cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed Adaptive Bit-Loading for Spectrum Optimization in Multi-User Multicarrier Systems

This paper presents a discrete bit-loading algorithm for multi-user multicarrier systems with application to spectrum balancing in digital-subscriber-lines. The algorithm can be implemented in a distributed manner using limited information that is sent to modems by a spectrum management center (SMC). The SMC first classifies users as strong and weak. Strong users then form a rate-penalty table that is used along with the Levin-Campello bit-loading algorithm to limit the interference to weak users. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve near-optimal performance. Moreover, the structure of the algorithm enables easy implementation of polite bit and gain adaptation procedures without the need for executing the entire bit-loading algorithm again.
Biologically-inspired robotics vision monte-carlo localization in the outdoor environment

We present a robot localization system using biologically-inspired vision. Our system models two extensively studied human visual capabilities: (1) extracting the "gist" of a scene to produce a coarse localization hypothesis, and (2) refining it by locating salient landmark regions in the scene. Gist is computed here as a holistic statistical signature of the image, yielding abstract scene classification and layout. Saliency is computed as a measure of interest at every image location, efficiently directing the time-consuming landmark identification process towards the most likely candidate locations in the image. The gist and salient landmark features are then further processed using a Monte-Carlo localization algorithm to allow the robot to generate its position. We test the system in three different outdoor environments - building complex (126times180 ft. area, 3794 testing images), vegetation-filled park (270times360 ft. area, 7196 testing images), and open-field park (450times585 ft. area, 8287 testing images) - each with its own challenges. The system is able to localize, on average, within 6.0, 10.73, and 32.24 ft., respectively, even with multiple kidnapped-robot instances.
Intratumoral Heterogeneity of ALK-Rearranged and ALK/EGFR Coaltered Lung Adenocarcinoma

Purpose Genetic intratumoral heterogeneity has a profound influence on the selection of clinical treatment strategies and on addressing resistance to targeted therapy. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential effect of intratumoral heterogeneity on both genetic and pathologic characteristics of ALK-rearranged lung adenocarcinoma (LADC). Methods We tested ALK fusions and EGFR mutations in 629 patients with LADC by using laser-capture microdissection to capture spatially separated tumor cell subpopulations in various adenocarcinoma subtypes and to test for ALK fusions and EGFR mutations in ALK-rearranged, EGFR-mutated, and ALK/EGFR coaltered LADCs to compare the oncogenic driver status between different tumor cell subpopulations in the same primary tumor. Results Among the 629 patients, 30 (4.8%) had ALK fusions, 364 (57.9%) had EGFR mutations, and two had ALK fusions that coexisted with EGFR mutations. Intratumoral heterogeneity of ALK fusions were identified in nine patients by reverse-trans...
Extramammary Paget's disease associated with prostate adenocarcinoma

A case of scrotal and penile extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) and concurrent prostate adenocarcinoma in a 59-year-old patient is presented. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells of both the EMPD and prostate stained positively for prostate-specific antigen. Six previously reported cases of EMPD associated with prostate adenocarcinoma are reviewed, along with a discussion of current theories of the pathogenesis of EMPD.
Direct Evidence of Endothelial Oxidative Stress With Aging in Humans: Relation to Impaired Endothelium-Dependent Dilation and Upregulation of Nuclear Factor-κB

Aging is associated with impaired vascular endothelial function, as indicated in part by reduced endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD). Decreased EDD with aging is thought to be related to vascular endothelial cell oxidative stress, but direct evidence is lacking. We studied 95 healthy men: 51 young (23±1 years) and 44 older (63±1 years). EDD (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation) was ≈50% lower in older versus young men (3.9±0.3% versus 7.6±0.3%, P <0.01; n=42 older/n=51 young). Abundance of nitrotyrosine (quantitative immunofluorescence), an oxidatively modified amino acid and marker of oxidative stress, was higher in endothelial cells (ECs) obtained from the brachial artery (1.25±0.12 versus 0.61±0.11 nitrotyrosine intensity/human umbilical vein EC [HUVEC] intensity, P =0.01; n=11 older/n=11 young) and antecubital veins (0.55±0.04 versus 0.34±0.03, P <0.05; n=19 older/n=17 young) of older men. Flow-mediated dilation was inversely related to arterial EC nitrotyrosine expression ( r =−0.62, P =0.01; n=22). In venous samples, EC expression of the oxidant enzyme NAD(P)H oxidase-p47phox was higher in older men (0.71±0.05 versus 0.57±0.05 NAD[P]H oxidase-p47phox intensity/HUVEC intensity, P <0.05; n=19 older/n=18 young), whereas xanthine oxidase and the antioxidant enzymes cytosolic and mitochondrial superoxide dismutase and catalase were not different between groups. Nuclear factor-κB p65, a component of the redox-sensitive nuclear transcription factor nuclear factor-κB, was elevated in both arterial (0.73±0.07 versus 0.53±0.05 NF-κB p65 intensity/HUVEC intensity, P <0.05; n=9 older/n=12 young) and venous (0.65±0.07 versus 0.34±0.05, P <0.01; n=13 older/n=15 young) EC samples of older men and correlated with nitrotyrosine expression ( r =0.51, P <0.05 n=16). These results provide direct support for the hypothesis that endothelial oxidative stress develops with aging in healthy men and is related to reductions in EDD. Increased expression of NAD(P)H oxidase and nuclear factor-κB may contribute to endothelial oxidative stress with aging in humans.
Radar Retrieval of Surface and Deep Soil Moisture and Effect of Moisture Profile on Inversion Accuracy

We study the retrieval of surface and deep moisture of bare soil from noisy radar observations using simulated annealing. Due to moisture variations with depth, we model bare soil with a stratified dielectric profile with a rough surface on top. Small perturbation method (SPM) is used as the forward model. We use the full moisture profile for radar data synthesis and study the retrieval accuracy by varying the number of layers that represent the soil profile during inversion. The effect of measurement frequency on the accuracy of deep moisture retrieval is investigated. This work is intended for assessing the effect of subsurface profile on soil moisture retrieval from radar observations of NASA's Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) mission and future lower frequency airborne or spaceborne systems that may follow SMAP.
A nationwide adaptive prediction tool for coronary heart disease prevention

Standardised electronic recording of cardiovascular risk factor data collected during primary care delivery could be used to create a new strategy, using an adaptive prediction model, for targeting primary prevention interventions at high-risk individuals. In the short term, this should progressively improve data quality and allow risk modification to be monitored at the population level. In the long term, feedback of data on cardiovascular disease development might enable the model to tailor the recommended interventions more appropriately to the needs of the individual and to adapt to future changes in risk patterns. Ultimately, the inclusion of additional cardiovascular risk factors might enable a richer, more realistic picture of cardiovascular risk profiles to be uncovered. This model may have wider uses in both research and practice, and provides a further incentive for the standardisation of record keeping in primary care.
Interdiffusion in CoO‐NiO Solid Solutions

Interdiffusion coefficients were measured in CoO-NiO solid solutions over the range 1000° to 1600°C in air and at po2=5×10−8 atm. Isothermal values of the interdiffusion coefficients in this system increased exponentially with the CoO concentration. Comparison of the present results with cation-tracer diffusion coefficients for this system measured under similar conditions by Chen and Peterson shows that a Darken-type equation relating the interdiffusion coefficient to the cation-tracer diffusivities is valid for these data.
A validated liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of phencyclidine in microliter samples of rat serum

A liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric method is described for the determination of phencyclidine (PCP) in small volumes of rat serum (e.g. 50 µl). Samples were extracted using a mixed-mode strong cation-exchange column and then separated isocratically using a narrow-bore (2.1 mm i.d.) 3 µm Hypersil phenyl column and a mobile phase consisting of an ammonium formate buffer (pH 2.7) with 60% (v/v) methanol. Detection was accomplished using positive ion electrospray ionization in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Mass spectra were obtained and peaks were observed at an m/z (% abundance) of 244 (100), 159 (25), and 86 (89). Tandem mass spectra were also obtained from the m/z 244 precursor ion with peaks observed at m/z 159 (100), 86 (96), and 91 (11). Optimum serum PCP sensitivity and precision were obtained at a transition of m/z 244 → 159. Matrix-associated ion suppression did not significantly affect the accuracy (100–112%) or precision (CV ≤8%) of the assay. The lower limit of quantitation was 1 ng ml−1 in 50 µl of serum. The method was used to study the serum pharmacokinetics of PCP in rats after an intravenous bolus dose of PCP. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inflation over a local maximum of a potential

We calculate the power spectrum of curvature perturbations when the inflaton field is rolling over the top of a local maximum of a potential. We show that the evolution of the field can be decomposed into a late-time attractor, which is identified as the slow roll solution, plus a rapidly decaying non-slow roll solution, corresponding to the field rolling ''up the hill'' to the maximum of the potential. The exponentially decaying transient solution can map to an observationally relevant range of scales because the Universe is also expanding exponentially. We consider the two branches separately and we find that they are related through a simple transformation of the slow roll parameter {eta} and they predict identical power spectra. We generalize this approach to the case where the inflaton field is described by both branches simultaneously and find that the mode equation can be solved exactly at all times. Even though the slow roll parameter {eta} is evolving rapidly during the transition from the transient solution to the late-time attractor solution, the resultant power spectrum is an exact power-law spectrum. Such solutions may be useful for model building on the string landscape.
A note on the computation of the largest p LCEs of discrete dynamical systems

Two efficient and numerically stable methods for the computation of the largest p Lyapunov characteristic exponents of an n dimensional discrete dynamical systems are presented. The efficiencies of the proposed methods are compared with the efficiencies of other methods through an operation count, and illustrated with an example.
Space Vector Current Controller for Three-Phase Induction Motor Drives

In this paper, a space vector current controller for an induction motor drive system for vehicle applications is presented. The control method utilizes harmonic current components represented in a rotated coordinate system with chosen switching states from a switching table. The proposed current controller determines a set of space vectors with the sector selection and applies the selected vector based on the hysteresis controller. The proposed approach can improve the performance of an induction motor drive such as the switching power loss and the total harmonic distortion. The simulation results and the performance comparison with the conventional methods are presented. The proposed method is also verified based on the prototype test-bed using a digital signal processor.
Effects of the Communities That Care Model in Pennsylvania on Change in Adolescent Risk and Problem Behaviors

Despite the public health burden of adolescent substance use, delinquency, and other problem behavior, few comprehensive models of disseminating evidence-based prevention programs to communities have demonstrated positive youth outcomes at a population level, capacity to maintain program fidelity, and sustainability. We examined whether the Communities That Care (CTC; Hawkins and Catalano 1992) model had a positive impact on risk/protective factors and academic and behavioral outcomes among adolescents in a quasi-experimental effectiveness study. We conducted a longitudinal study of CTC in Pennsylvania utilizing biannual surveillance data collected through anonymous in-school student surveys. We utilized multilevel models to examine CTC impact on change in risk/protective factors, grades, delinquency, and substance use over time. Youth in CTC communities demonstrated less growth in delinquency, but not substance use, than youth in non-CTC communities. Levels of risk factors increased more slowly, and protective factors and academic performance decreased more slowly, among CTC community grade-cohorts that were exposed to evidence-based, universal prevention programs than comparison grade cohorts. Community coalitions can affect adolescent risk and protective behaviors at a population level when evidence-based programs are utilized. CTC represents an effective model for disseminating such programs.
Properties of low-latitude mantle plasma in the Earth's magnetotail: ARTEMIS observations and global MHD predictions

The Earth's plasma mantle is one of the major suppliers of particles for the plasma sheet. To understand its plasma characteristics, spatial distributions, and dependencies on interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) direction, we statistically analyzed the Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) observations in the low-latitude magnetotail (~10 RE above and below the current sheet) and investigated the predictions from global Block Adaptive Tree Solar wind-Roe-Upwind Scheme MHD simulations. The mantle plasma flows tailward along magnetic field lines (~50–200 km/s) and at the same time drifts toward midnight and toward the current sheet. The mantle plasma has similar temperature (~0.05–0.2 keV) to the magnetosheath plasma but has lower density (~0.1–1 cm−3). The mantle appearance is dawn-dusk asymmetric depending mainly on the IMF By direction. The occurrence rates, density, and V|| all decrease with decreasing |Y|. This density cross-tail profile suggests that the low-latitude mantle plasma mainly comes from the magnetosheath entering through the tail magnetopause along the open field lines. Density is highly and positively correlated with V||. These observations are qualitatively consistent with the MHD results. The simulations indicate that as IMF By becomes dominant, the source locations at the magnetopause for the mantle move to lower latitudes and become dawn-dusk asymmetric, and the tail cross section also becomes distorted with the magnetopause shape elongating and the current sheet tilting significantly. Degrees of these changes also vary with the downtail distances and IMF Bz direction. The source location change leads to the dawn-dusk asymmetric mantle appearance. The tail cross-section change alters the distance from the sources to the current sheet and thus the resulting mantle density distributions just outside the plasma sheet.
My role as a clinical coach in veterinary practice

ABSTRACT:I have had the role of ‘teacher’ in many forms over the years. I have seen the training scheme for veterinary nurses evolve from the days of the ‘green book’, through the editions of the Portfolio with the NVQ qualification, and now to the Nursing Progress Log (NPL) with the Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing.Over the years, I have been a trainer, a lecturer in veterinary nursing at Berkshire College of Agriculture, D32/33 Unit assessor, A1 assessor and now a clinical coach. Although the qualifications have changed, my role as a clinical coach still involves what it always has done – to provide a high standard of practical training of nursing skills to student veterinary nurses, while delivering this in a supportive way that encourages the students to be self-directed and enjoy learning for themselves.
The probabilistic niche model reveals substantial variation in the niche structure of empirical food webs

The structure of food webs, complex networks of interspecies feeding interactions, plays a crucial role in ecosystem resilience and function, and understanding food web structure remains a central problem in ecology. Previous studies have shown that key features of empirical food webs can be reproduced by low-dimensional “niche” models. Here we examine the form and variability of food web niche structure by fitting a probabilistic niche model to 37 empirical food webs, a much larger number of food webs than used in previous studies. The model relaxes previous assumptions about parameter distributions and hierarchy and returns parameter estimates for each species in each web. The model significantly outperforms previous niche model variants and also performs well for several webs where a body-size-based niche model performs poorly, implying that traits other than body size are important in structuring these webs' niche space. Parameter estimates frequently violate previous models' assumptions: in 19 of 37 ...
Focusing of electromagnetic waves through a dielectric interface

Given a time-harmonic electric-current distribution over a finite planar aperture situated in front of a dielectric half-space, the transmitted field in the dielectric half-space is calculated by the plane-wave-spectrum technique. We concentrate on the current distribution that focuses the electromagnetic energy into a small spot in the dielectric medium, such as in hyperthermia applications. Numerical results are given to illustrate the variation of spot size and of focal-point electric-field intensity as functions of polarization, scanning, and the permittivity of the half-space. We find that (1) the maximum electric-field intensity is not at the focal point but rather at a point closer to the aperture; for a small aperture, this focal shift may be more than one wavelength; (2) when the dielectric half-space is introduced, the 3-dB spot size changes according to the ratio of the wavelength in the half-space to that in the original aperture medium; and (3) the electric-field intensity at the focal point is greatest when the permittivity of the half-space is less than that of the aperture medium, not when the two media are electrically matched.
How Does Negative Life Change Following Disaster Response Impact Distress Among Red Cross Responders

The American Red Cross is the largest nongovernmental organization responding to disasters in the United States. This study investigated the impact of negative life change occurring in the year following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on levels of distress among 757 Red Cross Disaster Services Human Resources (national disaster team) employees and volunteers who responded to this disaster. Negative life change in the year following disaster response fully mediated the relationship between disaster response and symptoms of depression and partially mediated the responses between disaster response and posttraumatic stress and anxiety symptoms. Results highlight the importance of life experiences in the year following disaster response and, therefore, the education and follow-up services provided to disaster workers prior to and following disaster assignment. Suggestions for monitoring disaster-related stress during and following assignment are provided.
Moderate to Severe, but Not Mild, Maternal Anemia, Is Associated with Increased Risk of Small-for-Gestational-Age Outcomes

Anemia is highly prevalent globally, estimated at 40-50% in women of reproductive age. Prior studies have produced inconclusive evidence as to the association between maternal anemia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). We conducted a systematic review of the literature containing associations between maternal anemia and small for gestational age (SGA) outcomes (as a proxy for IUGR). A meta-analysis was performed to pool associations, categorized by the hemoglobin cutoffs presented by the authors. We identified 12 studies reporting associations between maternal anemia and SGA. For the meta-analysis, there were 7 associations with a hemoglobin cutoff <110 g/L, 7 with a cutoff <100 g/L, and 5 with a cutoff <90 or <80 g/L. Although the <110- and <100-g/L categories showed no significant relationship with SGA, the <90- or <80-g/L category was associated with a 53% increase in risk of the newborn being SGA [pooled OR = 1.53 (95% CI: 1.24-1.87); P < 0.001]. Moderate to severe, but not mild, maternal anemia appears to have an association with SGA outcomes, but the findings must be viewed with caution due to the great heterogeneity of the studies. Further examination should be conducted using datasets with better standardized definitions and measurements of exposure and outcome.
Dance and the Female Singer in Second Empire Opera

Abstract A vogue for coloratura dance arias began in the 1850s. This emerging genre combined melismatic singing with two hugely popular social dance genres: the bolero and the waltz. Scholars have observed an association between these social dances and a certain euphoric feminine sensuality, but the connection between this youthful ebullience in dance and virtuosic female vocality has been largely ignored. Dancing was notorious in the nineteenth century because of its dangerously arousing and vertiginous effects. As dances increased in speed and difficulty, so too did the singing of sopranos in midcentury Paris. In exploring relationships between dance, femininity, and singing, this article situates coloratura dance arias in the Paris of Napoleon III9s Second Empire, a city sometimes condemned for its decadent materialism or dismissed because of its political impotence, in spite of its cultural, architectural, and technological importance. I argue for a connection between coloratura and the female body in precisely the era when the venerable singing style became the almost exclusive domain of the female singer and, simultaneously, reached its apogee in a Paris devoted to all the joy and glamour it could afford. Specific performers such as Marie Cabel and Caroline Carvalho were key to the success and even creation of these dance arias. These sopranos were certainly objectified in a problematic manner, but they were also “envoiced” (Carolyn Abbate9s term) as wielders of a compelling musical power: coloratura. In providing virtuosic and luxurious expressions of femininity, these coloratura dance arias established a new sense of female vocality in the aural imagination of the Second Empire.
The Geopolitics of the Region

This essay examines the current geopolitical situation in the Caspian Basin and the extent to which it differs from the historical “Great Game ” played by imperial powers in the previous centuries. It looks first at a number of critical issues that shape the dynamics of relationships among countries in the Caspian Basin:resources, their location and various countries’ jurisdiction (and claims of ownership) over them, market factors, transport options (access), and environmental concerns, as well as the role of Islam and ethnicity in shaping the region’s emerging identities. It then turns to an assessment of Russian and U.S. interests (and to a lesser extent Turkish and Iranian interests) perceived to be at stake and the policies that result from those perceived interests. It concludes that the unanswered question most critical to the future of the Caspian Basin (and to the geopolitics of the region) is the future direction of Russia, and that until this question is answered, the vision for Central Asia articulated by Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott on July 12, 1997,remains the most conducive to the region’s development and prosperity.
The Effect of Large Ice Sheets on Earthquake Genesis

Two continent-scale ice sheets—Antarctica and Greenland—currently exist on earth. The interiors of both continents are virtually aseismic. Is this coincidental or does a causal connection exist between the two observations? An examination of this question is the subject of this paper. It is concluded that with a few reasonable assumptions, ice sheets will indeed inhibit earthquakes by stabilizing potentially seismogenic faults in the underlying brittle crust. This same mechanism may also provide an explanation for the intense late-glacial faulting in Fennoscandia reported elsewhere in this volume.
Nearly-background-free, phase-preserving parametric up-conversion at the single-photon level

We demonstrate a background-free (to within experimental uncertainty) frequency up-converter. In addition, high fringe contrast at a single-photon-level in an up-converting interferometer is demonstrated, an enabling step towards faithful up-conversion of entangled photon pairs.
A new computation algorithm for analysis of complex distributed systems

This paper presents a systematic computation algorithm for the analysis of one-dimensional distributed parameter systems. The method is developed in the frequency domain and gives exact closed-form results for both free and forced responses. An example of a simple supported beam with four spans of different properties is considered. In determining the characteristic equation of the complex structure, classical methods lead to the evaluation of the determinant of a 16 x 16 matrix. With the present algorithm, only a 3 x 3 tri-diagonal matrix is evaluated. Moreover, the mode shapes can be evaluated in a straight-forward manner. Eigenvalue curve veering and mode localization phenomenon are found and discussed for the four-span example. It is shown that mode localization can occur in spatially symmetric systems whose frequency loci do not veer.
293 Novel Nebulized Arginase Inhibitor Increases Human Lung Compliance during Normothermic Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion

Novel Nebulized Arginase Inhibitor Increases Human Lung Compliance during Normothermic Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion T.J. George, G.J. Arnaoutakis, C.A. Beaty, S.K. Jandu, L. Santhanam, D.E. Berkowitz, A.S. Shah. The Division of Cardiac Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD; The Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.
SU-F-T-38: How Much Dose Is Given in MR Guided Cervical Cancer Brachytherapy with the Ring and Tandem Applicators?

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetric metrics of HDR Ring and Tandem applicator Brachytherapy for primary cervical cancers. Methods: The dosimetric metrics of high-risk clinical target volumes (HDR-CTV) of 12 patients (in total 60 fractions/plans) treated with the HDR ring and tandem applicators were retrospectively analyzed. Ring diameter is from 2.6 to 3.4 cm, tandem length is from 4 to 6 cm, and the angle is either 45 or 60 degrees. The first fraction plan was MR guided, the MR images were then used as a reference for contouring the HR-CTV in CT images of following 4 fractions. The nominal prescription dose was between 5.2 and 5.8 Gy at the point A. The plans were adjusted to cover at least 90% of the HR-CTV by 90% of the prescription dose and to reduce the doses to the bladder, rectum and bowel-bag. Minimum target dose of D100 and D90 were converted into the biologically equivalent EBRT dose D90-iso and D100-iso (using α/β=10 Gy, 2 Gy/fx). Equivalent uniform doses (EUD) based on the average cancer killing across the target volume were calculated by the modified linear quadratic model (MLQ) from the differential dose volume histogram (DVH) tables. Results: The average D90iso of all plans is 8.1 Gy (ranging from 6.2 to 15 Gy, median 7.8 Gy); the average D100iso is just 4.1 Gy (ranging from 1.8 to 7.8 Gy; median 3.9 Gy). The average EUD is 7.0 Gy (ranging from 6.1 to 9.6 Gy, median 6.9 Gy), which is 87% of the D90iso, and 170% of the D100iso. Conclusion: The EUDs is smaller than D90iso but greater than D100iso. Because the EUD takes into account the intensive cancer cell killing in the high dose zone of HR-CTV, MLQ calculated EUD apparently is more relevant than D90 and D100 to describe the HDR brachytherapy treatment quality.
Organofluorine Compounds in Neurological Disorders

Neurological disorders such as Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Pick disease are among least understood in terms of their mechanisms of onset, although significant progress has been made in recent years in this direction. Currently available pharmaceuticals for treating AD, based on acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, and antiinflammatory drugs are based on symptomatic aspects of the disease rather than on a lasting cure. Current focus on developing AD therapeutics is targeted on β-secretase (BACE-1) inhibitors, γ-secretase modulators (GSM), γ-secretase inhibitors (GSI), and cell cycle inhibitors. This chapter outlines recent trend in the development of therapeutics based on organofluorine compounds, based on BACE-1 inhibitors, and GSM and GSI.
Functional Heterogeneity of Human T Cell Responses to Class I and Class II MHC Antigens

Class II MHC antigens have been previously demonstrated to play a crucial role in T cell activation by alloantigen and in T-B collaboration in response to soluble antigen. To investigate the role of these antigens in greater detail, we have employed four in vitro models that allow differential presentation of class I and class II antigen [1–3]. These are heat-treated lymphocytes, highly purified T cells, purified platelets, and D/DR-compatible lymphocytes. As we have reported previously, lymphocytes heated to 45 °C for 60 min completely lose their ability to stimulate an allogeneic MLR response. They do, however, retain all their serologically identified HLA-DR and DQ antigens and are equivalent to untreated cells in their ability to absorb such anti- class II activity from alloantisera. We refer to this as a model for class I plus nonimmunogenic class II antigen. D/DR (MLC-compatible) cells also fall into this category. T cells extensively purified in the absence of foreign protein (fetal calf serum) are ≫95% DR negative, and thus we use these cells as a model for class I antigen alone. Platelets also possess class I antigen only.
Growth of Hecke Fields Along a p-Adic Analytic Family of Modular Forms

Fix a nearly ordinary non-CM p-adic analytic family of Hilbert modular Hecke eigenforms (over a totally real field F). We prove existence of a density one set \(\Xi \) of primes of the field F such that the degree of the field over \(\mathbb{Q}(\mu _{p^{\infty }})\) generated by the Hecke eigenvalue of the Hecke operator \(T(\mathfrak{l})\) grows indefinitely over the family for each prime \(\mathfrak{l}\) in the set \(\Xi \).
Value of Clinical Examination in Predicting Etiology of Global Developmental Delay

The clinical features at initial examination that proved of value in predicting the etiology of global developmental delay (GDD) were analyzed in a retrospective study of 261 unselected young children seen in an academic pediatric neurology practice, 1994-2004, at Montreal Children’s Hospital, Quebec, Canada.
A systems biology approach to investigate the antimicrobial activity of oleuropein

Oleuropein and its hydrolysis products are olive phenolic compounds that have antimicrobial effects on a variety of pathogens, with the potential to be utilized in food and pharmaceutical products. While the existing research is mainly focused on individual genes or enzymes that are regulated by oleuropein for antimicrobial activities, little work has been done to integrate intracellular genes, enzymes and metabolic reactions for a systematic investigation of antimicrobial mechanism of oleuropein. In this study, the first genome-scale modeling method was developed to predict the system-level changes of intracellular metabolism triggered by oleuropein in Staphylococcus aureus, a common food-borne pathogen. To simulate the antimicrobial effect, an existing S. aureus genome-scale metabolic model was extended by adding the missing nitric oxide reactions, and exchange rates of potassium, phosphate and glutamate were adjusted in the model as suggested by previous research to mimic the stress imposed by oleuropein on S. aureus. The developed modeling approach was able to match S. aureus growth rates with experimental data for five oleuropein concentrations. The reactions with large flux change were identified and the enzymes of fifteen of these reactions were validated by existing research for their important roles in oleuropein metabolism. When compared with experimental data, the up/down gene regulations of 80% of these enzymes were correctly predicted by our modeling approach. This study indicates that the genome-scale modeling approach provides a promising avenue for revealing the intracellular metabolism of oleuropein antimicrobial properties.
LOR-interleaving image reconstruction for PET with collimation

We propose using collimation in a PET scanner to achieve high-resolution images in a central region of interest. The collimator is designed to partially mask detector crystals to detect lines of response (LORs) within fractional crystals. A sequence of collimator-encoded LORs is measured with different collimation configurations. This novel collimated scanner geometry makes the reconstruction problem challenging, as collimator effects need to be modeled to restore high-resolution LORs from collimator-encoded LORs. In this study, we presented an LOR-interleaving technique to reconstruct high-resolution images from a set of collimated sinograms. We developed a 3-D ray-tracing model for the collimator incorporating both the collimator and crystal penetration. Each mean measured LOR can be modeled as a mixture of high-resolution LORs with mixing coefficients determined by collimator attenuation. By registering the measured LORs with the collimator configurations, high-resolution LORs are restored based on the modeled transfer coefficients using the nonnegative least-squares method. For validation, we applied the approach to A-PET, a small-animal PET scanner, with a specially designed collimator. Details regarding the implementation of the algorithm are provided. We show that our approach can obtain reconstructions with significantly improved spatial resolution and quantification compared with uncollimated PET.
Mobile authentication for software engineering: A case study of research and development student projects

This paper presents an ongoing work on integrating computer security topics into project-based software engineering courses. We describe two projects, in which students follow an incremental delivery software process and a scrum-like software process to design and implement two different authentication systems for mobile devices. The project topics and the software processes were matched to better reflect the nature of the implemented systems.
Current Management of the Splenic Incidentaloma

Focal lesions of the spleen are being detected at an ever-increasing rate given the constant improvement in temporal and spatial resolution of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Many commonly encountered benign “incidentalomas” of the spleen present as non-specific lesions that are hypoattenuating relative to the background normal splenic parenchyma on CT. Incidentally detected lesions can lead to increased patient anxiety, while posing challenges in patient management for practicing radiologists and clinicians. While the literature regarding incidentally detected splenic lesions has previously been relatively scarce, recent consensus criteria have emerged in recent years that greatly aid in the characterization and management of such lesions. This article discusses the diagnosis and management of incidentally detected splenic lesions based on recently consensus criteria. This review is intended to aid clinical radiologists in the characterization, differentiation and management of incidentally detected splenic lesions.
Every defect is a treasure

After seeing multiple providers for various complaints, a patient becomes frustrated with the healthcare system. She is diagnosed with acromegaly secondary to pituitary tumor when she transfers to another healthcare system.
Comparing speech and nonspeech context effects across timescales in coarticulatory contexts

Context effects are ubiquitous in speech perception and reflect the ability of human listeners to successfully perceive highly variable speech signals. In the study of how listeners compensate for coarticulatory variability, past studies have used similar effects speech and tone analogues of speech as strong support for speech-neutral, general auditory mechanisms for compensation for coarticulation. In this manuscript, we revisit compensation for coarticulation by replacing standard button-press responses with mouse-tracking responses and examining both standard geometric measures of uncertainty as well as newer information-theoretic measures that separate fast from slow mouse movements. We found that when our analyses were restricted to end-state responses, tones and speech contexts appeared to produce similar effects. However, a more detailed time-course analysis revealed systematic differences between speech and tone contexts such that listeners' responses to speech contexts, but not to tone contexts, changed across the experimental session. Analyses of the time course of effects within trials using mouse tracking indicated that speech contexts elicited fewer x-position flips but more area under the curve (AUC) and maximum deviation (MD), and they did so in the slower portions of mouse-tracking movements. Our results indicate critical differences between the time course of speech and nonspeech context effects and that general auditory explanations, motivated by their apparent similarity, be reexamined.
Values and Planned Change

Clients’ values in relation to personal and social change—toward which a social worker has a positive affective regard—discipline his choices of action
Solvation of Hydrogen Bonded Systems: CH···O, OH···O, and Cooperativity

The effect of solvation upon hydrogen bonds is assessed by a number of computational techniques. The SCRF approach and its more refined variants, which treat the solvent as a polarizable continuum, are compared with results obtained via treatment of discrete interactions with individual solvent molecules. The effect of solvation upon CH··O H-bonds is very much like its influence upon conventional OH··O bonds. Results obtained with a continuum model of solvent are not altered much by explicit inclusion of a first hydration sphere. The H-bond energy arising from the CαH group of amino acids is fairly substantial and can even exceed the NH··O H-bond energy in certain conformations of a polypeptide. On the other hand, both H-bonds rapidly weaken when placed in an aqueous environment. Chains composed of CH··O bonds show a comparable degree of cooperativity as do OH··O bonds. When placed in a polarizable medium, the cooperativity lessens along with the strength of the individual H-bonds. The functional side chains of certain amino acids, such as histidine, can form H-bonds simultaneously at a number of sites. Multiple H-bonds follow the usual patterns of positive and negative cooperativity found within one-dimensional H-bonded chains. The calculated solvation energy of the pertinent molecule in polarizable medium is considerably smaller than the combined interaction energy of the molecule and its surrounding water molecules. However, this difference is much smaller when each H-bond energy is computed not in vacuo, but rather within a polarizable medium
Glucagon and the A cells.

IN this review we examine the role of glucagon, a polypeptide produced by the islets of Langerhans and a biologic antagonist of insulin. The effects of glucagon balance those of insulin so that flu...
Testicular Germ Cell Tumors in Mice

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are the most common cancer affecting young men. Although TGCTs are common and the genetic component of susceptibility is unusually strong, discovery of TGCT susceptibility genes in humans has been challenging. The 129/Sv inbred mouse strain is an important experimental model for studying the genetic control of TGCT susceptibility. It is the only inbred mouse strain with an appreciable frequency of spontaneous TGCTs. TGCTs in 129/Sv males share various developmental and histological characteristics with human pediatric TGCTs. As in humans, susceptibility in 129/Sv is a genetically complex trait that is too complex for conventional genetic approaches. However, several genetic variants, when congenic or isogenic on the 129/Sv background, act as genetic modifiers of TGCT susceptibility. Alternative experimental approaches based on these modifier genes can be used to unravel the complex genetic control of TGCT susceptibility. We discuss the application of modifier genes in genetic interaction tests and sensitized polygenic trait analyses toward the understanding of the complex genetics and biology of TGCT susceptibility in mice.
Mechanisms of Ceramide-Dependent Cancer Cell Death

Mechanistic details for the roles of sphingolipids and their downstream targets in the regulation of tumor growth, response to chemo/radiotherapy, and metastasis have been investigated in recent studies using innovative molecular, genetic and pharmacologic tools in various cancer models. Induction of ceramide generation in response to cellular stress by chemotherapy, radiation, or exogenous ceramide analog drugs mediates cell death via apoptosis, necroptosis, or mitophagy. In this chapter, distinct functions and mechanisms of action of endogenous ceramides with different fatty acyl chain lengths in the regulation of cancer cell death versus survival will be discussed. In addition, importance of ceramide subcellular localization, trafficking, and lipid-protein binding between ceramide and various target proteins in cancer cells will be reviewed. Moreover, clinical trials from structure-function-based studies to restore antiproliferative ceramide signaling by activating ceramide synthesis will also be analyzed. Future studies are important to understand the mechanistic involvement of ceramide-mediated cell death in anticancer therapy, including immunotherapy.
Cerebral MR oximetry during acetazolamide augmentation: Beyond cerebrovascular reactivity in hemodynamic failure.

BACKGROUND Oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) elevation predicts increased ischemic stroke incidence among patients with carotid steno-occlusive disease, and can be estimated from quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) MRI. PURPOSE To explore QSM oximetry during acetazolamide (ACZ) challenge, hypothesizing that detectable OEF alterations will reflect hemodynamic compromise in unilateral cerebrovascular disease (CVD) patients. STUDY TYPE Retrospective. SUBJECTS Fourteen unilateral CVD patients, and 24 healthy controls (HC). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE Multiecho gradient echo (GRE) and T1 -weighted images at 3T. ASSESSMENT We constructed QSM images and R2* maps from multiecho GRE images. QSM-OEF maps were generated from the susceptibility difference between venous blood and background brain tissue. Intrasubject diseased/contralateral hemisphere OEF ratios in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territories were calculated. Intravascular susceptibility in the straight sinus (SS) and MCA was also measured. STATISTICAL TESTS The result significance was determined using t-tests and Pearson's correlation. RESULTS Mean and standard deviation for the patient diseased/contralateral OEF ratios were 1.15 ± 0.14 at baseline and 1.23 ± 0.17 post-ACZ. Disease group R2* ratios were 0.95 ± 0.05 at baseline and 1.03 ± 0.08 post-ACZ. Left/right OEF and R2* ratios for the HC group were 0.98 ± 0.06 and 0.99 ± 0.038, respectively. Susceptibility (ppb) in the SS and MCA in patients was 162.63 ± 35.4 and -22.33 ± 13.70, respectively, at baseline, 124.56 ± 37.43 and -19.27 ± 23.14 post-ACZ. The HC group SS and MCA susceptibility was 146.10 ± 24.79 and -19.59 ± 12.37, respectively. Patient group OEF ratios were greater than 1.0 before and after ACZ challenge (P < 0.01 and < 0.001, respectively, one-sample t-test), and were greater than HC ratios (P < 0.001 unpaired t-test). OEF and R2* ratios increased from baseline to post-ACZ (P = 0.024, 0.004, respectively, paired t-test). Detectable blood oxygenation change was confirmed by finding SS susceptibility decreased from baseline to post-ACZ (P < 0.001, paired t-test), while MCA susceptibility did not change significantly (P = 0.67, paired t-test). DATA CONCLUSION These results suggest QSM is sensitive to dynamic OEF modulation during hemodynamic augmentation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:175-182.
Generation of IL-3-Secreting CD4+ T Cells by Microbial Challenge at Skin and Mucosal Barriers.

During Ag priming, naive CD4+ T cells differentiate into subsets with distinct patterns of cytokine expression that dictate to a major extent their functional roles in immune responses. We identified a subset of CD4+ T cells defined by secretion of IL-3 that was induced by Ag stimulation under conditions different from those associated with previously defined functional subsets. Using mouse models of bacterial and viral infections, we showed that IL-3–secreting CD4+ T cells were generated by infection at the skin and mucosa but not by infections introduced directly into the blood. Most IL-3–producing T cells coexpressed GM-CSF and other cytokines that define multifunctionality. Generation of IL-3–secreting T cells in vitro was dependent on IL-1 family cytokines and was inhibited by cytokines that induce canonical Th1 or Th2 cells. Our results identify IL-3–secreting CD4+ T cells as a potential functional subset that arises during priming of naive T cells in specific tissue locations.
Pulsars at Low Radio Frequencies, Cyclic Spectroscopy, and Pulsar Timing Arrays

Pulsars at low radio frequencies $( < 400$ MHz) are ripe with astrophysical applications. For the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) pulsar timing array (PTA), the continual search for and discovery of new pulsars with single-dish telescopes (Arecibo Observatory and the Green Bank Telescope) is an essential part of the project. At Long-Wavelength Array (LWA) frequencies of 10–88 MHz, pulsar signals are highly scattered from the ionized interstellar medium (IISM). However, monitoring IISM effects along the line of sight to each pulsar characterizes the overall noise budget for gravitational wave detection. In some cases the effects of the very low frequency IISM can be mitigated, either through wideband template profile timing or through cyclic spectroscopy. Aside from PTAs, monitoring pulsars at very low frequencies can inform a plethora of topics in pulsar astrophysics: additional neutron star discoveries, frequency-dependent dispersion measures, solar wind science through high-cadence pulsar monitoring campaigns, and giant pulses. An expanded continent-wide LWA-Swarm would assist gravitational wave (GW) detection by resolving pulsar scattering screens and by providing higher sensitivity, leading to improved cyclic spectroscopy IISM deconvolution on more pulsars. Pulsar discoveries can also be made by following up unidentified steep-spectrum point sources in a LWA-Swarm sky survey.