cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency detection by direct analysis of the mutation in the gene.

A deficiency in the plasma protease inhibitor α1-antitrypsin can cause chronic obstructive emphysema or infantile liver cirrhosis. This deficiency results from a single amino acid substitution created by a G to A transition in the gene for α1-antitrypsin. Chemically synthesized specific oligonucleotide probes (19-mer) have been used to develop a sensitive and direct test for the presence or absence of the mutant gene in any individual, which can be used for prenatal diagnosis of the deficiency syndrome.
Retrograde endotracheal intubation: an investigation of indications, complications, and patient outcomes

Abstract The objective of this study was to review indications for retrograde endotracheal intubation (REI) and to examine outcomes and complications associated with this technique. We reviewed all intubations of adult emergency department patients over an 8-year period. A total of 1681 charts were reviewed with 313 excluded because of inadequate documentation of intubation. Of the 1368 remaining charts, we found that REI was attempted in 8 cases. Indications for REI included trauma (n = 4) and non–trauma-related respiratory distress (n = 4). Complications included inability to locate the cricothyroid membrane (n = 2), inability to pass the endotracheal tube through the vocal cords (n = 1), and procedure time of more than 3 minutes (n = 4). Retrograde endotracheal intubation was successful in securing the airway in 4 cases and unsuccessful in 4 cases. We found that although REI was attempted for trauma and non–trauma-related respiratory compromise, it was associated with multiple complications, and successful in only 4 of 8 cases.
Role of Silanol Group in Sn-Beta Zeolite for Glucose Isomerization and Epimerization Reactions

Density functional calculations are used to elucidate the role of the silanol group adjacent to the active site Sn metal center of the Sn-BEA zeolite in the isomerization and epimerization of glucose. We find that the silanol group plays an important role in the isomerization reaction, wherein hydride transfer and subsequent proton transfer occur in a single step with a lower energy of activation. Epimerization, on the other hand, proceeds via a mechanism similar to the Bilik mechanism and has lower activation barrier when the silanol group does not participate directly in the transition state. Our calculations indicate that cooperative effects, often encountered in enzymatic catalysis, promote hydride transfer in the isomerization reaction but not for the Bilik mechanism for epimerization.
Selective spectroscopic methods for water analysis

This dissertation explores in large part the development of a few types of spectroscopic methods in the analysis of water. Methods for the determination of some of the most important properties of water like pH, metal ion content, and chemical oxygen demand are investigated in detail. This report contains a general introduction to the subject and the conclusions. Four chapters and an appendix have been processed separately. They are: chromogenic and fluorogenic crown ether compounds for the selective extraction and determination of Hg(II); selective determination of cadmium in water using a chromogenic crown ether in a mixed micellar solution; reduction of chloride interference in chemical oxygen demand determination without using mercury salts; structural orientation patterns for a series of anthraquinone sulfonates adsorbed at an aminophenol thiolate monolayer chemisorbed at gold; and the role of chemically modified surfaces in the construction of miniaturized analytical instrumentation.
WSi2/Si multilayer sectioning by reactive ion etching for multilayer Laue lens fabrication

SPIE Conference paper/talk presentation: Introduction: Reactive ion etching (RIE) has been employed in a wide range of fields such as semiconductor fabrication, MEMS (microelectromechanical systems), and refractive x-ray optics with a large investment put towards the development of deep RIE. Due to the intrinsic differing chemistries related to reactivity, ion bombardment, and passivation of materials, the development of recipes for new materials or material systems can require intense effort and resources. For silicon in particular, methods have been developed to provide reliable anisotropic profiles with good dimensional control and high aspect ratios1,2,3, high etch rates, and excellent material to mask etch selectivity...
Laser-induced internal cracks in LiF single crystals

Internal cracks were generated in LiF single crystals using a focused short-pulse laser. The laser-induced fracture region is composed of a central damage zone of fragmentation and three orthogonal penny-like cracks which consist of an intermediate zone and a circumferential fracture zone. The detailed features are examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mechanisms of the fracture process are discussed. The method is applicable to other transparent crystals.
Identification and characterization of homologues of the Exocyst component Sec10p.

Abstract The SEC10 gene product is a member of the Exocyst complex essential for exocytosis in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We report here the cloning and characterization of human Sec10p (hSec10p; GenBank accession number U85946). hSec10p is a 77-kDa protein with 23% amino acid identity to yeast Sec10p and 37% identity to a C. elegans protein found in the database. Northern and Western blot analyses indicate that hSec10 has a broad tissue distribution. Immunofluorescence staining of COS cells cotransfected with hSec10p and a mammalian Sec8p demonstrates that these two proteins have an identical distribution in the cell including a localization in the peripheral cytoplasm. These data suggest that hSec10p is a component of the mammalian counterpart of the yeast Exocyst complex essential for post-Golgi traffic. © 1997 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.
Comparison of diamond-like carbon film deposition by electron cyclotron resonance with benzene and methane

A comparative study of the deposition of diamond-like carbon films using methane or benzene in a microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system has been performed. Process variables studied were reactor pressure, applied radio frequency substrate bias, and microwave power. The plasma stream was characterized using optical emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Film properties studied included optical energy gap, total hydrogen content, integrated C-H stretch absorption, index of refraction, and Raman spectra. The use of a high C/H ratio reactant such as benzene was found to be advantageous over methane in that higher deposition rates were possible and the resultant films exhibit diamond-like properties without the application of large substrate biases. Another result of this investigation was further confirmation that hard carbon films contain a significant quantity of nonbonded hydrogen [A. Grill and V. Patel, Appl. Phys. Lett. 60 (17), 2089 (1992)].
Origin of the anomalous X-ray diffraction in phthalocyanine films

The impact of the submolecular electron density on the X-ray diffraction profile of a layer-stacked thin film is studied experimentally and compared with numerical simulations based on the molecular structure and angular arrangement. Important structural information is contained in the X-ray diffraction profile of highly anisotropic molecular thin films, such as phthalocyanines. The results show that the intensity distribution of the diffraction peaks belonging to the same series of lattice planes provides important structural information including the molecular tilt angle and the center electron density of the molecule.
Evaluation of an automatic markup system

One predominant application of OCR is the recognition of full text documents for information retrieval. Modern retrieval systems exploit both the textual content of the document as well as its structure. The relationship between textual content and character accuracy have been the focus of recent studies. It has been shown that due to the redundancies in text, average precision and recall is not heavily affected by OCR character errors. What is not fully known is to what extent OCR devices can provide reliable information that can be used to capture the structure of the document. In this paper, we present a preliminary report on the design and evaluation of a system to automatically markup technical documents, based on information provided by an OCR device. The device we use differs from traditional OCR devices in that it not only performs optical character recognition, but also provides detailed information about page layout, word geometry, and font usage. Our automatic markup program, which we call Autotag, uses this information, combined with dictionary lookup and content analysis, to identify structural components of the text. These include the document title, author information, abstract, sections, section titles, paragraphs, sentences, and de-hyphenated words. A visual examination of the hardcopy is compared to the output of our markup system to determine its correctness.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and risk of venous thromboembolism: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

There is considerable interest in the role of vitamin D in human health. The best marker of vitamin D status is serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] [1]. An area that needs clarification is whether a low level of 25(OH)D may predispose to venous thromboembolism (VTE), as it may do for atherothrombotic diseases. Lindqvist et al suggested this possibility by showing in a cohort of Swedish women that sunbathers (with, presumably, extra sun-induced vitamin D had a 30% reduced VTE risk, and that population VTE risk was 50% lower in summer than winter (when vitamin D levels decrease) [2]. A large prospective study from Copenhagen reported an inverse association of seasonally-adjusted plasma 25(OH)D with VTE, with a relative risk of 1.28 (95% CI = 1.06, 1.53) for the lowest versus highest tertile of 25(OH)D [3]. However, the Tromso Study found no association of serum 25(OH)D with VTE, but was underpowered for low versus high 25(OH)D quartiles (relative risk 1.32, 95% CI = 0.78, 2.22) [4]. Administration of calcitriol, the active hormone form of vitamin D, was shown to reduce VTE occurrence in chronic kidney disease [5] and cancer patients [6]. Vitamin D receptor −/− mice, who display vitamin D deficiency, have increased thrombogenic activity [7]. 25(OH)D levels are seemingly deficient in 38% of black women, 18% of black men, 5% of white women, and 1% of white men, and they are optimal in only 2%, 4%, 29%, and 26%, respectively [8]. Grant speculated that a link between low vitamin D and VTE might explain an African American excess of VTE, compared with whites [9]. However, along with lower mean levels of 25(OH)D, recent evidence suggests that African Americans also have lower levels of vitamin D-binding protein and hence mean levels of bioavailable vitamin D similar to those in whites [10]. We tested prospectively in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort whether 25(OH)D is inversely associated with VTE incidence and partly explains the African American excess of VTE in our sample [11].
Loss of chromosomes and nondisjunction induced by caffeine in Drosophila.

THE mutagenic and chromosomal aberration activity of caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) has been demonstrated in human tissue cultures1, bacteria2, Ophiostoma3, and onion root tips4. In mice the data are indeterminate5,6 and this is also the case in Drosophila because Andrew7 reported mutagenic effect of caffeine although Yanders and Seaton8 reported a lack of mutagenicity.
Protein profiling in respiratory disease: techniques and impact.

Multifactorial diseases such as respiratory disease call for a global analysis of such disorders. Recent advances in protein profiling techniques may allow for early diagnosis of respiratory disease, which is crucial for intervention and treatment. In order to reduce false-positive rates, clinical diagnosis requires a high degree of sensitivity and specificity to be an effective screening tool. Protein profiles identified by ProteinChip® (Ciphergen Biosystems) technology coupled with mass spectrometry affords a global analysis of clinical samples and is beginning to reach acceptable levels of sensitivity and specificity. Combining the profile with another diagnostic tool enhances the effectiveness of protein profiles to classify disease. Although current efforts have centered on serum protein profiling, the local environment of the lung may be better reflected in proteins of bronchoalveolar lavage or sputum. Identification of biomarkers of disease by protein profiling anaylses may lead to an understanding...
Reassessing the molecular biology of sperm–egg recognition with mouse genetics

The zona pellucida is an extracellular coat that surrounds mammalian eggs and early embryos. This insoluble matrix separates germ from somatic cells during folliculogenesis and plays critical roles during fertilization and early development. The mouse and human zona pellucida contain three glycoproteins (ZP1 or ZPB, ZP2, ZP3), the primary structures of which have been deduced by molecular cloning. Targeted mutagenesis of endogenous mouse genes and transgenesis with human homologues provide models to investigate the roles of individual zona components. Collectively, the genetic data indicate that no single mouse zona pellucida protein is obligatory for taxon-specific sperm binding and that two human proteins are not sufficient to support human sperm binding. An observed post-fertilization persistence of mouse sperm binding to "humanized" zona pellucida correlates with uncleaved ZP2. These observations are consistent with a model for sperm binding in which the supramolecular structure of the zona pellucida necessary for sperm binding is modulated by the cleavage status of ZP2.
Point detection of bacterial and viral pathogens using oral samples

Oral samples, including saliva, offer an attractive alternative to serum or urine for diagnostic testing. This is particularly true for point-of-use detection systems. The various types of oral samples that have been reported in the literature are presented here along with the wide variety of analytes that have been measured in saliva and other oral samples. The paper focuses on utilizing point-detection of infectious disease agents, and presents work from our group on a rapid test for multiple bacterial and viral pathogens by monitoring a series of targets. It is thus possible in a single oral sample to identify multiple pathogens based on specific antigens, nucleic acids, and host antibodies to those pathogens. The value of such a technology for detecting agents of bioterrorism at remote sites is discussed.
Automatic control of a primary electric thrust subsystem

A concept for automatic control of the thrust subsystem has been developed by JPL and participating NASA Centers. This paper reports on progress in implementing the concept at JPL. Control of the Thrust Subsystem (TSS) is performed by the spacecraft computer command subsystem, and telemetry data is extracted by the spacecraft flight data subsystem. The Data and Control Interface Unit, an element of the TSS, provides the interface with the individual elements of the TSS. The control philosophy and implementation guidelines are presented. Control requirements are listed, and the control mechanism, including the serial digital data intercommunication system, is outlined. The paper summarizes progress to Fall 1974.
Breast Imaging Second Opinions Impact Surgical Management

Breast surgeons often see women for second opinions for abnormalities found on breast imaging. For second opinions, these images are submitted for review and interpretation by dedicated breast imagers. This study evaluated the conformity of results among interpretation of imaging submitted from outside hospitals both from tertiary care centers, as well as community programs, in an attempt to evaluate the utility of this practice for the sake of clinical management and resource utilization. A retrospective chart review was conducted on all breast patients that submitted outside imaging films for the years 2011 to 2013 at Rush University Medical Center (RUMC). The radiologic diagnosis and each patient’s proposed management plan was collected and evaluated for concordance between the outside institutions and RUMC. A total of 380 patients who presented for second opinions with an interpretation of outside exams were evaluated. In 47.4 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 42.4–52.4] of cases there was distinct variance in radiologic impression. For 53.5 % (95 % CI 48.4–58.5) of patients, there was a change in recommended management plan, which included recommendations for either additional imaging or need for additional biopsy. In total, this changed the overall surgical management in 27.1 % (95 % CI 22.8–31.9) of cases. In six patients, the reinterpretation of outside imaging detected new malignancies not previously identified. Overall, 83.7 % (95 % CI 79.7–87.1) of patients who submitted imaging from outside institutions chose to complete the remainder of their treatment at RUMC. The practice of second opinion review changed overall definitive management at our specialty center in more than one in four cases. In addition, the review identified six previously unrecognized malignancies. Given this data, the practice of second opinions and interpretation of outside exams should continue despite the additional resources required.
Long-term outcome studies of testosterone therapy in older hypogonadal men: waiting for Godot?

Long-term outcome studies of testosterone therapy in older hypogonadal men: waiting for Godot?
Origin of Magnetic Anisotropy in Cobalt-Substituted Magnetite

The large part of the ferromagnetic anisotropy of ${\mathrm{Co}}_{x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{3\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ attributed to the presence of ${\mathrm{Co}}^{2+}$ is explained, for small $x$, by means of a one-ion model. The residual orbital angular momentum $\ensuremath{\alpha}(\ensuremath{\simeq}1)$ of ${\mathrm{Co}}^{2+}$ is constrained by the crystal electric field to lie parallel to the axis of trigonal symmetry. Spin-orbit energy $\ensuremath{\lambda}\mathrm{L}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathrm{S}$ couples the spin to this axis, accounting for the anisotropy energy. By fitting the theory to cubic anisotropy data one finds $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\lambda}=\ensuremath{-}132$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The assumption that cations are mobile at higher temperatures leads to a quantitative explanation of the annealing-induced anisotropy energy. The mean orbital magnetic moment ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{L}$ of ${\mathrm{Co}}^{2+}$ is predicted to be large (${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{L}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.5$ Bohr magneton) and anisotropic ($\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{L}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.1$ Bohr magneton) at low temperatures.
Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) of steroid hormone metabolites and its applications

Advances in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) can be used to measure steroid hormone metabolites in vitro and in vivo. We find that LC-electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS using a LCQ ion trap mass spectrometer in the negative ion mode can be used to monitor the product profile that results from 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-17beta-glucuronide, DHT-17beta-sulfate, and tibolone-17beta-sulfate reduction catalyzed by human members of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) 1C subfamily and assign kinetic constants to these reactions. We also developed a stable isotope dilution LC-electron capture atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (ECAPCI)-MS method for the quantitative analysis of estrone (E1) and its metabolites as pentafluorobenzyl (PFB) derivatives in human plasma in the attomole range. The limit of detection for E1-PFB was 740attomole on column. Separations can be performed using normal-phase LC because ionization takes place in the gas phase rather than in solution. This permits efficient separation of the regioisomeric 2- and 4-methoxy-E1. The method was validated for the simultaneous analysis of plasma E2 and its metabolites: 2-methoxy-E2, 4-methoxy-E2, 16alpha-hydroxy-E2, estrone (E1), 2-methoxy-E1, 4-methoxy-EI, and 16alpha-hydroxy-E1 from 5pg/mL to 2000pg/mL. Our LC-MS methods have sufficient sensitivity to detect steroid hormone levels in prostate and breast tumors and should aid their molecular diagnosis and treatment.
Metal ion affinities of the zinc finger domains of the metal responsive element-binding transcription factor-1 (MTF1).

Metal response element (MRE) binding transcription factor-1 (MTF1) is a six Cys2His2 zinc finger-containing transcription factor required for basal and zinc-induced transcription of metallothionein genes. The cobalt(II) and zinc(II) affinities of a protein fragment comprising the six zinc finger domains have been examined to reveal apparent dissociation constants (for the six domains collectively) of 0.5 ± 0.2 μM for cobalt(II) and 31 ± 14 pM for zinc(II). Two approaches have been used to determine the metal ion affinities of the individual domains. First, the six domains have been examined as single domain peptides revealing dissociation constants ranging from 0.3 to 1.7 μM for cobalt(II). The domains fall into two sets with peptides corresponding to domains 2, 3, and 4 showing relatively high affinity (Kd(Co(II)) 0.3−0.5 μM) and peptides corresponding to domains 1, 5, and 6 showing lower affinity (Kd(Co(II)) 1.6−1.7 μM). Second, we examined the affinity of each domain in the context of the six zinc fing...
Opinion Leaders and Opinion Seekers: Two New Measurement Scales

The authors describe the development and validation of multiple-item self-report scales to measure opinion leadership and opinion seeking for specific product or service domains. The concepts of opinion leadership and opinion seeking are defined, previous attempts to measure them are critiqued, and the scale development process is described. Five separate studies using data from 1,128 student and adult respondents provide ample evidence for the unidimensionality, the reliability, and the construct and criterion-related validity of the resulting scales. Finally, implications for consumer theory and marketing practice are discussed.
Ionic Accumulation in Citrus as Influenced by Rootstock and Scion and Concentration of Salts and Boron in the Substrate.

The work of Collander (4, 5) illustrates that plant species and varieties are clearly distinct from one another in regard to the absorption of ions from nutrient solutions containing equal concentrations of several bases. The findings of Haas (14) and Smith et al. (26) indicate that the accumulation of ions in citrus is complicated by the fact that most commercially grown citrus trees are composed of two species or varieties of citrus: 1. a scion, or top, such as the Valencia orange, budded onto 2. a seedling rootstock, such as sour orange. These workers found highly significant differences in concentrations of nitrate, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, boron, zinc, and iron ions in the leaves of the scion that are attributable to a rootstock influence. Likewise, differences in concentrations of ions in two scion varieties of citrus growing on the same variety of rootstock were found attributable to scion influence (14). The work of Eaton (8, 9) has shown a selective absorption by plants of toxic amounts of such ions as chloride, sulphate, sodium, and boron introduced into soil with irrigation water. He found this selective absorption to vary for different species of plants. Haas (12) showed that Valencia orange trees on sweet orange rootstock, when growing in a nutrient solution to which large amounts of NaCl had been added, accumulated large quantities of chloride. Reed and Haas (20) also found that Valencia orange trees on sweet orange rootstock absorbed only small quantities of sodium when grown in nutrient solutions containing large amounts of NaCl. No results were reported, however, on the accumulation of these two ions in scions grown on other rootstocks. Both scion and rootstock influences on the accumulation of boron in citrus are shown by the work of Eaton and Blair (10). They worked with reciprocally grafted plants of Eureka lemon and Severinia buxifolia grown in controlled cultures receiving different amounts of boron. They found that the rootstock tended to control the quantity of boron accumulated in the scion. Other workers (13, 23, 26), who used other varieties of citrus as scion and rootstock, confirmed these results. A recent report (6) from this laboratory presented data on the injury to citrus trees of four rootstock-scion combinations subjected to varying amounts of added salt and boron, alone and combined, applied to a soil substrate. The test plants consisted of Valencia orange scions and Shary Red grapefruit scions on sour orange and Cleopatra mandarin rootstocks.
Living Well II: A review of progress since 2003

Epilepsy as an issue for the public health community has a relatively short history in the United States. Not since the 1970s, when Congress established the Commission for the Control of Epilepsy and Its Consequences and the publication of its formal report, "Plan for Nationwide Action on Epilepsy," has significant attention been paid to the public health implications of epilepsy. In fact, until the U.S. Congress established a small epilepsy program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 12 years ago, the condition was practically invisible at all levels of organized public health. Since then, two major conferences, and the recommendations arising from them, have generated a substantially increased level of activity in research, surveillance, and the production and distribution of public education materials, as well as a national initiative to improve access to care and to prevent epilepsy's negative social impact. Even at the state level, long devoid of any attention to epilepsy in public health planning or provision of services, things are beginning to change, and new demonstration programs designed to identify and serve vulnerable populations with epilepsy are underway. This review highlights these activities, reflects a new and heightened level of attention to epilepsy, and speculates on what may lie ahead in the ongoing effort to give epilepsy greater visibility and higher priority in the public health arena.
Nonparametric dominant point detection

ABSTRACT A new method for detecting dominant points is presented. It does not require any input parameter, and the dominant points obtained by this method remain relatively the same even when the object curveis scaled or rotated.Ill this method, for each boundary point, a support region is assigned to the point based on its localproperties. Each point is then smoothed by a Gaussian filter with a width proportional to its determined support region. A significance measure for each point is then computed. Dominant points are finally obtained through nonmaximum suppression.Unlike other dominant point detection algorithms which are sensitive to scaling and rotation of theobject curve, the new method will overcome this difficulty. Furthermore, it is robust in the presence of noise. The proposed new method is compared to a well-known dominant point detection algorithm in termsof the computational complexity and the approximation errors. 1. INTRODUCTION It has been suggested from the viewpoint of the human visual system1 that dominant points along anobject contour are rich in information content and are sufficient to characterize the object contour. Thedominant points are the high curvature points along a digital curve that have important shape attributes.Many algorithms216 have been suggested for detecting dominant points. They fall into two categories
Thalidomide and angiostatin inhibit tumor growth in a murine xenograft model of human cervical cancer.

Abstract Objective To determine the impact of thalidomide and angiostatin on tumor growth, angiogenesis, and apoptosis in a xenograft model of cervical cancer. Methods Human umbilical endothelial cells were treated with angiostatin or thalidomide and bFGF-induced proliferation was assessed with the MTT assay. Human cervical cancer cells (CaSki and SiHa) were injected into the flanks of nude mice. After tumors developed, mice were treated with angiostatin 20 mg/kg/day or thalidomide 200 mg/kg/day for 30 days. Fractional tumor growth was determined and immunohistochemical analysis of tumors was used to determine degree of angiogenesis. TUNEL assay was used to assess apoptosis. Results Angiostatin inhibited endothelial cell proliferation by 50–60%. Thalidomide had no direct effect on endothelial cells. Angiostatin and thalidomide both inhibited tumor growth by about 55%. We found no additive or synergistic effect when the two agents were combined. Both agents inhibited angiogenesis and induced apoptosis when compared to tumors from control animals. Conclusions Angiostatin and thalidomide inhibit tumor growth, angiogenesis, and induce apoptosis in this xenograft model of cervical cancer.
A Tentative Cultural Sequence for the Snyder Site, Kansas

Prior to the past decade documentation for the Archaic period in Kansas has not been substantial. One reason evidence has been slow in emerging is the discovery that Archaic sites are often buried ...
Friends and neighbors: Homeownership and social capital among low- to moderate-income families

This research explores whether homeownership leads to increased individual social capital among low- to moderate-income families. Social capital refers to social resources a person can access throu...
Value-Added Adjustment in Undergraduate Business School Ranking.

In 2006, Business Week issued a highly publicized ranking of undergraduate business schools (Lavelle, 2006). Although the ranking provided useful measures of quality, the high rank of some schools was partly due to the quality of incoming students and educational resources rather than the ability of the school to add value. In this article, the authors derive a statistical frontier with alternative reranking of schools on the basis of value added. The authors ranked some schools high according to both measures, but other schools experienced a major increase in rank when the value-added adjustment was applied. The authors discussed implications for students, parents, and business schools.
Survival outcomes in liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma, comparing impact of hepatitis C versus other etiology of cirrhosis

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is on the rise worldwide as the most common primary hepatic malignancy. In the US approximately one half of all HCC is related to Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The relationship between the primary disease and HCC recurrence after liver transplantation is unknown. We hypothesized that the primary hepatic disease underlying the development of cirrhosis and HCC would be associated with the risk of recurrent HCC after transplantation. A retrospective review was conducted of all primary liver transplants performed at the University of Rochester Medical Center from May 1995 through June 2004. The pathology reports from the native livers of 727 recipients were examined for the presence of HCC. There were 71 liver transplant recipients with histopathological evidence of HCC. These patients were divided in two groups on the basis of HCV status. Group 1 consisted of 37 patients that were both HCV and HCC positive, and Group 2 consisted of 34 patients that were HCC positive but HCV negative. Patient characteristics were analyzed, as well as number of tumors, tumor size, presence of vascular invasion, lobe involvement, recipient demographics, donor factors, pretransplantation HCC therapy, rejection episodes, and documented HCC recurrence and treatment. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups, with the exception of recipient age and the presence of hepatitis B coinfection. The tumor characteristics of both groups were similar in numbers of tumors, Milan criteria status, vascular invasion, incidental HCC differentiation, and largest tumor size. The HCV positive population had a far lower patient survival rate with patient survival in Group 1 at 1, 3, and 5 years being 81.1%, 57.4%, and 49.3% respectively, compared with 94.1%, 82.8%, and 76.4% in Group 2 (p = 0.049). Tumor-free survival in Group 1 at 1, 3, and 5 years was 70.3%, 43%, and 36.8% respectively, vs. 88.1%, 73%, and 60.8% in Group 2. In a subgroup analysis, tumor-free survival was further examined by stratifying the patients on the basis of Milan criteria. Group 1 patients outside of Milan criteria had a statistically lower tumor-free survival. By contrast, there was no statistical difference in tumor-free survival in Group 2 patients stratified according to Milan criteria. Cox regression analysis identified HCV and vascular invasion as significant independent predictors of tumor-free survival. Our results suggest that Milan selection criteria may be too limiting and lose their predictive power when applied to patients without HCV infection.
Directionally selective mnemonic properties of neurons in the lateral dorsal nucleus of the thalamus of rats

The hippocampal formation has been extensively studied for its special role in visual spatial learning and navigation. To ascertain the nature of the associations made, or computations performed, by hippocampus, it is important to delineate the functional contributions of its afferents. Therefore, single units were recorded in the lateral dorsal nucleus of the thalamus (LDN) as rats performed multiple trials on a radial maze. Many LDN neurons selectively discharged when an animal's head was aligned along particular directions in space, irrespective of its location in the test room. These direction-sensitive cells were localized to the dorsal aspect of the caudal two-thirds of the LDN, the site of innervation by retinal recipient pretectal and intermediate/deep-layer superior colliculus cells (Thompson and Robertson, 1987b). The directional specificity and preference of LDN cells were disrupted if rats were placed on the maze in darkness. If the room light was then turned on, the original preference was restored. If the light was again turned off, directional firing was maintained briefly. Normal directional firing lasted about 2–3 min. After this time, the directional preference (but not specificity) appeared to “rotate” systematically in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The duration of normal directional discharge patterns in darkness could be extended to 30 min by varying the behavior of the animal. LDN cells required visual input to initialize reliable directional firing. After the rat viewed the environment, directional specificity was maintained in the absence of visual cues. Maximal directional firing was achieved only when the rat viewed the entire test room, and not just the scene associated with the directional preference of the cell. Thus, contextual information seems important. Also, a significant correlation was found between directional specificity and errors made on the maze during acquisition of the task. It was concluded that the LDN may pass on to the hippocampal formation directional information that is not merely a reflection of current sensory input. As such, the LDN may serve an important integrative function for limbic spatial learning systems.
Enhancing Sensitivity to Organizational Symbols and Culture: An Experiential Approach for the Classroom

Competency in understanding and managing cultural aspects of the corporation has been identified by many scholars as an increasingly important management skill. This article identifies an important component of that skill as a sensitivity to how local organizational symbols shape one's cognitions, emotions, and behaviors. This article sketches a master's of business administration course designed to enhance sensitivity of practicing managers to the symbols that surround and shape them.
Leading and nonleading D+- production in the valon model

Recent data on ${\mathit{D}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ production in the pion fragmentation region reveal significant dependence on the flavor of the beam particle, contrary to the expectation of perturbative QCD. It is shown that the result obtained in the valon model without any adjustable parameters agrees well with the data. The dynamical mechanism is the recombination of the projectile partons, whose momentum distributions are well specified by the valon model.
Considerations for the Prevention of Infectious Complications in Patients with Cancer

Methods of preventing the infectious complications that occur in patients undergoing therapy for cancer have been the focus of considerable research. Because infections arise from both the endogenous microbial flora and newly acquired organisms and because the pathogens include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and/or parasites and affect a number of different body sites, it has been difficult to conceive of a single or simple method of controlling these multiple infectious etiologies. The suppression or elimination of the host's own microbial flora by the use of various prophylactic antibiotics and the reduction in the patient's acquisition of new organisms by the use of isolation techniques have received the greatest attention. While a number of these approaches (including total protected isolation, nonabsorbable antibiotics, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, selective decontamination, and most recently the quinolones) have appeared to reduce the incidence of infections, few have stood the test of time. The advantages and disadvantages of each of these methods are reviewed, and newer promising areas for current and future investigation are considered. During the last two decades, considerable improvements have been made in the treatment of the infectious complications that occur in immunocompromised patients with cancer. Much of the progress comes from an improved understanding of the risk factors that contribute to serious infection, an increased awareness of the range of potential pathogens, and a heightened recognition that successful therapy is maximized when it is initiated empirically as soon as the neutropenic patient becomes febrile. Nonetheless, the morbidity associated with infectious complications remains an expected and potentially serious sequela of cytotoxic therapy that virtually always makes hospitalization for therapeutic intervention necessary, a situation that frequently exposes the patient to the acquisition of new pathogens and to potentially toxic agents and that increases the cost and demands of cancer treatment. Furthermore, infectious complications may necessitate modifications in the dose intensity of antineoplastic therapies (i.e., the dose and schedule of administration), potentially compromising the successful treatment of the patient's underlying malignancy. Thus, it is not surprising that methods for reducing or preventing the infectious complications associated with can
Eye movement abnormalities in stiff person syndrome

The authors describe a 38-year-old woman with stiff person syndrome (SPS) and gaze-holding nystagmus, limited abduction, vertical and horizontal ocular misalignment, deficient smooth pursuit, and impaired saccade initiation. There was no evidence of ocular myasthenia, indicating that abnormalities of ocular motor function can occur as a primary manifestation of SPS, perhaps from depletion of GABA.
Standing together: how bioethics and public health can join forces to provide equitable health care.

The tragic displacement of the poorest citizens of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is a tragedy, but also an opportunity. The public is seeing the terrible impact of economic equality ...
Modification of the risk of mortality from pneumonia with oral hygiene care.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the associations between the assignment of an oral hygiene aide staff member and risk factors for mortality from pneumonia in a nursing home and to test the hypothesis that this care would affect the incidence of mortality from pneumonia. DESIGN: Electronic medical records. SETTING: Nursing home. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred forty-three residents of a Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) nursing home. METHODS: The electronic medical records of 143 residents of a VAMC nursing home were analyzed for risk factors for pneumonia. A certified nursing assistant had been assigned to provide oral hygiene care for residents on two of four nursing home wards. Researchers performed a longitudinal analysis of resident's medical records to investigate the association between the assignment of an oral hygiene aide with the risk of mortality from pneumonia. RESULTS: Initially, the group that received oral care, an older and less functionally able group, showed approximately the same incidence of mortality from pneumonia as the group that did not receive oral care, but when the data were adjusted for the risk factors found to be significant for mortality from pneumonia, the odds of dying from pneumonia in the group that did not receive oral care was more than three times that of the group that did receive oral care (odds ratio=3.57, P=.03). Modified risk factors included age, functionality, cognitive function, and clinical concern about aspiration pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Oral hygiene nursing aide intervention may be an efficient risk factor modifier of mortality from nursing home–associated pneumonia.
Role of patient compliance in the management of asthma.

(1983). Role of Patient Compliance in the Management of Asthma. Journal of Asthma: Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. 411-418.
Can you ever trust a wiki?: impacting perceived trustworthiness in wikipedia

Wikipedia has become one of the most important information resources on the Web by promoting peer collaboration and enabling virtually anyone to edit anything. However, this mutability also leads many to distrust it as a reliable source of information. Although there have been many attempts at developing metrics to help users judge the trustworthiness of content, it is unknown how much impact such measures can have on a system that is perceived as inherently unstable. Here we examine whether a visualization that exposes hidden article information can impact readers' perceptions of trustworthiness in a wiki environment. Our results suggest that surfacing information relevant to the stability of the article and the patterns of editor behavior can have a significant impact on users' trust across a variety of page types.
Muscle Force and Range of Motion as Predictors of Function in Older Adults

Background and Purpose. Musculoskeletal impairments and functional limitations are linked to disability in older adults. The purposes of this study were to identify the extremity musculoskeletal impairments that best predict functional limitations in older adults and to assess the validity of measurements obtained for the Physical Performance Test (PPT) as a predictor of disability. Subjects and Methods. Eighty-one older adults residing in independent and dependent care facilities were tested for extremity muscle force, range of motion, and function. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis to identify extremity impairments that predicted function scores and logistic regression analysis to determine whether PPT scores predicted subjects' living situation as dependent versus independent. Results. Subject age, lower-extremity muscle force, and lower-extremity range of motion explained 77% of the variance in function as measured by the PPT. Results differed when analysis was done by the subjects' living situation, with a higher percentage of the variance in function scores explained by musculoskeletal measures for the dependent living group as compared with the independent living group. Conclusion and Discussion. Extremity musculoskeletal impairments have a strong relationship to function, especially in older adults living in dependent care settings. The results of this study can be used to design interventions to address the musculoskeletal disorders most related to function in the older population.
Microarray analysis of androgen-regulated gene expression in testis: the use of the androgen-binding protein (ABP)-transgenic mouse as a model

Spermatogenesis is an androgen-dependent process, yet the molecular mechanisms of androgens' actions in testis are poorly understood. Transgenic mice overexpressing rat androgen-binding protein (ABP) in their testes have reduced levels of intratesticular androgens and, as a result, show a progressive impairment of spermatogenesis. We used this model to characterize changes in global gene expression in testis in response to reduced bioavailability of androgens. Total RNA was extracted from testes of 30-day old transgenic and wild-type control mice, converted to cRNA, labeled with biotin, and hybridized to oligonucleotide microarrays. Microarray results were confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Three-hundred-eighty-one genes (3.05% of all transcripts represented on the chips) were up-regulated and 198 genes (1.59%) were down-regulated by at least a factor of 2 in the androgen-deficient animals compared to controls. Genes encoding membrane proteins, intracellular signaling molecules, enzymes, proteins participating in the immune response, and those involved in cytoskeleton organization were significantly overrepresented in the up-regulated group. Among the down-regulated transcripts, those coding for extracellular proteins were overrepresented most dramatically, followed by those related to proteolysis, cell adhesion, immune response, and growth factor, cytokine, and ion channel activities. Transcripts with the greatest potential impact on cellular activities included several transcription factors, intracellular signal transducers, secreted signaling molecules and enzymes, and various cell surface molecules. Major nodes in the up-regulated network were IL-6, AGT, MYC, and A2M, those in the down-regulated network were IL-2, -4, and -10, MAPK8, SOCS1, and CREB1. Microarray analysis followed by gene ontology profiling and connectivity analysis identified several functional groups of genes and individual genes responding to sustained reduction of androgen levels in the mouse testis. These include genes whose products function as transcription factors, cell surface molecules including ion channels, extra- and intracellular signaling molecules, and secreted enzymes with the potential of regulating cell-to-cell attachment. The transcription factors CREB1 (down-regulated) and MYC (up-regulated) may mediate the most important initial phases of the testicular response to reduced levels of androgens. These results suggest specific avenues for further research that will lead to a better understanding of how androgens regulate spermatogenesis.