cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prenatal screening for Down's syndrome and certain fetal defects

Objective] To enhance the detection rate in prenatal screening for Down's syndrome(DS) and certain fetal defects. [Methods] The maternal serum markers:MSAFP, free β-hCG in second trimester of pregnant women were measured by using AFP/Free hCGβ Dual kit with Tr-FIA. Using the DS Multicalc data management software, considering maternal weight, age and gestational week, the risk of respective baby with DS was measured. [Results] 8595 pregnant women were screened at a risk cutoff value of 1∶350. 83.3% of DS could be detected. The flase-positive rate was 6.0% . There were five other chromosomal abnormality and twenty-five fetal defects detected. There were two 18 trisomy, 45, XO, 18 ring chromosome euploid, anencephaly and abdominal wall defects, etc. [Conclusion] Measuring MSAFP and β-hCG with Tr-FIA is more effective in screening for DS and certain fetal defects.
Tubal surgery of IVF--making the best choice in the 1990s.

Although there are tubal causes of infertility for which surgery offers little or no chance of successful treatment, there are at least two situations-sterilization reversal and microsurgical or laparoscopic adhesiolysis in the absence of fimbrial damage and/or male factor-in which subsequent live birth rates are excellent, 60-80% for the former and 45-65% for the latter. An advantage of tubal reconstruction over IVF-ET, which is the only viable alternative in tubal infertility, is avoidance of the risks of the stimulated ovulation protocol and multifetal gestation. Of course, the demands of microsurgery or operative laparoscopy are stringent ; and the decision to undertake tubal reconstruction instead of IVF-ET must be coupled with appropriate patient selection.
The Economic Case for Fundamental Nursing Care

In the current healthcare environment, cost control is an ongoing concern of public and private payers and of healthcare administrators. For nursing leaders in this environment, a critical task is establishing nursing as a service line and communicating its value to the organization. The work of nurses needs to be better articulated and models such as the Fundamentals of Care Framework can assist in this. Also critical is presenting what is lost for patients and the hospital through missed care and its consequences when nurse staffing is inadequate. Economic analysis has found that when the cost savings from lower length of stay, reduced adverse outcomes, reduced admissions and other benefits of adequate staffing are taken into account, adequate staffing is affordable.
Influence of Codopant Ions on the Fluorescence Decay Characteristics of Er:YSGG

The 3 um erbium laser has been the subject of severa1 investigations in recent years to improve the laser performance. They ranged from using new host crystals to adding codopant ions in an effort to eliminate the self-terminating behaviour of the (4111/2 -4113/2) lasing transition. Codoped Er:YAG with Nd [1] was not successful in reversing the lifetime ratios while the same codoped system in a YALO host [2] led to lower state lifetime shorter than the upper state, but the latter was significantly quenched. CW operation of this lasing transition was reported in a diode-pumped Er:YLF laser [3] as well as a krypton ion pumped Er:YSGG laser [4]. No codopant was used and a nonlinear quenching mechanism that depopulates the metastable 4113/2 state under high excitation condition is believed to be responsible for the cw operation. Huber et al [4] also found that codoped Er:YSGG with Ho gave better slope efficiency.
Gene Therapy for Cardiovascular Diseases

There is a critical need to explore new therapies for the treatment of heart failure. The development of efficient gene transfer technologies for the cardiovascular system make gene therapy a promising approach for the treatment of heart failure in the future. A number of clinical trials of gene therapy in patients with advanced heart failure have shown the safety of such an approach. In this chapter, we will discuss the advances in vectors, delivery methods, and targets for gene therapy.
Urban Telemedicine Enables Equity in Access to Acute Illness Care

Abstract Background: Children with care for acute illness available through the Health-e-Access telemedicine model at childcare and schools were previously found to have 22% less emergency department (ED) use than counterparts without this service, but they also had 24% greater acute care use overall. Introduction: We assessed the hypothesis that increased utilization reflected improved access among impoverished inner-city children to a level experienced by more affluent suburban children. This observational study compared utilization among children without and with telemedicine access, beginning in 1993, ending in 2007, and based on 84,287 child-months of billing claims-based observation. Materials and Methods: Health-e-Access Telemedicine was initiated in stepwise manner over 187 study-months among 74 access sites (childcare, schools, community centers), beginning in month 105. Children dwelled in inner city, rest-of-city Rochester, NY, or in surrounding suburbs. Rate of total acute care visits (office,...
Finite state projection based bounds to compare chemical master equation models using single-cell data

Emerging techniques now allow for precise quantification of distributions of biological molecules in single cells. These rapidly advancing experimental methods have created a need for more rigorous and efficient modeling tools. Here, we derive new bounds on the likelihood that observations of single-cell, single-molecule responses come from a discrete stochastic model, posed in the form of the chemical master equation. These strict upper and lower bounds are based on a finite state projection approach, and they converge monotonically to the exact likelihood value. These bounds allow one to discriminate rigorously between models and with a minimum level of computational effort. In practice, these bounds can be incorporated into stochastic model identification and parameter inference routines, which improve the accuracy and efficiency of endeavors to analyze and predict single-cell behavior. We demonstrate the applicability of our approach using simulated data for three example models as well as for experim...
Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology of Cancer

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease. Molecular and genetic epidemiology is a subfield that specifically examines the genetic determinants of disease and applies epidemiologic methods to molecular data to understand underlying disease biology. The chapter will cover terms and definitions, describe common study designs and common biases (and how to avoid and correct for them), and discuss the state of the field today. While the main focus is on inherited genetic variation, we also highlight somatic mutations and gene expression. Examples are provided to demonstrate how these types of data can be combined and analyzed. The information in this chapter is not intended to be comprehensive, but instead provides a broad overview to familiarize the reader with the topic of genetic and molecular epidemiologic studies of cancer.
The GATA factor revolution in hematology

The discovery of the GATA binding protein (GATA factor) transcription factor family revolutionized hematology. Studies of GATA proteins have yielded vital contributions to our understanding of how hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells develop from precursors, how progenitors generate red blood cells, how hemoglobin synthesis is regulated, and the molecular underpinnings of nonmalignant and malignant hematologic disorders. This thrilling journey began with mechanistic studies on a β-globin enhancer- and promoter-binding factor, GATA-1, the founding member of the GATA family. This work ushered in the cloning of related proteins, GATA-2-6, with distinct and/or overlapping expression patterns. Herein, we discuss how the hematopoietic GATA factors (GATA-1-3) function via a battery of mechanistic permutations, which can be GATA factor subtype, cell type, and locus specific. Understanding this intriguing protein family requires consideration of how the mechanistic permutations are amalgamated into circuits to orchestrate processes of interest to the hematologist and more broadly.
Modernization, Globalization, and the Emerging Challenges to Criminal Justice in South Asia: Editor’s Introduction

The study of crime, criminal justice, and criminology in any developing region or a country needs to be approached in terms of the impacts of both external and internal forces and predicaments. Externally, the imperatives are to examine the impacts of modernization and globalization. Internally, the imperatives are to explore the impacts of local history, politics, economy, culture, creeds, and ideology. This chapter has extended this perspective in exploring the nature of crime, criminal justice, and criminology in South Asia. Modernization and globalization, the chapter argues, have brought two competing challenges for South Asia. The first is the challenge of the rise and the spread of global crimes such as illegal human trafficking, illegal drug trafficking, organ trafficking, illegal trafficking of conventional weapons, money laundering, sex tourism, cyber crimes, and the rise of Islamic militancy. The second is the challenge of reforming criminal justice in terms of international norms and standards related to such issues as human rights, the rule of law, due process of law, judicial accountability, police accountability, and equal justice. Internally, crime and justice in South Asia are impacted by religion, population, and poverty. The historical conflict between Hinduism and Islam, started in the eighth century with the advent of Islam in South Asia, is still the reason for many crimes and violence in this region. The nature of crime and criminal justice in South Asia is also deeply affected by South Asia’s pressure of population, messy urbanization, and more than 500 million people living below the level of poverty.
Highly specific spectroscopic photoacoustic molecular imaging of dynamic optical absorption shifts of an antibody-ICG contrast agent (Conference Presentation)

Improved techniques for breast cancer screening are critically needed as current methods lack diagnostic accuracy. Using spectroscopic photoacoustic (sPA) molecular imaging with a priori knowledge of optical absorption spectra allows suppression of endogenous background signal, increasing the overall sensitivity and specificity of the modality to exogenous contrast agents. Here, sPA imaging was used to monitor antibody-indocyanine green (ICG) conjugates as they undergo optical absorption spectrum shifts after cellular endocytosis and degradation to allow differentiation between normal murine mammary glands from breast cancer by enhancing molecular imaging signal from target (B7-H3)-bound antibody-ICG. First, B7-H3 was shown to have highly specific (AUC of 0.93) expression on both vascular endothelium and tumor stroma in malignant lesions through quantitative immunohistochemical staining of B7-H3 on 279 human samples (normal (n=53), benign lesions (11 subtypes, n=182), breast cancers (4 subtypes, n=97)), making B7-H3 a promising target for sPA imaging. Second, absorption spectra of intracellular and degraded B7-H3-ICG and Isotype control (Iso-ICG) were characterized through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Finally, a transgenic murine breast cancer model (FVB/N-Tg(MMTVPyMT)634Mul) was imaged, and sPA imaging in found a 3.01 (IQR 2.63, 3.38, P<0.001) fold increase in molecular B7-H3-ICG signal in tumors (n=80) compared to control conditions (B7-H3-ICG in tumor negative animals (n=60), Iso-ICG (n=30), blocking B7-H3+B7-H3-ICG (n=20), and free ICG (n=20)) despite significant tumor accumulation of Iso-ICG, confirmed through ex vivo histology. Overall, leveraging anti-B7-H3 antibody-ICG contrast agents, which have dynamic optical absorption spectra representative of molecular interactions, allows for highly specific sPA imaging of murine breast cancer.
Manipulating the system: How large herbivores control bottom‐up regulation of grasslands

1.Decades of grazing studies have identified a number of key plant and soil processes affected by large herbivores and how those grazer effects vary among different grassland types. However, there remains little mechanistic understanding about how the effects of grazers on plants and soils may be biogeochemically linked in regulating grassland processes. 2.Here we measured monthly plant and soil variables, including soil moisture, soil nitrogen (N) availability, plant biomass, shoot N concentration and plant production, in grazed and ungrazed (fenced) grasslands during the 2012-2014 growing seasons. Measurements were used to assess direct and indirect biogeochemical pathways by which grazers influenced net aboveground plant production (NAP) in dry and mesic grasslands in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). 3.Herbivores only had direct effects on plant variables at the dry grassland compared to direct and indirect effects on both plant and soil variables at the mesic grassland. By enhancing leaf N content at both grasslands, grazers shifted the resource controlling NAP from N in ungrazed grassland to moisture, and potentially phosphorus and/or other soil nutrients, in grazed grassland. 4.Synthesis. These results indicate the mechanistic linkage between top-down (herbivore) and bottom-up (soil resource) control of grassland production. Changing the resources that limit NAP likely has a profound impact on how grazed vs ungrazed YNP grasslands respond to environmental (e.g., climate, atmospheric N deposition) variability. Because grazing enhances leaf N among many types of grasslands, increasing the sensitivity of plant production to the availability of moisture and nutrients other than N may be a general response of grasslands to grazing. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Effect of Laser Shock Peening on the Microstructures and Properties of Oxide-Dispersion-Strengthened Austenitic Steels

Oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) austenitic steels are promising materials for next-generation fossil and nuclear energy systems. In this study, laser shock peening (LSP) has been applied to ODS 304 austenitic steels, during which a high density of dislocations, stacking faults, and deformation twins are generated in the near surface of the material due to the interaction of laser-driven shock waves and the austenitic steel matrix. The dispersion particles impede the propagation of dislocations. The compressive residual stress generated by LSP increases with successive LSP scans and decreases along the depth, with a maximum value of −369 MPa. The hardness on the surface can be improved by 12% using LSP. In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) irradiation studies reveal that dislocations and incoherent twin boundaries induced by LSP serve as effective sinks to annihilate irradiation defects. These findings suggest that LSP can improve the mechanical properties and irradiation resistance of ODS austenitic steels in nuclear reactor environments.
DD Plots and Prediction Regions

This chapter examines the DD plot of classical versus robust Mahalanobis distances and develops practical prediction regions for a future test observation \(\varvec{x}_f\) that work even if the iid training data \(\varvec{x}_1, ..., \varvec{x}_n\) come from an unknown distribution. The prediction regions can be visualized with the DD plot. The classical prediction region assumes that the data are iid from a multivariate normal distribution, and the region tends to have too small of a volume if the MVN assumption is violated. The undercoverage of the volume of the classical region becomes worse as the number of variables p increases since the volume of the region \(\{ \varvec{x}: D_{\varvec{x}}(\overline{\varvec{x}},{\varvec{S}}) \le h \} \propto h^p\). The classical region uses \(h_c = \sqrt{\chi ^2_{p, 1-\delta }}\), which tends to be much smaller than the value of h that gives correct coverage.
The New Horizons Kuiper Belt Extended Mission

The central objective of the New Horizons prime mission was to make the first exploration of Pluto and its system of moons. Following that, New Horizons has been approved for its first extended mission, which has the objectives of extensively studying the Kuiper Belt environment, observing numerous Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) and Centaurs in unique ways, and making the first close flyby of the KBO 486958 2014 MU69. This review summarizes the objectives and plans for this approved mission extension, and briefly looks forward to potential objectives for subsequent extended missions by New Horizons.
Neural Oscillators and Dynamical Systems Models

This article shows how methods from the qualitative theory of differential equations (dynamical systems) can be used to understand transitions in the firing patterns of neurons and circuits. Examples from simple membrane models and from synaptically coupled rhythms are included. Concepts such as stability, limit cycles, phase planes, equilibria, and bifurcation are introduced.
Histopathology of Wounds

It is difficult to conduct systematic reviews of the literature reporting on histopathology of non-healing chronic wounds since data are mainly from clinical reports and trials. In this chapter the authors summarize their experience of the pathology of chronic wounds and review the available literature to update the current understanding of the pathogenesis of impaired wound healing. Chronic wounds have diverse etiologies some 90% being of venous, pressure and diabetic ulcers. Detailed explanations of their histologic features are provided in this chapter. New immunohistochemical and special stains of potential value for the diagnosis and treatment are discussed. Other less commonly encountered causes for non-healing ulcers include calciphylaxis, radiation ulcers, Pyoderma gangrenosum, factitial ulcers, infections, as well as vasculitis and vasculopathy.
Personality and Intelligence in Industrial and Organizational Psychology

The discipline of industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology focuses on understanding human behavior in the context of work. Since the emergence of I/O psychology as a field of scientific inquiry in the United States at the turn of the century, I/O psychologists have been concerned with a wide variety of topics, including personnel selection and placement, job training, task design, worker motivation, organizational influences on work behavior, and procedures for optimizing job performance and worker efficiency. (For reviews of these and other I/O areas, see Dun-nette, 1976; Dunnette & Hough, 1990, 1991, 1992.) From an individual differences perspective, however, two fundamental questions may be proposed to underlie much of I/O theory and research: (a) What roles do cognitive and nonability individual differences play in the determination of job performance? (b) How may individual-difference theories and assessment measures be employed to improve predictions of the fit between an individual and a job?
West Meets East: Processes and Outcomes of Psychotherapy and Haiku/Senryu Poetry

This paper addresses the commonalities between the creative processes and products of psychotherapists and haiku/senryu poets. These commonalities exist in the realms of awareness/insight; genuineness; “here-and-now” experiencing; interdependence of events; humor; use of blank space; and parsimony.
A Wireless Passive pH Sensor With Clutter Rejection Scheme

This paper describes the design and development of a passive wireless pH sensor tag. Under wireless interrogation, the sensor tag changes the phase of the interrogation signal according to the pH. The conversion of pH data into phase information was implemented using a pH electrode coupled to a phase shifter. A theoretical study was performed on the varactor diode parameters to design a highly linear and sensitive phase response with pH change. In addition, a dual frequency operation was implemented based on fundamental interrogation frequency at 2 GHz and the sensor tag reply at the second harmonic (4 GHz) to reduce the clutter effect. The harmonic frequency was generated using a double-balanced frequency multiplier with a conversion loss of 12.2 dB at received input power of 0 dBm. The harmonic sensor tag sends back the phase information at 4 GHz, which is down-converted and read using a phase measurement reader. In addition to the clutter rejection, the harmonic implementation also helps with improved sensitivity. Different pH solutions from 4 to 10 were used to characterize the sensor tag. A linear phase response of 2.32 (degree/pH) was obtained experimentally at a standoff distance of 18 cm from the reader. The design and implementation of the passive pH sensor were validated with simulation and measurement results.
Mass Transfer Thermodynamics through a Gas–Liquid Interface

Molecular level information about thermodynamic variations (enthalpy, entropy, and free energy) of a gas molecule as it crosses a gas-liquid interface is strongly lacking from an experimental perspective under equilibrium conditions. Herein, we perform in situ measurements of water interacting with the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, [C4mim][Ace], using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in order to assess the interfacial uptake of water quantitatively as a function of temperature, pressure, and water mole fraction ( xw). The surface spectroscopy results are compared to existing bulk water absorption experiments, showing that the amount of water in the interfacial region is consistently greater than that in the bulk. The enthalpy and entropy of water sorption vary significantly between the gas-liquid interface and the bulk as a function of xw, with a crossover that occurs near xw = 0.6 where the water-IL mixture converts from being homogeneous ( xw 0.6). Free energy results reveal that water at the gas-IL interface is thermodynamically more favorable than that in the bulk, consistent with the enhanced water concentration in the interfacial region. The results herein show that the efficacy for an ionic liquid to absorb a gas phase molecule is not merely a function of bulk solvation parameters but also is significantly influenced by the thermodynamics occurring across the gas-IL interface during the mass transfer process.
SEX-DIFFERENCES IN CIRCULATING SOLUBLE UROKINASE-TYPE PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR RECEPTOR (SUPAR) LEVELS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PROGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF SUPAR AMONG PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Plasma soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) level is a strong predictor of adverse outcomes in patients with CAD. Women have higher suPAR levels, but the reason underlying this sex difference and its prognostic implication is unclear. We studied determinants of sex
Changes in Platelet Activation Associated with Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy.

Abstract 3504 Poster Board III-441 Pre-eclampsia is associated with increased rates of platelet clearance, changes in platelet function, and platelet activation. The goal of the current study was to assess changes in basal levels of platelet activation in individuals with pregnancies with hypertensive complications, and to compare those levels to individuals with uncomplicated pregnancies. In this study, three indices of platelet activation, platelet CD63 expression (% CD63), monocyte/platelet aggregate (% MP) formation, and neutrophil/platelet aggregate formation (% GP) were measured in whole blood by flow cytometry using specific, fluorescently-labeled monoclonal antibodies in 20 nulliparous women of reproductive age who subsequently conceived singleton pregnancies. Subjects were re-examined in early (11 - 16 wks) and late pregnancy (31 - 34 wks), as well as ∼15 months postpartum. Three of these women were diagnosed with hypertensive complications (1 gestational hypertension with intrauterine growth restriction, 2 pre-eclampsia), and delivered at term. However, all subjects were normotensive at all study points. The data are expressed as the mean ± SEM. P 2 at the time of the pre-pregnancy studies. Subjects with pregnancies with hypertensive complications were 32.0 ± 1.5 years old with a BMI of 21.3 ± 0.88 kg/m 2 at the time of the pre-pregnancy studies. No differences in the platelet activation markers, % CD63 and % GP, were observed in this study. In contrast, a strong trend for increased % MP formation in pre-pregnancy measurements in those women destined to develop hypertensive complications of pregnancy was observed (p=0.062): Women with pregnancies with hypertensive complications had substantially more % MP formation (20.9 ± 10.3%) than women with uncomplicated pregnancies (7.1 ± 4.2%). In individuals with uncomplicated pregnancies, an increase in the % MP formation over pregnancy was observed over time, and this platelet activation marker remains elevated (20.2 ± 4.4%, p=0.015) in postpartum measurements when compared to pre-pregnancy values. A markedly different pattern was observed in women with pregnancies with hypertensive complications with postpartum values below the pre-pregnancy values (5.3 ± 12.2% vs. 20.9 ± 10.3%). These combined observations suggest that hypertensive complications of pregnancy are associated with alterations in the pattern of platelet activation in pregnancy and postpartum. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
I Want to be Seen as the Best I Can: How the Teacher Education Program Conditions Prospective Teachers’ Reflection Strategies

This chapter returns to the disjuncture between prospective teachers’ stated ideals and their actual performance to consider how the structures of the ePortfolio as it is employed within the teacher education program limit critical reflection for transformative action. Key to the ePortfolio’s role in this limitation is the way in which the teacher education program links ePortfolio tasks to the assessment of the prospective teachers according to the state and program standards by both teacher educators and future employers. The resulting behaviors by prospective teachers are, to some extent, rational strategies in the face of this disjuncture between the purpose of the ePortfolio and its use in the teacher education program.
Signaling Gene Mutations Are Characterized By Diverse Patterns of Expansion and Contraction during Progression from MDS to Secondary AML

Background: Previous studies indicate that mutations in signaling (e.g., receptor tyrosine kinases and RAS pathway members) and transcription factor genes are more common in secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) than myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), suggesting a role in disease progression. However, our understanding of the timing and order of mutation acquisition in these genes remains incomplete without analyzing paired MDS and sAML samples from the same patient. Defining the role of signaling gene mutations during progression should provide biologic insight into clonal evolution and help define prognostic markers for MDS progression. Methods: We banked paired MDS and sAML (and matched skin) samples from 44 patients (median time to progression: 306 days, range 21-3568). We sequenced 44 sAML (+ skin) samples for 285 recurrently mutated genes (RMGs) and 12 samples were selected for enhanced whole genome sequencing (eWGS, genome with deep exome coverage) of MDS and sAML samples (+ skin) to determine clonal hierarchy. Somatic mutations in these 12 samples were validated with high coverage error-corrected sequencing, and clonality was defined in MDS and sAML samples using mutation variant allele frequencies (VAFs). Additionally, error-corrected sequencing for all sAML RMG mutations, plus 40 additional genes, was performed on 43 of the MDS samples. Single cell DNA sequencing (scDNAseq, Mission Bio) was performed on 6 samples. Results: We identified 32 signaling gene mutations in 15 of the 44 sAML samples, with only 11 of 32 mutations (34%) detected in the initial, paired MDS sample (limit of detection; We next asked if low-level ( Finally, we observed that several MDS (n=6) and sAML (n=10) samples had multiple signaling gene mutations, and it was not always clear whether they occurred in the same subclone. We performed scDNAseq of 6 sAML samples with multiple signaling gene mutations (2-4/case). In 5 of 6 cases the signaling gene mutations did not occur in the same subclone. One sample contained 2 subclones with a NRAS and a PTPN11 mutation, with a separate subclone harboring an additional NRAS mutation. In sum, the co-occurrence of two signaling gene mutations in the same subclone is rare, indicating that the presence of multiple signaling gene mutations may be functionally redundant or detrimental to leukemia cells. Conclusions: Rare cells containing signaling gene mutations are present in nearly half of MDS patients who progress to sAML. The high frequency of signaling gene mutations and diverse patterns of clonal evolution (including the loss of one mutation and acquisition of another), suggest that signaling genes are a major driver of progression to sAML. The paucity of subclones with multiple signaling gene mutations suggests a therapeutic vulnerability for mutant cells. Disclosures DiPersio: Magenta Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Jacoby: AbbVie: Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding.
Purcell-enhanced quantum yield from carbon nanotube excitons coupled to plasmonic nanocavities.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are promising absorbers and emitters to enable novel photonic applications and devices but are also known to suffer from low optical quantum yields. Here we demonstrate SWCNT excitons coupled to plasmonic nanocavity arrays reaching deeply into the Purcell regime with Purcell factors (F P) up to F P = 180 (average F P = 57), Purcell-enhanced quantum yields of 62% (average 42%), and a photon emission rate of 15 MHz into the first lens. The cavity coupling is quasi-deterministic since the photophysical properties of every SWCNT are enhanced by at least one order of magnitude. Furthermore, the measured ultra-narrow exciton linewidth (18 μeV) reaches the radiative lifetime limit, which is promising towards generation of transform-limited single photons. To demonstrate utility beyond quantum light sources we show that nanocavity-coupled SWCNTs perform as single-molecule thermometers detecting plasmonically induced heat at cryogenic temperatures in a unique interplay of excitons, phonons, and plasmons at the nanoscale.
The Calm Between Storms: Serum Biomarkers in Assessing Interattack Astrocytopathy in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder.

Cytoskeletal structural proteins, released when cellular damage occurs, are biomarker candidates under investigation for many neurologic diseases. Among the potential markers, neurofilament light chain (NfL), expressed in neurons, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), expressed in astrocytes, can now be measured in the serum (sNfL and sGFAP) thanks to advances in highly sensitive analytic methodologies, with strong correlation to CSF levels. Early studies of sNfL and sGFAP in MS and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) focus on potential roles as biomarkers of treatment response, risk for relapse, and risk for disability progression.1,-,4 Not surprisingly, levels of sGFAP increase during NMOSD …
Noninferiority trials

Noninferiority trials are intended to show that the effect of a new treatment is not worse than that of an active control by more than a specified margin. These trials have a number of inherent weaknesses that superiority trials do not: no internal demonstration of assay sensitivity, no single conservative analysis approach, lack of protection from bias by blinding, and difficulty in specifying the noninferiority margin. Noninferiority trials may sometimes be necessary when a placebo group can not be ethically included, but it should be recognized that the results of such trials are not as credible as those from a superiority trial.
Comparison of the Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation-Screening Test Risk Subtest to Two Other Screeners for Low-Income Prekindergartners Who Speak African American English and Live in the Urban South.

Purpose We compared the Risk subtest of the Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation–Screening Test (DELV–Screening Test Risk) with two other screeners when administered to low-income prekinderg...
Two-Component Systems

Among the many regulatory schemes governing virulence potential, two-component systems have been found time and time again to play key roles. The structure-function relationships of the various domains, kinase, receiver, and HPt domains, of two-component systems are examined in this chapter, following the path of information from outside to inside a bacterial cell. For each domain the general state of knowledge are presented as it relates to two-component systems in general, and then illustrated, when appropriate, with examples from the BvgAS system governing expression of toxins and other virulence factors in B. pertussis. Two-component systems are found regulating not only the structural genes for toxins and other virulence genes but also other regulators. As more of previously dependable antibiotic therapies are becoming less effective against bacterial infections, other modalities for the control of infectious disease are being investigated. Two approaches to this problem are the development of new vaccines and the discovery or creation of new anti-infective compounds. One approach to vaccine development involves the attenuation of organisms to create a live vaccine strain that can colonize and engender a strong and effective immune response without causing a harmful infection. Historically, this has been accomplished simply by growth of the bacterium in vitro for many generations to allow it to lose virulence characteristics. Several features of two-component systems suggest the new anti-infective compounds as potential targets for hopeful drug designers.
Finite and Infinite Sets

Learning to count is one of our first great intellectual triumphs. But what exactly are we doing when we count? Can the process be generalized in a way that lets us compare sets that are larger than numbers can describe? What is meant by an infinite set? Are all infinite sets essentially the same size? Exploring these mysteries (the topic of cardinality) is our central goal in this chapter. As we proceed we will examine many of the fundamental principles of counting that we have viewed as intuitively obvious since childhood. (Example: You have n objects, and you give some of them to a friend; then you have given your friend at most n objects.) This will lay the foundation for the many practical counting procedures that we will develop here and in Chapter 5. In Section 4.5 we will use our work on functions and cardinality to initiate the study of languages and automata, fundamental topics in the theory of computation.
Noninvasive detection of retrograde descending aortic flow in infants using continuous wave Doppler ultrasonography Implications for diagnosis of aortic run-off lesions

Continuous wave Doppler ultrasonography was utilized to detect and characterize descending aortic blood flow velocity patterns in 27 preterm and term infants with or without an aortic run-off lesion proximal to the descending aorta. The effects of coexistent intracardiac defects on the velocity time profiles were evaluated by comparing records from patients with no intracardiac defects or systemic run-off lesions to those with a variety of intracardiac defects but no systemic run-off lesion. No significant alterations were noted. In all patients, the velocity tracing in systole was triangular in shape. During diastole, however, there were qualitative and quantitative differences between patients with and without a proximal run-off lesion. In those without a run-off lesion, retrograde descending aortic flow was present only in early diastole, and aortic flow velocity oscillated around the zero baseline during mid and late diastole. In those with a run-off lesion, retrograde flow present in early diastole continued throughout diastole. Quantitatively, the ratio of the area under the retrograde flow portion of the tracing to the forward flow portion was significantly greater in those with a run-off lesion. The velocity time profiles obtained with CW Doppler were similar to those previously obtained invasively with electromagnetic flow probes or catheter-mounted velocitometers. CW Doppler ultrasonography provides a reliable, noninvasive method for describing descending aortic blood flow velocity in infants.
Decreased STAT5 phosphorylation and GATA-3 expression in NOX2 deficient T cells: Role in T helper development

Absence of phagocyte NADPH oxidase (NOX2) activity causes chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), a primary immunodeficiency characterized by recurrent bacterial infections. In contrast to this innate immune deficit, CGD patients and animal models display a predisposition toward autoimmune disease and enhanced response to Helicobacter pylori and influenza virus infection. These data imply an altered, perhaps augmented, adaptive immune response in CGD. As previous data demonstrated functional NOX2 expression in T cells, our goal here was to determine if NOX2-deficient T cells are inherently altered in their responses. Activation of purified naive CD4+ T cells from NOX2-deficient mice led to augmented IFN-γ and diminished IL-4 production and an increased ratio of expression of the TH1-specific transcription factor T-bet versus the TH2-specfic transcription factor GATA-3, consistent with a TH1 skewing of naive T cells. Selective inhibition of TCR-induced STAT5 phosphorylation was identified as a potential mechanism for skewed T helper differentiation. Exposure to antioxidants inhibited, while pro-oxidants augmented TH2 cytokine secretion and STAT5 phosphorylation, supporting the redox dependence of these signaling changes. These data suggest that TCR-induced ROS generation from NOX2 activation can regulate the adaptive immune response in a T-cell-inherent fashion, and propose a possible role for redox signaling in T helper differentiation.
Optimal Tail Comparison Based on Comparison of Moments

Many of extremal problems of probability and statistics may be put in the following general form. Suppose that one has a moment comparison inequality where ξ and η are random elements of a measurable space (K, ∑) and F is a non-empty set of measurable real functions on K. Given the class F, the random element η, and a function ψ on K, one is asked to over all random elements ξ satisfying (1). This kind of problem goes back to Chebyshev and Markov; see, e.g., Karlin and Studden (1966) [12], Kemperman (1968, 1983) [15, 14], Karr (1983) [13], and Pinelis and Utev (1989) [22].
Analysis of guaranteed service times of distributed real-time objects

As the demands for real time distributed systems increase, the need for programming tools useful in development of such application systems is becoming increasingly acute. An issue that the research community has long recognized as an important technological challenge but has not shown much progress in meeting the challenge is to guarantee response times of real time distributed systems. Two basic problems must be solved to effectively meet this challenge: (1) to establish the distributed real time program structure and the system infrastructure structure, i.e., the structure of the operating system (OS) and the communication infrastructure, that enable systematic analysis of the worst case time behavior of the application systems; and (2) to establish a tool which performs automated analysis of the worst case time behavior while leaving only minimal work to the designers. The problem area (1) has been recognized as a research area for a long time, but only in recent years has the skeleton of a usable technical foundation started emerging. In other words, there has long been a lack of fully general and yet easily analyzable distributed real time program structures and also a lack of useful OS timing models. However, on the basis of the skeleton emerged, rapid progress is expected in the future toward establishment of a full technical foundation. Therefore, the time seems ripe for launching new larger scale attacks on problem (2) on the basis of those recent developments in handling problem (1).
Extreme streams: flow intermittency as a control on diatom communities in meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica11This article is derived from a special session entitled “A New Hydrology: Inflow Effects on Ecosystem Form and Functioning” that took place at the February 2011 ASLO Aquatic Sciences conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, stream biota is limited by the brief availability of liquid water. The benthic microbial mats harbor diatoms that have adapted to hydrologic stresses, incl...
Synthesis of control laws for optimally designed large space structures

In this study, the vibration control of large space structures using the linear quadratic regulator technique is investigated. Emphasis is made on the control of both optimally designed structures and also the original (uniform) structures using the cantilever beam as an example. The open loop and closed loop eigenvalues are compared and the transient responses are obtained to determine the effectiveness of the control system design.
Architects of the genome: CHD dysfunction in cancer, developmental disorders and neurological syndromes

Chromatin is vital to normal cells, and its deregulation contributes to a spectrum of human ailments. An emerging concept is that aberrant chromatin regulation culminates in gene expression programs that set the stage for the seemingly diverse pathologies of cancer, developmental disorders and neurological syndromes. However, the mechanisms responsible for such common etiology have been elusive. Recent evidence has implicated lesions affecting chromatin-remodeling proteins in cancer, developmental disorders and neurological syndromes, suggesting a common source for these different pathologies. Here, we focus on the chromodomain helicase DNA binding chromatin-remodeling family and the recent evidence for its deregulation in diverse pathological conditions, providing a new perspective on the underlying mechanisms and their implications for these prevalent human diseases.
Crystal structures of the nitrite and nitric oxide complexes of horse heart myoglobin.

Nitrite is an important species in the global nitrogen cycle, and the nitrite reductase enzymes convert nitrite to nitric oxide (NO). Recently, it has been shown that hemoglobin and myoglobin catalyze the reduction of nitrite to NO under hypoxic conditions. We have determined the 1.20 Angstroms resolution crystal structure of the nitrite adduct of ferric horse heart myoglobin (hh Mb). The ligand is bound to iron in the nitrito form, and the complex is formulated as Mb{sup III}(ONO{sup -}). The Fe-ONO bond length is 1.94 Angstroms, and the O-N-O angle is 113 degrees. In addition, the nitrite ligand is stabilized by hydrogen bonding with the distal His64 residue. We have also determined the 1.30 Angstroms resolution crystal structures of hh Mb{sup II}NO. When hh Mb{sup II}NO is prepared from the reaction of metMb{sup III} with nitrite/dithionite, the FeNO angle is 144 degrees with a Fe-NO bond length of 1.87 Angstroms. However, when prepared from the reaction of NO with reduced Mb{sup II}, the FeNO angle is 120 degrees with a Fe-NO bond length of 2.13 Angstroms. This difference in FeNO conformations as a function of preparative method is reproducible, and suggests a role of the distal pocket in hh Mb{supmore » II}NO in stabilizing local FeNO conformational minima.« less
Racial Comparison of Therapeutic Support, Service Use, and Satisfaction Among Male Outpatients with Severe Mental Illness

This study examined racial differences among male outpatients with severe mental illness on therapeutic support, mental health service utilization, and service satisfaction. A total of 530 participants (289 White, 179 Black, and 62 of another race) across three large mental health centers (two state funded and one federally funded) in Connecticut were examined cross-sectionally. No racial differences were found in therapeutic support, and there were essentially no racial differences in service satisfaction. Black clients reported greater use of substance abuse inpatient services than White clients and clients of other racial minorities reported greater use of mental health inpatient services than White clients, but differences were small. These findings suggest there are few racial differences in the reported quality of mental health care and service utilization among male outpatients with severe mental illness. More research is needed on where and under what circumstances health disparities exist.
Lithium preincubation stimulates the potassium-induced release of cholecystokinin from slices of cerebral cortex and caudate-putamen incubated in vitro.

Abstract Potassium-evoked cholecystokinin (CCK) release from slices of caudate-putamen and cerebral cortex, but not hippocampus incubated in vitro was increased by 152–175% by preincubation for 40 min with 10 mM lithium. These results and previous studies suggest that although different physiological agents regulate CCK release in these brain regions, these agents may share a common intracellular mediator which may be a product of inositol phospholipid turnover.
Bayesian mixture models for source separation in MEG

This paper discusses the problem of imaging electromagnetic brain activity from measurements of the induced magnetic field outside the head. This imaging modality, magnetoencephalography (MEG), is known to be severely ill posed, and in order to obtain useful estimates for the activity map, complementary information needs to be used to regularize the problem. In this paper, a particular emphasis is on finding non-superficial focal sources that induce a magnetic field that may be confused with noise due to external sources and with distributed brain noise. The data are assumed to come from a mixture of a focal source and a spatially distributed possibly virtual source; hence, to differentiate between those two components, the problem is solved within a Bayesian framework, with a mixture model prior encoding the information that different sources may be concurrently active. The mixture model prior combines one density that favors strongly focal sources and another that favors spatially distributed sources, interpreted as clutter in the source estimation. Furthermore, to address the challenge of localizing deep focal sources, a novel depth sounding algorithm is suggested, and it is shown with simulated data that the method is able to distinguish between a signal arising from a deep focal source and a clutter signal.