cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ER-alpha and ER-beta genotypes predict tamoxifen effects on serum lipids in breast cancer patients

Therapy with tamoxifen has been shown to be associated with favorable changes in lipid profile. We examined the relationship between genetic polymorphisms in estrogen receptor genes (ER-alpha and ER-beta) and serum lipid profile in 82 women who were prescribed tamoxifen (20mg/day). The fasting serum lipid profiles were evaluated before starting tamoxifen therapy and at the end of four months of treatment. Pvu II and Xba I RFLPs were used to identify the IVS1-401 and IVS1-354 polymorphisms of ER-alpha. Genotyping for the ER-beta single nucleotide polymorphism located in 3' UTR (dbSNP ID: rs4986938) was performed by a TaqMan assay. After four months of tamoxifen therapy all women had significantly lower LDL-cholesterol compared to baseline and the effect appeared more pronounced in postmenopausal women (p=0.03 and <0.0001 for pre- and postmenopausal women respectively). In the postmenopausal women, those with ER-alpha IVS1-401 C/C genotype had significantly lower total and LDL-cholesterol when compared to those with C/T and T/T genotypes (p= 0.014 and 0.017 for total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol respectively). In the subgroup of postmenopausal women with ER-alpha IVS1-401 C/C genotype, those carrying ER-beta G/G genotype (dbSNP ID: rs4986938) had the most augmented response of LDL-cholesterol to tamoxifen therapy when compared to other groups (p=0.03). This pattern of genotypes may identify a group of women most likely to experience cardiovascular benefits from tamoxifen. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P2–P2; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.005
Quantification of Membrane Free Area and Dynamic Undulations using Fluorescence Lifetime and Autocorrelation of Fluorescence Lifetime Fluctuations

Through extensive characterization in solution and lipid bilayers, we report that fluorescence lifetime of DiI (a popular membrane probe) can be used to quantitatively determine lipid free-area in giant vesicles and nanoliposomes. The method is sensitive to subtle changes in lipid packing on the order of 1 A2. We measured the areas-per-lipid in bilayers of different compositions and show that our method matches values obtained from NMR/X-ray/ or neutron scattering. We further characterized free-area changes induced by temperature and lateral tension in nanoliposomes, to determine their thermal expansivity coefficients and free-area compressibility moduli, respectively. Second, we used the autocorrelation of DiI fluorescence lifetime fluctuations to capture dynamic changes occurring in membrane packing due to thermally-driven membrane undulations. We demonstrate that fluctuation frequencies from 10Hz to 1KHz can be detected under confocal mode to gain spatially refined determination of membrane dynamics.
Beam vacuum chambers for Brookhaven's muon storage ring

An experiment is being built at Brookhaven to measure the g-2 value of the muons to an accuracy of 0.35 ppm. The muon storage ring of this experiment is designed to produce a dipole field with homogeneity to 1 ppm using a continuous superconducting magnet. The beam vacuum system in the storage ring will operate at 10/sup -7/ Torr and consists of twelve sector chambers. The chambers are constructed of aluminum and are approximately 3.5 m in length with a rectangular cross-section of 16.5 cm high by 45 cm at the widest point. The design features, fabrication techniques and cleaning methods for these chambers are described. Monte Carlo simulation of the pressure distribution and finite element analysis of the chamber deflection are summarized with good correlation shown to measured values obtained during tests of the prototype chamber.
Toxoplasma gondii Asexual Development: Identification of Developmentally Regulated Genes and Distinct Patterns of Gene Expression

Asexual development in Toxoplasma gondii is a vital aspect of the parasite's life cycle, allowing transmission and avoidance of the host immune response. Differentiation of rapidly dividing tachyzoites into slowly growing, encysted bradyzoites involves significant changes in both physiology and morphology. We generated microarrays of approximately 4,400 Toxoplasma cDNAs, representing a minimum of approximately 600 genes (based on partial sequencing), and used these microarrays to study changes in transcript levels during tachyzoite-to-bradyzoite differentiation. This approach has allowed us to (i) determine expression profiles of previously described developmentally regulated genes, (ii) identify novel developmentally regulated genes, and (iii) identify distinct classes of genes based on the timing and magnitude of changes in transcript levels. Whereas microarray analysis typically involves comparisons of mRNA levels at different time points, we have developed a method to measure relative transcript abundance between genes at a given time point. This method was used to determine transcript levels in parasites prior to differentiation and to further classify bradyzoite-induced genes, thus allowing a more comprehensive view of changes in gene expression than is provided by standard expression profiles. Newly identified developmentally regulated genes include putative surface proteins (a SAG1-related protein, SRS9, and a mucin-domain containing protein), regulatory and metabolic enzymes (methionine aminopeptidase, oligopeptidase, aminotransferase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase homologues), and a subset of genes encoding secretory organelle proteins (MIC1, ROP1, ROP2, ROP4, GRA1, GRA5, and GRA8). This analysis permits the first in-depth look at changes in gene expression during development of this complex protozoan parasite.
Were There Twelfth-Century Cistercian Nuns?

It has been a truism in the history of medieval religious orders that the Cistercians only admitted women late in the twelfth century and then under considerable outside pressure. This view has posited a twelfth-century “Golden Age” when it had been possible for the abbots of the order of Citeaux to avoid contact with women totally. Only later did the floodgates burst open and a great wave of women wishing to be Cistercians flood over abbots powerless to resist it. This paper reassesses narrative accounts, juridical arguments, and charter evidence to show that such assertions of the absence of any twelfthcentury Cistercian nuns are incorrect. They are based on mistaken notions of how the early Cistercian Order developed, as well as on a biased reading of the evidence, including a double standard for proof of Cistercian status—made much higher for women's houses than for men's. If approached in a gender-neutral way, the evidence shows that abbeys of Cistercian women appeared as early as those for the order's men. Evidence from which it has been argued that nuns were only imitating the Cistercian Order's practices in the twelfth century in fact contains exactly the same language that when used to describe men's houses is deemed to show them to be Cistercian. Formal criteria for incorporation of women's houses in the thirteenth century are irrelevant to a twelfth-century situation in which only gradually did most communities of monks or nuns eventually identified as Cistercian come to be part of the newly developing religious order.
Manatee Zone Compliance among Boaters in Florida

The endangered Florida manatee is negatively impacted by substantial growth in the use of recreational watercraft, with vessel strikes currently accounting for 24% of manatee deaths in the state. Manatee conservation zones have been delineated that require boaters to reduce vessel speeds. Despite the prominent role these zones play in manatee protection, compliance is variable. Studies conducted in the state show non-compliance to be related to an absence of law enforcement and vessel attributes. This study examined boater compliance (n = 1,669) and its relationship to boat, boater, and situational attributes on the St. Johns River in Volusia County, Florida during the summer and fall of 2006. Hull registration numbers of observed watercraft were used to generate a sample of boaters for a survey to evaluate boater assessment of on-water signage self-reported compliance and other boater attributes. Most respondents self-reported full compliance with speed zones; however, full compliance was exhibited by on...
Clustering performance data efficiently at massive scales

Existing supercomputers have hundreds of thousands of processor cores, and future systems may have hundreds of millions. Developers need detailed performance measurements to tune their applications and to exploit these systems fully. However, extreme scales pose unique challenges for performance-tuning tools, which can generate significant volumes of I/O. Compute-to-I/O ratios have increased drastically as systems have grown, and the I/O systems of large machines can handle the peak load from only a small fraction of cores. Tool developers need efficient techniques to analyze and to reduce performance data from large numbers of cores.We introduce CAPEK, a novel parallel clustering algorithm that enables in-situ analysis of performance data at run time. Our algorithm scales sub-linearly to 131,072 processes, running in less than one second even at that scale, which is fast enough for on-line use in production runs. The CAPEK implementation is fully generic and can be used for many types of analysis. We demonstrate its application to statistical trace sampling. Specifically, we use our algorithm to compute efficiently stratified sampling strategies for traces at run time. We show that such stratification can result in data-volume reduction of up to four orders of magnitude on current large-scale systems, with potential for greater reductions for future extreme-scale systems.
Precoder design for MIMO broadcast channels with power leakage constraints

We investigate the design of MIMO linear precoders for multiuser broadcast channels under signal leakage constraints. This power leakage constraints reflect both an important security consideration and the need for interference suppression at receivers. Defining a convex optimization problem, we propose two sequential semi-definite program algorithms. In principle, our algorithms exploit both spatial diversity and multiuser diversity to enhance the overall system performance. The resulting MIMO precoded transmission demonstrates superior performance over time-division multiplexed multiuser transmission in conjunction with the traditional space-time transmission.
Situating Stress: Lessons from Lay Discourses on Diabetes

In response to the serious toll diabetes takes on health and resources, researchers increasingly are examining physical and psychological pathways that affect and are affected by diabetes, including stress. Although biomedical researchers and practitioners are beginning to recognize the association between stress and diabetes onset and management, laypersons have long-standing and extensive insights into the multiple ways in which stress is associated with the diabetes disease process. In this article, we examine lay perspectives on stress and diabetes among a multiethnic sample of 80 adults. Participants suggest varying arenas in which stress intersects with diabetes, including stress as implicated in the origin of diabetes, as a threat to maintaining glycemic control, as a challenge to self-management, and as a precursor to and a consequence of diabetes complications. An improved understanding of such perspectives may enhance appropriate disease management and develop a more valid conceptualization of stress in research efforts.
Color Doppler Sonography in Obstetrics and Gynecology

This review aims to provide the reader with an overview of the present and future clinical applications in color Doppler sonography for the evaluation of vascularity and blood flow within the uterus (both gravid and nongravid), ovaries, fetus and placenta. The clinical use of color Doppler sonography has been demonstrated within many organ systems. Color Doppler sonography has become an integral part of cardiovascular imaging. Significant improvements have recently occurred, improving the visualization and evaluation of intra-organ vascularity, resulting from enhancements in delineation of tissue detail through electronic compounding and harmonics, as well as enhancements in signal processing of frequency- and/or amplitude-based color Doppler sonography. Spatial representation of vascularity can be improved by utilizing 3D and 4D (live 3D) processing. Greater sensitivity of color Doppler sonography to macro- and microvascular flow has provided improved anatomic and physiologic assessment throughout pregnancy and for pelvic organs. The potential use of contrast enhancement is also mentioned as a means to further differentiate benign from malignant ovarian lesions. The rapid development of these new sonographic techniques will continue to enlarge the scope of clinical applications in a variety of obstetric and gynecologic disorders.
Comparison of Sticky Cards, Visual and Sweep Sampling of Coccinellid Populations in Alfalfa

Abstract The effectiveness of yellow sticky cards for coccinellid sampling was compared with sweep and visual techniques in laboratory and field tests. Total catch, catch per minute of exposure, and catch per minute effort were compared across methods. Differences in escape rates from sticky cards, which might bias density comparisons, were assessed for the most commonly collected species, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), Coleomegilla maculata (De Geer), and Coccinella septempunctata (L.). In terms of total catch, sticky cards caught significantly more coccinellids than sweep and visual searching. If sticky cards are up for <10 d, then visual search exceeds sweep and sticky cards in catch per minute effort. However, if sticky cards remain in the field for 10 d or longer, they surpass visual and sweep in terms of number of coccinellids caught per minute effort. In field cages less C. septempunctata were caught than C. maculata or H. axyridis on sticky cards. H. axyridis escaped significantly more frequently tha...
Estrogenic regulation of polyamine analogue cytotoxicity in human breast cancer cells

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 2332 The polyamine metabolic pathway is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention with manipulation of cellular polyamine levels leading to decreased cell growth in cancer. Synthetic polyamine analogues can act as polyamine antimetabolites that deplete intracellular polyamines, or polyamine mimetics that displace natural polyamines from binding sites, but do not substitute in terms of growth promoting function. Our studies demonstrate that newly designed oligoamine analogues significantly inhibit the key polyamine biosynthesis enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), induce the polyamine catabolism enzyme spermidine/spermine N 1-acetyltransferase (SSAT), and effectively inhibit in vitro and in vivo human breast cancer growth via induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death. Oligoamines specifically suppress the protein and mRNA expression as well as the ligand-dependent transcriptional activity of the estrogen receptor α (ERα), a principal determinant of breast cell growth and differentiation, in several ER-positive human breast cancer cell lines including MCF-7 and T47D cells. The expressions of ERα-target genes including progesterone receptor (PR) and cyclinD1 are also down-regulated by oligoamines. However, neither ERβ nor other steroid hormonal receptors are affected by analogues. The constitutive expression of a CMV-driven exogenous ERα in ER-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells was not altered by oligoamines, suggesting that oligoamines specifically suppress transcription of ERα rather than degrade the protein. Simultaneous treatment with spermine reversed oligoamine-induced down-regulation of ERα expression and activity, implying that natural polyamines may play an important role of in maintaining normal ERα function. In ERα promoter deletion/mutation analysis, oligoamines inhibited the ERα promoter element containing the GC and CA rich boxes that have been shown to bind Sp1 transcription factors. Jun NH2-terminal Kinase specific inhibitor SP600125, which blocked oligoamine-induced activation of JNK/c-Jun pathway, inhibited ERα expression, and sensitized tumor cells to oligoamine-induced cell death, indicating that AP-1 transcription factor may positively regulate ERα to protect breast cancer cells against analogue cytotoxicity. Moreover, oligoamines significantly down-regulated the nuclear activity of NF-κB, and down-regulation of NF-κB by oligoamines was prevented by co-treatment of spermine or stably transfected exogenous ERα. These data suggest a possible novel regulation of estrogen signaling by polyamine analogues and interference with the estrogenic signaling pathway by analogues may contribute to polyamine analogue cytotoxicity in human breast cancer. [This work is supported by the grants P50CA88843, CA98454, CA51085, DAMD-17-03-1-0376, and W81XWH-04-1-0457]
Documentation of preventive care for pressure ulcers initiated during annual evaluations in SCI

Objective: Community-acquired pressure ulcers (PrUs) are a frequent cause of hospitalization of Veterans with spinal cord injury (SCI). The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) recommends that SCI annual evaluations include assessment of PrU risk factors, a thorough skin inspection and sharing of recommendations for PrU prevention strategies. We characterized consistency of preventive skin care during annual evaluations for Veterans with SCI as a first step in identifying strategies to more actively promote PrU prevention care in other healthcare encounters.Design/setting/participants: Retrospective cross-sectional observational design, including review of electronic medical records for 206 Veterans with SCI admitted to 2 VA SCI centers from January-December, 2011.Outcome measures: Proportion of applicable skin health elements documented (number of applicable elements/skin health elements documented).Results: Our sample was primarily white (78%) male (96.1%), and mean age = 61 years. 40% of participants’ ...
Asking questions about medication: Analysis of physician-patient interactions and physician perceptions

Objectives.The purpose of this research was to examine physicians' and patients' question-asking about medications during medical encounters.Methods.A dataset of 467 audiotapes and transcripts of outpatient visits, as well as postvisit interviews with chronic disease patients and their primary care
Effects of Film Texture on Electromigration Lifetime Predictions

Pure aluminum film was deposited on oxidized silicon to develop three different conditions for study. Grain size and grain size distribution were the same for all cases isolating texture as the major microstructural variable. Electromigration tests were done on 1.8pm thick lines at Ix106 A/cm2 at several temperatures between 150°C and 250°C. Over the entire temperature range a strong (111) texture improves the median time to failure. The applicability of a log normal fit to the failure distribution is questioned because the sites that are susceptible to electromigration damage vary in a statistical fashion, sometimes giving what appears to be a bimodal failure distribution. Activation energy is also a function of texture but depends on the applicability of the log normal failure distribution to give values that can be correlated with transport processes.
Wing folding in the Hymenoptera

Longitudinal folding (plaiting) of forewings at rest has arisen independently in Vespidae, Colletidae, Gasteruptiidae, Figitidae, Leucospidae, and Pompilidae. In the first five families the plaiting fold is similar in position, but in the last family its position is different. A type of wing folding unique to the eucoilid genus Kleidotoma —wrapping flexure—is described. In all cases, evolution of wing folding is associated with modifications of wing morphology (most commonly, regions of vein flexibility termed alar fenestrae). The mechanism of wing folding in the family Vespidae includes a “click” mechanism at the intersection of the plaiting fold and the claval furrow in the region of vein cu-v; it has only two stable positions, inverted and everted, giving the vespid forewing only two stable configurations, fully unfolded and fully folded, respectively. Folding involves movement of the third axillary sclerite and vannal vein in addition to hind wing movements; unfolding is probably partly the result of vannad movement of the hind wing as the wasp prepares to fly but can occur even if a hind wing has been removed. Teneral Polistes wasps lack plaiting folds for about 36 h after eclosion. Removal of either a teneral hind wing or the hamuli of a teneral hind wing often permanently prevents folding of the ipsilateral forewing, indicating that the hind wing hamuli are important in fold development. Folding of vespid wings may help to protect them from damage in close quarters. Folding of colletid, leucospid, and pompilid wings may be mimetic of vespids, an idea supported by the fact that diverse groups of wasplike Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera have forewings with a darkly pigmented leading half that appears to enhance their resemblance to Vespidae. Folding in Figitinae and Kleidotoma may allow less hindered movement through moist dung and decaying plant and fungal material, the habitats of their fly hosts.
First report of Cylicospirura felineus in a feral domestic shorthair cat in North America.

Case summaryA feral domestic shorthair cat was euthanized owing to acute onset and progression of neurological signs attributed to ethylene glycol toxicity. At post-mortem examination two nodules were identified within the fundus of the stomach. Examination of the gastric nodules revealed an intact mucosal surface, each with multiple red slender nematodes extending through an individual central pore. Histopathological evaluation of the nodules highlighted unique reactive fibroplasia, mimicking feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia (FGESF), encasing numerous nematodes with females possessing gravid uteri containing abundant larvated eggs. The latter findings were highly suggestive of the Cylicospirura genus, further supported by an en face evaluation of the buccal cavity, highlighting a distinctive trifid tooth appearance. Together, these findings are consistent with Cylicospirura felineus. PCR for the COX-1 gene was unsuccessful on formalin-fixed specimens, attributed to nucleic acid...
Platelet-Activating Factor Induction of Activator Protein-1 Signaling in Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic and inflammatory events in the airway. In the present study, we sought to determine if PAF receptors are present on human bronchial epithelial cells and whether PAF binding to these receptors leads to activation of activator protein-1 (AP-1)-mediated transcription. Radioligand binding studies demonstrated specific binding sites for the PAF antagonist [3H]WEB 2086 (3-[4-(2-chlorophenyl)-9-methyl-6H-thieno[3,2-f]-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3- a][1,4]diazepine-2-yl]-1-(4-morpholinyl)-1-propanone) on primary bronchial epithelial cells with an equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) = 9.8 nM and maximal density of binding sites (Bmax) = 42.4 fmol/mg of protein. The expression of PAF receptors in these cells was further confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, which revealed amplification products derived from PAF receptor mRNA corresponding to transcripts 1 and 2. In the bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B transfected with an expression plasmid for the human PAF receptor, PAF stimulation increased AP-1 DNA binding activity as determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. The Fos and Jun family proteins were identified as components of the DNA-protein complexes by anti-peptide antibodies in gel supershift assays. Additionally, PAF significantly induced AP-1 mediated transcription which was dependent on the expression of PAF receptors. The PAF antagonist WEB 2086 blocked the PAF effect but not that induced by 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, indicating the specificity of the PAF response. These results indicate that activation of airway epithelial cells through stimulation of PAF receptors includes up-regulation of the nuclear transcription factor AP-1 and AP-1 transcriptional activity.
Mannitol interference in phosphate determination: Method of correction

Abstract It was demonstrated that mannitol interference with determination of inorganic phosphate concentrations in aqueous solutions and in urine may result in artificially low values. This interference is not due to complexing of mannitol and phosphate, but is more likely due to interference by mannitol with a reduction step in the color-forming reaction by which the concentration of phosphate is determined. The recovery of phosphate from solutions is roughly inversely proportional to the mannitol concentration with no significant interference at concentrations below 0.5 Gm. per 100 ml. Therefore, there is ordinarily no interference in determination of plasma phosphate. Further, interference in urine can be avoided by diluting the urine with water or 10 per cent trichloroacetic acid until the concentration of mannitol is 0.25 Gm. per 100 ml. or less. Concentration in undiluted urine can be estimated roughly from the rate of mannitol infusion and urine flow and appropriate further dilution calculated.
The Shallop of Hart’s Cove

Modern political boundaries separate New England from Canada, but historic waterways and cultures freely crossed modern, arbitrary boundaries. A small wooden vessel identified off the north coast of New Castle Island, New Hampshire, was identified as a colonial chalupa or shallop, a vessel type commonly associated with Basque whalers and similar to examples recovered in Canada. Study of the Hart’s Cove vessel indicated that it probably sank in the late seventeenth century, after a long service life working along the New England coastline.
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Childhood

(1) Two cases of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) occurring in childhood are described. Case 1 is unique in that the patient survived for 12 years. (2) The clinical features of 19 reported cases of TTP in children are reviewed. (3) The presence of morphologic abnormalities of red blood cells and the regular occurrence of kidney involvement in this disorder is emphasized. In one patient (Case 2), histologic changes of the disease were limited to the kidney. (4) Certain hematologic and histologic features shared by TTP and eclampsia are described. (5) Unusual histologic lesions of renal vessels are described.
High-performance continuous-wave terahertz emitters based on plasmonic photomixing antennas

We present a high-performance terahertz emitter based on plasmonic photomixing antennas. By use of plasmonic antennas, a large portion of photocarriers can reach terahertz radiating elements within a fraction of a terahertz oscillation cycle, resulting in significantly higher optical-to-terahertz conversion efficiencies and terahertz radiation power levels compared to conventional photomixers. We experimentally demonstrate continuous-wave terahertz radiation with a radiation frequency tuning range of more than 2 THz and a radiation power of 17 μW at 1 THz, exhibiting a 3-fold higher radiation power level compared to the state-of-the art broadly tunable continuous-wave terahertz emitters.
Unveiling the Role of MicroRNA155 in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma.

MicroRNAs (miR) are non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by pairing to 3UTRs of target genes inducing translational repression or mRNA cleavage. New evidence suggests that the latter mechanism markedly contributes to miRNA effects. Hence, global gene expression analyses may help elucidate the functional role of miRNA by recognizing pathways modified by their abnormal expression and identifying direct targets. MiR155, the product of the non coding gene BIC, is overexpressed in lymphomas and its role in tumorigenesis is supported by the development of B-cell malignancies in miR155 transgenic mice. However, the functional consequences of miR155 overexpression in tumor development remain unclear. To address this issue, we developed a semi-quantitative RT-PCR assay that specifically amplifies either the nuclear unspliced BIC mRNA (target of the RNase III Drosha) or the spliced BIC mRNA. We found a marked correlation between the expression levels of these two mRNAs, which in turn agreed with the levels of mature miR155 detected in northern blots. Of the 22 DLBCL cell lines studied, only 5 (DHL6, Ly3, Ly10, Farage, RCK-8) expressed significantly high levels of BIC and miR155. To isolate the effects of miR155 in DLBCL we genetically modified its expression and performed global transcription analysis on microarray. In brief, we cloned the BIC transcript in a MSCV-GFP bicistronic retrovirus and confirmed in transduced HeLa cells that the mature miR155 was expressed when this transcript was driven by an LTR promoter. Next, we used two DLBCL cell lines with low levels of miR155 (Ly8 and Ly19) to generate unique populations expressing miR155 or MSCV alone. RNA was isolated from GFP-sorted cells, hybridized to the Affymetrix U133Plus2.0 chip and the data analyzed with dChip. Remarkably, and in agreement with the role of miRNAs, supervised analysis (fold diff >1.7) revealed a vast predominance (>90%) of downregulated genes when comparing miR155 expressing cells to MSCV only. These gene groups included predicted miR155 targets and were significantly enriched for molecules involved in the immune response (p
The Adjustment and Development of African American Males: Conceptual Frameworks and Emerging Research Opportunities

Scholarly interest in the adjustment and development of African American males has engendered the development of several theoretical frameworks. In many previous studies, however, these frameworks have been employed in an attempt to understand the adjustment of African American males from a deficit perspective. More recent frameworks nevertheless emphasize the need to shift attention to resilience and to a better understanding of the conditions under which black males succeed. This chapter underscores the significance of one such framework—that developed by Murry, Block, and Liu (chapter “Adjustment and Developmental Patterns of African American Males: The Roles of Families, Communities, and Other Contexts”), which views the development of African American males as a product of interlocking contexts that operate within a well-ordered system of influences. As Murry and colleagues suggest, the systems perspective has its benefits. Nevertheless, future research should give more attention to the changing configuration of African American families, the emerging role of black immigrant families, and the ways in which the systems perspective can be leveraged for developing policy interventions.
"Museums, Money, and Markets: the adoption of market practices in US art museums 2007-2011"

This paper analyzes how and when non-profit organizations adopt market practices during a period of economic duress. It examines the diffusion of contentious practices that follow from a shift in i...
Measurement Invariance Testing with Many Groups: A Comparison of Five Approaches

With the increasing use of international survey data especially in cross-cultural and multinational studies, establishing measurement invariance (MI) across a large number of groups in a study is essential. Testing MI over many groups is methodologically challenging, however. We identified 5 methods for MI testing across many groups (multiple group confirmatory factor analysis, multilevel confirmatory factor analysis, multilevel factor mixture modeling, Bayesian approximate MI testing, and alignment optimization) and explicated the similarities and differences of these approaches in terms of their conceptual models and statistical procedures. A Monte Carlo study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of the 5 methods in detecting measurement noninvariance across many groups using various fit criteria. Generally, the 5 methods showed reasonable performance in identifying the level of invariance if an appropriate fit criterion was used (e.g., Bayesian information criteron with multilevel factor mixture m...
Fish oil and prostate cancer: Effects and clinical relevance

Men who intake high ratios of fish oil or omega-3 fatty acids (FAs), especially docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, relative to omega-6 arachidonic acid have been found to have a decreased risk of prostate cancer compared to those with low ratios in some but not all case-control and cohort studies. Primary prevention trials with either risk biomarkers or cancer incidence as endpoints regarding the association between omega-3 FA consumption and risk of prostate cancer are studded with controversial results. However, many clinical trials have shown that fish oil could decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer. The anticancer properties of anticancer drugs could be greatly improved when combined with fish oil. We briefly reviewed fish oil and relevant omega-3 FAs as well as early investigations in prostate cancer prevention and treatment.
Smartphone Apps Provide a Simple, Accurate Bedside Screening Tool for Orthostatic Tremor

Background Orthostatic Tremor (OT) is characterized by the presence of a sensation of instability while standing, associated with high frequency (13-18 Hz) lower extremity tremor. Diagnosis is confirmed with surface electromyography (EMG). An accurate screening tool that could be used in the routine clinical setting, without any specialized equipment, would be useful in earlier detection of OT and judicial use of additional testing. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate OT diagnostic test characteristics at bedside using iPhone's built-in accelerometer and available applications for tremor recordings. Methods We obtained recordings using iPhones (Model 5, 5s and 6) and free Applications (“LiftPulse” by LiftLabs [App1] and “iSeismometer” by ObjectGraph LLC [App2]) at default settings. Results 24 EMG-confirmed OT subjects (mostly females, 22/24) and 15 age-matched controls (mostly males, 11/15) were evaluated. App1 detected OT range tremor in 22/24 patients and none of the controls. (Sensitivity = 92%, Specificity =100%, NPV =88%). App2 detected OT range tremor in 21/24 patients and in 1/13 controls (Sensitivity=88%, Specificity= 92%, NPV=80%). When combined, 24/24 patients and 1/13 controls had OT range tremor (Sensitivity =100%, Specificity = 92%, NPV=100%). Conclusions Smartphone Apps that use the built-in accelerometer provide a simple, accurate and inexpensive bedside screening diagnostic tool for patients with Orthostatic Tremor. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Evaluation of aprepitant for acute chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia receiving high-dose methotrexate.

Background Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) negatively impacts patients' quality of life. The emetogenicity of high-dose methotrexate in children and adolescents with cancer is incompletely characterized. At our institution, a number of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have received aprepitant with courses of high-dose methotrexate after poor CINV control with prior courses. Procedure We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis on patients with ALL who received methotrexate 5 g/m2 /dose with and without concomitant aprepitant at Texas. Children's Hospital between October 1, 2010 and January 31, 2016. Results We identified 16 patients who received a total of 69 courses of methotrexate. An enhanced antiemetic regimen containing aprepitant was administered with 42 methotrexate courses and resulted in a 54% reduction in the use of as-needed antiemetics (P = 0.002, 95% CI: 21-89%). There were no statistically significant differences in methotrexate area under the curve values (2,209 μM⋅hr/l ± 151 vs. 2,051 μM⋅hr/l ± 94, P = 0.355) or end-infusion methotrexate concentrations (80.5 μM ± 5.6 vs. 74.7 μM ± 3.2, P = 0.335) in patients receiving a standard versus an enhanced antiemetic regimen. Conclusions The addition of aprepitant reduces both CINV and the use of rescue antiemetics. Aprepitant does not appear to affect the pharmacokinetics of methotrexate. Granisetron was prescribed more frequently than ondansetron, but selection of secondary and tertiary agents, if any, was highly variable.
Maut — Multiattribute Utility Theory

In this chapter, we provide a review of multiattribute utility theory. We begin with a brief review of single-attribute preference theory, and we explore preference representations that measure a decision maker’s strength of preference and her preferences for risky alternatives. We emphasize the distinction between these two cases, and then explore the implications for multiattribute preference models. We describe the multiattribute decision problem, and discuss the conditions that allow a multiattribute preference function to be decomposed into additive and multiplicative forms under conditions of certainty and risk. The relationships among these distinct types of multiattribute preference functions are then explored, and issues related to their assessment and applications are surveyed.
Topotaxis: A New Mechanism of Directed Cell Migration in Topographic ECM Gradients

Living cells orient the cytoskeleton polarity and directional migration in response to spatial gradients of multiple types of cues. The resulting tactic behaviors are critical for the proper cell localization in the context of complex single-cell and tissue behaviors. In this perspective, we highlight the recent discovery of, to our knowledge, a new -taxis phenomenon, the topotaxis, which mediates directional cell migration in response to the gradients of such topographic features as the density of extracellular matrix fibers. The direction of topotactic migration critically depends on the effective stiffness of the cortical cytoskeleton, which is controlled by the balance between two parallel signaling pathways activated by the extracellular matrix input. Topotaxis can account for such striking cell behaviors as the opposite directionality of migration of benign and metastatic cancer cells and certain aspects of the wound-healing process. We anticipate that, in conjunction with other tactic phenomena, topotaxis can provide critical information for understanding and design of tissue structure and function.
Dynamic Voluntary Disclosure with Endogenous Proprietary Costs

This paper explores corporate disclosure in a dynamic oligopoly setting. In each period, a firm receives a signal on market size and must decide whether or not to publicly disclose the information before engaging in price competition in the product market. The main insight here is that firms' disclosure choices can be used strategically to sustain higher, collusive pricing choices on the product market. Specifically, two main forces in play are (1) no-disclosure makes it easier for the oligopoly to sustain higher prices because the uninformed firms are uncertain about the market size (and therefore the benefit of deviating from collusion is lower than otherwise); and (2) disclosure makes it easier to coordinate prices if and when the oligopoly wishes to condition equilibrium prices on the market size. We find that, when firms are sufficiently patient such that monopoly prices can be sustained as an equilibrium, no-disclosure is (weakly) preferable to any other disclosure policy. Otherwise and in contrast to the static model, a simple form of partial disclosure can be optimal: the informed firm does not disclose when market size is either too high or too low but discloses for intermediate market sizes.
An Investigation of cosmetic textiles in consumer products: the use of Vitamin E in hair wraps

The application of cosmetic substances such as: Vitamin E, Shea butter or Olive Oil on textile materials have varied. The goal of cosmetic textiles is to transfer substances such as these directly to the skin or scalp, therefore the efficacy of the method is of utmost importance. Consumers want a lasting, effective product. A consumer of cosmetic textiles wants to know that fiber properties are inherent in their garment or textile, and that they last (Nelson, 2002). Shea Butter and Olive Oil are two of the most sought after natural ingredients in the world. But how would consumers know that: 1) these ingredients have really been applied to these products? 2) product use will yield the stated results? The purpose of this study is to investigate the ingredients of the Qfitt Double Mesh Wrap product, to confirm that the natural ingredients cited on the packaging are present in measurable amounts.
Compounds of the Higher Orders

In addition to carbon, hydrogen, and possibly oxygen, the compounds of the higher orders contain elements other than nitrogen. The number of compounds in which these other elements constitute or are part of the functional group or groups is relatively small. The first step in the identification, after the elementary analysis shows the presence of such an element, should therefore be the performance of the generic tests of Order I and II. In the event that these prove to be negative, the compound should be sought in the groups described below.
Variation in biological parameters of Trichogramma spp. purchased from commercial suppliers in the United States

The efficacy of biological controlobtained through releases of commerciallysupplied Trichogramma is influenced by bothabiotic conditions in the field during andfollowing release and an array of biologicalattributes of the released Trichogramma. Thisstudy was undertaken to assess the degree ofvariation that existed among commerciallysupplied Trichogramma in an array of biologicalparameters that potentially may influence thelevel of control that can be expected in aTrichogramma release program. Shipments ofTrichogramma were obtained from 12 commercialsuppliers of beneficial insects over a 2-yearperiod and the following parameters weremeasured: percentage of emergence duringshipping, total percentage of emergence,percentage of females, percentage ofbrachypterous females, percentage ofbrachypterous males, adult female longevity,and species composition. In addition, weestimated the percentage of macropterousfemales that had not emerged prior to the timethe shipment was received, based on the firstfour parameters. Results indicate a high levelof variation in each of these parameters amongsuppliers of Trichogramma and among shipmentsby individual suppliers. The proportion ofnon-emerged macropterous female wasps was lowfor all suppliers (range 2.5–27.7%). Thiswas primarily attributable to the highincidence of brachyptery among female wasps. However, variation among suppliers in theincidence of emergence during shipping and theproportion of female wasps in a shipment alsocontributed to the low proportion ofnon-emerged macropterous female wasps. Inaddition, in 11 of 24 shipments received duringthe 2-year study, the Trichogramma speciesdiffered from that specified by the shipper orthe shipment contained a mixture ofTrichogramma species.
The Role of Quality Measures in Improving Breast Cancer Care in Low-Income Countries

Measurement of the quality of cancer care is foundational to quality improvement, and widely pursued in high-income countries. However, cancer care quality measurement has not yet been systematically attempted in low-income countries (LICs). We aimed to describe key considerations in developing quality measures for breast cancer care in LICs, and explore challenges and next steps. There are no published reports of systematically developed quality measures from LICs, and few reports of care quality. However, existing resource-stratified treatment guidelines can help facilitate measure development. Key steps will include identifying how measures based on evidence from high-resource settings can and should be adapted. Retention in care and equity are particularly pressing to measure in LICs. Challenges include limited data infrastructure for care assessment and measure validation. Developing rigorous strategies for the measurement of cancer care is a critical step for understanding and improving the cancer care quality in LICs.
Electronic state and concentration of Fe3+ in CuAl1−xFexO2 determined by magnetic measurements

Abstract CuAlO2 is among several ternary delafossites in which the electronic bandgap is less than the optical bandgap due to Laporte selection rules. Because alloying is expected to provide band engineering in delafossites, we are investigating Fe-doped CuAlO2. Here, results from the detailed magnetic characterization of the CuAl1−xFexO2 (x = 0.0, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1) samples, prepared by a solid-state reaction of Cu2O, Al2O3, and Fe2O3, at 1100 °C, are reported. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the powder samples showed an expansion of the rhombohedral unit cell with increasing x showing that the larger Fe3+ (r = 0.645 A) is replacing the smaller Al3+ion (r = 0.535 A). The analysis of magnetization (M) vs. temperature (T, from 2 to 300 K) data in terms of the Curie-Weiss law: M = CH/(T − θ) confirms Fe3+ as the electronic state of Fe with spin S = 5/2 (magnetic moment μ = 5.9 μB) as determined from the Curie constant, C; this analysis also yields a negative θ characteristic of an antiferromagnetic Fe3+–Fe3+ exchange coupling and magnitudes of x in good agreement with the nominal values. The isothermal M vs. H (up to H = 90 kOe) data analyzed in terms of modified Brillouin function involving H/(T − θ) support the results obtained from the M vs. T analysis. The small paramagnetism observed in undoped CuAlO2 is related to the presence of a few percent of CuAl2O4 impurity observed in XRD of the sample.
Simulation of Hot-Electron Effects with Multi-band Semiconductor Devices

In this work, we present a 2-Valley energy band model of electron transport that delivers more accurate solutions compared with the Farahmand model but with improved convergence and a faster solution time for very high electric fields. This was achieved by implementing the Fermi-Dirac integral distribution as a substitution for the Boltzmann exponential, electron carrier temperature due to heat generation and conduction in the semiconductor lattice, and additional electron concentration modeling for a second conduction energy band minima. The model was primarily tuned by varying the electron temperature relaxation time constant. It was tested using a GaN-based High Electron Mobility Transistor using the Finite-Element Quasi Fermi method.
Statistical Stackelberg game control: Open-loop minimal cost variance case

This paper considers a statistical Stackelberg stochastic differential game, in which the mth cost cumulants of the leader and the follower are sequentially optimized. This shapes the probability distribution of the cost functions of the leader and the follower. More specifically, we investigate the Stackelberg game, in which the leader optimizes the variance or the second cumulant of the cost function. The full solution is derived for the minimal cost variance Stackelberg game control problem, which is a special case of a more general statistical Stackelberg game. A numerical example illustrates our method.