Showing papers by "University of Utah published in 2003"
Baylor College of Medicine1, Chinese Academy of Sciences2, Chinese National Human Genome Center3, University of Hong Kong4, The Chinese University of Hong Kong5, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology6, Illumina7, McGill University8, Washington University in St. Louis9, University of California, San Francisco10, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute11, Beijing Normal University12, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido13, Shinshu University14, University of Tsukuba15, Howard University16, University of Ibadan17, Case Western Reserve University18, University of Utah19, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory20, Johns Hopkins University21, University of Oxford22, North Carolina State University23, National Institutes of Health24, Massachusetts Institute of Technology25, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences26, Kyoto University27, Nagasaki University28, Wellcome Trust29, Genome Canada30, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health31, University of Maryland, Baltimore32, Vanderbilt University33, Stanford University34, University of California, Berkeley35, New York University36, University of Oklahoma37, University of New Mexico38, Université de Montréal39, University of California, Los Angeles40, University of Michigan41, University of Wisconsin-Madison42, London School of Economics and Political Science43, Genetic Alliance44, GlaxoSmithKline45, University of Washington46, Harvard University47, University of Chicago48, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center49, University of Tokyo50
TL;DR: The HapMap will allow the discovery of sequence variants that affect common disease, will facilitate development of diagnostic tools, and will enhance the ability to choose targets for therapeutic intervention.
Abstract: The goal of the International HapMap Project is to determine the common patterns of DNA sequence variation in the human genome and to make this information freely available in the public domain. An international consortium is developing a map of these patterns across the genome by determining the genotypes of one million or more sequence variants, their frequencies and the degree of association between them, in DNA samples from populations with ancestry from parts of Africa, Asia and Europe. The HapMap will allow the discovery of sequence variants that affect common disease, will facilitate development of diagnostic tools, and will enhance our ability to choose targets for therapeutic intervention.
5,926 citations
TL;DR: This article found that self-esteem does not predict the quality or duration of relationships, nor does it predict the likelihood of cheating and bullying in children, and the highest and lowest rates of cheating were found in different subcategories of high selfesteem.
Abstract: Self-esteem has become a household word. Teachers, parents, therapists, and others have focused efforts on boosting self-esteem, on the assumption that high self-esteem will cause many positive outcomes and benefits-an assumption that is critically evaluated in this review. Appraisal of the effects of self-esteem is complicated by several factors. Because many people with high self-esteem exaggerate their successes and good traits, we emphasize objective measures of outcomes. High self-esteem is also a heterogeneous category, encompassing people who frankly accept their good qualities along with narcissistic, defensive, and conceited individuals. The modest correlations between self-esteem and school performance do not indicate that high self-esteem leads to good performance. Instead, high self-esteem is partly the result of good school performance. Efforts to boost the self-esteem of pupils have not been shown to improve academic performance and may sometimes be counterproductive. Job performance in adults is sometimes related to self-esteem, although the correlations vary widely, and the direction of causality has not been established. Occupational success may boost self-esteem rather than the reverse. Alternatively, self-esteem may be helpful only in some job contexts. Laboratory studies have generally failed to find that self-esteem causes good task performance, with the important exception that high self-esteem facilitates persistence after failure. People high in self-esteem claim to be more likable and attractive, to have better relationships, and to make better impressions on others than people with low self-esteem, but objective measures disconfirm most of these beliefs. Narcissists are charming at first but tend to alienate others eventually. Self-esteem has not been shown to predict the quality or duration of relationships. High self-esteem makes people more willing to speak up in groups and to criticize the group's approach. Leadership does not stem directly from self-esteem, but self-esteem may have indirect effects. Relative to people with low self-esteem, those with high self-esteem show stronger in-group favoritism, which may increase prejudice and discrimination. Neither high nor low self-esteem is a direct cause of violence. Narcissism leads to increased aggression in retaliation for wounded pride. Low self-esteem may contribute to externalizing behavior and delinquency, although some studies have found that there are no effects or that the effect of self-esteem vanishes when other variables are controlled. The highest and lowest rates of cheating and bullying are found in different subcategories of high self-esteem. Self-esteem has a strong relation to happiness. Although the research has not clearly established causation, we are persuaded that high self-esteem does lead to greater happiness. Low self-esteem is more likely than high to lead to depression under some circumstances. Some studies support the buffer hypothesis, which is that high self-esteem mitigates the effects of stress, but other studies come to the opposite conclusion, indicating that the negative effects of low self-esteem are mainly felt in good times. Still others find that high self-esteem leads to happier outcomes regardless of stress or other circumstances. High self-esteem does not prevent children from smoking, drinking, taking drugs, or engaging in early sex. If anything, high self-esteem fosters experimentation, which may increase early sexual activity or drinking, but in general effects of self-esteem are negligible. One important exception is that high self-esteem reduces the chances of bulimia in females. Overall, the benefits of high self-esteem fall into two categories: enhanced initiative and pleasant feelings. We have not found evidence that boosting self-esteem (by therapeutic interventions or school programs) causes benefits. Our findings do not support continued widespread efforts to boost self-esteem in the hope that it will by itself foster improved outcomes. In view of the heterogeneity of high self-esteem, indiscriminate praise might just as easily promote narcissism, with its less desirable consequences. Instead, we recommend using praise to boost self-esteem as a reward for socially desirable behavior and self-improvement.
3,262 citations
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center1, Harvard University2, Indiana University3, University of Minnesota4, University of Utah5, Boston University6, University of California, San Diego7, Kaiser Permanente8, Virginia Commonwealth University9, Eastern Virginia Medical School10, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center11, Mayo Clinic12
TL;DR: These guidelines differ from those published in 1997 in several ways: the screening interval for double contrast barium enema has been shortened to 5 years, and colonoscopy is the preferred test for the diagnostic investigation of patients with findings on screening and for screening patients with a family history of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.
2,196 citations
TL;DR: The results lend support to the hypothesis that telomere shortening in human beings contributes to mortality in many age-related diseases.
1,642 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a low-noise low-power biosignal amplifiers capable of amplifying signals in the millihertz-to-kilohertz range while rejecting large dc offsets generated at the electrode-tissue interface is presented.
Abstract: There is a need among scientists and clinicians for low-noise low-power biosignal amplifiers capable of amplifying signals in the millihertz-to-kilohertz range while rejecting large dc offsets generated at the electrode-tissue interface. The advent of fully implantable multielectrode arrays has created the need for fully integrated micropower amplifiers. We designed and tested a novel bioamplifier that uses a MOS-bipolar pseudoresistor element to amplify low-frequency signals down to the millihertz range while rejecting large dc offsets. We derive the theoretical noise-power tradeoff limit - the noise efficiency factor - for this amplifier and demonstrate that our VLSI implementation approaches this limit by selectively operating MOS transistors in either weak or strong inversion. The resulting amplifier, built in a standard 1.5-/spl mu/m CMOS process, passes signals from 0.025Hz to 7.2 kHz with an input-referred noise of 2.2 /spl mu/Vrms and a power dissipation of 80 /spl mu/W while consuming 0.16 mm/sup 2/ of chip area. Our design technique was also used to develop an electroencephalogram amplifier having a bandwidth of 30 Hz and a power dissipation of 0.9 /spl mu/W while maintaining a similar noise-power tradeoff.
1,572 citations
TL;DR: It is estimated that a single infectious case of SARS will infect about three secondary cases in a population that has not yet instituted control measures, and public-health efforts to reduce transmission are expected to have a substantial impact on reducing the size of the epidemic.
Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a recently described illness of humans that has spread widely over the past 6 months. With the use of detailed epidemiologic data from Singapore and epidemic curves from other settings, we estimated the reproductive number for SARS in the absence of interventions and in the presence of control efforts. We estimate that a single infectious case of SARS will infect about three secondary cases in a population that has not yet instituted control measures. Public-health efforts to reduce transmission are expected to have a substantial impact on reducing the size of the epidemic.
1,409 citations
Wake Forest University1, National Institutes of Health2, George Washington University3, Wayne State University4, University of Tennessee Health Science Center5, University of Chicago6, University of Alabama7, Columbia University8, University of Cincinnati9, University of Utah10, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center11, University of Pittsburgh12, Ohio State University13, Thomas Jefferson University14, University of Texas at San Antonio15, University of Miami16, Brown University17, Case Western Reserve University18, University of Texas at Austin19, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill20, Northwestern University21
TL;DR: In this paper, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving pregnant women with a documented history of spontaneous preterm delivery was conducted, where women were enrolled at 19 clinical centers at 16 to 20 weeks of gestation.
Abstract: Background Women who have had a spontaneous preterm delivery are at greatly increased risk for preterm delivery in subsequent pregnancies. The results of several small trials have suggested that 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17P) may reduce the risk of preterm delivery. Methods We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving pregnant women with a documented history of spontaneous preterm delivery. Women were enrolled at 19 clinical centers at 16 to 20 weeks of gestation and randomly assigned by a central data center, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive either weekly injections of 250 mg of 17P or weekly injections of an inert oil placebo; injections were continued until delivery or to 36 weeks of gestation. The primary outcome was preterm delivery before 37 weeks of gestation. Analysis was performed according to the intention-to-treat principle. Results Base-line characteristics of the 310 women in the progesterone group and the 153 women in the placebo group were similar. Treatment with 1...
1,314 citations
TL;DR: High-resolution melting analysis of PCR products amplified in the presence of LCGreen can identify both heterozygous and homozygous sequence variants, and is a promising method for mutation screening.
Abstract: Background: High-resolution amplicon melting analysis was recently introduced as a closed-tube method for genotyping and mutation scanning (Gundry et al. Clin Chem 2003;49:396–406). The technique required a fluorescently labeled primer and was limited to the detection of mutations residing in the melting domain of the labeled primer. Our aim was to develop a closed-tube system for genotyping and mutation scanning that did not require labeled oligonucleotides.
Methods: We studied polymorphisms in the hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A (HTR2A) gene (T102C), β-globin (hemoglobins S and C) gene, and cystic fibrosis (F508del, F508C, I507del) gene. PCR was performed in the presence of the double-stranded DNA dye LCGreen, and high-resolution amplicon melting curves were obtained. After fluorescence normalization, temperature adjustment, and/or difference analysis, sequence alterations were distinguished by curve shape and/or position. Heterozygous DNA was identified by the low-temperature melting of heteroduplexes not observed with other dyes commonly used in real-time PCR.
Results: The six common β-globin genotypes (AA, AS, AC, SS, CC, and SC) were all distinguished in a 110-bp amplicon. The HTR2A single-nucleotide polymorphism was genotyped in a 544-bp fragment that split into two melting domains. Because melting curve acquisition required only 1–2 min, amplification and analysis were achieved in 10–20 min with rapid cycling conditions.
Conclusions: High-resolution melting analysis of PCR products amplified in the presence of LCGreen can identify both heterozygous and homozygous sequence variants. The technique requires only the usual unlabeled primers and a generic double-stranded DNA dye added before PCR for amplicon genotyping, and is a promising method for mutation screening.
1,278 citations
University of Pennsylvania1, New York University2, National Institutes of Health3, National Institute for Health and Welfare4, Cardiff University5, University of Bonn6, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine7, Harvard University8, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey9, Rutgers University10, Columbia University11, University of Louisville12, University College London13, Uppsala University14, University of Utah15, University of California, Irvine16, Queen's University Belfast17, Virginia Commonwealth University18, University of Helsinki19, University of California, Los Angeles20, University of Geneva21, University of Queensland22, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai23, University of Iowa24, Washington University in St. Louis25, University of Toronto26
TL;DR: The GSMA produced significant genomewide evidence for linkage on chromosome 2q and suggests that some or all of these regions contain loci that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia in diverse populations.
Abstract: Schizophrenia is a common disorder with high heritability and a 10-fold increase in risk to siblings of probands. Replication has been inconsistent for reports of significant genetic linkage. To assess evidence for linkage across studies, rank-based genome scan meta-analysis (GSMA) was applied to data from 20 schizophrenia genome scans. Each marker for each scan was assigned to 1 of 120 30-cM bins, with the bins ranked by linkage scores (1 = most significant) and the ranks averaged across studies (R(avg)) and then weighted for sample size (N(sqrt)[affected casess]). A permutation test was used to compute the probability of observing, by chance, each bin's average rank (P(AvgRnk)) or of observing it for a bin with the same place (first, second, etc.) in the order of average ranks in each permutation (P(ord)). The GSMA produced significant genomewide evidence for linkage on chromosome 2q (PAvgRnk<.000417). Two aggregate criteria for linkage were also met (clusters of nominally significant P values that did not occur in 1,000 replicates of the entire data set with no linkage present): 12 consecutive bins with both P(AvgRnk) and P(ord)<.05, including regions of chromosomes 5q, 3p, 11q, 6p, 1q, 22q, 8p, 20q, and 14p, and 19 consecutive bins with P(ord)<.05, additionally including regions of chromosomes 16q, 18q, 10p, 15q, 6q, and 17q. There is greater consistency of linkage results across studies than has been previously recognized. The results suggest that some or all of these regions contain loci that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia in diverse populations.
1,176 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used a sample of 800 firms in eight East Asian countries to study the effect of ownership structure on value during the region's financial crisis, and found that firms with high levels of control rights, but have separated their control and cash flow ownership, are 10-20 percentage points lower than those of other firms.
Abstract: We use a sample of 800 firms in eight East Asian countries to study the effect of ownership structure on value during the region's financial crisis. The crisis negatively impacted firms' investment opportunities, raising the incentives of controlling shareholders to expropriate minority investors. Crisis period stock returns of firms in which managers have high levels of control rights, but have separated their control and cash flow ownership, are 10-20 percentage points lower than those of other firms. The evidence is consistent with the view that ownership structure plays an important role in determining whether insiders expropriate minority shareholders. CONFLICT OF INTEREST BETWEEN CORPORATE INSIDERS (controlling shareholders and managers) and outside investors is central to the analysis of the modern corporation in which insiders have less than full ownership of the cash flow rights of the firm (Berle and Means (1932) and Jensen and Meckling (1976)). These analyses suggest that the firm's ownership structure is a primary determinant of the extent of agency problems between controlling insiders and outside investors, which has important implications for the valuation of the firm. The insiders who control corporate assets can potentially expropriate outside investors by diverting resources for their personal use or by committing funds to unprofitable projects that provide private benefits. By diverting resources for private benefit, controlling managers have the opportunity to increase their current wealth or perquisite consumption without bearing the full cost of their actions.1 Alternatively, by investing resources within the firm in positive NPV projects,
1,072 citations
11 Jul 2003
TL;DR: A bootstrapping process that learns linguistically rich extraction patterns for subjective (opinionated) expressions while maintaining high precision is presented.
Abstract: This paper presents a bootstrapping process that learns linguistically rich extraction patterns for subjective (opinionated) expressions. High-precision classifiers label unannotated data to automatically create a large training set, which is then given to an extraction pattern learning algorithm. The learned patterns are then used to identify more subjective sentences. The bootstrapping process learns many subjective patterns and increases recall while maintaining high precision.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the relation between cross listing in the United States and the information environment of non-U.S. firms and found that cross-listed firms have better information environments, which are associated with higher market valuations.
Abstract: This paper investigates the relation between cross listing in the United States and the information environment of non-U.S. firms. We find that firms that cross list on U.S. exchanges have greater analyst coverage and increased forecast accuracy than firms that are not cross listed. A time-series analysis shows that a change in analyst coverage and forecast accuracy occurs around cross listing. We also document that firms that have more analyst coverage and higher forecast accuracy have higher valuations. Furthermore, the change in firm value around cross listing is correlated with changes in analyst following and forecast accuracy, suggesting that cross listing enhances firm value through its effect on the firm's information environment. Our findings support the hypothesis that cross-listed firms have better information environments, which are associated with higher market valuations.
TL;DR: This article investigated whether management stock ownership and large non-management blockholder share ownership are related to firm value across a sample of 1433 firms from 18 emerging markets and found that when a management group's control rights exceed its cash flow rights, the firm values are lower.
Abstract: This paper investigates whether management stock ownership and large non-management blockholder share ownership are related to firm value across a sample of 1433 firms from 18 emerging markets. When a management group's control rights exceed its cash flow rights, I find that firm values are lower. I also find that large non-management control rights blockholdings are positively related to firm value. Both of these effects are significantly more pronounced in countries with low shareholder protection. One interpretation of these results is that external shareholder protection mechanisms play a role in restraining managerial agency costs and that large non-management blockholders can act as a partial substitute for missing institutional governance mechanisms.
TL;DR: Azithromycin treatment was associated with improvement in clinically relevant end points and should be considered for patients with CF who are 6 years or older and chronically infected with P aeruginosa.
Abstract: ContextTreatment strategies for cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease include antibiotics,
mucolytics, and anti-inflammatory therapies. Increasing evidence suggests
that macrolide antibiotics might be beneficial in patients with CF.ObjectiveTo determine if an association between azithromycin use and pulmonary
function exists in patients with CF.Design and SettingA multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted
from December 15, 2000, to May 2, 2002, at 23 CF care centers in the United
States.ParticipantsOf the 251 screened participants with a diagnosis of CF, 185 (74%) were
randomized. Eligibility criteria included age 6 years or older, infection
with Pseudomonas aeruginosa for 1 or more years,
and a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) of 30% or more.
Participants were stratified by FEV1 (≥60% predicted vs <60%
predicted), weight of less than 40 kg vs 40 kg or more, and CF center.InterventionThe active group (n = 87) received 250 mg (weight <40 kg) or 500
mg (weight ≥40 kg) of oral azithromycin 3 days a week for 168 days; placebo
group (n = 98) received identically packaged tablets.Main Outcome MeasuresChange in FEV1 from day 0 to completion of therapy at day
168 and determination of safety. Secondary outcomes included pulmonary exacerbations
and weight gain.ResultsThe azithromycin group had a mean 0.097-L (SD, 0.26) increase in FEV1 at day 168 compared with 0.003 L (SD, 0.23) in the placebo group (mean
difference, 0.094 L; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.023-0.165; P = .009). Nausea occurred in 17% more participatns in the azithromycin
group (P = .01), diarrhea in 15% more (P = .009), and wheezing in 13% more (P = .007).
Participants in the azithromycin group had less risk of experiencing an exacerbation
than participants in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.44-0.95; P = .03) and weighed at the end of the study an average
0.7 kg more than participants receiving placebo (95% CI, 0.1-1.4 kg; P = .02).ConclusionAzithromycin treatment was associated with improvement in clinically
relevant end points and should be considered for patients with CF who are
6 years or older and chronically infected with P aeruginosa.
TL;DR: The authors examined the relation between measurement system satisfaction, economic performance, and two general approaches to strategic performance measurement: greater measurement diversity and improved alignment with firm strategy and value drivers, and found that greater measurement emphasis and diversity than predicted by the benchmark model is associated with higher satisfaction and stock market performance.
Abstract: This study examines the relation between measurement system satisfaction, economic performance, and two general approaches to strategic performance measurement: greater measurement diversity and improved alignment with firm strategy and value drivers. We find consistent evidence that firms making more extensive use of a broad set of financial and (particularly) non-financial measures than firms with similar strategies or value drivers have higher measurement system satisfaction and stock market returns. However, we find little support for the alignment hypothesis that more or less extensive measurement than predicted by the firm's strategy or value drivers adversely affect performance. Instead, our results indicate that greater measurement emphasis and diversity than predicted by our benchmark model is associated with higher satisfaction and stock market performance. Our results also suggest that greater measurement diversity relative to firms with similar value drivers has a stronger relationship with stock market performance than greater measurement on an absolute scale. Finally, the balanced scorecard process, economic value measurement, and causal business modeling are associated with higher measurement system satisfaction, but exhibit almost no association with economic performance.
TL;DR: A general method for improving the efficiency of gene targeting would be valuable in many circumstances, as would the extension of this genetic tool to a wider range of applications.
Abstract: Gene targeting—the process of gene replacement by homologous recombination—is a very useful but typically inefficient technique ( [1][1] ). A general method for improving the efficiency of gene targeting would be valuable in many circumstances, as would the extension of this genetic tool to a
TL;DR: In this paper, the evolution of integrated virus genomes (prophages) is analyzed using nucleotide sequence analysis, and it is shown that some prophages can lie in residence for very long times, perhaps millions of years, and that recombination events have occurred between related Prophages that reside at different locations in a bacterium's genome.
Abstract: Epigraph
There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.
Mark Twain 1883
Life on the Mississippi
Summary Bacterial genome nucleotide sequences are being completed at a rapid and increasing rate. Integrated virus genomes (prophages) are common in such genomes. Fifty-one of the 82 such genomes published to date carry prophages, and these contain 230 recognizable putative prophages. Prophages can constitute as much as 10–20% of a bacterium's genome and are major contributors to differences between individuals within species. Many of these prophages appear to be defective and are in a state of mutational decay. Prophages, including defective ones, can contribute important biological properties to their bacterial hosts. Therefore, if we are to comprehend bacterial genomes fully, it is essential that we are able to recognize accurately and understand their prophages from nucleotide sequence analysis. Analysis of the evolution of prophages can shed light on the evolution of both bacteriophages and their hosts. Comparison of the Rac prophages in the sequenced genomes of three Escherichia coli strains and the Pnm prophages in two Neisseria meningitidis strains suggests that some prophages can lie in residence for very long times, perhaps millions of years, and that recombination events have occurred between related prophages that reside at different locations in a bacterium's genome. In addition, many genes in defective prophages remain functional, so a significant portion of the temperate bacteriophage gene pool resides in prophages.
TL;DR: A small region on chromosome 7q that shows strong linkage disequilibrium between single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and PTC taste sensitivity in unrelated subjects and a single gene that encodes a member of the TAS2R bitter taste receptor family is identified.
Abstract: The ability to taste the substance phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) has been widely used for genetic and anthropological studies, but genetic studies have produced conflicting results and demonstrated complex inheritance for this trait. We have identified a small region on chromosome 7q that shows strong linkage disequilibrium between single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and PTC taste sensitivity in unrelated subjects. This region contains a single gene that encodes a member of the TAS2R bitter taste receptor family. We identified three coding SNPs giving rise to five haplotypes in this gene worldwide. These haplotypes completely explain the bimodal distribution of PTC taste sensitivity, thus accounting for the inheritance of the classically defined taste insensitivity and for 55 to 85% of the variance in PTC sensitivity. Distinct phenotypes were associated with specific haplotypes, which demonstrates that this gene has a direct influence on PTC taste sensitivity and that sequence variants at different sites interact with each other within the encoded gene product.
TL;DR: A protein network required for human MVB biogenesis is defined and indicates that the entire network participates in the release of HIV and probably many other viruses.
TL;DR: In this paper, Hierarchical linear modeling analyses are used to examine attachment to the home and attachment to a block/neighborhood for over 600 residents of a neighborhood with a history of gradual decline.
TL;DR: Retinal remodeling is not plasticity, but represents the invocation of mechanisms resembling developmental and CNS plasticities and together, neuronal remodeling and the formation of the glial seal may abrogate many cellular and bionic rescue strategies.
TL;DR: This article developed a phenomenological account of desire and found that desire is regarded as a powerful cyclic emotion that is both discomforting and pleasurable, and that self-seduction, longing, desire for desire, fear of being without desire, hopefulness, and tensions between seduction and morality underlie and drive the pursuit of desire.
Abstract: Desire is the motivating force behind much of contemporary consumption. Yet consumer research has devoted little specific attention to passionate and fanciful consumer desire. This article is grounded in consumers' everyday experiences of longing for and fantasizing about particular goods. Based on journals, interviews, projective data, and inquiries into daily discourses in three cultures (the United States, Turkey, and Denmark), we develop a phenomenological account of desire. We find that desire is regarded as a powerful cyclic emotion that is both discomforting and pleasurable. Desire is an embodied passion involving a quest for otherness, sociality, danger, and inaccessibility. Underlying and driving the pursuit of desire, we find self-seduction, longing, desire for desire, fear of being without desire, hopefulness, and tensions between seduction and morality. We discuss theoretical implications of these processes for consumer research.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors test overreaction theories of short-run momentum and long-run reversal in the cross section of stock returns and find that macroeconomic factors are unable to explain momentum profits after simple methodological adjustments to take account of microstructure concerns.
Abstract: We test overreaction theories of short-run momentum and long-run reversal in the cross section of stock returns. Momentum profits depend on the state of the market, as predicted. From 1929 to 1995, the mean monthly momentum profit following positive market returns is 0.93 percent, whereas the mean profit following negative market returns is negative 0.37 percent. The up-market momentum reverses in the long-run. Our results are robust to the conditioning information in macroeconomic factors. Moreover, we find that macroeconomic factors are unable to explain momentum profits after simple methodological adjustments to take account of microstructure concerns.
TL;DR: The structural and catalytic requirements for methyltransfer from AdoMet appear to be remarkably flexible.
TL;DR: Etanercept is a highly effective and well tolerated treatment in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis and the safety profile of etanercept was similar to that reported in studies of patients with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis.
Abstract: Objective
To determine the safety and efficacy of etanercept in a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of adults with moderate to severe active ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
Methods
Patients (n = 277) were treated with either etanercept 25 mg (n = 138) or placebo (n = 139) subcutaneously twice weekly for 24 weeks. The primary outcome measures were the percentages of patients achieving the Assessments in Ankylosing Spondylitis 20% response (ASAS20) at weeks 12 and 24. Other outcome measures included the percentage of patients achieving higher ASAS responses, and the safety of etanercept in patients with AS. All outcome measures were assessed at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks.
Results
Treatment with etanercept resulted in dramatic improvement. The ASAS20 was achieved by 59% of patients in the etanercept group and by 28% of patients in the placebo group (P < 0.0001) at week 12, and by 57% and 22% of patients, respectively, at week 24 (P < 0.0001). All individual ASAS components, acute-phase reactant levels, and spinal mobility measures were also significantly improved. The safety profile of etanercept was similar to that reported in studies of patients with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis. The only adverse events that occurred significantly more often in the etanercept group were injection-site reactions, accidental injuries, and upper respiratory tract infections.
Conclusion
Etanercept is a highly effective and well tolerated treatment in patients with active AS.
TL;DR: The authors presented a comprehensive analysis of the diurnal cycle of the observed precipitation features' rainfall amount, precipitation feature frequency, rainfall intensity, convective-stratiform rainfall portioning, and remotely sensed convective intensity, sampled Tropicswide from space.
Abstract: The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite measurements from the precipitation radar and TRMM microwave imager have been combined to yield a comprehensive 3-yr database of precipitation features (PFs) throughout the global Tropics (±36° latitude). The PFs retrieved using this algorithm (which number nearly six million Tropicswide) have been sorted by size and intensity ranging from small shallow features greater than 75 km2 in area to large mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) according to their radar and ice scattering characteristics. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the diurnal cycle of the observed precipitation features' rainfall amount, precipitation feature frequency, rainfall intensity, convective–stratiform rainfall portioning, and remotely sensed convective intensity, sampled Tropicswide from space. The observations are sorted regionally to examine the stark differences in the diurnal cycle of rainfall and convective intensity over land and ocean areas. Over ...
TL;DR: Simulations show that the deflection term is less sensitive than the major eigenvector to image noise and is promising for mapping the organizational patterns of white matter in the human brain as well as mapping the relationship between major fiber trajectories and the location and extent of brain lesions.
Abstract: Diffusion tensor MRI provides unique directional diffusion information that can be used to estimate the patterns of white matter connectivity in the human brain. In this study, the behavior of an algorithm for white matter tractography is examined. The algorithm, called TEND, uses the entire diffusion tensor to deflect the estimated fiber trajectory. Simulations and imaging experiments on in vivo human brains were performed to investigate the behavior of the tractography algorithm. The simulations show that the deflection term is less sensitive than the major eigenvector to image noise. In the human brain imaging experiments, estimated tracts were generated in corpus callosum, corticospinal tract, internal capsule, corona radiata, superior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, fronto-occipital fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus. This approach is promising for mapping the organizational patterns of white matter in the human brain as well as mapping the relationship between major fiber trajectories and the location and extent of brain lesions. Hum. Brain Mapping 18:306 -321, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used the Keeling plot method to determine the carbon isotope composition of ecosystem respiration (d 13 CR) in order to better understand the processes controlling ecosystem isotope discrimination.
Abstract: [1] Photosynthesis and respiration impart distinct isotopic signatures to the atmosphere that are used to constrain global carbon source/sink estimates and partition ecosystem fluxes. Increasingly, the ‘‘Keeling plot’’ method is being used to determine the carbon isotope composition of ecosystem respiration (d 13 CR) in order to better understand the processes controlling ecosystem isotope discrimination. In this paper we synthesize emergent patterns in d 13 CR by analyzing 146 Keeling plots constructed at 33 sites across North and South America. In order to interpret results from disparate studies, we discuss the assumptions underlying the Keeling plot method and recommend standardized methods for determining d 13 CR. These include the use of regression calculations that account for error in the x variable, and constraining estimates of d 13 CR to nighttime periods. We then recalculate d 13 CR uniformly for all sites. We found a high degree of temporal and spatial variability in C3 ecosystems, with individual observations ranging from � 19.0 to � 32.6%. Mean C3 ecosystem discrimination was 18.3%. Precipitation was a major driver of both temporal and spatial variability of d 13 CR, suggesting (1) a large influence of recently fixed carbon on ecosystem respiration and (2) a significant effect of previous climatic effects on d 13 CR. These results illustrate the importance of water availability as a key control on atmospheric 13 CO2 and highlight the potential of d 13 CR as a useful tool for integrating environmental effects on dynamic canopy and ecosystem processes. INDEX TERMS: 0315 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Biosphere/atmosphere interactions; 0322 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Constituent sources and sinks; 1615 Global Change: Biogeochemical processes (4805); 1694 Global Change: Instruments and techniques; 3322 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Land/atmosphere interactions; KEYWORDS: carbon cycle, carbon isotopes, ecosystem respiration, carbon dioxide, terrestrial ecosystems
TL;DR: In vitro results demonstrated that the mixed micelles were more effective in tumor cell kill due to accelerated drug release and folate receptor-mediated tumor uptake and after internalization polyHis was found to be effective for cytosolic ADR delivery by virtue of fusogenic activity.
TL;DR: It is found that many arboreal ant species obtain little N through predation and scavenging, and microsymbionts of ants and their hemipteran trophobionts might play key roles in the nutrition of taxa specializing on N-poor exudates.
Abstract: The extraordinary abundance of ants in tropical rainforest canopies has led to speculation that numerous arboreal ant taxa feed principally as “herbivores” of plant and insect exudates. Based on nitrogen (N) isotope ratios of plants, known herbivores, arthropod predators, and ants from Amazonia and Borneo, we find that many arboreal ant species obtain little N through predation and scavenging. Microsymbionts of ants and their hemipteran trophobionts might play key roles in the nutrition of taxa specializing on N-poor exudates. For plants, the combined costs of biotic defenses and herbivory by ants and tended Hemiptera are substantial, and forest losses to insect herbivores vastly exceed current estimates.