cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A WTP-Choice Model: Empirical Validation & Competitive Pricing with Stockouts

Willingness To Pay (WTP) of customers plays an anchoring role in pricing. This paper proposes a new choice model based on WTP, incorporating sequential decision making, where the products with positive utility of purchase are considered in the order of customer preference. We compare WTP-choice model with the commonly used (multinomial) Logit model with respect to the underlying choice process, information requirement, independence of irrelevant alternatives. Using WTP-choice model, we compare equilibrium prices, demands and profits of several contexts: without considering inventory and with stockouts - lost sales and backorders for "retailer favoring" customers and for "availability favoring" customers. One of the interesting results with WTP-choice model is the "loose coupling" of retailers; prices are not coupled but profits are. That is, each retailer should charge the monopoly price as the collection of these prices constitute an equilibrium but each retailer's profit depends on other retailers' prices. Loose coupling fails with dependence of WTPs, dependence of preference on prices or batch pricing for heterogeneous customers. We show that competition among retailers with dependent WTPs can cause price cycles under some conditions. We consider real-life data on sales of yogurt, ketchup, candy melt, and tuna, and check if a version of WTP-choice model (with uniform, triangle or shifted exponential WTP distribution), standard or mixed Logit model fits better and predicts the sales better. These empirical tests establish that WTP-choice model compares well and should be considered as a legitimate alternative to Logit models for studying competitive pricing for products with low price and high frequency of purchase.
Abstract 172: Angiotensin II in Combination With High Salt Causes Increased Prostaglandin D2 Levels and Down-regulation of Neuronal Prostaglandin D1 Receptor Expression in Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla

Neurogenic hypertension (HTN) is characterized by increased sympathetic activity, but the specific causes remain to be determined. Using the angiotensin II-high salt model (AngII-salt) of neurogenic HTN in rats, we observed that chronic central prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS) inhibition caused attenuation of HTN development and neurogenic pressor activity. As L-PGDS promotes prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) synthesis in the brain, we hypothesized that increased PGD2 levels acting on DP-1 receptors in key cardio-regulatory brain regions participate in AngII-salt HTN development. To test this hypothesis adult male Sprague Dawley rats on high salt (2% NaCl) diet received either vehicle or angiotensin II (150ng/kg/min, sc.), using a mini-osmotic pump. On day 4, the developmental stage of HTN, brains from 5 control and 5 AngII treated rats were collected for PGD2 measurement using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. In another set of control and treated rats, brains were perfusion fixed and then collected for DP1R expression measurement in neurons using immunofluorescence. We found that AngII-salt treated rats had significantly increased PGD2 levels (34.5±13.4ng/region) in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) compared to vehicle-treated rats (12.4±4.8ng/region; p
VelociMouse: Fully ES Cell-Derived F0-Generation Mice Obtained from the Injection of ES Cells into Eight-Cell-Stage Embryos

With the completion of the human and mouse genome sequences and the development of high-throughput knockout mouse technologies, there is now a need for equally high-throughput methods for the production of mice for phenotypic studies. In response to this challenge, we recently developed a new method termed VelociMouse for the production of F0-generation mice that are fully derived from gene-targeted ES cells. In the version of the VelociMouse method described here, laser ablation of a portion of the zona pellucid (zp) of a normal eight-cell-stage embryo facilitates ES cell injection. Upon gestation in a surrogate mother, the injected embryos produce F0 mice that carry no detectable host embryo contribution (<0.1%). The fully ES cell-derived mice are normal, healthy, and fertile and exhibit 100% germline transmission for optimal breeding efficiency. The VelociMouse method accommodates both inbred or hybrid ES cells and either inbred or outbred eight-cell host embryos. Because the F0 mice produced are suitable for direct phenotyping studies, the VelociMouse method, coupled with high-throughput ES cell targeting technologies, such as VelociGene, offers an accelerated path to new drug target discovery and validation and a revolutionary approach to realize the full value of large-scale functional genomic efforts, such as the NIH Knockout Mouse Project ( 1 ) and the European Conditional Mouse Mutagenesis Project( 9 ).
Bibliometric analysis of rheumatology research in the Arab countries

The Arab world has seen an increase in the burden of musculoskeletal diseases. No bibliometric studies have characterized rheumatology research in the Arab world. This study evaluates the productivity and impact of rheumatology research in the Arab world. We searched the Web of Science Core Collection for rheumatology publications, from 1976 to 2014, for each of the Arab League (AL) countries, North America, Europe and Asia. For the AL countries, the overall trend of publications and citations was analyzed, while considering the paper type and collaborations. The AL countries published 944 rheumatology papers over the period studied. The number of publications increased by a factor of 2.77 (95 % CI, 2.75–2.78) each decade, and citations increased by a factor of 2.36 (95 % CI, 0.96–5.82). The absolute number of papers included in the top-10 rheumatology journals remained constant but the proportion decreased. Papers involving collaboration among AL countries were found to increase over time. Overall, the AL countries lag in research productivity and impact compared to other regions. Three countries are responsible for the majority of publications, while four countries receive the majority of citations.
Discharge medication complexity and 30-day heart failure readmissions

Abstract Background Limited research exists regarding Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) and its utility in identifying patients at risk for hospital readmission. Objective This study evaluates the association between discharge MRCI and 30-day rehospitalization in patients with heart failure (HF) after discharge. Methods The study involved a retrospective, cohort study at a large tertiary teaching facility from the University HealthSystem Consortium. The consortium database was used to identify HF patients hospitalized from January 2011 to December 2013. A 30-day readmission was defined as being readmitted to the same hospital within 30 days of discharge with a principal discharge diagnosis of HF. Index hospitalizations was defined as the first hospitalization, and readmission was the subsequent hospitalization for HF. A pilot analysis was conducted to compare manual MRCI collection tool and a computerized scoring MRCI system. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association of computerized MRCI (≥15) and 30-day rehospitalization after controlling for other variables. Results A total of 1,452 patients were included in the study with 81 patients (5.9%) readmitted within 30 days of discharge. The manual and computerized MRCIs were correlated with an R of 0.74 and R 2 of 0.55. The multivariate logistic regression analysis found computerized MRCI ≥15 (OR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.01–2.59) was associated with 30-day rehospitalization after controlling for other factors. Patients prescribed angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, were less likely (OR: 0.54; CI: 0.33–0.89) to be readmitted 30 days after discharge, and patients with coronary artery disease were more likely (OR: 1.76; CI: 1.03–3.00) to be readmitted 30 days after discharge. Conclusions The computerized MRCI score was moderately correlated with manual MRCI score. A significant association was found between computerized MRCI and 30-day HF readmission. Such predictive tools may allow pharmacists to prioritize patient care and optimize patient outcomes through medication therapy management.
Epigenetic control of β-cell function and failure.

Abstract Type 2 diabetes is a highly heritable disease, but only ∼15% of this heritability can be explained by known genetic variant loci. In fact, body mass index is more predictive of diabetes than any of the common risk alleles identified by genome-wide association studies. This discrepancy may be explained by epigenetic inheritance, whereby changes in gene regulation can be passed along to offspring. Epigenetic changes throughout an organism’s lifetime, based on environmental factors such as chemical exposures, diet, physical activity, and age, can also affect gene expression and susceptibility to diabetes. Recently, novel genome-wide assays of epigenetic marks have resulted in a greater understanding of how genetics, epigenetics, and the environment interact in the development and inheritance of diabetes.
Novel simulator for robotic surgery

Surgical simulation avoids practicing skills in patients, allowing trainees to learn in a safe, controlled, and standardized environment. Current robotic surgical simulators available include virtual reality simulators, human cadavers, and live animals. The use of cadavers has the highest possible fidelity available to practice entire operations. Nevertheless, their cost, availability, tissue compliance, and infection risk outweigh the advantages of cadaver models. Drawbacks of using live animals include anatomical differences with humans, high costs due to their housing and handling requirements, and ethical concerns. We designed a novel robotic surgical simulator based on porcine perfused tissue blocks that allows the simulation of entire surgical procedures. Our simulation allows trainees to increase familiarity with the robotic console and its controls, as well as with the docking process. It provides an opportunity to learn not only universal skills needed in robotic surgery, such as camera and instrument targeting, but also to perform complete surgical procedures such as an antireflux procedure. The adoption of robotic simulation curricula with realistic models will decrease overall operative time while increasing resident participation.
Off-clamp robot-assisted partial nephrectomy does not benefit short-term renal function: a matched cohort analysis

In the interest of renal functional preservation, partial nephrectomy has supplanted radical nephrectomy as the preferred treatment for T1 renal masses. This procedure usually involves the induction of renal warm ischemia by clamping the hilar vessels prior to tumor excision. Performing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) "off-clamp" can theoretically prevent renal functional loss associated with warm ischemia. We describe our institutional experience and compare perioperative and renal functional outcomes using a propensity score matched cohort. We conducted a retrospective comparison from a prospectively maintained database of all patients who underwent RAPN from 2009 to 2015. Of those patients, 143 underwent off-clamp RAPN. Fifty off-clamp RAPN patients were propensity score matched with fifty clamped RAPN patients based on renal function, tumor size, and R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score. The cohorts were compared across demographics, operative information, perioperative outcomes, and renal functional outcomes. For all off-clamp RAPN patients, mean nephrometry score was 7.1, mean estimated blood loss (EBL) was 236.9 mL, perioperative complication rate was 7.7%, and mean decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 7.1% at a median follow-up of 9.2 months. In the propensity score matched cohorts, off-clamp RAPN resulted in a shorter mean operative time (172.0 versus 196.0 min, p = 0.025) and a lower mean EBL (179.7 versus 283.2 mL, p = 0.046). A lower complication rate of 6.0% in the off-clamp group compared with 20.0% in the clamped group approached significance (p = 0.071). Mean preoperative eGFR was similar in both cohorts. Importantly, there was no significant difference in decrease in eGFR between the clamped cohort (9.8%) and off-clamp cohort (11.9%) at a median follow-up of 9.0 months (p = 0.620). Off-clamp RAPN did not result in improved renal functional preservation in our experience. Surprisingly, the off-clamp cohort experienced lower intraoperative blood loss, shorter operative times, and fewer complications.
Instructional Strategies for the Inclusive Music Classroom.

While inclusive education is an admirable ideal, it is often difficult to implement. Successful educators have found that employing certain instructional strategies can help meet the needs of stude...
The resident macrophages in murine pancreatic islets are constantly probing their local environment, capturing beta cell granules and blood particles.

We studied here the interactions between the resident macrophages of pancreatic islets with beta cells and the blood vasculature. We also examined the immunological consequences of such interactions. Islets were isolated from C57BL/6 mice expressing CX3C motif chemokine receptor 1–green fluorescent protein (CX3CR-GFP) and examined live by two-photon microscopy. Islets were also examined by electron microscopy to study the relationship of the intra-islet macrophages with the beta cells. In NOD.Rag1−/− mice and young (non-diabetic) male mice, the acquisition of beta cell granules was tested functionally by probing with CD4+ T cells directed against insulin epitopes. Two-photon microscopy showed that the islet resident macrophages were in close contact with blood vessels and had extensive filopodial activity. Some filopodia had direct access to the vessel lumen and captured microparticles. Addition of glucose at high concentration reduced the degree of filopodia sampling of islets. This finding applied to in vivo injection of glucose or to in vitro cultures. Ultrastructural examination showed the close contacts of macrophages with beta cells. Such macrophages contained intact dense core granules. Functional studies in NOD mice indicated that the macrophages presented insulin peptides to insulin-reactive T cells. Presentation was increased after glucose challenge either ex vivo or after an in vivo pulse. In agreement with the morphological findings, presentation was not affected by insulin receptor blockade. Islet resident macrophages are highly active, sampling large areas of the islets and blood contents and capturing beta cell granules. After such interactions, macrophages present immunogenic insulin to specific autoreactive T cells.
Block Diagrams and Introduction to Control Systems

We have studied several dynamic systems in previous chapters. While they have appeared to be physically distinct, we have seen that lumped parameter models of these mechanical, electrical, electromechanical, and thermal systems all exhibit the same fundamental behavior. Block diagrams provide a Laplace domain, visual description that enables physically distinct systems to be represented using a common structure. In a block diagram, transfer functions of the system elements are represented by individual blocks. Inputs and outputs, or signals, that flow to and from the system elements are represented by lines or arrows and their terminations define the manner in which different parts of the system interact. Block diagrams are used extensively to analyze control systems, where they provide a compact and intuitive representation of feedback control loops.
Use of Administrative Records and the Privacy-Confidentiality Trade-off

The paper by Gerald Gates provides a comprehensive review of how privacy and confidentiality concerns have hampered the use of administrative records in the production and analyses of national statistics. Privacy and confidentiality concerns can affect multiple aspects of the process—from obtaining the needed records to providing access to micro data files. Even though the use of administrative records (either as substitutes for other sources of data or in addition to these other sources) improves the quality of statistics and is cost efficient, problems in any phase of data collection, storage, processing, or release can greatly reduce the likelihood that administrative records will become part of the core production of national statistics. Gates’s paper provides an excellent summary of privacyand confidentialityrelated challenges and goes on to suggest a range of research activities to address them.
Biophysical and Biochemical Properties of the p53 Protein

The biochemical mechanism of p53 in the control of cell growth is not completely understood. Considerable evidence implicates regulation of gene transcription as a mechanism of p53 action in controlling cell growth. The protein does resemble a transcription factor1–5 in that it has an acidic domain that can transactivate reporter genesG6–12 and a basic carboxyl terminal domain that can bind nonspecifically to DNA13 (Fig. 4.1).
Child Maltreatment Prevention Strategies and Needs

This secondary qualitative study explored local perceptions of the causes of child maltreatment and prevention needs in 12 counties in a midwestern state through focus groups with relevant stakeholders. The study further explored perspectives on if the existing programs were meeting local needs. A total of 107 individuals took part in 13 focus group sessions across 12 counties as part of a needs assessment process. In this qualitative secondary data analysis, constant comparative analysis—including open, axial, and selective coding—was used to examine perceptions of maltreatment prevention needs and how these coincided with available programs. Stakeholders identified several factors they believed to be causes of child maltreatment across the counties, including intergenerational issues (e.g., cycle of violence), poverty, social isolation, and behavioral health issues. Specific child maltreatment prevention programs were singled out as particularly beneficial, while other types of programs or services such as affordable housing, were noted as missing or inadequate. Participants also highlighted barriers to receiving services across their counties. Despite differences in terms of county characteristics, the findings suggest that causes of maltreatment and service needs are shared across geographic boundaries. While available programs tended to focus on parenting education, counties identified significant maltreatment prevention needs that also ameliorate poverty and substance use.
The layered intermetallic compound LaPdSb3

The title compound, lanthanum palladium trianti­mony, adopts a new structure type and is an inter­mediate between the CeCrSb3 and CeNiSb3 structure types. Its structure consists of La atoms located above and below layers of nearly square buckled Sb nets (∞2[Sb]), and layers of highly distorted edge- and face-sharing PdSb6 octa­hedra (∞2[PdSb2]).
Increased Glucose Variability Is Associated With Major Adverse Events After Coronary Artery Bypass

Background Elevated preoperative hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a predictor of poor outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), but the role of postoperative glucose variability (GV) is unknown. We hypothesized that short-term postoperative GV is associated with major adverse events (MAEs) after isolated CABG. Methods This retrospective study evaluated 2215 patients who underwent isolated CABG from January 2012 to March 2018 at 2 medical centers. Postoperative GV in the first 12 hours and 24 hours was measured by the SD, coefficient of variation, and mean amplitude of glycemic excursions. The primary outcome (MAEs) was the composite of postoperative cardiac arrest, pneumonia, renal failure, stroke, sepsis, reoperation, and 30-day mortality. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the independent association of GV with MAE. Results A total of 2215 patients met the study criteria, and an MAE developed in 260 patients (11.7%). High 12-hour and 24-hour postoperative GV were associated with elevated HbA1c, insulin-dependent diabetes, renal failure, and nonelective operation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed MAEs were associated with increased mean postoperative glucose in the first 12 hours (odds ratio [OR], 1.013; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.008-1.018; P Conclusions Increased 24-hour but not 12-hour postoperative GV after CABG is a predictor of poor outcomes. Preoperative HbA1c is not associated with MAEs after adjusting for postoperative mean glucose and GV.
Leadership challenges in the sustainable internationalisation of a medium scale state university located in the USA: a case study

Universities have always been international in the sense that the very nature of knowledge imparted by them does not know national boundaries. The connection between university and universalism is self-evident. However, internationalisation as an operational expansion of particular universities beyond national boundaries is a relatively new phenomenon. This case presents some of the leadership challenges associated with the internationalisation of a medium scale teaching oriented state university located in the West Coast, USA. For this university, the priority for internationalisation has moved from the fringes to the very core, bringing with this a range of challenges and opportunities. The senior administration of the Case University needs to reinforce its leadership intent and make certain key strategic policy decisions, if the internationalisation effort is to sustain and grow.
Static pushover response of spring anchored unbonded post-tensioned rocking systems

Abstract This paper describes the static pushover response of a proposed lateral force resisting system that uses spring anchored post tensioning (PT) tendon to create a rocking system. The spring at the PT tendon anchorage is aimed at facilitating manual post tensioning of the PT tendon which helps to implement rocking systems in developing communities subjected to high seismic hazards without the need for trained workers or specialized equipment. The reduction in the lateral stiffness of this system at high intensity loads causes rocking behavior that is initiated by a gap opening at the base of the system. The PT tendon is unbonded over the length of the system to prevent yielding and the loss of prestressing force. Because the prestress force in the unbonded PT tendon is maintained, the lateral force resisting system exhibits self centering behavior. This paper derives closed form expressions that describe the lateral force deformation behavior of the proposed system. A simple finite element analytical model is presented to verify the closed form expressions and to study the effects of the system parameters on the static pushover response. Results of this study show that the closed form expressions display an excellent agreement with the analytical model including the predictions of the gap opening, clamping of the spring element, yielding and fracture of the PT tendon.
Utility of the modified Mallampati grade and Friedman tongue position in the assessment of obstructive sleep apnea.

Study Objectives:The modified Mallampati (MM) grade and Friedman tongue position (FTP) are commonly used scales that assess the oropharynx during evaluation for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Thoug...
University archives both old and new: the case of New York University, and its campuses in New York and Abu Dhabi

The nature and role of university archives, as well as the archival profession in general, have evolved rapidly over the past several decades. Two archival repositories within New York University v...
Affective Processing Biases in Relation to Past, Current, and Future Depression in Children and Adolescents

Abstract Background The affective go/no-go (AGN) task has been used to assess affective biases in attention set-shifting and deficits in inhibitory control of emotional information among depressed youth, but results have been inconsistent. We aimed to test AGN robustness and clarify temporal relationships between depressive symptoms and affective processing in youth. Methods We evaluated AGN performance twice (Time 1 N = 306; Time 2 N = 238) in relation to current, previous, and future depression in the same children/adolescents with depression and those without diagnoses who participated in the Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms (LAMS) study. Mixed repeated ANCOVAs were powered to detect small-medium group by valence interactions in response latency and errors. Supplemental regression analyses examined depressive symptoms as a continuous variable in relation to AGN performance. Results No clear pattern emerged, mirroring the broader AGN literature. In primary analyses, group by valence interactions were only observed at one AGN administration; none replicated across administrations. Similarly, in regression analyses depressive symptoms had no relation to affective processing biases/deficits at AGN Time 1, though some relationships were detected between symptoms and AGN Time 2. Limitations Relatively few youth met criteria for a depressive disorder, though analyses were appropriately powered and supplemental analyses examined depressive symptoms continuously. Comparison groups were not healthy controls at recruitment but were free from any Axis I disorder at AGN administration. Conclusions Given the inconsistency of AGN findings, attention should be focused on tasks that provide more sensitive, robust measures of emotional information processing in depressed youth.
Queering Classes: Disrupting Hegemonic Masculinity and the Effects of Compulsory Heterosexuality in the Classroom

This essay focuses on the classroom and school environment as a setting where queering masculinity has opportunity and benefit for students, teachers, and administrators, particularly as relates to boys and the learning environment. Queering is defined as the disruption of those normative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors evidenced in the curriculum, classroom, and school culture that reinforce hegemonic heterosexuality and gender conformity. As used here, such disruption introduces a paradigm of masculinity and sexuality that has a plurality of expressions and potentialities. This requires systemic change that addresses, models, and supports ways of being masculine that might otherwise be devalued because of association with and meaning given to homosexuality. Queering, then, disrupts assumptions of masculinity and its relationship to hegemonic heterosexuality.
Silicon oxide: a non-innocent surface for molecular electronics and nanoelectronics studies.

Silicon oxide (SiOx) has been widely used in many electronic systems as a supportive and insulating medium. Here, we demonstrate various electrical phenomena such as resistive switching and related nonlinear conduction, current hysteresis, and negative differential resistance intrinsic to a thin layer of SiOx. These behaviors can largely mimic numerous electrical phenomena observed in molecules and other nanomaterials, suggesting that substantial caution should be paid when studying conduction in electronic systems with SiOx as a component. The actual electrical phenomena can be the result of conduction from SiOx at a post soft-breakdown state and not the presumed molecular or nanomaterial component. These electrical properties and the underlying mechanisms are discussed in detail.
Comparison of Single and Multiple Threshold Used in Detecting Errors of Distribution Transformer Connectivity

Distribution transformer connectivity (DTC) is an important basic data. The correctness of DTC will significantly affect the management of distribution network losses and maintenance of distribution networks. In order to verify DTC, a data-driven method has been proposed. The basis of the method is to calculate the similarity of the secondary side voltage of the distribution transformer. The similarity threshold will be used to determine whether the DTC of a feeder is correct. In this paper, in order to compare the performance of the single and multiple thresholds, a dataset which includes 182 10kV feeders and 4142 distribution transformers have been collected. Among the 182 feeders, there are 172 feeders whose DTC are correct. The rest of the 10 feeders whose DTC are incorrect. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) graphs of the two types of thresholds has been drawn. The area under curve (AUC) of single-threshold is 0.886, while the AUC of multiple-threshold is 0.986. Results show the performance of multiple-threshold is better compared with single-threshold.
Strategies for Targeting Retroviral Integration for Safer Gene Therapy: Advances and Challenges

Retroviruses are obligate intracellular parasites that must integrate a copy of the viral genome into the host DNA. The integration reaction is performed by the viral enzyme integrase in complex with the two ends of the viral cDNA genome and yields an integrated provirus. Retroviral vector particles are attractive gene therapy delivery tools due to their stable integration. However, some retroviral integration events may dysregulate host oncogenes leading to cancer in gene therapy patients. Multiple strategies to target retroviral integration, particularly to genetic safe harbors, have been tested with limited success. Attempts to target integration may be limited by the multimerization of integrase or the presence of host co-factors for integration. Several retroviral integration complexes have evolved a mechanism of tethering to chromatin via a host protein. Integration host co-factors bind chromatin, anchoring the complex and allowing integration. The tethering factor allows for both close proximity to the target DNA and specificity of targeting. Each retrovirus appears to have distinct preferences for DNA sequence and chromatin features at the integration site. Tethering factors determine the preference for chromatin features, but do not affect the subtle sequence preference at the integration site. The sequence preference is likely intrinsic to the integrase protein. New developments may uncouple the requirement for a tethering factor and increase the ability to redirect retroviral integration.
Is Social Status Linked to Pain Sensitivity Responses for Latinx-Americans? The Role of Social Mobility

Latinx Americans within the United States (U.S.) disproportionately experience significant chronic pain severity and lower social status. However, little is known about how social status interacts with pain sensitivity mechanisms to contribute to later pain severity for Latinx Americans. Therefore, the current study examined the relationship between social status and pain sensitivity among Latinx adults. Self-identified U.S. native Latinx and non-Hispanic White (NHW) university students without acute or chronic pain were recruited from a larger study examining Latinx American pain sensitivity. Participants completed self-report objective and subjective (i.e., perceived social standing in the U.S.) social status measures during adulthood and childhood. Social mobility was also calculated (i.e., change in social status across the lifespan). Participants completed an ascending thermal-heat laboratory pain assessment involving four heat pulses at low, moderate, and high intensities, verbally rating their pain on a 11-point numerical rating scale after each pulse. Among Latinx Americans, analyses revealed that neither income nor subjective social status during childhood or adulthood were significantly associated with pain responses. However, increases in subjective social mobility (i.e., upward changes in subjective social status across the lifespan from childhood to present day) correlated with lower pain responses to moderate and high intensity heat among Latinx Americans. No significant relationships were observed among NHWs. This study adds to the developing work bringing awareness to social status’ complexity and its role in chronic pain inequities. The current findings suggest that increases in subjective social mobility may be protective, while decreases in subjective social mobility may be a risk factor for future chronic pain severity. Though replication and longitudinal assessment is warranted, the present findings highlight the merit of focusing further attention on the interplay between social status, social mobility, and pain sensitivity to better understand and inform interventions to reduce pain severity concerns among Latinx Americans.
Estimating the maximal growth rates of eukaryotic microbes from cultures and metagenomes via codon usage patterns

Microbial eukaryotes are ubiquitous in the environment and play important roles in key ecosystem processes, including accounting for a significant portion of global primary production. Yet, our tools for assessing the functional capabilities of eukaryotic microbes in the environment are quite limited because many microbes have yet to be grown in culture. Maximum growth rate is a fundamental parameter of microbial lifestyle that reveals important information about an organism9s functional role in a community. We developed and validated a genomic estimator of maximum growth rate for eukaryotic microbes, enabling the assessment of growth potential for both cultivated and yet-to-be-cultivated organisms. We produced a database of over 700 growth predictions from genomes, transcriptomes, and metagenome-assembled genomes, and found that closely related and/or functionally similar organisms tended to have similar maximal growth rates. By comparing the maximal growth rates of existing culture collections with environmentally-derived genomes we found that, unlike for prokaryotes, culture collections of microbial eukaryotes are only minimally biased in terms of growth potential. We then extended our tool to make community-wide estimates of growth potential from over 500 marine metagenomes, mapping growth potential across the global oceans. We found that prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities have highly correlated growth potentials near the ocean surface, but that this relationship disappears deeper in the water column. This suggests that fast growing eukaryotes and prokaryotes thrive under similar conditions at the ocean surface, but that there is a decoupling of these communities as resources become scarce deeper in the water column.
The Reformed Objection to Natural Theology

Contents: Preface Introduction Part I Natural Theology and the Reformed Tradition: The emergence and evolution of the reformed endorsement of natural theology Understanding the reformed objection to natural theology. Part II Natural Theology and the Immediate Knowledge of God: The naturally implanted knowledge of God The immediate knowledge of God in 20th-century religious epistemology Immediacy and reformed models of natural theology. Part III Sin and the Christian Reconstruction of Natural Theology: Natural theology and the noetic effects of sin The noetic effects of sin and contemporary epistemology The dogmatic model of natural theology. Part IV The Logic of Natural Theology: The logic of theistic arguments God of the philosophers The 'robust theistic descriptivist' objection evaluated Epilogue Indexes.
An Overview of Data Mining and Marketing

We present an overview of the developments taking place for the analysis of large and complex databases under the umbrella of Knowledge Discovery in Databases and Data Mining. These methods are gaining popularity as a result of traditional statistical methods not scaling up to the needs of analyzing large databases, as well as for reasons of user-friendliness, i.e., the need for the analysis to be performed by the end-users themselves, often in real time.
COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF N@C60, P@C60, AND As@C60

Semiempirical and density functional theory structural calculations on Group V atom-endohedral complexes are reported. While reports, in some instances contradictory, on the structure of N@C60 have appeared in the literature, this is the first computational study that includes both phosphorous and arsenic as endohedral atoms. Potential energy functions for all complexes are also reported. The calculations indicate that, as the atoms are translated towards the cages, weak covalent bonds external to the cage are possible. There is a significant difference between the potential surface for the nitrogen complex and that of either phosphorous or arsenic. The nitrogen surface is repulsive for movement of the endohedral atom off-center. The curves for the other atoms are essentially flat with displacement. The potential curves have also been calculated for the reaction products of the complexes with azides. Similar potentials, as a function of endohedral atom displacement, were observed. The relative experimenta...
Characteristics of insignificant clinical T1c prostate tumors. A contemporary analysis.

BACKGROUND The authors examined the cases of men who had undergone radical prostatectomy for low-volume clinical T1c prostate carcinoma that was judged to be ‘insignificant’ on the basis of previously established preoperative clinicopathologic parameters. Pathologic findings subsequently were analyzed for correlations with extent of disease in an attempt to validate the contemporary usefulness of existing parameters for predicting the ‘significance’ of prostate tumors. METHODS A series of 237 men who had undergone radical prostatectomy for T1c disease between December 2000 and August 2003 was evaluated. Insignificant prostate carcinoma as assessed on biopsy was defined according to the 1994 Epstein criteria, which were as follows: prostate-specific antigen density < 0.15 ng/mL, Gleason score ≤ 6, fewer than 3 cores containing prostate carcinoma, and ≤ 50% involvement of any core with prostate carcinoma. Postsurgical pathologic findings were analyzed for potential correlations with the Epstein criteria. RESULTS According to the Epstein needle biopsy criteria, organ-confined prostate carcinoma was detected in 91.6% of all patients, whereas the remaining 8.4% of patients were found to have non-organ-confined disease. Comparison of pathologic findings and Epstein biopsy criteria revealed that alteration of the original criteria did not improve the detection of non-organ-confined prostate carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS The findings made in the current study suggest that the majority of patients with T1c prostate carcinoma have insignificant disease. Furthermore, it was found that the Epstein criteria for identifying insignificant prostate carcinoma remained a useful tool in the making of treatment-related decisions. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Expressing checkable properties of dynamic systems: the Bandera Specification Language

Research on how to reason about correctness properties of software systems using model checking is advancing rapidly. Work on extracting finite-state models from program source code and on abstracting those models is focused on enabling the tractable checking of program properties such as freedom from deadlock and assertion violations. For the most part, the problem of specifying more general program properties has not been considered. In this paper, we report on the support for specifying properties of dynamic multi-threaded Java programs that we have built into the Bandera system. Bandera extracts finite-state models, in the input format of several existing model checkers, from Java code based on the property to be checked. The Bandera Specification Language (BSL) provides a language for defining general assertions and pre/post conditions on methods. It also supports the definition of observations that can be made of the state of program objects and the incorporation of those observations as predicates that can be instantiated in the scope of object quantifiers and used in describing common forms of state/event sequencing properties. We illustrate how BSL can be used to formulate a variety of system correctness properties for several multi-threaded Java applications.
Homocysteine, B Vitamins, and Atherosclerosis

To the Editor: The conclusion by Folsom et al1 that raised homocysteine concentrations in the blood may be a consequence, not a cause, of coronary artery disease has serious clinical implications. As McCully2 pointed out in his recent editorial, arteriosclerosis in hyperhomocysteinemia may result from 3 different enzymatic abnormalities: deficiency of cystathionine synthase, which is a pyridoxal phosphate–dependent enzyme; deficiency of methyltetrahydrofolate homocysteine methyl transferase, which is a cobalamin-dependent enzyme; and deficiency of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase, which is a folate-dependent enzyme. The last enzymatic abnormality explains the origin of arteriosclerosis observed in vitamin B6–deficient monkeys and choline-deficient rats, 2 important animal models in which hyperhomocysteinemia also leads to atherogenesis.2 Although I agree with Folsom et al1 that randomized trials are needed to better clarify the interrelationships of homocysteine, B vitamins, …
The Gulono-1,4-Lactones A Review of Their Synthesis, Reactions, and Related Derivatives

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a review of the synthesis, reactions, and related derivative of the gulono-1,4-lactones. The most efficient synthesis of L -gulono-1,4-lactone entails the reduction of D -glucofuranurono-6,3-lactone, which can be obtained from D -glucose. D -Gulose has also been prepared by the oxidation of 4,6- O -ethylidene-l, 2- O -isopropylidene-α- D -galactopyranose, followed by reduction and hydrolysis. The addition of hydrogen cyanide to D -xylose resulted in the formation of cyanohydrins which on hydrolysis, afforded a mixture of D -gulonic acid and D -idonic acid. It has also been reported that D -galactose can be isomerized with molybdic acid to a mixture containing D -talose and D -gulose, but the yields are low. A number of derivatives of gulono-1,4-lactone have been prepared that, by reduction, would provide selectively protected derivatives of gulose. It is found that when L -gulono-1,4-lactone was treated with benzaldehyde and concentrated sulfuric acid, 2, 6:3, 5-di-O-benzylidene- L -gulono-1,4-lactone is formed. A variety of amino derivatives of L -gulonic acid has also been reported. The miscellaneous derivatives of the gulono-1,4-lactones are also elaborated.
Ecological diversification and phylogeny of emydid turtles

Ecological diversification is a central topic in ecology and evolutionary biology. We undertook the first comprehensive species-level phylogenetic analysis of Emydidae (an ecologically diverse group of turtles), and used the resulting phy- logeny to test four general hypotheses about ecological diversification. Phylogenetic analyses were based on data from morphology (237 parsimony-informative characters) and mitochondrial DNA sequences (547 parsimony-infor- mative characters) and included 39 of the 40 currently recognized emydid species. Combined analyses of all data pro- vide a well-supported hypothesis for intergeneric relationships, and support monophyly of the two subfamilies (Emydinae and Deirochelyinae) and most genera (with the notable exception of Clemmys and Trachemys ). Habitat and diet were mapped onto the combined-data tree to test fundamental hypotheses about ecological diversification. Using continuous coding of ecological characters showed that lineages changed in habitat before diet, ecological change was most frequently from generalist to specialist, and habitat and diet rarely changed on the same branch of the phylogeny. However, we also demonstrate that the results of ancestral trait reconstructions can be highly sen- sitive to character coding method (i.e. continuous vs. discrete). Finally, we propose a simple model to describe the pat- tern of ecological diversification in emydid turtles and other lineages, which may reconcile the (seemingly) conflicting conclusions of our study and two recent reviews of ecological diversification. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 79 , 577-610.
Proper Motions of the H2O Masers in W49N: the Velocity Variance/Covariance Matrix

The proper motions of the H2O masers in W49N have been measured with multi-epoch VLBI by Gwinn, Moran, and Reid (1992). The number of motions is large (105), and the coverage is excellent, making this source a prime candidate for investigation with model-independent analytic tools involving diagonalization of the velocity variance/covariance matrix (VVCM), $$\sigma _{ij}= \frac{1}{{N - 1}}\sum\limits_{n = 1}^N {(v_{i,n}- \bar v_i } )(v_{j,n}- \bar v_j ),$$ as described by Bloemhof (1993). Here i, j denote RA, Dec, and Z (radial) coordinates, the sum is over N maser spots, and the bar indicates averaging over spots. The VVCM is invariant with respect to choice of the unknown velocity of the reference maser spot. In any VLBI proper motion experiment, the absence of an absolute interferometric phase reference implies that absolute velocities are not known, so the velocity dispersions of the VVCM analysis are the natural, objective quantities with which to work.
pH-sensitive Immunoliposomes as an Efficient and Target-specific Carrier for Antitumor Drugs

pH-sensitive immunoliposomes composed of dioleoylphosphatidyl-ethanolamine and oleic acid (8:2) significantly enhanced the cytotoxic effect of the entrapped drug 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) to target L-929 cells, as compared to free drug, drug encapsulated in antibody-free liposomes, or in pH-insensitive immunoliposomes. These pH-sensitive immunoliposomes were ineffective against nontarget A-31 cells. The enhanced cytotoxic effect could be blocked by excess free antibody or excess drug-free immunoliposomes. Pretreatment of target cells with the weak bases chloroquine or NH4Cl, which raise the internal pH of cellular acidic organelles such as endosomes and lysosomes, inhibited the cell killing activity of ara-C encapsulated in the pH-sensitive immunoliposomes. Since it is known that ara-C is rapidly inactivated in the lysosomes, our results suggest that the release of ara-C from the pH-sensitive immunoliposomes occurs in a prelysosomal compartment, i.e., the endosome. Parallel experiments using methotrexate as a cytotoxic drug confirm the enhanced ability of the pH-sensitive liposomes for cytoplasmic drug delivery over that of free drug. These results indicate that pH-sensitive immunoliposomes can be used as an efficient and target-specific carrier for antitumor drugs.
Multiple sequence local alignment using monte carlo EM algorithm

The Expectation Maximization (EM) motif-finding algorithm is one of the most popular de novo motif discovery methods. However, the EM algorithm largely depends on its initialization and can be easily trapped in local optima. This paper implements a Monte Carlo version of the EM algorithm that performs multiple sequence local alignment to overcome the drawbacks inherent in conventional EM motif-finding algorithms. The newly implemented algorithm is named as Monte Carlo EM Motif Discovery Algorithm (MCEMDA). MCEMDA starts from an initial model, and then it iteratively performs Monte Carlo simulation and parameter update steps until convergence. MCEMDA is compared with other popular motif-finding algorithms using simulated, prokaryotic and eukaryotic motif sequences. Results show that MCEMDA outperforms other algorithms. MCEMDA successfully discovers a helix-turnhelix motif in protein sequences as well. It provides a general framework for motif-finding algorithm development. A website of this program will be available at http://motif.cmh.edu.