cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
‘Saviour Siblings’? The Distinction between PGD with HLA Tissue Typing and Preimplantation HLA Tissue Typing

One of the more controversial uses of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) involves selecting embryos with a specific tissue type so that the child to be born can act as a donor to an existing sibling who requires a haematopoietic stem cell transplant. PGD with HLA tissue typing is used to select embryos that are free of a familial genetic disease and that are also a tissue match for an existing sibling who requires a transplant. Preimplantation HLA tissue typing occurs when parents select embryos that are not at risk of a familial genetic disease to be a match for an existing sibling who requires a transplant. In Victoria, Australia, applications to use PGD with HLA tissue typing are reviewed by the Infertility Treatment Authority on a case by case basis. Preimplantation HLA tissue typing is prohibited prima facie because the embryo to be tested would not be at risk for a genetic abnormality or disease. Arguments for or against the use of PGD/HLA tissue typing are based on several key issues including the commodification and welfare of the donor child. This essay aims to show that that the same arguments apply to both PGD with HLA tissue typing and Preimplantation HLA tissue typing, and that the policy distinction between the two procedures is therefore ethically inconsistent.
Discovery, analysis, and characteristics of event impacts

Assessing and monitoring events and their impacts continues to present multiple challenges. From financial markets to disaster management to epidemiology, the importance of understanding the impacts that events create cannot be understated. This work describes an approach that incorporates information from multiple sources and then analyzes the overall information flow to identify temporal patterns related to event impacts of interest. This approach is then applied to the analysis of news reports from multiple news sources pertaining to several different natural disasters. Results show that the approach provides insight into the impacts created by these natural disasters as well as indications to the severity of these impacts. In addition, results show that specific types of disaster consistently produce similar impacts when each time they occur.
Contrast: Phase, Amplitude, and Color

Contrast, as pointed out in Chapter 2, contributes to visibility, which is next to resolution in importance. Indeed two parts of an object that are resolved separately are not seen separately unless their images are contrasted against what is between them. In light microscopy we are concerned with two kinds of contrast: colorless and color. In both kinds we are also concerned with intensity, the amplitude of light waves. Intensity of colorless contrast is in terms of black, white, and intermediate grays. This kind of contrast comes from interference and reinforcement of light waves originating at each point in the object but traveling different paths and lengths through the optical system to form the final image.
Specmaster: an OpenCL-based peptide search engine for tandem mass spectrometry

Graphics processing units and multicore processors are now pervasive in computational sciences and high-performance computing. Their high arithmetic throughput and memory bandwidth combined with their ever increasing programmability make them suitable for a widening variety of applications. We give a high level overview of Specmaster, a Myrimatch port that can use every open computing language device available in a machine to identify peptides in tandem mass spectrometry data. We then highlight device-specific optimizations for multi-core CPUs and graphics processing units as well as describe our framework for implementing these optimizations while still using a single code base. We also provide performance results of Specmaster running on four different architectures and compare these numbers with Myrimatch. Finally, we improve on our existing work by showing Specmaster dynamically load-balancing on 3 Radeon 7970s and 32 Interlagos 6272 cores as well as comparing the quality of our search results with Myrimatch. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fluconazole for antifungal prophylaxis in chemotherapy-induced neutropenia

Fluconazole is compared with other agents for antifungal prophylaxis in patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Fluconazole is an attractive alternative for antifungal prophylaxis because of its activity against many Candida species, long half-life, good patient tolerability, and minimal associated toxicity. The results of clinical trials suggest that fluconazole is superior to placebo and oral polyenes in preventing superficial fungal infection in neutropenic patients; however, its efficacy against systemic infection is not as strongly supported. Fluconazole use may increase emergence of resistant yeasts, particularly Candida krusei and Torulopsis glabrata. The cost of fluconazole 50 mg/day is similar to the costs of other antifungals used for prophylaxis; however, fluconazole 400 mg/day (the most frequently studied dose in neutropenic patients) is considerably more expensive. Comparative clinical trials between fluconazole and other antifungals are needed to determine which is superior for prophylaxis. Fluconazole is effective for prophylaxis against superficial fungal infection and may be an attractive alternative therapeutic regimen in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation. In other neutropenic patients, such as those with leukemia, the superiority of fluconazole has not been substantiated; therefore, it is not recommended over other agents, such as clotrimazole and ketoconazole, at this time.
Multilevel quantum description of decoherence in superconducting qubits

We present a multilevel quantum theory of decoherence for a general circuit realization of a superconducting qubit. Using electrical network graph theory, we derive a Hamiltonian for the circuit. The dissipative circuit elements (external impedances, shunt resistors) are described using the Caldeira-Leggett model. The master equation for the superconducting phases in the Born-Markov approximation is derived and brought into the Bloch-Redfield form in order to describe multilevel dissipative quantum dynamics of the circuit. The model takes into account leakage effects, i.e., transitions from the allowed qubit states to higher excited states of the system. As a special case, we truncate the Hilbert space and derive a two-level (Bloch) theory with characteristic relaxation ${(T}_{1})$ and decoherence ${(T}_{2})$ times. We apply our theory to the class of superconducting flux qubits; however, the formalism can be applied for both superconducting flux and charge qubits.
Statistical control charts for monitoring the mean of a stationary process

Recently statistical process control (SPC) methodologies have been developed to accommodate autocorrelated data. A primary method to deal with autocorrelated data is the use of residual charts. Although this methodology has the advantage that it can be applied to any autocorrelated data it needs time series modeling efforts. In addition for a X residual chart the detection capability is sometimes small compared to the X chart and EWMA chart. Zhang (1998) proposed the EWMAST chart which is constructed by charting the EWMA statistic for stationary processes to monitor the process mean. The performance of the EWMAST chart the X chart the X residual chart and other charts were compared in Zhang (1998). In this paper comparisons are made among the EWMAST chart the CUSUM residual chart and EWMA residual chart as well as the X residual chart and X chart via the average run length.
Effect of Dissolved Oxygen Concentration on the Acute Toxicity of Cadmium to the Mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus (L.), at Various Salinities

Abstract The effect of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on acute toxicity of cadmium to the mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus (L.), at selected salinities was studied. Fish were acclimated to either test salinities (10, 20, 32 ‰) or to 32 ‰ and then exposed at 10 and 20 ‰. Levels of DO between 4 mg/liter and saturation did not significantly influence the tolerance of fish to cadmium poisoning in 96 hours, regardless of salinity and acclimation regime.
Effect of dietary protein and sunflower meal on blood serum cholesterol of dairy heifers.

Abstract Effects of dietary protein and protein supplement on cholesterol in blood serum of Holstein heifers were determined in two replications of a 2 × 2 factorial study involving 16 animals. Treatment variables were two crude proteins, either low (12%) or high (20%), and two protein supplements with soybean meal or sunflower meal. Rations contained 21% acid-detergent fiber supplied by sunflower hulls. Free serum cholesterol (17.9 mg/100 ml) from heifers consuming the high protein rations was lower than that of animals on low protein (28.2 mg/100 ml). The same degree and direction of interaction between quantities of protein and sources of protein were exhibited by total and esterified cholesterols. Concentrations of total cholesterol were not different among treatment groups, but quadratic responses with weeks of trial were significant. The lowest free cholesterol (16.4 mg/100 ml) was recorded by heifers on sunflower meal on the high protein ration. Composition of serum proteins was not altered by sources or amounts of protein in the ration. Weight gains and growth efficiency (gain/feed) were higher in animals on high protein, irrespective of the protein supplement.
Disciplining Qualitative Research.

Qualitative research exists in a time of global uncertainty. Around the world, governments are attempting to regulate scientific inquiry by defining what counts as ‘good’ science. These regulatory activities raise fundamental, philosophical epistemological, political and pedagogical issues for scholarship and freedom of speech in the academy. This essay contests this methodological fundamentalism, and interrogates the politics of re‐emergent scientism, the place of qualitative research in mixed‐methods experimentalism, and the pragmatic criticisms of anti‐foundationalism. Furthermore, it outlines three models of scientifically based research (SBR), and discusses how each is operative within the current historical conjuncture. In the process, it advocates for a qualitative research paradigm that is committed to social justice and the promise of radical, progressive democracy.
A new theory of content I: Basic content

Philosophers of science as divergent as the inductivist Carnap and the deductivist Popper share the notion that the (logical) content of a proposition is given by its consequence class. I claim that this notion of content is (a) unintuitive and (b) inappropriate for many of the formal needs of philosophers of science. The basic problem is that given this notion of content, for any arbitraryp andq, ⌈(p Vq)⌉ will count as part of the content of bothp andq. In other words, any arbitraryp andq share some common content. This notion of content has disastrous effects on, for instance, Carnap's attempts to explicate the notion of confirmation in terms of probabilistic favorable relevance, and Popper's attempts to define verisimilitude. After briefly reviewing some of the problems of the traditional notion of content I present an alternative notion of (basic) content which (a) better fits our intuitions about content and (b) better serves the formal needs of philosophers of science.
Stability at the surface

Metal oxides are ubiquitous as minerals in the terrestrial environment, as well as in a variety of technologically important structures such as electronic devices and heterogeneous catalysts. Within these various contexts, interfaces between oxides and gases, liquids, and solids drive many critically important phenomena ranging from the uptake of contaminants in groundwater by redox-active minerals to the switching of the millions of transistors found in every cell phone and computer. Function is tied to structure. Therefore, fundamental understanding of the structure of oxide surfaces and interfaces is crucial to the comprehension of a plethora of phenomena involving this broad class of materials (see the figure). On page 1215 of this issue, Bliem et al. ( 1 ) report a remarkable structural insight into the surface of the (001)-oriented crystal face of magnetite (Fe3O4), the first magnetic material discovered in antiquity.
Diode pumped yellow dysprosium lasers

First operation of the 4F9/2 → 6H13/2 laser transition in dysprosium doped yttrium aluminum garnet is reported. Efficient room temperature operation at 583nm was obtained using 447nm GaN diode lasers pumps. Gaussian single-mode operation was demonstrated with a non-optimized slope efficiency of 12%. Millisecond pulsed operation generated 150mW with power limited by the pump diodes’ brightness.
Nerve endings in the urinary bladder of the cat.

Urinary bladders from mature cats, fixed in various degrees of distension, were studied with silver staining techniques under the light microscope, and with the electron microscope. Ganglia were located primarily in the adventitia, although small collections of perikarvons were located in nerves within the muscle coat. Large nerve trunks enclosed in perineural epithelium penetrated from the adventitia into the muscle coat, giving rise to smaller nerves which ran in the space between muscle fascicles. Small nerves entered each muscle fascicle, giving rise to final branches characterized by extreme tortuosity. There was less kinking and coiling of nerve fibers in bladders fixed in a more distended state. Encapsulated endings and myelinated fibers were scarce. Within a muscle fascicle, nerves were scant. Terminal branches intertwined among the individual smooth muscle cells as free nerve endings. Terminal axons continued to be ensheathed by Schwann cells. Neuromuscular synapses were characterizd by retraction of the Schwann cell from one side of the axon, presence of synaptic vesicles, and synaptic gaps of 400–600 A. Areas of close contact between flattened and interdigitating parts of adjacent smooth muscle cells were common. Membrane complexes of pinocytotic vesicles and endoplasmic reticulum were distributed around the periphery of individual smooth muscle cells. Smooth muscles cells appeared to vary in the density of their myofilament content.
Probing the Dust Obscuration in Seyfert Galaxies Using Infrared Spectroscopy

We present near-infrared spectroscopy of four Seyfert 1 galaxies, one Seyfert 1.9 galaxy, and one Seyfert 2 galaxy, obtained using the Gemini infrared camera at the Lick Observatory 3 m Shane telescope. With the unique design of the Gemini camera, full J- and K-band spectra were taken simultaneously through the same slit. This produced a more accurate comparison of hydrogen recombination line fluxes than previous infrared studies. We have also used template galaxies to remove stellar features from the infrared spectra and produced more accurate measurements of the weak Brγ feature. We concentrate on the velocity-resolved ratio of Paβ/Brγ and its implication for dust within the central active galactic nucleus (AGN). For our Seyfert 1s, the line ratios of Paβ/Brγ are not only comparable in both broad- and narrow-line regions but also consistent with case B recombination, confirming that the ratio Paβ/Brγ is less affected by collisional effects than optical lines and is a good indicator of dust extinction up to Av ~ 10 in AGN. Using the same diagnostic the Seyfert 1.9 galaxy, NGC 2992, has an extinction of Av = 4.03 ± 0.20 to the broad-line region while the narrow-line region is unobscured. Assuming that Seyfert 1.9 galaxy has the same broad-line region that Seyfert 1 galaxies have, we conclude that the obscuring dust is located between the broad-line regions and the narrow-line regions, consistent with the AGN unification model. The Seyfert 2 galaxy, NGC 5929, consistent with dust being present on larger scales, shows significant obscuration to the narrow-line region. These data are part of a larger program to measure many spectral properties of Seyfert galaxies.
A comparison of negatively and positively charged liposomes containing entrapped polynosinic · polycytidylic acid for interferon induction in mice

Abstract Intravenous injection of negatively charged liposomes containing entrapped poly(I) · poly(C) induced a vigorous interferon response in mice with serum titers of interferon reaching twenty times those observed with comparable dosages of free poly(I) · poly(C). The response did not persist over an extended time period as was observed earlier for enhanced interferon production stimulated by positively charged liposomes containing the inducer. Both negatively and positively charged liposomes containing [14C]poly(I) · poly(C) were taken up chiefly by the liver when given intravenously. Negatively charged particles were concentrated somewhat preferentially by the spleen (7–9% of the dose compared to 4–6%). Less radioactivity was found in liver and spleen when negatively charged particles were given intraperitoneally than was the case when positively charged particles were injected by this route. Free [14C]poly(I) · poly(C) was extensively metabolized to low molecular weight materials within four hours of injection, while encapsulation of the polymer provided protection against in vivo degradation. When both preferential localization and protection were considered, from three to five times as much high molecular weight [14C]poly(I) · poly(C) was recovered from liver at four hours after intravenous injection when the compound was given in encapsulated form compared to the free polymer. Similarly, for spleen, seven times and three times as much polymeric [14C]poly(I) · poly(C) was recovered following injection of negatively charged liposomes and positively charged liposomes respectively compared to free [14C]poly(I) · poly(C). At 48 h after an intravenous injection of positively charged liposomes, as much as four percent of the dose remained in high molecular weight form in the liver and one percent in the spleen. Following intraperitoneal injections, polymeric [14C]poly(I) · poly(C) recovered from the liver never exceeded 4.3% of the dose, showing that most of the radioactivity in the liver consisted of metabolites. These results suggest that elevated and prolonged production of interferon in animals treated with encapsulated inducer results from a combination of factors including preferential tissue location and protection of the inducer from hydrolytic cleavage.
Spatial instabilities and dislocation-loop ordering in irradiated materials

The formation of inhomogeneous distributions of vacancy loops in irradiated materials is discussed in the framework of a dynamical model based on the rate theory of radiation damage. Dislocation structures are associated with dynamical instabilities due to the competition between defect motion and interactions. The dependence of the critical wavelength of the microstructures on material variables, such as the displacement-damage rate, network-dislocation density, or temperature, is obtained. The postbifurcation analysis is performed in the weakly nonlinear regime, where the selection and stability properties of three-dimensional structures are investigated.
UV/HREELS measurements of the excited states of adsorbed CO: benchmarks for ab initio calculations

Abstract Recently there has been some controversy about CO adsorption on platinum, with some researchers supporting the Blyholder model and others saying that corrections are needed. We have used UV/HREELS to examine the electronic structure of adsorbed CO to distinguish between the various models. We have found that the 5σ to 2π∗ triplet peak shifts from 6.2 to 5.6 eV upon adsorption while the 5σ to 2π∗ singlet peak shifts from 8.3 to 8.2 eV. Both peaks also broaden, as expected from the Blyholder model. A comparison of these results to previous calculations shows that only Huckel calculations predict a shift that is within 0.5 eV of the experimental shift. Most of the previous calculations predict shifts that are in the wrong direction.
Successful Turkey Growth with Reduced Calcium and Phosphorus Levels

Abstract The accepted calcium and phosphorus requirements of the turkey 8–16 weeks of age are 2.0 and 1.0% of the ration, respectively. (National Research Council (NRC), 1954). The purpose of this report is to demonstrate the performance of turkeys receiving a modified ration containing reduced calcium and phosphorus levels. Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys from various starting treatments were assigned equally to growing pens at eight weeks of age. The calcium and phosphorus levels during the starting period were patterned after NRC (1954) requirements. Formulas of the modified rations (Table 1) were based on ingredient intake of turkeys previously grown successfully on the Minnesota Standard Program of supplement, corn, and oats, free choice. No supplements of vitamin E, choline, pantothenic acid, niacin, or zinc were added to the modified ration. Turkeys fed the modified ration performed at least as well as turkeys fed the regular control ration (Table 2). Livability and …
Team interaction during surgery: a systematic review of communication coding schemes.

Abstract Background Communication problems have been systematically linked to human errors in surgery and a deep understanding of the underlying processes is essential. Although a number of tools exist to assess nontechnical skills, methods to study communication and other team-related processes are far from being standardized, making comparisons challenging. We conducted a systematic review to analyze methods used to study events in the operating room (OR) and to develop a synthesized coding scheme for OR team communication. Materials and methods Six electronic databases were accessed to search for articles that collected individual events during surgery and included detailed coding schemes. Additional articles were added based on cross-referencing. That collection was then classified based on type of events collected, environment type (real or simulated), number of procedures, type of surgical task, team characteristics, method of data collection, and coding scheme characteristics. All dimensions within each coding scheme were grouped based on emergent content similarity. Categories drawn from articles, which focused on communication events, were further analyzed and synthesized into one common coding scheme. Results A total of 34 of 949 articles met the inclusion criteria. The methodological characteristics and coding dimensions of the articles were summarized. A priori coding was used in nine studies. The synthesized coding scheme for OR communication included six dimensions as follows: information flow, period, statement type, topic, communication breakdown, and effects of communication breakdown. Conclusions The coding scheme provides a standardized coding method for OR communication, which can be used to develop a priori codes for future studies especially in comparative effectiveness research.
Large-Scale Site and Frequency Diversity in Urban Peer-to-Peer Channels for Six Public-Safety Frequency Bands

We report on peer-to-peer large-scale wireless channel characteristics for an urban environment in six public-safety bands, for five simultaneous receiving sites. Results are based upon measurements taken in Denver in July 2009 with stationary receivers and a pedestrian transmitter. The six frequencies at which we measured are (in MHz) 430, 750, 905, 1834, 2400, and 4860. We quantify both site and frequency diversity, and show that 5-site selection yields minimum average gains of 15 dB in mean received power levels; 5-site selection diversity also reduces received power variation by 17-29 dB, depending on frequency. Frequency diversity yields similar gains. By approximating received powers as lognormal, we describe an analytical method to approximate the cdf of the per-site, or per-frequency (or both) maximum received power. These data and diversity models should be useful for public-safety and ad hoc communication system designers, and for cooperative diversity schemes, wherein multiple users act as a virtual array.
Tectonics on Iapetus: Despinning, respinning, or something completely different?

Abstract Saturn’s moon Iapetus is unique in that it has apparently despun while retaining a substantial equatorial bulge. Stresses arising from such a non-hydrostatic shape should in principle cause surface deformation (tectonics). As part of a search for such a tectonic signature, lineaments (linear surface features) on Iapetus were mapped on both its bright and dark hemispheres. Lineament orientations were then compared to model stress patterns predicted for spin-down from a rotation period of 16.5 h (or less) to its present synchronous period, and for a range of lithospheric thicknesses. Many lineaments are straight segments of crater rimwalls, which may be faults or joints reactivated during complex crater collapse. Most striking are several large troughs on the bright, trailing hemisphere. These troughs appear to be extensional and are distinctive on that hemisphere, because the interior floors and walls of the troughs contain dark material. Globally, no specific evidence of strike slip or thrust offsets are seen, but this could be due to the age and degraded nature of any such features. We find that observed lineament orientations do not correlate with predicted patterns due to despinning on either hemisphere (the equatorial ridge was specifically excluded from this analysis, and is considered separately). Modest evidence for preferred orientations ±40° from north could be construed as consistent with respinning , which is not necessarily far-fetched. Assuming the rigidity of unfractured ice, predicted maximum lithospheric differential stresses from despinning range from ∼1 MPa to ∼160 MPa for the elastic spheroid and thin lithosphere limits, respectively (although it is only for thicker elastic lithospheres that we expect a nonhydrostatic state to be maintained over geologic time against lithospheric failure). The tectonic signature of despinning may have been obscured over time because the surface of Iapetus is very ancient, Iapetus’ thick lithosphere may have inhibited the full tectonic expression of despinning, or both. Several prominent lineaments strike E–W, and are thus parallel to the equatorial ridge (though not physically close to it), but a tectonic or volcanic origin for the ridge is highly problematic.
Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry for Low Velocity and Shallow Water Flows

Large scale particle image velocimetry (LSPIV) is an extension of quantitative imaging techniques for measurements of water surface velocities using inexpensive standard video equipment. The present Technical Note describes capabilities and limitations of LSPIV for low velocity shallow flows. Measurements in low velocity shallow flume flows were performed to investigate the LSPIV sensitivity to seeding density and time interval between successive images. The results show that the accuracy of the LSPIV technique does not deteriorate as the flow velocity is reduced to as low as 0.015 m/s provided an adequate seeding and suitable time difference between images are selected. The results suggest that LSPIV is well-suited for flow fields with small velocities that are often below the limit of detection of most conventional devices.
Challenge of Transforming Our Private and Public Pediatric Health Care Systems to Emphasize Value

Two articles in this issue of Pediatrics 1,2 provide additional evidence that our health care system is not functioning appropriately in the private or public sectors and needs to undergo a major transformation that focuses on value: enhancing quality while controlling expenditures. Most children in the United States have either private employer-based (commercial) health insurance or public health insurance through Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. In the private sector, payments for physician services (and other medical services) are determined by market forces with minimal or no government regulation. Payments usually are based on contracts between payers (the health plans) and physicians who deliver the services. Unfortunately, individual and small groups of pediatricians often lack the ability to negotiate with large for-profit health plans effectively. A central tenet of a private health care system is that quality per unit of cost will be maximized by having a competitive market determine the prices of medical services based on supply and demand. Demand should be based on quality per unit of cost, which is value. When the value of a service is high, demand should create a financial incentive to provide the service. How well is this private health care market system working to ensure that children are receiving recommended preventive care and immunization services? This is an important question, because our society benefits from wide-scale immunization; whole communities are protected, including individuals who are not vaccinated. McInerny et al,1 from the American Academy of Pediatrics, published a study in this issue of Pediatrics that addresses this question by examining the relationship in the commercial market between state-level physician payments for primary care services including immunizations with visit rates and up-to-date immunization rates. State-level payments were determined by using the Reden and Anders’ national actuarial database. State-level … Address correspondence to Stephen Berman, MD, FAAP, Children’s Hospital, 1056 E 19th Ave, B032, Denver, CO 80218. E-mail: berman.stephen{at}tchden.org
TOTAL JOINT ARTHROPLASTY IN ORTHOTOPIC LIVER TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

Abstract Eight total hip and two total knee arthroplasties were performed from 1986 to 1991 in eight patients who had orthotopic liver transplantation. The indications for joint arthroplasty were avascular necrosis of the femoral head in five hips, pathologic femoral neck fracture caused by osteopenia in three hips, avascular necrosis of femoral and tibial condyles in one knee, and posttraumatic arthritis in one knee. Six patients (75%) had significant osteopenia. The mean interval between liver transplantation surgery and hip or knee joint arthroplasty was 2 years (8–48 months). The patients who had hip arthroplasty were followed for a mean of 4.85 years (2–8 years), and those who had a knee arthroplasty after a hip arthroplasty, for a mean of 3.5 years (2–5 years) after the knee arthroplasty. In the patients who had hip arthroplasty, the mean Harris hip score was improved from 34 to 82 points. In the two patients who had a knee arthroplasty, the mean score was improved to 100 points both for pain and function of the knee and for overall function from mean preoperative knee scores of 49 and 25 points, respectively. Radiographs did not reveal any loosening of the components. None of the patients required reoperation, and there were no serious postoperative complications.
A reproducible porcine ePTFE arterial bypass model for neointimal hyperplasia.

Background Late failure of prosthetic vascular bypass grafting using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is secondary to the development of neointimal hyperplasia, most commonly at the distal anastomosis. To develop therapies that can improve upon current prosthetic vascular bypass grafting, a large animal model of prosthetic bypass grafting that results in reproducible neointimal hyperplasia is necessary. Methods We performed bilateral end-to-side carotid artery bypasses with 6 mm ePTFE in a porcine model (n = 11). We studied graft patency using magnetic resonance angiography (MRA, 3 wk), duplex ultrasonography (4 wk), and digital-subtraction contrast angiography (4 wk). Animals were sacrificed at 4 wk and morphometric analysis was performed. Results Of the 11 animals that underwent surgery, one pig died from respiratory compromise; of the remaining 10, graft patency was 90% at 4 wk. Peak systolic and end diastolic velocities were established for this model using ultrasonography. MRA, ultrasonography, and angiography confirmed graft patency and were complimentary tools to evaluate the grafts. Development of neointimal hyperplasia was reproducible at 4 wk in both the proximal and distal anastomoses (2.5 to 3 mm2) of the ePTFE bypass grafts. Conclusion We developed a reproducible porcine ePTFE carotid artery bypass model for studying neointimal hyperplasia. Not only does this model allow for the manipulation and evaluation of potential therapies, but patency and neointimal hyperplasia can be easily evaluated by traditional means, such as MRA, ultrasonography, and angiography. This preclinical model is ideal for evaluation of novel therapies in vivo designed to inhibit neointimal hyperplasia following arterial reconstruction with prosthetic bypass grafting.
Replacement of a dominant viral pathogen by a fungal pathogen does not alter the collapse of a regional forest insect outbreak

Natural enemies and environmental factors likely both influence the population cycles of many forest-defoliating insect species. Previous work suggests precipitation influences the spatiotemporal patterns of gypsy moth outbreaks in North America, and it has been hypothesized that precipitation could act indirectly through effects on pathogens. We investigated the potential role of climatic and environmental factors in driving pathogen epizootics and parasitism at 57 sites over an area of ≈72,300 km2 in four US mid-Atlantic states during the final year (2009) of a gypsy moth outbreak. Prior work has largely reported that the Lymantria dispar nucleopolyhedrovirus (LdNPV) was the principal mortality agent responsible for regional collapses of gypsy moth outbreaks. However, in the gypsy moth outbreak-prone US mid-Atlantic region, the fungal pathogen Entomophaga maimaiga has replaced the virus as the dominant source of mortality in dense host populations. The severity of the gypsy moth population crash, measured as the decline in egg mass densities from 2009 to 2010, tended to increase with the prevalence of E. maimaiga and larval parasitoids, but not LdNPV. A significantly negative spatial association was detected between rates of fungal mortality and parasitism, potentially indicating displacement of parasitoids by E. maimaiga. Fungal, viral, and parasitoid mortality agents differed in their associations with local abiotic and biotic conditions, but precipitation significantly influenced both fungal and viral prevalence. This study provides the first spatially robust evidence of the dominance of E. maimaiga during the collapse of a gypsy moth outbreak and highlights the important role played by microclimatic conditions.
Cortactin Localization in Actin-containing Adult and Fetal tissues

Cortactin is a tyrosine kinase substrate that binds to filamentous actin. It represents a highly conserved family of perimembrane signaling proteins. The human homologue of cortactin is encoded by gene EMS1, which is amplified in some human breast, head, and neck carcinomas. This study shows that cortactin is preferentially localized to the apical surfaces of the polarized epithelium, specifically, to the terminal web of small bowel epithelium and to apical surfaces of the proximal renal tubules, thyroid follicles, and bronchiolar epithelium. Cortactin is also seen in cell and tissue types with actin-based contractile capacities, including smooth and striated muscle and myoepithelium.
Vertical distribution of codling moth adults in pheromone-treated and untreated plots

The vertical distribution of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) within pheromone-treated and untreated apple and pear orchard canopies was determined using tethered virgin females, unbaited sticky traps, and blacklight observation of released moths. Mating of virgin females tethered at various heights in untreated orchard canopies increased with placement height from 1-4 m. Application of pheromone dispensers for mating disruption at 2 and 4 m above the ground greatly decreased mating. Greatest capture of males and females on unbaited sticky traps occurred at mid- and upper-canopy heights. Total capture of males and females in pheromone-treated plots was not statistically different than in untreated plots. The percentage of mated females captured on sticky traps did not vary with trap height or pheromone treatment. Released moths marked with fluorescent powder and observed at dark with a blacklight indicated that moths are primarily distributed high in the canopy. However, males shifted to a position lower in the canopy when pheromone dispensers were placed 2.1 m above the ground. Results suggest that pheromone dispensers be placed in the upper canopy for optimal disruption of codling moth mating.
Transaction Costs and Organizational Choice: Modeling Governance in Offshore Drilling

This research examines oil company decisions to vertically integrate into the drilling function using a transaction cost economics framework. Risk preference is also investigated as an explanation of organizational choice. Econometric models are specified and estimated for organizational choice and for the cost functions of competing organizational options. Estimation of the cost functions permits isolation of the effects of transaction attributes to each form of organization, shedding light on the relative impacts of hazards of exchange and internal costs. Results provide support for both the transaction cost and risk preference hypotheses as determinants of organizational form. The cost functions also enable estimation of the transaction costs and incentive gains of outsourcing.
Radiotherapy of malignant melanoma.

The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of malignant melanoma is limited, and surgery generally forms the mainstay of medical practice. However, there are some circumstances in which radiotherapy should be considered the treatment of choice. Symptomatic metastatic lesions in bone or brain can effectively be palliated in a substantial proportion of instances. At the current stage of our knowledge, conventionally fractionated treatment of such lesions forms the standard against which other treatments should be measured. In contrast, metastatic lesions to skin or lymph nodes that do not overlie critical normal structures probably are better treated by high-dose-per-fraction techniques. Radiotherapy may play a definitive role in the treatment of lentigo maligna. The precise optimal energy of the beam to be used remains to be defined. Slightly more penetrating radiation appears to be required for lentigo maligna melanomas. Here, too, the optimal energy remains to be defined. The treatment of nonlentigenous melanomas primarily by radiotherapy is unproved in my opinion. Certainly, the data from the Princess Margaret Hospital is exciting, but I believe it must be corroborated by a well-designed trial before it can be accepted without question. Future directions in treatment of malignant melanoma are likely to include further trialsmore » of unconventional fractionation and the use of radiosensitizing agents in conjunction with radiotherapy. The time for dermatologists and radiation therapists to cooperate in such studies is at hand.« less
AMP-activated kinase (AMPK)-generated signals in malignant melanoma cell growth and survival

Extensive studies over the years have shown that the AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) exhibits negative regulatory effects on the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling cascade. We examined the potential involvement of AMPK in the regulation of growth and survival of malignant melanoma cells. In studies using the AMPK activators AICAR or metformin, we found potent inhibitory effects of AMPK activity on the growth of SK-MEL-2 and SK-MEL-28 malignant melanoma cells. Induction of AMPK activity was also associated with inhibition of the ability of melanoma cells to form colonies in an anchorage-independent manner in soft agar, suggesting an important role of the pathway in the control of malignant melanoma tumorigenesis. Furthermore, AICAR-treatment resulted in malignant melanoma cell death and such induction of apoptosis was further enhanced by concomitant statin-treatment. Taken together, our results provide evidence for potent inhibitory effects of AMPK on malignant melanoma cell growth and survival and raise the potential of AMPK manipulation as a novel future approach for the treatment of malignant melanoma.
Customized reviews for small user-databases using iterative SVD and content based filtering

Recommender systems have proven to be a valuable tool for web companies like Amazon and Netflix for attracting and maintaining a large user base. However, in situations when user data is more scarce (e.g., for mid-sized companies, or an online retailer testing a new ratings system) algorithms tailored to smaller datasets can be used to further increase accuracy. This paper explores the potential of combining collaborative and content-based (using user comments) filtering algorithms using Yelp.com data from a single city. We present the method to combine two approaches, and find that the MSE for predicting a user's new rating can be reduced from a baseline MSE of 1.744 to 0.934 given just 2500 rated items in our real-world dataset.
A diffusion-reaction model of nerve regeneration

The process of peripheral nerve regeneration has been modeled using 5 populations of mathematical variables to represent the biological activities of Wallerian degeneration, fibrin matrix development, Schwann cell activity, elongating neurites, and neovascularization. The mathematical model provided simulations of nerve regeneration following transection and crush injuries that correspond with growth behaviors quantified in biological experiments. Neovascularization was spatiotemporally quantified in nerve regeneration chambers and following nerve crush injury in order to test the simulations of the mathematical model. The vasculature in both the chamber and following nerve crush responded as predicted by the model, increasing beyond normal levels to a peak only to decrease back to normal. This behavior appeared as a traveling wave in the proximal-distal direction preceding the major thrust of neuritic outgrowth suggesting that development of the vasculature is a rate-limiting step in nerve regeneration.
Interaction- and measurement-free quantum Zeno gates for universal computation with single-atom and single-photon qubits

By extending the concept of interaction-free imaging to the few-atom level, we show that asymptotically on-demand interaction- and measurement-free quantum logic gates can be realized for both single-atom and single-photon qubits. The interaction-free feature suppresses the possibility of qubit decoherence via atomic spontaneous decay, while the elimination of measurements can significantly reduce errors arising from detector inefficiency. We present a general theory of universal quantum Zeno gates, and discuss physical implementations for quantum-information processing with individual atoms and photons. In addition, we propose a loss-tolerant protocol for long-distance quantum communication using quantum Zeno gates incorporated into a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The efficiency of our Zeno gates is limited primarily by the imprecise control of atom-photon scattering and the finite number of feedback cycles $N$ due to the limited finesse of the optical ring cavity. We find that the success probability scales as $1\ensuremath{-}O(1/N)$, and for realistic parameters could be as high as 98.4%. Successful generation of atom-atom entanglement can be heralded by detection of the ancillary photon, upon which the fidelity scales as $1\ensuremath{-}O(1/{N}^{2})$, with an achievable fidelity of 99.994%, which comes at the cost of reducing the success probability by the detector efficiency.
Parental alcohol consumption and deviant child behavior: Laboratory studies of reciprocal effects

Abstract A series of laboratory experiments that examine the relationship between parental alcohol consumption and deviant child behavior is reviewed. The studies were designed to evaluate the familial influences that two disinhibitory disorders, parental alcohol problems and childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may have on one another. The studies provide evidence of bidirectional effects. Specifically, (a) alcohol consumption has deleterious effects on the management strategies that parents use to control children's deviant behavior, and (b) children's deviant behavior increases parental distress and alcohol consumption. These effects may vary as a function of such variables as parental gender, marital status (for women), familial risk for alcohol problems, and parent and child psychopathology.
A queueing network analysis of a health center

This paper shows how a queueing network model helped to uncover the causes of delay in a health center appointment clinic. Patients, clerks, technicians, doctors and nurses agreed that the clerical registration area was the major bottleneck in the system. Our first reaction was to simulate the system with special attention on the complex registration procedure. Time constraints on data collection and program development led us to a queueing network model and QNA, a software tool for analyzing queueing networks developed by Whitt. The queueing analysis showed the registration area was not the bottleneck and we conjectured that delays were due to scheduling problems. A preliminary trial in the clinic of a modified appointment system showed promise with a 20 minute reduction in average time in the system (based on a small sample). Although there were significant differences between features of the real system and assumptions in the queueing network model, the queueing network model yielded insight into the operation of the appointment clinic.
Geomorphic and paleoclimatic implications of latest Pleistocene radiocarbon dates from colluvium-mantled hollows, California

Radiocarbon analyses of charcoal from basal colluvium in 11 California hollows show a clustering of dates between 9000 and 15,000 B.P., an indication that changes in the storage and discharge of colluvium from hillslopes accompanied the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Hollows are sites of topographically induced convergence and deposition of colluvial debris, and evacuation of this debris was apparently more thorough and possibly more frequent in the latest Pleistocene, perhaps due to a combination of changes in vegetation and rainfall characteristics. One hypothesis is that greater storm intensities occurred in the latest Pleistocene and induced a higher frequency of landslides in hollows and a regional extension of channel heads upslope relative to the Holocene. During the last Pleistocene, California hollows apparently contained smaller volumes of colluvium in storage. The increased storage of debris during the Holocene may have resulted in a diminished supply of sediment to stream channels.
Allergic contact dermatitis to topical minoxidil solution: etiology and treatment.

After more than a decade of use, topical minoxidil solution has proven to be a safe and effective treatment for androgenetic alopecia. However, some patients present with complaints of pruritus and scaling of the scalp. The most common causes of these symptoms include irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, or an exacerbation of seborrheic dermatitis. Patients suffering from allergic contact dermatitis may benefit from patch testing to determine the causative allergen. Among the patients we patch tested, propylene glycol was found to be the contactant in a majority of cases, not the minoxidil itself. Many of these patients may be candidates for treatment with alternative formulations using other solvents, such as butylene glycol, polysorbate, or glycerol. Although predictive, patch testing results do not ensure that the compounded preparations will be tolerated. Unfortunately, patients found to be allergic to minoxidil are no longer candidates for topical treatment of their alopecia with any preparations of minoxidil. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;46:309-12.)