cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theoretical Studies of Dark Current of Quantum Dots

A time evolution method is used to compute the electron escape time and dark current of a quantum dot under electric field. We found that for quantum dots with just one bound state, the ground state wave function can be well described by the product of a 2D confined wave function in the x, y plane and a 1D confined wave function in the z direction with an effective quantum well potential. A comparison of phase-shift analysis and the full time-dependent calculation is presented. Good agreement between the two in the large time scale is found, but discrepancy exists in the small time scale. Our study shows that the electron escape rate (which determines dark current) of quantum dots is much lower than that of quantum wells with the same bound-to-continuum transition energy.
Shared Care, elder and family member skills used to manage burden.

Aim. The aim of this paper is to further develop the construct of Shared Care by comparing and contrasting it to related research, and to show how the construct can be used to guide research and practice. Background. While researchers have identified negative outcomes for family caregivers caused by providing care, less is known about positive aspects of family care for both members of a family dyad. Understanding family care relationships is important to nurses because family participation in the care of chronically ill elders is necessary to achieve optimal outcomes from nursing interventions. A previous naturalistic inquiry identified a new construct, Shared Care, which was used to describe a family care interaction that contributed to positive care outcomes. Methods. A literature review was carried out using the databases Medline, CINAHL, and Psych-info and the keywords home care, care receiver, disability, family, communication, decision-making and reciprocity. The results of the review were integrated to suggest how Shared Care could be used to study care difficulties and guide interventions. Results. The literature confirmed the importance of dyad relationships in family care. Shared Care extended previous conceptualizations of family care by capturing three critical components: communication, decision-making, and reciprocity. Shared Care provides a structure to expand the conceptualization of family care to include both members of a care dyad and account for positive and negative aspects of care. Conclusions. The extended view provided by the construct of Shared Care offers practitioners and scholars tools to use in the context of our ageing population to improve the effectiveness of family care relationships.
GRAVITATIONAL FORCE FIELD IN THE VICINITY OF THE EARTH-MOON LIBRATION POINTS

This paper is concerned with the determination of the shape and magnitude of the gravitational force field surrounding the libration points of the restricted Earth-moon system and indicates the propulsive velocity requirements for vehicle station -keeping in these regions. The effects resulting from solar perturbations and the eccentricty of the lunar orbit are indicated. It is found that around each libration point the curves generated by the intersections of the equipotential surfaces with the Earth-moon plane are oval, resembling concentric ellipses (of varying fineness ratio), and have their major axes aligned at right angles to the lines joining the respective libration points with the Earth. Expressed by the ratio of their major to minor axes, the shapes of these curves vary from 95:1 (a highly elongated oval) near the two equilateral- triangle points down to 3.4:1 near the translunar point and 2.7:1 near the cislunar point. The contours of constant acceleration and the direction of the vectors are shown in the figures. For convenience, the characteristic velocity requirements for one month's station-keeping are given. It can be seen that station-keeping is less costly around the equilateral- triangle point than near the linear libration points.
Mechanisms of scaling in pattern formation

Many organisms and their constituent tissues and organs vary substantially in size but differ little in morphology; they appear to be scaled versions of a common template or pattern. Such scaling involves adjusting the intrinsic scale of spatial patterns of gene expression that are set up during development to the size of the system. Identifying the mechanisms that regulate scaling of patterns at the tissue, organ and organism level during development is a longstanding challenge in biology, but recent molecular-level data and mathematical modeling have shed light on scaling mechanisms in several systems, including Drosophila and Xenopus. Here, we investigate the underlying principles needed for understanding the mechanisms that can produce scale invariance in spatial pattern formation and discuss examples of systems that scale during development.
Help or Hindrance? The Effects of College Remediation on Academic and Labor Market Outcomes

Abstract Providing remedial (also known as developmental) education is the primary way colleges cope with students who do not have the academic preparation needed to succeed in college-level courses. Remediation is widespread, with nearly one-third of entering freshmen taking remedial courses at an annual cost of at least $1 billion. Despite its prevalence, there is uncertainty surrounding its short- and longer-run effects. This paper presents new evidence on this question using longitudinal administrative data from Texas and a regression discontinuity research design. We find little indication that remediation improves academic or labor market outcomes.
Measurement of the Five Enzymes which Convert Chorismate to Tryptophan in Wheat Plants (Triticum aestivum cv. Kalyansona)

Conditions are described for measuring anthranilate synthetase, anthranilate-PRPP-phosphoribosyl transferase, N-5′-phosphoribosyl anthranilate isomerase, indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthetase and tryptophan synthetase in crude extracts from Triticum aestivum (wheat) plants. Only the last enzyme has been measured before in extracts from green plants. The extractable quantities of each enzyme in all plant parts at all stages of growth were sufficient to synthesize the amount of tryptophan present within the same tissue in 48 h. Anthranilate synthetase activity was the lowest of the five enzyme activities and was the only one inhibited by tryptophan in vitro, indicating that this enzyme may be the control point in tryptophan biosynthesis in wheat plants.
THz carrier dynamics in epitaxial graphene

Ultrafast optical pump - THz probe spectroscopy is used to measure the conductivity recovery dynamics in epitaxial graphene. The observed dynamics are insensitive to probe frequency, with recovery rates consistent with mid-IR measurements of carrier cooling.
T cell aging naive but not young

The immune system exhibits profound age-related changes, collectively termed immunosenescence. The most visible of these is the decline in protective immunity, which results from a complex interaction of primary immune defects and compensatory homeostatic mechanisms. The sum of these changes is a dysregulation of many processes that normally ensure optimal immune function. Recent advances suggest that old mice can produce fully functional new T cells, opening both intriguing inquiry avenues and raising critical questions to be pursued.
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α Is a Key Regulator of Metastasis in a Transgenic Model of Cancer Initiation and Progression

Adaptation to hypoxia is a critical step in tumor progression and is, in part, regulated by the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha). Xenograft models have been extensively used to characterize the role of HIF-1alpha in experimental cancers. Although these models provide an understanding of tumor growth at terminal stages of malignancy, they do not address tumor initiation or metastatic progression. To elucidate these roles, HIF-1alpha was conditionally deleted in the mammary epithelium of a transgenic mouse model for metastatic breast cancer. Conditional deletion of HIF-1alpha in the mammary epithelium resulted in delayed tumor onset and retarded tumor growth; this was correlated with decreased tumor cell proliferation. Tumors with conditional deletion of HIF-1alpha were also less vascular during early tumor progression. Perhaps most surprisingly, deletion of HIF-1alpha in the mammary epithelium resulted in decreased pulmonary metastasis. These results show that whereas HIF-1alpha is not required for the initiation of breast tumor growth or tumor cell metastasis, the transcriptional activity of HIF-1alpha is a significant positive regulator of tumor progression and metastatic potential.
Characterization of sterilization techniques on a microfluidic oxygen delivery device

A microfluidic oxygen delivery device was designed to regulate the exposure of cells in culture to oxygen, facilitating experiments involving oxygen-dependent cell processes. Most of the device is composed of the biocompatible elastomer PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane), including the thin gas-permeable membrane which serves as a diffusive interface between a flowing gas source and the cell culture media. Because cell cultures require a sterile environment, the device must be sterile as well. This study was designed to investigate the effects of common sterilization techniques on the diffusive properties of the device. Devices were sterilized repetitively with autoclaving, UV light, Dri-Clean detergent soaks, or ethanol soaks. Diffusion of oxygen across the device membranes was periodically measured using fluorescent microscopy. After 32 treatments no significant changes were seen in oxygen diffusion over time or in sterilization groups compared to control, meaning that the utility of the device is not adversely affected by repetitive sterilization.
Emergency preservation and resuscitation for cardiac arrest from trauma

Abstract The advent of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) revolutionized the care of patients with cardiac arrest, now allowing survival of up to 30% after out-of-hospital arrest due to arrhythmia; however, outcomes for cardiac arrest after trauma remain dismal, with less than 10% survival despite the most aggressive modern resuscitation techniques. The short time interval between cardiac arrest and brain ischemia, the reduced efficacy of CPR in the patient with profound hypovolemia due to hemorrhage, and the speed of exsanguination from major vascular injury all conspire to limit the effectiveness of standard CPR in the critically injured patient. Beginning in the 1980s, researchers began to harness the effects of profound hypothermia in order to extend the window of survivability after traumatic arrest, allowing the critical time needed to obtain surgical hemostasis in otherwise lethal exsanguinating injuries. These studies have culminated in the emergency preservation and resuscitation (EPR) of the trauma patient. Rapid central arterial access is obtained and profound (
Sentinel lymph nodes for breast carcinoma: an update on current practice

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has been established as the standard of care for axillary staging in patients with invasive breast carcinoma and clinically negative lymph nodes (cN0). Historically, all patients with a positive SLN underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The ACOSOG Z0011 trial showed that women with T1-T2 disease and cN0 who undergo breast-conserving surgery and whole-breast radiotherapy can safely avoid ALND. The main goal of SLN examination should be to detect all macrometastases (>2 mm). Gross sectioning of SLNs at 2-mm intervals and microscopic examination of one haematoxylin and eosin-stained section from each SLN block is the preferred method for pathological evaluation of SLNs. The role and timing of SLN biopsy for patients who have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy is controversial, and continues to be explored in clinical trials. SLN biopsies from patients with invasive breast carcinoma who have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy pose particular challenges for pathologists.
Estrogen replacement in middle-aged women: thermoregulatory responses to exercise in the heat.

Thermoregulatory, cardiovascular, and body fluid responses during exercise in the heat were tested in five middle-aged (48 +/- 2 yr) women before and after 14–23 days of estrogen replacement therap...
First-Photon Imaging and Few-Photon Imaging

With appropriate algorithms, imaging with pulsed illumination and single-photon detection can be pushed to where each detected photon provides considerable information. This talk presents two related methods for acquiring reflectance and depth together from about 1 detected photon per pixel, even in the presence of significant background light.
Condensation of 2,4(3H,5H)-furandione with heteroaromatic aldehydes†

2,4(3H,5H)-Furaridione, 1, condenses with heteroaromatic aldehydes in the presence of concentrated hydrochloric acid to yield 3-(heteroarylmethylene)-2,4(3H,5H)-furandiones, 4. The condensation of 1 with acid sensitive aldehydes, including 2-furanacroleine and N-methylpyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde proceeded well with 1 as the sole proton source. The E/Z ratio of type 4 compounds was determined by 1H-nmr spectroscopy.
Photoionization Study of Fe(CO)5 and Ni(CO)4.

Photoionization yield curves from onset to 600A, and ionization threshold values have been obtained for the ions Fe ( CO ) 5 + , Fe ( CO ) 4 + , Fe ( CO ) 3 + , Fe ( CO ) 2 + , Fe ( CO ) + , Fe+ and CO+ from iron penta-carbonyl, and for Ni ( CO ) 4 + , Ni ( CO ) 3 + , Ni ( CO ) 2 + , Ni ( CO ) + , Ni+, and CO+ from nickel tetracarbonyl. From these curves, information on the ionization-fragmentation processes of Fe(CO)5 and Ni(CO)4 under photon impact, have been obtained. Differences in the threshold energies as determined by photon and by electron impact methods increase with the fragmentation. The appearance potentials and the heats of formation of the metal-ions, agree within 0.1 eV, with those calculated from thermochemical data. The average bond dissociation energy of the neutral molecule agrees within 0.02 eV, with the thermochemical values. The kinetic shift for the formation of Fe+ and Ni+ ions is very small. The Ni ion is most likely formed directly from the molecule ion rather than by a cascade fragmentation process.
Temperature effects on virion volume and genome length in dsDNA viruses

Heterogeneity in rates of survival, growth and reproduction among viruses is related to virus particle (i.e. virion) size, but we have little understanding of the factors that govern the four to five orders of magnitude in virus size variation. Here, we analyse variation in virion size in 67 double-stranded DNA viruses (i.e. dsDNA) that span all major biomes, and infect organisms ranging from single-celled prokaryotes to multicellular eukaryotes. We find that two metrics of virion size (i.e. virion volume and genome length) decrease by about 55-fold as the temperature of occurrence increases from 0 to 40°C. We also find that gene overlap increases exponentially with temperature, such that smaller viruses have proportionally greater gene overlap at higher temperatures. These results indicate dsDNA virus size increases with environmental temperature in much the same way as the cell or genome size of many host species.
Factors affecting parent-child relationships one year after positive newborn screening for cystic fibrosis or congenital hypothyroidism.

OBJECTIVE Examine factors that mediate parent-infant relationships 12 months after positive newborn screening (NBS). METHODS We examined effects of infant diagnosis, parents' perceptions of child vulnerability and child attachment, parental depression and anxiety on parent-infant feeding interactions for 131 mothers and 118 fathers of 131 infants whose NBS and diagnostics confirmed cystic fibrosis (CF, n = 23), congenital hypothyroidism (CH, n = 35), CF carrier status (CF-C, n = 38), or healthy normal NBS (H, n = 35). RESULTS Separate composite indicator structural equation models for mothers and fathers showed that neonatal diagnosis was not associated with increased anxiety or depression. In comparison with the healthy group, CF group parents reported higher perceptions of child vulnerability (p < .001, p = .002), and CF-C group fathers viewed their children as more attached (p = .021). High maternal perception of child vulnerability was associated with low perceptions of child attachment (p = .001), which was associated with task-oriented feeding behavior (p = .016, p = .029). Parental task-oriented feeding behavior was associated with less positive (p < .001, p < .001) and more negative interactions (p < .001, p = .001) with their infants. High paternal perception of child vulnerability was associated with negative parent interactions (p < .001). High parental affective involvement and verbalization was associated with high infant affective expressiveness, communicative skills, and social responsiveness (mothers' p < .001, fathers' p < .001). High parental negative effect and/or inconsistent and intrusive behavior were associated with infant dysregulation and irritability (mothers, p < .001, fathers, p < .001). CONCLUSION The severity of conditions identified through NBS can affect parents' perceptions of their child's vulnerability and attachment. Infant feeding problems in the context of chronic health conditions, like CF, could represent signs of more deeply rooted concerns regarding the parent-child relationship that merit additional clinical evaluation.
Favorable Outcomes of Filamentous Fungal Endophthalmitis Following Aggressive Management.

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the visual outcomes following aggressive management of filamentous fungal endophthalmitis with prompt surgical intervention and oral and intravitreal voriconazole. Methods: Retrospective chart review study of consecutive patients with culture- or biopsy-proven filamentous fungal endophthalmitis treated at an academic referral center. Clinical characteristics, treatment regimens, and visual outcomes were analyzed. Results: Included were 5 patients, 1 with endogenous endophthalmitis due to systemic fusariosis and 4 due to exogenous endophthalmitis (1 with Fusarium, 2 with Scedosporium apiospermum, and 1 with Glomerella spp.). On presentation, 1 patient had best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/20. The remaining 4 patients had count-fingers to hand motion (HM) vision. All patients underwent immediate surgical intervention for infection control. All patients received oral or intravenous voriconazole and aggressive intravitreal voriconazole every 2–3 days initially. Intravitre...
Nutritional analysis of sagebrush by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Abstract Sagebrush ( Artemisia spp.) habitat in the Intermountain West is one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America due, in part, to fire, climate change, and anthropogenic disturbances. However, restoration efforts rarely consider the dietary quality of sagebrush that is conserved or restored despite growing evidence that it is an influential parameter explaining habitat use by many important wild and domestic herbivores. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capacity of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to measure and monitor the dietary quality of sagebrush. Leaf samples were collected from two sagebrush species over two seasons and three sites in Idaho, USA. We developed calibration equations for crude protein (CP), dry matter digestibility (DMD), 1,8-cineole (cineole), and total polyphenolics. The coefficient of determination ( r 2 ) and ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) were 0.93 and 3.5 for CP, 0.83 and 1.8 for DMD, 0.64 and 1.5 for cineole, and 0.64 and 1.6 for total polyphenolics. These results indicate that NIRS may offer a rapid, noninvasive, diagnostic tool for assessing dietary quality of sagebrush, but future research should explore the potential for development of improved prediction equations and in situ analysis of sagebrush dietary quality with field spectroscopy.
A novel collision avoidance system for bicycles

Crash statistics show that over 80% of motorist-bicycle crashes occur within 50 feet of traffic intersections. This paper focuses on the development of a collision avoidance system for bicycles for prediction and prevention of rear and side crashes at intersections. Cost, size and weight constraints highly limit the sensors and electronics that can be used on a bicycle and necessitate the development of new vehicle detection and tracking systems. Custom sonar and laser sensors and associated position estimation algorithms for tracking are developed. A custom sonar sensor with one sonar transmitter and two receivers is developed to estimate both the distance and angular orientation of vehicles on the sides of the bicycle. A custom single-target laser sensor on a rotating platform is developed to track longer distance vehicles. A model predictive control formulation is used to determine the real-time orientation of the rotating laser platform. Preliminary experimental data is presented to evaluate the performance of the side sonar system from a prototype instrumented bicycle. Simulation results are presented on the model predictive control for the rear vehicle tracking.
Private Enforcement of Systemic Risk Regulation

The failure of the regulatory system is at least one of the contributing causes to the 2008 Financial Crisis. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) will have a far-reaching impact on the financial services industry particularly in its attempt to regulate systemic risk. The Dodd-Frank Act, however, does not sufficiently address the problem of agency discretion generally, or the problem of an agency’s discretion to forebear, in particular. Under Dodd-Frank, the agencies retain considerable discretion and the effectiveness of the new regime depends on the optimal exercise of such discretion. This Article maintains that an effective regulatory regime should include some check on agency discretion and focuses specifically on the issue of agency enforcement. The article considers whether private monitoring could enhance the current public enforcement regime in preventing systemic crisis. The article proposes a hybrid public/private qui tam model of enforcement as a potentially valuable enhancement to systemic risk reform.
Cerium compounds as scintillators

Stoichiometric Ce-materials with negligible Ce-Ce interactions should have superior scintillator properties. The authors present two materials: CeF/sub 3/ and Ce/sub x/La/sub 1-x/P/sub 5/O/sub 14/. While cerium trifluoride is a known scintillator, pentaphosphate is of a limited usefulness, except as a remarkable model material. It is shown that quenching in fluoride is responsible for loss of 50% of the light output and is the cause of the so-called ultrafast component (2 ns). The light output of fluoride (about 50% of BGO) could be significantly improved. It is concluded that deeper understanding of Ce systems is needed to fully exploit their potential. >
Enhancement of Coexistence Performance in a DRP Based Multi-Radio Environment of a Mobile Phone

The incorporation of Bluetooth and Wireless LAN transceivers in a mobile device poses design challenges associated with their coexistence with the cellular transceiver, as they often need to operate concurrently and their close proximity is inevitable. We present recently developed techniques that transform the RF and analog circuit design complexities, typically encountered when targeting coexistence performance improvements, into the digital domain, and demonstrate how these techniques allow the concurrent operation of multiple transceivers without one adversely impacting the performance of the other. The ideas presented have been implemented in Bluetooth/WLAN transceivers offered by Texas Instruments.
Necessary adiabatic run times in quantum optimization

Quantum annealing is guaranteed to find the ground state of optimization problems provided it operates in the adiabatic limit. Recent work [S. Muthukrishnan et al., Phys. Rev. X 6, 031010 (2016)] has found that for some barrier tunneling problems, quantum annealing can be run much faster than is adiabatically required. Specifically, an $n$-qubit optimization problem was presented for which a nonadiabatic, or diabatic, annealing algorithm requires only a constant run time, while an adiabatic annealing algorithm requires a run-time polynomial in $n$. Here we show that this nonadiabatic speedup is the direct result of a specific symmetry in the studied problem. In the more general case, no such nonadiabatic speedup occurs and we show why the special case achieves this speedup compared to the general case. We also prove that the adiabatic annealing algorithm has a necessary and sufficient run time that is quadratically better than the standard quantum adiabatic condition suggests. We conclude with an observation about the required precision in timing for the diabatic algorithm.
The Whole Thing (and Other Things): From Panorama to Attraction in Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat,” Ashcan Painting, and Early Cinema

Devine situates Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” at the end of the panoramic age, when the 360-degree promise of encyclopedic perception gave way to a very different kind of visual turn: what Tom Gunning terms “the cinema of attractions.” Crane’s work is read as an allegory of the machine age, when new audiences were consuming a cinematic culture of incessant motion, which blurred the line between spectator and participant. Drawing on early panoramic films and the work of painter Everett Shinn and his contemporaries in the Ashcan School, Devine shows how the panorama was inflected across the arts as a century turned.
A Tutorial on Multivariate Wavelet Decomposition

We shall document here four one-hour lectures delivered at the NATO ASI on Approximation Theory, Spline Functions and Applications held at Acquafredda di Maratea, Italy, Spring 1991. In the style of the Nato ASI, we have made these lectures nearly selfcontained. The published results we draw upon appear in the three papers [1, 2, 3], Nearly all of the material described here comes from joint work with R. Q. Jia.
Chronic thoracolumbar subdural empyema: Case report and surgical management.

BACKGROUND Spinal cord abscesses and spinal subdural empyemas are rare and difficult to treat. CASE DESCRIPTION A 35-year-old male presented to an outside institution with 2 months of progressive low back pain, weakness, and bowel incontinence; he was diagnosed with an L4 epidural abscess that was poorly managed. When the patient presented to our institution, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a well-organized chronic subdural abscess at the thoracolumbar junction. Following resection, his back pain resolved but he was left with a residual paraparesis. CONCLUSION Subdural abscesses are rare and should be considered among the differential diagnoses for intraspinal mass lesions. Treatment should include prompt surgical exploration and decompression combined with appropriate prolonged antibiotic treatment.
Try-CybSI: An Extensible Cybersecurity Learning and Demonstration Platform

The increasing use of web applications for tasks such as banking, social media, and travel reservations and the frequent news of hacker attacks has brought cybersecurity to the forefront of public discussion. It is vital to ensure that the new generation of programmers is aware of the importance of cybersecurity and the various solutions in existence that address these issues. While college instructional programs incorporate optional courses on cybersecurity, the enrolled students may not receive sufficient hands-on experience or have access to resources that foster writing secure code. The goal of the Try-CybSI project is to provide a web platform that demonstrates various cybersecurity flaws and solutions, while providing users with access to containerized environments to explore and develop secure coding practices. We believe that this platform can be incorporated as a requirement in college instruction and security certification programs. In addition, researchers can contribute new applications to the platform that will enable them to publicize their work while supporting research reproducibility.
Reliability of Three-Dimensional Spinal Modeling of Patients With Idiopathic Scoliosis Using EOS System

Three-dimensional (3D) spinal models of children with idiopathic scoliosis (IS) were created using the EOS imaging system (EOS) and sterEOS software. To determine the inter- or intraobserver reproducibility of the 3D spinal models in children with IS of different apex locations. 3D spinal model measurements include the Cobb angle, kyphosis, lordosis, and axial vertebral rotation (AVR). Variation of these measurements between two investigators and two different trials by the same investigator were analyzed by inter- and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Biplanar radiographic images of 15 patients (age: 6–15 years) with IS were uploaded into the sterEOS software. Spinal and pelvic markers were manually identified to construct a 3D spinal model and measure spinal parameters. Two trained examiners independently performed modeling and performed modeling in spaced out trials. The ICC between inter- and intraobservers were calculated. ICCs between inter- and intraobservers were significant for all parameters (p < .05). Both the inter- and intraobservers showed excellent agreement for the Cobb angles in the thoracic segment, kyphosis and lordosis. Substantial interobserver agreement and excellent intraobserver agreement were determined for the Cobb angle in the thoracolumbar or lumbar (TL/L) segment, with less than 6° difference between two raters and less than 2° difference between two trials. Substantial interobserver agreement for the AVR in the TL/L region and substantial interobserver agreement for the AVR in the thoracic region were found, with less than 4° difference between raters. One rater had substantial intraobserver agreement for the AVR in the TL/L region whereas another rater reported moderate to substantial intraobserver agreement in both the thoracic and TL/L regions, with less than 3° difference between trials. The EOS system shows reliable and repeatable results in 3D spinal modeling of children with IS. Level III.
A comparison of once daily and twice daily antihypertensive therapy with enalapril using noninvasive ambulatory BP monitoring

Enalapril (MK-421) is a new angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor with a prolonged duration of action. In order to determine the feasibility of once-a-day dosing with this agent alone and in combination with hydrochlorothiazide, non-invasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was used to compare the antihypertensive effectiveness of b.i.d. and q.d. dosing. Patients were first monitored on the b.i.d. regimen, converted to the same total medication dose q.d., and remonitored. Mean blood pressure for the group was 128 ± 10.4/87 ± 3.3. on b.i.d. and 130 ± 11.1/85 ± 7.3 on q.d. (pNS). Analysis of individual patient data showed that b.i.d. dosing appeared to produce superior blood pressure control in two patients, while in ten equal or lower mean 24-hour blood pressures were noted with q.d. dosing. Circadian blood pressure curves revealed that systolic blood pressure was statistically higher during sleep in patients treated q.d. These data indicate that once daily administration of enalapril is an effective treatment strategy for most patients. The clinical significance of the differing patterns of blood pressure variability over 24 hours seen with the two dosing schedules is, however, unknown. The importance of defining the relationship between patterns of blood pressure variability and long-term hypertensive complications is discussed.
Deterministic Signals in Height of Sea Level Worldwide

Maximum entropy spectrum analysis of 54 worldwide long records of the height of sea level yields evidence for two peaks with periods 19.4 ± 1.6 years in 48 records, and 10.4 ± 0.6 years in 40 instances. Tests by the t-statistic show that the peaks are statistically significant at confidence levels of 99.9 and 99%, respectively. They are identified as the luni-solar 18.6-year M n term and the solar cycle S c signal in height of sea level reported previously by Currie (1976, 1981b) only for northern Europe. Amplitude and phase of the luni-solar term are highly nonstationary both with respect to time and with respect to geography. In particular, abrupt 180° phase changes in wave polarity are often observed. These phenomena are ubiquitous in climate data and O’Brien and Currie (1991) have developed a model which can explain them.
Learning whom to trust: using graphical models for learning about information providers

In many multi-agent systems, information is distributed among potential providers that vary in their capability to report useful information and in the extent to which their reports may be biased. This abstract shows that graphical models can be used to simultaneously learn complex reporting policies that agents use and learn their capabilities; weigh the benefits of different combinations of information providers; and optimally choose a combination of information providers to minimize error. An agent's policy refers to the way in which the agent reports information. We show that these models are able to capture agents that vary in their capabilities and reporting policies. Agents using these graphical models outperformed the top contestants of the recent international Agent Reputation and Trust testbed competition. Further experiments show that graphical models can accurately model agents that use complex policies to decide how to report information, and determine how to combine these reports to minimize error.
Measurement error of state variables creates substantial bias in results of demographic population models.

Integral projection and matrix population models are commonly used in ecological and conservation studies to assess the health and extinction risk of populations. These models use one (or more) measurable state variable(s), such as size or age, to predict individual performance, which, ideally, is the sole determinant of an individual's expected fate. However, even if ecologists successfully identify and measure the observable state variable(s) that best predicts individual fate, we are rarely, if ever, able to perfectly measure state for many species, especially those with size structure, where total plant biomass or starch stores, for example, may be the best predictors of fate. Here, we used a series of simulations to test how this imperfect quantification of actual state ("measurement error") leads to inaccurate prediction of state-dependent fates and influences the predictions of structured population models. We simulated 10 yr of best practice field data collection using known vital rate functions and incorporated measurement error of different magnitudes and types (completely random, temporal, and individual based) for two size-structured life histories. We found that even for conservative error rates, most types of measurement error increased the median predicted population growth rate by 1-2% growth per year. However, the magnitude of this error differed substantially with life history strategy and error type, with some scenarios resulting in >8% median overestimation of population growth rate. This effect arises largely from the well-known econometrics problem of "regression dilution" (overestimation of the intercept and underestimation of the slope of a regression when the predictor variable is measured with error), which in our simulations typically results in overly optimistic predictions of small or young individuals' vital rates. Our results suggest that the problem of measurement error for state variables, present in many demographic studies but virtually unacknowledged in the ecological literature, may lead to substantial misestimation of population behavior, resulting in erroneous inferences about not only growth, but also extinction risk and other aspects of population dynamics.
Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence

Age of Opportunity is an accessible, evidence-based and practical guide to adolescence for parents, clinicians, educators; in fact, for any person who affects the lives of adolescents, and particularly policy makers. The author, Laurence Steinberg, is a developmental psychologist who is Distinguished Professor in Psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia, USA, and has a correspondingly impressive oeuvre. For those who have not previously encountered his work, a quick Internet search will be an eye-opener. Most importantly, Steinberg is a long-serving advocate for the fair and evidence-based treatment of adolescents in the labour, educational and justice fields.
1245. Infection Prevention and Control (IP&C) and Antibiotic Stewardship (AS) Practices in Pediatric Long-Term Care Facilities

Background In November 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) implemented a requirement for long-term care facilities (LTCFs) to incorporate AS into their IP&C programs. The purpose of this study was to describe baseline IP&C and AS practices in pediatric LTCFs.
CCNA2 Ablation in Aged Mice Results in Abnormal rRNA Granule Accumulation in Hippocampus.

Mounting evidence in the literature suggests that RNA–RNA binding protein aggregations can disturb neuronal homeostasis and lead to symptoms associated with normal aging as well as dementia. The specific ablation of cyclin A2 in adult neurons results in neuronal polyribosome aggregations and learning and memory deficits. Detailed histologic and ultrastructural assays of aged mice revealed that post-mitotic hippocampal pyramidal neurons maintain cyclin A2 expression and that proliferative cells in the dentate subgranular zone express cyclin A2. Cyclin A2 loss early during neural development inhibited hippocampal development through canonical/cell-cycle mechanisms, including prolonged cell cycle timing in embryonic hippocampal progenitor cells. However, in mature neurons, cyclin A2 colocalized with dendritic rRNA. Cyclin A2 ablation in adult hippocampus resulted in decreased synaptic density in the hippocampus as well as in accumulation of rRNA granules in dendrite shafts. We conclude that cyclin A2 functions in a noncanonical/non–cell cycle regulatory role to maintain adult pyramidal neuron ribostasis.
Wnt and TGFβ coordinate growth and patterning to regulate size-dependent behaviour.

Differential coordination of growth and patterning across metazoans gives rise to a diversity of sizes and shapes at tissue, organ and organismal levels. Although tissue size and tissue function can be interdependent1–5, mechanisms that coordinate size and function remain poorly understood. Planarians are regenerative flatworms that bidirectionally scale their adult body size6,7 and reproduce asexually, via transverse fission, in a size-dependent manner8–10. This model offers a robust context to address the gap in knowledge that underlies the link between size and function. Here, by generating an optimized planarian fission protocol in Schmidtea mediterranea, we show that progeny number and the frequency of fission initiation are correlated with parent size. Fission progeny size is fixed by previously unidentified mechanically vulnerable planes spaced at an absolute distance along the anterior–posterior axis. An RNA interference screen of genes for anterior–posterior patterning uncovered components of the TGFβ and Wnt signalling pathways as regulators of the frequency of fission initiation rather than the position of fission planes. Finally, inhibition of Wnt and TGFβ signalling during growth altered the patterning of mechanosensory neurons—a neural subpopulation that is distributed in accordance with worm size and modulates fission behaviour. Our study identifies a role for TGFβ and Wnt in regulating size-dependent behaviour, and uncovers an interdependence between patterning, growth and neurological function. A planarian fission protocol shows that the number of progeny and the frequency of fission initiation correlate with parent size, and TGFβ and Wnt signalling components are identified as regulators of fission behaviour.
Nanocrystalline ZrN thin film development via atomic layer deposition for U-Mo powder

Abstract Zirconium nitride (ZrN) thin film deposited via thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been recently chosen as a candidate technology for application of a diffusion barrier coating on the low enriched uranium alloy powder considered in the NNSA research reactor conversion program. Reported here is the first instance of using ALD for coating actinide materials. For this study, a modified ALD system was constructed to produce one micron thick zirconium nitride (ZrN) coating over spherical particulate of natural uranium-molybdenum (U-Mo) based fuel. The ALD system was designed to have a rotating drum system, with provisions for facilitating sequential exposures of chemicals such as tetrakis dimethyl amido zirconium (TDMAZr) and ammonia (NH3) in order to deposit ZrN. The ALD system was successful in developing a highly conformal ZrN coating covering every individual U-7Mo particle. This article describes the ZrN film synthesis details and reports the produced microstructure and composition of the ALD ZrN as deposited on fuel particulates. The as-fabricated coating was determined to have a nanocrystalline structure in the cubic-ZrN (cF8) phase. It exhibited a dense microstructure with adequate interfacial bonding. TEM-EELS characterization demonstrated that the coating contains a very low amount of oxygen impurity. To understand the potential microstructural evolution for ALD ZrN during reactor operation, an in-situ heavy ion (Kr) irradiation experiment was performed at the IVEM-Tandem facility. A total fluence of 7.5 × 1015 ions/cm2 (∼10 dpa) was achieved, and apart from minor grain coarsening in the ALD ZrN coating, no significant radiation effects were observed.
Co-Infection with TB and HIV: Converging epidemics, clinical challenges, and microbial synergy

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) are the two leading causes of infectious disease-related death today. An estimated 2.6 million people die as a result of infection with one or both of these pathogens annually, while a range of morbidities afflict tens of millions more. The resurgence of TB in the years following the start of the HIV/AIDS pandemic revealed a close relationship of these two infectious diseases. TB and HIV are now viewed as a syndemic that impedes efforts to reduce incidence of infection, complicates treatment, and promotes development of drug resistance. This chapter summarizes the complex factors whereby TB and HIV converge to drive a global health emergency and discusses ongoing research and clinical efforts to reduce dual disease.
Phase II Trial of Sorafenib in Myelodysplastic Syndrome: A Single Institution Experience

Abstract Abstract 5021 Background: Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) represents a heterogeneous group of stem cell abnormalities characterized by cytopenias and dysplastic cells in both the bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood. The goals of treatment in MDS are symptom control, to improve the quality of life along with survival and to decrease the risk of progression to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). One of the many biologic hallmarks of MDS is increased angiogenesis in the BM. Sorafenib is a dual kinase inhibitor of both RAF and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This study proposed using Sorafenib as an anti-VEGF molecule in patients with MDS. The primary endpoint was efficacy of Sorafenib in MDS with secondary endpoints of safety, progression-free survival, and relapse rate. Methods: Patients 18 years or older with a diagnosis of primary or therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome or myelodysplastic/ myeloproliferative disorders as defined by the WHO, with adequate renal and hepatic function, and ECOG 0–2 were eligible irrespective of prior number of therapies. After informed consent, Sorafenib was prescribed at a dose of 400 mg orally twice a day and was administered on days 1–28 of a 28-day cycle. Patients were evaluated for hematological response using IWSG criteria after 2 cycles and then every 3 cycles thereafter. Toxicity was assessed using the NCI CTCAE V3.0 criteria. Results: N=19 patients were screened from March 2006 to present date. Three patients were ineligible due to the presence of AML in the BM done at the time of screening. In the 16 evaluable patients, median age was 71 years, with 10 males and 6 females. When classified by IPSS, four patients had low-risk, five had intermediate 1, six patients had Intermediate 2, and one patient had high risk MDS. Eight patients had normal karyotype, two had a trisomy 8 and six patients had poor-risk, complex cytogenetics. The median number of prior therapies was two, with 10 patients having received prior hypomethylating agent (azacitidine, decitabine, or both), eight patients having received an ESA (darbepoeitin or erythropoietin), and six patients having received an immunomodulatory agent (thalidomide, lenalidomide). Of note, three patients had secondary MDS i.e. previous exposure to chemotherapy and radiation. Of the 16 patients, one patient is currently on therapy. Seven patients were on the study drug for Conclusion: While, small numbers limits the study, it provides us with valuable information that Sorafenib 400mg orally BID in elderly MDS patients is fairly toxic. Almost 50% of study patients were on Sorafenib for Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Using Genetics in the Conservation Management of the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) in Missouri

By the early 1900s, black bears were believed to be almost extinct in Missouri and Arkansas, presumably due to extensive logging and overharvest. To reestablish Arkansas populations, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission conducted a translocation program from 1958 to 1968, moving 254 bears from Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada, to the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests. This remains one of the most successful large mammal translocations ever conducted, and the Arkansas population grew rapidly into the thousands. However, bear sightings and nuisance reports suggested that 50 years after the translocations, populations in Missouri were small, and densities were low. We conducted a spatially explicit genetic capture-recapture study to estimate the size and density of the black bear population in south-central Missouri. We genotyped hair samples collected over two years using 15 microsatellite loci and estimated the population size at 279 ± 54 (SE) and the density at 1.7 bears/km2. To infer the source of bears colonizing Missouri, we analyzed the resulting genotypes in the Bayesian clustering program STRUCTURE along with genotypes from Arkansas, Oklahoma, and source populations. The results revealed unique genetic clusters in the Ouachitas, the Ozarks, and the source populations and found that Missouri bears were divided between those that clustered with the Ozarks and a unique cluster. The presence of the unique cluster in Missouri supports the hypothesis that black bears in the Missouri Ozarks were not extirpated but were reduced to very low densities during European settlement and have subsequently become admixed with bears that trace their ancestry to the reintroduction. While some might suggest that the unique Missouri population should be designated as a separate management unit, we caution that this might not be beneficial to the preservation of the Missouri bear population as we have no evidence that it is ecologically or geographically distinct, it has low genetic diversity, and the genetic differentiation may not be related to adaptive differences.