cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response of the 9L rat brain tumor to combination treatment with radiation and bleomycin

Abstract The therapeutic efficacy of combined modality treatment with radiation therapy and bleomycin was investigated in rats burdened with the intracerebral 9L gliosarcoma. Both radiation (single or fractionated exposures) and bleomycin (injected intracerebrally directly into the tumor region) are effective in prolonging survival when used as single agents. Bleomcyin (1.0 mg/kg/week) combined with low-dose radiation therapy (15.3 Gy in 6 fractions in 2 weeks) prolonged survival over that of radiation alone, but not to the extent of high-dose radiation therapy (30.6 Gy in the same schedule). Bleomycin was effective whether given simultaneously or following fractionated radiation therapy-the important factor being delivery of radiation therapy early in the disease process. The greatest enhancement in survival caused by combination therapy compared to that by single agent therapy was observed when single exposure radiation therapy (20 Gy) followed single bleomycin administration by 4 hr. These results suggest the possibility of using bleomycin as an adjunct to radiation therapy for the treatment of patients with malignant brain tumors.
The design optimization of antennas in the presence of EBG AMC ground planes

A design methodology is presented for the optimization of conformal antennas with electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) surfaces to improve antenna performance. The EBG surface is obtained by utilizing a frequency selective surface (FSS) on top of a thin dielectric substrate backed by a metallic ground plane, to act as an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC). The antenna is then placed above the EBG surface to create the integrated EBG conformal antenna. This research demonstrates the ability to optimize both the antenna and EBG surface simultaneously in order to achieve improved antenna performance compared to the antenna and the EBG surface optimized separately. Results are presented for a broadband EBG conformal antenna system that operates from 5.5 to 7.1 GHz with a center frequency of 6.3 GHz.
A new class of macrocyclic complexes formed via nickel-promoted macrocyclisation of dioxime with dinitrile

o-Phthalonitrile couples with chelating dioxime on nickel(II), with formation of a dinuclear nickel(II) macrocyclic complex—the first representative of a new class of imine-appended macrocycles.
High-performance file I/O in Java : existing approaches and bulk I/O extensions.

There is a growing interest in using Java as the language for developing high-performance computing applications. To be successful in the high-performance computing domain, however, Java must not only be able to provide high computational performance, but also high-performance I/O. In this paper, we first examine several approaches that attempt to provide high-performance I/O in Java—many of which are not obvious at first glance—and evaluate their performance on two parallel machines, the IBM SP and the SGI Origin2000. We then propose extensions to the Java I/O library that address the deficiencies in the Java I/O API and improve performance dramatically. The extensions add bulk (array) I/O operations to Java, thereby removing much of the overhead currently associated with array I/O in Java. We have implemented the extensions in two ways: in a standard JVM using the Java Native Interface (JNI) and in a high-performance parallel dialect of Java called Titanium. We describe the two implementations and present performance results that demonstrate the benefits of the proposed extensions. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
How to Construct Affinographs

This chapter provides the basic symbols to image present and past ephemeral and committed relationships. Open and closed adoptions are distinguished and presented as a special case of descent. A method for mapping households independently from affinal relationships is described for possible use in social work. The key symbols are circles and lines. Circles represent past and present relationships and lines between circles represent descent or change of partners. Algebraic notations are used to track children as their parents change partners and households.
A promising theory concerning the causes and results of long-period variations in the strength of the Gulf Stream System

A year ago I outlined [Iselin. 1937] the new cooperative investigation that is being conducted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Bermuda Biological Station. This investigation has as its ultimate goal the solution of the problem of whether or not gradual changes in the strength of the Gulf Stream System have any bearing on the climate and fishery of Great Britain. In an article soon to appear in “Nature” the program of observations that will be carried out during the 5-year period for which funds are available has been discussed more fully. However, one suggestion contained in that report is perhaps worthy of further treatment at the present time.
Harvestable Epiphytic Bryophytes and their Accumulation in Central Western Oregon

Abstract Methods for characterizing the composition, biomass, and accumulation rates of harvestable epiphytic bryophytes in the understory of temperate forests have recently been developed, but have yet to be implemented in a much wider geographical area and adapted to provide estimates at the individual mat level. In response to regulatory need, we modified and implemented these methods in 27 50+ yr-old upland and riparian forest stands below 915 m to: a) characterize the composition of harvestable epiphytic bryophytes in central western Oregon, b) evaluate the compositional changes immediately following harvest, and c) retrospectively estimate minimum simple accumulation rates for harvestable bryophyte mats. Twenty-two bryophyte species, two lichens, and one vascular plant were found in a total of 433 sampled mats, dominated by Isothecium myosuroides, Neckera douglasii, Antitrichia curtipendula, Frullania tamarisci subsp. nisquallensis, and Porella navicularis. Harvest brought on significant shifts in t...
‘You Have the Right to Remain Silent’ – A Case for the Use of Silence as Substantive Proof of a Criminal Defendant’S Guilt

A fundamental canon of criminal justice demands that the government produce evidence against the accused “by its own independent labors, rather than by the cruel, simple expedient of compelling it from his own mouth.” To effectuate this promise, the Fifth Amendment’s Self-Incrimination Clause provides that, “[n]o person shall . . . be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.” The core protection guaranteed by this clause prohibits the government from compelling a defendant to bear witness against himself at his own criminal trial. The criminal trial, and not the government’s investigation of crime, is the bailiwick of the clause’s proscriptions. To perfect the protection afforded by the Fifth Amendment, however, the Court has allowed a person to invoke the privilege against self-incrimination before his criminal trial, but only when his answers in response to official questions might incriminate him in future criminal proceedings. This rule stems from the observation that “an inability to protect the right at one stage of a proceeding may make its invocation useless at a later stage.”
Nucleic Acid Content of Various Areas of the Rat Brain.

Summary and ConclusionsNucleic acid analyses were made on the various areas of the rat brain using the ultraviolet absorption method. It was found necessary to use fresh tissues to obtain correct ribonucleic acid concentrations since analyses in some areas (cerebellum and hypothalamus) were lower when the tissues had been kept frozen. Enzymatic analysis indicated that the higher concentration of 5'nucleotidase in cerebellum than in cortex might be indirectly responsible for the loss of the ribonucleic acid during the freezing and thawing processes. Deoxyribonucleic acid concentration in the cerebellum is approximately 4-5 times the amount found in the other areas. Ribonucleic acid content of the brain decreased in the order: cerebellum, hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, thalamus, white matter and medulla. Average cell densities, weight/cell, and total cells/area were calculated from the deoxyribonucleic acid concentrations. Close agreement between the calculated cell densities and direct measurements were found.
Cooperative antiproliferative signaling by aspirin and indole-3-carbinol targets microphthalmia-associated transcription factor gene expression and promoter activity in human melanoma cells

Antiproliferative signaling of combinations of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a natural indolecarbinol compound derived from cruciferous vegetables, was investigated in human melanoma cells. Melanoma cell lines with distinct mutational profiles were sensitive to different extents to the antiproliferative response of aspirin, with oncogenic BRAF-expressing G361 cells and wild-type BRAF-expressing SK-MEL-30 cells being the most responsive. I3C triggered a strong proliferative arrest of G361 melanoma cells and caused only a modest decrease in the proliferation of SK-MEL-30 cells. In both cell lines, combinations of aspirin and I3C cooperatively arrested cell proliferation and induced a G1 cell cycle arrest, and nearly ablated protein and transcript levels of the melanocyte master regulator microphthalmia-associated transcription factor isoform M (MITF-M). In melanoma cells transfected with a -333/+120-bp MITF-M promoter-luciferase reporter plasmid, treatment with aspirin and I3C cooperatively disrupted MITF-M promoter activity, which accounted for the loss of MITF-M gene products. Mutational analysis revealed that the aspirin required the LEF1 binding site, whereas I3C required the BRN2 binding site to mediate their combined and individual effects on MITF-M promoter activity. Consistent with LEF1 being a downstream effector of Wnt signaling, aspirin, but not I3C, downregulated protein levels of the Wnt co-receptor LDL receptor-related protein-6 and β-catenin and upregulated the β-catenin destruction complex component Axin. Taken together, our results demonstrate that aspirin-regulated Wnt signaling and I3C-targeted signaling pathways converge at distinct DNA elements in the MITF-M promoter to cooperatively disrupt MITF-M expression and melanoma cell proliferation.
Abstract LB-446: Target-based therapeutic matching in patients with PIK3CA mutations and PTEN aberrations

Background: Activating mutations of PIK3CA or loss of PTEN function result in increased PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling and may predict sensitivity to drugs targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, while simultaneous KRAS mutations may mediate resistance. Methods: From 10/2008, available tumor samples from advanced cancer patients referred to the Phase I Clinical Trials Program were screened for PIK3CA mutations and PTEN aberrations (loss of expression on immunohistochemistry or mutation) in a CLIA-certified laboratory. Patients with tumors carrying PIK3CA mutations and/or PTEN aberrations were treated, whenever possible, with agents targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Results: Overall, 1,540 patients were tested, and 285 (19%) had PIK3CA mutations (n=141), PTEN aberrations (n=130), or a simultaneous PIK3CA mutation and PTEN aberration (n=14). Of these 285 patients, 131 (46%) were treated in clinical trials containing a PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitor (median age, 56; median number of prior therapies, 3). Of these 131 patients, 26 (20%, 95% CI 0.14-0.27) achieved a partial response (PR) (4/21 breast cancers; 4/19 endometrial cancers; 3/13 ovarian cancers; 4/9 head and neck cancers; 4/10 cervical cancers; 2/9 renal cancers; 2/4 salivary gland cancers; 1/4 sarcomas; 1/3 non-small cell lung cancers; 1/2 melanomas). Patients without known PIK3CA mutations and/or PTEN aberrations treated on the same protocols had a PR rate of 6% (26/458; 95% CI 0.04-0.08, p=0.0001). Treated patients with wild-type KRAS had a higher PR rate of 20% compared to 8% in patients with simultaneous KRAS mutations (p=0.05). Conclusion: Heavily pretreated patients with PIK3CA mutations and/or PTEN aberrations had higher PR rates on protocols with PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors than patients without these aberrations (20% vs 6%; p = 0.0001). Simultaneous KRAS mutations were associated with a lower PR rate. Screening for PIK3CA mutations and PTEN aberrations merits further evaluation in making treatment decisions. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-446. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-446
Migrant-Native Differences in Housing Quality: Manila, 1973

Kingsley Davis (1975:85) concluded his recent analysis of "Asia's Cities: Problems and Options" with these words: "Development without pros? perity, urbanization without opulence, without sophistication, without urbanity?that is apparently the path". Davis was reiterating the gloomy view, first expressed by him nearly two decades earlier (Davis and Golden, 1956), and now shared by many others, that the urbanization of Asia contributes little to its development, but instead adds to its already heavy burden of social, economic, and political problems. In this paper one aspect of that view, the adjustment of migrants, will be considered with respect to one social problem, housing, in one Asian nation, the Philippines. Obviously the scope of this paper is much narrower than Davis' argument, and is therefore not a test of it; but such focused studies, if repeated in a variety of settings, can inform us of the range of experience in Asian cities, helping at last to evaluate the fit between reality and the over-urbanization model. Before considering the problem of migrant housing in Manila, we will consider the general level and pace of urbanization in the Philippines, asking (as does Davis for all Asia) how they contribute to the problems of cities. For the Philippines data I draw upon the recently published and excellent work of Ernesto Pernia (1976a and 1976b). Pernia reports that in 1960 about 33 percent of the Philippine population lived in urban places. While that is higher than Davis' estimate of 26 percent urban for all Asia, it is not remarkably greater, and it is actually lower than the level of urbanization in other Asian nations with which the Philippines is sometimes compared, such as West Malaysia and the Republic of Korea. Of course, the Philippines' 33 percent urban is far below the developed countries' average of 68 percent. If the level of urbanization in the Philippines is not remarkably high by international standards, what about its pace? The proportion of the population in cities is not growing more rapidly in the Philippines than in other nations if contemporary Asia is taken as a standard. Davis estimates it took Asia's population 25 years (1950 to 1975) to increase the proportion urban from 15 percent to 27 percent; it took the Philippines about the same length of time to make the same jump?from 13 percent in
Caller ID – Whose Privacy Is It, Anyway?

Caller ID or CND (Calling Number Display) is an internationally-available telecommunication service first introduced into the United States about ten years ago. Caller ID utilizes a new form of technology which enables telephone subscribers to identify the numbers (and/or names) of callers before picking up their telephones. This service has been widely assailed as an invasion of the caller's right to anonymity, a right which allegedly subsists as an important component of the caller's right to privacy. However, if privacy is defined from the perspective of the British philosopher John Stuart Mill, it can be argued that, even though anonymity is in fact an implication of genuine privacy, placing an unsolicited telephone call does not constitute a private act. Indeed, many callers who routinely block their numbers from Caller ID display units (such as telemarketers and telecharities) falsely assert a right to place anonymous calls in order to expedite their own intrusion into the privacy of others. This conclusion will be strengthened by contrasting anonymous telephone calls with the much more legitimate appeals to anonymity made by Usenet bulletin boards in cyberspace.
Water:the Fossil of Spirit in the Myth

Before the birth of life water exists in the world and raises life.Mankind has a strong psychological attachment and awe on water from the date of birth,and this psychological attachment has become a collective unconscious after long-term accumulation.In the distant and vague memories,people vaguely feel that endless flow of water in the world and life cycle of birth and death seem to have some similarities,as though we are born in the boundless "chaos",and eventually identify the sanctity of the status of water in all things.However,in the long years of suffering,mankind has endured a flood of bitterness,in the arduous struggle with the flood,and people defeat the raging floods with lives and blood,which achieves the same of the great "Nirvana" as a rebirth in the water.But when death actually comes,people would have imagined of a poetic dwelling after the death,which makes their soul to be immortal,so he would have chosen "Jiuquan".This collective unconsciousness is always available in the offspring literature,especially fairy tales as the fossil of spirit.
Granule cell excitability mediates gamma and beta oscillations in a model of the dendrodendritic microcircuit

Odors evoke gamma (60 - 100 Hz) and beta (20 - 30 Hz) oscillations in the local field potential (LFP) of the rat olfactory bulb (OB). These oscillations arise from activity in the dendrodendritic microcircuit between excitatory mitral cells (MCs) and inhibitory granule cells (GCs) [1]. When cortical feedback inputs to the OB are blocked, beta oscillations are extinguished while gamma oscillations persist [2]. Much of this cortical feedback targets inhibitory interneurons in the GC layer and regulates the excitability of GCs [3], which suggests a causal link between the emergence of beta oscillations and the GC excitability. We investigate the effect that GC excitability has on network oscillations in a biophysical model of the MC-GC dendrodendritic network with graded inhibition. When GC excitability is low, there is transient activation of NMDAR channels by AMPARs, which produces fast inhibitory pulses in the gamma frequency range. When GC excitability is increased, the activation of NMDARs and other VDCCs is prolonged, allowing the slow decay time constants of these channels to drive beta frequency oscillations. The power of the beta oscillation peaks when inhibitory and excitatory currents onto MCs are balanced, which could explain the relationship between beta power and odor volatility measured experimentally [4].
Choroid plexus histoplasmoma: Clinical, pathologic, and imaging findings

Histoplasmosis of the choroid plexus has not previously been described. We report its occurrence, as well as its clinical, pathologic, and imaging characteristics in one case. Clinically, our patient's choroid plexus lesion produced encephalopathy and third nerve palsy. On imaging it appeared as a hemorrhage or calcification. Cerebrospinal fluid studies were consistent with a chronic meningeal process uncomplicated by hemorrhage. Stereotactic biopsy of the choroid plexus was required to establish the diagnosis of cerebral histoplasmosis. Pathologic examination also revealed prominent abnormal calcification, which permitted the lesion of masquerade as a hemorrhage on computed tomographic and magnetic resonance images.
Schistosomiasis of the nervous system

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma. Currently 200 million people worldwide are infected. Neurological manifestations are a result of the inflammatory response of the host to egg deposition in the brain and spinal cord and is usually seen in patients with recent infection with no evidence of systemic illness. Cerebral and cerebellar disease can result in headache, seizure, and increased intracranial pressure. Cerebral schistosomiasis is more common in Schistosoma japonicum, but increasing cases due to Schistosoma mansoni are being reported in the literature. Other complications of cerebral schistosomiasis include delirium, loss of consciousness, visual field impairment, focal motor deficits, and ataxia. Myelopathy is the most common neurological manifestation of Schistosoma mansoni and the conus medullaris and cauda equine are the most common sites of involvement. Severe disease can result in flaccid paraplegia with areflexia, sphincter dysfunction, and sensory disturbance. Early recognition and prompt treatment are essential when physicians are faced with schistosomiasis involving the central nervous system. Schistosomicidal drugs, such as praziquantel, steroids and surgery, are the mainstay of therapy for this severe form of schistosomiasis.
Digestibility and utilization of pearl millet diets fed to finishing beef cattle

Pearl millet grain was blended with corn in 1:1 or 2:1 ratios in beef finishing diets fed in two metabolism and two feedlot trials. In Exp. 1, diets contained 1) 79.5% corn and 4.5% soybean meal (C-SBM), 2) 28% corn, 54.5% sorghum, and 1.5% soybean meal [GSC(2:1)], and 3) 28% corn and 56% pearl millet [PMC(2:1)]. In Exp. 2, diets contained 1) 81.5% corn and 3.5% soybean meal (C-SBM) or 2) 42.5% corn and 42.5% pearl millet [PMC(1:1)]. Diets fed to steers in metabolism trials in Exp. 1 and 2 had similar (P > .10) apparent digestion coefficients for OM, crude fiber, NDF, and ADF. However, ether extract digestibility was higher (P .10) for diets within each experiment. In each experiment, TDN calculated from apparent digestion coefficients was converted to NEm and NEg. The TDN, NEm, and NEg were lower (P .10) for diets composed of the different grain sources. Feed DMI and DM per gain were higher (P < .05) for PMC(1:1) than for C-SBM in Exp. 2. Pearl millet supplied approximately 88% as much NEm and 85% as much NEg as the corn-SBM portion of diets having similar CP concentrations.
Trade: A Driver of Present and Future Ecosystems

Growing trade among nations is globalizing economies and driving environmental change. As a consequence, trade affects ecosystems, but trade is not currently a major topic in ecosystem research based on a survey of ecological journals. This survey reveals trade is rarely a title word or topic except for studies considering the movement of species or sustainability. However, when trade is considered at large scales, ecosystem mass balances are significantly influenced by traded products such as the nitrogen and phosphorus in fertilizers and livestock feeds. Trade also depletes resource species leading to ecosystem alterations such as the elimination of large predators and filter feeders in aquatic ecosystems and landscape conversion with attendant changes in biogeochemistry and biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems. Trade is a source of alien species introductions. Trade also creates telecouplings among distant locations that cause changes in ecosystems including changes that may affect whether an ecosystem is a source or sink in relation to atmospheric carbon dioxide. There is a need for improved data tracing traded products, understanding the linkages of trade between ecosystem sources and sinks, and developing new methods and models to analyze trade impacts. Studies of trade impacts in relation to questions about changing ecological processes and the trajectory of ecosystems represent an important frontier.
Systematic identification and management of barriers to vascular surgery patient discharge time of day.

Abstract Objective Length of stay fails to completely capture the clinical and economic effects of patient progression through the phases of inpatient care, such as admission, room placement, procedures, and discharge. Delayed hospital throughput has been linked to increased time spent in the emergency department and postanesthesia care unit, delayed time to treatment, increased in-hospital mortality, decreased patient satisfaction, and lost hospital revenue. We identified barriers to vascular surgery inpatient care progression and instituted defined measures to positively impact standardized metrics. Methods The study was divided into three periods: preintervention, "wash-in," and postintervention. During the preintervention phase, barriers to patient flow were quantified by an interdisciplinary team. Suboptimal provider communication emerged as the key barrier. An enhanced communication intervention consisting of face-to-face and mobile application-based education on key patient flow metrics, explicit discussion of individual patient barriers to progression at rounds and interdisciplinary huddles, and communication of projected discharge and potential barriers via e-mail was developed with input from all stakeholders. Following a 4-week wash-in implementation phase, data collection was repeated. Results The pre- and postintervention patient cohorts accounted for 244.3 and 238.1 inpatient days, respectively. Both groups had similar baseline demographic, clinical characteristics, and procedures performed during hospitalization. The postintervention group was discharged 78 minutes earlier (14:00:32 vs 15:18:37; P = .03) with a trend toward increased discharge by noon (94% vs 88%; P = .09). Readmission rates did not differ ( P = .44). Conclusions Implementation of a focused, interdisciplinary, frontline provider-driven, enhanced communication program can be feasibly incorporated into existing specialty surgical workflow. The program resulted in improved timeliness of discharge and projected cost savings, without increasing readmission rates.
Global Burden of Disease Attributable to Hypertension-Reply.

Dr Cooper and colleagues suggest that coronary heart disease remains infrequent to rare in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. We disagree. The empirical evidence behind their claim is unclear as they only cite a few older studies. In contrast, the GBD study relied on a larger and more recent set of primary sources regarding mortality due to ischemic heart disease (IHD) in these regions.1 For sub-Saharan Africa, we used vital registration and verbal autopsy data from 11 countries, which showed the fraction of deaths due to IHD in sub-Saharan Africa was between 2% and 10% of deaths, among the lowest in the world but hardly rare. For Asia, the GBD study added 5 million deaths reported annually through the China Center for Disease Control Cause of Death reporting system from 2004 through 2014, helping to show that the fraction of deaths due to IHD varied widely in Asia based on location, ranging from 5% to 47%.
Improving Efficiency of Link Clustering on Multi-core Machines

Link clustering groups different edges in a graph according to their similarities. Link clustering can reveal the overlapping and hierarchical organizations in a wide spectrum of networks. This work studies how to improve efficiency of link clustering along three dimensions, algorithm, modeling, and parallelization, on multi-core machines. We evaluate the efficiency improved due to each of the three dimensions using word association graphs extracted from a twitter dataset.
Highly Stable Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide Thin-Film Transistors on Deformable Softening Polymer Substrates

Flexible electronics are attracting great interest in healthcare, where devices such as thin-film transistors (TFTs) on polymer substrates facilitate biomedical applications requiring complex circuits in soft packages. Consequently, a repeatable process to fabricate reliable, stable electronic components on flexible substrates is required. Here, thermoset thiol-ene/acrylate shape memory polymer (SMP) substrates house indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) TFTs and logic circuits: resulting devices exhibit stable behavior after thermal annealing at 250 °C. Fabricated, annealed devices exhibit an average mobility of 15 ± 2.5 cm2 V−1 s−1 and show stability after bending and soaking in aqueous media. TFTs on SMPs are studied after mechanical bending tests with radii of curvature of 5 mm for 104 cycles over a 4 h time period. Other TFTs are soaked in phosphate-buffered saline solution at 37 °C for 1 week. Logic inverter circuits using IGZO TFTs on SMPs represent the ability to add complex circuitry onto thin film flexible electronics. This technology can enable a new generation of implantable devices for research in healthcare fields.
Permutation modulation for quantization and information reconciliation in CV-QKD systems

This paper is focused on the problem of Information Reconciliation (IR) for continuous variable Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). The main problem is quantization and assignment of labels to the samples of the Gaussian variables observed at Alice and Bob. Trouble is that most of the samples, assuming that the Gaussian variable is zero mean which is de-facto the case, tend to have small magnitudes and are easily disturbed by noise. Transmission over longer and longer distances increases the losses corresponding to a lower effective Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) exasperating the problem. Here we propose to use Permutation Modulation (PM) as a means of quantization of Gaussian vectors at Alice and Bob over a d-dimensional space with d ≫ 1. The goal is to achieve the necessary coding efficiency to extend the achievable range of continuous variable QKD by quantizing over larger and larger dimensions. Fractional bit rate per sample is easily achieved using PM at very reasonable computational cost. Ordered statistics is used extensively throughout the development from generation of the seed vector in PM to analysis of error rates associated with the signs of the Gaussian samples at Alice and Bob as a function of the magnitude of the observed samples at Bob.
Using mutual information clustering to discover food allergen cross-reactivity

Mutual information clustering is an agglomerative hierarchical clustering method that has been used to group random variables or sets thereof. Some researchers have found that the normalization method used can lead to oddly-sized clusters that do not line up with expected results. We introduce a new normalization parameter to control the size of the clusters, and apply it to food allergy data from a large allergy repository from an electronic health record, treating the distributions of food allergies in our population as random variables. Our method was able to identify previously known food cross-reaction groups (with an adjusted Rand index of 0.971, outperforming alternative clustering algorithms), in addition to proposing possible new groups. Our results demonstrate the viability of mutual information clustering as an approach for discovering possible food cross-reactions.
Cerebral Hyperperfusion Syndrome by the Numbers: Transient Focal Neurological Deficit, Imaging-Proven Focal Hyperperfusion, and High Graft Flow Rate Following Superficial Temporal Artery-Middle Cerebral Artery bypass in a Patient With Symptomatic Carotid Occlusion-Case Report.

Background and importance Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) is a well-known complication of superficial temporal artery (STA) to middle cerebral artery (MCA) bypass for ischemic cerebrovascular disease. While this argues against "low flow" in the bypass construct, flow rates in the graft have not been previously quantified in the setting of CHS. Clinical presentation A 58-yr-old man presented with recurrent left hemispheric ischemic strokes and fluctuating right hemiparesis and aphasia. Vascular imaging revealed left cervical internal carotid artery occlusion and perfusion imaging confirmed left hemispheric hypoperfusion. After failing to respond to maximal medical therapy, the patient underwent single-barrel STA-MCA bypass. Postoperatively, his symptoms resolved and blood pressure (BP) was strictly controlled within normal range. However, 2 d later, he developed severe expressive aphasia. CTA demonstrated a patent bypass graft and SPECT showed focal hyperperfusion in Broca's speech area. Seizure activity was ruled out. A high graft flow rate of 52 mL/min was documented by quantitative magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Thus, the diagnosis of CHS was made and managed with strict BP control. The patient exhibited complete recovery of speech over a period of days and was discharged home. Repeat SPECT at 4 mo showed resolution of hyperperfusion and quantitative MRA demonstrated reduction of graft flow rate to 34 mL/min. Conclusion This is the first case of perfusion imaging-proven CHS after STA-MCA bypass, where high graft flow rates are objectively documented. Our observations constitute irrefutable evidence challenging the classic belief that the STA-MCA bypass is a low-flow construct.
Abstract P341: Poor Sleep Patterns Are Associated With Decreased Performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Both Younger and Older Women

Introduction: Poor cardiovascular health has been linked to an increased likelihood of cognitive impairment in older adults. Cognitive impairment has also been identified as an emerging co-morbidity of obstructive sleep apnea, a highly prevalent sleep disorder, particularly in patients with neurological conditions. Whether other aspects of sleep, including sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep onset latency, and insomnia are associated with cognition is not established. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether specific sleep patterns were associated with cognitive function in a diverse population of both younger and older, neurologically healthy women, and to determine whether this association is mediated by cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Methods: This was a baseline analysis of 392 women (59% racial/ethnic minority, mean age=39±16.53y, range 20-76y) participating in the ongoing American Heart Association Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network population-based study at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). Cognitive function was assessed by the validated Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) screening instrument. Sleep duration, sleep quality, and time to sleep onset were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; insomnia was assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index. Blood lipids and glucose were measured in the biomarker core laboratory at CUMC. Multivariable linear regression models were used to evaluate associations between sleep, CVD risk factors, and MoCA scores, adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, education, health insurance, and tested for interactions between age and sleep. Results: The prevalence of abnormal MoCA (score Conclusions: Poor sleep patterns were highly prevalent and associated with lower cognitive function, even in younger women in this diverse population. Sleep patterns should be further investigated as a potential mechanism to identify individuals at risk of cognitive decline. Whether the relation is causal or mediated through traditional CVD risk factors deserves further study.
Critical Criminology, Traditional Crime, and Public Policy

Critical criminologists have often ignored the serious problem of traditional or common street crime. As a result, crime prevention policy has been forfeited to the political right or to those who advocate ineffective liberal reforms. This paper argues that critical criminology can make a contribution to the formulation of public policy concerning traditional crime. Recent theoretical developments within the criitical perspective on crime, as.well as a variety of supporting data, are reviewed and specific policy recommendations to reduce traditional crime are offered. These progressive recommendations constitute an important alternative to the individualistic approaches (liberal or conservative) which now dominate crime prevention policy. Until very recently, most critical criminologists, and the political left in general, have not paid sufficient attention to the problem of traditional crime. There are a variety of reasons for this neglect as Greenberg (1981) has pointed out. What concerns me here are not the reasons, but the consequences. The most important consequence of this neglect has been the forfeiture of crime prevention policy to conservative forces. To many progressive criminologists this is an unacceptable situation. Traditional street crime is a serious social problem in our society. By whatever measure, there appears to be more of this -crime than most of us are willing to tolerate. A related reason for progressives to be concerned about traditional crime concerns the victims of these offenses. LEAA victimization surveys have found that the highest incidence of violent and property crime is "among the poor and unemployed, specifically, the superexploited sectors of the working class" (Platt, 1978). Thus, the most likely victims of traditional crime are those the political left sees as its primary constituency; the working class, the poor, and minorities. Even -if the members of the working class are not victimized directly by street crime, the fear of such crime erodes the quality of life undermining collective solidarity in working class neighborhoods. As Gross (1982) has recently suggested, the left must take seriously popular anxiety about crime and link these anxieties to progressive political positions. A number of recent works by critical criminologists (Platt, 1978; 1982; Taylor, 1981;1982; Gross, 1982; Browning, 1982; Bute, 1982; Currie, 1982; Michalowski, 1982) indicate a new willingness to face up to the question of what "causes" traditional criminal acts, and the issue of how best to control or prevent these acts. This development is especially important
M1 Macrophage Polarization Is Dependent on TRPC1-Mediated Calcium Entry

Summary Macrophage plasticity is essential for innate immunity, but in-depth signaling mechanism(s) regulating their functional phenotypes are ill-defined. Here we report that interferon (IFN) γ priming of naive macrophages induces store-mediated Ca2+ entry and inhibition of Ca2+ entry impairs polarization to M1 inflammatory phenotype. In vitro and in vivo functional analyses revealed ORAI1 to be a primary contributor to basal Ca2+ influx in macrophages, whereas IFNγ-induced Ca2+ influx was mediated by TRPC1. Deficiency of TRPC1 displayed abrogated IFNγ-induced M1 inflammatory mediators in macrophages. In a preclinical model of peritonitis by Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, macrophages showed increased Ca2+ influx, which was TRPC1 dependent. Macrophages from infected TRPC1−/− mice showed inhibited expression of M1-associated signature molecules. Furthermore, in human patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome, the level of TRPC1 expression in circulating macrophages directly correlated with M1 inflammatory mediators. Overall, TRPC1-mediated Ca2+ influx is essential for the induction/shaping of macrophage polarization to M1 inflammatory phenotype.
Insights into the roles of water on the aqueous phase reforming of glycerol

Aqueous phase reforming (APR) of sugar alcohol molecules derived from biomass, e.g., CxH(2x+2)Ox (aq) + xH2O → xCO2 (g) + (2x + 1)H2 (g), creates hydrogen gas sustainably, making it an important component of future bio-refineries; however, problems with the cost, activity, and selectivity of present precious metal based catalysts impede its broader adoption. Ideally, new catalysts would be designed to optimize activity and selectivity; however, a comprehensive understanding of the APR mechanism is lacking. This is complicated by the fact that the primary biomass-derived sugar alcohols are large molecules (meaning that their reaction networks are large) and because of the presence of liquid water. Water influences catalytic phenomena in multiple ways, including altering the thermodynamics of catalytic surface species and participating in catalytic reactions. Understanding the mechanism of APR requires understanding these various effects; however, computational strategies based solely on density functional theory (DFT) are computationally prohibitive for such large and complicated reaction networks. In this work, we investigate the mechanism of APR reactions in the context of glycerol reforming. To calculate the reaction network, we combine DFT calculations, force-field molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, linear scaling relations (LSRs), transition state scaling (TSS) relationships, and data from the literature into a microkinetic model. The microkinetic model is run under vacuum and aqueous phases in order to learn about the roles of water molecules on the mechanism of glycerol APR. We identify four such roles: providing surface hydroxyl groups, which promote oxidation of surface CO formed in glycerol decomposition; promoting C–H scissions; promoting O–H scissions; and inhibiting the thermodynamics of decarbonylation of C3 intermediates.
Affordances and limitations of the ACCUPLACER automated writing placement tool

Abstract The College Board’s ACCUPLACER Automated Writing Placement Tool is administered more than 8.5 million times each year to place students into college-level or developmental writing courses. ACCUPLACER’s writing assessment consists of a multiple-choice Next-Generation Writing Test and an on-demand essay called WritePlacer. In this review, we offer an overview of ACCUPLACER, considering the test in light of the constructs of writing it emphasizes. We explore the tool’s objectives, its potential affordances, and its limitations and possible futures. We ask whether and how this tool might advance or impede efforts toward racial and gender equity, might promote or resist standard language ideologies, and might carry consequences for course placement.
The proteome and its dynamics: A missing piece for integrative multi-omics in schizophrenia.

Abstract The complex and heterogeneous pathophysiology of schizophrenia can be deconstructed by integration of large-scale datasets encompassing genes through behavioral phenotypes. Genome-wide datasets are now available for genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic variations in schizophrenia, which are then analyzed by newly devised systems biology algorithms. A missing piece, however, is the inclusion of information on the proteome and its dynamics in schizophrenia. Proteomics has lagged behind omics of the genome, transcriptome and epigenome since analytic platforms were relatively less robust for proteins. There has been remarkable progress, however, in the instrumentation of liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) (LCMS), experimental paradigms and bioinformatics of the proteome. Here, we present a summary of methodological innovations of recent years in MS based proteomics and the power of new generation proteomics, review proteomics studies that have been conducted in schizophrenia to date, and propose how such data can be analyzed and integrated with other omics results. The function of a protein is determined by multiple molecular properties, i.e., subcellular localization, posttranslational modification (PTMs) and protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Incorporation of these properties poses additional challenges in proteomics and their integration with other omics; yet is a critical next step to close the loop of multi-omics integration. In sum, the recent advent of high-throughput proteome characterization technologies and novel mathematical approaches enable us to incorporate functional properties of the proteome to offer a comprehensive multi-omics based understanding of schizophrenia pathophysiology.
Three neodymium-based cationic layered inorganic materials capable of anion exchange

Abstract We report the synthesis and characterization of three cationic two-dimensional Nd(III)-based inorganic materials. The materials consist of [Nd2(OH)4(OH2)22+] layers with interlamellar α,ω-[−O3S(CH2)nSO3−] anions (n = 2–4). The materials were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and infrared spectroscopy. As an initial example of anion exchange, all three materials show uptake of adipate, −O2C(CH2)4CO2−. These layered rare earth hydroxides show an increase in thermal stability with alkanedisulfonate chain length. The three polytypes expand the known chemistry for extended cationic inorganic materials using f-block metals.
Breast Cancer in a 53-year-old Obese Male.

Male breast cancer (MBC) represents <1% of all breast cancers and little is known about its true etiology. The known risk factors associated with MBC are age, Klinefelter syndrome, BRCA2 mutation, high estrogen levels, gynecomastia, and cirrhosis of any cause. Obesity has been documented as a risk factor to MBC in some studies even though it is not officially recognized as a risk factor. Herein, we present a 53-year-old obese male with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. Although this patient has a strong family history of ovarian cancer, obesity could have been an additive predisposing factor. As more cases of MBC in obese patients are explored, we might be able to gain a better understanding of its true etiology and mechanism.
2,4,6-Tribromophenol Disposition and Kinetics in Pregnant and Nursing Sprague Dawley Rats.

2,4,6-Tribromophenol (TBP, CAS no. 118-79-6) is a brominated chemical used as a precursor, flame retardant, and wood antifungal agent. TBP is detected in environmental matrices and biota, including human breast milk, placenta, and serum. To address reports of TBP accumulation in human placenta and breast milk, studies were conducted to characterize TBP disposition and toxicokinetics in timed-pregnant or nursing Sprague Dawley rats following a single oral dose to the dam. Animals were administered [14C]-TBP (10 μmol/kg, 25 µCi/kg, 4 ml/kg) by gavage on gestation day 12 and 20, or postnatal day 12 and serially euthanized between 15 min and 24 h for collection of blood and tissues from the dam and fetuses/pups. Observed plasma TBP Cmax (3 and 7 nmol/ml) occurred at 15 min in both GD12 and GD20 dams while Cmax (3 nmol/ml) was observed at 30 min for PND12 dams. Concentrations in tissues followed plasma concentrations, with kidneys containing the highest concentrations at 30 min. GD12 litters contained a sustained 0.2%-0.3% of the dose (5-9 nmol/litter) between 15 min and 6 h while GD20 fetuses (2%-3%) and placentas (0.3%-0.5%) had sustained levels between 30 min and 12 h. The stomach contents (approx. 1 nmol-eq/g, 6-12 h), livers (0.04-0.1 nmol-eq/g) and kidneys (0.1-0.2 nmol-eq/g) of PND12 pups increased over time, indicating sustained exposure via milk. Systemic exposure to TBP and its metabolites occurs in both the directly exposed mother and the indirectly exposed offspring and is rapid and persistent after a single dose in pregnant and nursing rats.
An application of the theory of collective action to large-scale international science projects: managing the enlargement of the fusion community from 11 to 35 countries

The purpose of this paper is to show that the theory of collective action provides plausible solutions to mitigate the appropriability problem in the management of large-scale international science projects (LISPs). First, this paper presents a comparative case study of two LISPs in nuclear fusion: the successes of the Joint European Torus (JET) project and the shortfalls of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project. Second, it applies the 'break-fix' model to ITER to identify seven management issues that caused its scientific progress to reach the 'breaking point', and to introduce seven design principles derived from the theory of collective action in an attempt to 'fix' its problems. Third, this paper outlines seven practical managerial applications of the theory of collective action that provide insightful contributions to the discipline of megaproject management.