cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Fecal Lactoferrin as a Biomarker for Severe Clostridium difficile Infection in Hospitalized Patients.

BACKGROUND The incidence and severity of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) have increased over the past decade, especially among hospitalized patients. In this study, we determined the value of published criteria for severe CDI in predicting 3 month mortality, as well as the utility of fecal lactoferrin as a biomarker for severe CDI. METHODS Pilot Year 1 of IRB approved (HSR-IRB# 13630) prospective cohort study of hospitalized patients with CDI at US academic medical center (10/08-4/10). Medical records of hospitalized patients with clinically diagnosed CDI, via toxin assay, were evaluated to objectively define severe CDI based on current guidelines. A stool sample from CDI diagnosis was analyzed for amount of fecal lactoferrin (IBD-SCAN, TechLab, Inc.). Data was analyzed using SPSS for student's t-test and chi-squared, significance p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS 79 subjects consented and enrolled, mean age was 64 years (standard deviation, sd, 17.2), 48 (61%) female, and average Charlson co-morbidity score was 5.8 (sd 3.8). Subjects with severe CDI were 5 times more likely to die within 3 months of diagnosis (Odds Ratio 5.66 (95% Confidence Interval 2.03-15.79), p=0.001) and had significantly more fecal lactoferrin (580.0 (sd 989.0) vs. 181.7 (sd 244.2) µg/mL, p=0.018), compared to those that did not meet severe CDI criteria. CONCLUSION In this pilot study, subjects who meet defined criteria for severe CDI had higher mortality and more intestinal inflammation. These preliminary results were, however, underpowered to show a direct association of lactoferrin with mortality. Larger cohort studies are needed to optimize a criterion for severe CDI and evaluate a direct association of lactoferrin and mortality in hospitalized patients with CDI.
Hydrodynamic model of screen channel liquid acquisition devices for in-space cryogenic propellant management

Technologies that enable the storage and transfer of cryogenic propellants in space will be needed for the next generation vehicles that will carry humans to Mars. One of the candidate technologies is the screen channel liquid acquisition device (LAD), which uses a metal woven wire mesh to separate the liquid and vapor phases so that single-phase liquid propellant can be transferred in microgravity. In this work, an experiment is carried out that provides measurements of the velocity and pressure fields in a screen channel LAD. These data are used to validate a new analytical solution of the liquid flow through a screen channel LAD. This hydrodynamic model, which accounts for non-uniform injection through the screen, is compared with the traditional pressure term summation model which assumes a constant, uniform injection velocity. Results show that the new model performs best against the new data and historical data. The velocity measurements inside the screen channel LAD are used to provide a more accur...
Hypercoagulability and Migraine

Background A growing body of literature suggests that migraineurs, particularly those with aura, have an increased risk for ischemic stroke, but not via enhanced atherosclerosis. The theory that micro-emboli induced ischemia provokes cortical spreading depression (ie, symptomatic aura) in migraineurs but transient ischemic attacks in others highlights a potential role for hypercoagulability as a link between migraine (with aura) and stroke. Aim Our objective is to summarize the literature evaluating the association of migraine with various acquired or inheritable thrombophilic states, including those related to elevated estrogen levels, endothelial activation and dysfunction, antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), deficiency of coagulation inhibitors, and presence of certain genetic polymorphisms. Findings Although definitive studies are lacking, a preponderance of available evidence links migraine, and especially aura, to increased levels of estradiol (eg, oral contraceptive pill [OCP] use, pregnancy), thrombo- and erythrocytosis, von Willebrand factor (vWF) antigen, fibrinogen, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) antigen, and endothelial microparticles. Studies of a link to migraine are conflicting for aPL, homocysteine, Protein S, and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism. No association with migraine was found in meta-analyses of Factor V Leiden, and of prothrombin gene mutation. Within a large, young ischemic stroke sample, migraine with aura was associated with a thrombophilic state and with patent foramen ovale (PFO). In the non-stroke population, meta-analyses show an association of PFO and migraine with aura (MA), but two population-based studies do not support the link. Recommendations For persons with MA and (1) a personal history or family history of thrombosis, or (2) MRI evidence of micro-vascular ischemia or of stroke, an evaluation for hypercoagulability is warranted. In cases of MA alone, consider screening for markers of endothelial activation (eg, vWF, high sensitivity c-reactive protein [hs CRP], and fibrinogen). Rigorous management of other stroke risk factors is paramount, but efficacy of anti-thrombotic agents in the treatment of migraine is unproven. Closure of PFO is not routinely recommended based on negative randomized trials.
Structural Basis of Substrate Recognition by the Multidrug Resistance Protein MRP1.

The multidrug resistance protein MRP1 is an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter that confers resistance to many anticancer drugs and plays a role in the disposition and efficacy of several opiates, antidepressants, statins, and antibiotics. In addition, MRP1 regulates redox homeostasis, inflammation, and hormone secretion. Using electron cryomicroscopy, we determined the molecular structures of bovine MRP1 in two conformations: an apo form at 3.5 A without any added substrate and a complex form at 3.3 A with one of its physiological substrates, leukotriene C4. These structures show that by forming a single bipartite binding site, MRP1 can recognize a spectrum of substrates with different chemical structures. We also observed large conformational changes induced by leukotriene C4, explaining how substrate binding primes the transporter for ATP hydrolysis. Structural comparison of MRP1 and P-glycoprotein advances our understanding of the common and unique properties of these two important molecules in multidrug resistance to chemotherapy.
Structural distortions at polar manganite interfaces

Electronic, lattice, and spin interactions at the interfaces between crystalline complex transition metal oxides can give rise to a wide range of functional electronic and magnetic phenomena not found in bulk. At hetero-interfaces, these interactions may be enhanced by combining oxides where the polarity changes at the interface. The physical structure between non-polar SrTiO$_3$ and polar La$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$MnO$_3$(x=0.2) is investigated using high resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction to directly determine the role of structure in compensating the polar discontinuity. At both the oxide-oxide interface and vacuum-oxide interfaces, the lattice is found to expand and rumple along the growth direction. The SrTiO$_3$/La$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$MnO$_3$ interface also exhibits intermixing of La and Sr over a few unit cells. The results, hence, demonstrate that polar distortions and ionic intermixing coexist and both pathways play a significant role at interfaces with polar discontinuities.
Truss decomposition on shared-memory parallel systems

The scale of data used in graph analytics grows at an unprecedented rate. More than ever, domain experts require efficient and parallel algorithms for tasks in graph analytics. One such task is the truss decomposition, which is a hierarchical decomposition of the edges of a graph and is closely related to the task of triangle enumeration. As evidenced by the recent GraphChallenge, existing algorithms and implementations for truss decomposition are insufficient for the scale of modern datasets. In this work, we propose a parallel algorithm for computing the truss decomposition of massive graphs on a shared-memory system. Our algorithm breaks a computation-efficient serial algorithm into several bulk-synchronous parallel steps which do not rely on atomics or other fine-grained synchronization. We evaluate our algorithm across a variety of synthetic and real-world datasets on a 56-core Intel Xeon system. Our serial implementation achieves over 1400 × speedup over the provided GraphChallenge serial benchmark implementation and is up to 28 × faster than the state-of-the-art shared-memory parallel algorithm.
No simple solutions: Transforming public housing in Chicago, by Susan Popkin: New York, Rowman and Littlefield Press, 2016

Former Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley once announced that Chicago was “the city that works,” although Portland, Oregon, and Stamford, Connecticut, share this nickname. His remarks attempted to show...
Reducing the overhead of authenticated memory encryption using delta encoding and ECC memory

Data stored in an off-chip memory, such as DRAM or non-volatile main memory, can potentially be extracted or tampered by an attacker with physical access to a device. Protecting such attacks requires storing message authentication codes and counters - which incur a 22% storage overhead. In this work, we propose techniques for reducing these overheads. We first present a scheme that leverages ECC DRAMs to reduce MAC verification & storage overheads. We replace the parity bits in standard ECC by a combination of MAC and parity bits to provide both authentication and error correction. This eliminates the extra MAC storage and minimizes the verification overhead as MACs can be read in parallel with data through the ECC bus. Next, we use efficient integer encodings to reduce counter storage overhead by 6× while enhancing application performance.
Age Differences in Memory: Demands on Cognitive Control and Association Processes

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the age differences (or lack thereof) for several major forms of memory, with particular attention to the age differences in brain structure or function that may underlie them. Age differences in memory are often linked to age differences in frontal brain regions and in cognitive control. Reducing control demands often reduces and sometimes eliminates age differences in memory performance. However, predicting age differences in performance is not simply a matter of quantifying the control demands of a task. Changes in frontal regions are quite prominent, but not the only changes that occur. Besides the changes within brain regions, white-matter declines also impact communication between regions. Changes in sensory and motor systems may affect both the quality of information that older adults receive and the quality of their output. Early neuroimaging studies emphasized age-related underactivations. These findings fit well with the behaviorally derived view that many of older adults' memory difficulties arise from a failure to engage the processes needed to support successful remembering. These processes, especially at the encoding stage, are thought to be effortful and demanding. Age changes in brain function, perhaps especially frontal brain functions related to attention, might make such processes more “expensive” for older adults to engage.
Dimension-Reduced Radio Astronomical Imaging Based on Sparse Reconstruction

Modern radio telescopes commonly use antenna arrays to achieve high-resolution imaging, and various beamforming techniques have been developed in radio astronomy to generate dirty images. Because the manifold of a radio telescope array varies over time due to Earth rotation, beamformers are separately designed and implemented at each time epoch, and the resulting images are averaged over multiple epochs to form enhanced dirty images. Because astronomical scenes are typically sparse, we propose a new method through sparse reconstruction to obtain clean astronomical images. To reduce the computational complexity, a singular value decomposition based compressive sensing scheme is applied. The proposed method offers reduced computational complexity while maintaining the high quality of the sparse reconstruction. Unlike traditional beamforming techniques which require an additional deconvolution procedure for clean image formation, the proposed technique provides clean astronomical images directly with accurate estimation of the source position and intensity.
It All Starts with Forging Social Ties: Developing School Leadership from the Social Network Perspectives.

School leadership can be developed and strengthened from many approaches, including, but not limited to, transformational, instructional, distributed, and social justice leadership. This article pr...
Conventionalism defended: a reply to Moore

In a recent article in this Journal, Eric Moore criticized an earlier essay of mine published in this same Journal on two fronts. On the first, he criticized my criticisms of broad internalism for ...
Everyday discrimination indirectly influences smoking cessation through post-quit self-efficacy

Abstract Background Although studies have shown an association between discrimination and current smoking, the influence of discrimination on smoking cessation is an understudied area in tobacco research. The current study evaluated the influence of everyday discrimination on smoking cessation and examined self-efficacy as a potential mediator of this association. Methods Participants (N = 146), who were recruited from a safety-net hospital in Dallas County, Texas, from 2011 to 2013, completed a self-report measure of perceived discrimination one week before the scheduled quit attempt and self-efficacy for quitting was assessed one day after the scheduled quit date. Biochemically-verified 7-day point prevalence abstinence was assessed weekly, through the fourth week after the scheduled quit date. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the indirect effect of perceived discrimination on smoking cessation via self-efficacy for quitting. Results Analyses indicated significant indirect effect of discrimination on smoking cessation through self-efficacy at Weeks 1 (B = .09, SE = .04, p = .02) and 4 (B = .07, SE = .03, p = .03). A higher frequency of discrimination was associated with lower self-efficacy one day after the scheduled quit date, and lower self-efficacy increased the likelihood of smoking one and four weeks after the scheduled quit attempt. Conclusions Findings suggest that perceptions of discrimination reduce the likelihood of smoking cessation via diminished self-efficacy. Future research is needed to identify intervention strategies to reduce the frequency of discrimination experiences and attenuate the negative impact of discrimination and low self-efficacy on smoking cessation.
Die Metallurgie des Aluminiums

Wir haben auf diesem Gebiet zwei prinzipiell verschiedene Verfahren zu unterscheiden: Die „Differentialreduktion“, welche fur die Herstellung von reiner Tonerde im elektrischen Ofen in Anwendung steht und die „feuerflussige Elektrolyse“, fur welche die elektrolytische Zersetzung der Tonerde, wie sie in der Technik bei der Aluminiumfabrikation ausgeubt wird, ein Beispiel darstellt. Nur letztgenannten Gegenstand wollen wir hier behandeln.
Static and Dynamic Properties of Coherently-Coupled Photonic-Crystal Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser Arrays

We report progress on phased 850 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser arrays that can be designed to operate reliably through control of individual injection current to each laser element. In this manner, nearly all fabricated arrays can be biased to be mutually phase locked. This paper attempts to visualize and characterize the locking region between two neighboring lasers by measuring far-field visibility to create a two-dimensional visibility map. Experimental data show that the locking region can be shifted or changed by ambient temperature, asymmetric array design, and fabrication imperfections. Additionally, the relative intensity noise and harmonic distortion are measured to characterize the dynamic behavior of coherently coupled laser arrays in the locking region. Two-dimensional maps of total relative intensity noise and total harmonic distortion are created to visualize laser array dynamics in the locking region. The data show that the laser array must be carefully designed, biased, and modulated within the locking region to achieve an output signal with low noise, low distortion, and improved modulation performance.
Disruption of cardiac thin filament assembly arising from a mutation in LMOD2: A novel mechanism of neonatal dilated cardiomyopathy

Neonatal heart failure is a rare, poorly-understood presentation of familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Exome sequencing in a neonate with severe DCM revealed a homozygous nonsense variant in leiomodin 2 (LMOD2, p.Trp398*). Leiomodins (Lmods) are actin-binding proteins that regulate actin filament assembly. While disease-causing mutations in smooth (LMOD1) and skeletal (LMOD3) muscle isoforms have been described, the cardiac (LMOD2) isoform has not been previously associated with human disease. Like our patient, Lmod2-null mice have severe early-onset DCM and die before weaning. The infant’s explanted heart showed extraordinarily short thin filaments with isolated cardiomyocytes displaying a large reduction in maximum calcium-activated force production. The lack of extracardiac symptoms in Lmod2-null mice, and remarkable morphological and functional similarities between the patient and mouse model informed the decision to pursue cardiac transplantation in the patient. To our knowledge, this is the first report of aberrant cardiac thin filament assembly associated with human cardiomyopathy.
The Value of Incorporating Multiparametric MRI for Active Surveillance in Patients with Prostate Cancer

Active surveillance (AS) is an increasingly utilized treatment strategy for patients with low-risk prostate cancer consisting of careful, periodic monitoring with periodic PSA checks, digital rectal examination (DRE), and prostate biopsy with the intent to defer definitive treatment. This treatment strategy evolved to reduce overtreatment in men with indolent prostate cancer (PCa) without compromising oncological outcomes. In low-risk PCa patients, AS has been evaluated and performs comparably to definitive modalities of treatment. The American Urological Association (AUA) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommended the utilization of AS in patients with very-low and low-risk disease. In addition, AS may be considered a reasonable option for patients with favorable intermediate-risk disease; however, there is concern for the incidence of metastasis in these patients when compared to definitive treatment approaches. Mutliparametric Magnetic Reasonance Imaging (mpMRI) of the prostate could be valuable in confirming patients’ candidacy for active surveillance and further monitoring of their disease progression.
Loss in the Time of Cholera: Long-Run Impact of a Disease Epidemic on the Urban Landscape

How do geographically concentrated income shocks influence the long-run spatial distribution of poverty within a city? We examine the impact on housing prices of a cholera epidemic in one neighborhood of nineteenth century London. Ten years after the epidemic, housing prices are significantly lower just inside the catchment area of the water pump that transmitted the disease. Moreover, differences in housing prices persist over the following 160 years. We make sense of these patterns by building a model of a rental market with frictions in which poor tenants exert a negative externality on their neighbors. This showcases how a locally concentrated income shock can persistently change the tenant composition of a block.
The role of multiple stressors in a dwarf red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) dieback

Abstract Mangroves are habitat-forming foundation species that provide the framework for entire coastal communities. Unfortunately, mangrove forests are declining globally, often due to multiple stressors. We report a recent mangrove dieback on Abaco Island, The Bahamas, that appears to be the result of multiple stressors. First, we investigated the role of hurricane and drought events in relation to green vegetation in the dieback area, as measured using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). We used historical Landsat imagery of the dieback region from 1989 to 2013 to identify changes in green vegetation and to determine when the dieback likely began. We determined that the dieback began around 2008, but found little evidence of a relationship between NDVI and hurricane or drought events, particularly in relation to the estimated start of the dieback. Preliminary observations in the dieback area suggested grazing by leaf-chewing organisms and disease were both present at high levels. We surveyed individual mangrove trees to determine the intensity of leaf-chewing herbivory and foliar disease on mangroves in the dieback area. We found leaf-chewing herbivory ranged from 0 to 79%, with a mean of 29% of leaves chewed per tree and disease incidence ranged from 0% to 97% with a mean of 47%. Finally, we conducted a simulated grazing experiment to test if experimental opening mimicking grazing could facilitate disease infection in mangroves . Experimental opening of plant tissues showed that grazing can increase disease. Our results suggest that drought and hurricanes did not initiate this dieback, but that herbivory likely facilitated the spread of disease thereby contributing to the dieback.
Evaluation of patterns of failure and subjective salivary function in patients treated with intensity modulated radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

5536 Background: Conventional RT (CRT) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is associated with severe late side effects which can worsen quality of life of surviving patients. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) allows the delivery of tumoricidal doses to the target volume while maintaining tolerable doses to critical organs. Several previous studies have demonstrated promising results for tumor control and disease free survival for HNSCC treated with IMRT. In this study, we correlated patterns of failure with target volume delineations in HNSCC treated with IMRT at our instittuion and evaluated subjective xerostomia outcomes after IMRT as compared to CRT. Material and Methods: Between 1/00 and 4/05, 69 patients with newly diagnosed non-metastatic HNSCC underwent curative parotid sparing IMRT at Stanford University. Sites included were oropharynx (39), oral cavity (8), larynx (8), hypopharynx (8) and unknown primary (6). Forty-six patients received definitive IMRT (66 Gy, 2.2 Gy/fraction)...
Chapter 13 – Hodgkin Lymphoma

This chapter discusses the diagnosis and features of Hodgkin lymphoma. The classification of Hodgkin lymphoma is also addressed, with a discussion on nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma and classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Staging of Hodgkin lymphoma is also addressed.
Systematic Indoor Room Temperature Forecasting for Smart Buildings Using Machine Learning

The growing trend within corporate and residential building structures in India is moving towards self-sustainable techniques like intelligent temperature control, usage of renewable sources of energy and efficient load forecasting. Out of the multiple factors governing the smart buildings, controlled indoor room temperature is considered important, as it drives the need of cooling or heating through air conditioners or heat pumps. Increase in need of self sustainability of building structures and considering Indian climatic and geographical conditions, existing literature suggests that there is a demand to contribute further in this area. This paper explores the application of efficient computational data analysis techniques like Machine Learning to linear time series forecasting methods. It presents the results of a pilot study conducted to perform systematic indoor room temperature forecasting of a corporate building structure, considering Indian climatic and geographical conditions in mind. Out of three models selected for the study, the results show that Multiple Exogenous Inputs fed Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average model is the best fit model.
Bruce Jacob: A Leading Voice in Public Defense

This Essay examines the events that led to Dean Emeritus Bruce Jacob being the recipient of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ (NACDL) prestigious Champion of Indigent Defense Award. Dean Jacob represented the State of Florida in the Gideon v. Wainwright case, arguing for adherence to Betts v. Brady which did not provide the right to counsel for indigent state defendants absent special circumstances. After arguing Gideon in the Supreme Court, he spent much of his career advocating for indigent defendants’ rights to effective assistance of counsel. Although some may find an irony in these two roles, this Essay notes the symmetry when looking at Dean Jacob as a true “minister of justice.”
The Demise of Law Reform and the Triumph of Legal Aid: Congress and the Legal Services Corporation from the 1960s to the 1990s

This article traces the development of contemporary legal services in light of the struggle between the forces which sought to limit it to legal aid alone and those which sought a program that combined legal aid and law reform. Since the 1960's, federally funded legal services for the poor has suffered a legislative identity crisis as Congress fought over the extent to which it would allow lawyers for the poor to engage in law reform. In 1996 Congress gave in to long-time critics of the Legal Services Corporation and all but eliminated the ability of lawyers for poor people to use the law as an instrument for reform, legal work usually described as law reform.
Configuration Tuning for Distributed IoT Message Systems Using Deep Reinforcement Learning: Poster Abstract

Distributed messaging systems (DMSs) are often equipped with a large number of configurable parameters that enable users to define application run-time behaviors and information dissemination rules. However, the resulting high-dimensional configuration space makes it difficult for users to determine the best configuration that can maximize application QoS under a variety of operational conditions. This poster introduces a novel, automatic knob tuning framework called DMSConfig. DMSConfig explores the configuration space by interacting with a data-driven environment prediction model(a DMS simulator), which eliminates the prohibitive cost of conducting online interactions with the production environment. DMSConfig employs the deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) method and a custom reward mechanism to learn and make configuration decisions based on predicted DMS states and performance. Our initial experimental results, conducted on a single-broker Kafka cluster, show that DMSConfig significantly outperforms the default configuration and has better adaptability to CPU and bandwidth-limited environments. We also confirm that DMSConfig produces fewer violations of latency constraints than three prevalent parameter tuning tools.
Structural basis of RNA polymerase recycling by the Swi2/Snf2 family of ATPase RapA in Escherichia coli.

After transcription termination, cellular RNA polymerases (RNAPs) are occasionally trapped on DNA, impounded in an undefined Post-Termination Complex (PTC), limiting the free RNAP pool and subsequently leading to inefficient transcription. In Escherichia coli, a Swi2/Snf2 family of ATPase called RapA is known to be involved in countering such inefficiency through RNAP recycling; however, the precise mechanism of this recycling is unclear. To better understand its mechanism, here we determined the structures of two sets of E. coli RapA-RNAP complexes, along with the RNAP core enzyme and the elongation complex (EC), using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). These structures revealed the large conformational changes of RNAP and RapA upon their association that has been implicated in the hindrance of PTC formation. Our results along with DNA binding assays reveal that although RapA binds RNAP away from the DNA-binding main channel, its binding can allosterically close the RNAP clamp, thereby preventing its non-specific DNA binding and PTC formation. Taken together, we propose that RapA acts as a guardian of RNAP by which RapA prevents non-specific DNA binding of RNAP without affecting the binding of promoter DNA recognition σ factor, thereby enhancing RNAP recycling.
Insect Control Applications

Results of extensive experimental work on controlling stored-grain insects with radio-frequency (high-frequency and microwave) exposures are summarized. The basis for selectively heating the insects by radio-frequency (RF) dielectric heating is explained, and the frequency range from 10 to 100 MHz is identified for the best selective heating of insects in grain. The influence of entomologic factors, such as species and developmental stage, and physical factors such as frequency and electric field intensity, is discussed. Practical aspects of applying RF dielectric heating for insect control are also considered, and the principal reasons for the lack of practical use are explained. Results of experimental work on controlling insects infesting pecans are also summarized. Major findings from research on controlling stored-product insects are presented in graphic and tabular illustrations.
SS-A (Ro) Autoantibodies

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the pathogenetic role, methods of detection, and clinical associations of anti-Ro/SS-A antibodies. Antibodies to the Ro/SS-A antigen were first reported as antibodies reactive with the SjD antigen using the gel diffusion method with sera from patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS). The Ro/SS-A particle is ubiquitously distributed in all tissues. The autoimmune response is directed to the human protein. Evidence is accumulating that immune complexes of Ro/SS-A- anti-Ro/SS-A are involved in pathogenicity in humans, especially in the heart disease of neonatal lupus. The HLA DQ and T cell receptor β gene polymorphisms associate strongly with anti-Ro/SS-A production. Numerous clinical subsets within the spectrum of systemic lupus erythematosus and SS recognized to be associated with autoantibodies to 60 kd Ro/SS-A. Measurement of anti-Ro/SS-A is clinically useful and in some patients the only autoantibody detectable.
Broadcast with heterogeneous node capability [wireless ad hoc or sensor networks]

In this paper, we investigate the power-efficient broadcast routing problem over heterogeneous wireless ad hoc or sensor networks where network nodes have a heterogeneous capability. The network links between pairs of nodes can no longer be modeled as symmetric or bidirectional. We show that, while most previous power-efficient algorithms work in this setting with minor modifications, they are not designed to exploit such asymmetric constraints. We present a suitable algorithm which takes into account the constraints and yet is the most power-efficient among all known algorithms.
Re-optimizing acquisition protocols for digital PET/CT: What have we learned to do it?

1518 Objectives To evaluate and optimize dose level, acquisition time, volume overlap and image quality of PET to guide acquisition protocol implementations for the new generation of solid state digital detector PET/CT. Methods To prepare for the clinical introduction of the new generation digital detector PET/CT (Vereos, Philips Healthcare), we performed investigational acquisitions on current generation Gemini TF 64 system and used the data for simulation. 35 clinical FDG PET/CT in 180 sec/bed as well as hollow sphere phantoms with varying inner volumes and activities in 30 to 360 sec/bed were scanned. PET slab volumes were reconstructed in 15s, 30s, 60s, 90s, 120s and 180s frame durations (FD) per bed position. VOIs were placed on nine normal organs and target lesions. SUV, SNR, counts, count rate (CR), dose level and ROC were assessed together with blinded image reviews. Standard clinical 13 mCi FDG dosing was complemented by 5 cases with Results Each component presented with a broader ROC than anticipated indicating that a component based optimization should be performed. Visual quality appears to have a broader dynamic range than quantitative assessment which is most impacted by small, hot lesion characteristics and quantitative accuracy. CR was organ-specific but stable over all FDs while total counts were proportional to time/bed and injected activity. An optimal organ-adaptive PET scan approach was proposed which led to either a 30-50% shorter acquisition time or a >40% lower dose without compromising image quality and SUV & SNR quantification ( Conclusions In order to capitalize on the advanced detection characteristics of the new solid state digital detector technology, an acquisition component optimization should be performed. Using current technology, we simulated and demonstrated that at least a 40-50% reduction of acquisition time and/or tracer dose can be achieved without compromising visual and quantitative image quality.
Developmental Regulation of Neurotransmitters in Sympathetic Neurons

Publisher Summary Sweat glands are innervated exclusively by cholinergic sympathetic neurons. Several studies summarized in this chapter indicate that the cholinergic differentiation factor produced by sweat glands is a novel member of the neuropoietic cytokine family. The changes in neurotransmitter properties that occur during normal development of the sweat gland innervation can be induced in cultured sympathetic neurons by members of the neuropoietic cytokine family, including leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) but not by other cytokines and growth factors. Further, monoclonal antibodies that block activation of LIFR β , one of the receptor subunits utilized by members of the neuropoietic cytokine family, block the induction of cholinergic function in sweat glandhympathetic neuron cocultures. Although, the studies on adult mice deficient in LIF, CNTF, or LIF and CNTF have revealed that the sweat gland innervation possessed cholinergic and peptidergic properties. Similarly, the induction of cholinergic and peptidergic properties in sympathetic neurons cocultured with sweat gland cells is not prevented by the presence of antibodies that block CT-1 function. Thus, the known members of the neuropoietic cytokine family do not appear to account for the cholinergic induction by sweat glands. In addition, culture studies suggest that the catecholamines produced by the early innervation are important in its regulation. Recently the periosteum or connective tissue covering of the bone has been identified a new cholinergic sympathetic target. Like the developing sweat gland innervation, periosteal innervation initially expresses noradrenergic properties that are suppressed as cholinergic and peptidergic ones appear, and this change is regulated by interactions with the target. In contrast to the developing sweat gland innervation, a significant proportion of the sympathetic axons that reach the sternum have already expressed immunoreactivity for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in addition to catecholaminergic properties.
MOVIE.BYU—A Computer Graphics Software System

A nonexhaustive list of attributes for general purpose computer graphics display software systems is formulated and then compared with the operational capabilities of the MOVIE.BYU system. While judgements made concerning the merits of the system depend upon the weight given to the various attributes by a potential user, the system is shown to possess a broad spectrum of capabilities.
Design for Optimizability: Traffic Management of a Future Internet

As networks grow in size and complexity, network management has become an increasingly challenging task. Many protocols have tunable parameters, and optimization is the process of setting these parameters to optimize an objective. In recent years, optimization techniques have been widely applied to network management problems, albeit with mixed success. Realizing that optimization problems in network management are induced by assumptions adopted in protocol design, we argue that instead of optimizing existing protocols, protocols should be designed with optimization in mind from the beginning. Using examples from our past research on traffic management, we present principles that guide how changes to existing protocols and architectures can lead to optimizable protocols. We also discuss the trade-offs between making network optimization easier and the overhead these changes impose.
Securing OLAP data cubes against privacy breaches

An OLAP (On-line Analytic Processing) system with insufficient security countermeasures may disclose sensitive information and breach an individual's privacy. Both unauthorized accesses and malicious inferences may lead to such inappropriate disclosures. Existing access control models in relational databases are unsuitable for the multi-dimensional data cubes used by OLAP. Inference control methods in statistical databases are expensive and apply to limited situations only. We first devise a flexible framework for specifying authorization objects in data cubes. The framework can partition a data cube both vertically based on dimension hierarchies and horizontally based on slices of data. We then study how to control inferences in data cubes. The proposed method eliminates both unauthorized accesses and malicious inferences. Its effectiveness does not depend on specific types of aggregation functions, external knowledge, or sensitivity criteria. The technique is efficient and readily implementable. Its on-line performance overhead is comparable to that of the minimal security requirement. Its enforcement requires little modification to existing OLAP systems.
Decomposition Trends of Five Plant Litter Types in Mitigated and Reference Wetlands in West Virginia, USA

Decomposition of organic matter in wetlands is linked to numerous wetland processes, making it a useful metric to assess wetland function. We measured plant litter decomposition rates in three mitigated and three reference wetlands located in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, from 2007 to 2009. Four common wetland species were used: broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia L.), common rush (Juncus effusus L.), brookside alder (Alnus serrulata (Ait.)Willd.), and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.). A fifth litter type was created from a mixture of common rush, brookside alder, and reed canary grass. Decomposition rates, based on percent of mass remaining, were similar between mitigated and reference wetlands. Percent mass remaining for reed canary grass was lower than all other litter types at the end of the study, and was significantly lower than cattail, which had the largest percent mass remaining on eight of the 14 collection dates. Linear decomposition rate constants for common rush, reed canary grass, and the mixed litter were similar, but were significantly larger than broadleaf cattail and brookside alder. Though some previous studies have found differing decomposition rates in mitigated and reference wetlands, this study observed similar environmentally mediated decomposition rates of a homogenized plant litter.
Circadian sleep and waking patterns in the laboratory cat.

Abstract Eight adult cats were observed for repeated 23 h periods spent in an experimental chamber under stable environmental conditions. Behavior, EEG, subcortical electrical activity and somatic muscle discharge were continuously monitored during these observations. On the basis of the total information obtained from the collection of these data, four basic behavioral-electrophysiological patterns were defined: (a) awake, activated; (b) drowsy, slow wave; (c) asleep, spindle burst; and (d) asleep, activated, and each minute of recording was classified according to its dominant pattern. Analysis of these data disclosed several quantitative measures which were highly consistent both for a given animal and among the animals observed. These were: (1) The percentage occurrence of each of the patterns during a 23 h period. The group means and standard deviations were: awake, 28 ± 4.2%; drowsy, 14.3 ± 1.2%; spindle burst sleep, 42.2 ± 4.1%; and activated sleep, 15.5 ± 2.2%. The percent of total sleep time for activated sleep was 27.5%. (2) Pattern percentage in relation to time: a general periodicity in the occurrence of sleeping and waking patterns indicated reciprocal peaks related to specific time periods. During the peak occurrence of the sleep patterns, a sleep EEG cycle of 25.8 ± 7.1 min was determined. Other interesting electrophysiological characteristics of the observed patterns were noted, including transitional phenomena associated with their respective interactions. It is suggested that the stable percentage data provide the basis for a statistical approach to the experimental study of sleep mechanisms.
Anisotropy of the resistivity and susceptibility of Kondo systems.

Previous models for the anisotropy of the resistivity and susceptibility of Kondo systems are based on the Anderson model, which includes a crystal-field term and isotropic mixing. We determine the effects of anisotropic hybridization on the resistivity and susceptibility of Kondo systems and find that there are significant differences between the results of the two models.
SEPTICEMIA IN THE ABSENCE OF CRP ELEVATION

At the Children's Center of the Mount Sinai Hospital quantitative measurements of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) are frequently made. We have performed more than 30,000 such tests since 1974. A serum CRP determination is made whenever a blood culture is obtained. This practice made it possible for us to assess the value of quantitative CRP measurement in the prediction of septicemia. Over a three-year period, 127 positive blood cultures were identified. In 18 episodes of septicemia in 17 patients (ages 2 weeks to 17 years) the initial CRP was ≤ 1.5 mg/dl. In 14 of these 18 episodes, it was ≤ 1 mg/dl. Three children (4 episodes) were on chemotherapy for malignancy. Three children died the day of the determinations. The remaining children had serious infections with a variety of different agents, including H. influenzae, S. pneumoniae, S. aureus, Ps. aerugenosa, group B streptococcus, salmonella species, K. pneumoniae, E. cloacae and candida species. Our data illustrate that a normal initial CRP value is not inconsistent with septicemia. Physicians using CRP measurements for diagnostic purposes should be aware of this.
Differential recruitment of caspase 8 to cFlip confers sensitivity or resistance to Fas-mediated apoptosis in a subset of familial lymphoma patients

Resistance to Fas-mediated apoptosis (FMA) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hematologic malignancies. Recently, a collaborative study showed that germline Fas mutations represent a genetic risk factor for the development of Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Here, we report that transformed B cell lines from familial lymphoma patients show a range of sensitivity to Fas-mediated apoptosis with lymphocytes from two patients with a marked resistance to Fas-, but not p53-mediated cell death. Fas resistance in these cells was associated with reduced recruitment of the initiator caspase 8 compared to cFlip, an inhibitor of apoptosis, to the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC). A decreased ratio of caspase 8 to cFlip in total cell extracts as well as in the DISC was associated with a profound disturbance of the Fas signaling cascade. We propose here that the relative reduction in caspase 8 to cFlip in the Fas DISC confers a survival advantage to lymphocytes and predisposes to the development of malignancy in some familial lymphoma patients.
Energy deconvolution of cross-section measurements with an application to the 12C(α,γ)16O reaction

Abstract A general framework for deconvoluting the effects of energy averaging on charged-particle reaction measurements is presented. There are many potentially correct approaches to the problem; the relative merits of some of them are discussed. These deconvolution methods are applied to recent 12 C ( α , γ ) 16 O measurements.
The effect of citric acid on the teratogenic action of trypan blue

Trypan blue has been shown to be teratogenic when injected into the r~zbgerminal cavity or yolk sac of the developing chicken egg (1,2,3,4) . The most common abnormality observed after such treatment is rumplesaneas . The mechanism of aotion of this dye ie not known, although, it has been proposed that it acts primarily on the mesoderm (3,4) . Landauer has obtained evidence which shows that certain teratogena are active during chick development by interfering with metabolic processes . He has demonstrated that~the teratogenic effeeta of some compounds can be prevented, or lessened, by supplying the embryos with compounds that play a role in metabolism (5) . The present study was undertaken to determine if a metabolic compound could modify the teratogenic effects of trypan blue in the chicken egg. Citric acid was selected for testing because of its effectiveness in preventing induced rumplessnesa . Materials and Methods Fertile eggs of trhe YVhite Leghorn chicken were obtained from
Improved results in the treatment of civilian vascular injuries associated with fractures and dislocations

Abstract Patients with vascular injuries associated with fractures or dislocations of the extremities were managed according to a standard protocol, which included the liberal use of preoperative arteriography, early fasciotomy when indicated, individualization of timing and type of orthopedic procedures, arterial reconstruction primarily with interposition reversed saphenous vein grafts, repair of major venous injuries, routine completion arteriography, and regular postoperative monitoring of Doppler-derived ankle/brachial indices. Adherence to these principles led to a limb salvage rate of 97% in 38 patients with such injuries. (J VASC SURG 1986;3:707-11.)
Effects of gender and social isolation on electroencephalogram and neuroendocrine parameters in rats

Social separation/isolation from either maternal or peer influence can induce a biobehavioral response in rodents and nonhuman primates seeming to mimic certain aspects of human psychopathology. To further explore this paradigm, the effects of 6 weeks of social isolation on electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) functioning were studied in male and female adult rats. Gender differences were observed in EEG and HPA axis functioning in these rats. Female rats, overall, were found to have higher levels of EEG slow-wave activity over the entire recording period, suggesting more intense levels of slow-wave sleep in those animals. Female rats were also observed to have overall higher plasma corticosterone concentrations and a lower anterior pituitary corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor density compared with male rats. The male rats, however, showed greater changes in response to social isolation than female rats. EEG power was increased as a result of social isolation in the male animals during the first 30-100 min of the recording. Reductions in the number of CRF receptors were also observed in the brains of the socially isolated rats in several cortical areas; however, again this effect was more prominent in the male animals. These studies suggest that gender is an important variable in determining the biobehavioral response to social isolation.