cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract IA17: Adoptive T cell therapy with CAR modified T cells: We have a Model A Ford, can we build a Ferrari?

Recently published reports support the novel approach of treating cancer with patient derived T cells genetically modified to express artificial T cell receptors, termed chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), targeted to tumor associated antigens. To this end, initial clinical trial outcomes of patients with relapsed B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) treated with T cells genetically modified to express a CAR specific to the CD19 antigen demonstrate that this approach is a very promising therapeutic intervention which potentially may dramatically alter the standard of care in this disease. In contrast far more modest clinical responses were seen in patients with relapsed low grade B cell malignancies including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and B cell non-Hodgkins lymphomas (NHL). The etiologies of discordant clinical outcomes between B-ALL and CLL/NHL patients treated with CD19 targeted CAR T cells remains a subject of conjecture although the tumor microenvironment is a strong focus for further investigation. To this end, we will present novel data on a next generation of CAR T cells, termed “armored CAR” T cells genetically designed to enhance persistence, anti-tumor efficacy, and an ability to overcome an immune suppressive tumor microenvironment through further genetic modification. Promising preclinical studies utilizing various “armored CAR” T cell approaches and their role in future clinical trials will be discussed as well as the relevance of these findings to the extrapolation of this technology from hematologic tumors to far more prevalent solid tumor malignancies. Note: This abstract was presented as part of the Joint Session: Clinical Science Interactions between Melanoma and Hematologic Malignancies with the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Melanoma: From Biology to Therapy held September 20-23, 2014 in Philadelphia, PA. Citation Format: Renier Brentjens. Adoptive T cell therapy with CAR modified T cells: We have a Model A Ford, can we build a Ferrari? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Hematologic Malignancies: Translating Discoveries to Novel Therapies; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(17 Suppl):Abstract nr IA17.
Joint International Business Ventures in Developing Countries: Case Studies and Anal Ysisof Recent Trends

(1973). Joint International Business Ventures in Developing Countries: Case Studies and Anal Ysisof Recent Trends. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 168-170.
In Memorium Maleficarum: Feminist and Pagan Mobilizations of the Burning Times

This chapter considers the popular afterlife within feminist circles of the academically discredited thesis of early modern European witch-hunts as explicit gendercide, denoted by the epithet ‘the Burning Times’. Through its adoption as a ‘useful past’ within feminist and contemporary Pagan communities, this version of history provides an intimate martyrology which both explains emotional dissatisfaction with present conditions and motivates political action for future change. This project analyses the emotions of history, the emotions stimulated and sustained through the recollection and memorialization of imagined pasts.
Design, analysis, and fabrication of a piezoelectric force plate

Force plates are used to detect static and dynamic reaction forces due to presence of stationary or moving objects as well as the location of applied forces. The application of force plates in various biomechanical fields, such as gait analysis, has been widely suggested and investigated in the past. Several sensor technologies like piezoelectrics, capacitance gauges, and piezoresistive sensors are utilized to develop force plates with special characteristics. Among the technologies employed in force plate designs, piezoelectrics present the ability of providing a self-powered sensory system. Recently, it has been suggested to implement piezoelectric transducers as sensors in the tibial bearing of total knee replacement (TKR) implants in order to transform the knee bearing into a force plate with the ability to detect force and contact point location for in vivo knee load analysis. Considering this application, a simplified design of a force plate instrumented with six piezoelectric transducers is presented in this study. The force plate is modeled using a finite element (FE) model to investigate the sensing performance of the system. In order to validate the simulation, a prototype force plate is fabricated and tested under the same loading condition applied on the FE model. The results are presented in terms of measured location and amplitude of applied force measured by the piezoelectric transducers. For the FE simulation, the deviation of the measured location of the applied force from the actual location is obtained as 0.62 mm in the x-direction and 0.13 mm in the y-direction, and the error in the amplitude of the measured force is 0.03% of the applied force. On the other hand, the deviation in the measured location of the force from the experimental test is 0.53 mm in the x-direction and 0.1 mm in the y-direction, while the error in force is 3.6% of the applied force. The small quantities of error in both sensed location and amplitude of applied force obtained from the FE simulation and experimental test results demonstrates the potential of the proposed design to be utilized as the sensor in the knee bearing of TKR implants.
Poster Abstract: Hybrid and Adaptive Drone Identification through Motion Actuation and Vision Feature Matching

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms provide situation awareness in potential life-threatening tasks such as emergency response, search and rescue, etc. However, most of these scenarios take place in GPS-denied environments, where accurately localizing each UAV is challenging. Heterogeneous UAV swarms, in which only a subset of the drones carry cameras, face the additional challenge of identifying each individual UAV in order to avoid sending position updates to the wrong drone, thus crashing. This work presents an identification mechanism based on the correlation between motion observed from an external camera, and the acceleration measured on each UAV’s accelerometer.
Increasing Student Success in STEM: Summary of A Guide to Systemic Institutional Change

For the past 20 years, numerous reports have called for change and reform of undergraduate education to improve student learning, persistence, and graduation rates for students in STEM. However, by...
Brain, Immunity, Gut: "BIG" Links between Pregnancy and Autism.

Although dysregulation of brain, immune, and gut physiology during pregnancy have each been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, whether and how these presumably distinct systems are linked to cause disease is unclear. Kim et al. (2017) and Shin Yim et al. (2017) identify a pathway to explain how these aspects of our physiology are deeply and inextricably connected.
Trends in Secondary Schools' Practices to Support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Students, 2008-2014.

Objectives. To examine trends in the percentage of US secondary schools that implemented practices related to the support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students.Methods. This analysis used data from 4 cycles (2008–2014) of School Health Profiles, a surveillance system that provides results representative of secondary schools in each state. Each school completed 2 self-administered questionnaires (principal and teacher) per cycle. We used logistic regression models to examine linear trends.Results. Of 8 examined practices to support LGBTQ youths, only 1—identifying safe spaces for LGBTQ youths—increased in most states (72%) from 2010 to 2014. Among the remaining 7, only 1—prohibiting harassment based on a student’s perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity—had relatively high rates of adoption (a median of 90.3% of schools in 2014) across states.Conclusions. Many states have seen no change in the implementation of school practices associated with LGBTQ stud...
Inguinal Hyperhidrosis: Case Report of an Uncommon Cause of Vaginitis.

Abstract Background Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) affects 1%-3% of the population. Primary focal hyperhidrosis most commonly affects the axilla, palms, and soles. There are few case reports of hyperhidrosis of the genital region, typically described as inguinal hyperhidrosis or Hexsel's hyperhidrosis. Case A 17-year-old girl presented with 3 years of copious, clear “vaginal” discharge causing significant emotional distress. After extensive gynecologic and urologic workup was negative, further review of her history was notable for excessive axillary sweating. Inguinal hyperhidrosis was suspected and she was treated with topical aluminum chloride hexahydrate with complete resolution of her symptoms. Summary and Conclusions Inguinal hyperhidrosis, compared with other sites, is not widely described in the literature. Awareness of inguinal hyperhidrosis is important because it causes significant social embarrassment but is a treatable condition.
Let K-Ras activate its own inhibitor

Traditional approaches to covalent drug design postulate that noncovalent binding affinity (Ki) should be in the nanomolar range for the lead compound to be attractive. A study by Hansen et al. suggests that covalent K-Ras inhibitors can have weak noncovalent binding affinity yet have fast chemical reactivity (kinact), because K-Ras enhances the covalent reactivity of bound inhibitor, similarly to how enzymes activate their substrates.
Liposomal doxorubicin and nab-paclitaxel: nanoparticle cancer chemotherapy in current clinical use

Liposomal doxorubicin and nab-paclitaxel are nanoparticle formulations of traditional cancer chemotherapy drugs which have ample clinical experience both pre- and post-nanoparticle modification. The alterations in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy, and toxicity compared with their parent compounds are instructive for future development of nanoparticle-based therapies. In this article we review the current status of these agents, emphasizing the alterations in clinical behavior resulting from the nanoparticle formulation of the parent compound.
JANUS: A paradigm for active decision support

Abstract Active decision support is concerned with developing advanced forms of decision support where the support tools are capable of actively participating in the decision making process, and decisions are made by fruitful callaboration between the human and the machine. It is currently an active and leading area of research within the field of decision support systems. The objective of this paper is to share the details of our research in this area. We present our overall research strategy for exploring advanced forms of decision support and discuss in detail our research prototype called JANUS that implements our ideas. We establish the contributions of our work and discuss our experiences and plans for future.
How do Proteins Cross a Membrane

The questions. Classical studies by Palade, deDuve, and colleagues established that membranes divide cells into distinct compartments, each with a unique set of resident proteins catalyzing distinct functions. Each compartment is either a membrane, with its own set of embedded proteins, or a soluble space surrounded by a membrane. A typical eukaryotic cell may have over 20 compartments, while a bacterium such as E. coli has four the cytoplasm, inner [plasma] membrane, periplasm, and outer membrane. In contrast, almost all protein synthesis begins in the cytosol in all cells, in a basically spatially undifferentiated manner. The first question then is how proteins are targeted, either to remain in the cytosol or to the appropriate membrane for translocation. Having arrived there, the second question is one of translocation mechanism. Is it by radically changing its structure to pass from the aqueous cytosol to the hydrocarbon-like interior of a membrane, or by a proteinaceous transport system (“translocase”)? In either case, what is the energy source for this transfer? Is it the energy of protein synthesis pushing the chain out of the ribosome, a pulling force on the other side, electrophoresis, or is metabolic energy coupled to protein translocation by translocase? In Fig. 1, these questions are illustrated, with a fig leaf both conveying the attractive quality of the hidden solution and covering our ignorance about the ultimate answers.
Quasistatic Seat Belt Anchorage Analysis with Explicit Time Integration

An approach will be presented to use the explicit time integration (crash code) for quasistatic analyses. In order to verify this approach a seatbelt anchorage analysis was performed.
The Second National Assessment in Mathematics: Area and Volume.

Measurement concepts are important in school mathematics not only for providing applications of arithmetic content during the middle years but also for offering a common source of illustrations in algebra and geometry. Even more important, measurement concepts form the basis for all judgment with respect to the size of objects that we encounter daily. One of the topics included in the NAEP second mathematics assessment deals with the ability to use measurement concepts. The results of the items relating to area and volume suggest several common miscon ceptions about measurement among mid dle school and high school students.
Analysis of the University of North Carolina (UNC) and the Cancer Genome Atlas Project (TCGA) next generation sequencing (NGS) datasets to identify somatic mutations (SM) with prognostic significance in cutaneous melanoma (CM).

9557Background: Genotyping for therapy selection is now standard of care in advanced melanoma. The prognostic significance of genome-wide SM has not been adequately explored. Methods: Patient (pt) ...
Thermal-hydraulic performance of printed circuit heat exchangers with zigzag flow channels

Abstract Printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) is one of the leading candidates to be employed in advanced nuclear reactors and next generation concentrated solar power applications due to its compactness and capability for high-temperature, high-pressure applications with high effectiveness. In the current study, thermal-hydraulic performance of a zigzag-channel PCHE with high-pressure, high-temperature helium on both the hot and cold sides was simulated using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software package STAR-CCM + . Comparisons between the experimental data and CFD simulation results showed good agreement with some discrepancies in the pressure drop and heat transfer results. Local thermal-hydraulic performance analyses indicated that a fully-developed flow condition was not observed in the PCHE, mainly due to the nature of the zigzag channels, leading to periodic flow disturbance at each of the zigzag bends. It was also found that the local and global heat transfer coefficients were considerably different in the PCHE. Furthermore, thermal boundary conditions showed that the fluid temperatures and heat fluxes were not uniform along the azimuthal direction of a cross section of the flow channel and that the helium temperature distribution for each segment along the flow direction presented a wavy profile. However, the distribution of the helium bulk temperature along the flow direction was approximately linear. For the heat flux distributions, although they were significantly different at different segments, the trend of the heat flux for each segment along the fluid flow direction was similar. Finally, effects of several parameters on the thermal-hydraulic performance of the PCHE were investigated, including the fluid and solid thermophysical properties, radius of curvature at zigzag bends, channel configuration, channel length pitch in the flow direction, and zigzag pitch angle. No considerable enhancement in the Nusselt numbers was observed when the zigzag pitch angles were greater than 30°.
Reconstructing the Ottoman Greek World: Early Modern Ethnography in the Household of Martin Crusius

This article uses the life and writings of Martin Crusius (1526–1607), professor of Latin and Greek at the university of Tubingen, to explore the methods and tools of early modern ethnographers. For decades Crusius recorded contemporary Greek life under Ottoman rule by investigating a broad array of visual, material, textual, and oral evidence and by mustering various scholarly methods. The documentary record that Crusius compiled demonstrates that early modern ethnography was one among many period forms of knowledge making in which tropes and techniques from several fields and disciplines came together fruitfully.
The power of negative thinking: The use of negative case methodology in the development of sociological theory

Comparisons have a bad reputation. Although comparative research is frequently used in social science, formalized "comparative methods," such as those espoused by Skocpol and Somers or Ragin have been attacked.' For example, Kiser and Hechter dismissed comparative methods based on induction,2 arguing that such methods cannot support general theory.3 Burawoy rejected Skocpol and Somers's comparative method because of its naive view of empirical evidence.4 Others have few philosophical objections to comparative methods based on induction, but raise practical questions about their usefulness. For example, Mann argued that it is empirically impossible to uncover enough independent, analogous cases that simultaneously differ over a large range of particular factors to apply the method correctly.5 Still, as Smelser pointed out, comparisons are an integral part of all systematic research efforts, even purely descriptive ones.6 Even if formal comparative methods are inadequate in some respects, it remains true that knowledge of any particular phenomenon is highly dependent upon the knowledge of other related, though slightly different, phenomena.7
To kneel or not to kneel: Right-wing authoritarianism predicts attitudes toward NFL kneeling protests

During the 2016–2017 season, several NFL players started kneeling during the national anthem as a protest against institutional racism. These actions sparked considerable public controversy and polarized attitudes toward the protests. Two explanations were raised in the media for differences in attitudes: sensitivity to racial inequality and respect for tradition. We examined the extent to which these explanations, as assessed by ethnocentrism and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), respectively, accounted for attitudes toward the protests in a sample of white, U.S. college students (N = 294). When examined as simultaneous predictors, RWA, but not ethnocentrism, predicted more negative attitudes toward the protests. These findings suggest that attitudes toward the protests may have been based more on how the protest was enacted (respect for tradition), rather than the topic of the protest (racial inequality).
A systematic literature review of machine learning in online personal health data.

OBJECTIVE User-generated content (UGC) in online environments provides opportunities to learn an individual's health status outside of clinical settings. However, the nature of UGC brings challenges in both data collecting and processing. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the effectiveness of applying machine learning (ML) methodologies to UGC for personal health investigations. MATERIALS AND METHODS We searched PubMed, Web of Science, IEEE Library, ACM library, AAAI library, and the ACL anthology. We focused on research articles that were published in English and in peer-reviewed journals or conference proceedings between 2010 and 2018. Publications that applied ML to UGC with a focus on personal health were identified for further systematic review. RESULTS We identified 103 eligible studies which we summarized with respect to 5 research categories, 3 data collection strategies, 3 gold standard dataset creation methods, and 4 types of features applied in ML models. Popular off-the-shelf ML models were logistic regression (n = 22), support vector machines (n = 18), naive Bayes (n = 17), ensemble learning (n = 12), and deep learning (n = 11). The most investigated problems were mental health (n = 39) and cancer (n = 15). Common health-related aspects extracted from UGC were treatment experience, sentiments and emotions, coping strategies, and social support. CONCLUSIONS The systematic review indicated that ML can be effectively applied to UGC in facilitating the description and inference of personal health. Future research needs to focus on mitigating bias introduced when building study cohorts, creating features from free text, improving clinical creditability of UGC, and model interpretability.
Self-Expandable Metallic Stent Is More Cost Efficient Than Plastic Stent in Treating Anastomotic Biliary Stricture

Anastomotic bile duct stricture (ABS) is one of the most common complications after liver transplantation. Current practice of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with multiple plastic stent (MPS) insertion often requires multiple sessions before achieving stricture resolution. We aimed to compare the efficacy of fully covered self-expandable metallic stent (FCSEMS) with MPS method while simultaneously analyzing the relative healthcare cost between the two methods in the management of ABS. Liver transplant patients with ABS who received ERCP with stent placement were identified by query of our endoscopic database. Comparative analyses between the group of patients treated with ERCP with MPS and the group treated with FCSEMS were performed. The costs to achieve stricture resolution, and the rates of stricture resolution, recurrence and complications were also compared. A total of 158 patients underwent ERCP with stent insertion for the management of ABS. Of those, 49 patient received FCSEMS for their ABS while 109 patients were treated with MPS only. Our cost analysis showed early utilization of FCSEMS can deliver up to 25% savings in the total procedure cost while providing comparable rates of stricture resolution. The rates of technical success, stricture recurrence and adverse outcomes, and stricture free durations were also comparable between the two groups. While providing efficacy and safety rates comparable to ERCP-MPS, the incorporation of FCSEMS at early stage of ABS management could provide a substantial savings by reducing the number of ERCP session to achieve stricture resolution. Optimization of the timing and duration of FCSEMS indwelling time needs further validation.
Massive icosahedral boron carbide crystals

We have discovered massive icosahedral multiply twinned particles of boron carbide among soot produced during the arc evaporation of carbon and boron in the presence of magnesium. The observation is striking because 5-fold symmetry in large micron size crystals is extremely rare. It is suggested that the icosahedral structural unit that builds up the rhombohedral crystal structure of bulk B4C provides a template for the formation of these large icosahedral crystals. The physical properties of boron carbide, known for its hardness, could be further improved in these crystals because of their unusually high symmetry.
Cosmological test using the high-redshift detection rate of FSRQs with the Square Kilometre Array

We present a phenomenological method for predicting the number of Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQs) that should be detected by upcoming Square Kilometer Array (SKA) SKA1-MID Wide Band 1 and Medium-Deep band 2 surveys. We use the Fermi Blazar Sequence and mass estimates of Fermi FSRQs, and gamma-ray emitting Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxies, to model the radio emission of FSRQs as a function of mass alone, assuming a near-Eddington accretion rate, which is suggested by current quasar surveys at z > 6. This is used to determine the smallest visible black hole mass as a function of redshift in two competing cosmologies we compare in this paper: the standard LCDM model and the R_h=ct universe. We then apply lockstep growth to the observed black-hole mass function at $z=6$ in order to devolve that population to higher redshifts and determine the number of FSRQs detectable by the SKA surveys as a function of z. We find that at the redshifts for which this method is most valid, LCDM predicts ~30 times more FSRQs than R_h=ct for the Wide survey, and ~100 times more in the Medium-Deep survey. These stark differences will allow the SKA surveys to strongly differentiate between these two models, possibly rejecting one in comparison with the other at a high level of confidence.
Antiplatelets, anticoagulants, and colonoscopic polypectomy.

The management of antiplatelet and anticoagulant (ie, antithrombotic) agents is challenging in the periendoscopic setting. In this state-of-the-art update, we review current best practice recommendations focusing on the risk of immediate and delayed postpolypectomy bleeding in the context of drug discontinuation (ie, temporary interruption) and drug continuation. The data regarding polypectomy technique (cold snare vs conventional thermal-based) and prophylactic placement of hemostatic clips are evaluated to assess whether these endoscopic techniques are beneficial in reducing postpolypectomy bleeding. Finally, clinical takeaways are provided to facilitate safer polypectomy among patients on antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents.
The Innovative Geoinformatics Public Health Utilities for Sustainable Ecological Tourism Facilities

Development and implementation of proper utilities in a sustainable tourism environment poses significant challenges on many fields, and involves issues such as stakeholders interested in community ecological tourism; public health protection of tourists; environmental protection and construction infrastructures; research and practice in a sustainable development design; effective construction designs; tourism marketing; geo informatics utilities for public health protection and efficient construction materials in the sector of community ecological tourism. The specific intensity and nature of these challenges, however, vary from place to place. Moreover, particular geographical areas, such as the Mediterranean Sea, lakes and coasts have their own specific problems and challenges. In this paper specific actions for public health protection in ecological tourism facilities, public health’s pollution control and innovative construction infrastructures are investigated, in order to minimize associated hazards. A useful framework is presented based on a comprehensive analysis of the community ecological tourism facilities and sustainable design facilities associated with public health. Important principles that should underlie any approach to sustainable ecological tourism with useful activities for the tourists are also examined. Useful conclusions related to how sustainable ecological tourism might be achieved are also made and implications on operational management of tourism facilities and sustainable designs in Greece are discussed.
Origin of Disorder Tolerance in Piezoelectric Materials and Design of Polar Systems

Current high-performing piezoelectric materials are dominated by perovskites that rely on soft optical phonon modes stabilized by disorder near a morphotropic phase boundary and a unique resilience...
Remnants of Communism and Present-Day Inequality:

Communism substantially shaped the values and beliefs of those who grew up under its regime. We argue that, after the Soviet Union’s collapse and the rapid transition to democracy and capitalism, m...
Loss of Coordinated Neutrophil Responses to the Human Fungal Pathogen, Candida albicans , in Patients With Cirrhosis.

Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cell in the body and are key participants in the defense against fungal infections. Fungal infections occur often in patients with cirrhosis and are associated with increased 30-day and 90-day mortality. Previous studies have shown that specific neutrophil functions are abnormal in patients with cirrhosis, although the extent of neutrophil dysfunction is not well understood. We tested the ability of neutrophils from 21 hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and 23 healthy control patients to kill Candida albicans, a common fungal pathogen in patients with cirrhosis. Using an assay, we also measured the ability of neutrophils to coordinate multicellular, synchronized control of C. albicans hyphae through a process known as swarming. We found that neutrophils from patients with cirrhosis have significantly decreased fungicidal capacity compared with healthy control neutrophils (53% vs. 74%, P < 0.0001) and diminished ability to control hyphal growth normalized as a ratio to healthy control (0.22 vs. 0.65, P < 0.0001). Moreover, serum from patients with cirrhosis decreases the ability of healthy control neutrophils to kill C. albicans (from 60% to 41%, P < 0.003). Circulating concentration of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-8 were found to be significantly elevated in patients with cirrhosis compared to healthy controls. Following pretreatment with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, neutrophil function was restored to almost that of healthy controls. Conclusion: Our data establish profound neutrophil dysfunction against, and altered swarming to, C. albicans in patients with cirrhosis. This dysfunction can be partially reversed with cytokine augmentation ex vivo.
Everyday updates: How parents ask about their young children’s lived experiences:

This research study explores how children respond to solicitations for updates about their (recent) experiences. Instances of parents soliciting updates from their children were collected from over...
Was the Corruption of Civil Rights Law Inevitable

This Article accepts Richard Epstein's premise that civil rights laws have become corrupt set forth in his book Forbidden Grounds: The Case Against Employment Discrimination. Once this corruption is recognized, this Article asks two questions about the change in focus of the antidiscrimination laws: (1) Was it inevitable that the antidiscrimination laws would follow this course?; and (2) If it was inevitable, should we live with the resulting costs, or bite the bullet and repeal antidiscrimination laws in the private economy? This Article discusses considerations pertinent to such answers.
Menzerath–Altmann’s Law of Syntax in RNA Accretion History

RNA evolves by adding substructural parts to growing molecules. Molecular accretion history can be dissected with phylogenetic methods that exploit structural and functional evidence. Here, we explore the statistical behaviors of lengths of double-stranded and single-stranded segments of growing tRNA, 5S rRNA, RNase P RNA, and rRNA molecules. The reconstruction of character state changes along branches of phylogenetic trees of molecules and trees of substructures revealed strong pushes towards an economy of scale. In addition, statistically significant negative correlations and strong associations between the average lengths of helical double-stranded stems and their time of origin (age) were identified with the Pearson’s correlation and Spearman’s rho methods. The ages of substructures were derived directly from published rooted trees of substructures. A similar negative correlation was detected in unpaired segments of rRNA but not for the other molecules studied. These results suggest a principle of diminishing returns in RNA accretion history. We show this principle follows a tendency of substructural parts to decrease their size when molecular systems enlarge that follows the Menzerath–Altmann’s law of language in full generality and without interference from the details of molecular growth.
Association of self-reported noise exposure and audiograms processed with algorithms proposed to quantify noise-induced hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the association of self-reported noise exposure and audiograms processed with ten algorithms proposed to quantify noise-induced hearing loss using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. DESIGN Participants were placed into groups based on self-reported noise exposure. Self-reported noise exposure served as a predictor for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Audiograms were analysed with ten algorithms: The Guidelines, Brewster's Rules, two versions of military Noise-induced Hearing Loss, the Bulge Depth, the age-adjusted 8 kHz threshold and four versions of a new algorithm called the Adjusted Notch Depth (AND). The area under the ROC curves were calculated for each algorithm. STUDY SAMPLE Data were collected from three cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. RESULTS Only one version the AND significantly identified those with self-reported noise exposure with an area under the curve of 0.562. CONCLUSIONS The association between the AND and self-reported noise exposure was marginally better than the previous algorithms in identifying those with self-reported noise exposure. These findings do not support using puretone thresholds for identifying those with NIHL in a cross-sectional research study without stratifying the participants. More research is needed to determine how the AND can be applied to stratified designs.
581 Multi-dimensional Synergy of Combinations (MuSYC) Algorithm Optimizes Combinatorial STING and TLR Adjuvant Cancer Vaccines

Background Optimized cancer vaccine’s T cell priming potential can promote their translation in the current clinical climate of immune checkpoint inhibitor approval for many cancers. Methods To rigorously optimize adjuvant combinations that would effectuate an improved in vivo anti-tumor response, we utilized a novel algorithm, the multi-dimensional synergy of combinations (MuSYC), to maximize efficacy and minimize dosing for various classes of adjuvant combinations (Figure 1). Results In-vitro, the MuSYC algorithm characterized the combination of R848 (TLR7/8 adjuvant) and STING agonist as synergistically efficacious and potent in activating murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (mBMDCs) and human monocytic cell line THP-1. These two selected adjuvants were then used to generate a MuSYC-derived optimized combination strategy for optimal in vivo priming. Finally, using B16 melanoma and MOC1 head and neck models, MuSYC-optimized cancer vaccines had the best anti-tumor response associated with increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and changes in myeloid infiltration. Conclusions Cumulatively, we believe our MuSYC-centered approach will optimize translatable adjuvant combinations to improve cancer immunotherapy.
Protecting the Rights of the Elderly

The State of California defines elder abuse as infliction of injury, intimidation, cruel punishment, or other treatment resulting in physical harm, pain or mental suffering. The California statute also encompasses the concept of neglect, that is, the deprivation by a caregiver of vital goods or services.1 Other states have similar statutes.
Inhibition of sterol synthesis in L cells by 14α-ethyl-5α-cholest-7-en-15α-ol-3-one at nanomolar concentrations

Abstract 14α-Ethyl-5α-cholest-7-en-15α-ol-3-one was prepared in 85% yield by selective oxidation of the 3β-hydroxyl function of 14α-ethyl-5α-cholest-7-en-3β,15α-diol by cholesterol oxidase. 14α-Ethyl-5α-cholest-7-en-15α-ol-3-one caused a 50% inhibition of the incorporation of [1-14C]-acetate into digitonin-precipitable sterols at a concentration of 6 × 10−9M in L cells and a 50% reduction in level of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity in the same cells at a concentration of 4 × 10−8 M.
A Historical Survey of the Structural Changes in the American System of Engineering Education

This chapter provides a historical overview of the U.S. system of engineering education from its origins in the nineteenth Century until the present. It is organized chronologically, describing the early institutional formation of the U.S. system of engineering education; the post World War II ascent of engineering science ideology; late- and post Cold War changes in engineering education. As a broad brush stroke history, this text does not attempt to be comprehensive, nor does it touch on every major historical development. Instead, the chapter adopts a more analytic view of the structural features of the U.S. system of engineering education and it transformation over time. The primary intent of the chapter is to provide background historical knowledge for the other chapters in his volume, but it also closes with several observations of broader interest.
Mechanical characterization of spot friction stir welded joints in aluminum alloys by combined experimental/numerical approaches: Part I: Micromechanical studies

This paper is part I of a two part paper, which summarizes recent studies carried out to characterize the weld zone mechanical properties in aluminum alloy 6111 spot friction stir welded joints at both the macromechanical and micromechanical levels. In this paper, micromechanical level investigations are reported for joints welded with different processing times. Apart from microstructural studies and microhardness tests, a new approach to characterize the distribution of weld zone modulus using modal vibration tests on micron scale cantilever array specimens with a micro-scanning laser vibrometer and the corresponding finite element simulations has been developed. Microcantilever array samples were designed in such a way that each microcantilever represents one of the weld zones. Microscopic studies reveal a partial metallurgical bond formed in the direction of flow, which is governed by the tool used and Vickers hardness numbers in those regions were found to be considerably lower than those of the base metal. From the analysis of microcantilever arrays, it was concluded that the variation of modulus in the weld zones is minimal and there is no significant reduction in the weld zone modulus when compared to that of the base metal.
Chondromyxoid fibroma of the mandible : diagnostic image cytometry findings and review of the literature

A case of chondromyxoid fibroma in the mandible of a 12-year-old boy is reported. A review of the literature is presented with emphasis on flow and image cytometric analysis and evaluation of the radiologic and histologic differences between chondromyxoid fibroma and chondrosarcoma.
High Frequency Ultrasonic Characterization of Sintered SiC

High frequency (60 to 160 MHz) ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation was used to characterize variations in density and microstructural constituents of sintered SiC bars. Ultrasonic characterization methods included longitudinal velocity, reflection coefficient, and precise attenuation measurements. The SiC bars were tailored to provide bulk densities ranging from 90 to 98 percent of theoretical, average grain sizes ranging from 3.0 to 12.0 microns, and average pore sizes ranging from 1.5 to 4.0 microns. Velocity correlated with specimen bulk density irrespective of specimen average grain size, average pore size, and average pore orientation. Attenuation coefficient was found to be sensitive to both density and average pore size variations, but was not affected by large differences in average grain size.
Metabolism of connective tissue polysaccharides in vivo. IV. The sulphate group.

Abstract The incorporation of inorganic sulphate into the chodroitin sulphate and keratosulphate components of rabbit costal cartilage and nucleus pulpsus has been studied. Both the soluble protein-polysaccharide complex as well as the insoluble residue exhibited rapid uptake of sulphate with significant incorporation occuring as early as 4 h after administration of the isotope. A procedure was advised for resolution of the keratosulphate and chondroitin sulphate fractions utilizing hyaluronidase digestion followed by chromatographys on DEAE-Sephadex in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The specific activity of the sulphate group in these polysaccharides was substantially unchanged for at least 30 days suggesting that the major portion of the sulphated polysaccharides of these tissues have relatively long biological half-lives. A high specific activity peak observed during several fractionation procedures was ultimately identified as inorganic sulphate. It is of interest to note that this material contaminated the polysaccharide fraction throughout several fractionation schemes. It is suggested that binding inorganic sulphate in tissue such as cartilage may occur via chelation with divalent cations which are tightly held by the ester sulphate groups on the polysaccharide moieties.
Taking A Pulse: Student-Athletes Descriptors For Their First Semester Of College

This paper summarizes the responses of 103 student-athletes enrolled in a first-year experience course when asked, What adjective best describes your first semester in college? Not surprisingly, the most frequent descriptors were busy, fun, stressful, and different. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of collecting this type of data as a form of early warning system.
Multilevel median filters: properties and efficacy

The authors discuss detail-preserving, ranked-order based filtering algorithms. These filters fall, roughly, into one of two categories: adaptive and non-adaptive. The main advantage of non-adaptive filters is that neither a-priori information of the image is required, nor does one need to compute local statistics inside the filters window. The authors consider non-adaptive, structure preserving filters only. In particular, they analyze the class of multilevel median filters, and compare their efficiency with that of other detail-preserving filters including multilevel FIR-median hybrid and morphological filters. For completeness, they also include results for the square median filter. >
Using Online Facebook Study Groups as a Pedagogical Tool for Political Science Courses

In this paper, we provide instructions and a rationale for using Facebook as an educational tool to create online study groups for political science courses. The suggestions and guide provided in this paper are based on our own observations and experiences. We also include a punctuated quantitative analysis in order to demonstrate that a positive empirical relationship exists between Facebook study groups and academic performance. We integrated Facebook as the primary study tool for eight different upper and lower division political science courses at a large public university (n=619). Online Facebook study groups allow students within a course to connect with each other and share a common space online. Group members may also send messages to each other, which they may choose to sync with email, cellular or computing devices. Additionally, group members can chat with each other in real time, upload documents (such as lecture notes or study guides), and share Internet links with other members of the course. We find that incorporating online Facebook study groups as a pedagogical tool in political science courses positively impacts academic performance.
Esophageal cancer--the five year survivors.

Background Esophageal cancer in the United States carries a poor prognosis with overall 5 year survival rate of approximately 10%. Due to this dismal outcome, data analyzing factors predictive of survival for greater than 5 years are not available. Methods Single institution retrospective review of esophageal resection for curative intent from 1984 to 2004. We identified 50 actual 5 year survivors (long term survivors, LTS) out of 266 patients (19%) with invasive esophageal cancer and, using multivariate logistic regression, compared characteristics between the LTS, and short-term (<5 year) survivors (STS). Results There was no significant difference in clinical T stage or N stage by EUS (P = 0.81) or in the utilization of neoadjuvant therapy in the LTS versus STS (58% vs. 62%, respectively, P = 0.36). The LTS group was significantly more likely to have pathologic complete response (69% vs. 41%, P < 0.001), lower pathologic T stage, i.e., pT0, pTis, or pT1 (83% vs. 45%, P < 0.001), pN0 stage (97% vs. 68%, P < 0.001), favorable tumor differentiation (well or well to moderate, 39% vs. 13%, P < 0.001), and absence of angiolymphatic (88% vs. 69%, P < 0.01) or perineural invasion (95% vs. 83%, P = 0.04). In comparing the factors predictive of outcome in LTS versus the STS with increasing relative risk, absence of perineural invasion (RR 0.41 (0.27, 0.61)), negative margins (RR 0.41 (0.29, 0.57)), absence of angiolymphatic invasion (RR 0.39 (0.30, 0.51)), pN0 stage (RR 1.37 (1.23, 1.52)), pT0 or pT1 (RR 1.85 (1.64, 2.07)), pathologic complete response (RR 2.02 (1.76, 2.31)), and favorable tumor grade (RR 3.00 (2.49, 3.61)) were associated with improved survival. Conclusion Tumor biological factors including favorable tumor grade may be the most important influence on 5 year actual survival in esophageal cancer. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011; 103:179–183. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Non-invasive ventilation of the preterm infant

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is increasingly being used in preterm infants with the purpose of reducing the risk of adverse pulmonary outcome associated with invasive mechanical ventilation. This review analyzes the evidence from physiologic and clinical studies on the use of NIV in the preterm infant. Physiologic data indicate advantages of NIV with regard to ventilation, gas exchange, breathing effort and thoraco-abdominal distortion. Data from clinical trials have consistently shown facilitation of weaning from mechanical ventilation and potential benefits in infants with RDS and apnoea. Long term improvements in respiratory outcome have also been reported but need to be confirmed in larger trials.
CW Theory of quasi-three level end-pumped laser oscillators

Abstract Equations describing the pump excitation and power extraction of end-pumped quasi-three level CW laser oscillators are derived which are useful in the optimization of such systems. The theory takes into account arbitrarily large ground state depletion due to intense pumping as well as gain saturation due to the extracting laser beam. The presented theory is more general than previously published works on the subject as it allows for the possibility of double passing the pump through the gain medium which in some instances can be an important technique for increasing system efficiency. To illustrate the utility of the derived equations, a diode end-pumped kilowatt class CW laser oscillator using Yb:YAG as the gain element is optimized and studied.
TSV stress-aware performance and reliability analysis

We analyze delay, dynamic and leakage power of TSV based 3D-ICs under stress-induced mobility and threshold voltage changes. It is shown that variations in MOS device characteristics can influence the overall chip performance depending on the number of affected devices. We also analyze the impact of these changes on the reliability of circuit designs. Mean time to failure (MTTF) is calculated under the influence of stress. We also discuss a technique to reduce the variation of device parameters by providing Keep-Out-Zone for selective TSVs and placing the critical cells around those TSVs.
Meaning and Love in Viktor Frankl's Writing: Reports from the Holocaust

Viktor Frankl has written that people can survive in the most adverse of situations. He emphasized that the will to meaning has actual survival value. Frankl said people who were oriented toward the future or who had loved ones to see again were most likely to have survived the Holocaust. But is this belief valid? Does love have survival value? Six survivors of the Holocaust were interviewed to assess whether they experienced thoughts and feelings as those described by Frankl. Analysis of results from these interviews showed that love was important but so were other factors.
Tariffs, employment and wage bargaining

Abstract This paper shows that tariffs are usually expansionary in employment and output in an unionized economy independent of the use of tariffs revenues. It raises the utility of the union but has an ambiguous effect on welfare of households.