cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incremental information content of earnings‐and nonearnings‐based financial ratios*

. Given the quantity of nonearnings data disclosed in firms' annual reports, and the many dimensions of performance measured, it is likely that such information is used in establishing equilibrium prices in the market for firms' shares. This study empirically tests the hypothesis that equity price-relevant information conveyed by annual reports includes several measures other than earnings. The marginal impact of both earnings- and nonearnings-based financial ratios is analyzed and reported. The ratio information is first partitioned into distinct sets using an a priori linear components (LISREL) model. Association tests then show incremental information effects for the earnings-based ratio set as well as for several nonearnings-based ratio sets. Resume. Etant donne la quantite de donnees etrangeres aux benefices presentees dans les rapports annuels des entreprises et les nombreuses dimensions sous lesquelles le rendement est mesure, il est probable que cette information soit utilisee dans l'etablissement de prix d'equilibre dans le marche des actions des entreprises. Dans la presente etude, les auteurs procedent a des verifications empiriques de l'hypothese selon laquelle l'information pertinente aux prix relative aux participations que livrent les rapports annuels comporte plusieurs mesures etrangeres aux benefices. Les auteurs analysent l'incidence marginale tant des ratios financiers bases sur les benefices que de ceux qui ne le sont pas, et ils en exposent les resultats. L'information indiciaire est d'abord partagee en jeux distincts a l'aide d'un modele de composants lineaires a priori. Les tests d'association montrent ensuite les consequences de l'information marginale pour le jeu des ratios bases sur les benefices ainsi que pour plusieurs jeux de ratios qui ne le sont pas.
Fast Monte Carlo estimation of patient and detector scatter and crosstalk contamination in SPECT imaging

Monte Carlo methods offer the potential to provide an accurate correction for scatter and detector effects, especially when imaging isotopes that emit multiple photons, or dual-isotopes. Recently, a group at Utrecht University has developed some promising acceleration techniques by combining scatter maps with convolution-based forced detection. We extend their work in four ways: using the Delta Scattering technique to rapidly determine photon interaction points, simulating scatter maps for many energy bins to improve accuracy, decoupling the simulation of the object and the detector using point spread functions which include all detector effects, and including coherent scattering in addition to photoelectric effect and Compton scattering when simulating photon interactions. We store point spread functions as multi-dimensional arrays to improve speed and accuracy. A software package was developed and validated in a torso phantom experiment. Three spheres filled with /sup 111/In were placed in the non-uniformly attenuating phantom. CT and SPECT scans were acquired and spatially registered. A good agreement between experimental and simulated profiles was found for four energy windows (50-95, 81-104, 147-195, 212-278 keV). For the two low energy windows, primary photons contribution can be modeled correctly only if the PSF includes all detector effects. A triple-energy window method overestimated scatter profiles compared to the Monte Carlo simulated scatter.
Is Professional Training Worth the Bother? A Review of the Impact of Psychotherapy Training on Client Outcome

This article reviews the research literature on the effectiveness of paraprofessional counsellors and the impact of psychotherapy training on client outcome. Methodological and conceptual difficulties that have hampered previous research in this area are noted, and several well-designed individual studies are highlighted. The existing evidence supports the efficacy of paraprofessional counsellors, although professional training may lead to better outcome in specific areas, such as greater client retention, briefer therapy, and better overall wellbeing for clients. However, methodological limitations of the research prohibit definitive conclusions. Guidelines for future research are offered.
Film geometry effects in hydrodynamic gear lubrication

Abstract The involute gear lubrication problem is analyzed with a first order correction made to the conventional parabolic arc film thickness equation to account for the actual tooth shape and the squeeze action resulting from its time dependence. Both internal and external gears are considered for one pressure angle and a range of gear ratios. The film geometry effect is found to be greater for internal than for external gears and to decrease as the minimum film thickness decreases. Conclusions are drawn concerning the importance of the correction.
Responsible Parties: A Dissent from the Floor.

The report of the Committee on Political Parties of the American Political Science Association' presents the case for the development of disciplined and responsible parties in a document more complete and more dramatic than any previous summarization of the case. While the report may not secure the attention of "everyone interested in politics," as the authors hope, it nevertheless will reach most teachers of political parties courses. Rinehart and Company, who have charge of distribution, may look forward to a brisk sale for classroom use. Because of the influence which the report will have on students of the party system, it is unfortunate that there was no minority report to indicate disagreement or doubt within the Committee. Readers may conclude that the recommendations should be accepted with the same trust as the recommendations of a group of physicians who have agreed on the diagnosis of a disease. The Committee's reference to "the results of scientific analysis that have come from the research activity of a great number of specialists"2 suggests that such an analogy was considered. The minority report must come from the floor and not from the Committee. This "dissent from the floor" recognizes the hard work which the Committee has done in compiling and analyzing much of the available knowledge of political scientists on the problem of party responsibility. The report is, as the Committee states, a "starting point for constructive public debate, . . . and more intensive scientific studies."' But the report can be no more than a starting point, for its value is limited by errors in two broad aspects, as follows: I. The Committee has underestimated present party responsibility. II. Some reforms which the Committee proposes will accentuate present defects in our party system. For these reasons, the report should be given the widest possible circulation among students of political science, but its conclusions should be treated with caution.
Novel lipids in Myxococcus xanthus and their role in chemotaxis

Organisms that colonize solid surfaces, like Myxococcus xanthus, use novel signalling systems to organize multicellular behaviour. Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) containing the fatty acid 16:1omega5 (Delta11) elicits a chemotactic response. The phenomenon was examined by observing the effects of PE species with varying fatty acid pairings. Wild-type M. xanthus contains 17 different PE species under vegetative conditions and 19 at the midpoint of development; 13 of the 17 have an unsaturated fatty acid at the sn-1 position, a novelty among Proteobacteria. Myxococcus xanthus has two glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (PlsB) homologues which add the sn-1 fatty acid. Each produces PE with 16:1 at the sn-1 position and supports growth and fruiting body development. Deletion of plsB1 (MXAN3288) results in more dramatic changes in PE species distribution than deletion of plsB2 (MXAN1675). PlsB2 has a putative N-terminal eukaryotic fatty acid reductase domain and may support both ether lipid synthesis and PE synthesis. Disruption of a single sn-2 acyltransferase homologue (PlsC, of which M. xanthus contains five) results in minor changes in membrane PE. Derivatization of purified PE extracts with dimethyldisulfide was used to determine the position of the double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids. The results suggest that Delta5 and Delta11 desaturases may create the double bonds after synthesis of the fatty acid. Phosphatidylethanolamine enriched for 16:1 at the sn-1 position stimulates chemotaxis more strongly than PE with 16:1 enriched at the sn-2 position. It appears that the deployment of a rare fatty acid (16:1omega5) at an unusual position (sn-1) has facilitated the evolution of a novel cell signal.
Metabolic activation and binding of mitotane in adrenal cortex homogenates

Mitotane [1-(2-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethane, o,p'-DDD] is an adrenocorticolytic agent of value in the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma and Cushing's syndrome. In support of a program to develop agents superior to mitotane, it is the purpose of this study to explore the relationship of the metabolism of mitotane to its binding to adrenal cortex tissue from several sources. The objective was to detect the mitotane moiety responsible for its covalent binding in various test systems. Studies were conducted with an 125l-labeled analog of mitotane, 1-(2-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-iodophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethane, prior to a comparison to results with lower specific activity [14C]mitotane. With dog adrenal cortical whole homogenates, the majority of covalent binding was to proteins with an additional one-sixth of the total bound radioactivity associated with a phospholipid fraction. No radioactivity was associated with DNA. The rank order of species in regard to metabolism and protein binding was bovine > dog > rat adrenal homogenates > human normal adrenal or tumor homogenates. The percentage of radioactivity recovered from the hydrolysates of those fractions was uniformly high. In addition, the only metabolite present in the hydrolysates corresponded to 1-(2-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-iodophenyl)acetic acid from the iodo analog of o,p'-DDD and the corresponding o,p'-dichlorodiphenylacetic acid (o,p'-DDA) from o,p'-DDD. Our results are consistent with an acyl chloride being the reactive intermediate formed from the dichloromethyl moiety of mitotane, which leads to both DDA metabolite formation and binding to adrenal cortical bionucleophiles.
Unusual Interferon Gamma Measurements with QuantiFERON-TB Gold and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Tests

Introduction: Interferon gamma (IFN-c) release assays, such as QuantiFERONH-TB Gold test (QFT-G) and QuantiFERONH-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) are designed to detect M. tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. Recognition of unusual IFN-c measurements may help indicate inaccurate results. Methods: We examined QFT-G and QFT-GIT results from subjects who had two or more tests completed. We classified unusual IFN-c measurements as: 1) High Nil Concentration (HNC) when IFN-c concentration in plasma from unstimulated blood exceeded 0.7 IU/mL; 2) Low Mitogen Response (LMR) when Mitogen Response was ,0.5 IU/mL; 3) Very Low Mitogen Response (VLMR) when Mitogen Response was #20.5 IU/mL; and 4) Very Low Antigen Response (VLAR) when the response to a Mtb antigen was #20.35 IU/mL and #20.5 times the IFN-c concentration in plasma from unstimulated blood. Results: Among 5,309 results from 1,728 subjects, HNC occurred in 234 (4.4%) tests for 162 subjects, LMR in 108 (2.0%) tests for 85 subjects, VLMR in 22 (0.4%) tests for 21 subjects, and VLAR in 41 (0.8%) tests for 39 subjects. QFT-GIT had fewer HNC, VLMR, and VLAR (p=0.042, 0.004, and 0.067 respectively); QFT-G had fewer LMR (p=0.005). Twenty-four (51.6%) of 47 subjects with positive results and HNC were negative or indeterminate by all other tests. Thirteen (61.9%) of 21 subjects with positive results and LMR were negative or indeterminate by all other tests. Conclusion: Unusual IFN-c measurements including HNC, LMR, VLMR, and VLAR were encountered in small numbers, and in most instances were not seen on simultaneously or subsequently performed tests. To avoid erroneous diagnosis of Mtb infection, IGRAs with unusual IFN-c measurements should be repeated with another blood sample and interpreted with caution if they recur.
Do low levels of stress reactivity signal poor states of health

Studies of cardiovascular disease risk have explored the idea that exaggerated physiological responses to stress may signal increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We describe a neurophysiological model of brain structures and peripheral structures that may contribute to exaggerated reactivity. Level I in this model includes the limbic system and its interactions with the prefrontal cortex that determine stress appraisals and coping responses. Level II addresses the hypothalamus and brainstem that contribute outputs to the body and which also includes brainstem nuclei that feed back to Level I to modulate its functioning. Level III includes the peripheral tissues themselves. We then suggest that stress reactivity ranging from very low to very high has a normative midrange of intensity and present evidence that negative health outcomes may be associated with both exaggerated and diminished stress reactivity since both tendencies imply a loss of homeostatic regulation. In particular, dysregulation at Levels I and II in our heuristic model signify altered motivational function and an attendant alteration in outflow to the periphery and poor behavioral homeostasis. In consequence, poor affective and behavioral regulation would be expected to contribute to poor health behaviors therefore additionally impairing health. In conclusion, diminished as well as exaggerated physiological reactivity should be seen as nonoptimal functioning that can contribute to poor health outcomes. This conceptualization places physical health into the context of behavioral and physiological processes that contribute to homeostasis.
A survey of perceptions of the Virginia Tech tragedy

The recent shootings at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) shocked the nation and brought violence on college campuses to the forefront of the nation's attention. We surveyed college students and faculty/staff three weeks after the incident about their perceptions of the Virginia Tech shooting, subsequent media exposure, and school violence in general. We found that students agreed with faculty/staff that mental illness and a lack of friendship were likely causal factors in the shootings. Students believed that social support, friendship, good mental health, and parenting were important factors in preventing subsequent incidents. We also found that media exposure and time spent discussing the incident with family and friends were associated with increased psychiatric symptoms. Gender differences were observed in the domains of fearing for personal safety, perceptions of increased parental concern, the role of violent media, and the need for gun control.
Chemosensory Signal Transduction in Paramecium

Paramecia are ciliated single-cell eukaryotic organisms that can respond to chemical cues in their environment. Glutamate is among those cues, which attract cells. We describe briefly here the following attributes of glutamate chemoresponse: 1) Cells are attracted to L-glutamate relative to KCI at high concentrations of glutamate. 2) There are at least two specific, relatively low affinity glutamate binding sites on the cell surface. Glutamate can be displaced from only one of the binding sites by inosine monophosphate (IMP), and quisqualate displaces glutamate from the second site, which is likely to be the glutamate receptor involved in attraction to glutamate. 3) IMP is a repellent and does not act synergistically with glutamate, whereas guanosine monophosphate (GMP) does. 4) Similarly, glutathione is an attractant, but glutamate and glutathione appear to use different transduction pathways. 5) Glutamate hyperpolarizes the cell. The ionic mechanism is not yet verified, but is likely to involve a K conductance. 6) Glutamate induces a rapid and robust increase in cAMP in the cell. Protein kinase A (PKA) is possibly involved in the transduction pathway because kinase inhibitors such as H7 and H8 inhibit glutamate response, but do not affect responses to other attractants, such as acetate and ammonium. Activation of PKA by the rapid rise in cAMP may sustain the hyperpolarization phosphorylation and activation of the plasma membrane calcium pump. 7) Candidate glutamate binding proteins are being identified among the cell surface proteins with the use of affinity chromatography.
Some new examples in 1-cohomology

This paper gives some new examples in the 1-cohomology theory of finite groups of Lie type, obtained from both computer calculations and the use of several theoretical results. In particular, the paper gives the first known examples of 1-cohomology groups of dimension greater than 2 for absolutely irreducible faithful modules of a finite group. The computer calculations were made originally while checking special cases of Lusztig’s conjecture on characteristic p representations of algebraic groups, and we take this opportunity to announce in print some results in that direction. (They reinforce Lusztig’s conjecture, even in a strong form suggested by Kato.)  2003 Published by Elsevier Science (USA).
Automation of IC layout with analog constraints

A methodology for the automatic synthesis of full-custom IC layout with analog constraints is presented. The methodology guarantees that all performance constraints are met when feasible, or otherwise, infeasibility is detected as soon as possible, thus providing a robust and efficient design environment. In the proposed approach, performance specifications are translated into lower-level bounds on parasitics or geometric parameters, using sensitivity analysis. Bounds can be used by a set of specialized layout tools performing stack generation, placement, routing, and compaction. For each tool, a detailed description is provided of its functionality, of the way constraints are mapped and enforced, and of its impact on the design flow. Examples drawn from industrial applications are reported to illustrate the effectiveness of the approach.
A NEW GENUS AND THREE NEW SPECIES OF BURROWING BUGS (HEMIPTERA: HETEROPTERA CYDNIDAE: AMNESTINAE)

Lattinestus, a new genus of amnestine Cydnidae, and three new species, L. amplus from Costa Rica, L. andersoni from Ecuador, and L. coleopterus from Mexico, are described, keyed and illustrated. Types of all three species were collected in forest litter at relatively high elevations.
Thermodynamic Analysis of the HgTe ‐ CdTe ‐ Te System Using the Simplified RAS Model

A quantitatively good overall fit is obtained to the phase diagram and thermodynamic data in the system. In the binaries the partial pressures along the three‐phase curves are fit in addition to the liquidus points. Moreover, the liquid phase parameters are constrained so that the enthalpy and entropy of mixing of the stoichiometric binary melts are properly related to the enthalpy and entropy of formation of the binary compounds. Also included in the fit are the pseudobinary liquidus and solidus points, the partial pressure of Hg in the pseudobinary melt, and the partial pressures of Hg, Cd, and for the Te‐saturated pseudobinary solid, . Finally, a choice is made for the most reliable ternary liquidus points and these are included. Portions of the phase diagram, as yet unmeasured, are then calculated and presented. The liquid phase is described by a simple extension of the regular associated solution model of Jordan and Szapiro in which the interaction coefficients and dissociation constants are allowed to depend upon temperature. The partial molar quantities for the liquid phase components are derived and used in liquidus equations that are more exact than the commonly used version of the Vieland equation. Errors in some previous studies are discussed in the appendix. It is concluded that the model cannot provide a satisfactory fit to the entire Hg‐Cd‐Te system. Neither can it fit analogous systems in which the liquidus lines of the binary compounds are asymmetric.
Bandwidth Efficient Cooperative TDOA Computation for Multicarrier Signals of Opportunity

Source localization, the problem of determining the physical location of an acoustic or wireless emitter, is commonly encountered in sensor networks which are attempting to locate and track an emitter. Similarly, in navigation systems that do not rely on the global positioning system (GPS), ldquosignals of opportunityrdquo (existing wireless infrastructure) can be used as ad hoc navigation beacons, and the goal is to determine their location relative to a receiver and thus deduce the receiver's position. These two research problems have a very similar mathematical structure. Specifically, in either the source localization or navigation problem, one common approach relies on time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements to multiple sensors. In this paper, we investigate a bandwidth efficient method of TDOA computation when the signals of opportunity use multicarrier modulation. By exploiting the structure of the multicarrier transmission, much less information needs to be exchanged between sensors compared to the standard cross correlation approach. Analytic and simulation results quantify the performance of the proposed algorithm as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the bandwidth between the sensors.
Effects of Stress Related to the Gulf Oil Spill on Child and Adolescent Mental Health

OBJECTIVE To examine the interactive effects of stress related to the Gulf oil spill on mental health of children and adolescents on the Gulf Coast who were also affected by previous hurricanes. METHODS A prospective design, with n = 1,577 youth (aged 3-18 years), evaluated pre-oil spill and again post-oil spill for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, previous hurricane exposure, and amount of oil spill stress. RESULTS Stressors related to the spill were common and were associated with PTSD symptoms. Moreover, there was an interactive effect such that those with high preexisting PTSD symptoms, high previous hurricane exposure, and high oil spill stress had the most elevated post-oil spill PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS This study provides initial evidence linking stress related to the Gulf oil spill to youth mental health symptoms. The effects of the oil spill on youth mental health were most evident among those with cumulative risk.
Should all unrelated donors for transplantation be matched

Previous analyses have suggested that hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) from an unrelated donor results in better survival if the patient is younger and, possibly also if the donor is younger. Additionally, survival is improved if HCT is performed during early disease stage and if the recipient and possibly the donor are cytomegalovirus (CMV) seronegative. Equivocal data have been published comparing bone marrow vs. (granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) G-CSF-stimulated peripheral blood stem cells for transplantation. A randomized trial is underway by the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network that is testing the prospective comparison of bone marrow vs. primed peripheral blood grafts from unrelated donors and patients with hematologic malignancies. Of most significance, however, is that the best donor is HLA-compatible, healthy, promptly available, and willing to give the requested product for HCT.
Drunk Driving and the Prediction of Analogous Behavior: A Longitudinal Test of Social Learning and Self-Control Theories

Abstract Drunk driving assumed near pandemic proportions in the 1980s, and state legislatures rushed to control it throughout the 1990s—largely with increased surveillance, apprehension, and punishment, key elements in a deterrence model. Early in the twenty-first century, researchers and policy makers suggested that deterrence models poorly served us in the control of drunk drivers. Policy makers needed better insights into the social psychology of chronic drunk drivers. In their general theory of crime, Gottfredson and Hirschi describe the propensity of low self-control persons to exhibit a higher propensity for crime and analogous behavior relative to persons with higher levels of self-control. Akers's social learning theory emphasizes the various mechanisms by which the motives, orientations, and methods of crime and delinquency are learned and reinforced. We used data collected as part of an assessment of a municipal court drug-treatment program to explore the ability of variables taken from both the...
Targeting Discretion: An Exploration of Organisational Communication between Rank Levels in a Medium-Sized Southern US Police Department

As part of an ongoing research agenda exploring police discretion and accountability, I devised a diagnostic tool, the target model of discretion, aimed at comparing the discretionary priorities of top managers with the priorities of frontline workers. To test the efficacy of the target model as an organisation development tool, I conducted an analysis of intraorganisational communication between frontline officers and command staff members in a medium-sized Southern municipal police organisation. Specifically, top managers and frontline officers were asked to rate the amount of influence each of eight variables had on their use of discretion. This study is premised on the notion that effective communication within an agency would lead to reasonable similarities between the responses of those at the top and bottom of the organisation's hierarchy. The opposite proposition is also assumed. That is, in organisations with poor communication between levels, one would expect to see statistically significant dif...
Recent Developments in Understanding Brain Aging: Implications for Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Cognitive Impairment

As the population of the Western world is aging, there is increasing awareness of age-related impairments in cognitive function and a rising interest in finding novel approaches to preserve cerebral health. A special collection of articles in The Journals of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences brings together information of different aspects of brain aging, from latest developments in the field of neurodegenerative disorders to cerebral microvascular mechanisms of cognitive decline. It is emphasized that although the cellular changes that occur within aging neurons have been widely studied, more research is required as new signaling pathways are discovered that can potentially protect cells. New avenues for research targeting cellular senescence, epigenetics, and endocrine mechanisms of brain aging are also discussed. Based on the current literature it is clear that understanding brain aging and reducing risk for neurological disease with age requires searching for mechanisms and treatment options beyond the age-related changes in neuronal function. Thus, comprehensive approaches need to be developed that address the multiple, interrelated mechanisms of brain aging. Attention is brought to the importance of maintenance of cerebromicrovascular health, restoring neuroendocrine balance, and the pressing need for funding more innovative research into the interactions of neuronal, neuroendocrine, inflammatory and microvascular mechanisms of cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease.
Fully Revealing Income-Related Disclosure in Restricted Sequential-Selection Economies: Necessary and Sufficient Conditions

I show that firm-specific income-related (FSIR) values derived from the measurement/ valuation-related concept of ex ante economic income are necessary and sufficient for fully revealing disclosure in restricted general-equilibrium sequential-selection economies under both single-firm and multi-firm perspectives. These results suggest that the measurement/ valuation-oriented standard-setting perspective might be compatible with the information-economics perspective. Consistently, the next logical step is showing that values related to a conventional accounting system (or part of one) can substitute for my identified FSIR values. I speculate that the natural candidate for this role is FSIR budgetary data developed over the states possible given the realized signal.
Gene Therapy for Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy: Initial Results.

Purpose Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a disorder characterized by severe and rapidly progressive visual loss when caused by a mutation in the mitochondrial gene encoding NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit 4 (ND4). We have initiated a gene therapy trial to determine the safety and tolerability of escalated doses of an adeno-associated virus vector (AAV) expressing a normal ND4 complementary DNA in patients with a G to A mutation at nucleotide 11778 of the mitochondrial genome. Design In this prospective open-label trial (NCT02161380), the study drug (self-complementary AAV [scAAV]2(Y444,500,730F)- P1ND4v2 ) was intravitreally injected unilaterally into the eyes of 5 blind participants with G11778A LHON. Four participants with visual loss for more than 12 months were treated. The fifth participant had visual loss for less than 12 months. The first 3 participants were treated at the low dose of vector (5 × 10 9 vg), and the fourth participant was treated at the medium dose (2.46 × 10 10 vg). The fifth participant with visual loss for less than 12 months received the low dose. Treated participants were followed for 90 to 180 days and underwent ocular and systemic safety assessments along with visual structure and function examinations. Participants Five legally blind patients with G11778A LHON. Main Outcome Measures Loss of visual acuity. Results Visual acuity as measured by the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) eye chart remained unchanged from baseline to 3 months in the first 3 participants. For 2 participants with 90-day follow-up, acuity increased from hand movements to 7 letters in 1 and by 15 letters in 1, representing an improvement equivalent to 3 lines. No one lost vision, and no serious adverse events were observed. Minor adverse events included a transient increase of intraocular pressure (IOP), exposure keratitis, subconjunctival hemorrhage, a sore throat, and a transient increase in neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against AAV2 in 1 participant. All blood samples were negative for vector DNA. Conclusions No serious safety problems were observed in the first 5 participants enrolled in this phase I trial of virus-based gene transfer in this mitochondrial disorder. Additional study follow-up of these and additional participants planned for the next 4 years is needed to confirm these preliminary observations.
38. Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Live Donor Nephrectomy

The laparoscopic approach to live kidney procurement is technically challenging. Critically important is the recognition that the procedure is being performed on healthy patients who are voluntarily submitting themselves to a major operation. Performance of a safe operation with minimal associated morbidity must be the surgeon’s first priority. The procedure requires advanced laparoscopic skills in order to allow for the safe dissection, vascular control, and removal of an intact and uninjured solid organ. This chapter focuses on the preoperative evaluation of the live kidney donor and describes the technical steps utilized in performing hand-assisted laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy.
Parameterization of Highly Charged Metal Ions Using the 12-6-4 LJ-Type Nonbonded Model in Explicit Water

Highly charged metal ions act as catalytic centers and structural elements in a broad range of chemical complexes. The nonbonded model for metal ions is extensively used in molecular simulations due to its simple form, computational speed, and transferability. We have proposed and parametrized a 12-6-4 LJ (Lennard-Jones)-type nonbonded model for divalent metal ions in previous work, which showed a marked improvement over the 12-6 LJ nonbonded model. In the present study, by treating the experimental hydration free energies and ion–oxygen distances of the first solvation shell as targets for our parametrization, we evaluated 12-6 LJ parameters for 18 M(III) and 6 M(IV) metal ions for three widely used water models (TIP3P, SPC/E, and TIP4PEW). As expected, the interaction energy underestimation of the 12-6 LJ nonbonded model increases dramatically for the highly charged metal ions. We then parametrized the 12-6-4 LJ-type nonbonded model for these metal ions with the three water models. The final parameters ...
Home Was New Orleans. But They Said Home Was Gone

My cousin had just been enrolled at Sci Academy Charter School and I agreed to go on the tour with him. Students have to walk on the line. Students can’t make noise in the hallway. Students can’t do this, students can’t do that. I wanted a good education, but not at the price of having to be a prisoner. There was a long list of what would end up with suspensions. Chewing gum, having a phone, being late to class, simple things. A friend from Moton had enrolled in Sci. The teachers were white and not interested in Black problems in New Orleans. They couldn’t relate or understand some of the issues she had in her family. Actually, it was apparent they didn’t want to. I decided to stay at McMain. My new best friend, Wesley, had told me about this AP English class, which had a program attached to it, Students at the Center. “She want to take the class.” As simple as that, I was in the class. I was learning about everything. My education felt valuable again. I was doing college courses and always had work to do. I also got my confidence back. I also was given a platform that made me feel my feelings were legitimate. I found out I wasn’t the only one complaining about the education system. I started learning about what was really going down in New Orleans. I started learning the truth behind charter schools.
Influences of Water Status, Temperature, and Root Age on Daily Patterns of Root Respiration for Two Cactus Species

Mesure de la respiration en tant qu'efflux de CO 2 , au niveau des racines etablies ou induites par la pluie, en fonction du potentiel hydrique du sol, de la temperature et du vieillissement des racines chez Ferocactus acanthodes et Opuntia ficus-indica
Solution of the Schrödinger equation for the time-dependent linear potential

In this paper I have drawn out the steps to be followed in order to derive the exact Schr\"odinger wave function for a particle in a general one-dimensional time-dependent linear potential. To this end I have used the so-called Lewis and Riesenfeld invariant method, which is based on finding an exact quantum-mechanical invariant in whose eigenstates the exact quantum states are found. In particular, I have obtained the wave functions of a particle in the linear potential well, driven by a monochromatic electric field.
229. Engineered Macrophage-Based Cell Therapy for Cancer Treatment

Physiological barriers such as poorly developed vasculature, interstitial pressure, dense extracellular matrix in solid tumors limit distribution of liposomal and polymer drug carriers deep into the disease tissue leading to poor efficacy of treatment. Unlike synthetic drug carriers however, a number of immune cell types, most prominently macrophages, are actively recruited to tumor sites. Macrophages permeate tumor tissue to perform various anti-and pro-tumor functions. Thus, macrophages represent an attractive candidate as a cellular vehicle for intra-tumoral drug delivery and immune modulation.We have devised a strategy to produce therapeutic macrophages ex vivo. The strategy is based on recent advances in controlling macrophage differentiation by over expressing the Hoxb family of transcription factors1. The resulting macrophages can be loaded with liposomal drugs and genetically engineered to express proteins to influence the immune response against tumors when the macrophages are re-introduced in vivo.We have generated isogenic mouse macrophage progenitor cell lines from BALB/c and c57Bl6 genetic backgrounds utilizing CreERT recombinase controlled conditional expression of floxed Hoxb8 and a fluorescent reporter protein. Conditionally immortalized non-adherent macrophage progenitor cell lines expand very rapidly in vitro doubling every 12h in standard cell culture conditions. Upon CreERT activation with 10nM 4-hydroxytmoxifen (three doses every two days the first week), 100% of the progenitors in culture can be differentiated into macrophage-like cells over a 2-week period. Upon differentiation these macrophage-like cells become adherent, develop cytoplasmic granules and become highly phagocytic.We utilize the high phagocytic capacity of ex vivo differentiated macrophages to load them in culture with cytotoxic drugs encapsulated in stable fluorescently–labelled liposomes. Liposome uptake depends upon liposome composition, concentration and is saturable. Results on the in vivo distribution of the macrophages and cargo upon their re-introduction in BALB/c mice containing the 4T1 orthotopic syngeneic mouse breast tumor will be presented. Supported by NIH R21 CA182703. Simon Lee is supported by Fellowship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Personalized medicine: Enhancing our understanding of pediatric growth with analytic morphomics.

Abstract Background/purpose Analytic morphomics is being used to identify 3-D biologic measures with superior clinical utility and risk stratification over traditional factors such as age, height, and weight. The purpose of this study is to define age and gender specific Pediatric Reference Analytic Morphomics Population (PRAMP™) growth charts. Methods This retrospective study population contains 2591 individual CT scans of a normative reference population of males and females (1–20years old). Growth curves were constructed at the 5th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 95th quantiles for morphomic variables, including psoas muscle area, trabecular bone density, and visceral fat area by age and gender. Results Total psoas muscle area increases over time until late adolescence. Trabecular bone density remains stable until adolescence, decreases during adolescence, and increases in young adulthood. Visceral fat area increases over time with greater variation between the 5th and 95th percentile with increasing age. Conclusions The PRAMP™ data have been used to construct age- and sex-specific reference growth curves. This may be used to better define "abnormal" in efforts to create unique risk-categorization algorithms specific to particular clinical and global health investigations. Level of evidence Level II.
A Subtle Tyranny: Rediscovering the Purpose of the Liberal Arts

Discord in the academy currently manifests in divisions over political correctness, the content of the canon and the defects of modernity. As scholarly and intellectual matters these concerns arise exclusively from the domain of the liberal arts. At their core, these controversies arguably develop from deep epistemic roots reflecting fundamental differences concerning the nature, purpose and value of the liberal arts. At issue is the integrity of the liberal arts and understanding the nature, purpose and value of these fields depends upon appreciating the distinction between professional, theoretical, and moral studies. One can begin to understand these distinctions by considering the contrast in ordinary language between knowledge and wisdom. For it is arguable that while the notion of wisdom is presumably irrelevant to production or dissemination of knowledge in all other disciplines, it is demonstrably central to the purpose and value of both research and teaching in each and every liberal art. If this can be shown then it is possible to understand why emphasis on expertise and professionalism, on knowledge for its own sake undermines commitment to common purposes and concerns. By institutionalizing new patterns of behavior, stress on professionalism changes the nature and conception of liberal arts scholarship in ways that produce deep confusions about meaning and value in these fields. The object of this article is to show that unlike other disciplines the liberal arts depend upon shared purposes and concerns such that participation of in a common moral discourse is essential to the integrity and worth of each field.
A framework to quantify the strength of ecological links between an environmental stressor and final ecosystem services

Anthropogenic stressors such as climate change, increased fire frequency, and pollution drive shifts in ecosystem function and resilience. Scientists generally rely on biological indicators of these stressors to signal that ecosystem conditions have been altered. However, these biological indicators are not always capable of being directly related to ecosystem components that provide benefits to humans and/or can be used to evaluate the cost-benefit of a change in health of the component (ecosystem services). Therefore, we developed the STEPS (Stressor–Ecological Production function–final ecosystem Services) Framework to link changes in a biological indicator of a stressor to final ecosystem services. The STEPS Framework produces “chains” of ecological components that explore the breadth of impacts resulting from the change in a stressor. Chains are comprised of the biological indicator, the ecological production function (EPF, which uses ecological components to link the biological indicator to a final ecosystem service), and the user group who directly uses, appreciates, or values the component. The framework uses a qualitative score (high, medium, low) to describe the strength of science (SOS) for the relationship between each component in the EPF. We tested the STEPS Framework within a workshop setting using the exceedance of critical loads of air pollution as a model stressor and the Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS-CS) to describe final ecosystem services. We identified chains for four modes of ecological response to deposition: aquatic acidification, aquatic eutrophication, terrestrial acidification, and terrestrial eutrophication. The workshop participants identified 183 unique EPFs linking a change in a biological indicator to a FEGS; when accounting for the multiple beneficiaries, we ended with 1104 chains. The SOS scores were effective in identifying chains with the highest confidence ranking as well as those where more research is needed. The STEPS Framework could be adapted to any system in which a stressor is modifying a biological component. The results of the analysis can be used by the social science community to apply valuation measures to multiple or selected chains, providing a comprehensive analysis of the effects of anthropogenic stressors on measures of human well-being.
Development of slow and fast wave coupling and heating from the C-Stellarator to NSTX

A historical perspective on key discoveries which contributed to understanding the properties of coupling both slow and fast waves and the effects on plasma heating and current drive will be presented. Important steps made include the demonstration that the Alfven resonance was in fact a mode conversion on the C-stellarator, that toroidal m = -1 eigenmodes were excited in toroidal geometry and impurity influx caused the Z mode on the ST tokamak, that the H minority regime provided strong heating and that 3 He minority could be used as well on PLT, that the 2nd harmonic majority tritium regime was viable on TFTR, and that high harmonic fast wave heating was efficient when the SOL losses were avoided on NSTX.
Occurrence of fumonisins and moniliformin in corn and corn-based food products of U.S. origin.

Food-grade corn and corn-based food products intended for human consumption were analyzed for the incidence and levels of fumonisin B1 (FB1), fumonisin B2 (FB2), moniliformin, and Fusarium molds. A total of 100 food-grade commercial corn samples were obtained from two corn processing companies at five different locations in the United States. Seventy-one percent of the samples contained FB1 with concentrations ranging from 43 to 1,642 microg/kg. None of the samples contained FB2. Fifty percent of the samples contained moniliformin with concentrations ranging from 26 to 774 microg/kg. All samples were infected by Fusarium molds, and the infection rates ranged from 8 to 88%. Thirty-four samples of corn-based food products were purchased from supermarkets in Arizona, California, Nebraska, and Ohio. Sixty-five percent of the samples contained FB1, ranging in concentrations from 28 to 2,679 microg/kg. FB2 was detected in 29% of the samples with concentrations ranging from 30 to 797 microg/kg. Sixty-eight percent of the samples contained moniliformin with concentrations ranging from 31 to 858 microg/kg. Sixty-two percent of the samples contained viable Fusarium mold propagules ranging from 9.5 x 10(1) to 5.5 x 10(5)/g. The simultaneous occurrence of FB1 and moniliformin was observed in 34% of corn samples and 53% of corn-based food products. This study has shown co-occurrence of fumonisins and moniliformin in food-grade corn and corn-based foods that indicates a risk of simultaneous exposure of consumers to both toxins.
The Origins of Soviet Ethical Theory

The disputes over ethical theory conducted within the German Marxist movement were monitored in great detail by Russian Marxists. In the period from 1900 up to the revolution, most of the major German contributions to the debate over ethical theory and socialism were translated promptly into Russian, and discussed at length in Russian publications. Multiple translations of some of these German works appeared almost simultaneously in various parts of Russia, and certain contributions were published repeatedly in anthologies over a period of years. Books by Vorlander, Woltmann, and Hildebrand, not to mention Kautsky and Engels, were translated; numerous articles by Kautsky, Bauer, Mehring, and other leaders of the German social democratic movement were also translated and published in anthologies, including nearly all the major articles on ethical theory appearing in the pages of Neue Zeit both prior to and during the period.
Human Nature and Biotechnological Enhancement: Some Theological Considerations:

Theologies of human nature routinely reflect the insights of evolutionary biology, for which human biological nature is variable, changing and indeterminate in its boundaries with other living thin...