cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Grateloupia Turuturu (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta): The Correct Identity of the Invasive Species in the Atlantic Known as Grateloupia Doryphora as Inferred From Molecular and Morphological Evidence

Grateloupia doryphora (Montagne) Howe, originally described from Peru, has repeatedly been reported as an invasive species in Atlantic and Mediterranean waters. Various attempts to explain this species' route of invasion have, so far, been unsatisfying. In the present paper, we provide new evidence on the basis of comparative rbcL sequence analysis and morphology that this invasive species in the NE and NW Atlantic corresponds to G. turuturu Yamada, originally described from Japan. The true origin of this alga follows a well-recognized trend of invasive marine organisms that have on various occasions colonized the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea from Pacific NE Asia.
Semicolon-bracket notation: A hidden resource in APL

The semicolon-bracket (SB) notation for indexing an array in APL has often been regarded unfavorably because of its anomalous character relative to other APL functions: the function symbol is a pair of brackets rather than a single character; the bracket pair is bound to the associated array at a higher precedence than any other function; and the requisite number of semicolons must appear literally within the brackets, so that the construct within the brackets when one or more semicolons are present is not an APL object, and therefore cannot be substituted for by another APL expression without semicolons. Nevertheless, this notation provides a simple way to index arrays of any rank, and has proven to be very convenient in practice.In this paper, it will be shown that the SB notation can (a) easily be extended to defined functions, and that it can also be used (b) to allow a multiplicity of names to be used unambiguously to the left of assignment, (c) to allow multiple statements on a line in a manner similar to that provided by the diamond separator in some APL systems, and (d) to extend and generalize the use of bracketed expressions as an axis operator.
Mechanisms controlling the global oceanic distribution of the inert gases argon, nitrogen and neon

[1] Dissolved inert gas measurements in the ocean yield important information about processes that occur during water mass formation. We present argon, nitrogen, and neon data from the subtropical and subpolar North Pacific and the subtropical North Atlantic. All three gases were supersaturated at the surface. In the deep ocean, Ar and N2 were undersaturated while Ne remained supersaturated. All the data fell within the range predicted by a quasi-steady-state mixed-layer model that allows only temperature change, and diffusive and bubble-mediated gas exchange. This result suggests that these three processes are the first order controls on the global oceanic distribution of inert gas saturations.
Chemistry and Metabolism of Vitamin C

The nutritional requirement for ascorbic acid is based on a physiological function for this vitamin, which in turn is based on biochemical roles that operate at an enzymic level. This dogma is easy to state, but an abundance of experimental data indicate that our understanding of the physiological and biochemical roles of ascorbic acid are far from complete. Four enigmas in the physiology of ascorbic acid will serve to illustrate my argument: radioautographic studies as well as tissue assay show high levels of ascorbic acid in adrenals, brain, gonads, eye and salivary glands. In these tissues at least 90% of the ascorbic acid is present as free ascorbic acid. Experiments demonstrating a physiological function for these high levels of ascorbic acid are not available except perhaps for the adrenals.
Quantum Dot Spin-Photon Entanglement

Single electron spins confined to InAs quantum dots (QDs) can serve as qubits for quantum information applications. We report QD spin-photon entanglement useful for scaling a QD spin architecture via intermediate photonic qubits.
Improvement of Rice Stripe Disease Resistance for Restorer Lines of Japonica Hybrid Rice by Molecular Marker-assistant Selection

According to the results of the identification of rice stripe disease resistance for 20 japonica restorer lines in the field conditions,Ninghui 8,a good japonica restorer susceptible to rice stripe disease,was selected and crossed to Kanto 194,a japonica rice variety from Japan and resistant to rice stripe disease,and then backcrossed successively to Ninghui 8.The molecular marker-assistant selection(MAS) for the rice stripe resistance was carried out in the backcross population by using the SCAR marker co-segregated with the rice stripe disease gene Stv-bi.As a result,Stv-bi was transferred into the good japonica restorer Ninghui 8,and a new japonica restorer line resistant to the rice stripe disease was successfully developed.
Regional enteritis and sarcoidosis in one patient. A case report.

A 23-year-old white man who had undergone ileal resection for regional enteritis 7 years earlier, presented with a 2-month history of nonproductive cough. Chest X-rays revealed bilateral hilar node enlargement and parenchymal mottling consistent with sarcoidosis. Scalene node biopsy confirmed the diagnosis, and follow-up barium enema revealed active regional enteritis involving the terminal ileum. Both regional enteritis and sarcoidosis are granulomatous diseases of unknown etiology. The immunological features of these diseases are compared and found to be less dissimilar than previously thought. Evidence for common or closely related etiological agents is discussed.
Family counseling and legal issues in Alzheimer's disease.

Caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease produces significant stress and morbidity in the caregiver. This article reviews the existing evidence on caregiver burden in Alzheimer’s disease and elaborates on the counseling and legal options that can be exercised by them. By availing of existing supports and planning ahead, caregivers can decrease burden levels and deliver more effective care to the patient.
Graded changes in the response of individual human basophils to stimulation: distributional behavior of events temporally coincident with degranulation.

Human basophils, stimulated with either anti-IgE antibody or formyl-methionine-leucine-phenylalanine, were examined by two measures of the cell response that may reflect degranulation. Flow cytometric measurement of either of these two measures, changes in forward scatter intensity (an indirect measure of the basophil size) or changes in the intensity of acridine orange-loaded cells (which labels basophil granules), allowed an assessment of the distribution of single cell responses. With regard to the latter technique, structures that appeared to be basophil granules were shown to metachromatically label with low concentrations of acridine orange, which has little or no effect on histamine release. During stimulation these labeled granules were lost, leading to decreased fluorescence. Changes in either the forward scatter parameter or acridine orange labeling occurred on the same time scale as histamine release, differentiating these measures of the basophil response from early signal transduction events. Challenging basophils with a combination of phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin caused 100% histamine release and allowed a measurement of the maximum change in forward scatter intensity or loss of acridine orange labeling. The flow cytometric distributions after this treatment were then compared with the distributions obtained by challenging cells with several concentrations of anti-IgE antibody or formyl-methionine-leucine-phenylalanine, which induced various submaximal responses. These flow cytometric distributions demonstrated that single cells could be found in intermediate states of activation, i.e., the response of all cells was graded according to the strength of the stimulus. These studies lead to the general conclusion that all aspects of the basophil response, including those late events in the basophil response we have studied here, as well as early events that we have studied previously, are graded in a continuous manner, according to the magnitude of the stimulus.
Influence of microbial colonization of feed particles on determination of nitrogen degradability by in situ incubation.

Stable 15N isotope was used to determine the extent of microbial colonization of in situ incubation residues and the influence of coloniza- tion on estimates of ruminal degradability of feed N. In an in vitro trial, 15N:total N ratio remained unchanged after the soluble (by water, saline, or buffer solution) fraction of plant N was removed, suggesting that ZW WBS ttnifwdy- soluble and insoluble N fractions. In three in situ trials, corn grain, corn husks, and alfalfa hay labeled with 15N as an internal marker were incubated in Dacron bags in the rumen of two lactating Holstein cows for 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h. Enrichment of 15N in samples decreased with increased time of incuba- tion for all feeds. At 48 h of incubation, 31, 71, and 65% of the residual N was microbial N for corn grain, corn husks, and alfalfa hay, respectively. Bacterial cell DM, as a percentage of residual DM, increased in a quartic manner, suggesting that microbial coloniza- tion depended on substrate availability. For 24, 36, and 48 h incubation, bacterial DM, as a percentage of total residue, averaged 10.0 k 1.0% for corn grain, 17.5 f 1.4% for corn husks, and 22.0 k .2% for alfalfa hay. Apparent degradability of N after 48 h of incubation wasapproximately 65% for corn grain and alfalfa hay and 19% for corn husks. When corrected for bacterial N, degradabilities of N in all feeds increased and the degradabilities for corn husks became similar to those for corn grain. Bacterial colonization of forages and corn grain during in situ incubation was extensive, and the 15N dilution technique was useful to correct for colonization to estimate N degradability more accurately.
X-ray Crystallographic, Multifrequency Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, and Density Functional Theory Characterization of the Ni(PCy2NtBu2)2n+ Hydrogen Oxidation Catalyst in the Ni(I) Oxidation State

The Ni(I) hydrogen oxidation catalyst [Ni(PCy2NtBu2)2]+ (1+; PCy2NtBu2 = 1,5-di(tert-butyl)-3,7-dicyclohexyl-1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane) has been studied using a combination of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques (X-, Q-, and D-band, electron–nuclear double resonance, hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy), X-ray crystallography, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Crystallographic and DFT studies indicate that the molecular structure of 1+ is highly symmetrical. EPR spectroscopy has allowed determination of the electronic g tensor and the spin density distribution on the ligands, and revealed that the Ni(I) center does not interact strongly with the potentially coordinating solvents acetonitrile and butyronitrile. The EPR spectra and magnetic parameters of 1+ are found to be distinctly different from those for the related compound [Ni(PPh2NPh2)2]+ (4+). One significant contributor to these differences is that the molecular structure of 4+ is unsymmetrical, unlike ...
Black masculinity in the Obama era: outliers of society

In Black Masculinity in the Obama Era, William T. Hoston sets out to expand the discussion on the economic, social, and political plight of black males in the current time frame. The purpose of thi...
Changes in tall shrub abundance on the North Slope of Alaska, 2000-2010

Abstract Mapping canopy-forming shrubs in tundra is challenging because approaches that rely on spectral information alone struggle to differentiate low and tall shrubs. We present an evaluation of changes in tall shrub (>0.5 m) fractional cover on the North Slope of Alaska between 2000 and 2010, using a new mapping approach that uses satellite imagery from the NASA Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) sensor, ancillary topographic and geographic variables, derived Ross-Li Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) kernel (scattering function) weights, and a Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) model. After training and validating the BRT model, 10 predictor variables explained 53% of the variation in tall shrub fractional cover. The isotropic kernel weight from the BRDF model, topographic slope, nadir camera red reflectance, and latitude were the variables that contributed to the model the most as they were used more frequently to generate the regression trees. At a spatial resolution of 250 m, predicted tall shrub fractional cover on the North Slope ranged from 0.00 to 0.21 (RMSE = 0.03), with the vast majority of sites having fractional cover 0.06 was
Effects of long-term low-level charge injection on insulating oil

Low-level charge injection into insulating oils was maintained for six months. The permittivity of the oil was unaffected, and the conductivity-fell in response to this treatment. After the injection was stopped, the conductivity slowly rose. We conclude that, at the levels used here, charge injection will not affect dielectric constant, and will increase resistivity.
Evaluating the ranch and watershed scale impacts of using traditional and adaptive multi-paddock grazing on runoff, sediment and nutrient losses in North Texas, USA

Abstract Grazing management practices have a significant influence on ecosystem services provided by rangelands. An assessment of hydrologic and water quality impacts of traditional and alternate grazing management practices facilitates adoption of best management practices for long-term sustainability of rangelands. A study was conducted to quantify the runoff, sediment and nutrient losses under traditional continuous and adaptive multi-paddock (MP) grazing management practices in the rangeland-dominated (71% rangeland) Clear Creek Watershed (CCW) in north Texas in the United States using the Agricultural Policy/Environmental Extender (APEX) model. The model was calibrated and validated using observed herbaceous plant biomass and daily soil moisture data at four study ranches in the CCW [two under MP grazing and one each under light continuous (LC) and heavy continuous (HC) grazing practices], and using monthly streamflow, sediment, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) data measured at the watershed outlet. Both ranch- and watershed-scale results indicated a strong influence of the grazing practice on runoff and water quality. When the grazing management was changed from the baseline MP to HC at one of the study ranches, the simulated average (1980–2013) annual surface runoff, sediment, TN and TP losses increased by 148%, 142%, 144% and 158%, respectively. At the watershed-scale, changing grazing management from the baseline HC to adaptive MP reduced the average annual surface runoff, sediment, TN and TP loads at the watershed outlet by 39%, 34%, 33% and 31%, respectively. In addition, implementation of adaptive MP grazing reduced streamflow during the high flow conditions that have ≤10% exceedance probability, by about 20%, and hence reduced the chances of flooding downstream of the watershed. Adaptive MP grazing was therefore found to be an effective conservation practice on grazing lands for enhancing water conservation and protecting water quality.
A monolithic dielectrophoretic chip for real-time low-abundance bacteria detection

This paper reports, for the first time, the development of a low-cost, disposable, monolithic chip integrating bacteria enrichment using passivated-electrode insulator-based dielectrophoresis (πDEP) and capacitively-coupled bioimpedance sensing. This integrated chip enables real-time detection of small populations of bacteria in water. The platform operates by selectively concentrating bacteria through DEP forces produced by tunable AC electric fields. Following enrichment and release, bioimpedance measurements are taken concurrently at multiple frequencies in a focusing region. Bacteria detection capabilities of the chip is demonstrated by testing Staphylococcus epidermidis at various concentrations and enrichment times. For the current application, the most sensitive operation frequency is determined to be 100 kHz. The chip successfully detects as few as hundreds of bacteria allowing to be utilized for pathogen detection in water samples.
Treatment Effects and Long-Term Management of Sarcoma Patients and Survivors

Over the last several decades survival rates have improved tremendously, and as a result, almost 80% of children treated for cancer will be long-term survivors. However, it has also become clear that this cure has come at a price. It has been proven that survivors are at risk for several chronic or late-occurring health problems caused by their cancer or its treatment, often referred to as “late effects of therapy,” which can affect the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial health of the survivors. Long-term follow-up programs and services are essential in order to address the unique needs of this ever-growing population.
Suspended Load from Error-Function Models

Models for the vertical distributions of flow velocity and sediment concentration based on the assumption of an error-function distribution of turbulent diffusivity are used in calculating the suspended-load discharges for two sets of flume data. The flow and sediment variables required for the calculation procedure are the mean flow velocity, flow depth, shear velocity, and fall velocity and diameter of the sediment particles. For coarse sand (D=0.54 mm), the effective bed concentration serves as a convenient reference concentration for the suspension calculations, but for the fine sand (D=0.1 mm) for which statistical bed-form data are not available, a measured reference concentration is required to facilitate agreement between measured and calculated discharges of suspended sediment. For the 0.54 mm sand, the effective bed concentration is obtained from the probability density function of the bed surface, which can be approximated by a gamma function.
11q deletion in neuroblastoma: a review of biological and clinical implications

Deletion of the long arm of chromosome 11 (11q deletion) is one of the most frequent events that occur during the development of aggressive neuroblastoma. Clinically, 11q deletion is associated with higher disease stage and decreased survival probability. During the last 25 years, extensive efforts have been invested to identify the precise frequency of 11q aberrations in neuroblastoma, the recurrently involved genes, and to understand the molecular mechanisms of 11q deletion, but definitive answers are still unclear. In this review, it is our intent to compile and review the evidence acquired to date on 11q deletion in neuroblastoma.
Anxiety Reduces Empathy Toward Outgroup Members But Not Ingroup Members

Substantial research concludes that favoritism toward members of people's ingroup, or ingroup bias, motivates people to oppose public programs that assist needy outgroup individuals. I argue that a gap in the empathic capacity for ingroup and outgroup members motivates and maintains ingroup bias in helping behavior and is sensitive to contextual cues that trigger anxiety. Using a novel experimental design, Study 1 demonstrates that anxiety exacerbates the outgroup empathy gap. Study 2 replicates these findings with an explicit measure of outgroup empathy. Study 3 shows that the outgroup empathy gap causes individuals to become less supportive of helping needy outgroup members. These studies suggest that opposition to welfare programs may go beyond simple prejudice.
Children's Perceptions of Barriers to Session Attendance in School-Based Treatment for Anxiety.

This study examined children’s perceived barriers to attending school-based anxiety treatment. One hundred and twenty-two anxious youth (mean age = 11.03 years; 51.6% female; 46.7% non-white) were randomized to receive either a modular cognitive behavioral anxiety treatment or usual care. The frequencies of 13 child-reported perceived barriers were examined following randomization and during one of the first three treatment sessions. Correlates of perceived barriers were also examined using a multi-informant assessment including: (1) child/family demographics, (2) child clinical characteristics, and (3) parental/family factors. Results indicated that 87.7% of children reported at least one perceived barrier to attending treatment. The most common barriers were worries about missing classroom work (45.3%) and the stigma associated with receiving mental health services (37.7%). Several factors were correlated with greater perceived barriers including minority racial/ethnic background, low parental education, higher child anxiety, and higher teacher-reported child externalizing behavior in the classroom. A multiple regression model showed that the strongest association was between teacher-rated externalizing behavior and children’s perceived barriers. Although school-based treatment removes logistical problems, children’s perceived barriers are still common. Assessing and reducing these perceived barriers, particularly among racial minority families and families with parents who did not attend college, may be beneficial.
Web-based statistical tools for the analysis and design of clinical trials that incorporate historical controls

Abstract A collection of web-based statistical tools ( http://research.mdacc.tmc.edu/SmeeactWeb/ ) are described that enable investigators to incorporate historical control data into analysis of randomized clinical trials using Bayesian hierarchical modeling as well as implement adaptive designs that balance posterior effective sample sizes among the study arms and thus maximize power. With balanced allocation guided by “dynamic” Bayesian hierarchical modeling, the design offers the potential to assign more patients to experimental therapies and thereby enhance efficiency while limiting bias and controlling average type I error. The tools effectuate analysis and design for static (non-hierarchical Bayesian analysis) and two types of dynamic (hierarchical Bayesian inference using empirical Bayes and spike-and-slab hyperprior) methods for Gaussian data models, as well as a dynamic method for time-to-failure endpoints based on a piecewise constant hazard model. The site also offers interfaces to facilitate calibration of the model hyperparameters. These allow users to test different parameters in the presence of the historical data on the basis of their resultant frequentist properties, including bias and mean squared error. All calculations are performed on a central computational server. The user may upload data, choose trial settings, run computations in real-time, and review the results using only a web browser. The back-end web module, computation module, and MCMC sampling module are developed in the C#, R, and C++ languages, respectively, and a communication module is also available to ensure the continued connection between the client computer and the back-end server during the Bayesian computations. The statistical tools are described and demonstrated with examples.
EXPRESSIONS FOR THE GRADIENTS OF THE PRINCIPAL STRESSES AND THEIR APPLICATION TO INTERIOR STRESS CONCENTRATION

The term stress concentration refers to the presence within a solid of a highly stressed region that occupies only a small part of the solid. It has long been recognized as an important engineering consideration in the design of load bearing components. Much of the routine stress analysis associated with mechanical design is aimed at improving the distribution of stress in zones of high stress.
Think Globally, Move Locally: Coarse Graining of Effective Free Energy Surfaces

We present a multi-scale simulation methodology, based on data-mining tools for the extraction of low-dimensional reduction coordinates, to explore dynamically a protein model on its underlying effective folding free energy landscape. In practice, the averaged coarse-grained description of the local protein dynamics is extracted in terms of a few reduction coordinates from multiple, relatively short molecular dynamics trajectories. By exploiting the information collected from the fast relaxation dynamics of the system, the reduction coordinates are extrapolated “backward-in-time” to map globally the underlying low-dimensional free energy landscape. We demonstrate that the proposed method correctly identifies the transition state region on the reconstructed two-dimensional free energy surface of a model protein folding transition.
Bilateral, Symmetrical, Linear Enhancement of the Deep White Matter in a Radial Distribution on Brain MRI Is an Identifiable Signature of Primary Angiitis of the Central Nervous System (PACNS) (P02.108)

OBJECTIVE: To present a case report of PACNS with unique MRI findings and determine if the MRI findings are specific for PACNS. BACKGROUND: PACNS is defined as vasculitis affecting the CNS without systemic disease. It is a rare disease of unclear etiology. It manifests with headache, altered mentation and focal neurological deficits. MRI brain abnormalities are present in 95% of histologically confirmed cases including focal signal changes, bilateral cerebral infarcts, leptomeningeal enhancement or hemorrhagic lesions, although they are nonspecific. Brain biopsy is still the gold standard for diagnosis of PACNS, which is invasive and has a significant false negative rate. DESIGN/METHODS: Case report and comprehensive literature search was performed for articles published up to September 2012. Relevant articles were retrieved, prioritized and their references checked for related material. RESULTS: A 47yo African American male developed progressive bilateral hand tremor, difficulty walking, cognitive slowing and headache. Physical exam showed bilateral hand tremor, diffuse hyperreflexia, bilateral dysmetria and frontal release signs. Brain MRI showed T2 hyper intensities throughout the white matter in centrum semiovale and corona radiata with diffuse linear enhancement on gadolinium-contrasted study in a radiating fashion. Comprehensive work-up was negative. Brain biopsy revealed granulomatous PACNS. He was treated with steroids and cyclophosphamide and the MRI and clinical exam improved. The literature search revealed five other biopsy-proven cases that described MRI Brain findings similar to our patient. These linear, radial enhancing signal abnormalities follow the path of blood vessels, which is likely to be specific for vasculitis. This configuration is not seen in the MRI scans of patients with multiple sclerosis or post-viral demyelination. This is one of a few cases,but we now observe a pattern that is of diagnostic importance. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of diffuse linear enhancement on gadolinium-contrasted study in a radiating fashion on brain MRI may be a diagnostic signature of PACNS. Disclosure: Dr. Ganta has nothing to disclose. Dr. Khalid has nothing to disclose. Dr. Levin has received personal compensation for activities with Serono, TEVA and Biogen-Idec as a speaker and Gerson Lehman Group as a consultant. Dr. Wood has nothing to disclose.
Power to the people: industrial transition movements and energy populism

This paper refines understanding of industrial transition movements by focusing on ‘energy populism’ as a framing and frame amplification device that informs anti-smart meter activism in the Pacifi...
Effects of Cement Chemistry, Admixtures, and Inhibitors on Corrosion Protection of Steel Pipelines by Internal Concrete Liners

Results are reported from a study focusing on the performance of concrete materials for internal pipeline protection against the erosive and corrosive effects of flowing brine. Seventeen different liner formulations were examined in this study. Corrosion rates were measured by linear polarization on samples exposed in a test manifold to flowing brine. Samples were also exposed to static site-generated brine as a function of time. These samples were returned to the laboratory for visual analysis of damage, examination of brine penetration through the concrete by electron probe microchemical analysis, and for measurement of changes in the concrete-liner interfacial shear strength. The study focused on the performance of two liners applied by centrifugal casting: an oil field-standard calcium silicate-based concrete, and a high sulfate resistance-calcium aluminate cement. The study also focused on a calcium-silicate concrete liner applied by hand. Results showed that standard calcium silicate concrete (API RPIOE) and a rotary calcium aluminate concrete provided excellent protection. Pipewall corrosion rates were reduced from 10 to 15 mils per year to 1 mil per year or less. The hand-applied liners also reduced the pipewall corrosion rate, but not to the same degree as the cast liners. Further the risk of spalling ofmore » the hand-applied liner was judged to be greater than that of the cast liners, due to a lower measured pipewall-liner interfacial strength.« less
Immunoactivating the tumor microenvironment enhances immunotherapy as predicted by integrative computational model.

The tumor microenvironment, including the tumor immune microenvironment, has been recognized as a complex milieu where cancer cells interact with stromal cells via numerous biochemical and physical signals that are crucial for cancer progression and metastasis (1). Tumor stroma includes blood and lymphatic vasculatures, extracellular matrix (ECM), cancer-associated fibroblasts, and numerous immune cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems, such as T cells, B cells, antigen-presenting cells (e.g., dendritic cells), tumor-associated macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. The important molecules in these cell–cell communications include cytokines (e.g., IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IFNγ), chemokines (e.g., CCL2, CCL5, and CXCL12), growth factors (e.g., VEGF, HGF, EGF, TGF-β) and their receptors, and immune checkpoints expressed on cancer and immune cells, such as PD-1, PD-L1, CLTA-4, LAG3, OX40, TIM3, and TIGIT. Tumor cells orchestrate a complex network of immunosuppression to evade elimination by immune cells. Up-regulation of immune checkpoints is an important aspect of this process. In the last decade, immunotherapy in the form of immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) has emerged as one of the most promising cancer therapies (2). However, the response rate to ICB across different cancer types is only around 13% (3), and the administration of ICB induces drug resistance (4); thus, there is an important unmet need to increase the response rate and also, to determine the signatures of cancer that reliably predict whether patients with these signatures (predictive biomarkers) would respond to a specific immunotherapy or combination therapies. Among different cancer types, tumors are sometimes classified as “cold” and poorly immunogenic or “hot,” inflamed, and immunogenic (5). Also there is significant intertumoral and intratumoral (spatial, cellular, genomic) heterogeneity; in fact, tumor heterogeneity is a hallmark of cancer. The importance of tumor vasculature for tumor progression was demonstrated in studies of Judah Folkman in the 1970s … [↵][1]1Email: apopel{at}jhu.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Chapter 20 – Nuclear Propulsion

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on nuclear propulsion. Nuclear reactors serve as the power source for the propulsion of submarines and aircraft carriers. Tests of reactors for aircraft and for rockets are made, and reactors are being considered for future space missions. Thermoelectric generators that use plutonium-238 provided electric power for lunar exploration in the Apollo program and for interplanetary travel of the spacecrafts Voyager, Galileo, Ulysses, and Cassini. For power supplies that use radioisotopes, encapsulation of the Pu-238 with iridium and enclosing the system with graphite fiber reduces the possibility of release of radioactivity. For space missions, risk analyses analogous to those for power reactors are carried out. Some time in the distant future, electric propulsion may be used. Charged particles are discharged backwards to give a forward thrust. Its virtue is the low mass of propellant that is needed to permit a larger payload or a shorter travel time.
Dynamic Tuberculosis Screening for Healthcare Employees

Regular tuberculosis (TB) screening is required for healthcare employees since they can come into contact with infected patients. TB is a serious, contagious, and potentially deadly disease. Early detection of the disease, even when it is in latent form, prevents the spread of the disease and helps with treatment. Currently, there are two types of TB diagnostic tests on the market: skin test and blood test. The cost of the blood test is much higher than the skin test. However, the possibility of getting a false positive or false negative result in skin test is higher especially for persons with specific characteristics, which can increase costs. In this study, we categorize healthcare employees into multiple risk groups based on the department they work in, the specific job they do, and their birth country. We create a Markov decision process (MDP) model to decide which TB test should be taken by each employee group to minimize the total costs related to testing, undetected infections, employees' time lost. Due to the curse of dimensionality, we use approximate dynamic programming (ADP) to obtain a near-optimal solution. By analyzing this solution to the ADP we specify not only the type but the frequency with which each test should be taken. Based on this analysis, we propose a simple policy that can be used by healthcare facilities since such facilities may not have the expertise or the resources to develop and solve sophisticated optimization models.
Design and Optimization of a 200-kW Medium-Frequency Transformer for Medium-Voltage SiC PV Inverters

This article presents a design and optimization methodology for a 200-kW medium-frequency transformer (MFT) based on low-loss magnetic core (FINEMET FT-3TL). The proposed optimal design methodology consists of predesign, preliminary design, and optimal design. In the preliminary design, the parallel-concentric winding structure is selected to increase the current carrying capability and reduce the leakage inductance. Based on the parallel-concentric winding concept, a novel cooing and insulation structure with 3-D printed bobbins are proposed. The optimal designed MFT prototype achieves a power density higher than 19.23 kW/L. The electrical insulation system is tested at 12 kV ac peak voltage. In addition, the partial discharge (PD) test is conducted at 7.5 kV ac peak voltage to ensure the PD-free design. The high-frequency bipolar pulsewidth modulation voltage insulation (PD) test is the first time applied in MFT design and test process. Finally, the transformer is applied in a dual-active-bridge (DAB) converter with 200 kW rated power. The peak efficiency of the DAB converter is 99.53%, and the efficiency at 200 kW is 98.85%. The peak efficiency of MFT is 99.844%, and the efficiency at 200 kW is 99.842%.
Effect of Medical Student Contributions on Academic Productivity: Analysis of Student Authorship Over Time

Introduction Understanding the trend of student authorship is crucial in determining its correlation to scholarly impact for corresponding authors. Our objective is to investigate student authorship rates over time in articles published in JAMA Internal Medicine (IM), as well as to examine potential effects student authors have on scholarly impact scores of corresponding authors via H-index measures. Methods Authorship data including student authors (SA), first student authors, and corresponding authors (CA) from prior JAMA IM publications between 2010 and 2018 were collected, with a total of 701 studies. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent sample t-tests were performed to assess for differences in the mean by publishing year and student authorship, respectively. Results Of 4591 total authors, 683 (14.9%) were considered student authors. The percentage of student authorship increased from 46.3% to 58.0% between 2010 and 2018, respectively. No difference in average H-indices of CA between SA and non-SA groups (overall NSA Hi mean: 30.2, vs SA Hi mean: 32.1, p=0.371) was noted. Discussion Student participation in research is not a disadvantage to scholarly impact for corresponding authors. Increased student authorship reflects a promising trend towards greater student participation in research within the field of medicine.
Forced Labor in the US Construction Industry

This chapter examines forced labor in the US construction industry, both historically and in modern times. The International Labour Organization reports that the construction industry has the second-highest number of workers in forced labor situations worldwide. The United States is no exception to this global phenomenon. The chapter identifies specific features of the construction sector that exacerbate worker vulnerability to exploitation, such as the project-based and location-specific nature of the work, the prevalence of complex subcontracting arrangements, and the practice of withholding payment until the project is completed. The chapter then explores the specific coercive strategies employed to compel workers across time to labor under exploitative conditions, including physical coercion, debt entrapment, withholding wages, restricted mobility, and threatened abuse of legal processes. These features are illustrated using historical forced labor cases, such as the abuse of “coolie” indentured laborers to build the Transcontinental Railway, as well as more recent examples, particularly the abuse of Chinese construction workers at the Imperial Pacific casino project in Saipan. While the specific details may vary, the general tools of coercion used by construction industry employers exhibit remarkable consistency over time. The chapter concludes by proposing several policy recommendations to help reduce worker exploitation in the construction industry, including holding property owners and developers accountable, denying government contracts or guest worker visas to entities that benefit from forced labor, eliminating the payment of recruitment fees by migrant workers, and establishing independent, private monitoring and complaint mechanisms for construction projects.
Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticides and Risk of Thyroid Cancer in Women

Background: Both polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and organochlorine pesticides (OCP) have been associated with thyroid hormone disruption, but their relationship to thyroid cancer is not known. Met...
A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the analysis of primary aromatic amines in human urine

Abstract Aromatic amines are widely used in personal care products and human exposure to this class of chemicals is widespread. Bioanalytical methods to determine trace levels of aromatic amines in human urine are scarce. In this study, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to determine 39 primary aromatic amines (AAs) along with nicotine and cotinine in human urine. Chromatographic separation of the 41 analytes was achieved on an Ultra Biphenyl (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 5 µm) column. Mass spectrometry was operated in electrospray ionization positive ion multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The method exhibited excellent linear dynamic range (0.1–50 ng/mL) with correlation coefficients (r) > 0.999 for all analytes. Urine samples (2 mL) were hydrolyzed using 10 M NaOH at 95 °C for 15 h and target analytes were extracted using methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Addition of 15 µL of 0.25 M HCl to the sample extracts improved the recoveries of several target analytes. The method was validated through the analysis of fortified quality control (QC) samples and a certified standard reference material (SRM). Relative recoveries (%) of target analytes fortified in QC samples were in the range of 75–114% for 37 of the 41 analytes while the other analytes exhibited lower recoveries (16–74%). The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) of target analytes were in the range of 0.025–0.20 ng/mL and 0.1–1.0 ng/mL, respectively. Intra-day and inter-day precision of the method assessed through the analysis of fortified urine QC samples at three different concentrations were
Histologic mimics and diagnostic pitfalls of gastrointestinal endoscopic lifting media, ORISE™ gel and Eleview®.

Abstract Context Synthetic lifting media, OriseTM gel and Eleview®, are increasingly utilized in gastrointestinal endoscopy, but neither comparative features nor pitfalls are well-established. Objective Media histopathology, morphologic mimics, and complications are described, along with helpful stains and endoscopist media preference. Design A 3-year retrospective search was performed. Pan-mucin, amyloid, and infectious disease stains were performed. Endoscopist lifting media preferences were surveyed. Results 123 cases (108 endoscopies, 15 subsequent surgeries) were identified. Orise gel was used in 86 (79.6%), Eleview in 20 (13.9%), and others in 7 (6.5%). Orise gel was histologically identified in 58.1% (n=50) of endoscopic specimens and all 15 resections. Eleview media was not detected histologically. Orise gel mimicked mucin in H&E-stained biopsies, concerning for adenocarcinoma misdiagnosis and/or upstaging, but did not stain for mucin. Acid fast bacterial staining highlights Orise gel for specific and definitive identification. In resections, Orise evolves into an amorphous eosinophilic material, often with exuberant giant-cell reaction and transmural bowel penetration. Polyp formation lead to polypectomy in one patient, and operative lesions concerning for adenocarcinoma resulted in frozen sections in two patients. Orise gel mimics mucin, malignant masses, amyloid, pulse granulomata, elastofibromas, and infectious granulomata. No significant endoscopist media preference was identified. Conclusions Recognition of Orise gel in tissues eliminates multiple pitfalls. Eleview was not detectable, yielded none of the pitfalls seen with Orise gel, and on our survey, has equivalent endoscopist acceptance. In this largest published series to date, Eleview is clearly preferable to Orise gel.
Problems from the Calculus of Variations

A large class of deterministic optimal control problems are special cases of the stochastic optimal control problems considered previously. This is true both with respect to the construction of schemes as well as the proofs of convergence. In fact, the convergence proofs become much simpler in the deterministic setting.
THE SYNTHESIS OF FAULT TREES

Fault tree synthesis models, in order to be useful in assessment and control of risk, must be modular in the modeling of behavior; all possible modes of behavior must be describable; loops should be modeled naturally; range of variables must be greater than 0.1; and the fault tree or Boolean equation must be deduced from the models. Multiply-edged directed graphs models meet the needs of a fault tree synthesis. The Lapp-Powers fault tree synthesis algorithm is based on logical combinations of digraph variables which could cause a particular deviation in an output variable. Given the correct models, the algorithm will generate the correct fault tree for the system. A flow control system and a heat exchanger system are analyzed, as examples of using the models and the algorithm.
Contrast ultrasound for assessment of myocardial perfusion: promise and pitfalls

While the use of echocardiographic contrast is widely accepted for assessment of intracardiac [1] and transpulmonary shunts, assessment of myocardial perfusion by contrast echocardiography is a relatively new, but growing field. The recent development of several contrast agents capable of transpulmonary passage has lead to much anticipation that qualitative (and possibly quantitative) determination of myocardial perfusion with venous injections of echocardiographic contrast may soon be a clinical reality. This paper will review the physical characteristics of several types of ultrasonic contrast, outline their use in determining myocardial perfusion in a binary sense, and discuss the promise and pitfalls for more quantitative assessment of coronary blood flow.
A parallel adaptive Navier-Stokes method and partitioner for hybrid prismatic/tetrahedral grids

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a parallel finite-volume method for solution of the Navier-Stokes equations with adaptive hybrid prismatic/tetrahedral grids and evaluates it in terms of parallel performance. The solver is a central type differencing scheme with Lax-Wendroff marching in time. The grid adapter combines directional with isotropic local refinement of the prisms and tetrahedra. The hybrid solver and the grid adapter are implemented on the Intel Paragon MIMD architecture. Reduction in execution time with increasing number of processors is nearly linear. Partitioning of the mesh is accomplished through recursive division of the octree corresponding to the hybrid unstructured mesh. The use of the octree requires less computational time to partition a mesh because the number of octants is significantly smaller than the number of grid cells. Subdividing the octree generates partitions that have a lower percentage of elements on the boundary than if standard recursive bisection is used for the hybrid grid. The chapter further presents and discusses the results for partitioning, solving on, and adapting a hybrid grid around an aircraft configuration.
A randomized algorithm for BBCSPs in the prover-verifier model

In this paper we introduce a Prover-Verifier model for analyzing the computational complexity of a class of Constraint Satisfaction problems termed Binary Boolean Constraint Satisfaction problems (BBCSPs). BBCSPs represent an extremely general class of constraint satisfaction problems and find applications in a wide variety of domains including constraint programming, puzzle solving and program testing. We establish that each instance of a BBCSP admits a coin-flipping Turing Machine that halts in time polynomial in the size of the input. The prover P in the Prover-Verifier model is endowed with very limited powers; in particular, it has no memory and it can only pose restricted queries to the verifier. The verifier on the other hand is both omniscient in that it is cognizant of all the problem details and insincere in that it does not have to decide a priori on the intended proof. However, the verifier must stay consistent in its responses. Inasmuch as our provers will be memoryless and our verifiers will be asked for extremely simple certificates, our work establishes the existence of a simple, randomized algorithm for BBCSPs. Our model itself serves as a basis for the design of zero-knowledge machine learning algorithms in that the prover ends up learning the proof desired by the verifier.
Automatic gain control and multi-style training for robust small-footprint keyword spotting with deep neural networks

We explore techniques to improve the robustness of small-footprint keyword spotting models based on deep neural networks (DNNs) in the presence of background noise and in far-field conditions. We find that system performance can be improved significantly, with relative improvements up to 75% in far-field conditions, by employing a combination of multi-style training and a proposed novel formulation of automatic gain control (AGC) that estimates the levels of both speech and background noise. Further, we find that these techniques allow us to achieve competitive performance, even when applied to DNNs with an order of magnitude fewer parameters than our base-line.