cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Unidirectional Transducer Design for Scaling GHz AlN-Based RF Microsystems

In this work, we present a novel unidirectional transducer design for frequency scaling aluminum nitride (AlN)-based radio frequency (RF) microsystems. The proposed thickness-field-excited single-phase unidirectional transducers (TFE-SPUDT) adopt 5/16 wavelength electrodes and, thus, enable efficient piezoelectric transduction with better frequency scalability. The design space of the TFE-SPUDT is theoretically explored and validated using the acoustic delay line (ADL) testbeds. The ADL testbeds with a large feature size of ${3}~\mu \text{m}$ show a center frequency of 1 GHz, a minimum insertion loss (IL) of 4.9 dB, and a fractional bandwidth (FBW) of 5.3%, significantly surpassing the IL and frequency scalability of the previously reported AlN transducers. The design approach can potentially contribute to various AlN-based RF microsystems for signal processing, physical sensing, optomechanical interaction, and quantum acoustic applications, and are readily extendable to other piezoelectric platforms.
No evidence for DNA N6-methyladenine in mammals.

N6-methyladenine (6mdA) is a widespread DNA modification in bacteria. More recently, 6mdA has also been characterized in mammalian DNA. However, measurements of 6mdA abundance and profiles are often very dissimilar between studies, even when performed on DNA from identical mammalian cell types. Using comprehensive bioinformatics analyses of published data and novel experimental approaches, we reveal that efforts to assay 6mdA in mammals have been severely compromised by bacterial contamination, RNA contamination, technological limitations, and antibody nonspecificity. These complications render 6mdA an exceptionally problematic DNA modification to study and have resulted in erroneous detection of 6mdA in several mammalian systems. Together, our results strongly imply that the evidence published to date is not sufficient to support the presence of 6mdA in mammals.
Internet-delivered insomnia intervention improves sleep and quality of life for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

Background Insomnia is common among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is considered the gold standard treatment. Standard CBT-I was designed for adults and not adapted to the unique medical, psychosocial, and developmental needs of AYA cancer survivors, which can exacerbate their insomnia. Further, the vast majority of cancer centers do not have a behavioral sleep medicine expert on staff. Our study objective was to examine the efficacy of an Internet-delivered CBT-I program that was tailored for AYA cancer survivors (NCT03279055). Procedure Twenty-two AYA cancer survivors (mean age 20.4; range 14-25) with insomnia enrolled in an automated CBT-I program modified for AYA cancer survivors following stakeholder feedback. Participants were blood cancer (54.5%) and solid tumor (45.5%) survivors, an average of 9.7 years postdiagnosis. Sleep health, fatigue, and quality of life were assessed at baseline and at two follow up timepoints (8 and 16 weeks postbaseline). Results Significant improvements in insomnia severity, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and quality of life were reported at both follow up timepoints. However, most participants (72.7%) did not complete all of the six study sessions, with a mean completion rate of 3.2 sessions. Participants who completed at least two sessions reported better sleep (insomnia severity index total score) than those who did not. Conclusions An Internet-delivered insomnia intervention adapted for AYA cancer survivors was efficacious. This has important implications for access to evidence-based clinical care for this growing population. Future efforts should study stepped care models of care and ways to improve treatment adherence.
Respiratory Therapist Endotracheal Intubation Practices in North Carolina

Background: Endotracheal intubation is a common procedure performed by respiratory therapists (RTs). The purpose of this study is to describe current RT intubation practices in North Carolina through the use of survey instrument. Methods: A survey was developed by the authors and sent via email to all licensed RTs in North Carolina. An exemption was granted by the Duke Institutional Review Board. Questions included: respondent demographics, intubation practices (including training and skill maintenance) and attitudes about RT intubation practices. Data are presented as percentages or medians with interquartile range (IQR). Results: The survey was sent to 4,817 licensed RTs, with 411 responses from 133 unique institutions and 81 (61%) intubated at their facility. RTs who performed intubation were more likely to be from community hospitals and less likely to be from level one trauma centers. 60% of respondents defined an intubation attempt as an endotracheal tube passed through the oropharynx with 34% defining an attempt as a laryngoscope in the mouth. Respondents reported intubating adults (91%), pediatric (61%), and (65%) neonatal patients. The most common areas RTs reported performing intubation were the adult ICU (80%), ED (76%), outside the OR for emergencies (76%), neonatal ICU (43%), the delivery room (45%), and pediatric ICU (25%). Training for intubation varied among respondents with classroom training (51%), written materials (38%), written test (27%), skill demonstration in a simulation setting (85%), and supervised intubations (71%) reported as training methods. Supervised intubations were performed in the operating room (54%), ICU (68%), ED (59%), delivery room (29%), and other (23%). 84% respondents reported there was no minimum amount of experience before intubation training. The reported number of supervised intubations required to be competent was 5 (3-5). Less than 10 intubations were required by 81% of respondents. The perceived number of intubations to gain competence was 6 (range 5-10) and did not differ based on years of experience. Most respondents believed their RT intubation program was safe (93%), effective (91%), RTs were well-trained (81%), their intubation skills objectively evaluated (66%), and receive sufficient feedback on performance (68%). Conclusions: RTs in North Carolina frequently provided intubation and had high confidence in their programs. Training methods and clinical practice varied throughout the state.
Yoga as Therapy for People With Aphasia

Purpose This viewpoint offers a perspective on the potential impact of an adapted yoga program for people with stroke-induced aphasia, with a call for additional work in this area. Conclusion Aphas...
Initial MEWS score to predict ICU admission or transfer of hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A retrospective study.

Early warning scores (EWS) were introduced in early 2001 to identify patients at risk of deterioration in a busy clinical environment as a track-and-trigger system where an increasing score produced an escalated response.1Subbe C. Kruger M. Rutherford P. Gemmel L. Validation of a modified Early Warning Score in medical admissions.QJM. 2001; 94: 521-526Crossref PubMed Google Scholar EWS have demonstrated better capability in identifying deteriorating patients leading to improved clinical outcomes.2Jayasundera R. Neilly M. Smith T. Myint P. Are early warning scores useful predictors for mortality and morbidity in hospitalised acutely unwell older patients? A systematic review.J Clin Med. 2018; 7: 309Crossref Google Scholar Furthermore, an EWS at admission can be used to determine in-hospital mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) transfer.2Jayasundera R. Neilly M. Smith T. Myint P. Are early warning scores useful predictors for mortality and morbidity in hospitalised acutely unwell older patients? A systematic review.J Clin Med. 2018; 7: 309Crossref Google Scholar, 3Cei M. Bartolomei C. Mumoli N. In-hospital mortality and morbidity of elderly medical patients can be predicted at admission by the Modified Early Warning Score: a prospective study.Int J Clin Pract. 2009; 63: 591-595Crossref PubMed Scopus (65) Google Scholar, 4Meylan S. Akrour R. Regina J. Bart P.A. Dami F. Calandra T. An early warning score to predict ICU admission in COVID-19 positive patients [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 28].J Infect. 2020; (S0163-4453(20)30324-8)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2020.05.047Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (0) Google Scholar Our academic medical center developed a modified early warning score (MEWS) system in 2015 and it was rolled out hospital-wide the following year. Since serious adverse events in hospitalized patients are often preceded by signs of clinical deterioration, we believed MEWS scores could be used to predict events, such as cardiopulmonary arrest. As the coronavirus pandemic continues, could MEWS provide any usefulness in predicting ICU level care among hospitalized COVID-19 patients?
Cancer Mortality Disparities among Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Populations in California.

Background: Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) are the fastest growing minority in the United States. Cancer is the leading cause of death for AANHPIs, despite relatively lower cancer morbidity and mortality. Their recent demographic growth facilitates a detailed identification of AANHPI populations with higher cancer risk. Methods: Age-adjusted, sex-stratified, site-specific cancer mortality rates from California for 2012 to 2017 were computed for AANHPI groups: Chinese, Filipino, South Asian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Southeast Asian (i.e., Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Thai), and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI). Regression-derived mortality rate ratios (MRR) were used to compare each AANHPI group to non-Hispanic whites (NHW). Results: AANHPI men and women (total 40,740 deaths) had lower all-sites-combined cancer mortality rates (128.3 and 92.4 per 100,000, respectively) than NHWs (185.3 and 140.6) but higher mortality for nasopharynx, stomach, and liver cancers. Among AANHPIs, both NHOPIs and Southeast Asians had the highest overall rates including for colorectal, lung (men only), and cervical cancers; South Asians had the lowest. NHOPI women had 41% higher overall mortality than NHWs (MRR = 1.41; 95% CI, 1.25–1.58), including for breast (MRR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.08–1.65) and markedly higher for endometrial cancer (MRR = 3.34; 95% CI, 2.53–4.42). Conclusions: AANHPI populations present with considerable heterogeneous cancer mortality patterns. Heightened mortality for infection, obesity, and tobacco-related cancers in Southeast Asians and NHOPI populations highlight the need for differentiated priorities and public health interventions among specific AANHPI populations. Impact: Not all AANHPIs have favorable cancer profiles. It is imperative to expand the focus on the currently understudied populations that bear a disproportionate cancer burden.
An Evaluation of Legislation Designed to Improve Airline Pilots’ Safety and Performance

H.R. 5900, which was passed by Congress in July 2010, legislated more restrictive pilot rest requirements and increased the number of pilot training hours required to obtain an airline transport pilot license. This paper examines the effect that raising the occupational licensing standards have had on airline service quality. A priori, the effect is ambiguous since putting in place more restrictive licensing requirements reduces the available pool of replacement pilots and may cause airline pilots to behave opportunistically and put forth less effort, which suggests a detriment to on-time performance. On the other hand, well-rested and more experienced pilots may provide enhanced productivity leading to improved on-time performance. Our event study analysis surrounding the effective date of H.R. 5900 (August 2013) shows an improvement in traditional delays due to more effective pilots, but extended delays were exacerbated by binding work schedule restrictions.
Patellar Tendon Allograft Reconstruction

Background:Chronic patellar tendon injuries can cause significant functional deficits due to anterior knee pain, extension weakness, and extensor lag. With chronic injuries, the tissue is inadequat...
Temperate climate energy-positive anaerobic secondary treatment of domestic wastewater at pilot-scale.

Abstract Conventional aerobic secondary treatment of domestic wastewater is energy intensive. Here we report net energy positive operation of a pilot-scale anaerobic secondary treatment system in a temperate climate, with low levels of volatile solids for disposal (
E-Corps’ Implementation of Environmental Sustainability-Focused Service-Learning: Conditions Supporting the Establishment of an Epistemic Community

Background: Environmental sustainability-focused service learning programs can aid communities in addressing environmental problems and provide students with hands-on training. Understanding the implementation of such programs can inform research and application. Purpose: We investigate the implementation of an environmental sustainability-focused service learning program at a large New England public university. Our inquiry sought to better understand epistemic communities by addressing the research question: What conditions, including contextual factors and resources (funding, university context) and people (i.e. faculty, their orientation to teaching, how they work together), supported the establishment of an epistemic community in the implementation of E-Corps? Methodology/Approach: We employ frameworks of 1) Design Based Implementation Research (DBIR), which considers problems from multiple stakeholders’ perspectives, collaborative design, pedagogical theory and knowledge, and capacity for sustaining change, and 2) epistemic communities—the stakeholders recursively generating, using, and refining pedagogical knowledge. We thematically analyzed interviews with students (n=7), two rounds of interviews with faculty (n=7), and participant observations of four E-Corp team meetings (n=13). Findings/Conclusions: Findings show that epistemic community within E-Corps’ implementation was supported by 1) an existing context of resources within the university, and 2) a robust university-partnership prioritizing community benefits with aligned instructor approaches. Our work informs both research on DBIR and epistemic communities as well as the practical implementation of university-community environmental partnerships.
Panel Session on Ada in Education

The first question I would like to ask refers to the goals of computer science education and software engineering education. Because these goals differ, what is the proper role of Ada in each?
Reinventing Cinema: Movies in the Age of Media Convergence, by Chuck Tryon

Film is an increasingly tricky thing to define in an era of convergence, when traditional aesthetic and technological boundaries between cinema, television, video, and digital media have dissipated...
Testosterone Levels for Evaluation of Androgen Deficiency

A 54-year-old man with hypertension and diabetes presented to the endocrinology clinic with a 5-month history of fatigue, weight gain, interrupted sleep, and daytime somnolence. He has normal libido but experiences occasional erectile dysfunction, which is being successfully managed with a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor. His other medications include metformin and amlodipine. He is married, has 3 children, and reports a sedentary lifestyle. He recently heard on the radio that his symptoms might be due to “low T.” One month ago, he saw his primary care physician and requested measurement of his testosterone level. His morning total testosterone level (measured by mass spectrometry) was 279 ng/dL (normal reference range for this laboratory, 300-900 ng/dL), prompting his referral. On physical examination, his body mass index was 34.7 (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared).He was not cushingoid and his visual fields were normal. Acanthosis nigricans was noticed on the neck. There was no gynecomastia. His testes were normal in size. His muscle strength was normal. Relevant laboratory tests, including repeat morning total testosterone assessed in an endocrinology clinic, are reported in Table.
Reversible Inhibition of Voltage-dependent Outer Hair Cell Motility and Capacitance

Outer hair cells (OHC) from the organ of Corti are capable of fast voltage-induced length changes (Santos-Sacchi and Dilger, 1988), suggesting that an associated voltage sensor should reside in the OHC plasma membrane. Voltage-dependent mechanical responses and nonlinear charge movement of isolated OHCs from the guinea pig were analyzed using the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique. Ionic currents in the cells were blocked. Nonlinear voltage-dependent charge movement or, correspondingly, voltage-dependent capacitance was measured with step or AC analysis. OHC movements were measured either from video or using a differential photodiode technique. Maximum charge movements up to 2.5 pC were measured in OHCs from the low-frequency region of the cochlea. Both AC and step analyses indicated a peak nonlinear capacitance of 16- 17 pF. The voltage dependence was fit to a Boltzmann relation with the step analysis indicating a maximum nonlinear capacitance at -23 mV step potential from a holding potential of about -120 mV, and AC analysis indicating a maximum at a holding potential near -40 mV. AC analysis probably provides a more accurate evaluation of voltage dependence. Measures of OHC motility magnitude versus voltage follow the nonlinear capacitance-voltage function obtained from AC measures. Treatment of the cells with gadolinium ions (0.5-1 mM) blocked OHC motility. This treatment also produced a shift of the nonlinear capacitance function along the voltage axis in the depolarizing direction, which can be explained by membrane surface charge screening. However, maximum capacitance was reduced as well and may correspond to the reduction or abolition of OHC motility in response to gadolinium treatment. Gadolinium effects were reversible. Nonlinear capacitance is not a function of membrane deformation due to length changes, since removal of OHC cytosol via the patch pipette abolished longitudinal movement but did not reduce nonlinear charge movement. It is interesting to note that the nonlinear capacitance will dynamically influence the time constant of the OHC during acoustically evoked receptor potential generation.
Substrate noise optimization in early floorplanning for mixed signal SOCs

We propose a new approach to substrate noise reduction in early design planning of mixed-signal system-on-chip (MS-SOC). As typical in floorplanning, we assume that no detailed layout information is known for analog and digital blocks. Based on the physics of substrate noise phenomena and extensive noise simulations we propose to represent noise coupling as coupling between large-area (digital) and small-area (analog) substrate noise ports. A separation-dependent noise model for a lightly-doped substrate (preferable for mixed-signal designs) is derived. Our floorplanner reduces the overall noise and the number of analog blocks exceeding their noise limit. Experimental results on examples created from MCNC floorplanning benchmarks are very encouraging.
Geriatrics Medication Management Rounds: A Novel Approach to Teaching Rational Prescribing with the Use of the Medication Screening Questionnaire

Prescribing for older adults has become increasingly complex as treatment regimens have intensified, and the use of herbal and over-the-counter medications has increased. This article describes an educational intervention called Geriatrics Medication Management Rounds, which uses a new and comprehensive assessment tool called the Medication Screening Questionnaire (MSQ). This case-based interactive session is aimed at teaching trainees and postgraduate physicians and pharmacists to examine the pharmacology, potential drug and disease interactions, efficacy, adherence issues, and goals of care for a geriatric patient's medication regimen. Twenty-three sessions were held from January 2008 to January 2009, with 241 participants overall and an average of 10.4 participants per session. Of the 163 participants who completed an evaluation, all agreed or strongly agreed that the learning goals were clearly established, and 99% agreed or strongly agreed that the overall quality of the session was excellent. Participants described the sessions as excellent, interactive, informative, and educational. Teaching medication management through a case-based format with the MSQ is an effective format that is interactive and informative, as demonstrated by positive quantitative and qualitative evaluations. These sessions may be replicated in other settings and with other disciplines.
Linker for activation of T cells (LAT) in the regulation of T cell activation and autoimmunity (BA2P.121)

The transmembrane adaptor protein LAT (Linker for Activation of T cells) is essential in T cell development, activation, survival, and homeostasis. Upon T cell activation, it is tyrosine phosphorylated and interacts with many signaling proteins, such as Grb2, Gads, and PLC-γ1. The mutation of tyrosine 136 on LAT abrogates its interaction with PLC-γ1, causing defective TCR-mediated signaling. Mice harboring this mutation, LATY136F, have significantly impaired thymocyte development; however, they rapidly develop a severe lymphoproliferative disease marked by the uncontrolled expansion of Th2-skewed CD4+ T cells, high levels of IgE and IgG1, and autoantibody production. In this study, we assessed the contribution of multiple signaling pathways in this disease using mice deficient in Gads and RasGRP1 and mice with constitutive activation of the NFAT and NF-κB pathways. We also examined the role of MHC and CD4 in the development of these pathogenic T cells and further investigated how T follicular helper cells and cytokines contribute to LAT-mediated autoimmunity.
Cost Effectiveness Analysis with and Without Stochastic Uncertainty

Objective: To evaluate the optimal allocation of health care treatments when treatment costs and outcomes are uncertain.Background: In the context of perfectly certain health care costs and outcomes, Weinstein and others have demonstrated that optimal treatment allocation requires a comparison of all potential incremental cost effectiveness ratios (ICERs) against a decision-maker willingness-to-pay (WTP) ratio (cutoff threshold) using either linear programming methods, treatment ‘prioritization’ rules or incremental net monetary benefits (NMB) assessment. Thus far, stochastic treatment allocation evaluation has focused primarily on two-treatment comparisons where the uncertainty in the increment cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) is plotted on the cost-QALY plane and the stochastic properties are characterized in terms of WTP confidence intervals, incremental NMB plots, or cost effectiveness acceptability curves (CEAC). The decision rules and the characterization of global optimal treatment allocation under uncertainty has not been previously fully elucidated. Results: With uncertain costs and outcomes, using NMB methods, it is demonstrated that if the decision- maker is only concerned about maximizing expected QALYs for a given budget (or in the dual optimization program, minimizing the expected cost of providing a fixed number of expected QALYs to the beneficiary population) all of the standard ‘perfect certainty’ results about optimal treatment allocation carry through. However, to the extent that the decision-maker is concerned about treatment cost and outcome variability (e.g., the decision-maker is risk averse) the optimal treatment allocation will necessarily involve a portfolio of treatment strategies involving tradeoffs between treatment risks and benefits. Unless all treatments are perfectly positively correlated, there will nearly always be some gain by using a mixed treatment strategy rather than characterizing certain treatments as ‘dominant’ or ‘dominated.’ The mathematics of modern portfolio theory apply directly to this problem and demonstrate 1: (Separation Theorem) — the optimal treatment portfolio efficiency frontier is independent of the decision-makers willingness-to-pay for health care treatments; 2: (Market Beta Analysis) the decision as to whether a new treatment should be added to the optimal treatment portfolio depends on the tradeoff between the new treatment incremental NMB and its covariance with the current optimal treatment portfolio risk. Conclusions: Decision-makers using ICER methods to optimally allocate health care treatments under stochastic uncertainty will consider not only the NMB expected return to treatment but also treatment cost and outcome variability. This leads to the more realistic result that a portfolio of mixed treatment strategies will generally be preferable to one where only those treatments with the highest expected returns are implemented. This finding has substantial implications for formulary decision-making, comparative effectiveness research and the interpretation and characterization of stochastic ICERs.
Problem‐Focused Content in the Job Search: Two Tests of the Cognitive‐Emotional Theory of Esteem Support Messages

The Cognitive-Emotional Theory of Esteem Support Messages posits that messages intended to enhance recipients' state self-esteem focus on cognitions and/or behaviors. In the current studies, problem-focused message content (i.e., content focused on enacting behavior to alleviate the esteem threat) was of particular interest. College students (Study 1, n= 227) applying for postgraduation jobs and unemployed, underemployed, and/or displaced workers recruited from a government one-stop career center (Study 2, n = 292) rated esteem support messages varying in degree of focus on behaviors vs. cognitions relevant to the job search process. Messages focused on behavior were rated as less effective than those focusing on cognitions relevant to the esteem threat, although support for this result was stronger in Study 2.
Mechanism of action of aryl hydrocarbon receptor antagonists: inhibition of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-induced CYP1A1 gene expression.

Abstract 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) induces CYP1A1 gene expression as determined by increased CYP1A1 mRNA levels and ethoxyresorufin O -deethylase (EROD) activity in mouse Hepa 1c1c7, rat hepatoma H-4II E and human Hep G2 cancer cell lines. In contrast, treatment of these cell lines with either α-naphthoflavone (αNF) or 6-methyl-1,3,8-trichlorodibenzofuran (MCDF) at concentrations as high as 10 −6 m resulted in only minimal induction of CYP1A1 mRNA levels or EROD activity. Cotreatment of the cells with 10 −9 m TCDD plus different concentrations (10 −8 −10 −6 m ) of MCDF or αNF resulted in a concentration-dependent decrease in TCDD-induced CYP1A1 mRNA levels and EROD activity in the three cell lines. Moreover, using 10 −9 m [ 3 H]TCDD, it was shown that the αNF- and MCDF-mediated antagonism of TCDD-induced CYP1A1 gene expression was paralleled by a decrease in levels of the nuclear [ 3 H]TCDD-Ah receptor complex as determined by velocity sedimentation analysis of the nuclear extracts. The binding of nuclear extracts from the treated cells to a synthetic consensus dioxin responsive element (DRE) (a 26-mer) was determined by gel retardation studies using 32 P-DRE. In cells treated with 10 −9 m TCDD or TCDD plus 10 −8 −10 −6 m αNF, the concentration-dependent decrease in TCDD-induced CYP1A1 gene expression by αNF was also paralleled by decreased levels of a retarded band associated with the nuclear Ah receptor-DRE complex. In contrast, the results of the gel shift assay of nuclear extracts treated with 10 −9 m TCDD or TCDD plus 10 −8 −10 −6 m MCDF indicated that there were relatively high levels of nuclear MCDF-Ah receptor complex in the cells cotreated with TCDD plus the antagonist but this was not accompanied by induced CYP1A1 gene expression. The results suggest that αNF and possibly MCDF compete with TCDD for cytosolic Ah receptor binding sites; however, MCDF may also inhibit the induction response by competing for and/or partially inactivating genomic binding sites.
Using path control variates in activity network simulation

In the simulation of a stochastic activity network (SAN), the usual objective is to obtain point and confidence-interval estimators of the mean completion time for the network. This paper presents a new procedure for using path control variates to improve the efficiency of such estimators. Because each path control is the duration of an associated path in the network, the vector of selected path controls has both a known mean and a known covariance matrix. All of this information is incorporated into point- and interval-estimation procedures for both normal and nonnormal responses. To evaluate the performance of these procedures experimentally, we compare actual versus predicted reductions in point-estimator variance and confidence-interval half-length for a set of SANs in which the following characteristics are systematically varied: (a) the size of the network (number of nodes and activities); (b) the topology of the network; (c) the relative dominance (criticality index) of the critical path; and (d) the percentage of activities with exponentially distributed durations. The experimental results indicate that large variance reductions can be achieved with these estimation procedures in a wide variety of networks.
Age-specific incidence of Alzheimer's disease in a community population

Objective. —To determine age-specific incidence rates of clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease. Design. —Cohort, followed a mean of 4.3 years. Setting. —East Boston, Mass. Participants. —Of 2313 persons aged 65 years and older who were initially free of Alzheimer's disease, 1601 participated in the ascertainment of incident disease (80% of survivors), 409 declined participation, and 303 died before the end of the follow-up period. A stratified sample of 642 persons received detailed clinical evaluation. Outcome Measure. —Diagnosis of new probable Alzheimer's disease through structured clinical evaluation including neurologic, neuropsychological, and psychiatric examination. Community incidence rates were computed by 5-year age groups, adjusted for gender, single year of age, length of follow-up interval, and sampling design. Results. —The estimated annual incidence of Alzheimer's disease in the population was 0.6% (95% confidence interval [Cl], 0.3% to 0.9%) for persons aged 65 to 69 years, 1.0% (95% Cl, 0.6% to 1.4%) for persons aged 70 to 74 years, 2.0% (95% Cl, 1.3% to 2.7%) for persons aged 75 to 79 years, 3.3% (95% Cl, 2.2% to 4.4%) for persons aged 80 to 84 years, and 8.4% (95% Cl, 3.7% to 13.1%) for persons aged 85 years and older. Conclusions. —The incidence of Alzheimer's disease is substantial and is approximately 14 times higher among persons older than 85 years compared with those between 65 and 69 years of age. ( JAMA . 1995;273:1354-1359)
Chi, a promoter of generalized recombination in λ phage, is present in immunoglobulin genes

Generalized recombination is a phenomenon dependent on recognition of homologous DNA and may be responsible for generating a mouse γ2b–γ2a hybrid immunoglobulin heavy chain1. The genetic element, Chi, has been shown to enhance generalized recombination in prokaryotes2–10. Sequence comparison predicted Chi to be present in the CH3 domain of the mouse γ2b gene, and using plaque size in the appropriate selective conditions as a measure of Chi activity2,3, a clone containing the γ2b gene11 was shown to confer Chi activity on the γ vector which carried it. Thus Chi, if functional in eukaryotic systems, could have promoted the recombinational event which produced the γ2b–γ2a hybrid immunoglobulin. We report here that the frequency of Chi in the mouse genome is similar to that in other eukaryotic unique sequences but lower than in immunoglobulingenes. The positions at which Chi occurs in immunoglobulin genes and the fact that the γ2b–γ2a hybrid variants isolated from mouse myeloma cell line MPC11 may represent an aberrant class switch suggest that homologous recombination may be broadly applicable to the heavy-chain class switch.
Simultaneous Quantitation of Amino Acid Mixtures using Clustering Agents

A method that uses the abundances of large clusters formed in electrospray ionization to determine the solution-phase molar fractions of amino acids in multi-component mixtures is demonstrated. For solutions containing either four or 10 amino acids, the relative abundances of protonated molecules differed from their solution-phase molar fractions by up to 30-fold and 100-fold, respectively. For the four-component mixtures, the molar fractions determined from the abundances of larger clusters consisting of 19 or more molecules were within 25% of the solution-phase molar fractions, indicating that the abundances and compositions of these clusters reflect the relative concentrations of these amino acids in solution, and that ionization and detection biases are significantly reduced. Lower accuracy was obtained for the 10-component mixtures where values determined from the cluster abundances were typically within a factor of three of their solution molar fractions. The lower accuracy of this method with the more complex mixtures may be due to specific clustering effects owing to the heterogeneity as a result of significantly different physical properties of the components, or it may be the result of lower S/N for the more heterogeneous clusters and not including the low-abundance more highly heterogeneous clusters in this analysis. Although not as accurate as using traditional standards, this clustering method may find applications when suitable standards are not readily available.
Abstract 3312: The antibiotic salinomycin cotargets two pivotal pathways in prostate cancer

Background: The androgen receptor (AR) and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling axis are two key pathways that are activated in prostate cancer (PC). Although interference with the AR axis is the common first-line treatment for controlling metastatic recurrent PC, fast-growing PC progresses rapidly on hormone therapy and chemotherapy to a terminal condition within 18 to 24 months. Inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis, such as rapamycin and the dual inhibitor BEZ-235 (Novartis), are ineffective in treating metastatic PC in part due to feedback regulations that activate the AR axis. Reciprocally, inhibition of AR activity reduces the expression of an AKT phosphatase, which is an AR target gene, with consequent increase of the AKT kinase activity. The antibiotic salinomycin, a product of the bacterium Streptomyces albus, has known anti-neoplastic activity, and in a screen of 16,000 small molecules, salinomycin was found to be the most potent in causing apoptosis of breast cancer stem cells. We previously reported that salinomycin treatment elevated intracellular oxidative stress and induced growth arrest of PC cells due to apoptosis. Design and Results: Here we report further elaboration of the underlying mechanism for growth arrest of androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and castration-resistant (C4-2B) human prostate cancer cells by salinomycin at sub-micromolar concentrations. We report that salinomycin can significantly reduce mTOR activity in both LNCaP and C4-2B cells without altering the mTOR activity of non-malignant RWPE-1 prostate epithelial cells. The specificity of the salinomycin effect is evidenced by the result that other anti-cancer agents such as docetaxel, the plant lignan deoxypodophyllotoxin and vitamin D did not alter mTOR activity. Preliminary results suggest that salinomycin may also induce autophagy in PC cells. Importantly, AR expression was markedly reduced in salinomycin-treated prostate cancer cells, suggesting dual targeting of the AR pathway and PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis by this antibiotic. Conclusion: We conclude that salinomycin targets two pivotal pathways that promote prostate cancer progression. Unlike other PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors, the AR-activating feedback cross regulation did not compromise the therapeutic potential of salinomycin. Salinomycin-targeted interventions of the survival signals for castration-resistant PC will further avoid chemotherapy-induced toxicity. Preclinical validation of our results will pave the way for testing the efficacy of salinomycin against prostate cancer in a clinical setting. Supported by a Merit-Review grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Citation Format: Nooshin Mirkheshti, Chung Song, Bandana Chatterjee. The antibiotic salinomycin cotargets two pivotal pathways in prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3312. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3312
The social function of young adults who had arthritis in childhood

One hundred twenty-one young adults 18 years of age or older who had been seen at this hospital with juvenile arthritis since 1955 were surveyed by a series of questionnaires to determine current social function and financial status. Chart reviews and patient questionnaires were used to determine modes of onset and the social circumstances of the family at the onset of the arthritis. The patients as a whole were functioning well: 45 were working full time, 25 were in school full time, 23 were in school and working, and 14 were married women at home. Females had a higher prevalence of persisting disability. Patients who had had a polyarticular onset had lower monthly salaries. No other disease or social variables at onset were statistically associated with any of the outcome variables measured. Fifty of the patients were compared to matched siblings and were found to have achieved comparable educations and salaries, and proportionate numbers of marriages and childen.
Remarks on the New Resonances at 3.1 and 3.7 GeV

This is a collection of comments which may be useful in the search for an understanding of the recently discovered narrow resonances at 3.1 and 3.7 GeV.
Persistent identification of systems with unmodeled dynamics and exogenous disturbances

In this paper, a novel framework of system identification is introduced to capture the hybrid features of systems subject to both deterministic unmodeled dynamics and stochastic observation disturbances. Using the concepts of persistent identification, control-oriented system modeling and stochastic analysis, we investigate the central issues of irreducible identification errors and time complexity in such identification problems. Upper and lower bounds on errors and speed of persistent identification are obtained. The error bounds are expressed as functions of observation lengths, sizes of unmodeled dynamics, and probability distributions of disturbances. Asymptotic normality and complexity lower bounds are investigated when periodic inputs and LS estimation are applied. Generic features of asymptotic normality are further explored to extend the asymptotic lower bounds to a wider range of signals and identification mappings.
An Alternate Proof of Samuelson's Inequality and its Extensions

Abstract Paul Samuelson and other authors have shown that no element in a population of n items can lie farther than (n — 1)½ standard deviations from the mean. Other researchers extended this by giving upper and lower bounds for the k th largest item in terms of the population mean and standard deviation. We provide an alternate proof of these results. The technique used in the proof gives insight into the conditions under which the bounds are attained and can be used to improve bounds when additional information is available.
The Relationship Between Safety Climate and Recent Accidents: Behavioral Learning and Cognitive Attributions

Objective: The association between accidents and subsequent work unit safety perceptions was assessed to address cognitive and behavioral changes following accidents. Background: Many studies attempt to predict accident rates using measures of work unit safety, but effects vary considerably. Conversely, this study examined whether recent accidents may be positively associated with work unit safety perceptions, as suggested by behavioral learning mechanisms (increases in safety investments following accidents) or cognitive mechanisms (defensive attributions regarding accident causality). Method: Lagged squadron-level accident experience was correlated with work unit safety perceptions obtained through a 61-question safety climate survey administered to 6,361 individuals in U.S. Navy flight squadrons. Results: Positive associations between minor or intermediately severe accidents and future safety climate scores were found, although no effect was found for major accidents. Conclusion: We suggest that accide...
Stage-specific inhibition of cotton fiber development by adding α-amanitin to ovule cultures

When cotton (Gossypium hirsutum, DPL 90ne) ovules are removed from the carpel on the day of anthesis and placed on an appropriate medium, fiber cells will differentiatein vitro from the ovule epidermis. Alpha-amanitin, an inhibitor of poly (A)+ RNA synthesis was added to ovule cultures at selected times after culture initiation to determine the timing of events in fiber development. Replicate cultures were initiated from day of anthesis, cotton ovules with α-amanitin being added to media at final concentrations ranging from 0.05μg/ml to 5.0 μg/ml. After 21 d in culture, ovules were evaluated for fiber length, percentage of ovules producing fiber, fiber dry weight, and fiber cellulose content. Cultures treated with α-amanitin on the day of anthesis to 2 d postanthesis were prevented from forming normal numbers of fiber cells. Addition of α-amanitin to cultures between 2 and 10 d postanthesis reduced the length that fiber cells attained in culture after 21 d. Addition of α-amanitin to cultures at 4 d postanthesis had as much an effect on the accumulation of cellulose in the fiber cell wall as the later addition of the inhibitor at 8 to 10 d postanthesis. The inhibitory effect of α-amanitin on fiber growth was reversible when ovules were transferred to amanitin-free medium within 2 d after culture initiation. Ovules placed on media containing α-amanitin for 5 d or longer could not overcome the inhibitory effects when transferred to media lacking the inhibitor. These results indicate critical time periods when RNA transcripts important for specific phases of development are being synthesized.
Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors in synaptic plasticity and neuronal death

AMPA receptors mediate fast synaptic transmission at excitatory synapses in the CNS and are crucial during neuronal development, synaptic plasticity and structural remodeling. AMPA receptors lacking GluR2 subunits are permeable to Ca 2+ and Zn 2+ . Ca 2+ permeation through AMPA receptors is crucial in several forms of synaptic plasticity and cell death associated with neurological diseases and disorders. The subunit composition and Ca 2+ permeability of AMPA receptors are not static, but they are dynamically remodeled in a cell- and synapse-specific manner during development and in response to neuronal activity, sensory experience and neuronal insults. Exciting new research shows that these changes arise not only because of regulated expression of the AMPA receptor subunit GluR2, but also as a consequence of RNA editing, receptor trafficking and dendritic protein synthesis. This article reviews new insights into the role of Ca 2+ -permeable AMPA receptors in neuronal function and survival.
Colonoscopy with Polypectomy in Patients Taking Clopidogrel.

Background: To investigate the bleeding risk of colonoscopy with polypectomy in patients taking clopidogrel. Methods: Retrospective review of patients undergoing colonoscopy with polypectomy without interruption of clopidogrel. Patients with lesions larger than 1cm were generally rescheduled for polypectomy off clopidogrel. Most of the polyps were removed using cold snare technique. Endoscopic clips were routinely applied prophylactically. Results: A total of 125 polypectomies were performed in 60 patients. The average polyp size was 5.4 ± 2.1 mm. One patient (1.7%, CI 0.3-8.9%) developed post-polypectomy bleeding that resolved without treatment. Three patients (5%, CI 1.7-14%) had immediate bleeding during the procedure and all resolved with prompt clip application. Conclusions: Polypectomy of lesions up to 1cm in size can be performed without interruption of clopidogrel.
If you build it, will they come? Biofuel plants and demographic trends in the Midwest

The rural United States has suffered long-term population decline over the past several decades, especially in farming communities. In recent years, biofuel production has been argued to hold potential for the revitalization of rural America and in response, many rural communities have eagerly attempted to attract ethanol plants as a local development effort. This study conceptualizes economic revitalization in terms of population dynamics and investigates whether the establishment of a biofuel plant has been associated with changes in population aging, natural increase, and/or migration trends in the West North Central United States, the location of the majority of the nation’s biofuel plants. Using path dependence as a conceptual framework and aggregate statistics from a variety of sources, results from spatial regression models indicate that despite initial expectations, ethanol plants have no association with the demographic trajectories of rural counties.
Annotation-directed run-time specialization in C

We present the design of a dynamic compilation system for C. Directed by a few declarative user annotations specifying where and on what dynamic compilation is to take place, a binding time analysis computes the set of run-time constants at each program point in each annotated procedure's control flow graph; the analysis supports program-point-specific polyvariant division and specialization. The analysis results guide the construction of a specialized run-time specializer for each dynamically compiled region; the specializer supports various caching strategies for managing dynamically generated code and supports mixes of speculative and demand-driven specialization of dynamic branch successors. Most of the key cost/benefit trade-offs in the binding time analysis and the run-time specialize are open to user control through declarative policy annotations. Our design is being implemented in the context of art existing optimizing compiler.
Jamming and anti-jamming techniques in wireless networks: a survey

Because of the proliferation of wireless technologies, jamming in wireless networks has become a major research problem due to the ease in blocking communication in wireless networks. Jamming attacks are a subset of denial of service (DoS) attacks in which malicious nodes block legitimate communication by causing intentional interference in networks. To better understand jamming and anti-jamming, we surveyed and analysed their various techniques. For evaluating jamming, we categorised the types of jammers implemented in the literature and investigated the placement strategies for supporting effective jamming. For anti-jamming approaches, we start by discussing the protocols for localising jammers before presenting the mechanisms for detection and jamming countermeasure. We present comparison tables for each of the jammer types, jammer placements, jammer localisation, jamming detection schemes and jamming countermeasures. Our analyses are helpful for selecting an existing strategy for a particular system setup. Finally, we discuss open issues in this field.