cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation of a myofibroblast growth factor from human breast carcinoma cell lines

Conditioned media of a series of well-established human breast carcinoma cell lines were screened for mitogenic activity on human myofibroblasts. Whereas all carcinoma lines derived from desmoplastic ductal breast carcinoma primaries exhibited moderate to high levels of mitogenic activity, the single line derived from a non-desmoplastic (medullary) carcinoma exhibited low activity. Levels of mitogenic activity were independent of estrogen receptor status and estrogen/antiestrogen treatment. Fractionation of the conditioned media revealed a cationic, hydrophobic mitogenic factor of M.W. 25,000. The factor did not stimulate the growth of endothelial or carcinoma cells nor the growth of NRK fibroblasts in soft agar.
GROWTH REQUIREMENTS OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE AS A RESULT OF INCUBATION AT INCREASED TEMPERATURE.

SummaryData were presented which revealed that the paucity of growth of a mutant strain of yeast at 38°C is not only related to an inability to carry out the biosynthesis of pantothenic acid but also the requirement for an increased osmotic pressure or perhaps simply a high solute concentration. Results were discussed in terms of possible mechanisms by which these environmental conditions might serve to permit growth of the mutant at increased incubation temperatures. Since at lower temperatures the organism is genetically capable of synthesizing pantothenic acid, the role of environment in genetic expression is reemphasized.
Splaying of aliphatic tails plays a central role in barrier crossing during liposome fusion.

The fusion between two lipid bilayers involves crossing a complicated energy landscape. The limiting barrier in the process appears to be between two closely opposed bilayers and the intermediate s...
Filling the gaps: Hybrid vision and inertial tracking

Existing head-tracking systems all suffer from various limitations, such as latency, cost, accuracy, or drift. I propose to address these limitations by using depth cameras and existing 3D reconstruction algorithms to simultaneously localize the camera position and build a map of the environment, providing stable and drift-free tracking. This method is enabled by the recent proliferation of light-weight, inexpensive depth cameras. Because these cameras have a relatively slow frame rate, I combine this technique with a low-latency inertial measurement unit to estimate movement between frames. Using the generated environment model, I further propose a collision avoidance system for use with real walking.
Reassessing the diagnostic yield of saturation biopsy of the prostate.

Abstract Objective Prostate biopsy remains the gold standard for detection of prostate cancer (PCa). This study was performed to determine whether saturation biopsy (≥ 24 cores) detects more prostate cancer than a standard 12–18 core office biopsy technique. Methods We conducted a nonrandomized cohort study of a consecutive series of prostate biopsies. The primary outcome assessed by both univariate and multivariate analysis was the detection of PCa, whereas the secondary outcomes of HGPIN (high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia) and ASAP (atypical small acinar proliferation) were also analyzed. Results From September 2005 to June 2006, a total of 469 patients undergoing prostate biopsy were included in this study. A standard office prostate biopsy was performed in 301 men, whereas 168 underwent a saturation biopsy. Age, body mass index (BMI), prostate volume, and family history of PCa were similar. However, patients in the saturation biopsy cohort were more likely to have had prior biopsies, higher prebiopsy PSA, longer PSA doubling times, and to carry more frequent diagnoses of HGPIN or ASAP (all p p =0.339), HGPIN (OR, 1.4; p =0.368), or ASAP (OR, 2.2; p =0.201). Conclusions Saturation biopsy does not appear to detect more abnormal prostate pathology than standard office biopsy of the prostate. This procedure may be associated with increased cost and patient morbidity.
A role for dopamine D2 receptors in reversal learning

Reversal learning has been shown to require intact serotonergic innervation of the forebrain neocortex. Whether dopamine acting through D2 receptors plays a complementary role in this anatomic area is still unclear. Here we show that mice lacking dopamine D2 receptors exhibited significantly impaired performance in the reversal learning phase of an attention-set-shifting task (ASST) and that wild type mice treated chronically with the D2-like receptor antagonist haloperidol exhibited the same cognitive deficit. The test-phase-specific deficits of D2 mutants and haloperidol-treated mice were also accompanied by deficits in the induction of expression of early growth response gene 2 (egr-2), a regulatory transcription factor previously shown to be selectively induced in the ventrolateral orbital frontal cortex and the pre- and infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex of ASST-tested mice. D2-receptor knockout mice and haloperidol-treated wild type, however, exhibited lower egr-2 expression in these anatomic regions after completion of an ASST-test phase that required reversal learning but not after completion of set-shifting phases without rule reversals. In contrast, mice treated chronically with clozapine, an atypical neuroleptic drug with lower D2-receptor affinity and broader pharmacological effects, had deficits in compound discrimination phases of the ASST, but also these deficits were accompanied by lower egr-2 expression in the same anatomic subregions. Thus, the findings indicate that egr-2 expression is a sensitive indicator of test-phase-specific performance in the ASST and that normal function of D2 receptors in subregions of the orbital frontal and the medial prefrontal cortex is required for cognitive flexibility in tests involving rule reversals.
Parking the power: Strategies and physical limitations for bulk energy storage in supply–demand matching on a grid whose input power is provided by intermittent sources

It is shown that, in a sustainable energy future, energy for the electricity grid will probably be derived largely from the renewable sources of wind and solar radiation. Because both are intermittent, any infinite busbar grid supplying a metropolitan area must necessarily be buffered from these intermittencies by massive energy storage on the gigawatt-day level. It is then demonstrated that, under presently foreseeable scientific capabilities, only underground pumped hydro and advanced adiabatic compressed air energy storage appear capable of meeting anticipated technological and economic constraints. Neither has ever been constructed and tested; but even so it is predicted that underground pumped hydro ultimately will prove to be superior.
Adolescents' Self-Reports of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana use: Examining the Comparability of Video Tape, Cartoon and Verbal Bogus-Pipeline Procedures

Recent studies of smoking prevention have utilized procedures designed to motivate adolescents to provide truthful self-reports by convincing them that their smoking status can be verified by an independent (“bogus”) measure. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of three “bogus-pipeline” procedures hypothesized to increase the validity of self-reported cigarette smoking among 646 seventh graders from two suburban New York City schools. A second aim was to determine the extent to which “bogus-pipeline” procedures targeted specifically at cigarette smoking can indirectly increase the validity of self-reports of alcohol and marijuana use. Over-all, the observed bogus-pipeline effects were modest. Of the three procedures, both the video tape and cartoon presentation modes resulted in a slightly higher percentage of self-reported smoking behavior; only the cartoon presentation mode resulted in a higher percentage of drinking behavior. A reverse effect was observed for self-reported marijuana use in wh...
The effect of growth hormone on the metabolism of lipids and on urea formation by the perfused rat liver.

Abstract Livers obtained from fasted or fed rats were perfused for 90 minutes with blood from fasted rats with the addition of growth hormone (GH) and/or hyperlipemic serum (HLS). The addition of GH to the perfusate led to a decrease in the levels of blood sugar, nonesterified fatty acids and triglycerides. When HLS was added to the perfusate, GH again decreased the levels of blood sugar, nonesterified fatty acids and triglycerides. There was no significant change in the levels of phospholipids, cholesterol esters, free cholesterol, ketone bodies and urea of the perfusate when GH was added.
On the mechanism of ion exchange in zirconium phosphates—XXIII exchange of first row divalent transition elements on γ-zirconium phosphate

Abstract The exchange of transition metal (M 2+ ) ions from manganese to zinc with γ-zirconium phosphate was examined. By using acetate salts the hydrogen ion concentration is kept low enough to achieve high loadings. The fully loaded solids have the composition ZrM(PO 4 ) 2 ·4H 2 O. Near quantitative uptakes are achieved at 100°C. The interlayer spacings change very little with loading indicating that γ-zirconium phosphate is able to accomodate cations and water molecules without appreciable increase in volume. The copper exchanged phase readily forms an acetylacetonate when shaken with 2,4-pentanedione.
Team Performance in a Dynamic Resource Allocation Task: The Importance of Heuristics:

The utility of group decision heuristics was examined in the context of a dynamic resource allocation task which incorporates both certain and uncertain events. Visual coding schemes for presenting the events varied among teams, only half the teams received experimenter developed heuristics, and both moderate and fast information presentation rates were used. Performance scores were significantly higher for teams with heuristics. In addition, teams performed better under moderate time pressure and with practice, and teams without heuristics displayed inconsistencies in handling uncertain events whereas teams with heuristics behaved as predicted by utility theory. No performance differences were found for variations in visual coding schemes.
Application of Plasticity Theory and Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation to Flexible Multibody System Dynamics

The objective of this investigation is to develop a nonlinear finite element formulation for the elastic-plastic analysis of flexible multibody systems. The Lagrangian plasticity theory based on J 2 flow theory is used to account for the effect of plasticity in flexible multibody dynamics. It is demonstrated that the principle of objectivity that is an issue when existing finite element formulations using rate-type constitutive equations are used is automatically satisfied when the stress and strain rate are directly calculated in the Lagrangian descriptions using the absolute nodal coordinate formulation employed in this investigation. This is attributed to the fact that, in the finite element absolute nodal coordinate formulation, the position vector gradients can completely define the state of rotation and deformation within the element. As a consequence, the numerical algorithm used to determine the plastic deformations such as the radial return algorithm becomes much simpler when the absolute nodal coordinate formulation is used as compared to existing finite element formulations that employ incrementally objective algorithms. Several numerical examples are presented in order to demonstrate the use of the formulations presented in the paper.
Learning denoising bounds for noisy images

In [1], we derived an expression for the fundamental limit to image denoising assuming that the noise-free image is available. In this paper, we propose an estimator for the bound on the mean squared error given only the noisy image and noise characteristics. To do this, we make use of an assortment of independently collected noise-free images from which prior information about the noisy image is learned. We show that even for reasonably low input signal-to-noise levels, our method can predict the denoising bound with accuracy.
Increased FOG-2 in Failing Myocardium Disrupts Thyroid Hormone–Dependent SERCA2 Gene Transcription

Reduced expression of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA)2 and other genes in the adult cardiac gene program has raised consideration of an impaired responsiveness to thyroid hormone (T3) that develops in the advanced failing heart. Here, we show that human and murine cardiomyopathy hearts have increased expression of friend of GATA (FOG)-2, a cardiac nuclear hormone receptor corepressor protein. Cardiac-specific overexpression of FOG-2 in transgenic mice led to depressed cardiac function, activation of the fetal gene program, congestive heart failure, and early death. SERCA2 transcript and protein levels were reduced in FOG-2 transgenic hearts, and FOG-2 overexpression impaired T3-mediated SERCA2 expression in cultured cardiomyocytes. FOG-2 physically interacts with thyroid hormone receptor-α1 and abrogated even high levels of T3-mediated SERCA2 promoter activity. These results demonstrate that SERCA2 is an important target of FOG-2 and that increased FOG-2 expression may contribute to a decline in cardiac function in end-stage heart failure by impaired T3 signaling.
Influence of the larval environment on performance and adult body size of the wood-boring beetle Phoracantha semipunctata

Large body size confers a reproductive advantage to adults of the wood-boring beetle Phoracantha semipunctata (F.) (Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Phoracanthini). Larvae of this species feed subcortically in stressed and dying eucalypt trees and logs. We evaluated the influence of the larval environment on larval performance and adult body size by manipulating the post-felling age of host logs (from freshly cut to 2-weeks-old) and the density of colonizing neonates (low density with minimal competition for resources vs. high density with intense competition). Adult beetles emerged in greater numbers from logs that had been subjected to the aging treatment which reduced bark moisture content and favored colonization by neonates. Survival was greatest in larger logs having lower densities of neonates, but was greatly diminished in all treatments by mortality during pupation. Development time varied from 2 months to more than a year and was shortest in smaller logs having high densities of larvae. The size of adult beetles emerging from a log was not influenced by larval density, but was positively correlated with the age of logs when the neonates colonized, and log size. These findings suggest that the optimal developmental conditions for P. semipunctata larvae, in terms of larval performance and adult body size, are available in large, aged host logs having low densities of larvae. Manipulation of the larval environment in this study resulted in a considerable variation in adult body size, but large individuals were relatively more common in the wild population that was the source of neonates for the experiment. Potential body size may have been constrained by our use of only one host species and a narrow range of log dimensions.
Vibrational analysis of chain folding in polyethylene crystals

The vibration frequencies of a polyethylene crystal lattice have been computed for various structures in which a fully deuterated chain is mixed with a normal chain. Intermolecular potential functions previously developed by the authors were used in the calculation. It is shown that such structures make it possible to distinguish experimentally between chain folding in the (110) plane and folding parallel to the (100) plane. Calculations have also been done for a regular polymer of (CH2CD2). Such a structure would permit the determination of the parity of the number of methylene groups in the fold.
On the Way Toward Understanding Solution Chemistry of Lithium Polysulfides for High Energy Li–S Redox Flow Batteries

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) redox flow battery (RFB) is a promising candidate for high energy large-scale energy storage application due to good solubility of long-chain polysulfide species and low cost of sulfur. Here, the fundamental understanding and control of lithium polysulfide chemistry are studied to enable the development of liquid phase Li–S redox flow prototype cells. These differ significantly from conventional static Li–S batteries targeting for vehicle electrification. A high solubility of the different lithium polysulfides generated at different depths of discharge and states of charge is required for a flow battery in order to take full advantage of the multiple electron transitions. A new dimethyl sulfoxide based electrolyte is proposed for Li–S RFBs, which not only enables the high solubility of lithium polysulfide species, especially for the short-chain species, but also results in excellent cycling with a high Coulombic efficiency. The challenges and opportunities for the Li–S redox flow concept have also been discussed in depth.
Towards automated gait generation for dynamic systems with non-holonomic constraints

In this paper we generate gaits for dynamics systems that are subject to non-holonomic velocity constraints. These systems are referred to as mixed non-holonomic systems. The motion of such systems is governed by both the non-holonomic constraints acting on the system and a system of differential equations constraining the evolution of generalized momentum. We propose a method that utilizes both governing motions, that is, satisfying all the constraints and instantaneously conserving momentum along un-restricted directions, to generate gaits for systems like the snakeboard, which belongs to the family of mixed non-holonomic systems. We accomplish this by defining a new scaled momentum variable. This scaled momentum allows us to easily explore the design of gaits that causes momentum to evolve such that a desired non-trivial motion results
Small world phenomenon, rapidly mixing Markov chains, and average consensus algorithms

In this paper, we demonstrate the relationship between the diameter of a graph and the mixing time of a symmetric Markov chain defined on it. We use this relationship to show that graphs with the small world property have dramatically small mixing times. Based on this result, we conclude that addition of independent random edges with arbitrarily small probabilities to a cycle significantly increases the convergence speed of average consensus algorithms, meaning that small world networks reach consensus orders of magnitude faster than a cycle. Furthermore, this dramatic increase happens for any positive probability of random edges. The same argument is used to draw a similar conclusion for the case of addition of a random matching to the cycle.
The effect of nonmalignant systemic disease on tolerance to radiation therapy.

Purpose. Some patients with nonmalignant systemic diseases, like collagen vascular disease (CVD), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), tolerate radiation therapy poorly. Although the mechanisms of each of these disease processes are different, they share a common microvessel pathology that is potentially exacerbated by radiotherapy. This article reviews and evaluates available data examining the effects of these benign disease processes on radiation tolerance. Methods. We conducted a thorough review of the Anglo-American medical literature from 1960 to 2001 on the effects of radiotherapy on CVD, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and IBD. Results. Fifteen studies were identified that examined the effects of radiation therapy for cancer in patients with CVDs. Thirteen of 15 studies documented greater occurrences of acute and late toxicities (range 7%-100%). Higher rates of complications were noted especially for nonrheumatoid arthritis CVDs. Nine studies evaluated the effects of hypertension and diabetes on radiation tolerance. All nine studies documented higher rates of late toxicities than in a “control” group (range 34%-100%). When patients had both diabetes and hypertension, the risk of late toxicities was even higher. Six studies examined radiation tolerance of patients with IBD irradiated to the abdomen and pelvis. Five of these six studies showed greater occurrences of acute and late toxicities for patients with IBD, even with precautionary measures like reduced fraction size and volume and patient immobilization (13%-29%). Conclusion. The majority of published studies documented lower radiation tolerance for patients who have CVD, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and IBD. This may reflect a publication bias, as the majority of these studies are retrospective with small numbers of patients and use different scoring scales for complications. These factors may contribute to an overestimation of true radiationinduced morbidity. Although the paucity of data makes precise estimates difficult, a subset of patients, in particular, those with active CVD, IBD, or a combination of uncontrolled hypertension with type I diabetes, is likely to be at higher risk. Future prospective trials need to document these disease entities when reporting treatmentrelated complications and also must monitor toxicities associated with quiescent versus active IBD and CVD, type I versus type II diabetes, and levels of hypertension (controlled versus uncontrolled) matched for radiationspecific treatment sites, field size, fractionation, and total dose. The Oncologist 2002;7:136-143
A Conceptualisation of the Relationship Between Organisational Culture and Knowledge Management

Organisational culture has been regarded as an important factor affecting knowledge management practices. This paper is an initial effort in constructing a new conceptualisation of the relationship between organisational culture and knowledge management. In view of this conceptualisation, organisational culture, rather than a mutually exclusive concept from organisational knowledge, overlaps with the concept of knowledge management. It highlights the absolute necessity to view organisational culture and knowledge management simultaneously. It also suggests new directions for managing organisational culture in the context of knowledge management.
Price Reversals, Bid-Ask Spreads, and Market Efficiency

We examine the behavior of common stock prices after a large change in price occurs during a single trading day and find evidence that the stock market appears to have overreacted, especially in the case of price declines; however, the magnitude of the overreaction is small compared to the bid-ask spreads observed for the individual stocks in the sample. We interpret this finding as being consistent with a market that is efficient after transactions costs are considered.
Adaptive path selection in OBS networks

In this paper, the authors investigate the concept of adaptive path selection in optical burst-switched networks and its potential to reducing the overall burst drop probability. Specifically, the authors assume that each source maintains a (short) list of alternate paths to each destination and uses information regarding the recent congestion status of the network links to rank the paths; it then transmits bursts along the least congested path. The authors present a suite of path selection strategies, each utilizing a different type of information regarding the link congestion status, and evaluate them using simulation. The results demonstrate that, in general, adaptive path selection outperforms shortest path routing, and, depending on the path strategy involved, the network topology, and the traffic pattern, this improvement can be significant. A new framework for the development of hybrid (or meta) path selection strategies, which make routing decisions based on a weighted combination of the decisions taken by several independent path selection strategies, has been presented. This paper presents two instances of such hybrid strategies, i.e., 1) one that assigns static weights and 2) one that dynamically adjusts the weights based on feedback from the network; it has been shown that these strategies can further improve the overall burst drop probability in the network
Lobular neoplasia of the breast: an update.

Abstract Context.—Lobular neoplasias (LNs) of the breast include atypical lobular neoplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ. Recent evidence suggests that LN is not only a risk factor for invasive lobular carcinoma, but is also a nonobligate precursor. Pleomorphic lobular carcinoma in situ (PLCIS) is a subtype of LN that has high-grade nuclei and other features that may mimic high-grade ductal carcinoma in situ. The management and follow-up of patients diagnosed with LN on core biopsy is a current issue of debate. However, recent genomic and molecular studies have identified candidate genes that may be important in understanding the pathogenesis of atypical lobular neoplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ, and thus may lead to other therapeutic interventions. Objective.—To review the literature on LN of the breast and discuss current issues in the diagnosis and management of this entity, with particular attention to the relatively newly recognized lesion PLCIS. Because the management of PLCIS varies from the...
Molecular enhancement of porcine cardiac chronotropy

OBJECTIVE—To test the potential of gene transfer approaches to enhance cardiac chronotropy in a porcine system as a model of the human heart. METHODS—Plasmids encoding either the human β2 adrenergic receptor or control constructs were injected into the right atria of native Yorkshire pig hearts. Percutaneous electrophysiological recording catheters equipped with 33 gauge circular injection needles were positioned in the mid-lateral right atrium. At the site of the earliest atrial potential the circular injection needles were rotated into the myocardium and the β2 adrenergic receptor (n = 6) or control plasmid constructs (n = 5) were injected. RESULTS—Injection of the β2 adrenergic receptor construct significantly enhanced chronotropy compared with control injections. The average (SD) heart rate of the pigs was 108 (16) beats/min before injection. Two days after injection with control plasmids the heart rate was 127 (25) beats/min (NS compared with preinjection rates). After injection with plasmid encoding the β2 adrenergic receptor the heart rate increased by 50% to 163 (33) beats/min (p < 0.05 compared with preinjection and postinjection control rates). CONCLUSIONS—The present studies showed in a large animal model that local targeting of gene expression may be a feasible modality to regulate cardiac pacemaking activity. In addition, these investigations provide an experimental basis for developing future clinical gene transfer approaches to upregulate heart rate and modulate cardiac conduction. Keywords: sinus node; adrenergic receptor; chronotropic agents; conduction system; gene therapy
The economics of land application of fresh and composted broiler litter with an environmental constraint

Land application of broiler litter is a common disposal method due to its value as a fertiliser substitute, but presents potential environmental problems because of nutrient runoff. Composting has been suggested as an alternative due to the formation of more stable organic components. The land application of fresh and composted broiler litter are compared as alternative disposal methods. The costs of land application of broiler litter are dominated by spreading because of low nutrient densities relative to commercial fertilisers. Composting broiler litter before land application appears to be substantially less economically attractive than land application of fresh broiler litter because of high costs of production and higher spreading costs due to even lower nutrient density. However, when environmental constraints are placed on the phosphorus concentration from hayfield runoff, composting becomes a more attractive alternative. Composting becomes more viable as the land base for application becomes smaller relative to broiler production; as alternative disposal costs for litter become higher; and as environmental constraints become stricter.
Demonstration of automatic data partitioning techniques for parallelizing compilers on multicomputers

An approach to the problem of automatic data partitioning is introduced. The notion of constraints on data distribution is presented, and it is shown how, based on performance considerations, a compiler identifies constraints to be imposed on the distribution of various data structures. These constraints are then combined by the compiler to obtain a complete and consistent picture of the data distribution scheme, one that offers good performance in terms of the overall execution time. Results of a study performed on Fortran programs taken from the Linpack and Eispack libraries and the Perfect Benchmarks to determine the applicability of the approach to real programs are presented. The results are very encouraging, and demonstrate the feasibility of automatic data partitioning for programs with regular computations that may be statically analyzed, which covers an extremely significant class of scientific application programs. >
Risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes retained from childhood to adulthood predict adult outcomes: the Princeton LRC Follow-up Study

Pediatric risk factors predict adult cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), but whether they predict events independently of adult risk factors is not fully known. Assess whether risk factors for CVD and T2DM retained from childhood to adulthood predict CVD and T2DM in young adulthood. 770 schoolchildren, ages 5–20 (mean age 12), 26-yr prospective follow-up. We categorized childhood and adult risk factors and 26-year changes (triglycerides [TG], LDL cholesterol, BMI, blood pressure [BP] and glucose ≥, and HDL cholesterol < pediatric and young adult cutoffs). These risk factors and race, cigarette smoking, and family history of CVD and T2DM were assessed as predictors of CVD and T2DM at mean age 38. Children who had high TG and retained high TG as adults had increased CVD events as adults (p = .0005). Children who had normal BMI and retained normal BMI as adults had reduced CVD events as adults (p = .02). Children who had high BP or high TG and retained these as adults had increased T2DM as adults (p = .0006, p = .003). Risk factors for CVD and T2DM retained from childhood to adulthood predict CVD and T2DM in young adulthood and support universal childhood screening.
Bayes sequential search of an optimal dosage: linear regression with both parameters unknown

It is assumed that log-toxicity at dosage x, Y(x), is normally distributed with mean a + bx and variance . An optimal dosage is defined as the largest value of x for which where η is a specified threshold. Two models are considered. Model I: for all x; Model II: for all x. A Bayes sequential search procedure is one in which experiments are conducted at x values sequentially, using the information from previous experiments to design the next dosage x at the Bayes-feasible estimator of . A procedure is suggested by employing a bivariate normal prior distribution for the regression parameters a and b. It is proved that this procedure is strongly ∊-consistent for any given (a,b,σ). Numerical illustrations are provided.
Prophylaxis for Ocular Toxoplasmosis

The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is an important cause of ocular disease. Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) can be a progressive and recurring disease that can threaten visual function. We present 2 cases of recurrent OT in immunocompetent patients for whom prophylaxis prevented recurrence of disease.
Linezolid use for treatment of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, New York City, 2000–06

UNLABELLED Rationale Linezolid may be effective for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB); however, serious adverse events are common and there is little information on the management of these toxicities. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed public health and medical records of 16 MDR TB patients, including 10 patients with XDR TB, who were treated with linezolid in New York City between January 2000 and December 2006, to determine treatment outcomes and describe the incidence, management and predictors of adverse events. RESULTS Linezolid was added to MDR TB regimens for a median duration of 16 months (range: 1-29). Eleven patients (69%) completed treatment, four (25%) died and one (6%) discontinued treatment without relapse. Myelosuppression occurred in 13 (81%) patients a median of 5 weeks (range: 1-11) after starting linezolid, gastrointestinal adverse events occurred in 13 (81%) patients after a median of 8 weeks (range: 1-57) and neurotoxicity occurred in seven (44%) patients after a median of 16 weeks (range: 10-111). Adverse events were managed by combinations of temporary suspension of linezolid, linezolid dose reduction and symptom management. Five (31%) patients required eventual discontinuation of linezolid. Myelosuppression was more responsive to clinical management strategies than was neurotoxicity. Leucopenia and neuropathy occurred more often in males and older age was associated with thrombocytopenia (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The majority of MDR TB patients on linezolid had favourable treatment outcomes, although treatment was complicated by adverse events that required extensive clinical management.
When Everyone is Laughing: The Presence, Characteristics, and Enjoyment of Disparagement Humor in Online TV

Two studies examine disparagement humor in online television and reasons people enjoy witnessing the comedic ridicule of other people. In Study 1, a quantitative content analysis, coders documented the prevalence and characteristics of disparagement humor in online television clips and its reception by audiences. Disparagement humor appeared in one in four video clips, often targeting physical appearance and weight. Studio audiences, other television characters, and online commenters often validated disparagement humor. Study 2, an experiment, investigated the contribution of existing prejudice and third-party audience reaction to the reported enjoyment of disparagement humor and willingness to share the insulting humor with others. Both validating audience reaction and existing prejudice positively predicted enjoyment of disparagement humor. Further, enjoyment of the disparagement humor significantly predicted participants’ self-reported likelihood to share the insulting jokes with acquaintances.
Characterization of Four Diesel Fuel Surrogates by the Advanced Distillation Curve Method

The development of surrogate fuels with measured and predicted thermophysical properties similar to their authentic refinery stream counterparts is critical for the development of alternative fuels and the optimization of engines to increase efficiency and decrease emissions. In this work, four diesel fuel surrogates, formulated according to a reliable and proven procedure, were characterized by the advanced distillation curve (ADC) method to determine the composition and enthalpy of combustion in various distillate volume fractions. Tracking the composition and enthalpy of distillate fractions provides valuable information for determining structure–property relationships and also provides the basis for the development of equations of state that can describe the thermodynamic properties of these complex or simplified mixtures. This comparison showed that the volatility characteristic of the four surrogates is quite similar not only to the target diesel fuel but also to a number of other prototype alternat...
Entrepreneurship Womens Business

One outstanding impact in the twenty first century US economy is the phenomenally expanding role and importance of women entrepreneurs. The Center for Women’s Business Research reports “nearly 10.4 million firms are 50% or more owned by women, employing more than 12.8 million people, and generating $1.9 trillion in sales.” (2007) This growth is evidenced by the fact that majority women-owned firms grew at twice the rate of all firms between 1997 and 2006. (Center for Women’s Business Research, 2007) Since Meredith College has unique status as the largest all-female undergraduate liberal arts school in the Southeast, it is positioned to examine entrepreneurial efforts of women. This preliminary research examines demographic information about Meredith College alumnae who are employed by family enterprises or own their businesses. It also examines challenges faced by women in starting and sustaining a business.
Achieving an optimal outcome for medial pedicle vertical breast reduction

Breast reduction is a common procedure performed by plastic surgeons for functional or cosmetic improvement of the breast. However, final outcome can be less satisfactory to patients in terms of the size, shape, symmetry, scarring, or wound healing complications. However, good to excellent outcome after breast reduction can be accomplished by plastic surgeons once they have mastered their technique. The medial pedicle vertical breast reduction has been popularized recently. However, the technique is technically more complex, and the results have been less inconsistent with a learning curve. In addition, the technique has been criticized for a residual deformity in the lower pole of the breast and resulted in a high revision rate. In this article, key components for the medial pedicle vertical breast reduction including patient selection and technical refinements are discussed in details. The author describes his philosophy in patient selection, preoperative and intraoperative markings of the breast, and step-by-step surgical procedures with several technical refinements for the medical pedicle vertical breast reduction. In addition, the pearls for achieving an optimal outcome of such a breast reduction are also discussed.
Grouping management and physical facilities.

The importance of understanding feeding and animal behiavor as it relates to the decisions on grouping management for dairy herds is discussed. Much emphasis is placed on replacement and dry cow grouping management, which is one of the more significant weak links on the dairy farm. The development of a system that includes information gathering and developing a monitoring system to assist in management decisions is stressed. With good grouping systems in place, the herd will respond with increased efficiency and improved animal health.
Nanostructured Organic/Inorganic Films from Poly (D-Lysine Hydrobromide) or Poly( N-Methyl.4-Vinyl Pyridinium Bromide) and Hectorite

Establishing the generality of any new preparative method is important for its future usefulness in applications of interest. In this paper, we build on results reported earlier for the formation of nanostructured ultrathin films from macromolecular precursors (a particular cationic polyelectrolyte and inorganic sheet silicate) by demonstrating that the method can readily be adapted to different polymers and more complex adsorption schemes. In particular, we used ellipsometry to monitor the regular growth of films incorporating poly(D-lysine hydrobromide) or poly( N -methyl-4-vinylpyridinium bromide) (PMVP) and hectorite. For the PMVP/ hectorite films, X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of structural order by revealing a lattice spacing of 1.5 nm.
The development of modern palaeontological laboratory methods: A century of progress

Vertebrate fossils have been converted from natural history objects into research specimens through the act of preparation for over 200 years. All of the basic techniques applied to specimens in the 21st Century were already in use in palaeontological laboratories by the first decade of the 1900s. It behoves any worker in the field to be intimately familiar with processes for treatment of specimens, as these procedures almost always permanently alter material available for interpretation. Historic treatments also complicate attempts to re-treat or re-prepare specimens. Sometimes this results in damage to fossils and loss of information, and often in wasted resources. Most palaeontologists are unaware of the historical evolution of laboratory methods through this time; much of the documentation of this process is considered to be obscure. However, there is in fact a robust body of literature that chronicles the development of procedures for the preparation of fossils. Awareness of the past development of methods is crucial to guiding future directions in the palaeontological laboratory. Regular reporting of laboratory methods in the technical literature at a pace matching that of other analytical methods is integral to the function of palaeontology as a science.
Influence of Changes in Disease Spectrum on Life Expectancy Growth among Shanghai Residents,1990-2010

[Objective] To describe life expectancy growth for various time spans during 1990-2010 in Shanghai, examine the impacts of changes in disease spectrum on life expectancy growth, and reveal priorities for disease intervention. [Methods] Mortality data of Shanghai residents were retrieved from the death registration system. Demographic data were from Shanghai Public Security Bureau. The abridged life tables and decomposition of life expectancy by age groups and causes of death were used to analyze impacts of age and death cause on life expectancy. [Results] During 1990-2010, life expectancy of Shanghai residents increased 6.91 and 6.94 years for male and female respectively, with a yearly increment of 0.35 years. The declining mortality in the elderly population(aged 65 years and above) increased the life expectancy most and accounted for 52.97% and 51.44% of male and female life expectancy increase respectively. The decreases in mortality rates due to respiratory diseases, circulatory diseases, and cancer were the main sources of the increase in life expectancy, which contributed 2.13 and 1.98, 1.42 and 1.89, 1.35 and 0.67 years to life expectancy growth respectively for each category in male and female. [Conclusion] Most deaths are caused by diseases. In order to increase life expectancy, we should pay more attention to the elderly's health. Recent 20 years have witnessed a substantial decline in the mortality of chronic diseases, but that is still a major cause of death in Shanghai. Therefore, to establish a chronic disease prevention and control system and improve prevention and treatment effects are the effective way to further improve the population health and increase the life expectancy.
Application of a Novel Uncollimated Light Extinction for Soot Concentration Measurement

The sensitivity of the light extinction technique for soot measurement using a collimated light source was limited by beam steering.The problem becomes more pronounced when the technique was applied to high-pressure flames.A novel optical system was designed and built using an uncollimated light source to mitigate the beam steering effect.Two-dimensional transmissivity images obtained in a laminar coflow ethylene diffusion flame at atmospheric pressure with the uncollimated light source were shown to be more resistant to beam steering compared to those with a collimated light extinction.Through Abel inversion the radially resolved soot volume fraction distributions at different heights with uncollimated and collimated light extinction were in good agreement.The transmissivity profiles with the uncollimated light source suffer much lower levels of noise low in the flame and just outside the flame sheet.This study found that the uncollimated light extinction is a more sensitive and effective technique for soot concentration measurement in laminar axisymmetric flames.This technique will be applied to laminar axisymmetric flames at elevated pressures in the next step.
Maxwell Finland Lecture. Smallpox: is the end in sight?

Monroe Eaton I took part in one of the first evaluations of an influenza vaccine-incidentally, a rather poor one. When I left the University of California not long afterward to head up a new hospital for dust-bowl migrants in the cotton country in Arizona, at an unlikely place called Eleven Mile Corner, Jack was instrumental in arranging for me to return with a fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation to work with Monroe
Effectiveness of Pharmacist and Physician Collaboration in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus With Severe Insulin Resistance Using U-500 Insulin.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacist-physician collaboration in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) with severe insulin resistance, using 500 U/mL concentrated regular insulin (U-500) in a primary care clinic that is not staffed by an endocrinologist. METHODS A retrospective chart review was conducted searching for patients who were prescribed U-500 insulin from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2014. Subjects were included in the analysis if the pharmacist initiated U-500 insulin therapy, received treatment for at least 6 months, and who attended at least one follow-up visit with the pharmacist. Anyone who received U-500 insulin before the initial pharmacist consultation, managed by an endocrinologist, or who was missing follow-up hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) laboratory values during the follow-up period was excluded. The primary endpoint was the change in HbA1c from U-500 initiation to 6 months later. Secondary endpoints included changes in weight, confirmed hypoglycemia events, changes in other anti-DM medications and the number of pharmacist and primary care physician visits during the follow-up period. RESULTS Eighty-one patients were identified and screened, and 44 patients were included in the analysis. Baseline HbA1c (mean ± standard deviation) was 9.7% ± 1.6% and decreased to 8.6% ± 1.6% after 6 months of follow-up, representing a reduction of 1.1% (95% confidence interval -1.6 to -0.6, P < 0.001). Body weight increased (mean ± standard deviation) by 6.7 ± 15.1 lb from baseline (P = 0.005). The frequency of confirmed hypoglycemia events was low (0.8 events per patient). Treatment with metformin was preserved, whereas most other DM medications were discontinued. A similar number of pharmacist and physician follow-up visits were completed by the end of the study period (2.0 and 2.7 visits, respectively; P = 0.805). CONCLUSIONS Initiation of U-500 insulin by clinical pharmacists collaborating with primary care physicians results in improved DM control in patients with severe insulin resistance. Our findings suggest this interprofessional partnership provides an alternative referral approach for primary care physicians when endocrinology services are absent or limited.
Coordinated Data Assignment: A Novel Scheme for Big Data over Cached Cloud-RAN

A cloud radio access network (Cloud-RAN) is a network architecture that holds onto the promise of meeting the explosive growth of mobile data traffic. Cloud-RAN consists a central processor (CP) connecting to multiple multi-antenna base stations (BSs) via finite-capacity backhaul links. To reduce the backhaul traffic, BS-level caching technique is utilized in which the popular contents are pre-fetched in memories at each BS. This technique plays an important role in future wireless big data processing due to its simplicity, low cost, and natural integration with big data analytical tools. Considered the tradeoff between the backhaul and the transmission power cost, in this paper we define the network cost of the system as a normalized weighted sum. The problem of minimizing the network cost with respect to both the precoding matrix and the cache placement matrix is formulated subject to the quality of service (QoS), peak transmission power, and cache capacity constraints. The l0-norm in the objective function along with the QoS constraints renders the optimization problem non-convex. Additionally, since the entries of cache placement matrix take binary values, the optimization problem falls into a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) which is a NP-hard problem. An iterative coordinated data assignment algorithm is introduced which achieves a stationary point of the problem. Simulations are conducted to illustrate the performance of introduced algorithm. It suggests that the introduced scheme can significantly reduce the total network cost of the underlying Cloud-RAN network and demonstrate the importance of considering the designing of cache placement matrix.