The G_2 sphere over a 4-manifold

We present a construction of a canonical G_2 structure on the unit sphere tangent bundle S_M of any given orientable Riemannian 4-manifold M. Such structure is never geometric or 1-flat, but seems full of other possibilities. We start by the study of the most basic properties of our construction. The structure is co-calibrated if, and only if, M is an Einstein manifold. The fibres are always associative. In fact, the associated 3-form results from a linear combination of three other volume 3-forms, one of which is the volume of the fibres. We also give new examples of co-calibrated structures on well known spaces. We hope this contributes both to the knowledge of special geometries and to the study of 4-manifolds.Comment: 13 page

An academic–practice partnership during COVID-19 pandemic: Transitioning from a clinical to virtual fellowship

Aims: Discuss the needed modifications that occurred to the academic–practice oncology partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: To meet the workforce needs of nurses who care for adults with cancer, an academic–practice partnership was created in 2016. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing, North Carolina Cancer Hospital and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center collaborated to provide structured clinical and didactic practice experiences for undergraduate nursing students interested in oncology nursing. With COVID-19, nursing students were not permitted to be in the clinical setting. Design: Discursive paper. Method: An innovative and collaborative partnership created reflective and interactive activities. The majority of the learning activities were created at the revised Bloom's taxonomy level of application or higher, with some encompassing multiple levels. Students engaged in a variety of meaningful experiences requiring multiple learning processes that promoted professional development in the interpersonal and critical thinking domains. Conclusions: Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the delivery of oncology nurse fellowship was successful because of innovative virtual strategies. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Our academic–practice partnership allowed the nursing students to develop their interpersonal and critical thinking skills without entering the clinical site. This is an approach encouraged by the authors for other schools of nursing. This manuscript is submitted as a Special Issue Discursive Article, and thus, the authors declare that an EQUATOR Checklist has not been used

Closed forms and multi-moment maps

We extend the notion of multi-moment map to geometries defined by closed forms of arbitrary degree. We give fundamental existence and uniqueness results and discuss a number of essential examples, including geometries related to special holonomy. For forms of degree four, multi-moment maps are guaranteed to exist and are unique when the symmetry group is (3,4)-trivial, meaning that the group is connected and the third and fourth Lie algebra Betti numbers vanish. We give a structural description of some classes of (3,4)-trivial algebras and provide a number of examples.Comment: 36 page

Sediment compaction rates and subsidence in deltaic plains : numerical constraints and stratigraphic influences

This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. The definitive version was published in Basin Research 19 (2007): 19-31, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2117.2006.00310.x.Natural sediment compaction in deltaic plains influences subsidence rates and the evolution of deltaic morphology. Determining compaction rates requires detailed knowledge of subsurface geotechnical properties and depositional history, neither of which is often readily available. To overcome this lack of knowledge, we numerically forward model the incremental sedimentation and compaction of stochastically generated stratigraphies with geotechnical properties typical of modern depositional environments in the Mississippi River delta plain. Using a Monte Carlo approach, the range of probable compaction rates for stratigraphies with compacted thicknesses <150 m and accumulation times <20 kyr. varies, but maximum values rarely exceed a few mm yr-1. The fastest compacting stratigraphies are composed primarily of peat and bar sand, whereas the slowest compacting stratigraphies are composed of prodelta mud and natural levee deposits. These results suggest that compaction rates can significantly influence vertical and lateral stratigraphic trends during deltaic evolution

On the characteristic connection of gwistor space

We give a brief presentation of gwistor space, which is a new concept from G_2 geometry. Then we compute the characteristic torsion T^c of the gwistor space of an oriented Riemannian 4-manifold with constant sectional curvature k and deduce the condition under which T^c is \nabla^c-parallel; this allows for the classification of the G_2 structure with torsion and the characteristic holonomy according to known references. The case with the Einstein base manifold is envisaged.Comment: Many changes since first version, including title; Central European Journal of Mathematics, 201

Activities, function, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of older adults with cancer

Objective This study aims to (1) describe the activities, function, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of a large sample of older adults (age ≥ 65) with cancer, (2) identify the associations with demographics, cancer type, comorbid conditions, and ability to participate in activities and functional status. Materials and Methods The Health Registry/Cancer Survivorship Cohort is an institutional database designed to aid cancer survivorship research. The registry includes three measures of patient-reported HRQOL: FACT-G and PROMIS® Global measures for physical and mental health. Other measures included in the registry are cancer type, date from diagnosis, number of comorbid conditions and specific conditions and their limitations in daily activity, and self-reported daily activity/function. Results Our sample consists of 768 older adults with cancer, mean age 72 years, 60% female, and 90% White. Mean scores for HRQOL: FACT-G (85, range: 25–108), PROMIS-physical (48, range: 16–67) and, PROMIS-mental (51, range: 21–67). In multivariable models, Black race, one or more comorbid conditions, and Gastrointestinal cancer (p < .05), and patient- reported decreased levels of activities/function were all independently associated with poor HRQOL (p < .0001). Conclusions Older Black adults with cancer, those that have high comorbidity burden, with gastrointestinal cancers and those that report decreased ability to participate in daily activities/function reported poorer HRQOL. As geriatric oncology moves towards trying to identify who may need supportive services, this study demonstrated that a one question patient-reported level of activities and functional ability were independently associated with physical, mental, and cancer-specific HRQOL

Tibiofemoral Contact Forces in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Reconstructed Knee.

PURPOSE: To investigate differences in ACL reconstructed (ACLR) and healthy individuals in terms of the magnitude of the tibiofemoral contact forces, as well as the relative muscle and external load contributions to those contact forces, during walking, running and sidestepping gait tasks. METHODS: A computational electromyography-driven neuromusculoskeletal model was used to estimate the muscle and tibiofemoral contact forces in those with combined semitendinosus and gracilis tendon autograft ACLR (n=104, 29.7±6.5 years, 78.1±14.4 kg) and healthy controls (n=60, 27.5±5.4 years, 67.8±14.0 kg) during walking (1.4±0.2 ms), running (4.5±0.5 ms) and sidestepping (3.7±0.6 ms). Within the computational model, the semitendinosus of ACLR participants was adjusted to account for literature reported strength deficits and morphological changes subsequent to autograft harvesting. RESULTS: ACLRs had smaller maximum total and medial tibiofemoral contact forces (~80% of control values, scaled to bodyweight) during the different gait tasks. Compared to controls, ACLRs were found to have a smaller maximum knee flexion moment, which explained the smaller tibiofemoral contact forces. Similarly, compared to controls, ACLRs had both a smaller maximum knee flexion angle and knee flexion excursion during running and sidestepping, which may have concentrated the articular contact forces to smaller areas within the tibiofemoral joint. Mean relative muscle and external load contributions to the tibiofemoral contact forces were not significantly different between ACLRs and controls. CONCLUSION: ACLRs had lower bodyweight-scaled tibiofemoral contact forces during walking, running and sidestepping, likely due to lower knee flexion moments and straighter knee during the different gait tasks. The relative contributions of muscles and external loads to the contact forces were equivalent between groups

Using grounded theory for theory building in operations management research:a study on inter-firm relationship governance

Purpose – Qualitative theory building approaches, such as grounded theory method (GTM), are still not very widespread and rigorously applied in operations management (OM) research. Yet it is agreed that more systematic observation of current industrial phenomena is necessary to help managers deal with their problems. The purpose of this paper is to provide an example to help guide other researchers on using GTM for theory building in OM research. Design/methodology/approach – A GTM study in the German automotive industry consisting of 31 interviews is followed by a validation stage comprising a survey (110 responses) and a focus group. Findings – The result is an example of conducting GTM research in OM, illustrated by the development of the novel collaborative enterprise governance framework for inter-firm relationship governance in the German automotive industry. Research limitations/implications – GTM is appropriate for qualitative theory building research, but the resultant theories need further testing. Research is necessary to identify the transferability of the collaborative enterprise governance concept to other industries than automotive, to other organisational areas than R&D and to product and service settings that are less complex and innovative. Practical implications – The paper helps researchers make more informed use of GTM when engaging in qualitative theory building research in OM. Originality/value – There is a lack of explicit and well-informed use of GTM in OM research because of poor understanding. This paper addresses this deficiency. The collaborative enterprise governance framework is a significant contribution in an area of growing importance within OM

Older Adults with Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Occupational and Physical Therapy

OBJECTIVES: The impact of occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) on functional outcomes in older adults with cancer is unknown. DESIGN: Two-arm single-institution randomized controlled trial of outpatient OT/PT. SETTING: Comprehensive cancer center with two off-site OT/PT clinics. PARTICIPANTS: We recruited adults 65 years and older with a recent diagnosis or recurrence of cancer within 5 years, with at least one functional limitation as identified by a geriatric assessment. Participants were randomized to OT/PT or usual care. INTERVENTION: Rehabilitation consisted of individualized OT and PT that addressed functional activities and strength/endurance needs. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome was functional status as measured by the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living scale. Secondary outcomes were Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Global Mental Health (GMH) and Global Physical Health (GPH), ability to participate in Social Roles (SR), physical function, and activity expectations and self-efficacy (Possibilities for Activity Scale [PActS]). RESULTS: Among those recruited (N = 63), only 45 patients (71%) were evaluable due to loss of follow-up and/or nonreceipt of intervention. The median age was 74 years; 53% were female, and 91% were white. Overall, 30% patients had hematologic malignancies, 30% breast cancer, and 16% colorectal cancers. A total of 65% were in active treatment; 49% had stage 3 or 4 disease. At follow-up, both OT/PT (P =.02) and usual care (P =.03) groups experienced a decline in functional status. PActS scores between groups (P =.04) was significantly improved in the intervention group. GMH and SR met criteria for minimally important clinical difference favoring the intervention, but not statistical significance. Several barriers were noted in the implementation of the intervention program: recruitment, concerns about cost, distance, scheduling, and limited treatment provided. CONCLUSION: OT/PT may positively influence activity expectations and self-efficacy. Future research needs to address significant barriers to implementation to increase use of OT/PT services and access to quality care

Targeting BMI-1 to deplete antibody-secreting cells in autoimmunity

Objectives. B cells drive the production of autoreactive antibodysecreting cells, ASCs, in autoimmune diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, SLE, and Sjogren, s syndrome, causing long-, term organ damage. Current treatments for antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases target B cells or broadly suppress the immune system. However, pre-existing long-lived ASCs are often refractory to treatment, leaving a reservoir of autoreactive cells that continue to produce antibodies. Therefore, the development of novel treatment methods targeting ASCs is vital to improve patient outcomes. Our objective was to test whether targeting the epigenetic regulator BMI-, could deplete ASCs in autoimmune conditions in vivo and in vitro. Methods. Use of a BMI-, inhibitor in both mouse and human autoimmune settings was investigated. Lyn, mice, a model of SLE, were treated with the BMI-, small molecule inhibitor PTC-, before assessment of ASCs, serum antibody and immune complexes. To examine human ASC survival, a novel human fibroblast-based assay was established, and the impact of PTC-, on ASCs derived from Sjogren, s syndrome, patients was evaluated. Results. BMI-, inhibition significantly decreased splenic and bone marrow ASCs in Lyn, mice. The decline in ASCs was linked to aberrant cell cycle gene expression and led to a significant decrease in serum IgG, immune complexes and anti-DNA IgG. PTC-, was also efficacious in reducing ex vivo plasma cell survival from both Sjogren, s syndrome, patients and age-matched healthy donors. Conclusion. These data provide evidence that inhibiting BMI-, can deplete ASC in a variety of contexts and thus BMI-, is a viable therapeutic target for antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases.Jack Polmear, Lauren Hailes, Moshe Olshansky, Maureen Rischmueller, Elan L'Estrange-Stranieri, Anne L Fletcher, Margaret L Hibbs, Vanessa L Bryant, Kim L Good-Jacobso