cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Theoretical Exploration for Supply Chain Leagility Capability

Given the growing emphasis on the need for supply chain leagility to sustain competitive advantage, this study explores the impact of the relationship between supply chain competence and supply chain leagility on performance of the firm in the global competition context. This study articulates the antecedents and moderators for supply chain leagility capability. We develop a conceptual model based on the dynamic capability view and suggest employing a survey methodology. The expected findings specify that leagility capability could be realized by developing four specific competencies: supply chain integration competence, IS Support for partnership management competence, IS planning competence, TMT behavior integration competence and employee competence. In addition, the model suggests that supply chain leagility capability will be more effective when firms face greater uncertainty. This study contributes to the growing body of conceptual and empirical literature on supply chain leagility and adds to the understanding of the complexity of supply chain competence.
Halomethyl-metal compounds XV. Concerning the mechanism of the reaction of diazomethane with aryltrichlorogermanes☆

Abstract Competition experiments have established the following relative rate constants for the reaction of diazomethane with substituted aryltrichlorogermanes, p -ZC 6 H 4 GeCl 3 , as determined by the yields of the p -ZC 6 H 4 (ClCH 2 )GeCl 2 products formed MeO, 1.0; Me, 1.29; H, 2.24; F, 5.37; Cl, 9.76. Furthermore, the rate of consumption of diazomethane appears to depend upon the nature of Z in the same way. These observations suggest that the mechanism of the methylenation of the GeCl bond in these compounds involves nucleophilic attack by diazomethane at germanium, rather than a process in which free CH 2 is an intermediate. These reactions were carried out in ether at −78° and on a preparative scale gave product in high yield.
Direct observations of chemi-ionization in hydrocarbon flames enhanced by laser excited CH*(A 2 Δ) and CH*(B2Σ−)

Abstract An experimental method based on the detection of the enhancement of chemi-ionization following the pulsed laser excitation of CH*(A 2 Δ, B 2 Σ − ) radicals is described. This approach provides conclusive and direct observations of chemi-ionization reactions involving CH*(A 2 Δ, B 2 Σ − radicals. The results suggest that the rate constants for the reactions CH*(A 2 Δ, B 2 Σ − ) + O − HCO + + e − are approximately 2000 times faster at 2100 K than the previously measured rate constant for the reaction CH(X 2 Π) + O → HCO + + e − which is believed to be a primary source of chemi-ionization in all hydrocarbon flames.
Static and dynamic vortex transitions in clean YBa2Cu3O7

The evidence establishing first order melting of the vortex lattice in clean YBa2Cu3O7 is reviewed. Dynamic transitions in the moving vortex system are demonstrated experimentally through resistivity and magnetization measurements.
Pressure-induced phase transition in β-eucryptite (LiAlSiO4)

Abstract A pressure-induced phase transition was found in β-eucryptite using single crystal X-ray and Raman scattering measurements. The high pressure phase forms at a pressure of ∼8 kbar at 300 K, is metastable at 1 bar and will revert to the normal low pressure phase with time at this temperature.
The interaction between macrophages and suppressor cells in immunological maturation in mice.

The immunological immaturity at birth characteristic of species such as the mouse has no certain explanation. Here Bertie Argyris suggests that in mice it is a consequence of high suppressor-cell activity and an absence of macrophage activity. Gradual alterations in the balance of these activities account for the gradual emergence of immunocompetence.
Determining functional specificity from protein sequences

Motivation: Given a large family of homologous protein sequences, many methods can divide the family into smaller groups that correspond to the different functions carried out by proteins within the family. One important problem, however, has been the absence of a general method for selecting an appropriate level of granularity, or size of the groups. Results: We propose a consistent way of choosing the granularity that is independent of the sequence similarity and sequence clustering method used. We study three large, well-investigated protein families: basic leucine zippers, nuclear receptors and proteins with three consecutive C2H2 zinc fingers. Our method is tested against known functional information, the experimentally determined binding specificities, using a simple scoring method. The significance of the groups is also measured by randomizing the data. Finally, we compare our algorithm against a popular method of grouping proteins, the TRIBE-MCL method. In the end, we determine that dividing the families at the proposed level of granularity creates very significant and useful groups of proteins that correspond to the different DNA-binding motifs. We expect that such groupings will be useful in studying not only DNA binding but also other protein interactions. Contact: shakhnovich@chemistry.harvard.edu Supplementary information: The supplementary material contains: experimental binding specificities, a list of proteins in the proposed clusters, a table listing the percentage of proteins with binding data and from humans, visualizations of nuclear receptor and zinc finger proteins from humans, gene trees for two families, BLAST results and TRIBE-MCL results.
Undertreatment of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease in the united states : Analysis of national outpatient survey data

Abstract Background: Understanding anemia treatment patterns in national outpatient settings may assist evidence-based policy making by identifying the variations in physician prescriptions for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and reasons for such variations. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine anemia management patterns of CKD in outpatient settings in the United States. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the US National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) from 1996 to 2002. Patients aged ⩾18 years with CKD were included in the study sample. Office visits were considered CKD-related if relevant International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes were recorded and if CKD was reported as a reason for the visit. Similarly, visits were considered anemia related if relevant ICD-9-CM codes were recorded and if anemia was reported as a reason for the visit or if anemia-related laboratory testing (eg, hematocrit) was ordered. Anemia medications (ie, erythropoietic-stimulating agents or iron replacement) were retrieved using the NDC drug codes. All analyses were statistically weighted using the NAMCS sampling weights to make national estimates. Results: From 1996 to 2003, there were 2234 unweighted CKD-related patient visits in the outpatient setting, representing ~92 million weighted outpatient visits. The majority of these visits were made by women (63%) and patients aged ≥65 years (54%). Of these visits, 18% were to a nephrologist. Anemia-management issues were also recorded at nearly half (48%) of all CKD outpatient visits. Ten percent of visits for anemia management resulted in an anemia medication prescription. Patients on Medicare (odds ratio [OR], 0.49; 95% CI, 0.32–0.74) were less likely and those assessed previously (OR, 4.25; 95% CI, 1.66–10.88) were more likely to receive an anemia medication prescription. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that ~10% of CKD-related visits addressing anemia management are receiving anemia medications in US out-patient settings. Most CKD-patient visits were to primary care physicians (PCPs) and physicians other than nephrologists. PCPs were most likely to diagnose anemia but were less likely to prescribe anemia medications.
Toward an Employee Responsibilities and Rights Paradigm

Current changes in the nature of the workforce, organizational structures, and institutions of society underlie the considerable, and growing, worldwide orientation toward a workplace responsibilities and rights paradigm. Analysis of the moral, legal, bureaucratic, and social construction of reality literature provides a broad definition of rights and responsibilities based on (a) the basic injunction to do no harm, (b) the obligatory character of rights, and (c) the reciprocal nature of workplace interrelationships. Further, the article analyzes in detail the development of rights-responsibilities concerns in modern workplaces. It identifies some major characteristics of employee! employer responsibilities and rights, and also provides a scheme for studying, understanding, and organizing knowledge in the emerging field underscored by the notions of responsibilities and rights. The underlying paradigm suggested by the article can be understood in terms of two dimensions: Focus are (e.g., organizational en...
Assessing a conceptual model of over-the-counter medication misuse, adverse drug events and health-related quality of life in an elderly population.

Aim The objectives of the present study were to test Spilker's quality of life model in the elderly population consuming over-the-counter (OTC) medications. It was hypothesized that OTC medication misuse increases adverse drug events (ADEs), ADEs as a result of OTC medication misuse decrease health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the impact of OTC medication misuse on patients' HRQoL is fully medicated by ADEs associated with OTC medications. Methods Data were used from a previously carried out cross-sectional study using survey instruments with elderly patients consuming OTC medications in Houston, Texas, USA. The presence/absence of OTC misuse was assessed by an expert panel based on patient reported information on drug use characteristics; ADE was self-reported and HRQoL was measured using the Short Form-12v2, which contains a physical component summary score (PCS) and a mental component summary score (MCS). Results Of the 154 respondents, 18.2% misused OTC medications and 22.1% reported ADE as a result of OTC medications. The mean ± SD score of PCS and MCS was 40.6 ± 6.8 and 46.4 ± 7, respectively. The hypothesized framework provided a well-fitted solution to the data (χ2 = 1.387, d.f. = 2, P = 0.49; weighted root mean square residual = 0.317). Misuse of OTC medications significantly increased ADEs associated with OTC medications (β = 0.298) and increased ADEs significantly decreased patient reported PCS (β = −0.312), but not MCS (β = −0.213). OTC medication misuse indirectly decreased PCS and MCS by mediating the effect of an increase in ADE; however, the association was not statistically significant. Conclusions Misuse of OTC medications is highly associated with ADEs. ADEs are capable of decreasing the physical health of elderly patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; ●●: ●●–●●.
Functional connectivity between the left and right inferior frontal lobes in a small sample of children with and without reading difficulties

Individuals with dyslexia often demonstrate bilateral inferior frontal lobe activation while performing basic reading tasks. To investigate these findings, functional connectivity analyses were conducted on fMRI data collected from children with dyslexia, who did and did not respond well to treatment, and from non-impaired readers. Analysis of active and resting-state fMRI data across 15 participants revealed functional connections between the inferior frontal regions in non-impaired readers and treatment responders, but not in treatment non-responders. Analyses incorporating DTI data revealed associations with anterior corpus callosum structures. These results suggest that bilateral frontal functional connectivity is normative and may facilitate treatment response.
Increasing the dynamic torque per ampere capability of induction machines

The objective of this paper is to present a novel means of increasing the dynamic torque per ampere capability of induction machines. The method developed is based on use of an indirect field oriented controller (IFOC) for the induction machine. It is well known that IFOC allows the rotor flux amplitude to be controlled by the d-axis component of stator current. It is also well established that the flux-producing component of the stator current may be controlled independent of the torque-producing component of the stator current. The principal constraint, however, is that the amplitude of the peak current (the vector amplitude) is limited by the power electronic switch ratings. This constraint implies that optimal partitioning of the current components should be possible. Previously used methods have optimized steady state efficiency or steady state torque per ampere. This paper identifies a dynamic method which achieves transient torques over 35% greater than the prior methods. The limitations of the method and its sensitivity to detuning is also examined. >
Eligibility for Intravenous Recombinant Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator Within a Population: The Effect of the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS) III Trial.

Background and Purpose—The publication of the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS III) expanded the treatment time to thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke from 3 to 4.5 hours from symptom onset. The impact of the expanded time window on treatment rates has not been comprehensively evaluated in a population-based study. Methods—All patients with an ischemic stroke presenting to an emergency department during calendar year 2005 in the 17 hospitals that compromise the large 1.3 million Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky population were included in the analysis. Criteria for exclusion from thrombolytic therapy are analyzed retrospectively for both the standard and expanded timeframes with varying door-to-needle times. Results—During the study period, 1838 ischemic strokes presenting to an emergency department were identified. A small proportion of them arrived in the expanded time window (3.4%) compared with the standard time window (22%). Only 0.5% of those who arrived in this timeframe met el...
NEW APPROACH FOR SELECTING BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS

The success of introducing natural enemies for biological control was found to be about 75% higher employing new parasite–host (predator–prey) associations than those based on long-evolved associations between parasites and hosts. The lack of evolved interspecific balance in new species associations appears to explain the higher success rate. New exploiter–victim associations expand opportunities for the biological control of both introduced and native pests and should be used as the preferred method in selecting biological control agents.
The Protein Kinase SOS2 Activates the Arabidopsis H+/Ca2+ Antiporter CAX1 to Integrate Calcium Transport and Salt Tolerance

The regulation of ions within cells is an indispensable component of growth and adaptation. The plant SOS2 protein kinase and its associated Ca(2+) sensor, SOS3, have been demonstrated to modulate the plasma membrane H(+)/Na(+) antiporter SOS1; however, how these regulators modulate Ca(2+) levels within cells is poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that SOS2 regulates the vacuolar H(+)/Ca(2+) antiporter CAX1. Using a yeast growth assay, co-expression of SOS2 specifically activated CAX1, whereas SOS3 did not. CAX1-like chimeric transporters were activated by SOS2 if the chimeric proteins contained the N terminus of CAX1. Vacuolar membranes from CAX1-expressing cells were made to be H(+)/Ca(2+)-competent by the addition of SOS2 protein in a dose-dependent manner. Using a yeast two-hybrid assay, SOS2 interacted with the N terminus of CAX1. In each of these yeast assays, the activation of CAX1 by SOS2 was SOS3-independent. In planta, the high level of expression of a deregulated version of CAX1 caused salt sensitivity. These findings suggest multiple functions for SOS2 and provide a mechanistic link between Ca(2+) and Na(+) homeostasis in plants.
Correction of depth-dependent aberrations in 3D single-molecule localization and super-resolution microscopy

Single-molecule switching based super-resolution microscopy techniques have been extended into three dimensions through various 3D single-molecule localization methods. However, the localization accuracy in z can be severely degraded by the presence of aberrations, particularly the spherical aberration introduced by the refractive index mismatch when imaging into an aqueous sample with an oil immersion objective. This aberration confines the imaging depth in most experiments to regions close to the coverslip. Here we show a method to obtain accurate, depth-dependent z calibrations by measuring the point spread function (PSF) at the coverslip surface, calculating the microscope pupil function through phase retrieval, and then computing the depth-dependent PSF with the addition of spherical aberrations. We demonstrate experimentally that this method can maintain z localization accuracy over a large range of imaging depths. Our super-resolution images of a mammalian cell nucleus acquired between 0 and 2.5 μm past the coverslip show that this method produces accurate z localizations even in the deepest focal plane.
Lactoferrin conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles for targeting brain glioma cells in magnetic particle imaging

Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is a new real-time imaging modality, which promises high tracer mass sensitivity and spatial resolution directly generated from iron oxide nanoparticles. In this study, monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles with median core diameters ranging from 14 to 26 nm were synthesized and their surface was conjugated with lactoferrin to convert them into brain glioma targeting agents. The conjugation was confirmed with the increase of the hydrodynamic diameters, change of zeta potential, and Bradford assay. Magnetic particle spectrometry (MPS), performed to evaluate the MPI performance of these nanoparticles, showed no change in signal after lactoferrin conjugation to nanoparticles for all core diameters, suggesting that the MPI signal is dominated by Neel relaxation and thus independent of hydrodynamic size difference or presence of coating molecules before and after conjugations. For this range of core sizes (14-26 nm), both MPS signal intensity and spatial resolution improved with increasing core diameter of nanoparticles. The lactoferrin conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles (Lf-IONPs) showed specific cellular internalization into C6 cells with a 5-fold increase in MPS signal compared to IONPs without lactoferrin, both after 24 h incubation. These results suggest that Lf-IONPs can be used as tracers for targeted brain glioma imaging using MPI.
Anxiety comorbidity in bipolar spectrum disorders: the mediational role of perfectionism in prospective depressive symptoms.

Background Bipolar spectrum disorders (BSDs) are highly comorbid with anxiety, which is associated with an extended duration and exacerbation of depressive symptoms. Unfortunately, the underlying mechanisms are not known. This study examined the role of maladaptive cognitive styles in the co-occurrence of BSDs and anxiety disorders and prediction of depressive symptoms.
The Efficient Diffusion of Steel Technology Across Nations

This paper attempts to explain what influenced efficient decisions in the adoption of important technology in the steel industry. An index of efficient decisions for the adoption of the basic oxygen furnace and for continuous casting is discussed theoretically and then empirically developed for the steel industries of 28 and 27 countries respectively. Statistical tests are performed to determine the influence of government ownership of the steel industries, central planning of the economies and involvement in international competition on efficient decisions regarding technology adoption. The tests reveal that both government ownership and central planning retarded efficient decisions regarding the adoption of technology.
Debating interaction: the history, and an explanation

Research on the interaction of nature and nurture now spans nearly a century. (Throughout this article, ‘the interaction of nature and nurture’ or just ‘interaction’ is used to refer to the population-level phenomenon wherein different hereditary/genotypic/genetic groups respond differently to various environmental exposures. I will not be discussing individual-level processes, such as various gene expression mechanisms, where one might say that nature and nurture are interacting.) It has evolved from investigations of strains of crops, to whole genotypes of livestock, to specific genes of humans. It has been performed by a variety of scientists, from epidemiologists and evolutionary geneticists, to developmental psychologists and neuroscientists. It has generated results in the context of eugenic debates about sterilization, social debates about race and clinical debates about treating debilitating disease. What is remarkable, then, is the fact that the debates about the interaction of nature and nurture have remained strikingly uniform during that century. Even as the scientists, the social context and the technology have changed, the same arguments for and against interaction have turned up time and again. In Beyond Versus: The Struggle to Understand the Interaction of Nature and Nurture I aim to explain this phenomenon—to explain why the struggle to understand the interaction of nature and nurture took the form that it did over the past century and how it continues to shape contemporary research on interaction. The book tells the history of debates regarding research on interaction, draws on tools from the philosophy of science to weigh in on those debates and also looks ahead to ethical discussions regarding genetic testing for genes implicated in gene-environment interactions. For the purposes of this target article, I will focus on those chapters which I believe to be of most interest to the International Journal of Epidemiology readers—the chapters from part 1 which trace the history of the debates, from arguments regarding eugenics in the 1930s to disputes between contemporary researchers regarding the causes of depression.
Comparison of early versus delayed timing of left ventricular assist device implantation as a bridge-to-transplantation: An analysis of the UNOS dataset.

Background Placement of left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) as a bridge-to-heart transplantation (HTx) has rapidly expanded due to organ donor shortage. However, the timing of LVAD implantation is variable and it remains unclear if earlier implantation improves survival.
FLOOD PLAIN MODELING

Computer simulation of river basin hydrology has rapidly progressed from an interesting academic exercise to a practical engineering procedure of increasing utility. Mathematical models of the many interrelated processes which occur in a basin have been developed along with efficient numerical procedures for their solution. The present paper is concerned with a particular model which has been used to describe the transformation of a temporally and spatially varying rainfall into a time history of stage and discharge on a flood plain. Although developed principally as a model of the physical processes involved, it is envisioned that the model can serve as one component of an information system for flood plain planning and management. The model consists of the following elements: (i) a rainfall simulation which generates stochastic inputs to the model according to specified rainfall statistics, (ii) a catchment-runoff model which converts the rainfall to surface runoff, (iii) a flood stage model which converts the surface runoff to time histories of flood stage and discharge. The model has been used to investigate the effect of various structural flood control measures in a basin and, in particular, to establish frequency-stage information for each of these. Of particular interest in development of the model have been recurring and partially unanswered questions relative to the proper balance among availability of data for use in the model, data requirements of the model and the objectives of the outputs produced by the model.
THE GUNFLINT MICROBIOTA

The microbiota of the Gunflint Iron Formation (∼2 Ga old) is sufficiently great in diversity as to represent a “benchmark” in the level of evolution at a time only somewhat less than intermediate between the origin of the earth and the present. To date, thirty entities from these ∼2 Ga old microfossiliferous cherts have been described and all but two systematically categorized. From our continuing detailed study of the Gunflint microbiota (ESB for over 20 years) and, in light of our recent investigations on blue-green algal cell degradation, we conclude that: (1) A considerable number of the taxa systematically described are either of doubtful biological origin, doubtful taxonomic assignment, and/or morphologically indistinguishable from previously described Gunflint microorganisms, (2) The microbiota is wholly prokaryotic. At present, we recognize sixteen taxa falling within three categories: (1) blue-green algae (6 taxa; e.g. Gunflintia minuta); (2) budding bacteria (4 taxa; e.g. Eoastrion simplex); and (3) unknown affinities (6 taxa; e.g. Eosphaera tyleri). Organisms of undoubted eukaryotic affinities have yet to be found in the Gunflint. The Gunflint assemblage includes a high percentage of morphologic entities of obscure taxonomic position. Recently, Walter (1975) and Knoll and Barghoorn (1975) reported Gunflint-type microbiotas of approximately the same age as the Gunflint from two localities in Australia. The dominant morphotypes of the Gunflint microbiota appear to be cosmopolitan and the striking similarity of the three assemblages may strengthen the potential of ancient microbiotas for use in Precambrian biostratigraphy.
miRNAs as potential molecular targets in heart failure

Pathogenesis of heart diseases is associated with an altered expression profile of hundreds of genes. miRNAs are a newly identified layer of gene regulation operating at the post-transcriptional level by pairing to complementary base sequences in target mRNAs. Genetic data have identified the roles of miRNAs in basic pathological processes associated with heart failure: apoptosis, fibrosis, myocardial hypertrophy and cardiac remodeling. Many reports demonstrated that aberrantly expressed miRNAs and their modulation have effects on cardiac insufficiency. Here, we overview the advances in miRNAs as potential targets in the modulation of the heart failure phenotype. miRNA-based therapy holds great promise as a future strategy for treating heart diseases and identifying emerging signaling pathways responsible for the progression of heart failure.
BAIT STATIONS, HARD MAST, AND BLACK BEAR POPULATION GROWTH IN GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Abstract Bait-station surveys are used by wildlife managers as an index to American black bear (Ursus americanus) population abundance, but the relationship is not well established. Hard mast surveys are similarly used to assess annual black bear food availability, which may affect mortality and natality rates. We used data collected in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) from 1989 to 2003 to determine whether changes in the bait-station index (ΔBSI) were associated with estimated rates of bear population growth (λ) and whether hard mast production was related to bear visitation to baits. We also evaluated whether hard mast production from previous years was related to λ. Estimates of λ were based on analysis of capture–recapture data with the Pradel temporal symmetry estimator. Using the Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC), our analysis revealed no direct relationship between Δ BSI and λ. A simulation analysis indicated that our data were adequate to detect a relationship had one existed. Model ...
Examination of the recommended safe and unsafe zone for placement of surgical instruments in thoracentesis and video-assisted thoracic surgery: a cadaveric study.

Background: Thoracentesis and video-assisted thoracic surgery procedures can result in haemorrhage as a consequence of severing the collateral branches of the posterior intercostal artery. These branches have been shown to be most common in the 5th intercostal space (ICS). Tortuosity has been shown to be especially prevalent nearer to midline. A group of investigators have recommended the 4th and 7th ICS, 120 mm lateral to midline as a safe zone, least likely to hit branches when cutting into the ICS. The present study aimed to investigate that safe zone as a better entry points for procedures. In addition, investigation of the least safe 5th ICS was also performed. Materials and methods: A total of 56 embalmed human cadavers were selected for the study. With the cadavers laid prone, 2 cm incisions were made at the 4th, 5th and 7th ICS, 120 mm lateral to midline bilaterally. The cadavers were then placed supine and the incisions were dissected. Careful attention was paid to identify if any collateral branches were cut. Results: After thorough dissection of the 4th, 5th and 7th ICS incision sites, it was shown that damage to the 5th intercostal was seen most frequently. Conclusions: Based on this cadaveric study, a 2 cm incision at the 4th, 5th and 7th ICS 120 mm lateral from midline resulted in the most damage at the level of the 5th ICS. The 4th ICS had the least damage seen. Therefore, it is recommended that insertion should be placed at the level of the 4th ICS bilaterally.
Overcoming Barriers to Palliative Care Consultation

Palliative care consultations for patients with life-threatening illnesses provide benefits for the patients and their families as well as for the health care team. Patients have better quality of life and live longer but cost the health care system less. Still, many patients are not offered the opportunity to receive a palliative care consultation. Barriers to palliative care consultation for patients in critical care units include misunderstandings about palliative care and not having agreed upon criteria for referral. Critical care nurses can assist in overcoming these barriers.
Absorption of 2-methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone and phthiocol by bile fistula rats.

It is now well established that deoxycholic acid is necessary for the absorption of vitamin K. The fact that certain water soluble compounds possess vitamin K activity has raised the question as to whether or not these substances are absorbed from the intestinal tract in the absence of bile. Smith and Owen1 have shown that oral administration of 4-amino-2-methyl-1-naphthol to patients suffering from chronic obstructive jaundice led to an increase in the level of prothrombin. Similar results were reported by Warner and Flynn2 on administration of the potassium salt of the disulfuric acid ester of 2-methyl-1,4-naphtho-hydroquinone to vitamin K depleted bile-obstructed rats. The present experiments are in harmony with these two observations, although the compounds used and the experimental technic employed were somewhat different.Choledochocolonostomized rats were maintained on a low vitamin K diet and were kept in cages with wide mesh screen bottoms to prevent their having access to their feces. Three to 6 ...
Immunologic studies of acetylated encephalitogenic myelin basic protein.

SummaryRabbits were hyperimmunized with bovine myelin basic protein (BP) or its acetylated derivative (AcBP). The sera were studied by means of passive hemagglutination with formalinized, tannic acid-treated sheep erythrocytes coated with BP or AcBP. Formalin treatment eliminates the nonspecific clumping of BP-coated sheep cells, which we previously encountered. Sera were also analyzed by immunodiffusion in agarose. The rabbits immunized with BP produced antibodies which reacted equally well with BP and AcBP. However, the rabbits immunized with AcBP formed antibodies which were apparently directed against the acetyl group, in addition to anti-BP antibodies.
Single-Molecule Spectroscopic Imaging Studies of Polarity Gradients Prepared by Infusion-Withdrawal Dip-Coating

Sol–gel-derived thin films incorporating a one-dimensional polarity gradient are prepared by infusion-withdrawal dip-coating (IWDC) and characterized by single-molecule spectroscopic (SMS) imaging. Nonpolar phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMOS) and polar tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) are used as precursor silanes during IWDC. Sessile drop water contact angle measurements demonstrate the presence of a wettability gradient in the resulting films, on macroscopic length scales. Raman maps of the phenyl C–H stretch at 3059 cm–1 confirm gradient formation. Material polarity is assessed by SMS imaging, using Nile Red as a polarity-sensitive probe. Polarity data are obtained by recording fluorescence videos of single-molecule emission simultaneously in two spectral bands (590 ± 20 and 640 ± 20 nm). The pairs of fluorescence spots produced by each molecule are identified and analyzed using automated spot-tracking software. The local film polarity is quantified via the Clausius–Mossotti factors calculated from the single-mole...
Measurement of eye orientation of monkeys during visual discrimination

This paper describes apparatus and procedures for measuring eye orientation in the rhesus monkey without restraining the head. The main components of the apparatus are (a) a helmet on which are mounted the discriminative stimuli and the optical and other devices for obtaining a corneal reflection, (bj a special restraining chair that allows the monkey to respond to pushbuttons in front of him, yet prevents him from reaching the equipment mounted on the helmet, and (c) systems for presenting stimuli, monitoring choice responses, and recording eye orientation, which are controlled by a LINC-8 computer. The initial findings on eye orientation during performance on both a hard and an easy brightness discrimination problem are also presented.
Behavioral and Educational Interventions to Support Family Caregivers in End-of-Life Care: A Systematic Review.

The demand for family caregivers steadily increases as the number of people receiving hospice and palliative care rises. Family caregivers play a significant role in supporting their loved ones in end-of-life care. However, there is limited evidence about the effectiveness of the interventions for supporting family caregivers. This article synthesizes behavioral and educational interventions that support family caregivers in end-of-life care. A systematic review was conducted and searched interventional studies published between 2004 and 2014 in PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and The Cochrane Library electronic databases. Fourteen studies were identified and analyzed: 4 educational studies, 6 cognitive behavioral therapy studies, and 4 psychoeducational studies. All educational and behavioral interventions had developed structures and treatment manuals and improved family caregivers’ outcomes. The cognitive behavioral therapy resulted in more positive outcomes than the other 2 interventions. More rigorous random...
Study on skin irritation of the Sophora alopecuroides L.Bacteriostatic Lotion

Objective: To observe the stimulating reaction condition on rabbit caused by the Sophora alopecuroide L.bacteriostatic lotion,in order to supply basis for clinical safety administration.Methods: According to the "Technical Standard for Disinfection"(2002),stimulating test for skin was conducted by acute test and many times of administrations.Results: Though naked eye observation on the stimulating reaction of skin with the Sophora alopecuroide L.bacteriostatic lotion by acute test and many times of administrations,it was found that skin of rabbits appeared different degrees of erythema and edema in the study.The stimulating change average value of acute skin irritative test and many times of administrations were 3.7 and 5.5 respectively.Conclusion: The Sophora alopecuroide L.bacteriostatic lotion was moderate irritant for rabbit′s skin tissue.
Manifestation in Tongue Pictures of Different Degree Injury of Gastric Mucosa in Chronic Superficial Gastritis

Objective:To explore the theoretical basis of"tongue as the mirror of digestive system diseases" by studying the tongue bodies and coats of 441 chronic superficial gastritis(CSG) patients with a computer programmed tongue analysis instrument.Methods:CSG patients who were diagnosed by gastrointestinal endoscope were divided into three groups: simple chronic gastritis(S-CSG) group,CSG with erosive group,and CSG with back flow group.All patients were taken tongue pictures by a digital camera which was fixed in a box with a stable light source.The records were calculated by computer-programmed tongue diagnosis software.Results:Cases of S-CSG were 319 out of 441 CSG patients,CSG with erosive group were 87of them,and CSG with back flow 35.The ratio of Red tongue ranked first in S-CSG with 63.7%.Slight Red tongue was 28.8%,and non-Slight-Red tongue was 71.2%.The ratio of Red tongue was 68.6% in CSG with back flow,63.3% in CSG,and 63.2% in CSG with erosive respectively;Deep Red tongue was 3.4% in CSG with erosive,2.9% in CSG with back flow,and 1.6% in CSG respectively among three groups.Cruentous tongue was 8.6% in CSG with back flow,5.7% in CSG with erosive 1.3% in CSG respectively among three groups.The distribution of tongue coats in CSG were thin and white(58.7%),white and thick coat(14.2%),and yellow and thick coat(17.89%);as to color,rate of white coat took the proportion of 58.7%,and yellow coat 14.2%;speaking with depth,thin coat took the proportion of 61.9% when thick coat 31.3%.The distribution of thin and white coat among three groups were 77.1% in CSG with back flow,63.2% in CSG with erosive,60.0% in CSG,compared P0.05.Conclusion:The Red tongue appeared most often in all the 441 patients,it would reflex the characteristics of tongue pictures of chronic superficial gastritis(CSG).But red tongue was of no relation to severity of the disease,while deep red tongue and cruentous tongue might indicate a more severe condition.2.Thin and white coat was the main tongue coat in CSG.
Invisible Victims: Delayed Onset Depression among Adults with Same-Sex Parents

The relationship of elevated depression risk recently discovered among adult persons raised by same-sex parents with possible precipitating conditions in childhood has not previously been acknowledged. This study tests whether such inattention is supportable. Logistic regression based risk ratios were estimated from longitudinal measures of mental health outcomes observed in three waves (at ages 15, 22, and 28) of the US National Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 15,701). At age 28, the adults raised by same-sex parents were at over twice the risk of depression (CES-D: risk ratio 2.6, 95% CI 1.4-4.6) as persons raised by man-woman parents. These findings should be interpreted with caution. Elevated risk was associated with imbalanced parental closeness and parental child abuse in family of origin; depression, suicidality, and anxiety at age 15; and stigma and obesity. More research and policy attention to potentially problematic conditions for children with same-sex parents appears warranted.
Ex Post Review and Expert Policymaking: When Does Oversight Reduce Accountability?

Ex post review is a common feature of policymaking institutions. We consider a simple environment in which an expert agent makes a policy recommendation, which can then be accepted or rejected by a principal whose policy goals differ from those of the agent. The theory offers testable predictions about policy recommendations and the principal’s acceptance or rejection of these recommendations. The theory suggests that behavior and institutional design incentives are sensitive to both actors’ preference alignment and the importance of and uncertainty inherent to the policy area in multiple ways, some expected and some less obvious. We characterize the types of situations in which ex post review creates incentives for the agent to make pathological policy choices. In these situations, ex post review can reduce the accountability of the agent to the wishes of the principal and ultimately create an incentive for the principal to forego review entirely.
Calculus and Its Origins

Calculus and Its Origins is primarily a collection of results that show how calculus came to be, beginning in ancient Greece and climaxing with the discovery of calculus. Other books have traveled these paths, but they presuppose knowledge of calculus. This book requires only a basic knowledge of high school geometry and algebra. Exercises introduce further historical figures and their results, and make it possible for a professor to use this book in class.
Detecting causality in policy diffusion processes

A universal question in network science entails learning about the topology of interaction from collective dynamics. Here, we address this question by examining diffusion of laws across US states. We propose two complementary techniques to unravel determinants of this diffusion process: information-theoretic union transfer entropy and event synchronization. In order to systematically investigate their performance on law activity data, we establish a new stochastic model to generate synthetic law activity data based on plausible networks of interactions. Through extensive parametric studies, we demonstrate the ability of these methods to reconstruct networks, varying in size, link density, and degree heterogeneity. Our results suggest that union transfer entropy should be preferred for slowly varying processes, which may be associated with policies attending to specific local problems that occur only rarely or with policies facing high levels of opposition. In contrast, event synchronization is effective for faster enactment rates, which may be related to policies involving Federal mandates or incentives. This study puts forward a data-driven toolbox to explain the determinants of legal activity applicable to political science, across dynamical systems, information theory, and complex networks.
Reacting LES@2030: Near Diskless and Near Real-Time Computing for Design?

The combustion research and design community is diverse and geographically distributed. It aims to provide a predictive understanding of the complex multiphysics, and multiscale processes that are present in a variety of systems such as transportation, propulsion, and power systems. Challenges involve treatment of turbulence, advanced fuels, multiphase flows, and catalytic systems, to name a few. A key objective is the construction of predictive models that can ultimately be assembled into engineering design tools for development and optimization of device-scale combustion systems.
Competitive funding strategies for the conquer cancer foundation of ASCO

Purpose:The Conquer Cancer Foundation (CCF), the philanthropic arm of ASCO, is responsible for funding innovative clinical research. CCF wants to broaden its donor base instead of relying predominantly on health-care companies. Our Leadership Development Program (LDP) group was tasked with identifying potential donor sources and making recommendations to increase funding.Materials and Methods:We selected three sources to research: the general public, crowdsourcing/social media, and ASCO members. We subsequently focused our efforts on ASCO members, of whom only 2% to 3% are donors to CCF and < 8% are repeat donors. To analyze this low rate, we sent out two separate surveys to various groups of members within ASCO.Results:We identified lack of knowledge as a major deterrent to giving; surprisingly, even those who hold ASCO leadership positions or participated in committees lacked knowledge about CCF funding. Also, the misconception that ASCO is rich and does not need philanthropic support deterred giving; h...
Entertainment Publicity and Public Relations

This chapter traces the history of entertainment publicity and public relations in North America as it has evolved from its rudimentary beginnings into a highly complex, sophisticated practice fueled by the confluence of forces—secularization, mediation, and commodification—that has transformed culture and society in a radical way. As secularization deifies sports and entertainment figures into “celebrity-idols” and as media mega-conglomerates, which dominate the music, film, and television landscape, and their publicists and public relations practitioners promote their commodities, the challenge of retaining authenticity in communication has never been greater. The chapter concludes with an examination of the effects of commercialized culture upon institutions and voices not so advantaged, arguing for the common good that these have space for expression in increasingly diverse societies
Revisiting the Relationship Between Ethnicity and Outcome in Glioblastoma Patients.

Background Relationships between various ethnicities and glioma subtype have recently been established. As a tertiary referral center for Latin America and the Caribbean, our institution treats a diverse glioblastoma (GBM) population. We sought to clarify the role of ethnicity on patient prognosis in GBM and also compared these findings to a group consisting of elderly patients. We included 'elderly' as a group because the subgroups for ethnicities within them were too small. It allowed us to put in scope the effects of ethnicities on the overall survival. Material and Methods: After Institutional Review Board approval, 235 patients with GBM were retrospectively identified. A total of 140 patients were separated into four groups: White adults (n = 47), Hispanic adults (n = 27), elderly (n = 58), and Black adults (n = 6). Overall survival (OS) was our primary endpoint. Results Overall survival in the White adult group was 24.3 months, compared to 13.0 months in the Hispanic adult group, 20.2 months in the Black group, and 13.8 months in the elderly group (p = 0.01). In the Hispanic group, hypertension (37.9%, p = 0.01) and diabetes (24.1%, p = 0.009) were significantly more prevalent compared to the White adult cohort. No difference in insurance status or postoperative complications was found between subgroups. Conclusion Based on our analysis, Hispanic adults may have a decreased survival compared to White adults. However, the incidence of hypertension and diabetes was markedly higher in our Hispanic adult cohort; thus, estimating the risk of ethnicity and comorbidities on patient prognosis may be difficult. A prospective study correlating the genome and subgroup prognosis may help elucidate the role of ethnicity in GBM patients.
Structural rearrangement and stiffening of hydrophobically modified supramolecular hydrogels during thermal annealing

Dynamic crosslinks formed by thermoreversible associations provide an energy dissipation mechanism to toughen hydrogels. However, the details of the organization of these crosslinks impact the hydrogel properties through constraints on the network chain conformation. The physical crosslinks generated by hydrophobic association of the 2-(N-ethylperfluorooctane-sulfonamido)ethyl methacrylate (FOSM) groups in a random copolymer of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and FOSM provide a simple system to investigate how the hydrogel structure (as determined from small angle neutron scattering impacts the mechanical properties of the hydrogel. The initial hydration of the copolymer at 25 °C leads to a kinetically trapped structure with large-scale heterogeneities. Heating the hydrogel at 60 °C, which is above the glass transition temperature for the FOSM domains, allows the hydrogel structure to rearrange to reduce the density of network defects and the structural heterogeneities. That effectively increases the crosslink density of the network, which stiffens the hydrogel and decreases the swelling at equilibrium at 25 °C. The processing history determines how the hydrophobes aggregate to form the physically crosslinked network, whose structure defines the mechanical properties of these hydrogels. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 1036–1044