cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Plasma Cell Fountain of Youth

Understanding the secrets to a long life may be simple, such as not smoking, or more complicated, such as following the Okinawa diet. For plasma cells, the secrets to longevity have definitely fallen in the more complicated category; however, these secrets get to the core of improving vaccines and treating autoimmunity. Peperzak et al. have identified an antiapoptotic molecule that appears critical for the long life of plasma cells. This molecule, Mcl-1, may serve as a marker for these specialized B cells and could be exploited to extend the longevity of vaccine-stimulated plasma cells and to truncate the life span of pathogenic plasma cells. Plasma cells are rare, terminally differentiated B cells that churn out antibody throughout their long life span. The central role of antibodies in host protection and autoimmunity has made the study of plasma cells a focus of many labs. Peperzak et al. studied antiapoptotic molecules in several knockout mice that were deficient in plasma cells. The most severe phenotype was noted in mice that lacked BCMA, a cell-surface cytokine receptor. Lack of this receptor was associated with less plasma cell expression of Mcl-1, a member of the Bcl-2 family of antiapoptotic proteins. The authors then confirmed the relevance of plasma cell Mcl-1 expression in vivo using temporally controlled deletion of the molecule specifically in plasma cells. Unraveling the complexity of antibody expression and maintenance is a central question in vaccine development and autoimmunity. This work adds to our understanding of the factors required for the long-term maintenance of plasma cells. Further work needs to validate these findings beyond model systems, but knowing the secret of Mcl-1 may allow us to modulate the life span of plasma cells in order to enhance or eliminate antibody secretion. V. Peperzak et al. , Mcl-1 is essential for the survival of plasma cells. Nat. Immunol. 14 , 290–297 (2013). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.nature.com/ni/journal/v14/n3/abs/ni.2527.html
Effect of Shipment, Storage, Anticoagulant, and Cell Separation on Lymphocyte Proliferation Assays for Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients

Lymphocyte proliferation assays (LPA), which can provide important information regarding the immune reconstitution of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy, frequently involve shipment of specimens to central laboratories. In this study, we examine the effect of stimulant, anticoagulant, cell separation, storage, and transportation on LPA results. LPA responses of whole blood and separated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to different stimulants (cytomegalovirus, varicella-zoster virus, candida and tetanus toxoid antigens, and phytohemagglutinin) were measured using fresh specimens shipped overnight and frozen specimens collected in heparin, acid citrate dextrose (ACD), and citrate cell preparation tubes (CPT) from 12 HIV-infected patients and uninfected controls. Odds ratios for positive LPA responses were significantly higher in separated PBMC than in whole blood from ACD- and heparin-anticoagulated samples obtained from HIV-infected patients and from ACD-anticoagulated samples from uninfected controls. On separated PBMC, positive responses were significantly more frequent in fresh samples compared with overnight transportation for all antigens and compared with cryopreservation for the candida and tetanus antigens. In addition, viral antigen LPA responses were better preserved in frozen PBMC compared with specimens shipped overnight. CPT tubes yielded significantly more positive LPA results for all antigens, irrespective of the HIV patient status compared with ACD, but only for the candida and tetanus antigens and only in HIV-negative controls compared with heparin. Although HIV-infected patients had a significantly lower number of positive antigen-driven LPA responses compared with uninfected controls, most of the specimen processing variables had similar effects on HIV-positive and -negative samples. We conclude that LPA should be performed on site, whenever feasible, by using separated PBMC from fresh blood samples collected in either heparin or ACD. However, if on-site testing is not available, optimal transportation conditions should be established for specific antigens.
Microbial Brokers of Insect-Plant Interactions Revisited

Recent advances in sequencing methods have transformed the field of microbial ecology, making it possible to determine the composition and functional capabilities of uncultured microorganisms. These technologies have been instrumental in the recognition that resident microorganisms can have profound effects on the phenotype and fitness of their animal hosts by modulating the animal signaling networks that regulate growth, development, behavior, etc. Against this backdrop, this review assesses the impact of microorganisms on insect-plant interactions, in the context of the hypothesis that microorganisms are biochemical brokers of plant utilization by insects. There is now overwhelming evidence for a microbial role in insect utilization of certain plant diets with an extremely low or unbalanced nutrient content. Specifically, microorganisms enable insect utilization of plant sap by synthesizing essential amino acids. They also can broker insect utilization of plant products of extremely high lignocellulose content, by enzymatic breakdown of complex plant polysaccharides, nitrogen fixation, and sterol synthesis. However, the experimental evidence for microbial-mediated detoxification of plant allelochemicals is limited. The significance of microorganisms as brokers of plant utilization by insects is predicted to vary, possibly widely, as a result of potentially complex interactions between the composition of the microbiota and the diet and insect developmental age or genotype. For every insect species feeding on plant material, the role of resident microbiota as biochemical brokers of plant utilization is a testable hypothesis.
Program dependence analysis

The authors first discuss three methods of identifying objects. The first two were suggested by S.S. Liu and N. Wilde; the third method is one that is proposed in the present work and is based on the determination of the receiver of a procedure. The authors believe that the latter method is more natural and precise than the former two. Algorithms that perform precise interprocedural flow-sensitive dependency analysis, as well as algorithms that identify objects, are introduced. The internal program representation used here, the parse-tree-based system dependence graph (SDG), is briefly discussed. A tool developed by the authors that accepts a subset of ANSI C (or Pascal) as input and implements all algorithms discussed in the present work is presented. >
Factors Influencing Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism A Review

The results of studies utilizing the nitrous oxide technic for measuring cerebral blood flow have been reviewed and divided into three groups: (1) those in which cerebral blood flow and metabolism were normal, (2) those in which cerebral blood flow was increased, and (3) those in which cerebral blood flow and metabolism were decreased. The factors which apparently regulate and control cerebral blood flow and metabolism are reviewed and discussed.
Metabolism of mevalonic acid to long chain fatty alcohols in an insect.

Abstract A mixture of long chain fatty alcohols (LCFA) with chain lengths of 24 to 30 carbon atoms, as free and esterified components, have been isolated from the aphid, Schizaphis graminum . Both radiolabelled mevalonic acid and palmitic acid served as effective precursors in the synthesis of LCFA. This is the first time that the trans -methylglutaconate shunt has been shown to be operational for fatty alcohol synthesis and to occur in a lower-evolved animal.
Stress orientations in subduction zones and the strength of subduction megathrust faults.

Subduction zone megathrust faults produce most of the world’s largest earthquakes. Although the physical properties of these faults are difficult to observe directly, their frictional strength can be estimated indirectly by constraining the orientations of the stresses that act on them. A global investigation of stress orientations in subduction zones finds that the maximum compressive stress axis plunges systematically trenchward, consistently making an angle of 45° to 60° with respect to the subduction megathrust fault. These angles indicate that the megathrust fault is not substantially weaker than its surroundings. Together with several other lines of evidence, this implies that subduction zone megathrusts are weak faults in a low-stress environment. The deforming outer accretionary wedge may decouple the stress state along the megathrust from the constraints of the free surface.
Perfusion conditioning of hydroxyapatite–chitosan–gelatin scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration from human mesenchymal stem cells

Tissue-engineered bone grafts require an osteogenic cell source and a scaffold capable of supporting tissue regeneration. Hydroxyapatite (H), chitosan (C), and gelatin (G), when combined, produce a biomimetic scaffold with a chemical similarity to the main structural components of natural bone tissue. In this study a phase-separation technique was used to produce a porous 3D HCG scaffold, containing a network of cross-linked chitosan and gelatin fibrils coated in hydroxyapatite, with pore size readily controlled by freezing temperature. The HCG scaffolds were then seeded with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), using a depth filtration system after preconditioning with serum-containing medium for 7 days under either static or perfusion conditions. The effects of static and perfusion media preconditioning on protein adsorption, surface morphology, hMSC attachment, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation were examined. Perfusion preconditioning, as opposed to static preconditioning, enhances adsorption of ECM proteins, which in turn promotes hMSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. The results demonstrate the importance of convective flow in modulating the 3D HCG microenvironment and highlight its profound influence on 3D construct development.
From Semiconductor to Metal in a Flash: Observing Ultrafast Laser-Induced Phase Transformations

We use a new broadband spectroscopic technique to measure ultrafast changes in the dielectric function of a material over the spectral range 1.5-3.5 eV following intense 70-fs laser excitation. The results reveal the nature of the phase transformations which occur in the material following excitation. We studied the response of GaAs and Si. For GaAs, there are three distinct regimes of behavior as the pump fluence is increased — lattice heating, lattice disordering, and a semiconductor-to-metal transition.
NUTRIENT LIMITATION OF SUMMER PHYTOPLANKTON GROWTH IN CAYUGA LAKE

The effect on natural phytoplankton populations of various components of a defined culture medium has been assayed by measurement of 14C assimilation under controlled conditions. Phytoplankton populations in Cayuga Lake are at least partially nutrient limited during the period of stable conditions succeeding the vernal bloom. Sodium silicate consistently stimulated photosynthesis in June, July, and August; this is associated with the presence of silicon-requiring plankters, including some nondiatomaceous forms, and correlated with nutrient levels in situ. Both phosphate an1 silicate were present in low concentration-the silicon near the lowest values described in the literature. Despite low natural concentration, augmented phosphate did not stimulate photosynthesis, and some evidence is presented for inhibition by phosphorus. Inhibition and enhancement by other components of the medium are discussed, as well as modifications of the 14C enrichment experiment technique.
Growth processes in a cascade of bioreactors: Mathematical models

Mathematical modeling of continuous multiple bioreactors is complicated by two factors. First, the chemical environments differ in different reactors, so biomass receives an environmental shock when it is transferred between reactors. Second, biomass occurs as discrete cells, which of course are and remain segregated from one another, so an element of biomass that enters a reactor does not mix with the biomass already present. This differs from the behavior of an element of liquid which enters a reactor in that such an element quickly mixes with the liquid already present. The biomass in a bioreactor receiving biomass from an external source is therefore heterogeneous with respect to the history of environmental conditions and composition. This article shows how to construct a mathematical model of multiple bioreactor apparatus that accounts for these complications. It also describes simpler models that do not account for both of them.
Diversified Agriculture, Land Use, and Agrofood Networks in Hawaii*

Abstract: Agriculture dominated the culture and economy of Hawaii until the mid-twentieth century, but has since been in a prolonged state of decline. This article examines strategies in Hawaii's diversified agriculture that seek to revitalize its agrarian sector and the difficult challenges these efforts face within the globalized agrofood systems. Drawing from the actor-network perspective, this article suggests an alternative approach to developing Hawaii's diversified agriculture. Networks of social actors that include growers, processors, gourmet chefs, retailers, and consumers have been able to create viable diversified agriculture in spite of the globalized agrofood systems. The article then discusses how the politics of land use and land development could condition Hawaii's ability to build networks that are critical to the maintenance of a diversified agricultural sector.
Reply to Domínguez-Rosado et al.

Sir, We thank Dominguez-Rosado et al. for their thoughtful comments and questions with respect to our publication.1 The primary objective of our study1 was to ascertain the longterm health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients sustaining bile duct injuries on the basis of the available literature. The published literature was unclear in this regard; some studies demonstrated worse overall HRQoL and others showed no difference in HRQoL between persons who did and did not sustain bile duct injuries. The statistical approach of meta-analysis allowed for the pooling of information from these studies. We agree that heterogeneity of treatment across studies is an inherent limitation of this technique. As we discussed in our paper,1 the patients reported in the six studies incorporated into this meta-analysis were treated with a variety of modalities (surgical, endoscopic and/or radiologic). The majority of these patients, however, were managed surgically and two of the studies2,3 included only surgical patients. It would not have been possible for us to employ a methodology based on meta-analysis and to exclude studies in order to achieve homogeneity of treatment. Rather, we opted to include all available studies in order to achieve maximal statistical power and representation. The loss of patients from follow-up is an inherent limitation of longitudinal observational studies. Although it can be assumed that this patient population is generally similar to that of patients who complete follow-up, we agree that this is a difficult assumption. Both death and, conversely, successful outcome with no perceived need for ongoing follow-up may explain the lack of follow-up. Health-related QoL would certainly differ between these two groups. No study can address the outcomes of patients who are lost to follow-up. The general or healthy population standards utilized in our study1 were those reported for each of the HRQoL assessment tools. For those studies using non-US samples, the population norms used in this meta-analysis were those reported in the specific study for non-US respondents. Although we agree that this study1 pools information from a heterogeneous set of reports, which is potentially why reported outcomes have differed, we feel it offers an important step forward as we work to further uncover the magnitude and duration of the effect of bile duct injuries on HRQoL. Again, we thank Dominguez-Rosado and his colleagues for their interest in our study.
Type I Interferons Regulate Cytolytic Activity of Memory CD8+ T Cells in the Lung Airways during Respiratory Virus Challenge

Memory CD8(+) T cells in the lung airways provide protection from secondary respiratory virus challenge by limiting early viral replication. Here, we demonstrate that although airway-resident memory CD8(+) T cells were poorly cytolytic, memory CD8(+) T cells recruited to the airways early during a recall response showed markedly enhanced cytolytic ability. This enhanced lytic activity did not require cognate antigen stimulation, but rather was dependent on STAT1 transcription factor signaling through the interferon-alpha receptor (Ifnar1), resulting in the antigen-independent expression of granzyme B protein in both murine and human virus-specific T cells. Signaling through Ifnar1 was required for the enhanced lytic activity and control of early viral replication by memory CD8(+) T cells in the lung airways. These findings demonstrate that innate inflammatory signals act directly on memory T cells, enabling them to rapidly destroy infected host cells once they enter infected tissues.
An emergency department intervention to increase booster seat use for lower socioeconomic families.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of booster seat education within an emergency department (ED) setting for families residing in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized study of families with children aged 4 to 7 years and weighing 40 to 80 lb who presented to a pediatric ED without a booster seat and resided in lower socioeconomic communities. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 1) received standard discharge instructions, 2) received five-minute booster seat training, and 3) received five-minute booster seat training and free booster seat with installation. Automobile restraint practices were obtained initially and by telephone at one month. RESULTS: A total of 225 children were enrolled. Before randomization in the study, 79.6% of parents reported that their child was usually positioned in the car with a lap/shoulder belt and 13.3% with a lap belt alone. Some parents (16.4%) had never heard of a booster seat, and 44.9% believed a lap belt was sufficient restraint. A total of 147 parents (65.3%) were contacted for follow-up at one month. Only one parent (1.3%) in the control group and four parents (5.3%) in the education group purchased and used a booster seat after their ED visit, while 55 parents (98.2%) in the education and installation group reported using the booster seat; 42 (75.0%) of these parents reported using the seat 100% of the time. CONCLUSIONS: Education in a pediatric ED did not convince parents to purchase and use booster seats; however, the combination of education with installation significantly increased booster seat use in this population.
Increase in descending brain-spinal cord projections with age in larval lamprey: implications for spinal cord injury.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether new descending brain-spinal cord projections are added with age in larval lamprey and might contribute substantially to restoration of these projections following spinal cord injury. Retrograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeling of descending brain neurons was performed in “young” and “old” larval lamprey that differed in age by at least one year. In old larval lamprey, significantly more descending brain neurons projected to specific rostral levels of the spinal cord than in young animals. Furthermore, in young and old lamprey, the main morphological change in Muller and Mauthner cells was an increase in soma size. The major conclusion from the present study is that in larval lamprey, some new brain-spinal cord projections are added with age that could be due to axonal elongation by preexisting brain neurons and/or descending projections from new neurons (i.e., neurogenesis or maturation of incompletely differentiated neurons). Following spinal cord transections, the numbers of descending projections were not significantly different than those in normal, unlesioned animals. Thus, some new descending projections are added with age, but at a relatively slow rate, and the rate does not appear to be affected significantly by spinal cord transections. Together, the present results and those from our recent double-labeling study suggest that following spinal cord transection in larval lamprey, axonal regeneration by descending brain neurons, rather than the relatively slow addition of new brain-spinal cord projections with age, probably accounts for the majority of restored projections and recovery of locomotor function. J. Comp. Neurol. 447:128–137, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Academics to Ideologues: A Brief History of the Public Policy Research Industry

Theory and Practice in Political Risk Analysis 2 (May). Proceedings of a conference sponsored by the Association of Political Risk Analysts, pp. 11-14. Kovanda, Karel. 1984. "Characteristics of the Ideal Political Risk Analyst." In Theory and Practice in Political Risk Analysis 2 (May). Proceedings of a conference sponsored by the Association of Political Risk Analysis, pp. 33-39. Lasswell, Harold D. 1963. The Future of Political Science. New York: Atherton Press. Majone, Giandomenico. 1989. Evidence, Argument and Persuasion in the Policy Process. New Haven: Yale University Press. McClelland, Charles A. 1978. "D-Files for Monitoring and Forecasting Threats and Problems Abroad." Los Angeles: International Relations Research Institute, University of Southern California, January. Nehrt, Lee C. 1987. "The Internationalization of the Curriculum." Journal of International Business Studies 18(1) (Spring): 83-90. Ricks, David A. and Michael R. Czinkota. 1979. "International Business: An Examination of the Corporate Viewpoint." Journal of International Business Studies 10(2) (Fall): 97-100. Rummel, R. J. and David A. Heenan. 1978. "How Multinationals Analyze Political Risk." Harvard Business Review (January-February): 67-76. Simon, Jeffrey C. 1982. "Political Risk Assessment: Past Trends and Future Prospects." Columbia Journal of World Business 17(3) (Fall): 62-71. UMI Dissertation Abstracts Ondisc, 35/0749/07-51/06 (January 1985-December 1990), Ann Arbor, MI. University of Pennsylvania. The Wharton School MBA Catalog, 1990-91. Vogel, David. 1987. "The New Political Science of Corporate Power." Public Interest 87 (Spring): 63-79.
Perceiving Rogue States: The Use of the “Rogue State” Concept by U.S. Foreign Policy Elites

In the aftermath of the Cold War, U.S. foreign policy dialogue has shifted from its half century focus dominated by the superpower struggle with the Soviet Union to the challenges presented by so-called “rogue states.” For many observers, however, the term “rogue state” is viewed as problematic failing to providing either a clear picture of who and what constitutes a rogues state, or, perhaps more importantly, the ramification of this term on U.S. policy action. In examining the public statements of key U.S. foreign policy decision makers over the course of 1993 to 2004, this paper offers insights as to the perceptions which manifest the “rogue” stereotype as exhibited by statements on the policies and behaviors associated with rogue states. What is revealed is a relatively fixed and stable image over time as held by key decisions-makers with similar unity expressed as to policy prescriptions. Combining perceptions of power capabilities and cultural judgments unique to this rogue stereotype, the rogue image presents a challenge to U.S. strategy demanding attention to the future threat posed by these states while also constraining policy options.
Evidence for spring mountain snowpack retreat from a Landsat-derived snow cover climate data record

Abstract. A Landsat snow cover climate data record (CDR) of visible mountain snow-covered area (SCA) across interior northwestern USA during spring was compared with ground-based snow telemetry (SNOTEL) snow-water-equivalent (SWE) measurements and mean surface temperature and total precipitation observations. Landsat spring SCA on 1 June was positively correlated with 15 May and 1 June SWE, negatively correlated with spring temperatures (April–June), and positively correlated with March precipitation. Using linear regression with predicted residual error sum-of-squares (PRESS) cross-validation, spring SCA was reconstructed (1901–2009) for the mountains of central Idaho and southwestern Montana using instrumental spring surface temperature records. The spring SCA reconstruction shows natural internal variability at interannual to decadal timescales including above average SCA in the 1900s, 1910s, 1940s-1970s, and below average SCA in the 1920s, 1930s, and since the mid 1980s. The reconstruction also reveals a~centennial trend towards decreasing spring SCA with estimated losses of −36.2 % since 1901. Based on the inferred thermal relationship between temperature and snow, strong evidence emerges for mountain snowpack retreat triggered by spring warming, a signal that includes both feedback and response mechanisms. Expanding snow cover CDRs to include additional operational satellite retrievals will add temporal SCA estimates during other snow accumulation and melt intervals for improved satellite-instrumental climate model calibration. Merging Landsat snow cover CDRs with instrumental climate records is a formidable method to monitor climate-driven changes in western US snowpack extent over 20th and 21st centuries.
Tertiary Peritonitis (Recurrent Diffuse or Localized Disease) Is not an Independent Predictor of Mortality in Surgical Patients with Intraabdominal Infection

Background: It is well documented that tertiary peritonitis is associated with different microbiological flora and worse outcomes than secondary peritonitis. It is unknown, however, if these differences can be explained simply by the nosocomial nature of tertiary peritonitis and underlying severity of illness. Methods: We reviewed all episodes of intraabdominal infection on the inpatient surgical services at a university hospital over a 46-month period. Univariate analysis and logistic regression were used to compare 91 episodes of secondary peritonitis that progressed to tertiary peritonitis (recurrent diffuse or localized intraabdominal infection) to all episodes of secondary peritonitis (n = 453) to identify predictors for developing tertiary peritonitis. Logistic regression was also used to identify predictors of mortality among patients with secondary (n = 473) or tertiary peritonitis (n = 129). Results: Of 602 episodes of intraabdominal infection identified, there were 473 episodes of secondary peri...
Aspects Influencing Genotyping Method Selection

The variety of genotyping methods currently available and the evolution of their capabilities have facilitated an expansion of the field of pharmacogenomics. Traditionally, limited genotyping capabilities have restricted the generation and application of genotyping data for pharmacogenomic studies. With the variety of platforms and chemistries available for flexible, high-throughput genotyping, it is important to keep in mind the limitations imposed by both the polymorphisms that are to be interrogated and the type of pharmacogenomics study for which the data are being generated. This chapter is an overview of the constraints these factors impose on different genotyping methods and describes aspects important to the integration of genotyping into a pharmacogenomics study.
Novel Surface Technologies for Genomics, Proteomics, and Drug Discovery

Following the recent progress in functional genomics and proteomics, and high-throughput screening (HTS) in drug discovery, evolving technologies over the last decade have offered a tremendous leap over the caveats of traditional techniques. In response to this metamorphosis of technologies through different platforms, Corning has introduced a suite of surface technologies with applications in microarray printing, enhanced attachment, and consumables in drug discovery. Microarrays generated on an ultra-flat glass substrate with GAPS coating exhibiting a robust chemistry and low surface background have led to higher sensitivity and reproducibility for the expression assay. Recent introduction of UltraGAPS™ surface enables oligo attachment for use in differential gene expression analysis. Various attachment surfaces to meet the needs of the applications in genomics, proteomics and drug discovery will be discussed.
Efficiency and Equity: What Can Be Gained by Combining Coase and Rawls?

This article responds to an argument made by Professors Swygert and Yanes that legal rules be constructed so as to take account of efficiency and equity simultaneously. First, we present an approach that lawmakers can use when allocating property rights if they wish to pursue an efficient allocation of such entitlements and simultaneously insure that the social benefits of assigning the entitlement efficiently are divided between the competing claimants. We call this theory the "market contrarian" approach to entitlement allocation, and distinguish it from the market mimicking and market facilitating approaches to entitlement allocation favored in most law and economics analyses. We then argue that the joint goals of efficiency and equity might be served by protecting entitlements, once allocated, with what we term "super liability" rules. Such rules have the effect of permitting a disappointed entitlement claimant to take an entitlement from a less efficient owner while insuring that the cooperative surplus created by such an exchange is shared by the parties. Second, we argue that strategies for constructing legal rules that simultaneously consider both equity and efficiency will usually be inferior to a strategy of creating efficient legal rules and then later using the tax and transfer system to create equity. There are two primary reasons for this: (1) doing equity in the context of a single legal rule will often have the effect of promoting broader inequities; and (2) constructing legal rules to promote equity creates substantial disincentives to the production of social resources.
The Effect of Dietary Protein and Energy Levels on the Growth of Replacement Pullets

Abstract THE proper dietary protein level for the growing pullet has been investigated by many workers. Reviews have been published by Berg and Bearse (1958) and Sunde and Bird (1959). A report by Blaylock (1956) stated that feeding protein levels ranging from 12 to 18% of the diet produced equivalent feed efficiencies for pullets from 0 to 20 weeks of age. Twelve percent protein fed during the period from 16 to 20 weeks had no effect on sexual maturity when compared to higher levels of protein, and 12% protein from 5 weeks of age was not inferior to higher levels from the standpoint of 20-week weights. Berg and Bearse (1958) showed that decreasing protein levels from 16% to 14% at twelve weeks and to 12% at sixteen weeks did not affect body weight gain or date of sexual maturity compared to the continual feeding of 16% protein. Pullets given access to…
Putting Sociologists to Work1

Schurman, Franz 1968 Ideology and Organization in Communist China. Berkeley: University of California Press. Schwartz, Benjamin I. 1951 Chinese Communism and the Rise of Mao. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Shih, Hou 1931 "Current activities of the Yen-ching depart ment of sociology." She-hui Hsueh Chieh (So ciological World) 5: 191-194. Sun, Ting-kuo 1957 "We must criticize the bourgeois sociology." Hsin Che-she (New Reconstruction) 9 (Sep tember) : 1-5. Tien, H. Yuan 1962 "Is sociology dead in communist China?" American Sociological Review 27 (June) : 413-414. Wang, Kang 1957 "The reactionary nature of the bourgeois so ciology." Hsin Che-she (New Reconstruction) 8 (August): 18-23. Wu, Ching chao 1957 "The status of sociology in new China." Hsin Che-she (New Reconstruction) 7 (July) : 61. Wuhan University, Department of Political Economy 1972 "How did we study political economy through social investigation." Hung-ch'i (The Red Flag) 7 (July) : 49-55. Yen-ching University, Department of Sociology 1933 "A report on current activities of the depart ment of sociology and social service." She hui Hsueh chieh (Sociological World) 7: 333 345. Young, Lung-chang 1973 "Mao Tse-tung and social inequality." Socio logical Focus 6 (Fall) : 46-58.
Infant Mortality, Cause of Death, and Vital Records Reporting in Ohio, United States.

Introduction Infant mortality rate is a sensitive metric for population health and well-being. Challenges in achieving accurate reporting of these data can lead to inaccurate targeting of public health interventions. We analyzed a cohort from a pediatric tertiary care referral medical center to evaluate concordance between autopsy cause of death (COD) and death certificate documentation for infants <1 year of age. We predicted that infant COD as documented through vital records would not correspond to that as determined by autopsy. Methods We conducted a retrospective review comparing causes of infant death reported through Ohio Department of Health documents to those on Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center autopsy reports over an 8-year period from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2013. Results We analyzed 276 total cases of which 167 (61.5 %) represented infants born preterm. Autopsy reports identified 55 % of cases had a congenital anomaly. Additionally, 34 % of all cases had primary or contributing COD related to infection and 14.5 % of all cases indicated chorioamnionitis. We identified 156 (56.5 %) death certificates discordant with autopsy COD of which 52 (33.3 %) involved infection and 24 (15.4 %) involved congenital anomalies. Discussion There are opportunities to improve COD reporting through training for providers, and improvement of established state certification systems. Future strategies to reduce infant mortality will be better informed through enhancements in vital records COD reporting.
Research on circuit model of shunts based on field-circuit coupling method

There were measuring errors when the inconstant currents are measured with shunts, because the skin effect increased the resistance and decreased the inductance. This paper has analyzed the circuit model of shunts with different frequency by using field-circuit coupling method and the analysis results have been validated by experiment. This paper provided a more accurate engineering method to analyze the circuit model of shunts when the inconstant currents are measured.
Chapter 25 – Schizophrenia

In this chapter, we will first review the main clinical features of schizophrenia. Then, we will consider the network impairments associated with schizophrenia, spanning from basic synaptic transmission deficits all the way to impaired organization of large-scale brain activity patterns. The toolbox “Psychiatry” provides helpful background about psychiatry in general.
Lightweight Diffusion Layer: Importance of Toeplitz Matrices

MDS matrices are used as building blocks of diffusion layers in block ciphers, and XOR count is a metric that estimates the hardware implementation cost. In this paper we report the minimum value of XOR counts of 4 × 4 MDS matrices over F 2 4 and F 2 8 , respectively. We give theoretical constructions of Toeplitz MDS matrices and show that they achieve the minimum XOR count. We also prove that Toeplitz matrices cannot be both MDS and involutory. Further we give theoretical constructions of 4 × 4 involutory MDS matrices over F 2 4 and F 2 8 that have the best known XOR counts so far: for F 2 4 our construction gives an involutory MDS matrix that actually improves the existing lower bound of XOR count, whereas for F 2 8 , it meets the known lower bound.
Diagnosing and treating depression : what you think you know might not be true

Clinicians may have misconceptions about the treatment and management of depression in routine clinical practice. Here, Mark Zimmerman, MD, Director of Outpatient Psychiatry and the Partial Hospital Program at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, helps shed some light on these beliefs and what is found in medical literature. Dr. Zimmerman is also Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. He has performed psychiatry research for more than 2 decades, much of it in the area of assessment and diagnosis.
Abstract 4768: A SHARP /Xist complex regulates breast cancer stem cells

Many cancers including breast cancer display hieratical organization and are driven by a cellular sub-population that displays stem cell properties. These cancer stem cells (CSC’s) mediate metastasis and contribute to treatment resistance highlighting the importance of elucidating CSC regulatory pathways. Nuclear proteins and lncRNAs involved in the maintenance of chromatin structure have been shown to play roles in CSC regulation. Among them the polycomb proteins bmi-1 and EZH2 are involved in epigenetic regulation of CSC’s in breast and other cancers. SHARP/SPEN, an RNA binding protein, has been previously been found to bind the lncRNA Xist which, by recruiting the PRC2 polycomb complex mediates transcriptional repression of the X chromosome. We utilized breast cancer cell lines and xenograft models to examine the role of the SHARP/Xist complex in the regulation of breast CSC’s. In a series of breast cancer cell lines including MCF7 (luminal )and SUM 159 (basal/claudin low) cells, SHARP mRNA and protein as well as the lncRNA Xist were more highly expressed in cells expressing aldehyde dehydrogenase as accessed by the Aldefluor assay than in ALDH -cells . Conditional knockdown of SHARP or Xist in SUM159 significantly decreased the ALDH+ CSC population without affecting cell growth in vitro. Furthermore, SHARP or Xist knockdown significantly reduced tumor initiating capacity and growth of SUM 159 cells in NOD/SCID mice. To determine the mechanism of breast CSC regulation by the SHARP complex we compared mRNA expression patterns of control and SHARP knockdown SUM 159 cells using RNAseq. There was significant overlap between the genes regulated by SHARP with genes regulated by the PCR1 and PRC2 polycomb complexes in addition to many histone genes. These studies suggest that the SHARP/Xist complex my regulate breast CSC’s through epigenetic regulatory histone and polycomb genes. Since SHARP expression is elevated in a number of cancers including breast cancer this pathway may represent a novel therapeutic target. Citation Format: Yongyou Zhu, Li Shang, Justin Colacino, Michael Brooks, Ramdane Harouaka, Chang-Ching Lin, Ming Luo, Max S. Wicha. A SHARP /Xist complex regulates breast cancer stem cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4768. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4768
Reconfigurable phased-array design techniques for 5G and beyond communications

This paper presents the design of multi-band millimeter-wave (mmW) phased-array communication systems for wideband applications. A multi-band matching network (MN) design is proposed using a novel low-loss reconfigurable-inductor (RI). Furthermore, a reconfigurable-transformer (RT) is shown for an accurate neutralization of the gate-drain capacitance (C gd ), which improves the efficiency and stability of mmW power-amplifiers (PAs). The proposed reconfigurable design techniques can be used in the design of phased-array front-end circuits to maximize their power-efficiency and bandwidth (BW).
Controlling the extrudate swell in melt extrusion additive manufacturing of 3D scaffolds: a designed experiment.

Tissue engineering using three-dimensional porous scaffolds has shown promise for the restoration of normal function in injured and diseased tissues and organs. Rigorous control over scaffold archi...
Tipping the Scales of Justice: The Role of the Nonprofit Sliding Scale Law Firm in the Delivery of Legal Services

Most research on providing legal services for low-income clients has focused on (1) government-funded programs, (2) private donor-funded programs, and (3) pro bono programs. Despite the valuable services these programs provide, a well-documented justice gap persists. Other models for the delivery of legal services exist, but are not well known or understood. One such approach has existed for years without scholarly study: the nonprofit organization that only serves low-income clients and receives its funding primarily on the basis of sliding-scale fees paid by clients. Based upon the author’s personal experience starting a nonprofit Sliding Scale Law Firm (SSLF), and informed by interviews with attorneys working at SSLFs across the country, Part I of this article describes the structure of these nonprofit SSLFs. Part II addresses the role that the SSLF model fills in the overall system of legal service delivery: SSLFs reduce the justice gap by providing services to clients who cannot obtain free legal services, but cannot afford to hire an attorney at prevailing market rates.
Can inhibition of retinoic acid biosynthesis function as a non-hormonal female contraceptive?

Abstract Objective Vitamin A deficient females have reduced fertility due to decreased retinoic acid production. WIN 18,446 inhibits retinoic acid biosynthesis and functions as a contraceptive in males. We tested whether WIN 18,446 treatment would suppress fertility in female mice. Study Design Female mice were treated with WIN 18,446 and mated. Pregnancy rates were compared using Fisher's exact test. Results WIN 18,446 reduced pregnancy compared with control (p=.03). However, one animal became pregnant with malformed embryos. Conclusions WIN 18,446 treatment significantly reduces fecundity, but teratogenicity in the setting of contraceptive failure limits the appeal of this approach to female contraception.
Patterns of care and outcomes of chemoradiation versus radiation alone for MGMT promoter unmethylated glioblastoma.

Abstract Objective The recommended treatment for O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter unmethylated glioblastoma (GBM) is radiation therapy with concurrent/adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ). However, it is well known that the clinical benefit from TMZ is lower in these patients. We sought to analyze patterns of care and outcomes of chemoradiation versus radiation alone in this cohort using a large, hospital database. Patients and Methods Patients diagnosed with MGMT promoter unmethylated GBM from 2010 to 2012 who received radiation (RT) or chemoradiation (CRT) were identified in the National Cancer Database. Logistic regression was performed to assess for predictors of receiving chemoradiation. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess overall survival (OS) by treatment group and Cox regression analysis was used to assess impact of covariates on OS. Results There were 738 patients who met the study criteria, of which 107 (14.5%) received RT alone and 631 (85.5%) received CRT with median RT dose 6000cGy for both groups. Median follow up for living patients was 21.9 months. Ninety-two (12.5%) patients did not undergo any resection, 330 (44.7%) underwent a subtotal resection and 316 (42.8%) had a gross total resection. The median and 2-year OS was 16.8 months and 24.7% for RT alone compared to 15.6 months and 25.9% for the CRT group (p = 0.250). On multivariable analysis, the addition of chemotherapy had no impact on survival (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.86–1.46, p = 0.396). Conclusion Despite the routine use of chemoradiation among patients with MGMT promoter unmethylated GBM, there does not appear to be a survival benefit compared to radiation alone.
Equity or Disparity: Do Performance Funding Policies Disadvantage 2-Year Minority-Serving Institutions?:

Objective: We investigate whether performance funding—an increasingly prevalent state policy that allocates appropriations based on outcomes that prioritize retention and completion—places minority...
Li & Fung 2012

Midway through its current three-year plan, Li & Fung stop to assess the path it is taking in extending its distribution network business in Asia.
A Proposal for Multi-Site Study of European Gangs and Youth Groups

A primary goal of the Eurogang Workshop was to foster systematic research on gangs and youth groups in Europe. The question to be faced is what should the design of this research be? We hope that this effort would incorporate what we have learned from more than five decades of research in the U.S.- capitalizing on all our mistakes and reproducing none of them. Part I of this volume highlights some of the contributions of U.S. research; these topics were selected for their immediate utility to research in Europe. However, I want to highlight weaknesses rather than strengths of the U.S. research, to touch on the implications of those weaknesses, and to propose an alternative framework for gang research in Europe.
Two Riveres, Two Nations, One History: the Transformation of the Colorado River Delta since 1940

El presente texto se centra en la transformacion del delta del rio Colorado desde 1940. No solo considera los problemas ecologicos de la region como un asunto exclusivo de los paises que la comparten, sino que busca llegar a una perspectiva mas holistica de la situacion, la cual involucra no solo a los gobiernos de Estados Unidos y Mexico, sino tambien toma en cuenta el rol historico de los grupos indigenas en el delta, especialmente en los temas de desconfianza y responsabilidad. El autor indago en diferentes fuentes para asi desarrollar enteramente su vision de la historia de los dos rios involucrados, desde el periodismo y diferentes documentos hasta obras academicas relacionadas con la region. ABSTRACT This current paper focuses on the transformation of the Colorado River Delta since 1940. Instead of just considering the ecological problems of the region as an exclusive domain of the two countries that share it, the author seeks to maintain a more holistic approach to the situation, which involves not only the governments of the United States and Mexico, but also takes into account the historical role of the Native groups in the Delta, especially on issues of mistrust and blame. The author followed different sources to fully develop its vision of the history of the two rivers involve, from journalism and different documents to other scholarly works related to the region.
Methodologies for Enterprise Integration

The engineering science of enterprise integration holds great promise for the enhancement of the capabilities of all kinds of enterprises, regardless of their individual missions or the environment in which they operate. However, the implementation of a full-scale enterprise integration project as currently known is always a monumental task because of the multifaceted activities in which most enterprises engage and the extremely high number of variables to be taken into account. At the same time, many partial solutions such as CIM, business process reengineering, etc., have proven disappointing because of their incomplete treatment of the needs of the enterprise which they represent.