cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HUS and TTP in Children.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) are two rare clinical entities. They share a common underlying pathological process termed thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), characterized by endothelial cell injury, intravascular platelet-fibrin thrombi, and vascular damage. The two illnesses can occur as sporadic cases, in epidemic outbreaks, or in a genetic/familial pattern. Although HUS and TTP are orphan diseases, they remain among the most common causes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in non-hospitalized infants and children. While most children exhibit recovery of renal function after an episode of TMA, some patients are left with permanent residual sequelae or progress to end stage kidney disease (ESKD). The pivotal involvement of endothelial cells in both HUS and TTP was clear from the start based on histopathological examination of biopsy and autopsy material. However, the underlying basis of these disorders remained obscure for several decades after the original description of HUS by Gasser in the 1955 and TTP by Moschcowitz in 1925 (1). The landmark article by Karmali linking diarrhea-associated HUS to antecedent gastrointestinal infection by strains of E. coli that elaborate a toxin to cultured Vero cells was the first step that advanced the understanding of the cause of TMA (2). Subsequent studies indicated that the Vero toxin was, in fact, closely related to Shiga toxin (Stx). This was followed by studies that established a role of ADAMTS13 in the processing of von Willebrand factor (VWF) multimers. Moake demonstrated that TTP was caused by abnormally high levels of ultralarge VWF multimers due to congenital or acquired reductions in ADAMTS13 activity (3,4). In 1998, Goodship confirmed a linkage of atypical HUS (aHUS) to the region on chromosome 1 that contained the genes for a number of complement regulatory proteins (5). This was followed by the sequential demonstration that mutations in Factor H, Factor I, membrane cofactor protein (MCP, CD46), Factor B, C3, and thrombomodulin can cause familial cases of aHUS and contribute to all forms of TMA (6,7). These advances in molecular genetics began to unravel the cause of hereditary forms of HUS and TTP and led to the development of targeted therapies for both of these causes of TMA. Thus, there has been substantial progress in the understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of TMA. This chapter will focus on both HUS and TTP, with an emphasis on HUS because it is more common than TTP in children. A number of excellent reviews of diarrhea-associated HUS, aHUS, and TTP have been published in the last few years. As a consequence, this chapter will detail work done during the last decade, from 2000 to the present and highlight key advances in diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of this fascinating group of disorders.
Reply to Akiba on the probabilistic measure of coherence

Intuitively C(B1, ... , BN) measures the degree by which the beliefs are more likely to be true together than they would be if they were related neutrally, i.e. if the truth of one belief had no impact on the truth of any other. It is meant to spell out the frequently proffered characterization that coherent beliefs hang together. Akiba claims my formula is 'demonstrably inadequate indeed, inconsistent for a measure of coherence' (356) and expresses his general pessimism about the prospect of formulating a plausible probability measure of coherence. To dispel his pessimism I shall address below the three problems Akiba raises.
A classification of the primates.

A reclassification of the Primates, at the family level, is given, with remarks on points of difference from other recent classifications.
Pseudoprogression and treatment effect.

Abstract The standard of care for newly diagnosed malignant glioblastoma entails postoperative radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy with temozolomide. There has been an increase in the incidence of enhancing and progressive lesions seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following treatment. Conventional MRI with gadolinium contrast is unable to distinguish between the effects of treatment and actual tumor recurrence. New modalities have provided additional information for distinguishing treatment effects from tumor progression but are not 100% sensitive or specific in diagnosing progression. Novel radiographic or nonradiographic biomarkers with sensitivity and specificity verified in large randomized clinical trials are needed to detect progression.
Confocal microscopy in mycological research

Confocal microscopy in mycological research. Experimental Mycology 18, 275-293. Confocal microscopy is a revolutionary advance in light microscopy. Utilizing the latest laser, computer, and imaging technologies, the technique offers biologists a unique form of cell and/or subcellular visualization. The principal feature of confocal microscopy is that it permits “optical sectioning” rather than mechanical sectioning of both thin and relatively thick microscope specimens in fluorescence and reflection imaging modes; the resulting images have far better resolution and contrast than can be obtained with a conventional light microscope. This capability is achieved by using a monochromatic laser light in a scanning raster across a specimen. When a confocal pinhole is placed in the light path between the sample and the detector, most out-of-focus light is removed. Digitized confocal images may be further analyzed or improved by image processing and 3-D reconstruction. Laser scanning confocal microscopy can be successfully applied to a variety of fungal problems including cell dynamics, fungus-host interactions, organelle structure and function, or cytoskeletal localization and cytochemistry using an array of various reporters, in virtually any sample that can be viewed by conventional light microscopy. It is particularly advantageous for examining thick fungal samples or in host-pathogen interactions where the fungus is embedded deep within the host tissue. As with any technique, some artifacts and difficulties are inherently associated with laser scanning microscopy and computer processing of the resulting images. The advantages and disadvantages of confocal microscopy must be considered when determining its potential applications for specific mycological samples
mtDNA nt3243 Mutation, External Ophthalmoplegia, and Hypogonadism in an Adolescent Girl

A 14-year-old girl presented with a 3-month history of easy fatigue and exercise intolerance, especially when climbing stairs. She had a mild ptosis and mild limitation of upward gaze. Her puberty was delayed, and she manifested hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Serum lactic and pyruvic acids were elevated. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging was normal. Muscle biopsy documented typical ragged-red fibers. A point mutation at nucleotide 3243 in the tRNALeu(UUR) (typical mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) mutation) was detected in mitochondrial DNA from both blood and muscle tissues, indicating that our patient was suffering from a mitochondrial myopathy. Hypogonadism may be a manifestation of the MELAS nucleotide 3243 mutation.
Amniotic fluid testosterone concentration as an index of fetal sex.

Summary: Testosterone concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in 57 amniotic fluid samples obtained from 43 women whose gestational ages varied from 14–40 weeks. These women were grouped according to the sex of the fetus and the gestational age at the time of amniocentesis: group I, less than 20 weeks; group II, 21–30 weeks; group III, 31–40 weeks. In each gestational age group, mean testosterone concentrations were significantly higher in women bearing male fetuses. Of the 14 patients comprising group I, 8 bore male fetuses. The mean testosterone concentration for male fetuses in this group was 198.7 pg/ml (range 93–319.8 pg/ml) and 74.1 pg/ml for female fetuses (range 39–122.8 pg/ml). Group II was comprised of 23 patients, 13 of whom bore male fetuses. The mean testosterone concentration for male fetuses was 221.5 pg/ml (range 133.6–395.0 pg/ml), and for female fetuses it was 67.7 pg/ml (range 35.6–103.0 pg/ml). Group III consisted of 20 patients of whom 10 bore male fetuses. The mean testosterone concentration for the male fetuses was 149.1 pg/ml (range 99.2–262.0 pg/ml), and for female fetuses it was 60.2 pg/ml (range 39.5–96.7 pg/ml). Some overlapping of individual testosterone values was observed in fluid from male and female fetuses; however, the percentage of women bearing males and having amniotic fluid testosterone concentrations greater than 100 pg/ml was 93.5% (29/31). The percentage of women bearing females with testosterone concentrations less than 100 pg/ml was 88.5% (23/26). Speculation: Amniotic fluid testosterone concentrations have proven useful for the antenatal diagnosis of fetal sex. Correlation between the fetal sex based upon testosterone analysis and the amniotic fluid karyotype increases the probability that the cultured cells are of fetal origin. Certainty of diagnosis could be increased even further by combining antenatal sex diagnosis with fluorescent Y-chromatin screening of uncultured amniotic fluid. A combination of these techniques should aid in the elimination of diagnostic errors arising from contamination by maternal cells.
Ultra-wideband planar elliptical ring antenna

An elliptical ring antenna fed by a coplanar waveguide line for ultra-wideband applications is presented. The wideband performance is achieved by extending the length of the elliptical ring's major axis. The elliptical ring antenna has a 2:1 VSWR (return loss <10 dB) from 4.6 to 10.3 GHz and has an average gain of 4.48 dBi. The antenna radiation patterns show a stable variation within its operation band. The parameters determining the antenna wideband characteristic are discussed and the measured performance is presented.
Overexpression of the DNA mismatch repair factor, PMS2, confers hypermutability and DNA damage tolerance☆

Inherited defects in genes associated with DNA mismatch repair (MMR) have been linked to familial colorectal cancer. Cells deficient in MMR are genetically unstable and demonstrate a tolerance phenotype in response to certain classes of DNA damage. Some sporadic human cancers also show abnormalities in MMR gene function, typically due to diminished expression of one of the MutL homologs, MLH1. Here, we report that overexpression of the MutL homolog, human PMS2, can also cause a disruption of the MMR pathway in mammalian cells, resulting in hypermutability and DNA damage tolerance. A mouse fibroblast cell line carrying a recoverable lambda phage shuttle vector for mutation detection was transfected with either a vector designed to express hPMS2 or with an empty vector control. Cells overexpressing hPMS2 were found to have elevated spontaneous mutation frequencies at the cII reporter gene locus. They also showed an increase in the level of mutations induced by the alkylating agent, methynitrosourea (MNU). Clonogenic survival assays demonstrated increased survival of the PMS2-overexpressing cells following exposure to MNU, consistent with the induction of a damage tolerance phenotype. Similar results were seen in cells expressing a mutant PMS2 gene, containing a premature stop codon at position 134 and representing a variant found in an individual with familial colon cancer. These results show that dysregulation of PMS2 gene expression can disrupt MMR function in mammalian cells and establish an additional carcinogenic mechanism by which cells can develop genetic instability and acquire resistance to cytotoxic cancer therapies.
Word processors with line wrap: Cascading, self-organized criticality, random walks, diffusion, and predictability.

We examine the line-wrap feature of text processors. We show that adding characters to previously formatted lines leads to the cascading of words to subsequent lines. The length of these cascades shows a power-law distribution. We show that this system is in a state of self-organized criticality. The connection to one-dimensional random walks and diffusion problems is demonstrated. Of particular interest is the exponential cutoff of the power-law distribution occurring for finite line lengths. Finally we examine the predictability of large cascades.
Some new post-Paleozoic sea stars (Asteroidea; Echinodermata) and comments on taxon endurance

Five Jurassic through Oligocene sea stars are described; all are assignable to modern genera and two (Tethyaster jurassicus; Mediaster hayi) represent new species. Tethyaster and Pseudarchaster are morphologically similar but represent separate orders; occurrence of both in Jurassic sediments suggests close common ancestry. Many post-Paleozoic sea stars appear enduring, perhaps because of broad ecological tolerances and construction; the fossils described here probably are not unique as asteroid living fossils.
Combined influences of chromatic aberration and scattering in depth-resolved two-photon fluorescence endospectroscopy

The influence of chromatic aberration of an objective lens in two-photon fluorescence (TPF) endospectroscopy of scattering media has been systematically investigated through both experiments and numerical simulations. Experiments were carried out on a uniform 3D scattering gelatin phantom embedded with TiO2 granules (to mimic tissue scattering) and fluorescein-tagged polystyrene beads. It was found that fluorescence spectral intensity and lineshape varied as a function of depth when measured with a gradient-index (GRIN) lens which has severe chromatic aberration. The spectral distortion caused by the chromatic aberration became diminishing as the imaging depth increased. Ray tracing analysis and Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to study the interplay of chromatic aberration and scattering in the depth-resolved TPF spectra. The simulation results suggest that the collected fluorescence signals from deeper layers included more out-of-focus photons that experienced a few or multiple scatterings, which diminish the influence of chromatic aberration on the measured TPF spectra. The simulated collection efficiencies of TPF at different wavelengths and depths can be used to properly recover the true depth-resolved TPF spectra of a relatively uniform scattering medium.
FVCOM validation experiments: Comparisons with ROMS for three idealized barotropic test problems

[1] The unstructured-grid Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) is evaluated using three idealized benchmark test problems: the Rossby equatorial soliton, the hydraulic jump, and the three-dimensional barotropic wind-driven basin. These test cases examine the properties of numerical dispersion and damping, the performance of the nonlinear advection scheme for supercritical flow conditions, and the accuracy of the implicit vertical viscosity scheme in barotropic settings, respectively. It is demonstrated that FVCOM provides overall a second-order spatial accuracy for the vertically averaged equations (i.e., external mode), and with increasing grid resolution the model-computed solutions show a fast convergence toward the analytic solutions regardless of the particular triangulation method. Examples are provided to illustrate the ability of FVCOM to facilitate local grid refinement and speed up computation. Comparisons are also made between FVCOM and the structured-grid Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) for these test cases. For the linear problem in a simple rectangular domain, i.e., the winddriven basin case, the performance of the two models is quite similar. For the nonlinear case, such as the Rossby equatorial soliton, the second-order advection scheme used in FVCOM is almost as accurate as the fourth-order advection scheme implemented in ROMS if the horizontal resolution is relatively high. FVCOM has taken advantage of the new development in computational fluid dynamics in resolving flow problems containing discontinuities. One salient feature illustrated by the three-dimensional barotropic winddriven basin case is that FVCOM and ROMS simulations show different responses to the refinement of grid size in the horizontal and in the vertical.
Depressed mothers' behavioral competence with their infants: Demographic and psychosocial correlates

A multidimensional study examined individual differences in observed behavior of 59 depressed mothers interacting with their 3–13-month-old infants in relation to selected demographic and psychosocial variables. Maternal competence–defined as sensitive, affectively appropriate maternal behavior, was positively related to maternal education, family income, and the number of hours mothers worked outside the home. Maternal competence was inversely related to life stress, marital discord, poor social support, and infant difficulty; all of these relations appeared to be mediated by the women's feelings of self-efficacy in the maternal role. A “risk index,” composed of noncorrelated variables (family income, hours per week mother worked outside the home, and maternal self-efficacy), was strongly related to maternal parenting competence. These results suggest that the quality of depressed mothers' behavior with their babies is related to self-evaluations and contextual risk or protective factors. The findings also highlight the heterogeneity in life circumstances and functioning of depressed women and the probable resulting variability in the level of functioning of their children.
Structural Change in Factor Demand Relationships in the U.S. Food and Kindred Products Industry

This analysis utilizes multivariate gradual switching regression techniques and Bayesian inferential procedures to evaluate structural change in factor demand relationships in the food manufacturing industry. Food materials are included as an input into the food manufacturing industry. The results confirm a significant gradual structural change that initiated in 1980. Price elasticities indicate that the demands for raw food materials and energy have become more elastic while the demand for labor has become less elastic. Morishima elasticities of substitution indicate that nearly all factors are substitutes and that the degree of substitutability has significantly increased in recent years.
Low-dimensional chaotic dynamics versus intrinsic stochastic noise: a paradigm model

Several prototype models are introduced here which are designed to elucidate the interaction between heteroclinic low-dimensional chaos in the projected nonlinear dynamics and intrinsic stochasticity induced by energy exchange with a bath of fast variables. These models are built by coupling a four-dimensional ODE with known analytical properties including heteroclinic cycles with a suitable deterministic bath of fast variables. A systematic strategy for stochastic mode reduction is applied to these models with 104 degrees of freedom to derive four-dimensional reduced stochastic equations for the slow variables. Due to the internal chaotic dynamics of the slow variables the stochastic mode reduction strategy is very robust in this case and yields reduced models which accurately capture the statistical behavior of the original deterministic system. Furthermore, it is also shown here that even in the regime of a weak coupling between the slow variables and the fast heat bath, the detailed structure of the stochastic terms derived through the mode-elimination procedure is essential for reproducing the statistical behavior of the slow dynamics.
The ventral tegmental area is required for the behavioral and nucleus accumbens neuronal firing responses to incentive cues

Reward-predictive cues exert powerful control over behavioral choice and may be a critical factor in drug addiction. Reward-seeking elicited by predictive cues is facilitated by the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), yet the contribution of dopamine to the specific NAc firing patterns that underlie goal-directed behavior has remained elusive. We present evidence that subpopulations of NAc neurons that respond to predictive cues require the dopaminergic projection from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to promote reward-seeking behavior. Rats trained to perform an operant response to a cue to obtain a sucrose reward were implanted with both multiunit recording electrodes in the NAc and microinjection cannulas in the VTA. Both the behavioral response to cues and the cue-evoked firing of NAc neurons were blocked by injection of the GABA(B) agonist baclofen into the VTA. An additional group of rats was trained on the same task and then implanted with microinjection cannulas in the NAc. Like VTA baclofen injection, injection of dopamine receptor antagonists into the NAc profoundly reduced cue-elicited reward seeking. Together, these results support the conclusion that both the behavioral response to the cue and the specific NAc neuronal firing that promotes the response depend on dopamine release within the NAc. Our findings suggest a neural mechanism by which the dopamine-dependent firing of NAc neurons mediates goal-directed behavior.
Severe Shading Reduces Early Fruit Growth in Apple by Decreasing Cell Production and Expansion

Shadingduringearlyfruitdevelopmentreducesfruit growthandinitiatesfruit abscissioninapple(Malus · domestica). The mechanisms mediating the decline in fruit growth in response to shading are not well understood. In this study, the effects of shading during early fruit development on cell production and expansion were investigated. Additionally, the effects of shading on the expression of genes associated with carbohydrate metabolism, fruit growth, and cell production and expansion were investigated to develop a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms and to identify genes that mediate the reduction in fruit growth. Shading of isolated branches or entire trees '15 to 18daysafter fullbloom resultedin asharpdecline infruitgrowthby3daysaftertreatment. Reductioninfruit growth was consistently mediated by a decline in cell production within 3 days after treatment. Reduced fruit growth was also associated withlowercellsize by3to7daysafter shadingintwodifferentyears.Thesedataindicatethatthe reduction in fruit growth as a result of shading is mediated by a reduction in cell production and expansion. The expression of two sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) genes, MdSDH1 and MdSDH2, was higher in the shaded fruit by up to 10-fold, suggesting an increase in SDH activity to meet the immediate respiratory demands of the developing fruit. The auxin responsefactor(ARF),MdARF106,displayed '3-foldhigherexpressionintheshadedfruit,suggestingitsinvolvement in regulating mechanisms that mediate the reduction in fruit growth. Two A2-type cyclins, MdCYCA2;2 and MdCYCA2;3,whicharepositivelyassociatedwithcellproduction,displayedlowerexpressionintheshadedfruitbyup to 4.6-fold. Conversely, MdKRP4 and MdKRP5, cell cycle genes negatively associated with cell production, displayed 3.9- and 5.3-fold higher expression in the shaded fruit, respectively. Additionally, two genes associated with cell expansion, MdCOB1 (cobra1) and MdEXPA10;1 (expansin), displayed lower expression in the shaded fruit. Together, these data indicate that shading results in coordinated changes in the expression of carbohydrate metabolism-related genes, key transcription factors related to fruit growth, and genes associated with cell production and expansion. These changes may subsequently decrease the progression of the primary processes that mediate fruit growth.
Evaluating Collaboration for Effectiveness: Conceptualization and Measurement

Although collaboration is recognized as an effective means to address multifaceted community issues, successful collaboration is difficult to achieve and failure is prevalent. To effectively collab...
Structural integrity of implanted WMT infinity hip and Osteonics Omnifit hip in fresh cadaveric femurs.

Five matched pairs of fresh human femurs were used to quantitatively assess the structural integrity of the implanted Wright Medical Technology modular Infinity hip and the Osteonics single-piece Omnifit hip. The results showed that neither bone implant system was able to recreate the femoral anteversion of the intact femur (p 0.5). The anterior proximal femur deformation patterns were similar for both the two bone implant systems and intact femurs. However, the medial proximal femur deformation patterns showed that the Infinity hip-implanted femur was more similar to the intact femur than the Osteonics Omnifit hip-implanted femur.
Nonlinear Reduced-Order Simulation Using An Experimentally Guided Modal Basis

A procedure is developed for using nonlinear experimental response data to guide the modal basis selection in a nonlinear reduced-order simulation. The procedure entails using nonlinear acceleration response data to first identify proper orthogonal modes. Special consideration is given to cases in which some of the desired response data is unavailable. Bases consisting of linear normal modes are then selected to best represent the experimentally determined transverse proper orthogonal modes and either experimentally determined inplane proper orthogonal modes or the special case of numerically computed in-plane companions. The bases are subsequently used in nonlinear modal reduction and dynamic response simulations. The experimental data used in this work is simulated to allow some practical considerations, such as the availability of in-plane response data and non-idealized test conditions, to be explored. Comparisons of the nonlinear reduced-order simulations are made with the surrogate experimental data to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.
Surgical treatment of gallbladder cancer.

Gallbladder cancer is usually a fatal illness because early stages of this carcinoma cause no specific signs or symptoms. Although the best chance of cure for gallbladder cancer remains incidental discovery, radical resection of the gallbladder, with the adjacent liver, adherent structures, plus a regional lymphadenectomy, has been suggested to improve survival. We retrospectively analyzed all patients with gallbladder cancer who were treated surgically at Mayo Clinic (Rochester) between 1984 and 2000. There were 131 patients for whom complete survival information was available. Patients who underwent a radical cholecystectomy had a significantly longer median survival (24 months) than patients who had a simple cholecystectomy (6 months) or noncurative treatment (4 months) (P < 0.0001). The radical cholecystectomy group had significantly longer survival than the simple cholecystectomy group for all American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stages except stage I. Of the different variables tested in a univariate analysis (sex, surgical treatment modality, AJCC stage, tumor grade, jaundice, hyperbilirubinemia, and adjuvant therapy), all variables except sex, tumor grade, and adjuvant therapy were statistically significant predictors for the survival of patients with gallbladder cancer. AJCC stage and surgical treatment modality were the only significant predictors in a multivariate analysis. Our results support radical surgical resection for the treatment of gallbladder cancer to improve patient survival.
Bulk Atmospheric Deposition in the Charleston Harbor Watershed

Abstract Nutrient levels in coastal waters are significantly enhanced through atmospheric deposition. Bulk atmospheric deposition was sampled at 10 different sites throughout the Charleston Harbor watershed. Fluoride, chloride, phosphate, nitrate, and sulfate concentrations in the samples were determined with ion chromatography. Sulfate concentrations showed no statistically significant spatial variability. However, chloride and fluoride concentrations are found to be higher in samples from oceanside sites vs. the inland sites, presumably because of higher concentrations of sea spray aerosols. Samples from inland sites had higher concentrations of nitrates, presumably because of stronger influences of anthropogenic sources and continental dust aerosols. Samples from urban oceanside sites had higher fluoride, chloride, and nitrate concentrations than did samples from rural oceanside sites, suggesting an anthropogenic influence. Higher chloride and nitrate concentrations were noted in samples associated wit...
Development of an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer for Size and Composition Analysis of Submicron Particles

The importance of atmospheric aerosols in regulating the Earth's climate and their potential detrimental impact on air quality and human health has stimulated the need for instrumentation which can provide real-time analysis of size resolved aerosol, mass, and chemical composition. We describe here an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) which has been developed in response to these aerosol sampling needs and present results which demonstrate quantitative mea surement capability for a laboratory-generated pure component NH4 NO3 aerosol. The instrument combines standard vacuum and mass spectrometric technologies with recently developed aerosol sampling techniques. A unique aerodynamic aerosol inlet (developed at the University of Minnesota) focuses particles into a narrow beam and efficiently transports them into vacuum where aerodynamic particle size is determined via a particle time-of-flight (TOF) measurement. Time-resolved particle mass detection is performed mass spectrometrically following particle flash ...
Socially Responsible Investors and Their Advisors

Socially responsible investors are similar to conventional investors in some ways but different in others. Like conventional investors, socially responsible investors want high returns and low risk, but socially responsible investors also want their portfolios to conform to their values, whether promotion of worker rights, opposition to war, or protection of the environment. Financial advisors new to socially responsible investing ask important questions. How can we make sense of socially responsibility when it means different things to different people? Is it right to mix financial goals with social goals. And won't such mixing violate our fiduciary duties? Socially responsible investing often means different things to different people, but so does risk. It is the role of advisors to explore clients' social, ethical and religious preferences, just as they explore attitudes toward risk. Social questionnaires can facilitate that task as risk questionnaires do. Mixing non-financial preferences with financial goals is not really new to any financial advisor. For example, advisors routinely accommodate the "home bias" of clients by titling portfolios away from foreign stocks, even when such tilts diminish the benefits of diversification. And socially responsible investing does not violate advisors' fiduciary duties when clients direct such investing in the investment policy statement. This article presents, in their own words, four financial advisors who advise socially responsible investors. They tell about the life experiences that have drawn them to socially responsible investing and offer lessons about serving socially responsible clients.
Effect of Pregnancy on Autoregulation of Cerebral Blood Flow in Anterior Versus Posterior Cerebrum

Severe preeclampsia and eclampsia are associated with brain edema that forms preferentially in the posterior cerebral cortex possibly because of decreased sympathetic innervation of posterior cerebral arteries and less effective autoregulation during acute hypertension. In the present study, we examined the effect of pregnancy on the effectiveness of cerebral blood flow autoregulation using laser Doppler flowmetry and edema formation by wet:dry weight in acute hypertension induced by phenylephrine infusion in the anterior and posterior cerebrum from nonpregnant (n8) and late-pregnant (n6) Sprague-Dawley rats. In addition, we compared the effect of pregnancy on sympathetic innervation by tyrosine hydroxylase staining of posterior and middle cerebral arteries (n5-6 per group) and endothelial and neuronal NO synthase expression using quantitative PCR (n3 per group). In nonpregnant animals, there was no difference in autoregulation between the anterior and posterior cerebrum. However, in late-pregnant animals, the threshold of cerebral blood flow autoregulation was shifted to lower pressures in the posterior cerebrum, which was associated with increased neuronal NO synthase expression in the posterior cerebral cortex versus anterior. Compared with the nonpregnant state, pregnancy increased the threshold of autoregulation in both brain regions that was related to decreased expression of endothelial NO synthase. Lastly, acute hypertension during pregnancy caused greater edema formation in both brain cortices that was not attributed to changes in sympathetic innervation. These findings suggest that, although pregnancy shifted the cerebral blood flow autoregulatory curve to higher pressures in both the anterior and posterior cortices, it did not protect from edema during acute hypertension. (Hypertension. 2012;60:705-711.)
Evaluation of the response to vaccination with hepatitis B vaccine in pediatric patients diagnosed with celiac disease.

Background:A gap exists in the literature on celiac disease populations and the response to hepatitis B vaccination.Objective:To identify pediatric patients with celiac disease who received the primary hepatitis B vaccination and investigate their response to vaccine.Design/Methods:Patients underwent blood draw for hepatitis B surface antibody titers. Patients with undetectable or non-protective HBsAb titers were contacted. Study outcome measures and patient characteristics variables were summarized by means, standard deviations, medians, and ranges. A two-sample t-test was used to compare normally distributed continuous variables between responders and non-responders.Results:In all, 58% of patients did not meet the threshold for “protective” antibody titers. The mean time between completion of hepatitis B vaccination and diagnosis of celiac disease was 8.1 years for responders versus 10.5 years for non-responders. In a multivariate analysis, time between completion of vaccine and diagnosis of celiac dise...
Complex Chemical Reaction Networks from Heuristics-Aided Quantum Chemistry

While structures and reactivities of many small molecules can be computed efficiently and accurately using quantum chemical methods, heuristic approaches remain essential for modeling complex structures and large-scale chemical systems. Here, we present a heuristics-aided quantum chemical methodology applicable to complex chemical reaction networks such as those arising in cell metabolism and prebiotic chemistry. Chemical heuristics offer an expedient way of traversing high-dimensional reactive potential energy surfaces and are combined here with quantum chemical structure optimizations, which yield the structures and energies of the reaction intermediates and products. Application of heuristics-aided quantum chemical methodology to the formose reaction reproduces the experimentally observed reaction products, major reaction pathways, and autocatalytic cycles.
Computational Considerations for Some Deterministic and Adaptive Control Processes

Publisher Summary Modern mathematics is not capable of dealing with the problems that arise in cursory attempts to synthesize or analyze complex electrical, mechanical, and thermal systems, where a variety of economic factors must also be taken into account. New fields of mathematics have been cultivated to deal with these new problems. These include linear and dynamic programming. This chapter describes the determination of an optimal control policy for a problem typical of many occurring in engineering and economics and also illustrates the application of a quasi-linearization technique along with the formulation and solution of a problem of adaptive control. The quasi-linearization technique holds promise insofar as the numerical resolution of the nonlinear two-point boundary-value problems. In some processes the controller suffers from an initial lack of knowledge concerning some aspects of the process but is able to learn about these unknown factors during the course of the process. Such processes are known as adaptive control processes. An adaptive controller has the capability of learning about certain initially unknown factors in the course of the control process. The controller thus both learns and controls in an effort to best achieve an objective.
Using the Network Metaphor to Design, Deliver, and Maintain a Construction Management Curriculum

Construction management programs accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) are responding to new standards for accreditation, as the accreditation process itself is being changed to primarily focus on learning outcomes. These changes offer an opportunity and a challenge for existing programs to readjust and restructure to meet the increasingly changing expectations within the construction market. Using a network metaphor, with a critical path consisting of critical activities, activity codes, and constraints, can be a successful methodology to develop/align a construction management curriculum. As with any network, this approach can be used as both planning and control tool, being revisited regularly for further fine-tuning responding to the feedback resulting from assessment efforts to “close the loop.” The resulting network can be presented in both tabular and/or graphical format highlighting the critical path and particular critical activities (learning concepts) within that path. Different resources can be applied to the schedule reflecting their commitment and availability limits (space, labs, computers, etc.).
College major, internship experience, and employment opportunities: Estimates from a résumé audit

We use experimental data from a resume audit to estimate the impact of particular college majors and internship experience on employment prospects. Despite applying exclusively to business-related job openings, we find no evidence that business degrees improve employment prospects. By contrast, internship experience increases the interview rate by 14%. The returns to internship experience are larger for (a) nonbusiness majors and (b) applicants with high academic ability. Our data support signaling as the most likely explanation regarding the effect of internships on employment opportunities.
An Online Gradient Algorithm for Optimal Power Flow on Radial Networks

We propose an online algorithm for solving optimal power flow (OPF) problems on radial networks where the controllable devices continuously interact with the network that implicitly computes a power flow solution given a control action. Collectively the controllable devices and the network implement a gradient projection algorithm for the OPF problem in real time. The key design feature that enables this approach is that the intermediate iterates of our algorithm always satisfy power flow equations and operational constraints. This is achieved by explicitly exploiting the network to implicitly solve power flow equations for us in real time at scale. We prove that the proposed algorithm converges to the set of local optima and provide sufficient conditions under which it converges to a global optimum. We derive an upper bound on the suboptimality gap of any local optimum. This bound suggests that any local minimum is almost as good as any strictly feasible point. We explain how to greatly reduce the gradient computation in each iteration by using approximate gradient derived from linearized power flow equations. Numerical results on test networks, ranging from 42-bus to 1990-bus, show a great speedup over a second-order cone relaxation method with negligible difference in objective values.
Maximal PDGF-induced lung fibroblast chemotaxis requires PDGF receptor-alpha

Alteration of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor system could be important in enhancing the mitogenic and chemotactic potential of lung fibroblasts during pulmonary fibrogenesis. We...
Effects of Acute Ochratoxicosis on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate of Broiler Chickens

Male broiler chickens (Hubbard X Hubbard) were placed at hatching into electrically heated batteries with feed and water available ad libitum and maintained to 3 weeks of age under continuous lighting. In Trial 1, two replicate pens of 10 broilers per replicate were fed ochratoxin A from day-old to 3 weeks of age with treatments of 0, 2.0, and 4.0 micrograms/g ochratoxin A in feed (ppm). Trial 2 was identical to Trial 1 except that when the broilers reached 3 weeks of age they were administered an additional intravenous dose of either ochratoxin A, methoxamine, or isoproterenol. Trial 3 broiler chickens were maintained on control feed until they reached 3 weeks of age at which time they were taken off of feed for 2.5 hr and then placed on either control feed or feed containing 4.0 ppm ochratoxin A, and heart rate and blood pressure were measured every half hour through 7 hr. In Trial 1, no effect of ochratoxin A was seen in any treatment on heart rate or diastolic, systolic, or mean blood pressure. However, when an intravenous dose of ochratoxin A was administered to these broilers, a significant (P less than .05) decrease in heart rate and diastolic, systolic, and mean blood pressure occurred. The severity and duration of intravenous ochratoxin A administration were significantly (P less than .05) enhanced as the level of dietary ochratoxin A increased. The response of broilers to isoproterenol was significantly (P less than .05) altered by dietary ochratoxin A, whereas the broilers responded in a predictable manner to methoxamine without significant (P less than .05) ochratoxin A treatment effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A method for determining average damage depth of sawn crystalline silicon wafers

The depth of surface damage (or simply, damage) in crystalline silicon wafers, caused by wire sawing of ingots, is determined by performing a series of minority carrier lifetime (MCLT) measurements. Samples are sequentially etched to remove thin layers from each surface and MCLT is measured after each etch step. The thickness-removed (δt) at which the lifetime reaches a peak value corresponds to the damage depth. This technique also allows the damage to be quantified in terms of effective surface recombination velocity (Seff). To accomplish this, the MCLT data are converted into an Seff vs δt plot, which represents a quantitative distribution of the degree of damage within the surface layer. We describe a wafer preparation procedure to attain reproducible etching and MCLT measurement results. We also describe important characteristics of an etchant used for controllably removing thin layers from the wafer surfaces. Some typical results showing changes in the MCLT vs δt plots for different cutting parameters are given.
Efficiency and Productivity in the US Property-Liability Insurance Industry: Ownership Structure, Product and Distribution Strategies

The chapter examines efficiency and productivity of US property-liability (P-L) insurers using data envelopment analysis (DEA). We estimate pure technical, scale, cost, revenue and profit efficiency over the period 1993–2011. Insurers’ adjacent year total factor productivity changes and their contributing factors are also investigated. In particular, we explore the relationship of insurers’ efficiency with their ownership structure, product and distribution strategies. Regression analyses are also performed to explore the relationships between firm characteristics, efficiency and productivity. The results indicate US P-L insurance industry has improved its efficiency and productivity over time. Insurers’ product strategy, distribution system, and diversification strategy are important determinants of insurers’ efficiency and productivity, along with other firm characteristics.
Pragmatism in the age of Jihad : the precolonial state of Bundu

List of maps Abbreviations Notes on spelling Acknowledgements 1. Introduction 2. Malik Sy and the origins of a pragmatic polity 3. Consolidation and expansion in the eighteenth century 4. External reforms and internal consequences: Futa Toro and Bundu 5. The reassertion of Sissibe integrity 6. Structure of the Bundunke Almaamate 7. Struggle for the Upper Senegal Valley 8. Al-Hajj Umar in Bundu 9. The age of Bokar Saada 10. Mamadu Lamine and the demise of Bundu 11. Conclusion Footnotes Sources consulted Appendices.
Age-dependent functional crosstalk between cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes in a 3D engineered cardiac tissue.

Abstract Complex heterocellular interactions between cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts in the heart involve their bidirectional signaling via cell-cell contacts, paracrine factors, and extracellular matrix (ECM). These interactions vary with heart development and pathology leading to changes in cardiac structure and function. Whether cardiac fibroblasts of different ages interact differentially with cardiomyocytes to distinctly impact their function remains unknown. Here, we explored the direct structural and functional effects of fetal and adult cardiac fibroblasts on cardiomyocytes using a tissue-engineered 3D co-culture system. We show that the age of cardiac fibroblasts is a strong determinant of the structure, function, and molecular properties of co-cultured tissues. In particular, in vitro expanded adult, but not fetal, cardiac fibroblasts significantly deteriorated electrical and mechanical function of the co-cultured cardiomyocytes, as evidenced by slower action potential conduction, prolonged action potential duration, weaker contractions, higher tissue stiffness, and reduced calcium transient amplitude. This functional deficit was associated with structural and molecular signatures of pathological remodeling including fibroblast proliferation, interstitial collagen deposition, and upregulation of pro-fibrotic markers. Our studies imply critical roles of the age of supporting cells in engineering functional cardiac tissues and provide a new physiologically relevant in vitro platform to investigate influence of heterocellular interactions on cardiomyocyte function, development, and disease. Statement of Significance Previous studies have shown that cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts in the heart interact through direct contacts, paracrine factors, and matrix-mediated crosstalk. However, whether cardiac fibroblasts of different ages distinctly impact cardiomyocyte function remains elusive. We employed a tissue-engineered hydrogel-based co-culture system to study interactions of cardiomyocytes with fetal or adult cardiac fibroblasts. We show that the age of cardiac fibroblasts is a strong determinant of the structure, function, and molecular properties of engineered cardiac tissues and that key features of fibrotic myocardium are replicated by supplementing cardiomyocytes with expanded adult but not fetal fibroblasts. These findings relate to implantation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in adult myocardium and warrant further studies of how age and source of non-myocytes impact cardiac function and maturation.
{CP} Violation in $K_L \to \pi^+ \pi^- \gamma$

We study the process K/sub L/..--> pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/..gamma.., looking for new information on CP violation. We find that CP violation in this process is dominated by the inner-bremsstrahlung contribution which gives no information different from what is known in K/sub L/..--> pi pi... Any CP violation in the direct emission appears to be too small to be observed. We also find that the direct-emission term is dominated by long-distance contributions to the electromagnetic form factor, and can be reasonably understood within a pole model.
Templating the 3D structure of conducting polymers with self-assembling peptides.

Self-assembly of a tetrapeptide covalently attached to a thiophene-based monomer produced a gel with a fibrous, porous structure. Conditions were identified in which the thiophene end groups could undergo polymerization while retaining the 3D structure, resulting in the formation of nanofibrous gels with conductivities averaging 10−4 S cm−1.
Phase II trial of pembrolizumab (PEM) plus granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in advanced biliary cancers (ABC).

386Background: The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibition (CPI) has not been established in ABC. GM-CSF modulates immune effector cells and has demonstrated safety and improved survival (OS) in c...