cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Mixed-Methods Study to Examine the Role of Psychosocial Stress and Air Pollution on Hypertension in Mexican-Origin Hispanics.

Purpose Independent and combined effects of air pollution and psychosocial stressors on hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, among Hispanics are not well studied. Methods We administered a pilot-tested questionnaire on individual- and neighborhood-level psychosocial stressors, developed with community input, to nearly 2500 individuals from the MD Anderson Cancer Center cohort of Mexican-Americans. We used data from local air quality monitors to estimate individual exposures to ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) for the 12-month period preceding enrollment using inverse distance interpolation. We applied logistic regression models to examine relationships between exposures to psychosocial stressors and air pollution with prevalent hypertension and used stratified analyses to examine the interacting effects of these two exposures on hypertension. RESULTS: There was a positive association between prevalent hypertension and a high frequency of feeling anxious or depressed (prevalence odds ratio (POR) = 1.36, 95% CI [1.06-1.75]) and experiencing aches and pains (POR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.01-1.64]). The odds of having hypertension were also elevated among those worrying about their own health (POR = 1.65, 95% CI [1.30-2.06]) or about not having enough money (POR = 1.27, 95% CI [1.01-1.6]). We observed an inverse association between O3 and hypertension. There was no interaction between psychosocial stressors and O3 on hypertension. Conclusion Our findings add to the evidence of a positive association between individual and family stressors on hypertension among Hispanics and other racial/ethnic groups. Contrary to previous studies reporting positive associations, our results suggest that long-term exposure to O3 may be inversely related to prevalent hypertension.
Rational Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Pyrimidine-4,6-diamine derivatives as Type-II inhibitors of FLT3 Selective Against c-KIT.

FMS-like Tyrosine Kinase 3 (FLT3) is a clinically validated target for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Inhibitors targeting FLT3 have been evaluated in clinical studies and have exhibited potential to treat FLT3-driven AML. A frequent, clinical limitation is FLT3 selectivity, as concomitant inhibition of FLT3 and c-KIT is thought to cause dose-limiting myelosuppression. Through a rational design approach, novel FLT3 inhibitors were synthesized employing a pyridine/pyrimidine warhead. The most potent compound identified from the studies is compound 13a, which exhibited an IC50 value of 13.9 ± 6.5 nM against the FLT3 kinase with high selectivity over c-KIT. Mechanism of action studies suggested that 13a is a Type-II kinase inhibitor, which was also supported through computer aided drug discovery (CADD) efforts. Cell-based assays identified that 13a was potent on a variety of FLT3-driven cell lines with clinical relevance. We report herein the discovery and therapeutic evaluation of 4,6-diamino pyrimidine-based Type-II FLT3 inhibitors, which can serve as a FLT3-selective scaffold for further clinical development.
Network user equilibrium of battery electric vehicles considering flow-dependent electricity consumption

Abstract This paper addresses the equilibrium traffic assignment problem involving battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with flow-dependent electricity consumption. Due to the limited driving range and the costly/time-consuming recharging process required by current BEVs, as well as the scarce availability of battery charging/swapping stations, BEV drivers usually experience fear that their batteries may run out of power en route. Therefore, when choosing routes, BEV drivers not only try to minimize their travel costs, but also have to consider the feasibility of their routes. Moreover, considering the potential impact of traffic congestion on the electricity consumption of BEVs, the feasibility of routes may be determined endogenously rather than exogenously. A set of user equilibrium (UE) conditions from the literature is first presented to describe the route choice behaviors of BEV drivers considering flow-dependent electricity consumption. The UE conditions are then formulated as a nonlinear complementarity model. The model is further formulated as a variational inequality (VI) model and is solved using an iterative solution procedure. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the proposed models and solution algorithms. Discussions of how to evaluate and improve the system performance with non-unique link flow distribution are offered. A robust congestion pricing model is formulated to obtain a pricing scheme that minimizes the system travel cost under the worst-case tolled flow distribution. Finally, a further extension of the mathematical formulation for the UE conditions is provided.
Dietary sugar silences a colonization factor in a mammalian gut symbiont.

The composition of the gut microbiota is largely determined by environmental factors including the host diet. Dietary components are believed to influence the composition of the gut microbiota by serving as nutrients to a subset of microbes, thereby favoring their expansion. However, we now report that dietary fructose and glucose, which are prevalent in the Western diet, specifically silence a protein that is necessary for gut colonization, but not for utilization of these sugars, by the human gut commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Silencing by fructose and glucose requires the 5′ leader region of the mRNA specifying the protein, designated Roc for regulator of colonization. Incorporation of the roc leader mRNA in front of a heterologous gene was sufficient for fructose and glucose to turn off expression of the corresponding protein. An engineered strain refractory to Roc silencing by these sugars outcompeted wild-type B. thetaiotaomicron in mice fed a diet rich in glucose and sucrose (a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose), but not in mice fed a complex polysaccharide-rich diet. Our findings underscore a role for dietary sugars that escape absorption by the host intestine and reach the microbiota: regulation of gut colonization by beneficial microbes independently of supplying nutrients to the microbiota.
HEMORRHAGIC PERICARDIAL TAMPONADE AS FIRST PRESENTATION OF STILL'S DISEASE

Adult Onset Still's disease is an inflammatory disorder of unclear etiology. Symptoms include pyrexia, joint pain, a salmon colored rash usually located on the trunk, lymphadenopathy, and leukocytosis. Of those afflicted with Still's disease, cardiac symptoms are not uncommon. As many as 30-40% can
Specters in Space-Time

One of the most over the top mad scientists I came across while researching popular media for this book is Dr. Albert Obgrabco from the animated series The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers 1986 episode “Trouble at Texton”. Texton is a moon on which the erratic Obgrabco pushes his moon-encircling accelerator to energies way beyond safety limits (in fact beyond the energy of the Big Bang). His goal is to crack open the universe to confirm his hypothesis of parallel universes before his forced retirement. The heroic Galaxy Rangers respond to a distress call from the lab’s mainframe computer SAM, but they are unable to stop the evil Obgrabco from realizing his goal. An extraterrestrial from another dimension falls through a crack in space-time and risks its own life to stabilize the fracturing moon long enough for the Galaxy Rangers to escape.
490 PALS PROGRAM AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.

Background PALS is a student-initiated program at the UC Irvine School of Medicine that fosters relationships with pediatric patients and their families during the first 2 years of medical school. It provides insight into the patients9 perspective of the clinical experience and encourages empathy for future patient care. Hypothesis A mentorship relationship between medical students and pediatric patients is beneficial to the medical student and the special needs child and family. Methods Ten first-year medical students were selected to participate in the program based on their experience with children and commitment to community service. The pediatric patients chosen for PALS were initially screened and referred by the child life director. They ranged from 6 to 16 years of age, and illnesses consisted of hematologic, oncologic, renal, and neuromuscular disorders. Each medical student was paired with a pediatric patient as a mentor. Intermittently throughout the program, surveys were given to the medical student, pediatric patient, and family. The medical students are given a survey at the beginning and end of the program to assess their change and development due to the program. Students are also given a survey to complete at the end of their pediatric clerkship in their third year to reassess these attitudes. The patients and their families are given a survey to complete at the end of the 2-year program to assess the benefit the child received from the program. Results From the study (n = 8), medical students reported the following: 100% reported improved understanding of the effects on chronic illness, 100% reported a beneficial relationship with the child, 75% reported a greater interest in pediatrics, and 50% reported a positive relationship with the family. Patients and their families (n = 6) reported the following: 100% reported their child benefiting from the program, 67% reported positive changes in behavior attributed to PALS at UCI, 100% reported that they would recommend the PALS program to other families, and 100% reported that they would continue participation in PALS at UC Irvine. Conclusion Currently, medical students are introduced to the program at the beginning of the first year. Interested students are solicited to apply for the program. Approximately 15 medical students are accepted each year. PALS at UC Irvine is a 2-year program with 30 student/patient pairs. Overall, patients, their families and medical students report having a valuable experience as a part of their involvement with the PALS program.
Outcome Assessment of Surgery-First Orthognathic Approach

The outcomes amongst the subjects undergoing SFOA in terms of postoperative stability (skeletal, dental, and soft tissue), quality of life, and psychological well-being will be discussed and evaluated. This will be compared in relation to conventional jaw surgery based on currently available literature. The chapter deals with the level of evidence available with the following outcomes of SFOA, such as treatment timing reduction, and what is the best evidence-based practice for SFOA.
Anisotropic time dependent and continuum damage coupled plasticity model: An application for Mg AZ31B

Abstract In this work, an anisotropic and time-dependent continuum damage-coupled plasticity model is written under a finite strain formulation in arbitrary coordinate space to describe the mechanical behavior of ductile materials. The model accommodates the simulation of proportional and non-proportional 3D loadings. A phenomenological continuum damage mechanics approach is suggested to model the anisotropic damage in the mechanical behavior, including the post-necking region, up to failure. The mathematical model scheme captures the strain rate effect on the material's mechanical response and precisely approximates the yield stress, ultimate tensile strength, and strain to fracture. This paper also presents an implicit time integration method for the anisotropic time-dependent continuum damage-coupled plasticity model under finite strains. The prediction capability of the proposed model is validated by comparing the numerical results to uniaxial tensile experiments on TRC sheets of Mg AZ31B alloy. Magnesium alloys are the lightest engineering metals and therefore are potential candidates for use in stamped automotive panels. Comparisons between the numerical predictions and the experimental results show fair agreement over a wide range of strain rates and temperatures.
Pain Assessment in Individuals with Limited Ability to Communicate

Patients with neurocognitive impairments can provide particular challenges in regard to treatment of pain. Difficulties may arise in assessment of pain, communication, treatment, confirmation of effect of intervention, or in all phases. As a result, these patients are at risk for poor pain management, with extremes of under- or over-treatment of pain. Caregivers’ input and contextual clues can be of significant help, provided this information is appropriately interpreted. Validated clinical scales play a key role in this patient population.
When to Worry about Cancer: Concurrent Carcinoma and Recurrence in Borderline Ovarian Tumors.

Objectives The objectives of this study were to identify and assess the factors associated with concurrent carcinoma and recurrence in women with epithelial borderline ovarian tumors. Methods The cancer and pathology databases at a tertiary care academic cancer center were queried for all borderline ovarian tumors from 2005 to 2015. Cases with/without concurrent ovarian carcinoma and with/without recurrence were compared. Results A total of 123 women with borderline tumors were identified (mean age 51.3 years). Concurrent carcinoma was present in 31 (25.2%). Women with concurrent carcinoma were significantly more likely to be peri- or postmenopausal, have an elevated CA-125, and have a nonserous histology. Seven (5.7%) women's cancer recurred at a mean of 23.5 months (mean follow-up 30.0 months). Women with recurrence were more likely to be nonwhite, have concurrent invasive carcinoma, and have had residual disease at the time of surgery. Conclusions Epithelial borderline ovarian tumors often co-exist with carcinoma and occur more frequently in postmenopausal women, in women with elevated CA-125, and in tumors with nonserous histology. The presence of any of these factors should alert clinicians to the potential need for comprehensive staging at the time of surgery. The recurrence of borderline tumors is associated with nonwhite race, concurrent carcinoma, and residual disease at initial surgery.
Commentary—A Dimon in the Rough: Apologetic Crisis Management at JPMorgan Chase:

When companies are caught in a crisis, the need to deliver a defense in order to salvage their damaged reputation is an ongoing challenge. Drawing from actional legitimacy and apologia theory, this...
The role of interferons in systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract The interferons (IFNs) consist of three different families of proteins (types I–III) with antiviral properties. IFNs serve as a bridge between the innate and the adaptive immune system, comprising a complex and tightly regulated network. Increased levels of type I IFN are seen in many patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and are associated with the presence of autoantibodies, disease severity, and heterogeneity. However, IFN levels are not useful as a biomarker of SLE activity, as longitudinal studies have shown stability of the IFN score over time in most patients. Several therapies aiming to inhibit the production, receptor binding, or downstream pathways have been developed and are in different phases of clinical trials. Using IFN levels in SLE patients to guide and predict response to therapy is very appealing. In this chapter, we will provide a general description of the biology of the IFN system, its regulatory mechanisms, and their role in SLE.
Environmental gradients of selection for an alpine-obligate bird, the white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura)

The warming climate will expose alpine species adapted to a highly seasonal, harsh environment to novel environmental conditions. A species can shift their distribution, acclimate, or adapt in response to a new climate. Alpine species have little suitable habitat to shift their distribution, and the limits of acclimation will likely be tested by climate change in the long-term. Adaptive genetic variation may provide the raw material for species to adapt to this changing environment. Here, we use a genomic approach to describe adaptive divergence in an alpine-obligate species, the white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), a species distributed from Alaska to New Mexico, across an environmentally variable geographic range. Previous work has identified genetic structure and morphological, behavioral, and physiological differences across the species’ range; however, those studies were unable to determine the degree to which adaptive divergence is correlated with local variation in environmental conditions. We used a genome-wide dataset generated from 95 white-tailed ptarmigan distributed throughout the species’ range and genotype–environment association analyses to identify the genetic signature and environmental drivers of local adaptation. We detected associations between multiple environmental gradients and candidate adaptive loci, suggesting ptarmigan populations may be locally adapted to the plant community composition, elevation, local climate, and to the seasonality of the environment. Overall, our results suggest there may be groups within the species’ range with genetic variation that could be essential for adapting to a changing climate and helpful in guiding conservation action.
Reverse effects of sponsorship: Establishing sport brand equity

The purpose of this study is to develop and test a parsimonious model of brand equity reverse transfer, where the reputations of sponsoring brands influence the brand of a sponsored sports enterpri...
Intimate partner violence and social connection among married women in rural Bangladesh.

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is high among married women in Bangladesh. Social isolation is a well-established correlate of women’s exposure to IPV, but the role of such factors in low-income and middle-income countries is not well understood. In this study, we explore whether social connection is protective against IPV among married women in rural Bangladesh. Methods Data were drawn from a multistage, stratified, population-based longitudinal sample of 3355 married women in rural Bangladesh, who were surveyed on individual and contextual risk factors of IPV. Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the association between three different domains of social connection (natal family contact, female companionship and instrumental social support), measured at baseline in 2013, and the risk of three different forms of IPV (psychological, physical and sexual), approximately 10 months later, adjusted for woman’s level of education, spouse’s level of education, level of household wealth, age and age of marriage. Results Adjusted models showed that instrumental social support was associated with a lower risk of past year psychological IPV (risk ratio (RR)=0.84, 95% CI 0.769 to 0.914), sexual IPV (RR=0.90, 95% CI 0.822 to 0.997) and physical IPV (RR=0.81, 95% CI 0.718 to 0.937). Natal family contact was also associated with a lower risk of each type of IPV, but not in a graded fashion. Less consistent associations were observed with female companionship. Conclusion Our findings suggest that social connection, particularly in the form of instrumental support, may protect married women in rural Bangladesh from experiencing IPV.
Democracy and Dysfunction: Rural Electrical Cooperatives and the Surprising Persistence of the Separation of Ownership and Control

Since the 1930s, corporate law scholarship has focused narrowly on the public corporation and the problem of the separation of ownership and control — a problem many now believe has been mitigated or even solved. With rare exceptions, scholars have paid far less heed to other business forms that still play important roles in the American economy. In this Article we examine a significant, and almost completely overlooked business form, the Rural Electrical Cooperative (REC). RECs were founded in a moment of optimism during the New Deal. As with other cooperatives, their organizational rules differed sharply from those of for-profit corporations. They were owned by their customers, with each customer member having one vote irrespective of their energy consumption -- and it was hoped these owners would provide active oversight of the REC’s managers and activities. The reality has proven otherwise. Corporate governance innovations of the last forty years have passed RECs by, leaving an organizational sector mired in governance dysfunctions stemming from the separation of ownership and control. Here we explain why RECs evolved as they did, and why New Deal planners seized on the cooperative form to electrify the countryside; how significant governance problems have persisted, largely unaddressed, from the 1930s to today; and how a change in corporate governance rules, one allowing for a market for corporate control in RECs, could fix some persistent problems in this still-important sector. Alternatively, we propose that RECs take up a new public role as rural broadband internet providers with a reinvigorated federal regulator to police governance failures.
Development of college student focused care in a psychiatric hospital: Preliminary clinical outcomes and future directions.

OBJECTIVE The unique features of college experience make it essential to address escalating mental-health challenges beyond college campuses. In 2010, we launched college-student focused (CSF) care nested within an adult day treatment program in a psychiatric hospital. The CSF care consists of student group therapies, individual consultation services for hospital staff and student-patients, and student-focused mental health guides for patients and families. This study preliminarily examined the clinical impact of CSF care on post-treatment symptoms reduction. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS In 235 college student-patients admitted to the day program between 2011 July to 2013 January, we assessed the targeted outcomes of the CSF care, using a newly developed CSF questionnaire. RESULTS Higher levels of CSF care-related outcomes predicted reduced post-treatment depression and anxiety, even after controlling for baseline clinical symptoms and post-treatment skills usage. CONCLUSIONS These results highlighted the benefits and need for CSF care on a healthcare system level.
Chemical Reactions of Proteins

Proteins occupy a unique status among the constituents of biological matter by virtue of their relatively large size and complex, multifaceted, and multireactive structures. These properties give them superb characteristics for functioning in biological systems in many different ways, but these characteristics also make many proteins susceptible to environmental stresses. While these susceptibilities to stresses are important in the functions of biological systems, allowing proteins to respond to or interact with the many constituents in biological systems, they are also easily attacked by a variety of chemicals and are subject to many deteriorative reactions. Indeed, susceptibility to and interaction with the environment by proteins are what make proteins highly important constituents that fulfill a major requirement for living things, namely, response to environment.
Lagrangian Turbulence and Transport in Semi-enclosed Basins and Coastal Regions

Abstract : The long-term goal of this project is the development and application of new methods of investigation for the use of Lagrangian data and other emerging in-situ and remote instruments (drifters, HF radar, gliders and satellite) that provide information on upper ocean advection. Special attention is given to the development of new techniques for data analysis and assimilation in Eulerian numerical models for the prediction of Lagrangian transport in coastal flows. The project has the following specific objectives pursued during the last year of funding: 1) To use methods for velocity reconstruction from model outputs and drifter data to improve the prediction of sonobuoy trajectories in an operational setting. 2) To use HF radar and drifter data to characterize and predict transport properties in coastal flows. 3) To participate to the planning, execution and data analysis of a Rapid Environment Assessment experiment in the coastal ocean (Ligurian Sea, Mediterranean Sea).s
Bulk metallic glass formation in the Pd-Ni-P and Pd-Cu-P alloy systems

Since the first successful synthesis of glassy Au-Si and Pd-Si by P. Duwez and co-workers [1], the production of amorphous alloys has been associated with the rapid solidification of melts at cooling rates on the order of 106 K/sec. In these and many other alloys, high cooling rates are necessary to avoid the crystallization of the undercooled melt while it is quenched from the liquidus temperature T l to the glass transition temperature, T g. The required fast cooling rate restricts at least one of the dimensions of the amorphous products to less than about 50 µm. Because amorphous metallic alloys have many potential technological applications, the recent discovery that certain alloy melts can be quenched into bulk amorphous states has received great attention.
A simple dependence between protein evolution rate and the number of protein-protein interactions

It has been shown for an evolutionarily distant genomic comparison that the number of protein-protein interactions a protein has correlates negatively with their rates of evolution. However, the generality of this observation has recently been challenged. Here we examine the problem using protein-protein interaction data from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and genome sequences from two other yeast species. In contrast to a previous study that used an incomplete set of protein-protein interactions, we observed a highly significant correlation between number of interactions and evolutionary distance to either Candida albicans or Schizosaccharomyces pombe. This study differs from the previous one in that it includes all known protein interactions from S. cerevisiae, and a larger set of protein evolutionary rates. In both evolutionary comparisons, a simple monotonic relationship was found across the entire range of the number of protein-protein interactions. In agreement with our earlier findings, this relationship cannot be explained by the fact that proteins with many interactions tend to be important to yeast. The generality of these correlations in other kingdoms of life unfortunately cannot be addressed at this time, due to the incompleteness of protein-protein interaction data from organisms other than S. cerevisiae. Protein-protein interactions tend to slow the rate at which proteins evolve. This may be due to structural constraints that must be met to maintain interactions, but more work is needed to definitively establish the mechanism(s) behind the correlations we have observed.
Water vapor absorption coefficients in the 8–13 μm spectral region: a critical review: erratum

Measurements of water vapor absorption coefficients in the thermal IR atmospheric window (8-13 microm) during the past 20 years obtained by a variety of techniques are reviewed for consistency and are compared with computed values based on the AFGL spectral data tapes. The methods of data collection considered were atmospheric long path absorption with a CO(2) laser or a broadband source and filters, a White cell and a CO(2) laser or a broadband source and a spectrometer, and a spectrophone with a CO(2) laser. Advantages and disadvantages of each measurement approach are given as a guide to further research. Continuum absorption has apparently been measured accurately to about the 5-10% level in five of the measurements reported. However, the effect of oxygen broadening has not been fully considered, since most laboratory measurements were made using nitrogen buffering. Oxygen could lead to a small reduction in the adopted value of the water vapor continuum absorption coefficient in air. Also, the temperature dependence does not seem to have been measured well for temperatures <20 degrees C. The rotational and v(2) line absorption coefficients do not appear to have been determined well in this spectral region except at CO(2) laser line frequencies, because the agreement between such measurements and the AFGL spectral data tapes is generally not good.
Thermostabilization of cellulosomal endoglucanase EngB from Clostridium cellulovorans by in vitro DNA recombination with non-cellulosomal endoglucanase EngD.

Summary Enhancement of enzyme thermostability by protein engineering gives us information about the thermostabilization mechanism as well as advantages for industrial use of enzymes. In this study, we enhanced the thermostability of endoglucanase EngB, one component of the cellulase complex (cellulosome) from Clostridium cellulovorans, by the directed evolution technique. The library was constructed by in vitro recombination of the genes for EngB and non-cellulosomal cellulase EngD, based on the fact that the catalytic domains of both cellulases were highly homologous. To obtain thermostable clones without loss of activity, the library was screened by a com-bination of activity and thermostability screening. We obtained three mutants out of 8000 selected clones that showed significantly higher thermostability than those of EngB and EngD without compromising their endoglucanase activities. One of the mutants possessed a sevenfold higher thermostability than EngB. The possible mechanisms of thermostabilization are discussed.
Optimum and suboptimum tree computation for interconnected multiple-access networks (LAN interconnection)

A method of computing optimum trees is presented along with a suboptimum approach that is computationally efficient. The optimum spanning tree is defined to be the one which, for a given network and traffic requirements, minimizes the average frame transfer delay, which for simplicity is referred to as delay. A procedure is described for finding a suboptimum tree by examining a small subset of trees likely to have good delay characteristics. The tradeoff between the degree of optimization and the computational effort is examined. Results show that the computational effort was reduced by over 90% while yielding near-optimum results. >
Effect of topical kanamycin sulfate on plaque accumulation

The mentally handicapped tend to have poor oral hygiene. This clinical study demonstrated that 5% kanamycin sulfate in Orabase, applied topically to the dental gingival surfaces three times a day for four to five days, improved the oral health of institutionalized persons. The effect disappears between the fourth and eighth week after treatment.
Prothoracicotropic hormone stimulated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity: the changing roles of Ca2+- and cAMP-dependent mechanisms in the insect prothoracic glands during metamorphosis

The synthesis of ecdysteroids by the lepidopteran prothoracic gland is regulated by a brain neuropeptide hormone, prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH). In Manduca sexta glands, PTTH stimulates several events including Ca(2+) influx, Ca(2+)-dependent cAMP generation and the activation of several protein kinases. In the present study, the path by which PTTH stimulates extracellular signal-activated regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation was investigated using PTTH and second messenger analogs. The results indicate that Ca(2+)-dependent processes, other than cAMP generation, play the major role in PTTH stimulation of ERK phosphorylation in larval prothoracic glands, that cAMP-dependent events increase in importance during later development and that PTTH-stimulated ERK phosphorylation is highest in larval glands. The decline in PTTH-stimulated ERK phosphorylation associated with metamorphosis results from decreased ERK levels and an increased basal rate of ERK phosphorylation. The data suggest that the role or importance of components of the PTTH signal transduction cascade are not fixed and can change during development.
Prospective evaluation of 4-mm diameter endoscopes for esophagoscopy in sedated and unsedated patients.

Abstract Background: Unsedated esophagoscopy with small-diameter endoscopes is generally well tolerated but of limited sensitivity for the diagnosis of esophageal mucosal disease. This study evaluated the sensitivity of esophagoscopy performed with new 4-mm diameter prototype battery-powered and video endoscopes. Patient tolerance for an unsedated examination with the 4-mm endoscopes was assessed and the performance characteristics of the battery-powered and video 4-mm endoscopes were compared. Methods: Patients referred for EGD were recruited to undergo an additional examination with a 4-mm endoscope. A prototype 60-cm long, 4-mm diameter battery-powered fiberoptic esophagoscope was used in the first 24 patients and a prototype 60-cm long, 4-mm diameter video esophagoscope in the next 27 patients. Examiners who were unaware of patient history and procedure indications recorded esophageal findings, ease of intubation, optical quality (5-point visual scale), and time for examination of the esophagus and then recorded esophageal findings after the standard EGD. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for identification of Barrett's esophagus was 100%; overall sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity for detecting esophageal lesions were, respectively, 91%, 98%, and 99%. Patient tolerance (assessed by symptom scores for choking, pain, and discomfort) and acceptability of unsedated esophagoscopy with the 4-mm diameter instruments were significantly better than in a historical group of patients examined with a 3-mm diameter endoscope. The optical quality of video endoscope was rated as superior to that of battery-powered endoscope, and esophageal examination was performed significantly quicker with the video versus the battery-powered endoscope (68 vs. 137 seconds; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Unsedated esophagoscopy with 4-mm diameter endoscopes may be an alternative to EGD for screening for Barrett's esophagus. Given the current state of endoscopic technology, a minimum diameter of 4 mm is required for satisfactory esophageal imaging. (Gastrointest Endosc 2003;57:300-4.)
International Purchasing Alliances: An Empirical Study

In this exploration of formal international purchasing alliances, a broad overview of why firms become involved in international purchasing alliances is developed. Then, using a data base developed based on formalized international alliance activity reported in The Wall Street Journal, characteristics of international alliances are explored. The research also uses exploratory case studies to corroborate and develop a deeper understanding of international purchasing alliances. Implications of international alliance involvement for the purchasing function are also discussed.
Hand-Schüller-Christian disease presenting as gingivitis.

Abstract A case of Hand-Schuller-Christian disease with initial oral manifestations has been discussed. The initial symptoms of stomatitis, gingivitis, loosening of the deciduous teeth, and draining ear, all present 3 years prior to the establishment of a diagnosis, suggest that the disease process may have been present for a long time. Treatment with vinblastine sulfate was undertaken, with prompt radiographic evidence of remission.
Combined use of calcium infusion localization and a minimally invasive surgical procedure in the management of insulinoma.

ABSTRACT Objective To review our experience with current diagnostic localization techniques and a minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical procedure in the management of insulinoma. Methods We describe five patients with insulinoma, the results of diagnostic studies, and a proposed algorithm for management of this rare tumor. Results Four female patients and one male patient (age range, 34 to 72 years) underwent supervised fasting (mean duration, 12 hours; range, 3 to 28 hours) to establish the diagnosis of insulinoma. These patients had glucose values that ranged from 38 to 41 mg/dL and associated serum insulin levels of 11.3 to 61 μU/mL. C-peptide values ranged from 3.4 to 11.5 ng/mL, and proinsulin levels (measured in four patients) were 32.9 to 82 pmol/L. These biochemical findings were diagnostic for insulin-mediated hypoglycemia, and the high proinsulin and C-peptide levels, in conjunction with negative results of serum measurements for sulfonylureas, excluded an exogenous source of insulin as the cause of hypoglycemia. Four of the five study patients had nondiagnostic results of noninvasive localization studies and underwent selective arterial injection of calcium with hepatic venous sampling to help localize the insulinomas within the pancreas. This procedure correctly localized the lesion in three patients and was associated with no complications. In all five patients, surgical resection of a solitary insulinoma (with use of laparoscopic procedures in four, one of which was converted to an open procedure) yielded resolution of the hypoglycemia. Conclusion The combination of calcium infusion localization and a minimally invasive surgical procedure is an efficient management approach in the diagnosis and treatment of insulinoma. (Endocr Pract. 2002;329-334)
Education and Career Satisfaction: Examining the Specifics of the Relationship Among Criminal Justice Graduates

Several studies have considered the source of job satisfaction across different types of criminal justice professionals. This article identifies factors related to job satisfaction among graduates from a criminal justice program. The authors use a sample of 236 criminal justice graduates to explore the role of education in reports of career satisfaction. Findings indicate that graduates who felt they received adequate training in the social sciences were more likely to report satisfaction with their careers. Perceptions of preparation for careers/graduate study also were related to job satisfaction. Perceptions of course availability and independent studies/research opportunities also played a role. Implications are provided.
Corrections for Measurements of Tritium in Subterranean Vapor using Silica Gel

Hazardous contaminants buried within vadose zones can accumulate in soil gas. The concentrations and spatial extent of these contaminants are measured to evaluate potential transport to groundwater for public risk evaluation. Tritium is an important contaminant found and monitored for in vadose zones across numerous sites within the US nuclear weapons complex, including Los Alamos National Laboratory. The extraction, collection, and laboratory analysis of tritium from subterranean soil gas presents numerous technical challenges that have not been fully studied. Particularly, the lack of moisture in the soil gas in the vadose zone makes it difficult to obtain enough sample (e.g., >5 g) to provide for the required measurement sensitivity, and often, only small amounts of moisture can be collected. Further, although silica gel has high affinity for water vapor and is prebaked prior to sampling, there is still sufficient residual moisture in the prebaked gel to dilute the relatively small amount of sampled moisture; thereby, significantly lowering the “true” tritium concentration in the soil gas. This paper provides an evaluation of the magnitude of the bias from dilution, provides methods to correct past measurements by applying a correction factor (CF), and evaluates the uncertainty of the CF values. For this, 10,000 Monte Carlo calculations were performed, and distribution parameters of CF values were determined and evaluated. The mean and standard deviation of the distribution of CF values were 1.53 ± 0.36, and the minimum, median, and maximum values were 1.14, 1.43, and 5.27, respectively.
Ex Ante Equity in Public Risk

In evaluating decision alternatives that involve risk of death among members of the public, there are two types of equity that must be considered, namely, ex ante and ex post equity. Among the two, ex ante equity is more controversial. This paper suggests refinements to recent definitions of ex ante equity, based on distribution of individuals' risks across equally desirable outcomes, and historical inequity.
Normalized Southern Hybridization to Enhance Testing for Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, Type 1A.

Abstract Background: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, type 1A (CMT,1A) is a common autosomal dominant neuromuscular disorder, which affects both motor and sensory function and is characterized usually by duplication of a region on chromosome 17 through unequal crossover. As a result, affected patients carry three copies of this region. Individuals inheriting the other deleted chromosome involved in the crossover have one copy of the region and manifest herditary neuropathy with susceptibility to pressure palsies (HNPP). One diagnostic approach to CMT,1A exploits Southern blot hybridization and the relative intensity for three polymorphic MspI restriction fragment lenth polymorphism bands within the duplicated area to judge whether patients have two or three copies of this region using a probe such as VAW409R3A. This is usually straightfoward and works well for the majority of samples that display polymorphisms. However, it is difficult to judge dosage for this region in patients who do not demonstrate polymorphic bands. Methods and Results: An assay has been developed in which a simultaneously hybridized probe (pH15), which detects a nonpolymorphic band on chromosome 22 generated by the same restriction enzyme used to digest genomic DNA, is used to normalize the signal from the CMT,1A probe after phosphorimager analysis. Normalized ratios for VAW409R3A-hybridizing Southern bands fell within discrete ranges for patients with three copies (2.72-3.69), two copies (1.60-2.40) and one copy (0.75-1.30) of this region in over 45 patient and control samples studied. Conclusions: This assay appears to provide a reliable and consistent method of analysis. (Mol Diagn 1996 Jun;1(1):65-71)
Hypoalbuminemia is disproportionately associated with adverse outcomes in obese elective surgical patients

Abstract Background Protein deficiency (PD) is a known risk factor for surgical complications; however, the risks of PD by weight class have not been well described. It was hypothesized that the combination of obesity and PD is associated with increased surgical complications compared with normal weight and normoalbuminemic patients. Methods A total of 85,833 general surgery patients undergoing elective operations within the 2011 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program were analyzed. Patients with conditions that could potentially confound serum albumin (SA) were excluded. Patients were stratified by normal (>3.0 g/dL) versus low ( Results Overall, 2,088 (2.43%) patients had low preoperative SA. 587 (28.1%) patients with low preoperative SA were obese (BMI>30), versus 39,299 (46.9%) with normal preoperative SA. Importantly, the interaction of hypoalbuminemia and BMI was independently associated with all complications among hypoalbuminemic patients with BMI>40, and mortality for patients with BMI>30 after controlling for appropriate demographic characteristics, co-morbidities, surgical wound classification, operation type, and complexity (c-statistic: .803 and .874 respectively). Conclusion PD and obesity appear to synergistically increase the risk of surgical complications. Paradoxically, malnutrition may be less easily recognized in obese individuals and surgeons may need to more carefully evaluate this population before surgery. Future studies should investigate therapy to correct PD specifically among obese patients before surgery.
Growth rates in multidimensional spatial voting

Abstract In the model of multidimensional spatial voting, define the sets F q m ( a ) to be the set of points reachable from a ∈ R n through a sequence of m or fewer q -majority vote elections. Let the core be the set of points not reachable from any other alternative. The main idea in this paper is the following dichotomy: either the core is nonempty or the sets F q m ( a ) grow linearly in m to fill the whole alternative space for all a .
Signal transduction during exocytosis in Limulus polyphemus granulocytes

Abstract Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced exocytosis is one of the primary immune responses of the Limulus granulocyte (GR). Exocytosis can be mediated by guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G-protein)-linked surface receptors that activate phospholipase C (PLC) to produce inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP 3 ) and diacylglycerol (DAG). IP 3 mobilizes intracellular Ca 2+ ([Ca 2+ ] i ), which can lead to exocytosis. We used activators and inhibitors of known signal transduction pathways to investigate the signaling pathway responsible for LPS -induced exocytosis in the GR. These compounds have been shown to similarly effect pathways in vertebrate and invertebrate systems and this assumption is made here. Pretreatment of GRs with cholera and pertussis toxins, which modulate G-proteins, and U73122, which inhibits PLC, inhibited LPS-induced exocytosis, but pretreatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin did not. In contrast, exocytosis was induced with fluoride (a G-protein activator) and thapsigargin with Mg 2+ (an inhibitor of endomembranous Ca 2+ -ATPase). Exocytosis was not induced by phorbol ester, which mimics DAG to activate protein kinase C (PKC) and it was not effected by ethanol or chelerythrine, which inhibit phospholipase D and PKC, respectively. Microinjection of GRs with different concentrations of IP 3 , an IP 3 analog (DL-2,3,6,trideoxy-myo-inositol 1,4,5 triphosphate), Mg 2+ , or Ca 2+ induced different percentages of exocytosis in individual cells, while HEPES buffer did not. Microfluorometric analysis of intracellular Mg 2+ ([Mg 2+ ] i ) and [Ca 2+ ] i , using the dyes Mag Fura-2AM and Calcium Green SN, respectively, revealed [Mg 2+ ] i and [Ca 2+ ] i fluxes during LPS-induced exocytosis. This study suggests that LPS induces exocytosis in the Limulus GR through activation of G-protein-coupled receptors, which stimulate the IP 3 signaling pathway to induce both [Ca 2+ ] i and [Mg 2+ ] i fluxes to facilitate vesicular and plasma membrane fusion. This is the first demonstration of the signal transduction pathway responsible for the primary immune response of the GR.
Techniques for ascertaining the validity of large-scale production simulation models

Statistical method, and in particular, simulation is the most widely used operations research modelling approach now employed by industry and government. Validation of a simulation model is the procedure designed to determine whether the model is an accurate representation of the portion of reality under consideration. It is a process distinct from model building or debugging (although interrelated). In this work, strategies and practical numerical techniques for validating large-scale production simulation models (or any other large system) are detailed. An evolution of the central concepts of large-scale model validation is represented first. The distinction between model user's risk and model builder's risk is highlighted as an important development which alters the problem into a consideration of the basis a decision-maker should use in determining whether to rely on the outputs of such models. Two quantitative techniques which are applications of the Turing test and of mathematical programming are de...
Elastic properties of linear charge density wave materials in the regime of nonlinear conduction

Abstract The Young's moduli E of TaS3, (TaSe4)2I, and NbSe3 are found to soften when the samples are subjected to voltages V in excess of the threshold VT for nonlinear electrical conduction by sliding charge density waves. The voltage dependences of E are similar to the voltage dependences of the differential resistance and of the dielectric constant. The difference in stiffness for V > VT is ascribed to decoupling of distortions of the charge density wave from those of the underlying lattice.