cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental determination of the linear correlation between in vivo TV fluorescence intensity and vascular and tissue FITC-DX concentrations.

Abstract A novel in vivo calibration procedure was developed to determine the microvascular and tissue concentration of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextrans (FITC-Dx) in the hamster cheek pouch, using intravital fluorescence microscopy with manually controlled TV camera gain and threshold value. Two FITC-dextrans (70,000 and 150,000 MW) were used as tracers. Five minutes after the tracer was administered, selected venules (diameter 20–50 μm) were videotaped, and intravascular gray levels were obtained by digital image processing. Simultaneously, arterial blood samples were taken to measure vascular FITC-Dx concentrations with a spectrofluorometer. The gray levels and the concentrations were used to produce a calibration curve for the vascular FITC-Dx concentration. A similar calibration curve for the interstitial FITC-Dx concentration was obtained by first video recording interstitial space areas saturated with the tracer. After flushing out the tracer in the vessels, the hamster cheek pouch was then cut, weighed, and homogenized. The interstitial FITC-Dx concentration was finally measured with a spectrofluorometer. The gray levels and the concentrations were used to produce a calibration curve for the interstitial FITC-Dx concentration. The gray level was found to vary linearly with both the FITC-Dx vascular concentration (range 0.4–3.0 mg/ml) and the interstitial FITC-Dx concentration (0.12–1.50 mg/ml) in the hamster cheek pouch.
Design and fabrication of a broadband polarization and temperature insensitive arrayed waveguide grating on InP

An arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) with a novel S-shaped design for broadband operation is demonstrated for the first time with III–V semiconductors. This device design provided a polarization and temperature insensitive operation. It is also shown that, despite the wide operating range, chromatic dispersion does not degrade the performance of the AWG. The AWG is operational above the absorption edge of the semiconductor (1100nm) and can function for a wide range of wavelengths covering the coarse wavelength multiplexing range from 1270nm to 1610nm. A four channel AWG with this novel design was fabricated and characterized.
Testing the Normal Approximation and Minimal Sample Size Requirements of Weighted Kappa When the Number of Categories is Large

The results of this computer simulation study in dicate that the weighted kappa statistic, employing a standard error developed by Fleiss, Cohen, and Everitt (1969), holds for a large number of k cate gories of classification (e.g., 8 < k ≤ 10). These data are entirely consistent with an earlier study (Cicchetti & Fleiss, 1977), which showed the same results for 3 ≤ k ≤ 7. The two studies also indicate that the minimal N required for the valid ap plication of weighted kappa can be easily approxi mated by the simple formula 2k2. This produces sample sizes that vary between a low of about 20 (when k = 3) to a high of about 200 (when k = 10). Finally, the range 3 ≤ k ≤ 10 should encompass most extant clinical scales of classification.
A genome-wide association analysis of Framingham Heart Study longitudinal data using multivariate adaptive splines

The Framingham Heart Study is a well known longitudinal cohort study. In recent years, the community-based Framingham Heart Study has embarked on genome-wide association studies. In this paper, we present a Framingham Heart Study genome-wide analysis for fasting triglycerides trait in the Genetic Analysis Workshop16 Problem 2 using multivariate adaptive splines for the analysis of longitudinal data (MASAL). With MASAL, we are able to perform analysis of genome-wide data with longitudinal phenotypes and covariates, making it possible to identify genes, gene-gene, and gene-environment (including time) interactions associated with the trait of interest. We conducted a permutation test to assess the associations between MASAL selected markers and triglycerides trait and report significant gene-gene and gene-environment interaction effects on the trait of interest.
Influence of cocoa butter on cholesterol metabolism in rats: Comparison with corn oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil

Abstract Rat were fed a semipurified diet containing 14% fat for 5 weeks. The fats compared were corn oil (CO), coconut oil (CNO), palm kernel oil (PKO) and cocoa butter (CB). Rats fed CO gained more weight than the others. Serum cholesterol levels were generally highest in rats fed PKO and liver cholesterol levels were highest in rats fed CO. Liver triglycerides were also highest in rats fed CO. Cholesterol absorption was highest in rats fed CO (62.1%) and PKO (62.7%) and lowest in those fed CNO (52.9%) and CB (50.9%). Cholesterogenesis in liver slices was assayed usign 1- 14 C acetate and 2- 14 C-mevalonate. When acetate was the substrate, liver slices from rats fed CB incorporated more isotope into cholesterol than the other three groups. Liver slices from rats fed CO or CB incorporated more mevalonate into cholesterol than did slices from rats fed either CNO or PKO. The effect of CB on cholesterol metabolism belies its low iodine value and may be due to triglyceride structure or the percentage of long-chain saturated fatty acids present in this fat.
Who are the variables in your neighbourhood

Dynamic reordering techniques have had considerable success in reducing the impact of the initial variable order on the size of decision diagrams. Sifting, in particular, has emerged as a very good compromise between low CPU time requirements and high quality of results. Sifting, however, has the absolute position of a variable as the primary objective, and only considers the relative positions of groups of variables indirectly. In this paper we propose an extension to sifting that may move groups of variables simultaneously to produce better results. Variables are aggregated by checking whether they have a strong affinity to their neighbors. (Hence the title.) Our experiments show an average improvement in size of 11%. This improvement, coupled with the greater robustness of the algorithm, more than offsets the modest increase in CPU time that is sometimes incurred.
Myelin-specific domain on the plasmalemma of oligodendroglia: Differential expression in the rat and hypomyelinating mouse mutants jimpy and quaking

Monoclonal antibody, 1A9, prepared against bovine white matter, recognizes a proteinaceous, myelin-specific domain in the CNS that is restricted to the surface of oligodendroglia in primary dissociated cell cultures. The antigen is not detected in the PNS or non-neural tissues. Antibody binding is abolished by heating, exposure to SDS and delipidation, indicating that a conformationally sensitive epitope is recognized. The antigen is present in tracts of developing white matter in rat cerebellum beginning at 5 days postnatally. In developing cultures of fetal rat brain the period of rapid onset for the phenotypic expression of 1A9 antigen is similar to that of galactocerebroside, corresponding to 2-4 postnatal days of age. The 1A9 antigen is not observed in white matter or cultured oligodendroglia of the hypomyelinating jimpy mutant mouse, but its expression is qualitatively normal in the quaking mutant. The possibility is raised that 1A9 may be the primary target of the jimpy mutation.
Spatial, Temporal and Product-Use Allocation of Milk in an Imperfectly Competitive Dairy Industry

A multistage allocation model is designed to deal with two real‐world conditions that are bothersome in the application of spatial equilibrium models to the dairy industry. The multidimensional nature of milk allocation and the diversity of competitive structure within the industry must be faced to obtain realistic results. A set of recursive relations incorporating linear and quadratic programming formulations is used to handle the temporal and product‐use dimensions in addition to the spatial dimension. An application of the model to the New England dairy industry traces price, production, and consumption patterns over time.
The association between the food environment and weight status among eastern North Carolina youth.

Objective To examine associations between various measures of the food environment and BMI percentile among youth. Design Cross-sectional, observational. Setting Pitt County, eastern North Carolina. Subjects We extracted the electronic medical records for youth receiving well child check-ups from January 2007 to June 2008. We obtained addresses for food venues from two secondary sources and ground-truthing. A geographic information systems database was constructed by geocoding home addresses of 744 youth and food venues. We quantified participants' accessibility to food venues by calculating 'coverage', number of food venues in buffers of 0·25, 0·5, 1 and 5 miles (0·4, 0·8, 1·6 and 8·0 km) and by calculating 'proximity' or distance to the closest food venue. We examined associations between BMI percentile and food venue accessibility using correlation and regression analyses. Results There were negative associations between BMI percentile and coverage of farmers' markets/produce markets in 0·25 and 0·5 mile Euclidean and 0·25, 0·5 and 1 mile road network buffers. There were positive associations between BMI percentile and coverage of fast-food and pizza places in the 0·25 mile Euclidean and network buffers. In multivariate analyses adjusted for race, insurance status and rural/urban residence, proximity (network distance) to convenience stores was negatively associated with BMI percentile and proximity to farmers' markets was positively associated with BMI percentile. Conclusions Accessibility to various types of food venues is associated with BMI percentile in eastern North Carolina youth. Future longitudinal work should examine correlations between accessibility to and use of traditional and non-traditional food venues.
Salmeterol administration by metered-dose inhaler alone vs metered-dose inhaler plus valved holding chamber.

Study objective To determine whether a spacer device designed as a valved holding chamber with a flow signal increases the efficacy of the long-acting β 2 -agonist, salmeterol, in patients who use incorrect technique with metered-dose inhaler (MDI) alone. Design Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Setting University hospital outpatient rooms. Patients Twenty adult outpatients with stable persistent asthma, receiving a daily anti-inflammatory drug. Interventions Patients were randomized to either salmeterol MDI (incorrect use: 1 s after actuating MDI, inhale rapidly) and placebo plus spacer (correct use: inhale slowly as MDI is actuated, continue to inhale slowly and deeply) or placebo MDI (incorrect use) and salmeterol plus spacer (correct use). The following week, patients received the opposite treatment. The dose was two puffs from each device on each treatment day; each puff was separated by 1 min. Measurements and results After baseline peak expiratory flow (PEF), salmeterol was administered and serial PEF determined (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 h). Administration of salmeterol MDI plus spacer resulted in significantly greater increases in PEF from baseline vs MDI at 4 h (44 L/min vs 10 L/min; p Conclusion We conclude that patients who have poor timing and rapid inhalation with salmeterol MDI alone will have greater increases in PEF at 4 h and 6 h and no additional side effects if the dose is administered with a valved holding chamber that is used correctly. Further study is needed regarding other errors in MDI technique with salmeterol.
OSHA Enforcement and Workplace Injuries: A Behavioral Approach to Risk Assessment

We develop a model of risk assessment that incorporates assumptions from the behavioral theory of the firm into conventional expected utility models of compliance, and test the model using data on injuries and OSHA inspections for 6842 manufacturing plants between 1979 and 1985. Four hypotheses are supported-the specific deterrence effect of an inspection, the importance of lagged effects of general deterrence, the asymmetrical effects of probability and amount of penalty on injuries, and the tendency of injury rates to self-correct over a few years. The model estimates that a 10% increase in enforcement activities will reduce injuries by about 1% for large, frequently inspected firms. Prior analyses reporting lower impacts (Smith, 1979; Viscusi, 1986a) are replicated to distinguish between sampling and modeling differences. The results suggest that further compliance theory needs more detailed models of risk-assessment processes to be tested on samples of firms most affected by enforcement.
Energy optimization in memory address bus structure for application-specific systems

Energy optimization for high-capacitance on-chip buses has become a critical problem in VLSI design, especially for embedded or SoC systems. Coupling effects between bus wires make this issue even more urgent. Coding schemes have been proposed to reduce the energy dissipation. However, the circuits overhead increases significantly when the coding schemes consider the inter-wire capacitances. In this paper, we present a novel method for energy optimization in memory address bus (MAB). The data on application specified MAB has different characters to the data bus, which has high repetition vectors and unevenly distributed switch activity. Thus a combined method is proposed to optimize the energy consumption by both self capacitance and inter-wire capacitance. First, we lower the switch activity by an efficient coding scheme. Based on the statistical data, a modified bus-invert coding scheme can intelligently divide bus lines into groups and apply bus-invert coding. It brings ultra-low area or timing penalty because of the simple circuit structure. Then the energy consumption of coupling capacitances is optimized by net reordering technique. Implemented with table-look-up technique, a fast simulated annealing algorithm is proposed to solve the net reordering problem. The experimental results show that our combined method is very efficient to reduce the energy consumption in memory address bus for varieties of applications.
CSF hypocretin-1 levels in schizophrenics and controls: relationship to sleep architecture

Hypocretins/orexins are newly identified peptides of hypothalamic origin. Hypocretin deficiency is involved in the sleep disorder narcolepsy, suggesting the importance of hypocretin neurotransmission for the regulation of sleep. Hypocretin is known to excite midbrain dopaminergic neurons and to induce hyperactivity and stereotypy in animals. Altered hypocretin neurotransmission might therefore be involved in schizophrenia, since an involvement of dopaminergic mechanisms and an association with sleep disturbance are well demonstrated in patients with schizophrenia. Hypocretin is also known to affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by stimulating the release of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH). In the current study, we measured CSF hypocretin levels in 12 controls and 13 patients with chronic schizophrenia associated with moderate sleep disturbance, such as longer sleep onset latency, decreased total sleep time and decreased sleep efficacy. No difference in CSF hypocretin levels between schizophrenia and control subjects was found. CSF hypocretin levels were positively correlated with CSF CRH levels in the patient, control and combined subject populations, but the correlation did not reach statistical significance in any population. The hypocretin levels in schizophrenic patients were, however, positively and significantly correlated with sleep latency, one of the most consistent sleep abnormalities seen in schizophrenia. This correlation was not significant in controls, and no other significant correlation between CSF hypocretin levels and any measure of sleep architecture in either patients or controls was observed. Further studies of whether CNS hypocretin neurotransmission is involved in sleep and neuroendocrine abnormalities seen in patients with schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions are warranted.
The Biblical Glosses of Haimo of Auxerre and John Scottus Eriugena

Texte, revu et augmente de la communication faite par l'A. a la VIII Conference sur les Etudes medievales, le 30 avril 1975, The Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University. Etude sur les Gloses de la Bible attribuees a Haymon d'Auxerre et Jean Scot, et qui sont une compilation de l'enseignement des deux maitres. On peut les dater entre 841 et 877. C'est Heiric d'Auxerre qui, par sa formation intellectuelle et la chronologie, est le mieux place pour etre ce compilateur.
The MinE Ring: An FtsZ-Independent Cell Structure Required for Selection of the Correct Division Site in E. coli

E. coli cell division is mediated by the FtsZ ring and associated factors. Selection of the correct division site requires the combined action of an inhibitor of FtsZ ring formation (MinCD) and of a topological specificity factor that somehow prevents MinCD action at the middle of the cell (MinE). Here we show that a biologically active MinE-Gfp fusion accumulates in an annular structure near the middle of young cells. Formation of the MinE ring required MinD but was independent of MinC and continued in nondividing cells in which FtsZ function was inhibited. The results indicate that the MinE ring represents a novel cell structure, which allows FtsZ ring formation at midcell by suppressing MinCD activity at this site.
Direct synthesis of single-crystalline silicon nanowires using molten gallium and silane plasma

We report the first ever demonstration of using silane directly in the gas phase and molten gallium in a microwave plasma for bulk nucleation and growth of single-crystal quality silicon nanowires. Multiple nanowires nucleated and grew from micron- to millimetre-sized gallium droplets. The resulting nanowires were tens to hundreds of nanometres in diameter and were tens to hundreds of microns long. Transmission electron microscopy results confirmed the nanowires to be single crystalline, devoid of structural defects, and grown along the � 100� direction. The as-synthesized silicon nanowires were sheathed with an ultrathin (< 1n m) non-uniform native oxide amorphous layer that could be directly used in the assembly of electronic and optoelectronic devices. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Hypoxia inhibits TRAIL-induced tumor cell apoptosis: involvement of lysosomal cathepsins.

Tumor hypoxia interferes with the efficacy of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and tumor necrosis factor-α. TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand) is a potent apoptosis inducer that limits tumor growth without damaging normal cells and tissues in vivo. We present evidence for a central role of lysosomal cathepsins in hypoxia and/or TRAIL-induced cell death in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. Hypoxia or TRAIL-induced activation of cathepsins (B, D and L), caspases (-3 and -9), Bid cleavage, release of Bax and cytochrome c, and DNA fragmentation were blocked independently by zVAD-fmk, CA074Me or pepstatin A, consistent with the involvement of lysosomal cathepsin B and D in cell death. Lysosome stability and mitochondrial membrane potential were reduced in hypoxia and TRAIL-induced apoptosis. However, TRAIL treatment under hypoxic condition resulted in diminished apoptosis rates compared to treatment under normoxia. This inhibitory effect of hypoxia on TRAIL-induced apoptosis may be based on preventing Bax activation and thus protecting mitochondria stability. Our data show that TRAIL or hypoxia independently triggered activation of cathepsin B and D leading to apoptosis through Bid and Bax, and suggest that hypoxic tissue regions provide a selective environment for highly apoptosis-resistant clonal cells. Molecular therapy approaches based on cathepsin inhibitors need to address this novel tumor-preventing function of cathepsins in OSCC.
Iron saturation control in RHIC dipole magnets

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) will require 360 dipoles of 80 mm bore. The authors discuss the field perturbations produced by the saturation of the yoke iron. Changes have been made to the yoke to reduce these perturbations, in particular, decapole >
Speed-gradient approach to torque and air-to-fuel ratio control in DISC engines

Applies a Lyapunov design technique, the so-called speed-gradient approach, to coordinated air-to-fuel ratio and torque control in direct injection stratified charge gasoline engines. The technique is based on dynamic minimization of a performance function. It is demonstrated how the closed-loop response of this nonlinear and strongly coupled system can be shaped via the adjustment of the weights in the performance function and how the constraints that protect the operating envelope of the engine can be included through the augmentation of a barrier function. A practical numerical procedure is proposed and used to check the closed-loop stability conditions in this application.
Support for disconnected operation via architectural self-reconfiguration

In distributed and mobile environments, the connections among the hosts on which a software system is running are often unstable. As a result of connectivity losses, the overall availability of the system decreases. The distribution of software components onto hardware nodes (i.e., deployment architecture) may be ill-suited for the given state of the target hardware environment and may need to be altered to improve the software system's availability. In this paper, we present a flexible, software architecture-based solution for disconnected operation that increases the availability of a system during disconnection by allowing the system to monitor and automatically redeploy itself.
Effect of using foil electrodes to measure transcardiac current fraction during transthoracic defibrillation

This study explores the effect of using foil electrodes to experimentally measure the fraction of current (F/sub c/) that flows through the heart during transthoracic defibrillation. Since the effect of foil electrodes on current redistribution is poorly understood, a mathematical model specially suited for spherical geometries has been developed. It is a form of boundary element method based on Legendre series expansions. Results from the model show that foil electrodes produce a high degree of transcardiac current redistribution which placed in doubt the validity of F/sub c/ values obtained by the use of foil electrodes. >
The Thermally Driven Cross-Basin Circulation in Idealized Basins under Varying Wind Conditions

The Weather Research and Forecasting model is used to perform large-eddy simulations of thermally driven cross-basin winds in idealized, closed basins. A spatially and temporally varying heat flux is prescribed at the surfaceasafunctionofslopeinclinationandorientationtoproduceahorizontaltemperaturegradientacrossthe basin. The thermal asymmetry leads to the formation of a closed circulation cell flowing toward the more strongly heated sidewall, with a return flow in the upper part of the basin. In the presence of background winds above the basin, a second circulation cell forms in the upper part of the basin, resulting in one basin-sized cell, two counterrotating cells, or two cells with perpendicular rotation axes, depending on the background-wind direction with respect to the temperature gradient. The thermal cell near the basin floor and the backgroundwind-inducedcellinteractwitheachothereithertoenhanceortoreducethethermalcross-basinflowandreturn flow.Itisshownthatin5‐10-km-widebasinscross-basintemperaturedifferencesthatarerepresentativeofeastand west-facing slopes are insufficient to maintain perceptible cross-basin winds because of reduced horizontal temperature and pressure gradients, particularly in a neutrally stratified atmosphere.
The Abdominal Approach to Urogenital Prolapse

In deciding which surgical approach to use in repairing pelvic organ prolapse (POP), it is essential to have a complete understanding not only of the relevant anatomy, but also of the pathogenesis of POP. A detailed discussion of pelvic floor anatomy and physiology was presented earlier. There is no ideal approach or repair for POP. The choice of operation is made after careful consideration of a series of factors related to the patient’s anatomy, medical history, and goals of surgery. To further complicate matters, laparoscopic and robotic surgery are new techniques available to the pelvic reconstructive surgeon. These newer techniques will be discussed in detail in a later Chapter. Finally, the traditional view that hysterectomy is part of POP repair is being challenged.
On the Smoothness of General Kernels

In (3, §2), the writer and F. E. Browder stated briefly, without proof, some results concerning general distribution kernels. It is our aim here to prove and complete those results. The terminology and notations are introduced in §1. In §2 we define the notion of domain of dependence with respect to the kernel Kx,y (Definition 1) as well as the notion of smoothness of a distribution kernel at a point (Definition 2). Theorem 1 states that the set of points, where the distribution kernel is smooth, is open and the kernel is a smooth function in this set. Theorems 2 and 3 are the converse of Theorem 1.
Transmission Line Rating Attack in Two-Settlement Electricity Markets

The potential economic impact of transmission line rating (TLR) attacks in two-settlement electricity markets is studied in this paper. We show that nodal prices in real-time markets can be manipulated via a TLR attack, which can be modeled as a bi-level optimization problem. Several acceleration techniques are developed to reduce the computational burden of solving the bi-level problem. A heuristic strategy is proposed to deal with the issue of multiplicity in pricing. The uncertainties in load are also considered in the proposed TLR model. Numerical simulations demonstrate that well-designed TLR attacks can manipulate the profits of market participants in the two-settlement markets. Benchmark testing shows that the proposed acceleration techniques can reduce computation time tremendously, and the proposed heuristic strategy can mitigate the issue of multiplicity in pricing.
Research on Medical Image Retrieval and Semantic Expression Based on Blind Forensics:A Review

In order to find the key problems in such research area,this paper gives a comprehensive literature survey on the medical image retrieval and semantic expression that based on the blind forensics,and reviews detailed from the aspects of blind forensics,image retrieval,medical image retrieval and semantic expression for medical image.At last,this paper lists some valuable research problems.
The effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone on ovarian estradiol secretion

The present study was undertaken to determine if more than one dose of GnRh is necessary to induce luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion that is sufficient to cause a significant increase in circulating estradiol (E2) levels. Thirty-four women were studied. Of these, eight control women were studied in the early follicular phase (baseline E2, 48 +/- 4.5 pg/ml); eight patients had secondary amenorrhea caused by hypothalamic dysfunction (baseline E2, 52.0 +/- pg/ml), seven had secondary amenorrhea caused by hypothalamic pituitary failure (baseline E2, 21 +/- 2.5 pg/ml), and 11 women had amenorrhea, galactorrhea, and hyperprolactinemia (baseline E2, 16.5 +/- 3 pg/ml and baseline prolactin, 443 +/- 98 ng/ml). An initial intravenous bolus of 150 microgram of gonadotropin-releasing hormone was followed 2 hours later by a smaller dose of 50 microgram. Thirty minutes following the first and second doses of GnRH, plasma LH and FSH increased significantly in all subjects. The initial increase of LH and FSH did not result in an increase in the plasmma E2 levels in any of the subjects. However, following the second gonadotropin peak, a significant increase in plasma E2 values was observed at 4 hours in all subjects (P less than 0.01). It can be concluded that (1) GnRH can be used to induce ovarian stimulation in normal women as well as in amenorrheic patients with low or normal baseline E2 levels as long as a sequential increase in LH and FSH can be elicited and (2) hyperprolactinemia does not interfere with ovarian E2 synthesis.
Is a Vaccine Possible

Or, more precisely, the question is: if the economic disincentives can be overcome, will it be possible to develop such a vaccine for the human immunodeficiency virus? The vaccine question needs to be phrased thus because economic disincentives may present serious obstacles to vaccine development.
Preserving incumbent users' privacy in exclusion-zone-based spectrum access systems: poster

Dynamic spectrum access (DSA) technique has emerged as a fundamental approach to mitigate the spectrum scarcity problem. As a key form of DSA, government is proposing to release more federal spectrum for sharing with commercial wireless users. However, the flourish of federal-commercial sharing hinges upon how the federal privacy is managed. In current DSA proposals, the sensitive exclusion zone (E-Zone) information of federal incumbent users (IUs) needs to be shared with a spectrum access system (SAS) to realize spectrum allocation. However, SAS is not necessarily trust-worthy for holding the sensitive IU E-Zone data, especially considering that FCC allows some industry third parties (e.g., Google) to operate SAS for better efficiency and scalability. Therefore, the current proposals dissatisfy the IUs' privacy requirement. To address the privacy issue, this paper presents an IU-privacy-preserving SAS (IP-SAS) design, which realizes the spectrum allocation process through secure computation over ciphertext based on homomorphic encryption.
Hypoplastic MDS with PNH Clone Treated Successfully with Eculizumab

Abstract 4380 Myelodysplasia (MDS) is a myeloid clonal disorder with a relatively heterogeneous spectrum of presentation characterized by dysplastic and ineffective hematopoiesis. Hypocellular or hypoplastic MDS is a rare variant of MDS and is found in Here we present a case of a 69-year-old patient who was found to have macrocytic anemia leading to a diagnosis of hypoplastic MDS/aplastic anemia by bone marrow biopsy and flow cytometry. Bone marrow biopsy showed hypocellular marrow with granulocytic and megakaryocytic hypoplasia and had 1% myeloblasts, mild myelodysplastic features and no chromosomal abnormalities. Standard treatment with Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporine (CSA) was initiated at diagnosis 2 years ago. Patient achieved transfusion independence, and went into a complete remission that lasted 6 months. As shown in attached graph, patient developed recurrent thrombocytopenia, and was retreated with ATG & CSA with minimal improvement. Our patient has remained transfusion dependent of both platelets and red cells. Bone marrow biopsy was repeated which showed persistent aplastic anemia/hypoplastic MDS. PNH evaluation was performed showing a small clone of PIG deficient cells quantified as 0 % red cell, 2% granulocytes and 0.9% monocytes cells. Of note, PNH evaluation at the initiation of therapy showed no PNH clone. Eculizumab was instituted after failure of second dosing of ATG, dosed weekly for the last 18 months. Transfusion independence was obtained within 2 months, and as seen in the attached graph, the platelet counts improved significantly after therapy with Eculizumab. Similar response was reflected in other cell lineages. Bone marrow biopsy performed 4 months after therapy showed hypercellular marrow with mild dysplastic changes, cytogenetic analysis remains normal. Patient continues to be treated with eculizumab and has maintained a complete remission for over 18 months. As noted in a study done by Kaiafa et al, up to 15.5% of of MDS patients may exhibit a PNH clone, defined in the study by deficiency of CD55 and CD59 on granulocytes. The diagnosis Hypoplastic MDS/aplastic anemia is usually highly sensitive to therapy with ATG and CSA. Although our patient initially responded to ATG, retreatment at relapse was not successful. Eculizumab has documented a significant and sustained response in this patient’s treatment. We report a patient with a less than 1% clone that achieved complete transfusion independence with eculizumab and full resolution of hypoplastic MDS/severe aplastic anemia by marrow histology. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Genetic inhibition of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase rescues cognitive impairments in Neurofibromatosis 1 mutant mice

Abstract Heterozygous Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) loss of function mutations occur in approximately 90% of patients with neurofibromatosis. A major, disabling phenotypic consequence of reduced NF1 function is cognitive impairment; a possibly related behavioral phenotype is impaired sleep. Recent results in Drosophila have demonstrated a genetic interaction between Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (Alk) and NF1 for both associative learning and sleep. Inhibition of Alk improves associative learning and sleep in heterozygous NF1 mutant flies. The results in Drosophila provide a strong motivation to investigate NF1/Alk genetic interactions in mice. In Drosophila , activation of Alk by its ligand, Jelly belly (Jeb), is the physiologically relevant target of negative regulation by NF1. Therefore, we tested whether genetic inhibition of Alk in heterozygous NF1 mutant mice attenuates or rescues cognitive impairments in mice. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that NF1 functions in mice biochemically to inhibit signaling from Alk through Ras. The cognitive phenotypes observed in heterozygous NF1 mutant mice are rescued or ameliorated by genetic inhibition of Alk activity. In two tests of hippocampus-dependent learning, the Morris water maze and extinction of contextual fear, mutation of one or both alleles of Alk was sufficient to improve performance to wild type or near wild type levels in NF1−/+ mice. In addition, in NF1 mice genetic inhibition of Alk improves circadian activity levels. These data are intriguing in light of the circadian alterations seen in NF1 patients and indicate that inhibition of Alk activity may cognitively benefit patients with Neurofibromatosis 1.
Density functional theory study of defects in unalloyed δ-Pu

Abstract Using density functional theory, we explore various classical point and complex defects within the face-centered cubic unalloyed δ-plutonium matrix that are potentially induced from self-irradiation. For plutonium only defects, the most energetically stable defect is a distorted split-interstitial. Gallium, the δ-phase stabilizer, is thermodynamically stable as a substitutional defect, but becomes unstable when participating in a complex defect configuration. Complex uranium defects may thermodynamically exist as uranium substitutional with neighboring plutonium interstitial and stabilization of uranium within the lattice is shown via partial density of states and charge density difference plots to be 5f hybridization between uranium and plutonium.
Understanding the dissemination of appointment-based synchronization models using the CFIR framework.

Abstract Background The appointment based model (ABM) is a innovative model of pharmacy practice that combines medication synchronization with scheduled monthly appointments to improve patient medication adherence and convenience. It is being implemented in many pharmacies across the United States. Objective The purpose of this article is to use the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to discuss the barriers and facilitators of ABM implementation in community pharmacies while identifying priorities for additional implementation research. Methods A review of current evidence of ABM was examined using the five domains within the CFIR taxonomy. Interactions between these domains (the intervention, the individuals involved, the process used to implement the intervention, the inner setting, and the outer setting) and their sub domains were used to explain the current success of ABM and future barriers. Results The CFIR is an effective theoretical framework for assessing ABM. It helps identify key constructs in ABM implementation and their relationships. It also suggests future research to facilitate its adoption as a standard of pharmacy practice. Conclusions The adoption of ABM by pharmacies will be facilitated by better evidence of its clinical and economic impact on patient health outcomes, standardization of ABM, and integrating it into current workflows.
Within‐lake habitat heterogeneity mediates community response to warming trends

Climate change is rapidly altering many aquatic systems, and life history traits and physiological diversity create differences in organism responses. In addition, habitat diversity may be expressed on small spatial scales, and it is therefore necessary to account for variation among both species and locations when evaluating climate impacts on biological communities. Here, we investigated the effects of temperature and spatial heterogeneity on long-term community composition in a large boreal lake. We used a five-decade time series of water temperature and relative abundance of fish species captured in the littoral zone throughout the summer at 10 discrete locations around the lake. We applied a spatial dynamic factor analysis (SDFA) model to this time series, which estimates the sensitivity of each species to changing water temperature while accounting for spatiotemporal variation. This analysis described the trend in community composition at each sampling location in the lake, given their different trends in temperature over time. The SDFA indicated different magnitude and direction of species responses to temperature; some species increased while others decreased in abundance. The model also identified five unique trends in species abundance across sites and time, indicating residual dynamics in abundance after accounting for temperature effects. Thus, different regions in the lake have experienced different trajectories in community change associated with different rates of temperature change. These results highlight the importance of considering habitat heterogeneity in explaining and predicting future species abundances, and our model provides a means of visualizing spatially-explicit temporal variation in species' dynamics.
Properties and performance of the LiCaAlF6:Cr3+ laser material

The laser properties of the LiCaAlF6:Cr3+ (Cr:LiCAF) material are reviewed. The impact of the absorption and emission spectra on the laser performance is discussed. Laser-pumping and flashlamp-pumping experiments have shown that Cr:LiCAF has potential for high efficiency, although the presence of scattering losses remains a significant problem. The "gradient freeze" growth technique has been found to generate lower-loss material compared to Czochralski growth. The thermal lensing of Cr:LiCAF has been measured to be small and is in rough agreement with the magnitude expected on the basis of the intrinsic thermo-optical properties.
Thymosin-induced immunoregulation: clinical potentials for allergy and asthma endotypes.

The incidence, prevalence and severity of allergic diseases continue to increase around the world. Although allergic patients typically have high morbidity and low mortality with their illness, the...
Application of Modal Scaling to the Pole Selection Phase of Parameter Estimation

Modern modal parameter estimation algorithms are frequently presented as two stage solution processes where the first stage identifies the system poles and unscaled modal vectors (participation factors) of either long or short dimension, and where the second stage identifies the scaled modal vectors (residue vectors) of generally long dimension and modal scaling. This paper explores the value of having the long dimension, scaled modal information available during the pole selection process. Among the advantages of this approach is the availability of the full length residue vector for visualization and the modal scaling in order to evaluate relative contribution and physical significance. A comparison of the residue quality for this solution approach and the dominant traditional approaches is presented. The methods and results are compared using mean phase (MP), mean phase deviation (MPD), and vector scatter plots.
The epilepsy transition care gap in young adults with childhood-onset epilepsy.

Abstract Introduction A substantial proportion of young adults with childhood-onset epilepsy may require ongoing long-term epilepsy care as adults. Objective The objective of the study was to assess the extent to which epilepsy transition discussions occurred in adolescents with childhood-onset epilepsy prior to the age of attaining majority (prior to their 18th birthday) in a community-based cohort of individuals with childhood-onset epilepsy followed longitudinally. Methods The Connecticut Study of Epilepsy is a prospective, community-based study of newly diagnosed childhood-onset epilepsy with 613 children (onset Results For young adults with childhood-onset epilepsy (N = 308; mean age: 24 years, SD = 4.0; mean age of epilepsy onset: 5.4 years, SD = 3.7), only 15% responded “Yes” to having had a “transition discussion”. Of those with “active epilepsy” (N = 130; seizure-free Conclusions Only one-third of young adults with active epilepsy at transition in this community-based study reported having epilepsy care transition discussions with healthcare providers before the age of 18 years. Identifying barriers to successful delivery of effective epilepsy transition care is critical to remediating treatment care gaps and building effective future care models.
The Cost of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Most countries, including the United States, have an array of greenhouse gas mitigation policies, which provide subsidies or restrictions typically aimed at specific technologies or sectors. Such climate policies range from automobile fuel economy standards, to gasoline taxes, to mandating that a certain amount of electricity in a state comes from renewables, to subsidizing solar and wind electrical generation, to mandates requiring the blending of biofuels into the surface transportation fuel supply, to supply-side restrictions on fossil fuel extraction. This paper reviews the costs of various technologies and actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Our aim is twofold. First, we seek to provide an up-to-date summary of costs of actions that can be taken now using currently available technology. These costs focus on expenditures and emissions reductions over the life of a project compared to some business-as-usual benchmark—for example, replacing coal-fired electricity generation with wind, or weatherizing a home. We refer to these costs as static because they are costs over the life of a specific project undertaken now, and they ignore spillovers. Our second aim is to distinguish between dynamic and static costs and to argue that some actions taken today with seemingly high static costs can have low dynamic costs, and vice versa. We make this argument at a general level and through two case studies, of solar panels and of electric vehicles, technologies whose costs have fallen sharply. Under the right circumstances, dynamic effects will offer a justification for policies that have high costs according to a myopic calculation.
Inflammation as a predictor of disease course in posttraumatic stress disorder and depression: A prospective analysis from the Mind Your Heart Study.

Abstract Background Prior research has focused largely on the pro-inflammatory states of PTSD and depression, with few studies evaluating the direction of inflammation’s association with these disorders. To clarify whether inflammation plays a role in the development of PTSD or depression, we assessed the predictive value of inflammatory biomarkers on the courses of these conditions in a cohort of Veterans. Methods This research was part of the Mind Your Heart Study, a prospective cohort study designed to examine PTSD-related health outcomes. Between 2008 and 2010, 746 San Francisco area Veterans Administration patients were enrolled. At baseline, inflammatory biomarkers were measured from fasting morning venous blood draws, and cortisol and catecholamine levels were measured from 24-hour urine samples. PTSD was diagnosed using the PTSD Checklist at baseline and annual follow-up. Depression was evaluated using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire at baseline and follow-up. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to assess the predictive value of baseline biomarker levels on clinically relevant courses of PTSD and depression categorized and ordered as none, resolved, developed, and chronic. Results After adjustment for age and sex, elevated levels of white blood cell count (OR = 1.27(1.10–1.47), p = 0.001), C-reactive protein (OR = 1.20(1.04–1.39), p = 0.02), fibrinogen (OR = 1.19(1.03–1.38), p = 0.02), and ESR (OR = 1.17(1.00–1.36, p = 0.05), and decreased levels of urine cortisol (OR = 0.84(0.71–0.99), p = 0.04) were significant predictors of poorer courses of PTSD. Elevated levels of WBC count (OR = 1.31(1.14–1.50), p Conclusions Increased levels of several inflammatory biomarkers were associated with significantly increased odds of clinically worse courses of PTSD and depression. Inflammation may be a target for prevention and treatment of these mental health disorders.
International Migration in Russia: Dynamics, Policy, and Forecast

The author analyzes projections of population migration hypotheses assuming net migration inflows to Russia at the current level of about 350,000 people per year, as well as at the levels of 50,000 and 900,000 people per year. Migration hypotheses are combined with hypotheses of future fertility trends, including low, middle, and high variants.
Evaluating fluticasone furoate + vilanterol for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Introduction: Inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β-2 agonists (ICS/LABA) combination inhalers have been a lifeline for a generation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma patien...
Effect of a Practice-wide Anti-TNF Proactive Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Program on Outcomes in Pediatric Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND Reports on the feasibility and effectiveness of translating proactive, antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for inflammatory bowel disease into practice-wide quality improvement (QI) are lacking. We aimed to determine whether a TDM QI program improved outcomes at a large academic pediatric gastroenterology practice. METHODS We instituted local anti-TNF TDM practice guidelines to proactively monitor and optimize drug levels (goal >5 μg/mL). We conducted a retrospective single-center cohort analysis of patient outcomes before (pre-TDM) and after (post-TDM) guideline institution and assessed the independent effect by multivariable regression. Primary outcome was sustained clinical remission (SCR22-52), defined as physician global assessment (PGA) of inactive from 22 to 52 weeks and off corticosteroids at 52 weeks. RESULTS We identified 108 pre-TDM and 206 post-TDM patients. The SCR22-52 was achieved in 42% of pre-TDM and 59% of post-TDM patients (risk difference, 17.6%; 95% CI, 5.4-29%; P = 0.004). The post-TDM group had an increased adjusted odds of achieving SCR22-52 (odds ratio, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.27-3.26; P = 0.003). The adjusted risk of developing high titer antidrug antibodies (ADAs) was lower in the post-TDM group (hazard ratio, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.09-0.35; P < 0.001). Although the risk of anti-TNF cessation for any reason was not significantly different, there was a lower adjusted risk of cessation related to any detectable ADA in the post-TDM group (hazard ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.26-0.77; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS A practice-wide proactive anti-TNF TDM QI program improved key clinical outcomes at our institution, including sustained clinical remission, incidence of high titer ADA, and anti-TNF cessation related to ADA.