cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Definition of Specificity in a Screening Trial

TO THE EDITOR: In the abstract of the article by Menon et al, the authors report that the multimodal strategy for ovarian cancer screening had a specificity of 99.8%. However, in an examination of the results presented in the body of the paper, approximately 10% of screenings in women without ovarian cancer had results that were denoted as elevated or intermediate, both of which require some additional diagnostic testing before the next scheduled screen, whereas 90% had a fully negative result. Therefore, by the conventional definition of specificity as the proportion of patients without cancer who have negative screening tests, the specificity of the multimodal strategy was only 90%. The 99.8% specificity value, or conversely, the 0.2% value for 1002 specificity, was derived as the percentage of screenings in women without ovarian cancer that were elevated or intermediate and that resulted in surgery. This way of defining specificity is misleading. For example, the National Lung Screening Trial reported a false-positive rate (1002 specificity) with low-dose computed tomography screening of approximately 23%. Quite correctly, this high false-positive rate raised concerns about the harms and costs of low-dose computed tomography screening. By a definition analogous to the one used here, however, the false-positive rate in the National Lung Screening Trial would have been only 0.6% on the basis of the proportion of screenings in patients without lung cancer that were positive and who had an invasive diagnostic followup procedure (ie, 457 of 74,433). Invasive procedures in patients without cancer are, of course, a major cause for concern; however, any screening result in such patients that requires some diagnostic follow-up, including a repeat screening, induces costs and potential harms and should be counted against test specificity. Furthermore, specificity should be reported in a uniform manner, so readers will understand to what the term refers.
Professionalism of associate degree nurses: the role of self-actualization.

Abstract Historically, nursing has affirmed the inductive approach to professionalism gained through education at the baccalaureate level. Research has challenged the inductive approach by identifying professionalism among associate degree-prepared nurses returning for the professional degree. Two variables derived from the literature, self-actualization and work experience, were investigated as possible antecedents to the development of professional attitudes, values, and behaviors of associate degree nurses. Findings indicated that self-actualization was positively and significantly related to the degree of professionalism. The need to reevaluate the induction model of professional socialization and consider a reactive approach is considered.
New Species of Dohrniphora Related to D. longirostrata (Diptera: Phoridae)

Five new species of Neotropical Dohrniphora related to D. longirostrata are described: D. apharea, D. bicostula, D. conlanorum, D. oricilla, and D. perpendicularis. Most species differences are found in the area of the ventrobasal concavity of the posterior face of the male hind femur. The D. longirostrata-group is diagnosed, each species illustrated with scanning electron micrographs, and a key to males of all species is presented.
Ordinary Meaning: A Theory of the Most Fundamental Principle of Legal Interpretation

Consider this court case: a defendant has traded a gun for drugs, and there is a criminal sentencing provision that stipulates an enhanced punishment if the defendant "uses" a firearm "during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime." Buying the drugs was obviously a crime - but can it be said that the defendant actually "used" the gun? This is the sort of question at the heart of legal interpretation. The field is built around one key question: by what standard should legal texts be interpreted? The traditional doctrine is that words should be given their "ordinary meaning": words in legal texts should be interpreted in light of accepted standards of communication. Yet often, courts fail to properly consider context, refer to unsuitable dictionary definitions, or otherwise misconceive how the ordinary meaning of words should be determined. In this book, Brian Slocum builds his argument for a new method of interpretation by asking glaring, yet largely ignored, questions. What makes one particular meaning the "ordinary" one, and how exactly do courts conceptualize the elements of ordinary meaning? Ordinary Meaning provides a much-needed, revised framework, boldly instructing those involved with the law in how the components of ordinary meaning should properly be identified and developed in our modern legal system.
Vitamin Supplementation: Changing the View that More is Better

(1991). Vitamin Supplementation: Changing the View that More is Better. Journal of Health Education: Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 217-225.
Axial homeosis and appendicular skeleton defects in mice with a targeted disruption of hoxd-11.

Using gene targeting, we have created mice with a disruption in the homeobox-containing gene hoxd-11. Homozygous mutants are viable and the only outwardly apparent abnormality is male infertility. Skeletons of mutant mice show a homeotic transformation that repatterns the sacrum such that each vertebra adopts the structure of the next most anterior vertebra. Defects are also seen in the bones of the limb, including regional malformations at the distal end of the forelimb affecting the length and structure of phalanges and metacarpals, inappropriate fusions between wrist bones, and defects at the most distal end in the long bones of the radius and ulna. The phenotypes show both incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity. In contrast to the defects observed in the vertebral column, the phenotypes in the appendicular skeleton do not resemble homeotic transformations, but rather regional malformations in the shapes, length and segmentation of bones. Our results are discussed in the context of two other recent gene targeting studies involving the paralogous gene hoxa-11 and another member of the Hox D locus, hoxd-13. The position of these limb deformities reflects the temporal and structural colinearity of the Hox genes, such that inactivation of 3′ genes has a more proximal phenotypic boundary (affecting both the zeugopod and autopod of the limb) than that of the more 5′ genes (affecting only the autopod). Taken together, these observations suggest an important role for Hox genes in controlling localized growth of those cells that contribute to forming the appendicular skeleton.
Abstract 2188: A screen to identify novel p53 family member activity-restoring compounds with a focus on p73.

Tumor suppressor p53 family regulates gene transcription, and thereby cell cycle, apoptosis, metabolism and other processes. The p53 gene is found mutated in over 50% of all human cancers, and it has been of great interest to identify drugs that can restore p53 function. While p53 can display a wide variety of mutations, which potentially could complicate function restoration therapy, family member p73 gene mutation is rare. Therefore, we sought to identify novel compounds that are able to restore the activity of the p53 family, with a focus on p73 dependency in the presence of mutant p53. To this end, a functional cell-based screening assay was set up for cancer cell death-inducing small molecules that activate p53 pathway-dependent gene transcription. SW480 colon carcinoma cells, which carry R273H/R309S mutations in p53, and stably express a p53 family-responsive luciferase construct, were utilized, with parental cells and cells displaying stable knockdown of p73 being subjected to compounds from NCI Diversity Set 3. This set contains about 1600 compounds that are relatively well characterized and structurally rigid. After various treatment periods, p53 activity was assessed, as well as cell viability. Subsequently, a total of 26 compounds were selected for further investigation and validation. Follow up studies will include dose and time courses for p53 family activation and viability in a variety of cell lines that are wild-type, mutant or null for p53. Also mechanistic studies and cellular assays will be performed, with the hopes to identify novel drugs that are able to restore activity of the p53 family, and subsequent cancer cell death, and thus providing novel candidates for the treatment of human cancer. Citation Format: Antonius P. van den Heuvel, Wenge Wang, Levy Kopelovich, Wafik S. El-Deiry. A screen to identify novel p53 family member activity-restoring compounds with a focus on p73. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2188. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2188
Assessing Fit Quality and Testing for Misspecification in Binary-Dependent Variable Models

In this paper, we present a technique and critical test statistic for assessing the fit of a binary dependent variable model (e.g., a logit or probit). We examine how closely a model’s predicted probabilities match the observed frequency of events in the data set, and whether these deviations are systematic or merely noise. Our technique allows researchers to detect problems with a model’s specification that obscure substantive understanding of the underlying data generating process, such as missing interaction terms or unmodeled non-linearities. We also show that these problems go undetected by the fit statistics most commonly used in political science.
Evolving a Business Philosophy

Discusses the importance of developing a business philosophy in a corporation. Discussion on corporate decision-making; Community responsibility, corporate goals and other factors in corporate miss...
Electrochemical and spectroscopic study of Ce(III) coordination in the 1-butyl-3-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquid containing chloride ion.

The coordination and accessible oxidation states of Nd and Pr were investigated in 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BuMePyroTf2N) by using electronic absorption spectroscopy, cyclic staircase voltammetry, and controlled potential coulometry. These experiments were carried out in the neat ionic liquid (IL) and in the IL containing free Cl– from the dissolution of BuMePyroCl. The electrolytic dissolution of Ln = Nd and Pr metal in this IL produces only the respective Ln3+ ions. These trivalent species can be reduced to Ln2+, but the resulting divalent species exhibit only transient stability, undergoing rapid disproportionation to Ln3+ and Ln0. The intensity of the hypersensitive 4G5/2 ← 4I9/2 electronic transition for Nd3+ dissolved in the IL was substantially larger than it was in noncoordinating solvents such as aqueous HClO4, indicating moderate interactions between Nd3+ and Tf2N– ions, probably resulting in anionic species such as [Nd(Tf2N)x](x−3)–. The addition of Cl– t...
46 Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in the Bariatric Surgery Patient

Obesity has been implicated as an important risk factor for the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease. A variety of physiological abnormalities have been described to contribute to this association, including esophageal and gastric motility disorders, increased abdominal pressure, diminished lower esophageal sphincter pressure, increased frequency of transient LES relaxations, and the presence of hiatal hernia. In the bariatric patient with GERD, initial treatment is the same as in the otherwise healthy patient, and in addition to weight loss, management includes lifestyle modifications and the use of medications. For those patients who do not respond to medical treatment, surgical intervention should be considered. In the general population, fundoplication is the standard of care, whereas in the bariatric population gastric bypass surgery has been shown to emerge as a more efficacious procedure.
Enzymes of the tryptophan operon of Bacillussubtilis

Abstract Methods for stabilizing the enzymes of the tryptophan synthetic pathway in extracts of Bacillus subtilis have been developed and are described. Examination of fourteen tryptophan auxotrophs showed only one enzymatic activity to be missing in each case. The size of the first four enzymes of the pathway was estimated by gel filtration. Synthesis of the enzymes of the pathway during derepression appears coordinate, as is the case in other bacteria where the structural genes for the pathway enzymes are clustered.
Corporate Social Performance and Business Risk

The previous chapter suggested that measures of corporate social performance (CSP), such as charitable donations, responsibility to environment, and fair treatment of employees, may be positively correlated with return measures of firm financial performance, such as return on assets (ROA) or stock appreciation. However, true economic performance manifests itself in both high financial return and low financial risk. The possibility that CSP might heighten financial variability and, thus, negate its positive implications for a firm’s level of economic performance has not been explored empirically in any breadth or depth. For example, Frooman (1997) meta-analyzed event studies to show how cases of irresponsible and illicit behaviors impact share price performance. Thus, Frooman’s (1997) study did not focus on risk, used one specific market indicator of corporate financial performance, and approached CSP from the perspective of its absence (and not various degrees of presence).
Gold core@silver semishell Janus nanoparticles prepared by interfacial etching

Gold core@silver semishell Janus nanoparticles were prepared by chemical etching of Au@Ag core–shell nanoparticles at the air/water interface. Au@Ag core–shell nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical deposition of a silver shell onto gold seed colloids followed by the self-assembly of 1-dodecanethiol onto the nanoparticle surface. The nanoparticles then formed a monolayer on the water surface of a Langmuir–Blodgett trough, and part of the silver shell was selectively etched away by the mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia in the water subphase, where the etching was limited to the side of the nanoparticles that was in direct contact with water. The resulting Janus nanoparticles exhibited an asymmetrical distribution of silver on the surface of the gold cores, as manifested in transmission electron microscopy, UV-vis absorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. Interestingly, the Au@Ag semishell Janus nanoparticles exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity in oxygen reduction reactions, as compared to their Au@Ag and Ag@Au core–shell counterparts, likely due to a synergistic effect between the gold cores and silver semishells that optimized oxygen binding to the nanoparticle surface.
EQUITY AND JUSTICE

This chapter describes different aspects of equity and justice. Universalizability is indeed a widely accepted criterion value judgments may equate empirically distinguishable phenomena, but they cannot differentiate empirically indistinguishable states. The use of universalizability does, however, raise at least two difficult problems. Taking universalizability as a logical necessity rather than as a moral principle implies a violation of the Hume's law, which asserts that no value judgment can be deduced from exclusively factual premises. Normative value, in this view, must be a function defined over factual states, and while there is no compulsion to accept any particular form for the function on factual grounds, two identical factual states must be required to have the same normative value. If this is taken as a logical necessity, two states being factually exactly the same seems to imply that they are equally good.
Surface Disruption Method With Flexible Glass to Prevent Potential-Induced Degradation of the Shunting Type in PV Modules

Potential-induced degradation of the shunting type (PID-s) has recently been recognized by the industry as a critical photovoltaic (PV) module durability issue. Many methods to prevent PID-s have been developed at the cell and module levels in the factory and at the system level in the field. This paper presents a prospective method for eliminating or minimizing the PID-s issue either in the factory during manufacturing or in the field after system installation. The method uses commercially available, thin, and flexible Corning Willow Glass sheets or strips on the PV module glass superstrates, disrupting the current leakage path from the cells to the grounded frame.
Indoor/Outdoor Relationships and Anthropogenic Elemental Signatures in Airborne PM2.5 at a High School: Impacts of Petroleum Refining Emissions on Lanthanoid Enrichment.

Outdoor emissions of primary fine particles and their contributions to indoor air quality deterioration were examined by collecting PM2.5 inside and outside a mechanically ventilated high school in the ultraindustrialized ship channel region of Houston, TX over a 2-month period. By characterizing 47 elements including lanthanoids (rare earth elements), using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, we captured indoor signatures of outdoor episodic emissions arising from nonroutine operations of petroleum refinery fluidized-bed catalytic cracking units. Average indoor-to-outdoor (I/O) abundance ratios for the majority of elements were close to unity providing evidence that indoor metal-bearing PM2.5 had predominantly outdoor origins. Only Co had an I/O abundance ratio >1 but its indoor sources could not be explicitly identified. La and 17 other elements (Na, K, V, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, W, and Pb), including air toxics were enriched relative to the local soil both in indoor an...
Epidemiology of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a clinical syndrome associated with poor quality of life, substantial health-care resource utilization, and premature mortality. Dunlay and colleagues summarize the epidemiological data on HFpEF, with a focus on the prevalence and incidence of HFpEF in the community as well as associated conditions and risk factors, morbidity and mortality after diagnosis, and quality of life.
A Rare Axillary Artery Aneurysm with Limb-Threatening Ischemia:

IntroductionIsolated subclavian or axillary artery aneurysms are extremely rare, accounting for less than 3% of peripheral aneurysms. These aneurysms can be caused by a secondary infection such as ...
Building-to-grid predictive power flow control for demand response and demand flexibility programs

Abstract Demand Side Management (DSM) provides ancillary service to the electric grid by modifying customers electricity demand. Demand Response (DR) and Demand Flexibility (DF) programs from buildings are well-adopted ancillary services to reduce the peak demand in grids by altering the power consumption strategy. Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems are one of the largest energy demands in commercial buildings. In addition, HVAC systems are flexible to provide DR service to the grid. In this study, two common configuration topologies of building integration with Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and renewables are considered. A real-time optimization framework based on Model Predictive Control (MPC) is designed to control the power flow from the grid, solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels, and ESS to a commercial building with HVAC systems. The MPC framework uses the inherent thermal mass storage of the building and the ESS as a means to provide DR. Deterministic and probabilistic analysis are studied to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed framework on Building-to-Grid (B2G) systems. Our deterministic results show that the proposed optimization and control framework for B2G systems can significantly reduce the maximum load ramp-rate of the electric grid to prevent duck-curve problems associated with increase in solar PV penetration into the grid. Based on probabilistic results, even under prediction uncertainties, electricity cost saving and ramp-rate reduction is achievable. The results show that this DR service does not affect the building indoor climate in a way noticeable to humans and its effect on the operational building costs is reduced. The B2G simulation testbed in this paper is based on the experimental data obtained from an office building, PV panels, and battery packs integrated with a three-phase unbalanced distribution test feeder. A Monte-Carlo simulation is carried out to account for uncertainties of the proposed method. Both deterministic and stochastic analyses show the effectiveness of the proposed predictive power flow control to decrease the building operation electricity costs and load ramp-rates.
Atomic Layer Deposition of Al–W–Fluoride on LiCoO2 Cathodes: Comparison of Particle- and Electrode-Level Coatings

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of the well-known Al2O3 on a LiCoO2 system is compared with that of a newly developed AlWxFy material. ALD coatings (∼1 nm thick) of both materials are shown to be effective in improving cycle life through mitigation of surface-induced capacity losses. However, the behaviors of Al2O3 and AlWxFy are shown to be significantly different when coated directly on cathode particles versus deposition on a composite electrode composed of active materials, carbons, and binders. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, galvanostatic intermittent titration techniques, and four-point measurements suggest that electron transport is more limited in LiCoO2 particles coated with Al2O3 compared with that in particles coated with AlWxFy. The results show that proper design/choice of coating materials (e.g., AlWxFy) can improve capacity retention without sacrificing electron transport and suggest new avenues for engineering electrode–electrolyte interfaces to enable high-voltage operation of lith...
The History of Treating Orbital Cellulitis

Throughout the history of medicine, orbital cellulitis has been and continues to remain a serious infection that can lead to significant vision and life-threatening sequelae. Just over a century ago, patients and physicians diagnosed and managed orbital cellulitis prior to the discovery of antibiotics, radiographic imaging, or anesthesia for surgery. While modern medicine has the benefit of advanced imaging techniques, potent antibiotics, and refined surgical approaches, it is useful to remember and appreciate the historical aspects of orbital cellulitis and its management.
Study on the effect of total dissolved solids (TDS) on the performance of an SBR for COD and nutrients removal.

In this study, the effect of total dissolved solids (TDS) on the performance of a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system to treat synthetic wastewater with microbial inoculum was evaluated. The SBR ...
Efficacy of type I thyroplasty after endoscopic cordectomy for early-stage glottic cancer: Literature review.

Objective As phonomicrosurgical techniques have evolved, endoscopic cordectomy (EC) has been used more commonly for early-stage glottic cancer. Patients undergoing more extensive surgery often experience significant postoperative dysphonia for which there is no standard treatment. Surgical options include injection laryngoplasty and thyroplasty. We reviewed the literature to evaluate the efficacy of thyroplasty after EC. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify studies of adults undergoing thyroplasty for dysphonia after EC for glottic cancer. Primary outcomes included voice, as measured subjectively by the voice handicap index (VHI) and objectively by aerodynamics-specifically maximum phonation time (MPT). Secondary outcomes included additional acoustic and aerodynamic measurements, variations in the technical aspects of thyroplasty, and a description of adverse events. Results Seven articles met inclusion criteria. Each study allowed 6 to 12 months after EC before performing thyroplasty. General anesthesia frequently was used rather than monitored anesthesia care . Implants varied between centers and were chosen based on surgeon preference. Of the three studies including statistical analysis, one reported improvement in VHI and grade. The second reported improvement in VHI; grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain; jitter; shimmer; noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR); and MPT. The third reported improvements in jitter, shimmer, NHR, fundamental frequency, MPT, and sound pressure level. The most frequent adverse events were hematoma, infection, and implant extrusion. Conclusion Optimizing voice after EC remains a clinical challenge. Our review suggests that thyroplasty is one potentially beneficial option in appropriately selected patients. More controlled studies are needed to assess efficacy of thyroplasty in this context. Laryngoscope, 128:690-696, 2018.
Alternative Bioenergy: Updates to and Challenges in Nitrification Metalloenzymology

Summary Biological ammonia (NH 3 ) oxidation to nitrate (NO 3 – )––nitrification––is a critical pathway of the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle. Additional products and by-products of this pathway include nitrite (NO 2 – ), nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), several of which are pollutants. How these species are generated during nitrification is not entirely clear, but pathways toward their generation have drawn substantial research effort. The cumulative evidence shows several parallel biological pathways comprising the net nitrification process. Bacteria were long thought to mediate all nitrification transformations; however, archaeal nitrifiers are now recognized. Furthermore, nitrification was thought to require two distinct microbial classes: NH 3 oxidizers to oxidize NH 3 to NO 2 – , and NO 2 – oxidizers that oxidize NO 2 – to NO 3 – . Comammox bacteria, which effect complete oxidation of NH 3 to NO 3 – , were recently discovered. This Perspective summarizes the current understanding of nitrification biochemistry and highlights exciting opportunities for future research.
PEGylated “stealth” nanoparticles and liposomes

Abstract Through nanomedicine, game-changing methods are emerging to deliver drug molecules directly to diseased tissue. The targeted delivery of drugs and imaging agents via drug carrier-based platforms is among the most promising of these methods. Such drug delivery systems can now be synthesized from a wide range of different materials, made in a number of different shapes, and coated with an array of different organic molecules, including ligands. In this chapter, we will focus on PEGylated liposomes and nanoparticles. By grafting polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymers on the surfaces of liposomes and other nanoparticles, protein absorption can be dramatically reduced, resulting in less macrophage cellular uptake and therefore prolonged blood circulation times in PEGylated over non-PEGylated nanomaterials. Through systematic experiments and computer simulations, the densely packed PEG polymers are found to play the most important role in this process, which is highly related to their conformation and free energy change. Such insights may provide guidance in the design of efficient drug carriers for clinical applications.
The Effective Two-Nucleon Interaction from Inelastic Proton Scattering

Since inelastic scattering cross-sections depend on a nuclear matrix element containing both the wave functions of the nuclear states involved and the effective interaction Veff between the projectile and the target nucleons,1 it is necessary to have an a priori value for Veff before one can use inelastic scattering as a tool for nuclear spectroscopy. An approach to determining Veff which I will explore in detail in this paper, is entirely empirical in nature. One examines transitions where the wave functions are well known and adjusts the strength of the two-body interaction to fit the observed cross-sections. If the results for a representative sample of cases are consistent one has obtained a workable interaction for spectroscopic studies.
Electrochemical and Photoelectrical Properties of Bilayer Lipid Membranes (Blm)

The use of artificial bilayer lipid membranes (BLM) as an experimental model of biomembranes has provided much insight into the structure and function relationship of natural membranes. Particularly relevant has been the advance in the theoretical and experimental investigations of light energy transduction and that of transport mechanisms via membrane channel reconstitution. This paper will focus on two aspects of BLM studies in relation to biomembranes: namely, membrane electrochemistry and membrane photochemistry. Some attention will be paid to the basic principles as applied to membrane research. Recent experiments with BLMs will be summarized and their potential applications in areas of biosensor development, biomolecular electronic devices, (BED) and solar energy conversion discussed.
Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species in Biological Systems: Reactions and Regulation by Carotenoids

ROS/RNS originate primarily from oxygen reduction processes, differ markedly in reactivity and lifetimes, and are essential high fidelity sensors of the redox status in cells.
Hydrology and Water Supply

Water: One of the simplest compounds in Nature: two hydrogen atoms combined with one oxygen atom. This minute, inaudible, odorless and texture free particle of no particular tang determined human destiny. Civilization evolved at the confluence of rivers. In all places, through all time, water has directed man’s livelihood, success, economy and community. As a natural force water is powerful.1
Abstract LB-A19: Targeting ERBB2 pathway in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) is most lethal gynecologic malignancy. About 75% of OC patients relapse and/or develop chemo-resistant disease after initial response to standard-of-care treatment with platinum-based therapies. HER2 amplifications and overexpression in OC are reported to vary and responses to HER2 inhibitors have been feeble. Next generation sequencing technologies in conjunction with testing using patient-derived xenografts (PDX) allow validation of personalized treatments. Using whole-genome mate-pair next generation sequencing protocol we profiled a set of serous OC to identify copy number changes and gene fusions. Specific focus was on DNA alterations which were therapeutically targetable. The efficiency of anti-Her2 therapy was tested in three different PDX lines with alterations at genes of ERBB pathway and various levels of HER2 protein expression. Tumor in one line harbored a duplication of ERBB2 and high expression of HER2 protein. Second PDX model had a fusion at NRG1 gene, a ligand for HER4 and HER4 receptors, that was highly expressed on protein level. Third line harbored an amplification of NRG3 gene, a known ligand for HER4 receptor. Treatment responses to pertzumab/trastuzumab were compared in each PDX line to standard carboplatin and paclitaxel combination treatment. In all three PDX models HER2-targeted therapy resulted in significant inhibition of tumor growth compared to untreated control. However, the responses in each were inferior to chemotherapy, even in chemo-resistant case. There was an extra benefit when chemotherapy and HER-2 targeted therapy were administered together, as a significant regression of tumor was observed after 6 weeks of treatment using this regiment compared to chemotherapy alone. Post-treatment analysis of the tissues, nevertheless, revealed inhibition of ERBB2 pathway on the level of phosphorylation and expression of downstream targets. In conclusion, targeting of presumably activated ERBB2 pathway alone in OC results in a modest treatment benefit. A combination therapy including both chemo drugs and Her2 inhibitors provides far better response. Further studies are needed to address development of recurrence and sensitivity of recurrent disease to Her2 targeted therapy. Citation Format: Irina V. Kovtun, Zhang Piyan, Faye R. Harris, Xiaonan Hou, Saravut J. Weroha, George Vasmatzis. Targeting ERBB2 pathway in ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-A19.
Current approaches to prevent and treat GVHD after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is a potentially curative therapy for many malignant and nonmalignant hematologic diseases. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common complication after transplantation and remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality, limiting the success of a potentially curative transplant. This paper reviews the current and emerging strategies in GVHD prevention and treatment. New insights are leading the way to the development of novel targeted approaches to minimize the risk of disease relapse and infection. Continued collaborative efforts to conduct high-quality, multicenter clinical trials with standard end points and risk stratification are needed to determine the optimal approach to minimize GVHD and limit toxicities.
A culture of equality

Race-based educational segregation has a long history in the United States and continues to exist even though prohibited by law. Recent manifestations of race-based educational discrimination are found in the overrepresentation of black students in special education programs, their subjugation to high rates of exclusionary discipline, and their underrepresentation in gifted programs. This study used the ProQuest Education database and selected search terms to retrieve records of publications and examine trends in professional literature during four decades. Patterns were found in scholarship related to disproportionate representation of black students in special education programs and the use of exclusionary suspension and expulsion with black students as well as the underrepresentation of black students in gifted programs. The most scholarship was found related to gifted programs, in which blacks were underrepresented, and the amount of scholarship progressively decreased as the level of segregation of black students increased from special education placement to suspension and expulsion. Further, the absolute amount of scholarship and the percentage of works published in scholarly journals were inversely related to the number of search terms with negative connotations used, including special education, minority, and poverty. Use of search terms with negative connotations was positively associated with the percentage of scholarship done by students in the form of dissertations and theses. Conclusions note scholarly findings of reduced adult outcomes caused by inequitable access to educational opportunities and encourage additional research into effective provision of culturally responsive teacher preparation and continuing education as alternatives to reliance on zero-tolerance and other policies that increase educational segregation of black students.
“Order as well as Decency”: The Development of Order Maintenance Policing in Black Atlanta:

In 1971, Ebony magazine named Atlanta the country’s “new Black Mecca,” citing its black political and economic leadership as well as the success of black businesses in the city. At this same time, ...
Building an Interdisciplinary Team for Disaster Response Research: A Data-Driven Approach.

Building an interdisciplinary team is critical to disaster response research as it often deals with acute onset events, short decision horizons, constrained resources, and uncertainties related to rapidly unfolding response environments. This article examines three teaming mechanisms for interdisciplinary disaster response research, including ad hoc and/or grant proposal driven teams, research center or institute based teams, and teams oriented by matching expertise toward long-term collaborations. Using hurricanes as the response context, it further examines several types of critical data that require interdisciplinary collaboration on collection, integration, and analysis. Last, suggesting a data-driven approach to engaging multiple disciplines, the article advocates building interdisciplinary teams for disaster response research with a long-term goal and an integrated research protocol.
From national identity to state legitimacy: Mobilizing digitally networked publics in eastern Ukraine:

Social media enable broad and diverse publics to mobilize around a shared collective identity. In this article, the authors use social movement literature and studies of peace and conflict to foreg...
Abstract 494: Endothelial Cell Heterogeneity Governs Basal and Inducible Inflammatory Responses Relevant to Allograft Injury

Introduction: Transplanted organs are not equally susceptible to rejection, suggesting a role for site specialization of vascular endothelial cells (EC). Most studies of leukocyte recruitment emplo...
Talk Proposal: Towards the Realistic Evaluation of Evasion Attacks using CARLA.

In this talk we describe our content-preserving attack on object detectors, ShapeShifter, and demonstrate how to evaluate this threat in realistic scenarios. We describe how we use CARLA, a realistic urban driving simulator, to create these scenarios, and how we use ShapeShifter to generate content-preserving attacks against those scenarios.
A Preemption-Based Timely Software Defined Networking Framework for Emergency Response Traffic Delivery

In the last several years, the large-scale evolution of emergency response system (ERS) has been enabled by technological advances in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The ultimate goal of such an ERS is to optimize compute resources to meet customer requirements. Specifically, emergency network traffic should be delivered in a timely manner to help with rescue efforts and recovery once a crisis takes a place. The delivered emergency traffic is usually categorized according to the priority level. In this paper, we consider the adoption of Software Defined Networking (SDN) to support preemptive emergency responses, where we develop an SDN framework to optimize the end-to-end (E2E) delay for emergency service delivery according to the urgency level of services. The emergency service is delivered based on preemptive policies. The proposed SDN-based ERS framework is evaluated on the Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) testbed with real-world emergency data whose urgency levels range from 0 to 50. Our experimental evaluation demonstrates that the proposed framework is efficient in delivering emergency service depending on data urgency level. Specifically, our framework provides an improvement of average E2E delays where the preemptive response service guarantees approximately 30% in E2E delay reduction for data with the highest priority. The proposed framework can be applicable to other cyber-physical systems and smart city-enabled applications.
Multi-objective optimization of a free-piston Vuilleumier heat pump using a genetic algorithm

Abstract A free-piston Vuilleumier heat pump (FVHP) has unique advantages for residential/commercial heating and cooling applications. This work focuses on optimizing the adjustable machine parameters of a FVHP to maximize its thermal performance for both cold climates, in which the FVHP primarily operates in heating mode, and warm climates, where cooling mode operation dominates. Nine machine parameters are optimized using a thermodynamic model combined with a non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm. The typical optimization time on a desktop PC is several hours. The machine performance is evaluated using a thermal model for a FVHP for the most favorable designs, with the optimized solutions found to provide a 20–30% improvement in output, COP and parasitic energy use compared to the parameters from a current prototype that serves as the baseline. The approach developed should be applicable to most FVHP designs and related devices, such as free-piston Stirling engines.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Sertraline in Healthy Subjects: a Model-Based Meta-analysis.

Sertraline pharmacokinetics is poorly understood and highly variable due to large between-subject variability with inconsistent reports for oral bioavailability. The study objective was to characterize sertraline pharmacokinetics by developing and validating a sertraline population pharmacokinetic (PK) model in healthy subjects using published clinical PK data. We carried a systematic literature search in PubMed in October 2015 and identified 27 pharmacokinetic studies of sertraline conducted in healthy adult subjects and reported in the English language. Sixty mean plasma concentration-time profiles made of 748 plasma concentrations following IV, single, and multiple oral doses ranging from 5 to 400 mg were extracted and analyzed for dose proportionality by a log-linear model and fitted to a 2-compartment pharmacokinetic model in NONMEM using a model-based meta-analysis (MBMA) approach. After a single oral dose, sertraline Cmax and AUC∞ increased with dose proportionally between 50 and 200 mg, and bioavailability increased nonlinearly with dose from 5 to 50 mg and plateaued afterwards while Tmax and t1/2 did not change with dose. Following multiple oral doses, Cmax and AUC∞ increased proportionally with dose across the entire dose range (5–200 mg) while bioavailability, Tmax, and t1/2 remained constant with dose. Sertraline absorption was time-dependent and best described by a sigmoidal Emax function of time after dose. Study findings indicate that sertraline PK is linear in healthy adult subjects at doses ≥ 50 mg, and exposures were nonlinear only after single oral doses < 50 mg likely due to reduced bioavailability.
Integrating Long-term Optogenetic Stimulation and Bioluminescence Recording to Study Neural Plasticity Induced by Circadian Entrainment

Entrainment of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) circadian clock in the brain to environmental light cycles is a form of neural plasticity which involves acute daily clock resetting, and long-term changes in endogenous clock period. Elucidating mechanisms of entrainment is critical for understanding how circadian clocks maintain alignment of internal rhythms with the external environment. However, studying how the SCN clock per se behaves throughout entrainment at the molecular level remains technically challenging. Here we report a novel experimental system that precisely employs periodic optogenetic stimulation to drive circadian entrainment of multiple SCN brain slices while recording circadian rhythms in molecular output with bioluminescence. Using this system, we demonstrate entrainment of the SCN clock ex vivo and show that many forms of circadian clock plasticity in behavior is intrinsic to the SCN molecular clock plasticity induced through encoding different light cycle periods and seasonal variations in the day length.
Climate and seasonal effects on phenology and biological control of giant whitefly Aleurodicus dugesii (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) with parasitoids in southern California, USA

The invasive giant whitefly Aleurodicus dugesii Cockerell (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), a pest of many important crops and ornamentals, has established throughout southern California, USA. The parasitoids Encarsia noyesi Hayat (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), Idioporous affinis LaSalle and Polaszek (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), and Entedononecremnus krauteri Zolnerowich and Rose (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were introduced as part of a classical biological control program against giant whitefly. Populations of giant whitefly can still reach high numbers, however, despite biological control efforts. Seasonal variation in giant whitefly population densities and parasitoids' species-specific parasitism rates across three climates types in southern California were examined by repeated censuses during 2015–2016 in order to identify potential underlying factors influencing giant whitefly population dynamics. Giant whitefly population densities did not vary between southern California climate types, but varied seasonally, with the highest observed population densities in the spring. Parasitism rates of all three parasitoids also varied seasonally, with total parasitism reaching a peak in late summer and declining until the start of spring. Only I. affinis parasitism rates varied between climate types. Parasitism rates of I. affinis were the highest of the three parasitoid species observed, followed by E. noyesi and E. krauteri. Potential explanations for these findings and their impact on giant whitefly control are discussed.
A column and constraint generation algorithm for the dynamic knapsack problem with stochastic item sizes

We consider a version of the knapsack problem in which an item size is random and revealed only when the decision maker attempts to insert it. After every successful insertion the decision maker can choose the next item dynamically based on the remaining capacity and available items, while an unsuccessful insertion terminates the process. We propose an exact algorithm based on a reformulation of the value function linear program, which dynamically prices variables to refine a value function approximation and generates cutting planes to maintain a dual bound. We provide a detailed analysis of the zero-capacity case, in which the knapsack capacity is zero, and all item sizes have positive probability of equaling zero. We also provide theoretical properties of the general algorithm and an extensive computational study. Our main empirical conclusion is that the algorithm is able to significantly reduce the gap when initial bounds and/or heuristic policies perform poorly.
A multiparameter algorithm to guide repair of degenerative mitral regurgitation

Abstract Purpose Degenerative mitral regurgitation repair using a measured algorithm could increase the precision and reproducibility of repair outcomes. Methods Direct and echocardiographic measurements guide the repair to achieve a coaptation length of 5 to 10 mm and minimize the risk of systolic anterior motion. Leaflet reconstruction restored the normal 2 to 1 ratio of anterior to posterior leaflet length without residual prolapse or restriction. The choice of ring size was based on anterior leaflet length, the distance from the leaflet coaptation point to the septum, and the anterior-posterior ring dimension. Freedom from reoperation and mitral regurgitation recurrence were based on multistate models. Results One thousand fifty-one patients had mitral surgery and 1026 (97.6%) were repaired. A2 length was 27.2 ± 4.5 mm; and the reconstructed posterior leaflet was 13.9 ± 2.3 mm. Median ring size was 34 mm and strongly correlated to A2 length (R = 0.76; P Conclusions A simple, reproducible, measured algorithm for degenerative mitral valve repair provides excellent early and late results and is a useful adjunct to established surgical techniques.
Nozzleless Acoustic Droplet Ejector With Electrically Tunable Droplet Size for Picking and Placing Semiconductor Chips

This paper presents a microfabricated nozzleless acoustic droplet ejector with electrically tunable droplet size as a new tool for on-demand picking and placing semiconductor chips for semiconductor packaging. The ejector is based on a 2-mm-thick lead zirconate titanate (PZT) sheet with a planar annular-ring air-cavity acoustic Fresnel lens on top. When driven with sinusoidal pulsed voltage signals of 1.16 MHz, the ejector generates focused ultrasound with 1-mm focal diameter and 5-mm focal depth at 22 mm focal length in sodium polytungstate (SPT) solution. A finite-element-method (FEM) simulation model calculating the acoustic-field-induced fluid motion during the droplet ejection process has been developed, and verified by experiments, in which the device ejects SPT droplets whose diameter is from 850 to 2, $490~\mu \text{m}$ , controlled by the driving pulse width and voltage. The ejected droplets are able to carry 400- $\mu \text{m}$ -thick square silicon chips with side length from 700 to 3, $100~\mu \text{m}$ . A polyester channel-embedded guiding cover for semi-automatic loading of silicon chips to the ejection site is designed to avoid manual placement of the silicon chips. With the proof-of-concept system, we demonstrate ejecting silicon chips out of SPT surface onto a nearby paper, assembling them into arrays with good repeatability. [2020-0337]