cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Summary of high energy neutron sources and their characteristics.

Abstract The neutron sources presently in use in clinical neutron therapy and several proposed are reviwed as to their engineering problems and dose distribution characteristics. For the deuteron on beryllium sources presently being used in neutron therapy the following observations are made: •source reliability to date has been quite acceptable; •skin sparing obtained increases with increasing deuteron energy, 16 MeV d + , Be gives a dose buildup similar to 137 Cs and that for 30 MeV d + , Be is similar to 60 Co; •depth dose increases with increasing deuteron energy with the 30 MeV d + , Be depth dose distribution similar to that for 60 Co.The use of protons on beryllium results in dose distributions which agree well with those of the d + , Be source for equivalent energies. The only major difference is a lower neutron yield for the p + , Be reaction which requires target power loadings five to six times as great for a given dose rate.Comparable data for the d + , T sources are presented and the target power dissipation problems which have plagued this design for a number of years are discussed.Data are presented supporting the contention that in phantom scattering for neutron therapy sources is large enough to warrant accepting a total dose shield leakage value of 1% as opposed to the 0.1% for photon sources.
The influence of static atomic displacements on the diffuse intensity scattered by solid solutions

Abstract The diffraction theory for solid solutions given by Matsubara and subsequently extended by Kanzaki and by Krivoglaz is used to examine the asymmetry in the diffuse intensity scattered by β brass and Cu3Au and also the asymmetry in the satellite intensity diffracted by artificially produced silver-gold layered structures. Good agreement is found between the observed and predicted asymmetries.
Continuous-time filters in telecommunications chips

Analog fully integrated continuous-time filters are reviewed. The important rule of such filters in modern telecommunications is outlined, and several techniques for their implementation in mixed-signal chips are described. The article concludes with a review of techniques at the research stage, which promise to expand the frequency range and reduce power dissipation.
A novel H2A-E+ transgenic model susceptible to human but not mouse thyroglobulin-induced autoimmune thyroiditis: identification of mouse pathogenic epitopes.

The A−E+ transgenic mouse is highly susceptible to human thyroglobulin (hTg)-induced thyroiditis, but strongly tolerant to a challenge by mouse thyroglobulin (mTg), in stark contrast to traditionally susceptible strains, wherein mTg induces stronger thyroiditis. To identify mouse thyroid epitopes recognized by destructive, hTg-primed T cells, we selected the three hTg epitopes known to be presented by H2Eb, as the basis for synthesizing potential mTg epitopes. One 15-mer peptide, mTg409, did prime T cells, elicit Ab, and induce thyroiditis. Moreover, cells primed with corresponding, pathogenic hTg410 cross-reacted with mTg409, and vice versa. mTg409 contained 4/4 anchor residues, similar to the corresponding hTg peptide. Based on this finding, a second mTg epitope, mTg179, was subsequently identified. These mTg autoepitopes, identified by using thyroiditogenic hTg epitopes, help to explain the severe thyroiditis seen in this novel A−E+ transgenic model.
Nutritional management of the dialysis patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Abstract •Objective: To review the current literature so that appropriate nutritional guidelines, interventions, and management for the dialysis patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) can be determined. •Data: Relevant English language articles were identified via MEDLINE search (1980 to 1995), Relevant texts also were reviewed. Additional references were selected from bibliographies of identified articles and texts. •Study selection: All selected articles and texts related to the nutritional concerns, management, and intervention for patients (1) with AIDS, (2) with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and (3) with ESRD and AIDS who are on dialysis. •Data synthesis: Human immunodeficiency virus infection, AIDS, and ESRD are all nutritionally debilitating. When a patient has AIDS and is dependent on dialysis, the nutritional consequences are compounded. Malnutrition results from a combination of many factors, and as it progresses, there is increased morbidity and mortality. Nutritional guidelines recommended for persons with AIDS are based on extrapolations of needs and allowances from other chronic diseases. •Conclusion: Information regarding the nutritional needs and management of the ESRD patient with AIDS who is on dialysis is not available at this time. Nutritional goals can be estimated based on the reported needs for each disease state separately. Intervention and management can be accomplished using tools and information available for the nutritional management of other chronic diseases. As the number of AIDS patients increases, there will be an increased number of dialysis patients with AIDS. Additional research is necessary to define the nutritional needs and management of this high-nutritional risk population.
Reaching and engaging non-gay identified, non-disclosing Black men who have sex with both men and women.

Non-gay identified (NGI) Black men who have sex with both men and women (MSMW) and who use substances are at risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV to their partners. Homophobic community norms can discourage such men from disclosing their risk behaviour to female partners and others, including service providers. It is important to understand the dynamics of risk in this vulnerable population, but research is challenged by the men's need for secrecy. In this paper we report on successful efforts to recruit 33 non-disclosing, NGI Black MSMW for in-depth interviews concerning substance use, HIV risk and attitudes toward disclosing their risk behaviour. We employed targeted and referral sampling, with initial contacts and/or key informants drawn from several types of settings in New York City, including known gay venues, community organisations, neighbourhood networks and the Internet. Key informant gatekeepers and the ability to establish rapport proved central to success. Perceived stigma is a source of so...
Standards of laboratory practice: guidelines for the maintaining of a modern therapeutic drug monitoring service

On Saturday, June 19, 1997 the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry held a meeting to publicly review a draft document containing recommendations on the provision of basic therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) services. This was the third in a continuing series of meetings on Standards of Laboratory Practice (SOLP), which was established to provide practice guidelines for laboratory scientists in a focused area of laboratory medicine. The manuscripts and summaries of two earlier SOLPs, on Thyroid Disease (1) and on Support of the Newborn (2), were published in this Journal, and the monographs are available from the NACB. By facilitating discussion between clinical laboratory analysts and physicians during the …
Implementing labor flexibility: A missing link between acquired labor flexibility and plant performance

Abstract The existing studies conceptualize a direct relationship between acquired labor flexibility and plant performance, producing inconsistent empirical results, which makes the topic ripe for further inquiry. We believe acquiring labor flexibility is not sufficient; its implementation is an important intervening step when companies have to tackle accompanying technical and behavioral side effects of labor flexibility. In this paper, we develop and test a theoretical model in which we introduce an intervening variable to capture the implementation of labor flexibility. In addition, evolving human resource management practices that promote acquisition of labor flexibility are also examined in our model. Case studies in ten printed circuit board plants validated our model. Subsequently, survey data collected from 74 PCB plants was analyzed using Partial Least Squares method. Supporting the proposed model, the results show that the impact of acquired labor flexibility on plant performance is not direct but experienced through the sophistication of labor flexibility implementation exercised by the plant. Our findings also suggested that plants that emphasized process-focused training, provided greater job-rotation training, and designed positive reward structures, acquired higher labor flexibility.
Failure to Clinically Predict NICU Hearing Loss

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) survivors demonstrate handicapping sensorineural hearing loss up to 50 times more frequently than normal newborns, yet little is known about the etiology of the hearing loss. Theoretically, accurate identification and triage of a particular infant based on a clinical profile would be useful. Forty NICU graduates of The Massachusetts General Hospital were selected for a detailed retrospective chart review evaluating prenatal, perinatal, and NICU medical conditions and treatment. Twenty-three patients identified with hearing loss and 17 infants with normal hearing were compared clinically. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed on a subpopulation of patients (20 with hearing loss and 16 with normal hearing). A history of ventilation was associated with hearing loss (P = .0023), but this factor was not absolute. No other clinical parameters were convincingly linked to hearing loss. We conclude that reliance on risk factors is an inadequate clinical method to select a patient for a hearing test and that each NICU survivor deserves audiometric evaluation.
Aging in place: merging desire with reality

Barriers to aging in place include physical mobility and transportation limitations, isolation related loneliness and depression, diminishing health status, housing quality, finances, and caregiving resources. The scope of the aging demographic shift, economic consequences and loss of quality of life urge adoption of such successful approaches as the life course model. Desirable aging in place provides person-centered quality of living that is independence-effective and affordable. Systematic community-centered and person-centered approaches are crucial to accomplishing the central actions of the life course model. Not only are the actions necessary, they are interactive, interdependent, and strategic in supporting one another. Language: en
Wind Effects on Past and Future Regional Sea Level Trends in the Southern Indo-Pacific

Abstract Global sea level rise due to the thermal expansion of the warming oceans and freshwater input from melting glaciers and ice sheets is threatening to inundate low-lying islands and coastlines worldwide. At present the global mean sea level rises at 3.1 ± 0.7 mm yr−1 with an accelerating tendency. However, the magnitude of recent decadal sea level trends varies greatly spatially, attaining values of up to 10 mm yr−1 in some areas of the western tropical Pacific. Identifying the causes of recent regional sea level trends and understanding the patterns of future projected sea level change is of crucial importance. Using a wind-forced simplified dynamical ocean model, the study shows that the regional features of recent decadal and multidecadal sea level trends in the tropical Indo-Pacific can be attributed to changes in the prevailing wind regimes. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that within an ensemble of 10 state-of-the-art coupled general circulation models, forced by increasing atmospheric CO2 co...
Developing open source programs for science and mathematics

The switch from procedural to object-oriented (OO) programming has produced dramatic changes in professional software design. OO techniques have not, however, been widely adopted by science and mathematics teachers and curriculum authors. The continued use of procedural languages in education is partly due to the lack of up-to-date curricular development tools that implement science computation and numerical analysis techniques within an OO framework. This talk describes a new open-source development project that combines OO software development with science education research to produce such material. These OO tools include frameworks for two- and three-dimensional drawing, numerical analysis, and user interfaces. Examples are presented that show how these tools can be used to create curricular material for upper level science and mathematics course.
Racial Minorities and Women Workers in a Big City Police Department: A Case Study in the Elusiveness of Affirmative Action

The workforce of a city police department is analyzedfor a period in which an affirmative action program was in operation. The goal of parity representation with the available labor force of racial minorities and women workers in the city was not realized in this police department. The problematic nature of "equality of employment" in city police agencies is further clarified by an examination of the employment situation in this department on two levels of explanation.
Placental characteristics as a proxy measure of serum hormone and protein levels during pregnancy with a male fetus.

Objective In utero exposure to steroid hormones may be related to risk of some cancers such as testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). To determine whether placental characteristics are good surrogate measures of maternal biomarker levels, we evaluated the correlations in mothers of sons at higher (whites, n = 150) and lower (blacks, n = 150) risk of TGCT. Associations with birth weight were also examined.
Accumulation of coefficient roundoff error in fast Fourier transforms implemented with logarithmic number system

When a fast Fourier transform (FFT) is implemented on a digital computer or with special-purpose hardware, quantization errors will arise due to finite word lengths in the digital system. This correspondence presents an analysis of error accumulation due to coefficient rounding in the FFT implemented with a logarithmic number system. The theoretical result of the coefficient roundoff error analysis is verified by computer simulations. The results indicate that the FFT implemented with the logarithmic number system provides better signal-to-noise performance than that implemented with a fixed-point or floating-point number system.
Novel use of singularity functions to model periodic phenomena in cash flow analysis

When seeking to properly consider the time value of money, typical periodic cash flows such as payments and interest charges are difficult to model. This paper explores a new signal function that employs singularity functions to express such intermittent phenomena. This flexible signal function allows manipulating the parameters of start and finish, amplitude, and period of the signal efficiently, so that payments and interest charges can be modeled accurately. This novel approach is beneficial in several ways. First, the new model can effectively incorporate shift and delay effects that may affect an activity. Second, it applies an exact interest calculation. Third, it can handle compounding in its accumulation. Finally, a comprehensive model is created that returns the cumulative balance including interest charges at all times. It is concluded that signal functions are a promising area for future research on modeling and optimizing the cash flows.
The Fabry‐Perot Interferometer with a Large Fresnel Number

The Fabry-Perot Interferometer is investigated on the basis of the Huygens-Fresnel Principle. An integral equation is derived which describes its features when used as a laser resonator. An asymptotic expansion is given for a large Fresnel Number. The first-order approximation describes the waves resonating between the mirrors. A formal solution is obtained which is consistent from the viewpoint of the diffraction theory. This solution reveals the most significant result that in the region close to the axis the observable single mode patterns are in the form of parabolic cylinder functions. Thus, apart from an immaterial phase variation, the lowest-order eigenfunction associated with the resonating waves is a Gaussian and not a cosine function as is widely believed. The theoretical results presented are obviously in favorable agreement with the familiar experimental observations. They predict, for instance, the filamentary nature of the laser action in an imperfect ruby crystal. Das Fabry-Perot-Interferometer wird auf der Grundlage des Huygens-Fresnelschen Prinzipes untersucht. Eine Integralgleichung wird abgeleitet, die seine Eigenschaften in der Anwendung als Laser-Resonator beschreibt. Eine asymptotische Entwicklung fur eine grose Fresnel-Zahl wird angegeben. Die Naherung erster Ordnung beschreibt die zwischen den Spiegeln resonierenden Wellen. Eine formale Losung wird ermittelt, die im Einklang mit der Beugungstheorie steht. Diese Losung enthullt das auserst wichtige Ergebnis, das die Schwingungsformen in Achsennahe durch die parabolischen Zylinder Funktionen ausdruckbar sind. Demnach ist, abgesehen von einer unwesentlichen Phasenvariation, die niedrigste Eigenfunktion, welche die resonierenden Wellen beschreibt, eine Gaussche Funktion und nicht eine Kosinus-Funktion, wie es allgemein angenommen wird. Die theoretischen Ergebnisse sind augenscheinlich in guter Ubereinstimmung mit den bekannten experimentellen Resultaten. Sie lassen zum Beispiel den fadenformigen Laser-Mechanismus in einem mit Fehlern behafteten Rubin-Kristall erwarten.
The sensitivity and significance of lateralized interictal slow activity on magnetoencephalography in focal epilepsy

Abstract Objective Asymmetric large-amplitude slow activity is sometimes observed on interictal electroencephalography (EEG) in epilepsy. However, few studies have examined slowing during magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings, which are performed primarily to localize interictal spikes. Also, no prior investigations have compared the sensitivity of MEG to scalp EEG in detecting slow rhythms. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of focal epilepsy patients who received MEG followed by surgical resection at our institution. We examined MEG, simultaneous EEG, and long-term EEG recordings for prominent asymmetric slow activity (delta-range, 1–4Hz), and evaluated post-operative seizure outcomes. Results We studied 132 patients with ≥1 year post-operative follow-up (mean, 3.6 years). Mean age was 27 (range, 3–68) years, and 55% of patients were male. Asymmetric large-amplitude slow wave activity was observed on interictal MEG in 21 of 132 (16%) patients. Interictal slowing lateralized to the hemisphere of resection in all but one (95%) patient. Among the 21 patients with interictal MEG slowing, 11 (52%) individuals had similarly lateralized EEG slowing, 7 patients had no EEG slowing, and 3 had bilateral symmetric EEG slowing. Meanwhile, none of the 111 patients without lateralized MEG slowing had asymmetric EEG slowing, suggesting significantly higher sensitivity of MEG versus EEG in detecting asymmetric slowing ( χ 2 =63.4, p χ 2 =0.4, p =0.99). Significance MEG has higher sensitivity than scalp EEG in detecting asymmetric slow activity in focal epilepsy, which reliably lateralizes to the epileptogenic hemisphere. Other uses of MEG beyond spike localization may further improve presurgical evaluations in epilepsy.
Retrospective immunohistochemical study of VDR, RXR, Ki-67, and Bcl-2 expression in primary and metastatic osteosarcoma

e21516 Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly malignant tumor with a peak incidence in adolescents and young adults. Patient's prognosis is limited to clinical parameters whereas molecular markers of tumor aggression are yet to be identified. Vitamin D (Vit D) has been postulated as a novel therapeutic option for a variety of malignancies such as breast and prostatic carcinomas. The biologic effect of vitamins is mainly mediated through receptors. Vit D receptors (VDRs) are members of the steroid hormone superfamily and are ubiquitous in a various tissues including bone. Upon activation by its ligand, VDR combines with retinoid receptor (RXR) forming a heterodimer initiating a cascade of cellular events. How Vit D induces its antineoplastic activity in OS remains to be elucidated. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis for VDR, RXR, Ki-67, and bcl-2 was performed on 87 OS specimens to evaluate differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Clinical data including site of the primary tumor, presence or ab...
Implications and Potentials of a Process-Oriented Soil Science

Publisher Summary Soil science has become an integral part of many different fields of study, ranging beyond agronomy to include archaeology, physical and landscape geography, resource sustainability, and even climatology in terms of potential and long-term carbon sequestration. The importance and implications to these various fields of study in this distinction between understanding soils as open or closed systems is briefly addressed in this chapter. Soils are critical components in research outside of agronomy and engineering, and modern soil science's epistemological limitations constrain the kinds of research questions these other disciplines are able to address. Modern soil science evolved out of the study of and concern for plants, and not from a concern for the nature of soils themselves. The five-factor model and the chains of causality defined by the 13-paired processes of modern soil science evolved to simplify the complexity of one aspect of food production: soil as a plant growth medium. Second, modern soil science's classifications and inventories do not allow for the study of soils as dynamic self-organizing systems capable of changing or impacting on the five factors and the broader environmental context within which these interact. Therefore, non-agronomic discipline needs for analyzing and understanding soils, as a dynamic component within their research cannot be adequately addressed with the current models and paradigms of modern soil science.
Promoting Global Empathy and Engagement through Real-Time Problem-Based Simulations

We introduce a real-time problem-based simulation in which students are tasked with drafting policy to address the challenge of internally displaced persons in post-earthquake Haiti from a variety of stakeholder perspectives. Students who participated in the simulation completed a quantitative survey as a pre-/post-test on global empathy, political awareness, and civic engagement and provided qualitative data through post-simulation focus groups. The simulation was run in four courses across three campuses in a variety of instructional settings from 2013 to 2015. An analysis of the data reveals that scores on several survey items measuring global empathy and political/civic engagement increased significantly after the simulation, while qualitative student comments corroborated the results. This format of a real-time problem-based policy-making simulation is readily adaptable to other ongoing and future global crises using the framework provided in this paper.
Seasonal and diurnal variability in airborne mold from an indoor residential environment in northern New York.

It is well known that characterization of airborne bioaerosols in indoor environments is a challenge because of inherent irregularity in concentrations, which are influenced by many environmental f...
EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTATION TO TEMPERATURE. V. ADAPTIVE MECHANISMS AND CORRELATED RESPONSES IN EXPERIMENTAL LINES OF ESCHERICHIA COLI.

We previously demonstrated temperature-specific genetic adaptation in experimental lines of Escherichia coli. Six initially identical populations were propagated for 2000 generations under each of five regimes: constant 20°C, 32°C, 37°C, and 42°C, and a daily switch between 32°C and 42°C. Glucose was the sole carbon source in all cases. Here, we examine the physiological bases of adaptation to determine whether the same mechanisms evolved among the replicate lines within each thermal regime and across different regimes. Specifically, we investigate whether changes in glucose transport may account for the temperature-specific adaptation. We compared each line's direct response of fitness to glucose with its correlated response to maltose; glucose and maltose enter the cell by different pathways, but their catabolism is identical. Except for lines maintained at the ancestral temperature (37°C), almost all derived lines had significantly different fitnesses (relative to their common ancestor) in glucose and maltose, supporting the hypothesis that adaptation involved changes in glucose transport. An alternative explanation, that maltose transport decayed by genetic drift, appears unlikely for reasons that are discussed. Although most lines showed evidence of temperature-specific adaptation in glucose transport, several different mechanisms may underlie these improvements, as indicated by heterogeneity in correlated responses (across temperatures and substrates) among replicate lines adapted to the same regime. This heterogeneity provides a latent pool of genetic variation for responding to environmental change.
Experiences of Social Support Among Chinese Immigrant Mental Health Consumers with Psychosis

Limited research has investigated how culture impacts expressions of social support, which is crucial in developing culturally sensitive care. Using a classification based on theories of social support, we examined the social support experiences of 49 Chinese immigrant mental health consumers with psychosis, paying particular attention to frequency and sources. We found that the most common forms of social support were belonging and companionship, perceived emotional support, social control, and perceived instrumental support, while self-esteem and sense of mastery were the least common forms. Family and friends were the main sources of support. These results demonstrate the influence of Confucian values of renqing (or fulfillment of relational obligations) and guanxi (or social networks) and the negative effects of stigma in diminishing the social standing of these consumers by compromising 'personhood.' Clinical implications for increasing the cultural competency of clinicians and improving the mental health outcomes of Chinese immigrants are discussed.
Building Infrastructure and Capacity for Correctional Health Research in a College of Criminal Justice: Lessons and Promises

This analysis describes the planning and implementation of a development project to build infrastructure and capacity for correctional and community health research in a college of criminal justice. Partnering with a research-intensive university, the 3-year project recruited 112 faculty and student trainees for mentored research, extramural and intramural training, subsidized conference travels, and new course offerings. A network of 34 “nuclear” investigators emerged as a cohesive infrastructure from the experience, producing 21 refereed publications, 18 conference presentations, and nine grant applications in correctional and community health. A sustainability plan has been executed to consolidate the gains achieved. Lessons are discussed.
Running Status Analysis and Assessment of 10 kV Arresters in Guangdong Power Grid

This paper introduces the type and installation mode of 10 kV arresters in Guangdong power grid,and investigates their failure modes.Comparative tests were conducted for the failed 10 kV arresters and the new ones,and the failure causes and installation problems of the 10 kV arresters in Guangdong power grid were analyzed.The results indicate that the resistance card specification,sealing performance,structure,installation mode,and earth resistance do not meet the requirements,which leading to frequent faults with the arresters in Guangdong power grid.Some corresponding suggestions are offered to enhance the reliability of the Guangdong power grid.
Overview of outcomes research and management and its role in oncology practice

Outcomes assessment describes a variety of activities, including classic clinical trials with quality of life and cost end points, observational studies examining the outcomes of treatment in the course of routine clinical care, and the process of managing patterns of care in clinical practice. These activities share important common features, including an emphasis on quality of life and economic outcomes, an explicit consideration of the importance of patient characteristics in determining outcomes, and a broad definition of what constitutes cancer care. The primary uses of outcomes data are to evaluate treatments and to assess the quality of care provided by physicians, health care institutions, and health insurance plans. Outcomes management integrates these activities through the implementation of guidelines, ideally based on empiric data on the relationship between medical interventions and outcomes; and the measurement of performance against a set of quality indicators derived from those guidelines. One of the biggest challenges facing clinicians today is how to reconcile the need to do what is best for patients with the need to practice cost-conscious medicine. High-quality outcomes data are at the heart of the solution. This presentation is a brief overview of outcomes research and management and its role in oncology practice.
Photodissociation of Triarylmethanes

Recently there have appeared several reports of picosecond absorption studies for the photodissociation of triarylmethanes(1,2,3). This class of molecules is of interest as photoexcitation leads to the formation of ion pairs, the kinetics of which are highly solvent dependent. The 300 nm photolysis of malachite green leucocyanide (MGCN) results in the formation of malachite green cation (MG+) whose appearance, when monitored at 610 nm, is non-exponential. In order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular events that give rise to this behavior we have examined the picosecond absorption kinetics of a series of TAMs.
The moduli space of Type A surfaces with torsion and non-singular symmetric Ricci tensor

Abstract We examine the moduli spaces of Type A connections on oriented and unoriented surfaces both with and without torsion in relation to the signature of the associated symmetric Ricci tensor ρ s . If the signature of ρ s is ( 1 , 1 ) or ( 0 , 2 ) , the moduli spaces are smooth. If the signature is ( 2 , 0 ) , there is an orbifold singularity.
Conclusion: QUEER, Made in France

In writing about the situation of homosexuals in other countries, we Americans are sometimes tempted to speak in terms of their retarded development. However, in comparing the progress of American and French gay political groups during the last 25 years, it becomes difficult to see in what ways French political activists have fallen behind relative to their American counterparts. Republican assimilationist strategies have served French homosexuals well, being responsible for an impressive series of legal reforms, particularly in contrast to what has happened in the United States during the same time. France has removed all explicit legal discrimination against homosexuals, while the United States’ military policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” continues to explicitly discriminate against gays and lesbians, and consensual sexual acts conducted in private between same-sex individuals were a crime in many American states until the recent Supreme Court decision in Lawrence and Garner v. Texas.2 In 1985, France passed legislation protecting individuals from discrimination based on their sexual orientation, whereas most American gays and lesbians still do not benefit from such protection: none exists at the federal level and the scope of the various cities’ and states’ antidiscrimination laws is limited.
Abstract 393: NOTCH1 inactivating mutation mediates sensitivity to PI3K/mTOR inhibitors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Recently published whole exome sequencing studies in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumors revealed that few had therapeutically targetable alterations using current strategies. This finding defines translational gap between genomics and HNSCC treatment. One potential targetable alteration is PIK3CA mutations. However, clinical trials testing PI3K/mTOR pathway inhibitors have had limited success and these inhibitors only lead to cell cycle arrest in PIK3CA mutant HNSCC cell lines. Thus, there is a critical need to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities for common mutation groups, including tumor suppressors, in HNSCC. One of these molecular subgroups is NOTCH1 which is the second most frequently mutated gene in HNSCC, with a 10-15% prevalence of inactivating mutations. Although there are several studies underscoring the importance of NOTCH1 as a tumor suppressor in HNSCC, none has identified a therapy that targets NOTCH1 mutant (mut) HNSCC. Our objective was to identify predictive biomarkers of sensitivity to PI3K/mTOR inhibitors by integrating drug and multiple-omics data. Cell viability with six PI3K/mTOR inhibitors in 68 HNSCC lines was measured by the CellTiter Glo assay. The peak plasma concentration of each drug was used as the cut-off to determine sensitivity. We observed a striking correlation between NOTCH1mut and sensitivity to PI3K/mTOR pathway inhibitors. When fisher9s exact test was performed, NOTCH1mut lines were more sensitive to GSK2126458 (P NOTCH1mut lines underwent more apoptosis after GSK2126458 treatment compared to NOTCH1wt lines (PCI15B- 48.1 fold; P Our data suggests that loss of active NOTCH1 signaling confers sensitivity to PI3K/mTOR inhibition. If the combination of NOTCH1 and PI3K/mTOR inhibition leads to apoptosis, this combination could be translated into the clinic. Citation Format: Faye M. Johnson, Vaishnavi Sambandam, Li Shen, Ming Zhang, Rishi Saigal, Pan Tong, Tuhina Mazumdar, Lauren A. Byers, Curtis Pickering, Jeffrey N. Myers, Jing Wang, Mitchell Frederick. NOTCH1 inactivating mutation mediates sensitivity to PI3K/mTOR inhibitors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 393.
Ocular indicators of Alzheimer’s: exploring disease in the retina

Although historically perceived as a disorder confined to the brain, our understanding of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has expanded to include extra-cerebral manifestation, with mounting evidence of abnormalities in the eye. Among ocular tissues, the retina, a developmental outgrowth of the brain, is marked by an array of pathologies in patients suffering from AD, including nerve fiber layer thinning, degeneration of retinal ganglion cells, and changes to vascular parameters. While the hallmark pathological signs of AD, amyloid β-protein (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) comprising hyperphosphorylated tau (pTau) protein, have long been described in the brain, identification of these characteristic biomarkers in the retina has only recently been reported. In particular, Aβ deposits were discovered in post-mortem retinas of advanced and early stage cases of AD, in stark contrast to non-AD controls. Subsequent studies have reported elevated Aβ42/40 peptides, morphologically diverse Aβ plaques, and pTau in the retina. In line with the above findings, animal model studies have reported retinal Aβ deposits and tauopathy, often correlated with local inflammation, retinal ganglion cell degeneration, and functional deficits. This review highlights the converging evidence that AD manifests in the eye, especially in the retina, which can be imaged directly and non-invasively. Visual dysfunction in AD patients, traditionally attributed to well-documented cerebral pathology, can now be reexamined as a direct outcome of retinal abnormalities. As we continue to study the disease in the brain, the emerging field of ocular AD warrants further investigation of how the retina may faithfully reflect the neurological disease. Indeed, detection of retinal AD pathology, particularly the early presenting amyloid biomarkers, using advanced high-resolution imaging techniques may allow large-scale screening and monitoring of at-risk populations.
Nonlinear Microlocal Analysis

The prototype of the equations described in the introduction is the simple semilinear wave equation $$U = \{ \partial_t^2 - \sum\limits_{{i = 1}}^n {\partial_{{{x_j}}}^2} \} U = f\left( {t,X,U} \right). $$ (1.1) with f an arbitrary smooth function. We consider first the linear case $$ U = 0 $$ (1.2) and several elementary examples of solutions.
Targeting resuscitation to normalization of coagulating status: Hyper and hypocoagulability after severe injury are both associated with increased mortality

Abstract Introduction The prevalence and impact of hypercoagulability (hypo) in severely injured patients early after injury remains unclear. We hypothesize that the predominant phenotype of postinjury coagulopathy is hypercoagulability (hyper) and it is associated with increased mortality. Material and methods Blood samples from 141 healthy volunteers assayed with thrombelastography (TEG) were used to identify thresholds of hypo and hypercoagulability (above 95th/below the 5thpercentile) in four TEG indices. These cutoffs were subsequently evaluated in severely injured trauma patients (ISS>15) from two level 1 trauma centers. Results 2540 patients with a median ISS of 25 were analyzed. Normal TEG was present in 36% of patients. Hyper was found in 38% of patients, with mixed (11%) and hypo (15%) being less common. Compared to normal coagulation patients and after controlling for age, sex, blood pressure, and injury hyper (0.013), mixed (p Conclusion These data support the ongoing need for goal directed resuscitation in trauma patients, it appears the optimal resuscitation strategy should be targeted towards normalization of coagulation status as both early hyper and hypocoagulability are associated with increased mortality.
Three-Dimensional Numerical Analysis of Hollow-Core Composite Building Columns

This paper presents a numerical study on the behavior of hollow-core fiber-reinforced polymer-concrete-steel (HC-FCS) columns with square steel tubes under combined axial compression and flexural loadings. The investigated HC-FCS column consisted of an outer circular fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) tube, an inner square steel tube, and a concrete wall between them. Three-dimensional numerical models were developed using LS-DYNA software for modeling large-scale HC-FCS columns. The finite element (FE) models were designed and validated against experimental results gathered from HC-FCS columns tested under cyclic lateral loading. The FE results were in decent agreement with the experimental backbone curves. These models subsequently were used to conduct a parametric FE study investigating the effects of the confinement ratio and buckling instabilities on the behavior of the HC-FCS columns. In general, the HC-FCS columns with square steel tube failed by steel tube local buckling followed by FRP rupture. The obtained local buckling stresses that result from the FE models were compared with the values calculated from the empirical equations of the design codes. Finally, based on the FE model results, an expression was proposed to predict the square steel tubes local buckling stresses of HC-FCS columns.
Emulating primality with multiset representations of natural numbers

Factorization results in multisets of primes and this mapping can be turned into a bijection between multisets of natural numbers and natural numbers. At the same time, simpler and more efficient bijections exist that share some interesting properties with the bijection derived from factorization. This paper describes mechanisms to emulate properties of prime numbers through isomorphisms connecting them to computationally simpler representations involving bijections from natural numbers to multisets of natural numbers. As a result, interesting automorphisms of N and emulations of the rad, Mobius and Mertens functions emerge in the world of our much simpler multiset representations. The paper is organized as a self-contained literate Haskell program. The code extracted from the paper is available as a standalone program at http://logic.cse.unt.edu/tarau/research/2011/mprimes.hs.
Acquisition, Representation and Retrieval of 3D Dynamic Objects

The current proliferation of 3-d representations of cultural heritage objects presents a new category of challenges for the curation and search methods used to access the growing amount spatial data-sets. Spatial data will soon be a new standard in the representation of object collections as the methods and technologies are quickly improving. The LibraryMachine project investigates how spatial data can be leveraged to improve the search experience and to integrate new qualities of object representation. It is tailored to the needs of Special Collections, a type of collection with particularly heterogeneous holdings ranging from books, archival documents to tangible objects and dynamic objects, making it the ideal testbed to investigate new forms of access and dissemination for cultural heritage resources. We are reporting on the first phase of a research endeavor consisting of three phases, iterating our research questions through various forms of representation and viewing frameworks including public touch-screen installations, mobile tablet and VR deployment.
Discrete Opinion Dynamics with Stubborn Agents

We study discrete opinion dynamics in a social network with "stubborn agents" who influence others but do not change their opinions. We generalize the classical voter model by introducing nodes (stubborn agents) that have a fixed state. We show that the presence of stubborn agents with opposing opinions precludes convergence to consensus; instead, opinions converge in distribution with disagreement and fluctuations. In addition to the first moment of this distribution typically studied in the literature, we study the behavior of the second moment in terms of network properties and the opinions and locations of stubborn agents. We also study the problem of "optimal placement of stubborn agents" where the location of a fixed number of stubborn agents is chosen to have the maximum impact on the long-run expected opinions of agents.
Estrogens, phytoestrogens, and breast cancer

Estrogens have been widely implicated in the genesis and progression of breast cancer. Over 200 years ago, the Italian physician Ramazzini observed an increased incidence of breast cancer among nuns. Almost 100 years ago the Scottish physician Beatson described the beneficial effects of ovariectomy on the progress of breast cancer in premenopausal women.1 Nevertheless, the precise role(s) of estrogens and estrogenic stimuli in breast cancer remains unknown. Indeed, it is difficult to provide a universal definition of either an estrogen or an estrogenic response.
Prevention of HIV Infection in the Absence of a Vaccine

Most approaches to prevent sexual transmission of HIV among adults, such as behavior change and vaccine development, have been unsuccessful after more than 25 years of research. Conversely, the development of drugs to inhibit HIV replication for the treatment of AIDS has been very successful. The same drugs, when used in combination, are very effective to prevent transmission from pregnant, HIV-infected women to their infants or from HIV-infected adults to their uninfected partners. In both instances, the drugs appear to work by reducing HIV levels in body fluids.
Trends in the Utilization of High-Volume Hospitals by Minority and Underinsured Surgical Patients:

Race- and insurance-based disparities exist in the utilization of high-volume hospitals for complex surgery. Retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1988 through 2005 was performed to examine hospital volume trends for eight procedures. Ordered logistic regression analyses were performed to determine temporal trends in the utilization of high-volume hospitals by minority and Medicaid-insured patients compared with white patients and those with private insurance or Medicare. Black patients are increasing their utilization of higher-volume hospitals, but not at a rate sufficient to overcome existing disparities relative to the utilization of such hospitals by white patients. Meanwhile, disparities in the utilization of higher-volume hospitals are increasing for Hispanics and patients who are primarily insured through Medicaid. Existing racial and insurance-based disparities in the utilization of high-volume surgical care will persist or become even more pronounced without active intervention from health care policymakers.
2.03 – Luminance Sensitivity and Contrast Detection

After a brief description of why luminance and contrast are such important concepts in vision science, we shall survey the ways in which these two quantities are encoded and transmitted along the visual pathway from retina to cortex. We shall discuss briefly how these quantities interact in the visual system, what regulates our sensitivity to them, and finally describe some of the perceptual aspects of luminance and contrast sensitivities. The ways in which contrast sensitivity depends on spatial or temporal frequencies and on other aspects of the visual input are important and large topics, and will be described here only briefly.
Prospects for Lymphatic Reconstructive Surgery

To get a better prospect of reconstructive microlymphatic surgery we need further improvement of the diagnosis and use of the appropriate classification. The most useful practical classification allows us to divide all lymphatic disorders into primary and secondary. Primary lymphatic insufficiency, which is of hereditary origin, cannot be successfully cured with reconstructive microsurgery. The creation of the new lymphatic vessels in congenital cases is a matter for the future. Genetic research in this field will hopefully yield valuable information for future practical use.
Growth restraint and differentiation by LPS/TNF-α/IFN-γ reorganization of the microtubule network in human leukemia cell lines

The microtubule (MT) network of the cytoskeleton has been implicated as a mediator of cellular signal transduction; disorganization of this network may allow for mitogenesis. In previous work, loss of MT network organization in human MOLT4 and HUT78 T-cell leukemias was demonstrated in contrast to an organized «spoke-wheel-like arrangement» in normal human T-lymphocytes. In this study, loss of MT network organization was shown in several representative acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines: KG1 myeloblastic, HL60 promyelocytic, and U937 myelomonocytic cells
Duo-Density Ceramic Turbine Rotor Development

Ford Motor Company has been developing ceramics for gas turbine applications for over 10 years. The replacement of high cost nickel-chrome superalloys with low cost, higher temperature capability ceramics offers significant advantages in efficiency, exhaust emissions, power per unit weight, cost and materials utilization. Successful application of ceramics to gas turbines would therefore not only have military significance but would also greatly influence our national concerns of air pollution, critical materials availability(1) and utilization, and the energy crisis.