cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the patient with valvular heart disease: An integrative approach

In managing the patient with valvular heart disease (VHD), three major issues must be addressed: (1) assessment of the severity of disease, (2) the effect the disease is having or is likely to have on the patient and his/her cardiovascular system, and (3) the timing and type of intervention to be used to correct the lesion. Existing guidelines are helpful in addressing these tenets in many cases, often using quantifiable parameters to aid the clinician in making key clinical decisions. Many times these guidelines allow the physician and patient to arrive easily at a management strategy. However, in other cases it may take every piece of available data to develop a management plan that is still only a best guess at the proper course to take. Overall, the indications for intervention in VHD are straightforward: valvotomy (in mitral stenosis), or valve repair or valve replacement is indicated when severe VHD causes symptoms or cardiac dysfunction. In some cases, low-risk intervention such as mitral valve repair may be undertaken in the absence of symptoms or dysfunction when it seems inevitable that deterioration will occur because of markedly severe disease. These assessments are rarely made using one test and usually require the integration of all the clinical acumen that can be summoned to address the issues above. The following will summarize the general approach to the assessment of VHD severity, impact, and timing of intervention, with attention paid to the specifics of each individual disease.
People, Place, and System: Organizations and the Renewal of Urban Social Theory

This article offers a theoretical framework for thinking about how organizations matter for the production, reproduction, and amelioration of urban poverty. We draw on the classical concept of integration, in both its social and systemic versions, as an important tool for advancing urban social theory. A key challenge for urban organizational analysts is to keep within view the processes of both social and systemic integration, while empirically investigating how they are connected (or not). Too many urban researchers focus on one or the other, with little conceptualization of the importance of linking the two. We argue that urban organizations of all kinds provide a strategic site for observing processes of both social and systemic integration, and that urban organizational research should examine many of them to better understand the multiple urban transformations currently in process.
Serum antibody response in adult volunteers elicited by injection of streptococcus pneumoniae type 12F polysaccharide alone or conjugated to diphtheria toxoid

Conjugates of an uronic acid-containing capsular polysaccharide (CP), pneumococcous type 12F (Pn12F) bound to diphtheria toxoid (DT), were studied for safety and immunogenicity in adult volunteers. In mice, these conjugates, prepared with the same lot of DT and Pn12F-40234-006, a homogenous CP of high molecular weight, or Pn12-812408, a polydisperse CP with lower-molecular-weight material, were more immunogenic than the Pn12F alone and had T-cell dependent properties (A. Fattom, W. F. Vann, S.C. Szu, A. Sutton, X. Li, B. Bryla, G. Schiffman, J. B. Robbins, and R. Schneerson, Infect. Immun. 56:2292-2298, 1988). Adult volunteers, randomized into three groups, were injected either with one of these two conjugates or with Pnu-Imune, the 23 valent pneumococcus vaccine containing 25 micrograms of Pn12F as one of its components. Volunteers were injected two times, 4 weeks apart, with the Pn12F-DT conjugates and once with the Pnu-Imune. Side reactions following injection of the conjugates of Pnu-Imune were mild and short-lived. At 4 weeks and at 7 months after the first injection, higher levels of Pn12F antibodies were found in the volunteers injected with the conjugates than in the Pnu-Imune group (P less than 0.001). The conjugate prepared with the higher-molecular-weight Pn12F elicited higher levels of antibodies than the conjugate prepared with a lower-molecular-weight Pn12F preparation (P = 0.05). Both conjugates elicited about a 13-fold rise in DT antibodies.
System level interconnect test in a tristate environment

System interconnect test is a significant challenge. In this paper we describe a practical system level interconnect test scheme which has been successfully implemented in a commercial environment. This test scheme is responsible for uncovering faults in driver/receiver elements, card level interconnects and backplane interconnects. It is used both as a manufacturing test and in field service. We point out the unique problems which must be addressed to carry out interconnect test at the system level and present our solutions. Our approach involves generating interconnect test data in the system at test time with knowledge of the current system configuration and individual component (card level) netlists. Interconnect tests that represent a good compromise between efficiency and diagnostic capability at the system level are presented and analyzed in detail. >
Advanced dry and steam laser cleaning of opaque and transparent critical substrates

Dry and steam laser cleaning, DLC and SLC, of nano-and micro-contaminant particles from UV/vis opaque and transparent critical substrates has been studied in front-side laser illumination geometry with the help of time-resolved optical techniques and broadband photoacoustic spectroscopy using a nanosecond 10.6-µm TEA CO2-laser and different absorbing energy transfer media (ETM) fluids. Corresponding basic DLC and SLC mechanisms for removal of nanoand micro-particles from opaque and transparent critical substrates as well as parameters of explosive removal of ETM fluids have been determined and discussed.
Functionalizing polymer surfaces by surface migration of copolymer additives: role of additive molecular weight

Abstract Surface migration of polystyrene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) block copolymer additives in polystyrene (PS) hosts was investigated using a series of narrow molecular weight distribution polystyrenes (5×103 M PS ≤10 5 g mol −1 , could be defined in blends containing PS-b-PMMA additives of fixed molecular weight Ma and concentration. A somewhat different scaling form ΔΦPMMA∼Ma−0.53±0.05 was found to describe the effect of PS-b-PMMA additive molecular weight on PMMA surface excess in PS/PS-b-PMMA blends with fixed MPS. These results are discussed in terms of surface migration mechanisms based on entropic driving forces and the molecular-weight dependence of the mutual diffusion coefficient of PS-b-PMMA in PS.
Some recent developments in the pharmacology of heparin.

LTHOUOH investigations of the pharmacology of heparin extend back more than 60 years, much remains to be learned. In spite of the fact that this agent has had a wide and expanding clinical use, it has not been isolated in chemically pure form, its structure is not fully defined, and differences between its anticoagulant and antithrombotic effect have not yet been elucidated. The in. creasing requirements for heparin for both prophylactic and therapeutic purposes require that current and new knowledge be rapidly assimilated into clinical practice. This commentary reviews briefly and selectively some of the recent developments which may be of practical use in the care of patients or serve as a focus for future research.
An implicitly balanced hurricane model with physics-based preconditioning

Abstract A numerical framework for simulating hurricanes based upon solving a nonlinear equation set with an implicitly balanced solution procedure is described in this paper. The physical model is the Navier–Stokes equations plus a highly simplified and differentiable microphysics parameterization package. Because the method is fully implicit, the approach is able to employ time steps that result in Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy (CFL) numbers greater than one for advection, gravity, and sound waves; however, the dynamical time scale of the problem must still be respected for accuracy. The physical model is solved via the Jacobian-free Newton–Krylov (JFNK) method. The JFNK approach typically requires the approximate solution of a large linear system several times per time step. To increase the efficiency of the linear system solves, a physics-based preconditioner has been employed. To quantify the accuracy and efficiency of the new approach against traditional approaches, the implicitly balanced solver was firs...
Devising the Prosthetic Prescription and Typical Examples

Limb deficiency has a significant impact on the involved person, with upper limb absence presenting a materially different set of issues than lower limb absence. The primary objectives in fitting a patient with a prosthesis are to enhance their independence in performing daily activities, and to improve their quality of life. For lower limb absence, the primary issues are safety, stability, and the ability to ambulate in a manner consistent with their overall health. The primary objectives in prescribing upper limb prosthetics are function, durability, appearance, comfort, and usability of the device. This article discusses the nuances associated with managing these patients.
Impact of Technology and Social Change on the Family in Nigeria

Technological advances such as, radio, television, cellular phones, computers and modems have brought major advances and changes to the family. The possibilities of widespread Internet use have also stimulated substantial developments in virtual families and communities. Technologies and practices do change behaviour. The study is limited to one local government in Delta State Nigeria. Stratified random sampling will be used to select 150 families from urban, semi-urban and rural communities. Three research questions will guide this study: To what extent has technology contributed to change in African concept of family and its functions? How does information technology influence our interpersonal family relationship and our ways of communicating? How does technology shape our identity, our daily life? The study made use of triangulation (multi-methods) to gather data through questionnaire, interview and personal observation. The findings show that traditional family structure and functions has not changed. Social policy implications were highlighted and recommendations proffered.
Trapping Adult Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) with Aquatic Barrier Traps

Environ. Entomol. 30(4): 770—775 (2001) ABSTRACT The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, is a pest of rice in the seven rice producing states of the United States and several countries where it has been introduced. Carbofuran was used adequately for nearly 30 yr, but it is no longer registered for use in rice and has been replaced by l-cyhalothrin (Karate) and diflubenzuron (Dimilin). The scouting methods for carbofuran were inadequate or too late in determining the need for insecticide applications of the newer insecticides. Therefore, a new population monitoring method was developed using a double-ended aquatic barrier trap. The trap function was based on weevil swimming behavior, and 16 barrier trap prototypes were tested on adult weevils, 22—23 July 1998, in a small bay of late planted rice. Adult means 6 SE were 73.9 6 9.4 per trap on 23 July 1998 and 54.4 6 6.4 per trap on 24 July 1998. The core sample mean for this plot was 72.9 6 7.0 larvae per core. The trap was tested in both commercial fields and early and late planted small bays in 1999. Larval weevil infestations ranged from moderate (near or slightly below the economic injury level (EIL) to high (62.8 per core). Regression analyses showed a significant correlation between adults captured in traps to subsequent larval density in field edges (r 2 5 0.98) and field interiors (r 2 5 0.92). For every 1.0 rice water weevil adult captured in barrier traps, a density of 1.2—2.8 larvae per core sample was predicted. The aquatic barrier traps caught adult weevils without lures. Trapping rice water weevil adults immediately after permanent flood in drill-seeded fields can be used to aid decision making for insecticide application in rice.
On generative models for sequential formation of clusters

In the literature of machine learning, a class of unsupervised approaches is based on Dirichlet process mixture models. These approaches fall into the category of nonparametric Bayesian methods, and they find a wide range of applications including in biology, computer science, engineering, and finance. An important assumption of the Dirichlet process mixture models is that the data are exchangeable. This is a restriction for many types of data whose structures vary over time or space or some other independent variables. In this paper, we address generative models that remove the restriction of exchangeability of the Dirichlet process model, which allows for creation of mixtures with time-varying structures. We also address how these models can be applied to sequential estimation of clusters.
Graph Clustering Using Mutual K-Nearest Neighbors

Most real world networks like social networks, protein-protein interaction networks, etc. can be represented as graphs which tend to include densely connected subgroups or modules. In this work, we develop a novel graph clustering algorithm called G-MKNN for clustering weighted graphs based upon a node affinity measure called ‘Mutual K-Nearest neighbors’ (MKNN). MKNN is calculated based upon edge weights in the graph and it helps to capture dense low variance clusters. This ensures that we not only capture clique like structures in the graph, but also other hybrid structures. Using synthetic and real world datasets, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm over other state of the art graph clustering algorithms.
Developing imaging biomarkers for myocardial involvement in amyloidosis: challenge and opportunity.

With the increasing recognition of the heterogeneity of patients who have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), assessing the underlying etiology has assumed substantial clinical importance. Large, randomized trials using broad treatment paradigms for HFpEF patients, such as those
The Development of the Ventral Oesophageal Diverticulum in Aedes triseriatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

The oesophageal diverticula are not found in any of the larval stages, their development occurring during the pupal period as a substantial modification of the complex larval proventriculus. Only the development of the ventral diverticulum is considered in this paper. At pupation, the tissues of the larval proventriculus undergo a complete reorientation which is attributed to the shedding of the foregut lining. Mitotic divisions in the anterior imaginal ring, a ring of embryonic cells, furnish the cells of the evagination which becomes the ventral diverticulum. The ventral evagination grows as a result of increase in individual cell size and the transformation of initially cuboidal cells to squamous cells. Although the ventral diverticulum reaches adult proportions during the pupal stage, it remains in a highly folded and compact state until the imago emerges. The muscles of the ventral diverticulum develop from masses of myoblastic tissue on either side of the oesophagus.
In Praise of Political Science

Is anyone's esteem for political science better suppressed than a political scientist's? Ordinary modesty is admirable, but his is professionally destructive. For, not only hiding his light under a bushel, he follows the more nihilistic course of blowing it out. Granted that many political scientists neither deprecate their discipline nor permit a low regard for it to stultify their work, I have been repeatedly assured by members of the profession that no social science is more retarded and none less promising for systematic theory. Thus they hide—even from their own eyes—their discipline's accomplishments. This I shall try to show, offering two books as evidence. There is other evidence, too. When even politically ignorant undergraduates complain that the major in political science is thin, no imaginable poverty of the field explains enough. Such a phenomenon proves concealment, either deliberate or unintended.
Optimal inventory control with shrinkage and observed sales

We study a discrete-time periodic-review inventory system where the unmet demand is lost, and the excess inventory is subject to shrinkage. We first derive the state evolution and then introduce unnormalized conditional probabilities to transform the nonlinear state evolution into a linear one. We then prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution for the Bellman equation in the case of unbounded costs and show that the solution yields the value function.
Analysis of the Evidence Behind the ESVS Guidelines for the Invasive Treatment of Carotid Stenosis

The European Society for Vascular Surgery has recently published updated guidelines for the invasive treatment of carotid disease. The recommendations were rated according to the level of evidence (A: randomized controlled trials, B: well-conducted clinical studies, C: expert opinion). The following document summarizes the evidence on which these recommendations were based, in order to keep physicians from various disciplines updated on the advances in the field of the invasive management of carotid disease.
Solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography detection method for Rhodamine B in chilli products

Objective:To establish a HPLC menthod to measure Rhodamine B content in chilli products.Methods:The sample was processe by homogenized,ethanol-ammonia-water(70+20+10)solution extraction,the extraction was cleaned up and concentrated by SPE on a HLB column.The chromatography was performed by reversed-phase HPLC on a C18 column with uv detection at 545 nm,the mobile phase was methanol.Results:The linear range was 0.20 μg/ml～10.00 μg/ml,r2=0.999,the rate of recovery was 92.5%～96.2%,RSD was 1.98%～2.37%,the detection limit was 0.052 mg/kg.Conclusion:The method was efficient in detecting Rhodamine B with good reproducibility and selectivity,simple operation,and applies to only the UV detector of primary lab.
Comparing mutation rates under the Luria–Delbrück protocol

Comparison of microbial mutation rates under the Luria-Delbruck protocol is a routine laboratory task. However, execution of this important task has been hampered by the lack of proper statistical methods. Visual inspection or improper use of the t test and the Mann-Whitney test can impair the quality of genetic research. This paper proposes a unified framework for constructing likelihood ratio tests that overcome three important obstacles to the proper comparison of microbial mutation rates. Specifically, algorithms for likelihood ratio tests have been devised that allow for partial plating, differential growth rates and unequal terminal cell population sizes. The new algorithms were assessed by computer simulations. In addition, a strategy for multiple comparison was illustrated by reanalyzing the experimental data from a study of bacterial resistance against tuberculosis antibiotics.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Paclitaxel-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells Is Downregulated by Luteolin.

Ovarian cancer (OVCA) is the deadliest of all gynecological cancers which is attributed to late presentation, persistence, and development of chemoresistance. The objectives were to evaluate the association between OVCA paclitaxel-resistance and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and to determine the capability of luteolin to chemosensitize OVCA cells. X10 and X22 cells were 11.8-25.3-fold and 7.8-8.6-fold resistant to paclitaxel than 1AP cells. X10 and X22 cells exhibited a mesenchymal phenotype, while 1AP has an epithelial characteristics. Furthermore, the expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin was downregulated, while mesenchymal markers Vimentin and N-cadherin were upregulated in X10 and X22 cells when compared to 1AP cells. Transcription factors Snail, Slug, and Twist1 were upregulated in X10 cells, while Twist1 was highly expressed in X22 cells. Luteolin treatment caused cytotoxicity being most potent to X10 OVCA cells. Treatment of non-cytotoxic dose of luteolin at 15.625 μM chemosensitized X10 and X22 OVCA cells to paclitaxel as evidenced by reduced ED50 values from 11.8 to 0.2 μM and 8.6 to 3.6 μM for X10 and X22 cells, respectively. Moreover, luteolin treatment led to a more epithelial phenotype of X10 and X22 cells and modification of EMT markers indicating reversal of EMT. The mechanism involved is through reduction of phosphorylation of FAK and ERK leading to reduced nuclear translocation of p65. Our results highlight the significance of EMT in OVCA resistance to paclitaxel and warrant the investigation of luteolin as a potential therapeutic agent in chemoresistant OVCA. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 391-401, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A novel threshold voltage defined switch for circuit camouflaging

Semiconductor supply chain is increasingly getting exposed to variety of security attacks such as Trojan insertion, cloning, counterfeiting, reverse engineering (RE), piracy of Intellectual Property (IP) or Integrated Circuit (IC) and side-channel analysis due to involvement of untrusted parties. In this paper, we propose threshold voltage-defined switches that will camouflage the logic gate both logically and physically to resist RE and IP piracy. The proposed gate can function as NAND, AND, NOR, OR, XOR, and XNOR robustly using threshold defined switches. We also propose a flavor of camouflaged gate that represents reduced functionality (NAND, NOR and NOT) at much lower overhead. The camouflaged design operates at nominal voltage and obeys conventional reliability limits. A small fraction of gates can be camouflaged to increase the RE effort extremely high. Simulation results indicate 46–53% area, 59–68% delay and 52–76% power overhead when 5–15% gates are identified and camouflaged using the proposed gate. A significant higher RE effort is achieved when the proposed gate is employed in the netlist using controllability, observability and hamming distance sensitivity based gate selection metrics.
Photocatalytic CO2 reduction by highly dispersed Cu sites on TiO2

Two nanocomposite photocatalysts were synthesized by forming highly dispersed Cu sites on TiO2 surfaces. The synthesized materials were characterized with microscopy, UV-visible, and infrared spectroscopy, and tested in photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Computational modeling was conducted to elucidate the role of single Cu sites in promoting CO2 reduction on TiO2. The nanocomposites demonstrated significantly higher activity than bare TiO2 in photocatalysis, and the activity was found to be related to the chemical state of surface Cu+ species. According to our modeling studies, the highly dispersed Cu sites likely contributed to the improved photocatalysis by stabilizing surface adsorption of CO2 on TiO2. Our experimental and modeling studies further confirmed the direct involvement of surface Cu sites in CO generation via CO2 reduction.
Velocity structure of Silent Canyon Caldera, Nevada Test Site

Abstract A laterally averaged, one-dimensional P - and S -wave velocity structure is obtained for Silent Canyon Caldera, located beneath Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Test Site. The velocity models are derived from a linearized damped least-squares travel-time inversion for slowness gradient perturbations. A total of 72 P - and 20 S -wave travel times generated from 13 different explosions, obtained at locations above the caldera, are used in the inversion. The structure is modeled using linear velocity gradients in a series of horizontal layers. The inversion produces a model in which velocity for P waves increases from 1.5 km/sec at the surface to 4.5 km/sec at 2.3 km depth and from 1.0 km/sec at the surface to 2.3 km/sec at 2.0 km depth for S waves. The P - and S -wave models produce travel-time residuals which are typically less than 0.1 and 0.2 sec, respectively, which is within observational error. In an attempt to estimate the degree of lateral velocity variations over which the one-dimensional model averages, waveform data collected above the caldera are examined for indications of a laterally heterogeneous structure.
The Health Professions Education Pathway: Preparing Students, Residents, and Fellows to Become Future Educators

Training the next generation of health professionals requires leaders, innovators, and scholars in education. Although many medical schools and residencies offer education electives or tracks focused on developing teaching skills, these programs often omit educational innovation, scholarship, and leadership and are narrowly targeted to one level of learner.The University of California San Francisco created the Health Professions Education Pathway for medical students, residents, and fellows as well as learners from other health professional schools. The Pathway applies the theoretical framework of communities of practice in its curricular design to promote learner identity formation as future health professions educators. It employs the strategies of engagement, imagination, and alignment for identity formation.Through course requirements, learners engage and work with members of the educator community of practice to develop the knowledge and skills required to participate in the community. Pathway instructors are faculty members who model a breadth of educator careers to help learners imagine personal trajectories. Last, learners complete mentored education projects, adopting scholarly methods and ethics to align with the broader educator community of practice.From 2009 to 2014, 117 learners participated in the Pathway. Program evaluations, graduate surveys, and web-based searches revealed positive impacts on learner career development. Learners gained knowledge and skills for continued engagement with the educator community of practice, confirmed their career aspirations (imagination), joined an educator-in-training community (engagement/imagination), and disseminated via scholarly meetings and peer-reviewed publications (alignment).Learners identified engagement with the learner community as the most powerful aspect of the Pathway; it provided peer support for imagining and navigating the development of their dual identities in the clinician and educator communities of practice. Also important for learner success was alignment of their projects with the goals of the local educator community of practice. Our community of practice approach to educator career development has shown promising early outcomes by nurturing learners' passion for teaching; expanding their interest in educational leadership, innovation, and scholarship; and focusing on their identity formation as future educators.
Cost-Effectiveness of Initial Prophylactic Treatment of Chronic Migraine: Oral Medications versus OnabotulinumtoxinA (P2.198)

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the cost-effectiveness of initial treatment of chronic migraine (CM) with oral medications versus onabotulinumtoxinA. Background: CM affects approximately 2[percnt] of the United States population. OnabotulinumtoxinA is the only FDA approved prophylactic medication for CM; many major insurance companies require a trial of two or three oral medications before authorizing onabotulinumtoxinA. Methods: A decision analytic Markov model with a cycle length of 3 months and a time horizon of 3 years was constructed with two treatment arms: initial oral medications followed by onabotulinumtoxinA versus initial onabotulinumtoxinA followed by oral medications. Prophylactic oral medications included a tricyclic antidepressant, a beta blocker, and an anti-epileptic drug. Costs, utilities, and other model inputs were identified from the literature. One-way, two-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) under $50,000 per quality adjusted life year (QALY) was considered cost-effective. All analyses were done using TreeAge Software. Results: Assuming eight moderate/severe migraines per month, initial therapy with onabotulinumtoxinA increased effectiveness by 0.03 QALY at an increased cost of $3,000, yielding an ICER of $99,000/QALY, which would not be considered cost-effective. When the number of moderate/severe migraines per month increased to 11 or more then onabotulinumtoxinA becomes a cost-effective treatment with an increased effectiveness of 0.063 QALY, yielding an ICER below $50,000/QALY. When indirect costs of migraine are included, initial onabotulinumtoxinA is cost-effective at nine or more moderate/severe migraines per month. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the model was most sensitive to cost of onabotulinumtoxinA, number of moderate/severe migraines per month, and disutility of moderate/severe migraine. Conclusions: Based on this model, oral medications represent the most cost-effective treatment option for CM with less than 11 moderate/severe migraines per month, though onabotulinumtoxinA becomes a cost-effective treatment option at 11 or more moderate/severe migraines per month. Disclosure: Dr. Kelley has received research support from the NIH. Dr. Schoenbrunner has received research support from NIH TL1 Grant: #1TL1TR001443. Dr. Murphy has nothing to disclose.
Mini-review of conventional and hypofractionated radiation therapy combined with immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer

A successful antitumoral response requires immunological activation as well as an antigenic pool capable of stimulating both the innate and the adaptive immune system. Recent advances in immunotherapy have been aimed at boosting the activation status of the innate and adaptive immune system, including cytokine administration, monoclonal antibodies engineered to target high yield elements in oncogenic signaling pathways, cancer vaccines, and checkpoint inhibitors. Herein, we examine the ways that radiation therapy induced cell death provides a pool of stimulus antigen, and draw parallels from the immunobiology of autoimmunity to explore how the immunogenicity of antigen derived from radiation-induced cell death might augment the antitumoral response. We also review basic research into the ability of different radiation dose fractionation schedules to induce an antitumoral response. After a discussion of basic immunotherapeutic principles, we review the published literature in the field of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and examine the ways that combining radiation and immunotherapy have begun to change the therapeutic terrain. We provide a summary of ongoing clinical trials aimed at combining immunotherapy and radiation therapy in NSCLC while emphasizing the need for identification of biomarkers with predictive power and the assessment of efficacy as a function of fractionation strategy.
Phase Stability in the Fe-Rich Fe-Cr-Ni-Zr Alloys

Knowledge on phase stability in Fe-rich Fe-Cr-Ni-Zr alloys is needed for the development of Laves phase strengthened Fe-Cr-Ni-Zr ferritic alloys. These alloys show promising applications as new cladding materials of nuclear reactors due to enhanced high-temperature strength and resistance to creep and irradiation hardening. Phase stability in four Fe-rich Fe-Cr-Ni-Zr alloys was carefully investigated using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The samples were arc-melted and heat treated at 973.15 K (700 °C) for 1275 hours and 1273.15 K (1000 °C) for 336 hours. The experimental results showed extensive solubility of Ni in the intermetallic phases Fe23Zr6 and Fe2Zr_C15. Nickel stabilizes the Laves Fe2Zr_C15 structure more than the C36 and C14 structures. In addition to Fe23Zr6 and Fe2Zr_C15, Ni7Zr2 was found to be stable in samples with higher Ni content and lower annealing temperature. The Fe2Zr_C15 and Fe23Zr6 coexist with the body-centered cubic matrix phase in all samples regardless of compositions and temperatures.
Lateral Preoptic Control of the Lateral Habenula through Convergent Glutamate and GABA Transmission.

The lateral habenula (LHb) is a brain structure that participates in cognitive and emotional processing and has been implicated in several mental disorders. Although one of the largest inputs to the LHb originates in the lateral preoptic area (LPO), little is known about how the LPO participates in the regulation of LHb function. Here, we provide evidence that the LPO exerts bivalent control over the LHb through the convergent transmission of LPO glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) onto single LHb neurons. In vivo, both LPO-glutamatergic and LPO-GABAergic inputs to the LHb are activated by aversive stimuli, and their predictive cues yet produce opposing behaviors when stimulated independently. These results support a model wherein the balanced response of converging LPO-glutamate and LPO-GABA are necessary for a normal response to noxious stimuli, and an imbalance in LPO→LHb glutamate or GABA results in the type of aberrant processing that may underlie mental disorders.
Programmatic and Administrative Barriers to High-Risk Infant Follow-Up Care

Objective This article characterizes programmatic features of a population-based network of high-risk infant follow-up programs and identifies potential challenges associated with attendance from the providers' perspective. Study Design A web-based survey of high-risk infant follow-up program directors, coordinators, and providers of a statewide high-risk infant follow-up system. Frequencies and percentages were used to describe the survey responses. Results Of the 68 high-risk infant follow-up programs in California, 56 (82%) responded to the survey. The first visit no-show rate between 10 and 30% was estimated by 44% of programs with higher no-show rates for subsequent visits. Common strategies to remind families of appointments were phone calls and mailings. Most programs (54%) did not have a strategy to help families who lived distant to the high-risk infant follow-up clinic. Conclusion High-risk infant follow-up programs may lack resources and effective strategies to enhance follow-up, particularly for those living at a distance.
Sociocultural Consciousness and Science Teacher Education

Historically, the US cord of assimilating differences occurred through stratifying and also harboring economic and political power resulting in the marginalization of certain segments of the population. Consequently, marginalized groups were left with the challenge of sustaining their lives in an environment where declared norms isolated and devalued them and their cultures. Messages of inferiority surfaced and were reinforced in stereotypes depicting these groups in a negative light, which further disadvantaged them. To achieve in spite of the difficulties, individuals belonging to these marginalized groups must overcome the social constraints imposed upon their identities, which is dependent upon the resources that are available to them. This is especially true for students. Their lack of identity with the significant images represented in the curriculum such as science can influence their thoughts about their value and their potential to achieve and make a contribution. The nature of this conflict must be understood in terms of its history and impact on society and schooling which is defined as sociocultural consciousness. Sociocultural consciousness is the crux of culturally responsive pedagogy which takes into account the diverse needs of students as influenced by culture.
Human placental cathepsin B1. Isolation and some physical properties.

A reproducible procedure for the isolation, from human placenta, of a cathepsin B1 in a homogeneous state, demonstrated by electrophoretic, ultracentrifugal and enzymic criteria, was carried out. The pH optimum was near pH5.5. The placental enzyme catalysed the release of acid-soluble u.v.-dense products from haemoglobin and myoglobin. It was inhibited by heavy metals and several compounds which react with the thiol groups. The optimum temperature was between 37 degrees and 42 degrees C. The molecular weight of the enzyme was calculated to be 24250.
Design, synthesis, and applications of DNA-macrocyclic host conjugates.

With this Feature Article we review, for the first time, the development of DNA–host conjugates—a nascent yet rapidly growing research focus within the ambit of DNA supramolecular chemistry. Synthetic hosts (such as cyclodextrins, cucurbiturils, and calixarenes) are well-suited to be partnered with DNA, since DNA assembly and host–guest binding both thrive in aqueous media, are largely orthogonal, and exhibit controllable and input-responsive properties. The covalent braiding of these two supramolecular synthons thus leads to advanced self-assemblies and nanostructures with exciting function that range from drug delivery agents to input-triggered switches. The latter class of DNA–host conjugates have been demonstrated to precisely control protein activity, and have also been used as modulable catalysts and versatile biosensors.
On the development of optical peripheral nerve interfaces

Limb loss and spinal cord injury are two debilitating conditions that continue to grow in prevalence. Prosthetic limbs and limb reanimation present two ways of providing affected individuals with means to interact in the world. These techniques are both dependent on a robust interface with the peripheral nerve. Current methods for interfacing with the peripheral nerve tend to suffer from low specificity, high latency and insufficient robustness for a chronic implant. An optical peripheral nerve interface may solve some of these problems by decreasing invasiveness and providing single axon specificity. In order to implement such an interface three elements are required: (1) a transducer capable of translating light into a neural stimulus or translating neural activity into changes in fluorescence, (2) a means for delivering said transducer and (3) a microscope for providing the stimulus light and detecting the fluorescence change. There are continued improvements in both genetically encoded calcium and voltage indicators as well as new optogenetic actuators for stimulation. Similarly, improvements in specificity of viral vectors continue to improve expression in the axons of the peripheral nerve. Our work has recently shown that it is possible to virally transduce axons of the peripheral nerve for recording from small fibers. The improvements of these components make an optical peripheral nerve interface a rapidly approaching alternative to current methods.
Deciphering the loss of persistent red luminescence in ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ upon Al3+ substitution

The development of persistent luminescent phosphors requires an improved understanding of the crystal structures and chemical compositions that generate their unique and distinctive optical properties. Currently, researchers generally agree that the long luminescent lifetimes arise from a relationship between the host crystal structure's bandgap and the location of defects, which form electron traps. Here, this notion is studied by preparing the red-emitting persistent luminescent phosphor solid solution Zn(Ga1−δAlδ)2O4:Cr3+ (δ = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1) using high-temperature, solid-state synthesis. The optical characterization of this series reveals that varying the main group metal in this spinel-type crystal structure causes a nearly linear change in the bandgap as a function of substitution. Interestingly, long luminescent lifetime measurements reveal a loss of persistent luminescence with increasing aluminum concentrations, even though there is an increase in the number of electron traps. Thermoluminescence measurements indicate shallower trap states are present with increasing aluminum concentration, which is conceivably the quenching mechanism. Analyzing the relationship between the change in composition and the loss of persistent luminescence reveals a threshold beyond which lattice defects will bring about the quenching of an observable long luminescent lifetime.
Microbiota-nourishing Immunity and Its Relevance for Ulcerative Colitis.

An imbalance in our microbiota may contribute to many human diseases, but the mechanistic underpinnings of dysbiosis remain poorly understood. We argue that dysbiosis is secondary to a defect in microbiota-nourishing immunity, a part of our immune system that balances the microbiota to attain colonization resistance against environmental exposure to microorganisms. We discuss this new hypothesis and its implications for ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease of the large intestine.
Ethical Behavior from the Old Testament

There are three levels of ethical behavior: (a) macro, as presented in the Ten Commandments (the first four commandments are about loving God, and the remaining commandments are about loving your neighbor); (b) mid-range from Proverbs chapters 10–22, with a focus on being righteous or wise; and (c) micro based on industries’ or the firm’s code of ethics. Employees should be aware of the macro and mid-range for any employment opportunity and be knowledgeable of the ethical requirements of the industry’s or firm’s behavior expectations.
Phase I trial of the HSP-90 inhibitor PU-H71.

2537 Background: PU-H71 (PU) is an HSP-90 inhibitor that can be labeled with 124I without altering its biochemical properties. Intratumoral drug concentration can be calculated based on 124I-PU-H71 (*PU) PET imaging, leading to a surrogate marker of intratumoral pharmacokinetics. Methods: Patients (pts) with previously treated solid tumors, lymphoma and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) on ruxolitinib were eligible. PU was given days 1, 4, 8, 11 each 21 days at escalating dose levels using a Continuous Reassessment Method (CRM). The primary objective was determination of the MTD. Secondary objectives included plasma and intratumoral PKs measured by pre- and on-treatment core needle biopsies (CNB) and by *PU PET imaging. Results: To date, 40 pts have received PU at doses from 10-400mg/m2. 37 are currently evaluable for DLT, and the last 3 pts needed (per CRM) are being enrolled. Five pts experienced DLTs: 1 (of 2) at 400 mg/m2 - grade 3 mucositis; 4 (of 7) at 350 mg/m2 – 1 pt grade 3 AST and ALT, 1 pt gra...
Accuracy of a composite event definition for hypoglycemia.

PURPOSE To evaluate the accuracy of a composite definition for the identification of hypoglycemia events that used both administrative claims and laboratory data in a cohort of patients. METHODS We reviewed medical records in a sample of presumed hypoglycemia events among patients who received care at the Veterans Health Administration Tennessee Valley Healthcare System in 2001 to 2012. A hypoglycemia event was defined as a hospitalization or emergency department visit judged by the treating clinician to be due to hypoglycemia, or an outpatient laboratory or point-of-care blood glucose measurement <60 mg/dL. Based on medical record review, each event was classified as true positive (severe, documented symptomatic, documented asymptomatic) or false positive (probable symptomatic, not hypoglycemia). The positive predictive values (PPV) of the individual event types (hospitalization, emergency department, and outpatient) were estimated. RESULTS Of 2250 events identified through the composite definition, 321 events (15 hospitalizations, 103 emergency department visits, and 203 outpatient events) were reviewed. The PPVs were 80% for hospitalization events, 48% for emergency department events, and 96% for outpatient events. The emergency department definition included a nonspecific diagnosis code for diabetic complications which captured many false positive events. Excluding this code from the definition improved the PPV for emergency department events to 70% and missed one true event. CONCLUSIONS Our composite definition for hypoglycemia performed moderately well in a cohort of Veterans. Further evaluation of the emergency department events may be needed.
Potential Effects of Sea-Level Rise on Salt Marsh Elevation Dynamics in a New Hampshire Estuary

Salt marsh survival in the face of sea-level rise (SLR) depends largely on a marsh’s ability to compensate for increased flooding by building in elevation, but the rate of elevation gain depends on processes that are not well-understood (i.e., belowground productivity, sediment accretion, and subsidence). An array of planted and unplanted pots was installed in the field to examine the effects of tidal flooding on productivity and elevation change. We found that belowground plant volume increased linearly as elevation increased for both Spartina patens and Spartina alterniflora. Even though the volume of roots increased by 400% with elevation for S. alterniflora and > 200% for S. patens, there was no relationship between belowground volume and elevation change of the original soil surface, perhaps due to the infilling of porosity by roots. However, the soil in planted treatments subsided significantly less than in unplanted controls. Measurements from Surface Elevation Tables (SETs) indicated that local high marshes have been losing elevation relative to sea level at an average rate of 2.1 mm/year. The rate of vertical gain decreased at SET locations of greater marsh elevation, and high marshes did not keep pace with SLR even when sediment supply appeared to be high (TSS = 57 ± 7 mg/L). The high marsh accretion deficit, combined with a continuing trend of reduced belowground growth with increased flooding due to SLR, suggests that S. alterniflora will replace less flood-tolerant species over time, potentially causing loss of high marsh habitat.
The Workplace Discrimination Experiences of Individuals with Cancer in the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act Era

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns in allegations of workplace discrimination filed by individuals with cancer. Objective The goal of the research was to describe discrimination, both actual and perceived, that has occurred against individuals with cancer in comparison to a group of individuals with other general disabilities (GENDIS) through analyses of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Integrated Mission System (IMS) database. Methods An ex post facto, causal comparative quantitative design was used to examine Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) Title I complaints received by the EEOC from people with cancer from 2009 through 2016 (n = 10,848) in comparison to the GENDIS group over the same time period (n = 13,338). Results Results revealed statistically significant differences in the patterns of issues alleged by the two groups. When compared to the GENDIS group, the cancer group was significantly older and had proportionally more individuals who identified as Asian than the GENDIS group. People with cancer were more likely to allege discrimination in the areas of unlawful discharge, demotion, wages, layoff, benefits, and referrals. They were less likely to allege discrimination in areas of reasonable accommodation, hiring, and suspension. Also, the cancer group was more likely than the GENDIS group to file allegations against smaller employers and employers in the Southeast region of the United States, while employers in the Mid-Atlantic and Rocky Mountain regions were less likely to be named in allegations by people with cancer. The cancer group was also significantly more likely than the GENDIS group to find that EEOC investigations of their allegations resulted in merit-based case resolution, that is, discrimination had indeed occurred. Owing to the large sample size, some of these between-group differences were small in magnitude. Conclusion The workplace discrimination experiences of people with cancer are substantially different from those of people with other disabilities.