cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract A66: Expression and immunotherapeutic targeting of the SSX family of cancer-testis antigens in prostate cancer

Members of the SSX family of proteins were among the first cancer-testis antigens (CTA) identified. Characterized by tissue-restricted expression to MHC class l-deficient germline cells and frequent ectopic expression in tumors of various histological origin, CTA are highly tumor-specific antigens. SSX proteins comprise a family of ten members with mRNA expression often found in advanced-stage disease and associated with worse patient prognosis. We have previously shown that humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to SSX2 can arise spontaneously in patients with prostate cancer, which combined with the expression of these proteins in MHC class l-negative tissue, makes SSX proteins potentially attractive targets for tumor immunotherapy. In the current study, we evaluated SSX family member expression in prostate cancer cell lines and tumor biopsies to identify therapeutic targets for vaccine therapy in prostate cancer. We found by RT-PCR and qRT-PCR that SSX1, SSX2, and SSX5 were frequently expressed in prostate cancer cell lines and could be induced by treatment with epigenetic modifying agents (EMA) such as 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine. Furthermore, we observed differential SSX protein expression in paraffin-embedded prostate cancer biopsies on tissue microarray by immunohistochemical staining. Interestingly, SSX expression in patient samples was restricted to metastatic prostate cancer lesions (5/22; 23%), while expression in primary prostate tumors was not observed (0/73). Finally, we determined that it is possible to elicit cross-reactive immune responses to a dominant SSX epitope p103–111 shared by the different SSX family members by immunization of A2/DR1 transgenic mice with SSX peptides or a plasmid DNA vaccine encoding SSX2. Overall, these results suggest that multiple SSX family members are expressed in prostate cancer and can be simultaneously targeted using immunotherapeutic vaccines. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research; 2011 Sep 14-18; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(18 Suppl):Abstract nr A66.
The Case For Scepticism

There are very many positions that might properly be called sceptical. But only the most fundamental kind will be examined here.1 All other forms of scepticism grant considerably more to their opponents than does the thoroughgoing, radical scepticism which aims to call into question the very possibility of reason. The term 'scepticism', then, is reserved here for the attack upon reason. And since it will be convenient from time to time to refer to the target of the sceptical attack, 'rationalism' will be used for this purpose. 'Rationalism' is normally used to designate some of the philosophical views of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz and others, and to contrast their views with those of the empiricists. In the present context, however, 'rationalism' is used as the opposite of 'irrationalism'. This usage brings empiricist theories as well as their traditional rivals under rationalism. Rationalism is commonly held to be the attitude of the man who holds rational beliefs and who acts, when the need arises, in accordance with his beliefs. To be rational is desirable because rational beliefs generally have a far better chance of being true than do beliefs that are held independently of or in the face of reasons. A man acting rationally is much more likely to achieve whatever his goal happens to be than if he acted in some other way. The rationality of a belief is intimately connected with justification: to justify a belief is to offer good reasons for it. What counts as a reason is decided with reference to such standards of rationality as, for instance, logic or science provide. Conformity to these standards certifies the rationality of a belief, failure to abide by them leads to loss of rational support. This common view is attacked by sceptics; they dispute the possibility of rationality. Rationalists, in turn, attempt to defend their position, but the usual criticisms they offer do not seriously damage scepticism. The bulk of philosophical attention to scepticism falls into two categories. The first attempts to belittle scepticism through ad hominem arguments. When Russell, for instance, dismisses the issue by delivering himself of the dictum that "Scepticism, while logically impeccable, is psychologically impossible, and there is an element of frivolous insincerity in any philosophy which pretends to accept it",2 he expresses the sentiments of many philoso-
Uptake of dissolved nitrogen by phytoplankton in spring in Huguangyan Maar Lake

Using15N stable isotope tracer technique by adopting the in-situ flask culture,the uptake rates of ammonium,nitrate and urea by phytoplankton community were measured in Huguangyan Maar Lake,in order to characterize the nitrogen absorption and the characteristics of absorption kinetics by phytoplankton community in spring in the lake. The results showed that there were54 species( including varieties and forms belonging to 7 phyla) of phytoplankton in the lake,mainly from the Cyanophyta,Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta,which accounted for 44. 68%,26. 70% and 19. 21%,respectively. Microcystis flos-aquae and M.aeruginosa were the absolute dominant species,and the dominance indexes were 0. 39 and 0. 28,respectively. Uptake rate of ammonium of phytoplankton community was the highest,about 5. 8 times of nitrate,4. 2 times of urea,and accounted for 73. 3% of the total nitrogen uptake of the three kinds of dissolved nitrogen. The relative preference indices for ammonium,nitrate and urea were 2. 907,0. 190 and 1. 192,respectively. Phytoplankton communities prefer uptaking ammonium,followed by urea,and finally nitrate. The turnover time for ammonium,nitrate and urea were 3. 72,57. 03 and 9. 07 h,respectively. Nitrogen uptake kinetics of phytoplankton community agree with Michaelis-Menten equation. The maximum uptake rate was ammonium urea nitrate,and affinity( 1 / Ks) was nitrate ammonium urea. Phytoplankton community of the Huguangyan Maar Lake has a high absorption potential of ammonium,and a certain affinity to nitrate,therefore,the lake has the ability to use nitrate.
Epidemiological investigation of injuries among primary and middle school students in Beijing city

Objective To investigate the current situation of injuries among primary and middle school students in Beijing and to provide a scientific basis for injury prevention and control policies and measures.Methods Multi-level sampling method was used.A retrospective investigation was conducted for student injury using questionnaire method from Sep.1st,2011 to Aug.31 th,2012.A total of 17 086 students were selected from 104 primary and middle schools of 16 districts or counties in Beijing.Results The incidence of injuries among primary and middle school students in 2011-2012 was 12.87%.And the incidence of boys was15.64%,girls was 10.19%.Among all the students that were investigated,lower grade( Grade 1-3) of primary school students' injury incidence was 8.24%,the higher grade( Grade 4-6) of primary school students was 13.11%.The incidence of junior middle school students was 17.28%,and the incidence of senior middle school students was 13.32%.Among all kinds of injuries,the incidence of fall injury( 7.36%) was the highest.The top three places where injuries were prone to be happening were:school,home,street / road;the top three activities which were prone to cause injuries were:walking( 28.01%),sports( 23.49%),and entertainments( 20.78%);the top three body parts that were most prone to be injured were hands / feet,lower limbs,head face.The average rest time being caused by injury was 5.03 days,1.76 days absent from school.Conclusion Injuries have become one of the most important problems that affect student health in Beijing.Injury events generally occurred in each students' learning and living places.Comprehensive prevention and controll works should be taken in order to protect the students from injuries.
A New Role for Glia in Leptin Action and Energy Balance

Chemo- or radiotherapy against dividing cells in the brain can promote obesity. Djogo et al. (2016) suggest that the loss of NG2 glia and diminished leptin action in the median eminence underlie this response, likely due to the loss of dendrites originating in the adjacent arcuate nucleus.
Vitamin D, diet and immune response

Aim: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common of inherited blood disorder. Only about half of the people with homozygous HbS disease present with frequent and severe vaso-occlusive crises. Blood serum vitamin D/25[OH]D3 levels (BSVD) are chronically low in SCD populations, and vitamin D has been shown to inhibit inflammatory cytokine production and reduce SCD crisis triggers such as infections. We hypothesize that vitamin D status is a major mediator of SCD-related crises.
IR-drop analysis for validating power grids and standard cell architectures in sub-10nm node designs

Since chip performance and power are highly dependent on the operating voltage, the robust power distribution network (PDN) is of utmost importance in designs to provide with the reliable voltage without voltage (IR)-drop. However, rapid increase of parasitic resistance and capacitance (RC) in interconnects makes IR-drop much worse with technology scaling. This paper shows various IR-drop analyses in sub 10nm designs. The major objectives are to validate standard cell architectures, where different sizes of power/ground and metal tracks are validated, and to validate PDN architecture, where types of power hook-up approaches are evaluated with IR-drop calculation. To estimate IR-drops in 10nm and below technologies, we first prepare physically routed designs given standard cell libraries, where we use open RISC RTL, synthesize the CPU, and apply placement & routing with process-design kits (PDK). Then, static and dynamic IR-drop flows are set up with commercial tools. Using the IR-drop flow, we compare standard cell architectures, and analysis impacts on performance, power, and area (PPA) with the previous technology-node designs. With this IR-drop flow, we can optimize the best PDN structure against IR-drops as well as types of standard cell library.
Job Burnout in School Psychology: How Big Is the Problem?

Job burnout is characterized by feelings of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion within the context of one’s work. Individuals experiencing burnout are at risk for a range of negative outcomes including increased feelings of stress and emotion strain, negative perceptions of work-life balance, and may ultimately lead to exiting one’s current job or field of employment. Given the well-documented shortages of school psychology practitioners across the USA, it is important to understand the extent of feelings of burnout in the field, causes of these feelings, and potentially effective ways of preventing and/or responding to burnout when it occurs. The current study surveyed practitioners in four Southeastern states regarding current and past feelings of burnout, perceptions of causes of burnout, personal strategies used in dealing with burnout when it occurs, and thoughts regarding the role of training programs in preventing burnout among practitioners. Results indicated that most participants noted feeling some level of burnout at some point during their careers. Commonly identified causes of burnout included feelings of role overload and lack of support from administration. Practitioners also reported a range of strategies as particularly helpful in dealing with feelings of burnout including the importance of training programs emphasizing the importance of self-care and presenting a realistic picture of real-world practice. Implications for future research and practice are also discussed.
Parallel MMS gigapixel imagers

We present a new architecture for monocentric multiscale (MMS) gigapixel imagers. This new architecture parallels multiple MMS imagers together to interleave a continuous wide field-of-view (FOV) coverage, resulting in a more compact system layout.
Risk Assessment for Breast Cancer

Genetic testing for individuals with familial or hereditary risk for breast cancer is essential to improving prevention and survival. Identifying unaffected BRCA1/2 mutation carriers before they develop breast cancer can reduce their risk and increase survival through increased intensity and frequency of screening, prophylactic surgery, and use of chemopreventive agents. Although the tools for genetic testing have been available for the past 20 years, nearly 95% of unaffected BRCA carriers remain unaware of their risk. The barriers to genetic screening are multiple. To identify patients for genetic testing, the clinician must first take the family history; analyze it using hereditary risk models, guidelines, or intuition; refer the patient for genetic testing; and most important, ensure that the patient follows through. With each of these steps, a certain proportion of patients is lost. Mary-Claire King , the human geneticist who discovered the BRCA mutation, once stated that “to identify a woman as a carrier only after she develops cancer is a failure of cancer prevention.” We can do better.
The game of telephone: a sustained, low-cost, quality improvement initiative to enhance communication between patients and their resident physician

This multidisciplinary quality improvement project was designed to enhance telephone communication between patients and their resident physician while concomitantly creating a standardised telephone communication protocol for resident internal medicine continuity clinics. The plan, do, study, act (PDSA) quality improvement framework model was applied for four distinct cycles. Baseline data were collected regarding open telephone encounters. The initial intervention entailed targeted communication to specific individual residents with open telephone encounters more than one SD above the average. The next cycle involved developing a novel communication process map that was distributed to faculty preceptors and clinic anchor nurses. The faculty preceptors then disseminated the new policies and communication algorithm to resident physicians. Finally, new resident and anchor nurses were educated about the standardised processes through scheduled orientation activities. After 19 months of implementation of this project with four PDSA cycles, resident open telephone encounters decreased by 40.7%. Resident telephone communication in continuity clinics can be improved through targeted individualised communication, implementation of a standardised telephone communication protocol, dissemination of communication algorithms to clinic faculty, residents and nurses and ongoing education to all parties through orientation activities to instil a self-sustaining culture change.
Relationship tensions and mood: Adult children's daily experience of aging parents' stubbornness

This study examined middle-aged individuals' reports of parents' behaviors commonly attributed to stubbornness. Middle-aged adults (N = 192) completed a 7-day diary reporting their mood and how often they felt their parents (N = 254) engaged in behaviors often described as 'stubbornness' (insistent or risky). Thirty-one percent of middle-aged children reported insistent behaviors and 17% reported risky behaviors by their parent(s). Daily reports of parent behaviors attributed to stubbornness were positively associated with parent-child relationship quality, parent functional limitations, and child neuroticism. Reports of perceived parent insistent behaviors were also associated with greater daily negative mood among adult children. Findings highlight the impact of adult children's daily perceptions of parent behaviors commonly attributed to stubbornness on the individual and relationship.
CT-ultrasound deformable registration for PET-determined prostate brachytherapy

Recent advances in positron emission tomography (PET) targeting prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) allow highly specific and sensitive identification of intra/extraprostatic tumors. Combination of PSMA PET and intraoperative transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) images enables to further improve the standard of care in brachytherapy, allowing the physician to precisely tailor the dose to the individual’s tumor. The key step of PET-determined focal prostate brachytherapy is the preoperative PET/CT and intraoperative TRUS image fusion, which enables mapping of PSMA PET to intraoperative imaging. In this paper, we propose a deformable image registration algorithm for PET/CT-TRUS image fusion based on a structural descriptor map (SDM). The SDM is computed by solving Laplace’s equation based on the prostate segmentations. The solution to the Laplace’s equation with a boundary condition provides equipotential surfaces within the prostate that describe smooth transitions from the midline to the boundary while preserving the prostate shape and geometry. Therefore, the computed equipotential surface distribution can be considered as a structural descriptor and used for deformable registration. The proposed SDM-based CT-TRUS registration algorithm has been evaluated on five prostate brachytherapy patient data sets in which intraoperative end-of-implantation TRUS and day 1 post-implant CT were registered. Target registration errors computed by using the implanted seeds as the anatomical landmarks were 2.25±1.36 mm on average, which is clinically acceptable.
4-Step Protocol for Disparities in STEMI Care and Outcomes in Women.

Abstract Background Women with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) receive suboptimal care and have worse outcomes than men. Whether strategies to reduce STEMI care variability impact disparities in the care and outcomes of women with STEMI is unknown. Objectives The study assessed the care and outcomes of men versus women with STEMI before and after implementation of a comprehensive STEMI protocol. Methods On July 15, 2014, the authors implemented: 1) emergency department catheterization lab activation; 2) STEMI Safe Handoff Checklist; 3) immediate transfer to an immediately available catheterization lab; and 4) radial first approach to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The authors prospectively studied consecutive patients with STEMI and assessed guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) before PCI, median door-to-balloon time (D2BT), in-hospital adverse events, and 30-day mortality stratified by sex before (January 1, 2011 to July 14, 2014; control group) and after (July 15, 2014 to December 31, 2016) implementation of the STEMI protocol. Results Of 1,272 participants (68% men, 32% women), women were older with more comorbidities than men. In the control group, women had less GDMT (77% vs. 69%; p = 0.019) and longer D2BT (median 104 min; [interquartile range (IQR): 79 to 133] min vs. 112 [IQR: 85 to 147] min; p = 0.023). Women had more in-hospital stroke, vascular complications, bleeding, transfusion, and death. In the comprehensive 4-step STEMI protocol, sex disparities in GDMT (84% vs. 80%; p = 0.32), D2BT (89 [IQR: 68 to 106] min vs. 91 [IQR: 68 to 114] min; p = 0.15), and in-hospital adverse events resolved. The absolute sex difference in 30-day mortality decreased from the control group (6.1% higher in women; p = 0.002) to the comprehensive 4-step STEMI protocol (3.2% higher in women; p = 0.090). Conclusions A systems-based approach to STEMI care reduces sex disparities and improves STEMI care and outcomes in women.
Healthy Conflict in Contemporary American Society: From Enemy to Adversary

US citizens perceive their society to be one of the most diverse and religiously tolerant in the world today. Yet seemingly intractable religious intolerance and moral conflict abound throughout contemporary US public life - from abortion law battles, same-sex marriage, post-9/11 Islamophobia, public school curriculum controversies, to moral and religious dimensions of the Black Lives Matter and Occupy Wall Street movements, and Tea Party populism. Healthy Conflict in Contemporary American Society develops an approach to democratic discourse and coalition-building across deep moral and religious divisions. Drawing on conflict transformation in peace studies, recent American pragmatist thought, and models of agonistic democracy, Jason Springs argues that, in circumstances riven with conflict between strong religious identities and deep moral and political commitments, productive engagement may depend on thinking creatively about how to constructively utilize conflict and intolerance. The result is an approach oriented by the recognition of conflict as a constituent and life-giving feature of social and political relationships.
Using interactive simulations to build understanding and promote scientific inquiry

Computer simulations of physical phenomena, with graphical output, have long been used to enable visualizations of processes that are inherently invisible, such as sound wave propagation, or that operate on time scales that make direct observation difficult. For students struggling to make sense of an abstract physical concept, such as the relationship between the propagation of a mechanical wave and the associated motion of the medium, an animated simulation of wave motion can accelerate the “aha!” moment of understanding. But to solidify and build on that understanding, students need to be able to formulate and test predictions. This can be accomplished with an interactive simulation, in which the user can adjust certain parameters of the model and view the response in the solution immediately. In this way, students can conduct virtual experiments. This presentation will use three examples of interactive simulations to demonstrate how interactive simulations can be used in a structured way to support sp...
Physicochemical characterization of high- and low-melting phenylephrine oxazolidines.

Phenylephrine oxazolidine is a new prodrug of phenylephrine developed for improving ocular absorption and reducing systemic side effects. In the present study, high- and low-melting phenylephrine oxazolidines (HMP and LMP) were characterized in terms of their stereochemistry and crystal properties. It was found that the molecular configuration of the prodrug in the crystals of either HMP or LMP is identical (5R/2R). The two crystals were shown to have the same IR spectra and X-ray diffraction patterns but different crystal habits, thermal properties, solubilities and intrinsic dissolution rates. Single crystal X-ray structure analysis indicates that crystals of both HMP and LMP are orthorhombic and belong to the P212121 space group with four molecules in a unit cell (a = 20.697 A, b = 7.065 A, and c = 9.304 A). The molecules in the crystal are held together by an intermolecular hydrogen bonding interaction between N(3) and O(13). The different physical properties observed for LMP result from crystal imperfections caused by the presence of trace amounts (often at levels <0.5%) of an unidentified, structurally related synthetic impurity which can be dispersed in the pro-drug. It was observed that both HMP and LMP can sustain thermal and mechanical treatment in the solid state. However, LMP was partially converted to HMP when suspended in certain solvents.
Superpower cooperation often overlooked

The considerable array of successful U.S.-Soviet cooperative activities must be reported and analyzed more fully to counteract distrust and to overcome outmoded ideologies.
Abstract 18048: Essential Role of Heart AMP-Activated Protein Kinase to Maintain Mitochondrial Respiration, Decrease Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress and Inhibit Mitochondrial Transition Permeability Pore Opening after Ischemia-Reperfusion

AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) is a stress responsive kinase essential to myocardial recovery following ischemia-reperfusion (IR). Recent studies suggest that AMPK signaling regulates mitochondrial in...
Preventive War, Deterrent Retaliation, and Retrospective Disproportionality

ABSTRACT: The legal and moral ("just war") permissibility of preventive military attacks has been one of the most urgent questions in international law since the onset of the War on Terror. Debates in this area commonly rest upon an assumption that the relevant strategic choice is between preventive war and deterrence, and that even if preventive war may be controversial, deterrence at least is legally straightforward and relatively unproblematic. This Article challenges that conventional assumption. I argue that deterrence and preventive war have more in common than is typically noticed-specifically, a shared future orientation and reliance on retrospectively disproportionate violence-and that in virtue of these common features, much of what we say about the permissibility of one of these strategies we shall have to say also about the other, both under international law as manifested in the United Nations system and under contemporary "just war" arguments. Contrary to common assumption, deterrence offers no easy escape from the legal and moral concerns raised by preventive war. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 254 II. FUNDAMENTAL SIMILARITIES BETWEEN DETERRENCE AND PREVENTIVE WAR 257 A. Preview 257 B. Preliminaries 257 C. Future orientation 259 D. Shared Dependence on Violence 260 E. Retrospective Disproportionality 265 F. Implications of Retrospective Disproportionality 269 G. Permitting the Threat, Prohibiting the Act? 270 H. Implications and Roadmap 271 III. LEGAL STATUS UNDER THE U.N. SYSTEM 272 A. Operative Treaty Law and Judicial Interpretations ........ 272 B. Elaboration in Case Law and the General Assembly ...... 274 C. Academic Interpretations 277 IV. CONTEMPORARY "JUST WAR" ARGUMENTS 282 A. Non-Consequentialist Arguments 282 B. Consequentialist Arguments-General Observations .... 284 C. The Psychological Argument 284 D. The Epistemic Argument 286 E. The Symmetry Argument 287 F. The Self-Fulfilling Prophesy Argument 288 V. CONCLUSION 290 I. INTRODUCTION In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., President George W. Bush declared that henceforth the United States would consider preventive war to be among its options for addressing threats posed by hostile regimes abroad.1 This declaration, formalized in the 2002 National Security Strategy document, bore practical fruit in the 2003 United States-led invasion of Iraq and continues to shape current debates over the proper way to respond to the threat of global terrorism and seemingly "rogue" regimes, such as in North Korea and Iran.2 This embrace of preventive war has been highly controversial. Defenders of the policy assert that preventive war is sometimes necessary in an era of rogue states, weapons of mass destruction ("WMD"), and terrorist organizations capable of attacks anywhere in the world.3 Critics of the policy decry the fact that preventive war involves the use of military force to thwart an attack that has not yet occurred and perhaps never will occur. …
Intravenous and Oral Hyperammonemia Management

Hyperammonemia have significant morbidity and mortality. In this paper, we reviewed the latest research and evidence of both conventional and upcoming oral or intravenous treatments. New updates on the role of oral agents such as rifaximin, PEG, probiotics, glycerol phenylbutyrate, and zinc supplements in the management of both chronic hyperammonemia and overt hepatic encephalopathy have been discussed in this review. We discussed the recent findings on the role of branched-chain amino acids in patients with cirrhosis. Rifaximin role has expanded as mono or combination therapy in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. Probiotics and zinc might play a role in the prevention of overt hepatic encephalopathy. Newer oral agents such as activated carbon seem to be promising. Saline or albumin might play a role in diuretic-induced hyperammonemia but their role is yet to be determined. More research is needed for new interventions and treatment validation.
An Overview of Trauma-Informed Care and Practice for Eating Disorders

This article reviews concepts and principles of trauma-informed care and trauma-informed practice for those with eating disorders (EDs). EDs are not universally recognized to be associated with tra...
Experimental demonstration of multi-watt wireless power transmission to ferrite-core receivers at 6.78 MHz

This article experimentally explores the use of ferrite cores to miniaturize the receivers used for inductive wireless power transmission. A variety of receivers were designed and fabricated using cylindrical ferrite cores, ranging in total size from 47 to 687 mm3. The receivers were tested with a commercially available transmitter operating under the Rezence (Air Fuel Alliance) standard at 6.78 MHz. Experiments measured performance of the receivers in terms of their maximum power draw and efficiency as functions of the receiver load and transmission distance. Experimental results showed that ferrite-core receivers could draw multiple watts of power with end-to-end efficiencies in excess of 50%. While the efficiencies are less than a commercially planar coil receiver, the ferrite-core receivers offer a >50% reduction in mass and >90% reduction in footprint. As a result, the receiver power densities reach up to 17.6 W/cm3, which is a 25× improvement over previously reported work. This effort confirms the viability of ferrite-core receivers for size- and weight-constrained applications.
CxDNN: Hardware-software Compensation Methods for Deep Neural Networks on Resistive Crossbar Systems

Resistive crossbars have shown strong potential as the building blocks of future neural fabrics, due to their ability to natively execute vector-matrix multiplication (the dominant computational kernel in DNNs). However, a key challenge that arises in resistive crossbars is that non-idealities in the synaptic devices, interconnects, and peripheral circuits of resistive crossbars lead to errors in the computations performed. When large-scale DNNs are executed on resistive crossbar systems, these errors compound and result in unacceptable degradation in application-level accuracy. We propose CxDNN, a hardware-software methodology that enables the realization of large-scale DNNs on crossbar systems by compensating for errors due to non-idealities, greatly mitigating the degradation in accuracy. CxDNN is composed of (i) an optimized mapping technique to convert floating-point weights and activations to crossbar conductances and input voltages, (ii) a fast one-time re-training method to recover accuracy loss due to this conversion, and (iii) low-overhead compensation hardware to mitigate dynamic and hardware-instance-specific errors. Unlike previous efforts that are limited to small networks and require the training and deployment of hardware-instance-specific models, CxDNN presents a scalable compensation methodology that can address large DNNs (e.g., ResNet-50 on ImageNet) and maintains the train-once-deploy-anywhere tenet of current DNN application. We evaluated CxDNN on six top DNNs on the ImageNet dataset with 0.5--13.8 million neurons and 0.5--15.5 billion connections. CxDNN achieves 16.9%--49% improvement in the top-1 classification accuracy, effectively mitigating a key challenge to the use of resistive crossbar--based neural fabrics.
Clashing Cultures in Conversations: Engaging Students in the study of the Convergence of Three Civilizations

This paper describes fifth-graders engagement associated with a curriculum intervention focused on the interdisciplinary (history, literacy, and the visual arts) teaching about issues 15 th and 16 th century migration. I address the question: In what ways do students demonstrate engagement about larger historical themes (e.g. interaction, treatment of others)? In order to answer this question, I observed a fifth-grade classroom over an eight-week period and documented student interactions in field notes. Students demonstrated procedural and substantive engagement during this instructional unit.
Bacteriophage treatment of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a multispecies biofilm: a potential biocontrol strategy for healthcare facilities.

The p-traps of hospital handwashing sinks represent a potential reservoir for antimicrobial-resistant organisms of major public health concern, such as carbapenemase-producing KPC+ Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPKP). Bacteriophages have reemerged as potential biocontrol agents, particularly against biofilm-associated, drug-resistant microorganisms. The primary objective of our study was to formulate a phage cocktail capable of targeting a CPKP strain (CAV1016) at different stages of colonization within polymicrobial drinking water biofilms using a CDC biofilm reactor (CBR) p-trap model. A cocktail of four CAV1016 phages, all exhibiting depolymerase activity, were isolated from untreated wastewater using standard methods. Biofilms containing Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus luteus, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Elizabethkingia anophelis, Cupriavidus metallidurans, and Methylobacterium fujisawaense were established in the CBR p-trap model for a period of 28 d. Subsequently, CAV1016 was inoculated into the p-trap model and monitored over a period of 21 d. Biofilms were treated for 2 h at either 25 °C or 37 °C with the phage cocktail (109 PFU/ml) at 7, 14, and 21 d post-inoculation. The effect of phage treatment on the viability of biofilm-associated CAV1016 was determined by plate count on m-Endo LES agar. Biofilm heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) were determined using R2A agar. Phage titers were determined by plaque assay. Phage treatment reduced biofilm-associated CAV1016 viability by 1 log10 CFU/cm2 (p 0.05) at any time point or temperature. Supplementation with a non-ionic surfactant appears to enhance phage association within biofilms. The results of this study suggest the potential of phages to control CPKP and other carbapenemase-producing organisms associated with microbial biofilms in the healthcare environment.
Online detection of local abrupt changes in high-dimensional Gaussian graphical models.

The problem of identifying change points in high-dimensional Gaussian graphical models (GGMs) in an online fashion is of interest, due to new applications in biology, economics and social sciences. The offline version of the problem, where all the data are a priori available, has led to a number of methods and associated algorithms involving regularized loss functions. However, for the online version, there is currently only a single work in the literature that develops a sequential testing procedure and also studies its asymptotic false alarm probability and power. The latter test is best suited for the detection of change points driven by global changes in the structure of the precision matrix of the GGM, in the sense that many edges are involved. Nevertheless, in many practical settings the change point is driven by local changes, in the sense that only a small number of edges exhibit changes. To that end, we develop a novel test to address this problem that is based on the $\ell_\infty$ norm of the normalized covariance matrix of an appropriately selected portion of incoming data. The study of the asymptotic distribution of the proposed test statistic under the null (no presence of a change point) and the alternative (presence of a change point) hypotheses requires new technical tools that examine maxima of graph-dependent Gaussian random variables, and that of independent interest. It is further shown that these tools lead to the imposition of mild regularity conditions for key model parameters, instead of more stringent ones required by leveraging previously used tools in related problems in the literature. Numerical work on synthetic data illustrates the good performance of the proposed detection procedure both in terms of computational and statistical efficiency across numerous experimental settings.
ASSESSMENT OF SEVERITY OF AORTIC STENOSIS (AS) IS CHALLENGING IN THE SETTING OF LEFT VENTRICULAR OUTFLOW TRACT OBSTRUCTION DUE TO THE HIGH VELOCITY IN LVOT

Evaluating aortic stenosis (AS) is challenging in the setting of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction due to the high velocity in LVOT. 76 y/o female with past medical history of AFib presented to our echo lab for evaluation of the severity of aortic stenosis. Her prior echo revealed
The Work and Activities Section

The MD/PhD primary application requires applicants to list and discuss their most important experiences and activities. This chapter aims to address many of the questions that applicants have about the main types of activities and entries that can be listed, how to choose which experiences to include, how to discuss these activities, how to combine related activities, and how to select the most meaningful activities for further discussion. This chapter systematically describes how to present each type of activity and addresses technical considerations related to the AMCAS application by thoroughly analyzing a sample entry.
Validating a Novel Framework to Classify Inpatient Hematology Consultation Requests

Background: Consistent classification of consult requests may lead to more productive, efficient, and collegial conversations about patient care, which can facilitate improved work satisfaction and an enhanced learning environment. We propose an organizing framework of 7 specific consultation types: ideal, obligatory, procedural, S.O.S., confirmatory, inappropriate, and curbside. We aimed to obtain validity evidence for this rubric to consistently classify consultation requests in an academic setting. Methods: A random sample of 100 de-identified hematology oncology consultation requests made through the online consult portal from a single academic center were selected and independently coded as 1 of the 7 consultation types by 3 hematologists and 3 hospitalists. Perfect (same consult assignment by all coders) and partial (same consult assignment by >4/6 coders) concordance was calculated. Perfect and partial (>2/3 coders) inter-rater concordance based on consult subtypes and provider specialty was also calculated. To assess if length of consult request has an impact on the classification of consult, the length of the request was compared across concordant, partially concordant, and discordant requests. Results: Of the 100 consults, perfect concordance was 57%, and partial concordance was 92% (Figure 1). Perfect concordance was 69% amongst hematologists and 78% amongst hospitalists. In cases without perfect concordance (n=43), hematologists agreed with each other 76% of the time, while hospitalists agreed with each other 81% of the time. Of the consults that at least 4 coders classified in the same way, hospitalists were more likely than hematologists to have perfect concordance for ideal consults (89% vs. 66%, respectively; P=0.001) but less likely to have perfect concordance for S.O.S consults (56% vs. 100%, respectively; P=0.003). Hematologists were twice more likely than hospitalists to classify a consult request as S.O.S (26.7% vs. 12.3%, P Conclusion: Hematology oncology consult requests can be classified into a novel rubric of 7 specific subtypes. Overall, partial concordance between primary providers and consultants was high, and perfect concordance was moderate. Hematologists were more likely to classify consult requests as S.O.S (without specific questions) than primary providers. Opportunities exist to utilize the rubric to improve communication between health care providers and to improve the medical education of trainees. Download : Download high-res image (204KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Comparing contingency fire containment strategies using simulated random scenarios

Contingency firelines can be used to back up primary lines to increase probability of fire containment, decrease fire losses, and improve firefighter safety. In this study, we classify firelines into primary, contingency, and response lines. We design a modeling process to iteratively implement a mixed integer programming model to evaluate contingency strategies under randomly generated fireline breaching scenarios. Our objectives include: (1) gaining conceptual understanding of the effectiveness of using contingency containers in a fireline network, and (2) suggesting future data collection and model improvement directions to support contingency strategy planning. We evaluate the effectiveness of several model generated containment strategies: only responding to observed primary line breaches, being proactive by implementing a system‐level contingency plan, or constructing contingency lines to back up a proportion of a primary container. Data from the Ferguson Fire in California are used to derive a set of hypothetical test cases with different fireline breaching risks to support sensitivity analysis. For comparison, we also test a contingency plan inspired by the Ferguson Fire operation. Analyses suggest that a contingency plan will provide the greatest benefit when fireline breaching risk is high. This study also suggests there are significant data and knowledge gaps that must be addressed to make the model suitable for operational use.
Improving method of instruction in classrooms

During lecturing, a whiteboard is the instructor’s most used tool. While the instructors provide lecture slides to students, the whiteboard contains more valuable information which all are erased as the lecture progress to make space for new content. In this work, a study is performed to improve method of instruction by using an iPad and Apple pencil as a digital whiteboard and marker with a projector. A digital tablet allows to provide all the notes written during a lecture to be saved and provided to students. The technology is used in the classroom to be used as a cheaper and better alternative to the instructor’s computer and whiteboard without need of any new software or hardware requirements. The study showed that iPad and apple pencil could be an effective instructor tool if the instructor can utilize available iPad apps.
Increased Risk for Cerebral Small Vessel Disease is Associated with Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping in HIV Infected and Uninfected Individuals

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to assess in the context of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), cardiovascular risk factors and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) were associated with brain tissue susceptibility as measured by quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Given that CSVD is diagnosed by the presence of lacunar strokes, periventricular and deep WMHs, increased perivascular spaces, and microbleeds, we expected that QSM could capture changes in brain tissue due to underlying CSVD pathology. We compared a cohort of 101 HIV-infected individuals (mean age (SD) = 53.2 (10.9) years) with mild to moderate cardiovascular risk scores, as measured by the Reynold’s risk score, to 102 age-matched controls (mean age (SD) = 50.3 (15.7) years) with similar Reynold scores. We performed brain MRI to assess CSVD burden by acquiring 3D T1-MPRAGE, 3D FLAIR, 2D T2-TSE, and mGRE for QSM. We found that signs of CSVD are significantly higher in individuals with HIV-infection compared to controls and that WMH volumes are significantly correlated with age and cardiovascular risk scores. Regional QSM was associated with cardiovascular risk factors, age, sex, and WMH volumes but not HIV status. These results suggest that QSM may be an early imaging marker reflective of alterations in brain microcirculation.
History of Pain is Associated with Hospitalization and Severe Course of COVID-19 in Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Recurrent pain causes significant morbidity for individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) and is a marker of mortality. Considering the current pandemic, it's important to understand how COVID-19 impacts individuals with SCD, a medically vulnerable population. We sought to identify factors associated with more severe COVID-19 illness and hospitalization in the SCD population. We established the international SECURE-SCD Registry to collect COVID-19 data in SCD patients. Providers were instructed to report confirmed COVID-19 cases after the disease course was known. Providers reported demographics, prior SCD complications and COVID-19 related hospitalization, severity/management strategies and death. Data were without protected health information. We used multivariable models to estimate the independent effects of age, sex, genotype, SCD-related and non-related comorbidities grouped by organ systems on the outcomes of severe COVID-19 and hospitalization. We defined the pain variable as 0, 1-2 or >2 prior acute care visits (i.e., emergency department visits, hospitalizations) for pain in the last 3 years. As of October 12th, 2020, 366 COVID-19 cases in SCD patients were reported, 41.5% were children and 52.7% were female. Acute pain was the most common presenting symptom of COVID-19 in SCD patients (54.6%), followed by pneumonia (27.0%). Children who had more than 2 acute care visits for pain had a more severe course of COVID-19 (OR=3.964, 95% CI (1.420, 11.065), p=0.03) and required hospitalization (OR=4.641, 95% CI (1.976, 10.900), p=0.006). Children who had 1-2 acute care visits for pain showed no significant association with COVID-19 severity (p=0.73) or hospitalization (p=0.82). In adults, there was no association between with history of frequent SCD pain and COVID outcomes. Pain is the most common presenting symptom of COVID-19 in SCD patients. Further, more than 2 prior acute care visits for pain is associated with severe COVID-19 course and hospitalization in children with SCD and not in adults. This work was supported by Grant 2020079 from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
Review of the Narrative Language Measure – Spanish version for use with Spanish-speaking preschool children

Abstract The purpose of the current paper is to provide a review of the Narrative Language Measures (NLM) for use with Spanish-speaking preschool children. We review the format, scoring, reliability, and validity of the NLM. The NLM can be used for progress monitoring of narrative skills, and for benchmark assessment in the classroom. The results of the review indicate that the measure has good reliability and concurrent validity; however, additional validation is needed for different populations, such as monolingual Spanish speakers, and students from diverse income levels, given that the validation was done mostly with low-income children. It is recommended that additional validation be completed and that those using the NLM consider cultural and linguistic variations.
Living in Between: A Grounded Theory Study of Depression Among Middle-Class Black Women:

Empirical evidence consistently has linked the identification and treatment of depression among low-income Black women. Research on depression and Black women also suggests Black women are a monoli...