cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do aggregate analyst recommendations predict market returns in international markets

Abstract This study examines the time-series variation in the predictive value of aggregate analyst recommendation ratings for 42 countries during the period 1994–2017. We find that the information content of local aggregate recommendations in the United States and in other global markets declined significantly in the aftermath of reductions in trading frictions (e.g., decimalization & co-location). These findings lend support to the emerging view that analyst recommendations exhibit a more limited predictive role during recent years amid reductions in trading frictions and increased arbitrage activity. We also study the flow of information from aggregate recommendations across markets and find that a component capturing global information is consistently predictive. Our results reveal that the global information component can be best extracted from U.S. recommendations in the early portion of the sample period. In the latter period, as the dominant role of the U.S. in the global economy decreases, this global component appears to be best measured using recommendations associated with the broader set of non-local, non-U.S. firms.
Conducting a Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test

In many institutions, the person responsible for interpreting the cardiopulmonary exercise test will also be the person supervising the test as it takes place. As part of this role, there are tasks that must be addressed before, during, and after the test is completed.
Live birth after treatment of severe adenomyosis with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist *

A patient with a 10-year history of secondary infertility underwent GnRH-a therapy with LA for 5 months to control symptoms of severe adenomyosis and to avoid an unwanted hysterectomy. Shortly after cessation of treatment, the patient conceived. A healthy male was delivered at term by cesarean section, which makes this the first report of a live birth after treatment of severe adenomyosis with a GnRH-a.
Capability Transfer as Imperialism: A Critical Reappraisal

The issue of capabilities, and capability transfer within and between firms, has dominated much of the discussion in strategic management over the past two decades. Emerging from the literature in ...
Freeway Traffic Incident Detection from Cameras: A Semi-Supervised Learning Approach

Early detection of incidents is a key step to reduce incident related congestion. State Department of Transportation (DoTs) usually install a large number of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in freeways for traffic surveillance. In this study, we used semi-supervised techniques to detect traffic incident trajectories from the cameras. Vehicle trajectories are identified from the cameras using state-of-the-art deep learning based You Look Only Once (YOLOv3) classifier and Simple Online Realtime Tracking (SORT) is used for vehicle tracking. Our proposed approach for trajectory classification is based on semi-supervised parameter estimation using maximum-likelihood (ML) estimation. The ML based Contrastive Pessimistic Likelihood Estimation (CPLE) attempts to identify incident trajectories from the normal trajectories. We compared the performance of CPLE algorithm to traditional semi-supervised techniques Self Learning and Label Spreading, and also to the classification based on the corresponding supervised algorithm. Results show that approximately 14% improvement in trajectory classification can be achieved using the proposed approach.
O-018 Proinflammatory gene expression on endothelium of growing intracranial aneurysms

Purpose The growth or rupture of cerebral aneurysms is thought to be a complex arterial wall response caused by an interaction of biological and hemodynamic factors. Current approaches that analyze the effects of flow stress on vascular cells are limited by their simplistic design, lacking patient-specific vascular anatomic features that contribute to disease. In this study, we compare wall shear stress (WSS) acquired using 4D Flow MRA from a 3D printed model with patient-specific aneurysm to gene expression of endothelial cells attached inside the same vascular model. Materials and methods Patient-specific vascular models were created from follow-up images in patients whose saccular aneurysms were confirmed to grow afterwards by CT angiography. The vascular models were connected to a flow-pump and a 4D Flow MRA was performed. WSS data was calculated from the acquisition and post-processed using a custom MATLAB environment. The same vascular models were coated with fibronectin and rotated in 3D with endothelium in culture incubator for cell lining. Viscosity-adjusted culture media was perfused using the same perfusion conditions with 4D Flow MRA. After perfusion, RNA was extracted from endothelial cells in the parent artery and the aneurysm and gene expression was examined using quantitative PCR (qPCR). In addition, the morphology of endothelial cells in specific regions of the model were observed with confocal microscopy. Results Endothelial cells in growing regions with low wall shear within the aneurysm were irregular in shape and size and associated with up-regulation of inflammatory genes compared with cells in the parent artery that exhibited typical spindle shape and aligned with the directionality of flow. Conclusions This research model enables a new approach to bridge the gap of biophysical flow phenomonology and the biological impact of complex flow patterns on endothelial cells using patient-derived imaging data. This approach is likely to be useful to determine flow-driven biological changes in vascular endothelium that contribute to aneurysm growth and rupture. Disclosures N. Kaneko: None. S. Tateshima: None. M. Loecher: None. J. Villablanca: None. D. Chen: None. Y. Komuro: None. W. Chang: None. D. Ennis: None. F. Vinuela: None. G. Duckwiler: None. J. Hinman: None.
Robust Authentication of Consumables With Extrinsic Tags and Chemical Fingerprinting

Consumables-from food to pharmaceuticals and supplements-are becoming increasingly vulnerable to various modes of counterfeiting due to the growing complexity of their supply chain. Mislabeling, re-branding, and false advertising are prevalent in this sector. Existing physical authentication techniques fail to adequately verify integrity of these products and protect the end-users. In this paper, we aim at addressing this critical problem through the development of a novel authentication solution. It builds on the chemical analysis properties of a powerful spectroscopy technique, namely, nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) that is quantitative, non-invasive, low-cost, and amenable for miniaturization (to hand-held form factors). The method is sensitive to small variations in the solid-state chemical structure of a sample, which change the NQR signal properties. These attributes can be unique for various manufacturers, enabling their use as manufacturer-specific watermarks. However, NQR spectroscopy only works reliably (i.e., provides good sensitivity) on compounds that contain certain nuclear isotopes. We take advantage of the intrinsic properties of NQR-sensitive isotopes to use them as extrinsic tags in NQR-insensitive products. The NQR spectra of these extrinsic tags act as unique watermarks that can be analyzed using machine learning methods to authenticate any consumable with high confidence. In particular, we use support vector machines to classify the measured spectra and confirm the identity of items under test. We have assessed this approach on a variety of consumables utilizing semi-custom equipment and verified that it results in high (>95%) classification accuracy. In order to prove the unclonability of such extrinsic tags, we have also performed a mathematical analysis that proves the randomness of the extrinsic tag and confirms its robustness to brute-force attacks.
Ibalizumab for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant HIV-1 Infection

Ibalizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody to CD4, was recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in heavily treatment-experienced adults with multidrug-resistant HIV-1 infection failing their current antiretroviral regimen. Ibalizumab is the first in a new class of antiretroviral drugs designated as post-attachment inhibitors. It exerts its antiviral effect by noncompetitive binding of CD4, thereby blocking conformational changes in the CD4-gp120 complex that are essential for viral entry. Clinical studies have demonstrated ibalizumab's significant antiviral activity in patients with advanced HIV disease and extensive treatment experience, who had limited treatment options. Ibalizumab is administered intravenously at a dose of 800 mg every 2 weeks following a single intravenous loading dose of 2000 mg. The most common adverse reactions reported with the use of ibalizumab are diarrhea, dizziness, nausea and rash.
The Case for Adaptive Neuromodulation to Treat Severe Intractable Mental Disorders.

Mental disorders are a leading cause of disability worldwide, and available treatments have limited efficacy for severe cases unresponsive to conventional therapies. Neurosurgical interventions, such as lesioning procedures, have shown success in treating refractory cases of mental illness, but may have irreversible side effects. Neuromodulation therapies, specifically Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), may offer similar therapeutic benefits using a reversible (explantable) and adjustable platform. Early DBS trials have been promising, however pivotal clinical trials have failed to date. These failures may be attributed to targeting, patient selection, or the “open-loop” nature of DBS, where stimulation parameters are chosen ad hoc during infrequent visits to the clinician’s office that take place weeks to months apart. Further, the tonic continuous stimulation fails to address the dynamic nature of mental illness; symptoms often fluctuate over minutes to days. Additionally, stimulation-based interventions can cause undesirable effects if applied when not needed. A responsive, adaptive DBS (aDBS) system may improve efficacy by titrating stimulation parameters in response to neural signatures (i.e. biomarkers) related to symptoms and side effects. Here, we present rationale for the development of a responsive DBS system for treatment of refractory mental illness, detail a strategic approach for identification of electrophysiological and behavioral biomarkers of mental illness, and discuss opportunities for future technological developments that may harness aDBS to deliver improved therapy.
Explaining Support for Stealth Democracy

The pioneering work of Hibbing and Theiss-Morse [2002. Stealth Democracy: Americans’ Beliefs about How Government Should Work. New York: Cambridge University Press] on citizens’ process preferences...
On the validity of the dilute gas assumption for gap conductance calculations in nuclear fuel performance codes

Abstract Fill gas thermal conductivity’s dependence on pressure is neglected in today’s nuclear fuel performance codes. Current codes assume that gas behaves as a dilute gas, but the pressure effect is more pronounced at temperatures lower than ten times the critical temperature of each pure gas. The validity of this assumption for nuclear fuel performance is examined herein. Theories related to dilute and dense gas properties are presented, along with their validation against literature data at up to 30 MPa for selected inert gases. Underlying assumptions are clearly described for each model, and their possible impacts on gap conductance calculations are discussed. The dilute gas assumption is valid for helium because it behaves as a dilute gas. However, the assumption is not valid in most gap conductance calculations when the gap is mostly occupied with either lower conductivity gaseous fission products or an initial fill gas other than helium.
Internalizing Negative Externalities of Carbon Emissions for Climate Justice

Sayegh’s discussion highlights the moral relevance of carbon-taxing by showing how such taxes can enable responses to climate injustices. This is by serving as a means of getting countries to inter...
Hepatic Inflammatory Pseudotumor—A Diagnostic Challenge: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) is a rare lesion of unknown origin, characterized by proliferation of fibrous connective tissue and invasion of inflammatory cells. Although benign, it has the propensity to mimic malignant masses given its nonspecific symptoms and imaging manifestations. We present a case of hepatic IPT with variable interpretation on different imaging modalities, called as abscess on computed tomography (CT) and neoplasm on ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), thus posing a diagnostic dilemma. Hence it is important to recognize this as a distinct clinical entity and include it in the differential of liver masses with atypical imaging findings.
WC1.1 - Modulation Properties of 2x1 Coherently Coupled VCSEL Arrays (Invited)

The analysis and characteristics of photonic crystal coherently coupled 2x1 VCSEL arrays are reported.
Real-Time Automatic Music Transcription (AMT) with Zync FPGA

A real-time automatic music transcription (AMT) system has a great potential for applications and interactions between people and music, such as the popular devices Amazon Echo and Google Home. This paper thus presents a design on chord recognition with the Zync7000 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), capable of sampling analog frequency signals through a microphone and, in real time, showing sheet music on a smart phone app that corresponds to the user's playing. We demonstrate the design of audio sampling on programming logic and the implementation of frequency transform and vector building on programming system, which is an embedded ARM core on the Zync FPGA. Experimental results show that the logic design spends 574 slices of look-up-tables (LUTs) and 792 slices of flip-flops. Due to the dynamic power consumption on programming system (1399 mW) being significantly higher than the dynamic power dissipation on programming logic (7 mW), the future work of this platform is to design intelligent property (IP) for algorithms of frequency transform, pitch class profile (PCP), and pattern matching with hardware description language (HDL), making the entire system-on-chip (SoC) able to be taped out as an application-specific design for consumer electronics.
Transverse relaxation rates of pulmonary dissolved-phase Hyperpolarized 129 Xe as a biomarker of lung injury in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

PURPOSE The MR properties (chemical shifts and R2∗ decay rates) of dissolved-phase hyperpolarized (HP) 129 Xe are confounded by the large magnetic field inhomogeneity present in the lung. This work improves measurements of these properties using a model-based image reconstruction to characterize the R2∗ decay rates of dissolved-phase HP 129 Xe in healthy subjects and patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). METHODS Whole-lung MRS and 3D radial MRI with four gradient echoes were performed after inhalation of HP 129 Xe in healthy subjects and patients with IPF. A model-based image reconstruction formulated as a regularized optimization problem was solved iteratively to measure regional signal intensity in the gas, barrier, and red blood cell (RBC) compartments, while simultaneously measuring their chemical shifts and R2∗ decay rates. RESULTS The estimation of spectral properties reduced artifacts in images of HP 129 Xe in the gas, barrier, and RBC compartments and improved image SNR by over 20%. R2∗ decay rates of the RBC and barrier compartments were lower in patients with IPF compared to healthy subjects (P < 0.001 and P = 0.005, respectively) and correlated to DLCO (R = 0.71 and 0.64, respectively). Chemical shift of the RBC component measured with whole-lung spectroscopy was significantly different between IPF and normal subjects (P = 0.022). CONCLUSION Estimates for R2∗ in both barrier and RBC dissolved-phase HP 129 Xe compartments using a regional signal model improved image quality for dissolved-phase images and provided additional biomarkers of lung injury in IPF.
Inflammasome Adaptor ASC Is Highly Elevated in Lung Over Plasma and Relates to Inflammation and Lung Diffusion in the Absence of Speck Formation

Rationale: Caspase-1 is a zymogen whose activation predominantly depends upon the assembly of ASC monomers into insoluble prion-like polymers (specks). ASC polymers support caspase-1 dimer formation inducing a proximity mediated auto-activation of caspase-1. Therefore, the amount and nature of ASC monomers and polymers in lung bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) might serve as a marker of lung inflammasome activity. Objectives: To determine whether lung ASC concentrations or oligomerization status predicts lung function or activity of lung inflammation. Methods: BALF ASC amount and oligomerization status was studied in three distinct cohorts: (1) young healthy non-smokers, vapers and smokers; (2) healthy HIV+ smokers who underwent detailed lung function studies; and (3) hospitalized patients with suspected pneumonia. We quantified cell free BALF ASC levels by ELISA and immunoblot. Oligomers (i.e., ASC specks) were identified by chemical crosslinking and ability to sediment with centrifugation. Measurement and Main Results: ASC levels are significantly higher in lung lining fluid than in plasma as well as higher in smoker lungs compared to non-smoker lungs. In this context, ASC levels correlate with macrophage numbers, smoking intensity and loss of lung diffusion capacity in a well-characterized cohort of healthy HIV+ smokers. However, only monomeric ASC was found in our BALF samples from all subjects, including patients with lung infections. Conclusions: Even though, most, if not all, extracellular ASC in BALF exists in the soluble, monomeric form, monomeric ASC concentrations still reflect the inflammatory status of the lung microenvironment and correlate with loss of lung function.
Low Epstein-Barr Virus Prevalence in Cardia Gastric Cancer Among a High-Incidence Chinese Population.

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) positivity is associated with better gastric cancer prognosis and is found in a relatively fixed 9% of tumors worldwide. We aimed to examine the EBV status of gastric adenocarcinomas in a very high-incidence population and to compare prevalence between cardia and non-cardia anatomic subsites. We evaluated 1035 adult gastric adenocarcinoma cases presenting during 1997–2005 to the Shanxi Cancer Hospital in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China. EBV-encoded RNA was detected in alcohol-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor specimens by in situ hybridization. Associations were assessed in case–case comparisons using the Chi-squared test for categorical variables and the Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables, with p values < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression, and mortality hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression. Sixty-four percent of the evaluated cancers were found in the cardia. Cardia tumor localization was associated with male sex, advanced primary tumor stage, better differentiated histology, and intestinal-type Lauren classification. Four percent of the non-cardia and only 0.9% of cardia cancers were EBV-positive. EBV positivity was associated with better overall survival (adjusted HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.14–0.63). Our study highlights unusually low EBV prevalence in gastric adenocarcinoma among a high-incidence population, particularly for cardia cancers. These findings suggest a unique risk factor profile for the high incidence of gastric cancer in this population.
Is SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) postviral olfactory dysfunction (PVOD) different from other PVOD?

Abstract Background The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to spread rapidly across the globe afflicting many with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). As the infection rates rise, a growing number of SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals have been reported to complain of olfactory disturbances at an alarming rate. Postviral olfactory dysfunction (PVOD) is a well-known phenomenon that may explain the olfactory dysfunction reported by SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. Methods A scoping literature review was performed to identify studies that investigated the mechanisms of postviral olfactory dysfunction. Studies demonstrating pathophysiological, histological, immunochemical, and epidemiological outcomes of PVOD were included. Results Fourteen studies were included in addition to one international news article. Three studies reported destruction of the olfactory epithelium following intranasal inoculation of various viral strains in mice. Three studies isolated pathogenic, anosmia inciting viruses (Parainfluenza virus, Human Coronavirus, Rhinovirus) through nucleic acid amplification. Eleven studies demonstrated female predilection in patients with PVOD and COVID-19 associated olfactory dysfunction, of which the majority were over 50 years old. Conclusions PVOD and COVID-19 associated olfactory dysfunction demonstrates considerable similarities in epidemiological trends and disease sequela of other viruses to suggest identical pathophysiological mechanisms. Further studies such as intranasal inoculation and histological biopsies are needed to support our hypothesis.
Sense and Sensibility: Challenges in Structural Engineering

Complex and uncertain nature of a structure, the disturbances it is subjected to, and how the structure responds to a given disturbance often limit the use of large-scale computational tools to estimate the true state of the structure at any given time. It is also a challenge to estimate the true range of events a structure might experience during its lifetime and which could cause severe damage or collapse. In some cases, a single process which is part of the complex interactions can dominate the overall behavior of the structure. In such cases, an estimate of the state of the structure can be made with high confidence. In some other cases where the overall behavior of the structure is sensitive to several parameters each with uncertain nature, the state of structure is difficult to estimate particularly when collapse could be triggered. Yet in other cases, data obtained by sensors monitoring the structure and the disturbances could be used together with parametric or simplified numerical models to estimate the state of the structure with some quantifiable level of confidence. Examples from the various cases will be presented to illustrate and discuss some of the challenges faced in structural engineering.
The extrachromosomal elements of the Naegleria genus: How little we know.

Abstract There are currently 47 characterized species in the Naegleria genus of free-living amoebae. Each amoeba has thousands of extrachromosomal elements that are closed circular structures comprised of a single ribosomal DNA (rDNA) copy and a large non-rDNA sequence. Despite the presence of putative open reading frames and introns, ribosomal RNA is the only established transcript. A single origin of DNA replication (ori) has been mapped within the non-rDNA sequence for one species (N. gruberi), a finding that strongly indicates that these episomes replicate independently of the cell's chromosomal DNA component. This article reviews that which has been published about these interesting DNA elements and by analyzing available sequence data, discusses the possibility that different phylogenetically related clusters of Naegleria species individually conserve ori structures and suggests where the rRNA promoter and termination sites may be located.
Expectation for stimulant type modifies caffeine's effects on mood and cognition among college students

Caffeine is regularly used by college students to enhance mood and academic performance. Although high doses confer risk for negative consequences, moderate doses of caffeine may lead to acute improvements in mood and cognitive functioning. Notably, the pharmacological effects of caffeine may be enhanced by expectancy effects. College students may also engage in nonmedical prescription stimulant use for similar purposes, as students expect strong cognitive enhancement from prescription stimulants and consider them to be more efficacious than caffeine. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether the pharmacological effects of caffeine on mood/drug effects and cognitive performance are enhanced when expecting a conceivably stronger stimulant (i.e., Adderall) compared to when expecting caffeine. Sixty-five undergraduate students were randomized to condition across two variables: drug ingested (placebo or 200 mg caffeine) and drug expected (caffeine or Adderall). Participants completed self-report measures of mood and drug effects pre- and post-drug, as well as cognitive assessments post-drug. There were significant main effects of drug ingested and drug expected on several post-drug measures. Subjects receiving caffeine reported feeling more high, stimulated, anxious, and motivated than subjects receiving placebo. Further, subjects expecting Adderall reported stronger amphetamine effects and feeling more high, and performed better on a working memory test, than those expecting caffeine. Effects tended to be strongest in participants receiving caffeine and expecting Adderall. Modifying expectancies, in conjunction with the pharmacological properties of caffeine at moderate doses, may be one mechanism by which college students may experience differential effects of caffeine. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Team-based learning in economics: A symposium

Team-based learning (TBL) originated as an instructional strategy over 40 years ago. Despite its longevity and widespread use in medical education and other disciplines, there are few documented ex...
Shared Decision-Making Is Associated with Better Outcomes in Patients with Knee But Not Hip Osteoarthritis: The DECIDE-OA Randomized Study.

BACKGROUND Current guidelines recommend shared surgical decision-making, yet it is unclear whether shared decision-making improves health outcomes in patients who are considering knee and hip replacement. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether patients who made high-quality, informed, patient-centered (IPC) decisions had better health outcomes, higher satisfaction, and less decision regret compared with those who made lower-quality decisions. METHODS A multisite, randomized study of 2 decision aids for patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis was utilized to collect data on decision-making and health outcomes at 2 time points: shortly after the initial surgical evaluation and about 6 months after treatment. We calculated the percentage of patients who made an IPC decision and examined the a priori hypotheses that IPC decisions would be associated with better health outcomes, satisfaction, and less regret at 6 months. Linear and logistic regression models were utilized to examine the relationships. RESULTS The analytic sample included 854 patients with a mean age of 65 years (standard deviation, 9 years), of whom 58% were female, 93% were White non-Hispanic, 67% had knee (compared with hip) osteoarthritis, and 62% underwent operative treatment within 6 months of the initial evaluation. The majority of patients (68%) made IPC decisions. The IPC group had significantly larger gains in quality of life (mean difference in EuroQol-5 Dimension, 0.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02 to 0.07; p < 0.001) compared with the non-IPC group. For knee patients, the IPC group also had significantly better Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (mean difference, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.5 to 8.3; p = 0.004), higher satisfaction (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.3; p = 0.003), much better pain relief (aOR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.5; p = 0.002), and were more likely to have no decision regret (aOR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3 to 4.1; p = 0.003). For hip patients, IPC decisions were not associated with better Harris hip scores or satisfaction and were associated with more regret. CONCLUSIONS Higher-quality decisions predicted small improvements in health outcomes, as well as greater satisfaction and less regret for patients with knee osteoarthritis, but not for patients with hip osteoarthritis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Microaxial Left Ventricular Assist Device versus Intraaortic Balloon Pump as a Bridge to Transplant.

Abstract Background Heart transplantation (HTx) candidates supported by Impella (Abiomed, Danvers, MA) or intraaortic balloon pump (IABP), who demonstrate evidence of cardiogenic shock, may qualify for waitlist Status 2 without exception under the new donor heart allocation system. However, limited data comparing Impella versus IABP as a bridge to HTx exist. Methods The United Network for Organ Sharing database was queried for adults listed and/or transplanted between 1/2014 and 2/2020. Temporal trends regarding Impella and IABP use were analyzed using the Royston trend test and chi-square test. Waitlist mortality was examined using Fine-Gray competing risks analysis. Post-HTx 180-day survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models. Results Impella use increased from 0.2% in 2014 to 2.6% in 2020 (p Conclusions Post-HTx survival is comparable between Impella-supported and IABP-supported recipients despite worse preoperative profiles among Impella-supported recipients. Higher risk of waitlist delisting among Impella-supported candidates under the new allocation system requires close attention.
Testicular Cancer Knowledge and Viewpoints of American Men

AbstractIntroduction:We sought to better understand the baseline knowledge and practices of the general population regarding testicular cancer (TC) and testicular self-examination (TSE) in an effor...
Solid-state single-crystal growth of YAG and Nd: YAG by spark plasma sintering

Abstract Recent studies have shown that many challenges encountered in conventional single crystal growth methods, including high production costs, can be overcome by using the solid-state single-crystal growth (SSCG) approach, which has been recognized as a simple and cost-effective alternative for obtaining single crystals. In this work, Y3Al5O12 (YAG) and Nd3+-doped YAG (Nd:YAG) single crystals were grown via the SSCG method using spark plasma sintering (SPS). The growth of single crystals was initiated at the surface of (110) YAG single-crystal seeds embedded inside YAG and Nd:YAG powder beds, and this growth continued as the surrounding polycrystalline matrix was converted into a single crystal. The application of external pressure during the SPS process has been found beneficial for reducing the porosity of the grown single crystals. Moreover, high Nd3+ doping levels had a positive effect on the conversion kinetics, with a growth rate of almost 50 µm/h, which increased the driving force for single-crystal growth through the solute drag effect. EDS elemental mapping and line scans confirmed the compositional uniformity of the grown single crystals, while EBSD images verified their crystallization in the (110) direction. The obtained results confirm the strong potential of the SSCG technique coupled with SPS for the growth of undoped and highly doped YAG single crystals with excellent quality.
Unnecessary Inpatient Admissions at For-Profit Hospital Chains

A number of False Claims Act lawsuits have alleged that managers at for-profit hospitals pressured physicians, using feedback and manipulation of defaults, to admit patients unnecessarily from the emergency department. Using 100% hospital records from Florida for 2015-2017, we estimate that admission rates were 7 percentage points (20%) higher at for-profit hospitals. We additionally describe admission rate trends from 2007-2017 at two hospital systems that paid large penalties to the Department of Justice for unnecessary admissions. The timing of pre- and post-investigation changes in admission rates and our cross-sectional estimates are consistent with allegations that administrators influenced physicians’ admission decisions.
SU‐C‐210‐02: Impact of Intrafractional Motion On TomoTherapy Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) 4D Dosimetry

Purpose: TomoTherapy treatment has unique challenges in handling intrafractional motion compared to conventional LINAC. This study is aimed to gain a realistic and quantitative understanding of motion impact on TomoTherapy SBRT treatment of lung and prostate cancer patients. Methods: A 4D dose engine utilizing GPUs and including motion during treatment was developed for the efficient simulation of TomoTherapy delivered dosimetry. Two clinical CyberKnife lung cases with respiratory motion tracking and two prostate cases with a slower non-periodical organ motion treated by LINAC plus Calypso tracking were used in the study. For each disease site, one selected case has an average motion (6mm); the other has a large motion (10mm for lung and 15mm for prostate). SBRT of lung and prostate cases were re-planned on TomoTherapy with 12 Gyx4 fractions and 7Gyx5 fractions, respectively, all with 95% PTV coverage. Each case was planned with 4 jaw settings: 1) conventional 1cm static, 2) 2.5cm static, 3) 2.5cm dynamic, and 4) 5cm dynamic. The intrafractional rigid motion of the target was applied in the dose calculation of individual fractions of each plan and total dose was accumulated from multiple fractions. Results: For 1cm static jaw plans with motions applied, PTV coverage is related to motion type and amplitude. For SBRT patients with average motion (6mm), the PTV coverage remains > 95% for lung case and 74% for prostate case. For cases with large motion, PTV coverage drops to 61% for lung SBRT and 49% for prostate SBRT. Plans with other jaws improve uniformity of moving target, but still suffer from poor PTV coverage (< 70%). Conclusion: TomoTherapy lung SBRT is less motion-impacted when average amplitude of respiratory-induced intrafractional motion is present (6mm). When motion is large and/or non-periodic (prostate), all studied plans lead to significantly decreased target coverage in actual delivered dosimetry.
Regulation of eicosanoid biosynthesis in the macrophage. Involvement of protein tyrosine phosphorylation and modulation by selective protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Abstract The protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitor genistein has been demonstrated to inhibit platelet-activating factor-stimulated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-primed P388D1 macrophage-like cells (Glaser et al., J Biol Chem265: 8658–8664, 1990). Therefore, the role of PTK in eicosanoid biosynthesis was investigated in murine resident peritoneal macrophages using genistein and tyrphostin-25, selective PTK inhibitors. Genistein, a competitive inhibitor of ATP binding on PTK, inhibited PGE2 production ( ic 50 = 20 μM ) in response to zymosan, calcium ionophore A23187, and phorbol myristate acetate stimulation. Genistein also inhibited leukotriene C4 (LTC4) production in response to zymosan and calcium ionophore A23187 ( ic 50 = 10 and 15 μM , respectively) stimulation. Tyrphostin-25, a competitive inhibitor of substrate binding on PTK, inhibited zymosanstimulated PGE2 and LTC4 production, ic 50 = 20 and 7 μM , respectively. Neither genistein nor tyrphostin-25 had any effect on human synovial fluid phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity in vitro or on cyclooxygenase activity in the intact macrophage; however, tyrphostin-25 did affect 5-lipoxygenase activity (determined from the metabolism of exogenously applied arachidonic acid). These results suggest PTK-mediated phosphorylation as a common event in the signal transduction mechanisms of different stimuli which activate PLA2 for arachidonic acid release and subsequent eicosanoid biosynthesis. Immunoblot analyses of zymosan-stimulated peritoneal exudate cells with the phosphotyrosine monoclonal antibody clone 4G10 demonstrated an increase in protein phosphotyrosine levels in eight major protein bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis: p59, 71, 76, 90, 100, 112, 125 and 150. Maximal phosphorylation of these protein substrates occurred after 1–2 min stimulation. Zymosan and LPS stimulation of peritoneal exudate cells produced similar patterns of protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Zymosan-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation was inhibited by tyrphostin-25 in a concentration-dependent manner between 10 and 60 μM, demonstrating a similar concentration response between effects on tyrosine phosphorylation and eicosanoid biosynthesis in the murine peritoneal macrophage. The use of selective PTK inhibitors suggests a common role for PTK and tyrosine phosphorylation in eicosanoid biosynthesis in the murine peritoneal macrophage.
Getting a head: changing perspectives on craniofacial development (340.1)

This occasion prompts reflection on questions raised related to craniofacial development. Lineage tracing methods have clarified movements and fates of paraxial and lateral mesoderms and neural cre...
Large Convective Events and Their Aftermath in a Rotating Star

The 35 most exceptional, deep convective events that have occurred since the year 1750 are identified using Fj, an index of solar activity. The average event lasted 38 days and was followed by several years of lesser eruptions in a repeatable time sequence. This contradicts the common assumption that stellar convection is random. Deep convective events, which have lifetimes comparable to the stellar rotation period, will accumulate a net azimuthal motion relative to the ambient fluid. In the Sun, the rising portion of such an event moves in longitude ~1° day-1 as it partially conserves initial angular momentum. Its kinetic energy, ~1029 J, in azimuthal motion amounts to a pulse that is available to excite global oscillations (r-modes). Following the pulse, signatures of r-modes can be traced for 1000 days in the lesser solar eruptions, which is evidence that the r-modes are causing or modulating convection. A successful, nonlinear model of this is constructed in which magnetic fields play no role.
An O(1) integration scheme for three-dimensional surface scattering problems

We present an accurate method of O(1)-complexity with respect to frequency (i.e., a method that, to achieve a prescribed error tolerance, requires a bounded computational cost for arbitrarily high frequencies) for the computation of singular oscillatory integrals arising in the boundary integral formulation of problems of acoustic scattering by surfaces in three-dimensional space. Like the two-dimensional counterpart of this algorithm, which we introduced recently and which is applicable to scattering by curves in the plane, the present method is based on a combination of two main elements: (1) a high-frequency ansatz for the unknown density in a boundary integral formulation of the problem, and (2) an extension of the ideas of the method of stationary phase to allow for O(1) (high-order-accurate) integration of oscillatory functions. The techniques we introduce to implement an efficient O(1) integrator in the present three-dimensional context differ significantly from those used in the earlier two-dimensional algorithm. In particular, in the present text, we introduce an efficient ''canonical'' (hybrid analytic-numerical) algorithm which, in addition to allowing for integration of oscillatory functions around both singular points and points of stationary phase, can handle the significant difficulty that arises as singular points and one or more stationary points approach each other within the two-dimensional scattering surface. We include numerical results illustrating the behavior of the integration algorithm on sound-soft spheres with diameters of up to 5000 wavelengths: in such cases, for a single integral, the algorithm yields accuracies of the order of three digits in computational times of less than two seconds. In a preliminary full scattering simulation we present, a solution with two digits of accuracy in the surface density was obtained in about three hours running time, in a single 1.5GHz AMD Athlon processor, for a sphere of 500 wavelengths in diameter.
Abstract LB-209: SIRT3, a mitochondrial sirtuin deacetylase, promotes survival of human melanoma cells.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Melanoma is one of the most aggressive skin cancers and is often lethal, if not diagnosed early. The existing therapeutic approaches as well as preventive strategies have not been able to effectively manage melanoma. A better understanding of mechanisms of melanoma development and progression may lead to additional means for the management of this deadly neoplasm. Sirtuins are NAD+-dependent protein deacetylases and mono-[ADP-ribosyl]transferases, which have been shown to regulate metabolism, stress responses, and longevity, in model organisms. Mammalian sirtuins, also referred to as class III histone deacetylases, have seven members (SIRT1-7) that differ widely in their localization, activity, and functions. The role of sirtuins in cancer is extremely complex and they have been shown to exhibit dichotomous functions (tumor promoter versus tumor suppressor) depending on cell contexts. SIRT3 is a mitochondrial deacetylase that regulates the activity of enzymes to coordinate global shifts in cellular metabolism. While studies have suggested that the SIRT3 acts as a tumor suppressor in some cancers (such as breast cancer), the tumor promoter function of SIRT3 has also been reported in other cancers (such as oral squamous cell carcinoma). The objective of this study was to determine the role of the SIRT3 in melanoma. Employing a panel of human melanoma cell lines (SK-MEL-28, WM35 and G361) and normal human epidermal melanocytes (NHEMs), we determined the endogenous levels of SIRT3. We found that compared to NHEMs, SIRT3 is significantly upregulated in human melanoma cells, at mRNA as well as protein levels, as shown by quantitative Real-Time PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Further, employing a tissue microarray (TMA) analysis, we determined the expression profile of SIRT3 protein in clinical melanoma and normal skin tissues. We found that SIRT3 is overexpressed in human melanoma, when compared to normal skin. Further, we determined the effect of a short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated RNA interference on melanoma cells. Our data demonstrated that shRNA knockdown of SIRT3 resulted in a significant decrease in the growth, viability and clonogenic survival of human melanoma cells. Taken together, our data suggested that i) SIRT3 overexpression could be a contributing factor in melanoma survival, and ii) SIRT3 could serve as a potential target towards developing novel strategies for the management of melanoma. However, further in-depth studies are needed to determine the functional significance of SIRT3 overexpression in melanoma development and progression. Citation Format: Jasmine George, Minakshi Nihal, Chandra K. Singh, Nihal Ahmad. SIRT3, a mitochondrial sirtuin deacetylase, promotes survival of human melanoma cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-209. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-209
Can age-related CNS taste differences be detected as early as middle age? Evidence from fMRI.

Abstract Middle-aged Americans have higher obesity rates than any other age group, yet little is known about age-related changes in central taste function during this critical time. Research on taste and aging has primarily focused on psychophysical responses, and on older adults. Central taste processing in middle-age has not been investigated. In the current study, we compared functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation of young and middle-aged adults during hedonic evaluation of a sweet and a bitter taste. A 2 (age group) by 2 (tastant) analysis of variance (ANOVA) on fMRI activation revealed: (1) a main effect of age (young adults > middle-aged adults) in the bilateral anterior cingulate, lentiform nucleus, putamen, caudate, and right precentral gyrus; (2) a main effect of taste (sweet > bitter) in the bilateral pre- and postcentral gyri, anterior cingulate and right middle frontal gyrus; qualified by (3) an age-by-taste interaction. Further inspection of the age-by-taste interaction revealed that there was a significant effect of age (greater activation in young adults) in sensory (insula) and reward (lentiform nucleus) regions during hedonic evaluation of the sweet taste; however, there was no age effect in the bitter taste condition. Further, young adults had greater responses during hedonic evaluation of sucrose than of caffeine in several sensory and motor processing regions (pre- and postcentral gyri, insula), but there were no taste-related differences in activation in the middle-aged adults. We speculate that these results might reflect early age-related differences in central taste processing that occur prior to deficits in gustatory function observed in old age, and this might have important implications for weight changes that occur during middle-age.
Design and development of application-specific microfluidic components for flow control

There has been a growing interest in the research of microfluidic management systems, e.g., for DNA sequencing devices, biological cell manipulation systems, chemical analysis systems and microdosage systems. microfluidic management is crucial capability in most biomedical nanodevices and micro fuel cells using methanol as fuel. It involves the manipulation of fluids ranging from a scale of nano to millimeters. Basic building components for a microfluidic management system are microvalves and micropump s together with the interconnect fluidic channels . Micropumps can have passive and/or active valve. Because of the increasing functionality in portable electronic devices and systems, the micropumps and mic rovalves should be compact, reliable, long-lifetime and high energy efficient. In this report, the design, fabrication and modeling of a low power, low voltage, leak proof microfluidic management systems will be discussed.
The In Vitro Conversion of C14-Labeled Glucose to Fatty Acids.∗

Summary1. The conversion of C14-labeled glucose to fatty acids by surviving slices of liver, kidney, and diaphragm is demonstrated.2. The recoveries of fatty acid-C14 in the experiments carried out with liver slices were about 10 times as great as those observed with diaphragm or kidney.3. The glucose-C14 recovered as fatty acid-C14 in the experiments with liver slices was 1/6 to 1/10 of that which had been converted to CO2.4. An incubation flask is described that is suitable for the collection of CO2 evolved in tissue slice experiments from C14-labeled compounds.
Web-Based and Geospatially Enabled Risk Screening Tool for Water and Wastewater Pipeline Infrastructure Systems

This paper focuses on the development of a web-based geospatial tool as a proof of concept to assist water utilities in performing a network-level risk screening of their buried water and wastewater pipeline infrastructure systems. This tool provides a preliminary risk screening at a high level to quickly identify problematic (hot spot) areas and help guide decisions about where to further analyze pipeline infrastructure systems. The tool employs a prototypical heuristic risk model developed with the involvement of five experts from the industry, with the primary intent of running the tool and assessing potential industry value. A case study of the tool results and utility feedback are presented. The web-based geospatial tool developed in this research enables the risk screening model results to be visualized and queried in a user-friendly, interactive environment for usefulness at the network level among water utilities.