cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrospective Analysis of Eculizumab in Patients with Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Negative Myasthenia Gravis: A Case Series.

Background The role of the complement cascade in acetylcholine receptor antibody-negative (AChR-) myasthenia gravis (MG) is unclear. Objective To assess the efficacy and tolerability of eculizumab (terminal complement inhibitor) in patients with AChR-MG. Methods Retrospective chart review of data from six patients treated for 12 months with eculizumab for treatment-refractory, AChR-(by radioimmunoassay) generalized MG (gMG). The eculizumab dose was 900 mg/week for 4 weeks then 1200 mg every 2 weeks. Outcome measures were Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scores, number of exacerbations, and qualitative physical assessments based on selected items of the Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis evaluation (ptosis, double vision, eye closure, duration of ability to stretch out limbs). Results All patients were female (mean age, 50.8 years). In the 12 months before eculizumab initiation, all measures were relatively stable. After its initiation, clinically meaningful reductions (≥2 points) in total MG-ADL scores were observed before or at 5 months and were maintained to Month 12 in all patients; mean (standard deviation [SD]) scores were 11.3 (0.9) and 5.0 (0.9), respectively. There was also a reduction in the mean (SD) number of exacerbations per patient, from 2.8 (1.2) to 0.3 (0.5) in the 12 months before and after eculizumab initiation, respectively. Physical assessment ratings were improved in all patients. Adverse events were reported in four patients, but all were mild and none were treatment-related. Conclusions This small retrospective analysis provides preliminary evidence for the efficacy of eculizumab in treatment-refractory gMG that was AChR-according to radioimmunoassay. Larger, more robust studies are warranted to evaluate this further.
Adjusting a finite population block kriging estimator for imperfect detection

A finite population version of block kriging (FPBK) estimates a total or a mean when there is perfect detection of population units. However, many environmental datasets challenge the assumption of perfect detection. We consider two extensions of FPBK that incorporate imperfect detection. Spatial population estimator with detection: ratio then add (SPEDRA) adjusts observed counts by the estimated detection probability prior to spatial modeling. Spatial population estimator with detection: add then ratio (SPEDAR) uses spatial modeling on observed counts and then adjusts by mean detection probability. Unlike classical sampling approaches such as simple random sampling, SPEDRA and SPEDAR allow for spatial correlation among counts, and, being moment‐based, are less computationally intensive than a fully Bayesian model. Both SPEDRA and SPEDAR perform similarly in some simulation settings and give comparable estimates for a moose population total when applied to data from Togiak National Wildlife Refuge (AK). In settings where detection probability varies widely across sites, however, SPEDRA outperforms SPEDAR in reducing root mean square prediction error. We recommend SPEDRA in surveys with imperfect detection because it is more theoretically sound and generally performs better.
Online Behavioral Targeting: Are Knowledgeable Consumers Willing to Sell Their Privacy?

Unbeknownst to many online consumers, their personal information is being traded on a flourishing and rapidly increasing market for privacy data. In a process often labeled online behavioral targeting (OBT), data mining companies and online brokers collect, analyze, buy, and sell consumers’ personal data in an effort to enable online and offline marketers to deliver personalized, highly relevant, and ultimately profitable advertisements. For the most part, consumers have not yet been afforded the opportunity to meaningfully participate in this market for privacy data. The purpose of this article is to explore more deeply the impact of knowledge on consumers’ potential willingness to keep versus trade their private information. Using survey data methodology, we find that those consumers who are more knowledgeable about OBT are willing to pay more for keeping their data private and, at the same time, are willing to sell their data for less money than less informed consumers.
Atypical Costochondritis: Complete Resolution of Symptoms After Rib Manipulation and Soft Tissue Mobilization.

Costochondritis is a self-limiting, poorly described, and benign condition that usually manifests as non-cardiac chest pain. The symptoms usually tend to resolve in a couple of weeks. Serious causes of chest pain should be ruled out prior to diagnosing costochondritis, as it is often a diagnosis of exclusion. Costochondritis that does not self-resolve is referred to as atypical costochondritis and is associated with high medical expenses and psychological burden on the patient. In this report, we discuss the case of a 37-year-old healthy male patient who presented with a two-year history of intermittent pain along the right anterolateral rib cage without any history of trauma. After extensive diagnostic work-up by Cardiology and Gastroenterology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) got involved. The initial diagnosis of chest pain evolved into atypical costochondritis given the time course, physical examination findings of focal tenderness, along with normal laboratory values, electrocardiogram, and imaging studies. A multimodal approach was adopted for the treatment of this patient, including manipulative therapy to determine if regional interdependence was present, followed by instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and stretching to address the potential myofascial pain generators. After three appointments, there was complete resolution of morning pain and there was no pain upon examination. This case highlights how osteopathic manipulation techniques (OMT) can be useful in the treatment of rib dysfunction, especially in atypical costochondritis. Further studies are required to expand our knowledge of costochondritis and physical therapy (PT) techniques, which would allow for early identification and effective treatment of the condition.
Editorial: on Hideki Matsuyama and the need for more study of global brand equity

I recently wrote a column for Forbes.com (Taylor 2021) in which I critiqued predictions the Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama’s victory in the Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta, Georgia would prope...
Cost-effectiveness analysis of FOLFIRINOX vs gemcitabine with nab-paclitaxel as adjuvant treatment for resected pancreatic cancer in the United States based on PRODIGE-24 and APACT trials

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is associated with low median overall survival. Combination chemotherapy regimens FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine with nab-paclitaxel (GemNab) are the new adjuvant treatment standards for resectable pancreatic cancer. PRODIGE-24 and APACT trials demonstrated superior clinical outcomes with FOLFIRINOX and GemNab, each vs gemcitabine monotherapy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of FOLFIRINOX vs GemNab for resectable pancreatic cancer in adults from the U.S. payer perspective, in order to inform decision makers about which of these treatments is optimal. METHODS: A Markov model with 3 disease states (relapse free, progressive disease, and death) was developed. Cycle length was 1 month, and time horizon was 10 years. Transition probabilities were derived from PRODIGE-24 and APACT survival data. All cost and utility input parameters were obtained from published literature. Cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to obtain total costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), life-years (LYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). A 3% annual discount rate was applied to costs and outcomes. The effect of uncertainty on model parameters was assessed with 1-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA). RESULTS: Our analysis estimated that the cost for FOLFIRINOX was $40,831 higher than GemNab ($99,669 vs. $58,837). Despite increased toxicity, FOLFIRINOX was associated with additional 0.18 QALYs and 0.25 LYs compared with GemNab (QALY: 1.65 vs. 1.47; LY: 2.09 vs. 1.84). The ICER for FOLFIRINOX vs GemNab was $226,841 per QALY and $163,325 per LY. FOLFIRINOX was not cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $200,000 per QALY, and this was confirmed by the PSA. CONCLUSIONS: Total monthly cost for FOLFIRINOX was approximately 1.7 times higher than GemNab. If the WTP threshold increases to or above $250,000 per QALY, FOLFIRINOX then becomes a cost-effective treatment option. DISCLOSURES: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Characteristics of Patients Who Attend the 7- to 10-Day Postpartum Visit for Blood Pressure Evaluation.

OBJECTIVE To assess maternal characteristics that predict attendance of postpartum blood pressure evaluation in patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). STUDY DESIGN A retrospective case-control study of patients with HDP delivering at a single academic institution (2014-2018). Diagnosis of HDP included gestational hypertension, chronic hypertension, preeclampsia, and superimposed preeclampsia. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to determine maternal characteristics independently associated with attendance of the 7- to 10-day postpartum blood pressure evaluation. RESULTS Of the 1,041 patients included in the analysis, 603 (57.9%) attended the 7- to 10-day postpartum blood pressure check. Maternal sociodemographic, clinical, and obstetric factors differed significantly between patients who attended the postpartum blood pressure visit and those who did not. In univariable analyses, nulliparity, non-Hispanic black race and ethnicity, public insurance, HDP with severe features, cesarean birth, gestational age at delivery, receipt of magnesium, mild-range blood pressures on day of discharge, and initiation of antihypertensive medication were associated with attendance of the 7- to 10-day postpartum visit. In multivariable analysis, factors significantly associated with higher odds of attending the blood pressure visit were nulliparity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.58; 95% confidence interval: [CI]: 1.14-2.17), severe HDP (aOR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.44-2.61), and cesarean birth (aOR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.43-2.59). In contrast, factors associated with lower odds of attendance were non-Hispanic black race and ethnicity compared with non-Hispanic white (aOR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.47-0.97), and public insurance (aOR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.45-0.93) compared with private insurance. CONCLUSION Clinical factors such as nulliparity, severe HDP, and cesarean birth were associated with higher rates of postpartum blood pressure evaluation attendance, whereas sociodemographic factors such as maternal non-Hispanic black race and ethnicity and public insurance were associated with lower odds of postpartum blood pressure check attendance. KEY POINTS · A total of 57.9% of patients with HDP attended in person postpartum blood pressure check.. · Nulliparity, severe features of HDP, and cesarean birth were associated with higher rates of attendance.. · Non-Hispanic black race and ethnicity and public insurance were associated with lower attendance..
A velocity-dependent model for needle insertion in soft tissue

Models that predict the soft tissue deformation caused by needle insertion could improve the accuracy of procedures such as brachy-therapy and needle biopsy. Prior work on needle insertion modeling has focused on static deformation; the experiments presented here show that dynamic effects such as relaxation are important. An experimental setup is described for recording and measuring the deformation that occurs with needle insertion into a soft tissue phantom. Analysis of the collected data demonstrates the time- and velocity-dependent nature of the deformation. Deformation during insertion is shown to be well represented using a velocity-dependent force function with a linear elastic finite element model. The model's accuracy is limited to the period during needle motion, indicating that a viscoelastic tissue model may be required to capture tissue relaxation after the needle stops.
Diversity of Chlamydomonas channelrhodopsins

Channelrhodopsins act as photoreceptors for control of motility behavior in flagellates and are widely used as genetically targeted tools to optically manipulate the membrane potential of specific cell populations ("optogenetics"). The first two channelrhodopsins were obtained from the model organism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CrChR1 and CrChR2). By homology cloning we identified three new channelrhodopsin sequences from the same genus, CaChR1, CyChR1 and CraChR2, from C. augustae, C. yellowstonensis and C. raudensis, respectively. CaChR1 and CyChR1 were functionally expressed in HEK293 cells, where they acted as light-gated ion channels similar to CrChR1. However, both, which are similar to each other, differed from CrChR1 in current kinetics, inactivation, light intensity dependence, spectral sensitivity and dependence on the external pH. These results show that extensive channelrhodopsin diversity exists even within the same genus, Chlamydomonas. The maximal spectral sensitivity of CaChR1 was at 520 nm at pH 7.4, about 40 nm redshifted as compared to that of CrChR1 under the same conditions. CaChR1 was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris and exhibited an absorption spectrum identical to the action spectrum of CaChR1-generated photocurrents. The redshifted spectra and the lack of fast inactivation in CaChR1- and CyChR1-generated currents are features desirable for optogenetics applications.
Make or Buy Decisions

A firm's make or buy decisions are considered. Keywords: transactions costs; vertical integration; make or buy decisions
Searching for Virtue in the Public Life

(2010). Searching for Virtue in the Public Life. Public Integrity: Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 239-246.
Abstract 1934: Improved deconvolution of heterogeneous tumor data to reconstruct clonal evolution from bulk genomic samples

Intratumor heterogeneity has long been a confounding factor in interpreting cancer genomic data, but has also been useful in reconstructing progression processes based on variation between clonal populations in single tumors. We previously developed a strategy of applying computational deconvolution algorithms to gene expression or DNA copy number data to reconstruct models of progression of cell populations from bulk tumor samples. Many tools have since been proposed for similar deconvolution analysis, but all are limited by the computational difficulty of unambiguously distinguishing small cell populations and variants from noise in genomic assays. We present a novel approach to infer tumor progression pathways from deconvolved genomic data designed to leverage the fact that tumors that partition into subtypes with similar evolutionary trajectories would be expected to lead to a mathematical substructure in the genomic data, known as a simplicial complex, which can be modeled computationally to better deconvolve cell populations across tumor types. We have developed a computational pipeline to perform tumor deconvolution while taking into consideration this kind of mathematical structure. The pipeline clusters tumors to identify genetically distinct subgroups, fits mixture models to these subgroups, and uses overlap between them to infer a refined deconvolution of major cellular populations and possible pathways of progression between them. We apply our methods to a set of RNASeq data from the TCGA breast cancer data set and to synthetic data modeling distinct scenarios of tumor progression. We first compare our methods on the synthetic data to our earlier work and to a comparative Gaussian mixture model. All methods perform comparably on unstructured data but the new method substantially outperforms the others on data consistent with simple scenarios for tumor progression along multiple discrete subtypes. The novel method, however, shows lower tolerance for noisy data than a Gaussian mixture model. Application to the TCGA RNASeq data showed our method could partition tumors into discrete subcategories associated with HER2+, ER/PR+, and triple-negative status and could exploit the resulting substructure of the data to deconvolve tumor data and infer progression models reflecting partial sharing of progression states between subtypes. Gene enrichment analysis showed association of deconvolved cell populations with a variety of gene functional categories suggestive of distinct progression mechanisms of the subtypes. Citation Format: Theodore Roman, Russell Schwartz. Improved deconvolution of heterogeneous tumor data to reconstruct clonal evolution from bulk genomic samples. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1934. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1934
A compartmental model of neuropeptide circulation and capture between the axon soma and nerve terminals

This paper is motivated by a recent experimental research by Levitan and colleagues (Wong MY, Zhou C, Shakiryanova D, Lloyd TE, Deitcher DL, Levitan ES. Neuropeptide delivery to synapses by long-range vesicle circulation and sporadic capture. Cell 2012; 148(5): 1029-1038), which discovered and explained the circulation of dense core vesicles (DCVs) between the neuron soma and nerve terminals. We developed a compartmental mechanistic model to simulate this circulation. The model includes five compartments, the axonal compartment and four en passant boutons, which are small axonal varicosities that are present in many axon terminals. By postulating expressions for DCV fluxes between the compartments and for the rates of DCV capture in the boutons and utilizing conservation of DCVs, ODEs modeling concentrations in each of the compartments were developed. The equations were then solved numerically. The obtained results provide insight into how DCV circulation develops, what the circulation is at steady state, and how it may be affected by defects in retrograde transport.
Case Study: Seizure Disorder Presenting as Panic Disorder With Agoraphobia

Seizure disorders can produce anxiety that is almost indistinguishable from psychiatric disorders. There are few reports of adolescents with seizure disorders that produce fear. The first case of an adolescent female who presented with panic disorder and agoraphobia which was a consequence of seizure activity is reported. Careful diagnostic evaluation and correlation with video electroencephalography were important in distinguishing seizure activity from panic disorder.
Manganese contributions to the elastic constants of face centred cubic Fe-Cr-Ni stainless steel

We determined experimentally the effect of manganese on the elastic constants of face centred cubic Fe-Cr-Ni alloys with chemical compositions near 304-type stainless steel. By a pulse-echo-overlap method, longitudinal and transverse soundwave velocities were determined in ten alloys containing up to 6% manganese. All the elastic stiffnesses decrease linearly with increasing manganese. The bulk modulus decreases most strongly. Poisson's ratio changes least. We consider what the elastic constants reveal concerning changes in chemical bonding, caused by manganese additions.
Simplified second-order rezoning algorithm for generalized two-dimensional meshes

A second-order conservative rezoning algorithm for generalized two-dimensional meshes has recently been described by Dukowicz and Kodis (SIAM J. Sci. Statist. Comput., in press). Here it is shown that this algorithm can be simplified by a different and more symmetrical choice of the flux vector F whose divergence is the cell density. The resulting formulation is the natural second-order generalizaton of the simplified first-order algorithm described earlier (J. Comput. Phys. 59, 193 (1985)).
(X, ψ) duality and enhanced dKdV on a Riemann surface

Given a dKdV potential V, arising from a finite zone KdV situation on aRiemann surface Σ, one can create an enhanced dispersionless context dKdVϵ with an expanded V (retaining powers of ϵ) in which various formulas in the (X, ψ) duality theory of Faraggi and Matone [Phys. Rev. Lett. 78 (1997) 163–166] have representations, and a natural symplectic form (dX/ϵ) ∧ dQ(P = iQ) in the Hamilton-Jacobi theory for dKdV has a representation in terms of the prepotential F of Faraggi and Matone. The theory establishes relations between an expanded Fϵ = F and the free energy Fϵ of dKdVϵ wwhich lead to formulas relating the duality variables ai,aiD of the Seiberg-Witten type on Σ to Q = Im P = −(12 Re F).
Stability of shear bands in an elastoplastic model for granular flow: the role of discreteness

Continuum models for granular flow generally give rise to systems of nonlinear partial differential equations that are linearly ill-posed. In this paper we introduce discreteness into an elastoplasticity model for granular flow by approximating spatial derivatives with finite differences. The resulting ordinary differential equations have bounded solutions for all time, a consequence of both discreteness and nonlinearity. We study how the large-time behavior of solutions in this model depends on an elastic shear modulus ℰ. For large and moderate values of ℰ, the model has stable steady-state solutions with uniform shearing except for one shear band; almost all solutions tend to one of these as t→∞. However, when ℰ becomes sufficiently small, the single-shear-band solutions lose stability through a Hopf bifurcation. The value of ℰ at the bifurcation point is proportional to the ratio of the mesh size to the macroscopic length scale. These conclusions are established analytically through a careful estimation of the eigenvalues. In numerical simulations we find that: (i) after stability is lost, time-periodic solutions appear, containing both elastic and plastic waves, and (ii) the bifurcation diagram representing these solutions exhibits bi-stability.
Multiple Scientific Uses of Radio Occultation: Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation Workshop; Pasadena, California, 7–9 April 2009

There is a clear need for observing systems that characterize decadal-scale changes of the climate system. A National Research Council (NRC) report, “Earth science and applications from space” (2007); recommends the radio occultation (RO) technique to monitor climate change. Radio occultation establishes a global climate benchmark by measuring the effect of atmospheric temperature, pressure, and water vapor on radio signals propagating above the outer edge of Earth's surface, known as the limb. The atmospherically induced delays are tied to atomic clock standards via the Global Positioning System (GPS). Measurements obtained decades apart can be intercompared without concern for intersatellite bias or calibration drift.
Gender effects on aggression, dominance rank, and affiliative behaviors in a flock of captive adult cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus).

Abstract Agonistic and affiliative behaviors and spatial positioning were studied in a small psittacine species, Nymphicus hollandicus . Subjects studied were flock-housed breeders including five hens and seven cocks. Fifteen-minute focal animal samples were collected for the entire flock in a randomly distributed order during mate selection and the onset of the breeding season. All agonistic behaviors were recorded, including the winner and loser of each interaction, along with allopreening and copulation behavior. Point samples were recorded every 60s to determine social spacing. Rates of aggression were significantly higher for male cockatiels than female cockatiels. Results based on dyadic agonistic interactions showed males to rank significantly higher in the social hierarchy than females. Associations within the flock were not random. Individual birds associated more with specific birds than would be predicted by chance. Analysis of spatial data revealed that there were both same-sex and opposite-sex preferred associations within the flock. Male cockatiels engaged in allopreening behavior with females significantly more than with other males. Observations of breeding and nesting behaviors revealed pairs, a triad, and extra-pair mating.
On the fracture toughness anisotropy of mechanically poled ferroelectric ceramics

In this paper an incremental constitutive theory for the deformation due to switching in ferroelectrics is applied to predict the fracture toughness anisotropy in these materials after mechanical poling. Mechanical poling of an initially unpoled specimen differs from electrical poling in that only mechanical stresses are applied to the material. Therefore, no electrical polarization can develop. After mechanical poling, for example by a uniaxial applied stress, the fracture toughness of a ferroelectric ceramic for cracks running parallel or orthogonal to the poling direction will differ. Finite element computations of the steady crack growth process have been carried out to quantify these differences. Results are generated for a range of constitutive properties for three crack growth directions with respect to the initial mechanical poling direction. The results are discussed in relation to available experimental data and to the toughness anisotropy due to electrical poling.
An incremental neural learning framework and its application to vehicle diagnostics

This paper presents a framework for incremental neural learning (INL) that allows a base neural learning system to incrementally learn new knowledge from only new data without forgetting the existing knowledge. Upon subsequent encounters of new data examples, INL utilizes prior knowledge to direct its incremental learning. A number of critical issues are addressed including when to make the system learn new knowledge, how to learn new knowledge without forgetting existing knowledge, how to perform inference using both the existing and the newly learnt knowledge, and how to detect and deal with aged learnt systems. To validate the proposed INL framework, we use backpropagation (BP) as a base learner and a multi-layer neural network as a base intelligent system. INL has several advantages over existing incremental algorithms: it can be applied to a broad range of neural network systems beyond the BP trained neural networks; it retains the existing neural network structures and weights even during incremental learning; the neural network committees generated by INL do not interact with one another and each sees the same inputs and error signals at the same time; this limited communication makes the INL architecture attractive for parallel implementation. We have applied INL to two vehicle fault diagnostics problems: end-of-line test in auto assembly plants and onboard vehicle misfire detection. These experimental results demonstrate that the INL framework has the capability to successfully perform incremental learning from unbalanced and noisy data. In order to show the general capabilities of INL, we also applied INL to three general machine learning benchmark data sets. The INL systems showed good generalization capabilities in comparison with other well known machine learning algorithms.
Economic growth of the dental profession: comparisons with other health care sectors

The dental services sector in the American economy is examined through contrast to the general economy and other health sectors, and through related factors, including insurance and new legislation. Dentistry is a growth sector—but—future workforce needs must be considered carefully.
The synergistic action of caffeine or adenosine on glucose stimulation of liver glycogen synthase phosphatase activity

Recent studies indicate that glucose directly stimulates synthase phosphatase activity in vitro but only at high, non-physiological concentrations. Present results demonstrate that at a physiological concentration glucose can be stimulatory, provided that an appropriate second effector is present. Caffeine and adenosine are examples of such effectors which act synergistically with glucose to enhance synthase phosphatase activity. Caffeine but not adenosine enhances glucose stimulation of phosphorylase phosphatase activity. In the absence of glucose, caffeine but not adenosine stimulates both synthase and phosphorylase phosphatase reactions. Thus, glucose regulation of glycogen synthase activation in vivo could require a second effector. Neither the identity nor source of such an effector is known. The putative regulator could be a mediator for a hormone such as insulin. The present work suggests that the chemical nature of the effector might be that of a derivatized purine of which nucleosides are an example.
Mobilization of small DNAPL pools formed by capillary entrapment.

Abstract We performed an experimental study to quantify the critical conditions for the mobilization of small pools of dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) that may form at capillary-heterogeneity boundaries. A series of experiments were conducted in columns packed with uniform sands arranged to create capillary heterogeneities. DNAPL pools readily formed in these packings and were more easily mobilized than trapped DNAPL ganglia. A model was developed to describe the critical conditions for DNAPL pool mobilization. Pool mobilization was expected when a dimensionless pool trapping number NTp>1 while mobilization was observed in our experiments when NTp>0.76±0.16 (±95% confidence interval). The difference between the model prediction and the experimental observations was attributed to experimental error. Using this model for DNAPL pool mobilization, a simple numerical experiment was conducted to illustrate use of the model and to explore the effect of scale on the critical conditions for pool mobilization. With an increase in system scale flow bypassing around the DNAPL pool increased and the system-averaged conditions for the onset of mobilization changed: a greater system-average Darcy flux or lower interfacial tensions were required for DNAPL pool mobilization. This result illustrates the importance of system scale on mobilization of DNAPL pools in systems with capillary heterogeneities.
LINKING SHADE COFFEE CERTIFICATION TO BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION: BUTTERFLIES AND BIRDS IN CHIAPAS, MEXICO

Shade coffee certification programs have emerged over the past six years to verify that coffee marketed as “shade grown” is actually grown on farms that provide higher quality habitat for biodiversity. In spite of good intentions and an increasing market, little consensus exists on whether current criteria can successfully identify coffee farms of conservation significance. This paper provides the first ecological evaluation and comparison of shade-grown coffee criteria used by major certification programs. Using vegetative data, we evaluated criteria developed by the Rainforest Alliance, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC), and the Specialty Coffee Association of America across a range of coffee agroecosystems in Chiapas, Mexico, to determine which management practices each program would certify. Fruit-feeding butterflies and forest bird species found in these coffee agroecosystems were compared with nearby forest reserves as indicators of biodiversity and conservation potential. These agroecosy...
Diverse Host-Seeking Behaviors of Skin-Penetrating Nematodes

Skin-penetrating parasitic nematodes infect approximately one billion people worldwide and are responsible for some of the most common neglected tropical diseases. The infective larvae of skin-penetrating nematodes are thought to search for hosts using sensory cues, yet their host-seeking behavior is poorly understood. We conducted an in-depth analysis of host seeking in the skin-penetrating human parasite Strongyloides stercoralis, and compared its behavior to that of other parasitic nematodes. We found that Str. stercoralis is highly mobile relative to other parasitic nematodes and uses a cruising strategy for finding hosts. Str. stercoralis shows robust attraction to a diverse array of human skin and sweat odorants, most of which are known mosquito attractants. Olfactory preferences of Str. stercoralis vary across life stages, suggesting a mechanism by which host seeking is limited to infective larvae. A comparison of odor-driven behavior in Str. stercoralis and six other nematode species revealed that parasite olfactory preferences reflect host specificity rather than phylogeny, suggesting an important role for olfaction in host selection. Our results may enable the development of new strategies for combating harmful nematode infections.
Children and pregnant women.

A review of the literature of the 1980s reveals that women living in rural American are at risk for receiving inadequate prenatal and maternal care. Documented risk factors include poverty and concomitant lack of medical insurance, residence in the most restrictive Medicaid states, and loss of local services including the closure of obstetric units of rural hospitals and the decision by local physicians to discontinue obstetrics. A prominent factor in a physician's decision to stop providing maternity care is the escalating cost of medical liability insurance; however, other forces are also at work, including interference with personal and family activities, disruption of other aspects of professional life (e.g., office schedule), inadequate reimbursement, and an inability to keep up with advancing technology. A research agenda for the 1990s should be consistent with previous recommendations and must stimulate the development of new programs that will induce the maximum number of providers to again offer high quality perinatal care to rural women. Other items on the 1990s research agenda include: (1) the clarification of the impact of lost perinatal services in rural areas, (2) the effects of travel time and distance on perinatal outcomes and cost of care, (3) the effect of loss of obstetric services on other health care services for women and children, and (4) comparisons of regionalized versus centralized systems for the provision of perinatal services.
Third harmonic microscopy for optical material characterization

Third harmonic (TH) imaging is inherently suited for optical material characterization. Under linearly polarized illumination the total TH signal is dominated by the signal resulting from material interfaces. For symmetry reasons, circularly polarized illumination of a medium with isotropic or cubic symmetry yields zero TH, and prevailing signals originate from localized anisotropic sample sites. Such anisotropy may result from laser induced stress, crystallinity, or birefringence. Pairing THG with complementary imaging techniques proves to be a useful diagnostic for investigating additional material characteristics. We report TH imaging of 10 nm colloidal gold nanoparticles, 100 mN nanoindentations, nascent film anisotropy, and laser induced material modification of HfO 2 films both pre- and post-laser damage.
Low-Emission Diesel Fuel for 1991–1994

A low-emission diesel fuel (LEDF) is proposed as a way to help the HD diesel engine manufacturer meet stringent U.S. particulate limits beginning in 1991. A new LEDF fuel specification would include sulfur reduction to less than 0.05 percent and a new specification putting a cap or maximum on aromatic content. Additive treatment to control injector deposits for less engine deterioration with time and a combustion improver could also be helpful. A two-fuel strategy would permit orderly phase-in of LEDF. As with unleaded gasoline, a smaller filler neck and nozzle and separate storage tank for dispensing would be required. Unlike the sale of unleaded fuel, the prices of DF-2 and LEDF must be equalized to prevent fuel switching.
The attentional demands of negation in a memory-scanning task

Subjects were run in a Sternberg recognition memory task modified to occasionally require a transformation prior to response. The transformation was similar to logical negation since onplus or nontransformed trials subjects responded “yes” if the probe was from the current memory set and “no” otherwise, while onminus or transformed trials subjects responded “no” to memory set probes and “yes” to nonmemory set probes. Two models proposed to account for the effects of logical negation were compared: The encoding and comparison model predicts that logical negation requires an additional processing stage, while the capacity sharing model argues that negation adds a processing stage and also retards the rate of memory search. The results indicated that minus probes had 50% larger mean reaction time by set size slopes than the corresponding plus probes. This finding offers clear support for the capacity sharing model.
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Potently Suppresses HIV Infection in Humanized Rag2-/-γc-/- Mice

Humanized Rag2(-/-)gamma(c)(-/-) mice (Hu-DKO mice) become populated with functional human T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells following transplantation with human hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and represent an improved model for studying HIV infection in vivo. In the current study we demonstrated that intrasplenic inoculation of hu-DKO mice with HIV-1 initiated a higher level of HIV infection than intravenous or intraperitoneal inoculation, associated with a reciprocal decrease in peripheral CD4(+) T cells and increase in peripheral CD8(+) T cells. HIV infection by intrasplenic injection increased serum levels of human IgG and IgM including human IgM and IgG specific for HIV-1 gp120. There was a significant inverse correlation between the level of HIV-1 infection and the extent of CD4(+) T cell depletion. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiated 1 week after HIV-1 inoculation markedly suppressed HIV-1 infection and prevented CD4(+) T cell depletion. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that intrasplenic injection of hu-DKO mice with HIV is a more efficient route of HIV infection than intravenous or intraperitoneal injection and generates increased infection associated with an increased anti-HIV humoral response. This animal model can serve as a valuable in vivo model to study the efficacy of anti-HIV therapies.
Histone 2B can be modified by the attachment of ubiquitin

Histone 2B in mouse and man can be modified by the post-translational addition of ubiquitin. In mouse L1210 cells, both H2B variants are modified, however only to the extent of 1-1.5% compared with about 11% of H2A. Analysis of cyanogen bromide peptides shows that ubiquitin is attached to the C-terminal part of the histone.
NMR OBSERVATION OF MIXED COMPLEX FORMATION AND STEREOCHEMICAL NON‐RIGIDITY IN COBALT(II) COMPLEXES

Abstract Contact shift measurements of aqueous solutions containing a 1:1:1 moi ratio of Co(II): dien:asp (dien = NH2CH2CH2NHCH2CH2NH2, Asp = NH2CH(CH2CO2H)CO2H) indicate that at pD's above 7.5 the predominant species (>97%) in aqueous solution is Co(dien)(Asp)(D20). This represents approximately a 4 Kcai mol−1 preference for the heterogenous complex. At lower pH's protonation of the dien remits in lots of dien and production of a significant amount of Co(Asp)(D20)3 andCo(Asp)−22. The mixed ligand complex is stereochemically non-rigid at 34°C with the asp portion undergoing rapid interconversion between isomers which differ in the carboxylate that is coordinated to the metal. At −14°C, this interconversion is slow on the nmr time scale. At 100°C, a bond rupture process becomes rapid which results in inversion of the dlen nitrogens and stereochemical nonrigidity of the allen side. The complex Co(dien)(D2)2+ is found to exist solution as approximately 67% meridonal and 33% facial form which are in rapid equilibrium with each other at 34 °C but slowly interconvert at −5°C. This process is found to involve breakage of a cobalt nitrogen bond.
Sex Steroids and Growth Factors Differentially Regulate the Growth and Differentiation of Cultured Human Endometrial Stromal Cells

We have studied the interaction between growth factors and sex steroids in regulating human endometrial stromal cell growth and differentiation using an in vitro serum-free cell culture model system. None of the growth factors [epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), IGF-II, or platelet-derived growth factor] stimulated the growth of human endometrial stromal cells grown in progestin-free medium. However, the growth of progestin-treated cultures was dramatically increased by EGF, bFGF, or platelet-derived growth factor, but not by insulin, IGF-I, or IGF-II. Estrogen could not substitute for progesterone in this protocol, and coadministration of estrogen with progestin did not enhance the response over that to progesterone alone. In contrast to their positive effects on growth, only EGF, not bFGF, stimulated stromal cell differentiation, as measured by an increase in PRL, laminin, and fibronectin production; moreover, stimulation of differentiation was dependent upon the presence of progestin in the culture medium. Thus, human endometrial stromal cell growth is 1) regulated by a discrete set of growth factors, only a subset of which regulates stromal cell differentiation; and 2) regulation of stromal cell growth and stromal cell differentiation by growth factors is progestin dependent. Our results provide direct evidence for interaction between growth factors and sex steroids in the regulation of stromal cell growth and differentiation in vitro and suggest that growth factors may be absolutely required in conjunction with progesterone for the decidual response in vivo.
Apparent viscosity of co-extruded starch and xanthan gum

Abstract Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide which forms viscous, pseudoplastic aqueous solutions useful in numerous food and industrial applications. The viscous properties of starch and xanthan gum co-extruded with injection of adipoyl chloride were determined. Viscosities of aqueous solutions of ground extruded and nonextruded samples were compared at different temperatures, NaCl concentrations, and pH's. The effect of α-amylase at 50 °C also was studied. Extruded samples had higher viscosities in distilled water solutions than the nonextruded materials. The apparent viscosity decreased at pH's higher and lower than neutral, at temperatures higher than 60 °C (in water) and with the addition of NaCl. Solutions of extrudates were less pseudoplastic than solutions of nonextruded samples in all solution conditions. The addition of α-amylase had little effect in any of the solutions.
Spectrally coded O-CDMA system with four users at 2.5 Gbit/s using low power nonlinear processing

A four-user 2.5 Gbit/s optical code-division multiple-access (O-CDMA) system is demonstrated at /spl les/10/sup -11/ BER utilising programmable spectral phase encoding, an ultrasensitive (<0.4 pJ/bit) PPLN-waveguide nonlinear waveform discriminator, and a 10 G Ethernet receiver.
Real-time probe measurement of tissue oxygenation during gastrointestinal stapling: mucosal ischemia occurs and is not influenced by staple height

Tension, ischemia, and technical error are factors leading to anastomotic complications such as leak, stricture, and ulceration with bleeding. Currently, surgeons evaluate tissue ischemia without any simple routine measurement technique. A new tissue surface probe, T-Stat 303, provides continuous measurement of tissue hemoglobin oxygen saturation (StO2) and may have clinical utility for intraoperative assessment of blood flow in areas of surgical anastomosis. This pilot study aimed to determine local StO2 during gut stapling using various staple sizes for the purpose of assessing the tool’s ability to measure changes and the reproducibility of those changes with stapling. Measurements were made in nine anesthetized adult swine during laparotomy. Various staple heights were used to transect small bowel and colon. Serosal and mucosal surface measurements were obtained at baseline and on each side of the transection using the T-Stat device adjacent to the staple line and 2 cm away from it. Both small bowel and colon mucosal StO2 adjacent to the staple line showed significant ischemia compared with baseline (p 0.11) except when the grey stapler was used (baseline, 58 ± 6.6 vs. staple line, 51 ± 15.1; p = 0.022). The baseline mucosa of the small bowel and colon did not differ from mucosa 2 cm away from the staple line (p > 0.08). The small bowel serosa 2 cm away from the staple line did not differ from baseline mucosa, whereas the colon serosa 2 cm away significantly increased after stapling compared with baseline mucosa (p < 0.012). No statistically significant StO2 difference was found between the various staple load sizes. Mucosal ischemia occurs after gastrointestinal stapling and is not affected by various staple heights. The T-Stat probe provides a real-time method for assessment of gut ischemia by surgeons during surgical procedures.
Copper excretion in the urine of normal individuals and of patients with hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson's disease).

Abstract 1. 1. The copper excretion in the urine of eleven normal individuals ranged from 0 to 14.7 μg./24 hr. and was absent within the limits of error of the method in seven of the eleven specimens. 2. 2. A markedly elevated urinary copper excretion, ranging from 207 to 713 μg./24 hr., was found in four cases of hepatolenticular degeneration.
Predicting functional alternative splicing by measuring RNA selection pressure from multigenome alignments.

High-throughput methods such as EST sequencing, microarrays and deep sequencing have identified large numbers of alternative splicing (AS) events, but studies have shown that only a subset of these may be functional. Here we report a sensitive bioinformatics approach that identifies exons with evidence of a strong RNA selection pressure ratio (RSPR) —i.e., evolutionary selection against mutations that change only the mRNA sequence while leaving the protein sequence unchanged—measured across an entire evolutionary family, which greatly amplifies its predictive power. Using the UCSC 28 vertebrate genome alignment, this approach correctly predicted half to three-quarters of AS exons that are known binding targets of the NOVA splicing regulatory factor, and predicted 345 strongly selected alternative splicing events in human, and 262 in mouse. These predictions were strongly validated by several experimental criteria of functional AS such as independent detection of the same AS event in other species, reading frame-preservation, and experimental evidence of tissue-specific regulation: 75% (15/20) of a sample of high-RSPR exons displayed tissue specific regulation in a panel of ten tissues, vs. only 20% (4/20) among a sample of low-RSPR exons. These data suggest that RSPR can identify exons with functionally important splicing regulation, and provides biologists with a dataset of over 600 such exons. We present several case studies, including both well-studied examples (GRIN1) and novel examples (EXOC7). These data also show that RSPR strongly outperforms other approaches such as standard sequence conservation (which fails to distinguish amino acid selection pressure from RNA selection pressure), or pairwise genome comparison (which lacks adequate statistical power for predicting individual exons).
The biosynthesis of the methyl groups of choline in Ochromonas malhamensis.

Abstract Cell-free enzyme systems of Ochromonas malhamensis were employed to investigate the biosynthesis of the methyl groups of phosphatidylcholine. The microsomal fraction of the cells exhibited the greatest activity for the incorporation of the C 14 -methyl group from adenosylmethionine. Adenosylmethionine-C 14 H 3 provided the methyl groups of monomethylethanolamine, dimethylethanolamine, and choline. Methyl-C 14 -cobalamin and N 5 -C 14 H 3 -tetrahydrofolate were not direct precursors of cholinemethyl groups. In order for the C 14 -methyl group from these carriers to be incorporated, conditions for methionine synthesis and activation were required.