Toward Hybrid Materials: Group Transfer Polymerization of 3-(Trimethoxysilyl)propyl Methacrylate

Front Cover: Group transfer polymerisation (GTP), a living polymerization technique that is easy to scale up, enables the one-pot fabrication of class-II hybrid materials. Specifically a star polymer is synthesized with a 3-(trimethoxy-silyl)propyl methacrylate, alkoxysilane group containing functional monomer. The polymer is then cross-linked to produce an organic-inorganic class-II hybrid material, which can be used in various applications such as thin films and biomaterials. Further details can be found in the article by J. J. Chung, J. R. Jones, and T. K. Georgiou* on page 1806

Crime data mining: A general framework and some examples

A general framework for crime data mining that draws on experience gained with the Coplink project at the University of Arizona is presented. By increasing efficiency and reducing errors, this scheme facilitates police work and enables investigators to allocate their time to other valuable tasks.published_or_final_versio

Estimating the population health impact of a multi-cancer early detection genomic blood test to complement existing screening in the US and UK

Background: Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) next-generation-sequencing blood tests represent a potential paradigm shift in screening. Methods: We estimated the impact of screening in the US and UK. We used country-specific parameters for uptake, and test-specific sensitivity and false-positive rates for current screening: breast, colorectal, cervical and lung (US only) cancers. For the MCED test, we used cancer-specific sensitivities by stage. Outcomes included the true-positive:false-positive (TP:FP) ratio; and the cost of diagnostic investigations among screen positives, per cancer detected (Diagcost). Outcomes were estimated for recommended screening only, and then when giving the MCED test to anyone without cancer detected by current screening plus similarly aged adults ineligible for recommended screening. Results: In the US, current screening detects an estimated 189,498 breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancers. An MCED test with 25–100% uptake detects an additional 105,526–422,105 cancers (multiple types). The estimated TP:FP (Diagcost) was 1.43 ($89,042) with current screening but only 1:1.8 ($7060) using an MCED test. For the UK the corresponding estimates were 1:18 (£10,452) for current screening, and 1:1.6 (£2175) using an MCED test. Conclusions: Adding an MCED blood test to recommended screening can potentially be an efficient strategy. Ongoing randomised studies are required for full efficacy and cost-effectiveness evaluations

On Global Flipped SU(5) GUTs in F-theory

We construct an SU(4) spectral divisor and its factorization of types (3,1) and (2,2) based on the construction proposed in [1]. We calculate the chiral spectra of flipped SU(5) GUTs by using the spectral divisor construction. The results agree with those from the analysis of semi-local spectral covers. Our computations provide an example for the validity of the spectral divisor construction and suggest that the standard heterotic formulae are applicable to the case of F-theory on an elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau fourfold with no heterotic dual.Comment: 45 pages, 12 tables, 1 figure; typos corrected, footnotes added, and a reference adde

Flipped SU(5) GUTs from E_8 Singularities in F-theory

In this paper we construct supersymmetric flipped SU(5) GUTs from E_8 singularities in F-theory. We start from an SO(10) singularity unfolded from an E_8 singularity by using an SU(4) spectral cover. To obtain realistic models, we consider (3,1) and (2,2) factorizations of the SU(4) cover. After turning on the massless U(1)_X gauge flux, we obtain the SU(5) X U(1)_X gauge group. Based on the well-studied geometric backgrounds in the literature, we demonstrate several models and discuss their phenomenology.Comment: 46 pages, 23 tables, 1 figure, typos corrected, references added, and new examples presente

Sequence learning in Associative Neuronal-Astrocytic Network

The neuronal paradigm of studying the brain has left us with limitations in both our understanding of how neurons process information to achieve biological intelligence and how such knowledge may be translated into artificial intelligence and its most brain-derived branch, neuromorphic computing. Overturning our fundamental assumptions of how the brain works, the recent exploration of astrocytes is revealing that these long-neglected brain cells dynamically regulate learning by interacting with neuronal activity at the synaptic level. Following recent experimental evidence, we designed an associative, Hopfield-type, neuronal-astrocytic network and analyzed the dynamics of the interaction between neurons and astrocytes. We show that astrocytes were sufficient to trigger transitions between learned memories in the neuronal component of the network. Further, we mathematically derived the timing of the transitions that was governed by the dynamics of the calcium-dependent slow-currents in the astrocytic processes. Overall, we provide a brain-morphic mechanism for sequence learning that is inspired by, and aligns with, recent experimental findings. To evaluate our model, we emulated astrocytic atrophy and showed that memory recall becomes significantly impaired after a critical point of affected astrocytes was reached. This brain-inspired and brain-validated approach supports our ongoing efforts to incorporate non-neuronal computing elements in neuromorphic information processing.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

An ex vivo porcine spleen perfusion as a model of bacterial sepsis

An ex vivo, porcine spleen perfusion model was established to study the early events occurring in the spleen prior to the onset of bacterial sepsis, using organs retrieved from animals slaughtered for food production. Porcine spleens were harvested from adult pigs and connected to a normothermic extracorporeal perfusion circuit. Constant perfusion of heparinized blood was performed for 6 hours. After injection of Streptococcus pneumoniae to the circuit, serial samples of both blood and spleen biopsies were collected and analyzed. Functionality of the perfused organs was assessed by monitoring the blood-gas parameters, flow rate and filtering capability of the organ. Interestingly, we observed full clearance of bacteria from the blood and an increase in bacterial counts in the spleen. Classical histology and immunohistochemistry on biopsies also confirmed no major damage in the organ architecture and no changes in the immune cell distribution other than the presence of clusters of pneumococci. A time-course study confirmed that each focus of infection derived from the replication of single pneumococcal cells within splenic macrophages. The model proposed – in line with the 3Rs principles – has utility in the replacement of experimental animals in infection research. Murine models are prevalently used to study pneumococcal infections but are often not predictive for humans due to substantial differences in the immune systems of the two species. This model is designed to overcome these limitations, since porcine immunology, and splenic architecture in particular, closely resemble those of humans

Validity of a tool designed to assess the preventability of potentially preventable hospitalizations for chronic conditions

Background: Potentially preventable hospitalizations (PPH) are defined as unplanned hospital admissions which could potentially have been prevented with the provision of effective, timely outpatient care. To better understand and ultimately reduce rates of PPH, a means of identifying those which are actually preventable is required. The Preventability Assessment Tool (PAT) was designed for use by hospital clinicians to assess the preventability of unplanned admissions for chronic conditions. Objective: The present study examined the ability of the PAT to distinguish between those unplanned admissions which are preventable and those which are not, compared to the assessments of an Expert Panel. Methods: Data were collected between November 2014 and June 2017 at three hospitals in NSW, Australia. Participants were community-dwelling patients with unplanned hospital admissions for congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes complications or angina pectoris. A nurse and a doctor caring for the patient made assessments of the preventability of the admission using the PAT. Expert Panels made assessments of the preventability of each admission based on a comprehensive case report and consensus process. Results: There was little concordance between the hospital doctors and nurses regarding the preventability of admissions, nor between the assessments of the Expert Panel and the hospital nurse or the Expert Panel and the hospital doctor. Conclusions: The PAT demonstrated poor concurrent validity and is not a valid tool for assessing the preventability of unplanned hospital admissions. The use of Expert Panels provides a more rigorous approach to assessing the preventability of such admissions