cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Connectivity and Dynamics in Local Cortical Networks

Recent experimental work has begun to characterize activity in local cortical networks containing thousands of neurons. There has also been an explosion of work on connectivity in networks of all types. It would seem natural then to explore the influence of connectivity on dynamics at the local network level. In this chapter, we will give an overview of this emerging area. After a brief introduction, we will first review early neural network models and show how they suggested attractor dynamics based on recurrent connectivity. Second, we will review physiological reports of repeating activity patterns that have been influenced by this initial concept of attractors. Third, we will introduce tools from dynamical systems theory that will allow us to precisely quantify neural network dynamics. Fourth, we will apply these tools to simple network models where connectivity can be tuned. We will conclude with a summary and a discussion of future prospects.
Light localization and nonlinear beam transmission in specular amorphous photonic lattices

We demonstrate specular photonic "lattices" with random index variations at disordered positions of lattice sites. These amorphous lattice structures, optically induced in a bulk nonlinear crystal, remain invariant during propagation since they are constructed from random components residing on a fixed ring in momentum space. We observe linear spatial localization of a light beam when probing through different "defect" points in such specular lattices, as well as the nonlinear destruction of localized modes. In addition, we illustrate the possibility of image transmission through the disordered lattices, when a self-defocusing nonlinearity is employed.
Intensive Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy, without Brain Irradiation, In Newly Diagnosed Patients with Primary CNS Lymphoma: Results of CALGB 50202

Abstract 763 Background. Whole brain irradiation is widely considered to be standard consolidative therapy in primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL). However, concerns about the irreversible effects of brain irradiation on neurocognitive function, particularly in patients age > 60, have prompted interest in strategies to intensify induction and consolidative chemotherapy with the aim to eliminate or at least defer brain irradiation until relapse or progression. We present the results of the first Phase II multicenter trial, conducted by a major cooperative group within the United States, to evaluate an intensive chemotherapy-alone strategy in newly-diagnosed patients with PCNSL. Methods. Induction chemotherapy consisted of methotrexate (MTX), temozolomide, rituximab (MT-R) with intravenous HD-MTX (8 gm/m2) administered every two weeks × 8 and rituximab adminstered weekly × 6. Temozolomide (150-200 mg/m2) was administered starting on day +7 and continued every 28 days × 5. Patients who achieved a CR received intensive consolidation cytarabine 2 gm/m2 BID on days 1–4 with infusional etoposide 40 mg/kg over 96 h (EA). Results. 46 newly-diagnosed, immunocompetent patients with PCNSL were treated at 12 centers between 2005 and 2009. 96% of tumors were large B-cell lymphoma. Patient characteristics were as follows: median age was 60 (range 12–76), 47.8% were male, median ECOG PS was 1, 45.4% had involvement of deep brain structures, 47.7% had elevated CSF total protein, and 29.6% had increased serum LDH. 63% of patients exhibited CR to induction MT-R and went onto intensive consolidation (EA). With a median overall follow-up of 3.3 years, 21 out of 46 patients have exhibited disease progression and 15 patients have died. There was one treatment-related mortality (sepsis) during consolidation chemotherapy. There has been no evidence for significant early or delayed, treatment-related neurotoxicity. Median progression-free survival (PFS) is 2.3 years and estimated PFS with 95% confidence limits at 1, 2 and 3 years are 0.64 (0.48,0.76), 0.55 (0.39,0.69), and 0.50 (0.33,0.64). The estimated overall survival (OS) with 95% confidence limits at 1, 2 and 3 years are 0.73 (0.58, 0.84), 0.71 (0.55,0.81) and 0.67 (0.51,0.79). Notably, while the subgroup of patients with ECOG PS = 2 had inferior event-free survival (EFS) (p<0.018), the EFS was similar in patients older and younger than 60 (p<0.56). Conclusions. CALGB 50202 demonstrates that induction chemotherapy with MT-R followed by EA consolidation is feasible in the multicenter setting and yields rates of PFS and OS in newly diagnosed PCNSL patients which are at least comparable to combined modality treatment that involves reduced or standard doses of whole brain irradiation. The MT-R-EA regimen is well-tolerated in patients age >60 and has similar efficacy in this population as in younger patients. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
METEOROLOGY-ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND LONG RANGE TRANSPORT

Ozone (O3) is a secondary pollutant with many distinctive characteristics with respect to its sources and modes of formation with regions of the troposphere and in the stratosphere. While O3 can be rapidly removed by both chemical and physical processes near the surface, its lifetime is substantially extended aloft. The scales of intermediate and longer range transport influencing the atmospheric distribution of O3 will be discussed. As a result of these various chemical and meteorological processes, atmospheric O3 concentrations can vary substantially during each day, from day to day, and with season of the year as well as with geographical location. Although O3 is a regional-scale pollutant, individual and overlapping plumes, especially urban plumes, can significantly augment the regional background concentrations of O3.
Natural history of t(11;14) multiple myeloma

Translocation (11;14) on interphase fluorescent in situ hybridization in plasma cells is regarded as a standard risk prognostic marker in multiple myeloma based on studies conducted before introduction of current therapies. We identified 365 patients with t(11;14), and 730 matched controls:132 patients with non-(11;14) translocations and 598 patients with no chromosomal translocation. The median progression-free survival for the three groups were 23.0 (95% confidence interval (CI), 20.8-27.6), 19.0 (95% CI, 15.8-22.7) and 28.3 (95% CI, 25.7-30.6) months, respectively (P<0.01). The median overall survival (OS) for t(11;14), non-(11;14) translocation and no-translocation groups were 74.4 (95% CI, 64.8-89.3), 49.8 (95% CI, 40.0-60.6) and 103.6 (95% CI, 85.2-112.3) months, respectively (P<0.01). Excluding those with 17p abnormality, the median OS in the three groups were 81.7 (95% CI, 67.0-90.7), 58.2 (95% CI, 47.0-76.4) and 108.3 (95% CI, 92.4-140.1) months, respectively (P<0.01). The above relationship held true in patients with age <65 years, international staging system (ISS) I/II stage or those who received novel agent-based induction. Advanced age (hazard ratio (HR): 1.98), 17p abnormality (HR: 2.2) and ISS III stage (HR: 1.59) at diagnosis predicted reduced OS in patients with t(11;14). These results suggest that outcomes of t(11;14) MM are inferior to other standard risk patients.
Oestrogens encode love for female mice

![Graphic][1] Timing is everything when trying to land a mate. In many species, female receptivity to male sexual advances is synchronized to fertility and is mediated by steroid hormones produced in the gonads, such as oestrogens. How these hormones tune neural circuits to transition females
Spin Hall and Nernst effects of Weyl magnons

In this paper, we present a simple model of a three-dimensional insulating magnetic structure which represents a magnonic analog of the layered electronic system described by A. A. Burkov and L. Balents [Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 127205 (2011)]. In particular, our model realizes Weyl magnons as well as surface states with a Dirac spectrum. In this model, the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction is responsible for the separation of opposite Weyl points in momentum space. We calculate the intrinsic (due to the Berry curvature) transport properties of Weyl and so-called anomalous Hall effect magnons. The results are compared with fermionic analogs.
Laterally coupled distributed feedback type-I quantum well cascade diode lasers emitting near 3.22 μm.

The laterally coupled distributed feedback (LC-DFB) GaSb-based type-I quantum well cascade diode lasers using the second- and the sixth-order gratings to stabilize the output spectrum near 3.22 μm were designed and fabricated. The laser heterostructure contained three cascades. The devices were manufactured using a single dry etching step defining the ∼5-μm-wide ridge with ∼5-μm-wide gratings sections adjacent to the ridge sides. The grating coupling coefficients were estimated to be about 1 cm-1. The stability of the single-frequency operation was ensured by alignment of the DFB mode to the relatively wide gain peak. The 2-mm-long second-order LC-DFB lasers generated above 10 mW of continuous-wave (CW) output power at 20°C in epi-side-up configuration and demonstrated power conversion efficiency above 2%. The sixth-order LC-DFB lasers showed lower efficiency but still generated several milliwatts of CW output power. The devices demonstrated a CW current tuning range of about 3.5 nm at the temperature of 20°C.
Dual-Layer Dielectric Stack for Thermally Isolated Low-Energy Phase-Change Memory

High reset energy is an ongoing issue for phase-change memory (PCM) devices. Prior work demonstrates that smaller PCM switching volume and thermal isolation can reduce the reset energy. In this paper, we fabricate and measure a planar confined PCM device with a multilayer dual-layer stack (DLS) of SiO2/Al2O3 insulator. Devices with contact area of 500 $\times $ 20 nm and lengths of $2~ {\mu }\text{m}$ show exceptionally low reset energies of 18.25 ± 15.8 pJ and low reset current densities of 0.94 ± 0.51 MA/cm2. Implementing the DLS enables a 60% reduction in reset energy compared with SiO2-isolated devices.
Loss of dendritic connectivity in southern California's urban riverscape facilitates decline of an endemic freshwater fish.

Life history adaptations and spatial configuration of metapopulation networks allow certain species to persist in extreme fluctuating environments, yet long-term stability within these systems relies on the maintenance of linkage habitat. Degradation of such linkages in urban riverscapes can disrupt this dynamic in aquatic species, leading to increased extinction debt in local populations experiencing environment-related demographic flux. We used microsatellites and mtDNA to examine the effects of collapsed network structure in the endemic Santa Ana sucker Catostomus santaanae of southern California, a threatened species affected by natural flood-drought cycles, "boom-and-bust" demography, hybridization and presumed artificial transplantation. Our results show a predominance of drift-mediated processes in shaping population structure and that reverse mechanisms for counterbalancing the genetic effects of these phenomena have dissipated with the collapse of dendritic connectivity. We use approximate Bayesian models to support two cases of artificial transplantation and provide evidence that one of the invaded systems better represents the historic processes that maintained genetic variation within watersheds than any remaining drainages where C. santaanae is considered native. We further show that a stable dry gap in the northern range is preventing genetic dilution of pure C. santaanae persisting upstream of a hybrid assemblage involving a non-native sucker and that local accumulation of genetic variation in the same drainage is influenced by position within the network. This work has important implications for declining species that have historically relied on dendritic metapopulation networks to maintain source-sink dynamics in phasic environments, but no longer possess this capacity in urban-converted landscapes.
Tick-borne illness after transplantation: Case and review.

Tick-borne infections in solid organ transplant recipients are an infrequent and difficult diagnostic challenge owing to multiple routes of acquisition and unusual presentations. A 67-year-old male recipient of a combined liver and kidney transplant presented with recurrent fevers following surgery. Standard microbiologic workup was non-diagnostic. Shortness of breath, confusion, lethargy, and hypotension developed along with progressive anemia, requiring multiple blood transfusions. Workup suggested hemolysis and review of the peripheral smear was diagnostic for Babesia microti infection. Tick transmission, transmission via blood products, and/or the transplanted organ were all considered. More extensive questioning revealed a history of intermittent fevers for several months before transplantation. Testing of pre-transplant blood was positive for B. microti antibodies, suggesting infection prior to transplantation. The delayed diagnosis of babesiosis in this patient highlights the need for a detailed exposure history prior to transplantation, as well as considering the potential for atypical presentations of tick-borne infections in immune suppressed solid organ recipients. Furthermore, this case illustrates the importance of early Infectious Disease consultation to meet the challenges exhibited by febrile transplant patients. Infectious Diseases physicians are trained to consider, diagnose, and treat tick-borne infections, contributing to improved clinical outcome.
l-Methionine anti-biofilm activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa is enhanced by the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator potentiator, ivacaftor.

BACKGROUND Biofilms may contribute to refractory chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), as they lead to antibiotic resistance and failure of effective clinical treatment. l-Methionine is an amino acid with reported biofilm-inhibiting properties. Ivacaftor is a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) potentiator with mild antimicrobial activity via inhibition of bacterial DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether co-treatment with ivacaftor and l-methionine can reduce the formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. METHODS P aeruginosa (PAO-1 strain) biofilms were studied in the presence of l-methionine and/or ivacaftor. For static biofilm assays, PAO-1 was cultured in a 48-well plate for 72 hours with stepwise combinations of these agents. Relative biofilm inhibitions were measured according to optical density of crystal violet stain at 590 nm. Live/dead assays (BacTiter-Glo™ assay, Promega) were imaged with laser scanning confocal microscopy. An agar diffusion test was used to confirm antibacterial effects of the drugs. RESULTS l-Methionine (0.5 μM) significantly reduced PAO-1 biofilm mass (32.4 ± 18.0%; n = 4; p < 0.001) compared with controls. Low doses of ivacaftor alone (4, 8, and 12 μg/mL) had no effect on biofilm formation. When combined with ivacaftor (4 μg/mL), a synergistic anti-biofilm effect was noted at 0.05 μM and 0.5 μM of l-methionine (two-way analysis of variane, p = 0.0415) compared with corresponding concentrations of l-methionine alone. CONCLUSION Ivacaftor enhanced the anti-biofilm activity of l-methionine against the PAO-1 strain of P aeruginosa. Further studies evaluating the efficacy of ivacaftor/l-methionine combinations for P aeruginosa sinusitis are planned.
Streamlining screening of emotional function in Veterans with traumatic brain injury.

Objectives This study examined how depression, anxiety, and sleep items from the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) predict results from longer inventories. Method This was a retrospective review from 484, predominantly male (96.1%) Veterans, mean age 29.7 years, who underwent brief neuropsychological screening during a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation for mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants completed the NSI, insomnia severity index (ISI), and hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). Results OVERALL,: 97.1% who endorsed "severe"/"very severe" anxiety on the NSI had significant anxiety on the HADS; 85% reporting "severe"/"very severe" depression on the NSI, had significant depression on the HADS; and 97.7% reporting "severe"/"very severe" sleep problems on the NSI, had significant sleep difficulties on the ISI. Conclusion Close correspondence between "severe"/"very severe" symptoms on the NSI and lengthier checklists suggests additional checklists may be eliminated and individuals can be referred for mental health treatment. NSI reports of "mild"/"moderate" require further screening.
The large subunit of (sodium + potassium)-activated adenosine triphosphatase from the electroplax of Electrophorus electricus is a glycoprotein.

Abstract The large subunit of Na,K-ATPase purified from eel electroplax was found to contain amino sugars, neutral sugars and sialic acid. The concentration of these carbohydrates in the large subunit was 5–10% of that found in the smaller subunit and in total accounts for 2.6% of the mass of the large subunit. The periodic acid-Schiff's stain for glycoproteins on polyacrylamide gels is apparently not sufficiently sensitive to detect glycoproteins with these low levels of carbohydrates.
Abdominal AIDS Imaging: Hepatic, Splenic, Biliary, and Pancreatic Manifestations

The liver, spleen, pancreas, and biliary tract are commonly affected by opportunistic infections, malignancy, and inflammatory disorders during the course of human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection (Table 9.1). Clinical manifestations of involvement of these organs are protean and usually nonspecific, but it is important to establish a specific diagnosis promptly in these often critically ill patients (Tshibwabwa et al. 2000). Because of the limitations of physical and laboratory examinations, cross-sectional imaging studies are often obtained to clarify the clinical situation (DeToma et al. 1999; Wu et al. 1998). This chapter reviews the imaging spectrum of HIV-associated hepatosplenic and pancreaticobiliary disease. Table 9.1 Hepatic splenic, biliary, and pancreatic disease associated with HIV infection Infection Bacterial Salmonella Rochalimaea Mycobacterial M. tuberculosis M. avium intracellulan complex M. xenopi Viral Cytomegalovirus Hepatitis B, C, and D Herpesvirus Adenovirus HIV Fungal Candida Cryptococcus Histoplasma Aspergillus Coccidia Sporothrix Protozoal Pneumocystis Cryptosporidia Microsporidia Leishmania Toxoplasma Neoplasms Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Kaposi’s sarcoma Metastatic cancer of anal canal Drug-related Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole Ketoconazole Isoniazid Rifampin Zidovudine Pentamidine Diphenylhydantoin Prochlorperazine Didanosine Fluconazole Oxacillin Dideoxyinosine
How Many Red Ruffed Lemurs Are Left

I surveyed the Anaovandrano River Watershed to assess whether large tracts of primary lowland rain forest still occur there and to what extent red ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata rubra) populate the interior of the Masoala Peninsula. These data permit an informed estimate of the remaining population size for this subspecies. I located large tracts of primary lowland rain forest in the interior, but fragmentation has begun. Red ruffed lemurs appear to be less dense in the interior than they are in remaining lowland coastal rain forest. I estimate the remaining population size to be between 29,682 and 51,115 individuals. Breeding population size is substantially smaller, probably <14,841 individuals.
THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT ELECTRODES ON THE MEASUREMENT OF ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF BONE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of two different electrodes, namely, Ag-AgCl wick and chlorided metal, in measuring the electrical properties of dry bone samples. These data have been analyzed using electrode area variation technique, frequency variation technique, and variation of capacitance with inverse of the sample thickness. The chapter presents variation of mean capacitance of six samples for bovine-compact bone with its surface area and also a similar variation of the capacitance with inverse of the specimen thickness. These data were obtained using two different electrodes, namely, chloride metal and Ag-AgCl wick electrodes. The capacitance values were measured at different frequencies, and the corresponding theoretical values were calculated. The results showed that chlorided-metal electrode coupled to the sample with the help of a conducting gel, produced less electrode polarization than Ag-AgCl wick electrode. The capacitance increases linearly with the electrode area.
Self-awareness and control in decentralized systems.

How can self-awareness emerge in a distributed system with no central control? How can such awareness feed back in a decentralized way to control the system’s behavior? Many people have written about how selfawareness might come about in the brain. In this paper, I examine mechanisms for self-awareness and control in two other decentralized biological systems: the immune system and ant colonies. I then attempt to isolate some principles common to both systems. Finally, I discuss ways in which these mechanisms can serve as inspiration for the design of artificial intelligence systems with sophisticated abilities for distributed self-awareness and
The Human B Cell Cycle: Activation, Proliferation, and Differentiation

The full expression of a competent immune response, either cell mediated or humoral, requires the precise cooperation of a number of cell types which communicate either by cell-to-cell contact or by soluble immunoregulatory factors. With regard to the humoral immune response, B lymphocytes play the central role as they progress through the cell cycle from the resting to the fully differentiated state whereby they evolve into immunoglobulin (Ig)-secreting cells. Dutton et al. 1 first suggested that soluble helper factors, presumably produced by T lymphocytes, could activate B cells to become Ig-secreting cells. Several laboratories have subsequently been involved in delineating the events which occur between activation of B cells and their production of Ig. Kishimoto et al. 2 demonstrated in the rabbit model that the crosslinkage of surface Ig by anti-Ig combined with T cell-derived helper factors could induce B cells to produce Ig. This was confirmed in the murine system by Parker et al. 3 and led to the development of a similar model in the human system by Yoshizaki et al. 4 and by our own laboratory5 to further study B cell function. This model basically maintains that resting B cells can be activated by antigen or other surface Ig crosslinking agents to express receptors for growth factors. In the presence of growth factors, B cells enter S phase and express receptors for differentiation factors. In the presence of differentiation factors, these cells produce and secrete Ig.
Obesity and Stones: Losing the Waist Is More Than Weight !

Obesity is a medical condition in which the accumulation of excess body fat may have a negative impact on an individual’s health that increases the risk of various diseases or potentially reduces life expectancy. Worldwide there are 1.5 billion overweight or obese adults, a number that is expected to reach three billion by 2,030. More than 34.9 % of adults (age ≥ 20 years) and 17 % of youths (age 2–19 years) and 8.1 % of infants and toddlers in the United States are obese. The prevalence of obesity in United States is high and has remained stable [1]. The health risk of obesity in United States has been associated with many diseases. Obesity-related conditions include, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, stroke and cancer. The costs associated with obesity in the United States are exponential. In 2008, the estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was $147 billion. The average medical costs for people who are obese are $1,429 higher than those individuals of normal weight in 2006 [2].
A framework for optimal sequential planning in multiagent settings

Introduction Research in autonomous agent planning is gradually moving from single-agent environments to those populated by multiple agents. In single-agent sequential environments, partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) provide a principled approach for planning under uncertainty. They improve on classical planning by not only modeling the inherent non-determinism of the problem domain, but also by producing ”universal” plans or policies which represent complete control mechanisms. We are motivated by these reasons to generalize POMDPs from their traditional single-agent application setting to an environment populated by several interacting autonomous agents. The formalism of Markov decision processes has been extended to multiple agents previously, giving rise to stochastic games or Markov games. Other extensions of POMDPs to multiple agent environments have also appeared and are called DEC-POMDPs (Bernstein et al. 2002) in the literature. Both these formalisms employ the solution concept of Nash equilibria. Specifically, solutions are plans (policies) that are in mutual equilibrium with each other. However, while Nash equilibria are useful for describing a multiagent system when, and if, it has reached a stable state, this solution concept is not sufficient as a general control paradigm. The main reasons are that there may be multiple equilibria with no clear way to choose among them (nonuniqueness), and the fact that equilibria do not specify actions in cases in which agents believe that other agents may not act according to their equilibrium strategies (incompleteness). Furthermore, at present, researchers have inadequate understanding of the intermediate stages before Nash equilibrium is reached. In this thesis, we present a new framework called Interactive POMDPS (I-POMDPs) for optimal planning by an agent interacting with other autonomous agents in a sequential environment and maximizing its reward that depends on joint actions of all agents. As expected, the generalization of POMDPs from a single-agent setting to multiple agents is not trivial. In addition to maintaining beliefs about the physical environment, each agent must also maintain beliefs about the other agents: their sensing capabilities, be-
Long-Term Evaluation of Individualized Marketing Programs for Travel Demand Management

This research examines the use of individualized marketing as a transportation demand management (TDM) strategy, using the City of Portland’s SmartTrips program. This research project has two specific aims: (1) to evaluate whether the benefits of these individualized marketing programs continue to at least one year after the project ends; and (2) to examine whether the theory of planned behavior (TPB) can help explain the behavioral changes identified. Surveys of residents conducted one or two years after the original program found that the share of daily trips made driving alone, walking, and bicycling was comparable to that found in the previous follow-up surveys, still significantly lower (for driving alone) or higher (for walking and bicycling) than the pre-surveys. This may indicate that the SmartTrips program was effective at changing behavior for a longer time period than previously measured. The TPB models were effective at explaining travel behavior. The models showed that attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control explain a large share (45-55%) of the variance in travel behavior. The relative influence of each component of the model differed some by mode. The findings support previous research that individualized marketing programs can be effective at changing people’s travel behavior. The findings indicate that the benefits of the programs may extend beyond one year and up to at least two years. However, the research also found that the programs may not be as effective in environments that are less conducive to walking, bicycling, and transit. The research also found that that attitudes, norms, and perceptions play a large role in travel decisions. To be most effective, individualized marketing programs need to influence these factors, though efforts that focus on social norms to influence travel behavior may be less effective than those that include attitudinal and behavioral control components. Sensitivity to regional characteristics and the specific travel mode that is the target of interest is also warranted.
An Artificial Intelligence Perspective in the Design of Control Systems for Complete Chemical Processes

This position paper, reflecting our current research efforts, describes the characteristics of; (a) a comprehensive model for the process of plant-wide control system design, and (b) the computing environment necessary to carry out the various engineering tasks, e.g. goal setting, planning, reasoning, analysis, evaluation, and learning. In particular, it discusses the principal ideas, currently under implementation, which transfer large segments of the control system design process from the designer to the computer, and the remaining open issues for future work. Such mechanization of the design methodology relies heavily on recent developments in knowledgebased systems and other areas of artificial intelligence, which provide the scope for the systematic use of existing powerful analytic tools from control theory. Finally, it argues that new computing environments and programming styles are needed to develop the proposed prototype of human-aided control system design, which depart from the established models of computeraided engineering.
Measurement of the Numbers of Nematoblasts, Nematocytes, and Nematocysts

To quantitate the numbers of nematocytes, nematoblasts, and nematocysts in defferent body regions and in different stages of development.
Safinamide in the management of patients with Parkinson’s disease not stabilized on levodopa: A review of the current clinical evidence

Safinamide (Xadago®) is a novel medication with both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic effects, approved first by the European Commission and more recently by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an adjunctive treatment to carbidopa/levodopa in patients with mid- to late-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) and motor fluctuations. It works through multiple mechanisms, namely as a reversible selective monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor and through modulation of glutamate release. Safinamide is extensively metabolized via oxidation to several inactive metabolites that are excreted primarily through the urine. Several large Phase III clinical trials of patients with advanced PD with motor fluctuations have shown that safinamide, administered orally at doses of 50-100 mg daily, increased ON time with no or non-troublesome dyskinesia, decreased daily OFF time, improved overall motor function (as measured by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale [UPDRS] part III total score), and quality of life (as measured by Clinical Global Impression-Change and 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire). In large clinical trials of patients with early PD on a single dopamine agonist, safinamide administered orally at a dose of 100 mg daily improved overall motor function as measured by UPDRS part III total score; however, some of the results reported were exploratory. Safinamide is generally well-tolerated and safe, with few to no treatment-related adverse events. Safinamide does not cause new or worsening dyskinesia and may be able to reduce this symptom in patients reporting it at baseline. Evidence suggests that safinamide is a good option for add-on therapy to carbidopa/levodopa in patients with advanced PD with motor complications, but there is still insufficient evidence to recommend it as monotherapy or add-on therapy in patients with early PD.
Understanding flows in high-speed scientific networks: A Netflow data study

Abstract Complex science workflows involve very large data demands and resource-intensive computations. These demands need reliable high-speed networks, that can optimize performance for application data flows. Characterizing flows into large flows (elephant) versus small flows (mice) can allow networks to optimize performance by detecting and handling demands in real-time. However, predicting elephant versus mice flows is extremely difficult as their definition varies based on networks. Machine learning techniques can help classify flows into two distinct clusters to identify characteristics of transfers. In this paper, we investigate unsupervised and semi-supervised machine learning approaches to classify flows in real time. We develop a Gaussian Mixture Model combined with an initialization algorithm, to develop a novel general-purpose method to help classification based on network sites (in terms of data transfers, flow rates and durations). Our results show that the proposed algorithm is able to cluster elephants and mice with an accuracy rate of 90%. We analyzed NetFlow reports of 1 month from 3 ESnet site routers to train the model and predict clusters.
Tonight’s Sleep Predicts Tomorrow’s Fatigue: A Daily Diary Study of Long-Term Care Employees With Nonwork Caregiving Roles

Background and objectives Long-term care employees and employees with nonwork caregiving roles are at high risk for sleep problems and fatigue. Little is known, however, about relationships between sleep and fatigue among long-term care employees who occupy nonwork caregiving roles. This study examined whether longer sleep duration and better sleep quality reduce fatigue occurrence and severity within and between long-term care employees with nonwork caregiving roles, and investigated nonwork caregiving role occupancy as a moderator of these relationships. Research design and methods The sample comprised 166 women working in U.S.-based nursing homes. All women had children aged 9-17 years and some also had nonwork caregiving responsibilities for adult relatives. Sleep (duration and quality) and fatigue (occurrence and severity) were assessed via telephone interviews for eight consecutive evenings. Multilevel modeling was used to examine within-person and between-person associations. Results At the within-person level, nights characterized by longer-than-usual sleep duration or better-than-usual sleep quality were followed by days with lower odds of reporting fatigue; these same sleep characteristics predicted less severe next-day fatigue. At the between-person level, employees with better average sleep quality, but not longer sleep duration, had lower odds of experiencing fatigue. Relationships between sleep and fatigue were generally similar regardless of nonwork caregiving responsibilities for children or for both children and adults. Discussion and implications Findings suggest that tonight's sleep predicts tomorrow's fatigue. Given the serious and wide-ranging consequences of fatigue, sleep constitutes a worthwhile intervention target with potential benefits for employees, care recipients, and organizations.
Clinical outcomes of rare hepatocellular carcinoma variants compared to pure hepatocellular carcinoma

Background HCC variants are rare primary hepatic tumors. The aim of this study is to compare clinical characteristics and outcomes of HCC variants with pure HCC. Methods Patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2013 with ICD-O-3 8180/3 and 8170/3-8175/3 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were conducted to analyze the association between histology and overall survival (OS). Results 80,280 patients were identified; pure HCC 78,461 (97.7%), fibrolamellar (FLHCC) 310 (0.4%), scirrhous 161 (0.2%), spindle cell 72 (0.1%), clear cell 487 (0.6%), pleomorphic 23 (0.0%), and combined HCC and cholangiocarcinoma (mixed HCC) 766 (1.0%). 76.7% were male and 72% Caucasian. Liver transplant was performed in 10.1% of pure HCC, 14.5% of mixed HCC, 16.2% of scirrhous, 6.9% of spindle cell, 8.8% of clear cell, 8.7% of pleomorphic, and 3.2% of FLHCC (p<0.001). Pure HCC (10.6%) underwent surgical resection without transplant less often than variants except for scirrhous (9.9%) (p<0.001). More than a third of patients in each histological type received chemotherapy. FLHCC had the best 5-year OS (38.7%), spindle cell and pleomorphic had the worst (9.6% and 13.0%). In multivariate analysis stratified by histology variants, chemotherapy was associated with improved OS in all histologies except for scirrhous and pleomorphic HCC. Conclusion HCC variants underwent surgical resection more often than pure HCC. FLHCC had the best 5-year OS. Liver transplant was commonly performed in HCC variants.
Overview of Infectious Diseases of Concern to Dental Practitioners: Other Viral Infections

Like bacteria and other blood-borne pathogens, viruses, and the diseases, their causes are also of particular concern to the healthcare provider. Healthcare workers are at increased risk for numerous infections which can be transmitted via exposure to blood or various bodily fluids or even through airborne means. Many of these viruses are very contagious, and some of them have no vaccine to aid in their prevention. When vaccines do exist, all healthcare providers should be current on all recommended vaccinations for employment in the healthcare setting. Healthcare providers should also consistently follow standard precautions whenever possible to minimize their exposure risk. Examples of types of other viral infections discussed in this chapter include many subtypes of the family of herpesviruses (including herpes simplex 1 and 2, varicella zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, and Kapsosi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus), the measles virus, and human papillomavirus.
STUDIES OF NOREPINEPHRINE METABOLISM IN MANIC AND DEPRESSIVE STATES

Plasma levels of MHPG were measured in patients suffering from manic or depressed states. Diagnostic subgroups of depressive illness were correlated with baseline MHPG values. The effects of treatment with lithium and tricyclic antidepressants on MHPG levels were assessed.
Financial Incentives in Vertical Diffusion: The Variable Effects of Obama’s Race to the Top Initiative on State Policy Making:

A substantial body of empirical work documents the influence of federal monies on state policy making. Less attention, however, has been paid to the conditioning effects of states’ prior financial ...
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Research on Early Childhood Development

Developmental experiences in years 3 to 12 have considerable implications for how children will negotiate adolescence and adulthood. The clinician, and especially the psychodynamic psychotherapist who believes that adult functioning depends upon the quality of earlier development, is keenly interested in the nature of the patient’s life during this “early childhood” period that spans both the oedipal and the latency years. However, it is quite a different question how the therapist’s understanding or technique might be affected by knowledge about the regularities or nomothetic characteristics of development during these life stages. Apart from the perspectives psychoanalytic developmental theory might gain from systematic examination of, and integration with, basic developmental research, the task of this chapter is to consider how clinical practice might benefit from such research knowledge.
Vaginal Mesh Survivorship

Current care for women who have experienced complications related to vaginal mesh is complex and fragmented. In cancer, survivors are those who continue to function during and after overcoming their cancer diagnosis. “Survivorship” encompasses issues related to the ability to access health care and follow-up treatment, late effects of treatment, second cancers, and quality of life. The multifaceted survivorship model creates a sense of community among patients and their health care providers. Key aspects of survivorship, relevant to vaginal mesh complications, include (1) surveillance and follow-up treatment, (2) late effects of treatment, (3) health promotion and disease prevention, (4) psychosocial well-being, (5) caregiver needs, and (6) communication and care coordination. The objective is to propose the concept of vaginal mesh survivorship, examine which aspects of the cancer survivorship framework are applicable to patients with vaginal mesh complications, and apply these accordingly. A literature review of vaginal mesh complications was performed to identify the current state of care received by patients and patient-reported outcomes. Subcategories from the cancer survivorship framework were compared with the current care of women with vaginal mesh complications. Areas of improvement and gaps in research were identified. Nearly all domains of the cancer survivorship framework are pertinent to women with vaginal mesh complications. The surveillance for secondary cancers is not relevant, but there is a need for follow-up care as many women report subsequent health problems. There are late effects of treatment, such as pain and pelvic floor dysfunction, in a significant proportion of women. The need for health promotion, addressing psychosocial well-being, caregiver needs, and coordination of care is also relevant. Literature on the above topics is limited, and patient-centered research is important. Psychosocial support is critical as it has been shown that depression rates are higher in women who undergo subsequent surgery related to transvaginal mesh complications. The cancer survivorship framework allows us to assess gaps in care for women with mesh-related complications. Optimal methods on how to assess and care for these patients in a holistic manner do not routinely exist and should be developed in a multidisciplinary collaborative effort that includes patient input.
A compact mid-infrared dual-comb spectrometer for field deployment

We demonstrate a robust, portable mid-infrared dual-comb spectrometer based on modelocked fiber lasers and difference frequency generation, allowing high resolution, open-path spectroscopy in the 3.1-4 m spectral region. Work of the US Government and not subject to copyright.
Pion electromagnetic form-factor with domain wall fermions

Abstract Motivated by recent measurements at J-Lab, the pion electromagnetic form-factor is investigated with quenched domain wall fermions and a renormalization group improved gauge action called DBW2. We see that quark mass dependence of the form-factor with finite momentum transfers is rather small.
A novel deep ensemble based approach to detect crashes using sequential traffic data

Abstract Crash is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Real time detection of crashes plays a pivotal role in increasing safety of highways. In this study, a deep ensemble modelling approach is proposed in which we first employed three powerful deep learning techniques, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Units (GRUs), and Deep Neural Network (DNN), then these three models are combined using eight ensemble techniques to detect crashes in real time. Loop detectors' traffic condition, crash information, and weather condition are the main sources of data used in this study. In addition, since the dataset of this study includes 241 crash and 6038 non-crash cases, Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE) is used to overcome problem of imbalanced data before training the models. The results show that while deep learning models are performing well in detecting crashes, ensemble of these three deep learning models using Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and Random Forest Classifier (RFC) can improve detection performance. Interestingly, MLP and RFC ensemble models achieved the highest detection rate and lowest false alarm rate values, respectively, among all the studied models. Comparing the models regarding area under curve (AUC) of ROC curve also shows that the best five models are MLP ensemble, RFC ensemble, DNN, GRU, and LSTM, respectively, with AUC of 97.2%, 95.2%, 93.7%, 91.8%, and 91.3%.
Learning from demonstration for goal-driven autonomy

Goal-driven autonomy (GDA) is a conceptual model for creating an autonomous agent that monitors a set of expectations during plan execution, detects when discrepancies occur, builds explanations for the cause of failures, and formulates new goals to pursue when planning failures arise. While this framework enables the development of agents that can operate in complex and dynamic environments, implementing the logic for each of the subtasks in the model requires substantial domain engineering.We present a method using case-based reasoning and intent recognition in order to build GDA agents that learn from demonstrations. Our approach reduces the amount of domain engineering necessary to implement GDA agents and learns expectations, explanations, and goals from expert demonstrations. We have applied this approach to build an agent for the real-time strategy game StarCraft. Our results show that integrating the GDA conceptual model into the agent greatly improves its win rate.
Labor market regulation : international experience in promoting employment and social protection

Labor market regulation involves many aspects, ranging from how employers contract for the services of workers to the nature of the exchange, including terms of conditions of employment. This area of regulation represents an important and often controversial aspect of public policy in both developed and developing countries. Approaches are dominated by opposing views, one which favors the protection of workers through labor legislation and collective bargaining and the other which emphasizes the advantages of encouraging market processes. In the end, however, what matters are the economic and social outcomes of different approaches. This primer paper reviews different regulatory options regarding hiring and firing and wage determination and summarizes the existing knowledge about their labor market effects. It also reviews two important institutional aspects of labor market regulation -- enforcement and dispute resolution. In an annex to the paper, we summarize the statutory arrangements for various topics related to labor market regulation in 17 countries.
Evaluating Communication for Development: A Framework for Social Change, by Lennie, J., and Tacchi, J.

Lennie and Tacchi have written an important and much-needed book. Packed with nuanced theoretical insights and abundant empirical information, the volume should be kept at hand by scholars and aid ...
Vegetative lambda DNA. V. Evidence concerning single-strand elongation.

Sedimentation analysis of briefly pulse-labeled, replicating bacteriophage lambda DNA suggests that approximately one-half of the label incorporated into the replicative intermediate is incorporated into single-strands which are longer than the single-strands of viral DNA.
Situating Civic Engagement in a Global Context: A Review of Higher Education and Civic Engagement

Situating Civic Engagement in a Global Context: A Review of Higher Education and Civic Engagement: Comparative Perspectives . Edited by Lorraine McIlrath, Ann Lyons, & Ronaldo Munck. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. 2012. ISBN: 978-0-230-34037-4. 268 pp.