cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expanding Use of New Technology Creates New Challenges in Preventing and Managing Infections: a Review of Diagnostic and Management Considerations for Infections Among Patients with Long-Term Invasive Devices for Advanced Heart Failure

Although still a relatively new technology, long-term left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) for management of advanced heart failure is rapidly increasing. Initially designed as a bridge to transplant, these invasive devices are increasingly used as a destination therapy, creating unique and long-term infection risks. The aim of this comprehensive review is to highlight current evidence about the prevention, diagnosis, and management of LVAD-specific infections. There are two recent, major societal guidelines (The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, 2017, and the American Society of Transplantation, 2019) specifically on the diagnosis and management of infections in LVAD patients. A third guideline from the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (2019) on general LVAD management contains a section on infection management. Recommendations tend to be concordant across the guidelines without major disagreements and suggest that for superficial infections, limited-course durations of antimicrobials are acceptable. For infections of deeper portions of the device, long-term antimicrobial regimens, often with chronic suppressive strategies remain the mainstay of treatment; however, this recommendation is based primarily on expert opinion as high-quality evidence to support best practices remains limited. The role of surgical management remains unknown. Management of long-term, device-related infections in patients with advanced heart failure is challenging and should include input from a multi-disciplinary team of providers to determine the best management strategy. A strong emphasis on best prevention practices is a necessity. With this relatively new technology, evidence-based data to guide best practices remains limited and is an important area of future research.
Extracellular Volume in Primary Mitral Regurgitation.

Abstract Objectives This study used cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to evaluate whether elevated extracellular volume (ECV) was associated with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) or if elevated ECV was a consequence of remodeling independent of primary mitral regurgitation (MR) etiology. Background Replacement fibrosis in primary MR is more prevalent in MVP; however, data on ECV as a surrogate for diffuse interstitial fibrosis in primary MR are limited. Methods Patients with chronic primary MR underwent comprehensive CMR phenotyping and were stratified into an MVP cohort (>2 mm leaflet displacement on a 3-chamber cine CMR) and a non-MVP cohort. Factors associated with ECV and replacement fibrosis were assessed. The association of ECV and symptoms related to MR and clinical events (mitral surgery and cardiovascular death) was ascertained. Results A total of 424 patients with primary MR (229 with MVP and 195 non-MVP) were enrolled. Replacement fibrosis was more prevalent in the MVP cohort (34.1% vs. 6.7%; p Conclusions Although replacement fibrosis was more prevalent in MVP, diffuse interstitial fibrosis as inferred by ECV was associated with MR severity, regardless of primary MR etiology. ECV was independently associated with symptoms related to MR and clinical events. (DeBakey Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Study [DEBAKEY-CMR]; NCT04281823 )
Homeowners' Repeat-Sale Gains, Dual Agency and Repeated Use of the Same Agent

Previous studies of dual agency, where one agent serves both buyer and seller in a transaction, use hedonic models. Repeat-sale methods can test for the price effect of accepting dual agency. Dual agency does not show convincing effects on expected gain, which would occur if there was a systematic bias, or on heteroscedasticity, which would occur if there are large effects that are rare. Earlier researchers could not test for the effect of an owner picking a listing agent who was the earlier selling agent. Consistently positive mean abnormal price gains come from this choice, as well as significant heteroscedasticity.
On Multivariate Singular Spectrum Analysis and its Variants.

We introduce and analyze a simpler and practical variant of multivariate singular spectrum analysis (mSSA), a known time series method to impute and forecast multivariate time series. Towards this, we introduce a spatio-temporal factor model to analyze mSSA. We establish that given $N$ time series and $T$ observations per time series, the in-sample prediction error for both imputation and forecasting under mSSA scales as $1/\sqrt{\min(N, T) T}$. This is an improvement over: (i) the $1/\sqrt{T}$ error scaling one gets for SSA, which is the restriction of mSSA to a univariate time series; (ii) the ${1}/{\min(N, T)}$ error scaling one gets for Temporal Regularized Matrix Factorized (TRMF), a matrix factorization based method for time series prediction. That is, mSSA exploits both the `temporal' and `spatial' structure in a multivariate time series. Our experimental results using various benchmark datasets confirm the characteristics of the spatio-temporal factor model as well as our theoretical findings -- the variant of mSSA we introduce empirically performs as well or better compared to popular neural network based time series methods, LSTM and DeepAR. We discuss various extensions of mSSA we introduce: (i) a variant of mSSA to estimate the time-varying variance of a time series; (ii) a tensor variant of mSSA we call tSSA to further exploit the `temporal' and `spatial' structure in a multivariate time series. The spatio-temporal model considered in our work includes the usual components used to model dynamics in time series analysis such as trends (low order polynomials), seasonality (finite sum of harmonics) and linear time-invariant systems. An important representation result of this work, which might be of interest more broadly, is the `calculus' for such models that we introduce: specifically, instances of the spatio-temporal factor model are closed under addition and multiplication.
Blaze New Trails for Others to Follow: Evidence from Scanner Data

Tracking more than 100 billion weekly transactions of two million products at the barcode level from 2007 to 2017, we identify and categorize new products as pioneers, followers and improvers to study corporate exploratory and/or exploitative innovation strategies. Firms introducing “pioneer” products are associated with greater future profitability and stock returns than those introducing “improver” and “follower” products. Price elasticity of demand explains pioneering (exploratory) innovation’s operating success. Meanwhile, limited investor attention accounts for pioneering firms’ superior stock performance. We exploit two exogenous shocks to firms’ new product development decisions to address endogeneity concerns.
Tuning supported Ni catalysts by varying zeolite Beta heteroatom composition: effects on ethylene adsorption and dimerization catalysis

The influence of zeolite heteroatom composition on the electron density and catalytic activity of a supported Ni cation is examined. Ni–[X]-Beta catalysts, where X = Al, Ga, Fe, or dealuminated, were synthesized and characterized with probe molecule adsorption with FTIR spectroscopy and C2H4 dimerization catalysis. It was observed via CO adsorption that supported Ni cations were increasing in electron density in the order: [Fe] > [Ga] > [Al]. C2H4 dimerization activity increased with increasing electron density of the Ni cation. Despite similarities in reported acid site strength, the acid sites on [Fe]-Beta in this work had significantly lower activity than those on [Ga]-Beta for the skeletal isomerization of linear butenes as well as C2H4 dimerization. Introducing H2 as a reactant resulted in a decrease in dimerization activity for Ni–[Al]-Beta and Ni–[Ga]-Beta but an increase for Ni–[Fe]-Beta. The selectivity and activity of Ni–[DeAl]-Beta changed dramatically with the introduction of H2, which subsequently converted all C2H4 with ca. 100% selectivity towards C2H6 (even with a lower space velocity relative to without H2). These results demonstrate the ability of heteroatom composition to tune catalysis by using C2H4 dimerization catalysis as a test reaction with zeolite Beta supported Ni catalysts.
Small business survival and COVID-19 - An exploratory analysis of carriers

Abstract Small businesses are more susceptible to cash flow problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic putting them in jeopardy of survival. This research utilized a case study methodology that focused on small businesses in the trucking industry to assess the impact of this pandemic on the supply chain. Power imbalances can occur in the supply chain when certain parties act opportunistically. These imbalances are analyzed through theories of Resource Dependence, Resource Orchestration, and Entrepreneurial Orientation and embellished through the business failure and crisis management literature. Using actual data, the study shows the power shifts in the supply chain. Using qualitative data, the responses taken by these small businesses to survive the crisis were reviewed. The sales data of these small businesses were then compared to a national transportation index. The results of the comparison show more volatility among these businesses than the index. Both small businesses utilized their entrepreneurial orientation (EO) by taking forward-looking actions to reduce their risk exposure and avoid failure. They also utilized resource orchestration theory by restructuring their resource portfolio to lower their cost structures via selected layoffs. Finally, they took advantage of market opportunities by obtaining PPP loans and pursuing new customer opportunities.
The National Incident-Based Reporting System and Financial Elder Abuse

This paper constitutes a policy proposal regarding the National Incident-Based Reporting System. Currently, the data set lacks specificity and is unnecessarily complex. Reorganizing the way the data is stored, enhancing the collection efforts, and integrating the data through real-time uploads into a decentralized architecture will reduce complications in data analysis, enhance crime analysis outcomes, and strengthen interpersonal communication and motivation of relevant stakeholders.
Frailty Index as a Predictor of Readmission in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

ObjectiveTo evaluate the predictive utility of the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS), a stratification tool based on the ICD-10 (International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision), and other...
Reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 among previously infected healthcare personnel and first responders.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 virus testing among first responders and healthcare personnel who participated in a May-August 2020 serosurvey which assessed spike protein antibodies (S1 region) provided an opportunity to assess reinfection. METHODS: Serology survey data were merged with virus testing results from Rhode Island (March 1, 2020-February 17, 2021) and New York City (March 10-December 14, 2020). Participants with a positive virus test ≥14 days before their serology test were included. Reinfection was defined as a second positive SARS-CoV-2 test result ≥90 days after the first positive test. The association between serostatus and reinfection was assessed with a proportional hazards model adjusting for demographics, exposures, and virus testing frequency. RESULTS: Among 1,572 previously infected persons, 40 (2.5%) were reinfected. Reinfection differed by serostatus: 8.4% among seronegative versus 1.9% among seropositive participants (p<0.0001). Most reinfections occurred among Rhode Island nursing home and corrections (RINHC) personnel (n=30) who were most frequently tested (mean 30.3 tests versus 4.6 for other Rhode Island and 2.3 for New York City participants). The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for reinfection in seropositive versus seronegative persons was 0.41 (95% CI 0.20, 0.81). Exposure to a household member with COVID-19 before the serosurvey was also protective (aHR 0.34, 95% CI 0.13, 0.89). CONCLUSIONS: Reinfections were uncommon among previously infected persons over a 9-month period that preceded widespread variant circulation. Seropositivity decreased reinfection risk. Lower reinfection risk associated with exposure to a household member with COVID-19 before the serosurvey may reflect subsequently reduced household transmission among members of previously infected households.
On the (limited) difference between feature and geometric semantic similarity models

Semantic similarity assessment is central to many geographic information analysis tasks. A reader of the geographic information science literature on semantic similarity assessment processes could easily get the impression that two of the most common approaches, the feature model and the geometric model, are incompatible and radically different. Through a review of literature I seek to elaborate on and clarify that these two approaches are in fact compatible, and I finish with a brief discussion of the handling of uncertain and missing values in these representations.
FPM: Fine Pose Parts-Based Model with 3D CAD Models

We introduce a novel approach to the problem of localizing objects in an image and estimating their fine-pose. Given exact CAD models, and a few real training images with aligned models, we propose to leverage the geometric information from CAD models and appearance information from real images to learn a model that can accurately estimate fine pose in real images. Specifically, we propose FPM, a fine pose parts-based model, that combines geometric information in the form of shared 3D parts in deformable part based models, and appearance information in the form of objectness to achieve both fast and accurate fine pose estimation. Our method significantly outperforms current state-of-the-art algorithms in both accuracy and speed.
The oblique impact Hale and its consequences on Mars

[1] Highly oblique impacts represent a rare and special class of impact events manifested as elliptical craters preserved on present-day planetary surfaces. Crater excavation in highly oblique impacts differs from that of standard vertical impacts due to early time asymmetries imparted by the downrange-directed coupling of energy between the projectile and target. Such asymmetries are preserved as scouring and mobilized surface materials produced by high-velocity, low-angle ejecta and blast winds along the initial impact trajectory axis downrange. Subsequent deposition of resulting melt-rich products occurs in the form of concentrated strewnfields located downrange from the impact. The distinct nature of these distal strewnfields is separate from later time, more proximal ejecta accumulations and generally allows connecting these specific deposits with their parent crater. The present study involves a three-dimensional computational impact simulation (modeled using the CTH shock physics hydrocode) of an event similar to the impact that produced the elliptical Hale impact crater on Mars (125 km × 150 km diameter crater located at 36°S, 36°W). Results generally capture the predicted patterns indicative of highly oblique impacts. Evidence is presented for correlated distal strewnfields located downrange from Hale that coincide with prominent low-albedo surface deposits and wind streaks on the present-day Martian surface, thereby providing implications for possible identification for other dark glassy strewnfields as well as impact-generated winds on Mars.
A prospective study of XRCC1 (X-ray cross-complementing group 1) polymorphisms and breast cancer risk

The gene XRCC1 (X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1) encodes a protein involved in DNA base excision repair. Two non-synonymous polymorphisms in XRCC1 (Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln) have been shown to alter DNA repair capacity in some studies in vitro. However, results of previous association studies of these two XRCC1 variants and breast cancer have been inconsistent. We examined the association between polymorphisms in XRCC1 and breast cancer in the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II) Nutrition Cohort, a large prospective study of cancer incidence in the USA. Among the 21,965 women who were cancer-free in 1992 and gave blood between 1998 and 2001, 502 postmenopausal breast cancer cases were diagnosed between 1992 and 2001; 502 controls were matched to cases on age, race/ethnicity, and date of blood collection. Genotyping on DNA extracted from buffy coat was performed with Taqman. Conditional logistic regression was used to examine the association between each polymorphism and breast cancer risk controlling for breast cancer risk factors. We also examined whether factors associated with DNA damage, such as smoking and antioxidant intake, modified the association between XRCC1 polymorphisms and breast cancer. We observed a significant inverse association between Trp194 carriers (Trp/Trp and Trp/Arg) compared with Trp194 non-carriers in relation to breast cancer (Arg/Arg) (odds ratio (OR) 0.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40 to 0.95). The inverse association between breast cancer and Trp194 carriers compared with non-carriers was slightly stronger among smokers (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.94) than never smokers (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.43 to 1.40). An increased risk associated with the Arg399Gln polymorphism (Gln/Gln versus Arg/Arg) was observed only among women who reported ever smoking cigarettes (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.36 to 5.63), and not in women who were lifelong non-smokers (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.26). No other factor examined modified the association between XRCC1 polymorphisms and breast cancer risk. Our results support the hypothesis that genetic variation in XRCC1, particularly in Arg194Trp, may influence postmenopausal breast cancer risk. In our study, genetic variation in XRCC1 Arg399Gln was associated with breast cancer risk only among women with a history of smoking cigarettes.
Cord blood screening for hemoglobin abnormalities by thin layer isoelectric focusing

Hemoglobin variants can be successfully identified in cord blood samples. The methods most commonly used include cellulose acetate (CAC) and citrate agar (CAG) electrophoresis. Recently thin layer isoelectric focusing (TLIF) has been shown to be an excellent method for identifying hemoglobin variants. To determine the applicability of TLIF for cord blood screening, we compared the results of 835 samples obtained by TLIF with that obtained by CAC, CAG, and the combination of both CAC and CAG. In 100 of these samples we detected an abnormal hemoglobin pattern using TLIF. In contrast, we detected only 80 abnormal samples by CAC, 70 by CAG, and 80 by using the combination of CAC and CAG. Due to the increased resolution provided by TLIF, we correctly diagnosed two sickle cell trait samples by TLIF that were incorrectly suspected to be homozygous for sickle cell disease by CAC and CAG. We identified 41 samples containing Bart's hemoglobin by TLIF in contrast to only 21 using CAC and 14 using CAG. The time and cost of TLIF was comparable to that using the combination of both methods. We, therefore, conclude that TLIF is the method of choice for cord blood screening.
A General Approach to the Linear Stability of Thin Spreading Films

Marangoni and thermocapillary driven systems represent two classes of flows in which the variation in surface tension at the gas-liquid interface can generate spontaneously spreading films. This article considers the linear stability of such flows within the lubrication approximation. Since the base state or unperturbed solutions in both cases involve spatially inhomogeneous profiles, the linearized disturbance operators are non-normal and the stability analysis must therefore be generalized beyond a simple modal decomposition. The utility of this type of analysis is first demonstrated for autonomous operators by an example involving thermocapillary spreading subject to a constant thermal gradient. Extension of this non-modal analysis to systems involving non-autonomous operators is demonstrated by an example of Marangoni spreading induced by film contact with an insoluble surfactant monolayer.
Deficient TACI expression on B lymphocytes of newborn mice leads to defective Ig secretion in response to BAFF or APRIL.

Capsular polysaccharides of encapsulated bacteria do not induce immune response in newborns and the mechanism for this unresponsiveness is not clear. In adults, transmembrane activator and calcium-modulator and cytophilin ligand interactor (TACI) is a TNFR family member molecule with a pivotal role in Ab responses against polysaccharide vaccines. We investigated the expression and the functions of the TNF family cytokines, B cell-activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), and their receptors in newborn mice and found that TACI expression on B lymphocytes was dramatically reduced (p < 0.0001) in newborns as compared with adults. More importantly, TACI ligands BAFF or APRIL were unable to induce IgA/IgG/IgM secretion from newborn B lymphocytes. Additionally, TACI expression seems to be important in plasma cell development. Indeed, in contrast to adults, stimulation of newborn B lymphocytes with BAFF or APRIL did not result in up-regulation of CD138 expression. In vitro or in vivo exposure of newborn B lymphocytes to oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN) led to up-regulation of TACI expression on newly formed, follicular, and marginal zone as well as B1 B lymphocyte populations, and rendered them responsive to BAFF- or APRIL-mediated CD138 expression and IgA/IgG secretion. Finally, immunization of newborn BALB/c mice but not TACI knockout mice with CpG ODN containing (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)acetyl-Ficoll led to development of IgG Abs against (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)acetyl. These findings demonstrate that low TACI expression may be a critical factor that determines the susceptibility of newborns to infections with encapsulated bacteria and the impaired immunogenicity of polysaccharide vaccines. Finally, CpG ODNs may correct deficient newborn response to polysaccharide vaccines by up-regulating TACI.
Effects of selective sleep deprivation on sleep-linked prolactin and growth hormone secretion.

1. The secretion of prolactin and growth-hormone (hGH) was investigated during sleep in 10 healthy volunteers (8 males and 2 females): The comparison of one baseline night, one night after daytime physical exercise, and one night with selective deprivation of sleep stages 3 and 4 and paradoxical sleep showed clear differences of prolactin and hGH secretion during sleep. 2. Prolactin secretion is entrained into the sleep cycle of Non-REM and REM periods. A maximum of plasma hormone elevations occurs during the first quarter of sleep cycles, i.e., during Non-REM periods and less frequent rises at the end of the cycles, mainly during REM periods. 3. In contrast to growth hormone, concentrations of prolactin remain high also during later cycles occurring toward morning. This shows that high prolactin, but not high concentrations of hGH, regularly occur during sleep cycles with small amounts of slow-wave sleep. 4. Maximal prolactin concentrations during sleep are affected neither by preceding daytime physical exercise nor by selective deprivation of slow sleep stages 3 and 4. This is further evidence that slow-wave sleep stages are not necessary for the development of high plasma prolactin concentrations. However, peak values of growth hormone in the first and second cycle are significantly diminished after selective deprivation of sleep stages 3 and 4. 5. In abnormally long sleep cycles with artificial delay of the first REM period, the cyclical rhythmicity of prolactin release seems disturbed. This is further evidence for the sleep-dependent rhythmicity in the secretion of this hormone.
Redistributing Values in Congress: Interest Group Influence Under Sub-Optimal Conditions:

Empirical studies on the ability of interest groups to influence legislative voting behavior are mixed. Most legislative researchers, however, have avoided studying culture war issues, such as abortion, school prayer, or homosexuality These issues often exhibit extreme levels of conflict and low levels of public and/or legislative support, precisely those conditions under which interest group influence should be weak. My research fills this gap by examining the influence of lesbian and gay interest groups on legislative voting behavior from the 95th to 104th Congresses. I use an exchange theory of interest group/legislator relationships to construct empirical models of House and Senate voting on lesbian and gay issues. I hypothesize that legislative voting is driven by partisanship, ideology, religious beliefs, and constituency opinion, with interest group influence occurring at the margins. The results of multiple regression analysis suggest that interest groups may be able to influence legislative votin...
Cholestyramine treatment in early life of low-density lipoprotein receptor deficient Watanabe rabbits: decreased aortic cholesteryl ester accumulation and atherosclerosis in adult life.

Abstract Effect of cholestyramine treatment in early life of Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits (an animal model lacking low-density lipoprotein receptor activity) on subsequent (6 months recovery) occurrence of natural atherosclerotic lesion and arterial cholesterol metabolism was investigated. Initial cholestyramine treatment decreased both plasma total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol levels which normalized within 4 weeks after treatment was discontinued. At 9 months of age (age of occurrence of spontaneous atherosclerotic lesions), the extent of aortic atherosclerosis in cholestyramine pre-treated animals was modestly lower ( P P P
Macrophage interactions with laminin: PMA selectively induces the adherence and spreading of mouse macrophages on a laminin substratum

The ability of thioglycollate (TG)-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages to adhere to a laminin substratum has been studied. These cells do not adhere to laminin-coated (20 micrograms/ml) surfaces, but the addition of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA; 50 ng/ml) results in their rapid adherence and spreading on this substratum. TG-elicited and PMA-activated macrophages, however, can bind soluble laminin. Macrophages adhere to fibronectin-coated surfaces and tissue culture plastic without PMA stimulation, and PMA does not increase the number of cells that adhere to these surfaces. The predominant surface proteins that bind specifically to laminin-Sepharose exhibit an Mr of 67 and 36 kD, but the expression of these proteins does not increase after PMA stimulation. Laminin receptor antibodies immunoprecipitate the 67-kD protein from radiolabled surface lysates and are capable of blocking macrophage adherence to a laminin substratum. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy indicates that PMA stimulation does not increase receptor expression, but that it may induce the aggregation of the receptor on the cell surface. PMA stimulation also promotes macrophage spreading and induces a reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Taken together, these data indicate the mechanism by which PMA promotes macrophage adherence to laminin does not involve increased 67-kD receptor surface expression, but that it is related to the changes in cytoskeletal and receptor surface organization that occur in response to PMA stimulation.
Hematopoietic recovery following high-dose combined alkylating-agent chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow support in patients in phase-I clinical trials of colony-stimulating factors: G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-1, IL-2, M-CSF

Hematopoietic recovery in 115 patients with metastatic breast cancer or metastatic melanoma, enrolled in phase-I studies of recombinant growth factors while undergoing treatment with high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow support, was examined with assays of bone marrow progenitor cells and peripheral blood progenitor cells, and by evaluation of peripheral blood counts. Groups of patients receiving hematopoietic cytokine support [with interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-2 (IL-2), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF), or monocyte CSF (M-CSF)] post marrow infusion were compared with contemporaneous control patients not receiving growth factor support. Patients receiving GM-CSF demonstrated statistically significant increases in the growth of granulocyte/macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM) in the bone marrow and peripheral blood compared with control patients. The effect of GM-CSF was dose dependent in the early period post marrow infusion (day +6) with bone marrow CFU-GM colonies at doses 8-16 micrograms/kg/day 34 times those measured in controls. Significant increases in bone marrow multipotential progenitor cells (CFU-GEMM) were seen in patients receiving GM-CSF day +21 post marrow infusion. Patients receiving IL-1 demonstrated significant increases in bone marrow CFU-GM at day +21, maximal at dosages of 24-32 ng/kg/day. There were no significant increases in burst forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E) among any study group. Patients receiving G-CSF had significantly increased absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) and total white blood cell counts (WBC) by day +11 post transplant compared with control patients. Patients receiving GM-CSF demonstrated significantly increased WBC (greater than 2000/mm3) at day +11 and ANC greater than 500/mm3 at day +16. Optimal dose of G-CSF and GM-CSF to stimulate neutrophil recovery post transplant was 4-8 micrograms/kg/day and 8-16 micrograms/kg/day, respectively. Platelet recovery did not differ among the six study groups. These data demonstrate accelerated myeloid recovery after high-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow support in patients receiving either G-CSF or GM-CSF. Moreover, GM-CSF and IL-1 stimulate myelopoiesis at the level of bone marrow CFU-GM, while G-CSF causes earlier neutrophil recovery peripherally.
Expert systems should be more accurate than human experts: evaluation procedures from human judgement and decision making

Two procedures for the evaluation of the performances of expert systems are illustrated: one procedure evaluates predictive accuracy; the other procedure is complementary in that it uncovers the factors that contribute to predictive accuracy. Using these procedures, it is argued that expert systems should be more accurate than human experts in two senses. One sense is that expert systems must be more accurate to be cost-effective. Previous research is reviewed and original results are presented which show that simple statistical models typically perform better than human experts for the task of combining evidence from a given set of information sources. The results also suggest the second sense in which expert systems should be more accurate than human experts. They reveal that expert systems should share factors that contribute to human accuracy, but not factors that detract from human accuracy. Thus the thesis is that one should both require and expect systems to be more accurate than humans. >
THE LYMPHOCYTES IN NATURAL AND INDUCED RESISTANCE TO TRANSPLANTED CANCER : IV. EFFECT OF DRY HEAT ON RESISTANCE TO TRANSPLANTED CANCER IN MICE.

The marked and durable stimulation of the lymphoid elements induced by dry heat applied to the animal results in the establishment of a high degree of immunity to certain transplantable cancers in mice. This immunity is evident when the tumor used gives a low, as well as when it gives a high percentage of takes.
Fairness-efficiency tradeoffs in tiered storage allocation

The paper examines the problem of fair bandwidth allocation in heterogeneous storage systems in the framework of multi-resource allocation. We first extend the Bottleneck Aware Allocation model recently proposed by the authors to directly compute the maximum allocation satisfyinglocal fairness, envy freedom and sharing incentive. Next, we broaden the solution space to all allocations that satisfy envy freedom and sharing incentive even if they do not satisfy local fairness. We present an efficient algorithm to maximize the system utilization in the more general model.
Trimethadione effects on cholinergic responses in Aplysia neurons.

Abstract The anticonvulsant, trimethadione (TMO), was tested for effects on cholinergic responses to iontophoretic application of ACh on identified neurons in Aplysia. TMO (1–10 mM) depressed the amplitudes of depolarizing responses mediated by Na + and hyperpolarizing responses mediated by Cl − but did not affect hyperpolarizing responses mediated by K + . Such a combination of effects on cholinergic responses distinguishes the action of this anti-absence drug from agents effective against tonic-clonic seizures and from convulsant drugs.
Collisional dissociation in plasma source mass spectrometry: A potential alternative to chemical reactions for isobar removal

There has been a great deal of interest over the last half-dozen years in the use of selective chemical reactions to remove problematic species from ion beams extracted from analytical plasma sources. While these chemistries are well founded in principle, they require a priori knowledge of spectral contributors and all concomitant sample species. Different chemistries are required on both the analyte and matrix-specific bases. This approach has led to the generation of instrument/analysis cookbooks very much akin to those developed for graphite furnace atomization atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GFA-AAS). In addition to chemical reactions, the organic mass spectrometry community has employed kinematic (collisional) methods to dissociate molecular ions where the production of stable fragments is achieved to yield structurally significant product spectra. In this same way, collision-induced dissociation (CID) has been employed to remove molecular isobars in inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) and glow discharge (GD) mass spectrometries. Discussed here are the results of those studies, dating back over a dozen years ago, and how they compare in practical terms with the current commercial implementation of chemical reactions. Interestingly, there have been no publications that have actually compared the use of chemical and kinematic methods on the same instrumentation to achieve selective and universal analysis schemes. This “perspectives” paper seeks to present those previous CID works to a plasma source mass spectrometry community, wherein multi-quadrupole systems are becoming commonplace, in hopes of evoking substantial experimental work and scientific debate that may pay off practical benefits to the general user.
Rural family caregivers and health behaviors: results from an epidemiologic survey.

This study examined health behaviors in a sample of rural family caregivers. In a community telephone survey of rural Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee, respondents were asked about their health, physical activity, nutrition, health providers, and family caregiving. Among 1,234 survey respondents, 12% self-identified as family caregivers. Caregivers reported lower fruit intake, more walking for exercise, and more provider advice about stress, fruits, and vegetables than noncaregivers. Groups did not differ in smoking, dietary fat, obesity, or self-rated health. Women caregivers reported more favorable patterns of physical activity, smoking, and provider interactions than men caregivers, and White caregivers had healthier reports of physical activity and body mass index than Black caregivers. These results provide new information about rural caregivers’ health habits. Apart from nutritional intake, caregivers were not significantly different in most health behaviors. However, health providers seemed more a...
Changes in the light path length of blood-perfused rat liver by increased hematocrit and anoxia

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS) and phase modulation spectroscopy (PMS) for the measurement of hemoglobin saturation (SO2) in the liver. Our materials and methods were: (1) Absorption coefficient ((mu) a) and reduced scattering coefficient (microsecond(s) ') of in situ rat liver, blood-free rat liver and red blood cell (RBC) suspension were measured by TRS. (2) Changes in the light path length of blood-perfused rat liver by increasing hematocrit (3%, 12%, and 36%) and anoxia were measured by PMS. Our results show: (1) (mu) a of in situ rat liver could not be determined, because the absorption was too high. From (mu) a and microsecond(s) ' values of blood-free liver and RBC suspension, (mu) a and microsecond(s) ' of normal-hematocrit liver was extrapolated as 1.08 cm-1 and 15.46 cm-1 at 780 nm, respectively. (2) Although the trend of liver SO2 by increasing hematocrit was reasonable, there was a discrepancy between liver SO2 and output SO2 by anoxia. Changes in the light path length of the liver were as small as 10% of the total light path length. We conclude: Quantitation of liver SO2 by TRS and PMS was difficult because of its very high (mu) a. Since changes in the light path length were small, continuous wave spectroscopy would be an effective way to monitor the oxygenation state of the liver.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are a diverse group of compounds that induce allosteric changes in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase, thus rendering the enzyme incapable of converting viral RNA to DNA. Unlike nucleoside analogue inhibitors of reverse transcriptase, NNRTIs do not require sequential phosphorylation to elicit antiretroviral activity. There are currently 3 approved NNRTIs: nevirapine, delavirdine and efavirenz. Although possessing a common mechanism of action, these agents can be differentiated by both molecular and pharmacokinetic characteristics. Each of the NNRTIs is metabolised to some degree by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system of enzymes, making them prone to clinically significant drug interactions. In addition, they elicit variable effects on other medications, acting as either inducers or inhibitors of drugs metabolised by CYP. These drug interactions are an important consideration in the clinical use of these agents as a part of combination antiretroviral therapy. Additional factors such as the influence of food and pH on oral absorption, and protein binding, must also be considered.
Hormonal regulation of fatty acid synthetase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthesis in mammalian adipose tissue and liver

The major objectives of this study were to define the roles of adrenal glucocorticoids and glucagon in the long-term regulation of fatty acid synthetase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase of mammalian adipose tissue and liver. Particular emphasis was given to elucidation of the mechanisms whereby these hormones produce their regulatory effects on enzymatic activity. To dissociate mental manipulation, nutritional conditions were ridgidly controlled in the experiments described. Administration of glucocorticoids to adult rats led to a marked reductionin activities of fatty acid synthetase and carboxylase in adipose in adipose tissue but no change occurred in liver. Adrenalectomy produced an increase in activities of these lipogenic enzymes in adipose tissure, but, again, no change was noted in liver. The decrease in enzymatic activities in adipose tissue with glucocorticoid administration correlated well with a decrease in fatty acid synthesis, determined in vivo by the 3-H2O method. The mechanisms whereby glucocorticoids led to a decrease in fatty acid synthetase activity were elucidated by the use of immunochemical techniques. Thus, the decrease in fatty acid synthetase activity observed in adipose tissue was shown to reflect a decrease in content of enzyme, and not a change in catalytic efficiency. The mechanism underlying the decrease in enzyme content is a decrease in synthesis of the enzyme. The relation of the effects of glucocorticoids to the effects of certain other hormones involved in regulation of lipogenesis was investigated in hypophysectomized and in diabetic animals. Thus, the observation that the glucocorticoid effect on synthetase and carboxylase occurred in adipose tissue of hypophysectomized rats indicated that alterations in levels of other pituitary-regulated hormones were not necessary for the effect. That glucocorticoids play some role in regulation of synthetase and carboxylase in liver, at lease in the diabetic state, was shown by the observation that the low activities of these enzymes in diabetic animals could be restored to normal by adrenalectomy. An even more pronounced restorative effect was apparent in adipose tissue of adrenalectomized, diabetic animals. Administration of glucagon during the refeeding of starved rats resulted in a marked reduction in the induction of fatty acid synthetase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and in the rate of incorporation of 3-H from 3-H2O into fatty acids in liver, but no change in these parameters occurred in adipose tissue. Administration of theophylline resulted in intermediate reduction in liver. The mechanisms whereby glucagon led tto a decrease in fatty acid synthetase activity were elucidated by the use of immunochemical techniques. Thus, the changes in fatty acid synthetase activity were shown to reflect reductions in content of enzyme. The mechanism underlying these reductions in content is reduced synthesis of enzyme.
Restructuring, Teacher Engagement and School Culture: Perspectives on School Reform and the Improvement of Teacher's Work 1

ABSTRACT Recent educational policy reports in the U.S. have called for significant changes in teachers’ work to increase their effectiveness. The paper examines the relationship between the restructuring strategies in two comprehensive high schools and teachers’ engagement, which is defined as a multi‐dimensional construct. In one school, the restructuring strategies focused on creating a supportive climate for students, and in empowering students and teachers; in the other, emphasis was on developing professional skills of the faculty and strengthening group cohesiveness. The implications of the strategies for teacher engagement are illustrated with case study data. The discussion points to several conclusions: (1) the effects of restructuring are more bounded than is often assumed; (2) a quality of work life framework drawn from the social scientific literatures is useful for analyzing the effects of reform policies on teachers’ work; (3) teachers make trade‐offs between different types of engagement in...
Experience report: getting novice programmers to THINK about improving their software development process

Expertise is developed through both a) self-reflection and b) making useful plans for improvement [3, 10]. Traditional novice-level programming assignments require neither of these skills to be used. Could we get students to think about improving their software development processes? What areas would they identify as needing improvement? Could they write effective plans for themselves? In this experience report, we analyze the results of an intervention with 236 CS1.5 students asking them to do these activities. We find that they most commonly make improvements in planning, compared to coding and testing. Additionally, over half of the plans they make are so vague as to be of little use in helping students identify if they have, in fact, improved. Finally, we asked students at the end of the term to reflect on how their experiences with programming assignments changed over the term. We discuss our results in light of how instructors can focus instruction to help students become more meta-cognitive about their own software development processes.
Neon Transition Probabilities

Relative transition probabilities for 12 visible neon lines originating on the 3s2 and 3s3 (Paschen notation) levels of neon have been measured. The experimental technique utilizes the interaction between the output of a helium–neon laser oscillating at 3.39 μ (3s2–3p4) and the excited atoms in a neon discharge. Changes of intensity of spontaneous emission from the 3s2 and 3s3 levels result from this interaction. By analyzing these intensity changes as a function of pressure, we have determined the ratio of the transition probabilities for the 3s2–3p4 and the 3s2–2p5 transitions. This ratio is 7.10±0.57. The measurements also yield the product of the radiative lifetime of the 3s3 level and the effective cross section for transfer of excitation between the 3s2 and 3s3 levels. This product is τ3σ23 = (9.93±0.80)×10−23 sec-cm2. The transition probabilities are placed on an absolute scale by use of a recently reported absolute value for the 3s2–2p4 transition. The experimental values are compared with the theoretically calculated transition probabilities for which a j-l coupling model was used. This comparison points out the rather large departure of these levels from j-l coupling.
Detecting Ligand Binding to a Small RNA Target via Saturation Transfer Difference NMR Experiments in D2O and H2O

A small RNA motif is used as a target for ligand-based NMR-screening by saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR experiments. The prerequisites for using a small RNA target in STD experiments, such as saturation time, frequency, and pulses, are discussed. We also show that it is of advantage to use D2O as solvent instead of H2O due to the reduced R1 relaxation rate in D2O. The 27-nucleotide model of the ribosomal A-site was known to bind the aminoglycoside paromomycin with high affinity. This binding interaction could be detected easily, proving the effectiveness of STD NMR experiments as a screening tool for RNA−ligand interactions.
Optical determination of glutamine using a genetically engineered protein.

We have developed a reagentless optical biosensor for glutamine based on the Escherichia coli glutamine binding protein (GlnBP). Site-directed mutagenesis was performed to engineer single cysteine mutants which were covalently modified with environmentally sensitive sulfhydryl-reactive probes. The fluorescence emission of acrylodan and 2-(4′-(iodoacetamido)anilino)naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid (IAANS) attached to GlnBP mutant S179C was shown to decrease 65 and 35%, respectively, upon titration with increasing amounts of glutamine (0 to 6.4 μM; KDapp 160 nM). No significant changes in the fluorescence intensity were observed for the structurally similar amino acids glutamate, asparagine, and arginine. Time-resolved intensity decays showed a 2.4-fold decrease in mean lifetime for GlnBP S179C-acrylodan upon the addition of glutamine, indicating the possibility of a lifetime-based assay. Anisotropy decay measurements for GlnBPS179C-acrylodan showed a 13-ns rotational correlation time in the ligand-free state, whereas multiple correlation times were assigned in the glutamine-bound conformation. The decrease in fluorescence intensity of S179C-acrylodan was adapted to polarization sensing of glutamine. The engineered GlnBP is a first step toward the development of a nonenzymatic biosensor capable of determining glutamine concentrations in cell cultures.
Self-other differentiation among psychotic and conduct-disordered adolescents as measured by human figure drawings

24 psychotic-spectrum adolescents were compared with 23 conduct-disordered adolescents on a self-other drawing differentiation task. Of the 24 psychotic-spectrum disordered adolescents, 14 received...