cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sleep Studies, Computer Analysis of

Until a few years ago, the main problems for computerized sleep systems were the need for efficient data reduction and speed of analysis. The computers were too small and inefficient or too expensive for doing either waveform detection on-line or storage of the entire raw data. Most of the systems built on the basis of general engineering tools were little used because of the poor correlation with standard visual scoring. The advent of powerful and high computing speed processor has bridged that gap. The availability of digital polysomnography has removed the technical restrictions through increased computing power, storage space, and reduced costs. However, the crude division of the sleep processes into few discrete stages and the difficulties with the translation of spatial information into appropriate algorithms remain the major issues in the development of fully automated sleep systems. The use of predetermined, fixed criteria for methods, waveforms, and states is scientifically erroneous and hazardous. Instead standards should describe the minimum requirements for the recording and analysis of the signals in terms of sampling rate, dynamic range, linearity, and documentation of the methods used. The purpose of this article is to discuss the use of computers in sleep disorders medicine and how this technology has enhanced the diagnostic and scientific capabilities of the sleep laboratory. Keywords: digital polysomnography; algorithm; frequency analysis; sleep staging
Thermal Conductivity Performance Modeling and Characterization of a Novel Anisotropic Conductive Adhesive Used in Lead-Free Electronics Packaging

The continued desire to utilize an alternative to leadbased solder materials for electrical interconnections has led to significant research interest in Anisotropic Conductive Adhesives (ACAs). The use of ACAs in electrical connections creates bonds using a combination of metal particles and epoxies to replace solder. The novel ACA discussed in this paper allows for bonds to be created through aligning columns of conductive particles along the Z-axis. These columns are formed by the application of a magnetic field, during the curing process. The benefit of this novel ACA is that it does not require precise printing of the adhesive on pads and also enables the mass curing without creating shorts in the circuitry. This paper will present the findings of the thermal conductivity performance tests using the novel ACA and its applicability as a thermal interface material and for assembling bottom termination components, power devices, etc. The columns that act as electrical conduction paths also contribute towards the thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of the novel ACA was measured utilizing a system that is similar to that in ASTM (American Society of Testing Materials) D5470 standard. The goal was to examine the influence of Bond Line Thickness (BLT), particle loading densities, particle diameters and adhesive matrix curing conditions on the electrical and thermal performance of the novel ACA. This paper will also present a numerical model to describe the thermal behavior of the novel ACA. The novel ACA’s applicability for PCB-level assembly has also been successfully demonstrated by RIT, including base material characterization, effect of process parameters, failures, and long-term reliability. Reliability testing included the investigation of the assembly performance in temperature and humidity aging, thermal aging, air-to-air thermal cycling, and drop testing.
An RFID tag capable of free-space and on-metal operation

The majority of commercial UHF RFID tags are based on the dipole antenna, and it is well known that tag performance degrades significantly when the tag is placed near a conducting surface. Here, we present a new antenna that operates as a dipole when in free space, but when placed on a conducting surface, it operates as a relatively efficient microstrip antenna. The antenna is shown to have near-optimal free-space performance and yield a peak gain of approximately 6 dBi of effective gain on a copper surface.
Effects of Sample Processing and High-Energy Electron Irradiation Conditions on the Structural and Transitional Properties of P(VDF-TrFE) Copolymer Films

Recently it has been demonstrated that using a high electron energy irradiation, the electromechanical properties of polyvinylidene fluoride - trifluoroethylene, P(VDF-TrFE) copolymers can be improved significantly for example; high electric field induced strain (≈ 4.5%) with high elastic energy density, high dielectric constant (≈ 65 with loss less than at 1kHz), high piezoelectric coefficient (≈ 350 pm/V ) and high electro-mechanical coupling coefficient (≈0.45). It was found, depending on sample processing and electron irradiation conditions these properties can be controlled. In this talk we will present the experimental data on the effect of processing and irradiation conditions on structural and transitional behavior of copolymers. These structural information coupled with the electro-mechanical properties will be presented in order to show the possibilities for further improvement.
Sleep-related epilepsy in the A/J mouse.

Rationale. Evident seizures during sleep are common in clinical practice but are uncommonly considered in animal models of epilepsy. A previous observation of spontaneous spike-and-wave activity during sleep in several A/J mice (A/J JAX) from Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME) prompted this description of the inheritance of epileptic activity. Methods: Mice from A/J, C57Bl/6J (B6), and chromosomal substitutions strains were instrumented to record EEG and EMG activity over time with- out and with anti-epileptic drugs. Intercrosses were performed using link- age analysis to localize sub-chromosomal regions. Results: Spike-discharge patterns (n = 12 mice) were of average duration of 1.9 seconds at a rate per hour of 17, with an intrinsic frequency of 6.41 Hz and an amplitude of 634.8 μV. Clonic movements were observed in 75%) either in slow- wave sleep or in transitions to and from slow-wave sleep. Events were rare in paradoxical sleep. Compared with vehicle, intraperitoneal admin- istration of ethosuximide (150 mg/kg) or diazepam (5 mg/kg) inhibited or eliminated seizure activity, respectively. In contrast, spontaneous spike- and-wave activity was not observed in A/J mice from Harlan National Laboratories (Indianapolis, Ind) or in B6 mice from Jackson Laboratory. In an intercross between A/J JAX and B6 mice, the trait was not present in the first generation. The trait was observed in 2 chromosome-substi- tution strains, B6.A4 and B6.A7. In the intercross second generation of these chromosome-substitution strains (n = 113), significant linkage was observed to loci on chromosome 4. Conclusions: This is a sleep-related epilepsy phenotype that exhibits an oligogenic pattern of allelic inheritance.
Ray tracing parametric patches

This paper describes an algorithm that uses ray tracing techniques to display bivariate polynomial surface patches. A new intersection algorithm is developed which uses ideas from algebraic geometry to obtain a numerical procedure for finding the intersection of a ray and a patch without subdivision. The algorithm may use complex coordinates for the (u, v)-parameters of the patches. The choice of these coordinates makes the computations more uniform, so that there are fewer special cases to be considered. In particular, the appearance and disappearance of silhouette edges can be handled quite naturally. The uniformity of these techniques may be suitable for implementation on either a general purpose pipelined machine, or on special purpose hardware.
Chapter 261: Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Genetic Information

This short, objective piece examines and analyzes a 2011 amendment to the California Unruh Civil Rights Act and the Fair Employment and Housing Act, expanding those Acts to include "genetic information" to a longer list of prohibited bases of discrimination, including sex, race, and national origin.
Impact of Stewardship Interventions on Antiretroviral Medication Errors in an Urban Medical Center: A 3-Year, Multiphase Study

Background There is a high prevalence of HIV infection in Newark, New Jersey, with University Hospital admitting approximately 600 HIV-infected patients per year. Medication errors involving antiretroviral therapy (ART) could significantly affect treatment outcomes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of various stewardship interventions in reducing the prevalence of prescribing errors involving ART. Methods This was a retrospective review of all inpatients receiving ART for HIV treatment during three distinct 6-month intervals over a 3-year period. During the first year, the baseline prevalence of medication errors was determined. During the second year, physician and pharmacist education was provided, and a computerized order entry system with drug information resources and prescribing recommendations was implemented. Prospective audit of ART orders with feedback was conducted in the third year. Analyses and comparisons were made across the three phases of this study. Results Of the 334 patients with HIV admitted in the first year, 45% had at least one antiretroviral medication error and 38% had uncorrected errors at the time of discharge. After education and computerized order entry, significant reductions in medication error rates were observed compared to baseline rates; 36% of 315 admissions had at least one error and 31% had uncorrected errors at discharge. While the prevalence of antiretroviral errors in year 3 was similar to that of year 2 (37% of 276 admissions), there was a significant decrease in the prevalence of uncorrected errors at discharge (12%) with the use of prospective review and intervention. Conclusions Interventions, such as education and guideline development, can aid in reducing ART medication errors, but a committed stewardship program is necessary to elicit the greatest impact.
Preservation of documentary heritage in Malawi

Through preservation, access, use and re-use of documentary heritage can be promised. The paper explored the preservation of documentary heritage in Malawi as there was there is lack of appreciation on the importance of preservation of documentary heritage by policy makers making it a least government priority . The study employed a multi-method design in order to collect both qualitative and quantitative . The study identified documentary heritage materials preserved at National Archives of Malawi in form of public archives, historical manuscripts and, printed and published works. It found out that documentary heritage materials are important as they promote people’s enjoyment and inspiration, cultural values, learning, economic prosperity and social equity. Preservation techniques that are followed at the institution include basic mending and minor repairs; binding; cleaning and dusting of materials; photocopying; shelving library materials; provision of adequate security; use of insecticide and insect repellant; refreshing; technology preservation and; migration. Challenges faced when preserving these materials include lack of purposely built infrastructure, limited funding and understaffing. These challenges are handled in-house, seeking government intervention and also from donors. The study recommends that use of documentary heritage materials should be promoted to different users and; National Archives of Malawi should push for customised infrastructure, fight for more funds and staff. It concluded by saying that documentary heritage forms an important aspect of the country’s memory and it helps in bridging the past and the present and in shaping the future.
Dramatic and narrative modes of presentation in Han Yüeh-fu

Etude des divers modes de presentation mis en oeuvre dans la tradition Han yueh-fu. Apres s'etre interroge sur les problemes de classification poses par ce corpus, l'A. met a jour deux grands groupes dans le corps Han yueh-fu, dont le premier est plus proche de la tradition orale que ne l'est le second, derivant deja vers des formes et des structures plus litteraires. Cette etude permet ainsi de mieux cerner les evolutions de certains modes poetiques dans la poesie chinoise et, plus generalement, la problematique particuliere posee par le passage des traditions orales aux productions litteraires
Electrical Characterization of the Oxide-Silicon Carbide Interface by MOS Conductance Technique

The electrical properties of the SiO2/SiC interface were studied using the conductance vs voltage (G-V) data for the metal-oxide-SiC (MOS) structure. It was found that the dry oxide contained too mich charge either at the oxide-SiC interface or within the oxide films to obtain useful data. On the other hand the wet oxide invariably resulted in better capacitance and conductance data. The capacitance-voltage data showed that the SiC surface exhibited accumulation, depletion or inversion when the appropriate gate bias was applied. The conductance-voltage data indicate electronic surface states at the oxide-SiC interface. From this conductance data the interface state density has been estimated.
Real Estate Development and Urban Form: Roadblocks in the Path to Residential Exclusivity

Many real estate developers in the United States consciously attempted to shape residential neighborhoods, but their success in determining the spatial and social structure of communities was mixed. This article describes the methods available to land developers and realtors and examines the application of these tools to a section of Columbus, Ohio. It demonstrates that the intentions of deed restrictions and other private means of land use control were often undermined by construction delays, general economic conditions, and outmoded requirements, as well as by the timing of annexation and the subsequent application of public zoning ordinances.
Sentiment Analysis of Chinese Microblog based on Emotional Semantic Words Dictionary and PAD Model

With the increasing impact of social networks,Microblog becomes important carrier of information and social interaction for human beings,which contains emotional states that have important research significance.Based on the analysis of microblog text that contains the emotional vocabulary,combining domain knowledge of psychology and affective computing,continuous dimension of emotion psychology PAD model is adopted as basis of sentiment analysis quantified for text sentiment analysis,anel emotional state inherent in the text is analyzed to obtain a more accurate result and achieve purposes of emotional analysis.At same time,emotional Microblog text computability is achievel from the aspect of personal characteristics.Experiment results show that the method can improve the Microblog text sentiment analysis accuracy and precision.In the different themes and different emotional features,the method is able to get a good application.
Portability and Structure of the Four-Helix Bundle Docking Domains of trans-Acyltransferase Modular Polyketide Synthases.

The polypeptides of multimodular polyketide synthases self-assemble into biosynthetic factories. While the docking domains that mediate the assembly of cis-acyltransferase polyketide synthase polypeptides are well-studied, those of the more recently discovered trans-acyltransferase polyketide synthases have just started to be described. Located at the C- and N-termini of many polypeptides, these 25-residue, two-helix, pseudosymmetric motifs noncovalently connect domains both between and within modules. Domains expressed with their natural, cognate docking motifs formed complexes stable to size-exclusion chromatography with 1–10 μM dissociation constants as measured by isothermal titration calorimetry. Deletion and swapping experiments demonstrate portability of the docking motifs. A 1.72 A-resolution structure of the N-terminal portion of the macrolactin synthase polypeptide MlnE shows an uncomplexed N-terminal docking motif to be preorganized in the conformation it assumes within the docking domain complex.
Book reading and vocabulary development: A systematic review

Abstract This paper reviews high-quality empirical studies on book reading practices in early childhood that have resulted in increases in child vocabulary. The overarching purpose of this work is twofold: first, to tease apart the myriad ways in which effective book readings can be delivered; and second, to identify questions that remain about book reading and vocabulary learning. We examine various aspects of effective book readings, including the contexts in which the book reading was conducted, the words that were taught through the book reading, the dosage of reading that children received, and the outcome measures used. Findings reveal that six strategies—reading and re-reading texts, explicitly defining words, encouraging dialogue about book-related vocabulary through questions and discussion, re-telling, using props, and engaging children in post-reading activities—are consistently implemented across the studies; however, they are used in widely varying combinations. There is great variability across studies in the number of words taught, the criteria for word selection, and the measures used to assess word learning. Moreover, in many studies, children learn only a small proportion of the number of words taught. Finally, this review identifies critical remaining questions about how to optimize vocabulary learning through book reading that require systematic investigation in order to inform effective practice.
Adenosine deaminase and interferon-gamma in diagnosis of tubercular pleural effusion

Background: Pleural effusion is a common extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis (TB). The conventional culture suffers from lack of sensitivity. Many pleural fluid markers have been evaluated to diagnose tubercular pleural fluid but none has proved to be an ideal. We have studied Adenosine deaminase (ADA), Interferon gamma (IFN) and their combination for diagnosis of tubercular pleural effusion. Methods: All consecutive patients with pleural effusion were subjected to thoracentesis and segregated into transudative and exudative using Light`s criteria. Patients with exudative pleural effusion were enrolled and divided into two groups. Group-I comprised of patients with tubercular etiology, Group-II- non-tubercular etiology. 45 patients were selected for each group. ADA and IFN in pleural fluid of these patients were measured. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were calculated. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of ADA and IFN were 88.89%, 99.85%, 86.96%, 99.87%; 97.78%, 97.78%, 97.78%, 97.78% respectively. Combination of ADA and IFN didn’t improve the sensitivity or specificity compared to IFN alone. Conclusions: Pleural fluid ADA, IFN were found to be useful in differentiating tubercular from non-tubercular patients. Combination of ADA and IFN doesn’t give additional benefit over IFN alone.
The Age of Behavioral Science

We live in an age of psychology and behavioral economics – the behavioral sciences. For-profit companies are using behavioral research every day. They want to learn how people think and to use that learning to make money. Charitable organizations consult behavioral scientists to find out how they might attract donors and increase donations. For their part, public officials are increasingly turning to the behavioral sciences to promote their goals. They are influencing people in multiple ways in order to reduce poverty, to increase employment, to clean the air, to improve health, to encourage people to vote, and to increase safety on the highways. What are the ethical constraints on their actions? From the ethical point of view, there are large differences between coercion and influence. A single person can certainly coerce another: A thief, armed with a gun, tells you, “Your money or your life.” Coercion might also be said to occur when employers inform their employees that unless they submit to certain requests, they will lose their jobs. Many of the most objectionable forms of coercion come from governments, which may threaten people with jail, or with large fines, if they do not do exactly what public officials want. In his great book On Liberty , John Stuart Mill argued that coercion was unacceptable unless it was designed to prevent “harm to others.” Mill's target was the use of force. Mere influences seem far less objectionable. If a beggar sitting on a street corner asks you for money, you are free to refuse. The same is true if an employer asks you to do certain tasks, while also making it clear that you are at liberty to decline. If a friend manipulates you into doing what she wants you to do, rather than what you want to do, you might not be thrilled, but at least you haven't been forced (and you might admire her for her ingenuity). A government might engage in public education campaigns, or even propaganda, but if people are allowed to ignore what public officials say, the problem, and the risks to liberty and well-being, might not seem all that severe.
A machine learning approach to fab-of-origin attestation

We introduce a machine learning approach for distinguishing between integrated circuits fabricated in a ratified facility and circuits originating from an unknown or undesired source based on parametric measurements. Unlike earlier approaches, which seek to achieve the same objective in a general, design-independent manner, the proposed method leverages the interaction between the idiosyncrasies of the fabrication facility and a specific design, in order to create a customized fab-of-origin membership test for the circuit in question. Effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated using two large industrial datasets from a 65nm Texas Instruments RF transceiver manufactured in two different fabrication facilities.
Decreased Total Body Irradiation (TBI)-Induced Apoptosis in Murine Hematopoietic Side Population Cells Compared to Non-Side Population Cells.

The side population (SP) cells of the murine bone marrow (BM) contain primitive hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). To understand the effect of irradiation on these cells, C57BL/6NHsd mice were irradiated to 10 Gy total body dose and sacrificed 24 hours later. The bone marrow was removed and stained with Hoechst dye, and Annexin V as an early marker of apoptosis. The SP cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Following irradiation, there was no change in the frequency of SP cells in total nucleated BM cells between non-irradiated (0.081 ± 0.033%) and irradiated mice (0.093 ± 0.027%). In contrast, there was a decrease in total nucleated BM and SP cells. SP cells decreased by 60.1% from 44873 ± 22099 SP cells per harvest to 17550 ± 4805 SP cells per harvest 24 hours after 10 Gy. The number of lymphocytes in the irradiated BM decreased from 25.7% to 4.5% after irradiation. Since the majority of the SP cells are located in the lymphocyte sorting region, there was a 6-fold decrease in the percent of SP cells found in the live lymphocyte region following irradiation (0.469 ± 0.185% compared to 2.923 ± 1.913%). Annexin V was used to stain for the appearance of phosphatidylserine (PS) on the cell surface as an early marker for apoptosis. The appearance of Annexin V positive cells did not increase significantly with irradiation in SP compared to non-irradiated SP cells (26 ± 8% and 25 ± 12%, respectively). In contrast, the percent of apoptotic cells in the non-SP fraction was significantly increased following irradiation compared to the non-irradiated cells (35 ± 8% and 25 ± 6%, respectively) (p=0.02). Our data indicate that irradiation was not inducing apoptosis in SP cells but in non-SP cells. It might suggest that SP cells could be more resistant to radiation damage. Future investigations will be performed to understand the functional activity of SP cells from lethally irradiated mouse BM and the molecular mechanism of those SP cells in resistance to irradiation damage.
Efficient 3-D Reconstruction in Ultrasound Elastography via a Sparse Iteration Based on Markov Random Fields

Percutaneous needle-based liver ablation procedures are becoming increasingly common for the treatment of small isolated tumors in hepatocellular carcinoma patients who are not candidates for surgery. Rapid 3-D visualization of liver ablations has potential clinical value, because it can enable interventional radiologists to plan and execute needle-based ablation procedures with real time feedback. Ensuring the right volume of tissue is ablated is desirable to avoid recurrence of tumors from residual untreated cancerous cells. Shear wave velocity (SWV) measurements can be used as a surrogate for tissue stiffness to distinguish stiffer ablated regions from softer untreated tissue. This paper extends the previously reported sheaf reconstruction method to generate complete 3-D visualizations of SWVs without resorting to an approximate intermediate step of reconstructing transverse $C$ planes. The noisy data are modeled using a Markov random field, and a computationally tractable reconstruction algorithm that can handle grids with millions of points is developed. Results from simulated ellipsoidal inclusion data show that this algorithm outperforms standard nearest neighbor interpolation by an order of magnitude in mean squared reconstruction error. Results from the phantom experiments show that it also provides a higher contrast-to-noise ratio by almost 2 dB and better signal-to-noise ratio in the stiff inclusion by over 2 dB compared with nearest neighbor interpolation and has lower computational complexity than linear and spline interpolation.
Developing Approaches to Competence: Away from the Metaphor of Competence as a Hidden Object.

Assessments of linguistic ability amongst inner city African American children in the 1960’s and cross-cultural assessments of problem solving skills amongst participants without formal education in several contexts around the world have both demonstrated the need for investigators to distinguish the possible existence of some form of competency from the matter of whether evidence of that competency can be elicited with a particular assessment tool. In both of the previously mentioned cases, the evidence suggests that participants had the competencies in question and failed to demonstrate them (at least partially) as a result of the nature of the assessment context. The current article takes these demonstrations of the need for culturally sensitive assessment as a point of departure, and argues that today, a further development in how competence is understood is necessary. For all its benefits, the idea of culturally sensitive assessment still relies on the problematic characterization of competencies as discrete sets of stable underlying dispositions. Current research from the dynamic systems perspective in psychology suggests that intelligent human action involves the contextual and self-organized emergence of adaptive behavioral solutions, rather than the expression of preplanned, latent competencies. An adequate conceptualization of competence must therefore account for this emergence, rather than positing competencies as hidden or latent behavioral performances.
Serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin correlates with hemoglobin A1c in children with recently diagnosed pediatric diabetes.

Background Osteocalcin (OC), a hormone secreted by osteoblasts, improves beta-cell function in vitro and in vivo. We aimed to understand the relationship between OC and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in pediatric diabetes. Methods Children (n = 70; mean [SD] age = 11.8 years [3.1]; 34.3% non-Hispanic white, 46.3% Hispanic, 14.9% African-American, 4.5% other) newly diagnosed with diabetes (69.1% type 1 diabetes [T1D], 30.9% type 2 diabetes [T2D]) were studied. We collected clinical data at diagnosis and first clinical visit (V1) 9 weeks later (interquartile range [IQR] = 7.9-12.0). Serum undercarboxylated OC (uOC) and carboxylated OC (cOC) were measured 7.0 weeks (IQR 4.3-8.9) after diagnosis. Results Mean [SD] uOC was 20.3 (19.6) ng/mL, cOC 29.7 [13.7] ng/mL and u/cOC 0.68 [0.81]. uOC, cOC, or u/cOC were not different by gender, race/ethnicity, age, diabetes type, BMI percentile, or random C-peptide, glucose or HbA1c at diagnosis. However, among 61 children with V1 within 4 months of diagnosis, uOC was higher in those with V1 HbA1c < 7.5% (HbA1c < 58 mmol/mol) (uOC=33.1 [22.0]) compared with children with HbA1c ≥ 7.5% (uOC=17.4 [2.3], P = .0004). The difference was larger among patients with T2D (34.6 and 4.7 ng/mL, respectively, P = .0001) than T1D (32.2 and 19.3, P = .0169), and in males (36.1 and 17.4, P = .018) than females (27.6 and 17.3, P = .072). Analysis for u/cOC were similar while there were no differences in cOC. uOC was inversely correlated with HbA1c at V1 (Spearman's rho = −0.29, P = .02). Conclusion Our findings suggest that serum uOC is inversely related to HbA1c shortly after diagnosis of pediatric diabetes. This potentially modifiable factor of glucose metabolism warrants further studies.
Use of coimmobilized multienzyme systems as models for in vivo processes.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the use of coimmobilized multienzyme systems as models for in vivo processes. It describes experiments in which firefly and bacterial luciferases were coimmobilized with other enzymes so that compounds produced on the solid support could be measured directly in the microenvironment using the emission of light. The reactions catalyzed by both the firefly luciferase and the bacterial luciferase are irreversible. Luciferases can be used to measure NADH or adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the microenvironment and photon emission is not subject to diffusional restrictions. Thermodynamically, the enzymes act to pull the sequence of reactions, thus, making it possible to study processes which are thermodynamically unfavorable. All the experiments reported in the chapter were done with enzymes immobilized onto Sepharose 4B in the presence of bovine serum albumin so the entire bead is essentially covered with protein. While the recovery of active enzymes on the Sepharose is variable, in general, it is possible to obtain 15-80 % active enzyme on the beads.
APOE ε4 specific imbalance of arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in serum phospholipids identifies individuals with preclinical Mild Cognitive Impairment/Alzheimer’s Disease

This study was designed to explore the influence of apolipoprotein E (APOE) on blood phospholipids (PL) in predicting preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD). Lipidomic analyses were also performed on blood from an AD mouse model expressing human APOE isoforms (EFAD) and five AD mutations and from 195 cognitively normal participants, 23 of who converted to mild cognitive impairment (MCI)/AD within 3 years. APOE e4-carriers converting to MCI/AD had high arachidonic acid (AA)/docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) ratios in PL compared to cognitively normal e4 and non-e4 carriers. Arachidonic acid and DHA containing PL species, e4-status and Aβ42/Aβ40 ratios provided 91% accuracy in detecting MCI/AD. Fish oil/omega-3 fatty acid consumption was associated with lower AA/DHA ratios even among e4 carriers. High plasma AA/DHA ratios were observed in E4FAD compared to EFAD mice with other isoforms. In particular, alterations in plasma AA and DHA containing PL species were also observed in the brains of E4FAD mice compared to E3FAD mice. Despite the small sample size and a short follow-up, these results suggest that blood PL could potentially serve as biomarkers of preclinical MCI/AD.
Systematic variation of thiophene substituents in photochromic spiropyrans

Spiropyrans are notable among different classes of photochromic compounds due to their large structural and electronic transformation upon isomerization. In order to parlay the electronic differences associated with the two isomeric forms into a materials based switch, the spiropyran ultimately requires a covalent attachment through a conjugated pathway. In this work a synthetic method was developed to incorporate spiropyran (SP) into thiophene based materials. A series of compounds with a systematic variation of substituents were synthesized (SP-T, SP-T-Br, SP-T-T, SP-T-T-T and SP-T-T-T-T-SP) and their photochromism in both polar (methanol) and non-polar (toluene) solvents were studied. These compounds showed a systematic variation of photochromic properties.
Aggressive Salivary Malignancies at Early Stage: Outcomes and Implications for Treatment.

Background Few studies have examined whether the use of adjuvant treatment impacts survival for early stage high-grade salivary tumors. Methods A retrospective review of the SEER database between 1973 and 2012 was performed. Patients with high-grade major salivary gland tumors including salivary duct carcinoma, carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma, high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, or adenocarcinoma, NOS were identified. Only stage I-II tumors were included. The impact of radiation status on observed and relative survival was examined. Results Five hundred seventy-four patients with high-grade, early stage salivary tumors met inclusion criteria. Sixty-seven percent of patients received radiation therapy. There was no difference in observed or relative survival based on having received radiation. Conclusions Adjuvant radiation is indicated for advanced stage tumors or early stage tumors with adverse features. For early stage tumors without adverse features, there was no survival benefit from radiation therapy. Adjuvant radiation should be decided on a case-by-case basis for these patients.
Learning to leverage existing information systems: Part 1. Principles.

Article-at-a-Glance Background The success of performance improvement efforts depends on effective measurement and feedback regarding clinical processes and outcomes. Yet most health care organizations have fragmented rather than integrated data systems. Methods and practical guidance are provided for leveraging available information sources to obtain and create valid performance improvement–related information for use by clinicians and administrators. Case Vignette At Virginia Mason Health System (VMHS; Seattle), a vertically integrated hospital and multispecialty group practice, patient records are paper based and are supplemented with electronic reporting for laboratory and radiology services. Despite growth in the resources and interest devoted to organizationwide performance measurement, quality improvement, and evidence-based tools, VMHS's information systems consist of largely stand-alone, legacy systems organized around the ability to retrieve information on patients, one at a time. By 2002, without any investment in technology, VMHS had developed standardized, clinicwide key indicators of performance updated and reported regularly at the patient, provider, site, and organizational levels. Leveraging Existing Systems On the basis of VHMS's experience, principles can be suggested to guide other organizations to explore solutions using their own information systems: for example, start simply, but start; identify information needs; tap multiple data streams; and improve incrementally.
Book Review: Economic Development and the Role of Women

Economic Development and the Role of Women, Ruth Taplin, Aldershot, Hampshire, England, Avebury-Gower Publishing Company, 1989. 129 + vi pp., hardcover.
A semi-automatic validation tool for whole mouse metastatic tumor molecular imaging using the cryo-imaging cancer imaging and therapy platform (CITP)

We created a cancer imaging and therapy platform (CITP) consisting of software and multi-spectral cryo-imaging to support innovations in preclinical cancer research. Cryo-imaging repeatedly sections and tiles microscope images of the tissue block face, providing anatomical episcopic color and molecular fluorescence, enabling 3D microscopic imaging of the entire mouse with single metastatic cell sensitivity. Our platform allows tumor molecular imaging validation with MRI and cryo images registration, GFP metastatic tumor segmentation and quantitative analysis, all of which are important processes in the CITP visualization/analysis pipeline. Our standard approach to register MRI to the cryo color volume involves preprocess AE affine AE B-spline non-rigid 3D mutual information registration. We further developed modified mask registration to allow improved registration quality within the created 3D cuboid mask on the organ of interest. In 3 mice kidneys, standard and mask registration yields Dice index of 84% ± 2% and 90% ± 2%, respectively. To segment big metastases in GFP, we use marker based watershed with intensity thresholding. For small metastases, we apply Laplacian of Gaussian filtering to get candidate metastases and use morphological features and support vector machine to classify the candidates. In a test mouse, sensitivity/specificity for metastases detection was 94.1%/99.82% as compared with manual segmentation of 202 metastases. Quantitative analysis of molecular MR imaging agent CREKA-Gd using Rose SNR in the lung of a test mouse showed that all micro-metastases ≥ 0.25 mm2 were detectable with Rose SNR ≥ 4 and around 36% of micro-metastases < 0.25 mm2 were detectable.
On the ability of mobile sensor networks to diffuse information

We examine the ability of networks formed by mobile sensor nodes to diffuse information in the case when communication is only possible during opportunistic encounters. Our setting assumes that mobile nodes are continuously sensing the world and acquiring new information. We form an abstract model of this situation and show by theoretical analysis, simulation, and real mobility data that the diffusion of information in this setting cannot be as efficient as when we allow arbitrary contact patterns between the nodes with the same overall contact statistics. This establishes a fundamental asymptotic limitation on the information diffusion capacity of such opportunistic mobile sensor networks --- the encounter patterns arising out of physical motions in a geometric space are not ideal for information diffusion.
Hydrogel Patch: A New Occlusive Device for the Treatment of Psoriasis—Patient Feedback from a Bilaterally Controlled Study:

Occlusion is an effective therapeutic modality for treating psoriasis either by itself or by enhancing the efficacy of topical agents. However, the affordable material available, namely Saran wrap ...
Conformation and its Functional Implications in Phytochrome

An important part of elucidating the biological function of phytochrome is an understanding of the different domains and their function/relationship in the molecule. Phytochrome has two basic domains per monomer, a 69-72 kDa chromophore and a 52-55 kDa non chromophore domain connected by a proteolytically sensitive linker region (Lagarias and Mercurio, 1985). Intact phytochrome has been shown to be a dimer (Lagarias and Mercurio, 1985; Jones and Quail, 1986) and the region responsible for subunit contact is probably localized within 42 kDa of the C-terminus (Jones and Quail, 1986). Recently, small-angle X-ray scattering (Tokutomi et al., 1989), as well as electron microscope studies (Jones and Erickson, 1989) have yielded a model of the phytochrome dimer which entails a distinct separation of the non-chromophore and chromophore domains. This two domain model, as well as a more detailed structural domain model (Romanowski and Song, 1990), is discussed.
Germline variant alleles in rs12422149 of SLCO2B1 and response to abiraterone acetate (AA) in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

5076Background: Predictive biomarkers of response to AA in advanced prostate cancer are needed. SLCO2B1 encodes a protein that mediates transport of AA into tissue. A pre-clinical study showed that...
15q23 Gain in a Neonate with a Giant Omphalocele and Multiple Co-Occurring Anomalies

Background. Omphalocele is a rare congenital abdominal wall defect. It is frequently associated with genetic abnormality and other congenital anomalies, although isolated omphalocele cases do exist. Data have shown that omphalocele with co-occurring genetic abnormality has worse prognosis than isolated omphalocele. Chromosomal analysis by a conventional technique such as karyotyping can only detect aneuploidy and large segmental duplication or deletion. Newer techniques such as high-resolution microarray analysis allow for the study of alterations in chromosomal segments that are less than 5 Mb in length; this has led to identification of critical region and genes in the pathogenesis of omphalocele. Case Presentation. The current study is the initial report of a newborn male with a 15q23 gain and a giant omphalocele. High-resolution chromosomal microarray analysis identified this gain of copy number spanned 676 kb, involving almost the entire NOX5 gene (except for exon 1 of the longer transcript), the entirety of the EWSAT1, GLCE, PAQR5, KIF23, RPLP1, and DRAIC genes and exons 1–3 of the PCAT29 gene. Conclusion. To date, this is the first report of an associated 15q23 gain in a case with omphalocele. Interestingly, Giancarlo Ghiselli and Steven A Farber have reported that GLCE knockdown impairs abdominal wall closure in zebrafish. We also identified GLCE gene alteration in our case. This highlights the importance of GLCE in abdominal wall development. Further study of the function of GLCE and other genes might lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of omphalocele.
Multiwave Formative Evaluation of a Retention Program for Minority Nursing Students: Intended Effects, Unintended Consequences, and Remedial Actions:

This study was a formative evaluation of a retention program for nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds underrepresented in the nursing workforce. The program was challenging, with multile...
Writing Like a Lawyer Means Thinking Like a Lawyer

This article reviews the book "A Student’s Guide to Legal Analysis: Thinking Like a Lawyer" by Patrick McFadden.
Primary extramedullary plasmacytoma with diffuse lymph node involvement: a case report and review of the literature

Primary plasmacytomas are localized proliferations of clonal plasma cells occurring in the absence of a systemic plasma cell dyscrasia such as multiple myeloma. Primary plasmacytomas most commonly manifest as solitary lesions of the bone or of the upper aerodigestive tract. Presentation in a lymph node is very uncommon and can often be initially mistaken for lymphoma. Because they are local phenomena, primary plasmacytomas are managed with local therapies such as radiation or, less commonly, excision. Multifocal presentations are rare and are often not amenable to local treatment modalities, thus requiring systemic therapies. Because of their rarity, standardized treatment guidelines are not established, and treatment paradigms borrow heavily from those employed in multiple myeloma. Multifocal presentation in lymph nodes is nearly unheard of with only seven such cases reported in the existing literature, only four of which were diffuse enough to require systemic therapy. Here we describe the most diffuse and widely distributed instance of primary lymph node plasmacytoma yet reported and present a description of its successful treatment with systemic therapy. A 71-year-old Asian man presented with progressive fatigue in the setting of diffuse hypermetabolic lymphadenopathy throughout his chest, abdomen, and pelvis. A diagnosis of lymphoma was initially suspected; however, a lymph node biopsy was consistent with plasmacytoma. A bone marrow biopsy was unremarkable, and no monoclonal protein was identified, establishing a diagnosis of primary extramedullary plasmacytomas of the lymph nodes. He was treated with a myeloma-like regimen consisting of four cycles of bortezomib/dexamethasone followed by two cycles of thalidomide/prednisone with improvement in symptoms and near complete resolution of prior hypermetabolic lymphadenopathy. He remains in remission over 18 months following completion of therapy. This case report and accompanying literature review highlight the exceedingly rare and easily misclassified entity of primary plasmacytoma of diffuse lymph nodes. Importantly, we demonstrate that this entity may be treated with, and demonstrate excellent response to, systemic therapies often employed in multiple myeloma.
1003 - UNDERSTANDING AND TARGETING THE STEM CELL ORIGINS OF MYELOID MALIGNANCIES

Relapse and malignant progression continue to be the most common causes of death in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and many other cancers. Recent evidence has shown that a molecularly diverse pool of hematopoietic stem cells lead to the formation of pre-cancerous/pre-leukemic stem cells that play a pivotal role not only in disease origination but also in relapse. While the existence and essentiality of such pre-cancerous cell states including pre-MDS-SC and pre-AML-SC has been demonstrated in mice and humans, still very little is known about the molecular mechanisms driving their formation and progression. We and others have performed molecular studies of pre-leukemic cell states in mouse genetic models as well as primary cells from patients, and discovered new molecular and stem cell biological mechanisms in pre-MDS-SC and pre-AML-SC, challenging current paradigms of bulk cell-focused “precision” oncology. Such models and data sets at the stem cell level have provided novel tools for mechanistic study of pre-cancerous stem cells and their progression to overt MDS and AML, and for the development and testing of pharmacological approaches to therapeutically interfere with these processes. Together, recent studies have started to shed light on pre-cancerous stem cell states as the earliest origin of MDS and AML, and on cell-intrinsic as well as selection mechanisms driving their formation and progression. These advances provide a basis for the specific therapeutic targeting of pre-cancerous stem cells for the causative treatment and potential prevention of MDS and AML and other cancers developing from pre-cancerous conditions in the future.
Gendered Spaces, Gendered Friendship Networks? Exploring the Organizing Patterns of LGBTQ Youth

Research has found a tendency for youth to develop friendships with same-gender peers. Whether this is due to a preference for same-gender friends or is an outcome of communication constraints from gender-segregated physical spaces and social practices is unclear. The current study is among the first to examine the role of emerging gender-inclusive spaces in adolescent friendship network patterns. A network of 111 LGBTQ adolescents interacting in a summer camp featuring gender-inclusive housing is examined using social network analysis techniques. Exponential random graph models found that campers’ assigned cabin was significantly related to friendship ties. Notably, the probability of a friendship tie was approximately 6 times greater when campers were assigned to the same cabin. Gender identity and birth sex had no significant influence on friendship patterns, in contrast to prior studies. Our findings highlight the potential for gender-inclusive spaces to integrate youth’s friendships across gender identities.