cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling and retrieving images by content

Abstract A content-based image retrieval system (CBIR) is required to effectively utilize information from image databases. Content-based retrieval is characterized by the ability of the system to retrieve relevant images based on their visual and semantic contents rather than by using atomic attributes or keywords assigned to them. In this paper, we provide a taxonomy for approaches to image retrieval and describe their characteristics and limitations. We examined a number of image database applications to discover their retrieval requirements and to structure the requirements from a domain-independent perspective. This study enabled us to provide a taxonomy for image attributes and to propose a number of generic query operators. These operators are adequate to realize CBIR in a number of diverse applications. We propose a novel system architecture for CBIR that supports the generic query operators. The architecture is structured in a way to enable applications to inherit only those query operators that are useful in the domain. We have developed a partial prototype implementation of this architecture. The versatility and effectiveness of the architecture is demonstrated by configuring the prototype implementation for two image retrieval applications: realtors information system and face retrieval system. The first application is for real estate marketing and the other is for law enforcement and criminal investigation.
Quality of Life and Goal Attainment

King's conceptual framework of three dynamic interacting systems (personal, interpersonal, social) provides a structure for observing the interacting elements that enhance or impinge on quality of life. Interactions and transactions with the nurse lead to goal-setting for individuals, families, and society. Goal-setting usually leads to goal attainment, which produces satisfaction with self and improves one's ability to achieve future success. The goal of King's theory (which is derived from her conceptual system) is health for individuals, groups, and society. This article explores the use of King's theory of goal attainment in maintaining and promoting health, which influences quality of life.
CD8+ Cell Anti-HIV Activity Rapidly Increases Upon Discontinuation of Early Antiretroviral Therapy

Introduction CD8+ lymphocytes can suppress HIV replication without killing the infected cells. This CD8+ cell noncytotoxic anti-HIV response (CNAR) is associated with a beneficial clinical course. Materials and Methods In this longitudinal study of 16 participants in the Options Project at UCSF, we measured the ability of CD8+ lymphocytes to suppress HIV replication in CD4+ cells during primary HIV infection, early antiretroviral therapy, and after treatment. Results and Discussion CD8+ lymphocytes from subjects with untreated primary HIV-1 infection strongly suppressed HIV replication. Initiation of antiretroviral therapy during primary HIV-1 infection caused a marked decline in this CNAR. CD8+ cells from these subjects regained anti-HIV activity when early therapy was discontinued. The timing of the appearance of CD8+ cell anti-HIV activity directly correlated with the emergence of detectable virus levels. Maximal CNAR activity coincided with a decay in the kinetics of HIV replication. In addition, peak viral loads during treatment interruptionwerelowerthanpre-treatmentviruslevels(median reduction=0.8 logs, p=0.005) and CD4+ T cell counts were maintained for a 24-week period of follow-up. Conclusion These results suggest that CNAR plays an important role in suppressing HIV replication in the setting of antiretroviral treatment interruption in HIV-infected individuals.
Genetics of variation in HOMA-IR and cardiovascular risk factors in Mexican-Americans

Insulin resistance is a major biochemical defect underlying the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Mexican-Americans are known to have an unfavorable cardiovascular profile. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the genetic effect on variation in HOMA-IR and to evaluate its genetic correlations with other phenotypes related to risk of CVD in Mexican-Americans. The homeostatic model assessment method (HOMA-IR) is one of several approaches that are used to measure insulin resistance and was used here to generate a quantitative phenotype for genetic analysis. For 644 adults who had participated in the San Antonio Family Heart Study (SAFHS), estimates of genetic contribution were computed using a variance components method implemented in SOLAR. Traits that exhibited significant heritabilities were body mass index (BMI) (h2 = 0.43), waist circumference (h2 = 0.48), systolic blood pressure (h2 = 0.30), diastolic blood pressure (h2 = 0.21), pulse pressure (h2 = 0.32), triglycerides (h2 = 0.51), LDL cholesterol (h2 = 0.31), HDL cholesterol (h2 = 0.24), C-reactive protein (h2 = 0.17), and HOMA-IR (h2 = 0.33). A genome-wide scan for HOMA-IR revealed significant evidence of linkage on chromosome 12q24 (close to PAH (phenylalanine hydroxylase), LOD = 3.01, p < 0.001). Bivariate analyses demonstrated significant genetic correlations (p < 0.05) of HOMA-IR with BMI (ρG = 0.36), waist circumference (ρG = 0.47), pulse pressure (ρG = 0.39), and HDL cholesterol (ρG = -0.18). Identification of significant linkage for HOMA-IR on chromosome 12q replicates previous family-based studies reporting linkage of phenotypes associated with type 2 diabetes in the same chromosomal region. Significant genetic correlations between HOMA-IR and phenotypes related to CVD risk factors suggest that a common set of gene(s) influence the regulation of these phenotypes.
“The News Media, the Problem Frame, and the Production of Fear”

The role of the news media in promoting a public discourse of fear is examined. A conceptual model is offered that is based on recent developments in communication formats and frames. The emphasis ...
Aggregate Structure and Free Energy Changes in Chromonic Liquid Crystals

Past and recent x-ray and absorption data on chromonic liquid crystals are analyzed in a consistent manner to reveal both the cross-sectional areas and stacking free energy changes for a number of systems. Two tentative conclusions result from this study. First, the locations of the charged groups on the dye molecule determine the number of molecules in the cross-section of the aggregate. Second, among systems with the same aggregate structure, the higher the stacking free energy change as measured in dilute solutions, the lower the concentration at which a room temperature liquid crystal phase forms at higher concentrations.
A Stochastic Programming Approach to the Airline Crew Scheduling Problem

Traditional methods model the billion-dollar airline crew scheduling problem as deterministic and do not explicitly include information on potential disruptions. Instead of modeling the crew scheduling problem as deterministic, we consider a stochastic crew scheduling model and devise a solution methodology for integrating disruptions in the evaluation of crew schedules. The goal is to use that information to find robust solutions that better withstand disruptions. Such an approach is important because we can proactively consider the effects of certain scheduling decisions. By identifying more robust schedules, cascading delay effects are minimized. In this paper we describe our stochastic integer programming model for the airline crew scheduling problem and develop a branching algorithm to identify expensive flight connections and find alternative solutions. The branching algorithm uses the structure of the problem to branch simultaneously on multiple variables without invalidating the optimality of the algorithm. We present computational results demonstrating the effectiveness of our branching algorithm.
Toward stable software architecture for wireless sensor networks

This research aims at developing an approach for architecting and communicating software systems in the context of wireless sensor networks. In particular, it focuses on developing software systems that can adapt and evolve while reducing the communication overhead and energy consumption needed to disseminate the developed software over the network.
Somatic Hypermutation Is Limited by CRM1-dependent Nuclear Export of Activation-induced Deaminase

Somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR) are initiated in activated B lymphocytes by activation-induced deaminase (AID). AID is thought to make lesions in DNA by deaminating cytidine residues in single-stranded DNA exposed by RNA polymerase during transcription. Although this must occur in the nucleus, AID is found primarily in the cytoplasm. Here we show that AID is actively excluded from the nucleus by an exportin CRM1-dependent pathway. The AID nuclear export signal (NES) is found at the carboxyl terminus of AID in a region that overlaps a sequence required for CSR but not SHM. We find that AID lacking a functional NES causes more hypermutation of a nonphysiologic target gene in transfected fibroblasts. However, the NES does not impact on the rate of mutation of immunoglobulin genes in B lymphocytes, suggesting that the AID NES does not limit AID activity in these cells.
Role of sonography in the evaluation of unstable os acromiale.

Os acromiale is a relatively common anatomic variation in which the acromial apophysis fails to completely fuse with the scapula. 1,4 Although typically regarded as an incidental finding, os acromiale may produce symptoms arising from the hypermobile nonunion site itself or as a result of downward impingement on the underlying rotator cuff. 1,5,6 Identifying symptomatic os acromiale can be clinically challenging when a patient has shoulder pain, resulting in delayed diagnosis. 5,7,8 This report highlights the use of sonography to identify symptomatic unstable os acromiale in an 18-year-old multisport athlete with refractory posttraumatic shoulder pain.
Multi-mode, multi-band RF transceiver circuits for mobile terminals in deep-submicron CMOS processes

Circuit design techniques, architectures and characterization results for RF and analog circuits for multi-mode, multi-band single-chip RF transceivers are presented. Critical RF and analog design parameters are derived for direct conversion multi-mode transceivers based on UMTS and GSM/DCS/PCS standards. Discrete component specifications are derived based on the linearity and noise figure of the channel. A wideband, high dynamic range continuous-time baseband /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ A/D converter, for fully integrated direct-conversion RF transceivers is presented. RF frequency synthesizers with multi-band VCOs, spanning more than 500 MHz center frequency range, and with low phase noise, are introduced.
Fragile Histidine Triad–Mediated Tumor Suppression of Lung Cancer by Targeting Multiple Components of the Ras/Rho GTPase Molecular Switch

The fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor gene in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanism of its action is still largely unknown. To elucidate the molecular mechanism and biological pathway in FHIT-mediated tumor suppression, we used a complementary gene and protein expression profiling with DNA microarray and ProteinChip technologies to quantitatively monitor cellular changes in gene and protein expression and discover the molecular targets of FHIT in non–small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells. The Ras/Rho signaling pathway was identified as one of the unique biological pathways associated with FHIT activity. A significantly down-regulated expression of genes and proteins of multiple key components in the Ras/Rho GTPases molecular switch, including Ran, Rab, Rac, Rap, and Ral, was observed on gene and protein expression profiles and further validated by Western blot analysis. Ectopic activation of FHIT in FHIT-deficient H1299 cells also significantly reduced the invasive potential of tumor cells by down-regulating expression of RhoC, a potential marker of tumor cell invasion and metastases. A simultaneous knockdown of the expression of several key Ras/Rho signaling molecules using gene-specific small interfering RNAs (RHO-siRNA) targeting selected Rab11, Rac1, and Rap1 genes significantly inhibited tumor cell growth and induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells in vitro, and a local injection of RHO-siRNAs complexed with N-[1-(2,3-dioleoyloxyl)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammoniummethyl sulfate:cholesterol nanoparticles inhibited tumor growth in A549 tumor xenografts in mice, mimicking the AdFHIT-mediated tumor-suppressing effect. These results suggest a new role of FHIT in down-regulating the Ras/Rho GTPase-associated oncogenic signaling pathway. [Cancer Res 2007;67(21):10379–88]
Sequential fault occurrence and reconfiguration in system level diagnosis

In a classical system-level diagnosis model, a complex multiprocessor system is characterized to be uniquely diagnosable under the presence of any arbitrary fault set of size up to t. Fault occurrence, however, is usually a sequential process in real-life systems, i.e. multiple faults occur one after another. Any faulty location is immediately diagnosed and the system is reconfigured before any further fault occurs. Systems which are designed under the assumption of sequential fault occurrences and reconfiguration are discussed and their test interconnection assignment for unique diagnosability is characterized. A theorem is developed for sequential k/t-diagnosability, where the system is allowed to have up to t faults but not more than k of them occur at a time. For most practical cases, k has a value of 1. The t-diagnosability theorem is then a special case of this theorem for k=Kt. The results of this theorem are more useful in the design practical systems where the system is reconfigured after every fault is detected and located, and they do not have to satisfy the constraints n>2 >
Prediction of Plant Vulnerability to Salinity Increase in a Coastal Ecosystem by Stable Isotope Composition (δ18O) of Plant Stem Water: A Model Study

Sea level rise and the subsequent intrusion of saline seawater can result in an increase in soil salinity, and potentially cause coastal salinity-intolerant vegetation (for example, hardwood hammocks or pines) to be replaced by salinity-tolerant vegetation (for example, mangroves or salt marshes). Although the vegetation shifts can be easily monitored by satellite imagery, it is hard to predict a particular area or even a particular tree that is vulnerable to such a shift. To find an appropriate indicator for the potential vegetation shift, we incorporated stable isotope 18O abundance as a tracer in various hydrologic components (for example, vadose zone, water table) in a previously published model describing ecosystem shifts between hammock and mangrove communities in southern Florida. Our simulations showed that (1) there was a linear relationship between salinity and the δ18O value in the water table, whereas this relationship was curvilinear in the vadose zone; (2) hammock trees with higher probability of being replaced by mangroves had higher δ18O values of plant stem water, and this difference could be detected 2 years before the trees reached a tipping point, beyond which future replacement became certain; and (3) individuals that were eventually replaced by mangroves from the hammock tree population with a 50% replacement probability had higher stem water δ18O values 3 years before their replacement became certain compared to those from the same population which were not replaced. Overall, these simulation results suggest that it is promising to track the yearly δ18O values of plant stem water in hammock forests to predict impending salinity stress and mortality.
Melting transition of directly linked gold nanoparticle DNA assembly

Abstract DNA melting and hybridization is a fundamental biological process as well as a crucial step in many modern biotechnology applications. DNA confined on surfaces exhibits a behavior different from that in free solutions. The system of DNA-capped gold nanoparticles exhibits unique phase transitions and represents a new class of complex fluids. Depending on the sequence of the DNA, particles can be linked to each other through direct complementary DNA sequences or via a ‘linker’ DNA, whose sequence is complementary to the sequence attached to the gold nanoparticles. We observed different melting transitions for these two distinct systems.
Journalists as interpretive communities

This article suggests that the notion of “profession” may not offer the most fruitful way of examining community among American journalists. It proposes viewing journalists as members of an interpretive community instead, one united by its shared discourse and collective interpretations of key public events. The article applies the frame of the interpretive community to journalistic discourse about two events central for American journalists—Watergate and McCarthyism. Journalists have generated collective interpretations of both events by capitalizing on the double temporal position they occupy in regard to them. This situation of “doing double time” allows journalists to interpret an event at the time of its unfolding as well as at the time of its retelling. This suggests that journalists routinely generate shared meaning about journalism by capitalizing on practices overlooked by the frame of the profession, and underscores the need for alternative frames through which to conceptualize journalism in all...
Allogeneic Transplantation for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a hematologic malignancy characterized by the clonal proliferation of plasma cells. The annual incidence is four per 100,000 individuals. It was estimated that 19,900 new cases would be diagnosed in 2007, with 10,790 estimated deaths due to myeloma [1]. The median age at diagnosis is approximately 65 years, making it a disease that predominantly affects older patients. Although myeloma cells are chemosensitive, the median survival for patients with multiple myeloma remains less than 5 years.
Box beam shear stresses and deflections

The simple beam with loading in one plane was considered in Chapter 4. This type of beam has many applications, such as floor beams for buildings and bridges. However, there are many applications such as airplane wings and fuselages where the beam must take bending in two directions as well as torsional moments. This type of beam which can take all six generalized loads (three forces and three moments) will be considered in this Chapter 5.
12C(d, pγ)13C angular distributions and correlations near threshold

Abstract Proton-gamma angular correlations from the 12C(d, pγ)13C on through the 3.68 and 3.85 MeV states of 13C have been measured at bombarding energies from 2 to 3 MeV and at a strong Ed = 2.50 MeV resonance. Yield curves and proton angular distributions for these groups and for protons leaving 13C in the 3.09 MeV state have also been measured. These reactions satisfy the condition Ed ≃ −2Q for which distortions of plane wave stripping theory might be expected to be small. The correlation anisotropies are maximum and the symmetry axis shifts and azimuthal anisotropies are almost zero both at the minimum bombarding energy and at the 2.50 MeV resonance. Highly distorted correlations and distributions are seen at only 2.62 MeV. The 12C(d, p)13C3.85 angular correlation at Ed = 2.50 MeV involves single-particle resonances both in 14N and in 13C and is an interesting example of a resonant direct reaction. The reduced widths derived from plane wave stripping theory are too low by factors of 3 to 10 and are energy dependent. Thus, while distortions clearly affect reduced widths, the detailed angular properties of the reactions are very closed to the predictions of plane wave theory.
One and Done: Factors affecting one-time contributors to ad-hoc online communities

Often, attention to “community” focuses on motivating core members or helping newcomers become regulars. However, much of the traffic to online communities comes from people who visit only briefly. We hypothesize that their personal characteristics, design elements of the site, and others' activity all affect the contributions these "one-timers" make. We present the results from an experiment asking Amazon Mechanical Turk (“AMT”) workers to comment on the AMT participation agreement in a discussion forum. One-timers with stronger ties to other Turkers or feelings of trust for Amazon are more likely to leave more --- but shorter and less relevant --- comments, while those with higher self-efficacy leave longer and more relevant comments. The phrasing of prompts also matters; a general appeal for personally-reflective contributions leads to comments that are less relevant to community discussion topics. Finally, activity matters too; synchronous activity begets responses, while pre-existing content tends to suppress them. These findings suggest design moves that can help communities harness this “long tail” of contribution.
When is compensation for lumbar spinal stenosis a clinical sagittal plane deformity

Abstract Background Context Degenerative lumbar stenosis (DLS) patients have been reported to lean forward in an attempt to provide neural decompression. Spinal alignment in patients with DLS may resemble that of adult spinal deformity (ASD). No previous studies have compared and contrasted the compensatory mechanisms of DLS and ASD patients. Purpose This study aimed to determine the differences in compensatory mechanisms between DLS and ASD patients with increasing severity of sagittal spinopelvic malalignment. Contrasting these compensatory mechanisms may help determine at what severity sagittal malalignment represents a clinical sagittal deformity rather than a compensation for neural compression. Study Design/Setting This is a retrospective clinical and radiological review. Patient Sample Baseline x-rays in patients without spinal instrumentation, with the clinical radiological and diagnoses of DLS or ASD, were assessed for patterns of spinopelvic compensatory mechanisms. Patients were stratified by sagittal vertical axis (SVA) according to the Scoliosis Research Society-Schwab [SRS-Schwab] classification. Outcome Measures Radiographic spinopelvic parameters were measured in the DLS and ASD groups, including SVA, pelvic incidence−lumbar lordosis mismatch (PI−LL), T1 spinopelvic inclination (T1SPi), T1 pelvic angle (TPA), and pelvic tilt (PT). Methods The two diagnosis cohorts were propensity-matched for PI and age. Each group contained 125 patients and was stratified according to the SRS-Schwab classification. Regional spinopelvic,lower limb, and global alignment parameters were assessed to identify differences in compensatory mechanisms between the two groups with differing degrees of deformity. No funding was provided by any third party in relation to carrying out this study or preparing the manuscript. Results With mild to moderate malalignment (SRS-Schwab groups “0,” or “+” for PT, PI−LL, or SVA), DLS patients permit anterior truncal inclination and recruit posterior pelvic shift instead of pelvic tilt to maintain balance, while providing relief of neurologic symptoms. Adult spinal deformity patients with mild to moderate deformity recruit pelvic tilt earlier than DLS patients. With moderate to severe malalignment, no significant difference was found in compensatory mechanisms between DLS and ASD patients. Conclusions Patients with DLS permit mild to moderate deformity without recruiting compensatory mechanisms of PT, reducing truncal inclination and thoracic hypokyphosis to achieve neural decompression. However, with moderate to severe deformity, their desire for upright posture overrides the desire for neural decompression, evident by the adaptation of compensatory mechanisms similar to that of ASD patients.
INVESTIGATING OPERATING SYSTEM NOISE IN EXTREME-SCALE HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING SYSTEMS USING SIMULATION

Hardware/software co-design for future-generation highperformance computing (HPC) systems aims at closing the gap between the peak capabilities of the hardware and the performance realized by applications (applicationarchitecture performance gap). Performance profiling of architectures and applications is a crucial part of this iterative process. The work in this paper focuses on operating system (OS) noise as an additional factor to be considered for co-design. It represents the first step in including OS noise in HPC hardware/software co-design by adding a noise injection feature to an existing simulation-based co-design toolkit. It reuses an existing abstraction for OS noise with frequency (periodic recurrence) and period (duration of each occurrence) to enhance the processor model of the Extreme-scale Simulator (xSim) with synchronized and random OS noise simulation. The results demonstrate this capability by evaluating the impact of OS noise on MPI Bcast() and MPI Reduce() in a simulated futuregeneration HPC system with 2,097,152 compute nodes.
Splash – A Model for Forecasting Tropical Storm Surges

A significant portion of the damage by hurricanes is the storm surges. The National Weather Service has developed a dynamical-numerical model to forecast hurricane storm surges. The model is used operationally for prediction, warning, and planning purposes. The model requires fixed oceanographic and real time meteorological input data. The oceanographic data were prepared for the Gulf and East coasts of the U.S. and are stored as an essential part of the program. Meteorological data for any tropical storm are supplied by the forecasters or planners using the model. The model was applied to hurricane Camille 1969. Comparison between the observed and computed surges for Camille was satisfactory for prediction purposes.
Administration Size and Organization Size: An Examination of the Lag Structure

The article provides information on a study pertaining to the lag structure in the relationship between organization size and administration size. The major benefit attributed to the use of longitu...
Design and Application of Low-cost Onboard Data Recorder for UAVs

The recorder equipments in the market mostly exist the problems that they have fewer serial ports,lower collecting rate and they are relatively expensive.Aiming at the problems,the structure of the onboard data collecting recording system based on the embedded PC104 board for INS/GPS equipment is put forward.The system design is specified and the implementation is described in detail.Several UAV flight tests have shown that the designed system have the characteristics of large capacity,high collecting rate,multi-ports serial,low cost and also can satisfy the requirement of the INS/GPS Equipment evaluating experiments.
Impact of the Mass Media in Changing Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women in Bangladesh: findings from a National Survey.

To date, there have been no nationally representative studies examining the influence of media on norms regarding violence against women (VAW) among the general population. Data for this study came from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys that completed 17,842 interviews with ever-married women. Results of logistic regressions showed that among the three media outlets (TV, radio, and newspaper), only TV had a very small significant effect on women’s attitudes towards VAW (r = .031; p < .01). Community gender norms mediate the effect of television on women’s support of gender equitable norms. Being younger, non-Muslims, educated, living in wealthy households, and having greater autonomy, were significantly associated with greater support for gender equitable norms. Since media did not have substantial influence on gender norms related to VAW, our findings implied that efforts to promote gender norms change in society need to consider other strategies.
Surgery or Endoscopy for Bile Duct Strictures Secondary to Chronic Pancreatitis

A terminal benign biliary stricture (BBS) is a common complication of chronic pancreatitis (CP). Historically, BBS was a surgical disease, treated with operative biliary bypass. With the advent of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic stenting, therapeutic endoscopy has become the primary approach to BBS. Endoscopic management has limitations, however, including unsatisfactory long term durability. Improvements in stent technology and technique are promising. Surgery can often concomitantly best address other CP related complications including pain. Surgery has higher short term morbidity but may be more durable long-term. Minimally invasive techniques in biliary bypass are feasible.
Floral Guilds of Bees in Sagebrush Steppe: Comparing Bee Usage of Wildflowers Available for Postfire Restoration

ABSTRACT: Healthy plant communities of the American sagebrush steppe consist of mostly wind-pollinated shrubs and grasses interspersed with a diverse mix of mostly spring-blooming, herbaceous perennial wildflowers. Native, nonsocial bees are their common floral visitors, but their floral associations and abundances are poorly known. Extrapolating from the few available pollination studies, bees are the primary pollinators needed for seed production. Bees, therefore, will underpin the success of ambitious seeding efforts to restore native forbs to impoverished sagebrush steppe communities following vast wildfires. This study quantitatively characterized the floral guilds of 17 prevalent wildflower species of the Great Basin that are, or could be, available for restoration seed mixes. More than 3800 bees representing >170 species were sampled from >35,000 plants. Species of Osmia, Andrena, Bombus, Eucera, Halictus, and Lasioglossum bees prevailed. The most thoroughly collected floral guilds, at Balsamorhiza...
Abstract 2680: Cyclic AMP signaling in melanoma: Paradoxical downregulation of pCREB upon activation of adenylate cyclase confers resistance to MAPK inhibition

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Melanoma, which arises from malignant transformation of melanocytes, has proven to be difficult to treat due its intrinsic and acquired resistance for chemotherapy. Although polymorphisms in the melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R), which result in impairment of cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling, are associated with increased risk for melanoma development, the role of cAMP signaling in melanoma, specifically in drug resistance, is not fully understood. Given the importance of cAMP signaling in melanocytes proliferation and differentiation, we investigated the role of cAMP signaling in melanoma cell proliferation, survival and drug resistance. We found that upregulation of cAMP signaling, through activation of adenylate cyclase with forskolin (FSK), has both positive and negative effects on proliferation and survival of melanoma cells. The effect of FSK on melanoma proliferation and survival was not dependent on oncogenic (RAS vs. BRAF) mutation. Moreover, upregulation of cAMP conferred resistance to Selumetinib (AZD6244)-mediated MAPK inhibition by restoring the pERK levels. We also show that FSK-mediated resistance is paradoxically related to a downregulation of phosphorylated cAMP Responsive Element Binding Protein (pCREB), suggesting a CREB-independent mechanism of FSK-induced MAPK reactivation in acquired drug resistance. Citation Format: Carlos I. Rodriguez, Vijayasaradhi Setaluri. Cyclic AMP signaling in melanoma: Paradoxical downregulation of pCREB upon activation of adenylate cyclase confers resistance to MAPK inhibition. [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 2680. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2680
Determinants of School Choice: Evidence from India⇤

This paper explores the relative roles of quality of schools and household characteristics on the household’s choice of school in India. I use a standard binary choice logit model to estimate the e↵ect of income on private school enrolment after controlling for school attributes and other household characteristics. I find that per capita income is the most important predictor of whether a household chooses a public or private school. Using per capita consumption as a proxy for income, the results show that a doubling of per capita income increases the probability of choosing a private school over a public school about 10%. I also find that mother’s education is more important than father’s education in the decision on the choice of school. Quality of schools also matters, but is a relatively weaker predictor of household choice.
Diabetes during Pregnancy: Influence of Body Mass Index on Composite Morbidity.

Objective This study aims to compare composite maternal and neonatal morbidities (MM, NM) among pregnant women with diabetes mellitus whose body mass index (BMI) at delivery was Methods This is a retrospective cohort study. MM was defined as: chorioamnionitis, wound infection, eclampsia, diabetic ketoacidosis, hypoglycemia admission, third/fourth degree laceration, and/or death. NM was defined as umbilical arterial pH Results MM was noted in 8, 13, and 24% of groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and significantly more common in group 2 versus 1 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.66) and group 3 versus 1 (aOR: 3.06). NM was noted in 7, 8, and 15% of each BMI group, respectively, and differed significantly between group 3 vs. 2 (aOR: 1.77). Conclusions The increased rate of morbidities between the BMI groups is useful to inform diabetic women and highlights the need for further investigation of diabetes and obesity as comorbidities in pregnancy.
Nasal vestibulitis as an under-recognized and undertreated side effect of cancer treatment.

219Background: Dryness, crusting, and bleeding of the nares due to inflammation, termed nasal vestibulitis (NV), is infrequently reported as a side effect of cancer treatments. However, one study described 115 patients who developed NV while undergoing targeted therapies; many were treated with bacitracin ointment (Ruiz et al Sup Care Cancer 2015). Methods: This study surveyed 94 patients regarding the presence of nasal symptoms during cancer treatments. Participants were consented for the study if they had undergone at least 6 weeks of cancer-directed therapy in the Mayo Clinic Chemotherapy Unit. They were asked about types of nasal symptoms, severity, and symptom treatments. A chart review was then conducted to determine documentation of symptoms, the presence of concurrent illnesses, and cancer treatment regimens. Results: Ninety-four patients completed questionnaires, with 41% reporting unpleasant nasal symptoms that they attributed to cancer treatments. Of the symptomatic patients, 46% had dryness, 3...
CXC-Chemokines/CXCR2 mediate a novel pathway of angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer

4616 Background: ELR+-CXC-chemokines promote angiogenesis in multiple cancers including NSCLC and renal cell carcinoma. These chemokines including IL-8/CXCL8, ENA-78/CXCL5, GRO-γ/CXCL3 bind to their cognate receptors including CXCR2, member of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily. CXCR2 promotes ELR+-CXC-chemokine mediated angiogenesis in multiple cancers. Little is known about the expression and regulation of ELR+-CXC-chemokines/CXCR2 in pancreatic cancer (PaCa) and human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC). Also, the role of ELR+-CXC-chemokines/CXCR2 biological axis in promoting PaCa angiogenesis in vivo is unknown. Aim: To examine the expression and regulation of ELR+-CXC-chemokines in PaCa and HMEC. To determine the effects of CXCR2 blockade with a specific antibody on PaCa growth and angiogenesis in vivo. Methods and Results: ELR+-CXC-chemokines including IL-8/CXCL8, ENA-78/CXCL5, GRO-γ/CXCL3 are produced by PaCa cells including BxPC-3 (highest), AsPC-1, Capan-2, MIA PaCa-2, and PANC-1 (lowest). Neurotensin (NT), GPCR agonist, potently increased protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated NF-κB-dependent IL-8/CXCL8 secretion in PANC-1. CXCR2 is present on HMEC but not on PaCa cells (by RT-PCR and western blots). Hypoxic preconditioning of HMEC significantly increased chemotaxis in response to IL-8/CXCL8 in a CXCR2-depepdent manner. Next, CXCR2 specific polyclonal antibody potently blocked PaCa cell-induced angiogenesis in rat corneal nicropocket angiogenesis assay. Using a BxPC-3-GFP orthotopic PaCa model in nude mice, we detected 64% decrease in tumor volume in the CXCR2 antibody-treated group (p Conclusions: GPCRs regulate expression of ELR+-CXC-chemokines in PaCa and hypoxia regulates expression of CXCR2 on HMEC. Thus, ELR+-CXC-chemokines/CXCR2 biological axis is functional in PaCa. CXCR2 blockade with specific antibody potently reduced PaCa tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo. Our results, for the first time, demonstrate that CXCR2 inhibitors are potent anti-angiogenic agents against PaCa in addition to VEGF antagonists.
The effect of tax position and personal norms: An analysis of taxpayer compliance decisions using paper and software

Abstract Tax Software has become the predominant format used to prepare and file taxes in the U.S. Compared to filing paper returns, tax software significantly changes the reporting environment. For example, tax software uses tax position indicators that update a taxpayer's tax position (i.e. whether they will receive a refund or owe additional tax) in real time as they enter their tax information. This study uses an experiment to investigate how tax compliance decisions made when using tax software with a tax position indicator differ from those made when using paper forms. In addition, we investigate the extent to which taxpayer attitudes (personal norms) impact taxpayer compliance decisions in these two environments (paper v. software). We find that taxpayers using software with a tax position indicator report more (less) cash revenue depending on their “tax due” (“refund”) position, which has both beneficial and negative effects on tax compliance. In addition, we find that taxpayers are strongly influenced by their personal norms in their reporting decisions.
Projected Changes in Temperature-related Morbidity and Mortality in Southern New England.

Background:Climate change is expected to result in more heat-related, but potentially fewer cold-related, emergency department visits and deaths. The net effect of projected changes in temperature on morbidity and mortality remains incompletely understood. We estimated the change in temperature-rela
Negative Views of Parents and Struggles with God: An Exploration of Two Mediators:

Could a negative view of one's mother or father be related to struggles with God? If so, what mediating variables might explain this connection? We conducted two studies to examine these questions,...
Sanger Sequencing Principles, History, and Landmarks

The first DNA sequencing (1968) was performed 15 years after the discovery of the double helix (1953) (Hutchison 2007). However, the chemical method of Maxam and Gilbert and the dideoxy method of Sanger began in the mid-1970s (Fig. 1.1). The profound insights into genetic organization were shown by Nicklen and Coulson with the first complete DNA sequence of phage ϕX174. As sequencing output improved larger molecules greater than 200 kb (human cytomegalovirus) were sequenced and computational analysis and bioinformatics was born. Sequencing efforts reached new heights with the initiation of the US Human Genome Project culminating in the first “sequencing factory” by 1992 (Hutchison 2007). With this effort came the sequencing of the first bacterial genome, by 1995, and other small eubacterial, archaebacterial, and eukaryotic genomes soon thereafter. Published in 2001, the working draft of the human genome sequence was the result of the competition between the public Human Genome Project and Celera Genomics (Fig. 1.1). The new “massively parallel” sequencing methods (Chap. 2) are greatly increasing sequencing capacity, but further innovations are needed to achieve the “thousand dollar genome” that many feel is the prerequisite to personalized genomic medicine (Fig. 1.1). These advances will also allow new approaches to a variety of problems in biology, evolution, and the environment.
Marketing the American University: Professionalization of Development in Entrepreneurial Universities

The history of American higher education requires understanding the significant impact of private philanthropy. Even given the long relationship, today’s higher education fundraising practices are professionalized to an extent never before seen. The university in America today is in constant communication with a variety of internal and external stakeholders through a range of media. As messaging has significant ramifications for a university, including financial consequences, communications and development have become an omnipresent and highly professionalized feature of the university. This chapter provides an analysis of website research which suggests that development offices are highly institutionalized and professional fundraisers serve as leaders in the modern American university.
Towards A Machine Learning-Based Framework For Automated Design of Networking Protocols

Today, due to the increasing demands on wireless communications and new emerged technologies, new protocols will be designed faster than before. By evolving network technologies as well as increasing demands of modern applications, general-purpose protocol stacks are not always adequate and need to be replaced by application tailored protocols. To cope with the emergence of various device characteristics and application requirements, complex and custom design of high performance networking protocols is needed. The current methods for protocol design are mainly human-based and thus are burdened with various limitations. Design of new protocols is time-consuming and requires a specialized knowledge that is not trivial to acquire. This is especially limiting in the context of modern networking domain, i.e., IEEE 802.11 protocol that is continuously evolving nowadays to meet new requirements and conditions through the addition of new amendments. Furthermore, once a protocol is designed, it lacks optimal adaptability and flexibility to changes in the environment, since contemporary communication scenarios display dynamic and non-stationary properties. Changes in network are so fast and frequent that no human-based mechanisms can follow them accurately. Finally, current approaches are limited to human perception and understanding of this field, thus limiting the potential for extracting new and unexpected insights during the protocol design process. Therefore, replacing this inefficient human-based protocol designing process by a novel paradigm that enables rapid design of efficient, flexible, and high performance protocols that intelligently adapt to different device characteristics, application requirements, user objectives, and network conditions is highly desired.
Ecological momentary assessment of the relationships between social activity and mood in bipolar disorder

Abstract Bipolar disorder is associated with significant impairment in social functioning. The temporal sequence of day-to-day interrelationships between mood and social activity is not well understood, yet could inform targets for cognitive behavioral interventions. The present study examined associations between mood and social activity in real-time through ecological momentary assessments administered via smartphones. In all, 41 outpatients with bipolar disorder were provided with smartphones for 11 weeks and completed twice-daily surveys about affective symptoms and social activity. We assessed the ways in which symptoms at baseline are related to the frequency and type of social interactions in the EMA period. Furthermore, we analyzed the associations between social activity, concurrent and lagged self-ratings of mood state, and momentary positive and negative affect ratings. Participants’ mean (and SD) age was 46.9 (11.8) years, with 53.7% being women. Participants spent an average of 42% of their sampled time alone. The average time spent alone was lower for hypo/manic symptoms (36%) than for depressive symptoms (45%) with euthymic mood intermediate between the two (40%). Positive affect was higher and negative affect (e.g., sadness, anger) was lower during concurrent social interactions. Positive affect was lower during time spent alone, but negative affect did not differ from time spent alone or from other interactions. Lagged models indicated a stronger association between prior social activity and subsequent mood than the converse. Social activity tracked mood polarity over several months. More support was found for social activity influencing mood state compared to the converse. Monitoring social activity may facilitate targeted cognitive behavioral interventions in bipolar disorder.
Ultra-High-Q Gallium Nitride SAW Resonators for Applications With Extreme Temperature Swings

In this paper, we present ultra-high quality factor ( ${Q}$ ) SAW resonators fabricated on aluminum gallium nitride on gallium nitride on silicon (AlGaN/GaN/Si) heterostructures with ${Q}$ exceeding 6000 at room temperature. We characterize their temperature response in a broad range of temperature (−196°C to 500°C or 77 K to 773 K). The effect of doping on the ${Q}$ and temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) of the GaN-based SAW resonators is analyzed, for the first time, using un-intentionally doped GaN (UID-GaN), carbon doped GaN (C-doped), and Si doped GaN. The ${Q}$ value for UID-GaN and C-doped GaN is similar and decreases from 2000 to 1000 as the temperature is increased from 77 K to 773 K. The ${Q}$ value of Si-doped GaN is higher than UID and C-doped GaN by a factor of 3 (6622 at 77 K) and decreases with increase of temperature. This value of ${Q}$ at 1.8 GHz is the highest reported amongst aluminum nitride (AlN) or GaN-based SAW resonators. For extreme high temperatures (≥573 K) the TCF value is half the TCF value of UID and C-doped GaN, which shows the possibility of engineering the TCF by tuning the doping concentration. For low temperatures (≤150 K) C-doped and UID-GaN show a turn over point in TCF curve which shows their promise for cold clocks. [2020-0163]