An Extended Hierarchical Statistical Sensitivity Analysis Method for Multilevel Systems With Shared Variables

One of the key developments in the renaissance in solid-state laser technology has been the rapid improvement of diode laser pump sources.1–3 Some of the advantages of diode-pumping relative to lamp-pumping of solid-state lasers include higher overall efficiency, reduced thermal loading of the gain medium, higher reliability, and reduced size. In addition, there are other important differences between these two types of pump sources. For example, diode lasers have higher spectral and spatial brightness, in other words, the diode laser output is narrowband spectrally, and it is directional. The consequence is that much higher volumetric pumping density can be achieved using diode-laser pumps even with low power single-stripe diode lasers relative to high-power lamps. The high pump densities has led to the demonstration of good laser performance at room temperature of several transitions that performed only poorly or not at all at room temperature under lamp pumping. These transitions in rare-earth ions include the 4F3/2- 4I9/2 near 0.94 µm in Nd3+,4–6 the 5I7 - 5I8 near 2.1 µm in Ho3+,7–10 the 3F4 -3H6 near 2.0 µm in Tm3+,11–13 the 4I13/2 - 4I15/2 near 1.5 µm in Er3+,13,14 and the 2F5/2 - 2F7/2 near 1.0 µm in Yb3+ (refs. 15, 16) as shown in Fig. 1. The common element in these laser transitions is that the lower laser levels are in the ground-state multiplet which means that the lower laser levels are only a few hundred cm-1 above the ground state. Thus the lower levels have significant population in thermal equilibrium at room temperature since kT is 207 cm-1 at 300 K. This is in contrast to the common four-level Nd3+ transition near 1.06 µm which has a lower level about 10kT above the ground-state at 300 K thus can be considered unpopulated in thermal equilibruim, or ruby in which the lower laser level is the ground-state. With lamp-pumping, these lasers with lower levels in the ground-state manifold were typically operated at cryogenic temperatures to reduce the lower-level population in thermal equilibruim; at sufficiently low temperature these lasers become four-level lasers and efficient, low threshold performance was obtained.

AB0484 TROUGH LEVELS OF TNF-Α INHIBITORS AND THEIR IMMUNOGENICITY IN THE TREATMENT OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES AND INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES

In Defense of Low Glucose Level in Pleural Fluid

CHAPTER 5 - SPECIFYING OBJECTIVES AND ATTRIBUTES OF SITING STUDIES

A Reply to Lormand

Soutien social, dépression et estime de soi chez les personnes âgées : les résultats d’une analyse en cluster

Transcriptional Analysis Of a Tissue-Specific Factor VIII Knockout Model Demonstrates The Importance Of Endothelial Factor VIII Synthesis

The observational research based on big data in healthcare has attracted increasing attention, with the control and evaluation of residual confounding being the critical issue that needs to be solved urgently. This review summarized the methods for statistical adjustment and sensitivity analysis of residual confounding in the association analysis with a multicenter database. Based on individual-level data, the residual confounding can be adjusted in each subcenter using methods such as regression discontinuity design, while the pooled estimate can be obtained as a weighted average. Based on the center-level results, the Bayesian Meta-analysis method can adjust the pooled estimates. The sensitivity analysis of residual confounding can also be carried out using center-level data to calculate the E-value, p^(q), T^(r, q) and G^r,q. The abovementioned methods should be selected reasonably according to the requirements for practical applications, advantages, and disadvantages. For example, the use of subcenter individual data for residual confounding adjustment usually needs strict study design and frequent coordination; the Bayesian Meta-analysis is based on some strong assumptions; the interpretation of the results in the sensitivity analysis, such as E-value requires professional judgment to assess the risk of residual confounding. Therefore, the methods for controlling and evaluating residual confounding in association analysis based on multicenter databases still need further development and improvement.

517 POSTER A monoclonal antibody (AR36A36.11.1) with potent in vivo efficacy in multiple human cancer models targets CD59

Rhynchophorus palmarum (L), the American palm weevil, is an important pest of several palm species in tropical America as a vector of the red ring nematode Bursaphelenchus cocophilus Cobb. Bimonthly inspections coupled with elimination of red ring diseased (RRD) oil palms (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) failed to reduce infection rates of oil palms in two commercial plantations in Costa Rica. Addition of pheromone-based trapping of R. palmarum using trap densities of less than one trap per five hectares lowered RRD in both plantations by over 80% in one year. Continued removal of RRD infected palms and trapping maintained RRD at very low levels over several years. No matter what the initial RRD infection level, trap density or capture rate, areas with high and areas with low RRD infection levels declined to the same low RRD infection level after one year of trapping. An efficient strategy for management of RRD in oil palm is based on an integrated approach where RRD and other diseased (e.g., spear rot) palms are promptly eliminated or properly treated and pheromone-baited traps are used to reduce populations of R. palmarum. These strategies are complimented by removal of weevil-infested palms after wind and lightning damage and periodic removal of palms (e.g., coconut palms) in surrounding areas that serve as hosts for R. palmarum.

We emphasize the importance to consider components of population growth — fertility and mortality ‐ separately, when modeling the mutual interaction between population and economic growth. Our model implies that two countries with the same population growth will not converge towards the same level of per capita income. The country with the lower level of birth and death rates will be better off in the long run. Introducing a spill over effect of average human capital on total productivity our model implies multiple equilibria as illustrated in Becker el al. (1990) and Strulik (1999). Besides the existence of a low and high level equilibrium ‐ as characterized by low and high levels of per capita output respectively ‐ we show the existence of multiple low level (Malthusian) equilibria. Initial conditions and parameters of technological progress and human capital investment determine whether an economy is capable to escape the low level equilibrium trap and to enjoy sustained economic growth.

Fusarium stalk and ear rot disease did not only cause significant losses of yield but also produced mycotoxins that are harmful to animals and human. This study was conducted to elucidate three major mycotoxins i.e. fumonisin B1 (FUMB1), moniliformin (MON), and beauvericin (BEA) produced by the Fusarium spp. isolated from corn showing typical stalk and ear rot symptoms in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Twenty selected strains of Fusarium species in Gibberella fujikuroi species complex i.e. F.verticillioides, F. proliferatum, F. subglutinans, and F. konzum were analyzed for production of the three mycotoxins by using an Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC). All strains of F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum produced FUMB1 at high levelsand MON at low levels. Many strains of F. verticillioides (67%) and F. proliferatum (50%) did not produce BEA while the others produced BEA at low levels. Two strains of F. subglutinans did not produce FUMB1 but produced MON at low levels. One strain of F. subglutinans produced BEA and the other one did not produce the toxin. Two strains of F. konzum produced both MON and BEA at low levels but only one strain produced FUMB1 at a low level. These mycotoxins have not been reported from Fusarium spp. in Gibberella fujikuroi species complex isolated form stalk and ear rot diseases of corn in these areas. Therefore, concerted efforts must be made to educate all stake holders about the presence and health hazards of these mycotoxins.

Accurate assessment of plasma HIV RNA levels at low concentrations is clinically important. We evaluated a second-generation quantitative HIV RNA assay (NucliSens HIV-1 QT), and three simple adaptations of the NucliSens standard protocol to lower the lower cutoff level. The assays were evaluated in constructed panels with known HIV RNA concentrations and in clinical samples. Results were compared with those obtained with the first generation (NASBA HIV-1 QT) and with two other commercially available assays: the Amplicor HIV Monitor test and the Quantiplex assay. In a constructed panel, results obtained by NASBA QT were on average 0.13 log(10) copies/ml (SD 0.15) higher than those of NucliSens. The NucliSens assay could quantify HIV RNA in at least 50% of the samples down to 518 (2.71 log(10)) copies/ml and NASBA QT to 5.80 x 10(3) (3.76 log(10)) copies/ml). Both assays correlated well with the known input (R NucliSens = 0.99; R NASBA QT = 0.996), but results were more variable at lower input levels. With the three different ultrasensitive NucliSens adaptations, HIV RNA could be quantified in at least 50% of the samples down to 100 (2.00 log(10)), 46 (1.66 log(10)), and 10 (1.00 log(10)) copies/ml, respectively. In patient samples, Amplicor results were on average 0.11 (SD 0.20) log(10) copies/ml above, NucliSens 0.02 (SD 0.29) copies/ml above, and Quantiplex 0.13 (SD 0.19) copies/ml below the mean of the three assay results per sample. The variation remained the same over the range of RNA levels with all three assays. The NucliSens assay can quantify HIV RNA at lower levels than the NASBA QT and is comparable to other commercially available assays. The lower cutoff of the NucliSens can be lowered down to 10 copies/ml.

Heritability of milk yield and composition at different levels and variability of production

Sprouty2 regulates proliferation and survival of multiple myeloma byinhibiting activation of the ERK1/2 pathway invitro and invivo.