cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accurate Inference of Relationships in Sib-Pair Linkage Studies

Summary Relative-pair designs are routinely employed in linkage studies of complex genetic diseases and quantitative traits. Valid application of these methods requires correct specification of the relationships of the pairs. For example, within a sibship, presumed full sibs actually might be MZ twins, half sibs, or unrelated. Misclassi-fication of half-sib pairs or unrelated individuals as full sibs can result in reduced power to detect linkage. When other family members, such as parents or additional siblings, are available, incorrectly specified relationships usually will be detected through apparent incompatibilities with Mendelian inheritance. Without other family members, sibling relationships cannot be determined absolutely, but they still can be inferred probabilistically if sufficient genetic marker data are available. In this paper, we describe a simple likelihood ratio method to infer the true relationship of a putative sibling pair. We explore the number of markers required to accurately infer relationships typically encountered in a sib-pair study, as a function of marker allele frequencies, marker spacing, and genotyping error rate, and we conclude that very accurate inference of relationships can be achieved, given the marker data from even part of a genome scan. We compare our method to related methods of relationship inference that have been suggested. Finally, we demonstrate the value of excluding non—full sibs in a genetic linkage study of non—insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Assessment of an open path Quantum Cascade Laser system for simultaneous retrieval of ambient methane and nitrous-oxide concentrations

The development a field-deployable dual Methane — Nitrous-oxide open-path sensors using a chirped pulse tuned (1297.4–1298.8cm−1) Quantum Cascade Laser is discussed. Results using multipass gas cells are presented as well as preliminary field results.
Complex Permittivity of GaAs and CdTe at Microwave Frequencies

The microwave dielectric constant and loss tangent of Cr-doped semi-insulatiug GaAs have been measured in the frequency range 2.5-36.0 GHz and the temperature range 300-400 K. The room temperature dielectric constant is 12.95 and the temperature coefficient alpha ( /spl equiv/ epsilon(0)/sup -1/ d epsilon/dT) is 1.6 x 10/sup -4/ /K. The dielectric constant and loss tangent of CdTe have been measured as functions of temperature at 15.95 GHz. The room temperature dielectric constant is 10.39 /spl plusmn/ 0.04 and the temperature coefficient alpha is 2.5 x 10/sup -4/ /K.
Land-Water Interface Resolved from Airborne LIDAR Bathymetry (ALB) Waveforms

Abstract Airborne light detection and ranging (LIDAR) bathymetry (ALB) is an efficient remote-sensing technique for shallow-water mapping using green-channel waveforms. In addition to the green-channel waveforms, the SHOALS-3000 ALB system collects laser measurements in the red and infrared channels. The goal of this study was to evaluate the capacity of the ALB system to discriminate between land and water using all available channels in the system. This paper provides a review of all currently available ALB-based land-water interface algorithms (green-, red-, and infrared-channel waveforms) and a quantitative evaluation of the algorithms' performance on the basis of both individual laser measurement products and the resulting shoreline vector feature. Data for this study were collected with the use of a SHOALS-3000 system over five study sites along the New Hampshire and Maine coastlines that contain rocks, vegetation, and man-made features. All ALB shoreline algorithms show successful results in discri...
Impact of Pain on Patient Satisfaction Integration Process: How Patients With Pain Combine Their Health Care Attribute Reactions.

Context:Health care environments have been changing rapidly, and one of the changes is to emphasize patient satisfaction. However, most studies assume that all patients integrate their health care ...
Diagnosing laser-preheated magnetized plasmas relevant to magnetized liner inertial fusion

We present a platform on the OMEGA EP Laser Facility that creates and diagnoses the conditions present during the preheat stage of the MAGnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) concept. Experiments were conducted using 9 kJ of 3ω (355 nm) light to heat an underdense deuterium gas (electron density: 2.5×1020 cm−3=0.025 of critical density) magnetized with a 10 T axial field. Results show that the deuterium plasma reached a peak electron temperature of 670 ± 140 eV, diagnosed using streaked spectroscopy of an argon dopant. The results demonstrate that plasmas relevant to the preheat stage of MagLIF can be produced at multiple laser facilities, thereby enabling more rapid progress in understanding magnetized preheat. Results are compared with magneto-radiation-hydrodynamics simulations, and plans for future experiments are described.
'Objectively Speaking...' There is No Such Thing in the Law!

In this article I explore the nature of certainty in legal decision making. Unlike the sciences, which maintain a sense of certainty that is related to objectivity, I maintain that legal decision-making is altogether different. Drawing on the work of the American pragmatist John Dewey, I suggest that legal decision-making is situated and perspectival, not objective.
Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy in Patients with Germline BRCA Mutations: Is it Safe?

Through most of recorded medical history, there has been debate about how much healthy tissue should be removed in order to effectively treat breast cancer. The prevailing opinion at the start of the twentieth century was “a lot.” The trend has been reversed in recent decades as advances in systemic treatments and radiation therapy have pushed local recurrence rates down even as breast surgery has become markedly less destructive. There is still debate, however, over the nipple-areolar complex in patients requiring mastectomy. A wealth of data has now accumulated demonstrating that occult nipple involvement with cancer is rare, and usually identifiable in appropriately obtained tissue samples; that leaving the nipple behind does not need to leave a lot of breast tissue behind; that the nipple is not a favored site of recurrence; and that local recurrence rates are quite low in selected breast cancer patients treated with nipple-sparing mastectomy. There has been concern, however, that BRCA gene mutation carriers may be at greater than average risk for new primary breast cancers if the nipple is preserved. Available case series are small and follow-up is short, but thus far, there is no signal to suggest that this is the case. Thorough, oncologically sound nipple-sparing mastectomy appears safe in BRCA gene mutation carriers.
Renal Cell Carcinoma and the Clonogenic Assay

AbstractThe clonogenic assay is an in vitro chemosensitivity test performed on tumor specimens and has had limited success in predicting or confirming patient response to chemotherapy. We investigated this assay system, using a 1-hour method, in 37 renal cell carcinoma specimens to determine its clinical usefulness. These specimens also were graded independently by a pathologist with respect to cell type, mitotic figures and degree of differentiation. Only 22 specimens formed at least 50 colonies per 500,000 cells plated and few specimens displayed any chemosensitivities. Marked variations of colony counts among duplicate controls or drug-treated samples demonstrated further the unreliability of the assay. Of several factors responsible for the poor performance of the assay the 2 outstanding problems were losses of clear cells in variable amounts (unique to renal cell carcinoma), and the inability to generate and maintain single cell suspensions. Pathologic correlations confirmed that predominantly clear ...
Electrochemical Properties of Keggin-Structure Polyoxometalates in Acetonitrile: Effects of Countercation, Heteroatom, and Framework Metal Exchange

The electrochemical characteristics of several Keggin-type polyxometalates (POMs) in acetonitrile were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The effects of three types of substitutions (countercation, heteroatom, and framework metal element) were investigated. The spectra for group IA or IIA POM salts showed three redox couples, with only slightly different peak positions (±0.1 V). Lithium salts were selected for exploration of other POM compositions in order to prevent H2 evolution in electrochemical experiments. CV spectra of heteroatom-exchanged POMs showed that the overall charge on the POM affects reduction potentials. Substitution of the framework metal atoms (Mo, W, and V) had the greatest effect on reduction potentials. The results of this study demonstrate that reduction potentials in water may provide a useful guide to relative reduction potentials for POMs in nonaqueous media.
Characterizing the role of a high-volume cancer resection ecosystem on low-volume, high-quality surgical care

Background Our objective was to determine the hospital resources required for low-volume, high-quality care at high-volume cancer resection centers. Methods Patients who underwent esophageal, pancreatic, and rectal resection for malignancy were identified using Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database (Florida and California) between 2007 and 2011. Annual case volume by procedure was used to identify high- and low-volume centers. Hospital data were obtained from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Database. Procedure risk-adjusted mortality was calculated for each hospital using multilevel, mixed-effects models. Results A total of 24,784 patients from 302 hospitals met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 13 hospitals were classified as having a high-volume, oncologic resection ecosystem by being a high-volume hospital for ≥2 studied procedures. A total of 11 of 31 studied hospital factors were strongly associated with hospitals that performed a high volume of cancer resections and were used to develop the High Volume Ecosystem for Oncologic Resections (HIVE-OR) score. At low-volume centers, increasing HIVE-OR score resulted in decreased mortality for rectal cancer resection ( P = .038). HIVE-OR was not related to risk-adjusted mortality for esophagectomy ( P = .421) or pancreatectomy ( P = .413) at low-volume centers. Conclusion Our study found that in some settings, low-volume, high-quality cancer surgical care can be explained by having a high-volume ecosystem.
Dystonia and Infantile Glutaric Acidemia

Glutaric acidemia, an autosomal recessively inherited disease caused by deficiency of glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase, was manifested by acute dystonia in 3 infants reported from the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
A wind energy benchmark for ABL modelling of a diurnal cycle with a nocturnal low-level jet: GABLS3 revisited

The third GEWEX Atmospheric Boundary Layer Studies (GABLS3) model intercomparison study, around the Cabauw met tower in the Netherlands, is revisited as a benchmark for wind energy atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) models. The case was originally developed by the boundary layer meteorology community, interested in analysing the performance of single-column and large-eddy simulation atmospheric models dealing with a diurnal cycle leading to the development of a nocturnal low-level jet. The case addresses fundamental questions related to the definition of the large-scale forcing, the interaction of the ABL with the surface and the evaluation of model results with observations. The characterization of mesoscale forcing for asynchronous microscale modelling of the ABL is discussed based on momentum budget analysis of WRF simulations. Then a single-column model is used to demonstrate the added value of incorporating different forcing mechanisms in microscale models. The simulations are evaluated in terms of wind energy quantities of interest.
Is There Ever a Moral Duty to Discriminate? An Example Worth Pondering

In this article the author raises the question of whether there is a moral duty to discriminate on the basis of gender in some cases, and provides an example.
SPRUCE: A System for Supporting Urgent High-Performance Computing

Modeling and simulation using high-performance computing are playing an increasingly important role in decision making and prediction. For time-critical emergency decision support applications, such as influenza modeling and severe weather prediction, late results may be useless. A specialized infrastructure is needed to provide computational resources quickly. This paper describes the architecture and implementation of SPRUCE, a system for supporting urgent computing on both traditional supercomputers and distributed computing Grids. Currently deployed on the TeraGrid, SPRUCE provides users with “right-of-way tokens” that can be activated from a Web-based portal or Web service invocation in the event of an urgent computing need. Tokens are transferrable and can be restricted to specific resource sets and priority levels. Once a session is activated, job submissions may request elevated priority. Based on local policy, computing resources can respond, for example, by preempting active jobs or raising the job’s priority in the queue. This paper also explores the strengths and weaknesses of the SPRUCE architecture and token-based activation for urgent computing applications.
Territory and nest site selection patterns by Grasshopper Sparrows in southeastern Arizona

ABSTRACT Grassland bird populations are showing some of the greatest rates of decline of any North American birds, prompting measures to protect and improve important habitat. We assessed how vegetation structure and composition, habitat features often targeted for management, affected territory and nest site selection by Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum ammolegus) in southeastern Arizona. To identify features important to males establishing territories, we compared vegetation characteristics of known territories and random samples on 2 sites over 5 years. We examined habitat selection patterns of females by comparing characteristics of nest sites with territories over 3 years. Males selected territories in areas of sparser vegetation structure and more tall shrubs (>2 m) than random plots on the site with low shrub densities. Males did not select territories based on the proportion of exotic grasses. Females generally located nest sites in areas with lower small shrub (1–2 m tall) densities th...
Semiquantitative Analysis of Dopamine Transporter Scans in Patients With Parkinson Disease

PurposeDopamine transporter (DaT) imaging is an adjunct diagnostic tool in parkinsonian disorders. Interpretation of DaT scans is based on visual reads. SBRquant is an automated method that measures the striatal binding ratio (SBR) in DaT scans, but has yet to be optimized. We aimed to (1) optimize
User-Friendly Measures of Meaningful Outcomes: Evaluating Behavioral Interventions.

This article describes principles and practices of data collection to evaluate the attainment of meaningful outcomes in educational services for students with severe disabilities and serious behavior problems. In contrast to a limited outcome such as a temporary change in one target behavior in a controlled clinical setting, an expanded definition of effectiveness would require evidence of a range of more meaningful outcomes for child, school, family, and community. Several user-friendly measures to document such outcomes are described, which were field-tested in an educational consultation project serving students with severe disabilities and challenging behaviors in integrated schools. The article concludes with a discussion of the advantages of an emphasis upon both meaningful outcomes and the use of measurement strategies that blend well and have high utility for typical schools while simultaneously increasing programmatic rigor and general school responsibility for what happens to students.
Outcomes of Mechanical Mitral Valve Replacement in Children.

Background Mitral valve anomalies in children are rare but frequently severe, recalcitrant, and not often amenable to primary repair, necessitating mechanical mitral valve replacement (M-MVR). This study examined outcomes of a cohort undergoing a first M-MVR at age younger than 21 years. Methods We queried the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium, a multi-institutional United States-based cardiac intervention registry, for patients undergoing first M-MVR for 2-ventricle congenital heart disease. Survival and transplant status through 2014 were obtained from Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium and linkage with the National Death Index and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Results We identified 441 patients (median age, 4.3 years; interquartile range, 1.3 to 10.1 years) meeting study criteria. The commonest disease necessitating M-MVR was atrioventricular canal (44.3%). Early mortality (death Conclusions M-MVR is a viable strategy in children with unrepairable mitral valve disease. Age younger than 2 years at the first M-MVR is associated with significant early risk of death and poorer long-term survival.
Evaluation of Benign Submucosal Tumors

Foregut submucosal tumors are intramural lesions of the gastrointestinal tract arising from beneath the histologic epithelium. Benign submucosal tumors consist of a variety of lesions, which can be subdivided into benign neoplasms, potentially malignant SMTs, and nonneoplastic masses – each with its own etiology, characteristic radiologic appearance, and tissue architecture. This chapter focuses on the diagnostic evaluation of these lesions, including immunohistochemical composition, preferred imaging, endoscopic ultrasonography findings, and initial management.
Downregulation of an Evolutionary Young miR-1290 in an iPSC-Derived Neural Stem Cell Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder

The identification of several evolutionary young miRNAs, which arose in primates, raised several possibilities for the role of such miRNAs in human-specific disease processes. We previously have identified an evolutionary young miRNA, miR-1290, to be essential in neural stem cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation. Here, we show that miR-1290 is significantly downregulated during neuronal differentiation in reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cell- (iPSC-) derived neurons obtained from idiopathic autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients. Further, we identified that miR-1290 is actively released into extracellular vesicles. Supplementing ASD patient-derived neural stem cells (NSCs) with conditioned media from differentiated control-NSCs spiked with "artificial EVs" containing synthetic miR-1290 oligonucleotides significantly rescued differentiation deficits in ASD cell lines. Based on our earlier published study and the observations from the data presented here, we conclude that miR-1290 regulation could play a critical role during neuronal differentiation in early brain development.
PMBL: flying under the immune radar.

In this issue of Blood, Mottok et al present a large case series of well defined primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) that includes whole genome sequencing of all 94 cases and molecular confirmation of diagnosis in 73 cases.1,2 The resulting mutation and copy number data are correlated with gene expression signatures, which confirm previous correlations using smaller data sets as well as extend the description of mechanisms of immune evasion and driver mutations. Altogether, this highly annotated and large PMBL case series should provide a rich and definitive data set for genetic research in this disease.
Tar-filled shells and tar balls on the Alabama Gulf coast host distinctive bacterial communities

Tar balls have been persisting along the Gulf coast. Previous research has shown that tar balls from the Gulf coast may contain the human pathogen Vibrio vulnificus. These oil residuals are also commonly found beneath sea shells (hereby called “tar shells”). No research, however, has explored the bacterial communities in tar shells. In this study, tar shell, tar ball, and sand samples on the Alabama Gulf coast at intertidal and supratidal zones were collected and their bacterial communities were assessed using PCR-DGGE and DNA sequencing. Our data suggest that Desulfovibrio and Actinobacteria spp. are dominant in tar shells at intertidal and supratidal zones, but not in tar balls at supratidal zone, while Pseudoalteromonas spp. are dominant in both tar balls and tar shells. This research provides preliminary data for future studies to assess the impacts of tar balls and tar shells on coastal environments and human health.
Coupled Lines for Wearable Power Dividers: Coupled Transmission-Line Sections for Power Dividers in Wearable and Flexible RF Electronics

In 2013, the Global Standards Initiatives on Internet of Things (IoT) defined the IoT as "a global infrastructure for the information society, enabling advanced services by interconnecting things based on existing and evolving interoperable information and communication technologies," with the term "thing" described as an object in the information world that is capable of being indentified and integrated into communication networks. Things in the IoT sense can, therefore, refer to a wide variety of devices for media, environmental monitoring, infrastructure management, manufacturing, energy management, medicine and health care, building and home automation, transportation, metropolitan-scale deployments, and consumer applications that demand accurate and reliable methods to sense changes, even in extremely rugged environments [1].
Esophagogastric Anastomotic Techniques for Minimally Invasive and Robotic Ivor Lewis Operations

Minimally invasive esophagectomy is an accepted approach to treating esophageal malignancy and is associated with excellent postoperative outcomes. Creation of the intrathoracic anastomosis with a minimally invasive approach remains one of the most critical and challenging steps of the operation. There is currently no consensus regarding the optimal technique for the esophagogastric anastomosis. Here we aimed to review the most commonly used esophagogastric anastomotic techniques for minimally invasive Ivor Lewis operations.
Interaction of Alpha-Crystallin with Phospholipid Membranes.

The amount of membrane-bound α-crystallin increases significantly with age and cataract formation, accompanied by a corresponding decline in the level of α-crystallin in the lens cytoplasm. The pur...
Trends in 30-Day Readmission for Medicaid and Privately Insured Pediatric Patients: 2010–2017

BACKGROUND: Children insured by Medicaid have higher readmission rates than privately insured children. However, little is known about whether this disparity has changed over time. METHODS: Data from the 2010 to 2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Readmissions Database were used to compare trends in 30-day readmission rates for children insured by Medicaid and private insurers. Patient-level crude and risk-adjusted readmission rates were compared by using Poisson regression. Hospital-level risk-adjusted readmission rates were compared between Medicaid- and privately insured patients within a hospital by using linear regression. RESULTS: Approximately 60% of pediatric admissions were covered by Medicaid. From 2010 to 2017, the percentage of children with a complex or chronic condition increased for both Medicaid- and privately insured patients. Readmission rates were consistently higher for Medicaid beneficiaries from 2010 to 2017. Readmission rates declined slightly for both Medicaid- and privately insured patients; however, they declined faster for privately insured patients (rate ratio: 0.988 [95% confidence interval: 0.986–0.989] vs 0.995 [95% confidence interval: 0.994–0.996], P for interaction CONCLUSIONS: Readmission rates for Medicaid- and privately insured pediatric patients declined slightly from 2010 to 2017 but remained substantially higher among Medicaid beneficiaries suggesting a persistence of the disparity by insurance status.
Sequence of Trypanosoma cruzi reference strain SC43 nuclear genome and kinetoplast maxicircle confirms a strong genetic structure among closely related parasite discrete typing units

Chagas disease is a zoonotic, parasitic, vector-borne neglected tropical disease that affects the lives of over 6 million people throughout the Americas. Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent, presents extensive genetic diversity. Here we report the genome sequence of reference strain SC43cl1, a hybrid strain belonging to the TcV discrete typing unit (DTU). The assembled diploid genome was 79 Mbp in size, divided into 1236 contigs with an average coverage reaching 180×. There was extensive synteny of SC43cl1 genome with closely related TcV and TcVI genomes, with limited sequence rearrangements. TcVI genomes included several expansions not present in TcV strains. Comparative analysis of both nuclear and kinetoplast sequences clearly separated TcV from TcVI strains, which strongly supports the current DTU classification.
Long-Term Postoperative Total Knee Arthroplasty Flexion Scores in Relation to Body Mass Index

Knee range of motion (ROM) is an important postoperative measure of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). There is conflicting literature whether patients who are obese have worse absolute ROM outcomes than patients who are not obese. This study analyzed whether preoperative body mass index (BMI) influences knee ROM after patients' primary TKA. A retrospective investigation was performed on patients, who underwent primary TKA at an academic institution, by one of three fellowship-trained adult reconstruction surgeons. Patients were stratified according to their preoperative BMI into nonobese (BMI
Site-Specific Transportation Demand Management: Case of Seattle’s Transportation Management Program, 1988–2015:

A central theme of U.S. transportation planning policies is to reduce single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips and promote transit and non-motorized transportation by coordinating land-use planning and...
High-temperature oxidation of carbon fiber and char by molecular dynamics simulation

Abstract Reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to study the initial stage of the oxidation of carbon fiber and amorphous carbon char with atomic oxygen at temperatures ranging from 1000 K to 4500 K. The carbon fiber and amorphous char models are generated by kinetic Monte-Carlo and liquid quench methods, respectively. The species formed in the simulation are characterized and carbon monoxide is found to be the primary product in both systems. The oxidation results are analyzed in terms of the lifetime of molecules and the reaction rates of various species. Oxygen is found to be adsorbed on the surface of both carbon fiber and amorphous carbon char. Since the amorphous carbon has a significantly larger surface area, the number of oxygen atoms adsorbed on the amorphous carbon surface is significantly higher than on the carbon fiber surface. Six reaction models are proposed to fit the simulation results from which reaction rates at various temperatures are obtained. Reaction rates of the key reactions: carbon oxidation and oxygen adsorption follow the Arrhenius law and the activation energy is extracted for these reactions. These reaction rates are used to predict the long-time evolution of these systems.
Limited Intercarpal Arthrodesis

Limited intercarpal arthrodesis may be used to immobilize specific intercarpal joints within the wrist without loss of total wrist motion. Triscaphe arthrodesis is used to retain substantial wrist motion while preventing carpal collapse in instances of scapholunate dissociation and Kienbock's disease (Figs. 44-1 A Figs. 44-1 B Figs. 44-1 C Figs. 44-1 D Figs.44-1 E-F). Capitate hamate arthrodesis may be performed to prevent carpal collapse and to relieve symptoms and allow revascularization in early Kienbock's disease before breakdown of the lunate.Capitate hamate arthrodesis may prevent intercarpal collapse by stabilizing the capitate after excision of a lunate from State III Kienbock's disease, but because of the loss of the scapholunate ligaments, this procedure may not control the position of the scaphoid after removal of the lunate, as will a triscaphe fusion. (Figs. 44-2 A-C). Other limited intercarpal arthrodeses may be performed for various intercarpal instability patterns and related injuries.
Observation and Interpretation of Hydroxyl Airglow Emissions

The observation and interpretation of a number of interesting features associated with the OH airglow emissions are discussed. Correlations between magnetic activity and OH emission brightness as well as O2 1.27 μm band brightness are considered. Correlations between the brightness of the O2 1.27 μm band and the brightness of the OH and OI(5577 A) airglow emissions are also considered with references made to possible excitation mechanisms. Observational evidence which tends to confirm the possible existence of a nonequilibrium distribution in the population of the rotational levels of excited OH molecules in the atmosphere is presented.
A Review of: “BROOKFIELD, D. STEPHEN. (2005). The Power of Critical Theory: Liberating Adult Learning and Teaching”

Stephen D. Brookfield serves as a professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota. He is also a consultant at National Louis University in Chicago, Illinois, in the adu...
Polysorbate 80 and E-Ferol Toxicity

The relatively recent introduction and use of an intravenous form of a vitamin E preparation (E-Ferol) has been associated with the development of an unusual syndrome and fatalities among low birth weight (less than 1,500 g), premature infants in neonatal intensive care units. We have observed an inhibitory effect by this vitamin E preparation on the in vitro response of human lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin (PHA). E-Ferol suppressed the expected response to low doses of PHA. However, this suppression was not due to the alpha-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) component, because alpha-tocopherol acetate by itself was not inhibitory; in fact, it often enhanced the PHA response. Because a mixture of polysorbate 80 and polysorbate 20 is used as a carrier in E-Ferol, these components were also tested and were found to be responsible for the suppression, especially the polysorbate 80. Concurrent with this suppression of PHA-induced mitogenesis was a decrease in the percentage of T11 lymphocytes.
A Review of: “Aging in Stride”

While the authors of Aging in Stride come from varied disciplines, they share a central focus that individuals can make choices to improve quality of life, deal with challenges associated with agin...
Comments on the Statistical Significance Testing Articles

This review assumes a middle-of-the-road position regarding the controversy. The author expresses that significance tests have their place, but generally prefers confidence intervals. His remarks concentrate on ten errors of commission or omission that, in his opinion, weaken the arguments. These possible errors include using the jackknife and bootstrap procedures for replicability purposes, omitting key references, misrepresenting the null hypothesis, omitting the weaknesses of confidence intervals, ignoring the difference between a hypothesized effect size and an obtained effect size, erroneously assuming a linear relationship between p and F, claiming Cohen chose power level arbitrarily, referring to the "reliability of a study," inferring that inferential statistics are primarily for experiments, and recommending "what if" analyses.
Biosynthesis of Cytidine Diphosphate-diglyceride by a Particulate Fraction from Micrococcus cerificans

The present study describes the isolation and partial purification of a particulate preparation from Micrococcus cerificans which actively catalyzes the net synthesis of CDP-diglyceride from CTP and phosphatidic acid. 14C-CTP was utilized to develop a sensitive quantitative assay for the phosphatidic acid cytidyltransferase. A detailed study of the effects of various factors affecting the enzyme activity in vitro resulted in the observation that the bacterial enzyme has virtually an absolute requirement for K+ and a non-ionic detergent. These factors appear to represent the major differences between the bacterial and mammalian form of the enzyme. The specific activity of the best bacterial fraction thus far obtained (8000 µmoles per g of protein per hour) is nearly 100 times greater than any obtained thus far from mammalian sources. By utilizing the bacterial enzyme, it has been possible to produce CDP-diglyceride biosynthetically with a 58% efficiency based on phosphatidic acid utilization. The primary role of CDP-diglyceride in the bacterial biosynthesis of essential phosphoglycerides as previously shown by other investigators now gains significant support by the demonstration of an active biosynthesis of this compound in bacterial extracts.
Treatment of status asthmaticus in children: is there a place for sodium bicarbonate?

Status asthmaticus is frequently associated with metabolic acidosis and acidosis reduces the effectiveness of β-agonists. In January 1999 we initiated a new protocol for the treatment of status asthmaticus in which the use of intravenous sodium bicarbonate was added if the pH is below 7.15 in patients with refractory status asthmaticus. This was based upon previous reports in the literature. It was postulated that refractory status asthmaticus could benefit from treating acidosis, although others have pointed out the risk of hypercapnia.
Retrospective comparison of the efficacy of fluconazole or itraconazole for the treatment of systemic blastomycosis in dogs.

Background: Itraconazole is recommended for treatment of blastomycosis in dogs. Some evidence suggests that fluconazole might be less hepatotoxic than itraconazole. Objectives: To compare (1) incidence of clinical remission and death; (2) treatment duration; (3) total drug cost; (4) incidence of relapse; and (5) incidence of increased ALT activities in dogs with blastomycosis treated with fluconazole or itraconazole. Animals: One hundred and forty-four dogs with systemic blastomycosis treated with itraconazole or fluconazole from 1998 to 2008. Methods: Retrospective case review. Information obtained included signalment, body weight, clinical signs, drug regimen, treatment duration, time to clinical remission, and laboratory results. Results: Neither treatment efficacy between fluconazole (75% remission) and itraconazole (90% remission) nor relapse rate (18% for itraconazole, 22% for fluconazole) was significantly different (P= .13, .75, respectively). Treatment duration was significantly longer for fluconazole (median 183 days) than for itraconazole (138 days; P= .001). Costs for fluconazole (median $1,223) were significantly less than for itraconazole ($3,717; P < .001). Incidence of increased ALT activities was not significantly different between groups (17% [3/18] for fluconazole, 26% [6/23] for itraconazole; P= .71). Conclusions: Fluconazole is associated with survival to clinical remission in 75% of dogs with blastomycosis. Although dogs receiving fluconazole were treated longer, drug costs were one-third those of itraconazole. Hepatotoxicosis, as estimated by increases in serum ALT activity, can be observed with similar incidence for both drugs.
Alternate Assessment: Have We Learned Anything New?:

Since the first review of alternate assessment literature by Browder, Spooner, Algozzine, et al. (2003), educational research related to alternate assessment has rapidly expanded as state and federal policies have required the inclusion of students with disabilities, including students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, in state and school accountability indexes. The purpose of this literature review was to examine the empirical studies conducted since the conception of alternate assessment to evaluate the progress made in this area, using a research framework proposed by Browder et al. We discuss future research directions, particularly as these relate to recent changes in federal policy under No Child Left Behind as well as implications for teachers and practitioners.
Testing for environmental racism: Prejudice, profits, political power?

Economic theories offer many explanations for why exposure to environmental risks may vary by race: pure discrimination by polluters or politicians in siting decisions; differences in willingness to pay for environmental amenities linked to income or education levels; and variations in the propensity of communities to engage in collective action to oppose the location of potential polluters. This article tests these hypotheses by focusing on the capacity decisions of commercial hazardous waste facilities. Zip code neighborhoods targeted for capacity expansion in plans for 1987–1992 by commercial hazardous waste facilities had an average non white population of 25 percent, versus 18 percent for those areas without net expansion. Differences in the probability that residents will raise a firm's expected location costs by engaging in collective action to oppose capacity siting offer the best explanation for which neighborhoods are selected for capacity expansions.
Is democracy more expropriative than dictatorship? Tocquevillian wisdom revisited

Abstract We reexamine the incentive effect of political democracy on the tax rate by defining a political regime over two dimensions: the extent of the franchise and the extent that the redistribution of tax revenues is biased towards the rich. Standard Tocquevillian models assume that, even if there is limited franchise, there is no redistribution bias; from this, it follows that democracy is more expropriative than oligarchy because a poorer median voter opts for higher taxes. Introducing the realistic assumption of a redistribution bias, we find a countervailing effect: democratization decreases exploitation by the rich on the disenfranchised poor; since tax revenues are redistributed over a larger base, the median voter may gain less from redistributive taxation (we call this the Olson effect).
Fully optimal filter for ALLEGRO

The FAST and SLOW filters are compared when applied to data from one-mode and two-mode resonant gravitational wave detectors. There is no substantial difference between the performance of two filters in the case of the one-mode detector. Notable reduction of the noise temperature is achieved for a two-mode detector when filtering the data with the FAST filter. We explain the principal reason for the better performance of the FAST filter with respect to the SLOW filter. We also observed that the performance of the FAST filter depends on the ratio ? between the thermal narrow band noise and the SQUID amplifier white noise.
Psychiatric Comorbidity in Attention Deficit Disorder: Impact on the Interpretation of Child Behavior Checklist Results

Studies have investigated associations between the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and clinical diagnoses without assessing the impact of comorbidity on these results. This study evaluates associations between parental reports from the CBCL and a structured diagnostic interview in children with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH) stratified by the presence (ADDH+) or absence (ADDH-) of psychiatric comorbidity. Interview-defined ADDH children scored significantly worse on all scales of the CBCL compared with scores from interview-defined non-ill comparisons. However, these findings were accounted for by the subgroup of children with ADDH+. The results indicate a good correspondence between CBCL-based ratings and interview-defined diagnoses. These findings also suggest that the CBCL may be a good screening instrument, not only for ADDH but also for comorbid psychiatric disorders.
ILLEGAL ENTERPRISE: A THEORETICAL AND HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION *

Illegal enterprise—defined as the sale of illegal goods and services to customers who know that the goods or services are illegal—has long been a central part of the American underworld, but it has received little attention as a separate criminological category. Although such activities are often relatively short term and small scale when compared with legal businesses, three major factors explain the cooperation that sometimes emerges among illegal entrepreneurs. The first factor is systematic corruption, which often permits police or politicians to bring order to illegal activities within a political subdivision. A second factor is overlapping partnerships by which entrepreneurs often launch and maintain illegal businesses. A third factor is the internal economic characteristics of illegal businesses, which shape the manner in which they operate. The paper explores the implications of each factor through historical examples and suggests hypotheses concerning the changing structure of illegal enterprises in American cities.
The Coso volcanic field reexamined: implications for obsidian sourcing and hydration dating research

Obsidian from the Coso locality, Inyo County, California, has long been regarded by archaeologists as a single “source.” However, studies by the U.S. Geological Survey have provided evidence of geochemical variability among flows within the volcanic field. to determine whether these geochemical distinctions could be applied productively to archaeological research, nondestructive x-ray fluorescence analyses were conducted on samples recently collected from 15 obsidian-bearing loci. the results of this research show that geochemically distinct varieties of artifact-quality obsidian can be recognized within the Coso volcanic field, and subsequent nondestructive x-ray fluorescence analyses of artifacts from two nearby archaeological sites document that different geochemical varieties of obsidian were used prehistorically to manufacture tools. Implications of these results for studies of prehistoric exchange and obsidian hydration dating are discussed.
PPARδ Is an APC-Regulated Target of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

PPARB was identified as a target of APC through the analysis of global gene expression profiles in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. PPARdelta expression was elevated in CRCs and repressed by APC in CRC cells. This repression was mediated by beta-catenin/Tcf-4-responsive elements in the PPARdelta promotor. The ability of PPARs to bind eicosanoids suggested that PPARdelta might be a target of chemopreventive non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Reporters containing PPARdelta-responsive elements were repressed by the NSAID sulindac. Furthermore, sulindac was able to disrupt the ability of PPARdelta to bind its recognition sequences. These findings suggest that NSAIDs inhibit tumorigenesis through inhibition of PPARdelta, the gene for which is normally regulated by APC.
Rapid-sequence intubation and cricoid pressure

Airway management is the most important clinical skill for anesthesiologist, emergency physician, and other providers who are involved in oxygenation and ventilation of the lungs. Rapid-sequence intubation is the preferred method to secure airway in patients who are at risk for aspiration because it results in rapid unconsciousness (induction) and neuromuscular blockade (paralysis). Application of cricoid pressure (CP) for patients undergoing rapid-sequence intubation is controversial. Multiple specialty societies have recommended that CP is not effective in preventing aspiration; rather it may worsen laryngoscopic view and impair bag-valve mask ventilation. Some experts think that CP should be applied in trauma and patients at risk for aspiration; however CP, if necessary, should be altered or removed to facilitate intubation.
Potentiation of dextran-induced histamine release from rat mast cells by phosphatidyl serine.

Phosphatidyl serine in 1–50 μg/ml concentrations markedly potentiates histamine release in-duced by dextran in vitro from the mixed peritoneal cells of rats. The release occurs within one-half minute, thus resembling the anaphylactic histamine release. The histamine release from isolated pure populations of mast cells, which generally respond poorly to dextran, was largely restored by phosphatidyl serine. The media, employed for the isolation of mast cells, viz. serum albumin, Ficol and acacia, were found to inhibit histamine release. The albumin inhibition could be overcome by phopshatidyl serine, which enhanced the release in spite of the presence of albumin. Serum albumin was found to bind phospholipids, an effect which may be related to the inhibition of histamine release caused by albumin. The effect of some inhibitors of the ATPase system was studied. Ouabain in 1–10 mM concentration neither affected the dextran-induced histamine release nor its potentiation by phopshatidyl serine. Ethacrynic acid (1 mM) had some inhibitory effect on histamine release by dextran alone and dextran + phosphatidyl serine. Oligomycin (1 μg/ml) had very little effect on histamine release induced by dextran alone, but completely blocked the potentiation of histamine release caused by phosphatidyl serine.
Water at biomolecular binding interfaces

Water molecules are often found at the binding interface of biomolecular complexes mediating the interaction between polar groups viahydrogen bonds, or simply filling space providing van der Waals interactions. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of taking such water molecules into account in docking and binding affinity prediction. Here, we review the recent experimental and theoretical work aimed at quantifying the influence of interfacial water on the thermodynamic properties of binding. We highlight especially our recent results obtained by inhomogeneous fluid solvation theory in several systems and the prediction of the thermodynamic consequences of displacement of the bound water molecule by ligand modification. Finally, we discuss possible directions for further progress in this field.
Decreased expression of carboxypeptidase E protein is correlated to estrogen-induction of rat pituitary tumors.

Abstract Following the cleavage of peptide precursors by endopeptidases such as the proprotein convertases PC2 and PC3, carboxypeptidase E (CPE) functions to remove basic amino adds from the C-terminus of various pituitary hormones. We investigated the role of CPE in the differential sensitivity between rat strains to estrogen-induced pituitary tumors. Pituitary CPE protein levels were unchanged by diethylstilbestrol (DES) in tumor-resistant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. However, in tumor-susceptible Fischer 344 (F344) rats, DES decreased CPE protein levels such that by 7 and 8 weeks of treatment, CPE was barely detectable. One week withdrawal of DES caused an increase in CPE protein levels at 8 weeks. After 2 and 4 weeks of DES treatment, CPE protein levels in F344 rats decreased to 18 and 2.3% of control values, respectively, but no strain difference was observed in the protein levels of proprotein convertase 2 (PC2) or PC3. Additionally, Brown Norway (BN), F344, and F 1 hybrid (BN × F344) rats were treated with DES for 10 weeks. The level of pituitary CPE protein was not affected by DES in BN rats whereas F344 rats had only 8% of the level of CPE pituitary protein of BN rats. The pituitaries of F 1 rats, which had an intermediate weight response to DES, had an intermediate level of CPE protein (31% that of BN rats). Levels of CPE mRNA were not affected by DES in SD rats while in F344 rats DES tended to decrease levels of CPE mRNA after both 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, although the response was variable. It thus appears that pituitary CPE protein is differentially regulated by DES between tumor-resistant rats and F344 rats primarily at the post-transcriptional level. Furthermore, in F344 rats, levels of CPE protein are inversely correlated to increases in pituitary weight caused by DES treatment.