cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In the name of health and illness: on some socio-political consequences of medical influence.

Abstract Medicine and health care are becoming major areas of socio control, nudging aside, if not incorporating, themore traditional institutions of religion and law. This is not occuring through the political power physicians hold or can influence, but is largely an insidious and often undramatic phenomenon accomplished by “medicalizing” much of daily living, by making medicine and the labels “health” and “ill” relevant to a ever increasing part of human existence. This paper tries to delineate the perils of this wholesale transfer of the medical model to workaday world.
Parametric linear programming and anti-cycling pivoting rules

The traditional perturbation (or lexicographic) methods for resolving degeneracy in linear programming impose decision rules that eliminate ties in the simplex ratio rule and, therefore, restrict the choice of exiting basic variables. Bland's combinatorial pivoting rule also restricts the choice of exiting variables. Using ideas from parametric linear programming, we develop anticycling pivoting rules that do not limit the choice of exiting variables beyond the simplex ratio rule. That is, any variable that ties for the ratio rule can leave the basis. A similar approach gives pivoting rules for the dual simplex method that do not restrict the choice of entering variables.
An Evaluation of Worldwide Proton Beam Therapy Clinical Trials

Purpose/Objective(s): The potential benefit of curative therapy (CTx) for prostate cancer varies depending on life expectancy (LE) and tumor characteristics. We assessed the temporal trends in the use of different treatment modalities across strata of low potential clinical benefit (LCB) and examined whether the adoption of newer treatment modalities increased the percentage of these patients undergoing CTx or merely replaced older modalities. Materials/Methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database, we identified men ages 67-84 with localized prostate cancer diagnosed from 1998 through 2007. We further identified patients who had low-risk cancer using SEER grade 1 or 2 and stage T1 or T2a. We estimated patient life expectancy using a life table approach based on age and comorbidity burden. We defined LCB patients as those with low-risk tumors and life expectancy 10.9%* vs 22.2%), in 1998-1999 versus 2006-2007, respectively (p < .001). As the use of IMRT increased, the percentage of patients receiving EBRT decreased from 30.0% in 1998-1999 to 1.5% in 2006-2007. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the adoption of newer radiation, but not surgical, treatment modalities was associated with an increased percentage of LCB patients undergoing CTx from 1998 through 2007. *Some percentages expressed as a range because SEER-Medicare prohibits publishing data n <11. Author Disclosure: A. Raldow: None. C.J. Presley: None. J.B. Yu: None. L.D. Cramer: None. P.R. Soulos: None. J.B. Long: None. D.V. Makarov: None. C.P. Gross: None.
Angle-resolved inverse-photoemission study of the nearly perfect TiO2(110) surface

We present angle-resolved inverse-photoemission (IPE) spectroscopy data from the nearly perfect ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$(110) surface. Results from two high-symmetry directions of the surface Brillouin zone, \ensuremath{\Gamma}\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}-X\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} and \ensuremath{\Gamma}\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}-X\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}', are reported and compared with the results of bulk and surface electronic-structure calculations. Features in the spectra appearing \ensuremath{\sim}1, 4, 9, and 13 eV above the Fermi level are associated with the primarily Ti-derived 2${\mathit{t}}_{2\mathit{g}}$, 3${\mathit{e}}_{\mathit{g}}$, 3${\mathit{a}}_{1\mathit{g}}$, and 4${\mathit{t}}_{1\mathit{u}}$ levels. The results are consistent with earlier studies using x-ray-absorption spectroscopy and electron-energy-loss spectroscopy but show some discrepancies in energy positions. All of the spectral features exhibit a small amount of dispersion with respect to ${\mathit{k}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}$. Surface states and resonances identified in the 0--2-eV region are in accordance with previously published calculations [S. Munnix and M. Schmeits, Phys. Rev. B 30, 2202 (1984)]. The absence of surface resonances near 3 eV strongly suggests that the nearly perfect ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$(110) surface is terminated by a bridging oxygen layer.
Phenyl 2-(6-methylpyridyl) ketone oxime A reagent for copper in alkalis.

Abstract Phenyl 2-(6-methylpyridyl) ketone oxime (R) can be used for the determination of copper in alkalis, the orange CuR, being extracted into isoamyl alcohol and its absorbance measured. Owing to the stereochemical blocking action of the 6-methyl group, iron does not interfere. In acid solution an orange-yellow compound CuR3, is formed, also extractable into isoamyl alcohol.
When are transmission-line effects important for on-chip interconnections?

Short, medium, and long on-chip interconnections having linewidths of 0.45-52 /spl mu/m are analyzed in a five-metal-layer structure. We study capacitive coupling for short lines, inductive coupling for medium-length lines, inductance and resistance of the current return path in the power buses, and line resistive losses for the global wiring. Design guidelines and technology changes are proposed to achieve minimum delay and contain crosstalk for local and global wiring. Conditional expressions are given to determine when transmission-line effects are important for accurate delay and crosstalk prediction.
Radio-frequency drying of tablet granulations.

The stray field which exists around a pair of electrodes consisting of a series of parallel copper tubes set in one plane and energized by means of a radio-frequency oscillator is used to dry tablet granulations. The equipment used and the procedure followed in this investigation are outlined. Data presented include the peak radio-frequency voltages, the power used, the maximum temperatures attained, the rate of drying, and the percentages of water removed from the various chemicals in the form of tablet granulations.
Jouvay Mornin' with the Merry Darceuils: A Small Neighborhood Band on Carnival Monday

Darceuils Lane (local pronunciation like "darkeyes") is a small, dead-end street off the Belmont Circular Road in the predominantly Afro-Caribbean, working-class district of Belmont on the east side of Port of Spain. A week before Carnival one could find wired to railings on the comer a hand-lettered sign: "Merry Darceuils Jouvert Presentation '96, I'm a Slave to," with an arrow pointing down the street. The arrow led one to a makeshift shelter of bamboo poles and large sheets of corrugated cardboard sporting a giant painted eyeball and announcing itself as "The Slave Yard." Here was a neighborhood mas camp, a smaller, grassroots version of the typical Trinidadian showcase designed to interest Carnival revelers in joining a masquerade band. As with its more sophisticated counterparts, costume sketches inside the camp laid out the various sections of the band, any one of which one could join for a fee, in this case a very modest one of some 50 or 60 TT dollars (US $9-$Io). Members of our research team had come late on this Saturday morning to explore the possibility of joining this neighborhood band forJouvay.' Jour ouvert (pronounced "Jouvay") takes place in the dark of Monday morning and, in marked contrast to the glitter of Carnival Tuesday, usually involves a serious encounter with mud-mud of many colors in hair, on face and body, on whatever clothes one might choose to wear. Historically, this opening nighttime phase of Carnival with its jamet (underclass) dominance, massedflambeau, and incessant African drumming was always a sore spot for colonial administrations who sought to curb it in various ways-including outright banning. In the early part of this century, indeed, the cries of "jouvay!" were not allowed to ring out until 6:00 A.M. (Cowley 1996:175). A Belmont resident recalled "tamboo-bamboo" music and "old mas faces" in the Jouvay of the I930s. Interestingly, cut greenery was also employed: "swaying over the crowd was a host of leafy tree branches that nearly everyone was carrying so that it looked as though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane" (Araujo I984:I4). The Bush and its wild things were brought to Town. Calypsonian Charles Jones observed in 1946, after five years of a wartime ban on Carnival, that Jouvay was a
Use of solid-phase subtractive hybridization for the identification of parasitism gene candidates from the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita

SUMMARY A solid-phase subtractive strategy was used to clone parasitism gene candidates (PGCs) expressed in the oesophageal gland cells of Meloidogyne incognita. Nematode intestinal first-strand cDNA was synthesized directly on magnetic beads and used to enrich for gland-specific sequences by high stringency hybridization to gland-cell mRNA. A gland-specific cDNA library was created from the nonhybridizing gland-cell mRNA by long-distance reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Subtraction of the gland cDNA library (1000 clones) with previously cloned M. incognita parasitism genes removed 89 cDNA clones and promoted efficient identification of new PGCs. Sequencing of 711 cDNA clones from the subtracted library revealed that deduced protein sequences of 67 cDNAs were preceded by a signal peptide for secretion, a key criterion for parasitism genes. In situ hybridization with probes from the cDNA clones encoding signal peptides showed that seven cDNA clones were specifically expressed in the subventral gland cells and four in the dorsal gland cell of M. incognita. BLASTP analyses revealed the predicted proteins of five cDNAs to be novel sequences. The six PGCs with similarities to known proteins included a pectate lyase, three beta-1,4-endoglucanases and two chorismate mutases. This subtractive protocol provides an efficient and reliable approach for identifying PGCs encoding oesophageal gland cell secretory proteins that may have a role in M. incognita parasitism of plants.
The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Children’s Attention Regulation:

Objective: This article describes results from a randomized clinical trial of a mindfulness-based intervention for parents and children, Mindful Family Stress Reduction, on a behavioral measure of ...
Using 7.5 frames per second reduces radiation exposure in lower extremity peripheral vascular interventions.

BackgroundPeripheral vascular interventions can be associated with significant radiation exposure to the patient and the operator.ObjectiveIn this study, we sought to compare the radiation dose bet...
MEANING IN LANGUAGE: AN INTRODUCTION TO SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS (2nd ed.)

MEANING IN LANGUAGE: AN INTRODUCTION TO SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS (2nd ed.). Alan Cruse. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. Pp. xiii + 441. $29.95 paper.This volume, which has been only moderately revised from the first edition (a couple of important exceptions will be mentioned later), is divided into four parts. The first is titled “Fundamental Notions” and consists of four chapters: “Introduction,” which introduces the subbranches of the field (e.g., lexical semantics, grammatical semantics, linguistic pragmatics) and its relations to other fields; “Logical Matters,” which introduces basic concepts like proposition, entailment, and scope; “Types and Dimensions of Meaning,” which concerns aspects of descriptive (or referential) meaning such as vagueness and specificity as well as nondescriptive meaning (associative and social meanings); and “Compositionality,” a brief discussion of this fundamental notion and some of the difficulties associated with it.
A coherent digital demodulator for multiple signal formats and widely varying data rates

The tracking and data relay satellite system (TDRSS) uses four ground station demodulators for K-band signals with data rates from 1 kb/s to 300 Mb/s. The author discusses the feasibility of replacing these demodulators with a single digital demodulator that may be reconfigured by altering stored parameters to accommodate all signal formats and data rates. This implementation will reduce total ground station cost and facilitate automation of ground station operation. Analysis of system performance concentrates on the carrier tracking loop. Analytic and simulation results relate system performance to parameter values and signal format as data rate and power vary independently on the in-phase and quadrature channels. It is demonstrated that a single digital demodulator can support TDRSS-compatible signals at data rates conservatively extending from 1 K symbols/s to 10 M symbols/s, using off-the-shelf hardware with six or more bits of accuracy. >
Computerized frameless stereotactic image guidance in spinal surgery

Clinical applications of computerized frameless stereotactic image-guided spinal surgery continue to evolve. This article discusses several limiting factors regarding the use of this technology. It discusses the benefits of stereotaxy, which are better realized when there is a distortion of 'normal' anatomy because of previous surgery or severe deformity. The three-dimensional model helps the surgeon navigate the rotated and translated vertebrae. The technology can also be helpful when performing a posterior lumbar interbody fusion, to determine the orientation and depth of placement of the allograft or the cage.
Photoaffinity identification of colchicine-solubilized regulatory subunit from rat brain adenylate cyclase.

: Five GTP binding proteins in rat cerebral cortex synaptic membranes were identified by photoaffinity labelling with [3H] or [32P](P3-azido-anilido)-P1-5’GTP (AAGTP). When AAGTP-treated membranes were incubated with colchicine or vinblastine and subsequently washed, a single AAGTP-labelled protein of 42 kD was released into the supernatant. About 30% of the total labelled 42-kD protein was released into supernatants from membranes pretreated with colchicine or vinblastine compared with 15% released from control membranes. The amount of adenylate cyclase regulatory subunit (G unit) remaining in these membranes was assessed with reconstitution studies after inactivating the adenylate cyclase catalytic moiety with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). Forty to fifty percent of functional G units were lost from membranes treated with colchicine prior to washing. This 40–50% loss of functional G unit after colchicine treatment corresponds to the previously observed 42% loss of NaF and guanylyl-5′-imidodiphosphate [Gpp(NH)p]-activated adenylate cyclase. Release of the AAGTP-labelled 42-kD protein from colchicine-treated synaptic membranes is double that from lumicolchicine-treated membranes. This colchicine-mediated release of 42-kD protein correlates with a doubling of functional G unit released from synaptic membranes after colchicine treatment. These findings suggest multiple populations of the G unit within the synaptic plasma membrane, some of which may interact with cytoskeletal components.
Antitumor Activities of Rauwolfia vomitoria Extract and Potentiation of Gemcitabine Effects Against Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies with very limited treatment option. In the effort of enhancing the effect of the conventional chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine against pancreatic cancer, we investigatedin vitroandin vivothe anticancer effect of a β-carboline-enriched extract from the plantRauwolfia vomitoria(Rau), either alone or in combination with gemcitabine, in preclinical pancreatic cancer models. Rau induced apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner, and completely inhibited colony formation of PANC-1 cells in soft agar. The combination of Rau and gemcitabine had synergistic effect in inhibiting cell growth with dose reduction effect for gemcitabine. In an orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse model, PANC-1 tumor growth was significantly suppressed by Rau treatment. Metastasis was inhibited by Rau. Adding Rau to gemcitabine treatment reduced tumor burden and metastatic potential in the gemcitabine non-responsive tumor. These data suggest that Rau possesses anti-pancreatic cancer activity and could improve effect of gemcitabine.
Reframing Diabetes in American Indian Communities: A Social Determinants of Health Perspective

American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) experience some of the greatest health inequities of any group within the United States. AI/ANs are diagnosed with diabetes more than twice as often as non-Hispanic white Americans. Diabetes is a chronic preventable disease often associated with individual risk factors and behaviors that indicate what interventions are needed to prevent or manage the disease. Individual ameliorative strategies in diabetes prevention and management do not fully address the fundamental causes and complexity of diabetes in American Indian communities. Through the application of a social determinants of health paradigm, social work has the opportunity to reframe diabetes and begin to understand it as a product of and a response to unjust conditions and environments, rather than as a disease rooted solely in individual pathology and responsibility.
Na(+) and Ca(2+) effect on the hydration and orientation of the phosphate group of DPPC at air-water and air-hydrated silica interfaces

Hydration and orientation of the phosphate group of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) monolayers in the liquid-expanded (LE) phase and the liquid-condensed (LC) phase in the presence of sodium ions and calcium ions was investigated with vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy at the air-aqueous interface in conjunction with surface pressure measurements. In the LE phase, both sodium and calcium affect the phosphate group hydration. In the LC phase, however, sodium ions affect the phosphate hydration subtly, while calcium ions cause a marked dehydration. Silica-supported DPPC monolayers prepared by the Langmuir−Blodgett method reveal similar hydration behavior relative to that observed in the corresponding aqueous subphase for the case of water and in the presence of sodium ions. However, in the presence of calcium ions the phosphate group dehydration is greater than that from the corresponding purely aqueous CaCl2 subphase. The average tilt angles from the surface normal of the PO2− gr...
Textbook principles to communications hardware: making it work

Undergraduate courses in communications traditionally focus on classical communications theory with little attention given to the actual implementation aspects of analog or digital systems. For the most part, the hardware implementation is predisposed to the electronics curriculum. This paper details a unique new effort in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the United States Military Academy to combine the theoretical aspects of communications systems design with integrated circuit implementation. Through a new project design approach, cadets make the theory of communications systems come to real life using a design, build, test process. It is shown that this is a very effective method to overcome the obstacles in making the transition from theory to practice.
The Influence of Sire, Dam, and Hatching Date on Specific Rate of Growth of Single Comb White Leghorn Pullets from Hatching to Twelve Weeks of Age

Abstract IN 1948 a study was begun to ascertain, among other things, the effects of sire differences, dam differences, and date-of-hatch differences on variation in growth of standard-bred Single Comb White Leghorn pullets from hatching to 12 weeks of age. Three general methods for evaluating growth of an individual animal have been used: (1) cumulative weights, (2) successive gains (specific rates of growth), and (3) relative rates of growth (some transformation of weight or gain, usually logarithmic). There is a considerable amount of literature dealing with the advantages of one method over another in graphic and statistical studies of growth of populations as well as individuals. However, in this paper interest is centered on specific rate of growth because successive gains are additive without the necessity of a logarithmic transformation. While it is known that environmental factors such as temperature and ration affect growth (Moulton, Kempster, Hogan and Brody, 1923), few . . .
Intraureteral and intravenous indocyanine green to facilitate robotic partial nephroureterectomy in a patient with complete ureteral triplication

A patient with a complete right ureteral triplication presented with recurrent pyelonephritis and flank pain that was refractory to medical management. Evaluation showed that the atrophic upper-most renal moiety had been chronically obstructed and was associated with a dilated ureter. Intraureteral and intravenous indocyanine green (ICG) were used as real-time contrast agents intraoperatively to facilitate right robotic partial nephroureterectomy of the diseased system. Intraureteral ICG was used to accurately distinguish the pathologic ureter and associated renal pelvis from its normal counterparts. Intravenous ICG was used to assess perfusion in the right kidney and delineate the margins of diseased renal parenchyma.
Nitroaromatic Compounds, from Synthesis to Biodegradation

Summary: Nitroaromatic compounds are relatively rare in nature and have been introduced into the environment mainly by human activities. This important class of industrial chemicals is widely used in the synthesis of many diverse products, including dyes, polymers, pesticides, and explosives. Unfortunately, their extensive use has led to environmental contamination of soil and groundwater. The nitro group, which provides chemical and functional diversity in these molecules, also contributes to the recalcitrance of these compounds to biodegradation. The electron-withdrawing nature of the nitro group, in concert with the stability of the benzene ring, makes nitroaromatic compounds resistant to oxidative degradation. Recalcitrance is further compounded by their acute toxicity, mutagenicity, and easy reduction into carcinogenic aromatic amines. Nitroaromatic compounds are hazardous to human health and are registered on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's list of priority pollutants for environmental remediation. Although the majority of these compounds are synthetic in nature, microorganisms in contaminated environments have rapidly adapted to their presence by evolving new biodegradation pathways that take advantage of them as sources of carbon, nitrogen, and energy. This review provides an overview of the synthesis of both man-made and biogenic nitroaromatic compounds, the bacteria that have been identified to grow on and completely mineralize nitroaromatic compounds, and the pathways that are present in these strains. The possible evolutionary origins of the newly evolved pathways are also discussed.
On machine learning, ROC analysis, and statistical tests of significance

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis is being used with greater frequency as an evaluation methodology in machine learning and pattern recognition. Researchers have used ANOVA to determine if the results from such analysis are statistically significant. Yet, in the medical decision making community, the prevailing method is LABMRMC. Although this latter method uses ANOVA, before doing so, it applies the Jackknife method to account for case-sample variance. To determine whether these two tests make the same decisions regarding statistical significance, we conducted a Monte Carlo simulation using several problems derived from Gaussian distributions, three machine-learning algorithms, ROC analysis, ANOVA, and LABMRMC. Results suggest that the decisions these tests make are not the same, even for simple problems. Furthermore, the larger issue is that since ANOVA does not account for case-sample variance, one cannot generalize experimental results to the population from which the data were drawn.
Alteration in body composition in the portacaval anastamosis rat is mediated by increased expression of myostatin.

The portacaval anastamosis (PCA) rat is a model to examine nutritional consequences of portosystemic shunting in cirrhosis. Alterations in body composition and mechanisms of diminished fat mass fol...
Resistance training with creatine monohydrate improves upper-body strength in patients with Parkinson disease: a randomized trial.

Background. Persons with Parkinson disease (PD) exhibit decreased muscular fitness including decreased muscle mass, muscle strength, bioenergetic capabilities and increased fatigability.Objective. This purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of resistance training with and without creatine supplementation in patients with mild to moderate PD.Methods. Twenty patients with idiopathic PD were randomized to receive creatine monohydrate supplementation plus resistance training (CRE) or placebo (lactose monohydrate) plus resistance training (PLA), using a double-blind procedure. Creatine and placebo supplementation consisted of 20 g/d for the first 5 days and 5 g/d thereafter. Both groups participated in progressive resistance training (24 sessions, 2 times per week, 1 set of 8-12 repetitions, 9 exercises). Participants performed 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) for chest press, leg extension, and biceps curl. Muscular endurance was evaluated for chest press and leg extension as the num...
Initialization and Numerical Forecasting of a Supercell Storm Observed during STEPS

Abstract The feasibility of initializing a numerical cloud model with single-Doppler observations and predicting the evolution of thunderstorms has been tested using an observed case of a supercell storm during the Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS). Single-Doppler observations from the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) at Goodland, Kansas, are assimilated into a cloud-scale numerical model using a four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVAR) scheme. A number of assimilation and short-range numerical prediction experiments are conducted. Both the assimilation and prediction results are compared with those of a dual-Doppler synthesis. The prediction results are also verified with reflectivity observations. It is shown that the analysis of the wind field captures the major structure of the storm as revealed by the dual-Doppler synthesis. Thermodynamical and microphysical features retrieved through the dynamical model show consistency with expectatio...
Links Between Systems of Inhibition From Infancy to Preschool Years

Links between early and late emerging inhibitory characteristics of young children are poorly understood. Based on existing evidence, this study proposed an indirect link between reactive inhibition to novelty (fearfulness) and later emerging effortful inhibition of prepotent response tendencies. A model was tested that posits that fearful children have opportunistic advantages in developing a nonimpulsive approach style in contexts that are not imbued with salient novelty cues. That nonimpulsive approach style, in turn, facilitates future effortful inhibition. Longitudinal panel data, all based on observational measures, at 9, 14, 22, 33, and 45 months were used to support the proposed indirect link. The implications for understanding regulatory influences of fearful behavior and developmental complexity in child characteristics are discussed.
Design Considerations for a Micro Aerial Vehicle Aerodynamic Characterization Facility at the University of Florida Research and Engineering Education Facility

This paper describes the design considerations for a proposed aerodynamic characterization facility (ACF) for micro aerial vehicles (MAVs). This is a collaborative effort between the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate (AFRL/MN) and the University of Florida Research and Engineering Education Facility (UF/REEF). The ACF is expected to provide a capability for the characterization of the aerodynamic performance of future MAVs. This includes the ability to gather the data necessary to devise control strategies as well as the potential to investigate aerodynamic ‘problem areas’ or specific failings. Since it is likely that future MAVs will incorporate advanced control strategies, the facility must enable researchers to critically assess such novel methods. Furthermore, the aerodynamic issues should not be seen (and tested) in isolation, but rather the facility should be able to also provide information on structural responses (such as aeroelasticity) as well as integration issues (say, thrust integration or sensor integration). Therefore the mission for the proposed facility ranges form fairly basic investigations of individual technical issues encountered by MAVs (for example an evaluation of wing shapes or control effectiveness) all the way to testing a fully integrated vehicle in a flight configuration for performance evaluation throughout the mission envelope.
Oligopsony/Oligopoly Power and Factor Market Performance: The Case of U.S. Old Newspapers

This paper derives price-cost margins for the old newspaper (ONP) input market for newsprint manufacture and then examines the effects of two government policies and two variables measuring the market performances of ONP input and newsprint output on the oligopsonist's ONP price-cost margins. In the wastepaper recycling market in particular, the ONP input market has not been successful in using the ONP generated. The outcomes of the study are that various degrees of price distortions existed in the ONP input markets in four regions of the United States during 1972–1995. Demand-side policy had a positive effect and supply-side policy had a negative effect on ONP price–cost margins in all regions.
Identification and Characterization of HtsA, a Second Heme-Binding Protein Made by Streptococcus pyogenes

Group A streptococci (GAS) can use heme and hemoproteins as sources of iron. However, the machinery for heme acquisition in GAS has not been firmly revealed. Recently, we identified a novel heme-associated cell surface protein (Shp) made by GAS. The shp gene is cotranscribed with eight downstream genes, including spy1795, spy1794, and spy1793 encoding a putative ABC transporter (designated HtsABC). In this study, spy1795 (designated htsA) was cloned from a serotype M1 strain, and recombinant HtsA was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. HtsA binds 1 heme molecule per molecule of protein. HtsA was produced in vitro and localized to the bacterial cell surface. GAS up-regulated transcription of htsA in human blood compared with that in Todd-Hewitt broth supplemented with 0.2% yeast extract. The level of the htsA transcript dramatically increased under metal cation-restricted conditions compared with that under metal cation-replete conditions. The cation content, cell surface location, and gene transcription of HtsA were also compared with those of MtsA and Spy0385, the lipoprotein components of two other putative iron acquisition ABC transporters of GAS. Our results suggest that HtsABC is an ABC transporter that may participate in heme acquisition in GAS.
Diagnostic value of serum procalcitonin in patients with chronic renal insufficiency: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The diagnostic value of procalcitonin (PCT) for patients with renal impairment is unclear. Methods We searched multiple databases for studies published through December 2011 that evaluated the diagnostic performance of PCT among patients with renal impairment and suspected systemic bacterial infection. We summarized test performance characteristics with the use of forest plots, hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curves, and bivariate random effects models. Results Our search identified 201 citations, of which seven diagnostic studies evaluated 803 patients and 255 bacterial infection episodes. HSROC-bivariate pooled sensitivity estimates were 73% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 54-86%] for PCT tests and 78% (95% CI 52-92%) for CRP tests. Pooled specificity estimates were higher for both PCT and CRP tests [PCT, 88% (95% CI 79-93%); CRP, 84% (95% CI, 52-96%)]. The positive likelihood ratio for PCT [likelihood (LR)+ 6.02, 95% CI 3.16-11.47] was sufficiently high to be qualified as a rule-in diagnostic tool, while the negative likelihood ratio was not low enough to be used as a rule-out diagnostic tool (LR- 0.31, 95% CI 0.17-0.57). There was no consistent evidence that PCT was more accurate than CRP test for the diagnosis of systemic infection among patients with renal impairment. Conclusions Both PCT and CRP tests have poor sensitivity but acceptable specificity in diagnosing bacterial infection among patients with renal impairment. Given the poor negative likelihood ratio, its role as a rule-out test is questionable.
Knightian decision theory. Part I

A theory of choice under uncertainty is proposed which removes the completeness assumption from the Anscombe–Aumann formulation of Savage's theory and introduces an inertia assumption. The inertia assumption is that there is such a thing as the status quo and an alternative is accepted only if it is preferred to the status quo. This theory is one way of giving rigorous expression to Frank Knight's distinction between risk and uncertainty.
Reciprocal co-regulation of EGR2 and MECP2 is disrupted in Rett syndrome and autism

Mutations in MECP2, encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), cause the neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome (RTT). Although MECP2 mutations are rare in idiopathic autism, reduced MeCP2 levels are common in autism cortex. MeCP2 is critical for postnatal neuronal maturation and a modulator of activity-dependent genes such as Bdnf (brain-derived neurotropic factor) and JUNB. The activity-dependent early growth response gene 2 (EGR2), required for both early hindbrain development and mature neuronal function, has predicted binding sites in the promoters of several neurologically relevant genes including MECP2. Conversely, MeCP2 family members MBD1, MBD2 and MBD4 bind a methylated CpG island in an enhancer region located in EGR2 intron 1. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that MECP2 and EGR2 regulate each other's expression during neuronal maturation in postnatal brain development. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed EGR2 binding to the MECP2 promoter and MeCP2 binding to the enhancer region in EGR2 intron 1. Reduction in EGR2 and MeCP2 levels in cultured human neuroblastoma cells by RNA interference reciprocally reduced expression of both EGR2 and MECP2 and their protein products. Consistent with a role of MeCP2 in enhancing EGR2, Mecp2-deficient mouse cortex samples showed significantly reduced EGR2 by quantitative immunofluorescence. Furthermore, MeCP2 and EGR2 show coordinately increased levels during postnatal development of both mouse and human cortex. In contrast to age-matched Controls, RTT and autism postmortem cortex samples showed significant reduction in EGR2. Together, these data support a role of dysregulation of an activity-dependent EGR2/MeCP2 pathway in RTT and autism.
In vivo evaluation of stability and metabolic pathway of radiolabeled polymeric nanoparticles

1234 Objectives The goal of this study was to determine the in vivo stability, distribution, and metabolic pathway of C-atrial natriuretic factor (CANF) conjugated to comb-like nanoparticles. The 64Cu-CANF-Comb has been shown to bind to the natriuretic peptide receptor-C (NPR-C) upregulated in atherosclerosis. Methods The radiolabeling stability of 64Cu-CANF-Comb nanoparticles was determined by incubating the particles with mouse serum and analyzing with fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). After intravenous injection of 64Cu-CANF-Comb in C57 mice, blood samples were collected and separated into red blood cells, platelet-rich plasma, platelet-poor plasma, and the platelet pellet via centrifugation and counted with a gamma counter. The platelet-poor plasma was analyzed with FPLC to assess the stability of 64Cu-CANF-Comb. The longitudinal distribution of CANF-Comb in vivo was performed via 67Cu radiolabeling up to 2 weeks. The excretion of 67Cu-CANF-Comb was collected to evaluate its metabolic pathway. Results FPLC analysis showed 71.4±0.8% (n=3) intact 64Cu-CANF-Comb after 48h incubation with mouse serum. The longitudinal in vivo evaluation of 67Cu-CANF-Comb showed Conclusions The in vivo evaluation of radiolabeled CANF-Comb showed radiolabeling stability for PET imaging with minimal non-specific binding to blood cells. The longitudinal stability and significant clearance of CANF-Comb suggests its potential for translational research. Research Support This work is supported by the National Institutes of Health as a Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology (HHSN268201000046C).
Using adaptive synaptogenesis to model the development of ocular dominance in kitten visual cortex.

Activity-dependent modification of synaptic weights is a hallmark of neural net work computation. Activity-dependent synapse formation, on the other hand has been largely ignored. Synaptic connections in most neural network models are formed at random or with a particular spatial pattern before any modification of synaptic weight begins. However, in the experimental literature there exist anatomical studies of synapse formation that imply synaptogenesis may also depend on a neuron’s history of activity. In fact, there seem to be both pre-and postsynaptic activity-dependent mechanisms affecting the probability that a synapse will be formed [e.g. 1,10,13]. Such mechanisms, which operate much slower than the modification of existing synaptic weights, seem useful for regulating the overall connectivity of a network by ensuring that individual neurons are neither overused or underused.
TJ or TM? A Therapeutic Jurisprudence Approach to Native American Trademark Registrations

In June 2014, the United States Patent and Trademark Office cancelled several trademarks held by the Washington Redskins, and that action brought new attention to an ongoing legal dispute over these trademarks. While the trademark registrations themselves may seem to be a trivial matter, courts have been stuck in a battle for over two decades, trying to recognize a clear public policy that balances the economic, constitutional, civil rights and other issues implicated by the registrations. This article analyzes Native American trademark registrations under a therapeutic jurisprudence lens and argues that a therapeutic jurisprudence approach could provide the courts with more tools to heal the social concerns underlying trademark registration lawsuits associated with Native Americans. Social science data leans toward normative rule: the law should steer teams away from using names and mascots associated with Native American culture, but where existing teams have been using a name or mascot for many years, the law should be careful not to upset the personhood of the existing fan base. Courts may be able to interpret this normative rule into the Lanham Act to heal emotional and psychological wounds in the general public that give rise to such disputes.
The Role of Alpha2-Adrenergic Agonists in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Psychostimulants are first-line therapy for patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, some patients are not optimal responders to monotherapy or present as comorbid for a variety of other disorders that either preclude the use of stimulants or produce a symptom complex that is resistant to monotherapy. Unfortunately, there are few agents well studied in combination with psychostimulants for patients with ADHD. The combination of psychostimulants with alpha2-adrenergic agonists may offer a complementary approach to treating such complex patients. The rationale for combination therapy is that the primary effects of stimulants and alpha2-adrenergic agonists are mediated by different but complementary mechanisms of action, emphasizing different neurotransmitter systems, which together modulate prefrontal cortex functioning. Although immediate-release clonidine and guanfacine have long been studied in ADHD, their usage has been limited by rapid absorption and clearance, negative side effects, and reduced efficacy compared with stimulants. New controlled-release formulations of the alpha2-adrenergic agonists have overcome some of these limitations, with recent clinical trials demonstrating their enhanced tolerability and effectiveness for treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents. Studies with each of these new formulations (ie, guanfacine extended release and clonidine hydrochloride extended-release tablets) in combination with psychostimulants have demonstrated that the addition of an alpha2-adrenergic agonist to psychostimulant therapy significantly enhances efficacy without compromising safety. This review will encompass the clinical study database for novel formulations of alpha2-adrenergic agonists, enabling the reader to appreciate their place in ADHD treatment as well as the potential utility of a combination approach with psychostimulants for patients with complex ADHD.
“De puertas para adentro es donde había que llorar”: El duelo, la resistencia simbólica y la memoria popular en los testimonios sobre la represión franquista

ABSTRACTLa historia de la feroz represion franquista en Cadiz, Espana ha sido ampliamente investigada por conocidos historiadores. Mi propia indagacion sobre el “terror caliente” en Cadiz se enfoca en el analisis de los testimonios orales que he recopilado de familiares de los asesinados cuyos restos han sido recuperados de las tres fosas comunes exhumadas en la Sierra de Cadiz durante el primer decenio del siglo XXI: en El Bosque (2004), en Grazalema (2008) y en El Marrufo (2012). Lo que estos informantes resaltan en su testimonio sobre el tiempo de represion – ademas del horror de la violencia y el trauma sufridos – son asimismo los pequenos actos, rituales y practicas de rememoracion, duelo y rebeldia. Mi analisis de los testimonios como repositorio de actos simbolicos y subversivos de la generacion que lloro los fusilamientos de los seres queridos, se basa conceptualmente en obras teoricas sobre la transmision generacional del trauma y la posmemoria, las politicas del duelo y el discurso oculto famili...
POWER7: IBM's next generation server processor

Power Systems™ continue strong ■ 7th Generation Power chip: ■ Balanced Multi-Core design ■ EDRAM technology ■ SMT4 ■ Greater then 4X performance in same power envelope as previous generation ■ Scales to 32 socket, 1024 threads balanced system ■ Building block for peta-scale PERCS project POWER7 Systems Running in Lab ▪ AIX®, IBM i, Linux® all operational
Achieving Dietary Change: The Role of the Physician

Healthy People 2020 established a national goal of increasing the proportion of physician office visits that include nutrition counseling or education for patients with a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia, and to increase the proportion of primary-care physicians who regularly measure the body mass index of their patients (https://www.healthypeople.gov). Early intervention by medical providers has the potential to have an enormous impact on disease prevention, mitigation of disease progression, improving the quality of life of patients, and decreasing healthcare expenditures. Inclusion of nutritional status as a routine component of care heightens patients’ awareness of the critical link between diet and health and enhances the credibility of the healthcare professional in addressing nutrition-related issues. Engagement of health professionals, government and the community sectors is necessary to support individuals and families in making healthy diet and physical activity choices (http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines).
Mountains of Mourning

In September 1917, Lewis gunner Oswald Evans wrote to his mother in England of the monotony and boredom of the Palestine trenches. “Nothing seems to have happened to help pass the time,” he complained, almost wishing he were back in the more active theater in France.1 This wish, though, appears to have been an idle one, for Evans made no effort to return to France. On the contrary, he tried fruitlessly to have his brother Joe transferred away from the Western Front to join him in the far safer environment of the EEF.2
Mechanisms of Immunoglobulin-Mediated Mucus Entrapment of Pathogens at Various Mucosal Surfaces

The mucosal epithelia that lines the internal surfaces of gastrointestinal, respiratory, nasal, oral, and genital tissues is constantly under threat from invasion by potentially harmful microorganisms. Therefore, the epithelia must ceaselessly be monitored and reinforced in order to be protected from colonization. One way in which protection from colonization can be achieved is through the secretion of immunoglobulins. Some immunoglobulins are produced from terminally differentiated B cells located just below the mucosal epithelia, transcytosed through mucosal epithelial cells and secreted into the mucus layer that covers the epithelia. Immunoglobulins found within the mucus layer include immunoglobulins A, M, and G, with A being the most dominate subtype in the form of secretory immunoglobulin A. Typically, they elicit protection through mucus entrapment of potentially harmful microflora; that is, they interact with luminal antigens and subsequently anchor them to the mucus lining, thereby preventing invasion of the mucosal epithelia. Immunoglobulin A is thought to perform mucus entrapment through the carbohydrate regions of secretory component, a covalently bound protein attached to immunoglobulin A during secretion by epithelial cells. Immunoglobulin G may sequester pathogens within mucus through its ability to interact with mucus proteins such as mucin-bound FcγBP. These observations suggest that immunoglobulins are key factors of mucosal immunity and mucus function that mediate protection from infectious agents. Current and future work in the field of mucosal immunity should seek a better understanding of the mechanisms behind mucus-mediated protection within the mucosa.
Imaging Implications Of The Oblique Dipole Layer Model Of Ventricular Depolarization

The Ventricular Surface Activation Map (VSAM) gives the time of arrival of the depolarization wavefront at each point on the surface enveloping the viable ventricular muscle. Since it is a function defined on an anatomically meaningful two dimensional domain, it is an image of cardiac electrical function; as such, it is a highly desirable ouput format for solutions of the Inverse Problem of Electrocardiology (IPE). Currently, the formalism to produce VSAM requires assumption of the inaccurate Uniform Dipole Layer hypothesis (UDL). Its construction from body surface elctrical potentials is apprarently precluded by the Oblique Dipole Layer model (ODL) due to inherently incomplete knowledge of ventricular muscle conduction anisotropy and fiber orientation, apart from the problem of ill-posedness which characterizes mapping approaches to IPE in general. We have found, however, that in principle the critical points of VSAM can be localized on the ventricular surface in a manner both well-posed and fully consistent with ODL, and without requiring knowledge of the associated conductivity tensor. Such output provides a meaningful qualitative rendering of VSAM. The approach may be thought of as a “local” method integrated with the aid of topology, in contrast to the usual “global” approach to solving for epicardial activation times or potentials, which requires inverting an integral equation. This output could aid in constraining, regularizing, or validating other methods of approach to IPE - but also has its own intrinsic interest as an anatomically meaningful distillation of information extracted from body surface potential maps.