cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The titration of vaccinia virus on the chorio-allantoic membrane of the developing chick embryo

The technique of infecting the developing chick embryo by the chorio-allantoic route, introduced by Woodruff & Goodpasture (1931), was developed by Burnet (1936a, b) into a general method for the titration of pock-producing viruses, and was applied to vaccinia virus by Keogh (1936). The method is now widely used and is the most accurate available for the titration of vaccinia. Nevertheless, owing to the wide scatter in individual counts from a single virus dilution, its accuracy is far below that of the analogous plate count titration of bacterial suspensions. This scatter was recognized by Burnet & Faris (1942), and is well illustrated by the figures published by Fenner & McIntyre (1956). Burnet & Faris (1942) attempted to overcome it by suitably weighting their results. On the grounds that marked departure from the expected scatter was always towards a low, rather than a high, count, they doubled the value given to all those membranes which 'could reasonably be regarded as giving counts in the normal range'. This they regarded as the 'least objectionable' way of overcoming the difficulty, but, while it would tend to give a truer estimate of the virus concentration, the procedure is highly undesirable. Fenner & McIntyre (1956), working with myxoma virus, accepted the wide scatter as in intrinsic defect in the method due to variation in the susceptibility of egg membranes. They exercised no selection over their data, and their figures show coefficients of variation varying from 28 to 110%, with the majority lying above 60 %. In a series of thirty-six titrations of the same material the betweenegg coefficient of variation was 63%. These results are far outside Poissonian expectation. Reid, Crawley & Rhodes (1949), using fowl pox virus, are the only workers who have obtained a good fit with Poisson distribution, but their findings were unfortunately restricted to mean counts of less than 15, below which level the expected coefficient of variation is, in any case, high. The recent work of Overman & Tamm (1956) does not materially contribute to the precision of the technique since they failed to investigate many of the factors affecting the virus count, and their use of a 3-day period of incubation for inoculated
Impact of Weekend Admissions on Quality of Care and Outcomes in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia

BACKGROUND: Hospital services are expectantly reduced over the weekend, which may result in a delay in treatment or in obtainment of medical procedures. The authors investigated quality of care and clinical outcomes of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients who were hospitalized on weekends versus weekdays and treated with induction chemotherapy. METHODS: This retrospective follow-up study involved 422 AML patients treated with cytarabine-based induction chemotherapy at Cleveland Clinic from 1994-2008. Quality outcome measures included time to triple-lumen catheter (TLC) placement, time to induction chemotherapy, length of stay (LOS), early death (within 15 days of chemotherapy), and 30-day mortality. These were tested for the association with known predictors of AML survival and etiology by the methods of linear, categorical, and survival analyses. RESULTS: Twenty-three percent of all admissions (n = 422) occurred over the weekend (n = 103). Compared with younger (aged <60 years) patients, older patients had higher 30-day mortality (P = .003), early death (P = .025), and time to induction rates (P = .02), but lower complete remission (P = .001) and overall survival (OS) rates (P < .0001). In univariate analyses, time to TLC was delayed for weekend admissions (P < .01). Weekend admissions had lower early mortality (P = .04) and 30-day mortality (P = .02). In multivariate analysis, only time to TLC remained significantly longer for weekend admissions (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Weekend admissions significantly delayed placement of TLC without affecting other quality parameters or patient survival. This is likely because of immediate initiation of peripheral chemotherapy with cytarabine even before the placement of TLC for infusion of anthracyclines. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Intelligent processing of IED data for protection engineers in the Smart Grid

In the Smart Grid, protection engineers should be provided with advanced tools to execute event analysis more effectively making sure the system is restored as quickly as possible. Since the manual event analysis is a time consuming process, this paper proposes a scheme for real-time automated collecting, analyzing, archiving, and displaying of Substation Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) data generated during a power system events. How the relevant information is extracted to generate a customized report, especially considering protection engineers' needs is discussed. Several intelligent IED data analysis application tools are incorporated for the purpose of effective IED data processing. A software application named “Report Generator” is developed for the purpose of data integration and information exchange to create the report with a predefined format. A simulation case is given for more detailed description of the automation process. This solution ensures high efficiency in root-course analysis aimed at understanding and trouble-shooting relay operations, resulting in improved reliability of power system operation.
Characterization of the Mechanism of Regulation of Ca2+/ Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase I by Calmodulin and by Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase Kinase

Abstract Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I (CaMKI) is maintained in an autoinhibited state by the interaction of a COOH-terminal helix-loop-helix (Ile286-Met316) regulatory domain with the catalytic core. Activation of the enzyme by calmodulin (CaM) also allows CaMKI to be phosphorylated and activated by a second enzyme, CaMK kinase (CaMKK). To more thoroughly characterize the regulation of CaMKI by CaM and its interrelationship with phosphorylation by CaMKK, we have carried out a detailed structure-function analysis using recombinant wild-type (WT) and mutant forms of CaMKI and CaMKK. CaMKI-WT, in the absence of CaM, or CaMKI-299 and CaMKI-298 were autoinhibited and could not be phosphorylated by CaMKK-433 (a truncated constitutively active form of CaMKK). Removal of Phe298(CaMK-297) generated a constitutively active form of CaMKI that was also phosphorylated by CaMKK-433. CaMKI-WT was essentially inactive in the absence of CaM (K 0.5 for activation by CaM ∼30 nm). Mutation of Ile294 and Phe298 to alanine (CaMKI-2A) resulted in measurable basal enzyme activity. Additional mutation of Ile286 and Val290 to alanine (CaMKI-4A) increased this basal activity. Mutation of Trp303 (CaMKI-W303S) resulted in a large increase in the K 0.5 for CaM (∼100 μm), supporting a role for this residue as an initial target for CaM. Mutation of Phe307 (CaMKI-F307A) resulted in increased basal enzyme activity, supporting a role for this residue in autoinhibition of CaMKI. Together these studies demonstrate the critical role of specific amino acids in the autoinhibition of CaMKI and also in its activation by CaM and phosphorylation by CaMKK.
Effect of simultaneous potassium and saline loading on plasma aldosterone levels.

To assess the relative importance of the renin-angiotensin system and potassium in the acute regulation of aldosterone secretion in the salt depleted state, normal subjects were infused with an isotonic saline solution containing potassium chloride (KC1) and the responses compared to the infusions of isotonic saline (500 ml/h) and KC1 alone (20 mEq K†/h). Subjects were studied recumbent in balance on a 10 mEq sodium/100 mEq potassium diet. The rates of infusing saline and potassium were selected to produce comparable but opposite effects on the levels of plasma aldosterone. As plasma renin activity (PRA) declined and plasma potassium increased during the combined saline-KCl infusions, plasma aldosterone levels appeared to be the arithmetic sum of the changes in these parameters. In fact, the calculated changes in aldosterone levels per unit changein PRA or potassium from each infusion alone, correlated well with the observed levels, further supporting an additive relationship. These data support the conce...
Improving mine safety technology and training in the U.S. recommendations of the Mine Safety Technology and Training Commission

The key issues studied focused on underground coal mining and included (1) prevention of explosions in sealed areas, (2) better emergency preparedness and response, (3) improvement of miners’ ability to escape, (4) better protection of miners before and after a fire or explosion, (5) improved provision of oxygen, and (6) development and implementation of more robust post-incident communication. The U.S. Congress passed the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, which mandated new laws to address the issues. Concurrent with investigations and congressional deliberations, the National Mining Association formed the independent Mine Safety Technology and Training Commission to study the state-of-the-art relative to technology and training that could address the vulnerabilities exposed by the mine disasters. As discussed, the report outlined persistent vulnerabilities linked with significant hazards in underground coal mines, and made recommendations to provide a path for addressing them. Overall the commission report made 75 recommendations in the areas of risk-based design and management, communications technology, emergency response and mine rescue procedures, training for preparedness, and escape and protection strategies. In its deliberations, the commission importantly noted that mine safety in the U.S. needs to follow a new paradigm for ensuring mine safety and developing a culture of prevention that supports safe production at the business core. In the commission’s viewpoint, the bottom line in protecting coal miners is not only adopting a culture of prevention but also systematically pursuing mitigation of significant risks.
C3orf58, a Novel Paracrine Protein, Stimulates Cardiomyocyte Cell-Cycle Progression Through the PI3K–AKT–CDK7 Pathway

Rationale: The regenerative capacity of the heart is markedly diminished shortly after birth, coinciding with overall withdrawal of cardiomyocytes from cell cycle. Consequently, the adult mammalian heart has limited capacity to regenerate after injury. The discovery of factors that can induce cardiomyocyte proliferation is, therefore, of high interest and has been the focus of extensive investigation throughout the past years. Objective: We have recently identified C3orf58 as a novel hypoxia and Akt induced stem cell factor (HASF) secreted from mesenchymal stem cells, which can promote cardiac repair through cytoprotective mechanisms. Here, we tested the hypothesis that HASF can also contribute to cardiac regeneration by stimulating cardiomyocyte division and proliferation. Methods and Results: Neonatal ventricular cardiomyocytes were stimulated in culture for 7 days with purified recombinant HASF protein. Compared with control untreated cells, HASF-treated neonatal cardiomyocytes exhibited 60% increase in DNA synthesis as measured by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. These results were confirmed by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy showing a 50% to 100% increase in the number of cardiomyocytes in the mitotic and cytokinesis phases. Importantly, in vivo cardiac overexpression of HASF in a transgenic mouse model resulted in enhanced level of DNA synthesis and cytokinesis in neonatal and adult cardiomyocytes. These proliferative effects were modulated by a phosphoinositide 3-kinase–protein kinase B–cycle-dependent kinase 7 pathway as revealed by the use of phosphoinositide 3-kinase -pathway–specific inhibitors and silencing of the Cdk7 gene. Conclusions: Our studies support the hypothesis that HASF induces cardiomyocyte proliferation via a phosphoinositide 3-kinase–protein kinase B–cycle-dependent kinase 7 pathway. The implications of this finding may be significant for cardiac regeneration biology and therapeutics.
Psychological Trauma and Its Treatment in the Polio Epidemics

In this paper, I explore the kinds of psychological trauma experienced by polio patients in the mid-twentieth century in the United States. I argue that the trauma was the result of the experience of sudden paralysis, the conditions under which patients were treated, and the expectations for rehabilitation derived from the psychosocial context of the period. Psychiatric and psychological counseling in hospitals was only beginning to be offered in this period, and most polio patients received little or no counseling or assistance in dealing with their psychological problems. Contemporary psychological studies suggest that many polio patients suffered from psychological problems but that they were relatively mild. However, compared with the many studies of the physical problems of polio patients, there were relatively few studies of the psychological issues associated with the disease. The narratives and memoirs of polio survivors vividly testify to the psychological burden they experienced as patients during both the acute phase of the illness and during rehabilitation.
Numerical Simulation of a Low-Level Jet over Complex Terrain in Southern Iran

The Lut Desert of Iran is an elongated valley oriented north-northwest to south-southeast. The valley descends southward to the Jaz Murian dry lake through a pass. The Navy’s Coupled Ocean‐Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System is used to study a northerly low-level jet in the valley and across the dry lake. The dynamics of the jet are investigated with force balance and Froude numbers to determine the contribution of various mechanisms to the jet formation and maintenance. The jet is initiated as a channeled gap flow in the convergent topography of the Lut valley by the valley-parallel pressure gradients generated by the large-scale processes and by the presence of cold air over the valley’s sloping terrain. The pressure gradient is mainly counteracted by the frictional force. The imbalance between them controls the intensity and persistence of the jet in the valley. Farther south, the jet evolves into a downslope flow resembling a hydraulic jump on the steep slope of the dry lake. A transition of subcritical situation to supercritical faster flow is found at the mountain crest between the Lut valley and dry lake. The depth of stably stratified cold layer, the static stability of upstream inversion, and magnitude of upstream winds all determine the jet configuration over the dry lake. The lee troughing over the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, as the large-scale inland flow crosses the coastal mountains, supports this low-level jet through the increased along-jet pressure gradient. The jet is also influenced by diurnal forcing, being strong at night and weak during daytime.
Toxicities, complications, and clinical encounters during intraperitoneal chemotherapy in 17 women with ovarian cancer

Abstract Purpose of the research Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy is a viable and superior treatment to standard intravenous (IV) chemotherapy in women with small volume residual ovarian cancer following optimal debulking. Despite this clinical advantage, widespread adoption of the treatment regimen has been hampered by concerns related to toxicities and complications. The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe nursing implications related to toxicities, complications and clinical encounters in 17 women with ovarian cancer who received IP chemotherapy. Methods and sample Women with ovarian cancer who received IP chemotherapy at one NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center were accrued. Data related to IP chemotherapy summary, clinical encounters and admissions were obtained through comprehensive chart audits. Key results Common treatment-related toxicities included nausea and vomiting, fatigue, hypomagnesia, pain, neuropathy, anemia, and constipation. Reasons for dose-modifications were multi-factorial, and were primarily related to catheter complications and chemotherapy toxicities. The number of clinical encounters was high, and they were primarily related to admissions for inpatient IP chemotherapy and follow-up clinic visits. Conclusions Treatment-related toxicities and complications were common in women with ovarian cancer who received IP chemotherapy. Use of IP chemotherapy results in multiple clinical encounters, such as outpatient clinic visits and inpatient admissions. Nursing is a critical part of the interdisciplinary approach in caring for women treated with IP chemotherapy. Interdisciplinary teams with high levels of knowledge and skills related to IP chemotherapy administration are needed to manage treatment-related toxicities and complications, and support multiple clinical encounters during treatment.
An adaptive approach to Lyapunov design in nonlinear optimal stabilization problems

A time-varying/dynamic compensation strategy for nonlinear systems is proposed which adaptively selects one controller from a parametrized family of Lyapunov-based stabilizing controllers. The purpose of the adaptation is to reduce the value of a given cost functional, but stability is guaranteed regardless of whether or not errors in computing the parameter update preclude such cost reduction. A simulation study illustrates the potential of this adaptive scheme.
Seasonal Variation of Cloud Systems over ARM SGP

Abstract Increased observational analyses provide a unique opportunity to perform years-long cloud-resolving model (CRM) simulations and generate long-term cloud properties that are very much in demand for improving the representation of clouds in general circulation models (GCMs). A year 2000 CRM simulation is presented here using the variationally constrained mesoscale analysis and surface measurements. The year-long (3 January–31 December 2000) CRM surface precipitation is highly correlated with the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) observations with a correlation coefficient of 0.97. The large-scale forcing is the dominant factor responsible for producing the precipitation in summer, spring, and fall, but the surface heat fluxes play a more important role during winter when the forcing is weak. The CRM-simulated year-long cloud liquid water path and cloud (liquid and ice) optical depth are also in good agreement (correlation coefficients of 0.73 and 0.64, respectively) with the ARM retrievals ov...
Factors leading to integration failures in global feature-oriented development: an empirical analysis

Feature-driven software development is a novel approach that has grown in popularity over the past decade. Researchers and practitioners alike have argued that numerous benefits could be garnered from adopting a feature-driven development approach. However, those persuasive arguments have not been matched with supporting empirical evidence. Moreover, developing software systems around features involves new technical and organizational elements that could have significant implications for outcomes such as software quality. This paper presents an empirical analysis of a large-scale project that implemented 1195 features in a software system. We examined the impact that technical attributes of product features, attributes of the feature teams and crossfeature interactions have on software integration failures. Our results show that technical factors such as the nature of component dependencies and organizational factors such as the geographic dispersion of the feature teams and the role of the feature owners had complementary impact suggesting their independent and important role in terms of software quality. Furthermore, our analyses revealed that cross-feature interactions, measured as the number of architectural dependencies between two product features, are a major driver of integration failures. The research and practical implications of our results are discussed.
An in vitro assessment of bioaccessibility of arsenicals in rice and the use of this estimate within a probabilistic exposure model

In this study, an in vitro synthetic gastrointestinal extraction protocol was used to estimate bioaccessibility of different arsenicals present in 17 rice samples of various grain types that were collected across the United States. The across matrix average for total arsenic was 209 ng/g±153 (x±2σ). The bioaccessibility estimate produced an across matrix average of 61%±19 (x±2σ). The across matrix average concentrations of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were 81 ng/g±67.7 and 41 ng/g±58.1 (x±2σ), respectively. This distribution of iAs concentrations in rice was combined with the distribution of consumption patterns (from WWEIA) in a Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulator model to estimate population-based exposures. The mean consumption rate for the population as a whole was 15.7 g per day resulting in a 0.98 μg iAs per day exposure. The mean consumption rate for children 1–2 years old was 7 g per day resulting in a 0.48 μg iAs per day exposure. Presystemic biotransformation of DMA in rice was examined using an in vitro assay containing the anaerobic microbiota of mouse cecum. This assay indicated that DMA extracted from the rice was converted to dimethylthioarsinic acid, although a second oxygen–sulfur exchange to produce DMDTA was not observed.
ROCR: Dynamic vertical wall climbing with a pendular two-link mass-shifting robot

We present a novel bio-inspired dynamic climbing robot, with a recursive name: ROCR is an Oscillating Climbing Robot. ROCR is a pendular two-link, serial chain robot that utilizes alternating hand-holds and an actuated tail to propel itself upward in a climbing style based on observation of human climbers and brachiating gibbons. ROCR's bio-inspired oscillating climbing strategy is simple and efficient. This robot is intended for autonomous surveillance and inspection on sheer vertical surfaces. Potential locomotion gait strategies were investigated in simulation using Working Model 2D. Strategy comparisons were drawn on a basis of climbing rate and energy efficiency. Simulation results show the feasibility and relative merits of these climbing gait strategies and compare them to the potential energy gained while climbing. A first generation ROCR design, having physical parameters based on simulation analysis, that utilizes actuated permanent magnet grippers and a geared-motor actuated tail was fabricated. Magnetic grippers are used for this initial prototype to facilitate investigating the robots climbing efficiency. Several climbing gaits which showed promise in simulation were implemented in the prototype. ROCR is a lightweight, flexible, self-contained robot with onboard microcontroller, tilt and acceleration sensing, power supply and wireless communication. We conclude with plans to evolve the simulation and design of the robot and plans for testing the prototype.
Characterization of a Liquid-Metal Micro Droplets Thermal Interface Material

This work presents the characterization of a thermal interface material consisting of an array of mercury micro droplets deposited on a silicon die. Three arrays were tested, a 40 × 40 array (1600 grid) and two 20 × 20 arrays (400 grid). All arrays were assembled on a 4 × 4 mm2 silicon die. An experimental facility which measures the thermal resistance across the mercury array under steady state conditions is described. The thermal interface resistance of the arrays was characterized as a function of the applied load. A thermal interface resistance as low as 0.253 mm2 K W−1 was measured. A model to predict the thermal resistance of a liquid-metal micro droplet array was developed and compared to the experimental results. The model predicts the deformation of the droplet array under an applied load and then the geometry of the deformed droplets is used to predict the thermal resistance of the array. The contact resistance of the mercury arrays was estimated based on the experimental and model data. An average contact resistance was estimated to be 0.14 mm2 K W−1 .Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Chiral separations in microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography. Use of micelle polymers and microemulsion polymers.

Abstract In this study, microemulsions of the chiral surfactant polysodium N-undecenoyl- d -valinate (poly- d -SUV) was utilized for enantiomeric separation by investigating two approaches using polymeric chiral surfactant in microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC). In the first approach, poly- d -SUV was used as an emulsifier surfactant along with 1-butanol and n-heptane. Enantioseparation of anionic or partially anionic binaphthyl derivatives, anionic barbiturates, and cationic paveroline derivatives were achieved by varying the mass fraction of 1-butanol, n-heptane and poly- d -SUV. For anionic or partially anionic analytes, relatively lower mass fractions of n-heptane, and poly- d -SUV were found to give optimum chiral separations as compared to that for cationic solutes. In the second approach, the chiral microemulsion polymer was prepared by polymerizing mixtures of 3.50% (w/w) of sodium N-undecenoyl- d -valinate ( d -SUV) and 0.82% (w/w) of n-heptane (core phase) at varying concentration of 1-butanol. After polymerization, the n-heptane and 1-butanol were removed to yield solvent free microemulsion polymers (MPs) which were then utilized for the separation of anionic binaphthyl derivatives and anionic barbiturates. When MPs of D-SUV were utilized for chiral separation, 1.00% (w/w) 1-butanol and 3.50% (w/w) 1-butanol was optimum for enantioseparation of (±)-BNP and (±)-BOH, respectively. On the other hand, for anionic (±)-barbiturates very low concentration of butanol (0.25%, w/w) provided optimum resolution. Compared with micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC), the use of micelle polymers or microemulsion polymers in MEEKC showed dramatic enhancement for resolution of (±)-BNP, while this enhancement was less dramatic for other binaphthyls [(±)-BOH, (±)-BNA] as well as for (±)-barbiturates and (±)-paveroline derivatives. However, higher separation efficiency of the enantiomers was always observed with MEEKC than in MEKC.
Eimeria odocoilei n. sp. from the mule deer Odocoileus h. hemionus in Washington.

SYNOPSIS. Eimeria odocoilei n. sp. is described from feces of a mule deer Odocoileus h. hemionus in Washington. Its oocysts are 26 to 28 by 22 to 26 μ. It is the second species of Eimeria described from this host.
Malaria and iron: history and review

To cause infection, nearly all protozoa, fungi, and bacteria must obtain growth-essential iron from their hosts. To suppress infection, hosts have evolved iron-withholding defense systems. Enhancement of iron withholding is a potential target for the development of novel therapeutic agents. This review focuses on the association of iron with current and emerging antimalarial drugs. Proposed mechanisms of antimalarial action of (1) iron-requiring agents, the artemisinins, are compared with (2) a spectrum of compounds that withdraw iron by chelation. A novel approach to malarial chemotherapy might involve the sequential use of a member of each of the two categories.
Isolated metastatic extremity liposarcoma to the liver, an uncommon and transient finding

Background: Extremity liposarcomas can metastasize to different areas of the body but have rarely been demonstrated to metastasize to the liver. Due to the unusual occurrence of isolated metastatic extremity liposarcoma to the liver, the optimal treatment of this condition is unknown. Case presentation: Less than one year after resection of a myxoid/round cell liposarcoma of the left lateral calf, a 61-year-old male presented with a CT scan showing a 2 cm low-density lesion in the right lobe of the liver. The lesion tripled in size over the next few months. An extensive evaluation revealed isolated disease to the liver. The lesion was surgically removed with a right hepatic lobectomy and the pathology was consistent with metastatic myxoid/round cell liposarcoma. Conclusion: Although extremity liposarcoma rarely metastasizes solely to the liver, the best chance at cure is with complete resection. Unfortunately, cure rates are very low in the setting of metastatic disease. As expected, the patient experienced progression of disease at sites outside of the liver 5 months after the liver resection.
Long-term movement of 15N tracers into fine woody debris under chronically elevated N inputs

Two key questions in the study of large-scale C (carbon) and N (nitrogen) cycling in temperate forests are how N cycling in soil detritus controls ecosystem-level retention of elevated N deposition, and whether elevated N deposition is likely to cause increases in C pools. The large C:N ratios in woody detritus make it a potentially important contributor to N retention, if N immobilization increases, and a potentially important contributor to C sequestration, if pool sizes increase. We studied N concentrations, C:N ratios, and pool sizes of N and biomass in fine woody debris (FWD < 5 cm diam.) 12 years into a long-term N-amendment study in two contrasting forests, a naturally-regenerated forest dominated by Quercus spp., and a 63-yr old plantation of Pinus resinosa. We also quantitatively recovered 15N tracers (originally applied as 15NH4 and 15NO3) in FWD, eight years following their application in the same study, in both ambient and N-amended plots. We used these data to test predictions of tracer redistributions made by a biogeochemical process model that included 15N. Results from the N pool-size analysis and the 15N tracer-recovery analysis indicated that under elevated N inputs of 5 g N m−2 yr−1 (as NH4NO3) over the decadal time period, only 0.15%–0.76% of the elevated N inputs were recovered in FWD of N-amended plots relative to ambient. Any increase in N immobilization in wood appeared to be minimal, in agreement with model predictions. Under N amendments, pool sizes of C in FWD were not significantly different from ambient, whereas pool sizes of N were marginally higher. Patterns of 15NH4 vs. 15NO3 recovery, treatment differences, and forest-type differences suggested that plant uptake, rather than detrital immobilization, was the dominant mechanism of 15N tracer movement into FWD. This result indicates that plant-soil cycling operating over a decadal time scale or longer controls C:N ratios and N pool sizes in woody debris.
A simplified bi-state channel model for radio propagation in the Land mobile Satellite System

In this paper, a simplified channel model for Land mobile Satellite Systems (LMSS) is proposed, which makes use of Ricean fading for the Line-of-sight (LOS) scenario and composite Nakagami-m / Gamma fading for the shadowed scenario. The closed form expressions for the probability density function (pdf) and the moment generating function for the signal strength are derived. The proposed model is shown to compare favorably to existing models. Furthermore, the proposed model offers an effective and tractable technique to access performance of digital communication system for LMSS channels.
Application of output prediction logic to differential CMOS

We apply the output prediction logic (OPL) technique to the differential CMOS logic family. Including the effects of process, voltage and temperature (PVT) variations, we show that OPL differential CMOS is more than 40% faster than the single-rail OPL-dynamic logic family, and nearly 5 times faster than optimized static CMOS. We also demonstrate an OPL-differential 64:2 compressor that is 37% faster than the OPL-dynamic version. Finally, we show that OPL-differential is nearly twice as fast as differential domino.
Anomaly of anatomical origin of soleus muscle: A mouse model

In the laboratory mouse, the soleus muscle arises at the head of the fibula and inserts via the Achilles tendon on the tuber calcanei together with the gastrocnemius muscle. During routine dissection of mice from the BXD recombinant inbred (RI) strains, we found that the soleus often originated from the lateral epicondyle of the femur instead of the head of the fibula. This soleus femoral attachment anomaly (SFAA) changes the soleus from being a single-joint to a two-joint muscle. The incidence of SFAA was 45% in the BXD38 RI strain. Bilateral inspection indicated that SFAA may be present unilaterally or bilaterally within an individual mouse. We explored the effect of SFAA on muscle weight in mice with unilateral expression. The weight of SFAA soleii was significantly less (P < 0.01) than that of the soleii with normal attachment by 6% (females) and 14% (males). Similar anatomical anomalies of the soleus muscle have been noted in humans. The mouse model will provide the means to explore the physiological consequences and genetic basis for such anomalies.
A randomised controlled trial on the effect of mask choice on residual respiratory events with continuous positive airway pressure treatment.

Abstract Introduction It has been found that mask style can affect the amount of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) required to reduce an apnoea/hyponoea index (AHI) to Methods Twenty-one subjects (age mean (M)=62.9, body mass index (BMI) M=29.6kg/m 2 ) were randomised (14 subjects completed the protocol) to undergo an in-laboratory CPAP titration with either a nasal mask or an oronasal mask. Subjects were then assigned this mask for 3weeks of at-home CPAP use with the optimal treatment pressure determined on the laboratory study (CPAP M=8.4cm of H 2 O). At the end of this 3-week period, data were collected from the CPAP machine and the subject was given the other mask to use with the same CPAP settings for the next 3weeks at home (if the nasal mask was given initially, the oronasal one was given later and vice versa). On completion of the second 3-week period, data on residual AHI were again collected and compared with the first 3-week period on CPAP. Results A Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test (two-tailed) revealed that residual AHI with CPAP treatment was significantly higher with the oronasal compared with the nasal mask ( z =−3.296, p 10/h in the oronasal mask condition, even though all of these subjects were titrated to an AHI of Conclusion A higher residual AHI was seen in all patients with the use of an oronasal mask compared with a nasal mask. Switching to an oronasal mask post titration results in an increase in residual AHI with CPAP treatment, and pressure adjustment may be warranted .
Analysis of electromagnetic wave propagation on coplanar waveguides on doped semiconductor substrates

High resistivity silicon substrates demonstrated strong potential for applications as a microwave and millimeter wave substrate. A method to simulate a coplanar waveguide (CPW) on a doped semiconductor substrate is presented. Its salient point is the inclusion of a voltage dependent depletion width and built-in voltage due to the metal-semiconductor (Schottky) contact. The attenuation, effective dielectric constant, and characteristic impedance are determined for different modes and applied biases.
A 14 b 23 MS/s 48 mW Resetting $\Sigma \Delta$ ADC

High-resolution, moderate-speed, calibration-free analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are becoming increasingly difficult to design in low-voltage nanometer-scale CMOS processes. We propose an ADC architecture based on a resetting ΣΔ modulator that achieves high resolution, despite poor component matching and poor analog transistor performance. A prototype design pipelines a second-order resetting ΣΔ modulator and a 10 b cyclic ADC. The device achieves 14 b resolution and samples as a Nyquist converter at 23 MS/s. This calibration-free ADC achieves no missing codes, 87 dB SFDR and 11.7 b ENOB. The ADC is fabricated in 0.18 μm CMOS and occupies a core area of 0.5 mm2. It consumes 48 mW from a 2 V supply.
X‐ray spectroscopy of high‐Z ions

X‐ray spectroscopy is a tool of choice for studying the properties of high‐Z ions and provides valuable data to test atomic models, excitation cross section and atomic structure calculations. Measurements are presented of highly charged heliumlike and neonlike ions from tokamak observations and the electron beam ion trap at Livermore which illustrate unresolved questions of atomic physics and state‐of‐the‐art approaches to address the issues.
A Tertiary Care Center's Experience with Central Nervous System Vasculitis (CNSV) (P07.016)

Objective: To evaluate CNS Vasculitis in a tertiary care cerebrovascular center serving a population of 1.5 million. Background CNSV is a rare and ill-defined cause of stroke(3-5%) with limited available case series in the modern era of stroke management. Design/Methods: Case series included cases coded as cerebral arteritis admitted to Stony Brook University Hospital between March 2009 and October 2011. Inclusion criteria-Acute onset of neurologic abnormalities in setting of angiographic guided multiple segmental narrowing in two or more CNS vessels. Results: 11 cases coded as cerebral arteritis, 4 males and 7 females between 13 to 88 years, satisfied our criteria for CNSV. 2 patients African-American and 9 Caucasian. Comorbid conditions included smoking, drug-abuse, hepatitis, DM, HTN, CKD,COPD and cyclical-vomiting-syndrome. Presentations ranged from seizures-36%(4/11)and stroke-63%(7/11) with 28%(2/7) being hemorrhagic and 71%(5/7) ischemic, none of which developed hemorrhagic conversion during the observation period. Primary CNSV accounted for 54%(6/11), 27%(4/11) had systemic vasculitis(2-SLE and 1-Monoclonal-gammopathy and 1-infectious arteritis), and 9%(1/11) had Reversible-Cerebral-Vasoconstriction Syndrome. Diagnostic modalities included cerebral-angiography in 54%(6/11), MRA in 63%(7/11), computerized-tomographic angiography in 27%(3/11), and brain/leptomeningeal biopsies in 18%(2/11) of cases. Bilateral cerebrovascular involvement was noted in 54%(6/11), of which 66% were primary and 33% systemic. Treatments were along the lines of acute reversal of vasoconstriction induced neurologic symptoms and immunomodulation. 45%(5/11) were transferred to acute rehabilitation facilities, 36%(4/11) discharged home, with a mortality of 18%(2/11). Outcome: Recurrence-18%(2/11)and complete resolution of angiographic vasculitis pattern-18%(2/11). Conclusions: Primary CNSV was more common than systemic CNSV, with stroke being the most common presentation followed by seizures. MRA and cerebral angiography were the most common diagnostic modalities. Our review points out the need for further prospective studies to allow for more systematic data collection and to better evaluate and manage CNSV patients. Supported by: Stony Brook University Hospital. Disclosure: Dr. Al-Mufti has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gupta has nothing to disclose. Dr. Coyle has received personal compensation for activities with Acorda Therapeutics, Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Biogen Idec, Genzyme Corporation, Novartis, Questcor, Roche Diagnostics Corporation, Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Teva Neuroscience. Dr. Coyle has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for NEURA. Dr. Coyle has received research support from Serono, Inc., Novartis, and Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Harris has nothing to disclose. Dr. Medin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kim has nothing to disclose.
Robust Logistic and Probit Methods for Binary and Multinomial Regression.

In this paper we introduce new robust estimators for the logistic and probit regressions for binary, multinomial, nominal and ordinal data and apply these models to estimate the parameters when outliers or influential observations are present. Maximum likelihood estimates don’t behave well when outliers or influential observations are present. One remedy is to remove influential observations from the data and then apply the maximum likelihood technique on the deleted data. Another approach is to employ a robust technique that can handle outliers and influential observations without removing any observations from the data sets. The robustness of the method is tested using real and simulated data sets.
Abstract 2292: Tumor suppressivemiR-124targets androgen receptor and inhibits proliferation of prostate cancer cells

Recent studies have revealed that miR-124 functions as a tumor suppressor and is downregulated in several types of human cancer. Until now, however, whether miR-124 is involved in prostate cancer (CaP) is totally unknown. In order to explore the role of miR-124 in CaP, we detected the expression level of miR-124 in prostate cell lines and clinical prostatic tissues using qPCR, and observed a reduced expression of miR-124 in all malignant cell lines tested and in a majority of clinical CaP samples examined, compared to that in the benign cell lines and in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), suggesting that miR-124 is a putative tumor suppressor gene. Since the 3′UTR of androgen receptor (AR) mRNA contains a broadly conserved miR-124-binding site, experiments were performed to validate miR-124-mediated regulation of AR. We found that transfection of synthetic miR-124 mimic (miR-124m) downregulated the AR protein level and its downsteam effectors PSA and miR-125b. To verify that the miR-124 binding site is responsible for regulation by miR-124, the AR 3β UTR was cloned into the pRIM Reporter-luciferase vector, and cotransfected with miR-124m into CaP cells. We observed that transfection of miR-124m resulted in 40% reduction of luciferase activity, indicating a direct interaction between miR-124 and AR mRNA. We then examined whether clinical CaP samples having low level of miR-124 overexpress the AR using IHC analysis, and found a reverse correlation between miR-124 and AR expression levels in 7 of 8 CaP samples. These data suggest that miR-124 targets the AR and down-regulation of miR-124 results in increased expression of the AR in CaP cells. In addition, we tested whether miR-124 inhibits the growth of CaP cells, and found that treatment with miR-124m induced significant inhibition of cell proliferation compared to treatment with miR-NC control. We also evaluated the effect of miR-124 on tumorigenesis of 22Rv1 CaP cells that were transiently transfected with miR-124m. We observed that tumors derived from miR-124-transfected 22Rv1 cells grew substantially slowly, when compared to miR-NC tumors. Taken together, our data suggest that miR-124 is a potential tumor suppressor gene in CaP, and restoration of miR-124 expression may represent a novel therapeutic strategy in CaP therapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2292. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2292
The bones of the system: a case study of logging and telemetry at Microsoft

Large software organizations are transitioning to event data platforms as they culturally shift to better support data-driven decision making. This paper offers a case study at Microsoft during such a transition. Through qualitative interviews of 28 participants, and a quantitative survey of 1,823 respondents, we catalog a diverse set of activities that leverage event data sources, identify challenges in conducting these activities, and describe tensions that emerge in data-driven cultures as event data flow through these activities within the organization. We find that the use of event data span every job role in our interviews and survey, that different perspectives on event data create tensions between roles or teams, and that professionals report social and technical challenges across activities.
Do race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status affect why we place ear tubes in children?

Abstract Introduction Despite recent concerns about potential overuse of tympanostomy tube (TT) placement to treat otitis media in children, utilization of this common procedure in the U.S. has been shown to be relatively less common among minority children. It is not known if the indications for TT differ by child race/ethnicity and/or socioeconomic status (SES). Our objective is to analyze the association of patient- and neighborhood-level demographics and SES with clinical indications for TT. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of children who underwent TT at single urban academic tertiary pediatric care center in a 6-month period (8/2013-3/2014). Children with congenital anomalies or syndromic diagnoses were excluded (50/137 children, 36.5%). Children were grouped by primary TT indication, recurrent acute otitis media (RAOM) or chronic otitis media with effusion (OME). Group characteristics were compared using t-tests and chi-square analyses, and logistic regression was performed to assess the association between demographics and TT indication. Results 87 children were included in this analysis (mean age = 2.8 years, 1–6 years). The most common indication for TT was RAOM (53%), and these children had a mean of 6 AOM episodes/year. Indications for TT varied significantly by the patient's neighborhood SES (median neighborhood income $70,969.09-RAOM vs $58, 844.95-OME, p-value = 0.009). Those undergoing TT for RAOM were less likely to live in a high-poverty neighborhood (OR = 0.36,p-value = 0.02), whereas children who underwent TT for OME were more likely to live in a high-poverty neighborhood. There was no significant difference in indication by race/ethnicity or insurance type. Conclusions In this population, TT indications differed by SES. Among children receiving tubes, those from high poverty areas were more likely than those from low poverty neighborhoods to receive tubes for the indication of OME as opposed to RAOM. This finding suggests that concerns for appropriate use of TT in the setting of RAOM may be specific to a more affluent population. Future prospective patient-centered research will evaluate cultural and economic influences for families pursuing TT placement, as well as factors considered by physicians who make surgical recommendations.
Parameters Influencing Ion Intensities for Quadrupole SIMS Instruments

It is well known that quadrupole mass spectrometers can be operated in various resolution modes, for example, constant ΔM or constant M/ΔM. This property is easy to understand theoretically from the stability diagram and from the equation for the scan line: $${\rm{U = \alpha V}} \pm {\rm{\gamma }}$$ (1) and the equation for the resolution: $$\frac{{\rm{M}}}{{\Delta {\rm{M}}}} = \frac{{\rm{C}}}{{0.16784 - {\rm{U/V}}}}.$$ (2) In these equations U and V are the d.c. and a.c. potentials aoplied to the electrodes, α and γ are constants determined by adjustments on the guadrupole control and C is a constant that depends on peak shape. From these equations and the fact that V is proportional to M,it can be seen that if α = 0.16784 and K ≠ 0 ΔM will be constant. Also if K = 0 and α ≠ 0.16784 M/ΔM will be constant.