cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacologic Considerations for Solid Organ Transplant Recipients Who Become Pregnant

Females of childbearing age represent a large population of solid organ transplant recipients. With fertility commonly restored after transplantation, the possibility of pregnancy becomes a reality for many patients. Since the first published report of a successful pregnancy after solid organ transplantation in 1963, the number of pregnancies reported for female organ recipients has continued to increase. Despite this, information on the management of immunosuppression during pregnancy is limited, and a summary of these data is lacking in the literature. In addition to the many pharmacotherapeutic challenges in this unique patient population, physiologic changes in the peripartum period significantly affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of commonly used immunosuppressive agents. These changes, as well as the adverse effects and safety concerns of medications, must all be taken in to consideration to optimize outcomes for both mother and baby. In this review, we provide clinicians caring for female solid organ transplant recipients who wish to become pregnant or who are currently pregnant with a comprehensive review of maternal and fetal risks of pregnancy after transplantation. In addition, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes of pregnancy will be discussed, and a summary of data regarding optimal immunosuppression management during pregnancy will be presented.
Abstract 3578: Novel insights into the cellular function and gene regulation of a master mutator, APOBEC3B

Proceedings: AACR 107th Annual Meeting 2016; April 16-20, 2016; New Orleans, LA Unequivocally, cumulative mutations are required for the development of cancer and many sources of mutagenic activity contribute to tumorigenesis. Recent evidence has implicated that a member of cytidine deaminase family, APOBEC3B (Apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3B or A3B) is enriched in the genomes of many human cancers such as cervical, bladder, lung, head and neck and breast cancers (Burns et al., Nature, 2013). APOBEC3B deaminate cytosines in the host genome to generate C-T mutations. Here we report for the first time that APOBEC3B is overexpressed with adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), a very aggressive and lethal malignancy. We found that APOBEC3B is significantly overexpressed in primary and metastatic ACC as compared to normal adrenal and cortical adenomas by qPCR, immunofluorescence. We observed that γH2AX, a marker of DNA double-strand breaks co-localizes with the expression of APOBEC3B in patients with primary and metastatic ACC. Also ACC tumor samples with high APOBEC3B expression had high chromosomal gain/loss particularly in chromosome 4 and 8 compared to tumor samples with low APOBEC3B expression. To identify the cellular function of APOBEC3B, we performed transient knock-down studies in three ACC cell lines and found that it reduces cellular proliferation and induces cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, we observed that knockdown of APOBEC3B inhibits MAPK signaling by downregulating phospho ERK1/2 levels. Interestingly, we found that tumors with high APOBEC3B expression levels had twice as many TP53 inactivating mutations as compared to tumors with low levels of APOBEC3B. In order to understand the regulation of APOBEC3B expression, we analyzed the methylation status, copy number variation and potential targeting miRNAs of APOBEC3B from genome wide array platform but found no associations in human ACC samples. Therefore, we did a functional, knockdown screen of 90 cancer-associated transcription factors and found that GATA3 showed positive regulation of APOBEC3B. Our data provide novel insights into the function and regulation of APOBEC3B expression beyond its known mutagenic ability. Citation Format: Sudheer Kumar Gara, Yi Liu-Chittenden, Shweta Kotian, Dhaval Patel, Electron Kebebew. Novel insights into the cellular function and gene regulation of a master mutator, APOBEC3B. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3578.
Metaphorics of Embodied Labor

Writers’ “metaphorics of embodied labor” evokes a writing process with little resemblance to the inspiration and incubation stories of the buried life of the mind. Bodies, time, spaces, and the processes of work, growth, and change assume center stage when writers describe their work as embodied labor. Writing is figured by means of metaphors of effort, temporality, rhythm, liminality, and tangibility, by varied acts and mutable texts. The rhythms of activity and pause, of movement and return, fill stories of spatiality, directions, and movement. Some metaphors emphasize large physical tasks such as in mining; others stress small moves and nurturance, as in gardening. Some metaphors focus on physiological labors such as gestating or giving birth. Temporal analogies and allegories reference the inevitable slippages that occur because texts have histories and futures, they are written, re-written, published, and read at many different moments. All these metaphors testify to the emotional content of a shared social understanding of the embodied labor that goes into writing.
A limited-memory quasi-Newton algorithm for bound-constrained non-smooth optimization

We consider the problem of minimizing a continuous function that may be non-smooth and non-convex, subject to bound constraints. We propose an algorithm that uses the L-BFGS quasi-Newton approximation of the problem's curvature together with a variant of the weak Wolfe line search. The key ingredient of the method is an active-set selection strategy that defines the subspace in which search directions are computed. To overcome the inherent shortsightedness of the gradient for a non-smooth function, we propose two strategies. The first relies on an approximation of the e-minimum norm subgradient, and the second uses an iterative corrective loop that augments the active set based on the resulting search directions. While theoretical convergence guarantees have been elusive even for the unconstrained case, we present numerical results on a set of standard test problems to illustrate the efficacy of our approach, using an open-source Python implementation of the proposed algorithm.
Association of cfDNA androgen receptor amplifications with BRAF alterations in mCRPC.

234Background: Cell free DNA (cfDNA) present in plasma of cancer pts can reflect tumoral alterations. Genomic alterations in cfDNA alter prognosis and abiraterone/enzalutamide resistance in mCRPC. The goal of this evaluation was to characterize AR amplifications (Amps) and various somatic point mutations (Muts) detected in mCRPC cfDNA and to relate those changes to other common alterations in the cfDNA landscape. Methods: A heterogenous group of 46 mCRPC patients (pts) with evidence of clinical progression from Tulane Cancer Center underwent cfDNA analysis using Guardant360 test (Guardant Health, Redwood City, CA). This evaluation included full exonic coverage of 70 genes and amplifications in 18 genes. Mutations reported herein include both known pathogenic mutations as well as mutations uncharacterized for functional importance. Results: 69.5% (n = 32) of the mCRPC pts evaluated had an AR alteration. Of the pts with AR alterations, 46.8% (n = 16) had AR Amps, 43.7% (n = 14) had AR Muts, and only 6.25% (...
Seeking the Wounds of the Gift: Recipient Agency in Catholic Charity and Kiganda Patronage

To receive a gift of charity is to receive a gift that cannot be reciprocated, and many have argued that this can only lead to humiliation. For anthropologists, this critique originates in Marcel Mauss’s classic essay, The Gift, where Mauss seems to describe an agonistic theory of exchange in which people secure power and prestige through their generosity. This essay challenges this reading of Mauss by exploring the ways in which prospective beneficiaries seek to attach themselves to a community of East African nuns in efforts to secure future support for themselves and their children. By linking these cases to older writings on patronage in Uganda, this essay complicates arguments about agency and charity’s wounds.
Sociodemographic Characteristics and Treatment Response Among Aging Adults With Voice Disorders in the United States.

Importance Aging adults face unique barriers to care and have unique health care needs with a high prevalence of chronic conditions. A high proportion of individuals in this group have voice disorders, in part due to age-related changes in laryngeal anatomy and physiologic features. These disorders contribute significantly to health care costs and remain poorly understood. Objective To describe sociodemographic characteristics and response to treatment among aging adults with voice disorders. Design, Setting, and Participants A cross-sectional study using the 2012 National Health Interview Survey was used to evaluate adults who reported voice disorders in the past 12 months. Self-reported demographics and data regarding health care visits for voice disorders were analyzed. Statistical analysis was conducted from March 1, 2017, to February 1, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures Self-reported voice disorders, whether or not treatment was sought, which types of professionals were seen for treatment, and whether or not the voice disorder improved after treatment. Results Among 41.7 million adults in the United States 65 years or older, 4.20 million (10.1%; 2 683 199 women and 1 514 909 men; mean [SE] age, 74.5 [0.3] years) reported having voice disorders. Of those with voice disorders, 10.0% (95% CI, 8.3%-11.7%) sought treatment. Of individuals seeking treatment, 22.1% (95% CI, 7.9%-36.3%) saw an otolaryngologist and 24.3% (95% CI, 10.6%-38.0%) saw a speech language pathologist. By controlling for race/ethnicity, income, sex, and geography, it was found that men were less likely than women to report voice disorders (36.1% [95% CI, 31.7%-40.5%] vs 63.9% [95% CI, 59.5%-68.3%]; odds ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.57-0.86). Race/ethnicity, income, and geography were not significantly associated with the likelihood that an individual 65 years or older reported voice disorders. A greater percentage of elderly adults seeking treatment than not seeking treatment reported improvement in symptoms (32.4%; 95% CI, 17.9%-47.0% vs 15.6%; 95% CI, 10.4%-20.8%). Among adults treated for a voice disorder, a lower proportion of adults 65 years or older reported improvement in symptoms with treatment compared with adults younger than 65 years (32.4%; 95% CI, 17.9%-47.0% vs 56.0%; 95% CI, 42.5%-69.6%). Conclusions and Relevance A small percentage of older adults with voice disorders seek treatment; even fewer are treated by an otolaryngologist or a speech language pathologist. A greater percentage of those who undergo treatment experienced symptomatic improvement compared with those who did not undergo treatment. These trends highlight the need for greater access to and awareness of services available to older adults with voice disorders.
Openness and Aggressive Monetary Policy: A Study of Inflation Volatility and Persistence

This paper investigates the relation between economic openness and the aggressiveness of monetary authorities to ensure price stability. In a sample of 114 countries for the period 1949-2001, we find that more open economies tend to have more aggressive monetary policies which results in less inflation volatility and persistence. We find this pattern emerges strongly after 1990. This latter finding suggests that the universal regime shift in 1990 is not just a simple process of increased policy aggressiveness. Countries also conduct more aggressive monetary policies in response to increased economic openness.
Ideology, motivated reasoning, and cognitive reflection

Decision scientists have identified various plausible sources of ideological polarization over climate change, gun violence, national security, and like issues that turn on empirical evidence. This paper describes a study of three of them: the predominance of heuristic-driven information processing by members of the public; ideologically motivated reasoning; and the cognitive-style correlates of political conservativism. The study generated both observational and experimental data inconsistent with the hypothesis that political conservatism is distinctively associated with either unreflective thinking or motivated reasoning. Conservatives did no better or worse than liberals on the Cognitive Reflection Test (Frederick, 2005), an objective measure of information-processing dispositions associated with cognitive biases. In addition, the study found that ideologically motivated reasoning is not a consequence of over-reliance on heuristic or intuitive forms of reasoning generally. On the contrary, subjects who scored highest in cognitive reflection were the most likely to display ideologically motivated cognition. These findings corroborated an alternative hypothesis, which identifies ideologically motivated cognition as a form of information processing that promotes individuals' interests in forming and maintaining beliefs that signify their loyalty to important affinity groups. The paper discusses the practical significance of these findings, including the need to develop science communication strategies that shield policy-relevant facts from the influences that turn them into divisive symbols of political identity.
Finance and Investment Industry

I wanted to work in Japan after graduation. With a bachelor’s degree in finance and international business, and a master’s degree in foreign service with proficiency in the Japanese language from Georgetown University in Washington, District of Columbia, what better entry point than a global investment bank? Goldman, Sachs & Co. took a chance on me in 1997, hiring me into their Treasury Operations team for a year of training in New York, followed by a year-long assignment in Tokyo. Ten years later, I have come to enjoy building a career in this firm and industry, spending time as an operations analyst in treasury in two countries, a project manager on a cross-product team, and finally as a team manager in derivatives operations, managing at turns the firm’s collateral team, credit derivatives middle office, interest rate products, documentation and settlements, and, most recently, global derivatives prime brokerage middle office.
The Natures of Moral Acts

Normative ethics asks: What makes right acts right? W. D. Ross attempted to answer this question in The Right and the Good (1930). Most theorists have agreed that Ross provided no systematic explanatory answers. Ross's intuitionism lacks any decision procedure, and, as McNaughton (2002: 91) states, it ‘turns out after all to have nothing general to say about the relative stringency of our basic duties’. Here I will show that my own Rossian intuitionism does have a systematic way of explaining what makes right acts right. Deontological theories have struggled to say what internal to acts could make them right. From Price to Ross, the striking but uninformative answer has been the nature of the act. In this paper I will provide a Rossian theory of the moral natures of acts. It contains a set of self-evident principles of moral stringency and other considerations that can assist agents in deciding what prima facie duty overrides what.
Fitbit Usage in Patients With Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy.

Abstract Background Many patients’ activity levels decrease during chemotherapy. Wearable devices, such as Fitbits, track activity patterns and may encourage behavior change. This study aimed to determine the utility of using Fitbits to measure physical activity and sleep throughout chemotherapy. Patients and Methods Patients with early stage breast cancer were enrolled prior to starting chemotherapy. Patients received a Fitbit Charge HR and were instructed to wear it and sync at least weekly throughout chemotherapy and up to 6 months post therapy. Patients completed baseline surveys, and treatment information was collected from their medical records. Fitbit data was downloaded from the Fitabase data management platform. To assess utility, we evaluated how many days patients wore their Fitbit for at least 10 hours. Results Adherence to wearing the Fitbit was low, with 16.9% of patients never syncing their device. For those who did sync, the mean number of valid days (> 10 hours of use) across the 9-month study period was 44.5% (SD, 36.9%), and the median was 39.6%, with a range of 0% to 100% of the total study days. Adherence was higher among participants receiving adjuvant chemotherapy versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy (51.9% vs. 29.6% valid days, respectively [P = .037]). Baseline questions indicating positive attitudes toward technology were significantly correlated with higher adherence. Conclusions Fitbit use during breast cancer chemotherapy was poor in the absence of prompts to encourage wear. Interventions including phone calls, texts, or other reminders to maintain adherence are likely necessary to increase wear in active treatment settings.
Garfinkel, Sacks and Formal Structures: Collaborative Origins, Divergences and the History of Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis

In this essay, I discuss the relationship between Garfinkel’s Studies in Ethnomethodology and subsequent developments in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis (CA). I argue that a point of continuity in ethnomethodology and CA, which marks both as radically different from long-standing traditions in Western philosophy and social science, is the claim that social order is evidently produced in ongoing activities, and that no specialized theory or methodology is necessary for making such order observable and accountable. In the half-century following the publication of Studies, Garfinkel explicitly aimed to radicalize ethnomethodology’s stance toward what he called “formal” or “classical” treatments of social order, while much of CA pursued the path of an empirical social science that became increasingly integrated with other branches of social science. Nevertheless, I argue, Garfinkel’s radical initiatives are not completely out of play in ethnomethodological conversational analysis, and the potential remains for further elucidating, exemplifying, and developing them.
Synthesis of Tetrahydrofurans by a Tandem Hydrogen Atom Abstraction/Radical Nucleophilic Displacement Sequence

The reaction of a series of 5-(N-phthalimidoxy)-1-phenyl-1-(diphenylphosphatoxy)pentanes with triphenyltin hydride and AIBN provides alkoxy radicals which undergo 1,5-hydrogen atom abstraction to give β-(phosphatoxy)alkyl radicals. These radicals then take part in a radical nucleophilic displacement leading, after chain transfer, to tetrahydrofurans.
Piezoelectric energy harvester utilizing mandibular deformation to power implantable biosystems: A feasibility study

This study explores the feasibility of energy harvesting from the deformation of a piezoelectric material attached on the human mandible to power an implantable medical device such as deep brain stimulator. A finite element (FE) model of the human mandible was developed and verified experimentally. A piezoelectric energy harvesting device was designed and fixed onto a synthetic mandible to compare its experimental power output to the simulation results. A novel mandibular loading apparatus was designed to imitate the forces exerted on a mandible during mastication in a lab environment. The peak-to-peak voltages from finite element analysis (FEA) and experiment were 1.7 and 1.0 V. Despite the discrepancy in magnitude, similar voltage waveforms were obtained. A method to maximize the electrical efficiency of the proposed harvesting device was discussed.
Methods of implementation for an electronic ongoing professional practice evaluation system.

313Background: Hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission are required to provide Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE) for all privileged providers. Historically, OPPE reports had been...
Functional brain activity is globally elevated by dopamine D2 receptor knockdown in the ventral tegmental area

Abstract The mesocorticolimbic system is comprised of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and their projection targets in the ventral striatum, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus, among others. Regulation of dopamine transmission within this system is achieved in part through a negative feedback mechanism via dopamine D2 autoreceptors located on somatodendrites and terminals of VTA dopaminergic neurons. Dysregulation of this mechanism has been implicated in addiction and other psychiatric disorders, although the biological bases for these associations are unclear. In order to elucidate the functional consequences of VTA D2 receptor dysregulation, this study investigated alterations in local cerebral glucose utilization throughout the brain following Drd2 knockdown in the VTA. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received bilateral injections of lentivirus encoding shRNAs against the rat dopamine D2 receptor, scrambled shRNA or phosphate buffered saline. The autoradiographic 2-[14C]deoxyglucose metabolic mapping procedure was conducted 22 days post-infection. Brains were sectioned for autoradiography and glucose utilization was measured across distinct regions throughout the brain. Local cerebral glucose utilization was found to be elevated in the Drd2 knockdown group as compared to control groups. These greater levels of metabolic activity following Drd2 knockdown in the VTA were observed not only in the mesocorticolimbic system and associated dopamine pathways, but also in a global pattern that included many areas with far less concentrated VTA dopamine inputs. This suggests that even a partial Drd2 deletion in the VTA can have widespread consequences and impact information flow in diverse networks that process sensory, cognitive, motor and emotional information.
Effect of AuBr3 additive on the scintillation properties of BaBr2:Eu and Cs2LiLaBr6:Ce

Following the observation of large increases in light output of BaBrCl:Eu single crystals using AuBr3 as an additive in the melt, the impact of this process on the scintillation properties of other Br-based scintillating materials is investigated in an attempt to assess its broader use. Results for Cs2LiLaBr6:Ce and BaBr2:Eu single crystals with various Ce and Eu concentrations are presented. The results indicate that such an additive has very different effects in the two investigated materials. Although AuBr3 is not incorporated in the two crystalline matrices, it increases remarkably, by up to a factor 2, the light yield of BaBr2:Eu in a similar manner to that observed for BaBrCl:Eu, but is at best ineffective in the case of Cs2LiLaBr6:Ce. The improvements detected in the case of BaBr2:Eu are related to a substantial reduction in the long lived scintillation decay tails as well as in the thermally stimulated luminescence amplitude with respect to the crystal grown without AuBr3 in the melt. These improvements are, however, associated with a reduction in the energy resolution of these crystals related to a worse energy response non-proportionality. In the case of Cs2LiLaBr6:Ce, no clear improvements in either the light yield or the scintillation decay time are visible in the case of low Ce content, while a reduction of light yield upon AuBr3 addition caused by luminescence quenching phenomena is observed for high Ce concentration.
Challenges confronting rural hospitals accentuated during COVID-19

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 created a designation for critical access hospitals (CAHs) to sustain care for people living in rural communities who lacked access to care due to hospital closures over the preceding decade. Twenty-five years later, 1350 CAHs serve approximately 18% of the US population and a systematic policy evaluation has yet to be performed. This policy analysis serves to define challenges faced by CAHs through a literature review addressing the four major categories of payment, quality, access to capital, and workforce. Additionally, this analysis describes how current challenges to maintain sustainability of CAHs over time are accentuated by gaps in public health infrastructure and variability in individual health care plans exhibited during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The genetics and physiology of seed dormancy, a crucial trait in common bean domestication

Physical seed dormancy is an important trait in legume domestication. Although seed dormancy is beneficial in wild ecosystems, it is generally considered to be an undesirable trait in crops due to reduction in yield and / or quality. The physiological mechanism and underlying genetic factor(s) of seed dormancy is largely unknown in several legume species. Here we employed an integrative approach to understand the mechanisms controlling physical seed dormancy in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Using an innovative CT scan imaging system, we were able to track water movements inside the seed coat. We found that water uptake initiates from the bean seed lens. Using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) we further identified several micro-cracks on the lens surface of non-dormant bean genotypes. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA) was conducted on a bi-parental RIL (recombinant inbred line) population, segregating for seed dormancy. This analysis revealed that the seed water uptake is associated with a single major QTL on Pv03. The QTL region was fine-mapped to a 118 Kb interval possessing 11 genes. Coding sequence analysis of candidate genes revealed a 5-bp insertion in an ortholog of pectin acetylesterase 8 that causes a frame shift, loss-of-function mutation in non-dormant genotype. Gene expression analysis of the candidate genes in the seed coat of contrasting genotypes indicated 21-fold lower expression of pectin acetylesterase 8 in non-dormant genotype. An analysis of mutational polymorphism was conducted among wild and domesticated beans. Although all the wild beans possessed the functional allele of pectin acetylesterase 8, the majority (77%) of domesticated beans had the non-functional allele suggesting that this variant was under strong selection pressure through domestication. In this study, we identified the physiological mechanism of physical seed dormancy and have identified a candidate allele causing variation in this trait. Our findings suggest that a 5-bp insertion in an ortholog of pectin acetylesterase 8 is likely a major causative mutation underlying the loss of seed dormancy during domestication. Although the results of current study provide strong evidences for the role of pectin acetylesterase 8 in seed dormancy, further confirmations seem necessary by employing transgenic approaches.
A cloud data collection platform for canine behavioural prediction using objective sensor data

Training successful guide dogs is time and resource intensive, requiring copious professional and volunteer labour. Even among the best programs, dogs are released with attrition rates commonly at ...
Playing in a New Key, in a New World: Virtual Worlds, Millennial Writers, and 3D Composition

Joe Essid University of Richmond, USA 169 In the authors courses, students have been augmentationist, not immersionist, in their approaches to using technology. In a virtual world, however, they are born with new skins into strange settings, doing . things that might be impossible in the world of matter. Their frequent discomfort at this rebirth corroborates .findings in two studies (Mosier, 2009; Howe & Strauss, 2000) that American "Millennials" distrust activities that seem to have no direct bearing on their educational outcomes, established social circles, or professional desires. The chapter describes assignments for such students, in the context of Rouzie s (2005) "serio-ludic "pedagogy. Several touchstones for educators appear, such as four challenges educators face, advice for orienting students 'first hours in a virtual world, long-standing Second Life content of worth such as Virtual Harlem, and guidelines for creating such content oneself.
COMMERCE AND TRADE Viatical Investments: Regulate Viatical Investments by Changing Provisions Relating to Securities Exempt from Registration and to Change Certain Provisions Relating to Unlawful Practices

The Act subjects viatical transactions to governance by the securities office of the Secretary of State. The Act clarifies that the securities office has the legal authority to deal with issues arising under viatical instrument transactions.
Metal-Organic Framework Derived Hierarchically Porous Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanostructures as Novel Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Abstract The hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon materials, derived from nitrogen-containing isoreticular metal-organic framework-3 (IRMOF-3) through direct carbonization, exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity in alkaline solution for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). This high activity is attributed to the presence of high percentage of quaternary and pyridinic nitrogen, the high surface area as well as good conductivity. When IRMOF-3 was carbonized at 950 °C (CIRMOF-3-950), it showed four-electron reduction pathway for ORR and exhibited better stability (about 78.5% current density was maintained) than platinum/carbon (Pt/C) in the current durability test. In addition, CIRMOF-3-950 presented high selectivity to cathode reactions compared to commercial Pt/C.
The heme oxygenase system and cellular defense mechanisms. Do HO-1 and HO-2 have different functions?

Heme oxygenase isozymes, HO-1, HO-2 and HO-3, are HSP32 protein cognates, with a known function of catalyzing the isomer specific oxidation of the heme molecule, including that of NO synthase. Unknown until recent years was that the system is a central component of the cellular defense mechanisms; this can be attributed to a combination of many factors. In biological systems HO activity is responsible for production of equimolar amounts of CO, biliverdin and free Fe. The serine/threonine kinase, biliverdin reductase, catalyzes reduction of biliverdin to bilirubin. Bilirubin is a potent antioxidant and CO is a signal molecule. Although both active HO isozymes catalyze the same reaction, HO-1 and HO-2 may function in a rather distinct fashion in protection against tissue injury. HO-1 is the stress responsive cognate that is rapidly induced by free and stable radicals as well as by hypoxia. Supra induction of HO-1 completely protects ischemic kidney against tissue pathology. This involves rapid inactivation of the pro-oxidant heme of denatured hemoproteins and converting it to bilirubin and CO. In the case of severe tissue injury, such as compression injury, HO-1 is induced and colocalizes with cGMP and pro-apoptotic oncogenes. HO-2, which is the constitutive form, in addition to maintaining cell heme homeostasis, inactivates NO derived radicals. The isozyme binds the free radical at its “heme regulatory motifs” and is “suicide” inactivated at the protein and transcript levels. Data are shown that provide evidence for role of the HO system in the cellular defense mechanism against free radical-mediated tissue damage, and are consistent with the forwarded concept that HO isozymes have common, as well as distinct, roles in cellular defense mechanisms.
Contested History: Brahmanical Memories of Relations with the Mughals

Brahman Sanskrit intellectuals enjoyed a century of relations with the Mughal elite. Nonetheless, such cross-cultural connections feature only sporadically in Persian chronicles, and Brahmans rarely elaborated on their imperial links in Sanskrit texts. In this essay I analyze a major exception to the Brahmanical silence on their Mughal connections, the Kavīndracandrodaya (“Moonrise of Kavīndra”). More than seventy Brahmans penned the poetry and prose of this Sanskrit work that celebrates Kavīndrācārya’s successful attempt to persuade Emperor Shah Jahan to rescind taxes on Hindu pilgrims to Benares and Prayag (Allahabad). I argue that the Kavīndracandrodaya constituted an act of selective remembrance in the Sanskrit tradition of cross-cultural encounters in Mughal India. This enshrined memory was, however, hardly a uniform vision. The work’s many authors demonstrate the limits and points of contestation among early moderns regarding how to formulate social and historical commentaries in Sanskrit on imperial relations.
Health Services Marketing for Routine Child Vaccinations in the Philippines

This study examines one developing country's experience in implementing the World Health Organization (WHO) Expanded Program of Immunization for infants and young children. Of particular concern to decision-makers in many developing countries like the Philippines are persistent disparities in utilization and completion rates for free, mandatory child vaccinations. Consequently, high prevalence of some vaccine-preventable diseases remains. The study finds that search and information as well as monitoring and enforcement costs can significantly constrain herd immunity. The externalities of child inoculations suggest a vital role for creative social marketing in improving health care accessibility and quality. A marketing mix of place, cost, product/service, and promotion underpins this consumption behavior-change strategy. Relevance and adaptiveness to target beneficiary needs and socioeconomic realities in developing countries are key challenges. The final section of this study identifies specific marketin...
Monitoring drug impact on signaling pathways from small samples of primary hematopoietic malignancies

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 2826 Cancer is caused by activation of oncogenes and/or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Regulation of oncogenes and tumor suppressors occurs through signaling transduction pathways which can be inactivated by targeted therapeutics. Specific oncogene inhibition can be an effective therapy for cancer, as documented in animal models and in human cancers. Using our conditional tetracycline regulated model of MYC-induced lymphoma we have previously shown that suppressing the activation of the MYC oncogene induces sustained tumor regression. Studying the effect of targeted drug therapy on signal transduction pathways in oncogene-induced hematopoetic malignancies is important for cancer treatment. Here we demonstrate the use of an automated nano-fluidic system to measure changes in the expression and activation of a variety of onco/signaling proteins including AKT, ERK, MYC, MEK, STAT and JNK in malignant hematopoietic cells before and after treatment with therapeutic agents that impact oncogenic signaling pathways. The expression levels of the different proteins were measured with high sensitivity in as few as 400 cells. Since this technology separates different isoforms and phosphorylated forms of a protein based on its isoelectric point, a single antibody was able to distinguish between the phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated forms of each protein. In parallel, Western blot and Phospho-protein FACS analyses were performed to confirm changes in expression and phosphorylation of the signaling proteins. Thus, we have developed a novel technique which can precisely evaluate the levels of key signaling proteins in oncogenic pathways from very small samples. This approach can potentially be used for high throughput analysis of microscopic clinical specimens, biomarker discovery, molecular diagnostic assays and to monitor changes in signaling after therapeutic interventions.
Delineating biologic pathways involved in skeletal growth and homeostasis through the study of rare Mendelian diseases that affect bones and joints

We have found that the secreted glycoprotein, lubricin, is mutated in patients with the autosomal recessive disorder camptodactyly–arthropathy–coxa vara–pericarditis syndrome. To better define lubricin's role in articulating joints we have been studying lubricin knockout mice. Knockout mice recapitulate features observed in patients with camptodactyly–arthropathy–coxa vara–pericarditis, and therefore allow us to learn more about the protein's in vivo function. We find that synoviocytes from knockout mice have different growth characteristics than do wild-type synoviocytes. We also find that the articular cartilage surface in knockout mice loses superficial zone chondrocytes and becomes covered by proteinaceous material. These results indicate that lubricin protects cartilage surfaces and helps regulate synovial cell growth. We had found that Wnt-inducible-secreted protein 3 (WISP3) is mutated in patients with the autosomal recessive disorder progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia. Patients with progressive pseudo-rheumatoid dysplasia require joint replacement surgery for what resembles end-stage osteoarthritis by their second decade of life. WISP3 is in very low abundance since we have only been able to detect mRNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and not by northern blot or in situ hybridization. Furthermore, we have not been able to detect endogenous WISP3 protein using a sensitive polyclonal antibody. Therefore, to determine the role of WISP3 in maintaining joints we created Wisp3 knockout mice. Surprisingly these mice did not develop joint failure, but they did seem to have altered timing of their secondary centers of ossification. We are currently exploring whether this altered timing is relevant to the pathogenesis of cartilage failure in human patients. We have been searching for the gene responsible for autosomal recessive acromesomelic dysplasia. This is an interesting disorder because it primarily affects postnatal, rather than prenatal, growth. Also interesting is the fact that many carrier parents of affected individuals appear to have isolated short stature. Consequently, the discovery of the gene responsible for this disease may provide insights into pathways that effect growth.
Measuring customers' overall satisfaction: a multi-attributes assessment.

Recognizing the drawbacks associated with the traditional approach of measuring customers' overall satisfaction, which simply relies on a single-item measurement of overall satisfaction, an alterna...
Heating and ignition of combustible dust layers on a hot surface: Influence of layer shrinkage

A combustible dust layer on a hot surface may ignite if the temperature is sufficiently high. Based on experimental observations, a model is developed to include the layer shrinkage as the combustible material is consumed in the process of heating that may lead to ignition. During the pyrolysis, the packed dust layer shrinks as a result of a variation of the particle size. The transient heat conduction equation with temperature-dependent distributed heat sources is solved numerically. Thermal conductivity equations developed by previous workers for granular materials is employed in the present analysis. The effect of the layer shrinkage on the dust-layer temperature distribution and ensuing ignition is computed for various layer parameters.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Scale Scores in Pediatric Mood and Anxiety Disorders.

ABSTRACT Objective: To compare scores on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptom scales in healthy youths and youths with mood or anxiety disorders. Method: A total of 352 youths were recruited (107 healthy participants, 88 with an anxiety disorder, 32 with major depressive disorder, 62 with bipolar disorder, and 63 with a mood disorder characterized by severe nonepisodic irritability). Participants received structured psychiatric interviews and parent ratings on at least one of three ASD symptom scales: Children's Communication Checklist, Social Communication Questionnaire, and Social Responsiveness Scale. Results: Relative to healthy youths, youths with mood or anxiety disorders exhibited higher scores on each ASD symptom scale. ASD symptom scale scores also showed an association with impairment severity and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Among patients with mood disorders but not those with anxiety disorders, consistent, statistically significant associations between diagnosis and ASD symptom scale scores remained even after controlling for potential confounders. Conclusions: Patients with mood disorders exhibit higher scores on ASD symptom scales than healthy youths or youths with anxiety disorders. These data should alert clinicians to the importance of assessing ASD symptoms to identify social reciprocity and communication deficits as possible treatment targets in pediatric mood and anxiety disorders.
Traffic light control using Infinitesimal Perturbation Analysis

We address the traffic light control problem for a single intersection by viewing it as a stochastic hybrid system and developing a Stochastic Flow Model (SFM) for it. Using Infinitesimal Perturbation Analysis (IPA), we derive online gradient estimates of a cost metric with respect to the controllable green and red cycle lengths. The IPA estimators obtained require counting traffic light switchings and estimating car flow rates only when specific events occur. The estimators are used to iteratively adjust light cycle lengths to improve performance and, in conjunction with a standard gradient-based algorithm, to obtain optimal values which adapt to changing traffic conditions. Simulation results are included to illustrate the approach.
Pseudoreplication conventions are testable hypotheses.

Hurlberts conceptions of pseudoreplication, such as the loss of independent replicates with repeatedsampling over time and the lack of appropriate spatial interspersion of experimental units to achievestatistical independence, are really theoretical hypotheses that warrant empirical confirmation or discon-firmation. Schank and Koehnle have provided a valuable service to researchers in ecology, conservationbiology, and animal behavior using logical argument and repeated Monte Carlo simulations to challengeHurlberts theoretical assumptions about statistical independence. Their simulations showed that aver-aging samples to produce a single datum destroys the information within experimental units and ismathematically equivalent to the treatment level in a nested analysis of variance. Such results counterHurlberts argument that pooling is wrong. Rigid thinking about sampling, as engendered by Hurlbertspseudoreplication arguments, does not promote the exploration of new methodologies and there issomething disturbingly inconsistent with the scientific method when journal editors and reviewers adoptHurlberts pseudoreplication arguments unquestionably.Keywords: pseudoreplication commentary, testable hypotheses, statistical independence
Multi-scale composite models for the effective thermal conductivity of PCM-concrete

Abstract Encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) were used in concrete to improve thermal properties of the concrete, called PCM-concrete. This paper presents the predictions of the effective thermal conductivity of PCM-concrete using different composite models, such as the parallel, the series models, Maxwell model and Generalized Self-Consistent (GSC) model. Multi-phase, multi-scale internal structural models were developed and combined with GSC model to predict the effective thermal conductivity of PCM-concrete. It was found that the configuration of the internal structure for the PCM phase is very important. The PCM phase needs to be considered as a matrix (a thin shell), which can effectively block the heat flow and thus reduce the thermal conductivity of PCM-concrete. The GSC model with the suggested internal structure model can predict the effective thermal conductivity of PCM-concrete. The prediction agreed with test data quite well, and the prediction is within the upper and lower bounds.
Community Participation of the Elderly Chicano: A Model:

The elderly Chicano comprise a population that is distinct in historical background, socialization patterns, coping mechanisms, and patterns of participation in community affairs. These distinctive characteristics have often been overlooked by community planners who know little about elderly Chicanos and assume that all their needs can be met by their families. Several strategies are proposed for the development of participatory processes and systems that take into account the reality of daily life in the barrio. Statistical data should be enriched by qualitative information for decision-making purposes: the calm rationality of one set of people discussing the problems of others should be balanced by the fire of people describing their own experiences.
Transient analysis of uniform resistive transmission lines in a homogeneous medium

Transient analysis of resistive transmission lines has always been difficult. The need for this type of analysis, however,did not become critical until high-density circuit packaging became commonplace. This paper discusses a method for the transient analysis of resistive lines. It does not require a large number of equivalent circuit elements, and yet it can be used to represent a resistive line to any desired accuracy.
The high cycle fatigue and fracture behavior of aluminum alloy 7055

This paper highlights the results of a study on the high-cycle fatigue, deformation and fracture behavior of aluminum alloy 7055. Specimens of the alloy, in the T7751 temper, were cyclically deformed over a range of stress amplitudes at both ambient and elevated temperatures. While an increase in test temperature was found to have a detrimental influence on cyclic fatigue life of the transverse orientation specimens, little influence was found on the longitudinally oriented specimens. The macroscopic fracture mode was essentially identical regardless of the orientation of the test specimen with respect to the wrought rolled plate. Cyclic fatigue fracture, on a microscopic scale, revealed features reminiscent of locally ductile and brittle mechanisms. The microscopic fracture behavior was a function of test temperature. The mechanisms governing cyclic fatigue life and fracture behavior are discussed in light of the mutually interactive influences of microstructural effects, matrix deformation characteristics and test temperature.
Literal meaning, minimal propositions, and pragmatic processing

Abstract Relevance theorists and others have argued that what a speaker ‘says’ is determined by contextual factors to a greater extent than allowed for by Grice. This dispute has consequences for what Grice called generalized conversational implicatures. Contextualists have argued that the propositions that Grice thinks of as implicated in a generalized way should be treated as part of what is said. Griceans, on the other hand, by insisting that these are conversationally implicated, are committed to postulating more minimal propositions for the role of what is said. This paper examines whether such minimal propositions play a role in utterance understanding. Three pragmatic processing models, which embody some of the assumptions of the rival philosophical views, are postulated. The results of a series of experiments designed to test the predictions of these processing models are reported. Our results lend some initial support to a model in which minimal and contextually enriched interpretations are constructed in parallel, with a bias towards the enriched interpretations. However, the final section of the paper suggests a number of ways in which the issue of the role of minimal propositions still remains open for empirical exploration.