cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphological correlates of injury-induced reorganization in primate somatosensory cortex

Background: Topographic reorganization of central maps following peripheral nerve injury has been well characterized. Despite extensive documentation of these physiological changes, the underlying anatomical correlates have yet to be fully explored. In this study, we used Golgi impregnation and light microscopy to assess dendritic morphology following denervation of the glabrous hand surface in adult primates. Results: After survival durations that permit complete physiologically-defined reorganization, we find a systematic change in the dendritic arborization pattern of both layer II/III pyramidal and layer IV spiny stellate cells in the contralateral hand region of area 3b, compared to unaffected cortical areas. In general, our analyses indicate a progressive expansion of distal regions of the dendritic arbor with no appreciable changes proximally. This pattern of distal dendritic elaboration occurs for both basilar and apical dendrites. Conclusions: These observations are consistent with the notion that latent inputs gain expression in reorganized cortex after nerve injury via their influence through contacts with more distally located termination sites.
Acceptability and feasibility of family use of The Cellie Cancer Coping Kit

Purpose This study aims to examine the acceptability and feasibility of child and parent use of The Cellie Cancer Coping Kit (Cellie Kit). The Cellie kit is designed to promote coping and decrease distress in children undergoing pediatric cancer treatment. It includes a plush toy, coping cards, and book for caregivers.
Entrepreneurial Neighborhood Initiatives: Political Capital in Community Development:

Community-based organizations are struggling to find alternative strategies to successfully leverage assistance and resources to improve their neighborhoods. This article offers a three-pronged formula for sustainable community development based on an entrepreneurial approach to undertake neighborhood initiatives. Economic, social, and political capital are necessary ingredients to generate independent community-based strategies that residents and investors can manage over the long term to achieve financial and social successes. Two community organization cases are compared to determine whether different approaches to local government for community development programs and funding represent different strategies and, ultimately, different levels of success.
Designing a system for land change science meta-study

In this work-in-progress paper, we present GLOBE, a system that enables the quantitative comparison and synthesis of local case study data to support meta-analyses of global environmental change. Using data from a workshop on the state-of-the-art of meta-study in the land change science research community, we highlight the limitations of current approaches and illustrate how our system can be designed to enhance data accuracy and produce globally relevant results.
Synopsis of the 6th Walker's Cay Colloquium on Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy

The 6th annual Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy Colloquium at Walker's Cay was held under the auspices of the Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute on March 10–13, 2004. The Colloquium consisted of a select group of 34 scientists representing academia, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. The main goal of this gathering was to promote in a peaceful and comfortable environment exchanges between basic and clinical science. The secondary benefit was to inspire novel bench to bedside ventures and at the same time provide feed back about promising and/or disappointing clinical results that could help re-frame some scientific question or guide the design of future trials. Several topics were covered that included tumor antigen discovery and validation, platforms for vaccine development, tolerance, immune suppression and tumor escape mechanisms, adoptive T cell therapy and dendritic cell-based therapies, clinical trials and assessment of response. Here we report salient points raised by speakers or by the audience during animated discussion that followed each individual presentation.
A floating gate common mode feedback circuit for low noise amplifiers

Most low noise amplifier designs focus on eliminating sources of noise that are intrinsic to the amplifier (thermal noise, I If noise). As integrated circuit design moves increasingly towards mixed signal implementations, the design of low-noise analog amplifiers must be re-evaluated to consider the switching noise generated by on-chip digital circuitry. We designed three fully differential versions of a previously reported single-ended low-noise amplifier for biomedical applications. Each design uses a different common mode feedback (CMFB) circuit. The first uses a standard continuous-time CMFB circuit, the second uses a switched capacitor CMFB circuit, and the third uses a novel floating gate CMFB circuit. A test chip has been fabricated in a 1.5 /spl mu/m CMOS process. The fully differential amplifiers outperform the single-ended amplifier in the presence of switching noise. The amplifier with the floating gate CMFB circuit has the lowest total harmonic distortion over the critical range and exhibits the smallest fluctuation in the common mode output level.
EFFECTS OF EXPERIENCE IN COHABITATION ON EROTIC AROUSABILITY

A sample of 275 men and 370 women were given the Sexual Arousability Inventory which requests an arousal rating of 28 sexually-related activities. Differences were obtained between those subjects d...
Five-fold reduction of lasing threshold near the first ΓL-pseudogap of ZnO inverse opals

We report room temperature lasing in ZnO inverse opal photonic crystals in the near-ultraviolet (UV) frequency range. We observe random lasing due to disorder in the structures when the photonic pseudogaps are located away from the ZnO gain spectrum. Tuning the first ΓL-pseudogap to the gain peak leads to a five-fold reduction in lasing threshold and a frequency shift of the lasing modes due to the enhanced confinement of light.
Is There A Conflict Between Improved Health Care Delivery And Lowering Costs

This paper will focus on the potential conflicts between health care delivery and the control of health care costs. The recent and ongoing debate about the cost of health care has led many to believe that health care delivery must be sacrificed in the process of achieving control of health care costs. The goals of this paper are to examine the factors which provide improved health care to the general population, to briefly discuss the factors which increase health care costs, and then focus on policies, technologies, and procedures which have the potential to lower health care costs while improving quality of care.
Endoscopic anterior cricoid split with balloon dilation in infants with failed extubation

Subglottic injury (SGI) is a known complication of prolonged intubation in neonates and infants and can lead to failed extubation. SGI is a spectrum that includes mucosal edema, ulceration, granulation perichondritis, and mature scar formation. Although medical management aimed at treating mucosal edema and extraesophageal reflux is successful in treating a majority of patients, some require surgical intervention to successfully achieve extubation. The surgical options for these patients include tracheostomy, open anterior cricoid split (ACS), and laryngotracheal reconstruction with cartilage grafting. Open ACS is performed through an external incision requiring placement of a drain for a few days. Extubation success rates in the 70% to 80% range have been widely reported. In this article we describe an endoscopic technique for ACS, in which after an endoscopic airway assessment confirms isolated SGI, the cricoid cartilage is divided transluminally with cold steel. Balloon dilation (BD) is then performed with an appropriately sized angiography balloon. We describe preliminary results in which two of three patients were successfully extubated after endoscopic ACS with BD. We believe that this novel technique is a promising alternative to open ACS with similar indications. In addition to the avoidance of a skin incision, endoscopic ACS with BD may enable extubation with comparably shorter lengths of postprocedure intubation than open ACS. Larger series will be required to further establish outcomes of this procedure, including success and complication rates.
Bubble cycling and standing waves in ultrasonic cell lysis.

Abstract Two quite different but potentially complementary hypothetical mechanisms have been proposed to explain the dependence of ultrasonic cell lysis in vitro on exposure vessel rotation. One mechanism proposes that resonant-size bubbles are trapped in planar arrays by standing waves in the sample and that exposure vessel rotation sweeps cells through the bubble arrays. The other mechanism, for which there is now considerable support, proposes that exposure vessel rotation simply allows bubbles to recycle after having been driven through the medium by the ultrasound. We report here the results of efforts to further discriminate between, and quantify, the relative contributions of these two mechanisms. Murine P388 cells were exposed to 1.07 MHz continuouswave (CW) ultrasound for 5 min at 5 W/cm2 (ISP) using various exposure vessel compositions and exposure configurations. Experimental treatments were designed either to minimize or maximize standing waves in the sample tube, or to minimize the potential for bubble recycling while maximizing standing wave formation. The results of these experiments indicate that bubble cycling is responsible for the majority of cell lysis occurring in the rotating exposure vessels, but that a significant contribution to total lysis is provided by trapped bubbles under some conditions.
Unusual nitro-coordination of europium(III) and terbium(III) with pyridinyl ligands

A new ligand family based on picoline, bipyridine and terpyridine containing a nitro moiety has been synthesized and its coordination and sensitization ability for lanthanide ions has been studied. Three new complexes were characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction and all three show uncommon coordination of the nitro moiety to the lanthanide ion. 5cTb, a terpyridine-nitro derivative with Tb(NO3)3, crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbca with a = 15.125(3), b = 13.776(3), c = 18.716(4) A, and V = 3899.8(13) A3 and is isostructural with its Eu(III) analog (5cEu) with cell parameters a = 15.1341(4), b = 13.7070(4), c = 18.8277(5) A. 6Eu, a tripodal amine with a nitro-derivatized pyridine with Eu(CF3SO3)3, crystallizes in the triclinic space group P with a = 11.067(2), b = 11.633(2), c = 12.772(3) A, α = 110.94(3), β = 97.49(3), γ = 91.42(3)° and V = 1518.1(5) A3. Finally, ligand 5a, a bipyridine-nitro derivative, crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P21/n with a = 3.7128(3), b = 11.7806(8), c = 19.9856(14) A, β = 92.925(2)° and V = 873.01(11) A3. All four ligands show sensitization of Eu(III) and Tb(III) luminescence.
Organometallic and reactor studies of the thiophene hydrodesulfurization mechanism

23 INTRODUCTION 24 EXPERIMENTAL 27 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 39 REFERENCES 48 PAPER II. EQUILIBRIUM AND KINETIC STUDIES OF SULFURCOORDINATED THIOPHENES (Th) IN Cp(CO)2Ru(Til(5)-Th)+ AND Cp(C0)(PPh3)Ru(n 1 (.S)-Th)+: MODELS FOR THIOPHENE ADSORPTION ON HYDRODESULFURIZATION CATALYSTS. 52 ABSTRACT 53 INTRODUCTION 54 EXPERIMENTAL 57 RESULTS 68 DISCUSSION 76 REFERENCES 85
Leishmaniasis: An Update on a Neglected Tropical Disease

Leishmaniasis is a devastating and significantly under-recognized vector-borne disease causing serious global health burden. The disease is caused by Leishmania, a protozoan kinetoplastid parasite. Though the disease is most prevalent in certain endemic locales, the disease spans 88 countries in the tropics, subtropics, and Southern Europe (Herwaldt 1999). After disease is acquired through the bite of an infected phlebotomine sand fly, disease can manifest in various forms from cutaneous disease to mucocutaneous involvement to visceral disease in which splenomegaly, cachexia, and anemia are salient features and the disease is virtually fatal if untreated (CDC http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/leishmaniasis/disease.html).
105 MEASURING TOXICITY, INCORPORATION, AND REPAIR OF 5-HYDROXYMETHYL-2′-DEOXYURIDINE IN CELLS.

5-Hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxyuridine (HmdU) is among the most common endogenous oxidative DNA lesions and is repaired by more than one DNA glycosylase in human cells. This DNA-repair pathway may be exploited for use in cancer chemotherapy. Exogenous delivery of HmdU to cells in culture leads to its incorporation into the DNA and subsequent repair, resulting in death by apoptosis if the HmdU load is too heavy for the cell. Both incorporation into the DNA and repair of HmdU out of the DNA are necessary for cell death to occur. To measure the incorporation into and subsequent repair of HmdU out of the DNA of cells in culture, we have developed a highly sensitive and specific method using stable isotope dilution and gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-NICI-MS) for measuring HmdU levels found in DNA. Using the osteosarcoma cell line U2OS as a model system, we treat cells with HmdU, harvest cells, and isolate DNA. Hydrolysis of the DNA with formic acid releases the free bases, and we convert the base 5-hydroxymethyluracil (HmU) into its methyl ester, 5-methoxymethyluracil, subsequently derivatizing with 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzyl bromide to yield a stable compound. When analyzing trace levels of HmdU deoxynucleoside standard, this derivatization process yields a detection limit of approximately 500 attomoles (5 × 10−16 mol) on column. We demonstrate in U2OS cells that toxicity of exogenously delivered HmdU is proportional to its incorporation into the DNA, and we show that repair of HmdU out of the DNA is occurring. Application of our method in cell lines with varying sensitivities to HmdU treatment will allow us to gain further insight into the mechanism of and resistance to this potential chemotherapeutic agent.
Hippocampal and Congenital Brain Malformations

Sixty two patients, aged 15 days to 18 years, with congenital brain malformations were evaluated retrospectively to determine the association of various brain malformations with hippocampal abnormalities, in a study at Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey.
Ethylene oligomerization catalyzed by novel iron complex/MAO

A novel iron complex bearing single imino-pyridyl ligand was prepared.Ethylene oligomerization was carried out by using the complex as pre-catalyst and methyl aluminoxane(MAO) as co-catalyst.The effects of reaction temperature,pressure,n(Al)/n(Fe) molar ratio,iron complex concentration and reaction time on catalytic activity and product distribution were investigated.The results showed that the novel iron complex/MAO used in ethylene oligomerization had high catalytic activity and high selectivity toward low carbon linear α–olefin.
Identification of QTL for Grain Shape Traits and Grain Weight by AB-QTL in Common Wild Rice from Gaozhou in Guangdong Province

An advanced backcross BC3F1 population was developed from an inter-specific cross between O.sativa and O.rufipogon.Yuexiangzhan(O.sativa ssp.indica),an elite cultivar was used as the female and also served as the recurrent parent.A total of 117 polymorphic SSR markers were chosen for genotyping the 245 lines,QTL location and effect estimated were analyzed by AB-QTL.A total of 23 QTL were identified for grain length(GL),grain width(GW),length-width ratio(LWR) and grain weight(GWt),which located on chromosomes 1,2,3,4,5,6,8 and 11.phenotypic variation of each QTL ranged from 3.77%-28.67%.There were 6 QTL explaining more than 20% of total phenotypic variations,which were qGW-11-1 controlling GW,qLWR-2 and qLWR-11 controlling LWR,and qGWt-5-1,qGWt-5-2 and qGWt-11-1 controlling GWt.Compared with previous studies about inter-specific using O.rufipogon,the larger number of QTL has been detected in our study.The study confirms that wild rice in Gaozhou city is an efficient source of gene pool and should be further utilized in rice breeding.
MR IMAGING OF THORACIC TRAUMA

SUMMARY Although MR imaging and MR angiography should not be considered a primary study for patients sustaining blunt or penetrating thoracic trauma, it has achieved importance as an ancillary problem-solving modality. In general, the authors have found MR imaging to be a useful ancillary study to confirm or exclude diaphragm injury, if spiral CT scan with reformations are equivocal; to help assess the aorta and mediastinum in cases of potential injury that are not clarified by CT scan or thoracic angiography; and to identify the true origin of trauma-related masses that may simulate thoracic neoplasms.
Role for monocyte-macrophage-derived colony-stimulating factor and prostaglandin E in the positive and negative feedback control of myeloid stem cell proliferation.

Murine peritoneal macrophages and human peripheral blood monocytes stimulated the proliferation in vitro of committed myeloid stem cells (CFU-C) by the elaboration of colony-stimulating factors (CSF). High numbers of monocyte-macrophages possessed little stimulating activity and were markedly suppressive due to the accumulation of a dialyzable, non-species-specific inhibitor of CFU-C proliferation. This inhibitory principle was identified as prostaglandin E (PGE) by means of a sensitive radioimmunoassay, and the levels of PGE correlated inversely with myeloid colony incidence. Suppression of PGE synthesis by indomethacin markedly increased the number and size of myeloid colonies stimulated by monocytes and macrophages and permitted a more accurate estimate of CFU-C incidence. Indomethacin had no direct effect on CFU-C in the absence of a biosynthetic source of PGE and did not influence CSF production occurring in the absence of prostaglandin synthesis. Dose-dependent stimulation of PGE synthesis by macrophages in response to increasing concentrations of CSF was concomitantly associated with progressive CFU-C inhibitory activity. Conversely, monocyte-macrophage PGE synthesis was significantly reduced following exposure to an extract of human granulocytes that decreased CSF production. These studies indicate a unique regulatory function of the monocyte and macrophage in the positive and negative feedback control of committed myeloid stem cell proliferation. The balance between CSF and PGE, factors with mutually opposing actions, is ultimately determined by an afferent feedback mechanism operating via the intrinsic modulation of macrophage PGE synthesis in response to local elevations in CSF concentrations.
A tokamak tritium production reactor design II

A design concept for a fusion neutron source-based tritium production reactor has been developed, where liquid Li is used as the coolant and tritium breeder and V-4 Cr-4 Ti is used as the structural material. The fusion neutron source is predicated on the physics and technology that will be demonstrated in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The present design can produce 2 kg/yr excess tritium for weapons replenishment operating at fusion power levels of 300 to 750 MW and with corresponding plant availability factors of 25 to 10%. No structural component should fail as a result of radiation damage during the 40-yr lifetime of the reactor, and it should be possible to dispose of the radioactive waste created upon decommissioning as low-level waste that qualifies for shallow land burial. A fusion tritium production reactor based on ITER physics and technology would seem to be a realistic option for satisfying the nation 's tritium production needs.
Removal of Floating Oil Slicks by the Controlled Combustion Technique

In March of 1967 an event occurred which has spurred intensive worldwide research efforts directed towards solution of the problem of removal of oil spilled at sea and on inland waters. The Torrey Canyon, a heavily laden super-tanker, grounded off the southwest coast of England, broke up, and disgorged about 850,000 barrels of crude oil onto the open seas. Despite intensive corrective efforts by governmental and private groups, large quantities of oil washed ashore on Cornwall in England and Brittany in France.
Optimal sequenced matroid bases solved by ga's with feasible search space including applications

We consider an extension to the optimal matroid base problem [1] whereby the matroid element costs are not fixed, but are time dependent. We propose a genetic algorithm (GA) approach to solve the optimal sequenced matroid base problem (OSMBP) by employing efficient codes which are suffixed by a standard permutation code [2]. These novel encoding schemes insure feasibility after performing the classical operations of crossover and mutation and also ensure the feasibility of the initial randomly generated population (i.e., generation 0). This class of problems, where costs are not fixed but are time dependent, embrace non-locality which actually makes the GAs more efficient. A variety of practical matroid applications with time dependent costs will also be presented.
Vehicle Headlights: Aiming for Better Driving Safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently announced the results of vehicle headlight evaluations, widely reported in the media, especially because so few of the systems were rated as good or acceptable. The IIHS evaluation protocols [IIHS 2016] and rationale [IIHS 2015] are available for review, as are test results on individual vehicle's headlighting systems [Karush 2016]. The IIHS [2016] evaluation procedure involves measuring the amounts of light reaching photosensors positioned to represent potential roadway hazards as well as the locations of oncoming drivers' eyes, in order to characterize both visibility and glare from headlights. Systems receive demerits if they fail to illuminate hazards from certain distances or if they direct excessive light that could contribute to glare for other drivers. Bonuses are provided for headlights that swivel into curves or that automatically switch high beam headlights on when no other vehicles are present because these features likely contribute to increased safety [Bullough 2014]. Importantly, IIHS does not adjust the vertical aim of the headlights on the vehicles it measures but rather evaluates the headlights as received. This is reasonable, because most drivers do not adjust the headlights on their vehicles and misaimed headlights are not uncommon on both in-service [Flannagan 2011] and brand-new vehicles [Skinner and others 2010]. It matters, though, because headlights aimed too low will impair a driver's visibility, whereas headlights aimed too high will increase glare to other drivers. Indeed, the results of IIHS's rating evaluations support this latter point. Setting the bonuses from swiveling headlights and automatic high beams aside, Fig. 1 shows demerit scores for each of 64 vehicle headlighting systems evaluated by IIHS, plotted as a function of the average misaim of each vehicle's headlight. Notwithstanding a good deal of spread among the systems, a modest but statistically robust (coefficient of determination r2 = 0.173, P Even accounting for the possibility of a relationship between vertical aim and evaluated headlight performance, differences among the systems would still be large, indicating that some headlights do outperform others at providing visibility while minimizing glare to others. Nonetheless, it may not be obvious to consumers that having their headlights aimed properly on a regular basis can also have a meaningful safety impact. Kudos to IIHS for making their test protocols and results available. They provide an important resource for understanding something we all aim for--improved nighttime driving safety. Language: en
Layer-dependent properties of SnS 2 and SnSe 2 two-dimensional materials

The layer-dependent structural, electronic, and vibrational properties of ${\mathrm{SnS}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{SnSe}}_{2}$ are investigated using first-principles density functional theory (DFT). The in-plane lattice constants, interlayer distances and binding energies are found to be layer-independent. Bulk ${\mathrm{SnS}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{SnSe}}_{2}$ are both indirect band gap semiconductors with ${E}_{g}=2.18$ and $1.07\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$, respectively. Few-layer and monolayer 2D systems also possess an indirect band gap, which is increased to 2.41 and $1.69\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$ for single layers of ${\mathrm{SnS}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{SnSe}}_{2}.$ The effective mass theory of 2D excitons, which takes into account the combined effect of the anisotropy, nonlocal 2D screening and layer-dependent 3D screening, predicts strong excitonic effects. The binding energy of indirect excitons in monolayer samples, ${E}_{x}\ensuremath{\sim}0.9\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$, is substantially reduced to ${E}_{x}=0.14\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$ in bulk ${\mathrm{SnS}}_{2}$ and ${E}_{x}=0.09\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$ in bulk ${\mathrm{SnSe}}_{2}$. The layer-dependent Raman spectra display a strong decrease of intensities of the Raman active ${A}_{1g}$ mode upon decreasing the number of layers down to a monolayer, by a factor of 7 in the case of ${\mathrm{SnS}}_{2}$ and a factor of 20 in the case of ${\mathrm{SnSe}}_{2}$, which can be used to identify the number of layers in a 2D sample.
The Role of DNA Methylation in the Metabolic Memory Phenomenon Associated With the Continued Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose Clinical and experimental studies have shown that diabetic retinopathy progression does not halt after termination of hyperglycemia, suggesting a "metabolic memory" phenomenon. DNA is highly dynamic, and cytosine methylation changes can last for several years. In diabetes, DNA methylation regulates expression of many genes associated with retinal mitochondrial homeostasis. Our aim was to investigate the role of DNA methylation in the metabolic memory. Methods Reversal of 4 days of 20 mM glucose by 4 to 8 days of 5 mM glucose, in the presence/absence of Dnmt inhibitor (5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine), was investigated on DNA methylation and its machinery in human retinal endothelial cells. The key parameters were confirmed in the retina from diabetic rats maintained in good glycemic control (glycated hemoglobin ∼6%) for 3 months after 3 months of poor control (glycated hemoglobin >10%). Results DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt 1) remained active after 4 days of normal glucose that followed 4 days of high glucose, and mtDNA stayed hypermethylated with impaired transcription. Hydroxymethylating enzyme Tet2, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (regulated by hydroxymethylation) also remained upregulated. But, 8 days of normal glucose after 4 days of high glucose ameliorated mtDNA methylation and MMP-9 hydroxymethylation. Direct Dnmt targeting by Aza during the reversal period benefited methylation status of mtDNA and MMP-9 DNA. Similarly, reinstitution of good control after 3 months of poor control in rats did not reverse diabetes-induced increase in retinal Dnmt1 and Tet2, and alter the methylation status of mtDNA and MMP-9. Conclusions Retinal DNA methylation-hydroxymethylation machinery does not benefit immediately from reversal of hyperglycemia. Maintenance of good glycemic control for longer duration, and/or direct targeting DNA methylation ameliorates continuous mitochondrial damage, and could retard/halt diabetic retinopathy progression.
A fully-automated, liquid-moderated neutron spectrometer system

A novel, water-based, neutron spectroscopy system has been designed, simulated, and tested at the National Research Council of Canada. The active part of the detection system is a small proportional counter sensitive to thermal neutrons. This is suspended along the symmetry axis of a large, rectangular water bath, and can be positioned remotely anywhere along this axis down to the bottom face. The energy spectrum of any constant neutron field impinging on this face from below the detector may be reconstructed with this system by mapping the thermal neutron response as a function of distance from the face, and using singular value decomposition to deduce the energy distribution. Agreement between experimental data from americium-beryllium neutron sources and the Monte Carlo software MCNP5 is excellent. Monte Carlo techniques are used to test the energy spectrum reconstruction using singular value decomposition for americium-boron and americium-beryllium neutron spectra.
Improved Splenic Function after Stem Cell Transplant for Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract Introduction: Splenic dysfunction is a critical complication of SCD that begins in early childhood and can cause fatal sepsis. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a proven cure for SCD, however, its long-term effect on the spleen in patients who had SCD is not well characterized. This information could be helpful to further inform medical professionals and families considering HSCT for SCD. Better understanding of the splenic function of patients after transplant for SCD could also provide important information regarding these patients’ future risk of infection and other possible problems related to asplenia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients who had HSCT for SCD at two transplant centers. Patients were excluded for analysis if they had pre-HSCT splenectomy, died less than one year post-transplant, failed to engraft, or had no post-HSCT spleen function testing. Tc99m liver-spleen (LS) scans and red blood cell (RBC) pit counts, validated tests to evaluate the spleen in SCD, were used to assess splenic function. Splenic uptake on scans was classified as either present or absent. RBC pit count was classified as either normal or abnormal. If a patient had multiple LS scans or RBC pit counts post-HSCT, then the most recent test was used for this analysis. Results: Fifty-five evaluable patients were identified (53 patients with a post-HSCT LS scan, 29 patients with a post-HSCT RBC pit count, and 27 patients with both tests). Almost all (52/55, 95%) patients had hemoglobin SS or Sβ0 disease. Median age at transplant was 8.8 years (range 1.8-22.0 years). Conditioning regimen and stem cell source varied, however, 48/55 (87%) received myeloablative conditioning and an HLA-identical sibling donor HSCT. At a median 2.0 years post-HSCT (range 0.9-8.9 years), 48/53 (91%) had spleen uptake present on LS scan. At a median 3.2 years post-HSCT (range 1.0-11.4 years), 24/29 (83%) had a normal RBC pit count. Analysis of patients who had both pre- and post-HSCT tests showed that patients had significantly improved outcomes post-HSCT: Table . Pre-HSCT Post-HSCT p-value Spleen Uptake Present on LS scan 17/36 (47%) 32/36 (89%) 0.0002 Normal RBC pit count 6/20 (30%) 17/20 (85%) 0.0004 All patients (17/17, 100%) with LS scan spleen uptake pre-HSCT had uptake present post-HSCT compared to 15/19 (79%) patients with absent spleen uptake pre-HSCT had uptake present post-HSCT (p=0.11). Four patients had absent spleen uptake at 1 year post-HSCT but had uptake present at 2 years post-HSCT. Conclusion: Our study represents the largest comprehensive evaluation of long-term splenic function in patients after HSCT for SCD. Our results suggest that successful HSCT mitigates damage to the spleen induced by SCD. In patients with splenic function pre-transplant, HSCT appears to preserve this function. In patients lacking splenic function, HSCT appears to engender the return of function in most, but not all patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Introducing a Psychotherapy for the Collective: A Paradigm Shift for College Mental Health

Current prevailing practices maintain a priority on treating the individual students, typically in a medical paradigm that relies on licensed professionals to intervene.Many of the issues that indi...
Abstract 3492: Metformin inhibits salivary gland tumor growth through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis

Human salivary gland cancer (SGC) is one of the common malignancies found in the head and neck area. The limitation of the treatment and poor prognosis are calling for more investigations into novel intervention to improve the treatment modality in SGCs. Metformin as a widely used anti-type-2 diabetes medicine had demonstrated its anti-tumor potential in many different types of cancers. Our previous work demonstrated that metformin effectively targeted c-Myc oncogene to prevent the initiation and progression of prostate cancer. Interestingly, the overexpression of c-Myc has also been shown in some SGCs, such as salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma. Therefore, it is intriguing to explore metformin9s anti-neoplastic efficacy of metformin in SGC. In this study, we used a human salivary adenocarcinoma cell line, HSY cell line as a model for salivary gland tumor. Our in vitro results show metformin prominently suppresses the growth of HSY cell through stimulation of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Meanwhile, metformin significantly down-regulates cMyc expression and rescues p53 tumor suppressor gene expression. Considering that mTOR inhibitors resistance could occur when tumors over-express cMYC. PP242, a novel and potent mTOR inhibitor was used in combination with metformin to inhibit HSY cell growth. As expected, metformin enhanced the inhibitory effects of PP242 associated with reduced c-MYC levels in vitro. Further in HSY xenograft tumors, massive necrotic areas were observed inside the tumors from metformin treated mice while only limited necrotic area in the core of tumors from PBS treated mice. Staining of proliferation marker Ki-67 confirmed lower proliferation rate in tumors from metformin treated group compare to that from the PBS group. In conclusion, our novel finding of metformin efficacy in SGC not only proves metformin plays a pivotal role in suppressing SGCs through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, but also suggest that a combination treatment using metformin and mTOR inhibitors together may yield better inhibitory efficacy. Citation Format: Yuqi Guo. Metformin inhibits salivary gland tumor growth through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3492. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3492
Current looping NEXRAD is inadequate for hazardous-weather flight

Next-Generation Radar (NEXRAD) is an important decision-support tool for air traffic control (ATC). It is currently being introduced into aircraft cockpits, and will be equally important for remote piloting of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Unfortunately, numerous studies strongly suggest that manually estimation of closest point of approach (CPA) to heavy weather is a difficult task for pilots, and that current-generation NEXRAD may be intrinsically inadequate for that task. In this study, we begin with an ecological information analysis of the looping NEXRAD format itself, and show that inherent task difficulty is predicted mathematically and by the neural structure of the visual system. Then, to confirm empirically, we develop a mathematical model of an extremely simple “ideal storm” to generate various types of simulated weather cells. A looping NEXRAD-type part-task simulation is created, and 21 general aviation (GA) pilots are tested to measure effects of weather system depth (19 vs. 40 nm), and the opening and closing of gaps at various closure rates between weather cells (−14, −7, 0, 7, 14 kt). For the values tested, weather system depth has no significant effect on eventual CPA from heavy weather (>40 dBZ reflectivity). However, redesign and retesting may be warranted for this variable. In contrast, weather movement clearly and greatly degrades safety. It does not seem to matter if weather movement is as slow as 7 scale kt, nor whether gaps are opening or closing. Any weather movement makes an already hard task harder. We can now say with certainty that current-generation looping NEXRAD is inadequate to manually keep aircraft safely separated from weather. Ecological analysis indicates necessity of adding 30–45 minutes of future-predicted (forecast) weather and a 20 nm range ring to the looping NEXRAD display to enable safe tactical weather avoidance.
The centered mind: What the science of working memory shows us about the nature of human thought

Accounts of reflective reasoning, the ability to bring myriad thoughts and experiences together to bear on one another, have featured centrally in the history of philosophy. Peter Carruthers, in Th...
The hidden dynamics of relativistic electrons (0.7–1.5 MeV) in the inner zone and slot region

We present measurements of relativistic electrons (0.7–1.5 MeV) in the inner zone and slot region obtained by the Magnetic Electron and Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) instrument on Van Allen Probes. The data presented are corrected for background contamination, which is primarily due to inner-belt protons in these low-L regions. We find that ∼1 MeV electrons were transported into the inner zone following the two largest geomagnetic storms of the Van Allen Probes era to date, the March and June 2015 events. As ∼1 MeV electrons were not observed in Van Allen Probes data in the inner zone prior to these two events, the injections created a new inner belt that persisted for at least 1.5 years. In contrast, we find that electrons injected into the slot region decay on much faster timescales, approximately tens of days. Furthermore, we find no evidence of >1.5 MeV electrons in the inner zone during the entire time interval considered (April 2013 through September 2016). The energies we examine thus span a transition range in the steeply falling inner zone electron spectrum, where modest intensities are observed at 0.7 MeV, and no electrons are observed at 1.5 MeV. To validate the results obtained from the background corrected flux measurements, we also present detailed pulse-height spectra from individual MagEIS detectors. These measurements confirm our results and also reveal low-intensity inner zone and slot region electrons that are not captured in the standard background corrected data product. Finally, we briefly discuss efforts to refine the upper limit of inner zone MeV electron flux obtained in earlier work.
A hybrid genetic algorithm and DEA approach for multi-criteria fixed cost allocation

This paper proposes a hybrid genetic algorithm and data envelopment analysis framework for solving the fixed cost allocation (FCA) problem. The proposed framework allows managers to incorporate different FCA sub-objectives for efficient and inefficient decision-making units (DMUs) and solves the FCA problem so that the total entropy of resource allocation for efficient DMUs is maximized, and correlation between resource allocation and efficiency scores of inefficient DMUs is minimized. The FCA sub-objectives and solutions are kept consistent with the overall management objective of rewarding efficient DMUs by allocating to them fewer fixed cost resources. We illustrate the application of our approach using an example from the literature. The results of our study indicate that the solution values obtained in our study are superior to those obtained in other studies under various criteria. Additionally, the relative gap between the solution obtained using our procedure, and the upper bound on the optimal value is approximately 1%, which indicates that our solution is very close to the optimal solution.
Empress vs. Spider-Man: Margaret Cavendish on pure and applied mathematics

The empress of Margaret Cavendish’s The Blazing World dismisses pure mathematicians as a waste of her time, and declares of the applied mathematicians that “there [is] neither Truth nor Justice in their Profession”. In Cavendish’s theoretical work, she defends the Empress’ judgments. In this paper, I discuss Cavendish’s arguments against pure and applied mathematics. In Sect. 3, I develop an interpretation of some relevant parts of Cavendish’s metaphysics and epistemology, focusing on her anti-abstractionism and what I call her ’assimilation’ view of knowledge. In Sects. 4 and 5, I use this to develop Cavendish’s critiques of pure and applied mathematics, respectively. These critiques center on the claims that mathematics purports to describe non-beings, that nature is infinitely and irreducibly complex, and, perhaps most originally, that mathematical thinking (like other formal methods in philosophy) deforms the subject of representation, not just the object.
Cygnss constellation intercalibration

The Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission uses a constellation of 8 satellites to measure ocean winds in the tropics with high temporal resolution (∼3 hr median, 7 hr mean revisit). Focusing on the measurement of winds in tropical cyclones, each satellite contains a Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry (GNSS-R) receiver capable of measuring reflections from 4 Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite transmitters under all precipitating conditions over the full range of tropical cyclone winds. In order to provide wind estimates that are consistent from receiver to receiver, the data from each must be intercalibrated. This presentation describes the intercalibration method to be used for CYGNSS. Once the constellation is in operational mode (expected mid to late April 2017), on-orbit data will be used to provide intercalibration offsets between the receivers in order to provide consistent constellation wind estimates.
Multiobjective Functions to Identify the High-Power-Density Stream Reaches in Hydropower Resource Assessment

AbstractA hydropower resource assessment (HRA) can be considered a reconnaissance survey in which the total hydropower potential in a region is quantified. Hydropower potential for purposes of this...
One resistor and two capacitors: An electrical engineer's simple view of a biological cell

Based on a simple three-layer model, a network of three lumped elements of membrane capacitance, cytoplasm resistance, and cytoplasm capacitance was used to explain the so-called β dispersion in the dielectric properties of biological cells hypothesized six decades ago. Using the simple network and without resorting to frequency-dependent permittivity, nondispersive membrane capacitance, cytoplasm resistance, and cytoplasm capacitance were extracted from microwave scattering parameters measured on single cells without the complication of electrode polarization or boundary layer. The extracted values, as small as 1 pF for the membrane capacitance, as large as 0.1 M for the cytoplasm resistance, and as small as 10 fF for the cytoplasm capacitance, agreed with the hypothesized values, as well as order-of-magnitude estimates from physical properties of cells.
The Relationship between Test Preparation and State Test Performance: Evidence from the Measure of Effective Teaching (MET) Project.

The passage of the NCLB Act enhanced accountability policies in the United States, and standardized testing became prevalent as a policy tool to ensure accountability in K-12 education. Given the high stakes of state administered accountability tests, more school teachers have adopted test-preparation strategies to ensure satisfactory student performance on state tests. However, it remains unclear as to whether and how test preparation relates to students’ state test performance. In this study, by drawing on the Measure of Effective Teaching (MET) longitudinal dataset, we examined the relationship between test preparation and students’ state test performance. We found that students with lower test performance in Year 1 received more test preparation in Year 2; however, the effects of test preparation on students’ state test performance were rather small and mixed. In regard to racial differences, we found that Black and Hispanic students received more test preparation than White students. Further, the effect of test preparation measured by the item “practicing for the state test” on state test performance was significantly greater for Black and Hispanic students than for White students. The implications of the study, its limitations, and directions for future research are also discussed.
Friction and wear of Pd-rich amorphous alloy (Pd43Cu27Ni10P20) under dry and ionic liquid (IL) lubricated conditions

Abstract Palladium (Pd) based metallic glass has attracted attention because of its superior tribological performance thereby becoming a potential material to solve contact induced failures and improve the reliability of many engineering applications. In this study, Pd-rich metallic glass (Pd43Cu27Ni10P20) was synthesized, and novel experiments were designed to obtain fundamental insight into its friction and wear behavior. The tribological performance of amorphous (i.e., Pd-rich amorphous alloy) and crystalline (i.e., pure crystalline Pd) palladium under dry and lubricated contact condition was investigated through the reciprocating ball-on-disc tests. The ionic liquid (IL), i.e., 1-nonyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethane)sulfonyl]amide ([C9C1im][NTf2]), was applied as a lubricant. Under the controlled contact conditions (i.e., sliding velocity, contact load, and environment temperature), the in-situ friction and ex-situ wear were measured and compared quantitatively. First, at dry contact conditions, the amorphous Pd alloy showed much lower coefficient of friction and wear than the crystalline Pd. Three wear mechanisms (delamination, abrasive and adhesive wear) were identified on the crystalline Pd, whereas the amorphous Pd alloy showed single dominant wear mechanism, namely abrasion. Next, when the IL lubricant was applied to the contact interface, it significantly improved the friction and wear of both amorphous and crystalline Pd samples. Only abrasive wear mechanism was observed on both types of Pd samples. In particular, the IL lubrication was more effective to the crystalline Pd sample partly because of the tribofilm formation on the surface.
Hobbes’s Theory of Natural and Social Sciences

Thomas Hobbes was quite explicit about the objective of his philosophic enterprise. There were, he argued, moral, social, and political philosophies to spare. The reason they were useless was because, however plausible they might seem to subscribers, there was no way in which they could be guaranteed to command assent (EW I, 9). This is because they were epistemologically unsound (EW III, 33). Hobbes’s central concern was with civil conflict, and arbitrary conjectures about society and civil duties, he felt, divided society into factions of supporters and opponents. His principal task was the attempt to avoid dissension. What was thus of fundamental importance was that a civil philosophy be one from which we could not rationally dissent. The first problem that Hobbes confronted therefore was how such a task might be performed. That is, how may it be possible to construct a civil philosophy that is epistemologically defensible?
Nurses Preparation for Advanced Directives: An Integrative Review.

Abstract Although nurses have a legal and ethical responsibility to educate and help patients complete advance directives, few nurses have a clear understanding of their role. This review integrates 19 studies published between 1990 and 2018 of the knowledge or confidence of nurses and nursing students regarding advance directives or of education on advance directives in nursing curricula. Fewer than half of working nurses demonstrated knowledge, confidence, or both regarding advance directives, and nursing programs which cover advance directives at all typically devote only 1.5 h or less to this legal document which potentially has impact on patient care and outcomes. Nurses with greater confidence regarding advance directives did not always have accurate knowledge about them. Nursing programs need more education specifically about advance directives, and more research is needed to determine what education methods can successfully address nurses' knowledge and confidence deficits.