cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies in Symbolic Interaction: II. An Experimental Analysis of Self-Referent Behavior

In a study designed to identify the determinants of accurate self-referent behavior, Ss predicted their individual performances on arithmetic and clerical tasks and indicated self-descriptive traits and roles on the Adjective Check List and the Twenty Statements Test. Traits and roles characterizing accurate or inaccurate predictors were then presented to additional Ss before they predicted their scores on the same taks. As hypothesized, the self-ascription of traits and roles associated with baseline accuracy increased predictive accuracy, and inaccurate ascriptions decreased accuracy. The findings are consistent with Mead’s symbolic interactionist approach of self-referent action and suggest that the experimental analysis of behavior may shed further light on the antecedents of accurate self-prediction and self-control.
Discharges with surgical procedures performed less often than once per month per hospital account for two-thirds of hospital costs of inpatient surgery

Abstract Study Objective Most surgical discharges (54%) at the average hospital are for procedures performed no more often than once per month at that hospital. We hypothesized that such uncommon procedures would be associated with an even greater percentage of the total cost of performing all surgical procedures at that hospital. Design Observational study. Setting State of Texas hospital discharge abstract data: 4th quarter of 2015 and 1st quarter of 2016. Patients Inpatients discharged with a major therapeutic ("operative") procedure. Measurements For each of N=343 hospitals, counts of discharges, sums of lengths of stay (LOS), sums of diagnosis related group (DRG) case-mix weights, and sums of charges were obtained for each procedure or combination of procedures, classified by International Classification of Diseases version 10 Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS). Each discharge was classified into 2 categories, uncommon versus not, defined as a procedure performed at most once per month versus those performed more often than once per month. Main results Major procedures performed at most once per month per hospital accounted for an average among hospitals of 68% of the total inpatient costs associated with all major therapeutic procedures. On average, the percentage of total costs associated with uncommon procedures was 26% greater than expected based on their share of total discharges (P Conclusions Approximately 2/3rd (mean 68%) of inpatient costs among surgical patients can be attributed to procedures performed at most once per month per hospital. The finding that such uncommon procedures account for a large percentage of costs is important because methods of cost accounting by procedure are generally unsuitable for them.
Analysis of Panamanian DMSP/OLS nightlights corroborates suspicions of inaccurate fiscal data: A natural experiment examining the accuracy of GDP data

Abstract Governments have incentives to misreport their economic productivity to advance their political goals. These incentives have long been understood, but the validity of government data has been difficult to estimate in the absence of viable external estimates. Using historic Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's Operational Linescan System nightlights imagery we corroborate reports that Panama's government data has been increasingly politicised since the handover of the Panama Canal on 31 December 1999. The Canal Handover represents a “natural experiment” in which the production of government data changed in Panama for reasons separate from the desire to manipulate that data. The amount of light a country produces at night, known as nightlight production, has been shown to strongly correlate with GDP. Using subnational Panamanian nightlight production from 1996 to 2012, we detect a significant divergence between the relationship of subnational reported GDP and nightlights before the Canal handover (when the U.S.A. was very involved in their statistical agencies) and the correlation after the handover (with no U.S. involvement). Our results indicate that between 2000 and 2012, Panama reported approximately 19% more GDP than what was expected by their nightlight production from 2000 to 2012, or a total of around 40 billion U.S. dollars. Our results suggest governments may engage in political manipulation of government statistics to improve the appearance of government performance. While indirect data can never definitely confirm economic phenomena, this analysis presents a unique research design and application of historic satellite imagery to corroborate reports of GDP misreporting.
Physiology Of Bone Healing And Bone Grafts

Contemporary head and neck hard tissue reconstruction incorporates bone transfers in the treatment of osseous discontinuity defects subsequent to congenital malformation, traumatic injury, ablative oncologic surgery, and failures of physiologic osteosynthesis. Bone grafts may also be applied in contour augmentation and in strengthening and stabilization roles in congenital and acquired aesthetic as well as posttraumatic deformities. The osseous healing process is dynamic and unique. An understanding of the physiology of these processes allows the reconstructive surgeon to choose techniques and donor sites appropriate to specific requirements, to maximize transplanted bone volume, to achieve consistent and reliable results, and to modulate the osseous healing process in a favorable direction.
The nature and effectiveness of learning disability services for college students.

This article summarizes the research literature that describes the nature and effectiveness of services that are provided to college students with learning disabilities. Six categories of services are described: assistive technologies and programs, program modifications, therapy and counseling, strategy training, direct academic assistance, and interventions designed to strengthen weak academic skills. Nearly all of the literature that was examined fell within the first 5 categories, with only 3 studies describing efforts to directly improve the academic performance that identified a student's learning disability. In addition, there is almost a total lack of evidence showing that any of the first 5 categories of services resulted in improved academic performance. There was, however, evidence that attempts at improving academic skills resulted in improved academic performance. The article concludes with a discussion of the role that learning disability services should play in a college environment.
A turbulent transport network model in MULTIFLUX coupled with TOUGH2

A TURBULENT TRANSPORT NETWORK MODEL IN MULTIFLUX COUPLED WITH TOUGH2 G. Danko 1 , D. Bahrami 1 , J. Birkholzer 2 Department of Mining Engineering, University of Nevada Reno Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
Differential T Cell Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-II in Children With Autism

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairments in verbal and non-verbal communication, in social interactions, and often accompanied by stereotypical interests and behaviors. A role for immune dysfunction has long been implicated in ASD pathophysiology, behavioral severity, and co-morbidities. The pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) has been associated with ASD in some studies but little is known about its receptors. There are two receptors for TNFα, with TNFRI relaying many of the signals from TNFα, especially those that are rapid, whilst TNFRII relays later more long-term effects of TNFα. Proteolytic cleavage can lead to the soluble versions of these receptors which can neutralize the effects of TNFα. Here, we determined levels of TNFα and its receptors in 36 children with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD and 27 confirmed typically developing (TD) controls, 2-5 years-of-age. Children with ASD had higher levels of TNFRII on T cells compared to controls following cell stimulation. Levels of sTNFRII were decreased in cell supernatants following stimulation in ASD. Overall these data corroborate the role of inflammatory events in ASD and align with previous studies that have shown differential changes in cellular adaptive immunity in children with ASD. Future longitudinal analyzes of cellular immune function and downstream signaling from immune receptors will help further delineate the role of inflammation in ASD.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Child Weight Status: A Review.

Context The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a food assistance program that helps Americans afford a healthy diet. However, its influence on children's weight status is unclear. This review examined the evidence of the relationship between SNAP participation and child weight. Evidence acquisition The following databases were searched: PubMed, EconLit, Web of Science, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. The last search was performed in October 2018. This systematic review gives a narrative synthesis of included studies. Evidence synthesis Twenty-three studies that examined the weight outcomes of children aged 2–18 years and SNAP participation were included. Eleven studies found no significant relationship between SNAP and child weight outcomes. Nine found that SNAP participation was associated with increased weight outcomes in certain subpopulations, and four found that SNAP was linked to a predicted decrease in weight outcomes in some subpopulations. However, many of these studies did not address a key methodologic challenge: self-selection. Of those that did, five found that SNAP participation was associated with an increased risk of being overweight and elevated weight in certain subpopulations. Conclusions SNAP participation may help boys maintain a healthy body weight but can be a contributing factor in being overweight or obese in girls who are long-term participants, or who are already overweight. Food security and participation in multiple food assistance programs may be important modifiers. These findings are relevant to policymakers who are considering reducing SNAP funding or restructuring the program. Further research that utilizes strong designs is needed.
Creating Effective Automation to Maintain Explicit User Engagement

Loss of user engagement with automation in increasingly complex environments, such as driving a car, can have increasingly unexpected and consequential impacts. This paper presents a three-step pro...
A Robust Approach for Estimating Field Reliability Using Aggregate Failure Time Data

Failure time data of fielded systems are usually obtained from the actual users of the systems. Due to various operational preferences and/or technical obstacles, a large proportion of field data are collected as aggregate data instead of the exact failure times of individual units. The challenge of using such data is that the obtained information is more concise but less precise in comparison to using individual failure times. The most significant needs in modeling aggregate failure time data are the selection of an appropriate probability distribution and the development of a statistical inference procedure capable of handling data aggregation. Although some probability distributions, such as the Gamma and Inverse Gaussian distributions, have well-known closed-form expressions for the probability density function for aggregate data, the use of such distributions limits the applications in field reliability estimation. For reliability practitioners, it would be invaluable to use a robust approach to handle aggregate failure time data without being limited to a small number of probability distributions. This paper studies the application of phase-type (PH) distribution as a candidate for modeling aggregate failure time data. An expectation-maximization algorithm is developed to obtain the maximum likelihood estimates of model parameters, and the confidence interval for the reliability estimate is also obtained. The simulation and numerical studies show that the robust approach is quite powerful because of the high capability of PH distribution in mimicking a variety of probability distributions. In the area of reliability engineering, there is limited work on modeling aggregate data for field reliability estimation. The analytical and statistical inference methods described in this work provide a robust tool for analyzing aggregate failure time data for the first time.
Integrating Medical Imaging Analyses through a High-throughput Bundled Resource Imaging System

Exploitation of advanced, PACS-centric image analysis and interpretation pipelines provides well-developed storage, retrieval, and archival capabilities along with state-of-the-art data providence, visualization, and clinical collaboration technologies. However, pursuit of integrated medical imaging analysis through a PACS environment can be limiting in terms of the overhead required to validate, evaluate and integrate emerging research technologies. Herein, we address this challenge through presentation of a high-throughput bundled resource imaging system (HUBRIS) as an extension to the Philips Research Imaging Development Environment (PRIDE). HUBRIS enables PACS-connected medical imaging equipment to invoke tools provided by the Java Imaging Science Toolkit (JIST) so that a medical imaging platform (e.g., a magnetic resonance imaging scanner) can pass images and parameters to a server, which communicates with a grid computing facility to invoke the selected algorithms. Generated images are passed back to the server and subsequently to the imaging platform from which the images can be sent to a PACS. JIST makes use of an open application program interface layer so that research technologies can be implemented in any language capable of communicating through a system shell environment (e.g., Matlab, Java, C/C++, Perl, LISP, etc.). As demonstrated in this proof-of-concept approach, HUBRIS enables evaluation and analysis of emerging technologies within well-developed PACS systems with minimal adaptation of research software, which simplifies evaluation of new technologies in clinical research and provides a more convenient use of PACS technology by imaging scientists.
Association of Factors With Elevated Amyloid Burden in Clinically Normal Older Individuals.

Importance The Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer disease (A4) Study is an ongoing prevention trial in clinically normal older individuals with evidence of elevated brain amyloid. The large number of participants screened with amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) and standardized assessments provides an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate factors associated with elevated brain amyloid. Objective To investigate the association of elevated amyloid with demographic and lifestyle factors, apolipoprotein E (APOE), neuropsychological testing, and self- and study partner reports of cognitive function. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study included screening data in the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer Disease (A4) Study collected from April 2014 to December 2017 and classified by amyloid status. Data were was analyzed from 2018 to 2019 across 67 sites in the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan and included 4486 older individuals (age 65-85 years) who were eligible for amyloid PET (clinically normal [Clinical Dementia Rating = 0] and cognitively unimpaired [Mini-Mental State Examination score, ≥25; logical memory IIa 6-18]). Main Outcomes and Measures Screening demographics, lifestyle variables, APOE genotyping, and cognitive testing (Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite), self- and study partner reports of high-level daily cognitive function (Cognitive Function Index). Florbetapir amyloid PET imaging was used to classify participants as having elevated amyloid (Aβ+) or not having elevated amyloid (Aβ−). Results Amyloid PET results were acquired for 4486 participants (mean [SD] age, 71.29 [4.67] years; 2647 women [59%]), with 1323 (29.5%) classified as Aβ+. Aβ+ participants were slightly older than Aβ−, with no observed differences in sex, education, marital or retirement status, or any self-reported lifestyle factors. Aβ+ participants were more likely to have a family history of dementia (3320 Aβ+ [74%] vs 3050 Aβ− [68%]) and at least 1 APOE e4 allele (2602 Aβ+ [58%] vs 1122 Aβ− [25%]). Aβ+ participants demonstrated worse performance on screening Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite results and reported higher change scores on the Cognitive Function Index. Conclusions and Relevance Among a large group of older individuals screening for an Alzheimer disease (AD) prevention trial, elevated brain amyloid was associated with family history and APOE e4 allele but not with multiple other previously reported risk factors for AD. Elevated amyloid was associated with lower test performance results and increased reports of subtle recent declines in daily cognitive function. These results support the hypothesis that elevated amyloid represents an early stage in the Alzheimer continuum and demonstrate the feasibility of enrolling these high-risk participants in secondary prevention trials aimed at slowing cognitive decline during the preclinical stages of AD.
Seven Cases: Examples of How Important Ideas Were Initially Attacked or Ridiculed by the Professions

This chapter explores how new and innovative ideas in science can be blocked and set back because of group behavior. It discusses seven famous examples of setbacks in science and the stories of the innovative scientists who came up with the resisted ideas that were later vindicated. It also discusses how some were able to finally break through resistance in their fields themselves, but others were not. The cases involve theories about prions, kin selection, the dangers of lead in gasoline, the infectious cause of peptic ulcer disease, continental drift, neurogenesis in the brains of adult birds and mammals, and the use of incubators for premature infants.
Review of Sterilization Techniques for Medical and Personal Protective Equipment Contaminated with SARS-CoV-2

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19 turned into a global pandemic in March 2020. During these unprecedented times, there is an increased demand in medical and personal protective equipment (PPE). Since the supplies may take a long time to meet the global demand, reusing PPEs will help health care workers in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure the safety and well-being of the medical first responders, PPE needs to be sterilized before reuse. In this review, we examine various sterilization techniques that can be used to sterilize PPEs and point out its limitations. The objective is to provide a foundation of knowledge incorporating different sterilization techniques that allow hospitals and clinics to pick the most suitable technique for sterilization of a particular PPE.
Short-Term Outcomes Are Comparable between Robotic-Arm Assisted and Traditional Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Robotic-arm assisted total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) was developed to provide for increased accuracy of component placement compared with conventional manual TKA (mTKA). Whether or not rTKA is cost-effective in a bundled payment model has yet to be addressed. The purpose of this comparative study was to evaluate the short-term clinical outcomes of rTKA and mTKA. We retrospectively reviewed a series of 4,086 consecutive primary TKA performed by one of five surgeons across six different hospitals at our institution from January 2016 to December 2018. Outcomes for rTKA cases (n = 581) and mTKA cases (n = 3,505) were compared using unmatched multivariate analysis and a matched cohort. We analyzed 90-day outcomes, episode-of-care claims data, and short form (SF-12) outcome scores to 2 years postoperatively. In matched bivariate analysis, there was no difference in episode-of-care costs, postacute care costs, complications, 90-day readmission rates, emergency department/urgent care visits, reoperations, and mortality between rTKA and mTKA patients (p > 0.05). Matched patients undergoing rTKA did have a shorter hospital length of stay (1.46 vs. 1.80 days, p
Equity, parental/caregiver ‘Power,’ and disability policy in the U.S. Context

The purpose of this article is to compel educators to think critically about how the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a prominent school-based legislation in the United States, a...
Improving human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) research comparability in studies using HCoV-OC43 as a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has renewed interest in human coronaviruses that cause the common cold, particularly as research with them at biosafety level (BSL)-2 avoids the added costs and biosafety concerns that accompany work with SARS-COV-2, BSL-3 research. One of these, human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43), is a well-matched surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 because it is also a Betacoronavirus, targets the human respiratory system, is transmitted via respiratory aerosols and droplets and is relatively resistant to disinfectants. Unfortunately, growth of HCoV-OC43 in the recommended human colon cancer (HRT-18) cells does not produce obvious cytopathic effect (CPE) and its titration in these cells requires expensive antibody-based detection. Consequently, multiple quantification approaches for HCoV-OC43 using alternative cell lines exist, which complicates comparison of research results. Hence, we investigated the basic growth parameters of HCoV-OC43 infection in three of these cell lines (HRT-18, human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) and African green monkey kidney (Vero E6) cells) including the differential development of cytopathic effect (CPE) and explored reducing the cost, time and complexity of antibody-based detection assay. Multi-step growth curves were conducted in each cell type in triplicate at a multiplicity of infection of 0.1 with daily sampling for seven days. Samples were quantified by tissue culture infectious dose50(TCID50)/ml or plaque assay (cell line dependent) and additionally analyzed on the Sartorius Virus Counter 3100 (VC), which uses flow virometry to count the total number of intact virus particles in a sample. We improved the reproducibility of a previously described antibody-based detection based TCID50 assay by identifying commercial sources for antibodies, decreasing antibody concentrations and simplifying the detection process. The growth curves demonstrated that HCoV-O43 grown in MRC-5 cells reached a peak titer of ˜107 plaque forming units/ml at two days post infection (dpi). In contrast, HCoV-OC43 grown on HRT-18 cells required six days to reach a peak titer of ˜106.5 TCID50/ml. HCoV-OC43 produced CPE in Vero E6 cells but these growth curve samples failed to produce CPE in a plaque assay after four days. Analysis of the VC data in combination with plaque and TCID50 assays together revealed that the defective:infectious virion ratio of MRC-5 propagated HCoV-OC43 was less than 3:1 for 1-6 dpi while HCoV-OC43 propagated in HRT-18 cells varied from 41:1 at 1 dpi, to 329:4 at 4 dpi to 94:1 at 7 dpi. These results should enable better comparison of extant HCoV-OC43 study results and prompt further standardization efforts.
Every Breath You Take: The Effect of Postpartum Maternal Smoking on Childhood Asthma

Recent studies in the public health literature and a June 2006 Surgeon General's report have cited a link between exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke and childhood asthma. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this paper explores the sensitivity of this relationship to unobserved heterogeneity. Cross-section estimates show consistent evidence of a positive relationship between postpartum maternal smoking and childhood asthma, particularly among populations at high risk for asthma: racial minorities and children of mothers with low educational attainment. Importantly, this relationship persists after controlling for fixed individual-level unobservables. Difference-in-difference estimates show that the onset of maternal smoking is associated with a 4 to 7 percentage-point increase in childhood asthma rates. The results of several falsification tests?which examine the effect of maternal smoking on other health outcomes not expected to be causally affected by exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke?lend credibility to the fixed effects identification strategy.
Ideal bootstrap estimation of expected prediction error for k-nearest neighbor classifiers: Applications for classification and error assessment

Euclidean distance k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classifiers are simple nonparametric classification rules. Bootstrap methods, widely used for estimating the expected prediction error of classification rules, are motivated by the objective of calculating the ideal bootstrap estimate of expected prediction error. In practice, bootstrap methods use Monte Carlo resampling to estimate the ideal bootstrap estimate because exact calculation is generally intractable. In this article, we present analytical formulae for exact calculation of the ideal bootstrap estimate of expected prediction error for k-NN classifiers and propose a new weighted k-NN classifier based on resampling ideas. The resampling-weighted k-NN classifier replaces the k-NN posterior probability estimates by their expectations under resampling and predicts an unclassified covariate as belonging to the group with the largest resampling expectation. A simulation study and an application involving remotely sensed data show that the resampling-weighted k-NN classifier compares favorably to unweighted and distance-weighted k-NN classifiers.
Geoengineering climate Change: Treating the symptom over the cause?

The present article by Crutzen (2006) on the use of albedo enhancement to address the problem of greenhouse warming is bound to evoke diverse reactions among the community. It is important to note that Crutzen argues that this idea be studied in depth and openly before any large scale action is taken. A basic assumption to this approach is that we, humans, understand the Earth system sufficiently to modify it and ‘know’ how the system will respond. Cicerone in his article argues that open discussion of these ideas is an appropriate means to explore engineering solutions to climate change, and further proposes a protocol to prevent inadvertent abuse of geoengineering experiments. These papers evoke both scientific and ethical issues that should stimulate discussions on the engineering of Earth’s climate system. We have already ‘chosen’ to geoengineer our climate system through our use of fossil fuels, where the engineering of the climate system is an inadvertent by product of our values around forms of consumption. Proposals to consciously alter the climate system to treat the symptom of our behaviors imply we understand all of the complexities of Earth as a system. At times Earth performs a stratospheric albedo enhancement experiment through the eruption of volcanoes. As pointed out by Crutzen, the Earth does cool due to this experiment, but this experiment also provides ample evidence of the non-local and non-linear response of Earth’s climate system, e.g. winter NH warming. This example exhibits how Earth’s climate system is far more complex than a simple energy balance picture. For this reason, I support Crutzen’s argument that more detailed and comprehensive modeling studies be carried out with regards to experiments. But my concern is that all models have their limitations (e.g. note the inability of models to predict the appearance of the Antarctic ozone hole before it was observed). When will we know a model is ‘good enough’ to go out and perform a real experiment? On the issue of ethics, I feel we would be taking on the ultimate state of hubris to believe we can control Earth. We (the industrially developed world) would essentially be telling the (rest of the) world not to worry about our insatiable use of energy. In essence we are treating the symptom, not the cause. Our species needs to begin to address the cause(s) behind the problem. For example, an analysis of the U.S. contribution to CO2 emissions indicates that these emissions in part arise from three factors: the large number of SUVs, the size of homes, and distance we drive to work. I would argue that the first two of these factors are ones of choice, and not necessity. Yet, the American public chooses to buy SUVs and build large
Incentives for Global Public Health: The Health Impact Fund: better pharmaceutical innovations at much lower prices

Thomas Pogge contends that pricing advanced medicines beyond the reach of the poor and encouraging neglect of diseases concentrated among them, the TRIPS Agreement is responsible for avoidable death and disease on a massive scale. Pharmaceutical patents as globalised through the TRIPS Agreement cannot be defended by appeal to natural rights. Nor can they be justified in terms of mutual benefit or usefulness, because the global poor are deprived of their freedom to buy medicines at competitive prices yet often cannot benefit from the enhanced arsenal of advanced medicines. One way of mitigating the injustice involves creation of the Health Impact Fund (HIF), an international agency that would provide a standing option to register any new medicine for health impact rewards. By registering, a firm would agree to sell its product globally at a price fixed by the HIF at the lowest feasible cost of production and distribution. In exchange, the firm would receive for a fixed time payments based on this product’s assessed global health impact. If adequately funded, the HIF would serve as a complement to the patent regime by alleviating its deficiencies. In particular, the HIF would generate a stream of pharmaceutical innovations that would be cheaply available to all and would end the systemic research neglect of diseases concentrated among the poor.
Technical note: Filling trim cracks on GPU-rendered solid models

We present an algorithm for improving the rendering appearance of CAD models with trimmed freeform surfaces when evaluated on graphics processing units (GPUs). Rendering on client GPUs allows mechanical CAD to embrace cloud computing by storing a single auto-synchronized model file in the cloud and transferring only minimal data (control points, trim curves, etc.) to the client nodes for local evaluation/rendering. However, current parallel algorithms that directly evaluate and render trimmed surfaces by masking the trims, without tessellating along the trim curves, suffer from ''cracks'' along the trim boundaries. We have developed a hybrid CPU-GPU algorithm to remove these artifacts in the rendering stage for a smooth, color- and shading-matched appearance. After dynamically detecting the cracks, our algorithm selectively fills in the affected pixels using a GPU fragment program, while avoiding artifacts at silhouettes. We have implemented this algorithm to demonstrate improvements in the appearance of solid models directly evaluated and rendered on the GPU.
Human-Mouse Hybrid Cell Lines and Susceptibility to Poliovirus I. Conversion from Polio Sensitivity to Polio Resistance Accompanying Loss of Human Gene-Dependent Polio Receptors

A number of human-mouse somatic hybrid cell lines have been prepared, containing from 3 to 12 human biarmed chromosomes. These lines were susceptible to poliovirus type 1, producing viral yields comparable to those of the human parental cells. A small proportion of the cells of these lines survived the polio infection, and their progeny were solidly resistant to reinfection with the virus. Both sensitive and resistant hybrids produced virus following infection with viral ribonucleic acid, indicating that the cytoplasm of the resistant hybrids was able to support viral multiplication. Viral adsorption studies carried out at 4 C showed that the resistant sublines had negligible ability to adsorb the virus. It was concluded that the hybrid cells became resistant to polio through loss of the human chromosome bearing the gene for the receptor substance.
Pharmacologic interventions in acute mesenteric ischemia: improved survival with intravenous glucagon, methylprednisolone, and prostacyclin.

Abstract An experimental model of acute mesenteric ischemia following 85 minutes of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) occlusion in male Wistar rats was used in this investigation. Untreated control animals had a 48-hour survival rate of 38% (n = 26), whereas sham laparotomy resulted in a 100% 48-hour survival rate (n = 10). Study groups received intravenous infusions of normal saline solution (16.6 ml/kg/hr; n=26) or similar volumes of normal saline solution with the addition of glucagon (1.6 μg/kg/min; n=26), dopamine (3.2 μg/kg/min; n=26), or prostacyclin (PGI 2 ) (10.7 ng/kg/min; n=26). Infusions were begun 15 minutes after initiating 85 minutes of SMA occlusion and were continued for a total of 90 minutes. Glucagon increased the 48-hour survival rate to 85%, significantly greater than both control survival (p 2 group survival rate, 65% at 48 hours, was significantly greater than the control rate (p 2 improved the survival rate in this model of acute mesenteric ischemia. (J VASC SURG 1984;1:472-81.)
Unusually High Selectivity of Polythiaethers for Copper(II) over Nickel(II)

The stability constants for the Ni(II) complexes formed with eight macrocyclic tetrathiaethers are found to be 109 smaller than the corresponding Cu(II) complexes in acetonitrile at 25 °C. The selectivity ratio for Cu(II) over Ni(II) appears to be at least as large as aqueous solution. This is the largest selectivity ever obtained by any class of chelating agents for Cu(II) over Ni(II).
An experimental study of the effect of four speech variables on listener comprehension

(1952). An experimental study of the effect of four speech variables on listener comprehension. Speech Monographs: Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 249-258.
From single-gene to multiplex analysis in lung cancer, challenges and accomplishments: a review of a single institution’s experience

SUMMARY Molecular selection has led to the successful use of novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). For instance, mutations in EGFR and translocations and fusions in ALK render tumor cells sensitive to some TKIs, leading to substantial clinical benefits. Molecular testing such as DNA sequencing or fragment analysis following PCR, and evaluation of copy number and gene positioning by FISH, have been developed and used clinically to identify mutations/fusions. Meanwhile, TKIs to target actionable mutations/fusions in several other oncogenes are being evaluated. High-throughput sequencing can provide therapy-predictive information as well as identify novel targetable genomic alterations. In this article, we report our experience enabling single-gene testing, and our evolution to panel-based next-generation sequencing.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO DUAL METHODS OF COMPARATIVE STATICS

Abstract The formal relationship between Silberberg's (J. Econ. Theory7(1974), 159–172) primal-dual method of comparative statics and Hatta's (Rev. Econ. Stud.17(1980), 987–997) gain method of comparative statics is established. It is proven that the primal-dual method generates all the comparative statics results derivable by the gain method, but not the converse.Journal of Economic LiteratureClassification Numbers: C60, C61
Linearity and accuracy of ultraviolet and visible wavelength photometers: An interlaboratory survey

Abstract A survey was made to determine the linearity and accuracy of ultraviolet and visible wavelength photometers used by laboratories in New York State. Two solutions each of high-purity potassium dichromate and cobalt ammonium sulfate were submitted for photometric performance studies. The majority of the participant spectrophotometer results showed good correlation with reference data. Broad half-band width (>10 nm) photometers showed little deviation from linearity. Coefficients of variation for the models surveyed were 5–10%.
Judicial and legislative viewpoints on physician misestimation of patient dysutilities: a problem for decision analysts.

Appellate courts, state legislatures, and ethicists have recently (post-1972) been interested- through the evolving court doctrine of informed consent—in patient-physician joint decision making. Yet these professional groups' approaches differ markedly from that of decision analysis, failing to include an explicit role for patients' rational processing of information in informed consent. In addition, these groups charge that decision analysts are misestimating patient dysutilities. This paper examines three issues: 1) in what sense(s), if any, is decision- analytic work in individualized medical decision making misestimating patient dysutilities, 2) if this misestimation is real, whether it is an example of the normative-descriptive tensions that exist in medical decision making, and 3) in what ways do the relationships between decision-analytic and judicial decision making change when informed consent is viewed in terms of contract law as opposed to tort law. This paper argues that a key link dividing th...
Two-Dimensional Ordered Arrays of Aligned Lipid Tubules on Substrates with Microfluidic Networks

Microfluidic networks is a powerful tool for aligning one-dimensional materials over a large area on solid substrates. Here we show that lipid nano- and microtubules can be assembled into two-dimensional (2-D) parallel arrays with controlled separations by combining fluidic alignment with dewetting, which occurs within microchannels. We also demonstrate that lipid tubules can be bent into a well-defined shape at the entrance of the channels by the capillary force. Atomic force microscopy is used to study the structure and stability of the aligned lipid tubules on substrates. The deposition experiments with silica colloidal particles show that the 2-D parallel-aligned tubules can be used as a template to synthesize silica films with controlled morphologies and patterns on substrates in a single-step process.
Manipulations of metallothionein gene dose accelerate the response to Listeria monocytogenes.

Abstract Metallothioneins (MTs) are cysteine-rich proteins that assist in cellular homeostasis and protect against oxidant injury. MTs can be induced by heavy metals and inflammatory mediators and function as free radical scavengers, reservoirs for essential heavy metals, and immunomodulators. In light of MTs’ roles in responses to stress, we evaluated the in vivo effects of MT gene dose on the course of Listeria monocytogenes (LM) infection. LM burden was measured in livers and spleens, and flow cytometric assays were used to analyze splenocyte surface sulfhydryls, oxidative burst and apoptosis. Our results suggest that deviations from the normal complement of MT genes alter the course of LM infection. Compared to the wild-type C57BL/6J (B6-WT) strain, a congenic partner that carries a larger number of Mt1 genes (B6-MTTGN) and a congenic strain in which both Mt1 and Mt2 are disrupted (B6-MTKO) both showed lower bacterial burdens three days post-inoculation. This difference was prominent in the first 48 h of infection, after which LM clearance occurred at comparable rates in all three strains. Lymphocytes from B6-MTKO mice exhibited increased cell death and increased levels of surface sulfhydryls compared to B6-WT and B6-MTTGN mice. Lymphocytes from B6-MTTGN mice had increased levels of intracellular oxidants compared to B6-WT and B6-MTKO mice. The oxidative burst by macrophages from infected B6-MTTGN and B6-MTKO mice was increased, suggesting one mechanism by which these strains might reduce the LM burden. These results indicate that MT gene dose dramatically influences host-defenses against LM infection.
Urban delivery industry response to cordon pricing, time-distance pricing, and carrier-receiver policies in competitive markets

Abstract The paper develops a set of analytical formulations to study the behavior of the urban delivery industry in response to cordon time-of-day pricing, time–distance pricing, and comprehensive financial policies targeting carriers and receivers. This is accomplished by modeling the behavior of receivers in response to financial incentives, and the ensuing behavior of the carrier in response to both pricing and the receivers’ decisions concerning off-hour deliveries. The analytical formulations consider both the base case condition, and a mixed operation with both regular hour and off-hour deliveries; two pricing schemes: cordon time of day, and time–distance pricing; two types of operations: single-tour, and multi-tour carriers; and three different scenarios in terms of profitability of the carrier operation, which include an approximation to the best case, the expected value, and the worst case. The analyses, both theoretical and numerical, highlight the limitations of pricing-only approaches. In the case of cordon time of day pricing, the chief conclusion is that it is of limited use as a freight demand management tool because: (1) in a competitive market the cordon toll cannot be transferred to the receivers as it is a fixed cost and (2) the structure of the cost function, that only provides an incentive to the carrier to switch to the off-hours when all the receivers in the tour switch to the off-hours. The analyses of time–distance pricing clearly indicate that, though its tolls could be transferred to the receivers and provide an incentive for behavior change, the magnitude of the expected toll transfers under real life conditions are too small to have any meaningful impact on receivers choice of delivery times. In essence, the key policy implication is that in order to change the joint behavior of carrier and receivers, financial incentives—or programs that foster unassisted off-hour deliveries—should be made available to receivers in exchange for their commitment to do off-hour deliveries. As the paper proves, if a meaningful number of receivers switch to the off-hours, the carriers are likely to follow suit.
Listening effort and accented speech

Understanding spoken language requires mapping acoustic input onto stored phonological and lexical representations. Speech tokens, however, are notoriously variable: they fluctuate within speakers, across speakers, and in different acoustic environments. As listeners, we must therefore perceive speech in a manner flexible enough to accommodate acoustic signals that imperfectly match our expectations. When these mismatches are small, comprehension can proceed with minimal effort; when acoustic variations are more substantial, additional cognitive resources are required to process the signal. A schematic model of speech comprehension is shown in Figure ​Figure1,1, emphasizing that different degrees of acoustic mismatch will require varying levels of cognitive recruitment. Recent research increasingly supports a critical role for executive processes—such as verbal working memory and cognitive control—in understanding degraded speech (Wingfield et al., 2005; Eckert et al., 2008; Ronnberg et al., 2013). However, to date, the literature has focused on sources of increased acoustic challenge that originate in the listener (hearing loss) or in the listening environment (background noise). Largely unexplored are the cognitive effects of accented speech (i.e., speech produced by a speaker who does not share a native language or dialect with the listener), a ubiquitous source of variability in speech intelligibility. Here we argue that accented speech must also be considered within a framework of listening effort. Figure 1 (A) Speech signals that match listeners' perceptual expectations are processed relatively automatically, but when acoustic match is reduced (for example, due to noise or unfamiliar accents), additional executive resources are needed to compensate. (B) ...
Nicotine and smokeless tobacco

The following may be concluded about nicotine and smokeless tobacco use: Systemic absorption and levels of nicotine are similar in users of smokeless tobacco and cigarette smokers. Data from the few studies performed to date suggest that smokeless tobacco users develop a dependency similar to that for cigarette smokers. Effective treatment strategies to help smokeless tobacco users quit need to be developed. Smokeless tobacco use in young people also poses a concern for later development of dependence on cigarettes. The health hazards known to be caused by cigarette smoking and suspected to be related to chronic nicotine exposure are expected to be a hazard of habitual use of smokeless tobacco. A major concern in young males is accelerated coronary artery disease. Information about the potential health hazards of nicotine, as well as oral pathology, may be incorporated into educational programs to help discourage the use of smokeless tobacco, with a resultant decrease in the associated cancer risk.
Bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells contribute to the angiogenic switch in tumor growth and metastatic progression.

Abstract Emerging evidence indicates that bone marrow (BM)-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to angiogenesis-mediated growth of certain tumors in mice and human. EPCs regulate the angiogenic switch via paracrine secretion of proangiogenic growth factors and by direct luminal incorporation into sprouting nascent vessels. While the contributions of EPCs to neovessel formation in spontaneous and transplanted tumors and to the metastatic transition have been reported to be relatively low, remarkably, specific EPC ablation in vivo has resulted in severe angiogenesis inhibition and impaired primary and metastatic tumor growth. The existence of a BM reservoir of EPCs, and the selective involvement of EPCs in neovascularization, have attracted considerable interest because these cells represent novel target for therapeutic intervention. In addition, EPCs are also being used as pharmacodynamic surrogate markers for monitoring cancer progression, as well as for optimizing efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapies in the clinic. This review will focus primarily on recent advances and emerging concepts in the field of EPC biology and discuss ongoing debates involving the role of EPCs in tumor neovascularization. For detailed information on the in vitro characterization of EPCs contribution to non-tumor pathologies, the reader is directed towards several excellent reviews and publications [F. Bertolini, Y. Shaked, P. Mancuso and R.S. Kerbel, Nat. Rev., Cancer 6 (2006) 835–845. [1] ] [J.M. Hill, T. Finkel and A.A. Quyyumi, Vox Sang. 87 Suppl 2 (2004) 31–37. [2] ] [A.Y. Khakoo and T. Finkel, Annu. Rev. Med. 56 (2005) 79–101. [3] ] [H.G. Kopp, C.A. Ramos and S. Rafii, Curr. Opin. Hematol. 13 (2006) 175–181. [4] ; K.K. Hirschi, D.A. Ingram and M.C. Yoder, Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 28 (2008) 1584–1595. [5] ; F. Timmermans, J. Plum, M.C. Yoder, D.A. Ingram, B. Vandekerckhove and J. Case, J. Cell. Mol. Med. 13 (2009) 87–102. [6] ] and reviews by Bertolini, Voest and Yoder in this issue.