cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Not-for-profit accounting in a changing world of standard setting: What professors and students need to know ☆

Abstract Generally, accounting standard setting in the 21st Century promises to be an interesting and increasingly diverse endeavor. This paper discusses the formation of the FASB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee in 2010 and its work to date. I identify the various changes that will likely impact accounting and auditing for not-for-profit entities. Specifically, prospects for changes to current not-for-profit standards are discussed with emphasis on how future changes might follow the patterns outlined for private companies or small and medium-sized entities. New possibilities and implications for educators and curriculum design are introduced.
Business cycles and the pre-holiday effect in stock returns

This study introduces business cycles to the analysis of a pre-holiday effect in the Standard and Poor's 500 and NASDAQ return indexes. During expansionary periods, both indexes exhibit a pre-holiday effect, with a more pronounced pre-holiday effect in the NASDAQ index than in the S&P index. During periods of economic contraction, the pre-holiday effect prevails in both indexes, with a stronger pre-holiday effect in the S&P index than in the NASDAQ index. These results suggest that the magnitude of the pre-holiday effect is related to the level of economic activity and firm size.
Locomotor behaviour in Plio-Pleistocene sabre-tooth cats: a biomechanical analysis

The locomotor behaviour of some large extinct carnivores, including several species of Plio-Pleistocene sabre-tooth cats, is here reconstructed, based on a comparison of the cross-sectional geometric properties and linear dimensions of their femora and humeri with those of large modern carnivores. The long bones are modelled as simple beams, thereby allowing the use of basic beam theory in assessing relevant functional parameters such as second moments of area of the diaphyses when subjected to compressive and bending stresses. Three Pleistocene carnivores, Smilodon fatalis, Homotherium serum, and Panthera atrox seem to have had ecological and functional equivalents among the late Miocene-Early Pliocene genera, Barbourofelis, Machairodus, and Nimravides, respectively. Barbourofelis and Smilodon were ‘cat-like’in dental morphology but some structural characteristics of their limb bones had ‘bear-like’affinities. Machairodus and Homotherium were cursorial, whereas Nimravides and P. atrox display the limb morphology of true ambush predators. Various aspects of the postcranial skeleton of some of these extinct carnivores suggest that they may have employed locomotory gaits that lack modern analogs.
An integrative variant analysis suite for whole exome next-generation sequencing data

Whole exome capture sequencing allows researchers to cost-effectively sequence the coding regions of the genome. Although the exome capture sequencing methods have become routine and well established, there is currently a lack of tools specialized for variant calling in this type of data. Using statistical models trained on validated whole-exome capture sequencing data, the Atlas2 Suite is an integrative variant analysis pipeline optimized for variant discovery on all three of the widely used next generation sequencing platforms (SOLiD, Illumina, and Roche 454). The suite employs logistic regression models in conjunction with user-adjustable cutoffs to accurately separate true SNPs and INDELs from sequencing and mapping errors with high sensitivity (96.7%). We have implemented the Atlas2 Suite and applied it to 92 whole exome samples from the 1000 Genomes Project. The Atlas2 Suite is available for download at http://sourceforge.net/projects/atlas2/ . In addition to a command line version, the suite has been integrated into the Genboree Workbench, allowing biomedical scientists with minimal informatics expertise to remotely call, view, and further analyze variants through a simple web interface. The existing genomic databases displayed via the Genboree browser also streamline the process from variant discovery to functional genomics analysis, resulting in an off-the-shelf toolkit for the broader community.
Relapse of depression in primary care. Rate and clinical predictors.

OBJECTIVE To determine the clinical predictors and rate of relapse for major depression in primary care. DESIGN A cohort study of subjects in 2 randomized trials of depressed patients diagnosed and prescribed antidepressant medicine by primary care physicians. Baseline, 7-month, and 19-month assessments were conducted. SETTING A large primary care clinic of a staff-model health maintenance organization. PATIENTS Two hundred fifty-one primary care patients who did not satisfy Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition (DSM-III-R) criteria for major depression at 7 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Relapse was defined as (1) satisfying DSM-III-R criteria for major depression at 19 months, or (2) reporting an interval episode of 2 weeks or more of depressed mood and symptoms between 7 and 19 months. Predictors examined included demographic characteristics, medical comorbidity, disability, and psychological symptoms. Depressive symptoms were measured by Inventory of Depressive Symptoms and Hopkins Symptoms Checklist. RESULTS Of the patients, 37.1% reported relapse of depression in the 12-month relapse-risk period. The 2 major risk factors associated with relapse were (1) persistence of subthreshold depressive symptoms 7 months after the initiation of antidepressant therapy (odds ratio, 3.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.74-3.93) and (2) history of 2 or more episodes of major depression, or chronic mood symptoms for 2 years (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-2.76). Patients with both risk factors were approximately 3 times more likely to relapse than patients with neither. CONCLUSIONS The relapse rate among primary care patients treated for depression approached that of specialty samples, with more than one third reporting relapse in 1 year. Clinical characteristics can help target high-risk patients for relapse prevention efforts.
Validation of daily MODIS snow cover maps of the Upper Rio Grande River Basin for the 2000–2001 snow year

Abstract Snow cover represents an important water resource for the Upper Rio Grande River Basin of Colorado and New Mexico. Accuracy assessment of MODIS snow products was accomplished using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Daily snow cover maps produced from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were compared with operational snow cover maps produced by the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC) and against in situ Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) measurements for the 2000–2001 snow season. Over the snow season, agreement between the MODIS and NOHRSC snow maps was high with an overall agreement of 86%. However, MODIS snow maps typically indicate a higher proportion of the basin as being snow-covered than do the NOHRSC snow maps. In particular, large tracts of evergreen forest on the western slopes of the San de Cristo Range, which comprise a large portion of the eastern margin of the basin, are more consistently mapped as snow-covered in the MODIS snow products than in the NOHRSC snow products. NOHRSC snow maps, however, typically indicate a greater proportion of the central portion of the basin, predominately in cultivated areas, as snow. Comparisons of both snow maps with in situ SNOTEL measurements over the snow season show good overall agreement with overall accuracies of 94% and 76% for MODIS and NOHRSC, respectively. A lengthened comparison of MODIS against SNOTEL sites, which increases the number of comparisons of snow-free conditions, indicates a slightly lower overall classification accuracy of 88%. Errors in mapping extra snow and missing snow by MODIS are comparable, with MODIS missing snow in approximately 12% of the cases and mapping too much snow in 15% of the cases. The majority of the days when MODIS fails to map snow occurs at snow depths of less than 4 cm.
The interaction between retinoic acid and the transforming growth factors-β in calf articular cartilage organ cultures

In calf articular cartilage organ cultures, retinoic acid depressed proteoglycan anabolism to levels approximately 10% of control values and increased their catabolism approximately 14-fold at concentrations of 1 x 10(-8) and 1 x 10(-6) M, respectively, leading to a severe depletion of this component from the extracellular matrix (95% loss in 3 weeks). These effects were powerfully antagonized by maximal levels of transforming growth factors-beta (TGF-beta s) 1, 2, and 3, leading to preservation of matrix components. At a concentration of 1 x 10(-8) M retinoic acid, the TGF-beta s restored anabolism to control levels and lowered catabolic rates greater than 3-fold. While the TGF-beta s increased protein synthesis 2- to 3-fold over controls, retinoic acid alone did not change protein synthesis, as determined by incorporation of [3H]serine. Nevertheless, retinoic acid effectively antagonized the stimulation of protein synthesis by TGF-beta and restored control levels of synthesis at 1 x 10(-7) M. Analysis of proteins, labeled using [3H]serine and [35S]sulfate as precursors, by SDS-PAGE revealed that large molecular weight proteins (greater than 100 kDa) were not detectable in retinoic-acid-treated cultures, but treatment with the TGF-beta s restored these components in coincubation cultures, again supporting the antagonistic role of the polypeptide effectors on retinoid action. Treatment of the cultures with retinoic acid elevated levels of TGF-beta 2 synthesis, but not TGF-beta 1. While the role of the newly synthesized TGF-beta 2 in the set of events elicited by retinoic acid in articular cartilage is unclear, the results establish an intrinsic metabolic link between the isoprenoid and TGF-beta in articular cartilage. We propose that the retinoids and TGF-beta s are integral parts of a regulatory network that controls homeostasis, resorption, or growth, depending on their relative contributions.
Temperature Dependency of Molecular Mobility in Preserved Seeds

Although cryogenic storage is presumed to provide nearly infinite longevity to cells, the actual timescale for changes in viability has not been addressed theoretically or empirically. Molecular mobility within preserved biological materials provides a first approximation of the rate of deteriorative reactions that ultimately affect shelf-life. Here, temperature effects on molecular mobility in partially dried seeds are calculated from heat capacities, measured using differential scanning calorimetry, and models for relaxation of glasses based on configurational entropy. Based on these analyses, glassy behavior in seeds containing 0.07 g H(2)O/g dm followed strict Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher (VTF) behavior at temperatures above and just below the glass transition temperature (Tg) at 28 degrees C. Temperature dependency of relaxation times followed Arrhenius kinetics as temperatures decreased well below Tg. The transition from VTF to Arrhenius kinetics occurred between approximately 5 and -10 degrees C. Overall, relaxation times calculated for seeds containing 0.07 g H(2)O/g dm decreased by approximately eight orders of magnitude when seeds were cooled from 60 to -60 degrees C, comparable to the magnitude of change in aging kinetics reported for seeds and pollen stored at a similar temperature range. The Kauzmann temperature (T(K)), often considered the point at which molecular mobility of glasses is practically nil, was calculated as -42 degrees C. Calculated relaxation times, temperature coefficients lower than expected from VTF kinetics, and T(K) that is 70 degrees C below Tg suggest there is molecular mobility, albeit limited, at cryogenic temperatures.
Method for extracting the aorta from 3D CT images

Bronchoscopic biopsy of the central-chest lymph nodes is vital in the staging of lung cancer. Three-dimensional multi-detector CT (MDCT) images provide vivid anatomical detail for planning bronchoscopy. Unfortunately, many lymph nodes are situated close to the aorta, and an inadvertent needle biopsy could puncture the aorta, causing serious harm. As an eventual aid for more complete planning of lymph-node biopsy, it is important to define the aorta. This paper proposes a method for extracting the aorta from a 3D MDCT chest image. The method has two main phases: (1) Off-line Model Construction, which provides a set of training cases for fitting new images, and (2) On-Line Aorta Construction, which is used for new incoming 3D MDCT images. Off-Line Model Construction is done once using several representative human MDCT images and consists of the following steps: construct a likelihood image, select control points of the medial axis of the aortic arch, and recompute the control points to obtain a constant-interval medial-axis model. On-Line Aorta Construction consists of the following operations: construct a likelihood image, perform global fitting of the precomputed models to the current case's likelihood image to find the best fitting model, perform local fitting to adjust the medial axis to local data variations, and employ a region recovery method to arrive at the complete constructed 3D aorta. The region recovery method consists of two steps: model-based and region-growing steps. This region growing method can recover regions outside the model coverage and non-circular tube structures. In our experiments, we used three models and achieved satisfactory results on twelve of thirteen test cases.
Traumatic Injuries of the Diaphragm

Traumatic injury of the diaphragm is not an infrequent occurrence. With the rise in violence and increasing use of automobiles, more diaphragmatic injuries may be seen, especially in inner-city hospitals. Sixty-six cases from our institution within the last five years were reviewed. Of these there were 41 penetrating injuries and 23 secondary to blunt trauma. Two cases were surgically induced following a difficult decortication for pleuropulmonary tuberculosis. There were ten deaths (15 percent mortality). All deaths were related to the severity of associated injuries. In addition, we analyzed 307 patients with multiple injuries who were dead on arrival and were autopsied by the county medical examiners in a 24-month period. Of the 307 autopsied cases, 16 (5.2 percent) had ruptured diaphragms. Interestingly, all but one of these cases were associated with thoracic aortic injuries. Diagnoses of penetrating diaphragmatic injuries were made during exploration of other injuries. In blunt diaphragmatic rupture, a high index of suspicion is most important in the diagnosis. In 10 of 23 blunt injuries, visceral herniation was noted on initial x-ray films. In four, follow-up films several hours to a day later showed loops of bowel in the chest. In nine cases, there were no apparent visceral herniations on initial films, and in these, the diagnosis was made during surgery for other indications. The surgical approach to diaphragmatic injuries is individualized. Acute left-sided injuries are best approached through the abdomen. Acute right-sided injuries and all chronic injuries should be approached through the chest.
A basis for updating our approach to resistant acute leukemia.

No studies exist documenting that chemotherapy alone eradicates tumors composed of leukemic cells in a large group of patients with tumors at any one site. Yet, its use has continued over 40 years in the absence of data. Consensus protocols exist only for testis and meningeal tumors, relying on local therapy. To constitute a body of knowledge about tumors at one site, the breast was chosen and all published cases were analyzed, with follow-up obtained, to document the behavior of acute leukemia tumors and survival after presentation. Among 235 cases (52% published since 2000), overall survival was poor, particularly for the 43% with concurrent morphologic marrow relapse, with 66-73% one-year mortality. Only 4 of 106 patients treated with chemotherapy alone survived 4 years. The majority of AML and ALL tumors were only transiently responsive to anti-leukemia treatments, including transplant, and next relapses were as, or more, common in further tumors than in marrow. A pattern of tumors similar to the metastases of invasive lobular breast cancer was revealed. When relapse occurred in marrow, durable remission was only rarely obtained. These data suggest a potential benefit of incorporating extent of disease workup at diagnosis and relapse into prospective trials. This could yield an accurate incidence of extramedullary tumors and a means to identify occult residual disease which could lead to marrow relapse. This approach could potentially result in greater success in curing acute leukemias. Am. J. Hematol. 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Scheduling Advertisements on a Web Page: New and Improved Approximation Algorithms

Abstract Abstract We develop approximation algorithms for solving two problems, MINSPACE and MAXSPACE, which are shown to be strongly NP-Hard [2]. For the MINSPACE problem, two algorithms are provided: one with a performance guarantee of 2 and the other with a performance guarantee better than 2. For the MAXSPACE problem, two algorithms are developed with performance guarantees of 1/4 and 3/10.
Outcomes and Resource Utilization Associated With Underage Drinking at a Level I Trauma Center

Abstract Purpose To examine the association of blood alcohol content (BAC) on hospital-based outcomes and imaging utilization for patients Methods Retrospective analysis of alcohol-involved injuries in patients 13–20 years, admitted to a level I trauma center from 1996 to 2010. An injury was considered alcohol involved if the patient had a BAC > 0. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare mortality, discharge destination (home and skilled nursing facility), intensive care unit admission, and operating room use between patients with and without positive BAC for patients 13–15, 16–17, and 18–20 years. Multivariable linear regression was used to compare length of hospitalization. Finally, multivariable negative binomial regression evaluated radiology resource utilization (x-ray, computed tomography [CT], and magnetic resonance imaging). Results A total of 7,663 patients, 13–20 years old, were admitted over the study period. A positive BAC was reported in 19% of these patients. In general, the presence of alcohol was not associated with mortality rate, length of hospitalization, intensive care unit, and operating room use or discharge status for any age group. However, the presence of alcohol was associated with higher utilization of head (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.26), cervical spine (IRR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01–1.22), and thoracic (IRR 1.30, 95% CI 1.05–1.63) CTs in young adults 18–20 years. No differences in CT use were observed in patients 13–15 or 16–17 years. Conclusions Positive BAC was not significantly associated with adverse outcomes or resource utilization in younger trauma patients. However, the use of certain body region CTs was associated with positive BAC in patients 18–20 years.
Effect of diet upon the erythrocyte Na,K pump.

The number of erythrocyte Na,K-ATPase pump units has been found to be reduced in some populations of obese humans, but the effect of dietary factors upon the status of the erythrocyte pump has not been delineated. We have measured the number of Na,K-ATPase pump units by [3H]ouabain binding and the activity of the pump by ouabain-inhibitable 86rubidium uptake in response to nutritional maneuvers in several patient groups.There was no consistent change in the number or activity of Na,K-ATPase units in response to 1) an acute 600-cal meal, 2) a 3-day fast or refeeding after a fast in normal weight or obese subjects, 3) 2 weeks of hypocaloric (600 cal) feeding in obese subjects. Individuals with anorexia nervosa were also not significantly different from age- and sex-matched control subjects with respect to the erythrocyte Na,K pump.It is concluded that the circulating erythrocyte does not regulate the number or activity of Na,K pump units in response to short or medium term nutritional maneuvers. Differences...
Neutrino Seesaw and CP Violation from Dynamical Electroweak Symmetry Breaking

In this talk, I will describe two features of a recently proposed class of extended technicolor (ETC) models lV5 . The first is the possible existence of a seesaw mechanism for neutrino masses, and the second is CP violation as manifested in the quark electric (and chromo-electric) dipole moments. The class of ETC models is based on the gauge group SU(5)ETC which commutes with the standard-model (SM) gauge group. It breaks sequentially to a residual exact su(2)TC technicolor gauge symmetry, naturally producing a hierarchy of charged lepton and quark masses. Thus, S U ( ~ ) E T C -+ SU(4)ETC at a scale hl, with the first-generation standardmodel fermions separating from the other four components of the original 5 or 5 representations; then su(4)ETC -+ S U ( ~ ) E T C -+ s u ( 2 ) ~ c at still lower scales with the secondand third-generation fermions separating in the same way, leaving the technifermions. exhibit charged-current flavor mixing, intra-family mass splittings without excessive contributions to the difference p 1 where p = m$/(m% cos2 Ow), a dynamical origin of CP-violating phases in the quark and lepton sectors, and a potential see-saw mechanism for light neutrinos without the presence of a grand unified scale '. The choice of SU(2) The models of Ref.
Visual image repositories at the Washington State University Libraries

The World Civilizations Image Repository (WCIR) and Photos Online are two collaborative image database projects under way at the Washington State University (WSU) Libraries. These projects demonstrate how the WSU Libraries have employed OCLC/DiMeMa's (Digital Media Management) CONTENTdm in partnership with other University departments to develop visual collections free from copyright restrictions, as well as to manage “born digital” images on a collaborative basis.
PCM: a privacy-preserving detection mechanism in mobile ad hoc networks

Although extensive research work has been undertaken to secure mobile ad hoc networks, till recently, researchers began to pay attention to the anonymity issue, and this issue was investigated mainly in terms of secure routing and data forwarding. We indicate that, in mobile ad hoc networks, there is an increasing interest in providing anonymity for the witnesses, i.e., those users who share their knowledge in detecting either malicious or selfish users. On the other hand, it is also a challenging problem to prevent the misuse of anonymous sources. In this paper, we propose the PlainClothesMan (PCM) protocol to provide anonymity for the witness who helps identify malicious or selfish users. Once there are more than a certain number of claims from distinct users against the same user, she is identified as a malicious or selfish user. Moreover, in PCM, the misuse of the witness anonymity is prevented in such a way that any malicious user who broadcasts multiple invalid claims against the same user for the same reason can be identified. Two exemplary scenarios are designed and simulated to model the necessities of witness anonymity in mobile ad hoc networks. Simulation results show that witness anonymity is very important for ensuring proper and efficient executions of fundamental functionalities of mobile ad hoc networks, e.g., certificate revocation and fairness, and PCM is both effective and efficient in providing such a type of anonymity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Peripheral Ameloblastoma of the Gingiva: Case Report and Literature Review

A new case of the rare peripheral ameloblastoma of the gingiva is presented. Also the clinical and histomorphologic characteristics of the lesion were analyzed and studied in all previously documented cases. This tumor, and the basal cell carcinoma of the gingiva, probably represent the same lesion. It meets the same microscopic criteria as the intraosseous ameloblastoma, but its behavioral and clinical characteristics are completely different. The peripheral ameloblastoma usually occurs in the gingiva, is noninvasive, and local excision is usually curative. Recurrence of the neoplasm is uncommon, except when it is incompletely excised. The histogenesis and varied cellular pattern of the peripheral ameloblastoma and several other related odontogenic lesions of the gingiva illustrate the proliferative and differentiation potential of the basal cell layer of gingival epithelium.
Spoken Letter Recognition

Through the use of neural network classifiers and careful feature selection, we have achieved high-accuracy speaker-independent spoken letter recognition. For isolated letters, a broad-category segmentation is performed Location of segment boundaries allows us to measure features at specific locations in the signal such as vowel onset, where important information resides. Letter classification is performed with a feed-forward neural network. Recognition accuracy on a test set of 30 speakers was 96%. Neural network classifiers are also used for pitch tracking and broad-category segmentation of letter strings. Our research has been extended to recognition of names spelled with pauses between the letters. When searching a database of 50,000 names, we achieved 95% first choice name retrieval. Work has begun on a continuous letter classifier which does frame-by-frame phonetic classification of spoken letters.
Mahukona: The missing Hawaiian volcano

New bathymetric and geochemical data indicate that a seamount west of the island of Hawaii, Mahukona, is a Hawaiian shield volcano. Mahukona has weakly alkalic lavas that are geochemically distinct. They have high {sup 3}He/{sup 4}He ratios (12-21 times atmosphere), and high H{sub 2}O and Cl contents, which are indicative of the early state of development of Hawaiian volcanoes. The He and Sr isotopic values for Mahukona lavas are intermediate between those for lavas from Loihi and Manuna Loa volcanoes and may be indicative of a temporal evolution of Hawaiian magmas. Mahukona volcano became extinct at about 500 ka, perhaps before reaching sea level. It fills the previously assumed gap in the parallel chains of volcanoes forming the southern segment of the Hawaiian hotspot chain. The paired sequence of volcanoes was probably caused by the bifurcation of the Hawaiian mantle plume during its ascent, creating two primary areas of melting 30 to 40 km apart that have persisted for at least the past 4 m.y.
Evolutionary Influence on Human Landscape Preference

Individuals residing in the rainforest belt of Nigeria were shown photographs of five biomes: rain forest, deciduous forest, coniferous forest, savanna, and desert. Subjects overwhelmingly selected savanna scenes as representing the most desirable place to live. These results, coupled with extensive American data, support the hypothesis that humans possess an innate preference for savanna-like settings, which then is modified through experience and enculturation. Findings are discussed in relation to anthropological, biological, and psychological research.
Swarm-based object manipulation using redundant manipulator analogs

In this paper, we present a method utilizing manipulability concepts and redundant manipulator analogs for swarm manipulation of a rigid object in the plane using autonomous surface vessels. The key concepts involve maximizing some metric defined in relation to a manipulability ellipsoid, which represents the mapping between applied thrust and configuration space accelerations for the object. By casting this problem in the framework of redundant manipulation, the proposed method can be carried out in real time, in a possibly changing environment, and can accommodate nonholonomic vehicles and thrust limits on the swarm. The controller includes attachment pose optimization, engagement control as the ASVs approach and attach to the object, and the manipulation control. Simulation studies demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed methods.
Polymorphisms in the SULF1 gene are associated with early age of onset and survival of ovarian cancer.

SULF1 (sulfatase 1) selectively removes the 6-O-sulphate group from heparan sulfate, changing the binding sites for extracellular growth factors. SULF1 expression has been reported to be decreased in various cancers, including ovarian cancer. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of SULF1 would impact clinicopathologic characteristics. We genotyped five common (minor allele frequency>0.05) regulatory SNPs with predicted functionalities (rs2623047 G>A, rs13264163 A>G, rs6990375 G>A, rs3802278 G>A, and rs3087714 C>T) in 168 patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer, using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. We found that rs2623047 G>A was significantly associated with an early age of onset of ovarian cancer in the G allele dose-response manner (P = 0.027; P trend = 0.007) and that rs2623047 GG/GA genotypes were associated with longer progression-free survival; rs6990375 G>A was also associated with the early age of onset in the A allele dose-response manner (P = 0.013; P trend = 0.009). The significant differences in age of disease onset persisted among carriers of haplotypes of rs2623047 and rs6990375 (P = 0.014; P trend = 0.004). In luciferase reporter gene assays, rs2623047 G allele showed a slightly higher promoter activity than the A allele in the SKOV3 tumorigenic cell line. These findings suggest that genetic variations in SULF1 may play a role in ovarian cancer onset and prognosis. Further studies with large sample sizes and of the mechanistic relevance of SULF1 SNPs are warranted.
CT Based Semi-Automated Method for Pneumonia Severity in Mice

Misdiagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia is an important clinical problem, leading to a high rate of mortality. Diagnoses are typically conducted using two-dimensional chest x-rays, which have shown to be time-consuming and inaccurate. In an effort to improve the current diagnostic method, we utilized Micro-Computed Tomography (MicroCT) and image analysis software to develop a diagnostic algorithm that can quantitatively assess the severity of pneumonia in mice. We believed this method would provide more immediate, precise, and accurate diagnoses as opposed to the qualitative assessments done by radiologists at present, because MicroCT provides opportunities for non-invasive radiographic endpoints for pneumonia studies. A quantitative scoring of previously obtained Computed Tomography (CT) scans of pneumonia infected and control mice lungs was developed with a semi-automated image segmentation algorithm. At the endpoint of 168 hours, each of the mice was categorized as either a) a Saline (control)-injected mouse (total=13), a Pneumonia-injected Survivor (total=11), or a Pneumonia-injected Non-survivor (total=11). Three comparison tests were then completed, including Saline vs. All Pneumonia Injected Mice, Pneumonia Survivors vs. Pneumonia Non-survivors, and All Survivors (both Saline & Pneumonia) vs. Pneumonia Non-survivors. In all three comparisons, the semi-automated algorithm was better able to distinguish between the different groups than radiologists using two-dimensional chest x-rays of the mice’s lungs, with p-values of 0.001, 0.039, and 0.001 for the semi-automated algorithm, and 0.004, 0.581, 0.058 for the radiologists, respectively. Key Words: Community-acquired pneumonia, Computed Tomography
Cytoplasmic transport of fatty acids in rat enterocytes: role of binding to fatty acid-binding protein

The intracellular movement of fatty acids is thought to be facilitated through codiffusion with fatty acid-binding protein (FABP). This facilitation may occur by decreasing binding to immobile memb...
Open OODB: a modular object-oriented DBMS

The Open OODB project, part of the DARPA Persistent Object Base (POB) Program, is an effort to build an open, extensible object-oriented database management system (OODB) in which database functionality can be tailored for particular applications within an incrementally improvable framework. The system is designed to serve both as a platform for research and as a testbed that can meet the needs of demanding, next generation database applications. The Open OODB project goals are to describe the design space of OODBs; build an architectural framework that enables configuring independently useful modules to form an OODB; verify the suitability of this open approach by implementing an OODB to these specifications; and identify opportunities for building consensus that can lead to much-needed OODB standards. The motivating factors in this approach were that our previous experience in object-oriented databases had convinced us that different applications have differing requirements, and that a monolithic system is unlikely to meet the needs of many demanding kinds of applications.
Continuous phosphorylation of GAP-43 and MARCKS by long-term TPA treatment in SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells.

Abstract Long-term treatment with 12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) down-regulates select protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes and may differentially affect PKC substrates. We investigated the role of PKC down-regulation on phosphorylation of two PKC substrates, the 43 kDa growth-associated protein (GAP-43) and the myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS) in SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells. Cells were treated with 70 nM TPA for 15 min, 17 or 72 h. Phosphorylation of MARCKS and GAP-43 was elevated throughout 72 h of TPA. The magnitude and peptidic sites of phosphorylation in GAP-43 and MARCKS were similar after all TPA treatments. GAP-43, but not MARCKS, content was increased after 17 and 72 h of TPA. The ratio of GAP-43 phosphorylation to content was elevated throughout 17 h but returned to control by 72 h as content increased. PKC ϵ and α isozyme content was greatly reduced after 72 h of TPA but membranes retained 23% of PKC activity. Only PKC ϵ translocated to membranes after 15 min TPA. GAP-43 content after 72 h of TPA was increased in subcellular fractions in which significant PKC ϵ isozyme concentration remained. These results demonstrate that continuous TPA differentially affected phosphorylation of PKC substrate proteins and regulation of PKC isozyme content in SK-N-SH cells.
Human Mitochondrial Transcription Factor B1 Interacts with the C-Terminal Activation Region of h-mtTFA and Stimulates Transcription Independently of Its RNA Methyltransferase Activity

A significant advancement in understanding mitochondrial gene expression is the recent identification of two new human mitochondrial transcription factors, h-mtTFB1 and h-mtTFB2. Both proteins stimulate transcription in collaboration with the high-mobility group box transcription factor, h-mtTFA, and are homologous to rRNA methyltransferases. In fact, the dual-function nature of h-mtTFB1 was recently demonstrated by its ability to methylate a conserved rRNA substrate. Here, we demonstrate that h-mtTFB1 binds h-mtTFA both in HeLa cell mitochondrial extracts and in direct-binding assays via an interaction that requires the C-terminal tail of h-mtTFA, a region necessary for transcriptional activation. In addition, point mutations in conserved methyltransferase motifs of h-mtTFB1 revealed that it stimulates transcription in vitro independently of S-adenosylmethionine binding and rRNA methyltransferase activity. Furthermore, one mutation (G65A) eliminated the ability of h-mtTFB1 to bind DNA yet did not affect transcriptional activation. These results, coupled with the observation that h-mtTFB1 and human mitochondrial RNA (h-mtRNA) polymerase can also be coimmunoprecipitated, lead us to propose a model in which h-mtTFA demarcates mitochondrial promoter locations and where h-mtTFB proteins bridge an interaction between the C-terminal tail of h-mtTFA and mtRNA polymerase to facilitate specific initiation of transcription. Altogether, these data provide important new insight into the mechanism of transcription initiation in human mitochondria and indicate that the dual functions of h-mtTFB1 can be separated.
Pilot Study of Exercise Therapy on Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Objective Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication of diabetes. While the beneficial effect of exercise on diabetes is well established, its effect specifically on painful DPN has not been thoroughly explored. The objective of this pilot study was to examine the effect of aerobic exercise on pain in people with DPN. Methods Fourteen sedentary individuals (mean age 57 ± 5.11 years) with painful DPN were enrolled in a 16-week, supervised aerobic exercise program. The Brief Pain Inventory-Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy was used to assess pain intensity (worst, least, average, now) and pain interference with daily life (activity, mood, walk, normal work, relationship, sleep, enjoyment of life) pre intervention and postintervention. Body mass index (BMI), maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and blood pressure were also measured preintervention and postintervention as secondary outcomes of interest. Results Significant reductions in pain interference were observed with walking (4.93 ± 3.03 pre to 3.29 ± 2.89 post, P = 0.016), normal work (5.39 ± 3.32 pre to 3.79 ± 3.04 post, P = 0.032), relationship with others (3.96 ± 3.53 pre to 1.29 ± 1.27 post, P = 0.006), sleep (5.11 ± 3.04 pre to 3.5 ± 3.03 post, P = 0.02), and the overall pain interference (4.65 ± 2.70 pre to 2.97 ± 2.22 post, P = 0.013) following the intervention; however, there was no change in pain intensity. VO2max increased significantly postintervention (16.02 ± 3.84 ml/kg/min pre to 17.18 ± 4.19 ml/kg/min, P = 0.028), while BMI, HbA1c, and blood pressure remained unchanged. Conclusion These preliminary results suggest that perceived pain interference may be reduced following an aerobic exercise intervention among people with painful DPN, without a change in pain intensity. Further validation by a RCT is needed.
Data and learning that affords program improvement: a response to the U.S. accountability movement in teacher education

The current U.S. education agenda places unprecedented attention on improving the quality of its roughly fifteen hundred teacher preparation programs. The effort places considerable weight on measuring program effectiveness and includes a push to hold programs accountable for their graduates’ effects on student performance. Concerns regarding the use of value-added methodologies for this purpose, combined with unsatisfactory measures historically in use (e.g., multiple-choice tests of teaching knowledge, surveys of program graduates), have led many states to adopt the use of a teaching performance measure (see, e.g., www.pacttpa.org and www.edtpa.aacte.org). States and programs have allocated significant resources to the use of multiple metrics in the quest for program accountability, but far less effort has been paid to the use of such metrics for program improvement. Given the rather limited research on how programs use these data to improve (see e.g., Peck and McDonald in New Educ 9(1):12–28, 2013), the following offers a case analysis of faculty learning as a function of data use for program improvement. In particular, the case presents an analysis of the types of data that mediated faculty learning within a program, and the organizational conditions that facilitated learning and program renewal.
Phase I-II trial of high-dose melphalan in previously untreated stage III multiple myeloma: Cancer and Leukemia Group B study 8512.

To study the efficiency of high-dose melphalan in previously untreated patients with advanced myeloma, we performed a Phase I-U trial. Twenty-eight patients were treated at dose level of 60-140 mg/m2. Each patient was first treated with a priming dose of cyclophosphamide (300 mg) followed by high-dose melphalen 1 week later. One course of therapy was given. Patients were then followed without further therapy until relapse. Clinical and laboratory features of the 28 patients in this study included: median age 63, performance status 0-2, hypercalcemia 21%, bone pain 82%, paraprotein types: IgG 76%, Iga 20%, and paraproteinuria 71%. Because none of the patients acheived complete remission (CR) at 60 mg/m2, despite life-threatening toxicity in all patients, the dose level was rapidly increased to 140 mg/m2, a dose previously reported to induce a high percentage of CR. At this dose, CR was achieved in only 1 of 11 patients (9%). This patient had multiple plasmacytomas without generalized bone marrow involvemen...
It’s Not All About Me Motivating Hand Hygiene Among Health Care Professionals by Focusing on Patients

Diseases often spread in hospitals because health care professionals fail to wash their hands. Research suggests that to increase health and safety behaviors, it is important to highlight the personal consequences for the actor. However, because people (and health care professionals in particular) tend to be overconfident about personal immunity, the most effective messages about hand hygiene may be those that highlight its consequences for other people. In two field experiments in a hospital, we compared the effectiveness of signs about hand hygiene that emphasized personal safety ("Hand hygiene prevents you from catching diseases") or patient safety ("Hand hygiene prevents patients from catching diseases"). We assessed hand hygiene by measuring the amount of soap and hand-sanitizing gel used from dispensers (Experiment 1) and conducting covert, independent observations of health care professionals' hand-hygiene behaviors (Experiment 2). Results showed that changing a single word in messages motivated meaningful changes in behavior: The hand hygiene of health care professionals increased significantly when they were reminded of the implications for patients but not when they were reminded of the implications for themselves.
Functional genomics of brain aging and Alzheimer's disease: focus on selective neuronal vulnerability.

The work was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), AG12993 and AG025350, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), HD02528, the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), RR-P20 17708, the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation, and the Miller-Hedwig-Wilbur Fund.
Out on a Limb: Parallels in Vertebrate and Invertebrate Limb Patterning and the Origin of Appendages'

SYNOPSIS. Recent discoveries of similarities in the developmental genetics underlying the formation of insect and vertebrate eyes, hearts, segments, and other structures have fueled new speculation and debate about the origins of these features and the morphological complexity of early bilaterians. The pivotal issue concerning these developmental similarities is whether they represent convergence of patternforming mechanisms or reveal developmental regulatory mechanisms or even physical characteristics derived from a common ancestor. Here, we set forth an explicit hierarchical set of criteria for assessing developmental genetic similarities among animals. We suggest that interpretations of convergence versus descent from common ancestors should be weighed by the number, type, and phylogenetic distribution of genetic regulatory similarities. We then apply these criteria to the analysis of appendage evolution. We conclude that there has been no continuity of any structure from which the insect and vertebrate appendages could be derived, i.e., they are not homologous structures. However, there is abundant evidence for continuity in the genetic information for building body wall outgrowths and/or appendages in several phyla which must date at least to the common, potential appendage-bearing pre-Cambrian ancestor of most protostomes and deuterostomes. In order to further trace the origin of this genetic information and of appendages, it will be essential to analyze more primitive taxa such as the Cnidaria and to obtain a much better fossil record of pre-Cambrian animals.
The effect of a critical pathway on patients' outcomes after carotid endarterectomy.

• BACKGROUND In 1996, an integrated plan of care was implemented to improve quality of care for patients undergoing elective carotid endarterectomy. Goals were to reduce length of stay, costs, number of preoperative and intensive care unit admissions, and use of diagnostic procedures yet maintain good outcomes. • OBJECTIVES To determine whether use of the integrated plan of care met the goals. • METHODS Data on financial and process outcomes, use of angiographic diagnostic procedures, and demographics were retrieved from the hospital’s database for all patients who had elective carotid endarterectomy without cerebral infarction. • RESULTS A total of 783 patients met inclusion criteria: 129 before implementation of the plan of care, 66 during the 6-month transition, and 588 after implementation. Preoperative angiography was done in 32% of patients before implementation, 11% during the transition, and 4% after implementation. Percentages of patients admitted to the intensive care unit were 77% before implementation, 24% during transition, and 9% after implementation. Mean lengths of stay were 2.93 days before implementation, 2.12 days during transition, and 1.68 days after implementation. Costs per case were $7798 before implementation, $5750 during transition, and $5387 after implementation. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences between groups in total length of stay (P = .001), preoperative length of stay (P<.001), and costs (P<.001). • CONCLUSION Use of the integrated plan of care reduced length of stay, costs, admissions to intensive care units, and use of cerebral angiography. Use of the plan improved resource utilization while maintaining quality of care. (American Journal of Critical Care. 2002;11:250-260)
BCR-ABL Mutations and Imatinib Resistance in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients

The discovery of a translocation between the Abelson oncogene (ABL1) on the long arm of chromosome 9 and the breakpoint cluster region (BCR) on chromosome 22 resulting in the BCR-ABL1 gene mutation was a landmark discovery in the pathogenesis of human leukemia. The decades of research into the structure and function of this aberrant gene culminated in development of imatinib mesylate, which has had an astounding benefit in the treatment of this disease. Despite its resounding success, a minority of patients developed resistance to imatinib. The unraveling of the multiple resistance mechanisms and the discovery of the dominant mechanism of point mutations in the ABL1 kinase portion of BCR-ABL1 has led to the development of second and subsequent generation agents that are active against these mutations. Dasatinib (Sprycel®) has rapidly achieved FDA approval for imatinib-resistant and intolerant CML. Nilotinib (Tasigna®) is undergoing FDA review. A host of other kinase inhibitors are in earlier stages of pre-clinical and clinical development. The structure–function relationships of imatinib in complex with BCR-ABL1 and the development of these new agents will certainly result in the use of combination therapy for CML and likely result in excellent long-term disease control and a probable cure. These developments have fueled the development of targeted therapy in multiple other malignancies and diseases and represent the beginnings of a golden age in the treatment of human disease.