cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Results of direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy, an alternative method for providing jejunal feeding.

Objective To assess the results of direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (DPEJ) as a method for jejunal feeding. Patients and Methods We conducted a retrospective study of all patients who were referred for DPEJ between October 1998, when the procedure was implemented at our institution, and January 2000. Medical records were reviewed to assess technical success, complications, and the need for repeat procedures. Patient satisfaction with DPEJ was also evaluated by means of standardized telephone interviews. Results In 26 (72%) of 36 patients, DPEJ placement was successful. During the mean follow-up of 107 days, none of the patients with DPEJ required reintervention for tube malfunction or displacement. Two patients developed a persistent enterocutaneous fistula following the removal of the DPEJ tube. No other procedure-related complications were noted. Fifteen (78%) of 19 patients who responded to follow-up questions reported an overall satisfaction rating of 8 or higher on a 10–point scale (1, completely dissatisfied, to 10, completely satisfied). Conclusions We conclude that DPEJ is an effective and safe method for providing jejunal tube feeding. A low reintervention rate along with high patient satisfaction makes DPEJ an attractive alternative to the more commonly placed jejunostomy feeding tubes.
Binding of TFIID and MEF2 to the TATA element activates transcription of the Xenopus MyoDa promoter.

Abstract Members of the MyoD family of helix-loop-helix proteins control expression of the muscle phenotype by regulating the activity of subordinate genes. To investigate processes that control the expression of myogenic factors and regulate the establishment and maintenance of the skeletal muscle phenotype, we have analyzed sequences necessary for transcription of the maternally expressed Xenopus MyoD (XMyoD) gene. A 3.5-kb DNA fragment containing the XMyoDa promoter was expressed in a somite-specific manner in injected frog embryos. The XMyoDa promoter was active in oocytes and cultured muscle cells but not in fibroblasts or nonmuscle cell lines. A 58-bp fragment containing the transcription initiation site, a GC-rich region, and overlapping binding sites for the general transcription factor TFIID and the muscle-specific factor MEF2 was sufficient for muscle-specific transcription. Transcription of the minimal XMyoDa promoter in nonmuscle cells was activated by expression of Xenopus MEF2 (XMEF2) and required binding of both MEF2 and TFIID to the TATA motif. These results demonstrate that the XMyoDa TATA motif is a target for a cell-type-specific regulatory factor and suggests that MEF2 stabilizes and amplifies XMyoDa transcription in mesodermal cells committed to the muscle phenotype.
Developments in parallel MRI using SPACE RIP

Parallel acquisition techniques in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) have recently shown great potential to accelerate the speed of image acquisition. A number of techniques such as SENSE and SMASH have been described thoroughly in the literature, and applied to various dynamic imaging applications. This presentation reports on the state of development of one such technique termed SPACE RIP, its challenges, limitations, and potential applications.
L-lactate measures in brain tissue with ceramic-based multisite microelectrodes.

Abstract A newly developed multisite array microelectrode for in vivo measurements of l -lactate is presented. The resulting microelectrode is composed of three functional layers. First, Nafion is used to repel interfering electroactive anions, such as ascorbate. Second, l -lactate oxidase immobilized onto the recording sites is used to convert l -lactate to hydrogen peroxide. The H 2 O 2 produced is proportional to l -lactate concentrations and is quantified at the platinum recording sites. Third, a layer of polyurethane is coated over the l -lactate oxidase to adjust the linear range of the microelectrode to one that is compatible with in vivo measurements. This layer reduces the amount of l -lactate that diffuses to the enzyme while not significantly limiting oxygen diffusion. The resulting l -lactate microelectrodes were linear to 20 mM ( R 2 = 0.997 ± 0.001) and beyond in some cases with detection limits of 0.078 ± 0.013 mM ( n = 12). The selectivity and response time of these electrodes make them suitable for in vivo measurements in brain tissue. Self-referencing recordings may be utilized to further improve the selectivity of the recordings. However this is not necessary for most applications in the brain, because the resting and stimulated levels of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and other potentially interfering cations are two to three orders of magnitude lower than that of in vivo l -lactate, which is in the millimolar range. Preliminary in vivo measures of l -lactate in the brain of anesthetized rats support that the microelectrodes are capable of measuring rapid endogenous changes in vivo.
Nitric oxide blocks bile canalicular contraction by inhibiting inositol trisphosphate-dependent calcium mobilization

Abstract Background/Aims: The biochemical mechanism of bile canalicular contraction is similar to that of smooth muscle contraction. Contraction follows inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP 3 )-dependent Ca 2+ release, which activates actin-myosin interactions. Nitric oxide is a myorelaxant through the actions of 5′-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and is produced in hepatocytes exposed to endotoxin and cytokines. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nitric oxide on canalicular contraction and to determine the mechanism by which cGMP interferes with the contractile signal. Methods: The canalicular motility in rat hepatocyte doublets was measured by microscopic image analysis, and intracellular Ca 2+ was measured by fluorescence microscopy. cGMP and InsP 3 were determined by radio-immunoassay and high-pressure liquid chromatography. Ca 2+ release from liver homogenate was measured by filtration and superfusion assays. Results: Compounds that release nitric oxide stimulated hepatocellular production of cGMP and prevented agonist-induced contraction by inhibiting the increase in intracellular Ca 2+ . The cGMP analogue bromo-cGMP prevented contraction and the increase in Ca 2+ . Bromo-cGMP marginally decreased InsP 3 production. cGMP blocked InsP 3 -dependent Ca 2+ release from internal stores. Conclusions: These findings suggest that nitric oxide interferes with Ca 2+ signals by cGMP-mediated inhibition of the InsP 3 receptor/Ca 2+ channel and that hepatocellular production of nitric oxide may be cholestatic by impairing canalicular motility.
ITEM: an iterative improvement test generation procedure for synchronous sequential circuits

We propose a new test generation approach for synchronous sequential circuits. Test generation under the proposed approach starts with test generation for the full-scan version of the circuit. Unscanned flip-flops are then removed from the scan chain one at a time. As each flip-flop is removed, the test set is updated to reflect the lower level of scan. The updated test set is simulated, and test generation is then performed only for faults that remain undetected. Experimental results show that an updated test set obtained after removing a flip-flop from the scan chain detects all or most of the detectable circuit faults, and that only small numbers of faults require any test generation. Thus, the test generation effort is minimized by using test sets of circuits with higher levels of scan, for which the test generation complexity is lower. This test generation procedure is especially useful for circuits with high percentages of scanned flip-flops where the number of iterations it needs to perform is relatively low.
Iterated Algorithms for the Minimum Energy Broadcast Tree Problem in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we present an iterated algorithm framework that can be implemented with heuristics in the literature for the minimum energy broadcasting problem in wireless ad hoc networks. We investigate three iterated algorithm implementations, IBIP, IOMEGa, ISOR, that are based on BIP, OMEGa, SOR. The algorithms run iterations to find better solutions of the problem and in each iteration, fixing the source node's transmission power, the algorithm finds the intermediate solutions. And after all the iterations, the algorithm will give the output of the best solution so far. By fixing the source node's transmission power we can get the effect of diverse solution search without hurting the original algorithm's theoretical performance bound. The experimental results confirm that the iterated algorithms significantly improve the solution quality with the help of diverse search.
Rb-Sr Study of Cretaceous Lobate Glauconite Pellets, North Carolina

Three glauconite samples were collected from the Rocky Point Member (Cretaceous, upper Navarro) of the Peedee Formation, below the faunal Mesozoic-Cenozoic boundary in the vicinity of Castle Hayne, North Carolina. Mammillar to lobate, un-abraded, authigenic glauconite pellets were hand-picked for analyses of Rb, Sr, and Sr isotopic composition. Analyses resulted in four model ages ranging from 65.1 to 71.8 m.y., with an average of 68.5 m.y. λ Rb = 1.39 × 10 −11 yr −1 ). Analysis of an Ostrea sp. shell from the same glauconitic zone yielded a (Sr 87 /Sr 86 ) 0 value of 0.70735. Results, which are in excellent agreement with recent time-scale estimates for the Mesozoic-Cenozoic boundary, suggest that careful separation of glauconite pellets may be a method of avoiding the generally low Rb-Sr ages associated with glauconites.
Multiple Mechanisms of Cancer Prevention by Phytochemicals: Interaction Between Cellular Proliferation and Endogenous Mutagens

The development of a neoplastic cell involves multiple genetic changes in various key genes, including tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, or DNA repair genes. Increasingly, it is recognized that these genetic changes may be the result of mutations caused through the synergistic interaction between cellular proliferation and the endogenous generation of oxidative radicals, including nitrogen oxides and various oxygen radicals. Numerous phytochemicals such as the tocopherols, carotenoids, Flavonoids, monoterpenes, and ascorbate, among others, have been shown to prevent or delay the development of tumor cells in cell culture and in animal models, while epidemiologic evidence suggests that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and their associated phytochemicals is correlated with decreased cancer incidence. In vitro cell transformation models offer unique insights into not only the mechanisms of action for various dietary phytochemicals, but the process of carcinogenesis itself.
The cost-effectiveness of surgical resection and cesium-131 intraoperative brachytherapy versus surgical resection and stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of metastatic brain tumors

This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of surgical resection (S) and Cesium-131 (Cs-131) [S + Cs-131] intraoperative brachytherapy versus S and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) [S + SRS] for the treatment of brain metastases. Treatment records as well as hospital and outpatient charts of 49 patients with brain metastases between 2008 and 2012 who underwent S + Cs-131 (n = 24) and S + SRS (n = 25) were retrospectively reviewed. Hospital charges were compared for the single treatment in question. Means and curves of survival time were defined by the Kaplan-Meier estimator, with the cost analysis focusing on the time period of the relevant treatment. Quality adjusted life years (QALY) and Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were calculated for each treatment option as a measure of cost-effectiveness. The direct hospital costs of treatments per patient were: S + Cs131 = $19,271 and S + SRS = $44,219. The median survival times of S + Cs-131 and S + SRS were 15.5 and 11.3 months, and the 12 month survival rates were 61 % and 49 % (P = 0.137). The QALY for S + SRS when compared to S + Cs-131 yielded a p < 0.0001, making it significantly more cost-effective. The ICER also revealed that when compared to S + Cs-131, S + SRS was significantly inferior (p < 0.0001). S + Cs-131 is more cost-effective compared with S + SRS based on hospital charges as well as QALYs and ICER. Cost effectiveness, in addition to efficacy and risk, should factor into the comparison between these two treatment modalities for patients with surgically resectable brain metastases.
Dynamic Latent Trait Models with Mixed Hidden Markov Structure for Mixed Longitudinal Outcomes.

We propose a general Bayesian joint modeling approach to model mixed longitudinal outcomes from the exponential family for taking into account any differential misclassification that may exist among categorical outcomes. Under this framework, outcomes observed without measurement error are related to latent trait variables through generalized linear mixed effect models. The misclassified outcomes are related to the latent class variables, which represent unobserved real states, using mixed hidden Markov models (MHMMs). In addition to enabling the estimation of parameters in prevalence, transition and misclassification probabilities, MHMMs capture cluster level heterogeneity. A transition modeling structure allows the latent trait and latent class variables to depend on observed predictors at the same time period and also on latent trait and latent class variables at previous time periods for each individual. Simulation studies are conducted to make comparisons with traditional models in order to illustrat...
A Profile of Medical Technology Educators' Scholarly Productivity and Research Environment

To compete successfully in academia, medical technology educators must actively engage in research and scholarly activity. Educators have the responsibility to increase knowledge and to validate current methods of practice, yet many express a lack of adequate skills and confidence to engage in productive research. A national study was conducted to determine the research needs, skills, interests, and productivity of this group. Research productivity and time spent in research increased with the advancing degree, but not with rank. The majority of respondents needed skills in grantsmanship and techniques for statistical analysis of data. The research environment was characterized most favorably by the importance of research in promotion and tenure decisions and least favorable by the unavailability of professional resources.
Abstract ED06-03: Colonic bacteria, inflammation, and colon cancer

A clear intersection between the infectious diseases and oncology fields has emerged from our understanding that many cancers arise in the setting of chronic infection. Roughly one-third of cancers worldwide, particularly epithelial cancers, are associated with identified single microbial infections, leading to the conceptual paradigm that chronic infection with specific microbes cause these cancers independent of other components of the ambient microbial community. Among epithelial cancers, colon cancer is the second leading cancer killer of adults in the United States but specific microbial contributors have not yet been identified. Rather, we now understand that the colon is home to one of the most dense and diverse communities of bacteria in the body and that we are each remarkably unique in our bacterial makeup reinforcing the contrasting view that the microbial contribution to colon cancer pathogenesis may lie in the composition of the colon microbiome. This talk will explore the scientific data supporting differing paradigms for how the colonic flora may contribute to colon oncogenesis. Particular attention will be paid to specific, usually commensal, members of the colonic microbiome and the mechanisms by which they may initiate and/or promote colon tumors. A framework for utilizing this knowledge to better understand the pathogenesis of colon cancer and to develop new approaches to colon cancer prevention will be discussed. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):ED06-03.
EVEN MILD AORTIC REGURGITATION A RISK FOR MORTALITY AFTER TRANS-CATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT

Moderate to severe aortic regurgitation (AR) after trans-catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is associated with worse outcomes. The impact of mild AR remains controversial. We evaluated all patients undergoing TF-TAVR at our institution from 2006-2012 (Edwards SAPIEN Valve System, 9000TFX).
The safety and efficacy of terbinafine in the treatment of elderly patients with onychomycosis:a multicenter trial

Objective:To study the efficacy,safety and tolerability of continuous terbinafine in the treatment of onychomy- cosis in patients over the age of 60 years.Methods:One hundred and twenty cases of onyehnmycosis over the age of 60 years were treated with oral terbinafine 250 mg daily continuously for 12 weeks and 16 weeks for the patients with finger nail onychomycosis and toenail onyehomycosis respectively.The global efficacy,the incidence of adverse events,the blood and urine routine tests,liver and kidney functinn were evaluated after 36 weeks and 52 weeks for the patients with fingernail and toenail onychomycosis respectively.Results:After stopping the treatment and at the 36th week for fingernail onychomycosis, the total clinical response rates were 68.8% and 96.9% respectively,the mycology elearance rates were 87.5% and 96.9% re- spectively.After stopping the treatment and at the 52nd week for toenail onychomycosis,the total clinical response rates were 44.2% and 87.2% respectively,the mycology clearance rates were 62.8% and 96.5% respectively.The incidence of adverse events was 8.3%,the majority were gastrnintestinal disorders.No drug interactions were recorded.Conclusion:Terbinafine is a safe,effective and well tolerated drug for the treatment of onychomyeosis in the elderly.
Optimization-based inference for temporally evolving Boolean networks with applications in biology

Modeling of biological genetic networks forms the basis of systems biology. In this paper, we present an optimization-based inference scheme to identify temporally evolving Boolean network representations of genetic networks from data. In the formulation of the optimization problem, we use an adjacency map as a priori information, and define a cost function which both drives the connectivity of the graph to match biological data as well as generates a sparse and robust network at corresponding time intervals. Throughout simulation studies on simple examples, it is shown that this optimization scheme can help to understand the structure and dynamics of biological genetic networks.
Special Section Guest Editorial:In Memoriam, Richard G. (Rick) Lyon

This PDF file contains the editorial “Special Section Guest Editorial: In Memoriam, Richard G. (Rick) Lyon” for JATIS Vol. 2 Issue 04
Differences in biotic interactions across range edges have only minor effects on plant performance

Summary 1.It is widely expected that plant species will expand their ranges poleward in response to climate change. In the process, individuals establishing beyond existing range margins will be exposed to new biotic communities, including different assemblages of natural enemies. The resulting differences in biotic interactions could lead to scenarios of enemy release or biotic resistance and if the interactions are strong, they could influence plant performance and therefore colonization success. 2.In order to test whether natural enemies will affect range expansion dynamics, we transplanted seven species along a 450 km latitudinal gradient that spanned the range edges of five of these species. The experiment was conducted over five years with ~ 13,000 seedlings and included pesticide treatments to reduce invertebrate herbivory. We measured foliar damage caused by disease and invertebrate herbivores, seedling survival, light availability, soil moisture, soil nutrient concentrations and several other variables in nine forests located in four regions along the latitudinal gradient. 3.We found that several species (Carya glabra, Liriodendron tulipifera, Quercus velutina and Robinia pseudoacacia) tended to have less foliar disease beyond their range but there were few substantial differences in herbivory across range edges (with the exception of Liriodendron tulipifera). After accounting for other variables, including environmental conditions and vertebrate herbivory, we found that foliar disease decreased survival for four species (Acer rubrum, Quercus alba, Quercus rubra and Quercus velutina) and foliar herbivory reduced survival for three species (Acer rubrum, Liriodendron tulipifera and Quercus rubra). 4.However, the effects of these biotic interactions on survival were very small (0 – 5 % reductions in survival at observed levels of damage after four years), which is verified by the minor effects of the pesticide treatment on seedling survival. 5.Synthesis. Our results suggest that foliar herbivores and pathogens are unlikely to play a major role in the range expansion dynamics of these temperate tree species. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Maternal antibodies against tetanus toxoid do not inhibit potency of antibody responses to autologous antigen in newborn rhesus monkeys.

Background Our previous study suggested newborns have competent immune systems with the potential to respond to foreign antigens and vaccines. In this study, we examined infant immune responses to tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccination in the presence of maternal antibody to TT. Methods We examined changes in plasma levels of tetanus toxoid-specific IgG1 (anti-TT IgG1) in a total of eight infant rhesus macaques from birth through 6 months of age using a commercial Monkey Anti-TT IgG1 ELISA kit. Results A significant correlation between anti-TT IgG1 levels in vaccinated dams and their paired newborn infants was detected in control (non-vaccinated) infants as previously reported. Maternal anti-TT IgG1 levels declined rapidly within 1 month of birth in non-vaccinated infants (n=4). In four infants vaccinated with TT at birth, we found two had rapid and robust antibody responses to vaccination. Interestingly, the other two first showed declining TT antibody levels for 2 weeks followed by increasing levels without additional vaccine boosts, indicating all four had good antibody responses to primary TT vaccination at birth, despite the presence of high levels of maternal antibodies to TT in all four infants. Conclusions Our data indicate that newborn macaques have competent immune systems that are capable of generating their own primary antibody responses to vaccination, at least to tetanus antigens. Maternal antibodies thus do not significantly impair antibody response to the vaccination, even when received on the day of birth in infant rhesus macaques.
Metrology for spatial interferometry V

The proposed Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) spacecraft designs include high resolution stellar interferometers for micro-arc-second accuracy astrometric measurements. The stellar interferometers require picometer accuracy 1D metrology gauges, surface metrology gauges and 3D metrology gauges to measure the required distances or to calibrate the fiducials that define the end points of the interferometric paths. The absolute metrology gauges required by these interferometers can be considerably less accurate due to the careful design of the astrometric interferometers and the fiducials on the spacecraft. An auto-aligning, 3D metrology gauge constructed using the sub-picosecond linear metrology gauges was described in earlier papers. The sub-nanometer, in-vacuum tracking result from this 3D metrology gauge are presented. The resulting jitter is analyzed and is shown to be caused by thermal drift in the alignment of the gauge heads, warpage of the base table and the time-dependent tilt of the experiment as a whole. The aberrations in the light beams of the laser distance gauges can result in errors in the distance measurements performed using these gauges. Simulations using spot shapes and aberrations present in a realistic measurement system used in a stellar interferometer is space are performed to quantify the amount of expected errors. The results of these simulations are presented.
CASHEIRS: Cloud assisted scalable hierarchical encrypted based image retrieval system

Image retrieval has become an important function in many emerging computer vision applications e.g. online shopping via images, medical health care systems. More and more images are being generated and stored in public clouds. However, recent photo leakage events raise concerns about privacy leaks for images stored in public clouds. In this paper, we present an efficient scalable hierarchical image retrieval system (CASHEIRS) which provides privacy-aware image retrieval feature. CASHEIRS employs transformed Convolutional Neural Network features to improve image retrieval accuracy and an encrypted hierarchical index tree to speed up the query process. Extensive evaluations using Caltech256 and INRIA Holiday datasets show that CASHEIRS is more effective than three existing schemes. We also demonstrate its practicality on a mobile device.
Zen_Space: A Smartphone App for Individually Tailored Stress Management Support for College Students

Alleviating stress reduces the risk of developing many chronic health problems. Though the effects of stress on the body may not always be immediately evident, exposure to chronic stress can lead to serious health problems and/or exacerbate existing medical conditions. This research study explores how a personal computing device such as a smartphone can be used to provide information regarding individually tailored stress management activities for college students. Since the use of smartphones is pervasive, one way to address this issue would be to develop a smartphone application in which a user can monitor stress as well as obtain various interventions for stress management. The proposed stress management application is based on information obtained from the user regarding stress type and intensity. An application that provides recommendations for stress-relieving activities can have a positive impact on a student’s health and well-being.
Constructing a Measure of Well-Being

Any index’s quality is based on its contents. A good index is based on what matters, clearly delineates what the data sources are, and the methods used in creating the index. The saying, “garbage in, garbage out, is common among social scientists who either work with or critique indexes. Because we define quality of life as, “The measured fulfillment of human wants and needs,” determining how and what to include is of particular importance. Including ideas that are incorrect, garbage, in our index will produce only one thing, more garbage. It is easy to make an index, but it is tremendously difficult to build a valid one. In fact, it is likely impossible to have a perfect index, which is part of the reason we include only data that is widely and freely available because we think any other index based on private data is too much of a black box to rely on in policymaking or scholarly analysis. Our index, like any other, is certainly imperfect. We console ourselves with a firm belief that scientific progress is largely found in marginal improvements to existing models and methods.
Ultrasonic Vocalizations as an Index of Positive Emotional State

Abstract Emotional states are powerful modifiers of behavioral response and are becoming ever more ensconced in neuroscience research. The dysregulation of emotional states is a key facet of multiple psychopathologies, making measures of emotional state of interest in preclinical models of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, drug addiction, eating disorders, or even autism. The present chapter discusses the expression of emotional states in behavior, evaluates evidence that 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in the rat are indicative of a positive emotional state, and discusses common neural substrates for the processing of rewards in rats and humans that may subserve the genesis of emotional behavior and its psychopathology.
Coronavirus Envelope Glycoprotein Assembly Complexes

Protein:protein interactions, and their subcellular localization, play important roles in Coronavirus assembly. In this study, we have identified similar envelope glycoprotein complexes that are present in mouse hepatitis Coronavirus A59 (MHV-A59) and bovine Coronavirus (BCV) infected cells. Complexes consisting of the spike (S) and membrane (M) proteins were identified in cells infected with MHV-A59 or BCV. Kinetic analyses demonstrated that S and M quickly associated after translation, and suggested that both initially interacted in a pre-Golgi site. In addition, the hemagglutinin esterase (HE) was identified as part of a complex with M and S in BCV infected cells. Taken together, our data indicate that similar glycoprotein complexes are present in cells infected with two different coronaviruses, and thus likely represent important prerequisite complexes involved in virus assembly.
ac Phase Control

One of the simplest single-phase ac phase-control circuits is shown in Fig. 9–1. The voltage impressed on the load is controlled by changing the phase-control angle α. Usually a symmetrical output is required so that each SCR is gated at the same α. Of course, a given SCR is gated only on alternate half-cycles. It is possible theoretically to use a single triac in place of the inverse-parallel pair of SCRs. However, the dv/dt capability and other rating limitations of presently available triacs often make necessary the use of SCRs. In this chapter, the inverse-parallel pair of SCRs will always be considered since this arrangement is functionally equivalent to the triac and is more generally applicable.
The Use of a Game-Based Decision Aid to Educate Pregnant Women about Prenatal Screening: A Randomized Controlled Study

Purpose This project developed and evaluated the efficacy of a game decision aid among pregnant women about prenatal screening in a randomized controlled study. Study Design Participants were recruited from an obstetric clinic of an academic urban medical center and randomized (n = 73) to one of two study groups: the control group (n = 39) that used a brochure or the intervention group (n = 34) that also used a game decision aid. Result Participants who played the game had higher knowledge scores (m = 21.41, standard deviation [SD] = 1.74) than participants in the control group (m = 19.59; SD = 3.31), p = 0.004. The median time of game playing was 6:43 minutes (range: 2:17–16:44). The groups were similar in frequency of completing screening after the study, control = 6 (15%) versus intervention = 11 (32%), p = 0.087. However, the more interaction with the game resulted in more positive attitudes toward screening. Conclusion The addition of a game decision aid was effective in educating pregnant women about prenatal screening. As other genetic testing decisions continue to increase within clinical care, game-based decision tools may be a constructive method of informed decision-making.
Influences of Lake Trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) and Mysis diluviana on kokanee ( Oncorhynchus nerka ) in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho

Research on Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, has focused on the influence of two potential limiting factors for kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum, 1792): competition for food with Mysis diluviana (Loven, 1862, hereafter Mysis) and predation by lake trout Salvelinus namaycush (Walbaum, 1792). Population fluctuations of Mysis and lake trout have resulted in substantial heterogeneity in food web conditions, apparently altering both bottom-up and top-down dynamics. Therefore, relative importance of predation and competition were evaluated as drivers of kokanee abundance, biomass, and production. A series of general linear models was used to evaluate relative influences of Mysis and lake trout on kokanee. Kokanee production was a density-dependent process and the collapse of Mysis corresponded to an increase in the modeled maximum annual production of kokanee from 224 tonnes to 408 tonnes. Lake trout also negatively influenced kokanee biomass. A Mysis-mediated, predator-induced kokanee biomass collapse occurred when lake trout and Mysis abundances were both high. Sustainable management of this fishery requires recognition that competition with Mysis will define the scope of kokanee production and therefore the scope of sustainable predation.
SWORD '95: Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease in the UK

An estimated 2,741 new cases of occupational respiratory diseases were reported by chest and occupational physicians in 1995. Total cases reported by 'core' chest physicians and occupational physicians have risen but cases reported by 'sample' physicians have fallen by 32%, reducing the estimated total overall by approximately 16% from 1994. Steps are being taken to reverse this downward trend. Occupational asthma remains the single most frequently reported disease of which more than two thirds of cases were attributed to sensitization. Non-malignant pleural disease was the next most frequently reported, with pleural plaques predominating in 71% of cases. In a study of a selected sample of 158 cases of non-malignant pleural disease, 81 (51%) were seen for medico-legal reasons; of the remainder 13% had signs or symptoms ascribed to the disease.
Does tackling form affect head acceleration in youth football players

To reduce head impact exposure, a number of youth football organizations have begun teaching tackling technique. This study sought to develop and utilize a set of tackling form grading criteria for...
Managers’ Moral Obligation of Fairness to ( All ) Shareholders: Does Information Asymmetry Benefit Privileged Investors at Other Shareholders’ Expense?

Drawing on ethical principles of fairness and integrative social contracts theory, moral obligations of fair dealing exist between the firm and all shareholders. This study investigates empirically whether privileged investors of publicly traded firms engage in legal, but morally questionable, trading that at the expense of non-privileged institutional or atomistic investors. In this context, we define privilege as the access to material, nonpublic earnings surprise information. Our results show that the opportunity for procedural unfairness (e.g., the likelihood of an earnings surprise and information asymmetry) increases with the presence of privileged investors. However, this procedural unfairness does not appear to lead to distributive unfairness even though the level of abnormal trading also increases with the presence of privileged investors. That is, our findings suggest that other shareholders are in fact better off from an outcome perspective given that the abnormal stock price returns upon the announcement of an earnings surprise are either more positive (in response to a favorable surprise) or less negative (in the case of an unfavorable surprise) when the firm has a high proportion of privileged investors. We extract the important implications of our study for future research on the fairness of capital markets and information asymmetry amongst classes of investors, as well as for public policy.
Challenges in Designing a Fully Autonomous Socially Assistive Robot for People with Parkinson’s Disease

Assistive robots are becoming an increasingly important application platform for research in robotics, AI, and HRI, as there is a pressing need to develop systems that support the elderly and people with disabilities, with a clear path to market. Yet, what remains unclear is whether current autonomous systems are already up to the task or whether additional HRI work is needed to make these systems acceptable and useful.In this article, we report our efforts of developing and evaluating an architecture for a fully autonomous robot designed to assist older adults with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in sorting their medications. The main goal for the robot is to aid users in a manner that maintains the autonomy of the user by providing cognitive and social support with varying levels of assistance. We first evaluated the robot with subjects drawn from a pool of university students, which is common practice in experimental work in psychology and HRI. As the results were very positive, we followed up with an evaluation using people with Parkinson’s disease, who surprisingly had mostly negative outcomes. We thus report our analysis of the differences in the evaluations and discuss the challenges for HRI posed by the sources of the negative evaluations: (1) designing a robot to adapt to the many routines the participants use at home, (2) unique needs of participants with PD not present in student participants, and (3) the role of familiar technologies in designing and evaluating a new technology. While it is unlikely, given the current state of technology, that fully autonomous assistive robots for older adults will be available in the near term, we believe that our work exposes a critical need in HRI to involve the target population as early as possible in the design process.
The Fed and the Secular Decline in Interest Rates

In this paper I document a striking fact: a narrow window around Fed meetings fully captures the secular decline in U.S. Treasury yields since 1980. By contrast, yield movements outside this window are transitory and wash out over time. This is surprising because the forces behind the secular decline are thought to be independent of monetary policy. However, it is possible that the bond market learns about these forces from the Fed. Two additional facts support this interpretation: (i) long-term yields drop immediately following Fed announcements, and (ii) the Fed’s expectation about the long-run level of the federal funds rate – revealed through the dot plot – has a strong impact on long-term yields. To explain these facts, I present a dynamic term structure model in which the Fed learns from the yield curve and the market learns from Fed meetings. The model rules out alternative explanations such as business cycle information and risk premia. It further implies that the Fed possesses important information about the long-run neutral interest rate. This can explain why Fed announcements have a powerful impact on the valuations of long-lived assets like the stock market.
Reflections on a Career in Plant Virology: A Chip Floating on a Stream.

At the time I entered college and for a few years afterward, I had very few concrete goals. Hence, my progress was more a matter of luck than planning and was somewhat analogous to a small wood chi...
Non-Invasive Tests for Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Ready for Use?

OBJECTIVE To summarize the existing literature for several promising minimally invasive tests to measure disease activity in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). DATA SOURCES Literature searches were performed using PubMed. Keyword combinations included eosinophilic esophagitis and minimally invasive techniques, including the esophageal string test, Cytosponge, transnasal endoscopy, technetium-labeled heparin, and noninvasive biomarkers. STUDY SELECTIONS Retrospective and prospective observational studies, peer-reviewed reviews, and systematic reviews were selected. Data were reviewed and summarized. RESULTS Various techniques have been developed in recent years to measure disease activity in EoE without the need for conventional endoscopy. Our review summarizes the data on these techniques, the benefits and limitations, and future directions for implementation in both research and clinical care. CONCLUSION Tremendous progress has been made toward developing minimally invasive techniques to measure disease activity in EoE. Each of the techniques mentioned in this review has advantages and disadvantages, and some are closer to widespread use than others.
Passive Immunization of Piglets with Hyperimmune Plasma Containing Virus Neutralizing Antibodies to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus

Polyvalent hyperimmune plasma (HP) with high-titers of virus neutralizing (VN) antibody to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) strains was produced in gilts and used to passively immunize 3 week old piglets. The piglets were subsequently challenged with live virus. Results showed delay of viremia, decrease in live virus titers, decrease in gross lung lesions, or delay in transmission to naive, non-immunized sentinel pigs.
A faculty learning community as a vehicle for change: the effect of iterative course change on student learning and attitudes in introductory biology (530.4)

Students learn concepts and skills more efficiently when they actively engage with content, and introductory biology courses nationwide are shifting towards student-centered classes. However, incorporating student-centered learning into a large-enrollment course presents unique challenges. Here we describe a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) where faculty instructors collaborate to transform a large enrollment introductory biology course from a traditional lecture format into a student-centered course. Activities and strategies are incorporated and improved over time as faculty discuss successes and new approaches, allowing the FLC to optimize activities and build up a resource pool. We evaluate the effect of this iterative change on the classroom environment, student learning, and student attitudes utilizing a pre- and -post survey design. Preliminary results suggest that student content learning is increasing over time. Further, certain types of activities may be particularly effective at improving learn...
Effects of incorporation of 6-thioguanine into SV40 DNA

The antileukemic agent 6-thioguanine (TG) is thought to inhibit DNA synthesis as a result of its incorporation into DNA. In the present study we have examined the nature of this inhibition, using replication of SV40 viral DNA as a model system. Addition of TG to SV40-infected CV1P cells from 22 to 24 hr post infection causes a dose-dependent inhibition of viral DNA synthesis. This inhibition plateaus between 250 and 2500 microM TG, resulting in a maximum decrease of viral DNA synthesis of about 50%. Pulse-chase experiments showed no detectable slowing of elongation of nascent DNA chains, whereas measurement of the conversion of incorporated 3H-dThd into supercoiled viral DNA suggested that elongation might be slightly inhibited, but by no more than 20%. Since inhibition of elongation could not account for the total depression of DNA synthesis, we hypothesized that inhibition of initiation of DNA replication takes place. This hypothesis was tested by radioactively labeling newly synthesized viral DNA and then assessing the ability of these molecules to reenter the replicating pool by density labeling with bromodeoxyuridine. The fraction of TG-containing molecules able to re-initiate replication was decreased 15%, compared to control. This effect, which was dependent on the concentration of TG added to the medium, was closely correlated to the extent of TG incorporation into the viral genome. We concluded that a portion of SV40 viral DNA synthesis inhibited by TG is due to an effect on initiation, and hypothesized that this effect may be caused by the substitution of TG for guanine in critical recognition sequences at the origin of replication. We proceeded to test this hypothesis by constructing SV40 origin sequences containing TG and then measuring their ability to bind T-antigen in vitro. The necessary deoxynucleoside triphosphate, TdGTP, was obtained by chemical phosphorylation of thiodeoxyguanosine. In order to selectively place TG within the desired region, a plasmid containing the T-antigen binding sequences was linearized so as to place these sequences at one end of the molecule, and then digested briefly with exonuclease III. The excised strand was resynthesized by use of the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I along with various nucleotide mixtures. Although resynthesis with mixtures containing TdGTP in place of dGTP was impeded somewhat, it was possible to achieve complete resynthesis with this analog.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
RESULTS OF OPTICAL TIMING MEASUREMENTS OF THE CRAB NEBULA PULSAR.

Absolute time of arrival measurements were made of the optical pulses from the Crab pulsar between September 1969 and April 1970; they were corrected to the solar system barycentre. The fit to the timing data indicates that the slowdown is due to magnetic dipole radiation, but there are significant deviations indicating the presence of small fluctuations and major jumps. There is no evidence of the quasi-sinusoidal behaviour reported by Arecibo. These measurements allowed an integrated light curve to be constructed with high precision.
Modulation of PICALM Levels Perturbs Cellular Cholesterol Homeostasis

PICALM (Phosphatidyl Inositol Clathrin Assembly Lymphoid Myeloid protein) is a ubiquitously expressed protein that plays a role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. PICALM also affects the internalization and trafficking of SNAREs and modulates macroautophagy. Chromosomal translocations that result in the fusion of PICALM to heterologous proteins cause leukemias, and genome-wide association studies have linked PICALM Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) to Alzheimer's disease. To obtain insight into the biological role of PICALM, we performed gene expression studies of PICALM-deficient and PICALM-expressing cells. Pathway analysis demonstrated that PICALM expression influences the expression of genes that encode proteins involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and lipoprotein uptake. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) studies indicated that loss of PICALM increases cellular cholesterol pool size. Isotopic labeling studies revealed that loss of PICALM alters increased net scavenging of cholesterol. Flow cytometry analyses confirmed that internalization of the LDL receptor is enhanced in PICALM-deficient cells as a result of higher levels of LDLR expression. These findings suggest that PICALM is required for cellular cholesterol homeostasis and point to a novel mechanism by which PICALM alterations may contribute to disease.
The size effect on stock returns: Is it simply a risk effect not adequately reflected by the usual measures?

Abstract One of the satisfactory explanations of the size effect would seem to be in the inadequacy of the usual measure of risk as an appropriate ex ante proxy for risk. One of the ex ante measures is provided by the Standard and Poor's quality rankings for common stocks and is examined in this paper. It is shown that the quality rankings assigned by security analysts are superior over beta and variance measures of risk in explaining returns and in subsuming the size effect. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the size effect mainly reflects a risk effect and that a significant part of the latter is not caught by the usual beta and variance measures.
Fractionalized gapless quantum vortex liquids

The standard theoretical approach to gapless spin liquid phases of two-dimensional frustrated quantum antiferromagnets invokes the concept of fermionic slave particles into which the spin fractionalizes. As an alternate we explore different kinds of gapless spin liquid phases in frustrated quantum magnets with $XY$ anisotropy where the vortex of the spin fractionalizes into gapless itinerant fermions. The resulting gapless fractionalized vortex liquid phases are studied within a slave particle framework that is dual to the usual one. We demonstrate the stability of some such phases and describe their properties. We give an explicit construction in an $XY$-spin-1 system on triangular lattice, and interpret it as a critical phase in the vicinity of spin-nematic states.