cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stable Weights that Balance Covariates for Estimation With Incomplete Outcome Data

Weighting methods that adjust for observed covariates, such as inverse probability weighting, are widely used for causal inference and estimation with incomplete outcome data. Part of the appeal of such methods is that one set of weights can be used to estimate a range of treatment effects based on different outcomes, or a variety of population means for several variables. However, this appeal can be diminished in practice by the instability of the estimated weights and by the difficulty of adequately adjusting for observed covariates in some settings. To address these limitations, this article presents a new weighting method that finds the weights of minimum variance that adjust or balance the empirical distribution of the observed covariates up to levels prespecified by the researcher. This method allows the researcher to balance very precisely the means of the observed covariates and other features of their marginal and joint distributions, such as variances and correlations and also, for example, the ...
OLEDs for solid state lighting

Organic light emitting devices represent an exciting potential technology for solid state lighting. In this tutorial, key areas of progress in performance and low cost fabrication are described and compared to solid-state lighting needs.
Measurement of social power in n-person reciprocal power situations.

The preceding paper argued that social power must be defined in terms of five dimensions: the costs, the strength, the scope, the amount, and the extension of this power. A distinction was made between unilateral and reciprocal (or bilateral) power situations. The former are situations in which a given person A is in a position to determine, by his own unilateral decision, the incentives he will provide for another person B to comply with his wishes, and also the degree of compliance he will try to enforce. The latter are situations in which both parties have the ability to exert pressure on each other, and in which the incentives provided by A and, even more important, the degree of compliance he will try to enforce, therefore become matters of explicit or implicit bargaining between the two parties. Certain simple mathematical relationships between the strength and the amount of A’s power over B were established, both for unilateral and for bilateral power situations.
High-Temperature Chemical Stability of Plasma-Sprayed Ca05Sr05Zr4P6O24 Coatings on Nicalon/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composite and Ni-Based Superalloy Substrates

The potential application of Ca05Sr05Zr4P6O24 (CS50) as a corrosion-resistant coating material for Si-based ceramics and as a thermal barrier coating material for Ni-based superalloys was explored. A ∼200 (xm thick CS50 coating was prepared by air plasma spray with commercially available powder. A Nicalon/SiC ceramic matrix composite and a Ni-based superalloy coated with a ∼200 (xm thick metallic bond coat layer were used as substrate materials. Both the powder and coating contained ZrP2O7 as an impurity phase, and the coating was highly porous as-deposited. The coating deposited on the Nicalon/SiC substrate was chemically stable upon exposure to air and Na2SO4/O2 atmospheres at 1000°C for 100 h. In contrast, the coating sprayed onto the superalloy substrate significantly reacted with the bond coat surface after similar oxidation in air.
A Cross-Layer Neighbor-Discovery Algorithm for Directional 60-GHz Networks

Directional antennas are preferred for efficient wireless communications in the 60-GHz spectrum. Recent efforts to adapt high-data-rate medium access control (MAC) protocols from standards that are designed for operation in the lower frequency bands face challenges in acquiring the location of nearby devices in a network. In this paper, we propose a cross-layer neighbor-discovery algorithm for directional 60-GHz networks to assist the MAC layer in efficiently using the directional antennas. We utilize linear and circular polarization and their different responses to reflection to synchronize the transmitter and the receiver. This difference in response is used to determine if there is a direct path between the transmitter and the receiver. Based on this knowledge, the direction of the neighboring devices is determined through a cyclic scanning. The proposed algorithm is analyzed based on the usage models defined in the standard for 60-GHz networks.
Q-decomposition for reinforcement learning agents

The paper explores a very simple agent design method called Q-decomposition, wherein a complex agent is built from simpler subagents. Each subagent has its own reward function and runs its own reinforcement learning process. It supplies to a central arbitrator the Q-values (according to its own reward function) for each possible action. The arbitrator selects an action maximizing the sum of Q-values from all the subagents. This approach has advantages over designs in which subagents recommend actions. It also has the property that if each subagent runs the Sarsa reinforcement learning algorithm to learn its local Q-function, then a globally optimal policy is achieved. (On the other hand, local Q-learning leads to globally suboptimal behavior.) In some cases, this form of agent decomposition allows the local Q-functions to be expressed by much-reduced state and action spaces. These results are illustrated in two domains that require effective coordination of behaviors.
Fallibility of Intra-Operative Gram Stain in the Diagnosis of Vascular Infection

Three cases of arterial-graft infection are presented. In all cases the gram stain obtained at surgery demonstrated white blood cells but no bacteria. Cultures obtained at operation subsequently grew Pseudomonas aeruginosa in two patients and Bacteroides fragilis in one patient. Failure to recognize the fallibility of the gram stain in the diagnosis of vascular infection may result in incorrect management decisions.
An integrated simulation model development environment for SLAM II using object-oriented paradigm

Abstract An integrated simulation model development environment was implemented to assist the modeler by automating certain activities of simulation modeling. The system included interactive model definition, experimental design, automatic simulation program generation in SLAM II. Object-oriented paradigm at software development stage was extensively used to conceptualize the structure, and rules of the SLAM II language in order to generate efficient, and modular program code. The present system targeted modeling of various probabilistic inventory control system problems. The remarkable advantages of the system were rapid model development time, and achieving reliable program code without requiring any knowledge in SLAM II. Object-oriented programming was very promising, and effective programming paradigm in system development cycle. At the final stage, response surface methodlogy (RSM) in conjunction with the steepest-ascent method was used to find the optimum inventory policy minimizing the average cost per unit of time based on simulation output. Comparing RSM results to those of the deterministic relaxation of the probabilistic inventory model demonstrated that RSM could be an efficient tool for optimization in simulation.
Optimal Set-Point Scheduling in a Boiler-Turbine System

A 32nd order boiler-turbine model is developed to solve the optimal set-point scheduling problem for main and hot reheat steam conditions in a 235 MW gas fired electric generating plant. The model has 7 states in the process and 25 in the control system. The optimization strategy uses control vector parameterization in which the boiler controller set-point function generators are modified to produce suboptimum signals. The performance index consists of the total energy input to the system from the fuel and boiler feedpump. Constraints in the process variables are monitored by critical alarm limits, and hoop stresses in the heat exchanger tubes are estimated as well. The optimization problem is solved for steady state and dynamic conditions in the 75 to 235 MW load range. Savings in fuel between 0.7 to 4.0% are predicted by computer simulations in the normal operating load range of the unit. Preliminary plant tests indicate these estimated savings may be realistic. The boiler-turbine model and optimization strategy illustrate the potential use of mathematical models for power plants.
Normative values for thumb length, girth, and width in the pediatric population.

Purpose To determine the normal relative length, girth, and nail width of the pediatric thumb with respect to the index finger in children ages 1 through 18 years. Methods Measurements of relative thumb length, girth, and nail width were performed on 546 hands in 273 volunteers ages 1 through 18 years. At least 22 hands were included for each age group. The data were analyzed by age, gender, and hand, with the thumb compared with the index finger for all measurements. Results The adducted thumb tip reached an average of 70% of the length of the index finger proximal phalanx and 32% of the length of the index finger from the metacarpophalangeal joint to its tip. The thumb girth and nail width as a percentage of corresponding levels of the index finger girth and nail width were 133% and 105%, respectively. Relative thumb size remained constant with no significant difference in length, width, or girth between age groups. Conclusions The relative size of the thumb remains constant during growth. These normative data will allow a more objective assessment of thumb size and appearance.
GeoDa: An Introduction to Spatial Data Analysis

The development of specialized software for spatial data analysis has seen rapid growth since the lack of such tools was lamented in the late 1980s by Haining (1989) and cited as a major impediment to the adoption and use of spatial statistics by GIS researchers. Initially, attention tended to focus on conceptual issues, such as how to integrate spatial statistical methods and a GIS environment (loosely vs. tightly coupled, embedded vs. modular, etc.), and which techniques would be most fruitfully included in such a framework. Familiar reviews of these issues are represented in, among others, Anselin and Getis (1992), Goodchild et al. (1992), Fischer and Nijkamp (1993), Fotheringham and Rogerson (1993, 1994), Fischer et al. (1996), and Fischer and Getis (1997). Today, the situation is quite different, and a fairly substantial collection of spatial data analysis software is readily available, ranging from niche programs, customized scripts and extensions for commercial statistical and GIS packages, to a burgeoning open source effort using software environments such as R, Java and Python. This is exemplified by the growing contents of the software tools clearing house maintained by the U.S.- based Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science [CSISS] (see http://www.csiss.org/clearinghouse/).
Composition and density of nanoscale calcium–silicate–hydrate in cement

Although Portland cement concrete is the world’s most widely used manufactured material, basic questions persist regarding its internal structure and water content, and their effect on concrete behaviour. Here, for the first time without recourse to drying methods, we measure the composition and solid density of the principal binding reaction product of cement hydration, calcium–silicate–hydrate (C–S–H) gel, one of the most complex of all gels. We also quantify a nanoscale calcium hydroxide phase that coexists with C–S–H gel. By combining small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering data, and by exploiting the hydrogen/deuterium neutron isotope effect both in water and methanol, we determine the mean formula and mass density of the nanoscale C–S–H gel particles in hydrating cement. We show that the formula, (CaO)1.7(SiO2)(H2O)1.80, and density, 2.604 Mg m−3, differ from previous values for C–S–H gel, associated with specific drying conditions. Whereas previous studies have classified water within C–S–H gel by how tightly it is bound, in this study we classify water by its location—with implications for defining the chemically active (C–S–H) surface area within cement, and for predicting concrete properties.
Determinants of fold stabilizing aromatic-aromatic interactions in short peptides

The significance of interactions involving aromatic side-chains in stabilizing protein structure is well accepted, while the geometry and specificity of these interactions are more elusive. Hydrophobic clustering plays a significant role; these interactions can be distinguished as aromatic/aliphatic and aromatic/aromatic interactions, with the aromatic/aromatic interactions displaying two dominant geometries–edge-to-face (EtF) and parallel displaced (PD) stacking [1]. Cross-strand aryl/aryl pairings occur predominantly at non-H-bonded sites in β-sheets [2]. In β-hairpin models these have been found to be stabilizing at turn flanking positions [3]. The excised N-terminal hairpin of the B1 domain of Protein G has a Tyr/Phe pair at such a position and is required for hairpin formation [4]. Trpzip4 and its analogs display two EtF Trp/Trp interactions at non-H-bonded sites, the turn flanking pair accounts for the majority of stabilization. HP6 and HP7, two peptide series more remotely related to GB1, have also shown remarkable stability attributed to a turn flanking EtF Trp/Trp pair. In all of its incarnations the interaction has been seen to maintain a specific geometry, with the edge of the N-terminal Trp abutting the face of the C-terminal Trp. The stability of HP7 and its truncated version, as well as chignolin [5], suggest that an EtF aromatic/aromatic interaction immediately flanking a turn sequence is particularly stabilizing in small β-hairpins. HP6V has the same stabilizing EtF interaction but a β-turn that is less favorable in systems with short β-strands, provided an excellent system to test the limit of the W/W EtF interaction. The first truncated peptide of this design, AW-SNGK-WT, displayed the usual CD exciton couplet, in fact larger than expected, and an upfield Trp He3 with a melting curve suggesting a Tm of circa 25°C, apparently more stable than Ac-WNPATGKW-NH2, the 8-mer with the optimized reversing loop. NOESY sequencing, however, indicated that the upfield He3 signal was in the C-terminal, rather than N-terminal Trp. A battery of small Trp containing peptides was examined to ascertain the determinants of the EtF geometry between the Trp sidechains. The transition was not found to possess an absolute boundary; a “middle ground” with two folded states corresponding to the two EtF geometries was observed. A 2.7 ppm upfield shift (CSD) seen for the G8-HN of Ac-WTNGKWTG-NH2 (peptide WP) suggested a local aryl-amide interaction at the N-terminus. Aryl-X-Gly i → i+2 interactions can act as modest structuring elements even in denatured proteins [6] and peptides, evidenced by Gly HN CSDs up to −1.4. Only in proteins have Aryl-XG shifts as large as that in peptide WP been observed.
Comments on the Navajo Healing Project.

hese articles from the Navajo Healing Project illustrate the strengths of a methodology that is becoming more prevalent in anthropological research. This method uses research teams that combine anthropologists from outside the community being studied with researchers who are from the community itself or members of the same ethnic population. Team research has meant that the Navajo Healing Project can examine a much broader range of healing traditions throughout the reservation than has been possible in the past. This study included four teams that interviewed 95 healers from three healing traditions (Traditional Navajo religion, the Native American Church [NAC], Pentecostal Christianity) and 84 patients of these healers. The teams were located in different parts of the reservation (Tuba City, Tsaile, Shiprock, and the Gallup area). In addition to conducting a series of visits and interviews with each healer, the teams followed the patients of several healers in each site. They attended healing events for these patients and also interviewed them, one interview taking place three months after the observed healing intervention. The result is undoubtedly a rich database that is only touched on in these articles, but one that will be further explored in the project's future publications. Only team research could have elucidated such a complex and multi-layered set of experiences in these three healing traditions. In addition, the inclusion of Navajo researchers has meant that frameworks more compatible with Navajo categories can evolve as the research progresses. This is perhaps most dramatically seen in the chart used by David H. Begay and Nancy Cottrell Maryboy to describe Sister Grace's experience of illness and healing (see Figure 2, Begay and Maryboy). The chart is divided into directional quadrants representing four types of healing systems, and a circle anchors the quadrants, just as the four cardinal directions and the circle organize Navajo cosmology and the Traditional Navajo hataal or "sing" within the hoghan. Likewise, Elizabeth Lewton and Victoria Bydone present their analysis of the three healing traditions using the Navajo principle sq'ah naaghdi bik'eh hlzho. This phrase is roughly translated "in old age walking the trail of beauty," but its meaning can also be approximated through the English terms long life, happiness, blessing, and well-being. Although researchers on this project could have paid closer attention to the actual categories being used in Navajo to interpret illness and healing, members of the team are moving in this direction in the second phase of the project (Csordas, personal communication). Storck, Csordas, and Strauss have already examined
Activation of Natural Killer Cells in Arthritis-Susceptible but Not Arthritis-Resistant Mouse Strains following Borrelia burgdorferi Infection

Infection of susceptible mouse strains with Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, results in the development of arthritis. Components of the innate immune system may be important mediators of this pathology. To investigate the potential role of NK cells in development of experimental Lyme arthritis, we examined their activation in vivo in both resistant and susceptible mouse strains. Following inoculation of B. burgdorferi into the footpad, lymph node NK cells from susceptible C3H/HeJ (C3H) mice produced more gamma interferon than NK cells from resistant DBA/2J mice. Lymph node cells from susceptible C3H and AKR mice also had increased ability to lyse YAC-1 target cells 2 days following infection. Antibody depletion of NK cells from susceptible mice, however, did not alter the development of arthritis following B. burgdorferi challenge. In addition, NK cell depletion had little effect on spirochete burden. Thus, there is a marked activation of NK cells in susceptible mouse strains following infection. Although NK cells are not absolutely required for arthritis, events occurring prior to NK cell activation might be important in mediating pathology in experimental Lyme disease.
Evaluation and management of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a spectrum of liver diseases characterized mainly by macrovesicular steatosis (Fig. 1) that occurs in the absence of alcohol consumption in amounts considered injurious to the liver. The hepatic histology can vary from isolated hepatic steatosis alone to steatohepatitis and are referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) respectively. In addition to predominantly macrovesicular steatosis, the diagnosis of steatohepatitis also requires the additional presence of varying combinations of findings including cytologic ballooning, Mallory’s hyaline, scattered inflammation and pericellular fibrosis (Fig. 1) [1]. These findings are indistinguishable from alcoholic liver disease and the distinction must be made clinically. A large body of literature clearly indicates that NAFLD is strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome. Early studies identified obesity and diabetes as the two major risk factors for the development of NAFLD [2]. It is now known that hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension are also frequently present in subjects with NAFLD. The metabolic syndrome is characterized by a constellation of findings including obesity, diabetes, hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia, the principal risk factors for NAFLD (Table 1) [3]. The fundamental pathophysiologic process that connects these diverse conditions is insulin resistance [4]. Insulin resistance is present in approximately 98% of individuals with NAFLD and over 80% of subjects with NAFLD meet minimal criteria for the metabolic syndrome [5]. Approximately 47 million individuals are estimated to have the metabolic syndrome in the US [6]. Also, over 50% of the US population is overweight (body mass index (BMI) O25!29) or obese (BMI O29) [7]. There are thus millions
DeltaSyn: an efficient logic difference optimizer for ECO synthesis

During the IC design process, functional specifications are often modified late in the design cycle, after placement and routing are completed. However, designers are left either to manually process such modifications by hand or to restart the design process from scratch — a very costly option. In order to address this issue, we present DeltaSyn, a method for generating a highly optimized logic difference between a modified high-level specification and an implemented design. DeltaSyn has the ability to locate boundaries in implemented logic within which changes can be confined. Delta-Syn demarcates the boundary in two phases. The first phase employs fast functional and structural analysis techniques to identify equivalent signals forming the input-side boundary of the changes. The second phase locates the output-side boundary of the changes through a novel dynamic algorithm that detects matching logic downstream from the changes required by the ECO. Experiments on industrial designs show that together these techniques successfully implement ECOs while preserving an average of 97% of the existing logic. Unlike previous approaches, the use of bit-parallel logic simulation and fast SAT solvers enables high performance and scalability. DeltaSyn can process and verify a typical ECO for a design of around 10K gates in about 200 seconds or less.
Management of chronic kidney disease in older adults

In Western nations, the older population is the fastest growing segment of society. With advances in medicine, this population is carrying the burdens of chronic disease into old age. They also manifest the common problems of aging, such as loss of physiologic reserve, comorbid conditions, loss of functional and cognitive powers and, finally, frailty. The healthcare provider needs to be able to manage not just the individual disease, but the whole individual and their total needs in the context of aging. This article attempts to highlight the complexities of managing chronic kidney disease in the context of the aging process and the particular challenges that this combination presents. This article will address which individuals need to be followed by a nephrologist as well as addressing the management of the complications of chronic kidney disease in the context of aging physiology and the common comorbidities observed in older adults. It will also address the interactions between common pathologies such...
Long-term follow-up study of bilateral above-the-knee amputees from the Vietnam War.

Background: Because caring for patients who have combat-related amputations is a discontinuous practice, military surgeons must relearn treatment techniques during each conflict. Methods: The purpose of the present long-term study (average duration of follow-up, 27.5 years) was to document the status of patients who had sustained a bilateral above-the-knee amputation in Vietnam and had been managed by the only separate amputee service in the United States Army. A review of the records of 484 battle amputees identified thirty individuals (6 percent) who had a bilateral above-the-knee amputation. Twenty-six (87 percent) of the thirty patients had been injured by a land mine or a booby trap. Fifty-three (88 percent) of the sixty limbs were amputated because of trauma, and the other seven (12 percent) were amputated secondarily because of infection. Data regarding education, employment, marriage and family life, prosthetic use, and psychological care were collected by mail or telephone for twenty-three (85 percent) of the twenty-seven surviving patients. Respondents also completed the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey. Results: At the time of the study, five (22 percent) of the twenty-three respondents used prostheses for walking; the devices were used for an average of 7.7 hours per day. Sixteen respondents (70 percent) were or had been employed outside of the home since the time of discharge. The physical functioning score on the SF-36 questionnaire was significantly lower for the study group than it was for a group of age and gender-matched controls (p < 0.001; Student two-tailed t test). With the numbers available, no significant differences could be detected between the groups with regard to physical role functioning (p = 0.377), bodily pain (p = 0.603), general health (p = 0.407), vitality (p = 0.949), social functioning (p = 0.460), emotional role functioning (p = 0.029), or mental health (p = 0.102). Conclusions: The patients in the present study have led relatively normal, productive lives within the context of their physical limitations.
Functional significance of bone density measurements in children with osteogenesis imperfecta

Background: The treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta has been directed at improvement of bone mineral density, yet the importance of bone mineral density in predicting functional and clinical outcome in this patient population has not been demonstrated. We used a validated functional outcome measure to identify the relationship between bone mineral density and physical function in children with osteogenesis imperfecta, and we also evaluated the relationship of bone mineral density to the rate of surgery and fracture in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta. Methods: Twenty patients (age range, four to seventeen years) with osteogenesis imperfecta who had undergone bone mineral densitometry as measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry of the lumbar spine, wrist, and proximal aspect of the femur between November 1999 and April 2001 were retrospectively analyzed. Functional outcome was measured with use of the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument. These questionnaires were completed by the parents of all twenty patients and, in addition, by fifteen patients in the study who were between the ages of eleven and eighteen years. Fracture and surgery rates were calculated on the basis of the number of documented fractures and surgical procedures that the patient had had from the time of the initial presentation until the time of the latest follow-up visit. Results: There were significant relationships between the bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and the scores obtained on the parent-completed questionnaires with regard to upper-extremity functioning (r = 0.57, p < 0.01), transfers and basic mobility (r = 0.55, p = 0.01), sports and physical functioning (r = 0.55, p = 0.01), and global functioning (r = 0.60, p < 0.004). There were also significant relationships between the bone mineral density of the wrist and the scores obtained on the child-completed questionnaires with regard to upper-extremity functioning (r = 0.82, p < 0.01), sports and physical functioning (r = 0.76, p < 0.01), and global functioning (r = 0.83, p = 0.001). There were significant negative relationships between the bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and the rate of fractures (r = -0.69, p < 0.001) and the bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and the rate of surgery (r = -0.60, p < 0.01). Conclusions: There is a relationship between bone mineral density and the functional outcome, rate of fracture, and rate of surgery in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta. Bone mineral density appears to be an indicator of disease severity and may be predictive of long-term functional outcome. To establish specific guidelines for treatment, more data on normative bone-mineral density in children with osteogenesis imperfecta will be needed. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level II. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Production and Economic Comparisons of Two Calving Dates for Beef Cows in the Nebraska Sandhills

ABSTRACT Calving date for 120 cows in the Nebraska Sandhills was changed from the traditional calving season beginning March 15 (d 75) to one beginning June 15 (d 167) to match increased nutrient needs for lactating cows to immature grazed forages that are high in protein and energy. The hypotheses being tested were that 1) less hay and purchased feeds would be required, 2) production costs would be reduced, and 3) net returns would be greater for June-calving cows compared with their March-calving counterparts. All steer calves from 75 March-calving cows were moved to a feedlot within 60 d of weaning (March calf-feds). Half the steer calves from the 120 June-calving herd were moved within 60 d of weaning to a feedlot to be finished (June calf-feds) and the other half were moved to a feedlot in September after summer grazing of Sandhills rangeland (June yearlings). Half of the June-calving cows were bred on subirrigated regrowth (Meadow) and half on upland range. Data on 4 consecutive calf crops were collected through harvest with an additional year collected to feedlot placement. Results showed that fed hay was reduced from 1.79 to 0.10 metric tons per cow annually for the June-calving system. Cost and return analyses were conducted by production phases on steer calves. Production costs for both June-calving groups were less and net returns higher when compared with the March-calved group. The highest net return for a calf group was for the June yearlings from cows bred on subirrigated regrowth.
The Estrogenic Inhibition of Eating

Progress in analyzing the estrogenic inhibition of eating parallels that of many other problems in behavioral neuroscience: although many fascinating observations have been made, the surface of the problem has barely been scratched, and although the ultimate relevance of the enterprise is not at all certain, the potential seems great. Two general lessons have emerged in this work-as they have in many other areas of biological research. First, biological function can be understood only through converging views from multiple perspectives. No one perspective, be it genetic, physiological, or behavioral, reveals all the answers. Second, ultimate identification of biological function requires experimental methods that do not do violence to the normal operation of the system studied. Thus, every newly developed experimental technology brings with it the challenge, not simply of how to apply it to a particular problem, but, in Diamond’s (1995) apt phrase, “how to be physiological” in that application.
Not “Merely an Advertisement”: Purity, Trust, and Flour, 1880–1930

Abstract This study examines how an integrated program of marketing communication (including advertising and public relations) addressed the purity of patent flour, a consumable attacked by the pure food movement and other health advocates for corrupt and contaminated production processes. Targeted to homemakers and commercial bakers alike, the promotional materials studied here examine the Gold Medal and Pillsbury brands from 1880 to 1930, a period that saw the rise of national brands, the growth of national advertising, the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, and the educational and regulatory efforts of the FDA. It was found that these companies responded to those criticisms and developed a long-term campaign that tapped into contemporary cultural concerns not only to sell product but also to educate consumers about purity, health values, and domestic success. In the process, these promotions also sought to build on a bond of trust in the product to trust in the brand and the company itself ...
Increased Fiber Intake Decreases Premenopausal Breast Cancer Risk

There is growing interest in the relationship between dietary habits and cancer. Dietary fibers are a complex group of oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, resistant starch, and resistant dextrins. There is longstanding evidence that dietary fibers may reduce circulating estrogen levels through changes in the gut microbiome and increased excretion of estrogens in the gastrointestinal tract. Soluble fibers are believed to decrease intestinal cholesterol absorption, and there is emerging evidence that cholesterol byproducts may have estrogenic effects.1 Fiber intake would be an easily modifiable risk factor to … Address correspondence to Kimberly L. Blackwell, MD, Box 3893, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710. E-mail: kimberly.blackwell{at}dm.duke.edu
MORPHOLOGY AND ALLERGENIC PROPERTIES OF BASIDIOSPORES FROM FOUR CALVATIA SPECIES

Basidiospores of Calvatia cyathiformis have been identified in aerobiological studies, and spore extracts have demonstrated significant skin and radioallergosorbent test reactivity in sensitive patients. Although fruiting bodies of Calvatia craniiformis, C. rubroflava, and C. gigantea are also relatively common, basidiospores of these species cannot be specifically identified from the atmosphere. The present study compared the morphology and antigenic properties of basidiospores from these four Calvatia species. Electron microscopy showed that they all have globose spores 3-5 ,tm in diameter but each species has unique spore ornamentation. Only C. cyathiformis spores were sufficiently distinctive by light microscopy to be identifiable on air sampler slides. These spores occurred in the Tulsa atmosphere on 68% of the days during September and October. The allergenic properties were compared using radioallergosorbent and radioallergosorbent test inhibition. Results indicate that C. rubroflava and C. craniiformis are potentially important aeroallergens. Protein patterns in these species differed from one another and from C. cyathiformis; however, common proteins were also present. Spore extracts of C. cyathiformis from two states were similar by isoelectric focusing but differed in allergenic activity. C. gigantea gave indiscernible protein patterns. These studies indicate that although Calvatia species demonstrate a number of similarities, there are distinctive structural and allergenic properties.
Mechanism and origins of ligand-controlled selectivities in [Ni(NHC)]-catalyzed intramolecular (5 + 2) cycloadditions and homo-ene reactions: a theoretical study.

The mechanism and origins of selectivities in [Ni(NHC)]-catalyzed intramolecular (5 + 2) cycloadditions and homo-ene reactions of vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs) and alkynes have been studied using density functional theory. The preferred mechanism involves oxidative alkyne–alkene cyclization to form a metallacyclopentene intermediate, in contrast to a cyclopropane cleavage pathway in the reaction with Rh(I) catalysts. The selectivity between the (5 + 2) and homo-ene products is determined in the subsequent competing reductive elimination and β-hydride elimination steps. Two similar-sized N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands, SIPr and ItBu, yielded reversed product selectivity, favoring the (5 + 2) and homo-ene products respectively. This is attributed to the anisotropic steric environment of these NHC ligands, which positions the bulky substituents on the ligand toward different directions and leads to distinct steric control in the reductive elimination and β-hydride elimination transition states.
Paragangliomas of the cauda equina.

A 34-year-old man was initially seen in september 1971 for a 1-year history of intermittent right lower extremity pain. Myelography showed an intradural mass at L2 causing a high-grade obstruction
The diagnosis of luteal phase deficiency: a critical review

Luteal phase deficiency is an ovulatory dysfunction problem that is subtle but real. It may be the most common ovulatory problem in women. Luteal phase deficiency has been clearly demonstrated in the research setting (1) in spontaneous cycles, (2) when follicular maturation has been impeded, and (3) when luteotrophic influences have been suppressed. The diagnosis of LPD in the clinical setting remains problematic and controversial primarily because there is no practical diagnostic method that has been validated. This article has reviewed the methods that have been used to diagnose LPD. BBT charts are insensitive; these charts reliably diagnose LPD only when there are persistent short luteal phases. There is disagreement whether ovarian follicular size, as determined by ultrasonography, is decreased in LPD; however, ultrasonographic diagnosis of LPD would require daily scans through ovulation, which makes this approach impractical. Mild hyperprolactinemia is a probable cause of LPD in a minority of patients; a physician should obtain a PRL level in LPD women with the realization that there is considerable sampling variability. Determination of serum gonadotropin levels (LH or FSH or both) is not practical for the clinical diagnosis of LPD. Random serum P levels, whether single or multiple, are not helpful in the diagnosis of LPD in individual patients. The secretory pattern of P results in such wide confidence limits that P samples from individuals cannot be compared to normal in a useful manner. Most of the controversy about the diagnosis of LPD has centered around the use of individual serum P levels. The timed endometrial biopsy relies on the endometrium as a bioassay of P over time. The endometrial biopsy has not been carefully validated in terms of its sensitivity or accuracy for the diagnosis of LPD. However, it remains the best current method for the diagnosis of LPD when the standard guidelines for its use are followed. As opposed to the other tests for LPD, awareness of the usefulness of the biopsy has increased as we have learned more about CL physiology. No current research method for the diagnosis of LPD appears to be a practical method that could be applied in the clinical setting. Specific secretory proteins from the endometrium and methods to measure hormone secretion that circumvent the secretory pattern hold promise for improved methods to diagnose LPD in the future.
Demographic Dynamics of the Wealth Gap in Congress

Lower-income citizens in the United States have distinct partisan and policy preferences from higher-income citizens. Lower-income citizens, however, have been numerically underrepresented in policymaking institutions throughout most of American history. This numerical underrepresentation of the working class is potentially problematic because members of Congress are consistently more responsive toward upper income constituents. This bias toward upper income constituents may be a result of the fact that members themselves are disproportionately wealthy. This paper seeks to determine what demographic relationships actually exist on the basis of legislator wealth. To ascertain this, we utilize data from Roll Call, which each year since 1990 has reviewed the financial disclosures of all 535 senators and representatives to determine the 50 richest members of Congress. For the first time, the report derived from forms covering 2014 went a step further by publishing a ranking of every single lawmaker by their minimum net worth. This analysis finds that there is not a straightforward relationship with legislator wealth and partisanship. There is, however, a strong relationships with race and legislative wealth. The wealthiest members of Congress tend to be disproportionately white Democrats and the least wealthy members non-whites. Along with being more likely to be white relatively wealthy members of Congress also tend to represent wealthier constituencies.
Winter and Summer Home Ranges of American White Pelicans( Pelecanus erythrorhynchos ) Captured at Loafing Sites in the Southeastern United States

Abstract. Satellite telemetry was used to investigate summer and winter home ranges for resident and migrant American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) captured in the southeastern United States between 2002 and 2007. Home range utilization distributions were calculated using 50% and 95% kernel density estimators with the plug-in bandwidth selector. Mean summer home ranges (95%) varied from 177 to 4,710 km2 and mean winter home ranges (95%) ranged from 185 to 916 km2. Mean 50% and 95% home ranges of adult American White Pelicans during summer tended to be larger than those during winter, whereas mean 50% and 95% home ranges of immature pelicans during summer tended to be smaller than those during winter. Home ranges for all American White Pelicans encompassed the latitude range of 24°–55° N, including wintering, stop over, and nesting habitat. These data provide baseline movement and home range data for future studies of American White Pelican ecology.
Ethics and the American Advertising Federation Principles

Much has been written about ethical issues in the advertising industry. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of recent American Advertising Federation principles that provide ethical guidelines to the industry. Two research questions were examined: (1) ‘To what extent does advertising conform to the principles proposed by the American Advertising Federation?’ and (2) ‘Is conformity with the AAF principles within advertising agencies related to the actions of top management in those agencies?’ A mail survey of advertising professionals at various organizational levels formed the data base.
Gene products promoting remyelination are up-regulated in a cell therapy product manufactured from banked human cord blood

Abstract Background aims DUOC-01, a cell product being developed to treat demyelinating conditions, is composed of macrophages that arise from CD14 + monocytes in the mononuclear cell (MNC) population of banked cord blood (CB). This article demonstrates that expression of multiple gene products that promote remyelination is rapidly up-regulated during manufacturing of DUOC-01 from either MNC or purified CB CD14 + monocytes. Methods Cell cultures were initiated with MNC or with immunoselected CD14 + monocytes isolated from the same CB unit. Cell products present in these cultures after 2 and 3 weeks were compared by three methods. First, quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to compare expression of 77 transcripts previously shown to be differentially expressed by freshly isolated, uncultured CB CD14 + monocytes and DUOC-01. Second, accumulation of 16 soluble proteins in the culture medium was measured by Bioplex methods. Third, whole transcriptomes of the cell products were compared by microarray analysis. Results Key transcripts in multiple pathways that promote remyelination were up-regulated in DUOC-01, and substantial secretion of proteins corresponding to many of these transcripts was detected. Cell products manufactured from MNC or from CD14 + monocytes were similar with regard to all metrics. Upregulation of gene products characteristic of DUOC-01 was largely completed within 14 days of culture. Conclusion We demonstrate that expression of multiple gene products that promote remyelination is up-regulated during the first 2 weeks of manufacturing of DUOC-01. Measuring these mechanistically important transcripts and proteins will be useful in monitoring manufacturing, evaluating manufacturing changes, and developing mechanism-based product potency assays.
Compound heterozygous mutations in COL1A1 associated with an atypical form of type I osteogenesis imperfecta

Heterozygous mutations in the genes encoding the proα1(I) or proα2(I) chains of type I procollagen (COL1A1 and COL1A2, respectively) account for most cases of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a disorder characterized by reduced bone strength and increased fracture risk. COL1A1 mutations can also cause rare cases of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a disorder that primarily affects connective tissue and often includes reduced bone mass. Here we present a kindred of three young siblings ages 1-4 years old whose mother has a history of mild type I OI. All three children are compound heterozygotes for COL1A1 mutations, with a novel frameshift mutation (c.2522delC; p.Pro841Leufs*266) from their mother and a known missense mutation (c.3196C>T; p.R1066C) from their clinically unaffected father, which has previously been described as causing a combined type I OI/EDS phenotype. The three children exhibit features of both COL1A1 mutations: early and frequent long bone fractures, joint hyperextensibility, and blue sclerae. We describe three siblings who are the first reported surviving subjects with biallelic pathogenic COL1A1 mutations. They have a more severe form of type I OI with features of EDS that represents their compound heterozygosity for two deleterious COL1A1 mutations. Their long-term outcomes are yet to be determined.
Wee Women’s Work

Donahoe argues that women were at the forefront of this community development because it was driven by care work or soft “bread and butter” issues. As a new field, community development provided an ungendered space for public engagement. Women’s organizations are important actors in their communities because of the range of services that they provide. Women can engage across the interfaces of Northern Ireland, growing networks, sharing lessons learned, and building the capacities of their local communities in a positive sum game that does not threaten the status quo but contributes to slow peace. Where men were actively engaged in the politics of violence, community development was seen as “wee women’s work.”
Abstract 5556: Widespread protein interactome network rewiring in human cancer

In the past decade, genome and exome sequencing projects have identified thousands of genetic variants in patients across a large number of cancer types. However, the explosion of genomic information has left many fundamental questions regarding genotype-phenotype relationships unresolved. One critical challenge is to distinguish causal disease mutations from non-pathogenic polymorphisms. Even when causal mutations are identified, the functional consequence of such mutations is often elusive. Classical “one gene, one function, one disease” models can not reconcile with the complexity that different mutations of the same gene often lead to different phenotypes. The extent to which network perturbations are involved in disease malfunction and how distinct interaction perturbation patterns can distinguish cancer mutations are largely unknown. Here we report a systematic approach to investigate genetic variant-specific effects on molecular interactions at large scale across diverse human cancers. Remarkably, in comparison to non-disease polymorphisms, disease mutations are more likely to associate with interaction perturbations. A large fraction of missense disease mutations are found to cause protein interaction alterations. While some result in loss of all their interactions, many exhibit selective elimination of specific interactions (“edgetic”). Different mutations of the same gene give rise to different interaction profiles, accounting for distinct disease outcomes. Edgetic mutations perturb interactions through disrupting specific interaction interfaces, and the perturbed partners are more likely expressed in relevant disease tissue. Together, our approach is insightful in prioritizing disease-causing variants, and uncovering patient mutation-specific disease mechanisms at a base-pair resolution, a critical step towards personalized precision medicine. Furthermore, our results suggest distinct interaction perturbations as a widespread mechanism underlying genetic heterogeneity, providing a fundamental link between genotype and phenotype in cancer. Citation Format: Song Yi, Nidhi Sahni. Widespread protein interactome network rewiring in human cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5556. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5556