cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Access to and use of out-of-hours services by members of Vietnamese community groups in South London: a focus group study.

Objective. We aimed to describe the experiences and perceptions of members of the Vietnamese community groups in seeking out-of-hours health services and to identify potential solutions from participants’ perspectives. Method. This qualitative study used a focus group methodology. Participants were members of three established community groups in the South London boroughs of Southwark and Lewisham. Participants attended six focus groups which were conducted in Cantonese and Vietnamese. Results. Participants did not know about GPs’ out-of-hours arrangements. And their access to the range of services normally available was limited. They were unable to communicate with health care professionals or answering services and were unaware of out-of-hours interpreting arrangements. Generally, participants were dependent on other people in gaining access to services. Some participants had used 999 services despite communication problems. Participants’ experienced delays in seeking health care services and confusion regarding the medicines and advice given. Conclusions. Communication difficulties limited knowledge of and access to out-of-hours services for the Vietnamese participants. Direct contact with interpreters in the out-of-hours period was suggested as a means of increasing participants’ ability to gain access to services. Health service planners need to be aware of the difficulties experienced by such groups if issues of equity in gaining access to health care services are to be addressed.
Random modulation: A review

A unified treatment of various aspects of random modulation is presented with emphasis on the spectral properties of FM signals. The study includes reexamination of Rice's representation, Woodward's theorem, FSK, and processes with normal, Markov, and cyclostationary frequencies.
Verification of computer users using keystroke dynamics

This paper presents techniques to verify the identity of computer users using the keystroke dynamics of computer user's login string as characteristic patterns using pattern recognition and neural network techniques. This work is a continuation of our previous work where only interkey times were used as features for identifying computer users. In this work we used the key hold times for classification and then compared the performance with the former interkey time-based technique. Then we use the combined interkey and hold times for the identification process. We applied several neural network and pattern recognition algorithms for verifying computer users as they type their password phrases. It was found that hold times are more effective than interkey times and the best identification performance was achieved by using both time measurements. An identification accuracy of 100% was achieved when the combined hold and intekey time-based approach were considered as features using the fuzzy ARTMAP, radial basis function networks (RBFN), and learning vector quantization (LVQ) neural network paradigms. Other neural network and classical pattern algorithms such as backpropagation with a sigmoid transfer function (BP, Sigm), hybrid sum-of-products (HSOP), sum-of-products (SOP), potential function and Bayes' rule algorithms gave moderate performance.
A multiplier generator for Xilinx FPGAs

In this paper, we present a module generator which can produce variety of multiplier designs for LUT based FPGAs. It incorporates algorithms for generating sequential, combinational and pipelined designs. The multiplier generator forms a part of the IDEAS synthesis system. Different types of multipliers which can be generated have been included in the IDEAS component library, along with functions which estimate the CLB count and delays for the given size parameters and selected FPGA device. The multiplier generator generates designs for XC3000 and XC4000 family of Xilinx FPGA devices. For Xilinx XC4000 family of devices it takes advantage of the built-in dedicated carry logic to generate fast multipliers. The output of the generator is a netlist in terms of the Xilinx XACT and XBLOX components which is finally mapped onto the FPGA using Xilinx XACT and XBLOX tools.
Phrase and Word Level Strategies for Detecting Appositions in Speech

Appositions are grammatical constructs in which two noun phrases are placed side-by-side, one modifying the other. Detecting them in speech can help extract semantic information useful, for instance, for co-reference resolution and question answering. We compare and combine three approaches: wordlevel and phrase-level classifiers, and a syntactic parser trained to generate appositions. On reference parses, the phrase-level classifier outperforms the other approaches while on automatic parses and ASR output, the combination of the appositiongenerating parser and the word-level classifier works best. An analysis of the system errors reveals that parsing accuracy and world knowledge are very important for this task. Index Terms: Speech understanding, Punctuation, Apposition detection.
How many cores do we need to run a parallel workload: A test drive of the Intel SCC platform?

As semiconductor manufacturing technology continues to improve, it is possible to integrate more and more transistors onto a single processor. Many-core processor design has resulted in part from the search to utilize this enormous transistor real estate. The Single-Chip Cloud Computer (SCC) is an experimental many-core processor created by Intel Labs. In this paper we present a study in which we analyze this innovative many-core system by running several workloads with distinctive parallelism characteristics. We investigate the effect on system performance by monitoring specific hardware performance counters. Then, we experiment on varying different hardware configuration parameters such as number of cores, clock frequency and voltage levels. We execute the chosen workloads and collect the timing, power consumption and energy consumption information on such a many-core research platform. Thus, we can comprehensively analyze the behavior and scalability of the Intel SCC system with the introduced workload in terms of performance and energy consumption. Our results show that the profiled parallel workload execution has a communication bottleneck on the Intel SCC system. Moreover, our results indicate that we should carefully choose the number of cores to execute different workloads in order to yield a balance between execution performance and energy efficiency for different applications.
'Rac'-ing upstream to treat rheumatoid arthritis

Signal transduction pathways regulate the production and function of many cytokines implicated in immune-mediated diseases. Targeting these enzymes with small molecule inhibitors represents a fertile field for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Recent successes with compounds that block upstream kinases suggest that proximal members of the signaling cascades, such as Rac and other Rho family enzymes, might have therapeutic potential. Balancing efficacy and toxicity, however, remains a significant challenge that will require careful evaluation.
THE EFFECTS OF LABOR MARKET COMPETITION WITH IMMIGRANTS ON THE WAGES AND EMPLOYMENT OF NATIVES What Does Existing Research Tell Us

This paper provides an overview of the current debate among economists pertaining to the effects of recent immigration on the earnings and employment of native-born workers. Since much of this debate revolves around methodological differences in research design, we devote much of our effort to discussing the various strategies that researchers have used to isolate immigrant competition effects, and attempt to clarify the strengths and weaknesses of each strategy. Our overall assessment is that the central tendency of the research evidence suggests that recent immigration has had only a modest effect on the labor market prospects of native-born Americans. Some potential hypotheses that may explain this lack of a large impact are capital accumulation and the imperfect substitutability between natives and immigrants.
Network Friendliness of Mobility Management Protocols

In network layer based mobility protocols, such as Mobile IP, the Correspondent Node is not aware of handovers and therefore continues to send data at the same rate as before the handover which may exhibit network unfriendliness, especially when the capacities of the two subnets differ significantly. On the contrary, transport layer based mobility protocols, such as SIGMA, do not show such phenomena. The objective of this paper is to evaluate and compare the network friendliness of network and transport layer based mobility protocols. Experimental results obtained from laboratory prototypes show that network unfriendliness is inevitable in the network layer based mobility protocols during handover when there is a large difference in capacities between the two networks. Transport layer based mobility protocols are, however, more network friendly than network layer based protocols.
A novel cognitive architecture for simulated robots in an artificial world

This paper presents a novel cognitive architecture for simulated autonomous robots in an artificial world. The design principle of the architecture enables the robotic system to both react to the world and perform premeditated actions. The cognitive architecture is a modular structure composed of a number of multilevel interconnected components, each with distributed, module-specific memory. The modular structure allows for simple portability of the architecture across a variety of robotic platforms. The behavior of the robot is based on the automatic creation of composite behavior from a set of predefined atomic behaviors. Facts about the world are discovered as the robot performs its tasks. An autonomous robot embedded within an artificial world (named Machina Cogitans) is equipped with this architecture, and a number of experiments are presented. >
Gestational Diabetes: Problems in Classification and Implications for Long-Range Prognosis

Pregnancy is the quintessential anabolic event. An accretion of maternal mass consisting largely of fat characterizes the first half of pregnancy; a massive accumulation of new cells coincident with the maturation and full development of the conceptus occurs during the second.? As with all anabolic events, these processes are attended by major changes in insulin economy. During the latter half of pregnancy, the response to exogenous insulin is blunted; basal plasma levels of endogenous insulin increase; and glycemic challenge elicits a two to threefold greater release of insulin than under nongravid conditions.7 The basis for the heightened resistance to insulin action has not been clarified completely. However, within the last few years, four laboratories have independently reported that it cannot be ascribed to a reduction in the number or affinity of insulin receptors. 26,36,37,41,42 In our own Unit, Baumann and colleagues compared the same normal women, pre-and postpartum, to assess these relationships36 (Fig. 1). They demonstrated that insulin binding to monocytes and red blood cells at the time of the insulin resistance of late pregnancy is the same or slightly greater than during the luteal phase of the normal menstrual cycle. The lack of change in insulin receptors, in the absence of pre-receptor antagonists to insulin action, clearly indicts postreceptor phenomena in the insulin resistance of late normal gestation. The striking alterations in intermediary metabolism that normally occur at this time may be implicated.
Fracture compliance estimation using borehole tube waves

ABSTRACTWe tested two models, one for tube-wave generation and the other for tube-wave attenuation at a fracture intersecting a borehole that can be used to estimate fracture compliance, fracture aperture, and lateral extent. In the tube-wave generation model, we consider tube-wave excitation in the borehole when a P-wave is incident on the fracture. The amplitude ratio of the pressure due to the tube wave to that of the incident P-wave is a function of fracture compliance, aperture, and length. Similarly, the attenuation of a tube wave in the borehole as it crosses a fracture intersecting the borehole is also a function of fracture properties. Numerically solving the dispersion relation in the fracture, we study tube-wave generation and the attenuation coefficient as a function of frequency. We observed that measuring amplitude ratios or attenuation near a transition frequency can help constrain the fracture properties. The transition frequency corresponds to the regime in which the viscous skin depth in...
Automatic lymphoma classification with sentence subgraph mining from pathology reports.

Objective Pathology reports are rich in narrative statements that encode a complex web of relations among medical concepts. These relations are routinely used by doctors to reason on diagnoses, but often require hand-crafted rules or supervised learning to extract into prespecified forms for computational disease modeling. We aim to automatically capture relations from narrative text without supervision. Methods We design a novel framework that translates sentences into graph representations, automatically mines sentence subgraphs, reduces redundancy in mined subgraphs, and automatically generates subgraph features for subsequent classification tasks. To ensure meaningful interpretations over the sentence graphs, we use the Unified Medical Language System Metathesaurus to map token subsequences to concepts, and in turn sentence graph nodes. We test our system with multiple lymphoma classification tasks that together mimic the differential diagnosis by a pathologist. To this end, we prevent our classifiers from looking at explicit mentions or synonyms of lymphomas in the text. Results and Conclusions We compare our system with three baseline classifiers using standard n-grams, full MetaMap concepts, and filtered MetaMap concepts. Our system achieves high F-measures on multiple binary classifications of lymphoma (Burkitt lymphoma, 0.8; diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 0.909; follicular lymphoma, 0.84; Hodgkin lymphoma, 0.912). Significance tests show that our system outperforms all three baselines. Moreover, feature analysis identifies subgraph features that contribute to improved performance; these features agree with the state-of-the-art knowledge about lymphoma classification. We also highlight how these unsupervised relation features may provide meaningful insights into lymphoma classification.
WHEN LESS IS MORE IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT; LESSONS LEARNED

In parallel to technological advances in late twentieth century, medical diagnostics and therapeutic options greatly improved. A surge of evidence-based research in intensive care medicine provided additional opportunities and the “best” medical practice has been changing rapidly. However, the primary focus of Hippocrates: “Primum non nocere” (first do no harm) is often neglected at the bedside. It became apparent that lesser intervention in the ICU may actually mean more for the patient. Multiple examples of the concept “when less is more in the ICU” are described here in an ABC format. Critical care providers have an obligation to keenly and closely follow the results of new investigative studies and to carefully incorporate those into our practice. However, they have to be sensitive to individual circumstances, patient and family preferences, and avoidance of harm.
Agonism and the power of victim testimony

In her essay 'Agonism and the Power of Victim Testimony,' Sonali Chakravarti asks whether proponents of political agonism incorporate the most difficult emotions of war, including anger and despair in their political ontology. Drawing on her ground breaking research in the experience of victim testimony, and especially truth commissions, Chakravarti argues that the rational models of criminal accountability and retributive justice cannot fully accommodate the expression of such 'unsocial' post-catastrophe emotions. Drawing on the works of Bonnie Honig, Chantal Mouffe, and others, Chakravartiﾒs chapter examines 'what it would mean to fully confront the emotions of anger and despair after war in an agonistic way.' In the end, Chakravarti gestures toward the possibility that victim testimony represents both a quintessential manifestation of agonistic democracy as well as its limits.
Age-and Dose-dependent Naproxen Disposition in Fischer 344 Rats

The effects of age and dose on the pharmacokinetics of naproxen were evaluated in young and senescent male Fischer 344 rats after 2.5 and 25 mg/kg doses. Pharmacokinetic parameters based on free naproxen concentrations demonstrated a significant decrease in free clearance and free steady-state volume of distribution in the aged rats. In vitro enzyme kinetic studies also demonstrated an age-related decline in the metabolic activity and affinity of the metabolic enzymes for naproxen in the aged rats. Plasma protein binding studies revealed a larger free fraction of drug in the plasma of senescent rats. Total clearance and steady-state volume of distribution were indistinguishable between young and old rats owing to the higher free fraction in aged rats. Dose had a significant effect with free clearance and free volume of distribution decreasing as dose increased. The binding of naproxen to plasma proteins was dependent on drug concentration. Unlike the parameters based on free naproxen concentrations, total plasma clearance and volume of distribution increased with increasing dose, due to the nonlinear protein binding.
Measurements of two-point velocity correlations in a round jet with application to jet noise

This work documents two-point space-time correlation measurements made in a cold, M=OS round jet using a pair of two-component hotwire probes, From the simultaneously measured velocities space-time correlations are computed for axial and radial displacements for several radial locations each at three axial stations (4, 8, and 20 diameters). This rich type of turbulence data is required in many jet noise prediction theories, such as the Mani-Gliebe-Balsa (MGB) theory. In the past, these terms have been estimated from an isotropic, homogeneous turbulence model with a Gaussian form for space and time dependence. This turbulence model resulted in a particular partitioning of turbulent kinetic energy among the many quadrupole components. The work presented here indicates that such models are in error and proposes an axisymmetric model with lower order exponent. This model results in a different ratio of source directivities, which will impact the predicted jet noise source directivity. Using a lower-order exponent in the time-dependent part of the space-time correlation also shows better agreement with data and will change the predicted jet noise spectral characteristics.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness Among Individuals With Psoriasis in the General Population.

Background: Psoriasis confers risk for cardiometabolic disorders. Cardiorespiratory fitness is inversely associated with risk of cardiometabolic disorders in other populations, but limited data have been published assessing cardiorespiratory fitness among individuals with psoriasis. This investigation aimed to: 1) assess cardiorespiratory fitness among individuals with psoriasis in the general population; and 2) compare levels to individuals without psoriasis. Methods: A secondary data analysis from the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey was performed. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed with a treadmill test, while measures of psoriasis severity included rating of psoriasis as a life problem and body surface area involvement. Results: Twenty-six of 1093 participants reported a psoriasis diagnosis (population weighted prevalence 2.9%). Individuals with psoriasis had lower cardiorespiratory fitness compared with individuals without psoriasis (36.2 vs. 39.1 mL∙kg-1∙min-1, P = .0...
Economic Analysis of Property Rights: Additional property rights applications

In previous chapters I demonstrated the expediency of using the property rights approach to explain various aspects of such specific phenomena as gasoline price controls and slavery, and to develop a general approach to, among other things, non-market allocation, the maximizing role of restrictions on private property rights, and, in the context of farm tenancy, the choice among various forms of control. The property rights framework can be applied to other problems as well. I shall now briefly consider several of these problems, beginning with an analysis of the individuals' ability to protect themselves against losses to monopoly, proceeding to a discussion of the relationship between property rights and theft and of property rights in relation to innovation and to price information, and concluding with an exploration of property rights as they relate to wildlife. PROTECTION AGAINST LOSSES TO MONOPOLY Monopolies are said to result in resource misallocation, which takes two forms. The first and better-known type of misallocation arises because monopolies produce “too little,” charging prices that exceed marginal costs, whereas the second type arises in the process of creating monopolies. Would-be monopolists spend resources in order to attain monopoly positions, and such expenditures are dissipating. The magnitude of these capture costs is comparable to that of the expected profits of the monopoly. Naturally, monopolists have economic rights to whatever gains they obtain. Since monopolists' gains exceed their contributions, their gains occur, in part, at the expense of others; thus, they also seem to have the right to harm other people.
Gender Differences in the Causal Elements of Self-Efficacy on a High Avoidance Motor Task

This investigation contrasted path analysis models for 40 males and 40 females based on the predictions of Feltz's (1982) respecification model of Ban-dura' s (1977) self-efficacy theory in the approach/avoidance of two trials of a modified back dive. The hypothesized (respecified) model proposed that previous related experiences, self-efficacy, and heart rate predicted initial back-diving performance and that previous performance and self-efficacy predicted subsequent performance. The hypothesized model also proposed that self-efficacy mediates the influence of autonomic perception of arousal on performance. Results indicated that males had lower state anxiety and autonomic perception scores than females on the first trial. No differences occurred for back-diving performance, self-efficacy, or heart rate. Path analysis results indicated that the hypothesized model fit the data better for females than for males, though it left much unexplained variance for both males and females. Females showed a reciproc...
Lossless compression of dithered images with the pseudo-distance technique

Despite many advances, still image storage and transfer, particularly in low-cost devices, remain to be important problems. For example, some wireless phone displays do not have the capacity to handle true colors. To remedy this problem, a color quantization (color palette) technique is often applied to images in order to reduce the number of colors. However, to avoid the side effects of the color-quantization, usually a process called dithering is applied to quantized images. Dithering techniques approximate colors which are not available in the palette by utilizing a diffusion technique of colored pixels from within the available palette. In this work, we examine compression of color-quantized images with different dithering techniques and show that the recently introduced modified pseudo-distance technique yields better compression results than the well-known GIF and PNG techniques.
Being smart about writing SMART objectives

This article challenges the conventional wisdom in mainstream evaluation regarding the process for developing specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives. The article notes several advantages of mainstreaming the SMART method including program capacity building and being able to independently monitor progress toward process and outcome objectives. It is argued the one size fits all approach for writing SMART objectives is misleading. The context in which the evaluation is conducted is a key deciding factor in how and when the SMART criteria should be applied. Without an appreciation of the evaluation context, mainstream users may be developing objectives that are far from smart. A case example is presented demonstrating a situation where a stepwise, rather than simultaneous application of the SMART criteria was necessary. Learning from this case, recommendations are forwarded for adjusting how SMART criteria should be presented in mainstream evaluation manuals/guides.
A Systematic Process for Developing Special Services Cooperatives in Rural School Districts.

A Systematic Process for Developing Special Service Cooperatives in Rural School Districts Lois Widvey Carl E. Edeburn Robert S. Ristow South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota Problems created when small rural districts attempt to meet the general educational needs of students involve curriculum, financing, staffing, scheduling and trensportation, and these problems are compounded when dealing with programs for the handicapped and eifted. The development of educational service cooperatives is a must if small, rural school systems are to provide the essential services needed for quality education. The authors designed a needs assessment model to establish the existing status and requirements of general and special education in eight small rural districts which were interested in forming an educational cooperative. Additional emphasis was placed upon potenttal expansion areas which would improve services beyond minimum requirements as established by state law. In accomplishing this, the authors (a) synthesized the major areas or need into workable components, (b) resigned a needs assessment instrument based upon these components, (c) identified a balanced sample of educators, parents, and board members to respond to tha instruemnt, and (d) analyzed the responses and summarized the findings. The process that was the focus of the study served to provide a viable, systematic means to analyse thpercepLion of a sample of all members of a school district, with the results r ilyzed in a succinct manner that provided the administrators with the necessary data for the establishment and expansion of educational service cooperatives.
Adolescent human papillomavirus vaccination in the United States: Opportunities for integrating pharmacies into the immunization neighborhood

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination faces several barriers, including a social stigma which carries religious and philosophical implications among parents of adolescents as well as young adults. Hundreds of immunization interventions and programs have been developed to address these factors and boost HPV vaccination rates in the United States. We sought to review the existing literature highlighting barriers to HPV immunization, as well as programs targeting increased HPV vaccine uptake in effort to develop novel vaccination initiatives. The most impactful barriers identified were parental stigma and low quality of provider recommendations for the vaccine. Despite the implementation of many HPV initiatives, outcomes of these programs are largely limited to modest improvements in vaccine uptake in small, homogeneous populations. We describe pharmacies as distinctly advantageous but underutilized resources within the immunization neighborhood and propose a novel concept to improve vaccination rates as well as reduce HPV-related disease burden in all demographics.
Blockchain distributed ledger technologies for biomedical and health care applications

Author(s): Kuo, Tsung-Ting; Kim, Hyeon-Eui; Ohno-Machado, Lucila | Abstract: ObjectivesTo introduce blockchain technologies, including their benefits, pitfalls, and the latest applications, to the biomedical and health care domains.Target audienceBiomedical and health care informatics researchers who would like to learn about blockchain technologies and their applications in the biomedical/health care domains.ScopeThe covered topics include: (1) introduction to the famous Bitcoin crypto-currency and the underlying blockchain technology; (2) features of blockchain; (3) review of alternative blockchain technologies; (4) emerging nonfinancial distributed ledger technologies and applications; (5) benefits of blockchain for biomedical/health care applications when compared to traditional distributed databases; (6) overview of the latest biomedical/health care applications of blockchain technologies; and (7) discussion of the potential challenges and proposed solutions of adopting blockchain technologies in biomedical/health care domains.
Hereditary Factors in Affective Disorders

For some time, Freudian theories postulating that disorders of the emotions (or affect) have a psychodynamic origin were held in higher esteem than was the thesis of Emil Kraepelin—that affective disorders have a constitutional basis. However, Kraepelin’s concept is now being substantiated by a large body of more recent research findings. Both the Freudian theories and the biological hypotheses for the etiology of mania and depression will be discussed in this chapter.
Electric Field and Temperature-Jump Study of the Color Change Kinetics of Ethanolic and Aqueous Phenolphthalein

Electric field and temperature-jump kinetic results, using optical detection2 (Fig. 1), indicates that the hydrolysis mechanism (see also Fig. 2) $$ Ph{H^{ - }} + \underset{{{k_{{21}}}}}{\overset{{{k_{{12}}}}}{\rightleftharpoons}} Ph{H^{ - }} \cdot \cdot \cdot O{H^{ - }}\underset{{k32}}{\overset{{k23}}{\rightleftharpoons}} P{h^{ = }} + {H_2}O $$ (1) proposed previously in combination with the steady state approximation for the pseudo acid Phenolphthalein in water2, is not valid in pure ethanolc In this solvent $$ Ph{H^{ - }} + O{H^{ - }}\underset{{{k_{{21}}}}}{\overset{{{k_{{12}}}}}{\rightleftharpoons}} \underline {P{h^{ = }}} \; \cdot \;aq\underset{{k32}}{\overset{{k23}}{\rightleftharpoons}} P{h^{ = }}\; \cdot \;aq $$ (2) describes the reaction, and the steady state approximation cannot be applied.
Pedagogical Conditions of Implementation of the Model for Formation of the Art Culture of Future Artists-designers in the Process of Professional Training

The article determines and substantiates main pedagogical conditions of realizing the model of art culture formation of future artists-designers in the process of professional training. There was considered the essence of art culture of future artists-designers, presented as a complicated construction of a person that includes the totality of artistic abilities in the art sphere, conscious feelings, motives of artistic activity, readiness to realization of the creative potential through the harmonic transformation of reality and internal world for productive realization of educational and professional functions. There were grounded scientific approaches as to art culture formation in future specialists: competence, personal, culturological, axiological, integral. There were outlined components of the studied phenomenon: Gnostic, motivational, emotional-value, creative-operational, activity ones. There was characterized the model of art culture formation of future artists-designers in the process of professional training that includes the target block (represents the aim, task of formation), methodological block (provides the methodological strategy of formation), content block (reflects the content, structure, methodology of art culture formation), activity block (characterizes pedagogical conditions of formation), resulting block (demonstrate the dynamics of art culture formation. There are presented statements that are the base of the model of art culture formation of future artists-designers: formation of the studied phenomenon – the main aim; the competence approach favors formation; the model is based on principles, forms of professional formation, criteria, parameters, art culture formation levels; methodology of formation includes interactive learning methods; learning content corresponds to requirements of professional activity and so on. There was formulated the role of pedagogical conditions in realizing the model of art culture formation of future artists-designers in the process of professional training, namely elaboration of the program of activities of the special course “Art culture” using training technologies; stage formation of skills to produce art works from the theoretical comprehension of the essence of art culture to the practical realization of an artistic project; involvement of future artists-designers to creative art activity of the professional direction using computer technologies
Quality: Measures in Radiology

In other essays in this monograph, I touched on some of the difficulties radiologists face in trying to determine if what they do is best for patients. The focus of my criticism was not the concept but rather the measurement of appropriateness criteria, the product of a noble effort undertaken through the auspices of the American College of Radiology to offer what some may view as the most proper sequence of tests to reach a diagnosis for many clinical applications. I viewed the methodology as flawed, especially because the criteria are based on radiologists, if you will, “speaking to” but not “conversing with” referring physicians. As a program, appropriateness criteria are deployed in a manner both insular and distant, consistent with our customary practice patterns. We are a special type of medical consultant. Typically we do not see the patient or even know much about him or her before making a judgment about a diagnostic plan. In its present iteration appropriateness criteria will be ineffective until we also establish a formalized reciprocal dialog with referrers. Our remoteness is by itself self-defeating with respect to affecting change for the sake of better rather than more utilization of imaging resources.
Lipoprotein of the outer membrane of Escherichia coli.

To those interested in the cytoplasmic membrane of eukaryotic cells, or even in the cytoplasmic membrane of prokaryotic cells, the outer membrane of Escherichia coli may sound like a foreign and an uninviting system to study. The title of this article itself may be just enough to repel these people. In fact, the E. coli outer membrane is a peculiar system in many respects. However, as will be seen in this chapter, the outer membrane offers an excellent system for the study of many of the fundamental questions concerning biomembranes, which are common not only to prokaryotic but also to eukaryotic membranes, including: the functions and structures of membrane proteins; molecular mechanism of biosynthesis and assembly of membrane components; interactions between membrane proteins; regulation of membrane biogenesis; and mechanism of translocation of proteins across the membrane. Progress toward the elucidation of these problems has been considerably more substantial in the study of the E. coli outer membrane system as opposed to studies of eukaryotic membranes. The advantages in utilizing the E. coli outer membrane to examine the problems mentioned above are: (1) The outer membrane consists of few major proteins; (2) it is very easy to isolate these major proteins in large quantities; (3) the functions and structures of the major proteins have therefore been well characterized; and (4) A finely detailed genetic map has consequently been established for E. coli, and many different genetic approaches are thus available for studying the functions, structures, biosynthesis, and assembly of these major outer-membrane proteins.
A phase 2 trial of abiraterone acetate without glucocorticoids for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background Abiraterone acetate suppresses adrenal androgens and glucocorticoids through the inhibition of CYP17; however, given the risk of mineralocorticoid excess, it is administered with glucocorticoids. Herein, the authors performed a phase 2, single-arm study that was designed to assess the safety of abiraterone acetate without steroids in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. Methods Eligible patients had castration-resistant prostate cancer with controlled blood pressure and normal potassium. Patients initially received abiraterone acetate at a dose of 1000 mg daily alone. Those with persistent or severe mineralocorticoid toxicity received treatment with prednisone initiated at a dose of 5 mg twice daily. Therapy was continued until radiographic progression, toxicity, or withdrawal. The primary objective of the current study was to determine the percentage of men requiring prednisone to manage mineralocorticoid toxicity. Toxicity was graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Results A total of 58 patients received at least 1 dose of abiraterone acetate; the majority had metastases (53 patients; 91.4%). Sixteen patients (27.6%) received prior chemotherapy, 6 patients (10.3%) received prior enzalutamide, and 4 patients (7%) received prior ketoconazole. Grade 3 to 4 adverse events of interest included hypertension (9 patients; 15.5%) and hypokalemia (4 patients; 7%). There was no grade ≥3 edema. Seven patients (12%) initiated prednisone therapy for mineralocorticoid toxicity, 3 patients for hypertension (5%), and 4 patients for hypokalemia (7%). Two patients initiated prednisone therapy for fatigue (3%). Forty patients (68%) experienced a decline in prostate-specific antigen of ≥50% with the use of abiraterone acetate alone. Patients with lower baseline levels of androstenedione (P = .04), androsterone (P = .01), dehydroepiandrosterone (P = .03), and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (P = .03) were found to be more likely to develop mineralocorticoid toxicity. Conclusions Treatment with abiraterone acetate without steroids is feasible, although clinically significant adverse events can occur in a minority of patients. The use of abiraterone acetate without prednisone should be balanced with the potential for toxicity and requires close monitoring.
Electric-Field Bit Write-In for Molecular Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata Circuits

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA)was conceptualized to provide low-power, high-speed, general-purpose computing in the post-CMOS era. Here, an elementary device, called a “cell” is a system of quantum dots and a few mobile charges. The configuration of charge on a cell encodes a binary state, and cells are networked locally using the electrostatic field. Layouts of QCA cells on a substrate provide non-von-Neumann circuits in which digital logic, interconnections, and memory are intermingled. QCA supports reversible, adiabatic computing for arbitrarily low levels of dissipation. Here, we focus on a molecular implementation of QCA and describe the promise this holds. This discussion includes an outline of an architecture for clocked molecular QCA circuits and some technical challenges remaining before molecular QCA computation may be realized. This work focuses on the challenge of using macroscopic devices to write-in bits to nanoscale QCA molecules. We use an electric field established between electrodes fabricated using standard, mature lithographic processes, and the field need not feature single-molecule specificity. An intercellular Hartree approximation is used to model the state of an $N-$ molecule circuit. Simulations of a method for providing bit inputs to clocked molecular circuits are shown.
Pricing of Leveraged Buyout Risk in Credit Spreads

Driven by the unprecedented levels of leveraged buyout activity in the years 2004-2007, this paper studies the pricing of LBO risk in the cross-section of corporate credit spreads. Using a dataset of LBOs, CDS and bonds, I first study the reaction of credit spreads of target firms to LBO announcements in the US during the years 2001-2007. I find evidence of credit spread widening by 60-70%, suggesting costs of additional debt significantly outweigh potential increase in expected cash flows. I document a negative reaction in prices of unprotected bonds, suggesting wealth transfer from debt-holders to shareholders. Yet, back-of-the-envelope calculation shows gains to shareholders are due, in large, to alternate sources, implying value creation in LBOs. I then proceed to test whether LBO restructuring risk is priced ex-ante by investors in debt markets. Using exogenous industry-level variables, I find that firms more likely to undergo an LBO have spreads that are higher by 30-50 bps. Incorporation of results into credit pricing models could further our understanding of the cross-sectional variation of credit spreads and alleviate model spread under-prediction in buyout boom years.
Affective dynamics in bipolar spectrum psychopathology: Modeling inertia, reactivity, variability, and instability in daily life.

Abstract Background Bipolar psychopathology is characterized by affective dysregulation independent of mood episodes. However, previous research has relied on laboratory-based emotion-eliciting tasks or retrospective questionnaires that do not take into account temporal dynamics of affect. Thus, the present study examined affective dynamics (reactivity, variability, instability, and inertia) of low and high arousal negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) in daily life in those at risk for bipolar psychopathology. Methods Undergraduates (n = 135) completed the Hypomanic Personality Scale and experience sampling surveys assessing affective experiences 8 times daily for 7 days. Results HPS scores were associated with greater reactivity of NA when experiencing negative or stressful events, variability of NA (high and low arousal) and PA (high arousal), and instability of NA and PA (high and low arousal) in daily life. HPS scores were associated with a high probability of acute increases in NA and PA and were unassociated with levels of inertia. Limitations This study only examined short-term dynamics over 7 days. Future studies should model both short- and long-term dynamics and whether these dynamics predict behavioral outcomes. Conclusions These results provide evidence that bipolar spectrum psychopathology is characterized by reactivity of NA as well as variability, instability, and acute increases in NA and PA in daily life over-and-above mean levels of affect. Modeling affective dynamics may provide context-relevant information about the course and trajectory of bipolar spectrum psychopathology and should facilitate the use of experience sampling methodology to study and intervene in mood lability in patients with bipolar disorders.
Abstract 3846: Targeting epigenetic dysregulation in isocitrate dehydrogenase mutant glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an incurable form of brain cancer with a median survival time (MdST) of ~15 months after treatment with chemoradiotherapy. Identification of a CpG Island Methylator Phenotype (CIMP) subtype of GBM (G-CIMP), represents a significant clinical discovery, as these patients have an enhanced survival, with a MdST of 3 years. G-CIMP is characterized by a mutation in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 or 2 (IDH1/2), which results in production of the oncometabolite 2-hydroxglutarate, an inhibitor of α-ketoglutarate-dependent demethylases. This results in aberrant DNA methylation, transcriptional repression, and may drive tumorigenesis. Here, we present data showing that G-CIMP is significantly more sensitive in vitro to inhibitors of the two arms of epigenetic regulation of transcription: the transcriptional activation arm and the transcriptional repression arm. Drug targets include the Bromodomain and Extraterminal (BET) and Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) proteins, involved in epigenetic transcriptional activation of oncogenes and repression of tumor suppressors, respectively. G-CIMP cells show a profound loss of cell viability at submicromolar concentrations using the small molecule inhibitors JQ1 and Panobinostat, which target BET and HDAC proteins, respectively. Western blot analysis indicates that BET inhibition elicits preferential loss of histone phosphorylation and acetylation in G-CIMP, notably serine 10 of Histone 3 and lysine 27 of Histone 3 (H3K27Ac), respectively. Both epigenetic marks are associated with positively regulating transcription. H3K27Ac is a superenhancer with known functions in activating oncogene transcription. These data ultimately suggest that G-CIMP tumor cells are reliant on established epigenetic transcriptional regulation to maintain cell viability. The global methylation status of these tumors may make them particularly sensitive to pharmacologic disruption of these epigenetic pathways. These studies provide a strong foundation for future preclinical work evaluating the prospective treatment of G-CIMP with combinatorial therapy using BET and/or HDAC inhibitors. Citation Format: Thomas K. Sears, Sandipan Datta, Gino Cortopassi, James Angelastro, Kevin Woolard. Targeting epigenetic dysregulation in isocitrate dehydrogenase mutant glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3846.
A Tense Situation: Maintaining ER Homeostasis during Lipid Droplet Budding.

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Chorlay et al. (2019) provide evidence that asymmetric membrane surface tension determines the directionality of lipid droplet (LD) emergence. Furthermore, phospholipid synthesis "refills" the outer leaflet of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane to maintain cytosolic LD emergence and prevent disruptions to ER homeostasis.
Targeted Muscle Reinnervation at the Time of Major Limb Amputation in Traumatic Amputees: Early Experience of an Effective Treatment Strategy to Improve Pain.

Background Orthopaedic trauma etiologies are a common cause for amputation. Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) is a technique aimed at reducing or preventing pain and improving function. The purpose of this study was to examine postoperative phantom limb pain and residual limb pain following TMR in orthopaedic trauma amputees. In addition, postoperative rates of opioid and neuromodulator medication use were evaluated. Methods Twenty-five patients (60% male) prospectively enrolled in a single-institution study and underwent TMR at the time of major limb amputation (48% nonmilitary trauma, 32% infection secondary to previous nonmilitary trauma, and 20% other, also secondary to trauma). Phantom limb pain and residual limb pain scores, pain temporality, prosthetic use, and unemployment status were assessed at the time of follow-up. The use of opioid and neuromodulator medications both preoperatively and postoperatively was also examined. Results At a mean follow-up of 14.1 months, phantom limb pain and residual limb pain scores were low, with 92% of the patients reporting no pain or brief intermittent pain only. Pain scores were higher overall for male patients compared with female patients (p < 0.05) except for 1 subscore, and higher in patients who underwent amputation for infection (odds ratio, 9.75; p = 0.01). Sixteen percent of the patients reported opioid medication use at the time of the latest documented follow-up. Fifty percent of the patients who were taking opioids preoperatively discontinued use postoperatively, while 100% of the patients who were not taking opioids preoperatively discontinued postoperative use. None of the patients who were taking neuromodulator medication preoperatively discontinued use postoperatively (0 of 5). The median time to neuromodulator medication discontinuation was 14.6 months, with female patients taking longer than male patients (23 compared with 7 months; p = 0.02). At the time of the latest follow-up, the rate of reported prosthetic use was 85% for lower-extremity and 40% for upper-extremity amputees, with a rate of unemployment due to disability of 36%. Conclusions The use of TMR in orthopaedic trauma amputees was associated with low overall pain scores at 2-year follow-up, decreased overall opioid and neuromodulator medication use, and an overall high rate of daily prosthetic use. Level of Evidence Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.