cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Open image in new windowCurvature of Failure Envelopes for Normally Consolidated Clays

Shear strength parameters play an important role in the stability of slopes. Accuracy of the analysis result depends on the nature of the failure envelopes used, especially in the case of shallow landslides, where the shear strength is mobilized at low effective vertical stresses (σ n ′). Ten normally consolidated samples prepared from mixtures of montmorillonite, kaolinite and quartz were sheared in a constant volume simple shear device at the normal stresses ranging from 25 to 800 kPa. From the results, it was noted that correlations for undrained shear strength should be selected with respect to the anticipated failure mechanism. The power function can be used to represent the curvature in failure envelopes. Direct shear results suggests a lack of curvature in the effective failure envelopes for normally consolidated clays. However, results from the simple shear testing show that failure envelopes are curved for low effective normal stresses and thus, the use of a linear c′−ϕ′ envelope can be unconservative for shallow landslides.
Systemic reforms are needed to reduce harmful medical overuse.

The Choosing Wisely campaign is an excellent step forward in getting physicians to think about what they are doing, and to follow the evidence.1 That these lists of recommendations are generated by the physicians’ specialty societies likely increases their effectiveness. Most of the recommendations, however, are fairly specific to individual patients, tepid, and not system changing. Widespread adoption of …
Performance benefits of optical circuit switches for large-scale dragonfly networks

We propose Optical Circuit Switching for dynamically creating reconfigurable partitions in large-scale systems with Dragonfly networks. Up to 2x execution-time improvement is demonstrated for global traffic patterns in a >13,000-node system using a production-grade network simulator.
Two-Dimensional Melting of Magnetic Bubble Arrays: A Continuous Hexatic-To-Liquid Transition

Arrays of two-dimensional magnetic bubbles in thin garnet films undergo a hexatic-toliquid transition as a function of bubble density controlled by an applied spatially uniform dc bias magnetic field that opposes the magnetization in the bubbles. The phase transition is driven by topological point defects. The bubbles are observed directly using optical microscopy and digital imaging techniques. In the presence of a linear gradient in the dc bias magnetic field the hexatic-to-liquid transition occurs spatially in the direction of the gradient. As the system goes from hexatic to liquid, a continuous decrease in bubble density accompanied by a continuous disordering of the array is observed along the gradient direction. This continuous disordering persists even after the system is allowed to equilibrate for very long periods of time, indicating that the hexatic-to-liquid transition is continuous at equilibrium. Dynamics of topological defects observed in the gradient field correspond to those observed in the uniform field.
Profit-enhancing environmental policy: uninformed regulation in an entry-deterrence model

This paper considers a polluting firm, subject to environmental policy, who seeks to deter the entry of potential competitors. We investigate under which conditions firm profits are enhanced by regulation. We show that, contrary to common belief, inefficient firms may support environmental regulation when their production is especially polluting. In addition, we evaluate how this result is affected by the regulator’s prior beliefs accuracy and the environmental damage from pollution.
Analysis of environmental and economic tradeoffs in switchgrass supply chains for biofuel production

This study considered the environmental advantages of switchgrass, along with the economic challenges in its logistics, in the design of a sustainable switchgrass supply chain in Tennessee. Applying a multi-objective optimization model to high-resolution spatial data, potential tradeoffs among the objectives of minimizing feedstock costs, GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, and soil erosion were identified for a set of conversion facilities on an efficient frontier. The tradeoff relationship was primarily driven by the type of agricultural land converted to switchgrass. Hay and pasture lands were more cost effective but resulted in higher soil carbon losses and soil erosion after being converted to switchgrass. Converting crop lands reduced GHG emissions and soil erosion but caused higher feedstock cost primarily due to the higher opportunity cost of land use. The respective average costs of abating GHG emissions and soil erosion on the efficient frontier were $2378 Mg−1 and $10 Mg−1. The compromise solution conversion facility site generated 63% higher feedstock cost compared to the cost minimizing location, while reducing soil erosion by 70 fold and diminishing GHG emissions by 27%. Reducing soil erosion may be a more cost effective environmental criterion than reducing GHG emissions in developing a sustainable switchgrass supply chain in Tennessee.
A quantum annealing approach for boolean satisfiability problem

Quantum annealing device has shown a great potential in solving discrete problems that are theoretically and empirically hard. Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) problem, determining if there is an assignment of variables that satisfies a given Boolean function, is the first proven NP-complete problem widely used in various domains. Here, we present a novel mapping of the SAT problem to the quadratic unconstrained binary optimization problem (QUBO), and further develop a tool flow embedding the proposed QUBO to the architecture of the commercialized quantum computer D-Wave. By leveraging electronic design automation techniques including synthesis, placement and routing, this is not only the first work providing the detail flow that embeds the QUBO, but also a technique scalable for real world applications and some hard SAT problems with over 6000 variables in QUBO. Based on our results, we discuss the challenges in solving SAT using the current generation of annealing device, and explore the problem solving capability of future quantum annealing computers.
TN, A General Carcinoma-Associated Antigen

Abstract Tn antigen, the immediate precursor in the biosynthesis of T (Thomsen-Friedenreich) antigen does not occur in immunoreactive form in healthy tissues. However, we found it in about 90% of all primary carcinomas (CAs) and their metastases, as well as in the two T lymphomas studied. Thus, Tn is a CA-associated antigen. All humans possess “naturally occurring” antibodies against Tn.
Phase I Study of Epigenetic Priming with Azacitidine Prior to Standard Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Patients with Resectable Gastric and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: Evidence of Tumor Hypomethylation as an Indicator of Major Histopathologic Response

Purpose: Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes (TSG) is an acquired abnormality observed in cancer and is prototypically linked to DNA methylation. We postulated that pretreatment (priming) with 5-azacitidine would increase the efficacy of chemotherapy by reactivating TSGs. This study was conducted to identify a tolerable dose of 5-azacitidine prior to EOX (epirubicin, oxaliplatin, capecitabine) neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced esophageal/gastric adenocarcinoma (EGC).Experimental Design: Eligible patients had untreated, locally advanced, resectable EGC, ECOG 0-2, and adequate organ function. 5-Azacitidine (V, 75 mg/m2) was given subcutaneously for 3 (dose level, DL 1) or 5 (DL 2) days prior to each 21-day cycle of EOX (E, 50 mg/m2; O, 130 mg/m2; X, 625 mg/m2 twice daily for 21 days). Standard 3+3 methodology guided V dose escalation. DNA methylation at control and biomarker regions was measured by digital droplet, bisulfite qPCR in tumor samples collected at baseline and at resection.Results: All subjects underwent complete resection of residual tumor (R0). Three of the 12 patients (25%) achieved a surgical complete response and 5 had partial responses. The overall response rate was 67%. The most common toxicities were gastrointestinal and hematologic. Hypomethylation of biomarker genes was observed at all dose levels and trended with therapeutic response.Conclusions: Neoadjuvant VEOX was well-tolerated with significant clinical and epigenetic responses, with preliminary evidence that priming with V prior to chemotherapy may augment chemotherapy efficacy. The recommended phase II trial schedule is 5-azacitidine 75 mg/m2 for 5 days followed by EOX chemotherapy every 21 days. Clin Cancer Res; 23(11); 2673-80. ©2016 AACR.
Three dimensional (3D) percolation network structure: Key to form stable carbon nano grease

Nano grease is found to be stable and homogeneous (wherein carbon nanotubes act as sole thickeners and oil is polyalphaolefin (PAO)). This is a good indication that three dimensional (3D) percolation network structures among carbon nanotubes (single wall and multi wall) play a crucial role in stabilization. To better understand this assumption and provide further evidence, some additional carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanofiber (CNF), graphene, fullerene (C60), Ni-coated single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT), are selected to make the grease. Unfortunately, CNF, graphene, fullerene (C60) and Ni-coated SWNT do not form stable greases as nanotubes do. In addition, SWNTs were mixed with CNF and Ni-coated SWNT respectively to see if stable grease could be formed. The results indicate that the CNF/SWNT did not form the stable grease, while Ni-coated SWNT/SWNT did. Inter molecular Van der Waals forces could reasonably explain these experimental results. Appropriate tube size (nanotube and nanofiber), stereo structure (nanotube, graphene and fullerene), surface energy (nanotube and Ni-coated nanotube) are critical factors that determine if Van der Waals forces could take effect or not. The scientific merit of this paper is that we understand in what manner stable greases are formed and what kinds of carbon materials are appropriate for acting as sole thickener.
Abstract 2210: DNA methylation to identify non-coding gene regulatory regions in tumor samples

Altered control of transcriptional regulation via mutations to transcription factors and chromatin modifiers is a hallmark of cancer. Many popular methods for studying transcriptional regulation, such as ChIP-seq, DNase-I hypersensitivity, and Chromatin Conformation Capture, can be challenging to apply to clinical samples. DNA methylation has long been the chromatin biomarker of choice in disease studies because of its stability under clinical collection conditions. We have used DNA methylation profiles of thousands of tumors within the TCGA to reconstruct cancer-specific transcription factor regulatory networks, including non-coding transcription factor binding sites in enhancer regions. We use methyl-expression QTL (M->E QTL) analysis to associate changes at individual binding sites with their gene targets, often hundreds of thousands of base pairs away. This new approach allows for the first time the identification of in vivo enhancer changes in thousands of individuals, and provides a technology platform to identify key regulatory events in cancer progression. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Benjamin P. Berman. DNA methylation to identify non-coding gene regulatory regions in tumor samples. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2210. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2210
Local Politics of Forest Governance: Why NGO Support Can Reduce Local Government Responsiveness

Summary Concerned with the challenges of sustainable development, policy makers and scholars often urge nongovernmental organizations to increase their efforts to support governance of natural resources in developing countries. How does funding from external NGOs influence the responsiveness of local government policy to the sector-specific needs and policy preferences of local citizens? Using a unique longitudinal dataset from surveys of local governance actors in 200 municipalities in Bolivia and Guatemala, we explore these questions in the context of local natural resource policy. We find preliminary support for the hypothesis that external NGOs gain disproportionate influence over local policy processes in forestry by donating to local governments, and that this influence “crowds out” the influence of local grassroots actors, leading to less responsive local governance as rated by councils of local citizens. However, political pressure on local government officials from organized local groups in the forestry sector counteracts this negative relationship. Although NGOs can contribute to technical capacity for local governments and are generally seen as supportive of decentralized and participatory governance, our findings suggest that NGOs exert political pressure on local governments in pursuit of their own policy goals, and that NGO support may sometimes steer local governments away from responding to the specific livelihood needs of local resource users. More generally, our findings underscore the importance of local political contexts in moderating the effects of NGO interventions.
Development of a scurfy-like phenotype in Foxp3-YFP-cre NKAP cKO mice

NKAP is a transcriptional repressor required at various stages of conventional αβ T cell development. Here, we asked if NKAP is also required in regulatory T cells. To answer this, we created Foxp3-YFP-cre NKAP conditional knock-out (cKO) mice in which NKAP deletion occurs upon the expression of Foxp3 during Treg development in the thymus. Deletion of NKAP results in lethal autoimmunity necessitating euthanasia at 3–4 weeks of age that is reminiscent of Foxp3-deficient scurfy mice. Foxp3-YFP-cre NKAP cKO mice present uncontrolled conventional T cell activation, Treg abnormalities and a reduction of total number of Tregs in the periphery. Therefore, NKAP is required for Treg dependent peripheral tolerance.
COMPARATIVE METABOLISM AND AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH FOR STUDY OF LIVER OXIDASE INDUCTION IN PRIMATES

ABSTRACT. Although there is a close systematic relationship between apes, man and monkeys, these groups are infrequently used in insecticide disposition studies. The need to know about insecticide disposition derives from predictable or unintended insecticide exposures in the personal, occupational, and community environments. Subhuman primates may be particularly well suited to investigations of target organ toxicity following subacute and chronic insecticide exposures. Usefulness of these studies for assessing potential harm to man will depend upon knowledge of absorption, distribution, biotransformation, deposition, macromolecular binding, and elimination processes. Representatives of major insecticide classes have been studied in primates, but knowledge of the fate of most insecticides can only be inferred. Recent comparative studies in this laboratory using rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulata, have measured the effects of liver monooxygenase inducers on liver ultrastructure, antipyrine half-life in vivo and oxidative metabolism in vitro of aldrin, dihydroisodrin, p-nitroanisole, and 3,4-benzpyrene. Closed liver needle biopsies were the enzyme source for in vitro work. Reduced antipyrine plasma half-lives and increased in vitro levels of aldrin epoxidation and p-nitroanisole O-demethylation were obtained after feeding 10, 100, and 500 ppm DDT in diet for consecutive 30 day periods. Induction was also obtained with phenobarbital (15 mg/kg, 2 ×/day × 4, im). Animals served as their own controls and showed no overt or clinical signs of toxicity. Thus, monkeys can be used in comparative disposition studies in which knowledge of the fate of xenobiotics is essential for evaluation of their biological activity .
Ideal Adsorption Isotherm Behavior for Cooling Applications

Purely heat-driven refrigeration has the potential for high primary-energy efficiency, especially when powered by waste heat or solar thermal sources. This paper presents a novel expression for the ideal adsorption step location as a function of operating conditions. This methodology is then applied to a hypothetical stepwise material to evaluate its intrinsic efficiency. This analysis technique is then extended to allow facile efficiency comparisons for any adsorbent–refrigerant pair using an adsorbent’s isotherm and heat of adsorption properties. This work focuses on limitations to efficiency due to the equilibrium thermodynamics. It is found that a stepwise adsorbent can have a single-effect intrinsic efficiency of as high as about 85% of Carnot, assuming typical adsorbent specific heats and uptake capacity. Using these tools, we analyze the maximum ratio of cooling to heat input (coefficient of performance) for two adsorption pairs, zeolite 13X-water and UiO-66-water, which are found to have maximum c...
Observing Robot Touch in Context: How Does Touch and Attitude Affect Perceptions of a Robot's Social Qualities?

The complex role of touch is an increasingly appreciated horizon for HRI research. The explicit and implicit registers of touch, both human-to-robot and robot-to-human, have opened up pressing questions in design and HRI ethics about embodiment, communication, care, and human affection. In this paper we present results of an MTurk survey about robot-initiated touch in a social context. We examine how a positive or negative attitude from the robot, as well as whether the robot touches an interactant, affects how a robot is judged as a worker and teammate. Our findings confirm previous empirical support for the idea of touch as enhancing social appraisals of a robot, though the extent of that positive tactile role was complicated and tempered by the survey responses’ gender effects.
Gain dependent self-phasing in a two-core coherently combined fiber laser

The influence of the Kramers-Kronig phase is demonstrated in a coherently combined fiber laser where other passive phasing mechanisms such as wavelength tuning have been suppressed. A mathematical model is developed to predict the lasing supermode and is supported by experimental measurements of the gain, phase, and power. The results show that the difference in Kramers-Kronig phase arising from a difference in gain between the two arms partially compensates for an externally applied phase error.
La vuelta a Julio Cortázar: en anhelo y elfatalismo de la otredad

Not too many Latin American writers, contrary to Julio Cortazar ever since his first writings, have been able to elaborate a critique of the western subject and of western culture and to raise a set of issues on the relationship among power, culture, and subjectivity. This relationship leads to a number of concerns all throughout Cortazar's work: the problem of 'exile', the relationship with the social and cultural Other, urban space – the hallucinating cities, the timeless cities –, the ways in which literature draws on the major projects of modernity, etc. Much of Cortazar's work introduces characters living daily lives which do not sustain them, which render them empty and melancholic, off-shore and boundless, as tramps who become alienated within rather apathetic relations. But the subject tries; the subject attempts to fill gaps by identifying himself or herself with the Other. The subject desperately and obsessively lets show a longing for and fatalism about Otherness. Not only does he or she establishes that crucial bond with the Other (be it social, cultural, etc.), but he also starts a dialogue with his cultural heritage (especially with one of the founding tendencies of Argentinian literature and culture: that of the ideological matrix of "civilizacion y barbarie"). Cortazar's writings are disturbed by the tension of mixtures as revealed in narrations such as "Las puertas del cielo" (Bestiario, 1951), or symbolized by that very same tension and nostalgia which, for instance, in "El otro cielo" (Todos los fuegos el fuego, 1966) he undoubtedly made explicit.
Urodynamic Findings in Parkinson’s Disease

AbstractNeurourological evaluation was performed in 24 men and 5 women with Parkinson’s disease who had persistent bladder symptoms. Detrusor hyperreflexia was found in 26 (90 per cent) of the patients. Sporadic involuntary electromyography activity of the external sphincter during involuntary detrusor contractions was encountered in 61 per cent but in none did this cause obstruction. Coordinated striated sphincter relaxation during voluntary detrusor contraction was found in 13 patients (45 per cent). Among 22 men who were in the prostatic disease age group only 4 (18 per cent) had definite prostatic obstruction. Moreover, none of 8 men with persistent symptoms after prostatectomy had evidence of bladder outlet obstruction.
Comparative Genomic Analysis Using the UCSC Genome Browser

Comparative analysis of DNA sequence from multiple species can provide insights into the function and evolutionary processes that shape genomes. The University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) Genome Bioinformatics group has developed several tools and methodologies in its study of comparative genomics, many of which have been incorporated into the UCSC Genome Browser (http://genome.ucsc.edu), an easy-to-use online tool for browsing genomic data and aligned annotation "tracks" in a single window. The comparative genomics annotations in the browser include pairwise alignments, which aid in the identification of orthologous regions between species, and conservation tracks that show measures of evolutionary conservation among sets of multiply aligned species, highlighting regions of the genome that may be functionally important. A related tool, the UCSC Table Browser, provides a simple interface for querying, analyzing, and downloading the data underlying the Genome Browser annotation tracks. Here, we describe a procedure for examining a genomic region of interest in the Genome Browser, analyzing characteristics of the region, filtering the data, and downloading data sets for further study.
Gravitational Effects on Nonlinear Heat Transport Near the Superfluid Transition in 4He

We have recently observed nonlinear heat transport within 30 nK of the superfluid transition temperature using heat flux, Q, in the range 0.1 < Q < 2 erg/(s cm2). While Haussmann and Dohm (HD) accurately predict the initial departure of the thermal conductivity, κ, from the linear response region, κ is greater than expected very close to Tλ. We anticipate that the nature of the thermal conductivity's nonlinearity may depend upon Earth's gravity in the low heat flux limit (Q < 0.5 erg/(s cm2)). Comparison of our data to similar data to be taken in a microgravity laboratory will provide an experimental determination of the effect of gravity on nonlinear heat transport near the superfluid transition. The microgravity measurements will also permit the first experimental test of theories that do not consider gravitational effects, such as those by HD.
Oral delivery of fluticasone powder improves esophageal eosinophilic inflammation and symptoms in adults with eosinophilic esophagitis.

Topical steroids are the primary medical therapy for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Current steroid formulations are used off-label and designed for airway delivery. It is known that the efficacy of topical steroids depends on drug-mucosal contact time, which is related to its formulation. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of fluticasone administered by means of an orally administered powder formulation. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with EoE based on current guidelines and who were treated with orally administered fluticasone powder. The primary outcome was histologic response (peak eosinophil density (eos/hpf)). Secondary outcomes included patient-reported symptoms (EoEQ) and endoscopic features measured by a validated instrument (EoE endoscopic reference score, EREFS). Forty patients were treated with fluticasone powder with doses of 500 to 1000 mcg b.i.d. A significant difference was found between pre- and posttreatment levels of eosinophilia (P < 0.0001). Seventy-five percent of patients achieved peak densities of <15 eos/hpf. Improvement was also demonstrated in dysphagia symptoms (P = 0.031) and endoscopic findings of furrows (P = 0.0001) and exudates (P = 0.0001). Oral fluticasone powder induced significant improvement in histopathology, symptoms, and endoscopic features of inflammation in adults with EoE. It offers an easy-to-administer formulation of a topical steroid that circumvents concerns with esophageal delivery of commonly used, aerosolized inhaler preparations.
Heavy-Ion Test Results of Several Commercial Components for Use in a Class D Interplanetary Mission Payload

This paper presents recent heavy ion single-event effects test results for commercial off the shelf devices. Data was taken in CY17 for device evaluation for use in a Class D NASA interplanetary mission payload.
Adiponectin inhibits eosinophil recruitment and is protective in invasive aspergillosis

Aspergillus fumigatus is a fungal pathogen associated with allergy, asthma, and invasive infection in susceptible individuals. Our previous results suggested that eosinophils may be a novel therapeutic target in invasive aspergillosis (IA) patients that do not respond to conventional pharmacotherapy. Eosinophil recruitment is induced by inhalation of the fungal cell wall polysaccharide chitin. However, the mechanisms of immune regulation that drive this recruitment are not well understood. We observed decreased levels of the metabolic-regulating cytokine adiponectin in the lungs and serum of mice after chitin aspiration, suggesting that adiponectin may be involved in the regulation of type 2 lung immune responses. Co-aspiration of adiponectin with chitin significantly reduced eosinophil accumulation in the lungs, and airway eosinophil recruitment in adiponectin-deficient mice was increased with chitin aspiration. In addition, chitin aspiration resulted in decreased surface expression of the adiponectin receptor AdipoR1 on eosinophils. Most significantly, airway accumulation of eosinophils, disease severity, and fungal burden were increased in adiponectin knockout mice with IA. This may be due to a direct inhibition of eosinophil recruitment, as recombinant adiponectin inhibited chemotaxis of bone marrow-derived eosinophils in vitro. These results suggest that adiponectin inhibits potentially detrimental lung eosinophil recruitment in response to chitin-containing pathogens. Increased understanding of the relationship between metabolic and immune regulation may ultimately result in novel therapies for obesity and allergic and infectious disease.
Small Businesses and Their Banks: The Impact of the Great Recession

Capital is the lifeblood of small businesses, which rely on credit to start, operate, and grow. Historically, small businesses relied on banks to access capital. But during the Great Recession, credit markets froze, and banks slowed and even stopped lending, even to businesses with good credit. This crisis hit small businesses hard and credit conditions have been slow to recover. The economic downturn significantly devalued collateral—especially home equity—that small business owners use to secure credit. Lenders and business owners became risk averse due to lost sales and the trauma from the crisis. This chapter explores the short-term cyclical factors that made securing credit particularly hard for small businesses during the recovery, setting the scene for the entry of new technologies and lenders.
Shoal: Query Optimization and Operator Placement for Access Controlled Stream Processing Systems

Distributed Data Stream Processing Systems (DDSPS) execute on transient data flowing through long-running, continuous, streaming queries, grouped together in query networks. Often, these continuous queries are outsourced by the querier to third-party computing platforms to help control the cost and maintenance associated with owning and operating such systems. Such outsourcing, however, may be contradictory to a data provider’s access controls as they may not permit their data to be viewed or accessed by an unintended third party. A data provider’s access controls may, therefore, prevent a querier from fully outsourcing their query. Current research in this space has provided alternative access control techniques that involve computation-enabling encryption techniques, specialized hardware, or specialized query operators that allow for a data provider to enforce access controls while still allowing a querier to employ a third-party system. However, no system considers access controls and their enforcement as part of the query optimization step. In this paper, we present Shoal, an optimizer that considers access controls as first class citizens when optimizing and distributing a network of query operators. We show that Shoal can generate more efficient queries versus the state-of-the-art, as well as detail how changes in access controls can generate new query plans at runtime.
Minimally Invasive Surgical Options with Valvular Heart Disease.

The incidence and prevalence of structural heart disease has risen due to the longevity of the population, placing an economic burden on society. Over the past 20 years, treatment options for structural heart disease has significantly evolved. Advances in technology and interventional techniques have now shifted therapeutic options to include minimally invasive approaches to correct valvular heart disease. Patients with congenital heart defects are candidates for minimally invasive approaches to correct valvular heart disease. An interdisciplinary team approach using a fusion of multimodal imaging is the best approach for the treatment of this complex patient population.
Functional and anatomical variations in retinorecipient brain areas in Arvicanthis niloticus and Rattus norvegicus: implications for the circadian and masking systems

Daily rhythms in light exposure influence the expression of behavior by entraining circadian rhythms and through its acute effects on behavior (i.e., masking). Importantly, these effects of light are dependent on the temporal niche of the organism; for diurnal organisms, light increases activity, whereas for nocturnal organisms, the opposite is true. Here we examined the functional and morphological differences between diurnal and nocturnal rodents in retinorecipient brain regions using Nile grass rats (Arvicanthis niloticus) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (Rattus norvegicus), respectively. We established the presence of circadian rhythmicity in cFOS activation in retinorecipient brain regions in nocturnal and diurnal rodents housed in constant dark conditions to highlight different patterns between the temporal niches. We then assessed masking effects by comparing cFOS activation in constant darkness (DD) to that in a 12:12 light/dark (LD) cycle, confirming light responsiveness of these regions during times when masking occurs in nature. The intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) and olivary pretectal nucleus (OPN) exhibited significant variation among time points in DD of both species, but their expression profiles were not identical, as SD rats had very low expression levels for most timepoints. Light presentation in LD conditions induced clear rhythms in the IGL of SD rats but eliminated them in grass rats. Additionally, grass rats were the only species to demonstrate daily rhythms in LD for the habenula and showed a strong response to light in the superior colliculus. Structurally, we also analyzed the volumes of the visual brain regions using anatomical MRI, and we observed a significant increase in the relative size of several visual regions within diurnal grass rats, including the lateral geniculate nucleus, superior colliculus, and optic tract. Altogether, our results suggest that diurnal grass rats devote greater proportions of brain volume to visual regions than nocturnal rodents, and cFOS activation in these brain regions is dependent on temporal niche and lighting conditions.
Active Specific Immunotherapy of Malignant Melanoma and Peptide Mimics of the Human High-Molecular-Weight Melanoma-Associated Antigen

The realization that tumor cells utilize multiple mechanisms to escape from immune recognition and destruction has stimulated interest in developing and applying immunotherapeutic strategies which target both humoral and cellular immunity to malignant cells. As a result, the tumor-associated antigens (TAA) used as targets have to be expressed on the cell surface membrane of malignant cells. Furthermore, since most of the TAA used for active specific immunotherapy are self-antigens, a challenge facing tumor immunologists is to develop strategies which are effective in breaking tolerance to self-antigens. This chapter describes one strategy which relies on the use of peptide mimics of the human high-molecular-weight melanoma-associated antigen (HMW-MAA) as immunogens to implement active specific immunotherapy in patients with malignant melanoma. These mimics, which are isolated from phage display peptide libraries by panning with anti-HMW-MAA monoclonal antibodies, are expected to induce both humoral and cellular anti-HMW-MAA immunity.
Insurance Coverage for Children Impacts Reporting of Child Maltreatment by Healthcare Professionals

Objectives Children's insurance coverage, through increased access and use of the healthcare system, may increase the likelihood that healthcare professionals (HCPs) will detect and report child maltreatment. We sought to estimate the association between insurance coverage for children and reporting of child maltreatment by HCPs. Study design We conducted a cross-sectional study of US counties from 2008 to 2015 using data from the US Census Bureau's Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, National Center for Health Statistics, and National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. The primary predictor was counties' percent of children insured. We controlled for counties' children living at ≤200% federal poverty level, race/ethnicity demographics, and urban-rural status. The primary outcome was the rate of maltreatment reporting from HCPs. Generalized linear mixed effects models with repeated measures across years tested associations. Results We included 5517 county-year observations involving 470 876 018 child-years. Counties' percent of children insured ranged from 74.6% to 99.2% with a median of 93.7% (IQR, 91.0-95.4). For every 1 percentage point increase in counties' percent of children insured, there was an associated 2% increase in child maltreatment reporting by HCPs (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.02-1.03). If counties' percentage of insured children had been 1 percentage point greater in 2015, a predicted 5620 (95% CI, 5620-8089) additional reports would have been generated. Conclusions Among its other benefits for children's well-being, insurance coverage may also contribute to child protection by increasing the reporting of maltreatment among HCPs.
A Single-Center Experience and Literature Review of Management Strategies for Clostridium difficile Infection in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients.

Introduction The aim of our study is to evaluate risk factors associated with the development of C. difficile infection (CDI) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients, determine its incidence and report outcomes of CDI in our patient population. Methods We performed a retrospective review of medical records of adult HSCT recipients diagnosed between 2013 and 2016 at our center. Logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between risk factors and the odds of CDI. Results The overall incidence of CDI in HSCT patients was 9.4%. The incidence of CDI was higher in allogeneic HSCT (20%) versus autologous HSCT (4.8%). No statistically significant differences in age, gender, cancer type, transplant type were found between those who developed CDI and those who did not. However, patients with CDI had a longer length of stay (25 days) and used more antibiotics (30 days prior to and during admission for HSCT) than non-CDI patients (19 days). Only two of 17 patients (11.8%) with CDI experienced recurrence among 180 patients after HSCT. No patient suffered from toxic megacolon or ileus and no patient underwent colectomy. There was no mortality associated with CDI at our center. Conclusion CDI has an incidence rate of 9.4% in HSCT recipients. Established risk factors including age, gender, cancer type, and transplant type were not identified as risk factors in our population. However, longer LOS and use of greater than four lines of antibiotics were observed among those with CDI compared to those without CDI.
Suppression of FOXM1 activities and breast cancer growth in vitro and in vivo by a new class of compounds

The transcription factor FOXM1 is upregulated and overexpressed in aggressive, therapy-resistant forms of hormone receptor-positive and triple negative breast cancers, and is associated with less good patient survival. FOXM1 signaling is also a key driver in many other cancers. Here, we identify a new class of compounds effective in suppressing FOXM1 activity in breast cancers, and displaying good potency for antitumor efficacy. The compounds bind directly to FOXM1 and alter its proteolytic sensitivity, reduce the cellular level of FOXM1 protein by a proteasome- dependent process, and suppress breast cancer cell proliferation and cell cycle progression and increase apoptosis. RNA-seq and gene set enrichment analyses indicate that the compounds decrease expression of FOXM1-regulated genes and suppress gene ontologies under FOXM1 regulation. Several compounds have favorable pharmacokinetic properties and show good tumor suppression in preclinical breast tumor models. These compounds may be suitable for further clinical evaluation in targeting aggressive breast cancers driven by FOXM1.
Disparities in Sugary Drink Advertising on New York City Streets.

Introduction Studies show that outdoor advertisements for unhealthy, consumable products are associated with increased intake and often target youth, low-income neighborhoods, and neighborhoods of color. Despite evidence that overconsumption of sugary drinks contributes to obesity and other chronic conditions, little is known specifically regarding the patterns of outdoor sugary drink advertising. Methods The number of outdoor, street-level advertisements featuring sugary drinks was assessed in a random sample of retail-dense street segments (N=953) in low, medium, and high-poverty neighborhoods in each of New York City's 5 boroughs in 2015. Negative binomial regression was used to determine associations between sugary drink ad density, poverty level, and other census tract-level demographics (2009–2013 estimates) in each borough and New York City overall. Data were analyzed in 2017–2019. Results In New York City and in 3 of 5 boroughs, sugary drink ad density was positively associated with increased percentages of black, non-Latino residents (New York City: incidence rate ratio=1.20, p Conclusions This study found a consistent positive association between the density of outdoor sugary drink advertisements and the presence of non-Latino black residents in New York City and, in some boroughs, evidence of a positive association with neighborhood poverty. These findings highlight the inequities where sugary drinks are advertised in New York City.
Use of Pipeline Embolization Devices for treatment of a direct carotid-cavernous fistula.

The use of minimally porous endoluminal devices (MPEDs) such as the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) has been described for the treatment of brain aneurysms. The benefit of using MPEDs to assist embolization of a direct high-flow carotid cavernous fistula resulting from a ruptured cavernous carotid artery aneurysm is not well documented. We describe our experience with deploying a tailored multidevice PED construct across the cavernous internal carotid artery (ICA) wall defect in combination with transarterial coil embolization using the “jailed microcatheter” technique. A 59-year-old woman presented with acute left-sided ophthalmoplegia. Diagnostic cerebral angiography demonstrated a ruptured giant cavernous carotid aneurysm with fistulous outflow via the ipsilateral left superior ophthalmic vein and into the pterygoid venous plexi bilaterally. Via the Marksman microcatheter, a total of three PEDs measuring 4.5 mm × 18 mm, 4.5 mm × 20 mm, and 4.75 mm × 16 mm were telescoped within the ICA across the aneurysm neck. Coiling of the aneurysm fundus and cavernous sinus via the “jailed” Rapidtransit microcatheter was subsequently achieved. A 2-year follow-up digital subtraction angiography (DSA) demonstrated stable obliteration of the aneurysm and the fistula, coincident with complete resolution of the patient’s symptoms. Based on our long-term clinical and angiographic results, we advocate that the presented method be a valid treatment option for selected cases.
Clinical analysis of modified laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty in children with ureteropelvic junction obstruction

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of modified transperitoneal laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty in children with with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO).Methods The clinical data of 27 children with UPJO treated with transperitoneal laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty were analyzed retrospectively.The age ranged from 5 to 104 months (mean,37 months).All cases were diagnosed by ultrasonography,IVU,CT and/or renal radionuclide scanning.The antero-posterior pelvic diameter was more than 3 cm by ultrasound in all cases.Indications of surgery were as followings:symptoms of upper abdominal pain or low back pain and/or split renal function ＜40％ and/or progressive dilatation.Modified transperitoneal laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty was performed.Double hitch stitches were transfixed at the top of pelvis and ureter to be anastomosed,and a 6 F urethral catheter was inserted as a ureteral stent percutaneously through the puncture hole and was removed 7-9 days postoperatively without double-J stent.Results All operations were completed laparoscopically without conversion to open surgery.The mean operative time was 118 min (range,85 to 176),the mean blood loss was 16 ml (range,10 to 30) and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 10.5 days (range 9 to 13).The perinephric urine drainage occurred in 2 patients with about 200 ml/d,and reduced to 6 ml/d and 4 ml/d 5 to 6 days after operation.During the follow-up period for 12 to 36 months(mean,22 months) in 27 cases,there was no stricture at UPJ and the hydronephrosis reduced significantly or disappeared.Conclusion Laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty with double hitch stitches and an ordinary urethral catheter as an ureteral stent is an easy method with high successful rate and less operative time,which avoids reoperation to remove the double-J stent and is worthy of clinical popularization. Key words: Hydronephrosis; Laparoscopy; Children; Double hitch; Double-J stent
Multiconfigurational dynamics explain photochemical reactivity and torquoselectivity towards fluorinated polyacetylenes

The discovery of the conductivity of polyacetylene ignited the field of organic electronic materials. Functionalizing polyacetylenes with electron withdrawing groups (e.g., fluorine), has been predicted to increase the air-stability of PAs and open new avenues in organic electronics. Burns and coworkers recently reported a novel synthetic route to fluorinated polyacetylenes which utilizes as a key step towards the stereoselective photochemical electrocyclic ring-closing of hexafluorinated dienes. We call this selectivity, photo-torquoselectivity. While Houk's torquoselectivity model predicts the stereoselectivity of thermal electrocyclic reactions, no such reactivity model exists for their photochemical counterpart. We have used multiconfigurational quantum chemical calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to describe this reaction and to determine the origin of its stereoselectivity. We show that the reaction proceeds through the S1 excited state with a half-life of 445 fs. This reaction lies along an energetically unfavorable pathway which results in a reaction quantum yield of approximately 14%. We predict that the reaction pathway to the unobserved product lies as much as 0.3 eV (6.9 kcal mol−1) higher in energy than the pathway to the observed isomer. The reaction pathway to the observed product benefits from stabilizing Fδ−⋯Hδ+ interactions while the pathway to the unobserved product suffers from destabilizing F–F closed-shell repulsion. The combination of these two stereoelectronic effects is responsible for the difference in energy between the two pathways which directs the reaction exclusively to the observed product.
Comment Letter of Professors Max M. Schanzenbach and Robert H. Sitkoff on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Request for Comment on the Names Rule for Mutual Funds in Light of ESG Investing and Other Market Developments

In March 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission asked for public comment on the names rule (rule 35d-1) for mutual funds in light of developments since the rule's adoption in 2001. Among such developments, the request for comment identifies burgeoning investor interest in environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) investing and the corresponding proliferation of funds that purport to make use of ESG factors. This response to the SEC’s request for comment has two purposes: First, we provide clarifying context for the ESG investing phenomenon and a summary of the current state of theoretical and empirical literature in financial economics on it. Second, we discuss how this context informs the critical relationship between ESG disclosure by a mutual fund, both in the fund’s name and in its prospectus, and the rules (e.g., state trust law or ERISA) that govern the extent to which a trustee or other fiduciary may use ESG factors in fiduciary investment. We organize this response in four parts: (1) we provide a clarifying taxonomy on the meaning of ESG investing and the methods for implementing it; (2) we discuss the inherent subjectivity in identifying and applying ESG factors; (3) we assess the current theory and evidence on whether ESG investing can improve risk-adjusted returns; and (4) we identify four interrelated questions of regulatory policy stemming from growing investor interest in ESG investing, situating the request for comment toward potential revision of the names rule within that four-part framework. This response is largely but not entirely based on “Reconciling Fiduciary Duty and Social Conscience: The Law and Economics of ESG Investing by a Trustee,” 72 Stanford Law Review 381 (2020), https://ssrn.com/abstract=3244665.
Transformative Potentials of Drop Marketing and Drop Retail Strategies in the Fashion Industry

Drop marketing has been adopted by various industries such as the foodservice, social commerce, and the fashion industries. In the case of the fashion industry, drop marketing has been manifested as a powerful marketing tool for fashion luxury brands such as Supreme and Burberry. Drop marketing strategies utilize the unannounced release of the limited-edition product in limited quantities bat specific locations. By reviewing the recent cases of the drop marketing strategies used in those industries, we aim to alert the academic regarding such strategies' transformative promotional impacts on brand image, brand loyalty, and consumer behavior. Besides, we unveil those strategies' possibilities to influence the catalytic changes in the supply chain as well as customer relationship management.