cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract B47: Modeling epithelial plasticity-induced erlotinib resistance in non-small cell lung cancer

Background: Advanced non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR mutations initially respond to treatment with the EGFR-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as erlotinib, but will invariably acquire resistance with progression of disease within 10–16 months. Mechanisms of EGFR TKIs resistance include second-site EGFR mutations (>50%), MET amplfication (5–10%), and mutations in PIK3CA ( Methods: To examine the relationship between epithelial plasticity and erlotinib resistance in EGFR mutant lung cancers, we created an inducible CCSP-rtTA/tetO-EgfrL858R/Twist1 (CET) transgenic mice (Twist1 is a key regulator of EMT). We utilized the tetracycline-inducible gene expression system to control EgfrL858R/Twist1 gene expression in the lung by providing or withdrawing doxycycline to the mice. The mice were treated for 3 weeks with erlotinib and scanned by CT each week, and survival of the mice was also recorded. The tumor tissues were collected 1 week and 3 weeks after the start of treatment and used for immunohistochemical staining for HE 2017 Sep 24-27; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B47.
Clinical and histopathologic features of paraneoplastic granuloma annulare in association with solid organ malignancies: A case-control study.

Background Granuloma annulare (GA) is a granulomatous skin eruption rarely associated with cancer. We report seven cases of paraneoplastic GA in association with solid organ malignancy. Objective To compare the clinical and histopathological features of paraneoplastic GA to case-matched controls of classic GA. Methods Retrospective chart and histopathological review of 7 individuals and 13 age- and sex-matched controls. Paraneoplastic GA was defined as GA occurring within 6 months of the diagnosis of solid organ malignancy and/or persistent GA that resolved with cancer treatment. Results Most cases of paraneoplastic GA were associated with lung cancer (4/7). The clinical and histopathological features of paraneoplastic and classic GA were similar. Compared to classic GA, paraneoplastic GA cases were more often generalized disease (6/7 vs 6/13), refractory to treatment, and had a perivascular inflammatory cell infiltrate (5/7 vs 2/13). All cases of paraneoplastic GA that underwent definitive treatment of their cancer improved. Limitations Single-institution, retrospective review with a small sample size. Conclusion Paraneoplastic GA is rare, similar to classic GA, and refractory to treatment. We advocate for age-appropriate screening in individuals with GA that is nonresponsive to multiple lines of systemic treatment and evaluating patients with concerning signs or symptoms for an underlying neoplasm.
Hydrazide Mimics for Protein Lysine Acylation To Assess Nucleosome Dynamics and Deubiquitinase Action

A range of acyl-lysine (acyl-Lys) modifications on histones and other proteins have been mapped over the past decade but for most, their functional and structural significance remains poorly characterized. One limitation in the study of acyl-Lys containing proteins is the challenge of producing them or their mimics in site-specifically modified forms. We describe a cysteine alkylation-based method to install hydrazide mimics of acyl-Lys post-translational modifications (PTMs) on proteins. We have applied this method to install mimics of acetyl-Lys, 2-hydroxyisobutyryl-Lys, and ubiquityl-Lys that could be recognized selectively by relevant acyl-Lys modification antibodies. The acyl-Lys modified histone H3 proteins were reconstituted into nucleosomes to study nucleosome dynamics and stability as a function of modification type and site. We also installed a ubiquityl-Lys mimic in histone H2B and generated a diubiquitin analog, both of which could be cleaved by deubiquitinating enzymes. Nucleosomes containing...
Seed dispersal and site characteristics influence germination and seedling survival of the invasive liana Euonymus fortunei (wintercreeper) in a rural woodland

The invasive liana Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) Hand.-Maz. (wintercreeper) is an emerging invader that through monodominance of woodlands can drastically reduce native species diversity and alter nut...
US Political Shocks, Global Banks, and International Financial Markets: Evidence from the 2016 Presidential Election

What are the global financial spillovers from major political shocks in the United States? We analyze the response of international financial markets to the 2016 US presidential election. The surprise election outcome represents an exogenous shock that affords us a unique opportunity to estimate the effect of a partisan shift in the White House on third countries. Given Donald Trump’s unanticipated victory and his promises of financial deregulation, investors revised their return expectations for third countries according to countries’ exposure to the election shock. We argue that countries with dense financial ties to the US benefited from expectations of regulatory reform in Wall Street. We estimate the election effect on foreign equity markets using data on 134 single-country exchange-traded funds (ETFs) covering 48 developed and developing economies. Results show that the election had an overall negative effect on international markets, but countries with close ties to the US banking system fared better. We further test the mechanism with data on US global banks and find support for our hypothesis.
Characterization of textile effects on concrete panel using synthetic aperture radar imaging

In recent years, textiles are used as a structural material in externally strengthening/retrofitting deteriorated and damaged concrete structures. Formation of externally strengthened/retrofitted concrete structures creates a new type of multi-layer dielectric system for their condition assessment using non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques. The objective of this paper is to investigate the use of microwave/radar NDE on a one-layer textileconcrete system for condition assessment. In this paper, we use a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging system at 10 GHz to study the effect of an externally attached textile layer on the SAR images of two concrete panels. One type of textile was used on a 30.48 cm by 30.48 cm by 2.54 cm concrete panels to form a one-layer textileconcrete system. Various ranges (20 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm and 60 cm) were considered. Our experiment results demonstrated that the SAR imaging can successfully distinguish the type of textiles. Furthermore, it was found that electromagnetic pattern of the textile layer varies with range in SAR images. Empirical models were developed to characterize the range effect on the SAR images by using textile applied on concrete panels.
Local niche differences predict genotype associations in sister taxa of desert tortoise

AIMS: To investigate spatial congruence between ecological niches and genotype in two allopatric species of desert tortoise that are species of conservation concern. LOCATION: Mojave and Sonoran Desert ecoregions; California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, USA. METHODS: We compare ecological niches of Gopherus agassizii and Gopherus morafkai using species distribution modelling (SDM) and then calibrate a pooled‐taxa distribution model to explore local differences in species–environment relationships based on the spatial residuals of the pooled‐taxa model. We use multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) applied to those residuals to estimate local species–environment relationships that can vary across the landscape. We identify multivariate clusters in these local species–environment relationships and compare them against models of (a) a geographically based taxonomic designation for two sister species and (b) an environmental ecoregion designation, with respect to their ability to predict a genotype association index for these two species. RESULTS: We find non‐identical niches for these species, with differences that span physiographic and vegetation niche dimensions. We find evidence for two distinct clusters of local species–environment relationships that when mapped, predict an index of genotype association for the two sister taxa better than did either the geographically based taxonomic designation or an environmental ecoregion designation. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Exploring local species–environment relationships by coupling SDM and MGWR can benefit studies of biogeography and conservation. We find that niche separation in habitat selection conforms to genotypic differences between sister taxa of tortoise in a recent secondary contact zone. This result may inform decision making by agencies with regulatory or land management authority for the two sister taxa addressed here.
Effect of Simvastatin-Ezetimibe Compared With Simvastatin Monotherapy After Acute Coronary Syndrome Among Patients 75 Years or Older: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Limited evidence is available regarding the benefit and hazard of higher-intensity treatment to lower lipid levels among patients 75 years or older. As a result, guideline recommendations differ for this age group compared with younger patients. Objective To determine the effect on outcomes and risks of combination ezetimibe and simvastatin compared with simvastatin monotherapy to lower lipid levels among patients 75 years or older with stabilized acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Design, Setting, Participants In this prespecified secondary analysis of the global, multicenter, prospective clinical randomized Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial (IMPROVE-IT), outcomes and risks were compared by age among patients 50 years or older after a hospitalization for ACS. Data were collected from October 26, 2005, through July 8, 2010, with the database locked October 21, 2014. Data were analyzed May 29, 2015, through March 13, 2018, using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models. Interventions Double-blind randomized assignment to combined simvastatin and ezetimibe or simvastatin and placebo with follow-up for a median of 6 years (interquartile range, 4.3-7.1 years). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary composite end point consisted of death due to cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, unstable angina requiring hospitalization, and coronary revascularization after 30 days. Individual adverse ischemic and safety end points and lipid variables were also analyzed. Results Of 18 144 patients enrolled (13 728 men [75.7%]; mean [SD] age, 64.1 [9.8] years), 5173 (28.5%) were 65 to 74 years old, and 2798 (15.4%) were 75 years or older at randomization. Treatment with simvastatin-ezetimibe resulted in lower rates of the primary end point than simvastatin-placebo, including 0.9% for patients younger than 65 years (HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.90-1.05) and 0.8% for patients 65 to 74 years of age (hazard ratio [HR], 0.96; 95% CI, 0.87-1.06), with the greatest absolute risk reduction of 8.7% for patients 75 years or older (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.70-0.90) (P = .02 for interaction). The rate of adverse events did not increase with simvastatin-ezetimibe vs simvastatin-placebo among younger or older patients. Conclusions and Relevance In IMPROVE-IT, patients hospitalized for ACS derived benefit from higher-intensity therapy to lower lipid levels with simvastatin-ezetimibe compared with simvastatin monotherapy, with the greatest absolute risk reduction among patients 75 years or older. Addition of ezetimibe to simvastatin was not associated with any significant increase in safety issues among older patients. These results may have implications for guideline recommendations regarding lowering of lipid levels in the elderly. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT00202878
The minority strengths model: Development and initial path analytic validation in racially/ethnically diverse LGBTQ individuals.

Objective The minority stress model and much research based upon it tend to adopt and reinforce a deficit-based approach. This study created and initially validated the minority strengths model, which by contrast outlines how personal and collective strengths in minority populations create resilience and positive mental and physical health. Materials and method A sample of 317 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds completed a national online survey. Results A minority strengths path model was generated with statistically significant paths and good fit indices, including all possible significant indirect effects. The model explained 16.8% of the variance in identity pride, 19.7% in self-esteem, 32.9% in resilience, 41.6% in mental health, and 13.0% in positive health behaviors. Conclusions The minority strengths model holds promise to stimulate research on the personal and collective strengths of minority populations and the ways in which strengths generate resilience and positive mental and physical health.
Race/ethnicity, human capital, and the selection of young children into early childhood education

Mexican-origin families face complex ethnic and immigration-based barriers to enrollment in early childhood education programs. As such, reducing barriers to enrollment for this population requires a better understanding of how Mexican-origin families work with, against, or around both general and group-specific constraints on educational opportunities. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, this study tailored broad social theory to the experience of Mexican-origin families to examine associations between human capital considerations and early childhood education enrollment within this population. Results supported the hypothesis that human capital considerations would be associated with early childhood care and education and provide limited evidence for the expectation that this link would be stronger for Mexican-origin families.
Building community in the gut: a role for mucosal serotonin.

A new study reveals that a novel serotonin sensor in the spore-forming gut bacteria, Turicibacter sanguinis, might be important for host lipid and steroid metabolism. These findings support the emerging concept that bidirectional signalling pathways can influence bacterial community structure and exert effects on host physiology.
Perioperative Outcomes of Robotic Versus Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy in the Super-obese

Abstract Background The robotic platform is often used for bariatric surgery in superobese patients (body mass index ≥ 50 kg/m2) with the assumption that it offers a technical advantage. This study aimed to compare perioperative outcomes of robotic-assisted sleeve gastrectomy (RSG) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in superobese patients. Methods The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program database was queried for superobese patients undergoing nonrevisional RSG and LSG from 2015 through 2017. Univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to compare outcomes in RSG and LSG. Results A total of 61,493 patients (4685 RSG and 56,808 LSG) were identified. Patients were similar in terms of age (RSG 42.3 ± 11.8 versus LSG 42.4 ± 11.7 y; P = 0.60) and body mass index (RSG 56.8 ± 6.9 versus LSG 56.9 ± 7.1 kg/m2; P = 0.17). The RSG group had a longer operative time (102.4 ± 46.0 versus 74.7 ± 37.5 min; P Conclusions Use of RSG in superobese patients infers higher risk for organ-space surgical site infection and is associated with prolonged operative time and length of stay. This questions the role of robotics in superobese patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy.
Exploring the Perspectives of Middle-class African American Parents Who Are Charter School Skeptics:

The expansion of charter schools continues to be one of the most hotly debated topics in American K–12 education. Through the use of in-depth interviews, this article explores the perceptions of ch...
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

This chapter discusses the large variety of heritable diagnoses in childhood where spastic paraplegia is the prominent feature. Spastic paraplegia in childhood is most often due to periventricular injury associated with premature birth. The focus of this chapter is the clinical presentation, pathophysiology, and genetics of hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs), which can have autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, or mitochondrial inheritance. The HSPs are classified as “pure” or “uncomplicated,” based on the involvement of spinal cord tracts only, versus “complicated,” “complex,” or “syndromic,” based on involvement of other parts of the nervous system. This chapter provides a systematic approach to diagnosis and management of spastic paraplegia in childhood.
Distantly Metastatic Retinoblastoma to Soft Tissue and Bone: A Challenging Diagnosis Highlighting the Utility of CRX.

Distant metastasis of retinoblastoma to sites outside the central nervous system is rare; such cases may present years following primary treatment. Diagnosis may be difficult given the rarity of such events and considerable histologic mimics. We describe the clinicopathologic features of 6 cases of metastatic retinoblastoma to distant bone and soft tissue sites from 2 large academic centers. Patients were 3 female and 3 male children; median age was 9.5 years (range: 5 to 15 y) with a mean interval from primary disease diagnosis of 8.0 years (range: 0.75 to 14 y). Metastasis to bones of the lower extremities was most common, occurring in 4 of 6 cases. Tumors showed typical histologic features of retinoblastoma, with sheets of primitive round cells with minimal cytoplasm and indistinct nucleoli; however, characteristic Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettes were absent. A subset of cases demonstrated an alveolar growth pattern, and 2 cases showed higher grade cytology with nuclear anaplasia and prominent nucleoli. Immunohistochemistry for CRX and RB1 showed uniform positivity and loss of expression, respectively. Metastatic retinoblastoma outside the central nervous system may present following long disease-free intervals. Immunohistochemistry for CRX is helpful to confirm this challenging diagnosis.
The art of imaging methods—using cutting edge radiological technology to uncover the secrets of ancient anatomical figurines

Ivory anatomical figurines are thought to have been carved in Germany in the seventeenth or eighteenth century. While it is speculated that these figurines were used for the study of medical education, little is known about their origins. A precise understanding of the composition of these figurines may further provide knowledge about their purpose and exact age. Our institution holds the largest North American collection of these figurines. Our purpose was to utilize micro-computer tomography (micro-CT) to determine the composition of these figurines and discern whether these figurines are made of “true” ivory (e.g., elephant or mammoth tusk) or other ivory-like materials (e.g., whale bone and antler). Scans of 22 figurines were performed on an XT H 225 ST Nikon Micro-CT (mCT) scanner at 150–200 kV, with an average exposure time of 267 ms, and slice thickness of 40–80 μm. Axial micro-CT slices were evaluated for Haversian canal structure/morphology to determine material composition. micro-CT images were also evaluated for materials other than ivory or bone that were not appreciable by visual inspection. Out of 22 figurines, 20 were made of ivory, one was made of antler, and one contained both ivory and whale bone. Metallic components and/or fibers were found in a minority of figurines. Twelve figurines contained hinges or internal repairs. micro-CT can be used to discern the composition of fragile archeological figurines and assess for repairs or alterations. This information may enable archeologists to draw conclusions regarding objects’ age, origins, and possible uses.
N-acetyl-l-cysteine protects against lead nitrate-induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity in HepG2 cells

1570 Human cells are particularly susceptible to oxidative damage, and it is therefore important to find agents that protect them against this process. N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is the acetylated form of L-cysteine. It has an impressive list of protective effects including: antioxidant activity, decrease of the biologically effective dose of carcinogens, anti-inflammatory activity, immunological effects, inhibition of progression to malignancy and metastasis, and protection from the adverse effects of chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents. In this research, we hypothesized that the antioxidant, n-acetyl-l-cysteine could attenuateoxidative stress and genotoxicity, and thereby providing cellular protectionto HepG2 cells when exposed to heavy metal such as lead nitrate. To achieve this goal, we performed the thiobarbituric acid test for lipid peroxidation and the microgel electrophoresis (comet) assay for genotoxicity. The results generated from the thiobarbituric acid test showed a significant reduction of lipid peroxidation by-product (malondialdehyde) in HepG2 cells co-exposed to NAC and lead nitrate compared to lead nitrate alone. Incubation of HepG2 cells with increasing concentrations of NAC decreased the amount of MDA formation progressively in lead nitrate-treated HepG2 cells. Data obtained from the comet assay indicated a strong dose-response relationship with regard to lead nitrate-induced genotoxic damage in HepG2 cells. However, the addition of NAC in vitro showed a significant (p Acknowledgements: This research was financially supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (Grant No. 1G12RR13459), through the RCMI-Center for Environmental Health at Jackson State University.
Factors associated with accurate reporting of public and private health insurance type.

OBJECTIVE To examine factors associated with accurate reporting of private and public health insurance coverage. DATA SOURCES Minnesota health plan enrollment records provided the sample for the Comparing Health Insurance Measurement Error (CHIME) study, a survey conducted in 2015 that randomly assigned enrollees to treatments that included health insurance questions from the American Community Survey (ACS) or the redesigned Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS). STUDY DESIGN Reverse record check study that compared CHIME study survey responses to enrollment records of coverage type (direct purchase on and off the Marketplace, Medicaid, or MinnesotaCare), service use, subsidy receipt, and duration of coverage from a major insurer. DATA COLLECTION METHODS Using matched enrollment and CHIME survey data and logistic regression, we examined correlates of accurate insurance type reporting, including characteristics of the insurance coverage, the covered individual, respondent, and family. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Reporting accuracy across treatment and coverage type is high (77%-84%). As with past research, accurate reporting of public insurance is higher for people with characteristics consistent with eligibility for public insurance for both survey treatments. For the ACS treatment, reports of direct purchase insurance are more accurate for enrollees who receive a premium subsidy. CONCLUSIONS Given the complexity of health insurance measurement and frequently changing policy environment, differences in reporting accuracy across treatments or coverage types are not surprising. Several results have important implications for data editing and modeling routines. First, adding premium and subsidy questions in federal surveys should prove useful given the finding that subsidy receipt is associated with reporting accuracy. Second, across both survey treatments, people whose opportunity structures (race, ethnicity, and income) match public program eligibility are accurate reporters of this coverage. This evidence supports using these commonly collected demographic variables in simulation, imputation, and editing routines.
Monoazaindoles: the pyrrolopyridines

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the practical utility of various synthetic approaches to azaindoles to organize their properties. The only benzo derivatives to be considered are a few pyrroloquinolines. The most successful method for preparing azaindoles has been the Madelung synthesis that involves a base-catalyzed cyclization of o -acylaminotoluenes or picolines. Eighteen azaindoles have been prepared by various modifications of the Madelung ring closure. Azaindoles are stable, colorless, and high-melting solids with little, if any, odor. They fail to give a positive test with Ehrlich's reagent or the pine-splint reaction. Also in contrast to indoles, they are stable to boiling mineral acids and darken on exposure to air very gradually. Like pyrroles and indoles, they are stable to aqueous alkaline solutions.
Wittgenstein and Nietzsche on the Role of Philosophy: Description, Creativity, Naturalism, and Possibility

Wittgenstein and Nietzsche on the Role of Philosophy: Description, Creativity, Naturalism, and Possibility by Michael Ch. Rodgers Claremont Graduate University: 2012 This dissertation places Wittgenstein and Nietzsche alongside one another in an attempt to deal with the question: “what is the role of the philosophy?” On the one hand Wittgenstein promotes a descriptive approach to philosophy, which insists that the philosopher should not meddle with practices but rather seek clarity and understanding as ends in themselves. On the other hand Nietzsche promotes a destructive and creative approach to philosophy, where the philosopher both dismantles values and offers a revaluation of values in their place. This work begins with a survey of remarks by the two philosophers and prominent interpretations of them on how best to conceive of and understand the philosopher and philosophy. In addition, the recent view of Nietzsche as a naturalist is responded to at length. If Nietzsche turns out to be offering substantive, naturalistic positions on human morality, the origins of religion, and so on, then he cannot be advocating a creative, spontaneous orientation towards perspectives. This work argues that while Nietzsche offers naturalized accounts of human practices, he does not mean these to be considered scientific hypothesis. After responding to this position, Nietzsche and Wittgenstein are looked at together, and what emerges is a shared goal: the creating and/or revealing of missed possibilities of human life. These existential possibilities are on the one hand always right in front of us, and yet they are seemingly out of reach and all too often passed over. Wittgenstein and Nietzsche, in their various ways, (re)open these possibilities. Finally, given this “hermeneutics of possibility,” the final chapter argues that the way Wittgenstein and Nietzsche differ with respect to Christianity and religion is not primarily about their style of philosophy nor even about Wittgenstein’s descriptive approach, but about the existential possibility that each has in mind to promote.
Watching the Watchers: Enemy Combatants in the Internment's Shadow

In Denying Prejudice: Internment, Redress, and Denial (2004), I tried to further a careful remembering of the internment as precedent and parable by holding the judiciary to account. The accounting was for what it did not only in the 1940s internment cases decided by the Supreme Court, but also the less well-known 1980s coram nobis cases decided in the Ninth Circuit. My objective was to unmask the sophistic ways that the judiciary avoided accountability for the racist civil rights disaster. Using techniques often praised as minimalist, the judiciary in the 1940s avoided accountability on the part of the President and the Congress. With a straight face, the Court held that the internment camps were never authorized by the political branches; rather, they were an ultra vires frolic committed by a civilian agency called the War Relocation Authority. I also showed how, in the 1980s, again using minimalist tactics, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals quietly whitewashed history in the very act that granted relief to those who challenged internment. In granting the writ of error coram nobis and thereby overturning Gordon Hirabayashi's criminal convictions, the Ninth Circuit simultaneously excused the wartime Supreme Court of any wrongdoing. The official explanation inscribed into the federal reports was that the Court was duped by a handful of unethical Executive Branch lawyers. Accepting this convenient falsehood as the truth allowed another denial of accountability, this time on the part of the judiciary itself. This Article asks whether the judiciary is repeating this strategy of denial in the enemy combatant cases. In other words, is the judiciary exploiting similar interpretive and procedural tactics in order to satisfy the dogs of war while simultaneously creating plausible deniability for those who unleashed them? In addition, are we witnessing a rehabilitation of the internment cases? My net assessment is mixed, with good reasons for both optimism and alarm.
Risky Loss Distributions and Modeling the Loss Reserve Payout Tail

Although an extensive literature has developed on modeling the loss reserve runoff triangle, the estimation of severity distributions applicable to claims settled in specific cells of the runoff triangle has received little attention in the literature. This paper proposes the use of a very flexible probability density function, the generalized beta of the 2nd kind (GB2) to model severity distributions in the cells of the runoff triangle and illustrates the use of the GB2 based on a sample of nearly 500,000 products liability paid claims. The results show that the GB2 provides a significantly better fit to the severity data than conventional distributions such as the Weibull, Burr 12, and generalized gamma and that modeling severity by cell is important to avoid errors in estimating the riskiness of liability claims payments, especially at the longer lags.
20 GHz bipolar RF RMS power detectors

A peak/RMS power detector with up to 20 GHz bandwidth and /spl ges/ 40 dB dynamic range is presented. The design is based on cascading several stages of attenuators and detectors. Analysis shows that the Meyer detector, originally developed as a peak detector, can be used for RMS detection over an approximately 20 dB range, comparable to the popular RF/microwave diode detector. The new cascaded structure extends the dynamic range for RMS detection, providing a circuit suitable for applications including embedded RFIC test.
A slew-rate enhancement technique for fully differential amplifier without inducing Trojan state

A simple slew-rate enhancement (SRE) technique for fully-differential amplifier is proposed in this paper. The proposed SRE feedback is only valid during slewing, while completely blocked at DC for avoiding multiple operating points problem. The advantage of the proposed SRE method is that both positive and negative slew-rate of fully-differential amplifier can be equally improved with a very small static power overhead. The simulation result shows that the average slew-rate for a fully-differential folded-cascode amplifier can be enhanced by factor of 2.6 and the 1% settling time is reduced by 30% by comparing with the one without SRE. With such improvement, each stage of the amplifier can achieve equal slew-rate for maximizing overall slew-rate of the amplifier.
Implementation of a least fixpoint operator for fast mining of relational databases

Recent research has focused on computing large item sets for association rule mining using SQL3 least fixpoint computation, and by exploiting the monotonic nature of the SQL3 aggregate functions such as sum and create view recursive constructs. Such approaches allow us to view mining as an ad hoc querying exercise and treat the efficiency issue as an optimization problem. We present a recursive implementation of a recently proposed least fixpoint operator for computing large item sets from object-relational databases. We present experimental evidence to show that our implementation compares well with several well-regarded and contemporary algorithms for large item set generation.
Trajectory Tracking in Robotic Systems using Variable Structure Control without a Reaching Phase

A new variable structure control law based on the Lyapunov's seoond method that can be used in trajectory planning problems of robotic systems is developed. A modified approach to the formulation of the sliding domain equations in terms of tracking errors has been presented. This approach possesses three distinct advantages: i) it eliminates the reaching phase, ii) it provides means to predict the entire motion and directly control the evolution of tracking errors, iii) it facilitates the trajectory planning process in the joint and/or cartesian spaces. Two applications representing a two-link manipulator and a five-link bipedal robot are considered. The manipulator example is used to demonstrate the improvements in controller performance that arises from the application of the proposed method. In the second application, five constraint relations that cast the motion of a planar, five-link biped in terms of four parameters are developed. The new control method is applied to regulate the locomotion of the system according to the five constraint relations. Numerical simulation is performed to verify the ability of the controller to achieve steady gait by applying the proposed control scheme.
Harmful practices in the management of childhood diarrhea in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

Harmful practices in the management of childhood diarrhea are associated with negative health outcomes, and conflict with WHO treatment guidelines. These practices include restriction of fluids, breast milk and/or food intake during diarrhea episodes, and incorrect use of modern medicines. We conducted a systematic review of English-language literature published since 1990 to assess the documented prevalence of these four harmful practices, and beliefs, motivations, and contextual factors associated with harmful practices in low- and middle-income countries.
The interaction of von Willebrand factor-A1 domain with collagen: mutation G1324S (type 2M von Willebrand disease) impairs the conformational change in A1 domain induced by collagen.

Summary. Background: It is established that the A3 domain in von Willebrand factor (VWF) contains the major collagen-binding site. However, there are conflicting reports describing the capacity of the A1 domain to interact with collagen types I and III. Methods: In this study, we have used recombinant VWF-A1 polypeptides, as well as conformation-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb), to analyze the A1–collagen interaction. Results: The A1 domain bound to collagen with Kd ∼ 8.0 nm and this binding was blocked by the mAb 6G1, which blocks the interaction between ristocetin and VWF. In addition, collagen-bound A1 protein was able to support flow-dependent adhesion of platelets, demonstrating that the binding sites for collagen and glycoprotein (GP)Ib are different. Analysis with two conformation-specific mAb demonstrated that the structure of the A1 domain changed as a result of the binding to collagen. In contrast, the antibodies failed to detect conformational change in the G1324S mutant (type 2M von Willebrand disease). Thus, direct binding to collagen induces a change in the structural conformation within the VWF-A1 domain, and the G1324S substitution prevents this conformational change. Conclusion: This study has shown that the isolated A1 domain can simultaneously bind to collagen and platelet GPIb, supporting platelet adhesion under high-flow conditions. In addition, this study has used mAb to demonstrate that the binding of the isolated A1 domain or full-length VWF to collagen is accompanied by a conformational change in A1 domain.
Summary of Working Group 5 at NuFact’00

Abstract R&D plans and efforts around the world are summarized. Some results of basic measurements are given and plans for more reviewed. Suggestions for test facilities and ionization cooling demonstrations are reviewed as are a number of hardware development activities aimed at particular needs of a neutrino factory.
The emergence of generalization in networks with constrained representations

The authors introduce a constraint on intermediate representations which reduces the number of allowable solutions and leads to generalization for certain classes of problems. Specifically, they constrain the number of intermediate representations to be minimized during training. This representational constraint also defines a training algorithm for multilayered networks. They describe the class of problems for which the algorithm is well suited and discuss the performance of the algorithm with regard to several problems on two-layer networks. >
Rheumatoid arthritis: A disturbance in copper homeostasis

That understanding the mode of action of antirheumatic drugs could help understand the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis is complicated by their apparent different actions on different target cells. The point of view adopted here is that the primary defect in rheumatoid arthritis will be similarly altered by such drugs. The common reactivity of two of the most widely prescribed drugs, D-penicillamine and sodium aurothiomalate, toward albumin-bound copper is proposed as their primary site of action. Elevated serum concentration of this form of copper has previously been suggested to perturb synovial cell metabolism and trigger the disease.
Team-based learning: Moving forward in curriculum innovation: A commentary

Team-based learning (TBL) is an instructional strategy developed by Professor Larry Michaelsen at the University of Oklahoma's Business School, USA, in the early 1990s. He developed it because his ...
The development of the teacher clarity short inventory (TCSI) to measure clear teaching in the classroom

This study presents the Teacher Clarity Short Inventory (TCSI) as an alternative to existing measures of teacher clarity. Though existing scales measure both the clarity of content and classroom processes, they are disproportionate in length when compared to common instructional measures, such as measures of immediacy, student state motivation, and student affect. Analyses revealed a 10 item scale with an acceptable factor structure, acceptable reliability and validity. Furthermore, the instrument measures both the clarity of instructional content and instructional processes.
Attitude Attribution: A Group Basis for Political Reasoning

This article shows that citizens can estimate what politically strategic groups—liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, and blacks and whites—stand for on major issues. These attitude attributions follow from a simple calculus, a likability heuristic. This heuristic is rooted in people's likes and dislikes of political groups. Thanks to this affective calculus, many in the mass public are able to estimate who stands for what politically, notwithstanding shortfalls in information and information processing.
Abstract B201: Targeting HIF-1α in diffuse large B cell lymphoma: Role for HDAC inhibitors.

Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) is important in cancer, as it regulates various oncogenic genes as well as genes involved in cell survival, proliferation, and migration. Elevated HIF-1 protein promotes a more aggressive tumor phenotype, and greater HIF-1 expression has been demonstrated to correlate with poorer prognosis, increased risk of metastasis and increased mortality. Recent reports suggest that HIF-1 activates autophagy, a lysosomal degradation pathway which may promote tumor cell survival. We show here that HIF-1α is constitutively active in multiple diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cell lines under normoxia and it is regulated by the PI3K/AKT pathway. PCI-24781, a pan histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI), enhanced accumulation of HIF-1α and induced autophagy initially, while extended incubation with the drug resulted in inhibition of HIF-1α. We tested the hypothesis that PCI-24781- induced autophagy is mediated by HIF-1α and that inhibition of HIF-1α in these cells results in attenuation of autophagy and decreased survival. We also provide evidence that autophagy serves as a survival pathway in DLBCL cells treated with PCI-24781 which suggest that the use of autophagy inhibitors such as chloroquine or 3-methyl adenine in combination with PCI-24781 may enhance apoptosis in lymphoma cells. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):B201. Citation Format: Savita Bhalla, Andrew M. Evens, Sheila Prachand, Paul T. Schumacker, Leo I. Gordon. Targeting HIF-1α in diffuse large B cell lymphoma: Role for HDAC inhibitors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B201.
Setting the Stage: An Introduction to One-Way Street

Walter Benjamin did not publish many books in his relatively short life, but in 1928 he published two, within weeks of each other: The Origin of German Trauerspiel and One-Way Street. While the former has been the object of many incisive interpretations, its fraternal twin—an avant-garde experiment assembled from sixty fragmentary and unorthodox texts, including everything from satirical lists to dream protocols to descriptions of children's behavior—has tended to remain unrecognizable, overshadowed by the imposing academic treatise. Nonetheless, the fragmentary and experimental assembly One-Way Street is more intimately tied to Benjamin's deepest insights into the world and more relevant formally to the presentational strategies he would develop and theorize in the years that followed than was his overtly philological work on the Baroque. Whatever else it may be, One-Way Street documents a profound crisis in expressive authority and the generic traditions that secure it. The book that at the immediate hi...
Effects of soil salinity and carbon availability from organic amendments on nitrous oxide emissions

Abstract Soil salinity negatively affects the mineralization and nitrification processes of the N cycle and may also affect the production of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and N 2 to N 2 O–N ratios. Application of organic amendments such as manures and composts improves soil physical, chemical, and biological properties of salt-affected soils. However, because these materials both mineralize N and serve as substrates for denitrifiers, they may also increase N 2 O emissions. We studied the effect of organic amendments applied to saline soils on N 2 O emissions and on N 2 to N 2 O–N ratios. Saline soils with electrical conductivity(EC e ) measures of 2.8, 15.2, and 30.6 dS m − 1 were collected from Coachella Valley, California. Treatments included four organic amendments: active greenwaste compost (AGW), cured greenwaste compost (CGW), active dairy manure compost (ADM), and cured dairy manure compost (CDM). Treatments were incorporated at 50 Mg ha − 1 and incubated at 65% water-filled pore space (WFPS) for 60 days at 25 °C. Evolving cabon dioxide (CO 2 –C) and N 2 O–N were monitored along with soil ammonium (NH 4 + –N) and nitrate (NO 3 − –N) concentrations. The results showed that increasing soil salinity increased cumulative N 2 O–N losses but decreased CO 2 –C and N 2 emissions and N 2 to N 2 O–N ratios. Of all the amendments, the highest cumulative N 2 O–N and N 2 emissions were produced from the ADM treatment at all three salinity levels. In general, incorporation of active compared to cured amendments increased N 2 to N 2 O–N ratios at all three salinity levels suggesting that applying active organic materials could be useful in mitigation of N 2 O emissions from salt-affected soils under remediation.
Uptake of biogenic amines by thyroid glands

The biogenic amines, serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine, activate follicular cells and are endogenous thyroid constitutents. Both amines are taken up by throid lobes incubated in vitro. Uptake of 5-HT is temperature and concentration dependent, is inhibited by chlorimipramine more than by desmethylimipramine, and although it is inhibited by norepinephrine, 5-HT uptake is unaffected by chemical sympathetomy with 6-hydroxydopamine. Electron microscopic radioautography reveals that follicular cells are responsible for uptake of 5-HT and adrenergic nerves for uptake of norepinephrine. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that biogenic amines are intrathyroidal transmitters acting on follicular cells, and that uptake mechanisms may contribute to their inactivation.
Low-level radioactivity measurements

Abstract Low-level radioactivity measurements are reviewed. Alpha- and β-particle, and γ-ray low-level-radioactivity counting is discussed, and various detector systems are compared for detection sensitivity. Low-level measurements on bovine liver standard reference material, and radioactive contamination in industrial samples of aluminum, copper, and steel are reviewed. The results of low-level radioactivity intercomparisons are discussed.
Arteriosclerosis in exotic mammals.

Abstract The type and extent of spontaneous aortic disease is documented in 6 orders of exotic mammals, the Insectivores, Edentates, Rodents, Marsupials, Hyracoides and Tubulidentates. Of the 13 families represented, 4 have never been examined for arteriosclerosis, and significant arterial disease has not been described in 3 others. Aortic disease was found in 38% of the 42 animals. Fatty streaks were found in 26%, fibrous plaques in 19% and atheromatous plaques in 10%. Peculiar, degenerative medial lesions were present in 2 animals, one of which had multiple saccular aneurysms.
Suppression of PTH by the vitamin D analog eldecalcitol is modulated by its high affinity for the serum vitamin D-binding protein and resistance to metabolism

Eldecalcitol [1α,25-dihydroxy-2β-(3-hydroxypropyloxy)vitamin D3], a vitamin D analog with enhanced efficacy for treatment of osteoporosis, has been found to be less potent than 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol) in suppressing PTH in vivo. To define the mechanism for the latter observation, we compared the effects of eldecalcitol and calcitriol on PTH secretion by bovine parathyroid cells. While the two compounds showed similar potency when the cells were cultured in medium containing 15% newborn calf serum, eldecalcitol was 100 times more potent than calcitriol in the absence of serum. Eldecalcitol has a higher affinity for the serum vitamin D-binding protein (DBP), and therefore binding to DBP, and possibly other serum components, appears to limit the uptake and activity of eldecalcitol in parathyroid cells, providing an explanation for the lower PTH suppressing activity in vivo (100% serum). However, the 100-fold higher activity of eldecalcitol in the absence of serum was unexpected since the VDR affinity for eldecalcitol is eightfold lower than for calcitriol. The enhanced activity was not due to preferential uptake, but to a resistance to metabolism. While 1 nM [3H]calcitriol was completely degraded within 24 h, [3H]eldecalcitol was not metabolized, despite the induction of the vitamin D catabolic enzyme, 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A). The resistance to metabolism is the likely explanation for the higher potency of eldecalcitol in suppressing PTH in cell culture lacking serum. Thus, the unique properties of eldecalcitol in vivo can be attributed, at least in part, to its high-DBP affinity which increases the half-life, but limits the uptake of eldecalcitol, and to its reduced metabolism, which prolongs the activity of this analog in target tissues. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 1348–1352, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.