cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analytic Reviews: Considerations in the Development of Intensive Care Unit Report Cards

Concerns over health care quality have prompted calls for the public release of performance data, or “report cards,” as one strategy for improving quality. Any initiative to create a report card should start with the selection of valid quality indicators. This is complicated by the need to account for variations in case mix among intensive care units (ICUs), the difficulty in defining which patients are receiving critical care, and the fact that pre-ICU and post-ICU care can influence the outcomes of care for ICU patients. The difficulties in measuring quality accurately make some providers reluctant to release performance data to the public, but advocates of public disclosure point to examples of improved quality after publication of report cards. Consumer and purchaser demand for report cards continues to increase, so public reporting of performance data likely will become more common. In light of this trend, it is important for physicians to become involved in the development of report cards to ensure ...
VALIDATION OF THE MOTIVATION FOR EATING SCALE

For items used in the Likert-type Motivation for Eating Scale (MFES), content domain was clearly specified and a panel of experts assessed the relevance of each item. Based on responses from 298 participants in the western United States, the MFES was evaluated for internal consistency and reliability using factor analysis and correlation techniques. The factor solution isolated four factors that replicated scale construction, including: environmental eating, emotional eating, physical eating, and social eating with alpha coefficients ranging from .75 to .95. Retesting after two weeks (N=88) yielded correlation coefficients that ranged between .55 and .77. Theorized relationships between subscale scores and certain demographic variables add support for concurrent validity. MFES subscales also correlated predictably with select subscales from the Emotional Eating Scale and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire suggesting convergent validity (N=103). Findings provide tentative support for use of the MFES in ...
Reduced levels of α1(XI) procollagen mRNA in SV40-transformed cells

Abstract We have used mRNA differential display to search for cellular genes whose expression is modulated in SV40-transformed cells. We identified a gene, the α1 subunit of type XI procollagen (α1(XI)), whose mRNA level is reduced in most F111 rat cell lines that express either wild-type SV40 T antigen or an amino-terminal fragment of T antigen (T147D). α1(XI) mRNA expression is also reduced in rat embryo fibroblasts transformed by SV40. This phenomenon is not unique to rat cells, because α1(XI) mRNA expression is repressed in C3H10T1/2 mouse cells transformed by either T147D or wild-type SV40. Interestingly, α1(XI) mRNA levels are not reduced in F111 cells that express only the polyomavirus large T antigen, but are reduced in F111 cells transformed by polyoma virus (which expresses all three polyomavirus T antigens) and in F111 cells that express the adenovirus E1A proteins. Thus, repression of α1(XI) mRNA expression may be a common feature of transformation by DNA tumor viruses.
Surveying the Moral Landscape Moral Motives and Group-Based Moralities

We present a new six-cell Model of Moral Motives that applies a fundamental motivational distinction in psychology to the moral domain. In addition to moral motives focused on the self or another, we propose two group-based moralities, both communal in orientation, but reflecting distinct moral motives (Social Order/Communal Solidarity vs. Social Justice/Communal Responsibility) as well as differences in construals of group entitativity. The two group-based moralities have implications for intragroup homogeneity as well as intergroup conflict. Our model challenges the conclusions of Haidt and colleagues that only conservatives (not liberals) are group oriented and embrace a binding morality. We explore the implications of this new model for politics in particular and for the self-regulation versus social regulation of morality more generally.
The impact of postdoc training on academic research productivity: what are the gender differences?

This study examines how postdoc training affects scientists' research productivity in their early career years (the first three years after receiving their doctoral degrees), in an attempt to reveal whether postdoc training contributes to enforce women's lower productivity that has been well documented in the general SE and the number of publications male scientists produce in the same period continues to outnumber that of female members. However, postdoc training, among these academic scientists and engineers, does not worsen women's disadvantageous status in productivity, and plays a neutral role in shaping individual productivity across the gender line.
The Influence of a Diet Containing Helminthosporium maydis Blighted Corn on Laying Hen Performance

Abstract INTRODUCTION HELMINTHOSPORIUM MAYDIS, the fungus which causes the disease of corn called southern corn leaf blight, was first identified in Japan (Nisikado and Miyake, 1926). Prior to 1969 southern corn leaf blight was not considered to be of any major economic importance in the United States. In 1969 the extreme susceptibility to southern corn leaf blight of corn possessing “Texas male-sterile (Tms) cytoplasm” was observed in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota (Scheifele et al., 1970). The hypersusceptibility of corn possessing Tms cytoplasm to Helminthosporium maydis was first reported in the Philippines by Mercado and Lantican (1961), but no attempt was made to solve this problem. The epiphytotic in 1970 was brought about by the widespread planting of hybrids containing Tms cytoplasm, by weather conditions favorable for disease development and dissemination by wind of large quantities of inoculum. The first report of an outbreak in 1970 was in the Belle Glade,…
THE IMPACT OF BIOLOGICAL CONTROL ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PACIFIC

Abstract The roots of development of any country are complex and many-sided. It is ambitious to attempt to assess the role of our small discipline in the development of the Pacific. Yet, benefits from biological control in this region have been substantial and reflected as economic and cultural improvements for several programs. Impacts are seen most clearly during periods of early development, when agriculture was a major component of a region's economy. Hence, we focus on the very early or broadly significant programs. Early programs are centered in Hawaii, Australia, California, Fiji, Mexico and Peru; other examples involved various Pacific countries or islands. Australia has benefitted most, as a result of the successful control of prickly pear and other weeds, rabbits and other pests in vast agricultural areas. California continued her threatened development, when control of the cottony cushion scale and St. Johnswort was achieved. Similarly Hawaii (sugarcane), Fiji (coconut and pastures), Peru (cotton), Mexico (citrus), and New Zealand (forests) have all seen their economies boosted when biological control of pests of the commodities indicated and others, was successfully achieved.
The more we know about fundamentals the less we agree on price? Evidence from earnings announcements.

Can an earnings announcement decrease disagreement about fundamentals while simultaneously increasing disagreement about price? Kondor (2012) develops a rational expectations model in which the presence of short-horizon investors can lead to a polarization of higher-order beliefs about price (i.e., beliefs regarding the opinions of other investors), even as a public announcement reduces disagreement about fundamentals. Using analyst forecast dispersion and implied volatility to proxy for differences of opinion about fundamentals and price, respectively, I find a positive association between the presence of speculative traders and both the likelihood and extent of divergence between changes in price and earnings disagreement around earnings announcements characterized by decreasing forecast dispersion. Further, I document that the association is stronger following good news announcements than following bad news announcements consistent with more precise public signals triggering higher-order disagreement. Finally, using abnormal announcement period volume to measure disagreement about price, I continue to document a positive association between speculation and the extent of divergence. Taken together, these findings suggest that higher-order beliefs play an important role in assessing the informativeness of earnings announcements.
Influence of water quality and age on nickel toxicity to fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas)

This research characterized the effects of water quality and organism age on the toxicity of nickel (Ni) to fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) to facilitate the accurate development of site-specific water-quality criteria. Nickel sulfate hexahydrate (NiSO4 x 6H2O) was used as the Ni source for performing acute toxicity tests (median lethal concentration after 96-h exposure [96-h LC50]) with < 1-d-old and 28-d-old P. promelas under varying regimes of hardness, pH, alkalinity, and natural organic matter (NOM). The toxicity of Ni was inversely related to water hardness between hardness values of 20 and 150 mg/L (as CaCO3). Below 30 mg/L alkalinity, Ni toxicity was related to alkalinity. The effect of pH was confounded by hardness and the presence of NOM. In the absence of NOM, the toxicity of Ni increased as pH increased at high hardness and alkalinity. In general, 28-d-old fish were less sensitive than < 1-d-old fish to Ni. This lower sensitivity ranged from 12-fold at low hardness and alkalinity (20 and 4 mg/L, respectively) to 5-fold at high hardness and alkalinity (100 and 400 mg/L, respectively). The presence of NOM (10 mg/L as dissolved organic carbon [DOC]) reduced Ni toxicity by up to 50%, but this effect appeared to be saturated above DOC at 5 mg/L. Incubating Ni with the NOM solution from 1 to 17 days had no effect on Ni toxicity. When using multivariate analysis, the 96-h LC50 for Ni was a function of fish age, alkalinity, hardness, and NOM (96-h LC50 = -0.642 + 0.270(fish age) + 0.005(alkalinity) + 0.018(hardness) + 0.138(DOC)). When using this model, we found a strong relationship between measured and predicted 96-h LC50 values (r2 = 0.94) throughout the treatment water qualities. The biotic ligand model (BLM) did not accurately predict Ni toxicity at high or low levels of alkalinity. Results of our research suggest that the BLM could be improved by considering NiCO3 to be bioavailable.
An Illustrative Visualization Framework for 3D Vector Fields

Most 3D vector field visualization techniques suffer from the problem of visual clutter, and it remains a challenging task to effectively convey both directional and structural information of 3D vector fields. In this paper, we present a novel visualization framework that combines the advantages of clustering methods and illustrative rendering techniques to generate a concise and informative depiction of complex flow structures. Given a 3D vector field, we first generate a number of streamlines covering the important regions based on an entropy measurement. Then we decompose the streamlines into different groups based on a categorization of vector information, wherein the streamline pattern in each group is ensured to be coherent or nearly coherent. For each group, we select a set of representative streamlines and render them in an illustrative fashion to enhance depth cues and succinctly show local flow characteristics. The results demonstrate that our approach can generate a visualization that is relatively free of visual clutter while facilitating perception of salient information of complex vector fields.
Numerical characterization of contaminant transport in nested two-scale porous media.

Natural hydrogeologic properties (e.g., log hydraulic conductivity) may include many scales of variability. This paper investigates transport in multi-scale media by numerically simulating solute plumes in nested two-scale velocity fields that have a typical scale disparity on the order of 10 [Adams and Gelhar, 1992; Hess et. al., 1992]. Two-scale velocity fields with specified covariance properties are generated from a multi-variate Fast Fourier Transform algorithm. Two dimensional solute plumes are accurately derived from a spline-based Eulerian-Lagrangian transport solver. The plumes are simulated over a travel distance on the order of hundreds of large log k scales and thousands of small log k scales. The initial size of the solute plume is close to that of the large log k scale, and the large time plume size is much larger than this scale. Spatial second moments are computed and compared to theoretical predictions. The spatial structure of the plumes is examined through the use of the dilution index and mean-square measure of concentration variability. Time histories of these measures illustrate distinctive evolutionary features of solute plumes traveling in a small-scale, a large-scale and a two-scale medium. Our results indicate that the large-scale and the two-scale plumes do not reach asymptotic state after a long travel distance. We conclude by discussing the important implication in performing two-scale solute plume simulation.
Robust interfaces for mixed-timing systems with application to latency-insensitive protocols

This paper presents several low-latency mixed-timing FIFO designs that interface systems on a chip working at different speeds. The connected systems can be either synchronous or asynchronous. The designs are then adapted to work between systems with very long interconnection delays, by migrating a single-clock solution by Carloni et al. (for "latency-insensitive" protocols) to mixed-timing domains. The new designs can be made arbitrarily robust with regard to metastability and interface operating speeds. Initial simulations for both latency and throughput are promising.
Theorizing Hyphenated Selves: Researching Youth Development in and across Contentious Political Contexts

In this article, we present social–psychological notions about critical consciousness, change, and power that we consider foundational to the study of youth under siege. Relying on Lewin's field theory and Du Bois’ dual consciousness, and critical psychology literature on sociopolitical understandings of conflict, we propose a new conceptual and theoretical framework that we call ‘hyphenated selves’ to better understand youth identity in and across contentious political contexts. Specifically, we report briefly on our own work with Muslim-American youth in the US post-9/11 and post–‘war on terror’ as a context from which we may reflect on a social psychology of youth identity and global conflict. At the same time, we want to think forward about critical methods for researching complicated subjectivities across politically and culturally contentious terrains.
LISP program-size complexity

We present a new ''character-string'' oriented dialect of LISP in which the natural LISP halting probability asymptotically has maximum possible LISP complexity.
Reflections on Rough and Tumble Play, Social Development, and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders

The urge for physical play in mammals, including humans, is built into the nervous system (Panksepp, 2008). This has been rigorously demonstrated in laboratory animals (Ikemoto & Panksepp, 1992). Although the precise functions of physical play remain unspecified, it is likely essential for optimal childhood development, both body and mind, with many demonstrated benefits (Burgdorf, Kroes, Beinfeld, Panksepp, & Moskal, 2010; Panksepp, 1993, 2010). We propose that play forms the backbone of young children’s daily life through spontaneous social learning that enhances social interactions, promotes learning, and provides positive affect that may increase psychological resilience. In fact, we now know that play provides considerable benefits in young animals, where the necessary detailed behavioral work can be done (as summarized in Burgdorf et al., 2010; Burgdorf, Panksepp, & Moskal, 2011; Gordon, Burke, Akil, Watson, & Panksepp, 2003; Panksepp, Siviy, & Normansell, 1984; Pellis & Pellis, 2009; Vanderschuren, 2010).
Cyber War Game in Temporal Networks.

In a cyber war game where a network is fully distributed and characterized by resource constraints and high dynamics, attackers or defenders often face a situation that may require optimal strategies to win the game with minimum effort. Given the system goal states of attackers and defenders, we study what strategies attackers or defenders can take to reach their respective system goal state (i.e., winning system state) with minimum resource consumption. However, due to the dynamics of a network caused by a node’s mobility, failure or its resource depletion over time or action(s), this optimization problem becomes NP-complete. We propose two heuristic strategies in a greedy manner based on a node’s two characteristics: resource level and influence based on k-hop reachability. We analyze complexity and optimality of each algorithm compared to optimal solutions for a small-scale static network. Further, we conduct a comprehensive experimental study for a large-scale temporal network to investigate best strategies, given a different environmental setting of network temporality and density. We demonstrate the performance of each strategy under various scenarios of attacker/defender strategies in terms of win probability, resource consumption, and system vulnerability.
INFLUENCE OF A SOIL PIPE NETWORK ON CATCHMENT HYDROLOGY.

Water flow in natural soil pipes (pipe flow) is recognized as a potentially significant mechanism in subsurface flow contributions to stream flow (Whipkey, 1969; Jones, 1975). It is a phenomenon known to occur in both humid and arid climates and is not restricted to a particular soil type. Enough measurements of pipe flow under different environmental conditions have not been made to actually quantify the significance of pipe flow in generating contributions to storm and drought hydrographs. However, there are a few reports on the limited measurements that have been made (Jones, 1975; Jones, 1978; Gilman and Newson, 1980).
Pairs of Adjacent Hamiltonian Circuits with Small Intersection

Consider the question: When can the edges in a pair of Hamiltonian circuits be redistributed to form another pair of circuits with the same union and intersection? A class of pairs is exhibited which intersect in two edges and cannot be rearranged in this way. A connection to algorithms for the traveling salesman problem is explained using the convex polytope of Hamiltonian circuits in . The exhibited pair is shown to be an edge of that polytope.
Hybrid Shiga Toxin-Producing and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia sp. Cryptic Lineage 1 Strain 7v Harbors a Hybrid Plasmid

ABSTRACT Hybrid isolates of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) encoding heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) are being reported with increasing frequency from a variety of sources. However, information regarding the plasmids that these strains harbor is scarce. In this study, we sequence and characterize a plasmid, p7v, from the STEC/ETEC hybrid strain 7v. Whole-genome phylogenetic analyses of STEC/ETEC hybrid strains and prototype E. coli isolates of other pathotypes placed 7v in the Escherichia sp. cryptic lineage 1 (CL1) clade. The complete plasmid, p7v, was determined to be 229,275 bp and encodes putative virulence factors that are typically carried on STEC plasmids as well as those often carried on ETEC plasmids, indicating that the hybrid nature of the strain extends beyond merely encoding the two toxins. Plasmid p7v carries two copies of sta with identical sequences, which were discovered to be divergent from the sta sequences found in the prototype human ETEC strains. Using a nomenclature scheme based on a phylogeny constructed from sta and stb sequences, the sta encoded on p7v is designated STa4. In silico analysis determined that p7v also encodes the K88 fimbria, a colonization factor usually associated with porcine ETEC plasmids. The p7v sequence and the presence of plasmid-encoded virulence factors are compared to those of other STEC/ETEC CL1 hybrid genomes and reveal gene acquisition/loss at the strain level. In addition, the interrogation of 24 STEC/ETEC hybrid genomes for identification of plasmid replicons, colonization factors, Stx and ST subtypes, and other plasmid-encoded virulence genes highlights the diversity of these hybrid strains. IMPORTANCE Hybrid Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli/enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC/ETEC) strains, which have been isolated from environmental, animal, and human clinical samples, may represent an emerging threat as food-borne pathogens. Characterization of these strains is important for assessing virulence potential, aiding in the development of pathogen detection methods, and understanding how the hybrid strains evolve to potentially have a greater impact on public health. This study represents, to our knowledge, both the first characterization of a closed plasmid sequence from a STEC/ETEC hybrid strain and the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of available STEC/ETEC hybrid genomes to date. The results demonstrate how the mobility of plasmid-associated virulence genes has resulted in the creation of a diverse plasmid repertoire within the STEC/ETEC hybrid strains.
Modeling of functionally graded smart plates with gradient elasticity effects

ABSTRACTIn this article, the equations of motion for functionally graded plates with surface-mounted piezoelectric layers, while accounting for the gradient elasticity through the modified couple stress model and linear piezoelectricity, are derived using Hamilton’s principle. The formulation includes the coupling between mechanical deformations and the charge equations of electrostatics. The mathematical model developed herein is an equivalent single layer theory for mechanical displacement field and the potential functions. The in-plane displacements are assumed to vary as cubic functions of the thickness coordinate while the transverse displacement is assumed to vary as a quadratic function of the thickness coordinate through plate thickness. The potential function is assumed as the combination of half cosine variation of electric potential and linear variation of applied voltage on outer surfaces. The approach described here is that standard plate models can be enhanced to include the coupling between...
Initial characterization of an antineoplastic, polysaccharide-rich extract of Mycobacterium bovis BCG, Tice substrain.

Abstract A purified hot-water extract from Mycobacterium bovis (BCG vaccine) has been found to have significant antitumor activity against a murine sarcoma in vivo, but not in vitro, suggesting that the active compound is behaving as an immunostimulant. The material, termed PS1, has an average molecular weight of 22.4 kDa, is freely soluble in water, but has low solubility in acetone or ethanol, and is remarkably heat-stable, as is the parent BCG vaccine in terms of high-dose antitumor activity. PS1 contains at least 50% carbohydrate, consisting mainly of glucose, galactose and mannose, and about 10% lipid that may correspond to phosphatidylinositol. It shares chemical and biological properties with an arabinomannan isolated from M. tuberculosis, but it contains only trace quantities of lipoarabinomannan (LAM). Crossed immunoelectrophoresis indicated that PS1 contains the mycobacterial antigen 89, but only a single, non-migrating precipitin arc appeared on immunoelectrophoresis against a standard anti-BCG serum. PS1 appears to be non-toxic in mice up to a dose of 5 mg/kg, while as little as 70 micrograms/kg is sufficient to inhibit tumor formation significantly.
Asian Banks: Can They Learn to Assess Risks Better? ( with C.-S. Lin )

After the discussion of corporate governance in the previous chapter, it would appear that Asian banking and financial sectors could be the source of further instability if no remedial actions are taken to improve their technical capacities. This is, unfortunately, true – almost a truism. The really important question to be considered is: can something be done to improve the banks’ capacity to assess risks? The answer, happily, is yes. In this chapter, I discuss the case of Taiwan, where both central bank guidelines and technical improvements are helping to mitigate risk assessment problems. It has been suggested that the basic problem was lack of competition and openness. Foreign ownership has been suggested as a remedy, and many affected Asian economies, including Thailand and Korea, have implemented it. However, without proper technical capacities for risk evaluation and pricing risks, banks will not be able to carry out their capital allocation roles properly.
Walter Lippmann: Unlikely Conservative

This chapter offers a discussion of Walter Lippmann, the renowned columnist and public intellectual who was a prolific commentator on American politics for over half a century. Although he made his mark primarily as a journalist, he wrote several notable books that proved his bona fides as a political philosopher. At the outset of his career, he emerged as a progressive luminary with socialist sympathies. As his opinions on these matters evolved, Lippmann renounced socialism, and eventually, acquired a reputation as a liberal realist. An exemplar of pragmatic conservatism who saw radical tendencies on both the left and the right, he trusted in elites who would draw on the wisdom of the past and the experiences of the present and then pass sensible reforms in response to a changing world.
“If I Ruled the World:” Imperialism, Anti-corruption and the World Bank

At the end of October 2006, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won a resounding victory and was reelected as Brazil’s president in a run-off against his conservative challenger, Geraldo Alckmin, with over 61 percent of the popular vote.2 Lula’s first term in office had been marked by a concerted policy thrust designed to reduce Brazil’s historic gross inequalities. Vowing to eradicate hunger, he had embarked on a series of social reforms that not only endeared him to millions of Brazil’s poor, but also appeared effective. The billions of dollars spent on health, education, and welfare were matched by a real 22 percent rise in the minimum wage between 2003 and 2006.3
Balancing regulation and investment incentives in next-generation communication networks

Policy-makers worldwide face the task of balancing the conditions that are most conducive to investment in next-generation infrastructures with traditional objectives of communications regulation. This short article elaborates on the major trade-offs faced by regulators and sketches a way forward.
A new SIP event package for group membership management in advanced communications

In real life, we often care about the membership in groups but may only know the identity of the group, rather than its members. This paper proposes and describes a new SIP membership event package, which deals with dynamic groups of event-generating entities. We present the event package concepts and show its usefulness in several application examples. The package allows tracking changes in membership in groups. Groups can represent entities contained within a physical space, such as a room or vehicle, or a logical group of entities, such as a call center team. Each member of a group can support a different set of event packages. Tracking membership of entities with different event packages allows deriving presence information from these event packages.
Inverted orientation improves decellularization of whole porcine hearts

Abstract In structurally heterogeneous organs, such as heart, it is challenging to retain extracellular matrix integrity in the thinnest regions (eg, valves) during perfusion decellularization and completely remove cellular debris from thicker areas. The high inflow rates necessary to maintain physiologic pressure can distend or damage thin tissues, but lower pressures prolong the process and increase the likelihood of contamination. We examined two novel retrograde decellularization methods for porcine hearts: inverting the heart or venting the apex to decrease inflow rate. We measured flow dynamics through the aorta (Ao) and pulmonary artery (PA) at different Ao pressures and assessed the heart’s appearance, turbidity of the outflow solutions, and coronary perfusion efficiency. We used rectangle image fitting of decellularized heart images to obtain a heart shape index. Using nonlinear optical microscopy, we determined the microstructure of collagen and elastin fibers of the aortic valve cusps. DNA, glycosaminoglycan, and residual detergent levels were compared. The inverted method was superior to the vented method, as shown by a higher coronary perfusion efficiency, more cell debris outflow, higher collagen and elastin content inside the aortic valve, lower DNA content, and better retention of the heart shape after decellularization. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use flow dynamics in a whole heart throughout the decellularization procedure to provide real-time information about the success of the process and the integrity of the vulnerable regions of the matrix. Heart orientation was important in optimizing decellularization efficiency and maintaining extracellular matrix integrity. Statement of Significance The use of decellularized tissue as a suitable scaffold for engineered tissue has emerged over the past decade as one of the most promising biofabrication platforms. The decellularization process removes all native cells, leaving the natural biopolymers, extracellular matrix materials and native architecture intact. This manuscript describes heart orientation as important in optimizing decellularization efficiency and maintaining extracellular matrix integrity. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess flow dynamics in a whole heart throughout the decellularization procedure. Our findings compared to currently published methods demonstrate that continuous complex real-time measurements and analyses are required to produce an optimal scaffold for cardiac regeneration.
Oral Cyclic Melphalan and Dexamethasone in the Treatment of Patients with AL Amyloidosis; Ineligible for High-Dose Melphalan and Stem Cell Transplantation.

Abstract Abstract 1883 Poster Board I-906 AL amyloidosis is caused by a clonal plasma cell dyscrasia and is characterized by widespread, progressive amyloid deposition leading to multisystem organ failure and death. In this disease, amyloid protein deposits are derived from monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains. Aggressive treatment of AL amyloidosis with high dose intravenous melphalan followed by autologous stem cell transplant (HDM/SCT) is effective in inducing hematologic remission and clinical improvement. However, only selected patients with AL amyloidosis are eligible for HDM/SCT due to amyloid-associated organ dysfunction. Recently, several investigators have demonstrated the efficacy of treatment with oral cyclic melphalan and dexamethasone (Mel/Dex) in inducing hematologic responses and improving survival for patients with AL amyloidosis. We report on 70 patients with AL amyloidosis who were treated with oral Mel/Dex. Oral melphalan was administered at 0.22 mg/kg/day for D1-4 and dexamethasone at 20-40 mg one day per week and repeated every month. The median age was 65 years (range, 46-84) and the median number of organ system involvement was 3 (range, 1–6). Majority of the patients (n=31) had predominant cardiac involvement. The reasons to select this regimen of Mel/Dex rather than HDM/SCT included severe cardiac involvement (n=23), age > 75 years (n=6), patient choice (n=6), severe autonomic neuropathy (n=6), poor functional status (n=5), treatment started by local physicians (n=9), complications of stem cell mobilization and collection precluding HDM (n=5) and others (n=11). Patients received a median of 4 cycles of Mel/Dex, (range 1-13). Hematologic responses were not evaluable in 22 patients due to early death, toxicity or patients failing to return for follow-up. Of 48 evaluable patients, 7 patients (15%) achieved a complete hematologic response. Median survival for these 70 patients has not yet been reached with a median follow-up of 17 months. Overall survival is 60% at 3 years. Thirteen of these patients received additional treatment for their disease. In conclusion, oral cyclic melphalan and dexamethasone can lead to hematologic complete responses in 15% of patients and to improvement in survival for patients with AL amyloidosis, who are not eligible for HDM/SCT. Disclosures: relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Selection and Availability of Shellfish Prey for Invasive Green Crabs [Carcinus maenas (Linneaus, 1758)] in a Partially Restored Back-Barrier Salt Marsh Lagoon on Cape Cod, Massachusetts

ABSTRACT European green crabs (Carcinus maenas) are voracious, invasive predators of molluscs and their range is expanding throughout the northwest Atlantic Basin. Green crabs rapidly established following the 2002 partial restoration of East Harbor (EH) (42″039330 N, 70″079430 W), a back-barrier salt marsh lagoon within Cape Cod National Seashore, MA, where crabs potentially contribute to abrupt shifts in bivalve abundance and compromise restoration outcomes. Green crab prey preferences and effects on molluscan assemblages at this site have not been documented. Between June and September 2013, the prey selections of green crabs were documented using mesocosm feeding experiments and green crab diet through stomach content analyses. To evaluate prey availability, molluscan assemblage characteristics were also characterized using benthic coring. In the mesocosm experiments, green crabs strongly preferred large softshell clams [Mya arenaria (Linneaus, 1758)] and also chose small M. arenaria and Baltic clams ...
Rapid sensory profiles with DISTATIS and Barycentric Text Projection: An example with amari, bitter herbal liqueurs

Abstract The sorting task is popular with sensory scientists because it provides rapid sensory profiles, even when product sets are complex or fatiguing. However, these sensory profiles generally cannot identify which sensory properties are driving subjects' perception of product similarities or differences—a critical task for the sensory analyst. This paper presents DISTATIS with Barycentric Text Projection as a solution that combines sorting-task and free-text data into a single-pass analysis to generate rapid, descriptive sensory profiles. This method is illustrated with a dataset generated by 25 subjects performing a replicated sorting and free-text description task in standard sensory-laboratory conditions on a set of 12 amari—bitter, herbal liqueurs that have not been previously analyzed in the sensory-science literature. DISTATIS with Barycentric Text Projection of the amari set produced sensory product maps that were readily interpretable. Using this analysis, the amari were grouped and described in ways that correspond to the available, popular literature descriptions of these products. The results of Barycentric Text Projection were compared to an independent Correspondence Analysis (CA) of the free-text data, and results were highly similar ( R V = 0.93 ). Future extensions of the method—such as analysis of descriptors in a check-all-that-apply (CATA) approach—are discussed. Overall, the successful, rapid, descriptive profiling of a set of 12 complex products using an untrained panel supports the potential of DISTATIS with Barycentric Text Projection as a sensory-evaluation tool.
Predictive value of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-V for superficial bladder cancer recurrence: Commentary

Purpose: GnT-V is an enzyme that catalyzes β1-6 branching of N-acetylglucosamine on asparagine (N)-linked oligosaccharides of cell proteins. GnT-V expression has been closely related to malignant potentials in colon cancer, brain cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. We determined whether GnT-V expression is predictive of superficial bladder cancer recurrence. Materials and Methods: The cohort comprised 60 consecutive patients with first time superficial bladder cancer treated with transurethral resection. None of the patients received prophylactic intravesical therapy until recurrence. Paraffin embedded tumor specimens were immunohistochemically examined by the avidin-biotin peroxidase method using monoclonal antibody against GnT-V. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to determine disease-free survival. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done to compare GnT-V expression to other clinical and pathological variables. Results: GnT-V expression correlated inversely with tumor grade and stage. The positive incidence of GnT-V in G1 to G3 tumors was 7 of 9 (78%), 21 of 43 (49%) and 3 of 8 (38%), respectively. GnT-V was positive in 26 of 44 cases of pTa (60%) and in 5 of 16 of pT1 (31%) disease. The 31 patients with positive GnT-V expression had significantly higher disease-free survival than the 29 with negative GnT-V expression (log rank test p = 0.0034). Multivariate analysis revealed that patient age, pT, grade and negative GnT-V expression were independent predictors of recurrence (p = 0.015, 0.001, 0.019 and 0.011, respectively). Conclusions: Immunohistochemical detection of GnT-V is an independent predictor of superficial bladder cancer recurrence.
Drug Approval Process for Acute Heart Failure Syndrome in the United States

The history of drug approval that targets the heart failure (HF) population has been subject to the advancements that have been made in the field of HF. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of the HF syndrome, with its complexity and an ever-growing number of patients, has led to an evolution in thinking at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Division of Cardiovascular and Renal Products. Once thought of as a terminal disorder without much hope even of palliation, heart failure therapies have emerged as powerful agents that can impact mortality and morbidity and may alter the course of the disease. The therapeutic choices through the years have targeted the concepts that were “in vogue” in each era. As an example, when inotropic derangement was thought to be the primary cause of HF, several inotropic therapies emerged and were approved based on a small amount of data.1 As the neurohormonal hypothesis was tested, drugs were targeted to this important axis, and the mortality and morbidity improved.
Eddy Current Image Processing for Crack Size Characterization

Estimation of crack length and depth is of considerable interest to the eddy current testing community, due to their importance in determining the relative severity of the flaw. A paper presented at the INTERMAG-MMM conference in July, 1988 proposes an automated method for estimation using eddy current image data where the material being tested is magnetic [1]. These estimates are within two to one of the correct results over a wide range of EDM slot sizes and aspect ratios, provided the slot length is at least half the mean coil radius. A second motivation for the present work is to provide a benchmark against which other techniques, or variations such as lower sampling density or different flying heights (fixed lift-off), may be measured. Since there is no obvious reason why the same methodology should not work for non-magnetic material tests, seven different sets of data on the twelve EDM slots in a calibration block were run thru a similar algorithm. A brief description of the algorithm will be given, then the data sets will be described, and the results (including some processing variations) discussed.
Modulation of Nephrotoxicity by Environmental Chemicals

ABSTRACT Environmental contaminants such as polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) produce no detectable alteration in normal renal function. There is a growing body of evidence however, that these contaminants alter the biochemical pathways responsible for the metabolic activation of other chemicals which may be nephrotoxic. Chloroform nephrotoxicity was markedly enhanced by PBB ingestion in mice and the degree of enhancement was proportional to the concentration of PBBs in the diet. The nephrotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene and 1,1,2-trichloroethane was also markedly enhanced in PBB treated mice. Similarly, the nephrotoxicity of acetaminophen was enhanced in rats treated with PBBs. On the other hand, PCBs reduced the nephrotoxicity of chloroform in mice. The nephrotoxicity of chloroform was also reduced by exposure to TCDD. Thus, a variety of environmental chemicals may influence metabolism within the kidney and subsequently alter the toxicity of certain compounds that require metabolic activation to a nephrotoxic product.
Correlation between auditory thalamic area evoked responses and species-specific call characteristics. II: Hyla cinerea (Anura: Hylidae)

Evoked potentials were recorded from the posterior dorsal thalamus of green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) in response to single tones and combinations of two and three tones. 1. The responses to two tones were largest when one of the component tones was 500 Hz and when the second component was between 2000 and 4000 Hz (Fig. 3). 2. The response to 500+3000 Hz showed non-linear facilitation; i.e., the amplitude of the response was greater than the sum of the responses to the component tones alone (Figs.4, 5). This result provides evidence that cells functioning as ‘ AND ’ gates will be found in this center. 3. When a third tone around 1200 Hz was added to a stimulus of 500+3000 Hz a 65% decrease in the evoked response amplitude occurred (Fig. 6). 4. The largest evoked response amplitude to a two-tone stimulus (500+3000 Hz) occurred when the rise-time was less than 50 ms (Fig. 7). 5. The two-tone tuning was found to be temperature dependent. The optimal lower frequency tone shifted downward with decreasing temperatures (Fig. 8). 6. When the temperatures of the neurophysiological and the behavioral experiments are matched, the optimal stimuli for evoking a large response are closely correlated to the parameters of the acoustic stimuli preferred by gravidH. cinerea females in discrimination tests. This center therefore appears to be very important for the processing of complex species-specific sounds.
Field-grown soybean transcriptome shows diurnal patterns in photosynthesis-related processes

Many plant physiological processes have diurnal patterns regulated by diurnal environmental changes and circadian rhythms, but the transcriptional underpinnings of many of these cycles have not been studied in major crop species under field conditions. Here, we monitored the transcriptome of field-grown soybean (Glycine max) during daylight hours in the middle of the growing season with RNA-seq. The analysis revealed 21% of soybean genes were differentially expressed over the course of the day. Expression of some circadian-related genes in field-grown soybean differed from previously reported expression patterns measured in controlled environments. Many genes in functional groups contributing to and/or depending on photosynthesis showed differential expression, with patterns particularly evident in the chlorophyll synthesis pathway. Gene regulatory network inference also revealed seven diurnally sensitive gene nodes involved with circadian rhythm, transcription regulation, cellular processes, and water transport. This study provides a diurnal overview of the transcriptome for an economically important field-grown crop and a basis for identifying pathways that could eventually be tailored to optimize diurnal regulation of carbon gain.
A New Method to Characterize Changes in the Seasonal Cycle of Snowpack

AbstractIn the western United States, water stored as mountain snowpack is a large percentage of the total water needed to meet the region’s demands, and it is likely that, as the planet continues ...
A tale of two voles: The challenge of the commonness-rarity continuum in conservation planning

Abstract Species rarity is often an important driver of conservation priorities in lieu of greater knowledge of extinction risk. Land management agencies often prioritize management based in part on the commonness of a species, yet identifying what constitutes where a species lies on the commonness-rarity continuum is difficult. Given limited resources, incorrect classification may have detrimental effects on species conservation. In a large area of the Northwest Forest Plan, which guides management of 9.1 million ha of federal forests in the Pacific Northwest, USA, forest management is closely tied to mitigation for the red tree vole (Arborimus longicaudus), a species considered uncommon due in part to its association with older forests. I explore the ability to provide insight into where a species lies along the commonness-rarity continuum by a multi-species comparison. I compared the relative distribution, abundance, and extrinsic conservation threats of red tree voles to western red-backed voles (Myodes californicus), a similar species considered common. Both species occur in younger forests with legacy components of older forests, but reach their greatest densities within older forests. Densities of the two vole species were qualitatively similar. If assignment of a species along a commonness-rarity continuum is a goal of species surveys, their value may be enhanced by including in the survey a set of similar species whose level of rarity is better understood. Although management of the red-tree vole was intended to be guided by adaptive management, challenging policy and legal issues have made that difficult; rarity as a criterion for prioritizing management is partly responsible.
Central Line Care: Empowering Patients to Prevent Infection and Injury Via EPIC2.

Background Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are associated with an increased risk of mortality, prolonged hospitalizations, and inflated cost of care. Patients in the hematology-oncology specialty unit are at greater risk of developing CLABSIs because of their immunocompromised state and high number of central line (CL) days. Objectives The aim of the EPIC2 project was to reduce CLABSI rates on a hematology-oncology specialty unit with historically high CLABSI rates despite prior quality improvement efforts. Methods EPIC2 used the theory of planned behavior as the framework for changing patient behavior and was based on evidence from the Partners in Your Care© handwashing study that successfully engaged patients to hold healthcare professionals accountable. Findings The three-month preintervention average CLABSI rate was 5.69. During the intervention period, the average rate was 3.24. This accounted for a 43% reduction in CLABSIs. Participants in the EPIC2 project reported feeling empowered to speak up against improper CL care.
Psychosocial Aspects of Physical Difference: The Experiences of Eight Adults with Albinism in Puerto Rico

IntroductionThis article explored the experiences of eight persons with albinism in Puerto Rico in their quest for educational, social, and employment opportunities.MethodsVolunteers participated i...
The Origination Clause and the Validity of Taxing Statutes

The Origination Clause of the Constitution provides that “[a]ll Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.” This article considers whether a taxpayer has any chance of success in challenging a tax statute on the grounds that its enactment violated that clause. Along the way, the article considers the history of the clause, the meanings of “bill for raising revenue” and “amendment,” and how, if at all, the clause can be enforced.