cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Survival Outcomes Among Human Papillomavirus-Negative cT1-2 N1-2b Patients With Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Cancer Treated With Upfront Surgery vs Definitive Chemoradiation Therapy: An Observational Study.

Importance Human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has shown resistance to conventional concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) therapy and carries a relatively poor prognosis in comparison with HPV-positive disease, with decreased locoregional control and overall survival (OS). In the present analysis, we examine whether upfront surgical resection improves overall survival in a large national sample. Objective To compare survival outcomes among patients with newly diagnosed cT1-2 N1-2b HPV-negative OPSCC when treated with primary surgical resection vs CRT. Design, Setting, and Participants This was an observational study of factors associated with primary treatment modality were identified using multivariable logistic regression. Overall survival was compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank tests, multivariable Cox regression, and propensity score matching. Statistical tests were 2-sided. Patients newly diagnosed as having cT1-2 N1-2b pathologically confirmed HPV-negative OPSCC in 2010 to 2012 were identified using the National Cancer Data Base, which includes more than 70% of patients newly diagnosed as having cancer in the United States. Exposures Primary surgical resection vs definitive CRT. Main Outcomes and Measures Overall survival. Results We identified 1044 patients, among whom 460 (44.1%) received upfront surgery and 584 (55.9%) received CRT. Median age was 59 years (range, 25-90 years); 812 patients were male (77.8%), 232 were female (22.2%). Median follow-up was 30 months. Approximately 59% of surgical patients received adjuvant CRT. On multivariable Cox regression, upfront surgery was not associated with increased OS when compared with CRT (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.01; 95% CI, 0.74-1.39; P = .93). Propensity score-matching identified a cohort of 822 patients and redemonstrated equivalent OS (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.81-1.62; P = .46). Lack of OS benefit with upfront surgery persisted in a subset analysis of patients with margin-negative resection (HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.66-1.45; P = .88). Conclusions and Relevance In this observational study, OS was similar for patients with HPV-negative OPSCC when treated with primary surgery vs CRT. Most surgical patients received trimodal therapy with adjuvant CRT. Our data may have implications for future research focusing on optimal patient selection for surgery.
Structural and functional impacts of amino acid substitutions that create blood group antigens: implications for immunogenicity.

BACKGROUND The immunogenicities of polypeptide blood group antigens vary widely. One possible determinant of immunogenicity is antigenic foreignness. The goal was to employ alternative ways of assessing foreignness and determine whether foreignness was related to immunogenicity. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Foreignness was assessed as the extent of protein functional disruption caused by the exofacial amino acid (AA) substitutions that create blood group antigens, using AA substitution prediction algorithms such as Meta-SNP and according to whether those substitutions were radical or conservative. RESULTS AA substitutions that create the most immunogenic antigens had the highest Meta-SNP scores, predictive of greater protein structure and function changes. Four of the 11 exofacial AAs that distinguish the most immunogenic antigen, RhD, from RhCE, and substitutions creating four of the five next most immunogenic antigens had the highest Meta-SNP scores (0.293-0.649). Excluding the outlier Jka, the mean Meta-SNP score of the four most immunogenic non-RhD antigens (K, Lua, E, c) was 3.7-fold higher than the mean of the four least immunogenic (M, Fya, C, S), 0.459 versus 0.123 (p = 0.0026). Regression analysis revealed a relationship between immunogenicity and Meta-SNP score (R2 = 0.953). Actual protein functional disruption was predicted for the AA substitution creating the E antigen. An AA cluster at Positions 350, 353, and 354 of RhD was unique, containing radical substitutions according to two classification schemes and relatively high Meta-SNP scores (0.351-0.432). CONCLUSION The immunogenicity of blood group antigens was related to the functional disruption caused by the AA substitutions that create the antigens, as measured by Meta-SNP score.
Arterial Pulse Waveform Monitoring via a Flexible PET-Based Microfluidic Sensor

For the purpose of cardiovascular system monitoring, this paper presents a flexible microfluidic sensor for measuring arterial pulse waveforms. Sitting on a flexible substrate, the core of the sensor is a polymer microstructure embedded with an electrolyte-enabled 5 × 1 resistive transducer array. As a time-varying load, a pulse signal deflects the microstructure and registers as a resistance change by the transducer at the site of the pulse. Radial, carotid and temporal pulse signals are all originally recorded as an absolute resistance signal by the sensor. Moreover, carotid pulse signals are measured on two subjects at-rest and post-exercise. A wavelet-based cascaded adaptive algorithm is written in Matlab to remove baseline drift (or motion artifacts) in a recorded pulse signal. The obtained pulse waveforms are consistent with the related findings in the literature. The sensor features low cost for mass production and easy use by an untrained individual.
Autocratic Elections and Property Rights

Yes, as through this world I've wandered I've seen lots of funny men Some will rob you with a six-gun And some with a fountain pen. Woody Guthrie, The Tale of Pretty Boy Floyd Hostile corporate raiding in Russia suggests an addendum to Woody Guthrie's categories of theft: Some men will rob with you a six-gun and with a fountain pen. Rather than simply stealing a factory via armed seizure or taking control via a legal purchase of shares in a market, corporate raiders in Russia typically rely on some mixture of the two. Indeed, it is the union of threats of coercion and the use of formal legal institutions, courtrooms, share registries, and state regulatory bodies that make hostile corporate takeovers in Russia so worthy of investigation. Raiders may take physical control of a factory, but their rights are greatly enhanced via documentation of formal transfer of the rights from the raided to the raider. The previous chapter helped to untangle the relationship between bargaining power and property rights at least as measured by the likelihood of a hostile corporate takeover. Managers of larger firms, private firms, and firms with more mobile assets saw their property rights as more secure from a hostile corporate takeover, while managers without personal connections to the governor were far less sanguine about this prospect. The strategy in the prior chapter was to hold constant the bargaining power of the ruler while exploring variations in the amount and types of power held by the right-holder. By unpacking political power and political connections into more discrete components, the last chapter aimed to provide a more nuanced treatment of the impacts of power on perceptions of property rights. This chapter adopts a different strategy by taking advantage of an exogenous shift in the bargaining power of the ruler – the unexpectedly poor performance of the ruling United Russia party in the December 2011 parliamentary elections – and traces how it shaped the perceptions of right-holders about the likelihood of a hostile corporate takeover. Fortunately, in the survey analyzed in the preceding chapter, about half of the firm managers were interviewed just prior to the elections and half the managers were interviewed just after the elections.
Do Physically Trapped Polymer Chains Contribute to the Mechanical Response of a Host Double-Network Hydrogel under Finite Tensile Deformation?

This paper describes the effect of physically trapped polymer chains (PTPCs) on the mechanical behavior of pseudo-semi-interpenetrating (pseudo-SIPN) and pseudo-interpenetrating (pseudo-IPN) double-network (DN) hydrogels synthesized from 3-sulfopropyl acrylate potassium salt (SAPS) and acrylamide (AAm). DN hydrogel containing a low concentration of very high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) had markedly higher tensile strength and elongation at break than the neat DN hydrogel. DN hydrogels with trapped ex situ prepared polyacrylamide (PAAm) chains also exhibited toughness enhancement. This effect was attributed to the role of PTPCs as a molecular release agent that reduced internal friction among polymer chains during large deformations and therefore increased energy dissipation and elongation at break. The reduction of mechanical properties of a DN hydrogel aged for 12 months was consistent with that conclusion in that the PTPC diffused out of the pseudo-SIPN during aging. Increasing temperatu...
The Cultural Imaginary of “Middle Society” in Early Republican Shanghai:

This article explores the cultural imaginary of “middle society” in China through popular writings of the early twentieth century. It pays particular attention to popular print media in early Repub...
Two for One: A Change in Hand Positioning During Low-Dose Spinal Stereoradiography Allows for Concurrent, Reliable Sanders Skeletal Maturity Staging.

Abstract Study Design Prospective survey. Objectives To evaluate the reliability of low-dose stereoradiography compared to standard hand bone age films for assessing Sanders skeletal maturity stage in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Summary of Background Data The Sanders skeletal maturity staging system is a valuable tool in the care of juvenile and adolescent spine scoliosis, but obtaining dedicated hand films adds additional time, radiation, and expense to the clinic visit. A change in patient hand positioning for routine full-length PA spine low-dose stereoradiography may offer a viable alternative. Methods A survey consisting of 30 standard bone age hand films and 26 posteroanterior spine low-dose stereoradiography images (magnified view of hands only) was created in REDCap and distributed to two pediatric spine surgeons and two fellows. The graders were asked to classify the images according to the Sanders skeletal maturity classifications. Images were graded in two trials conducted one week apart. Inter- and intraobserver reliability was assessed using the mean linearly weighted kappa to provide an overall index of agreement. Results In Trial 1, the interobserver reliability was similar for both the standard bone age films (κ = 0.82) and for the low-dose stereoradiography films (κ = 0.79) (p = .501). In Trial 2, reliability was similar between imagine modalities and slightly improved for both standard bone age films (κ = 0.85) and low-dose stereoradiography films (κ = 0.82) (p = .192). Intraobserver reliability was strong for both standard films (κ=0.89) and low-dose stereoradiography films (κ = 0.86) (p = .446). Conclusion A simple change in patient hand positioning for low-dose stereoradiography allows clinicians to simultaneously assess a patient’s spinal deformity and skeletal maturity with excellent reliability. Given the frequency of scoliosis surveillance visits, this simple change could lead to significant savings of time, money, and radiation exposure for the growing child. Level of Evidence Level III.
Confidence Intervals for Morphology-Based Cladistic Trees: A Platyrrhine Phylogeny Test Case

I estimate confidence intervals for phylogenetic trees based on bootstrap resampling while calculating special coefficients of similarity. I treat each successive cladistic dichotomy as a null hypothesis for sampling from a universe of cranial and postcranial synapomorphically-based similarities that includes the next lower similarity. Successive dichotomies that are not at significantly different similarity levels are collapsed into polytomies. Following a trial application to equid cladistic traits employed in Felsenstein's introduction (Felsenstein, J. (1985). Evolution 39: 783–791), I apply the methods to New World monkey relationships using morphological character sets. Unresolvable polytomies among platyrrhine subfamilies are the rule when these methods are applied.
Reconstituting the Doctor-Patient Relation

The impact of illness on a person’s autonomy directly influences the individual’s ability to engage in the usual processes of discussion, advice, negotiation about values and consent. In previous chapters we articulated the way in which the clinical encounter can produce mutual slavery. This obstacle to autonomous decision-making, in turn, requires a different model of the doctor-patient relation than that functioning when the patient is fully competent. Since impediments to patient input run deeper than is often assumed, in many instances the model of the rational contract and negotiated values in the doctor-patient relation simply does not work. In fact, an examination of the impact of illness on persons might call into question the wisdom of establishing a goal of value negotiation even with competent patients in the state of serious illness when they are treated in tertiary care environments, as discussed in Chapter 5.
Organization and Succession of Ecosystems

The starting point in the last chapter was the idea of homeostasis. Life-critical properties of the internal milieu are the objects of control. The key to the extension of the analysis to communities and ecosystems is that some features of the external milieu are drawn into this orbit of control. Organisms and communities either control their environment or are replaced by new organisms and communities, leading to a sequence of changes which can only be terminated by the appearance of a community which does control its environment. In the short run this is the ecological succession process. In time frames sufficient for genetic adaptation it is the evolution process.
Service learning in math and computer science: panel discussion

Service Learning is rising in popularity as a way to provide practical experience for our students while contributing to the local community. Service Learning can take many forms. The purpose of this panel is to present the various types of Service Learning, and then to explore 2 of them in more depth. The panel members come from Point Loma Nazarene University where Service Learning is conducted as a year-long course, and California State University, Northridge where Service Learning was a component of another course.
The Key Technologies

Abstract A short introduction to the principal technologies that have had the most influence on the development and use of alternatives in toxicology and safety testing is provided. Advances in analytical and diagnostic methods, and a greater understanding of cell biology and molecular mechanisms of toxicity, have enhanced the range and detection of toxicity endpoints and, therefore, the relevance of test systems and data interpretation, as well as enabling an increased role for human studies.
SWAN: mitigating hardware trojans with design ambiguity

For the past decade, security experts have warned that malicious engineers could modify hardware designs to include hardware back-doors (trojans), which, in turn, could grant attackers full control over a system. Proposed defenses to detect these attacks have been outpaced by the development of increasingly small, but equally dangerous, trojans. To thwart trojan-based attacks, we propose a novel architecture that maps the security-critical portions of a processor design to a one-time programmable, LUT-free fabric. The programmable fabric is automatically generated by analyzing the HDL of targeted modules. We present our tools to generate the fabric and map functionally equivalent designs onto the fabric. By having a trusted party randomly select a mapping and configure each chip, we prevent an attacker from knowing the physical location of targeted signals at manufacturing time. In addition, we provide decoy options (canaries) for the mapping of security-critical signals, such that hardware trojans hitting a decoy are thwarted and exposed. Using this defense approach, any trojan capable of analyzing the entire configurable fabric must employ complex logic functions with a large silicon footprint, thus exposing it to detection by inspection. We evaluated our solution on a RISC-V BOOM processor and demonstrated that, by providing the ability to map each critical signal to 6 distinct locations on the chip, we can reduce the chance of attack success by an undetectable trojan by 99%, incurring only a 27% area overhead.
Structural brain correlates of fatigue in older adults with and without Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Fatigue is one of the most common and disabling nonmotor symptoms seen in Parkinson's disease (PD) and is also commonly seen in healthy older adults. Our understanding of the etiology of fatigue in older adults with or without PD is limited and it remains unclear whether fatigue in PD is specifically related to PD pathology. The objective of this study was thus to determine whether fatigue in PD was associated with structural changes in gray or white matter and explore whether these changes were similar in older adults without PD. Magnetic resonance imaging (T1 weighted) and diffusion tensor imaging were performed in 60 patients with PD (17 females; age = 67.58 ± 5.51; disease duration = 5.67 ± 5.83 years) and 41 age- and sex- matched healthy controls. FSL image processing was used to measure gray matter volume, fractional anisotropy, and leukoariosis differences. Voxel-based morphometry confirmed gray matter loss across the dorsal striatum and insula in the PD patient cohort. PD patients with fatigue had reduced gray matter volume in dorsal striatum relative to PD patients without fatigue (P
From the border to the bedroom: changing conflict dynamics in Karamoja, Uganda

For the latter decades of the last century, the Karamoja region of north-eastern Uganda was infamous as a place of violent cattle raids and road ambushes, populated by fierce warriors. Using primary data, this article examines the shifts from large-scale raiding to opportunistic theft as well as the profound transformation in the security environment over the past 10 years. We argue that the combination of a top-down sustained disarmament campaign and grassroots peace resolutions have created relative stability for the first time in decades. This stability has allowed for the expansion of markets, investments by national and international actors, and the rejuvenation of livelihoods for many residents. However, while large-scale violent cattle raids are largely a thing of the past, violence and insecurity have shifted to the domestic sphere in the form of small-scale but pervasive thefts and rampant domestic violence.
CHALLENGES IN MANAGEMENT OF CORONARY ARTERY ANEURYSMS

Coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) is a life-threatening cardiovascular abnormality. We report a case of coronary ostial aneurysm (COA) after a valve sparing surgery. 46 y-o female with Marfan's syndrome presents with atypical chest pain. She has h/o aortic root reconstruction by modified David re-
Revising, Correcting and Transferring Genes: Germline Editing Versus Natural Reproduction

Bryan Cwik’s revising, correcting and transferring genes (RCT) are three criteria meant to offer clarity when navigating the fraught ethical terrain of germline editing (Cwik 2020). I will argue na...
Particle swarm optimization for source localization in realistic complex urban environments

Abstract In this work, we present a method to localize a source in complex urban environments using particle swarm optimization (PSO). Instead of using PSO to minimize the difference between a plume model and measurements as is often done, PSO is run such that each particle is modeled by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that measures and directly finds the global maximum of the concentration field. Several modifications were made to PSO to allow it to perform successfully in this application. The synthetic data used to test PSO were produced using the 3D building resolving Quick Urban & Industrial Complex Dispersion Modeling System (QUIC), and PSO was implemented in Python. Three different domains were tested: (1) a case with no obstacles, (2) a case with four large obstacles, and (3) a real-world case modeled after the Joint Urban 2003 experiment in Oklahoma City. We found that PSO works well in idealized and real cases. In the Oklahoma City simulation, approximately 90% of the PSO runs with 10 particles make it to within 1% of the maximum domain distance to the source, and approximately 98% of the PSO runs with 50 particles make it to within 1% of the maximum domain distance to the source. However, PSO is not completely immune to local maxima, and there is the possibility of convergence to the wrong point in the domain. The insight from this study can be used to inform first responders or create a tool that can be implemented on UAVs to locate a contaminant source.
Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Transduction by a Unique Short Hairpin RNA to Chemokine Receptor 5

Genetic engineering of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPCs) produces stably protected HSPCs that can continuously create progeny capable of resisting HIV infection. Anti-HIV HSPC therapy strategies hold great promise to achieve stable control of HIV infection or a cure by a single or few treatments. In particular, inhibition of a major HIV co-receptor/C–C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) expression through HSPCs is a promising strategy to achieve long-term HIV inhibition, since the first clinical cure of HIV infection was achieved by bone marrow transplantation of HSPC homozygous for the CCR5 delta 32 genetic mutation. We have identified a potent short hairpin RNA-targeting CCR5 (sh1005) from more than 380 short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) by screening a CCR5-directed shRNA library. Sh1005 is highly efficient at downregulating CCR5 expression and protecting human CD4 + T lymphocytes from CCR5 tropic HIV infection. In this chapter, we describe the identification of sh1005, in vitro and in vivo investigation of lentiviral vector-mediated delivery and expression of sh1005 through HSPCs and stable downregulation of CCR5 expression in the humanized BLT mouse model. The humanized BLT mouse model provides an ideal platform to evaluate in vivo safety and efficacy of genetically engineered human HSPC gene therapy strategies for functional cure of HIV as well as other human pathogens and diseases.
Imaging for the Evaluation and Treatment of Vascular Trauma

Abstract Hemorrhage is the sine quo non of vascular trauma. Extremity bleeding is often obvious, while bleeding in the chest or abdomen is identified at operation. When the diagnosis is not obvious, imaging is needed to evaluate severity and extent and to facilitate operative planning whether it is open operation or endovascular therapy. Imaging options depend on clinical circumstances, mechanism of injury, and available resources. Transcatheter angiography has a role, especially when endovascular therapy is to be considered. Noninvasive modalities, such as Doppler pressure measurements and duplex ultrasound (US), screen for vascular injury or assess completed repairs, whereas computed tomography angiography (CTA) is the workhorse due to its availability and effectiveness. Triage of patients with extremity vascular injury is possible with physical examination and with measurement of the injured extremity index (IEI). However, CTA is the study of choice for extremity vascular injury and for those injuries in the torso or cervical regions. 1 , 2 Finally, surgeons should have knowledge to employ ultrasound and angiographic techniques to allow the diagnosis vascular injury or the assessment of a vascular repair.
Central Nervous Mechanisms in Mechanoreceptive Sensibility

The sections in this article are: 1 Organization of Prethalamic Components of Somatic Afferent System 1.1 Dorsal Column System 1.2 Ascending Systems Originating in Dorsal Horn 1.3 Dorsal Column Nuclear Complex and Its Efferent Projections 1.4 Somesthetic Defects Produced by Lesions of Spinal Pathways 1.5 Summary: Prethalamic Components 2 Functional Organization of Thalamocortical Components of Somatic Afferent System 2.1 Thalamic Targets of Ascending Somesthetic Pathways 2.2 Organization of Thalamic Somesthetic Nuclei 3 Functional Organization of Somatic Sensory Areas of Cerebral Cortex 3.1 Introduction and Background 3.2 Structure and Connectivity of Somatic Sensory Areas 3.3 Functional Organization of Postcentral Gyrus, SI 3.4 Functional Organization of Second Somatic Area, SII 4 Dynamic Neural Operations in Somesthesis 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Central Neural Mechanisms in Tactile Sensibility 4.3 Central Neural Mechanisms in Flutter-Vibration 5 Modifiability of Microconnectivity in Somatic Afferent System
Hyperconservation of the N-formyl peptide binding site of M3: evidence that M3 is an old eutherian molecule with conserved recognition of a pathogen-associated molecular pattern.

The mouse MHC class I-b molecule H2-M3 has unique specificity for N-formyl peptides, derived from bacteria (and mitochondria), and is thus a pathogen-associated molecular pattern recognition receptor (PRR). To test whether M3 was selected for this PRR function, we studied M3 sequences from diverse murid species of murine genera Mus, Rattus, Apodemus, Diplothrix, Hybomys, Mastomys, and Tokudaia and of sigmodontine genera Sigmodon and Peromyscus. We found that M3 is highly conserved, and the 10 residues coordinating the N-formyl group are almost invariant. The ratio of nonsynonymous and synonymous substitution rates suggests the Ag recognition site of M3, unlike the Ag recognition site of class I-a molecules, is under strong negative (purifying) selection and has been for at least 50–65 million years. Consistent with this, M3 α1α2 domains from Rattus norvegicus and Sigmodon hispidus and from the “null” allele H2-M3b specifically bound N-formyl peptides. The pattern of nucleotide substitution in M3 suggests M3 arose rapidly from murid I-a precursors by an evolutionary leap (“saltation”), perhaps involving intense selective pressure from bacterial pathogens. Alternatively, M3 arose more slowly but prior to the radiation of eutherian (placental) mammals. Older dates for the emergence of M3, and the accepted antiquity of CD1, suggest that primordial class I MHC molecules could have evolved originally as monomorphic PRR, presenting pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Such MHC PRR molecules could have been preadaptations for the evolution of acquired immunity during the early vertebrate radiation.
Artificial intelligence and mathematical theory of computation: papers in honor of John McCarthy

A short sketch of the life and career of John McCarthy, D. Israel functional instantiation in first order logic, R. Boyer et al lambada - the ultimate combinator, R. Cartwright termination proofs and the "91" function, S. Feferman robots with common sense?, J. Feldman ascribing artificial intelligence to (simpler) machines, or when AI meets the world, R. Filman the design of parallel programming languages, R. Gabriel metaprogramming at work in automated manufacturing, C. Goad LISP + calculus = identities, W. Gosper model checking vs theorem proving - a manifesto, J. Halpern and M. Vardi algebraic computation - the quiet revolution, A. Hearn lisp and parallelism, T. Ito an application of amalgamated logic to multi-agent belief, J. Kim and R. Kowalski text-book examples of recursion, D. Knuth belief and introspection, H. Levesque monotonicity properties in automated deduction, Z. Manna, et al circumscription and disjunctive logic programming, J. Minkler, et al on the equivalence of data representations, J. Mitchell caution! robot vehicle!, H. Moravec circumscription and authority, P. Rathman and G. Wiederhold the frame problem in the situation calculus - a simple solution to the frame problem (sometimes) and a completeness result for goal regression, R. Reiter abstraction mechanism for symbolic expressions, M. Sato varieties of context, Y. Shoham the inventor and his object - the programming language LISP, H. Stoyan binding structures - abstract syntax generalized to binding and binding contexts, C. Talcott logicism in AI and common sense in philosophy - John McCarthy's programme in philosophical perspective, R. Thomason the incorrectness of the bisection algorithm, R. Weyhrauch.
Evidence of Mast Cell Activation Disorder in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (P1.277)

OBJECTIVE: To identify the frequency of Mast Cell Activation in patients presenting with Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS). BACKGROUND: Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) is a common, heterogenous syndrome that results in postural lightheadedness and a multitude of other symptoms. The exaggerated postural tachycardia and various other symptoms in PoTS patients likely result from several pathophysiologically distinct mechanisms. Shibao and colleagues in 2004 reported that mast cell activation disorder (MCAD) was a potential cause of symptoms in P0TS patients with a hyperadrenergic phenotype. MCAD is characterized by abnormal mast cell mediators and an absence of mast cell proliferation (mastocytosis). Symptoms attributed to MCAD such as tachycardia, flushing, lightheadedness, headache, and diarrhea may be indistinguishable from those reported in PoTS. DESIGN/METHODS: This study involved a retrospective review of all patients evaluated in the PoTS clinic at our institution in 2013. Results of clinical, laboratory, and autonomic studies performed on these patients were reviewed. RESULTS: One-hundred seventeen patients met criteria for PoTS. Average age was 29, and 74[percnt] were female. Of these, 20[percnt] (24/117) had laboratory evidence suggestive of a MCAD. Urinary 11-beta-prostaglandin F2 levels were elevated in 50[percnt], urinary N-methylhistamine levels increase in 16[percnt], while serum tryptase was not elevated in any of the PoTs + MCAD patients. Clinical symptoms did not differ between those with MCAD and those without, and patients with MCAD were no more likely to have evidence of a hyperadrenergic phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Laboratory evidence of MCAD is common in patients with PoTS, but did not correlate with a hyperadrenergic phenotype in this patient cohort. Further studies are necessary to identify significance, pathophysiologic mechanisms, and potential therapeutic targets. Study Supported by: Disclosure: Dr. Hoffman-Snyder has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lewis has nothing to disclose. Dr. Harris has received personal compensation for activities with Forest Laboratories, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as an advisory board member. Dr. Dhawan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Goodman has nothing to disclose.
Abstract 4229: ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCG2/BCRP inhibition sensitizes CD133+ cells to MEK/BRAF inhibitors

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Melanoma is a highly aggressive type of skin cancer. Melanoma-initiating cells (MIC) have self-renewal capacity, are highly tumorigenic and have been identified using CD133, a cell surface marker consisting of a 5-transmembrane protein. After magnetic sorting with anti-CD133 beads, we determined that CD133+ populations were more resistant than CD133- cells to MEK/BRAF inhibitors, the latter of which are targeted therapies for melanoma currently in clinical trials. In a microarray study, we found that the ABCG2 transporter is upregulated in the CD133+ MIC subpopulations. ABCG2, also known as breast cancer resistant protein (BCRP), is an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter that facilitates the efflux of xenobiotics at the plasma membrane and is responsible for multidrug resistance in cancer cells. This study therefore aimed to block the ABCG2 transporter using the dual ABCG2/ABCB1 inhibitor elacridar to sensitize the CD133+ subpopulation to MEK/BRAF inhibitors. Three metastatic primary human melanoma cell lines were used to investigate the effects of inhibiting ABCG2 in drug-resistant CD133+ subpopulations. Elacridar was used for in vitro inhibition of ABCG2 prior to addition of single and combination treatments with trametinib (a MEK inhibitor), dabrafenib (a BRAF inhibitor), and mebendazole (an anthelmintic and possibly anticarcinogenic drug). Elacridar sensitized all treatment groups to drug treatment. Combination treatment using both ABCG2 and MEK/BRAF inhibitors at the lowest effective dose could be a potential therapeutic to eliminate the highly aggressive drug-resistant CD133+ MIC subpopulations. Citation Format: Abrar Mohamad Pauzi. ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCG2/BCRP inhibition sensitizes CD133+ cells to MEK/BRAF inhibitors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4229. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4229
Everyone else is doing it: examining the role of peer influence on the relationship between social anxiety and alcohol use behaviours

AbstractSocial anxiety has been linked with harmful alcohol use, alcohol-related negative consequences, and less use of protective behavioural strategies among college students. The inability to resist peer influence has also been shown to be predictive of college student drinking behaviour. The current study examined the moderating role of resistance to peer influence in the relationship between social anxiety, alcohol-related negative consequences and protective behavioural strategies. Participants were 562 undergraduates who completed measures of social anxiety, resistance to peer influence, harmful drinking patterns, alcohol-related negative consequences and protective behavioural strategy use. As predicted, students with higher levels of social anxiety who also expressed being more susceptible to peer influence reported more harmful drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences, and fewer protective behavioural strategies. Thus, students with more social anxiety who may have been drinking in ord...
Hypercalcemia and neuroendocrine carcinoma of the prostate: a report of three cases and a review of the literature.

PURPOSEHypercalcemia is a rare complication of prostate cancer, and no definite association with any histologic subtype of prostatic malignancy has been documented. We have recently seen three patients who developed hypercalcemia in the setting of prostate cancer. All had neuroendocrine carcinoma of the prostate (NCPs), which prompted an exploration of the potential association of hypercalcemia with NCP.DESIGNAn extensive review of literature published in the English-language was conducted to identify cases of hypercalcemia associated with prostate cancer and well-documented cases of NCP.RESULTSWe found 17 reported cases of hypercalcemia clearly associated with prostate cancer and a total of 61 cases of well-documented NCP. Including our cases, 11 of the 20 reported cases of hypercalcemia associated with prostate carcinoma were in patients with neuroendocrine carcinomas.CONCLUSIONHypercalcemia in the setting of prostate cancer should prompt a search for unusual histologies.
Modeling the Impact of Energy Traffic on Local Unpaved Roads

Laramie County, Wyoming, was selected in accordance with legislative directive as part of a project to determine the impact of the oil and gas industry on county roads. This paper takes into account the impact on gravel roads. Lacking a road and bridge budget, Laramie County is only just keeping up with this impact. To receive additional funding from the state legislature, actual impact needs to be assessed. The different distresses and ride qualities of all the county gravel roads showed that, on average, the roads were in good condition, no matter the level of impact. However, keeping the affected roads in this condition has been costly. The characteristics of the gravel roads in Laramie County were modeled to gain a better understanding of the degradation taking place and to examine the main causes. This effort was undertaken in the hope that the information from the model would be used for more efficient maintenance strategies and would promote a more cost-effective use of the county’s budget, so that...
Unique measurement and modeling of total phase noise in wideband receiver

RF receivers are common in many modern electronic systems such as wideband beamforming and radar systems. Typically a receiver consists of an analog front-end followed by a digitizer. Note that improvement of analog circuits has proven difficult, and the overall receiver performance is usually limited by the analog front-end. Therefore, achieving low-distortion reception is highly desired, especially for wideband receivers. Among all performance degradation contributors, phase noise and jitter are especially troublesome since they cause random errors which are difficult to compensate. Each individual RF device contributes to phase noise, while the analog to digital converter (ADC) tends to effect time jitter. To quantify the system performance, it is desired to know the accumulated effect of individual phase noise sources and jitter. Under linear channel assumption, the total effect of all phase noise and jitter contributions along a channel can be represented by an accumulated phase noise at the ADC's output, called total phase noise. This paper focuses on measuring and modeling the total phase noise relying on unique optimization approaches. In contrast to traditional phase noise measurement that typically relies on hardware, a digital approach is proposed and developed. In particular, a measurement-based phase noise model is created. A modified spectrum fitting technique based on optimization is proposed and examined. It is confirmed that the total phase noise satisfies wide sense stationary (WSS) Gaussian process model.
Response of the South Asian Summer Monsoon to Global Warming: Mean and Synoptic Systems

Abstract Recent diagnostics with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Climate Model, version 2.1 (GFDL CM2.1), coupled model’s twentieth-century simulations reveal that this particular model demonstrates skill in capturing the mean and variability associated with the South Asian summer monsoon precipitation. Motivated by this, the authors examine the future projections of the mean monsoon and synoptic systems in this model’s simulations in which quadrupling of CO2 concentrations are imposed. In a warmer climate, despite a weakened cross-equatorial flow, the time-mean precipitation over peninsular parts of India increases by about 10%–15%. This paradox is interpreted as follows: the increased precipitation over the equatorial western Pacific forces an anomalous descending circulation over the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean, the two regions being connected by an overturning mass circulation. The spatially well-organized anomalous precipitation over the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean forces twin antic...
Don't Mourn: Organize. Reviving Mental Health Services Research for Healthcare Quality Improvement

The structure, organization, management, and design of the mental health system are changing profoundly as new healthcare policies reshape its configurations. This special issue is a call to action for the mental health services research field. The articles represent an important attempt to identify specific concepts, constructs, and findings from psychosocial treatment research about fidelity and integrity of treatment and align them with healthcare quality. However, the current structure and processes for deriving quality indicators place other demands on the extant research base. These will challenge this migration unless changes are made in leadership around consistent measurement strategies, payment mechanisms to support quality, and attention to technological infrastructure development. The mental health services research field should be proactive. Pediatric issues need special attention, especially as applied to community-based services for children and their families.
Simulation of a word recognition system on two parallel architectures

The use of two parallel architectures, a single-instruction-stream, multiple-data-stream (SIMD) machine and a VLSI processor array, to implement an isolated word recognition system is examined. SIMD and VLSI processor array algorithms are written for each of the components of the recognition system. The component parallel algorithms are simulated along with two complete recognition systems, one composed of SIMD algorithms and other composed of VLSI processor array algorithms. The simulations show that a SIMD machine with 100 processing elements, each based on an 8-MHz MC68000, can perform isolated word recognition over a large vocabulary in real time. The VLSI processor array simulations show that an array using 51 cells, each containing a 12-MHz Intel 8051, can recognize speech in real time over a small vocabulary. The simulation revealed certain architectural features that can enhance the overall performance of the speech system. >
Schedule advisement expert system

Abstract A student advising expert system has been developed using Artificial Intelligence techniques. An expert system has been written in PC Scheme programming language. The system consists of four modules: history, workload, schedule and maintenance. Module history learns student's record of courses, module workload ask for student's availability, module maintenance keeps lists of courses to be offered and their prerequisites, and module schedule proposes class schedule.
A review of the relationship between panic and avoidance

Abstract Evidence pertaining to the relationship between panic attacks and avoidance behavior is reviewed. Examination of panic frequency, severity and duration since the first panic attack, and desynchrony between measures of panic occurrence and avoidance behavior over the course of treatment, suggest that avoidance is not a simple function of panic “severity.” Avoidance behavior is viewed as a style of responding to the anticipation of panic that is dependent on factors other than the severity or frequency of panic attacks. The data indicate that anticipation of the occurrence of panic relates to level of avoidance of specific situations, whereas anxiety about various consequences of panicking (e.g., physical danger) seems to yield relatively little predictive validity. Other factors considered important for the development of avoidance behavior are prior history of mastery, and social demand or potential for secondary gain. In addition, factors considered important for the maintenance of avoidance behavior are reviewed, including the effects of unexpected panic attacks, instrumental effects of fear reduction, secondary gain, safety signals and overestimation of the likelihood of panic occurrence. Factors believed to relate to different levels of avoidance across different situations, within the same individual, are identified as somatic focus and generalized expectancy of panic, access to safety signals, perceived consequences of panicking and anticipation of panic in a given situation.
Origin and Evolution of Viral Interleukin-10 and Other DNA Virus Genes with Vertebrate Homologues

Phylogenies of gene families including members in both vertebrates and DNA viruses of the poxvirus and/or herpesvirus families showed that the viral genes originated at widely different times over the history of life. Certain of these viral genes (for example, the genes encoding the large and small subunits of ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase) originated before animals diverged from fungi, while others originated much more recently. The most striking examples of recent origin involved viral genes encoding the cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10), which originated independently in viruses at least three times since the divergence of the orders of eutherian mammals, presumably by viral capture of host genes. In certain domains, viral IL-10 genes showed significantly higher rates of nonsynonymous substitution than their nearest mammalian homologues. Though the mutation rate in these viral genes is up to 20 times that of the corresponding mammalian genes, a high mutation rate alone did not account for these differences because they were not seen in all domains. Rather, in certain domains it appears that functional constraints present in the case of mammalian IL-10 are relaxed in the case of the viral homologues. Furthermore, a nonrandom pattern of change with respect to amino acid residue charge in the N-terminal portion of the mature protein has occurred repeatedly in independently derived viral IL-10 genes, strongly suggesting that positive selection has led to divergence of this functionally important domain in viral IL-10.
Pancreatin with High Enzymatic Activity

A simple method of preparing pancreatin with high lipase content is outlined. An analysis, by 50 independent workers, of the pancreatin prepared by this method shows that it contains also over three times the amount of trypsin and of amylase required by the U. S. P. Thus it is an easily prepared “triple strength” pancreatin of high lipase content.
Parasites of the yellowhead spruce sawfly, Pikonema alaskensis (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), in Maine and Nova Scotia.

Thirteen species of parasites were reared from Pikonema alaskensis (Rohwer) larvae and cocoons collected in Maine and 12 species from larvae collected in Nova Scotia. Of the larval parasites, the most common species in Maine were the ichneumons Rhorus sp. 1 and Syndipnus rubiginosus Walley, and in Nova Scotia, the ichneumons Aderaeon bedardi (Provancher), Mesoleius sp., Rhorus sp. 2, and S . rubiginosus . Of the tachina flies, Palexorista bohemica (Mesnil) was more common in Maine, while it and Bessa harveyi (Townsend) were equally common in Nova Scotia. Only two cocoon parasites were reared in Maine, the ichneumon Endasys pubescens (Provancher) and the pteromalid Tritneptis diprionis Gahan. No egg parasites were reared. Parasitism totaled 12.3% in Maine larvae, 16.1% in Maine cocoons, and 46.7% in Nova Scotia larvae.
Canine colonic anastomoses reinforced with dye-enhanced fibrinogen and a diode laser.

Leakage from colonic anastomoses is a common cause of morbidity in patients recovering from bowel surgery. We evaluated a technique of laser-fibrinogen reinforcement to strengthen colonic anastomoses in a canine model. After creation of eight single-layer interrupted suture anastomoses in six dogs, indocyanine green-dye-enhanced fibrinogen was topically applied to the serosal surface and exposed to 808 mm diode laser energy. Immediately following colonic anastomosis, the mean leakage pressure was 137±22 mm Hg in the group (n=8) using sutures alone and 326±67 mm Hg (P<0.001) in the group (n=8) after the sutured anastomosis was reinforced with lasered-fibrinogen. On histological examination, no evidence of thermal injury to the tissue edges was noted and a layer of fibrinogen bridged the anastomotic gap. Laser dye-enhanced fibrinogen reinforcement significantly enhances the strength of sutured colonic anastomoses without causing appreciable thermal injury to the host tissues.
FREERIDE-G: enabling distributed processing of large datasets

We have been developing a middleware which enables development, support, and deployment of services that can transparently access and process data from remote servers, are compatible with grid standards and frameworks, and yet are efficient and scalable. Our middleware is referred to as FREERIDE-G (FRamework for Rapid Implementation of Datamining Engines in Grid). We have integrated the middleware with the grid computing standards through the use of the Globus Toolkit, more specifically, MPICH-G2. Another possibility that our middleware needs to consider is that the available data may be spread across multiple clusters. Thus, we need to develop schedules for data movement and processing, which minimize the overheads and achieve load balancing. Since the datasets may be vertically partitioned, we also need to generate wrappers automatically to bridge format differences.