cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health care reform: the doorway to health care transformation.

On March 23, 2010, US President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 20101,2 (Pub L. No. 111–148). At his side was Marcelas Owens, an 11-year-old boy whose mother had passed away after she lost her health insurance. Several days later, President Obama signed a companion piece of legislation (Pub L. No. 111–152)3 that created an unprecedented health reform package. The signing of these bills is indeed historic—the United States has finally acknowledged that health care access should be available for every citizen. Health reform puts into place the mechanisms for a transformation of health care delivery to meet the needs of children like Marcelas, his neighbors, and all Americans in the 21st century. In 2008, the United States spent more than $2.3 trillion on health care, which translates to $7681 per capita.4 It was projected that by 2020, 67 million Americans were slated to be uninsured, and the premiums for families were projected to cost $25000 per year.5 Compared with all other developed nations, the United States spends more on health care and has little to … Address correspondence to Judith S. Palfrey, MD, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: jspalfrey{at}aap.net
Individual Differences in the Onset of Tense Marking: A Growth-Curve Analysis.

The purpose of this study was to explore individual differences in children’s tense onset growth trajectories and to determine whether any within- or between-child predictors could account for thes...
Chlamydial lower genital tract infection and spontaneous abortion.

Objective: Few previous studies have examined the role that acute Chlamydia trachomatis lower genital tract infection plays in the development of spontaneous abortion. This study evaluated cervical C. trachomatis infections among 52 women experiencing spontaneous abortion and 59 controls.
Designing alliance networks: the influence of network position, environmental change, and strategy on firm performance

Alliance networks are strategic decisions involving trade-offs between two stylized structural design choices: prominent and entrepreneurial. Prominent alliance networks emphasize benefits arising out of multiple access and affiliation to other prominent firms in the network. An entrepreneurial position, on the other hand, emphasizes brokerage and diversity benefits arising out of access to nonredundant and diverse information. We demonstrate that the performance benefits of each type of alliance network are contingent on environmental change and strategy, and are thus time dependent. Following an environmental change event in the steel industry, alliance networks that were more entrepreneurial performed better, while those that were more prominent suffered performance decline. However, when the change was radical, both types of alliance networks were negatively related to performance. We suggest that following a radical change, industry alliance networks may not have the requisite information necessary for quick and effective strategic responses. Firms pursuing an analyzer strategy performed better when emphasizing a prominent, and to a lesser extent, entrepreneurial alliance network. However, firms that develop an alliance network high on both prominent and entrepreneurial structural positions had lower relative performance. Our results indicate the need for managers to assess their alliance portfolio over time and redesign it based on environmental and strategic contingencies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
POTENTIAL HEALTH CARE COST SAVINGS FROM PCR-BASED RAPID DIAGNOSIS OF ENTEROVIRAL MENINGITIS. † 821

POTENTIAL HEALTH CARE COST SAVINGS FROM PCR-BASED RAPID DIAGNOSIS OF ENTEROVIRAL MENINGITIS. † 821
Persistent venous valves, maldevelopment of the right heart, and coronary artery-ventricular communications

Abstract An unusual malformation of the heart in a newborn infant is described, consisting of persistent venous valves in the right atrium, hypoplasia of the tricuspid valve, pulmonary atresia, and multiple coronary artery-ventricular communications with the right ventricle. Coronary flow to the right heart was shunted through the right ventricle, and focal necrosis was seen in the right ventricular myocardium. The pertinent literature is reviewed and the pathogenesis of the malformation is discussed.
Abstract P3-08-10: Feasibility and promise of a self-directed walking program to reduce joint pain among older breast cancer patients on adjuvant aromatase inhibitors

Background: Most breast cancer cases diagnosed among postmenopausal women are hormone receptor positive (HR+); standard adjuvant endocrine treatment usually includes an aromatase inhibitor (AI). Joint pain/stiffness/achiness (arthralgia) is a common AI side-effect, and AI discontinuation due to this side-effect is an estimated 20-32%. There is a need for effective alternative or adjunctive approaches to arthralgia management that enable survivors to remain on AI therapy while optimizing as pain-free a life as possible. This pilot study investigates the feasibility of a highly scalable 6-week self-directed physical activity (PA) program – Walk With Ease (WWE) – among elderly female breast cancer survivors on AIs who report joint pain. WWE goal: minimum of 30 minutes of walking 5 days a week (150 minutes/week). Methods: Recruitment: BC survivors age 65+ were recruited through the oncology clinic of a university-affiliated hospital. Eligibility: age 65+; Stage I-III breast cancer; currently on AI therapy; self-reported joint pain/stiffness; physician permission to engage in PA; English speaking. Measures: (1) walking – number of days per week and number of minutes per walk, (2) visual analog scales (VAS) for joint pain, fatigue and stiffness, and (3) arthritis self-efficacy (ASE) to manage joint pain and fatigue. Statistics: t-test evaluation of changes in mean values. Results: Sample (N = 20) – mean age 71 (65-87), 85% Caucasian, 35% Conclusions: A moderate-intensity self-directed walking program is feasible for older breast cancer patients on AI therapy and almost doubled the total time of walking per week over a 6 week period. Joint pain, stiffness, and fatigue decreased, and the walking program was perceived as informative and motivational. These data are promising and the WWE intervention warrants testing in a larger randomized trial of breast cancer survivors on AI therapy. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P3-08-10.
Multiple Promoter Elements Interact to Control the Transcription of the Potassium Channel Gene, KCNJ2

Potassium channels play important roles in shaping the electrical properties of excitable cells. Toward understanding the transcriptional regulation of a member of the inwardly rectifying potassium channel family, we have characterized the genomic structure and 5′-proximal promoter of the murineKcnj2 gene (also referred to as IRK1 and Kir2.1). TheKcnj2 transcription unit is composed of two exons separated by a 5.5-kilobase pair intron. Deletion analysis of 5′-flanking sequences identified a promiscuously active 172-base pair minimal promoter, whereas expression from a construct containing additional upstream sequences was cell type-restricted. The minimal promoter contained an E box, a Y box, and three GC box consensus elements but lacked both TATA and CCAAT box elements. The activity of the minimal promoter was found to be controlled by a combination of the activities of the transcription factors Sp1, Sp3, and NF-Y. The interplay between Sp1, Sp3, and NF-Y within the architecture of theKcnj2 promoter, the ubiquitous nature of thesetrans-acting factors, and the action of tissue-selective repressor element(s) may combine to enable a wide variety of cell types to differentially regulate Kcnj2 expression through transcriptional control.
Cross-polarization scheme for fluorescence detection for biochip and biomedical applications

The trend in medical equipment is toward compact and integrated low cost medical test devices. Fluorescence-based assays are used to identify specific pathogens through the presence of dyes, but typically require specialized microscopes and narrow-band optical filters to extract information. We present a novel method of using polarizers in cross orientation with each other to filter out excitation light and allow detection of low signal levels of fluorescence with a simple intensity-based detector in the presence of high levels of excitation light. This concept is demonstrated using an inverted microscope fitted with a halogen lamp as the excitation source and an organic photovoltaic (PV) cell as the intensity detector. The excitation light is linearly polarized and used to illuminate a microfluidic device containing a 50µl volume of Rhodamine 6G dye dissolved in water. The detector (with a second polarizer orientated perpendicularly to the first) is placed over the microfluidic device. The resulting emission signal was detected by the organic PV cell down to a concentration of 100 nM This suggests that an integrated microfluidic device, with a PV detector and an organic light emitting excitation source and integrated polarizers, could be fabricated to realize a economical "lab on a chip" device for fluorescence assays.
The ovary is an alternative site of origin for high-grade serous ovarian cancer in mice.

Although named “ovarian cancer,” it has been unclear whether the cancer actually arises from the ovary, especially for high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC), also known as high-grade serous ovarian cancer, the most common and deadliest ovarian cancer. In addition, the tumor suppressor p53 is the most frequently mutated gene in HGSC. However, whether mutated p53 can cause HGSC remains unknown. In this study, we bred a p53 mutation, p53R172H, into conditional Dicer-Pten double-knockout (DKO) mice, a mouse model duplicating human HGSC, to generate triple-mutant (TKO) mice. Like DKO mice, these TKO mice develop metastatic HGSCs originating from the fallopian tube. Unlike DKO mice, however, even after fallopian tubes are removed in TKO mice, ovaries alone can develop metastatic HGSCs, indicating that a p53 mutation can drive HGSC arising from the ovary. To confirm this, we generated p53R172H-Pten double-mutant mice, one of the genetic control lines for TKO mice. As anticipated, these double-mutant mice also devel...
Influence of chloramphenicol on some aspects of the metabolism of the parasitoid Encarsia formosa Gahan

Abstract Adult female Encarsia were maintained on a chemically defined artificial medium presented as the sole source of nutriment. Supplementation of the medium with chloramphenicol resulted in an increase in parasite mortality only when extremely high concentrations of the drug were present in the medium. The oxygen consumption of the parasites fed on chloramphenicol-supplemented media increased with increasing concentrations of chloramphenicol. On the other hand, the presence of chloramphenicol in the medium resulted in a decrease in fecundity of the parasite. Decreased amounts of uric acid and TCA-insoluble nitrogenous components of Encarsia homogenates were also detected when high dosages of chloramphenicol were present in the medium. Low concentrations of the drug appeared to be without effect. Supplementation of the medium with chloramphenicol did not result in what could be considered as a favourable effect on Encarsia metabolism as has been reported in studies of the influence of chloramphenicol on silkworm metabolism. A possible mode of action of chloramphenicol on Encarsia metabolism has been discussed in light of the results obtained.
Performance-limitations in Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/-based heterojunction solar cells

Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)/sub 2/ (CIGS) solar cells have been modeled using analytical and computer models. A detailed set of parameters was developed for the AMPS computer program along with a procedure for estimating band edge positions from composition depth profiles. Three solar cells were modeled. An ungraded University of Delaware absorber provided a basic set of parameter values. These were modified only in density of defects to model the other devices. Results suggest that the defect density in the absorber limited device performance. Carrier mobilities have a moderate effect on model results, while acceptor density has a much larger effect. In the Shell (Siemens) Solar device, sulfur penetration beyond the depletion region may also have contributed to lower red-response.
Money demand heterogeneity and the great moderation

Abstract A forward-looking model of the demand for money based on heterogeneous and sluggish-portfolio adjustment can simultaneously account for the low short-run and high long-run semi-elasticities reported in the literature. The parameter estimates from the model for the short-run and long-run interest semi-elasticities are 1.04 and 13.16, respectively. A simulated version of the model suggests that the Great Moderation can be partially attributed to financial innovations in the late 1970s. When moving toward a more flexible portfolio, the model can account for almost one-third of the observed decline in the volatilities of output, consumption, and investment.
Role of protein kinase pathways in IL-1-induced chemoattractant expression by human mesangial cells

Role of protein kinase pathways in IL-1-induced chemoattractant expression by human mesangial cells. Human mesangial cells produce the monocyte-specific chemotactic factor monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in response to a variety of stimuli, including the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1). The intracellular signals responsible for mediating the effects of IL-1 on MCP-1 expression in human mesangial cells have not been defined. Evidence from other types of cells suggests that protein kinases are involved in MCP-1 gene regulation. We investigated the role of protein kinase pathways in mediating IL-1-induced MCP-1 expression. Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by phorbol esters or diacyglycerol up-regulated mesangial MCP-1 message and bioactivity in a fashion similar to IL-1. However, while inhibition of PKC activity completely blocked phorbol-induced MCP-1 up-regulation, induction by IL-1 was not prevented. Inhibitors of cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKA) also failed to block IL-1-induced MCP-1 expression. Furthermore, increasing intracellular cAMP and activating PKA attenuated basal MCP-1 mRNA levels by 82% and blocked IL-1 induced MCP-1 expression by 88%. Finally, the role of protein tyrosine kinases was studied. The structurally distinct protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitors genistein, herbimycin A, and tyrphostin each caused a dose-dependent inhibition of the effects of IL-1 on mesangial MCP-1 activity. IL-1 treatment of mesangial cells resulted in the up-regulation of three tyrosine phosphoproteins with apparent molecular masses between 40 and 62 kD. These results suggest that the effects of IL-1 on MCP-1 expression are not mediated through PKC or cAMP-PKA, but may be transduced through PTKs.
HIGH FETAL PLASMA OSTEOCALCIN (OC) AND POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP OF OC TO PLASMA PHOSPHATE (P) IN FETAL (F) AND MATERNAL (M) SHEEP USING A HOMOLOGOUS RIA

Plasma concentrations of the bone-specific protein OC correlate with bone formation rate. OC may regulate the mineralization process. We isolated OC from ovine bone and used an homologous RIA to investigate plasma OC in chronically catheterized M and F sheep during the last month of gestation. OC was purified from adult cortical bone by sequential gel filtration, anion exchange chromatography and SDS PAGE. Characterization was on the basis of amino acid analysis, including presence of γ-carboxyglutamic acid and its conversion to glutamic acid upon decarboxylation. N-terminal aminoacid sequencing (20 residues) revealed hydroxyproline at amino acid position 9. The protein demonstrated a typical stoichiometry of binding to hydroxylapatite (HTP) of 64mg protein/mg HTP and retained this property when radioiodinated. The RIA has a sensitivity of 1 ng/tube and intra and inter assay CV of 7% and 12.4%. Mean (±SEM) plasma OC in 51 samples from 10 pregnant sheep of 6.3±0.8ng/ml was not different from 23 non-pregnant sheep (5.8±1.1ng/ml) but was markedly lower than the corresponding F value of 141±8 ng/ml (p<0.0001). There was no correlation between F and M vaTues and neither F nor M values correlated with gestation, total plasma Ca or ionized Ca. However, both F and M plasma OC was directly correlated with plasma P (F:r= 0.45, p<0.01; M r=0.54, p<0.001). We suggest there is 1) lack of placental transfer of OC, 2) positive regulation of bone turnover by P during pregnancy, 3) plasma OC is useful in the study of fetal mineral metabolism.
JOHN DEWEY’S RACIALIZED VISIONS OF THE STUDENT AND CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

John Dewey’s willingness to endorse a remedial form of education for African American students offers us a rare glimpse of the racial assumptions underlying Dewey’s educational philosophy. By considering a variety of clues — Dewey’s silences on racial equality, his understanding of race and racial progress, and his respective prescriptions for European American and African American students — Frank Margonis offers in this essay a speculative case suggesting that the visionary child-centered education for which Dewey was most well-known was intended for European American students and not African American students. Because of the racial assumptions operative in Dewey’s educational philosophy, Margonis suggests, Dewey’s fundamental conceptions of the “student” and “classroom community” would best be abandoned by educational philosophers hoping to write philosophy that serves all students.
Production and characterization of a type B feruloyl esterase from Fusarium proliferatum NRRL 26517

Abstract A novel feruloyl esterase (or ferulic acid esterases, FAEs) was discovered from a Fusarium proliferatum strain (NRRL 26517) known to be capable of utilizing corn fiber xylan. Nitrogen sources and carbon sources in growth medium strongly influence the enzyme production. The feruloyl esterase production requires an inorganic nitrogen salt. Common complex organic nitrogen sources, such as yeast extract and peptone, severely suppress the production of FAE. The nature of the anion of inorganic salts is also an important factor in determining the level of production. The biosynthesis of feruloyl esterase may be subject to glucose catabolite repression. Growth using xylose as the sole carbon source does not support the enzyme production. The induction of the enzyme production apparently requires the presence of an esterified ferulic acid, and free ferulic acid does not stimulate the production of the enzyme. Under optimal conditions, the strain produced the feruroyl esterase with a titer of 334.6 units/l. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by ion-exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of the enzyme was determined to be 31 kDa. It exhibits a pH optimum at 6.5–7.5. Unlike other feruloyl esterases, it is stable over a broad pH range (5–9). Its unusual insensitivity to pH makes it a potentially useful enzyme in applications that require acidic or alkaline conditions. The optimal temperature is 50 °C and it is stable at a temperature up to 50 °C. The crude enzyme preparation from the strain supplemented with a commercial xylanase can release about 32% of the alkaline-extractable ferulic acid from corn bran.
Religion Among America's Elite: Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment

L'A. examine la surrepresentation des nominations protestantes dans l'elite de la nation americaine. Les donnees sur les elites au debut des annees 1930 et au milieu des annees 1970 montrent que l'Establishment protestant a perdu de son importance mais que ses membres restent surrepresentes surtout dans les spheres economiques et politiques. Les Juifs ont progresse et sont maintenant surrepresentes dans tous les domaines sauf en agriculture. Les protestants moderes (Methodistes et Lutheriens) ont gagne du terrain, surtout en agriculture, mais restent sous-representes dans la plupart des autres domaines. Les catholiques, ayant progresse, restent sous-representes dans toutes les spheres alors que les protestants conservateurs (Baptistes), bien que surrepresentes en agriculture, ont perdu de leur importance
Policy and praxis of land acquisition in China

Abstract Land acquisition is the primary means used by governments to meet increasing land demand driven by rapid economic and urban growth in China. Since development is prohibited on non-state-owned land, land acquisition in which landownership is converted from collective communes to the state shall take place prior to any land construction. This paper reviews institutional structure governing land acquisition in pre- and post-reform eras and examines consequences and impacts associated with or derived from land acquisition. It is concluded that land acquisition (1) has been used heavily by local governments to fuel urban development and finance infrastructure provision and (2) has resulted in increasing social tension and injustice that may impose a long-term threat to stability and sustainable development.
The use of lidar‐detected smoke puff evolution for dispersion calculations

Dispersion modelling is a key component of modern emergency responses to catastrophic atmospheric releases. However, periodic algorithmic advances are needed to effectively use new datasets acquired with modern remote sensing instruments. This work demonstrates that coherent Doppler lidar can be used to provide valuable new inputs for dispersion models. While related research seeks to retrieve other required inputs for dispersion modelling systems, for example velocity vectors from radial velocities, this paper assembles and contextualizes analytical and algorithmic approaches for an improved understanding of dispersion characteristics in specific atmospheric scenarios using Doppler lidar data. Longitudinal (along-wind), lateral (cross-wind), and vertical dispersion parameters are calculated and used to estimate eddy diffusivities based on Gaussian curve fitting and first-order closure. Empirical relations based on similarity theory are used to verify these estimates, and reasonable agreement is found between the two approaches. Several improvements are also suggested for the lidar scanning techniques to facilitate retrieval of dispersion parameters. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society
Changes in Thyroidal Economy in Rats Bearing Transplantable Walker 256 Carcinomas

Rats bearing transplanatable Walker 256 carcinomas have decreased hepatic nuclear T3 receptor concentration and decreased plasma concentrations of total and free T4 and T3. In the present studies, we investigated the mechanisms whereby plasma T4 is decreased in tumor-bearing (T) rats. Mean plasma T4 concentrations were significantly decreased in thyroidectomized T rats receiving daily treatment with T4 (3 μg/100 g BW). When tumor size was 6.5 ± 0.8% of body weight, plasma T4 was only 28% of control. This observation suggested alterations in the extrathyroidal metabolism of T4 in T rats. Measurements of plasma T4 binding and metabolism in groups of control (C) and T rats showed that the earliest change in thyroidal economy in rats with small neoplasms was a significant decrease in plasma T4 binding, and this was associated with a significant and proportional increase in the T4 MCR. With increasing tumor size, decreased plasma binding contributed to a smaller degree to the persistent elevation in the rate o...
Factors affecting land travel

The paper discusses some preliminary findings on how fuel prices and other factors are linked with automobile fuel use, travel and fuel economy. It is shown that there is a clear crosssectional relationship between fuel prices and both on-road (actual) fleet fuel intensity and new-car test fuel intensity. There is also a clear relationship between the fuel prices and both fuel use per car and fuel use per capita. Although the paper focuses on price effects, it discusses other determinants of fuel use. An important new element in the study is the quantification of the components of the differences in automobile fuel use. In particular, the authors have been able to develop comparable time series of numbers of vehicles, driving distances, and fuel intensity by fuel type. The discussion is focused on what the international data imply for fuel use in the USA, with particular emphasis on the comparison with Europe. Despite the US focus in the paper, however, most of the findings are relevant to the other countries studies. The paper concludes with a discussion of what policy measures might restrain future automobile fuel use.
Insulin-like growth factor I diminishes in vivo and in vitro vascular contractility: role of vascular nitric oxide.

Although most insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in the circulation is generated by the liver, the hormone is also produced locally by the vasculature, suggesting its potential importance in regulation of regional blood flow. Accordingly, we studied the effects of in vivo exposure to IGF-I (5.1 nmol, i.v.) as well as in vitro incubation (100 nM) on endothelium-intact rat tail artery contractile responses to KCl and norepinephrine (NE). Systemic administration of IGF-I resulted in transient lowering of blood pressure, with maximal reduction occurring at 15 min and a return to baseline by 60 min. Maximal contractility of rings removed from animals 90 min after a bolus injection of IGF-I, when blood pressure had returned to normal, was significantly reduced for both KCl (58%) and NE (51%) without a change in sensitivity. Similar data were obtained when rings from untreated animals were preincubated in vitro for 90 min; maximal contractility in response to KCl was decreased by 31% and that to NE by 22%. L-N...
Structural changes in a four-alpha-helix bundle protein following sevoflurane binding

Abstract A molecular understanding of volatile general anesthetic mechanisms of action will ultimately require high-resolution structural descriptions of anesthetic–protein complexes. Structural changes in proteins following anesthetic binding have been technically difficult to detect, but presumably underlie many of the resulting reversible alterations in protein function. Using three different spectroscopic approaches, evidence is presented that binding of a modern general anesthetic to the four-α-helix bundle (Aα 2 -L1M/L38M) 2 results in conformational changes in the target. Comparable structural changes in in vivo central nervous system protein targets may underlie some, or all, of the behavioral effects of these widely used clinical agents.
Intersection theory for graphs

Abstract An intersection theory developed by the author for matroids embedded in uniform geometries is applied to the case when the ambient geometry is the lattice of partitions of a finite set so that the matroid is a graph. General embedding theorems when applied to graphs give new interpretations to such invariants as the dichromate of Tutte. A polynomial in n + 1 variables, the polychromate , is defined for graphs with n vertices. This invariant is shown to be strictly stronger than the dichromate, it is edge-reconstructible and can be calculated for proper graphs from the polychromate of the complementary graph. By using Tutte's construction for codichromatic graphs ( J. Combinatorial Theory 16 (1974), 168–174), copolychromatic (and therefore codichromatic) graphs of arbitrarily high connectivity are constructed thereby solving a problem posed in Tutte's paper.
Information Technology and the Emergent Organization

The potential impact of information technology on the workplace is greater than simply changing how work is performed by individuals. Our assumptions regarding information systems in traditional organizations are out of date and being challenged by the capabilities provided by new information technologies. The organization of the future will require a much higher degree of system integration in order to respond to the increasing demands for flexibility and rapid change in the global marketplace. This will require a complete re-thinking of current organizational assumptions and a whole system re-design effort at the organizational level. Performance technologists, in order to play a vital role in building this new organizational future, will need to apply their collective knowledge on the whole system rather than on isolated elements, and to understand the interaction between the technology and the organization.
Sustainable development and climate change: applying the sustainomics transdisciplinary meta-framework

This paper analyses key issues linking sustainable development and climate change. It describes sustainomics as "a transdisciplinary, integrative, balanced, heuristic and practical meta-framework for making development more sustainable". The environmental, social and economic criteria for sustainability play an important role in the sustainomics framework. Environmental sustainability focuses on the overall performance or health of ecological systems. Social sustainability seeks to reduce the vulnerability and maintain the health of social and cultural systems, and their ability to withstand shocks. Economic sustainability aims to maximize the flow of income that could be generated while at least maintaining the stock of assets (or capital) which yields these beneficial outputs. The paper seeks to integrate these concepts through two broad approaches involving optimality and durability, and applies these ideas to climate change analysis. This framework helps decision makers focus on the structure of development, rather than just the magnitude of economic growth (conventionally measured). Sustainomics helps to incorporate ecological and social concerns into the decision making framework of human society. Operationally, it plays this bridging role by helping to map the results of environmental and social impact assessments (EIA and SIA) onto the framework of conventional economic analysis of projects. Sustainable development policies must take into account, the powerful economy-wide reforms in common use - including both sectoral and macroeconomic adjustment policies which have widespread effects throughout the economy. The highest priority needs to be given to finding "win-win policies", which promote all three elements of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental). Measures which advance one objective at the expense of another need to be analysed within a framework that facilitates trade-offs. Economy-wide policies that successfully induce growth, could also lead to environmental and social harm, unless the macro-reforms are complemented by additional environmental and social measures. The sustainomics approach helps to identify and analyse economic-environmental-social interactions, and formulate effective sustainable development policies, by linking and articulating these activities explicitly through the AIM framework.
Uniform Estimates of Ultraspherical Polynomials of Large Order

In this paper we prove the sharp inequality |Pn(s)(x)| = Pn(s)(1) (|x|n + {n-1}/{2 s+1} (1 - |x|n)), where Pn(s)(x) is the classical ultraspherical polynomial of degree n and order s = n frac{1 + v 5}{4}. This inequality can be refined in [0, zns] and [zns, 1], where zns denotes the largest zero of Pn(s) (x).
Staphylococcus aureus Stimulates Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Expression by Bovine Mammary Cells

Staphylococcus aureus commonly causes bovine mastitis, but bovine strains, unlike human isolates of S. aureus, do not produce the bacterial plasminogen activator, staphylokinase. By use of bovine mammary epithelial and myoepithelial cell lines, it was found that bovine S. aureus M60 and its culture filtrates induce a 3- to 10-fold increase in urokinase-type plasminogen activator activity in mammary cell-conditioned media and cellular lysates. Furthermore, transcytosis of S. aureus M60 across a mammary epithelial cell monolayer was significantly enhanced by the addition of bovine plasminogen and inhibited by aprotinin. These findings provide evidence that S. aureus M60 can trigger superactivation of host plasminogen activator production and may then utilize the plasminogen activator-plasmin(ogen) system to facilitate tissue invasion without producing staphylokinase.
Phase relationships and transformations in the ternary aluminum—titanium—tantalum system

Abstract The solid-state phase transformations and phase equilibria in a series of Al-Ti-Ta alloys in the range 38–55%Al, 19–30%Ti and 20–38%Ta have been investigated. It is shown that a variety of phases exist over this composition range and that the microstructures vary dramatically with prior thermal history. For example, the disordered β phase exists at high temperatures over a large composition range and its decomposition depends strongly on both composition and cooling rate in a manner similar to that reported in titanium rich Ti-Al-Nb alloys. In addition, the α phase is shown to extend to higher Al contents than originally reported and its decomposition is similar to that observed in binary Ti-Al alloys (i.e. it forms “massive” γ at high cooling rates and α + γ or α2 + γ at slower rates). The σ-(TaxTi1−x)2Al phase becomes stable at lower temperatures in the tantalum-rich alloys studied and its formation is also shown to be a strong function of cooling rate and composition. The various results are used to suggest revisions to the ternary Al-Ti-Ta isothermal sections at both 1723 and 1623 K.
Parent Advocates in Children's Mental Health: Program Implementation Processes and Considerations

Children’s mental health service systems are increasingly utilizing peer support services to support families experiencing serious child mental illness. The literature provides few detailed accounts of such peer-based approaches. This study qualitatively examined the approaches and processes of “parent advocate” programs implemented in two Ohio counties for children served through publicly funded mental health services. Descriptions of each county’s program, the background and roles of parent advocates, reasons families decline advocate services, and challenges to advocates’ work with families are provided. Implications for the field in developing clear and effective administrative and practice structures for peer support services are discussed.
Hyperosmotic Stress Induces Nuclear Factor-κB Activation and Interleukin-8 Production in Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells

Inflammatory bowel disease of the colon is associated with a high osmolarity of colonic contents. We hypothesized that this hyperosmolarity may contribute to colonic inflammation by stimulating the proinflammatory activity of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). The human IEC lines HT-29 and Caco-2 were used to study the effect of hyperosmolarity on the IEC inflammatory response. Exposure of IECs to hyperosmolarity triggered expression of the proinflammatory chemokine interleukin (IL)-8 both at the secreted protein and mRNA levels. In addition, hyperosmotic stimulation induced the release of another chemokine, GRO-α. These effects were because of activation of the transcription factor, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, because hyperosmolarity stimulated both NF-κB DNA binding and NF-κB-dependent transcriptional activity. Hyperosmolarity activated both p38 and p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinases, which effect contributed to hyperosmolarity-stimulated IL-8 production, because p38 and p42/44 inhibition prevented the hyperosmolarity-induced increase in IL-8 production. In addition, the proinflammatory effects of hyperosmolarity were, in a large part, mediated by activation of Na + /H + exchangers, because selective blockade of Na + /H + exchangers prevented the hyperosmolarity-induced IEC inflammatory response. In summary, hyperosmolarity stimulates IEC IL-8 production, which effect may contribute to the maintenance of inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease.
Assessing Teamwork and Communication in the Authentic Patient Care Learning Environment

Failures of communication are a significant threat to patient safety and contributed to 65% of sentinel events in 2006, half of which were a result of communication failure at the time of handover of care.1 In To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System ,2 the Institute of Medicine made recommendations to enhance patient safety and expected health care organizations to establish patient safety programs. In its 2008 report on resident duty hours, the Institute of Medicine stated that residency programs “should train residents in how to hand over their patients using effective communications.”3 There is a clear mandate to teach the elements of teamwork and communication that will lead to improved patient safety, but currently these skills are not well taught, or well learned, during residency training. Our project studies handovers (the transfer of patients from 1 team member to another) and teamwork to inform future teaching of critical interprofessional communication skills and collaborative care, and the subsequent effect on patient safety. Our central hypothesis is that education in both teamwork and hand-off skills will improve team functioning, improve transfer of care, and lead to improved quality of care and patient outcomes. Our main innovation is to capture these behaviors in the authentic environment of in-hospital patient rounds. In this article we share our findings from the literature that led to our Initiative for Innovation in Pediatrics Education (IIPE) project design. Specifically, we examine how teamwork and communication have been taught and how the effectiveness of those curricula have … Address correspondence to Hilary M. Haftel, MD, MHPE, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, D3220 Medical Professional Building, SPC 5718, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5718. E-mail: hils{at}umich.edu
Future Time Perspective in Sociocultural Contexts: A Discussion Paper

Resumen en: Future time perspective (FTP) serves as a strong motivational force for individuals to engage in activities that may be instrumental in future outcomes. ...
High-Frequency Jet Ventilation: A Prospective Randomized Evaluation

Three hundred nine patients were randomly allocated to two ventilatory protocols; 157 patients were supported with a volume-cycled ventilator (VCV) (Bear Medical BEAR 1) and 152 with a high-frequency jet ventilatory (HFJV) developed at our institution. The two ventilators were compared for safety, reliability, ease of use, and efficacy in maintaining gas exchange. On VCV, end points of therapy were: fractional concentration of oxygen in the inspired gas (FIo 2 ) ≤ 0.40; arterial oxygen pressure (PaO 2 ) ≥ 70 mm Hg; cardiac index (CI) ≥ 3.5 L/min/sq m; and spontaneous respiratory rate ≤ eight breaths per minute. On HFJV, end points were: FIo 2 ≤ 0.45; arterial oxygen saturation ≥ 0.90; and CI ≥ 3.5 L/min/sq m. Spontaneous ventilation and pulmonary venous admixture reduction were the goals on VCV, with oxygen transport the goal on HFJV, Total duration of use of the ventilators was approximately 800 days with both types of devices; there were no technical failures, and the incidence of barotrauma was less than 5 percent. The end point of mechanical ventilation was reached by a significantly higher percentage of the patients randomized to HFJV. Patients who failed to reach the therapeutic goal within 24 hours were crossed over to the other form of support. Those crossed from VCV to HFJV improved more rapidly and in greater number than those crossed from HFJV to VCV. When survival and total duration of stay in the intensive care unit were considered, there was no difference between VCV and HFJV. Considering data on gas exchange, VCV provided a higher PaO 2 at equivalent positive end-respiratory pressure than HFJV. Alveolar ventilation was slightly better on HFJV. Differences were statistically but not clinically significant. On HFJV, oxygenation and ventilation were maintained with lower peak inspiratory pressures and smaller tidal volumes than those required for VCV. This investigation proves that HFJV is a safe and reliable method to provide mechanical support which does not, at this time, offer obvious benefits over VCV.
Value of Plant Diversity for Diet Mixing and Sequencing in Herbivores

Value of Plant Diversity for Diet Mixing and Sequencing in Herbivores DOI:10.2458/azu_rangelands_v31i1_Randy
Soft dropping power control

This article considers a power control algorithm for cellular communications systems in which a user's link (dB) quality objective, as measured by the signal to interference ratio (SIR), varies with its transmitter power. In particular, as increased interference or reduced uplink gain leads a mobile to raise its transmitter power, that mobile lowers its SIR target. In this way, the likelihood of an infeasible power control problem in which users' transmitter powers rise to maximum is reduced. This graceful degradation of the SIR is termed soft dropping. Convergence proofs for a soft dropping power control algorithm are outlined. Simulation results demonstrate performance improvements over fixed target SIR algorithms.
Surface diffusion of n-alkanes: Mechanism and anomalous behavior

Abstract In this Letter, we investigate, using molecular dynamics simulations, the diffusion of n-octane and n-tetradecane on a graphite surface at 300 K under incomplete coverage condition. For both molecules, we observe that the lateral diffusion coefficient exhibits a Λ-shape anomaly with surface coverage i.e., the diffusion coefficient increases with the increase in surface coverage until a critical surface coverage, beyond which the diffusion coefficient decreases. Moreover, for low surface coverages, the longer n-tetradecane molecule moves faster compared to the shorter n-octane molecule and for high surface coverages, the n-octane molecule moves faster. We develop a new theory to understand the surface diffusion of n-alkanes and show that D ∼ r ee 2 N p τ R .
Untreated posttraumatic stress among persons with severe mental illness despite marked trauma and symptomatology

Objective:The study examined the degree to which trauma was addressed among clients being treated for a severe mental illness and a substance use disorder at a community mental health center. Methods:Participants (N=74) were a randomly selected sample of clients who were enrolled for at least two years in an outpatient clinic and who had at least one clinic visit in the month preceding the study's start. The primary diagnoses were schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (53%), bipolar disorder (24%), and major depression (23%), and all participants had a current or past substance use disorder. A majority had a history of trauma, including sexual trauma, physical assault, the loss of a family member, or having witnessed someone being killed or seriously injured. Results:Clients were asked about past sexual or physical assault history by a median of zero providers, and 59% said a history of assault was not addressed during treatment. Severity of posttraumatic stress disorder and the range of traumas exper...
Technology- and Product-Oriented Movements: Approximating Social Movement Studies and Science and Technology Studies

Technology- and product-oriented movements (TPMs) are mobilizations of civil society organizations that generally include alliances with private-sector firms, for which the target of social change is support for an alternative technology and/or product, as well as the policies with which they are associated. TPMs generally involve “private-sector symbiosis,” that is, a mixture of advocacy organizations/networks and private-sector firms. Case studies of nutritional therapeutics, wind energy, and open-source software are used to explore the tendency for large corporations in established industries to incorporate the products and technologies advocated by the TPM. As the incorporation process proceeds, the alternative technologies undergo design transformations that make them more compatible with existing products and technological systems. As the technological/product field undergoes diversification, “object conflicts” erupt over a range of design possibilities, from those advocated by the more social movem...
GaAs monolithic implementation of active circulators

A GaAs monolithic three-transistor signal circulator for 0.2- to 2-GHz applications was developed and tested. The circuit consists of three FETs with gates of 150- mu m width and 0.5- mu m length, three capacitors, and seven GaAs resistors. The resulting chip size is 1.1 mm*1.0 mm on a substrate of thickness 0.15 mm. The ability afforded by monolithic construction techniques to locate the active devices in close proximity to each other and avoid interconnecting circuitry stray capacitance is critical to the high-frequency operation of the device. The three-terminal device demonstrated a 6-dB insertion loss and an 18-dB directivity over the above frequency range. >
Rapamycin Limits Formation of Active Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4F Complex Following Meal Feeding in Rat Hearts

Feeding promotes protein synthesis in cardiac muscle through a stimulation of the messenger RNA translation initiation phase of protein synthesis by enhancing assembly of active eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)4F complex. The experiments reported herein examined the potential role for a rapamycin-sensitive signaling pathway in increasing formation of active eIF4G-eIF4E complex during meal feeding. Hearts from male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a meal consisting of rat nonpurified diet were sampled prior to and 3 h following the meal in the presence or absence of treatment with rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1. Rapamycin prevented the meal feeding-induced stimulation of myocardial protein synthesis. Inhibition of mTOR with rapamycin decreased the association of rapamycin-associated TOR protein with mTOR and prevented the feeding-induced assembly of eIF4G-eIF4E complex. In contrast, the abundance of eIF4E binding protein-1 (4E-BP1)-eIF4E complex was unaffected by either meal feeding or rapamycin. Pretreatment with rapamycin completely prevented the feeding-induced phosphorylation of eIF4G(Ser 1108 ), whereas the inhibitor only partially attenuated meal feeding-induced 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase1(Thr 389 ) phosphorylation and extent of 4EBP1 in the g-form. Meal feeding-induced phosphorylation of protein kinase B on either Ser 473 or Thr 308 was unaffected by rapamycin. These findings suggest the extent of phosphorylation of eIF4G following meal feeding occurs by a rapamycinsensitive mechanism in cardiac muscle. Furthermore, the rapamycin-sensitive reductions in phosphorylation of eIF4G may also lead to decreased formation of active eIF4G-eIF4E complex. J. Nutr. 137: 1857‐1862, 2007.
Subtracting injury from insult: ethical issues in the use of pharmaceutical implants.

Implantable drug delivery systems are devices that release a drug into the body in a controlled manner over a long time period. Examples are insulin diffusion systems and Norplant the implantable contraceptive device developed by the Population Council. The advantages of these systems are many: they are noninvasive; they are reversible; they are efficient because through "organ-targeting" the dosage and therefore the side effects can be reduced; and they are profitable because the ratio of development time to patent protection is lower than it is in new drug development. Superficially it would appear that implantable drug delivery systems should not be subject to the same ethical constraints as psychosurgery gene surgery and surgical sterilization which are invasive and irreversible. However the question remains whether implantable devices which accomplish the same ends as the invasive irreversible technics may not be equally reprehensible.