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• Norovirus infection causes 21 million cases of gastroenteritis in the US each year. • Alcohol is ineffective against norovirus and other alcohol-resistant microorganisms. • Green tea-derived compounds significantly enhanced the virucidal activity of alcohol. • Ingredients found in beverages increase virucidal activity in surface disinfectants. • Epigallocatechin-3-gallate-palmitates add benefits to hand hygiene formulations. Non-toxic hand hygiene and surface disinfectant products with virucidal activity against alcohol-resistant nonenveloped norovirus are in urgent need. Alcohol-based formulations were made with epigallocatechin-3-gallate-palmitate (EC16), an FDA accepted food additive. Based on in-house testing of formulations, 3 prototypes, PTV80 hand gel, PST70 surface disinfectant spray and PST70 surface disinfectant wipe, were selected from in-house tests for independent testing at GLP (good laboratory practice) laboratories according to EN 14476:2019 (hand gel), ASTM test method E1053-20 (spray), and ASTM E2362-15, E1053, and ASTM E2896-12 (wipe). The PTV80 hand gel prototype demonstrated a >99.999% reduction of murine norovirus S99 infectivity in 60 seconds. Carrier testing of the PST70 surface spray and surface wipe demonstrated reduction of feline calicivirus infectivity by >99.99% in 60 seconds. In addition, testing with human coronavirus and human herpes simplex virus demonstrated >99.99% efficacy in 60 seconds, consistent with broad spectrum virucidal activity. The novel non-toxic prototypes containing EC16 were found to be suitable for use in future hand sanitizer gel, surface disinfectant spray and wipe products against norovirus. Products based on these formulations could be used safely to help prevent and control norovirus and other emerging virus outbreaks, pending future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We calculate quantum gravitational corrections to the amplitude for the emission of a Hawking particle by a black hole. We show explicitly how the amplitudes depend on quantum corrections to the exterior metric (quantum hair). This reveals the mechanism by which information escapes the black hole. The quantum state of the black hole is reflected in the quantum state of the exterior metric, which in turn influences the emission of Hawking quanta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that catechins from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) have a therapeutic effect on herpes simplex virus infections. The aim of this study was to clinically evaluate a topical proprietary formulation containing lipophilic catechins (AverTeaX, Camellix, LLC, Evans, GA, USA) on recurrent herpes labialis.Study Design: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial with 40 participants, initially in two groups.Results: Compared with the vehicle (100% glycerin USP, CVS Pharmacies, Inc., Woonsocket, RI, USA) group, AverTeaX applied topically six to eight times daily resulted in a significant reduction in clinical episode duration (median 4.5 days vs. 9 days; P = .003) and shortened blistering and ulceration stages within an episode from a median of 3 days to 1 day (P = .0003). Median quality-of-life scores, based on a multiquestion survey, showed significant differences between the groups with respect to duration of itching, from a median of 4 days to 1 day (P = .0021), and duration until symptom free, from a median of 8 days to 4 days (P = .0016). Significant differences were not found for median scores for itching, pain, burning, swelling, bleeding, and stress. Adverse effects were not reported.Conclusion: AverTeaX formulation containing lipophilic catechins effectively inhibited herpes simplex labialis infection with clinical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan is located in the circum-Pacific seismic belt. Berms served as protections of riverbanks were all designed without taking seismic bearing capacity into account in the past. Therefore failures of berms occurred frequently even the magnitude of an earthquake was not large enough. For the long term stability of berms, an equation of seismic bearing capacity is presented in this paper. Such an equation has been proved to be able to capture seismic bearing capacity failure of berms in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riverbeds in Taiwan are full of granular materials such as boulder, cobble, gravel, sand, and silt. Under the action of floods, particles with their sizes from little to large will be floating upward and then flowing with floods gradually. Mechanical models for critical conditions of debris flows taken by some other researchers in Taiwan are mainly based on slope stability criteria. However real debris flows are generally observed to be initiated when granular soils start floating upward. Under such circumstances, a more proper mechanical model was proposed by the authors. It was proved that such a model can provide proper solutions as compared with those produced from tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been shown that the quantum state of the graviton field outside a black hole horizon carries information about the internal state of the hole. We explain how this allows unitary evaporation: the final radiation state is a complex superposition which depends linearly on the initial black hole state. Under time reversal, the radiation state evolves back to the original black hole quantum state. Formulations of the information paradox on a fixed semiclassical geometry describe only a small subset of the evaporation Hilbert space, and do not exclude overall unitarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We show that big bang cosmology implies a high degree of entanglement of particles in the universe. In fact, a typical particle is entangled with many particles far outside our horizon. However, the entanglement is spread nearly uniformly so that two randomly chosen particles are unlikely to be directly entangled with each other – the reduced density matrix describing any pair is likely to be separable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A noninvasive method of characterizing myocardial stiffness could have significant implications in diagnosing cardiac disease. Acoustic radiation force (ARF)–driven techniques have demonstrated their ability to discern elastic properties of soft tissue. For the purpose of myocardial elasticity imaging, a novel ARF-based imaging technique, the displacement ratio rate (DRR) method, was developed to rank the relative stiffnesses of dynamically varying tissue. The basis and performance of this technique was demonstrated through numerical and phantom imaging results. This new method requires a relatively small temporal (<1 ms) and spatial (tenths of mm2) sampling window and appears to be independent of applied ARF magnitude. The DRR method was implemented in two in vivo canine studies, during which data were acquired through the full cardiac cycle by imaging directly on the exposed epicardium. These data were then compared with results obtained by acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging and shear wave velocimetry, with the latter being used as the gold standard. Through the cardiac cycle, velocimetry results portray a range of shear wave velocities from 0.76–1.97 m/s, with the highest velocities observed during systole and the lowest observed during diastole. If a basic shear wave elasticity model is assumed, such a velocity result would suggest a period of increased stiffness during systole (when compared with diastole). Despite drawbacks of the DRR method (i.e., sensitivity to noise and limited stiffness range), its results predicted a similar cyclic stiffness variation to that offered by velocimetry while being insensitive to variations in applied radiation force. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Neuronal transcription factors play vital roles in the specification and development of neurons, including dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Mutations in the gene encoding the purine biosynthetic enzyme hypoxanthine–guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) cause the resulting intractable and largely untreatable neurological impairment of Lesch–Nyhan disease (LND). The disorder is associated with a defect in basal ganglia DA pathways. The mechanisms connecting the purine metabolic defect and the central nervous system (CNS) phenotype are poorly understood but have been presumed to reflect a developmental defect of DA neurons. We have examined the effect of HPRT deficiency on the differentiation of neurons in the well-established human (NT2) embryonic carcinoma neurogenesis model. We have used a retrovirus expressing a small hairpin RNA (shRNA) to knock down HPRT gene expression and have examined the expression of a number of transcription factors essential for neuronal differentiation and marker genes involved in DA biosynthetic pathway. HPRT-deficient NT2 cells demonstrate aberrant expression of several transcription factors and DA markers. Although differentiated HPRT-deficient neurons also demonstrate a striking deficit in neurite outgrowth during differentiation, resulting neurons demonstrate wild-type electrophysiological properties. These results represent direct experimental evidence for aberrant neurogenesis in HPRT deficiency and suggest developmental roles for other housekeeping genes in neurodevelopmental disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We describe a model in which the fundamental scale of the theory which unifies gravity and quantum mechanics is in the TeV range, but without requiring additional spacetime dimensions. The weakness of gravity at low energies is due to a large vacuum expectation of a dilaton like field. The model requires a small dimensionless parameter (the self-coupling of the dilaton) but no fine-tuning. We discuss in detail the dynamical assumptions about non-perturbative quantum gravity required within the model. We observe that could be quite small, less than a TeV, and that the model could lead to copious strong coupling effects at the LHC. However, semiclassical black holes will not be produced. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It has been claimed that the string landscape predicts an open universe, with negative curvature. The prediction is a consequence of a large number of metastable string vacua, and the properties of the Coleman–De Luccia instanton which describes vacuum tunneling. We examine the robustness of this claim, which is of particular importance since it seems to be one of string theory''s few claims to falsifiability. We find that, due to subleading tunneling processes, the prediction is sensitive to unknown properties of the landscape. Under plausible assumptions, universes like ours are as likely to be closed as open. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using recent precision measurements of cosmological parameters, we re-examine whether these observations alone, independent of type Ia supernova surveys, are sufficient to imply the existence of dark energy. We find that best measurements of the age of the Universe , the Hubble parameter and the matter fraction strongly favor an equation of state defined by (). This result is consistent with the existence of a repulsive, acceleration-causing component of energy if the Universe is nearly flat. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We investigate the microscopic origin of black hole entropy, in particular the gap between the maximum entropy of ordinary matter and that of black holes. Using curved space, we construct configurations with entropy greater than the area A of a black hole of equal mass. These configurations have pathological properties and we refer to them as monsters. When monsters are excluded we recover the entropy bound on ordinary matter . This bound implies that essentially all of the microstates of a semiclassical black hole are associated with the growth of a slightly smaller black hole which absorbs some additional energy. Our results suggest that the area entropy of black holes is the logarithm of the number of distinct ways in which one can form the black hole from ordinary matter and smaller black holes, but only after the exclusion of monster states. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Racial and ethnic variations in the incidence of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) could imply both genetic and environmental influences that exist in a complex and poorly understood interplay to modify the expression of the IgAN clinical phenotype. Progress in identifying genetic factors that influence either susceptibility to IgAN or its progression has been slow. Recent progress using family based approaches (genome-wide scan for linkage and family based genetic association studies) to study the genetic basis for susceptibility to familial and sporadic IgAN strongly point to clinical and genetic heterogeneity in the entity we presently call IgAN. The inconsistent findings reported from case-control genetic association studies may be explained by new understanding of the haplotype block structure of the human genome. Rapid improvements in available and developing technologies in the postgenomic era are needed and are expected to accelerate progress in understanding genetic factors underlying IgAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging has been demonstrated to be capable of visualizing variations in local stiffness within soft tissue. Recent advances in ARFI beam sequencing and parallel imaging have shortened acquisition times and lessened transducer heating to a point where ARFI acquisitions can be executed at high frame rates on commercially available diagnostic scanners. In vivo ARFI images were acquired with a linear array placed on an exposed canine heart. The electrocardiogram (ECG) was also recorded. When coregistered with the ECG, ARFI displacement images of the heart reflect the expected myocardial stiffness changes during the cardiac cycle. A radio-frequency ablation was performed on the epicardial surface of the left ventricular free wall, creating a small lesion that did not vary in stiffness during a heartbeat, though continued to move with the rest of the heart. ARFI images showed a hemispherical, stiffer region at the ablation site whose displacement magnitude and temporal variation through the cardiac cycle were less than the surrounding untreated myocardium. Sequences with radiation force pulse amplitudes set to zero were acquired to measure potential cardiac motion artifacts within the ARFI images. The results show promise for real-time cardiac ARFI imaging. (E-mail: stephen.j.hsu@duke.edu) [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Volatility Index, VIX, is calculated based on prices of out-of-the-money put and call options on the S&P 500 index (SPX). Sometimes called the “investor fear gauge”, the VIX is a measure of the implied volatility of the SPX, and is observed to be correlated with the 30-day realized volatility of the SPX. Changes in the VIX are observed to be negatively correlated with changes in the SPX. However, no significant correlation between changes in the VIX and changes in the 30-day realized volatility of the SPX are observed. We investigate whether this indicates a mispricing of options following large VIX moves, and examine the relation to excess returns from variance swaps. The sense in which the term “mispricing” is used is discussed in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We observe that the entanglement entropy resulting from tracing over a subregion of an initially pure state can grow faster than the surface area of the subregion (indeed, proportional to the volume), in contrast to examples studied previously. The pure states with this property have long-range correlations between interior and exterior modes and are constructed by purification of the desired density matrix. We show that imposing a no-gravitational-collapse condition on the pure state is sufficient to exclude faster than area law entropy scaling. This observation leads to an interpretation of holography as an upper bound on the realizable entropy (entanglement or von Neumann) of a region, rather than on the dimension of its Hilbert space. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Topology change—the creation of a disconnected baby universe—due to black hole collapse may resolve the information loss paradox. Evolution from an early time Cauchy surface to a final surface which includes a slice of the disconnected region can be unitary and consistent with conventional quantum mechanics. We discuss the issue of cluster decomposition, showing that any violations thereof are likely to be unobservably small. Topology change is similar to the black hole remnant scenario and only requires assumptions about the behavior of quantum gravity in Planckian regimes. It does not require non-locality or any modification of low-energy physics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Attempts to derive the Born rule, either in the Many Worlds or Copenhagen interpretation, are unsatisfactory for systems with only a finite number of degrees of freedom. In the case of Many Worlds this is a serious problem, since its goal is to account for apparent collapse phenomena, including the Born rule for probabilities, assuming only unitary evolution of the wavefunction. For finite number of degrees of freedom, observers on the vast majority of branches would not deduce the Born rule. However, discreteness of the quantum state space, even if extremely tiny, may restore the validity of the usual arguments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: The mechanism of renal cell apoptosis involves transcriptional activation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene by nuclear factor (NF)-κB. The role of apoptosis in mediating tubulointerstitial injury in human lupus nephritis (LN) remains unclear. We examined the relationship between alterations in NF-κB activation and iNOS expression levels and the degree of apoptosis in both glomerular and tubulointerstitial compartments of subjects with LN. Studies were done in renal biopsies from 49 patients with LN and 10 normal kidney tissues. Apoptotic and proliferating cells were identified by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick-end labeling and staining with anti–proliferating cell nuclear antigen antibody, respectively. Nuclear factor–κB and iNOS expression was examined by Southwestern histochemistry and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Glomerular cell apoptosis and proliferation increased concomitantly in LN. Glomerular apoptosis correlated with the activity index, the degree of proliferation, and the level of glomerular overexpression of iNOS and activated NF-κB in LN. Tubular cell apoptosis correlated with the activity and chronicity indices, the degree of tubular atrophy, and decline in renal function at the time of biopsy. Tubular expression of iNOS and activated NF-κB correlated with tubular cell proliferation in LN. Nuclear factor–κB activation accompanied overexpression of iNOS in both glomerular and tubulointerstitium compartments in LN. Apoptosis of renal cells associated with NF-κB activation and iNOS overexpression may play an important role in mediating chronic renal injury, especially tubulointerstitial lesions that may manifest clinically as progressive renal insufficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Microfabricated surface textures have been applied to generate narrowly distributed UHMWPE wear particles with different sizes and shapes. The purpose is to study the effects of UHMWPE induced bioactivity that leads to the failure of total joint implants. Our previous study has developed the principles of surface-texture design to control the particle size and shape. The objective of this paper is to investigate the UHMWPE particle-generation mechanism with the surface textures containing wedge-shaped cutting edges. Single tip sliding experiments have been designed to investigate the kinematics and the material response of the UHMWPE particle-generation process. With constant penetration depth setup, strain hardening of UHWMPE under a wedge-tip sliding process has been quantified. With constant normal load conditions, we are able to simulate the wedge feature sliding over UHMWPE material with a scaled-up wedge tip. From in situ observation of the process, the kinematics of the sliding process of the wedge tip has been elucidated. The shear stress-induced molecular orientation and embrittlement of the material further contribute to the fracture of UHMWPE and formation of the wear particles. Overall, these results provide experimental evidence of the UHMWPE particle generation mechanism with microfabricated surface textures. The basic science behind the generation of UHMWPE particles by surface-texture design has been further illustrated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We show that violation of the null energy condition implies instability in a broad class of models, including gauge theories with scalar and fermionic matter as well as any perfect fluid. When applied to the dark energy, our results imply that is unlikely to be less than −1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We show that Lorentzian (traversable) wormholes with semi-classical spacetimes are unstable. Semi-classicality of the energy–momentum tensor of the exotic matter used to stabilize the wormhole implies localization of its wavefunction in phase space, leading to evolution according to the classical equations of motion. Previous results related to violation of the NEC then require that the matter is unstable to small perturbations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We show that discretization of spacetime naturally suggests discretization of Hilbert space itself. Specifically, in a universe with a minimal length (for example, due to quantum gravity), no experiment can exclude the possibility that Hilbert space is discrete. We give some simple examples involving qubits and the Schrödinger wavefunction, and discuss implications for quantum information and quantum gravity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plant extracts have been widely used as topical applications for wound-healing, anti-aging, and disease treatments. Examples of these include ginkgo biloba, echinacea, ginseng, grape seed, green tea, lemon, lavender, rosemary, thuja, sarsaparilla, soy, prickly pear, sagebrush, jojoba, aloe vera, allantoin, feverwort, bloodroot, apache plume, and papaya. These plants share a common character: they all produce flavonoid compounds with phenolic structures. These phytochemicals are highly reactive with other compounds, such as reactive oxygen species and biologic macromolecules, to neutralize free radicals or initiate biological effects. A short list of phenolic phytochemicals with promising properties to benefit human health includes a group of polyphenol compounds, called catechins, found in green tea. This article summarizes the findings of studies using green tea polyphenols as chemopreventive, natural healing, and anti-aging agents for human skin, and discusses possible mechanisms of action. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Anthropic Principle has been proposed as an explanation for the observed value of the cosmological constant. Here we revisit this proposal by allowing for variation between universes in the amplitude of the scale-invariant primordial cosmological density perturbations. We derive a priori probability distributions for this amplitude from toy inflationary models in which the parameter of the inflaton potential is smoothly distributed over possible universes. We find that for such probability distributions, the likelihood that we live in a typical, anthropically-allowed universe is generally quite small. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We show that in single scalar field models of the dark energy with equations of state satisfying , the effective Lagrangian for fluctuations about the homogeneous background has a wrong sign spatial kinetic term. In most cases, spatial gradients are ruled out by microwave background observations. The sign of is not connected to the sign of the time derivative kinetic term in the effective Lagrangian. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We investigate new models of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking resulting from the condensation of fermions in higher representations of the technicolor group. These models lie close to the conformal window, and are free from the flavor-changing neutral current problem despite small numbers of flavors and colors. Their contribution to the S parameter is small and not excluded by precision data. The Higgs itself can be light and narrow. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Entropy bounds render quantum corrections to the cosmological constant Λ finite. Under certain assumptions, the natural value of Λ is of order the observed dark energy density ∼10-10 eV4, thereby resolving the cosmological constant problem. We note that the dark energy equation of state in these scenarios is w≡p/ρ=0 over cosmological distances, and is strongly disfavored by observational data. Alternatively, Λ in these scenarios might account for the diffuse dark matter component of the cosmological energy density. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We show that higher-dimensional models (brane worlds) in which the scale of quantum gravity M* is much smaller than the apparent scale MP∼1019 GeV violate the covariant entropy bound arising from holography. The thermodynamic entropies of astrophysical black holes and subhorizon volumes during big bang nucleosynthesis exceed the relevant bounds unless M*>10(4-6) TeV, so a hierarchy relative to the weak scale is unavoidable. We discuss the implications for extra dimensions as well as holography. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lubrication is an art that has been practiced for thousands of years from the early days of our human civilization. The study of lubrication as a science began in the 17th century with the development of bearings and axles. In the early 21st century, the advent of automobiles and steam engines spurred the development of modern complex lubricants consisting of base oils and chemical additives. The development, however, has been mostly empirical in nature. The detailed mechanisms of the chemistry and why they worked were not understood.Rapid advancements in analytical instrumentations and techniques in the last several decades offer an unprecedented opportunity to analyze the complex chemistry and probe the surfaces for chemical evidence. Recent developments in nanotechnology provide further ability to examine phenomena and mechanisms at the nanometer level. As a result of these advances, our understanding of the complex lubrication system has improved significantly. This paper will attempt to provide a molecular basis of how lubricant and additives function in lubrication.Monomolecular thin films have been developed to investigate the fundamental mechanism of boundary lubricating films. Results provide additional insights of how antiwear films work in the lubrication system. Prospect for applying this know-how may result in a revolutionary change in our current lubricating technology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The advent of micro-electromechanical devices (MEMs), sensors, actuators, microsystems, and nanotechnology have called to attention the effect of friction on moving parts in nano/micro devices. To take full advantage of the opportunity to sense, compute, and actuate in real time, fast-moving parts are often necessary or desirable. As the scales of the components shrink, adhesion, stiction, friction, and wear become a significant technological barrier for the successful deployment of durable devices. Most current devices in production avoid such contacts.The nature of the surface contacts, as component scale moves from macro to micro to nano, is dominated by surface forces that normally are dwarfed by mechanical loading. Therefore nanolubrication needs to take into account different factors than conventional lubrication concepts. This paper compares traditional lubrication concepts and those necessary for nanolubrication and proposes various nanometer scale thick lubricating film designs as a means to control the surface properties of surfaces at nano/micro scales.Many of the concepts derive their origin from studies and observations from the magnetic hard disk technology where a “monolayer” of lubricant protects the system and has proven to be robust and safe. Examples from magnetic hard disks will be used to illustrate some of the concepts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Oral cancer is one of the most disfiguring types of cancer, since the surgical removal of the tumor may result in facial distortion. Oral cancer is also known to exhibit “field cancerization”, resulting in the development of a second primary tumor. Furthermore, the five-year survival rate of this disease has remained approximately 50% during the past 30 years. Prevention and early detection/treatment of oral cancer could significantly improve the quality of life for individuals at risk. Recently, the targeted elimination of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by inducing apoptosis has emerged as a valued strategy to combat oral cancer. Studies utilizing a variety of chemical or biological interventions demonstrated promising results for induction of apoptosis in oral malignant cells. This review summarizes the results of a number of investigations focused specifically on induction of apoptosis in oral cancer cells by synthetic compounds and naturally occurring chemopreventive agents with apoptotic potential. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We give a path integral expression for the quantum amplitude to produce a black hole from particle collisions. When expanded about an appropriate classical solution it yields the leading order contribution to the production amplitude in a curvature expansion. Classical solutions describing black hole production resulting from two particle scattering at non-zero impact parameter, combined with our formalism, indicate a geometric cross section for the quantum process. In TeV gravity scenarios these solutions may exhibit large curvatures, but (modulo a mild assumption about quantum gravity) corrections to the semi-classical cross section are small. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Taking a public health approach to the prevention of end-stage renal disease: The NKF Singapore Program. The National Kidney Foundation Singapore (NKFS) provides subsidized dialysis care to approximately 70% of the country's total end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population, based entirely on charitable donations. Because of the exponential increase in prevalent dialysis patients receiving care through the NKFS' chronic dialysis program, and with the anticipated epidemic rise in incident ESRD patients, an accelerated comprehensive strategy for the prevention of renal and its associated chronic diseases was developed. Presented is the NKFS' public health plan, which incorporates primary, secondary and tertiary approaches to the prevention of chronic kidney disease. Components of this comprehensive strategy include: screening populations at risk for the development and progression of renal disease, the documentation of existing standards of care for chronic diseases associated with renal disease, and the institution of disease management programs that facilitate the systematic management of patients with chronic diseases that lead to ESRD, including the development of community-based “Prevention Centers.” Finally, longitudinal follow-up of the participating population is being performed in order to provide benchmarks for improvement and to determine future directions of the program. Such long-term monitoring also will facilitate the establishment of its efficacy in improving clinical outcomes, reducing the cost of care, and delaying the development and progression of chronic kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the intrinsic parity of black holes. It appears that discrete symmetries require the black hole Hilbert space to be larger than suggested by the usual quantum numbers M (mass), Q (charge) and J (angular momentum). Recent results on black hole production in trans-Planckian scattering lead to gravitational effects which do not decouple from low-energy physics. Dispersion relations incorporating these effects imply that the semi-classical black hole spectrum is similar in parity even and odd channels. This result can be generalized to other discrete and continuous symmetries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Evidence for genetic factors in the development and progression of IgA nephropathy. Background. IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common glomerulonephritis in the world among patients undergoing renal biopsy. Once considered a relatively benign condition, longitudinal follow-up studies have revealed that in fact 9 to 50% of patients progress to end-stage renal disease within 20 years of disease onset. In the three decades since its first description by Jean Berger and Nicole Hinglais, clinical, epidemiologic, and immunologic studies of the pathogenesis of primary (idiopathic) mesangial glomerulonephritis with predominant IgA deposits have characterized the features of IgAN as a distinct glomerular disease entity. However, the basic molecular mechanism(s) underlying abnormal IgA deposition in the mesangium with ensuing extracellular matrix expansion and mesangial cell proliferation remains poorly understood. The task of elucidating the molecular basis of IgAN is made especially challenging by the fact that both environmental and genetic components likely contribute to the development and progression of IgAN. Methods and Results. We review here the evidence for genetic factors in the development and progression of IgAN, including a reappraisal of earlier conflicting results from small immunogenetic case-control studies, the evidence for racial differences in the prevalence of IgAN, a detailed summary of all reported occurrences of familial IgAN worldwide, and an exhaustive review of new insights gained through the study of two murine models of hereditary IgAN: the ddY and the uteroglobin-deficient mouse. Conclusions. With the development of powerful molecular genetic approaches to the study of both Mendelian and complex human genetic diseases, and the successful efforts of investigators to identify and clinically characterize large IgAN multiplex families, we propose that genetic analysis of familial IgAN is the most promising approach to the identification of... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that the precision of an angular measurement or rotation (e.g., on the orientation of a qubit or spin state) is limited by fundamental constraints arising from quantum mechanics and general relativity (gravitational collapse). The limiting precision is r − 1 in Planck units, where r is the physical extent of the (possibly macroscopic) device used to manipulate the spin state. This fundamental limitation means that spin states S 1 and S 2 cannot be experimentally distinguished from each other if they differ by a sufficiently small rotation. Experiments cannot exclude the possibility that the space of quantum state vectors (i.e., Hilbert space) is fundamentally discrete, rather than continuous. We discuss the implications for finitism: does physics require infinity or a continuum? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Asymptotic safety (an ultraviolet fixed point with finite-dimensional critical surface) offers the possibility that a predictive theory of quantum gravity can be obtained from the quantization of classical general relativity. However, it is unclear what becomes of the singularities of classical general relativity, which, it is hoped, might be resolved by quantum effects. We study dust collapse with a running gravitational coupling and find that a future singularity can be avoided if the coupling becomes exactly zero at some finite energy scale. The singularity can also be avoided (pushed off to infinite proper time) if the coupling approaches zero sufficiently rapidly at high energies. However, the evolution deduced from perturbation theory still implies a singularity at finite proper time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Couplings between standard model particles and unparticles from a nontrivial scale invariant sector can lead to long range forces. If the forces couple to quantities such as baryon or lepton (electron) number, stringent limits result from tests of the gravitational inverse square law. These limits are much stronger than from collider phenomenology and astrophysics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The nonlinear oscillations of a scalar field are shown to have cosmological equations of state with w=p/ρ ranging from −1. We investigate the possibility that the dark energy is due to such oscillations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To determine recent incidence and visual outcomes for acute-onset endophthalmitis after cataract surgery performed in the United States. Retrospective cohort study. United States cataract surgery patients, 2013-2017 (5 401 686 patients). Cases of acute-onset postoperative endophthalmitis occurring within 30 days after cataract surgery were identified using diagnosis codes in the American Academy of Ophthalmology IRIS (Intelligent Research in Sight) Registry database, drawn from electronic health records in ophthalmology practices across the nation. Annual and aggregate 5-year incidences were determined for all cataract surgeries and specifically for standalone procedures versus those combined with other ophthalmic surgeries. Patient characteristics were compared. Mean and median visual acuity was determined at 1 month preoperative as well as 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperative among patients with and without endophthalmitis. Incidence of acute-onset postoperative endophthalmitis after cataract surgery. A total of 8 542 838 eyes underwent cataract surgery, 3629 of which developed acute-onset endophthalmitis (0.04%; 95% confidence interval, 0.04%–0.04%). Endophthalmitis incidence was highest among patients aged 0 to 17 years (0.37% over 5 years), followed by patients aged 18 to 44 years (0.18% over 5 years; P < 0.0001). Endophthalmitis occurred 4 times more often after combined cases (cataract with other ophthalmic procedures) than after standalone cataract surgeries (0.20% vs. 0.04% of cases), and occurred in 0.35% of patients receiving anterior vitrectomy. Mean 3-month postoperative visual acuity was 20/100 (median, 20/50) among endophthalmitis patients, versus a mean of approximately 20/40 (median, 20/30) among patients without endophthalmitis. However, 4% of endophthalmitis patients still achieved 20/20 or better visual acuity, and 44% achieved 20/40 or better visual acuity at 3 months. Acute-onset endophthalmitis occurred in 0.04% of 8 542 838 cataract surgeries performed in the United States between 2013 and 2017. Risk factors may include younger age, cataract surgery combined with other ophthalmic surgeries, and anterior vitrectomy. Visual acuity outcomes vary; however, patients can recover excellent vision after surgery. Big data from clinical registries like the IRIS Registry has great potential for evaluating rare conditions such as endophthalmitis, including developing benchmarks, longer-term time trend investigation, and comprehensive analysis of risk factors and prophylaxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We derive a fundamental upper bound on the rate at which a device can process information (i.e., the number of logical operations per unit time), arising from quantum mechanics and general relativity. In Planck units a device of volume V can execute no more than the cube root of V operations per unit time. We compare this to the rate of information processing performed by nature in the evolution of physical systems, and find a connection to black hole entropy and the holographic principle. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Accurate prediction of complex traits requires using a large number of DNA variants. Advances in statistical and machine learning methodology enable the identification of complex patterns in high-dimensional settings. However, training these highly parameterized methods requires very large data sets. Until recently, such data sets were not available. But the situation is changing rapidly as very large biomedical data sets comprising individual genotype-phenotype data for hundreds of thousands of individuals become available in public and private domains. We argue that the convergence of advances in methodology and the advent of Big Genomic Data will enable unprecedented improvements in complex-trait prediction; we review theory and evidence supporting our claim and discuss challenges and opportunities that Big Data will bring to complex-trait prediction. Highlights Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have discovered thousands of variants associated with many important human traits and diseases. However, GWA-significant variants explain only a small fraction of the trait heritability. Achieving high genomic prediction accuracy requires using tens or hundreds of thousands of SNPs, including many that do not reach GWA significance. Penalized and Bayesian regressions can be used to fit high-dimensional regressions including hundreds of thousands of predictors. However, training these high-dimensional regressions requires using very large data sets. Until recently, such data sets were not available, but this situation is changing rapidly. We argue that the convergence of advances in methodology and the advent of very large biomedical data sets (comprising hundreds of thousands of genotypes linked to phenotypes) will enable unprecedented improvements in complex-trait prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]