cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Double trouble: para-neoplastic anti-PCA-2 and CRMP-5-mediated small fibre neuropathy followed by chorea associated with small cell lung cancer and evolving radiological features

Patients with Purkinje cell cytoplasmic autoantibody type 2 (PCA-2) and collapsin response-mediator protein-5 (CRMP-5) autoantibody can present with multifocal elements of encephalomyeloneuropathy. Except for an anecdotal report, case descriptions of paraneoplastic small fibre neuropathy are lacking. We report paraneoplastic small fibre neuropathy followed by chorea associated with small cell lung cancer. A man aged 57 years with a 35 pack-year smoking history presented with painless subacute paresthesia and weight fluctuation. A non-length-dependent small fibre neuropathy was confirmed by skin biopsy. Further testing revealed positive serum PCA-2 and CRMP-5 autoantibodies, which after positron emission tomography–CT led to histological confirmation of a small cell lung cancer. Initially, abnormal MRI and cerebrospinal fluid studies suggested central nervous system (CNS) involvement which was subclinical; however, 6 months later during antitumour therapy, the patient became symptomatic with choreoathetosis. After combined chemoradiation as well as immunosuppressive and symptomatic therapies, the clinical course stabilised, although residual neurological deficits remained at follow-up a year later. Coexistent PCA-2 and CRMP-5 autoantibodies may occur in the setting of small fibre peripheral neuropathy and choreoathetosis and predict cancer type. Two paraneoplastic syndromes can present successively over months; subclinical CNS involvement with evolving basal ganglia abnormalities can be a paraneoplastic manifestation. In the appropriate clinical setting, paraneoplastic testing should be considered in patients presenting with small fibre neuropathy.
Managing Customer Reactions to Brand Deletion: An Abstract

Along with adding new brands and managing existing brands, it is equally important to delete weak brands from the brand portfolio in order to channelize resources toward building brand portfolios comprising strong brands (Shah, 2015; Shah, Laverie, & Davis, 2017). Despite its important strategic role in brand portfolio management, firms are hesitant to delete brands from their portfolios, as they fear losing customers and the challenge of managing customer reactions. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide a useful and practical guide to managers (based on academic literature and qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 15 brand professionals) on successfully deleting brands without estranging their loyal customers. Brand professionals were chosen as key informants in these interviews because they work very closely with brands and have experience and in-depth insight into the challenges involved with managing customer reactions during brand deletions.
Psychometric evaluation of the drinking refusal self-efficacy scale - revised with college students in the United States.

Abstract Drinking refusal self-efficacy has recently emerged as a potential factor related to reduced alcohol consumption and alcohol-related negative consequences in college students. The Drinking Refusal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire-Revised (DRSEQ-R) has been commonly used to assess for drinking refusal self-efficacy. However, psychometric evaluation of the measure with college students from the United States is needed to enhance its research and clinical utility. The goal of the present study was to confirm the factor structure of the DRSEQ-R with a sample of traditional aged college students from the United States as well as assess the measurement invariance of the factor structure across sex and race and the measure's convergent validity with other common alcohol use measures. Traditional age college students (n = 1683, 73% women; 63% White, non-Hispanic) completed measures of drink refusal self-efficacy, protective behavioral strategies, weekly alcohol use, hazardous drinking, and alcohol-related negative consequences. Using exploratory factor analysis and multi-group confirmatory factor analyses, a three-factor structure was identified, but, unlike the DRSEQ-R, one item loaded onto the opportunistic relief factor instead of the social pressure factor. The proposed model registered more reliable internal consistencies across the subscales, was invariant across sex and race, and demonstrated acceptable convergent validity with other commonly used alcohol measures. The proposed model for the DRSE-R may be a more psychometrically sound way to assess for drinking refusal self-efficacy among college students in the United States. Implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.
Modeling Stress: A Methodological Review

Covariance structure modeling (CSM) is increasingly being utilized in stress research. For this reason, a methodological review was undertaken to assess how well applied researchers have recognized the shortcomings and recommendations commonly espoused in the mathematical and statistical CSM literature. In reviewing a broad cross section of research (n=50), many problems were noted. For example, data sets were rarely checked for nonnormality even though conventional CSM estimation procedures (e.g., maximum likelihood) are based on the assumption that the data come from multivariate normal distribution, equivalent models were neither evaluated nor even acknowledged, and the majority of favored models were modified based on empirical rather than theoretical considerations. The results suggest that applied stress researchers have inadequate knowledge of the technical CSM literature, which has potential ramifications for theory development.
Determination of Minimum Horizontal Distance between Laying-Hen Perches

The objective of the study was to determine minimum horizontal distance (HD) between perches for laying hens using qualitative and quantitative behavioral analysis. A real-time monitoring system was developed to record hen's perching behaviors, such as the number of perching hens, perching duration, perching trips, and the pattern of perch occupancy. Three groups of sixteen W-36 laying hens (68 weeks old at test onset) with prior perching experience were used. For each group, hens were kept in an enriched wire- mesh floor pen (1.2×1.2×1.2m) equipped with two parallel perches (15 cm perch space/hen). The HD between the perches were varied sequentially at 60, 40, 30, 25, 20, and 15 cm; then varied again in a reversed order. The minimum HD that led to no significant change in hen's perching behavior was determined. Results showed that reduction of HD to 25 cm did not significantly restrain hen's perching behavior; however, HD <25 cm significantly reduced the proportion of perching hens. When HD was insufficient, more perching trips occurred during the 45 min prior to dark period, indicating increase in perching competition. Meanwhile, hens perched interlacing with one another and tended to perch outwards from the opposite perch or hens during dark period, which might be a strategy to use the perch more efficiently. Horizontal distance of 60 cm increased the perching duration and reduced the perching trips during light period; however these two behavioral responses were not affected by HD <60 cm. Therefore, 25 cm is suggested as the minimum HD between laying-hen perches, 30 cm being preferable, and large HD's such as 60 cm not advisable.
Redesign of the computer science capstone course by integrating the major field test (MFT)

A capstone course is an exit course for major students in most computer science programs. Traditionally it is project-oriented and aims to provide students with self-conducted learning experiences to utilize the knowledge that they have previously learned. Depending on subjects focused on and technologies used, there have been various approaches to run such a course. In this paper, we present our new design of a capstone course with its implementation. We integrate a national standardized examination, the Major Field Test (MFT), as an important component in the course. Since taking the MFT is a requirement of this course, students have to spend quality time to review all core courses in the curriculum. The review sessions significantly enhance their understanding of fundamental concepts and improve their problem-solving abilities. A term project, although in a relatively small scale due to the time limit, is also assigned to give emphasis to further developing students' abilities in written and oral communications. Our objectives are to strengthen students' fundamental background in the discipline, to improve student learning outcomes, and to well prepare students for graduate studies and/or entry into the workplace. Our detailed course structure and assessment method are described in the paper. Challenges and problems we have had are also discussed at the end of the paper.
Shadows from Higher Dimensions

A hemispherical bowl has a single, circular edge. So does a disc. If you sew the disc to the hemisphere you obtain a closed, two-sided surface; it has an inside and an outside. Topologists still call this a sphere, and it could be inflated back to a geometrical sphere if you like. Now take a long, narrow strip of paper, give it a half twist and glue the ends together. The resulting surface is not only one sided, it has but a single, closed edge. What happens if this edge is sewn to the rim of a disc?
The Arabic World: Bibliography

No presentations are made regarding the Arabic World as an areal study. The field work at present is preliminary and often unavailable in English as can be seen in the thinness of the bibliographic section.
Abstract 241: An Investigation of Sex Differences in the BRIDGE Transitional Care Clinic Population

Background: Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in men and women, women are less likely than men to received certain evidence-based treatments for CVD or be enrolled...
Optimal Voltage Reference for Droop-Based DERs in Distribution Systems

Due to the newly issued standards on distributed energy resources (DERs), the droop-based operation modes ( ${Q}$ – ${V}$ and ${P}$ – ${V}$ droops) become a requirement for all the interconnected DER units at the distribution level. Voltage references of the DER units can be assigned to improve the operational behavior of the distribution system in the smart grid context. This paper presents a novel formulation for optimally setting voltage reference of the droop-based DER units in distribution systems with the objective of minimizing the system ohmic loss. This problem is formulated as a mixed-integer quadratic convex optimization problem in MATLAB and solved by the MATLAB and CPLEX solvers. The IEEE 123-bus system and the EPRI test system Ckt5 are used to validate the proposed formulation. The result obtained from the proposed formulation is compared with the result of the original problem solved by the heuristic method. Based on the numerical study results, system loss can be reduced after the proposed voltage reference assignment. The computational expense of the new formulation is also much lower than that of the heuristic approach.
Stakeholder-Driven Model of Low-Vision Rehabilitation Service Delivery

Date Presented 04/04/19 This poster will highlight a new model of low-vision rehabilitation service delivery that addresses the chronic nature of visual impairment, as well as the pilot roll-out. Data collected from key stakeholders, including individual factors (knowledge, skills), interpersonal (social environment), community (family and community supports), organizational (health and social systems), and public policy factors (reimbursement), will be illustrated and integration of data into the model will be discussed. Primary Author and Speaker: Jennifer Kaldenberg
Social Media Use and Viewpoint Discrimination: A First Amendment Judicial Tightrope Walk With Rights and Risks Hanging in the Balance

This Article examines the judicial reaction by United States courts to viewpoint discrimination challenges involving social media disputes and investigates the risks of a rights-centric approach to these legal claims. Increasingly, social media users in the United States rely on social media networking platforms for their consumption and dissemination of news and information and their exchange of ideas and opinions. As the national conversation and court of public opinion in the United States move online, courts of law face difficult questions about how social media use impacts bedrock constitutional principles surrounding free speech and debate. The constitutional limits of viewpoint discrimination under United States Supreme Court First Amendment jurisprudence provide the legal framework to address such questions. However, lower courts struggle to apply this jurisprudence in their adjudication of viewpoint discrimination claims brought by social media users. This Article analyzes the risks posed by this judicial reaction to a rights-centric approach to these viewpoint discrimination claims.
Impact of hospital volume on surgical management and outcomes for early-stage cervical cancer

Abstract Objective To determine whether process and outcome measures varied for patients with early-stage cervical cancer based on hospital surgical volume. Methods Using the National Cancer Database, we identified women with stages IA2 – IB1 cervical cancer (2011−2013). Annual hospital volume was calculated using number of hysterectomies performed in the prior year and grouped into patient level-quartiles. Centers in the highest quartile of volume were defined as HVCs; those in the lowest quartile, as LVCs. Demographics, type/mode of hysterectomy, lymph node assessment, NCCN-compliant surgery (radical hysterectomy (RH) with LND), and survival outcomes were compared across quartiles of hospital volume. Cox Proportional Hazards model was performed to determine impact of volume on mortality. Results We identified 3469 women treated at 598 different hospitals. RH was more likely at HVCs versus LVCs (68.9% vs. 59.6%, p Conclusions HVCs demonstrated higher rates of NCCN-recommended surgery for early-stage cervical cancer. There was no association between hospital volume and survival.
Maternal Health Behaviors and Infant Health Outcomes Among Arab American and Non-Hispanic White Mothers in Massachusetts, 2012-2016.

ObjectivesThe health profile of Arab American mothers and infants may differ from that of non–Arab American mothers and infants in the United States as a result of social stigma experienced in the ...
Evaluation of Obesity Cutoff Values in Hispanic Adults: Derivation of New Standards

Abstract The diagnostic accuracy of clinical-based body composition methods such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), bioimpedance analysis (BIA), and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has yet to be evaluated in Hispanic adults. Moreover, it has also been suggested that previously established obesity cutoff values may need adjusting. Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of BMI, WC, BIA, and DXA for obesity classification in Hispanic adults. The secondary aim was to internally derive obesity cutoff values producing equal sensitivity and specificity for the respective tests. Methods: Hispanic females (n = 101) and males (n = 90) volunteered to participate in this study (18–45 years). Body fat percentage was estimated with BIA, DXA, and a 4-compartment (4C) model. Obesity-defined criteria was employed as follows: (Body fat percentage ≥ 25% and 35% and WC ≥ 102cm and 88cm for males and females, respectively; BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). A 4C model was used as a criterion to evaluate BMI, WC, DXA, and BIA. Results: Sensitivity of DXA and BIA (74.1%–96.9%) was greater than BMI and WC (25.8%–51.9%) when using previously established standards. However, specificity was poor for DXA ( 80.0%). Conclusion: The internally derived cutoff values, producing identical sensitivity, and specificity, were developed and shown to improve the diagnostic performance of the body composition methods compared to previously established obesity cutoff standards. Consequently, the internally derived obesity cutoff values are recommended for use by allied health professionals in clinical practice when equal sensitivity and specificity is desired.
Francis Xavier Dercum: Clinician, teacher, scientist.

Abstract Francis Xavier Dercum (1856-1931) was a renowned clinician, teacher, and scientist. Although he is widely known as a prominent neurologist and remembered for his treatment of then-President Woodrow Wilson, he also had many contributions to the field of medicine. Specific to dermatology, he provided the first observations and descriptions of adiposis dolorosa, which laid the groundwork for further examination and research. He dedicated his life as a scholar to teaching others and furthering the field of medicine.
Developmental genetics of maize vegetative shoot architecture

More than 1.1 billion tonnes of maize grain were harvested across 197 million hectares in 2019 (FAOSTAT 2020). The vast global productivity of maize is largely driven by denser planting practices, higher yield potential per area of land, and increased yield potential per plant. Shoot architecture, the three-dimensional structural arrangement of the above-ground plant body, is critical to maize grain yield and biomass. Structure of the shoot is integral to all aspects of modern agronomic practices. Here, the developmental genetics of the maize vegetative shoot is reviewed. Plant architecture is ultimately determined by meristem activity, developmental patterning, and growth. The following topics are discussed: shoot apical meristem, leaf architecture, axillary meristem and shoot branching, and intercalary meristem and stem activity. Where possible, classical and current studies in maize developmental genetics, as well as recent advances leveraged by “-omics” analyses, are highlighted within these sections.
Quality improvement project designed to reduce disproportionate growth in extremely low gestational age neonates: cognitive neurodevelopmental outcome at 18-41 months.

OBJECTIVE To assess if the adjusted odds of low composite cognitive Bayley-III scores changed after implementing a single-institution quality improvement (QI) project designed to decrease discharge Z-scores for weight, body mass index (BMI), and weight-for-length, but not length or fronto-occipital circumference (FOC) in infants 23-28 weeks gestational age (GA). METHODS Compare Bayley-III outcomes at ≥18 months corrected age (postnatal age adjusted for prematurity) in infants tested before (Epoch-1) and after (Epoch-2) QI implementation. RESULTS Bayley testing was available in 134/156 infants (86%) in Epoch-1 and 139/175 (79%) in Epoch-2. There was no change in frequency of low (<85) cognitive score (p = 0.5) or in median cognitive scores (80 in Epoch-1 vs. 85 Epoch-2, p = 0.35). The adjusted odds of low cognitive scores was not different between Epochs. CONCLUSION No change in cognitive outcome at ≥18 months corrected age was observed after implementing a QI project designed to reduce discharge weight-for-length disproportion in very preterm infants.
Stroke due to middle cerebral artery aneurysm clipping when the intraoperative angiogram was normal

Abstract Objective An intraoperative angiogram (IOA) may be used to check the clipping of middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms. This study analyzes the occurrence of a stroke when the IOA was normal as this has not been looked into before. Methods The records of all patients with a normal IOA after MCA aneurysm clipping were reviewed. Patients who woke up with a stroke were selected for this study and analyzed in detail. Results Thirty-one patients with 34 aneurysms had a normal IOA. Of those, 7 woke up with a new deficit from perforator or small artery ischemia resulting in a stroke rate of 22.6%. Five out of the 7 strokes were potentially avoidable. Conclusion An IOA is still an important tool to check the adequacy of clip placement. However, our experience has taught us that the intent to use it should not lessen the amount of time spent dissecting and exposing the aneurysm as completely as possible. The urge to clip the neck and hope that the IOA will be favorable, when the aneurysm is not maximally exposed, should be resisted. Ideally, a full 360 degrees dissection of the aneurysm should be done to identify perforators and small arteries en passage before clipping. If this had been done, it is likely that the stroke rate would have dropped towards 6.5%.
Adopting Non-Exclusionary Discipline Practices: The First Steps Are the Most Confusing

Two years after the State of Illinois enacted an extensive non-exclusionary discipline reform in schools, 322 key discipline gatekeepers were surveyed about the extent and impact of the new state policy. The results showed that several core provisions of the reform had not been fully implemented or addressed through professional development. Creating re-entry plans for students with long suspensions, eliminating zero tolerance policies, and limiting disciplinary transfers to alternative schools were the least implemented provisions. Furthermore, contrary to principals’ conservative self-reporting, large proportions of school personnel still had not received required professional development in key topics such as (a) adverse consequences of school exclusion and justice-system involvement, (b) culturally responsive discipline, and (c) developmentally appropriate disciplinary methods that promote positive and healthy school climate. Finally, differences were revealed between principals and other gatekeepers regarding satisfaction with, and impact of the implementation. Sharp differences were found between principals, on one hand, and teachers and support personnel, on the other hand, about the continuing prevalence and high frequency of discipline incidents, and about improvement in the overall school climate. If the reform is going to be impactful, it was recommended that more emphasis be placed on ensuring that teachers and support personnel receive adequate and timely professional development on the provisions of the policies.
The Attack on Antitrust Policy and Consumer Welfare: A Response to Crandall and Winston

In their paper “The Effect of Antitrust Policy on Consumer Welfare,” Robert Crandall and Clifford Winston advance an argument that others have previously made – namely, that antitrust policy in the United States is, on balance, welfare reducing. While past arguments have typically been ideological in nature or at most anecdotal in their support, Crandall and Winston (hereafter, CW) purport to provide empirical evidence: “This paper synthesizes the available scholarly evidence regarding the effect of antitrust policy on consumer prices and in deterring anti-competitive behavior.” They conclude that deadweight loss is small, the extent of anticompetitive activity is “quite limited,” and it is the market rather than antitrust which is responsible for “spurring competition and curbing anti-competitive abuses.” Providing empirical evidence on the question of the effects of antitrust policy is a commendable objective. Along with many other observers, this author has long noted the absence of systematic evidence or even many good case studies that establish the effects. This is in sharp contrast, for example, to regulation and deregulation, whose effects are often and well studied in economics. In the case of regulation, however, the effects are usually both broad and deep, so that empirical work can discern the incremental effect of policy. Much antitrust, in contrast, works at the margins of conduct, often presents difficult counterfactuals, and in any case has effects easily swamped by other forces impinging upon the firm or industry. For these reasons, modeling and data adequate to the task of assessing antitrust policy have been hard to develop. Crandall and Winston have not developed new modeling techniques or data. Instead, what they offer as “empirical evidence” is a review of selectively chosen examples of the application of antitrust, which they criticize for reasons both relevant and irrelevant to their point, and are ultimately inconclusive anyway, together with statistical work that appears to show the ineffectiveness of antitrust but in reality is based on a flawed model and data incapable of discerning any effect. This comment is intended to highlight these aspects of the CW attack on antitrust policy and consumer welfare.
An Image Reconstruction Framework for Characterizing Early Vision

Abstract We developed an image-computable observer model of the early visual system that operates on fully naturalistic input, based on a framework of Bayesian image reconstruction from retinal cone mosaic excitations. Our model extends previous work on ideal observer analysis and the evaluation of performance beyond psychophysical discrimination tasks, takes into account the statistical regularities of our visual environment, and provides a unifying framework for answering a wide range of questions regarding early vision. Using the error in the reconstruction as a metric, we analyzed the variations of the number of different photoreceptor types on human retina as an optimal design problem. In addition, the reconstructions allow both visualization and quantification of information loss due to physiological optics and cone mosaic sampling, and how these vary with eccentricity. Furthermore, in simulations of color deficiencies and interferometric experiments, we found that the reconstructed images provide a reasonable proxy for directly modeling subjects’ percepts. Lastly, we used the reconstruction-based observer for the analysis of psychophysical threshold, and found notable interactions between spatial frequency and chromatic direction in the resulting spatial contrast sensitivity function. Our method should be widely applicable to many experiments and practical applications in which early vision plays an important role.
Copper in Fetal and Neonatal Development

The essentially of copper for normal fetal and neonatal development has been well documented, although copper metabolism during this period is poorly understood. The dietary requirement for copper is influenced by genetic background. The neurological phenotypic characteristics of the mutant gene quaking (qk) in mice resemble in part those of copper-deficient animals. Supplementation of the maternal diet with copper during pregnancy and lactation, or during lactation alone, greatly reduced the frequency of tremors characteristic of these mutants, and brought the otherwise low copper concentrations in the brain to normal. Prenatal copper supplementation of crinkled (cr) mice increased neonatal survival and produced nearly normal development of skin and hair. Non-supplemented cr/cr mice showed anaemia at 21 days of age which disappeared later. Similarly, copper concentration in liver and hair was low in young but normal in old cr/cr mice. However, activity of copper--zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu-ZnSOD) remained low even at 60 days of age. Copper supplementation brought both SOD activity and copper concentration of liver and hair to normal. The errors in copper metabolism produced by qk and cr appear to be expressed at different periods of development. The hypothesis that there are rapid changes in the metabolism of copper is supported by the observation that molecular distribution of copper in rat intestine changes drastically during the neonatal period.
Marx, Atheism and Revolutionary Action

(1981). Marx, Atheism and Revolutionary Action. Canadian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 309-331.
Use of seed treatments and inoculants in no-tillage soybean production practices

68 Introduction 69 Materials and Methods 71 Results and discussion 74 Conclusion 76 Acknowledgements 77 References 77 CHAPTER 5. SOYBEAN GROWTH RESPONSE TO THIAMETHOXAM, TILLAGE, AND WATER STRESS 88 Abstract 88 Introduction 89 Materials and Methods 91 Results 96 Discussion 98 Conclusion 99 Acknowledgements 100 References 100
Purification and Properties of 5-Methyltetrahydropteroyltriglutamate-Homocysteine Transmethylase

Abstract 5-Methyltetrahydropteroyltriglutamate - homocysteine transmethylase has been purified from a methionine auxotroph of Escherichia coli K12, which was derepressed for the enzyme. The purified transmethylase has been crystallized and appears to be nearly homogeneous by disc gel electrophoresis and by equilibrium and velocity ultracentrifugation. Further evidence for a high degree of purity has been obtained from a dual purification of the enzyme from repressed and derepressed cells. A calculation of the specific activity of pure enzyme from the initial and final specific activities of derepressed and repressed enzymes reveals that the purified derepressed enzyme is at least 94% pure. Since the transmethylase appears nearly homogeneous after only a 20-fold purification, the enzyme must represent 5% of the soluble protein in derepressed cells of E. coli and 3% in wild type cells. The catalytic, physical, and chemical properties of the purified transmethylase have been investigated. The formation of methyl-14C-methionine from 5-methyl-14C-tetrahydropteroyltriglutamate is dependent on transmethylase, homocysteine, and Pi and is stimulated by Mg+2. 5-Methyl14C-tetrahydropteroylglutamate or 5-methyl-14C-tetrahydropteroyl-α-glutamylglutamate cannot replace the triglutamate folate derivative as methyl donor in the formation of methionine. The formation of methionine is inhibited by high ionic strength, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, and the folate substrate analogues pteroyl-α-glutamylglutamic acid, pteroyl-γ-glutamyl-γ-glutamylglutamic acid, and 5-methyltetrahydropteroyl-α-glutamylglutamate. The transmethylase has a molecular weight of 84,000 and appears to be composed of subunits.
Production and functional analysis of normal and variant recombinant human transthyretin proteins

The most common form of hereditary systemic amyloidosis is familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy associated with single amino acid changes in the plasma protein, transthyretin. In addition, there are two variants of transthyretin (Ser6 and Thr109) not associated with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy but with familial euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia, also an autosomal dominant disorder. In these autosomal dominant diseases, most affected individuals are heterozygous and therefore have hybrid forms of the tetrameric plasma transthyretin. In order to study the structure/function relationships of homozygous variant transthyretins, normal human transthyretin and five variant transthyretins (Gly6----Ser, Leu58----His, Thr60----Ala, Ile84----Ser, and Ala109----Thr) were produced in Escherichia coli using the expression vector, pCZ11, and site-directed mutagenesis. These recombinant transthyretin (r-TTR) proteins showed the correct size (14 kilodaltons) on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western analysis and self-associated into tetramers as determined by size exclusion chromatography. Recombinant normal, Ser6, and Ala60 r-TTRs had an affinity for thyroxine indistinguishable from normal human TTR purified from plasma, whereas His58 and Ser84 r-TTRs had significantly reduced affinity. On the other hand, Thr109 r-TTR had a much higher affinity, probably due to its position within the thyroxine-binding pocket. Expression of mutant transthyretins in E. coli provides the opportunity to study structure/function relationships and amyloid-forming capabilities induced by single amino acid substitutions in the transthyretin molecule.
Some empirical comparisons of exact, modified exact, and higher-order asymptotic tests of independence for ordered categorical variables

We present results of a simulation study investigating the behavior of some exact, modified exact,and asymptotic tests of independence for two-way contingency tables having ordinal row and column classifications. The exact analysis utilizes the sufficient statistic for the association parameter in a loglinear model of linear-by-linear association, conditional on marginal totals. Approximate methods include a modified exact test using the mid-P value, a first-order asymptotic test usingthe efficient score statistic, and a higher-order asymptotic test using a double saddlepoint approximation. For most cases considered, the saddlepoint approximation to the exact P-value is outstanding. The extra discreteness induced by the conditioning in the exact test results in that test being conservative. For fixed sample size, the conservativeness diminishes as the numbers of rows and columns increase or as row scores and column scores for the statistic depart from equal-interval.The test based on the mid-P value gives...
Lattice polygons and Green’s theorem

Associated to an n-dimensional integral convex polytope P is a toric variety X and divisor D, such that the integral points of P represent H 0 (O X (D)). We study the free resolution of the homogeneous coordinate ring ○+ m ∈ Z H 0 (mD) as a module over Sym(H 0 (O X (D))), It turns out that a simple application of Green's theorem yields good bounds for the linear syzygies of a projective toric surface. In particular, for a planar polytope P = H 0 (O X (D)), D satisfies Green's condition Np if ∂P contains at least p + 3 lattice points.
Mechanism of Oncogenic Transformation by Rous Sarcoma Virus II. Effect of Rifampin on Rous Sarcoma Virus Infection

Rifampin partially inhibits focus formation and virus production in chick embryo fibroblasts infected with Bryan high-titer Rous sarcoma (RAV-1) virus. This inhibition occurs with exposure to rifampin during a critical period between day 1 and day 2 after infection. This suggests that the drug does not affect formation of the provirus or its transcription or translation after the “fixation” step, but it seems to affect one or more events which take place before fixation and activation of virus production.
Management of anomalous circumflex coronary artery from the neo‐pulmonary artery in an adolescent following neonatal arterial switch operation

A 15-year-old male with transposition of the great arteries presented with exertional chest pain. He was found to have a circumflex coronary artery from the neo-pulmonary artery that had not been transferred during his arterial switch operation. The circumflex coronary artery, fed through collaterals from a re-implanted single coronary artery, resulted in coronary steal. This report describes a management pathway to treat this rare anomaly.
Money And Its Effect On U.S. Housing Sub-Markets: Evidence From The VAR Model

Even though it is an area worth studying for policymakers, little research has in fact been done to observe differential effects of monetary policy on housing sub-markets; i.e., new home construction and existing home sales. Utilizing a vector autoregression (VAR) framework, this paper explores the response differentials across the two housing sub-markets in the short run. According to findings in this research, in the short run, the existing home sale market is relatively more affected by expansionary monetary policies than is the new home construction market. Thus, it is suggested policymakers should provide more motivating policies for both builders and consumers to encourage more economic activities in the new home construction market.
Spatially defined InsP3-mediated signaling in embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

The functional role of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) signaling in cardiomyocytes is not entirely understood but it was linked to an increased propensity for triggered activity. The aim of this study was to determine how InsP3 receptors can translate Ca2+ release into a depolarization of the plasma membrane and consequently arrhythmic activity. We used embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (ESdCs) as a model system since their spontaneous electrical activity depends on InsP3-mediated Ca2+ release. [InsP3]i was monitored with the FRET-based InsP3-biosensor FIRE-1 (Fluorescent InsP3 Responsive Element) and heterogeneity in sub-cellular [InsP3]i was achieved by targeted expression of FIRE-1 in the nucleus (FIRE-1nuc) or expression of InsP3 5-phosphatase (m43) localized to the plasma membrane. Spontaneous activity of ESdCs was monitored simultaneously as cytosolic Ca2+ transients (Fluo-4/AM) and action potentials (current clamp). During diastole, the diastolic depolarization was paralleled by an increase of [Ca2+]i and spontaneous activity was modulated by [InsP3]i. A 3.7% and 1.7% increase of FIRE-1 FRET ratio and 3.0 and 1.5 fold increase in beating frequency was recorded upon stimulation with endothelin-1 (ET-1, 100 nmol/L) or phenylephrine (PE, 10 µmol/L), respectively. Buffering of InsP3 by FIRE-1nuc had no effect on the basal frequency while attenuation of InsP3 signaling throughout the cell (FIRE-1), or at the plasma membrane (m43) resulted in a 53.7% and 54.0% decrease in beating frequency. In m43 expressing cells the response to ET-1 was completely suppressed. Ca2+ released from InsP3Rs is more effective than Ca2+ released from RyRs to enhance INCX. The results support the hypothesis that in ESdCs InsP3Rs form a functional signaling domain with NCX that translates Ca2+ release efficiently into a depolarization of the membrane potential.
Practical real-time deconvolution and image enhancement of medical ultrasound

A variety of effects inherent to the instrument and propagation medium degrade image quality in medical ultrasound. These effects include: sidelobes and clutter, blurring, and phase aberration. Dynamic focusing and dynamic apodization have reduced these problems at the expense of optimum resolution and cost effectiveness; smearing is still a part of ultrasonic images. We report an image processing approach in which the aforementioned effects and constraints were rectified through digital deconvolution image enhancement. The point spread function was mapped onto a position-invariant surface and deconvolution was done using a variant of CLEAN. A new method of artifact mitigation was devised called comparison masking. The results indicate increased resolution, by up to five times, on a GE RT3600 with B-mode. Sidelobe reduction is evident. The results may be obtained by using either a PC or a parallel processor in real-time. Deblurring may now be considered a viable option for real- time medical ultrasound and other echo-graphic modalities.
Chaotic hybrid inflation with a gauged B–L

Abstract In this paper we present a novel formulation of chaotic hybrid inflation in supergravity. The model includes a waterfall field which spontaneously breaks a gauged U 1 ( B – L ) at a GUT scale. This allows for the possibility of future model building which includes the standard formulation of baryogenesis via leptogenesis with the waterfall field decaying into right-handed neutrinos. We have not considered the following issues in this short paper, i.e. supersymmetry breaking, dark matter or the gravitino or moduli problems. Our focus is on showing the compatibility of the present model with Planck, WMAP and Bicep2 data.
The impact of the persian gulf crisis on the prices of LDCs' loans

The article employs the event-study methodology to examine the impact of the Persian Gulf Crisis on the prices of LDCs' loans. The main empirical findings are that the Gulf Crisis (1) had a significant impact on the loan prices of LDCs; (2) decreased the loan prices of LDCs with low oil reserves but increased the loan prices of LDCs with high oil reserves; (3) imposed a harsh constraint on the ability and willingness of the severely indebted LDCs to meet their debt obligations; (4) had a strong negative impact on the loan prices of low-income LDCs; and (5) produced large economic losses in LDCs with large remittances from the Middle East. The markets for LDC debt are efficient and responded to the crisis according to expectations. It is interesting to point out that most of the changes in the loan prices occurred during the time period that began with the invasion of Kuwait and ended with the allied forces' air attack.
Does Productivity Growth Appreciate the Real Exchange Rate

Revisiting the time-honored link between productivity growth and the real exchange rate, we find that higher labor productivity tends to appreciate the real exchange rate, consistent with the traditional view. Contrary to the traditional view, however, we find that the positive productivity effect is transmitted through the relative price between tradable goods, rather than through the relative price between tradables and nontradables. Moreover, higher total factor productivity is found to often depreciate the real exchange rate. These latter two pieces of evidence, combined with the conceptual strength of total factor productivity over labor productivity as a productivity measure, call for further refinement of the conventional view regarding the effect of productivity on the real exchange rate.
Preclinical analysis of radiolabeled anti-GD2 immunoglobulin G†

BACKGROUND Unlabeled murine monoclonal anti-GD2 immunoglobulin (Ig)G (14G2a) reactive with nervous system diganglioside and neuroblastoma, melanoma, and small cell lung carcinoma produces tumor regression. However, serious acute abdominal pain, paresthesia, hypotension and hypertension, syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH), and occasional motor weakness occur. Studies in preclinical animal models can elucidate the mechanism of the observed neurotoxicity and lead to anti-GD2 antibody treatment with a higher therapeutic ratio. METHODS One mg of 14G2a or control IgG was labeled with 1-2 mCi of indium-111 and administered intravenously to beagles (n = 8). In 2 dogs, additional high dose (200 mg) unlabeled 14G2a was given over 5 days. Whole body gamma camera images and SPECT scans were obtained repeatedly over 7 days. On Day 7, sciatic nerve conduction studies were performed, and after euthanasia radioactivity was determined in major organs. RESULTS Unlabeled high dose 14G2a administered to mice, rats, or rabbits did not cause neurotoxicity within 3 weeks. GD2 antigens were shown by immunochemistry to be present in brain and peripheral nerve tissues of rodents and beagles. After in vivo administration of radiolabeled 14G2a, canine lymph nodes showed specific uptake, but only minimal radioactivity was found in the nervous system. Dogs that received additional high dose unlabeled 14G2a showed much higher lymph node uptake and follicular lymph node hyperplasia. Low motor response amplitudes on nerve conduction studies were noted. CONCLUSIONS A radioisotope label on IgG and its visualization in a large series of animal models indicate that a low protein dose of anti-GD2 IgG will not cause neurologic side effects in patients. High protein dose anti-GD2 IgG may enhance antineoplastic effects and contribute to neurotoxicity through stimulation of normal lymphocytes with subsequent release of cytokines. Cancer 1997; 80:2642-9. © 1997 American Cancer Society.
Adherence with pharmacotherapy for type 2 diabetes: a retrospective cohort study of adults with employer-sponsored health insurance

Abstract Background: Trials have shown that intensive therapy to control bloodglucose levels results in lower rates of microvascular complications and myocardial infarction among patients with type 2 diabetes. They have also demonstrated the economic and quality-of-life benefits of improved glycemic control among this patient population. Glycemic control achievable in controlled settings, however, may differ from that observed in actual practice settings, in part due to the patient's autonomy in determining whether, or to what extent, adherence to the prescribed regimen is acceptable. Objective: The goal of this study was to determine adherence with pharmacotherapy for type 2 diabetes among newly treated working-aged adults (ie, those aged 18–64 years) who had employer-sponsored health insurance. Adherence was defined as the regular refilling of prescriptions as indicated, such that an appropriate supply of medication is available over time. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of newly treated patients (aged18–64 years) was conducted using an administrative claims database with coverage from 1997 through 2000. Eligibility required at least12 months of history before and after the index prescription date. Earlynonpersistence (failure to fill a second prescription for the index drug or any other antihyperglycemic medication) and 12-month non-persistence rates were calculated, as was nonadherence based on a medication possession ratio (MPR) Results: A total of 6090 patients (median age, 51.0 years; 3263 men, 2827 women) were included. After the first prescription, 10.5% of patients (95% CI, 9.8–11.3) failed to fill a second prescription for the initial or any other antihyperglycemic medication. At 12 months after the initial prescription date, 37.0% of patients (95% CI, 35.8–38.2) had discontinued pharmacotherapy. During the period of persistence (the time interval during which prescriptions were beingfilled), 46.2% of patients (95% CI, 44.7–47.7) were nonadherent according to the MPR-based analysis. After adjustment for covariates, younger age (ie, 18–24 years) and female gender were foundto be risk factors for early nonpersistence (odds ratio [OR], 1.77 [95% CI, 1.07–2.94] and OR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.25–1.73], respectively) and for discontinuation over time (hazard ratio [HR], 2.44 [95% CI, 1.89–3.15] and HR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.09–1.28], respectively). Another risk factor for early nonpersistence and discontinuation over time was initial treatment using insulin (OR, 3.00 [95% CI, 2.30–3.91]; HR, 2.68 [95% CI, 2.31–3.10]) or an α-glucosidase inhibitor (OR, 2.07 [95% CI, 1.11–3.84]; HR, 1.57 [95% CI, 1.11–2.22]). Conclusions: Adherence with antihyperglycemic pharmacotherapy was poor among working-aged patients newly treated for type 2 diabetes. Patients prescribed insulin as initial pharmacotherapy were less likely to persist on medication than those initially prescribed oral agents.
Comparison of Colorimetric and ICP Determination of Phosphorus in Mehlich3 Soil Extracts

Abstract Soil test laboratories are moving away from colorimetry to inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy to quantify phosphorus (P) is soil test extracts. The use of ICP has advantages of being quicker and provides the ability to quantify P and other plant nutrients in one analytical process. The adoption of ICP for P analysis has come with some controversy because the P value with ICP is not always comparable with the colorimetric P value that has been historically used to set up fertilizer P recommendations. Soil testing laboratories at the University of Kentucky in Lexington and Princeton received ICP spectrometers for soil testing. Data are presented on the comparison of Mehlich3 soil test P using ICP versus colorimetry. The overall comparison of the two analytical techniques resulted in a linear slope of 1.02 and R2 of 0.987 in Lexington for 1118 samples and a linear slope of 0.968 and R2 of 0.978 in Princeton for 418 samples. The scatter of the data around a 1∶1 line was compared with norma...