cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quality management and the clinical microbiology laboratory

Quality management in today's health care environment requires a fresh approach. Laboratories that have traditionally directed their efforts toward meeting the needs of physicians must now also satisfy the needs of society, the greater public health, and the agency's administrators. Technical advances must today be considered in the context of patient care cost-effectiveness or final outcomes. Examples of strategies for improving quality in the laboratory, such as seeking input from all individuals involved in interpreting or using laboratory test results, forming multidisciplinary committees for development of critical pathways, issuing surveys for assessing the level of satisfaction of the laboratory's customers, and providing visual feedback of the results of activities, are described.
Response of a grassland to sulfur and nitrogen additions under controlled SO2 exposure

Abstract We subjected a native North American grassland to three controlled SO2 concentrations and to nitrogen and sulfur fertilizer for one complete growing season (April–August). Interactions of low concentration SO2 (52 μg/m3) with nitrogen fertilizer resulted in significant increases in above- and below-ground plant biomass. Nitrogen plus sulfur fertilizers and the highest SO2 concentration (200 μg/m3) significantly decreased total aboveground yield compared with the same amendment without SO2 or with the lowest concentration of SO2. Nitrogen uptake showed a positive interaction of nitrogen fertilization with low concentration SO2. Sulfur concentrations increased and total sulfur uptake decreased on SO2 treatments without nitrogen fertilization, compared with decreased sulfur concentration and increased gross sulfur uptake on SO2 treatments with nitrogen fertilization. The results are discussed with respect to the balance between positive and negative, short- and long-term impacts of SO2 on plant response.
Circadian patterns of unintended sleep episodes during a constant routine in remitted depressed patients

Theoretical models of depression have hypothesized phase or amplitude alterations in circadian measures including the sleep-wake rhythm. Whether such abnormalities occur only during the depressed state, or whether they persist into recovery, is less clear. We investigated the circadian pattern of unintended sleep episodes during 36 h of constant wakeful bedrest in two groups: 26 drug-free patients whose depression remitted following psychotherapy treatment, and a contrast group of 17 healthy young adults. The contrast group was not matched for age or gender. Both remitted depressed and contrast groups showed statistically significant linear and quadratic trends in the number of unintended sleep episodes, indicating monotonic and circadian influences across the study interval. We found no significant group differences in the pattern of sleep episodes. The number and timing of sleep episodes did not correlate significantly with core body temperature amplitude or timing or with baseline sleep duration or efficiency. The results do not support the hypothesis of a phase or amplitude change in sleep propensity as a trait abnormality in depression. However, the inclusion of a moderately depressed out-patient cohort, which showed only minor sleep changes and normal temperature profiles even while depressed, may have biased against finding significant differences.
VAST: Post-Silicon VAlidation and Diagnosis of RF/Mixed-Signal Circuits Using Signature Tests

Post-silicon validation of RF/mixed-signal circuits is challenging due to the need to excite all possible operational modes of the DUT in order to establish equivalence between its specified and observed behaviors and to ensure that the DUT does not produce any unexpected behaviors that can lead to system failure. In this research, we first develop a methodology for determining if the DUT contains behaviors that are not explicitly included in its behavioral model. A complex (optimized) test waveform is applied to the DUT and its test response signature is captured. It is seen that in the presence of unexpected DUT behaviors, the residual error in the test response signature from that defined by the model, cannot be minimized below a certain threshold by manipulating the model parameters in any way. If however, it is determined that the model is adequate but the signature is different from the expected, then a procedure is developed for determining which sub module is responsible for the difference (i.e. causes the system level specifications to be different from that specified by the behavioral model). Experiments on an RF transceiver are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed validation and diagnosis approach.
Preferential Solubilization of Smaller Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Sequential Functionalization Reactions

A purified single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) sample was fractionated in sequential functionalization reactions with a diamine-terminated oligomeric poly(ethylene glycol) to produce five soluble fractions and a final solid residue. These fractions and the residue were characterized by using optical spectroscopy, electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, and other techniques. The results show that the soluble fractions all contain primarily functionalized SWNTs and that there are no obviously systematic changes from one fraction to the next. However, one exception made evident by the Raman spectroscopy results is that the functionalization reactions preferentially solubilize the SWNTs of smaller diameters, resulting in an enrichment of larger diameter nanotubes in the final solid residue. In addition, the nanotube contents in different soluble fractions obtained from the sequential functionalization reactions are apparently different, with higher nanotube contents in the later fractions. The difference between the fractionation of SWNTs and the fractionation of multiole-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) reported previously is discussed.
Pyrroloquinoline quinone biogenesis: characterization of PqqC and its H84N and H84A active site variants

Pyrroloquinoline quinone [4,5-dihydro-4,5-dioxo-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-f]quinoline-2,7,9-tricarboxylic acid (PQQ)] is a bacterial vitamin that serves as a cofactor in numerous alcohol dehydrogenases. Its biosynthesis in Klebsiella pneumoniae is facilitated by six genes, pqqABCDEF, and proceeds by an unknown pathway. The protein encoded by pqqC catalyzes the final step of PQQ formation, which involves a ring closure and an overall eight-electron oxidation of 3a-(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)-4,5-dioxo-4,5,6,7,8,9-hexahydroquinoline-7,9-dicarboxylic acid (AHQQ) in the absence of a redox-active metal or cofactor. A recent crystal structure has implicated numerous PQQ-PqqC interactions [Magnusson et al. (2004) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101, 7913-7918]. To investigate the mechanism of the PqqC reaction, the active site residue His84 has been mutated to H84A and H84N, and the kinetic and spectroscopic properties have been compared to each other and the wild-type enzyme using aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Both mutants form PQQ under aerobic conditions with rate constants of 0.09 min-1 and 0.056 min-1 relative to 0.34 min-1 for the wild-type enzyme. In addition to the initial E-AHQQ complex (532-536 nm) and the product E-PQQ complex (346-366 nm), a number of spectral intermediates are observed between 316 and 344 nm. The anaerobic reaction is particularly informative, showing that while mixing of H84N with AHQQ leads to a 344 nm intermediate, this is unable to proceed to a final 318 nm species; by contrast H84A forms the 344 nm species as a precursor to the 318 nm species. In the context of the proposed chemical mechanism for PqqC [Magnusson et al. (2004) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101, 7913-7918], we assign the 344 nm intermediate to a quinoid species and the 318 nm intermediate to an initial quinol species. The proposed role of H84 is as a proton donor to the oxyanion of the quinoid species such that subsequent C-H bond cleavage can occur to form a monoanionic quinol. In the absence of a proton donor (as occurs in H84N), the normal reaction path is precluded as this would require formation of an unstable, dianionic species. Unlike H84N, H84A appears to be small enough to allow entry of active site water, which is postulated to adopt the role of active site proton donor.
De-Toring high fat for a healthy heart

Evaluation of: Birse RT, Choi J, Reardon K et al. High-fat-diet-induced obesity and heart dysfunction are regulated by the TOR pathway in Drosophila. Cell. Metab. 12, 533–544 (2010).Excessive intake of nutrients is widely believed to be one of the main contributing factors to the global epidemic of obesity. Despite extensive studies over last few decades, the genetic mechanisms that mediate high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity are still not clear. It is also unknown if a similar genetic mechanism underlies the cardiac dysfunction associated with HFD-induced obesity. In a recent study, Birse et al. used a Drosophila model to determine whether the ancient nutrient sensing target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway affects heart function upon challenge with a HFD. As in mammals, this study found that flies fed on HFD became obese, and displayed severe heart dysfunction. Genetic suppression of the TOR signaling pathway prevented fat accumulation and protected flies against HFD-induced cardiac defects. Together with bio...
Functional analysis of serially expanded human iPS cell-derived RPE cultures.

Purpose To determine the effects of serial expansion on the cellular, molecular, and functional properties of human iPS cell (hiPSC)-derived RPE cultures. Methods Fibroblasts obtained from four individuals were reprogrammed into hiPSCs and differentiated to RPE cells using previously described methods. Patches of deeply pigmented hiPSC-RPE were dissected, dissociated, and grown in culture until they re-formed pigmented monolayers. Subsequent passages were obtained by repeated dissociation, expansion, and maturation of RPE into pigmented monolayers. Gene and protein expression profiles and morphological and functional characteristics of hiPSC-RPE at different passages were compared with each other and to human fetal RPE (hfRPE). Results RPE from all four hiPSC lines could be expanded more than 1000-fold when serially passaged as pigmented monolayer cultures. Importantly, expansion of hiPSC-RPE monolayers over the first three passages (P1-P3) resulted in decreased expression of pluripotency and neuroretinal markers and maintenance of characteristic morphological features and gene and protein expression profiles. Furthermore, P1 to P3 hiPSC-RPE monolayers reliably demonstrated functional tight junctions, G-protein-coupled receptor-mediated calcium transients, phagocytosis and degradation of photoreceptor outer segments, and polarized secretion of biomolecules. In contrast, P4 hiPSC-RPE cells failed to form monolayers and possessed altered morphological and functional characteristics and gene expression levels. Conclusions Highly differentiated, pigmented hiPSC-RPE monolayers can undergo limited serial expansion while retaining key cytological and functional attributes. However, passaging hiPSC-RPE cultures beyond senescence leads to loss of such features. Our findings support limited, controlled passaging of patient-specific hiPSC-RPE to procure cells needed for in vitro disease modeling, drug screening, and cellular transplantation.
The generation effect: A meta-analytic review

Thegeneration effect refers to the finding that subjects who generate information (e.g., produce synonyms) remember the information better than they do material that they simply read. Meta-analytic techniques were used to summarize 445 effect sizes over 86 studies, thereby assessing the magnitude and 11 potential moderators of the generation effect. The size of the generation effect across the 86 studies was .40—a benefit of almost half a standard deviation of generation over reading. The variability of the effect size due to moderator type was substantial, and we attempted to use this information to clarify several theories that have been proposed to explain the generation effect.
Extrusion Pretreatment of Pine Wood Chips

Pretreatment is the first step to open up lignocellulose structure in the conversion of biomass to biofuels. Extrusion can be a viable pretreatment method due to its ability to simultaneously expose biomass to a range of disruptive conditions in a continuous flow process. Extruder screw speed, barrel temperature, and feedstock moisture content are important factors that can influence sugar recovery from biomass. Hence, the current study was undertaken to investigate the effects of these parameters on extrusion pretreatment of pine wood chips. Pine wood chip at 25, 35, and 45 % wb moisture content were pretreated at various barrel temperatures (100, 140, and 180 °C) and screw speeds (100, 150, and 200 rpm) using a screw with compression ratios of 3:1. The pretreated pine wood chips were subjected to standard enzymatic hydrolysis followed by sugar and byproducts quantification. Statistical analyses revealed the existence of significant differences in sugar recovery due to independent variables based on comparing the mean of main effects and interaction effects. Pine wood chips pretreated at a screw speed of 150 rpm and a barrel temperature of 180 °C with a moisture content of 25 % resulted in a maximum cellulose, hemicellulose, and total sugar recoveries of 65.8, 65.6, and 66.1 %, respectively, which was about 6.7, 7.9, and 6.8 fold higher than the control (unpretreated pine chips). Furthermore, potential fermentation inhibitors such as furfural, hydroxyl methyl furfural, and acetic acid were not found in any of the treatment combinations.
SC-02MODELING PEDIATRIC GBM USING NEURAL STEM CELL-DERIVED TUMORS WITH DIVERGENT BEHAVIOR

Pediatric GBM can exhibit a diversity of cell behaviors and responses to therapy despite similar oncogenic drivers. The reasons for this are often unclear. Using a murine model for GBM based on the oncogenic transformation of neural progenitor cells we sought to generate tumors with diverse cell behaviors despite being driven by a common oncogene. Using in vivo tumor phenotype as evidence of divergent tumor behavior, we isolated two tumor lines with different phenotypes. Tumor progenitor cell (TPC) line-A was highly proliferative and resulted in rapid lethality (median overall survival of 22 days) vs. TPC-B that was less proliferative and exhibited a more prolonged survival (median overall survival of 33 days). Interestingly, TPC-A invaded in perivascular fashion in vivo. In contrast, TPC-B tumors invaded diffusely, as single cells. Transcriptional profiling revealed an enrichment of mesenchymal GBM subtype genes in TPC-A (normalized enrichment score of 1.5) and proneural GBM subtype genes in TPC-A (normalized enrichment score of 2.6). Consistent with the gene expression data, TPC-A exhibited increased activation of Stat3 (pY705) relative to TPC-B. Furthermore, while both clones expressed hEGFRvIII, TPC-A cells showed higher levels of EGFR activation (pY1173 and pY1068), than TPC-B cells. In vitro, TPC-A expanded at a higher rate than TPC-B and expressed Prominin-1 (CD133). TPC-B cells were Prominin-1 negative, but more prone to adhere to ECM components than TPC-A, and invaded more extensively in vitro. Moreover, under differentiation conditions, TPC-A failed to differentiate and continuously proliferated. TPC-B differentiated to cells of neuronal, astrocytic, and oligodendrocytic lineages. Interestingly, these lines also exhibited differential response to therapy. In the current project we demonstrate how transduction of neurospheres can be used to generate tumor lines with vastly different cell behaviors, reflective of different pediatric GBM, and that these lines are useful for both mechanistic and preclinical studies.
An MRA approach to surface completion and image inpainting

Abstract The objective of this paper is to introduce a multi-resolution approximation (MRA) approach to the study of continuous function extensions with emphasis on surface completion and image inpainting. Along the line of the notion of diffusion maps introduced by Coifman and Lafon with some “heat kernels” as integral kernels of these operators in formulating the diffusion maps, we apply the directional derivatives of the heat kernels with respect to the inner normal vectors (on the boundary of the hole to be filled in) as integral kernels of the “propagation” operators. The extension operators defined by propagations followed by the corresponding sequent diffusion processes provide the MRA continuous function extensions to be discussed in this paper. As a case study, Green's functions of some “anisotropic” differential operators are used as heat kernels, and the corresponding extension operators provide a vehicle to transport the surface or image data, along with some mixed derivatives, from the exterior of the hole to recover the missing data in the hole in an MRA fashion, with the propagated mixed derivative data to provide the surface or image “details” in the hole. An error formula in terms of the heat kernels is formulated, and this formula is applied to give the exact order of approximation for the isotropic setting.
The Turning Point: Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill, and Chiang-Kai-Shek, 1943 The Moscow, Cairo, and Teheran Conferences

Though much has been written about the second and third encounters of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill at Yalta and Potsdam, their first meeting at Teheran has been unaccountably neglected. This book sets out to repair that omission and bring to light the people and decisions that changed the course of history at Teheran. Setting all three conferences in the context of other key events in 1943, it shows shows how Teheran was, in may ways, the "turning point" of the war and reveals a critical and often neglected event in recent history.
Adaptive Penalty-Based Distributed Stochastic Convex Optimization

In this work, we study the task of distributed optimization over a network of learners in which each learner possesses a convex cost function, a set of affine equality constraints, and a set of convex inequality constraints. We propose a fully distributed adaptive diffusion algorithm based on penalty methods that allows the network to cooperatively optimize the global cost function, which is defined as the sum of the individual costs over the network, subject to all constraints. We show that when small constant step-sizes are employed, the expected distance between the optimal solution vector and that obtained at each node in the network can be made arbitrarily small. Two distinguishing features of the proposed solution relative to other approaches is that the developed strategy does not require the use of projections and is able to track drifts in the location of the minimizer due to changes in the constraints or in the aggregate cost itself. The proposed strategy is able to cope with changing network topology, is robust to network disruptions, and does not require global information or rely on central processors.
Extended liability for environmental accidents: what you see is what you get

Abstract When a firm may be bankrupted by the liability from an environmental accident, current laws often allow for the extension of liability to third parties with whom the firm contracts, with the aim of inducing full internalization of social costs. We find that, when the firm can take both observable and unobservable care to reduce expected accident damages, extended liability indeed results in full cost internalization, but not in first-best levels of care. We also find that, whereas without extended liability there is excess entry into environmentally hazardous industries, introducing extended liability leads to exit that, while excessive relative to the first best, is second-best optimal given firms' choice of care. Furthermore, we show that direct regulation of observable care, when combined with extended liability, further distorts firms' incentives. However, when used alone, such regulation strictly dominates extended liability.
Modern Terrace Development Near Pyramid Lake, Nevada, and its Geologic Implications

The Truckee River rises high in the Sierra Mountains and ends 30 mi (48 km) northeast of Reno, Nevada, where it empties into Pyramid Lake, the largest remnant of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan. Since 1910, the level of Pyramid Lake has declined 80 ft (24 m) due to diversion of water from the Truckee River basin. During this period, the river has formed at least six well-developed, erosional terraces located 1 to 6 mi (1.6 to 10 km) from the present lake and standing between 10 ft (3 m) and 35 ft (11 m) above the present stream. Continuous lake-level measurements and periodic aerial photographs establish that the entire terrace sequence formed within a period of 44 years. The terraces developed during a period of changing geomorphic conditions, a geologic setting different from that normally accepted as controlling the origin of erosional terraces. In contrast to the usual case, the Truckee River terrace sequence formed during a rapidly, although intermittently, declining base level, extreme downcutting, and unstable hydrologic regimes. In years of normal (low) runoff, inflow is not sufficient to maintain the lake, and the stream incises its main channels to keep pace with the lowering base level. During occasional years of high runoff, the entire braided valley is inundated and the valley bottom is quickly broadened by processes of lateral erosion accompanied by minor deposition. A return to normal flow allows lake-level decline and stream incision to resume, isolating the former high-flow flood plain as a terrace. The history of development of this terrace sequence clearly indicates that such terraces should not always be assumed to represent a long-term period of geomorphic equilibrium. Terraces similar in origin to those at Pyramid Lake might be initiated by diverse geologic processes in a variety of settings. Thus, the modern terrace development here has geologic significance. Examples are: (1) the gradual destruction of lakes dammed by moraines or landslides; (2) stream captures of tributaries to the river entering a lake, which effectively reduce the annual inflow; and (3) a change to a more arid climate which upsets the regional hydrologic equilibrium.
Toward a broader view of age discrimination in employment-related decisions: a joint consideration of organizational factors and cognitive processes

Abstract We propose that organizational factors (structure, values, and technology) influence raters' decision making processes which, in turn, can result in age discrimination in employment-related decisions. Specifically, organizational factors may influence (a) the extent to which jobs become age-typed, (b) the extent to which a worker's age is salient and activates age-associated job stereotypes and (c) the extent to which raters are able to base their employment-related decisions on the perceived match between job and worker information. The practical and theoretical implications of our approach are discussed and directions for future research are offered.
Compressibility of Unconsolidated, Arkosic Oil Sands

Presented are results of compaction of 11 unconsolidated, fine- to medium-grained, arkosic sand cores, 1-7/8 in. in diameter and 3 to 4 in. long. Direct measurements of the pore fluid pressure and bulk volume changes of each sample were made as the pore fluids were expelled. At a constant overburden (external) pressure of 3,000 psi and a temperature of 140/sup 0/F, the calculated bulk volume compressibilities ranged from 7.4 x 10/sup -4/ to 3 x 10/sup -5/ psi/sup -1/, whereas the pore volume compressibilities varied from 10/sup -3/ to 10/sup -4/ psi/sup -1/ in the 0 to 3,000 psi effective pressure range. The void ratios in the same effective pressure range varied from 0.85 to 0.19. Compressibility increases with increasing feldspar and clay content. Compressibilities obtained when using hydrostatic loading equipment are 55 to 100 percent higher than those determined when using uniaxial compaction apparatus.
Time line of discoveries: anoxygenic bacterial photosynthesis

A time line of important research relating to anoxygenic photosynthetic organisms is presented. The time line includes discoveries of organisms, metabolic capabilities, molecular complexes and genetic systems. It also pinpoints important milestones in our understanding of the structure, function, organization, assembly and regulation of photosynthetic complexes.
Airborne and spaceborne cloud radar designs

Presents some crucial design parameters and a strawman system design for a nadir-looking, 94-GHz spaceborne cloud profiling radar. This sensor is expected to provide cloud measurements at vertical resolution of 500 m and with a minimum detectable cloud reflectivity of slightly better than -30 dBZ. The radar design is intended to be accommodated by a spacecraft with limited resources. It uses a 2-m antenna and an extended interaction amplifier (EIA) that are readily available in either ground-based and airborne applications. For space application, improvements in the EIA lifetime and space qualification will be required. For various reasons, the spaceborne cloud radar system development is expected to be greatly benefited by the implementation of an aircraft cloud radar instrument. >
Heimlich Valve Treatment of Pneumocystis carinii-Associated Pneumothorax

Two patients were treated for AIDS-associated bilateral pneumothoraces which persisted despite prolonged chest tube drainage. Heimlich flutter valves were used to facilitate the outpatient management of these patients.
The Main Injector Particle Production experiment (MIPP) at Fermilab

The MIPP experiment at Fermilab measures particle production cross sections for a broad range of studies including a general scaling law of inclusive cross sections, meson spectroscopy, and topics in nuclear physics (y-scaling, flavor propagation in nuclei, etc.). It uses a large acceptance, open geometry detector system to measure momenta and identity of all charged particles produced in the reactions of proton, pion, kaon, and anti-proton beams from 5 to 85 GeV/c and 120 GeV/c protons on cryogenic hydrogen, various nuclei, and composite accelerator neutrino experiment targets. This paper describes detector and beam-line performance during the 2005 physics run, outlines the potential of an upgraded MIPP, and presents results from short test runs at momenta from 1 GeV/c to 5 GeV/c.
Repeat nephron-sparing surgery for children with bilateral Wilms tumor.

Abstract Background Renal insufficiency is a significant complication of Wilms tumor treatment in the 5% with bilateral disease. Nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) is recommended after neoadjuvant chemotherapy initially. However, the role of NSS in recurrent disease is unknown. We reviewed our experience to assess the feasibility and oncologic and functional outcomes of repeat NSS for children with recurrent disease. Methods A retrospective review was performed of all children treated at our institution for bilateral, favorable histology (FH) Wilms tumor. Patients undergoing repeat NSS for locally recurrent disease were identified. The outcomes evaluated included tumor recurrence, renal function, and patient survival. Results Since 2001, 36 children with bilateral FH Wilms tumor have been treated at our institution. Eight patients (22%) underwent repeat NSS for locally recurrent disease. Two patients had a second local recurrence and underwent a third NSS. Six patients are alive without disease (75%) with an average follow-up of 4.5years. Two patients have died, each with blastemal-predominant histology at repeat NSS. The surviving patients have normal renal function, although two patients require medical management of hypertension. Conclusions Our experience suggests that repeat NSS for local recurrence of FH bilateral Wilms tumor is feasible and affords acceptable oncologic outcome with preservation of renal function. However, more aggressive therapy may be required for patients whose recurrence has blastemal-predominant histology, given the poor outcome for these patients in our series.
Breaking New Ground

Review(s) of: New Directions in Restorative Justice: Issues, Practices and Evaluation Elizabeth Elliott and Robert M. Gordon (2005) Willan Publishing, xxvi + 310 pp, ISBN 1843921324.
Differential Antagonism of Activin, Myostatin and Growth and Differentiation Factor 11 by Wild-Type and Mutant Follistatin

Follistatin binds and neutralizes members of the TGF superfamily including activin, myostatin, and growth and differentiation factor 11 (GDF11). Crystal structure analysis of thefollistatin-activincomplexrevealedextensivecontactsbetween follistatin domain (FSD)-2 and activin that was critical for the high-affinity interaction. However, it remained unknownwhetherfollistatinresiduesinvolvedwithmyostatin and GDF11 binding were distinct from those involved with activin binding. If so, this would allow development of myostatin antagonists that would not inhibit activin actions, a desirable feature for development of myostatin antagonists for treatment of muscle-wasting disorders. We tested this hypothesis with our panel of point and domain swapping follistatin mutants using competitive binding analyses and in vitro bioassays. Our results demonstrate that activin binding and neutralization are mediated primarily by FSD2, whereas myostatin binding is more dependent on FSD1, such that deletion of FSD2 or adding an extra FSD1 in place of FSD2 creates myostatin antagonists with vastly reduced activin antagonism. However, these mutants also bind GDF11, indicating that further analysis is required for creation of myostatin antagonists that will not affect GDF11 activity that could potentially elicit GDF11-induced side effects in vivo .( Endocrinology 149: 4589–4595, 2008)
Therapeutic and Prophylactic Applications of Bacteriophage Components in Modern Medicine

Astheinteractionsofphagewithmammalianinnateandadaptiveimmunesystemsarebetter delineated and with our ability to recognize and eliminate toxins and other potentially harmful phage gene products, the potential of phage therapies is now being realized. Early efforts to use phage therapeutically were hampered by inadequate phage purification and limited knowledge of phage‐bacterial and phage‐human relations. However, although use of phage as an antibacterial therapy in countries that require controlled clinical studies has been hampered by the high costs of patient trials, their use as vaccines and the use of phage components such as lysolytic enzymes or lysozymes has progressed to the point of commercial applications. Recent studies concerning the intimate associations between mammalian hosts and bacterial and phage microbiomes should hasten this progress.
Hierarchical aggregation of linear systems with multiple time scales

In this paper we carry out a detailed analysis of the multiple time scale behavior of singularly perturbed linear systems of the form \dot{x}^{\epsilon}(t) = A(\epsilon)x^{\epsilon}(t) where A(\epsilon) is analytic in the small parameter e. Our basic result is a uniform asymptotic approximation to \exp A(\epsilon)t that we obtain under a certain multiple semistability condition. This asymptotic approximation gives a complete multiple time scale decomposition of the above system and specifies a set of reduced order models valid at each time scale. Our contribution is threefold. 1) We do not require that the state variables be chosen so as to display the time scale structure of the system. 2) Our formulation can handle systems with multiple ( > 2) time scales and we obtain uniform asymptotic expansions for their behavior on [ 0, \infty ]. 3) We give an aggregation method to produce increasingly simplified models valid at progressively slower time scales.
Aerosol direct radiative forcing based on GEOS-Chem-APM and uncertainties

Abstract. Aerosol direct radiative forcing (DRF) plays an important role in global climate change but has a large uncertainty. Here we investigate aerosol DRF with GEOS-Chem-APM, a recently developed global aerosol microphysical model that is designed to capture key particle properties (size, composition, coating of primary particles by volatile species, etc.). The model, with comprehensive chemistry, microphysics and up-to-date emission inventories, is driven by assimilated meteorology, which is presumably more realistic compared to the model-predicted meteorology. For this study, the model is extended by incorporating a radiation transfer model. Optical properties are calculated using Mie theory, where the core-shell configuration could be treated with the refractive indices from the recently updated values available in the literature. The surface albedo is taken from MODIS satellite retrievals for the simulation year, in which the data set for the 8-day mean at 0.05° (5600 m) resolution for 7 wavebands is provided. We derive the total and anthropogenic aerosol DRF, mainly focus on the results of anthropogenic aerosols, and then compare with those values reported in previous studies. In addition, we examine the anthropogenic aerosol DRF's dependence on several key factors, including the particle size of black carbon (BC) and primary organic carbon (POC), the density of BC and the mixing state. Our studies show that the anthropogenic aerosol DRF at top of atmosphere (TOA) for all sky is −0.41 W m−2. However, the sensitivity experiments suggest that the magnitude could vary from −0.08 W m−2 to −0.61 W m−2, depending on assumptions regarding the mixing state, size and density of particles.
Circulating CD34+ Progenitor Cells and Risk of Mortality in a Population With Coronary Artery Disease

Rationale: Low circulating progenitor cell numbers and activity may reflect impaired intrinsic regenerative/reparative potential, but it remains uncertain whether this translates into a worse prognosis. Objectives: To investigate whether low numbers of progenitor cells associate with a greater risk of mortality in a population at high cardiovascular risk. Methods and Results: Patients undergoing coronary angiography were recruited into 2 cohorts (1, n=502 and 2, n=403) over separate time periods. Progenitor cells were enumerated by flow cytometry as CD45med+ blood mononuclear cells expressing CD34, with additional quantification of subsets coexpressing CD133, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4. Coefficient of variation for CD34 cells was 2.9% and 4.8%, 21.6% and 6.5% for the respective subsets. Each cohort was followed for a mean of 2.7 and 1.2 years, respectively, for the primary end point of all-cause death. There was an inverse association between CD34+ and CD34+/CD133+ cell counts and risk of death in cohort 1 (β=−0.92, P =0.043 and β=−1.64, P =0.019, respectively) that was confirmed in cohort 2 (β=−1.25, P =0.020 and β=−1.81, P =0.015, respectively). Covariate-adjusted hazard ratios in the pooled cohort (n=905) were 3.54 (1.67–7.50) and 2.46 (1.18–5.13), respectively. CD34+/CD133+ cell counts improved risk prediction metrics beyond standard risk factors. Conclusions: Reduced circulating progenitor cell counts, identified primarily as CD34+ mononuclear cells or its subset expressing CD133, are associated with risk of death in individuals with coronary artery disease, suggesting that impaired endogenous regenerative capacity is associated with increased mortality. These findings have implications for biological understanding, risk prediction, and cell selection for cell-based therapies. # Novelty and Significance {#article-title-37}
Native American Adolescent Career Development

Within the framework of Social Cognitive Career (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994, 2000), this study examined the associations among career interests, career efficacy expectations, gender, and perceived parent support among Native American and Caucasian middle school adolescents. Consistent with previous research, results indicated that Native American young people had greater interests in Realistic and Conventional occupations, and in occupations that typically require a high-school diploma, a trade school certificate, or 2 years of post high-school education. However, contrary to previous findings, they had as great a range of interests in and self-efficacy expectations for Investigative, Artistic, Social, and Enterprising occupations as Caucasian adolescents, and similarly high levels of interests, efficacy, and perceived parent support for careers typically requiring 4 or more years of post-high school education.
Methodological Considerations Concerning the Use of Bruxcore Plates to Evaluate Nocturnal Bruxism

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Bruxcore Plate (BP) as a dependent measure of nocturnal bruxing activity. As part of a bruxism treatment study, we evaluated 100 nocturnal bruxers for bruxing activity before, during, and immediately after treatment and again at a six-month recall. The first 40 subjects wore both a BP and an EMG (electromyographic) unit for every night of each 14-night evaluation period (bcrseline; post-treatment; six-month recall). During the treatment period, these subjects wore the EMG unit but no Bruxcore Plates. Another 40 subjects wore the EMG unit and never used Bruxcore Plates. We evaluated a 20-subject no-treatment control group by two methods. Ten control subjects were evaluated with the EMG unit and the BP and another ten with the EMG unit alone. We hypothesized that the BP would not measure the same construct as an accepted EMG measure of bruxing activity, and that the BP would effect changes in EMG measured nocturnal bruxing activity.The results supported the conc...
Overcoming the Fear Factor: Exploring what Leads Employees to Speak Up Despite Fear

Previous theory and research suggest that the emotion of fear leads to decreased levels of voice behavior as employees often fear that speaking up will be punished or not well-received by superviso...
Imaging of Acute Aortic Conditions

Acute aortic conditions include, but are not limited to, aortic rupture, aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, and penetrating aortic ulcer. Prompt diagnosis of these conditions is essential for managing these conditions. Because these conditions often have similar symptoms, namely, chest and abdominal pain, the imaging characteristics are key to prompt and accurate diagnosis.
Redistributing Global Inequality: A Thought Experiment

This paper examines the fiscal feasibility of a plan for global inequality reduction, a project that can be defined as a large-scale, historic social process of social change aiming to diminish 'oligarchic wealth' in favour of a less extremely unbalanced structure of distribution. The analysis suggests that, on a purely fiscal basis, the possibility of an ambitious global redistribution project cannot be rejected.
Bayesian Fusion on Lie Groups

An increasing number of real-world problems involve the measurement of data, and the computation of estimates, on Lie groups. Moreover, establishing confidence in the resulting estimates is important. This paper therefore seeks to contribute to a larger theoretical framework that generalizes classical multivariate statistical analysis from Euclidean space to the setting of Lie groups. The particular focus here is on extending Bayesian fusion, based on exponential families of probability densities, from the Euclidean setting to Lie groups. The definition and properties of a new kind of Gaussian distribution for connected unimodular Lie groups are articulated, and ex- plicit formulas and algorithms are given for finding the mean and covariance of the fusion model based on the means and covariances of the constituent probability densities. The Lie groups that find the most applications in engineering are rotation groups and groups of rigid-body motions. Orientational (rotation-group) data and associated algorithms for estimation arise in problems including satellite attitude, molecular spectroscopy, and global geological studies. In robotics and manufacturing, quantifying errors in the position and orientation of tools and parts are impor- tant for task performance and quality control. Developing a general way to handle problems on Lie groups can be applied to all of these problems. In particular, we study the issue of how to ‘fuse’ two such Gaussians and how to obtain a new Gaussian of the same form that is ‘close to’ the fused density.This is done at two levels of approximation that result from truncating the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula with different numbers of terms. Algorithms are developed and numerical results are presented that are shown to generate the equivalent fused density with good accuracy
Murder and Mayhem: Violence and Kantian Casuistry

This paper began in the startled realization that little if anything is said in Kant's ethics about the more violent forms of immoral action. There are discussions of lying, deception, self-neglect, nonbeneficence?but apart from suicide, a great silence about the darker actions. At the least, this should be an occasion for curiosity. Although the degree of concern with acts of violence in contemporary ethics may be in its own way curious, it does not seem unreasonable to expect a moral theory to provide an account of what is wrong with acts of violence. Let us begin with a brief survey of several possible but inadequate ex planations of this silence.
Fictional Techniques in Technical Writing

Technical papers should be constructed as coherent wholes, using those organizational, stylistic, and informational devices necessary to communicate their intended message to the intended audience....
Clinical Observation of Montelukast Combined with Budesonide Inhalation Therapy on Children with Moderate and Severe Asthma

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of montelukast combined with budesonide inhalation therapy on children with moderate and severe asthma. Methods 100 children with bronchial asthma was selected and divided into observation group and control group. inhaled budesonide was given to control group. budesonide inhalation combined with montelukast was used to observation group. pulmonary function and IgE changes in two groups were observed before and after treatment. Results The total effective rate in the observation group was 96%; The total effective rate in the control group was 80%.the total effective rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P0.05). FEV1, PEF in the observation group after treatment compared with those in the control group respectively ,the difference was statistically significant (P0.05); IgE level in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group after treatment,the difference was statistically significant(P0.05). Conclusion Montelukast Combined with budesonide inhalation on moderate and severe asthma in children has significantly clinical efficacy,and that is worth to draw lessons from.
Vasectomy and Prostate Cancer Incidence and Mortality in a Large US Cohort

PurposeIn a recent large prospective study, vasectomy was associated with modestly higher risk of prostate cancer, especially high-grade and lethal prostate cancer. However, evidence from prospective studies remains limited. Therefore, we assessed the associations of vasectomy with prostate cancer incidence and mortality in a large cohort in the United States.Patients and MethodsWe examined the association between vasectomy and prostate cancer mortality among 363,726 men in the Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II) cohort, of whom 7,451 died as a result of prostate cancer during follow-up from 1982 to 2012. We also examined the association between vasectomy and prostate cancer incidence among 66,542 men in the CPS-II Nutrition Cohort, a subgroup of the CPS-II cohort, of whom 9,133 were diagnosed with prostate cancer during follow-up from 1992 to 2011. Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs.ResultsIn the CPS-II cohort, vasectom...
Coverage and Access for Americans With Chronic Disease Under the Affordable Care Act: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Persons who have a chronic disease might benefit more from expanded insurance coverage and sign up early for coverage. The authors studied a nationally representative, noninstitutionalized sample o...
Generation of Cytotoxic T Cell Responses Directed to HLA Class I Restricted Epitopes from the Aspergillus f16 Allergen.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients such as hematopoietic progenitor cell transplant patients. Studies both in patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and murine models demonstrated the importance of a CD4+ Th1 T cell response in conferring protection from infection or preventing disease progression. The role of CD8+ T cell response to A. fumigatus is less clear. Our efforts to develop effective immunotherapeutic approaches against A. fumigatus included preparation of 104 overlapping pentadecapeptides spanning the 427 aa coding region of the aspergillus allergen, Asp f16 previously shown to induce T cell responses. Each 15 aa peptide overlaps the preceding peptide by 11 aa. Monocytes from healthy donors were treated with GM-CSF and IL-4 for 2-3 days to generate immature dendritic cells (fast DC), pulsed with a pool containing 1 μg of each pentadecapeptide, then matured with inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, PGE2 and TNF-alpha) for 2 days. Mature, pulsed fast DC were used to prime proliferative and CTL responses (weekly primings). T cells from 5/5 donors proliferated to the peptide pool. CTL lines were obtained from each of the first two donors that were primed. After 4 weeks the line from donor #2 was strongly cytotoxic to autologous peptide pool-pulsed and aspergillus culture extract-pulsed DC and peptide pool pulsed HLA Class I matched BLCL. Supernatant from this line killed fresh aspergillus conidia. Six of 21 smaller pools of 4-11 peptides showed reactivity. Specificity could be narrowed by screening peptides shared by the pools to 3 candidate peptides. Pool-pulsed BLCL matched for only 1 or 2 HLA alleles were used to demonstrate CTL restriction by HLA-B-3501. A database search of peptides likely to be restricted to B3501 identified the likely sequences as YFKYTAAAL, LPLCSAQTW, and GTRFPQTPM. Each induced similar reactivity when pulsed onto B-3501+ targets. CD8+ T cells steadily increased from 5.2% at week 3 to 19.0% after the 7th priming. CTL activity and IFNγ production were exclusively mediated by CD8+ T cells and CD107a was expressed by 42% of the CD8+ T cells in response to pool-pulsed BLCL indicating degranulation. CTL cross-reacted with pool pulsed B3503+ BLCL but not B3502+, or B3508+ BLCL. B3503+ BLCL presented YFKYTAAAL and to a lesser extent GTRFPQTPM but not peptide LPLCSAQTW. Our data show that DC pulsed with a pentadecapeptide pool from Asp f16 are capable of inducing a CD8+, HLA-Class I restricted Aspergillus-specific T cell response directed to multiple peptides contained within the pool. Further characterization of this system is in progress to identify additional immunogenic peptides from Asp f16 that might be useful in clinical immunotherapy protocols to prime protective immune responses to prevent or treat aspergillus infection.
Cross-interaction of quadratic and cubic nonlinearities in four-wave mixing in GaAs at 10μm

We have measured the efficiency of collinear four-wave mixing of CO 2 laser beat-waves in GaAs for different crystal orientations. We deduce significant contribution of cascaded difference frequency generation to the effective nonlinear refractive index.