Highly birefringent, low-loss liquid crystals for terahertz applications

With growing interest in switchable devices for the THz frequency range, there is a strong demand for liquid crystals (LC) exhibiting both a high birefringence and a low absorption. We present the refractive index and absorption coefficient of the liquid crystal mixtures 1852 and 1825 in the frequency range between 0.2 and 2.5 THz. Both mixtures are designed specifically for high birefringence Δn of 0.32 and 0.38, respectively, in the THz region. In addition, they show low absorption coefficients for both ordinary and extraordinary polarization. This low absorbance in combination with the high birefringence makes these LCs particularly well suited for applications in switchable devices for THz optics.M. Reuter, N. Vieweg, B. M. Fischer, M. Mikulicz, M. Koch, K. Garbat and R. Dabrowsk

Estimating Distributed Representation Performance in Disaster-Related Social Media Classification

This paper examines the effectiveness of a range of pre-trained language representations in order to determine the informativeness and information type of social media in the event of natural or man-made disasters. Within the context of disaster tweet analysis, we aim to accurately analyse tweets while minimising both false positive and false negatives in the automated information analysis. The investigation is performed across a number of well known disaster-related twitter datasets. Models that are built from pre-trained word embeddings from Word2Vec, GloVe, ELMo and BERT are used for performance evaluation. Given the relative ubiquity of BERT as a standout language representation in recent times it was expected that BERT dominates results. However, results are more diverse, with classical Word2Vec and GloVe both displaying strong results. As part of the analysis, we discuss some challenges related to automated twitter analysis including the fine-tuning of language models to disaster-related scenarios

Screening for prostate cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Objective To examine the evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for prostate cancer

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer consensus statement on immunotherapy for the treatment of prostate carcinoma.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy and second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. In recent years, several new agents, including cancer immunotherapies, have been approved or are currently being investigated in late-stage clinical trials for the management of advanced prostate cancer. Therefore, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened a multidisciplinary panel, including physicians, nurses, and patient advocates, to develop consensus recommendations for the clinical application of immunotherapy for prostate cancer patients. To do so, a systematic literature search was performed to identify high-impact papers from 2006 until 2014 and was further supplemented with literature provided by the panel. Results from the consensus panel voting and discussion as well as the literature review were used to rate supporting evidence and generate recommendations for the use of immunotherapy in prostate cancer patients. Sipuleucel-T, an autologous dendritic cell vaccine, is the first and currently only immunotherapeutic agent approved for the clinical management of metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The consensus panel utilized this model to discuss immunotherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer, issues related to patient selection, monitoring of patients during and post treatment, and sequence/combination with other anti-cancer treatments. Potential immunotherapies emerging from late-stage clinical trials are also discussed. As immunotherapy evolves as a therapeutic option for the treatment of prostate cancer, these recommendations will be updated accordingly

Kognitiv-psychoedukative Gruppenintervention bei stationären Patienten mit depressiven Erkrankungen – Ergebnisse einer prospektiven Pilotstudie

Background: Psychoeducational interventions that provide disorder-related information in a goal-oriented and structured manner have been integrated in psychiatric and psychotherapeutic approaches. The present cognitive psychoeducational group programme for inpatients with affective disorders is based on a multidimensional functional illness concept which covers aspects of vulnerability, stressors and coping strategies. It covers information about the disorder and its treatment options, building up rewarding activities, cognitive restructuring and relapse prevention. Materials und Methods: This programme was developed and modified at the University of Munich, Department of Psychiatry (LMU). A feasibility study was set up in a follow-up single group design and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were performed. A total of 231 patients participated in 46 groups. Results: 125 patients evaluated the effectiveness of the programme and its treatment strategies. The group programme was widely accepted among patients that were pharmacologically and psychotherapeutically treated: more than three quarters of the patients rated its contents to be informative, helpful and applicable to everyday living. Conclusions: Inpatients with affective disorders may already benefit from a structured group programme if it takes into account their cognitive and motivational deficits. The group leaders' didactic and psychotherapeutic strategies as well as the patients' exchanging ideas with each other play a central role. In the course of further investigations the programme was differentiated for patients with major depression or bipolar disorders

A case study evaluating the use of clozapine in depression with psychotic features

The purpose of this case study was to use an evidence based medicine approach to work through an unusual way of treating a common problem. We looked at an example of an in-patient with severe refractory psychotic depression who had been resistant to treatment with a combination of antidepressant, antipsychotics, mood stabiliser, and concomitant ECT therapy. We then undertook a literature search for the use of clozapine in a patient with severe refractory depression. Although the resulting evidence was low level and thin, we felt on balance that a trial of clozapine was justified. We used a BPRS inventory to monitor her mood prior to commencing clozapine. Her mood and functional abilities were monitored as her clozapine was titrated upwards. Our patient showed a significant improvement in mood and functional abilities and a reduction in her BPRS score during this period. Her symptoms improved to the point where she was successfully discharged home on a combination of clozapine and an antidepressant. The improvement was sustained for a further two years. We thought this was an important case to highlight the limited evidence in using this successful form of treatment for a common clinical problem and that further research in this area was needed

\u3ci\u3eSnowedOut Atlanta\u3c/i\u3e: Examining digital emergence on facebook during a crisis

Individuals in emergencies form spontaneous, emergent groups to respond and recover. With the rise of social media use in crises, academics and professionals must be aware of how groups digitally coordinate emergent response efforts. This paper examines digital emergence through the case of SnowedOut Atlanta, a Facebook group formed during the 2014 ice storms in Atlanta. The posts and actions of the group members are in line with those of traditional emergent groups. For example, group members shared informational, material, and emotional support. The findings also provide implications for practitioners and insight into the communication of such groups. In particular, emergency managers have an opportunity to seek out and partner with these types of groups in future similar events

Ultracold atomic gases in optical lattices: mimicking condensed matter physics and beyond

We review recent developments in the physics of ultracold atomic and molecular gases in optical lattices. Such systems are nearly perfect realisations of various kinds of Hubbard models, and as such may very well serve to mimic condensed matter phenomena. We show how these systems may be employed as quantum simulators to answer some challenging open questions of condensed matter, and even high energy physics. After a short presentation of the models and the methods of treatment of such systems, we discuss in detail, which challenges of condensed matter physics can be addressed with (i) disordered ultracold lattice gases, (ii) frustrated ultracold gases, (iii) spinor lattice gases, (iv) lattice gases in "artificial" magnetic fields, and, last but not least, (v) quantum information processing in lattice gases. For completeness, also some recent progress related to the above topics with trapped cold gases will be discussed.Comment: Review article. v2: published version, 135 pages, 34 figure