cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hong Kong's Currency Crisis: A Test of the 1990s ‘Washington Consensus’ View

In the aftermath of the financial crisis that rocked Southeast Asia in 1997–98, prominent scholars argued that the advice dispensed by the International Monetary Fund and supported by the policy community in Washington had exacerbated rather than stabilized the crisis. In this paper, we look back at that debate by using Hong Kong's experience during the Asian financial crisis to test the then-consensus view on monetary tightening against the revisionist view of its critics. Hong Kong provides an interesting test of the two approaches because monetary policy was tightened and the pre-crisis exchange rate survived the speculative attack intact, in contrast to other studies that have examined the effects of tighter monetary policy during attacks that led to changes in exchange-rate management. Using a model of exchange-market pressure and VAR estimation, we find that our results are generally supportive of the revisionist hypothesis.
Distinguishing between surface and bulk dehydration-dehydroxylation reactions in synthetic goethites by high resolution thermogravimetric analysis

Synthe tic goethites studied by high-resolution thermogravimetry (HRTGA) show variability in surface characteristics and structural stability as a function of aging conditions. Goethites were syn- thesized at either pH 6 or 11, at temperatures of 40 or 70~ and in the presence or absence of sorbed Mn or Pb. Data from HRTGA analysis revealed at least four distinct weight-loss events near goethite dehydroxylation that relate to 1) three events involving the evolution of water associated with surface Fe-O functional groups and 2) bulk dehydroxylation of goethite during transformation to hematite. The relative mass of evolved surface and bulk structural water was related to the predominant particle mor- phology as determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Differentiation of surface and bulk decomposition reactions allowed the identification of bulk structural dehydroxylation. Goethite crystallin- ity, estimated by the bulk dehydroxylation temperature, appeared to depend on the kinetics of crystalli- zation. This trend was most evident for systems aged at pH 11 and 40~ Greater concentrations of coprecipitated Mn or Pb dramatically improved goethite crystallinity as indicated by higher dehydroxy- lation temperatures and smaller widths of the (110) Bragg reflection. Comparison of bulk dehydroxylation temperatures for these samples to other preparations suggests that structural defects predominated over the effects of particle size and Mn/Pb substitution in determining goethite thermal stability. A conceptual model is proposed to account for the disparate dehydroxylation profiles displayed by goethites of varying crystallinity.
In Situ Measurement of Marine Sediment Acoustical Properties during Coring in Deep Water

In order to obtain in situ measurements, to several meters depth in a marine sediment, of compressional wave speed and attenuation, a device has been built for attachment to ocean bottom sediment corers. This profilometer consists of transducers on the lower end of the coring tool which are connected by armored cables to an electronics package on the upper end of the tool, thus allowing acquisition of acoustical data with a minimum of modification to a standard corer. Early measurements with a prototype profilometer, which required electrical cables to the surface, established the accuracy and usefulness of the technique. The new deep water version of the profilometer is self contained including provisions for recording the data in the electronics package on the corer. Design operating water depth for the new system is 5 km. Test results for the new profilometer are presented including several high resolution in situ sound speed profiles to 12 m depth in deep water (4.5 km) sediments. Detailed layering is described including a high strength, high water content layer, several thin high speed sand layers, and several low speed layers. The data indicate that the near surface low speed zone in these sediments is composed of several thin low speed layers imbedded in a higher speed matrix.
Robust Control Problems Associated with the Multilayer Quasi-Geostrophic Equations of the Ocean

In this article we study some robust control problems associated with the multilayer quasi-geostrophic equations of the ocean and related to data assimilation in oceanography. We prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions using a general framework given in [6].
Solving large sparse linear systems in end-to-end accelerator structure simulations

Summary form only given. We present a case study of solving very large sparse linear systems in end-to-end accelerator structure simulations. Both direct solvers and iterative solvers are investigated. A parallel multilevel preconditioner based on hierarchical finite element basis functions is considered and has been implemented to accelerate the convergence of iterative solvers. A linear system with matrix size 93,147,736 and with 3,964,961,944 nonzeros from 3D electromagnetic finite element discretization has been solved in less than 8 minutes with 1024 CPUs on the NERSC IBM SP. The resource utilization as well as the application performance for these solvers is discussed.
cDNA-AFLP analysis reveals differential gene expression in response to salt stress in a halophyte Spartina alterniflora Loisel

Salinity impedes the growth and productivity of various crop species. Genome-wide expression analysis has identified a number of salinity induced up- and/or down-regulated genes that are also common during dehydration and temperature stress in the glycophyte like Arabidopsis. To date, Spartina alterniflora L. (smooth cordgrass) has not been exploited to understand the molecular basis of its unusually high level of salt tolerance. We used cDNA-AFLP as an RNA imaging technique to identify transcripts that are strongly accumulated and are induced de novo in response to salinity stress. Among 213 isolated, we have identified 28 cDNAs that belong to different groups of genes involved in ion transport and compartmentalization, cell division, metabolism, and protein synthesis, etc. At different stages of salt stress the expression patterns of 14 such genes through RT-PCR were analyzed, and their direct and indirect relationship with salinity tolerance mechanism is discussed.
Fibril specific, conformation dependent antibodies recognize a generic epitope common to amyloid fibrils and fibrillar oligomers that is absent in prefibrillar oligomers

Amyloid-related degenerative diseases are associated with the accumulation of misfolded proteins as amyloid fibrils in tissue. In Alzheimer disease (AD), amyloid accumulates in several distinct types of insoluble plaque deposits, intracellular Aβ and as soluble oligomers and the relationships between these deposits and their pathological significance remains unclear. Conformation dependent antibodies have been reported that specifically recognize distinct assembly states of amyloids, including prefibrillar oligomers and fibrils. We immunized rabbits with a morphologically homogeneous population of Aβ42 fibrils. The resulting immune serum (OC) specifically recognizes fibrils, but not random coil monomer or prefibrillar oligomers, indicating fibrils display a distinct conformation dependent epitope that is absent in prefibrillar oligomers. The fibril epitope is also displayed by fibrils of other types of amyloids, indicating that the epitope is a generic feature of the polypeptide backbone. The fibril specific antibody also recognizes 100,000 × G soluble fibrillar oligomers ranging in size from dimer to greater than 250 kDa on western blots. The fibrillar oligomers recognized by OC are immunologically distinct from prefibrillar oligomers recognized by A11, even though their sizes overlap broadly, indicating that size is not a reliable indicator of oligomer conformation. The immune response to prefibrillar oligomers and fibrils is not sequence specific and antisera of the same specificity are produced in response to immunization with islet amyloid polypeptide prefibrillar oligomer mimics and fibrils. The fibril specific antibodies stain all types of amyloid deposits in human AD brain. Diffuse amyloid deposits stain intensely with anti-fibril antibody although they are thioflavin S negative, suggesting that they are indeed fibrillar in conformation. OC also stains islet amyloid deposits in transgenic mouse models of type II diabetes, demonstrating its generic specificity for amyloid fibrils. Since the fibril specific antibodies are conformation dependent, sequence-independent, and recognize epitopes that are distinct from those present in prefibrillar oligomers, they may have broad utility for detecting and characterizing the accumulation of amyloid fibrils and fibrillar type oligomers in degenerative diseases.
Integration of semiconductor quantum dots into nano-bio-chip systems for enumeration of CD4+ T cell counts at the point-of-need

Recent humanitarian efforts have led to the widespread release of antiretroviral drugs for the treatment of the more than 33 million HIV afflicted people living in resource-scarce settings. Here, the enumeration of CD4+ T lymphocytes is required to establish the level at which the immune system has been compromised. The gold standard method used in developed countries, based on flow cytometry, though widely accepted and accurate, is precluded from widespread use in resource-scarce settings due to its high expense, high technical requirements, difficulty in operation-maintenance and the lack of portability for these sophisticated laboratory-confined systems. As part of continuing efforts to develop practical diagnostic instrumentation, the integration of semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots, QDs) into a portable microfluidic-based lymphocyte capture and detection device is completed. This integrated system is capable of isolating and counting selected lymphocyte sub-populations (CD3+CD4+) from whole blood samples. By combining the unique optical properties of the QDs with the sample handling capabilities and cost effectiveness of novel microfluidic systems, a practical, portable lymphocyte measurement modality that correlates nicely with flow cytometry (R2 = 0.97) has been developed. This QD-based system reduces the optical requirements significantly relative to molecular fluorophores and the mini-CD4 counting device is projected to be suitable for use in both point-of-need and resource-scarce settings.
Metaproteomics reveals functional shifts in microbial and human proteins during a preterm infant gut colonization case

Microbial colonization of the human gastrointestinal tract plays an important role in establishing health and homeostasis. However, the time-dependent functional signatures of microbial and human proteins during early colonization of the gut have yet to be determined. To this end, we employed shotgun proteomics to simultaneously monitor microbial and human proteins in fecal samples from a preterm infant during the first month of life. Microbial community complexity increased over time, with compositional changes that were consistent with previous metagenomic and rRNA gene data. More specifically, the function of the microbial community initially involved biomass growth, protein production, and lipid metabolism, and then switched to more complex metabolic functions, such as carbohydrate metabolism, once the community stabilized and matured. Human proteins detected included those responsible for epithelial barrier function and antimicrobial activity. Some neutrophil-derived proteins increased in abundance early in the study period, suggesting activation of the innate immune system. Likewise, abundances of cytoskeletal and mucin proteins increased later in the time course, suggestive of subsequent adjustment to the increased microbial load. This study provides the first snapshot of coordinated human and microbial protein expression in a preterm infant's gut during early development.
The Unit Composition and the Commensurate Schemes

By the end of his fourth grade year, Jason had constructed the partitive fraction scheme and Laura had constructed the part-whole fraction scheme, and the children had used these schemes to produce fractional parts of a fractional whole. But the children could not use them to produce fractional amounts that exceeded the fractional whole. Nor could the children produce composite unit fractions commensurate with fractional parts of connected numbers such as five-fifteenths as one-third. Further, the children could not produce what I have called fractional numbers. On the basis of these constraints in their constructive activity, a major goal of the teaching episodes with Jason and Laura during fifth grade was to explore whether the children could produce composite unit fractions commensurate with a fractional part of a connected number they had just established. In retrospect, it might have been more appropriate to begin with the goal of bringing forth the splitting operation in Jason and Laura. But at the time of the teaching experiment, I had not yet constructed the concept of the splitting operation, so we relied on our conceptual analysis of fractional equivalence and improper fractions to guide us. We hypothesized that the operational bases of producing a class of equivalent fractions and producing a class of fractions with a constant denominator, while not identical, were on a par with one another in terms of their level of abstraction.
Coordinated control of multiple manipulator systems-experimental results

The authors report experimental results of a scheme for controlling multiple manipulator systems. The control objective was to steer the payload to track a preplanned trajectory while controlling the interaction forces and the load distribution among the manipulators. The scheme was implemented on a planar SCARA-type dual-manipulator system. The hardware configuration of the experimental system is described. Experimental data are presented to demonstrate various aspects of the system performance including trajectory tracking control, load distribution, interaction force control, and robustness to model mismatch. >
Phenotypic characterization of autoreactive B cells--checkpoints of B cell tolerance in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

DNA-reactive B cells play a central role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); DNA antibodies precede clinical disease and in established disease correlate with renal inflammation and contribute to dendritic cell activation and high levels of type 1 interferon. A number of central and peripheral B cell tolerance mechanisms designed to control the survival, differentiation and activation of autoreactive B cells are thought to be disturbed in patients with SLE. The characterization of DNA-reactive B cells has, however, been limited by their low frequency in peripheral blood. Using a tetrameric configuration of a peptide mimetope of DNA bound by pathogenic anti-DNA antibodies, we can identify B cells producing potentially pathogenic DNA-reactive antibodies. We, therefore, characterized the maturation and differentiation states of peptide, (ds) double stranded DNA cross-reactive B cells in the peripheral blood of lupus patients and correlated these with clinical disease activity. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated a significantly higher frequency of tetramer-binding B cells in SLE patients compared to healthy controls. We demonstrated the existence of a novel tolerance checkpoint at the transition of antigen-naive to antigen-experienced. We further demonstrate that patients with moderately active disease have more autoreactive B cells in both the antigen-naive and antigen-experienced compartments consistent with greater impairment in B cell tolerance in both early and late checkpoints in these patients than in patients with quiescent disease. This methodology enables us to gain insight into the development and fate of DNA-reactive B cells in individual patients with SLE and paves the way ultimately to permit better and more customized therapies.
Molecular dynamics modeling of deuterium in liquid lithium surfaces

Sputtering yields and reflection coefficients from liquid lithium surfaces under low-energy, light-particle bombardment have been modeled for this work. An extended molecular dynamics (MD) simulation has been developed using an improved singlet ab initio Li–D potential splined with the universal potential at small distance for higher energy interactions. The results show a temperature effect. For example, 100-eV deuterium incident at 45� on liquid Li surfaces at 473 K and 653 K give sputtering yields of 0.196 ± 0.040 and 0.315 ± 0.060 respectively, and reflection coefficients of 0.165 ± 0.040 and 0.234 ± 0.060. The effects of surface temperature, incident energy and incident angle on sputtering yields and reflection coefficients, together with the \pertinent energies of the sputtered and reflected atoms, are shown and compared with the results of the standard binary collision code, TRIM.SP. � 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Environment and Interpretation: Voices of Young People in Poor Inner-City Neighborhoods

This paper explores the interpretation of experiences and worldviews of young people residing in extremely deprived inner-city neighborhoods. Focus group discussions are examined in order to unders...
A Tunable, Stable, and Bioactive MOF Catalyst for Generating a Localized Therapeutic from Endogenous Sources

The versatile chemical and physical properties of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have made them unique platforms for the design of biomimetic catalysts, but with only limited success to date due to instability of the MOFs employed in physiological environments. Herein, the use of Cu(II)1,3,5-Benzene-tris-triazole (CuBTTri) is demonstrated for the catalytic generation of the bioactive agent nitric oxide (NO) from endogenous sources, S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs). CuBTTri exhibits structural integrity in aqueous environments, including phosphate buffered saline (76 h, pH 7.4, 37 °C), cell media used for in vitro testing (76 h, pH 7.4, 37 °C), and fresh citrated whole blood (30 min, pH 7.4, 37 °C). The application of CuBTTri for use in polymeric medical devices is explored through the formation of a composite CuBTTri-poly by blending CuBTTri into biomedical grade polyurethane matrices. Once prepared, the CuBTTri-poly material retains the catalytic function towards the generation of NO with tunable release kinetics proportional to the total content of CuBTTri embedded into the polymeric material with a surface flux corresponding to the therapeutic range of 1–100 nm cm−2 min−1, which is maintained even following exposure to blood.
Intermediate and Far Infrared Sensing of Nocturnal Insects. Part II. The Compound Eye of the Corn Earworm, Heliothis zea, and Other Moths as a Mosaic Optic-Electromagnetic Thermal Radiometer

A histological description is given of the ommatidium of the corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie). The cornea has the configuration of an achromatic doublet, and the crystalline cone of a field lens, which is coated in the night-adapted eye with a quarter-wave antireflection dielectric. All morphological units fit the theoretical configuration to be expected of a mosaic optic-electromagnetic thermal radiometer. There is a fast daylight-adaptation to ultraviolet and a lack of stimulated flight in an activity cage when moths are subjected to shortwave ultraviolet (2537 A). It is concluded that the compound eye is a high absorber of far infrared radiation and of such a configuration that it could orient to hot or warm spots of longwave infrared radiation in total darkness.
Minimally invasive fibrillating mitral valve replacement for patients with advanced cardiomyopathy: a safe and effective approach to treat a complex problem.

Objective The optimal management of mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with cardiomyopathy has been controversial. Minimally invasive fibrillating mitral valve replacement (mini-MVR) might limit postoperative morbidity and mortality by minimizing recurrent MR. We hypothesized that mini-MVR with complete chordal sparing would offer low mortality and halt left ventricular (LV) remodeling in patients with severe cardiomyopathy and severe MR. Methods From January 2006 to August 2009, 65 patients with an LV ejection fraction (LVEF) of ≤35% underwent mini-MVR. The demographic, echocardiographic, and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results The operative mortality compared with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons-predicted mortality was 6.2% versus 6.6%. It was 5.6% versus 7.4% for patients with an LVEF of ≤20% and 8.3% versus 17.9% among patients with a Society of Thoracic Surgeons-predicted mortality of ≥10%. At a median follow-up of 17 months, no recurrent MR or change in the LV dimensions or LVEF had developed, but the right ventricular systolic pressure had decreased ( P = .02). At the first postoperative visit and latest follow-up visit, the New York Heart Association class had decreased from 3.0 ± 0.6 to 1.7 ± 0.7 and 2.0 ± 1.0, respectively ( P P = .046). Conclusions Our results have shown that mini-MVR is safe in patients with advanced cardiomyopathy and resulted in no recurrent MR, stabilization of the LVEF and LV dimensions, and a decrease in right ventricular systolic pressure. This mini-MVR technique can be used to address severe MR in patients with advanced cardiomyopathy.
An Idiom for India: Hindustani and the Limits of the Language Concept

This essay explores the cultural legacy of Hindustani, which names the intimate overlap between two South Asian languages, Hindi and Urdu. Hindi and Urdu have distinct religious identities, national associations and scripts, yet they are nearly identical in syntax, diverging to some extent in their vocabulary. Hindi and Urdu speakers, consequently, understand each other most of the time, but not all of the time, though they can never read each other's texts. Their shared space, Hindustani, finds no official recognition in India or in Pakistan, but it denotes, particularly in the early twentieth century, an aspiration for Hindu–Muslim unity: the dream of a shared, syncretic culture, crafted from the speech genres of everyday life. Beginning with the colonial project of Hindustani, the essay focuses on a discussion of the works of early twentieth-century writers like Nehru, Premchand and Sa'adat Hasan Manto. I argue that the aesthetic project of Hindustani attempted to produce, not a common language, but a ...
Processing and Quantifying Images

In this chapter we will equate processing with the use of the computer to analyze our data. We will simply use image processing to extract more information from the data than we can obtain by eye. The data will generally be an HRTEM image but could be other images or DPs. We’ll quantify spectra after we describe them in Part 4 of this text. In the past, the optical bench was also used for this purpose, but the number of optical benches is negligible compared to the number of computers now found in every TEM lab. Optical benches did allow us to form DPs which we could then modify to produce a processed image. This analog approach has now largely been replaced by its digital counterpart. The computer can be much cheaper than the optical bench and is far more flexible. The number of software packages which are designed for, or can easily be adapted to, TEM is also growing.
High-intensity CO 2 laser-aerosol interactions

The interaction of a high-power laser beam with water droplets is an important topic in the study of atmospheric propagation. We report an investigation of the interaction of a high-power CO2 laser with a single water droplet of controllable size. A very interesting enhancement of the transmission was observed before the onset of plasma formation. In addition, a temporal modulation of the laser pulse was also detected without measurable spatial deformation.
Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension

Investigators at the Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, evaluated 24 children (18 girls, 6 boys) with spontaneous intracranial hypotension, seen 2001-2012.
Controlling the Fruit Tree Leaf-Roller (Archips Argyrospila) With Oil Emulsions

Several oil sprays were tested in the laboratory during the early spring of 1930 to determine their efficiency as ovicides in leaf-roller control. Dendrol 8%, Kleenup 8%. Diamond Paraffin oil, emulsified with Kayso, using 6% of actual oil, Sunoco spray oil 8%, and Scalecide 8% were tested. All of these were applied during the late dormant period. save Scalecide, which was applied during the delayed dormant period. All of these sprays gave satisfactory control except Scalecide. Orchard tests following the laboratory tests. in which Dendrol 8%, Kleenup 8%, Diamond Paraffin 6%, and Scalecide 8% were tested, gave practically the same results as the laboratory tests.
Regional bias in estimates of earthquake MS due to surface-wave path effects

Continental earthquakes have long been known to have anomalously high surface-wave magnitudes relative to their seismic moments. A recent global study of shallow earthquakes by Ekstrom and Dziewonski (1988) confirmed this and found other regional, systematic anomalies in the MS - M relationship. It is important to determine the source of these anomalies in order to understand the controls on earthquake-source radiation and to obtain accurate estimates of historical seismic strain rates. In this study the magnitudes of 82 earthquakes from eight different tectonic regions are recalculated using a simple surface-wave path correction to determine whether path effects are responsible for the observed anomalies. The magnitudes of continental earthquakes are reduced by an average of 0.2 magnitude units, an improvement in fit to the global average significant at the 98% level. Surface-wave path effects are clearly responsible for the high MS observed in continental areas. There is a small decrease in scatter in the other areas, but lateral refraction of the surface waves at plate boundaries prevents the simple correction from having a significant effect. There is no evidence in the observed anomalies, however, for any dependence of earthquake-source type on tectonic setting. It is clear that to obtain reliable, unbiased estimates of regional seismic strain rate and hazard, a local moment-magnitude relationship should be preferred to a global one.
Changing Beliefs About the Macroeconomy and Asset Prices

This paper examines an equilibrium asset pricing model with Epstein-Zin preferences in which the beliefs about the fundamentals in the Macroeconomy are time varying. A vector autoregression with time varying parameters and stochastic volatilities of consumption growth and inflation is estimated using an MCMC algorithm. The model generates time-varying countercyclical market prices of risk and is able to match broad movements in short and long nominal bond yields.
Torsion of the Spermatic Cord in the Postnatal Period

AbstractNeonatal testicular torsion is usually extravaginal and occurs either in utero or in the first day of Life before the testicular tunics are firmly attached to the scrotum. An unusual case is presented of Testicular torsion in a 5-week-old male newborn whose delivery was approximately 4 weeks premature.
Improving source efficiency for aluminum nitride grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

Parasitic pre-reactions are known to play a role in the growth of aluminum nitride (AlN) via metal organic chemical vapor deposition, where they can deplete precursor molecules before reaching the substrate, leading to poor growth efficiency. Studies have shown that reducing the growth pressure and growth temperature results in improved growth efficiency of AlN; however, superior crystal quality and reduced impurity incorporation are generally best obtained when growing at high temperatures. This study shows that, with proper alkyl source dilution, parasitic pre-reactions can be suppressed while maintaining high growth temperatures. The results show an 18× increase in growth rate and efficiency of AlN films: from 0.04 μm h−1 to 0.73 μm h−1, and 26 μm mol−1 to 502 μm mol−1, respectively; under constant TMAl flow and a small change in total gas flow. This results in 6.8% of Al atoms from the injected TMAl being utilized for AlN layer growth for this reactor configuration. This is better than the standard GaN growth, where 6.0% of the Ga atoms injected from TMGa are utilized for GaN growth.
Cardiovascular Toxic Effects of Targeted Cancer Therapies

Agents targeting signaling pathways in cancer cells are less specific than advertised. A number of these agents induce cardiovascular toxic effects ranging from decreased ejection fraction to atrial arrhythmias.
Gamma Interferon Is Required for Optimal Antibody-Mediated Immunity against Genital Chlamydia Infection

Defining the mechanisms of immunity conferred by the combination of antibody and CD4+ T cells is fundamental to designing an efficacious chlamydial vaccine. Using the Chlamydia muridarum genital infection model of mice, which replicates many features of human C. trachomatis infection and avoids the characteristic low virulence of C. trachomatis in the mouse, we previously demonstrated a significant role for antibody in immunity to chlamydial infection. We found that antibody alone was not protective. Instead, protection appeared to be conferred through an undefined antibody-cellular interaction. Using gene knockout mice and in vivo cellular depletion methods, our data suggest that antibody-mediated protection is dependent on the activation of an effector cell population in genital tract tissues by CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, the CD4+ T cell-secreted cytokine interferon-gamma (IFNγ) was found to be a key component of the protective antibody response. The protective function of IFNγ was not related to the immunoglobulin class or magnitude of the Chlamydia-specific antibody response or to recruitment of an effector cell population to genital tract tissue. Rather, IFNγ appears to be necessary for activation of the effector cell population that functions in antibody-mediated chlamydial immunity. Our results confirm the central role of antibody in immunity to chlamydia reinfection, and demonstrate a key function for IFNγ in antibody-mediated protection.
A randomized trial of Foley Bulb for Labor Induction in Premature Rupture of Membranes in Nulliparas (FLIP)

Background In premature rupture of membranes (PROM), the risk of chorioamnionitis increases with increasing duration of membrane rupture. Decreasing the time from PROM to delivery is associated with lower rates of maternal infection. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests that all women with PROM who do not have a contraindication to vaginal delivery have their labor induced instead of being managed expectantly. Although the use of oxytocin for labor induction has been demonstrated to decrease the time to delivery compared with expectant management, no studies have evaluated the effectiveness of cervical ripening with a Foley bulb to additionally decrease the time to delivery. Objective To determine whether simultaneous use of an intracervical Foley bulb and oxytocin decreases time from induction start to delivery in nulliparous patients with PROM compared with the use of oxytocin alone. Study Design A randomized trial was conducted from August 2014 to February 2016 that compared the use of concurrent Foley bulb/oxytocin vs oxytocin alone in nulliparous patients ≥34 weeks’ gestational undergoing labor induction for PROM. Our primary outcome was time from induction to delivery. Secondary outcomes were mode of delivery, tachysystole, chorioamnionitis, postpartum hemorrhage, Apgar scores, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Results A total of 128 women were randomized. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. We found no difference in induction-to-delivery time between women induced with concurrent Foley bulb/oxytocin vs oxytocin alone (median time 13.0 hours [interquartile 10.7, 16.1] compared with 10.8 hours [interquartile range 7.8, 16.6], respectively, P = .09). There were no significant differences in mode of delivery, rates of postpartum hemorrhage, chorioamnionitis, or epidural use. Both groups had similar rates of tachysystole as well as total oxytocin dose. There were no differences in neonatal birth weight, Apgar scores, cord gases, or admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit. Conclusion This is the first randomized trial to compare concurrent Foley bulb/oxytocin vs oxytocin alone in nulliparous patients undergoing induction of labor for PROM. We found no difference in time from induction to delivery in patients induced with concurrent Foley bulb/oxytocin vs oxytocin alone. In nulliparous patients with PROM, this study suggests that addition of a Foley bulb to oxytocin does not decrease the time from induction start to delivery.
Treatment Patterns and Outcomes in Elderly Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Abstract 3980 Background: Nearly half of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are over 70 years at the time of diagnosis. While the survival of patients with myeloma has improved in the last decade, several studies have suggested no significant change for the elderly patients. These patients often have other comorbidities and are less likely to tolerate standard treatment approaches. We retrospectively studied the treatment patterns, outcomes, and prognostic factors in patients over 75 years of age. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified 212 patients who were older than 75 years from among 1545 patients seen at the Mayo Clinic within 90 days of diagnosis during 1999 to 2008. We only included 139 patients in whom complete treatment details were available. RESULTS: The median age was 80 years (range: 76–94) with 20 (14%) patients older than 85 years; 79 (57%) were male. Thirty-five patients (25%) had a history or coexistence of one or more malignancies. Chromosome analysis and FISH were performed in 65% and 22% respectively. Abnormal cytogenetics were seen in 30 (33%) of the 90 tested patients. The median survival of the 139 elderly patients was 27 months (95% CI: 20∼35) compared to 62 months (56∼68) for 1,290 patients ≤ 75 years of age seen during the same period. Sixty-nine (50%) patients received one or more novel agents (thalidomide, lenalidomide, pomalidomide, bortezomib) and showed longer median survival (40 months vs 13 months) compared with those not receiving these agents (p=0.0008). Age over 85, initial poor performance score > 1, thrombocytopenia, elevated serum LDH or beta2-microglobulin, response more than stable disease to first therapy resulted in inferior survival. Among them, only performance status had the persistent significance in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Older patients receiving newer therapies appear to have a better outcome, which is still lagging behind the younger patients. A poor performance score at diagnosis predicts for eventual poor outcome. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Incentivising high quality crowdsourcing clinical data for disease prediction

Predictive modeling is fundamental in transforming large clinical data sets into actionable knowledge which can guide clinical decision making and personalized medicine. Although several studies have merged data mining techniques with statistical analysis to extract hidden patterns from large database, these proposed mechanisms are excessively complex for practical use. Therefore, it is essential that a better tool is developed for disease progression and survival rate predictions. In this paper, we first present how carefully chosen clinical features with our proper data cleaning method improves the accuracy of the the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) disease progression and survival rate predictions. In addition, we present an incentive model which provides individual rationality and platform profitability features to encourage hospitals to share high quality data for such predictions. Our evaluation results show promising outcomes for our proposed approaches.
Just What the Patient Ordered? Direct-to-Consumer Advertising and the Demand for Pharmaceutical Products

Three out of four patients who ask a physician for a drug get it prescribed. Do patients really wield so much influence? Empirical analysis of patient-level prescription claims reveals that direct-to-consumer advertising does impact the choice probability but there are two caveats. First, the impact of promotions aimed directly at physicians is significantly higher. Consequently, advertising affects the treatment probability benefiting all competing brands. Second, advertising infleunces demand only for drugs that have preferential status with the patient's insurer. The high ratio of fulfilled drug requests is driven less by patient's influence than physician's existing preference for these drugs.
SnapShot: Functions of Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane Contact Sites

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) consists of the nuclear envelope and a reticulated interconnected network of tubules and sheets. ER sheets are studded with ribosomes and provide the entryway for proteins into the secretory pathway. ER tubules move dynamically on microtubules and form membrane contact sites with other organelles, where membranes are tethered, but not fused. This Snapshot reviews key biological processes that take place at ER contact sites with the Golgi, endosomes, and mitochondria.
MEASUREMENT OF HEAT TRANSFER THROUGH EARTH IN SITU

ABSTRACT We report measurements of heat transfer through earth in situ , avoiding the disturbance of soil properties inherent in sampling. Data were taken using a heat source with thermocouples to measure the temperature response of the earth after the source was turned on. Diffusivity and heat capacity are found by fitting a universal solution of the heat conduction equation to the experimental points. The solution is written in a form allowing separate independent evaluation of the two thermal parameters, avoiding need for simultaneous two parameter fitting. An experimental arrangement insensitive to environment thermal perturbations is described, and results obtained are presented.
Proteasome Substrate Capture and Gate Activation by Mycobacterium tuberculosis PafE

In all domains of life, proteasomes are gated chambered proteases that require opening by activators in order to facilitate protein degradation. Twelve proteasome accessory factor E (PafE) monomers assemble into a single, dodecameric ring to promote proteolysis that is required for the full virulence of the human bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While the best characterized proteasome activators use ATP to deliver proteins into a proteasome, PafE does not require ATP. In order to understand the mechanism of PafE-mediated protein targeting and proteasome activation, we studied the interactions of PafE with native substrates, including a newly identified proteasome substrate, Rv3213c, and with proteasome core particles. We characterized the function of a highly conserved feature conserved in bacterial proteasome activator proteins: a glycine-glutamine-tyrosine leucine or "GQYL" motif at their carboxyl-termini that is essential to stimulate proteolysis. Using cryoelectron microscopy, we found that the GQYL motif of PafE interacts with specific residues in the α-subunits of the proteasome core particle to trigger gate opening and degradation. Finally, we found that PafE rings have 40-A openings lined with hydrophobic residues that form a chamber for capturing substrates prior to the onset of degradation. This result suggests PafE has a previously unrecognized chaperone activity. Collectively, our data provide new insights on the mechanistic understanding of ATP-independent proteasome degradation in bacteria.
The Hfq chaperone helps the ribosome mature

Ribosome biogenesis is a complex process that is facilitated by a large number of assembly factors. In this issue, Andrade et al (2018) provide evidence that a widely conserved RNA chaperone, Hfq, acts as a ribosomal assembly factor in bacteria. Hfq is known to support regulation of stress response genes by small RNAs. Andrade et al (2018) show that the absence of Hfq results in higher levels of immature 30S ribosomes and error‐prone translation, suggesting that Hfq globally affects the quality of protein synthesis when bacteria are under stress.
GaN and Related Compounds for Wide Bandgap Applications

GaN and related compounds are wide bandgap semiconductor materials with great potential for optoelectronic applications from blue to ultraviolet wavelengths, and high-power, high-temperature devices. GaN can be crystallized in either hexagonal (wurtzite) or cubic (zincblende) structure depending on the substrate symmetry and growth conditions. In certain cases both structures may co-exist because of the small difference in energy of formation. High-quality wurtzitic GaN has been grown successfully on a variety of substrates, in particular on the basal plane of sapphires. However, cubic structures possess in principle superior electronic properties i.e. doping efficiency and high-speed transport and allow easy cleaving, as necessary for devices such as lasers [1], [2]. Although the traditional substrate used for nitride material growth is sapphire, it is consequently desirable to explore the possibility of using substrates such as silicon or GaAs. In addition to allowing cubic material growth, this could lead to reduction of interfacial defects and impurities as well as, integration of GaN with Si or GaAs-based devices.
Models for predicting and explaining citation count of biomedical articles.

The single most important bibliometric criterion for judging the impact of biomedical papers and their authors’ work is the number of citations received which is commonly referred to as “citation count”. This metric however is unavailable until several years after publication time. In the present work, we build computer models that accurately predict citation counts of biomedical publications within a deep horizon of ten years using only predictive information available at publication time. Our experiments show that it is indeed feasible to accurately predict future citation counts with a mixture of content-based and bibliometric features using machine learning methods. The models pave the way for practical prediction of the long-term impact of publication, and their statistical analysis provides greater insight into citation behavior.
Risk factors for myelodysplastic syndromes: a case-control study in Greece.

Objective: The etiology of most cases of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has not been elucidated. We have undertaken an investigation in Greece to determine the risk profile of adult de-novo MDS. Methods: A case–control investigation was conducted in a large Veterans' hospital over a five-year period, covering 84 MDS cases and 84 age- and gender-matched controls with minor non-neoplastic non-infectious conditions from the same study base. Cases and controls reported to the medically trained principal investigator lifestyle characteristics and medical histories, with emphasis on autoimmune disorders and allergic conditions. Results: Alcohol intake and tobacco smoking jointly increased significantly the risk of MDS (odd ratio contrasting ever smokers and regular drinkers of at least one glass per day to never smokers and drinkers of less than one glass per day: 9.54, 95% CI 3.52–25.82) whereas each of these factors alone had limited effect. There was also evidence that autoimmune conditions, but not allergic disorders, were positively associated with MDS risk, irrespective of their occurrence during the recent (less than ten years) or the remote (more than ten years) past (OR 3.34, 95% CI 1.15–9.74; OR 3.50, 95% CI 1.19–10.26, respectively). Conclusion: We found evidence that both exogenous and endogenous factors may play a role in the etiology of the so-called “de novo” myelodysplastic syndromes, but these findings need further confirmation.
The Protective Role of Psychological Empowerment on Tobacco Use Behaviors

THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT ON TOBACCO USE BEHAVIORS By: Brittany M. Berry, B.A. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Major Director: Aashir Nasim Associate Professor Department of Psychology The primary aim of this study was to determine the protective effects of psychological empowerment (i.e., the belief that one has the knowledge, capabilities, and authority to be an active agent in their own life and in the surrounding community) on the tobacco use behaviors of young adults. A secondary aim was to examine whether religiosity confers a protective advantage to psychologically empowered individuals within an African American subsample. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the main and interaction effects of psychological empowerment and religiosity on the current cigarette use behaviors of 798 young adult, college students. The findings suggest a link between empowerment, religiosity, and tobacco use such that the protective effects of empowerment and religious support on cigarette use behaviors may be codependent. This research provides insight on the mutual dependence of protective factors for tobacco use and suggests an expansion of current risks and protective factors models.
Secondary Retinitis Pigmentosa (Syphilis)

This paper presents four cases of syphilitic chorioretinitis that meet the criteria generally used in the diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa (RP): namely, suppressed electroretinogram (ERG), abnormal electrooculogram (EOG), constricted fields, nightblindness, and pigmentary degeneration. Findings that can help to differentiate syphilitic chorioretinitis from true retinitis pigmentosa are discussed.
Positioning via Spectrum Sensing Using Multidimensional Scaling and Metric Learning with an Application in Millimeter Wave Networks

Position based clustering and routing are expected to be promising strategies in future wireless networks. However, the position information may be unavailable in many cases (e.g., the loss of GPS signals), while most studies assume the position information, or at least some partial information, to be known. In this paper, we first leverage the spectrum sensing results in cognitive radio networks, to reconstruct the node positions. The principle is that nearby nodes should have similar spectrum sensing results. However, the only direct information obtained from spectrum sensing is the similarities of spectrum among nodes. To fully exploit the meager information, the technique multidimensional scaling (MDS), as one of the basic algorithms, which has been widely used in machine learning, sociology and psychology, will first be used to construct the positions. Next, the technique of metric learning will be used to further improve the performance by fine tuning the definition of metric of the similarity. The numerical results, in the context of cognitive millimeter wave (mmWave), show that the proposed scheme can well reconstruct the node positions, which could be of great importance for potential applications, such as clustering and routing, for future networks.
Will Gold Plating the Fed Provide a Sound Dollar

Every period of economic crisis or turmoil in the U.S. since 1971 has invariably elicited an outbreak of nostalgia for the “gold standard” among assorted financial journalists, investment gurus, policy wonks, politicians, and even a few economists. Generally the proposals that these reformers present take the form of a greatly watered-down version of the genuine, classical gold standard. For example, the monetary disorder attending the Great Inflation of the 1970s brought forth a public clamor for a return to gold that rose to a crescendo by 1980. Congress enacted a law in October of that year establishing what came to be called the Gold Commission to study the role that gold should play in the U.S. and international monetary systems. In June 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed 17 members of the commission, which submitted its report to Congress in March 1982.