cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A near-optimum discriminator demodulator for binary FSK with wide tone spacing

Optical FSK communication systems often require large tone spacings to reduce bit-error-rate (BER) degradation from laser-linewidth-induced crosstalk. Until now, discriminator detection of FSK for such wide tone spacings has fallen short of matched filter performance because of the suboptimal choice of a prefilter. A near-optimum demodulator for 240 Mb/s, three-times minimum orthogonal CPFSK (continuous-phase frequency-shift keying) has been constructed, with a measured performance that is 0.5 dB from matched filter theory at 10/sup -9/ BER. The design can be scaled to other data rates and tone spacings. The demodulator incorporates a frequency tracking loop that has good performance at low signal levels and no data-pattern dependence. >
A new calculus for the treatment of optical systems. IV

Part IV is divided into two sections. The first is devoted to some additions to the general theory developed in Part I, and the second section to the derivation of the matrices representing two optical elements which were not treated in Parts II and III: (1) plates possessing circular dichroism, and (2) plates cut from crystals of such low symmetry that the principal axes of absorption and refraction are not parallel. In case (2), the discussion is limited to monoclinic and triclinic crystals which do not possess optical activity.
RAIM with Optimal Integrity and Continuity Allocations Under Multiple Failures

Among the receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) algorithms treating multiple failures, multiple hypothesis solution separation algorithms (MHSS) - a type of solution separation algorithm - offer several advantages: First, the link between threat model, upper bound on the position error - the protection level and probability of hazardously misleading information is an easy and straightforward one; second, the calculation of the protection level does not involve complex steps. One of the critical steps in this algorithm is the allocation of the integrity and continuity budgets among the failure modes, as it determines the overall performance of the algorithm. After describing the baseline MHSS approach, we present an algorithm that simultaneously allocates the integrity and continuity budget among the failure modes to obtain the minimum protection level per satellite geometry. Then, we show how slope-based RAIM and solution separation RAIM are related through a little-known formula, which both unifies and highlights the differences between the two approaches. Finally, we apply the algorithm to evaluate the performance of RAIM for vertical guidance for a dual constellation, and find that even with a very large prior probability of satellite failure, vertical guidance can be achieved worldwide with high availability.
Is franchising a capital structure issue

Abstract This paper reviews recent research on franchising and capital structure. Several key variables that affect capital costs and are common to franchised businesses are identified. The question whether or not franchising exists because franchisees provide capital that has no close substitutes for pioneering entrepreneurs is explored and criticized because alternatives to franchisees' funds are readily available and not used by franchisers. The role of franchisee financing is also examined as a key feature of capital structure in these types of industries.
Cellular distribution of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in rat medial prefrontal cortex

The relative distribution and cellular localization of the dopamine D1 and D2 receptor subtypes were assessed in frozen sections of rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The D1 and D2 receptor binding sites were labeled with the selective high-affinity antagonists SCH 23390 and N-(p-aminophenethyl)-spiperone (NAPS), respectively, coupled to either Bodipy or Texas red fluorophores. Under the incubation conditions employed, kinetic, competition, and selectivity studies showed that these modified ligands retained pharmacological selectivity. Optimal binding fluorescence was at 100 nM of each ligand, and fluorescence increased linearly from 1 to 15 min of incubation at 2 degrees C. NAPS-Texas red binding fluorescence was inhibited with 10 nM quinpirole (D2 agonist), but not 10 nM SKF 38393 (D1 agonist), while SCH 23390-Texas red binding was inhibited with SKF 38393, but not quinpirole. The localization of dopamine receptor binding was assessed in montages constructed from low-magnification photomicrographs through the depth of the cortex, or in corresponding high-magnification photomicrographs. Cells showing D1- or D2-like receptor binding fluorescence were present in layers II-VI, with the highest density observed in layers V and VI. The addition of mianserin (100 nM, 5-HT2 antagonist) to incubated sections slightly reduced the numbers of labeled cells in each cortical layer, but retained the preferential localization to the deeper layers. Two separate observations supported the idea that the fluorescently coupled ligands were localized to neuronal cell bodies. First, receptor labeling with the fluorescently coupled ligands co-localized almost exclusively to cells in the cortical mantle showing neuron-specific enolase immunoreactivity. Second, a comparison of the cell size distribution taken from adjacent Nissl-stained sections with the size of cells showing D1- or D2-like receptor binding fluorescence revealed complete overlapping of fluorescence with neuronal cell bodies. In mPFC layer VI, the size of cells showing D1-like receptor binding fluorescence was 77.8 +/- 5.1 microns2, similar to non-pyramidal neurons, while that for D2-like receptor binding fluorescence was 108.2 +/- 4.5 microns2, consistent with both large interneurons and small pyramidal cells. Only a small percentage of cells showing D1- or D2-like receptor binding overlapped in size with glia, but this occurred almost exclusively within the white matter region below the cortical mantle. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the D1 and D2 receptor subtypes are found on different populations of neurons, although some overlap probably occurs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Estimating diabetes and diabetes-free life expectancy in Mexico and seven major cities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

During the last 50 years, life expectancy at birth in Latin America has increased from 52 years to almost 72, with further increases expected in the next decades (1). Moreover, since the elderly population is growing faster than the younger, the percentage of those 65 or more years of age is expected to rise from its current 5.5% to 10% by 2025 (1). Therefore, a pressing concern is whether or not increases in life expectancy will imply better health for a larger, aging population.
Routine and Advanced Polypectomy Techniques

The performance of colon polypectomy has proven to be one of the most impactful services provided by today’s endoscopist. Advancements in instrumentation and endoscopic techniques have been studied intensely by endoscopists over the past decade in order to expand their extent of resection capabilities to large and complex polyps. Much of the research in the past year has focused on the safety and efficacy of performing endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), and combined laparascopic-endoscopic resections (CLER). Experts have published case-series, multicenter studies, and even nationwide results on the use of these methods for complex polypectomy. Because of the novelty and increased risk of these procedures, recent research has also focused on the prevention, identification and management of complications related to polypectomy, particularly bleeding and perforation. This manuscript will review the recent literature addressing basic and advanced colon polypectomy techniques.
Odontogenic myxoma of the mandible in a filly.

Odontogenic tumors are uncommon in domestic animals and have been broadly classified as epithelial or mesodermal (stromal) odontogenic tumors.4 Other than the canine fibromatous epulis, stromal neoplasms are very rare in animals. The 2 main types of mesodermal tumors are odontogenic myxoma (fibromyxoma) and cementoma.4 In the only report of an odontogenic myxoma in a domesticated animal, no details were given.3 This present report includes a light microscopic, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical description of an odontogenic myxoma in the mandible of a horse. A 1.5-year-old mixed-breed filly was referred to the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, University of Florida, Gainesville, because of marked left mandibular swelling, profuse salivation, and inability to eat or drink. On physical examination, a painful, malodorous mass was present on the left mandible. Radiologic examination revealed malalignment of the horizontal ramus of the left mandible and expansion of the ramus by a mottled area of uneven radiopacity. Because of a guarded prognosis and financial constraints, the filly was euthanized. At necropsy, the only abnormality was a glistening, bosselated, tan and off-white mass (12 3 11 cm) in the horizontal ramus of the left mandible, protruding into the oral cavity (Fig. 1). The surface of the mass was partially covered by strands of green fibrous ingesta, with multifocal areas of necrosis and hemorrhage. The mass completely replaced 2 premolar teeth. On radiologic examination of the dissected mandible, the mass had multiloculated radiolucency and was expanding and destroying the mandibular bone (Fig. 2). On cut surface, the mass was variably firm, glistening, and offwhite to light tan. Sagittal section of the mandibular ramus revealed extensive invasion and replacement of the mandibular bone by the mass. A thin band of remnant bone was present on the ventral aspect of the ramus. Tissue samples obtained at necropsy were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Paraffin-embedded sections were histochemically stained with alcian blue at pH 2.6 for sulfated and nonsulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and at pH 1.0 for sulfated GAG. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections were immunohistochemically stained for localization of cytokeratin (rabbit polyclonal antibody against cytokeratins 5, 6, 8, 13, and 16), vimentin, S-100 protein, lysozyme, and actina using an avidin–biotin–peroxidase complex (ABC) method.b For ultrastructural examination, sam-
Multi-task feature selection in microarray data by binary integer programming

A major challenge in microarray classification is that the number of features is typically orders of magnitude larger than the number of examples. In this paper, we propose a novel feature filter algorithm to select the feature subset with maximal discriminative power and minimal redundancy by solving a quadratic objective function with binary integer constraints. To improve the computational efficiency, the binary integer constraints are relaxed and a low-rank approximation to the quadratic term is applied. The proposed feature selection algorithm was extended to solve multi-task microarray classification problems. We compared the single-task version of the proposed feature selection algorithm with 9 existing feature selection methods on 4 benchmark microarray data sets. The empirical results show that the proposed method achieved the most accurate predictions overall. We also evaluated the multi-task version of the proposed algorithm on 8 multi-task microarray datasets. The multi-task feature selection algorithm resulted in significantly higher accuracy than when using the single-task feature selection methods.
Technology, Alienation, and the Future of Litigation-Based Social Change

This article will briefly analyze how technology can sometime alleviate dissatisfaction and it distorts its progression toward a legal desire seeking legal remedy (through litigation). Other times, when satisfaction cannot be found individually through technology, technology acts as a catalyst to systemic changes.
Automorphy for some l-adic lifts of automorphic mod l Galois representations

We extend the results of [CHT] by removing the ‘minimal ramification’ condition on the lifts. That is we establish the automorphy of suitable conjugate self-dual, regular (de Rham with distinct Hodge–Tate numbers), l-adic lifts of certain automorphic mod l Galois representations of any dimension. The main innovation is a new approach to the automorphy of non-minimal lifts which is closer in spirit to the methods of [TW] than to those of [W], which relied on Ihara’s lemma.
Advancements in transformation optics-enabled gradient-index lens design

Transformation Optics (TO) provides the mathematical framework for representing the behavior of electromagnetic radiation in a given geometry by “transforming” it to an alternative, usually more desirable, geometry through an appropriate mapping of the constituent material parameters. Using a quasi-conformal mapping, the restrictions on the required material parameters can be relaxed allowing isotropic inhomogeneous all-dielectric materials to be employed. This approach has led to the development of a new and powerful design tool for gradient-index (GRIN) optical systems. Using TO, aspherical lenses can be transformed to simpler spherical and flat geometries or even rotationally-asymmetric shapes which result in true 3D GRIN profiles. TO can also potentially be extended to collapse an entire lens system into a representative GRIN profile thus reducing its physical dimensions while retaining the optical performance of the original system. However, dispersion effects of the constituent materials often limit the bandwidth of metamaterial and TO structures thus restricting their potential applicability. Nonetheless, with the proper pairing of GRIN profile and lens geometry to a given material system, chromatic aberrations can be minimized. To aid in the GRIN construction, we employ advanced multi-objective optimization algorithms which allow the designer to explicitly view the trade-offs between all design objectives such as RMS spot size, field-of-view (FOV), lens thickness, 𝛥𝑛, and focal drift due to chromatic aberrations. We present an overview of our TO-enabled GRIN lens design process and analysis techniques while demonstrating designs which minimize the presence of mono- and poly-chromatic aberrations and discuss their requisite material systems.
Conjunctivitis and subclinical infection in smallpox.

Attempts were made to demonstrate variola virus in the conjunctival exudate of 84 smallpox patients who developed conjunctivitis in the acute stage of the illness or during convalescence. Variola virus was isolated from 60 but not from the remaining 24. Of the 64 from whom virus was isolated the conjunctivitis developed from the onset up to the 15th day of illness. From conjunctivitis developing later virus was not recovered. In some patients who developed conjunctivitis early in the disease we failed to recover virus from the conjunctival exudate. Of 55 close family contacts who stayed in hospital with smallpox patients four developed smallpox. In 21, conjunctivitis but no other illness developed. From 12 of these, variola virus was recovered from the conjunctival exudate and four of these 12, who were further investigated, showed after the appearance of conjunctivitis antibody titres similar to those seen in typical smallpox cases. From nine of the contacts who developed conjunctivitis virus was not recovered. One of these had antibody titres in serum collected before the onset of conjunctivitis which indicated recent smallpox infection. In another there was a marked antibody rise during her hospital stay although examination of conjunctival exudate on three separate occasions failed to yield variola virus. Twenty-six family contacts who developed no illness in hospital had antibody determinations made on sera collected soon after admission to hospital. In eight of these antibody titres were such as to indicate recent smallpox infection although there were no signs, in the form of scarring, or history of recent smallpox infection. These findings have been discussed in relation to the occurrence of minimal and subclinical infection in close family contacts of smallpox patients. This investigation was supported in part by Public Health Service Grant AI–1632–16 VR from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, by the World Health Organization and by the Marcus T. Reynolds III Fund.
Generalized Linear Models

While the linear regression model is common to Political Science, many of the outcome measures researchers wish to study are binary, ordinal, nominal, or count variables. When we study these limited dependent variables, we turn to techniques such as logistic regression, probit regression, ordered logit (and probit) regression, multinomial logit (and probit) regression, Poisson regression, and negative binomial regression. A review of these and several other methods can be seen in volumes such as King (1989) and Long (1997).
Health and Wellness Strand: Recommendations From National Goals Conference 2015

Abstract Although a variety of health and wellness initiatives have emerged in the past decade, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), their caregivers, and advocates still are facing remarkable challenges in staying healthy and receiving appropriate health services. The National Goals 2015 Conference provided a unique platform and an opportunity to summarize the current state of knowledge, identify national goals in research, practice, and policy, and set the stage for the future directions in health and wellness in IDD field. This article presents an outline to improve the health of people with IDD. The goals identify major health and wellness issues and solutions proposed by a group of disability researchers, policy specialists, advocates, health care providers, and service providers with the aim to set forth an agenda for national, state, and local action to improve the health of people with IDD and include them fully in appropriate health systems.
Neurocomputational Models of Interval and Pattern Timing.

Most of the computations and tasks performed by the brain require the ability to tell time, and process and generate temporal patterns. Thus, there is a diverse set of neural mechanisms in place to allow the brain to tell time across a wide range of scales: from interaural delays on the order of microseconds to circadian rhythms and beyond. Temporal processing is most sophisticated on the scale of tens of milliseconds to a few seconds, because it is within this range that the brain must recognize and produce complex temporal patterns — such as those that characterize speech and music. Most models of timing, however, have focused primarily on simple intervals and durations, thus it is not clear whether they will generalize to complex pattern-based temporal tasks. Here, we review neurobiologically based models of timing in the subsecond range, focusing on whether they generalize to tasks that require placing consecutive intervals in the context of an overall pattern, that is, pattern timing .
Revisiting Management of Pediatric Brain Tumors with New Molecular Insights

Pediatric central nervous system primitive neuro-ectodermal brain tumors (CNS-PNETs) are rare tumors with ill-defined biological features. In this issue of Cell, Sturm et al. used state-of-the-art methods to interrogate these tumors' biology. Their integrated molecular analyses led them to propose a new molecular classification, with four new entities identified, that should get oncologists' attention.
Nonlinear reversal of the PT -symmetric phase transition in a system of coupled semiconductor microring resonators

A system of two coupled semiconductor-based resonators is studied when lasing around an exceptional point. We show that the presence of nonlinear saturation effects can have important ramifications on the transition behavior of this system. In sharp contrast with linear $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric configurations, nonlinear processes are capable of reversing the order in which the symmetry breaking occurs. Yet, even in the nonlinear regime, the resulting non-Hermitian states still retain the structural form of the corresponding linear eigenvectors expected above and below the phase-transition point. The conclusions of our analysis are in agreement with experimental data.
Clarithromycin: where do we go from here?

Clarithromycin is a new macrolite with a broad spectrum of activity against Gram-positive cocci, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia and selected Mycobacteria, Legionella and protozoa. The drug has a half-life or more than 4 hours and thus can be administered in a twice daily schedule. Clarithromycin is well-tolerated in children and adults and produces fewer gastrointestinal side effects than erythromycin. High concentrations of the drug are achieved in plasma and in cells and tissue including tonsil, lung and middle ear fluids
Abstract 768: Lymphokine activated killer cell conditioned media induces monocytes to differentiate into a dendritic cell-like/activated monocyte phenotype with cytotoxic potential against glioblastoma

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Background: Despite advances in surgery and multimodal treatment regimens, Glioblastoma (GBM) continues to have poor overall survival outcomes and associated treatment morbidity. Cell-based immunotherapy is being explored as an option in the treatment of GBM. Treatment of GBM with lymphokine activated killer cells (LAK) generated by interleukin-2 (IL-2) stimulation has been associated with encouraging overall survival rates (Dillman RO et al. J Immunotherapy 2009 32:914-919). Since it has been reported that IL-2-activated lymphocytes can produce cytokines that may influence the differentiation and activation of monocytes (Kirsch M et al. J Neurooncol 1994 20:35-45), we explored the generation of activated monocytes and/or dendritic cells (DC) in LAK cell therapy products. Methods: Magnetic cell isolation of major histocompatibility complex II positive cells (HLA-DR) from LAK cell preparations revealed a small subpopulation of cells expressing CD80 and CD86 which also retained some CD14 expression. We then explored the possibility of generating activated monocytes and/or DC by incubating elutriated monocytes in the conditioned media of LAK cell preparations (LAK-CM) and examining their characteristics in comparison to standard GM-CSF/IL-4 DC or LAK cells. Results: The resulting LAK-CM incubated monocytes showed high levels of expression of CD80 (65.3%), CD86 (72.3%), HLA-DR (83.6%), comparable to the standard GM-CSF/IL-4 DC. The LAK-CM treated monocytes also retained their CD14 expression at (58.2% vs. 58.4%) and had similar levels of phagocytic ability compared to DC (14.7% vs. 12.7%) and demonstrated higher cytotoxicity levels against a model GBM cell line, U251, compared to either LAK cells themselves or the standard GM-CSF/IL-4 generated DC (85.6% vs. 55.9% vs. 60.9%, respectively). Conclusions: Combining lymphocytes and monocytes from elutriated lymphocyte fractions under LAK cell generation conditions (1000 IU/mL IL-2 in AIMV) also yielded similar dendritic cell/activated monocyte phenotypes suggesting that new combinations of cell therapy could be produced using this method with higher tumor cytotoxicity potentials as well as antigen cross presentation capabilities. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 768. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-768
Testing the efficacy of a brief sexual risk reduction intervention among high-risk American Indian adults: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background American Indian adults are more likely to experience co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders than adults of other racial/ethnic groups and are disproportionately burdened by the most common sexually transmitted infections, namely chlamydia and gonorrhea. Several behavioral interventions are proven efficacious in lowering risk for sexually transmitted infection in various populations and, if adapted to address barriers experienced by American Indian adults who suffer from mental health and substance use problems, may be useful for dissemination in American Indian communities. The proposed study aims to examine the efficacy of an adapted evidence-based intervention to increase condom use and decrease sexual risk-taking and substance use among American Indian adults living in a reservation-based community in the Southwestern United States.
Finite Element Solution of Nonlinear Frictional Contact Problems via Perturbed Lagrangian Formulation

In this study, a perturbed Lagrangian-based formulation is proposed for the finite element solution of fully nonlinear frictional contact problems. The stick-slip contact phenomena is accommodated by means of a nonlinear variational formulation. In view of an analogy between the Coulomb’s law of friction for stick-slip motion and the yield criterion for classical elastoplasti-city, a two-step operator split is employed. Within the context of finite element discrete approximation, explicit expressions for “consistent” frictional contact tangent stiffness and residual are derived from variational equations by using a consistent linearization procedure for both the sliding and adhesion phases. It is shown that for the case of frictional stick the consistent tangent operator is symmetric only when numerical convergence is achieved. On the other hand, the consistent tangent operator is always non-symmetric for the case of frictional sliding owing to the nature of the Coulomb’s friction law employed. These expressions degenerate to classical rank-one corrections of stiffness matrices in the limiting case of infinitesimal deformations.
The New Sociology of Suburbs: A Research Agenda for Analysis of Emerging Trends

The majority of Americans live and work in suburbs, but the social problems arising in these communities are rarely studied by sociologists. Far more scholarly attention is devoted to understanding the distinctive character of urban communities. This review directs attention to three emerging trends affecting the nation's suburbs disproportionately: the suburbanization of poverty, the settlement of post-1965 immigrants in the suburbs, and the impact of reverse migration to the South on black suburbanization. The review provides a critical discussion of the valuable contributions demographers have made to our general understanding of these trends, then it engages the work of ethnographers to assess the processes underlying these outcomes. These emerging trends constitute the basis for a robust research agenda rooted in the sociology of suburbs.
Compressive Testing of Ceramics: A Southwestern Example

ABSTRACTRecent research has begun to evaluate the utility of selected analytical approaches from the discipline of materials science in the characterization of ceramics for the archaeological study of social and economic change. Characterization describes those features of composition and structure of a material that are important for the preparation of a product, the study of its properties, or its ultimate use. Comparative analyses of compressive strength values of samples of St. Johns Polychrome and Alameda Plain are presented and the ramifications of such characterization for archaeology are discussed.
Diseases, Conservation and

Parasites and infectious diseases can have profound impacts on the population dynamics and evolution of their hosts. In recent decades, conservation biologists have grown more aware of the risks parasites pose for natural populations. Disease outbreaks have threatened biodiversity by catalyzing or accelerating species declines, often following human modifications of the environment. From a different perspective, parasites comprise a major component of biodiversity (perhaps more than half of all living species), and can even promote biodiversity among plant and animal communities. Therefore, measuring the effects of diseases in natural ecosystems is central to developing conservation strategies and managing biodiversity.
Abstract IA08: Drugging undruggable kras: will myc do the trick?

KRAS oncogene mutations are found in ~95% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and are well validated drivers of PDAC initiation and maintenance. Consequently, a major goal for the field is the development of effective anti-KRAS therapies. However, despite more than three decades of intensive effort, no effective pharmacologic inhibitors of the KRAS have reached the clinic, prompting the widely held perception that KRAS is “undruggable”. However, with more advanced knowledge of KRAS function and new technological approaches, there is renewed hope that the time is ripe to revisit targeting KRAS. I will present our studies focused on the RAF-MEK-ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. This effector signaling network is a well-validated driver of KRAS-dependent cancer growth. Despite this key role, pharmacologic inhibitors of RAF and MEK have been ineffective in inhibiting growth of KRAS-mutated cancers, in large part due to dynamic signal reprogramming leading to ERK reactivation and bypass of inhibitor action. We therefore addressed whether direct ERK inhibition may be a more effective therapeutic approach. We identified a growth suppression mechanism due to pharmacologic inhibition of ERK that involves degradation of the MYC oncoprotein, activation of the p16INK4A-RB1 tumor suppressor pathway and induction of a senescence-like phenotype. We also applied unbiased genetic and chemical functional screens, as well as reverse phase protein array analyses, and identified the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signalling network as a key driver of pancreatic cancer resistance to ERK inhibition. Novel combination inhibitor approaches that synergistically enhanced ERK inhibitor anti-tumor activity were also identified. Finally, we determined that continued expression of KRAS was required for maintenance of MYC protein expression. We determined that previously identified mechanisms of RAS effector signaling alone did not account for MYC protein regulation in PDAC, prompting our search for novel protein kinases that regulate MYC protein degradation. Our efforts are centered defining pharmacologic strategies to accelerate MYC protein degradation as a novel approach for blocking mutant KRAS in PDAC. Citation Format: Channing J. Der.{Authors}. Drugging undruggable kras: will myc do the trick? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Advances in Science and Clinical Care; 2016 May 12-15; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(24 Suppl):Abstract nr IA08.
Ions in liquid crystals doped with nanoparticles: conventional and counterintuitive temperature effects

ABSTRACTThe concentration of ions in liquid crystals with fully ionised ionic contaminants does not depend on the temperature. Nanoparticles dispersed in the same liquid crystals change the number of mobile ions through the temperature-dependent adsorption/desorption process. As a result, the concentration of ions in liquid crystal nanocolloids is a strong function of their temperature. This type of temperature dependence is governed by the values of the adsorption activation energy and desorption activation energy. A commonly observed scenario is an increase in the concentration of mobile ions in liquid crystal nanocolloids as their temperature goes up. In this article, an opposite effect is modelled. Under certain conditions, the concentration of ions in liquid crystal nanocolloids decreases with increasing temperature. This unusual behaviour is analysed considering liquid crystals doped with both 100% pure and contaminated nanoparticles.
Operating Room Team Training with Simulation: A Systematic Review

Abstract Introduction: Nontechnical skills (NTS) such as teamwork and communication play an important role in preventing adverse outcomes in the operating room (OR). Simulation-based OR team training focused on these skills provides an environment where team members can learn with and from one another. We sought to conduct a systematic review to identify simulation-based approaches to NTS training for surgical teams. Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, ERIC, and the Cochrane Database using keywords and MeSH terms for studies describing simulation-based training for OR teams, including members from surgery, anesthesia, and nursing in September 2016. Information on the simulations, participants, and NTS assessments were abstracted from the articles meeting our search criteria. Results: We identified 10 published articles describing simulation-based OR team-training programs focused on NTS. The primary focus of these programs was on communication, teamwork, leadership, and situ...
STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF FEVER XVI. PURIFICATION AND FURTHER CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF GRANULOCYTIC PYROGEN

Small quantities of highly purified granulocytic pyrogen have been separated from contaminating proteins by disc electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel. The biologically active material thus isolated was shown to be electrophoretically homogeneous at pH 9 and pH 3.8. Earlier work on the chemical properties of the pyrogen molecule has been extended to include: (a) estimation of its molecular weight by gel filtration; (b) demonstration of free sulfhydryl groups essential for its biological activity; and (c) evidence that it is not inactivated by exhaustive extraction with ethanolether or n-heptane.
Continuous permeability measurement during unidirectional vacuum infusion processing

Flow simulation for liquid composite molding is often performed to assist in process optimization and requires the permeability of the reinforcement to be characterized. For infusion under a flexible membrane, such as vacuum infusion, or for simulation of a part with non-uniform thickness, one must test the permeability at various levels of compaction. This process is time consuming and often relies on interpolation or extrapolation around a few experimental permeability measurements. To accelerate the process of permeability characterization, a small number of methodologies have been previously presented in the literature, in which the permeability may be tested at multiple fiber volume contents in a single test. Some of the methods even measure the permeability over a continuous range of thicknesses, thus requiring no later interpolation of permeability values. A novel method is presented here for the rapid measurement of permeability over a continuous range of fiber volume content, in a single unidirec...
Statistically Estimated Real GDP Determination Functions (“IS” Curves)

This chapter regresses all the determinants of consumption, investment and exports, plus government in one Keynesian – IS curve-type regression. It note this can confuse causal and spurious results. It also describes why the approach used in Chapter 8 is better.
Grupo de apoio psicológico a portadores da Síndrome Fibromialgia: relato de experiência

This article aims to present how the meetings and cognitive-behavioral techniques used during the sessions of the Support Group for Fibromyalgia Syndrome patients were structured in a university clinic located in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre. 20 sessions were held, distributed weekly during the year 2015, the time was approximately 75 minutes, with an average participation of 15 people, the group was opened and coordinated by two psychology trainees. The meetings aimed to produce a space where the participants could share their experiences and develop skills to face the difficulties related to Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Through the experience, it was possible to verify cognitive distortions and how much the belief of self-efficacy can help in facing the difficulties. A literature review was carried out regarding Fibromyalgia, methods of treatment in psychology, psychological aspects of Syndrome and the psychosocial impact on the life of these people. The aim of the discussion was to carry out a dialogue between the aspects found in the literature review with the experience report, denouncing in this way how the psychological support can help to maintain the well-being and quality of life of the participants of the group.
The Effect of Tax-Motivated Income Shifting on Information Asymmetry

We examine whether tax-motivated income shifting by U.S. multinational corporations affects information asymmetry. Using a new firm-year measure of income shifting and a two-stage least squares approach, we find income shifting is positively associated with four measures of information asymmetry. Cross-sectional tests reveal that this effect is more pronounced for firms with large differences between foreign and domestic earnings growth. Using SFAS 131 to improve identification and establish evidence consistent with a causal relation between income shifting and information asymmetry, we demonstrate that the adverse impact of income shifting on information asymmetry is concentrated in firms that discontinue geographic earnings disclosures. Overall, our study provides evidence that significant consequences of information asymmetry are associated with tax-motivated income shifting.
The I Will Help You mental health initiative: A pedagogy for nursing leadership and a call to action for nurses

Abstract Mental illness is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in society. Undergraduate nursing students designed and implemented a mental health awareness campaign called the I Will Help You initiative as part of their senior leadership nursing course. The aims of the initiative were to: spread awareness on mental illness; give the general public the skills and resources needed to identify and assist individuals who are struggling with mental illness; and decrease the stigma surrounding mental illness. A website, four online educational modules, four social media accounts, and two videos were designed by the students in order to promote the initiative. One month following the initiative's launch, the website had over 4000 page views, the videos had over 20,000 views, there were over 200 pledges, and the educational modules had 60 users. The initiative received substantial media attention and was featured via a variety of platforms including: a local news story, numerous health blogs, the state nurses' website and across the university campus. The I Will Help You initiative provided real life application of nursing leadership to an undergraduate student population while building a sustainable, evidence-based tool that can be used as a public health resource for mental illness.
Systemic and Intra-Habenular Activation of the Orphan G Protein-Coupled Receptor GPR139 Decreases Compulsive-Like Alcohol Drinking and Hyperalgesia in Alcohol-Dependent Rats

GPR139 is an orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that is expressed mainly in the brain, with the highest expression in the medial habenula. The modulation of GPR139 receptor function has been hypothesized to be beneficial in the treatment of some mental disorders, but behavioral studies have not yet provided causal evidence of the role of GPR139 in brain dysfunction. Because of the high expression of GPR139 in the habenula, a critical brain region in addiction, we hypothesized that GPR139 may play role in alcohol dependence. Thus, we tested the effect of GPR139 receptor activation using the selective, brain-penetrant receptor agonist JNJ-63533054 on addiction-like behaviors in alcohol-dependent male rats. Systemic administration of JNJ-63533054 (30 mg/kg but not 10 mg/kg, p.o.) reversed the escalation of alcohol self-administration in alcohol-dependent rats, without affecting water or saccharin intake in dependent rats or alcohol intake in nondependent rats. Moreover, systemic JNJ-63533054 administration decreased withdrawal-induced hyperalgesia, without affecting somatic signs of alcohol withdrawal. Further analysis demonstrated that JNJ-63533054 was effective only in a subgroup of dependent rats that exhibited compulsive-like alcohol drinking. Finally, site-specific microinjection of JNJ-63533054 in the habenula but not interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) reduced both alcohol self-administration and withdrawal-induced hyperalgesia in dependent rats. These results provide robust preclinical evidence that GPR139 receptor activation reverses key addiction-like behaviors in dependent animals, suggest that GPR139 may be a novel target for the treatment of alcohol use disorder, and demonstrate that GPR139 is functionally relevant in regulating mammalian behavior.
Ultrasound Evaluation of Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy, the implantation of a fertilized ovum outside the uterine cavity, now accounts for 2 % of all pregnancies in the United States. Nearly all ectopic pregnancies (97 %) are implanted within the fallopian tube, and a common factor for the development of such ectopics is the presence of a pathological fallopian tube. Ectopic implantation can also occur outside of the fallopian tube, within the cervix, ovary, abdomen, uterine cornua, and cesarean scars. These extratubal implantations may not be associated with tubal pathology or the expected preexisting risk factors for tubal ectopic implantation. The imaging modality of choice for the diagnosis of early pregnancy, regardless of implantation site, is transvaginal ultrasound. Early transvaginal ultrasound can locate most, if not all early pregnancies, and should be performed on every early pregnancy with symptoms of gestational pathology or a high likelihood of ectopic pregnancy based on gynecologic history.
Ethics of Robotic Deception [Opinion]

Addresses the concept of deception and truth when dealing with robotics. What if you could no longer believe what your robot assistant was telling you was the truth? Are there circumstances under which that would be acceptable? What if it was for your own good? The time of robotic deception is rapidly approaching. We are being bombarded regarding the inherent ethical dangers of the approaching robotics and AI revolution, but far less concern has been expressed about the potential for robots to deceive human beings.
Housing Instability Results in Increased Acute Care Utilization in an Urban HIV Clinic Cohort.

Author(s): Clemenzi-Allen, Angelo; Neuhaus, John; Geng, Elvin; Sachdev, Darpun; Buchbinder, Susan; Havlir, Diane; Gandhi, Monica; Christopoulos, Katerina | Abstract: BackgroundPeople living with HIV (PLWH) who experience homelessness and unstable housing (HUH) often have fragmented health care. Research that incorporates granular assessments of housing status and primary care visit adherence to understand patterns of acute care utilization can help pinpoint areas for intervention.MethodsWe collected self-reported living situation, categorized as stable (rent/own, hotel/single room occupancy), unstable (treatment/transitional program, staying with friends), or homeless (homeless shelter, outdoors/in vehicle) at an urban safety-net HIV clinic between February and August 2017 and abstracted demographic and clinical information from the medical record. Regression models evaluated the association of housing status on the frequency of acute care visits-urgent care (UC) visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations-and whether suboptimal primary care visit adherence (l75%) interacted with housing status on acute care visits.ResultsAmong 1198 patients, 25% experienced HUH. In adjusted models, unstable housing resulted in a statistically significant increase in the incidence rate ratio for UC visits (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10 to 1.66; P l .001), ED visits (IRR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.44 to 3.13; P l .001), and hospitalizations (IRR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.77; P = 0.018). Homelessness led to even greater increases in UC visits (IRR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.29 to 2.39; P l .001), ED visits (IRR, 4.18; 95% CI, 2.77 to 6.30; P l .001), and hospitalizations (IRR, 3.18; 95% CI, 2.03 to 4.97; P l .001). Suboptimal visit adherence differentially impacted UC and ED visits by housing status, suggesting interaction.ConclusionsIncreased acute care visit frequency among HUH-PLWH suggests that interventions at these visits may create opportunities to improve care.
Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy for Management of Concussion: A Critically Appraised Topic

Focused Clinical Question: In patients who have sustained a concussion, does vestibular rehabilitation therapy improve clinical symptoms of dizziness and self-reported balance deficits and/or influ...
Use of Nerve Conduction Assessments to Evaluate Drug-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Nonclinical Species-A Brief Review

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is subject to a wide range of structural and functional insults including direct damage to axons, loss of myelin, and progressive deficits in saltatory conduction. Drugs that damage the PNS often result in neuropathies that impact the structure and function of targeted nerves. In most cases, both sensory and motor neurons are affected with damage initially evident in the distal extremities. Drug-induced neuropathies are potentially reversible following cessation of treatment, but early stages of neuropathy can be subclinical and asymptomatic making diagnosis difficult. Nerve biopsy is highly validated and provides definitive evidence of nerve injury and corresponding severity; however, it is limited in some respects and electrophysiological measures can complement histopathological assessments and provide a functional measure of potential toxicity. In a drug development setting, nerve conduction assessments are valuable to monitor nerve function longitudinally if nerve damage is suspected or confirmed, and importantly, can be used to monitor progression and/or recovery of a drug-induced neuropathy. This review will summarize the methodology used in nerve conduction assessments as well as discuss data interpretation and considerations for use in nonclinical species. Finally, the use of nerve conduction assessments in nonclinical drug development is discussed.