cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scenario planning for the future of reference: five white papers posit the future and raise the bar for us all

Provides an examination of conference papers as illustrations of scenario planning in action. Includes a summary of each author’s understanding of whether or not reference service has a future, and presents highlights of each author’s future vision for reference services. Acknowledges that white paper authors have succeeded on two levels – in looking beyond their current models of reality and in considering a future that is radically different. Suggests that this is a challenge that confronts all librarians involved in planning for, administering, delivering, and otherwise supporting reference services.
Ability to delay gratification and BMI in preadolescence.

Delay of gratification tasks require an individual to forgo an immediate reward and wait for a more desirable delayed reward. This study used an ecologically valid measure of delayed gratification to test the hypothesis that preadolescents with higher BMI would be less likely to delay gratification. Healthy Hawks is a 12-week educational/behavioral obesity intervention at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Each week, children earn a point if they complete their goals worksheet. They can spend that point immediately on a small toy prize or save points to use on a larger prize. We retrospectively calculated the percentage of points saved over the 12 weeks for 59 children (28 females) ages 8–12 years old (mean = 10.29 ± 1.39). Spearman correlation revealed that higher BMI percentile was associated with reduced point savings (r = 0.33, P = 0.01). Similarly, obese preadolescents saved significantly fewer points than healthy weight (HW) and overweight preadolescents (t (57) = 3.14, P < 0.01). Results from our ecologically valid measure support the theory that obese children are less likely to delay gratification than overweight and HW children. Even for nonfood rewards, preadolescent children with higher BMIs prefer the immediate reward over a delayed, larger reward. This has implications for developing specific strategies within obesity treatments aimed at improving delayed gratification.
Structural mutation affecting intracellular transport and cell surface expression of murine class II molecules

We have selected Ia variants from the Ia+ (H-2d) M12.4.1 B cell lymphoma that are negative on the cell surface for one or both Ia isotypes. The molecular analysis of two such independently selected cell lines, M12.A2 and M12.C3, is reported here. This analysis revealed that the genes encoding Ad beta (M12.A2) and Ed beta (M12.C3) contained identical single-nucleotide transitions that resulted in the substitution of Ser (mutant) for Asn (wild-type) at residue 82/83 of the extracellular NH2-terminal (membrane distal) beta 1 domain. This conservative substitution caused a cytoplasmic accumulation of I-A or I-E molecules in the respective cell line although predicted secondary-structure analysis suggests a minimal effect on protein conformation. Thus, the mutation appears to have either created a negative signal that stops transport or eliminated a positive signal that is required for transport and targeting to the cell surface.
Micro-Mechanical Characterization of Lung Tissue Using Atomic Force Microscopy

Matrix stiffness strongly influences growth, differentiation and function of adherent cells1-3. On the macro scale the stiffness of tissues and organs within the human body span several orders of magnitude4. Much less is known about how stiffness varies spatially within tissues, and what the scope and spatial scale of stiffness changes are in disease processes that result in tissue remodeling. To better understand how changes in matrix stiffness contribute to cellular physiology in health and disease, measurements of tissue stiffness obtained at a spatial scale relevant to resident cells are needed. This is particularly true for the lung, a highly compliant and elastic tissue in which matrix remodeling is a prominent feature in diseases such as asthma, emphysema, hypertension and fibrosis. To characterize the local mechanical environment of lung parenchyma at a spatial scale relevant to resident cells, we have developed methods to directly measure the local elastic properties of fresh murine lung tissue using atomic force microscopy (AFM) microindentation. With appropriate choice of AFM indentor, cantilever, and indentation depth, these methods allow measurements of local tissue shear modulus in parallel with phase contrast and fluorescence imaging of the region of interest. Systematic sampling of tissue strips provides maps of tissue mechanical properties that reveal local spatial variations in shear modulus. Correlations between mechanical properties and underlying anatomical and pathological features illustrate how stiffness varies with matrix deposition in fibrosis. These methods can be extended to other soft tissues and disease processes to reveal how local tissue mechanical properties vary across space and disease progression.
Artificial activation of toxin-antitoxin systems as an antibacterial strategy

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are unique modules that effect plasmid stabilization via post-segregational killing of the bacterial host. The genes encoding TA systems also exist on bacterial chromosomes, and it has been speculated that these are involved in a variety of cellular processes. Interest in TA systems has increased dramatically over the past 5 years as the ubiquitous nature of TA genes on bacterial genomes has been revealed. The exploitation of TA systems as an antibacterial strategy via artificial activation of the toxin has been proposed and has considerable potential; however, efforts in this area remain in the early stages and several major questions remain. This review investigates the tractability of targeting TA systems to kill bacteria, including fundamental requirements for success, recent advances, and challenges associated with artificial toxin activation.
Evaluation of a peer-led asthma self-management program and benefits of the program for adolescent peer leaders.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is the leading chronic condition in adolescents. Nonetheless, research efforts to address adolescent asthma morbidity by applying a developmentally appropriate self-management intervention have been limited. Recently a peer-led asthma self-management program has been developed and implemented for adolescents. The purpose of the study was to assess the acceptability of a peer-led asthma program for adolescents based on participant feedback and to examine the program9s impact on asthma outcomes in peer leaders. METHODS: Adolescents with persistent asthma (n = 91, 13–17 years) participated in a camp-based asthma program led by peer leaders (the intervention group) or healthcare professionals (the control group), and completed a set of program evaluation forms. Peer leaders (n = 14, 16–20 years) completed study questionnaires measuring asthma knowledge, self-efficacy, asthma control, and quality of life at baseline, immediately after camp, and 3, 6, and 9 months post-camp. RESULTS: The peer-led group reported more positive experience with the program than the adult-led group (P = .01, Cohen9s d = 0.53), particularly in its usefulness in dealing with asthma. Peer leaders were rated by participants highly on knowledge (98%), attitudes (93–96%), personal skills (91%), and perceived similarities (80–86%). Significant improvements were found in peer leaders9 knowledge (P CONCLUSIONS: A peer-led asthma self-management program was successfully implemented and well received by adolescent learners. Asthma outcomes in peer leaders appear to have improved as a result of the program, although caution should be exercised in determining clinical meaningfulness, given the modest changes in mean scores. ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT01161225.
Drunken Membranes: How does Ethanol Impact Fusion of Vesicles to Planar Lipid Bilayers?

Previously we have shown that fusion of vesicles to a membrane is changed by lipid phase as altered by cholesterol and temperature (Lee et al. 2013, Chem Phys Lipids 166:45-54). Ethanol is also known to alter membrane phase behavior.To investigate the effect of ethanol on fusion rate, we used the Nystatin/Ergosterol (NYS/ERG) fusion assay. We measured fusions per minute using planar membranes containing PE/PC/CHL and vesicles containing PE/PC/PS/ERG. For our initial experiments we used high concentrations of ethanol added to either side of the bilayer. At 1% ethanol an increase was observed, and at 4% fusion rates increased 3 fold compared to control when added to the cis side of the bilayer (same side as vesicles). However, no significant increase was observed when added to the trans side. Similar results were observed with methanol. It also appears that the 2-3 fold increase in fusion rate occurs regardless of whether ethanol is added before or after vesicles.We hypothesize that this effect of ethanol is to alter lipid phase behavior of the vesicle membrane. To verify the effects of ethanol on membranes we utilized differential scanning calorimetry (nDSC). Solutions of KCl buffer and DPPC vesicles were analyzed with and without ethanol. The DPPC vesicles with ethanol were shown to have a transition state ∼0.5°C lower than without ethanol. This is consistent with our hypothesis that adding ethanol alters lipid fluidity and/or phase behavior.
Contribution of melt in the Beaufort Sea to the decline in Arctic multiyear sea ice coverage: 1993–2009

[1] For the summers of 1993 through 2009, we estimate the loss of multiyear sea ice (MYI) area in the Beaufort Sea due to melt. Parcels of MYI in April are traced into the Beaufort Sea where they melt as the ice edge retreats. Net loss of area (with fractional MYI coverage >50%) over the 17-year period is ∼900 × 103 km2. Three-quarters of that area, ∼10% of the area of the Arctic Ocean, was lost after 2000. There is a clear positive trend in the record, with a distinct peak of 213 × 103 km2 in 2008; this is twice the summer outflow at the Fram Strait that year. The net melt area of 490 × 103 km2 between 2005 and 2008 accounts for nearly 32% of the net loss of 1.54 × 106 km2 of Arctic Ocean MYI coverage over the same period. Volume loss, for the years with ICESat thickness (2004–2009), is highest at 473 km3 in 2008 followed by 320 km3 in 2007. Net loss in MYI volume for the six summers is ∼1400 km3. This is ∼20% of the loss in MYI volume of 6300 km3 during 2004–2008. This adds to the freshwater content of the Arctic Ocean and locally to the freshening of the Beaufort Gyre.
Rheological Study of Selected Pharmaceutical Semisolids

Rheograms were obtained with a Ferranti-Shirley cone and plate viscometer at 20, 2 5, 30, and 35° for 13 pharmaceutical semisolids. As the temperature was raised, all the products studied showed a decrease in viscosity, thixotropy, and yield value. For many of the semisolids there appears to be a straight line relationship between thixotropic area and temperature. For ointments whose base is predominatety white ointment, the viscosity is reduced by a factor of 0.5 for every 5° rise in temperature. At 35° many of the products studied showed similar values for thixotropy and viscosity.
Monitoring of Biochemical Status in Children with Duarte Galactosemia: Utility of Galactose, Galactitol, Galactonate, and Galactose 1-Phosphate

Background: Duarte galactosemia (DG) is frequently detected in newborn-screening programs. DG patients do not manifest the symptoms of classic galactosemia, but whether they require dietary galactose restriction is controversial. We sought to assess the relationships of selected galactose metabolites (plasma galactose, plasma galactitol, erythrocyte (RBC) galactitol, RBC galactonate, and urine galactitol and galactonate) to RBC galactose 1-phosphate (Gal-1-P), dietary galactose intake, and neurodevelopmental/clinical outcomes in DG children. Methods: We studied 30 children 1–6 years of age who had DG galactosemia and were on a regular diet. All participants underwent a physical and ophthalmologic examination and a neurodevelopmental assessment. RBC galactitol, RBC galactonate, RBC Gal-1-P, plasma galactose, plasma galactonate, and urine galactitol and galactonate concentrations were measured. Results: RBC galactitol and galactonate concentrations were about 2 and 6 times higher, respectively, than control values. Plasma galactose and galactitol concentrations were also about twice the control values. The mean values for RBC Gal-1-P and urine galactitol were within the reference interval. We found a relationship between plasma and urine galactitol concentrations but no relationship between RBC galactose metabolites and urine galactitol. There was a significant relationship between galactose intake and RBC galactose metabolites, especially RBC galactitol ( P < 0.0005) and RBC galactonate ( P < 0.0005). Galactose intake was not related to the urine galactitol, plasma galactose, or plasma galactitol concentration. RBC galactitol, RBC galactonate, plasma galactose, plasma galactitol, and urine galactonate concentrations showed no relationship with clinical or developmental outcomes. Conclusions: DG children on a regular diet have RBC Gal-1-P concentrations within the reference interval but increased concentrations of other galactose metabolites, including RBC galactitol and RBC galactonate. These increased concentrations correlate with galactose intake and neither cause any developmental or clinical pathology during early childhood nor oblige a lactose-restricted diet.
Lactase Activity of Cultured and Acidified Dairy Products

Abstract A method was standardized for determining lactase activity in cultured and acidified dairy products such as cottage cheese, sour cream, and yogurt. Cottage cheese and sour cream prepared by both the cultured and acidified processes and yogurt prepared by the direct acidification process did not possess lactase activity. However, cultured yogurt possessed considerable enzyme activity mainly due to lactase as an endoenzyme in the yogurt culture ( Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus ). Enzyme in yogurt increased with time of incubation, reaching a maximum of 8 orthonitrophenol β -d-galactopyranoside units per gram of yogurt in 4h. S. thermophilus contained approximately three times more lactase than did L. bulgaricus . Also, an in vitro digestion process appeared to enhance the release of lactase from the composite yogurt culture. It was felt that cultured yogurt would be beneficial to individuals suffering from lactose intolerance not only because of reduced lactose but also because of lactase.
Comparing longitudinal binary outcomes in an observational oral health study

Observational studies continue to be recognized as viable alternatives to randomized trials when making treatment group comparisons, in spite of drawbacks due mainly to selection bias. Sample selection models have been proposed in the economics literature, and more recently in the medical literature, as a method to adjust for selection bias due to observed and unobserved confounders in observational studies. Application of these models has been limited to cross-sectional observational data and to outcomes that are continuous in nature. In this paper we extend application of these models to include longitudinal studies and binary outcomes. We apply a two-stage probit model using GEE to account for correlated longitudinal binary chewing difficulty outcomes. Chewing difficulty was measured every six months during a 24-month period between two groups of subjects: those either receiving or not receiving dental care. Dental care use was measured at six-month intervals as well. Results from our proposed model are compared to results using a standard GEE model that ignores the potential selection bias introduced by unobserved confounders. In this application, accounting for selection bias made a major difference in the substantive conclusions about the outcomes of interest. This is due in part to an adverse selection phenomenon in which those most in need of treatment (and consequently most likely to benefit from it) are actually the ones least likely to seek treatment. Our application of sample selection models to binary longitudinal observational outcome data should serve as impetus for increased utilization of this promising set of models to other health outcomes studies.
Integrating intermediate inputs from partially classified images within a hybrid classification framework: An impervious surface estimation example

article i nfo With the constant proliferation of computational power, our ability to develop hybrid classifiers has improved. Hybrid classifiers integrate results from multiple algorithms and often improve classification accuracy. In this paper, a hybrid classification framework was used to evaluate two research hypotheses: i) can manipulated results from prior classifiers ("intermediate inputs" (IIs)) improve classification accuracy in subsequent classification steps. and ii) is there an optimal dataset proportion for creation and usage of intermediate inputs. These additional intermediate inputs were based on spatial and texture statistics calculated on a partially classified image. The implementation of intermediate inputs on an impervious surface classification task using a 2001 Landsat ETM+ image from central New York was demonstrated. The results suggested that there was an average accuracy improvement of 3.6% (maximum 6.6%) by using intermediate inputs. These improvements were proved statistically significant by a Z-test and tended to increase as classification difficulty increased. The experiments in this paper also showed that there was an optimal point that balanced the number of pixels and pixel classification accuracy from prior steps used to produce intermediate inputs. Additionally, some traditional problems such as separation of impervious surfaces and soil were successfully tackled through intermediate inputs. The concept of the intermediate inputs may easily apply to other sensors and/or ground features.
The Relationship of Built Environment to Perceived Social Support and Psychological Distress in Hispanic Elders: The Role of “Eyes on the Street”

Background. Research on contextual and neighborhood effects increasingly includes the built (physical) environment’s infl uences on health and social well-being. A population-based study examined whether architectural features of the built environment theorized to promote observations and social interactions (e.g., porches, windows) predict Hispanic elders ’ psychological distress. Methods. Coding of built environment features of all 3,857 lots across 403 blocks in East Little Havana, Florida, and enumeration of elders in 16,000 households was followed by assessments of perceived social support and psychological distress in a representative sample of 273 low socioeconomic status (SES) Hispanic elders. Structural-equation modeling was used to assess relationships between block-level built environment features, elders ’ perceived social support, and psychological distress. Results. Architectural features of the front entrance such as porches that promote visibility from a building’s exterior were positively associated with perceived social support. In contrast, architectural features such as window areas that promote visibility from a building’s interior were negatively associated with perceived social support. Perceived social support in turn was associated with reduced psychological distress after controlling for demographics. Additionally, perceived social support mediated the relationship of built environment variables to psychological distress. Conclusions. Architectural features that facilitate direct, in-person interactions may be benefi cial for Hispanic elders ’
Guanyl Nucleotide Regulation of the Liver Glucagon-Sensitive Adenylyl Cyclase System

Properties of the GMP-P(NH)P-activated glucagon sensitive adenylyl cyclase from rat liver plasma membranes were studied with respect to reversal of nucleotide imidodiphosphate analog activation. It was found that incubation of the analog-activated state with excess GTP (the natural effector) in the presence of substrate (ATP), divalent cation (Mg++), a chelator (EDTA), the reaction product (cAMP), and an ATP-regeneration system, resulted in reversal of activity to that seen with GTP alone. The reversed state was demonstrated to be both sensitive to re-stimulation by GMP-P(NH)P and to stimulation by glucagon, and was therefore not the result of GTP-induced inactivation of the enzyme. Examination of the time course of GTP-induced reversal of GMP-P(NH)P activation, as well as of GMP-P(NH)P-induced re-stimulation of reversed activity revealed that guanyl nucleotide effects occur with progressively increasing lag times, suggesting the existence or participation of one or more co-factors. These findings are inconsistent with the mechanism of GMP-P(NH)P activation involving the irreversible formation of an enzyme-P(NH)P derivative and suggest a more complex mechanism than the involvement of a simple two step isomerization reaction.
Minocycline in rheumatoid arthritis : a 48-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of minocycline in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Design: A double-blind, randomized, multicenter, 48-week trial of oral minocycline (200 mg/d) o...
The Use of Plant Antimicrobial Compounds for Food Preservation

Foodborne disease is a global issue with significant impact on human health. With the growing consumer demand for natural preservatives to replace chemical compounds, plant antimicrobial compounds must be thoroughly investigated for their potential to serve as biopreservatives. This review paper will focus on the plant-derived products as antimicrobial agents for use in food preservation and to control foodborne pathogens in foods. Structure, modes of action, stability, and resistance to these plant compounds will be discussed as well as their application in food industries and possible technologies by which they can be delivered. Benefits as well as challenges, such as the need for further research for implementation and governmental regulation, will be highlighted.
An Econometric Model of National Income, Commercial Policy and the Level of International Trade: The Open Economies of Europe, 1924–1938

The history of European trade is replete with cases of aggressive and restrictive commercial policies. These policies were part of the permanent nature of economic relationships among European nations from feudalism onward. Keynes' golden age passage in The Economic Consequences of the Peace exaggerates the extent to which prewar Europe was a free trade zone.
Centralized and decentralized policies for the containment of moving source in 2D diffusion processes using sensor/actuator network

In this note we consider centralized and decentralized control policies for the detection and containment of a moving source in 2D diffusion-advection PDE, often describing environmental processes. Such a task is enabled by the employment of a network of sensing devices judiciously located within the 2D spatial domain. These devices are assumed to have actuating capabilities aimed at containing the moving source by minimizing its effects on the process concentration. The source-detecting ability of the sensor network is considerably enhanced when the sensing devices are equipped to measure spatial gradients as opposed to only process concentration. The proposed estimation scheme provides estimates of the process state and at the same time provides an estimate of the proximity of the moving source. An added feature of the supervision and monitoring scheme is a power management scheme whereby a subset of the available sensors within the network are kept active over a time interval while the remaining devices are kept dormant. The resulting hybrid infinite dimensional system switches both the actuator, deemed more suitable to contain the source over the duration of a given time interval, and its associated control signal. Additionally, it switches the set of active sensors that are used by the scheme. The control policy examines two different schemes in which both a centralized and a decentralized scheme are considered. In the centralized scheme, information on the status of the active sensors along with the estimate of the state process are transmitted to the supervisor to feed a dynamic output feedback control signal to the actuator closest to the moving source. In the decentralized scheme, a computationally efficient controller is implemented, whereby the outputs from the active sensors are independently fed to the collocated actuators via static output feedback. Simulation studies utilizing at each time 16% of the total sensors and having either a single actuator with a centralized scheme or 16% of the total actuators with a decentralized scheme and used to minimize the effects of the moving source, are presented.
Modulation of photoacoustic signal generation from metallic surfaces

The ability to image metallic implants is important for medical applications ranging from diagnosis to therapy. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging has been recently pursued as a means to localize metallic implants in soft tissue. The work presented herein investigates different mechanisms to modulate the PA signal generated by macroscopic metallic surfaces. Wires of five different metals are tested to simulate medical implants/tools, while surface roughness is altered or physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings are added to change the wires’ overall optical absorption. PA imaging data of the wires are acquired at 970 nm. Results indicate that PA signal generation predominately occurs in a wire’s metallic surface and not its aqueous surroundings. PA signal generation is similar for all metals tested, while addition of PVD coatings offers significant modulations (i.e., 4-dB enhancement and 26-dB reduction achieved) in PA signal generation. Results also suggest that PA signal increases with increasing surface roughness. Different coating and roughness schemes are then successfully utilized to generate spatial PA signal patterns. This work demonstrates the potential of surface modifications to enhance or reduce PA signal generation to permit improved PA imaging of implants/tools (i.e., providing location/orientation information) or to allow PA imaging of surrounding tissue.
Systemwide Effects of Medicaid Retrospective Drug Utilization Review Programs

Aggregate pooled cross-sectional and time-series annual state data for 1985 to 1992 were used to estimate the systemwide effects of retrospective drug uti- lization review programs (Retro-DUR) on Medicaid drug and nondrug outcomes. The results provide evidence that these programs produce significant cost savings in the drug budget without spillover effects (positive or negative) in other nondrug budgets within the Medicaid system. We also examine the influence of restricted formularies in this post-Retro-DUR era on drug and nondrug budgets in the Medicaid system; we find significant cost savings in the former but positive spillover effects in the latter. Physicians are not always well-informed about the price and marginal health products of drugs, including potential adverse interactions (Eisen- berg and Williams 1981; Avorn and Soumerai 1983; Soumerai and Avorn 1984). Under Retro-DUR, a committee of experts, composed of physi- cians and pharmacists, monitors physicians' prescribing practices and notifies individual physicians of potential mismedications. Physicians are expected to alter the questionable prescriptions and change their future prescribing practices. Cost savings are expected in the drug budget through the use of cheaper but equally effective drugs (e.g., generic drugs), the reduction of unnecessary therapeutic duplications, and the elimination of drugs having questionable therapeutic value. Some experts believe that even greater cost savings will occur in hospital budgets through reductions in adverse drug reactions and other mismedications (Kusserow 1989).
Novel Batch Reactor for the Dilute Acid Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks with Improved Heating and Cooling Kinetics

The pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is an important part of the process of utilizing a renewable and abundant feedstock. This paper aims to provide a novel lab-scale batch pretreatment reactor that significantly improves heating and cooling kinetics over typical batch pretreatment reactors, yet made from readily available parts. The heating and cooling kinetics of a batch pretreatment reactor are important for emulating the behavior of a large scale continuous reactor system. The heat transfer performance has been quantified and presented here as a tool for aiding the design of a similar reactor system. One important lignocellulosic feedstock is corn stover, which was used in this study to validate the reactor performance. The pretreatment method that was used in this study is the dilute acid pretreatment. The pretreatment runs were enzymatically saccharified to evaluate the pretreatment effectiveness. The results from this enzymatic saccharification were compared with several literature sources to validate the reactor performance. The pretreatment conditions that were used are 0.5 wt% sulfuric acid, 10 minute pretreatment time, and 10 wt% solids loading. The enzymatic digestibility of the cellulose in the pretreated solids was 53.3% at 150◦C and 72.1% at 160◦C.
An introduction to computer science for non-majors using principles of computation

In this paper, the design and implementation of a novel introductory computer science course for non-majors is presented. This course focuses on the major contributions in computer science from the perspective of the process of computation. This course differs from most introductory courses in computer science in that it does not include programming using a computer programming language. Students focus on algorithms and the principle of computational thinking, and use a flowchart simulator to experiment with various short algorithms and build simple computer games without dealing with programming language syntax. Steadily increasing enrollments and interest from various departments on campus indicate that this course has become a successful addition to our introductory CS offerings.
Sex Differentiation in Annuities: Reflections on Utilitarianism and Inequality

No contemporary has done more to provide a foundation for utilitarianism or to argue more forcefully for its value in the determination of social morality than John Harsanyi. This little study is gratefully dedicated to him.
Fritz Kaufmann (1891–1958)

In his short but brilliant “Art and Phenomenology” (1940) Kaufmann gives a comprehensive overview of the relation between phenomenology and art. He was concerned with finding a way that combines elements of edmund husserl’s phenomenology, e.g., transcendental reduction, and elements that can only be uncovered by a hermeneutics of facticity, such as the wholeness of one’s life and existential affectivity. In his Freiburg lectures, martin heidegger, as a follower of Dilthey, tried to develop a hermeneutics of life that understands all phenomena as rooted in one’s concrete historical life-project and its coherency, which is produced by care, trouble, and temporality.
Pharmanex, Inc. v. Shalala: A Wake Up Call for Congress and a Not So Bitter Pill for the FDA

In 1994, Congress, through specific legislation, enacted the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) for the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate dietary supplements which has seemingly puzzled food and drug practitioners for years. FDA officials and critics have debated back and forth over whether dietary supplements constitute food or drugs and the proper procedure for regulating these products. Now, the DSHEA guides the regulation of dietary supplements, yet controversy still remains over exactly how a dietary supplement should be regulated and the exact criteria for defining a dietary supplement.
Market Potential for Residential Biomass Heating Equipment: Stochastic and Econometric Assessments

This paper provides estimates of market potential for biomass-residential-heating equipment in the US: that is, the greatest amount of biomass-residential-heating equipment that can be sold by the industry. The author's analysis is limited to biomass equipment used most to heat the housing unit. Assuming that households equipped with 10+ year old primary heating devices will replace rather than repair the devices he predicts that approximately 1.4 million units of residential home heating equipment will be replaced in 2015. The author's research also shows that customers do not ascribe much value to biomass home heating. The marketing implication for such a â€œnegativeâ€ state is to find buyers who greatly value the benefits of biomass heating equipment.
Reproductive Rights in the Workplace, Notions of Equality, and Federal Litigation

Part of a larger book project, Pregnancy and the American Worker, coauthored with James Dahl (Associate Dean, College of Business, University of Illinois — Champaign) and forthcoming from Palgrave, this paper examines the impact and implications of the two primary forms of statutory protection from pregnancy discrimination in the workplace — Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Reflecting two different understandings of the nature of equality, these statutes provide different forms of guarantees of equality, which result in differing decisions and precedents in the federal courts. This paper will examine both the theoretical differences between the two approaches and the consequences of these two approaches in federal litigation. Finally, this paper will consider who brings such pregnancy cases before the Court.
Rabbit lung surfactant protein A gene: identification of a lung-specific DNase I hypersensitive site.

Expression of the gene encoding pulmonary surfactant protein A, SP-A, is lung specific and developmentally and hormonally regulated. Previously, we observed that SP-A gene transcription is initiate...
Moco biosynthesis and the ATAC acetyltransferase engage translation initiation by inhibiting latent PKR activity

Molybdenum cofactor (Moco) biosynthesis is linked to c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling in Drosophila through MoaE, a molybdopterin (MPT) synthase subunit that is also a component of the Ada Two A containing (ATAC) acetyltransferase complex. Here, we show that human MPT synthase and ATAC inhibited PKR, a double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase, to facilitate translation initiation of iron-responsive mRNA. MPT synthase and ATAC directly interacted with PKR and suppressed latent autophosphorylation of PKR and its downstream phosphorylation of JNK and eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α). The suppression of eIF2α phosphorylation via MPT synthase and ATAC prevented sequestration of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor eIF2B, which recycles eIF2-GDP to eIF2-GTP, resulting in the promotion of translation initiation. Indeed, translation of the iron storage protein, ferritin, was reduced in the absence of MPT synthase or ATAC subunits. Thus, MPT synthase and ATAC regulate latent PKR signaling and link transcription and translation initiation.
The frictional, hydrologic, metamorphic and thermal habitat of shallow slow earthquakes

Slow earthquakes have recently been discovered on the shallow parts of some subduction zones. A review of the conditions under which these quakes form reveals that they could be common in most subduction zones globally.
An Interdisciplinary Team Project: Psychology and Computer Science Students Create Online Cognitive Tasks.

We present our case study of an interdisciplinary team project for students taking either a psychology or computer science (CS) course. The project required psychology and CS students to combine their knowledge and skills to create an online cognitive task. Each interdisciplinary project team included two psychology students who conducted library research and drafted a design protocol for the cognitive task and a CS student who created the online version. The teams produced nine applets to test cognitive abilities such as memory and imagery. Our pre-post Interdisciplinary Team Project Survey indicated students gained significant experience working with each other by the end of the semester. Psychology students reported increases in areas such as summarizing data and delivering an oral presentation. CS students reported gains in computer programming. Leadership ratings moved upward for CS students, and psychology students reported greater experience conducting team projects by the end of the semester. CS s...
Abstract 3632: Addition of the HIF-1α inhibitor PX-478 enhances the therapeutic efficacy of EGFR inhibitors in an orthotopic human lung adenocarcinoma model

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Introduction: Multiple studies demonstrate that EGFR signaling confers a survival advantage under hypoxic conditions by inducing VEGF expression through HIF-1α dependent and independent mechanisms. However, clinically EGFR inhibition alone is not always effective in NSCLC tumors particularly for those tumors that express a mutant K-Ras gene. We therefore studied the effects of PX-478, a small molecule inhibitor of HIF-1α, in combination with the EGFR inhibitors erlotinib and cetuximab in human lung adenocarcinomas that carry an activating K-Ras mutation growing orthotopically in mice. Methods: NCI-H441 human lung adenocarcinoma cells (1×106), were injected into the left lungs of nude mice. Mice were randomized (10/group) 20 days after injection, when lung tumors were visible in a subset of 4 mice, to treatment with vehicle, PX-478 (20 mg/kg/day for 5 days), erlotinib (50mg/kg/day), cetuximab (1ug/mouse, every third day) or any combination of the drugs. The experiment was terminated when control mice became moribund 63 days after injection. Mice were sacrificed and assessed for lung tumor burden, pleural effusion and metastasis. Lung tumors and adjacent normal tissues were collected for immunochistochemical analyses. Results: Treatment of mice with either cetuximab or PX-478 as monotherapy reduced the median primary lung tumor volume by 44% (p=0.006) and 77% (p<0.0001), respectively, whilst treatment with erlotinib was only marginally effective in this model. The combination of PX-478 with erlotinib or cetuximab was significantly superior to monotherapy with a reduction of lung tumor volume by 95% (p<0.0001) and 90% (p<0.0001) respectively, as compared to control. PX-478 monotherapy reduced the incidence of mediastinal metastasis by 80% (p=0.0001) while EGFR inhibition had no significant effect. Combined therapy with PX-478 and erlotinib or cetuximab further reduced metastasis. Trimodality therapy completely prevented mediastinal metastasis and reduced tumor volume by 97% (p<0.0001). Immuno-histochemical studies of lung tumors are now being completed to assess tumor and endothelial cell proliferation and apoptosis, microvessel density, and the expression of EGFR and HIF-1α. Conclusions: We have shown that the inclusion of the HIF-1α inhibitor PX-478 enhances the therapeutic efficacy of EGFR inhibitors in a human lung adenocarcinoma harboring a K-Ras mutation. These data suggest that HIF-1α antagonism could be an effective strategy to overcome the relative resistance to EGFR inhibition that has been observed in K-Ras mutated NSCLC tumors in the clinic. Our data provide the basis for a combined modality treatment approach with these two agents for lung cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3632.
The Neutron Scattering Society of America Prizes

The Neutron Scattering Society of America is pleased to announce the 2016 recipients of its four major prizes. The prizes and will be awarded at the 2016 ACNS in Long Beach, CA, July 10–14, 2016 (h...
GA-Based BP Network Used in Rainfall Prediction

A BP network model based on improved GA is presented.Adopted the adaptive cross mutation probability,the GA is to optimize the weight of network.At the end of evolution,a solution near the global optimum will be found.Then the global optimum in the local area can be found by adopting momentum BP algorithm.The simulation shows this mixed method(GA-BP model) is more precise(average error 39.13%)than pure BP model(average error 194.66%)in terms of June rainfall prediction during 2000 to 2004 in Da Qing.Consequently,the prediction ability of mixed algorithm is much improved.
Exploration on the design schemes of 4.5Mt/a phosphate ore beneficiation plant in Jinning County

The paper gives a general description of Jinning Phosphate Mine and Kunyang Phosphate Mine as well as tests on mixed phosphate ores(2∶1)from Jinning Phosphate Mine and Kunyang Phosphate Mine.Comparisons of the said mines are made in terms of crushing and selection,concentrate index,economic benefit for beneficiation and others and their results showed that separate beneficiation of phosphate ores from Jinning Phosphate Mine and Kunyang were better than beneficiation of their mixture.
The Coming of the Brooke Raj

If there was one event that triggered the Sebop exodus from their homeland on the southern slopes of the Usun Apau, it was an unprecedented bout of mayhem known in the colonial literature as the Great Kayan Expedition. In 1863, the man who was to become the second Rajah of Sarawak unleashed on the unsuspecting communities of the upper Rejang a horde of eager and undisciplined Iban numbering, by his own estimates, some 15,000. His prestige was such that he could organise a war party of a size never before seen in the interior, but lacking any organised force of his own, and accompanied by just three other Englishmen, he could not keep it under control. The Iban laid waste an entire region, killing, looting, and burning. The refugees who fled further upriver set off a chain reaction that for decades destabilized communities deep in the interior, including those as far away as the Usun Apau. James Brooke Goes Adventuring This humanitarian disaster was totally at variance with the policies of the Raj, yet, it was a logical consequence of the administrative style it established. The first Rajah, James Brooke, founder of his own private kingdom in the highest romantic tradition, was born in Benares in 1803. His father was an East India Company official, who eventually rose to the rank of judge of the High Court.
Evaluation of an Inhouse Rapid ELISA Test for Detection of Giardia in Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries)

Sheep (Ovis aries) are increasingly used at our institution as models of human disease. Within the research environment, routine husbandry and handling of sheep has potential for transmission of zoonotic agents, including Giardia. The prevalence of Giardia in sheep may approach 68%. Classic diagnostic testing involves microscopic examination for fecal cysts or trophozoites; however, limitations of microscopy include time, labor, and potential false-negative results due to intermittent shedding. We wished to determine whether a commercial rapid ELISA used for Giardia detection in dogs and cats could be used in sheep. Fecal samples collected from sheep (n = 93) were tested with a combination of 6 methods: reference laboratory fecal flotation, reference laboratory ELISA, inhouse fecal flotation, and commercially available tests (enzyme immunoassay, direct fluorescence antibody assay, and rapid ELISA). Prevalence of Giardia infection in facility sheep was 11.8% (11 of 93 animals). Of the 11 samples considered positive, 3 were confirmed by multiple testing methods, and 5 were positive by microscopy alone. Inhouse fecal flotation for 8 samples was positive on only 1 of 2 consecutive testing days. The rapid ELISA test exhibited 0% sensitivity for sheep giardiasis. Overall, the examined methods had low sensitivities and low positive predictive values. Despite limitations, microscopic analysis of repeat fecal samples remained the most accurate diagnostic method for ovine giardiasis among the methods tested.
Women's Use of Health Care in the First 2 Years Postpartum: Occurrence and Correlates.

Objectives We sought to determine rates and correlates of accessing health care in the 2 years following delivery among women at an urban academic medical center. Methods We used electronic medical records, discharge, and billing data to determine the occurrence of primary care, other non-primary outpatient care, emergency department visits, and inpatient admissions among women delivering at a single medical center who had a known primary care affiliation to that medical center over a 5 year period. We explored sociodemographic, clinical, and health care-related factors as correlates of care, using bivariate and multivariable modeling. Results Of 6216 women studied, most (91 %) had had at least one health care visit in the window between 2 months and 2 years postpartum (the “late postpartum period”). The majority (81 %) had had a primary care visit. Factors associated with use of health care in this period included a chronic medical condition diagnosed prior to pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.42, 95 % CI [1.19, 1.71]), prenatal care received in an urban community health center (AOR 1.35 [1.06, 1.73]), having received obstetric (AOR 1.90 [1.51, 2.37]), primary (AOR 2.30 [1.68, 3.23]), or other non-primary outpatient care (AOR 2.35 [1.72, 3.39]) in the first 2 months postpartum, and living closer to the hospital [AOR for residence >17.8 miles from the medical center (AOR 0.74 [0.61, 0.90])]. Having had an obstetrical complication did not increase the likelihood of receipt of care during this window. Conclusions for Practice Among women already enrolled in a primary care practice at our medical center, health care utilization in the late postpartum period is high, but not universal. Understanding the characteristics of women who return for health care during this window, and where they are seen, can improve transitions of care across the life course and can provide opportunities for important and consistent interconception and well-woman messaging.
Discriminating the hemolytic risk of blood type A plasmas using the complement hemolysis using human erythrocytes (CHUHE) assay.

BACKGROUND The agglutination-based cross-matching method is sensitive for antibody binding to red blood cells but is only partially predictive of complement-mediated hemolysis, which is important in many acute hemolytic transfusion reactions. Here, we describe complement hemolysis using human erythrocytes (CHUHE) assays that directly evaluate complement-mediated hemolysis between individual serum-plasma and red blood cell combinations. The CHUHE assay is used to evaluate correlations between agglutination titers and complement-mediated hemolysis as well as the hemolytic potential of plasma from type A blood donors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Plasma or serum from each type A blood donor was incubated with AB or B red blood cells in the CHUHE assay and measured for free hemoglobin release. RESULTS CHUHE assays for serum or plasma demonstrate a wide, dynamic range and high sensitivity for complement-mediated hemolysis for individual serum/plasma and red blood cell combinations. CHUHE results suggest that agglutination assays alone are only moderately predictive of complement-mediated hemolysis. CHUHE results also suggest that plasma from particular type A blood donors produce minimal complement-mediated hemolysis, whereas plasma from other type A blood donors produce moderate to high-level complement-mediated hemolysis, depending on the red blood cell donor. CONCLUSION The current results indicate that the CHUHE assay can be used to assess complement-mediated hemolysis for plasma or serum from a type A blood donor, providing additional risk discrimination over agglutination titers alone.
Edith W. Clowes and Shelly Jarrett Bromberg (eds.), Area Studies in the Global Age. Community, Place, Identity

There’s a conflict in US universities over the nature of “area studies.” That struggle has overflowed into a broader international debate about the place of area studies in the academy. In essence,...