cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2369: HPRT overexpression may contribute to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment

The purpose of this study was to examine the possible effects that Hypoxanthine Guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) may have on the immune response in the tumor microenvironment. HPRT is a salvage pathway enzyme responsible for recycling guanosine throughout the cell cycle, and we have shown that it is significantly upregulated in numerous solid malignancies. As a necessary component of the S phase in the cell cycle, guanosine has also been regarded as a potential neuroprotectant in the central nervous system (CNS). We thus hypothesized that there may be a correlation between the observed upregulation of HPRT and the relative downregulation of the immune system mediated by the differential regulation of guanosine. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we analyzed over 200 cytokine genes and found a negative correlation between the level of HPRT expression in cancer and the general expression level of both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine expression. We further analyzed data showing the relative infiltration level of individual immune cell subsets in solid tumors compared with elevated HPRT levels. We found the most significant negative correlations between HPRT expression and immune cell infiltration for B-cells (p 2+ influx using Fluo-4 assays of B-cell (Raji), T-cell (Jurkat), and monocyte (THP-1) cell lines when treated with guanosine as a measure of overall cell activation. We then compared this activation to untreated cells and cells treated with adenosine, a known anti-inflammatory agent. When treated with guanosine, a significant reduction in activation was found in THP-1s (p Citation Format: Michelle H. Townsend, Zachary D. Ewell, Claudia M. Tellez Freitas, Dallas J. Larsen, Eliza L. Bitter, Kelsey B. Bennion, Stephen R. Piccolo, K Scott Weber, Richard A. Robison, Kim L. O9Neill. HPRT overexpression may contribute to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2369.
Towards Flexible Coordination of Large Scale Multi-Agent Teams

As a paradigm for coordinating cooperative agents in dynamic environments, teamwork has been shown to be capable of leading to flexible and robust behavior. However, when teamwork is applied to the problem of building teams with hundreds of members, its previously existing, fundamental limitations become apparent. In this paper, we address the limitations of existing models as they apply to very large agent teams. We develop algorithms aimed at flexible and efficient coordination, applying a decentralized social network topology for team organization and the abstract coordination behaviors of Team Oriented Plans (TOPs). From this basis, we present a model to organize a team into dynamically evolving subteams, in order to flexibly coordinate the team. Additionally, we put forward a novel approach to sharing information within large teams, which provides for targeted, efficient information delivery with a localized reasoning process model built on previously incoming information. We have developed domain- independent software proxies, with which we demonstrate teams of an order of magnitude larger than those previously discussed in known published work. We implement the results of our approach, demonstrating its ability to handle the challenges of coordinating large agent teams.
Estimating population immunity without serological testing

We propose an approximate methodology for estimating the overall level of immunity against COVID-19 in a population that has been affected by the recent epidemic. The methodology relies on the currently available mortality data and utilizes the properties of the SIR model. We illustrate the application of the method by estimating the recent levels of immunity in 10 US states with highest case numbers of COVID-19.
The Cascading Effects of Reducing Student Stress: Cooperative Learning as a Means to Reduce Emotional Problems and Promote Academic Engagement:

Adolescents, particularly early adolescents, are vulnerable to stress created by negative peer interactions. Stress, in turn, can lead to increased mental health problems and reduced academic engag...
Virulence-attenuated Salmonella engineered to secrete immunomodulators reduce tumour growth and increase survival in an autochthonous mouse model of breast cancer.

The ultimate goal of bacterial based cancer therapy is to achieve non-toxic penetration and colonisation of the tumour microenvironment. To overcome this efficacy-limiting toxicity of anticancer im...
Tumors and Tumor-Like Conditions

Bone tumors can be divided into primary and secondary tumors. Many bone tumors can affect the pediatric skeleton. Some of them are benign and some are malignant. The primary care physician should be aware with the common pediatic orthopedic tumors. This chapter will explain these tumors in simple method.
Life, Land, and Elijah in the Book of Kings

In this book, Daniel J. D. Stulac brings a canonical-agrarian approach to the Elijah narratives and demonstrates the rhetorical and theological contribution of these texts to the Book of Kings. This unique perspective yields insights into Elijah's iconographical character (1 Kings 17-19), which is contrasted sharply against the Omride dynasty (1 Kings 20-2 Kings 1). It also serves as a template for Elisha's activities in chapters to follow (2 Kings 2-8). Under circumstances that foreshadow the removal of both monarchy and temple, the book's middle third (1 Kings 17-2 Kings 8) proclaims Yhwh's enduring care for Israel's land and people through various portraits of resurrection, even in a world where Israel's sacred institutions have been stripped away. Elijah emerges as the archetypal ancestor of a royal-prophetic remnant with which the reader is encouraged to identify.
Psychomotor processing and functional decline in Parkinson's disease predicted by the Purdue Pegboard test.

BACKGROUND The Purdue Pegboard test (PPT) assesses upper-extremity dexterity and motor skills. We hypothesized that PPT skill would predict functional and cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease (PD), independent of observer-rated measures of motor impairment. METHODS We utilized data from 399 PD participants enrolled in the deprenyl and tocopherol antioxidative therapy of Parkinsonism trial. Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) metrics, neuropsychological assessments, and clinical rating scales were extracted for analysis with multivariate linear mixed-effects and generalized estimating equation regression models. RESULTS In multivariate logistic regression, higher baseline and time-varying PPT scores predicted better visual processing speed and attention throughout longitudinal follow-up. No similarly strong associations were found for tests of memory, nonvisual attention, phonemic fluency, or set-shifting. Independently of observer-rated motor impairment (UPDRS part III), PPT performance was significantly associated with changes in activities of daily living (ADL) function measured with UPDRS part II. Low baseline PPT score (≤10th percentile) doubled the relative risk of later ADL dysfunction (≥90th percentile). CONCLUSIONS PPT impairment selectively predicted declining psychomotor processing speed in PD. The domain-specificity of this association may reflect correlated pathophysiological changes in top-down visual and motor control pathways. PPT also predicted increasing ADL dysfunction after adjusting for objective measures of motor impairment. We suggest that PPT scores may be prognostically useful for predicting cognitive changes and ADL dysfunction, which have dramatic impacts on both patient and caregiver quality of life. Furthermore, simple task-based assessments like the PPT could be investigated for remote assessment in PD.
Comparative Study on Kernel Quality and Chemical Composition of Ancient and Modern Wheat Species: Einkorn, Emmer, Spelt and Hard Red Spring Wheat

Hulled wheat species are often used as whole grains in processing, and have been attracting attention in the last 20 years in the food industry. Whole wheat flour of hulled wheat can be used in the food industry for value addition. This study was conducted to evaluate the kernel quality and chemical composition of the whole grain flour of hulled wheats as a preliminary approach to use these species for value addition. The experimental design was separate, randomized complete block designs for einkorn, emmer, and spelt, with four field replicates. According to the results, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in kernel quality traits, such as test weight, 1000 kernel weight, and kernel hardness, compared to hard red spring wheat. The results of the chemical composition revealed that hulled wheats were characterized by significantly lower (p < 0.05) protein and higher (p < 0.05) crude fat contents compared to whole wheat flour of hard red spring wheat. Among hulled wheats, total dietary fiber content was highest in emmer, followed by einkorn and spelt. In conclusion, the whole wheat flour of einkorn, emmer, and spelt used in this study differ from hard red spring wheat in their kernel quality and chemical composition.
“I Like My Job because It Will Get Me Out Quicker”: Work, Independence, and Disability at Indiana’s Central State Hospital (1986–1993)

Indiana’s Central State Hospital (USA) provides a case study for understanding the relationship between labour and independence for psychiatric inpatients with intellectual disabilities. This study focuses on the years leading up to the hospital’s 1994 closure, examining work as part of institutional life and deinstitutionalization. We argue that changing work policies during the hospital’s phase-out and closure had inadvertent negative effects on patient perceptions of, and abilities to realize, their goals. We rely on patient-authored newsletters (1986–1993), oral history interviews conducted with former hospital staff, and newspaper articles and administrative records to reconstruct patient experiences within rehabilitative vocational programs, to define the patient work experience and provide insight into how staff who worked closely with patients understood the hospital’s policies around work.
A retrospective analysis of high sensitivity cardiac troponin-T ranges in non-myocardial infarction emergency department visits.

INTRODUCTION Current evidence suggests that high sensitivity cardiac troponin-T (hs-cTnT) values differ based on sex, race, age, and kidney function. However, most studies examining the relationship of hs-cTnT and these individual factors are in healthy participants, leading to difficulty in interpreting hs-cTnT values in the Emergency Department (ED) setting. We seek to examine the relationship between hs-cTnT values and sex, race, age, and kidney function in a contemporary, urban academic setting. METHODS ED visits from June 2018 through April 2019 with at least 1 hs-cTnT and no diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at an academic medical center in the south side of Chicago were retrospectively analyzed. Median hs-cTnT values were stratified by sex (male or female), race (African American or Caucasian), age, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and stage of chronic kidney disease. RESULTS 9679 encounters, representing 7989 distinct patients, were included for analysis (age 58 ± 18 years, 59% female, 85% black). Males had significantly higher median hs-cTnT values than females (16 [8-34] vs. 9 [6-22] ng/L, p < 0.001), African Americans had a significantly lower median value than Caucasians (10 [6-24] vs. 15 [6-29] ng/L, p < 0.001), and those with atrial fibrillation (27 [16-48] vs. 9 [6-19] ng/L, p < 0.001) and heart failure (28 [14-48] vs. 8 [6-15] ng/L, p < 0.001) had higher median values than those without. Median hs-cTnT values increased significantly with increased age and decreased eGFR. All relationships continued to be significant even after multivariable regression of sex, age, race, eGFR, presence of atrial fibrillation, and presence of heart failure (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Analysis of hs-cTnT in non-AMI patients during ED encounters showed that males have higher values than females, African Americans have lower values than Caucasians, those with atrial fibrillation and heart failure have higher values than those without, and that older age and lower eGFR were associated with higher median values.
Myocardial Bridge or Something Else

Abstract In this E-Challenge, the authors report on a patient with symptoms of exertional dyspnea and angina, scheduled to have surgical unroofing of an identified myocardial bridge (MB). An MB is very common in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography with provocative maneuvers revealed the patient had a systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve with septal contact and resulting outflow tract obstruction despite the notable absence of significant basal septal hypertrophy. HCM has many phenotypic variants that can make the identification of patients with latent left ventricular outflow tract obstruction difficult in the absence of a high index of suspicion. In this report, the authors discuss the association between MBs and HCM and the importance of recognizing phenotypic variants of HCM.
Differential biomolecular recognition by synthetic vs. biologically-derived components in the stone-forming process using 3D microfluidics.

Calcium phosphate (CaP) biomineralization is the hallmark of extra-skeletal tissue calcification and renal calcium stones. Although such a multistep process starts with CaP crystal formation, the mechanism is still poorly understood due to the complexity of the in vivo system and the lack of a suitable approach to simulate a truly in vivo-like environment. Although endogenous proteins and lipids are engaged with CaP crystals in such a biological process of stone formation, most in vitro studies use synthetic materials that can display differential bioreactivity and molecular recognition by the cellular component. Here, we used our in vitro microfluidic (MF) tubular structure, which is the first completely cylindrical platform, with renal tubular cellular microenvironments closest to the functional human kidney tubule, to understand the precise role of biological components in this process. We systematically evaluated the contribution of synthetic and biological components in the stone-forming process in the presence of dynamic microenvironmental cues that originated due to cellular pathophysiology, which are critical for the nucleation, aggregation, and growth of CaP crystals. Our results show that crystal aggregation and growth were enhanced by immunoglobulin G (IgG), which was further inhibited by etidronic acid due to the chelation of extracellular Ca2+. Interestingly, biogenic CaP crystals from mice urine, when applied with cell debris and non-specific protein (bovine serum albumin), exhibited a more discrete crystal growth pattern, compared to exposure to synthetic CaP crystals under similar conditions. Furthermore, proteins found on those calcium crystals from mice urine produced discriminatory effects on crystal–protein attachment. Specifically, such biogenic crystals exhibited enhanced affinity to the proteins inherent to those crystals. More importantly, a physiological comparison of crystal induction in renal tubular cells revealed that biogenic crystals are less effective at producing a sustained rise in cytosolic Ca2+ compared to synthetic crystals, suggesting a milder detrimental effect to downstream signaling. Finally, synthetic crystal-internalized cells induced more oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular damage compared to the biogenic crystal-internalized cells. Together, these results suggest that the intrinsic nature of biogenically derived components are appropriate to generate the molecular recognition needed for spatiotemporal effects and are critical towards understanding the process of kidney stone formation.
NextGen Flight Deck Surface Trajectory-Based Operations (STBO): Contingency Holds

The purpose of this pilot-in-the-loop taxi simulation was to investigate a NextGen Surface Trajectory-Based Operations (STBO) concept called "contingency holds." The contingency-hold concept parses a taxi route into segments, allowing an air traffic control (ATC) surface traffic management (STM) system to hold an aircraft when necessary for safety. Under nominal conditions, if the intersection or active runway crossing is clear, the hold is removed, allowing the aircraft to continue taxiing without slowing, thus improving taxi efficiency, while minimizing the excessive brake use, fuel burn, and emissions associated with stop-and-go taxi. However, when a potential traffic conflict exists, the hold remains in place as a fail-safe mechanism. In this departure operations simulation, the taxi clearance included a required time of arrival (RTA) to a specified intersection. The flight deck was equipped with speed-guidance avionics to aid the pilot in safely meeting the RTA. On two trials, the contingency hold was not released, and pilots were required to stop. On two trials the contingency hold was released 15 sec prior to the RTA, and on two trials the contingency hold was released 30 sec prior to the RTA. When the hold remained in place, all pilots complied with the hold. Results also showed that when the hold was released at 15-sec or 30-sec prior to the RTA, the 30-sec release allowed pilots to maintain nominal taxi speed, thus supporting continuous traffic flow; whereas, the 15-sec release did not. The contingency-hold concept, with at least a 30-sec release, allows pilots to improve taxiing efficiency by reducing braking, slowing, and stopping, but still maintains safety in that no pilots "busted" the clearance holds. Overall, the evidence suggests that the contingency-hold concept is a viable concept for optimizing efficiency while maintaining safety.
Incremental Garbage Collection Without Tags

Garbage collection algorithms that do not require tagging of data have been around since the early days of LISP. With the emergence of strongly-typed languages that require heap allocation, interest in tag-free garbage collection has increased. Several papers published recently describe methods for performing tag-free copying garbage collection by retaining compile-time type information at run time. However, all of these algorithms have the “stop and collect” property, in which program execution is suspended for a significant amount of time during garbage collection. For many programs an incremental garbage collection method, in which the garbage collection overhead is spread evenly throughout the computation, is desirable.
Ideas for Middle School Mathematics

To meet the requirements for New York State certification in the teaching of secondary school mathematics, student teachers complete placements in both a middle school and a high school. In addition to working in the classroom, they maintain journals and post them online. The journals provide an opportunity for student teachers to reflect on their practice and to learn from others. In addition, student teachers attend weekly seminars at the College. By doing so, they become members of a community of practitioners. NOTES FROM THE CLASSROOM contains excerpts from the journals.
Exploring Motivational Factors for Educational Reform: Do International Comparisons Dictate Educational Policy?

In mathematics education, utilizing international comparisons to support implementation of educational reforms has become increasingly common. With the advent of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), educational reform seems to have transitioned to a reactionary process rather than a calculated adaptation of current educational systems. These policy changes may be in response to a need to demonstrate international superiority, determined by these standardized tests. This paper explores the history of educational reform in Japan and Singapore to investigate possible connections between achievement levels and reforms each country made to their educational systems. Frank’s Framework will be used to guide the analysis of their educational policies with a focus on how these countries use aspects of this framework to guide reform decisions, or if they use a narrow focus on the TIMSS results. These results can then be extended to the process of reform development in the United States.
International Technology Transfer in Services

This study examines the nature of technology and the process of its transfer in five service industries from parent companies to foreign affiliates. Three principal research questions are posed: What is the key technology in each industry? What are the main methods for transferring this technology? How and why do technology and transfer methods differ across firms, industries and countries? The empirical analysis shows that key technologies were generally knowledge of/experience in the industry and methodology for producing the service. Transfer of the technology was mainly done through the training and transfer of experts: and organizational forms were wholly owned subsidiaries and international partnerships. More technology transfer occurred when firms were more international, when affiliates were more recently-established, and when parent ownership was lower in the affiliate. Some evidence exists that more firm-specific, jointly produced technology leads to higher ownership percentage and greater transfer to affiliates.
Superposition of light-hole and heavy-hole bandgaps in InGaAs/InAlAs strained quantum-well structures

We present calculations and data on superpositioning of light- and heavy-hole band-edge states in InxGa1−xAsInyAl1−yAs multiple strained quantum-well structures. This superpositioning, produced by tailoring the built-in biaxial tensile strain in the InGaAs quantum wells, may improve performance of electro-optic devices operating near bandgap. We have used electric-field dependent photocurrent and electroreflectance spectroscopies to characterize two samples with bandgaps near 1.5 μm. Of these samples, one has coincident bandgaps at zero applied electric field, whereas the other requires a field of ∼ 2 × 105 V/cm for superpositioning. Our observed transition energies agree with modeling based on phenomenological deformation-potential theory coupled with two-band envelope-function calculations.
Emotional sequencing and development in fairy tales

Affect is a transient phenomenon, with emotions tending to blend and interact over time [4]. This paper discusses emotional distributions in child-directed texts. It provides statistical evidence for the relevance of emotional sequencing, and evaluates trends of emotional story development, based on annotation statistics on 22 Grimms’ fairy tales which form part of a larger on-going text-annotation project that is also introduced. The study is motivated by the need for exploring features for text-based emotion prediction at the sentence-level, for use in expressive text-to-speech synthesis of children’s stories.
Periodic solutions of second-order nonlinear difference equations containing a small parameter

Abstract We extend to difference equations the classical method of harmonic balance. We show that the method can be used to obtain an approximation to the periodic solutions of a special class of second-order nonlinear difference equations containing a small parameter. Two examples illustrating the method are presented.
The Utility of Augmented Subscores in a Licensure Exam: An Evaluation of Methods Using Empirical Data

Will subscores provide additional information than what is provided by the total score? Is there a method that can estimate more trustworthy subscores than observed subscores? To answer the first question, this study evaluated whether the true subscore was more accurately predicted by the observed subscore or total score. To answer the second question, three subscore estimation methods (i.e., subscore estimated from the observed subscore, total score, or a combination of both the subscore and total score) were compared. Analyses were conducted using data from six licensure tests. Results indicated that reporting subscores at the examinee level may not be necessary as they did not provide much additional information over what is provided by the total score. However, at the institutional level (for institution size ≥ 30), reporting subscores may not be harmful, although they may be redundant because the subscores were predicted equally well by the observed subscores or total scores. Finally, results indicat...
Initial and experimental stages of tobacco and alcohol use during late childhood: Relation to peer, parent, and personal risk factors

A staged model of smoking adoption has been widely applied in studies of adolescent smoking. The present study applied this model to examine the preliminary stages of tobacco and alcohol use by children. Using discriminant analysis, factors associated with the abstinence, initiation, and experimentation stages of tobacco and alcohol use were compared in a sample of 1,272 children in grades 4 and 6. Modeling of use by best friends and the perceived prevalence of use among same-age peers were most strongly related to the initiation and experimentation stages of tobacco and alcohol use. Other key factors were offers from parents and friends, adjustment to school, and behavioral self-regulation. The weakest factors were parental modeling and self-esteem. The initiation and experimentation stages are not as highly differentiated among children as other studies have found them to be among adolescents, suggesting that if initiation occurs during childhood, progression to experimentation is likely. Prevention programs could simultaneously influence children's risk of tobacco and alcohol use by targeting the common risk factors for preliminary use of these substances.
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma: from gene expression profiling to prediction of outcome.

Abstract Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), characterized by a markedly heterogeneous clinical course and response to therapy that is not appreciated with standard histopathologic and immunophenotypic evaluations. Recent studies have focused on the use of genome-scale expression profiles that provide a snap fingerprint of the tumor and identifying tumors with similar genetic alterations and clinical features. Gene expression studies have the ability to recognize distinct subgroups of patients based on similar molecular characteristics and markedly different outcomes that were independent of the International Prognostic Index (IPI). Further, DNA microarray studies also allow identification of new prognostic biomarkers in DLBCL. However, new methods for immunohistochemical analysis of tissue microarray and RNA extraction from paraffin-embedded blocks are required to overcome the major pitfall of this technology—the requirement for fresh tissue. Herein, we summarize the progress made in better prediction of prognosis of DLBCL patients as a result of gene expression profiling.
Training Residents in Outpatient HIV Care

To the Editor:—The recent JGIM article entitled, "Training Internal Medicine Residents in Outpatient HIV Care: A Survey of Program Directors" by Adams et al. found that fewer than half of the program directors surveyed agreed that it was important to train residents to be PCPs for patients with HIV and provide residents with an outpatient-based HIV curricula 1. One of the most common reasons cited was the belief by program directors that most graduates will not provide HIV ambulatory care as a generalist. The authors go on to say that it is not known if surveying residents would yield the same result. In fact, these findings are in stark contrast to internal medicine residents’ perceptions of training, competence, and performance in outpatient HIV care as reported in our recent multicenter study 2. In our study managing HIV patients was rated an excellent educational opportunity by 89% of residents and 77% planned to care for HIV patients in the future. Adams et al. also found that very few program directors believed their graduates had the skills to care for HIV outpatients, which is consistent with our findings with residents, 39% of whom stated that they did not feel competent to provide HIV outpatient care. Furthermore, we found that higher rates of residents reported deficiency in outpatient HIV training compared to outpatient non-HIV training (p < 0.05) or inpatient HIV training (p < 0.05). Residents reported substandard HIV risk assessment, testing, counseling, and initial management performance. Self-reported proficiency correlated with the number of HIV outpatients cared for and perceived training adequacy. The combined findings of these two studies suggest several things that may be important for medical education. First, residents and program directors may have different points of view when it comes to resident training needs, deficits, and future plans. Second, current residency training in HIV care remains largely inpatient-based and residents frequently rate HIV outpatient training as inadequate despite a desire to care for HIV outpatients in the future. Finally, as both articles point out, in the face of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation to provide routine HIV screening and a primary care workforce shortage, it is imperative that the care of the HIV outpatient be integrated into internal medicine residency curricula and that when developing training programs both the point of view of the residents and the program directors should be incorporated. Karran A. Phillips, MD, MSc;National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Blvd., BRC 01B-616, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA (e-mail: phillipsk@nida.nih.gov).
Emotional Ornamentation in Performances of a Handel Sonata

ORNAMENTATION IS ONE ASPECT OF MUSIC ASSOCIATED with emotional affect in Baroque music. In an empirical study, the relationship between ornamentation and emotion was investigated by asking a violinist and flutist to ornament three melodies in different ways to express four emotions: happiness, sadness, love, and anger. The performers adapted the type of ornaments to the instructed emotion as well as the characteristics of the ornaments. The flutist specifically varied the duration, timing, and complexity of the ornamentation, while the violinist varied the complexity, density, and sound level of the performances. The ability of the performers to communicate the emotions was tested in a listening experiment. Communication was found to be generally successful, with the exception of the communication of happiness. This success was not due to general consensus about the expression of emotions through ornamentation. Rather the listeners were sensitive to a performer's specific use of ornamentation.
Cardiovascular disease prevention in Russia: challenges and opportunities.

Summary Objectives This paper examines the challenges that have faced the implementation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programmes in Russia since the 1980s in two regions of Russia, and identifies opportunities for improving such efforts. Study design and methods This study used a mixed methods design consisting of archival data review of health-related policy documents and legislation, and key informant interviews. Results CVD is the leading cause of death in Russia, with rapid increases in prevalence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The MONICA, Tacis and CINDI programmes have played major roles in the development of non-communicable and CVD prevention policies and programmes in Russia since the 1980s. These programmes have assisted in policy and guideline development, and programme implementation. However, significant barriers in realizing such policies and sustaining prevention programmes have been encountered. Conclusion Numerous barriers exist in developing and implementing CVD prevention programmes in Russia. More government engagement backed by strong public support is necessary in order to sustain and build capacity for CVD prevention in Russia.
Percutaneous cystolithotomy in the pediatric neuropathic bladder with laparoscopic trocar access: A modified approach useful for the augmented and native bladder, and continent urinary reservoir

Abstract Objective We present our results of percutaneous cystolithotomy with laparoscopic trocar (PCLT) access in children. Materials and methods PCLT was performed in 13 cases. This includes 2 patients who had this performed twice for recurrent stone 12–24 months after initial surgery. Eight patients had a bladder augmentation, 2 had native bladders, and one a continent urinary reservoir. Nine patients had a reconstructed urethra. Cystoscopy was performed in all cases to assess stone burden. Under direct vision, an 18 gauge angiocatheter was placed into bladder and guidewire placed through the angiocatheter. With the bladder distended, a laparoscopic 10 mm trocar was placed under vision next to the guidewire. A 26Fr nephroscope was used via the trocar to extract the stones, utilizing laser or ultrasonic lithotripsy to fragment larger stones. Stone fragments were removed with graspers and/or the vacuum extraction technique. Results PCLT was successful in all cases. No complications were noted. Six cases were treated as outpatient, seven discharged home after 12–23 h observation. Conclusions PCLT via laparoscopic trocar access is a facile and safe approach for removing stones in the pediatric neuropathic bladder. Advantages include the ability to distend the bladder with continuous flow and the larger working channel permitting use of the nephroscope to treat and extract stones.
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Left Ventricular Structure and Function: New Modalities and Potential Applications in Clinical Trials

Advances in modern echocardiography for quantification of cardiac structure and function have not been translated in clinical trial or practice applications to date. Imaging endpoints are especially well-suited for early trials with investigational therapies for heart failure as most drugs and devices approved for heart failure have shown favorable effects on cardiac structure and function also. Echocardiography is versatile and can be performed in most clinical settings. The modest interobserver and test-retest reproducibility of specific structural and functional parameters with conventional echocardiography can be improved on by using contemporary modalities, including 3-dimensional (3D) echocardiography for assessment of volumes and ejection fraction and speckle tracking for detailed functional assessment of the ventricles with mechanics-based parameters (strain and strain rate). The appropriate imaging endpoints (global vs. regional, systolic vs. diastolic) should be tailored to the specific research question and the mode of action of the therapy under investigation. The newer echocardiographic modalities, namely 3D echocardiography and speckle tracking, are more demanding in terms of equipment and personnel and therefore are better suited for implementation in experienced research centers with central interpretation. However, these modalities provide the best opportunity currently available to demonstrate treatment effects on the myocardium with investigational therapies and provide mechanistic insights for future directions.
Hydrothermal synthesis and structural characterization of the aluminogermanate analogues of JBW, montesommaite, analcime and paracelsian

Abstract Four aluminogermanates (AlGes), Na-AlGe-JBW (Na3Al3Ge3O12 · 2H2O), K-AlGe-MON (K6.16Al6.16Ge9.84O32 · 4H2O), Cs-AlGe-ANA (CsAlGe2O6) and Rb-AlGe-Para (RbAlGe3O8) were synthesized hydrothermally from gels containing GeO2, Al2O3, tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAOH), alkali metal cation and H2O. Although TMAOH was not found as an extra-framework species in any of these compounds, synthesis carried out in its absence resulted in the formation of dense phases and other open frameworks, suggesting that it suppresses the crystallization of competing phases. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies indicate that Na-AlGe-JBW crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group (Pmn21, a=15.445(3), b=8.357(2), c=5.307(1) A, Z=4). A strictly alternating array of corner-connected AlO4 and GeO4 tetrahedra similar to Na2RbAl3Ge3O12 · H2O is observed. There is no evidence of a superlattice in the AlGe in contrast to the aluminosilicate analogue. K-AlGe-MON, the first synthetic analogue of montesommaite, crystallizes in the tetragonal space group ( I 4 2d , a=7.373(1), c=17.513(4) A, Z=4). The framework, Ge and Al atoms, share the same crystallographic site with Ge/Al=1.63. Cs-AlGe-ANA, with the zeolite analcime topology, crystallizes in space group ( I 4 3d , a=13.945(2) A, Z=16) with Ge and Al disordered over the same crystallographic site and Ge/Al=2. In Rb-AlGe-Para, with paracelsian topology, disordering in the framework T sites results in a change of symmetry from the monoclinic, P21/a, observed in aluminosilicates to orthorhombic (Pnma, a=8.848(2), b=9.550(2), c=10.010(2) A, Z=4). The general trend of low Ge/Al ratio is also observed in the four AlGes along with a wider range of values of T–O–T angles compared with their aluminosilicate counterparts.
Cost analysis for VBR video servers

In this paper we compare techniques for storage and real-time retrieval of Variable Bit Rate (VBR) video data for multiple simultaneous users. The motivation for considering VBR is that video results in inherently time varying data, and as such, with the same average bit rate, higher quality can be achieved with VBR than with Constant Bit Rate (CBR). We propose and compare the following three classes of VBR data placement and retrieval techniques: Constant Time Length (CTL) places and retrieves data in blocks corresponding to equal playback durations, Constant Data Length (CDL) places and retrieves constant-sized data blocks, and a hybrid solution uses CDL placement but retrieves a variable number of blocks in each service round. We have found that CTL data placement has much lower buffer requirements than CDL but suffers from fragmentation during video editing. We show hybrid placement to have both advantages of high efficiency and low fragmentation. We also address the issue of admission control policies by comparing statistical and deterministic techniques. `Statistical' admission control uses statistics of the stored data to ensure that the probability of `overload' does not exceed a prespecified threshold. `Deterministic' control uses the actual stored video bit traces to regulate the number of admitted users. We consider two types of deterministic admission control: data-limit and ideal deterministic. Data-limit admission control admits users based on precomputing the total amount of data requested by all users in future service rounds. In contrast, ideal deterministic admission control not only precomputes the total amount of data requested, but also assumes we have control of data placement at the disk sector level in order to precompute the future seek and rotation times. We provide a cost/benefit analysis of the above placement/retrieval/admission control techniques and conclude that CTL and hybrid placement/retrieval techniques can reduce the total system cost by up to a factor of 3 in comparison with the strategy of padding the VBR video trace to achieve a constant data rate. For read-only systems, CTL has the lowest cost per user. For writable systems, the hybrid technique achieves a good compromise between low cost and low fragmentation. We find that all forms of deterministic admission control can outperform statistical, but the greatest gain comes from using ideal deterministic admission control. We note, however, that this admission control may be difficult to implement on standard disk controllers. Finally, we have implemented a full disk model simulator that operates 1000 times faster than the real-time disk. Results using the simulator are very close to those measured on the real disk, making the simulator useful for future experiments.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cerebrospinal fluid and serum oligoclonal IgG bands in rabbits with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis

Rabbits sensitized with whole nervous tissue or myelin basic protein (MBP) plus adjuvant and developing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) were studied for the presence of oligoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig) bands in spinal fluid and serum. Samples obtained prior to sensitization and at the time of sacrifice were concentrated and subjected to agar gel electrophoresis. Of 11 rabbits receiving whole nervous tissue and developing severe clinical signs of EAE, 7 showed new oligoclonal Ig bands in spinal fluid and in serum obtained 19 days or more after sensitization. With MBP sensitization, 2 of 6 rabbits exhibited new spinal fluid bands, while all 6 rabbits studied demonstrated serum banding. The bands were identified as IgG by immunochemical studies using peroxidase-labeled antisera and byStaph. protein A absorption. The majority of animals showed no banding in presensitization samples. The finding of oligoclonal IgG in EAE reveals yet another immunologic correlation between EAE and the human demyelinating disease, multiple sclerosis.
Head-body temperature differences monitored by telemetry in the snake Masticophis flagellum piceus

Abstract 1. 1. Head-body temperature differences in the red racer, Masticophis flagellum piceus, were measured by telemetry in an outdoor enclosure. 2. 2. Head temperature was significantly elevated above that of the stomach prior to morning emergence. 3. 3. Head temperature was significantly greater than stomach temperature throughout the day outdoors, and in a photothermal gradient. 4. 4. Preferential orientation and exposure of the head to the sun and warmer areas of the burrow appeared to be responsible for the head body differences. 5. 5. Results generally support the hypothesis that head temperature is of more significance in thermo-regulatory behavior than posterior deep body temperature.
Mechanical properties of rapidly solidified modified cupro-nickel alloys

Abstract Six corrosion-resistant cupro-nickel alloys were rapidly solidified by the ultrasonic gas atomization process in order to improve their mechanical properties without loss of corrosion resistance. The rapidly solidified CuNi alloys had very fine grain structures with a grain size of 0.5–2.0 μm and uniform highly refined precipitation, resulting in excellent combinations of strength and ductility. It was also found that most of these alloys had an excellent high temperature softening resistance. In this preliminary study the effects of various thermomechanical treatments on the mechanical properties of these alloys were investigated together with limited microstructural studies.
Analysis of elastic and plastic deformation associated with indentation testing of thin films on substrates

Abstract A study has been made of the elastic and plastic deformation associated with submicrometer indentation of thin films on substrates using the finite element method. The effects of the elastic and plastic properties of both the film and substrate on the hardness of the film/substrate composite are studied by determining the average pressure under the indenter as a function of the indentation depth. Calculations have been made for film/substrate combinations for which the substrate is either harder or softer than the film and for combinations for which the substrate is either stiffer or more compliant than the film. It is found, as expected, that the hardness increases with indentation depth when either the yield strength or the elastic modulus of the substrate is higher than that of the film. Correspondingly, the hardness decreases with indentation depth when the yield strength or elastic modulus of the substrate is lower than that of the film. Functional equations have been developed to predict the hardness variation with depth under these different conditions. Finite element simulation of the unloading portion of the load displacement curve permits a determination of the elastic compliance of the film/substrate composite as a function of indentation depth. The elastic properties of the film can be separated from those of the substrate using this information. The results are in good agreement with King's analytical treatment of this problem.
Longitudinal trajectories of ethnic identity during the college years

The goals of this study were to examine trajectories of change in ethnic identity during the college years and to explore group-level and individual-level variations. Participants were 175 diverse college students who completed indices of ethnic identity exploration and commitment, self-esteem, and domain-general identity resolution. Multilevel modeling analyses indicated that exploration and commitment continued to increase during the college years. Although there were ethnic differences in initial levels of ethnic identity, the rate of change did not vary by ethnicity. Domain-general identity was positively associated with exploration and commitment and mediated the association between self-esteem and commitment. The findings highlight the ongoing development of ethnic identity beyond adolescence and suggest that ethnic identity is part of the larger identity project.
Psychological Distress in Afghan Refugees: A Mixed-Method Systematic Review

Mental health problems disproportionately affect Afghan refugees and asylum seekers who continue to seek international protection with prolonged exposure to war. We performed a systematic review aimed at synthesizing peer-reviewed literature pertaining to mental health problems among Afghans resettled in industrialized nations. We used five databases to identify studies published between 1979 and 2013 that provided data on distress levels, and subjective experiences with distress. Seventeen studies met our inclusion criteria consisting of 1 mixed-method, 7 qualitative, and 9 quantitative studies. Themes from our qualitative synthesis described antecedents for distress being rooted in cultural conflicts and loss, and also described unique coping mechanisms. Quantitative findings indicated moderate to high prevalence of depressive and posttraumatic symptomatology. These findings support the need for continued mental health research with Afghans that accounts for: distress among newly resettled groups, professional help-seeking utilization patterns, and also culturally relevant strategies for mitigating distress and engaging Afghans in research.