cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early-Stage Hodgkin's Lymphoma: In Pursuit of Perfection

It was estimated that 8,830 patients would be diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) in the United States in 2011, and that approximately half of those patients would have early-stage disease. The treatmentofearly-stageHLhasevolvedovertime,resultingincontinuous improvement in the cure rate and reductions in treatment-related toxicity. Today, combined modality programs are considered the standard of care for the majority of these patients, with an expected cure rate exceeding 80% and survival rate exceeding 90%. Despite these outstanding results, several groups continue to develop treatment programs in the hopes of achieving better curative and safety outcomes. To understand the results of key randomized studies in patients with early-stage HL, it is important to remember that the definition of early-stage disease varies widely among study groups and in different regions of the world. In North America, early stage is defined as stage I or II disease with no bulk or B symptoms. Patients with such disease are typically treated with four cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, dacarbazine, and vinblastine (ABVD) plus 30 Gy of involved field radiation therapy (IF-XRT). In contrast, patients with bulky disease ( 10 cm) are usually grouped with patients with advanced-stage disease and are treated with six to eight cycles of ABVD plus 36 Gy of IF-XRT, resulting in a 5-year failure-free survival of 85% and an overall survival of 95%. The definition of early stage that is used by the German Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Study Group (GHLSG) includes bulky stage I or II disease with no B symptoms. The GHLSG additionally classifies patients with early-stage disease into favorable (stage I/II disease with no risk factors such as bulk, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, extranodal sites, or more than two involved lymph node regions) or unfavorable (stage I/II with any of these risk factors) categories. Patients with early-stage favorable HL have an excellent cure rate; therefore, investigations of new therapeutic programs focus on reducing treatment-related toxicity, whereas patients with early-stage unfavorable HL continue to be candidates for the evaluation of new regimens that are aimed at additionally improving the cure rate. Using this approach, the GHLSG reported that patients with early-stage favorable HL could be successfully treated with a reduced-intensity regimen of two cycles of ABVD chemotherapy plus 20 Gy of IF-XRT instead of the standard four cycles of ABVD plus 30 Gy of IF-XRT. Using such a strategy, they were able to maintain a high 91% rate of freedom from treatment failure. In the article that accompanies this editorial, the GHLSG reports the results of the HD14 study that was aimed at improving treatment outcomes of patients with early-stage unfavorable HL by intensifying
Integrated, digitally controlled, 64-element SiGe on multilayer organic X-band phased-array receiver antenna for snow measurements

To the author's knowledge, this work represents the first demonstration of an X-band integrated 64-element active phased-array receiver using SiGe and organic multilayer (LCP + Duroid) technologies. The design and measurement of the antenna, SiGe T/R module, and integrated subarray antenna were presented. In addition, the design of the FPGA digital control board was also presented, which enabled beam steering and control of the phase shifters. This receive subarray was designed for use in SCLP applications and meets performance, cost, and size requirements for use with compact platforms, such as UAVs.
Bartonella henselae bacteremia in a mother and son potentially associated with tick exposure

Bartonella henselae is a zoonotic, alpha Proteobacterium, historically associated with cat scratch disease (CSD), but more recently associated with persistent bacteremia, fever of unknown origin, arthritic and neurological disorders, and bacillary angiomatosis, and peliosis hepatis in immunocompromised patients. A family from the Netherlands contacted our laboratory requesting to be included in a research study (NCSU-IRB#1960), designed to characterize Bartonella spp. bacteremia in people with extensive arthropod or animal exposure. All four family members had been exposed to tick bites in Zeeland, southwestern Netherlands. The mother and son were exhibiting symptoms including fatigue, headaches, memory loss, disorientation, peripheral neuropathic pain, striae (son only), and loss of coordination, whereas the father and daughter were healthy. Each family member was tested for serological evidence of Bartonella exposure using B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii genotypes I-III, B. henselae and B. koehlerae indirect fluorescent antibody assays and for bacteremia using the BAPGM enrichment blood culture platform. The mother was seroreactive to multiple Bartonella spp. antigens and bacteremia was confirmed by PCR amplification of B. henselae DNA from blood, and from a BAPGM blood agar plate subculture isolate. The son was not seroreactive to any Bartonella sp. antigen, but B. henselae DNA was amplified from several blood and serum samples, from BAPGM enrichment blood culture, and from a cutaneous striae biopsy. The father and daughter were seronegative to all Bartonella spp. antigens, and negative for Bartonella DNA amplification. Historically, persistent B. henselae bacteremia was not thought to occur in immunocompetent humans. To our knowledge, this study provides preliminary evidence supporting the possibility of persistent B. henselae bacteremia in immunocompetent persons from Europe. Cat or flea contact was considered an unlikely source of transmission and the mother, a physician, reported that clinical symptoms developed following tick exposure. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a B. henselae organism has been visualized in and amplified from a striae lesion. As the tick bites occurred three years prior to documentation of B. henselae bacteremia, the mode of transmission could not be determined.
Theoretical Problems of Economic Growth

It is with some diffidence that I submit the following notes which I have not been able to work up into a fully developed argument. The inartistic use of numerals has been resorted to in order to mark off clearly the various problems touched upon.
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM TO EXPERIMENTAL ALTERATIONS : I. THE EFFECT OF INTRACARDIAC FISTULAE.

An abnormal communication, experimentally produced between the right and left ventricles, causes a deflection of part of the blood stream into the shorter pulmonary circuit. Proceeding pari passu with the increase in volume flow of blood through this shorter circuit, there occurs a gradual enlargement of the heart limited to that part of the circulatory system through which the deflected blood passes; namely, the left ventricle, the right ventricle, the pulmonary artery, and the left auricle. There is also a demonstrable hypertrophy of the right and left ventricles, which presumably is the result of the increased effort necessary to propel forward an increased volume flow of blood, since it cannot be attributed to an increased peripheral resistance. Immediately after the production of the defect, the right auricle and aorta become smaller than usual, conforming in size to the decreased volume flow of blood through them. As full compensation for the deflected flow occurs by an increase in total blood volume, they return to their normal size. If full compensation has not occurred they remain smaller than normal (Dog X 11). The changes incident to the establishment of an opening in the septum are entirely dependent upon the size of the defect, and hence, upon the extent of the volume of blood deflected into the shorter circuit. Commensurate with the volume of blood deflected, there is a fall in general blood pressure. If the animal survives the immediate fall in blood pressure, certain compensatory adjustments occur which reestablish a more normal blood pressure: (a) an immediate increase in pulse rate; (b) a gradual increase in total blood mass. The increase in blood volume is directly commensurate with the size of the defect. The pulse returns to a normal rate when complete compensation through an increase in blood volume has been attained. It is suggested that the enlargement of the heart seen clinically in so called "idiopathic hypertrophy," "essential hypertension," and also in certain cases of cardiorenal disease, may be due to an increase in total blood mass following some interference with the mechanism for its control. The seat of this impairment in blood volume control may be: (a) in a chemical alteration in the blood; (b) in a diseased function of the kidneys which may be responsible for a decreased elimination, or for a change in the chemical composition of the blood; or (c) in an abnormal stimulation of the organs producing the cellular elements of the blood.
Optoelectronics for multi-terabit intelligent wavelength division multiplexing networks

This paper describes some of the opportunities for electronic enhancement of fiber optic systems, and presents some new results of device evaluations in this area. Recent standards efforts have turned their attention to data transmission rates of 10 gigabit/second and above for a single data link. This is being driven by a number of factors, including new industry standards efforts. Serial transceivers for 10 gigabit/second have been demonstrated, but present problems dealing with signal integrity between CMOS logic chips and the optical physical layer. One proposal is to integrate the 10 Gigabit serialize/deserialize function and data encode/decode function into the media access layer as a single CMOS ASIC, while an eye opener function and media dependent input/output interface would be implemented as a hybrid of SiGe and GaAs technologies. We have helped develop new SiGe manufacturing processes such as ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition which allow integration of SiGe with standard CMOS circuitry to form BiCMOS devices using sub-0.5 micron designs and standard 200 mm wafer substrates. SiGe cross point switches have been demonstrated with 17/spl times/17 channels capable of 3.2 gigabit/second data rates while requiring only 3.3 V and dissipating only 3.7 W of power. SiGe transimpedance amplifiers designed for 10 gigabit links have exhibited 3 GHz bandwidth with 280 nA room mean square noise, sensitivity down to 19 microamps, and power consumption as low as 470 mW.
Negative Interaction and Changes in Functional Disability During Late Life

The purpose of this study was to test two hypotheses. The first specifies that negative social interaction exerts a deleterious effect on changes in functional disability over time. The second proposes that the adverse effects of negative interaction on health will be especially evident among respondents with less education. Data from a nationwide longitudinal survey provide support for Hypothesis 2, but not Hypothesis 1. A set of supplementary analyses was performed to explore why less educated elders may be at risk. These additional analyses reveal that levels of exposure to negative interaction are not greater among older adults with less education, nor is negative interaction more stable in this group. Instead, the most likely explanation for why less educated elders may be at risk may involve differential vulnerability to negative interaction that may be due to depleted individual coping resources.
Beam focussing properties of circular array antenna by employing dielectric resonator antennas

Investigation results on the beam focusing properties of a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) array consisting of four-elements on a finite ground plane are presented. Each of the DRA provides pure omnidirectional radiation patterns while possessing 67% impedance bandwidth [3]. While one DRA is excited at a time the other DRAs in the array are matched terminated. The array antenna beam provides both horizontal and elevation plane beam coverage over 60% fractional impedance matching bandwidth. This type of antenna can find applications in Digital Radio Broadcast (DRB), mobile terrestrial communications, and smart adaptive antennas, where switched sector beams are desired.
Intrasphenoidal encephalocele: an incidental finding in emergency department

Basal encephaloceles are rare clinical entities. Intrasphenoidal encephalocele (ISE) is a rare form of basal encephalocele. The clinical presentation is often subtle and may remain undetected. Only a limited number of cases of ISE have been reported, mostly in middle-aged patients who presented with symptoms. Clinical diagnosis and management remain a challenge. Our case reports ISE as an incidental finding in a very elderly male patient. We present a case of ISE discovered as an incidental finding in a 99-year-old male who presented to the emergency department (ED) after a fall from bed. The encephalocele was discovered in the evaluation of the computed tomography (CT) scan of the head. This is an incidental manifestation of a rare disease. It demonstrates that these encephaloceles may not manifest clinically or symptomatically as other reports have suggested.
Counseling Center Psychologists in Neuropsychology Counseling Neuropsychology

Increasingly, students with cerebral dysfunctions are entering colleges and universities and demanding counseling and psychological services. Yet the provision of quality assessment; treatment planning, and counseling for this population requires training and experience in areas that extend beyond those of most counseling center professionals. As a result, the need for counseling psychologists with expertise in assisting these students has never been so apparent as it is presently. This article explores this dilemma, and presents a rationale for the development of a new area of subspecialization -counseling neuropsychology -as a mechanism for enhanced service delivery, particularly within the university counseling center.
Sequence and Transcriptional Analyses of the Fish Retroviruses Walleye Epidermal Hyperplasia Virus Types 1 and 2: Evidence for a Gene Duplication

Walleye epidermal hyperplasia virus types 1 and 2 (WEHV1 and WEHV2, respectively) are associated with a hyperproliferative skin lesion on walleyes that appears and regresses seasonally. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequences and transcriptional profiles of these viruses. WEHV1 and WEHV2 are large, complex retroviruses of 12,999 and 13,125 kb in length, respectively, that are closely related to one another and to walleye dermal sarcoma virus (WDSV). These walleye retroviruses contain three open reading frames, orfA, orfB, and orfC, in addition to gag, pol, and env. orfA and orfB are adjacent to one another and located downstream of env. The OrfA proteins were previously identified as cyclin D homologs that may contribute to the induction of cell proliferation leading to epidermal hyperplasia and dermal sarcoma. The sequence analysis of WEHV1 and WEHV2 revealed that the OrfB proteins are distantly related to the OrfA proteins, suggesting that orfB arose by gene duplication. Presuming that the precursor of orfA and orfB was derived from a cellular cyclin, these genes are the first accessory genes of complex retroviruses that can be traced to a cellular origin. WEHV1, WEHV2, and WDSV are the only retroviruses that have an open reading frame, orfC, of considerable size (ca. 130 amino acids) in the leader region preceding gag. While we were unable to predict a function for the OrfC proteins, they are more conserved than OrfA and OrfB, suggesting that they may be biologically important to the viruses. The transcriptional profiles of WEHV1 and WEHV2 were also similar to that of WDSV; Northern blot analyses detected only low levels of the orfA transcripts in developing lesions, whereas abundant levels of genomic, env, orfA, and orfB transcripts were detected in regressing lesions. The splice donors and acceptors of individual transcripts were identified by reverse transcriptase PCR. The similarities of WEHV1, WEHV2, and WDSV suggest that these viruses use similar strategies of viral replication and induce cell proliferation by a similar mechanism.
A deterministic motif finding algorithm with application to the human genome

Motivation: We present a novel algorithm, MaMF, for identifying transcription factor (TF) binding site motifs. The method is deterministic and depends on an indexing technique to optimize the search process. On common yeast datasets, MaMF performs competitively with other methods. We also present results on a challenging group of eight sets of human genes known to be responsive to a diverse group of TFs. In every case, MaMF finds the annotated motif among the top scoring putative motifs. We compared MaMF against other motif finders on a larger human group of 21 gene sets and found that MaMF performs better than other algorithms. We analyzed the remaining high scoring motifs and show that many correspond to other TFs that are known to co-occur with the annotated TF motifs. The significant and frequent presence of co-occurring transcription factor binding sites explains in part the difficulty of human motif finding. MaMF is a very fast algorithm, suitable for application to large numbers of interesting gene sets. Availability: The software is available for academic research use free of charge by email request. Contact: [email protected] Supplemental information: Data comprising the benchmarks used in the paper may be downloaded from http://www.jainlab.org/downloads.html.
Input-output linearization using model reference adaptive control techniques

Based on the performance of a unicycle robot, the MRAC methodology is used to define update laws for estimation of parameters for the I/O linearization of nonlinear friction effects which occur in series with the linearized plant. A linear controller closing loops around the plant-nonlinearity concatenation is then able to control the system successfully. In implementation, lack of persistence of excitation allows the parameter estimates to drift, leading to imperfect I/O linearization; suitably bounding the estimates, however, ensures that stability and performance are maintained. >
The impact of changing oedematous states on the QRS duration: implications for cardiac resynchronization therapy and implantable cardioverter/defibrillator implantation

Increased ECG QRS duration (QRSd) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) or heart failure (HF) is a well-known phenomenon. The QRSd is not a static ECG measurement but shows fluctuations, and its recent inclusion among the parameters used in referring patients for implantable cardioverter/defibrillators (ICDs) or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has led to renewed interest in its natural course and its determinants. Although clinical deterioration has been traditionally associated with increasing QRSd, its changes often are left unexplained. Also, the recent description of a decrease in QRSd, well correlated with attenuated amplitude of QRS complexes in patients with peripheral oedema (PERO) in the context of a variety of illnesses, has added complexity to the matter. This communication aims at calling attention to the importance of a few clinical and ECG parameters when documenting changes in the QRSd in serial ECGs. Thus, presence or absence of PERO and change in the patients' weight, along with alteration in the amplitude of QRS complexes and shifts to/from incomplete/complete bundle branch block patterns, all should be considered when assessing changes in QRSd for meaningful follow-up of patients with DCM or CHF, or referral for ICD or CRT. Evaluation of the QRSd as a selection parameter for referring patients suitable for device implantation should continue along with the employment of mechanical analysis of ventricular dyssynchrony. Although reference here is made to QRSd particularly in connection with DCM and HF, the above apply to other oedematous states (i.e. patients with chronic renal failure, or those undergoing haemodialysis).
Intuition and Russell´s Paradox

In this essay I will examine the role that intuition plays in Russell's parado; showing how different appraaches to intuition will license different treatments of the paradox. In addition, I will argue for a specific approach to the paradox, one that follows from the most plausible account of intuition. On this account, intuitions, though fallible, have episternic import. In addition, the intuitions involved in paradoxes point to something wrong with concept that leads to paradox. In the case of Russell's paradox, this is an ambiguity in the notion of a class.
Placental Transport of Phenylalanine in the Rat: Maternal and Fetal Metabolism

SummaryThe fetal-maternal ratios of serum phenylalanine in the rat have been measured in the fasting state and 1, 2, and 3 hr after intravenous phenylalanine loading. Resuts indicate that fetal levels are always higher than maternal and that the fetus metabolizes the transplacental load less rapidly than its mother. This suggests that any woman with hyperphenylalaninemia who becomes pregnant should have her blood phenylalanine maintained below 8 mg/100 ml of blood at all times if the fetal brain is to remain undamaged.
Movement by Adult Heliothis Released on St. Croix to Other Islands

The movement of sterile adult tobacco budworms, Heliothis virescens (F.), and corn earworms, Heliothis zea (Boddie), from St. Croix to the islands of Vieques and St. Thomas was detected by operating traps baited with females on the other islands and by inspecting host plants for the presence of marked eggs. On Vieques, 18 of 260 tobacco budworms and 2 of 5 corn earworms captured were marked insects that had been released on St. Croix. On St. Thomas, 5 of 223 tobacco budworms captured were marked insects that had been released on St. Croix. On Vieques, 4 marked tobacco budworm eggs were found. The islands are therefore not completely isolated from each other from the standpoint of insect movement.
Soil Disinfestation with Steam: A Review of Economics, Engineering, and Soil Pest Control in California Strawberry

Increasingly stricter fumigant regulations will limit their use and require effective non-fumigant treatments if large-scale strawberry production is to continue in California. Steam has long been ...
Cortical Feedback Regulates Feedforward Retinogeniculate Refinement

According to the prevailing view of neural development, sensory pathways develop sequentially in a feedforward manner, whereby each local microcircuit refines and stabilizes before directing the wiring of its downstream target. In the visual system, retinal circuits are thought to mature first and direct refinement in the thalamus, after which cortical circuits refine with experience-dependent plasticity. In contrast, we now show that feedback from cortex to thalamus critically regulates refinement of the retinogeniculate projection during a discrete window in development, beginning at postnatal day 20 in mice. Disrupting cortical activity during this window, pharmacologically or chemogenetically, increases the number of retinal ganglion cells innervating each thalamic relay neuron. These results suggest that primary sensory structures develop through the concurrent and interdependent remodeling of subcortical and cortical circuits in response to sensory experience, rather than through a simple feedforward process. Our findings also highlight an unexpected function for the corticothalamic projection.
Design-to-testing: a low-power, 1.25 GHz, single-bit single-loop continuous-time $$\Delta \Sigma$$ΔΣ modulator with 15 MHz bandwidth and 60 dB dynamic range

Continuous-time Delta-Sigma (CT-$$\Delta \Sigma$$ΔΣ) analog-to-digital converters have been extensively investigated for their use in wireless receivers to achieve conversion bandwidths >15 MHz and higher resolution of 10---14 bits. This paper presents the complete design-to-testing tutorial of a state-of-the-art high-speed single-bit CT-$$\Delta \Sigma$$ΔΣ architecture and its circuit design details in 0.13 μm CMOS technology node sampling at 1.25 GS/s. The designed modulator achieves higher dynamic range of 60 dB in a wide conversion bandwidth of 15 MHz and consumes only 3.5 mW. The proposed modulator achieves a Figure of Merit of 154 fJ/level.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adolescence

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adolescent patients is becoming increasingly common with the rise in obesity rates. Management of these patients is less straightforward than management in younger children or older adults, as there are substantial rates of treatment failure following adenotonsillectomy. This may be due to either alternate or multiple anatomic sites of airway collapse. Adenotonsillectomy remains first-line treatment, although vigilance and close follow-up are required, and formal assessment with repeat polysomnography is often necessary to confirm disease resolution. Second-line therapy for residual OSA is continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP), which is often poorly tolerated in this age group. Due to changes in muscle tone during sleep, culprit sites of airway collapse during sleep are often difficult to visualize during nasal endoscopy performed in the clinic. Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is a valuable tool to identify occult or multisite airway obstruction in this population, and guide surgical planning. A comprehensive approach to the patient’s sleep is essential, recognizing the potential contributions of comorbid circadian sleep disorders and poor sleep hygiene.
Cardiac Derived Stromal Cells Inhibit Tumor Cell Proliferation: A Potential Role Of miR206

Stromal cells play an important role in control of proliferation and differentiation of stem cells and are a key component of the stem cell niche. Bone marrow (BM) stromal cells (also termed mesenchymal stem cells; MSC) have been extensively studied and shown to control differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in part through secreted growth factors. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of stromal cells in cardiac tissue, however the role of cardiac stromal cells (CStrC) is unclear. In this study we have compared human CStrCs to human BM-MSCs and demonstrate that CStrCs have a similar morphology and surface marker expression as BM-MSCs. To further characterize the CStrCs we performed micro array analysis of human CStrCs compared to human BM-MSCs. The CStrCs expressed a distinct cytokine and cytokine receptor profile compared to BM-MSC. In addition, a number of micro RNAs were expressed at very high levels in CStrCs compared to BM-MSC. Cardiac- associated microRNAs, including miR-1, miR-133a, and miR-206 were expressed at higher levels in CStrCs compared to BM-MSC. Given the lack of tumor development in cardiac tissue we hypothesized that CStrCs would fail to support tumor cell growth which has been described for BM-MSCs. Therefore, we cultured human tumor cell lines on CStrCs and compared the tumor cell proliferation to BM-MSCs. CStrCs inhibited the proliferation of a range of tumor cell lines including myeloid cell lines HL60, K562, myeloma cell lines U-266, RPMI 8266, ARP-1 and the B cell line Raji, while BM-MSCs supported the proliferation of tumor cells. Further we tested media conditioned by CStrCs and demonstrated inhibition of proliferation of both cell lines. Previous studies have implicated miR-206 in inhibition of proliferation of tumor cells and given the high levels of expression of miR-206 in CStrCs we hypothesize that miR-206 is a key player in the inhibitory effects of CStrCs and this effect is mediated via secreted molecules. Disclosures: McNiece: Proteonomix Inc: Consultancy.
Congo Floodplain Hydraulics using PALSAR InSAR and Envisat Altimetry Data

Wetlands of lowland rivers and lakes are massive in size and in volumetric fluxes, which greatly limits a thorough understanding of their flow dynamics. The complexity of floodwater flows has not well been captured because floodwater moves laterally across wetlands and its movement is not bounded like that of typical channel flow. Water flow across wetlands is more complex than implied by one-dimensional, point-based measurements. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) has been proven to be an effective tool to map wetland’s relative water level changes \( \left(\partial h/\partial t\right) \) with high spatial resolution and accuracy. In this study, we integrated relative \( \partial h/\partial t \) from ALOS PALSAR interferograms and Envisat altimetry data to estimate absolute \( \partial h/\partial t \) in the Congo floodplain near Lisala in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Three fringe patterns from PALSAR interferograms were identified due to spatiotemporal water level changes in the floodplain. We observed (1) dense fringes parallel to the Congo mainstem in high water season, (2) broad fringes across the floodplain, (3) and fringes around the floodplain boundary in low water season. The absolute water level change maps generated by integrating InSAR and Envisat altimetry data suggest that \( \partial h/\partial t \) can reach up to 1.2 m in the proximal floodplain in high water level season. During low water season, \( \partial h/\partial t \) can reach up to several decimeters. Based on the maps of absolute \( \partial h/\partial t \) and the principle of mass continuity, analysis of temporal hydraulic variations is also presented. Our hydraulic analysis suggests that \( \partial h/\partial t \) is subtle and the water flow in the floodplain is not well confined during low water season. On the other hand, the proximal floodplain has greater \( \partial h/\partial t \) than the distal floodplain during high water season, which suggests that water mostly flows from floodplain to river.
Stuart Hall lives: cultural studies in an age of digital media

Stuart Hall’s significance as a scholar, teacher, and public intellectual would be hard to overstate, not only in his chosen country, the U.K. (he was born in Jamaica), but increasingly in the U.S....
Firemap: A Dynamic Data-Driven Predictive Wildfire Modeling and Visualization Environment

Abstract Wildfires are destructive fires over the wildland that can wipe out large areas of vegetation and infrastructure. Such fires are hard to control and manage as they can change directions almost instantly, driven by changing environmental conditions. Effective response to such events requires the ability to monitor and predict the behavior of the fire as fast as they change. The WIFIRE project builds an end-to-end cyberinfrastructure for real-time and data-driven simulation, prediction, and visualization of wildfire behavior. One goal of WIFIRE is to provide the tools to predict a more accurate rate of a spreading wildfire. To this end, WIFIRE has developed interfaces for ingesting and visualizing high-density sensor networks to improve fire and weather predictions, and has created a data model for wildfire resources including sensed and archived data, sensors, satellites, cameras, modeling tools, workflows, and social information including Twitter feeds for wildfire research and response. This paper presents WIFIRE’s Firemap web platform to make these geospatial data and products accessible. Through a web browser, Firemap enables geospatial information visualization and a unified access to geospatial workflows using Kepler. Using GIS capabilities combined with scalable big data integration and processing, Firemap enables simple execution of the model with options for running ensembles by taking the information uncertainty into account. The results are easily viewable, sharable, repeatable, and can be animated as a time series.
Abstract 77: Abolished Renal Nerve Protection, Aggravated Renal Functional Impairment, and Elevated Blood Pressure in Response to Inhibition of Cyclooxygenase in Mice Fed a Western Diet: Role of Trpv1

Salsalate (sodium salicylate, SA), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity and to suppress inflammation in obesity and type II diabetes in humans and animals. Thi...
Multivariable Deterministic Identification: A Control Perspective

Abstract Set membership identification maps data to a consistent set of plants in a model class. Our objective in this paper is to explore a different approach. Herein, we pick a set of plants in a smaller model class to approximate the original set. As an instantiation of this approach we study identification of MIMO LTI stable systems under low correlated noise. To this end we employ the well known subspace techniques and discuss some of its drawbacks in using it directly for the worst case identification problem. A suitable modification of these techniques results in a satisfactory solution to the identification problem.
Abstract 300: The Notch Signaling Pathway Regulates the Fate of Renal FOXD1+ Stromal Cells and Their Descendants

The mechanisms underlying the establishment, assembly and maintenance of the renal blood vessels are poorly understood. We have previously shown that renal stromal cells, characterized by their early and transient expression of the transcription factor Forkhead box D1 (FOXD1), are precursors for several cell populations of the renal vasculature, including arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs), renin cells, pericytes, and mesangial cells. To better understand the role and fate of FOXD1 + stromal cells, we isolated FOXD1 + cells and their descendents. Mice with cre recombinase knocked into the FOXD1 locus (FOXD1-cre) were crossed with mice carrying the mT/mG reporter, which exchanges RFP expression for GFP upon cre-mediated recombination. GFP-positive FOXD1-lineage cells were isolated from the kidney using FACS. These cells comprised on average 19% (n=8) of adult kidney cells. As expected, these cells expressed markers of SMCs (α-smooth muscle actin) and renin cells (renin), as shown by RT-PCR. Interestingly, the cells did not express markers of endothelial cells, including Tie2 and β-globin. Prior data from our lab also demonstrated that the transcription factor “Recombination signal binding protein for immunoglobulin kappa J region” (RBP-J), the final transcriptional mediator of Notch signaling, is expressed in FOXD1-lineage cells and plays a key role in their differentiation, as deletion of RBP-J using FOXD1-cre led to severe reductions of the endowment of FOXD1 + descendants, with subsequent renal abnormalities including glomerular aneurysms, and vessel fibrosis. To better understand this phenotype, we wished to identify the Notch-pathway receptors and ligands expressed in FOXD1-lineage cells. RT-PCR analysis showed the expression of Notch 3 and Jagged 2 in both adult and newborn (postnatal day 1) animals, and Notch 2 and Jagged 1 exclusively at the newborn stage. Deletion of Notch 1 or 2 within FOXD1 cells failed to reproduce the phenotype of RBP-J deletion. However, mutant animals exhibited glomerulosclerosis and regions of fibrosis. In addition, a small number of arteries appear to enter the renal parenchyma from the subcapsular region, an inversion of the normal pattern, indicating a possible role for the Notch receptor in renal vessel guidance.
Enhancing cancer immunotherapy through nanotechnology-mediated tumor infiltration and activation of immune cells

Cancer immunotherapy has become arguably the most promising advancement in cancer research and therapy in recent years. The efficacy of cancer immunotherapy is critically dependent on specific physiological and physical processes - collectively referred to as transport barriers - including the activation of T cells by antigen presenting cells, T cells migration to and penetration into the tumor microenvironment, and movement of nutrients and other immune cells through the tumor microenvironment. Nanotechnology-based approaches have great potential to help overcome these transport barriers. In this review, we discuss the ways that nanotechnology is being leveraged to improve the efficacy and potency of various cancer immunotherapies.
Biopsy of Pelvic Lesions

Access route planning for image-guided biopsy of deep pelvic masses is challenging because vital structures such as the bowel, bladder, uterus, adnexa, iliac vessels, and osseous structures can intervene in the projected needle path. Thus, a thorough understanding of the cross-sectional anatomy of the pelvis is needed, and the best approach and techniques to use for each patient will depend on the characteristics and exact location of the patient’s lesion. In this article we provide an overview of the relevant anatomy of the pelvic region and discuss the various types of imaging (computed tomography [CT], ultrasound, CT fluoroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic field-based electronic guidance system), needles (aspiration and small- and large-caliber cutting needles; single or coaxial), and approaches (anterior or anterolateral transabdominal, transgluteal, anterolateral extraperitoneal, transosseous, transvaginal, and transrectal) that can be used in image-guided pelvic biopsy, along with the advantages and limitations of each technique.
Peripheral Cortisol and Inflammatory Response to a Psychosocial Stressor in People with Schizophrenia

Objectives: There is growing evidence of both hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and immune system dysfunction in schizophrenia. Additionally, accumulating evidence has linked dysfunction in the kynurenine pathway to schizophrenia as well as to stress and inflammation. The current pilot tested changes in immune, cortisol and kynurenine and kynurenic acid responses to a psychosocial stressor in people with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Methods: Ten people with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder and 10 healthy controls were included. Participants completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and cortisol, cytokines (IL-6 & TNF-α), kynurenine and kynurenic acid were measured in the plasma at baseline 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes following the TSST. Results: Compared to baseline, at 30 minutes post TSST, mean cortisol levels had increased by 7.6 ng/ml (11%) in healthy controls but decreased by 16.3 ng/ml (25%) in schizophrenia (F=4.34, df=3,38.2, p=0.010). While people with schizophrenia had a lower TNF-α level at baseline (χ2(1)=10.14, p=0.001), no decreases or increases occurred after the TSST in either group. Both groups had a similar increase in IL-6 at 15 minutes post TSST (F=4.17, df=3, 16.3, p=0.023) demonstrating an immune response to the stress in both groups. A trend towards increased kynurenine from baseline was found immediately after the TSST followed by a decrease at 60 minutes in healthy controls but no change was found in people with schizophrenia (F=2.46, df=3, 49.1, p=0.074). Conclusion: People with schizophrenia showed a decrease in cortisol from baseline following the TSST as compared to an elevation from baseline seen in healthy controls, supporting HPA axis dysfunction in schizophrenia. An immediate inflammatory response with IL-6 was seen in both groups following the TSST. Larger studies should examine psychosocial stress response in schizophrenia and the relationship of immune function and kynurenine pathway.
Impact of Oral-Cecal Transit Time on the Interpretation of Lactulose Breath Tests After RYGB: a Personalized Approach to the Diagnosis of SIBO

Traditionally, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is diagnosed when there is an early peak in breath hydrogen or methane. Given unclear intestinal transit time in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) patients, it is unknown if the traditional approach at diagnosing SIBO is adequate in this patient population. To assess oral-cecal transit time (OCTT) and its impact on the interpretation of breath tests in the diagnosis of SIBO in patients with RYGB. This study was a retrospective review of prospectively collected data on RYGB patients who underwent testing for SIBO using lactulose breath test (LBT) with or without small bowel follow-through (SBFT) to assess OCTT. Outcomes of SIBO test based on LBT alone versus LBT with OCTT were compared using a chi-squared test. Sixty-two of the 151 RYGB patients who underwent LBT underwent an additional SBFT to assess OCTT. Median OCTT was 60 min. Of these, 59.7% had OCTT shorter than 90 min. Based on LBT alone, 36/62 patients (58.1%) were classified as positive SIBO. When LBT results were combined with OCTT, 26/36 patients (72.2%) had hydrogen or methane rise within OCTT, suggesting 27.8% false positive rate. Patients with true positive SIBO based on LBT and OCTT had a higher response rate to antibiotics compared to those with false positive SIBO (78.3% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.03). A personalized approach of combining LBT with SBFT to assess OCTT may improve the accuracy of SIBO testing and enhance clinical outcomes in patients with RYGB.
Memory Circuits using Resonant Charge-based Devices

A variety of charge-based logic devices are being investigated as possible technology options for the beyond-CMOS era. The tunneling devices, such as the Bilayer Pseudo Spin Field Effect transistor (BiSFET), the Bilayer Pseudo Spin Junction Transistor (BiSJT) and the Interlayer Tunnel Field Effect Transistor (ITFET), have previously been studied for their logic capabilities. These have an intrinsic memory capability, making them an interesting candidate for standalone memory applications. The performance of these devices with respect to Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) for memory applications is presented.
Treatment of Dehydrated Na-Y Zeolite with the Heteropolymetallic Products of Transmetalation Reactions

Stoichiometric transmetalation of copper(II) target (µ 4-O)N4Cu4Cl6 (N is a monodentate pyridine) with transmetalators M(NS)n (NS is a monoanionic S-methyl hydrazinecarbodithioate ligand; n is 2 or 3) containing one of three different metals M, M’ and M” in an aprotic solvent at room temperature theoretically gives 35 heteropolymetallic molecules (µ 4-O)N4(Cu,M,M’,M”)4Cl6 (for example, (µ 4-O)N4CuCoNiZnCl6) and co-product Cu(NS)2. These heteropolymetallic molecules easily are thermolyzed to give highly dispersed metals, alloys and mixed metal oxides. Dehydrated Na-Y zeolite reacts with unseparated transmetalation product mixtures at room temperature in methylene chloride to give total mixed metal loadings of 0.4 – 1% by weight. Materials made from molecular families (µ 4-O)N4(Cu,M,M’,M”)4Cl6 are excellent alternatives to mixed metal catalysts made by conventional methods.
Patient and institutional factors associated with postoperative opioid prescribing after common vascular procedures

Abstract Objective Overprescription of postoperative opioid medication is a major contributor to the opioid abuse epidemic in the United States. Research into prescribing practices has suggested that patients be limited to 7 days or Methods Opioid naive patients from an integrated health system undergoing one of nine surgical and endovascular procedures tracked within the Vascular Quality Initiative from 2015 to 2017 were identified and matched to their discharge and refill opioid prescriptions. Discharge opioid prescriptions were converted to MME. The primary outcome was discharge MME >200, and secondary outcomes were procedure-specific top-quartile opioid prescription and medication refills. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess patient and perioperative factors associated with each outcome. Results Among 1546 opioid naive patients, 739 (48%) received a discharge opioid prescription; median MME was 0 (interquartile range, 0-150), and 349 (23%) had >200 MME. Among those with a discharge prescription, median MME was 180 (interquartile range, 150-300). MME varied by procedure (P 200 included younger patient age ( Conclusions Opioid prescriptions at discharge vary with the invasiveness of vascular surgical procedures. Less than 25% of patients receive >200 MME. Variation by center represents a lack of standardization in prescribing practices and an opportunity for further improvement based on developed guidelines. Patient factors and procedure type can alert clinicians to patients at risk of higher than recommended MME.
Franz Liszt’s Album d’un voyageur: music, memorials, and the Anthropocene

In June 1835, while awaiting the birth of their first child, Franz Liszt and his partner, Marie d’Agoult, eloped to Switzerland. The couple knew Switzerland offered them a better chance than France...
A fully discrete positivity-preserving and energy-dissipative finite difference scheme for Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations

The Poisson–Nernst–Planck (PNP) equations is a macroscopic model widely used to describe the dynamics of ion transport in ion channels. In this paper, we introduce a semi-implicit finite difference scheme for the PNP equations in a bounded domain. A general boundary condition for the Poisson equation is considered. The fully discrete scheme is shown to satisfy the following properties: mass conservation, unconditional positivity, and energy dissipation (hence preserves the steady state). Solvability of the semi-discrete scheme is proved and a simple fixed point iteration is proposed to solve the fully discrete scheme. Numerical examples in both 1D and 2D and for multiple species are presented to demonstrate the convergence and properties of the proposed scheme.
EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF SPINAL DEFORMITY ON PEDIATRIC PATIENT ACTIVITY LEVELS

Background:Idiopathic scoliosis has historically been considered a benign condition without significant functional limitations for the patient. However, as curves progress, patients may experience ...
Chiral and counter-propagating Majorana fermions in a p-wave superconductor

Chiral and helical Majorana fermions are two archetypal edge excitations in two-dimensional topological superconductors. They emerge from systems of different Altland–Zirnbauer symmetries and characterized by and topological invariants respectively. It seems improbable to tune a pair of co-propagating chiral edge modes to counter-propagate in a single system without symmetry breaking. Here, we explore the peculiar behaviors of Majorana edge modes in topological superconductors with an additional ‘mirror’ symmetry which changes the bulk topological invariant to type. A theoretical toy model describing the proximity structure of a Chern insulator and a p x -wave superconductor is proposed and solved analytically to illustrate a direct transition between two topologically nontrivial phases. The weak pairing phase has two chiral Majorana edge modes, while the strong pairing phase is characterized by mirror-graded Chern number and hosts a pair of counter-propagating Majorana fermions protected by the mirror symmetry. The edge theory is worked out in detail, and implications to braiding of Majorana fermions are discussed.