cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IMPS-11EXPRESSION AND PROGNOSTIC IMPACT OF IMMUNE MODULATORY MOLECULE PD-L1 IN MENINGIOMA

Meningiomas represent the most common intracranial tumor in adults, and treatment options are currently limited for recurrent high grade meningiomas. While immunotherapy may offer promising new approaches for these tumors, little is known of the immune landscape in meningiomas. We sought to characterize the immune microenvironment across WHO grade I-III cases of meningiomas, and how infiltrating immune populations relate to patient outcomes. Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue microarrays constructed from 96 meningioma cases. The cohort included 16 WHO grade I, 62 WHO grade II, and 18 WHO grade III tumors. Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies against CD3, CD8, CD20, CD68 and the immunomodulatory molecule, PD-L1. Dual staining using anti-PD-L1 and anti-CD68 antibodies was performed using fluorescence-conjugated secondary antibodies. Automated cell detection and positive staining detection algorithms were applied using StrataQuest software (Tissuegnostics, Vienna). Greater degree of PD-L1 expression was found in higher grade tumors. Higher grade tumors contained increased numbers of intratumoral CD68-, PD-L1+ cells (p = 0.022), but not double positive CD68 + , PD-L1+ infiltrating cells. Higher PD-L1 expression was independently predictive of worse overall survival in our cohort when accounting for grade, performance status, extent of resection, and recurrence history in a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model (p = 0.021). Partitioning analysis revealed >7.76% PD-L1-positive cells as the most significant cut-off predicting worse overall survival. Higher expression of PD-L1 was also present in tumors that had undergone prior radiotherapy (p = 0.041). There was no correlation between degree of PD-L1 expression and fractions of infiltrating CD3 + , CD8 + , CD20+ or CD68+ cells. CD3, CD8, CD20 or CD68 subpopulations were also not associated with survival outcomes. The association with decreased overall survival in our study suggests that PD-L1 may play a significant biologic role in the aggressive phenotype of higher grade meningiomas. Thus, immunotherapeutic agents may have clinical utility in PD-L1 overexpressing meningiomas.
Primary Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome Manifesting as Refractory Partial Status Epilepticus Unrelated to a Structural Brain Abnormality (P02.155)

Objective: Case: A 61-year-old man with hypertension and hypereosinophilia presented with transient left leg myoclonus followed by paralysis. A head MRI showed a remote left anterior and middle cerebral arteries watershed area infarct. Cerebrospinal fluid examination was normal. Rheumatological evaluation revealed persistently elevated antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) (lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin and anti-β2 glycoprotein-I antibodies). Primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) was diagnosed and anticoagulation was started. During the admission he experienced episodic left arm and leg myoclonus with head turning to the left. Intravenous lorazepam and phenytoin limited the myoclonus to his left leg, however the myoclonus became persistent. Video/EEG monitoring showed right posterior quadrant semi-periodic spike and slow waves occurring every one to two seconds. Partial status epilepticus (PSE) was diagnosed. In the following three days, levetiracetam, valproic acid and phenobarbital were added respectively without aborting the seizures. He was intubated and started on midazolam infusion that aborted the clinical and electrographical seizures within two days. A repeat head MRI was unchanged. He was transferred to a rehabilitation facility with a residual left-sided weakness on phenytoin, levetiracetam and warfarin. Discussion: APS is an autoimune disease that usually affects young adults and is characterized by vascular thrombosis, pregnancy morbidity and persistent aPL. It is either a primary condition or is associated with a connective tissue disease. Neurological manifestations include stroke, seizures and chorea among others. Seizures are often precipitated by an acute ischemic event, but occasionally, structural abnormalities are absent. In these cases, it is hypothesized that seizures occur secondary to microvascular ischemia which increases blood-brain-barrier permeability, leading to neurotoxicity from influx of autoantibodies and cytokines. In our patient, the ischemic abnormalities were not acute and topographically unrelated to the seizures, thus supporting a non-thrombotic etiology of the status epilepticus. Conclusion: APS might present with PSE that is unrelated to a structural brain lesion. Disclosure: Dr. Maalouf has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hinduja has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shihabuddin has nothing to disclose.
Synthesis and Characterization of Cd 1−x Cu x Se Quantum Dots

Cu:CdSe nanoparticle alloys were synthesized using inorganic cluster precursor via a lyothermal method. The dots synthesized were approximately 4 nm in size and exhibited doping levels as high as 20% for Cu(I). Cu(I) cations are randomly doped on the Cd-Td site based on a Vegard's law analysis, suggesting that doping arises from a random ion substitution mechanism. The resulting dots exhibited essentially no band edge photoluminescence due to a high level of trap site inclusions in these materials resulting from Se vacancy formation in order to compensate for the Cu+ replacing a Cd2+ ion. Se vacancy formation is evident in the XPS analysis of the Cd:Cu:Se ratios for these materials.
A 2-D tread mechanism for hybridization in USAR robotics

Hybridization of robots has led to great leaps in capability, often with minimal additional complexity, and refers to a synergistic combination of different actuation modes within a single platform. Doing so extends the capabilities and task space of a robot by pooling together the strengths of the individual modes and results in a single platform that is greater than the sum of its parts. In this paper we present a novel 2-D tread mechanism capable of exerting motive forces in two orthogonal directions. Early exploration into hybridization of this mechanism includes a holonomic differential drive configuration as well as a holonomic tread/limb/serpentine hybrid robot. Some preliminary results of the tread mechanism performance are presented as well.
Application Research of Heat Pump in Petroleum and Chemical Enterprises

Nowadays,there are a number of low temperature waste heat sources in chemical industry,which can not be efficiently utilized yet with the conventional technologies.In the most cases,this part of low temperature energy is consumed in vain by cooling water and then be discharged into the environment as waste heat.Now AHT can be taken as one of the best solutions to reutilization of the waste heat by transferring part of the low temperature-grade thermal energy upward to a higher temperature-grade.Therefore,it is generally deemed as an effective energy-saving technology.In this paper,application research of heat pump in petroleum and chemical enterprises is discussed with industry device and document data.
32×10Gbit dense wavelength division multiplexing system simulation

The design principle of WDM is given and analyzed.On this basis, the simulation model of the WDM based on the Optisystem is presented according to the above principle.The simulation results such as Q factor and BER are given and deeply ana-lyzed.,the exactness and the possibility of WDM are verified.In the end the corresponding conclusion is presented.
Metadata in Context – An Ontological and Normative Analysis of the NSA’s Bulk Telephony Metadata Collection Program

In the aftermath of the Snowden revelations, the National Security Agency (NSA) responded to fears about warrantless domestic surveillance programs by emphasizing that it was collecting only the metadata, and not the content, of communications. When justifying its activities, the NSA offered the following rationale: because data involves content and metadata does not, a reasonable expectation of privacy extends only to the former but not the latter. Our paper questions the soundness of this argument. More specifically, we argue that privacy is defined not only by the types of information at hand, but also by the context in which the information is collected. This context has changed dramatically. Defining privacy as contextual integrity we are able, in the first place, to explain why the bulk telephony metadata collection program violated expectations of privacy and, in the second, to evaluate whether the benefits to national security provided by the program can be justified in light of the program's material costs, on the one hand, and its infringements on civil liberties, on the other hand.
Understanding Factors Affecting University A Students' Decision to Receive an Unlicensed Serogroup B Meningococcal Vaccine.

Abstract Purpose During March–November 2013, five cases of serogroup B meningococcal disease occurred among University A undergraduates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used the unlicensed MenB-4C (Bexsero, Novartis Vaccines), a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine, to control the outbreak. All undergraduates (n = 19,257) were offered two doses; 51% of undergraduates received ≥1 dose of MenB-4C. We conducted a knowledge, attitudes, and practice survey to understand which factors and sources of information impacted their decision on whether or not to receive vaccine. Methods An anonymous online survey was sent to University A undergraduates. The survey was implemented in June 2–30, 2014, and covered demographics, MenB-4C vaccination decision, and sources of information. Descriptive analyses were conducted. Results A total of 1,341 students completed the survey (response rate = 7.0%), of these 873 received ≥1 dose of MenB-4C. Among vaccinated respondents, the predominant reasons for receiving vaccine were knowledge of disease severity, parental recommendation, and believing that vaccination offered the best protection. Among unvaccinated respondents, the predominant reasons for not receiving vaccine were perception of low disease risk and concern over vaccine newness and safety. Respondents' top primary sources of information were e-mails from the university followed by their parents. Conclusions Reasons behind respondents' decision to receive an unlicensed vaccine were similar to those reported for routinely recommended vaccines. Given the challenges around communicating the importance of receiving a vaccine that is not routinely recommended, respondents' primary sources of information, the university and their parents, could be targeted to improve coverage rates.
The effects of TNF-alpha and Ceramide on Insulin Receptor signaling and its localization to Caveolae in C2C12 Myocytes

TNF-α and ceramide are associated with the etiology of insulin resistance. There is evidence for the involvement of caveolae membrane rafts in the modulation of insulin signaling and glucose uptake...
Efficacy of a disinfectant containing silver dihydrogen citrate against GI.6 and GII.4 human norovirus.

Aims Human norovirus is a major public health burden and is resistant to numerous sanitizers and disinfectants. In this study, we tested the efficacy of an antimicrobial product containing a blend of silver ions and citric acid (silver dihydrogen citrate; SDC) against GI.6 and GII.4 HuNoV. Methods and Results Pure® hard surface disinfectant (Pure Bioscience, El Cajon, CA) was evaluated using ASTM International virucidal suspension and stainless steel carrier assays. The effect of SDC (or citrate alone) exposure on viral integrity was evaluated using RT-qPCR, transmission electron microscopy, sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis/Western blot analysis and a receptor-binding assay. Suspension assays showed a 4·0 log10 reduction in RNA copy number within 5 min, while carrier assays showed a 2·0–3·0 log10 reduction in 30 min. Incorporating a simulated soil load into the sample matrix significantly reduced product efficacy. Treated particles displayed deformation and aggregation, a 50% reduction in viral capsid protein band intensity, and an 80% reduction in histo-blood group antigen receptor-binding ability. Conclusions Our results suggest that SDC acts exclusively on the viral capsid, and shows efficacy against HuNoV when used on precleaned surfaces. Significance and Impact of the Study This study sheds light on the mechanisms and efficacy of a novel antimicrobial against HuNoV. Our results suggest: (i) silver ions exclusively target the viral capsid, and not the RNA genome; (ii) citrate is not crucial for HuNoV capsid deformation.
Electrographic Seizures in Adults: Recognition and Examples

Continuous EEG (cEEG) monitoring is used increasingly to assess brain function in critically ill patients. One of the main indications for CEEG is to detect electrographic seizures. Seizures are frequently detected by continuous EEG monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting, particularly in the neurological ICU. Most of these seizures are nonconvulsive and clinically subtle [1]. The reported risk of seizures as a complication or as the principal reason for ICU admission is only 3.3 % [2]. But the frequency of seizures in ICU patients is considerably higher. The frequency of seizures detected by EEG monitoring in adult ICU patients is in the range of 8–34 % [3–5], depending on which patient population is studied.
Building Rapport through Dynamic Models of Acoustic-Prosodic Entrainment

As dialogue systems become more prevalent in the form of personalized assistants, there is an increasingly important role for systems which can socially engage the user by influencing social factors like rapport. For example, learning companions enhance learning through socio-motivational support and are more successful when users feel rapport. In this work, I explore social engagement in dialogue systems in terms of acoustic-prosodic entrainment; entrainment is a phenomenon where over the course of a conversation, speakers adapt their acoustic-prosodic features, becoming more similar in their pitch, intensity, or speaking rate. Correlated with rapport and task success, entrainment plays a significant role in how individuals connect; a system which can entrain has potential to improve social engagement by enhancing these factors. As a result of this work, I introduce a dialogue system which can entrain and investigate its effects on social factors like rapport.
The Evaluation of an Instrument to Measure Counselor Effectiveness.

Techniques for evaluating counselor effectiveness have been less than definitive in the past, and the profession has urgent need for a scientific method of measuring counselor effectiveness. This s...
Reflections from the Jury Box: Improving Evidence Based Practice through a Comparison with Our Legal System

Background: An experience serving jury duty prompted reflection on the parallels between evidenced based medicine and our legal system. Findings: The steps of the legal system can be tied to each step of the practice of evidenced based medicine. Implications: Patients should be included in evidence based decisions. Pharmacists can act as resources for other providers practicing evidenced based medicine. Educators can use this analogy to teach evidence based medicine. Conflict of Interest We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties. Type: Commentary
Mutagens and Carcinogens: Occurrence and Role During Chemical and Biological Evolution

Several products formed during biopoiesis were mutagenic. Since most mutagens are carcinogenic, their interaction with higher organisms may have led to the origin of cancer. Many elements of the periodic system are carcinogenic; extraterrestial mutagens or carcinogens include aromatic compounds from meteorites, nitrosamine precursors and formaldehyde (a biopoietic component) found in interstellar space. Volcanic activity, relevant to biopoiesis, is also a source of carcinogens. These findings indicate the ubiquitous, remote existence and cosmic origin of mutagens and carcinogens; the first needed for mutation processes in early evolution, the second leading to the appearance of malignancy.
ADVANCE DIRECTIVES ON HOSPITAL ADMISSION : A SURVEY OF PATIENT ATTITUDES

A survey of 200 outpatients using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire revealed that 18% had already completed an advance directive. Only 5% had received information concerning advance directives from their physicians. Eighty-seven percent stated they would not be offended if, on admission to the hospital, they were to be asked whether they had completed a living will. Eighty-eight percent would view such a policy as showing evidence of positive concern by the hospital on their behalf. Only 2% consistently gave a negative response to a proposed policy of hospitals providing information concerning advance directives on admission, and a similar percentage was totally opposed to their use. Of those who had completed an advance directive, 50% had secured the only copy in a safety deposit box. This information, as well as the Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990, which will as of December 1, 1991 require hospitals to provide patients with information about advance directives, creates a new framework for the more efficient use of these important but underused documents.
AFFORESTATION OF LUTZ SPRUCE, SITKA SPRUCE, AND NORWAY SPRUCE IN THE VESTERAALEN ISLANDS, NORWAY

Tree species from Alaska and Canada have been used for afforestation in northern Norway since the late 1920s. Afforestation projects were small in the beginning because the performance of foreign species far north of their natural range was unknown.
Product and Coproduct

The concepts introduced and explored in this chapter are so fundamental that scarcely any of them can be dispensed with hereafter.
Radar as a tool for regional investigations

Radar is considered as a means for delimiting associations of physical and cultural phenomena by outlining image variation in tone, texture, pattern, and shape. Classification and description of landscape types are discussed. The imagery used for the study covers a portion of the Asheville Basin in North Carolina, extending from Hot Springs to an area southeast of Hendersonville. Eleven regions are discussed.
Nietzsche, naturalism, and the tenacity of the intentional

Nietzsche's most insightful contribution to the naturalistic project in philosophical psychology is not methodological but substantive: he discovered an important truth about the dynamics of psychological states, which I here dub the tenacity of the intentional. According to the tenacity thesis, when an intentional state loses its object, a new object replaces the original; the state does not disappear entirely. This interpretation is supported by and helps to tie together the three essays of the Genealogy. The article concludes by contextualizing the tenacity thesis within Nietzsche's doctrine of the will to power.
A GPU Accelerated Parallel Heuristic for Travelling Salesman Problem

Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) is one of the typical NP-hard problems in combinatorial optimization, which is easy to be described but hard to be solved. Its possible amounts of path increase exponentially with the amounts of city. Local search metaheuristics can be used to obtain satisfactory resolution (approximate optimum) in a reasonable time for TSP. However, it is still very CPU time-consuming when solving such a large problem instance. As graphic process units (GPUs) have been evolved to support general purpose computing, they are taken as a major accelerator in scientific and industrial computing. In this paper, we present an optimized parallel heuristic efficiently accelerated on GPUs and the proposed optimization algorithm can provide higher quality solutions within a reasonable computational time for TSP.
Mexico and Central America

This chapter examines the cases of Mexico and Central America. It begins with an analysis of the issues of drug trafficking and organized crime in Mexico, which have contributed to the high levels of corruption and violence within the country. The chapter focuses on President Felipe Calderon’s drug war and the consequences of such policies. It examines the underlying structural problems, focusing on the high levels of corruption and impunity that the country faces. The chapter also assesses the challenges that Mexico will likely continue to face in the future and the impact on regional security. It then turns to corruption and organized crime in Central America, focusing on the major trends in El Salvador and Honduras. It highlights the issue of immigration, focusing on the major trends as well as the current policies of the Trump administration.
Disruptive marginality: The representation of wildness in Lope de Vega’s Baroque dramatic art

The theatrical production of Baroque Iberia exhibits an obsession with wildness that remains to be fully explored. By the time Segismundo takes the stage dressed in animal pelts in Calderon’s La vi...
Globalizing online learning: Exploring culture, corporate social responsibility, and domestic violence in an international classroom

The construction of a successful online collaboration between distinct cultural groups requires an informed cultural awareness. This is the exploration of such an online collaboration between Ameri...
Under Prescription of Epinephrine to Medicaid Patients in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Objective. To describe pediatric Medicaid patients with pediatric emergency department (PED) visits for anaphylaxis who received epinephrine auto-injector (EAI) prescriptions in the ED versus those who did not; and to compare patients who filled their prescriptions versus those who did not. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study of Medicaid patients aged 0 to 21 years presenting to 2 PEDs, with symptoms meeting the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases criteria for anaphylaxis, between July 2012 and July 2014. Results. We identified 86 patients across the 2 hospitals with a confirmed diagnosis of anaphylaxis in the PED. Of these, 55 (64%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 53% to 74%) received a prescription for an EAI during their ED visit. Forty-two (68%; 95% CI = 56% to 80%) received a prescription for EAI in Hospital 1 versus 13 (54%; 95% CI = 33% to 74%) in Hospital 2. Medicaid prescription fill rates were available for Hospital 1. Of the 42 who received an EAI prescription, 36 (86%; 95% CI = 75% to 96%) filled these prescriptions with Medicaid. Of the 20 (32%) out of 62 patients with anaphylaxis who did not receive prescriptions for an EAI, only 5 had previously filled prescriptions for epinephrine. Conclusion. Previous Medicaid patient prescription adherence data suggested that these patients would have a low EAI prescription fill rate. We found Medicaid patients who received prescriptions for an EAI after the ED visit for anaphylaxis filled them; however, a considerable proportion of anaphylaxis visits had no EAI prescription provided at discharge.
Saturation Velocity Measurement of Al0.7Ga0.3N-Channel High Electron Mobility Transistors

Gate length dependent (80 nm–5000 mm) radio frequency measurements to extract saturation velocity are reported for Al0.85Ga0.15N/Al0.7Ga0.3N high electron mobility transistors fabricated into radio frequency devices using electron beam lithography. Direct current characterization revealed the threshold voltage shifting positively with increasing gate length, with devices changing from depletion mode to enhancement mode when the gate length was greater than or equal to 450 nm. Transconductance varied from 10 mS/mm to 25 mS/mm, with the 450 nm device having the highest values. Maximum drain current density was 268 mA/mm at 10 V gate bias. Scattering-parameter characterization revealed a maximum unity gain bandwidth (fT) of 28 GHz, achieved by the 80 nm gate length device. A saturation velocity value of 3.8 × 106 cm/s, or 35% of the maximum saturation velocity reported for GaN, was extracted from the fT measurements.
Elimination of both cancer stem cells and progenitor cells as essential for tumor eradication.

e22179 Background: Cancer stem cells (CSC) have been identified in several malignancies. Elimination of CSCs requires precise identification of markers and development of mechanisms to target them ...
Differences in Availability and Use of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Residential Treatment Settings in the United States.

Importance While many individuals with opioid use disorder seek treatment at residential facilities to initiate long-term recovery, the availability and use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) in these facilities is unclear. Objective To examine differences in MOUD availability and use in residential facilities as a function of Medicaid policy, facility-level factors associated with MOUD availability, and admissions-level factors associated with MOUD use. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study used deidentified facility-level and admissions-level data from 2863 residential treatment facilities and 232 414 admissions in the United States in 2017. Facility-level data were extracted from the 2017 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services, and admissions-level data were extracted from the 2017 Treatment Episode Data Set–Admissions. Statistical analyses were conducted from June to November 2019. Exposures Admissions for opioid use disorder at residential treatment facilities in the United States that identified opioids as the patient’s primary drug of choice. Main Outcomes and Measures Availability and use of 3 MOUDs (ie, extended-release naltrexone, buprenorphine, and methadone). Results Of 232 414 admissions, 205 612 (88.5%) contained complete demographic data (166 213 [80.8%] aged 25-54 years; 136 854 [66.6%] men; 151 867 [73.9%] white). Among all admissions, MOUDs were used in only 34 058 of 192 336 (17.7%) in states that expanded Medicaid and 775 of 40 078 (1.9%) in states that did not expand Medicaid (P Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study of residential addiction treatment facilities in the United States, MOUD availability and use were sparse. Public health and policy efforts to improve access to and use of MOUDs in residential treatment facilities could improve treatment outcomes for individuals with opioid use disorder who are initiating recovery.
Bayesian Calibration of ILLI-THERM for Temperature Prediction Within Airfield Concrete Pavement

Mechanistic models (e.g., finite-element analysis, discrete-element analysis) are commonly used techniques to understand the behavior of materials. Although these models have been successfully utilized to simulate engineering problems, their outputs may not match the field data because of inherent uncertainties. One method to improve the accuracy of mechanistic models is calibration. In this paper, Bayesian calibration framework is applied to the mechanistic model ILLI-THERM, which uses the Enhanced Integrated Climatic Model to predict temperature profile within a pavement. The temperature data used for the calibration were collected by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a concrete taxiway at John F. Kennedy airport in New York, US. The primary objectives of this project were to study curling in concrete slabs (wet-freeze climatic region) and measure total strain and load-induced strain in slabs under multi-gear aircraft such as A-380, B-777, B-747. This paper focuses on material-related uncertainties. Hence, ILLI-THERM was calibrated for material characterization parameters only. Adaptive Monte Carlo Markov Chain was used to generate samples for estimating posterior distributions. The calibration resulted in improving the prediction performance of ILLI-THERM; root mean square error (RMSE) is reduced by 19%. Furthermore, the posterior distribution resultant from the Bayesian calibration indicated the significance of each material properties on temperature distribution within the pavement.
Securities Scholars' Comment Letter on Draft Whistleblower Award and Protection Act

In May 2020, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), an organization representing state and provincial securities regulators in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, released a draft Model Whistleblower Award and Protection Act (the Proposed Act) for public comment. The Proposed Act drew from securities-whistleblower statutes in Utah and Indiana, as well as the federal Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank Acts. In brief, the Proposed Act provided for a state-level securities whistleblower-award program and an anti-retaliation private right of action. NASAA received seven comment letters, including one from securities scholars. Our securities scholars’ letter highlighted two areas of concern. First, we noted that in Digital Realty Trust, Inc. v. Somers, 138 S. Ct. 767, 778 (2018), the Supreme Court held that the Dodd-Frank Act did not protect from employer retaliation those who blow the whistle only internally. Given that the Proposed Act’s text closely tracked Dodd-Frank’s anti-retaliation provision, we observed that it had the same problem seen in Digital Realty. We urged a revision to close this gap, a change that would give internal securities whistleblowers at least a state retaliation right of action. Second, we urged that the whistleblower-award provision allow for attorney-mediated anonymous reporting. In late August 2020, NASAA released the final version of the act (the Final Act). The Final Act’s Section 10 resolved our Digital Realty concern by extending anti-retaliation protections to those who report only internally. The Final Act’s Section 4 addressed our concern that whistleblowers who submit anonymous reports pre-award should remain eligible for whistleblower awards. A copy of our comment letter follows this introductory note. The Proposed Act is attached as Exhibit A and the Final Act as Exhibit B.
Intracranial Stimulation and Epilepsy

Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus are two types of intracranial electrical stimulation used for the treatment of focal seizures in patients with drug-resistant epilepsies. RNS refers intracranial stimulation provided by a skull-based computerized device that provides electrical stimulation in response to ongoing sources of brain activity potentially reflecting seizures. DBS provides continuous or cyclic electrical stimulation to the targeted areas of the thalamus. Candidates for intracranial electrical stimulation include patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy who are not suitable candidates for epilepsy surgery or ablative therapy. Both RNS and DBS reduce seizure frequency by about half after 1 year. As with all types of devices that deliver neurostimulation, neuromodulation reflects the benefits of stimulation on seizure reduction that improves over time suspected to result from network reorganization.
Basic Combinatorial Structures

In this chapter, we shall familiarize ourselves with some of the most basic combinatorial structures and develop skills for constructing them and counting them.
Optimization of Neurite Tracing and Further Characterization of Human Monocyte-Derived-Neuronal-like Cells

Deficits in neuronal structure are consistently associated with neurodevelopmental illnesses such as autism and schizophrenia. Nonetheless, the inability to access neurons from clinical patients has limited the study of early neurostructural changes directly in patients’ cells. This obstacle has been circumvented by differentiating stem cells into neurons, although the most used methodologies are time consuming. Therefore, we recently developed a relatively rapid (~20 days) protocol for transdifferentiating human circulating monocytes into neuronal-like cells. These monocyte-derived-neuronal-like cells (MDNCs) express several genes and proteins considered neuronal markers, such as MAP-2 and PSD-95. In addition, these cells conduct electrical activity. We have also previously shown that the structure of MDNCs is comparable with that of human developing neurons (HDNs) after 5 days in culture. Moreover, the neurostructure of MDNCs responds similarly to that of HDNs when exposed to colchicine and dopamine. In this manuscript, we expanded our characterization of MDNCs to include the expression of 12 neuronal genes, including tau. Following, we compared three different tracing approaches (two semi-automated and one automated) that enable tracing using photographs of live cells. This comparison is imperative for determining which neurite tracing method is more efficient in extracting neurostructural data from MDNCs and thus allowing researchers to take advantage of the faster yield provided by these neuronal-like cells. Surprisingly, it was one of the semi-automated methods that was the fastest, consisting of tracing only the longest primary and the longest secondary neurite. This tracing technique also detected more structural deficits. The only automated method tested, Volocity, detected MDNCs but failed to trace the entire neuritic length. Other advantages and disadvantages of the three tracing approaches are also presented and discussed.
Performance of Electrostatic Dust Collectors (EDCs) for Endotoxin Assessment in Homes: Effect of Mailing, Placement, Heating and Electrostatic Charge

ABSTRACTElectrostatic Dust Collectors (EDCs) are in use for passive sampling of bioaerosols, but particular aspects of their performance have not yet been evaluated. This study investigated the effect of mailing EDCs on endotoxin loading and the effect of EDC deployment in front of, and away from, heated ventilation on endotoxin sampling. Endotoxin sampling efficiency of heated and unheated EDC cloths was also evaluated. Cross-country express mailing of dust-spiked EDCs yielded no significant changes in endotoxin concentrations compared to dust-only samples for both high-spiked EDCs (p = 0.30) and low-spiked EDCs (p = 0.36). EDCs were also deployed in 20 identical apartments with one EDC placed in front of the univent heater in each apartment and contemporaneous EDC placed on the built-in bookshelf in each apartment. The endotoxin concentrations were significantly different (p = 0.049) indicating that the placement of EDC does impact endotoxin sampling. Heated and unheated EDCs were deployed for 7 days in...
The Specific Acylation of Glycerol 3-Phosphate to Monoacylglycerol 3-Phosphate in Escherichia coli EVIDENCE FOR A SINGLE ENZYME CONFERRING THIS SPECIFICITY

Abstract Pronounced positional specificity during the acylation of glycerol 3-phosphate to form monoacylglycerol 3-phosphate has been shown with a particulate enzyme preparation from Escherichia coli. Palmitic acid is found to be esterified exclusively to position 1 while unsaturated fatty acids are predominantly esterified to position 2. Evidence for a single enzyme being involved in this specific acylation is presented. This evidence is based on studies of single site mutants of E. coli possessing a glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase of greatly increased thermolability and on chemical modification of the enzyme. Additional experiments show that the acylation of 1-acylglycerol-3-P involves an enzyme activity or activities separate from that which acylates glycerol-3-P.
Cancers of the Colon, Rectum, and Anus

Patients with lower gastrointestinal cancer frequently require multidisciplinary management. Concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy is often used as an adjuvant to surgical resection in selected patients with resectable but high-risk rectal cancer. In patients with locally unresectable rectal and colon cancer, preoperative chemoradiation is preferably used as a component of the definitive procedure. For patients with anal cancer, concurrent chemoradiation has replaced abdominoperineal resection as the principal form of treatment. Appropriate radiotherapeutic management of the patient with lower gastrointestinal cancer includes proper patient selection and diagnostic evaluation, close cooperation by all physicians participating in the patient’s care, and the use of proper radiotherapeutic techniques. The introduction of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) into the treatment of both rectal and anal cancer provides the potential for reducing toxicity and improving tumor control with dose escalation.
Structural Sensitivity Analysis of Discrete Event Systems by Inversion

We consider a Discrete Event System (DES) modeled by a generalized semi-Markov scheme. We view the system as an input-output system, where the input is a sequence of event lifetimes, and the output is the resulting sequence of events, states, and transition epochs. The system is observed via an observation map, and we investigate the problem of extracting the event lifetimes from observations of the output, referred to as inversion. We give a general set of neceesary and sufficient conditions for invertibility of the system, and specialize those conditions for various senarios of the observation map. For an invertible system, we give an algorithm for inverting the observations to get the event lifetimes. We propose a method of using the extracted event lifetimes of a nominal system to construct the output trajectories of structurally perturbed systems. Our results extend the method of perturbation analysis to the problem of constructing the perturbed trajectory for a system which changes in state-space and transition structure.
Mortality experience of amosite asbestos factory workers: dose-response relationships 5 to 40 years after onset of short-term work exposure.

A cohort of 820 men in a Paterson, New Jersey, amosite asbestos factory which began work during 1941–1945 was observed from 5 to 40 years after start of work. Most of the cohort had limited duration of work experience (days, weeks, months), though some men worked for several years until the factory closed in 1954. With white males of New Jersey as the control population, Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) of 500 are evident for the cohort for lung cancer and for noninfectious pulmonary diseases (including asbestosis), while being almost 300 for total cancer and about 170 for all causes of death. A statistically significant SMR of almost 200 is seen for colon-rectum cancer. Mesothelioma incidence initially shows a strong relationship with advancing time since onset of exposure and then tails off. The main concern of the study is with dose-response patterns. Response is measured by the mortality for relevant causes of death, while the direct asbestos dosage was measured in two ways. One way was the length of time worked in the factory and the other was the individual's accumulated fiber exposure, calculated by multiplying the aforementioned length of time worked by the estimated fiber exposures associated with the particular job that the worker had in the factory. Whichever measure of dosage is used, it was found that, in general, the lower the dose, the longer it took for adverse mortality to become evident and, also, the smaller the magnitude of that adverse mortality.
Beyond proportional fair: designing robust wireless schedulers

Proportional Fair (PF), a frequently used scheduling algorithm in 3G wireless networks, can unnecessarily starve "well-behaved" users in practice. One of the main causes behind PF-induced starvation is its inability to distinguish between users who are backlogged and users who are not. In this paper, we describe how a simple parallel PF instance can mitigate such starvation.
Evolution and slow decay of an unusual narrow ring of relativistic electrons near L~3.2 following the September 2012 magnetic storm

[1] A quantitative analysis is performed on the decay of an unusual ring of relativistic electrons between 3 and 3.5 RE, which was observed by the Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope instrument on the Van Allen probes. The ring formed on 3 September 2012 during the main phase of a magnetic storm due to the partial depletion of the outer radiation belt for L > 3.5, and this remnant belt of relativistic electrons persisted at energies above 2 MeV, exhibiting only slow decay, until it was finally destroyed during another magnetic storm on 1 October. This long-term stability of the relativistic electron ring was associated with the rapid outward migration and maintenance of the plasmapause to distances greater than L = 4. The remnant ring was thus immune from the dynamic process, which caused rapid rebuilding of the outer radiation belt at L > 4, and was only subject to slow decay due to pitch angle scattering by plasmaspheric hiss on timescales exceeding 10–20 days for electron energies above 3 MeV. At lower energies, the decay is much more rapid, consistent with the absence of a long-duration electron ring at energies below 2 MeV.
Simulated unsaturated flow processes after wildfire and interactions with slope aspect

[1] A series of virtual experiments were conducted using a one-dimensional numerical model of unsaturated flow (Hydrus-1D) to investigate the factors responsible for shifts in subsurface hydrologic response following wildfire. These virtual experiments used a series of well-characterized experimental plots in the area affected by the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire near Boulder, CO, USA, that cover north and south facing slope aspects for plots both affected and unaffected by wildfire. Inverse estimation of soil-hydraulic parameters allowed establishing “foundation simulations” that served as the basis for virtual experiments to test findings from interpretation of field and laboratory data and extend understanding beyond what could be gleaned from data alone. The numerical model virtual experiments showed that loss of transpiration because of vegetation combustion/mortality caused soils to be wetter at depths greater than 5 cm on both north and south facing slopes, which agrees with field observations. Loss of tree canopy interception contributed to wetter subsurface conditions and loss of litter/duff increased evaporation, drying soils, in the top few cm on north facing slopes. On south facing slopes, at depths shallower than 3 cm, the simulations did not reproduce the observed trends of drier soils after wildfire, which suggests that more robust methods are needed to simulate evaporation and soil-water retention at soil-water contents less than 0.05 cm3 cm−3. Simulated bottom boundary flux, a proxy for groundwater recharge, was greater in north facing burned plots by a factor of 3.5–5.2 and greater on south facing plots by a factor of 10.6–12.7, relative to unburned plots.
Studies on the Physiology of Bacillus fastidiosus

Bacillus fastidiosus was grown in a minimal medium that contained uric acid or allantoin, aerated by vigorous stirring. A constant, optimum pH of 7.4 was maintained by controlled addition of sulfuric acid. Washed cells converted both urate and allantoin into carbon dioxide and ammonia, simultaneously assimilating part of the available carbon and nitrogen. Urate oxidase (formerly called uricase) was present in extracts from urate-grown but not allantoin-grown cells. The formation of urate oxidase was apparently induced by urate. Urea was detected as an intermediate in some but not all of these experiments. However, the high urease activity observed in cell-free extracts may have prevented accumulation of urea in many of the experiments. The presence of glyoxylate carboligase and tartronic semialdehyde reductase activities indicates that the glycerate pathway may be involved in urate and allantoin catabolism in this organism.
Purported Essence of Clinical Research

Had medical academia successfully defined scientific medicine, then, presumably, the clinical segment of this academia would have made a concerted effort to arrive at a consensus about the essence of the clinical research. But as it is, no such effort has been made, and the essence of clinical research remains a matter of very diverse opinions even among authors of textbooks on the subject; and the primacy of the research to advance the knowledge-base of clinical practice remains largely unrecognized. Remarkably, this seems not to bother the authors nor anyone else in clinical academia. A tenable conception of the essence of clinical research and of the most important genre of this is not only obviously important but also attainable.
NEW OBSERVATIONS ON ALPINE ACCORDANCES IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

ABSTRACT Observations: Photointerpretive reconnaissance throughout the higher mountains of the western United States has shown that where alp slopes occur, they coincide with present timberlines, and that a gipfelflur (peak plain, alpine accordance) occurs about 600 meters above that level on the crests of all alpine ranges which reach that height. Within the region studied, very few peaks other than recent volcanic cones are seen to rise to a significant height above the 600 meter gipfelflur. Only two exceed 900 meters above timberline, and none exceed 1,200 meters above that level. Hypothesis: The high gipfelflur is interpreted as the topographic record of an interglacial timberline 600 meters above that of today, above which few summits in the western United States seem to have had sufficient mass to withstand truncation by the wasting processes characteristic of open slopes under alpine climatic conditions. Subsequent uplift of the ranges in question has not been sufficient to distort that record subs...
RNA-dependent association of the Drosophila maleless protein with the male X chromosome.

Background: Dosage compensation results in equivalent X-linked gene expression in males (XY) and females (XX). In Drosophila, both X chromosomes are active in females, and the single male X must double its transcriptional activity to allow male development. Four proteins (encoded by the male-specific lethal genes) are required for dosage compensation and associate with the X chromosome in males but not in females. Results : In this report, we focus on the maleless (MLE) protein. The MLE protein sequence contains motifs common to members of a family of RNA-dependent ATPases. We have found that association of MLE with the male X chromosome is RNase sensitive, and that mutations in the ATPase motifs affect MLE function. Overexpression of MLE or its carboxyl terminus, which includes glycine-rich repeats, reveals an RNase-sensitive affinity for all chromosome arms. Conclusions: Our results suggest that nascent transcripts or a hypothetical RNA component of chromatin play a critical role in the biochemical mechanism of dosage compensation. The potential relationship between interaction with RNA and transcriptional control of the X chromosome suggests that the mechanism of dosage compensation is distinct from classical models for transcriptional activation.
Orientation Dependence of Elastic Constants for Ice

Orientation dependence of Young's and shear moduli of ice single crystals has been calculated at various temperatures using the most up-to-date values of elastic constants and classical equations derived for hexagonal materials. Young's modulus is a maximum whereas shear modulus has a minimum value along the c-axis. Along a direction 50 degree to the c-axis, the shear modulus has a maximum value and the Young's modulus, a minimum. Average values of polycrystal moduli calculated from single crystal values showed only mild temperature dependence.