cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Composition and properties of milk and butter from cows fed fish oil.

A control diet and a fish oil diet were fed to 12 multiparous Holstein cows to determine how the incorporation of Menhaden fish oil in the diet would influence the fatty acid composition, especially the conjugated linoleic acid and transvaccenic acid, contents of milk and butter. The control diet consisted of a 50:50 ratio of forage to concentrate, and the fish oil diet consisted of the control diet with 2% (on a dry matter basis) added fish oil. Milk from cows fed the control diet contained higher average concentrations of milk fat (3.37%) compared with milk from cows fed the fish oil diet (2.29%). Milk from cows fed fish oil contained higher concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid, transvaccenic acid, and total unsaturated fatty acids (0.68 and 2.51; 1.42 and 6.28; and 30.47 and 41.71 g/100 g of fat, respectively). Butter made from the fish oil diet milk also had higher concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid, transvaccenic acid, and unsaturated fatty acids. Penetrometer readings indicated fish oil diet butters were softer at 4 and 20°C than the control diet butters. Acid degree values were similar in the fish oil butters compared with the control butters. No significant difference was found in the flavor characteristics of milk and butter from cows fed the control and fish oil diets. Production of milk and butter with increased amounts of conjugated linoleic acid, transvaccenic acid, and other beneficial fatty acids may have a desirable impact on the health of consumers and lead to increased sales.
Caregivers' contingent comments to 9-month-old infants: Relationships with later language

This prospective longitudinal study examined the relationship between caregiver input to 9-month-old infants and their subsequent language. Mother–infant dyads were videotaped at ages 9, 12, and 30 months. Language comprehension (at 12 and 18 months) was measured by parent report and correlated with an independent language measure. Three maternal style variables were reduced from the 9-month data. Only caregivers' contingent comments (CCC) related to infants' later language. These findings held after infants' skill with coordinated joint attention (CJA) was taken into account. The total number of words the mothers used when their infants were 9 months predicted vocabulary; however, the predictive power was encapsulated in the words the mother used during CCC. Because studies have typically examined maternal input once infants' CJA has emerged, this work contributes to current efforts to understand variations in early language development.
Assimilation of radial velocity and reflectivity data from coastal WSR‐88D radars using an ensemble Kalman filter for the analysis and forecast of landfalling hurricane Ike (2008)

Ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) assimilation and forecasting experiments are performed for the case of Hurricane Ike (2008), the third most destructive hurricane hitting the USA. Data from two coastal WSR-88D radars are carefully quality controlled before assimilation. In the control assimilation experiment, reflectivity (Z) and radial velocity (Vr) data from two radars are assimilated at 10 min intervals over a 2 h period shortly before Ike made landfall. A 32-member forecast ensemble is initialized by introducing both mesoscale and convective-scale perturbations to the initial National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) operational global forecast system (GFS) analysis background, and the ensemble spread during the analysis cycles is maintained using multiplicative covariance inflation and posterior additive perturbations. The radar data assimilation results in much improved vortex intensity and structure analysis over the corresponding GFS analysis. Compared with the forecast starting from the GFS analysis, the forecast intensity, track and structure of Ike over a 12 h period are much improved in both deterministic and ensemble forecasts. Assimilation of either Vr or Z leads to improvement in the forecasts, with Vr data exhibiting much greater impacts than Z data. With the 2 h assimilation window, 30 min assimilation intervals produced results similar to 10 min intervals, while 60 min intervals were found to be too long. The ensemble forecastsstartingfromtheEnKFanalysesarefoundtobemostlybetterthanthecorresponding deterministic forecast, especially after ensemble post-processing, such as probability matching for precipitation. Precipitation equitable threat scores were calculated and compared. Copyright c
Cognitive engineering for decision support modeling of diagnostic tasks in a complex system

In this paper, a new approach to diagnostic support modeling of a complex system maintenance process is described. From cognitive engineering perspective, methods for decomposing complex maintenance problems are developed. The "methods" are represented as intelligent diagnostic agents for use in a system level maintenance reasoning. Sample simulation results show that cognitive engineering driven diagnostic reasoning has higher performance reliability than the traditional rule-based (simulation) diagnostic systems.
Characterization of the complete zwittermicin A biosynthesis gene cluster from Bacillus cereus.

ABSTRACT Bacillus cereus UW85 produces the linear aminopolyol antibiotic zwittermicin A (ZmA). This antibiotic has diverse biological activities, such as suppression of disease in plants caused by protists, inhibition of fungal and bacterial growth, and amplification of the insecticidal activity of the toxin protein from Bacillus thuringiensis. ZmA has an unusual chemical structure that includes a d amino acid and ethanolamine and glycolyl moieties, as well as having an unusual terminal amide that is generated from the modification of the nonproteinogenic amino acid β-ureidoalanine. The diverse biological activities and unusual structure of ZmA have stimulated our efforts to understand how this antibiotic is biosynthesized. Here, we present the identification of the complete ZmA biosynthesis gene cluster from B. cereus UW85. A nearly identical gene cluster is identified on a plasmid from B. cereus AH1134, and we show that this strain is also capable of producing ZmA. Bioinformatics and biochemical analyses of the ZmA biosynthesis enzymes strongly suggest that ZmA is initially biosynthesized as part of a larger metabolite that is processed twice, resulting in the formation of ZmA and two additional metabolites. Additionally, we propose that the biosynthesis gene cluster for the production of the amino sugar kanosamine is contained within the ZmA biosynthesis gene cluster in B. cereus UW85.
Monitoring Vadose Zone Desiccation with Geophysical Methods

Soil desiccation was recently field tested as a potential vadose zone remediation technology. Desiccation removes water from the vadose zone and significantly decreases the aqueous-phase permeability of the desiccated zone, thereby decreasing movement of moisture and contaminants. The two- and three-dimensional distribution of moisture content reduction with time provides valuable information for desiccation operations and for determining when treatment goals have been reached. This type of information can be obtained through the use of geophysical methods. Neutron moisture logging, cross-hole electrical resistivity tomography, and cross-hole ground-penetrating radar approaches were evaluated with respect to their ability to provide effective spatial and temporal monitoring of desiccation during a treatability study conducted in the vadose zone of the USDOE Hanford site in the state of Washington.
Tracking subpixel-scale sastrugi with Advanced Land Imager

High radiometric resolution imagery from the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) can detect the spatial reflectance variations associated with sastrugi (snow dunes) on ice sheets. This is shown, in theory, by considering the appropriate SNR ratio of ALI as compared with eight-bit optical sensors and, in practice, with multitemporal ALI imagery. Comparison of ALI imagery spanning 7.5 months also shows that the reflectance pattern associated with sastrugi can persist over this interval offering the potential of their use for measuring ice sheet velocity in uncrevassed regions.
Influence of Off-resonance in myocardial T1-mapping using SSFP based MOLLI method

Background: Myocardial T1-mapping methods such as MOLLI use SSFP readout and are prone to frequency-dependent error in T1-measurement. A significant error in T1 may result at relatively small off-resonance frequencies that are well within the region without banding artifacts. Methods: The sensitivity of T1-estimates based on the SSFP based MOLLI sequence to errors in center frequency are calculated by means of a Bloch simulation and validated by phantom measurements. Typical off-resonance errors following local cardiac shimming are determined by field mapping at both 1.5 and 3.0T. In vivo examples demonstrate the artifactual appearance of T1-maps in the presence of off-resonance variation. Results: Off-resonance varied 61.8 ± 15.5 Hz (mean ± SD, n = 18) across the heart at 1.5T and 125.0 ± 40.6 Hz (mean ± SD, n = 18) at 3.0T. For T1 = 1000 ms, the variation in T1 due to off-resonance variation was approximately 20 ms at 62 Hz, and > 50 ms at 125 Hz. Conclusions: Regional variations due to the inability to completely shim the B0-field variation around the heart appear as regional variation in T1, which is artifactual.
The Equalization Equivalence of Flat Grants and Foundation Programs: A Reply and an Extended Analysis

This paper provides a rejoinder to a recent article by Talley, and shows that the “error” he demonstrates stems from his inability to perceive the nature of tax bases at different levels of governm...
Synthesis and simulation of digital systems containing interacting hardware and software components

The authors consider software and interface synchronization schemes that facilitate communication between system components. They present tools to perform synthesis and simulation of a system description into hardware and software components. A program, Poseidon, is described that performs concurrent event-driven simulation of multiple functional modules implemented either as a program or as behavioral or structural hardware models. Input to Poseidon consists of description of interacting functional models with their respective clock cycle times and the interface synchronization scheme chosen by the partitioner. The resulting software component is assumed to be implemented for the DLX machine, a load/store microprocessor. Simulation examples and design of a graphics controller demonstrated the feasibility of mixed system synthesis. >
Primary versus radiation-associated craniofacial osteosarcoma: Biologic and clinicopathologic comparisons.

BACKGROUND. Craniofacial osteosarcoma differs from long bone osteosarcoma in that patients are older, tumors are often low grade, and prognosis is more favorable. Although most are sporadic, some tumors occur in association with prior radiation therapy. The purpose of the current study was to compare clinicopathologic and prognostic features of primary and radiation-associated osteosarcoma. METHODS. The study group consisted of 15 primary and 6 radiation-associated osteosarcomas. Clinical and follow-up data were obtained in every case. Tissue microarrays were immunohistochemically stained for p53, pRB, Ki-67 (MIB-1), and ezrin. DNA was sequenced for TP53 mutations. RESULTS. All radiation-associated osteosarcomas were high grade and half were fibroblastic. In contrast, 47% of primary craniofacial osteosarcomas were high grade and only 1 was fibroblastic. All radiation-associated osteosarcomas recurred, half the patients died of disease, 2 were alive with unresectable tumors, whereas only 1 was alive without disease. In contrast, 80% of patients with primary tumors were alive without disease, 33% had local recurrences, and 13% died of disease. Radiation-associated tumors overexpressed p53 more often (33% vs. 13%), more often had TP53 mutations (33% vs. 8%), had higher proliferative activity (67% vs. 0% showing >50% MIB-1 staining), and expressed ezrin more frequently (83% vs. 40%) than primary tumors. Compared with a control group of 24 high- and 7 low-grade primary extremity osteosarcomas, radiation-associated tumors marked as the high-grade tumors. CONCLUSIONS. Craniofacial radiation-associated osteosarcomas are high-grade tumors that behave more aggressively than most primary craniofacial osteosarcomas. In addition, they demonstrate higher expression rates of adverse prognostic indicators, further highlighting the distinction. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Fully Atomistic Analysis of Diffuse X-Ray Scattering Spectra of Silicon Defects

Diffuse X-ray scattering is a useful method for studying defects in silicon and metals. Although the traditional approaches of analyzing experimental diffuse X-ray scattering data have given much information about the size of defects and defect clusters, they are not very well suited for determining the atomic configuration. We present a fully atomistic computational method to calculate the diffuse X-ray scattering line profile of an arbitrary atomic configuration, and compare line profiles of point defects and Frenkel pair configurations with experiment.
Three-dimensional analysis of models articulated in the seated condylar position from a deprogrammed asymptomatic population: A prospective study. Part 1

Introduction: The seated condylar position (SCP), also known as centric relation (CR), is considered the most reliable and reproducible reference point for accurately recording the relationship of the mandible to the maxilla. Therefore, a determination of the SCP/CR is a prerequisite for the analyses of the dental interarch, condylar position, and skeletal relationships. The purpose of this prospective study was to statistically evaluate the 3-dimensional nature of dental interarch displacement and condylar displacement between the SCP/CR and maximum intercuspation or centric occlusion (MIC/CO). Methods: The records of 596 consecutive asymptomatic patients having routine orthodontic treatment in a private practice were used. The initial premature occlusal contact and 3-dimensional dental interarch displacement were measured by the analysis of models, mounted on an articulator (Panadent, Grand Terrrace, Calif) in the SCP/CR, by using the modified (nonmanipulated) 2-piece wax SCP/CR recording method with deprogramming. Three-dimensional condylar displacement was measured by analysis of the graphic registrations, produced by condylar position instrumentation, and evaluated for frequency, direction, and magnitude of displacement. Results: The dental interarch discrepancy in the SCP/CR was significantly different from that observed in MIC/CO, with posterior premature contacts (94.0%), increased overjet, decreased overbite, midline differences, and Angle classification changes. A difference in condylar position between the SCP/CR and MIC/CO in at least 1 plane was detected for every asymptomatic patient and every condyle. The most prevalent types of directional change in condylar position were inferior (down) (97.0%) and distal (posterior) (66.7%) when the teeth were brought into MIC/CO. The mean difference in condylar position between the SCP/CR and MIC/CO was .86 mm in the horizontal plane, 1.80 mm in the vertical plane, and .26 mm in the transverse plane. No correlation was found between a patient’s age or sex and the magnitude of condylar displacement. Conclusions: There is a significant difference in the occlusion when it is dictated by the teeth and when it is dictated by the condyles. This difference is quantifiable at both the occlusal and condylar levels.
The Marginal Cost of Redistribution

The marginal cost of redistribution is the real economic cost to upper-income households per dollar of benefit to lower-income households; it exceeds 1 because of the efficiency costs of redistributive policies. This article examines the determinants of this marginal cost for linear income tax and negative income tax policies. It develops analytical expressions to calculate marginal cost that show how it depends on initial marginal tax rates, the degree of inequality, and labor supply elasticities. For plausible parameter values, marginal cost is estimated to be quite high; the article also offers an intuitive explanation for this result. The possibility of using different policies that redistribute income at lower cost is discussed.
Phylogeny and biogeography of Caribbean mammals

Vicariance and dispersal hypotheses have been proposed over the last two hundred years to explain the distribution, diversity, and faunal composition of the Caribbean biota. Despite great advances in understanding the geological history of the region, recent biogeographical reviews have not used historical biogeographical methods. In this paper I review the taxonomy, distribution and phylogeny of all Cenozoic Caribbean non-volant mammals and four bat lineages, and present reconciled trees for available phylogenies. Dates available from the fossil record and hypotheses of divergence based on molecular phylogenetic studies are also included in general assessments of fit between proposed geological models and Caribbean mammal diversification. The evidence posited in mammalian phylogenies does not add to the argument of dispersal vs. vicariance. One previously unidentified temporal pattern, the colonization of the Caribbean by South American mammals between the Palaeocene and the Middle Miocene, accounts for the distribution and phylogeny of the majority of lineages studied. Choloepodine and megalocnine sloths, hystricognath rodents, and primates all arrived during this window of colonization. Of these, megalocnine sloths, hystricognath rodents, Brachyphylla and allied bats, Stenodermatina bats, and primates fit the pattern of divergence from the mainland implied by the Gaarlandia hypothesis. Sloths, rodents and primates also roughly fit the timing of arrival to the Caribbean implied by Gaarlandia. The remaining taxa show contradictory dates of divergence according to molecular clock estimates, and no taxa fit the predicted timing and pattern of divergence among Antillean landmasses under the Gaarlandia model. Choloepodine sloths, murid rodents, insectivorans, mormoopids, and natalids show patterns of divergence from the mainland that are inconsistent with the Gaarlandia hypothesis and seem to require taxon-specific biogeographical explanations.
Livin' with the MTA

Although the push to get universities to accumulate IP by commercializing their scientific research was a conscious movement, dealing with the blowback in the form of contracts over the transfer of research tools and inputs, called materials transfer agreements (MTAs), was greeted by universities as an afterthought. Faculty often regarded them as an irritant, and TTOs were not much more welcoming. One reason universities could initially ignore the obvious connection between the pursuit of patents and the prior promulgation of MTAs was a legalistic distinction made between intellectual property and contract law, which of course is of direct concern to a lawyer, but should be less compelling for anyone trying to understand the big picture surrounding the commercialization of academic science. However, as a subset of scientists were increasingly drawn into the commercial sphere, they tended to attach MTAs to research inputs requested by other academics; and this began a tidal wave of MTAs which shows no sign of abating. Furthermore, many IP-related restrictions have been loaded into individual MTAs, including the stipulation that the existence and content of MTAs themselves be treated as secret and proprietary. The paper closes by looking at recent arguments that the growth of MTAs has not actually harmed the research process, and rejects them.
Considering genetic profiles in functional studies of immune responsiveness to HIV-1.

Abstract Over the last two decades HIV-1 has spread worldwide and has now surpassed malaria as the leading cause of infectious disease mortality in adults ( http://www.who.int/infectious-disease-report/pages/ch1text.html ). The clinical course and outcome of HIV-1 infection are highly variable among individuals. Most individuals infected with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years. However about 1–5% remain relatively healthy for 15 years or more (long-term nonprogressors), while others progress to AIDS within the first 2–3 years after infection (rapid progressors). A small number of individuals are resistant to infection, while some individuals appear to eliminate the virus. Factors that influence susceptibility to infection and rate of disease progression are a combination of viral, host, and environmental determinants. With few exceptions, genetic resistance to infectious diseases is likely to involve a complex array of host genetic effects involving variants that have very subtle, but significant consequences on gene expression or protein function. We have gained considerable insight into the genetic effects on HIV-1 disease, yet we likely have uncovered only a fraction of the total picture. The greater our knowledge of various effects on HIV disease, the more likely we will be able to predict disease outcome on an individual-by-individual basis. While this may seem obvious, there is no standard practice of taking into account the genetic profile (i.e. genotypes at loci known to associate with rate of AIDS progression) of subjects used in functional studies of immune responsiveness to HIV-1. Here, we propose an approach for assessing overall genetic risk on an individual basis, and suggest that this information be considered when selecting comparison groups in studies of immune responses to HIV and/or in the interpretation of data derived from such studies.
Individual quality of life in chronic kidney disease: influence of age and dialysis modality.

Background and objectives: Novel individualized quality-of-life (IQOL) measures permit patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to nominate unique areas of their lives that contribute to their well-being. This study assessed for differences in domains nominated by patients with CKD. We also examined the strength of association between (1) multidimensional health-related quality-of-life measures and IQOL and (2) psychosocial factors and IQOL. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: We performed a cross-sectional study of 151 patients who were undergoing peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis or had stages 4 through 5 CKD. Patients completed the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life–Direct Weighting (SEIQOL-DW), an instrument that assesses IQOL on the basis of patient-identified domains. Patients also completed health-related quality-of-life and psychosocial health measures. Results: Patients with CKD nominated many domains on the SEIQOL-DW, but family and health were the most common for all groups. Kidney disease was listed more frequently by peritoneal dialysis compared with hemodialysis patients or patients with CKD (31 versus 14 versus 5%, respectively). There were no significant differences in SEIQOL-DW scores between subgroups. SEIQOL-DW scores correlated with mental well-being and inversely correlated with chronic stress and depression. Conclusions: Patients with advanced CKD demonstrate compromised quality-of-life scores comparable to dialysis patients. IQOL measures provide unique information that may help guide interventions that are better tailored to address patients’ concerns about their well-being. These findings also suggest that renal clinics should have staff available to address psychosocial aspects of patient well-being.
Optimizing Visual Feature Perception for an Automatic Wearable Speech Supplement in Face-to-Face Communication and Classroom Situations

Given the limitation of hearing and understanding speech for many individuals, we plan to supplement the sound of speech and speechreading with an additional informative visual input. Acoustic characteristics of the speech will be transformed into readily perceivable visual characteristics. The goal is to design a device seamlessly worn by the listener, which will perform continuous real-time acoustic analysis of his or her interlocutor’s speech. This device would transform several continuous acoustic features of the talker’s speech into continuous visual features, which will be simultaneously displayed on the speechreader’s eyeglasses. The current research evaluates how easily a number of different visual configurations are learned and perceived. The goal is to optimize the visual feature presentation and implement it in the wearable computer system.
Free Market Transportation: Denationalizing the Roads

Were a government to demand the sacrifice of 46,700 citizens' each year, there is no doubt that an outraged public would revolt. If an organized religion were to plan the immolation of 523,335 of the faithful in a decade, there is no question that it would be toppled. Were there a Manson-type cult that murdered 790 people to celebrate Memorial Day, 770 to usher in the Fourth of July, 915 to commemorate Labor Day, 960 at Thanksgiving, and solemnized Christmas with 355 more deaths, surely The New York Times would wax eloquent about the carnage, calling for the greatest manhunt this nation has ever seen. If Dr. Spock were to learn of a disease that killed 2,077 children under the age of five each year, or were New York City's Andrew Stein to uncover a nursing home that allowed 7,346 elderly people to die annually, there would be no stone unturned in their efforts to combat the enemy. To compound the horror, were private enterprise responsible for this butchery, a cataclysmic reaction would ensue: investigation panels would be appointed, the justice department would seek out antitrust violations, company executives would be jailed, and an outraged hue and cry for nationalization would follow.
Meaty, Beaty, Big and Monopolistic: The Story of General Motors

Detroit, General Motors, and the American automobile industry have been in a progressive decline for decades. Millions of jobs, union and non-union, have been lost, scores of plants shuttered, and the Michigan economy left reeling. I wrote an unpublished manuscript 35 years ago, positing that as a monopoly, or "quasi-monopoly," GM should be broken up for the good of America. Its stultifying power limited innovation and competitiveness among Detroit's Big Three as prices skyrocketed, quality deteriorated, safety languished, and fuel economy suffered. The general rule became: "Don't buy a Detroit car built on Monday, Friday, the first day of hunting season, or the first year of production." GM lost over half its market share, and such once great marques as Oldsmobile and Plymouth (Chrysler) were scrapped. High entry barriers forestalled new domestic competitors. Those of us who are children of the 60's remember the teachings of John Kenneth Galbraith, Charles Reich, et al., that the great American corporations, and shared monopolies, were immune to competition, could administer prices, and ignore consumers. This manuscript partially reflects these beliefs. The Japanese, Germans, and now Koreans did not follow Galbraith's dictates and filled the competitive breach. This 35 year old manuscript examines the history of GM from an antitrust perspective. The manuscript did not foresee the shock of two oil embargoes in the 1970's and the change to a global economy. Nor did it fully anticipate the effects that poorly designed and manufactured, but overpriced vehicles, would have on the marketability of GM cars. These models include various Chevy's, especially the Corvair, Chevette, Citation, Nova, and Vega and Cadillacs, including the Allante, Cimarron, and Seville. Had GM been dissolved 3-4 decades ago, American manufacturers might have regained their competitive edge and successfully responded to the foreign competitors.
Frequency of polymorphisms for alleles encoding for liver proteins of domesticated mice

Three different inbred strains of mice have been crossed with a lethal albino line (cch/c3H) and the liver polypeptides of the parents and offspring examined by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for evidences of protein polymorphisms, different alleles of which have gone to fixation in different strains. In the battery of polypeptides considered most favorable for scoring, 3.3 +/- 1.6 percent of the battery exhibited paired variants and 1.6 +/- 1.2 percent, unpaired. An adjustment for the fact the same allele of a biallelic polymorphism may go to fixation in two inbred lines of common ancestry leads to the suggestion that in the stock from which these inbred lines were ultimately derived, there were some 11.0 percent paired and 5.3 percent unpaired polymorphisms in the average mouse. This is about half the frequency of polymorphisms observed in wild European Mus musculus musculus and Mus musculus domesticus with one-dimensional electrophoresis of blood plasma and erythrocyte proteins. Three explanations were considered for the lower estimated frequency for liver protein polymorphisms: the difference is real, the apparent difference is due to the lower resolving power of two-dimensional gels, or the mouse strains from which the present inbred lines were drawn had already, lost through inbreeding, a considerable amount of their genetic variation before the inbreeding leading to the present strains commenced.
Pegylated Megakaryocyte Growth and Development Factor Abrogates the Lethal Thrombocytopenia Associated With Carboplatin and Irradiation in Mice

Megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF) is a potent inducer of megakaryopoiesis in vitro and thrombopoiesis in vivo. The effects of MGDF appear to be lineage-selective, making this cytokine an ideal candidate for use in alleviating clinically relevant thrombocytopenias. This report describes a murine model of life-threatening thrombocytopenia that results from the combination treatment of carboplatin and sublethal irradiation. Mortality of this regimen is 94% and is associated with widespread internal bleeding. The daily administration of pegylated recombinant human MGDF (PEG-rMGDF) significantly reduced mortality (to < 15%) and ameliorated the depth and duration of thrombocytopenia. The severity of leucopenia and anemia was also reduced, although it was not clear whether these effects were direct. Platelets generated in response to PEG-rMGDF were morphologically indistinguishable from normal platelets. PEG-rMGDF administered in combination with murine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor completely prevented mortality and further reduced leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. These data support the concept that PEG-rMGDF may be useful to treat iatrogenic thrombocytopenias.
“So it's like, do you like Jeff a lot or, I mean…” How Women Friends Interactionally Position Personal Identity While Conversing About Desire

Despite Erikson’s (1968) proposal that identity is a psychosocial task, most existing research in developmental psychology has conceptualized personal identity as an individual, “internalized” phen...
The sign of the fall: the scars of Orestes and Odysseus.

BY 573,1 Elektra has rejected all the Aeschylean tokens of recognition that are offered to her by the Old Man, and the play threatens to depart ever more wildly from its prescribed mythic course. It is retrieved by the scar that the Old Man notices at Orestes' eyebrow and points out to Elektra as proof, which she accepts, of Orestes' identity. The scar is necessary to the development of this drama, but it has not attracted much critical attention.2 Tarkow's article of 1981 laid out some basic approaches to the scar; in this paper I want to build on his work and to suggest more precisely what may be at stake in the account of this token. Aristotle's Poetics claims that visible signs or tokens constitute the least satisfactory of all methods of plotting discovery and signal a failure in drama turgy: JT(Q(TT1 Rev l aTreXvo0dTCi xai , JTXnEOTrl XQo)vTal 61' aJToQiacv, I 6&a T(OV
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids. IV.

Infrared absorption spectra of polyunsaturated fatty acid esters obtained from cuttle fish oils, showed a characteristic absorption at 1395cm-1, in addition to the typical absorption of normal fatty acid methylesters. This absorption at 1395cm-1 was related to the double bond, since by hydrogenation or autoxidation it was vanished away.Methyl linoleate, -linolenate and -arachidonate gave the suitable absorption at this wave number, while methyl oleate, -eleostearate and cyclododecatrien didn't.This characteristic absorption was assigned to the C-H bending vibration of the center methylene of divinylmethan radical (=CH·CH2·CH=).
SNAP-Tag to Monitor Trafficking of Membrane Proteins in Polarized Epithelial Cells

Abstract In order to understand the mechanisms through which apical and basolateral membrane proteins achieve their subcellular distributions in polarized epithelial cells, it is critical to develop techniques that permit the selective observation of newly synthesized populations of these proteins. The SNAP tag system permits the detection and visualization of distinct spatially and temporally defined cohorts of tagged proteins. Thus, this technique is especially well suited to studying the trafficking routes pursued by newly synthesized proteins. The SNAP tag can be applied in the setting of fixed or live cell fluorescence microscopic analysis and can also be used in the context of various biochemical approaches. Here, we describe the use of the SNAP tag in association with confocal microscopy and SDS-PAGE to follow the biosynthetic pool of a membrane protein as it exits from the trans-Golgi network and makes its way to the plasma membrane.
One-Stage Operation for Male Transsexuals

AbstractA simplified surgical technique for a male-to-female transsexual operation has been developed and applied satisfactorily in a series of carefully selected patients. The simplicity of the technique allows relatively brief hospitalization for 1-stage sex conversion, provides satisfactory cosmetic and functional results, and has hot been accompanied by any untoward complications.
Steroid hormone-producing tumors of the adrenal, ovary, and testes

Steroid hormone-synthesizing tumors are rare and may be difficult to diagnose and treat. This article focuses on adrenal tumors as models for the even less common tumors of the ovary and testes, and emphasizes useful diagnostic procedures and pitfalls as well as treatment options. Ovarian and testicular steroidogenic tumors are categorized and discussed in terms of the generalizations that can be derived from adrenal neoplasia.
Re-engineering therapeutic antibodies for Alzheimer’s disease as blood-brain barrier penetrating bi-specific antibodies

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Therapeutic antibodies are large molecule drugs that do not cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Therefore, drug development of therapeutic antibodies for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) requires that these molecules be re-engineered to enable BBB delivery. This is possible by joining the therapeutic antibody with a transporter antibody, resulting in the engineering of a BBB-penetrating bispecific antibody (BSA).Areas covered: The manuscript covers transporter antibodies that cross the BBB via receptor-mediated transport systems on the BBB, such as the insulin receptor or transferrin receptor. Furthermore, it highlights therapeutic antibodies for AD that target the Abeta amyloid peptide, beta secretase-1, or the metabotropic glutamate receptor-1. BSAs are comprised of both the transporter antibody and the therapeutic antibody, as well as IgG constant region, which can induce immune tolerance or trigger transport via Fc receptors.Expert opinion: Multiple types of BSA molecular designs have b...
Walnut consumption slows growth of MDA-MB 231 xenografts.

B157 Walnuts contain a high level of omega 3 fatty acids (18C, α-linolenic acid, ALA), of phytosterols, Vitamin E and melatonin. The results of numerous studies show that consumption of long chain omega 3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) can slow cancer growth. Dietary phytosterols and antioxidants (i.e. vitamin E and melatonin) can also slow cancer growth. Thus, individually or in combination, these components of walnuts have a potential for slowing cancer growth. A study was devised to determine whether consumption of walnuts could effect growth of MDA-MB 231 human breast cancers implanted into nude mice. One million MDA-MB 231 cells were injected subcutaneous between the scapula of 40 nude mice that were consuming an AIN-76A diet slightly altered to contain 10% corn oil. After the tumors reached a measurable size (3-5 mm diameter), the tumor bearing mice were divided into two groups such that the mean tumor size of each group was the same with equal numbers of larger and smaller tumors. The diet of one group of mice was changed to contain ground walnuts. Each mouse consumed the human equivalent of 1 oz of walnuts per day. The diets were balanced to contain equal amounts of protein, carbohydrate, fat and fiber. Tumors were measured and mice were weighed 3 times per week. About 10 days after the diet change, tumor sizes began to diverge. Linear regression analyses from day 10 until the end of the study showed that the growth rate of tumors of the group that consumed walnuts was significantly less than that of the group that did not receive walnuts in the diet. At the end of the study, the mean size of the tumors of the group that consumed walnuts was ½ the mean size of the tumors of the group that did not consume walnuts. The EPA and DHA content of the liver and fat of the group that consumed walnuts was significantly higher than that of the group that did not consume walnuts indicating that the ALA was efficiently converted to EPA and DHA. Additional analyses are ongoing.
Cracking the Code of Resistance across Multiple Lines of ALK Inhibitor Therapy in Lung Cancer.

Summary: In the setting of recent exciting clinical results and numerous ongoing trials, Gainor and colleagues explored mechanisms of acquired resistance to first- and second-generation ALK inhibitors in ALK -rearranged non–small cell lung cancer and found that an increased frequency and distinct spectrums of resistance mutations emerged with the more potent second-generation inhibitors. Their findings have important and immediate clinical implications as the resistance mutations detected impart differential sensitivities to available ALK inhibitors, thereby highlighting the need for sequential biopsies with molecular testing to determine the most effective treatment strategy upon disease progression. Cancer Discov; 6(10); 1084–6. ©2016 AACR . See related article by Gainor et al., [p. 1118][1] . [1]: /lookup/volpage/6/1118?iss=10
Behavioral informatics: Dynamical models for measuring and assessing behaviors for precision interventions

Poor health-related behaviors represent a major challenge to healthcare due to their significant impact on chronic and acute diseases and their effect on the quality of life. Recent advances in technology have enabled an unprecedented opportunity to assess objectively, unobtrusively and continuously human behavior and have opened the possibility of optimizing individual-tailored, precision interventions within the framework of behavioral informatics. A key prerequisite for this optimization is the ability to assess and predict effects of interventions. This is potentially achievable with computational models of behavior and behavior change. In this paper we describe various approaches to computational modeling and describe a new hybrid model based on a dual process theoretical framework for behavior change. The model leverages cognitive learning theories and is shown to be consistent with mobile intervention data. We also illustrate how system-theoretic approaches can be used to assess the effect of coaching and participants' health behaviors.
Foundations of Post-Keynesian Economic Analysis

(1994). Foundations of Post-Keynesian Economic Analysis. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 1303-1308.
Systemic Treatment for Noninfectious Intraocular Inflammation

Although uncommon, uveitis and other ocular inflammatory disorders may pose a serious threat to a patient’s vision and quality of life. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the indications for immunosuppressive therapy in the treatment of uveitis and to appraise the data regarding their usage, including efficacy and potential side effects. While some agents such as antimetabolites have been used to treat uveitis for decades, there are now newer medications such as biologics that have recently met with great success. Adalimumab is the first biologic therapy FDA approved for the treatment of uveitis. There are multiple immunosuppressive therapies available for the treatment of uveitis that allow for sustained control of ocular inflammation and limitation of systemic corticosteroid exposure. Additional research will be necessary to characterize the efficacy of newer agents to determine if they may be superior and tolerated as older therapies.
Data Retrieval and Parsing of Form 4 from the Edgar System using Multiple CPUs

In this paper we present a parallel system that retrieves and parses Form 4 documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval database (EDGAR). This information is very important for investors looking at insider trading information to make investment decisions. However, the information’s usefulness is inversely related to the time it takes to retrieve and analyze the information. A sequential system is slow due to the latency associated with the retrieval and parsing of the Form 4s, which on average exceeds 1000 per day. By making the retrieval and parsing of Form 4s parallel we were able to attain the max speed up of 20x, resulting in parsing of a daily index with 1000 forms in under 30 minutes instead of 9 hours it takes utilizing a single processor.
On Good Mothering: Practicing Solidarity in the Midst of the Breastfeeding Wars

This chapter explores the contested terrain of breastfeeding in the United States. I ground the conversation in personal and sociological examinations of women’s experiences of infant feeding, in order to explore how women navigate what it means to breastfeed in light of expectations of “good mothering” in the United States. This work offers a theoretical, theological, and practical engagement around the complexities of infant feeding as a way of engaging the ambivalence endemic to motherhood. By way of conclusion, I offer several strategies to support women living in and through these complexities, particularly as they relate to feeding our babies.
Does postnatal care have a role in improving newborn feeding? A study in 15 sub-Saharan African countries.

Background Breastfeeding is known as a key intervention to improve newborn health and survival while prelacteal feeds (liquids other than breastmilk within 3 days of birth) represents a departure from optimal feeding practices. Recent programmatic guidelines from the WHO and UNICEF outline the need to improve newborn feeding and points to postnatal care (PNC) as a potential mechanism to do so. This study examines if PNC and type of PNC provider are associated with key newborn feeding practices: breastfeeding within 1 day and prelacteal feeds. Methods We use data from the Demographic and Health Surveys for 15 sub-Saharan African countries to estimate 4 separate pooled, multilevel, logistic regression models to predict the newborn feeding outcomes. Findings PNC is significantly associated with increased breastfeeding within 1day (OR = 1.35, P < 0.001) but is not associated with PLFs (OR = 1.04, P = 0.195). PNC provided by nurses, midwives and untrained health workers is also associated with higher odds of breastfeeding within 1 day of birth (OR = 1.39, P < 0.001, (OR = 1.95, P < 0.001) while PNC provided by untrained health workers is associated with increased odds of PLFs (OR = 1.20, P = 0.017). Conclusions PNC delivered through customary care may be an effective strategy to improve the breastfeeding within 1 day but not to discourage PLFs. Further analysis should be done to examine how these variables operate at the country level to produce finer programmatic insight.
Diagnostic accuracy and prediction increment of markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition to assess cancer cell detachment from primary tumors.

Metastases play a role in about 90% of cancer deaths. Markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) measured in primary tumor cancer cells might provide diagnostic information about the likelihood that cancer cells have detached from the primary tumor. Used together with established diagnostic tests of detachment—lymph node evaluation and radiologic imaging—EMT marker measurements might improve the ability of clinicians to assess the patient’s risk of metastatic disease. Translation of EMT markers to clinical use has been hampered by a lack of valid analyses of clinically-informative parameters. Here, we demonstrate a rigorous approach to estimating the sensitivity, specificity, and prediction increment of an EMT marker to assess cancer cell detachment from primary tumors. We illustrate the approach using immunohistochemical measurements of the EMT marker E-cadherin in a set of colorectal primary tumors from a population-based prospective cohort in North Carolina. Bayesian latent class analysis was used to estimate sensitivity and specificity in a setting of multiple imperfect diagnostic tests and no gold standard. Risk reclassification analysis was used to assess the extent to which addition of the marker to the panel of established diagnostic tests would improve mortality prediction. We explored how changing the latent class conditional dependence assumptions and definition of marker positivity would impact the results. All diagnostic accuracy and prediction increment statistics varied with the choice of cut point to define marker positivity. When comparing different definitions of marker positivity to each other, numerous trade-offs were observed in terms of sensitivity, specificity, predictive discrimination, and prediction model calibration. We then discussed several implementation considerations and the plausibility of analytic assumptions. The approaches presented here can be extended to any EMT marker, to most forms of cancer, and to different kinds of EMT marker measurements, such as RNA or gene methylation data. These methods provide valid, clinically-informative assessment of whether and how to use a given EMT marker to refine tumor staging and consequent treatment decisions.
Outpatient clinic visits during heat waves: findings from a large family medicine clinical database.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine whether heat waves are associated with increased frequency of clinic visits for ICD-9 codes of illnesses traditionally associated with heat waves. Methods During 4 years of family medicine clinic data between 2012 and 2016, we identified six heat wave events in San Diego County. For each heat wave event, we selected a control period in the same season that was twice as long. Scheduling a visit on a heat wave day (versus a non-heat wave day) was the primary predictor, and receiving a primary ICD-9 disease code related to heat waves was the outcome. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity and marital status. Results Of the 5448 visits across the heat wave and control periods, 6.4% of visits (n = 346) were for heat wave-related diagnoses. Scheduling a visit on heat wave day was not associated with receiving a heat wave-related ICD code as compared with the control period (adjusted odds ratio: 1.35; 95% confidence interval: 0.86-1.36; P = 0.51). Discussion We show that in a relatively large and demographically diverse population, patients who schedule appointments during heat waves are not being more frequently seen for diagnoses typically associated with heat waves in the acute setting. Given that heat waves are increasing in frequency due to climate change, there is an opportunity to increase utilization of primary care clinics during heat waves.