cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic versus subinguinal varicocelectomy: a comparative study.

Objective To determine the relative advantages of the laparoscopic approach to varicocelectomy, postoperative morbidity and pain in patients undergoing subinguinal varicocelectomies were compared with that of patients undergoing laparoscopic varicocele repairs. Design Retrospective study of concurrent groups of patients undergoing laparoscopic or open subinguinal varicocele repairs. Setting Tertiary teaching hospital. Patients Forty-seven patients with primary or secondary infertility. Interventions Patients were offered a choice between a laparoscopic or open subinguinal varicocele repair. Main Outcome Measures The total number of pain pills used, the number of days of analgesics, and the number of days off from work after surgery were recorded. Results Fourteen patients underwent laparoscopic varicocelectomies, and 33 patients underwent subinguinal varicocelectomies. Analgesic use by the laparoscopic patients was no different from that of the subinguinal patients. The length of time off from work was significantly longer for the laparoscopic patients (6.4 days) as compared with the time off from work for the patients who underwent subinguinal varicocele repairs (2.6 days). Conclusion The subinguinal varicocele repair performed with local anesthesia is a safe, low morbid technique offering a quicker recovery period than laparoscopic approaches. Although laparoscopic repairs may offer a shorter recovery period when compared with standard inguinal varicocelectomies, this is not the case when compared with subinguinal approaches.
Solid-state NMR analysis of crosslinking in mussel protein glue

Solid-state 13C and 15N NMR spectra have been obtained of intact adhesive plaques from the mussel Geukensia demissa labeled by L-[6-13C,6-15N]lysine. The plaques are rich in a polyphenolic protein glue which has 50 or more repeats of a nonapeptide sequence with one lysine per repeat. The average isotopic 15N enrichment of lysyl epsilon nitrogens in the plaques was 4%. These lysyl amines are not involved in ionic complexes and do not form observable concentrations of covalent crosslinks.
A theoretical model with experimental verification for bending stiffness of thermosetting prepreg during forming process

Abstract Capturing the out-of-plane properties using a suitable experimental method and combination of constitutive models and modelling techniques is required to improve forming simulation outcomes for composite prepregs, with the ultimate aim of predicting and optimizing forming processes. This paper proposes a theoretical model for bending behavior of woven fabric-based out-of-autoclave prepregs under conditions relevant to forming process. Time and temperature dependencies are considered by means of time–temperature superposition in a linear viscoelastic material model. A new approach for considering the testing rate and temperature with respect to a reference value is also established. Experimental tests are carried out for estimation of the model parameters and validation of the proposed model. A special bending test setup is utilized to allow for adequate control of testing rates and temperatures as well as viscoelastic investigations. A good agreement between the predicted bending stiffness and the experimental values was observed. The model and experimental results reveal that the processing temperature has the strongest influence on the bending property results.
STRUCTURE-FUNCTION RELATIONSHIPS FOR HIGH AND LOW-AFFINITY INTERLEUKIN 2 RECEPTORS

The original study of interleukin 2 (IL-2) binding to activated lymphocytes by Robb and colleagues1 described a high-affinity receptor-ligand association which fit nicely with the very low levels of IL-2 which promoted cellular proliferation. Later studies, however, demonstrated that the IL-2 receptor actually existed in a number of forms with drastically different affinities for ligand2. Our subsequent research has focused on explaining these differences in molecular terms and relating them to the function of this versatile growth and differentiation factor. Insight into structure-function relationships for the IL-2-receptor system should prove particularly valuable to the design of drugs which can be used to manipulate IL-2-dependent immunological responses.
PROTEIN COAGULATION AND ITS REVERSAL : IMPROVED METHODS FOR THE REVERSAL OF THE COAGULATION OF HEMOGLOBIN.

The coagulation of hemoglobin is probably reversible. Several methods are described for preparing soluble crystalline hemoglobin from hemoglobin denatured by HCl or trichloracetic acid. The yield is about 75 per cent.
Utility and tolerability of the long-pulsed 1064-nm neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (LP Nd:YAG) laser for treatment of symptomatic or disfiguring vascular malformations in children and adolescents

Background Vascular malformations manifest with pain, bleeding, disability, and disfigurement in a subset of children. There are scant data available on the utility and tolerability of laser surgery for symptomatic or disfiguring non–port-wine stain vascular malformations in children. Objective The objective of this study was to determine the utility and tolerability of the 1064-nm long-pulsed neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (LP Nd:YAG) laser for treatment of symptomatic or disfiguring vascular malformations in children. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of 29 pediatric patients with non–port-wine stain vascular malformations who were treated with the LP Nd:YAG laser at our institution. We report patient characteristics, treatment parameters, outcomes, and complications. Results Blinded assessment of clinical efficacy revealed good to excellent results in 66.7% of patients treated and poor to fair results in 25%. The overall rate of complications was 27%, with minor skin breakdown and blistering being the most common. Limitations Our conclusions are limited by small sample size, pretreatment and posttreatment photographs in only a subset of patients, and lack of long-term follow-up. Conclusion The LP Nd:YAG laser is a well-tolerated and effective treatment modality for a variety of non–port-wine stain vascular malformations in children.
Christian and Muslim Millennialism

Discusses the growing influence of Protestant millennialism, not just among religious Israelis and Palestinian Christians, but also among Palestinian Muslims.
Longitudinal MR Spectroscopy Shows Altered Metabolism in Traumatic Brain Injury.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Brain trauma is known to result in heterogeneous patterns of tissue damage and altered neuronal and glial metabolism that evolve over time following injury; however, little is known on the longitudinal evolution of these changes. In this study, magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) was used to map the distributions of altered metabolism in a single subject at five time points over a period of 28 months following injury. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging and volumetric MRSI data were acquired in a subject that had experienced a moderate traumatic brain injury (Glasgow Coma Scale 13) at five time points, from 7 weeks to 28 months after injury. Maps of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), total choline (Cho), and total creatine signal were generated and differences from normal control values identified using a z-score image analysis method. RESULTS The z-score metabolite maps revealed areas of significantly reduced NAA and increased Cho, predominately located in frontal and parietal white matter, which evolved over the complete course of the study. A map of the ratio of Cho/NAA showed the greatest sensitivity to change, which indicated additional metabolic changes throughout white matter. The metabolic changes reduced over time following injury, though with abnormal values remaining in periventricular regions. CONCLUSIONS The use of z-score image analysis for MRSI provides a method for visualizing diffuse changes of tissue metabolism in the brain. This image visualization method is of particularly effective for visualizing widespread and diffuse metabolic changes, such as that due to traumatic injury.
Effects of iron-containing minerals on hydrothermal reactions of ketones

Abstract Hydrothermal organic transformations occurring in geochemical processes are influenced by the surrounding environments including rocks and minerals. This work is focused on the effects of five common minerals on reactions of a model ketone substrate, dibenzylketone (DBK), in an experimental hydrothermal system. Ketones play a central role in many hydrothermal organic functional group transformations, such as those converting hydrocarbons to oxygenated compounds; however, how these minerals control the hydrothermal chemistry of ketones is poorly understood. Under the hydrothermal conditions of 300 °C and 70 MPa for up to 168 h, we observed that, while quartz (SiO2) and corundum (Al2O3) had no detectable effect on the hydrothermal reactions of DBK, iron-containing minerals, such as hematite (Fe2O3), magnetite (Fe3O4), and troilite (synthetic FeS), accelerated the reaction of DBK by up to an order of magnitude. We observed that fragmentation products, such as toluene and bibenzyl, dominated in the presence of hematite or magnetite, while use of troilite gave primarily the reduction products, e.g., 1, 3-diphenyl-propane and 1, 3-diphenyl-2-propanol. The roles of the three iron minerals in these transformations were further explored by (1) control experiments with various mineral surface areas, (2) measuring H2 in hydrothermal solutions, and (3) determining hydrogen balance among the organic products. These results suggest the reactions catalyzed by iron oxides (hematite and magnetite) are promoted mainly by the mineral surfaces, whereas the sulfide mineral (troilite) facilitated the reduction of ketone in the reaction solution. Therefore, this work not only provides a useful chemical approach to study and uncover complicated hydrothermal organic-mineral interactions, but also fosters a mechanistic understanding of ketone reactions in the deep carbon cycle.
A Necessary Holocaust Pedagogy: Teaching the Teachers.

Botwinick is not alone in noting the special demands that educators face in teaching the Holocaust. Farnham (1983) begins his essay “Ethical Ambiguity and the Teaching of the Holocaust” by stating, “Having taught a college course on literature of the Holocaust four times, I will soon begin my fifth guided tour through hell” (p. 63). Schilling (1998) guards himself from the topic’s pressures by teaching it only once every two years, while Klein (1995) holds that “Holocaust education is also burdened by unique problems” that place “extraordinary demands on teaching” (p. 2). Langer (1995, p. 3) posits that “Most literature—indeed, most history—does not estrange its readers with startling remarks about a remote way of being” (p. 3), thus problematizing teaching the event. These voices indicate that one does not teach the Holocaust as much as one confronts it.
Dependable and reliable cloud-based systems using multiple software spare components

Cloud computing relies on a set of service components running on a service provider datacenter to achieve specific tasks. A trusted cloud-based software system is a highly dependable, reliable, available and predictable advanced computing system with guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS). Due to well-established studies and practices on hardware reliability, software faults have become the major factor of system failures in cloud-based systems. In this paper, we introduce a scheme of developing dependable and reliable cloud-based systems using multiple software spare components. We address the software-aging phenomenon in cloud computing, where the reliability of a software component decreases along the time. To counteract the software aging issue, we propose a mechanism to maintain the system reliability above a predefined safety threshold using software rejuvenation schedules. The calculation of system reliability is based on an extended Dynamic Fault Tree (DFT) model of cloud-based systems with Software SPare (SSP) gates. We verify our approach using Continuous Time Markov Chain (CTMC) for the case of constant failure rates, and provide a case study of a cloud-based system to show the detailed procedure as well as the feasibility of our approach.
The mannich reaction-II : Derivatization of aldehydes and ketones using dimethyl(methylene)ammonium salts

Abstract Aldehydes and ketones have been converted efficiently to their corresponding Mannich products by various dimethyl(methylene)ammonium salts under a range of reaction conditions. The several methods used to form these derivatives are compared. Excellent approaches to aldehyde derivatives involve treating the enol silyl ether of the carbonyl compound with methyllithium and then an iminium salt, or directly adding the iminium salt to the enol silyl ether. Ketones may be derivatized effectively by treatment with potassium hydride, followed by an iminium salt, or from the enol silyl ether by addition of the iminium reagent. Use of iminium reagents in the Mannich reaction is recommended because the yields are often good and the site of attachment on an unsymmetrical ketone is both predictable and controllable.
Reduced reward responsiveness moderates the effect of maternal depression on depressive symptoms in offspring: evidence across levels of analysis.

BACKGROUND Reduced reward responsiveness (RR) may contribute to depression vulnerability. At the neurophysiological level, RR is reliably and validly assessed using the reward positivity (RewP) event-related potential component. We previously identified a blunted RewP in 9-year-old children at high risk for depression due to maternal depression, but the role of RR in pathways from parental history to the development of depressive symptoms has not been examined. METHODS At age 9, never-depressed children (N = 369) completed a task in which RewP was measured in response to monetary reward and loss feedback. Parental history of depression was assessed using semistructured interviews, and children reported on their depressive symptoms. At age 12, youth depressive symptoms were reassessed, along with a self-report measure of RR. We tested RR as a moderator of the effects of parental depression on depressive symptoms at age 12, using both neurophysiological and self-report measures and controlling for age 9 symptoms. RESULTS Main effects of RR and interactions with maternal depression were significant. Maternal depression predicted greater depressive symptoms in youth with blunted and average RewP but was not a significant predictor in youth with an enhanced RewP. A similar pattern was observed for self-reported RR. The two measures of RR were not correlated with each other and accounted for unique variance in symptoms. Interactions between RR and paternal depression were not significant. CONCLUSIONS Reduced RR, as measured by neurophysiology and self-report, moderates the effects of maternal depression on depressive symptoms in offspring. Assessment of RR along with risk factors such as parental depression may aid in identifying children at greatest risk and enhancing RR could be a potential target for prevention. Results highlight the utility of multimethod approaches for advancing understanding of depression risk.
Early Intervention in Mental Health for Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review

Objective The purpose of this systematic review was to describe the evidence for the effectiveness of early intervention to improve and maintain performance in occupations for youths with or at risk for serious mental illness (SMI). Method Titles and abstracts of 670 articles were reviewed, 234 were retrieved for full review, and 30 met inclusion criteria. Results Moderate to strong evidence supports cognitive remediation (CR) and mixed evidence supports cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as an adjunct modality to improve general functioning. Moderate to strong evidence supports use of supported employment and supported education (SE/E) to improve social and occupational outcomes in employment and academics. Strong evidence supports family psychoeducation (FPE) to prevent relapse and rehospitalization and improve problem-solving skills and general functioning. Conclusion Occupational therapy practitioners should integrate CR, SE/E, and FPE into early intervention with youth with or at risk for SMI. In addition, CBT is an effective modality for use with this population.
Exploring the potential role of community engagement in evaluating clinical and translational science grant proposals.

Author(s): Treem, Jeffrey W; Schneider, Margaret; Zender, Robynn L; Sorkin, Dara H | Abstract: This study explored the effects of integrating community members into the evaluation of clinical and translational science grants.The University of California, Irvine Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) engaged 21 community reviewers alongside scientific reviewers in a 2-stage process of evaluating research proposals. In Stage 1 reviewers scored proposals, and during Stage 2 two study sections convened: one a mix of community reviewers and scientific reviewers, and one only engaging scientific reviewers. In total, 4 studies were discussed by both study sections.Comparisons of reviews revealed little difference between ratings of community reviewers and those of scientific reviewers, and that community reviewers largely refrained from critiquing scientific or technical aspects of proposals.The findings suggest that involving community reviewers early in the grant cycle, and exposing them to the entirety of the review process, can bolster community engagement without compromising the rigor of grant evaluations.
Current Source Modular Multilevel Converter with Reduced Number of Components

The Current Source Modular Multilevel Converter (CSMMC) topology is modified in this paper. The Modified CSMMC (MCSMMC) requires half the number of inductors and 25% fewer switches. Moreover, unlike the CSMMC, the size of the inductors in the MCSMMC depends on the switching frequency, and not the fundamental frequency. This feature allows the size of the required inductors to be reduced by increasing the switching frequency.
Reconciling modern machine learning practice and the bias-variance trade-off

Breakthroughs in machine learning are rapidly changing science and society, yet our fundamental understanding of this technology has lagged far behind. Indeed, one of the central tenets of the field, the bias-variance trade-off, appears to be at odds with the observed behavior of methods used in the modern machine learning practice. The bias-variance trade-off implies that a model should balance under-fitting and over-fitting: rich enough to express underlying structure in data, simple enough to avoid fitting spurious patterns. However, in the modern practice, very rich models such as neural networks are trained to exactly fit (i.e., interpolate) the data. Classically, such models would be considered over-fit, and yet they often obtain high accuracy on test data. This apparent contradiction has raised questions about the mathematical foundations of machine learning and their relevance to practitioners. In this paper, we reconcile the classical understanding and the modern practice within a unified performance curve. This "double descent" curve subsumes the textbook U-shaped bias-variance trade-off curve by showing how increasing model capacity beyond the point of interpolation results in improved performance. We provide evidence for the existence and ubiquity of double descent for a wide spectrum of models and datasets, and we posit a mechanism for its emergence. This connection between the performance and the structure of machine learning models delineates the limits of classical analyses, and has implications for both the theory and practice of machine learning.
Evaluating the Cumulative Impact of Childhood Misfortune: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach.

Most studies of the early origins of adult health rely on summing dichotomously measured negative exposures to measure childhood misfortune (CM), neglect, adversity, or trauma. There are several li...
From Peyton Rous to the HPV Vaccine: A Journey of Discovery and Progress

* Abbreviations: HPV — : human papillomavirus 9vHPV — : 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine Peyton Rous began his famous experiments in 1909 at the Rockefeller Institute, demonstrating that a sarcoma on the chest of a Plymouth Rock hen that had been brought to him by a farmer from Long Island, New York, could be transplanted to other chickens. Because cell-free tumor extracts resulted in transmission of the sarcoma to other hens, he postulated the agent must be a small transmissible agent, possibly a virus.1 The concept that a virus might cause cancer was outside the prevailing concepts of the time, and his postulate languished for years. In 1964, Epstein et al2 described the first identified human DNA tumor virus in cell lines obtained from African children suffering from Burkitt lymphoma, demonstrating the human oncogenic potential of this virus (later named the Epstein-Barr virus). By 1981, hepatitis B virus had been linked to hepatocellular carcinoma, and a plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine was licensed as the first anticancer vaccine.3 In 1983, papillomavirus DNA was isolated from human cervical cancer tissue, and today, human papillomavirus (HPV) is recognized to cause essentially all cervical cancers.4 The US Food and Drug Administration licensed the first HPV vaccine in 2006. Wherever vaccination campaigns against these 2 vaccine-preventable … Address correspondence to H. Cody Meissner, MD, Tufts University School of Medicine, 800 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111. E-mail: cmeissner{at}tuftsmedicalcenter.org
Management of Insect and Mite Resistance in Ornamental Crops

Resistance of arthropods to crop management chemicals has been problematic since the early era of synthetic organic pesticides. During the 1970s and early 1980s leafminer outbreaks heavily damaged herbaceous ornamental crops such as chrysanthemum, gypsophila, aster, and marigold in fields, shade houses and greenhouses. Several effective insecticides including organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids, and a triazine were identified for leafminer control during the outbreak; however, control was short-lived as the leafminer developed resistance to each insecticide. This 11-page fact sheet was written by James F. Price, Elzie McCord, Jr., and Curtis Nagle, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, November 2012. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in715
Transcapillary PO 2 Gradients in contracting muscles across the fibre type and oxidative continuum

KEY POINTS Within skeletal muscle the greatest resistance to oxygen transport is thought to reside across the short distance at the red blood cell-myocyte interface. These structures generate a significant transmural oxygen pressure (PO2 ) gradient in mixed fibre-type muscle. Increasing O2 flux across the capillary wall during exercise depends on: (i) the transmural O2 pressure gradient, which is maintained in mixed-fibre muscle, and/or (ii) elevating diffusing properties between microvascular and interstitial compartments resulting, in part, from microvascular haemodynamics and red blood cell distribution. We evaluated the PO2 within the microvascular and interstitial spaces of muscles spanning the slow- to fast-twitch fibre and high- to low-oxidative capacity spectrums, at rest and during contractions, to assess the magnitude of transcapillary PO2 gradients in rats. Our findings demonstrate that, across the metabolic rest-contraction transition, the transcapillary pressure gradient for O2 flux is: (i) maintained in all muscle types, and (ii) the lowest in contracting highly oxidative fast-twitch muscle. ABSTRACT In mixed fibre-type skeletal muscle transcapillary PO2 gradients (PO2 mv-PO2 is; microvascular and interstitial, respectively) drive O2 flux across the blood-myocyte interface where the greatest resistance to that O2 flux resides. We assessed a broad spectrum of fibre-type and oxidative-capacity rat muscles across the rest-to-contraction (1 Hz, 120 s) transient to test the novel hypotheses that: (i) slow-twitch PO2 is would be greater than fast-twitch, (ii) muscles with greater oxidative capacity have greater PO2 is than glycolytic counterparts, and (iii) whether PO2 mv-PO2 is at rest is maintained during contractions across all muscle types. PO2 mv and PO2 is were determined via phosphorescence quenching in soleus (SOL; 91% type I+IIa fibres and CSa: ∼21 μmol min-1 g-1 ), peroneal (PER; 33% and ∼20 μmol min-1 g-1 ), mixed (MG; 9% and ∼26 μmol min-1 g-1 ) and white gastrocnemius (WG; 0% and ∼8 μmol min-1 g-1 ) across the rest-contraction transient. PO2 mv was higher than PO2 is in each muscle (∼6-13 mmHg; P < 0.05). SOL PO2 isarea was greater than in the fast-twitch muscles during contractions (P < 0.05). Oxidative muscles had greater PO2 isnadir (9.4 ± 0.8, 7.4 ± 0.9 and 6.4 ± 0.4; SOL, PER and MG, respectively) than WG (3.0 ± 0.3 mmHg, P < 0.05). The magnitude of PO2 mv-PO2 is at rest decreased during contractions in MG only (∼11 to 7 mmHg; time × (PO2 mv-PO2 is) interaction, P < 0.05). These data support the hypothesis that, since transcapillary PO2 gradients during contractions are maintained in all muscle types, increased O2 flux must occur via enhanced intracapillary diffusing conductance, which is most extreme in highly oxidative fast-twitch muscle.
Simulation, Synthesis and Optical Properties of Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Semiconductor Nanoparticles,

Abstract The optoelectronic properties of CdTe quantum dots can be controlled through changes in size, geometry or composition and, since their structural and electronic properties are sensitive to modifications of atomic configuration, impurities, and dopants, it is necessary to understand the underlying phenomena employing quantum mechanics principles. To this end, we discuss the optical absorption of CdTe QDs of different sizes and compare the observed results with simulations and calculations employing a density functional theory (DFT) model. The calculated absorption maxima employing the DFT model discussed herein, matches the measured absorption maxima reasonably well, thus, the described approach will enable scientists and technologists tailor optoelectronic responses and reduce development time.
Brief Announcement: On the Significance of Consecutive Ballots in Paxos

In this paper, we examine the Paxos protocol and demonstrate how the discrete numbering of ballots can be leveraged to weaken the conditions for learning. Specifically, we define the notion of consecutive ballots and use this to define Consecutive Quorums. Consecutive Quorums weaken the learning criterion such that a learner does not need matching accept messages sent in the same ballot from a majority of acceptors to learn a value. We prove that this modification preserves the original safety and liveness guarantees of Paxos. We define Consecutive Paxos which encapsulates the properties of discrete consecutive ballots. To establish the correctness of these results, in addition to a paper proof, we formally verify the correctness of a State Machine Replication Library built on top of an optimized version of Multi-Paxos modified to reflect Consecutive Paxos.
Singular value decomposition and 2D crosscorrelation based localization of gas vesicles for super-resolution ultrasound imaging

We report the potentials of nanometer-sized contrast agents which are called gas vesicles (GVs) for super-resolution ultrasound (SRUS) imaging to diagnose of vasculature deep inside tissue. Thus, we developed the GVs and ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) based on singular value decomposition and 2D cross-correlation techniques. Furthermore, the SRUS imaging of the vessel-mimicking phantom with the GVs was performed. These results demonstrate that GVs could have potentials as novel contrast agents at nanoscale for implementing the SRUS imaging, thus indicating that ULM with GVs would be used for better visualization of micro-vasculature in vivo.
Hardware-Efficient All-Digital Architectures for OFDM Backscatter Modulators

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) backscatter communication promises to enable ultralow-power wireless devices that are robust to time-varying multipath channels. Traditional OFDM transmitters require the use of power-hungry digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and vector modulators to realize the OFDM signal, adding to the complexity and power consumption of wireless sensor nodes. In this work, we compare three all-digital architectures for OFDM backscatter communication that use RF switches and discrete loads to implement digitally controlled single-sideband OFDM backscatter modulators. We present design analysis, including simulations and measurements, for a selected implementation using five subcarriers having binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation at a symbol rate of 250 kSymbols/s and a throughput of 1.25 Mbit/s with a modulator energy consumption of 160 pJ/bit. We also present a five-subcarrier over-the-air validation with 195-kb/s throughput. We demonstrate how the number of RF switch states and the choice of impedances impact the metrics of subcarrier interference ratio and sideband suppression ratio, and we explore how reduced-numeric-precision inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) structures impact the theoretical bit-error rate. The all-digital architecture and analysis presented in this article enable new avenues of low-cost, digital OFDM, and multiple-access backscatter communication systems for use in challenging multipath environments.
Managing toxicities of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors

Despite the proven effective approach to targeting the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway in B-cell malignancies, the approved PI3K inhibitors idelalisib and duvelisib have been less commonly selected for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), given the availability of other more tolerable agents. However, patients with CLL/SLL can experience a disease course that is multiply relapsed, refractory, or intolerant to treatment, and PI3K inhibitors can achieve meaningful responses. This article reviews the common early- and late-onset (considered immune-mediated) toxicities with PI3K inhibitors, including infections, hepatotoxicity, diarrhea and/or colitis, and pneumonitis. Data on pretreatment considerations, toxicity management, and drug rechallenge are presented. In addition, next-generation PI3K inhibitors and novel treatment approaches with PI3K inhibitors, including combinations, time-limited treatments, and intermittent dosing, are highlighted.
Comparative analysis of impact of human occupancy on indoor microbiomes

Educational facilities serve as community hubs and consequently hotspots for exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, it is of critical importance to understand processes shaping the indoor microbiomes in educational facilities to protect public health by reducing potential exposure risks of students and the broader community. In this study, the indoor surface bacterial microbiomes were characterized in two multifunctional university buildings with contrasting levels of human occupancy, of which one was recently constructed with minimal human occupancy while the other had been in full operation for six years. Higher levels of human occupancy in the older building were shown to result in greater microbial abundance in the indoor environment and greater proportion of the indoor surface bacterial microbiomes contributed from human-associated microbiota, particularly the skin microbiota. It was further revealed that human-associated microbiota had greater influence on the indoor surface bacterial microbiomes in areas of high occupancy than areas of low occupancy. Consistent with minimal impact from human occupancy in a new construction, the indoor microbiomes in the new building exhibited significantly lower influence from human-associated microbiota than in the older building, with microbial taxa originating from soil and plants representing the dominant constituents of the indoor surface bacterial microbiomes. In contrast, microbial taxa in the older building with extensive human occupancy were represented by constituents of the human microbiota, likely from occupants. These findings provide insights into processes shaping the indoor microbiomes which will aid the development of effective strategies to control microbial exposure risks of occupants in educational facilities.
Mid-IR laser-based polarimetric imaging for polymeric and biological applications

Infrared polarimetry is a powerful label-free diagnostic tool to study the molecular alignment and organization in biological tissues and cells. Similar to absorbance images which capture intensity information, polarimetric imaging is essential for capturing the polarization states of the light intensity. Recent advancements in the development of Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCL) sources have opened new avenues in IR imaging with high spatial and spectral resolution while enabling drastic increases in imaging speeds than a corresponding FT-IR approach. We demonstrate improved performance in terms of fast and comprehensive polarimetric image acquisition using a custom-built QCL microscope with point mapping design.
Utilizing Experiential Activities to Facilitate Multicultural Understanding within Ethical Decision-Making

Professional and competent ethical decision-making relies on a counselor’s ability to examine potential personal biases and cultural differences. Experiential activities can assist counselors-in-tr...
Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity of a Terminal Cadmium Hydride Compound, [κ3-TismPriBenz]CdH.

The terminal cadmium hydride compound, [κ3-TismPriBenz]CdH, which features the tris[(1-isopropylbenzimidazol-2-yl)dimethylsilyl]methyl ligand, may be obtained via the reactions of either [κ3-TismPriBenz]CdN(SiMe3)2 or [TismPriBenz]CdOSiPh3 with PhSiH3. The Cd-H bond of [κ3-TismPriBenz]CdH undergoes (a) metathesis reactions with MeI, Me3SiX (X = Cl, Br, I, NCO), and Me3SnX (X = Cl, Br, I) to afford the corresponding [TismPriBenz]CdX derivative, (b) insertion with CO2 and CS2 to afford respectively [TismPriBenz]Cd(κ1-O2CH) and [TismPriBenz]Cd(κ1-S2CH), and (c) hydride abstraction with B(C6F5)3 to afford {[TismPriBenz]Cd}[HB(C6F5)3] that possesses a rare trigonal monopyramidal geometry for cadmium.
Novel wind resource assessment and demand flexibility analysis for community resilience: A remote microgrid case study

Abstract With the increasing effects of climate change and high costs of energy, many rural Alaska communities are working to implement local alternative energy solutions to improve energy security. Integrating renewable energy systems can reduce reliance on fossil fuels and subsequently improve food, energy, and water (FEW) security. In this study, wind energy modeling techniques using local airport meteorological data were convolved with community loads to determine the most cost-effective combinations of wind turbine technology and dispatchable loads for improving FEW security in a southwestern Alaska village. This approach is different from wind assessments that exclusively analyze wind resources. A 100 kW wind turbine was determined to be suitable for the community, resulting in a capacity factor of 16.7% and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of $1.15/kWh, with diminishing returns for higher wind turbine capacity. The results from the dispatchability study indicated that dispatchable loads could handle the intermittency of the wind resource with up to 86% of their annual load met. More work is needed to understand the impact of integrating and scheduling dispatchable loads into the grid in practice.
Reduction of Tax Exemptions by Reason of Receipt of Tax-Exempt Income

The problem discussed in this article may best be understood by outlining an illustrative hypothetical case, as follows: A, a resident of the state of X, is an employee of the federal government, from which he receives an annual salary of $3000. He also receives an equal amount from personal investments, so that his total annual income is $6ooo. The state of X imposes an income tax, but allows a personal exemption of $3000. It is provided, of course, that income from the federal government (including interest on its securities) is exempt from taxation, but it is also provided that the personal exemption is to be reduced to the extent of all such non-taxable income received by the taxpayer. The result is that A receives no personal exemption, and is obliged to pay a tax on the basis of $3000. He thus obtains no benefit by reason of the fact that part of his income is derived from the federal government and is not taxable by X; and he pays the same tax as his neighbor, B, who has a $6ooo income no part of which is derived from the federal government or its agencies. On the other hand, the federal income is itself not directly taxed. The problem presented is whether this provision of the state tax law, reducing the personal exemption by reason of the receipt of income itself non-taxable because derived from the federal government, is unconstitutional because imposing an indirect burden upon the federal functions. In other words, the question comes down to whether it is sufficient for the states to refrain from discriminating against a taxpayer who receives income from the federal government or whether he must be treated better than others who do not receive such income. Of course, the same question will arise if deductions for computing taxable income rather than personal exemptions are reduced by the receipt of non-taxable income, since the result is the same. Also the question mav arise where the federal tax laws provide for the reduction of statutory personal exemptions or deductions by the amount of income received from the states and therefore non-taxable by the United States. If the hypothetical case stated at the beginning involves an unconstitutional burden upon the federal government by the state, the present assumed situation is likewise an
A proposal for modules in λProlog

Higher-order hereditary Harrop formulas, the underlying logical foundation of λProlog [NM88], are more expressive than first-order Horn clauses, the logical foundation of Prolog. In particular, various forms of scoping and abstraction are supported by the logic of higherorder hereditary Harrop formulas while they are not supported by firstorder Horn clauses. Various papers have argued that the scoping and abstraction available in this richer logic can be used to provide for modular programming [Mil89b], abstract data types [Mil89a], and state encapsulation [HM90]. None of these papers, however, have dealt with the problems of programming-in-the-large, that is, the essentially linguistic problems of putting together various different textual sources of code found, say, in different files on a persistent store into one logic program. In this paper, I propose a module system for λProlog and shall focus mostly on its static semantics.
The response of the Red Sea to a strong wind jet near the Tokar Gap in summer

[1] Remote sensing and in situ observations are used to investigate the ocean response to the Tokar Wind Jet in the Red Sea. The wind jet blows down the atmospheric pressure gradient through the Tokar Gap on the Sudanese coast, at about 19°N, during the summer monsoon season. It disturbs the prevailing along-sea (southeastward) winds with strong cross-sea (northeastward) winds that can last from days to weeks and reach amplitudes of 20–25 m/s. By comparing scatterometer winds with along-track and gridded sea level anomaly observations, it is observed that an intense dipolar eddy spins up in response to the wind jet. The eddy pair has a horizontal scale of 140 km. Maximum ocean surface velocities can reach 1 m/s and eddy currents extend more than 100 m into the water column. The eddy currents appear to cover the width of the sea, providing a pathway for rapid transport of marine organisms and other drifting material from one coast to the other. Interannual variability in the strength of the dipole is closely matched with variability in the strength of the wind jet. The dipole is observed to be quasi-stationary, although there is some evidence for slow eastward propagation in an idealized numerical model. Simulation of the dipole in an idealized high-resolution numerical model suggests that this is the result of self-advection.
Understanding Time and Causality is the Key to Understanding Quantum Mechanics

A new interpretation of quantum mechanics, similar to the Copenhagen interpretation, is developed from time-symmetry arguments and commonly held principles concerning time and causality. These principles, which are grounded in ideas outside of quantum mechanics, suggest that the strange features and paradoxes of quantum mechanics come from backward causation, in which future events can change the past. Using these principles this paper gives a better understanding of (and reasons for) stationary states, tunneling, wave-particle duality, the measurement problem with the collapse of the state vector, Hardy's paradox, non-locality, and the EPR paradox. These are only a few of the interpretational successes, and the model will be contrasted to other popular and/or recent interpretations. Unfortunately, this model is metaphysical, without any predictive power.
A Case Report on Complicated Bleeding in a Patient Post Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is a fairly routine surgical procedure for treating patients with morbid obesity. Since postoperative upper gastrointestinal bleeding (GI) is uncommon and etiologies in these patients can be variable, investigation and treatment can be difficult in the post-surgical patient. We report a case of a 65 year-old female, post Roux-en-Y bariatric surgery who presented with severe gastrointestinal bleeding of obscure etiology on upper endoscopy.
A Tour of Subriemannian Geometries, Their Geodesics and Applications

Geodesics in subriemannian manifolds: Dido meets Heisenberg Chow's theorem: Getting from A to B A remarkable horizontal curve Curvature and nilpotentization Singular curves and geodesics A zoo of distributions Cartan's approach The tangent cone and Carnot groups Discrete groups tending to Carnot geometries Open problems Mechanics and geometry of bundles: Metrics on bundles Classical particles in Yang-Mills fields Quantum phases Falling, swimming, and orbiting Appendices: Geometric mechanics Bundles and the Hopf fibration The Sussmann and Ambrose-Singer theorems Calculus of the endpoint map and existence of geodesics Bibliography Index.
Free-Space Quantum Cryptography

An experimental free-space quantum key distribution (QKD) system has been tested over an outdoor optical path of ~ 1 km under nighttime conditions at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This system employs the Bennett 92 protocol; here we give a brief overview of this protocol, and describe our experimental implementation of it. An analysis of the system efficiency is presented, as well as a description of our error detection protocol, which employs a two-dimensional parity check scheme. Finally, the susceptibility of this system to eavesdropping by various techniques is determined. Possible applications include the rekeying of satellites in low earth orbit.
Modulation characteristics of high-speed tunnel injection In/sub 0.4/Ga/sub 0.6/As quantum dot lasers

Summary form only given. We have recently demonstrated higher small-signal modulation bandwidth (15 GHz) at room temperature in single mode InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers in which electrons are injected to the lasing ground state of the dots by tunneling. We report here the room-temperature small- and large-signal modulation characteristics of tunnel injection quantum dot lasers. The devices are characterized by high quantum efficiency, very large modulation bandwidth and very small chirp and /spl alpha/-factor. The tunnel injection quantum dot laser heterostructures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy.
Equity, relational maintenance, and linguistic features of text messaging

Equity predicted maintenance via texting for friends, but not romantic partners.Using the positivity strategy predicted satisfaction in both relationship types.Openness was inversely related to satisfaction in romantic relationships.Use of negative emotion words was negatively associated with satisfaction.Inequity of a relationship positively predicted the use of anxiety words. This study analyzed relational communication via text-messaging in both romantic relationships and close friendships. Research on relational maintenance suggests that relational equality predicts the enactment of maintenance behaviors. The findings supported the predictions of equity theory in a text-messaging context - equity predicted relational maintenance use in friendships. However, openness was inversely related to satisfaction in romantic relationships, implying that discussing the nature of the relationship via text messaging decreases relational satisfaction. Furthermore, the linguistic style of messages was associated with relational satisfaction in romantic relationships and close friendships. Use of negative emotional words hindered relational satisfaction in both romantic relationships and friendships, and use of positive emotional words was associated with increased satisfaction in friendships. These results indicate the centrality of relationally-oriented communication in text messaging, and provide further support for research highlighting the explanatory power of language use in mediated communication.
Adaptive compressive imaging via sequential parameter estimation

We describe a compressive imager that adapts the measurement basis based on past measurements within a sequential Bayesian estimation framework. Simulations show a 7% improvement in reconstruction performance compared to a static measurement basis.
Aristippus in and out of Athens

This article has two purposes. The first is to show how some of the central principles of classical Greek political theory became anachronistic as a result of massive transformations in the underlying structure of European society. These principles, it is argued, were originally dependent on an empirical premise that the polity is a “whole” encompassing individual “parts,” or (stated differently) that the polity is identical with total society. This whole/part schematization of the polity seemed plausible in the ancient city since most sectors of polis life had political connotations or overtones. The same schema, however, became an archaism in modern Europe, chiefly because of the emphatic emergence of a distinction between state and society–one aspect of a more general increase in the structural differentiation of society. The second and closely related purpose is to explore the feasibility of a claim once advanced by Benjamin Constant: that the organizational transformations involved in the modernization of European society have created a novel rhetorical opportunity, the possibility of defending tyranny in the name of freedom and democracy.