cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Demystifying Machine Learning for Signal and Power Integrity Problems in Packaging

In this article, we cover the fundamentals of neural networks and Bayesian learning with a focus on signal and power integrity problems arising in packaging. Rather than only focus on mathematical formulations, we explain the important concepts and the intuition behind them, thereby demystifying the use of machine learning for these problems. We also share some of the recent developments in this area along with future research directions in the context of packaging. Links to open-source downloadable software for some of the methods discussed are also provided.
Target-flanker similarity effects reflect image segmentation not perceptual grouping

When responding to the identity of a visual target, nearby stimuli (flankers) that are associated with the same response as the target cause faster and more accurate responding than flankers that are associated with different responses. Because this flanker-congruence effect (FCE) decreases with increasing target-flanker separation, it was thought to reflect limited precision of spatial selection mechanisms. Later studies, however, showed that FCEs are larger when the target and flankers are the same color compared to when they are different colors. This led to the group selection hypothesis, which states that flankers are perceptually grouped with the target and are obligatorily selected along with it, regardless of spatial separation. An alternative hypothesis, the image segmentation hypothesis, states that feature differences facilitate the segmentation of visual information into relevant and irrelevant parts, thereby mitigating the limitations of spatial precision of selection mechanisms. We test between these hypotheses using a design in which targets and flankers are grouped or not grouped, while holding feature differences in the stimulus constant. Contrary to earlier results, we found that same-colored flankers do not yield larger FCEs than different-colored flankers when feature differences are held constant. We conclude that similarity effects on the FCE reflect differential support for image segmentation, on which selection depends, rather than the obligatory selection of perceptually grouped flankers and targets.
Design, rationale, and baseline characteristics of a pilot randomized clinical trial of nicotine treatment for pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Abstract Introduction Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown cause afflicting young to middle-aged adults. The majority of patients with active pulmonary sarcoidosis complain of overwhelming fatigue, which often persists despite administration of immune-modulating drugs typically used to treat sarcoidosis. Nicotine offers an alternative to conventional treatments, which are associated with a spectrum of serious untoward effects, including diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, bone marrow suppression, severe infections, cirrhosis. The described pilot randomized trial aims to provide preliminary data required to design subsequent Phase II/III trials to formally evaluate nicotine as a novel low-cost and highly-effective, safe treatment option for patients with active pulmonary sarcoidosis. Methods and Design: This is a randomized double-blind controlled trial of adults with confirmed pulmonary sarcoidosis, allocated in equal proportion to sustained release transdermal nicotine or placebo patch. The primary objective outcome is the improvement in forced vital capacity at study week 26 from baseline measurement. Secondary measures include lung texture score, and self-reported outcomes including the Fatigue Assessment Scale, the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, and the Sarcoidosis Assessment Tool. Discussion Current therapies for active pulmonary sarcoidosis, remain either expensive and often with numerous side-effects, as with novel industry developed therapies, or with reduced quality of life, as with corticosteroids. Nicotine therapy provides promise as a safe, available, and cost-effective intervention strategy, which we expect to be acceptable to patients. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02265874.
Photochemistry vs. radiation chemistry of cosmic ice analogs

While gas-phase reactions and surface reactions on bare carbonaceous or siliceous dust grains contribute to cosmic chemistry, the energetic processing of cosmic ices via photochemistry and radiation chemistry is thought to be the dominant mechanism for the cosmic synthesis of prebiotic molecules. Because most previous laboratory astrochemical studies have used light sources that produce >10 eV photons and are, therefore, capable of ionizing cosmic ice analogs, discerning the role of photochemistry vs. radiation chemistry in astrochemistry is challenging. By using a source whose photon energy does not exceed 8 eV, we have studied ammonia and methanol cosmic ice reactions attributable solely to photochemistry. We compare these results to those obtained in the same ultrahigh vacuum chamber with 1 keV electrons which instead initiate radiation chemistry in cosmic ice analogs.
Fast Physical Activity Suggestions: Efficient Hyperparameter Learning in Mobile Health.

Users can be supported to adopt healthy behaviors, such as regular physical activity, via relevant and timely suggestions on their mobile devices. Recently, reinforcement learning algorithms have been found to be effective for learning the optimal context under which to provide suggestions. However, these algorithms are not necessarily designed for the constraints posed by mobile health (mHealth) settings, that they be efficient, domain-informed and computationally affordable. We propose an algorithm for providing physical activity suggestions in mHealth settings. Using domain-science, we formulate a contextual bandit algorithm which makes use of a linear mixed effects model. We then introduce a procedure to efficiently perform hyper-parameter updating, using far less computational resources than competing approaches. Not only is our approach computationally efficient, it is also easily implemented with closed form matrix algebraic updates and we show improvements over state of the art approaches both in speed and accuracy of up to 99% and 56% respectively.
Phase II trial of nivolumab and metformin in patients with treatment refractory microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer.

95Background: Preclinical data suggests metformin can improve immune exhaustion of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and potentiate the effects of PD-1 blockade. By normalizing the hypoxic TME, metfor...
Systemic Infinitesimal Over-dispersion on General Stochastic Graphical Models

Stochastic models of interacting populations have crucial roles in scientific fields such as epidemiology and ecology, yet the standard approach to extending an ordinary differential equation model to a Markov chain does not have sufficient flexibility in the mean-variance relationship to match data (e.g. \cite{bjornstad2001noisy}). A previous theory on time-homogeneous dynamics over a single arrow by \cite{breto2011compound} showed how gamma white noise could be used to construct certain over-dispersed Markov chains, leading to widely used models (e.g. \cite{breto2009time,he2010plug}). In this paper, we define systemic infinitesimal over-dispersion, developing theory and methodology for general time-inhomogeneous stochastic graphical models. Our approach, based on Dirichlet noise, leads to a new class of Markov models over general direct graphs. It is compatible with modern likelihood-based inference methodologies (e.g. \cite{ionides2006inference,ionides2015inference,king2008inapparent}) and therefore we can assess how well the new models fit data. We demonstrate our methodology on a widely analyzed measles dataset, adding Dirichlet noise to a classical SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered) model. We find that the proposed methodology has higher log-likelihood than the gamma white noise approach, and the resulting parameter estimations provide new insights into the over-dispersion of this biological system.
Association of Surprise-Billing Legislation with Prices Paid to In-Network and Out-of-Network Anesthesiologists in California, Florida, and New York: An Economic Analysis.

Importance Several states have passed surprise-billing legislation to protect patients from unanticipated out-of-network medical bills, yet little is known about how state laws influence out-of-network prices and whether spillovers exist to in-network prices. Objective To identify any changes in prices paid to out-of-network anesthesiologists at in-network facilities and to in-network anesthesiologists before and after states passed surprise-billing legislation. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective economic analysis used difference-in-differences methods to compare price changes before and after the passage of legislation in California, Florida, and New York, which passed comprehensive surprise-billing legislation between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2017, to 45 states that did not. Commercial claims data from the Health Care Cost Institute were used to identify prices paid to anesthesiologists in hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery centers. The final analytic sample comprised 2 713 913 anesthesia claims across the 3 treated states and the 45 control states. Exposures Temporal and state-level variation in exposure to surprise-billing legislation. Main Outcomes and Measures The unit price (allowed amounts standardized per unit of service) paid to out-of-network anesthesiologists at in-network facilities and to in-network anesthesiologists. Results This retrospective economic analysis of 2 713 913 anesthesia claims found that after surprise-billing laws were passed in 3 states, the unit price paid to out-of-network anesthesiologists at in-network facilities decreased significantly in 2 of them: California, −$12.71 (95% CI, −$25.70 to −$0.27;P = .05) and Florida, −$35.67 (95% CI, −$46.27 to −$25.07;P Conclusions and Relevance This retrospective study found that prices paid to in-network and out-of-network anesthesiologists in hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery centers decreased after the introduction of surprise-billing legislation, providing early insights into how prices may change under the federal No Surprises Act and in states that have recently passed their own legislation.
Using a Critical Safety Behavior Scoring Tool for Just-in-Time Training for N95 Respirator Use.

BackgroundHistorically, health care workers (HCWs) have exhibited marginal adherence to proper N95 respirator use. During the COVID-19 pandemic, HCWs with little to no prior training on N95 respira...
DRL-TP3: A learning and control framework for signalized intersections with mixed connected automated traffic

Abstract The emerging connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies offer new opportunities for urban signalized intersection management. Through wireless communication and advanced sensing capabilities, CAVs can detect the surrounding traffic environment and share real-time vehicular information with each other and the infrastructure, and individual trajectories of CAVs can be precisely controlled. This paper proposes a real-time learning and control framework for signalized intersection management, which includes both signal optimization and CAV trajectory control. The proposed framework integrates perception, prediction, planning, and optimization components and aims at improving efficiency mixed connected automated traffic in terms of traffic throughput and delay. This framework applies the Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks to implicitly learn traffic patterns and driver behavior and then estimate and predict the microscopic traffic conditions that are only partially observable. Then it utilizes deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to solve signal optimization problems by learning from the dynamic interactions between vehicles and the traffic environment. Under the proposed framework, the vehicular trajectories of CAVs can be controlled to maximize the utilization of the green time and reduce the start-up lost time by using a highly efficient trajectory planning algorithm. The CAV platooning operation, in coordination with traffic signals, is also implemented such that CAVs can pass the intersection efficiently. Simulations are performed at a signalized intersection a signalized intersection with multi-lane approaches, high traffic demand, and standard ring-barrier control, and results show that the proposed DRL-TP3 framework can significantly improve the throughput and reduce the average delay across different CAV market penetration rates (MPRs). We also investigate the impacts of different sensor capabilities of unobservable vehicle estimation and implementation of a lane change prohibition zone under the DRL-TP3 framework.
A parametric modeling of adult body shape in a supported seated posture including effects of age.

Statistical body shape models (SBSM) provide compact, flexible representations of body shape that can be implemented in design software. However, few SBSMs have been created to represent adults in supported seated postures that are relevant for the design of seated environments, and none has incorporated the effects of age. This paper presents an SBSM based on surface laser-scan data from 155 U.S. adults. The data were processed to obtain homologous mesh structure and symmetric geometry, and the processed data were statistically analysed using principal component analysis to obtain a compact representation of the data variance. Regression analysis was conducted to predict body size and shape from stature, body mass index, ratio of sitting height to stature, sex, and age. The resulting model allows rapid generation of realistic body models for applications, including product design, accommodation assessment, and safety system optimisation. The model is publicly accessible at HumanShape.org. Practitioner summary: This paper presents a statistical model that represents adult body shapes in a supported seated posture based on 3 D anthropometric measurements. This model is the first whole-body parametric model known to incorporate age effects based on data extending beyond 65 years of age.
Mechanisms of Blood–Retinal Barrier Breakdown in Diabetic Retinopathy

The consequences of the currently growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes would soon debilitate the public health (Epidemiol Rev 29:6–28, 2007), unless new ways are rapidly found for prevention or therapy of the various complications of the disease.
Generation of control and data flow graphs from scheduled and pipelined assembly code

High-level synthesis tools generally convert abstract designs described in a high-level language into a control and data flow graph (CDFG), which is then optimized and mapped to hardware. However, there has been little work on generating CDFGs from highly pipelined software binaries, which complicate the problem of determining data flow propagation and dependencies. This paper presents a methodology for generating CDFGs from highly pipelined and scheduled assembly code that correctly represents the data dependencies and propagation of data through the program control flow. This process consists of three stages: generating a control flow graph, linearizing the assembly code, and generating the data flow graph. The proposed methodology was implemented in the FREEDOM compiler and tested on 8 highly pipelined software binaries. Results indicate that data dependencies were correctly identified in the designs, allowing the compiler to perform complex optimizations to reduce clock cycles.
Diet and body condition of spectacled eiders wintering in pack ice of the Bering Sea

Spectacled eiders (Somateria fischeri) winter among leads in the Bering Sea pack ice, where they dive 40–70 m for benthic prey. During the first icebreaker cruises into that area, esophagi of collected eiders contained only clams, mostly Nuculana radiata, with no trace of the once-dominant Macoma calcarea. Alternative prey used elsewhere (snails, amphipods, other bivalves) were available but not eaten. Eiders ate mainly N. radiata 18–24 mm long, although M. calcarea of this length contained 62% more energy. Percent body lipid of eiders averaged 12±3% (SD) for 26 adult males and 14±3% for 12 adult females. Mean body mass (±SE) of these males in late March (1,688±21 g) was higher than reported for 53 males after arriving at breeding areas in late May (1,494±14 g). Body mass of these females (1,550±35 g) was lower (but not significantly) than reported for 11 females upon arrival at breeding sites (1,623±46 g). In 1999, the last spectacled eiders left the wintering area on 21 April, 4–8 weeks before their typical arrival at breeding sites. Their location is unknown in the interim, when habitats used appear critical to acquiring reserves for reproduction.
Post-Soviet Trauma in the Nordic Imagination: Occupation and Sex Trafficking in Purge and Lilya 4-Ever

The traumas of the twentieth century affected the development of trauma narrative in literature and cinema. Much of the trauma theory in different disciplines developed largely from the Holocaust literature as well as from gender-based violence. The criticism of many examples in contemporary trauma theory has been that they are applicable only to Western countries and do not take into account the difficult transitions between the non-Western and Western world. The countries that had gone through a brutal occupation of the Soviet Union also experienced the trauma of transformation, as whole societies turned into post-Soviet nations next to the developed Nordic/Western states. This article will examine the representations of trauma in Sofi Oksanen’s fictional narrative Purge ( Puhdistus , 2008) and Lukas Moodysson’s cinematic narrative Lilya 4-Ever ( Lilja 4-ever , Sweden/Denmark, 2002) and offer an analysis of the trauma of transitions in the borderland between the post-Soviet and Nordic countries. Both Oksanen and Moodysson, as observers from the Nordic countries (Finland and Sweden respectively), have chosen to depict the post-Soviet trauma through a female body which is trapped in forced prostitution in Western Europe or Scandinavia and her emotions and reactions to her trauma. This article will argue that both authors contribute to the post-Cold War discourse that discusses the cultural borders between “East” and “West”, presenting a trauma of globalisation, drawing attention to unspoken subjects, but also contributing to the existing views of post-Soviet spaces as ruined and traumatising.
Observation of quantum beating at 18.2 THz in Rb by parametric six-wave mixing

Parametric six-wave mixing is observed in Rb and the modulation of 1365 nm signal at 18.2 THz is detected by observing the coherent radiation at 492 nm produced by summing the pump and the signal.
Protein Export from Endoplasmic Reticulum to the Cytosol: In Vitro Methods

Newly synthesized proteins that fail to achieve their proper conformation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are recognized by quality control machinery and degraded by the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. This process is termed ER-associated degradation (ERAD) and is implicated in a large number of inherited and acquired human diseases characterized by aberrant protein folding. Because ubiquitin, ubiquitination machinery and proteasomes are restricted to the cytosol and nucleus, ERAD substrates must be exported from the ER lumen and/or extracted from the ER membrane before or during degradation. In vitro systems that reconstitute ERAD allow detailed mechanisms of ERAD to be studied independently of ongoing protein synthesis and compensatory feedback mechanisms present in cells. Evidence indicates that retrotranslocation (or dislocation) is tightly regulated via parallel pathways that are adapted to various substrates, molecular lesions and cellular needs and stresses. Key concepts: The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) utilizes a stringent quality control machinery for secretory and transmembrane proteins. Misfolded proteins are recognized by the ER quality control components and degraded by the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. ER-associated degradation (ERAD) is a multistep process. Molecular chaperones and lectin-like proteins play key roles in recognizing misfolded proteins. Ubiquitin ligases modify ERAD substrates by covalent attachment of ubiquitin. Two ATPase associated with various cellular activities, p97 and the 19S proteasome subunit, facilitate retrotranslocation of ERAD substrates and delivery to the 20S proteasome. In vitro systems reconstitute complex ERAD processes. Mechanistic details of ERAD are readily amenable to in vitro manipulation and analysis. Keywords: ERAD; cystic fibrosis; CFTR; protein folding disorders; transmembrane protein; ubiquitin-proteasome system
Social Policy and Clinical Social Work Education: Clinicians as Social Policy Practitioners.

Abstract This paper examines several ways in which clinicians can choose to be involved in social policy as extensions of their clinical practice roles. Material related to the situational components of practice, the key concepts of operationalizing, implementing, and promoting change is stressed, as well as the possible role of social science theory in affecting the policy concerns of who gets what and how.
Optimal power flow by linear programming based optimization

Electric utilities in the United States utilize various linear programming techniques to achieve optimal power flow. The authors extend one such technique of linear programming based optimization for optimal power flow. Constraints for the slack bus are introduced and all branch and link flows are taken into account. This automatically puts each bus in the same flow state, thereby optimizing the entire system. Results show that a 220 kV five-bus system convergence within one iteration was achieved with a considerable reduction in CPU time. The technique has been recommended to Florida Power and Light Company's Power System Control Division and has proved successful for a 15 bus system using real-time data. >
Historic preservation by the Department of the Army in the United States

The Department of the Army is responsible for preservation of the historic resources on the approximately 12 million acres of land it controls in the United States. Like all federal departments, the Army must ensure that its activities are in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Currently, there are almost 80 historic places on Army property listed on the National Register. These include individual buildings, structures and sites, as well as districts, containing almost 5000 buildings.
One Package at a Time: The Distributive World City

This article shifts the discourse on globalization and world cities from the commonplaceand dominant foci on finance and advanced producer services to logistics anddistribution, handmaidens of world trade. It focuses on one company (UPS Airlines) andone city (Louisville, Kentucky) in a case study that shows how local economicdevelopment efforts combined with expansion of air-cargo delivery services in thecontext of globalization to transform Louisville into a distributive world city.
Bicyclic peptides. V. Conformation and ion binding of an undeca and a dodeca bicyclic peptide.

The ion binding characteristics of two bicyclic peptides, cyclo(Lys-Pro-Gly-Pro-Gly-Glu-Pro-Gly-Pro-Gly)-cyclo(1e → 6γ) Gly (BCP7) and cyclo(Lys-Pro-Gly-Pro-Gly-Glu-Pro-Gly-Pro-Gly)-cyclo(1e → 6γ) Gly-Gly (BCP8) in a lipophilic solvent, acetonitrile, have been studied using CD and nmr spectroscopy. The data indicate that both BCP7 and BCP8 preferentially bind divalent ions. The nmr data showed that the conformation of both peptides in the free state was an average of many rapidly interconverting conformational states. The nmr titration data for Ca +2 ions with BCP7 and BCP8 indicated that both of these bicyclic peptides bind to calcium ions forming stable 1 : 1 and possibly 1 : 2 Ca +2 :BCP-type complexes. The conformation of the Ca +2 :BCP7 and Ca +2 :BCP8 complexes were similar, with each containing two type I β-turns, one cis X-Pro bond and three trans X-Pro bonds. In the 1 : 1 complex, the Ca +2 ion coordinates to four carbonyl oxygens from the face opposite the bridgehead peptide as well as to two carbonyl oxygens from the interior of the cavity.
Development of an analytical equation for calculation of the blast furnace fuel rate

Analytical expressions are developed for calculating the specific fuel rate and the direct reduction rate for the iron blast furnace process as a function of blast conditions as well as other control parameters for the process. These are relevant for carbonaceous as well as hydrogenaceous gases in the system. The equations are based on an oxygen balance and a heat balance for the bottom half of the furnace, separated from the upper half at the location where equilibrium of the gas phase with wustite and iron is assumed to occur and where the temperatures of the gas and solid streams are approximately equal. The mass and heat balances employed are those which are the basis for the classical Rist diagram. Equations were also derived for the constraints of the Carbon-Direct Reduction (C-DRR) diagram, showing that this diagram and the Rist diagram emphasize different variables of the same model. An interpretation of the constraints operating in the diagrams is also given from the point of view of blast furnace operating practice.
Randomly chosen chaotic maps can give rise to nearly ordered behavior

Abstract Parrondo’s paradox [J.M.R. Parrondo, G.P. Harmer, D. Abbott, New paradoxical games based on Brownian ratchets, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 (2000), 5226–5229] (see also [O.E. Percus, J.K. Percus, Can two wrongs make a right? Coin-tossing games and Parrondo’s paradox, Math. Intelligencer 24 (3) (2002) 68–72]) states that two losing gambling games when combined one after the other (either deterministically or randomly) can result in a winning game: that is, a losing game followed by a losing game = a winning game. Inspired by this paradox, a recent study [J. Almeida, D. Peralta-Salas, M. Romera, Can two chaotic systems give rise to order? Physica D 200 (2005) 124–132] asked an analogous question in discrete time dynamical system: can two chaotic systems give rise to order, namely can they be combined into another dynamical system which does not behave chaotically? Numerical evidence is provided in [J. Almeida, D. Peralta-Salas, M. Romera, Can two chaotic systems give rise to order? Physica D 200 (2005) 124–132] that two chaotic quadratic maps, when composed with each other, create a new dynamical system which has a stable period orbit. The question of what happens in the case of random composition of maps is posed in [J. Almeida, D. Peralta-Salas, M. Romera, Can two chaotic systems give rise to order? Physica D 200 (2005) 124–132] but left unanswered. In this note we present an example of a dynamical system where, at each iteration, a map is chosen in a probabilistic manner from a collection of chaotic maps. The resulting random map is proved to have an infinite absolutely continuous invariant measure (acim) with spikes at two points. From this we show that the dynamics behaves in a nearly ordered manner. When the foregoing maps are applied one after the other, deterministically as in [O.E. Percus, J.K. Percus, Can two wrongs make a right? Coin-tossing games and Parrondo’s paradox, Math. Intelligencer 24 (3) (2002) 68–72], the resulting composed map has a periodic orbit which is stable.
Alcohol increases cigarette smoking: A laboratory demonstration

Most people would agree that a relationship exists between drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, but there is very little empirical evidence demonstrating a direct causal association. Study of the relationship has been hampered by the lack of a simple laboratory methodology. This article describes an efficient experimental paradigm. Fourteen male narcotic addicts in methadone maintenance treatment volunteered to come to the laboratory for two smoking sessions, during which each subject was given either an alcoholic drink or orange juice, followed by three cigarettes at 20-minute intervals. Drinking alcohol significantly increased the amount and rate of smoking. However, not all subjects reacted to alcohol with increased smoking, and we were unable to account for those individual differences. Our finding supports the theory that a direct causal mechanism linking smoking and drinking exists. That link probably has clinical significance, because there is evidence that ex-smokers are at particularly high risk when they drink alcohol.
Zinc-catalyzed sulfur alkylation: insights from protein farnesyltransferase

Zinc metalloenzymes catalyze many important cellular reactions. Recently, the involvement of zinc in the catalysis of alkylation of sulfur groups has gained prominence. Current studies of the zinc metalloenzyme protein farnesyltransferase have shed light on its structure and catalytic mechanism, as well as the general mechanism of zinc-catalyzed sulfur alkylation.
Acute post‐traumatic intraventricular hemorrhage analysis of 25 patients with emphasis on final outcome

A series of 25 patients suffering acute post-traumatic intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) after closed head injury is reviewed. Post-traumatic IVH was associated with other brain lesion in most cases; intracerebral lesions with contusion, subdural hematoma, and epidural hematoma coexisted with post-traumatic IVH in ten, three, and one instance, respectively. In six cases, no CT abnormality other than IVH was noted. The final outcome in this series is poor, only 10 (40%) patients made a functional survival. Four different groups of IVH were proposed according to the CT scan findings: deep nuclei hemorrhage, brain stem injury, white matter hemorrhage and isolated IVH. The group of isolated IVH usually got a good outcome. The abnormal motor response, abnormal pupil reaction and impaired oculocephalic response were reliable parameters for poor prognosis.
Genomic, immunophenotypic, and NPM1/FLT3 mutational studies on 17 patients with normal karyotype acute myeloid leukemia (AML) followed by aberrant karyotype AML at relapse

Normal karyotype (NK) is the most common cytogenetic group in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) diagnosis; however, up to 50% of these patients at relapse will have aberrant karyotype (AK) AML. To determine the etiology of relapsed AK AML cells, we evaluated cytogenetic, immunophenotypic, and molecular results of 17 patients with diagnostic NK AML and relapsed AK AML at our institute. AK AML karyotype was diverse, involving no favorable and largely (8 of 17) complex cytogenetics. Despite clear cytogenetic differences, immunophenotype and NPM1/FLT3 gene mutation status did not change between presentation and relapse in 83% (10 of 12) and 94% (15 of 16) cases, respectively. High-resolution array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) performed via paired aCGH on NK AML and AK AML samples from the same patient confirmed cytogenetic aberrations only in the relapse sample. Analysis of 16 additional diagnostic NK AML samples revealed no evidence of submicroscopic aberrations undetected by conventional cytogenetics in any case. These results favor evolution of NK AML leukemia cells with acquisition of novel genetic changes as the most common etiology of AK AML relapse as opposed to secondary leukemogenesis. Additional studies are needed to confirm whether AK AML cells represent selection of rare preexisting clones below aCGH detection and to further characterize the molecular lesions found at time of AK AML relapse.
Diagnosis and management of nocturnal enuresis.

Purpose of review To highlight recent advances in enuresis research. Recent findings Many discoveries have distanced us from the time when bedwetting was considered a psychiatric disorder. Instead, it is now agreed that nocturnal polyuria, detrusor overactivity, and high arousal thresholds are, in various combinations, central to enuresis pathogenesis. All three mechanisms have been further elucidated during the last year. It has been found that solute diuresis, and not just free-water diuresis due to vasopressin deficiency, may be causative. Sonographical bladder wall measurements have been shown to have prognostic value in detrusor-dependent enuresis, and fascinating proof for the interplay between the bladder and the sleeping brain has been put forward. And, ironically, sleep research has caused psychiatry to make a slight comeback, as studies have indicated that enuretic children may suffer from cognitive problems due to suboptimal sleep. Less has been achieved regarding treatment, but some evidence has finally supported the experience that anticholinergics may be effective in therapy-resistant enuresis. Summary During the last years, increased insight has been gained into the multifaceted pathogenesis of enuresis, but there is still an irritating lack of proven effective therapies.
Postcoital contraception. Has its day come

Although postcoital contraception might aid in reducing the occurrence of some unintended pregnancies, it is seldom used. This review summarizes the development of postcoital methods, focusing on the Yuzpe regimen, the most widely used emergency contraceptive in the United States. The article discusses its mechanism of action, safety, side effects, and effectiveness. Reasons for its limited use are discussed, as are recent findings that RU 486 may be a superior postcoital agent. Finally, a protocol for integrating the Yuzpe method into nurse-midwifery practice is presented.
The relation between phytoplankton and dissolved oxygen in fish ponds

Abstract The relationship between phytoplankton density in fish ponds and the level of dissolved oxygen at dawn is described herein by two mathematical models: an analytical model which predicts the upper limit to oxygen production by phytoplankton, and an empirical model based on data from channel catfish ponds. With both models, intermediate densities of phytoplankton are predicted to produce higher dissolved oxygen concentrations. Sensitivity analysis of the analytical model indicates that the main factors affecting dissolved oxygen concentration at dawn are levels of nonalgal turbidity, total plankton respiration, inorganic nutrient depletion, and algal biomass. Good agreement is obtained between dissolved oxygen concentrations predicted with the two models when parameters in the general model are adjusted to values appropriate for catfish ponds. This analysis suggests that aquaculturists can raise dissolved oxygen levels by increasing algal growth, not necessarily by reducing algal biomass.
Written action plan use in inner-city children: is it independently associated with improved asthma outcomes?

Background Guidelines from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program stipulate that multicomponent self-management interventions for asthma should include a written action plan (WAP). However the specific, independent effect of WAPs in improving outcomes remains unclear. Objective To measure the association between WAP use during the previous year and improved asthma outcomes. Methods We conducted a longitudinal quasi-experimental study using data from the Healthy Homes II (HH-II) randomized controlled trial in Seattle, WA. Action plan use during the previous year was measured at exit of HH-II. A participant was a WAP user if he used his action plan every day, almost every day, or once per week, and non-user if he did not meet these criteria. Sensitivity analyses explored less stringent criteria for WAP user designation. Prespecified outcomes were baseline-to-exit changes in asthma control in the previous 2 weeks, Pediatric Asthma Caregiver Quality of Life Scale score, and urgent health services utilization. We used robust linear and logistic regression to compare outcomes across groups. Results Two hundred fifty-one patients participated: 112 WAP users; 139 non-users. After adjustment, no significant differences in outcomes were observed between WAP users and non-users. Among a subgroup of participants with recent urgent health services utilization, WAP users had better asthma control than non-users. Changing WAP user criteria to include those who simply owned an action plan, irrespective of use, did not alter our results. Conclusion WAP use during the previous year was not associated with improved outcomes compared with non-use. Additional studies are needed to assess the long-term, independent benefit of this universally recommended intervention.
Family Trends and Transracial Adoption in the United States

Several demographic trends have changed family formation in the United States resulting in fewer babies being made available for adoption. At the same time the number of transracial adoptions appears to be increasing. We use the 5% Public Use Microdata Sample of the 2000 census and the National Survey of Adoptive Parents to examine the social and demographic characteristics of those who adopt transracially. Transracial adoption of Hispanic and Asian children, but not Black children, is associated with higher income and education levels. It is less likely in the South, but more likely among those who have had military experience.
Genetic control of RAV-0 production in chickens

Abstract Progeny of backcross and second backcross matings of a RAV-0-producing line to a line producing RAV-0 at a low frequency were assayed for RAV-0 production. The data agreed with the hypothesis that the producing line was homozygous for an autosomaldominant gene controlling RAV-0 production. A second line was crossed and backcrossed to the low-producing line, and the frequency of RAV-0 production by the progeny also agreed with the single-dominant gene hypothesis. However, when the two producing lines were crossed and their F 1 progeny were mated to the low-producing line, 80% of the progeny produced RAV-0. This deviation from the expected of 100%, assuming that the two lines were homozygous at the same locus, suggested that the RAV-0-controlling genes were at different loci in the two lines. An alternative hypothesis, which supposes that the negative tester line carries a defective provirus which is complemented by recessive, alleles from either positive line also is suggested.
Indonesian Pesantren and Community Social Change: Moderate Islam's Use of Media and Technology as Tools for Community Engagement

Abstract: This article explores the use of media and technology by Indonesian Islamic schools or pesantren in non-formal, community-based educational initiatives to bring about social change. Interviews with ten pesantren leaders were conducted in order to better understand their perceptions on how their schools have used media and technology in response to reports of pesantren involvement in terrorist activities. The findings suggest that while these leaders are conscious of the image linking pesantren with radical Islamic teachings, they have responded to these critiques through the adoption of technology as a tool for educating the broader local community.
Cost analysis of laparoscopic gastric bypass practice using current Medicare reimbursement and practice costs

Abstract Background We performed a formal cost analysis of a hypothetical bariatric practice consisting of a surgeon, dietitian, clinical coordinator/office manager, receptionist, and certified medical assistant to determine whether a bariatric practice would have a difficult time surviving financially with the current Medicare reimbursement. Methods The number of possible cases was calculated for the 2005 calendar year. Most of the costs and assumptions were taken from an actual bariatric practice. The malpractice insurance premium (but not physician salary and benefits) was calculated into the practice cost. Results With a total of 231 days available for clinical work in 2005, 300 scheduled laparoscopic gastric bypasses could have been performed to allow for appropriate clinic time for new patient visits, postoperative visits, and annual visits. The total reimbursement from Medicare would have been $516,158, with most of the reimbursement coming from procedure fees ($407,063). The total practice cost would have been $444,592. Most of the costs were clinic staff salary and benefits ($207,065) and the malpractice premium ($55,150). The net difference of $71,566 was left to pay the salary and benefits of the bariatric surgeon. Conclusion The low reimbursement of Medicare for laparoscopic gastric bypass threatens the financial viability of a bariatric surgery practice. With the increasing cost of malpractice and the threatened decrease in Medicare physician reimbursement, Medicare recipients could see a decrease in the number of bariatric surgeons offering them service.
Genetic and synteny mapping of parathyroid hormone and beta hemoglobin in cattle

Parathyroid hormone and the beta hemoglobin gene cluster, which are closely linked on human chromosome 11p15, were localized to bovine syntenic group (U7) with the gene for catalase by the use of bovine × hamster hybrid somatic cells. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were followed through informative pedigrees to determine a linkage map distance of 15.6±5.4 cM between the parathyroid hormone and hemoglobin genes. Allelic frequencies of the DNA fragment were compared in a small sampling of cattle from five different breeds.
MedCase: a template medical case store for case-based reasoning in medical decision support

The early development of medical decision support systems (appeared as expert systems (ES)) mainly focused on, among others, rule-based reasoning (RBR) and decision table/tree (DT) methods as problem solving strategies. These efforts were novel at the time; however, as these methodologies applied to more complex situations, the construction of knowledge base (e.g. rules, cases and 'models') for specific problem solving tasks becomes difficult and time consuming. Remedies to these difficulties have been sought, aiming at better knowledge modeling, knowledge acquisition, and extending the problem solving paradigm to distributed architectures. Alternatively, case-based reasoning (CBR) provides a different problem solving paradigm. In CBR, the knowledge is seen as cases that contain explicit and implicit aspects of the knowledge for solving a problem. The CBR methodology works in a practical way, and the reasoning is based on recalled knowledge memory of solved cases. To alleviate the difficulty of knowledge (case) acquisition and construction, this paper presents a design of a template case store, called MedCase. MedCase utilizes the semantic web technologies and supports a distributed CBR system architecture. MedCase promotes an open and accessible architecture for common CBR tasks in a virtual Healthcare Enterprise environment. MedCase will also allow the construction and sharing of cases that facilitate the development of distributed CBR-based medical decision support systems.
Type I Interferon Programs Innate Myeloid Dynamics and Gene Expression in the Virally Infected Nervous System

Viral infections of central nervous system (CNS) often trigger inflammatory responses that give rise to a wide range of pathological outcomes. The CNS is equipped with an elaborate network of innate immune sentinels (e.g. microglia, macrophages, dendritic cells) that routinely serve as first responders to these infections. The mechanisms that underlie the dynamic programming of these cells following CNS viral infection remain undefined. To gain insights into this programming, we utilized a combination of genomic and two-photon imaging approaches to study a pure innate immune response to a noncytopathic virus (lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus) as it established persistence in the brain. This enabled us to evaluate how global gene expression patterns were translated into myeloid cell dynamics following infection. Two-photon imaging studies revealed that innate myeloid cells mounted a vigorous early response to viral infection characterized by enhanced vascular patrolling and a complete morphological transformation. Interestingly, innate immune activity subsided over time and returned to a quasi-normal state as the virus established widespread persistence in the brain. At the genomic level, early myeloid cell dynamics were associated with massive changes in CNS gene expression, most of which declined over time and were linked to type I interferon signaling (IFN-I). Surprisingly, in the absence of IFN-I signaling, almost no differential gene expression was observed in the nervous system despite increased viral loads. In addition, two-photon imaging studies revealed that IFN-I receptor deficient myeloid cells were unresponsive to viral infection and remained in a naive state. These data demonstrate that IFN-I engages non-redundant programming responsible for nearly all innate immune activity in the brain following a noncytopathic viral infection. This Achilles' heel could explain why so many neurotropic viruses have acquired strategies to suppress IFN-I.
A simple quantum eraser

Abstract An optical two-slit experiment with a vertical polaroid placed before one slit and a horizontal polaroid before the other one will not display interference because the path through each slit is labeled by orthogonal states of polarization. The lebel may be removed and the interference restored by placing a polaroid oriented at 45° with respect to the vertical somewhere between the two-slit screen and the detection screen. This result has important implications for the conceptual structure of quantum mechanics.
Interaction Between Warfarin and Cranberry Juice

Warfarin is extensively used for anticoagulation to a target international normalized ratio of 2.0-3.0 for most indications or 2.5-3.5 for high-risk indications; however, many drugs and dietary supplements induce fluctuations in the international normalized ratio. Such fluctuations may lead to therapeutic failure or bleeding complications. Cranberry juice is increasingly used for the prevention and adjunctive treatment of urinary tract infections. The United Kingdom's Committee on Safety of Medicines has alerted clinicians to a potential interaction between warfarin and cranberry juice and has advised that patients avoid their concurrent use. Review and analysis of the literature revealed that ingestion of large volumes of cranberry juice destabilize warfarin therapy. Small amounts of juice are not expected to cause such an interaction. Clinicians should be aware of this potential interaction and monitor and counsel patients accordingly.
Optimal illumination for image and video relighting

It has been shown in the literature that image-based relighting of scenes with unknown geometry can be achieved through linear combinations of a set of pre-acquired reference images. Since the placement and brightness of the light sources can be controlled, it is natural to ask: what is the optimal way to illuminate the scene to reduce the number of reference images that are needed? We show that the best way to light the scene (i.e., the way that minimizes the number of reference images) is not using a sequence of single, compact light sources as is most commonly done, but rather to use a sequence of lighting patterns as given by an object-dependent lighting basis. While this lighting basis, which we call the optimal lighting basis (OLB), depends on camera and scene properties, we show that it can be determined as a simple calibration procedure before acquisition. We demonstrate through experiments on real and synthetic data that the optimal lighting basis significantly reduces the number of reference images that are needed to achieve a desired level of accuracy in the relit images. This reduction in the number of needed images is particularly critical in the problem of relighting in video, as corresponding points on moving objects must be aligned from frame to frame during each cycle of the lighting basis. We show, however, that the efficiencies gained by the optimal lighting basis makes relighting in video possible using only a simple optical flow alignment. We present several relighting results on real video sequences of moving objects, moving faces, and scenes containing both. In each case, although a single video clip was captured, we are able to relight again and again, controlling the lighting direction, extent, and color.