cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The College Scorecard, College Rankings, and Return on Investment

This paper explores the relationship between the College Scorecard, college ranking systems, and return on investment. Historically, there has been an emphasis, as well as popularity in ranking higher education institutions in terms of quality and job outcomes. This study utilized data from the United States Department of Education’s Federal College Scorecard and institutional ranking data from College Factual. A multiple regression analysis was used on the dependent variable of salary after attending, with the independent variables of college rank, graduation rate, and average annual cost. Best subsets regression modeling was used to determine the significance for each of the overall regression models, as well as the significance for each of the independent variables. The study included higher education institutions in the state of Massachusetts, USA. Analysis of the results offer several practical applications, interpretations, as well as recommendations for future research.
Reflections: Return Paradox to the Wild? Paradox Interventions and Their Implications

Cunha, M. P., and Putnam, L. L. (2017. Paradox theory and the paradox of success. Strategic Organization. http://dx.doi.org/10.l177/1476127017739536) argued that paradox research has fallen victim ...
A New Prognostic Score Using Lymphocyte to Monocyte Ratio and Immunoglobulin Levels to Predict Progression in Multiple Myeloma Patients Undergoing Autologous Transplant

Introduction Although autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) prolongs progression free survival (PFS) in multiple myeloma (MM), prediction of outcomes is challenging due to wide variability in post-transplant survival. MM is an immune suppressive disease characterized by the development of a microenvironment that promotes disease progression and resistance to treatment. Clinical surrogates of immune suppression such as the lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) have predicted outcome in other cancers. Objectives We hypothesized that clinically available surrogates for immune suppression may predict survival after ASCT. Methods One hundred and thirty patients who underwent ASCT with melphalan 200 mg/m2 between 2002 and 2016 were included in the analysis. We collected the following values at baseline (Day -2) and Day 90 post-ASCT: absolute lymphocyte count (ALC); absolute monocyte count (AMC); lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR); and the number of immunoglobulin (Ig) levels suppressed. Values were separated into upper and lower quartiles and these groups were compared for PFS. Results Baseline laboratory values did not predict PFS. However, at Day 90, a high ALC (18 versus 23 months, p=0.04) and low AMC (13 versus. 25 months, p=0.02) predicted for superior PFS. When combined, a lower LMR (defined as Conclusion We demonstrate the use of two readily available biomarkers, the lymphocyte to monocyte ratio and immunoglobulin levels, in predicting PFS in MM patients after ASCT. Independent of the infused autograft cell composition, LMR and Ig levels at day 90 could be combined into an immune score and could identify patients who will have a long duration of remission or patients with very poor prognosis who may thus benefit from more intensified post-ASCT consolidation/maintenance or use of immunotherapy.
A qualitative research synthesis of contextual factors contributing to female overweight and obesity over the life course in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective Adult women are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Existing evidence on the sociocultural context remains unconsolidated. In this qualitative research synthesis, we aggregate research literature on contextual factors that potentially predispose adult women and adolescent girls to overweight and obesity to inform research, policies and programs over the life course. Methods PubMed, CINAHL, PsychInfo, ProQuest Central, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched to locate qualitative research articles conducted in SSA countries beginning in the year 2000. After assessment for eligibility and critical appraisal, 17 studies were included in the synthesis. Textual data and quotes were synthesized using meta-aggregation methods proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Results The synthesized studies were conducted in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Botswana. The three overarching themes across these studies were body size and shape ideals, barriers to healthy eating, and barriers to physical activity, with cultural and social factors as cross-cutting influences within the major themes. Culturally, the supposedly ideal African woman was expected to be overweight or obese, and voluptuous, and this was associated with their identity. Although being overweight or obese was not acceptable to adolescent girls, they desired to be voluptuous. Healthy food choices among women and adolescent girls were hampered by several factors including affordability of nutritious foods and peer victimization. Both adult women and adolescent girls experienced ageism as a barrier to physical activity. Significance This is the first qualitative research synthesis to amplify the voices of women and girls in SSA countries highlighting the challenges they face in maintaining a healthy body weight. Sociocultural, institutional and peer-related factors were powerful forces shaping body size preferences, food choices and participation in physical activity. Our study findings provide insights for the design of contextually appropriate obesity prevention interventions and lay the foundation for further research studies.
Structure elucidation of colibactin and its DNA cross-links

Colibactin is a complex secondary metabolite produced by some genotoxic gut Escherichia coli strains. The presence of colibactin-producing bacteria correlates with the frequency and severity of colorectal cancer in humans. However, because colibactin has not been isolated or structurally characterized, studying the physiological effects of colibactin-producing bacteria in the human gut has been difficult. We used a combination of genetics, isotope labeling, tandem mass spectrometry, and chemical synthesis to deduce the structure of colibactin. Our structural assignment accounts for all known biosynthetic and cell biology data and suggests roles for the final unaccounted enzymes in the colibactin gene cluster.
Investigating the Impact of Multiple Factors on Gray Meats in Atlantic Sea Scallops (Placopecten magellanicus)

The Atlantic sea scallop fishery is the one of the most valuable fisheries in North America. There is concern about scallops with low-quality adductor muscles, referred to as gray meats, impacting the fishery and the overall health of the stock because an apicomplexan parasite has been linked to gray meats and a mass mortality event that led to the collapse of the Icelandic scallop fishery. Yet, changes in scallop meat color have also been linked to the depletion of energy reserves in the adductor muscle following spawning. Seasonal scallop dredge surveys were conducted across Georges Bank, collecting data on scallop meat quality, scallop abundance, mortality, and reproductive cycles, as well as environmental parameters, including bottom depth and temperature. To investigate multiple causes for gray meats, a set of models were developed to examine the impact of biotic and abiotic factors on gray meat prevalence and meat quality of individual scallops. Model results indicate that different factors influence gray meat prevalence on the southern and northern parts of Georges Bank. In the south, location was a significant factor for predicting the presence of gray meats, highlighting Closed Area I where an outbreak of gray meats occurred after the area reopened to fishing. Yet in the north, reproductive stage was a significant factor, with scallops more likely to have discolored meats after spawning. Study results suggest that gray meats may be a symptom of poor condition that was caused by multiple factors and isolating a single cause may not be possible. Improved screening tests and continued monitoring of scallop health through targeted disease surveys is recommended.
Interventional Pain Management

Invasive procedures performed by the pain management specialist are a mainstay in the diagnosis and treatment of both acute and chronic pain. They range from unguided percutaneous injections with short-acting local anesthetics to neurosurgical operations under computed tomography that permanently alter the anatomy. This chapter provides a description of the most common procedures performed by the pain management specialist, with more detail on the most frequent. The descriptions are not in sufficient enough detail to perform the procedures, and reference should be made to an interventional pain atlas for specifics.
Hydride assisted synthesis of the high temperature thermoelectric phase: Yb14MgSb11

Yb14MnSb11 is a p-type high temperature thermoelectric material that has been shown to have a peak zT of 1.3 at 1273 K and stable lifetime testing at that temperature for over 1500 h by NASA. Yb14MgSb11 is a structural analog, but the highest temperature thermoelectric properties have not yet been reported. Yb14MgSb11 has been prepared in an environmentally friendly route employing metal hydrides to provide phase pure samples with excellent control of stoichiometry. We present a comparative study employing either MgH2 or YbH2 as a reactive precursor that also facilitates milling of the elements. High purity compositions are synthesized, and their high temperature thermoelectric properties were measured on dense pellets. Temperature-dependent thermoelectric properties were measured from 300 to 1273 K. Yb14MgSb11 exhibited a peak zT = 1.2 at 1273 K due to an appreciable power factor and low-lattice thermal conductivity. Carrier concentration and hall mobility were also measured from 300 to 1275 K and ranged from 5.3 × 1020 to 1.3 × 1021 cm−3 and from 4.7 to 0.7 cm2 V−1 S−1, respectively.
Protein adsorption measurements on low fouling and ultralow fouling surfaces: A critical comparison of surface characterization techniques

Abstract Ultralow protein fouling behavior is a common target for new high-performance materials. Ultralow fouling is often defined based on the amount of irreversibly adsorbed protein ( Statement of significance The design of ultralow fouling surfaces is often optimized based on a single surface-averaging technique measuring the amount of irreversibly adsorbed protein. This work provides a critical comparison of alternative techniques for evaluating protein adsorption on low fouling and ultralow fouling surfaces, and demonstrates how additional information about the dynamics of protein-surface interactions at the interface can be obtained by application of single-molecule microscopy. This approach could be used to better elucidate mechanisms of protein resistance and design principles for advanced ultralow fouling materials.
Improving access to care for patients with migraine in a remote Pacific population

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of increasing access to care for patients with migraines in a rural setting. Outcomes include decreased resource utilization, decreased hospitalizations, polypharmacy reduction, and decreased disability in a remote Pacific population. Methods Data were collected on all patients presenting to a single neurologist in a deployed military setting for migraines. Access to care was supplemented through health fairs, radio shows, telemedicine, and education of primary care providers. Results Over the course of 1 year, 300 providers were educated through public health fairs and telemedicine counseling. This strategy helped reduce consults by 50% and decrease clinic wait times from 2 months to 7 days. Two hundred twenty-one patients with chronic migraine or episodic migraine were seen in the neurology clinic over the course of 1 year. Of these patients, polypharmacy reduction was achieved in 71% of patients with chronic migraines and in 44% of patients with episodic migraines. Over the course of 1 year, only 13% of patients with chronic migraines and 11% of patients with episodic migraines were treated in an acute care setting. Less than 2% of patients had limitations in their work duties because of migraines. Conclusion Increased access to care provided benefits in reduction of specialist overutilization, reduction in hospitalizations, and reduction in disability. Patients with chronic migraine did not have increased use of medical resources or decreased productivity in this cohort.
CASA Prediction System over Dallas–Fort Worth Urban Network: Blending of Nowcasting and High-Resolution Numerical Weather Prediction Model

AbstractThis study targeted improving Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere’s (CASA) 6-h lead time predictive ability by blending the radar-based nowcast with the NWP model over the Dall...
Losing control: Comparing the role of personality during two types of stressful life experiences

Abstract We compared the role of personality (neuroticism, conscientiousness, and dispositional optimism) during stressful preparation and waiting periods. Study 1 compared the role of personality in the experience of undergraduate students (N = 120) preparing for and awaiting their grade on a midterm exam in a 1-week longitudinal study. Study 2 extended this investigation to a sample of law school graduates (N = 201) taking the bar exam in a 4-month longitudinal study. Across studies, multilevel models nesting stressor phase (preparing vs. waiting) within person revealed that neuroticism was tied more strongly to negative emotions when preparing than when waiting. Our findings suggest that stressful experiences that confer a degree of control may enhance the role of emotion-relevant traits on responses to such stressors.
Redesigning Primary Care Delivery: Customized Office Revisit Intervals and E-Visits

In recent years, the drive to contain health care costs in the US has increased scrutiny of the traditional mode of delivering primary care where a patient is treated by his primary care physician during a face-to-face visit. In particular, two approaches, the use of "e-visits" and greater reliance on non-physician providers, have been suggested as lower-cost alternatives to the traditional set-up. In this paper, we consider a homogeneous patient panel treated by a solo primary care physician and develop a new model of patient health dynamics in which the health state for each patient on the physician's panel follows Markovian transitions between "healthy," "intermediate," and "sick" states. In contrast to most currently used models, we treat patient demand for office visits as endogenous and managed by a physician via selection of a revisit frequency consistent with patient preferences. We model these preferences for the frequency of office visits using patients' perception of their health status as well as the disutility associated with falling sick.At the center of our analysis are the interconnected decisions that a physician makes regarding the size of her patient panel and the patient revisit frequency under alternative primary care delivery modes. Our results quantify the overall impact of using "e-visits" and non-physician providers on physician's choices, and, as a result, on physician's expected earnings and patients' expected health. In particular, we characterize care settings, defined in terms of care effectiveness, characteristics of patient panel, as well as physician's compensation scheme, that result in both parties, physician and patients, being better off (i.e., increased expected earnings for a physician and better health for patients) as well as settings where at least one of the parties is worse off as compared to the traditional approach to care delivery.
Degradation of asialoglycoproteins mediated by the galactosyl receptor system in isolated hepatocytes. Evidence for two parallel pathways.

Abstract The ability of rat hepatocytes to degrade internalized surface-bound 125I-asialoorosomucoid (ASOR) was determined by measuring the appearance of acid-soluble radioactivity at 37 degrees C. The degradation kinetics were biphasic in cells previously equilibrated at 37 degrees C for 1 h or cultured for 24 h. Degradation began immediately and was linear for at least 20 min after which the rate increased to a steady state value 3-4 times greater than the initial rate. We previously showed that hepatocytes have two functionally distinct populations of galactosyl receptors that mediate ligand dissociation by two kinetically different pathways (Weigel, P. H., Clarke, B. L., and Oka, J. A. (1986) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 140, 43-50). The activity of one receptor population, designated State 2 galactosyl receptors, can be reversibly modulated by incubating cells between 22 and 37 degrees C and is not expressed on the surface of freshly isolated cells. When 125I-ASOR was prebound to freshly isolated cells at 4 degrees C and degradation was assessed subsequently at 37 degrees C, the kinetics were monophasic, not biphasic. Degradation of the surface-bound 125I-ASOR began immediately and was greater than 90% complete by 6 h. Freshly isolated cells were incubated at temperatures between 22 and 37 degrees C, chilled to 4 degrees C, allowed to pre-bind 125I-ASOR, and then incubated at 37 degrees C. As the State 2 galactosyl receptor population increased, the kinetics of degradation became progressively more biphasic and the rate of the delayed degradation process increased. This effect could be reversed in cells in culture or in suspension by down-modulating surface receptor activity at temperatures below 37 degrees C; only the degradation process appearing after a 20-min lag was affected. Degradation in both pathways is an apparent first order process with identical rate constants (kappa = 0.006 min-1, t1/2 = 116 min). We conclude that there are two separate pathways by which asialoglycoproteins are degraded. The major "classic" pathway mediated by State 2 galactosyl receptors occurs after a 20-min lag and the minor pathway mediated by State 1 galactosyl receptors begins immediately with no detectable lag.
“Writing by Ear”: Clarice Lispector, Machado de Assis, and Guimarães Rosa and the Mimesis of Improvisation

The article proposes that at the core of Brazilian literature pulsates an aural writing elaborated by authors who “write by ear.” To prove this hypotheses, I relate “writing by ear” to two procedures found in Clarice Lispector, Machado de Assis, and Guimaraes Rosa’s works: 1) a multiplicity of authorial voices—where the author is no longer the one who writes but the one who listens; and 2) a validation of improvisation (effective or pretended) as a method of literary composition. If the above description is valid, I propose that “writing by ear” is a concept potentially useful to understanding literature produced in a culture where orality and musicality predominate.
A Coordinated Withholding Tax on Deductibility Payments

Prof. Avi-Yonah proposes a 35 percent withholding tax on deductible payments made to a non-U.S. resident, in coordination with other OECD members. The tax is aimed at U.S. residents posing as foreign investors and would be refundable when the beneficial owner shows that the payments have been reported to tax authorities in the owner’s country of residence. Parts of this paper are based on Avi-Yonah’s ‘‘Memo to Congress: It’s Time to Repeal the U.S. Portfolio Interest Exemption,’’ Tax Notes Int’l, Dec. 7, 1998, p. 1817, Doc 98-35627, or 98 TNI 234-26. However, that paper was written at a time when conditions in the U.S. economy were favorable enough to envisage a unilateral repeal of the portfolio interest exemption. No such course is advocated under current economic conditions.The proposal is made as a part of the Shelf Project, a collaboration by tax professionals to develop and perfect proposals to help Congress when it needs to raise revenue. Shelf Project proposals are intended to raise revenue, defend the tax base, follow the money, and improve the rationality and efficiency of the tax system. The tax community can propose, follow, or edit proposals at http://www.taxshelf.org. A longer description of the Shelf Project can be found at ‘‘The Shelf Project: Revenue-Raising Projects That Defend the Tax Base,’’ Tax Notes, Dec. 10, 2007, p. 1077, Doc 2007-22632, or 2007 TNT 238-37.Shelf Project proposals follow the format of a congressional tax committee report in explainingcurrent law, what is wrong with it, and how to fix it.Copyright 2008 Reuven S. Avi-Yonah.
Semiparametric Methods for Semi-competing Risks Problem with Censoring and Truncation

Studies of chronic life-threatening diseases often involve both mortality and morbidity. In observational studies, the data may also be subject to administrative left truncation and right censoring. Since mortality and morbidity may be correlated and mortality may censor morbidity, the Lynden-Bell estimator for left truncated and right censored data may be biased for estimating the marginal survival function of the non-terminal event. We propose a semiparametric estimator for this survival function based on a joint model for the two time-to-event variables, which utilizes the gamma frailty specification in the region of the observable data. Firstly, we develop a novel estimator for the gamma frailty parameter under left truncation. Using this estimator, we then derive a closed form estimator for the marginal distribution of the non-terminal event. The large sample properties of the estimators are established via asymptotic theory. The methodology performs well with moderate sample sizes, both in simulations and in an analysis of data from a diabetes registry.
“Universal Mixing” and Interpenetrating Standing: Disability and Community in Melville’s Moby-Dick

Harriet Hustis, “‘Universal Mixing’ and Interpenetrating Standing: Disability and Community in Melville’s Moby-Dick” (pp. 26-55) This essay examines whether the representation of disability and community in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick (1851) is limited to the narcissistic determinism of Ahab. It argues that although Ahab perceives his disability as unusual, when set against the backdrop of the novel and the realities of the whaling profession in the nineteenth century, it is not. The essay claims that Ishmael’s status as “Isolatoe” is redefined through his act of narrative remembrance and his function as storyteller. Ultimately, the essay concludes that Ishmael’s retrospective offers a unique gloss on the interruptive nature of disability and its moral and narrative implications.
Copper-62-Labeled Pyruvaldehyde Bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazonato)copper(II): Synthesis and Evaluation as a Positron Emission Tomography Tracer for Cerebral and Myocardial Perfusion

Generator produced positron-emitting radionuclides could potentially expand the application of positron emission tomography (PET) to centers that do not have access to a local cyclotron. The zinc-62/copper-62 radionuclide generator system could serve as a source of positron-emitting copper-62 (62Cu) (t1/2 = 9.74 min) for physiologic imaging. Accordingly, we have prepared zinc-62/copper-62 generators capable of high output (greater than 300 mCi) and used the no-carrier-added eluate in a rapid high yield synthesis of [62Cu] Cu(PTSM) that provides the radiopharmaceutical in a form suitable for intravenous injection (where Cu(PTSM) = pyruvaldehyde bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazonato) copper(II]. We then demonstrated in pilot studies that [62Cu]Cu(PTSM) provides high quality brain and heart images with PET, accurately delineating cerebral and myocardial perfusion in both experimental animals and in humans (corroborating results of previous experimental studies utilizing longer-lived copper isotopes). The results of this work demonstrate that 62Cu can be conveniently obtained from high-level generators and, when used to label Cu(PTSM), provides a generator-produced radiopharmaceutical capable of providing estimates of cerebral and myocardial perfusion independent of cyclotron-produced radionuclides.
Unemployment trends in Russia of the 1990s

The year of 1992 witnessed liberalization of the price system in Russia (Tseny v Rossiiskoi Federatsii, 1994, p. 5). As a result, all that was hidden and suppressed became open and free to move. This was especially true for unemployment in the country. Since 1992, Russia has experienced growing unemployment accompanied by a decline in the labor force and employment. Accordingly, the paper examines unemployment trends in Russia during the period of 1992‐1996 based on available official Russian statistics. The paper relies exclusively on Russian sources as the primary information on the transitional macroeconomic developments in the country.
Generation of a class of non-stationary random processes

The main concern of this paper is the determination of state-space equations of a linear periodic system with no direct connection between input and output that realizes a class of proscribed output covariance functions. A transformed state covariance matrix satisfying a matrix Riccati differential equation with periodic coefficients is derived from the given output covariance of the system. By use of a suitable transformation, the time interval of interest can be collapsed to one period. Thus the Riccati differential equation need be solved only over one period.
Why Do Some Firms Give? Why Do Some Give a Lot?: High-Tech PACs, 1977-1996

This article employs Heckman selection models to explore the determinants of corporate PAC formation and PAC size and how these determinants have changed over time. While the findings suggest that high-tech firms use PACs to seek rents from government, internal organizational politics influence their behavior as well. I also find that the effect of some independent variables, including firm size, susceptibility to regulation, and R&D spending, changed significantly over the two-decade span encompassed in the data, peaking in influence in the mid-1980s. The quantitative analysis is supplemented by interview data that point to the existence of a political "arms control" process among some market competitors.
Some mixed models of carcinogenesis

In this paper we propose a general mixed model of carcinogenesis involving one-stage and two-stage models. These models were proposed after careful examination of some cancers which are related to oncogenes, antioncogenes and accessory cancer genes. The probability generating functions, the expected incidence functions and the probabilities of number of tumors are derived. These mixed models are useful for deriving risk assessment procedures for evaluating risks of environmental agents.
Tigecycline prevents LPS-induced release of pro-inflammatory and apoptotic mediators in neuronal cells

Pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic mediators have been involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Tigecycline (Tig), a glycylcycline antibiotic and an analog of Minocycline, is shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects that are distinct from its anti-microbial activity. Its neuroprotective mechanism is unknown. In this study, we investigated the direct protective mechanisms of tigecycline against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced Rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. The results showed that tigecycline significantly attenuated the expression and the release of nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), as well as nitric oxide (NO) levels in LPS-induced PC12 cells. In addition, tigecycline dose-dependently decreased cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activity. This later finding corroborated the results of decreased pro-apoptotic Bad, and increased anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein expression thus, confirming a neuroprotective effect of the drug in differentiated PC12 cells induced with LPS. The findings of our study suggest new targets for tigecycline and support the potential for tigecycline to be investigated as a therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative disorders.
Influence of Data Properties on Animated Maps

The effects of media and data properties on different methods of cartographic animation are unclear. This is due partially to the focus of previous research as well as the general lack of a conceptual framework for animation. Many researchers have discussed methods of visualizing 3-D and 4-D spatial data through cartographic animations but have not sufficiently identified the effects that visualization methods and data properties exert on the resulting products. Some results support the use of animations; others are inconclusive or unsupportive. Modality effects do not necessarily function as the primary mediator. As a result, media comparisons alone are not fully informative as so many other factors affect spatial data visualization “effectiveness.” The research presented here is not just media comparison research, although two types of media are included: animation and static representations. This research is grounded in the developing conceptual framework of animation, which includes typologies of anim...
Influence of turbulence intensity and free stream velocity oscillations on stagnation point heat transfer

Abstract A model is proposed for the momentum eddy diffusivity induced by free stream turbulence intensity and integral length scale. The eddy diffusivity model is applied to the stagnation point of a cylinder situated in a steady uniform crossflow in the presence of free stream turbulence. A numerical solution of the governing steady-state momentum and energy equations with the proposed eddy diffusivity model yielded results for the skin friction coefficient and the Nusselt number. Agreement between the numerical predictions of this work and experimental data is very good. The experimental data concerning the unsteady stagnation point heat transfer under the combined influence of free stream velocity oscillations and turbulence intensity have been successfully correlated by means of a new turbulence parameter
EFFECTS OF ESCULETIN AS A LIPOXYGENASE INHIBITOR IN SOYBEAN EXTRACTS

This study was designed to determine the ability of esculetin to inhibit lipoxygenase activity in soybean. Lipoxygenase was extracted from ground soybean using 0.1 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 8.6) and centrifuged at 3000 g for 15 min at 4C. The extract was mixed with different volumes of 0.05M esculetin solutions to provide 1.8 × 10−4M, 3.3 × 10−4M, 4.6 × 10−4M and 5.7 × 10−4M to final assay systems, respectively. Lipoxygenase activity decreased as the concentration of esculetin solution mixed in soybean extract increased. Mixing of 1.8 × 10−4M esculetin solution to soybean extract showed the least inhibition effect and was significantly different from that of 3.3 × 10−4M, 4.6 × 10−4M and 5.7 × 10−4M which inhibited LOX (lipoxygenase)'s activity of soybean extracts. In the study comparing the inhibition abilities for lipoxygenase activity among selected antioxidants, esculetin was significantly better than BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and α-tocopherol.
Abundance, Size, and Recruitment of Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus Gorbuscha) in Selected Michigan Tributaries of the Upper Great Lakes, 1984–1988

The abundance and size of pink salmon spawners and fry were studied in selected Michigan tributaries of Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior from 1984 to 1988. Pink salmon populations in Lake Superior have declined since the early 1980s. In Lake Huron, populations began increasing in 1983 and have leveled off at relatively high numbers. Lake Michigan populations have increased. Male spawners were significantly longer than females in all lakes. Lake Michigan fish were significantly longer than Lake Huron and Lake Superior fish, but no significant difference was observed between the latter two groups. Male spawners averaged 482 mm (1,045 g) in Lake Michigan, 418 mm (574 g) in Lake Huron, and 410 mm (567 g) in Lake Superior. Females averaged 449 mm (840 g) in Lake Michigan, 389 mm (450 g) in Lake Huron, and 388 mm (466 g) in Lake Superior. No significant length differences were observed in outmigrating fry from tributaries of the three lakes. Fry from individual tributaries averaged 31.94 mm (0.138 g) in Lake Huron, 32.64 mm (0.132 g) in Lake Michigan, and 31.96 mm (0.117 g) in Lake Superior. Fry recruitment was variable among years and dependent upon spawner abundance and over-winter flow conditions. Survival estimates from egg deposition to fry outmigration were poor (0.15% to 0.45%), which demonstrates the importance of riverine environments to Great Lakes pink salmon abundance.
LPS–induced activation of phospholipase A2 phospholipase C and protein kinase C of murine macrophage–like cell lines (J774 and P388D1)

A murine macrophage–like cell line, J774, acquired, in response to LPS, an ability to kill tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–insensitive target P815 mastocytoma cells, whereas another cell line, P388D1, did not. LPS–triggered signaling mechanisms between the two cell lines were compared with an aim to inquire about the possible nature of the above-mentioned difference. The results showed that two cell lines respond to LPS–treatment by parallel activation of both phospholipases C and A2 (PLC and PLA2) to approximately the same extent. The maximum response of both enzymes of J774 cells was noted within 10 min of the treatment, whereas that of P388D1 cells required more than 20 min. The other properties of LPS-responsive enzymes studied were similar between two cell lines, including Ca2+ augmentation of enzyme activation, participation of guanine nucleotide binding (G) proteins in the initial activation processes, and inhibition of enzyme activation by the prior treatment of cells with cholera or pertussis toxins etc. Moreover, LPS–triggered activation of PLC and PLA2 was found to be followed by the increase of PKC activities in both cell lines. In spite of these similarities, J774 cells possessed both basic and acidic forms of PKC activities, while P 388D1 cells owned only PKC of basic form. Nevertheless, the question why J774 cells, but not P388D1 cells, can acquire the tumoricidal activity, aganist P815 cells following LPS–treatment remains to be answered.
IL-7 and IL-21 are superior to IL-2 and IL-15 in promoting human T cell–mediated rejection of systemic lymphoma in immunodeficient mice

The γc-cytokines are critical regulators of immunity and possess both overlapping and distinctive functions. However, comparative studies of their pleiotropic effects on human T cell–mediated tumor rejection are lacking. In a xenogeneic adoptive transfer model, we have compared the therapeutic potency of CD19-specific human primary T cells that constitutively express interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-7, IL-15, or IL-21. We demonstrate that each cytokine enhanced the eradication of systemic CD19+ B-cell malignancies in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID)/γcnull mice with markedly different efficacies and through singularly distinct mechanisms. IL-7– and IL-21–transduced T cells were most efficacious in vivo, although their effector functions were not as enhanced as IL-2– and IL-15–transduced T cells. IL-7 best sustained in vitro T-cell accumulation in response to repeated antigenic stimulation, but did not promote long-term T-cell persistence in vivo. Both IL-15 and IL-21 overexpression supported long-term T-cell persistence in treated mice, however, the memory T cells found 100 days after adoptive transfer were phenotypically dissimilar, resembling central memory and effector memory T cells, respectively. These results support the use of γc-cytokines in cancer immunotherapy, and establish that there exists more than 1 human T-cell memory phenotype associated with long-term tumor immunity.
ANTIBIOTIC EFFECTS ON CYTOCHROMES P450 CONTENT AND MIXED-FUNCTION OXYGENASE (MFO) ACTIVITIES IN THE AMERICAN ALLIGATOR, ALLIGATOR MISSISSIPPIENSIS

There are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved antimicrobial agents for use in cultured American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) destined for human consumption yet some producers administer antibiotics for prophylaxis. The cytochromes P450-dependent mixed-function oxygenases (MFO) catalyze the oxidation of xenobiotic compounds such as drugs, pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Herein, we describe the effects of oxytetracycline, ceftazidime and enrofloxacin on the MFO system of the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis. Juvenile alligators (4 animals/treatment) were administered these antibiotics intraperitoneally in an effort to induce hepatic microsomal cytochromes P450. Alligators treated with enrofloxacin exhibited emesis and convulsive spasms within 5 min of the initial injection. Total hepatic cytochromes P450 contents were significantly decreased in oxytetracycline-and enrofloxacin-pretreated alligators. In vitro hepatic microsomal benzyloxyresorufin O-dealkylase (BROD) activity was significantly decreased by enrofloxacin pretreatment. Western blots of proteins from antibiotic-pretreated alligator hepatic microsomes incubated with several mammalian and fish cytochromes P450 (CYP) antibodies exhibited little or no induction of CYP1A1, 2B, 2C and 2E1. In vitro incubation with enrofloxacin and oxytetracycline caused a concentration-dependent decrease in alkyl-substituted phenoxazone dealkylase activities catalyzed by phenobarbital- and 3-methylcholanthrene-induced alligator hepatic microsomes.
Energy gap of silicon clusters studied by scanning tunneling spectroscopy

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy was performed on small pristine silicon clusters on graphite. For the investigated clusters with sizes between 2.5 and 40 \AA{}, two distinct size regimes, were found: below 15 \AA{}, Si clusters show energy gaps up to 450 meV, above that size only zero gaps are observed. We conclude that a structural transition occurs at the size of 15 \AA{}. Larger clusters assume the diamond structure, and the zero gaps originate from the dangling bonds on the cluster surface. Smaller clusters appear in high-coordination structures, which have eliminated the dangling bonds.
Abstract 3824: Integrated analysis of array-CGH and gene expression profiling identifies HSPA5 as a prognostic marker in SHH pathway-actived Medulloblastoma.

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most malignant brain tumor in children and is characterized by marked biological and clinical heterogeneity. It includes four distinct molecular subtypes [wingless (WNT), sonic hedgehog (SHH), Group 3 and Group 4]. Previous attempts to identify prognostic markers applicable to all MBs were unsuccessful and we therefore hypothesize that each molecular subtype of MB may be associated with its unique prognostic markers. The aim of this study is to identify prognostic markers specific for SHH-active MB tumors. We analyzed SNP-array CGH data and gene expression profiling for 60 pediatric MBs and compared the molecular results with clinical outcome data. Using unsupervised hierarchical clustering, we identified 18 MBs that have activated SHH signaling. This subtype of SHH-active tumors also have frequent chromosome 9q loss which are associated with more favorable outcome. In an attempt to identify candidate genes on chromosome 9q with survival impact, we found that low expression of Heat Shock 70kDa Protein 5 (HSPA5) was significantly associated with better event free survival (EFS) in SHH MB patients independent of other clinical variables. This finding had been validated in two other independent MB cohorts. By immuohistochemistry and western blotting, we confirmed the negative correlation between patient survival and HSPA5 protein expression in SHH tumors. Furthermore, in vitro study indicated that knockdown of HSPA5 by siRNA caused dramatic growth suppression in SHH active MB cells. These findings suggest that HSPA5 is a potential prognostic marker in predicting survival of SHH active MB patients and this protein may also be exploited as therapeutic target for SHH MBs that do not harbor chromosome 9q loss. Citation Format: Angela Kwok-Fung Lo, Jian Wang, Jianhe Shen, Alexander Yu, Wing-Yuk Chow, Jack Su, Adekunle Adesina, Robert Dauser, William Whitehead, Murali Chintagumpala, Rudy Guerra, Tsz-Kwong Man, Ching C. Lau. Integrated analysis of array-CGH and gene expression profiling identifies HSPA5 as a prognostic marker in SHH pathway-actived Medulloblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3824. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3824
An analysis of the functional health of obese children and adolescents utilizing the PODC instrument.

Childhood and adolescent obesity is increasing in prevalence and is known to have long-term medical and musculoskeletal consequences. The baseline Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) was administered to 50 obese patients (>95th percentile BMI for age) or their parent (for those 11 years, n = 36; <11 years, n = 14) in any demographic or PODCI category. Compared with normative data, there was significant impairment in sports and pain identified in both genders, African-Americans, and those older than 11 years. These findings were consistent when comparing genders, ethnicities, and ages. There was no difference in happiness between any gender, age, or ethnic group. All groups reported essentially neutral satisfaction. There appears to be a lack of self-recognition of or reluctance to admit functional impairment secondary to obesity. Being obese, African-American ethnicity, and age older than 11 years appear to be risk factors for limited, yet significant, functional impairment.
Gauss's geodesy and the axiom of parallels

It is a myth that Gauss measured a certain large triangle specifically to determine its angle sum; he did so in order to link his triangulation of Hanover with contiguous ones. The sum of the angles differed from 180° by less than two thirds of a second; he is known to have mentioned in conversation that this constituted an approximate verification of the axiom of parallels (which he regarded as an empirical matter because his studies of hyperbolic trigonometry had led him to recognize the possibility of logical alternatives to Kant and Euclid). However, he never doubted Euclidean geometry in his geodetic work. On the contrary, he continually used 180° angle sums as a powerful check for observational errors, which helped him to achieve standards of precision equivalent to today's. Nor did he ever plan an empirical investigation of the geometrical structure of space.
Pentamerization of Single-domain Antibodies from Phage Libraries: A Novel Strategy for the Rapid Generation of High-avidity Antibody Reagents

We describe a novel type of molecule in which single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) isolated from a nai;ve llama single domain antibody library are linked to an oligomerization domain to generate high-avidity, antigen-binding reagents. An sdAb is fused to the B-subunit of Escherichia coli verotoxin, or shiga-like toxin, which self-assembles to form a homopentamer and results in simultaneous sdAb pentamerization and introduction of avidity. Molecular modeling indicated that this fusion protein (PDB: 1OJF), termed pentabody, has structural flexibility for binding to surface-presented antigen. In the instance of an sdAb specific for a peptide antigen, pentamerization resulted in a dramatic increase in functional affinity for immobilized antigen. The pentabody was expressed in high yield in E.coli in a non-aggregated state, and exhibited excellent thermostability and protease resistance. This technology provides a relatively rapid means of generating novel antigen-binding molecules that bind strongly to immobilized antigen. It is expected that pentavalent sdAbs will have general applicability in proteomics, immunochemical staining, cancer diagnosis and other applications in which antigens are presented multivalently.
Academic Research Journals in Medical Sociology, Medical Anthropology, and Contemporary Social Medicine: A Focus on Public and Global Health

A bibliography of 31 academic journals in medical sociology, medical anthropology, and contemporary social medicine with a focus on public and global health is provided. Along with basic identifying information, the bibliometric measures of Eigenfactor, Article Influence Score, SCImago Journal Rank, and H-index have been specified for each journal when available. Brief annotations along with both Library of Congress and medical subject headings are supplied. Though some limitations are acknowledged, this bibliography serves as a valuable tool for locating and selecting a wide range of periodical scholarship devoted to the social and cultural features of health and medicine.
Alkaline phosphatase and leucyl naphthylamidase activities of non-human primate small intestine

Abstract 1. 1. The highest concentrations of alkaline phosphatase activity in the T. glis , C. apella , S. sciwea , P. potto , O. oedipus, and T. Nigricollis were in the duodenum or proximal jejunum. The N. coucang, M. mulatto , and P. Cynocephalus had somewhat uniform alkaline phosphatase activity along the jejunum and proximal ileum, while the A. Trivirgatus had peak levels in the proximal ileum. From 14 to 31 per cent of the intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity was inactivated by heating at 56° C. for 10 minutes. 2. 2. Leucyl naphthylamidase was highest in the jejunum of the P. potto and T. nigricollis , and in the ileum of the T. glis , N. coucang , C. apella , A. trivirgatus , and M. mulatto. Concentrations were rather uniform along the intestine of the O. oedipus , S. sciwea , and P. cynocephalus .
A softly broken susy SU(5) gut with no light supersymmetric partners, and massive superspace

Abstract A softly broken supersymmetric grand unified theory based on SU(5) with no light superpartners is constructed. The model does not involve fine tuning and gives to a stable hierarchy. The choice of mass parameters is dictated by the massive superspace (MASSP). All superpartners of ordinary particles have masses ⪆ 10 11 GeV. The proton decay proceeds via dimension-5 operators and is mediated by squarks, sleptons, shiggses and gauginos leading to a lifetime >10 32 yr. The cosmological constant is zero.
Depressive symptoms and the incidence of adult-onset asthma in African American women.

Abstract Background Some evidence suggests that depression may increase the risk of adult-onset asthma. No data are available for African American women, in whom the prevalence of depression and asthma is high. Objective To conduct prospective analyses of the relation of depressive symptoms to asthma incidence in the Black Women's Health Study, a prospective cohort of US black women followed since 1995 with mailed biennial questionnaires. Methods Of 31,848 participants followed from 1999 to 2011, 771 reported incident asthma. Depressive symptoms were ascertained on 1999 and 2005 follow-up questionnaires with the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale (CES-D). Participants rated the frequency of 20 symptoms. A score was calculated by summing the responses to all questions. Cox regression models were used to derive incidence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals for 4 categories of the CES-D score in relation to incident asthma, adjusted for body mass index, smoking, and other covariates. Results The multivariable incidence rate ratio in the highest category of CES-D score (≥33) compared with the lowest ( P Conclusion A positive association was observed between CES-D score and the incidence of adult-onset asthma. If the hypothesis is confirmed, depression could contribute substantially to the burden of asthma in adults.
A Theoretical Basis for Microwave and RF Field Effects on Excitable Cellular Membranes

A model of a mechanism for nonthermal interaction of RF or microwave fields with excitable cellular membranes is presented. It may be possible for an oscillating component of membrane potential to change the conductance of the membrane to all ion species which transverse voltage-dependent membrane channels. Some specific effects on squid giant axon predicted by the model are discussed.