cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biochemical composition of adult human lung surfactant.

Surfactant was isolated from minced adult human lung tissues by repetitive centrifugation on NaBr density gradients. The surface active fraction contained 12 mg phospholipid per mg of protein. Eighty percent of the phospholipid was phosphatidylcholine and 9% was phosphatidylglycerol. The phosphatidylcholines, 55% of which were disaturated, contained more than 70% palmitic acid. In contrast, phosphatidylglycerol contained 22% palmitic acid and 52% oleic acid, suggesting that the importance of phosphatidylglycerol in surfactant function relates to its acidic head group. The most abundant proteins in human surfactant were high molecular weight (>400,000) glycoproteins which on reduction with dithiothreitol yielded peptides of 34,000 daltons. Antibodies to the high molecular weight proteins were prepared in rabbits and using immunoperoxidase methods were shown to stain alveolar type II cells and the alveolar and bronchial surfaces, but no other human tissues. A low molecular weight protein was also present in lung surfactant and was most apparent in surfactant subfractions which had higher phospholipid to protein ratios. The results of this study provide a basis to further investigate the role of normal and altered surfactant constituents in disease states of the human lung.
Craze fibril formation and breakdown

As crazes grow in areal extent they also increase in width. The areal growth involves craze tip advance which has been shown to occur by the Taylor meniscus instability. Craze widening, at least for air crazes, occurs by drawing more fibrillar material from the craze-bulk polymer interfaces at essentially constant extension ratio. Simple arguments will be given to predict the scale of the fibrillation in terms of the stress S at the craze tip and interfaces and an effective polymer surface energy (Γ) where: which assumes that all entangled chain crossing the surface are broken [γ represents the van-der-Waals (intermolecular) surface energy, d is the entanglement mesh size, vE is the entanglement density, and Ub is the energy required to break a single backbone bond]. These arguments also give the rate of fibrillation as a function of S, a nominal plastic resistance σy and Γ and can explain the fact that the stress for crazing increases relative to that for shear deformation as the entanglement density of the polymer is increased. The geometrically necessary entanglement loss (either by scission as assumed above or by disentanglement- at temperatures just below Tg) that accompanies fibril formation has important consequences for fibril stability. The probability p that a given entangled chain is lost can be computed from simple geometrical considerations knowing the fibril diameter D, its extension ratio λ and the mesh size d; p increases rapidly as Dλ½ becomes comparable to or less than d. These concepts can be tested in blends of high molecular weight polymer with chains of the same polymer that are too short to entangle.
Pathobiology of atherosclerosis and plaque complications

To understand the process of atherosclerosis, the homeostatic and protective functions of the endothelium must be considered. The endothelium serves as the interface between blood flow and the vascular tissues. It normally regulates vascular tone and structure through the release of vasoactive substances and maintenance of a nonthrombogenic surface. Endothelial dysfunction, which results from biochemical and hemodynamic stresses associated with cardiovascular risk factors, causes an imbalance in the expression of vasodilating and vasoconstricting substances, as well as excess production of chemoattractant molecules and growth factors. Endothelial dysfunction in the presence of elevated cholesterol levels fosters the development of fatty streaks, which represent the early stage of atherosclerotic plaque. The unstable progression of atherosclerosis can be interrupted and even reversed in both animals and humans, although the exact clinical correlates of progression and regression are not fully understood.
A reexamination of the diploidlike meiotic behavior of polyploid cotton.

Chromosome associations at pachytene, diakinesis, and metaphase I were analyzed in haploids of the allotetraploid G.hirsutwn, in the F1 hybrid between G.arboreum (A2) and G. raimondii (D5), and in the doubled hybrid 2(A2D2) in an effort to define more clearly the mechanism responsible for the diploidlike behavior of the natural allotetraploids. The mean number of bivalents per cell at pachytene, diakinesis, and MI were respectively 10.00, 7.40, and 0.80 for the haploids and 11.00, 9.50, and 5.82 for the A2D5 hybrid. The two pachytene means were not significantly different, but the two diakinesis means and the two MI means were significantly different. At early pachytene members of paired chromosomes were not equal in length, but at late pachytene both members were equal in length in most bivalents. It was particularly evident in the unpaired regions that one partner was much thicker or more deeply stained than its counterpart. Since A chromosomes are twice the size, have twice the amount of DNA, and contain greater amounts of repetitive DNA than D chromosomes, it was concluded that the bivalents consisted of A and D homoeologs. In order for the paired homoeologs to attain equality in length at late pachytene, it is presumed that the A chromosomes either started contracting before the D chromosomes or contracted at a faster rate. During the stages following late pachytene, the D chromosomes contracted at a faster rate than the A chromosomes resulting finally in a two-fold difference in the size of the A and D chromosomes at MI. It is assumed that this differential rate of contraction would limit intimate pairing attraction and chiasma formation between homoeologous chromosomes. We concluded that a gene control system analogous to that wheat and oats does not determine the diploidlike meiotic behavior of the natural allotetraploids of Gossypium. This is based on the high frequency of homoelogous pairs at pachytene in the haploids, on the strict homologous pairing in the synthetic 2(A2D5) hybrid, and on the roles repetitive DNA is assumed to have in regulating synapsis and chiasma formation and in structurally differentiating the A and D homoeologs. It was proposed that differences in genome chromosome size may determine whether a gene or non-gene control mechanism is required for regulating homologous pairing in allotetraploids.
Counting Trees in a Certain Class of Graphs

The number of trees contained in a certain class of graphs is obtained by a simple argument. The graphs can be represented by choosing the integers from 1 to n as vertices and connecting vertices w...
Lyapunov stability analysis of porous catalyst particle systems: extension to interphase transfer and time-varying surface conditions

A weighted Lyanunov functional is used to derive local and global stability conditions for the porous catalyst particle system. Results are presented for finite interphase transfer, Nu and Sh ≠ ∞, and for general time-varying surface conditions. Improvements on previous results for the case of unit Lewis number and negligible interphase transfer are also developed.
Japanese sojourners’ attitudes toward Americans: Exploring the influences of communication accommodation, linguistic competence, and relational solidarity in intergroup contact

Guided by the intergroup contact hypothesis, the authors examined the associations among Japanese sojourners’ (N = 94) perceived linguistic competence with English, communication accommodation of their most frequent American contact, relational solidarity with the contact, and their attitudes toward Americans as a cultural group. Results indicated that participants’ linguistic competence with English and perceptions of Americans’ communication accommodation positively predicted their relational solidarity with their most frequent American contact. In addition, relational solidarity mediated the relationships between both linguistic competence and communication accommodation and cognitive and behavioral attitudes. Results were discussed in light of communication accommodation theory, the contact hypothesis and prior literature in intergroup and intercultural communication.
The three-dimensional dynamics of flame-balls

Flame-balls are stationary spherical premixed flames observed in certain near-limit mixtures. Sufficiently large flame-balls are subject to a three-dimensional instability which defines a maximum mixture strength for which steady flame-balls can exist. We study the dynamics of flame-balls in the neighborhood of the neutral stability point and show that there is a transcritical bifurcation and the dynamics is governed by a fifth-order system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The late time behavior of the solution of these equations corresponds either to a stationary sphere (stable solution) or a growing prolate spheroid. Prolate spheroids are observed experimentally, and the relationship between the experimental observations and the theoretical predictions is discussed.
Regulation of MHC gene expression during the differentiation of bone marrow-derived macrophages

The ability of the macrophage to express class II MHC gene products appears to arise from both T-dependent and T-independent mechanisms. One mechanism by which macrophages express Ia-antigens in the absence of T-lymphocytes is postulated to be controlled by differentiation. By using a liquid bone marrow culture system, we have studied both class I and class II surface expression and mRNA accumulation during macrophage differentiation in vitro. The results demonstrated that Ia expression increased until 7 days in culture and then slowly declined. In contrast, class I expression appeared to steadily increase throughout the differentiation period. Northern blot analysis of RNA isolated from bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) at various periods during culture, using E alpha, A alpha, and class I cDNA probes, correlated well with the results of Ia and H-2K surface expression. Further analysis demonstrated that the expression of Ia-antigens on BMDM was not the result of T-helper lymphocytes. This was determined by demonstrating (1) that bone marrow cultures were devoid of mature T-lymphocytes, (2) the absence of interferon (IFN)-gamma transcripts in both adherent and nonadherent populations of bone marrow cells, and (3) that the addition of anti-IFN-gamma monoclonal antibody (mAb) to the bone cultures did not alter the percentage of Ia-positive BMDM. Moreover, the addition of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha mAb to the bone marrow cultures had no effect on Ia expression by BMDM. Taken together, these results allow us to conclude that Ia expression by BMDM is probably not mediated via exogenous signals but rather results from an intrinsically controlled process.
Combinatorial verification of the elementary divisors of tensor products

Abstract Using combinatorial arguments we determine the determinantal divisors for the tensor product of two matrices, thereby obtaining its elementary divisors and Jordan canonical form.
The crucial role of CS in systems and synthetic biology

Biological cells, coerced to function as hardware and driven by artificial DNA, can perform such nanoscale tasks as detecting toxic substances and manufacturing new drugs.
Blood transfusion therapy is feasible in a clinical trial setting in children with sickle cell disease and silent cerebral infarcts

Background Silent cerebral infarcts are both morbid and progressive in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). While blood transfusion therapy is effective primary and secondary stroke prevention, the efficacy and acceptance of blood transfusion therapy for children with silent cerebral infarcts is unknown. The overall goals of this study were to determine the feasibility and short-term efficacy of blood transfusion therapy for silent cerebral infarcts. Procedure We conducted a single-arm feasibility intervention study. Children with SCD and silent cerebral infarcts received blood transfusion therapy. Short-term efficacy was defined as no progression of MRI findings on repeat MRI. Results Ten children enrolled in the study, and nine were evaluable. Five were male. The average age was 10.0 years (range 3.1–16.8). Seven of nine completed the transfusion therapy for over 2 years, with an average duration of therapy of 2.7 years (range 1–6). Twenty infarcts and four cases of Moya Moya were present on the initial MRI. Seven of nine subjects had repeat MRIs. Of these seven, there were a total of 18 infarcts. One infarct increased in size and one case of Moya Moya progressed on repeat MRI. All other lesions were stable or became smaller in diameter while on transfusion therapy during the time of follow up (mean 3.9 years, range 2.1–5.7). Conclusions Blood transfusion therapy is a feasible therapy for the prevention of progression of silent cerebral infarcts. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:599–602. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A time perception task.

This paper describes the use of a novel method and apparatus for the study of time perception. This method of concurrent comparisons requires temporal discrimination among visual signals in the absence of appropriate exteroceptive cues. Seventy-two Ss were asked to identify from a panel of 9 flashing lights the one light containing interflash intervals of fixed duration. Three intervals under 1.0 sec. were used. Sex differences and feedback were significant variables. Duration of interval, use of rhythm or kinesthetic cues, and practice had little effect on performance.
Effective potentials, thermodynamics, and twisted mass quarks

Using effective Lagrangian arguments, I explore the qualitative behavior expected at finite temperature for two-flavor lattice QCD formulated with Wilson fermions and a twisted mass term. A rather rich phase structure is predicted, exhibiting Aoki's parity violating phase along with a deconfinement region forming a conical structure in the space of coupling, hopping parameter, and twisted mass variables.
Teaching Note---Implementing Line Balancing Heuristics in Spreadsheets

Two previous papers in INFORMS Transactions on Education demonstrated an innovative Excel array formula approach that can be used for the handling of precedences in project management and assembly line balancing models. In this paper I combine the array formula approach with a clever but simple precedence coding system to present an efficient spreadsheet for performing assembly line balancing using the heuristic method that is common in operations management textbooks. In addition, I demonstrate to students a perturbation method to handle ties in algorithms in Excel and also demonstrate the application of Excel's Scenario Manager to line balancing.
Antimicrobial-Associated Renal Tubular Acidosis

OBJECTIVE:To review the literature documenting the association of various antimicrobial medications with the development of renal tubular acidosis (RTA).DATA SOURCES:A search of the English literature via MEDLINE (1966-November 2003) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-November 2003) was conducted to identify human reports of RTA associated with various drugs from all available classes of antimicrobial agents. Major search terms included renal tubular acidosis, acidosis, antibiotics, and antimicrobials. Bibliographies of selected articles were also searched to identify additional reports of RTA.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:Case reports, observational studies, and experimental studies documenting the association of any antimicrobial agent with the development of RTA were included.DATA SYNTHESIS:Antimicrobial-associated RTA is a relatively uncommon adverse effect, with most reports involving amphotericin B, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and outdated tetracycline. These agents may induce...
Zebrafish foxc1a drives appendage-specific neural circuit development

Neural connectivity between the spinal cord and paired appendages is key to the superior locomotion of tetrapods and aquatic vertebrates. In contrast to nerves that innervate axial muscles, those innervating appendages converge at a specialized structure, the plexus, where they topographically reorganize before navigating towards their muscle targets. Despite its importance for providing appendage mobility, the genetic program that drives nerve convergence at the plexus, as well as the functional role of this convergence, are not well understood. Here, we show that in zebrafish the transcription factor foxc1a is dispensable for trunk motor nerve guidance but is required to guide spinal nerves innervating the pectoral fins, equivalent to the tetrapod forelimbs. In foxc1a null mutants, instead of converging with other nerves at the plexus, pectoral fin nerves frequently bypass the plexus. We demonstrate that foxc1a expression in muscle cells delineating the nerve path between the spinal cord and the plexus region restores convergence at the plexus. By labeling individual fin nerves, we show that mutant nerves bypassing the plexus enter the fin at ectopic positions, yet innervate their designated target areas, suggesting that motor axons can select their appropriate fin target area independently of their migration through the plexus. Although foxc1a mutants display topographically correct fin innervation, mutant fin muscles exhibit a reduction in the levels of pre- and postsynaptic structures, concomitant with reduced pectoral fin function. Combined, our results reveal foxc1a as a key player in the development of connectivity between the spinal cord and paired appendages, which is crucial for appendage mobility.
Promoter elements in the aflatoxin pathway polyketide synthase gene

PksA catalyzes the formation of the polyketide backbone necessary for aflatoxin biosynthesis. Based on reporter assays and sequence comparisons of the nor1–pksA intergenic region in different aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus species, cis-acting elements for the aflatoxin pathway-specific regulatory protein, AflR, and the global-acting regulatory proteins BrlA and PacC are involved in pksA promoter activity. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
A nurse-led clinic and computer decision-support software for anticoagulation decisions were as effective as a hospital clinic

Source Citation Fitzmaurice DA, Hobbs FD, Murray ET, et al. Oral anticoagulation management in primary care with the use of computerized decision support and near-patient testing. A randomized, con...
Glucocorticoid-resistant asthma: more than meets the eye

AbstractIntroduction: For decades glucocorticoids have been considered as the gold standard for the treatment of asthma. We present a case report of typical glucocorticoid-resistant asthma and current consensus in definitions of “severe refractory”, “difficult” and “glucocorticoid-resistant” asthma. Methods: Full-text papers and abstracts were identified on the basis of a comprehensive literature search primarily in MEDLINE (1966 to June 2012) but also in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials database. Results: Glucocorticoid-resistant asthmatics are a small subset of patients who pose noteworthy diagnostic challenges while contributing disproportionately to health care costs. Recognition of various asthma phenotypes has aided in characterizing groups with severe asthma and given a better understanding of its pathophysiological process. The molecular mechanism of glucocorticoid action is complicated and several pathways have been identified to explain drug resistance, which in turn is crucial...
Introducing Solid Foods Validity of Report among Mothers Who Do Not Adhere to Recommended US Guidelines

Background:Introducing solids foods to infants before 6 months has been associated with adverse long-term health outcomes. Studies and surveys frequently use maternal report to identify the age when infants start solid foods.Objective:To address the accuracy of maternal report at 1 year postpartum regarding introduction of solid foods.Methods:Between 2008 and 2009, the authors enrolled mothers of healthy term singletons at an urban Boston hospital within 72 hours of giving birth. We called mothers monthly for 6 months and asked if they had given their baby solid foods in the previous month. At 1 year, we contacted mothers again and asked when they first gave solid foods; answers at 1 year were compared with the data collected monthly.Results:The authors analyzed data on 157 women, all of whom had, according to monthly responses, started solid foods before 6 months. At 1 year, only 14% (22/157) of reports matched data recorded monthly. Although 100% of women introduced solids before 6 months, at 1 year, 41...
Regulation of the Swarming Inhibitor disA in Proteus mirabilis

The disA gene encodes a putative amino acid decarboxylase that inhibits swarming in Proteus mirabilis. 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and deletion analysis were used to identify the disA promoter. The use of a disA-lacZ fusion indicated that FlhD4C2, the class I flagellar master regulator, did not have a role in disA regulation. The putative product of DisA, phenethylamine, was able to inhibit disA expression, indicating that a negative regulatory feedback loop was present. Transposon mutagenesis was used to identify regulators of disA and revealed that umoB (igaA) was a negative regulator of disA. Our data demonstrate that the regulation of disA by UmoB is mediated through the Rcs phosphorelay.
Smoking and socioeconomic status in a population-based inner city sample of African-Americans, Latinos and whites.

OBJECTIVE To examine patterns of cigarette smoking among individuals of different socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnicity. DESIGN A cross-sectional and longitudinal community-based random household sample. METHODS Unmarried African-American, Latino and while men and women, aged 20-44 years, living in San Francisco in 1988-9 and in 1989-90, were surveyed regarding prior and current smoking. Evaluation of behaviors was based on responses to an interviewer reading questions related to the variables of interest. SES was primarily based on educational attainment. RESULTS Overall, 40% of respondents smoked, with an inverse association in univariate analysis between smoking and educational attainment in each gender/ethnic subgroup, except for Latino men. After controlling for other variables, ethnicity and education predicted smoking: with Latinos as referent, whites [odds ratio (OR) = 3.2] and African-Americans (OR = 2.7) were more likely to stroke, and there was a consistent graded inverse association between educational attainment and smoking (P or = 1 pack/day compared with < 1 pack/day) were more likely to be older (P < 0.0001) and white (OR = 7.1) than African-American (OR = 1.8) or Latino (OR = 1.0), and there was trend toward heavy smokers being less educated (P = 0.06). One year later, 1422 (80%) of the original participants were resurveyed. Of 563 baseline smokers, 96 (17%) reported having quit, with African-Americans less likely to quit than whites or Latinos (P < 0.05). Of 859 baseline nonsmokers, 34 (4%) had started to smoke 1 year later. CONCLUSIONS In a population-based inner city sample, the prevalence of smoking was considerable and there was a strong inverse association between smoking and educational attainment in almost all ethnic and gender subgroups. Further studies are needed to explore the possible reasons for these differences so that culturally sensitive risk factor interventions may be developed and tested.
Frederick the Great and the Celebrated Case of the Millers Arnold (1770–1779): A Reappraisal

What did it mean when an teenth-century monarch intervened in a legal struggle between social unequals, and decided on behalf of the weaker party? How do historians interpret such an event? In the example under examination here—the cause celebre of the millers Christian and Rosine Arnold in Brandenburg-Prussia (1770–1779)—the dominant opinion of two centuries has been that King Frederick II's intervention violated justice and the rule of law. Explaining this remarkable continuity of historical attention is easy, for the affair's effects on state-formation in Prussia were far–reaching. On the very day that Frederick ruled in the millers' favor, the king also sacked his chancellor (Grosskanzler), Carl Joseph von Furst, as well as three members of Brandenburg's supreme tribunal, the Chamber Court (Kammergericht), all for ruling against the millers. In Furst's place as chancellor, Frederick installed Johann Heinrich Casimir von Carmer, under whom began the process of legal reforms that resulted in the provisional Corpus Juris Fridericianum (1781) and ultimately the General Prussian Code (Allgemeines Preussisches Landrecht, or ALR) of 1794. To some extent, then, Frederick's intervention was the founding act of codification. But it is more difficult to explain the unanimity: with few exceptions, historians and biographers have pronounced the intervention a “judicial catastrophe” (Justizkatastrophe) and declared the millers mere “troublemakers.” This essay will argue that such conclusions are misguided: by framing their questions within the parameters of legal and administrative history, most historians have focused on the legal merits of the Arnolds' suit. In so doing, they have operated on the assumption that a unitary definition of justice prevailed in eighteenth-century Prussia; as a result, most historical appraisals reflect highly partisan contemporary interpretations of the case. But there were at least three distinct “discourses” on justice at work as the case unfolded, each of them corresponding to one of the principal sets of actors in the drama.
Importance of Including Use and Passive Use Values of River and Lake Restoration

The restoration of rivers and related riparian areas is now a billion dollar a year business, with at least $15 billion spent since 1990 (Bernhardt et al. 2005). This restoration is taking place coast to coast, from the Penobscot River in Maine to the Elwha River in Washington. Restoration brings hope and optimism to conservationists that some of the past injuries that have arisen from our overzealous development of rivers can be at least partially rectified.But as river restoration grows into a billion dollar a year effort, certainly there will be individuals that will ask whether the benefits of such efforts are worth the costs. Not every restoration effort such as the Everglades will have the President of the United States’ brother to advocate for it. Some proposed large-scale restoration efforts such as the lower Snake River dam removals have yet to be approved, in part because of the perception by politically powerful interests that the costs outweigh the benefits. This paper will show that this perception is in part due to omission of important passive use values of river and salmon restoration such as existence values. These non-use or passive use values of river restoration are critical to include when dealing with restoration of riverine habitat for threatened and endangered (TE the current and near future populations are just too low. The near term value to society lies elsewhere, in the passive use value component of total economic value.
Establishment and regrowth responses of Albizia julibrissin on Louisiana USA coastal plain soils

The tree legume Albizia julibrissin Durazz. has potential as a forage plant to overcome forage quality limitations to animal performance on warm-season grass pastures in the southeastern USA. Hardseededness and slow establishment are limitations of this legume, while responses to defoliation have not been fully assessed. Germination, establishment, and response to defoliation were evaluated on a Coastal Plain soil in Louisiana, USA. Germination was limited only by hardseededness with no additional dormancy mechanism involved. Dry heat at 80°C enhanced germination with duration of exposure from 5 to 10 min providing a range in immediate and delayed germination responses. Under adversely dry conditions, establishment was not affected by initial seeding rate from 2.5 to 10 kg/ha. Results from repeated clippings suggest that survival of defoliated plants (R ² = 0.28, P = 0.08), but not regrowth productivity (P > 0.10), was affected by height of defoliation. Lifespan of plants cut at a 10 cm stubble height averaged 641 days, while those cut at 50 cm and 1 m averaged 935 days. Leaf crude protein of 25.9–28.3% was not affected by regrowth age of 44–93 days or by weather conditions. Forage nutritive value of stem regrowth was substantially less than that of leaves and was influenced by age and environment. Although defoliation management will be more critical for stand survival than currently practiced with sod-forming grasses in the region, nutritive value of A. julibrissin leaf regrowth provides a substantial opportunity to enhance animal productivity in the southeastern USA.
Clinical manifestations of mutations in the neurofibromatosis type 2 gene in vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas)

Vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas) continue to cause significant facial nerve and hearing morbidity, despite marked improvement in diagnosis and treatment. Mutation of a tumor-suppressor gene on human chromosome 22 has been found to be associated with vestibular schwannoma formation. The central hypothesis of this study is that specific mutations in the neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) gene may produce specific clinical characteristics or phenotypic expressions. The purposes of this investigation are: 1. to determine what proportion of vestibular schwannomas from patients with spontaneous unilateral and familial bilateral schwannomas have mutations present within the NF2 gene; 2. to determine whether specific types of mutations are associated with a specific clinical manifestation of this disease; and 3. to further define the relationship between newly discovered mutations within the NF2 tumor-suppressor gene and possible clinical applications of this knowledge to advance diagnosis and treatment of patients with NF2 and spontaneous vestibular schwannomas. DNA from 61 schwannomas (29 unilateral vestibular schwannomas and 32 from patients with bilateral vestibular schwannomas [NF2]) were examined, and 33 unique mutations were identified. Significant differences were found in the frequency, distribution, and type of mutation between the NF2 schwannomas and the spontaneous vestibular schwannomas. Three clinical subtypes of NF2 were identified. In tumors from 28 patients, no mutations were identified. Of the 33 mutations identified in the NF2 gene, 30 were likely to result in loss of tumor-suppressor function from protein truncation; however, three milder mutations termed missense mutations were associated with milder clinical manifestations of the disease and had a slower estimated growth rate. Variable clinical presentation in patients whose tumors had severe or truncating types of mutations suggest that factors in addition to the mutation class are likely to be responsible for a portion of the clinical expression of disease. New diagnostic options are now available for NF2 that will improve the likelihood of hearing and facial nerve preservation and ultimately have significant impact on the management of vestibular schwannomas.
The interrater and intrarater reliability of the functional movement screen: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Abstract Objective To synthesize the literature and perform a meta-analysis for both the interrater and intrarater reliability of the FMS™. Methods Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, Medline and SportsDiscus databases were systematically searched from inception to March 2015. Studies were included if the primary purpose was to determine the interrater or intrarater reliability of the FMS™, assessed and scored all 7-items using the standard scoring criteria, provided a composite score and employed intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Studies were excluded if reliability was not the primary aim, participants were injured at data collection, or a modified FMS™ or scoring system was utilized. Results Seven papers were included; 6 assessing interrater and 6 assessing intrarater reliability. There was moderate evidence in good interrater reliability with a summary ICC of 0.843 (95% CI = 0.640, 0.936; Q 7 = 84.915, p 12 = 60.763, p Conclusion There was moderate evidence for both forms of reliability. The sensitivity assessments revealed this interpretation is stable and not influenced by any one study. Overall, the FMS™ is a reliable tool for clinical practice.
Supplicants and Citizens: Public Letter-Writing in Soviet Russia in the 1930s

“Which one of us had never written letters to the supreme powers…If they are preserved, these mountains of letters will be a veritable treasure trove for historians.” So wrote Nadezhda Mandelstam, always a sharp-eyed anthropologist of Soviet everyday life. Historians who have encountered this treasure trove in Soviet archives newly opened over the past few years are likely to agree. The great volume of public letter-writing–the “mountains” of complaints, denunciations, statements of opinion, appeals, threats and confessional outpourings that ordinary Russians sent to Soviet political leaders, party and government agencies, public figures, and newspapers–constitutes one of the major discoveries associated with the opening of the archives.
Adjacent level disease following lumbar spine surgery: A review.

Background: Instrumented lumbar spine surgery is associated with an increased risk of adjacent segment disease (ASD). Multiple studies have explored the various risk factors contributing to ASD that include; fusion length (especially, three or more levels), sagittal malalignment, facet injury, advanced age, and prior cephalad degenerative disease.
Rapid detection of enterovirus and varicella-Zoster virus by multiplex real-time quantitative RT-PCR

Objective To establish a TaqMan-based multiplex real-time RT-PCR assay for detection of enteroviruses and Varicella-Zoster virus.Methods The gene sequences of EV and VZV downloaded from the Genbank database were aligned using the biologic software,and the specific primers and probe were designed in the 5'untranslated conserved region for Ev and the conserved region of the ORF62 gene for VZV.The reaction conditions were optimized to evaluate the sensitivity,specificity and stability,and clinical specimens were detected by this assay.Results This assay had high specificity for detection of EV and VZV,and the detection limits were 30 copies / μl and 36 copies / μl.This assay can be directly used to identify EV and VZV from clinical specimens,only 3h.Conclusion This assay is rapid,sensitive and specific for early clinical detection and emergent examination of EV and VZV.
Some Properties of Events Executed in Discrete-Event Simulation Models

The field of computer architecture uses quantitative methods to drive the computer system design process. By quantitatively profiling the run time characteristics of computer programs, the principal processing needs of commonly used programs became well understood and computer architects can focus their design solutions toward those needs. The DESMetrics project is established to follow this quantitative model by profiling the execution of Discrete Event Simulation (DES) models in order to focus optimization efforts within DES execution frameworks (and especially parallel DES engines). In particular, the DESMetrics project is designed to capture the run time characteristics of event execution in DES models. Because DES models tend to have fine grained computational processing requirements, the DESMetrics project focuses on the event dependencies and their exchange between the objects in the simulation. For now, we assume that optimization of the actual event processing is well served by conventional compiler and architecture solutions. Although, as will become clear later in Section 6, the possibility of identifying scheduling blocks of events that could potentially be schedule together can be achieved - at least within a single simulation object.
Seasonal and Low-Frequency Variability in Basin-Scale Sea Level

Seasonal and low-frequency variations in basin-scale mean sea level are studied for the period 1950 to 2000 by interpolating sparse tide gauge data to a global grid using empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of sea level variability determined from TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) altimeter data. Results are based on data and with no long term trends. The fact that the results do not have secular trends is an artifact of the analysis, and should not be interpreted as an indication that sea level is not rising. Reconstructions using global EOF modes compare better with T/P for basin-scale averages than reconstructions based on basin EOF modes. An analysis of mean sea level in the North Pacific and North Atlantic suggests both basins have a significant trend in the mean annual amplitude over time and that the North Atlantic has a significant trend in the mean annual phase. It is also demonstrated that volume changes of the upper layer thickness in the tropical Pacific can be calculated from the reconstructed data with an accuracy comparable to other methods.
Computer-Based Patient Interviewing

The medical history, which may well be the physician's most important diagnostic tool, has long been neglected. The computer is well suited to efficient patient interviewing. This two part article describes a computer-based technic for taking general medical and specialty histories directly from patients.
A systematic review of the association between fish oil supplementation and the development of asthma exacerbations

A systematic review was conducted to examine the association between fish oil supplementation and the development of asthma exacerbations. Comprehensive literature reviews of recent fish oil studies were performed to evaluate alterations in asthma surrogate markers. Additionally, the relative compositions of the fish oils used in each study were analyzed. The results of the review were inconclusive, but provide a basis for future research methods.
Group-centric networking: addressing information sharing requirements at the tactical edge

In recent years, there has been a large push in the U.S. Department of Defense to move to an all-IP infrastructure, particularly on the tactical edge. IP and associated protocols were designed primarily for wired networks tied to fixed infrastructure. Although extensions to support MANET have received decades of research, in practice, there are few successful implementations. Challenges include handling mobility, managing lossy links, and scaling to large numbers of users. Unfortunately, these are the exact conditions military tactical edge networks must operate within: high mobility, high loss, and large numbers of users. To address the needs and particular challenges of military tactical edge information sharing requirements, we consider a new class of networking approaches called group-centric networks that focuses on dynamic and resilient formation of interest groups. The structure of tactical networks limits the majority of collaboration and network traffic to within a group of users that share a set of common interests (i.e., platoons, 4-ships, etc.). These groups are formed either prior to the mission or on the fly with only a minor amount of traffic flowing outside of these groups. Group-centric networking approaches can help connect users in military tactical edge networks. In addition, we also discuss an instantiation of a group-centric network protocol called Group Centric Networking (GCN), compare GCN against a traditional MANET routing approach on a 90-node Android mobile phone testbed, and discuss implications for tactical edge users.
Politicizing the Loca Body After the Dictatorship, 1990–2005

This chapter examines Chile’s postdictatorship period, in which leftist thinkers often critiqued the supposed exceptionalism of the neoliberal economy still in effect in democracy. They exclude queer experiences from their critical recastings of the period, however, despite a vibrant artistic corpus of (admittedly, politically unpalatable) locas, or queers. The homonormative stories in Pablo Simonetti’s Vidas vulnerables (1995), for example, whitewash queer militancy and propose a total complicity with neoliberalism. Lemebel’s collection of chronicles Loco afan (1996), meanwhile, evades and nuances the postdictatorship critical agenda of the Left by discussing locas’ divergent political perspectives. Finally, the performance artist Lorenza Bottner reminds us of the dangers of politicizing the queer body and exemplifies thinking beyond the logic of the “postdictatorship.”
Finance for All: The Success of the Market-Led Approach to Financial Development in the Developing World

Economists have long argued that inclusive and well-developed financial systems play a critical role in fostering economic growth and development. However, the question of what is the best means of achieving financial development has long remained a puzzle in the development finance literature. In this paper, I show that some of the greatest examples of financial development in modern times have not come from countries that have pursued a more top-down or state-led approach to financial development, which has been the dominant mode of promoting financial inclusion and development in the postwar era. Instead, they’ve come from countries that have taken a bottom-up or market-oriented approach. This hands-off approach has succeeded because it gives entrepreneurs the ability to utilize their knowledge of their local economy to discover innovative ways to access financially excluded segments of the population. Perhaps the greatest modern day example of market-led financial development is the mobile money revolution that has swept across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the past decade. In this paper, I argue that the key predictor of whether a country will reap the benefits of these transformative innovations is whether its government embraces a hands off, or “enabling,” regulatory environment that promotes entrepreneurship and experimentation.
Atrial Natriuretic Factor and Its Clinical Implications

In 1961, de Wardener and his colleagues triggered the search for a natriuretic hormone by demonstrating that changes in glomerular filtration rate and mineralocorticoid activity did not account for the natriuresis which occurs after a saline load (1). Twenty years later, de Bold et al. showed the existence of a natriuretic factor derived from the atria of the heart (2), leading to the discovery of the only natriuretic hormonal substance clearly identified to date. The groundwork for de Bold’s discovery lay in two series of observations. First, a large body of evidence had accumulated indicating that the atria were involved in extracellular volume regulation, since atrial distention was shown to provoke diuresis, natriuresis and suppression of renin, vasopressin and aldosterone release (3, 4). The second series of observations were anatomic: electron micrographs of atrial tissue revealed the presence of granules identical to secretory granules found in endocrine cells (5, 6). Further, the density of these granules varied with changes in fluid balance (7, 8). De Bold and his co-workers synthesized these findings by demonstrating that injection of atrial extracts produced a marked natriuresis and diuresis in the rat (2).
Abstract B06: Targeting M2-Tumor Associated Macrophages (M2-TAMs) in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths of men in the U.S., and in the past year, over 30,000 men died from this disease. While localized prostate cancer is highly treatable by surgical resection and radiation, cancer that has metastasized remains incurable. Alternatively activated macrophages, also known as M2-macrophages, primarily scavenge debris and in the process, promote angiogenesis and wound repair. M2-macrophages are phenotypically similar to M2 tumor-associated macrophages (M2-TAMs) have been reported to associate with solid tumors such as prostate cancer to facilitate epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), tumor invasiveness, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. As an invasive species within the tumor microenvironment, this makes M2-TAMs an ideal therapeutic target in prostate cancer. The purpose of this project is to develop novel therapeutics that will directly target M2-TAMs for destruction and subsequently attenuate prostate tumor growth, progression, and metastasis. Our hypothesis is to determine if targeting of M2-TAMs by using enriched surface antigens that are targeted by antibody-drug-conjugates (ADCs), be an effective therapy for lethal prostate cancer while simultaneously eliciting an immune response. To identify novel surface antigens expressed on M2-macrophages, we developed a novel method of creating homogenous populations of human macrophages from CD14+ monocytes in vitro. Our homogenous M1 macrophages secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines and our M2 macrophages secrete anti-inflammatory cytokines as well as VEGF. We then performed solid-phase extraction of N-linked glycopeptides (SPEG) followed by liquid chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) on our homogenous macrophage populations. We discovered six novel peptides that are enriched exclusively on M2-macrophages relative to M1 macrophages and CD14+ monocytes. Lastly, we determined if these surface antigens, found enriched on M2 macrophages, were also expressed in human metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Using mCRPC tissues from rapid autopsies supplied by the Departments of Urology and Surgical Pathology, we were able to determine M2-macrophage infiltration by using immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. The studies described here outline a method of altering the tumor immune microenvironment. By identifying specific markers on M2-TAMs, we predict that this method of targeting will provide a better prognosis for patients who have been diagnosed with lethal prostate cancer. Citation Format: Jelani C. Zarif, James R. Hernandez, Weiming Yang, Hui Zhang, Kenneth J. Pienta. Targeting M2-Tumor Associated Macrophages (M2-TAMs) in prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2016 Oct 20-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2017;5(3 Suppl):Abstract nr B06.
Effect of food and perhaps larval crowding on diapause initiation in tufted apple bud moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

Larvae from a laboratory strain of tufted apple bud moth, Platynota idaeusali (Walker), were reared on semisynthetic diet and excised apple leaves while exposed to naturally-decreasing daylengths. ...
Postscript: The Twentieth Century

This brief closing chapter is devoted to two twentieth century developments that have in very different ways served to complete the historical development of the calculus. The comprehensive theory of integration that stems from the work of Henri Lebesgue (1875–1941) is (in a certain technical sense) the ultimate generalization of the concept of the integral for real-valued functions of a real variable. The non-standard analysis of Abraham Robinson (1918–1974) provides at long last a logical foundation for infinitesimals as they were frequently used in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.