) and the score at one month (mean, 2.9), and the score remained improved at one year (mean, 2.9). The Oswestry and Roland-Morris questionnaires demonstrated significant (p 0.05). Conclusions: Vertebroplasty is an effective treatment for patients with intractable pain due to osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Improvement in pain scores and functional capabilities that were found at one month were maintained at one year. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Exposure to schistosome eggs protects mice from TNBS-induced colitis

Crohn's disease results from dysregulated T helper (Th)1-type mucosal inflammation. Crohn's disease is rare in tropical countries but prevalent in developed countries with temperate climates, in wh...
Economic reform and foreign direct investment in Latin America: a critical assessment

After almost 25 years of experimenting with the neo-liberal economic reforms collectively known as 'Washington Consensus' policies, Latin Americans are starting to re-assess the merits of these policies at the voting booth. Whereas one of the key policies of the 'Washington Consensus' package was the liberalization of investment regimes, many of the newly elected governments are beginning to scrutinize the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in their countries. Indeed, some nations have gone as far as to nationalize foreign fi rms. Without endorsing or condoning the actions taken by these governments, in this paper we argue that it is quite rational and very justifi ed for governments in the region to re-evaluate the role of FDI for their development paths. Our exhaustive review of the literature on FDI in Latin America during the reform period shows that very few nations in the region actually received signifi cant amounts of FDI as a result of reform, and that when FDI did materialize, it often fell far short of generating the necessary linkages required to make FDI work for economic development.
Promoting Germination in Dormant Seeds of Pritchardia remota (Kuntze) Beck., an Endangered Palm Endemic to Hawaii

Abstract Pritchardia remota is an endangered palm endemic to the northwest Hawaiian Island of Nihoa. Current management actions include the development of suitable populations for out-planting through seed propagation. However, this action is hindered due to potential seed dormancy. We provide evidence that incorporation of fruits into the soil is necessary for germination in the wild and that seeds possess non-deep, simple, morpho-physiological dormancy. Germination is initiated five wk after sowing and can be spread over 21 wk. Seeds do not require light for germination. Rapid (22 to 34 days) and complete (98 to100%) germination is promoted by removal of the endocarp and/or the operculum followed by incubation at high temperatures (25 to 35 °C).
The Role of Bone Marrow-Derived Progenitor Cells in Tumor Growth and Angiogenesis

As in normal tissues, solid tumors require vascular structures to form conduits for blood, oxygen, and nutrients. Tumors induce sprouting of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) or co-opt preexisting ones. Tumor blood vessels are dysfunctional and characterized by excessive branching and sprouting, leakiness, and inflammation. These abnormalities can contribute to tumor progression. For example, in a process resembling healing wounds, tumor cells and tumor blood vessels secrete factors that mobilize pro-inflammatory, hematopoietic progenitor cells from the bone marrow. These hematopoietic cells are, generally, proangiogenic, and their activity may be partially responsible for the dysfunctional features of tumor blood vessels. Thus, identifying key pathways controlling communication between tumors and bone marrow-derived pro-inflammatory cells will improve our understanding of vascular dysfunction in tumors and contribute to the identification of new therapeutic targets for anti-angiogenesis strategies.
Further investigation of epithermal neutron activation analysis in the determination of heavy metals in the Arctic atmosphere

We have further explored the use of epithermal NAA with Compton suppression to establish the presence of barium, potassium, strontium and zinc in Arctic air filters. Silver was determined using cyclic epithermal NAA in air filters. For one-sixteenth of a Whatman air filter detection limits for barium, potassium, silver strontium, and zinc were 5, 7, 0.01, 1 and 0.9 μg, respectively. Results revealed that longer counting times for the activation products of barium, strontium and zinc would be needed to consistently achieve uncertainties less than 20 %.
Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine Targets Hepatocytes Via Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 to Induce Hepatotoxicity

Ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) approved for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. It consists of trastuzumab, a humanized mAb directed against HER2, and a microtubule inhibitor, DM1, conjugated to trastuzumab via a thioether linker. Hepatotoxicity is one of the serious adverse events associated with T-DM1 therapy. Mechanisms underlying T-DM1-induced hepatotoxicity remain elusive. Here, we use hepatocytes and mouse models to investigate the mechanisms of T-DM1-induced hepatotoxicity. We show that T-DM1 is internalized upon binding to cell surface HER2 and is colocalized with LAMP1, resulting in DM1-associated cytotoxicity, including disorganized microtubules, nuclear fragmentation/multiple nuclei, and cell growth inhibition. We further demonstrate that T-DM1 treatment significantly increases the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase in mice and induces inflammation and necrosis in liver tissues, and that T-DM1-induced hepatotoxicity is dose dependent. Moreover, the gene expression of TNFα in liver tissues is significantly increased in mice treated with T-DM1 as compared with those treated with trastuzumab or vehicle. We propose that T-DM1-induced upregulation of TNFα enhances the liver injury that may be initially caused by DM1-mediated intracellular damage. Our proposal is underscored by the fact that T-DM1 induces the outer mitochondrial membrane rupture, a typical morphologic change in the mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis, and mitochondrial membrane potential dysfunction. Our work provides mechanistic insights into T-DM1-induced hepatotoxicity, which may yield novel strategies to manage liver injury induced by T-DM1 or other ADCs.
VISUAL RESPONSES OF LYGUS LINEOLARIS AND LYGOCORIS SPP. (HEMIPTERA: MIRIDAE) ON PEACHES

Abstract The visual response of Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) and insects in the genus Lygocoris to pink and white sticky traps was evaluated in a peach orchard. Pink traps significantly captured more tarnished plant bugs. For the entire season, the mean (±S.E)number of L. lineolaris per trap was 1.29 ± 0.064 for pink traps and 0.72 ± 0.067 for white traps. In contrast, both trap colors performed similarly in their average timing of capture and ability to track the occurrence of fruit injuries. Unlike L. lineolaris, few Lygocoris insects were captured and no difference was detected between captures from each trap color.
Patellofemoral joint stress during running with alterations in foot strike pattern.

ABSTRACTPurposeThis study aimed to quantify differences in patellofemoral joint stress that may occur when healthy runners alter their foot strike pattern from their habitual rearfoot strike to a forefoot strike to gain insight on the potential etiology and treatment methods of patellofemoral pain.M
Rafael Obregon and Silvio Waisbord (Eds.). The Handbook of Global Health Communication

In their Handbook of Global Health Communication, Obregon and Waisbord succeed in providing an admirably comprehensive account of the current state of the field. Bringing together academics and pra...
Case history of deep-burial sulfide mineralization in the northern Appalachian Basin

In the northern Appalachian Basin minor concentrations of sulfide mineralization occur throughout most of the undeformed strata, especially those composed of carbonate rock. In a hostrock of gray, dense, hard, massive, fine-grained dolostone (dolomicrite) the Lockport Formation (Middle Silurian) contains a remarkable mineral suite filling fractures, vugs, and cavities, especially a geode filling of former leached anhydrite nodules. The minerals include saddle dolomite, sphalerite, galena, marcasite, pyrite, fluorite, anhydrite and gypsum (mostly selenite), calcite, quartz, barite and celestite.
Extremal gain and phase margins for interval systems

A general feedback configuration that consists of two linear time invariant systems is considered. One of which is fixed and the other is uncertain. The uncertain system possesses its uncertainty in the form of parametric uncertainty. This paper considers the case of the parametric uncertainty being represented as upper and lower bounds of coefficients of the numerator and denominator polynomials of the uncertain system transfer function. This type of a system is called an interval system. Using this setup, we develop Bode plots to analyze and design the control systems. The development of Bode plots for an interval system is new and may play an important role in many robust control design and analysis
Prepubertal Vaginal Bleeding: Etiology, Diagnostic Approach, and Management.

AbstractImportancePrepubertal vaginal bleeding outside the neonatal period is always abnormal and is very alarming to parents. A variety of practitioners, including obstetrician-gynecologists and pediatricians, may be asked to see patients with this presenting complaint, yet many do not receive adeq
The fundamental variables of the biopharmaceutics classification system (BCS): a commentary.

Based on in vitro solubility and in vivo permeability drugs can be divided into four groups: class 1 (high permeability, high solubility, HP:HS), class 2 (high permeability, low solubility, HP:LS), class 3 (low permeability, high solubility, LP:HS), and class 4 (low permeability, low solubility, LP:LS) (Amidon et al., 1995; Amidon, G.L., Lennernas, H., Shah, V.P., Olson, J.R., 1995. Pharm. Res. 12, 413-420). The high permeability boundary has been suggested to be 70% (Walter et al., 1996; Walter, E., Janich, S., Roessler, B.J., Hilfinger, J.H., Amidon, G., 1996. J. Pharm. Sci. 85, 1070-1076) or 90% (Hussain et al., 1997; Hussain, A.S., Kaus, L.C., Lesko, L.J., Williams, R.L., 1997. Eur. J. Pharm. Sci. 5 (Suppl. 2), S43-S44), and more recently was compromised by the FDA to 80% human intestinal absorption (Hussain, A.S., 1998. Information presented at the BCS and in vitro-in vivo correlations workshop. Frankfurt/M., Germany, March 1998). The biopharmaceutics classification system (BCS) is now being considered by the FDA to develop new regulatory guidance for bioequivalence studies (Hussain, 1998; Lesko, 1997; Lesko, L.J., 1997. Eur. J. Pharm. Sci. 5 (Suppl. 2), S42). Both properties, solubility and permeability, are being considered as fundamental to define the rate and extent of absorption of the active ingredient of a drug product. However, since both these properties are dependent ones, it may be questioned whether these are indeed sufficiently 'fundamental' or should be further unravelled.
Freight on a Low-Carbon Diet: Accessibility, Freightsheds, and Commodities.

The freight infrastructure network (e.g., roads, railways, waterways, etc.) is the backbone of nearly all trade partnerships in the United States and abroad. The manner in which the individual portions of its constituent parts are interrelated or arranged plays an important role for determining the environmental footprint of goods moved within the network. Herein, we compare the spatial distribution of potential consumer–producer exchanges (i.e., accessibility) under varying greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets or preferences for minimal transportation-related GHG emissions. We conduct case studies using two freight modes (truck and intermodal rail) for two representative commodities: meat/seafood and paper articles. Results across all counties in the United States indicate that the geographic area in which trade is possible, given a GHG budget, varies by transportation mode, location, and commodity. Our results suggest that intermodal terminal availability is an important determinant of low-GHG accessibility. Si...
Ground state energies from converging and diverging power series expansions

Abstract It is often assumed that bound states of quantum mechanical systems are intrinsically non-perturbative in nature and therefore any power series expansion methods should be inapplicable to predict the energies for attractive potentials. However, if the spatial domain of the Schrodinger Hamiltonian for attractive one-dimensional potentials is confined to a finite length L, the usual Rayleigh–Schrodinger perturbation theory can converge rapidly and is perfectly accurate in the weak-binding region where the ground state’s spatial extension is comparable to L. Once the binding strength is so strong that the ground state’s extension is less than L, the power expansion becomes divergent, consistent with the expectation that bound states are non-perturbative. However, we propose a new truncated Borel-like summation technique that can recover the bound state energy from the diverging sum. We also show that perturbation theory becomes divergent in the vicinity of an avoided-level crossing. Here the same numerical summation technique can be applied to reproduce the energies from the diverging perturbative sums.
TRP Channels in Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels comprise a large superfamily of channels activated under conditions associated with cellular stress including stretch, neurohormonal signaling, hypoxia, and oxidative stress. Although often considered to be operative in nonexcitable cells, emerging data suggests that these channels are critically important to the function of cells in the heart and vasculature. Dysregulation of these channels during cardiac stress contributes to the maladaptive response during cardiac disease. Here, we consider the role of the TRP channels in cardiac failure, arrhythmogenesis, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. We discuss the importance of specific channels, the signaling cascades activated by TRP channels, and potential therapeutic agents. Thus, the case is building that selective and specific antagonism of TRP channels will become an important goal.
Age, growth, and natural mortality of schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) from the southeastern United States.

Ages of schoolmaster (n = 136) from the southeastern Florida coast from 1981-2015 were determined using sectioned sagittal otoliths. Opaque zones were annular, forming March-July (peaking in May-June). Schoolmaster ranged in age from 1-42 years; the largest fish measured 505 mm total length (TL) and was 19 years old. The oldest fish measured 440 mm TL. Estimated body size relationships for schoolmaster were: W = 9.26 × 10-6TL3.11 (n = 256, r2 = 0.95); W = 2.13 × 10-5FL2.99 (n = 161, r2 = 0.95); TL = 1.03 FL + 10.36 (n = 143, r2 = 0.99); and FL = 0.96 TL - 8.41 (n = 143, r2 = 0.99), where W = whole weight in g, FL = fork length in mm, and TL in mm. The fitted von Bertalanffy growth equation was: Lt = 482 (1 - e-0.12(t+2.79)) (n = 136). Based on published life history relationships, a point estimate of natural mortality for schoolmaster was M = 0.10, while age-specific estimates of M ranged from 1.57-0.18 for ages 1-42.
Espacios de salvación y prisión: Memoria narrativa y “colindancia” en La ciudad de los hombres de Cristina Rivera Garza

The title of the short-story collection, La frontera mas distante (2008) is a point of departure for the Mexican writer Cristina Rivera Garza to distance the reader from the already known and proximate; each of the short stories distinguishes itself by this premise, but is in “La ciudad de los hombres” (“The City of Men”) where distance is invoked to reclaim a past. In this article, narrative memory is proposed as a central dialogic concept to indicate the way this short story confronts those spaces classified as either civilization and/or barbarism during the 19 th century in Latin America. Rivera Garza recuperates this opposition and critiques it from the “adjacent”. In this article the term is used in Spanish (“colindancia”) to argue that this heterotopic space functions as one of salvation and imprisonment for the female protagonist of the story.
Heritable and acquired disorders of phosphate metabolism: Etiologies involving FGF23 and current therapeutics

Phosphate is critical for many cellular processes and structural functions, including as a key molecule for nucleic acid synthesis and energy metabolism, as well as hydroxyapatite formation in bone. Therefore it is critical to maintain tight regulation of systemic phosphate levels. Based upon its broad biological importance, disruption of normal phosphate homeostasis has detrimental effects on skeletal integrity and overall health. Investigating heritable diseases of altered phosphate metabolism has led to key discoveries underlying the regulation and systemic actions of the phosphaturic hormone Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23). Both molecular and clinical studies have revealed novel targets for the development and optimization of therapies for disorders of phosphate handling. This review will focus upon the bridge between genetic discoveries involving disorders of altered FGF23 bioactivity, as well as describe how these findings have translated into pharmacologic application.
Private Equity Firms and the Irrelevance of Traditional Monopoly

Alfred Marshall wrote in the preface to his Principles of Economics, “economic conditions are constantly changing, and each generation looks at its own problems in its own way” (Marshall, 1946: v). Indeed every generation of scholars should ask new questions, look at problems from different perspectives and evaluate the efficacy of any theoretical framework. Unfortunately, neoclassical economics has hermetically sealed itself from honest self-evaluation; it remains “ahistorical, developing models that abstract business organizations, their debt dynamics and the state of the macroeconomy” (Rima, 2002: 409). Its core propositions are accepted as faith and cannot be challenged empirically. The model of perfect competition and monopoly, for example, which forms the core of the neoclassical theory of the firm remains beyond empirical challenge1 even though it is “a myth, only valid in the theoretical framework of static equilibrium theory and not in real life” (Ekeland, 2005:1). Unfortunately, fixation with mythical concepts has obfuscated understanding of the most important phenomena of our time – the growing financialization and centralization of capital. Nine of the largest twenty-five global corporations are financial institutions,2 collectively earning 12.7 trillion dollars in revenue in 2006 (Fortune, 2007). Capital exports are increasing more rapidly and are more significant than export of goods/services at 16 percent of world GDP in 2005. In the United States finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing comprises 21 percent of total GDP. (Howells and Barefoot, 2007: 19). As Grogan notes, “in today’s world, banks own insurance companies, pension funds and hedge funds. Insurance companies own banks. Brokerage houses own commerical banks and hedge funds — and so on and so forth” (2005: 15).
Comorbidity, chemotherapy toxicity, and outcomes among older women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer (BC).

6015 Background: Comorbidity increases with age. We evaluated how comorbidity was associated with toxicity and clinical outcomes among older women with BC who received adjuvant chemotherapy. Method...
Revitalizing the 200mm fabs through automation

In a country where labor supply and cost continue to be a challenge, automation is the answer to efficient manufacturing. It brings about higher productivity and also other benefits like cycle-time improvement, quality assurance, etc. In GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore, we embark on a revitalization journey of the matured 200mm fabs through the introduction of Autonomous Mobile Robots and system enhancement. This paper aimed to share the highlights of this journey.
Could fertility-sparing surgery be considered for women with early stage ovarian clear cell carcinoma?

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present retrospective population-based study was to investigate the oncologic impact of uterine and ovarian preservation (OP) in premenopausal women with stage IA or IC ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC). METHODS The National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was accessed and a cohort of surgically-staged premenopausal women (age <50 years) diagnosed with unilateral stage IA or IC OCCC was drawn. Based on site-specific surgery codes, women who did not undergo hysterectomy and/or bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) were identified. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates were calculated following generation of Kaplan-Meier curves; comparisons were made with the log-rank test. Multivariate Cox analysis was performed to control for possible confounders. RESULTS A total of 741 premenopausal women who met the inclusion criteria were identified. Based on available information, rate of uterine preservation was 14.5% (96/663) while the rate of OP was 28.1% (71/253). Five-year CSS rates were 90.8% for women who did not undergo hysterectomy compared with 87.7% for those who did (p=0.290). Similarly, 5-year CSS rates in the OP and BSO groups were 92.6% and 85%, respectively (p=0.060). After controlling for disease sub-stage (IA vs. IC), uterine or OP was not associated with a worse overall or cancer-specific mortality. CONCLUSION In the present cohort, uterine and OP did not have a negative impact on oncologic outcomes. Selection criteria for fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) could be expanded to include women with stage IA OCCC.
A Holocene Record of Flux of Alluvial Sediment Related To Climate: Case Studies From the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract: Sedimentary deposits contain a record of long-term sediment flux and sediment yield rates for geological systems. Furthermore, studies that quantify detailed analysis of closed systems are particularly useful for validating the efficacy of other tools to derive sediment discharge, sediment flux, and sediment yield for use in forward stratigraphic modeling. We test the reliability of the BQART equation using millennia-scale sediment-flux estimates derived from five fluvial–bay systems of western Louisiana and Texas. The BQART equation (derived from measurements of modern fluvial load) provides a relatively robust tool to derive sediment yield or sediment flux for small, low-relief coastal-plain fluvial systems. The fluvial–bay systems studied span humid (Calcasieu, Louisiana) to semiarid (Nueces, Texas) climate zones, and provide a natural laboratory to study effects of Holocene climate change on sediment flux. These systems preserve a Holocene record of variable sediment yield that can be linked to climate-induced vegetation effects. High sediment yield of the Calcasieu fluvial system during the mid-Holocene is attributed to climatic, vegetation-cover shift to semiarid grassland, respectively. Low sediment yield of the Nueces fluvial system during the mid-Holocene is attributed to a climatic, vegetation-cover shift to arid desert, respectively. This study supports theoretical arguments that sediment yield is greatest in semiarid to subhumid fluvial systems with diminishing sediment yield in arid or humid climatic regimes.
THE NEUROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION OF SOME ASPECTS OF SENTENCE COMPREHENSION

I briefly review 25 years of aphasia research directed to uncovering the neurological organization of sentence comprehension capacity. I provide a description of aphasic comprehension disorders offered along syntactic lines, and I connect the syntactic limitation (revealed in this description) to the disruption of cortically localizable processing resources.
What your computer really needs to know, you learned in kindergarten

Research in distributed AI has led to computational techniques for providing AI systems with rudimentary social skills. This paper gives a brief survey of distributed AI, describing the work that strives for social skills that a person might acquire in kindergarten, and highlighting important unresolved problems facing the field.
The Rational and the Social in the History of Science

If science is, at least in some sense, a social product, as almost everyone in these more relaxed Kuhnian times seems disposed to allow, may not its claims be shaped to some degree by social interests? And if these interests are themselves contingent features of the particular society, is there not an ineliminable contingency about even the most apparently secure scientific findings? How, then, can the rationality of science be said to transcend the society that produces it? And if it does not, can one still validly draw that distinction between epistemic (knowledge) and doxa (opinion) which has underlain virtually all thinking about science from Plato’s day until our own?
Physical Activity and Academic Performance Among Adolescents in Low-SES Schools

ABSTRACTBackground: Physical fitness and activity (PA) are related to academic performance, yet little is known about these relationships among Hispanic adolescents in low–socioeconomic status (SES...
Method for the Direct Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral Primary α-Amino Ketones by Catalytic α-Amination

A useful catalytic enantioselective approach has been developed for the synthesis of chiral ketamine analogs using Rh(II)-catalyzed amination of triisopropylsilyl enol ethers to form α-amino ketones with O-(4-nitrophenyl)hydroxylamine as nitrogen donor in 81-91% ee.
Fiber-Interconnect Silicon Chiplet Technology for Self-Aligned Fiber-to-Chip Assembly

A passive self-alignment and assembly approach for optical fibers is proposed and demonstrated using a combination of silicon micromachining and 3D printing to achieve efficient and accurate near-vertical coupling to a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate with monolithic ridge waveguides and grating couplers. The alignment process is repeatable and the peak efficiency is comparable to the active fiber alignment efficiency (86% or −0.67 dB of that obtained from active alignment). The overall alignment accuracy is in the submicron range due to the formation of mechanical self-aligning structures. The overall approach is compatible with numerous applications, including fiber-to-chip and fiber-to-package assemblies as well as in the testing of photonic devices.
Catalytic Deuterium Incorporation within Metabolically Stable β-Amino C-H Bonds of Drug Molecules.

An efficient deuteration process of β-amino C-H bonds in various N-alkylamine-based pharmaceutical compounds has been developed. Catalytic reactions begin with the action of Lewis acidic B(C6F5)3 and Bronsted basic N-alkylamine, converting a drug molecule into the corresponding enamine. The acid/base catalysts also promote the dedeuteration of acetone-d6 to afford a deuterated ammonium ion. Ensuing deuteration of the enamine then leads to the formation of β-deuterated bioactive amines with up to 99% deuterium incorporation.
A novel, population-based approach to astronaut radiation risk assessment

Abstract Risk due to space radiation exposure is one of the prime concerns for astronaut health and safety on deep space missions. NASA's current radiation risk limit is 3% risk of exposure-induced death (REID) at the upper 95% tolerance limit. Sex and age dependence in existing radiation risk models and large uncertainties, mostly due to lack of knowledge of biological effects of highly energetic and heavy charged particles, presently limit demographics to older, male astronauts for participation in long-duration missions to Mars. To address this issue, a novel method is introduced for evaluating radiation risk for proposed missions, where the combined risk for the population is used in place of age- and sex-specific risks. The age and sex distribution of active and trainee astronauts as of 2018 and operational NASA tools for evaluating astronaut radiation risk are used to demonstrate the proposed method for a variety of missions. Discrete and continuous methods representing the population probability density function are tested. Mission-specific astronaut population risk distributions are constructed using random sampling from the astronaut age and sex distributions, which are then used to calculate the corresponding upper 95% tolerance limit. It is found that the population-combined REID for a conjunction class Mars mission in solar maximum conditions is around 4% at upper 95% tolerance limit, which is less than the REID for female astronauts of age less than 55 years. It is also found that the probability density function and organ-specific risks for the population-combined REID are very close to that of 30 year old male and 60 year old female astronauts. The present work demonstrates a methodology for performing space radiation risk assessments independent of astronaut age and sex.
Antigen processing and presentation in cancer immunotherapy

Background Knowledge about and identification of T cell tumor antigens may inform the development of T cell receptor-engineered adoptive cell transfer or personalized cancer vaccine immunotherapy. Here, we review antigen processing and presentation and discuss limitations in tumor antigen prediction approaches. Methods Original articles covering antigen processing and presentation, epitope discovery, and in silico T cell epitope prediction were reviewed. Results Natural processing and presentation of antigens is a complex process that involves proteasomal proteolysis of parental proteins, transportation of digested peptides into the endoplasmic reticulum, loading of peptides onto major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules, and shuttling of peptide:MHC complexes to the cell surface. A number of T cell tumor antigens have been experimentally validated in patients with cancer. Assessment of predicted MHC class I binding and total score for these validated T cell antigens demonstrated a wide range of values, with nearly one-third of validated antigens carrying an IC50 of greater than 500 nM. Conclusions Antigen processing and presentation is a complex, multistep process. In silico epitope prediction techniques can be a useful tool, but comprehensive experimental testing and validation on a patient-by-patient basis may be required to reliably identify T cell tumor antigens.
Comments on the "Generalized" KLJN Key Exchanger with Arbitrary Resistors: Power, Impedance, Security

In (Nature) Science Report 5 (2015) 13653, Vadai, Mingesz and Gingl (VMG) introduce a new Kirchhoff-law-Johnson-noise (KLJN) secure key exchanger that operates with 4 arbitrary resistors (instead of 2 arbitrary resistance values forming 2 identical resistor pairs in the original system). They state that in this new, VMG-KLJN, non-equilibrium system with nonzero power flow, the security during the exchange of the two (HL and LH) bit values is as strong as in the original KLJN scheme. Moreover, they claim that, at practical conditions, their VMG-KLJN protocol "supports more robust protection against attacks". First, we investigate the power flow and thermal equilibrium issues of the VMG-KLJN system with 4 arbitrary resistors. Then we introduce a new KLJN protocol that allows the arbitrary choice of 3 resistors from the 4, while it still operates with zero power flow during the exchange of single bits by utilizing a specific value of the 4th resistor and a binary temperature set for the exchanged (HL and LH) bit values. Then we show that, in general, the KLJN schemes with more than 2 arbitrary resistors (including our new protocol mentioned above) are prone to 4 new passive attacks utilizing the parasitic capacitance and inductance in the cable, while the original KLJN scheme is naturally immune against these new attacks. The core of the security vulnerability exploited by these attacks is the different line resistances in the HL and LH cases. Therefore, on the contrary of the statement and claim cited above, the practical VMG-KLJN system is less secure than the original KLJN scheme. We introduce another 2, modified, non-equilibrium KLJN systems to eliminate the vulnerability against some - but not all - of these attacks. However the price for that is the loss of arbitrariness of the selection of the 4th resistor and the information leak still remains greater than zero.
The Nesprin-1/-2 ortholog ANC-1 regulates organelle positioning in C. elegans independently from its KASH or actin-binding domains

KASH proteins in the outer nuclear membrane comprise the cytoplasmic half of linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complexes that connect nuclei to the cytoskeleton. Caenorhabditis elegans ANC-1, an ortholog of Nesprin-1/2, contains actin-binding and KASH domains at opposite ends of a long spectrin-like region. Deletion of either the KASH or calponin homology (CH) domains does not completely disrupt nuclear positioning, suggesting neither KASH nor CH domains are essential. Deletions in the spectrin-like region of ANC-1 led to significant defects, but only recapitulated the null phenotype in combination with mutations in the transmembrane (TM) span. In anc-1 mutants, the endoplasmic reticulum ER, mitochondria, and lipid droplets were unanchored, moving throughout the cytoplasm. The data presented here support a cytoplasmic integrity model where ANC-1 localizes to the ER membrane and extends into the cytoplasm to position nuclei, ER, mitochondria, and other organelles in place.
Depois da tempestade... Relato de um período de pandemia que abalou a bonança

No final do ano de 2019 surgiram na China os primeiros casos de uma infecao respiratoria provocada por um virus que viria a designar-se SARS-CoV-2 pela homologia com o coronavirus da sindroma respiratoria aguda grave (SARS-CoV). A patologia causada pelo mesmo seria nomeada de COVID-19 (“COronaVirus Disease identified in 2019”), sendo que cerca de 80% dos doentes infetados apenas apresentava sintomatologia ligeira. No entanto, pela sua infecciosidade, a doenca rapidamente se disseminou por todos os continentes, apresentando uma mortalidade global de 5%. Desta forma, dado o aumento exponencial do numero de doentes com COVID-19 por todo o mundo, em marco de 2020 foi decretado o nivel de pandemia, altura em que Portugal registou os primeiros casos. Pela imprevisibilidade e infecciosidade da doenca, as autoridades politicas e de saude do Pais foram obrigadas a implementar diversas medidas, tendo-se decretado inclusivamente uma cerca sanitaria em Ovar apos constatar-se a presenca de transmissao comunitaria ativa. O presente relato de pratica pretende refletir sobre o exercicio da atividade clinica em periodo de pandemia por COVID-19. Trata-se de um relato de duas internas de medicina geral e familiar de uma Unidade de Saude Familiar da zona de Ovar, com o intuito de, de algum modo, plasmar aquilo que tera sido a sua atividade assistencial neste periodo, em que a maioria dos contactos com utentes ocorreram de forma indireta. Com esta publicacao pretende-se pensar sobre as dificuldades sentidas e o esforco realizado pela equipa de profissionais de saude, a semelhanca de tantas outras unidades de saude de Portugal, com o objetivo de promover a manutencao da saude, prevencao e gestao da doenca de uma comunidade, em que os problemas, relativos ou nao ao COVID-19, tivessem todos lugar num momento onde a pandemia era aparentemente a prioridade.