cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safety of Marketed Cancer Supportive Care Biosimilars in the US: A Disproportionality Analysis Using the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) Database

Since the approval and availability of the first biosimilar in 2015 in the United States (US), evidence regarding the post-marketing safety of cancer supportive care biosimilars remains limited. The aim was to explore the adverse event (AE) reporting patterns and detect disproportionate reporting signals for cancer supportive care biosimilars in the US compared to their originator biologics. The US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System database (January 1, 2004–March 31, 2020) was used to identify AE reports for filgrastim, pegfilgrastim, and epoetin alpha by type of product (originator biologics vs. biosimilars) and report characteristics. Plots of AE reports against years were used to reveal the reporting patterns. Disproportionality analyses using reporting odds ratios (RORs) were conducted to detect differences in serious and specific AEs between studied drugs and all other drugs. Breslow–Day tests were used to determine homogeneity between the originator biologic–biosimilar pair RORs for the same AE. Total numbers of AEs for all studied biosimilars increased after marketing. More AE reports were from female patients for all of the studied drugs. More AEs for originator biologics and filgrastim biosimilar were reported by health professionals, while the highest proportion of reports came from consumers for pegfilgrastim and epoetin alpha biosimilars (29% and 44.1%, respectively). Signals of disproportionate reporting in serious AEs were detected for a pegfilgrastim biosimilar (Fulphila®) compared to its originator biologic. Our findings support the similarity in the signals of disproportionate reporting between cancer supportive care originator biologics and biosimilars, except for Fulphila®.
Why do open seafaring nations excel in great power rivalry? Reflections on Colin Gray’s contributions to geopolitical theory

As the world fell into the abyss of the coronavirus pandemic, exacerbating great-power tensions and geopolitical uncertainty, the international relations community lost a legendary scholar and stra...
Safety of Rapid Infliximab Biosimilar Infusions in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BackgroundThe biosimilar landscape for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) continues to grow, with several biosimilar products for originator infliximab now available. The rapid infusion of originator...
The Impact of Gene Selection on Imbalanced Microarray Expression Data

Microarray experiments usually output small volumes but high dimensional data. Selecting a number of genes relevant to the tasks at hand is usually one of the most important steps for the expression data analysis. While numerous researches have demonstrated the effectiveness of gene selection from different perspectives, existing endeavors, unfortunately, ignore the data imbalance reality, where one type of samples (e.g., cancer tissues) may be significantly fewer than the other (e.g., normal tissues). In this paper, we carry out a systematic study to investigate the impact of gene selection on imbalanced microarray data. Our objective is to understand that if gene selection is applied to imbalanced expression data, what kind of consequences it may bring to the final results? For this purpose, we apply five gene selection measures to eleven microarray datasets, and employ four learning methods to build classification models from the data containing selected genes only. Our study will bring important findings and draw numerous conclusions on (1) the impact of gene selection on imbalanced data, and (2) behaviors of different learning methods on the selected data.
Narratives of Black and Latino Faculty at a Midwestern Research University

Scholars have asserted that the diversification of college faculty is an essential part of preparing students to be citizens in a multicultural society (Cole & Barber, 2003). Nonetheless, colleges and universities have been slow to respond to the growing needs of students and have not always been responsive to the changing environment (Birnbaum, 1988). Based on a qualitative study of ten faculty members at a Midwestern research university (MRU), this article provides a descriptive analysis of the experiences of Black and Latino faculty. Analyzed through a critical race theory framework, there were four emergent themes in the findings: faculty time allocation, faculty member support, campus cultural climate, and faculty impact on student experience. The paper concludes with implications for Black and Latino student engagement and suggestions for higher education policy and practice.
Providing Recreation Services for all Individuals: The Connection of Inclusive Practices to Commercial, Community, and Outdoor Recreation Students.

Individuals with disabilities currently represent the largest minority group in the United States, yet recreation undergraduate students often perceive this as a population they may or may not prov...
Doing and enacting economies of value: Thinking through the assemblage

This paper speaks to the generative capacities of research more generally and the biological economies process specifically. It highlights the importance of being disruptive and critical while avoiding the traps of structuralist paranoia that keep one from seeing and doing difference. It also seeks to move through, rather than beyond, conventional understandings of value, to include emergent practices, relationships and more-than-representational knowledge. In total, it is a rather wild piece about New Zealand biological economies scholarship, in terms of how certain performances are made strange, become altered and lead to the enactment of novel states of becoming.
Social Desirability Bias

Social desirability bias (SDB) involves a person's responding to questions in a way that leads to a more positive depiction of the individual than is objectively warranted. Psychologists have defined it in several slightly different ways, but it is common to regard SDB as having two different manifestations. An individual might knowingly provide responses to questions in a way designed to portray the person in a positive light, which is called impression management. Or the person might attempt to provide accurate responses to a question but unknowingly give a more favorable report than is accurate, which is called self-deception positivity or self-deception enhancement. Keywords: methodology; research
Influences of early thyroid hormone manipulations: delays in pup motor and exploratory behavior are evident in adult operant performance.

Abstract The effects of thyroid hormone depletion and enhancement on litter size, survival, body mass, ambulation, quadrant crossing, home orientation, day of eye opening, and free serum T3 and T4 levels were examined in Study 1. In Study 2, the effects of the timing of prenatal insult and the level of thyroid hormone depletion on litter size, survival, body mass, and free serum T3 and T4 levels were examined. Upon the completion of Study 1, randomly selected pups were maintained on ad-libitum water and food for 2 years, and performance was evaluated on fixed and variable ratio schedules, fixed and variable interval schedules, and probability and reversal learning tasks (Study 3). In Study 4, human subjects diagnosed with and treated for either congenital hypothyroidism or congenital hyperthyroidism were tested on the operant procedures used in Study 3, as well as on a series of simple reaction time, serial timing, and conjunctive and disjunctive search tasks. Dose-dependent decreases in survival and delays in the presentation of early motor and exploratory skills were observed following thyroid hormone depletion; dose-dependent accelerations in the presentation of early motor and exploratory skills were observed following thyroid hormone enhancement. Pups that had been prenatally exposed to propylthiouracil (PTU) 1–2 years after the return of thyroid hormones to baseline levels were significantly less accurate at timing on fixed and variable interval schedules, demonstrated an inability to allocate responding on probability tasks, and committed more errors during original learning (OL) and on each reversal problem. Similar deficits were observed in follow-up tests with humans diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism, as were deficits in serial timing and visual searching. Collectively, the present results demonstrate that the pervasive and negative effects of prenatal thyroid deficiency on early behavior are also expressed during adult operant performance.
Task- and age-dependent variations in steadiness.

Publisher Summary Human aging is typically accompanied by a loss of muscle mass and an associated decrease in muscle strength. The muscle atrophy is caused by the death of motoneurons in the spinal cord and, preferentially, involves the motoneurons that innervate the histochemically defined type IIb muscle fibers. Surviving motoneurons, however, are able to develop axonal sprouts and reinnervate some of the abandoned muscle fibers. The net result of this reorganization is a reduction in the number of motor units in a muscle but an increase in the innervation ratio of the motoneurons that remain in the muscle. According to the Size Principle, the order in which motor units are recruited progresses from the smallest to the largest motoneuron as the force that a muscle exerts is graded. In this scheme, differences in motoneuron size and those properties that co-vary with size are the major determinants in the spinal-cord control of the muscle force. Therefore, disturbances in the relative size of motor units within a population, such as the reorganization that occurs with aging, may have significant consequences for the ability of humans to perform tasks requiring subtle variations in the force exerted by the muscle. The studies described in this chapter characterize the ability of older adults to perform steady submaximal contractions and determine the role of changes in motor unit size on the observed impairments in performance.
Detecting Earnings Management

This paper evaluates alternative models for detecting earnings management. The paper restricts itself to models that assume the construct being managed is discretionary accruals, since such models are commonly used in the extant accounting literature. Existing models range from simple models in which discretionary accruals are measured as total accruals, to more sophisticated models that separate total accruals into a discretionary and a non-discretionary component. Prior to this paper, there had been no systematic evidence bearing on the relative performance of these alternative models at detecting earnings management. This paper evaluates the relative performance of the competing models by comparing the specification and power of commonly used test statistics across the measures of discretionary accruals generated by each model. The specification of the test statistics is evaluated by examining the frequency with which they generate type I errors for a random sample of firm-years and for samples of firm-years with extreme financial performance. We focus on samples with extreme financial performance because the stimuli investigated in previous research are frequently correlated with financial performance. The first sample of firms are targeted by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly overstating annual earnings and the second sample is created by artificially introducing earnings management into a random sample of firms.
A new direct method for the discretized Poisson equation

An influence coefficient matrix method, called the error vector propagation or EVP method, for solving the discretized Poisson equation is described and its characteristics are investigated. This direct method is especially well suited to solving a family of problems, each of which has different non-homogenous terms and different boundary values, but which are all solved in the same mesh with the same class of linear boundary conditions. This is the case in incompressible fluid dynamics problems using the stream function-vorticity approach.
Virtual Travel Communities: Self-Reported Experiences and Satisfaction

Virtual communities have revolutionized the way people interact and have important marketing implications as a viable business model, particularly in the tourism industry. Virtual travel communities (VTCs) in general provide service benefits sought by community members along with pleasurable VTC experiences. This is a challenging task, since multiple factors, social, psychological, and technology used, contribute to end users’ satisfaction with VTCs. This study examined experiences related by VTC members at different satisfaction levels in seven VTCs using CATPAC content analysis software. Implications for technology designers and virtual community managers are discussed.
Biochemical and Structural Analysis of Common Cancer-Associated KRAS Mutations

KRAS mutations are the most common genetic abnormalities in cancer, but the distribution of specifi cm utations across cancers and the differential responses of patients with specific KRAS mutations in therapeutic clinical trials suggest that different KRAS mutations have unique biochemical behaviors. To further explain these high-level clinical differences and to explore potential therapeutic strategies for specifi cK RAS isoforms, we characterized the most common KRAS mutants biochemically for substrate binding kinetics, intrinsic and GTPase-activating protein (GAP)–stimulated GTPase activities, and interactions with the RAS effector, RAF kinase. Of note, KRAS G13D shows rapid nucleotide exchange kinetics compared with other mutants analyzed. This property can be explained by changes in the electrostatic charge distribution
Global Amine and Acid Functional Group Modification of Proteins

A sequential reaction methodology is employed for the complete derivatization of protein thiols, amines, and acids in high purity under denaturing conditions. Following standard thiol alkylation, protein amines are modified via reductive methylation with formaldehyde and pyridine-borane. Protein acids are subsequently amidated under buffered conditions in DMSO using the coupling reagent (7-azabenzotriazol-1-yloxy)tripyrrolidinophosphonium hexafluorophosphate. The generality of the approach is demonstrated with four proteins and with several amines yielding near-quantitative transformations as characterized by high-resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometry. The developed approach has numerous implications for protein characterization and general protein chemistry. Applications in mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomics of intact proteins (top-down MS) are explored, including the addition of stable isotopes for relative quantitation and protein identification through functional group counting. The methodology can be used for altering the physical and chemical properties of proteins, as demonstrated with amidation to modify protein isoelectric point and through derivatization with quaternary amines. Additionally, the chemistry has applications in the semisynthesis of monodisperse polymers based on protein scaffolds. We prepare proteins modified with azides and alkynes to enable further functionalization via copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar Huisgen cycloaddition ("click") chemistry.
Outpatient antibiotic prescribing in a low-risk veteran population with acute respiratory symptoms.

AbstractBackground: Acute respiratory tract infections are usually caused by viruses and are self-limited in healthy adults. Providers frequently provide antibiotic prescriptions for sinusitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis, and nonspecific upper respiratory tract infections, despite no evidence of improved clinical outcomes. We sought to determine: 1) primary care providers' antibiotic prescribing practices for acute respiratory tract infections in low-risk outpatient veterans and 2) short-term health outcome differences between those receiving and not receiving an antibiotic prescription. Methods: We performed a retrospective electronic medical record review for veterans presenting to 1 of 3 primary care outpatient Veterans Affairs clinics in Portland, OR between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009 for acute respiratory symptoms. Demographics, signs and symptoms, antibiotic prescriptions, nonantibiotic prescriptions, and laboratory and imaging study variables were abstracted from medical charts. Descriptive freque...
Regeneration of Plants from Protoplasts of Arabidopsis thaliana L. cv. Columbia (C24), Via Direct Embryogenesis

This report describes a protocol for the regeneration of fertile plants from mesophyll protoplasts of Arabidopsis Arabidopsis thaliana race Columbia (C24). Regeneration was rapid and reproducible. The protocol is especially novel in that a large proportion of regenerating protoplasts regenerated via direct somatic embryogenesis. Protoplasts isolated from in vitro-grown plants entered sustained division after 3-5 d in culture medium and over a period of several days 6-22% of protoplasts underwent at least one cell division. Approximately 2-16% of these protoplasts continued to divide and after 3 weeks in culture had formed macroscopic colonies, of which 70-80% were regular embryo-like structures
Roads to Power: Britain Invents the Infrastructure State. By Jo Guldi. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012. Pp. 297. $39.95.)

Politicians and pundits sound dire warnings of the threat to the liberty of the individual and to the constitution of the nation by big government, bloated bureaucracy, and self‐proclaimed experts ...
Identification of DNMT1 Selective Antagonists Using a Novel Scintillation Proximity Assay

A novel scintillation proximity high throughput assay (SPA) to identify inhibitors of DNA methyltransferases was developed and used to screen over 180,000 compounds. The majority of the validated hits shared a quinone core and several were found to generate the reactive oxygen species, H2O2. Inhibition of the production of H2O2 by the addition of catalase blocked the ability of this group of compounds to inhibit DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity. However, a related compound, SW155246, was identified that existed in an already reduced form of the quinone. This compound did not generate H2O2, and catalase did not block its ability to inhibit DNA methyltransferase. SW155246 showed a 30-fold preference for inhibition of human DNMT1 versus human or murine DNMT3A or -3B, inhibited global methylation in HeLa cells, and reactivated expression of the tumor suppressor gene RASSF1A in A549 cells. To our knowledge, this work represents the first description of selective chemical inhibitors of the DNMT1 enzyme.
AOA Assisted NLOS Error Mitigation for TOA-Based Indoor Positioning Systems

One of the major challenges for TOA-based accurate indoor positioning systems is the blockage of the LOS path, or equivalently direct path (DP), due to obstructions. Since accurate ranging of these systems depend on the detection of the DP between the transmitter and receiver, significant errors will be introduced into the ranging measurements once the DP cannot be detected. This condition is hence called the undetected direct path (UDP) condition. Owing to the fact that indoor wireless channels exhibit rich multipath propagation, the multipath components other than the DP may be utilized in mitigating errors occurring in UDP areas. In this paper, we introduce a method based on both TOA and AOA information from other multipath components to substantially mitigate the ranging error. We present our results as a comparison with commonly used methods for TOA-based ranging and we show that our proposed technique outperforms these traditional methods.
Impact of the current and the temperature variation on the Ni-Cd battery functioning

In electrical systems, the battery, which is a device converting the stored energy as chemical to electrical one, is composed of one or more electrochemical cells. Nickel Cadmium batteries (Ni-Cd) are used in different applications as emergency lighting, mobile phones and others. The "high surge current" obtained in these batteries is depending on the internal resistance which is "relatively low". This paper describes the Ni-Cd battery and its functionality. It represents two models of the battery and the simulation of its charging and discharging modes. The load current and temperature influence on the battery functioning is also treated.
Beating-Heart Surgery for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome With Coronary Artery Fistulas

The presence of ventriculocoronary connections in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and mitral stenosis-aortic atresia is a suggested risk factor for myocardial ischemia after surgical palliation. We describe a neonate with this anatomic variant of hypoplastic left heart syndrome who underwent a successful beating-heart Norwood operation, with continuous coronary perfusion. The ventricular condition could be visually confirmed during the procedure, and a postoperative echocardiogram showed preserved ventricular function. This technique is considered an effective option for minimizing myocardial damage in this patient subtype.
Isolation of diphenyl‐substituted tetronic acids from cultures of Paxillus atrotomentosus

Pigments which accumulated in surface cultures of Paxillus atrotomentosus (Batsch) Fr. were studied. The nutrient broth and mycelium of 2-month-old cultures were blended, and the pigments were partitioned into ether. Two pigments were isolated by dry-column chromatogrphy using a silica gel adsorbent and ether saturated with concentrated HCl as a chromatographic solvent. The major pigment was identified as xerocomic acid, and the minor pigment was shown to be atromentic acid. Identification of these acids was based on UV and IR spectra, mass spectral fragmentation patterns, high-resolution mass spectroscopy, and properties of their acetyl derivatives. Examination of fresh carpophores of P. atrotomentosus failed to demonstrate detectable amounts of either of these tetronic acids. These pigments have been reported to occur in fresh carpophores of some species in the Boletaceae and Gomphidiaceae, but this is the first reported presence of any diphenyl-substituted tetronic acid in the saprophytic culture of a fungus.
Investigation of analytical modeling for long-span bridge flutter

Abstract This paper summarizes an investigation into analytical modeling considerations for flutter analysis of long-span bridges. Particular attention is made to the relationship of static and dynamic analyses to that flutter analysis. Modeling considerations such as lumped or consistent formulations for inertial and self-excited aerodynamic forces are described and compared. Comparative analyses are conducted utilizing the Luling cable-stayed bridge. Results indicate that lumped formulations tend to be more conservative in ascertaining the critical flutter wind velocity. Also, the greater number of natural modes assumed to participate within the response has a less conservative effect on flutter prediction.
Fetishism and Functionalism: The Political Economy of Capitalist Development in Latin America. A Review Article

During the nineteenth century anthropologists disparaged "primitive" societies and posed the emerging industrial civilization of the west as the pinnacle of progressive development. Karl Marx was one nineteenth century evolutionist who showed contempt for people he regarded as savages, while he regarded the advent of capitalism with favor. Unlike other evolutionists he did not see capitalism as the last or "highest" stage in human evolution, but rather as a phase in which the forces of production were developed to a high level. Much of his work was devoted to a critique of capitalism and the kind of thinking which it engendered. As a revolutionary, Marx was deeply concerned with the conditions underlying an eventual transformation of society. It could be said that while Marx had little information about primitive and peasant peoples, he nevertheless did not cherish rosy illusions about their lives. Today, the matter seems to have come full circle as anthropologists disparage their own civilization and vaunt precapitalist societies as superior to the capitalist west. Two books recently published by anthropologists apply a political economic perspective derived from Marx to the study of workers in South America. One, a study of Bolivian miners by June Nash, investigates the ideology of workers in a third-world country, focussing on the obstacles to forming an effective class organization. Nash's study stresses the contradictions between satisfying personal and family needs and the requirements of an effective communal organization. The other study, by Michael Taussig, treats two
Tribological Properties of Nanodiamond-Epoxy Composites

Owing to its superior mechanical properties, nanodiamond (ND) holds great potential to improve tribological characteristics of composites. In this study, we report on the wear and dry friction of epoxy-ND composites prepared from as-received and aminated ND across the length scale range from macro to nano. Comparison of macroscale, microscale, and nanoscale frictional behavior shows that ND is highly effective in improving the wear resistance and friction coefficients of polymer matrices across the different length scales. Although with both types of ND wear resistance and friction coefficients of epoxy-ND composites were significantly improved, aminated ND outperformed as-received ND, which we account to the formation of a strong interface between aminated ND and the epoxy matrix. This study also shows that agglomerates within epoxy-ND composites containing 25 vol.% ND were able to wear an alumina counterbody, indicating very high hardness and Young’s modulus of these agglomerates, that can eventually replace micron sized diamonds currently used in industrial abrasive applications.
Synthesis of epitaxial (Tl,Bi)Sr1.6Ba0.4Ca2Cu3O9 − δ thin films in pure Ar at lower temperature

Abstract Epitaxial (Tl,Bi)Sr1.6Ba0.4Ca2Cu3O9 − δ (T1-1223) thin films on (100) single crystal LaAlO3 substrates were successfully synthesized by post-annealing at 750–780 °C in pure argon. The development of Tl-1223 phase in pure argon was systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction. The zero resistance transition temperature was 109 K.
Two-component order parameter for quantifying clathrate hydrate nucleation and growth

Methane clathrate hydrate nucleation and growth is investigated via analysis of molecular dynamics simulations using a new order parameter. This order parameter (OP), named the Mutually Coordinated Guest (MCG) OP, quantifies the appearance and connectivity of molecular clusters composed of guests separated by water clusters. It is the first two-component OP used for quantifying hydrate nucleation and growth. The algorithm for calculating the MCG OP is described in detail. Its physical motivation and advantages compared to existing methods are discussed.
Timing of Multimodality Therapy for Resectable Synchronous Colorectal Liver Metastases: A Retrospective Multi-Institutional Analysis

The optimal timing of chemotherapy relative to resection of synchronous colorectal liver metastases (SCRLM) is not known. The objective of this retrospective multi-institutional study was to assess the influence of chemotherapy administered before and after hepatic resection on long-term outcomes among patients with initially resectable SCRLM treated from 1995 to 2005. Clinicopathologic data, treatments, and long-term outcomes from patients with initially resectable SCRLM who underwent partial hepatectomy at three hepatobiliary centers were reviewed. Four hundred ninety-nine consecutive patients underwent resection; 297 (59.5%) and 264 (52.9%) were treated with chemotherapy before and after resection. Chemotherapy strategies included pre-hepatectomy alone (n = 148, 24.7%), post-hepatectomy alone (n = 115, 23.0%), perioperative (n = 149, 29.0%), and no chemotherapy (n = 87, 17.4%). Male gender (p = 0.0029, HR = 1.41 [1.12-1.77]), node-positive primary tumor (p = 0.0046, HR = 1.40 [1.11-1.77]), four or more SCRLM (p = 0.0005, HR = 1.65 [1.24-2.18]), and post-hepatectomy chemotherapy treatment for 6 months or longer (p = 0.039, HR = 0.75 [0.57-0.99]) were associated with recurrence-free survival after discovery of SCRLM. Carcinoembryonic antigen >200 ng/ml (p = 0.0003, HR = 2.33 [1.48-3.69]), extrahepatic metastatic disease (p = 0.0025, HR = 2.34 [1.35-4.05]), four or more SCRLM (p = 0.033, HR = 1.43 [1.03-2.00]), and post-hepatectomy chemotherapy treatment for 2 months or longer (p < 0.0001, HR = 0.59 [0.45-0.76]) were associated with overall survival. Pre-hepatectomy chemotherapy was not associated with recurrence-free or overall survival. Patients treated with perioperative chemotherapy had similar outcomes as patients treated with post-hepatectomy chemotherapy only. We conclude that chemotherapy administered after but not before resection of SCRLM was associated with improved recurrence-free and overall survival. However, prospective randomized trials are needed to determine the optimal timing of chemotherapy.
Modulation of the zinc(II) center in protein farnesyltransferase by mutagenesis of the zinc(II) ligands.

Protein farnesyltransferase (PFTase) is a zinc-containing metalloenzyme that catalyzes the alkylation of cysteine (C) in protein substrates containing a C-terminal “CaaX” motif by farnesyl diphosphate (FPP). In yeast PFTase Zn(II) is coordinated to D307, C309, and H363 in the β-subunit. The inner coordination sphere of the metal also contains a water molecule to give a net charge of 0 for the tetracoordinate Zn(II) center. When the protein substrate binds, the water molecule is replaced by the thiol of the cysteine residue, and the thiol is deprotonated to generate a Zn(II)-stabilized thiolate in the PFTase·FPP·protein ternary complex for the ensuing prenyl transfer reaction. An expression system was constructed for yeast PFTase containing a His6 tag at the C-terminus of the β-subunit to facilitate purification of the wild-type enzyme and site-directed mutants. The amino acids that coordinate Zn(II) were substituted to give a series of mutant PFTases with net charges of +1, 0, −1, and −2 at the Zn(II) cen...
A Comparison of Commonality Indices for Product Family Design

Today’s highly competitive and global marketplace is redefining the way companies do business: many companies are being faced with the challenge of providing as much variety as possible for the market with as little variety as possible between products. In order to achieve this, product families have been developed, allowing the realization of a sufficient variety of products to meet the customers’ demands while keeping costs relatively low. The challenge when designing a family of products is in resolving the tradeoff between product commonality and distinctiveness: if commonality is too high, products lack distinctiveness, and their individual performance is not optimized; on the other hand, if commonality is too low, manufacturing costs will increase dramatically. Toward this end, several commonality indices have been proposed to assess the amount of commonality within a product family. In this paper, we compare and contrast six of the commonality indices from the literature based on their ease of data collection, repeatability and consistency. Eight families of products are dissected and analyzed, and the commonality of each product family is computed using each commonality index. The results are then analyzed and compared, and recommendations are given on their usefulness for product family design. This study lays a foundation for understanding the relationship between different platform leveraging strategies and the resulting degree of commonality within a product family.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
EFFECT OF BODY BUILD ON THE QRS VOLTAGE OF THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAM IN NORMAL MEN: ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY.

Various sets of QRS voltages that are used in the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy were determined from the electrocardiograms of 300 normal men judged to be free from cardiopulmonary disease, and these were correlated to body build expressed in terms of ponderal index. A correlation was found for all voltages studied and a highly significant correlation was found for the criteria "RI + SIII" "greatest R + greatest S in the precordial leads" and "greatest R + S in a single precordial lead." Age or activity did not appear to be specific factors in the population studied. Graphs were constructed for the latter three sets of voltages defining upper limits of normal for various values of the ponderal index. By using these sets of voltage criteria in conjunction with this index, one would hopefully improve both accuracy and specificity in the electrocardiographic diagnosis of early left ventricular hypertrophy.
Comparison of liquid and gas-phase photooxidation of MTBE: Synthetic and field samples

The feasibility of photooxidation treatment of methyl \Itert\N-butyl ether (MTBE) in water was investigated using two systems: (1) a slurry falling film photoreactor and (2) an integrated air stripping with gas phase photooxidation system. Methyl \Itert\N-butyl ether-contaminated synthetic water and field samples from contaminated sites were used for these studies. Using a TiO\d2 slurry (0.1 g/L; Degussa P25) flowing down at a rate of up to 0.26 L/min over the inner surface of a glass tube surrounding a 1-kW medium pressure mercury lamp, more than 99% of MTBE in the synthetic samples, initially at 1 mg/L, was degraded within 90 min. The major degradation products from MTBE were \Itert\N-butyl alcohol, \Itert\N-butyl formate, and small amounts of acetone. However, the degradation of MTBE and its byproducts in contaminated groundwater samples was hindered significantly by dissolved metals uch as Fe\U2+\N, chloride ions, and aromatic organic species. Integrating air stripping with gas-phase photocatalysis is an effective alternative that would not be affected by the water chemistry. The reaction rates for MTBE degradation in the gas phase are orders of magnitude faster than in aqueous solution.
The production of ‘religion’ and the task of the scholar: Russell McCutcheon among the Smiths

(2000). The production of ‘religion’ and the task of the scholar: Russell McCutcheon among the Smiths. Culture and Religion: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 123-130.
A squared-euclidean distance location-allocation problem

This article is concerned with the analysis of a squared-Euclidean distance location-allocation problem with balanced transportation constraints, where the costs are directly proportional to distances and the amount shipped. The problem is shown to be equivalent to maximizing a convex quadratic function subject to transportation constraints. A branch-and-bound algorithm is developed that utilizes a specialized, tight, linear programming representation to compute strong upper bounds via a Lagrangian relaxation scheme. These bounds are shown to substantially dominate several other upper bounds that are derived using standard techniques as problem size increases. The special structure of the transportation constraints is used to derive a partitioning scheme, and this structure is further exploited to devise suitable logical tests that tighten the bounds implied by the branching restrictions on the transportation flows. The transportation structure is also used to generate additional cut-set inequalities based on a cycle prevention method which preserves a forest graph for any partial solution. Results of the computational experiments, and a discussion on possible extensions, are also presented.
PACE+: Interactive communication technology for behavior change in clinical settings

Abstract Background: Interactive health communication technologies have the potential to eliminate or greatly reduce many of the barriers to delivery of preventive services. This paper describes the process of developing and evaluating interactive health communication programs for primary care settings. We present as examples the Patient-centered Assessment and Counseling for Exercise plus Nutrition (PACE+) programs, designed to promote physical activity and healthy nutrition with adolescents and adults. Methods: The PACE+ programs use interactive communication technology to screen multiple behaviors, prioritize areas for intervention, and initiate intervention. Patient information is synthesized for ease of use by clinicians. The patient completes the program on a computer in the clinic waiting room before the provider encounter. Acceptability of the program was evaluated with adolescents ( n =252), adults ( n =285), and their health care providers. Results: The PACE+ programs were developed, evaluated, modified, and re-evaluated. Feasibility testing indicated that a diverse group of adolescents and adults found the PACE+ computer programs acceptable. Modifications to shorten and refine the programs were identified. Conclusions: Development of interactive health technologies is an iterative process dependent on feedback from intended users and systems of care. Interactive health communication technologies can be incorporated into clinical settings.
Age-related differences in rats’ spontaneous alternation

Fifteen-day-old rats made random choices in a T-maze, while adult levels of alternation (approximately 70%) were noted among 30-day-olds. Also, younger pups were insensitive to a lengthening of the intertrial interval, unlike older animals whose rate of alternation decreased when a 1-h delay was interposed between arm entries. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that hippocampal development is a factor in the ontogeny of postweaning locomotion. The unsystematic pattern of goal-arm selections among 15-day-olds suggests that ontongenetic variation in the utilization of stimuli may underlie developmental shifts in spontaneous alternation.
Stokes' first problem for a dipolar fluid with nonclassical heat conduction

The classical heat law of Fourier associates an infinite speed of propagation to a thermal disturbance in a material body. Such behavior is a violation of the causality principle. In recent years, several modifications of Fourier's heat law have been proposed. In this work a modification of Fourier's heat law based on the Maxwell-Cattaneo-Fox (MCF) model is used to describe the influence of heat conduction at low temperatures and/or high heat-flux conditions on Stokes' first problem for a dipolar fluid. The effects of discontinuous boundary data and a finite propagation speed of thermal waves on the velocity and stress fields are investigated. In addition, special and limiting cases of the material constants are examined. Lastly, results for the special case of equal dipolar constants are compared to the corresponding results found using Fourier's heat law.
705: Polymorphisms of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 and the association with birth weight and gestational age at delivery

gene NR3C1 and the association with birth weight and gestational age at delivery Jennifer Wong, Yula Ma, Luca Lambertini, Andrea Weintraub, Joanne Stone Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Maternal Fetal Medicine, New York, NY, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, New York, NY, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Pediatrics, New York, NY OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with birth weight and prematurity. STUDY DESIGN: This was a single center, pilot study of 80 umbilical cord blood samples collected prospectively from singleton pregnancies. DNA was isolated from each blood sample. SNPs were genotyped by Taqman assay (rs6193, rs6194, rs6195, rs6196, rs6198, rs258751) and sequencing (rs6189, rs6190). Linear regression models were calculated for birth weight (BW) and gestational age at delivery (GAd). RESULTS: The rs6195 SNP was not polymorphic in our sample, and was therefore excluded from further statistical analysis. The average BW was 3330g [1930-4660g]. The average GAd was 39.5 weeks [3241.6] with only 3 deliveries occurring prior to 37 weeks. The BW linear regression model showed a significant correlation with preterm labor, vaginal delivery, maternal Asian ethnicity, and the rs6196 variant (p 0.01; r2 0.270). The rs6196 GG genotype was associated with a 761g reduction in BW (95% CI 125-1398; p 0.02). The GAd linear regression model of gestational age at delivery also showed a significant correlation with preterm labor, betamethasone administration, neonatal intensive care unit admission, as well as the rs6196 GG genotype (p 0.01; r2 0.476). In this regression, the GG genotype was associated with an earlier GAd (95% CI 0.92-0.99; p 0.01). None of the other SNPs analyzed showed any significant correlation with either outcome. CONCLUSION: The GG genotype of the rs6196 SNP of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 is associated with both lower birth weight and earlier gestational age at delivery. These data are consistent with existing scientific literature that correlates this and other SNP phenotypes to lower weight, BMI, waist/hip ratio, and decreased insulin resistance. This glucocorticoid-resistant phenotype may ultimately be protective postnatally among hypercortisolemic premature infants. Given the results from this interim analysis, our investigation will continue with a focus on umbilical cord blood collections from premature infants.
Multirate Kalman filtering for the data fusion of displacement and acceleration measurements

Many damage detection and system identification approaches benefit from the availability of both acceleration and displacement measurements. This is particularly true in the case of suspected nonlinear behavior and permanent deformations. In civil and mechanical structural modeling accelerometers are most often used, however displacement sensors, such as non-contact optical techniques as well as GPS-based methods for civil structures are becoming more common. It is suggested, where possible, to exploit the inherent redundancy in the sensor information and combine the collocated acceleration and displacement measurements in a manner which yields highly accurate motion data. This circumvents problematic integration of accelerometer data that causes lowfrequency noise amplification, and potentially more problematic differentiation of displacement measurements which amplify high-frequency noise. Another common feature of displacement based sensing is that the high frequency resolution is limited, and often relatively low sampling rates are used. In contrast, accelerometers are often more accurate for higher frequencies and thus higher meaningful sampling rates are often available. The fusion of these two data types must therefore combine data sampled at different frequencies. A multi-rate Kalman filtering approach is proposed to solve this problem. In addition, a smoothing step is introduced to obtain improved accuracy in the displacement estimate when it is sampled at lower rates than the corresponding acceleration measurement. Through trials with simulated data the procedure's effectiveness is shown to be quite robust at a variety of noise levels and relative sample rates for this practical problem.
Treatment disparities in the care of patients with and without diabetes presenting with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes.

OBJECTIVE —The objective of this study was to characterize treatment patterns among patients with diabetes presenting with non–ST-segment elevation (NSTE) acute coronary syndromes (ACSs). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —We compared adherence to treatment recommendations from the American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for NSTE ACS among 46,410 patients from 413 U.S. hospitals that were included in the Can Risk Stratification of Unstable Angina Patients Suppress Adverse Outcomes with Early Implementation of the ACC/AHA Guidelines (CRUSADE) quality improvement initiative. Patients were stratified as nondiabetic, non–insulin-dependent diabetic (type 2 diabetic), and insulin-treated diabetic. RESULTS —Insulin-treated diabetic patients were less likely than nondiabetic patients to receive aspirin (adjusted odds ratio 0.83 [95% CI 0.74–0.93]), β-blockers (0.89 [0.83–0.96]), heparin (0.90 [0.83–0.98]), and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (0.86 [0.79–0.93]). Type 2 diabetic patients were treated similarly to nondiabetic patients. After adjustment for differences in clinical characteristics, insulin-treated diabetic patients were significantly less likely than nondiabetic patients to receive cardiac catheterization within 48 h of presentation (0.80 [0.74–0.86]) or percutaneous coronary intervention (0.87 [0.82–0.94]). Compared with nondiabetic patients, insulin-treated diabetic and type 2 diabetic patients were more likely to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (1.34 [1.21–1.49] and 1.35 [1.26–1.44]). In-hospital mortality rates were higher in insulin-treated diabetic (6.8%) and type 2 diabetic (5.4%) than in nondiabetic (4.4%) patients. CONCLUSIONS —Diabetic patients have a higher risk of mortality than nondiabetic patients, yet physicians adhere to the ACC/AHA NSTE ACS guidelines less often when treating diabetic patients, particularly insulin-treated diabetic patients. Increased use of guideline-recommended therapies and early invasive management strategies in diabetic patients may improve their outcomes.
The maize dek1 gene functions in embryonic pattern formation and cell fate specification.

Mutants in the maize defective kernel1 (dek1) gene are blocked in embryogenesis and the endosperm is chalky and lacks an aleurone layer. Here we show that intermediate alleles result in embryos that lack a shoot axis while weak alleles result in endosperms with mosaic aleurone and deformed plants with epidermal cells that resemble bulliform cells, a specialized epidermal cell type. This indicates that dek1 functions in embryonic pattern formation, cell fate specification and pattern formation in the leaf epidermis, and cell fate specification in the endosperm. Thus, the dek1 gene product appears to control different cellular-developmental processes depending on cellular context. The phenotype of the weak dek1-Dooner allele resembles the crinkly4 (cr4) mutant phenotype. Double mutants between dek1 and cr4 showed elements of epistasis, additivity and synergy, suggesting that the gene products may function in overlapping developmental processes. cr4 transcript was detectable in dek1 mutant kernels indicating that DEK1 was not required for Cr4 transcript accumulation. To test whether DEK1 regulated the ligand for the CR4 receptor kinase, a genetic mosaic analysis was performed. The dek1 phenotype appeared to be generally cell-autonomous, leading to the conclusion that it was not likely to produce a diffusible signal molecule, and therefore was not likely to regulate the CR4 ligand. SUMMARY
Probing behavioral responses to food: Development of a food-specific go/no-go task

The ability to exert self-control in the face of appetitive, alluring cues is a critical component of healthy development. The development of behavioral measures that use disease-relevant stimuli can greatly improve our understanding of cue-specific impairments in self-control. To produce such a tool relevant to the study of eating and weight disorders, we modified the traditional go/no-go task to include food and non-food targets. To confirm that performance on this new task was consistent with other go/no-go tasks, it was given to 147 healthy, normal weight volunteers between the ages of 5 and 30. High-resolution photos of food or toys were used as the target and nontarget stimuli. Consistent with expectations, overall improvements in accuracy were seen from childhood to adulthood. Participants responded more quickly and made more commission errors to food cues compared to nonfood cues (F(1,140)=21.76, P<0.001), although no behavioral differences were seen between low- and high-calorie food cues for this non-obese, healthy developmental sample. This novel food-specific go/no-go task may be used to track the development of self-control in the context of food cues and to evaluate deviations or deficits in the development of this ability in individuals at risk for eating problem behaviors and disorders.