cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of HDAC9 in γ-Globin Gene Regulation.

Abstract 4074 Poster Board III-1009 Strategies to induce fetal hemoglobin (HbF) synthesis for the treatment of β-hemoglobinopathies will likely involve chromatin modification in the presence of histone deacetylase (HDAC)/protein complexes to promote γ-globin gene activation. The role of various HDACs in globin transcription is not very well understood therefore, the objective of our study was to identify HDACs involved in γ-gene regulation. Screening studies were performed in K562 erythroleukemia cells to determine transcription levels for HDAC genes in the absence or presence of HbF induction. Treatment with butyrate (2mM), trichostatin A (0.5μM) and the non-HDAC inhibitor control hemin (50μM) significantly reduced mRNA levels of HDAC9 and its splice variant HDRP (histone deacetylase related protein) lending indirect evidence for their involvement in drug-mediated γ-globin regulation. Subsequent studies were performed to delineate whether HDAC9 can directly modulate γ-globin gene transcription since a role for HDAC9 in hematopoiesis has been previously demonstrated. Furthermore, consensus binding sites for GATA-1 are present in the HDAC9 gene proximal promoter. Initially, we performed siRNA knockdown using Oligofectamine (Invitrogen) in K562 cells and measured γ-globin levels by real time quantitative PCR analysis. Treatment with siHDAC9 (Dharmacon) produced dose-dependent γ-globin gene silencing over an 80-320nM range; control siRNA molecules had no effect. When HDAC9 was over-expressed in K562 cells using pTarT-HDAC9 at 10-50μg concentrations, a dose dependent 2.5-fold increase in γ-globin mRNA (p 50%. Collectively these data support a positive role for HDAC9 in γ-globin regulation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays will be completed to elucidate the contribution of HDAC9 in maintaining an active chromatin domain in the γ-globin promoter. We will also define interactions of GATA-1 in the HDAC9 gene to coordinate expression during erythroid maturation. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Practice Patterns and Outcomes Associated With Procalcitonin Use in Critically Ill Patients With Sepsis.

Background. Randomized trials support use of procalcitonin (PCT)-based algorithms to decrease duration of antibiotics for critically ill patients with sepsis. However, current use of PCT and associated outcomes in real-world clinical settings is unclear. We sought to determine PCT use in critically ill patients with sepsis in the United States and to examine associations between PCT use and clinical outcomes. Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study of approximately 20% of patients with sepsis hospitalized in US intensive care units. Hierarchical regression models were used to determine associations of PCT use with outcomes (antibiotic-days, incidence of Clostridium difficile infection, and in-hospital mortality). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess robustness of findings to different methods used to address unmeasured confounding (eg, instrumental variable, difference-in-differences analyses). Results. Among 20750 critically ill patients with sepsis in 107 hospitals with PCT available, 3769 (18%) patients had PCT levels checked; 1119 (29.7%) had serial PCT measurements. PCT use was associated with increased antibiotic-days (adjusted relative risk, 1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.18) and incidence of C. difficile (adjusted odds ratio, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.09-1.85) without a change in mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.93-1.19). Analysis of PCT use by instrumental variable and difference-in-difference analyses showed similar lack of antibiotic or outcome improvements associated with PCT use. Conclusions. PCT use was not associated with improved antibiotic use or other clinical outcomes in real-world settings. Programs to improve implementation of PCT-based strategies are warranted prior to widespread adoption.
Duodenal perforation by an inferior vena cava filter.

A woman aged 47 years presented to the emergency department with symptoms of fever, sudden-onset severe stabbing epigastric pain accompanied by nausea and non-bloody vomiting emesis. The patient had a medical history of recurrent abdominal pain and reflux which was treated with proton pump inhibitors. Owing to recurrent deep vein thrombosis and contraindications to anticoagulants, an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter was implanted 20 years prior. CT scan revealed IVC filter with prongs in the duodenum. Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a metallic foreign body projecting through the posterior wall of the duodenum, into the lumen, with surrounding erythema and oedema with minimal bleeding at the site of perforation (figure 1). Figure 1 Upper …
Chevrons, filaments, spinning clusters and phase coexistence: emergent dynamics of 2- and 3-d particle suspensions driven by multiaxial magnetic fields

In recent years a rich variety of emergent phenomena have been observed when suspensions of magnetic particles are subjected to alternating magnetic fields. These particle assemblies often exhibit vigorous dynamics due to the injection of energy from the field. These assemblies include surface and interface phenomena, such as highly organized, segmented “snakes” that can be induced to swim by structural symmetry breaking, and “asters” and “anti-asters,” particle assemblies that can be manipulated to capture and transport cargo. In bulk suspensions of magnetic platelets subjected to multiaxial alternating fields, advection lattices and even vortex lattices have been created, and a variety of biomimetic dynamics – serpents, bees and amoebas – have been discovered in magnetic fluids suspended in an immiscible liquid. In this paper several new driven phases are presented, including flying chevrons, dense spinning clusters, filaments, and examples of phase coexistence in driven phases. These observations broaden the growing field of driven magnetic suspensions and present new challenges to those interested in simulating the dynamics of these complex systems.
Advances and Obstacles in the Genetic Dissection of Chlamydial Virulence

Obligate intracellular pathogens in the family Chlamydiaceae infect taxonomically diverse eukaryotes ranging from amoebae to mammals. However, many fundamental aspects of chlamydial cell biology and pathogenesis remain poorly understood. Genetic dissection of chlamydial biology has historically been hampered by a lack of genetic tools. Exploitation of the ability of chlamydia to recombine genomic material by lateral gene transfer (LGT) ushered in a new era in chlamydia research. With methods to map mutations in place, genetic screens were able to assign functions and phenotypes to specific chlamydial genes. Development of an approach for stable transformation of chlamydia also provided a mechanism for gene delivery and platforms for disrupting chromosomal genes. Here, we explore how these and other tools have been used to test hypotheses concerning the functions of known chlamydial virulence factors and discover the functions of completely uncharacterized genes. Refinement and extension of the existing genetic tools to additional Chlamydia spp. will substantially advance understanding of the biology and pathogenesis of this important group of pathogens.
Correction to: A primer on nerve agents: what the emergency responder, anesthesiologist, and intensivist needs to know.

In the article entitled: “A primer on nerve agents: what the emergency responder, anesthesiologist, and intensivist needs to know” published in the October 2017 issue of the Journal, Can J Anesth 2017; 64: 1059-1070, two doses in Table 3 contained errors and have now been corrected (and highlighted in bold) in the revised table herein. In the table on page 1064, next to “Pralidoxime/Obidoxime/HI-6”, the second column should read: “Pralidoxime- Mild cases: 1-2 g iv over 5-10 min or im”. Also in the same row, the third column should read: “Individual doses should not exceed 2 g”. The publisher apologizes most sincerely for this error.
Nondestructive, indirect assessment of the biomechanical properties of the rat intervertebral disc using contrast-enhanced μCT.

Mechanical characterization of the intervertebral disc involves labor-intensive and destructive experimental methodology. Contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography is a nondestructive imaging modality for high-resolution visualization and glycosaminoglycan quantification of cartilaginous tissues. The purpose of this study was to determine whether anionic and cationic contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography of the intervertebral disc can be used to indirectly assess disc mechanical properties in an ex vivo model of disc degeneration. L3/L4 motion segments were dissected from female Lewis rats. To deplete glycosaminoglycan, samples were treated with 0 U/ml (Control) or 5 U/ml papain. Contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography was performed following incubation in 40% Hexabrix (anionic) or 30 mg I/ml CA4+ (cationic) for 24 h (n = 10/contrast agent/digestion group). Motion segments underwent cyclic mechanical testing to determine compressive and tensile modulus, stiffness, and hysteresis. Glycosaminoglycan content was determined using the dimethylmethylene blue assay. Correlations between glycosaminoglycan content, contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography attenuation, and mechanical properties were assessed via the Pearson correlation. The predictive accuracy of attenuation on compressive properties was assessed via repeated random sub-sampling cross validation. Papain digestion produced significant decreases in glycosaminoglycan content and corresponding differences in attenuation and mechanical properties. Attenuation correlated significantly to glycosaminoglycan content and to all compressive mechanical properties using both Hexabrix and CA4+ . Predictive linear regression models demonstrated a predictive accuracy of attenuation on compressive modulus and stiffness of 79.8-86.0%. Contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography was highly predictive of compressive mechanical properties in an ex vivo simulation of disc degeneration and may represent an effective modality for indirectly assessing disc compressive properties. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:2030-2038, 2018.
Examining the possible impact of daily transport on depression among older adults using an agent-based model.

Objectives: Daily transport may impact depression risk among older adults through several pathways including facilitating the ability to meet basic needs, enabling and promoting contact with other ...
Operational Paradoxes: Vouchers and Catholic Elementary Schools

This article presents the results of a study of teacher education practices at 80 Catholic colleges and universities. The impetus for this work was the many Church documents in support of Catholic schools and the cooperative work of diocesan superintendents and educational leaders in the matter of teacher education. The goal of the study was to investigate questions fundamental to the role of Catholic higher education in the preparation of teachers: From where will the next generation of teachers to serve Catholic schools come? How does the preparation of teachers in Catholic institutions of higher education relate to the unique opportunities Catholic schools afford their communities? Do these programs serve Catholic schools? Given the dearth of research and professional literature specific to these questions, the study and data analysis were exploratory with the goal of identifying themes and issues for continued The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in support of the constitutionality of the Cleveland voucher program. Will urban Catholic schools soon become filled with voucher students? Catholic school leaders have some important decisions to face, decisions which can be clarified by taking a historical view. research, dialogue, and professional action.
Inhomogeneous Lévy Processes in Lie Groups

Inhomogeneous Levy processes in topological groups, defined by independent increments, were introduced in § 1.4. More useful representation of these processes may be obtained on a Lie group G. The main purpose of this chapter is to present a martingale representation, which characterizes an inhomogeneous Levy process in a Lie group by a triple (b, A, η) of a deterministic path bt in G, called a drift, a matrix function A(t) and a measure function η(t, ⋅), in close analogy with the representation of a homogeneous Levy process.
STRUCTURAL MODELS AND GRAPH THEORY

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses structural models and graph theory. A structural model is a mathematical model for an empirical situation, which utilizes some aspect of graph theory, implicitly or explicitly. The realm of research activity is naturally divided into two worlds— the abstract and the empirical. The abstract world is generally regarded as the domain of the mathematician, logician, or purely theoretical physicist, while the empirical world is inhabited by experimental scientist of many varieties—physical, social, and others. In a confrontation between these two worlds, the mathematician's theorems become predictions about the real world, which can be tested by the scientist. If the predictions are entirely incorrect, the model cannot be used. The lower level of the abstract world deals with the foundations of mathematics, axioms, and logic. The chapter describes a few graph theoretic models in the social sciences and the theorems stemming from them. A connected functional digraph consists of exactly one directed cycle, together with a rooted tree oriented toward each point of the cycle.
Case management. A means to improve quality and control the costs of cure in children with acute myelogenous leukemia.

UNLABELLED Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a costly disease to treat, as patients experience many hospital stays secondary to chemotherapy, the side effects of treatment, and bone marrow transplantation. The trend for some medical centers has been to reduce costs and increase quality through case management. The case manager uses critical pathways and one-on-one interaction to facilitate the patients' progress through the hospital system and to decrease delays and duplication. CONCLUSION Case management and critical pathways could become an indispensable tool for the management of pediatric patients with cancer.
Collisionless relaxation of the ion ring distribution in space plasma

Abstract Energetic processes often produce transversely-heated angular distributions of the magnetized core (lowest energy) plasma. This characteristic is found in solar wind ion pickup, resulting from cometary or interstellar gas ionization, in Earths’ ionosphere, and with hot ions formed around the Space Transportation System during gas releases. We investigate the thermalization of O+ ion pickup using the 2.5D hybrid simulation method (with fluid electrons and kinetic ions) of the ion pickup (ring) distributions, formed in the auroral ionosphere, with a range of ring velocities and thermal to magnetic pressure ratios. We find that in the unstable collisonless regime the anisotropy of the non-thermal distribution produces the ion-cyclotron instability, and the nonlinear relaxation is accompanied by wave-particle scattering that results in an emitted power of EMIC waves. We conclude that ionospheric pickup thermalization is slow due to the small ring speed compared to the thermal and Alfven speeds, while in the solar wind and other space plasmas regions with larger ion-ring velocity the collisionless relaxation and thermalization is rapid in terms of O+ ion gyro-period.
The Pernicious Effects of Compression Plagiarism on Scholarly Argumentation

Despite an increased recognition that plagiarism in published research can take many forms, current typologies of plagiarism are far from complete. One under-recognized variety of plagiarism—designated here as compression plagiarism—consists of the distillation of a lengthy scholarly text into a short one, followed by the publication of the short one under a new name with inadequate credit to the original author. In typical cases, compression plagiarism is invisible to unsuspecting readers and immune to anti-plagiarism software. The persistence of uncorrected instances of plagiarism in all its forms—including compression plagiarism—in the body of published research literature has deleterious consequences for the reliability of scholarly communication. Not the least of these problems is that original authors are denied credit for their discoveries. When unsuspecting researchers read articles that are the products of plagiarism, they unwittingly engage the arguments of hidden original authors through the proxy of plagiarists. Furthermore, when these researchers later publish responses to the plagiarizing articles, not knowing they are engaging products of plagiarism, they create additional inefficiencies and redundancies in the body of published research. This article analyzes a suspected instance of compression plagiarism that appeared within the pages of this journal and considers the particular ways in which plagiarism of this variety weakens the quality of scholarly argumentation, with special attention paid to the field of philosophy.
Dual Versus Never Use of E-Cigarettes Among American Indians Who Smoke.

Introduction Many American Indian communities have a high prevalence of smoking and e-cigarette use, but factors associated with their dual use are rarely studied. Methods In 2016, a total of 375 American Indian adults who smoke completed paper surveys regarding cigarette and e-cigarette use and provided saliva for cotinine levels. In 2018, cross-sectional analyses were performed, comparing dual users (12%), defined as using e-cigarettes on some or every day for the past 30 days, with never users of e-cigarettes (37%). Results Compared with never users, dual users were younger, more often reported history of depression (56% and 29%, respectively; p Conclusions Dual users perceived e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes and more as cessation aids than cigarette-only users did, but cigarette consumption did not differ between groups. Whether e-cigarettes will reduce smoking-related disparities among American Indian people remains undetermined.
Exploring Relational and Parental Factors for Permanency Outcomes of Children in Care

This research examined the impact of individual and relational characteristics of foster parents on permanency outcomes for children in care. Previous research has focused on child and case charact...
Troubleshooting distributed data analytics systems

Data analytics applications are deployed on large-scale distributed systems. In order to ensure high performance, troubleshooting for such applications and underlying systems is critical. In this thesis, we focus on efficient log analysis for troubleshooting distributed data analytics systems. We made the following contributions. 1) We designed a tool that collects logs and resource metrics of distributed data analytics systems to facilitate troubleshooting processes. 2) We designed a log analysis tool that is able to extract semantic meaning from logs and automatically report potential anomalies by leveraging natural language processing approaches.
The Impact of Proton-Induced Single Events on Image Classification in a Neuromorphic Computing Architecture

Neuromorphic computing endeavors to imitate the way biological brains process information and solve problems. Uses for neuromorphic computing span disciplines and include applications in image processing, audio processing, optimization, and more. This work explores the effect of proton-induced single-event upsets (SEUs) on a neuromorphic computing architecture engaged in image recognition. Two main results are found. One, the overall classification accuracy is unchanged although a high number of hidden, tolerable errors occurred. Additionally, SEUs are found to alter the relative occurrence of false positives and false negatives, which occurred despite the overall classification accuracy remaining unaffected.
Metrics to gauge the success of a manufacturing ontology

Abstract Ontologies are structures of concepts that define a high-level representation of a system or area. They can serve as a foundational understanding for developing or integrating software representations of said system. And while the construction of can be a complex, multi-party exercise, the assessment of ontologies is often defined less on usage and more on completeness and coverage. In manufacturing, ontology development ranges from supply chain to production to design. Owing to the computer science foundations of ontology design and representation, the value or quality of an ontology can be assessed on notions of completeness and coverage. Recently, researchers have posited that usage should factor into the Ontology Lifecycle. Similar to how the market, and not technology, defines the success of a product or technology, this paper will examine how utilization of an ontology can define the value or quality of the ontology
Investigating genes and pathways that play a role in immune responses mediated by anti-CTLA-4 therapy.

2520^ Background: Blockade of the inhibitory T cell molecule CTLA-4 with a monoclonal antibody has led to enhanced anti-tumor immune responses and clinical benefit. Ipilimumab, an anti-CTLA-4 antib...
Thromboembolic Risk of C1 Esterase Inhibitors: A Systematic Review on Current Evidence.

The exact risk of developing a thromboembolic event (TEE) while using complement 1 esterase inhibitors (C1-INHs) is currently undetermined for patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE). This system...
Architecture Agnostic Neural Networks

In this paper, we explore an alternate method for synthesizing neural network architectures, inspired by the brain's stochastic synaptic pruning. During a person’s lifetime, numerous distinct neuronal architectures are responsible for performing the same tasks. This indicates that biological neural networks are, to some degree, architecture agnostic. However, artificial networks rely on their fine-tuned weights and hand-crafted architectures for their remarkable performance. This contrast begs the question: Can we build artificial architecture agnostic neural networks? To ground this study we utilize sparse, binary neural networks that parallel the brain’s circuits. Within this sparse, binary paradigm we sample many binary architectures to create families of architecture agnostic neural networks not trained via backpropagation. These high-performing network families share the same sparsity, distribution of binary weights, and succeed in both static and dynamic tasks. In summation, we create an architecture manifold search procedure to discover families of architecture agnostic neural networks.
An engineering perspective on the development and evolution of implantable cardiac monitors in free-living animals

The latest technologies associated with implantable physiological monitoring devices can record multiple channels of data (including: heart rates and rhythms, activity, temperature, impedance and p...
Targeting whole body metabolism and mitochondrial bioenergetics in the drug development for Alzheimer's disease

Abstract Aging is by far the most prominent risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and both aging and AD are associated with apparent metabolic alterations. As developing effective therapeutic interventions to treat AD is clearly in urgent need, the impact of modulating whole-body and intracellular metabolism in preclinical models and in human patients, on disease pathogenesis, have been explored. There is also an increasing awareness of differential risk and potential targeting strategies related to biological sex, microbiome, and circadian regulation. As a major part of intracellular metabolism, mitochondrial bioenergetics, mitochondrial quality-control mechanisms, and mitochondria-linked inflammatory responses have been considered for AD therapeutic interventions. This review summarizes and highlights these efforts.
xbx-4, a homolog of the Joubert syndrome gene FAM149B1, acts via the CCRK and RCK kinase cascade to regulate cilia morphology.

Summary Primary cilia are microtubule (MT)-based organelles that mediate sensory functions in multiple cell types. Disruption of cilia structure or function leads to a diverse collection of diseases termed ciliopathies. 1 , 2 , 3 The highly conserved CCRK and RCK kinases (ICK/MOK/MAK) negatively regulate cilia length and structure in Chlamydomonas, C. elegans, and mammalian cells. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 How the activity of this kinase cascade is tuned to precisely regulate cilia architecture is unclear. Mutations in the Domain of Unknown Function 3719 (DUF3719)-containing protein FAM149B1 have recently been shown to elongate cilia via unknown mechanisms and result in the ciliopathy Joubert syndrome. 11 Here we identify XBX-4, a DUF3719-containing protein related to human FAM149B1, as a regulator of the DYF-18 CCRK and DYF-5 MAK kinase pathway in C. elegans. As in dyf-18 and dyf-5 mutants, 10 sensory neuron cilia are elongated in xbx-4 mutants and exhibit stabilized axonemal MTs. XBX-4 promotes DYF-18 CCRK function to regulate localization and function of DYF-5 MAK. We find that Joubert syndrome-associated mutations in the XBX-4 DUF3719 domain also elongate cilia in C. elegans. Our results identify a new metazoan-specific regulator of this highly conserved kinase pathway and suggest that FAM149B1 may similarly act via the CCRK/RCK kinase pathway to regulate ciliary homeostasis in humans.
The myosin filament. V. Intermediate voltage electron microscopy and optical diffraction studies of the substructure.

Abstract Using a 200 kV electron microscope (JEM 200 A), thick (up to 0.4 μm) crosssections of the myosin filaments of vertebrate striated muscle were studied. It was found that: (a) with increasing section thickness the cross-sectional profiles of the shaft of the filament were increasingly more triangular and in sections 0.4 μm thick each apex of the triangle was clearly blunted. This unique cross-sectional profile is predicted by the model proposed by Pepe (1966,1967) in which 12 parallel structural units are packed to form a triangular profile with a structural unit missing at each apex of the triangle. (b) With increasing section thickness the substructure of the myosin filament was enhanced, with the best substructure visible in sections 0.2 μm to 0.3 μm thick. This strongly supports parallel alignment of structural units in the shaft of the filament as proposed by Pepe (1966,1967). (c) The substructure spacing, determined by optical diffraction from electron micrographs of cross-sections of individual myosin filaments or groups of filaments is about 4 nm. (d) The different optical diffraction patterns observed from individual myosin filaments can be explained if the projection of each structural unit in the plane of the section has an elongated profile. With a substructure spacing of 4 nm an elongated cross-sectional profile could be produced by having two myosin molecules per structural unit. Models drawn with two myosin molecules per structural unit in the model proposed by Pepe (1966,1967) gave optical diffraction patterns similar to those observed from individual filaments. (e) The different optical diffraction patterns observed from individual myosin filaments can be explained if the elongated profiles in each structural unit are similarly oriented but with the orientation changing along the length of the filament. The change in orientation per unit length of the filament must be small enough to maintain an elongated profile for the projection of the structural unit in the plane of the sections 0.3 μm thick. All of these observations and conclusions strongly support the model for the myosin filament proposed by Pepe (1966,1967).
Further trial of a cytologic method for selecting either radiation or radical operation in the primary treatment of cervical cancer: Experience with 264 consecutively treated patients

Abstract Employing vaginal cytologic studies (SR and RR), an attempt was made to select either radiation therapy or radical operation as the primary treatment of choice in a consecutive series of 264 new cases of invasive carcinoma of the cervix treated at the Pondville State Cancer Hospital (Massachusetts Department of Public Health) during the 9 year period 1957 through 1965. An 87 per cent absolute cure rate in 78 Stage I patients and a 70 per cent absolute cure rate in 85 Stage II patients whose modes of therapy were selected in this fashion represent a marked improvement over all previous results at this institution, as does the 54 per cent over-all absolute cure rate for the entire group of 264 patients. Analysis of the data indicates that the program of selection of either radiation or radical operation early in the course of therapy may well have been responsible for the improved end results, especially in the Stage II cases.
Structural Performance of Cast-in-Place Pipe

Results of studies of the structural behavior of cast-in-place pipe under typical loads and field conditions are presented. Analyses include a simplified method along with studies based on the theory of elasticity and the finite element method. The effects of the variable elastic properties of in-situ soil, backfill, and concrete are studied, along with variable surface pressure. Stresses at crown, invert, and spring line are presented for the various conditions considered. The study indicates that in-situ and backfill soil strength properties have a significant influence on the stress conditions in the pipe. High-strength soils result in lower stresses in the pipe. Low soil strengths result in linear increase in pipe stresses with an increase in surface pressure. High soil strength result in a leveling off of pipe tensile stresses with an increase in surface pressure.
Raindrop Size Distribution and Rain Characteristics during the 2013 Great Colorado Flood

AbstractDrop size distributions observed by four Particle Size Velocity (PARSIVEL) disdrometers during the 2013 Great Colorado Flood are used to diagnose rain characteristics during intensive rainfall episodes. The analysis focuses on 30 h of intense rainfall in the vicinity of Boulder, Colorado, from 2200 UTC 11 September to 0400 UTC 13 September 2013. Rainfall rates R, median volume diameters D0, reflectivity Z, drop size distributions (DSDs), and gamma DSD parameters were derived and compared between the foothills and adjacent plains locations. Rainfall throughout the entire event was characterized by a large number of small- to medium-sized raindrops (diameters smaller than 1.5 mm) resulting in small values of Z (<40 dBZ), differential reflectivity Zdr (<1.3 dB), specific differential phase Kdp (<1° km−1), and D0 (<1 mm). In addition, high liquid water content was present throughout the entire event. Raindrops observed in the plains were generally larger than those in the foothills. DSDs observed in t...
BALANCING SELECTION, INVERSION POLYMORPHISM AND ADAPTATION IN DDT-RESISTANT POPULATIONS OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

The modes of selection important in maintaining an inversion-allozyme polymorphism in two laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster were examined. The populations, 731R and J2, are highly resistant to DDT. The polymorphism involves the Standard and In(3R)P chromosomal arrangements in very strong linkage association with the AO( 1) and AO(4) allozymes, respectively, of the aldehyde oxidase locus-The mean fertilities of the three karyotypes were not significantly different in 731R, but, in J2, In/In was significantly inferior to St/St and St/In. Egg-to-adult viability tests indicated very strong heterozygote advantage at all frequency combinations of the karyotypes in both populations when DDT was present. When DDT was excluded, the viabilities varied over the frequency combinations but were not inversely correlated with karyotype frequency, as predicted by balancing frequency-dependent selection. Discrete, multiple-generation experiments showed a rapid increase in heterozygote frequency to about 80% in both populations when DDT was present. Without DDT, 731R showed apparent directional selection favoring St, whereas J2 showed persistence of the polymorphism, although with extensive fluctuation.-Thus, the inversion-allozyme polymorphism is directly involved in the adaptation to a specific environmental component, DDT, and the selective advantage of the heterozygotes is the important balancing force. Balancing frequency-dependent selection was not observed, which suggests the hypothesis that this form of selection may not be involved in adaptation to novel environmental conditions.
Efficient use of code coverage in large-scale software development

Due to the increasing growth in complexity and size of software being developed, and the nature of large-scale software development, performing code coverage analysis is not an easy task despite the benefits to quality improvement. Our goal is to find an efficient way to perform code coverage analysis for large industrial software systems using the results from defect distribution of previous releases and the release under current development. Empirical verification of several software metrics in large-scale software development were investigated to reduce efforts required for coverage analysis and to identify error-prone modules. The metrics examined were: • coarse coverage analysis versus detailed coverage analysis • block versus decision coverage • Pareto-like defect distribution by releases, and components • cyclomatic complexity versus defect and module size The results suggested that detailed coverage analysis of all modules is not desirable and it is not cost effective. Therefore, we present a systematic approach of coverage analysis based on the findings. It will minimize the amount of effort needed for coverage analysis while maximizing the possibility of catching bugs.
Factors contributing to cost in partial versus total tonsillectomy

Objectives/Hypothesis To examine differences between total tonsillectomy and partial intracapsular tonsillectomy techniques that may lead to differences in overall cost and resource utilization between these procedures. Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative management and outcome factors were examined. Study Design Retrospective review at two university-based tertiary care hospitals from January 2007 to June 2010. Methods Pediatric patients with obstructive symptoms were divided into those undergoing total tonsillectomy and those undergoing partial intracapsular tonsillectomy. The records of 289 patients who underwent total tonsillectomy and 289 patients who underwent partial intracapsular tonsillectomy were reviewed. Results The average age of patients undergoing total and partial tonsillectomies was 5.0 years for both groups. Significant differences for patients undergoing total versus partial tonsillectomies were as follows: operative time (32.4 vs. 26.4 minutes, P < .0001), postanesthesia care unit (PACU) time (174 vs. 91.6 minutes, P < .0001), percent admitted postoperatively (21.5% vs. 1.7%, P < .0001), number requiring pediatric intensive care unit stay (3.5% vs. 0.3%, P < .05), number of readmissions after discharge (3.5% vs. 0.3%, P < .05), and number of postoperative emergency room visits separate from those requiring readmission (4.8% vs. 0%, P < .05). Factors that were not found to be significantly different included number of patients with postoperative hemorrhage and number requiring second operations for tonsillar regrowth. Conclusions Previous studies have shown equivalent effectiveness between these two procedures; our study suggests decreased cost and resource utilization with partial tonsillectomy through reduced operative and PACU times and number of postoperative admissions and emergency department visits. As in all retrospective reviews, the findings are potentially confounded by unmeasured variables, including patient and demographic factors. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 123:2868–2872, 2013
Level density parameter in hot nuclei

Abstract We present a calculation of the temperature dependence of the level density parameter a , taking into account the variation with temperature of the frequency-dependent effective mass, nuclear surface diffuseness, chemical potential and the shell effects. The calculation has been carried out within a simple model based on phase space considerations which reproduce the smooth part of the exact (quantum mechanically) single particle level density with a good accuracy. A reasonable agreement with experimental data is obtained.
The multifaceted responses of primary human astrocytes and brain microvascular endothelial cells to the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi.

The vector-borne pathogen, Borrelia burgdorferi, causes a multi-system disorder including neurological complications. These neurological disorders, collectively termed neuroborreliosis, can occur in up to 15% of untreated patients. The neurological symptoms are probably a result of a glial-driven, host inflammatory response to the bacterium. However, the specific contributions of individual glial and other support cell types to the pathogenesis of neuroborreliosis are relatively unexplored. The goal of this project was to characterize specific astrocyte and endothelial cell responses to B. burgdorferi. Primary human astrocytes and primary HBMEC (human brain microvascular endothelial cells) were incubated with B. burgdorferi over a 72-h period and the transcriptional responses to the bacterium were analyzed by real-time PCR arrays. There was a robust increase in several surveyed chemokine and related genes, including IL (interleukin)-8, for both primary astrocytes and HBMEC. Array results were confirmed with individual sets of PCR primers. The production of specific chemokines by both astrocytes and HBMEC in response to B. burgdorferi, including IL-8, CXCL-1, and CXCL-10, were confirmed by ELISA. These results demonstrate that primary astrocytes and HBMEC respond to virulent B. burgdorferi by producing a number of chemokines. These data suggest that infiltrating phagocytic cells, particularly neutrophils, attracted by chemokines expressed at the BBB (blood–brain barrier) may be important contributors to the early inflammatory events associated with neuroborreliosis.
812 ABSENCE OF INCREASING INCIDENCE OF H. INFLUENZAE B (HIB) MENINGITIS IN BALTIMORE (1965 – 1975)

Several studies published within the past 20 years have reported an increase in the incidence of HIB meningitis. We sought to investigate whether there was evidence of a recent increase in metropolitan Baltimore. Cases of HIB meningitis occurring in children aged 0-5 years residing in Baltimore City & County were identified through: (1) medical records bearing the discharge diagnosis of meningitis or sepsis and (2) laboratory reports of positive blood or CSF cultures of HIB. The survey included all 19 hospitals in Baltimore City & County, plus an additional 41 hospitals surrounding this area. The study period was Jan. 1965 - Dec. 1975. A case was included if there was (a) CSF pleocytosis and isolation of HIB from blood or (b) CSF culture was positive for HIB. These criteria were met by 253 patients. Age adjusted incidence rates were calculated per 100,000 population at risk using the Baltimore City & County census data with appropriate adjustments for changing distribution of age. There was no difference in incidence rates between blacks and whites or between males and females. In contrast to most previously published studies, we failed to document any increase in incidence of HIB meningitis. Important factors explaining this difference include the timing, geographical location and methodology of the study. *Attack rate per 100,000 at risk.
The Perfect Is the Enemy of the Good: A Critique of John Merrifield's Critique of Public Charter Schools

A critique of Merrifield's essay is presented, along with a comprehensive rebuttal focusing on resources and innovation, charter school outcomes, and impacts on other schools.
Organized convective systems : archetypal dynamical models, mass and momentum flux theory, and parametrization

A dynamical basis is established for understanding the structure and transport properties of organized convection and for expediting its parametrization in large-scale models. A two-dimensional model provides an exact theory of the momentum transport by mesoscale convective systems and similar phenomena. the system-scale dynamics are supposed to dominate local processes and are modelled by a stationary triple-branch airflow regime consisting of a double-branch updraught and a downdraught. It is argued that a jump updraught is essential and has a fundamental effect on the momentum transport. the triple-branch model degenerates into a form of conservative density current; another limiting case consists of a propagating positive pressure jump of maximum amplitude-an overturning updraught but no downdraught. the functional relationship among dynamical parameters is determined by a characteristic regime equation derived from elementary nonlinear Lagrangian conservation properties and the volume integral of the horizontal-momentum equation. The inflow to the archetypal jump updraught is constant. an example shows that the inclusion of shear in this region alters the detailed shape of the momentum flux profile but its fundamental character, namely the negative values of momentum flux for a system travelling in the positive x-direction, is retained. This result, together with recent numerical simulations, implies that low-level shear directly influences the initiation and evolution of convective elements, whereas the mature-state fluxes for which the system-scale flow organization and tilt is paramount is a product of the distribution of heat sources/sinks and deep tropospheric shear. the universal nature of the momentum flux profiles is explained in elementary terms by appealing to dynamical theory. The physical basis of the model and the momentum flux profiles are validated by using published results. the archetype emulates the basic character of the mass and momentum fluxes by mesoscale convective systems. For example an upper-tropospheric flow deceleration is consistent with the observed effect of tropical cloud clusters on the mean flow but is distinct from the balanced response due to diabatic heating. The theory is used to develop a dynamical approach to the parametrization of organized convective processes that have hitherto been neglected in global models. Mass and momentum fluxes are obtained from the archetypal model in an approach that is fundamentally different from the statistical or averaging approximations that characterize present techniques. the activation of the parametrization scheme is also studied. Mass-flux criteria are used to define an amplitude function for the mesoscale flux divergence to incorporate the flux laws into the large-scale equations. the work can be extended to include thermodynamic fluxes by using generalized conservation properties.
State Politics and the Right to Counsel: A Comparative Analysis

One of the most significant recent developments in the study of crime and justice is the emergence of theoretical explanations for the dramatic changes in criminal justice policy over the past few decades. These theoretical accounts address not only highly visible developments, such as the meteoric rise in incarceration rates, but also less-conspicuous shifts in due process and civil liberties, and they do so by attributing more-repressive policies to the emergence of a political culture that has substantially redefined crime and justice. This article focuses on an important due process issue, the legal representation of indigent defendants in criminal courts. We describe the state of indigent defense policy, particularly structure and funding, across the states in 2002, and analyze variation on two dimensions where states may exercise discretion: the extent to which states assume responsibility for funding services (rather than relying on local governments), and the generosity with which these programs are funded overall. We test hypotheses that link funding for services with the ideology of state political leadership, public values about tolerance and race relations, and states' public welfare policy climates. We find little support for the prediction that a welfare climate shapes more progressive indigent defense policies. However, the results suggest that the racial threat hypothesis helps account for spending on indigent defense, and that Republican control of the statehouse results in the perpetuation of local responsibility for program funding. Normative literature on indigent defense suggests that the patterns we observe may have important consequences for the quality of indigent defense services across states. Further, the findings reported here suggest that the politics of the punitive turn, as it has played out across the states, may be responsible not only for shifts in crime control policy, but for due process policy as well.
Advances in linear accelerator design for radiotherapy

The microwave-powered electron linear accelerator, or linac, is becoming the dominant radiotherapy treatment unit. Several technical advances, combined with attention to how patients are most effectively set up and treated, have led to continuing improvements in linac radiotherapy. This review describes: improvements in accelerator structures, widely variable energy linacs , microtrons , beam transport systems, and treatment head design.
The effect of surgical isolation of the basal hypothalamus on the nycthemeral rhythm of plasma corticosterone concentration in rats with heterotopic pituitaries

The effect of total hypothalamic deafferentation on the nycthemeral rhythm of plasma corticosterone concentration was studied in rats with in situ or heterotopically transplanted pituitaries. Ten pituitaries from 21-day-old donors were transplanted in 120-g male recipients. Hypophysectomy was performed four weeks following transplantation. One week later the basal hypothalamus was surgically isolated. Post-transplantation AM and PM levels of plasma corticosterone were not different from those of unoperated controls. Following hypophysectomy there was a reduction in the amplitude of the plasma corticosterone rhythm. Surgical isolation of the basal hypothalamus, in both the heterotopic and in situ preparations, abolished the AM-PM differences of plasma corticosterone concentration. It is concluded that the nycthemeral rhythm of ACTH secretion of both in situ and heterotopic pituitaries requires the integrity of neural connections between the basal hypothalamus and the rest of the brain. (Endocrinology 91: 8...
Parathyroid hormone-related protein and lung injury after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is an autocrine growth and differentiation factor for alveolar type II epithelial cells. Type II cells secrete pulmonary surfactant and are pluripotent cells with a role in alveolar epithelial repair after lung injury. The goals of this study were to investigate whether the levels of PTHrP in bronchoalveolar lavage liquid (BAL) varied between patients who did and did not develop lung injury after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE). BAL was performed in 48 patients undergoing PTE for unresolved pulmonary emboli. Samples were obtained following induction of anesthesia, following separation from cardiopulmonary bypass, and 48 h postoperatively. PTHrP was measured by radioimmunoassay. Lung injury was diagnosed in 23 patients on the basis of hypoxemia (PaO2/FIO2<300) and the presence of lung infiltrates in the absence of infection or atelectasis. Patients with lung injury had significantly lower preoperative BAL levels of PTHrP, 21 (21–30) pg/ml (median, interquartile gap), compared to patients without lung injury, 34 (21–41) pg/ml (P<0.05). Preoperative BAL PTHrP levels <32 pg/ml predicted lung injury with a positive predictive value of 60% and negative predictive value of 82%. The odds of developing lung injury for patients with preoperative PTHrP levels below this cutpoint were 6 times the odds for patients with higher levels.