pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Randomized Trial to Evaluate Tandosporine in Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration: the GATE Study.

PURPOSE\ud
\ud
To determine the safety and efficacy of AL-8309B (tandospirone) in the management of patients with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and obtain standardized data on GA lesion growth progression.\ud
\ud
DESIGN\ud
\ud
Prospective, controlled, double-masked, randomized, multicenter phase 3 clinical trial.\ud
\ud
METHODS\ud
\ud
Setting: 48 clinical sites.\ud
\ud
PATIENTS\ud
\ud
Patients with GA associated with AMD were enrolled. All patients were followed for a minimum of 30 months, and up to 36 months. Intervention Procedures: Patients were randomized (1:1:1) to receive AL-8309B ophthalmic solution 1.0%, 1.75%, or vehicle, administered as a twice-daily topical ocular drop.\ud
\ud
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES\ud
\ud
The primary efficacy endpoint was mean annualized lesion enlargement from baseline as assessed with fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging.\ud
\ud
RESULTS\ud
\ud
A total of 768 eyes of 768 patients were enrolled and treated with AL-8309B 1.0% (N=250), AL-8309B 1.75% (N=258), or vehicle (N= 260). An increase in mean lesion size was observed in both the AL-8309B and vehicle treatment groups, and growth rates were similar in all treatment groups. Annualized lesion growth rates were 1.73, 1.76 and 1.71 mm(2) for AL-8309B 1.0%, AL-8309B 1.75%, and vehicle, respectively.\ud
\ud
CONCLUSIONS\ud
\ud
AL-8309B 1.0% and 1.75% did not affect lesion growth in eyes with GA secondary to AMD. There were no clinically relevant safety issues identified for AL-8309B. The large natural history dataset from this study is a valuable repository for future comparisons
Young driver distraction : state of the evidence and directions for behavior change programs

Adolescent drivers are over-represented in distraction-related motor vehicle crashes.  There are a number of potential reasons for such elevated risk with driving inexperience, high adoption of communication technology, increased peer involvement and tendency to take risks, rendering young drivers particularly vulnerable. Major legislative efforts in Graduated Licensing Systems that include passenger restrictions have shown positive effects. Restrictions on cell phone use are also being introduced however enforcement of such regulations is challenging. This paper argues that such contextual, legislative interventions are an essential prevention strategy however there is an unfilled need to introduce behavior change programs that may target adolescents, parents and friends. A theoretical framework is applied in which risk and protective factors are identified from research within community and jurisdiction contexts.  In the literature on distraction social context and normative influences are the key elements used to inform program design for adolescent drivers with parental monitoring informing interventions targeting parents. Following from this assessment of the message content assessment, the design of strategies to deliver the messages are reviewed. In the current literature, school-based programs, simulations and web-delivered programs have been evaluated with supplementary strategies delivered by physicians and parents. Such developments are still at an early stage of development and ultimately will need controlled implementation and evaluation studies. There is of course, no likely single approach to prevent adolescent driver distraction and complementary approaches such as the further development of technological interventions to manage phone use are needed.\ud
\ud
Implications and Contributions\ud
\ud
The paper describes the intervention design process alongside key research in young driver distraction including selecting target behavior, audience, theoretically-derived strategies and delivery strategies. Currently graduated driver licensing and technology use and acceptance and parent-adolescent and adolescent-peer interactions are opportunities for further research and exploration
Expression of a Distinct Set of Chemokine Receptors in Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells is Responsible for In Vitro Migration Toward Chemokines Appearing in the Major Pelvic Ganglion Following Cavernous Nerve Injury

Introduction
Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) herald tremendous promise for clinical application in a wide range of injuries and diseases. Several preclinical reports demonstrate their efficacy in the treatment of cavernous nerve (CN) injury-induced erectile dysfunction in rats. It was recently illustrated that these effects were established as a result of ADSC migration to the major pelvic ganglion (MPG) where these cells induced neuroregeneration in loco.
Aims
The study aims to identify chemotactic factors in the MPG following injury and to match upregulated chemokines to their respective receptors in human ADSC on the genomic, structural, and functional levels.
Methods
Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), intracellular FACS, immunofluorescence microscopy, migration assays, and calcium imaging were used in this study.
Main Outcome Measures
The main outcomes are chemokine expression in the MPG following CN injury, and the functional and structural presence of chemokine receptors in ADSC.
Results
CCR4, CX3CR1, and XCR1 are functionally and structurally present in human ADSC, and are activated by the chemokines CCL2, CX3CL1, and XCL1 respectively, which are upregulated in the MPG following CN injury. CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12 (SDF1) are likely no major homing factors for ADSC. Expression of chemokine receptor mRNA in ADSC did not necessarily translate into receptor presence at the cell surface and/or functional activation of these receptors. Most of the expressed chemokine receptors were detected in the intracellular compartment of these cells.
Conclusions
We identified the ligand/chemokine receptor pairs CCL2/CCR4, CX3CL1/CX3CR1, and XCL1/XCR1 as potentially responsible for ADSC homing toward the MPG following CN injury. The intracellular localization of various chemokine receptors likely indicates redirecting of chemokine receptors to the cell surface under specific cellular conditions. Furthermore, modification of expression of these receptors at the genomic level may potentially lead to improved migration toward injury sites and thus enhancement of treatment efficacy. Albersen M, Berkers J, Dekoninck P, Deprest J, Lue TF, Hedlund P, Lin C-S, Bivalacqua TJ, Van Poppel H, De Ridder D, and Van der Aa F. Expression of a distinct set of chemokine receptors in adipose tissue-derived stem cells is responsible for in vitro migration toward chemokines appearing in the major pelvic ganglion following cavernous nerve injury.status: publishe
Small- and large- x nucleon spin structure from a global QCD analysis of polarized parton distribution functions

I investigate the behavior of spin-dependent parton distribution functions in the regions of small and large momentum fractions x . I present a systematic comparison between predictions for relevant observables obtained with various models of nucleon spin structure and a recent global analysis of spin-dependent distributions, NNPDFpol1.1 . Together with its unpolarized counterpart, NNPDF2.3 , they form a mutually consistent set of parton distributions. Because they include most of the available experimental information, and are determined with a minimally biased methodology, these are especially suited for such a study. I show how NNPDFpol1.1 can discriminate between different theoretical models, even though NNPDF uncertainties remain large near the endpoints x→0 and x→1 , due to the lack of experimental information. I discuss how our knowledge of nucleon spin structure may be improved at small x by future measurements at an Electron–Ion Collider, and at large x by recent measurements at Jefferson Lab, also in view of its 12 GeV upgrade
Classical-physics applications for Finsler b space

The classical propagation of certain Lorentz-violating fermions is known to be governed by geodesics of a four-dimensional pseudo-Finsler b space parametrized by a prescribed background covector field. This work identifies systems in classical physics that are governed by the three-dimensional version of Finsler b space and constructs a geodesic for a sample non-constant choice for the background covector. The existence of these classical analogues demonstrates that Finsler b spaces possess applications in conventional physics, which may yield insight into the propagation of SME fermions on curved manifolds
Chaotic strings in a near Penrose limit of AdS 5 × T 1,1

We study chaotic motions of a classical string in a near Penrose limit of AdS 5 × T 1,1 . It is known that chaotic solutions appear on R × T 1,1 , depending on initial conditions. It may be interesting to ask whether the chaos persists even in Penrose limits or not. In this paper, we show that sub-leading corrections in a Penrose limit provide an unstable separatrix, so that chaotic motions are generated as a consequence of collapsed KolmogorovArnold-Moser (KAM) tori. Our analysis is based on deriving a reduced system composed of two degrees of freedom by supposing a winding string ansatz. Then, we provide support for the existence of chaos by computing Poincaré sections. In comparison to the AdS 5 × T 1,1 case, we argue that no chaos lives in a near Penrose limit of AdS 5 ×S 5 , as expected from the classical integrability of the parent system
From pattern to causality: using linear discriminant analysis and Bayesian network on microarray data of breast cancers

In this paper, we aim at using genetic algorithms for gene selection and propose silhouette statistics as a discriminant function to classify breast cancers on microarray data for pattern discovery. In order to see the causality among these genes, we use the Bayesian method to construct a probability network for the pattern discovered. Consequently, we found a set of genes that is effective to discriminate breast cancer subtypes and present their probability dependencies to construct a diagnostic system.PRIB 2008 proceedings found at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88436-
Dependence of slip weakening distance (Dc) on final slip during dynamic rupture of earthquakes

In this study we aim to understand the dependence of the critical slip weakening distance (Dc) on the final slip (Dtot) during the propagation of a dynamic rupture and the consistency of their inferred correlation. To achieve this goal we have performed a series of numerical tests suitably designed to validate the adopted numerical procedure and to verify the actual capability in measuring Dc. We have retrieved two kinematic rupture histories from spontaneous dynamic rupture models governed by a slip weakening law in which a constant Dc distribution on the fault plane as well as a constant Dc / Dtot ratio are assumed, respectively. The slip velocity and the shear traction time histories represent the synthetic “real” target data which we aim to reproduce. We use a 3-D traction-at-split nodes numerical procedure to image the dynamic traction evolution by assuming our modeled slip velocity as a boundary condition on the fault plane. We assume a regularized Yoffe function as source time function in our modeling attempts and we measure the critical slip weakening distance from the inferred traction versus slip curves at each point on the fault. We compare the inferred values with those of the target dynamic models. Our numerical tests show that fitting the slip velocity functions of the target models at each point on the fault plane is not enough to retrieve good traction evolution curves and to obtain reliable measures of Dc. We find that the estimation of Dc is very sensitive to any small variation of the slip velocity function. An artificial correlation between Dc/Dtot is obtained when a fixed shape of slip velocity is assumed on the fault (i.e., constant rise time and constant time for positive acceleration) which differs from that of the target model. We point out that the estimation of fracture energy (breakdown work) on the fault is not affected by biases in measuring Dc
Multidisciplinary study of the Tindari Fault (Sicily, Italy) separating ongoing contractional and extensional compartments along the active Africa–Eurasia convergent boundary

The Africa–Eurasia convergence in Sicily and southern Calabria is currently expressed by two different tectonic
and geodynamic domains: thewestern region, governed by a roughlyN–S compression generated by a continental
collision; the eastern one, controlled by a NW–SE extension related to the south-east-directed expansion of
the Calabro–Peloritan Arc. The different deformation pattern of these two domains is accommodated by a
right-lateral shear zone (Aeolian–Tindari–Letojanni fault system) which, from the Ionian Sea, north of Mt.
Etna, extends across the Peloritani chain to the Aeolian Islands.
In this work, we study the evidence of active tectonics characterizing this shear zone, through the analysis of
seismic and geodetic data acquired by the INGV networks in the last 15 years. The study is completed by
structural and morphological surveys carried out between Capo Tindari and the watershed of the chain.
The results allowed defining a clear structural picture depicting the tectonic interferences between the two
different geodynamic domains. The results indicate that, besides the regional ~N130°E horizontal extensional
stress field, another one, NE–SW-oriented, is active in the investigated area. Both tension axes are mutually
independent and have been active up to the present at different times. The coexistence of these different
active horizontal extensions is the result of complex interactions between several induced stresses: 1) the
regional extension (NW–SE) related to the slab rollback and back-arc extension; 2) the strong uplift of the
chain; 3) the accommodation between compressional and extensional tectonic regimes along the Aeolian–
Tindari–Letojanni faults, through a SSE–NNW right-lateral transtensional displacement. In these conditions,
the greater and recurring uplift activity is not able to induce a radial extensional dynamics, but, under the
“directing” action of the shear system, it can only act on the regional extension (NW–SE) and produce the
second system of extension (NE–SW)
Mechanical and microstructural characterization of new nickel-free low modulus beta-type titanium wires during thermomechanical treatments

NiTi alloy is the only practical shape memory alloy (SMA) in biomedical use because of its excellent mechanical stability and functionality. However, it is estimated that between 4.5% and 28.5% of the population are hypersensitive to nickel metal, with a higher prevalence in females. Therefore, developing nickel-free low modulus beta-type titanium alloys showing shape memory or super elastic behavior would have a great interest in the biomaterials field. Homogeneous 127 mu m diameter Ti25Hf21Nb wires were produced and compared to straight annealed Ti-50.8 at% Ni (Nitinol) and 90% cold-drawn 316L wires. Microstructural changes taking place during the heat treatment of cold-worked Ti25Hf21Nb wires were investigated. Large plastic deformation during wire drawing and subsequent annealing led to nano-crystallization and amorphization which may contribute to the observed superelasticity. Mechanical properties were characterized using cyclic uniaxial tension and rotary beam fatigue test modes. A modulus of elasticity of less than 60 GPa and axial recoverable strain of greater than 3% were observed with stress hysteresis resembling a reversible stress-induced martensitic transformation at higher temperatures. The new Ti25Hf21Nb alloy is an important candidate for developing Ni-free SMAs in the future. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
Clinical Predictors of Response to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders:The Genes for Treatment (GxT) Study

The Genes for Treatment study is an international, multisite collaboration exploring the role of genetic, demographic, and clinical predictors in response to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in pediatric anxiety disorders. The current article, the first from the study, examined demographic and clinical predictors of response to CBT. We hypothesized that the child's gender, type of anxiety disorder, initial severity and comorbidity, and parents' psychopathology would significantly predict outcome
HESS observations of PKS 2155-304

The high-frequency peaked BL Lac PKS 2155-304 at redshift z=0.117 has been detected with high significance (~45 $\sigma$) at energies greater than 160 GeV, using the H.E.S.S. stereoscopic array of imaging air-Cherenkov telescopes in Namibia. A strong signal is found in each of the data sets corresponding to the dark periods of July and October, 2002, and June-September, 2003. The observed flux of VHE gamma rays shows variability on time scales of months, days, and hours. The monthly-averaged integral flux above 300 GeV varies between 10% and 60% of the flux observed from the Crab Nebula. Energy spectra are measured for these individual periods of data taking and are characterized by a steep power law with a time-averaged photon index of $\Gamma=3.32\pm0.06$. An improved $\chi^2$ per degree of freedom is found when either a power law with an exponential cutoff energy or a broken power law are fit to the time-averaged energy spectrum. However, the significance of the improvement is marginal (~2 $\sigma$). The suggested presence of features in the energy spectrum may be intrinsic to the emission from the blazar, or an indication of absorption of TeV gamma rays by the extragalactic infrared background light.Peer-reviewedPublisher Version10056
Glacial history of sub-Antarctic South Georgia based on the submarine geomorphology of its fjords.

We present multibeam swath bathymetric surveys of the major fjords surrounding the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia to characterise the glacial geomorphology and to identify the relative timings and extent of past glacial advance and retreat. Bathymetry data revealed a range of glacial features including terminal, retreat and truncated moraines, deep (distal) outer and shallow (proximal) inner basins and cross shelf troughs. These provide evidence of glacial advance and retreat through several glacial cycles. A near consistent pattern of large scale submarine geomorphological features was observed in the different fjords suggesting a similar response of margins of the island ice cap to past climate forcing. A relative chronology based on the relationships between the submarine features with their radiocarbon and cosmogenic isotope dated terrestrial counterparts suggests that widely observed inner basin moraines date from the last major glacial advance or Last Glacial Maximum, while deep basin moraines may date from an earlier (pre-LGM) more extensive glaciation, which we speculate corresponds to MIS6. On the sides of the deep basins a series of truncated moraines show ice advance positions from preceding glacial periods. The cross shelf troughs, and mid-trough moraines are interpreted as the product of much more extensive glaciations that predate the fjord geomorphology mapped here, thus possibly older than MIS6. This hypothesis would suggest that South Georgia followed a glacial history similar to that of central Patagonia (46°S) where a series of Pleistocene glaciations (of MIS 20 and younger) extended beyond LGM limits, with the most extensive glacial advance occurring at c. 1.1 Ma
Non-resonant new physics in top pair production at hadron colliders.

We use top quark pair production as a probe of top-philic non-resonant new physics. Following a low energy effective field theory approach, we calculate several key observables in top quark pair production at hadron colliders (e.g., total cross section,  tt¯tt¯  invariant mass distribution, forward-backward asymmetry, spin correlations) including the interference of the Standard Model with dimension-six operators. We determine the LHC reach in probing new physics after having taken into account the Tevatron constraints. In particular, we show that the gluon fusion process  gg→tt¯gg→tt¯  which remains largely unconstrained at the Tevatron is affected by only one top-philic dimension-six operator, the chromo-magnetic moment of the top quark. This operator can be further constrained by the LHC data as soon as a precision of about 20% is reached for the total  tt¯tt¯  cross-section. While our approach is general and model-independent, it is particularly relevant to models of Higgs and top compositeness, which we consider in detail, also in connection with  tt¯tt¯tt¯tt¯  and  tt¯bb¯tt¯bb¯  production
Top-quark pair production at high invariant mass : an NNLO soft plus virtual approximation.

e obtain a soft plus virtual approximation to the NNLO QCD contributions to the top-pair invariant mass distribution at hadron colliders. It is valid up to corrections of order m2t/M2mt2/M2, with M the pair invariant mass. This is currently the most complete QCD calculation for a differential cross section in top-quark pair production, and is useful for describing the high invariant mass region characteristic of boosted top quarks. We use our results to construct an improved NNLO approximation for the pair invariant mass distribution and compare it with previous, less complete approximations based on logarithmic terms from NNLL soft-gluon resummation alone. We find that the new NNLO approximation produces moderate enhancements of the differential cross section compared to previous ones, the effect being slightly more important at low values of invariant mass than at high ones. On the other hand, at high values of invariant mass the new NNLO corrections are dominated by even higher-order effects included in NNLL soft-gluon resummation, reaffirming the need for resummation in describing the highly boosted regime
Energy Bounds for a Compressed Elastic Film on a Substrate

We study pattern formation in a compressed elastic film which delaminates
from a substrate. Our key tool is the determination of rigorous upper and lower
bounds on the minimum value of a suitable energy functional. The energy
consists of two parts, describing the two main physical effects. The first part
represents the elastic energy of the film, which is approximated using the von
K\'arm\'an plate theory. The second part represents the fracture or
delamination energy, which is approximated using the Griffith model of
fracture. A simpler model containing the first term alone was previously
studied with similar methods by several authors, assuming that the delaminated
region is fixed. We include the fracture term, transforming the elastic
minimization into a free-boundary problem, and opening the way for patterns
which result from the interplay of elasticity and delamination.
  After rescaling, the energy depends on only two parameters: the rescaled film
thickness, $\sigma$, and a measure of the bonding strength between the film and
substrate, $\gamma$. We prove upper bounds on the minimum energy of the form
$\sigma^a \gamma^b$ and find that there are four different parameter regimes
corresponding to different values of $a$ and $b$ and to different folding
patterns of the film. In some cases the upper bounds are attained by
self-similar folding patterns as observed in experiments. Moreover, for two of
the four parameter regimes we prove matching, optimal lower bounds