cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A modern review of penile traction monotherapy and combination therapy for the treatment of peyronie’s disease

Peyronie's disease (PD)-related penile deformity is managed with multiple treatment modalities including oral medications, intralesional injections, and surgery. Penile traction therapy (PTT) is one such modality with purported benefits, albeit with notable differences in the characteristics of available traction devices and published study protocols. We provide a comprehensive review of the available data supporting PTT for PD treatment. We performed a rigorous database search to identify all studies pertaining to PTT for the treatment of PD through November 2019. Seventeen trials explored use of PTT as monotherapy or in combination with surgical or nonsurgical treatment, using over five different commercially available devices. All devices were well tolerated, although compliance and daily duration of use were highly variable. PTT resulted in variable improvements in stretched penile length and penile curvature, depending on study protocol, patient population, and device. PTT appears to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment for PD as monotherapy or in combination with other nonsurgical and surgical treatments, and for men in both the acute and chronic phases. Further studies are needed to compare available devices, evaluate device characteristics associated with treatment success, differentiate outcomes in acute vs. chronic PD populations, and determine the optimal duration of use.
Digital redlining and the fintech marketplace: Evidence from US zip codes

The rise of digital technologies enables new manifestations of racialization in financial services with marketplace implications. Akin to redlining in the lending market, racialization in the spatial availability of digital technologies—including financial technologies or “fintech”—may raise the costs of banking in black and brown communities. This paper investigates associations between communities' racial makeup and rates of fintech by leveraging 2015 Esri Business Analyst Market Potential data from the universe of high‐poverty zip codes. Poor black and brown communities experience a form of digital redlining by having the lowest fintech rates. Every percentage increase in a community's black population was associated with an 18% decrease in their rate of high‐speed internet access, 1% decrease in smartphone ownership, 12% decrease in online banking, and 3% decrease in mobile banking. Relationships were opposite for communities with increasing white populations where whiteness attracts higher rates of fintech, even amidst high poverty.
PARP Inhibition Synergizes with Melphalan but Does not Reverse Resistance Completely.

ABSTRACT High-dose melphalan (MEL) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is the standard of care in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). Resistance to MEL has been linked to increased DNA repair. Here we sought to identify whether inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) synergizes with MEL and can overcome resistance. We tested the synergistic cytotoxicity of 3 inhibitors of PARP (PARPi)—veliparib (VEL), olaparib (OLA), and niraparib (NIRA)—combined with MEL in RPMI8226 and U266 MM cell lines, as well as in their MEL resistance counterparts, RPMI8226-LR5 (LR5) and U266-LR6 (LR6). The addition of VEL, OLA, and NIRA to MEL reduced the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) in RPMI8226 cells from 27.8 µM to 23.1 µM, 22.5 µM, and 18.0 µM, respectively. Similarly, the IC50 of MEL in U266 cells was decreased from 6.2 µM to 3.2 µM, 3.3 µM, and 3.0 µM, respectively. In LR5 and LR6 cells, PARPi did not reverse MEL resistance. We confirmed this in a NOD/SCID/gamma null xenograft mouse model with either MEL-sensitive (RPMI8226) or MEL-resistant (LR5) MM. Treatment with a MEL-VEL combination prolonged survival compared with MEL alone in RPMI8226 mice (107 days versus 67.5 days; P = .0009), but not in LR5 mice (41 versus 39 days; P = .09). We next tested whether 2 double-stranded DNA repair mechanisms, homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ), cause MEL resistance in LR5 and LR6 cells. In an HR assay, LR6 cells had a 4.5-fold greater HR capability than parent U226 cells (P = .05); however, LR5 cells had an equivalent HR ability as parent RPMI8226 cells. We hypothesized that NHEJ may be a mediator of MEL resistance in LR5 cells. Given that DNA-PK is integral to NHEJ and may be a therapeutic target, we treated LR5 cells with the DNA-PK inhibitor NU7026 in combination with MEL. Although NU7026 alone at 2.5 µM had no cytotoxicity, in combination it completely reversed resistance to MEL (MEL IC50, 46.4 µM versus 14.4 µM). We examined the clinical implications of our findings in a dataset of 414 patients treated with tandem ASCT. High PARP1 expressers had lower survival compared with patients with low expression (median 42.7 months versus median not reached; P = .003). We hypothesized that combined expression of the HR gene BRCA1, the NHEJ gene PRKDC (DNA-PK), and PARP1 may predict survival and found that overexpression of 0 (n = 101), 1 or 2 (n = 287), or all 3 (n = 26) genes had a negative impact on median survival (undefined versus 57.8 months versus 14.8 months; P
Cost-effectiveness analyses in shoulder arthroplasty: a critical review using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument.

Hypothesis The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review to identify cost-analysis studies pertaining to shoulder arthroplasty, provide a comprehensive review of published studies, and critically evaluate the quality of the available literature using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument. Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify cost analyses examining shoulder arthroplasty. The inclusion criteria included studies pertaining to either shoulder hemiarthroplasty (HA), total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), or reverse TSA. Articles were excluded based on the following: nonoperative studies, nonclinical studies, studies not based in the United States, and studies in which no cost analysis was performed. The quality of studies was assessed using the QHES instrument. One-sided Fisher exact testing was performed to identify predictors of both low-quality (ie, QHES score 75th percentile) cost analyses based on items within the QHES checklist. Results Of the 196 studies screened, 9 were included. Seven studies conducted cost analyses comparing reverse TSA vs. arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, HA, or total hip arthroplasty, and 2 studies examined TSA vs. HA for primary glenohumeral arthritis. The average QHES score among all studies was 86.22 ± 13.39 points. Failure to include an annual cost discounting rate was associated with a low-quality QHES score (P = .03). In addition, including a discussion of the magnitude and direction of potential biases was associated with a high-quality score (P = .03). Conclusions Shoulder arthroplasty is a cost-effective procedure when used to treat a multitude of shoulder pathologies. The overall quality of cost analysis in shoulder arthroplasty is relatively good, with an average QHES score of 86.22 points. Studies failing to include an annual cost discounting rate are more likely to score below the 25th percentile, whereas those including a discussion of the magnitude and direction of potential biases are more likely to achieve a score in excess of the 75th percentile.
Effects of Process Parameters on the Microstructural Characteristics of DC Magnetron Sputtered Molybdenum Films on Graphite Substrate

Graphite, due to its extreme purity and high-temperature stability, is considered as the material of choice for nuclear fusion reactors. However, it undergoes rapid oxidation and erosion at extreme environmental conditions like those experienced by the plasma-facing components (PFCs) of a fusion reactor. On the other hand, molybdenum (Mo) does offer a combination of thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties that make it an aspirant candidate for PFCs and other applications demanding substantial physical, chemical, and thermal stability as well as significant thermal conductivity. Mo films on graphite is one of the attractive options to sustain against such harsh environmental conditions. Here, in this work, we develop Mo films over graphite substrate through sputter deposition and analyze the effects of process parameters like the sputter power and the substrate temperature on the morphology and film quality. It is shown that an increase in sputter power, as well as substrate temperature, induces significant changes in the topography of the films. For low-temperature depositions, the grain morphology does not change with increasing sputter power, however, for relatively higher substrate temperatures, significant changes in morphology are observed with increasing sputter power. Similarly, dependences of crystallite size, film roughness, and electrical conductivity are discussed with changing sputter power and substrate temperature. Our results suggest that the kinetic energy of the sputtered Mo particles plays a crucial role in determining the final film quality. This study manifests that optimum sputter parameters guarantee quality Mo films over graphite substrate.
Diagnosis of Extrinsic Upper Esophageal Compression Utilizing Video Laryngoscopy in an Infant Following Failed Transesophageal Echocardiogram Probe Placement

Anesthesiologists are frequently responsible for placement of transesophageal echocardiography probes prior to cardiac surgery in children. A number of potential complications are possible, includi...
The Eightieth William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition

The 80th William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition took place on December 7, 2019. There were 4229 undergraduates who participated in the competition at 570 institutions across the United Stat...
The Impact of Slow Fashion Orientation (SFO) on Socially Responsible Consumption (SRC): Moderating Effects of Industry Irresponsibility and Consumer Irresponsibility

This research seeks to uncover inconsistencies in consumers’ awareness of irresponsibility by separately examining the moderating effects of company and consumer irresponsibility on the relationship between consumers’ slow fashion orientation (SFO) and their socially responsible apparel consumption (SRC) motivation. The survey instrument for this research was a self-administered online questionnaire. Scale items were adapted and expanded from the extant literature. Data were collected from a convenience sample of retailing students at two U.S. universities, yielding 405 usable responses. The partial least squares method was employed for data analysis to explore the relationship between SFO and SRC and to test the moderating effect of irresponsibility on the original relationship. The five hypotheses are discussed, and confirm that consumers still do not recognize the impacts of industry irresponsibility (i.e., environmental, social), yet they do recognize the impact of their own irresponsible consumption behaviors (i.e., purchase, use, disposal) to some extent. Using fast fashion as the focus, two measures of irresponsibility (i.e., industry, consumer) are introduced and investigated. To the author’s knowledge, no research has yet investigated awareness of industry irresponsibility and awareness of consumer irresponsibility as separate influences. The discussion highlights implications for slow fashion companies and other institutional actors (e.g., NGOs) who seek to further engage consumers in the slow fashion movement, a necessary step to transition to a collective sustainability-oriented identity within the fashion system.
Simplifying the stratigraphy of time: Comments and Reply COMMENT

[Zalasiewicz et al. (2004)][1] simplify a fundamental aspect of geology by conjoining the disparate entities of rocks and time. We fail to understand how this will “retain precision of meaning” if the distinction between two fundamentally different concepts is dismantled. [Zalasiewicz et al. (
Discovery of primary prostate cancer biomarkers using cross cancer learning

Prostate cancer (PCa), the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, is a relatively slow-growing malignancy with multiple early treatment options. Yet, a significant number of low-risk PCa patients are over-diagnosed and over-treated with significant and long-term quality of life effects. Further, there is ever increasing evidence of metastasis and higher mortality when hormone-sensitive or castration-resistant PCa tumors are treated indistinctively. Hence, the critical need is to discover clinically-relevant and actionable PCa biomarkers by better understanding the biology of PCa. In this paper, we have discovered novel biomarkers of PCa tumors through cross-cancer learning by leveraging the pathological and molecular similarities in the DNA repair pathways of ovarian, prostate, and breast cancer tumors. Cross-cancer disease learning enriches the study population and identifies genetic/phenotypic commonalities that are important across diseases with pathological and molecular similarities. Our results show that ADIRF, SLC2A5, C3orf86, HSPA1B are among the most significant PCa biomarkers, while MTRNR2L1, EEPD1, TEPP and VN1R2 are jointly important biomarkers across prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. Our validation results have further shown that the discovered biomarkers can predict the disease state better than any randomly selected subset of differentially expressed prostate cancer genes.
Improved De-Saturation Protection Circuits for Silicon Carbide MOSFET Gate Drivers

High-performance desaturation or overcurrent protection circuit of the gate-drivers for Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs are essential for reliable and robust operation of advanced power electronics converters. The overcurrent protection circuits of the current state-of-the-art gate drivers have limitations with slow response speed and incapability to achieve robust operation under wide temperature variation and converter switching noises. In this work, improved desaturation protection circuits are introduced to overcome such limitations of the SiC MOSFET gate drivers. The proposed desaturation protection can operate at a significantly higher speed while also achieve higher noise immunity and robust operation across a wide thermal range. Analysis and design methods of the proposed circuit are presented towards the development of the improved SiC MOSFET gate driver. A comparison between the base-line gate driver circuit and the proposed gate driver circuit is carried out to show the improvements. Furthermore, the calculation for tuning the circuit components parameters to achieve appropriate overcurrent protection margin under a range of device junction temperature is presented. Detailed simulation and experimental results under short circuit test conditions are presented for verifying the proposed concepts and design of the improved desaturation protection for the SiC MOSFET gate drivers.
Remedies, Equity, and Erie

This article addresses how a federal court sitting in diversity jurisdiction should approach remedies issues, particularly where the law-equity divide lingers. Treatment of remedies raises tricky problems for federal judges regarding what law to apply. It matters because of separation-of-powers, federalism, jury trial implications, forum shopping, and fairness to litigants. Because, after all, the choice of federal versus state forum should not dictate the outcome. Further, notwithstanding calls to eliminate vestiges of equity’s unique characteristics and requirements, the gravitational pull of equity remains. There is value in continuing to honor equitable principles. And there is value in federal judges cultivating the contours of equity through development of equitable remedies doctrines, assuming federal judges do so within the substantive bounds of the underlying state law. This delicate balance may well prove difficult to achieve in all instances, but the goal remains worthy. Another rationale supporting this view is greater alignment with federal courts’ treatment of equitable remedies doctrines for cases arising under federal law. Ultimately, the remedy should honor the underlying substantive state law claim. The remedy should be tied to the right, though a federal court may provide an equitable remedy where a state might not. What if the movant seeks an equitable remedy in federal court that requires discretion and gap-filling? Historical justifications exist for federal court grants a broader, more powerful equitable remedies than states might. This article examines federal court practices in other hybrid scenarios in which gap-filling occurred. For example, Supreme Court cases of original jurisdiction when the case implicates state law. Must the federal judge rely solely on state doctrines, federal standards, or both? This article offers insights into federal court jurisprudence, practices, and ideal paths when crafting equitable versus legal remedies. I propose a novel path for federal courts to maintain historical powers of equity to help shape remedies law but should do so with respect toward state law substantive principles though the federal remedy may be outcome determinative.
Individualized tDCS modeling predicts functional connectivity changes within the working memory network in older adults.

BACKGROUND Working memory decline has been associated with normal aging. The frontal brain structure responsible for this decline is primarily located in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Our previous neuroimaging study demonstrated a significant change in functional connectivity between the left dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) and left ventrolateral PFC (VLPFC) when applying 2 mA tDCS in MRI scanner during an N-Back task. These regions were part of the working memory network. The present study is the first study that utilizes individualized finite element models derived from older adults' MRI to predict significant changes of functional connectivity observed from an acute tDCS application. METHODS Individualized head models from 15 healthy older adults (mean age = 71.3 years) were constructed to create current density maps. Each head model was segmented into 11 tissue types: white matter, gray matter, CSF, muscle, blood vessels, fat, eyes, air, skin, cancellous, and cortical bone. Electrodes were segmented from T1-weighted images and added to the models. Computed median and maximum current density values in the left DLPFC and left VLPFC regions of interest (ROIs) were correlated with beta values as functional connectivity metrics measured in different timepoint (baseline, during stimulation) and stimulation condition (active and sham). MAIN RESULTS Positive significant correlations (R2 = 0.523 for max J, R2 = 0.367 for median J, p < 0.05) were found between the beta values and computed current densities in the left DLPFC ROIs for active stimulation, but no significant correlation was found during sham stimulation. We found no significant correlation between connectivity and current densities computed in the left VLPFC for both active and sham stimulation. CONCLUSIONS The amount of current within the left DLPFC ROIs was found positively correlated with changes in functional connectivity between left DLPFC and left VLPFC during active 2 mA stimulation. Future work may include expansion of number of participants to further test the accuracy of tDCS models used to predict tDCS-induced functional connectivity changes within the working memory network.
Evaluation of the Selection of Cerebrospinal Fluid Testing in Suspected Meningitis and Encephalitis

Abstract Background Diagnostic stewardship interventions can decrease unnecessary antimicrobial therapy and microbiology laboratory resources and costs. Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated factors associated with inappropriate initial cerebrospinal fluid testing (CSF) testing in patients with suspected community-acquired meningitis or encephalitis. Results In 250 patients, 202 (80.8%) and 48 (19.2%) were suspected meningitis and encephalitis, respectively. 207 (82.8%) patients had inappropriate and 43 (17.2%) appropriate testing. Any inappropriate CSF test was greatest in the immunocompromised (IC) group (n = 54, 91.5%), followed by non-IC (n = 109, 80.1%) and HIV (n=44, 80%). Ordering performed on the general ward was associated with inappropriate CSF test orders (adjOR 2.81, 95% CI (1.08-7.34). Laboratory fee costs associated with excessive testing was close to $300,000 per year. Conclusion A stepwise algorithm defining empiric and add on tests according to CSF parameters and patient characteristics could improve CSF test ordering in patients with suspected meningitis or encephalitis.
The Necessary Normative Context of Positive Economics

In recent decades economists have in many significant ways refined and made more sophisticated their theoretical and empirical techniques. Concomitantly, economics has gained considerable acceptance in the media and government circles as an important basis for the development of politically acceptable, if not efficient, public policies.1 Proponents of social reform actively seek the counsel of economists in the development of their reform packages. These proponents (and their opposition) understand that the success or failure of proposed policy changes often, but not always, hinges on the findings of scholarly economic studies.
Recycling in the USA : Vision and reality

Abstract In 1978 the US Environmental Protection Agency contracted Mathtech Incorporated to identify the impediments to recycling and evaluate their economic effects. The facilities studied represented a cross-section of recycling technologies, ownership types, geographical locations, and recovered products. It was discovered that none of the facilities was economical in the sense of providing the least-cost mode of disposal for municipal solid waste, and all of them suffered net losses in recent operations. Indications were that financial performance would improve slightly. A major deterrent to economical operations was the availability of lower-cost disposal by landfill.
Personality in Social Psychology

1 Personality Psychology 2 Basic Approaches to Studying Personality 3 Behavioral Assessment of Personality 4 Person Perception and Accuracy 5 Competition 6 Toward a Cooperative Social–Personality Psychology
Quantitative analysis of the effects of steady-state illumination on the MOS-capacitor—II. Experimental results

Abstract The steady state characteristics of the MOS (Si-SiO2) capacitor, subjected to monochromatic illumination, are recorded and carefully compared to the theoretical predictions of Part I. Excellent agreement between theory and experiment is obtained in the intermediate frequency, high frequency, and far inversion ranges. Low frequency data is also found to agree with theory when surface state effects are taken into account. The sensitivity of the device to light intensity, light wavelength, incident light orientation, and die thickness is qualitatively as expected. Quantitative agreement between absorption theory and experiment, however, is only order of magnitude because of experimentally based inaccuracies in the deduced light perturbed carrier concentrations.
Coupling of agonist-induced AMPA receptor internalization with receptor recycling.

Excitatory post-synaptic currents in the CNS are primarily mediated by α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors in response to glutamate. Internalization of cell-surface receptors has been shown to be one mechanism by which to control receptor function. To test for agonist control of AMPA receptor plasma membrane expression we used biochemical assays to study AMPA receptor internalization and insertion processes. In heterologous cells, we observed a slow constitutive internalization and a rapid agonist-induced internalization of AMPA receptors. To our surprise, however, agonist treatment had no effect on the steady-state levels of AMPA receptors on the cell surface. To examine whether this could be explained by an agonist-induced increase in the insertion rate of AMPA receptors into the plasma membrane we developed an assay to independently measure receptor insertion. Remarkably, agonist treatment of cells also dramatically increased AMPA receptor plasma membrane insertion rates. In addition, using an assay to measure recycling of internalized pools we found that internalized receptors are rapidly recycled to the cell surface. These results suggest that agonist-induced receptor internalization is coupled to increases in receptor recycling. This increase in receptor flux through intracellular pools may allow for rapid changes in receptor surface expression by independent regulatory control of internalization and insertion.
Conditional cancer-specific mortality in T4, N1, or M1 prostate cancer: implications for long-term prognosis

The risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) following a diagnosis of prostate cancer may improve after patients have survived a number of years after diagnosis. We sought to determine long-term conditional PCSM for patients with stage T4, N1, or M1 prostate cancer. We identified 66,817 patients diagnosed with stage IV (T4N0M0, N1M0, or M1) prostate cancer between 1973 and 2011 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Conditional five-year PCSM was evaluated for each group of patients at 5, 10, and 15 years of survival according to the Fine & Gray model for competing risks after adjusting for tumor grade, age, income level, and marital status. Race-stratified analyses were also performed. There were 13,345 patients with T4 disease, 12,450 patients with N1 disease, and 41,022 patients with M1 disease. Median follow-up among survivors in the three groups was 123 months (range: 0–382 months), 61 months (range: 0–410 months), and 30 months (range: 0–370 months), respectively. Conditional PCSM improved in all three groups over time. Among patients with T4 disease, 5-year PCSM improved from 13.9 % at diagnosis to 11.2, 8.1, and 6.5 % conditioned on 5, 10, or 15 years of survival, respectively (p < 0.001 in all cases). In patients with N1 disease, 5-year PCSM increased within the first five years and decreased thereafter, from 18.9 % at diagnosis to 21.4 % (p < 0.001), 17.6 % (p = 0.055), and 13.8 % (p < 0.001), respectively. In patients with metastatic disease, 5-year PCSM improved from 57.2 % at diagnosis to 41.1, 28.8, and 20.8 %, respectively (p < 0.001). White race was associated with a greater increase in conditional survival compared to non-white race among those with T4 or N1 disease. While patients with T4, N1, or M1 prostate cancer are never “cured,” their odds of cancer-specific survival increase substantially after they have survived for 5 or more years. Physicians who take care of patients with prostate cancer can use this data to guide follow-up decisions and to counsel newly diagnosed patients and survivors regarding their long-term prognosis.
The effects of hyperoxic ventilation in the treatment of myocardial infarction: MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND HYPEROXIC VENTILATION

SUMMARY Everyone supports the use of oxygen therapy to treat hypoxia secondary to acute myocardial infarction. However, the literature is confusing on the subject of supplemental oxygenation of patients with normal oxygen saturation and uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction, despite the fact that controlled randomized human studies have failed to support the need for supplemental oxygen in the uncomplicated patient. Both normobaric and hyperbaric oxygen must be recognized as a vasoactive substance and thus be considered a drug to which the patient may have an adverse response, particularly in patients whose oxygen saturation is 95% or greater, for example, coronary vasoconstriction. The level of evidence for the use of normobaric oxygenation in uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction patients who were not hypoxemic is based on expert opinion, case studies and ‘standard of care’. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has not been shown to be beneficial in human studies. Most studies of the use of supplemental oxygen in humans with acute myocardial infarction were performed prior to modern aggressive medical therapy and current thrombolytic or percutaneous coronary intervention therapy. Perhaps a randomized clinical trial in patients with normal oxygen saturations and modern therapy will shed some light on the subject.
Effect of Toluene and Similar Compounds on the Carbohydrate-Anthrone Reaction

Toluene interferes with the anthrone reaction for hexoses causing a decrease in the absorption maximum at 625 mµ and producing a second absorption band with a maximum at 475 mµ. Xylene, benzene, and cyclohexene also interfere, whereas cyclohexane, o-chlorobenzene, and benzoic acid do not.
Potential Dependent Chromate Adsorption on Gold

The adsorption and reduction of chromate on Au(111) were studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning tunneling microscopy in slightly acidic media. CV results show the evolution of the species present with each subsequent scan revealing intermediate processes in the deposition of chromate on the surface. SERS indicates that the deposition involves oxidation and reduction cycles between chromate and α-Cr 2 O 3 . The intermediate step involves a chromate species chemically bound to the surface. The final film is a mixed Cr(III)/ Cr(VI) layer. In situ AFM demonstrates that the Cr 2 O 3 adlayer exhibits a (√3 × √3)R30° adlattice relative to the underlying Au(111).
Complete Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Mucoid Strain FRD1, Isolated from a Cystic Fibrosis Patient.

ABSTRACT We announce here the complete genome sequence of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa mucoid strain FRD1, isolated from the sputum of a cystic fibrosis patient. The complete genome of P. aeruginosa FRD1 is 6,712,339 bp. This genome will allow comparative genomics to be used to identify genes associated with virulence, especially those involved in chronic pulmonary infections.
Boolean vector algebraic structures: properties and applications to digital logic simulation

Abstract Boolean algebra is the basic mathematic used in the analysis and synthesis of binary systems. Technological advances have led to an increasing interest in multivalued logic systems where more than two logical values are used. In the application of multivalued logic, each logical value could often be represented by a Boolean vector, ie a vector with binary components (0 or 1). Therefore, it is quite important to have a thorough understanding of properties embedded in the algebraic structures using Boolean vectors as basic operands. This gives the motivation for this study. Boolean vector operations are introduced and two major modes associated with the complement are characterized. Then we define a Boolean vector E-algebra and its major features are given. Finally, some applications are discussed and illustrated.
Simulations of instability in fiber spinning of polymers

This work determines the critical regimes beyond which the melt fiber spinning for noncrystallizable polymeric liquids becomes unstable. The critical draw ratio of the process is established using linear stability analysis for both isothermal and nonisothermal fiber spinning regimes. In addition, nonlinear isothermal analysis describes the complete range of the stable and unstable conditions for fiber spinning. Unlike previous studies, this research uses quite realistic viscoelastic constitutive equations extensively tested for five polymer liquids, which provides a good comparison of our calculations with available experimental data. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1414-1423, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Regulation of nitric oxide synthase messenger RNA expression in the rat hippocampus by glucocorticoids

Nitric oxide and glucocorticoids have been implicated in learning and memory, as well as in regulation of the stress response. By use of the in situ hybridization technique, we examined the role of glucocorticoids in the regulation of nitric oxide synthase messenger RNA in the hippocampus. In control animals, nitric oxide synthase subtype I (neuronal) messenger RNA was expressed in the CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Nitric oxide synthase subtype I expression was almost absent in CA2 pyramidal neurons. Neither subtype II (immunological) nor subtype III (endothelial) nitric oxide synthase messenger RNAs were observed in neurons of the hippocampal subfields. Bilateral removal of the adrenal glands resulted in a significant increase in nitric oxide synthase subtype I messenger RNA expression in the CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons and in granular cells of the dentate gyrus. To a lesser degree, the nitric oxide synthase subtype I messenger RNA signal was increased in CA2 pyramidal neurons. Daily administration of glucocorticoids for one week attenuated the adrenalectomy-induced increased level of expression of the messenger RNA encoding nitric oxide synthase subtype I in all areas studied. Because adrenalectomy, which suppresses the production of glucocorticoids, increases nitric oxide synthase expression, and replacement of adrenalectomized animals with glucocorticoids restores the basal levels of nitric oxide synthase subtype I expression, our results demonstrate an up-regulation of nitric oxide synthase subtype I messenger RNA in the absence of glucocorticoids in the hippocampus. The present findings suggest an involvement of the stress axis in the regulation of the synaptic plasticity process mediated by nitric oxide in the hippocampus.
Hardware implementation of Kuiper-based modulation level classification

A modulation level classifier based on the reduced complexity Kuiper test is implemented on the BEE2 hardware prototyping platform and its performance is evaluated. In particular, the classification accuracy of the proposed classifier in distinguishing among 4, 16, and 64-QAM is analyzed under varying SNR, varying number of symbols, and different timing offsets. The performance of the proposed classifier is compared to that of the widely-used Cumulant-based classifier. Possible architectures are proposed, and their classification accuracy and computational complexity are compared. The proposed method achieves a probability of correct classification of 93% using 512 symbols at an SNR of 14dB as compared to an accuracy of 73% for the Cumulants method. The two classifiers have comparable hardware utilizations.
Major Liver Resection in Elderly Patients: A Multi-Institutional Analysis

Background Because of the aging United States population, increase in overall life expectancy, and rising incidence of hepatobiliary tumors, more elderly patients are considered for hepatic resection. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of age on postoperative outcomes after major hepatectomy among a contemporary cohort from 2 high volume centers. Study Design Demographics, diagnoses, surgical treatments, and postoperative outcomes of patients who underwent major hepatic resection were reviewed. Results There were 856 patients who underwent major hepatectomy (resection of 3 or more segments) from 2002 to 2009. Postoperative mortality and morbidity occurred in 53 (6.2%) and 403 (47.1%) patients, respectively. Increasing age was independently associated with postoperative mortality (p = 0.0345). Each 1-year and 10-year increase in age resulted in an odds ratio of mortality after major hepatic resection of 1.036 (95% CI [1.003-1.071]) and 1.426 (95% CI [1.026-1.982]), respectively. This relationship was independent of American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score. Increasing age was associated with postoperative sepsis (p = 0.0224, odds ratio for each year 1.025 [range 1.003 to 1.048]) after major hepatic resection, but not overall postoperative morbidity. Conclusions In the contemporary era, increasing age is independently associated with postoperative mortality after major hepatic resection at high volume academic centers.
The complexity of congestion-1 embedding in a hypercube

Abstract Embedding a source graph in a host graph has long been used to model the problem of processor allocation in a multicomputer system. If the host graph represents a network of processors that uses circuit switching for node-to-node communication, then embedding a graph with congestion-1 is practically as good as embedding it with adjacency preserved, but has the advantage of allowing far more graphs to be embeddable. In this paper, we show that any graph G can be embedded with unit congestion in a hypercube of dimension n ≥ max{6⌈log|V(G)|⌉, deg( G )}, but it is NP-complete to determine whether G is congestion-1 embeddable in a given hypercube of dimension less than max{6⌈log|V(G)|⌉, deg( G )}, even if the source graph is connected. The restriction to connected graphs is important because, in applications, source graphs are usually connected.
A comparison of multiple imputation and fully augmented weighted estimators for Cox regression with missing covariates

Several approaches exist for handling missing covariates in the Cox proportional hazards model. The multiple imputation (MI) is relatively easy to implement with various software available and results in consistent estimates if the imputation model is correct. On the other hand, the fully augmented weighted estimators (FAWEs) recover a substantial proportion of the efficiency and have the doubly robust property. In this paper, we compare the FAWEs and the MI through a comprehensive simulation study. For the MI, we consider the multiple imputation by chained equation and focus on two imputation methods: Bayesian linear regression imputation and predictive mean matching. Simulation results show that the imputation methods can be rather sensitive to model misspecification and may have large bias when the censoring time depends on the missing covariates. In contrast, the FAWEs allow the censoring time to depend on the missing covariates and are remarkably robust as long as getting either the conditional expectations or the selection probability correct due to the doubly robust property. The comparison suggests that the FAWEs show the potential for being a competitive and attractive tool for tackling the analysis of survival data with missing covariates.
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY STUDIES OF Nb—Al2O3 INTERFACES FORMED BY MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY

Abstract Niobium films were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on sapphire substrates of different orientations. A unique three-dimensional orientation relationship was determined between the Al 2 O 3 substrate and the niobium film independent of substrate orientation: (0001) S ‖(111) Nb and [2 11 0] S ‖[1 1 0] Nb . This observation is in contrast with topotaxial relationships obtained between Al 2 O 3 particles formed by internal oxidation of Nb Al alloys where close-packed planes are parallel: (0001) S ‖(110) Nb . The atomistic structure of the interface was identified by high resolution electron microscopy. Regions of good matching alternate with regions which contain localized misfit dislocations. These observations will be discussed and compared with results published in the literature.
Estimates for integral kernels of mixed type, fractional integration operators, and optimal estimates for the\(\bar \partial \) operator

Sharp tangential Lipschitz estimates for the inhomogeneous Cauchy Riemann equations with Lp data on strongly pseudoconvex doma ins in complex manifolds are proved. Estimates in both isotropic and non-isotropic spaces of functions of bounded mean oscillation are proved.
Some comments on the surface-tension driven break-up (or the lack of it) of viscoelastic jets

Abstract The surface-tension driven deformation of a fluid jet is studied under various simplifying assumptions. The results shed some light on the observed resistance of viscoelastic jets to break-up.
A new constructive heuristic for the flowshop scheduling problem

This paper presents a simple constructive heuristic (HFC) for the flowshop makespan problem which is capable of producing non-permutation schedules when it deems it appropriate. HFC determines the order of any two jobs in the final schedule based on their order in all two-machine problems embedded in the problem. Computational experiments indicate that HFC performs as well as NEH which is the currently best available constructive heuristic on problems where a permutation schedule is expected to be optimal. However, HFC outperforms NEH on problems where a non-permutation schedule may be optimal.
Effects of Benign Experiences on the Perception of Risk

In accordance with simple reinforcement theory it is assumed that experiences with potentially dangerous events that do not result in harm to an individual will tend to extinguish the individual's perception of the risk associated with those events. The purpose of the experiment described here is to evaluate the extent to which experiences that have not resulted in injury or concern for injury may affect the perception of risk associated with warnings. In line with theory, those persons having had experience with all terrain vehicles (ATVs) showed less perception of risk than those without such experience. Further, the efficacy of warnings against use with passengers varied as a function of prior passenger experience.
Continuous-genotype models and assortative mating

Abstract Feldman and Cavalli-Sforza (1979a,b) have argued that the convergence properties of classical models of assortative mating are not known, and that these models involve arbitrary assumptions which assume rather than derive the achievement of equilibrium. A careful consideration of all models shows that the classical models are well defined and seem to achieve their equilibria. The model used by Feldman and Cavalli-Sforza involves an arbitrary assumption. Consideration of the models of Wright, Fisher, Bulmer, and Lande in the context of assortative mating or of selection versus mutation shows that these models are consistent with each other. The treatment of the balance between mutation and normalizing selection by Cavalli-Sforza and Feldman comes to conclusions sharply different from those of other authors, apparently as a result of this same arbitrary assumption.
The Possible Link Between Net Surface Heating and El Niño

Three diagnostic analyses are described which strongly suggest the importance of local net surface heating in the life history of the large-scale, air-sea phenomenon centered in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, commonly called El Nino. These analyses rely upon monthly marine weather summaries for the period 1957 to 1976. In the first, correlations and coherence spectra were calculated which show a strong link between the net surface heat flux and sea-surface temperature variations over the eastern equatorial Pacific. The second analysis, also based upon the use of coherence spectra, indicates a sea temperature precursor in the eastern ocean near 25 degrees S which precedes sea temperature changes near the El Nino focus near 5 degrees S. Since the link between the two regions would require ocean advective velocities that appear to be unreasonably large, this analysis also suggests the importance of atmospheric forcing through the surface heat flux. In the third analysis a proxy variable is described that seems to be a reasonable indicator of the overall effect of ocean dynamics on the temperature of the El Nino core region. A composite analysis of the four El Nino events of 1957, 1965, 1972, and 1976 suggests that local surface heating is important during the early part of an event, whereas dynamical factors dominate later.
Valproic acid use during radiation therapy for glioblastoma associated with improved survival.

Purpose Valproic acid (VA) is an antiepileptic drug (AED) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor taken by patients with glioblastoma (GB) to manage seizures, and it can modulate the biologic effects of radiation therapy (RT). We investigated whether VA use during RT for GB was associated with overall survival (OS). Methods and Materials Medical records of 544 adults with GB were retrospectively reviewed. Analyses were performed to determine the association of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group recursive partitioning analysis (RTOG RPA) class, seizure history, and concurrent temozolomide (TMZ) and AED use during RT with OS. Results Seizures before the end of RT were noted in 217 (40%) patients, and 403 (74%) were taking an AED during RT; 29 (7%) were taking VA. Median OS in patients taking VA was 16.9 months (vs 13.6 months taking another AED, P =.16). Among patients taking an AED during RT, OS was associated with VA ( P =.047; hazard ratio [HR], 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27-1.07), and RTOG RPA class ( P P =.26). When the analysis was restricted to patients who received concurrent TMZ, VA use was marginally associated with OS ( P =.057; HR, 0.54; 95% CI, −0.09 to 1.17), independently of RTOG RPA class and seizure history. Conclusions VA use during RT for GB was associated with improved OS, independently of RTOG RPA, seizure history, and concurrent TMZ use. Further studies of treatment that combines HDAC inhibitors and RT are warranted.
Dynamic plastic behavior of structures under impact loading investigated by the extended hamilton's principle☆

Abstract We propose the extended Hamilton's principle to investigate the dynamic plastic behavior of a beam or a plate under an impact loading. Material is assumed to be rigid perfectly plastic. The impact loading is given in the form of initial velocity. Good agreement between our numerical solutions and experimental results done by Parkes and Jones indicates that the proposed variational method is a powerful approximation method for the dynamic plasticity analysis. The effect of strain-rate sensitivity on the permanent deflection of a plate is investigated in some detail. Instead of nonlinear differential equations, nonlinear algebraic equations are solved in the proposed method.
Memristive switching mechanism for metal/oxide/metal nanodevices.

Nanoscale metal/oxide/metal switches have the potential to transform the market for nonvolatile memory and could lead to novel forms of computing. However, progress has been delayed by difficulties in understanding and controlling the coupled electronic and ionic phenomena that dominate the behaviour of nanoscale oxide devices. An analytic theory of the ‘memristor’ (memory-resistor) was first developed from fundamental symmetry arguments in 1971, and we recently showed that memristor behaviour can naturally explain such coupled electron–ion dynamics. Here we provide experimental evidence to support this general model of memristive electrical switching in oxide systems. We have built micro- and nanoscale TiO2 junction devices with platinum electrodes that exhibit fast bipolar nonvolatile switching. We demonstrate that switching involves changes to the electronic barrier at the Pt/TiO2 interface due to the drift of positively charged oxygen vacancies under an applied electric field. Vacancy drift towards the interface creates conducting channels that shunt, or short-circuit, the electronic barrier to switch ON. The drift of vacancies away from the interface annilihilates such channels, recovering the electronic barrier to switch OFF. Using this model we have built TiO2 crosspoints with engineered oxygen vacancy profiles that predictively control the switching polarity and conductance. Nanoscale metal/oxide/metal devices that are capable of fast non-volatile switching have been built from platinum and titanium dioxide. The devices could have applications in ultrahigh density memory cells and novel forms of computing.
Longitudinal Phase Space Matching between Microtrons at 185 MeV

Electrons are accelerated to 185 MeV by a microtron. Then, they are injected into another microtron to boost the net energy up to a few GeV. Between the two microtrons both longitudinal and transverse phase space matching are required. In this paper, we consider a longitudinal phase ellipse matching which utilizes triple left-right-left sector dipoles to induce a negative phase angle shear. This is accomplished because a high energy particle travels a shorter distance through the dipole system than a low energy particle.