cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social reference group influence on mobile phone purchasing behaviour: a cross-nation comparative study

This paper describes a comparative study investigating the influence of different reference group on consumer purchasing behaviour between the mobile phone users of USA and China. This study reveals that among the three reference group influence examined, only the utilitarian influence has resulted in statistically significant difference between China and US mobile phone buyers, and another two reference group influences, informational and value-expressive, have relative insignificant impacts. Based on the results of this study, managerial insights and practical implications for marketing strategies in the mobile phone market are recommended accordingly.
Protein and Cholesterol Content of Araucana Chicken Eggs

Comparative data collected over two years are presented which refute the popular press claims that blue-shelled eggs of Araucana chickens have higher protein levels and lower cholesterol levels than market eggs. These comparisons were made between the eggs from the strains of Araucanas and those of White Leghorns and Sex-links. None of the differences found between test groups in % protein/g. albumen and % protein/g. yolk were shown to be consistently related to any one test group type. However, all Araucana test groups were significantly (P less than .01) lower in their total egg protein content than either control group by from 2.8--6.5%. This lower total protein content was the result of a consistent increase in the yolk/albumen ratio of the Araucana eggs over the market eggs. The Araucana eggs were consistently higher in their cholesterol levels on a mg./g. yolk basis than either of the market eggs. These increased concentrattions ranged from 2.0--6.9%.
A Bayesian approach to regression selection and estimation, with application to a price index for radio services

Abstract Most econometric applications entail uncertainly in the choice of model. Anexample is the possible use of hedonic regressions for quality adjustment of price index numbers for radio services. Economic theory suggests that a hedonic regression specification ought to include price-determining characteristics of a good as regressors, but gives no guidance as to which characteristics are likely to be price determining. In this paper I argue that Bayesian techniques provide a natural methodology for both choosing a best model and combining inferences across models to better reflect and measure the uncertainly faced by the data analyst. Empirical analysis of hedonic regressions for radio advertising prices is used to illustrate the techniques.
Financial implications of surgical complications in pediatric liver transplantation

Surgical complications following pediatric liver transplantation are common and expensive. We examined the incremental costs of surgical complications and determined who pays for these complications (center or payer). We reviewed the records of 36 pediatric liver transplant patients aged <or=12 yr transplanted between July 1, 2002 and December 31, 2005. The association of recipient and financial data points was assessed. On univariate analysis, total hospital costs were significantly increased in patients with ACR, PNF, HAT, biliary complications, and ARF. Reimbursement by the payer was significantly increased in patients with PNF, HAT, biliary complications, and ARF. Hospital profits were significantly decreased in recipients with ACR and pneumonia. Multiple linear regression models (controlling for recipient factors) revealed that ARF and HAT were independently associated with a significant increase in median hospital costs (incremental costs of $238,990 and $125,650, respectively). ARF and HAT were also independently associated with a significant increase in median reimbursements (incremental costs of $231,611 and $125,287, respectively). No complications were independently associated with hospital margins. All parties (patient and families, physician, payer, and medical center) should benefit from quality improvement efforts, with payers having the largest financial interest.
Spreading code selection and power control strategy for warp converging multiuser detection in asynchronous CDMA systems

In this work, we study the eigen-structure of the data covariance matrix in an asynchronous CDMA system. Our results reveal the joint effect of spreading codes and power control on warp converging Wiener filters. We further provide suggestions on spreading code selection and power control strategy in CDMA system design, where stable and predictable early convergence of the reduced-rank conjugate gradient Wiener filter (RRCG-WF) based multiuser detection (MUD) can be obtained.
Effect of 48- and 72-Hour Oxygen Exposure on the Rabbit Alveolar Macrophage

SUMMARY BCG-stimulated rabbit alveolar macrophages exposed to 100 percent oxygen in vivo for 48 to 72 hours showed an increased rate of glycolysis and increased lactatepyruvate ratio without electronmicroscopic alterations or depression of phagocytosis. These changes occurred relatively late in the spectrum of pulmonary oxygen toxicity.
The Effect of Oral Leucine on Protein Metabolism in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Lack of insulin results in a catabolic state in subjects with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus which is reversed by insulin treatment. Amino acid supply, especially branched chain amino acids such as leucine, enhances protein synthesis in both animal and human studies. This small study was undertaken to assess the acute effect of supplemental leucine on protein metabolism in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. L-[1-13C] Leucine was used to assess whole-body protein metabolism in six adolescent females (16–18 yrs) with type 1 diabetes during consumption of a basal diet (containing 58 μ moles leucine/kg/h) and the basal diet with supplemental leucine (232 μ moles leucine/kg/h). Net leucine balance was significantly higher with supplemental leucine ( μ moles leucine/kg body weight/hr) than with the basal diet ( , ) due to reduced protein degradation ( μ moles leucine/kg body weight/hr) compared to the basal diet ( , ).
Ferromagnetic Resonances in Thin Films

The ferromagnetic resonance spectra of thin films of Permalloy and other materials have been investigated. Frequently more than one maximum in the resonance line is observed. The evidence from various experiments indicates that films with more than one resonance peak are stratified. A simple model in which two layers of film are coupled via the dipole‐dipole interaction is considered.
Mining the diseasome

Over the last ten years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reported over 4000 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated to more than 200 traits. Despite providing us with a slightly better understanding of the genetic architecture of common diseases, generating avalanches of new hypotheses, and fostering timid progress in pharmacogenomics, genetic associations studies haven't yet revolutionized clinical practice. Hence, although such studies are still published at a remarkable pace, the notion of 'post-GWAS' functional characterization of risk loci is gradually gaining in popularity. Indeed, deciphering the function of disease-associated genetic variants is likely to get us closer to achieving an understanding of disease architecture that will ultimately be translatable into clinical applications. Despite this gradual change in research priorities, the field of medical genomics remains fairly conservative: the 'single gene single disease' paradigm largely prevails, to the detriment of the avant-garde notion of 'diseasome' and of human disease network (HDN) in particular, and attempts to truly integrate clinical information (e.g., age at onset or reduction in life span) and molecular data are scarce. Here we call for a revival of the notion of disease network, and recall how superimposing layers of clinical data and biological information to such networks may help identify novel disease genes.
A novel approach to the synthesis of recursive digital filters with linear phase

The synthesis of recursive digital filters with linear phase is approached by means of existing approximation techniques. The design is based on a finite impulse response (FIR) filter that represents the ideal filter in terms of both magnitude and phase characteristics. The recursive digital filter with linear phase is then synthesized as an approximation of the FIR model where optimal Hankel approximation theory as well as the model reduction techniques are used. The causality and stability of the designed filter are guaranteed. This technique is used for designing both one-dimensional and two-dimensional recursive digital filters with linear phase, and is illustrated by a few numerical examples. >
Snakes mimic earthworms: propulsion using rectilinear travelling waves.

In rectilinear locomotion, snakes propel themselves using unidirectional travelling waves of muscular contraction, in a style similar to earthworms. In this combined experimental and theoretical study, we film rectilinear locomotion of three species of snakes, including red-tailed boa constrictors, Dumeril's boas and Gaboon vipers. The kinematics of a snake's extension–contraction travelling wave are characterized by wave frequency, amplitude and speed. We find wave frequency increases with increasing body size, an opposite trend than that for legged animals. We predict body speed with 73–97% accuracy using a mathematical model of a one-dimensional n-linked crawler that uses friction as the dominant propulsive force. We apply our model to show snakes have optimal wave frequencies: higher values increase Froude number causing the snake to slip; smaller values decrease thrust and so body speed. Other choices of kinematic variables, such as wave amplitude, are suboptimal and appear to be limited by anatomical constraints. Our model also shows that local body lifting increases a snake's speed by 31 per cent, demonstrating that rectilinear locomotion benefits from vertical motion similar to walking.
The depressed woman as a mother

Maternal role performance was examined in a group of acutely depressed women and compared with matched normal controls. The depressed women were significantly more impaired mothers. Their impairments with the children included diminished emotional involvement, impaired communication, disaffection, increased hostility and resentment. These disturbances were examined clinically within the context of the family life cycle from post partum to the “empty nest”. The specific problems between mother and children were found to vary with the stages of the life cycle. Depressed mothers of infants were helpless in caring for the children, over concerned or directly hostile, laying the ground work for future problems with the child. Mothers of school age children were irritable, uninvolved and intolerant of the children's noise and activity. Most school age children, however, did not develop overt psychological symptoms. The most severe problems occurred with the adolescents who reacted to the mothers hostility and withdrawal with serious deviant behavior. While conflict existed between the depressed mothers and the children leaving home, most children were able to make the physical break from home. These findings are discussed in light of scattered reports about the effect of maternal depression on children. Early and intensive treatment of the depressed mother can facilitate major preventive work for the entire family.
Visual tools for temporal reasoning

We describe a prototype toolkit for reasoning about Graphical Interval Logic (GIL) specifications of concurrent systems. GIL is a visual temporal logic that is intended to be more intuitive and easier to use than standard textual temporal logics. The GIL toolkit helps system designers to create graphical specifications of concurrent systems, to verify properties of those systems from their specifications, and to generate models that satisfy the specifications. The toolkit provides a visual interface with specifications, proofs, and models all depicted graphically. The paper describes the toolkit, discusses its implementation, and provides an illustration of its use. >
Fostering Resilience Among Urban Youth Exposed to Violence: A Promising Area for Interdisciplinary Research and Practice

Most studies to date have examined negative effects of exposure to community violence, in line with the deficit-based perspective. However, given that most youth exposed to community violence demonstrate positive adaptation or resilience over time, we suggest a shift in perspective, practices, and policies across systems toward identifying and building individual, family, and community assets and strengths that may more effectively support youth who have been exposed to community violence and related risks into competent, caring, and thriving adults. In this article, we review how resilience has been conceptualized and operationalized within the context of community violence, highlight gaps in literature, and offer directions for future public health research and practice. We illustrate this review with practice-based examples from public health work in the San Francisco Bay Area. Future multidisciplinary longitudinal studies that identify protective processes and successful trajectories and rigorous eval...
Exploring how to tell the truth and preserve hope: can a balance between communication and empathy be calculated?

Abstract Background & Aims: When told the harsh truth about severe disease, a patient might despair and lose all hope. Without knowing the truth, however, the patient cannot participate in decision making and adjust life according to his illness. The present study aims to analyze the relationships between hope and truth in the decision on how much information to disclose to a patient with severe gastrointestinal disease. Methods: The decision analysis is based on the economic concepts of indifference curves and utility function. An inverse linear relationship exists between hope and truth; as more truth becomes revealed, the amount of hope declines. The utility function and the corresponding indifference curve of hope plotted versus truth describe the patient's personal choices among different combinations of hope and truth. The optimal choice among various combinations of hope and truth corresponds with the point at which the inverse hope-truth line meets the indifference curve. Results: In situations in which hope drops steeply as more medical facts are being revealed, the utility to the patient is maximized with less truth being told. With a less pronounced truth-related decline in hope, utility is maximized at higher levels of truth, and, occasionally, utility is maximized only after all medical facts have been disclosed. The lesser the impact of truth on hope, the more truth is being tolerated. Conclusions: A caring gastroenterologist trying to optimize his/her patient's well-being should try to assess the potential influence of truth on the patient's psyche and dispense it accordingly.
Global Dimensions of U.S. Legal Services

The internationalization of the world's producer services has included the steady expansion of legal services across national borders. This article opens with an examination of the supply and demand factors that have driven this process, including the strategies and problems faced by law firms that operate internationally. It then offers an empirical examination of the distribution of overseas legal services offices of the 700 largest U.S. law firms, including their foreign markets and headquarters cities.
Standard Uncertainty of a Measurement

Standard uncertainty can be thought of as the building block for uncertainty analysis—the lowest common denominator. Analysts have to combine uncertainties that are quoted in different ways, and this chapter demonstrates how to convert these uncertainties into standard uncertainties. Uncertainties due to scale size, resolution, rounding and truncation are also introduced. The chapter then introduces the combination of several standard uncertainties in order to determine the total standard uncertainty for a measurement.
One Law School Course You Should Not Miss

This article asserts that relationship skills are not only key to a successful law practice, they are crucial to actually enjoying the practice of law. The author's class, Interpersonal Dynamics for Attorneys, is designed to help law students develop the kinds of relationship skills that they will need to both succeed in and relish the practice of law. The article notes that students who take the class learn to share their impressions of each other, and have others either confirm or deny the accuracy of these impressions. When students realize how often their conclusions about their classmates are wrong or incomplete, they become motivated to actually listen to others and communicate more clearly and honestly.
Transition Probabilities for the 3s23p2 3P2,1-3s3p3 5S2o Intersystem Lines of S III

Intensity ratios involving the spin-changing "intercombination" lines between the 3s3p3 5S2o metastable level of S III and its 3s23p23P2,1 ground term at about 172 nm could be useful astrophysical diagnostic tools if accurate atomic data were available. We report the first laboratory measurement of the radiative lifetime of the 5S2o metastable level of S III. The measurement was carried out by observing the decay radiation of a metastable S2+ population stored in a radio-frequency ion trap. Our result for the lifetime of the 5S2o level of S III is 48 ± 5 μs. This value is in good agreement with recent calculations for the low-Z members of the Si I isoelectronic sequence. Using calculated branching ratios, we estimate that A (171.312 nm) = 5400 ± 900 s-1 and A (172.894 nm) = 15400 ± 2500 s-1.
Hand injuries from snow blowers: a report of an epidemic.

During a record snowfall in Worcester, Massachusetts, 11-13 December 1992, 37 male patients with hand injuries suffered during snow blower operation were seen at three area hospitals. Two previous reports describe 13 patients seen over a 3-year period and 28 patients over a 12-year period. This report describes the largest number of hand injuries from snow blowers that have occurred over a 48-hour period. The snow was unusual because of the high water density in the initial 9 inches (23 cm) that fell at an average temperature of 33 degrees F (0.6 degree C) with the final depth of 30 inches (76 cm), causing the machines to become clogged. Patients admitted to reaching into a running machine in 35/37 (95%) cases, 11/37 (30%) claimed the auger and impeller blades were disengaged, and 2/37 (5%) patients claimed their injuries occurred with the engines turned off. All injuries occurred when the patients placed their hands down the chute, contacting the impeller blades. Injuries involved 32 long, 15 ring, 13 index, and five small fingers and ranged from simple lacerations to partial phalangeal amputations. The majority, 27/37 (73%), were managed in emergency departments without interventions in the operating suites. Infection occurred in one patient who had the lesion repaired in the operating suite. As in previous studies, no differences were found for the variables of snow-blower age, type, or horsepower, or on experience level or age of the operators.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Language: en
Analysis and design considerations for printed phased-array antennas

This chapter discusses the analysis and design of printed phased arrays. Analytical techniques were outlined, and applied to several canonical infinite and finite printed arrays.
Spectroscopic signatures of domain walls in hexagonal ErMnO3

We measured the spectroscopic response of stripe- and vortex-containing ${\mathrm{ErMnO}}_{3}$ in order to uncover the electronic properties of the domain walls. We quantify Born effective charge and polarization differences using the lattice behavior, analyze the local rare earth environment from the $f$-manifold excitations, and reveal how shifts in the charge transfer excitations impact the band gap. The increased Born charge, polarization, and band gap in the vortex-containing material are brought together with a discussion of hybridization and wall density effects. The domain wall optical constants are strongly frequency dependent.
beta-Amyloid induces cerebrovascular endothelial dysfunction in the rat brain.

Abstractβ-Amyloid toxicity plays a central role in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. Contraction and relaxation responses of pressurized rat posterior cerebral artery were studied before and after in vitro exposure to β-amyloid. The peptide-induced characteristic features of endothelial dysfunction including enhanced vasoconstriction with serotonin and diminished relaxation to endothelium-dependent vasodilators acetylcholine and bradykinin. Response to the endothelium-independent vasodilator nitroprusside was not affected by β-amyloid. β-amyloid inhibition of acetylcholine-induced vasodilation was prevented by the oxygen radical scavenging enzyme superoxide dismutase. Endothelial destruction and the protective effect of superoxide dismutase was verified by electron microscopy. The results suggest that fJ-amyloid peptide produces endothelial dysfunction in cerebral microvessels through reactive oxygen species. [Neural Res 1997; 19: 534-538]
Protein–Protein Interactions: An Application of Tus-Ter Mediated Protein Microarray System

In this chapter, we present a novel, cost-effective microarray strategy that utilizes expression-ready plasmid DNAs to generate protein arrays on-demand and its use to validate protein-protein interactions. These expression plasmids were constructed in such a way so as to serve a dual purpose of synthesizing the protein of interest as well as capturing the synthesized protein. The microarray system is based on the high affinity binding of Escherichia coli "Tus" protein to "Ter," a 20 bp DNA sequence involved in the regulation of DNA replication. The protein expression is carried out in a cell-free protein synthesis system, with rabbit reticulocyte lysates, and the target proteins are detected either by labeled incorporated tag specific or by gene-specific antibodies. This microarray system has been successfully used for the detection of protein-protein interaction because both the target protein and the query protein can be transcribed and translated simultaneously in the microarray slides. The utility of this system for detecting protein-protein interaction is demonstrated by a few well-known examples: Jun/Fos, FRB/FKBP12, p53/MDM2, and CDK4/p16. In all these cases, the presence of protein complexes resulted in the localization of fluorophores at the specific sites of the immobilized target plasmids. Interestingly, during our interactions studies we also detected a previously unknown interaction between CDK2 and p16. Thus, this Tus-Ter based system of protein microarray can be used for the validation of known protein interactions as well as for identifying new protein-protein interactions. In addition, it can be used to examine and identify targets of nucleic acid-protein, ligand-receptor, enzyme-substrate, and drug-protein interactions.
Vestibulodynia: A Multifactorial Syndrome: A Case Report.

Background Vulvodynia is a difficult-to-treat, chronic, multifactorial malady that drastically lowers the quality of life of afflicted patients. Case A 68-year-old woman, who had been treated successfully for vulvodynia years before with medication, returned with a recurrence of vulvodynia symptoms that this time did not respond to treatment. She now had biopsy-confirmed lichen sclerosis and was found to have markedly elevated serum testosterone levels. An imaging study detected an ovarian lesion that, on removal, proved to be afibrothecoma. Postoperatively the testosterone rapidly dropped to normal levels. What was unexpected and unusual was that the vulvar pain disappeared and the lichen sclerosis markedly regressed. Conclusion This case demonstrates a hormonal trigger for the development of vulvodynia.
If only consumers knew: How sampling impacts wine innovation diffusion in the U.S. foodservice industry

ABSTRACTA survey (n = 151) explored consumers’ experiences with wine-on-tap, a current trend in the U.S. foodservice industry. Wine consumers’ innovativeness (R2 = .49) was explained by wine involvement, opinion leadership, and usage of information sources. Those who recently tried wine-on-tap (n = 43) were significantly more innovative (innovators) than those who never tried it (noninnovators). Furthermore, noninnovators expected to pay significantly less for a glass of wine-on-tap when compared with wine poured from a bottle. Contrary to expectations, the driving force for noninnovative behavior is lack of availability and awareness as opposed to a lack of interest in wine-on-tap.
Privileged protection? Effects of suspect race and mental illness status on public perceptions of police use of force

This study experimentally examined the joint influence of suspect race and mental illness status on the public’s support for police use of force, and whether participants’ race and social attitudes moderated these findings. A diverse sample of community members (n = 259) from Portland, OR completed a survey with an imbedded experiment. Participants read a case file describing a police officer using force against a suspect who varied in race (Black vs. White) and mental illness status (history of mental illness vs. not), and indicated their level of support for the officer’s use of force. While overall support for use of force was low, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed a significant interaction between suspect mental illness status and race on the public’s support for police force. Mental illness was a mitigating factor against support for police use of force, but only for White suspects. For Black suspects, mental illness instead increased support for police force, although support remained relatively low. These results were not influenced by participants’ race. Instead, effects were moderated by participants’ pre-existing affect about Blacks, such that positive affect decreased support for force against mentally ill Black suspects. Mental illness status provides different protections based on suspect race, leading to racial bias in public support for police force. The results suggest that it may be relatively harder for the public to enact change against police force when it is directed against mentally ill racial minorities, as it is perceived less negatively by the public compared to White mentally ill individuals.
A Case of Familial Prion Disease Caused by a Six-Octapeptide Repeat Insertion Mutation (P5.185)

Objective: To improve recognition of familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) by presenting a case associated with a six-octapeptide repeat insertion (OPRI) mutation. Background: About fifteen percent of CJD cases are familial and caused by mutations in the PRNP gene. Inheritance is autosomal dominant. Manifestations and disease course vary within and between specific mutations and can differ dramatically from sporadic CJD. Methods: Case report. Results: A 33-year-old woman presented with ten years of unexplained cognitive symptoms despite evaluation by multiple neurologists. She first developed progressive anxiety, short-term memory loss, word-finding difficulty, and executive dysfunction. Over the last three years, she developed abnormal movements, easy startle, and poor balance with several falls. Her mother similarly experienced several years of psychiatric symptoms and memory loss culminating in a more rapid 6-month decline prior to her death at 46, with autopsy confirming CJD. Examination revealed inattention, mild global aphasia, and short-term memory deficit. Orobuccal dyskinesias, myoclonic jerks, and hyperreflexia were noted. CSF 14-3-3 was negative and total tau was normal. EEG demonstrated diffuse slowing. MRI demonstrated severe, global atrophy without cortical ribboning. Genetic testing revealed a six-octapeptide repeat insertion mutation in PRNP, with codon 129 homozygous for methionine. Conclusions: Unlike the point mutations that most commonly cause familial CJD, OPRI mutations often result in an earlier age of onset and a symptomatic course greater than ten years. Genotype at codon 129 also influences disease course in OPRI mutations, with 129MM genotype associated with an earlier age of onset. Age of onset also correlates inversely with disease duration. CSF, electrographic, and imaging findings typically associated with sporadic CJD may be absent in familial cases. This case exemplifies how familial CJD can differ from what is expected of sporadic CJD, leading to delay in the diagnosis of a disease with enormous implications for the patient and family. Disclosure: Dr. Doughty has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lyons has nothing to disclose.
Continuing Medical Education Questions: April 2017: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Pancreas Cancer in 2016: A Review.

Continuing Medical Education Questions: April 2017: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Pancreas Cancer in 2016: A Review
33 – The Influence of Gender on Cough Reflex Sensitivity

Cough is an airway defense reflex mechanism to remove mucus and foreign particles from the respiratory tract by the generation of a large expiratory airflow. It is also a major mechanism by which a disease is spread and may serve as a natural defense against cardiac arrhythmia. This chapter briefly reviews the epidemiology, anatomy, physiology, and neurophysiology of cough. The chapter also discusses the initial studies that demonstrate the female preponderance in angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)-related cough. Observations of higher frequency of ACEI-related cough in women than in men and tussigenic studies that demonstrate that females have a lower threshold to a variety of agents suggest that a fundamental gender difference exists in cough sensitivity. After a review of the methodology used to determine cough reflex sensitivity, the chapter examines the data demonstrating gender differences in cough reflex sensitivity. There is also some focus on studies examining whether hormones modulate cough sensitivity. The chapter also reviews molecular studies that explore the premise of a genetic predisposition to ACEI-related cough.
Photopolymerized micropatterns with high feature frequencies overcome chemorepulsive borders to direct neurite growth

Developing and regenerating neurites respond to a variety of biophysical and biochemical cues in their microenvironment to reach target cells and establish appropriate synapses. Defining the hierarchal relationship of both types of cues to direct neurite growth carries broad significance for neural development, regeneration, and, in particular, engineering of neural prostheses that improve tissue integration with native neural networks. In this work, chemorepulsive biochemical borders are established on substrates with a range of surface microfeatures to determine the potential of physical cues to overcome conflicting biochemical cues. Physical micropatterns are fabricated using photomasking techniques to spatially control photoinitiation events of the polymerization. Temporal control of the reaction allows for generation of microfeatures with the same amplitude across a range of feature frequencies or periodicities. The micropatterened substrates are then modified with repulsive chemical borders between laminin and either EphA4-Fc or tenascin-C that compete with the surface microfeatures to direct neurite growth. Behavior of neurites from spiral ganglion and trigeminal neurons is characterized at biochemical borders as cross, turn, stop, or repel events. Both the chemical borders and physical patterns significantly influence neurite pathfinding. On unpatterned surfaces, most neurites that originate on laminin are deterred by the border with tenascin-C or EphA4-Fc. Importantly, substrates with frequent micropattern features overcome the influence of the chemorepulsive border to dominate neurite trajectory. Designing prosthesis interfaces with appropriate surface features may allow for spatially organized neurite outgrowth in vivo even in the presence of conflicting biochemical cues in native target tissues.
Learning by enacting: The role of embodiment in chemistry education

Abstract Can students learn from viewing an instructor's model-supported demonstrations alone or do they benefit from physically enacting the demonstrated concepts? This study investigated the value of enactment when learning chemistry using 3D molecular models in video and classroom lectures. We hypothesized that students who used models to enact demonstrated concepts would learn more than those who only watched a model-supported demonstration. Students watched a video lecture in a small classroom in Study 1 and a live lecture in a large lecture hall in Study 2. In both studies, one group watched and enacted the instructor's model-supported demonstration and the second group watched without enacting. In both contexts, students learned more if they enacted the demonstration than if they just watched the demonstration. Specifically, those who used models to enact an instructor's demonstrations performed better on problems that required drawn answers. Learning from enacted demonstrations was resilient over a delay of five days between instruction and testing and transferred to performance on classroom assessments that differed from the demonstrated tasks. We conclude that enactment with hand-held models promoted learning by off-loading the demand of imaging concepts and processes in the mind on to external objects and actions in the world, and that meaningful learning was promoted by lowering cognitive load while enhancing generative processing.
Dietary flavonoid fisetin induces apoptosis, down regulates COX2 and suppresses Wnt signaling pathway in HT29 colon cancer cells

3047 Colorectal cancer is one of the common malignancy and represents the third leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the U.S. The Wnt pathway has long been suggested to play a crucial role in colorectal cancer. It is well known that the genetic predisposition such as mutations of APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) or beta-catenin results in uncontrolled proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells through the constitutively active Wnt signaling pathway. Overexpression of COX-2 has been frequently observed in colon tumors. Many studies have implicated that PGE2 (prostaglandin E2), the metabolite of COX-2 enzyme, is a potent mitogen and contributes to colon cancer development via stimulating the growth through Wnt pathway. Recent studies show that selective COX-2 inhibitors possess great potential as chemopreventive agents for colon cancer. Fisetin, 3,39,49,7-tetrahydroxyflavone, is a naturally occurring flavonoid commonly found in various vegetables and fruits such as onion, cucumber, apple, persimmon and strawberry. It has been reported that fisetin induces cell cycle arrest via inhibiting cyclin dependent kinases in HT29 human colon cancer cell line. We found that the treatment of HT29 cells with fisetin (0 ~ 120 μM) resulted in induction of apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner as assayed using dUTP-FITC labeled FACS analysis, annexin-V-Fluorescein and propidium iodide immunofluorescent staining, and by assessing the cleavage of PARP (polyADP ribosyl polymerase) and caspase 3 using western blot analysis. Fisetin treatment down regulated the mRNA and protein expression of COX-2 without affecting COX-1. Decreased expression of COX-2 protein following fisetin treatment was also confirmed by immunofluorescent imaging of cells stained with Alexa Fluor-594 conjugated COX-2 antibody and DAPI. Treatment of fisetin also decreased the promoter activity of COX-2 and the transcriptional activity of T cell factor (TCF)/beta-catenin as assessed by luciferase assay using corresponding reporter plasmids. In further experiments, we found that fisetin treatment of cells resulted in an increase in the cytoplasmic level of phospho-beta-catenin with a concomitant decrease in nuclear level of nonphospho-beta-catenin as assessed by western blot analysis. As expected, the expression of cyclin D1, the most well known target of beta-catenin pathway, was down regulated in fisetin treated cells. Fisetin treatment of cells also inhibited the formation of colonies when assessed in the semi solid agar gel. On an average, fisetin (120 μM) treated cells formed only 37 colonies compared to 138 colonies formed by control cells over the 4 weeks of incubation. Taken together, fisetin can induce apoptosis and suppress the growth of colon cancer cells via inhibiting COX-2 and Wnt signaling pathway. Fisetin could be a useful agent for prevention and treatment of colon cancer.
The Pancreatic Cancer Microbiome Promotes Oncogenesis by Induction of Innate and Adaptive Immune Suppression

We found that the cancerous pancreas harbors a markedly more abundant microbiome compared with normal pancreas in both mice and humans, and select bacteria are differentially increased in the tumorous pancreas compared with gut. Ablation of the microbiome protects against preinvasive and invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), whereas transfer of bacteria from PDA-bearing hosts, but not controls, reverses tumor protection. Bacterial ablation was associated with immunogenic reprogramming of the PDA tumor microenvironment, including a reduction in myeloid-derived suppressor cells and an increase in M1 macrophage differentiation, promoting TH1 differentiation of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T-cell activation. Bacterial ablation also enabled efficacy for checkpoint-targeted immunotherapy by upregulating PD-1 expression. Mechanistically, the PDA microbiome generated a tolerogenic immune program by differentially activating select Toll-like receptors in monocytic cells. These data suggest that endogenous microbiota promote the crippling immune-suppression characteristic of PDA and that the microbiome has potential as a therapeutic target in the modulation of disease progression.Significance: We found that a distinct and abundant microbiome drives suppressive monocytic cellular differentiation in pancreatic cancer via selective Toll-like receptor ligation leading to T-cell anergy. Targeting the microbiome protects against oncogenesis, reverses intratumoral immune tolerance, and enables efficacy for checkpoint-based immunotherapy. These data have implications for understanding immune suppression in pancreatic cancer and its reversal in the clinic. Cancer Discov; 8(4); 403-16. ©2018 AACR.See related commentary by Riquelme et al., p. 386This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 371.
Use of extra-legal sources in amicus curiae briefs submitted in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin

As the political arena becomes increasingly polarized, the legal arena is playing a more important role in the creation of education policy in the United States. One critical stage in the legal process for such efforts is at briefing where “ amici curiae ,” or friends-of-the-court, may introduce additional arguments for the court to consider through the filing of amicus curiae briefs. To explore the use of extra-legal sources by amici , we focus on the 2013 U.S. Supreme Court case Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin and ask the questions: 1) What are the types, and relative use by amici, of extra-legal sources cited in the briefs submitted in Fisher I ? and 2) What is the relative use of extra-legal sources cited in amicus briefs by supporting party and by category of amici ? Our findings reveal the wide-range of extra-legal sources used in amicus briefs, and that the type of extra-legal sources incorporated may be associated with who the amici are and which party they support. Ultimately, we discuss potential reasons for the differences observed in the use of extra-legal sources and offer recommendations to more effectively engage in the policy briefing process.
[118] Response to Shimura’s Letter

I recently noticed the following passage in “Interview with Raoul Bott”, Notices vol. 48, No. 4 (April 2001), p. 379.
Chronic Health Risks in Commercial Fishermen: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from a Small Rural Fishing Village in Alaska.

ABSTRACTObjectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate chronic health risks before and during the fishing season in a sample of commercial fishermen, addressing the NIOSH priority of Total Worker HealthTM.Methods: Gillnet license holders in Cordova, Alaska (n = 607) were contacted to participate in a preseason survey (March 2015) assessing health behaviors. A mid-season survey (July 2015) was also conducted. Physical exams and additional assessments were performed on a subset of these fishermen.Results: Sixty-six fishermen participated in the preseason survey and 38 participated in the mid-season survey. The study population was overwhelmingly white males with an average age of 49. The average BMI was 27 with 70% of the participants overweight or obese. Nearly 80% of the sample considered their health good or better. Participants reported longer working hours, less sleep, and less aerobic exercise during the fishing season (P < .05). FitBitTM monitoring (n = 8) confirmed less sleep and fewer steps d...
The Utility of Storytelling Strategies in the Biology Classroom

Conveying scientific information with high intrinsic cognitive load to students is a challenge. Often, students do not have the existing schema to incorporate the information in a comprehensive manner. One method that has shown promise is storytelling. Storytelling has been successfully used to convey public health information to non-experts. Therefore, it was of interest to determine whether storytelling could be used in the classroom to present information with high intrinsic load to students in a meaningful manner. This study used a post-test only quasi-experimental study design to explore the utility of storytelling as an instructional strategy in anatomy and physiology classes at a community college. Students in the treatment group received instruction that used storytelling to present examples of application. Both control and experimental groups were assessed through the use of a proximal formative quiz, distal multiple-choice questions, and a novel critical thinking exercise administered after the instruction. Results suggest that storytelling was as effective as the instructional methods delivered to the control group. These findings suggest that storytelling may be used as a means to convey complex scientific information in the classroom.
Identification of fin whale 20-Hz pulses and other vocalizations from passive monitoring with a coherent hydrophone array

A large variety of sound sources in the ocean, including biological, geophysical and man-made activities can be simultaneously monitored over instantaneous continental-shelf scale regions via the passive ocean acoustic waveguide remote sensing (POAWRS) technique by employing a large-aperture densely-sampled coherent hydrophone array. Millions of acoustic signals received on the POAWRS system per day can make it challenging to identify individual sound sources. An automated classification system is necessary to enable sound sources to be recognized. Here each detected acoustic signal is represented by an amplitude weighted pitch track which describes its fundamental frequency-time and amplitude variation. Multiple features are extracted from the pitch track including mean, minimum and maximum frequencies, bandwidth, signal duration, frequency-time slope and curvature, as well as several amplitude weighted features. A large training data set of fin whale 20-Hz pulses and other vocalizations are gathered after manual inspection and labeling. Next, multiple classifiers including logistic regression and decision tree are built and tested for identifying the fin whale 20-Hz pulses and other vocalizations from the enormous amounts of acoustic signals detected per day. The performance of the classifiers are evaluated and compared
Analysing Trends of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)and Dengue cases in Hong Kong

Objective: To study the trends of GBS and dengue in Hong Kong, the ecological associations between GBS, dengue, and local meteorological factors. To examine the non-stationary oscillating association among these factors. Introduction: Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a severe paralytic neuropathy associated with virus infections such as Zika virus and Chikungunya virus. There were also case reports of dengue fever preceding GBS. With the aim to understand the mechanisms of GBS and dengue outbreaks, this ecological study investigates the relationships between GBS, dengue, meteorological factors in Hong Kong and global climatic factors from January 2000 to June 2016. Methods: The correlations between GBS, dengue, Multivariate El Nino Southern Oscillation Index (MEI) and local meteorological data were explored by Spearman's Rank correlations and cross-correlations. Three Poisson regression models were fitted to identify non-linear associations among GBS, dengue and MEI. Cross wavelet analyses were applied to infer potential non-stationary oscillating associations among GBS, dengue and MEI. Results: We found a substantial increasing of local GBS and dengue cases (mainly imported) in recent year in Hong Kong. The seasonalities of GBS and dengue are different, in particular, GBS is low while dengue is high in the summer. We observed weak but significant correlations between GBS and local meteorological factors. MEI could explain over 17% of dengue's variations based on Poisson regression analyses. We report a possible non-stationary oscillating association between dengue fever and GBS cases in Hong Kong. Conclusions: We report increasing patterns of both local GBS cases and imported dengue cases in Hong Kong, and investigate the possible mechanism behind these patterns.This study has led to an improved understanding about the timing and ecological relationships between MEI, GBS and dengue.
CJC-1131. ConjuChem.

ConjuChem is developing CJC-1131, a drug affinity complex conjugate of glucagon-like peptide 1 for the potential treatment of type 2 diabetes. In August 2003, a phase I/II trial was completed and a phase II trial was expected to begin in October.
Sites on the Landscape: Survey

It is inevitable that my views of the late glacial and early postglacial prehistoric landscape be colored by my own fieldwork in this area. Consequently, it makes sense to describe this work and its findings in some detail in the next chapters. Between 1980 and 1991, I carried out surveys and excavations in the Federsee region, initially designed to test the predictions of my original model, but gradually evolving as new questions emerged. The focus on this prehistoric lake, now a peat bog, was dictated by four considerations: (1) the peat held the potential for excellent organic preservation, so crucial to questions about prehistoric subsistence economies; (2) no Mesolithic sites had been excavated and published for this area, despite the abundance of known surface lithic scatters around the former lake edges; (3) my original interpretative model suggested a definite seasonal role for sites on the Federsee (summer residential camps) but lacked data to test this proposition; and (4) the extensive studies of Neolithic and Bronze Age sites being carried out by German archaeologists promised not only a wealth of complementary data but also an active and enjoyable cooperative environment.
Targeting the Baby Boomer Market: A Collaborative Marketing and Design Branding Project

This paper demonstrates a creative approach to teaching student collaboration between a marketing course and an apparel design course. It presents specific communication strategies to have students evaluate and negotiate a final concept. Restricting the students to developing a brand and clothing line for the Baby Boomer market provides a structure to make them more objective in the creation of the final project and requires them to research a significant market demographic. This project could be easily implemented by faculty in fashion programs to build stronger communication and problem solving skills.