cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting gene regulatory networks from multi-omics to link genetic risk variants and neuroimmunology to Alzheimer’s disease phenotypes

Background: Genome-wide association studies have found many genetic risk variants associated with Alzheimer9s disease (AD). However, how these risk variants affect deeper phenotypes such as disease progression and immune response remains elusive. Also, our understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms from disease risk variants to various phenotypes is still limited. To address these problems, we performed an integrative multi-omics analysis of genotype, transcriptomics, and epigenomics for revealing gene regulatory mechanisms from disease variants to AD phenotypes. Method: First, given the population gene expression data of a cohort, we construct and cluster its gene co-expression network to identify gene co-expression modules for various AD phenotypes. Next, we predict transcription factors (TFs) regulating co-expressed genes and AD risk SNPs that interrupt TF binding sites on regulatory elements. Finally, we construct a gene regulatory network (GRN) linking SNPs, interrupted TFs, and regulatory elements to target genes and gene modules for each phenotype in the cohort. This network thus provides systematic insights into gene regulatory mechanisms from risk variants to AD phenotypes. Results: Our analysis predicted GRNs in three major AD-relevant regions: Hippocampus, Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC), Lateral Temporal Lobe (LTL). Comparative analyses revealed cross-region-conserved and region-specific GRNs, in which many immunological genes are present. For instance, SNPs rs13404184 and rs61068452 disrupt SPI1 binding and regulation of AD gene INPP5D in the Hippocampus and LTL. However, SNP rs117863556 interrupts bindings of REST to regulate GAB2 in DLPFC only. Driven by emerging neuroinflammation in AD, we used Covid-19 as a proxy to identify possible regulatory mechanisms for neuroimmunology in AD. To this end, we looked at the GRN subnetworks relating to genes from shared AD-Covid pathways. From those subnetworks, our machine learning analysis prioritized the AD-Covid genes for predicting Covid-19 severity. Decision Curve Analysis also validated our AD-Covid genes outperform known Covid-19 genes for classifying severe Covid-19 patients. This suggests AD-Covid genes along with linked SNPs can be potential novel biomarkers for neuroimmunology in AD. Finally, our results are open-source available as a comprehensive functional genomic map for AD, providing a deeper mechanistic understanding of the interplay among multi-omics, brain regions, gene functions like neuroimmunology, and phenotypes.
Pollution and the Heart.

Pollution and the Heart Environmental pollution is a cardiovascular risk factor. The Global Burden of Disease study estimated that pollution caused 9 million deaths in 2019, of which more than 60% ...
Purification and properties of an enzyme in human blood and rat liver microsomes catalyzing the formation and hydrolysis of gamma-lactones. I. Tissue localization, stoichiometry, specificity, distinction from esterase.

Abstract An enzyme hydrolyzing 4- to 8-carbon γ-lactones has been purified 12- to 15-fold from rat liver and from human plasma. In rat liver the enzyme is located in the microsomal fraction and may be solubilized by deoxycholate treatment and separated from microsomal B-esterase by ammonium sulfate fractionation. The effects of a series of inhibitors on γ-lactonase, B-esterase purified from rat liver microsomes, and plasma cholinesterase were compared. The lactonase was inhibited by 1 mm ethylenediaminetetraacetate and by 0.1 mm p-chloromercuribenzoate but was unaffected by sodium benzoate, NaF, neostigmine, eserine, and diisopropylfluorophosphate. The last compound inactivates completely both the B-esterase and the cholinesterase, which were unaffected by ethylenediaminetetraacetate and were effectively inhibited by neostigmine. Together with substrate selectivity, these distinctions in inhibition establish the three enzymes as separate entities. The enzymatic nature of the reaction is evidenced by inactivation upon brief heating to 90°, purification of the active protein, a "biologic" Q10 = 1.56, a zero order reaction in either direction, and pH activity curves. In addition, no lactonase activity was found in homogenates of rat brain, spleen, kidney, heart, and diaphragm, although rat serum and plasma do contain the enzyme. The γ-lactonase enzymes also catalyze lactonization of the corresponding γhydroxy acids. The pH optimum for this reaction is 6.0 as compared to 8.6 for the hydrolytic reaction. The stoichiometry of lactone-hydroxy acid interconversion catalyzed by γ-lactonase was established by gas chromatographic identification of synthesized valerolactone and by acid regeneration of enzymatically degraded valerolactone. The enzyme does not hydrolyze simple aliphatic esters, acetylcholine, sugar lactones, or substituted aliphatic lactones such as pantolactone or 3-hydroxy-4-butyrolactone.
The linear temporal logic of rewriting Maude model checker

This paper presents the foundation, design, and implementation of the Linear Temporal Logic of Rewriting model checker as an extension of the Maude system. The Linear Temporal Logic of Rewriting (LTLR) extends linear temporal logic with spatial action patterns which represent rewriting events. LTLR generalizes and extends various state-based and event-based logics and aims to avoid certain types of mismatches between a system and its temporal logic properties. We have implemented the LTLR model checker at the C++ level within the Maude system by extending the existing Maude LTL model checker. Our LTLR model checker provides very expressive methods to define event-related properties as well as state-related properties, or, more generally, properties involving both events and state predicates. This greater expressiveness is gained without compromising performance, because the LTLR implementation minimizes the extra costs involved in handling the events of systems.
QTL analysis for heading date and yield traits using recombinant inbred lines of indica rice grown in different cropping seasons

With 1 figure and 4 tables Abstract Understanding the genetic control of heading date and yield traits has significant implications for rice improvement. A recombinant inbred population of the indica rice cross ‘Zhong 156’/‘Gumei 2’ was grown with sowing date corresponding to the early, mid and late cropping in the Southern China rice growing region, respectively. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for heading date and six yield traits were determined with a linkage map consisting of 198 markers and spanning 1630.2 cM. Totally 42 QTLs were detected, of which 13 showed significant additive effects and additive-by-environment interaction effects, 28 showed significant additive effects only, and one displayed a significant effect in one trial only. QTLs showing major effects on yield traits were identified in the pericentromeric regions of chromosomes 3 and 7, clustering with QTLs for heading date in coupling phase. Three more QTL clusters were detected, including two for yield traits and one for yield traits and heading date. In the utilization of potentially valuable QTLs for yield traits, their relationships with QTLs for heading date should be carefully considered.
Engaging with Research and Resources in Music Courses

With the ever-expanding sea of resources available to students today, it is now more important than ever to teach students how to navigate, assess, and interpret resources. Given the ease of access to information, students tend to seek out the path of least resistance, most often a Google search and/or Wikipedia . Their unfamiliarity with print resources, such as thematic catalogues, means they are missing out on significant music scholarship that is not available online or through Google. Today’s students have grown up searching the internet. The single-search approach of a web search leaves many students confused by terms like online catalogues, databases, and indexes, and the concepts required to navigate music libraries and electronic resources are foreign to them. As a music librarian and musicologist, introducing students to appropriate resources is a key component of my teaching in both my own courses and library instruction sessions. Getting students engaged in, and hopefully excited about, the research process must come first. Otherwise, teaching resources becomes a show-and-tell exercise followed by a paint-by-the-numbers assignment. Using experiential learning activities and exercises shows students what resources are out there, how to find useful resources, and how to assess what they find. Students are taught how to explore their intellectual curiosity, engage in research, and ask questions that require scholarly resources to answer them effectively. This article will explore ways to introduce research materials into the classroom as well as the opportunities research-based assignments provide for learning and student engagement. Appendices A and B are also given as a separate PDF file in a format with narrower margins than in the article.
Building an IS architecture: collective wisdom from the field

Abstract This paper is the result of two years of discussion sessions with a group of managers responsible for the development and maintenance of IS architectures. The paper refines the definition of IS architecture and puts it into broader perspective by defining a set of concrete, thus more manageable sub-architectures: process, data, control and technology architectures. The resulting IS architecture framework should help the management develop a clear understanding of their critical information resources and guide them toward more effective planning and management of those resources. The IS managers in our discussion sessions shared their experiences in developing and maintaining IS architectures for their organizations. While their initial experiences were not very successful, they recognized the benefits of having a well-maintained IS architecture. They were also confident that the shared knowledge would help them avoid the pitfalls they had previously encountered and enable them to develop a successful IS architecture.
Large-Scale Structure Studies with Clusters of Galaxies

I present here a review of Large-Scale Structure (LSS) studies using clusters of galaxies. First, I re-evaluate the `pros' and `cons' of using clusters for such studies, especially in this era of large galaxy redshift surveys. Secondly, I provide an historical review of the Cluster Correlation Function and show that the latest measurements of xi_cc from Abell and X-ray catalogs are in excellent agreement. Thirdly, I review the latest measurements of the power spectrum of clusters which provide strong constraints on the cosmological parameters e.g. Omega_m and models of structure formation. Moreover, I highlight the recent discovery of ``Baryon Wiggles'' in the local cluster p(k) which is in perfect agreement with the recent CMB data. Lastly, I examine recent advances in the measurement of the X-ray Cluster Luminosity Function and emphasize the importance of accurately determining the selection function of future cluster surveys.
Progestogen treatment of recurrent endometrial carcinoma

Abstract Our experience with treatment of metastatic carcinoma of the endometrium with 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (Delalutin), 6-methyl-17α-hydroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera), and 6,17-dimethyl-6-dehydroprogesterone (Colprone) revealed an objective response rate of 25 per cent, 24 per cent, and 23 per cent, respectively. Side effects were minimal. Patients who appeared to attain the best objective remissions were those who had recurrences 3 years or more after initial therapy, those who had low-grade lesions, and those who had pulmonary metastases.
International Law and the Limits of Macroeconomic Cooperation

The macroeconomic policies of states can produce significant costs and benefits for other states, yet international macroeconomic cooperation has been one of the weakest areas of international law. We ask why states have had such trouble cooperating over macroeconomic issues, when they have been relatively successful at cooperation over other economic matters such as international trade. We argue that although the theoretical benefits of macroeconomic cooperation are real, in practice it is difficult to sustain because optimal cooperative policies are often uncertain and time variant, making it exceedingly difficult to craft clear rules for cooperation in many areas. It is also often difficult or impossible to design credible self-enforcement mechanisms. Recent cooperation on bank capital standards, the history of exchange rate cooperation, the European monetary union, and the prospects for broader monetary and fiscal cooperation are all discussed. We contrast the reasons for successful cooperation on international trade policy.
Isolation and characterization of resident macrophages from guinea pig and human intestine

Abstract The evaluation of mucosal cellular immune function in the gastrointestinal tract has focused on properties of lymphocytes. We describe methods for use in guinea pig and human tissue that will now permit the maintenance and in vitro study of intestinal macrophages. This study characterizes the resident gastrointestinal macrophage population in the two species and shows that morphologic and ultra-structural characteristics are similar to macrophages from other tissues. Histochemically, the cells are esterase positive and peroxidase negative. They possess surface receptors for immunoglobulin G and complement, and are phagocytic via the Fc receptor. In addition, guinea pig intestinal macrophages synthesize both the second and fourth components of complement.
Recent trend of piezoelectric actuator developments

In these several years, piezoelectric have become key components in smart actuator/sensor systems such as precision positioners, miniature ultrasonic motors and adaptive mechanical dampers. This paper reviews recent developments of piezoelectric and related ceramic actuators with particular focus on the improvement of actuator materials, device designs and applications.
Social status, behavior, and central serotonergic responsivity in female cynomolgus monkeys.

The relationship between social status, behavioral characteristics, and central serotonergic function was examined in eight adult female cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). The subjects were housed in four-member social groups for 6 months. Social behavior was observed three times a week. The early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle was determined based on the occurrence of menses, and the prolactin response to acute administration of fenfluramine HCl during the early follicular phase was used as a measure of net brain serotonergic responsivity. Delta prolactin responses (the prolactin response to fenfluramine minus baseline concentrations) were lower in dominant than in subordinate females. Dominant females were more aggressive and less submissive than subordinates. Likewise, females with the lowest delta prolactin concentrations were more aggressive and less submissive than females that had relatively large increases in prolactin. Delta prolactin responses also correlated negatively with percent time eating and investigating in close proximity to penmates, and correlated positively with percent time scanning anxiously while alone. The same pattern of correlation was noted between social status and the aforementioned affiliative behaviors. It was concluded that high central serotonergic responsivity may be associated with low rates of aggression, high rates of submission, and subordinate social status in female cynomolgus monkeys. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of aerially applied fenthion on survival and reproduction of the panacea sand fiddler, Uca panacea, in laboratory habitats.

Sand fiddler crabs, Uca panacea, were exposed in laboratory habitats to measured concentrations of ULV-grade fenthion via simulated aerial spray at 5% and 50% of field rate application of 6–12 mg fenthion/m2 (0.05–0.10 lbs fenthion/acre). Two habitats served as controls, and two habitats served as replicates for each of the test exposures. The aerial application was repeated 12 times between July 7, 1997, and August 15, 1997, during the period of the most active larval production of the crabs. The resulting measured concentrations of fenthion at the surface and in the water were consistently lower than what the application rate would have suggested. Statistical analysis of total, daily larval counts showed a periodicity of approximately 14 days that did not appear to be affected by fenthion, at least at the 5% application rate, where a 15% reduction in larval production was noted by the end of the second hatching cycle and a 25% reduction by the end of the third. Larval production in the habitats exposed to the 50% application rate was reduced by 18% at the end of the first hatching cycle, 77% at the end of the second, and 100% at the end of the third hatching cycle. At the end of the third hatching cycle, adult crab mortality observed at the surface was 0%, 3%, and 20% for the control, 5%-, and 50%-exposure habitats, respectively. Three weeks after the final fenthion application, survival of adult crabs was 100% in the control habitats, 75% in the 5%-exposure habitats, and 3% in the 50%-exposure habitats. Survival of unfed first-stage zoeae released during the night following the sprays averaged 4.6 ± 0.9, 3.7 ± 0.9 and 1.7 ± 0.6 days for control, 5%-, and 50%-exposure habitats, respectively. Forty-eight-hour LC-50s (nominal) for fenthion exposure of adult crabs submerged in water and for first-stage zoeae were 215 μg fenthion/L and 0.8 μg fenthion/L, respectively.
Magnetic Anisotropy Constants of Epitaxial (110) Fe/GaAs Films from 77k To 293k Studied by Magneto-Resistance

A first-order phase transition in the magnetization of Fe films, driven by an applied magnetic field, was first reported by Hathaway and Prinz [1]. Further studies were performed on this phase transition using anisotropic magnetoresistance measurements by Riggs and Dahlberg [2]. Here we report the extension of these studies to include temperatures between 77K and 293K. Emphasis is on a determination of the fourth-order and uniaxial anisotropy constants (K1 and Ku). It is shown that the temperature dependence of the anisotropy energies in these films varies with thickness, which may be useful in sorting out the origin and magnitude of different contributions to the total effective anisotropy. The present study suggests that similar studies of (110) iron on other substrates might contribute to achieving a better understanding of in-plane anisotropies in epitaxial films.
Magnetoelastic dissipation in macroscopic magnetization tunneling.

The tunneling of the total magnetization of a small (\ensuremath{\sim}100-\AA{}) magnetic particle out of a metastable easy direction is a promising candidate for macroscopic quantum tunneling. It is shown that the coupling of the magnetization to the phonons is an extremely weak source of dissipation that does not reduce the tunneling rate. A model in which the magnetic particle is embedded in a solid medium is considered, and the spectral density is derived for various crystal symmetries.
Strength design criteria for carbon/epoxy pressure vessels

Pressure vessels made from advanced composite materials are used in a number of sophisticated and strength-critical designs, such as rocket motor cases among other applications. However failure criteria for fiber composite structures are not completely understood. Previous investigations of failure of general carhon/epoxy laminates using a laboratory biaxial test apparatus have shown that fiber direction normal stress or strain can be used as a failure criterion for tension loads, independent of the state of stress. The results of recent biaxial tests on pressure vessel layups are analyzed and shown to be consistent with the previous work. This indicates that carbon/epoxy pressure vessels can be designed using either fiber direction normal stress or strain as a failure criterion, the same failure criteria that are applicable to more general carbon/epoxy laminates.
Border People: Life and Society in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands

While the U.S.-Mexico borderlands resemble border regions in other parts of the world, nowhere else do so many millions of people from two dissimilar nations live in such close proximity and interact with each other so intensely. Borderlanders are singular in their history, outlook, and behavior, and their lifestyle deviates from the norms of central Mexico and the interior United States; yet these Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, and Anglo-Americans also differ among themselves, and within each group may be found cross-border consumers, commuters, and people who are inclined or disinclined to embrace both cultures. Based on firsthand interviews with individuals from all walks of life, Border People presents case histories of transnational interaction and transculturation, and addresses the themes of cross-border migration, interdependence, labor, border management, ethnic confrontation, cultural fusion, and social activism. Here migrants and workers, functionaries and activists, and "mixers" who have crossed cultural boundaries recall events in their lives related to life on the border. Their stories show how their lives have been shaped by the borderlands milieu and how they have responded to the situations they have faced. Border People shows that these borderlanders live in a unique human environment shaped by physical distance from central areas and constant exposure to transnational processes. The oral histories contained here reveal, to a degree that no scholarly analysis can, that borderlanders are indeed people, each with his or her own individual perspective, hopes, and dreams.
The Role of Intracellular Lysosomal Enzymes in the Autocellular-surveillance of Unhydroxylated Collagens in Dermal and Gingival Fibroblasts

The turnover of unhydroxylated collagen was investigated in dermal and gingival fibroblasts derived from C57Bl/6J mice. Unhydroxylated collagen molecules were fostered by the inhibition of prolyl- and lysyl-hydroxylase by the addition of alpha, alpha' dipyridyl. Turnover of collagens was determined by single isotope continuous labeling, double-isotopic labeling, the use of lysosomal pH modulators, and proteinase inhibitors. These studies reveal that the turnover of unhydroxylated collagen is an extracellular event, in spite of the susceptibility of these abnormal structural and conformational proteins to proteolysis; the synthesizing cell does not utilize intracellular lysosomal enzymes as a means of modulating the quantities of non-helical unhydroxylated collagen as an intolerable post-translational error of protein processing.
Treatment and disposal of tritium containing waste at mound

First generation fusion machines will burn the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium as fuel. Tritium, which is radioactive, must be handled carefully and any byproducts must be disposed of as radioactive waste. Tritiated waste will fall into one of three categories: gaseous, liquid, or solid. Sources and expected quantities of tritiated waste that are likely to be generated by a fusion machine will be discussed. Strategies, options and processes for dealing with tritium containing wastes will also be presented. Final disposition of each category of tritium contaminated waste is governed by regulations and guidelines. These regulations and guidelines, and how they might apply to a fusion reactor facility, will be outlined.
Phosphoinositides Alter Lipid Bilayer Properties

Phosphoinositides are involved in cell-signaling pathways that regulate vital cell functions such as membrane excitability and trafficking, and cell metabolism, motility and proliferation. At the plasma membrane, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), which constitutes approximately 0.25% of cell phospholipid, is a key messenger in membrane-delimited signaling. PIP2 regulates structurally and functionally diverse membrane proteins including voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, inwardly rectifying ion channels, transporters and receptors. The mechanism(s) by which PIP2 regulates many of its various “receptors” remain to be elucidated. Here we explore the notion that the amphiphilic phosphoinositides, by adsorbing to the bilayer/solution interface, alter bilayer properties such as curvature and elasticity. Such changes in bilayer properties can alter the equilibrium between membrane protein conformational states and thereby alter function. Taking advantage of the gramicidin channels’ sensitivity to changes in the lipid bilayer properties, we used fluorescence-based and single-channel gA assays to examine the effects of (diC8) phosphoinositides -PI, PI(4,5)P2, PI(3,5)P2, PI(3,4)P2 PI(3,4,5)P3 as well as long-chain PI(4,5)P2 on the lipid bilayer. The diC8 phosphoinositides, except for PI(3,5)P2, alter lipid bilayer properties with potency that decreases with increasing charge. Among the long-chain PI(4,5)P2s, the naturally occurring 1-stearyl-2-arachidonyl-PI(4,5)P2 is a more potent bilayer modifier than di-oleoyl-PI(4,5)P2. The diC8 and the naturally occurring PI(4,5)P2 have similar effects on short and long gA channels, indicating that changes in bilayer curvature dominate over those on bilayer elasticity. In contrast, diC8PI, which was more bilayer-active than diC8PIP2 altered bilayer elasticity. Our results show that application of exogenous PIP2 and its structural analogues (with changes in acyl chain length or phosphorylation state) alters lipid bilayer properties. These PIP2 lipid bilayer effects may be important for some of the many different effects on membrane protein function.
Terapia de conducta en anorexia nerviosa

RESUMENEl presente articulo, es la contestacion a uno anterior (en este mismo volumen) de la Dra. Bruch. Se contesta a las criticas realizadas contra la Terapia de conducta como procedimiento de tratamiento contra la anorexia nerviosa. Para el autor de este articulo, es cierto que los procedimientos de terapia de conducta en los casos presentados, en el anterior articulo, produjeron resultados negativos porque eran inadecuados para los problemas de cada paciente. Pero no se deberia condenar este sistema cuando falla por haber sido mal utilizado, como fue en los casos relatados por la Dra. Bruch. En este articulo se analizaran estos posibles fallos.
Dynamic modeling and optimization of a valveless PZT micropump

A dynamic model for a PZT actuated valveless micropump is presented in this work. The model couples PZT actuation with fluid flow in a flow chamber. Extended Bernoulli equation is used to describe flow dynamics in the inlet and outlet of the micropump. The dependence of the output pressure and flow rate on pump parameters is discussed. For low frequency actuation, the flow rate and back pressure increase as the PZT membrane thickness increases. The flow rate also increases for larger nozzle neck. The back pressure increases as the nozzle neck enlarges, reaches a maximum at about 80 microns, and then decreases when the nozzle neck keeps increasing. Such dependence becomes insignificant for nozzle neck larger than 200 microns. This model also predicts that the neck length has little influence on the back pressure and flow rate.
Polysaccharide Processing and Presentation by the MHCII Pathway

The adaptive immune system functions through the combined action of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and T cells. Specifically, class I major histocompatibility complex antigen presentation to CD8(+) T cells is limited to proteosome-generated peptides from intracellular pathogens while the class II (MHCII) endocytic pathway presents only proteolytic peptides from extracellular pathogens to CD4(+) T cells. Carbohydrates have been thought to stimulate immune responses independently of T cells; however, zwitterionic polysaccharides (ZPSs) from the capsules of some bacteria can activate CD4(+) T cells. Here we show that ZPSs are processed to low molecular weight carbohydrates by a nitric oxide-mediated mechanism and presented to T cells through the MHCII endocytic pathway. Furthermore, these carbohydrates bind to MHCII inside APCs for presentation to T cells. Our observations begin to elucidate the mechanisms by which some carbohydrates induce important immunologic responses through T cell activation, suggesting a fundamental shift in the MHCII presentation paradigm.
Generic plan recognition for dialogue systems

We describe a general framework for encoding rich domain models and sophisticated plan reasoning capabilities. The approach uses graph-based reasoning to address a wide range of tasks that typically arise in dialogue systems. The graphical plan representation is independent of but connected to the underlying representation of action and time. We describe types of plan recognition that are needed, illustrating these with examples from dialogues collected as part of the TRAINS project. The algorithms for the tasks are presented, and issues in the formalization of the reasoning processes are discussed.
Detecting Recurring and Novel Classes in Concept-Drifting Data Streams

Concept-evolution is one of the major challenges in data stream classification, which occurs when a new class evolves in the stream. This problem remains unaddressed by most state-of-the-art techniques. A recurring class is a special case of concept-evolution. This special case takes place when a class appears in the stream, then disappears for a long time, and again appears. Existing data stream classification techniques that address the concept-evolution problem, wrongly detect the recurring classes as novel class. This creates two main problems. First, much resource is wasted in detecting a recurring class as novel class, because novel class detection is much more computationally- and memory-intensive, as compared to simply recognizing an existing class. Second, when a novel class is identified, human experts are involved in collecting and labeling the instances of that class for future modeling. If a recurrent class is reported as novel class, it will be only a waste of human effort to find out whether it is really a novel class. In this paper, we address the recurring issue, and propose a more realistic novel class detection technique, which remembers a class and identifies it as "not novel" when it reappears after a long disappearance. Our approach has shown significant reduction in classification error over state-of-the-art stream classification techniques on several benchmark data streams.
Single-shot method for measuring femtosecond bunch length in linac-based free-electron lasers

There is growing interest in the generation and characterization of femtosecond and subfemtosecond pulses from linac-based free-electron lasers (FELs). In this report, following the method of Ricci and Smith [Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 3, 032801 (2000)], we investigate the measurement of the longitudinal bunch profile of an ultrashort electron bunch produced by these FELs. We show that this method can be applied in a straightforward manner at x-ray FEL facilities such as the Linac Coherent Light Source by slightly adjusting the second bunch compressor followed by running the bunch on an rf zero-crossing phase of the final linac. We find that the linac wakefield strongly perturbs the measurement, and through analysis show that it can be compensated in a simple way. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this method and wakefield compensation through numerical simulations, including effects of coherent synchrotron radiation and longitudinal space charge. When used in conjunction with a high-resolution electron spectrometer, this method potentially reveals the temporal profile of the electron beam down to the femtosecond and subfemotsecond scale.
Effect of chronic cold stress on catecholamine levels in rat brain.

Acute stress of various types (foot shock, exposure to cold, etc.) has been shown to reduce the endogenous content of norepinephrine in the brain. On the contrary, the present study indicates that chronic stress produced by exposing rats to cold for 6 h a day for twenty days induced elevated level of endogenous catecholamines in the brain. Also, there was increase in initial accumulation of H3-norepinephrine and increase in turn-over rate of norepinephrine in the brain. It seems that repeated exposure to cold may have induced adaptive changes in physiologic system resulting in acceleration of brain norepinephrine turnover.
Occlusal grinding in the primary dentition effective in preventing a posterior crossbite

Objectives To identify and evaluate orthodontic treatments used to expand the maxillary dentition and correct posterior crossbites. Data sources Medline, Cochrane Library, handsearching of English language orthodontic journals (1970–1997). Selection criteria All published randomised clinical trials (RCTs) reporting quantitative outcomes data on the crossbite correction, molar and/or canine expansion, signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint dysfunction or respiratory disease. Data collection and analysis Odds ratio, 95% confidence intervals (CI), relative risk, relative risk reduction, absolute risk reduction, and the number need to treat were calculated for event data. The weighted mean difference and 95% CI were calculated for continuous data. Results Five randomised and seven controlled clinical trials met the review criteria and were included. Trials comparing occlusal grinding in the primary dentition with/without an upper removable expansion appliance in the mixed dentition versus no treatment, banded versus bonded rapid maxillary expansion, banded versus bonded slow maxillary expansion, transpalatal arch with/without buccal root torque and an upper removable expansion appliance versus quad-helix were identified. Conclusions Occlusal grinding in the primary dentition with/without the addition of an upper removable expansion plate was effective in preventing a posterior crossbite in the primary dentition from being perpetuated to the mixed and permanent dentitions. No evidence was found for a difference in treatment effect (molar and canine expansion) in trials comparing banded versus bonded rapid maxillary expansion, banded versus bonded slow maxillary expansion, transpalatal arch with/without buccal root torque, or upper removable expansion appliance versus quad-helix.
Tumor reactivity of immune T cells in short-term culture.

The adoptive transfer of immune T cells is capable of mediating the regression of established neoplasms in a variety of animal tumor models. The antitumor activity is invariably proportional to the number of cells transferred, thus methods to expand immune cell number while maintaining therapeutic efficacy have been extensively investigated. Here we demonstrate that a short-term culture of immune T cells can amplify the T cell number and enhance the therapeutic reactivity against established pulmonary tumor, while maintaining immunological specificity. In contrast, the therapeutic reactivity of immune T cells against established subcutaneous tumor is diminished by short-term culture. While cultured immune T cells are not cytotoxic in a 4-h Cr-release assay, they do specifically secrete interferon γ upon stimulation with tumor cells. T cells cultured after a single exposure to tumor are even more active against pulmonary tumor than T cells cultured from mice immunized repeatedly. This culture system can rapidly induce T cell proliferation and differentiation into mature effector cells, and the resulting cells demonstrate an enhanced ability to treat visceral metastases, but a decreased ability to treat subcutaneous tumor. Thus T cells cultured after a single exposure to tumor represent an ideal population of cells for use in human adoptive immunotherapy trials.
The Doniger Difficulty: Colonial Cotton and Swadeshi Sensibilities

The Doniger difficulty seems to reflect a simplistic and simplified dichotomy between the secular and the religious, between the developed and the backward, and between the colonizers and the (form...
Religiousness and Depressive Symptoms in Five Ethnic Adolescent Groups

This study examined the relation between religiousness and depressive symptoms in African American, Asian American, European American, Hispanic American, and Native American adolescents (N = 13,317) in the United States with self-esteem and school attachment as potential mediators in this link. The data were taken from a nationally represented sample of adolescents in Grades 7 through 12, from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Structural equation analyses with measurement and structural invariance across the five ethnic groups and gender supported the model that religiousness, as a composite of internal and external religiousness items, negatively predicted depressive symptoms 1 year later controlling for baseline depressive symptoms. Self-esteem and school attachment partially mediated this link but only for European American and African American adolescents.
On the Indeterminacy of Rotational and Divergent Eddy Fluxes

Abstract The decomposition of an eddy flux into a divergent flux component and a rotational flux component is not unique in a bounded or singly periodic domain. Therefore, assertions made under the assumption of uniqueness, implicit or explicit, may be meaningless. Nondivergent, irrotational perturbations are allowed to any decomposition that may affect naive interpretation of the flux field. These perturbations are restricted, however, so that unique diagnostics can be formed from the flux field.
Parametric Studies on Ground Vibration Test Modeling for Highly Flexible Aircraft

Fundamental modeling of a flexible aircraft with a flying wing configuration, attached to a system of bungee cords, was developed in previous work of the authors. Herein this work is extended to include the capability of modeling a general configuration that can be represented as a collection of nonlinear beam finite elements. This allows one to model configurations with fuselage(s) and tail(s) in terms of beam finite elements. The finite element formulation is based on the fully intrinsic beam formulation, so that multiple beams are included by enforcing appropriate continuity conditions on velocity and angular velocity at nodes where beams intersecL Geometric constraints imposed by bungee cords attached at different points along a structure modeled with these beam elements make the system statically indeterminate. This brings certain strain-displacement relations and displacement variables into the formulation. Two in-depth parametric studies on how ground-vibration testing parameters affect the modal characteristics of highly flexible aircraft are presented as follows: 1) the effect of different bungee cord locations and 2) the effect of a fuselage structure on the modal characteristics. A comparison of results from the parametric studies provides information on how the shape of a highly flexible wing affects its modal characteristics and which eigenmodes associated with fuselage motion are involved in the low-frequency structural modes. In addition, for conventional configurations with highly flexible wings, the existence of modes identified in ground-vibration testing as predominantly rigid-body motion is discussed. Moreover, when such modes do exist, the extent to which they involve structural deformation and the effect of ground-vibration testing parameters on them is studied.
Epidemiology treatment and outcome of childhood systemic lupus erythematosus in Egypt

To highlight the characteristics of Egyptian children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the records of 52 SLE patients (48 girls and four boys aged 11.9+/-2.6 years) were retrospectively analyzed. The median duration of follow up was 22 months (range 1-94.5). The most common extrarenal manifestation was fever (76.6%), followed by joint involvement (65.4%). Hemolytic anemia was demonstrated in 51%, thrombocytopenia in 29.2%, and leucopenia in 27.5%. Antinuclear antibodies were positive in 92.7%, while positive anti-double-stranded DNA and hypocomplementemia were demonstrated in 95.6% and 67.4%, respectively. Lupus nephritis (LN) was evident in 80.8%. The renal manifestations of LN patients were proteinuria (83.3%), hematuria (71.5%), hypertension (35.7%), and elevated serum creatinine (16.7%). The histopathological findings of the initial renal biopsies were class I (4.9%), class II (22%), class III (36.3%), and class IV (36.3%). Among patients without LN, 85.7% gained remission and nonimmediately died. At last observation, 55.6% of LN patients had complete remission, 22.2% had active disease, and 22.2% died. Most patients who died had class IV LN. In conclusion, the characteristics of Egyptian SLE children are comparable with those in most Arab and Western series. However, LN may be more prevalent and severe, with unfavorable outcomes.
A two-arm phase II study of temozolomide in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors and other soft tissue sarcomas.

BACKGROUND. The authors conducted a two-arm Phase II study of temozolomide to determine its efficacy and toxicity in patients with soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) who had received, had refused, or were not eligible for standard chemotherapy with doxorubicin and ifosfamide (Arm 1) and in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs; Arm 2). Patients with GIST were eligible regardless of prior therapy before imatinib was available. METHODS. Sixty patients were enrolled in the current study, 19 of whom had GISTs and 41 of whom had other STSs. The patients received temozolomide at a dose of 85 mg/m 2 orally for 21 days followed by 7 days without treatment. Standard radiographic imaging after every two cycles was used to assess the treatment response. RESULTS. Of the 39 patients in Arm 1, there was 1 complete response and 1 partial response of 39 evaluable patients, for a total response rate of 5% (95% confidence interval, 0 –12%). The responses lasted 7 months and 8 months, respectively. In Arm 2, there was no response in 17 patients. The disease was stable in 22% of the patients with GISTs and 33% of the patients with other STSs. The median overall survival time was 26.4 months in patients with GISTs and 11 months in patients with other STSs. The median time to disease progression was 2.3 months in patients with GISTs and 3.3 months in patients with other STSs. Grade 3 and Grade 4 adverse effects (according to National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria) were rare and included fatigue (eight patients), anemia (six patients), constipation (four patients), neutropenia (four patients), and thrombocytopenia (four patients). CONCLUSIONS. The data from the current study suggest that temozolomide is well tolerated but has only minimal efficacy and a limited role in the treatment of patients with STSs. Cancer 2003;98:2693–9. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Technical Note-A Class of Nonlinear Chance-Constrained Programming Models with Joint Constraints

Miller and Wagner [Opns. Res. 13, 930-945 1965] define joint chance-constrained programming by specifying a set of constants that are joint probability measures of the extent to which constraint violations are permitted. For the special case of a random right-hand-side vector whose elements are independent random variables, they show that an equivalent deterministic concave program exists. The purpose of this paper is to generalize this result to a class of nonlinear chance-constrained programming models with joint constraints.
Putting computerized instruction to the test: a randomized evaluation of a “scientifically based” reading program ☆

Abstract Although schools across the country are investing heavily in computers in the classroom, there is surprisingly little evidence that they actually improve student achievement. In this paper, we present results from a randomized study of a well-defined use of computers in schools: a popular instructional computer program, known as Fast ForWord , which is designed to improve language and reading skills. We assess the impact of the program on students having difficulty learning to read using four different measures of language and reading ability. Our estimates suggest that while use of the computer program may improve some aspects of students’ language skills, it does not appear that these gains translate into a broader measure of language acquisition or into actual readings skills.
Clinical tools for vascular access.

Arguably the most common invasive procedure during hospital stays involves vascular access. Whether drawing blood or insertion of a central venous line, techniques are being developed to perform these tasks consistently and with a minimum of complications and discomfort to the patient. Maintaining clinically favorable results requires skills and experience from the practitioners. To achieve these two vital requirements, we must provide the caregiver with the proper vascular access and visioning tools needed to determine location of vessels, proper guidance of needles or catheters, and to confirm the proper placement of these introduced invasive medical devices.
Outpatient single-session yttrium-90 glass microsphere radioembolization.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the feasibility of yttrium-90 ( 90 Y) glass microsphere radioembolization (including angiography, lung shunt assessment, and treatment) as a single-session, outpatient procedure. Materials and Methods Between January 2008 and June 2013, 14 patients underwent outpatient, single-session radioembolization with 90 Y glass microspheres. As part of the routine diagnostic work-up, all patients underwent either computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging of the liver with three-dimensional analysis and had laboratory results forwarded to our center for confirmation of candidacy before treatment. On treatment day, all patients underwent planning mesenteric angiography with flat panel cone-beam CT imaging. Patients were administered 33–85 MBq of technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin ( 99m Tc-MAA) via a microcatheter positioned in a hepatic artery supplying the tumor of interest. Planar scintigraphy was initiated within 2 hours after the administration of 99m Tc-MAA and lung shunt fraction was determined. Final dosimetry calculations were performed while the patient was being transferred back from nuclear medicine to interventional radiology. Results All patients successfully underwent planning angiography with administration of 99m Tc-MAA and 90 Y radioembolization as a single-session treatment. There were no reportable or recordable medical events; treatment was carried out to the desired dose in all cases. The mean total procedure time was 2.70 hours ± 0.72 (range, 1.63–3.97 h). Conclusions This study reports a novel proof of concept for performing radioembolization in a single-session setting. By using the described method, time between initial clinical assessments and radioembolization treatment is decreased, and costs are minimized.