cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of equations to predict the metabolizable energy value of corn for pigs.

Three experiments were conducted with the aim of developing and validating an equation to predict the ME of corn for pigs from its chemical composition, physical characteristics and particle size. Exp. 1: Eight lots of corn were ground in a hammer mill, using 5 sieves with different screen opening sizes, generating 40 batches of ground corn. The chemical composition (DM, CP, ether extract, crude fiber, ADF, NDF, and ash) and physical characteristics (bulk density- BD and 1,000-kernel weight- TKW) were determined in the 8 lots and geometric mean diameter (GMD) and N-corrected ME (AMEn) were determined in the 40 batches of corn. The AMEn values were determined in 16 metabolism assays with pigs. Mathematical models were adjusted by regression analysis, based on the Akaike Information Criterion. Based on statistical parameters ( = 0.76 and prediction error = 1.05%), number of predictor variables, and easiness of measurements, an equation with 2 segments was chosen: y = 2845.41 + 0.9385 × BD - 20.8784 × CP, if GMD ≤ 522.98 and y = 3105.75 - 0.4978 × GMD + 0.9385 × BD - 20.8784 × CP, if GMD > 522.98. Exp. 2 and 3: Sixty four gilts (Exp. 1; 29.5 ± 3.8 kg) and 64 barrows (Exp. 2; 29.3 ± 3.6 kg), 1 lot of corn, and 3 particle sizes (GMD = 483, 632, and 904 µm) were used in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 methods of diet formulation, differing in ME value of corn: "FIX" (value from nutrient composition table) vs. "ESTIMATED" (estimated for each particle size using the equation developed in Exp. 1). In Exp. 2, ADFI was greater ( 0.10) growth performance and carcass traits of barrows. The equation developed was effective to adjust the ME value of corn, considering particle size variation. However, improvement to the proposed equation is necessary to achieve greater precision for predicting corn ME. Validation of the equation with more lots of corn of different chemical compositions and densities appears necessary to assess the efficacy of the equation regarding the variation of the other predicting variables.
Enabling Lightweight Transactions with Precision Time

Distributed transactional storage is an important service in today's data centers. Achieving high performance without high complexity is often a challenge for these systems due to sophisticated consistency protocols and multiple layers of abstraction. In this paper we show how to combine two emerging technologies---Software-Defined Flash (SDF) and precise synchronized clocks---to improve performance and reduce complexity for transactional storage within the data center.We present a distributed transactional system (called MILANA) as a layer above a durable multi-version key-value store (called SEMEL) for read-heavy workloads within a data center. SEMEL exploits write behavior of SSDs to maintain a time-ordered sequence of versions for each key efficiently and durably. MILANA adds a variant of optimistic concurrency control above SEMEL's API to service read requests from a consistent snapshot and to enable clients to make fast local commit or abort decisions for read-only transactions.Experiments with the prototype reveal up to 43% lower transaction abort rates using IEEE Precision Time Protocol (PTP) vs. the standard Network Time Protocol (NTP). Under the Retwis benchmark, client-local validation of read-only transactions yields a 35% reduction in latency and 55% increase in transaction throughput.
Effect of initial darkness duration on the pathogenicity of Calonectria pseudonaviculata on boxwood

Light is an important environmental stimulus that regulates many physiological activities within plants and pathogenic fungi. Boxwood blight (causal agent: Calonectria pseudonaviculata) is a newly emergent disease in the United States and a significant threat to the boxwood industry. A disease forecasting model has been developed to aid boxwood growers in their management decisions, but light is not included as a variable within the program. Growth chamber experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of an initial dark period on disease severity, mycelial growth and conidial germination of C. pseudonaviculata. Treatments varied by darkness duration (0-, 6-, 12- or 24-hour dark), and were followed by a 14-hour day length at a 25/21°C day/night temperature. Neither boxwood blight severity nor fungal colony development was enhanced by an initial dark period. However, darkness duration was associated with a significant increase in conidial germination in vitro. Our study suggests the predictive performance of the current boxwood blight disease forecasting model would not be improved by inclusion of photoperiod. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
An entrepreneurial opportunity in process: creating an industrial fellowship in early twentieth century America

This paper offers insight into the processes by which a pair of entrepreneurial actors envisioned and articulated their model for an industrial fellowship scheme designed to address their mutual ne...
Performance, Possums, and Photo-Ops, Too: Marginalizing Binaries at the Wausau Possum Festival

Performances can shape realities, perceptions, and meanings. Throughout the performance of the Wausau Possum Festival, possums are (mis)used as performative objects. The festival’s live possum auction serves as an exemplar of such performative functions while also demonstrating the “performer metaphor.” Thus, I argue that the festival’s performance perpetuates a human-over-nature hierarchy through social–natural, subject–object binaries that marginalize the possum. These binaries justify the possum’s objectification within the festival, ultimately reifying the binaries. The transhuman, materialist theory of communication is used to ground and situate my analysis. Implications are offered that call for (re)conceptualizations of our relationship with/in nature.
Caries Sealing in Permanent Teeth

Although numerous strategies are available for the management of carious lesions, one of the strategies with the highest level of supporting evidence for the prevention of lesions as well as for the arrest of non-cavitated lesions and management of the bacterial contamination are dental sealants. Providing sealants in private practice settings as well as in public programs is not only effective, but can be cost-effective especially when targeting high caries risk individuals or groups. More advanced or deeper cavitated lesions can be sealed from the oral environment resulting in lesion arrest but require a stronger material than a dental sealant or use of different techniques, such as Hall crowns, etc. To aid in deciding if a sealant is an appropriate intervention, teeth should be clean, dry, and well illuminated for visual assessment, forceful use of a probe should be avoided, and radiographs and other diagnostic technologies are not necessary for the sole purpose of placing sealants. Regarding the material of choice, as more studies have become available the differences between resin composite and glass ionomer cement materials used as sealants have been less clear to discern, thus it is important to take into account the likelihood of experiencing lack of retention when choosing the material to use. However, even with the strong supporting evidence for sealant use, utilization is still low. Education and training, coupled with a fairer pay scheme, is a reasonable approach to increase provision of sealants.
Overcoming paclitaxel resistance with new fatty acid conjugates of second generation taxoids

5423 Based on the reported (Bradley et al., Clin. Cancer Res. 7: 3229-3238, 2001) increased efficacy and decreased toxicity of Taxoprexin [docosahexanoic acid conjugated to paclitaxel, DHA-paclitaxel] as compared to paclitaxel in mice implanted with Madison 109 s.c. lung tumor, we synthesized and evaluated a series of paclitaxel analogues conjugated to natural fatty acids including DHA, docosanoic acid (DO), linolenic acid (LNA) and linoleic acid (LNA) for their antitumor efficacy in SCID mice implanted with a human tumor xenograft. Initial experiments using the A121 human ovarian tumor xenograft implanted s.c. in SCID mice confirmed the studies of Bradley et al. demonstrating greater than a two-fold increase in tumor growth delay for DHA-paclitaxel as compared to paclitaxel with complete regressions in 2 of 5 treated mice. In addition, one of the new conjugates, DHA-SBT-1213, administered i.v. on days 5, 8 and 11 at 30mg/kg, caused complete regression (CR) of tumor in all surviving mice (4 of 5), with one animal apparently succumbing to drug toxicity. Using the paclitaxel resistant, Pgp positive DLD1 human colon tumor xenograft implanted s.c. in SCID mice, paclitaxel and DHA-paclitaxel were virtually ineffective causing tumor growth delays of 8 and 4 days, respectively. DHA-SBT-1213 on the other hand, induced a statistically significant 54- day delay in DLD1 tumor growth and treatment with DHA-SBT-1214, another new taxane conjugate, resulted in CR in 5 of 5 mice, with all mice being tumor free 120 days after tumor implantation. Preclinical efficacy studies of these taxanes conjugated to other fatty acids are currently underway. Initial findings indicate conjugated fatty acids other than DHA are equally as effective in increasing the preclinical therapeutic activities of various taxanes. These findings indicate that certain second generation taxoids, previously selected for their ability to overcome Pgp mediated multidrug resistance, can be conjugated to natural fatty acids resulting in compounds that are well tolerated and extremely effective for the treatment of paclitaxel sensitive and more importantly, paclitaxel resistant tumors.
Care of HIV Patients

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) establishes lifelong infection, causing progressive immune system damage eventuating in profound CD4 T-lymphocyte depletion, the defining laboratory hallmark of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV is transmitted sexually and parenterally by infected blood and from mother to child. HIV disease progression is remarkably heterogeneous between individuals, ranging from years to decades. Immune activation characterizes all stages of HIV, exacerbating morbidity due to diverse causes. AIDS is characterized by opportunistic infections (OIs), opportunistic malignancies, wasting and/or profound neurologic impairment. Simple, well-tolerated antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppresses HIV replication, preserves and improves CD4 cell counts and immune function, and reduces HIV transmission. Early identification and treatment of HIV infection has the potential to substantially improve the health of individuals and their communities.
A field study of user behavior and perceptions in smartcard authentication

A field study of 24 participants over 10 weeks explored user behavior and perceptions in a smartcard authentication system. Ethnographic methods used to collect data included diaries, surveys, interviews, and field observations. We observed a number of issues users experienced while they integrated smartcards into their work processes, including forgetting smartcards in readers, forgetting to use smartcards to authenticate, and difficulty understanding digital signatures and encryption. The greatest perceived benefit was the use of an easy-to-remember PIN in replacement of complicated passwords. The greatest perceived drawback was the lack of smartcard-supported applications. Overall, most participants had a positive experience using smartcards for authentication. Perceptions were influenced by personal benefits experienced by participants rather than an increase in security.
Non-target Effects of Biological Control Agents

Biological control uses three strategies: management practices to enhance native agents already occurring in the system (Chapter 4); captive rearing and release of resident native agents (Chapter 3); and importation and release of non-native agents (sometimes termed ‘classical biological control’) (Chapter 2). A fourth strategy is rapidly being developed: genetic manipulation of both native and non-native agents to enhance their effectiveness against pests (see Chapter 14). An important measure of successful pest control is the effect of the control procedure on the environment, including any direct and indirect effects on non-target species. Although biological control is frequently presumed to be safe to the environment (Lai, 1988; Coulson et al., 1991; U.S. Congress, 1995; Bathon, 1996; Onstad and McManus, 1996; McEvoy, 1996; Jervis 1997), all pest control methods have inherent risks. That is, any method that reduces the population of an abundant pest organism to below an economic threshold will have community-level effects and therefore will inherently pose environmental risks. The scope of this chapter is to review the published evidence for environmental impacts of biological control on non-target organisms and to suggest ways of minimising the inherent risks. In the context of this book, non-target effects are important for they have the potential to compromise the success of biological control.
Modification of Gelatin Beadlets for Zero-Order Sustained Release

A three-phase suspension process was used for the preparation of gelatin beadlets containing succinylsulfathiazole. When the beadlets were hardened with 10% formalin at 5°C for varying periods of time up to 24 hr, the 6-hr hardening time gave the slowest release rate. Drug release rate from gelatin beadlets was slower in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) than in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) but the sustained effect was too limited to be useful for most applications. When the hardened gelatin beadlets were coated with cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) by an emulsion–solvent evaporation method, a more pronounced sustained effect and a nearly zero-order release were found in SIF. The effects of the amount of gelatin used, the amount of CAB employed, and the length of hardening time on drug release were investigated. The treatment of gelatin beadlets with formalin reduced the swelling action of gelatin in aqueous medium. A nonzero-order drug release rate was observed when the gelatin swelled sufficiently to rupture the CAB coating. The drug release rate can be adjusted by using different ratios of hardened gelatin beadlets and CAB coating in which the gelatin enhances the release rate and the CAB serves as a barrier.
Getting the Scale(s) Right in Ocean Fisheries Management: An Argument for Decentralised, Participatory Governance

The focus of this chapter is on the problem of scale in fisheries governance. This is the problem of what is the appropriate scale of the marine ecosystem for fisheries management purposes. Current fisheries management regimes largely bypass this problem by focusing their attention on scale-less, single species populations. But such an approach rests on an inadequate mental model that ignores the complexity of the marine ecosystem. By contrast, the ecosystem-based approach offers an alternative mental model that deals with this complexity, not by bypassing it, but by scaling down to local ecosystem levels, which are best managed by decentralised, co-management governance arrangements that make full use of resource users’ knowledge and also ensure accountability.
The Governing Authority's Responsibilities in Compliance and Risk Management, as Seen in the American Law Institute's Draft Principles of Compliance, Risk Management, and Enforcement

This Essay discusses the project on compliance and risk management of the American Law Institute in relation to the governance of compliance and risk management in an organization. It identifies several important governance issues and debates that have emerged in the drafting process. These issues are (i) the appropriate role of what the project calls the “highest legal authority” in compliance and risk management and (ii) the related topic of to whom internal control officers, particularly the chief compliance officer and the chief risk officer, report. While discussing the importance of, and the project’s approach to, these issues, the Essay emphasizes that the project provides flexibility to organizations, which reflects the diversity of organizational practice on these, and other, governance issues.
Analysis of 2014 Meteorological Data from the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and Kesselring Site Operations Facilities

Both the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) in Schenectady, N.Y. and the Kesselring Site Operations (KSO) facility near Ballston Spa, N.Y. are required to estimate the effects of hypothetical emissions of radiological material from their respective facilities by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates both sites. An atmospheric dispersion model known as CAP88, which was developed and approved by the EPA for such purposes, is used by KAPL and KSO to meet this requirement. CAP88 calculations over a given time period are based on statistical data on the meteorological conditions for that period. Both KAPL and KSO have on-site meteorological towers which take atmospheric measurements at a frequency ideal for EPA regulatory model input. However, an independent analysis and processing of the meteorological data from each tower is required to derive a data set appropriate for use in the CAP88 model. The National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) was contracted by KAPL to process the on-site data for the calendar year 2014.
Sociology Students as Storytellers: What Narrative Sociology and C. Wright Mills Can Teach Us about Writing in the Discipline:

The Writing in the Disciplines approach encourages writing instruction in specific majors so that students learn the writing conventions of their discipline. As writing instructors, however, the ro...
Dynamic Multi-Objective Programming

This chapter focuses on dynamic multi-objective programming. It discusses the works of Yu. A. Dubov who extended the theory underlying multi-objective programming to dynamic and stochastic decision making problems. While he did not actually develop any formal methods for solving such problems, he provided the theoretical underpinnings for such methods by establishing conditions for the existence of noninferior solutions in various types of dynamic and stochastic multi-objective problems. Dubov divided dynamic problems into two major categories: (1) those in which successive decisions are not influenced by preceding decisions, and (2) those where prior decisions do affect subsequent decisions. Each of these categories in turn is subdivided according to whether time is treated as discrete or is continuous. Dubov established a set of conditions that can serve as a basis for developing an algorithm for solving independent-choice, discrete-time, multi-objective dynamic programming problems.
Epidural Fentanyl for Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)

Epidural fentanyl produced sufficient analgesia for ESWL in 14 of 15 sequential patients. Fentanyl produced a unique block, with no motor block, no changes in pinprick or light touch, and only subtle segmental changes in cold sensation. With the position changes needed for ESWL, little change in blood pressure and heart rate was observed. This occurred in patients who received relatively small amounts of intravenous volume. Epidural fentanyl is sufficient for ESWL and provides excellent hemodynamic stability.
Wound Fluid Cytokine Profile Following Bone Regeneration Procedures

Clinical parameters available to evaluate early healing phases of bone regeneration procedures are limited. This study explores wound fluid (WF) content for molecular markers to differentiate wound healing responses in the early postoperative period after bone graft placement. Fifteen patients (50 ± 5 years old; 8 men) scheduled to receive tooth extraction and bone graft placement at maxillary nonmolar single-tooth sites were recruited. Primary wound closure was not intended at time of surgery. Gingival crevicular fluid from adjacent teeth or WF from surgical wound edges were collected (30 seconds) at baseline, at 3, 6, and 9 days, and at 1 and 4 months. Multiplex protein assay was used to determine concentration of various wound healing mediators. Immediately after surgery, 87% of surgical sites exhibited open wound. At day 9, mean wound exposure was 4.8 ± 0.4 mm. At 1 month, all wounds were clinically closed. The WF tripled in volume at day 3 and day 6 (P ≤ .05), compared with baseline gingival crevicular fluid, and gradually decreased as wounds closed. The WF concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, placental growth factor, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1, and soluble cluster determinant 40 ligand were increased during early healing days, generally with peak concentration at day 6 (P ≤ .004). Conversely, WF concentrations of IL-18 and epidermal growth factor were decreased after surgery, generally not reaching baseline values until wound closure (P ≤ .008). In general, WF cytokine expression kinetics were concordant with wound closure dynamics (P ≤ .04). These results suggest that WF molecular markers such as IL-6, and to a lesser extent placental growth factor and IL-18, might help differentiate wound healing responses after bone regeneration procedures.
Music Streaming Service Prediction with MapReduce-based Artificial Neural Network

The problem on accurately predicting customer churn is critical to the long-term success in subscription business like music, games, magazines etc. It is quite challenging to design machine learning model to predict the customer churn accurately due to the large volume of the time-series data and the temporal issues of the data. In this paper, a parallel artificial neural network is proposed to create a highly-accurate customer churn model on a large customer dataset. The proposed model has achieved significant improvement in the accuracy of churn prediction. The scalability and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is also studied.
Effect of fabric structure and polymer matrix on flexural strength, interlaminar shear stress, and energy dissipation of glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites:

We report the effect of glass fiber structure and the epoxy polymer system on the flexural strength, interlaminar shear stress (ILSS), and energy absorption properties of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. Four different GFRP composites were fabricated from two glass fiber textiles of different fabric count and strand density and two resin systems, a cycloaliphatic and a linear aliphatic system. These composites were fabricated using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer method. The flexural stress and ILSS data were obtained using a three-point bending test following ASTM 790-10 and ASTM D2344/D2344M standards. The GFRP composite sheet fabricated using a larger fabric count showed weak flexural strength as well as poor ILSS properties. However, it showed an average increase in energy dissipation of 95% and 7%, for resins SC780 and SC15, respectively, after five compression cycles over the measured range of compression strain. In comparison with the SC15 resin, the SC780 resin proved to have b...
False Exemplars: Admiration and the Ethics of Public Monuments

Recently, a new generation of activists has reinvigorated the debate over the symbolic public landscape of Western democracies, and in particular, public representations of historical figures whose immoral actions and beliefs are connected to the ongoing oppression of minority groups. In this paper, I consider three proposals for what we ought to do about such representations: remove them from public view, leave them unmodified, or re-contextualize them in some way. Drawing on the work of philosophers and social psychologists, I argue that there are a number of compelling moral reasons not to leave them unmodified. I argue that the decision to make these representations inaccessible to the public or recontextualize them for public consumption must be decided on a case-by-case basis, balancing several moral and pragmatic factors. Finally, I argue that in many cases, weak forms of recontextualization that do not involve altering their institutional context may be an insufficient remedy to the moral problems raised by these representations.
Transformation of boron nitride from cubic to hexagonal under 1-atm helium

Abstract The transformation of boron nitride from the cubic to hexagonal phase has been investigated between 1560 and 1660 °C. High-purity cBN powders of three different particle sizes (
Polycaprolactone: A Promising Addition to the Sequential Infiltration Synthesis Polymer Family Identified through In Situ Infrared Spectroscopy

Infiltration of inorganic oxides inside polymers using sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) is an effective method for creating materials for a broad range of applications. The reactions between...
Implementation and sustainment of a statewide telemedicine diabetic retinopathy screening network for federally designated safety-net clinics.

CONTEXT Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of incident blindness among working-age adults in the United States. Federally designated safety-net clinics (FDSC) often serve as point-of-contact for patients least likely to receive recommended DR screenings, creating opportunity for targeted interventions to increase screening access and compliance. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS With such a goal, we implemented and assessed the longitudinal performance of an FDSC-based telemedicine DR screening (TDRS) network of 22 clinical sites providing nonmydriatic fundus photography with remote interpretation and reporting. Retrospective analysis of patient encounters between February 2014 and January 2019 was performed to assess rates of pathology and referral. A generalized estimating equation logistic regression model was used for subset analysis from audits of pre- and post-implementation screening rates. Finally, patient surveys were conducted and assessed as a measure of intervention acceptability. RESULTS Of the 13,923 individual telescreening encounters (4327 female, 4220 male, and 5376 unspecified; mean [SD] age, 54.9 [12.5] years) studied, 10,540 were of adequate quality to identify 3532 (33.5%) patients with ocular pathology: 2319 (22.0%) patients had some level of DR with 1604 (15.2%) requiring specialist referral, and 808 (7.7%) patients required referral for other ocular pathologies. The mean screening rate for audited clinics in the year prior to program implementation was 29.9% (641/2147), which increased to 47.7% (1012/2124) in the program's first year, doubling patients' odds of being screened (OR 2.2; 95% CI: 1.3-3.7; P = .003). These gains were sustained over four years following implementation (OR 1.9; 95% CI: 1.1-3.1; P = .018) despite varied clinic screening performance (4-year averaged range, 22.9-55.1%). Odds of early detection likewise doubled for patients with consecutive screenings (OR 2.2, 95% CI: 2.0-2.4; P < .001). Finally, surveyed patients preferred TDRS to specialist exams (82.5%; 776/941) and would recommend the service to friends (92.7%; 868/936). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE A statewide, FDSC-centered TDRS network was successfully established and sustained in a medically underserved region of the United States. Our results suggest that large TDRS networks in FDSCs can increase screening access and compliance for otherwise unscreened populations, but outcomes can vary greatly among clinics. Further work to optimize program implementation is needed to maximize this model's impact.
Understanding coherence and integration in integrated STEM curriculum

Few tools or rubrics exist to assess the quality of integrated STEM curricula, and existing tools focus on checklists of characteristics of integrated STEM. While such instruments provide important information about the presence and quality of certain curricular components, they do not assess the level and nature of integration of the curriculum as a whole. Thus, this study explores the development of a process focused to understand the nature of integration within a STEM curriculum unit. A conceptual flow graphic (CFG) was constructed for 50 integrated STEM curriculum units. Patterns in the nature of the interdisciplinary connections were used to categorize and understand the nature of integration and curricular coherence within each unit. The units formed four broad types of integrated STEM curricula: (i) coherent science unit with loosely connected engineering design challenge (EDC), (ii) engineering design-focused unit with limited connections to science content, (iii) engineering design unit with science content as context, and (iv) integrated and coherent STEM units. All physical science units were in the integrated and coherent category with strong conceptual integration between the main science concepts and the EDC. Curricula based in the Earth and life sciences generally lacked conceptual integration between the science content and the EDC and relied on the engineering design process to provide a coherent storyline for the unit. Our study shows that engineering practices can serve as a contextual integrator within a STEM unit. The utilization of an EDC also provides the potential for conceptual integration because engineering is grounded in the application of science and mathematics. Integrated STEM curricula that purposefully include science and mathematics concepts necessary to develop solutions to the EDC engage students in authentic engineering experiences and provide conceptual integration between the disciplines. However, the alignment of grade-level science standards with the EDC can be problematic, particularly in life science and Earth science. The CFG process provides a tool for determining the nature of integration between science and mathematics content and an EDC. These connections can be conceptual and/or contextual, as both forms of integration are appropriate depending on the instructional goals.
Economic evaluation of ramipril in the treatment of patients at high risk for cardiovascular events

SUMMARYCardiovascular disease (CVD) is a primary cause of death and morbidity in the United Kingdom (UK). Recently, the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) trial demonstrated significant survival and morbidity benefits associated with ramipril use in the treatment of patients at high risk for cardiovascular events. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether and to what extent, these clinical benefits might translate into economic benefits from the perspective of the UK NHS. Using trial data and a decision-analytic model, our base case estimate of cost-effectiveness is £4,406 per life-year saved (undiscounted) and £5,544 per life-year saved (discounted). The extreme values of our sensitivity analyses ranged from a best case of £2,814 per life-year saved (undiscounted) to a worst case of £10,291 per life-year saved (undiscounted). Our base case estimate of cost-effectiveness suggests that treating patients at high risk for CVD events with ramipril is likely to be a good investment of NHS resources.
2'-3'-Cyclic Nucleotide 3'-Phosphodiesterase Inhibition by Organometallic Vanadium Complexes: A Potential New Paradigm for Studying CNS Degeneration

The enzyme, 2'-3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) has been known for over fifty years. Nevertheless, the roles this membrane-bound enzyme play have yet to be described completely. Recently, there has been renewed interest in the study of this enzyme due to studies that suggest that CNPase plays a role in the mediation of cellular inflammatory responses in renal and nervous system tissues. Also, this enzyme, found in oligodendrocytes of the nervous system, has been reported to participate in significant regulatory changes associated with age which may be involved in age-related CNS degeneration. Consequently, development of CNPase inhibitors is of interest and should aid in the study of this, as yet, poorly understood enzyme. In this work we utilized a spectrophotometric enzyme assay to determine the effect a panel of organo-vanadium complexes had on isolated hamster myelin CNPase activity. Our group has now identified several potent in vitro CNPase inhibitors that could prove useful in clarifying the important roles of this enzyme.
Nonsmooth nonconvex LDCT image reconstruction via learned descent algorithm

Deep neural network architectures based on unrolling optimization algorithms have been widely adopted in deep-learning based image reconstruction applications in recent years. However, these architectures only mimic the iterative schemes of the corresponding algorithms, but lack rigorous convergence guarantee; and the learned network layers are difficult to interpret. These issues have hindered their applications in clinical use. In this paper, we develop an efficient Learned Descent Algorithm with a Line Search strategy (LDA-LS) and apply it to the nonconvex nonsmooth optimization problem of low-dose CT (LDCT) reconstruction. We show that LDA-LS yields a highly interpretable neural network architecture, where the regularization parameterized as multilayer perception is explicitly integrated into the iterative scheme and learned during the training process. We demonstrate that LDA-LS retains convergence guarantee as classical optimization algorithms, while achieving improved efficiency and accuracy in LDCT image reconstruction problems.
Role of MUC1 in pancreatic cancer.

5105 The objective of the study is to understand the oncogenic role of MUC1 glycoprotein in the development and progression of infiltrating ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (PDA) from preinvasive neoplasias (PanINs) to invasive adenocarcinomas, and to evaluate the efficacy of MUC1-targeted therapy for the treatment and/or prevention of this devastating disease. Background: MUC1 (CD227) is a membrane tethered mucin glycoprotein overexpressed and aberrantly glycosylated in >60% of human ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Over expression of MUC1 in PDA has long been known, but its function has been difficult to elucidate, partly due to the lack of appropriate models. With the advent of siRNA technology and the recent development of a mouse model of PDA, we can begin to fully elucidate the role of MUC1. Our hypothesis is that MUC1 plays an important oncogenic function in pancreatic cancer development and serves as a target for therapeutic intervention. Our specific aims are 1) To determine the functional role of MUC1 in human pancreatic cancer cell lines; 2) To determine the effects on the development of PanINs and PDA in Muc1-deficient PDA mice; and 3) To evaluate the effects on the development of PanINs and PDA in PDA mice expressing human MUC1. These mouse models provide an unique opportunity to understand the role of MUC1 during pancreatic cancer progression and the ability to evaluate MUC1-targeted immune therapy in the PDA mice that expresses human MUC1 as a self-antigen. In the third aim we also propose to determine novel strategies to reduce tumor-induced immune-suppression within the tumor microenvironment to improve efficacy of targeted immune therapy. Results: We demonstrate that down regulating MUC1 expression (by siRNA) in human pancreatic cancer cells (MiaPaCa-2 and Capan-1) significantly reduces cell proliferation and enhances sensitivity to genotoxic drugs. In the reverse experiment, by overexpressing MUC1 in low MUC1-expressing BxPC-3 cells, we observe high proliferation with low basal apoptosis. Similarly, when MUC1 transgenic mice are crossed with the PDA mice, they developed more aggressive PanINs and adenocarcinoma much sooner and in greater numbers with high expression of MUC1 and periodic acid Schiff reaction. These mice when treated with a specific MUC1 vaccine in combination with a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, showed significantly lower numbers of PanINs than those observed in control mice. Conclusions: These data strongly suggest a very important role of MUC1 in pancreatic cancer that warrants further exploration. These preclinical studies will form the basis for designing more efficacious and novel therapies to combat the mortality associated with PDA. Supported by NIH/NCI CA102701
Transcranial Theranostic Ultrasound for Pre-Planning and Blood-Brain Barrier Opening: A Feasibility Study Using an Imaging Phased Array In Vitro and In Vivo.

Focused ultrasound (FUS) for blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening is a safe, reversible and non-invasive strategy for targeted drug delivery to the brain, however extensive pre-planning strategies are necessary for successful FUS-mediated BBB opening through the structurally complex primate skull. Objective: This work aims to demonstrate a pre-planning pipeline consisting of transcranial simulations and in vitro experimentation used to inform synchronous BBB opening and power cavitation imaging (PCI) with a single theranostic ultrasound (TUS) phased array. Methods: Acoustic wave propagation simulation readouts of pressure attenuation and focal shift through clinical-CT and micro-CT-based primate skull models were compared, while the latter were used to determine the impact of beam steering angle on focal shift and pressure attenuation. In vitro experimentation with a channel phantom enabled characterization of skull-induced receive focal shift (RFS), while in vivo BBB opening and PCI using in silico and in vitro pre-planning information was conducted using a custom Verasonics/MATLAB script. Results: Simulations confirmed steering angle dependent transcranial focal shift and pressure attenuation, while in vitro experiments revealed minimal (0.30-1.50 mm) skull-induced RFS. In vivo rodent experiments with overlaid primate skull fragments demonstrated successful TUS-mediated BBB opening and spatially correlated power cavitation images (PCI) with regions of BBB opening on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI). Conclusion: Herein, we demonstrate the feasibility for TUS-mediated BBB opening in vivo using in silico and in vitro pre-planning information. Significance: TUS as an ultrasound-guided modality for BBB opening could be a promising alternative to current FUS-mediated BBB opening configurations in the clinic.
The Biology of Oxygen Radicals: Threats and Defenses

Ground state dioxygen is predisposed to reduction by a univalent pathway which entails the formation of the reactive intermediates O2 -, H2O2, and HO·. These species are produced during the passage of ionizing radiation through aerated aqueous solutions. Indeed, the superoxide radical (O2 -) and the hydroxyl radical (HO·) were first identified by radiation chemists and have been extensively studied by the technique of pulse radiolysis (1,2).
Administrative Law for Idaho Local Governments

This is a draft chapter on administrative law issues facing Idaho local governments. The chapter will eventually be part of a treatise on Idaho administrative law generally. Comments on this draft are invited.
The Distribution of the Number of Empty Cells in a Generalized Random Allocation Scheme

n balls are randomly distributed into N cells, so that no cell may contain more than one ball. This process is repeated m times. In addition, balls may disappear; such disappearances are independent and identically Bernoulli distributed. Conditions are given under which the number of empty cells has an asymptotically ( N →∞) standard normal distribution.
Clinical Approach to Treatment of Bacterial Infections

The determination that a patient has a bacterial infection can be made on the basis of the history, physical examination, and clinical setting, or it can be made on the basis of either histopathologic or microbiologic diagnostic tests. Histologic analysis of infected tissues will often yield information as to the staining characteristics of the bacteria. Even before the microbiology laboratory identifies the strain of bacteria, the organism will be reported as gram negative or gram positive. Clinical clues can also suggest whether the likely infection is caused by gram-negative or gram-positive organisms. For example, infections of the skin are likely to be caused by Streptococcus or Staphylococcus, both of which are aerobic gram-positive organisms. Infections of the gastrointestinal tract, on the other hand, are likely to be caused by either aerobic or anaerobic gram-negative organisms since these are the dominant flora of the gut.
Color constancy, intrinsic images, and shape estimation

We present SIRFS (shape, illumination, and reflectance from shading), the first unified model for recovering shape, chromatic illumination, and reflectance from a single image. Our model is an extension of our previous work [1], which addressed the achromatic version of this problem. Dealing with color requires a modified problem formulation, novel priors on reflectance and illumination, and a new optimization scheme for dealing with the resulting inference problem. Our approach outperforms all previously published algorithms for intrinsic image decomposition and shape-from-shading on the MIT intrinsic images dataset [1, 2] and on our own "naturally" illuminated version of that dataset.
AM-AOMDV: Adaptive Multi-metric Ad-Hoc On-Demand Multipath Distance Vector Routing

This paper proposes AM-AOMDV, a novel multi-metric and multipath reactive routing scheme for wireless ad hoc networks. The AM-AOMDV extends the AOMDV scheme by including a multiple route metrics, a novel local route update and route maintenance algorithm. The algorithm uses the one-hop information exchange between neighboring nodes to increase the packet throughput and route longevity, decrease the end-to-end latency, route discovery frequency and route overhead under high mobility environments. The multiple metrics (i.e., node-to-end latency, node-to-end RSSI, and node occupancy) allow the routing scheme to converge to the most efficient route during the data transmission period and hence avoid the creation of hotspots under heavy traffic conditions. Simulations are carried out in ns-2 and the results are compared to the AOMDV protocol. The results show that the AM-AOMDV outperforms the AOMDV protocol in terms of the above discussed performance metrics.
The Darwinian Eye

Endless Forms . Charles Darwin, Natural Science and the Visual Arts. Diana Donald and Jane Munro, Curators . Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT. 12 February-3 May, 2009. Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. 16 June-4 October, 2009. [www.darwinendlessforms.org][1] Endless Forms . Charles Darwin, Natural Science and the Visual Arts. Diana Donald and Jane Munro, Eds. . Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 2009. 358 pp. $75, £40. ISBN 9780300148268. This exhibit explores the wide range of interplay between Darwin's ideas and the visual culture of the 19th century. [1]: http://www.darwinendlessforms.org
Design and Analysis of Genetic Association Studies to Finely Map a Locus Identified by Linkage Analysis: Sample Size and Power Calculations

Summary Association (e.g. case-control) studies are often used to finely map loci identified by linkage analysis. We investigated the influence of various parameters on power and sample size requirements for such a study. Calculations were performed for various values of a high-risk functional allele (fA), frequency of a marker allele associated with the high risk allele (f1), degree of linkage disquilibrium between functional and marker alleles (D′) and trait heritability attributable to the functional locus (h2). The calculations show that if cases and controls are selected from equal but opposite extreme quantiles of a quantitative trait, the primary determinants of power are h2 and the specific quantiles selected. For a dichotomous trait, power also depends on population prevalence. Power is optimal if functional alleles are studied (fA= f1 and D′= 1.0) and can decrease substantially as D′ diverges from 1.0 or as f1 diverges from fA. These analyses suggest that association studies to finely map loci are most powerful if potential functional polymorphisms are identified a priori or if markers are typed to maximize haplotypic diversity. In the absence of such information, expected minimum power at a given location for a given sample size can be calculated by specifying a range of potential frequencies for fA (e.g. 0.1-0.9) and determining power for all markers within the region with specification of the expected D′ between the markers and the functional locus. This method is illustrated for a fine-mapping project with 662 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 24 Mb. Regions differed by marker density and allele frequencies. Thus, in some, power was near its theoretical maximum and little additional information is expected from additional markers, while in others, additional markers appear to be necessary. These methods may be useful in the analysis and interpretation of fine-mapping studies.
Physical database design techniques

The physical database design problem has received considerable attention in the past. In this paper we present a sample of the techniques and models used to solve some of the problems in this area. A detailed analysis of two of these problems is shown.
Digital Mcluhan: A Guide to the Information Millennium:

(2000). Digital Mcluhan: A Guide to the Information Millennium: American Journalism: Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 121-124.
2D mammography, digital breast tomosynthesis, and ultrasound: which should be used for the different breast densities in breast cancer screening?

Abstract Purpose To determine which modalities [2D mammography (2D), digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), whole breast sonography (WBS)] are optimal for screening depending on breast density. Methods Institutional retrospective cohort study of 2013 screening mammograms (16,789), sorted by modalities and density. Results Cancer detection is increased by adding WBS to 2D ( P =.02) for the overall study population. Recall rate was lowest with 2D+DBT (10.2%, P P Conclusion Women with dense and nondense breasts benefit from reduced recall rate with the addition of DBT; however, this benefit is negated with the addition of WBS.
Effect of graphene on the self-assembly and rheological behavior of a triblock copolymer gel

The self-assembly behavior of physical gels and the effect of such an assembly on the mechanical properties are of significant interest. Here, graphene nanoplatelets have been incorporated in a triblock copolymer gel consisting of poly(methyl methacrylate)–poly(n-butyl acrylate)–poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMMA–PnBA–PMMA] in a midblock selective solvent, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. The thermoreversible nature of the gel allowed us to incorporate the graphene nanoplatelets in a liquid stage and these nanoplatelets then become part of the network structure as the solution is cooled. Shear rheology is used to investigate the change of mechanical properties as a function of graphene concentration. Graphene nanoplatelets affect the self-assembly behavior as demonstrated by the decrease of gelation temperature. Interestingly, no significant increase of modulus was observed with the incorporation of graphene, as typically observed in polymer nanocomposites. This indicates that the graphene nanoplatelets are not actively participating in load-bearing, i.e. the platelets are not elastically active. A small change of relaxation time in graphene containing triblock copolymer gels has been observed, as captured by stress relaxation experiments. Our results provide a method to incorporate nanomaterials in physically crosslinked polymer gels without affecting the mechanical properties significantly.