cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Internet: Everyone Is Connected

This chapter offers a definition of the Internet (of which there are many), a timeline on the development the Internet and devices that make use of it, and of various sociocultural issues connected with the Internet, such as the problem of privacy in the Internet age, the social problem of bullying by people using the Internet, and the impact the Internet has had on our psyches—especially in relation to loneliness and isolation that afflict many people. It also deals with addiction to video games and the forthcoming “Internet of Things,” in which all of our digital devices will be connected to one another and can be operated with our smartphones.
Using Ar Ion beam exposure to improve contact resistance in MoS 2 FETs

Contact resistance is a dominant factor in the performance of field-effect transistors (FETs) from two-dimensional MoS 2 . Several techniques have been shown to improve carrier transport at the metal-MoS 2 interface, thus lowering the contact resistance. These approaches include the use of molecular doping [1], different contact materials [2-5], phase transformation of MoS 2 [6], and adding an interfacial oxide at the contacts [7, 8]. The challenges for the most effective of these techniques are that they generally require additional processing, sometimes involving very high temperatures, or the addition of materials at the metal-MoS 2 interface that may lower contact resistance but still yield relatively poor FET performance. In graphene, it has been demonstrated that intentionally damaging the crystal lattice in the contact region using O 2 plasma can substantially reduce the contact resistance [9-11]. In this work, we examine a related contact engineering approach for MoS 2 FETs by using an in situ, broad-beam ion source to modify the MoS 2 lattice immediately prior to contact metal deposition. The result is a substantial improvement in key performance metrics, including contact resistance and on-current.
Using Ecological Site Information to Improve Landscape Management for Ecosystem Services

On the Ground Ecological sites and their component state-and-transition models are valuable tools for predicting the effects of climatic and management changes on a variety of ecosystem services. Site-specific information must be able to be both refined to finer scales to account for spatiotemporal variability within a mapped site and expanded to include interactions with other sites in the landscape to identify priorities and account for integrative disturbances and ecosystem services such as wildlife habitat, hydrology, fire, insect outbreak and invasive species. Ecological site groups, spatially contiguous and behaviorally similar, are an important level in the land hierarchy to organize and interpret information.
The Outcomes of Very Preterm Infants: Is It Time to Ask Different Questions?

* Abbreviations: CP — : cerebral palsy NDD — : neurodevelopmental disability VPT — : very preterm The birth of a very preterm (VPT, <32 weeks) infant is a medical emergency associated with life-threatening complications and high costs of care. Decision-making by providers and parents requires information on possible outcomes. Here we describe the evolution of outcomes assessments for VPT infants, their limitations, and alternative strategies. Much of the literature on the follow-up of very low birth weight (<1500 g) or VPT infants focuses on neurodevelopmental disability (NDD; ie, intelligence/developmental quotients generally <70); cerebral palsy [CP], and blindness/deafness). Characterizing the risk of these conditions followed adding birth weight to the US birth certificate in 1949. An early investigator, Lillienfeld,1 demonstrated higher rates of prematurity among children with CP, mental deficiency, and epilepsy than in children without these conditions. These findings were reinforced in the large, prospective Collaborative Perinatal Study.2 The large size and rigorous methods informed the assessment ages and content of subsequent follow-up studies, allowing later investigators to “benchmark” their results. Lilienfeld1 postulated that certain events in utero lead to an array of outcomes including spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, premature delivery, and infant morbidity. His intent was to underscore the diversity of potential outcomes—a spectrum of reproductive casualty. Later investigators hypothesized that this spectrum suggested a potential trade-off between survival and disability, that is, a relatively fixed quantum of adverse outcomes in which increased survival came at the expense of increased morbidity. The increased survival of premature infants that underlay the decline in neonatal mortality beginning in the late 1960s stimulated a steady … Address correspondence to Marie C. McCormick, MD, ScD, Sumner and Esther Feldberg Professor of Maternal and Child Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, The T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: mmccormi{at}hsph.harvard.edu
Abstract POSTER-TECH-1103: Aspirin, NSAIDS, and ovarian cancer survival from electronic medical records

Background: Extensive literature indicates that aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are associated with reduced cancer incidence and mortality. For ovarian cancer, a pooled analysis of 12 case-control studies recently demonstrated a significantly reduced risk for regular aspirin use and a similar but non-significant reduced risk for non-aspirin NSAID use. However, studies specifically evaluating NSAIDs and ovarian cancer survival are absent from the published literature. Purpose: To determine if aspirin and other NSAIDs are associated with ovarian cancer survival. Methods: Ovarian cancer cases were identified from de-identified electronic medical records (EMR) from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Ever use of aspirin or any NSAID was determined by MedEx, a natural language processing system designed to capture medication use from EMR. Linked tumor registry data was used to generate hazard ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (CI) for overall survival using Cox proportional hazards regression; covariates included age, race, stage of disease, histologic subtype, treatments received, and year of diagnosis. Results: The majority of 1,147 confirmed ovarian cancer cases were Caucasian (87.0%), had serous histologic subtypes (53.6%), and late stage (III/IV, 50.0%) or stage unknown (29.3%) disease. Ovarian cancer cases with any aspirin use (207, 18.1%) had significantly longer overall survival in both unadjusted (HR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.45-0.70) and adjusted analyses (HR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.46-0.74). Similarly, ovarian cancer cases with any non-aspirin NSAID use (248, 21.6%) had significantly longer overall survival in both unadjusted (HR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.48-0.74) and adjusted analyses (HR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.54-0.88). Associations between any aspirin or other NSAID use (360, 31.4%) and longer ovarian cancer survival did not significantly differ by stage of disease (P-interaction=0.650), histologic subtype (P-interaction=0.076), or treatment with a platinum-based agent (P-interaction=0.069). Conclusions: Indication of aspirin or non-aspirin NSAID use ascertained retrospectively from EMR was associated with improved overall ovarian cancer survival. Further evaluation, including timing and duration of use, are underway; replication of this association in additional study populations is needed. Citation Format: Alicia Beeghly-Fadiel, Gwendolyn Holman, Samantha P. Stansel, Gretchen Edwards, Edward Baeg, Hannah Berke, Ryan J. Delahanty, Dineo Khabele. Aspirin, NSAIDS, and ovarian cancer survival from electronic medical records [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 10th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 8-9, 2014; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(16 Suppl):Abstract nr POSTER-TECH-1103.
Association of low perioperative prealbumin level and surgical complications in long-segment spinal fusion patients: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background Spinal surgery places significant physiological and nutritional burden on the patient. Complications are common and can impact long-term clinical outcomes. Therefore, it is important to identify factors associated with perioperative complications to potentially mitigate the lasting effects on patient outcomes. The significant impact of malnutrition on surgical outcomes has been well established; however, there is a paucity of data in the spine literature. Our objective was to evaluate perioperative prealbumin level in patients undergoing long-segment spinal fusion and its relationship to surgical outcomes and complication rates. Materials and methods Patients who underwent long-segment (≥7) spinal fusions in whom a serum prealbumin level was obtained within 10 days of surgery were identified. Demographic, clinical, operative, and postoperative parameters were examined. Prealbumin levels were dichotomized using a threshold value of 11 mg/dL into low ( Results Among the 47 patients identified, the mean prealbumin level was 12.2 mg/dL, with 20 patients (43%) in the low group and 27 (57%) in the high group. Patients with low prealbumin were more likely to undergo a longer fusion (11.6 vs. 9.1 levels, p = 0.003). They were also significantly more likely to develop an infectious complication than those in the high prealbumin group (50% vs. 15%, p = 0.012), most commonly urinary tract infection (9/14, 64%). There was no significant difference in rates of noninfectious complications between the two groups. Multiple binary logistic regression analysis revealed only low prealbumin was significantly associated with postoperative infection (OR 6.673, 95% CI 1.236–36.024). Conclusions Low prealbumin levels were associated with higher rates of infections in patients undergoing long-segment posterior spinal fusion procedures. Further investigations are needed to better define this association and to determine whether effective interventions may be implemented in this subset of patients to attenuate this relationship.
Synthesis of Apo-13-, and Apo-15-Lycopenoids, Cleavage Products of Lycopene that are Retinoic Acid Antagonists

Consumption of the tomato carotenoid, lycopene, has been associated with favorable health benefits. Some of lycopene's biological activity may be due to metabolites resulting from cleavage of the lycopene molecule. Because of their structural similarity to the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) antagonist, β-apo-13-carotenone, the "first half" putative oxidative cleavage products of the symmetrical lycopene have been synthesized. All transformations proceed in moderate to good yield and some with high stereochemical integrity allowing ready access to these otherwise difficult to obtain terpenoids. In particular, the methods described allow ready access to the trans isomers of citral (geranial) and pseudoionone, important flavor and fragrance compounds that are not readily available isomerically pure and are building blocks for many of the longer apolycopenoids. In addition, all of the apo-11, apo-13, and apo-15 lycopenals/lycopenones/lycopenoic acids have been prepared. These compounds have been evaluated for their effect on RAR-induced genes in cultured hepatoma cells and, much like β-apo-13-carotenone, the comparable apo-13-lycopenone and the apo-15-lycopenal behave as RAR antagonists. Furthermore, molecular modeling studies demonstrate that the apo-13-lycopenone efficiently docked into the ligand binding site of RARα. Finally, isothermal titration calorimetry studies reveal that apo-13-lycopenone acts as an antagonist of RAR by inhibiting coactivator recruitment to the receptor.
High-Fidelity Multi-Rotor Unmanned Aircraft System Simulation Development for Trajectory Prediction Under Off-Nominal Flight Dynamics

The NASA Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) project is conducting research to enable civilian low-altitude airspace and UAS operations. A goal of this project is to develop probabilistic methods to quantify risk during failures and off nominal flight conditions. An important part of this effort is the reliable prediction of feasible trajectories during off-nominal events such as control failure, atmospheric upsets, or navigation anomalies that can cause large deviations from the intended flight path or extreme vehicle upsets beyond the normal flight envelope. Few examples of high-fidelity modeling and prediction of off-nominal behavior for small UAS (sUAS) vehicles exist, and modeling requirements for accurately predicting flight dynamics for out-of-envelope or failure conditions are essentially undefined. In addition, the broad range of sUAS aircraft configurations already being fielded presents a significant modeling challenge, as these vehicles are often very different from one another and are likely to possess dramatically different flight dynamics and resultant trajectories and may require different modeling approaches to capture off-nominal behavior. NASA has undertaken an extensive research effort to define sUAS flight dynamics modeling requirements and develop preliminary high fidelity six degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) simulations capable of more closely predicting off-nominal flight dynamics and trajectories. This research has included a literature review of existing sUAS modeling and simulation work as well as development of experimental testing methods to measure and model key components of propulsion, airframe and control characteristics. The ultimate objective of these efforts is to develop tools to support UTM risk analyses and for the real-time prediction of off-nominal trajectories for use in the UTM Risk Assessment Framework (URAF). This paper focuses on modeling and simulation efforts for a generic quad-rotor configuration typical of many commercial vehicles in use today. An overview of relevant off-nominal multi-rotor behaviors will be presented to define modeling goals and to identify the prediction capability lacking in simplified models of multi-rotor performance. A description of recent NASA wind tunnel testing of multi-rotor propulsion and airframe components will be presented illustrating important experimental and data acquisition methods, and a description of preliminary propulsion and airframe models will be presented. Lastly, examples of predicted off-nominal flight dynamics and trajectories from the simulation will be presented.
Evaluating optimal therapy robustness by virtual expansion of a sample population, with a case study in cancer immunotherapy

Cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease, exhibiting spatial and temporal variations that pose challenges for designing robust therapies. Here, we propose the VEPART (Virtual Expansion of Populations for Analyzing Robustness of Therapies) technique as a platform that integrates experimental data, mathematical modeling, and statistical analyses for identifying robust optimal treatment protocols. VEPART begins with time course experimental data for a sample population, and a mathematical model fit to aggregate data from that sample population. Using nonparametric statistics, the sample population is amplified and used to create a large number of virtual populations. At the final step of VEPART, robustness is assessed by identifying and analyzing the optimal therapy (perhaps restricted to a set of clinically realizable protocols) across each virtual population. As proof of concept, we have applied the VEPART method to study the robustness of treatment response in a mouse model of melanoma subject to treatment with immunostimulatory oncolytic viruses and dendritic cell vaccines. Our analysis (i) showed that every scheduling variant of the experimentally used treatment protocol is fragile (nonrobust) and (ii) discovered an alternative region of dosing space (lower oncolytic virus dose, higher dendritic cell dose) for which a robust optimal protocol exists.
Gunky Objects, Junky Worlds, and Weak Mereological Universalism

Einar Bohn has argued that principles of composition must be contingent if gunky objects and junky worlds are both metaphysically possible. This paper critically examines such a case for contingentism about composition. I argue that weak mereological universalism, the principle that any two objects compose something, is consistent with the metaphysical possibility of both gunky objects and junky worlds. I further argue that, contra A. J. Cotnoir, the weak mereological universalist can accept a plausible mereological remainder axiom. The proponent of contingent composition will have to look elsewhere for an argument in favor of his position.
Bivalirudin versus heparin in percutaneous coronary intervention—a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials stratified by adjunctive glycoprotein IIb/IIIa strategy

Background Bivalirudin has been shown to be associated with less major bleeding than heparin in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); but the confounding effect of concomitant glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) limits meaningful comparison. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare bivalirudin to heparin, with and without adjunctive GPI in PCI. Methods We searched PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, CINAHL and WOS from January 2000 to December 2017 for clinical trials comparing bivalirudin to heparin, with and without adjunctive GPI during PCI. Cochrane's Q statistics were used to determine heterogeneity. Random effects model was used. Results Twenty-six comparison groups (22 original studies and 4 subgroup analyses) with 53,364 patients were included. Mean follow-up was 192±303 days. There was no difference between the two groups in all-cause mortality [risk ratio (RR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.82-1.05, P=0.260), target vessel revascularization (TVR) (RR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.93-1.46, P=0.174) or stroke (RR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.71-1.18, P=0.490). Major bleeding was lower in the bivalirudin group with concomitant GPI in one or both arms (RR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.53-0.77, P<0.001) and without (RR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.51-0.99, P=0.041) provisional or routine GPIs. Bivalirudin appeared to have a higher risk of stent thrombosis (RR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.04-1.68, P=0.022) and a trend towards more myocardial infarction (RR: 1.12; 95% CI: 0.98-1.28, P=0.098) though without statistical significance. However, exclusion of studies with GPI showed no difference in stent thrombosis or myocardial infarction with bivalirudin. Conclusions Bivalirudin is associated with less major bleeding compared to heparin, regardless of GPI use. The lower anticoagulant effect of bivalirudin is linked with higher stent thrombosis and a trend towards more MI, however a confounding effect of GPI use in the heparin arm cannot be excluded.
A Comparison of Two Types of Assessment Reports.

This investigation compared the data contained in the Learning Potential Assessment Device (LPAD) report with the information contained in a standard psychological report (SPR) for its value in edu...
Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas

De novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common lymphoma worldwide, accounting for approximately 30–40% of adult non-Hodgkin lymphomas. It is defined as a diffuse proliferation of large neoplastic B lymphoid cells with a nuclear size equal to or exceeding that of a normal macrophage or more than twice the size of a normal lymphocyte. As such, de novo DLBCL is heterogeneous in morphology, immunophenotypic features, and biologic behavior, including response to chemotherapy and ultimate outcome. In this chapter, we discuss the applications of gene expression profiling (GEP) to this large, heterogeneous group of lymphoma, in terms of diagnosis, differentiation from other B-cell lymphomas, and biologic behavior.
Can We Prevent Dementia and Not Prevent Neurons from Dying

Neuronal death is the final step in the progression of preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathologies into clinically evident AD and its profound dementia. As such, a drug candidate proposed to be effective in AD must successfully prevent neuronal losses. The lack of preclinical demonstrated abilities to prevent neuronal programmed cell death may explain the recent failure of 300-400 AD drug candidates, identify a flaw in the Amyloid Hypothesis, and a risk for subsequent drug candidate interventions against AD. We propose that investigators use either animal models or small early translational clinical trials to test for AD drug candidates' efficacy against clinically critical features of the disease, such as prevention of neuronal death. Such stringent testing would more effectively shelter AD patients from being recruited into clinical trials that are destined to fail in Phase II or III.
A Needs Assessment of Family Physicians to Inform Development of Educational Resources on Antipsychotic Use in Dementia.

Objectives: Objectives of this study were to (1) assess the needs and preferred resources of Iowa physicians to inform the development of educational resources for best practice dementia care and (...
Immune Regulation in Eutherian Pregnancy: Live Birth Coevolved with Novel Immune Genes and Gene Regulation

Novel regulatory elements that enabled expression of pre-existing immune genes in reproductive tissues and novel immune genes with pregnancy-specific roles in eutherians have shaped the evolution of mammalian pregnancy by facilitating the emergence of novel mechanisms for immune regulation over its course. Trade-offs arising from conflicting fitness effects on reproduction and host defenses have further influenced the patterns of genetic variation of these genes. These three mechanisms (novel regulatory elements, novel immune genes, and trade-offs) played a pivotal role in refining the regulation of maternal immune systems during pregnancy in eutherians, likely facilitating the establishment of prolonged direct maternal-fetal contact in eutherians without causing immunological rejection of the genetically distinct fetus.
An Overview and Critique of US Immigration and Asylum Policies in the Trump Era

Executive SummaryThis article provides an overview and critique of US immigration and asylum policies from the perspective of the author’s 46 years as a public servant. The article offers a taxonom...
Determining the conversion ratios for oral versus sublingual administration of tacrolimus in solid organ transplant recipients

Tacrolimus is utilized as maintenance immunosuppression in solid organ transplant (SOT). Current literature has reported conflicting conversion ratios when transitioning between oral and sublingual tacrolimus, and the exact conversion ratio has not been fully established in SOT. The purpose of this study was to determine the conversion ratios between oral and sublingual tacrolimus needed to achieve equivalent whole blood concentrations in heart, kidney, liver, and lung transplant recipients. A retrospective, single-center analysis was conducted at Mayo Clinic in Florida. One hundred and eighteen hospitalized SOT recipients who received oral and sublingual tacrolimus during the same inpatient admission from June 1, 2012, through June 1, 2017, were reviewed. The median conversion ratio of sublingual to oral tacrolimus was 1.34 (IQR: 1.03-1.93) in all SOT, 1.25 (IQR: 1.08-1.64) in heart transplant, 1.23 (IQR: 1.1-2.06) in kidney transplant, 1.64 (IQR: 1.27-2.29) in liver transplant, and 1.34 (IQR: 0.94-1.93) in lung transplant. A slightly higher dose of oral tacrolimus is needed in the majority of solid organ recipients in our population when converting between sublingual to oral tacrolimus administration.
Adjective Intensifiers in German

While the study of English intensifiers has been a topic of much empirical discussion (Bolinger 1972, Paradis 1997, Ito & Tagliamonte 2003, Xiao & Tao 2007, Fuchs 2017), intensification in the German language is underexplored. The present study operationalizes variationist methods to comprehensively examine the syntactic intensification of adjectives in German by investigating how adjective intensifiers rank empirically in terms of frequency and whether their use is sensitive to the social factors gender and age. Results indicate that in German, amplifiers are more frequent than downtoners, boosters are more frequent than maximizers, and the gender and the age of the speaker are factors that influence their use. These findings corroborate crosslinguistic findings (Peters 1994, Broekhuis 2013, D’Arcy 2015, Fuchs 2017). Broadly speaking, the present study suggests that the syntactic intensification of adjectives in German is, in many ways, similar to what has been observed previously in other Germanic languages.*
Investigation of the optical properties of uniform platinum, palladium, and nickel nanocrystals enables direct measurements of their concentrations in solution

Abstract Colloidal transition metal nanocrystals have gained increased interest in several fields because of the fascinating structural, optical, and catalytic properties obtained at the nanoscale. A thorough and systematic understanding of their characteristics could prove beneficial for different applications. Among these characteristics, the optical properties of colloidal nanoparticles are especially of interest due to the intriguing features that emerge at sub-wavelength scales, such as surface plasmon resonance. However, most research in this domain has focused on metals with absorption maxima in the visible light range, while the optical characteristics of other species remain relatively less studied. Therefore, in this work, we report on the optical properties of uniform platinum, palladium, and nickel nanocrystals, which are widely used in fields from sensors to catalysis, yet, with regard to their optical properties, remain largely uninvestigated. In particular, we measure and analyze their extinction coefficients, showing a size-dependence that can be rationalized with simple equations that relate light absorption to the diameter of the particles. The comprehension of this relationship enables a simple, time-efficient, and accurate method to measure the concentrations of metallic nanoparticles in solution with UV–vis spectroscopy, a useful property which facilitates the preparation of materials based on these colloidal nanoparticles for further research.
Protocols for Experimental Sjögren's Syndrome.

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease affecting multiple organ systems. Salivary and lacrimal gland involvement cause dry mouth and dry eye and are the most common clinical presentations of the disease. Patients with SS also have autoantibodies targeting multiple nuclear and cytoplasmic antigens. Innate immune activation plays a critical role in SS pathogenesis. This article describes the activation of specific innate immune pathways in mice to study SS salivary gland manifestations. Methodologies for evaluating salivary gland inflammation and salivary function are described. This article also describes protocols for in-house assays to measure autoantibody titers in serum. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC Basic Protocol 1: Acceleration of Sjogren's syndrome by activating the toll-like receptor 3 pathway Basic Protocol 2: Induction of Sjogren's syndrome by activating the stimulator of interferon genes pathway Alternate Protocol: Acceleration of Sjogren's syndrome by the administration of Freund's incomplete adjuvant Support Protocol 1: Evaluating salivary gland function Support Protocol 2: Evaluating salivary gland inflammation Support Protocol 3: Measuring autoantibody titers by indirect immunofluorescence.
"I Could Do Stereotypical Old People Things … but I Feel Like I Would Get Bored With That Stuff": College Students' Proactive Steps to Avoid Negative Aspects of Aging.

The preventive and corrective proactivity model explores how internal and external resources mediate age-related stressors to counter negative outcomes of aging. Older adults’ proactivity about the...
Design of NiTi-based shape memory microcomposites with enhanced elastocaloric performance by a fully thermomechanical coupled phase-field model

Abstract The non-transforming intermetallic Ni3Ti phase generated in NiTi matrix by additive manufacturing was previously reported to create elastocaloric composites with a great coefficient of performance (COP) between 11 and 22 [Hou et al., Science 366 (6469) (2019) 1116–1121]. In this work, we use a fully thermomechanical coupled phase-field model to design microarchitectures considering the effects of all the possible non-transforming intermetallics (Ni4Ti3, Ni3Ti, and Ti2Ni) in NiTi. Our simulations show possibilities of increasing the COP by guiding the type, shape and volume fraction of intermetallics, which are controllable by processing parameters. With 50% intermetallic fraction arranged in strips of 500 nm width perpendicular to the loading direction, the Ti2Ni intermetallic induces higher COP (67.13) than Ni3Ti (16.18) and Ni4Ti3 (14.29), all surpassing that of the bulk NiTi without intermetallics (12.92). Additionally, the COP increases to 79.94 for 65% volume fraction of Ti2Ni and decreases to 56.31 for 35% Ti2Ni content. Even nontrivial designs with 50% of circular or square transforming NiTi domains display high COP of 40.06 and 29.22, respectively. A high COP is achievable by introducing intermetallics having high modulus (for low input energy), thermal conductivity (for temperature change) and heat capacity (for the output energy).
Targeted Therapies for the Evolving Molecular Landscape of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Despite considerable growth in our understanding of the heterogeneous biology and pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in recent decades, for nearly forty years, little progress was gained in the realm of novel therapeutics. Since 2017, however, nine agents have been FDA-approved for patients with AML in both the upfront and relapsed/refractory (R/R) settings. Most of these compounds function as inhibitors of key cell cycle enzymatic pathways or mediators of leukemic proliferation and survival. They have been approved both as single agents and in combination with conventional or reduced-intensity conventional chemotherapeutics. In this article, we review the molecular landscape of de novo vs. R/R AML and highlight the potential translational impact of defined molecular disease subsets. We also highlight several recent agents that have entered the therapeutic armamentarium and where they fit in the AML treatment landscape, with a focus on FLT3 inhibitors, IDH1 and IDH2 inhibitors, and venetoclax. Finally, we close with a survey of two promising novel agents under investigation that are poised to enter the mainstream clinical arena in the near future.
The Mystique of Transmission: On an Early Chan History and Its Context

Wendi Adamek’s Mystique of Transmission is a superb contribution to the study of Chinese Buddhism. Massive and masterful, insightful and thorough, articulate and engaging—the scholarship presented here is truly impressive. This is, to be sure, a professionally oriented volume; Adamek makes no effort to make her work accessible to readers outside the field of Chinese Buddhism, or even those outside the field of Chan (Zen) studies, and there is neither introduction nor conclusion explaining the broader significance of her topic and the implications of her findings. Nevertheless, her discussions covering such a wide range of important issues in Chinese Buddhist studies are so perceptive that her work can only be called magisterial. This is not merely one reader’s opinion; this book won the 2008 Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in Textual Studies from the American Academy of Religion. Mystique of Transmission consists of two major parts, the first a set of seven analytical chapters considering different aspects of the Bao Tang school (“Protect the Tang” school) founded by Wuzhu (714–74) and the anonymous Lidai fabao ji written sometime shortly after Wuzhu’s death in 774 (3– 296), and the second a complete translation of the text (over twenty-five thousand Chinese characters in length, here occupying 297–405). In addition to extensive annotation to the two sections (407–519), there is a list of abbreviations (521–22), a long bibliography (523–56, divided somewhat confusingly into three separate sections), and an index (557–78). Since Chinese and Japanese characters are included on the page throughout both text and notes, there is no need for a separate listing. The volume is handsomely presented and very well copyedited; I noticed only about half a dozen typographical errors, none serious.
In Vivo Confocal Microscopy Demonstrates Bilateral Loss of Endothelial Cells in Unilateral Herpes Simplex Keratitis

The herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) are ubiquitous pathogens, capable of causing either asymptomatic or symptomatic disease. Herpes simplex virus keratitis (HSK) is the most frequent infectious cause of blindness in developed countries.1 Liesegang et al.2 have reported an incidence of 8.4 primary ocular HSV infections per 100,000 person-years. Moreover, further investigation of the natural history of HSK shows a recurrence rate, after the first episode, of 9.6% at 1 year, 22.9% at 2 years, and 63.2% at 20 years.2 The cornea is the most densely innervated tissue of the body, supplied by the terminal branches of the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve as ciliary nerves.3,4 Corneal nerves penetrate the corneal periphery in a radial distribution and form the subbasal nerve plexus between the Bowman's layer and the basal epithelium.3 Corneal innervation provides protective and trophic functions and regulates epithelial integrity, proliferation, and wound healing.5,6 Recently, in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) has greatly advanced the microscopic evaluation of ocular structures. Specifically, the corneal subbasal nerve plexus and endothelial layers have been shown to be important indicators of corneal health and disease.7–10 One of the sequelae of HSK is neurotrophic keratopathy, caused by impaired corneal innervation.1,11 The insufficient supply of trophic neural factors and impairment of the tear and blink reflexes are caused by loss of corneal innervation.2,12 More recent studies5,6,13,14 have shown changes in subbasal corneal nerves in patients with early-stage Fuchs' endothelial corneal cell dystrophy (FECD). These findings suggest that corneal nerve alterations may be involved not only in the pathogenesis of FECD, but also potentially in other diseases resulting in decreased endothelial cell density. The embryologic similarities between endothelium and neuronal cells may support the theory that FECD has a neurodegenerative component.7–10,15 Further, Koh et al.16,17 have reported that the neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has a protective effect on the corneal endothelium, playing an active role in maintaining the differentiated state and suppressing apoptosis in endothelial cells. Finally, in a recent preclinical study, we have demonstrated that trigeminal nerve axotomy results in a continuous loss of corneal endothelial cells centrally and peripherally, which correlates with a significant decrease in VIP after axotomy. Loss of endothelial cells is prevented through daily replenishment of the neuropeptide VIP (Yamaguchi T, et al. IOVS 2014;55:ARVO E-Abstract 2077). Thus, in the current study, hypothesizing that corneal nerves may mediate endothelial cell homeostasis, we performed IVCM in patients with a unilateral HSK, in order to analyze bilateral corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), as well as its correlation to subbasal nerve morphology and function.
Polymorphic Type Checking with Subtypes in Prolog

In this paper, we give an executable specification of a state-of-the-art polymorphic type checking system with subtypes in Prolog. We show that the implementation reduces to modifying simple well-known meta-interpreters into type meta-interpreters and applying the so-called generate-and-test approach to programming in Prolog. This study emphasizes that Prolog is suitable as a language for defining executable specifications and that Prolog can be augmented with a simple but powerful type system. The type language augmenting Prolog programs with type definitions and type declarations is a subset of Prolog itself. Therefore it is possible to use types explicitly in a program.
Theory of River Action

On the land areas of the world, rivers are undoubtedly some of the most important geomorphological agents. Rivers act geomorphologically in fundamentally two fashions: first by interaction with their bed, i. e. downwards (this type of action is usually referred to as “river bed process”) and second, by interaction with their banks (sideways erosion). It is the purpose of this Chapter (IV) to present the theories of these processes.
Temporal trends in the incidence, treatment and outcomes of hip fracture after first kidney transplantation in the United States

It is currently unknown whether any secular trends exist in the incidence and outcomes of hip fracture in kidney transplant recipients (KTR). We identified first-time KTR (1997-2010) who had >1 year of Medicare coverage and no recorded history of hip fracture. New hip fractures were identified from corresponding diagnosis and surgical procedure codes. Outcomes studied included time to hip fracture, type of surgery received and 30-day mortality. Of 69,740 KTR transplanted in 1997-2010, 597 experienced a hip fracture event during 155,341 person-years of follow-up for an incidence rate of 3.8 per 1000 person-years. While unadjusted hip fracture incidence did not change, strong confounding by case mix was present. Using year of transplantation as a continuous variable, the hazard ratio (HR) for hip fracture in 2010 compared with 1997, adjusted for demographic, dialysis, comorbid and most transplant-related factors, was 0.56 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41-0.77). Adjusting for baseline immunosuppression modestly attenuated the HR (0.68; 95% CI: 0.47-0.99). The 30-day mortality was 2.2 (95% CI: 1.3-3.7) per 100 events. In summary, hip fractures remain an important complication after kidney transplantation. Since 1997, case-mix adjusted posttransplant hip fracture rates have declined substantially. Changes in immunosuppressive therapy appear to be partly responsible for these favorable findings.
Effect of forestland availability by ownership type on license sales for hunting: a spatial approach.

The effect of forestland availability under different ownership types on license sales for hunting in nine Southeastern states is empirically evaluated. An equation that represents license sales for hunting is estimated assuming the sale of hunting licenses in a particular county is related to the characteristics of that county as well as the characteristics and license sales for hunting in its neighboring counties. The positive effects of the amounts of both national and private forestland on license sales reaffirm the potential benefits of maintaining forestland to stimulate hunting. The positive spillover effect of national forests on license sales for hunting suggests that availability and close access to hunting in national forests within neighboring counties are important in supporting hunting license sales in a county. This study contributes to the general understanding of the drivers affecting individuals’ decisions to use natural resources for hunting. Advances in natural resource modeling, specifically the spatial process model and geospatial data used in this research, make it possible to examine the interactions between the spatial dynamics and ownership attributes of the natural system, allowing policy makers to design natural resource management practices that respond to a system characterized by these interactions.
Enhancing cognitive aging: clinical highlights of a report from the Institute of Medicine.

The Institute of Medicine convened a panel to develop recommendations relevant to the public health aspects of cognitive aging and define actions required to better maintain the cognitive health of...
Design considerations for a computer-vision-enabled ophthalmic augmented reality environment

We have initiated studies towards the design and implementation of an ophthalmic augmented reality environment in order to allow for a) more precise laser treatment for ophthalmic diseases, b) teaching, c) telemedicine, and d) real-time image measurement, analysis, and comparison. The proposed system is being designed around a standard slit-lamp biomicroscope. The microscope will be interfaced to a CCD camera, and the image sent to a video capture board. A single computer workstation will coordinate image capture, registration, and display. The captured image is registered with previously stored, montaged photographic and angiographic data, with superposition facilitated by funduslandmark-based fast registration algorithms. The computer then drives a high intensity, VGA resolution video display with adjustable brightness and contrast attached to one of the oculars of the slitlamp biomicroscope. Preliminary studies with a modified binocular operating microscope interfaced to a Sun Ultral Workstation and an IBM-compatible PC demonstrates proof-of-principle. Robust, accurate fundus image montaging is accomplished with Hausdorff-distance-based methods. For photographic and angiographic data where the vessel gray levels vary from light to dark, and intensity-based correlation methods fail, image-preprocessing with smoothing, edge-detection, and thresholding facilitates registration. Non-real-time registration (∼ 0.4–4.0 CPU seconds) is achieved by non-optimized simple template matching (translation only, Matrox Inspector) or Hausdorff-distance-based (translation, rotation, and scale) algorithms performed on edge-detected fundus photographic and angiographic images, and on images of a model eye. Successful registration and image overlay of color, monochromatic, and angiographic images is demonstrated. To our knowledge, these studies represent the first investigation towards design and implementation of an ophthalmic augmented reality environment.
Propagation and extinction of forced opposed flow smolder waves

Abstract Smoldering is a slow combustion process in a porous medium in which heat is released by oxidation of the solid. If the material is sufficiently porous to allow the oxidizer to easily filter through the pores, a smolder wave can propagate through the interior of the solid. We consider samples closed to the surrounding environment except at the ends, with gas forced into the sample through one of the ends. A smolder wave is initiated at the other end and propagates in a direction opposite to the flow of the oxidizer. Previous experimental results show that for opposed flow smolder, decomposition of the solid fuel into char is the chemical process which drives the smolder process. We model this decomposition as a one step reaction. The model suggests that extinction occurs when decomposition is complete. We employ large activation energy asymptotic methods to find uniformly propagating, planar smolder wave solutions. We determine their propagation velocity, burning temperature, final degree of fuel decomposition, and extinction limits. We also determine spatial profiles of gas flux, oxidizer concentration, temperature, and degree of decomposition of the solid. Comparison is made with previous experimental results.
Friendly Alien: Object and Interface

Since 1996, artist Miltos Manetas has done paintings that systematically portray the new essential objects of contemporary life: joysticks, computers, computer game consoles, and computer cables (lots of them). Manetas also paints people who are usually intensely engaged in the activities made possible by consumer electronics devices, such as playing a computer game. But he never shows what games they are playing or what images they are looking at. Instead, he focuses on the humancomputer interface: hands clutching a joystick, a body stretched across the floor in the intense concentration or, alternatively, relaxing besides a laptop, a computer console, or a TV.
Probabilistic Set Covering with Correlations

We consider two variants of a probabilistic set covering (PSC) problem. The first variant assumes that there is uncertainty regarding whether a selected set can cover an item, and the objective is to determine a minimum-cost combination of sets so that each item is covered with a prespecified probability. The second variant seeks to maximize the minimum probability that a selected set can cover all items. To date, literature on this problem has focused on the special case in which uncertainties are independent. In this paper, we formulate deterministic mixed-integer programming models for distributionally robust PSC problems with correlated uncertainties. By exploiting the supermodularity of certain substructures and analyzing their polyhedral properties, we develop strong valid inequalities to strengthen the formulations. Computational results illustrate that our modeling approach can outperform formulations in which correlations are ignored and that our algorithms can significantly reduce overall comput...
Identifying the causal pathways from religiosity to delayed adolescent sexual behavior.

This study used the Integrative Model as a framework to examine whether religiosity delays onset of coitus among a longitudinal sample of virgins, and investigated the causal pathways of this relationship. In addition, this study examined the behavioral beliefs about the consequences of engaging in sex, which distinguishes between youth who vary in level of religiosity. A further analysis was also conducted to examine whether religiosity offers protective effects in terms of progression toward sexual intercourse on a sexual behavior index. The sexual behavior index assumes a progressive nature of sexual behaviors, and includes the following seven behaviors: kissing, having breasts touched (touching for boys), genital touching, receiving oral sex, vaginal intercourse, giving oral sex, and receiving (or giving) anal sex. Religiosity at baseline was negatively associated with sexual debut one year later. This relationship was mediated through attitudes toward personally engaging in sexual intercourse. Religi...
A behavior-based SMS antispam system

Short messaging service (SMS) is one of the fastest-growing telecom value-added services worldwide. However, mobile message spam is a side effect for ordinary mobile phone users that seriously troubles their daily life and, as a result, threatens the revenue of telecom operators. In this paper, we present an SMS antispam system that combines behavior-based social network and temporal (spectral) analysis to detect spammers with both high precision and recall. The system infrastructure and the proposed approximate neighborhood index solution, which solves the scalability issue of social networks, are described in detail. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed system achieves excellent discrimination between spammers and legitimates, and even with fixed recall at 95%, the online system and offline detection subsystems maintain a precision of about 98% and 99.5%, respectively.