cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cholera and pertussis toxins modify regulation of glucose transport activity in rat adipose cells: evidence for mediation of a cAMP-independent process by G-proteins.

Adenylyl cyclase in rat adipose cells is stimulated by ligands for Rs receptors (e.g. isoproterenol) and inhibited by ligands for Ri receptors (e.g. adenosine). In contrast, Rs receptors mediate inhibition and Ri receptors mediate augmentation of insulin-stimulated glucose transport activity by a process independent of changes in cellular cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity [Kuroda M., Honnor R. C., Cushman S. W., Londos C. and Simpson I. A. (1987) J. biol. Chem. 262, 245-253]. The present study examines the possible role of G-proteins in the regulation of insulin-stimulated glucose transport activity by Rs and Ri receptors. First, conditions were established that permit intoxication of isolated rat adipocytes by cholera and pertussis toxins without compromising cell integrity. Effectiveness of toxin treatment was monitored by examining adenylyl cyclase activity in isolated plasma membranes. Secondly, neither toxin interfered with the ability of a maximal concentration insulin to initiate the glucose transport response. Thirdly, pertussis toxin eliminated the augmenting effects of adenosine on insulin-stimulated glucose transport activity, but enhanced the inhibitory effects of isoproterenol. Findings with ligands for other Ri receptors (nicotinic acid and prostaglandin E2) mirrored those with adenosine. Finally, cholera toxin elicited a modest depression of transport activity, and only in the absence of an Ri ligand (e.g. adenosine). Furthermore, in contrast to the enhanced stimulation of adenylyl cyclase by isoproterenol and GTP, cholera toxin eliminated the inhibitory effect of isoproterenol on transport activity. The augmentative effects of adenosine on transport activity were unchanged. Measurements of (-/+cAMP) cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity ratios reinforce the notion that modulation of glucose transport activity is independent of changes in cAMP. We conclude that regulation of glucose transport activity by Rs and Ri receptors is mediated by the G-proteins, Gs and Gi (or other toxin substrates), respectively. Inasmuch as such regulation occurs at the plasma membrane and appears to be cAMP-independent, it is suggested that glucose transporters may be direct targets for receptor: G-protein interactions.
Effect of a cardiac-specific didactic course on thoracic surgery in-training examination performance.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to determine which factors influenced performance on the Thoracic Surgery In-Training Examination (TSITE) and whether the addition of a cardiac-specific didactic study course improved scores. Methods Between 1989 and 2002, 59 TSITE scores (overall, cardiac [C-TSITE], and thoracic [T-TSITE]) were collected from 33 residents (23 cardiac track, 10 thoracic). Factors assessed with univariate and multivariate analysis included calendar year, year of training (31 year I, 28 year II), standardized test-taking history (average National Board and American Board of Surgery in-training scores), subjective faculty assessment of cardiothoracic knowledge, months on cardiac versus thoracic service, clinical performance, and participation in a cardiac-specific didactic series with faculty lectures and board question reviews (12 residents). Results Cardiac-track residents had higher C-TSITE percentile scores (53% ± 27% versus 38% ± 27%, p p p p p p > 0.82) or overall TSITE scores ( p > 0.23). Conclusions Standardized test-taking history and subjective faculty assessment of knowledge were associated with higher TSITE scores, but implementation of a cardiac-specific didactic series had no influence. These findings suggest that independent study and reading may be the best way to improve TSITE scores.
Amatory sonnet sequences and the female perspective of Elinor Wylie and Edna St. Vincent Millay

(1983). Amatory sonnet sequences and the female perspective of Elinor Wylie and Edna St. Vincent Millay. Women's Studies: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 41-61.
Renal Failure and Severe Hypokalemia Associated With Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia

The leukemias have long been associated, albeit rarely, with the development of renal failure and several metabolic perturbations. While renal insufficiency may result from a variety of mechanisms in the setting of leukemia, severe leukostasis with microvascular insufficiency and renal parenchymal infiltration by blast cells are rare and infrequently described etiologies. In addition, hypokalemia can occur from lysozyme-induced renal tubular injury with inappropriate kaliuresis. We present a case of acute myelomonocytic leukemia that was complicated by renal failure and severe hypokalemia and discuss the probable mechanisms.
Chaotic scattering, unstable periodic orbits, and fluctuations in quantum transport.

The field of quantum chaos has recently focused attention on the quantum description of chaotic scattering processes. The new physical intuition, analytical methods, and numerical tools developed in the study of the quantum behavior of classically chaotic bound systems, like quantum billiards or atoms in strong fields, has led to exciting new predictions for the scattering of electromagnetic waves in curved waveguides, electrons in mesoscopic wires, and atoms off molecules. After a brief review of recent progress in the field of quantum chaos, this paper focuses on specific results relating to ballistic electron transport in small, mesoscopic devices. Several specific geometries are suggested for experimental studies of this ‘‘game’’ of quantum pinball with explicit predictions for the fluctuations in the electrical conductivity as functions of the electron Fermi energy and of an applied magnetic field.
Nanostructured Materials for Microfluidic Sensing Application

Nanostructured thin films were assembled on interdigited microelectrode (IME) arrays as sensitive interfacial materials of an electrochemical detector, which can be integrated into microfluidic sensor devices. The goal is to produce sensor devices at extremes of miniaturization. The IME were created on glass wafers using conventional lithographic techniques. Open channels were etched on quartz or glass, and covered by PDMS materials, which were created using soft-lithography. The capability of chemical recognition was provided by the ligand framework structures of the nanostructured thin films on the electrode surface. A model system for such nanostructures involved the use of monolayer-capped gold nanoparticles of ∼2 nm core sizes which were assembled by carboxylic acid functionalized alkyl thiol linkers. The detection of dopamine was studied as a redox probe to test the feasibility of the microfluidic device. Results of cyclic voltammetric and chronoamperometric experiments are presented. Implications of the findings to the development of sensitive, selective, rapid and portable microanalytical devices for chemical/biological sensing are also discussed.
The Development and Psychometric Testing of the Horizontal Violence Scale

Inappropriate behaviors of healthcare workers can threaten the delivery of safe, quality care. The purpose of this research was to develop a research instrument specific to the construct of horizontal violence and conduct foundational psychometric testing of the newly developed instrument. The overall findings on the fit indices suggest that this model does adequately measure the underlying construct of horizontal violence. The instrument can be used as a way to determine the existence and extent of horizontal violence in practice settings and used to augment the study of the work environment, particularly in relation to healthy work environments.
Mechanisms of silica dissolution as inferred from the kinetic isotope effect

Abstract The rate of dissolution of many rock-forming minerals is controlled by the hydrolysis of the bridging silicate bonds at the mineral surface. This hydrolysis can be studied at a detailed level by combining experiments in isotopically distinct solutions with molecular-orbital calculations of the reaction energetics and geometry. These calculations are linked to the macroscopic process of dissolution via the transitionstate theory. Rates of silicate leaching and dissolution in D2O and H2O differ for several reasons. First, hydrolysis involves transfer of hydrogen from the solution to a bridging siloxane bond at the mineral surface. The transition state equilibrium describing this reaction varies with the vibrational properties (and, hence, isotopic composition) of the reactant and the transition state. Secondly, the equilibrium acid-base properties of the oxide surface in H2O and D2O are not identical. These differences are important because rates of hydrolysis reactions are enhanced by adsorbed hydrogen and hydroxyl ions. On the basis of the molecular orbital calculations and an assumed mechanism of hydrolysis, quartz dissolution is predicted to be roughly a factor of four slower in D2O than in H2O at pH = pD = 3. The activation energy is predicted to be ≈20 kcal /mol, which is in agreement with values measured at hydrothermal conditions. At pH/pD conditions near the isoelectric point of quartz and in the temperature range 20–70°C, the measured rate in D2O is only about 15% slower than in H2O and the activation energy is ≈8 kcal/mol. The activation energy is slightly higher at pH pD = 11 , but the kinetic isotope effect remains small. The discrepancy suggests that the hydrogen transfer to bridging oxygen from water at the experimental conditions is more rapid than modeled and may proceed early in the overall reaction.
Nanoporous Polyimides Derived from Highly Fluorinated Polyimide/Poly(propylene Oxide) Copolymers

Porous, low dielectric constant polyimide films have been made by a “nanofoam” approach. The pore sizes generated in the polymer films are in the tens of nanometers range, hence the term “nanofoams...
Comparison of the elastic scattering of 3He and 4He by 40Ca

Abstract The scattering of 3He and 4He from 40Ca has been compared at equal incident momenta. The results indicate that 3He has a more diffuse interaction than 4He.
Community and Social Participation Among Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Transitioning to Adulthood

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are at increased risk for poor psychosocial outcomes as adults. We described community and social participation in adolescents with ASDs as they transitioned from adolescence to adulthood, and identified adolescent factors associated with community and social participation outcomes in adulthood. We performed a secondary data analysis of a nationally representative cohort using the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 and observed a significant decrease in community participation from adolescence to adulthood (63 to 46 %); social participation remained stable. The presence of case management in adolescence was associated with increased community and social participation in adulthood. Case management may be crucial for optimal levels of participation among adults with ASDs.
If IDA Known: The Speaker versus the Speech in Judging Black Dialect.

While a single standard for speech may be functional, dialects that differ from those used by the people in power have come to reflect inferiority, regardless of their actual merit. This teaching note shows how the devaluation of black dialect is based on the power structure and not on the inherent value of a dialect, revealing how our social norms unfairly disadvantage an entire segment of the population. This note provides a concrete example of how to teach students that who makes the judgment and about whom can affect the perceived worth of a particular practice. Students learn that in the case of dialect, even if one form is as objectively sound as another, once it is labeled as substandard it becomes difficult to see the disparate dialect as anything other than inherently inferior because it has different, but not deficient, rules.
Bridging the Gap Between Parallel File Systems and Local File Systems: A Case Study with PVFS

Parallel I/O plays an increasingly important role in today's data intensive computing applications. While much attention has been paid to parallel read performance, most of this work has focused on the parallel file system, middleware, or application layers, ignoring the potential for improvement through more effective use of local storage. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of segment-structured on-disk data grouping and prefetching (SOGP), a technique that leverages additional local storage to boost the local data read performance for parallel file systems, especially for those applications with partially overlapped access patterns. Parallel virtual file system (PVFS) is chosen as an example. Our experiments show that an SOGP-enhanced PVFS prototype system can outperforma traditional Linux-Ext3-based PVFS for many applications and benchmarks, in some tests by as much as 230% in terms of I/O bandwidth.
Left Contained in the Right: A Study in Zoharic Hermeneutics

Although there has been much in modern scholarship written about the historical and theosophical background of the Zohar, scholars have paid little attention to the literary structure of the work and its relationship to the thematic content contained therein. There is, as far as I know, not one in-depth study of such a nature.
Why Public Sociology May Fail

When first confronted with this year's ASA theme of public sociology, I thought there was nothing controversial. I figured "public sociology" would be a positive, if vacuous, theme one we could all agree upon. The early indications were that my hunch was correct. Much of the public sociology rhetoric seemed to be preaching to the choir. Most sociologists would agree that sociology should have a larger public role in society. While other ASA presidential addresses (e.g., Gans 1989) have raised this topic before, Burawoy could rally the troops and boost our morale. One of the most important things that public sociology might accomplish is to undermine the pessimistic view that the discipline of sociology is in steep decline.1 In some of Burawoy's recent work, this is, in fact, what we find. If those are Burawoy's goals, I think he might succeed.2 By other criteria, however, I am afraid public sociology will fail. The failure of public sociology will be driven mainly by serious shortcomings in its agenda and program. In what follows, I begin by clarifying the value and meaning of public sociology. Then, I discuss five reasons why I anticipate that Burawoy's public sociology may fail.
M. tuberculosis intramembrane protease Rip1 controls transcription through three anti‐sigma factor substrates

Regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) is a mechanism of transmembrane signal transduction that functions through intramembrane proteolysis of substrates. We previously reported that the RIP metalloprotease Rv2869c (Rip1) is a determinant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) cell envelope composition and virulence, but the substrates of Rip1 were undefined. Here we show that Rip1 cleaves three transmembrane anti-sigma factors: anti-SigK, anti-SigL and anti-SigM, negative regulators of Sigma K, L and M. We show that transcriptional activation of katG in response to phenanthroline requires activation of SigK and SigL by Rip1 cleavage of anti-SigK and anti-SigL. We also demonstrate a Rip1-dependent pathway that activates the genes for the mycolic acid biosynthetic enzyme KasA and the resuscitation promoting factor RpfC, but represses the bacterioferritin encoding gene bfrB. Regulation of these three genes by Rip1 is not reproduced by deletion of Sigma K, L or M, either indicating a requirement for multiple Rip1 substrates or additional arms of the Rip1 pathway. These results identify a branched proteolytic signal transduction system in which a single intramembrane protease cleaves three anti-sigma factor substrates to control multiple downstream pathways involved in lipid biosynthesis and defence against oxidative stress.
Surface-templated hydrogel patterns prompt matrix-dependent migration of breast cancer cells towards chemokine-secreting cells

Abstract This paper describes a novel technique for fabricating spatially defined cell-laden collagen hydrogels, using patterned, non-adhesive polyacrylamide-coated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces as a template. Precisely patterned embedded co-cultures of breast cancer cells and chemokine-producing cells generated with this technique revealed matrix-dependent and chemokine isoform-dependent migration of cancer cells. CXCL12 chemokine-secreting cells induce significantly more chemotaxis of cancer cells when the 3-D extracellular matrix (ECM) includes components that bind the secreted CXCL12 chemokines. Experimental observations using cells that secrete CXCL12 isoforms with different matrix affinities together with computational simulations show that stronger ligand–matrix interactions sharpen chemoattractant gradients, leading to increased chemotaxis of the CXCL12 gradient-sensing CXCR4 receptor-expressing (CXCR4+) cells patterned in the hydrogel. These results extend our recent report on CXCL12 isoform-dependent chemotaxis studies from 2-D to 3-D environments and additionally reveal the important role of ECM composition. The developed technology is simple, versatile and robust; and as chemoattractant-matrix interactions are common, the methods described here should be broadly applicable for study of physiological migration of many different cell types in response to a variety of chemoattractants.
Indian media representations of climate change in a threatened journalistic ecosystem

As 2010 unfolds, environmental journalism around the world is fraught with capacity challenges to collectively cover complex and dynamic stories at the human– environment interface. Recent years have seen significant reductions in journalistic ecosystem services. Examples abound: CNN slashed their entire science, technology, and environment reporting unit; the Seattle Post-Intelligencer discontinued their print run; the Los Angeles Times had cut their newsroom staff in half in the last dozen years; the Rocky Mountain News shuttered their doors altogether. It has been estimated that approximately 25% of the news industry’s workforce has been cut since 2001 (Pew 2009; Boykoff 2009). Concurrently, the number of newspapers that featured weekly science sections atrophied, losing nearly two-thirds in the past two decades (Pew 2009; Carroll 2006). In many places in the Global South, journalists continue to lack the capacity and training to cover the intricacies of climate science and policy, as well as lack access to clear, timely and understandable climate-related resources and images (Harbison 2006; Shanahan 2009). Journalists, editors, and organizations surviving newsroom cuts and shortfalls have been left to cover the contours of climate change along tighter deadlines, and with increased multi-platform demands (video, audio and text along with blogs, Twitter, Grogs (see www.getgrogger.com), YouTube postings etc). Moreover, in the name of efficiency, reporters increasingly cover a vast range of beats, making it as difficult as ever to satisfactorily portray the complexities of climate change. Put simply, journalists and editors striving for fair and accurate reporting are getting swamped by these larger scale pressures (Boykoff 2007). Yet in this perilous landscape, 2009 ended with soaring media coverage of climate change around the world. Climate news seemingly flooded the public arena. The
Static gravitational global monopoles

Static solutions in spherical symmetry are found for gravitating global monopoles. Regular solutions lacking a horizon are found for $\ensuremath{\eta}l1/\sqrt{8\ensuremath{\pi}},$ where $\ensuremath{\eta}$ is the scale of symmetry breaking. Apparently regular solutions with a horizon are found for $1/\sqrt{8\ensuremath{\pi}}l~\ensuremath{\eta}\ensuremath{\lesssim}\sqrt{3/8\ensuremath{\pi}}.$ Though they have a horizon, they are not Schwarzschild-like. The solution for $\ensuremath{\eta}=1/\sqrt{8\ensuremath{\pi}}$ is argued to have a horizon at infinity. The failure to find static solutions for $\ensuremath{\eta}g\sqrt{3/8\ensuremath{\pi}}\ensuremath{\approx}0.3455$ is consistent with findings that topological inflation begins at $\ensuremath{\eta}\ensuremath{\approx}0.33.$
Discourse processing—examining our everyday language experiences

Studies of discourse processing focus on the ways in which readers and listeners comprehend language. The linguistic segments of interest to the field tend to be larger than sound, word, or sentence-level units; they include the books and conversational communications that comprise our everyday cognitive and social interactions. The current review focuses on discourse comprehension (specifically text processing), highlighting three core issues of primary interest to the research field. First, we outline the particular elements that make up naturalistic discourse activity. Second, we identify potential interactions among the elements, and how investigations of these interactions have resulted in influential frameworks for the field. Finally, we examine contemporary work (both theoretical and applied) that might further enhance current accounts of discourse processing. As appropriate, the review includes references to relevant empirical research outlining the processes that guide, and are guided by, our discourse experiences. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Separation efficiency of a chemical warfare agent simulant in an atmospheric pressure ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometer (IM(tof)MS)

An electrospray ionization atmospheric pressure ion mobility orthogonal reflector time-of-flight mass spectrometer (IM(tof)MS) that routinely achieves mobility and mass separation efficiencies in line with theoretical limits is reported. The maximum IM(tof)MS efficiency for a given instrumental design depends widely upon the various key parameters such as voltage, temperature, initial pulse width, interface and reflectron energies. Optimization of the current IM(tof)MS instrument, resulted in an IMS separation efficiency over 133,000 theoretical plates (a resolving power of 155) and a resolving power of 1200 for the TOFMS using a singly charged G/V-type chemical warfare agent (CWA) nerve simulant (dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP)) in less than 12 ms.
By the Grace of God: Religiosity, Religious Self-Regulation, and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence:

Although some researchers have argued that religiosity has a deterrent effect on criminal offending in general, and serves as a protective factor against men’s intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, others have obtained inconsistent or contradictory findings indicating that religiosity per se may be less important than other factors and may be protective only for some groups of men. The present study extends previous research by using measures that gauge multiple dimensions of religiosity to examine its effects on IPV perpetration among a national, community sample of adult men (N = 260). Findings indicate that religiosity is functionally less important than religious self-regulation in reducing men’s likelihood of IPV perpetration, supporting previous research showing that the protective effects of religiosity may be limited to certain groups of men. Implications of the findings for future research are discussed.
A Farewell Kiss Triggers a Broken Heart

See related article, pages 1168–1176 The evolving atherosclerotic lesion reflects a coordinated interaction between vascular and immune/inflammatory cells.1,2 Foam cells and extracellular lipid droplets form the central core of the atheroma, which is covered by vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and a collagen-rich matrix. T cells and macrophages infiltrate the lesion and are particularly abundant in the shoulder region. VSMCs are responsible for producing extracellular matrix proteins that provide strength and stability to the lesion. Indeed, the atherosclerotic plaque can remain relatively stable in which a cap of VSMCs and matrix proteins covers the lipid core. Alternatively, the plaque can develop into a chronic active inflammatory lesion.1,2 These unstable plaques are characterized by increased numbers of activated immune/inflammatory cells and increased expression and release of numerous inflammatory mediators and proteolytic enzymes. Thinning of the fibrous cap reflecting reductions in VSMCs and matrix proteins is a key feature of unstable plaques.1,2 The subsequent rupture of weakened unstable plaques, which exposes prothrombotic material from the core of the plaque, is the principal mechanism underlying acute coronary syndromes (ACS) including unstable angina, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death.1,2 Activated macrophages have been considered a primary culprit in destabilizing atherosclerotic plaques. They are a major source of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which can degrade all components of the extracellular matrix and represent a principal mechanism for collagen breakdown and cap weakness.1,2 Macrophages are also highly effective at inducing apoptosis of VSMCs, a characteristic feature of unstable plaques.3,4 Although CD4+ T cells are prominent within unstable plaques, they have generally been considered to regulate the lesional activity of other cell types, including macrophages. In this issue of Circulation Research , Pryshchep et al5 highlight the direct role of CD4+ T cells in causing apoptosis of VSMCs …
Some Limitations of Seismic Refraction Methods in Geohydrological Surveys of Deep Alluvial Basinsa

Seismic methods, combined with available well and geologic data, were used to define the subsurface hydrologic and geologic conditions of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, a deep, alluvial basin near Tombstone, Arizona. Surface geology of the valley indicates an alluvium-filled area between igneous intrusives and sedimentary rocks that support the Tombstone Hills on che southwest and the Dragoon Mountains on the northeast. Seismic determinations revealed depths to the water table ranging from near zero at the confluence of Walnut Gulch and the San Pedro River to 475 feet in the central portion of the watershed. The accuracy of predicting the depth to either ground water or basement was ± 6 percent, while that for ground water alone was ± 10 percent. Seismic refraction methods failed to produce satisfactory results when certain conditions or combinations of conditions existed. The great depths of alluvium created the problem of estimating the seismic traverse length necessary to accurately determine the alluvium-basement interface. Increased compaction of alluvium with depth causes additional interpretation difficulties in some areas. Also, water-table elevation may not always be accurately determined if it is located above, and close to, a highervelocity layer. A minimum of gravity or well log information greatly increases the reliability of seismic information in these problem cases. Other methods may still be necessary to substantiate the seismic data obtained under these conditions.
Demonstration of Direct Energy Recovery of Full Energy Ions at 40 keV on a PLT/ISX Beam System

The injection of neutral hydrogen or deuterium particles continues to be the most promising means of heating magnetically confined fusion plasmas to ignition temperatures. Neutral beam injection systems that employ positive ion sources presently operate at energies of about 40-50 keV/nucleon at 60 A [Princeton Large Torus (PLT)] or 100 A [Princeton Divertor Experiment (PDX) or the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Impurities Study Experiment (ISX)] with about 60% conversion efficiency. However, the desire for multisecond beams in the 80-keV/nucleon energy range at ~ 10 MW/module has emphasized the need for technological advances in several areas. At such beam energies, as much as 75% of the initial beam energy is retained in the unneutralized ion components. As a result, two questions immediately come to mind: (1) how can one dispose of this energy; or better still, (2) how can one efficiently recover this energy? The conventional way of treating such a problem is to deflect the ions out of the neutral beam and onto water-cooled plates or beam dumps. This method has worked satisfactorily for 40-keV/nucleon beams in excess of 1.5 MW and ~0.5 s. However, the power per unit area to be disposed of in the high power, multisecond beams mentioned above is beyond present-day technology.
An Improved Meta-heuristic Search for Constrained Interaction Testing

Combinatorial interaction testing (CIT) is a cost-effective sampling technique for discovering interaction faults in highly configurable systems. Recent work with greedy CIT algorithms efficiently supports constraints on the features that can coexist in a configuration. But when testing a single system configuration is expensive, greedy techniques perform worse than meta-heuristic algorithms because they produce larger samples. Unfortunately, current meta-heuristic algorithms are inefficient when constraints are present.We investigate the sources of inefficiency, focusing on simulated annealing, a well-studied meta-heuristic algorithm. From our findings we propose changes to improve performance, including a reorganized search space based on the CIT problem structure. Our empirical evaluation demonstrates that the optimizations reduce run-time by three orders of magnitude and yield smaller samples. Moreover, on real problems the new version compares favorably with greedy algorithms.
The Pharmaceutical Industry in the 21st Century: Surviving in the E-Business Environment

e-... the electronically enabled exchange and management of information to execute (...), is at the core of the most impactful societal change in history, the so called “Information Age.” The pharmaceutical industry likes to think of itself as an innovator, and rightly so in its life science disciplines (so we do not address these areas in this article). However, the story is a little different in the core competency of information management (IM). In IM, the pharmaceutical industry has been conservative at best, if not recalcitrant in adapting to the changes that have already reshaped other industries such as finance, automobile, and aerospace, all of which share with pharmaceuticals some key IM characteristics. Hence the challenge: How does the pharmaceutical industry survive the exhilarating pace of change that is bringing about the e-business imperatives of the Information Age marking the beginning of this new century? This paper introduces seven trends which are major drivers in determining the way that global markets are taking shape in the Information Age, and outlines some CEO strategic imperatives to address those drivers in various industries, including some of those mentioned above. It then attempts to suggest what could be pharmaceuticals CEOs’ concerns in terms of their organizations’ core competencies, to bring the industry into the new century, given its very historically conservative approach to information management. Finally, it concludes with an account of how the industry’s highly regulated environment has reflected the coming of the Information Age, exemplified by the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997, and how the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has positioned itself to partner in this transition. A model outlining the various phases to be undertaken is offered in closing.
The military and bureaucracy in Greece – 1967–1974

This article attempts to examine and analyse the Greek military regime's (1967-1974) relations with the country's administrative apparatus. After briefly tracing the historical and ecological dimensions of these two institutions the article analyses their relations during the 7-year period on the basis of Eckstein and Gurr's superordinate-subordinate theoretical framework. The relevant data, which include interviews with senior civil servants as well as military officers, indicate that due to the nature of their profession, which emphasizes discipline and strict subordination, the military as political governors create an atmosphere to which the less regimented and more give-and-take-oriented bureaucracies have difficulty becoming accustomed. Military regimes and administrators do not enjoy the best of relations.
Full characterization of tightly focused vector fields through far field third harmonic signals

A non-iterative algorithm applied on nanosphere induced far field third harmonic signals capable of retrieving the full vector third order polarization densities and fundamental field at the focal plane is presented.
Extended pitch thoracic helical ct 47

The objective of this study was to test whether extended 1.5 pitch helical computed tomography (CT) can be used for routine thoracic CT without a significant loss of clinical scan quality. Thirty consecutive patients presenting for contrast thoracic CT were computer randomized into one of three groups: conventional, 1.0 pitch helical, and 1.5 pitch helical. All other variables, including kV, mA, slice thickness and reconstruction interval, and contrast administration, were kept constant. The studies were randomized to five independent, blinded, experienced radiologists who rated visualization 25 normal structures, and up to five pathologic findings per patient. In addition, each reader evaluated the studies' contrast enhancement, low contrast sensitivity, linear resolution, motion artifact, noise, and overall quality. The visualization score for all normal and overall for pathological lesions did not vary between groups. The three groups were not equivalent for several individual pathologic categories. However, these differences were not consistently in favor of one technique over the other two. The overall score for scan quality was not significantly different between the three groups. Extended 1.5 pitch thoracic helical CT provides equivalent quality versus either 1.0 pitch helical or conventional CT. The use of 1.5 pitch helical thoracic CT allows faster scanning, greater patient coverage, and the use of reduced amounts of intravenous contrast.
Aura Virus Structure Suggests that the T=4 Organization Is a Fundamental Property of Viral Structural Proteins

Aura and Sindbis viruses are closely related alphaviruses. Unlike other alphaviruses, Aura virus efficiently encapsidates both genomic RNA (11.8 kb) and subgenomic RNA (4.2 kb) to form virus particles. Previous studies on negatively stained Aura virus particles predicted that there were two major size classes with potential T=3 and T=4 capsid structures. We have used cryoelectron microscopy and three-dimensional image reconstruction techniques to examine the native morphology of different classes of Aura virus particles produced in BHK cells. Purified particles separated into two components in a sucrose gradient. Reconstructions of particles in the top and bottom components were computed to resolutions of 17 and 21 A, respectively, and compared with reconstructions of Sindbis virus and Ross River virus particles. Aura virus particles of both top and bottom components have similar, T=4 structures that resemble those of other alphaviruses. The morphology of Aura virus glycoprotein spikes closely resembles that of Sindbis virus spikes and is detectably different from that of Ross River virus spikes. Thus, some aspects of the surface structure of members of the Sindbis virus lineage have been conserved, but other aspects have diverged from the Semliki Forest/Ross River virus lineage.
Prognostic importance of Gleason 7 disease among patients treated with external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer: results of a detailed biopsy core analysis.

Purpose To analyze the effect of primary Gleason (pG) grade among a large cohort of Gleason 7 prostate cancer patients treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Methods and Materials From May 1989 to January 2011, 1190 Gleason 7 patients with localized prostate cancer were treated with EBRT at a single institution. Of these patients, 613 had a Gleason 7 with a minimum of a sextant biopsy with nonfragmented cores and full biopsy core details available, including number of cores of cancer involved, percentage individual core involvement, location of disease, bilaterality, and presence of perineural invasion. Median follow-up was 6 years (range, 1-16 years). The prognostic implication for the following outcomes was analyzed: biochemical recurrence-free survival (bRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM). Results The 8-year bRFS rate for pG3 versus pG4 was 77.6% versus 61.3% ( P P P =.002). On multivariate analysis, pG4 predicted for significantly worse outcome in all parameters. Location of disease (apex, base, mid-gland), perineural involvement, maximum individual core involvement, and the number of Gleason 3+3, 3+4, or 4+3 cores did not predict for distant metastases. Conclusions Primary Gleason grade 4 independently predicts for worse bRFS, DMFS, and PCSM among Gleason 7 patients. Using complete core information can allow clinicians to utilize pG grade as a prognostic factor, despite not having the full pathologic details from a prostatectomy specimen. Future staging and risk grouping should investigate the incorporation of primary Gleason grade when complete biopsy core information is used.
THE EFFECTS OF LITTER QUALITY AND CLIMATE ON DECOMPOSITION ALONG AN ELEVATIONAL GRADIENT

The process of decomposition is controlled by both biotic and abiotic factors. While it has been widely hypothesized that litter quality and climatic conditions regulate decomposition, the relative importance of these factors appears to vary across biomes. This study examines the decomposition of native plant litter along an elevational gradient in northern Arizona to determine the influence of litter quality and climate on the rate of decomposition in semiarid communities. A litter-bag experiment was performed using needle/leaf litter from Pinus ponderosa, Pinus edulis, Juniperus monosperma, Gutierrezia sarothrae, and Bouteloua gracilis. The five litter types are representative of the dominant local vegetation and offer a range of litter qualities. The bags were placed along a gradient, running from Great Basin Desert scrub (1960 m) through a pinyon-juniper woodland (2100 m) and up into a ponderosa pine forest (2280 m). Samples were collected and analyzed over a period of 2 yr. Decomposition was closely correlated with the relative proportion of easily decomposed carbon fractions to recalcitrant fractions for the first year. Litter from G. sarothrae and B. gracilis contained relatively low levels of lignin and high levels of cellulose and carbohydrates, and these litter types exhibited significantly faster rates of decay than the highly lignified pine and juniper litter. The order of the relative rates of decomposition was G. sarothrae k B. gracilis . J. monosperma . P. ponderosa 5 P. edulis. There was no correlation between initial litter nitrogen content and the rate of decomposition, suggesting that decomposition is limited by carbon substrates rather than by nutrient content. Decomposition rates were significantly greater at the upper elevation sites, which were colder and wetter. Evidence strongly suggests that decomposition is limited by moisture in these ecosystems. Warmer temperatures resulting from climate change may not increase the rate of decomposition in the Southwest unless accompanied by increases in available moisture.
Comments on the analysis of unbalanced microarray data

Motivation: Permutation testing is very popular for analyzing microarray data to identify differentially expressed (DE) genes; estimating false discovery rates (FDRs) is a very popular way to address the inherent multiple testing problem. However, combining these approaches may be problematic when sample sizes are unequal. Results: With unbalanced data, permutation tests may not be suitable because they do not test the hypothesis of interest. In addition, permutation tests can be biased. Using biased P-values to estimate the FDR can produce unacceptable bias in those estimates. Results also show that the approach of pooling permutation null distributions across genes can produce invalid P-values, since even non-DE genes can have different permutation null distributions. We encourage researchers to use statistics that have been shown to reliably discriminate DE genes, but caution that associated P-values may be either invalid, or a less-effective metric for discriminating DE genes. Contact: katiek@u.washington.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A New Cryptic Species of Cicada Resembling Tibicen dorsatus Revealed by Calling Song (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae)

Abstract Two morphologically cryptic species have until now been treated under the name Tibicen dorsatus (Say). T. dorsatus is redescribed, and a neotype is designated from topotypic material collected from Atchison County, KS. Tibicen tremulus sp. n. is described and diagnosed from T. dorsatus and from similar species by using the shape of the male claspers and color pattern. Calling songs of the males are distinct, as evidenced by field recordings of multiple individuals of both species. Males of T. dorsatus produce a rattling song, during which syllables are repeated at a rate of 38.9 ± 1.7 s−1 and are broadcast over a constant carrier frequency band of 2.6–12.7 kHz, 4.0 ± 0.3 kHz at maximum amplitude. The main portion of the song of T. tremulus consists of amplitude and frequency modulated syllables repeated at a rate of 16.2 ± 0.6 s−1, frequency 5.4 ± 0.3 kHz at maximum amplitude. During these modulations, amplitude increases and a base frequency range of 3.9–5.8 kHz broadens to 3.6–7.7 kHz for a dur...
Pump thrombosis in the Thoratec HeartMate II device: An update analysis of the INTERMACS Registry.

Background Pump thrombosis in durable continuous-flow pumps is a barrier to long-term mechanical circulatory support. Earlier Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) data identified an increasing risk of pump thrombosis in recent years with the HeartMate II (HMII) left ventricular assist device. The current analysis examines pump thrombosis in the patient cohort extended through June 2014. Methods The INTERMACS identified 9,808 adult patients from 144 institutions receiving a primary HMII implant between April 2008 and June 30, 2014. Pump thrombosis was identified at time of explant, transplant or death. Risk factors for pump thrombosis were examined by multivariable analysis in the hazard function domain. The association between pump thrombosis and implant year was modeled in the hazard domain. Results Parametric hazard modeling of thrombosis by year of implant identified an increasing risk of pump thrombosis from 2009 through 2013, followed by a decrease in the risk during the first half of 2014, which was most apparent during the first 3 months post-implant. Risk factors for pump thrombosis included younger age ( p p = 0.02), history of non-compliance ( p = 0.004), severe right heart failure ( p = 0.02), later date of implant ( p p p Conclusions The small, but progressive increase in the incidence of pump thrombosis observed between 2010 and 2013 with the HMII pump had reversed somewhat in the first half of 2014. Identification of marked elevation of lactate dehydrogenase during the first month offers an opportunity for early intervention strategies.
Two year reliability validation of GaN power semiconductors in low voltage power electronics applications

This paper presents a reliability analysis of GaN HFETs under typical operating conditions. The GaN HFETs are operated in a low voltage point of load converter for two years of continuous operation. The power devices are regularly characterized to observe any component degradation, such as an increase in on-resistance or device failures. It is observed that the GaN HFETs undergo a phenomenon known as dynamic Rds(on) which is inherent to GaN HFETs. This effect is caused by a buildup of trapped electrons in the epitaxial layer over time. Over the course of two years of continuous operation, no other significant device degradation or failure has been observed. It is important to analyze reliability of GaN HFETs, as well as other WBG semiconductors, to promote industry adoption of these devices. The results presented show zero device failures and only minor performance degradation over the span of two years, and are promising for WBG semiconductor acceptance in the power industry.
Adapting to Climate Change: The past, the present and some possible futures of adaptation

Adaptation is a familiar word in the conversations of people who are concerned about climate change. They use it to the processes of adjusting to climate change and its impacts. It describes the actions that must be taken to reduce or eliminate harm, actions whose necessity is unquestionable once the realization strikes that no mitigation plan will be able to bring global warming to a quick halt. This chapter calls for some reflection on these uses of the word. Though it accepts the urgency of the need to respond to climate change, it questions the naturalness of the term adaptation – the way that it is taken for granted as a key element in climate change policy – and it finds some limits to the term. This chapter suggests that the word does not always capture the full impacts of climate change and that it does not always represent accurately either the perceptions of the people affected by these impacts or the range of alternatives open to them.This chapter develops these reservations through several sections: (1) a review of the history of the term and its use by international organizations; (2) a presentation of a local community affected by climate change, who constitute one case of the people for whom adaptations are proposed; (3) a discussion of the perceptions of climate change by this local community; (4) a review of four organizations that serve as intermediates between the international and local levels, and that have all adopted the word; and (5) a set of considerations on the way that the term operates in the relations among the international organizations, the intermediary organizations and the local community. Reduced to a single, if long, sentence, this chapter argues that the term serves the international and intermediary organizations far better than the local communities who feel the impacts most directly; rather than transforming the great fear of a hotter planet into sustained action to address the consequences of climate change , the term can create a sense of complacency.