cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Superconductivity in La2−xNaxCuO4−y

Abstract Observation of bulk superconductivity in the La 2−x Na x CuO 4−y system is reported for the first time. Like other La 2−x M x CuO 4−y (M  Ba, Sr, and Ca) systems, the M  Na form has the K 2 NiF 4 -type structure. This Na-doped compound can be obtained for only a limited range of sample preparation conditions. Measurements of the electrical resistivity and the magnetic susceptibility are presented. The midpoint of the resistive superconducting transition increases only slightly with concentration x from T c = 16 K for x = 0.11 to T c = 18 K for x = 0.41. The 10%–90% transition widths are ΔT c ≈ 3 K . Semiconducting behavior is observed for x ≤ 0.08. Susceptibility measurements exhibit a large fractional Meissner effect that increases with x. Diamagnetic onset temperatures also increase with x from T onset = 22 K for x = 0.11 to at least T onset = 36 K for x = 0.41. The x = 0.41 specimen also exhibits unusual χ vs T behavior, possibly indicating that the superconductivity is two-component in nature.
Carboplatin and ifosfamide and selective consolidation in advanced seminoma

Abstract This prospective phase II study assesses the clinical efficacy and complications of a treatment regimen comprising combination chemotherapy with carbopiatin and ifosfamide and selective consolidation in advanced seminoma. Of 43 patients who entered the study, between May 1989 and May 1992, 42 were evaluable. 30 achieved a complete remission (71%; 95% confidence interval, 56–84%) after chemotherapy alone. 10 achieved a complete remission (24%; 95% confidence interval, 13–39%) after chemotherapy plus consolidation. 38 of the 42 patients (91%; 95% confidence interval, 83–98%) remained in remission after a median follow-up period of 35 months (20–56 months). No patient experienced nephrotoxic, neurotoxic, or ototoxic effects, or haemorrhagic cystitis. Ten per cent of the patients had leucopenic fever requiring hospitalisation. Twenty-four per cent required platelet transfusions, and 26% required transfusions of packed red blood cells. For patients with seminoma, treatment with carbopiatin and ifosfamide and selective consolidation is safe and effective.
A frequency-dependent FDTD method for biological applications

A frequency-dependent finite-difference time-domain (FD)/sup 2/TD method for calculating the response of pulses in plasma or water has recently been described. This method is an advance over the traditional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method in that it allows for the frequency dependence of these two media. The modification of the (FD)/sup 2/TD method to obtain broadband frequency information in 3D biological applications is discussed. The implementation of this method is described, and its accuracy is verified by comparison with analytic solutions using the Bessel function expansion. The use of this method is illustrated by an example of the 3D simulation of a hyperthermia treatment using two applicators over a frequency range of 40 to 200 MHz. >
Diaphragm-based extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric optical fiber sensor for acoustic wave detection under high background pressure

A new structure for diaphragm-based extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric (EFPI) optical fiber sensors is presented. This structure introduces a through hole in a conventional diaphragm-based EFPI sensor and significantly reduces the effect of operating point drift due to the background pressure and fluctuations. This structure also potentially has high temperature stability.
SEARCH FOR τ-→μ-γ

The decay τ-→μ-γ has been searched for using the CLEO detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR). Using 13.8fb-1 of data collected with the CLEO II and CLEO II.V detector an upper limit of B(τ-→μ-γ)≤1.1×10-6 @ 90% CL is obtained.
Use of Google Insights for Search to track seasonal and geographic kidney stone incidence in the United States.

Objective To determine whether Internet search volume for kidney stones has seasonal and geographic distributions similar to known kidney stone incidence. Material and Methods Google Insights for Search analyzes a portion of Google web searches from all Google domains to compute how many searches are performed for a given term relative to the total number of searches done over a specific time interval and geographic region. Selected terms related to kidney stones were examined to determine which most closely tracked kidney stone incidence. Google Insights for Search data were correlated with hospital admissions for the emergent treatment of nephrolithiasis found through the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Ambient temperature in Seattle and New York were compared with search volume for these regions to display qualitative relationships. Results The term “kidney stones” had the highest seasonal correlation of terms examined (r = .81, P = .0014). Google Insights for Search output and national Inpatient Sample admissions also correlated when regions were compared (r = .90, P = .005). Qualitative relationships between ambient temperatures and kidney stone search volume do exist. Conclusions Internet search volume activity for kidney stones correlates with temporal and regional kidney stone insurance claims data. In the future, with improved modeling of search detection algorithms and increased Internet usage, search volume has the potential to serve as a surrogate for kidney stone incidence.
Polyamine-dependent expression of the matrix metalloproteinase matrilysin in a human colon cancer-derived cell line.

Matrilysin, which is a member of the matrix metalloproteinase family and is implicated in colon cancer invasion, is expressed in human colon adenocarcinoma—derived SW1116 cells. We investigated the effect of α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) on matrilysin expression in this cell line because others have shown that DFMO can inhibit invasion and carcinogenesis in epithelial tissues, including the colon, in experimental models. DFMO reduced extracellular levels of matrilysin protein after 4 d of treatment. Intracellular levels of matrilysin protein were minimally affected by DFMO treatment. The decrease in extracellular matrilysin protein levels caused by DFMO was not a consequence of lowered steady-state levels of matrilysin mRNA. After 4 d of exposure, the amount of this transcript was higher in DFMO-treated cells than in untreated cultures, whereas the mRNA stabilities were similar. These data show that polyamine depletion by DFMO can suppress the expression of matrilysin, a gene product thought to be involved in tumor invasion. The decrease in extracellular matrilysin protein caused by DFMO treatment appears to be due to a posttranscriptional mechanism, although transcription of this gene also seems to be affected by polyamines in SW1116 cells. ©1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Geography of Planning Practice

Planning practice is a contingent situated activity. The anatomy of planning practice may be understood as a structure of communicative action involving claims regarding content and context, thus systematically presenting questions and demanding judgments in the face both of uncertainty and of ambiguity. Practical communicative claims are established in the planning process through the ongoing social reproduction of beliefs, consent, trust, and attention. If planners are to be sensitive to these processes of social reproduction, they must be attentive to four dimensions of the geography of their practice: a cognitive geography of knowledge production, a political-legal geography of power and consent, a ritual geography of social identity, and an economic-resource geography of attention. Recognizing this structure and field of practical action, planners may enhance social learning, resisting threats to democratizing movements, in part by distinguishing and protecting learning processes in two dimensions, t...
Manycore processor networks with monolithic integrated CMOS photonics

This paper presents an overview of advances in highly-integrated photonic networks for emerging manycore processors. It explores the tight interaction among logical and physical implementations of all-to-all core-to-core and core-to-DRAM networks, and underlying photonic devices.
Abdominal pain and a biliary abnormality.

A 30-year-old female immigrant from Laos was referred to our institution after admission to an outside hospital for right upper quadrant abdominal pain with associated nausea and vomiting. Her imaging results from the outside hospital included abdominal magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealing a cystic abnormality in the region of the porta hepatis (Figure 1A). Thepatientdeniedanypreviousmedical or surgical history. On examination, the patient had mild right upper quadrant tenderness to palpation without signs of peritonitis. Routine laboratory values were within normal limits, except for a mildly elevated amylase level. A computed tomographic scan was obtained to further delineate the abnormality (Figure 1B). Quiz at jamasurgery.com H
Invasion of aortic and heart endothelial cells by Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Invasion of host cells is believed to be an important strategy utilized by a number of pathogens, which affords them protection from the host immune system. The connective tissues of the periodontium are extremely well vascularized, which allows invading microorganisms, such as the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis, to readily enter the bloodstream. However, the ability of P. gingivalis to actively invade endothelial cells has not been previously examined. In this study, we demonstrate that P. gingivalis can invade bovine and human endothelial cells as assessed by an antibiotic protection assay and by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. P. gingivalis A7436 was demonstrated to adhere to and to invade fetal bovine heart endothelial cells (FBHEC), bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC), and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Invasion efficiencies of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3% were obtained with BAEC, HUVEC, and FBHEC, respectively. Invasion of FBHEC and BAEC by P. gingivalis A7436 assessed by electron microscopy revealed the formation of microvillus-like extensions around adherent bacteria followed by the engulfment of the pathogen within vacuoles. Invasion of BAEC by P. gingivalis A7436 was inhibited by cytochalasin D, nocodazole, staurosporine, protease inhibitors, and sodium azide, indicating that cytoskeletal rearrangements, protein phosphorylation, energy metabolism, and P. gingivalis proteases are essential for invasion. In contrast, addition of rifampin, nalidixic acid, and chloramphenicol had little effect on invasion, indicating that bacterial RNA, DNA, and de novo protein synthesis are not required for P. gingivalis invasion of endothelial cells. Likewise de novo protein synthesis by endothelial cells was not required for invasion by P. gingivalis. P. gingivalis 381 was demonstrated to adhere to and to invade BAEC (0.11 and 0.1% efficiency, respectively). However, adherence and invasion of the corresponding fimA mutant DPG3, which lacks the major fimbriae, was not detected. These results indicate that P. gingivalis can actively invade endothelial cells and that fimbriae are required for this process. P. gingivalis invasion of endothelial cells may represent another strategy utilized by this pathogen to thwart the host immune response.
Pitch Woman and Other Stories: The Oral Traditions of Coquelle Thompson, Upper Coquille Athabaskan Indian

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Elizabeth D. Jacobs Year: 2007 Pages: 332 Publisher: University of Nebraska Press ISBN: 978-0-8032-4333 (soft cover). Prices: $39.95 USD(soft cover).
State agnostic planning graphs: deterministic, non-deterministic, and probabilistic planning

Planning graphs have been shown to be a rich source of heuristic information for many kinds of planners. In many cases, planners must compute a planning graph for each element of a set of states, and the naive technique enumerates the graphs individually. This is equivalent to solving a multiple-source shortest path problem by iterating a single-source algorithm over each source. We introduce a data-structure, the state agnostic planning graph, that directly solves the multiple-source problem for the relaxation introduced by planning graphs. The technique can also be characterized as exploiting the overlap present in sets of planning graphs. For the purpose of exposition, we first present the technique in deterministic (classical) planning to capture a set of planning graphs used in forward chaining search. A more prominent application of this technique is in conformant and conditional planning (i.e., search in belief state space), where each search node utilizes a set of planning graphs; an optimization to exploit state overlap between belief states collapses the set of sets of planning graphs to a single set. We describe another extension in conformant probabilistic planning that reuses planning graph samples of probabilistic action outcomes across search nodes to otherwise curb the inherent prediction cost associated with handling probabilistic actions. Finally, we show how to extract a state agnostic relaxed plan that implicitly solves the relaxed planning problem in each of the planning graphs represented by the state agnostic planning graph and reduces each heuristic evaluation to counting the relevant actions in the state agnostic relaxed plan. Our experimental evaluation (using many existing International Planning Competition problems from classical and non-deterministic conformant tracks) quantifies each of these performance boosts, and demonstrates that heuristic belief state space progression planning using our technique is competitive with the state of the art.
Time and Frequency Bias in Extrapolating Wideband Responses of Resonant Structures

An improved technique is presented to extrapolate a wideband electromagnetic response of a resonant structure using only early-time and low-frequency computed data. The response is represented as a sum of weighted polynomials and pole terms. Previously, poles were estimated from early-time data. In this paper, poles are also estimated from low-frequency data and used to accurately extrapolate a response. A time or frequency bias is observed when estimating poles from either early-time or low-frequency data, respectively. It is shown that poles estimated from early-time and low-frequency data can be combined to reduce the amount of directly-computed data needed to accurately extrapolate a response. A genetic algorithm is used to select all necessary parameters and determine when enough data has been computed. The driving-point current of several resonant antennas and the electric field at a point outside of a metallic cavity are extrapolated.
Teaching new teammates

Knowledge transfer between expert and novice agents is a challenging problem given that the knowledge representation and learning algorithms used by the novice learner can be fundamentally different from and inaccessible to the expert trainer. We are particularly interested in team tasks, robotic or otherwise, where new teammates need to replace currently indisposed team member(s). We are interested in a general knowledge transfer framework where existing team members or experts can train a new agent to follow its role in team coordination by using exemplars of desirable behavior. Each such exemplar presents a team situation and a preferred action. We envisage an iterative training process where the trainer selects more exemplars in the next iteration based on the errors made by the learner in action choices for test exemplars presented in the current iteration. Such an iterative, exemplar based generic knowledge transfer scheme can be used by agents using arbitrary knowledge representation and learning methods. We evaluate the success of training new teammates in the well-known pursuit problem, where some of the current set of expert predators is being replaced by new ones with no a priori hunting knowledge. Experimental results demonstrate the robustness of our knowledge transfer scheme with a graceful performance degradation.
Encoding the evolution of ore system in bismuthinite-stibnite compositions; Julcani, Peru

Compositional variations in the bismuthinite-stibnite solid solution, metal ratios, and bulk semimetal ratios provide a record of the chemical evolution of the ore fluids responsible for mineralization of the Julcani mining district in Peru. Bismuthinite-stibnites become more antimony rich along the flow paths (defined by changes in the ratio of lead to copper in the bulk ore) of the veins at the Mimosa and Herminia mines. Rapid changes in the composition of the solid solution coincide with the silver bonanza zone at Herminia and with the appearance of complex sulfosalts of silver and bismuth.Bismuthinite-stibnites with 5 to 45 mole percent Bi were encountered; such compositions lie within the natural gap proposed by previous workers. Although not common, these samples are consistent with experimental studies which document a complete solid solution.Comparison of bulk semimetal concentrations in the ores of the two mines reveals differences along the respective flow paths. At Mimosa the ratio of antimony to bismuth increases, consistent with a normal zoning of the semimetals. In contrast, at Herminia antimony nearly disappears from the ore assemblage in the zone of silver bonanzas and rapid changes in bismuthinite-stibnite compositions. Farther along this flow path, antimony concentrations increase in the ores, a return to the normal pattern of semimetal zonation. Volatilization of antimony (semimetal complex boiling) from the ore fluid may be responsible for the anomalous behavior of antimony at Herminia. Antimony trihalides are volatile molecular species and potentially can boil from an ore fluid and later recondense, permitting a resumption in the precipitation of antimony-bearing phases.
Aircraft Icing Caused by Large Supercooled Droplets

Abstract The characteristic of aircraft icing environments containing large supercooled droplets are described. Substantial loss in rate of climb capability can result from less than 10 minutes duration in conditions where fewer than 0.1–1 cm−3 of droplets 30–400 μm in diameter are present. These conditions are found to have a greater effect than those where the liquid water was confined to smaller (generally less than about 30 μm diameter) droplets. Measurements from research aircraft flying in regions containing these large droplets, located in the Sierra Nevada in California, near Amarillo, Texas, and in northern Arizona are presented. Temperatures ranged from −5.5° to −9.4°C in 13 regions. The sizes of the droplets responsible for performance loss varied with each encounter but ranged from tens to hundreds of micrometers, and these were accompanied by few to no ice crystals. Two case studies are examined in further detail, including the weather conditions present at the time of the encounters. The met...
Present Status of Radiation Therapy of Cancer: An Overview

The discovery, shortly before the turn of the century, of X-rays by Roentgen, of radioactivity by Becquerel, and of radium by the Curies was promptly followed by the therapeutic application of these new agents, and by 1899 the first cancer, a basal cell epithelioma, had been cured. Thus the entire history of radiation therapy as a treatment modality now encompasses only some 80 years (Case, 1958). The dramatic initial responses observed in the treatment of skin and other superficial neoplasms were so unprecedented that they generated the unrealistic hope that a miraculous cure for cancer had finally been discovered. This naive view was soon followed by an equally unwarranted wave of disillusionment and pessimism when tumor recurrences and injuries to normal tissues began to appear.
IL15 Trispecific Killer Engagers (TriKE) Make Natural Killer Cells Specific to CD33+ Targets While Also Inducing Persistence, In Vivo Expansion, and Enhanced Function

Purpose: The effectiveness of NK cell infusions to induce leukemic remission is limited by lack of both antigen specificity and in vivo expansion. To address the first issue we previously generated a bispecific killer engager (BiKE) containing single chain scFV against CD16 and CD33 to create an immunologic synapse between NK cells and CD33+ myeloid targets. We have now incorporated a novel modified human IL-15 crosslinker, producing a 161533 trispecific killer engager (TriKE) to induce expansion, priming, and survival, which we hypothesize will enhance clinical efficacy. Methods: Reagents were tested in proliferation and functional assays and in an in vivo xenograft model of AML. Results: When compared to the 1633 BiKE, the 161533 TriKE induced superior NK cell cytotoxicity, degranulation, and cytokine production against CD33+ HL-60 targets and increased NK survival and proliferation. Specificity was shown by the ability of a 1615EpCAM TriKE to kill CD33-EpCAM+ targets. Using NK cells from patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation when NK cell function is defective, the 161533 TriKE restored potent NK function against primary AML targets and induced specific NK cell proliferation. These results were confirmed in an immunodeficient mouse HL-60-Luc tumor model where the 161533 TriKE exhibited superior anti-tumor activity and induced in vivo persistence and survival of human NK cells for at least 3 weeks. Conclusions: Off-the-shelf 161533 TriKE imparts antigen specificity and promotes in vivo persistence, activation, and survival of NK cells. These qualities are ideal for NK cell therapy of myeloid malignancies or targeting antigens of solid tumors.
The Evolutionary Histories of Antiretroviral Proteins SERINC3 and SERINC5 Do Not Support an Evolutionary Arms Race in Primates.

UNLABELLED Molecular evolutionary arms races between viruses and their hosts are important drivers of adaptation. These Red Queen dynamics have been frequently observed in primate retroviruses and their antagonists, host restriction factor genes, such as APOBEC3F/G, TRIM5-α, SAMHD1, and BST-2. Host restriction factors have experienced some of the most intense and pervasive adaptive evolution documented in primates. Recently, two novel host factors, SERINC3 and SERINC5, were identified as the targets of HIV-1 Nef, a protein crucial for the optimal infectivity of virus particles. Here, we compared the evolutionary fingerprints of SERINC3 and SERINC5 to those of other primate restriction factors and to a set of other genes with diverse functions. SERINC genes evolved in a manner distinct from the canonical arms race dynamics seen in the other restriction factors. Despite their antiviral activity against HIV-1 and other retroviruses, SERINC3 and SERINC5 have a relatively uneventful evolutionary history in primates. IMPORTANCE Restriction factors are host proteins that block viral infection and replication. Many viruses, like HIV-1 and related retroviruses, evolved accessory proteins to counteract these restriction factors. The importance of these interactions is evidenced by the intense adaptive selection pressures that dominate the evolutionary histories of both the host and viral genes involved in this so-called arms race. The dynamics of these arms races can point to mechanisms by which these viral infections can be prevented. Two human genes, SERINC3 and SERINC5, were recently identified as targets of an HIV-1 accessory protein important for viral infectivity. Unexpectedly, we found that these SERINC genes, unlike other host restriction factor genes, show no evidence of a recent evolutionary arms race with viral pathogens.
Kinematics of Eley-Rideal Reactions at Hyperthermal Energies.

Direct or Eley-Rideal reactions between energetic N^+ and O^+ projectiles and O atoms, adsorbed onto Pt and Pd surfaces, are studied experimentally at incidence energies between 20 and 200 eV. The exit energies of the diatomic molecular products NO and O_2 depend linearly on the incidence energy of the corresponding projectiles. A reaction mechanism is proposed, where the incident projectile collides with a single metal atom on the surface, linked to an adsorbed O atom. At the apsis point, a high-energy transient state is formed between the projectile, substrate, and adsorbate atoms. As the projectile begins to rebound, the transient state decomposes into a diatomic molecule, consisting of the original projectile and the adsorbed O atom, which exits the surface with memory of the incidence energy. Energy and momentum conservation during this single-bounce event (atom in, molecule out) accurately predict the exit energy of the molecular product, thus capturing the kinematics of the direct reaction.
The Economics of Reciprocity: Theory and Evidence on Bilateral Trading Arrangements

Most modern research on the theory of price discrimination in general equilibrium has sprung from the interest of countries in forming customs unions or free-trade areas. Yet these two forms of integration far from exhaust the kinds of preferential agreements that are observed in real life. The theorists have been conscious that their analyses potentially apply to a much wider set of arrangements — witness the titles of the two leading contemporary treatises [18], [38]. But they have not used their apparatus to explore all the positive and normative questions raised by some of these other types of discriminatory arrangements. Nor, perforce, has the general-equilibrium theory of discrimination been applied to these questions in practice.
Impact of spatial chirp on high-harmonic extreme ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy of thin films

Extreme ultraviolet (XUV) absorption spectra of thin-film samples using high-harmonic light sources show periodic artifacts that align with the peaks and valleys in the spectrum of the incident XUV beam. We show that a major source of this error is the interaction of spatial chirp in the XUV beam with thickness variations in the film. This concept is demonstrated using a patterned silicon nitride film as well as semiconductor and transition metal complex films. Numerical simulations using the measured spatial chirp and sample morphology reproduce the artifacts in heterogeneous films nearly quantitatively. We use these simulations to place limits on the sample quality required for detailed studies of the electronic structure of transition metal complexes at the M2,3 edge. Finally, we show that artifacts can be created in transient absorption spectroscopy for even flat samples due to the inhomogeneous distribution of excited states created by a Gaussian pump beam. The experiments are carried out in a semi-infinite neon gas cell at a phase-matching condition that gives a broad harmonic continuum.
Dynamics of turbidity plumes in Lake Ontario

The author has identified the following significant results. Large turbidity features along the 275 km south shore of Lake Ontario were analyzed using LANDSAT-1 images. The Niagara River plume, ranging from 30 to 500 sq km in area is, by far, the largest turbidity feature in the lake. Based on image tonal comparisons, turbidity in the Welland Canal is usually higher than that in any other water course discharging into the lake during the shipping season. Less turbid water enters the lake from the Port Dalhousie diversion channel and the Genesee River. Relatively clear water resulting from the deposition of suspended matter in numerous upstream lakes is discharged by the Niagara and Oswego Rivers. Plume analysis corroborates the presence of a prevailing eastward flowing longshore current along the entire south shore. Plumes resulting from beach erosion were detected in the images. Extensive areas of the south shore are subject to erosion but the most severely affected beaches are situated between Fifty Mile Point, Ontario and Thirty Mile Point, New York along the Rochester embayment, and between Sodus Bay and Nine Mile Point.
Female infertility, infertility-associated diagnoses, and comorbidities: a review

Purpose The purpose of the study is to evaluate existing literature for possible associations between female infertility, infertility-associated diagnoses, and the following areas of disease: psychiatric disorders, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic dysfunction.
Epigenetic Signaling Is Required for HoxA9-Based Leukemic Transformation.

Abstract 3966 Poster Board III-902 Since oncogenic activation of HoxA9 is induced by multiple chromosomal translocations affecting MLL1 (11q23)(e.g. MLL-Af9) or Nup98 (11p15)(e.g. Nup98-HoxA9 or Nup98-Nsd1), the function of the HoxA9 transcription factor is of critical interest in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). HoxA9 forms heterodimeric DNA binding complexes with members of the Pbx and/or Meis family of homeodomain proteins. Importantly, the direct transcriptional targets of endogenous HoxA9 that mediate transformation remain largely unknown. The Growth factor independent-1 (Gfi1) transcriptional repressor is known to induce granulopoiesis and inhibit myeloid progenitor proliferation. GFI1 is mutated in patients with severe congenital neutropenia (SCN). SCN patients are at increased risk for AML. In a transcriptional circuit conserved to Drosophila , we have recently shown that Gfi1 represses HoxA9 , Meis1 and Pbx1 expression, that Gfi1 and HoxA9 demonstrate dramatic epistatic relationships, and that Gfi1 loss of function is potently preleukemic. Our new bioinformatic, biochemical and expression data reveal microRNA genes to be targets of endogenous HoxA9 versus Gfi1 antagonism. Moreover, these miR are activated by Hox-signaling leukemia oncoproteins. Next, in both murine leukemia models and primary human AML samples, antagomir-mediated inhibition of microRNA function specifically disrupts oncogenic signaling by HoxA9, Nup98-HoxA9 and MLL-Af9 (but not AML-ETO which does not signal through HoxA9). In vivo, antagomir treatment blocked MLL-Af9-initiated leukemia lethality. These data establish microRNA genes as functional downstream targets of endogenous HoxA9, and implicate epigenetic signaling as critical client/mediators of Hox-based leukemia oncoproteins. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Intimate partner violence among college students without disabilities and college students with disabilities: An exploratory study

Aims: The purpose of this exploratory research study was to examine the gender differences and role of disability among college students experienced intimate partner violence. The research project sought to address two questions: (1) are there gender differences? and (2) are there differences between people with disabilities and people without disabilities? Setting and Design: A large university in the Midwest, United States of America. A quantitative research design was used. Materials and Methods: This research project used a quantitative research design using a packet consisting of abuse screening surveys: Abuse Assessment Screen-Disability (AAS-D) and Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2). Statistical analysis used: The quantitative surveys were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22.0. Data input used a double entry method where the investigator entered the data into one SPSS sheet, an assistant entered the data into a separate SPSS sheet, and then the sheets were merged to check for discrepancies. The hypotheses were addressed using inferential statistics, such as Likelihood Ratio. Results: The results of this study indicate that there were no statistical differences between the rates at which men and women experience abuse. These results are not similar to previous literature. Other findings of this study indicate that people with disabilities experience similar rates of abuse as people without disabilities. These findings are similar to previous literature. Conclusions: Due to the small number of participants with disabilities, the statistical findings showed trends. A larger scale study would need to be conducted to draw any conclusions statistically. These trends should provide a shift in society and its views on who is affected by intimate partner violence and ensure everyone who is experiencing abuse has options to leave the relationship and has resources available and accessible to them.
Pentostatin, Cyclophosphamide, Rituximab, and Mitoxantrone (PCRM): A New Highly Active Regimen for Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Previously Treated with PCR or FCR.

Combination therapy with purine analogs, alkylators, and/or monoclonal antibodies has markedly improved the quality of responses in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Most regimens have utilized fludarabine as the purine analog but the severe myelosuppression and immunosuppression of these combinations require careful attention to dosing and schedule to minimize these toxic complications. Of the purine analogs active in CLL, pentostatin is the least myelosuppressive. Previously, we reported that combination pentostatin, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab was very active and acceptably safe to administer to patients with CLL and in the salvage setting this regimen appeared to have less myelosuppression and less frequent infectious complications than comparable fludarabine-based combinations. The current study combines pentostatin 4mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 600mg/m2, rituximab 375mg/m2 (omitted from cycle 1) and mitoxantrone (dose escalated in a phase 1 portion starting at 6mg/m2, 8mg/m2, and 10mg/m2) all administered on day 1 of 28-day cycles for a total of 6 treatments. Supportive measures included prophylactic administration of pegfilgrastim, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, acyclovir, and antiemetics. Renal function was closely monitored and all patients received at least 1.5 liters of intravenous hydration with the administration of chemotherapy. Twenty-one patients (median age 62, range 44–74) with CLL (17 patients) or other low grade B cell neoplasms (4 patients) have been enrolled. There were 16 men and 5 women. Of the CLL patients all had either high risk disease (71%) or “active” intermediate (29%) risk disease and their median pretreatment WBC count was 74,000/μl, HGB 9.9 g/dl, and PLT 144,000/μl. The median β-2 microglobulin was 3.3 mg/l. The median number of prior treatment regimens was two (range 1–6). Most of the CLL patients (65%) had previously been treated with chemoimmunotherapy utilizing PCR or FCR. Response data is currently available for 16/17 of the CLL patients. In this group there were 15 responses (94%), including 4 CRs (25%) and 11 PRs (69%). Prior therapy with PCR or FCR did not adversely affect the frequency of response with 91% of these patients responding (CR in 19% and PRs in 73%). These preliminary results indicate that PCRM therapy is very active and well tolerated even in patients who have previously received FCR or PCR.
Online Support Groups: The Good, the Bad, and the Motivated

ABSTRACTOnline support groups exist for a multitude of health conditions. Group participants tend to have unmet needs for emotional or psychological support, socialization, information, or validation. There are advantages to online support communities that cannot be found in face-to-face groups, but there are numerous disadvantages as well. This article reviews the motivations for participating in an online support group, lists the pros and cons of online communities, and offers a glimpse into experiences of a few group participants.
The Affordable Care Act and its association with length of stay and payer status for trauma patients at a level I trauma center

Abstract Background We hypothesized that the ACA would shorten length of stay and increase numbers of insured patients without changing trauma patient outcomes. Methods A retrospective review of adult trauma patients admitted to a level I trauma center between 2012 and 2014 was performed. Demographics, length of stay, payer status, discharge disposition, and complications before and after the ACA implementation were analyzed. Results 4448 trauma patients were admitted during the study period. Patients treated after ACA implementation were older (53 vs 51, p = 0.05) with shorter ICU stays (1.7 vs 1.5 days, p = 0.04), but longer overall hospital stays (3.7 vs 4.1 days, p Conclusion Among trauma patients, there was a decrease in self-pay status and increase in public insurance without change in private insurance after implementation of the ACA. More patients were discharged to SNF without changes in reported outcomes.
Differences in symptom severity and gait balance deficit in concussed adolescents with and without concussion history

Objective There is conflicting evidence on whether a prior concussion is associated with a prolonged recovery course. This study was aimed to examine the effect of concussion history on recovery of symptoms and gait balance control in adolescents. Design A prospective, repeated-measures design was employed. Subject were assessed within 72 hours of sustaining a concussion and at 2, 4, and 8 weeks post-injury. Settings University research laboratory Participants High school student athletes with concussion injury Outcome measures Symptoms resulting from the injury were assessed using a 22 symptom inventory adapted from the Standardised Concussion Assessment Tool. Dual-task gait testing was employed to examine how divided attention affects balance control following concussion. Comparisons between subjects with and without concussion history were made for dependent variables of symptom scores and medial-lateral motion of the center-of-mass. Main Results A total of 31 concussed adolescents were tested, 9 of them had 1 or 2 diagnosed concussions more than 12 months prior to the current injury. Four subjects without concussion history and 4 subjects with concussion history were not permitted to resume normal physical activities within our 2-month study period. Subjects with concussion history displayed significantly elevated symptom scores during the first two weeks of recovery and displayed greater gait instability during the first month of recovery when compared to subjects without concussion history. Conclusions These preliminary findings indicate that previous concussion, more than one year prior to the current injury, could affect deficit severity and length of recovery. Competing interests The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
SPRING: Customizable, Motivation-Driven Technology for Children with Autism or Neurodevelopmental Differences

Current research to understand and enhance the development of children with neurological differences, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is often severely limited by small sample sizes of human-gathered data in artificially structured learning environments. SPRING: Smart Platform for Research, Intervention, and Neurodevelopmental Growth is a new hardware and software system designed to 1) automate quantitative data acquisition, 2) optimize learning progressions through customized, motivating stimuli, and 3) encourage social, cognitive, and motor development in a personalized, child-led play environment. SPRING can also be paired with sensors to probe the physiological underpinnings of motivation, engagement, and cognition. Here, we present the design principles and methodology for SPRING, as well as two heterogeneous case studies. The first case highlights enhanced attention and accelerated skill development using SPRING, while the second pairs SPRING data with electrodermal activity measurements to identify a possible physiological signature of engagement and challenge in learning.
Trichogramma Nontarget Impacts: A Method for Biological Control Risk Assessment

For much of its history, insect biological control has enjoyed a reputation as an environmentally safe and effective means of managing insect pests (DeBach 1974, Doutt 1972, Caltagirone 1981). However, over the past 15 years, questions have been raised regarding the potential impact of biological control on nontarget organisms (Howarth 1983, 1991; Simberloff 1992; Lockwood 1993a, b; Simberloff and Stiling 1996; Lockwood 1997). These concerns have prompted a much-needed discussion regarding the potential for nontarget effects and approaches for addressing this issue (Carruthers and Onsager 1993, Duan and Messing 1997, Van Driesche and Hoddle 1997, Frank 1998, Simberloff and Stiling 1998). Most of the discussion has focused on the risks posed by the importation and release of exotic natural enemies against exotic pests, i.e., classical biological control. Far less attention has been paid to the potential for nontarget effects from augmentative releases of natural enemies, even though this form of biological control may become more widespread in the future (Hoy et al. 1991, Moffat 1991, Parrella et al. 1992, Nordlund and Greenberg 1994, Nordlund et al. 1998).
Genetic Contribution to Nonsquamous, Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer in Nonsmokers

Abstract Introduction Lung carcinogenesis is strongly influenced by environmental and heritable factors. The genetic contribution to the different histologic subtypes is unknown. Methods A population-based computerized genealogy resource linked to a statewide cancer registry of lung cancer cases (N = 5408) was analyzed to evaluate the heritable contribution to lung cancer histologic subtype in smokers (n = 1751) and nonsmokers (n = 818). Statistical methods were used to test for significant excess relatedness of lung cancer cases. Results Significant excess distant relatedness was observed for all lung cancer histologic subgroups analyzed except for the SCLC subset (p = 0.213). When histologic subsets of smokers and nonsmokers with lung cancer were considered, excess relatedness was observed only in nonsmokers with NSCLC (n = 653 [p = 0.026]) and, in particular, in those nonsmokers with the nonsquamous histologic subtype (n = 561 [p = 0.036]). A total of 61 pedigrees demonstrating a significant excess risk of nonsquamous lung cancer in nonsmokers were identified, and an excess of cases in females was observed among the individuals with these high-risk pedigrees. Conclusions This analysis supports a genetic predisposition to lung cancer carcinogenesis in nonsmokers with nonsquamous NSCLC.
Design, synthesis, X-ray studies, and biological evaluation of novel BACE1 inhibitors with bicyclic isoxazoline carboxamides as the P3 ligand.

Abstract We describe the design, synthesis, X-ray studies, and biological evaluation of novel BACE1 inhibitors containing bicyclic isoxazoline carboxamides as the P3 ligand in combination with methyl cysteine, methylsulfonylalanine and Boc-amino alanine as P2 ligands. Inhibitor 3a displayed a BACE1 Ki value of 10.9 nM and EC50 of 343 nM. The X-ray structure of 3a bound to the active site of BACE1 was determined at 2.85 A resolution. The structure revealed that the major molecular interactions between BACE1 and the bicyclic tetrahydrofuranyl isoxazoline heterocycle are van der Waals in nature.
Morphogenesis of Growing Amorphous Films

In a first part of this paper, we survey the conceptional and methodological background of the stochastic field equations approach to model surface growth processes. In the second part, we focus on recent progress in the modeling of such equations for the specific case of vapor deposited amorphous thin films that allow for a quantitative validation with experimental data.
Biochemical Mechanism of Inhibition of Phorbol Ester-Induced Mouse Epidermal Ornithine Decarboxylase by Retinoic Acid

Retinoic acid (vitamin A acid), a natural metabolite of retinal or retinyl esters, is required to maintain normal growth and differentiation of epithelial tissues (1–4). Since neoplastic transformation usually results in the loss of cellular differentiation, and vitamin A and its analogs (retinoids) play a role in maintaining the normal differentiation of epithelial cells, it is evident that retinoids may play a potential role in the development of cancer. Excellent reviews are available about the role of retinoids in the prevention and treatment of cancer (5–15). The exact molecular mechanism of action of retinoids remains undefined (16–22).
Can machine learning and combinatorial chemistry coexist? An antimicrobial peptide case study

Arno F. Spatola, C. David Page, David M. Vogel, Yvon Crozet, and Sylvie Blondelle Department of Chemistry and the Institute for Molecular Diversity and Drug Design, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292 U.S.A.; Engineering Math and Computer Science and the Institute for Molecular Diversity and Drug Design, Speed Scientific School, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292 U.S.A.; and Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, 3550 General Atomics Ct., San Diego, CA 92121, U.S.A.
A Three-Dimensional Integral Method for Computing the Relaxation Frequencies of Eddy Currents in Conducting Media

Broadband electromagnetic induction sensors have been shown to be highly effective at detecting and classifying buried metal. These sensors generate a wideband primary magnetic field to excite eddy currents in buried metal and measure the secondary magnetic field they induce. The target is identified by fitting a dipole model to the measured data. The dipole model is represented by a magnetic polarizability tensor, which is expressed by a pole expansion and used as a signature for a target. Viewed as a singularity expansion, the magnetic polarizability can be decomposed into contributions from a set of eddy-current modes that relax at different frequencies. This decomposition provides a unique signature for targets of interest, allowing them to be effectively distinguished from clutter. In this paper, an integral method is presented for computing the magnetic polarizability and its singularity expansion for three-dimensional targets.
An Application of the Tau-Path Method in Highway Safety

There is growing interest among road safety analysts for using surrogate measures of safety as an alternative to crash counts, especially in contexts where the temporal and/or spatial crash occurrence rate is extremely low. In order to facilitate this paradigm shift, it is useful to demonstrate significant association between conflicts and crashes, and to study how this association might vary by location. We investigate a semiparametric statistical approach called tau-path that enables us to rank locations by decreasing magnitude of the association between crash and conflict counts. We demonstrate the method in the context of pedestrian safety at intersections in Connecticut with variation in several characteristics. Locations with high association between conflicts and crashes were more likely to have exclusive pedestrian phasing and on-street parking. Among these locations, those with high conflict and crash counts were more likely to have on-street parking and be in non-residential areas. The tau-path method can be easily applied to other road safety contexts beyond investigating conflict counts as surrogates for crash counts. This approach is also relevant to general data mining settings where there is a need to identify a subpopulation in which there is a strong association between a pair of variables of interest.
Data in Time: Statistics, Natural History, and the Visualization of Temporal Data

One of the best arguments for approaching the history of information processing and handling in the human and natural sciences as a “history of data” is that it focuses our attention on relationships, convergences, and contingent historical developments that can be obscured following more traditional areas of focus on individual disciplines or technologies. This essay explores one such case of convergence in nineteenth-century data history between empirical natural history (paleontology and botany), bureaucratic statistics (cameralism), and contemporary historiography, arguing that the establishment of visual conventions around the presentation of temporal patterns in data involved interactions between ostensibly distinct knowledge traditions. This essay is part of a special issue entitled Histories of Data and the Database edited by Soraya de Chadarevian and Theodore M. Porter.