cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of patient-specific factors on radiation-induced regional lung injury

Abstract Purpose: To assess the impact of patient-specific factors on radiation (RT)-induced reductions in regional lung perfusion. Methods: Fifty patients (32 lung carcinoma, 7 Hodgkin's disease, 9 breast carcinoma and 2 other thoracic tumors) had pre-RT and ≥24-week post-RT single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) perfusion images to assess the dose dependence of RT-induced reductions in regional lung perfusion. The SPECT data were analyzed using a normalized and non-normalized approach. Furthermore, two different mathematical methods were used to assess the impact of patient-specific factors on the dose–response curve (DRC). First, DRCs for different patient subgroups were generated and compared. Second, in a more formal statistical approach, individual DRCs for regional lung injury for each patient were fit to a linear-quadratic model (reduction = coefficient 1 × dose + coefficient 2 × dose 2 ). Multiple patient-specific factors including tobacco history, pre-RT diffusion capacity to carbon monoxide (DLCO), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), chemotherapy exposure, disease type, and mean lung dose were explored in a multivariate analysis to assess their impact on the coefficients. Results: None of the variables tested had a consistent impact on the radiation sensitivity of regional lung (i.e., the slope of the DRC). In the formal statistical analysis, there was a suggestion of a slight increase in radiation sensitivity in the dose range >40 Gy for nonsmokers (vs. smokers) and in those receiving chemotherapy (vs. no chemotherapy). However, this finding was very dependent on the specific statistical and normalization method used. Conclusion: Patient-specific factors do not have a dramatic effect on RT-induced reduction in regional lung perfusion. Additional studies are underway to better clarify this issue. We continue to postulate that patient-specific factors will impact on how the summation of regional injury translates into whole organ injury. Refinements in our methods to generate and compare SPECT scans are needed.
Mergers and Principals

The term 'principal' has roots both in computer security and in communications security. We will show that in those two areas principals serve quite different purposes. We also note that the term principal is overloaded in computer security and propose a separation into three different aspects: origin of message, access control rule, and accountable entity. Furthermore, we will defend the merits of extensional security specifications and show that it is not fruitful to expect that security mechanisms can only have one 'correct' interpretation.
Commentary on histoplasmosis

The syndrome now recognized as presumed ocular histoplasmosis (POH) was described in 1959 by Woods and Wahlen’ who observed hemorrhagic disciform macular disease and peripheral chorioretinal scars in patients with positive histoplasmin skin tests. Absence of vitreous or anterior segment inflammation in the presence of peripapillary scarring were other clinical features of POH, later identified as part of what has now become a well-accepted clinical entity in uveitk2 Epidemiologic studies3 have statistically confirmed a relationship between POH and exposure to the organism as determined by histoplasmin skin test ~ensitivity.~ Koch’s postulates, however, have not been fulfilled in typical cases. Also, a syndrome resembling POH has been reported in Europe, where systemic histoplasmosis is not endemic and where the organism is rarely found. I believe the following sequence of events occurs in the pathogenesis of human presumed ocular histoplasmosis: At the time of a relatively benign systemic histoplasmosis infection in young adult life, there is an acute multifocal histoplasmic choroiditis associated with the fungimia. While not documented in humans, our primate laboratory model demonstrates that such an event occurs with spontaneously resolving foci of acute choroiditis which contain, at least for the first 30 days after infection, living organism^.^ These foci rapidly resolve, emphasizing the ability of the host immune system to handle this infection quite well. Primates converted from negative to positive histoplasmin skin tests, indicating systemic sensitization. The rapid clinical resolution of acute lesions may account for the lack of clinical findings in patients with known systemic histoplasmosis.6 Many eyes in our primate model had multiple small early lesions which totally disappeared by clinical examination. These ‘disappearing’ lesions had significant pathologic changes consisting of collections of lymphocytes beneath an intact and normal appearing RPE Bruch’s membrane complex and retina.5 It is my opinion that these foci of chronic lymphocytic infiltration, whether in a clinically visible ‘histo spot’ or in an invisible lesion, are the potential source for ‘reactivation’ or for so-called de novo lesions that appear to arise from normal retina. In human cases, as in our primate model, foci of lymphocytes remain
Germ‐free mice as a model to study effect of gut microbiota on host physiology

The alterations in resident gut microbiota seen in chronic gastrointestinal disorders have led to an increasing interest in the role of gut bacteria in maintaining intestinal barrier function. While acute alterations in colonic secretomotor function in response to pathogens have been well described, the effect of commensal bacteria on intestinal barrier function and colonic secretomotor function still remains poorly understood. Germ-free mice represent a model system to study effect of gut microbes on host gastrointestinal physiology. The study by Lomasney et al. represents an important step in this direction by demonstrating that the colonic secretomotor function is largely preserved in germ-free mice, hence making them a suitable model to study effect of gut microbiota on host function.
Transcripts of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit gene Pxylα6 with premature stop codons are associated with spinosad resistance in diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella.

The cDNA sequence of the α6 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit of diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) was cloned and sequenced. Transcripts were similar between the spinosad-susceptible G88 and Wapio strains. All transcripts from the spinosad-resistant Pearl-Sel strain contained premature stop codons, and most transcripts have not been previously reported. None of these truncated transcripts were seen in the spinosad-susceptible strains. Proteins made from these transcripts would likely have no, or greatly altered, receptor function. An F2 backcross and spinosad bioassay showed that all spinosad bioassay survivors produced truncated α6 transcripts. Thus, it appears that spinosad resistance in diamondback moth is due to a mutation(s) that results in no functional Pxylα6 being produced.
Tech-note: Dynamic Dragging for Input of 3D Trajectories

We present Dynamic Dragging, a virtual reality (VR) technique for input of smooth 3D trajectories with varying curvature. Users "drag" a virtual pen behind a hand-held tracked stylus to sweep out curving 3D paths in the air. Previous explorations of dragging-style input have established its utility for producing controlled, smooth inputs relative to freehand alternatives. However, a limitation of previous techniques is the reliance on a fixed-length drag line, biasing input toward trajectories of a particular curvature range. Dynamic Dragging explores the design space of techniques utilizing an adaptive drag line that adjusts length dynamically based on the local properties of the input, such as curvature and drawing speed. Finding the right mapping from these local properties to drag line length proves to be critical and challenging. Three potential mappings have been explored, and results of informal evaluations are reported. Initial findings indicate that Dynamic Dragging makes input of many styles of 3D curves easier than traditional drag-style input, allowing drag techniques to approach the flexibility for varied input of more sophisticated and much harder to learn techniques, such as two-handed tape drawing.
Regional body composition in college-aged Caucasians from anthropometric measures

Background Quantitating fat and lean tissue in isolated body regions may be helpful or required in obesity and health-outcomes research. However, current methods of regional body composition measurement require specialized, expensive equipment such as that used in computed tomography or dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Simple body size or circumference measurement relationships to body composition have been developed but are limited to whole-body applications. We investigated relationships between body size measurements and regional body composition.
Abstract 4628: PBISe, an iNOS/Akt inhibitor for colon cancer chemoprevention

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of premature death in people worldwide. Conversion of normal colonic cells to malignant lesions requires several steps and therefore often proceeds over considerable time periods, on average, 10-15 years, thus providing a window of opportunity for effective intervention and prevention. In 2010 it was estimated that in USA alone about 150,000 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and that about 50,000 people will die of the disease. Today, there is handful of truly effective drugs for colon cancer is available for the patients giving a variety of chemotherapy cocktails. Preventive therapies are promising approach for treatment of cancer, and it has a potential to be a major component of colorectal cancer control. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) deregulation and PI3K pathways are such events occurring in colon cancer development. Currently known iNOS inhibitors, such as, S,S’-1,4-phenylene-bis(1,2-ethanediyl)bis-isothiourea (PBIT), require high concentration for clinical efficacy in colon cancer prevention causing systemic toxicity. It is known in the literature that by replacement of sulfur with selenium in the molecule provide a higher inhibitory potency to the compound. Therefore, to develop more potent agent effective at significantly lower concentration, a novel isosteric selenium analog, namely; Se,Se’-1,4-phenylene-bis(1,2-ethanediyl)bis-isoselenourea (PBISe) was developed. Preliminary investigation from our laboratory indicates that PBISe is 25 fold more potent than PBIT in four colon cancer cell lines in MTS assay. Western blot analysis showed decrease pAkt and Akt2 levels, and downstream pPRAS40 levels, and increase in cleaved PARP an apoptosis markers that are specific for Colon cancer. The results from our investigation on maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in FBV mice and male F344 rat when feed with PBISe in a diet as well as tumorigenicity in male (heterozygous) C57BL/6J-APCmin mice and in vitro studies will be discussed. These investigations are highly significant providing insight into the chemoprevention potential and mechanisms based development of PBISe that will inhibit colon cancer. This study was supported by NCI grant CA137763 (DD). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4628. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4628
Management of Coexistent Carotid and Coronary Artery Atherosclerotic Disease: An Unresolved Controversy: Report of Clinical Experience and Literature Review:

The outcomes of 44 patients undergoing concomitant carotid endarterecto my and coronary artery bypass grafting were reviewed along with significant liter ature to date. In the 44 patients receiving concomitant procedures there were no deaths, no myocardial infarctions, 3 transient neurologic deficits (6.8%), and 1 permanent neurologic deficit (2%). In the world experience with concomitant procedures, the incidence of myocardial infarction is 3.7% (64 of 1742) and the incidence of cerebral infarction is 6.7% (116 of 1742). These results compare favorably with an incidence of myocardial infarction as high as 20% in similar patients undergoing isolated carotid endarterectomy, and similarly, to an inci dence of cerebral infarction as high as 25% in similar patients undergoing iso lated coronary artery bypass grafting. Concomitant carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting offers an approach to the management of coex istent carotid and coronary artery occlusive disease with improved results whe...
The Effects of Rehearsal Group Size and Video Feedback in Behavior Modeling Training.

This study was done to assess the effects of the number of observers present during behavioral rehearsal (one or ten) and the presence or absence of videotaped replays of each rehearsal attempt on accurate reproduction of a model's performance. The study was done as part of a behavior modeling training program designed to teach college students eight key behaviors for doing on-the-job training. Thirty-six students were drawn from two evening business school courses and randomly assigned to three experimental conditions (i.e., one observer/videotaped feedback, large group observing/videotaped feedback, and large group observing/no videotaped feedback) during the behavioral rehearsal portion of the program. This investigation revealed that the presence of one observer and videotaped feedback enhanced reproduction scores. Reproduction was measured by three different methods. Possible theoretical explanations for these results are discussed. Implications for the practice of behavior modeling are suggested.
Micro-Raman Spectroscopy of Fresh and Aged Silica Gels

Raman spectra were obtained from fresh and aged silica gels using micro-Raman techniques. Comparison of the spectra from wet and dried gels reveals the stages of reaction in the ethanol-TEOS-water system and the gradual development of the silica structure. The steady disappearance of bands assigned to ethanol and the appearance of bands assigned to silatious species can be traced during the drying process. Increases in either acid concentration or water level increase reaction rates to give gels in a more advanced stage of polymerization. Gels tend to develop fluorescence upon aging for several months. The source of this fluorescent could not be determined, but it’s development can be prevented by heating freshly dried gels to about 155°C.
Normotensive blacks have heightened sympathetic response to cold pressor test.

The purpose of this study was to compare sympathetic nerve activity responses to the cold pressor test in black and white normotensive subjects. We recorded muscle sympathetic nerve activity (microneurography of the peroneal nerve), arterial blood pressure, and heart rate in 9 normotensive American blacks (24 +/- 2 years, mean +/- SEM) and 10 normotensive American whites (28 +/- 2 years) at rest and during hand immersion in ice water (cold pressor test). Body weight was not different in the two groups (72.4 +/- 3.7 versus 74.1 +/- 3.8 kg, black versus white subjects). During supine rest, mean arterial pressure (92 +/- 2 versus 93 +/- 3 mm Hg, black versus white), heart rate (66 +/- 4 versus 62 +/- 3 beats per minute, black versus white), and muscle sympathetic nerve burst frequency (12 +/- 2 versus 17 +/- 3 bursts per minute, black versus white) were not different in the two groups. During the cold pressor test, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity increased from supine rest in both groups. The magnitudes of increases in mean arterial pressure and total minute muscle sympathetic nerve activity were significantly greater in blacks than whites (33.5 +/- 3 versus 22.4 +/- 3 mm Hg and 416 +/- 24% versus 243 +/- 31% of control, respectively, black versus white, P < .05). The increases in heart rate were most significantly different for the two groups. These data suggest that the enhanced pressor response to cold stress observed in normotensive blacks is attributable to greater increases in peripheral sympathetic nerve activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
It’s All Fun and Games Until Somebody Shoots His Eye Out

A previously healthy 6-year-old boy was playing with a BB gun he received for his birthday and was accidentally shot in the left temple. His mother immediately cleaned the barely visible wound; however, within a few hours, the boy began to feel unwell and had several episodes of emesis. In the emergency department, a computed tomography scan revealed that the BB was lodged in the parenchyma of the left parietal region, and a small subdural hematoma had formed. He underwent immediate neurosurgery to evacuate the hematoma, but the BB could not be safely removed. He received perioperative cefazolin and tolerated the initial surgery well. Postoperatively, the infectious diseases service was consulted with the question of the necessity for further antibiotics. The consulting physician noted that this question had no definitive answer in the literature because no relevant randomized controlled trials exist. He referred to retrospective and observational prospective studies but felt that data on infection with a retained foreign body were sparse. Given the uncertainty and the potential for a brain abscess or meningitis, the consultant rendered the opinion that the benefits of a long course of broad-spectrum antibiotics outweighed the risks. He ultimately recommended intravenous vancomycin and meropenem for a minimum of 6 weeks. A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) was placed on hospital day 5, and the patient was discharged from the hospital with plans to follow up in the infectious disease clinic for weekly laboratory evaluations to monitor for infection or antibiotic adverse effects. Six days after discharge, the patient was readmitted for high fever and loose stools. His head computed tomography scan showed no intracranial complications, and his inflammatory markers were normal. Results of infectious testing were negative; these tests included a viral respiratory panel, Clostridium difficile toxin assay, Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus titers, and blood …
Packaging for wireless communications

The key packaging problems which remain to be addressed for wireless communication adapters are: 1) packaging technologies supporting very low-profile card design, such as direct chip attach for 5-mm thick PCMCIA applications; 2) packaging for filter and discrete passive components; 3) integration of antennas into the enclosure, using printed planar antenna approaches; 4) low-cost RF packaging technology reducing the parasitic effects of single-chip packaging; and 5) techniques providing shielding between subsystems and between the sensitive transceiver and the computer system emissions. Good EMI suppression is also essential since FCC qualification has been a problem for a number of wireless PCMCIA products. In the future wireless communication adapters for the mobile PC market will use standard packaging technology for low-cost. PC board materials will be selected for low dielectric losses, but wherever possible, standard single-chip packaging will be preferred over hybrids or MCMs. There are unique aspects to wireless transceiver design, however, which require new design tools for layout, field calculations, and noise coupling analysis. Discrete components and filters are used extensively in RF designs, and they will remain the most challenging problem from a packaging perspective, with considerable opportunity for cost and size reduction.
A Two-Electron-Group Model for a High Current Pseudospark or Back-Lighted Thyratron Plasma

A two-electron-group model is applied to a hydrogen pseudospark and/or backlighted thyratron switch plasma with peak electron density of 1–5x1015 cm-3 and peak current density of 104 A/cm2. In addition to a Maxwellian “bulk” plasma a second group of monoenergetic non-thermal electrons (energy ≥ 100 eV) is assumed to be produced in the high electric field region of the cathode fall. Collisional and radiative processes between electrons, ions and atomic hydrogen are modeled by a set of rate equations and line intensity ratios are compared with measurements. Under these high current conditions, for an initial density nH2≈1016 cm-3 the evaluated “bulk” plasma parameters are electron density of 1–3x1015 cm-3 and electron temperature of 1–1.5 eV, the estimated “beam” density is ≈ 1012–1013 cm-3. Results obtained from a Fokker-Planck and a transport momentum equation suggest the possibility of producing in a simple way a very high density electron beam.
Mission and the cultural other: In search of the pre-colonial Jesus

As an American, and a missionary of various shades among my own Native American peoples for 30 years, I have observed as much about Western (White) culture in North American missions as I have amon...
Towards Secure Cloud Database with Fine-Grained Access Control

Outsourcing data to cloud environments can offer ease of access, provisioning, and cost benefits, but makes the data more vulnerable to disclosure. Loss of complete control over the data can be offset through encryption, but this approach requires an omniscient third party key authority to handle key management, increasing overhead complexity. We present the ZeroVis framework that provides confidentiality for data stored in a cloud environment without requiring a third party key manager. It combines fine-grained access control with the ability to search over encrypted data to allow existing applications to migrate to cloud environments with very minimal software changes, while maintaining data provider control over who can consume that data.
Optical measurements from single levitated particles using a linear electrodynamic quadrupole trap

We have recently made advancements in a linear electrodynamic quadrupole (LEQ) device for capturing and levitating either single or multiple micro-particles that provides significant improvements in capture efficiency, reliability, and optical measurement access. We have used our LEQ to trap particles ranging from 30 to less than 0.5 μm in size and provide a controlled environment to study particle physical/chemical dependencies on temperature, relative humidity, and gas constituents. To demonstrate this approach, we present data and analysis of liquid-droplet evaporation rates for two materials: glycerol and dibutyl sebacate. Droplet size was monitored as a function of time by two independent optical methods: direct imaging and fixed-angle light scattering. This new approach provides a means to rapidly characterize a wide range of aerosol particle properties and a platform for development of new aerosol optical-diagnostic measurements.
Immediate and Prolonged Effects of Hydrocortisone on the Free Amino Acids of Rat Skeletal Muscle.

Summary1. Twenty-four hours after injection hydrocortisone was found to increase the free amino acids of the plasma and muscle of the rat. These acids are decreased after 10 days of treatment with hydrocortisone. 2. Hydrocortisone produced increases in aspartic acid in the muscles of rats treated for 24 hours and for 10 days. This increase after 10 days occurred in spite of a 40% decrease in aspartic acid concentration in the plasma. 3. The muscle/plasma ratios of glycine, glutamine and glycine were found to decrease at 24 hours and at 10 days. This suggests that hydrocortisone inhibits the transport of these amino acids.
Tissue Relationships in the Development of Pedicles and Antlers in the Virginia Deer

Excision of skin from the presumptive pedicle region of fawns during the early months of life does not prevent the subsequent growth of pedicles and antlers. Removal of the osseous primordium of the frontal pedicle with or without the overlying skin completely arrests future development of the pedicle. The importance of the bony rudiment (or its adherent connective tissues) for successful pedicle formation is discussed in relation to the contrasting situation in the production of horns and antlers.
Electrocrystallization of Tetrathiafulvalene Charge-Transfer Salt Nanorods on Gold Nanoparticle Seeds

This paper describes electrochemical synthesis of nanorods of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) charge-transfer salt on gold nanoparticle (GNP) seeds. The seed-mediated process was monitored by cyclic voltammetry, AFM, and field-emission SEM. The electrodeposition of GNPs (nucleation seeds) on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) electrodes was studied as a function of the electrolytic conditions. The GNP size increases with increasing HAuCl4 concentration and decreasing applied overpotential. A morphological transition from quasi-spherical particles to dendritic aggregates occurs when the HAuCl4 concentration increases from 0.5 to 1 mM. The electrocrystallization of (TTF)Br0.76 on the GNP-decorated HOPG was investigated as a function of TTF concentration and GNP morphology. We observed a preferential nucleation of (TTF)Br0.76 on the GNP seed. The seed-mediated (TTF)Br0.76 crystals display a confined crystal morphology in comparison to those nucleated on bare HOPG. (TTF)Br0.76 nanorods as small as 7 nm in hei...
Impersonal interaction and ethicson the World-Wide-Web

In this paper, I will examine a class of ethical problems that essentially involves computers. I will argue that this class of heretofore unknown ethical problems arise in broadcast communication received with a device of some kind, and involve what I will call impersonal interaction. I also argue that the moral element in such problems lies in a conflict between property rights and free speech rights. Finally, I will argue that the best approach to solving these problems requires the creation of a new standard protocol for computer communication rather than laws governing the use of computers.
Attachment and Cognitive Architecture.

Humans are interesting combinations of mammalian drives such as feeding, child rearing, and group affiliation, with high level cognitive capabilities such as language and planning. In this position paper, I argue that the attachment behavior system is an interesting boundary case to examine because, while attachment in young children is extremely similar attachment behavior in other primates, it develops alongside high level cognition to quickly incorporate human-specific skills such as language. This makes it hard to fit cleanly into most agent architectures. Most agent architectures are understandably designed on functionalist grounds. That is, starting from some general theory of rational activity, the designer breaks the problem of action into subproblems like sensory-motor control, planning, etc. in whatever manner seems most sensible. These systems tend to break the problem up into a sensory system, a set of sensory-motor primitives, and a relatively general purpose problem-solving system to control them (Bonasso et al. 1997, Arkin 1998). The human system, by contrast, wasn’t designed from scratch. It is the result of the evolution of phylogenetically earlier reptilian and mammalian systems to somehow support the more general problem-solving capabilities of humans. While it is unclear how general-purpose problem solving is implemented in humans, it is clear that most of the mammalian hardware is still present. Many of these systems, such as visual cortex, have clear analogs in AIoriented agent architectures. However, mammals also have a number of special-purpose behavioral systems that don’t fit neatly into a three-level architecture. The attachment behavior system (Bowlby 1969) provides an interesting example of a mammalian system that appears to still be present and active in humans, but which becomes interestingly intertwined with the general purpose system during development. Most interestingly, it is neither clearly superior to, nor subordinate to the general-purpose Copyright © 2008, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved. cognitive system, so it doesn’t fit cleanly into a classical three-level architecture or other tiered architecture.
Adolescent Dating Violence Experiences Among Sexual Minority Youth and Implications for Subsequent Relationship Quality

Research reveals a disturbingly high prevalence of dating violence among American youth. However, until recently, this research has not tended to focus on sexual minority youth. This is of concern as numerous studies have shown that individuals who experience such violence are at increased risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes, including increased risk of HIV infection among LGBTQ populations. Research findings also indicate that individuals who are victimized as adolescents are at increased risk for victimization during their young adult years. The current study assessed adolescent and current dating violence among a sample (N = 109) of college-age sexual minority (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning) youth. Data were collected through use of a structured, close-ended questionnaire that contained measures of demographic characteristics and dating violence experiences. Descriptive analyses are presented that identify prevalence rates and associations between adolescent and current dating violence. High rates of all forms of violence were identified during both adolescence and college years. In addition, relationships between adolescent and college age dating violence were identified. Results point to a high rate of dating violence among this population and a need for services targeting this uniquely vulnerable population to reduce risk of related health consequences and risk behaviors and subsequent relationship violence.
Assigning People to Jobs at Ajax Auto

This paper presents a case that has been successfully used more than 30 times to teach the application of the linear assignment algorithm to the human resource problem of assigning people to jobs. The case has generally been used in human resource courses in an MBA program but has occasionally been successfully used with small classes of very good undergraduates. We offer a brief summary of some of the recent literature on assigning people to jobs, the text of the case, an explanation of how to formulate and solve the problem using Excel, and teaching notes explaining how to get the most out of the case discussion and/or case write-ups
Three-dimensional interface roughness in layered semiconductor structures and its effect on intersubband transitions

A general model for treating the effects of three-dimensional (3D) interface roughness (IFR) in layered semiconductor structures has been developed and experimentally verified. The configurational average of the IFR potential produces an effective grading potential in the out-of-plane direction, which significantly alters the energy spectrum of the structure. The scattering self-energy of the 3D IFR is also derived. Under strong IFR, this scattering effect is shown to be dominant over phonon interaction and impurity scattering. When applied to intersubband transitions, these theoretical predictions explain the experimentally observed anomalous energy shift and unusual broadening in the intersubband transitions in III-nitride superlattices.
Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function Item Bank, Version 1.0: Physical Function Assessment for Athletic Patient Populations.

Context: The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) item banks have been validated for general populations, but their application to high-functioning patient populations ...
Contrast-enhanced photoacoustic imaging

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is rapidly evolving as a functional and molecular imaging tool. Contrast agents with high optical absorption, such as gold nanoparticles, have been used to target diseased cells and increase the specific contrast of PA imaging. However, background tissue absorption greatly limits the detection of PA signals and the specificity of these contrast agents. To sensitively identify PA signals from targeted regions, background PA signals must be suppressed or total PA signal sources must be increased and concentrated. In a previous study, we have demonstrated that contrast can be increased by magnetic manipulation of Au-shell-encapsulated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to create local motion and suppress unwanted stationary PA signals in the background using a motion filter. In some clinical applications, the initial concentration of a diseased cell type circulating in the vasculature is too low to be detected. Here, we further investigate the feasibility of locally accumulating/concentrating an object of interest (PA signal source) by the interaction of magnetic particles in the targeted objects with an external magnetic field. The accumulated PA sources were then dynamically manipulated to further enhance their specific contrast in PA imaging.
Towards a Complete View of the Certificate Ecosystem

The HTTPS certificate ecosystem has been of great interest to the measurement and security communities. Without any ground truth, researchers have attempted to study this PKI from a variety of fragmented perspectives, including passively monitored networks, scans of the popular domains or the IPv4 address space, search engines such as Censys, and Certificate Transparency (CT) logs. In this work, we comparatively analyze all these perspectives. We find that aggregated CT logs and Censys snapshots have many properties that complement each other, and that together they encompass over 99% of all certificates found by any of these techniques. However, they still miss 1.5% of certificates observed in a crawl of all domains in .com, .net, and .org. We go on to illustrate how this combined perspective affects results from previous studies. In light of these findings, we have worked with the operators of Censys to incorporate CT log data into its results going forward, and we recommend that future HTTPS measurement adopt this new vantage.
Patient-Centered Medical Home Exposure and Its Impact on PA Career Intentions.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The transformation of primary care (PC) training sites into patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) has implications for the education of health professionals. This study investigates the extent to which physician assistant (PA) students report learning about the PCMH model and how clinical exposure to PCMH might impact their interest in a primary care career. METHODS An electronic survey was distributed to second-year PA students who had recently completed their PC rotation from 12 PA programs. Descriptive statistics and ordered logistic regression analyses were used to characterize the results. RESULTS A total of 202 second-year PA students completed the survey. When asked about their knowledge of the new health care delivery models, 30% of the students responded they had received instruction about the PCMH. Twenty- five percent of respondents stated they were oriented to new payment structures proposed in the Affordable Care Act and quality improvement principles. Based on their experiences in the primary care clerkship, 64% stated they were likely to pursue a career in primary care, 13% were not likely, and 23% were unsure. Predictors of interest in a primary care career included: (1) age greater than 35 years, (2) being a recipient of a NHSC scholarship, (3) clerkship site setting in an urban cluster of 2,500 to 50,000 people, (4) number of PCMH elements offered at site, and (4) positive impression of team-based care. CONCLUSIONS PA students lack adequate instruction related to the new health care delivery models. Students whose clerkship sites offered greater number of PCMH elements were more interested in pursuing a career in primary care.
Computational simulation of the predicted dosimetric impact of adjuvant yttrium-90 PET/CT-guided percutaneous ablation following radioembolization

90Y PET/CT post-radioembolization imaging has demonstrated that the distribution of 90Y in a tumor can be non-uniform. Using computational modeling, we predicted the dosimetric impact of post-treatment 90Y PET/CT-guided percutaneous ablation of the portions of a tumor receiving the lowest absorbed dose. A cohort of fourteen patients with non-resectable liver cancer previously treated using 90Y radioembolization were included in this retrospective study. Each patient exhibited potentially under-treated areas of tumor following treatment based on quantitative 90Y PET/CT. 90Y PET/CT was used to guide electrode placement for simulated adjuvant radiofrequency ablation in areas of tumor receiving the lowest dose. The finite element method was used to solve Penne’s bioheat transport equation, coupled with the Arrhenius thermal cell-death model to determine 3D thermal ablation zones. Tumor and unablated tumor absorbed-dose metrics (average dose, D50, D70, D90, V100) following ablation were compared, where D70 is the minimum dose to 70% of tumor and V100 is the fractional tumor volume receiving more than 100 Gy. Compared to radioembolization alone, 90Y radioembolization with adjuvant ablation was associated with predicted increases in all tumor dose metrics evaluated. The mean average absorbed dose increased by 11.2 ± 6.9 Gy. Increases in D50, D70, and D90 were 11.0 ± 6.9 Gy, 13.3 ± 10.9 Gy, and 11.8 ± 10.8 Gy, respectively. The mean increase in V100 was 7.2 ± 4.2%. All changes were statistically significant (P < 0.01). A negative correlation between pre-ablation tumor volume and D50, average dose, and V100 was identified (ρ < − 0.5, P < 0.05) suggesting that adjuvant radiofrequency ablation may be less beneficial to patients with large tumor burdens. This study has demonstrated that adjuvant 90Y PET/CT-guided radiofrequency ablation may improve tumor absorbed-dose metrics. These data may justify a prospective clinical trial to further evaluate this hybrid approach.
Transverse collective instability in the NAL 500 GeV accelerator

Abstract Vertical collective beam instability occurs during 8 GeV injection into the NAL main accelerator with an intensity threshold of approximately 10 12 protons and a tune spread of 0.01. Horizontal collective instability has been observed at 5 × 10 12 protons with a 0.01 tune spread. Sextupole, octupole, and active feedback damping have been used to control these instabilities. A brief description of these methods and the results obtained is given.
Optimization of a novel biophysical model using large scale in vivo antisense hybridization data displays improved prediction capabilities of structurally accessible RNA regions.

Current approaches to design efficient antisense RNAs (asRNAs) rely primarily on a thermodynamic understanding of RNA-RNA interactions. However, these approaches depend on structure predictions and have limited accuracy, arguably due to overlooking important cellular environment factors. In this work, we develop a biophysical model to describe asRNA-RNA hybridization that incorporates in vivo factors using large-scale experimental hybridization data for three model RNAs: a group I intron, CsrB and a tRNA. A unique element of our model is the estimation of the availability of the target region to interact with a given asRNA using a differential entropic consideration of suboptimal structures. We showcase the utility of this model by evaluating its prediction capabilities in four additional RNAs: a group II intron, Spinach II, 2-MS2 binding domain and glgC 5΄ UTR. Additionally, we demonstrate the applicability of this approach to other bacterial species by predicting sRNA-mRNA binding regions in two newly discovered, though uncharacterized, regulatory RNAs.
Crotalus helleri venom preconditioning reduces postoperative cerebral edema and improves neurological outcomes after surgical brain injury.

Abstract Introduction Postoperative cerebral edema is a devastating complication in neurosurgical patients. Loss of blood-brain barrier integrity has been shown to lead to the development of brain edema following neurosurgical procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate preconditioning with Crotalus helleri venom (Cv-PC) as a potential preventive therapy for reducing postoperative brain edema in the rodent SBI model. C. helleri venom is known to contain phospholipase A2 (PLA2), an enzyme upstream to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the inflammatory cascade, acts to increase the production of inflammatory mediators, such as prostaglandins. We hypothesize that Cv-PC will downregulate the response of the COX-2 pathway to injury, thereby reducing the inflammatory response and the development of brain edema after SBI. Materials and methods 75 male Sprague Dawley rats (280–330 g) were divided to the following groups—naive + vehicle, naive + Cv-PC, sham, vehicle, Cv-PC, Cv-PC + NS398 (COX-2 inhibitor). Vehicle preconditioned and Cv-PC animals received either three daily subcutaneous doses of saline or C. helleri venom at 72 h, 48 h, and 24 h prior to surgery. In Cv-PC + NS398 animals, NS398 was administered intraperitoneally 1 h prior to each Cv-PC injection. Sham-operated animals received craniotomy only, whereas SBI animals received a partial right frontal lobectomy. Neurological testing and brain water content were assessed at 24 h and 72 h after SBI; COX-2 and PGE2 expression was assessed at 24 h postoperatively by Western blot and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Results At 24 h after SBI, the vehicle-treated animals were observed to have increased brain water content (83.1 ± 0.2%) compared to that of sham animals (80.2 ± 0.1%). The brain water content of vehicle-treated animals at 72 h post-SBI was elevated at 83.3 ± 0.2%. Cv-PC-treated animals with doses of 10% LD50 had significantly reduced brain water content of 81.92 ± 0.7% and 81.82 ± 0.3% at 24 h and 72 h, respectively, after SBI compared to that of vehicle-treated animals, while Cv-PC with 5% LD50 doses showed brain water content that trended lower but did not reach statistical significance. At 24 h and 72 h post-SBI, Cv-PC-treated animals had significantly higher neurological score than vehicle-treated animals. The COX-2 over-expression characterized in SBI was attenuated in Cv-PC-treated animals; NS398 reversed the protective effect of Cv-PC on COX-2 expression. Cv-PC tempered the over-expression of the inflammatory marker PGE2. Conclusion Our findings indicate that Cv-PC may provide a promising therapy for reducing postoperative edema and improving neurological function after neurosurgical procedures.
Presentation of late-relapse diffuse large B-cell lymphomas in extranodal sites may represent recurrences of the original disease.

e19558 Background: Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) constitutes approximately one-third of non-Hodgkin lymphomas in western countries. About one-third of cases are primary refractory or relapse within 2-3 years after diagnosis. Late relapse (>5 years) is uncommon. The aim of this study is to further characterize the clinical, pathologic and molecular features of late-relapse DLBCL. Methods: A retrospective analysis of all patients with DLBCL seen at Johns Hopkins Hospital between 1984 and 2013 was performed. Patients with biopsy-proven diagnostic and relapse samples were included, and patients with low grade lymphoma at any point were excluded. Molecular studies for IGH gene rearrangements were performed. Results: 163 patients with relapsed DLBCL were identified. 14.1% relapsed 5 years or more after diagnosis (up to 17.9 years). The average age at diagnosis was similar for early-relapse (54.7 years) and late-relapse (57.7 years). 40.0% of early-relapse (<5 years) patients were alive at the time of an...
Transient Heat Transfer in Liquid Nitrogen

With the advent of the new high Tc superconductors, liquid nitrogen will be one of the preferred cryogens used to cool these materials. Consequently, a more thorough understanding of the heat transfer characteristics of liquid nitrogen is required. In our investigations we examine the transient heating characteristics of liquid nitrogen to states of nucleate and film boiling under different liquid flow conditions. Using a platinum hot wire technique, it is verified that there is a premature transition to film boiling in the transient case at power levels significantly lower than under steady state nucleate boiling conditions. It is also shown that the premature transition can be reduced or eliminated depending on the flow velocity. Similar results are obtained with no forced liquid flow when a train of constant power step pulses is used. For certain ranges of power levels and repetition rates, increasing the pulse rate is analogous to increasing the flow rate.
Directing visceral white adipocyte precursors to a thermogenic adipocyte fate improves insulin sensitivity in obese mice

Visceral adiposity confers significant risk for developing metabolic disease in obesity whereas preferential expansion of subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT) appears protective. Unlike subcutaneous WAT, visceral WAT is resistant to adopting a protective thermogenic phenotype characterized by the accumulation of Ucp1+ beige/BRITE adipocytes (termed 'browning'). In this study, we investigated the physiological consequences of browning murine visceral WAT by selective genetic ablation of Zfp423, a transcriptional suppressor of the adipocyte thermogenic program. Zfp423 deletion in fetal visceral adipose precursors (Zfp423loxP/loxP; Wt1-Cre), or adult visceral white adipose precursors (PdgfrbrtTA; TRE-Cre; Zfp423loxP/loxP), results in the accumulation of beige-like thermogenic adipocytes within multiple visceral adipose depots. Thermogenic visceral WAT improves cold tolerance and prevents and reverses insulin resistance in obesity. These data indicate that beneficial visceral WAT browning can be engineered by directing visceral white adipocyte precursors to a thermogenic adipocyte fate, and suggest a novel strategy to combat insulin resistance in obesity.
Improving server utilization via resource-adaptive batch VMs: poster

Public cloud data centers often suffer from low resource utilization [1]. To increase utilization, recent works have proposed running batch workloads next to customer VMs to leverage idle resources [6]. While effective, the key challenge here is interference - the performance degradation of the colocated customer VMs due to resource contention with batch workload VMs at the underlying host server [5].
The rapid L- and D-aspartate uptake in cultured astrocytes

Astrocytes in primary culture possess a rapid L-aspartate saturable transport system (K(m) = 93 microM; V(max) = 81 nmol/min/mg protein), which shows certain stereospecificity since V(max) was 36% lower for D-aspartate uptake. These are values obtained at short incubation time (15 seconds), to obtain approximate initial rate conditions. Metabolic energy inhibitors, rotenone and iodoacetate very potently inhibited the L- and D-aspartate uptake processes, indicating that the transport process is an active one. However, the accumulation of L-aspartate was "enhanced" by inhibitors of L-aspartate metabolism, such as the aspartate aminotransferase inhibitor, aminooxyacetate and L-methionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, whereas D-aspartate (a non-metabolizable analog of L-aspartate) uptake was not affected. The accumulated levels of L-aspartate in the presence of aminooxyacetate were similar to the levels of D-aspartate. These effects of L-aspartate metabolic inhibitors, suggest that due to metabolism of the the L-aspartate, short incubation time (eg., 15 seconds) is necessary to measure the initial rate of L-aspartate uptake, in order to obtain the "true" kinetic parameters.